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Polly Anderson – The Andersons (Staff 83-93) Ken was an extremely effective Chaplain, who has made a lasting impression on many Petreans. Polly played a vital part in the early years of SVH, where she was the all-seeing, all doing Secretary and the friend of all. The role she performed was unique. It is difficult to explain just how pervasive her warm personality was throughout the school. Her pithy contributions to a number of Magazines explain much about the subsequent success of the school and the joy and Ken Anderson’s sense of humour that the founding staff brought to the task. They live in Durham, England where Ken is attached to the University as a Counsellor and Polly is secretary of Durham Cathedral Choir School. polly.anderson@choristers.durham.sch.uk.
Dorthe Andersen-Mabira (Staff 96-03) was a member of the PHG Science Department for 8 years and taught guitar, volleyball and the skills of debating. She went to Denmark for medical treatment, where she is teaching at a school and lives with her husband and two sons.
Dr Hamish Allen served as the school’s medical officer from the day Peterhouse opened until he died in 1974.
Edson Banda (Staff 05 – present) Prior to his appointment at Peterhouse, Edson spent several years in Public and Private Schools both in and out of the country. He has worked at Luanshya School for Continuing Education (Zambia) as Head of Department for Secretarial and Administrative Studies; Fletcher and Chaplin High Schools in Gweru where he was a Housemaster and commercial studies teacher; Eaglesvale School in Harare; and Watershed College in Marondera where he was a Deputy Head, Housemaster, Director of Agriculture and teacher of business studies and accounting. Edson is Master in Charge of hockey at Peterhouse and has several years of experience in coaching hockey at school, provincial and national levels and has travelled to the USA on several occasions to attend one of the biggest hockey festivals in America. He currently coaches the U16A team. Edson coaches golf and he also coaches basketball at provincial, 1st Team and U16 levels. Edson has also coached the Peterhouse Girls 1st Team hockey for the last 5 years, during which time they lifted the prestigious Golden Girls trophy on two occasions. Edson is married to Tendai, who is Senior Mistress at Watershed College. They have seven children, four of whom are grown up and working, two girls are in Universities in Cyprus and Zambia and their youngest, Chikondi, is currently in 5th Form at Peterhouse Boys. UPDATE 2018 –
Tendai Banda has since left Watershed College and has joined Edson in Paget as the House Matron.
Kevan Barbour (Staff) is an ex-International Cricket Umpire and has been fortunate to travel extensively with the International Cricket Umpires’ Panel umpiring and has been Housemaster of Grinham since 2008.
Ryan and Heidi Barbour (Staff 03 – 11) Ryan was Housemaster of Malvern. They left to take up positions at St John’s Preparatory and Chisipite Senior School at the end of 2011. UPDATE 2018 Heidi has left Chisipite and is teaching at St John’s Prep.
John “Pussyfoot” Barratt (Staff 58-78) nicknamed “Pussyfoot” because of his quite unique walking style, was on the music staff at PHB and Springvale for many years. Prior to that he taught at Eastbourne College (where Fred Snell had previously been a Housemaster) from 1950 to 1957. In 1978 he retired from teaching and took up the post of choir-master at the Cathedral of St Mary and All Saints in Harare. There he annually took choristers to summer schools in South Africa run by the Royal School of Church Music. In 1981 he married a long-standing friend, Unity, and they returned to the UK to settle in Wells, Somerset. John maintained his interest in choral music with the Bristol Bach Choir and subsequently the Wells Cathedral Voluntary Choir. John died on 13 August 2001 aged 80.
John Barrie in addition to being the Head of Design and teaching leatherwork performed another vital role; being in charge of the Commonroom bar. He took over from Roy Currie as Housemaster of Grinham in 2002. He and Bryony Rheam are both teaching at Simba in Zambia and their second daughter was born in February 2009. UPDATE 2018 – John and Bryony are now married and living in Bulawayo where John runs a B & B and Bryony is teaching at Girls’ College. She has just had her second book published and the first one is a setwork for ZIMSEC exams.
Suzanne Barrington (Staff 01-02) who was Head of Science, Snell House Tutor and taught biology, left Peterhouse to join the staff at Shrewsbury School (UK) but is now rumouredMr Mike Bawden to be teaching at Charterhouse. scb@charterhouse.org.uk
Mike Bawden (Staff 94-01) the fourth Rector has returned to England and is the Secretary of the Walton Heath Golf Club, one of the leading clubs in the country. mbawden@whgc.co.uk
Peter and Jackie Bayes. (Staff 93-00) retired to Mutare. In 1993 Peter managed the maintenance department, and Jackie was housekeeper. They left to go and work at St John’s in 1995, but were soon back when Peter was appointed Assistant Bursar Works. Peter still sails his Rambler on Odzani, a beautiful dam just north of Penhalonga. Finding the economic situation rather tough, Peter embarked on a new career, teaching Technical Drawing at Hillcrest College, near Mutare.
Ken Bedwell (Staff 72-74) was last seen heading for King’s College, Auckland.
Dorrit [Bekker] MacLeod (Staff 69-85) School caterers are normally birds of passage but Dorrit { Bekker } MacLeod (Staff 69-85) was an institution at Peterhouse for many years. Her teas at sports events will not quickly be forgotten: chocolate cakes, cream buns, bacon rolls – you name it. How lucky generations of Petreans were that she was there, never quietly (she seemed to suffer from “selective” deafness!) but always efficiently, providing everyone with fantastic meals. In 1968 Winnie Wilkins, one of the three cook matrons fell in the fridge and was unable to carry on working. Contact was made with a Mrs Dorrit Bekker who had been the cook matron at a school in Kenya was living in Chipinge with her husband Peter. Would she like to come and work at Peterhouse? “Definitely not!” was the characteristic response. As luck would have it they were buying a property, Clatteringshaws, near the school and the Bursar John Beaumont persuaded her to join the staff on a temporary basis for three weeks. She left 24 years later! For most of that time she ran the kitchen on her own – “No one else would work with me” – and Dorrit produced over 7 million meals during her tenure. She was awarded the Honours Tie – the Staff equivalent of the VC – “For faithful service to the School over many years; for care and concern on occasions great and small, and for people great and small; for triumphing so often over so many difficulties, and adapting to the many and varied changed circumstances. For undertaking what is perhaps the most difficult and thankless job in any school an Honours Tie is awarded to Mrs Dorritt Bekker”.
John Bell (Staff 96-00) is director of rowing at Durham School, UK. He and Sue are greatly missed. John, who was previously a headmaster in Botswana, ran IT, taught physics and maths, restarted rowing with great effect, President of the Common Room and very active musically, playing the double bass in the Jazz Band and orchestra. He made a significant impact running leadership courses for senior students and had a wise, experienced and popular presence around the campus. jebseb@btinternet.com
Andrew Bentley (Staff 97-00) who in his time as Director of Music raised the Choir to new heights, left to become the Director of Music at St Paul’s, Rondebosch. They then intended to move to the UK in 2002 where Judy had been offered a position in the pharmaceutical industry. However, as Andrew wrote in 2003: “We never made it to the UK. Cape Town was far too fine to leave. I sold property for a year before deciding to re-opt for a life of poverty teaching and making music. I now teach at St Joseph’s College in Cape Town, am Director of Music of the UCT-Affiliated St Paul’s Church and this year took over directorship the UCT Choir. I hope to continue to see lots of Petreans joining the UCT Choir in years to come.” Andrew is a versatile musician and he played the trumpet and french horn in the school orchestra whenever he had the opportunity to do so. Judy assisted in the school shop.bentley@xsinet.co.za
Penny { Bond } Bennett (Staff 89-98) taught English and ran the library for 10 years, making it an oasis of peace and calm, was a tutor in Paget and coached tennis, basketball and swimming at PGH. Her basketball tours were thoroughly enjoyed by all concerned. The campus hasn’t been the same without Penny on her bike with Jock and Gypsy running behind her. Petreans from that era remember her profound sadness when two of the beautiful trees in the Library Quad were felled too soon for her to prevent it. She was the librarian at Hillcrest College and lives at Drifters near Mutare, where the Bayes also live.
A E (“Uncle Ben”) Benzies (Staff 75 – 82) who was the Peterhouse accountant for seven years died after a short illness in 1982, at the age of 66. He was a delightful gentleman in every sense of the word. A E (‘Ben’) Benzies (Staff 75 – 82) UPDATE 2018 – She returned to Canada some years ago.
Ges Bester took up the position of Bursar in 2006 and left in 2007.
Mabel (nee McGuire) Bettin (Staff 02 – 04) taught aerobics and dancing for 10 years at PHG and then joined the staff full time to teach in the Commercial / IT Department. She now lives on the Sunshine Coast in Australia anmabel@poolfab.com.au
James Bowles (Staff 96-98) who had the biological girls, and most of the boys, eating out of his hand, was the Assistant Housemaster of Tinokura and brought great passion and zeal to his coaching of cricket. In 2003 he married Jo Cowan, a Chisipite girl, whom he met in London. He wrote in 2011: “Jo and I moved to Sydney in 2008. I am working at The Scots College where I am a Housemaster and Head of Biology.”
Howard Blackett (Staff 13 – 19) a geographer, is the sixth Rector. Howard was a gap year student at Ruzawi, played rugby regularly for Marondera and represented the country at U20 level. He is a graduate of Christ Church, Oxford and has an MBA in Educational Leadership. After a short spell in the Royal Navy as a Seaman Officer (serving on the Assault Ship HMS Fearless and the Aircraft Carrier HMS Illustrious), he returned to the world of education and to a series of teaching posts, notably Marlborough College. In 1997 he was appointed Headmaster of Dover College in Kent and in 2004 he moved as Headmaster to The Royal Hospital School, Ipswich, a co-educational boarding and day school of 700 pupils. Howard and Susie are both keen sportspeople. Howard played both hockey and rugby for Oxford and Susie played first class hockey. Returned to the UK with his wife Susie in December 2019.
Chris Blake (Staff 91) is the Manager of Information Services at Pembroke School, Adelaide, South Australia, where he is responsible for a network of 650 PCs. He created the Crown and other gifs that are used in this web page and has helped with some of the other graphics.- thank you very much indeed His wife Linda Blake (Staff) taught French at PHG 1988 – 90. Contact them both on cblake@pembroke.sa.edu.au
Dr John Bradshaw (G78) and Staff 10 to present) has been the Headmaster at Peterhouse Girls since January 2010. Prior to that, he was the Headmaster at Watershed College from April 2003. John was at was educated at Springvale School and Peterhouse (G78) and won the Petrean Prize for athletics. Following national service he enrolled at Rhodes University in 1981, and graduated with an MSc in Computer Science in 1986. He has a love of classical music and to this end he also obtained a Certificate in Choral Work and sang in the Rhodes University Chamber Choir for 5 years. He continued his training as a university academic, obtaining a PhD from the Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge in 1991, specialising in understanding the challenges of qualitative reasoning in a digital environment. Whilst at Cambridge he rowed for his college Caius. In 1992 Dr Bradshaw took up a lecturing position at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, where he taught a variety of topics to Science and Engineering students up to Masters Level. Whilst at Wits he was also the founder Warden of David Webster Hall, a residence for 220 men and women. Dr Bradshaw was brought up on a farm in Marondera and it was always his intention to return to that environment. So, in 1996 he joined his father with a view to taking over the family farm. He farmed full time up until 2002, whilst lecturing part time in the Computer Science Department at the University of Zimbabwe. He was invited to join the Watershed College board in 2001. Having been evicted from the family farm in 2002, and following the unexpected departure of the Headmaster in March 2003 he was asked to assist Watershed by taking on the Headmastership. As an undergraduate he studied a mixture of Business and Science subjects, majoring in Cost and Management Accounting and Computer Science. This combination of subjects, together with his teaching experience and running the family enterprise, provided a surprisingly good training for the challenges of running a school.In 1979 he was injured by a booby trapped land mine which he was defusing, and as a consequence he is now totally blind.
The Brodzsky family (Staff 62 Paul (“Polly”) (Staff 62-78) who taught French at the school and Eagle for many years and his wife Jo who taught piano and took a very active part in the musical life of the school, both sadly died some years ago in Fishhoek. For a fuller tribute see Nostalgia Their five daughters: Panna (Ann) Haskins worked at Peterhouse for many years but now lives in Britain, Nikki Waller, who has three Petrean sons and is a grandmother, is a school teacher in Venda, Paula Chisholm lives in Cape Town, Cecelia Temlett has three children and been teaching music and drama at Chisipite for over 15 years and Kit Dock lives in Port Elizabeth. Hannah Nicholas, the first PHG staff baby arrived in January 1999 daughter of Nicky { Haskins} and Keith Nicholas, who was the music master at PHG and is now teaching in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Hannah has a four-generation Peterhouse pedigree Paul’s great-granddaughter and Tommy Haskins’s granddaughter. Contact them via Nikki’s son Mike Waller (G84) the General Manager of Cybele Forest Lodge. Mike Waller cybele@iafrica.com
Tony Brooker (Staff 64-70) transformed hockey at Peterhouse in the ’60s, played it for Rhodesia and was at the forefront of the introduction of the Nuffield Science revolution. Tony was the headmaster of Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, Western Australia south of Perth for 15 years after a stint at Melbourne Grammar and teaching in UK. He was then the founding headmaster of Geraldton Grammar School, Western Australia, but is now retired and still living in Geraldton. jabrooker@wn.com.au
Rodney Brooker (Staff 95-11) joined the Peterhouse staff on his retirement from the Headship of Ruzawi School in 1995 and was involved in junior teaching and sport for 15 years. arh.brooker@gmail.com
Paul Brous (M94) studied at Rhodes University and taught at Springvale House while working off his CHISZ Bursary obligations. He moved to Holland in 2003, where he is reported to be coaching cricket.
David Bruno (Staff 64-70) who was the Assistant Chaplain, House Tutor in Grinham, the leader of successful expeditions to Mlanje and ran squash with great effect, was Dean of St George’s Cathedral, Windhoek in the ’80s. He married in 1991 and was the Rector of Falkirk in Scotland when we last heard from him.
Romey Buchheit (Staff 01) who was a Tinokura House Tutor and taught English, left for England in 2001. She lives in Marlborough, Wiltshire, and owns a ceramic painting studio, Crackpot Ceramics.
Sue { Buckland } Davies and Paul ‘Fossil’ Davies were married in the PHG Chapel on 9 December 2000. Sue is Senior Mistress, Housemistress of Williams House and VI Form Tutor. Sue retired from teaching at Peterhouse in 2016 and is currently residing in Cape Town together with Paul. Sue was awarded the Honours Tie in 2016 for her many years of service to Peterhouse.
Adam Burgess who was Art teacher and Housemaster of Paget is currently teaching at Kenton College, Kenya. He is married Kate Sigsworth and they have a daughter.
Rob Burrett (Staff 99-00) who was Head of the Geography Department, a House Tutor in Founders and heavily involved in Gosho Park left at the end of 2000. UPDATED 2018 Rob now runs a general consultancy company for environmental, historical and environmental work and is an associate researcher for National Museums and Monuments.
Anne Butterworth (Staff 63-80) reigned supreme as the housekeeper and in the laundry for 18 years. She will be fondly remembered by Petreans of that era for the ever-present war between her and Pete Ginn, whom she accused (“quite unjustly” according to Pete!) of shooting her sparrows in the laundry yard. The number of birds that her 14 cats must have killed was never acknowledged.
Jon Calderwood (Staff 85-12) studied Physical Education at Rhodes University before teaching at Hartmann House, the St George’s Junior School in Harare. He was the founding Headmaster of Springvale House in 1985 and succeeded Mike Hammond as the second headmaster of Peterhouse Girls in 1993 before being appointed the Rector of the Group of Schools in 2002. Jon retired from Peterhouse in December 2012 before later agreeing to take on the Headship of Hartmann House in September 2013.
Iain Campbell (Staff 58-61) who played cricket for the MCC, was a quite remarkable sportsman, sufficiently so for the boys to believe that he was asked to play cricket and hockey for England on the same day! He retired after 14 years as Headmaster of King’s College, Auckland, New Zealand where he made a very considerable impact. Iain was Headmaster of St Stephen’s, Mbalabala from 1968 to 1973.
John Carter sadly died on 13 May 2003 in Pietermaritzburg. John was a fine man, who chaired EXCO over many years and the new Science Block is named the John Carter Science Block in his honour. He had three sons at the school and was a businessman of note, being Chairman of Delta Corporation (Breweries, Sun Hotels etc) and Barclays Bank, Zimbabwe. His contribution to Peterhouse over many years was as outstanding as it was selfless.
Guy Cary – A Petrean, the hyperactive Guy Cary (G66 and Staff 84-01) served, led and taught with distinction at the school for 17 years where he ran Interact, Toastmasters, Kukuru Neshungu, the Chapel Choir, played the organ and enthusiatically led many expeditions to Chimanimani and Nyanga. All this was as well as being Director of Drama, a mould breaking Housemaster of Tinokura, and an extremely amusing, selfless and inspirational driving force behind the cultural, dramatic and musical activities of the school. Guy was rumourd to be running the Pine Tree Inn in Nyanga in 2013. UPDATED 2018 Guy No longer running Pine Tree Inn but still lives in Nyanga and visits occasionally.
Prince Chavunduka is Assistant Housemaster in Malvern and teaches Business Studies
Susan Chavunduka sadly passed away in 2007 after a short illness. Mrs Chavunduka taught Shona to Springvale House pupils from the school’s re-openning. Susan`s husband – Patrick – has been the Headmaster of St Francis school since just after Independence. The Chavundukas own Empoyeni Farm, between the Mutare Rd – opposite ZAMA ZAMA – and Arizona Farm. Their entrance is on Peterhouse Road.
Tony Cheetham (Staff 56-59) the founding Housemaster of Ellis, who went on to be headmaster of Whitestones and then St. Anne’s, died some years ago.
Linda Chida (Staff 96-98) is in the UK.
Godfrey Chinyama (Staff 88-96) did his A levels in Ghana under a UN scholarship and studied economics at the University of Cape Coast until a military coup d’etat by led to him transferring to UZ. Armed with a BSc, Godfrey worked for the Ministry of Finance as a Senior Statistician before moving to RAL Merchant Bank (now FMB) as their Economist. From 1988 until his death after a short illness in March 1996, Godfrey was Head of the Business Management Department and was in charge of table tennis and tutored in Snell. Godfrey was an author of note writing a best seller An Examination Passbook for A Level Economics, his Economics without Tears was in manuscript form at his death and he had been chosen by the Longman Group to write an economics textbook for the SADC region.
Gordon Clinch (Staff 58-61) who is remembered for the scout troop he started at the school, lived in the UK and died in July 2003 aged 90. The Magazine recorded that “Mr Clinch returned to England after three years of selfless service, during which his car must have carried more boys than it travelled miles”.
John and Bridget Coates (Staff 62-92) initially retired to Borradaile Trust in Marondera. John was a swimming blue at Oxford and came to Peterhouse after working for the British Colonial Service in Nyasaland (Malawi.) Older Petreans will sympathise with his initial impressions of the school on being appointed to run swimming, but he still stayed for 30 years: “The pool was untiled, there were no lanes marked on the bottom and the concrete was covered in green slime. There was a huge msasa overhanging the shallow end and periodically it shed its leaves into the water. There were diving boards at the deep end, one, two and three yards – not metres- high, and the water was far too shallow for the top board.” He was head of the Classics Department, Housemaster of Founders and edited the magazine for 20 years. John had a triple heart bypass operation in South Africa in 2000 after a couple of heart attacks and has made a good recovery. He died peacefully on 27 October 2007 in England of an inoperable brain tumour that had attacked his word recognition and speech centre. He found this extremely frustrating, but characteristically kept on trying to complete crosswords right up to the end. Bridget Coates passed away in early July 2013.
Dr Bevil Conway (Staff96) finished his PhD in 2001 and is a post-doctoral fellow at the Havard University Department of Neurobiology working on the neural mechanisms for colour perception. bevil_conway@hms.harvard.edu
David and Liz Coughlan (Housemaster of Grinham in the ’80s) who moved to The International School of South Africa in Mafikeng and taught for a while at Shiplake College in the UK, before settling in Malaysia where Dave was Headmaster of an Independent school outside Kuala Lumpur. They must be the most widely travelled ex-members of staff, having lived in Argentina, England, El Salvador, South Africa and Spain. They now live in Istanbul. email. umtali@superonline.com
Robin Cox (Staff 77-83) was Headmaster of St Joseph’s College, Rondebosch, Cape, but he and his family emigrated to New Zealand in 1999. rbcox@xtra.co.nz
Roy and Jenny Currie (Staff 93-02) who taught mainly Maths, was Housemaster of Grinham for over seven years, in charge of Gosho Park and involved in coaching sport, mainly Rugby. Jenny is a very fine physiotherapist and was much missed. They moved to Durham School in the UK, where John Bell was a colleague, then Pembroke House in the Rift Valley . After a trip to New Zealand, they moved to Ndola in 2007 where Roy was the Head of Simba Secondary. He is back in Zimbabwe as the Deputy Head of Lomagundi College. Angus (M95) who qualified as a vet at Onderstepoort, University of Pretoria, moved to Western Australia in 2009. After a spell as a farm vet, he works for the Australian government and monitoring and controlling of live animal exports and imports. Rob (M97) is no longer farming and is in partnership with David Kay (E97) in a procurement business in Harare. He was married in 2009. royjencurrie@gmail.com Roy sadly passed away from cancer a couple of years ago.
Bryan Curtis (Staff 54-61) a founding member of staff and the first Housemaster of Grinham died suddenly in May 1989. On leaving Peterhouse he was the Headmaster of Ruzawi for 22 years and much loved at Springvale House in its early years when he used to come over in his blue VW to coach cricket.
Chris Davison (Staff 01-02 and 2012 to present) who was a Zimbabwe men’s hockey player, and worked at Peterhouse in 2001 and as an in-House Tutor in Tinokura moved to Falcon on completing his two-year bonding. From 2004 – 2010 he took some time away from teaching, venturing into the dairy farming industry and rhino conservation with his wife Candy. He was Director of Sport at Petra before returning in 2012 as Housemaster of Snell, to teach Physical Education to A Level, Geography and coach Hockey and Water Polo. He is a National coach at Hockey, has been Housemaster of Snell since January 2012. During Chris’s stint in Matabeleland he coached various Zimbabwe Hockey Teams as well as being the assistant coach to the National Mens’ Team in the Africa Olympic Qualifiers which was held at the Khumalo Hockey Stadium in Bulawayo in 2011. Chris has been on various hockey coaching clinics and tours around the world. Chris is the Acting Head of the Physical Education Department, teaches geography and coaches the 1st Team Waterpolo and 1st Team Hockey teams. Chris is also a keen adventurist and enjoys mountain biking. Chris and Candy have 3 children. Erin, aged 7 who is in Grade 2 at Springvale, Sean aged 5 who is in nursery school and Conner who has just turned 1 years old . Chris and Candy moved to Austin Texas in August 2019.
Sue {Tippett} Davidson was one of the first female members of the Peterhouse staff. She was married to Pat Normand, a founder of the school, and their son Anthony left Grinham in 1979. Sadly Pat died in 1967 and she subsequently married a Marondera farmer and had two more sons, Stuart (S88) and David (S90) Tippett. Sue had a spell at Watershed as Senior Mistress (Girls) before returning to Peterhouse. She was the PHG Director of Studies and taught maths before becoming the third Head of PHG in 2002. Sue is married to John “Shorty” Davidson and after moving across the road to teach maths at PHG retired in 2011.
John “Shorty” Davidson (Staff 58-02) joined Peterhouse in 1958 and was Housemaster of Grinham, Senior Master, Director of Studies, Head of History, Head of English, coach to the first XV rugby for 15 years, ran the library and helped in the tuckshop! He left for a short time in 1982 to try farming, but returned a year later and stayed on for six years before moving to Watershed. It was at Watershed that he married Sue Tippett – now Headmistress of Peterhouse Girls. While at Watershed he was Deputy Headmaster and acting Headmaster for one year. He returned to Peterhouse with Sue in 1998 and soon took over as Head of English and ran the library. He retired in 2003 and since then has undergone successful major heart surgery in South Africa involving an aortic valve replacement and a triple bypass. UPDATE 2018 Sadly John ‘Shorty’ Davidson passed away mid 2018, here in Marondera.
