Wykeham Journal 2016 | Page 24

Hidden Winchester : ALAN SMITH & TIM COX

In reality , it is the subconscious vestibule of memory to the conscious day-to-day lives of the community which lives , studies and works there .

One of those rather fun memory exercises that Old Wykehamists enjoy sharing , other than recalling the names , nicknames , and letters of each House , is remembering the pattern of each year ’ s timetable . Memories of div dons , of chemistry labs , or of first encounters with Win Co Fo , may slowly filter through , or perhaps even the very occasional shirk that was raised . One may notice that those memories come back with greater ease than might otherwise be expected . For they are associated with some of the most beautifully and carefully curated backdrops against which any young person could ever imagine learning . For example , no memory of journeying up to books is ever fulfilled ( except by a Collegeman ) without the half-circumnavigation of War Cloister . One of many beautiful gardens in Winchester , the War Memorial Cloister , has seen a curatorial change of late , as have also the Warden ’ s and Music School Gardens . None of these happens by accident . They happen through a great amount of love , often throughout cold and wet winters , as well as warm summers . And they happen thanks to two men in particular – Alan Smith and Tim Cox . Alan has been Senior Gardener at Win Coll for five years . He had started his career in a different guise , training in signwriting . After a decade or so of working for large wholesale grocery companies , he decided that his calling was in the curatorial practice of garden design , whereupon he proceeded to win two RHS awards for his work around the Winchester area . He had never heard of the school before he applied for the role he now occupies . However , after one good look at the land that lay on offer , he left his garden design business behind in order to dedicate his skills to the landscape that underpins daily learning . Whilst green fingers were grown over time by Alan , Tim was busy in the world of television . He had spent twenty four years as an editor , for the BBC and ITV , in London and then in Southampton . After a while , he had had enough of the constant hum of the screen , and decided to take on a different rhythm .

Image on previous page : Tim Cox ( left ) and Alan Smith ( right ) in the Scholar ’ s Garden .
20 The Wykeham Journal 2016