Brentwood journeys: 44 years as pupil and OB, 43 years on the staff

The Society President’s proposal of Floreat Domus Brenwoodiensis at the annual dinner in March and the guest speaker’s response turned into a Jos and Nigel double act—a good humoured exchange of recollections and jibes and even absurdities as they focused on their pupil teacher relationship dating from over 40 years ago.

Welcoming his fellow diners, including those who had come from the USA, Switzerland and Majorca, President Jos Hollington reflected on his own Brentwood journey.

This started in the Prep in 1972 and took in Lawrence, South and School House, followed by 44 years as an Old Brentwood---almost five of them in the School’s Development Office. Serving as the Society’s President in its 125th anniversary year represented an exceptional culmination.

He explained the early years of this journey by referring to his School reports from the 1970s and 1980s and contrasting them with those issued today. The latter contain self-reflections by students with teacher input. In Jos’ day, pupils---as they were then known---took home handwritten observations by each teacher, summarising grades and comments. If placed in a sealed envelope, there was the
option of steaming them open for a sneak preview.

‘Insights’ from school reports

Some comments required explanations to parents. “I managed to convince mine that my 15% mock O level physics mark was in fact 75% and that the teacher had really bad handwriting! However, with the help of an inspirational teacher in Alan Robinson OB, I went on to get a B grade in the real thing.”

The Hollington reports featured such in-depth insights as ‘a good term’s work,’steady progress’ and ‘well done.’ Other comments referred to his favouring sport over academia: ‘good solid service to house and School. He has the scars to prove it. Now he must combine obtaining the necessary grades with taking lots of wickets.’

The subject’s favourite, as a fourth former: ‘he would do much better if he spent less time looking out of the window watching first XI cricket.’

Plenty of stick for the tutor

Surprisingly, there were no comments from Mr Carr. As a sixth former, Jos had started boarding in School House in 1979, where Nigel was house tutor. “As he was not that much older than the Upper Sixth formers, he came in for plenty of stick but bore it with good humour and spirit. House parents Mickey and Betty Hall kept a huge Great Dane, called Beauty, a gentle giant who worked out how to break into Nigel’s biscuit cupboard in his flat!”

Jos recalled one intended misdemeanour when he and Andrew Marshall decided to visit the (long demolished) Seven Arches pub. Andrew pedalled pubwards with Jos perched on the luggage rack. En route, they espied John Whitcombe, then Hough housemaster, coming in their direction. It turned out that despite his very poor eyesight and intake at the pub, his thick lenses had enabled him to spot the cyclists from afar. “We turned round, headed back to School and knocked on the flat door to ‘come clean’ (presumably in advance of having to do so).” On-duty Mr Carr answered. Having heard what the boys’ story, he bestowed his trademark stare and ‘tut’ and told them to go away.

Spilled beans, either from Whitcombe or Carr, evoked two senior responses. Mickey Hall: ‘if you two are going to go to the pub on a Saturday night, don’t get caught!’ Headmaster Dick Sale: ‘Ah, Hollington, I hear you are a good pillion rider.’

Great leader and teacher

The President reminded his audience that in his 43 years at Brentwood, Nigel Carr was housemaster, head of economics, CCF contingent commander, head of fencing, leader of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and, for 16 of those years, deputy head teacher. “He was a great leader, teacher and inspirer, always supportive and compassionate. Thank you, Nigel for your tremendous contribution to Brentwood
School.”

Bursary-giving back

A key feature of Jos Hollington’s year of office is his President’s bursary. “As the School and the OB Society have given me so much, this is my way of giving something back---thereby enabling another young person to have the same life forming experiences which I---and many here this evening---enjoyed.

“I launched this initiative at the London dinner in November with the aim of raising at least one but hopefully two years’ fees to fund a bursary place. I am delighted to announce that---thanks to generous donations and pledges, I have hit the one-year target. The pressure is on between now and September to extend it to two years.”

Boarding as it used to be

Nigel Carr began his response warily if mischievously. “This is the second time I have spoken at this event and the first time did not go well. I will not mention who the President was but Jim Brown has not spoken to me since---so every cloud has a silver lining! Further, I
am an economist and, as Rachel Reeves knows, we are not popular!"

With a brand new boarding house under construction, Nigel felt it would be timely to reflect on the state of boarding when Jos Hollington joined School House, just two years after the start of his own Brentwood journey. “Dormitories were the norm, central heating was ineffective and flannels froze during the night. This was not actually a problem because not many of them ever washed!

“Mobile phones were unknown but there was a payphone, unfortunately near my bedroom. I spent a considerable time running round the house to find boarders with parents overseas who had forgotten the time difference. Some were quite upset when I refused to fetch their son at midnight.”

As housemaster of Hough, Nigel recalled when flexi-boarding—pupils residing in-house part- time—got under way at Brentwood. “It did so informally once Mill Hill was converted into a girls boarding house!”

Explaining Jos via Socrates

To introduce his reflections on Master Hollington, his former house tutor turned to Socrates for inspiration----“the Greek Philosopher, not the 1980s Brazilian footballer!” He explained to younger OBs (but certainly not to older OBs) that Socrates was the “Tik Tok star of Athens in 400 BC.” The Ancient Greek sage would have been comfortable with notion that “to know someone today, it is necessary to understand their past”. Therefore, let me tell you a little about your President.”

He was born in 1963, the year President Kennedy was assassinated, the Great Train Robbery took place, the Dartford Tunnel opened, the first episode of Doctor Who was broadcast and the Beatles released their debut LP. “I should explain to younger members of the audience, that LP refers to a long playing record---an analog sound storage medium from long ago.”

Jos excelled in cricket and cross-country, being a member of the winning house cricket team in his last year in South and again the following year in School House. He was School cross-country champion, “which probably explained why he never got caught doing anything wrong! He does not list soccer among his many achievements. However, as a supporter of Leeds United, it is not surprising!”

In quest of stories about the young Hollington’s misdemeanours,. Mr Carr contacted contemporaries. “Some suggested he was both ‘hard working and a typical boarder,’ not two things which often go together.’ Others described him as ‘friendly, dedicated, helpful, conscientious and caring.’ I was not sure who to believe---perhaps he bribed them before I could approach them!”

Foreign Office’s loss was Brentwood’s gain

After Brentwood, continued Nigel, Jos spent time travelling and worked for NatWest Bank before taking a different career path. He joined SNAP, the Special Needs and Parents Charity based in Brentwood, which helps families with children and young people with special needs or disabilities. He and his wife Penelope also became trustees of Brentwood Theatre.

In 2017, he applied for the post of Brentwood School’s development officer. His interview with Guy Black and Ian Davies proved more successful than when he applied to join the Diplomatic Service after leaving school. “His failure then indicated that he would eventually be ideally suited to being President of the Old Brentwoods! The Foreign Office’s loss was Brentwood’s gain.”

As Development Officer, he was a key figure in furthering relations between the School and the Old Brentwoods. He has continued this work as President, for example via a programme of regional drinks reunions. He has been involved in the Old Brentwoods clubhouse and the Society’s restructuring. He has introduced a President’s Bursary and has personally raised funds through his contacts  to support a student at Brentwood.

At the end of his speech, Mr Nigel Carr was very happy to agree with his contemporaries’ view that Mr. Jos Hollington was indeed “friendly, dedicated, helpful, conscientious and caring.”