Paul ‘Fossil’ Davies (Staff 97-11) joined from St David’s in Johannesburg, where he had been the Headmaster for six years. He went back to South Africa at the end of 1998, but did not merely return to Peterhouse, but also married Sue { Buckland } Davies in the the PHG Chapel on 9 December 2000. He taught English, Divinity and Commerce and even more importantly was a great contributor to the chapel and the Christian ethos of the school. He has retired to be the Warden at Borradaile Trust. In 2017 Paul together with Sue moved down to live in Cape Town.
Davies Paul and Sue (Buckland) retired to Fish Hoek in Capetown in December 2016, where we bought a house and are able to visit children and grandchildren regularly. Paul maintains his interest in sport, on TV mostly, but has joined the local golf club and plays regularly 2 or 3 times a week. Naturally he also has a new motorbike, a large Harley, on which we ride around the area at weekends. Sue still maintains a foot hold in education as a support teacher at one of the local junior school once a week, and makes costumes for the school’s plays. Not much has changed. We just do everything at a slower pace.smbd47@gmail.com updated 2020
Paul M “Hockey” Davies (Staff 97-00) who was Head of Biology and then of Science and ran hockey has returned to the UK. He was teaching in Rochester, but joined the staff of The Leys School in Cambridge in 2002. He was instrumental in the design of the new Science Block. He wrote in 2008: “I am still at The Leys in Cambridge but return to Peterhouse every year on holiday. When I return this year, I will be recently married to a South African lady called Francé and we will bring along our 5 month old son, Ethan. I would love to return one day to teach in the Science block I was involved with developing. and it continues to be a great pity that he is not around to get the benefit of so much hard work.” Mr. P M Davies pmd@theleys.net
Paul Davis left at the end of 2008 to become the headmaster of Ruzawi headmaster@ruzawi.com.
Rachel Davis a Canadian by birth and all-around sports star at Carleton University was sent to Zimbabwe in 1996 by FISA, the international rowing organization with the mission of spreading the sport. She ran Peterhpuse rowing to excellent effect but left at the end of 2007 to work at the Canadian Embassy in Harare. In 2012 she achieved international recognition (See press reports) as the coach of Micheen Thornycroft (PHG05) at the London Olympics. zimraych@hotmail.com
Janeen de Kock (Staff 11 to present) came from Kyle College to teach junior Science and coach cricket and rugby.
Robin Dean, who was the school dentist in the 1970s, is the Organist at the N.G. Kerk in Velddrif, Western Cape in his retirement. He was responsible for founding the St Helena Sandveld Hospice. robdean@telkomsa.net
Rita Dereham (Staff 90-04) left SVH in 2004 after 15 fruitful years for overseas. UPDATE 2018 Rita is now retired and living in Marondera. She has never lived overseas although both her daughters do; she visits regularly and sometimes goes caring.
Dick de Courpalay (Staff 87-98) who was renowned for his ability to say “NO,” retired after 11 years as the Finance Manager. He now lives in Stallion Court (sounds slightly rampant for a retirement complex!) on the main road near Borradaile Trust in Marondera. Dick is married to Sylvia Aird, whose husband Ian was the local vet until his untimely death from cancer many years ago now.
Ashley Denman (Staff 02- 03) left for the UK after notable success in the unenviable task of filling Reg Querl’s big shoes as the Sports Administrator and also being Assistant Housemaster of Founders. In 2012 he was a marvellous host at Oakham School in Dorset, UK to the touring PHB First XV.
Martin Dixon (Staff 76-77) who came to Peterhouse straight from Oxford, left to teach at Stowe in the UK.
Phil Dongo (Staff 03 – 05) joined us from Watershed, where he had coached the First XV rugby for many years, to teach Design and Technology. He became Housemaster of Founders in 2004, but left at the end of 2005 for the International School in Lusaka. He is now at Simba Secondary in Ndola where his headmaster Roy Currie reports: “Phil does a great job at Simba doing most of the sport as well as running the hostel. “
Simon Elliott the ’90s woodwork master, is Head of a school in Herefordshire, UK for what he describes as “reformed young criminals!” nic@ewyasharold.freeserve.co.uk
David Etheridge (Staff 73 – 87) sadly died in 1999 aged 53.
Ron Exelby (Staff 75-80) left to be head of Speciss College in Bulawayo, but soon emigrated to Western Australia where he is teaching in Bunbury.
Patrick Fantiso teaches Biology, is Head of Science and a tutor in Ellis.
Gladys Fantiso is the C Block House Mistress at Peterhouse Girls
Ian “Fergy” Ferguson (Staff 55-71) was on the staff of Peterhouse from the day it opened in February 1955 until he left as a result of ill-health in 1971. He is remembered with affection for his commitment in the Chemistry laboratories, as House Tutor first of Grinham and then of Paget, on the shooting range, working with the school labourorganisation, as Secretary of the Petrean Society, on the stage (remember his production of Ruddigore? ) singing in the choir, and on many happy expeditions to Nyanga which he loved, and where he bought property. On leaving Peterhouse Fergy worked for a while at St Joseph’s and old friends also met him when they visited the Cathedral, where he sang in the choir for many years. Fergy died in Harare on 21 July 1981.
Bruce Fieldsend (Staff 54-83) Rhodes Scholar, hockey enthusiast and brilliant maths teacher, joined the staff before the school opened and went on to be the founding Housemaster of Malvern and second Rector. It fell to Bruce to guide Peterhouse through the “lean years” of the Bush War when enrolments fell to 180 and school’s survival owes much to his qualities of leadership and determination. After 15 years as Rector Bruce decided it was time to move on and he joined an insurance company in Harare, where he still lives. He was till his retirement in 2001 the most popular man in Africa as the Zimbabwe representative of the Beit Trust: everyone he met either asked him for someone else’s money or got a cheque! Bruce and Liza moved to Auckland, New Zealand in 2003, where their daughters now live. Our one of our spies claimed that “It is the petrol shortage that finally made their minds up to leave, as Bruce simply could not stand the hours of queuing for fuel.” brfieldsend@xtra.co.nz
The Fisher family (Staff 55-60). Charles, the first Senior Master and founding Housemaster of Paget, went on to have a highly successful career as a headmaster of four schools in Australia, the last four years at Geelong Grammar School. Sadly, he was killed in a car accident. [See Nostalgia ] Anne, who has now been in Australia for 40 years, lives in Adelaide. She has remarried Dr Basil Hetzel, the Lieutenant Governor of South Australia and Chancellor of the University of South Australia. iccidd@a011.anone.net.au .basanne@chariot.net.au
Allen French (Staff 84-05)who was a rugby international and taught at a teachers’ college in Bulawayo before joining the Peterhouse staff, is fondly remembered by generations of Petreans for his cricket and rugby coaching, good-humoured leadership of fantastic tours, Senior Master, teaching science and divinity and as the founding Housemaster of Tinokura. has joined the rest of his family in England. He helps out at Lord Wandsworth College (England rugby player Johnny Wilkinson’s old school) in the science labs and is also the school’s First XI cricket umpire. Sister Sandy French retired from the San in 2003, where she will be fondly remembered as a “caring ear” to many junior boys. She is nursing full time in the UK at a hospice.
Brian and AJ Foakes (Staff 00- 03) Brian joined the staff from Ruzawi, was the Housemaster of Paget and involved in IT and music. AJ was head of Lower School Science, ran the Under 14 cricket with considerable style and was force to be reckoned with as a hockey coach. They are both at Shiplake College in Henley-on Thames, UK and wrote in 2008: “Brian is now Acting Head of ICT and teaches Music Technology. He is also Choirmaster for the local church (Harpsden) and Thames Valley Lifesaving club. AJ is now Girls Housemistress, Head of Chemistry and Commissioned Officer (LT , Rifles) helping to run the Army section of the Combined Cadet Force at Shiplake. Also England Hockey Umpire (mens leagues, London, Regional and South).
John Foggin (Staff 70-72) died in August 1999 in Howick, KwaZulu Natal where he had retired with Judy, who died in Johannesburg in July 2000.
Sarah Fynn (Staff 10 – 11) a renowned artist taught for two years prior to her retirement. UPDATE 2018 Still lives and works in Harare. She is still painting and sometimes runs workshops.
Pete Ginn (Staff 62-89) had a hyperactive 29 years at Peterhouse. He was hired to teach Chemistry after a stint as a field geologist with De Beers in Bechuanaland (Botswana) prospecting for diamonds where he “actually discovered” the first evidence of the great diamond fields later opened up at Orapa. Pete was head of Geography, Housemaster of Founders, made an unbeatable mark in Natural History leading expeditions to Botswana every year from 1962 to 1981 and thereafter due to red tape to various places in Zimbabwe, built the Museum, ran the Jazz and Bee Clubs, started badminton, ran tennis, hockey and athletics and took a leading part in the Christian life of the school. He is a prolific author of books and articles on birds was the general editor of the magisterial The Complete Book of Southern African Birds. Pete and Liz .have run a tourism business based in Marondera for a number of years. It started out as a specialist birding Safari Company but has expanded to cover a variety of other special tours around Zimbabwe and Madagasacar. http://www.zimbabwe-safari.com/meetginn.html . Also see Nostalgia Page where there is a more full description of Pete’s publishing and other achievements. They moved to in George in the southern Cape in January 2004 “where there are currently no resident bird guides and there seems to be a greate scope for bird ID courses.” Liz has undergone surgery for breast cancer and will undergo a course of follow-up chemotherapy. pgbs@cyberperk.co.za UPDATE 2018 Liz died and Peter has remarried. He is still publishing bird books and comes back to Zimbabwe from time to time.
Bob Gardiner (Staff 95-00) who was Director of Art and a house tutor in Ellis, left to sail around the world after a tour of Africa on an elderly motor bike, teaching briefly in Swakopmund on the way. In 2001 he reached South Africa, had a flat tyre at a small village in the arid north-west of South Africa, Namaqualand, where he met Malinda Boonzaaier, a local Afrikaans girl working in conservation. They married in 2003 and is now living in her hometown of Bitterfontein. Bob is full-time artist and has also built up 7 years of experience in natural building methods – he has recently started up a company, Ganeip Hand-Built and is set to start his first all-natural building job for a tender he just won. Bob can be contacted at m.gardiner@conservation.org or on his mobile phone +27 798542015 .
Peter George (Staff 81-85) was MD of Coates Brothers, manufacturers of printing inks in Harare when we last heard but are rumoured to be Australia peterandfergy.george@bigpond.com
George Gibbons (Staff 92-96) joined the staff as Head of History on his retirement as deputy head of Eaglesvale School. Tennis flourished under his care. George was a fountain of knowledge on all sorts of topics, which he would expound on at great length in the staff pub. He did not suffer fools – let alone gladly – and sadly died in 2002 after retiring to Harare, where he did some teaching at St John’s. UPDATED 2018 Sadly George passed away a few years ago. DECEASED
Colin Gibson (Staff 90-91) was born and educated in South Africa. Not able to support the apartheid regime, he taught in Sweden and England before returning to Africa in 1981. Colin was Head of History, ran swimming, helped with rugby and an enthusiastic Assistant Housemaster in Grinham. It came as a great shock when he was diagnosed with a terminal illness and died in September 1991. Colin was laid to rest in the Peterhouse Graveyard.
George (Staff 89-00) and Carol (Staff 89-02) Gibson. George, who taught at the Girls’ School for twelve years, retired in 2000. He is much missed for his involvement as Director of Studies, maths teacher, drama producer, Toastmasters’ director etc. He went off to spend a year in England as a kind of ‘gap year’ before deciding what to do next. This turned out to be working for an ophthalmogist friend from university days in London. He didn’t seem to miss the classroom at all! See nostalgia for a more complete tribute to his time at PHG. Carol left to join him in England in 2002. She was an amazingly versatile member of the PHG staff, teaching agriculture, commerce and English; training girls for the Allied Arts Competition and as Chapel readers etc etc etc. They were both much loved and left a hard act to follow. UPDATE 2018 George died unexpectedly of a heart attack some years ago. Carol and all their children still live in England.
Nicolaus Goromondo (Staff 04) joined us from Midlands Christian College as Head of IT and resident tutor in Malvern.
Barbara “Ma Bobes” Graham died in Harare in December 1997 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. She was the much loved wife of Martin “Bobes” Graham (Staff) who retired early as headmaster of Chisipite to care for her. Barbara was a much loved and respected member of the Peterhouse community over a long period and she will be fondly remembered, particularly by generations of Ellis boys. Barbara was a highly qualified teacher with a successful career in her own right. At a moving ceremony at Chisipite School on 16 July 1999 a sundial was dedicated to Barbara’s memory. All 19 Grahams were present, as well as many old timers including the Fieldsends, James Milford and the Hammonds. DECEASED
Martin “Bobes” Graham (Staff 58-77) was Housemaster of Ellis for 14 years, head of English and established basketball at the school. He will be remembered by older Petreans for the incredible sets of the Shakespearean plays he staged in tamphitheatre-like his1964 Macbeth masterpiece under construction in the photo. Martin left for a post in England but was soon back in Zimbabwe and retired as the headmaster of Chisipite in 1996. He married Pam Holland, the widow of Guy Holland (Staff 64-71) in 1998. Both had lost their spouses and we wish them a long and happy marriage. They are living in Harare. News of the rest of the family: Tim (G77), who has two daughters, was the MD of Tetra Pak in Harare, but he is now in business for himself with numerous interests. News of Martin’s daughters: KK is married to Rob Marffy and has three children and was farming in Mvurwi until they were forced to abandon the farm. They went on a ‘look and see’ trip to Australia and New Zealand in February 2002. Francie, who is married to Mark Randell, has four children and is still farming near Bulawayo and Sally is married to Rawdon Ball (ex Plumtree), has four children and lives in Botswana.mmgraham@mweb.co.zw DECEASED
Scott Gray (P96 and Staff 10- present) became the Director of Sport and Housemaster of Ellis. Scott was a professional rugby player and 8 cap Scottish international. He gained a full-time training contract with the Brumbies academy in Canberra under Eddie Jones on leaving school and after a stint in Rugby League with Brisbane Broncos was snapped up by Bath in the English Premiership, before landing at the Borders in Scotland. Scott toured Australia with Scotland in 2004 and had his Test debut against the Wallabies. He played against a Springbok side in 2008 which included two other Petreans Tendai Mtawarira and Brian Mujati . Scott left Peterhouse at the end of 2013 to start a career at St Johns College as the Director of Rugby.
Angus Greenhalgh (Staff 71-76) who taught Chemistry, Biology and Junior Science and his wife Anne and two children moved to Perth, WA from Peterhouse, though his roots are definitely northern English. Ever the fitness fanatic, when he called into the school in 1999 he amazed everyone by his youthful looks. anneang@bigpond.com
John Greenacre was taught by Fred Snell at Michaelhouse and read Maths at Jesus College, Cambridge. Since the ’60s he has been the Housemaster of both Paget and Grinham, Senior Master, Acting Rector, organiser of tennis and expeditions to Nyanga and Chimanimani’s, driver of fast cars, founder of the school bank, chess guru, Honours Tie recipient (the staff equivalent of the VC), maths teacher extraordinaire …. the list goes on. He officially retired at the end of 2004 on turn 70 and then again at the end of 2005, but continues to the Petrean Society and we cannot see him staying out of the classroom! John retired from teaching in December 2015, but still resides in his house at Peterhouse and tends to the Archives. jwg@peterhouse.co.zw
Andy Griggs was a Housemaster at Plumtree before joining the Peterhouse staff. He is pictured while taking a short break from conducting in-depth research into beach scenery, eco-tourism and scuba diving in Queensland, where he also loved the rain forests, on leave in 1993. Andy stepped down as the Housemaster of Snell after 10 years at the end of 2003. After some years as Director of Studies and Director of Cultural Activities in 2009 he was appointed Senior Master – Academic. Andy retired after 100 terms at Peterhouse in December 2022. He and his wife Louise now reside in the Borradaile Trust, in Marondera.
The Hales (Staff) Richard became the Pie King of South Africa after leaving Peterhouse, based in Port Alfred, but came back to teaching some years ago at Kingswood junior school in Grahamstown. We hear that Shane, who won a hockey gold medal at the Moscow Olympics and coached the Peterhouse First XI with great effect, is doing some part-time teaching at the senior school. They are both involved in local Eastern Cape sport, especially golf.
Andrew(P72) and Rowena Hall (Staff 81-93) have two children. Andrew, the founding Housemaster of Snell in 1984, was Head of English, coached lowly, but winning (!) cricket and rugby teams, put on numerous plays, and ran the Engineering Club. Rowena taught French, was involved in many theatrical productions as a choreographer and taught piano at Springvale House. Since leaving Peterhouse they have taught at the International School of South Africa, Mafikeng, and at Aiglon College, Switzerland since 1996, where they are houseparents of Clairmont House, a house of 40 girls. Andrew teaches English and Rowena teaches French, piano and drama.ash@aiglon.ch.
Mike Hammond (Staff 56 – 03) retired in 1993 as the founding Headmaster of PHG after a distinguished career at Springvale, Headmaster of Eagle School and at the Boys’ school, including six years the Housemaster of Malvern. He and Barrie lived in one of the two retirement cottages at Peterhouse, dubbed Jurassic Park, and Mike remained very actively involved in many school activities until his death from tick bite fever in 2003.
Richard and Fiona Hanly (Staff 04) Rich was Headmaster of Hillcrest for 10 years. He taught English and Geography before retiring in 2004. Rich was a shining light on the Peterhouse campus, his kettle always on the boil ready to share a cup of tea and listen to one’s troubles. An amazing friend to so many. Fiona has been the Grade one teacher at Springvale House since 2004. Rich and Fi, have five children, Claire, Jo, Tom, Rich, and Philp all of whom were educated at Peterhouse. Claire and Richie JNR came back to do their Teaching stints also at Peterhouse. Rich, sadly passed away unexpectedly in 2021. Fiona remains the Grade one teacher at SVH.
Sally Harris (Staff 90-96) established shorthand, typing and office practice first in a newly-built classroom at the Girls’ School, but later transferred to the boys’ side to popular acclaim as far as the girls were concerned. She is married to Erith “Er” Harris and moved with him to Ruzawi where Sally was the School Secretary.
Erith “Er” Harris (Staff 90-97) came to Peterhouse as the Director of Administration after being the Headmaster of Whitestones in Bulawayo. During the years prior to his arrival the school had grown enormously and the administrative side was stretched to its limits in trying to look after three schools with over a thousand students. He left to become the Deputy Headmaster and then the Headmaster of Ruzawi before handing over the reins on his retirement in 2008 to Paul Davis.
Kim Harvey (Staff 97-00) who made a very considerable mark on the PHG sport fields and in teaching maths, left at the end of her four year bonding with the ATS to travel. She was manager of the 2000 Zimbabwe under 18 hockey team which played in South Africa. We will follow her career with interest, since with a range of skills like hers we are confident that she will go far in whatever she choses to do.
Les (Chippy) and Mavis Haworth (Staff 55-68) Les spent 15 years at Peterhouse, first during the construction of the school and when it opened as the Woodwork Master as well as i/c Property Maintenance. Mavis worked in the laundry alongside Ann Butterworth until 1969 when Les took up the role of Head of Department of Woodwork and Technical Drawing at Umtali Boys High School. Les left behind not only the legacy of a woodworking department where anything from pencil cases to ocean going yachts were built to perfection, but many students also learnt the covert art of home brew and many a ‘toyes’ room had demi-johns of amber liquid peacefully fermenting behind locker doors! They retired to Flame Lily Retirement Home in Natal. Les passed away in May 1986 and Mavis in October 1992. Their daughters : Susan studied at Greys Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, earning honours degrees in Midwifery and Psychiatric Nursing and at present is retired and eagerly awaiting her first grandchild in May. Pamela (The first baby ever christened in the chapel!) has been happily settled in Brisbane since 1984.pamcrowther@hotmail.com
Eileen {Hathaway} Mason (Staff 60-65) who was Fred Snell’s secretary and marriedMac Mason(Staff 58-61) is now sadly widowed and lives in retirement at Tweed Heads, New South Wales.
Sue Heathcote (Staff 04) is currently running the Accounts Department.
Mike Herring (Staff 76-79) was senior master at Springvale after Eagle moved there in 1976, before moving to Falcon and back to UK. He and his wife Val tragically died in a house fire in England in February 2012.
Kerry Heyns (Staff 05) who teached Geography and English was reported in 2007 to be living in England.
Wendy Hewit (Staff 00-02) has moved to Zambia. She had great success running the French Department and girls’ rowing. She and her husband, Rob, and their two children travelled 1,000s of kilometres with the rowers and their boats to regattas in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Eddie Hilditch (Staff 66-73) taught Chemistry, ran the Science Department and ran rugby with great succcess, including coaching the school’s only unbeaten First XV in 1966. He left to teach at Michaelhouse, but emigrated to Western Australia where he loves the beach life. He teaches at Bunbury Grammar School, where his principal wasTony Brooker.edanne@iprimus.com.au
Marcia Hillier – We were sadden to learn of the death of Marcia Hillier, who was shot in her home at Nelson’s Bay, Mozambique in 2004. She was not only a friend to many in the Peterhouse community, but also an ex-parent and teacher of both SVH and the Nursery School.
John “Hodgy” Hodgson (Staff 58-85) who was and will remain an inspiration to generations of Petreans, died peacefully on 5 February 2005 aged 79. Hodgy was the Director of Music from 1958 to 1985 and a composer and organist of note. He lived in retirement in Marondera and remained active in the life of the schools. As befits his amazing contribution and dedication to the Peterhouse Group of Schools over many decades, Hodgy is buried at Peterhouse.
Revd Pat Hogg (Staff 60-71) the much loved Chaplain for 12 years returned to England on leaving the school as Rector of Crawley, but he only spent a short time there before becoming Dean of Pretoria in 1974.Pat died in Pretoria in 1974 after a comparatively short illness.
Rev Richard Holderness (Staff77) who was Chaplain at Ruzawi, joined the staff as an honorary chaplain when the security situation forced the closure of his retreat centre at Bonda Mission in 1977. He retired to Borradaile Trust but moved to South Africa to be nearer his family. He died peacefully aged 97 in 2007.
Guy Holland (Staff 64-71) we were saddened to hear of the death of Guy Holland (Staff 64-71) from a cerebral tumour. He served as House Tutor of Paget, with the Climbing Club, as stage manager and in the laboratories. He left to take up an appointment at the Dragon School in Oxford and was subsequently at Bishop’s Prep School in Cape Town for many years.
David Howorth (Staff 58-61) taught at St Edward’s School, Oxford after leaving Peterhouse and died in 1989.
Rev Martin Housman (Staff 94-98) is the Chaplain of Norwich School, Norwich. Buff teaches in Great Yarmouth. Hannah, PHG 94-98 has finished at Durham University and works at Tradecraft. Alice SVH, PHG doing a nursing degree at the University of East Anglia. Lucy PHG is on a gap year before going to Durham University to read Archaeology. Emily SVH doing A levels at Norwich School. Dickon SVH at Norwich School and still bowling for the county. Rosie is at the local state school.housmans@bigfoot.com Tel. 01508 548 322 ororchards@onetel.net.uk
Commander Hugh Hodgkinson (Staff 53-55) died in England in 1996. Hugh joined Fred Snell in founding Peterhouse in 1953. He located Liddles’ farms the school site, helped to raise funds and taught for a term when the school opened. Hugh was then Headmaster of Milton Abbey School with great success for 14 years. He had a distinguished naval career and the connection with the “Senior Service” was remembered in the ”Quarterdeck;” where a shell case was rung as a gong before meals for many years.
