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The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School
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…from the Headmaster It is both a pleasure and a privilege to introduce once again this year’s edition of Skylark, and I heartily recommend it to you. As you read I hope you sense it reflects our core aims: to challenge bright boys to achieve the highest standards; to develop a sense of community and shared values; to support parents in preparing their sons for a fulfilled life. The magazine records some of the activities that have inspired and will remain in the collective memory, uniting all Habs boys as they form part vibrant network that will result we hope in a sense of friendship and community for life. It also highlights, with its usual engaging sharpness and professional insight, the most striking moments in what was a very full academic year. It will give you a snapshot of what goes on; a snapshot of the challenges and the opportunities in this most vibrant, academic and multicultural of schools where we make it our daily aim is to make the best even better. Be it extra-curricular activity of all sorts from chess to debating, or community service, drama, music, art, design, sport, or most importantly academic study, we aim to prepare our pupils for the best of universities, the best of careers and the best of adult lives. Last summer’s results were again very strong, indicative of consistency over time. We were delighted with our best results for entrance at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge since 1999. Thirty-nine boys were awarded places; most others achieved offers at their first choice university. The boys who took ‘A’ level were rewarded with just over 92% A and B grades. At GCSE they achieved just over 88% A*/A grades, and close to 57% A*, again our best ever. We remain one of the highest performing schools for boys locally and in the UK.
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We also continue with new developments apace: the Prep School has now welcomed a cohort of 5+ boys. Our programme of refurbishment and enhancement of our building stock continues. Staff recruitment and training remain amongst our highest priorities. We are launching a new development foundation. Our inspection last academic year resulted in a glowing testimonial, confirming our position as one of the country's best independent schools. Outstanding amongst the school's many substantial strengths was the quality of our pupils. They were described as "exceptionally well-motivated learners", "making rapid progress and attaining high examination results", whilst participating outside the classroom in a flourishing programme of over seventy different activities. They also thoroughly enjoy and appreciate school life gaining places at their first choice universities. In acknowledging the excellence of our premises, accommodation and learning resources, particular praise was reserved for the quality of pupils' personal development. Pastoral care was rated as exceptionally good, resulting in a school ethos where all pupils are valued and racial harmony is of the highest quality. The overall ethos is of "an outstandingly well-integrated school community" supported by dedicated and hard working staff. Our Prep School shared the limelight. According to the inspectors, the school's "excellent academic record" and "care for each individual" contribute to "an excellent ethos in which a positive joy in learning can flourish from the earliest age." I hope you enjoy what you read and know you will join me in thanking all those pupils and staff who have worked so hard to make these pages come to life.
THE SKYLARK TEAM
BAINES design & print 01707 876555
With warmest good wishes to you all.
Peter Hamilton Headmaster Jamie Susskind Editor
Harry Bresslaw Editor
Abhi Ghosh Technical Editor
Alex Cook Events
Amish Acharya Clubs & Societies
Peter Schaffer Music
Robert Goldstein Trips
James Costi Originals
THE HABERDASHERS’ ASKE’S BOYS’ SCHOOL James Hunt Drama 2
Parth Shah CCF / SCS
Max Herbert Photography
Nick Jardine Sports
Oliver Marcuse Prep
Butterfly Lane, Elstree, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire WD6 3AF Tel: 020 8266 1700 Fax: 020 8266 1800 e-mail: office@habsboys.org.uk website: www.habsboys.org.uk
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contents performing arts events trips features originals prep clubs and societies houses CCF/SCS sport common room
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The Barbican Gala Concert Taking school sports teams on tours to foreign countries is no longer an adventure that causes much comment nowadays. Many schools do it, though probably none so consistently or successfully as Haberdashers. Similarly, school musicians embarking on foreign tours or giving concerts in prestigious London venues hardly raise an eyebrow, unlike a decade or so ago when only the musically strongest and bravest (or foolhardy!) contemplated it. Some who did so regretfully realised, too late, the organisational difficulties and the vast amount of extra work they had taken on. Nevertheless the Haberdashers’ Gala Concert at the Barbican was a resounding success and it is interesting to consider for a moment what marked it out as something very different and special. First and foremost is the fact that most schools undertaking these ventures today ensure a high performance standard by presenting their
The concert began appropriately enough with the 80-strong Symphony Orchestra and the Academic Festival Overture by Brahms. This is not an easy piece to play and Brahms’s music is notorious for the technical difficulties it poses, especially for strings and horns. Christopher Muhley wisely chose to set a cautious tempo for safety and the piece was played neatly with well-chosen dynamic contrasts and the final section was suitably rousing and strongly projected. Tim Norton, who compered throughout with true professionalism, now found himself tested in a way he had not anticipated. As Christopher Muhley’s baton was about to signal the start of the next piece, the leader of the orchestra, Ajantha Chandrasena, who had important solos to play, realized he had no music. Tim Norton called on all his considerable acting and improvising skills to cover really professionally and keep us entertained for several minutes whilst the recalcitrant music was captured back stage and restored to its rightful place on the front
Concert programmers usually look for something out of the ordinary for the pre-interval item but this one was a pièce de résistance. The entire Preparatory School, all 207 boys, took to the stage to sing two beautifully contrasted songs. most senior musicians in small ensembles such as chamber orchestras or choirs. A glance at the well-presented Haberdashers’ programme quickly shows that there were over 450 musicians on show and if the numbers of boys who doubled on second or third instruments or who also sang in the choirs are added in, the astronomical number of over 600 is reached. This represents a large percentage of the entire school and one facetiously thinks that it might have been easier for the compilers of the programme to list those who were not performing rather than those who were. Whilst considering numbers, there are few schools that would be brave enough to find a special place in the programme for the very youngest six-year-old pupils, wearing long-sleeved white shirts and ties for the first time in their lives, and singing like seasoned professionals in items that involved the entire Preparatory School, but more of all that anon. Secondly, in this impressive concert, nine very different ensembles were on show, representing many, though not all, of the day to day extra-curricular musical activities that go on at Haberdashers. Thirdly (and most essential), all the performances were of a very high standard indeed, both technically and musically, and often belied the fact that in a few ensembles, some of the players and singers were very young indeed.
desk of the first violins. Totally unphased by this little hiccup, Ajantha played his solos with assurance and beauty of tone. His orchestral colleagues supported him well and the picturesque and somewhat scary interpretation of Danse Macabre (Dance of Death) by Saint Saens was convincingly captured. Haberdashers’ music department has long been renowned for its percussion teaching under the inspired leadership of Jim Beryl. There are few schools that can equal the large number of pupils who choose to learn to play the vast number of instruments that loosely fall into the category of the percussion family. For the next piece seventeen players positioned themselves behind what seemed like a multitude of tuned and untuned instruments to play Brazilian Street Dance by Brown. What was so impressive about this performance was not only the absolute precision with which the syncopated rhythms were effortlessly despatched but also the musicality of the playing. This was no continuous big bang but was an expressively shaped performance with well-considered dynamic levels throughout. Introducing the next item, Tim Norton described it as a “phenomenon” and he was not wrong. The sight of the 60 young
musicians of the Preparatory School Orchestra, all under the age of eleven and some not much larger than their instruments, taking the stage armed with the full gamut of orchestral instruments, stirred the sinews of the most hardened listeners in the very full audience. The perennial Pied Piper of Preparatory School music, Delia Meehan, works tirelessly, not only year by year but week by week and day by day, to instil in her young players and singers the love of making music, and encourages them to attain a standard of musical excellence at which we can only marvel. They played Czech Rustic Dance by Smetana with tremendous verve and accuracy and brought the house down in so doing. The spirit of the performance was perhaps typified by the young tambourine player, who at the end and following the acceleration of the final breathless race to the finish, triumphantly held his instrument aloft as if he were the captain of the winning FA cup team. After that tour de force it was time to readjust to a gentler item, but no less interesting for that. A wind quintet (coached again by Delia Meehan) performed a composition by Old Haberdasher Paul Harris. Paul is now an internationally renowned instrumental teacher, composer, writer and authority on music teaching, and was present to hear a performance of his piece for narrator and wind quintet The Unhappy Aadvark. Tim Norton temporarily forsook his duties as compere to narrate the story and the wind quintet (flute, clarinet, oboe, horn and bassoon) provided the musical accompaniment much in the style of Prokoviev’s tale of Peter and the Wolf. This was an ideal piece for the younger members of the audience and was much appreciated. So to the Big Band and big sound, conducted by Andrew Simm, with two toetapping pieces, Manteca by Gillespie and Critical Mass by Jarvis. Both were stylistically played with well-blended saxophones and incisive brass. The instrumental breaks, well received by the audience, were confidently and imaginatively constructed and showed clearly how adept Haberdashers’ musicians are in their ability to play in any number of diverse musical styles. Concert programmers usually look for something out of the ordinary for the preinterval item but this one was a pièce de résistance. The entire Preparatory School, all 207 boys, took to the stage to sing two beautifully contrasted songs. It took a while to get everyone into position and again tested Tim Norton’s powers of improvisation during which he suggested that to pass the time we might try to count them all, but eventually all were in position and off they went under the direction of Delia Meehan 517
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The concert was a triumph in every way and our profound thanks go to Christopher Muhley and his dedicated team for such a memorable evening of high-powered music making. with a rousing performance of Orpheus in the Underground, a song originally for four professional voices but re-arranged and expanded by Delia for 207. In the song, every station on the London Underground is visited at least once and all to the tune of the Cancan from Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld. Much work and organisation had been done to portray the relevant station names as each was mentioned. Every station name seemed to be hoisted aloft at the right time and as the final train whistle sounded, the stage was awash with waving station signs so that anyone who contemplated leaving the train at that point must have been mightily confused. Following that, the second song needed to be a total contrast and indeed it was. I am but a small voice by Whittaker, tells of a world everyone longs for, but especially perhaps the young, who innocently yearn for a world of hope and peace. It was sung with great tenderness and feeling and bearing in mind the youthfulness of some of the voices, showed remarkable vocal control and musical interpretation. After the break the audience, suitably refreshed, re-assembled and waited expectantly for the Concert Band. This sizeable ensemble directed by Richard West, confidently transported us into the early twentieth century world of rustic song with the three movements of the English Folk Song Suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The opening March, based on the tune Seventeen come Sunday was played with appropriate energy and some very positive contributions from the percussion department. The calmer middle movement Intermezzo based initially on the folk song 6
My Bonny Boy was expressively played and colourfully shaped, and when folk songs turned into folk dances, rhythms were nicely pointed. Richard West adopted an eager tempo for the final movement, and it was played with considerable panache and much rhythmic drive. All the solo lines were played confidently and well-balanced accompaniments supported musically. We moved from England to America and from large ensemble to small, (in fact to just four instrumentalists - the Scholars’ Quartet) for the penultimate item, the Allegro con brio from Dvorák’s String Quartet in F, known as the American, though infused with a considerable amount of Czechoslovakian sound. In chamber music there is no hiding place and no comfort zone of a large section of fellow instrumentalists to cover inaccuracy. Often one player alone is responsible for the musical line and consequently playing chamber music presents some of the most testing demands a musician has to meet. The Scholars’ Quartet (coached by Bjørn Bantock) played superbly well. The ensemble (led by Jerome Woodwark) was excellent, and balance was good throughout as themes were passed from instrument to instrument. Jerome and his colleagues (Sung Kang, Thomas Flint and Robert Davidson) well deserved the prolonged applause that followed their performance. So to the Grand Finale with the serried ranks of the impeccably white-shirted Choral Society and Symphony Orchestra, directed by Christopher Muhley and three movements from Psalmfest by John Rutter. Particularly ear-catching in the opening piece (O be joyful) was the bright, clear tone of the young
trebles. Throughout, words were cleanly projected and altos, tenors and basses provided firm support. In the second movement (The Lord is my light and my salvation) the tenors and basses, nicely warmed up by now, were well on top of their notes and both choir and orchestra caught the mood of this gentle music with a sensitive and expressive performance. The clarinet solos that weave in and out of the music from time to time were beautifully played and contributed greatly to the convincing interpretation of this long sustained movement. The final section (O clap your hands together all ye people) with its frisky syncopations was sung with considerable spirit and there were thrilling waves of full-throated sound for God is gone up with a merry noise and O sing praises, all of which the large choir sang with considerable confidence and impressive tone. A fitting end we thought to a marvellous concert, but Christopher Muhley had one last trick up his sleeve. All 450 performers were squeezed onto the stage to sing Parry’s Jerusalem (with audience help in the second verse). In all probability the Barbican can never have seen such a sight or heard such a rousing performance of this music that over the years has virtually been adopted as the School Song. To say it was an inspirational performance is an understatement and the audience showed their appreciation by doing as the choral society had bidden, to “Clap your hands together all ye people”. This we did for a very long time in appreciation of everyone’s superb efforts. The concert was a triumph in every way and our profound thanks go to Christopher Muhley and his dedicated team for such a memorable evening of highpowered music making. Apart from the consistently fine performances throughout the evening and the professionalism displayed by all concerned, one special image remained for all to see as the stage darkened and the audience reluctantly began to leave the hall. It was of the school crest, shining brightly, projected high up onto the side walls of the Barbican stage. The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School and especially its musical reputation were indeed shining brightly on the London music scene on March 9th. Long may it continue so to do. Alan Taylor
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Barbican Gala Concert, March 2006
Wind Sinfonia and Wind Band Concert As 2005 drew to a close, the Wind Sinfonia and Wind Band concert allowed some of the young talent in the lower years, as well as some older, more experienced players, to exhibit their skills. The concert opened with the Jazz band conducted by Mr Pritchard who played “The Woodchopper’s Ball” to rapturous applause. The first half then continued with a pair of flute pieces by the flute ensemble, who played the well known “Air on a G String”, and a solo by Mihir Patel playing Handel’s “Minuet II for the Royal Fireworks”. The first half drew to a close with performances from the Woodwind Quartet; a clarinet solo by Sammy Conway and the Wind Band who brought the act to the end with the ever popular Thunderbirds theme tune. After a drink or two, the concert resumed with performances from the Brass Quintet and a solo by David Fernie on the flute. He was followed by the duet of Harry Krais and Neel Shah playing the wellknown traditional tunes of “All through the night” and “When the Saints go marching in”. The concert then accelerated to the finish with the Horn Ensemble and a clarinet solo by Craig Waterman. The conclusion of the evening was the Wind Sinfonia who brought the concert to a close with a mysteriously named, but fantastically played, “1812 3/4 Overture”! Peter Campbell Year 12 7
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Autumn Concert The first major concert of the year opened with the newly christened Concert Band, formerly Senior Band, conducted by Mr Richard West. They performed “Seventeen come Sunday”, the first march from Vaughan Williams’ “English Folk Song Suite” followed by a sleazy rendition of “The Stripper” by David Rose. Next up were the Percussion Ensemble, who raised the roof with their lively renditions of “Oro Rio” and “Rosarita” by Thomas Brown. Always the loudest item, they were led by the ever eccentric Mr. Jim Beryl. In complete contrast, HABS Young Musician of the Year 2005 Thomas Flint’s recital of Bartók’s “Romanian Dances” No’s 1, 4, 5, and 6 demonstrated not only his strong technical ability, but also his versatility and feel for the period. He was followed by the HABS Philomusica, the former second orchestra, led by Mr Leon Gee. Their performance of Dvorák’s “Slavonic Dance in D minor” showed great potential and in two years, they will make a fine Symphony Orchestra. Philomusica were followed by Mr Andrew Simm’s and Mr Malcolm Pritchard’s Big Band, brandishing some of the finest brass and jazz players in the school, including both Mr West and Mr Simm themselves on trumpet. They played Strayhorn’s classic “Take the A Train” followed by Kern’s “All the things you are”. The band gelled extremely well as a unit, performing both pieces to such a high standard that even the most tone deaf amongst the sell out audience had their feet tapping along (though not necessarily in time). After sampling the refreshments, the audience were welcomed to the second half by the String Orchestra. They played “Canon à 4” by Hauptmann, and were followed by the Chamber Choir conducted by Mr Muhley, who sang “Heralitus” by Stanford, and a light hearted rendition of “Yankee Doodle”. They had sat on stage all evening under the stare of hundreds of people, including most of their parents, but now their time had come. The massed year seven singers raised voices together and belted out “Blaydon Races Let’s drink” by George Ridley to the delight of everyone, particularly the many proud grandparents dotted around the Bourne Hall. Though “Let’s drink” may not be the wisest of messages to be teaching innocent year seven students, the audience’s rapturous response suggested that, maybe, it was not the pupils who had been drinking! Finally, the newly dubbed Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mr Muhley, performed two stirring pieces: “Pavane pour une enfante défunte” by Ravel followed by Beethoven’s “Egmont Overture”. This proved a fine end for an evening brimming with variety, talent, and undoubtedly, a great deal of noise.
After a guitar medley of well known nursery rhymes, Michael Bentley and Duncan Jenkins took on the monumental task of playing the extremely virtuosic “The Two Imps” duet, which they pulled off superbly, leaving the audience breathless but supremely impressed Guitar and Percussion Concert 2006 The ever- popular Guitar and Percussion concert kicked off with the junior school percussion ensemble playing “Reach” by S Club 7. Mr. Beryl, who often claims to be S Club’s number one fan, conducted with zest, setting the tone for what was to be a most enjoyable concert. Second on the program was the first ensemble from Mr. Munting’s guitars, playing “Sunset” by Derek Halsted. A very melodious performance from Neil Tanna, Chris McGeever and Mithun Kailavasan, brought out the romance and beauty of a sunset; in fact, some members of the audience were so convinced by the illusion created that they appeared to be dozing off. Sam Freeman and Matthew Anisfeld delivered their Marimba duet with style and aplomb, and were followed by a very enjoyable Guitar solo from Upper sixth student Neil Tanna. The second half began with the second percussion ensemble of the evening, the well known “Mexican Hat Dance”. The audience was involved throughout, clapping enthusiastically to the lead of the ever energetic Jim Beryl. After a guitar medley of well known nursery rhymes, Michael Bentley and Duncan Jenkins took on the monumental task of playing the extremely virtuosic “The Two Imps” duet, which they pulled off superbly, leaving the audience breathless but supremely impressed. Chris McGeever’s guitar solo was a very European affair, a piece called “Spanish Romance”. Some may have been recognised from the 1950’s film “Jeux Interdits”, for others it simply reminded of the summer months that we all desperately await. After the penultimate guitar ensemble, the concert took a slight detour, moving away from the general theme of percussion or guitar to “Larry’s Band”, a mixture of the two. They played a very well known song among the younger members of the audience, a cover of “Remedy”. By the end of the song, even the oldest members thought it was ‘respectable’. Lead singer Peter Garside was accompanied by lead guitar and rhythm guitar played by Jack Lloyd-Jones and Tom Zhang, as well as Oli Birch on bass, Channon Zhangazha on piano and Lawrence Fisher on drums. The final guitar ensemble, played by Chris McGeever, Neil Tanna, and Jonathan Grunwald, was a soothing number, lulling the audience into a false sense of security; little were they aware of the barrage of noise they were about to be exposed to. In a repeat of the performance at the Barbican Gala Concert, all fourteen members of the senior percussion ensemble took the stage to perform the monumental “Brazilian Street Dance”. Some incredible drumming from Peter Schaffer brought the uplifting tune of the marimba’s and xylophones to life, accompanied magnificently by Max Herbert who continued to make as much noise as was humanly possible. Add this to the melee of whistles, horns and shakers and “ariiiiibas!” from Mr. Beryl, and the audience were literally blown away. Despite the buzzing in their ears, the audience pleaded for an encore and the ensemble gratefully obliged, drawing the curtain on a most entertaining evening.
Peter Campbell Year 12 Duncan Jenkins Year 11 8
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Unplugged on the Quad 2006
Orchestral Concert
On a sunny afternoon in May, the 2006 Unplugged concert was held on the Quad. A large crowd of pupils from both the boys and girls schools gathered, rustling with anticipation at what is one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the year. Under the able Master of Ceremonies, Nadeem “Doim” Nanjuwany, this year’s concert got off to a somewhat lowkey start with Studio 8, featuring Buster Stonham and Dylan Balbernie. Their opening number was tuneful, if a little lacking in “va va voom”. The audience’s excitement escalated on the appearance of the second act, the “Shebangs”. Backed by an army of adoring fans, many sporting personalised t-shirts, this all-female outfit belted out PJ Harvey’s “Is this love”, incorporating some interesting vocal twists. Studio 8 then retook the proverbial stage with a shuddering rendition of Razorlight’s “Up all Night”, this time with Dylan Balbernie switching to lead vocals. This was not, it turned out, such an expedient move. Though individually both performers each stuck to a tune, at times they seemed to be different ones. The Brothers Parr were next on, playing an impassioned acoustic version of the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris”. They were followed by the imaginatively titled “No Name Band”, comprising of Stephen Moss on guitar, Daniel Barry and Aaron Landau on vocals, Peter Campbell on piano and Imran Kassam on drums. They played a skilful version of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “On Mercury”. The band members are all accomplished musicians, something which shone through in their technically impressive piece. Stephen Moss then stayed on to play a Latin instrumental guitar piece, accompanied by Nadeem Nanjuwany himself. The next band were arguably the day’s best overall performers. Padula, fronted by Nick Jardine on guitar, with Peter Schaffer on drums, Max Herbert on miscellaneous percussion and Joel Ross on vocals, kicked off their performance with Damien Rice’s “Cannonball”, following up last year’s highly successful “Blower’s Daughter”. When Nick Jardine announced that their next number, was written by him and Peter Schaffer “when they were very drunk”, few knew what to expect. However, “The Armadillo Song” was played with tremendous energy, with Nick on vocals, and Max Herbert switching to kazoo. Max’s sublime cameo performance was reminiscent of Jimmy Hendrix, as he writhed on the floor, belting out his piece. The band went off to great adulation from the crowd. The Shebangs returned to give an original take on Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy”, before Nadeem returned with Dave Snower to play their closing piece, the “End of year” song. The delectable sound of Nadeem’s harmonising with Dave, over the strains of strummed acoustic guitar ended what was an enjoyable day for all. Jacob Turner Year 12
Known in previous years as the String Concert, the first concert of 2006 opened with the harmonious tones of the String Orchestra, showcasing the finest talent the lower years have to offer. Next on the programme were Nicolas Westbrook and Duncan Jenkins who played a wonderful rendition of the first movement from Bach’s “double violin concerto in D minor”. Three violin solos followed, the first played by Sahil Shah who played “The Silver Tears of the Moon (Bossa Nova)” by Radinovics, then Freddie Fulton playing Bock’s “Sunrise Sunset” from the Musical “Fiddler on the Roof” and finally, Edward Hughes D’Aeth playing Frescobaldi’s “Canzona Seconda.” A piano trio was next, with Duncan Jenkins on the violin, Joe Evans on the cello and Raphael Rosler on the piano. The three worked well together as a tight unit, playing “Jealousy” by Jacob Gade. The first half drew to a close with Jerome Woodwark’s passionate rendition of Bach’s “Partita no. 3 in E” in which he demonstrated just why he won the Young Musician of the Year Award three years ago. The second half opened with Philomusica playing “Pavane and Galliard” by Delibes under the watchful eye of Mr. Leon Gee. Next, Joe Watts played the last of the evening’s violin solos, “Neapolitan Song” by Tchaikovsky. This was closely followed by the Scholar’s Quartet, who played “Allegro con brio in F” by Dvorák. Before the Symphony Orchestra played to round off the evening, the Headmaster presented the Sheila Watson prize for string playing. This year the prize was shared between Sung Kang for violin and Robert Davidson for cello. Both have contributed greatly to the musical life of the school as well as to the Symphony Orchestra, and will be sorely missed after their departure this summer. Finally, the Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mr. Leon Gee, played Prelude and Fugue by William Watson from the film “Spitfire” This ended a fine evening of enthralling orchestral entertainment which left all who attended richly rewarded. Peter Campbell Year 12
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The Ticket-Of-Leave Man Where do you go after The Crucible? Though sadly, because of safety restrictions, played only to a select few, last year’s main school play was by common consent outstanding, even by Haberdasher standards. But what next? To the surprise, no doubt, of some, Tim Norton’s answer was to turn to a virtually unknown melodrama from the nineteenth century. At the start of term, The Ticket of Leave Man by Tom Taylor was unknown to all but Tim himself, and, by sheer chance, the school Chaplain who happened to have played the title role in another school production, a mere forty-two years before. The genre, too, was one with which Haberdasher actors and audiences could scarcely be expected to be familiar. Would it work? Would this essentially simple tale of good vanquishing evil, after numerous vicissitudes, find favour with our sophisticated and street-wise Haberdashers? Would the audiences participate actively, with the cheering, and the booing and hissing that Victorian melodrama requires if it is to fulfil its promise? It would take a director of either outstanding courage, vision and talent, or else reckless incompetence, to make such a choice. How fortunate it is that in Tim Norton we have a man who falls without doubt into the former category. His meticulous attention to the tiniest of details ensured that, even before the curtain went up, we knew that all was exactly as it should be – from the specially created footlights, to the curtains, to the authentic programme with its period advertisements for such dubious delights as Juvenia Soap and Cream of Bloater. We sensed already that – as they say in the
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musical halls – we were in for an evening of delectation and delight. And we were not mistaken. The plot is straightforward and uncomplicated. Bob Brierley, a brash young north-country innocent from Glossop, who has come into a bit of an inheritance, goes up to London in search of life. Predictably, he gets in with the wrong sort, and is convicted of passing forged banknotes. For this offence, he is sent to gaol – but thankfully for him, not before he made the acquaintance – and stolen the heart – of one May Edwards, a singer-cum-needlewoman, poor but honest, a lass in a million, with a kindly heart invariably in the right place. Released early for good behaviour, armed with his ticket-of-leave (the Victorian equivalent of parole), Bob rejoins his darling May, who is lodging at the house of the garrulous but good-hearted Mrs Willoughby. At first, all seems to go well; Mr Gibson, the husband of May’s employer, gives Bob work in his bank, where he is an immediate success. But then his erstwhile companions from the wrong side of the tracks catch up with him, and betray him to his employer, who dismisses him on the spot – on the very day that he and May are to be married. Thenceforth, it seems for a time that evil reigns triumphant – everywhere Bob goes in search of work, his past – in the form of the dastardly Tiger Dalton and the scarcely less dastardly Melter Moss – seems to dog his footsteps. But we all know that this sorry state of affairs simply cannot be the end of the tale; and when Dalton and Moss enrol Bob to help them commit burglary at the premises of Mr. Gibson, Bob seizes the opportunity to turn the tables on them. Set (somewhat improbably) in a graveyard, the final scene witnesses the restoration of
goodness, with virtue triumphant, vice defeated and Bob’s good character vindicated: ‘So you see Mr Gibson, there may be some good in a Ticket of Leave Man after all!’ Well, we knew it all along! It’s a simple tale – and one which in less experienced and skilful hands could so easily have been turned into a cynical parody of the genre. It is must to the credit of director, cast and all the unsung backstage heroes, that this never for one moment threatened to happen. Indeed, absolute sincerity was a hallmark of the production. Every character was well cast and played with total conviction. In the leads, Nick Collins and Greer Dale-Foulkes gave us a Bob and a May who were real people, not wooden caricatures of virtue – the former movingly conveying the agonies of the ex-convict more sinned against than sinning, the latter demonstrating, after her stunning performance as Abigail last year, that she can portray simple goodness as expertly as manipulative wickedness (the sight of her in silhouette, tenderly feeding the canary – a real bird! – at the start of Act 2 was a moment of sheer delight). Then there were the Joneses, absurd but loyal friends of Bob and May, who brought laughter to the stage whenever they appeared. Adam Philips has not, to my knowledge, taken major parts before, his portrayal of Green Jones, the ever-optimistic Welshman, reduced, through incorrigible extravagance, to selling pigs’ trotters, was a delight. Hannah Penn has graced many a Haberdasher stage, often in more sombre roles; as Green’s wife Emily St. Everemond (formerly Traddles) a young lady of modest talent but rocketing ambition, she was simply wonderful, eyes a-flashing and crinolines a-twirling. By the end of her
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‘affecting ballad’, ‘Come Home Father’, there was not a dry eye to be seen, as hilarity engulfed us all. Yet more mirth was generated by Adam Nathan, who gave a richly comic performance as Mrs Willoughby, the landlady with a kind heart, a bosom worthy of Les Dawson, and the quaint but endearing habit of beginning every other sentence with the word ‘Which’, regardless of syntax. It was clear that Adam revelled in this most entertaining performance, but again he created a real person – this was no common drag act. His talent was well matched by that of Joe Stolerman as the ambitious and enterprising young Sam Willoughby – an impudent little urchin straight out of Dickens, flirting with danger (and tobacco) but always in the end returning penitently to grandmother’s ample skirts. The character of Mr Gibson the bank manager, sober, kindly, yet also a little dim, is neither easy nor especially rewarding to portray; Harry Bresslaw did the job well, with competence and conviction. As for the ‘baddies’, ‘Tiger’ Dalton, master of accents and disguises, and his sidekick Moss, played by the experienced actors Ed Sayer (Dalton) and James Hunt and William Cardozo-Boohan (who shared the part of Moss), they were the epitome of nastiness; how we enjoyed hissing them, safe in the conviction that the ever-present Hawkshaw the detective would get them in the end – as of course he did. Simon Millson made a thoroughly professional Hawkshaw; and what a satisfying moment it was when, at the end of a long and rather laboured scene (the fault of the writing, not the production) the detective revealed himself beneath the extraordinary disguise of a drunken navvy. Yet even before any of these major characters had established themselves, a host of other players had already created a visually stunning effect at the Bellevue Tea Gardens, presided over by the fussilyattentive Maltby (a gem of a part for the talented Daniel Barry); and the skill and
versatility of this host of extras – guests, clerks, waiters, detectives, policemen, navvies, pot boys, and tarts – made a major contribution to the play’s success. Nor must we forget the exquisitely sensitive musical accompaniments provided by Raphael Rosler and Robert Davidson – and the spirited rendition of ‘Lily of Laguna’ by our very own minstrel, Etiene Ekpo-Utip. Reference has already been made to the unsung heroes – the builders of scenery, operators of sound and light, designers and creators of costume, and so forth. I counted upwards of twenty such folk on the programme and there were probably more. No production can work without their untiring efforts, giving hour after hour to the most unexciting yet essential of tasks. Let it be said therefore that Hugh Silver and his everwilling team of assistants deserve the thanks not only of the audience but of the cast also; as one of the backstage staff said to the cast member who asked him what exactly it was that he did: ‘Put it this way – if I’m not here doing my job, you can’t go on stage.’ Just so; and those of us who enjoy the limelight and the applause must never forget it. It was our last Head of Drama, Stephen Wilkins, who would say that there is no experience of teamwork quite the equivalent of putting on a play. The superb teamwork that made the Ticket of Leave Man the joyful success it was bears witness to the truth of his words. So to everyone who gave their time and their talents to offer a production of such innocent delight under the leadership of so gifted and imaginative a director, the rest of us offer hearty thanks. You gave us a show that sent us out with tunes in our heads, and warmth and hope in our hearts. On a cold December night, what more could we ask?
