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Niral Malde has enjoyed a memorable final year at Cambridge, graduating with a prize-winning First and co-founding a university society that has amassed some 400 members.

After receiving the results of Niral’s finals in his Land Economy degree, the Master of St Catharine’s College, Professor Sir Mark Welland, wrote to congratulate him on his “outstanding examination performance”. Niral had been elected to a Robert Skerne (1661) Scholarship and had a lso won a College Prize, Sir Mark said. As a Scholar, he has been invited to the college’s Commemoration Dinner this term.

“St Catharine's has been great,” says Niral (OE 2007–2014). “It's a small college with everyone knowing each other, which makes it a friendly place to be.”

“Land Economy has provided me with a solid grounding in the fields of economics and law, and their interrelationships within the real estate and capital markets. The subject is very wide in scope:  papers include land law, capital markets, urban planning and real estate finance. Having enjoyed a module on Regional Economics in my second year, my third-year dissertation was an econometric analysis on whether the Brexit vote could be explained by the spatial inequality that exists in the UK.”

Niral, who is pictured at his graduation ceremony, co-founded the Cambridge University Venture Capital and Private Equity Society in his third year “to better inform students about the PE and VC space”. The society quickly flourished and now includes members from undergraduates to PhD students.

During his time at Cambridge, Niral also achieved success in the university’s Property Law Mooting Competition, while during his School years he won a Senior Award for Commitment and Service and was part of a Year 13 team that won a Cass Business School competition.

Two special guests at a QE Jewish Society event brought to life memories of childhood escape from the Nazis.

The lunchtime event featured Harry Heber, who ca me to England from Austria on the Kindertransport in December 1938 at the age of eight, and Sam Martin, Community Engagement Officer of World Jewish Relief. Kindertransport is the name given to the organised rescue effort in the nine months leading up to the outbreak of World War II, when 10,000 predominantly Jewish children were brought to the UK from territories under Nazi control.

Year 13 pupil Eddy Burchett, who leads the Jewish Society, said: “I aim to bring interesting speakers in each week, so when this opportunity arose it was too good to turn down.

“Jewish Society is open to all and aims to bring everyone together. With this event, I thought I’d try to bring Jewish Society to the people, as it were – everyone is interested in things like the Kindertransport; it is a crucial part of history, and this talk brought history to life.

“It was a moment to reflect, in the busyness of QE life. It was very moving and really engaging and I was surprised at how much detail Harry could remember of things which happened nearly 80 years ago.”

At the meeting, Sam Martin explained the origins of the charity, which was set up in 1933 as the Central British Fund for German Jewry (CBF). She set out the role it played in the Kindertransport and then subsequently, right through to the Syrian refugee crisis of the last few years. She then introduced Mr Heber, who told his personal story.

He was born in Innsbruck in 1930 and his early childhood took place in Austria. In March 1938, the Nazis marched unopposed into Austria and the country was annexed into Nazi Germany. In November that year came Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), a nationwide pogrom against Jewish communities. This, said Mr Heber, showed Jewish people that “the Nazis were serious”. Shops were daubed with ‘Juden’, smashed up and set on fire: the boys were shown an image of firemen letting a synagogue burn whilst stopping the fire spreading to neighbouring buildings.

Mr Heber was in his first term at school and the masters were wearing Nazi symbols. Before long, other boys were following suit and he was asked why he wasn’t wearing one too. “I can’t, I’m Jewish,” he said – “The first time I realised I was different.”

His father went from embassy to embassy in an attempt to secure safe passage out of the country, but demand was high and he was not being successful. The family then heard about the work of the CBF committee and decided to get Harry and his older sister Ruth, three years his senior, out while they still could.

The pair left on a train on 18th December 1938. They travelled under the cover of darkness, having had to say goodbye to their family before going to the railway station. “It was very emotional, there were lots of tears from my mother and the other parents.”

SS officers searched their luggage on the train, but found they only had the permitted small suitcases cont aining a change of clothes and some extra underwear.

There was a sense of relief when they crossed into The Netherlands – “We’d got out unharmed.” The children were met on the train at this point by a Dutch nurse who gave out chocolate.