Roger and Sue Hudson (Staff 84-03) was poached from Allan Wilson in Harare, where he had taught with distinction for a number of years. After 20 years at Peterhouse Roger and Sue retired to England and bought a campervan to tour France during the 2003 northern summer. Roger was the Head of French and ran sailing and the Jazz Band.huddies@hotmail.comorhuddies@btinternet.com
Kim Hulley (Staff 12) was at Arundel, studied microbiology at UCT and was the Head of Science before being appointed the Headmistress of Arundel. Kim has since left Peterhouse in 2018.
Liz Ireland-Jones (Staff 03) who was a vital part of PHG for many years as coach in charge of tennis and as Head the Geography Department left for Brisbane, Queensland in 2003.nick@agricane.com. ornicki-j@hotkey.net.au
Seranne Jack (Staff 00-02) went to school at Chisipite and trained at Rhodes. She left to get married and was last sighted travelling overland up Africa to Egypt. She contributed much in Snell, in the classroom teaching history and as Director of Drama and in the Fieldsend Hall. She moved to Simba Secondary in Ndola in 2007 where her headmaster was Roy Currie. She died suddenly and unexpectedly in Kitwe, Zambia on 29 January 2009 aged only 34 years. The official cause of death was pneumonia.
Ivan and Candy Jacklin (E63 & Staff 73-82) it is with great sadness that we record Ivan’s sudden death in November 2003 from a heart attack. Ivan was the first Petrean member of staff, Housemaster of Grinham and producer of numerous very successful plays. He and Candy hosted numerous Petrean cricket matches and the Peterhouse First XI on their 1998 tour to England. They moved in 1983 to the D.S.G in Grahamstown where Ivan taught maths, and chemistry and produced a school play. They then moved to England to Shiplake College, where Ivan taught until his death. He was at various times Head of the Chemistry Department, Housemaster of Everett House and Director of Activities. Candy has retired to their cottage in North Devon which Ivan loving described as ” …. a sort of Peterhaven. It is well off the beaten track and we can indulge in the fantasy of living in a previous age”.
Mark Jardine (Staff 88) was the coach of the First XI and led its successful tour of Australia in 1988. He left for the International School, Mafikeng, but then moved on to Hilton College in Natal, where he was a Housemaster. The family moved to Australia in 2000 and Mark teaches near Canberra, where his wife has opened a highly successful cafe.
Norman January (Staff 03) French teacher and Assistant Housemaster of Malvern sadly died in February 2003.
Colin Johnson (Staff 65-83) who was a key member of the staff during the “lean years” as Careers Master, Housemaster and Head of Science, died in South Africa in the ’80s.
Munyaradzi Juru (Staff 97-99) is teaching in Botswana after three years at Peterhouse in the design centre, coaching rugby and water polo and running the Christian Forum.
Silas Kamarizenithe was Head of the Art Department.
A Petrean, Ed Katso (Staff E71 and 88-96) returned in 1988 for his third stint on the Peterhouse staff; one that saw him run soccer and chess, serve as tutor of his old house, Paget, head Biology and Science and organise several successful educational trips to the Zambezi Valley at the Rifa camp. One cannot deny that Ed was a controversial figure. Both as a schoolboy and as a teacher, he stood out as one who dared to be different and he helped break many barriers down. His methods in and out of the classroom were not always orthodox, but he gained the respect of his students and achieved some remarkable academic results. Ed will be long remembered for his drawling “Good morning” that greeted each class. He tackled all his duties with a sense of passion and it is hard to believe that he won’t be back for a fourth stint! He “retired” to become a farmer having inherited the “family estate” outside Mutare but wrote in August 2001:”I’m now resident in Wuppertal, Germany, where my wife Elke is a Chemical Engineer with Delphi Automotive, a former subsidiary of GM. We have a delightful son, Daniel, who is the best thing that has ever happened to us, and is my full time occupation at the moment. I continue to “break barriers” (although not as controversially as in the past, mainly because my German is still very rudimentary. Give me a bit more time and then we will see!) It’s amazing just how much energy is required to keep up with a two year old.ekatso@t-online.de.
Bill Ker currently at Peterhouse.
Archie and Ann Kennedy (Staff 66-94) Archie came from Scotland in 1966 to head the Art Department and apart from a two year stint at Milton Abbey School in England headed the department with notable success for 29 years – often as a one man band. Archie oversaw the transformation of the department from a simple Art Room to a fully equipped Craft, Design and Technology Centre standing around an attractive grassed square, with the transport garages moved to the other end of the Estate. He was the Housemaster of Founders and showed a keen interest in football and golf. Ann first joined the staff of the Nursery School and was for 10 years in charge of the pottery department in the Art School. They left Peterhouse on 13 April 2003 to return to England after 37 years at the school, the last 9 living in the retirement complex, Jurassic Park. Archie did sterling work in organising the school archives during this time, as well as producing Peterhouse plaques for leavers to buy, the supply of which will now dry up, sadly. Both Annie and Archie have sadly passed away, but are both buried in the Peterhouse Cemetery side by side.
David Kirkman (Staff 14 – present) Dave started at Peterhouse in January 2014 as the Housemaster of Ellis, the Director of Sports and the Director of Rugby. Dave has four children within the group of schools. Jenny Kirkman, Dave’s wife runs the Careers department for the Group of Schools which is housed in the New Megahey Centre.
Luke Kunatsa (Staff 05 to present) joined us from Monte Cassino where he was Head of Mathematics. Luke is the Assistant Housemaster of Ellis and is also the Deputy Director of Studies too.
Archie Larthe de Langladure (Staff 64-76) who taught French with great dedication and effect for 13 years, retired aged 70 to England in 1976 and died in April 1996.
Carl Lapham (Staff 11) teaches Physical Education. Carl has now left Peterhouse.
Sister Debbie Lowe SRN (Staff 77-93) joined the Peterhouse staff as assistant San Sister after four years at Springvale. She did her nursing training at the Central Hospital in Harare and on being married farmed in Centenary and then the Mkushi District, Zambia. After her husband’s untimely death in 1972 she and her four sons returned to Zim and were educated at Ruzawi and Peterhouse. Her father was Canon Grinham the founder of Springvale and Ruzawi Schools and member of the first board of Governors of Peterhouse. She left to be Lady Warden of The Close Borradaile Trust. She is now living as an ‘ordinary’ resident, having had two hip replacement operations.
David Lowe (Staff 89-93) who boasted in his farewell speech to the Common Room of having managed to fight everyone, was a man of cultivated bolshiness. Guy Cary met him at the end of his first week muttering through clenched teeth “I don’t like the boys here. They smile too much!” He was a dedicated Chemistry teacher and surprised many, whom he tried to convince that he was dour and disagreeable, with his ability as a serious and comic actor and jazz singer. Having been “landed with supervising the louts who played basketball,” he pushed and pulled them over the years to the top of the national tree, winning the Major Leyland Tournament in 1992 for the first time in the school’s history. David had high standards. Typical of his style was his 1993 Basketball report: “The team tended to resemble, at times, a troupe of circus clowns rather than a dedicated sporting outfit. This wayward attitude was most often seen in training sessions and so little progress was made during the season. On a more positive note, the team did well to finish second in League A.” On leaving, David told us not to try to get in touch with him since he would be “of no fixed abode.” Despite his best efforts to the contrary, David was much loved and admired at Peterhouse!
Jerry and Jeanie Lousada (Staff 03) Jerry was BSAP, a Town Clerk and had managed hotels for some years before coming to Peterhouse. They own a small shop in Cheltenham and divide their time between that and their 26 foot yacht in the Mediterranean. Jeanie was the Rector’s secretary and Jerry the Bursar.
Russell Lynch (Staff 92-94) studied Russian at Exeter University and taught English at the University of Milan’s Institute of Modern Languages before coming to Peterhouse with his wifeRaffiand two young daughters on a two year contract. They enjoyed their time at the school where Russell taught English coached teams, was an actor and stage manager, organiser of expeditions and keen competitor in staff sporting teams. Raffi, who is a university lecturer in computer science, was not too taxed by D Block Computers! Russell lives in Florence and is Teaching at Florence University in Italy. moblynch@gmail.com
Sandi {Macrae} Ogilvie (PHG87 and Staff), one of the PHG founders, married Russell Ogilvie. She worked for a year in the UK then returned to help at the fast-growing PHG as a sports coach /housemistress. They live in Yeppoon, Queensland and have two children.ogilvieclan@vtown.com.au.
Rev A W McCay who was the Assistant Chaplain in the mid ’60s died in 1997.
Gareth Machin (Staff 91-92) taught maths and coached cricket and hockey for a year after university and played cricket for Wedza. He worked in Cambridge, moved to Spain for a couple of years and was back in Cambridge in 2005 teaching at a sixth-form college.
Vision Magodora (Staff 05 to present) joined us fresh from Africa University to teach Mathematics
David Makwindi (Staff 89-02) left at the end of the 2002 second term. David was Housemaster of Founders and taught Maths and Geography and ran the Tuckshop for several years. He has moved to Marondera to be involved in church work. Thankfully, his wife, Lucy, who is Head of Shona and Head of Divinity, is still teaching here.
Godfrey Masanga (Staff 11 to present) was previously Head of Art at Hillcrest College.
Nyasha Muzanenhamo (Staff 11 to present) teaches French.
Anne Mackenzie (Staff 92-99) teaches at Trent College, England where she had taught earlier on a year’s exchange. She taught English and History, was an assistant housemaster in Malvern and coached hockey and swimming.
Anthony “Buzz” Mallett (Staff 57-62) of the unique commitment, voice (an indecipherable growl) and teaching style (flying blackboard rubbers and umbrellas hurled on entry into the classroom with considerable violence and unerring accuracy into rubbish bins) died of cancer in 1994 aged 70. He and Vivienne came to Peterhouse in January 1957. Anthony taught English (Head of Department) and Latin; was in charge of cricket and squash; produced plays and acted in staff plays (who can forget Somniathe operetta which he wrote in a single night with Charles Fisher?); became Housemaster of Ellis in 1959 and Senior Master in 1961. He was the Principal of Bishop’s for 19 years and we are pleased to report that his introduction of bicolour there is not what he is now remembered for. Time heals, since he is now widely regarded as one of South Africa’s most influential headmasters of all time. Anthony was quite exceptional sportsman. He played cricket for Kent and England and toured Canada with the MCC, won blues for cricket, squash and table tennis at Oxford and played squash for Rhodesia. Mention must be made of Anthony the spectator. Always anxious to be part of the action, he never let anyone in doubt either of his presence or his fervent loyalties. On honeymoon in Scotland, he was within an ace of going on to the field to show the brawny Scots ladies how to toss the caber at the Highland Games! He is pictured right watching house matches at Bishops. His son Nick was the Springboks’ rugby coach.
Anthony Mallett’s oldest daughter, Jenny Mallett, died in April 1999 from a heart attack after deep sea diving. She was a Headmistress in Cape Town and unmarried. There was a fine tribute to her from her brother Nick (ex-SA Rugby coach) in the Cape Town paper. She was only 48 and our deepest sympathy to Vivienne. vmallett@telkomsa.net
Patience Mansfield retired as Housemaster of Ellis in 1999 after 8 years and was in charge of Careers and remained a vital member of the PHB staff until 2019. Patience lives in Borradaile Trust and is one of the most sort out members of staff when Petreans return to visit. She still is the best Rugby Satiation our first team Rugby has ever had.
Richard “Pot” Marriott (Staff 83-92) read Philosophy at Trinity College, Dublin, then worked for Anglia Television. This left a taste for the performing arts and he and June were regular members of the Choral Society Richard made a menacing Bill Sykes in Oliver. His reputation for unflappability was enhanced when he did not flinch when two of the cast of Hadrian VII, his 1984 entry to the Drama Festival, were expelled days before the opening night. Richard established rowing at Peterhouse and was Head of the Maths Department and Housemaster of Malvern. He is back at Emmanuel School, London from whence he came and where he is also in charge of rowing and Head of Maths. Richard’s nickname “Pot” stemmed from his occasionally bloodshot eyes that provoked wild speculation about substance abuse! In truth, he had trouble with his contact lenses, something he put to excellent tactical advantage on the squash court.
Revd George Martin (Staff 61-90: 03 – 11) taught at Peterhouse for a total of 37 years. He left for 13 when he founded Lendy Park School, Marondera and was its first Headmaster. He then taught at Watershed College for a couple of years before returning to Peterhouse. He coached hockey, cricket and athletics and was vital to the life of the chapel. George has since passed away
Mac Mason (Geography Staff 58-61) died in Australia in 1996, but his wife Eileen (who was Fred Snell’s secretary, Mrs Hathaway, until she went to the UK to marry Mac in 1965) is still living at Tweed Heads, New South Wales. After a brief interlude in New, Zealand Mac was Director of Studies at Millfield School in England (1963 to 1972) and Assistant Mother Superior at Marymount before retiring to Australia.
Eric Matambo (Staff 06-07) who taught English and History, is Warden of Cory House Warden at Rhodes University.
Tirupati Mehta (Staff 93-96) taught Biology and was a house tutor at Founders. Multi-talented and tremendous fun, she found time to take part in a Miss India Competition in Harare, which she nearly won, and was notable for her curries for Common Room suppers and reading palms. Having grown up in Marondera and studied at UZ, she decided it was time to move on and head for England.
Alan Megahey (Staff 84-94) the third Rector sadly died in 2011 after a short but brave battle with cancer of the pancreas. Dr Megahey was Rector of Peterhouse from January 1984 to December 1993. He was a man of great vision and energy who was relentless and untiring in his efforts to realise his goals. He had great ideas and his appointment ensured the very successful transition of Peterhouse as a school into Zimbabwe. His enthusiasm was infectious and was responsible for so many positive changes and innovations. It was he who negotiated successfully with the Ministry of Education to ensure the reopening of Springvale which led to the creation of Tinokura, Peterhouse Girls’ School and the evolution of the Peterhouse Group of Schools. Other changes and innovations included the revamp of the Library; the Carrington Design Centre; the first Computer Room; the Cafeteria system at meals; the School Festival; there were many more. He was a man of great faith and was dedicated to the mission of the church. Since leaving Peterhouse he remained an active and supportive member of the Board of Governors. His vision of a new stained glass window became a reality in 2005. His book, A School in Africa has become the official history of Peterhouse. One leaving Peterhouse he was the Chaplain at Uppingham School, but after 33 years of school mastering in 2001 became Rural Rector of Brant Broughton, Welbourn and Aldenham. See Nostalgia for a fuller assessment of the Megahey Decade. He was an author of note and his biography of Sir Humphrey Gibbs and his Irish Protestant Churches in the Twentieth Century were well received. His brilliant, witty and insightful official history of Peterhouse School in Africa was launched in splendid style at Rhodes House, Oxford.
Ian Menzies (Staff 81-93) who was Head of Modern Languages, is the headmaster of the Collège du Léman International School in Geneva, Switzerland. He and Emmanuelle still owns Nantambwe Farm next to the school and travels out frequently to keep an eye on their cattle there. Their sons Neil (F93) and Alistair (F94) are based in Europe.
Bob Merchant (Staff 91-99) taught mathematics and history, was housemaster of Malvern (93 -99) and coached rugby and cricket. He and Pauline left for St John’s College in Harare, then to Maidstone Grammar School, the UK in 2003. They moved to New Zealand in June 2005.tkaribalegends@yahoo.com.
Dirk Meyer (E00 and Staff 04-05) graduated from Rhodes, and did a stint in the USA before teaching at Peterhouse for a year and a bit. In 2007 he wrote: “I am now dodging bullets in Johannesburg’, working for a Cross Border Freight company. He also got engaged to Alana Clinton (ex-Arundel) in 2007.
James Milford (Staff 66) joined a new Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading (UK) on leaving Peterhouse. Promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1970, he worked there until 1994, developing special interests in boundary layer meteorology, remote sensing and agricultural meteorology. Research and teaching took him too many parts of Africa, and Indonesia. On his retirement, he accepted a two-year appointment in 1995 as Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Zimbabwe, with the specific aim of establishing a programme in Agricultural Meteorology. In 2005, he was still there, now with Visiting status, and developing practical aspects of the programme. His first wife, Beatrice, died in 1983: in 1986 he married Frances Pellatt, born in Mutare and, until then, resident in Harare. This undoubtedly encouraged his return to Zimbabwe. There are four children from his first marriage, and, to date, nine grandchildren. James has continued to claim church bell-ringing as a main hobby (started while at Peterhouse after the arrival of the bells at Harare Anglican Cathedral), with music, do-it-yourself, gardening and coastal cruising as ancillaries. He is still on the staff of UZ half time but plans to spend more time in England before his final retirement there. (Address: 5 College Flats, St Kilda Rd., Mount Pleasant, : Harare UK address: 24 Cintra Avenue, Reading, Berks, RG2 : 7AU) milfojf@yahoo.co.uk
Jenny Milne (Staff 95- 02) the senior san sister for 8 years left to nurse in the UK. Jenny resides in Borradaile Trust with other past members of Staff. She still does care work in the UK.
Ruth Mitchell (Staff 04-05) joined us from South Africa to teach Chemistry and Geography.
Gavin Morrison (Staff 88-92) came from Bulawayo to be Head of English. He coached tennis and lowly cricket and rugby teams to remarkably good effect and will be remembered for his inspired performance in a staff play mounted by GMG, which was boldly entered in the PHG house play competition! He went back to Bulawayo at the end of 1992 but was sadly murdered the following year, but not for any political reason.
Jean and George Morton (Staff 61-78) For 18 happy years George (now 85) was a key member of the Science Department and an inspirational athletics coach. Jean set up the Peterhouse Nursery School. They are thriving in retirement in Spalding, Lincolnshire. When they retired from Peterhouse in 1978 it was a case of “Leave your firearms in the mail room lobby!” before attending their farewell party in the staff common room. They immigrated to England and got stuck straightaway into rebuilding the family finances by working for 6 years as the cook and butler of a wealthy financier after which they were able to buy a mortgage-free house for their retirement. They occupy their time playing bridge and in a national competition were placed in the top 1000 pairs in the UK. Jean has taken up oil painting. George and Jean celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1988.cemorton@blueyonder.co.uk
Sam Moyo (Staff 03) who was Assistant Housemaster of Grinham, left abruptly in 2003 without giving the school the usual notice and we are not sure what he is doing now.
Fortune Mpozvori (Staff 01-12) taught Biology at Peterhouse Boys and coached cricket, and hockey and was actively involved in conservation. He succumbed to leukaemia and was in South Africa undergoing treatment when he passed away on 19 May, 2012. He leaves a huge gap at Peterhouse.
Terence Msuku (Staff 95-99) taught French, was an assistant housemaster in Grinham and coached hockey, cricket and basketball. Sadly, he left for the bright lights and is teaching at St John’s College in Harare.
The Munjomas remained stalwarts at PHG for many years. Elliot was Head of Science, V Form tutor and Sable House Proctor, while Shelley was the resident B & D Block Housemistress, she also taught science and maths. They have now retired and live on their small holding in the Rusape area.
Farai Munemo (M86) the 1986 Head Boy studied at Exeter College, Oxford and joined the staff in 2005 to teach English.
Duncan Mupesa (Staff 93) sadly died in January 1996.
Remy Mupfururirwa (Staff 92-00) who taught science and was a tutor in Tinokura, left at the end of 2000.
Trevor Mushiko (Staff 00 to present) joined Peterhouse after teaching French at Allan Wilson High School in Harare. Prior to that, he taught at Gifford High School and Townsend High School both in Bulawayo. Shortly after he joined Peterhouse Trevor was appointed Senior Master (Pupils). He has also been Head of the French Department and he continues to teach French up to A Level. Trevor has also coached cricket and rugby and is currently Master in Charge of Golf. Trevor majored in French and Mathematics at Hillside Teachers College in Bulawayo before completing his French studies at the Universite de Poitiers in France.
Philemon Muwodzeri (Staff 59-98) started working at Peterhouse in 1959 under Fred Snell, as a general hand. He then went on to work with the bus and part of the laundry staff. In 1980 he was promoted to Supervisor of Laundry and Housekeeping and continued in this position until his retirement to work on the family farm in Mudzi.
Keith and Nicky {Haskins} Nicholas (Staff 01) are in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia where Keith teaches music at a Catholic school. Their daughter Hannah, the first PHG staff baby, has a four-generation Peterhouse pedigree being Paul and Jo Brodsky’s great-granddaughter and Tommy and Ann {Brodzsky} Haskins granddaughter. It is rumoured that they will be moving to Bunbury, WA later in 2003.
Harriet Nel (Staff 90-04 and 09-) who left to become Head of History at St. John’s College, made a welcome return to the school to teach English in 2009. Harriet has now returned to teach at PHG, she is IC PHG Library as well as still teaching English and taking Bridge club.
Ken Nicholl (Staff 89-92) came from St George’s to take charge of Technical Drawing in the Art and Design Centre where he developed the popular Technical Graphics course. An enthusiastic sportsman, Ken played for the staff cricket and soccer teams and is fondly remembered for his huge colourful “germs” and decorative trees which featured in many school productions. Ken and Helen left for Watershed College, where Ken was in charge of Art and Technical Drawing. The family has moved back to Northern Ireland, where Ken’s accent will be more easily understood!
Shelley NICHOLLS (Staff 1996 – present) went to Hillside Teachers’ College, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Worked in Botswana from 1985 – 1995. Deputy Head and Grade 4 Teacher at Springvale House. Divorced. Two sons, Ryan (G06) married to Eleni Karasselos, and Sean (G09). ShelleyResides at Springvale House, Marondera.
George”Boff” Niven (Staff 82-95) claimed to have been a “flower child of the sixties “and his memorable guitar performance of “San Francisco” during the production of “One Hundred Years of Circumstance of Song” will forever be remembered. He was an exceptional English teacher, Housemaster of Founders and fanatical about his beloved cricket and soccer. George is the Director of Studies at Kingswood College, Grahamstown. When we last heard Penny was teaching in the Linguistics Department at Rhodes. William was doing Medicine at UCT. And Joe and Tiggy were at Kingswood. Address: 19a Constitution Street, Grahamstown, 6139.
Richard Norton (Staff 90-97) who was Head of Divinity, Assistant Housemaster of Malvern, in charge of Debating and High School Quiz returned to England to do a law course.
Chris Nyazika (Staff 02) was appointed Housemaster of Founders in 2002. He taught History and Divinity and was a very enthusiastic cricket coach, but sadly left to teach in England and further his cricket-umpiring career there. He is now teaching in Ethiopia.
Maree O’Mahoney (Staff 90) worked for many years at UZ as an administrator in the Engineering Department and now lives in Cork, Eire.
Denise Osborne – We are sad to report that Denise Osborne passed away on 11 August 2009. She will long be remembered for her expertise and wonderful achievements in music. She was Director of Music at Ruzawi from 1969-1993 then joined the staff to Peterhouse in 1994 as Music Secretary. In 1996 she moved to Springvale House. Her contribution to music in all the schools was enormous and she touched the lives of so very many of her pupils.
Bob Owtram (Staff 70-84) is one of only two members of staff to have been awarded an Honours Tie, the staff equivalent of the VC. This was for his tremendous contribution to the school as Bursar over 14 years when his skills were vital to the survival of the school during the “lean” years, 1977 to 1982. Bob and Ann left to manage the family estate in Lincolnshire, UK. They moved to South Africa and Bob was Bursar at Phuteng School and retired to Johannesburg. Gauteng Petreans were delighted when Bob and Ann revisited a very different era at Peterhouse when enrolments fell to a level not large enough to field a U13 rugby team and Grinham had only 18 boys in it. See Bob’s memories in Nostalgia. Bob was tragically shot and murdered by an intruder in his Johannesburg home on 23 May 2001. What a waste, Bob was a man who just gave and gave, and that to great effect.
Harry Pallett (Staff 58-68) who taught maths and literally launched numerous Petreans on careers in aviation through the Gliding Club worked for a number of years at Churchill and now lives in retirement in Johannesburg, although he seems to teach maths almost full time from home.
John (“JMP”) Paterson died in 2008 aged 88. He is fondly remembered as the Springvale School Headmaster and biology teacher across the road.
Arthur “Pat” Pattison (Staff 60-64) who spent five years at Peterhouse after his retirement from a distinguished career in the Government teaching service, culminating in the headmasterships of REPS and Plumtree, died in 1968.
