King's College Taunton - OAs and Friends

This week we were delighted to welcome OAs Nick Lasham and David Robertson (King Alfred 1976) back to the school. Arriving mid-morning, they enjoyed a tour of the site, sharing memories and reminiscing about their time here as pupils.

After enjoying a traditional school lunch, they spent the afternoon watching a selection of u13 teams competing in the King's Cricket Festival. It was a pleasure to host them and to hear their reflections on the school's rich history and continued development.

Both Nick and David will be joining us at the November Dinner this year, why not join them?

https://kingsglobalconnect.com/events/view/oa-reunion-dinner-071126-kingstauntonits484827

Last week we were delighted to welcome back OA Richard Rendell (King Alfred 1978) to King’s College. Richard was holidaying in Sidmouth with his sister, Rachel, and took the opportunity to return to the school for a trip down memory lane.

Richard spoke warmly of his time as cricket scorer for the First XI, a role he still enjoys today. He recalled the perks of away fixtures - a day off school, a luxury lunch in a new location, and, on victorious days, returning to King’s to be greeted with beer and free time in the outdoor swimming pool!

As he toured the site, Richard was struck by how much he remembered: the tuck shop, the TV room, King Alfred’s boarding house with its distinctive “hospital edges” on the bedding, and even helping to dig out vehicles during a heavy snowstorm.

Richard and Rachel chose a perfect day to visit, with the Cricket Festival in full swing and a lively buzz across the site. Their visit concluded with a classic school lunch in the Dining Hall — a fitting end to a nostalgic return.

It was a pleasure to welcome Richard and Rachel back to King’s, and wonderful to see old memories come vividly back to life.

A fantastic day for our Class of 2026, and the newest members of the OA Club!

Wishing you all every success and happiness for the next step in your journey - we can't wait to see what you all get up to!

LONDON DRINKS
London based OAs... we’d love to see you! We’ve booked a semi‑private space at The Boundary for casual drinks and the OA Club are kindly covering your first drink.

Come along to catch up, reconnect and enjoy a relaxed evening together.

📅 Thursday 1 October 2026, 6:30pm
📍 The Boundary, 541 Kings Road, Fulham SW6 2EB
Booking essential via King’s College Global Connect: https://kingsglobalconnect.com/events/view/london-drinks

Thanks to the generosity of our OAs, King's Prep School have a new laser cutter in their DT Department.

OAs Jon Coles (Carpenter 1973) and Chris Rew (Meynell 1980 and Treasurer of the OA Club) invited Reggie, Benjamin, Digby and Albert from the Prep to present their case for why a laser cutter would be a worthwhile investment.

Our OAs were very impressed with the boys’ confidence and their clear understanding of how the machine would benefit them in providing greater learning opportunities in DT lessons. This investment will enable pupils to create more sophisticated products, turn digital designs into precise prototypes and explore advanced techniques used in industry. It also highlights a fantastic example of pupil initiative, with Reggie, Benjamin, Digby and Albert taking ownership of a real project and developing valuable communication and leadership skills.

Both Jon, on behalf of the 1880 Club, and Chris, on behalf of the OA Club, were very happy to agree to fund the laser cutter. A huge thank you to them both for their generosity and their support of future generations.

We were thrilled to welcome Caroline Willms née Rayermann OA (Meynell, 2001) back to King’s for her first visit since leaving in 2001.

Caroline, along with her husband Daniel and their children Matilda (7) and Phil (5), were visiting England from their home in Germany and took the chance to revisit King’s and reminisce about her time here.

A particularly special moment came at the start of the visit when Karen McSwiggan, Caroline’s former Meynell house parent, was here to greet her. Caroline smiled as she recalled still being able to taste the chocolate‑covered strawberries Karen gave the Meynell girls on their final day at King’s.

Another highlight was a trip to the Art Block. Art had been Caroline’s favourite subject and she has since built a career as an artist, creating abstract work for a wide range of spaces.

Matilda and Phil were especially taken with the Dining Hall, having recently watched Harry Potter and immediately likening it to Hogwarts!

It was lovely to hear all of Caroline’s memories and stories from her time here - many of which included Laila, Pom and Kate, the lifelong friendships she formed at King’s. And, who knows, in a few years we may be welcoming Matilda and Phil back as King's pupils!

If you would like to reconnect with Caroline, or check out some of her artwork, visit her website here: www.carolinewillms.de

It's great to see so many of our OAs involved in supporting the next generation as they start to think about their futures!

🌟 National Champions! 🌟

The First XI finished an unforgettable season by beating Shrewsbury School in the National Schools U18 T20 Cup at the iconic Wormsley Cricket Ground.

Having won the toss and electing to bat, Shrewsbury School were bowled out for 117 in 19.5 overs, thanks to a disciplined and determined King’s bowling performance. We then chased down the target with confidence, reaching 119 for 6 in just 16.3 overs to seal a memorable four-wicket victory and write their names into the school’s sporting history.

This is a fantastic achievement and we are so proud of the hard work, determination and commitment shown by our First XI team.

You may recognise some familiar faces alongside our pupils - our fantastic cricket coaches Phil Lewis, Rob Woodman and Keith Parsons!

Prize Giving Day is always a special day and this year was no exception. A day to reflect and remember their time at King's and celebrate their many achievements along the way.

Congratulations to our Class of 2026 and welcome to the OA Club!

On Friday, we welcomed the newest members of our OA Club - the Class of 2026!

Following their Leavers' Walk with Father Mark, they were greeted with a champagne reception in the Quad and presented with a gift from the OA Club.

Ed Hawkins, Chairman of the OA Committee, welcomed the group to the OA Club, reminding them that we are here to support them as they navigate life after King's and to celebrate their achievements.

Congratulations, Class of 2026! Don't forget to sign up to our OA platform here: https://kingsglobalconnect.com/home and stay in touch!