The Ticket-Of-Leave Man Robert Brierly James ‘Tiger’ Dalton Hawkshaw of Scotland Yard Melter Moss
Green Jones Mrs Willoughby Sam Willoughby Mr. Gibson Maltby Burton, A Clerk Sharpe, A Clerk Jackson, A Waiter James, A Waiter Johnson, A Waiter Mount, A Detective Blunt, Another Detective Mr. Gride Mr. Gamp Mr. Bertie Williams Miss May Edwards Miss Emily St. Everemond Mrs. Danvers Miss La Creevy Mrs. Cutler Miss Fanny Ledrook Miss Cutler Mrs. Gibson Miss Elizabeth Ledrook Mrs. Ledrook
Mr. Nicholas Collins Mr. Ed Sayer Mr. Simon Millson Mr. James Hunt or Mr. William CardozoBoohan Mr. Adam Phillips Mr. Adam Nathan Mr. Jo Stolerman Mr. Harry Bresslaw Mr. Daniel Barry Mr. Charles McNicholas or Mr. David Snower Mr. Matthew Sherr Mr. Alex Petrides Mr. Neil Joseph Mr. Josh Green Mr. Jacob Turner Mr. Niall Moore Mr. Maanas Jain Mr. Joel Ross Mr. Etiene Ekpo-Utip Miss Greer Dale-Foulkes Miss Hannah Penn Miss Alex Moyet Miss Dee Acharya Miss Claire Aimee-Grimshaw Miss Charlie Baker Miss Chiara Best Miss Katherine Rose Miss Jessica Wyndham Miss Lizzie Burch
Policemen, Prostitutes, Waiters, Navvies, Pot Boys etc. played by members of the company.
D. Lindsay
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Junior School Play, 2006: A Midsummer Night’s Dream As the lights went up, our breath was momentarily taken away by the strikingly atmospheric set, its white platform and silky drapes hinting at Peter Brook’s famous 1970 production, with some woodland branches peeping from behind to suggest the pastoral mood to come. Then the imperious Theseus (Oliver Goldstein) abruptly seizes the audience’s attention as he looks forward, with his sultry bride-tobe, Hippolyta (Olivia Majumdar), to their wedding celebrations. The happy scene is soon soured by the complaints of Egeus, a fearsome Tosin Oshinyemi, who asks for Theseus’ intervention in his daughter Hermia’s (an entrancing Olivia Harris) plans to elope with Lysander (a passionate Anthony Meyer). And soon the play’s sunny opening is plunged into the gloom of lovers’ quarrels. They run off into the woods for respite from one another’s taunts. The sun comes out again when we meet the Mechanicals, led by a convincingly nervous Quince (Jack Misner) and the superbly bumptious, swaggering Bottom (Jack Finger). The rehearsals for the play they intend to present to the court created genuine humour to which Francis Flute (Duncan Grindall), Tom
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Snout (Arnot Birss), Snug (Benji Stone) and Robin Starveling (Joshua Kaiser) all contributed. The only false note was the Mechanicals’ accents, which were supposed to suggest northern grittiness, but evoked instead everywhere from Cornwall to the Scottish Borders. A rough north London patois might have been easier for them to assume. The unfolding of the main plot is well known, as Puck’s muddled use of the magic potion causes Titania to fall in love with Bottom and the young lovers to confuse and distress themselves mightily. This was performed with vigour and passion: Demetrius (Richard Breislin) was particularly indignant. As Bottom wakes from his trance, he quotes St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians, comparing the beneficial effect of his dream to that of religious faith. ‘Bottom’ meant a spool of thread as well being slang for substance, so it appropriate that it is he who seems to explain the point of the dream, and draw some of the play’s many threads meaningfully together.
The denouement is one of Shakespeare’s happiest, as the various quarrels melt away and all of the lovers are reconciled. The good cheer is emphasised by the Mechanicals’ performance of ‘Pyramus and Thisbe’. They are celebrated for the clumsy enthusiasm of their performance, and the courtly audience implicitly praised for their charitable reception of it. Throughout, the atmosphere of a royal court was evocatively created by Simone Jones’ magnificent Elizabethan costumes, and the mischievous wood came spookily to life with the breathtaking violet backlit tracery created by Hugh Silver. An exhilarating live jazz accompaniment was added by Bruno Heinen and Leslie Boulin Raunet, which completed the enchantment of this superb evening’s entertainment. The whole cast, and above all, Miss Heinen, deserve many thanks and much credit for a terrific performance. M Wright
...a convincingly nervous Quince and the superbly bumptious, swaggering Bottom.
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Beowulf – The Middle School Play On a hot and sticky summer night in early July, the drama studio audience was whisked away to a cold, violent and fantastical Danish landscape to experience the epic tale of Beowulf. The stage adaptation of this famous Old English poem is fast-paced, dark and very demanding, and the talented cast of middle school boys under the assured direction of Jeremy Cox acquitted themselves admirably. Book-ended by appearances of the sinister Fates, the play tells the story of Beowulf’s arrival in Denmark with other members of his tribe, the Geats, to help the native Skyldings in their struggle against Grendel, a fearsome and seemingly indestructible monster. Beowulf defeats Grendel, but he is not free from danger; Grendel’s mother soon seeks vengeance for her son’s death. Beowulf’s final struggle is against a furious, fire-belching dragon; a challenge he meets with the knowledge that his death is inevitable.
Jack Aaron’s Ashere was effectively sinister and animal-like ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare
Theseus/Oberon Hippolyta/Titania Philostrate/Puck Egeus
Oliver Goldstein Olivia Majumdar Tom Herbert Tosin Oshinyemi
Hermia Lysander Demetrius Helena
Olivia Harris Anthony Meyer Richard Breislin Stavrini Mouktari
Peter Quince Nick Bottom Francis Flute Tom Snout Snug Robin Starveling
Jack Misner Jack Finger Duncan Grindall Arnot Birss Benji Stone Joshua Kaiser
Peaseblossom Cobweb Moth Mustardseed Fairy Soloist Other Fairies
Joseph Yarwood Charlotte Jacobs Andrew Specter Charlotte Wickens Naveen Nandakumar Pierre Binfoh Zack Kay
Violin/Trumpet Piano/Percussion/Trumpet
Leslie Boulin Raunet Bruno Heinen
Directed by Assistant Directors
Designers Lighting Design and Theatre Technician Costumes Music Deputy Stage Manager Stage Crew
Nicki Heinen Harry Bresslaw, William Cardozo-Boohan, Sagar Gupta, James Hunt, Joel Ross Tim Norton and Nicki Heinen Hugh Silver
It would be easy to allow such a play to lapse into tedious, clichéd melodrama, full of posturing warriors spouting unconvincing dialogue; and it is a tribute to the commitment of the 17-strong cast that they did not allow this to happen. They imbued the piece with confidence and certainty to ensure that it remained engaging, never becoming farcical, and handled well the challenging epic style that the piece called for. All the cast worked hard to create a slick sense of ensemble; the chorus deftly switched between characters, changing their accents and posture in a second, and also excelled at using their physicality to create stunning stage pictures, such as heaps of bodies, limbs all tangled up. The Fates were haunting, torch-wielding, omnipresent forces, skilfully portrayed by Ed Penn, George Bach and Oliver Bello. They effectively displayed a sense of malevolent omniscience; haunting the action with chilling commentary and leading to a surprising and satisfying climax. As Hrothgar, the king of the Skyldings, Sam Briggs provided a suitably warm and authoritative presence, while Jack Aaron’s Ashere was effectively sinister and animal-like. Finally, as Beowulf and Old Beowulf respectively, Jonny Miller and Niall Moore performed superbly; each performance complementing the other to create an entire picture of this complex character for the audience. Jonny Miller’s Beowulf was intense, roughly physical and suitably warrior-like, while Niall Moore, playing the same character as an old man, portrayed the character’s development into old age and acceptance of his destiny movingly. The moments when the two halves of the same character were on stage together were highly theatrical; the commitment of the two performers ensuring that they were believable as being the same character, without either actor resorting to a form of imitation. The production was exciting, theatrical and quick moving, the performers seamlessly segueing from location to location; the lighting and sound design thrillingly contributed to the atmosphere and helped move the story along. The enthralling sequence in which Beowulf confronted Grendel’s mother, while her enraged voice boomed at him from all sides of the drama studio, hopelessly slashing his sword through mystifying beams of multicoloured light, was a particularly impressive synthesis of actor, light, and sound. Jamie Nove’s sound design was cleverly atmospheric throughout, while Hugh Silver’s symbolic, colourful lighting also effectively created location and a sense of ever-present danger. Simone Jones’ costumes conveyed well the harsh circumstances of their characters, with realistically heavylooking armour. Jeremy Cox’s thoughtful direction of the play, full of meaningful visual motifs, led to a surprisingly moving conclusion; including the two Beowulfs, separated by time, mystically reunited, and the first image of the play symmetrically reprised. This, in fact, could serve as a visual metaphor for the whole production: striking, precise and carefully conceived, full of a cold beauty that sent the audience out in to the warm night with their teeth chattering and hearts heavier for the icy journey they had just gone on. Josh Seymour Year 12
Simone Jones Bruno Heinen Jonathan Parr Akshay Karia, Matthew Woods 13
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Events
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Mencap Funday
As a Mencap Funday virgin turning up for my first ever taste of the day, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I stepped out of my car. The blaring music in the distance and distant view of a choo-choo train in full motion quickly put me at ease, and I soon realised that Mencap Funday really did live up to its name. So, what is Mencap Funday, you may ask? Mencap Funday is when around 100 mentally handicapped children visit HABS for the day, and are given one or two volunteer minders to care for them for the day. With their minders they then partake in a wide variety of activities, from leaping around a bouncy castle, to stroking pet animals or running around the sports-hall chasing footballs. This day gives their parents a well earnt break, and they are free to roam the school or just sit down in the quiet, and enjoy a cup of tea! My first stop upon arriving in a school full of wildly active children was a visit to the IT Department, somewhere which I thought would be slightly calmer than elsewhere. I was wrong. Children yelling as they “got their highest score on Deal or no Deal” or as “Pingu slid the further he had ever slid” welcomed me, and I saw just how appreciative we should be of the technology available to us. It was clear that many of these children had never had the kind of access to it that we have on a daily basis. As I glance out of the window, I immediately noticed something wandering around the quad. A polar bear? It couldn’t be… I rushed down the stairs after it, only stopping to admire the shirt Mr Parr had donned for the day, an elegant combination of outrageous colours, surely not allowed
on a normal sixth form day. But that was the beauty of the day - we were in a school environment but it was as if someone had torn up the rules. This was certainly a different HABS to the one we all knew, and boy did everyone seem to love it. Continuing on my chase after the polar bear, I found him surrounded by a group of children, all eager to stroke him and one cheeky admirer who was trying to hitch a ride. Upon closer inspection I realised it wasn’t a polar bear, but the huge white-furry dog owned by Josh Stevens, known as ‘Yogi’, and he was going down a treat with children and volunteers alike. Continuing my quest I ran into yet more animals, a stunning tortoise and a couple of fluffy rabbits, all with a queue of eager children waiting to step into the hot-seat to hold the animals. Over to the sports hall I trekked to find the it packed with people playing basketball, and shooting goals against their carers. So, I may not have seen the Brazil team in training, but it was just as entertaining watching the wild celebrations as one child buried his spot-kick past his sprawling carer. I moved on to the swimming pool and was confronted by a giant octopus, surrounded by kids clinging to their carers or floats, splashing around in the water clearly having a whale of a time (haha). I paid a quick visit to the bouncy castle where I found Mrs Williams trying to sneak on for a quick bounce. Managing to prise her away from the entrance, I saw exactly what I’d come to expect by now, a gathering of children, smiles plastered all over their faces, bouncing up and down, side to side, before exiting via a convenient slide. My whistlestop tour of the activities ended in the Bourne Hall, where a mini-disco had been constructed, fitted with flashing lights, a smoke machine as well as a novelty bubble machine. I was greeted by two children screaming “Reach for the Stars” at the top of their voices, with their carers acting as backing dancers behind them. Bubbles foaming out and smoke streaming into the room amongst flashing red, blue and yellow lights, it really was the fitting end to my tour. On a day that may well be remembered for England’s narrow victory over Ecuador courtesy of David Beckham, around 300 people will remember it for something very different: Mencap Funday 2006. At the end of the day these people left weary, but with memories that would last a lifetime. Alec Zetter Year 12 15
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MARGARET TAYLOR. On Monday 28th. November 2005 Margaret Taylor’s family and some 200 of her myriad friends and acquaintances gathered in the Aske Hall to mark her ninetieth birthday, celebrating her long and successful life, offering her their individual congratulations, and paying her their many genuine and heartfelt tributes. Margaret had been headmaster’s wife at Haberdashers’ from 1946 to 1973; twenty seven years during which the school had moved from Hampstead to Elstree and been transformed from a successful North London direct grant grammar school into one which rivalled and overtook long established and nationally-known public schools. Her husband Tom Taylor was a very able man. He had gone up to Christ’s College, Cambridge, on an open scholarship in Classics, graduated with a first, won the Burney Prize in Philosophy, and been awarded a Ph.D. He had spent a year at Frankfurt University, and in his spare time taken a Bachelor of Divinity degree from the University of London. He had taught at Bradford Grammar School and Worksop College, and from 1940 spent six years as Headmaster of the City of Bath School. In May 1946 he took over as Headmaster of Haberdashers’, bringing Margaret with him from Bath. Together, they faced a formidable challenge. During the War the school’s endowment income had fallen, it had been damaged by a bomb, scarred by use by the Auxiliary Fire Service, and its grounds pockmarked by air-raid shelters. Reconstruction did not begin until the summer term of 1948, but it was clear that Tom aimed to consolidate its metropolitan base and establish a national reputation. During 1947 he had moved the Carol Service to St. Martin-the-Fields, held Commendation Day in the Guildhall, and transferred the Preparatory Department to the school’s sports ground at Chase Lodge (from whence in 1953 it moved to Flower Lane).
By 1952 the governors had established a site sub-committee in order to move the school itself to a more salubrious situation on the edge of the suburbs or in south Hertfordshire, and on 9th. February 1959 bought Aldenham House and 61 acres of land from the BBC for what now seems the astonishingly low price of £31,000. As soon as the boys moved into the new buildings during the Autumn Term of 1961 Haberdashers’ began an unprecedented period of expansion and success. The 1961 buildings were soon supplemented: in 1969 Princess Margaret opened one new block and in 1971 Mrs. Thatcher opened another. When Tom retired in 1973 plans had been made for the present Preparatory and Music Schools, the latter a memorial to him. Margaret knows the inner history of those years. She shared some of that history with us in a speech not only delivered standing and without notes but with humour and wit; indeed, with a marked style and verve. Tom’s first words after returning to Bath from his interview for the headship of Haberdashers’ were “I’m going to move that school”- and so he did. At Bath the governors had reacted to his wish to promote school music by saying “We don’t want violins; we want rifles”- but the Haberdashers’ governors proved more accommodating. Tom and Margaret promoted both music and drama. Few who heard her speak will forget the infectious enthusiasm which she brought to the task of helping to take “Julius Caesar” on tour in Germany. Few who heard her will forget the perceptive wisdom with which she recounted entertaining leading musicians of the day in the Headmaster’s House at Elstree - including the demanding but fragile performers Daniel Barenboim, Yehudi Menuhin, and Jacqueline du Pre. Nor were her activities confined to music and drama, for she had rejoiced in the school’s growing academic success and reputation, and recalled playing the part of the traditional Headmaster’s wife, entertaining the staff and the boys - with what the many former members of staff and old boys present had recognised as her
attentive personal interest and warmth, creating a sense of community and loyalty. When she gave birth to her only son the teaching staff cheered Tom into his office. She would certainly have appreciated the report which the Ministry of Education’s inspectors made about Haberdashers’ in October 1963: “The Headmaster has done excellent work, and has shown devotion to every aspect of school life and willingness to encourage experiment. A school like Haberdashers’ needs teachers of high quality and it seems to have them. The Staff is of high calibre. The boys are lively minded, vigorous and full of enterprise. Music and Drama are outstanding.” All those gathered in the Aske Hall knew that after Tom’s retirement and tragically early death in 1981 Margaret remained a loyal and staunch supporter of the school, for there is scarcely a concert or a play or a Carol Service or a Commendation Day which she has missed during the last 33 years, and she has usually arrived and departed in her own car, a veteran driver indeed. In his speech in reply to Margaret, Keith Dawson, who had taught history at Elstree during the 1960’s, and was himself Headmaster from 1987 to 1996, echoed and paralleled the words with which George Carey, then Archbishop of Canterbury, had used on the occasion of the late Queen Mother’s 100th birthday in 2000. I will quote and adapt those words here: “The sheer number and variety of tributes affirm her worth and how deeply Margaret’s marvellous sense of service and duty has resonated with generations of admirers and well-wishers. We appreciate the way in which she has borne the burdens of public service with charm and dignity and admire her unfailing commitment and love of life. It is a love that has been returned with love.” Alongside Keith, every single one of us present in the Aske Hall honoured a very strong, highly intelligent and most gracious lady and offered her our love and respect. I, for one, hope to take part in celebrating her hundredth birthday, and look forward to hearing her make another inimitable speech. J. Wiggly
Margaret knows the inner history of those years. She shared some of that history with us in a speech not only delivered standing and without notes but with humour and wit.
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History Talk
The Junior School In the Junior School this year the whole of year 7 were paid a special visit by the Haberdashers’ company. The splendid occasion was called Deputation day. All of the important officials were there, including the extremely friendly head of the company. During the formal ceremony in the Seldon Hall the head gave us a brief speech about what the company does, but the undoubted highlight of the event was the presentation of the bibles. The head of the corporation presented everyone who wished to receive a bible with one. It was a lovely touch and a perfect souvenir to look back on once your HABS career is over and you have left the school. The first year pupils were very grateful for the tokens of appreciation and everyone enjoyed the fantastic affair.
On the 30th June in first period year seven all turned up at the Seldon Hall ready for a rambling, tiresome, boring history lecture that is not what we got. Kevin Hicks delivered us a fascinating account into medieval life. From a demonstration on a Habs pupil on how a medieval soldier would kill him to how the Tudors built their houses, Kevin Hicks amazed and amused us with his knowledge and wit. My highlight of the day however, would have to be the shooting demonstration. Kevin Hicks used a real working crossbow and longbow to show us how medieval soldiers shot, and were shot, in front of Aldenham house. He was remarkably accurate and to think what the sound and sight of 7,000 arrows being fired at once must have been tremendous! With only one arrow the groundsman some way off looked terrified! Another highlight was being shown some medieval devices, which nowadays some of them still seemed quite clever, despite being hundreds of years old. There were a variety of these particular devices, one of them being a vice to extract an arrow from someone cheek and another being a buckler, which despite looking like a shield was used to hit people on the head, hard. Kevin Hicks also afterwards allowed pupils, such as myself to hold many precious medieval artefacts, including swords, clothes, bows, devices and much more. It was amazing to think that these deadly weapons of war would have been used by our ancestors perhaps. My particular chosen weapons would have had to have been the crossbow and the triple-edged sword because, although brutal, there was a certain amount of subtlety in the weapons. The crossbow being the medieval “sniper” and the triple-edged sword being primarily used to shove up people’s ribs as, because of the triple-edged blade, the wound would never heal. Overall the talk certainly taught me a lot more about the bloodthirsty period that was the medieval times, as well as being very interactive and enjoyable. Thanks go out to Miss Rivlin and the History Department for arranging such a great day! Tom Dean Year 7
The every-seven-year concert by HABS at the stunning Barbican Hall in London was a massive success. This year it was a brilliant performance and personally I thought that the Big Band, the Percussion group and especially the choir all stood out although everyone else was amazing as well. None of this could have been pulled off without the relentless effort of Mr West, Mr Simm or Monsieur Muhley putting 101% into preparing this (they even organised rehearsals at the weekend!) and a big thank you to all other music staff who helped. The yearly HABS music festival has some of the most talented musicians from years 7-10 and anyone who gets to the semi-finals gets a cool medal. Who will be crowned HABS young musician of the year 2006…? In the Junior School there are many assemblies that you can go to. On Monday there is either an assembly for years 7, 8 and 9 in the Bourne Hall, which the Headmaster takes, or there is tutor group in which all the forms have separate discussions with their form tutors. On Tuesday there is junior assembly, taken by Miss Rivlin, which usually includes a production by one of the forms and various announcements. On Wednesday there is either a form assembly or a house assembly in which more announcements are made and cups and house ties may be awarded. On Thursday there are religious assemblies. You can choose from Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Jain and Buddhist assemblies as well as Christian in the school chapel. If you are not religious you can go to the Headmaster’s assembly in the Bourne. On Friday there is tutor group for all years. This year, debating has been a central part of life in the junior school. In the first half of the summer term, boys from years 7 and 8 participated in the interhouse junior debating competition, which were very keenly fought indeed, especially in the final with six excellent speeches being prepared by boys in Russells and Joblings. The Motion: ‘This House would abolish the monarchy.’ Joblings were proposing the motion, leaving Russells to defend the Queen. Russells lost the debate, but not before Akshay Karia’s heartfelt rendition of ‘God Save the Queen’! Many thanks to Miss Hammond for organising and adjudicating the competition. In the Junior School, there have been debating clubs after school, again, many thanks to Miss Hammond and the sixth formers for organising those. The swimming gala is a fantastic evening of action and friendly competition. Parents and students can come and support friends and family and watch some high quality swimming races. The atmosphere in the pool is sensational and really is inspirational to swim in. The result of the gala goes towards the house’s Crossman shield total and if you win it could help your house be victorious at the end of the year! It is an undoubted highlight of the academic year. D. Rivlin 17
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Malorie Blackman On Thursday 22 June Malorie Blackman, popular children’s author, visited the School Library and talked to boys from Years 7 and 8. Here are some thoughts from 7H:
“Malorie Blackman is delightful and loud. She read us parts of her books and analysed the way she wrote them. She did IT for ten years but then she got bored and decided to do writing. While she was writing she carried on her IT work to pay the bills. She told us she hated IT so much she had nightmares. Her first book “Not so Stupid!” was horror stories and she used her own nightmares as stories.” Anand
“Malorie Blackman told us about her writing style. In most of her books she tells us both sides of the story, and that some of her books were based on her own experiences. ‘Thief’ is about someone who gets blamed for something they didn’t do and she experienced this when she was younger. ‘Noughts and crosses’ is about racism and Malorie Blackman experienced that when she was younger and applying for jobs” Daniel
“Malorie Blackman has a very loud personality. She is a very exciting woman and has a very good imagination and can read aloud very well. She has a fiery attitude and is a very honest lady. She has become very successful as an author and it was a pleasure to meet her.” Sahvan
“She answered questions about her best-selling books and signed copies of her work. Malorie Blackman’s visit was very interesting. I learnt a lot about authors’ lives, and about being a writer, a successful writer. I enjoyed it a lot.” Luke
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“My first impression was that she was a modest, humble lady who didn’t show off one bit, like I would have probably done if I was a successful writer. She started her talk by telling us about how she had gone through 82 rejection letters before finally a publishing company liked her writing and offered to publish her book” Visakan
“A character Malorie Blackman relates to is Callum in ‘Noughts and crosses’ who has her personality…..she says it is her first book in relation to racism. However the best thing about her I think is after so many depressing incidents and rejection letters and racial abuse she became a brilliant author and a happy person, and it was great meeting her.” Alok
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Professor Anthony Slinn on Henry Moore On Thursday 20th October 2005, a select group of art students intimately gathered in the Aske Hall for a lecture about the great Henry Moore, expertly delivered by Professor Anthony Slinn. Immediately, Moore was dubbed ‘the worlds greatest sculptor’ by Slinn, a statement that at first seemed somewhat outlandish to the congregation, though Slinn would go to some lengths to justify it over the course of the lecture. Initially, Slinn relayed the details of Moore’s workshop at Much Hadham. The audience was delighted to hear that tours ran daily in the workshop, especially as it is near the school. During Moore’s illustrious lifetime, Slinn informed us that he never worked for commission, this perhaps explaining his rather modest living quarters. One of his notable strengths was the retention of his own self-determined creative vision, without the intrusion of others, who would inevitably be hindered by their own distinct lack of inspiration, and indeed, lack of geniosity. Accompanied by a projector, Slinn went on, in remarkable and protracted detail, to illustrate how Moore’s finished pieces often started out as a small Maquette in his workshop, the aptly named ‘Powerhouse’, before his special assistants blew it up into scale. Moore would always insist on having the final approval, invariably altering the finished surface as to add a personal finishing touch, thus finally developing the masterpieces we are all acquainted with, and also gaining credit from the Herculean efforts of the assistants. Slinn went on to detail nine of Moore’s statues scattered around the capital, and also the story behind each individual piece. Unfortunately, work at an East London council estate, that of a large reclining figure, was smashed up by the local hoodlums. Accordingly, one could infer the senselessness and perhaps futility of adding a bit of culture to the ghetto, though one could applaud Moore’s noble and romantic, though later pointless bid, to do so. Just as the audience thought it was all over, Slinn caught us off-guard with the last example of Moore’s work, at the UNESCO building in Paris. A work from the late 1960s, it was one of his rare works to be carved on location. It has been considered one of the most beautiful Henry Moore works, though it is in a somewhat poor condition with numerous holes, perhaps due to the neglect of the Parisian conseil municipal. Yet, it is a timeless object, like a pebble present on the proverbial beach throughout the aeons of time, as if contrived by the water. The final result is the inimitable sense generated by Moore, propounded by Slinn, of humanity, life and rhythm. Quelle artiste!