Vic Paunganwa ( Staff 05 to present ) joined Peterhouse in 2005 to teach as a history teacher and Tutor in Ellis House. He was appointed Housemaster of Paget in 2006. He previously taught at Ruzawi School where he was Master in Charge of the Grade 7 boys. After his senior school years at Falcon College, Vic attained a Bachelor of Arts degree through UNISA. Vic teaches history and divinity and coaches’ triathlon in the summer terms and hockey in the winter term. Vic is married to Bindi and has four children, three boys and a girl. Their youngest, Daniel and Joshua, Nicole and Stuart. Vic left Peterhouse to teach at Lilfordia and then Falcon. He is now living and working in Harare.
Craig Peebles (P05 and Staff 12- ) joined the staff after graduating from the University of Pretoria. He is coaching rowing to great effect. Craig married Elana, they have a baby and are now residents in New Zealand.
Barry (“Percy”) and Roseanne Perciva l(Staff 91-96) were popular members of the Art Department. Percy ran the Christian Forum and Hockey with notable success and was Assistant Housemaster of Founders. Gosho Park flourished under his direction with new buildings and exciting additions to the animal population. He left to be Senior Master at Lendy Park School and succeed George Martin as its Headmaster. He immigrated to the UK in 2002.
Joe Porter (Staff 68-76) was tragically killed in a car accident on 30 June 1976 leaving a wife and young family. Prior to coming to Peterhouse Joe trained with the Society of Jesus. In the nine years he served the school Joe played an enormously active part in the coaching and organisation of games and displayed fantastic pastoral skills.
Arthur Postles (Staff 69-74) who was first associated with the school when it was being originally being built, taught carpentry in the ’70s for the five years prior to his retirement to Marondera.
Avril Pratt (Staff 87-02) a founder member of the PHG staff was responsible for the development of the Art School and gave much in other areas as a Tutor and House Proctor; as the founder chairperson of the SRC and as friend of all. She has retired with her husband Steve to live in France.
C T Priestley (Staff 65-70) came to Peterhouse after a distinguished career at Cheltenham, Sandhurst and in Hong Kong. We were fortunate to enjoy his perceptive mind, his gift for quietly winning the confidence of boys and his deep-seated love of hockey. He retired without fanfare in1970 and, after a spell in England and a successful hip operation, returned to Salisbury where he lived quietly in retirement writing until he died in 1974.
The Chaplain Rev George Punshon retired at the end of 2003 and returned to the UK.
Reg and Martha Querl (Staff 86-01) Reg was schooled at Guineafowl and graduated from Rhodes University with a BA and Graduate Certificate of Education. He was Head of the Geography and latterly the Sports Administrator and Preparatory Schools’ Liaison Officer and coached water polo, cricket, athletics and rugby and the successful 2000 Zimbabwe Craven Week XV. Reg was Housemaster of Paget for eleven years and the inspiration behind falconry in the school. Martha taught Geography and coached a range of sporting teams at PHG with notable success, in addition to being i/c Upper School Girls. Reg is Headmaster of Falcon College. Our loss is their very great gain. Reg and Martha now reside in Victoria Falls.
Bryan Rademeyer (Staff11) who taught Physical Education and was the live-in tutor in Tinokura left to get married and teach at Gateway.
Simon Raeside (Staff 04) an ATS Bursar holder from Rhodes taught English during 2004.
Hugh Ramsbotham (Staff 63-72) taught history with distinction and built up the Careers Department. He taught for for many years at Shrewsbury School, Shropshire but has now retired and is living in Wales, near the Beaumont (Audrey, not Oliver!) family. Hugh is in charge of the Old Salopian Society, which seems to involve him in a lot of travelling at the Old Boys’ expense (Petreans please copy!) The Petrean secretary visited Hugh & Juliet at their home in Wales in August 2001, not long before Hugh had a heart attack, which mercifully turned out to be not too serious, as far as we can gather.hughmr@tiscali.co.uk
The Raynor tribe – There have been three generation of Raynors at Peterhouse: Peter Raynor, who taught Latin in the ’60s and early ’70s, farmed near Marondera and sadly died in February 2003. His son Giles'(F74) Marondera tobacco farm was expropriated in 2002. His other son Humphrey (P70) still produces copious quantities of wine in Wedza. He was shot in the leg in an incident in Harare in July 2000, but has recovered. Peter’s older grandson Duncan was the 123 kg tight head prop of the 2000/01 Rugby XVs and played for Zim Schools. He went to Hartpury Agricultural College on a rugby scholarship and captained their U19 side in 2002. The second came to the senior school in 2001. His granddaughter Geraldine was the 2002 PHG Headgirl. raynor@ecoweb.co.zw
Bryony Rheam who was Head of English left at the end of 2004 and then taught at Girls College in Bulawayo after “spending time” at Ruzawi and Watershed. She and John Barrie teach at Simba and they have two daughters. Being on maternity leave in 2009 did not stopped her from publishing her first, epic novel about a family’s experience in Zimbabwe from the Second World War to the present day, This September Sun, published by ‘ama Books. It is available in shops in Bulawayo and Harare, or directly fromamabooksbyo@gmail.com..
Revd John Read (Staff 73-76) who introduced a quiet revolution in his four years as Chaplain with voluntary services and placing a greater emphasis on personal commitment, left to become the Chaplain at the University of Cape Town. He now lives in Potchefstroom, and works at the University there, having remarried some years ago.
Jim Redfern took over as Housemaster of Ellis in 2000 and continues to teach Management of Business. Jim, still married to Ellaine live in Borradaile Trust.
Harriet Rinashe (Staff 06 and 11 to present) returned in 2011 after a spell in South Africa to teach English. Harriet is the Housemistress of A Block, Elisabeth House.
Peter Roberts (Staff 90-01) who taught at Springvale House for 11 years, was last seen heading for England where he was intending to take a break from teaching.
Kathy Robertson (Staff 93-95) first taught English at Peterhouse for 6 years during the ’80s. She returned in 1993, while keeping up her UNISA studies for a degree in Clinical Psychology. Time was at a premium, but Kathy still managed to involve herself in out-of-class activities such as coaching tennis, drama, teaching guitar, staff plays, Choral Society and overseeing Chapel readers. She left to teach English and was Deputy Head at Watershed College until she left to live in Harare at the end of 2001as Headmistress of Heritage School. She made a welcome return as Senior Housemistress of PHG, exceptionally imaginative and inspiring English teacher and Head of Department, music teacher and in charge of the Junior Choir, running Allied Arts speech, drama and literary sections and heading the cultural activities before leaving for South Africa in 2006.
John Roe (Staff 64-66) was head of English at Cleethorpes’ Grammar School on leaving Peterhouse before moving to Adelaide, South Australia,
John Wade Roebuck (Bursar 84-88) lives north of Belfast. He underwent major heart surgery in 2003.oliver.roebuck@btinternet.com.
Kathy {Roselt} Harington (Staff 89-92) taught English and her acting skills were evident in several fine roles in school productions including Equusin the amphitheatre. She also took diving at Ruzawi and tennis and hockey. Kathy left to go on an extended world tour and was married to Hugh Harington (P80) in the school chapel in December 1997. They had a farm in the Victory Block near Harare, but wrote in April 2003: “We are now live near Coolum, South East Queensland renovating old houses. Our son Daniel was born in November last year. “hugh_kath@bigpond.com.
Peter Roselt (Staff 95-97) taught at Girls’ College, Bulawayo on leaving Peterhouse, but immigrated to New Zealand in 2000 to start a new life. He initially taught English as a foreign language at a school south of Auckland but has branched out working for Train Smart a private training establishment.
Francis Rosier (Staff 94-95) came to Peterhouse via Gifford Technical Teachers’ Training College, Hallingbury School, a stint in farming and five years’ teaching at Ruzawi. He left to become headmaster of Lilfordia. He now lives in Sevenoaks, Kent frozz1@hotmail.com
Sister Joan Sandall SRN (Staff 84-96) A Petrean parent, Joan not only ran the San with some style for over a decade but also the Garden Committee; and that through a number of drought years. While ever quick to spot the malingerer, Joan inspired confidence in boys and parents alike. She was a hard act to follow. Joan’s husband Roger was the Estate Manager in the early ’80s and they retired to Marondera. Roger died in 2000, but Joan continued to be involved in the organisation and running of the school gardens and nursery. She had moved to Harare in 2011 after leaving Marondera district after 30 years. js@zol.co.zw .
Simon and Michelle Scott-Elliot (Staff 03 – 11) taught at Hillcrest but spent 2002 in England and New Zealand. Simon taught History and English, and was a Hockey and Cricket Coach while Michelle taught Geography and science subjects. Simon took over as Housemaster of Snell in 2006. Simon has been appointed Deputy Headmaster of Ruzawi from 2012 but Michelle stayed on to teach in the Science Department. Michelle was the Director of Studies at Peterhouse Girls, and has now been appointed for the first time ever as the Director of Academic Advancement for the Group of Schools.
Julianne Seaman (PHG96 and Staff12 to present) graduated with a BA in French and Tourism from Oxford Brookes University. She worked in Victoria Falls and Harare co-ordinating a cruise boat on the Zambezi then moved in 2004 to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. She came back to teach French and Travel and Tourism in 2011. Julianne left the Group in 2016
Godfrey Sellers (Staff 56-57) the first Director of Music, retired as Director of Music at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, UK in 1979 to become a lecturer in music at Nottingham University.
Pippa Sex (Staff 97-99) who was Head of Geography, a house tutor and coached various sports is now teaching at Queenswood School, Hatfield, Herts.
David “Thumby” Shaw (Staff 74 – 05) who was Director of Studies and a gifted physics and electronics teacher is now at Kingswood in Grahamstown.
Marionelle Shaw (Staff11 to present) joined us from teaching history in South Africa and to teach History. She is a key member of our sports department and Christian Fellowship.
Andrew (E87) and Sarah Shoesmith nee Lewis (S90) are both loyal Petreans! Andrew and Sarah returned to teach at Peterhouse in 2008. Sarah a passionate an animated teacher of sciences, Sarah also takes annual expeditions to very exciting places including 24 pupils to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro in 2011 and then 24 pupils to the base camp of Mt Everest, Nepal in 2014 as well as Batoko Gorge White Water Rafting and sailing across Kariba. Sarah is now the Director of Extra Curricular Activities for Peterhouse and the coordinator of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. She will take over as the Director of the Infinity Programme when Andrew departs. Andrew took over as housemaster of Tinokura in 2012, (thereby enabling him to join Sarah’s amazing Expeditions) and was later promoted to become the first formally appointed Deputy Headmaster of Peterhouse Boys in 2016; Andrew also ran and initiated the Infinity Programme at Peterhouse. He will be moving on to run Outward Bound Zimbabwe from January 2018. Sarah and Andrew left Zimbabwe at the end of 2020 to start a career in the UK at Culford School. They have 3 children Cullen, Ben and Genevieve.
Kate Sigsworth (Staff 04 -05) taught Secretarial Practice and established Tourism and Travel as an ‘A’ level subject. She was reported in 2007 to be married to Adam Burgess.
Audrey Simpson (Staff 61-74) who ran the accounts and the Peterhouse Provident Fund with great dedication and efficiency for 13 years, died in Marondera in 1980.
Grant Sinclair (P84-04) after teaching at St George’s and a spell in business, has taught on the Peterhouse staff for years along with his wife Kate, whose acclaimed musical productions have included Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Songs from the Shows. He took over as Housemaster of Malvern in 2000 but sadly left at the end of 2004 for New Zealand. They live in Blenheim.
Sandy Singleton (Staff 64-83) Peterhouse was privileged to have Sandy Singleton both in the class room, as careers master and as its cricket coach for the 20 years to his retirement in 1983 and is is with great sadness that we record his death in March 1999. Sandy was all round cricketer of immense talent and a shrewd and charismatic leader, captaining Shrewsbury, Oxford University, Worcester and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) in a wonderful career. Sandy was involved in a broad range of activities at the school and is pictured in action at the Engineering Club. He spent his retirement in Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia following the cricket on TV and telling everyone how the “pyjama game” had spoilt the finer points of real Test Cricket, until he was cruelly been afflicted with Alzheimer’s. Sandy’s was a lifetime of great achievement, which he never flaunted as most men would have. In his years at Peterhouse he had a profound influence on many boys and was instrumental in establishing the school’s sporting tradition and sense of competitive fair play. See the obituary from “The Daily Telegraph” and a tribute to Sandy in the Nostalgia Page.
Polly Singleton (Staff 64-83) who celebrated her 80th birthday in 1996 by doing a tandem parachute jump for reasons best known to herself, lived in retirement in Wagga Wagga surrounded by her family and painting. She sadly died of liver cancer in October 2001. wjsingleton@ozemail.com.au
Lesley Smith (Staff 91-93) who taught piano and violin to members of all three schools and ran the orchestra, was last sighted heading for that well-known employer of ex-Peterhouse staff, the International School in Bophuthatswana.
Fred and Margaret Snell (Staff 54-67) had an active retirement, latterly at Borradaile Trust in Marondera. Fred died in May 1991 – see the tribute to him in Nostalgia. In his retirement he was involved with Bernard Mizeki College and the Shrine and active in Anglican Church affairs and they continued to use Giant’s Castle during the War years. Margaret, who was a graduate of Somerville College, Oxford taught Biology and other subjects at Peterhouse, died in 1995.
Tongayi Songore was Deputy Housemaster of Snell, Head of History and runs the basketball to great effect. Sadly Tongayi passed away in 2019.
Billy St John Billy joined the group of schools in 2008 as the director of music, Billy has produced fantastic musicals namely AIDA and Sister Act the musical. Saldy Billy leaves us in October of 2018 to further his studies in his Masters in Music – Australia. billyjames85@gmail.com
Catherine “Cabby” Stirling (PHG02 -present) is the PHG Head of Music. She is a talented violinist and has quickly become immersed in the musical life of the three schools.
Canon Anthony Stidolph (Staff 2010 – present) is the Chaplain.
Sam Stoyle (Staff 60-62) who taught French at Peterhouse and was a most fantastic jazz pianist, went on to be Headmaster of the International School, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Robert and Chris Strawson (Staff 88) Robert is Head of the Physics Department at Abingdon School, and Chris is teaching at King Alfred’s School, Wantage.robert.strawson@abingdon.org.uk.
Val Sutherland (Staff 80-81) ran the laundry for some years. She was very much into the occult or super-natural world. Just as the beautifully ironed laundry was always whiter that white, on occasions her staff certainly were!
Catherine Swanepoel (Staff 02-03) started her teaching career at PHG and hardly paused for breath! She was a great asset to the Science Department and coached tennis, hockey and athletics with success and dedication. She was last sighted heading overseas to travel for a year.
Revd Robert “Baba” Tandi (Staff 84-95) came from Bernard Mizeki College to head the Shona Department, teach Divinity and be the assistant Chaplain with special responsibilities for the village chapels. Baba took charge of the night school, which helped school workers study for public exams and ran Kukura Neshungu. He returned to full-time ministry as the Rector of Mufakose Parish in 1995 but came to back teach Shona and as Assistant Chaplain until his retirement in 2002. He is especially remembered for his excellent work in our villages.
Sarah Taylor (Staff 11 to present) came from the University of Cape Town to teach Geography.
Tenson Tinofirei (Staff 95-02) came to Peterhouse from Goromonzi High. Tinos co-ordinated the teaching of A Level Science in Mashonaland East and was a National Chief Examiner of Physics. He was Head of Physics and house tutor in Snell and now teaches at a comprehensive school in Bedford, UK. His sense of humour is much missed.
Jon and Gwyneth Trafford (Staff 85-91) have three daughters. Jon coached 1st XV and Zimbabwe Schools rugby and Gwyneth was in the accounts department. They moved to The International School of South Africa, Mafikeng for four years, where Jon was the Housemaster of a co-ed house. In 1996 they moved to Michaelhouse, where Jon was appointed Head of Geography, then Housemaster of Farfield and in 1999 1st XV rugby coach. Gwyneth ran a small, but successful, bookkeeping/accounting company for farmers in the Nottingham Road area. In 2004 Jon was appointed Headmaster of Chester house, a new school in Durbanville, Western Province.
Jon and Gwyneth returned to Peterhouse in January 2020, just in time to take over the reins and lead the school as Rector through the treacherous COVID era. Not an easy nor pleasant time.
Corrado Trinci (Staff 87-92) is the leading conductor in Zimbabwe. He arrived in 1987 from St George’s to teach English and History. Out of school the conductor of the Harare Sinfonietta Orchestra, Corrado made an immediate impact by starting up a school orchestra, something which had been sadly lacking. He also taught the violin and in 1991 became Director of Music, a post he filled with distinction. Corrado went back to St George’s, but is now Headmaster at Hellenic School, though still very involved in music. Corrado is currently the Head Master at St Johns College in Harare (2018)
Revd Ivan ‘Turkey’ Turkington (Staff 59-63) was Assistant Chaplain before going to Geelong Grammar School in Australia. He then became Chaplain of Glenalmond in Scotland and the Vicar of Beckingham in South Yorkshire. Ivan died there in 1991 and left his entire estate to Peterhouse, including his books and huge record collection. His ashes are laid to rest in the graveyard at Peterhouse, where he “spent the happiest years of his working life.”
Marie van Aarde retired in 2003 to Borradaile Trust after 12 years as PHG Housekeeper.
Brian van den Berg (Staff 95-98) who taught a wide variety of subjects, coached athletics and cross country and was an enthusiastic cyclist left at the end of 1998.
Barbara van Heerden (Staff 99 – 04) who was Head of Geography, sadly passed away of Cancer in 2021.
Sue van Heerden (Staff 99-00) arrived fresh from Rhodes and taught English for two years, was the live-in house tutor at Tinokura and coached hockey and tennis. She headed for England where she was working as a supply teacher when we last heard. Sue returned to teach at her beloved Peterhouse, before also passing away suddenly from Cancer in 2018.
John Vahey (Staff 71-73) who ran the First XI hockey with great success losing only five games in his three seasons, left for a teaching position at Ruzawi and is now, we believe, at Kingswood in Grahamstown.
A Petrean, Derick Vincent (P87 and Staff 92-94) distinguished himself at the school by achieving four As at A Level. After gaining a BSc at Pietermaritzburg University, Derick returned to teaching maths and physics and as House Tutor of Grinham. Rowing flourished under his charge and he organised two successful rowing tours. The Christian Forum grew in numbers and maturity under his oversight, despite his guitar playing! He was also involved in rock climbing and in Gosho Park of which he had been a founding member as a student. Derick left to go into full time Christian work with Zambezi Ministries.
Ian Walker (Staff 69-78) who was instrumental in introducing Nuffield Physics to Peterhouse was last seen heading for a new life in New Zealand.
Scott Walraven (2016-Present): Scott joined the Peterhouse Group after completing a BA in History and Politics and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education in 2016 at Rhodes University. He is a Petrean after 6 years at Peterhouse Boys from 2006 to 2011. Was an In-House Tutor of Paget House as well as a History teacher and rowing coach. His wife Stephanie teaches at Springvale House, they have a young son named Alec who was born in 2018. Scott is now the Housemaster of Snell
David Walsh (Staff) moved to Mafikeng and The International School of South Africa, but left in 1995 to teach in Syria. He returned to Zimbabwe and now teaches History at St George’s.
Simon Walsh (Staff 97-98) arrived fresh from Rhodes University and will be remembered for his enthusiasm and involvement in many aspects of school life including rowing in the staff crew, coaching basketball at PGH with notable success, starting an astronomy club and getting his physics class to polish a mirror which is now mounted on an orbiting satellite. He is back teaching at his old school, St John’s. The catering staff are still relieved he’s gone, what an appetite! The rest of us would welcome him back.
Hywell Waters (Staff 00-01) was last sighted working as a freelance photographer in England.hywellwaters@hotmail.com
Phil “Pug” Ward (Staff 68 – 2015) The 2001 Lent Term was Pug’s 100th term of teaching at Peterhouse. The event was celebrated by a dinner in the Hall. He joined the staff in 1968 and has been here ever since having taught mathematics, been Housemaster of Ellis, run the Squash and Soccer and more recently, has been Senior Master, a position he relinquished at the end of 2001, PEW, Retired from teaching at Peterhouse Boys in December 2015, he is currently residing at Borridaile Trust with his wife Gerry and trusty companion ‘Shadow’. PEW UPDATED 2017 pew@peterhouse.co.zw
John Wearmouth (Staff 89) was the Director of Music at a prep school in England when we last heard. Who can forget his choir’s performance of Carmina Burana at the girls’ school, when he struck Debbie Strong with his baton, because she wasn’t paying attention?
Shamiso Whitcomb (PHG03 and Staff 12 – present) teaches science, flute and oboe. She studied at Roosevelt Academy, Middelburg, and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
Ant Webb-Martin (Staff 92) left the SVH staff to become Headmaster of Bishopslea in Harare. He now runs the IT department of a prep school in Surrey, UK. Having left Bishopslea in September 2001.
Tony Wilde (Staff 89-04) left for Harare after 15 years running the Estates and Maintenance Departments.
Dr N A F “Bob” Williams – It is with great sadness that we reported the death in July 2002 of Dr N A F “Bob” Williams, father of Michael (M63) and Chris (M68), Patron of the school and former Chairman of the Board of Governors, who was vitally involved in the foundation of the school, the “lean years” of the late ’70s, the acquisition of the Springvale campus and all the marvellous developments that have followed from that. Visit his Reflections on 40 Years at Peterhouse. His wife Marize Williams, died of of a heart attack in Florida over Christmas 1998, while on holiday with her family. She was a keen supporter of the school over many years and a renowned teacher in Harare.
Father Derek Williams (Staff 91-93) of the white cassock and red beard first went to South Africa as a missionary of the Order of the Community of the Resurrection (Mirfield) and transferred to St Augustine’s, Penhalonga. When the CRs returned to the UK, Father Derek elected to remain in Zimbabwe and return to parish ministry. He brought a depth and breadth of educational, cultural and spiritual experience to his duties in the physics labs, the Divinity and Shona Departments and as a Malvern House tutor. Always a somewhat controversial figure with both staff and students, Derek attempted to show us the way towards a balanced spirituality, seeing the power and presence of God in reason as well as sacrament. He left to enter semi-retirement at the Eastern Highlands Trust and to be Priest-in-Charge of the Anglican Church in Chimanimani and died in Mutare in 2001.
The Wood family. Paul (P70) hitched to Istanbul from the UK on his way to Australia where he farmed in Tasmania before enrolling at Ridley College, Melbourne University as a “mature age” theology student. He is married with three children and is the Vicar of Point Lonsdale in Victoria. Austin sadly died in 1984 when he was working at Grasslands Research Centre, and David is a teacher in Bath, UK and has five children. Their mother died in 1994 after a long battle with Altzheimer’s and their father “Sam” went on to be the Bishop of Matabeleland, assistant Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of Ludlow before retiring in Tenby, Pembroke. He lives near Felicity in Cardiff where he still preaches at Llandaff Cathedral. Felicity is married to the Secretary to the Trade Unions in Wales. Cecelia is married to a Frenchman and lives in St Germain-en-Laye just outside Paris.
George (Staff 02-04) and Frances Yiend (Staff 02-05) joined us from Hillcrest in Mutare, where they were founding members of the staff. Frances was Director of Music and George taught English. George retired to England to earn his living as an artist and was followed by Frances a couple of terms later.
Connie Zaayman (Staff 96-03 and 05 – present) feminist, loner, tree lover and owner of vintage cars, who came to Peterhouse from Chisipite was an outstanding teacher and Head of English . She bought a house near Penhalonga and was teaching at Hillcrest, near Mutare, but happily returned to Peterhouse in 2005 to teach A Level English. Connie passed away in her home at Peterhouse in 2020, she is buried in the Peterhouse Cemetery.
Luckymore Zinyama (P84) left the school to go into business in 1999. He had been in charge of the Business Department, ran the soccer and was a house tutor. He is involved in the promotion of tourism – a difficult job at this time.
