Exeter School Alumni

Thank you to Harrison Thorne (2002-2010) for a splendid account of this year's OE Golf Day…

“Late spring sunshine, little wind and a beautifully manicured course at Exeter Golf and Country Club were all on offer for the 20 OEs who gathered for the 2026 Golf Day, following a two-year break.

“Alongside competing for the coveted silverware, it was another chance to see who still had the biggest drive, who was struggling on those tricky three-foot putts and, most importantly, to catch up over a couple of drinks and dinner.

“The early leaders were Paul Scoble (1993-1997) with an excellent 38 points and Steve Dukes (1993-1997) on 36 points. As the groups filtered in, Harrison Thorne (2002-2010) matched Dukes' score but lost out on the back-nine countback.

“In the Over-55s competition for the Jago Trophy, Mike Kay (1975-1982) edged out Rupert Pratt (1977-1984), both finishing on 32 points. The nearest-the-pin prizes went to Tom Sowman (1992-1996) on the 4th hole and Steve Dukes on the 11th.”

Keep an eye out for details of the 2027 OE Golf Day - we'd love to see even more OEs hitting the green next year!

📷: Kindly taken by Alice, Head of Alumni and Development Relations and golfers on the day

Congratulations to Emma Harris (2015-2022), who has been awarded a £250 OE Grant from Exeter School to support an inspiring fundraising challenge this summer.

Emma, who is currently spending her university exchange year in Latin America, and her friend Livia Singer (2015-2022) will be taking on a three-day climb of Mount Potosí in Bolivia, reaching an altitude of 6,088 metres. With no prior mountaineering experience, the climb will be an ambitious undertaking for both Emma and Livia.

The climb is in memory of Janet Keliher, mother of Maddie (2011-2022), Romi (2011-2018) and Louis Keliher (2009-2016). As close friends of Maddie, Emma and Livia wanted to do something meaningful from afar to honour Janet's memory and celebrate the impact she had on so many lives.

They are raising funds for YoungMinds, a charity that was particularly important to Janet. As a university lecturer, Janet was deeply committed to supporting young people and worked closely with causes that champion mental health and wellbeing. The charity also holds personal significance for Emma and Livia, who hope their fundraising can help young people in need of mental health support.

We are delighted to support Emma through the OE Grant and wish both her and Livia every success as they prepare for this remarkable challenge at the end of July.

To find out more about Emma and Livia’s fundraising and YoungMinds, please visit - https://www.gofundme.com/f/janet-keliher?attribution_id=sl:9b242dbe-2386-4e06-9a46-1c9172174c2e&lang=en_GB&ts=1779208494&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp20_t1&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

The following page has many lovely tributes to Janet - https://hass-cornwall.exeter.ac.uk/janet-keliher/

📷: Kindly shared by Emma

⏰ REMINDER: OE Garden Party | Saturday 20 June

There's still time to book your place at our OE Garden Party, taking place on Saturday 20 June.

Come along and enjoy an afternoon back at school, with the opportunity to explore the campus and take part in a variety of activities, including:

🏹 Archery
🏊 Swimming
🎾 Tennis
📜 Archives
🎶 Music concert
🤓 School tours
🍓 Cream tea
🏏 Watch cricket

Bring a picnic and make the most of the school grounds, whether you're planning to drop in for a particular activity or stay for the whole afternoon.

Children and families are very welcome too!

📅 Saturday 20 June
🕐 1.00pm-4.30pm
📍 Exeter School

Please note that spaces are limited. If you would like to attend, please book online here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/Exet.../OEGardenParty20June2026

We look forward to welcoming you back to school 😄

📷: Exeter School archive

We were delighted to hear from Tim Speller (1975-1980), who recently shared an update with the Alumni and Development office following his early retirement after 30 years working with Hampshire County Council, managing country parks and nature reserves.

With more time now to dedicate to his passion for swimming, Tim completed the Swimathon Triple 5K in March - swimming 5K on three consecutive days. He is also preparing to take part in the Dart 10K this July for the third time, an outdoor swimming event which starts in Totnes and finishes just above Dartmouth 🏊🏼‍♂️

Tim writes, “Outdoor distance swimming is still fun and competitive but relatively kind on those old bones first challenged on the school rugby pitch!” 🏉

Congratulations Tim on these fantastic achievements, and best of luck for the Dart 10K!

