G R I F F E N 2 0 2 3 | 3 5 Tell us about your Abingdon experience. In 1953 my father, who was in the RAF, was posted to France and my parents urgently needed to find a place for me at a boarding school. I have since come to realise how exceptionally fortunate I was that they chose Abingdon. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy my time at School, more importantly, I benefited enormously from it as well – and in large part, this was due to the headmaster, James Cobban (1947– 1970). He believed in me, as he did all those in his care. In all of us, he fostered a strong sense of decency, responsibility and self-reliance. As just one small example, each term he gave one or two of us boarders in the Lower Sixth the experience and privilege of living out in ‘digs’ in the town with the local Morland brewing family, or “the Morli” as we called them. In the event, I ended up spending a year with them. At the same time, he appointed me as one of his two ‘orderlies’; we opened and sorted his mail for him each morning, met visitors and showed prospective parents round the School. Abingdon, of course, offered other opportunities – albeit modest compared to today. Early on, I found myself treading the boards; frustratingly, however, the highlight of my acting career turned out to be playing Mr Midshipman Easy in HMS Pinafore. Likewise, the peak of my sporting achievements was coxing the 3rd VIII, largely on account of my weight and an ability to shout at the crew. What happened next? In the Lower Sixth, with little idea about where I might find future employment and following a meeting between James and my father, it was suggested I should try the Army. Much to everyone’s surprise, I passed the Regular Commissions Board and left School to spend two very happy years at Sandhurst. Whilst there, I was lucky enough to be awarded a flying scholarship and gained my Private Pilot’s Licence flying Tiger Moths at Thruxton; it was great fun, I loved it! What were the highlights of your Army career? From Sandhurst, I was commissioned into the Royal Artillery, and I spent the next five years as a Gunner including, most notably, a year living in the jungle in Borneo. Whilst there were moments of excitement and even terror, for the most part it was simply exhausting and very hot! Disappointingly, the wildlife didn’t let you anywhere near it, although I did once decapitate a menacinglooking, spade-headed snake that was threatening my radio operator. On returning to the UK, I was selected for flying training at Middle Wallop following which my first flying tour was with the AAC squadron at Farnborough, part of 16 Parachute Brigade. In 1972 I attended the Army Staff College. Thereafter, in between staff appointments, highlights included returning to command the Farnborough squadron and subsequently the AAC Regiment in Northern Ireland, during what was a politically turbulent time. Then, in 1990, I was appointed Chief of Staff of the AAC. After which, and finally, I was posted to Defence Export Services in the MoD which was a wonderful job but when redundancy was offered in 1994, I decided the time had come. I had no regrets; I had thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Army. I have no doubt that it was Abingdon that gave me the necessary confidence and selfdiscipline to make my way in the military. After you took voluntary redundancy from the Army, where did life take you? Initially, I accepted an invitation to take up what sounded like an amusing job as Head of Marketing for a ‘business intelligence’ start-up. In the event, after one or two very strange capers in Moscow and the South of France, I quickly realised that my ambitions, not to say my moral compass, were not fully aligned with those of the owner. Happily, I was rescued by the Royal British Legion who recruited me to help promote their 1995 VE Day celebrations. It was during this time, that I was offered the job of Secretary of the Royal Warrant Holders Association (RWHA), with whom I then spent 11 very happy years until I retired in 2007. The RWHA is a unique trade association for those companies and individuals who hold a Royal Warrant of Appointment, of which there are roughly 800 and which include businesses as diverse as mustard, munitions and mole catching. Part of my role was to ensure that the Warrant Holders (the Grantees) conformed to the ‘Lord Chamberlain’s Rules’, which set out in considerable detail how they may reference their Warrant in the context of their business. This was to ensure that they should do nothing that might bring the Crown into disrepute. In other words, you might say, to act as ‘the Lord Chamberlain’s policeman’. Since the last thing any Grantee would wish to do is to risk losing his or her Warrant, it was not a terribly onerous job. What are your current projects? I’m trying to get a film made about an American cowboy called Samuel Franklin Cody, the first person in Britain to design, build and fly a powered aeroplane, which he did in 1908 at Farnborough. I have a film production company who want to make it. My challenge now is to raise the money! Meanwhile, my new role as Chairman of the 1563 Society is something I was surprised to be offered but which I am delighted to take on. Abingdon provides an excellent, all-round education; and I care deeply that, where possible, it should be available to those who otherwise could not afford the fees. The 1563 Society welcomes anyone who has decided to leave something to the School in their will. For those of us who benefited from our time at Abingdon, it is a simple way of giving something back. (See page 14 ‘A Legator’s Story’). n Some of the cast and crew of HMS Pinafore (1957), Chris is seated, second from the left
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