Willie Howe

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The Willie Howe Scholarship Programme

We have received quite some correspondance on the Willie Howe Scholarship:

Mark Hassall (1952-1959) wrote to the OTA recently concerning the above programme. Mark remembered being in the same form as a Willie Howe in the 1950's. Initially we thought that the link in names could have been coincidental.However, with the help of the School, we were able to shed more light on this programme. It transpires that the Willie Howe from the 50's is indeed directly linked to the scholarship programme. The note below from Ellie Hollindale - Director of Music at LWS - explains further.

Mr Hassall is correct in his assumption that Willie Howe was a student at the school in the 1950s and so would have been in the same form. How amazing!

To give some background to the Willie Howe fund:

Willie Howe did indeed sadly die whilst a student at LWS. I'm not sure of the circumstances. However his parents bequeathed a sum of money to LWS for an arts scholarship and art events at LWS. Upon the death of George Howe - Willie's Father - in 1992 the Willie Howe Trust was set up.A committee decided that there would be a music scholarship each year to students from year 11-13 and also money available for bursaries. This was to be based on students' musical abilities and their contribution to the musical life of LWS. The first scholarship was awarded in 1994. In addition, each year money is made available for workshops in the broader creative arts - we have had a number of workshops ranging from cultural traditions as diverse as salsa and Bhangra music to African story telling and shadow puppets plays from Indonesia.

Over the years the music department has grown and grown and we now have 100 students taking GCSE music - therefore the popularity of the Willie Howe auditions has grown and grown. We currently (in 2005) have one scholar - Jonathan Fairey year 13 and deputy head boy - who spoke about the history of the Willie Howe Trust at the Founder's Day service - and several bursary recipients. These students contribute fully to the wide extra curricular programme in the school and run clubs on the lower school site for year 7 -9 - we have a Stomp percussion group for years 7+8 using water barrels from "purite" water company in Thame and other students run a jazz band and "fast track "flute ensemble for the most able flautists.

Further links to Willie Howe: It is timely that CS Lewis's "Chronicles of Narnia" comes out in the cinemas over the next couple of weeks. I gather from Jan Ruddock - Head of Creative Arts - that money was also left for a stained glass window in memory of Willie and his sister - who I think may also have died as a youngster. The window is in the same Church that CS Lewis attended in Headington and is a scene from the Magician's Nephew with the two children riding Pegasus representing Willie and his sister - Trinity Church in Headington Quarry.

We audition students each summer for the Willie Howe Scholarship - a student performs one piece of music and then is interviewed by a selected panel about their musical "history" their musical aspirations and their contribution to LWS music. I must say that the students we have this year have been really proactive in their enthusiasm to start musical projects of their own and I'm really proud of their work.'

Ellie Hollindale Director of Music.

Cliff Nixey (1950 - 1958) The pieces on Willy Howe have brought back a vivid memory of that time.My last memory of him was playing for the 1st XV on the last Saturday of the Christmas term against City of Oxford School, a much bigger school than ourselves. As wing forward I bound against Willy who was second row so it was a shock to hear at the start of the next term that someone who had been so alive only 3 weeks before was dead. That particular match stands in my memory also because it was the last match that Mr Julyan Bunney, an inspirational teacher and rugby coach was in charge as he had been poached by Carmel College. As a result we played like boys possessed and won. The team was captained by Jake (now Lord!) Maxton. Others in the team photo were Henry Westbury, Ernie White, John Wilson, Nick Wolfrey, Gordon Wells, Ben Bradnack, Terrance Barnard, Wilf Newman, Peter Read, Drum Maxton, Jim Maxton, Arthur Harris and John Goodger. Why is it we can remember names from 50 years ago but not that of the person you met yesterday! My regards to anyone of that team reading this. I hope it also brings back memories for them.

