The Association was formed in 1879 but there are reports of its existence even 60 years before that. The list of Presidents is however complete from 1879.
Current President 2024 – 2026, Harry Dickinson (OS1994)
I am writing these words sitting in the house in Hayama, Japan where my mother and five of her siblings were born. It is just after 6am, already 30°C outside where the cicadas have just started the raucous chorus that they will maintain all day. And as I write I reflect that this country could not be more different than the green and damp rural beauty of the Lancashire countryside; second, and perhaps irrelevantly, that I am almost certainly the first President of the Stonyhurst Association that is half-Japanese (perhaps the first with east Asian blood?) and, finally, that I am truly honoured to be assuming this mantle while I have a son at the College and with an exciting programme of upcoming events that will further bind the Stonyhurst family together.
Family is important to all of us. For me, first there is my immediate family – my German wife, Claudia, and children, Clara (at Exeter Uni), George (going into Rhetoric in September) and Isabel (we hope, off to the College in 2026). Then my six siblings, four of them OS. My Japanese mother, Tomoko – mother of five OS – and grandmother of fifteen (only one at Stonyhurst so far, but more to follow surely!). My English trilby-hatted father looks down from above with an ethereal glass of whisky in one hand, a fag in the other. Binding my family and the wider Stonyhurst family together is one of my aims during my tenure as president and this is one of the aims of the Richmond Thirst Friday on 6th September at Richmond Rugby Club which has become a wonderful opportunity for OS, current Stonyhurst families and friends to gather and to have some late summer fun!
Having fun will be a key motivator in the events that the Association will host in the coming two years of my tenure. In order to reap the benefits that a community like Stonyhurst can bring we need to connect to people, especially our younger members. I was delighted to be contacted recently by Leo Higham OS 19 who wants to revive Stonyhurst Wanderers rugby which had fallen into abeyance. Leo had already organised an OS team to play the Mount in July. Such initiatives will have my full backing because they create communities that support each other in good times and bad, create great networking opportunities and remind us why we become friends in the first place – sharing interests and having fun!
In my life so far, the idea of service has found its expression at Stonyhurst and in the Army. I spent a roughly equivalent amount of time at each institution, yet despite that brevity their impact was profound. First, most of my strongest friendships were forged in one or the other (or both!). There is much in common to both – for example, “Men and Women for Others” at Stonyhurst, and the Sandhurst motto “Serve to Lead” are variations on the same theme; and “Quant Je Puis” could be a mantra for military service (although sadistic PTIs may have paraphrased it with: “Pain is weakness leaving the body”!).
Of course, Stonyhurst’s contribution to the Armed Forces has been extraordinary and Association members will be fully aware of our history. They may be less familiar with the fact that in Major John Cobb’s time alone as Commanding Officer of the Stonyhurst College Cadet Corps, one hundred and twenty-six former OS cadets received the Queen’s Commission in one or other branch of the Armed Forces. I therefore felt strongly that during my tenure we should celebrate that very fine marriage of Stonyhurst and the military with a dinner which will be held in London on 29 November this year. All serving and retired UK and overseas military are warmly invited to join us and reunite with old schoolfriends and comrades and forge new friendships.
Finally, back to Japan. Catholicism was brought here by St Francis Xavier SJ in the 1540s, 50 years before Stonyhurst’s founding in 1593. For generations, the pull of a Jesuit education has drawn young men and women from the ends of the world to Lancashire, to brave near constant rain and dodgy food, and then send them back out again to make some positive impact. My kids are half German, quarter Japanese and a quarter English.
At Stonyhurst it amazes me to reflect on the nationalities of George’s non-British friends – Germans, Italians, French, Mexicans, Spanish to name a few; but it was ever thus. And this is one of the true values of a Stonyhurst education – an ability to get on with people from all over the world and to see what we have in common rather than what sets us apart. Such vital skills in today’s troubled world.
So, it is also my intention to lead a charge of Stonyhurst men and women reaching out to OS, young and old all over the world, to celebrate the amazing and diverse network that is the Stonyhurst Association; we will do this by gathering and having fun – QJP and AMDG.