They soon arrived in England and were placed with a family. He and his sister had been told by their parents to “always stick together” and to “look out for each other” – “Don’t let them separate you.”

Harry, who did not speak English, was not happy to begin with. Things improved, however, when he went to a boarding school and could mix with other children. “When you are around other children you find a way to get along and to understand each other – that’s how I learned English.”

His sister found things difficult because, being older, she understood more and was always asking when they could see their parents. When a vacancy arose in the household (many middle-class families at the time had domestic servants), she lobbied for her mother to be brought over from Austria and given the job. “Then there’s our father, too,” Ruth told the family. “He’s a very handy man. He could look after the garden and do all sorts of jobs.” (At the time, service was the only occupation for which it was permitted to bring people in from Europe to work – not at all like the free movement principles of the European Union, Mr Hebe r explained.) “It wasn’t true [that he was ‘handy’], but it did the trick!” he said. And so the English family agreed to sponsor Harry’s parents and they were able to come to England.

The family were reunited, with the parents arriving three days before the outbreak of war – after which point they would not have been allowed in.

The family lived initially near Hastings, but had to relocate as part of Britain’s way of dealing with ‘enemy aliens’. They ended up in Kilburn in London.

His parents were entrepreneurial. They obtained plastic sheeting and designed covers for the gas mask boxes that everyone had to carry. “They turned them into a fashion item.”

Ruth won a scholarship to a Gloucestershire grammar school, Stroud High School, so joined the family a couple of years later at 16. She became a fashion designer after the war. Harry stayed at school to take his exams at 16 and then took courses to become an optician. He moved to Bristol, but returned to London when he married his wife, whose family were all based in the capital.

“I feel very privileged,” he told the lunchtime audience. “I had a family and what felt like a fairly ordinary childhood. Many others who came never saw their families again. They had to make their own way.”

Mr Heber retired in 1996, but remains a regular volunteer with World Jewish Relief .

Some of those who came to Britain on the Kindertransport were very successful – their number included four who went on to become Nobel Prize winners – but others struggled to support themselves, so were helped by the CBF committee; some continue to receive support from World Jewish Relief today.

At the end of the talk, the two guests presented a copy of Amy Zahl Gottlieb’s book, Men of Vision: Anglo-Jewry’s Aid to Victims of the Nazi Régime, to the School. Both had signed the copy, saying they hoped it would inspire the boys as much as it had them. Eddy Burchett accepted the gift.

Afterwards, Samantha Martin wrote to the Headmaster about the welcome she and Mr Heber had received at QE: “All the staff were very helpful and the students were so incredibly polite and well behaved – I wish that every talk I do would be to such an audience.  In particular, Eddy, who helped to arrange the talk, was a delight to deal with and he has since been in touch to thank me for coming in.”

Old Elizabethan Mike Ajayi’s signing and promotion of platinum-selling indie rock band alt-J was the key which unlocked a highly successful career in the music industry.

Mike (OE 1998–2005) now runs his own label imprint, AMF (All My Friends) Records, which is part of the global Universal Music Group led by Mike’s fellow OE, Sir Lucian Grainge (1971–1978).

The big break for Mike came in 2011 when he firstly joined independent label Infectious Music to work under the pupillage of industry legend Korda Marshall and signed alt-J, then a four-piece band from Leeds University.

Yet when he reflects on his life at QE, he says that it was rugby, not music, that was his main passion in terms of extra-curricular School activities. “I was never the most gifted musically at school as I’d usually be found on the rugby pitch when I had a spare moment.” He played the game competitively throughout the age groups and was in the First XV from Year 11, as well as representing the School at county level and playing for Saracens.

“Rugby was definitely a calming influence for me and helped me get rid of some of that surplus energy that would sometimes spill in to the classroom. I wouldn’t say I was by any means the naughtiest, but I definitely knew how to push my luck at times. I give a lot of credit to former master Mr [Tim] Bennett, who was a great mentor and guide for myself and a lot of the boys during my time at QE. He was both my head of year and rugby coach, and he definitely instilled the belief in me that anything was possible.

