Where Are They Now?

Keith S.J. Sunderland (69-76)

I am now an official pensioner in Germany having reached the retiring age of 66 in August 2025. I spend my time walking our Labrador, Abby, and helping my wife support our three children and their husbands and wife who are all currently getting houses set up. In particular our eldest son and his wife who has just given birth to our second grandson, Christopher, a brother for Ben. I recently translated my mother-in-law’s book from German into English which she wrote and had published before she died in 2018. It is a biography of her life and how she survived the persecution caused by her first father-in-law who was executed by the Nazis for being involved in the assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944, what it was like living under the Russians and her escape to West Germany (clinging to the underside of a railway carriage). This has given me an incentive to write down my own, meagre exploits to pass on my life experiences to my family. It has been fun writing about my time at the Grove, recollecting some of the episodes I and my fellow Grovians experienced! I am grateful for the school digital archives which have provided me with one or two photographs

I keep in touch with Moti Stephens (69-76) who lives in Halifax running his own building company and of course my brother, Alan Sunderland (66-73) who spends the winter months beating for the local shoot.

Douglas Briggs (80-87, st03-05)

Since my 2024 Xaipete update, I have represented Wales M55 in the road half marathon held in Swansea and the off-road half marathon in the Forest of Dean both races were against England.

I have also been selected again for the British and Irish Masters XC, which this year is being held on 15th November 2025 in Roundhay Park, so very excited about the opportunity to come back up to Leeds and race.

Pablo Benito Martin (17-21)

Looking back on my years at Woodhouse Grove School from 2017 to 2021, I am always struck by how profoundly they shaped the person I am today. Although I arrived as a Spanish student stepping into a completely new environment, I left with a sense of confidence, purpose and humanity that continues to guide me. The academic challenges were important, of course, but it was the personal lessons; living in an international community, learning to collaborate, and understanding what it means to lead with integrity, that have stayed with me the most.

Those lessons accompany me daily in my current role as President of ELSA Spain, part of ELSA “The European Law Students’ Association”, the largest law students’ organisation in the world with more than 60,000 members. On 1 August 2025, I began my mandate, and together with my Board we now have the privilege of coordinating more than 3,000 members across 24 universities here in Spain, a number that will soon expand beyond thirty. It is an extraordinary responsibility, but also a constant reminder of the power of community, something Woodhouse Grove instilled in me from the very beginning.

In many ways, ELSA Spain is the perfect complement to the academic life of any law student. Members join for different reasons: to strengthen their academic or professional profile, to connect with leading law firms, to engage in human rights work, to visit public institutions, or simply to find a group of friends who share their ambitions. Yet regardless of the motivation, they remain because ELSA Spain offers what every student needs at some point in their journey: a place to belong, to grow, and to discover who they want to become.

As I continue my fifth year of the bilingual double degree in Law & Business Administration, I can say with complete honesty that ELSA Spain has supported me in every stage of my career. Taking on the presidency felt like the most natural way to give back, a way to return a part of everything I have received. Leadership, I have learned, is not about holding a position but about serving people, and doing so with humility and dedication remains the greatest honour I could ask for.

For that reason, I owe a sincere thank you to Woodhouse Grove School. The lessons I learned there, both inside the classroom and in the boarding environment, formed the foundation of my approach to leadership. Soft skills, resource management, problem-solving, teamwork, and above all, the commitment to lead with humanity were values instilled in me during those formative years. They have guided every decision I have made since. As I look ahead to the remaining months of my mandate, I carry the school’s influence with me every day. The Grove spirit taught me that excellence is not achieved alone, but together.

And for that, I will always be grateful.

Josie Gorton (20-22)

In 2024, Woodhouse Grove generously donated a large quantity of sports kit to the Volunteer Zambia project - a charity dedicated to developing young coaches in football, netball and basketball. The programme places a strong emphasis on supporting young girls, helping them build confidence and sporting ability while also working to reduce teenage pregnancies. Alongside coaching, the girls receive valuable education on personal hygiene and wellbeing.

I spent two months in Zambia working within the netball programme, helping to develop the fantastic group of coaches pictured. Our aim was to equip them with the skills and knowledge they need to inspire the next generation of players and coaches. Younger leaders are also given the opportunity to earn a coaching qualification through workshops delivered by the volunteers.

The experience was unforgettable. I met some of the happiest, most resilient people despite them having so little. I was based at the Matero Hubsite, which hosts both netball and football programmes. The photos show the Matero coaches proudly wearing the donated kit.

John Haiste (56-63)

After leaving The Grove in 1963 I studied civil engineering at Leeds University, graduating in 1966. I am still in touch with a few Old Grovians who were my contemporaries at both school and university.

I had a long and enjoyable career in civil engineering, primarily on design and construction of water and wastewater projects which encompassed a wide range of disciplines and roles. In later years I became a technical adviser in water related litigation and in dispute resolution on international construction contracts. I worked in over 30 countries overseas with some fascinating experiences and was able to retire gradually, reaching full retirement only in my late 70's. Civil engineering is a satisfying career that I would highly recommend.