Past President 2023 – 2024, Paul Chitnis (OS1979)
I was told there are three priorities for a President of the Association: attend the Easter retreat at Stonyhurst, accompany the pilgrimage to Lourdes and host the annual dinner. I am pleased to report that I achieved all three. And more!
Lourdes – miraculously perhaps – brings out the best in people. It is a very Ignatian place – somewhere to praise, reverence and serve God through our interactions with others, especially the sick or people with disabilities. “Quant Je Puis”, one might say. It was consoling to see a number of committed young helpers among the 106 pilgrims and I hope that more will attend this year.
The commitment to service is encouraged by the Association in many ways including its support for the charities set up by OS. Over the years, several have been established including Cohere who partner with refugee led organisations to help them transform their communities and The Newman Holiday Trust which provides eight holidays for disabled children.
I have an interest in The Newman Trust having helped to establish it 43 years ago. Although I am no longer actively involved, it has been uplifting to witness the dedication and generosity of so many young OS assisting on these holidays. The Association plays a vital role in encouraging its members to support these charities by sharing their talents and time in the service of others.
The Easter retreat was attended by 200 people including many new retreatants with little or no connection to Stonyhurst. We were accompanied by five Jesuits and (hold onto your seats!) a former Master of the Dominicans, Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP, who participated in the Synod called by Pope Francis last October. He referred to the “summons” which Good Friday invites us to make by considering the different “dyings” which we need to experience so that we can rise to new life. It was a masterly talk illuminated by fascinating anecdotes and humorous asides.
The annual dinner was held at the De Vere Beaumont hotel in Berkshire, the site of the former Jesuit school, Beaumont College. It was attended by 223 people, some travelling from as far afield as Asia for the event. It was an occasion for several firsts and one last.
Starting with the latter: the dinner is the last to be attended by Beverley Sillitoe in her role as Association Manager, as she retires this summer. The saintly Beverley has accompanied 22 Presidents, and I can testify that her advice, hard work and encouragement have made the task of every one of us immeasurably easier and more enjoyable. She will be greatly missed.
Our guest speaker, Dominika Lasota OS 20, is the youngest guest of honour at an Association dinner. She is a climate change activist in her native country, Poland. Her passionate, intelligent and articulate speech reminded us of the impact of climate change on the poorest people on earth despite having done the least to cause it. Dominika is an example par excellence of what it means to be a “woman or man for others”. The dinner was the first to feature a Scottish ceilidh. The current Heads of Line, Sebastian White and Alicia Abboodass, swished and swirled energetically after their impressive speeches in which they spoke eloquently of their time at the school.
The Association is justly proud of its many members whose sporting achievements have graced arenas at the highest levels. The importance of sport to the Association cannot be underestimated. The hugely enjoyable annual Thirst Friday event at Richmond Rugby Club was organised by Harry Dickinson OS 94 who will succeed me as President in May 2024. I wish him every happiness during his tenure.
Perhaps we celebrate the artistic endeavours of OS a little more lightly and so I was delighted that one of the Association’s most eminent artistes, Jonathan Plowright OS 78, agreed to give a recital in London last February. To have “one of the UK’s finest living pianists” perform in such an intimate setting was a dream come true. Those of us privileged to be present were dazzled by his musicianship and technique. It was an unforgettable evening not least for several of Jonathan’s peers who attended.
I am aware that many other events and initiatives are undertaken by Association members during the year. I warmly congratulate and thank all who have been involved in any way. I would particularly like to mention the St Cuthbert’s Walk organised by Richard OS 88, and Emma Wotton accompanied by Fr Toby Lees OP OS 99.
The supremely important relationship between the Association and the College includes financing bursaries for students and providing prizes at Great Academies. The College’s Schola Petri sang beautifully at a Christmas Carol Service both in Farm St, London and in St Peter’s where it was wonderful to have seen many members of the Hurst Green community in attendance. It is fitting that we remember in gratitude the enormous contribution which this community makes to Stonyhurst.
