Dr Challoner's Grammar School Alumni

Today we were delighted to welcome back BAFTA winner, Jamie Aitchison (Class of 1989). He talked to the Year 12s about his fascinating career in media and broadcasting within the sports industry. He enjoyed answering questions and had a quick look at the school. Thank you Jamie.

CALLING ALL ENTREPRENEURS!
We are counting down to the next Entrepreneur Evening on Tuesday 16 April at 6.30pm. This will be held at William Blair International in Bishopsgate, EC2N 4BQ.
Our guest speaker, Nic Brisbourne (CEO of Future Partners), will be focussing on Venture Capital in entrepreneurship. This is an informal event where conversations will evolve and ideas will be shared. There will also be an opportunity for a Q&A session.
So don't miss out on what promises to be an informative and enjoyable evening, of networking with other alumni.
Please sign up here.
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/dr-challoners.../t-jzmovzz

Did you know the total word count for the 400th Anniversary book is 39,429? If you haven't yet ordered a copy, there is still time! Follow this link to find out how you can purchase a book: https://challoners.com/c/our-school/400-years/anniversary-book

Join us for ALUMNI CITY DRINKS at The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists (WCIT), near the Barbican.

• Tuesday 21 May 2024
• 5.30-7.30 pm

Please sign up for this TicketSource event!

https://lnkd.in/e_Mta5B6

Not only is it a great opportunity to meet ex-Challoners who work in the City and surrounding areas, but you can also see Bill Gates's signature.

We look forward to seeing you.

lnkd.in

'24 Hour Famine' was a charity event held by World Vision UK, raising awareness and money for people stricken by famine around the world. On 25 March 1993, 100 boys from DCGS took part by going hungry for 24 hours in a demanding test of self-discipline.

CALLING ALL ENTREPRENEURS!

We are counting down to the next Entrepreneur Evening on Tuesday 16 April at 6.30pm. This will be held at William Blair International in Bishopsgate, EC2N 4BQ.

Our guest speaker, Nic Brisbourne (CEO of Future Partners), will be focussing on Venture Capital in entrepreneurship. This is an informal event where conversations will evolve and ideas will be shared. There will also be an opportunity for a Q&A session.

So don't miss out on what promises to be an informative and enjoyable evening, of networking with other alumni.

Please sign up here.

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/dr-challoners-grammar-school/t-jzmovzz

In March we were welcomed to St George’s Chapel, Windsor, for our 400th anniversary Founder’s commemoration service.
You can read all about it in the news section of our website.
https://www.challoners.com/c/news/march-2024/anniversary-service-at-st-georges-chapel-windsor

Neville Harrow was headmaster from 1938-1956 and enlisted in the RAF in 1941. It was later revealed that he spent time at Bletchley Park translating decoded secret German messages. He is third from the left in this image of Officers at Bletchley Park.
Image from Top Secret Ultra by Peter Calvocoressi

Please sign up for this TicketSource event!

ALUMNI CITY DRINKS

https://lnkd.in/e_Mta5B6

• Tuesday 21 May 2024

• 5.30-7.30 pm

• The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists in The City

We look forward to seeing you.

DON'T MISS OUT! The 400th Anniversary Ball tickets are selling fast, so whilst sales officially close at 15:00 on Tuesday 14 May 2024, we will sell out before this date. We recommend that you book early to avoid disappointment.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScFtHzQhODszWHlEv_DZz5AuHRwFlPd3HWekXX7GlqDP4utrA/viewform

Yesterday was a real highlight. Our 400th anniversary Founder’s commemoration in the extraordinary St George’s Chapel, Windsor, where Robert Chaloner was a canon, was wonderful. The music was superb! Welcoming many guests from the whole school community was very special.

Today we are delighted to be celebrating our 400th Anniversary at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, where Robert Chaloner was a canon. Chaloner was a traditional name for a maker of blankets, derived from the French town of Chalon-sue-Marne.

In 1979, there was a plan for the then Headmaster, John Loarridge, to be temporarily moved into a caravan, where the Reception is now. This diagram shows the plan and the caravan. Mr Atkinson is quite pleased this didn't become a permanent arrangement!

It's quite the production line in the Art classrooms this week! The Year 7s and Year 8s are preparing over 400 clay fish as part of our 400th Anniversary celebrations.

We CAN'T WAIT to see the final fish display in all its glory, come Easter.

Woodwork was a part of the curriculum for many decades. Here is an image from the 1990s, of students busy creating wooden items in the workshop.

AUCTION PRIZE DONATIONS - DCGS 400th Anniversary Ball

In celebration of our 400th anniversary, the Friends of DCGS are hosting a ball on Saturday, 15th June 2024. The last few tickets are remaining, so don't miss out!

In addition to a great night celebrating the 400th anniversary of the school, we will be running an online auction (for those who can't attend in person) and a short on-the-night auction to raise funds for school sport. We are looking for prizes that have the real WOW factor to encourage maximum participation in the auction and maximum funds raised for the school.

Items that have been really popular in the past include: a holiday home for a week(end), a sports car for the weekend, backstage access to a gig/ play, tickets to sporting fixtures, opportunity to name a character in a published book, attractive internships for Sixth Formers... whatever you think may pique interest; please be as creative as you like!

We will also be looking for sponsors for the ball, so if your business is interested in supporting the event, please contact Claire Jenkin at [email protected] for more details regarding sponsorship requests and auction prize donations. The Friends of DCGS would like to thank you in advance for your generous donation!

Final Call - 400th Anniversary Ball
Tickets are almost sold out

As Dr Challoner’s Grammar School marks its anniversary year, we are delighted to invite parents, staff and alumni to celebrate with us at the 400th Year Anniversary Ball.

