Jolyon Waterfield (Headmaster 1985-1997)
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of former Edge Grove Headmaster, Jolyon Waterfield, who sadly and suddenly passed away at home on the 12th June 2020. Jolyon left Edge Grove as a boy in 1946, to take his place with a scholarship at RNC Dartmouth and to begin what would be a 25-year career in the Royal Navy. In 1972, he and his wife Sally moved back to Edge Grove, Sally to take over the ‘Headmaster’s wife’ role in the school and Jolyon to spend two years at a College of Education near Luton. In 1975, he joined the staff, following in his father’s footsteps, teaching Maths. In 1985, on Jimmy Pratt’s retirement, he was appointed Headmaster by the Governors, leading the school through twelve years of development - the new dining room with dormitories above, science building, Pre Prep, and had led the planning of the Jubilee building, Sports Hall and the development of the Theatre (Assembly Hall) and Music School around the Headmasters’ courtyard, a project that was completed in 2000, three years after his retirement to Wiltshire. Memories of bedtime stories of campaign derring-do and ghosts, Autumn bonfires and Sunday afternoon borders' sausage sizzles in Cub Wood abound but he, and Sally, will be most fondly remembered for the grace, humour and good manners with which they conducted their lives, both in and out of school, and for the interest in and care for all who were part of the Edge Grove community.
Neil Wilson (Edge Grove 1968-1974)
Neil Christopher Wilson died on 4th June 2020 at the age of 59 of a brain tumour. A bright and sporting boy, he followed his brother Gavin to Edge Grove and on to Oundle, where he was placed in an accelerated stream. For the first three years of his time at Edge Grove, Neil was a dayboy; for his second three years, he boarded, in preparation for the rigours of public school. While at Edge Grove, he represented the school in various football, rugby and cricket teams. At Oundle he took A-levels in Maths, French and German, afterwards realising that his interests lay more in computation than in linguistics. He took an A-level in Statistics before studying for a degree in Applied Maths at Exeter. Upon graduation he took an IT job with Dickinson Robinson in Bristol, which was the start of his career in programming and systems analysis. Exeter brought Neil to the West Country, and he never left, marrying Jane, a music teacher at a nearby comprehensive, and living in Horfield, Temple Cloud and finally Hallatrow. Two daughters, Grace and Ellie, arrived, becoming the focus of a close-knit and happy family.
Besides working for a number of financial and legal firms, Neil always maintained a healthy balance with his other interests, which included boardgaming, electronic music creation, and the outdoor wood-throwing game known as Kubb. Neil was a central figure in the adoption of this Nordic game in England, organising frequent competitions and a website.
He had been planning to retire at 60, but this goal was destroyed by the diagnosis of brain cancer last December. A major operation removed some of the tumour, but it was made clear by the doctors that the family should make the most of the months he was likely to have left. With Jane, he organised a celebratory lunch for family and relatives in a countryside pub, just days before the coronavirus lockdown. His parents, who are still alive and living in Radlett, were too unwell themselves to attend.
Neil died at home with Jane, Grace and Ellie at the end of a happy day. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.