Richard Corbett’s Private Viewing
The private viewing of Richard Corbett’s artwork was an event that was only slightly dampened by the lack of a turn out, but nonetheless the quality in his work still shone through. And when you realised the crisp-to-person ratio worked out better with fewer people, things got all the better! Richard’s work was a gathering of abstract art through painting to printing using burning rubber, and even included a bit of digital photography on the side. All of the pieces expressed something, whether through colour, texture, or line, and represented a great portfolio of work. I liked the Red Hopkins series best at first: the red paintings employed the classic technique of colour to set a mood or feeling. They were pieces which can be put in a white room and immediately conjure up emotion. The green and blue paintings were also a pleasant contrast. But after looking around a bit more, I was able to look at some of the other pieces in more detail. The ‘Liszt Drawings’ were the smallest pieces in the exhibition, but in no way the worst. Although at first sight they may not seem much, after a useful explanation by the artist himself they took on new form. Richard explained how he had listened to music by the composer ‘Liszt’, whilst drawing on the paper and it was interesting to imagine how the drawings reflected the music. One picture proposed the idea of a flute playing in the background, the fluttering marks dancing on the sheet. The “Hopkins” images continued on with the abstract theme. They were digital printouts of close up photographs of objects, and simply played with reflections and so-forth. One was actually a photographic close up of two pieces of paper reflecting each other. Lastly, one other painting caught my eye. Number one in the series of Liszt paintings could be described as the least abstract image in the whole exhibition, an unusual quality. The blue cityscape reminded me of New York, and although this is something unusually certain for the line of work. However, contradictory, the image does seem to maintain an abstract air about it through green wave below the buildings. This seemed to manifest itself also into the image of some tall skyscrapers also, conjuring up a fortified town on the white canvas. Overall, the private viewing was a relaxing evening, with a great host to boot. Richard Corbett was interested in our ideas and understood as an ex-HABS schoolboy what it was like having to remember the colours of six different houses. His artwork was an interesting venture into different mediums, and the only thing I could complain about was the Twiglets. Greg Steckelmacher Year 9
Aziz Ahsan Year 12 19
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Physics Workshop
Paperclip Physics
On 29th September 2005, a Physics Workshop was held for around 30 Sixth Formers. Our aim was to build a tower made from spaghetti, jelly babies and blu-tac, which was to be capable of holding a radioactive (boiled) egg. We had to split into groups of four and then spent three-quarters of an hour brainstorming our ideas for the design of the tower. It was hard work, as not only did many of the ideas come crashing down but also because individuals from other groups were eavesdropping to get some inspiration! At the end of this spell (by which time most of the jelly babies had mysteriously disappeared) we had to bid for materials and then we started to build. Points were awarded for the highest towers and also for those that supported the egg closest to the predicted height above the ground. It was interesting to see how a group of supposedly intellectual boys could not construct a tower. My group appeared to regress as time went on, but as the end drew near we managed to construct a tower that was close to our predicted height. However, with five minutes to go our structure came crashing down in front of our eyes and we realised that it was over. The winning group were unexpected victors as they managed to beat a much more aesthetically pleasing structure to take the crown.
Earlier this year, two teams from HABS left early on a Tuesday morning to compete in the local heats of the Paperclip Physics competition. The aim was simple, to demonstrate a theory or process of physics using only objects found in the home. The three judges included one lay judge, and two Physicists. Team one produced a demonstration of momentum using firecrackers, but went out with a bang after forgetting part of the presentation. Team two kept it simple and described how a photocopier worked. This went down well with the judges and they moved on to the regional finals. Team one were consoled with a free physics pen.
After clearing up thousands of pieces of crushed spaghetti off the Aske Hall floor we were treated to an exquisite three course meal by Chartwells in Aldenham House. On behalf of all who participated, I would like to thank the members of staff who produced one of the best meals I have had and the school who let us use the facilities. A good time was had by all! Lewis Jacques Year 13
The regional finals were held at Greenwich Maritime Museum and teams from all over the country competed for the coveted title of paperclip physics champion. The remaining team from HABS (Kristian Parry, Capt., Nehal Shah, Daniel Winer & Jerome Woodwark) was in with a good chance but there was stiff competition. Six teams gave their presentation before lunch and six after. Luckily enough the HABS team was the last of the day to present. To the team’s surprise, another team had decided to do a photocopier presentation as well, but all was not lost - they were rubbish. The time for the HABS team to wow the judges had come and they did not disappoint. After over an hour of deliberation, the judges emerged with their decision. In the judges words “it seemed appropriate to award the first place prize to the last team to perform, Haberdashers’”. Applause erupted from both the floor and an ecstatic Mr. Fielder, who could barely contain himself. First place prize was a digital camera for each of the team members and £500 for the physics department. Kristian Parry Year 12
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Building Bridges
Paper
Spaghetti
Straw
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Tate Modern – Year 7 Trip Itinerary
Time
What we were doing
1020
Arrived at London Blackfriars by train
1030
Got to the Tate and stored our belongings
1040
Set off to look at the third floor which contained two exhibitions: Material Gesture and Poetry and Dream.
1145
Come back to have lunch
1245
Did a 15 minute sketch of St.Pauls, city school and the millennium bridge
1305
Set off to look at the fifth floor which contained another two exhibitions called Idea and Object and State of Flux
1400
Left the Tate Modern
1415
Caught the train back to HABS
We then went up to the fifth floor into the ‘States of Flux’ exhibition room. This collection has artists such as Gino Serverini and Giacomo Balla. They are Futurist artists who believed that progress was made through inventions such as the motor car, airplane and tanks, which they celebrated through their paintings. They used geometric shapes and unusual angles to suggest speed and movement. The paintings look rather like jigsaw puzzles.
Gino Severini Surburban Train arriving in Paris We arrived at school on Field Day ready for an adventure at the Tate Modern. All 15 of us from year 7 walked to the coach park and clambered into the coach and were driven to Elstree and Borehamwood Station. Luckily, the weather was beautiful and we sketched the platform and its surroundings, as we waited for our train to arrive. We had a fast journey into Blackfriars station and excitedly walked to the Tate Modern, via the Millennium bridge. I had visited this gallery before, but was fascinated by the surrounding buildings, particularly St. Paul’s Catherdral. Once we had been sorted out into small groups, we put our belongings in the lockers and headed for the third floor. We were given work sheets, which actually made the experience going around the Tate extremely interesting and showed us what to look for in the different pictures. We started at the ‘Poetry and Dream’ exhibition room, which includes artists such as Salvador Dali, Picasso and Diego Rivera. These paintings were surreal.
On the work sheets we had to try and make a rough copy of some of the paintings and all of us found it surprisingly difficult to do. Although they appear quite simple they are in fact extremely complicated. We then moved swiftly to ‘Material Gestures’ exhibition room which was made up of Expressionist Artists such as Emil Nolde and Fernand Leger. These were very complicated to interpret, as they were compositions created around how the artist felt at the time he was painting. This section was fascinating to study because if you looked carefully, one could see small details that made the painting come alive. These artists worked outdoors, on canvas, using broad brushstrokes and thick ‘impasto’ oil paint.
Finally we made our way to the last exhibition room. This was called ‘Idea and Object’. This included artists such as ‘Joseph Beuys’ and Wassily Kandinsky. This abstract art, according to some people, was invented by Kandinsky. He used shape, colour, texture and lines combined to create a colourful sense of movement. Beuys often used felt and fat in his work. It was incredible to see triangles, semi circles and rectangles combining together, to conjour up a picture representing music, which showed both instruments and people.
Emil Node The Sea Breaker By now we were all quite hungry and went to meet up with the rest of the group, who were sitting on the grass outside the gallery. After lunch, we took out our sketch books and spent 15 minutes drawing the buildings that had been so beautiful on our walk to the gallery. Picasso The Weeping Woman
Wassily Kandinsky Swinging We all met up again, collected our belongings and then wearily made our way back to school after a brilliant day out organized by Mr Todhunter and assisted by Miss Murray. Lewis Stock Year 7
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Barcelona October 2005
We went for six days in the first week of October half term to Barcelona. We went there to improve our listening and speaking skills in Spanish and also to see the incredible sights while exploring the Spanish culture.
Visit to the Black Country
We all woke up on the first day in sunny Barcelona ready for our first outing. The teachers briefed us with the day’s events before we set off for our first destination, La Sagrada Familia. This is one of Spain's most famous churches and it is one of Gaudí's most incredible works. We were given a tour of the whole church and we learnt that Gaudí spent 43 years of his life constructing La Sagrada Familia before he died, and the church remains unfinished to this day. With the money that people give to enter La Sagrada Familia and with donations from other organisations, a group of architects are trying to complete the church using Gaudí's models and drawings, which show how he wanted La Sagrada Familia to look. The art in the church and the views from the top were amazing. The church was very colourful and beautiful. We then travelled to La Plaza de Cataluña, where we had our lunch, and then we went to a major department store called El Corte Inglés, which provided us with an excellent opportunity to do some shopping! Our next destination was Casa Batló, which is one of Gaudí's houses. It was a typical Gaudí design because there were many curved lines and wild shapes. Once again, the views from this building looking out onto Barcelona were incredible.
Other visits included a trip to a cava (champagne) factory, visiting Las Ramblas and the Boquería market, going to the Olympic port, visiting the aquarium, Barrio Gótico and last but not least, Nou Camp. We also went to see a flamenco show where Señor Bardou got up onto the stage and danced as well as the rest of the professionals! Then all 40 of us did the Macarena dance, after being taught so well in Year 7 by Señora Gomez. After the trip was over, we all did projects on the trip and the winners were awarded prizes from Nou Camp. All the boys thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic trip to Barcelona, mainly due to the teachers who organised the visits. Thanks to Señora Gomez, Señor Bardou, Señora McKenzie and Señor Simm for taking us on such an amazing trip. Marcus Chaplin and William Martin Year 8
Back in the Spring Term the whole of Year 8 decamped to the 'Black Country Living Museum', in Dudley, as part of our Field Day. There we were transported back to the latter part of the 19th century, a time when Britain ruled the waves and much of the urban population lived in squalor. The Black Country had been a prime spot for industry and the boys got a flavour for all things industrial: they visited the toll house and tilted cottage; watched the chemist and chain maker at work; visited the lime kilns and they rode the trams and toured the canal system. For most the highlight was our exploration of the mines, where boys braved the dark with their hard hats. Of course no experience would be complete without the obligatory visit to “Ye Olde Sweet Shop” and the boys polished off a few portions of authentic Black Country Fish and Chips. D. Rivlin 23
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Kew Gardens A number of Year 8 classes went to Kew Gardens for this term's Summer Field Day. The weather was perfect and consequently enabled the boys to see the Gardens at their finest. We were fortunate enough to have an ex-HABS colleague - Derek Swan (who now works at Kew) as one of our tour guides. The boys were given a guided tour of the rainforest glass house, some had a practical workshop session and time to wonder around and see the various flora and fauna on display. One of the facinating parts of the day was learning about how the rare plants grown at Kew, are playing a vital part in the fight against various forms of cancer. Our thanks to Mrs. Jones for organising the day. N Holmes
One of the facinating parts of the day was learning about how the rare plants grown at Kew, are playing a vital part in the fight against various forms of cancer.
Year 8 Visit to Places of Worship On 7th October 2005, each boy in Year 8 visited three places of worship. Everyone spent part of the day discovering more about worship at St Albans Abbey, and also had an opportunity to visit a synagogue to discuss Judaism with a member of the local Jewish community. To complete the day, some boys meditated with the Sangha community at Amaravati, while others observed puja at Highgate Hindu temple. Meanwhile, a third group visited Shepherd’s Bush Gurdwara. Snippets of the boys’ accounts of their visits give a feel of the day. The first thing that hit you at St Albans Abbey was the grand scale it was built to. I was amazed at the fact that such a huge building was so quiet. I really liked that because sometimes I need peace and quiet when I pray. We learned a lot about its history; it started being constructed in 1077 and took 11 years to complete. We found out about its uses today. I learnt a lot about the story of St Alban, before we got to dress up and pretend that we were bishops. As soon as you entered, you could feel that there was something very special about the place. It was a great visit. When we went to Hertsmere Liberal synagogue, where Rabbi Tobias was waiting for us, he told us that he had been a student at HABS. The synagogue was small, but there were some wonderful things to see, including the ark in which the Torah was kept, which was very colourful and eyecatching. Rabbi Tobias talked about the story of Moses and asked us questions; we even answered some of the questions before they were asked!
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My first impression of the synagogue at Borehamwood was that it was completely different to a church. I liked its modern design. Rabbi Plancey greeted us and explained that all synagogues face where the Temple in Jerusalem once stood. He told us the stories of the festivals that were represented in the stained glass windows. He explained how everything in the synagogue is a symbol. The light that is near the Ark is intentionally never put out to remind Jews of God’s presence. I learnt many things about reform Jews at the Radlett Reform synagogue. All the Torah scrolls contain the same writing, but one, which came from Czechoslovakia, is very special because it managed to survive the holocaust. I found out that once the Torah scroll has been read, the whole scroll is unwound in order to get it back to the beginning. When this happens, it goes all the way around the synagogue. This day of rejoicing is known as Simchat Torah. All the deities had been placed around the Lord Murugan mandir and so it felt that you were with ‘God’ all the time. The massive shrine that was the centre of the temple was beautifully made; there were also eight smaller shrines. Everything had so much detail; one of the smaller shrines was full of about 200 small statues and lights. We watched the priest perform puja by pouring honey and melon juice on the murti, then washing it off whilst chanting and ringing a bell. The puja was performed in the unused language of Sanskrit. The daily prayers for Lord Ganesh really made me remember my roots in India, and from inside, I felt good about myself.
It took us an hour to reach the Sikh place of worship in Shepherd’s Bush. We had to take off our shoes and cover our head inside the Gurdwara, which was the first one to have been built in England. When we arrived, some people were reading the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book, as it was a special occasion. It takes 48 hours of non-stop reading to get through the holy book. We all received a small amount of a delicious sweet vegetarian food called karah prashad to show that all are equal, before we were given a tour and learnt about the meaning of Sikh symbolism and the history of the gurus. After learning these interesting facts, we were taken below ground and were given some food and drink before we left. The Gurdwara was special to me because I felt a sense of charity and community. At the Sangha at Amaravati, Venerable Vajiro, who was wearing sandals and robes, explained what he did on a normal day. He also made me really think about life in a different light. Rather than answering lots of questions, he asked us questions, such as “What is your first thought every morning?” He reminded us that as we are always so close to death, we must live life to the full. The final thing that we did was meditation, which is supposed to help you to control your emotions and give you control over your mind. It made us feel calm and helped us to concentrate. It was very interesting to see these various places of worship, and it made me aware that different religions have different customs and beliefs. However, there is a similarity in all of them, in that we all believe we should respect each other’s religion and live in peace. D. Williams
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French Exchange to Chambery 2006 On this year’s French exchange, the French boys came to us first. We had an exciting week, during which our exchanges went to many famous London landmarks and even came to school with us. We bade them farewell a week before the spring half term. When it came to the Easter holidays, we only had a few days off school before we arrived at Heathrow airport and flew to Lyon. Our first night was quite hard, but reading a good book in English dissolved all my doubts. Tuesday morning came and I was surprised to be woken up at 6:00 sharp, although I was used to getting up early for HABS. When I got to the french school, I met up with my friends and the North London Collegiate girls who came with us, and we then drove to the Lac du Bourget. We enjoyed a scenic trip across the lake and then took the coach to a nut oil mill. We
watched how the oil was made and even tasted some. After a delicious packed lunch, prepared for me by my exchange’s mum, we drove to Annecy. There we had some shopping time to ourselves, during which my group sampled some French ice cream. On Wednesday morning, we explored Chambery with a local guide. We had some time to shop before being asked to return to school in groups. We then spent the afternoon with our families. The following day we visited Lyon, and after looking around the Musée Lumière, which was a fascinating museum about the history of cinema, we strolled around the town. In the afternoon, the boys and girls split up, with the boys going to a hilltop cathedral, and then “rendezvousing” with the girls at the main church to see the astronomical clock chime.
When Friday morning came, we visited Grenoble and ascended the hillside in a cable car, which gave us a spectacular panoramic view. Once back down on level ground, we were allowed to go shopping and have lunch. We then visited the musée d’automates (a museum of clockwork robots), which was very interesting. We all had an opportunity to play a mechanical organ. Saturday and Sunday were spent with our respective families, and I was lucky enough to be taken to the Mer de Glace and Mont Blanc, as well as go-karting, before the trip sadly came to an end. I would recommend this trip to anyone, even those whose forté is not French, as it is great fun. The French family will always try to understand what you want to say. I found them to be very kind, generous and welcoming. Nicholas Parker Year 8
L’Alma Exchange to Paris On the last day of term, ten girls and fifteen boys assembled in the coach park and we promptly travelled to Waterloo by coach. Once we had infiltrated the barrage of baggage checks that was French customs, we managed to board the Eurostar that was travelling to Paris. The journey passed swiftly, with boys and girls managing to entertain themselves and, in the case of some, indulging in chicken and mozzarella wraps for €12 a go.
Once we arrived at the Garde du Nord in Paris, our French families greeted us; some with handshakes or in my case, cinnamon flavoured toothpaste. We were taken home and spent the weekend with our French families. This meant that we could get to know our exchanges better and many people were taken to see other sites in the city. The week started with a visit to the Louvre,
where we were able to view some of the greatest works of art in the world, including, of course, the famous Mona Lisa. We also took a trip along the Seine and visited the cathedral at Notre Dame. Our visit to the Eiffel Tower was not as successful; we managed to reach the ticket office, but that was all. The peaceful protest (turned rather more aggressive with the arrival of Police) somewhat halted our progress as protestors
favourite visit was that to the Stade de France, where we had the chance to buy small portions of the grass from the pitch (nobody took this opportunity).
occupied all the main ticket offices. However, our spirits were not crushed, as many were delighted by scenes of ominouslooking riot police (many of whom were having their pictures taken by equally delighted Japanese tourists).
The trip was an invaluable experience for all in terms of the French we learnt, the great sites we visited and the fact that we all had a great time. Many thanks must go to Mr Fenn for his enthusiasm, organisation and uplifting sense of humour. Many thanks must also go to Mr Ashton.
We also visited the Arc de Triomphe, La Defense (the modern quarter of Paris) and the Petit Palais (a magnificent art gallery). Another
We were all amazed by the action-packed nature of the trip; there was plenty of time for shopping and even a football match between the French and English boys (needless to say who won).
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Duke of Edinburgh Expedition The Duke of Edinburgh expedition to the Marlborough Downs was a practice expedition for people taking the Silver award. Before the trip, the participants had been trained in camp-craft, map-reading and route-planning. Feeling enthusiastic and confident, all the groups fared well at the beginning. They maintained a brisk pace until the heat and tiredness set in, leading to a more relaxed pace for the second part of the walk to the campsite. The tents were then put up, but owing to the fact that this was new to some of the group, it took quite a long time to convert the numerous pegs, poles and sheets into a reasonable shelter. With darkness fast approaching, the task of cooking the meals was forced upon us. The second day saw all the groups walking nearly 20 kilometres. Being woken up by the morning sun wasn’t appreciated, as the groups felt more sleep was due, but after putting the tents down and cooking breakfast, they were all off again. Despite a couple of long and unavoidable detours, all the groups eventually made it to the first checkpoint. The heat of the day was definitely taking its toll, and one unfortunate member was forced to drop out with painful blisters. This had the effect of galvanising the groups, and they all made it to the campsite in good time. The process of putting up the tents and cooking dinner took place, following which everyone had a good night’s sleep. The final morning saw us finishing the walk and arriving at our destination, Avebury. The realisation that the trip was almost over, as well as the prospect of properly cooked food, meant that all the groups made it to Avebury in good time. The trip succeeded in meeting the needs of the practice expedition, and was a valuable and enjoyable experience for all. Thanks must go to Ms Cook and Mr Fielder, who gave up their last three days of the Easter holiday to supervise us and guide us for the duration of the trip. Hopefully, it will have put the teams in good stead for the real expedition happening some time in the new school year. Jayan Logarajah Year 12
Middle School Exchange to Stuttgart The exchange trip to Stuttgart, now in its ninth year, is always a highlight for many Middle School students studying German, and there is no doubt that this year’s group of 18 students, led by Mr. Donaghey and Ms Gershon, made the most of their opportunities during their trip. From the moment we arrived at the airport, when our pupils received such a warm welcome from their host families, until the final farewell, amongst a sea of hugs and kisses at Vaihingen railway station, it was clear that our pupils integrated fully into family life and enjoyed the great range of cultural attractions and fun activities that the city and region have to offer. The success of any exchange can be attributed to the fact that each pupil has his own special memory of the trip, and the varied programme organized by Herr Metzger ensured that there were so many. Our pupils listened attentively to the guide’s informative and detailed one-hour tour of the Stuttgart city centre, the birthplace of the famous philosopher Hegel and home to one of Germany’s leading literary figures, Friedrich Schiller. With its opera house, art galleries and countless museums, there are few cities in Germany which can offer such a wealth of culture, shopping opportunities and parkland, all contained within view of the vineyards stretching out across the undulating hills. After our “ramble” up to the imposing castle, overlooking the winding River Neckar and Philosophenweg, Heidelberg with its centuries of history, also proved to be a popular day trip for our students. The highlight for some was the visit to the Ritter Sport chocolate factory. After hearing a brief history about chocolate production, our pupils donned white overalls to be given the chance to make their very own chocolate bar. For others, it was a day at Europe’s largest theme park, ”Europapark”. The “Aquatoll Complex” provided yet more thrills as excited HABS students showed off their swimming skills, racing down the chutes at top speed. Whilst most of the party visited the Wilhelma Zoo, the car
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Geography fieldwork programme 2005/06
The success of any exchange can be attributed to the fact that each pupil has his own special memory of the trip fanatics amongst the group were treated to a tour of the Porsche factory and museum. They promised to return in a few years time when they would be old enough to try a test run on the racetrack. With World Cup “fever” everywhere in town –footballs and colourful ribbons hanging on trees along the Koenigstrasse –the trip to watch the Stuttgart versus Nuernberg match at the Neckarstadion, one of the World Cup venues, was looked forward to with great anticipation. The HABS contingent sang and chanted vigorously throughout the contest and no doubt helped to inspire the home team to a well deserved 1-0 victory.
This academic year saw some major changes to the department’s fieldwork programme, particularly in the sixth form. In late September a residential field trip was introduced for the upper sixth geographers, focusing on a set of coastal studies along Christchurch Bay and on the Isle of Purbeck. So it was, that a party of forty students and their teachers found themselves enjoying the bright Sunday afternoon sunshine as they explored the coastal management schemes at Barton on Sea and Hengistbury Head, prior to refreshments in the ‘Hungry Hiker’café. Our accommodation was provided by a Dorset County Council field centre which occupied a mock baronial Victorian house nestling in picturesque woodland on the outskirts of genteel Swanage. The following day we visited the classic features of Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, before paying homage at Mr. Hayler’s favourite pocket handkerchief salt marsh on the Studland peninsula. A swift coach journey home, courtesy of our favourite driver Gordon, the ‘King of Bling’, returned us to school by early Monday evening, ready for the rest of the working week.