Polly Anderson – The Andersons (Staff 83-93) Ken was an extremely effective Chaplain, who has made a lasting impression on many Petreans. Polly played a vital part in the early years of SVH, where she was the all-seeing, all doing Secretary and the friend of all. The role she performed was unique. It is difficult to explain just how pervasive her warm personality was throughout the school. Her pithy contributions to a number of Magazines explain much about the subsequent success of the school and the joy and Ken Anderson’s sense of humour that the founding staff brought to the task. They live in Durham, England where Ken is attached to the University as a Counsellor and Polly is secretary of Durham Cathedral Choir School. polly.anderson@choristers.durham.sch.uk.
Dorthe Andersen-Mabira (Staff 96-03) was a member of the PHG Science Department for 8 years and taught guitar, volleyball and the skills of debating. She went to Denmark for medical treatment, where she is teaching at a school and lives with her husband and two sons.
Dr Hamish Allen served as the school’s medical officer from the day Peterhouse opened until he died in 1974.
Edson Banda (Staff 05 – present) Prior to his appointment at Peterhouse, Edson spent several years in Public and Private Schools both in and out of the country. He has worked at Luanshya School for Continuing Education (Zambia) as Head of Department for Secretarial and Administrative Studies; Fletcher and Chaplin High Schools in Gweru where he was a Housemaster and commercial studies teacher; Eaglesvale School in Harare; and Watershed College in Marondera where he was a Deputy Head, Housemaster, Director of Agriculture and teacher of business studies and accounting. Edson is Master in Charge of hockey at Peterhouse and has several years of experience in coaching hockey at school, provincial and national levels and has travelled to the USA on several occasions to attend one of the biggest hockey festivals in America. He currently coaches the U16A team. Edson coaches golf and he also coaches basketball at provincial, 1st Team and U16 levels. Edson has also coached the Peterhouse Girls 1st Team hockey for the last 5 years, during which time they lifted the prestigious Golden Girls trophy on two occasions. Edson is married to Tendai, who is Senior Mistress at Watershed College. They have seven children, four of whom are grown up and working, two girls are in Universities in Cyprus and Zambia and their youngest, Chikondi, is currently in 5th Form at Peterhouse Boys. UPDATE 2018 –
Tendai Banda has since left Watershed College and has joined Edson in Paget as the House Matron.
Kevan Barbour (Staff) is an ex-International Cricket Umpire and has been fortunate to travel extensively with the International Cricket Umpires’ Panel umpiring and has been Housemaster of Grinham since 2008.
Ryan and Heidi Barbour (Staff 03 – 11) Ryan was Housemaster of Malvern. They left to take up positions at St John’s Preparatory and Chisipite Senior School at the end of 2011. UPDATE 2018 Heidi has left Chisipite and is teaching at St John’s Prep.
John “Pussyfoot” Barratt (Staff 58-78) nicknamed “Pussyfoot” because of his quite unique walking style, was on the music staff at PHB and Springvale for many years. Prior to that he taught at Eastbourne College (where Fred Snell had previously been a Housemaster) from 1950 to 1957. In 1978 he retired from teaching and took up the post of choir-master at the Cathedral of St Mary and All Saints in Harare. There he annually took choristers to summer schools in South Africa run by the Royal School of Church Music. In 1981 he married a long-standing friend, Unity, and they returned to the UK to settle in Wells, Somerset. John maintained his interest in choral music with the Bristol Bach Choir and subsequently the Wells Cathedral Voluntary Choir. John died on 13 August 2001 aged 80.
John Barrie in addition to being the Head of Design and teaching leatherwork performed another vital role; being in charge of the Commonroom bar. He took over from Roy Currie as Housemaster of Grinham in 2002. He and Bryony Rheam are both teaching at Simba in Zambia and their second daughter was born in February 2009. UPDATE 2018 – John and Bryony are now married and living in Bulawayo where John runs a B & B and Bryony is teaching at Girls’ College. She has just had her second book published and the first one is a setwork for ZIMSEC exams.
Suzanne Barrington (Staff 01-02) who was Head of Science, Snell House Tutor and taught biology, left Peterhouse to join the staff at Shrewsbury School (UK) but is now rumouredMr Mike Bawden to be teaching at Charterhouse. scb@charterhouse.org.uk
Mike Bawden (Staff 94-01) the fourth Rector has returned to England and is the Secretary of the Walton Heath Golf Club, one of the leading clubs in the country. mbawden@whgc.co.uk
Peter and Jackie Bayes. (Staff 93-00) retired to Mutare. In 1993 Peter managed the maintenance department, and Jackie was housekeeper. They left to go and work at St John’s in 1995, but were soon back when Peter was appointed Assistant Bursar Works. Peter still sails his Rambler on Odzani, a beautiful dam just north of Penhalonga. Finding the economic situation rather tough, Peter embarked on a new career, teaching Technical Drawing at Hillcrest College, near Mutare.
Ken Bedwell (Staff 72-74) was last seen heading for King’s College, Auckland.
Dorrit [Bekker] MacLeod (Staff 69-85) School caterers are normally birds of passage but Dorrit { Bekker } MacLeod (Staff 69-85) was an institution at Peterhouse for many years. Her teas at sports events will not quickly be forgotten: chocolate cakes, cream buns, bacon rolls – you name it. How lucky generations of Petreans were that she was there, never quietly (she seemed to suffer from “selective” deafness!) but always efficiently, providing everyone with fantastic meals. In 1968 Winnie Wilkins, one of the three cook matrons fell in the fridge and was unable to carry on working. Contact was made with a Mrs Dorrit Bekker who had been the cook matron at a school in Kenya was living in Chipinge with her husband Peter. Would she like to come and work at Peterhouse? “Definitely not!” was the characteristic response. As luck would have it they were buying a property, Clatteringshaws, near the school and the Bursar John Beaumont persuaded her to join the staff on a temporary basis for three weeks. She left 24 years later! For most of that time she ran the kitchen on her own – “No one else would work with me” – and Dorrit produced over 7 million meals during her tenure. She was awarded the Honours Tie – the Staff equivalent of the VC – “For faithful service to the School over many years; for care and concern on occasions great and small, and for people great and small; for triumphing so often over so many difficulties, and adapting to the many and varied changed circumstances. For undertaking what is perhaps the most difficult and thankless job in any school an Honours Tie is awarded to Mrs Dorritt Bekker”.
John Bell (Staff 96-00) is director of rowing at Durham School, UK. He and Sue are greatly missed. John, who was previously a headmaster in Botswana, ran IT, taught physics and maths, restarted rowing with great effect, President of the Common Room and very active musically, playing the double bass in the Jazz Band and orchestra. He made a significant impact running leadership courses for senior students and had a wise, experienced and popular presence around the campus. jebseb@btinternet.com
Andrew Bentley (Staff 97-00) who in his time as Director of Music raised the Choir to new heights, left to become the Director of Music at St Paul’s, Rondebosch. They then intended to move to the UK in 2002 where Judy had been offered a position in the pharmaceutical industry. However, as Andrew wrote in 2003: “We never made it to the UK. Cape Town was far too fine to leave. I sold property for a year before deciding to re-opt for a life of poverty teaching and making music. I now teach at St Joseph’s College in Cape Town, am Director of Music of the UCT-Affiliated St Paul’s Church and this year took over directorship the UCT Choir. I hope to continue to see lots of Petreans joining the UCT Choir in years to come.” Andrew is a versatile musician and he played the trumpet and french horn in the school orchestra whenever he had the opportunity to do so. Judy assisted in the school shop.bentley@xsinet.co.za
Penny { Bond } Bennett (Staff 89-98) taught English and ran the library for 10 years, making it an oasis of peace and calm, was a tutor in Paget and coached tennis, basketball and swimming at PGH. Her basketball tours were thoroughly enjoyed by all concerned. The campus hasn’t been the same without Penny on her bike with Jock and Gypsy running behind her. Petreans from that era remember her profound sadness when two of the beautiful trees in the Library Quad were felled too soon for her to prevent it. She was the librarian at Hillcrest College and lives at Drifters near Mutare, where the Bayes also live.
A E (“Uncle Ben”) Benzies (Staff 75 – 82) who was the Peterhouse accountant for seven years died after a short illness in 1982, at the age of 66. He was a delightful gentleman in every sense of the word. A E (‘Ben’) Benzies (Staff 75 – 82) UPDATE 2018 – She returned to Canada some years ago.
Ges Bester took up the position of Bursar in 2006 and left in 2007.
Mabel (nee McGuire) Bettin (Staff 02 – 04) taught aerobics and dancing for 10 years at PHG and then joined the staff full time to teach in the Commercial / IT Department. She now lives on the Sunshine Coast in Australia anmabel@poolfab.com.au
James Bowles (Staff 96-98) who had the biological girls, and most of the boys, eating out of his hand, was the Assistant Housemaster of Tinokura and brought great passion and zeal to his coaching of cricket. In 2003 he married Jo Cowan, a Chisipite girl, whom he met in London. He wrote in 2011: “Jo and I moved to Sydney in 2008. I am working at The Scots College where I am a Housemaster and Head of Biology.”
Howard Blackett (Staff 13 – 19) a geographer, is the sixth Rector. Howard was a gap year student at Ruzawi, played rugby regularly for Marondera and represented the country at U20 level. He is a graduate of Christ Church, Oxford and has an MBA in Educational Leadership. After a short spell in the Royal Navy as a Seaman Officer (serving on the Assault Ship HMS Fearless and the Aircraft Carrier HMS Illustrious), he returned to the world of education and to a series of teaching posts, notably Marlborough College. In 1997 he was appointed Headmaster of Dover College in Kent and in 2004 he moved as Headmaster to The Royal Hospital School, Ipswich, a co-educational boarding and day school of 700 pupils. Howard and Susie are both keen sportspeople. Howard played both hockey and rugby for Oxford and Susie played first class hockey. Returned to the UK with his wife Susie in December 2019.
Chris Blake (Staff 91) is the Manager of Information Services at Pembroke School, Adelaide, South Australia, where he is responsible for a network of 650 PCs. He created the Crown and other gifs that are used in this web page and has helped with some of the other graphics.- thank you very much indeed His wife Linda Blake (Staff) taught French at PHG 1988 – 90. Contact them both on cblake@pembroke.sa.edu.au
Dr John Bradshaw (G78) and Staff 10 to present) has been the Headmaster at Peterhouse Girls since January 2010. Prior to that, he was the Headmaster at Watershed College from April 2003. John was at was educated at Springvale School and Peterhouse (G78) and won the Petrean Prize for athletics. Following national service he enrolled at Rhodes University in 1981, and graduated with an MSc in Computer Science in 1986. He has a love of classical music and to this end he also obtained a Certificate in Choral Work and sang in the Rhodes University Chamber Choir for 5 years. He continued his training as a university academic, obtaining a PhD from the Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge in 1991, specialising in understanding the challenges of qualitative reasoning in a digital environment. Whilst at Cambridge he rowed for his college Caius. In 1992 Dr Bradshaw took up a lecturing position at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, where he taught a variety of topics to Science and Engineering students up to Masters Level. Whilst at Wits he was also the founder Warden of David Webster Hall, a residence for 220 men and women. Dr Bradshaw was brought up on a farm in Marondera and it was always his intention to return to that environment. So, in 1996 he joined his father with a view to taking over the family farm. He farmed full time up until 2002, whilst lecturing part time in the Computer Science Department at the University of Zimbabwe. He was invited to join the Watershed College board in 2001. Having been evicted from the family farm in 2002, and following the unexpected departure of the Headmaster in March 2003 he was asked to assist Watershed by taking on the Headmastership. As an undergraduate he studied a mixture of Business and Science subjects, majoring in Cost and Management Accounting and Computer Science. This combination of subjects, together with his teaching experience and running the family enterprise, provided a surprisingly good training for the challenges of running a school.In 1979 he was injured by a booby trapped land mine which he was defusing, and as a consequence he is now totally blind.
The Brodzsky family (Staff 62 Paul (“Polly”) (Staff 62-78) who taught French at the school and Eagle for many years and his wife Jo who taught piano and took a very active part in the musical life of the school, both sadly died some years ago in Fishhoek. For a fuller tribute see Nostalgia Their five daughters: Panna (Ann) Haskins worked at Peterhouse for many years but now lives in Britain, Nikki Waller, who has three Petrean sons and is a grandmother, is a school teacher in Venda, Paula Chisholm lives in Cape Town, Cecelia Temlett has three children and been teaching music and drama at Chisipite for over 15 years and Kit Dock lives in Port Elizabeth. Hannah Nicholas, the first PHG staff baby arrived in January 1999 daughter of Nicky { Haskins} and Keith Nicholas, who was the music master at PHG and is now teaching in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Hannah has a four-generation Peterhouse pedigree Paul’s great-granddaughter and Tommy Haskins’s granddaughter. Contact them via Nikki’s son Mike Waller (G84) the General Manager of Cybele Forest Lodge. Mike Waller cybele@iafrica.com
Tony Brooker (Staff 64-70) transformed hockey at Peterhouse in the ’60s, played it for Rhodesia and was at the forefront of the introduction of the Nuffield Science revolution. Tony was the headmaster of Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, Western Australia south of Perth for 15 years after a stint at Melbourne Grammar and teaching in UK. He was then the founding headmaster of Geraldton Grammar School, Western Australia, but is now retired and still living in Geraldton. jabrooker@wn.com.au
Rodney Brooker (Staff 95-11) joined the Peterhouse staff on his retirement from the Headship of Ruzawi School in 1995 and was involved in junior teaching and sport for 15 years. arh.brooker@gmail.com
Paul Brous (M94) studied at Rhodes University and taught at Springvale House while working off his CHISZ Bursary obligations. He moved to Holland in 2003, where he is reported to be coaching cricket.
David Bruno (Staff 64-70) who was the Assistant Chaplain, House Tutor in Grinham, the leader of successful expeditions to Mlanje and ran squash with great effect, was Dean of St George’s Cathedral, Windhoek in the ’80s. He married in 1991 and was the Rector of Falkirk in Scotland when we last heard from him.
Romey Buchheit (Staff 01) who was a Tinokura House Tutor and taught English, left for England in 2001. She lives in Marlborough, Wiltshire, and owns a ceramic painting studio, Crackpot Ceramics.
Sue { Buckland } Davies and Paul ‘Fossil’ Davies were married in the PHG Chapel on 9 December 2000. Sue is Senior Mistress, Housemistress of Williams House and VI Form Tutor. Sue retired from teaching at Peterhouse in 2016 and is currently residing in Cape Town together with Paul. Sue was awarded the Honours Tie in 2016 for her many years of service to Peterhouse.
Adam Burgess who was Art teacher and Housemaster of Paget is currently teaching at Kenton College, Kenya. He is married Kate Sigsworth and they have a daughter.
Rob Burrett (Staff 99-00) who was Head of the Geography Department, a House Tutor in Founders and heavily involved in Gosho Park left at the end of 2000. UPDATED 2018 Rob now runs a general consultancy company for environmental, historical and environmental work and is an associate researcher for National Museums and Monuments.
Anne Butterworth (Staff 63-80) reigned supreme as the housekeeper and in the laundry for 18 years. She will be fondly remembered by Petreans of that era for the ever-present war between her and Pete Ginn, whom she accused (“quite unjustly” according to Pete!) of shooting her sparrows in the laundry yard. The number of birds that her 14 cats must have killed was never acknowledged.
Jon Calderwood (Staff 85-12) studied Physical Education at Rhodes University before teaching at Hartmann House, the St George’s Junior School in Harare. He was the founding Headmaster of Springvale House in 1985 and succeeded Mike Hammond as the second headmaster of Peterhouse Girls in 1993 before being appointed the Rector of the Group of Schools in 2002. Jon retired from Peterhouse in December 2012 before later agreeing to take on the Headship of Hartmann House in September 2013.
Iain Campbell (Staff 58-61) who played cricket for the MCC, was a quite remarkable sportsman, sufficiently so for the boys to believe that he was asked to play cricket and hockey for England on the same day! He retired after 14 years as Headmaster of King’s College, Auckland, New Zealand where he made a very considerable impact. Iain was Headmaster of St Stephen’s, Mbalabala from 1968 to 1973.
John Carter sadly died on 13 May 2003 in Pietermaritzburg. John was a fine man, who chaired EXCO over many years and the new Science Block is named the John Carter Science Block in his honour. He had three sons at the school and was a businessman of note, being Chairman of Delta Corporation (Breweries, Sun Hotels etc) and Barclays Bank, Zimbabwe. His contribution to Peterhouse over many years was as outstanding as it was selfless.
Guy Cary – A Petrean, the hyperactive Guy Cary (G66 and Staff 84-01) served, led and taught with distinction at the school for 17 years where he ran Interact, Toastmasters, Kukuru Neshungu, the Chapel Choir, played the organ and enthusiatically led many expeditions to Chimanimani and Nyanga. All this was as well as being Director of Drama, a mould breaking Housemaster of Tinokura, and an extremely amusing, selfless and inspirational driving force behind the cultural, dramatic and musical activities of the school. Guy was rumourd to be running the Pine Tree Inn in Nyanga in 2013. UPDATED 2018 Guy No longer running Pine Tree Inn but still lives in Nyanga and visits occasionally.
Prince Chavunduka is Assistant Housemaster in Malvern and teaches Business Studies
Susan Chavunduka sadly passed away in 2007 after a short illness. Mrs Chavunduka taught Shona to Springvale House pupils from the school’s re-openning. Susan`s husband – Patrick – has been the Headmaster of St Francis school since just after Independence. The Chavundukas own Empoyeni Farm, between the Mutare Rd – opposite ZAMA ZAMA – and Arizona Farm. Their entrance is on Peterhouse Road.
Tony Cheetham (Staff 56-59) the founding Housemaster of Ellis, who went on to be headmaster of Whitestones and then St. Anne’s, died some years ago.
Linda Chida (Staff 96-98) is in the UK.
Godfrey Chinyama (Staff 88-96) did his A levels in Ghana under a UN scholarship and studied economics at the University of Cape Coast until a military coup d’etat by led to him transferring to UZ. Armed with a BSc, Godfrey worked for the Ministry of Finance as a Senior Statistician before moving to RAL Merchant Bank (now FMB) as their Economist. From 1988 until his death after a short illness in March 1996, Godfrey was Head of the Business Management Department and was in charge of table tennis and tutored in Snell. Godfrey was an author of note writing a best seller An Examination Passbook for A Level Economics, his Economics without Tears was in manuscript form at his death and he had been chosen by the Longman Group to write an economics textbook for the SADC region.
Gordon Clinch (Staff 58-61) who is remembered for the scout troop he started at the school, lived in the UK and died in July 2003 aged 90. The Magazine recorded that “Mr Clinch returned to England after three years of selfless service, during which his car must have carried more boys than it travelled miles”.
John and Bridget Coates (Staff 62-92) initially retired to Borradaile Trust in Marondera. John was a swimming blue at Oxford and came to Peterhouse after working for the British Colonial Service in Nyasaland (Malawi.) Older Petreans will sympathise with his initial impressions of the school on being appointed to run swimming, but he still stayed for 30 years: “The pool was untiled, there were no lanes marked on the bottom and the concrete was covered in green slime. There was a huge msasa overhanging the shallow end and periodically it shed its leaves into the water. There were diving boards at the deep end, one, two and three yards – not metres- high, and the water was far too shallow for the top board.” He was head of the Classics Department, Housemaster of Founders and edited the magazine for 20 years. John had a triple heart bypass operation in South Africa in 2000 after a couple of heart attacks and has made a good recovery. He died peacefully on 27 October 2007 in England of an inoperable brain tumour that had attacked his word recognition and speech centre. He found this extremely frustrating, but characteristically kept on trying to complete crosswords right up to the end. Bridget Coates passed away in early July 2013.
Dr Bevil Conway (Staff96) finished his PhD in 2001 and is a post-doctoral fellow at the Havard University Department of Neurobiology working on the neural mechanisms for colour perception. bevil_conway@hms.harvard.edu
David and Liz Coughlan (Housemaster of Grinham in the ’80s) who moved to The International School of South Africa in Mafikeng and taught for a while at Shiplake College in the UK, before settling in Malaysia where Dave was Headmaster of an Independent school outside Kuala Lumpur. They must be the most widely travelled ex-members of staff, having lived in Argentina, England, El Salvador, South Africa and Spain. They now live in Istanbul. email. umtali@superonline.com
Robin Cox (Staff 77-83) was Headmaster of St Joseph’s College, Rondebosch, Cape, but he and his family emigrated to New Zealand in 1999. rbcox@xtra.co.nz
Roy and Jenny Currie (Staff 93-02) who taught mainly Maths, was Housemaster of Grinham for over seven years, in charge of Gosho Park and involved in coaching sport, mainly Rugby. Jenny is a very fine physiotherapist and was much missed. They moved to Durham School in the UK, where John Bell was a colleague, then Pembroke House in the Rift Valley . After a trip to New Zealand, they moved to Ndola in 2007 where Roy was the Head of Simba Secondary. He is back in Zimbabwe as the Deputy Head of Lomagundi College. Angus (M95) who qualified as a vet at Onderstepoort, University of Pretoria, moved to Western Australia in 2009. After a spell as a farm vet, he works for the Australian government and monitoring and controlling of live animal exports and imports. Rob (M97) is no longer farming and is in partnership with David Kay (E97) in a procurement business in Harare. He was married in 2009. royjencurrie@gmail.com Roy sadly passed away from cancer a couple of years ago.
Bryan Curtis (Staff 54-61) a founding member of staff and the first Housemaster of Grinham died suddenly in May 1989. On leaving Peterhouse he was the Headmaster of Ruzawi for 22 years and much loved at Springvale House in its early years when he used to come over in his blue VW to coach cricket.
Chris Davison (Staff 01-02 and 2012 to present) who was a Zimbabwe men’s hockey player, and worked at Peterhouse in 2001 and as an in-House Tutor in Tinokura moved to Falcon on completing his two-year bonding. From 2004 – 2010 he took some time away from teaching, venturing into the dairy farming industry and rhino conservation with his wife Candy. He was Director of Sport at Petra before returning in 2012 as Housemaster of Snell, to teach Physical Education to A Level, Geography and coach Hockey and Water Polo. He is a National coach at Hockey, has been Housemaster of Snell since January 2012. During Chris’s stint in Matabeleland he coached various Zimbabwe Hockey Teams as well as being the assistant coach to the National Mens’ Team in the Africa Olympic Qualifiers which was held at the Khumalo Hockey Stadium in Bulawayo in 2011. Chris has been on various hockey coaching clinics and tours around the world. Chris is the Acting Head of the Physical Education Department, teaches geography and coaches the 1st Team Waterpolo and 1st Team Hockey teams. Chris is also a keen adventurist and enjoys mountain biking. Chris and Candy have 3 children. Erin, aged 7 who is in Grade 2 at Springvale, Sean aged 5 who is in nursery school and Conner who has just turned 1 years old . Chris and Candy moved to Austin Texas in August 2019.
Sue {Tippett} Davidson was one of the first female members of the Peterhouse staff. She was married to Pat Normand, a founder of the school, and their son Anthony left Grinham in 1979. Sadly Pat died in 1967 and she subsequently married a Marondera farmer and had two more sons, Stuart (S88) and David (S90) Tippett. Sue had a spell at Watershed as Senior Mistress (Girls) before returning to Peterhouse. She was the PHG Director of Studies and taught maths before becoming the third Head of PHG in 2002. Sue is married to John “Shorty” Davidson and after moving across the road to teach maths at PHG retired in 2011.
John “Shorty” Davidson (Staff 58-02) joined Peterhouse in 1958 and was Housemaster of Grinham, Senior Master, Director of Studies, Head of History, Head of English, coach to the first XV rugby for 15 years, ran the library and helped in the tuckshop! He left for a short time in 1982 to try farming, but returned a year later and stayed on for six years before moving to Watershed. It was at Watershed that he married Sue Tippett – now Headmistress of Peterhouse Girls. While at Watershed he was Deputy Headmaster and acting Headmaster for one year. He returned to Peterhouse with Sue in 1998 and soon took over as Head of English and ran the library. He retired in 2003 and since then has undergone successful major heart surgery in South Africa involving an aortic valve replacement and a triple bypass. UPDATE 2018 Sadly John ‘Shorty’ Davidson passed away mid 2018, here in Marondera.