📷: Kindly shared by Tim

The classrooms may be quiet for half term, but Exeter School has been looking rather glorious in the sunshine these past few days ☀️

From all of us in the Alumni and Development office, we wish our whole Exeter School community a happy, restful and sun-filled half term ahead 🌿

📷: Taken by Communications & Alumni Officer, Ali

James Saddler (1994-2005), an avid runner and long-standing participant in the annual OE cross-country race - which he won last year - recently got in touch to share news of his experience at the Boston Marathon.

“After a solid block of training in the spring, I ran the Boston Marathon on 21 April 2026. Unlike most races, Boston Marathon is a ‘point to point’ course rather than a loop with the start and finish in close proximity. Buses were organised to take us 26.2 miles outside of Boston to the start area in nearby Hopkinton, before running largely in a straight line back to Boston 👟

“The course is known for its rolling hills, with a particularly tough stretch coming between 16 and 21 miles finishing with the aptly named ‘Heartbreak Hill’, before it’s then a largely downhill stretch to the finish. The weather in Boston is known to be changeable at that time of year, but we were very lucky to have cool conditions with the wind if anything largely behind us. I managed to finish the race in 2:56:24, which I was very pleased with 🏅

“Next on my marathon calendar is a trip to Germany for the Cologne marathon in October 2026, where I’ll be aiming to run a ‘good for age’ qualifying time for the London Marathon. And before then I’ll look forward to running in the annual Old Exonians cross-country race. Let battle commence.”

If you would like to take part in this year’s OE cross country race on Saturday 27 June, please visit - https://www.exeterschool.org.uk/alumni-upcoming-events/, for more information 😄

📷: Kindly provided by James

OE Garden Party | Saturday 20 June | 1.00pm until 4.30pm

We would be delighted to welcome you to our OE Garden Party, taking place on Saturday 20 June. We will open up as much of the school as possible for you to explore and enjoy, including...

🏹 Archery
🏊 Swimming
🎾 Tennis
📜 Archives
🎶 Music concert
🤓 School tours
🍓 Cream tea
🏏 Watch cricket

The garden party runs from 1.00pm until 4.30pm and you are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy in the school grounds. You are able to drop in for your chosen activities, or stay for the whole afternoon. Children and families very welcome too!

Please note that spaces are limited - let us know if you would like to attend by booking online here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/ExeterSchool2/OEGardenParty20June2026.

We look forward to seeing you at school 😄

📷: Exeter School

Malcolm Brook (1949-1954) sadly lost his younger brother, Trevor (1957-1961), at the beginning of this year. While looking back through records of Trevor’s time at Exeter School in our online archives, we came across his beautifully written poem, published in the Easter Term 1958 edition of The Exonian.

You will have the opportunity to read more about Trevor’s life, along with other alumni whom we are honoured to remember, in the next edition of The 1633, which will be published next month.

📷: Exeter School archive, The Exonian, 1958

Congratulations to all pupils who took part in Ten Tors this year... following in the footsteps of the OEs who came before them 💜

📷:

David Scott (1957–1968)

“When I was at school, the Direct Grant system meant that 25% of places were offered to children who achieved the required marks in the 11-plus exams. These places were state-funded, enabling academically able pupils to access a top-quality education who otherwise would not have been able to attend. It helped break down social barriers, with pupils from different backgrounds forming lasting friendships and realising that character mattered more than circumstance. I came to Exeter School after passing my 11-plus, and it was the ideal environment for me.”

Although the Direct Grant system no longer exists, our commitment remains the same - to ensure that an excellent education is accessible to talented young people regardless of financial background.

If you would like to help change a child’s future by supporting the bursary fund, please contact Alice Holohan, Director of Development and Alumni Relations - [email protected] or find out more at
https://www.exeterschool.org.uk/support-us/.

Make a gift and change a life. Thank you 💜

📷: Exeter School archive - form 3(a) rugby team, spring term 1968 and rugby players out on the field in more recent times.