The day spent at the Hegelgymnasium provided an insight into the German school system. Many envied their partner’s school daily routine: the relaxed, easy-going and yet purposeful atmosphere in the classroom, no uniform, mixed classes and they did not seem to mind the 8a.m start, with the prospect of all formal classes ending at 1pm. The sports afternoon gave our pupils the chance to show off their football talents, and in a gripping encounter, the HABS team managed a 6-5 victory against a spirited Hegel XI, avoiding the dreaded penalty shoot out. The Germans will no doubt seek revenge in the return game at HABS in the summer!
The last Sunday morning of the Autumn Term is the customary slot for the optional Year 10 outing to the Chiltern Hills. About thirty five boys had signed up for a bracing walk along the chalk escarpment from the traditional village of Aldbury to the vantage point of Ivinghoe Beacon. Sadly, it was not to be. At 6 a.m. the Buncefield oil storage depot exploded (bringing new meaning to the phrase ‘woken by the alarm’) and by the time the party was gathering in the coach park its noxious cloud was already blanketing the sky directly above our proposed fieldwork location. Regrettably the trip had to be cancelled in the interests of safety.
Trips aside, surely one of the main advantages of participating in an exchange is to experience home life in a foreign country at first hand. Our pupils appreciated the warm hospitality they were shown and it was clear that all were willing to try new food; some even brought home recipes for the Swabian delicacies “Maultaschen and Spaetzle”.
Early March is perhaps not the best time to appreciate the splendours of London’s Docklands but nevertheless the upper sixth geographers braved a cold, windy day to boldly go where only the Docklands Light Railway can take you. Apart from the author finding himself stranded on the platform at Mudchute, as the rest of the party journeyed on to Greenwich Maritime, the tour went very smoothly, culminating in a choppy boat trip
back to Tower Pier that had the landlubbers scurrying below decks for shelter. The chief innovation this year was the introduction of a brand new AS level residential field course for the lower sixth geographers in South Wales. Taking place over the penultimate weekend of the Spring Term, the group of sixty pupils and eight staff were based at Swansea University for studies on the Gower, as well as stops in Cardiff on the way there and back to carry out an AS field investigation in the city centre. Personally, I have never experienced such persistent atrocious weather in more than thirty years of geographical fieldwork (though I do remember one hailstorm which wiped clean the pages on every single student’s clipboard). It rained, rained again, kept raining and then rained some more, before starting to rain even more heavily for good measure. Everyone was very, very wet, especially on the Oxwich sand dunes, without a hint of cover for more than three hours (six hours for staff!). The rural settlement tours were abbreviated by a broken exhaust on one of the minibuses, though steamed up windows and the deluge outside compromised the effectiveness of the trips that did run. Fortunately the crucial Cardiff investigation was successfully completed by one and all, in spite of a severe shortage of pedestrians to count on the saturated streets. Credit to the students, whose morale never wavered whatever the weather threw at them, and to my colleagues who did a brilliant teaching job in adverse conditions and kept up everyone’s spirits through their enthusiasm. The Summer Term reverted to the well established pattern of a GCSE fieldwork day for Year 10, comparing the residential desirability of four wards in Watford, and a trip for Year 8 to Walton on the Naze, jewel of Essex’s ‘Sunshine Coast’. This year, for once, it lived up to its name. Tourist facilities were mapped, cliffs were sketched, fossils were hunted, and, before we embarked on the long journey home, the amusement arcade was relieved of most of its prizes. All in all, a grand day out! M. Morrish
I very much enjoyed the 2006 trip. I was most impressed by the excellent conduct of our pupils throughout their stay and I know from Herr Metzger, that all have been invited to return on a private basis. We are already looking forward to the visit of our friends from the Hegel during the first ten days of July, when we will no doubt extend a similar warm welcome to our German guests in London. M. Donaghey
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Art Trip To Lake Garda, December 2005 We arrived at the Italian airport and were struck by the heat as we exited the revolving doors in the hours of mid-afternoon. A two-hour coach journey to the hotel demanded both sunroofs open and at least one toilet stop at a motorway service station. The hotel was about five minutes inland from the lakes and was surrounded by beautiful fields and rolling mountains. Once at the hotel, we unpacked, refreshed and waited for the next day to arrive.
Düsseldorf work experience exchange This exchange took place for 10 days over the Easter holidays. 9 students from Haberdashers and 1 student from St Margaret’s School took the opportunity to spend a week, working for a variety of German companies. This was in order to improve our German speaking ability in time for the impending oral examinations. Arriving at the airport, we were looking forward to spending a week with the German students from Materé Gymnasium, without the presence of our German teachers.
Admittedly, we didn’t have to wait very long. An eight o’clock morning call had us feeling dreadful for the second of many long coach journeys, but all of this was forgotten when we reached our destination. The itinerary of the first day encompassed visiting the Scrovegni Chapel, one of the most famous and historically significant symbols of art in the world. Giotto had painted the inside of this chapel, commissioned by Enrico Scrovegni, from floor to ceiling with dozens of fantastic and exquisite frescoes (wall paintings) concerning Christ and religious events of the past. The entire ceiling was covered, as well as the far wall that displayed the enormous “heaven and hell mural.” From here, we walked to the Teatro Olympia, built in 1580. This was a revolutionary stage design as it highlighted the newfound idea of perspective. The fixed set showed a street that appeared to drop back far into the distance, when its depth was merely seven meters.
We arrived three hours later at the Acoteca di Brera Gallery in Milan. The group of students, eager to get out and see the rest of the city, did a quick march of the gallery before going on to see the fantastic Duomo Cathedral; the third largest cathedral in the world after the Vatican City and St. Paul’s. We studied the incredible gothic columns and over three thousand individual sculptures on the exterior of the palace. The city was truly stunning, and it was hard to tear us away from it.
The next day took us to the Gonzaga Palace. We were given a tour of this colossal 500room mansion. The Gonzaga family moved out, having collected all their art possessions from their estates, and put them into this palace. As well as the pieces of art, the rooms themselves were stunning. That day we then went on to visit the Palazzo de Tè, constructed in 1525. This was another gallery containing more full-room frescoes.
Sam Pinner Year 11
The third day, glossing over our morning adventures, took us to an enormous amphitheatre in Verona; one of the largest in the world. For most of the day, we remained in the surrounding town, observing the architecture and scenery. The fourth day called for another “eight o’clocker.” With students duelling one another for double seats on the coach, the “Batmobile” set off as quickly as it could. 30
The last day offered us a special treat before we departed for the airport. The boat trip around Lake Garda took us to a number of dainty, picturesque mountain villages, and the views both on and off the boat were breathtaking. The sun beaming through the gaps in the mountains, echoing off the white cliff faces and glittering across the water’s surface, was an inspiration to artists such as ourselves, as was the entire trip.
We landed safely at Düsseldorfer Flughafen and proceeded to meet our exchanges. During the week, we spent many fun filled hours with our exchanges, going shopping in the city centre and tasting some of Germany’s finest beers. Additionally, we visited both Köln and Bonn with Herr Hüttermann, a former German assistant from HABS who now works at the school in Germany. The work experience was varied and challenging for everyone, with most gaining an insight into the workings of their firms. Work placements ranged from architecture to the opera house and law advertisement. I worked for Deutschebank, where I learnt much about insurance and investment banking in Germany. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their time, whilst socialising in the evenings and working during the day. The highlight of the trip was when we played a special football match; England exchanges vs German exchanges. The outcome was emphatic, with England destroying the opposition, whilst hardly breaking into a sweat. Thanks must go to all the teachers who helped to make it such a successful, smooth running exchange, for which all students involved were very grateful. Chris Stevens Year 12
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Spanish Exchange to Burgos
An elite handful of intrepid students decided to sign for the Year 10 exchange without really knowing what it involved, nor having any clue where Burgos is. Burgos is a gem of a town in Northern Spain, right on the pilgrims’ route to Santiago. It is also the home of El Cid and an outstandingly beautiful cathedral. The boys were eager and pleasant, and I was certain they would gel as a group. The trip ran in conjunction with NLCS, and the girls who took part were just as positive about the week ahead. The welcome we received upon our arrival in Burgos was incredibly warm, despite the bitter temperature and it being 11pm. The English students just seemed to ‘click’ with their Spanish counterparts, and it was quite clear that some new friendships were forming. Although the students had some free time with the families, the week was quite intensive; there were three days of excursions, and an entire day in a Spanish school. The latter was a real experience for staff and students alike, and we certainly saw how different the two countries are. The best excursion was without doubt the trip to Salamanca, Spain’s most graceful city. The sun came out on that day, and the sandstone buildings glimmered in the winter light. The students learned an incredible amount from this trip and gained an insight into Spanish life and culture, which no lesson or textbook could ever teach them. They fitted into the daily routine very easily and became very confident in their spoken Spanish. There is no doubt that both parties benefited not only from a cultural and linguistic exchange, but an opportunity to make life-long friends; it appears that some students have been invited back to Burgos this summer. M. Bardou
Work experience in Brussels In the first week of the Easter Holidays, I travelled by Eurostar to Brussels, where I took up a weeks work experience on the Cardiac Ward for Children in the “Hôpital des Enfants Reine Fabiola,” whilst staying with a Belgian family just outside the city centre. Although I knew that I was not looking to enter the medical profession, I saw this as a perfect opportunity to improve my fluency in French and to gain some quality work experience, right at the heart of the European Union.
I spent the daytime talking to the various children staying at the hospital, and was even interviewed along with some of them by a local children’s radio station, who came to visit the hospital.
I travelled everyday to and from my work placement, using public transport by myself, namely trams and the metro which I soon found were extremely easy to use. If at any moment I got lost along the way, I would be forced to practice my French by asking one of the metro staff for directions. On one of the days I was travelling to work, I even had a Belgian couple coming up to me to ask for directions in French!
Whether or not you intend on continuing with French to a higher level at university, I strongly recommend this work experience programme to anyone seeking to improve their fluency in spoken French and gain an insight into a profession in another European country.
The evenings were spent with a Belgian host family, who were very hospitable and over the weekend they took me sightseeing around Brussels city centre, where I could not help but stop to try some of the traditional Belgian waffles, chocolates and beers!
Robert Goldstein Year 12
The evenings were spent with a Belgian host family, who were very hospitable and over the weekend they took me sightseeing around Brussels city centre, where I could not help but stop to try some of the traditional Belgian waffles, chocolates and beers! 31
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European Seminar 2006: Durham The week began on a Sunday morning at Kings Cross; the HABS group meeting at the Body Shop, which, like platform 9 3/4 is only visible to the supernatural eye, and Mr. Thompson. After a fairly uneventful train journey, the party had their first opportunity to integrate with the Germans and the French in Durham, while watching England being mauled by France in the Six Nations game. When the English got to the seminary college where the conference was to be held, we found that our rooms were to be shared with the rather more liberally minded Germans and French. After the room-changing “shenanigans” of the first night, and pirate-filled antics inspired by the late night viewing of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, those awake for breakfast on Monday morning were left groggy-eyed and disgruntled. However, their mood was much improved after two excellent lessons displaying why ‘Cultures of Europe’ (the theme of the conference), really are important. During the afternoons, the trinational assembly was split into three groups; Adam Dreyer, Alex Leadill and I represented the English in the Performing Arts activity. Our first afternoon lesson was acting, and we were asked to perform an extract of a French Absurdist play. This was achieved with difficulty, with neither Adam nor I having spoken French for two years. Luckily for Alex, the play gave him ample opportunity to show his importance to the group.
Lessons continued to inflame, impassion and stimulate students throughout the week. The highlight was rehearsing a choreographed fusion dance on the Tuesday, in which again Adam, Alex and I were, by the end, the sole British representatives. With the aid of the French girls, the dance merged moves from YMCA and Latrell of ‘White Chicks’ fame. Unfortunately, for the final performance, which would be in front of the whole assembly, the French girls protested and lobbied against the dance being shown - a feat which would have undoubtedly displayed our unrivalled dancing talents.
awaiting, came when the English took on the Germans for the tri-tournament trophy. After some stunning, bustling play from me, Alex Leadill slotted home the first goal. In the dying seconds though, the Germans own version of Kevin Kuranyi burst through to equalise, with Haig putting up little resistance in defence. With the last kick of the game though, the Robert Huth-like Tobias lost the ball under pressure from me (I was later nicknamed C-LEB for my efforts). Cleb then slotted a ball across the danger area for Alex Leadill to slide in with the winner. The crowd went wild. Some called it the greatest comeback in history.
The final day was the most memorable, although several of the English party were confined to their rooms after fraternising in the corridors the night previously. This posed a considerable problem to the English Football team, formed for the tri-tournament on Thursday afternoon. After a colourful tour of Durham Cathedral, and a brief visit to Alex’s prospective college, which was also a scream, the teams jogged out onto the hallowed turf. The first contest was between the French and the Germans. However the Teutonic might proved too much for the diminutive Gallic flair, and after the French defence was sieged repeatedly by German attackers, Les Bleus went down to a 3-0 defeat. The English, with a weakened team due to those sectioned to their rooms, breezed past a lazy French team 2-0, the only moment of note being a flying half volley from French centre-back. The showdown, which everyone had been
The disco could only ever be a let down, and it surely was. Bjoern tried his best to dance the night away, but his profanities were rendered inaudible by the loud French pop, a genre which seems to have stagnated somewhere in the early 90s. Everyone would like to thank Mr. Thompson for organising the trip and being a great footballing referee and commentator. There were some spectacular highlights, and some unforgettable memories.
Senior ski trip For over twenty years, Haberdashers’ hedonists have, in February half-term, made for the mountains, seeking thrills, challenges, and snow-filled fun. This year was no different, with a team of sixty-four making the considerable journey to Winter Park, Colorado, under the watchful eye of party-leader Mr Ward, along with eight other members of staff.
Upon arrival in the United States, having survived the mammoth transfer journey, everyone was keen to hit the slopes. The snow was fresh and deep, conditions were ideal, and spirits were high. The moguls in the neighbouring Mary-Jane resort presented a stern test for the more experienced skiers (“No Pain, No Jane” cried our instructor, as he hurtled off down one of its numerous black slopes), whilst the rolling trails of Winter Park were a pleasure for both beginners and experts. Andrew Hurwitz, a prodigious talent on the planks, was assigned the distinguished epithet of ‘Habs Ski King’, and Mr Roncarati earned a glorious victory in the staff race down the giant slalom. Andrew Kelmanson wobbled to triumph as the most improved beginner in the group. With the
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exception of George Harnett’s attempt to knock down a tree with his face, at 30mph, and the unfortunate altitude sickness of Mehul Shah, injuries were happily few throughout the trip. A panoply of activities greeted the boys when they had hung up their boots in the evenings. A trip to the cinema, ice-skating, and a disco were amongst the most popular events – not to mention the quiz in which Mr Ward’s staff team thundered to defeat at the hands of the underdog lower sixth team. Once again, this year’s senior ski trip was an almost unqualified success, with staff and boys enjoying the snow, sun, and the company of each other. Here’s to many more trips like it! Jamie Susskind Year 12
Ciáran Roe Year 13
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Mountaineering Club Trip to Brecon Beacons While the rest of the world was cheering ‘TGI Friday’ on the 18th of November, a team of budding mountaineers, after a long school day, piled into the mini bus, weighed down by rucksacks full of essential survival gear. We were prepared for a cold weekend in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons; terrain deemed suitable for SAS training. With Mr Hardman at the wheel, we went on our way to what promised to be a climb never to be forgotten! We arrived at the Youth Hostel with our heads well and truly swimming with the beat of ‘techno’. Mr Gilbertson was waiting for us at the base. It seems he knew what the long drive had in store for us - maybe that’s why he opted to travel earlier with the ‘Sound of Music’ floating around him! We woke the following morning to a breathtaking view of rolling hills scattered with fluffy sheep. Our lungs greedily gulped in the fresh Welsh air, which was quite unlike the heavy London fumes. After a hearty breakfast, the group set off to conquer five peaks of the Welsh Mountains. Setting off at a brisk pace with crisp frost underfoot, we progressed enthusiastically and arrived at our first summit, Fan Hir. The group marvelled at the panoramic view over the mountainous wonderland. We then continued with our climb aiming for the next two peaks, Fan Brycheiniog and Picws Du, before stopping for lunch. Greg Schey’s supply of muffins energised our aching limbs. The moment of well-deserved rest and enjoyment was captured on camera with the picturesque landscape as the backdrop. Continuing determinedly onwards, we soon bagged Waun Lefrith and Garreg Las. Having climbed 3150 feet and covering 14 miles, we turned back just as a pink glow descended upon us. Mr Hardman eagerly shared his knowledge of the local bird life, and to liven our evening, we took to the deserted town. Exhaustion from Saturday’s climb started showing as we had to drag ourselves over numerous false summits before eventually hitting the jackpot of Y Gyrn. Fuelled by James Leadill’s final batch of chocolates, we continued the steep climb up Corn Du and Pen y Fan at a height of 2907 feet. We would have continued along the ridge but it was unanimously decided to head back to the mini bus for lunch. Though strenuous and requiring a will of steel, the weekend was extremely refreshing and enjoyable. The HABS mountaineering club now looks forward to other expeditions planned throughout the academic year. Jai Sharda Year 12
Mountaineering Club Trip to Dolgellau, Wales Parties from HABS Mountaineering Club have stayed at the Kings Youth Hostel several times before but this time was to be different; the hostel was not fully open and we could only stay if we cooked for ourselves. Mr Hardman and Mr Gilbertson thought long and hard before committing themselves to a weekend of “survival cookery” but eventually decided to “go for it”. The team of 6 from the Habs Mountaineering Club comprised of Sam Hussain (11R1), Alqayam Meghji and Henry Waterfield (both of U6J1) and Kristian Parry (L6H1) with Julian Parmar (10R1) joining us for the first time. The weather was extremely cold with strong easterly winds and everyone was wrapped up warmly as the party set out from Cwm Cywarch to climb the three most southerly Aran mountains. Parts of the path were covered in verglas (a thin layer of ice), which required careful footwork in places. Higher up, the snow cover was patchy and the wind had produced a frustrating crust that supported your weight at times and collapsed it at others. It was an “energy sapping plod” to the first top of Waun Lefrith before we turned to make the steep climb up Glasgwm. This involved negotiating some steep snow slopes and it was here that the ice axes came into use. One slope with a safe run-out was selected for all to practise the art of using the ice axe to arrest a fall. We eventually found a sheltered spot for lunch just below the top and then walked to the final point of Pen y Brynfforchog before a “not so gentle” walk back through the pine forests to the minibus. The self-catering efforts in the evening were pure entertainment with some of the boys in the team learning the importance of preparation and timing to ensure that the time gap between different courses of the meal is less than an hour!
We woke the following morning to a breathtaking view of rolling hills scattered with fluffy sheep. Our lungs greedily gulped in the fresh Welsh air, which was quite unlike the heavy London fumes.
Sunday remained cold but the sunshine meant that sun cream and dark glasses were required. The team walked to the summit of Carnedd y Filiast in the Arenig range before returning to London. Another great weekend of fun and good companionship! M. Gilbertson
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MUN
History Trip to Russia “Stradsvohtche!” I blinked. “Stradsvohtche!” A small man I didn’t know was glaring at me. “Stradsvohtche!” said Mr Thackeray. In March 2006, I had received a summons at a Bourne Assembly: we were meeting in LO6 to discuss the History trip to Moscow and St Petersburg. Mr Clark and Dr Sloan, our group leaders, were already there, sitting at desks and grinning. It was going to be a great trip! Russian lessons from Mr Thackeray continued for four weeks, so as we arrived in Heathrow at seven o’clock on Friday 7th of April, we felt pretty prepared. In Moscow, Svetlana was our first tour guide; she was a happy Russian woman who would laugh at all of Dr Sloan’s jokes. She began by taking us to our hotel, called Hotel Vega. It was a monster – a 24-story concrete giant, part of a 10 000 room hotel complex, built for the Moscow Olympics, swarming with small Russian women glaring at me. We didn’t spend long in Hotel Vega, but it managed to food-poison about six people, with authentic Russian food! Moscow itself was stunning. We saw: Red Square, the site of rallies and riots; the mausoleum of the father of Soviet Russia (Lenin in a box); St Basil’s magnificent coloured onion domes; the Kremlin, a car-less haven where the Government works; and the centre of Moscow, including huge churches and cathedrals, each with individual stories which Svetlana carefully explained to us. The Moscow metro is a vicious beast, and “we Haberdashers” quickly learnt not to trifle with the iron bars that closed whether or not you were in the way. One of our group was trapped on the outside of a Metro door, and we had to traipse back for him. The Metro itself is lavishly decorated with symbols from the Communist era. We took a tour around some of the more beautiful stations, which advertised stained glass, mosaics, crystal chandeliers and sculptures.
At twelve o’clock at night, after a brief walk led by Dr Sloan around the slums of Moscow, we were at Lenin-station with our suitcases. I once had a romantic idea of overnight sleeper trains, the Siberian Express, James Bond and Poirot. Cramped into the space of a small cabin were a tiny bath and two bunk beds, where we would sleep for the night. For me, it was the highlight of Russia – the experience of an overnight sleeper was foreign and exciting, even if the window didn’t open. St Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great. It was built as a European city, and showed stark differences when compared with Moscow. Moscow was covered in huge impressive onion domes, and imposing Russian churches, but St Petersburg was much more Italian, elegant and continental, well deserving of its sistercity partnership with Birmingham. Slightly shamefacedly, Mr Clark shared with the rest of the troupe his knowledge of Catherine the Great. Standing in front of the famous Bronze Horseman, we noticed ice floating down the Baltic, and around the 42 islands that make up St Petersburg, we could see Venice of the North. The best thing about St Petersburg was the ‘sumptuous’ Hermitage museum, which was the Winter Palace combined with Catherine’s own huge collection of treasures. It was in St Petersburg that we went to a Russian folk show and visited the Battleship Aurora, known for the shooting of a blank shell, which initiated the October Revolution. The view of St Petersburg through the clouds was the last sight we saw in Russia. Thank you Comrades Clark and Sloan for organising such a memorable and successful trip. Danny Kessler Year 11
This year has been possibly the most successful year in the illustrious history of Habs’ Model United Nations. We have managed to transverse the continent, from the rather modest Croydon based Royal Russell School, to blazing a trail at The Hague International conference. This was followed by a conference at the picturesque Haileybury School, and finally one at St. Andrew’s in Dublin during the Easter Break. The conferences vary in size, from around 250 students at Haileybury to 3,800 at The Hague. The conference protocol entails the skills of writing complex resolutions, with which to solve global problems, lobbying them and debating them in front of many people, as well as the hugely rewarding opportunity to meet other people of a similar age from all around the world. This has meant a great deal to us all. At The Royal Russell Conference, the first of the year, Habs represented Iraq, Uzbekistan and the Philippines. The year got off to a roaring start, largely thanks to the efforts of Dave Snower, the Iraqi ambassador, whose speech led him into MUN martyrdom. Habs did extremely well on both the basis of committee and that of the General Assembly. Out of the seven resolutions passed in the General Assembly, six were from Habs! Notable inclusions were those of Vishal Patel, Peter Schaffer and Oliver Marcuse. Our achievements were recognised through the “Distinguished Delegate” awards, which were presented to 16 of the 18 Habs delegates, Aziz Ahsan managing to obtain two, in both the Economic & Social Committee as well as the Special Committee. In January, a select group of orators bravely missed a week of school to attend the most prestigious conference in the MUN calendar at The Hague. Aziz Ahsan and Jacob Turner represented the Lower Sixth, and particular mention must go to the latter, who managed to get his resolution into the General Assembly, despite vehement competition. Remarkably, Daniel Susskind managed to pass his resolution in GA, which will go into the booklet sent to Kofi Annan. As always, Haileybury was a useful opportunity to cultivate new talent, as the fifth years were thrust and broken into the heat of competition. The disarmament committee was amongst the strongest, with certain resolutions being compared to ‘the butter on the fist of justice’. The year finished with the St. Andrews Conference in the curiously entitled Booterstown, Dublin, whereby Romania managed the esteemed Outstanding Delegation Award, and Habs managing to clear up the majority of individual accolades. Chairs over the year have included Omid Alavijeh, Nadeem Nanjuwany and Asher Steene. Thanks must go to our advisor Mr A.P.A Simm, who, from first degree to last, has vision which has cast forward a beam for us all to aspire. Aziz Ahsan Year 12
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A Glimpse into the Past…HABS in 1956 The educators These days, we are fortunate enough to have a rather warm, if not good-natured, relationship with our teachers; some might even dare to say that it verges on being friendly. However, is it possible to say the same about teacher-student interactions in 1956? When posed with this same question, the broad grin and faintly bemused expression that emerged on Mr Cheney’s face betrayed the answer without the utterance of a single word. Our school archivist promptly informed me that back then, there was a much stricter boundary that students could not, and would not, cross; perhaps this is not all too surprising, seeing as though boys were addressed by their teachers (or in those days, “masters”) by surname only. Nonetheless, the mid1950s were a period of change and upheaval; after the end of the Second World War, people generally began to adopt a more relaxed approach. Perhaps that is why younger teachers who joined the school had the audacity to call students by their first names; this was certainly a radical move, and was frowned upon by the majority of older staff. 1956: At a time when tuition fees were in pounds (£), shillings (s) and pence (d), when Religious Studies was better known as Divinity, when Boat Club was teeming with members, when all teachers except for a few instrumentalists were male, and when corporal punishment existed, we have to wonder: what was our beloved HABS like 50 years ago? Location, location, location For one thing, the name of the school was subtly different. Known officially as The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hampstead School, it was located on Westbere Road, NW2. The Prep School was situated a fair distance away from the Main School, at 41-43 Flower Lane, Mill Hill, NW7. The Headmaster at the time was Dr T. W. Taylor, the man who, with indomitable spirit, undertook the enormous task of shifting the school to its current location in Elstree. With about 60 members of teaching staff in all, the school catered to the educational needs of 650 boys. This included preparing boys for the Oxford and Cambridge General Certificate of Education Examination at Ordinary Level (taken in the Fifth form), and Advanced or Scholarship Level (taken in the Sixth form), equivalent to our GCSE and A Level exams respectively.