Peter Wright (66-73)

Upon leaving The Grove, I took a four-year degree course in Town Planning at Aston University and then stayed on in Birmingham to undertake research for the Department of the Environment on a number of urban issues. In 1979 I moved into main-stream planning with Birmingham City Council where I spent the next 37 years fulfilling a satisfying and successful career.

A mid-career MBA helped me rise through the ranks, ending up as the Area Manager for half the city with responsibility for planning, regeneration and economic development. During this time, I worked on many prestigious and fulfilling projects (e.g. the redevelopment of the MG Rover factory in to a vibrant new community, major refurbishments of the Cadbury factory, Edgbaston Cricket ground and the QE hospital, and working with all the major supermarkets and housing developers). I worked with many MPs and politicians and had the pleasure of participating in overseas projects in Germany, Malta and Sweden.

Happily married to Christine, a hospital optometrist, for 43 years, we have a daughter Emma, working as a specialist nurse at Solihull and Heartlands Hospitals, and a son Matthew who is flying Chinook helicopters with the RAF. I am still heavily involved with my local Methodist church and enjoy hiking, gardening, reading and sport. I’d be delighted to hear from any of my contemporaries.

David Leslie Hartley (46-51)

A faded, small, folded and seemingly insignificant Prize Day Programme, dated the 7th July 1951, detailing David’s final year at Woodhouse Grove, has led to a deep reflection of his years at the school, and the challenges and adventures that have made up the ‘best years’ of his life since that experience. Now at 91 years of age, he has time on his hands to actively contemplate and recall past times, so far from his birthplace of Leeds, down-under in Whakatane, New Zealand, his nirvana now for almost 40 years.

Born and raised in Headingley, Leeds, David was the third child and only son of Victoria (known as Lucy) and Harold Hartley. The family were manufacturers of packaging products and paper bags, and operated a large factory, Osmond Hartley and Sons, on the edge of Leeds City Centre. David’s early years were spent at home with a nanny / nursery nurse, while his older sisters were at school. It was wartime and the constraints of rationing were evident in the economies of running most households. David’s family were still able to have holidays on the east coast seaside towns like Bridlington and Redcar. They had part time domestic staff at home, something most families were unable to afford or experience in the post-depression and war years.

David attended Miss Bowman’s Preparatory School before commencing his formal education at the Leeds Council Primary School, on Bennett Road in 1941. He joined the Northwest Leeds Cub Scouts in June 1942, which he says he really enjoyed, as this experience socialised him with other children. His final primary year was at Brudenell Council School near Hyde Park before he moved into Woodhouse Grove as a Boarder on September 18th 1946.

David’s recollections of that time vary between his early homesickness at being apart from his doting mother and older sisters Barbara and Margaret, whom he missed terribly and the experience of becoming independent. His interests at school mostly focused on the natural sciences, botany and small animals, along with history and geography. His reports record him to be a ‘steady’ and reliable student. He sang in the school choir and wasn’t that interested in sport but took part when required. He recalls tennis and swimming as being ‘somewhat enjoyable’. He most definitely did not enjoy the housemaster who required the boys to be up early and to swim in icy cold water…which he remembers vividly. He was awarded the 1947 and 1948 Form Prize at Woodhouse Grove and passed his GCE exams (newly introduced in 1951) in English Literature, Geography, Art, Chemistry and Physics.

Upon leaving Woodhouse Grove, David undertook his National Service (a requirement in post-war Britain) in the Arny stationed in Edinburgh. When asked what his role was, he said “I think they call it logistics now, the job involved a lot of clerical record keeping and moving stuff from base to base”. This is where he met his lifetime partner Gerald Lomas, a teacher serving in the Royal Air Force.

After several years working in the family business, he left to become a self-taught chef, soon opening a high-end restaurant in Pudsey, which became quite a success. His partner Gerry taught at a local secondary school and was often called on to wait tables in the evenings and at weekends. David was later approached to become head chef at “The Kitchen” a restaurant in Leeds City Centre which also undertook outside catering, on one occasion famously cooking for the Archbishop of York and The Queen Mother. They were both involved in repertory theatre throughout the West Riding and David enjoyed amateur operatics often taking the lead male role for the Headingley Amateurs.

Being ‘gay’ in the 1950’s and beyond was difficult both within society and amongst families as it had to be kept hidden. Homosexuality was deemed a crime with severe penalties and public shame until it was decriminalized in 1967. Despite this, tolerance and acceptance took a long time and this situation led David and Gerry to consider emigration to Australia, moving there in the early 70’s, where they believed there would be a wider acceptance of their relationship. David found work in a resort in Northern Queensland, while Gerry went back to university and continued to teach.

Soon the heat of the tropics, became a bit much and they made the journey ‘across the ditch’ (Tasman Sea) to Auckland, where they settled for the next twenty-five years. David became the head chef in a very prestigious restaurant, “The French Café”, cooking classic dishes for regular clientele. There are newspaper clippings from the 1990’s with very compelling reviews of his skill and presentation.