There are many people who, behind the scenes, play an invaluable role in the Association. I would especially like to thank Layla Heaton in the office; the Association’s dedicated committee; the leadership of the Chair, Brendan Roche OS 82; and the support which Gerry Lagerberg OS 79, the Treasurer, and former Presidents Julie Macfarlane OS 78 and Dom Hartley OS 86 have given me.
As I reflect on my year as President, I have been impressed by, firstly, how the Association continues to build community in a world which is increasingly fragmented and polarised; secondly, how it creates a space to celebrate the extraordinary talents of OS and current students; and thirdly, how it enables members to express their commitment to being “Men and Women for others” in local communities, the Church and the wider world.
In his Easter retreat talk, Fr Radcliffe spoke of a “crunch point” for the synodal process: “to open ourselves to other cultures, other brothers and sisters in the Kingdom.” This is of paramount importance in our increasingly polarised world. As I have reflected upon this invitation to “go forth”, I find myself thinking of the Avenue, that iconic road leading up to Stonyhurst. For not only does it lead up to Stonyhurst with all its quirky traditions, unparalleled history and extraordinary achievements, but it also leads away from Stonyhurst into a world where tradition is challenged and history is being remade.
I am stepping down as President with a deep sense of gratitude and hope that the Stonyhurst Association will continue to be a force for good and to be open to the challenge of change. As St John Henry Newman, patron of The Newman Holiday Trust, said:
“To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.”
Past President 2022 – 2023, Julie Macfarlane (OS1978)
It was a very proud, albeit humbling, moment to begin my Presidency by speaking to the parents of Rhetoric at Great Academies as the first Lady President of the Stonyhurst Association in May this year. I will do my very best to make it as successful as I can. Following a consultation with those OS ladies who had provided Beverley with their contact details, I have come up with several ideas and thoughts about what I would like to bring to the Association during my year, these include;
• to promote the concept of service in our lives, that there is no ego in service, so as to foster the Stonyhurst objective of being ‘men and women for others’;
• to place an emphasis on using the membership to support the present students and those at the start of their chosen career pathway;
• to encourage female OS to leave their contact details with the Association Office for better involvement in Association events;
• to reach out to OS overseas;
• to encourage local activities reflecting the increase in local students and OS families at Stonyhurst;
• to encourage charitable activities which provide aid and service to those less fortunate in our communities.
Traditional events that the Association has previously supported such as the Lourdes Pilgrimage, Thirst Fridays, the Association Dinner and the Christmas Carol Concert will continue to be held as before. In June I was given the opportunity to address students in Poetry in an attempt to engage their interest in the Association and to reinforce the benefits it can offer to them whilst they are at Stonyhurst and after they leave. The Poets had been discussing their career plans just prior to the meeting which made them responsive to my challenge to consider their own personal skills, knowledge and attributes, where they might find opportunities to develop them and how they might demonstrate them in their personal statement or applications. The help and information available to them from members of the Association who also wish to serve them in this way, in all walks of life all around the world, was also emphasised. On 18th August, Niall and I are leading a walk – the Tolkien Trail – from Hobbit Hill. A shorter walk for little legs is also available. Refreshments are provided for those who participate but donations are invited for the Food Bank at Maundy Relief in Accrington, my chosen charity for the year, to support the outstanding work they do for the most disadvantaged in the area. We hope to attract local Stonyhurst families to join us, to help them meet other OS, particularly since the pandemic has isolated us from one another. For the same reason I wish to encourage Association support for parents of local students who have not had the opportunity to get to know each other over recent years and the possibility of providing coffee at a suitable venue following a short walk on some Saturday mornings is being explored. I look forward to joining the Lourdes Pilgrimage in August as it returns in a somewhat smaller scale after the pandemic. It is many years now since I served as a ‘handmaid’ there but the blessings it offered, and provided, have influenced me throughout my life – as a health care worker and as a parent. We look forward to sharing the faith-affirming joy it brings to those who participate in it. On 5th October the OS in Gibraltar, and its environs, are invited to attend a Convivium at their Royal Yacht Club. Mass at St Joseph’s Church will be followed by drinks and tapas. The support to Stonyhurst by the Gibraltarians extends over many decades. It gives me great pleasure to support an Association event in this overseas territory. The Association Dinner is now scheduled for the 18th February, 2023, at Stonyhurst. I am delighted that Lucy Leoni (née Hardwick) has kindly agreed to speak on that occasion about her work with Maundy Relief and the influence of Stonyhurst on her life and work. I do hope that many OS will be able to join us to celebrate the occasion. On Wednesday 24th May 2023, the Association has planned an evening Convivium in London, to coincide with Chelsea Flower Show, in an unashamed attempt to encourage more female OS to attend an Association event as a result of the consultation exercise earlier this year. This Convivium will be held in the Orangery at The Chelsea Gardener, a garden centre close to the site of the flower show. I look forward to meeting you there. I am pleased to announce that Paul Chitnis OS 79 has agreed to be my successor as President of the Association whilst continuing his important work with Jesuit Missions. This handover will take place at the AGM in May, 2023.