“I think, looking back, that’s probably what sticks with me most about my time at QE – it wasn’t just what we learnt in the classroom, but also the way the School and teachers enabled us to be confident, free-thinking, independent young men. Something I feel has served me well through to today.”

Although he didn’t excel at performing music at School, he did, however, find time to listen to it. “My love for music came mainly from School friends growing up; we’d listen to British bands such as Blur, Arctic Monkeys, The Streets and Bloc Party. At that time, TV channels like MTV Base and Channel U were quite prominent, so we listened to a lot US hip hop and R&B. Rappers and musicians like Eminem, Dr Dre, Missy Elliot, Talib Kweli or Maxwell definitely sound-tracked our youth, especially on those Saturday away games.”

It was when he went to the University of East Anglia that he began to find his own taste in music, discovering much more eclectic genres and going along to many live shows. “I eventually got in to writing reviews for a then up-and-coming music blog, Subba-Cultcha, which would involve often jumping on the National Express bus to review shows in London.”

In addition to this nascent career as a music journalist, Mike also had the opportunity to try his hand at live promotions: with the help of friends, he put on a local student club night in Norwich called Connected. “It was predominantly an old-school Garage and R&B night, and despite having a very limited budget, we were able to attract a host of UK urban acts, such as Wiley, Kano and Lethal B to name but a few. Although, it was a small venue, I found it great for discovering new urban music and meeting people in the industry. It also helped put a few extra pennies in my pocket whilst I navigated my way through university.”

It was around this time that Mike started to take the idea of working in music seriously: “I didn’t know where I saw myself fitting, but I just knew I wanted to be part of it.”

His first definite steps into a music industry career came in around 2009, when he took up an internship at Sony Music Entertainment. “I would be lying if there wasn’t a part of me that thought getting into the industry would instantly mean wild parties, and although that was the case on the odd occasion, it was actually probably the hardest period for me. I initially started out in their catalogue and compilations division in a role that involved me compiling all the required artist and legal information for music compilations.

“I did this for about two months before moving over to the newly reformed Jive records UK, home to English hip-hop artist Chipmunk and L.A. band Funeral Party. I guess that’s where I made my first transitions to becoming an A&R. [Artists and repertoire (A&R) is the division of a record responsible for talent-scouting and the artistic development of recording artists and songwriters.] At the time, my primary role was just being out and about scouting emerging talent and reporting back in to my boss. In order to do this, however, I had to take up various jobs ranging from working as a clerk in an eye hospital to weekend bar work, as the label only covered my expenses. My evenings would be spent travelling up and down the UK, sometimes attending three shows in a single night – and I’d still be expected to be in the office for 9:30am the next day. Although it was tiring and often quite lonely, I loved it!”

All those unpaid hours did eventually bring their reward, as Mike’s career began to take off rapidly when he joined Infectious and started working with Korda Marshall. “During my time there, I was really able to drill down on what is was to be an A&R. Beyond the talent-scouting element, I learnt about the processes that went in to making a record, as well the business side of the industry and actually signing talent. I had a good level of success, signing bands such as Superfood and Drenge, whilst also getting to work quite closely with Korda on ‘a&r-ing’ albums for The Temper Trap, These New Puritans, The Acid and Local Natives.

“Undoubtedly, my biggest achievement and involvement as an A&R came about when I signed alt-J in November 2011. We would go on to release their debut album An Awesome Wave, which went platinum in the UK (300,000+ album sales) and sold over 1 million copies worldwide. In addition to the sales, the album won the prestigious 2012 British Barclaycard Mercury Prize, and in 2013 it was named Album of the Year at the Ivor Novello Awards. The band’s sophomore album, This Is All Yours, led to continued success, reaching number 1 in the UK charts and cementing them as one of the biggest British bands, who sold out multiple O2 Arena shows and Madison Square Garden.”

Success breeds success, and, in 2015, Mike’s glittering period with Infectious and alt-J, brought him the opportunity, along with a fellow Infectious colleague, to start his own label imprint under Virgin EMI (part of Universal). Virgin EMI is home to artists including Emelie Sande, Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Kanye West, James Bay and Bastille.

