A Final Note from Jo Edwards
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It was absolutely by chance that I discovered that the school has a British Chess Champion in its midst! Ruqayyah Rida (left), a Year 7 student, has won the title of British Chess Champion for Girls under 10 not once, but twice!
How did I find out? A Colchester Civic Society member, David York, spoke to me about his
wish to open a chess park beside the Mercury Theatre in Colchester: public tables where anyone could play. He wanted the park to be a memorial to Jonathan Penrose, who was born in Colchester. Grandmaster Dr Jonathan Penrose, OBE was 10 times British Chess Champion. I remember Jonathan’s parents, who were joint Secretaries of the first Colchester Civic Society, so I offered to give David a bit of help, although I have never played chess in my life!
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It was in the course of our discussions about the Jonathan Penrose Memorial Chess Challenge at the Town Hall, which would immediately precede the opening of the Chess Park, that I found out about Ruqayyah. David announced that she was going to take part in the simultaneous exhibition by Grandmaster Michael Adams, who is 8 times British Champion. I was intrigued. David had ascertained that CRGS had a chess club but had not heard from CCHS. Realising that there were fair chances that Ruqayyah was a student there, I put him in touch with our wonderful contact at the school, Kate Stubbs, and the rest, as they say, is history!
I do hope that Ruqayyah’s success will be the catalyst required to create a CCHS Chess Club! Ruqayyah met with some extraordinary people on that day. Jonathan’s sister, Professor Shirley Hodgson, BSc, BM, BC, DM, D(Obst)RCOG, FRCP, DCH, FRSB, made the ceremonial celebrity first move (right). His brother, Oliver, a theoretical physicist (Google him!) is pictured with Ruqayyah (on left of picture).
Incidentally, the fourth sibling is Sir Roger Penrose, who was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics. What an incredible experience for Ruqayyah.
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A Final Note from the Editor:
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I do hope that you have enjoyed reading the latest issue of our Newsletter. It should have triggered many memories for you. PLEASE let me have your comments – we love to hear from you! Handwritten comments are welcome as I can type them up! Photographs can be scanned and returned.
You can email me on alangwhite187444@hotmail.com, or call me on 01206 522713, for my address.
Thank you!