Past President 2021 – 2022, Dominic Hartley (OS1986)
It’s the last day of term at St Mary’s Hall, July 1st, and an outdoor Mass on the front lawns of the school is about to begin. It is one of those gloriously still summer days, Mr Mann is playing On Eagle’s Wings on the piano as the Ruds’ leavers take their seats. I am enjoying all of it, a tear in my eye as my son Oliver reads. I’m tuning in from 200ft below ground as I take the Jubilee line heading into central London. And that seems to sum up what a year it has been, a year in which we’ve missed out on so many rites of passage, but with technology being called upon to keep us all somehow connected. It has been one rollercoaster ride!
Taking over the helm from Tim Livesey (thanks for your extra year Tim!) my overriding thought as the new President of the Association is of the need to move away from Virtual Event land. I work in this field, but am passionate about the need to get back to face-to-face interaction. Enjoying other people’s company is one of the greatest gifts in life and online will only get you so far. So, my priority is to help organise as many opportunities for us to meet once again!
We start with Thirst Fridays! From August 6th, these informal monthly gatherings are aimed at all OS living nearby to a bar in a designated City. It is a call to come down to the local pub, have your first drink on the Association, meet other OS after work and go from there. The first will be in Brighton on August 6th with London on Friday September 3rd. Put these dates in your diary for a really relaxed opportunity to catch up with other OS who live in your area both the young and less young. There will be more destinations to come, I’ve persuaded my brother Jules(OS 84) to help organise a Thirst Friday in Edinburgh at some point too, so watch this space.
Next to the Association Annual Dinner, which of course was cancelled last year. The thinking is we go BIG this year to make up for it! We are going to have a huge celebration of all things Stonyhurst on February 26th 2022 at the brand new Pan Pacific Hotel in London. It’s going to be a wonderful evening in one of London’s most sumptuous hotels thanks to calling in a few favours from my cousin CJ (OS 86). There will be a drinks reception, three course meal and much more, and we’ve managed to line up an inspirational speaker Jimmy Nelson OS 86, from my year. Jimmy has travelled the world documenting 35 lost indigenous tribes and is an incredible photographer and Ted Talk pro. The ballroom will have the most advanced screens in the industry where we’ll be able to show his award-winning photography as well as showcasing many of the charitable works that OS are involved with. Then 29 Fingers, the band I founded with Tommy Lorimer (OS 86) on the drums, will take to the stage for a gig into the early hours – so come prepared to party!
For those wanting to make this a special occasion, the hotel has a fine spa, infinity pool, gym and is in a stunning Plaza so shopping is also on the cards. There will be a mass at Farm Street the next day followed by an informal Sunday pub lunch for those that are not clapped out on the sofa!
It also occurred to me that the OS would like to be more informed about events and people in the Stonyhurst Community. As a filmmaker I’ve started a Face-to-Face video series whereby I’ll be meeting some of the personalities that keep the Stonyhurst Community alive. My first stop was the current Headmaster, so look out for that edit film. Next, I am planning on visiting Paul Chitnis to understand more about the wonderful work of the Jesuit Missions and how we might be able to support them.