“Through this deal, my label, AMF Records, is tasked with the role of focusing on the long-term development of emerging British artists. One of the first signings was the BBC Sound of 2016 longlisted and critically acclaimed artist, Loyle Carner, whose debut, Yesterday’s Gone, has been lauded as one of 2017’s breakthrough albums in the UK and abroad.” Now in its third year, the label boasts a host of new acts, such as Connie Constance, Marika Hackman and Jelani Blackman, all set for releases this year.

Mike, who is London-based, adds: “The plan going forward is to further cement AMF Records as a home for nurturing and developing acts, which could hopefully lead to me following in the footsteps of Lucian Grainge…

“I feel very fortunate that I’ve been able to pursue a career in music and in no way has it perturbed my love for it, either. On a personal level, my focus has shifted to ‘giving back’ as I’ve tried to take a more active role in the industry.”

He plans to become involved in supporting events with current pupils at QE. And in the autumn, he will be working with the well-known academy, ELAM (East London Arts & Music), as part of its mentorship programme for aged 16 to 19.

“As well as that, I’ve also spoken on panels in the UK and US – and soon Australia, too – in the hope that I can provide greater insight into how younger generations can navigate their way through non-typical career paths.”

 

Sixth-former Joseph Runchman has outlined how Barnet can make the most of its status as the location of one of the key battles in the Wars of the Roses.

In Commemorating the Battle of Barnet, a special report compiled in his own time over the course of more than a year, Joseph set out how Barnet could learn from the example of Leicester’s tourism bosses in capitalising on the discovery of Richard III’s body in the city.

To leverage support for his findings, he presented the report at a special event at Barnet Museum, where the guests included local MP Theresa Villiers, the Leader of Barnet Council, Cllr Richard Cornelius, other council representatives and representatives of the museum.

Afterwards, museum trustee and curator Michael Noronha, wrote to Headmaster Neil Enright: Joseph’s report was not only “excellent”, but “with the Heritage Lottery-funded Battle of Barnet Project underway [it was] a timely and important piece of work”.

Mr Noronha added: “Three things in particular strike me about Joseph Runchman’ s work: first, he showed a high degree of creativity and imagination to think of the project and fit it into his subject interests of Economics and History; secondly, he showed a great deal of persistence and diligence in carrying out the task; and thirdly, the output was well argued and very well presented.”

In turn, the Headmaster has congratulated Joseph on the report: “This was a truly impressive piece of work. In producing it, Joseph showed both initiative and perseverance.  I know that our Head of History, Helen Macgregor, and her colleagues in the department are all justly proud of this contribution to the good of the borough.”

Year 13 pupil Joseph, who plans to study History at university, first offered to become a volunteer at the museum after his interest was piqued when he attended a lecture on mediaeval history held in Hadley Wood.

Learning of the issues the museum faces, including its difficulties in securing funding, Joseph “decided to do something about it”. Consequently, he wrote the report to explore the ways that the museum, and the High Barnet area more widely, could secure funding and investment through making more of the 1471 Battle of Barnet and its place in the Wars of the Roses.

“I saw the investment in Leicester after ‘the king in the car park’ so made this the focus,” he said. During the next year, Joseph juggled research for the report with the demands of his School work, visiting a range of sites connected to the Wars of the Roses, including Leicester – where he spoke to the former Mayor – and nearby Bosworth (the location of the decisive battle where Henry Tudor defeated Richard III). He examined the impact of these sites’ historical connections on the local economy, including through tourism, and assessed what High Barnet could learn from them in order to boost awareness, visitor numbers and investment. He then produced a report summarising his findings, noting the challenges and opportunities the local area is facing.

“Most of all, I would stress the importance of accreditations for investment and increased visitor numbers,” he said. “But you also need to be quick to respond and be ready to ride the crest of the wave, as they did in Leicester: they had built a brand new museum before the remains found in the car park were officially confirmed as belonging to Richard III, so they were ready to go on day one.”

