Page 35 - The Old Ratcliffian 2012

The Old Ratclifan 2012 | Introductionatclifan 2012 | Old Ratclifan News The Old R from their ‘Quartier Forget’ garrison. standards for project implementation, make it. I now edit Whiskeria, Astra 2F is now being used by Sky TV or for what they feel is ‘fair’ the magazine for the Whisky Shop to broadcast television programmes to compensation for anticipated losses retailing chain. I run their website, the UK. of property or impacts on livelihoods. have two online magazines of my KHRG is currently working on a large own (World Whisky Review and Still report on this area of human rights Crazy) and cover world whisky for abuse which should be published in American title Whisky Advocate. I’ve early 2013. This and all other reports just had my sixth book published and can be found at www.khrg.org.” travel extensively, writing and talking about whisky. It’s taken me on an amazing journey. I have travelled to Sydney with the rock band Kasabian, been threatened by a redneck in Kentucky, played midnight golf while drinking malt whisky on Orkney, Tony Ryan (41) & his 90th birthday dined with Sinead O’Connor in Cork, cake! been lost in Protestant East Belfast (not good if you’re called Dominic), Tony Ryan (41) celebrated his ninetieth birthday on October 27 this Steve Murphy (82), Christian & discussed Cornish Nationalism with th year. His family joined him for a very Charlotte in Lake Nakuru National Park Alex Salmond (Roskrow is a Cornish enjoyable birthday lunch. name) and Ian Botham tastes and Steve Murphy (82): “I took my reviews whisky for my magazine Mike Howard (02): “I am currently two oldest children (Christian and Whiskeria. Not only that - I really working for The Karen Human Charlotte) to Kenya with a football love the drink. The downside? Pity Rights Group (KHRG). KHRG is a charity in July this year (unfortunately my poor wife and children!” grassroots Karen-led human rights missing my Thirtieth Reunion Dinner organisation, established in Karen at Ratcliffe!). We did a lot of work State during 1992 and now operating in the slum area of Kisumu called across rural eastern Burma. With the Carwash. We also visited an eighteen years of experience, and orphanage and did a lot of graft twice nominated for the Nobel Peace working on football pitches, putting Prize (in 2000 and 2001), KHRG is goal posts up and creating a club now recognised internationally as a house – the young people also played leading authority on major issues such a few games of football. It was a life- as internal displacement and forced changing trip but we all want to go labour in Burma. The group aims to back. For more information, see www. support villagers in rural Burma by coltstoafrica.com.” Lucie Gamble (00) & Nathan Jones helping them develop strategies to Lucie Gamble (00) is engaged to resist abuse and by translating their Joe Madden (09): “This year has Nathan Jones. Their wedding will be testimonies for worldwide distribution, seen my fnal year at university, on June 29 next year. th accompanied by supporting photos which means I’ve had to put in and documentary evidence. Although more work than the previous years. I Ben Webster (09) graduated from Burma’s apparent steps toward a more unfortunately missed my graduation Glamorgan University with a 2:1 democratic system of government ceremony due to attending a 21st in Live Event Technology and is can only be viewed optimistically, a birthday in Las Vegas, which marks now working in Crawley for Cat and word of caution none the less must the end of my student life and Mouse, a technical event company. be noted. As Burma opens up to the beginning of job hunting and Having heard about him from his large multinationals since the lifting responsibility!” tutors, Cat and Mouse came to Ben of economic sanctions by the Obama Dominic Roskrow (78): “After while he was at university and asked administration, there is a real danger university I trained as a journalist at him to visit and see what he thought of ethnic minorities who live in the The Sheffeld Star, became the music of them. He worked with them for a resource rich rural areas of Burma writer there and then emigrated to couple of weeks onsite at the Welsh being left behind. This is because New Zealand for four years, where I natural resource extraction and covered rock music for the Auckland development initiatives are typically Sun and NZ Herald. On my return planned and initiated unilaterally, in 1991, I started writing about the without input from local communities. pub and drinks trade until, in 2001, I This means that local villagers are was made Group Editor for Paragraph often not consulted about what their Publishing, whose biggest title was communities need for development, Whisky Magazine. I had the best are not given the opportunity to voice writers to train me and have spent concerns about how projects will many, many happy hours learning affect their land and livelihoods, and about whisky from the people who Ben Webster (09) graduating from Glamorgan University are not given a chance to negotiate 35 Register o 35 Register online at www.ratclifanassociation.co.uknline at www.ratclifanassociation.co.uk