Paul ‘Fossil’ Davies (Staff 97-11) joined from St David’s in Johannesburg, where he had been the Headmaster for six years. He went back to South Africa at the end of 1998, but did not merely return to Peterhouse, but also married Sue { Buckland } Davies in the the PHG Chapel on 9 December 2000. He taught English, Divinity and Commerce and even more importantly was a great contributor to the chapel and the Christian ethos of the school. He has retired to be the Warden at Borradaile Trust. In 2017 Paul together with Sue moved down to live in Cape Town.
Davies Paul and Sue (Buckland) retired to Fish Hoek in Capetown in December 2016, where we bought a house and are able to visit children and grandchildren regularly. Paul maintains his interest in sport, on TV mostly, but has joined the local golf club and plays regularly 2 or 3 times a week. Naturally he also has a new motorbike, a large Harley, on which we ride around the area at weekends. Sue still maintains a foot hold in education as a support teacher at one of the local junior school once a week, and makes costumes for the school’s plays. Not much has changed. We just do everything at a slower pace.smbd47@gmail.com updated 2020
Paul M “Hockey” Davies (Staff 97-00) who was Head of Biology and then of Science and ran hockey has returned to the UK. He was teaching in Rochester, but joined the staff of The Leys School in Cambridge in 2002. He was instrumental in the design of the new Science Block. He wrote in 2008: “I am still at The Leys in Cambridge but return to Peterhouse every year on holiday. When I return this year, I will be recently married to a South African lady called Francé and we will bring along our 5 month old son, Ethan. I would love to return one day to teach in the Science block I was involved with developing. and it continues to be a great pity that he is not around to get the benefit of so much hard work.” Mr. P M Davies pmd@theleys.net
Paul Davis left at the end of 2008 to become the headmaster of Ruzawi headmaster@ruzawi.com.
Rachel Davis a Canadian by birth and all-around sports star at Carleton University was sent to Zimbabwe in 1996 by FISA, the international rowing organization with the mission of spreading the sport. She ran Peterhpuse rowing to excellent effect but left at the end of 2007 to work at the Canadian Embassy in Harare. In 2012 she achieved international recognition (See press reports) as the coach of Micheen Thornycroft (PHG05) at the London Olympics. zimraych@hotmail.com
Janeen de Kock (Staff 11 to present) came from Kyle College to teach junior Science and coach cricket and rugby.
Robin Dean, who was the school dentist in the 1970s, is the Organist at the N.G. Kerk in Velddrif, Western Cape in his retirement. He was responsible for founding the St Helena Sandveld Hospice. robdean@telkomsa.net
Rita Dereham (Staff 90-04) left SVH in 2004 after 15 fruitful years for overseas. UPDATE 2018 Rita is now retired and living in Marondera. She has never lived overseas although both her daughters do; she visits regularly and sometimes goes caring.
Dick de Courpalay (Staff 87-98) who was renowned for his ability to say “NO,” retired after 11 years as the Finance Manager. He now lives in Stallion Court (sounds slightly rampant for a retirement complex!) on the main road near Borradaile Trust in Marondera. Dick is married to Sylvia Aird, whose husband Ian was the local vet until his untimely death from cancer many years ago now.
Ashley Denman (Staff 02- 03) left for the UK after notable success in the unenviable task of filling Reg Querl’s big shoes as the Sports Administrator and also being Assistant Housemaster of Founders. In 2012 he was a marvellous host at Oakham School in Dorset, UK to the touring PHB First XV.
Martin Dixon (Staff 76-77) who came to Peterhouse straight from Oxford, left to teach at Stowe in the UK.
Phil Dongo (Staff 03 – 05) joined us from Watershed, where he had coached the First XV rugby for many years, to teach Design and Technology. He became Housemaster of Founders in 2004, but left at the end of 2005 for the International School in Lusaka. He is now at Simba Secondary in Ndola where his headmaster Roy Currie reports: “Phil does a great job at Simba doing most of the sport as well as running the hostel. “
Simon Elliott the ’90s woodwork master, is Head of a school in Herefordshire, UK for what he describes as “reformed young criminals!” nic@ewyasharold.freeserve.co.uk
David Etheridge (Staff 73 – 87) sadly died in 1999 aged 53.
Ron Exelby (Staff 75-80) left to be head of Speciss College in Bulawayo, but soon emigrated to Western Australia where he is teaching in Bunbury.
Patrick Fantiso teaches Biology, is Head of Science and a tutor in Ellis.
Gladys Fantiso is the C Block House Mistress at Peterhouse Girls
Ian “Fergy” Ferguson (Staff 55-71) was on the staff of Peterhouse from the day it opened in February 1955 until he left as a result of ill-health in 1971. He is remembered with affection for his commitment in the Chemistry laboratories, as House Tutor first of Grinham and then of Paget, on the shooting range, working with the school labourorganisation, as Secretary of the Petrean Society, on the stage (remember his production of Ruddigore? ) singing in the choir, and on many happy expeditions to Nyanga which he loved, and where he bought property. On leaving Peterhouse Fergy worked for a while at St Joseph’s and old friends also met him when they visited the Cathedral, where he sang in the choir for many years. Fergy died in Harare on 21 July 1981.
Bruce Fieldsend (Staff 54-83) Rhodes Scholar, hockey enthusiast and brilliant maths teacher, joined the staff before the school opened and went on to be the founding Housemaster of Malvern and second Rector. It fell to Bruce to guide Peterhouse through the “lean years” of the Bush War when enrolments fell to 180 and school’s survival owes much to his qualities of leadership and determination. After 15 years as Rector Bruce decided it was time to move on and he joined an insurance company in Harare, where he still lives. He was till his retirement in 2001 the most popular man in Africa as the Zimbabwe representative of the Beit Trust: everyone he met either asked him for someone else’s money or got a cheque! Bruce and Liza moved to Auckland, New Zealand in 2003, where their daughters now live. Our one of our spies claimed that “It is the petrol shortage that finally made their minds up to leave, as Bruce simply could not stand the hours of queuing for fuel.” brfieldsend@xtra.co.nz
The Fisher family (Staff 55-60). Charles, the first Senior Master and founding Housemaster of Paget, went on to have a highly successful career as a headmaster of four schools in Australia, the last four years at Geelong Grammar School. Sadly, he was killed in a car accident. [See Nostalgia ] Anne, who has now been in Australia for 40 years, lives in Adelaide. She has remarried Dr Basil Hetzel, the Lieutenant Governor of South Australia and Chancellor of the University of South Australia. iccidd@a011.anone.net.au .basanne@chariot.net.au
Allen French (Staff 84-05)who was a rugby international and taught at a teachers’ college in Bulawayo before joining the Peterhouse staff, is fondly remembered by generations of Petreans for his cricket and rugby coaching, good-humoured leadership of fantastic tours, Senior Master, teaching science and divinity and as the founding Housemaster of Tinokura. has joined the rest of his family in England. He helps out at Lord Wandsworth College (England rugby player Johnny Wilkinson’s old school) in the science labs and is also the school’s First XI cricket umpire. Sister Sandy French retired from the San in 2003, where she will be fondly remembered as a “caring ear” to many junior boys. She is nursing full time in the UK at a hospice.
Brian and AJ Foakes (Staff 00- 03) Brian joined the staff from Ruzawi, was the Housemaster of Paget and involved in IT and music. AJ was head of Lower School Science, ran the Under 14 cricket with considerable style and was force to be reckoned with as a hockey coach. They are both at Shiplake College in Henley-on Thames, UK and wrote in 2008: “Brian is now Acting Head of ICT and teaches Music Technology. He is also Choirmaster for the local church (Harpsden) and Thames Valley Lifesaving club. AJ is now Girls Housemistress, Head of Chemistry and Commissioned Officer (LT , Rifles) helping to run the Army section of the Combined Cadet Force at Shiplake. Also England Hockey Umpire (mens leagues, London, Regional and South).
John Foggin (Staff 70-72) died in August 1999 in Howick, KwaZulu Natal where he had retired with Judy, who died in Johannesburg in July 2000.
Sarah Fynn (Staff 10 – 11) a renowned artist taught for two years prior to her retirement. UPDATE 2018 Still lives and works in Harare. She is still painting and sometimes runs workshops.
Pete Ginn (Staff 62-89) had a hyperactive 29 years at Peterhouse. He was hired to teach Chemistry after a stint as a field geologist with De Beers in Bechuanaland (Botswana) prospecting for diamonds where he “actually discovered” the first evidence of the great diamond fields later opened up at Orapa. Pete was head of Geography, Housemaster of Founders, made an unbeatable mark in Natural History leading expeditions to Botswana every year from 1962 to 1981 and thereafter due to red tape to various places in Zimbabwe, built the Museum, ran the Jazz and Bee Clubs, started badminton, ran tennis, hockey and athletics and took a leading part in the Christian life of the school. He is a prolific author of books and articles on birds was the general editor of the magisterial The Complete Book of Southern African Birds. Pete and Liz .have run a tourism business based in Marondera for a number of years. It started out as a specialist birding Safari Company but has expanded to cover a variety of other special tours around Zimbabwe and Madagasacar. http://www.zimbabwe-safari.com/meetginn.html . Also see Nostalgia Page where there is a more full description of Pete’s publishing and other achievements. They moved to in George in the southern Cape in January 2004 “where there are currently no resident bird guides and there seems to be a greate scope for bird ID courses.” Liz has undergone surgery for breast cancer and will undergo a course of follow-up chemotherapy. pgbs@cyberperk.co.za UPDATE 2018 Liz died and Peter has remarried. He is still publishing bird books and comes back to Zimbabwe from time to time.
Bob Gardiner (Staff 95-00) who was Director of Art and a house tutor in Ellis, left to sail around the world after a tour of Africa on an elderly motor bike, teaching briefly in Swakopmund on the way. In 2001 he reached South Africa, had a flat tyre at a small village in the arid north-west of South Africa, Namaqualand, where he met Malinda Boonzaaier, a local Afrikaans girl working in conservation. They married in 2003 and is now living in her hometown of Bitterfontein. Bob is full-time artist and has also built up 7 years of experience in natural building methods – he has recently started up a company, Ganeip Hand-Built and is set to start his first all-natural building job for a tender he just won. Bob can be contacted at m.gardiner@conservation.org or on his mobile phone +27 798542015 .
Peter George (Staff 81-85) was MD of Coates Brothers, manufacturers of printing inks in Harare when we last heard but are rumoured to be Australia peterandfergy.george@bigpond.com
George Gibbons (Staff 92-96) joined the staff as Head of History on his retirement as deputy head of Eaglesvale School. Tennis flourished under his care. George was a fountain of knowledge on all sorts of topics, which he would expound on at great length in the staff pub. He did not suffer fools – let alone gladly – and sadly died in 2002 after retiring to Harare, where he did some teaching at St John’s. UPDATED 2018 Sadly George passed away a few years ago. DECEASED
Colin Gibson (Staff 90-91) was born and educated in South Africa. Not able to support the apartheid regime, he taught in Sweden and England before returning to Africa in 1981. Colin was Head of History, ran swimming, helped with rugby and an enthusiastic Assistant Housemaster in Grinham. It came as a great shock when he was diagnosed with a terminal illness and died in September 1991. Colin was laid to rest in the Peterhouse Graveyard.
George (Staff 89-00) and Carol (Staff 89-02) Gibson. George, who taught at the Girls’ School for twelve years, retired in 2000. He is much missed for his involvement as Director of Studies, maths teacher, drama producer, Toastmasters’ director etc. He went off to spend a year in England as a kind of ‘gap year’ before deciding what to do next. This turned out to be working for an ophthalmogist friend from university days in London. He didn’t seem to miss the classroom at all! See nostalgia for a more complete tribute to his time at PHG. Carol left to join him in England in 2002. She was an amazingly versatile member of the PHG staff, teaching agriculture, commerce and English; training girls for the Allied Arts Competition and as Chapel readers etc etc etc. They were both much loved and left a hard act to follow. UPDATE 2018 George died unexpectedly of a heart attack some years ago. Carol and all their children still live in England.
Nicolaus Goromondo (Staff 04) joined us from Midlands Christian College as Head of IT and resident tutor in Malvern.
Barbara “Ma Bobes” Graham died in Harare in December 1997 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. She was the much loved wife of Martin “Bobes” Graham (Staff) who retired early as headmaster of Chisipite to care for her. Barbara was a much loved and respected member of the Peterhouse community over a long period and she will be fondly remembered, particularly by generations of Ellis boys. Barbara was a highly qualified teacher with a successful career in her own right. At a moving ceremony at Chisipite School on 16 July 1999 a sundial was dedicated to Barbara’s memory. All 19 Grahams were present, as well as many old timers including the Fieldsends, James Milford and the Hammonds. DECEASED
Martin “Bobes” Graham (Staff 58-77) was Housemaster of Ellis for 14 years, head of English and established basketball at the school. He will be remembered by older Petreans for the incredible sets of the Shakespearean plays he staged in tamphitheatre-like his1964 Macbeth masterpiece under construction in the photo. Martin left for a post in England but was soon back in Zimbabwe and retired as the headmaster of Chisipite in 1996. He married Pam Holland, the widow of Guy Holland (Staff 64-71) in 1998. Both had lost their spouses and we wish them a long and happy marriage. They are living in Harare. News of the rest of the family: Tim (G77), who has two daughters, was the MD of Tetra Pak in Harare, but he is now in business for himself with numerous interests. News of Martin’s daughters: KK is married to Rob Marffy and has three children and was farming in Mvurwi until they were forced to abandon the farm. They went on a ‘look and see’ trip to Australia and New Zealand in February 2002. Francie, who is married to Mark Randell, has four children and is still farming near Bulawayo and Sally is married to Rawdon Ball (ex Plumtree), has four children and lives in Botswana.mmgraham@mweb.co.zw DECEASED
Scott Gray (P96 and Staff 10- present) became the Director of Sport and Housemaster of Ellis. Scott was a professional rugby player and 8 cap Scottish international. He gained a full-time training contract with the Brumbies academy in Canberra under Eddie Jones on leaving school and after a stint in Rugby League with Brisbane Broncos was snapped up by Bath in the English Premiership, before landing at the Borders in Scotland. Scott toured Australia with Scotland in 2004 and had his Test debut against the Wallabies. He played against a Springbok side in 2008 which included two other Petreans Tendai Mtawarira and Brian Mujati . Scott left Peterhouse at the end of 2013 to start a career at St Johns College as the Director of Rugby.
Angus Greenhalgh (Staff 71-76) who taught Chemistry, Biology and Junior Science and his wife Anne and two children moved to Perth, WA from Peterhouse, though his roots are definitely northern English. Ever the fitness fanatic, when he called into the school in 1999 he amazed everyone by his youthful looks. anneang@bigpond.com
John Greenacre was taught by Fred Snell at Michaelhouse and read Maths at Jesus College, Cambridge. Since the ’60s he has been the Housemaster of both Paget and Grinham, Senior Master, Acting Rector, organiser of tennis and expeditions to Nyanga and Chimanimani’s, driver of fast cars, founder of the school bank, chess guru, Honours Tie recipient (the staff equivalent of the VC), maths teacher extraordinaire …. the list goes on. He officially retired at the end of 2004 on turn 70 and then again at the end of 2005, but continues to the Petrean Society and we cannot see him staying out of the classroom! John retired from teaching in December 2015, but still resides in his house at Peterhouse and tends to the Archives. jwg@peterhouse.co.zw
Andy Griggs was a Housemaster at Plumtree before joining the Peterhouse staff. He is pictured while taking a short break from conducting in-depth research into beach scenery, eco-tourism and scuba diving in Queensland, where he also loved the rain forests, on leave in 1993. Andy stepped down as the Housemaster of Snell after 10 years at the end of 2003. After some years as Director of Studies and Director of Cultural Activities in 2009 he was appointed Senior Master – Academic. Andy retired after 100 terms at Peterhouse in December 2022. He and his wife Louise now reside in the Borradaile Trust, in Marondera.
The Hales (Staff) Richard became the Pie King of South Africa after leaving Peterhouse, based in Port Alfred, but came back to teaching some years ago at Kingswood junior school in Grahamstown. We hear that Shane, who won a hockey gold medal at the Moscow Olympics and coached the Peterhouse First XI with great effect, is doing some part-time teaching at the senior school. They are both involved in local Eastern Cape sport, especially golf.
Andrew(P72) and Rowena Hall (Staff 81-93) have two children. Andrew, the founding Housemaster of Snell in 1984, was Head of English, coached lowly, but winning (!) cricket and rugby teams, put on numerous plays, and ran the Engineering Club. Rowena taught French, was involved in many theatrical productions as a choreographer and taught piano at Springvale House. Since leaving Peterhouse they have taught at the International School of South Africa, Mafikeng, and at Aiglon College, Switzerland since 1996, where they are houseparents of Clairmont House, a house of 40 girls. Andrew teaches English and Rowena teaches French, piano and drama.ash@aiglon.ch.
Mike Hammond (Staff 56 – 03) retired in 1993 as the founding Headmaster of PHG after a distinguished career at Springvale, Headmaster of Eagle School and at the Boys’ school, including six years the Housemaster of Malvern. He and Barrie lived in one of the two retirement cottages at Peterhouse, dubbed Jurassic Park, and Mike remained very actively involved in many school activities until his death from tick bite fever in 2003.
Richard and Fiona Hanly (Staff 04) Rich was Headmaster of Hillcrest for 10 years. He taught English and Geography before retiring in 2004. Rich was a shining light on the Peterhouse campus, his kettle always on the boil ready to share a cup of tea and listen to one’s troubles. An amazing friend to so many. Fiona has been the Grade one teacher at Springvale House since 2004. Rich and Fi, have five children, Claire, Jo, Tom, Rich, and Philp all of whom were educated at Peterhouse. Claire and Richie JNR came back to do their Teaching stints also at Peterhouse. Rich, sadly passed away unexpectedly in 2021. Fiona remains the Grade one teacher at SVH.
Sally Harris (Staff 90-96) established shorthand, typing and office practice first in a newly-built classroom at the Girls’ School, but later transferred to the boys’ side to popular acclaim as far as the girls were concerned. She is married to Erith “Er” Harris and moved with him to Ruzawi where Sally was the School Secretary.
Erith “Er” Harris (Staff 90-97) came to Peterhouse as the Director of Administration after being the Headmaster of Whitestones in Bulawayo. During the years prior to his arrival the school had grown enormously and the administrative side was stretched to its limits in trying to look after three schools with over a thousand students. He left to become the Deputy Headmaster and then the Headmaster of Ruzawi before handing over the reins on his retirement in 2008 to Paul Davis.
Kim Harvey (Staff 97-00) who made a very considerable mark on the PHG sport fields and in teaching maths, left at the end of her four year bonding with the ATS to travel. She was manager of the 2000 Zimbabwe under 18 hockey team which played in South Africa. We will follow her career with interest, since with a range of skills like hers we are confident that she will go far in whatever she choses to do.
Les (Chippy) and Mavis Haworth (Staff 55-68) Les spent 15 years at Peterhouse, first during the construction of the school and when it opened as the Woodwork Master as well as i/c Property Maintenance. Mavis worked in the laundry alongside Ann Butterworth until 1969 when Les took up the role of Head of Department of Woodwork and Technical Drawing at Umtali Boys High School. Les left behind not only the legacy of a woodworking department where anything from pencil cases to ocean going yachts were built to perfection, but many students also learnt the covert art of home brew and many a ‘toyes’ room had demi-johns of amber liquid peacefully fermenting behind locker doors! They retired to Flame Lily Retirement Home in Natal. Les passed away in May 1986 and Mavis in October 1992. Their daughters : Susan studied at Greys Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, earning honours degrees in Midwifery and Psychiatric Nursing and at present is retired and eagerly awaiting her first grandchild in May. Pamela (The first baby ever christened in the chapel!) has been happily settled in Brisbane since 1984.pamcrowther@hotmail.com
Eileen {Hathaway} Mason (Staff 60-65) who was Fred Snell’s secretary and marriedMac Mason(Staff 58-61) is now sadly widowed and lives in retirement at Tweed Heads, New South Wales.
Sue Heathcote (Staff 04) is currently running the Accounts Department.
Mike Herring (Staff 76-79) was senior master at Springvale after Eagle moved there in 1976, before moving to Falcon and back to UK. He and his wife Val tragically died in a house fire in England in February 2012.
Kerry Heyns (Staff 05) who teached Geography and English was reported in 2007 to be living in England.
Wendy Hewit (Staff 00-02) has moved to Zambia. She had great success running the French Department and girls’ rowing. She and her husband, Rob, and their two children travelled 1,000s of kilometres with the rowers and their boats to regattas in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Eddie Hilditch (Staff 66-73) taught Chemistry, ran the Science Department and ran rugby with great succcess, including coaching the school’s only unbeaten First XV in 1966. He left to teach at Michaelhouse, but emigrated to Western Australia where he loves the beach life. He teaches at Bunbury Grammar School, where his principal wasTony Brooker.edanne@iprimus.com.au
Marcia Hillier – We were sadden to learn of the death of Marcia Hillier, who was shot in her home at Nelson’s Bay, Mozambique in 2004. She was not only a friend to many in the Peterhouse community, but also an ex-parent and teacher of both SVH and the Nursery School.
John “Hodgy” Hodgson (Staff 58-85) who was and will remain an inspiration to generations of Petreans, died peacefully on 5 February 2005 aged 79. Hodgy was the Director of Music from 1958 to 1985 and a composer and organist of note. He lived in retirement in Marondera and remained active in the life of the schools. As befits his amazing contribution and dedication to the Peterhouse Group of Schools over many decades, Hodgy is buried at Peterhouse.
Revd Pat Hogg (Staff 60-71) the much loved Chaplain for 12 years returned to England on leaving the school as Rector of Crawley, but he only spent a short time there before becoming Dean of Pretoria in 1974.Pat died in Pretoria in 1974 after a comparatively short illness.
Rev Richard Holderness (Staff77) who was Chaplain at Ruzawi, joined the staff as an honorary chaplain when the security situation forced the closure of his retreat centre at Bonda Mission in 1977. He retired to Borradaile Trust but moved to South Africa to be nearer his family. He died peacefully aged 97 in 2007.
Guy Holland (Staff 64-71) we were saddened to hear of the death of Guy Holland (Staff 64-71) from a cerebral tumour. He served as House Tutor of Paget, with the Climbing Club, as stage manager and in the laboratories. He left to take up an appointment at the Dragon School in Oxford and was subsequently at Bishop’s Prep School in Cape Town for many years.
David Howorth (Staff 58-61) taught at St Edward’s School, Oxford after leaving Peterhouse and died in 1989.
Rev Martin Housman (Staff 94-98) is the Chaplain of Norwich School, Norwich. Buff teaches in Great Yarmouth. Hannah, PHG 94-98 has finished at Durham University and works at Tradecraft. Alice SVH, PHG doing a nursing degree at the University of East Anglia. Lucy PHG is on a gap year before going to Durham University to read Archaeology. Emily SVH doing A levels at Norwich School. Dickon SVH at Norwich School and still bowling for the county. Rosie is at the local state school.housmans@bigfoot.com Tel. 01508 548 322 ororchards@onetel.net.uk
Commander Hugh Hodgkinson (Staff 53-55) died in England in 1996. Hugh joined Fred Snell in founding Peterhouse in 1953. He located Liddles’ farms the school site, helped to raise funds and taught for a term when the school opened. Hugh was then Headmaster of Milton Abbey School with great success for 14 years. He had a distinguished naval career and the connection with the “Senior Service” was remembered in the ”Quarterdeck;” where a shell case was rung as a gong before meals for many years.
