Merrow-Smith Family. 2003 Information for the Old Thamensians:

STEPHEN Born in Haddenham on 13th October 1954 and went to LWUS in Thame, Oxon from1968-73, where he won art prizes. Before taking his ‘A’ level exams he left school to become M.D.for popular singer Ivor Emmanuel. After a few years of playing drums in holiday camps,theatres etc., he married Barbara, who was an electric bass player and together they found joint employment in the music scene. Wanting a more permanent outlet for his music talents he joined the Army and was Principal Percussionist with the band of the Royal Corps of Transport, playing at all the “horsey” local and international shows. He also travelled to the Far East (Hong Kong) and later to Jordan with the Queen and Prince Phillip. They have two children Gemma (born in 1977) and William (born in 1980) Returning to civilian life both he and Barbara were regular members of the Chinnor Silver Band as well as playing in dance bands etc. After the death of his wife Barbara from leukemia in 1998, he enrolled for an Art Foundation Course at Oxford FE College. Went on to High Wycombe College of FE, where he graduated with a B.A (Hons) degree (2;1) in Fine Art. Hopes to take up art professionally. Having learned to drive large lorries in the RCT he has a useful string to his bow and is currently (2004) doing contract agency work on articulated delivery lories, mostly at night, to give him time during the day to follow his artistic profession.


CATHY Born in Haddenham on 26th July 1956 and went to LWUS in Thame, Oxon from1969-74, where she won art and needlework prizes. Graduated with a B.A.(First Class HonoursDegree) in Embroidery/Textiles from Goldsmiths College in 1978, she lived in Peckham and joined a group of artists in Metropolitan Wharfe, Wapping Wall, where they had regular Studio 22 exhibitions. After a short career in costume work for various tv ad companies and until his death, for Patrick Heron, where she hung banners designed by him in the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. She now lives in Wales with partner John Roberts and their three children. Edmund, (1981), Thomas (1983), Kate (1985)


JULIAN Born in Haddenham on 24th February 1959 and went to LWUS in Thame, Oxon from 1971- 78. Did an Art Foundation Course at Banbury School of Art. Graduated from Wolverhampton College with a B.A(Hons). Now lives in Crillon-le-Brave in Provence where he has a studio. Married to Ruth, a cellist with the Glyndebourne Touring Opera Orchestra, whose father is Tom Phillips R.A. Julian is a full time artist. You can find him on his website; stillives.com He has been commissioned to paint still-life paintings which now hang in the Brittannia Restaurant of the new Queen Mary2. .


NICHOLAS Born in Haddenham on 27th October 1960 and went to LWUS in Thame, Oxon from1973-80. Did an Art Foundation Course at Banbury School of Art and after gaining his B.A.(Hons) at Wolverhampton went on to graduate from High Wycombe College with an M.A in Furniture design. He entered the commercial world of furniture design and interior design in England and now lives in Singapore where he married Dr.Jen-Hwei Sng D Ph. and has two children. Claire, born 27th November 1999 and Daniel, born 11th December 2001. He works for a Planning and Design Co. in Singapore.

PETER Born in Chinnor, Oxfordshire on 21st December 1963 and went to LWUS from1974 - 82. A keen rugby and tennis player he went to the University of Wales and graduated from UCNW in Bangor, North Wales with a B.Sc (Hons) in Botany. After two years field work in Ecuador, he returned to U.K. and married fellow OT Janet Rowe. In 1994 they took their (then) two children Jessica born in Aylesbury, Bucks on 6th September 1991 and Bethany, born in Oxford on 14th March 1993, to Botswana where they lived in the diamond mining town of Orapa. Pete taught at the Secondary school and Janet taught music at one of the Debswana mine’s schools. After the birth of their third daughter, Amy, they then moved to the British School of the Algarve, in Lagoa, Portugal. The transition from Africa to Portugal was not without its problems and the school always found it difficult to keep up their student numbers with a consequence that there was no guarantee of income. Janet taught marimba in the junior school, where they successfully built their own instruments. Lived in Sao Bartolomeo de Messines until February 2004, when Pete was appointed to the English School in Alfarze del Pi, in Costa Blanca, Spain

GEMMA Born in Thornaby-on-Tees on 23rd March 1977 and later went to LWUS in Thame Oxon from1988-95. Graduated from Brunell University in Chalfont St Giles. Worked as a buyer at HMV in Oxford. Moved to Open University office in Boars Hill.

WILLIAM Born in Aldershot on 2nd Febrauary 1980 and later went to LWUS in Thame Oxon from 1991-88. After leaving school he worked for a short spell with Blackwells and he is now to be found in Borders in St. Michael’s Street, learning the book trade.