Gordon Wells (1950 - 1957) Willy was the year of 1949; a contemporary of Wilf Newman, Henry Westbury, Bill Dover, Harry Cowan, Ernie White, Drum Maxton, Joe Jessop, Johnny Walker etc.He lived on Risinghurst (Headington, Oxford) close to Johnny Walker, Colin (Fuse) Shurrock, and Tony (Abs) Arber. Along with others from Sandhills Primary School who passed the 11+ and who lived on the County side of the dividing line across Risinghurst Estate, he was offered a place in a County Grammar School ie. Lord Bill's (or in theory Henley Grammar but there was no transport). Girls who passed went to Holton Park Girls Grammar (Wheatley) where Thame Girls Grammar had relocated in 1948/9(?).

We had bus passes for the No. 81/82 Aylesbury/Thame/Oxford normal service bus - the morning bus actually being the 81 which earlier had taken workers from Thame into the Cowley, Morris Motors and Pressed Steel works. Later we had the Blue Flyer, Charlton-on-Ottmoor bus. Pupils from Rycotewood School also travelled with us. We picked up at Risinghurst, Sandhills, Forest Hill turn, Wheatley, Tiddington, Shabbington. North Weston etc. Mr. Peter Moore and Mr. Fred Seal travelled on the bus on occasions. Willy had a younger sister (Jillian?) who had died aged about 2 in about 1947. He died of peritonitis following appendicitis. He was outstanding academically and was one of a few pupils studying Greek as well as the obligatory Latin - remember that to get into Oxford or Cambridge in those days, one had to have Latin GCE.

After Willy's death, the family moved out into the country – I believe Great Haseley or Little Milton. When the parents died, the estate had several bequests: one was the Scholarship at Lord Williams’ and one was to Holy Trinity Church in Headington Quarry village where the family had worshipped.

The C S Lewis link

C S Lewis's house (The Kilns) is on the edge of Risinghurst and several of us on occasions visited the grounds as children and his brother lived on Risinghurst for a time. CS Lewis’s grave is in the graveyard at Holy Trinity and there is a pew marked where he had his favourite seat which is near the Narnia window. The incumbent at Holy Trinity at the time of the bequest was Fr.Hewetson who decided with the trustees of the Howe estate to commission the Narnia window in memory of the Howe family. The window was designed in 1991 by Sue Scott who also did the window in Coventry Cathedral in the same technique of white etching and ground glass. Above the window is the Lord Bill’s school crest. It has been suggested that the children in the window were based on children who lived locally and possibly even Willy and Jillian.At the time of the Shadowlands film, the TV programme Songs of Praise was broadcast from the church and since then there has been a steady stream of visitors - even a group of 50 Japanese recently. The Kilns is now owned by the C S Lewis Foundation of America and is run as a Study Centre and Retreat and a programme of restoration is underway. Some of the grounds were sold off for housing some years back.I hope the above is accurate and maybe will spur other memories from the Class of 49.

Nick Woolfrey (1952 - 1957) I remember Willy, although I think he may have been in the form above me. I do remember that we played in the Rugby Colts together, and, somewhere, I am sure that I have a photograph of that particular team. He was a lovely guy, and I believe he died during a school holiday. The story, as I remember it, was that it happened at a time when there was a 'flu epidemic about, and Willy saw the doctor because he was not feeling well. The doctor thought that he had flu. It was the wrong diagnosis; he died from a burst appendix. It is nice to know that his name lives on in such a nice way!

Richard Sherwood (1952 - 1959) Thank you for the Dec edition. As a slightly younger contemporary of Mark Hassall I, remember Willie Howe.

Jonathan Jessup (1952- 1960) Should the OTA historians want further info on the late Willy Howe I certainly recall his death (from influenza I think, which was a great surprise to a second or third former as I then was). He was an immediate contemporary and friend of my brother Christopher Jessup who may be able to add to the history.

Links

Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry

Friends of Holy Trinity (has a photo of the Window)

Our thanks go to every one for their assistance in compiling this information on the Willie Howe Scholarship Programme.