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Published: 12 January 2026

In every age, The Order of St George the Martyr seeks out a particular kind of greatness: not applause, but character — service shaped by humility, faithfulness, courage, and practical compassion. Our tradition calls members to help those in need and to uphold the enduring chivalric virtues in modern life.

Two of our members — Knight Mick Pocock and Knight Graham Hambling — reflect those ideals through years of devoted volunteering with Arthur Rank Hospice Charity in Cambridge, where their work has brought comfort to patients and families at their most vulnerable.

(Left: Knight Mick Pocock; Right: Knight Graham Hambling)

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity is sustained by a remarkable community of volunteers — more than 600 people offering time, skill, and kindness across Cambridgeshire. Within that fellowship, Mick (from Cambridge) and Graham (from Stapleford) have become enduring figures in the Hospice gardens team: present, reliable, and quietly resolute.

Their service is closely tied to a defining chapter in the Hospice’s story. When care moved from Mill Road to Shelford Bottom in 2016, the grounds were described as a “blank canvas”. Mick and Graham were among those who helped bring order and beauty to that new beginning — planting hundreds of plants and shaping a landscape that, season by season, became a place of refuge.

Within a hospice, comfort is often found not in grand gestures, but in the quiet excellence of things well kept: a path that invites a slow walk, a border in bloom, a view that steadies the mind. The gardens at Arthur Rank Hospice are part of that ministry of care — offering patients and families a refuge of order, beauty, and peace. Mick’s work reflects that spirit. He has described mowing a section of lawn so that the light and dark stripes can be appreciated from several vantage points around the building — a simple discipline, repeated with care.

(Photo: Arthur Rank Hospice Charity)

He has also strengthened the Hospice environment through practical gifts and support: donating bird tables so patients can watch wildlife from their rooms, and helping in the steady background work that keeps fundraising moving, such as collecting charity tins. These details may be modest in themselves, but together they honour a chivalric understanding of service — humility in action, offered for the good of others.

Recognition for a Decade of Service

When the Hospice honours long-serving volunteers, it is not merely marking time served; it is acknowledging a form of steadfastness that cannot be improvised. Long service in a place of care means constancy — returning in all weather, week after week, and tending peace where it is most needed.

At Arthur Rank Hospice Charity’s Long Service Awards, both Mick and Graham were formally recognised. The Hospice noted that Mick collected his ten-year service certificate alongside fellow Volunteer Gardener Graham Hambling — a shared moment of recognition for two men whose contribution has been measured not in display, but in faithful, enduring work.

(Left: Knight Mick Pocock; Right: Knight Graham Hambling. Photos: Arthur Rank Hospice Charity)

For Mick, this pattern of service sits within a wider life of public contribution. After 38 years at Girton College and 10 years as a Special Constable in Cambridge, he entered retirement not as an ending, but as a new chapter of giving — describing his volunteering as among the best decisions he made after leaving full-time work.

Graham’s commitment is equally rooted and outward-looking. Alongside his work at the Hospice, he is Treasurer of the Cambridge Cactus and Succulents’ Society charity, and he supports Arthur Rank Hospice Charity further by donating proceeds when he opens his garden to the public — extending the circle of benefit beyond the Hospice gates.

Service that reaches beyond one cause

The measure of a servant-hearted life is rarely confined to a single role. What distinguishes Mick and Graham is the consistency of their generosity — the habit of seeing what is needed and responding without fuss.

Mick’s charitable support extends beyond the Hospice. In the attached photograph, he stands beside a donation point for the Mundesley Volunteer (Inshore) Lifeboat. The wording on the collection box notes that it was kindly donated by Mr Michael Pocock — another quiet act of practical support, helping a volunteer lifeboat charity continue its lifesaving work.

A living example of chivalry today

Chivalry, rightly understood, is not ceremony alone. It is a discipline of character: courage expressed as steadiness; loyalty expressed as reliability; humility expressed as service that does not seek recognition. That is the calling our Order sets before its members — to help those in need and to live the virtues of justice, faith, and compassion in the texture of ordinary days.

Through their long service to Arthur Rank Hospice Charity — and through the wider pattern of charitable support in their lives — Knight Mick Pocock and Knight Graham Hambling show what modern service looks like: purposeful, gentle, and sustained. Their legacy is written not in noise, but in the patient flourishing of a place made more beautiful for those who most deserve peace.

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Published: 14 October 2025

On Tuesday the 14th of October, members and distinguished guests of The Order of St George The Martyr gathered at the elegant Varsity in Cambridge for an evening dinner marked by fellowship, reflection, and forward-looking conversation.

The event offered a wonderful opportunity for Dames, Knights, and friends of the Order to come together in convivial company. Against the splendid backdrop of The Varsity, attendees enjoyed a superb meal and the warm camaraderie that defines gatherings of the Order.

In his opening remarks, Grand Prior Richard Brown reflected on the events of the past year, highlighting the continued growth of the Order’s activities and the deepening bonds of fellowship among its members. Grand Master Robert Dryden also addressed the company, expressing gratitude for the dedication and enthusiasm shown by all throughout 2025.

Both leaders turned their thoughts toward the future, in particular the remarkable milestone of the Order’s 700th anniversary in 2026. They spoke with excitement about upcoming commemorations and the plans being laid for a special pilgrimage to Naples, Italy next year, which promises to be a highlight in a year of celebration and remembrance.

The evening concluded with heartfelt thanks from the Grand Master to the organising team and to all who attended. As members departed, there was a strong sense of unity and anticipation for the meaningful commemorations and journeys that lie ahead in the Order’s historic year.

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Published: 07 September 2025

In September 2025, the Order of St. George The Martyr had the distinct honor of welcoming the Ambassadors of Kindness from Naples. The visit started with a solemn and heartfelt Mass at the Catholic Church in central Cambridge, organized by Chaplain, the Rt. Rev. Monsignor Eugene Harkness, Grand Master, Robert Dryden and Grand Prior, Richard Brown.

Following the Mass, Knight Commander Piero D’Angelico Falco, Knight Mihail Stoyanov, and friend of the Order Abdul Arain, together with Maestro Paolo Curatolo, visited the historic Great St. Mary’s Church. There, Paolo had the special privilege of testing the anthem he composed specifically for the Order’s 2026 investiture—a piece that had already resonated during the summer visit to Italy.

We then indulged in a delightful luncheon at the iconic Bath House pub, savoring the finest local cuisine in a setting brimming with historic charm and ambiance.

Our journey continued through King’s College, where we marveled at the majestic chapel and strolled along the tranquil riverside, leaving our guests in awe of its timeless beauty.

Later, we met with Colleen Barlow, the lead designer of the Freedom Fountain Memorial sculpture, a project led by Abdul, Piero and Mihail. Colleen and her husband Martin Barlow, distinguished professor of mathematics, are set to become a Dame and Knight of the Order in 2026. Over tea, we discussed the future of the Freedom Fountain initiative, a tribute to the valor of Indian soldiers in the British Army.

The day concluded with a visit to the Cambridge Gateway from India, another successful charitable project led by Piero and Abdul. In a heartwarming gesture, the Ambassadors of Kindness bestowed the honorary title upon Piero D’Angelico Falco, Mihael Stoyanov, Abdul Arain, and Colleen Barlow, recognizing their profound contributions to society, from the Gateway project to the upcoming Freedom Fountain. 

This day will be fondly remembered as a celebration of unity, charity, and enduring friendship.