For those of you who have enjoyed the Association Webinar series Towards a Better Politics, Tim has two more live discussions in store for later this year, so watch this space for further details.
Finally, I will be passing the baton on to a new President in May 2022 and have a very exciting announcement to share! We are delighted that Julie Macfarlane OS78 has accepted the nomination of President-Elect and will be the first Lady President in the history of the Stonyhurst Association.
In the meantime, thanks so much to Simon Andrews OS68, who not only inspired me as a playroom master, but also worked tirelessly as the Association Chairman for many years, before handing over to the highly capable Brendan Roche OS82 in April 2021.
Past President 2019 – 2021, Tim Livesey (OS1977)
It has been a very unusual year. I am not sure how many past Presidents of the Association have been asked to film themselves giving an address to Rhetoricians who would otherwise have listened in person, at the Association’s Great Academies reception; but that gives you a flavour. This is the year that the College closed in March, Great Academies was held as a virtual on-line event, the Lourdes pilgrimage was cancelled, so too the Easter retreat for families at Stonyhurst; and a walking holiday on a section of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela was postponed, along with a number of Association events and social gatherings.
2020 will be remembered by us all and will feature in the annals of the Association, as well as the school, as a year marked by disruption but not, I hope, despair. We have simply had to adapt along with the rest of the country to entirely unforeseen events. I want to salute the way that the College and the Association went about that adaptation with a minimum of fuss and maximum of care, particularly for all those directly affected, including our Association Office staff, Beverley and Layla, who accepted the need to be furloughed with predictable grace.
The Association exists to look after its members and to build up our common life. This year has been no exception, even if many of the best-laid plans have had to be put to one side until we can regroup. In many respects it is precisely at times like these, which many of us have experienced as deeply painful – perhaps having lost loved ones – personally challenging, or just plain confusing, that we appreciate more than ever our bonds of solidarity and family. When we do meet again, virtually or in person, we will have much to share.
The year (2019) got off to a great start with a very successful Lourdes pilgrimage. Amongst the 128 pilgrims and helpers in the Stonyhurst contingent we had 26 young OS which was very encouraging. Young OS were also very much in at the Association’s Annual Dinner on November 9th 2019. Perhaps it was the location, the de Vere hotel, situated in what was once Beaumont College that attracted a large crowd of more than 200 OS, OB, friends and family. It was moving and memorable to gather in such numbers, possibly for the first time since the school was closed, and especially to be able to celebrate Mass together in Beaumont’s beautiful former chapel on Sunday morning and, later, for some of us to join OBs in their annual Remembrance Service around the War Memorial. A special thanks to our guest of honour, Tom Shufflebotham SJ, for attending and reminding us of the gifts and graces of a Jesuit education. These were admirably and un-self-consciously displayed in their superb after dinner speeches by the joint Heads of Line.
My thanks to Association members who organised excellent, and very well attended sporting events at St John’s Beaumont, and Preston Grasshoppers, and many more besides. We plan to re-run in the autumn the two topical issues events cancelled because of the lockdown: virtually if necessary. These are looking at what makes for public discussion and debate that contributes, rather than puts at risk, the common good.
Thanks also to the Association Committee which met as usual throughout the year and is ably, and sympathetically, chaired by Simon Andrews. Its members, like all those who work so hard to organise events and gatherings – with the excellent and indispensable support of Beverley and her team – are all volunteers. The Association is necessarily a team effort – a pooling of our collective and voluntary social capital. Do consider whether you have ideas, energy and time to contribute to our joint effort.
We are particularly proud of the help we are able to give to a number of charitable endeavours, to which will be added next year a contribution to the Stonyhurst Foundation to provide a bursary for at least one student who would not otherwise be able to benefit from an education at the school. The Association’s investment income has, along with the markets, taken a hit this year; so if you were considering making a donation to support our charitable work, now would be a very good time.
