The winners this year are Jessica Blincow who will be reading Biology at Bristol and Samuel Husband whom will be reading Engineering at Southampton.

Both of our winners of 2009 have reported back to us of their experiences of the last few months. Read their reports here.

Robert Miller (1936-40)

We were very sad to learn on 28th May 2009 that our ADA committee member, regular contributor to our newsletters and stalwart of the Dorking Museum Robert Miller had died following on from a stroke on Wednesday 1st April. Our sincere condolences to his son Glenn.
Robert's funeral took place at 11am on Thursday, June 11th at St Martin's Church, Dorking. Donations in Robert's memory may be accepted for the new Dorking Museum if sent to Sherlock & Sons, Trellis House, Dorking, RH4 2ES. Cheques should be made payable to The Dorking & Leith Hill Preservation Society.

Message from Hebe Morgan

Before Doc passed away I had made up my mind that one of the first things I would do, once the long fight with Alzheimer's Disease was over, was to make a long overdue visit to the UK. My last time there was in 1982, and I found, as we all do as the years pass, that some of the people I would like to see again were no longer with us.

So in June of this year I left Perth for Heathrow, and spent a wonderful four months travelling widely, meeting many old friends and making new ones, seeing the spectacular countryside, and being invited into people's homes. In all that time there were only two downsides: steep stairs which my arthritic knees didn't like (I live in a bungalow, so the shock was considerable), and strange fittings on the shower heads which meant that after three or four days of discovering how to make them work I moved on to a new welcome, and had to learn how to deal with the next, slightly different, system. If that's all I can complain of, you can see it was a pretty good holiday.

In those four months I went from Chichester in the south to Derbyshire; from there to the Orkneys; eventually to South Wales and Cornwall; through darkest Dorset to ancient Canterbury; tasted the Midlands; and looked for my grandfather's house near Manchester (it had been demolished to make room for what I imagine will be a block of flats).

I twice hired a car - the first from Cardiff to Shropshire, then on to Launceston in Cornwall; and the second to give me the freedom to travel around Surrey. That one was a Mercedes! It was the only automatic they could provide. 'Have you ever driven a Mercedes?' the girl in the office asked. 'I don't think I've ever touched one,' I replied. I managed not to scratch it.

I collected cathedrals - eleven at the last count. And how magnificent they are! But the high spot for me was the Memorial Service for Doc, which exceeded all my hopes. I thank all of you who took the trouble to come and remember him with me. It was truly an unforgettable occasion.

To those of you who offered me accommodation, who took me out and about and gave me splendid photo opportunities - you know who you are! - my particular thanks. I hope it will not be impossible for me to come again one day and renew the ties I made this year. There is always a warm welcome for any Old Dorkinian who wants to see Australia. Just don't all come at the same time! Hebe Morgan (1939-1947 - not to mention 59 years with Doc)