Fear-pressure The prospect of being disciplined these days, while naturally unpleasant, does not, fortunately, strike panic and trepidation into the hearts of most students. How lucky we are, therefore, that forms of punishment have changed from what they once were. The teachers of 50 years ago were not afraid to enforce discipline in a tough manner. Lapses of behaviour in class resulted in lines being given; a certain phrase or sentence, selected at the teacher’s discretion, had to be written out repeatedly, perhaps fifty, seventy-five or a hundred times. Examples include “I will listen to the teacher at all times” or “I will never cheat when I am taking an examination”. There were impositions as well, generally in the form of a letter of apology or some arduous research from an encyclopaedia; if the offence were somewhat more scurrilous, detentions would be given, by both teachers and school prefects. Yet, there was something far greater in severity than a mere detention…those who displayed flagrant disregard for the school rules were liable to the ultimate form of punishment; they were given a caning. It involved a sharp smack on the hand or bottom, implemented only by the Headmaster, Second Master and House Masters. “Terrible behaviour” or “excessive cheek” would have earned you this experience.
Serve and obey While students of 1956 may have complained, quite understandably, about such painful retribution, a general moaning that is more likely to be heard in school nowadays is that we have to wear a uniform; cries for freedom of expression and liberation from ancient customs, among other things, are rife. However, while at times uniform may seem unnecessary, even burdensome, let us remember the following: by wearing regulation clothing, we are following a Haberdashers tradition that has existed for over three centuries. We should respect the school’s heritage and values, and for this reason, uniform should remain a part of this institution, just as it was enforced 50 years ago. Scavenging through the 1956 school prospectus tells us that the uniform included: a School cap or white straw hat with the School ribbon, which had to be worn during term time; jackets and waistcoats of a plain black material; grey pullovers; ties that were either black in colour or of the recognised School colours.
Scavenging through the 1956 school prospectus tells us that the uniform included: a School cap or white straw hat with the School ribbon, which had to be worn during term time; jackets and waistcoats of a plain black material; grey pullovers; ties that were either black in colour or of the recognised School colours. 36
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There were a whole host of other indoor pursuits at one’s disposal, among them: Motor Enthusiasts’ Club, during which a one hundred-strong ensemble of students watched films lent to them by an array of car companies and arranged outings to sports car events; A time for work…a time for play Upon a perusal of the Skylark editions from Spring and Autumn 1956, we can see that, despite our predecessors having to contend with the tight uniform regulation, they were not in any way prohibited from enjoying themselves. During their lunch break between 12.30 and 1.45 pm, if boys chose to stay in the school grounds (which many did), they had the opportunity to participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including many sports, such as football rugby, basketball, rowing and even boxing (a fine way to release some of the stress and anxiety that built up over the strenuous academic week); the latter had an InterHouse competition set up each year, with over 250 students taking part in the 1955/1956 academic year. There were a whole host of other indoor pursuits at one’s disposal, among them: Motor Enthusiasts’ Club, during which a one hundred-strong ensemble of students watched films lent to them by an array of car companies and arranged outings to sports car events; Natural History Society, with frequent trips to places of ecological of interest, including one to Blackwater on the Essex Coast; Jazz Club, in which people could perform their favourite pieces of jazz music; and several others, including the long running Science and Debating societies.
Back to the future Clearly, HABS has come a long way since 1956: that was the year a third Haberdashers’ Hall was opened in the presence of the Lord Mayor; the annual Carol Service was held in the Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields; boys whose work or conduct was unsatisfactory may have been required to attend school on Saturdays; the School Dramatic Society presented Julius Caesar as their theatrical production. Who knows how much the school will evolve in the next 50 years… Will new academic subjects be introduced into the school curriculum? What clubs will form and which
will no longer exist? Will wearing a uniform be mandatory? Will students be on first name terms with their teachers by 2056? With the unbelievable speed at which information technology seems to be advancing in the school, will students be able to attend lessons through remote access from a computer at home? The school will, inevitably, undergo a huge transformation in the coming decades. What exactly will this involve? Only time will tell. Kartik Kumar Year 12 37
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Going Underground had to use a roller, each issue often taking several hours to complete. They were distributed via corridors, stacks of the papers mysteriously being left out from time to time for collection by students. Mark Klimt remembers that “word would get around that the latest edition was out and we would go to the lockers or to the ante rooms to room 116 and there it would be, run off on A4 paper”. This led to the practice of teachers patrolling the corridors before lessons, looking out for these suspiciously placed papers. Most of the time, they were unsuccessful.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the children of the cultural revolution were causing insurrection on an unprecedented scale. Jacob Turner talks to Old Haberdashers Richard Berman and Mark Klimt about the school’s tumultuous past. Though today a successful Cambridge graduate and hedge fund manager, in his late teens Richard was famed more for his long hair. The teachers objected to this so vociferously that in order to cover it, he took to wearing a wig. During his time at Habs, many of the Victorian attitudes to teaching and education still persisted, yet the ideals of free thought were beginning to challenge the increasingly moribund system. “We were questioning the establishment consensus,” Richard explains, “trying to secure freedoms of various natures: political, social and educational”. During these years, Che Guevarra posters graced the walls of the rooms of teenagers who still knew for what he stood, outsized Communist hammer and sickle flags hung from windows and no selfrespecting seventeen year old would leave the house without his copy of Chairman Mao’s little red book. In Habs, these feelings were reflected in boys’ actions against the oppressive authorities. The subversion manifested itself in numerous ways, but most notably through underground publications. The most notorious of these was the “Streetfighting Man”. This paper, which was published around every two weeks for several terms in the early seventies was to prove an iconic emblem of its age. Named after a Rolling Stone song at a time when this band itself was considered seditious by many, the contributors of the “Streetfighting Man” attempted to challenge and satirise the views of both reviled teachers and the establishment as a whole. Publishing in those days was not simply a case of typing articles into Microsoft Publisher; instead the authors 38
In the days before our revered and highly successful student council, the pupils felt that they had no way of representing themselves. “In those days, there was no Blairite concept of ‘Lets talk to the terrorists’”, Richard says. Publications such as Streetfighting Man were the only place where various voices of dissent could be heard. Often, these objections were justified. Prior to preventative legislation, teachers were able to use martial punishment as a means of coercion. To be hit with pieces of flying chalk, or locked in cupboards were not merely a “Billy Bunteresque” fantasy, they were an every-day occurrence. One particularly authoritarian history teacher’s motto was “Tolerance is Weakness”. Inevitably, this view was parodied in the “Streetfighting Man”, where an article appeared comparing the concepts of Tolerance and Weakness. This particular item lead to a furious inquisition by the senior teachers. Any suspected contributors to the magazine were routed out, and interrogated as to their involvement. The school’s rebellious side was not only limited to underground newspapers. “Gay Clive”, a music club was a popular meeting place for social insurrectionists and student radicals alike. With bands like Pink Floyd playing in the background, this was where some of the most outrageous pranks committed at Habs were planned. “We were trying to be funny in a Pythonesque way. We didn’t go out to cause any mindless violence,” Richard pauses, “though we did do some of that too”. Antics such as the Garden Gnome Appearances were amongst the many harmless, if defiant, acts perpetrated. Here, a group of peripatetic gnomes would appear and disappear seemingly at random. One morning they would be on the quad, the next, atop a building’s roof. No one saw them come or go. Such forms of surreal subversion were popular at a time when Eric Idle and John Cleese were committing similar acts. Cleese himself was famously expelled from the exclusive Clifton College boarding school, when he used painted footsteps to suggest that the statue of General Haig (the school’s most famous ex-pupil) had got down off his stand and gone to the toilet. The Habs Film Club was no less controversial. The Lindsay Anderson Film, “If”, which depicted an armed student uprising against their abusive teachers, was famously banned by the school for fear that it might spark similar actions. Incidentally, the film
was shot at the nearby Aldenham School. Even when supposedly “safe” films were shown, the Film Club still found a way to add a tint of rebellion. During showings of 1950s Rock and Roll films, the students dressed up as Teddy Boys by spiking up their hair, donning drape jackets and drainpipe jeans. They then proceeded to riot in Teddy Boy fashion, destroying their own film showings. One group of boys painted the words “SPUD F.O.” in weed killer on the quadrangle, making reference to their follically-challenged headmaster. Perhaps fittingly, the final, singularly most preposterous act occurred on one upper 6th former’s last day. That afternoon, the boy set fire to a dustbin outside the headmaster’s office and then used a fire hose to extinguish it. He was promptly expelled, just an hour before he was due to finish school altogether. Today, a paradoxical situation prevails. Laws protect students from the type of physical violence from teachers that was commonplace in the early 1970s. Student bodies and pastoral systems also attempt to deal with any unhappiness with alacrity on the part of students. The school now exists in an unparalleled era of observation. Long gone are the days when those less-athletically inclined boys could hide at the half-way point of their dreaded “figure of eight” runs only to emerge next to the front runners as they began their final laps. Moreover, the computer systems, on which boys do increasingly large amounts of their studies are constantly tracked, and security cameras are fast becoming ubiquitous. Ironically, our freedoms seem to be contracting. So is this a cause for the students to rise up and break their shackles? The latest ill-fated attempt involved a similar use of weed killer on the quad in the dead of night, in a manner reminiscent of the “SPUD F.O.” incident. Thankfully for the school, these boys were reprimanded, arrested and suspended in quick succession. Some things, it seems, never change. And what of today’s underground newspapers? This tradition has continued sporadically, with few publications living beyond two or three issues. The most recent attempt, a shadowy pamphlet known as the “Habs Lampoon” was slipped to this correspondent in a dark corner of a squalid classroom. Despite its frequently humorous in-jokes, fear of retribution has virtually pushed this out of circulation. What has been more successful is “The Bugle.” This was once a bland sheet of announcements, yet with the appointment of its new editors it has become a massively popular mainstream periodical, with a new edition produced each week and disseminated (perfectly legitimately) through form teachers. It has included such enlightening articles as “The best ways to defend yourself from someone wielding a knife”, the biographies of famous gangsters, and features on “how to get away without doing homework”. Jacob Turner Year 12
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A Year As School Vice Captain To those who observed my participation at the end-of-year assembly, the role of School Vice Captain may seem to hold a certain glamour. After all, there I was, elevated to sit on the stage with the most senior staff, sporting my gold badge of office and making a speech exhorting all to virtuous behaviour. However, the reality is both more complex and bizarre. The position of Vice Captain is undoubtedly a great honour, but one bestowed without any precise job description. Of course, my predecessor, Josh Rosen, gave me a broad outline of “things to be done”, but omitted to mention that I would find myself shifting grand pianos, guarding crates of champagne or becoming a connoisseur of detritus after supervising countless litter duties! In fact, once launched on the school community as Vice Captain, I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only could the role expand to accommodate my personal enthusiasms, but also that it wrought in me some unexpected character development. Undoubtedly, my being Vice Captain allowed me opportunities to indulge my penchant for organisation, and so to some extent the year has passed in a blur of innumerable lists and rotas – and these have, no doubt, tried the patience of my long-suffering fellow prefects! Although I may have increased their workload, the new lunch queue rota being a particularly sensitive issue, I have thankfully always been able to rely on the willingness of the prefectorial body to serve the school – though the inducements of free refreshments, and, even better, the opportunity to wear the coveted blue prefects gowns have been very useful! Yet, it has been claimed by some that organising prefect cover at major school events has transformed me into a cross between megalomaniac fantasist and military strategist. On the day of the 11+ entrance examinations, for instance, there were zones to be patrolled, supplies to be delivered and candidates (bearing a certain resemblance to shell-shocked prisoners of war) to be shepherded around the campus. While I have to admit a certain satisfaction in a job well done, it is only fair to acknowledge that the occasional initiative has fallen flat – as anyone can testify who has seen the undiminished piles of bags heaped beneath my large fluorescent yellow signs futilely declaring, “No Bags Here”. Well, you can’t win them all! However, the life of Vice Captain is not comprised simply of the daily round of administrative tasks. Instead, the role has provided entrée to a diverse range of events and social occasions that I have felt genuinely privileged to attend. A particularly distinguished occasion was accompanying the Year 7 boys to the Haberdashers Hall in the City of London. It was delightful to witness how impressed the boys were with the amazing architecture of the building and the treasures it contains, though I must
admit the supreme point of interest for them seemed to be the lavish tea provided by our hosts! In May I was then involved in the reciprocal visit to the school by the Haberdashers’ Company Delegation. On this occasion there was a tree-planting ceremony in memory of Sir Brian Jenks, a former Chair of the Board of Governors. Following this, I escorted a VIP group on a tour of the school, though as my contingent included Mr Hamilton, I found myself in the bizarre position of showing the Headmaster around his own school! While all the work seen by the visitors greatly impressed them, they took a particular shine to the ingenious DT projects of Mr Holmes’ Year 10 class, to the extent that Lady Jenks tried to negotiate the purchase of one boy’s work!
In all seriousness, my past year as School Vice Captain has been filled with valuable learning experiences, diverse opportunities and so much fun. I’ve gained new insights into school life – and the people who give HABS its distinctive character. It has been a genuine pleasure to get to know so many boys of all ages, and so many staff, both teaching and non-teaching. Undoubtedly I have gained so much – and I have been very grateful for the opportunity to serve HABS as School Vice Captain. James Beattie Year 13
Parties too featured on my Vice Captain social calendar this year, ranging from the wild excesses of the Junior Disco, to the more dignified ambience of the ninetieth birthday party of Mrs Margaret Taylor, widow of a distinguished former Headmaster. I am happy to report that the jovial atmosphere of Mr Hanbidge’s sixtieth birthday bash fell somewhere in-between. My year has also been punctuated by various cultural events – most notably the musical extravaganza of the Barbican Concert. The series of narrowly averted disasters that punctuated my fourteen-hour day as Mr Corrall’s “assistant” (for instance, leaving half the packed lunches at school) will remain forever etched on my memory – though the champagne imbibed at the successful conclusion of the day did go some way to dulling the stress! While some invitations have, at first glance, seemed less glamorous, they have possibly been amongst the most rewarding. Leading a motivational assembly for junior boys would be a key example. Nick Collins and I watched, with the greatest of relief, our hastily conceived ideas for games and teamwork challenges being transformed into a sparkling success through the enthusiasm and imagination of the boys. However, lest the impression given of the School Vice Captain’s year seems overly glamorous, I should point out that flexibility is all. While one day I might be addressing the parents and boys at Prep Commendation, on another I could be employed in the rather more lowly mundane task of dishing out programmes in sauna-like conditions at Inter-House Swimming. However, it was Nick Collins, not I, who drew the shortest straw of the year – the privilege of conducting a thorough and hands-on survey of all HABS toilets for Mr Corrall. 39
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Two Wise Men Mr. David Griffith The bells rang out on Wednesday 12th July, marking the close of the summer term, and soon, the little schoolchildren ran out into the sunshine, and to freedom. This also marked the close of the school year, though for some members of the school staff, this marked the close of their Haberdashers’ careers, and in particular those of long serving members of staff, Reverend Lindsay of the Religious Studies department, and Mr Griffith of the physics department. Amassing well over a half century of experience at Habs, it was thus imperative that the Skylark team had a few words with these two wise men, as to capture their experiences and thoughts of the school. So, on a pleasant spring evening, Aziz Ahsan of the Lower Sixth sat down with Mr Griffith in the jury room, Aldenham House, for what could potentially be a long trial by words. What unfolded were his thoughts on his time at Habs, thoughts for the future, as well as his say on rumours which were vociferously circulating around Habs. Yet, Mr Griffith was unfazed by the questioning and the surroundings, pausing occasionally to sip his coffee, a shade watchful perhaps. As the clock struck four, the interview began.
Dr Griffith… I feel I must stop you there…It’s Mr Griffith. Mr Griffith…As your illustrious career draws to a close, what are your favourite Habs memories? Memories over a thirty-six year period are quite difficult infact to remember. Certain things do stand out. One is not totally a school event, and that is the summer workshop. I have done that for twenty years now. I have always enjoyed it very much, and what is remarkable is the change in attitude of the boys from the last day of the summer term to when they come back for the summer workshop. The vast majority of boys and girls who attend, come from the two schools, and it always has been a very pleasant occasion. Fantastic. As you know, the school has spent a handsome sum of money on the new Science area. What do you think about it, are you a bit sad that you haven’t had longer to appreciate it? In some ways possibly yes, the old buildings were in fact very ugly, though remarkably good as science laboratories. The new labs are very good indeed. They work very well, and the view I have from my lab, SO2, has two sets of windows at right angles so I can see right over the woods and I have one of the best views over the school. I chose that room quite deliberately. I’m sure that you did. Amongst the boys, we have gained the impression that you are interested in world affairs and seem to exude a sort of political charm. Could you tell me your thoughts on the current conflict in Namibia? I think it’s very sad. I am very much of the opinion that people should sort out their own problems. Aid yes, real interference no.
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What are your plans for retirement and what do you look forward to? I look forward to not being dominated over the school day by bells and clocks. That is the one drawback of being a teacher, you are very much your own person, and I’ve enjoyed that, but you’re summoned by bells and you have to do things when the bell rings, and that is something that I won’t miss. For plans, I have deliberately not made plans, as the people I have known who have made plans have never quite worked out and not been able to keep up with them. I think it’s better to see how things turn out and then maybe make plans as time goes on. If you could be any piece of Physics apparatus, what would you be? A Voltmeter, because they are very widely used, have many settings, they can be fairly insensitive, sort of coarse in their scale, and by moving the switch I can be anything I like. Actually, make that into a multimeter: then I can measure resistance, I can measure current, I can measure p.d…I can do anything…. You certainly can. What changes have you noticed while you’ve been at the school? The buildings have changed a lot, the grounds have changed hardly at all. The buildings are very much better now than when I came. They were very new in those days, less than ten years old. They have been more added to than replaced, and the new buildings are a big improvement. Now, in terms of the boys, which I think are the most important thing, they are very much the same as they always were. The way they act, react, the way they behave has not changed enormously, and they are very much the product of where they live, North London. They are still the same, sparky, bright people that they were back in 1970.
There has been a rumour circulating that you are actually married to Mrs Griffiths - can you shed any light onto this? Ah, Mrs Spanish Griffiths? Indeed, Señora Griffiths.. Well…yes…if you look at my name of course there is no S on my name…she has an S. I am Welsh, she is married to a Welshman…We are not married, No. There has been confusion, I have tended to give non-committal answers quite deliberately, and I think Mrs. Griffiths has as well, just to keep you all amused, but the answer is no. Do you think that you could summarise your time at Habs in the form of A Haiku? That’s very difficult…with notice I could give an answer. In just a few lines… 3 Lines, Rhyming, 1-2-1..? Well I don’t know about rhyming, but…He enjoyed his time here, learnt more physics…um…what else could you say? Um… and it’s been fun. It doesn’t rhyme, it doesn’t scan, but that’s it. I hear that you are very much an aficionado of the fine Arts. Which is your favourite period? Probably the impressionists, probably. I think my favourite would be Degas. Ah, yes, shrewd, uncompromising, direct… He was direct. I am fond of others too. I am not however, that fond of Monet, even though I know it is sort of heresy to say so. I think he painted rather too many waterlillies. Aziz Ahsan Year 12
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Reverend David Lindsay hospital, but not the job here. I had no experience of teaching – although both my parents were teachers – and it just happened that the HABS interview was first, and to my considerable surprise I was offered the job! I didn’t even go for the interview at Huddersfield. If I had, if it had been the first interview, my life would have been completely different over the last 26 years!
Could you tell me some of your favourite HABS memories? There are specific occasions that one remembers, and also more general things. I remember with great pleasure the friendliness and cheerful cheekiness of pupils; there aren’t too many schools where pupils will compliment you on a haircut, for example, and HABS boys do! Also the way in which despite the fact that people often seem to be going about their own business, whenever anybody is going through hard times, a huge amount of support, friendship and love is shown. I’ve been lucky in that I haven’t had too many hard times myself… it seems like a terribly busy frantic place, yet underneath that there is a lot of real human care. Then more specific things would be such as when my A level class, the last time I met with them, presented me with a giant Winnie the Pooh! Of course there are numerous memories when in teaching I really felt it was a privilege to be with someone so able and thoughtful; those moments don’t happen all the time, but I’ve certainly taught people with beautiful minds and that’s a privilege. There are more things I’ll remember with great pleasure: the weekly services in the Chapel, preparing people for Confirmation, and times away with members of the Chapel congregation, especially at Hilfield friary; the Carol Services at St. Albans Abbey; and of course having fun and making a fool of myself in staff plays and charity concerts. What would you have done if you weren’t a teacher? That question is very easy to answer: I would have become the chaplain in a psychiatric hospital. Immediately before applying here I did a one year course in counselling and before that I worked in the probation service, and before that I had been a university chaplain. I was looking for a job and I applied here and at a psychiatric hospital in Huddersfield. I thought I was certainly going to get the psychiatric
What are your plans for retirement? Whenever people say what are you going to do, my first instinct is to say a bit less, because I think I’m somebody who probably overworks. I’m looking forward to having more spare time; time to read the paper properly every day and go for a walk every day. Looking ahead, I will, of course, continue to be a Christian priest. I have it in mind, hopefully, to produce a book that will draw on insights from Buddhism and Christianity. And of course, I look forward to spending more time with my family and grandchildren! What changes have you noticed in the school while you’ve been here? I think the school has changed a lot. It has become gentler. For example, when I was first here most staff addressed pupils by their surnames, certainly until the sixth form. I was one of the first to stop doing that. I think the level of pastoral care shown now is much more professional than it used to be. When I was first here I think it was assumed by senior staff that because HABS boys were very bright most didn’t have any problems and were happy. I think there is a realisation now that there are as many pastoral issues here as any school – in some ways being so bright and successful brings its own problems and worries. The most obvious change has been in the racial mix of the school. When I arrived in 1980 the numbers of Asian boys were very small, and there was widespread scorn towards religion and spirituality. I think the influx of Asian pupils has been part of a change in that. You used to be confronted with aggressive atheism in lessons. That’s less now. The school is less cynical than it was; in the early 80s there was a great deal of cynicism. Could you explain where your love of Winnie the Pooh, which has given so much entertainment to HABS pupils, came from? It came from two sources: I loved the stories as a child, and my predecessor read it in assembly here! I went and spent a night in his house and he said that if you’re in doubt as to what to read in assembly, read Winnie the Pooh. I read it once and it worked! I didn’t realise at the time – it’s not just that it’s funny, and I can do voices, I think there
is a real message. Winnie is not very bright, he’s a bear of little brain, but he’s a hero. I think these stories work at a deep level. There is something very reassuring to the Haberdasher; you can be a loveable hero and still get everything wrong. I think most of us identify with one or the other of the characters in Pooh. Whom do I identify with? I think I’m probably a mixture; in some ways I’m like rabbit, I like being busy. In some ways I’m like Piglet, I go through all kinds of anxieties, over new things until I’m sure they’re going to work. Also Christopher Robin, the one who can put everything back together. Perhaps I’d just like to be like him! What message would you like to leave behind for HABS pupils to take from you? It would be that who you are matters far more than what you have achieved. Have you changed the school the way you would have liked to? Well, I’ve enjoyed at times being mildly and gently subversive. I think that’s part of the role of a chaplain. One of the main things is you have a dual loyalty; you must be loyal to the institution and of course I must also be loyal to the message, the Christian gospel, something bigger than the institution. Sometimes I could preach against the worst failings of the institution…the worst failings of HABS as we all know are over-anxiety about competition, achievement, success. If I’m ever asked what’s the main priority for my job I say that a chaplain in any institution must be aware of whatever it is in that institution that can be dehumanizing. The chaplain’s job is to try and combat that dehumanizing influence. To re-humanize, remind people of their humanity, helping them to be as fully human as possible. Prisons dehumanize people in a very brutal, obvious way– and schools dehumanize people by reducing them to the level of their achievements. My job is to help people resist that. In 10 years, what do you think will have changed in HABS? I suppose I’d like to see increasing cooperation across different parts of school. If I had to name one thing most missing, I’d say this is a school where too much happens in fragments. People can row with each other; it’s better than it was, but it would be better with some cross-curricular learning, where people learn about something from different viewpoints; from artistic, spiritual and scientific viewpoints. Josh Seymour Year 12
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Glimpses of China As the China Eastern flight 552 started its descent into Shanghai Pudong Airport I couldn’t help but look with awe at the spread of the city that was unfolding beneath us. Shanghai is a city of 30 million people and six thousand square km and it was here that I was to spend the next month with a variety of lucky students from all over the world. After a 12 hour plane flight I stepped into this new world that was Shanghai, and though being half conscious from the flight he first thing I noticed about Shanghai was that it was big; really, really big, and everything around me was so new. We were met at the airport by the facilitators of the program. Glimpses of China is a programme devised by David Kwan from New York whose vision has enabled groups of young people between the ages of 15-18 to spend time at the East China Normal university (ECNU)in Shanghai and spend a month learning all about the Chinese culture, both past and present, taking tuition in the Mandarin language and having the opportunity to try our hand at the ancient Chinese skills of calligraphy, tai chi, seal carving etc. We would also be visiting the homes of Chinese students who would be joining us in our studies and spending some time outside Shanghai in visits to Suzhou and Hangzhou, cities renowned for their beauty. My group arrived in Shanghai on July 21st, we consisted of 16 English students (three being from Haberdashers) 32 young Americans originating from all over the United States, and other students from Luxembourg, Russia, and Switzerland The first couple of days were taken up with getting to know each other and being taught how to find our way around the transit systems of Shanghai. It was actually quite nerve-wracking in those first couple of days as we struggled with the enormity of the city and the very definite possibility of getting lost in the sea of humanity with the only direction signs near the university in Chinese Characters! Having been installed in our hotel style rooms in the conference centre of the ECNU and were introduced to our course directors who would be organising us and facilitating our studies and also to the Teaching Assistants who were to help us with our mandarin and act as escorts around the city for the first half of the course. For the first two weeks we were obliged to only travel off the campus with a Chinese speaking Teaching Assistant who had been enlisted to help the foreign students find their feet in the city. It is a great tribute to the course that after two weeks we were able to travel without our escorts as long as we were in groups of no less than three and make ourselves understood in the various 42
markets, shops, museums and taxis of Shanghai. The course consisted of two core subjects, The Imperial Past and Towards Modern China and these were complemented by the Major Electives of The New Chinese City, Economic Reforms and Changes in Work Life, International Relations in the 21st Century and Confucian Tradition and Modern World Culture. There were a huge number of minor electives which we touched on including One Party Rule, human rights, traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese theatre and many traditional arts and activities. Of course we also learned Mandarin! It seemed like a daunting agenda but actually the way it was presented to us was very Student friendly and enabled us to gel in groups with this wonderful experience in common. Friendship groups soon formed and it was evident that a lot of thought and planning had gone into the tutorial groups that we found ourselves in with other young people of similar interests. We were able to travel around Shanghai freely in our spare time and together with the wonderful trips that were arranged for us we soon experienced a flavour of the true spirit of Shanghai. We were attached to a Shanghai High school and various Chinese students came to live with us and study with us. They joined us on our excursions and I was lucky enough to be invited back to one of their homes to meet their families and friends. We visited modern factories and spoke to business men and investors who explained their vision of the future of China with its potential market of 1.3 billion people. We conducted our own surveys in the street (in Mandarin) asking people about their life style and how it compared to our own. What became more evident was that the life of the young Chinese student was not too unlike our own. They all used the internet (although there is some censorship) and they lived in modern western style apartments in the city, listening to the same bands and watching the same TV programmes as ourselves. There was a huge emphasis for the Chinese student to learn English and indeed on one day a week anybody who wanted to learn English could visit the central square under the statue of Chairman Mao of the university and have the opportunity to speak English to each other! It was most interesting and lots of fun as our group became the centre of attention as we presented the chance to speak with real native English speakers! We were very busy making conversation with huge numbers of enthusiastic Shanghainese who were eager to engage us in conversation. Having said that however, there was a huge emphasis on learning Mandarin, a completely new experience for me. Before I
went to China I knew how to say ‘hello’ (Ni hao) and ‘Toilet’ (Ce suo). I soon realised that I had been pronouncing both wrong and had in fact been saying ‘How are you’ and ‘Student’. So I got down to work, and Mandarin classes turned out to be one of the best parts of the trip. We could do whatever we wanted, as long as it was in Chinese, once I came into our three person tutorial in a Communist costume and with a toy gun, so now I can shout out Maoist slogans in Chinese….Serve the People! Classes were arranged nicely, for the first session all 52 of us shared a class for an hour to learn Pin Yin (romanisation) and tones. Then for every other session we were split into small tutorial groups of 3 students to 1 Teacher and taught Mandarin. Every other lesson two groups would merge to create one larger group of 6 kids to 2 teachers to play games in Chinese. I was really proud at how far in Chinese I had come. Each morning we woke up early to practice tai chi with the National Tai Chi Champion (1988-1994), at first we all felt that we would rather have the extra hour in bed in true teenage fashion but pretty quickly we realised that it was a great way to start the day. The total concentration on our tai chi focussed our minds and bodies on the flowing movements of this martial art and gave us an unexpected vitality with which to face the day. It is no wonder that millions people are seen in the parks and squares of Shanghai each morning practising their tai chi in huge groups before heading off to face their day. Each week a newsletter was sent home to our parents by the course directors telling them what was happening and keeping them in touch with us through photos and a journal of our activities. In addition to the activities, the program was run so that everyone got to know each other within the first few days, and newsletters were sent back to our families at home to keep them up to date with what was going in. My month in China was truly life changing; I met friends from all over the world with whom I had everything in common. We are already planning reunions and are in daily contact through our own website. I have been lucky to join in a true adventure and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone with an interest in learning about this wonderful and vibrant country in a way that could never be achieved by just passing through on holiday. Ben Lewy Year 10
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Originals
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The Skipping Rope Thud, thud, thud. Mum heard her. Over and over again. Paula was in the garden skipping. Her rope swished, and her flabby body went thud, thud thud. Mum reached for her Paracetamol. Her head throbbed. The back door was closed, yet she still heard her heavy daughter crashing around in the yard. The kitchen stank of onions. Mum's eyes stung. Chop, chop, chop. In time to Paula's skipping. Paula counted in her head as she skipped, "...nine hundred and thirty one...nine hundred and thirty two...". Mum stirred the pan on the stove. Paula narrowed her eyes in the bright autumn sunshine. The air felt iced with a bitter hint of the winter to come.