David and Gerry were finally able to legalise their relationship with a Civil Union Ceremony in November 2012 - just a year before the Marriage Equality Act became law in New Zealand. After sixty-four years together, at times, in very challenging circumstances, Davids’s partner died in October 2023.

Now at 91, David reminisces fondly of his years at Woodhouse Grove and the influences of a couple of special housemasters, and the chaplain, who helped to shape him into the kind, genuine, thoughtful and resilient man he is today.

As told to Rosemary Sloman KSM, JP

Carol Davis (st92-16)
President of Inner Wheel Club Aireborough

On Prize Day 2025, the Woodhouse Grove School Inner Wheel Club of Aireborough's Friendship with Service Award was presented to our first winner, Year 9 pupil Eloise Baker. In Year 7 Eloise befriended another pupil with hearing difficulties and learnt sign language in order to assist her. She also learned how to help her monitor her blood levels for Type 2 diabetes. A very worthy winner indeed. The Inner Wheel Club International President, Kay Morland said:

“Congratulations to Eloise and well done to members of the IW Club of Aireborough for this innovative award".

Class of 1972: Geoff Pitcher and Paul Brown

For most of the former boys of the Class of 1972, it is sixty years since they first met in September 1965. Geoff Pitcher and Paul Brown (1965-72) have remained friends ever since that first day. They celebrated this milestone with their families at another ‘Woodhouse’, in Maidenhead. After all, if it had been sixty years of marriage, they would have received a card from the King and Queen!

In 1965 and the early years at the Grove, boarders were only allowed out of the School grounds in pairs. Those ‘half-days’ spent exploring the local area together, are probably what cemented the friendship, following the initial introduction. Subsequently, they played in the same rugby team and as a tennis pair for the School. It is ironic that they were only allowed out in pairs, because at the end of term, at the tender ages of eleven and twelve, Paul would make his own way to Nigeria where his father was working.

1969 was a big year for Geoff and Paul. That was when they did a round tour of the Youth Hostels in the Lake District. They also attempted to cycle from Yorkshire to the Isle of Wight Festival (Bob Dylan, The Who, Joe Cocker, etc). They eventually arrived on the Monday after the festival weekend, just in time to watch the 150,000 festival-goers returning on the ferry. For the rest of the week, they had the island to themselves. They did see the group ‘Yes’ in concert at St. George’s Hall, Bradford in 1971; the ticket cost 60p!

Their working lives since, followed an un-planned, yet uncannily similar path at times. Paul joined Geoff at Heathrow Airport in 1976, where Geoff was already working for the Midland Bank. In 1978 they both moved on to regional centres (Southampton and Leicester respectively) to gain experience in all the bank’s core activities, before returning to London in 1980. Geoff specialised in electronic payment systems and became a senior IT project manager, while Paul’s path was through various areas of control, including IT Security and IT Audit. During those years the Midland Bank became HSBC, and having worked in numerous premises in the City’s ‘Square Mile’, they moved to the HSBC tower in Canary Wharf, Docklands. Again, co-incidentally, they both left the Bank in 2004.

Geoff replaced his daily commute from Reading, to work locally, including installing and operating accounting systems and IT networks. Paul continued to work in IT Security, IT Audit and IT Compliance roles, including for KPMG, Old Mutual, Skandia and Amcor.

Geoff has lived in a village near Henley-on-Thames for the last 35 years and Paul has spent 40 years divided between two properties; firstly, in Hampton and latterly, a couple of miles further along the river at Sunbury-on-Thames. Despite the distance separating them, around 1990, they started to meet as families outside work. Now, in retirement, the families meet up fairly regularly. Paul has four daughters and Geoff has one daughter and a grand-daughter. Geoff has provided IT support, as well as a great website for Paul’s disco. In turn, Paul has provided discos for members of Geoff’s family.

In between meet-ups, Geoff is a keen cyclist, as well as being very practical. One back-room in his house, where he taught himself to install a heat pump system, is a good example. Paul likes to explore London each week, visiting exhibitions and taking photographs himself.
They are blessed with many stories from the sixty years. Those from the Grove, include at least one for each of the seven years, regarding what prank each year’s leavers devised; such as, on one final morning, all 400 boy’s under-pants in a linen basket in the middle of the Quad! Paul recently reminded Geoff of when they used to put old penny coins on the railway line, to see how elongated they became after a Leeds to York express train had run over them. Also, when they got in to a snowball fight with local boys at Apperley Bridge and the lads threw their caps in the canal (not cricket).

Sixty years ago, it was Geoff’s Grandfather who was the proponent for him to be a boarder at the Grove, even though Geoff was living in Guiseley, just up the road from the School. His parents had other ideas, but obviously Grandfather prevailed. So, Geoff was musing, that he could so easily have gone to another school and none of the above would have happened.

Cheers, Grandad!