Roger and Sue Hudson (Staff 84-03) was poached from Allan Wilson in Harare, where he had taught with distinction for a number of years. After 20 years at Peterhouse Roger and Sue retired to England and bought a campervan to tour France during the 2003 northern summer. Roger was the Head of French and ran sailing and the Jazz Band.huddies@hotmail.comorhuddies@btinternet.com
Kim Hulley (Staff 12) was at Arundel, studied microbiology at UCT and was the Head of Science before being appointed the Headmistress of Arundel. Kim has since left Peterhouse in 2018.
Liz Ireland-Jones (Staff 03) who was a vital part of PHG for many years as coach in charge of tennis and as Head the Geography Department left for Brisbane, Queensland in 2003.nick@agricane.com. ornicki-j@hotkey.net.au
Seranne Jack (Staff 00-02) went to school at Chisipite and trained at Rhodes. She left to get married and was last sighted travelling overland up Africa to Egypt. She contributed much in Snell, in the classroom teaching history and as Director of Drama and in the Fieldsend Hall. She moved to Simba Secondary in Ndola in 2007 where her headmaster was Roy Currie. She died suddenly and unexpectedly in Kitwe, Zambia on 29 January 2009 aged only 34 years. The official cause of death was pneumonia.
Ivan and Candy Jacklin (E63 & Staff 73-82) it is with great sadness that we record Ivan’s sudden death in November 2003 from a heart attack. Ivan was the first Petrean member of staff, Housemaster of Grinham and producer of numerous very successful plays. He and Candy hosted numerous Petrean cricket matches and the Peterhouse First XI on their 1998 tour to England. They moved in 1983 to the D.S.G in Grahamstown where Ivan taught maths, and chemistry and produced a school play. They then moved to England to Shiplake College, where Ivan taught until his death. He was at various times Head of the Chemistry Department, Housemaster of Everett House and Director of Activities. Candy has retired to their cottage in North Devon which Ivan loving described as ” …. a sort of Peterhaven. It is well off the beaten track and we can indulge in the fantasy of living in a previous age”.
Mark Jardine (Staff 88) was the coach of the First XI and led its successful tour of Australia in 1988. He left for the International School, Mafikeng, but then moved on to Hilton College in Natal, where he was a Housemaster. The family moved to Australia in 2000 and Mark teaches near Canberra, where his wife has opened a highly successful cafe.
Norman January (Staff 03) French teacher and Assistant Housemaster of Malvern sadly died in February 2003.
Colin Johnson (Staff 65-83) who was a key member of the staff during the “lean years” as Careers Master, Housemaster and Head of Science, died in South Africa in the ’80s.
Munyaradzi Juru (Staff 97-99) is teaching in Botswana after three years at Peterhouse in the design centre, coaching rugby and water polo and running the Christian Forum.
Silas Kamarizenithe was Head of the Art Department.
A Petrean, Ed Katso (Staff E71 and 88-96) returned in 1988 for his third stint on the Peterhouse staff; one that saw him run soccer and chess, serve as tutor of his old house, Paget, head Biology and Science and organise several successful educational trips to the Zambezi Valley at the Rifa camp. One cannot deny that Ed was a controversial figure. Both as a schoolboy and as a teacher, he stood out as one who dared to be different and he helped break many barriers down. His methods in and out of the classroom were not always orthodox, but he gained the respect of his students and achieved some remarkable academic results. Ed will be long remembered for his drawling “Good morning” that greeted each class. He tackled all his duties with a sense of passion and it is hard to believe that he won’t be back for a fourth stint! He “retired” to become a farmer having inherited the “family estate” outside Mutare but wrote in August 2001:”I’m now resident in Wuppertal, Germany, where my wife Elke is a Chemical Engineer with Delphi Automotive, a former subsidiary of GM. We have a delightful son, Daniel, who is the best thing that has ever happened to us, and is my full time occupation at the moment. I continue to “break barriers” (although not as controversially as in the past, mainly because my German is still very rudimentary. Give me a bit more time and then we will see!) It’s amazing just how much energy is required to keep up with a two year old.ekatso@t-online.de.
Bill Ker currently at Peterhouse.
Archie and Ann Kennedy (Staff 66-94) Archie came from Scotland in 1966 to head the Art Department and apart from a two year stint at Milton Abbey School in England headed the department with notable success for 29 years – often as a one man band. Archie oversaw the transformation of the department from a simple Art Room to a fully equipped Craft, Design and Technology Centre standing around an attractive grassed square, with the transport garages moved to the other end of the Estate. He was the Housemaster of Founders and showed a keen interest in football and golf. Ann first joined the staff of the Nursery School and was for 10 years in charge of the pottery department in the Art School. They left Peterhouse on 13 April 2003 to return to England after 37 years at the school, the last 9 living in the retirement complex, Jurassic Park. Archie did sterling work in organising the school archives during this time, as well as producing Peterhouse plaques for leavers to buy, the supply of which will now dry up, sadly. Both Annie and Archie have sadly passed away, but are both buried in the Peterhouse Cemetery side by side.
David Kirkman (Staff 14 – present) Dave started at Peterhouse in January 2014 as the Housemaster of Ellis, the Director of Sports and the Director of Rugby. Dave has four children within the group of schools. Jenny Kirkman, Dave’s wife runs the Careers department for the Group of Schools which is housed in the New Megahey Centre.
Luke Kunatsa (Staff 05 to present) joined us from Monte Cassino where he was Head of Mathematics. Luke is the Assistant Housemaster of Ellis and is also the Deputy Director of Studies too.
Archie Larthe de Langladure (Staff 64-76) who taught French with great dedication and effect for 13 years, retired aged 70 to England in 1976 and died in April 1996.
Carl Lapham (Staff 11) teaches Physical Education. Carl has now left Peterhouse.
Sister Debbie Lowe SRN (Staff 77-93) joined the Peterhouse staff as assistant San Sister after four years at Springvale. She did her nursing training at the Central Hospital in Harare and on being married farmed in Centenary and then the Mkushi District, Zambia. After her husband’s untimely death in 1972 she and her four sons returned to Zim and were educated at Ruzawi and Peterhouse. Her father was Canon Grinham the founder of Springvale and Ruzawi Schools and member of the first board of Governors of Peterhouse. She left to be Lady Warden of The Close Borradaile Trust. She is now living as an ‘ordinary’ resident, having had two hip replacement operations.
David Lowe (Staff 89-93) who boasted in his farewell speech to the Common Room of having managed to fight everyone, was a man of cultivated bolshiness. Guy Cary met him at the end of his first week muttering through clenched teeth “I don’t like the boys here. They smile too much!” He was a dedicated Chemistry teacher and surprised many, whom he tried to convince that he was dour and disagreeable, with his ability as a serious and comic actor and jazz singer. Having been “landed with supervising the louts who played basketball,” he pushed and pulled them over the years to the top of the national tree, winning the Major Leyland Tournament in 1992 for the first time in the school’s history. David had high standards. Typical of his style was his 1993 Basketball report: “The team tended to resemble, at times, a troupe of circus clowns rather than a dedicated sporting outfit. This wayward attitude was most often seen in training sessions and so little progress was made during the season. On a more positive note, the team did well to finish second in League A.” On leaving, David told us not to try to get in touch with him since he would be “of no fixed abode.” Despite his best efforts to the contrary, David was much loved and admired at Peterhouse!
Jerry and Jeanie Lousada (Staff 03) Jerry was BSAP, a Town Clerk and had managed hotels for some years before coming to Peterhouse. They own a small shop in Cheltenham and divide their time between that and their 26 foot yacht in the Mediterranean. Jeanie was the Rector’s secretary and Jerry the Bursar.
Russell Lynch (Staff 92-94) studied Russian at Exeter University and taught English at the University of Milan’s Institute of Modern Languages before coming to Peterhouse with his wifeRaffiand two young daughters on a two year contract. They enjoyed their time at the school where Russell taught English coached teams, was an actor and stage manager, organiser of expeditions and keen competitor in staff sporting teams. Raffi, who is a university lecturer in computer science, was not too taxed by D Block Computers! Russell lives in Florence and is Teaching at Florence University in Italy. moblynch@gmail.com
Sandi {Macrae} Ogilvie (PHG87 and Staff), one of the PHG founders, married Russell Ogilvie. She worked for a year in the UK then returned to help at the fast-growing PHG as a sports coach /housemistress. They live in Yeppoon, Queensland and have two children.ogilvieclan@vtown.com.au.
Rev A W McCay who was the Assistant Chaplain in the mid ’60s died in 1997.
Gareth Machin (Staff 91-92) taught maths and coached cricket and hockey for a year after university and played cricket for Wedza. He worked in Cambridge, moved to Spain for a couple of years and was back in Cambridge in 2005 teaching at a sixth-form college.
Vision Magodora (Staff 05 to present) joined us fresh from Africa University to teach Mathematics
David Makwindi (Staff 89-02) left at the end of the 2002 second term. David was Housemaster of Founders and taught Maths and Geography and ran the Tuckshop for several years. He has moved to Marondera to be involved in church work. Thankfully, his wife, Lucy, who is Head of Shona and Head of Divinity, is still teaching here.
Godfrey Masanga (Staff 11 to present) was previously Head of Art at Hillcrest College.
Nyasha Muzanenhamo (Staff 11 to present) teaches French.
Anne Mackenzie (Staff 92-99) teaches at Trent College, England where she had taught earlier on a year’s exchange. She taught English and History, was an assistant housemaster in Malvern and coached hockey and swimming.
Anthony “Buzz” Mallett (Staff 57-62) of the unique commitment, voice (an indecipherable growl) and teaching style (flying blackboard rubbers and umbrellas hurled on entry into the classroom with considerable violence and unerring accuracy into rubbish bins) died of cancer in 1994 aged 70. He and Vivienne came to Peterhouse in January 1957. Anthony taught English (Head of Department) and Latin; was in charge of cricket and squash; produced plays and acted in staff plays (who can forget Somniathe operetta which he wrote in a single night with Charles Fisher?); became Housemaster of Ellis in 1959 and Senior Master in 1961. He was the Principal of Bishop’s for 19 years and we are pleased to report that his introduction of bicolour there is not what he is now remembered for. Time heals, since he is now widely regarded as one of South Africa’s most influential headmasters of all time. Anthony was quite exceptional sportsman. He played cricket for Kent and England and toured Canada with the MCC, won blues for cricket, squash and table tennis at Oxford and played squash for Rhodesia. Mention must be made of Anthony the spectator. Always anxious to be part of the action, he never let anyone in doubt either of his presence or his fervent loyalties. On honeymoon in Scotland, he was within an ace of going on to the field to show the brawny Scots ladies how to toss the caber at the Highland Games! He is pictured right watching house matches at Bishops. His son Nick was the Springboks’ rugby coach.
Anthony Mallett’s oldest daughter, Jenny Mallett, died in April 1999 from a heart attack after deep sea diving. She was a Headmistress in Cape Town and unmarried. There was a fine tribute to her from her brother Nick (ex-SA Rugby coach) in the Cape Town paper. She was only 48 and our deepest sympathy to Vivienne. vmallett@telkomsa.net
Patience Mansfield retired as Housemaster of Ellis in 1999 after 8 years and was in charge of Careers and remained a vital member of the PHB staff until 2019. Patience lives in Borradaile Trust and is one of the most sort out members of staff when Petreans return to visit. She still is the best Rugby Satiation our first team Rugby has ever had.
Richard “Pot” Marriott (Staff 83-92) read Philosophy at Trinity College, Dublin, then worked for Anglia Television. This left a taste for the performing arts and he and June were regular members of the Choral Society Richard made a menacing Bill Sykes in Oliver. His reputation for unflappability was enhanced when he did not flinch when two of the cast of Hadrian VII, his 1984 entry to the Drama Festival, were expelled days before the opening night. Richard established rowing at Peterhouse and was Head of the Maths Department and Housemaster of Malvern. He is back at Emmanuel School, London from whence he came and where he is also in charge of rowing and Head of Maths. Richard’s nickname “Pot” stemmed from his occasionally bloodshot eyes that provoked wild speculation about substance abuse! In truth, he had trouble with his contact lenses, something he put to excellent tactical advantage on the squash court.
Revd George Martin (Staff 61-90: 03 – 11) taught at Peterhouse for a total of 37 years. He left for 13 when he founded Lendy Park School, Marondera and was its first Headmaster. He then taught at Watershed College for a couple of years before returning to Peterhouse. He coached hockey, cricket and athletics and was vital to the life of the chapel. George has since passed away
Mac Mason (Geography Staff 58-61) died in Australia in 1996, but his wife Eileen (who was Fred Snell’s secretary, Mrs Hathaway, until she went to the UK to marry Mac in 1965) is still living at Tweed Heads, New South Wales. After a brief interlude in New, Zealand Mac was Director of Studies at Millfield School in England (1963 to 1972) and Assistant Mother Superior at Marymount before retiring to Australia.
Eric Matambo (Staff 06-07) who taught English and History, is Warden of Cory House Warden at Rhodes University.
Tirupati Mehta (Staff 93-96) taught Biology and was a house tutor at Founders. Multi-talented and tremendous fun, she found time to take part in a Miss India Competition in Harare, which she nearly won, and was notable for her curries for Common Room suppers and reading palms. Having grown up in Marondera and studied at UZ, she decided it was time to move on and head for England.
Alan Megahey (Staff 84-94) the third Rector sadly died in 2011 after a short but brave battle with cancer of the pancreas. Dr Megahey was Rector of Peterhouse from January 1984 to December 1993. He was a man of great vision and energy who was relentless and untiring in his efforts to realise his goals. He had great ideas and his appointment ensured the very successful transition of Peterhouse as a school into Zimbabwe. His enthusiasm was infectious and was responsible for so many positive changes and innovations. It was he who negotiated successfully with the Ministry of Education to ensure the reopening of Springvale which led to the creation of Tinokura, Peterhouse Girls’ School and the evolution of the Peterhouse Group of Schools. Other changes and innovations included the revamp of the Library; the Carrington Design Centre; the first Computer Room; the Cafeteria system at meals; the School Festival; there were many more. He was a man of great faith and was dedicated to the mission of the church. Since leaving Peterhouse he remained an active and supportive member of the Board of Governors. His vision of a new stained glass window became a reality in 2005. His book, A School in Africa has become the official history of Peterhouse. One leaving Peterhouse he was the Chaplain at Uppingham School, but after 33 years of school mastering in 2001 became Rural Rector of Brant Broughton, Welbourn and Aldenham. See Nostalgia for a fuller assessment of the Megahey Decade. He was an author of note and his biography of Sir Humphrey Gibbs and his Irish Protestant Churches in the Twentieth Century were well received. His brilliant, witty and insightful official history of Peterhouse School in Africa was launched in splendid style at Rhodes House, Oxford.
Ian Menzies (Staff 81-93) who was Head of Modern Languages, is the headmaster of the Collège du Léman International School in Geneva, Switzerland. He and Emmanuelle still owns Nantambwe Farm next to the school and travels out frequently to keep an eye on their cattle there. Their sons Neil (F93) and Alistair (F94) are based in Europe.
Bob Merchant (Staff 91-99) taught mathematics and history, was housemaster of Malvern (93 -99) and coached rugby and cricket. He and Pauline left for St John’s College in Harare, then to Maidstone Grammar School, the UK in 2003. They moved to New Zealand in June 2005.tkaribalegends@yahoo.com.
Dirk Meyer (E00 and Staff 04-05) graduated from Rhodes, and did a stint in the USA before teaching at Peterhouse for a year and a bit. In 2007 he wrote: “I am now dodging bullets in Johannesburg’, working for a Cross Border Freight company. He also got engaged to Alana Clinton (ex-Arundel) in 2007.
James Milford (Staff 66) joined a new Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading (UK) on leaving Peterhouse. Promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1970, he worked there until 1994, developing special interests in boundary layer meteorology, remote sensing and agricultural meteorology. Research and teaching took him too many parts of Africa, and Indonesia. On his retirement, he accepted a two-year appointment in 1995 as Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Zimbabwe, with the specific aim of establishing a programme in Agricultural Meteorology. In 2005, he was still there, now with Visiting status, and developing practical aspects of the programme. His first wife, Beatrice, died in 1983: in 1986 he married Frances Pellatt, born in Mutare and, until then, resident in Harare. This undoubtedly encouraged his return to Zimbabwe. There are four children from his first marriage, and, to date, nine grandchildren. James has continued to claim church bell-ringing as a main hobby (started while at Peterhouse after the arrival of the bells at Harare Anglican Cathedral), with music, do-it-yourself, gardening and coastal cruising as ancillaries. He is still on the staff of UZ half time but plans to spend more time in England before his final retirement there. (Address: 5 College Flats, St Kilda Rd., Mount Pleasant, : Harare UK address: 24 Cintra Avenue, Reading, Berks, RG2 : 7AU) milfojf@yahoo.co.uk
Jenny Milne (Staff 95- 02) the senior san sister for 8 years left to nurse in the UK. Jenny resides in Borradaile Trust with other past members of Staff. She still does care work in the UK.
Ruth Mitchell (Staff 04-05) joined us from South Africa to teach Chemistry and Geography.
Gavin Morrison (Staff 88-92) came from Bulawayo to be Head of English. He coached tennis and lowly cricket and rugby teams to remarkably good effect and will be remembered for his inspired performance in a staff play mounted by GMG, which was boldly entered in the PHG house play competition! He went back to Bulawayo at the end of 1992 but was sadly murdered the following year, but not for any political reason.
Jean and George Morton (Staff 61-78) For 18 happy years George (now 85) was a key member of the Science Department and an inspirational athletics coach. Jean set up the Peterhouse Nursery School. They are thriving in retirement in Spalding, Lincolnshire. When they retired from Peterhouse in 1978 it was a case of “Leave your firearms in the mail room lobby!” before attending their farewell party in the staff common room. They immigrated to England and got stuck straightaway into rebuilding the family finances by working for 6 years as the cook and butler of a wealthy financier after which they were able to buy a mortgage-free house for their retirement. They occupy their time playing bridge and in a national competition were placed in the top 1000 pairs in the UK. Jean has taken up oil painting. George and Jean celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1988.cemorton@blueyonder.co.uk
Sam Moyo (Staff 03) who was Assistant Housemaster of Grinham, left abruptly in 2003 without giving the school the usual notice and we are not sure what he is doing now.
Fortune Mpozvori (Staff 01-12) taught Biology at Peterhouse Boys and coached cricket, and hockey and was actively involved in conservation. He succumbed to leukaemia and was in South Africa undergoing treatment when he passed away on 19 May, 2012. He leaves a huge gap at Peterhouse.
Terence Msuku (Staff 95-99) taught French, was an assistant housemaster in Grinham and coached hockey, cricket and basketball. Sadly, he left for the bright lights and is teaching at St John’s College in Harare.
The Munjomas remained stalwarts at PHG for many years. Elliot was Head of Science, V Form tutor and Sable House Proctor, while Shelley was the resident B & D Block Housemistress, she also taught science and maths. They have now retired and live on their small holding in the Rusape area.
Farai Munemo (M86) the 1986 Head Boy studied at Exeter College, Oxford and joined the staff in 2005 to teach English.
Duncan Mupesa (Staff 93) sadly died in January 1996.
Remy Mupfururirwa (Staff 92-00) who taught science and was a tutor in Tinokura, left at the end of 2000.
Trevor Mushiko (Staff 00 to present) joined Peterhouse after teaching French at Allan Wilson High School in Harare. Prior to that, he taught at Gifford High School and Townsend High School both in Bulawayo. Shortly after he joined Peterhouse Trevor was appointed Senior Master (Pupils). He has also been Head of the French Department and he continues to teach French up to A Level. Trevor has also coached cricket and rugby and is currently Master in Charge of Golf. Trevor majored in French and Mathematics at Hillside Teachers College in Bulawayo before completing his French studies at the Universite de Poitiers in France.
Philemon Muwodzeri (Staff 59-98) started working at Peterhouse in 1959 under Fred Snell, as a general hand. He then went on to work with the bus and part of the laundry staff. In 1980 he was promoted to Supervisor of Laundry and Housekeeping and continued in this position until his retirement to work on the family farm in Mudzi.
Keith and Nicky {Haskins} Nicholas (Staff 01) are in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia where Keith teaches music at a Catholic school. Their daughter Hannah, the first PHG staff baby, has a four-generation Peterhouse pedigree being Paul and Jo Brodsky’s great-granddaughter and Tommy and Ann {Brodzsky} Haskins granddaughter. It is rumoured that they will be moving to Bunbury, WA later in 2003.
Harriet Nel (Staff 90-04 and 09-) who left to become Head of History at St. John’s College, made a welcome return to the school to teach English in 2009. Harriet has now returned to teach at PHG, she is IC PHG Library as well as still teaching English and taking Bridge club.
Ken Nicholl (Staff 89-92) came from St George’s to take charge of Technical Drawing in the Art and Design Centre where he developed the popular Technical Graphics course. An enthusiastic sportsman, Ken played for the staff cricket and soccer teams and is fondly remembered for his huge colourful “germs” and decorative trees which featured in many school productions. Ken and Helen left for Watershed College, where Ken was in charge of Art and Technical Drawing. The family has moved back to Northern Ireland, where Ken’s accent will be more easily understood!
Shelley NICHOLLS (Staff 1996 – present) went to Hillside Teachers’ College, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Worked in Botswana from 1985 – 1995. Deputy Head and Grade 4 Teacher at Springvale House. Divorced. Two sons, Ryan (G06) married to Eleni Karasselos, and Sean (G09). ShelleyResides at Springvale House, Marondera.
George”Boff” Niven (Staff 82-95) claimed to have been a “flower child of the sixties “and his memorable guitar performance of “San Francisco” during the production of “One Hundred Years of Circumstance of Song” will forever be remembered. He was an exceptional English teacher, Housemaster of Founders and fanatical about his beloved cricket and soccer. George is the Director of Studies at Kingswood College, Grahamstown. When we last heard Penny was teaching in the Linguistics Department at Rhodes. William was doing Medicine at UCT. And Joe and Tiggy were at Kingswood. Address: 19a Constitution Street, Grahamstown, 6139.
Richard Norton (Staff 90-97) who was Head of Divinity, Assistant Housemaster of Malvern, in charge of Debating and High School Quiz returned to England to do a law course.
Chris Nyazika (Staff 02) was appointed Housemaster of Founders in 2002. He taught History and Divinity and was a very enthusiastic cricket coach, but sadly left to teach in England and further his cricket-umpiring career there. He is now teaching in Ethiopia.
Maree O’Mahoney (Staff 90) worked for many years at UZ as an administrator in the Engineering Department and now lives in Cork, Eire.
Denise Osborne – We are sad to report that Denise Osborne passed away on 11 August 2009. She will long be remembered for her expertise and wonderful achievements in music. She was Director of Music at Ruzawi from 1969-1993 then joined the staff to Peterhouse in 1994 as Music Secretary. In 1996 she moved to Springvale House. Her contribution to music in all the schools was enormous and she touched the lives of so very many of her pupils.
Bob Owtram (Staff 70-84) is one of only two members of staff to have been awarded an Honours Tie, the staff equivalent of the VC. This was for his tremendous contribution to the school as Bursar over 14 years when his skills were vital to the survival of the school during the “lean” years, 1977 to 1982. Bob and Ann left to manage the family estate in Lincolnshire, UK. They moved to South Africa and Bob was Bursar at Phuteng School and retired to Johannesburg. Gauteng Petreans were delighted when Bob and Ann revisited a very different era at Peterhouse when enrolments fell to a level not large enough to field a U13 rugby team and Grinham had only 18 boys in it. See Bob’s memories in Nostalgia. Bob was tragically shot and murdered by an intruder in his Johannesburg home on 23 May 2001. What a waste, Bob was a man who just gave and gave, and that to great effect.
Harry Pallett (Staff 58-68) who taught maths and literally launched numerous Petreans on careers in aviation through the Gliding Club worked for a number of years at Churchill and now lives in retirement in Johannesburg, although he seems to teach maths almost full time from home.
John (“JMP”) Paterson died in 2008 aged 88. He is fondly remembered as the Springvale School Headmaster and biology teacher across the road.
Arthur “Pat” Pattison (Staff 60-64) who spent five years at Peterhouse after his retirement from a distinguished career in the Government teaching service, culminating in the headmasterships of REPS and Plumtree, died in 1968.