I am immensely grateful for the privilege and honour of being President over the past year and am delighted that Dominic Hartley OS 86, following in his uncle’s footsteps, has agreed to take over from me. The Association has, however agreed, to another unprecedented development in this most unprecedented of years. I will continue as President until 2021 so that Dominic can begin his term in more favourable circumstances. In the interim, he and I – ably supported by, amongst others, my predecessor Jimmy Burns – will work closely together to plan for the next stage of the Association’s life. We have been given, quite literally, pause for thought. Amongst other things we will be looking at how the Association’s current structures, membership arrangements and constitution might be updated, and where possible simplified, to ensure we are as fit for purpose as possible, in a time of tremendous change and challenge. That work will commence shortly and run though the autumn; along, we hope, with a resumption of more familiar Association activities, currently on hold. Of that more anon.
In the meantime: a sincere and personal thank you to you all for your forbearance during an exceptional year.
Laus Deo Semper.
Past President 2018 – 2019, Jimmy Burns OBE (OS1971)
Jimmy Burns (born Madrid, 1953) studied at Stonyhurst from 1966-1971, after attending St Philip’s School in London. He then studied Modern Iberian & Latin American Studies at University College, London (BA) and Politics & Government at the London School of Economics & Political Science (MA). After working for The Catholic Herald, and as script writer and researcher with BBC and Yorkshire TV, he joined the Financial Times, where he pursued his career as a foreign correspondent and with a range of other reporting jobs including security, public policy, and politics. Since retiring from the staff of the FT in 2009, he has continued his links with the newspaper and continues to contribute to media on both sides of the Atlantic. He is the author of several books including the Land that Lost its Heroes which won the Somerset Maugham prize for non-fiction, Papa Spy, and a biography of Pope Francis. He is the author of Cristiano & Lionel: The Race to be the Greatest Footballer in History published in May 2018. He has served as a non-executive director of The Tablet, chairman of the charity The British Spanish Society, and a volunteer with The Lourdes Pilgrimage.
Past President 2017-2018, Robert Brinkley CMG (OS 1972)
Robert Brinkley is a senator (member of the governing body) of the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) and chairman of the Ukrainian Institute London, which is affiliated to UCU. He also chairs the Chatham House Ukraine Forum and the BEARR Trust, a British charity which supports small health and social welfare groups in Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia and the South Caucasus. He is a trustee of the Keston Institute, which studies religion in Communist and former Communist countries. He offers consultancy advice to businesses and comments in the media based on his international experience.
Until 2011 Robert Brinkley was a British diplomat for 34 years. He served as High Commissioner to Pakistan (2006 – 2009), Ambassador to Ukraine (2002 – 2006) and as head of the UK’s worldwide visa operation (2000 – 2002). He had previously had two postings in Moscow (both in Russia and in the Soviet Union), as well as positions in Bonn, Geneva and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. In 2010 – 2011 he was seconded to Associated British Foods plc. He speaks Ukrainian, Russian and German.
Past President 2016 – 2017, Father Nicholas King SJ, OS 1966.
“After Stonyhurst I went up to Oxford to read Classics, with the firm intention of becoming a wealthy barrister after that. However at a particular moment, which I can date to within a few minutes, and greatly to my surprise, I realised that the only thing that I could do if I was to be happy was to join the Jesuits, who had taught me at Stonyhurst. That was 47 years ago, and (so far) I have seen no reason to change my mind… For twelve years I taught New Testament and Greek at the University of Oxford, where at Campion Hall, the Jesuit house. Most recently I have published a translation of the entire Greek Bible into English, something that I can hardly believe. Currently I am Lecturer in Biblical Studies at Heythrop College in the University of London. Before I came back to Oxford, I taught for many years in South Africa, which was one of the most remarkable experiences of my life. Jesuits do all sorts of things, and our task is to do whatever the Church asks of us. Like many of my confreres, this particular Jesuit has always been a teacher at secondary or tertiary level; but I have also done a good deal of writing. And I have coached cricket and Rugby in my time. Let me simply say this: if it is the life for you, then there is no better or happier way of life. But it must be the life to which God is calling you”.
Fr Nick was a tutor in New Testament Studies at Campion Hall and the Theology Faculty at the University of Oxford. He is a celebrated translator of the New Testament. He is currently living in London and working as the Provincial’s assistant for formation.