Toby Young Year 10
The skipping rope was the winner of the ‘Daunt Books’ short story competition 2006 Toby Young also won the BBC Proms / Guardian ‘Young composer of the year 2006 ’ competition with his piece entitled: ‘Dirty Linoleum’ which was broadcast on radio 3 in August.
The wind whipped her hair across her face, into her eyes and into her mouth. Greasy hair, greasy face and fat body. Skip, skip, skip. Imagining her new slim self. Mum opened the kitchen window and shouted. "Paula. Stop now. The doctor said that you have to exercise, but this is bloody ridiculous. Thud, thud, thud. Paula's podgy fingers gripped the green carved handles more tightly. Mucous dripped from her nose and onto her fat lips. "Paula. I need you to go to the shops for me," yelled Mum. Paula's forehead was wet; chubby cheeks pink and shiny. Bobby had said that she was a disgusting pig. "Bobby, bastard, Bobby bastard," she thought, in rhythm with her skipping. Thud, thud, thud. The sun began to lower in the orange autumn sky. "Paula, you'll do as I say. Stop that wretched skipping and come here." Paula's bulgy mouth shaped into a pout, and she snatched the money from her Mother's hand. The front door slammed as Paula left the house and wandered past the park, to the shops. She looked a mess and knew it. The greying tracksuit was stretched across her flabby body. "Elephant," he'd called her. "Fat cow." . He'd stuck a compass in her leg during Maths today. He'd laughed. "Just to see if you'll burst," he'd said. They'd laughed alright. The whole bloody class laughed. "She's squealing like a pig," said Bobby. "Like a big fat pig." The whole class laughed in chorus. "Ha, ha." Paula walked past the park and into the bakery for doughnuts. Meanwhile, Mum was at home laying the table. Low fat hot-pot, and salad with no dressing. They could both do with losing a stone or two. Paula was getting plump these days, and unfortunately it was the age for spots. Mum enjoyed having peace and quiet whilst her daughter was out. Sulky teenagers were not much fun for a single parent. The front door slammed. "Oh dear, she's back," thought Mum with a sigh. The shopping bags were dumped on the kitchen floor, and Paula thudded to the sitting room. There was a complaining groan from the springs on the sofa, and Paula settled herself down to watch television. The phone rang. Shrill and stark. Mum answered it. "Yes. No. I see," she said. "Goodbye," she said. Then she turned to Paula. "That was Gran. Something dreadful's happened at the park." Paula bit into a doughnut. "Gran says that something really, really terrible has happened." Paula's long tongue licked around her mouth, gathering every spare grain of sugar. "Gran says that young Bobby from down the road has been found." Chew, chew, chew. "Dead, Gran says." Paula sucked at the oozing jam. "Strangled by a skipping rope with green handles." 45
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Lost! James was slowly regaining consciousness. As he did so, he became aware of the mass of vegetation around him and the thick canopy of treetops many metres above. On observing his tattered parachute hanging from one of the taller trees, the events of the last few hours started seeping back into his dazed memory. The fighter squadron, which he had formerly been part of, had been ambushed by wellconcealed anti-air emplacements over the Russian-Chinese border. His plane had been caught in the blast of one of the ruthlessly accurate missiles that had also, at the same instant, completely incinerated one of his comrades. Smoke was erupting profusely from his plane as it spiralled downwards and by the time he managed to bail out and open his parachute, he was barely a couple of seconds away from the forest canopy. The last thing he could draw from his memory was a tremendous blow on the head, then at last it failed him. It dawned on him that he was probably presumed dead and any rescue attempt would be ruled out as impossible by his headquarters. As he rose to his feet, a searing pain swelled over his forehead and he tasted stains of dried blood on his serrated lips. It was evident that his head had collided with a branch in the treetops and this was why his memory was so difficult to access. Just as his awareness of the situation was flooding back, the fatality of it dawned on him faster and faster every second. He felt for the button on his Comm. Link, but to his horror, he discovered that it had been pulverized by the fall, as had his precious compass. His two lifelines, the two simple objects which had saved him on countless occasions before, had failed him in his greatest time of need. The odds of survival were heavily against him; he was at least fifty miles from civilisation with only three days worth of rations in his backpack. All that could be seen around him were clumps of almost unnaturally twisted and spiked undergrowth and the imposing trunks from the trees that reared up above the 46
forest floor like the bodies of huge serpents. He felt trapped inside this strange, foreboding place and this slight claustrophobia heightened his sense of terror. Despite the obvious lethality of the situation, he started walking, directed by blind instinct, through the first opening he saw. Darkness was now creeping into the forest and James was becoming even more intimidated. The eerie silence on its own was enough to make any man’s blood curdle. A ghostly, grey mist started surrounding him. Terrified, he fumbled for his flashlight and revolver, praying that they were not destroyed as well. To his relief, his flashlight shone as strongly as it had ever done. But, even with this powerful tool, he could not see for more than a few paces ahead of him. He clasped his revolver to his chest like a child would have held its most treasured possession. Somehow, even though the forest was uninhabited by human life, he felt more secure with it in his hand. The undergrowth was thickening, as if it was slowly engulfing him in a tangle of coarse material. He started, relentlessly, to slash through it like a madman. In these desperate actions he lost all sense of direction and purpose. His sanity was slipping away so quickly that he even began firing his revolver at the mist, as if
there were creatures within it trying to leap out at him. Tears of madness and despair trickled down his bruised face and his screaming filled the silent forest with terrible, agonised sounds as he threw himself at the undergrowth. This unbearable struggle continued for five whole days until he finally saw a glimmer of light through the trees. Using his last ounces of adrenaline he rushed towards it, broke free of the hellish forest and finally succumbed to his unimaginable fatigue as he collapsed in a blood-soaked heap on the rough ground. He was relieved to be out of that hellish forest. Loud voices drifted down to him, as if there was a multitude of people standing over his exhausted corpse. In his state of tiredness, he could not decipher whether they were friend or foe. In reality, he did not have the mental capacity or reason to care; he would rather be tortured to death by any band of brutal madmen than set foot in that malevolent forest again. Thomas Flint Year 11
Alex Woolf Year 10
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Jamie Yates Year 10
Freedom I wonder what it’s like out there Beyond that wooden door, Where a child plays in the street, A lawyer and his client meet And a shopkeeper opens up his store. Is it hot or cold, light or dark As the sailor hoists his sail, The farmer feeds his cattle And the soldiers prepare for battle? Will it snow or will it hail? And is the sun behind a cloud Or is it out there shining bright? That the astronomer should wear his glasses As he looks up; an aeroplane passes But very swiftly disappears from sight And where it’s going he cannot tell; No doubt unto a foreign land. Would I stay home or go away Perhaps a skiing holiday? Or would I hit the beach and lie in the sand? And would I run to catch my bus Or would I miss it and take the train? Where the gentleman whom I would meet Would stand up to offer me his seat On which I would find chewing gum again ‘Cause things like that just never change,
But other stuff gets out of hand, Like who’s the latest movie star? What’s the fastest motor car? And would I like the music of the number one band? Or would I stick to what I know The things from a much simpler time When you did not have to look so pretty And there was self-respect and dignity, Instead of terror, poverty and crime. Perhaps I’m better off in here, Protected by that wooden door, Now the children cannot play at night, The lawyer and his client fight And the shopkeeper has to double-lock his store. Perhaps I’m safer in this place Where I’m looked after day and night. I never feel unprepared, Or terrified, or really scared; I sleep soundly after they turn out the light. It’s hard to know what I would do If I was on the other side, But now I’m here I need not worry, So be glad for me, instead of sorry, For my freedom’s been enhanced, not denied. Alan Levenson Year 13 47
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Today Bright and flustered sun-shine falls back From the Western front, Hidden from hope, guided from view. Grizzly cloud cleaves through lives Who hate the rain and grey grey skies. A winter’s dawn attempts a smile, Whilst Europe’s silent chill cries Amongst the deadened leaves Atop the lonely trees; There, let them sob there, let them sleep. Silently they weep, gentle gasps of aching Hearts, full with empty love for the fallen foes, and Sunken lust for distant friends – beyond the dark, Across the sea, some there watching me – Which is never quite fulfilled. Nick Collins Year 13
Greg Steckelmacher Year 9
Peter Grant Year 11
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Aziz Ahsan Year 12
Sam Pinner Year 11
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GCSE Ceramics 2006
Joshua Michaels Year 10
Alastair Hodsman Year 11
Will Hannerman Year 10 Alastair Hodsman Year 11
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Alastair Hodsman, Ben Lewy and Charles McTernan received outstanding performance letters from Edexcel for being amongst the top ten highest overall marks in Art & Design: Three Dimensional Design GCSE 2006
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Richard Tan Year 10
Alastair Hodsman Year 11
Chirag Khagram Year 11
Charles McTernan Year 10
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Resistant Materials – Year 10
Florian Culka – Display stand for ‘Warhammer’ figures. Made out of acrylic, mahogany, ash and ramin.
Jamie Everitt – Bathroom storage unit for toiletries and small plastic bath toys. Made from acrylic, polystyrene and plywood.
Guneet Luther Mobile Phone display stand and charging pod. Made from Acrylic, Beech and Mahogany. Maximilian Jackson - Lap top table to be used by a young child whilst sitting up in bed or on a sofa. Made out of acrylic and medium density fibreboard.
Daniel Black – ‘Ride on’ platform which is fixed to the back of a shopping trolley in order to prevent the toddler from walking next to his parents in a busy supermarket.
Marios Kyriacou – Dining tray and book stand device to be used by wheelchair bound clients. 52
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Systems and Control Projects – Year 10
Ashiv Patel Childs Push along Toy. Aeroplane propeller rotates when the plane is pushed along the ground. Made from beautifully painted MDF and Acrylic.
Hemal Malde Childs Push along Toy. As the train is moved along the smoke goes up and down and the drivers head rotates from side to side. Made from painted MDF and Acrylic.
Zain Arora - Display stand for Die cast scaled sports cars. Made out of laminated plywood and acrylic.
Mitchell Bayer-Goldman Childs Pull along Toy. Head turns side to side while playing the xylophone. Made from mainly Beech and Acrylic.
Alessandro Furlotti Childs Pull along Toy. The helicopters main and side rotors spin when the toy is pulled along the ground. Made from MDF and Acrylic.
Neal Dadia – Toddlers chair and activity centre. The chair is dry assembled and can be flat packed for storage. Panels are reversible depending on whether a boy or girl is sitting in it ! 53
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Design Technology Year 12
Aaron Landau – A scooter to be used by teenagers and adults. Made from mild steel tube and some existing bicycle parts.
Nehal Shah – An adjustable stand for supporting textbooks and magazines whilst working on a computer. Made from Ash and Mahogany laminate plus Aluminium Angle.
Graphic Projects – Year 10 Alexi Gerolemou Promotional material aimed at guiding consumers who want to take up RadioControlled car racing - a ‘Beginner’s Guide.’
Rishin Patni Promotional leaflet and point of sale display to encourage the young to ‘Get fit, get active.’ 54
Michael Hollins Promotional material (leaflet and point of sale display) for a fictitious piece of Apple hardware – the new iPhone
Rohan Sheth Promotional material for a fictitious piece of Apple hardware – the “iPod Revolution”
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Prep
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La wardrobe and food “Bye Dheed!” called his little sister Tues as Dheed boarded the plane to Scotland. Dheed was going to get a rest from his first term at his new school, Kuikah Preparatory School in India. Dheed was small for his age, which was seven. He had brown skin and black hair, very short. Dheed’s father resembled him. As they left the ground, Dheed remembered all the happy times he’d had with his father and promptly fell asleep. Dheed walked around his room in the hotel. It was quite big, because he was sharing it with his dad. There was a living room through another door and a bathroom near the entrance to the room. Dheed liked to read in the living room and fish in the canal by the hotel. One day, Dheed said to his father ,”Dad, can you come with me to mend my bike?”. “Yes,” said Dheed’s father. When they got to the bike shop, Dheed got a bit bored and went into a wardrobe he found at the back of the shop and Dad followed to look for Dheed. Suddenly a ghost of magic blew them into … another world. It had everything to do with nature: savannahs, forests, jungles, lakes and mountains. Also animals from the worm to the roaring mountain lion. Dheed was a bit scared of lions because he had lived in India all his life. Dheed’s father was not afraid.
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Then they pitched camp for the night after eating some plants they found. The trouble started when they woke up. It was raining torrentially and it kept raining for a whole week, day and night. Dheed wanted to go back to the hotel, because he had become uncomfortable sleeping on the floor in the wet. At the end of the week, there were no plants left to eat because the forest had become flooded. Dheed and his Dad had to eat bark from the trees. However, animals couldn’t eat bark, and a few starved. It was sickening seeing all of the animals, some majestic and some plain, starving into the sleep of death. One day, Dheed found a dead rabbit and he cried until Dad calmed him down. They had a little talk in the tent. “We have to feed the animals,” said Dheed’s Dad. “The meat eaters are able to kill the plant eaters more easily because they are weak and starving.” Dheed said ,”What can we do, something like a spell?”. “You’ve given me an idea,” said Dad. “WHAT?” asked Dheed, bemused. “Well, its an Indian belief that there is a spell to make food,” said Dheed’s Dad. “Let’s check it out!” said Dheed animatedly. “The ingredients are Scottish brewed herbs, moss and fruit,” said Dheed’s Dad. Dheed replied, “The moss and the fruit are easy, but what about the Scottish brewed herbs? We aren’t even on Earth, and definitely nowhere near Scotland.”
“What about going back through the wardrobe?” said Dad. “It’s where that hollow tree is. There will be some in the hotel.” Soon Dheed was back in the hotel with Dad. They had asked the cook for the herbs, so there was only the moss and the fruit to collect. Excitedly they went back to the bike shop and went hurriedly into the wardrobe. When they got back, they collected some deep green moss by a spectacular waterfall and some fruit from a banana tree. Soon they were ready. “Let’s do the spell right now!” said Dheed nervously. The effect was magical. Plants appeared just like a snap of a finger. There were flowers; any type of plant imaginable. The problem of the food chain was solved. When they got back to the hotel, they went for a swim. After they had dried off, they played snooker. When it was time to go back to India, Dheed remembered all of the happy times he’d had on that holiday with his Dad, and had learnt that animals mattered just as much as humans. The End Jacob Whitehead 3FS
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The Magic Box … I shall put in the box t blue sky, a e r g e h t The colour of illy winter, The breeze of the ch -born baby. The laughter of a new … I shall put in the box the autumn leaves, f o w o l l e y d n a The red hing a tiger, c u The tip of a tooth to mming in the sea. i w s h s i The splash of a f … I shall put in the box grown rose, y l l u f a f o y t u a e b The cleaned sports car, y l w e The shine of a n ate bar. f my favourite chocol The oozing caramel o … I shall put in the box her, s i f g n i k The sound of a g leopard, n i p a e l a f o s The stripe tree. The age of an old oak rom diamonds My box is fashioned f est gold ever, With onyx and the fin ers. nd danger in the corn a With spikes on the lid . d a nes of the de Its hinges are the bo box I shall venture in my imalayas H e h t f o s l l i h e h t r Ove ntis o the sunken city Atla t r e t a And under the w the sun. f o t h g i l e h t n i y room And then appear in m By Shivankit Hora 5CG
The Magic Toothpaste I was lying on the sofa, being lazy as I always am. I was glued to the television, when all of a sudden, the adverts came on. I looked away in disappointment. Then I heard: “Do you want to get the girl of your dreams?” My head shot round to the television. “Well what you need is BRUSHO! It gives you an irresistible smile.” I needed that toothpaste. I needed the girl of my dreams, and I even know exactly who that girl is! Brooke. She is in the parallel class to me at school. I remembered that my mum was going to Sainsbury’s. I rushed off the sofa, which I never thought I would do, and went to see if my mum had left. I was in luck, she hadn’t left yet, but she was about to! I sped hastily up the stairs and flung open my wardrobe and put on the first things that I saw. They were rubbish clothes – I wouldn’t be seen dead in those clothes. But for Brooke I would! I sprinted down the stairs and heard the rattle of our car’s engine
starting. My mum stared at me in disbelief and was probably thinking “What does he want?” I pulled on the icy door handle and sat down on the seat and knew I was going to get a girlfriend. We arrived at the shop and my mum asked, “What do you want?” “Toothpaste – BRUSHO!” “Okay,” she responded. We went over to the toiletries section and I looked up and down and side to side but I couldn’t see it anywhere. As I walked off I accidentally kicked something. I looked down, and I thought it was a stone, but no, it was the last box of BRUSHO! I found my mum, and we went to pay. She took ages to get through the tills. It really is a torture chamber at the shopping centre. We walked out and it was dark. It was eight o’clock and I had to get to bed. It was Monday tomorrow, and that meant that I would see Brooke. We got home and I brushed my teeth and got into bed.
I woke up the next morning. The first thing that I did was to brush my teeth. It tasted different, more love-filled. I went downstairs fully dressed in my boring school uniform. Why can’t we wear casual clothes?! Anyway, I skipped breakfast and asked my mum if we could leave early. Brooke is always early. We arrived at school. I walked into the playground and looked for her. I saw her with a group of pretty friends. I was like staring at heaven, but Brooke stood out like a pretty thumb! I gave her a wink and a smile. She came over and asked, “Are you doing anything on Saturday night?” “I’m not,” I replied. “I’ll see you at the cinema at 6?” she enquired. “Sure.” Yes! Yes! Yes! That guy on the television was right. I got the girl of my dreams! Sam Schusman Year 5
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What is Yellow? Yellow is a sun, Glowing bright, Yellow is a star, In the night, Yellow is a dragon, Puffing fire, Yellow is a dragon, Puffing fire, Yellow is an animal, Lifting his head, higher, higher, Yellow is a lemon, Juicy and sour, Yellow is a petal, On a flower, Yellos is a sunflower, On the grass, Yellow is a saxophone, Which is brass, Yellow is a colour, And a very big sight, Yellow is fun, But best of all yellow is right!
The Barbican The Barbican concert was going to be a unique experience as it was the first time Haberdashers had had the centre as its venue. I felt so lucky to be in a group to perform in front of such a huge audience. It all began on a mild Thursday morning; the air was filled with excitement as my school was going to the Barbican this afternoon. I knew we were going to have the time of our lives. We boarded a coach to and traveled into Central London where we finally approached the outside of the Barbican which looked like a gigantic stone city towering above me. We walked through a maze of corridors and a world famous library. It wasn't long before the 58
first people started to arrive; when the hall was full of people, the first performance took place. We could feel the lovely melodic music droning into our ears. I could hear flutes and violins. After a few more we were allowed to watch and I could see shiny golden harps and huge double bases. I was impressed at how well the school orchestra preformed. Then some more and eventually it was our turn. We entered the stage and the song began. It was so loud it was deafening. The song ended and there was so much clapping, I felt like a professional singer. Then we heard a few more and we went on
again. There was not a single empty seat. We heard lots more and by the time it was finished I was half asleep! The people started going out of the building. It was the end of the most memorable night of my life. I thoroughly enjoyed it at the barbican on the 9th of March 2006. It was a great experience for me. khush kotecha Year 3
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The Barbican
Extravaganza It was a cold, windy afternoon. The coaches queuing up outside the Barbican were containing the very excited boys from Haberdashers. As they got off the coaches heading towards the theatre section of the Barbican, some were observant enough to spot the City of London School, which is opposite the Barbican. As they walked into the Barbican, 4NB were amazed to see how big the inside of the Barbican actually was. As the teachers took their classes upstairs, they told the boys that the prep orchestra were still having their dress rehearsal so they would have to wait, but they were able to play cards whilst waiting. As the prep orchestra poured out of the concert hall, Mr Bowley announced to his class that it was time for their dress rehearsal. They walked onto the stage and they saw just the teachers in the audience; luckily there were no parents yet! The whole Prep then practiced "Orpheus in the Underground" and "I am but a small voice", and then at the end of the dress rehearsal Kingfishers and Year 3 left, and the Prep and the Main School boys practiced "Jerusalem". Then the boys returned to the gallery and ate their packed teas and played patiently until the concert was about to start. Just before the concert began, the teachers took their boys into the Hall to watch it, while waiting for their big moment to come. Skylark Reporter, Daniel Reuben spoke to Sam Grossman about how it felt to be in the concert audience and he said, "The symphony orchestra was not very interesting, but the percussion ensemble was amazing!" Then he spoke to Jamie Murray about how it felt to be on the Barbican stage. Jamie replied "very exciting and nerve-wracking". As the boys went back upstairs, they could see that some of the mums and dads had spotted their children but most of the parents were still looking around for their sons. The teachers then gave their pupils each a carton of orange juice and a biscuit. Skylark Reporter, Daniel Reuben then asked Hugo Davidson what the best part was and what the least interesting part was and he said: "The best bit was the Brazilian street dance and the least interesting bit was the symphony orchestra." The boys then sat back down in the audience and watched the concert for a while. Just before the Grand Finale, Year 4 went downstairs to the room outside the concert hall to prepare for their last song of the evening. As they went on to the stage there was a loud ripple of applause. They sang beautifully and the teachers proudly congratulated them. Teachers, pupils and parents all had a great evening. Daniel Reuben Year 4 59
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My Audition
The School Council at HABS Prep
I sat outside waiting tensely for the word “Next!” to be screamed from the audition room. I knew how much was riding on this audition and knew I had to get through. Tick. Ticker. Tick. Ticker went the clock, which only made the whole situation worse. In a few minutes the judge would scream “Next!” and my dustbin man days would be over, I hoped. Even if it was only a few minutes, it seemed like an eternity to me. “I only hope I won’t decay by then”, I joked to myself. However, there was no point. I couldn’t seem to make the situation any better. Tick. Ticker. Tick. Ticker. Tick. T… “Hey man, be quiet!” said the person behind me. I turned around and a truly grotesque sight met my eyes. A red, fat, podgy man, who seemed unable to control his sweat, sat behind me. “Sorry, I didn’t realise I was talking,” I apologised. I sat quietly and thought about my favourite film – ‘James Bond meets Silvertoad’. “You’ll never escape before my laser shreds through you!” screamed Silvertoad over the roaring of the laser machine. But, I couldn’t concentrate any longer. Tick. Ticker. Tick. Ticker went the clock again. The man behind sighed. “Sorry”, I said. I paused and then asked, “How long left to wait?” “You’ve only been waiting for about five minutes and you’re on n…” “Next!” screamed the judge. “Finally”, I thought and headed off to meet my destiny.
There are two people from each class who are in the School Council. We meet in the hall on some Wednesd ays to discuss important subjects, suc h as getting recycling bins or sorting out fêtes. If you think of an idea you can outline it at the meeting, and discuss it when the y ask for ideas. It has to be at the right time of the meeting be cause there is an agend a to follow. The job of the School Council representative s is to feed back to their class during any free time before the next meeting. For example, the Kingfishe r School Council repres entative had to talk with the class ab out a stall that they wanted to do for the Pakistan fête. It was decided by the class tha t they would do a bottle stall.
