Mini Biographies of OLs

Send your mini-biog to Webmaster!

embers who are willing to share with other OLs how they've spent their time since leaving school are invited to condense their life story to less than 200 words with up to four close-up photos for inclusion on this page. Maurice Hobden has provided an example below. If you have had a quite remarkable life that would be worthy of a more substantial autobiography please email your webmaster to discuss the possibilities. We are all curious about our friends' lives and travels and here is your chance to put your life story on the record. Don't be shy! Give us the highlights of your life after leaving school.

Regretfully, direct uploading to this page by members is a bit too difficult to arrange but if you email the text and pictures to Webmaster we should be able to present a reasonable finished result.

Fred Cosstick 1930-37

A Foundation Scholar of the School

red Costick was educated at Lewes County Grammar School and King Alfred's College, Winchester. After seven years' war service as a Gunner and Staff Officer he was at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, reading history and playing rugby.

After seven years' international business experience, in the Red Sea, East Africa, New York and Montreal, he taught modern languages at King's College School, Wimbledon. On retirement he became an English examiner in the Preparation des Grandes Ecoles at the Lycée Janson de Sailly, Paris, and spent eleven years living in France before finally retiring to Eastbourne where he wrote his biography of Federico da Montefeltro.

Biography of Federico da Montefeltro (1422-1482)

"The Honourable Mercenary"

Duke Federico and the Palace of Urbino

Federico was born illegitimately in Gubbio in June 1422 and was immediately claimed by Count Guidantonio da Montefeltro as his son and heir, his wife being childless. Eventually he succeeded Guidantonio as Lord of Urbino and became the most famous condottiere of his age. In 1474 he was created Duke and Gonfaloniere by the Pope, awarded the Ermine by the King of Naples and made a Knight of the Garter by Edward IV of England. After a turbulent and eventful life he died in 1482 in Ferrara while commanding the Italian League against Venice and the Pope. This is the story of his life -- the first to appear in print for 150 years.

Peter Fellows 50-56

hen reading our website I re-discovered that not only was I once form captain, but also won a class prize, which is still on my bookshelf. I did not excel at any sport except perhaps Cross Country where I never came lower than 5th for Lewes House. Deciding against further education, I made a career in the retail trade, missing National Service by just eleven days because of my birthdate!

In 1995 I retired at 55 years as sales and personnel manager of Gamleys Toy Company. Patricia and I have been married for 39 years, having three children including one Tibetan, who we adopted when he was 16. We have 4 grandchildren and these days live in Seaford.

I have a private pilots licence and together with five others, built a full size open cockpit biplane which I fly. My interest in aviation extends to conducting tours around Shoreham Airport and writing a book about the Tidemills, the Newhaven WW1 Seaplane Base. I would be pleased to hear from any of you who remember me at school.

Maurice Hobden 44-51

CAME to LCGSB from a village school during the war. Living in a remote hamlet far from Lewes, after-school activities were rare for me. My main interest then was short-wave amateur radio. I took School Cert a year early and scraped into the Sixth form a few days after my 16th birthday. I enjoyed my time in the Science Sixth and did well, though I had to abandon my amateur radio interests because of the amount of A level work required. But with some help and encouragement from NRB, Mr Hoggins and "Killer" Jones (who gave me personal coaching to get through the Latin O level exam) I won a place at Keble College, Oxford.

After two years National Service as an RAF radar technician, I went up to Oxford obtained a double First in Physics and stayed on for a D.Phil. in low temperature physics. Forsaking Academia, my whole career was spent in the scientific civil service working on various topics including laser systems, optics, crystallography, computers, missile guidance, digital image processing and transmission systems.

My wife Rosemary and I, we met at Oxford, have five children and twelve grand-children. Now retired and living in the south-west midlands, I work on various computer projects, including the Old Lewesians website, gardening, walking and entertaining grandchildren - a full time job! Although I passed the Radio Amateurs examination (at 35!) I never did master morse code and never became a licensed radio amateur much as I would have liked to.

Click on my photo above to see my progress through life!

Graeme Talboys 67-69

joined LCGSB in 1967 leaving Priory School in 1972 and completed my teacher training in Birmingham in 1975. Thereafter, I taught Drama, English and Humanities in schools in Shropshire, Lancashire, and Sussex. Following a bout of ill-health I returned to work as a teacher within museums. After a number of years doing this and working my way up to head an award winning department, ill-health struck again.

Largely housebound these days, I was saved from spending my time staring at a wall by writing. I had already been working on a text book on museum education when I had to retire. This and a second work on museum education have gone to several editions. I've had a number of other non-fiction works published, along with several novels.

I now live in Scotland with my wife and a part-time cat (and 5 million Scots).

Clive Phillips 1961-68

rom Buxted Primary, the "Uckfield Flyer" brought me to LCGS. Rather ebullient, I stood in a wastebin for a lesson (Mr Gem) and also endured the cane (Mr Fanner).

Stays in Blois and a term in Bavaria made languages really come alive. I never looked back, winning a place at Oriel College, Oxford to read Modern Languages, including a year's teaching in Perpignan.

In 1973 I entered the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall. First posting was Berlin as translator/interpreter in the Allied Staff with US/UK/French military - a touchstone of the Cold War.

Back in Whitehall: WMD-related export controls, developing a frigate with France and Italy and leading a team delivering and outsourcing translation/interpreting.

Played rugby for 27 years, including German clubs.

Since early retirement I run a freelance translation business and do voluntary work. Married with two adult stepchildren and a teen daughter.

Perhaps classmates would like to see your career featured here ?