Temple House Staff Tony Lewis - Housemaster Tony came to Stowe as Housemaster of Temple in 2001 having taught both in this country and Malaysia. He teaches History and Theology and coaches hockey and cricket. Tony pursues a wide range of sports including tennis, golf and skiing - he is also trying to perfect the art of staying on a surfboard. His wife, Marie-Louise (known to one and all as "Mouse") works in a local girls' school. She enjoys tennis (a LTA Coach), running and playing both the flute and piano. Together with their children - Ben, Sophie and Harry (and Poppy their dog) - they share a love of walking and the outdoors.
Pamela Dennison - Matron Pam took over from Margaret Slack from the Summer Term 2006 as Margaret joined her family in New Zealand, where she has a young grandchild. Pam traveled extensively following her father as he toured with the army and she experienced boarding as a child. She has children and grandchildren of her own. Her experience includes childminding, hairdressing and a range of customer service environments including hotel services. Pam enjoys a variety of interests which she lists as flower arranging, gardening, swimming, walking, drawing, painting and decorating, knitting, antiques and collectors fairs, bootsales and anything to do with theatre, ballet and opera.
Philip Arnold - Under-Housemaster & 5th Form Tutor Philip became Under-Housemaster and a House Tutor for GCSE students in 2004 having come to Stowe in 2003. Cheltenham born and bred (but with a strange and misguided allegiance to Wales) he went to Pate's Grammar School where he played rugby, hockey, and also cricket for Gloucestershire, going onto captain the West of England cricket side. At the University of Birmingham he represented the University in cricket and hockey at 1st XI level. This is Phil's first teaching position. Passions include Gloucestershire Cricket Club, live music, surfing, skiing, Gloucester Rugby Club, and participating and watching all sports. At some point Phil intends to travel to every continent, improve his skills in photography, own a Triumph TR6, and lower his golf handicap to single figures by finding the fairway.
Carol Miller - 3rd Form Tutor Carol was born Northern Ireland by the Giants Causeway. She studied English and Politics at Queens University Belfast and followed this with a Library Diploma. She was hugely committed to drama in the Belfast street theatre on the Falls and Shankill Roads, she worked for the Belfast Festival "doing" wardrobe mistress, make up, etc. for endless student productions, meeting her future husband doing late night revue! After qualifying as a Librarian Carol worked in a school on Shankill Road, then moved to a school in Devon, got married and moved to Worth School where she stayed for the next 23 years as Librarian, House Tutor and Boarding House Deputy. She also ran a school wide scheme to encourage independent learning. Her interests include cooking and travel. As well as Librarian, Carol is the House 3rd Form Tutor.
Tony McDaid - 4th Form Tutor Tony joined Stowe in September 1991 having previously taught at Bearwood College and York House. He trained as a PE teacher at Exeter University before converting to Maths. Tony tutors the junior students across their GCSE years. He is currently Master-in-Charge of Cross Country during the Winter and Master-in-Charge of Athletics in the summer having also been thoroughly involved in a range of sports previously. Tony is a keen runner himself and in 2002 he won the Middlesex Marathon in a time of 3hrs 8 mins.
Michael Bevington - 6th Form Tutor Michael is Head of Classics and a 6th Form Tutor having studied at Exeter College, Oxford. He is a Team Leader for the Greek papers at ISEB Scholarship and Common Entrance. Outside the classroom he coaches sailing and hockey. Michael is our resident "Stowe" specialist and as such is in charge of archives and has published books and articles on the history of Stowe House and its garden. After 12 years as Under-Housemaster and over double that as an attached 6th Form Tutor he knows Temple House well. He is married to a primary-school teacher and lives in Buckingham with their three children.
Steven Thompson - 6th Form Tutor Steven has been an English teacher for nigh on 30 years, and is not tired of it yet. Stowe is his fourth school, he has been here almost 20 years and he reports that he is not tired of that either! Steven is a 6th Form Tutor and has responsibility for supervising Stoics' university applications and therefore his presence in Temple is of especial benefit. His association with Temple goes back to Jan 1986 - he confesses to having many good memories of Templars, their achievements, their willingness to cooperate and do something generous or imaginative or fun. Steven has often been party to jam sessions - whipping out his guitar for these and performing in staff bands. He also runs the Chess Club.
This was the family name of the founders of Stowe, though Viscount Cobham was the last to have this simple surname. After him the name was hyphenated with new family names in several generations. The family motto "Templa quam dilecta" (How lovely are thy Temples) is a pun or rebus on the surname and on the large number of garden buildings, known as 'temples'. The male line of succession and most of the family titles died with the 3rd Duke but some survived through female members of the family. The Cobham viscountcy passed to the Lyttelton family, a new earldom 'Temple of Stowe' was created for the descendants of the 2nd Duke's daughter, and the Scottish barony of Kinloss is held by the 3rd Duke's great-grand-daughter.