Andrew Djaba Year 5
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The Pakistan fête wa s goo stall raised a lot of mo d fun and a great success. The bottle ney (around £50). My favourite things about being on the Sch ool Council are getting to hear about the things that are happen ing in HABS and also hearing new ideas and feeding them back to my class. Joshua Silverbeck Year 2
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Life In Kingfishers The Kingfishers are all brand new, We are sixteen boys dressed in blue. We are the new Year 2 class at the school Being at HABS is really cool! I like football and playing cricket And I really enjoy getting a wicket. My teachers are kind, the lessons are fun I like maths a lot, it’s my favourite one! At the beginning it all felt quite weird But those strange feelings have now disappeared. Every day I look forward to seeing my friends And I wish school would never end! Adam Lande Year 2
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Waiting Soon, very soon, the raffle ticket prizes would be announced. In my sweaty palm I held the ticket number 65. There was a big bag of chocolates up there and I wanted to win them. “65, 65”, the number raced through my head. “The raffle results will be announced in ten minutes,” stated the booming voice of the loudspeaker. I fiddled around with the ticket, folding it up and then opening it out. “Are you OK there?” I turned around to see my friend James. “I’m fine,” I replied. I wanted that bag of chocolates, and the number 65 would win it for me. “Raffle ticket prizes will be given out in five minutes,” boomed the loudspeaker, “the first prize is a bag of chocolates.” I hopped around on one leg, and then hopped around on the other. I went to the toilets to calm down. There, on the door, was the number 65. My throat was dry as I walked to the prizes room.
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Would I win? The room was hot and my shirt began to stick to my back. My hair was wet, not from the bad weather but from buckets of sweat. I didn’t think that I had that much water inside me! The man in charge of the prizegiving walked into the middle of the room, where there was a stage. I bounded up onto it. My raffle ticket was damp now in my sweaty palm. “Hello everybody. I hope you have all enjoyed yourselves,” droned the man. I was tense, what if I didn’t win? What if I didn’t even come third? “I can tell you now that we have all raised £120, so you can all pat the person standing next to you on the back!” A man patted my sticky back, only to have his hand covered in sweat. “And…the winning number is…” “Hurry up, hurry up,” I thought. Things dazzled in my mind: chocolates, hurrying up, and the number 65. “The winner is…number….65!” Rufus McAlister Year 5
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Clubs and Societies
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Debating Haberdashers’ debating has seen a promising resurgence to form this year. Jamie Susskind was appointed captain of the England Schools Team, which secured victory in the inaugural International Four Nations tournament, with England remaining unbeaten throughout. At the World Championships in Cardiff, Jamie was ranked the top individual speaker in the world. The two Junior teams, consisting of Ben Lewy, Edward Schwitzer, Aaron Taylor, and Miles Coleman, excelled in the International Competition for Young Debaters. Despite the comparative youth of three of the Haberdashers’ debaters, both teams reached the international finals day, held at the Oxford Union. Ben Lewy and Edward Schwitzer went a step further, raising their game to become champions, a victory attributable, no doubt, to their considerable talent, their steely nerves under pressure, and their hard work in training. The Senior team, too, has had a highly successful year despite bringing home just two items of silverware. James Fox and Jamie Susskind retained the JLGB (Jewish Lads and Girls Brigade) Trophy for the third conscecutive year and Jamie Susskind and Alex Canfor-Dumas defended Haberdashers’ title of Eastern Area Champions in the Schools Mace, but were defeated, sadly, by the narrowest of margins, in the national final at the ESU headquarters in Mayfair. Jamie and Alex teamed up again to reach the Grand Final of the Cambridge Union Debating competition, and, with Dave Snower, Chris McGeever, and James Fox, the team reached the grand final of the Dulwich tournament, losing narrowly to Westminster. James Fox joined Jamie Susskind in the Durham competition, the pair reaching yet another grand final only to see the trophy handed to another team. Despite the near-misses, this was a season of which to be proud, and, without a doubt, Haberdashers’ has certainly stamped its authority once more on the schools debating circuit. With successful and vibrant societies at Junior, Intermediate, and Senior levels, we have an admirable wealth of talent from which to mould next year’s teams. Under the expert tutelage of Mrs Gleeson and Dr St John, we keenly await next year’s debating, with the successes and happiness it will hopefully bring. Jamie Susskind Year 12
At the World Championships in Cardiff, Jamie was ranked the top individual speaker in the world.
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Chess The first tournament of the season is the Millfield International which is traditionally held during October Half Term. Having come second last year we felt that we had to win it this time around to make the trip to Somerset worthwhile, a task not made any easier by our No. 1 player having to pull out. A major headache on arrival was the fact that our hotel booking had been cancelled due to a communication error. Undaunted, our team, led by Senthuran Sathyanandha prevailed, beating the opposition by a comfortable margin. Our younger players, Akash Jain and Saravanan Sathyandha gained perfect scores on Boards 4 & 5, and all the twelve members of the team played their part, with several winning board prizes. In November, the National U18 Rapid-play tournament took place in Birmingham. Our boys were confident after the Millfield success and we were at full strength. Nottingham were the favourites, but yet again we prevailed, beating them in the head-to-head stages, getting revenge for the ECF tournament last year. The autumn term also saw the start of the season-long ECF National School’s Championship. This is the most important of the chess competitions, and is the one that we gauge our seasonal success by. The A team sailed through the North London Zone qualifiers and the B Team matched them in the West London Zone. By Christmas we could all look back at the most successful period that HABS has probably ever had.
The two Zonal finals were against strong opposition. The HABS B team were playing Tiffin school, however a great effort from the youngsters fought Tiffin all the way and the match was in the balance till the very end. The boys can be proud of their play. The HABS A team were pitted against Southend in their final. Southend are a strong team, but we had beaten them eighteen months before, making us confident. Perhaps we were too confident, because 2 of our 6 players lost ground within a dozen moves and although the match went to the wire we lost. Both teams entered the Plate competition for the Zonal runners up which was not where we wanted to be. So by February our season had taken a downturn. The U14 National Rapid-play was an opportunity to get some more silverware and to win the Rapid-play ‘double.’ Unfortunately we came second, Nottingham this time beating us in the head-to-head. The following months were a bit of a nonevent: both teams playing against weaker opposition as they progressed in the Plate tournament, regrettably having to meet each other in the Quarter-Finals. Unsurprisingly the A team won, but not without a scare, David Lawrence, who has played well all season providing an ‘upset’ by beating Senthuran. It was a long wait till the semis and final, played at Uppingham School in Leicestershire at the beginning of July. In the meantime Akash Jain beat all-comers to take the Chess Challenge title, with a dozen others qualifying for the next stages of the competition.
The end of June saw the annual Pontins National School Chess Championships. We were holders of the U16 title and were confident that we would do well. Competition was fierce and there was strong opposition from many recognised ‘chess’ schools. For once, the senior boys, who are no strangers to silverware, were outdone by the juniors with the U12s and the U14s victorious, with the U16s managing 2nd place. Special mention must go to Akash Jain and Shyamal Patel; who won all their 6 games in the U12 section. The season ended with the ECF Finals, which HABS attended with high hopes. A straightforward semi final win 5-1 over Yarm School meant that we had a grudge match against Haberdasher’s Monmouth in the final. The rustiness of the older boys that was evident at Pontins was clear to see again: we lost on ‘board count’ 3-3. Congratulations to David Lawrence and Athman Sivakumar from Yr 8 who have been invited to the England squad, joining an evergrowing bans of HABS Internationals! Akash Jain recently became Middlesex U18 champion and picks up the HABS Player of the Year Trophy, after a truly magnificent season. His record of P32 W30 D1 L1 will surely not be beaten. J. Barnes
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Politics Society It has been a busy year for the Haberdashers’ Politics Society. A year of party-political tumult has fuelled enthusiasm for ideas, debate, and social awareness within the school, and the society has surfed this wave of interest with a series of events. The first such occasion took place in the winter of 2005, with a debate emulating those between David Cameron and David Davis leading up to the climax of the Conservative leadership contest. The debate was expertly performed by Jacob Turner and Vishal Patel, with the outcome a victory for Blair’s heir, followed by the actual, same, result a few weeks later in real life. The first guest of the year was Sir David Omand, the first person ever to hold the position of United Kingdom Security and Intelligence Co-ordinator. Responsible for ‘homeland security’ for many years, Sir David gave remarkable insight into the workings of our country’s intelligence services, speaking candidly about his work with the Ministry of Defence and GCHQ. Hugely attended, the talk was a great success and an auspicious start to the year’s programme. Next to come to Haberdashers was Lord Sutherland, a distinguished academic, and a cross-bench member of the House of Lords. Lord Sutherland spoke in depth about his role in the legislature, and about the future of the Second Chamber. Probing questions from the boys led to a genuine debate and a thoroughly stimulating lunchtime. Dorothy Thornhill, the Liberal Democrat Mayor of Watford, addressed the Politics Society next. One of only twelve elected mayors in the UK – and the only female mayor in the country – Mayor Thornhill explained both the workings of local government, and her hopes for the future of British Politics. The content of her speech was intriguing, frequently light-hearted, and well-received by the oft-sceptical Haberdashers politicos. Our final guest was the Rt Hon. Theresa May MP, shadow Leader of the House of Commons. Ms May spoke with passion and lucidity about the development of the Conservative Party from what she perceived to be a ‘nasty party’ to a more liberal, sensitive, and caring institution. She handled questions deftly and succinctly, exhibiting the authority and concision of a veteran debater, and the tact and subtlety of an experienced politician. So, with guests from both houses of parliament, local government, and the intelligence services, this has been a diverse and exciting year for the Politics Society. We hope next year will see more eminent guests, and that levels of political curiosity will continue to flourish. Jamie Susskind Year 12
Max Herbert Year 12
Life Drawing As I sat down in Art Studio 3 on a wet, autumnal afternoon, surrounded by friendly faces and a relaxed atmosphere, it occurred to me that I could think of no better way to spend my time after school on Wednesdays. No doubt this says something about my social life, but truly, these life drawing sessions have been fantastic. With the daunting prospect of an Art GCSE ahead of me I was urged to join the group at the beginning of this year. At first I was partly amazed and yet partly anxious that just about everyone, including students two years below myself, could draw better than me. However, now some time has passed it is incredible to look back at some of the work the group has produced. Not only has every artist improved their own personal skills, but the group as a whole has produced an extra-ordinary variety of work, from the sketchy to the stylized and the detailed to the distinctive, in a wide range of mediums, using everything from charcoal to coloured pen. Under the guiding eye of Mr. Todhunter it doesn’t take long to find your own ability in life drawing, and the Wednesday afternoon sessions are something I would recommend to anybody. Thanks must also go to our ever-cheery models, Lior Smith and Sam Pinner. Peter Grant Year 11
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Peter Grant Year 11
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Science Society It has been another enormously successful year for Science Society. We have been fortunate in attracting an eclectic and engaging range of high calibres speakers, who have presented challenging scientific topics for audiences of pupils and staff. We have been particularly flattered that so many distinguished guests have been prepared to give so generously of their time. Professor Sir Peter Crane, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, provided a strong start to our programme of speakers, and we had the opportunity to learn about another national institution when Dr Michael Dixon, Director of the Natural History Museum, visited soon after. Both directors gave as a fascinating glimpse into life behind-the-scenes at their respective organisations, and into the future projects they are planning. Science Society continued its programme of high calibre speakers when the Director of the University of London Observatory, Dr Mike Dworetsky, was kind enough to speak to us about “Stars and their Spectra”, and also brought in one of his telescopes for inspection. It was then a privilege to welcome Professor Ann Dell from Imperial College, who discussed the research she is undertaking using mass spectrometry in Bioscience, and Alan Devenish from the National Blood Service, who presented an excellent slideshow revealing the way donated blood is processed and used. Ken Muir, an Old Haberdasher who left the school in 1944, then returned to explain his successful career in fruit growing. Ken is a regular gold medal winner at Chelsea, and the Queen is a great fan of his strawberries! From fruit to fusion, Chris Warwick, a representative of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, gave a superb account of nuclear power and its future use in Britain.
illustrative demonstrations!) to a packed Aske Hall. Fortunately Ben did not visit at the same time as world-famous demonstration chemist Dr John Salthouse, who travelled down from Cheshire to give us his superb Chemistry show. His title “Son et Lumiere” was fully appropriate, as he provided fires, flashes, explosions and bangs a-plenty! (My apologies again to all those who were evacuated after Dr Salthouse accidentally activated the fire alarms!) We were also lucky to receive two separate visits from the police force. Andy Fisher and his jolly companion PC Christmas from the Met Police Wildlife Crime Unit brought a range of exhibits made from illegal animal products, and had many extraordinary tales to tell of their unusual and specialist work. Dr Mike Griffin from the Forensic Science Service gave a talk on illegal drugs – the title “Smack, Crack, Speed and Weed” drawing a suspiciously large audience! However, the prize for goriest presentation goes hands-down to Andrew Cameron, Director of the London Air Ambulance – whose slideshow was certainly not for the fainthearted.
Finally, we were delighted to welcome author and TV star Simon Singh to HABS. He gave a highly entertaining, accessible and informative lecture to the entire Upper Sixth on his latest book, “Big Bang”. This included him passing mains electricity through a gherkin live on stage – rest assured the scorch marks on the Headmaster’s table are gradually fading! Undoubtedly the Haberdashers community has benefited tremendously from the Science Society’s programme this year, and in turn our speakers have expressed their appreciation of their enthusiastic and responsive audiences. The success of the Science Society, however, is due in no small part to the excellent support of Miss Pindoria, whose encouragement, initiative and generosity in giving her time have been invaluable. James Beattie Year 13
It has also been a pleasure this year for Science Society to welcome some rather more unusual guests – who have staged especially exciting lunchtime events. Captain Ben Aumonier (OH 1993) visited complete with bomb disposal van, “wheelbarrow” robot and protective suit, in order to describe his work in bomb disposal (with
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Houses
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CALVERTS
It’s that time of the year again for Calverts. The school year is drawing to a close and we are languishing in midtable in the shields and cups, with little to play for except our honour. It is a credit, then, to the strength of character that we have in our house that we continue to produce full teams for every event where other houses fall short, and continue to commit 100% to the cause. What we may lack in raw ability and talent, we make up for in effort and teamwork. Although this may not be enough for us to bring home the silverware, it has never failed to impress me during my tenure as house captain. Despite not reaching the top of the table, we have excelled at a number of events this term. Our year 7 must be the brainiest that this school has ever seen, winning the General Knowledge Quiz, Chess and the Modern Language Quiz. The senior years have excelled at basketball, with the year 9 and senior team coming second and the
year 10/11 team winning. A personal highlight for me was, along with rookies Jonathan Ainley and Anish Acharya, winning Senior Inter-House Debating for the third year running. If we failed to achieve glory on the sports fields this year, we can take solace in the knowledge that Calverts are a very charitable House. Our celebrated fetes, expertly coordinated by Ms. Bird, have raked in hundreds of pounds for charity, and have involved almost every boy in the house. Other charity highlights include Kavi Joshi raising £70 by abstaining from junk food, the members of 8C who have raised over £350 with two extremely successful sweet and doughnut sales, and Alessandro Furlotti and Sam Gaus, who’s drive to collect a ton of pennies has so far raised over £150. Congratulations go to this year’s winner of The Wilcock Cup, Oliver Inow. The cup is awarded for ‘a wholehearted contribution to Calverts over a number of years’, but I would give it to him solely on the basis of his heroic
performances in the water polo goal for us this year. Winning house ties were (in no particular order) Stephen Murphy, David Walker, Jaime Johal, Amir Khan, Gregory Nelson, Dominic Keen, James Glanville, Ben Grabiner, Aadil Hakim, Guneet Luther, Grant Waissel, Richard Margrett, Nakul Patel, Joe Zender, Oliver Goldstein, Marcus Chaplain, Kavi Joshi and Amish Patel. Taking charge of Calverts next year will be James Hunt and Mo Kazmi, who I’m sure will bring our house the success it deserves. Thanks must go to my team of House officials, especially my deputy Nadeem Nanjuwany for his rousing speeches, and recorder Rajen Shah for his popular ‘you must choose’ assemblies. Finally, a huge vote of thanks must go to Mr. Hayler, who has done about 17 times as much work as me for Calverts this year, and his caring of and commitment to the members of Calverts house has never ceased to amaze me. Jack Breslauer 69
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HENDERSONS
Taking on the captaincy of Hendersons was always going to be hard. Not only did the role involve a great deal of responsibility, but the House also found themselves in the unusual position of actually having to defend the Crossman and Dunton shields. The glory of last year seemed fresh at the beginning of this, with early victories in three crosscountry events lower down the school propelling the collective Hendersonians to the top of the Crossman, weeks into the Autumn Term. However, the sweet taste of success was unfortunately rather short lived and no sooner had we safely stowed the rewards of last year, in Mr Lloyd-Williams’ now bulging trophy cabinet, than we found ourselves scrapping in mid-table mediocrity desperate for house points wherever we could find them. This reversal of fortune was, of course, inevitable. Even the best have to fall at some point, but my loyal group of officials didn’t go down without a fight and this led to a series of significant highlights during the year. I will never forget the hard-working, splendidly 70
articulate threesome of Ben Jacobs, Hasan Dindjer and Aarash Yasee who traversed all obstacles of race and age to storm home to the Middle School debating title against a very talented Meadows outfit, in what was a highly entertaining final. Indeed, debating proved to be a typically strong event for us with James Fox, Richard Edwards and myself reaching the final of the senior event and the juniors doing well to reach the semifinal stage. Our sixth form put in a great show at the shooting event, running out surprise winners, and Sam Skalla et al secured victory at the fencing. Furthermore, our great contingent of sportsmen in the middle school brought home both football and rugby glory. Our new intake of 7H must be mentioned for their considerable involvement and participation this year, even with the conspicuous absence of a mentor (see Joe Stolerman!). Their enthusiasm for the house bodes very well for the future. Moreover, our charitable efforts have again excelled with the 8.4 million metre row for Otjikondo School undertaken by year 10 and 11 under the careful supervision of Messrs Metcalfe
and Yeabsley and the innovative Sports Raffle and Krispy Kreme Sales. However, all this success was somewhat tempered by an inconsistency of attendance for some events and poor performance in others. I am sure these lessons will be learnt in time for next year and ensure that all Hendersonians achieve their obvious potential. The man entrusted with achieving this task will be the very capable Alex Charles, who will be ably assisted by the new vice-captain, K. Parry. My final words must be sacrificed to gratitude. I owe a huge vote of thanks to Philp Maton, Sunit Raja, Aadit Virani, and Tarikh Bull for helping to organise duty rotas, assemblies and teams for the various events and, of course, to Mr Clark who has been a constant and continual bastion of spirit in his first year as Deputy Housemaster. Last but by no means least, thanks must go to the most devoted, friendly and inspirational Housemaster in the whole school: Mr Lloyd-Williams. Without him I would not have enjoyed this year half as much and with him the future of the house looks very bright indeed. Maanas Jain
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STROUTS
The new academic year kicked off with a pre-term strategic meeting consuming cakes in the glorious sunshine on the Geography department terrace. The new team of House Officials welcomed both Ms Cook, the new Housemistress, and Dr Clayton, the newly appointed Deputy. There was much enthusiastic banter, with plenty of new ideas proposed for running the House in the year ahead. The most notable of these was the innovative Strouts Triathlon, which succeeded in raising over £2000 for the two House Charities that we elected to support this year – Hearing Concern and an
Education Support Programme for a boy in Kenya. A further £500 was raised by numerous events organised by Years 7, 8 and 9 over the three terms. Once again, the House proved strong in the Inter-House sports events, gaining 1st or 2nd position in a number of disciplines. There were particularly notable performances from the swimming, tennis and athletics teams throughout the year groups, with Year 7 and Year 9 fielding some excellent teams in all of the events. The Strouts contingent also contributed significantly to the Gala Concert at the Barbican and participated widely in school life in general.
Sadly, we say farewell to Mrs Williams this year as she departs for her new life in Cardiff. She has been a brilliant tutor in Strouts over the last 12 years and will be missed by everyone in the House. I would like to thank all of the House Officials, particularly Andrew Leach who did a sterling job as House Recorder, and wish Nick Jardine and his team all the best of luck for next year. Finally, many thanks go to Ms Cook and Dr Clayton for their tireless energy and enthusiasm and for leading us to success over the course of the year. Alex Leadill
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MEADOWS
This year has been an outstandingly successful one for Meadows House. At the time of writing, we stand in our rightful place at the top of the Crossman Shield rankings, and look on course to win it for the first time for several years. We are also in the top two of both Work and Conduct Shields, and top of the all-important Dunton Shield, awarded for a combination of academic and extra-curricular excellence. Many superb individual and team performances have helped us into this commanding position. The work of our ‘bionic men’ in Year 11 helped secure victory in Senior Athletics, as well as several other successes. Our renowned strength in the pool did not let us down either, where we again claimed overall victory at the Swimming Gala, and it is encouraging to see such a strong group in Year 7, who have performed strongly across a wide spectrum of events.
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It is not, however, only the competitive side of the House that has thrived. A highly successful and enjoyable Staff Blind Date was organised for the school charity by Zeus Kanji, Kartik Kumar and Robert Goldstein of the Lower 6th, amongst other charity events, while numerous informative assemblies have been given. Many people are owed a word of thanks for their contributions. Foremost amongst these is the team of House Officials who have worked so hard to ensure the House has run as smoothly as it has. Alex Schey has been tireless and dependable in the highly demanding role of Sports Official, while Jonny Neumann has shown great ingenuity in charge of assemblies and helping with debating. Rob Davidson and Adam Solomons have taken charge of charity events, Danny Ginsberg has been everreliable at Lunch Duty, while Sunil Shah gave our website a much-needed overhaul as Webmaster, and Jason Taitz wrote it all down as Recorder. Finally, Vice-Captain
Omid Alavijeh has shown a rare combination of humour, typified by his rousing Churchillian end of term speech, and diligence in organising Duty Week, for which I am most grateful. The entire team is most indebted to the hard work of Mr Bagguley, who has been as committed as ever, and Mr Fenn, who has taken to his new role as Deputy House Master with considerable aplomb. Both have been a pleasure to work with. It is only when one plays a leading role in the running of the House that one realises just how much time and effort they put in to Meadows; for this, we are deeply grateful. It has been a great privilege to lead this fine House; I leave its running in the capable hands of Jacob Turner and his team, and wish them every success for next year. Alex Canfor-Dumas
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JOBLINGS
If one were to look up success in the dictionary I very much doubt that it would be the fair green of Joblings one would see staring back. Yet to that we say it is entirely dependent upon how one chooses to define success. If it is attaining unequivocal victory after unequivocal victory in inter-house events and thus school shields then we must concede that we are on the whole less than successful. However, if one were to look upon magnificent spirit, heart and a sense of kinship to be the synonym of success then indeed Joblings are triumphant, for it is here that we Jobloids are unsurpassed.