Vic Paunganwa ( Staff 05 to present ) joined Peterhouse in 2005 to teach as a history teacher and Tutor in Ellis House. He was appointed Housemaster of Paget in 2006. He previously taught at Ruzawi School where he was Master in Charge of the Grade 7 boys. After his senior school years at Falcon College, Vic attained a Bachelor of Arts degree through UNISA. Vic teaches history and divinity and coaches’ triathlon in the summer terms and hockey in the winter term. Vic is married to Bindi and has four children, three boys and a girl. Their youngest, Daniel and Joshua, Nicole and Stuart. Vic left Peterhouse to teach at Lilfordia and then Falcon. He is now living and working in Harare.
Craig Peebles (P05 and Staff 12- ) joined the staff after graduating from the University of Pretoria. He is coaching rowing to great effect. Craig married Elana, they have a baby and are now residents in New Zealand.
Barry (“Percy”) and Roseanne Perciva l(Staff 91-96) were popular members of the Art Department. Percy ran the Christian Forum and Hockey with notable success and was Assistant Housemaster of Founders. Gosho Park flourished under his direction with new buildings and exciting additions to the animal population. He left to be Senior Master at Lendy Park School and succeed George Martin as its Headmaster. He immigrated to the UK in 2002.
Joe Porter (Staff 68-76) was tragically killed in a car accident on 30 June 1976 leaving a wife and young family. Prior to coming to Peterhouse Joe trained with the Society of Jesus. In the nine years he served the school Joe played an enormously active part in the coaching and organisation of games and displayed fantastic pastoral skills.
Arthur Postles (Staff 69-74) who was first associated with the school when it was being originally being built, taught carpentry in the ’70s for the five years prior to his retirement to Marondera.
Avril Pratt (Staff 87-02) a founder member of the PHG staff was responsible for the development of the Art School and gave much in other areas as a Tutor and House Proctor; as the founder chairperson of the SRC and as friend of all. She has retired with her husband Steve to live in France.
C T Priestley (Staff 65-70) came to Peterhouse after a distinguished career at Cheltenham, Sandhurst and in Hong Kong. We were fortunate to enjoy his perceptive mind, his gift for quietly winning the confidence of boys and his deep-seated love of hockey. He retired without fanfare in1970 and, after a spell in England and a successful hip operation, returned to Salisbury where he lived quietly in retirement writing until he died in 1974.
The Chaplain Rev George Punshon retired at the end of 2003 and returned to the UK.
Reg and Martha Querl (Staff 86-01) Reg was schooled at Guineafowl and graduated from Rhodes University with a BA and Graduate Certificate of Education. He was Head of the Geography and latterly the Sports Administrator and Preparatory Schools’ Liaison Officer and coached water polo, cricket, athletics and rugby and the successful 2000 Zimbabwe Craven Week XV. Reg was Housemaster of Paget for eleven years and the inspiration behind falconry in the school. Martha taught Geography and coached a range of sporting teams at PHG with notable success, in addition to being i/c Upper School Girls. Reg is Headmaster of Falcon College. Our loss is their very great gain. Reg and Martha now reside in Victoria Falls.
Bryan Rademeyer (Staff11) who taught Physical Education and was the live-in tutor in Tinokura left to get married and teach at Gateway.
Simon Raeside (Staff 04) an ATS Bursar holder from Rhodes taught English during 2004.
Hugh Ramsbotham (Staff 63-72) taught history with distinction and built up the Careers Department. He taught for for many years at Shrewsbury School, Shropshire but has now retired and is living in Wales, near the Beaumont (Audrey, not Oliver!) family. Hugh is in charge of the Old Salopian Society, which seems to involve him in a lot of travelling at the Old Boys’ expense (Petreans please copy!) The Petrean secretary visited Hugh & Juliet at their home in Wales in August 2001, not long before Hugh had a heart attack, which mercifully turned out to be not too serious, as far as we can gather.hughmr@tiscali.co.uk
The Raynor tribe – There have been three generation of Raynors at Peterhouse: Peter Raynor, who taught Latin in the ’60s and early ’70s, farmed near Marondera and sadly died in February 2003. His son Giles'(F74) Marondera tobacco farm was expropriated in 2002. His other son Humphrey (P70) still produces copious quantities of wine in Wedza. He was shot in the leg in an incident in Harare in July 2000, but has recovered. Peter’s older grandson Duncan was the 123 kg tight head prop of the 2000/01 Rugby XVs and played for Zim Schools. He went to Hartpury Agricultural College on a rugby scholarship and captained their U19 side in 2002. The second came to the senior school in 2001. His granddaughter Geraldine was the 2002 PHG Headgirl. raynor@ecoweb.co.zw
Bryony Rheam who was Head of English left at the end of 2004 and then taught at Girls College in Bulawayo after “spending time” at Ruzawi and Watershed. She and John Barrie teach at Simba and they have two daughters. Being on maternity leave in 2009 did not stopped her from publishing her first, epic novel about a family’s experience in Zimbabwe from the Second World War to the present day, This September Sun, published by ‘ama Books. It is available in shops in Bulawayo and Harare, or directly fromamabooksbyo@gmail.com..
Revd John Read (Staff 73-76) who introduced a quiet revolution in his four years as Chaplain with voluntary services and placing a greater emphasis on personal commitment, left to become the Chaplain at the University of Cape Town. He now lives in Potchefstroom, and works at the University there, having remarried some years ago.
Jim Redfern took over as Housemaster of Ellis in 2000 and continues to teach Management of Business. Jim, still married to Ellaine live in Borradaile Trust.
Harriet Rinashe (Staff 06 and 11 to present) returned in 2011 after a spell in South Africa to teach English. Harriet is the Housemistress of A Block, Elisabeth House.
Peter Roberts (Staff 90-01) who taught at Springvale House for 11 years, was last seen heading for England where he was intending to take a break from teaching.
Kathy Robertson (Staff 93-95) first taught English at Peterhouse for 6 years during the ’80s. She returned in 1993, while keeping up her UNISA studies for a degree in Clinical Psychology. Time was at a premium, but Kathy still managed to involve herself in out-of-class activities such as coaching tennis, drama, teaching guitar, staff plays, Choral Society and overseeing Chapel readers. She left to teach English and was Deputy Head at Watershed College until she left to live in Harare at the end of 2001as Headmistress of Heritage School. She made a welcome return as Senior Housemistress of PHG, exceptionally imaginative and inspiring English teacher and Head of Department, music teacher and in charge of the Junior Choir, running Allied Arts speech, drama and literary sections and heading the cultural activities before leaving for South Africa in 2006.
John Roe (Staff 64-66) was head of English at Cleethorpes’ Grammar School on leaving Peterhouse before moving to Adelaide, South Australia,
John Wade Roebuck (Bursar 84-88) lives north of Belfast. He underwent major heart surgery in 2003.oliver.roebuck@btinternet.com.
Kathy {Roselt} Harington (Staff 89-92) taught English and her acting skills were evident in several fine roles in school productions including Equusin the amphitheatre. She also took diving at Ruzawi and tennis and hockey. Kathy left to go on an extended world tour and was married to Hugh Harington (P80) in the school chapel in December 1997. They had a farm in the Victory Block near Harare, but wrote in April 2003: “We are now live near Coolum, South East Queensland renovating old houses. Our son Daniel was born in November last year. “hugh_kath@bigpond.com.
Peter Roselt (Staff 95-97) taught at Girls’ College, Bulawayo on leaving Peterhouse, but immigrated to New Zealand in 2000 to start a new life. He initially taught English as a foreign language at a school south of Auckland but has branched out working for Train Smart a private training establishment.
Francis Rosier (Staff 94-95) came to Peterhouse via Gifford Technical Teachers’ Training College, Hallingbury School, a stint in farming and five years’ teaching at Ruzawi. He left to become headmaster of Lilfordia. He now lives in Sevenoaks, Kent frozz1@hotmail.com
Sister Joan Sandall SRN (Staff 84-96) A Petrean parent, Joan not only ran the San with some style for over a decade but also the Garden Committee; and that through a number of drought years. While ever quick to spot the malingerer, Joan inspired confidence in boys and parents alike. She was a hard act to follow. Joan’s husband Roger was the Estate Manager in the early ’80s and they retired to Marondera. Roger died in 2000, but Joan continued to be involved in the organisation and running of the school gardens and nursery. She had moved to Harare in 2011 after leaving Marondera district after 30 years. js@zol.co.zw .
Simon and Michelle Scott-Elliot (Staff 03 – 11) taught at Hillcrest but spent 2002 in England and New Zealand. Simon taught History and English, and was a Hockey and Cricket Coach while Michelle taught Geography and science subjects. Simon took over as Housemaster of Snell in 2006. Simon has been appointed Deputy Headmaster of Ruzawi from 2012 but Michelle stayed on to teach in the Science Department. Michelle was the Director of Studies at Peterhouse Girls, and has now been appointed for the first time ever as the Director of Academic Advancement for the Group of Schools.
Julianne Seaman (PHG96 and Staff12 to present) graduated with a BA in French and Tourism from Oxford Brookes University. She worked in Victoria Falls and Harare co-ordinating a cruise boat on the Zambezi then moved in 2004 to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. She came back to teach French and Travel and Tourism in 2011. Julianne left the Group in 2016
Godfrey Sellers (Staff 56-57) the first Director of Music, retired as Director of Music at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, UK in 1979 to become a lecturer in music at Nottingham University.
Pippa Sex (Staff 97-99) who was Head of Geography, a house tutor and coached various sports is now teaching at Queenswood School, Hatfield, Herts.
David “Thumby” Shaw (Staff 74 – 05) who was Director of Studies and a gifted physics and electronics teacher is now at Kingswood in Grahamstown.
Marionelle Shaw (Staff11 to present) joined us from teaching history in South Africa and to teach History. She is a key member of our sports department and Christian Fellowship.
Andrew (E87) and Sarah Shoesmith nee Lewis (S90) are both loyal Petreans! Andrew and Sarah returned to teach at Peterhouse in 2008. Sarah a passionate an animated teacher of sciences, Sarah also takes annual expeditions to very exciting places including 24 pupils to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro in 2011 and then 24 pupils to the base camp of Mt Everest, Nepal in 2014 as well as Batoko Gorge White Water Rafting and sailing across Kariba. Sarah is now the Director of Extra Curricular Activities for Peterhouse and the coordinator of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. She will take over as the Director of the Infinity Programme when Andrew departs. Andrew took over as housemaster of Tinokura in 2012, (thereby enabling him to join Sarah’s amazing Expeditions) and was later promoted to become the first formally appointed Deputy Headmaster of Peterhouse Boys in 2016; Andrew also ran and initiated the Infinity Programme at Peterhouse. He will be moving on to run Outward Bound Zimbabwe from January 2018. Sarah and Andrew left Zimbabwe at the end of 2020 to start a career in the UK at Culford School. They have 3 children Cullen, Ben and Genevieve.
Kate Sigsworth (Staff 04 -05) taught Secretarial Practice and established Tourism and Travel as an ‘A’ level subject. She was reported in 2007 to be married to Adam Burgess.
Audrey Simpson (Staff 61-74) who ran the accounts and the Peterhouse Provident Fund with great dedication and efficiency for 13 years, died in Marondera in 1980.
Grant Sinclair (P84-04) after teaching at St George’s and a spell in business, has taught on the Peterhouse staff for years along with his wife Kate, whose acclaimed musical productions have included Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Songs from the Shows. He took over as Housemaster of Malvern in 2000 but sadly left at the end of 2004 for New Zealand. They live in Blenheim.
Sandy Singleton (Staff 64-83) Peterhouse was privileged to have Sandy Singleton both in the class room, as careers master and as its cricket coach for the 20 years to his retirement in 1983 and is is with great sadness that we record his death in March 1999. Sandy was all round cricketer of immense talent and a shrewd and charismatic leader, captaining Shrewsbury, Oxford University, Worcester and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) in a wonderful career. Sandy was involved in a broad range of activities at the school and is pictured in action at the Engineering Club. He spent his retirement in Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia following the cricket on TV and telling everyone how the “pyjama game” had spoilt the finer points of real Test Cricket, until he was cruelly been afflicted with Alzheimer’s. Sandy’s was a lifetime of great achievement, which he never flaunted as most men would have. In his years at Peterhouse he had a profound influence on many boys and was instrumental in establishing the school’s sporting tradition and sense of competitive fair play. See the obituary from “The Daily Telegraph” and a tribute to Sandy in the Nostalgia Page.
Polly Singleton (Staff 64-83) who celebrated her 80th birthday in 1996 by doing a tandem parachute jump for reasons best known to herself, lived in retirement in Wagga Wagga surrounded by her family and painting. She sadly died of liver cancer in October 2001. wjsingleton@ozemail.com.au
Lesley Smith (Staff 91-93) who taught piano and violin to members of all three schools and ran the orchestra, was last sighted heading for that well-known employer of ex-Peterhouse staff, the International School in Bophuthatswana.
Fred and Margaret Snell (Staff 54-67) had an active retirement, latterly at Borradaile Trust in Marondera. Fred died in May 1991 – see the tribute to him in Nostalgia. In his retirement he was involved with Bernard Mizeki College and the Shrine and active in Anglican Church affairs and they continued to use Giant’s Castle during the War years. Margaret, who was a graduate of Somerville College, Oxford taught Biology and other subjects at Peterhouse, died in 1995.
Tongayi Songore was Deputy Housemaster of Snell, Head of History and runs the basketball to great effect. Sadly Tongayi passed away in 2019.
Billy St John Billy joined the group of schools in 2008 as the director of music, Billy has produced fantastic musicals namely AIDA and Sister Act the musical. Saldy Billy leaves us in October of 2018 to further his studies in his Masters in Music – Australia. billyjames85@gmail.com
Catherine “Cabby” Stirling (PHG02 -present) is the PHG Head of Music. She is a talented violinist and has quickly become immersed in the musical life of the three schools.
Canon Anthony Stidolph (Staff 2010 – present) is the Chaplain.
Sam Stoyle (Staff 60-62) who taught French at Peterhouse and was a most fantastic jazz pianist, went on to be Headmaster of the International School, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Robert and Chris Strawson (Staff 88) Robert is Head of the Physics Department at Abingdon School, and Chris is teaching at King Alfred’s School, Wantage.robert.strawson@abingdon.org.uk.
Val Sutherland (Staff 80-81) ran the laundry for some years. She was very much into the occult or super-natural world. Just as the beautifully ironed laundry was always whiter that white, on occasions her staff certainly were!
Catherine Swanepoel (Staff 02-03) started her teaching career at PHG and hardly paused for breath! She was a great asset to the Science Department and coached tennis, hockey and athletics with success and dedication. She was last sighted heading overseas to travel for a year.
Revd Robert “Baba” Tandi (Staff 84-95) came from Bernard Mizeki College to head the Shona Department, teach Divinity and be the assistant Chaplain with special responsibilities for the village chapels. Baba took charge of the night school, which helped school workers study for public exams and ran Kukura Neshungu. He returned to full-time ministry as the Rector of Mufakose Parish in 1995 but came to back teach Shona and as Assistant Chaplain until his retirement in 2002. He is especially remembered for his excellent work in our villages.
Sarah Taylor (Staff 11 to present) came from the University of Cape Town to teach Geography.
Tenson Tinofirei (Staff 95-02) came to Peterhouse from Goromonzi High. Tinos co-ordinated the teaching of A Level Science in Mashonaland East and was a National Chief Examiner of Physics. He was Head of Physics and house tutor in Snell and now teaches at a comprehensive school in Bedford, UK. His sense of humour is much missed.
Jon and Gwyneth Trafford (Staff 85-91) have three daughters. Jon coached 1st XV and Zimbabwe Schools rugby and Gwyneth was in the accounts department. They moved to The International School of South Africa, Mafikeng for four years, where Jon was the Housemaster of a co-ed house. In 1996 they moved to Michaelhouse, where Jon was appointed Head of Geography, then Housemaster of Farfield and in 1999 1st XV rugby coach. Gwyneth ran a small, but successful, bookkeeping/accounting company for farmers in the Nottingham Road area. In 2004 Jon was appointed Headmaster of Chester house, a new school in Durbanville, Western Province.
Jon and Gwyneth returned to Peterhouse in January 2020, just in time to take over the reins and lead the school as Rector through the treacherous COVID era. Not an easy nor pleasant time.
Corrado Trinci (Staff 87-92) is the leading conductor in Zimbabwe. He arrived in 1987 from St George’s to teach English and History. Out of school the conductor of the Harare Sinfonietta Orchestra, Corrado made an immediate impact by starting up a school orchestra, something which had been sadly lacking. He also taught the violin and in 1991 became Director of Music, a post he filled with distinction. Corrado went back to St George’s, but is now Headmaster at Hellenic School, though still very involved in music. Corrado is currently the Head Master at St Johns College in Harare (2018)
Revd Ivan ‘Turkey’ Turkington (Staff 59-63) was Assistant Chaplain before going to Geelong Grammar School in Australia. He then became Chaplain of Glenalmond in Scotland and the Vicar of Beckingham in South Yorkshire. Ivan died there in 1991 and left his entire estate to Peterhouse, including his books and huge record collection. His ashes are laid to rest in the graveyard at Peterhouse, where he “spent the happiest years of his working life.”
Marie van Aarde retired in 2003 to Borradaile Trust after 12 years as PHG Housekeeper.
Brian van den Berg (Staff 95-98) who taught a wide variety of subjects, coached athletics and cross country and was an enthusiastic cyclist left at the end of 1998.
Barbara van Heerden (Staff 99 – 04) who was Head of Geography, sadly passed away of Cancer in 2021.
Sue van Heerden (Staff 99-00) arrived fresh from Rhodes and taught English for two years, was the live-in house tutor at Tinokura and coached hockey and tennis. She headed for England where she was working as a supply teacher when we last heard. Sue returned to teach at her beloved Peterhouse, before also passing away suddenly from Cancer in 2018.
John Vahey (Staff 71-73) who ran the First XI hockey with great success losing only five games in his three seasons, left for a teaching position at Ruzawi and is now, we believe, at Kingswood in Grahamstown.
A Petrean, Derick Vincent (P87 and Staff 92-94) distinguished himself at the school by achieving four As at A Level. After gaining a BSc at Pietermaritzburg University, Derick returned to teaching maths and physics and as House Tutor of Grinham. Rowing flourished under his charge and he organised two successful rowing tours. The Christian Forum grew in numbers and maturity under his oversight, despite his guitar playing! He was also involved in rock climbing and in Gosho Park of which he had been a founding member as a student. Derick left to go into full time Christian work with Zambezi Ministries.
Ian Walker (Staff 69-78) who was instrumental in introducing Nuffield Physics to Peterhouse was last seen heading for a new life in New Zealand.
Scott Walraven (2016-Present): Scott joined the Peterhouse Group after completing a BA in History and Politics and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education in 2016 at Rhodes University. He is a Petrean after 6 years at Peterhouse Boys from 2006 to 2011. Was an In-House Tutor of Paget House as well as a History teacher and rowing coach. His wife Stephanie teaches at Springvale House, they have a young son named Alec who was born in 2018. Scott is now the Housemaster of Snell
David Walsh (Staff) moved to Mafikeng and The International School of South Africa, but left in 1995 to teach in Syria. He returned to Zimbabwe and now teaches History at St George’s.
Simon Walsh (Staff 97-98) arrived fresh from Rhodes University and will be remembered for his enthusiasm and involvement in many aspects of school life including rowing in the staff crew, coaching basketball at PGH with notable success, starting an astronomy club and getting his physics class to polish a mirror which is now mounted on an orbiting satellite. He is back teaching at his old school, St John’s. The catering staff are still relieved he’s gone, what an appetite! The rest of us would welcome him back.
Hywell Waters (Staff 00-01) was last sighted working as a freelance photographer in England.hywellwaters@hotmail.com
Phil “Pug” Ward (Staff 68 – 2015) The 2001 Lent Term was Pug’s 100th term of teaching at Peterhouse. The event was celebrated by a dinner in the Hall. He joined the staff in 1968 and has been here ever since having taught mathematics, been Housemaster of Ellis, run the Squash and Soccer and more recently, has been Senior Master, a position he relinquished at the end of 2001, PEW, Retired from teaching at Peterhouse Boys in December 2015, he is currently residing at Borridaile Trust with his wife Gerry and trusty companion ‘Shadow’. PEW UPDATED 2017 pew@peterhouse.co.zw
John Wearmouth (Staff 89) was the Director of Music at a prep school in England when we last heard. Who can forget his choir’s performance of Carmina Burana at the girls’ school, when he struck Debbie Strong with his baton, because she wasn’t paying attention?
Shamiso Whitcomb (PHG03 and Staff 12 – present) teaches science, flute and oboe. She studied at Roosevelt Academy, Middelburg, and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
Ant Webb-Martin (Staff 92) left the SVH staff to become Headmaster of Bishopslea in Harare. He now runs the IT department of a prep school in Surrey, UK. Having left Bishopslea in September 2001.
Tony Wilde (Staff 89-04) left for Harare after 15 years running the Estates and Maintenance Departments.
Dr N A F “Bob” Williams – It is with great sadness that we reported the death in July 2002 of Dr N A F “Bob” Williams, father of Michael (M63) and Chris (M68), Patron of the school and former Chairman of the Board of Governors, who was vitally involved in the foundation of the school, the “lean years” of the late ’70s, the acquisition of the Springvale campus and all the marvellous developments that have followed from that. Visit his Reflections on 40 Years at Peterhouse. His wife Marize Williams, died of of a heart attack in Florida over Christmas 1998, while on holiday with her family. She was a keen supporter of the school over many years and a renowned teacher in Harare.
Father Derek Williams (Staff 91-93) of the white cassock and red beard first went to South Africa as a missionary of the Order of the Community of the Resurrection (Mirfield) and transferred to St Augustine’s, Penhalonga. When the CRs returned to the UK, Father Derek elected to remain in Zimbabwe and return to parish ministry. He brought a depth and breadth of educational, cultural and spiritual experience to his duties in the physics labs, the Divinity and Shona Departments and as a Malvern House tutor. Always a somewhat controversial figure with both staff and students, Derek attempted to show us the way towards a balanced spirituality, seeing the power and presence of God in reason as well as sacrament. He left to enter semi-retirement at the Eastern Highlands Trust and to be Priest-in-Charge of the Anglican Church in Chimanimani and died in Mutare in 2001.
The Wood family. Paul (P70) hitched to Istanbul from the UK on his way to Australia where he farmed in Tasmania before enrolling at Ridley College, Melbourne University as a “mature age” theology student. He is married with three children and is the Vicar of Point Lonsdale in Victoria. Austin sadly died in 1984 when he was working at Grasslands Research Centre, and David is a teacher in Bath, UK and has five children. Their mother died in 1994 after a long battle with Altzheimer’s and their father “Sam” went on to be the Bishop of Matabeleland, assistant Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of Ludlow before retiring in Tenby, Pembroke. He lives near Felicity in Cardiff where he still preaches at Llandaff Cathedral. Felicity is married to the Secretary to the Trade Unions in Wales. Cecelia is married to a Frenchman and lives in St Germain-en-Laye just outside Paris.
George (Staff 02-04) and Frances Yiend (Staff 02-05) joined us from Hillcrest in Mutare, where they were founding members of the staff. Frances was Director of Music and George taught English. George retired to England to earn his living as an artist and was followed by Frances a couple of terms later.
Connie Zaayman (Staff 96-03 and 05 – present) feminist, loner, tree lover and owner of vintage cars, who came to Peterhouse from Chisipite was an outstanding teacher and Head of English . She bought a house near Penhalonga and was teaching at Hillcrest, near Mutare, but happily returned to Peterhouse in 2005 to teach A Level English. Connie passed away in her home at Peterhouse in 2020, she is buried in the Peterhouse Cemetery.
Luckymore Zinyama (P84) left the school to go into business in 1999. He had been in charge of the Business Department, ran the soccer and was a house tutor. He is involved in the promotion of tourism – a difficult job at this time.
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