This will take place on Saturday 15 June 2024 at a bespoke marquee set in the grounds of Amersham and Chiltern Rugby Club from 18:30.

The evening boasts a drinks reception and three course dinner, followed by a superb live band; Fake Tan, entertaining us until midnight. The evening will also include a short live auction and, for those who can’t make the ball, a chance to support the school by bidding in the online auction (details of which will follow).

Tickets are now available to purchase, and you can use the link here to make your order and find further information about the event. Guests can make their payment via BACS. Please either gather a group of friends together and make up a table, or simply book for yourselves.

This evening will be a wonderful opportunity to gather together many members of our DCGS community, both old and new, to celebrate this special year.

We look forward to welcoming you to our 400th anniversary ball on Saturday 15 June.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScFtHzQhODszWHlEv_DZz5AuHRwFlPd3HWekXX7GlqDP4utrA/viewform

Final Call - 400th Anniversary Ball
Tickets are almost sold out

As Dr Challoner’s Grammar School marks its anniversary year, we are delighted to invite parents, staff and alumni to celebrate with us at the 400th Year Anniversary Ball.

This will take place on Saturday 15 June 2024 at a bespoke marquee set in the grounds of Amersham and Chiltern Rugby Club from 18:30.

The evening boasts a drinks reception and three course dinner, followed by a superb live band; Fake Tan, entertaining us until midnight. The evening will also include a short live auction and, for those who can’t make the ball, a chance to support the school by bidding in the online auction (details of which will follow).

Tickets are now available to purchase, and you can use the link here to make your order and find further information about the event. Guests can make their payment via BACS. Please either gather a group of friends together and make up a table, or simply book for yourselves.

This evening will be a wonderful opportunity to gather together many members of our DCGS community, both old and new, to celebrate this special year.

We look forward to welcoming you to our 400th anniversary ball on Saturday 15 June.

Booking Form The Friends of DCGS are very much looking forward to welcoming you to the Dr Challoner’s Grammar School 400th Anniversary Ball: Saturday 15 June 2024 6.30pm - Carriages at midnight Drinks Reception, Live Band, Three-Course Dinner Bespoke Marquee in the grounds of Amersham & Chiltern Rugby Club, HP...

A VC Perspective on Entrepreneurship

SAVE THE DATE! We are excited to announce that we will be holding our next Entrepreneurs Evening for Challoner's alumni on Tuesday 16 April at 19.00, in Bishopsgate.

The event is open to all types of entrepreneurs, investors and operators. We will focus on the Venture Capital angle with insights from Nic Brisbourne (MD Forward Partners) who has 20+ years of experience in the area. There will also be a Q&A session which presents a very unique opportunity. More details to follow.

Alumni fundraising for Tom Love Trust
We have heard from three alumni (James Watson, Tommy Davies and Ed Watson) who are embarking on an adventure this summer in memory of their good friend Tom Love. They will be cycling the length of Norway. This is the link to the fundraising page:
https://thealmt.enthuse.com/pf/ed-james-tommy-cycle-norway
And daily updates will be on Instagram ()
https://www.instagram.com/thehairlessbikers?igsh=ZGlyamtpa2ZhdjV0&utm_source=qr

Alumni fundraising for Tom Love Trust
We have heard from three alumni (James Watson, Tommy Davies and Ed Watson) who are embarking on an adventure this summer in memory of their good friend Tom Love. They will be cycling the length of Norway. This is the link to the fundraising page:
https://thealmt.enthuse.com/pf/ed-james-tommy-cycle-norway
And daily updates will be on Instagram ()
https://www.instagram.com/thehairlessbikers?igsh=ZGlyamtpa2ZhdjV0&utm_source=qr

The Hairless Bikers (@thehairlessbikers) • Instagram photos and videos 262 Followers, 199 Following, 2 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from The Hairless Bikers ()

We are lucky to be surrounded by beautiful countryside in Amersham. Here is the view from the top of the tower a few years ago when Mr Burn, Mr Malin and Mr Buckridge decided to grow a few sunflowers.

It was a privilege to welcome back former student, Ed Hui (Class of 2002) to the school this week. Ed is the Founder and CEO of Acacia Venture Capital Partners which is based in Shanghai. He is also mentor to Oakley in Year 13. They were pleased to meet in person and have their final Mentor Scheme meeting on the school site.

The Economics Society also benefited from Ed's insightful talk about venture capital and his journey into investment banking. His career advice is to "keep learning and keep connected."

Thank you to Ed and to our network of alumni who are willing to share their experiences with our current students.

Here is an 80s image looking towards where New Court is today, with the Biology block to the left and a 1972 Triumph 2000 in the foreground.

Did you know IT4, the attic in the oldest building in the school, was once a Computer Science classroom? This photograph was featured on the back cover of Ad Astra 2002.

It was lovely to meet former student James earlier when he came into school to pick up his 400th Anniversary book.

If you haven't ordered your copy yet, there is still time - see ordering details on our website.

https://www.challoners.com/c/our-school/400-years/anniversary-book

Here is a fantastic video about our history and 400th anniversary created by a student.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C39oT5xZo7FqqUuXALTIR_hJ2FJ5hKtK/view
If you want to have a keepsake of our 400th anniversary, why not invest in the anniversary book which you can now order from our website.

400 Years Book Launch Video.mov

1974 was our 350th Anniversary celebration. 1974 will be remembered for many reasons, not least for raising funds for a school and agricultural equipment in Southern India.

Here is the will of Robert Chaloner, just one of the many fascinating images in our 400 Year Anniversary book which was published yesterday. Books are being sent out to subscribers next week.

Yesterday I had squash and cake with the first group of Year 7 birthday boys of 2024. We took the chance to celebrate our 400th birthday with them as we begin such an exciting year, and they celebrate their 12th birthday!