Tom Lawson: the interview

[Foureyes]

Great Plum wrote:

"I think with child protection issues, it would be difficult to allow old blues a space within the ring fence that they can just turn up in..."

With respect, that was not what I suggested at all. Of course, visiting Old Blues would have to go through the same security checks as everybody else - I never suggested anything else. Indeed, they could not get into the estate without passing through 'security' at what used to be the Tuck Shop. But that does not mean that it would not be pleasant for them to have a room where they could sit down and relax for a few minutes during the course of a visit lasting several hours and a lot of walking. Further, it would be very simple to impose a rule that no current pupils were allowed in the room.

A further point is that next door to the old 'club room' was a toilet, which enabled Old Blues to use it without going to one of the toilets also used by pupils. And believe me, the vast majority of Old Blues over 60 will want to relieve themselves at least once.Now where do they go?
David

[sejintenej]

This should probably go in a Thread called, "Promises CH made but never completed."

Do you really want such a thread? It could become unweildy and run the risk of libel

To cut a long story short, it was never returned, and when CHOBA took over from CHC, we were promised a replacement room and £8,000 was put aside to furnish this room.

Again, nothing has happened and the money seems to have been absorbed elsewhere.
I am sure there are good reasons for all f this, but one of the things we complained about in the past, was lack of information on things that could affect OB's.
This still appears to be the case.

I suspect that they couldn't risk OBs running loose on school property and telling pupils our version of the truth as well as the problem of us giving three months notice to the security wallahs so we could be checked out.

[rockfreak]

I've just stumbled across an old quote from Nigel Lawson in the Independent dated 23 November 2015. He is suggesting that public money should not be spent any further in pursuing historic sex cases. Now I don't know the chronology of all this but was Lawson's son Tom deputy head of CH at that date, and was the school just then faced with the revelations about Husband, Dobbie and Karim? Or was this still to come? Otherwise it would look very like Lawson pere seeking to divert attention from a scandal at a school where his son was employed. Or of course it could just be that the Lawson family (boarding school educated and with Tom soon off to Eastbourne College) were generally protective of the public school sector.

[Mid A 15]

I've just stumbled across an old quote from Nigel Lawson in the Independent dated 23 November 2015. He is suggesting that public money should not be spent any further in pursuing historic sex cases. Now I don't know the chronology of all this but was Lawson's son Nigel deputy head of CH at that date, and was the school just then faced with the revelations about Husband, Dobbie and Karim? Or was this still to come? Otherwise it would look very like Lawson pere seeking to divert attention from a scandal at a school where his son was employed. Or of course it could just be that the Lawson family (boarding school educated and with Tom soon off to Eastbourne College) were generally protective of the public school sector.

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tom-lawson-53626864

Linked In would suggest he was deputy headmaster in 2015. I believe Tom is actually Nigel's grandson rather than son**.

Had the CH stuff come into the public domain by the time of the article you reference? There have been so many convictions, sadly, I've rather lost the thread of the chronology of it all.

viewtopic.php?f=65&t=5010

In an attempt to answer my own question the thread linked above appears to be the first reference on here and the commencement of the thread is almost exactly a year after the interview and, I believe, also after the departure of Tom Lawson.

** My mistake Tom is indeed Nigel's son.

[rockfreak]

One amusing outcome I've uncovered while researching all this is that Nigel Lawson has been refused special dispensation non-dom status by the French. He was seeking to stay in France (where he's normally domiciled) after Brexit, presumably to escape the mayhem that will ensue in this country after 31 October. But I imagine that our gallant Gallic cousins have said: "What cheek! You've spent all this time as a no-holds-barred Brexiteer, rubbishing the EU (and by implication La belle France) and now you seek to stay here? Away with you sir, back to the land of Les Rosbifs!" I felt quite cheered up and poured myself two glasses of vin ordinaire and hummed a rousing chorus of La Marseillais.

[Elvie]

did you pour 2 separate glasses or one after the other in the same glass?

I have a mental image that your delight inspired you to fill 2 glasses and sit back to savour the moment

[sejintenej]

One amusing outcome I've uncovered while researching all this is that Nigel Lawson has been refused special dispensation non-dom status by the French. He was seeking to stay in France (where he's normally domiciled) after Brexit,

If he tried in a big city and with his background I am not surprised; les Brits are actually welcomed in many parts of France as we found. That said, it is not too difficult to buy citizenship of an EU country which would get round that barrier (unless he has really done something awful like insult the President). I don't know his antecedents but there must be the odd million Brits automatically entitled to an EU passport because of the parents they chose at birth (at least I got something right!!)

[LHA]

This should probably go in a Thread called, "Promises CH made but never completed."

The Hertford Avenue seems to have gone the way of the replacement for the CH Club Room.

David Miller and I are probably the only CHC committee members on this forum who remember the promise.

CHC had a club room at the back near an entrance to the Council House. It was a room allowed to CHC when they moved down from London, and apart from some comfortable chairs, a conference table and chairs, bookshelves with copies of all the Blues, and assorted other items, it was a place where OB visitors could sit, chat and have a cup of coffee.
When the problem of the kitchens came up, we were asked to vacate fora short while, because they need the space for the kitchens. Before that happened, it was used by the team organising the two OB's to go up Everest.

To cut a long story short, it was never returned, and when CHOBA took over from CHC, we were promised a replacement room and £8,000 was put aside to furnish this room.

Again, nothing has happened and the money seems to have been absorbed elsewhere.

I am sure there are good reasons for all f this, but one of the things we complained about in the past, was lack of information on things that could affect OB's.

This still appears to be the case.
[/quote

Does anyone know what years the CH Club Room exited please? Any photos? Thanks!!

[rockfreak]

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