In order to be in a similar position, it will be important for historians to nail down the oft-disputed precise location of the Battle of Barnet, Joseph believes. He has put his name down for a place on one of the forthcoming archaeological digs at Kitts End Farm to search for the battlefield site. “I am hoping that good finds will bring fresh impetus and another focal point.” Joseph’s report and these digs all contribute to the wider Battle of Barnet Project.

After the report presentation, Joseph said: “It was a really good experience presenting to people in those positions and it went very well – I think they were receptive.”

Justin Pither is at the forefront of a company behind an innovative hi-tech seating system designed for children with disabilities.

His work as Chief Technology Officer for Aergo is the latest stage in a varied career for Justin (OE 1999–2006), who spent five years between School and university playing in a band with two QE friends, Michael Lane (OE 1999–2004) and Jake Schogger (OE 1999–2006).

Justin, who secured his Mechanical Engineering Master’s degree from Imperial College London in 2015, joined Aergo in June last year. The company was founded by students from a course shared by Imperial and the Royal College of Art.

“They went to observe students in a special educational needs school and noticed how the postural support equipment was very rudimentary, stigmatising, and bulky. The concept solution they designed improves these issues by using smart, inflatable air cells that hug the user into a healthy posture,” says Justin. The company’s website states that the system, which is designed for wheelchair users, is the “world’s most adaptable posture seating device”.

“I wasn't an original founder of the company, but I am their first employee. I currently also hold a position of ‘hacker-in-residence’ at the Imperial College Adva nced Hackspace and have been able to bring my engineering knowledge and Imperial College resources to help with product development at Aergo.

“My role centres around developing and testing the product with users suffering from the target disease group. However, I have also become involved with other aspects such as pitching for investment, managing sub-contractors and working on regulatory compliance.”

Justin has had a proclivity for making things from a young age. “Even during my time as a musician before attending university I learnt about electronic engineering in order to fix and modify my keyboards and guitars.”

His interest in design and engineering was further stimulated while he was at Imperial. “The degree course provided a rigorous and demanding engineering education, and my position as President of the Imperial College Design Collective society (now named Imperial College Design Engineering Society) allowed me to learn about the core elements of product design and how to foster creativity.”

Justin says he has many good memories of his School days at QE: “A lot of them involved the Music department. There was a strong feeling of community there –  my A-level Music class and the teachers were all friends. Being able to play music together only enhanced that.”

Those experiences strongly influenced his decision to pursue a music career in the years between leaving QE in 2006 and going to Imperial in 2011. “I played bass guitar in the same bands (Minus IQ, The Band Called Up) as Michael and Jake – we started to play together at QE, aged 13, and continued throughout School, carrying on afterwards to try and take the band forward.

“We had some moderate success – we signed to a small independent record label and subsequently released an album and toured the UK. We were self-managed in the day-to-day running of the band, and I personally organised multiple UK tours. I consider myself very lucky to have seen and played in the major cities of the UK – another special perspective that most do not get to experience.”

Justin still maintains a strong connection with Jake and Michael, together with others in his QE friendship group: Yash Zaveri, Robert Hyams, Sean McCaffery, Andreas Lefteris and Kapil Joshi.

In the interval between graduating from Imperial and joining Aergo, Justin sought out work on projects he considered interesting. This included a short period with GyroGear, another company focusing on a healthcare product, and United Visual Artists, where he worked in a team to construct and test large-scale, outdoor light installations for Selfridges department store in London.

“I have also worked in the Glastonbury festival recycling team for five years, which has inspired me to develop a chair that is easily recyclable: however, this is still in development so I can't give away too many details at this stage.”

“I have undertaken a few cycle tours, the most notable of which was in the summer of 2015: I was in a three-man team from Imperial, riding from Venice, Italy, to Sofia, Bulgaria, along the Adriatic coastline. We covered 1,000 miles, passing through nine countri es, carrying all of our own gear and we spent most nights camping in the wild. It was tough at times – some very steep hill-climbing in mid-summer heat – but we were able to get away from the beaten path and have a unique experience.”