While on the whole this has not been our greatest year as a house we have shown flashes of brilliance both on and off the sports field that can only inspire us all to strive for a somewhat more conventional success in the future. As in years gone by assemblies have been a hallmark of the marvellous Joblings spirit. The word assemblies cannot be uttered without the names Alex Kupfer and Henry Waterfield mentioned in the same breath, for they have imbued us with much priceless knowledge this past year, from firearms to the art of oozing sexuality, we’ve witnessed it all. And all of it splendid in its uniquely Joblings way. Senior Basketball again shone as a beacon
of hope for us all to aspire to, while the current junior school boys enhanced Jobling’s illustrious and well deserved reputation as exceptional debaters. It has not been all doom and gloom this year, the early lead in the Crossman shield standing as a testament to this. There is much to be pleased about. If there is one characteristic that we must embrace in the coming year “it is longevity – for with that, my friends, Haberdashers is our oyster.” Success has been less than abundant this year, yet the Joblings spirit ensures we remain eternally hopeful. Bring on 2007! Etiene Ekpo-Utip
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RUSSELLS
The House system gives opportunities to contribute to the School in a number of ways, from duties and competitions to charities and School involvement. This year ‘Team Russells’ have risen to the challenges faced on all these fronts. Russells has earned a reputation as a rather dynamic house and whilst carrying forward previous initiatives have continued to build upon them with new ones. This year has seen the introduction of the House Involvement sheet; a record of what each and every boy contributes to the House and School. This has enabled the house to recognise the strong efforts of boys in contribution to School life across the board including drama, music and sport. Ask any Russells’ boy about the defining features of their house and undoubtedly “Ironman” will be top of the list! Drum banging, trumpet playing, cheering, shouting, whistles and megaphones have all featured this year once again as Russells went all out for “Ironman III.” Our latest figures for the year are £6389.00 and much more to come. The highlights included the ‘human fish’ Randal Cliff who swam 55 lengths (9 lengths 74
short of 1 mile) and the spectacle of Mssrs. Hails, Morrish, Wright, Todhunter & Dr Alvarez swimming a combined total of 129 lengths. Currently, Team Russells have swum 140 miles and raised £16,760 over the past three years – We Love It! There have been many notable charity events (who can forget 9R’s Dodgeball event!) and they have all helped contribute towards the House Charity this year, which is the Teenage Cancer Trust. This was selected in memory of Krishna Sabarwal. As a tribute to Krishna’s determination and courage, a new House Cup will now be awarded each term – “Krishna’s Cup for Determination.” Next year sees the entry of the new House Officials. We would like to wish Arjun Bhohi and the new team the best of luck for the year ahead. Mr Todhunter joined ‘Team Russells’ this year and has been a superb asset to the team, strengthening the house and introducing plenty of new initiatives, such as the Merit Certificate, which is now being used throughout Junior School. Mr Todhunter has organised plenty of training sessions,
supported every single House competition, interviewed every boy in Year 7 – 9, printed twenty fantastic “Ironman” T shirts and set up the Russells Litter Squad. As ever, Mr Hardman has been the backbone of the house. His straight-talking passionate approach has ensured high spirit throughout the house and kept us on the road to victory. A sincere thanks to the entire house for a superb year. SORTED! Our final thanks to the House Tutors - those that tend the Russells’ Greenhouse: Mrs. Gomez (7R), Miss Hammond (8R), Mr. Connolly (9Ra), Dr. Jacques (9Rb), Mr. Hails (10/11R1), Mr. Wright (10/11R2), Dr Perera (10/11R3), Dr Alvarez (L6R1), Dr Wigley (L6R2), Mr. Morrish (U6R1) and Dr. StJohn (U6R2). We wish Miss Hammond and Mr Connolly every success next year as they embark on new roles as Head of History at Bottisham Village College and Vice Principal at Mander Portman Woodward.. Joseph Santiapillai (House Captain) Neil Tanna (Vice House Captain)
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CCF / SCS
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Army
2006 has been another year of success and expansion for the CCF. The high point of the year was the Biennial General Inspection; this saw the Navy victorious in the Tri-Service Competition, taking the Contingent Commander’s Trophy from the RAF, victors in 2004. The Navy was also victorious in the assault course competition and consolidated their hold on the Alex Wheatly Memorial Trophy held by them since 1997. Our inspecting officer, Commodore (now Rear Admiral) Hussain, is unique in so far as he combined his office as inspector with that of parent of a pupil in the school. He conducted the inspection in a relaxed and informal manner that put us all at our ease and brought out the best in the cadets. So, all had a very enjoyable day. Commodore Hussain also kindly agreed to be our guest of honour at the Annual Reunion Dinner at the RAF Club in Piccadilly, in what turned out to be a very memorable evening. That evening we also said goodbye to our longest serving officer Lt Roger Delpech, who has been a member 76
of the Navy Section since 1977, and over a hundred old boys turned out to pay their respects to his outstanding and distinctive contribution to the CCF. Roger has been replaced by Sub Lieutenant Matthew Wright, a fine sailor and expert in metaphysical poetry. The RAF Section said goodbye to Pilot Officer Mark Taylor and saw Chris Bass promoted to Deputy Contingent Commander and the rank of Wing Commander. Major Jim Tarpey’s departure as Contingent Commander has seen the arrival of two new officers in the Army Section: 2nd Lieutenant Alex Simm and 2nd Lieutenant Andrew Simm. Alex is, of course, known for his spectacular yellow trousers and his expertise in military history. Andrew is an outstanding musician and the man who put big into band at HABS. Interestingly, both Mr Simms originate from the same part of Lancashire, which is very surprising when you place them side by side. The Senior NCO’s Dinner at the Tower of London was another enjoyable occasion where we said thank you to the upper sixth cadets led by RSM Nick Collins, Cox’n Nadeem Nanjuwany and WO Alexander Leadhill. 2006 also saw the revival of the
Tri-Service Adventure Training Camp in Otterburn, where Major Mark Lloyd-Williams and SSI Dave Tremaine introduced a new generation of officers and fifty cadets to breath-taking scenery, horses and haggis. This camp also saw the introduction of Duke of Edinburgh Award to the CCF and 43 cadets successfully completed a Bronze Expedition and a further 4 completed Silver. In February, a new dinner, the Officers Dinner, was inaugurated at the Navy Club in Mayfair where we entertained many of our old boys who are serving, or who have served, in the armed forces. These included our oldest old boy, Peter Brown MBE (1935), Norman Hummerstone MBE (1937) and Air Vice Marshall Tony Woodford (1957). We also had the pleasure of seeing many of our more recent cadets such as Captain Ben Aumonier, who led the Army Section in 1993, and is now serving with the Royal Engineers. Finally, I would like to thank all my fellow officers who have made my first year as Contingent Commander such a pleasure. N. Saddington
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Otterburn Adventure Training Camp To the urban individual, it may seem strange to travel eight hours on a coach into the middle of no-where to get tired and muddy. This was not, however, the case for the members of the HABS CCF. A large number of boys, from all three sections, participated in five days of adrenaline-filled adventure training. After a rather bumpy coach journey over the Northumberland hills, with a driver who seemed intent on tipping us over, we arrived at Otterburn Army Training Camp in the evening. We were all very thankful to eat a proper dinner in the canteen. There was then a mad dash to secure a bunk in a favourable position in our barracks, following which, we had a meeting to explain the activities we would be doing. In the morning, we got into the groups that had been allocated to us the night before. Under the watchful eye of the year 11 boys, we set out from a wood near Kielder castle. This was meant to be a simple practice expedition for the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award that was looming in two days time. Unfortunately, in an
effort to overtake another group, we ended up hiking over what seemed to be a small mountain! We did think that we may have taken a wrong turning after we saw the other groups 100m below us! However, the good morale that always accompanies a HABS field trip saw us through. The second day was spent mountain biking and canoeing or alternatively quad biking and horse riding. Some people certainly had a bit of trouble controlling their horses! The day itself was a fantastic opportunity for us to try some activities that were new to us.
reach the first check point. The rest of the journey went smoothly, despite heavy rainfall. We camped over night in our two tents, before on the second day we set out to climb Windy Gyle. This was an appropriate name, since the winds were extremely strong, and were accompanied by regular rain and snow. Luckily, we reached base camp in time for lunch. On the last day, we had more adventure training. I rode a bike into Scotland, and managed to get a tyre puncture! I would like to thank Mr Tillotson for carrying my bike back and for lending me his bicycle.
The next two days were spent doing our Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award expedition. This involved planning a route and selecting equipment to take, before setting out with a compass in hand towards Pennine Way. It soon began to snow, and we were beset with visions of Hillary and Tenzing as we saw ourselves facing knife edge ridges and frostbite. It took a Herculean group effort to find the correct route in the biting cold. Our navigational skills were fully tested, but we managed to successfully
It was then a matter of driving home, before presenting the muddy washing to our mothers. It was a wonderful trip! Our thanks go to Mr Saddington, Mr Lloyd-Williams, Ms Leyshon, Mr Bass, Mr Tremaine and the other members of staff who came to share in the fun.
the order came, there was a sudden outburst of noise from both my left and right. I cocked my weapon and let loose. On each shot, a large blinding flash appeared in front of me. Ten shots fired and the thrill was over. We returned back to the camp in the pitch black, struggling to find where we had set up. It was about 2330 when we arrived back. Most of us didn’t get to sleep till very late.
given regular breaks, giving us time to sit and take a drink. There was a rota so that each section would get a chance at a different role, with my favourite role being flankers. This role required a short run around the enemy before setting up another fire base, then a storm into and through the enemy. There was a great thrill when running into the enemy base while screaming and shouting our heads off before coming to rest past their base in an all around defence. After all of our 90 rounds were finished and the Separatists were defeated, we headed back to base to clean our weapons and collect our things before heading back to school.
Cadet Charles Reith Year 10
Longmoor Army Field Day Our group of year 10 army cadets set off on Thursday evening after school with backpacks and rifles in hand. The coach journey to Longmoor took a couple of hours, giving us plenty of time to relax before arriving at the army training ground. Led by the 6th form colour sergeants, we made our way down towards the woods in which we set up camp. With nothing but a poncho and some string we set up our tents for two. The end product may not have kept us warm (three sides were open) but at least it kept us dry. By now, the whole camp was starving and all there was to eat were the ration packs we had been issued. I hesitantly cut open the box and looked at the packets of pre-cooked food I had received; it looked like it would be chicken and dumplings for dinner. After 5 minutes of heating, I dug in. To be honest, it wasn’t amazing, but at least it was food, and that was all that mattered. The sun was now setting and it was getting dark. We were being given orders to meet in a designated area in which we would paint camouflage cream on our faces (cam up) and be issued with blanks for our rifles. We were to do an ambush exercise against a group of Welsh Separatists who were after “newly developed biological weapons”. So, off we went into the woodland, led by our 6th form section leaders to set up for the ambush. We lay in position, waiting for the order to fire. The silence was deafening, with only our heartbeats to be heard. When
The next morning, we woke to the noise of the 6th formers banging their spoons and pans. In minutes, the camp was up and ready for the day ahead. We set off to our meeting area and loaded up again. Unfortunately, the Welsh Separatists were not defeated! This gave us a great chance to practise sectional attacks. We covered a variety of different terrains, from soft woodland floor to hard outback. It was unanimously agreed upon that the soft woodland floor was better for the elbows. It was a hot day, and everyone was feeling it. Thankfully, we were
Thanks go to the 6th form sergeants. Both days were organised very well and the scenarios worked. Without them the day would not have been as fun and enjoyable as it was. Thanks also go to the staff who helped everything run smoothly and safely. Lance Corporal Rishin Patni Year 10
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Royal Air Force
Led by Warrant Officer Alexander Leadill and a team of senior NCO’s, the RAF Section has had a successful and enjoyable year. The autumn term saw the section make a belated entry to the computer age, with the introduction of the eagerly anticipated Flight Simulator to quench the thirst of cadets for all matters aeronautical on rainy days. The section was also visited by former cadet Geoff Thomas, now a trainee RAF pilot, for a fascinating talk about his experiences in the military. The Biennial General Inspection and Field Day in the Spring Term were the focal points of the rest of the year, with various cadets taking part in the assault course at RAF Halton, or flying at RAF Benson, near Chinnor. Many thanks go to Flight Lieutenant Bass and Flying Officers Whiteman and West for helping in what proved to be a most successful year. Warrant Officer Alexander Leadill Year 13
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The past year has seen much action in the CCF (RAF) section at HABS. This year’s three field days have seen cadets flying for a day at RAF Benson in the RAF’s basic flying trainer, orienteering at Wendover Woods and back to our old favourite Ampthill where cadets were instructed in the basics of the CCF. Three cadets have also been awarded gliding scholarships with the chance to go solo, congratulations to Jai Sharda, Freddie Dexter and Harpal Chana. As the year draws to a close, the inter-flight competition finishes, roles are handed over and the Upper Sixth leave school to university. Flight one managed to win the inter-flight trophy after many victories in activities such as the tug-of-war, wide games and aircraft recognition. Warrant Officer Parry has taken over command of the section, supported by Senior Flight Sergeant Chris Stevens and their team of NCOs. We are all looking forward to a successful year. One must not forget the BGI, which was held earlier this year. Unfortunately, in a very closeknit competition, the RAF lost the BGI trophy to the Royal Navy section, but thanks must go to all the cadets of the section for all their efforts. Thanks also go to the staff of the CCF under the guidance of C. Sgt Tremaine whose tremendous enthusiasm has kept the CCF going so strongly this past year. I close by saying thank you to Alex Leadill and his team of NCOs and wish them all the best for university. Flt. Lt. Bass, POs West, Whiteman and Taylor have put in a lot of hard work over the past year in the CCF and deserve a final mention. We wish PO Taylor the very best in his new school. Warrant Officer Kristian Parry Year 12
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Royal Navy “A successful year from a strong section” – certainly applicable to the Navy section this year. During the first part of the academic year the navy ran through its winter programme, which was a series of indoor activities, lessons and lectures designed to avoid the low light and wet weather conditions. Cadets in years 10 and 11 were taught rifle shooting, knots, canoeing in the pool, navigation and leadership skills by the Upper Sixth cadets. During this time the Lower sixth researched and presented a series of lectures to their peers on topics of their choice. This provided an ideal opportunity to sharpen their teaching skills which they will need when leading the section in the coming year. However as the winter months drew to a close, there was but one event on the Navy’s mind, the BGI. The Biennial General Inspection is the jewel in the crown for the Haberdashers CCF where the MOD will send a senior officer to the school to inspect the CCF. On this day the three sections battle in a number of disciplines from the assault course to leadership tasks for the BGI trophy and the Wheatley cup for the assault
course. Needless to say, with much weight riding on this event, the Navy section began preparations as the Spring term commenced. Elite teams were drawn up and were trained by the senior cadets over the next half a term. Despite strong competition from the Army and Royal Air Force, proper preparation, organisation, and the Navy’s unbeatable spirit came through to win the day. The Navy section took the Wheatley Cup and then the BGI trophy itself. Fittingly the inspecting officer to present these trophies was the Commodore Hussein of the Royal Navy. ‘We’ve been on a high ever since’ as one cadet said, has been the sentiment for the rest of the year. The Navy followed the BGI with a successful field day at the end of the Spring Term. The year 10 and 11 cadets supervised by members of the Upper sixth and staff, spent a night on the HMS Bristol in Portsmouth followed by tours of the Naval base, a visit to Nelson’s flagship the HMS Victory and a session on navigating and sailing motor-boats with the cadets practicing their skills in the harbour itself. The Upper and Lower Sixth enjoyed a rock climbing and caving trip in Milton Keynes.
The term finished with an elegant CCF dinner at The Tower of London. This black tie affair allowed the staff officers to thank the senior cadets from all the sections and allowed the cadets to return the compliment. Both reminisced about the achievements of the past year at this lavish feast in the heart of the Capital. Now summer is a time of change for the Navy when the new leaders for the forthcoming year are chosen from the lower sixth. The reigns will be passed this year, to Jeremy Leong (Cox’n) and his deputies (Bos’n); Harry Whitworth and Andrew Yiakoumetti. They will be supported by 4 further cadets as Petty Officers. On behalf of the senior cadets of this past year, it has been a pleasure for us to lead such a strong and committed section. We thank the Staff for their guidance and the Cadets for their enthusiasm and effort. The Navy's success this year is shown not only by its awards, but by the boys from years 10 to 13 who take part together each week with strong commitment and teamwork. Nadeem Nanjuwany Coxswain Year 13
On behalf of the senior cadets of this past year, it has been a pleasure for us to lead such a strong and committed section. 79
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Community Day
ST JOHN’S AMBULANCE This year’s St John Ambulance started on a low note, with the announcement that Brian Smith, the cadet leader for some six years was leaving. We all wish him the best of luck in the future, and would like to thank him for all his hard work in helping scores of boys through St John Ambulance.
A bright Friday morning in October saw 25 Habs boys from years 10 – 12 descend on a small corner of Borehamwood for the Inaugural Habs Community Project. A building that, to put it mildly, had fallen into disrepair, was the focus of our endeavours. The long term plan is to change this building into the new home of a local youth club. Armed with spades, shovels and picks we set to work clearing the area both inside and out and within a few hours had made fantastic progress. The skip filled up rapidly and we had ‘broken the back’ of the project, as well as Mr Barnes’ before lunch. An entertaining, sometimes brutal game of footy followed and by the end of the afternoon we had filled the skip and could have filled another one!
We returned to Habs all more tired and dirty than when we left, but even the most reluctant boys had felt that they had spent the day doing something worthwhile. Lincoln (Linx to his friends) and his team at Hearts Desire were delighted with the attitude and work rate of the boys and, although there is still work to be done, we all felt proud to have started this project in such a positive fashion and to have made a huge difference to this unsightly part of the neighbourhood.
With the prospect of closing the unit looming, the cadets worked hard to achieve as much as possible in Brian’s remaining few weeks, all passing the Essential Care Skills course and Young Lifesaver’s award. After an anxious term, things started to look up, as Dr. Perera had found a qualified replacement for Brian: Mrs. Tremaine. With a new leader, the unit was reinvigorated, and a new systematic approach was introduced, with cadets making great progress towards achieving St John awards. As ever, the unit has been involved in several duties, including Mencap Funday, football matches and even being invited to the prestigious Lord Mayor’s Show. The success of this year’s unit, is in no small part attributed to the hard work and commitment of all those concerned with maintaining it, especially Mr. Pauletto, Mrs. Tremaine, and Dr. Perera. Amish Acharya Year 12
Hopefully these Community Days will be a regular occurrence on Field Days. Our sincerest thanks to Linx and his friends whose positive attitude and encouragement throughout the day kept us going. We hope to see them again. J. Barnes
Leavsden Green Young Engineers Club This last school year, a group of boys which covered the range of year groups that partake in School Community Service, guided by a very helpful and organised Mr Fielder visited a primary school in the small town of Leavsden Green. The group comprised of Mario Kyriacou and Richard Tan from year 10, Jason Tan from year 11 and Abhishek Shukla and myself from the Lower 6th. We were guided by Mr Fielder, and even though he was an experienced physics teacher, he was also thrown into this new challenge along with the rest of us. However, Mr Fielder took the lead and organised a schedule that would allow for two weeks planning and experimentation before jumping into the 80
deep end that was the activities session on a Friday afternoon.
challenging at first but incredibly rewarding and satisfying as the weeks went on.
When the time for the first visit arrived the whole group, including myself felt an uneasy mixture of excitement and anxiety whilst in the car on our way to the Leavsden Green Primary School which is situated on the edges of Watford. I constantly was asking myself the nerve racking questions: Will they listen to me? Will I lose control of the group? What do I do if I cannot answer their questions? Even with the nerves, the first week went smoothly and the weeks after that followed in the same way. All of the young students were incredibly eager, well behaved and picked up ideas and theories very quickly and showed excellent promise as scientists. We as the volunteers found it
I speak for all five of us when I say that we are incredibly thankful for this opportunity to participate in such an activity. I would also like to say, on behalf of all the people involved that it would never have worked without Mr Fielder’s efforts. He prepared the activities meticulously (which ranged from Bridge building with plastic straws to creating circuits and constructing catapults) so they were ready to go every time at 3:20 on a Friday afternoon. Lastly we would like to thank him for his constant guidance and patience. Amar Patel Year 12
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Merry Hill Games Centre Every Friday, a group of dedicated Habs boys visit Merry Hill Games Centre for an hour of non-stop, action-packed board games. The children are mostly around six-years-old (not the Habs boys) and have been quoted to call it the “highlight of their week”. There is an array of games ranging from the classics of chess and checkers, the nostalgia of ‘Guess Who’ and ‘Connect 4’, to the just plain weird of ‘Flying Chairs’ and the idiosyncratic ‘Tumbling Monkeys’. These games are entertaining for everyone, as well as developing skills with words, numbers and logic. During the games the boys are able to learn more about the children, in the process building new friendships. This weekly event is something that both the Habs volunteers and the children of Merry Hill look forward to, even though there are several letters missing from the Scrabble set. Nick Chen Year 12
Penniwells Riding School For The Disabled Next door to the Sunrise Senior Living Residential Home is a quiet little community, surrounded by vast meadows – the perfect place to house the Penniwells Riding School for the Disabled. Within this community are many hard working volunteers, both horse and human, without which, this organisation would not be able to function. Every Monday afternoon, the SCS group heads down there, accompanied by the bubbly Mrs. Gomez, who is always able to raise our spirits, especially on those dull, rainy days (often with some cakes or rather large Spanish oranges). We spend our time at Penniwells entertaining the children, grooming the horses, being chased by overly-friendly dogs around the stables, and all in all, aiding in the smooth running of the whole organisation. It is a very hard job for the volunteers who work there full-time, and it’s always pleasing to know that we are making their job that little bit easier. The visits to Penniwells always brighten up those Monday afternoons, and overall, they are extremely enjoyable and entertaining.
I think I can speak for both myself and my colleagues when I say that our time at Princess Alexandra has been just as much a "personal service" to us as a "community service" to the elderly. Peer Mentoring
Princess Alexandra
Under Mr Yu’s expert guidance, a group of ordinary 6th formers have been converted into expert mentors for several junior boys. Joe Root, Gajun Sivarajah, Amar Jagsi, Harry Bresslaw, Louis Law, Arjun Mehta, Mithun Kailavasan and myself have all had the opportunity to develop our mentoring skills by interacting with Mr Yu’s second year Meadows form. The group meet during Friday’s SCS period to discuss their fascinating experiences from the week and to try to solve any ongoing problems that the students have.
Princess Alexandra is a care home at which the elderly are able to live out their final years in comfort and peace. Its large grounds and beautiful architecture provide a tranquil environment for the residents. Having recently been taken over by Jewish Care, a charity dedicated to caring for those who are less able, the home is now occupied mainly by Jewish residents but also by many non-Jews, who had been at the home since before the take-over.
Problems that have arisen have been a mixture of verbal and physical bullying but the mentoring team are so far yet to meet any problem that has been unsolvable. At the start of the year, the group were taught various techniques and body language skills that helped us to communicate and understand the junior boys better. Mr Yu’s vast knowledge and experience has been crucial in the development of our mentoring skills. On Wednesdays, the 2nd years have form assembly and this is the principle time for interacting with the mentorees. Each mentor was allocated 3 or 4 students at the start of the year and a solid relationship has been built up in all cases between mentors and students. The mentors help the students organise themselves and give them advice on topics such as class work. Being a mentor is a brilliant task which all should undertake. If you get the chance to learn from Mr Yu, savour it as the skills you establish are a real benefit in later life. Marc Joss Year 12
As I come to the end of my time at Princess Alexandra, I remember my first visit with fondness. I was asking the same questions that everyone before me had asked, “how do I start talking to them?” What if they don't like me? Will we really have anything in common? But as soon as I met the residents, my fears were laid to rest. Most were extremely pleased to see another friendly face at their door and always welcomed us in with open arms. Within weeks, we were well acquainted with many of the people there. With the help of the Musicians SCS group, whose presence roughly once a month always drew a large crowd in the library, we were able to make Friday afternoons the most entertaining of their week. Other activities range anywhere from snooker to scrabble, which the current group and I play with one extraordinary woman, who has recently turned 100 and still has all the skill and cunning of a lady half her age. I think I can speak for both myself and my colleagues when I say that our time at Princess Alexandra has been just as much a "personal service" to us as a "community service" to the elderly. We too have benefited so much out of our visits to the home. It is not simply that we have learnt so much from the people there or that it's rewarding to know that we're bringing that something extra into someone's life, it is that they have helped us to grow as people, emotionally, morally and in one or two cases, even spiritually. On so many occasions, we have been told that we are one of the "highlights" of the residents' week. But of course, they don't realise that they're one of the highlights of ours. Ben Kershaw Year 12
Zeus Kanji Year 12 81
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Sunrise Senior Living
Westminster House
Lifesaving Club
Tucked away in a serene, verdant setting in Elstree, Sunrise Senior Living Residential Home is filled with an array of bright and vivacious people.
We were very fortunate to meet a variety of kind and knowledgeable people during our weekly visits to Westminster House.
Each week, we visit the residents in the lounge area; sometimes, we help to make and distribute cups of tea to everyone (a task that some people have taken quite a shine to), but we also have many enthralling discussions about the residents’ experiences during and after the Second World War. The wealth of knowledge that each person possesses is truly remarkable, and we thoroughly enjoy them sharing it with us.
At times it was fairly challenging to communicate with the residents but with a thoughtful effort from the boys this was barrier was soon overcome. Two people we frequently spoke to were Alex and Ben, both of whom had many interesting experiences to share with us. Alex used to write many books, and met several famous people during his career, including: Elvis Presley; The Beatles; and The Rolling Stones. Meanwhile, Ben has been a source of wisdom, sharing his life’s trials and tribulations with us. We often have absorbing discussions about current affairs, the residents’ lives and our own lives. Recently, management at the home introduced some new facilities, including a dedicated computer room (amazingly with some computers that can be operated solely using the chin) and a snooker table. This, together with occasional visits from the school SCS Musicians group, helped to keep the residents entertained and cheerful. Overall, visiting Westminster House has been a truly enlightening experience for us.
The Haberdashers’ Lifesaving Club has welcomed an influx of new recruits from the Lower Sixth this year with the awarding of qualifications reflecting the superb attendance throughout all age groups.
One thing that we have noticed in particular about the residents is their sense of humour. Being confined to a living space that is not actually their own family home is understandably difficult and upsetting for them, with some people feeling extremely frustrated and downcast with their lack of freedom. However, it is with a positive outlook that so many of the residents remain upbeat, and that is something we have genuinely admired about the people we have met there. On the whole, our visits to Sunrise have been lively, gratifying and insightful.
Keith Davies’ Life Support (Land-based First Aid) sessions have helped secure the Life Support 1 Award for several Lower Sixth formers who hope to take the Bronze Medallion Award in Autumn 2006 with the persistent training of Dr. Alvarez and Dr. Clayton. This year will see Vishal Chohan in Year 9 and myself attack the challenging cliffface of Life Support 2 and 3. Dipesh Gopal and Emma Livingston were appointed Captains of the Boys and Girls School (respectively) of Lifesaving Club for 2006/7. We must indeed thank the effort of Dr. Clayton, Dr. Alvarez and in particular Keith Davies who has worked for several years at Lifesaving Club and will retire in Spring 2007. In addition, Dr. Alvarez will enjoy a muchdeserved retirement after 25 years at Lifesaving Club: his 25th year was celebrated with a ‘pool party’ much to his surprise.
E. Nelson Dipesh Gopal Year 12
Kartik Kumar Year 12
Water polo SCS This year has been a very good one for the dream team that is the Water Polo SCS group. We have had a record intake of boys from the forth form which has allowed us to run expansive coaching sessions and share the responsibilities of officiating. Furthermore, Oliver Inow and Greg Schey have managed to become qualified as ASA match secretaries and timekeepers. It is hoped that the coming years can retain the immense enthusiasm that has been shown by all the boys this year. Nick Jardine Year 12 82
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Sport
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Cricket
The 2006 Cricket Season was an exceptional one for Haberdashers’ and everyone involved in the Cricket Club can be immensely proud of their achievements and can take huge credit for the success enjoyed on the field of play. Of 124 matches played in total, 98 were won and just 14 resulted in defeat, a truly staggering performance in the competitive environment of mainly limited overs matches. Several teams went through the season undefeated while others lost just a single game. Only the U15A side, frequently weakened by other demands on their better players, struggled at times but they still enjoyed a measure of success. These results of course paint only part of the picture but they do reflect considerably on the talent and skill of the boys involved and the coaching expertise of the Cricket Staff, who willingly give up so much of their time. An outstanding 1st XI won a record 19 of its 22 matches, drawing the other 3 and surpassing the 15 wins achieved in 2005. The side played positive cricket throughout the season and many of the wins, particularly those against St Albans and Bishop’s Stortford HS, were achieved by comprehensive margins. An MCC side was defeated for the second year in succession and other notable victories were recorded against Berkhamsted, Bancroft’s and Brighton GS from Melbourne. Even in closely fought games we managed to come out on top as local rivals, Queen Elizabeth’s Barnet, were beaten by one wicket (as in 2005) and we defended a small total against a strong John Lyon side to win by four runs. The annual Devon tour was a complete success as all five fixtures were won, including a first victory against Exeter School. Led astutely by Edward Clements, the whole squad contributed to the success achieved this season. Three players, in particular, had an outstanding term with both bat and ball and deserve special mention. Gavin Baker scored 924 runs at an average of 71.07, including four centuries, to take his aggregate for the XI well past 2000 runs. His 162* against St Albans was the highest individual score by a Habs batsman since 1992, his other hundreds coming against Mill Hill, Bishop’s Stortford HS and Watford. Gavin also captured 30 wickets with his aggressive fast medium bowling. His opening partner, Robert Clements, scored 672 runs, including six half centuries, and headed the bowling averages with 41 wickets at 11.43, after a particularly successful Devon tour in which he gained three ‘five-wicket’ hauls. A superb fielder, Robert also took 14 catches during the season, including 3 crucial boundary catches against John Lyon School. Vice-captain, Ajay Soni, batted consistently throughout the season, scoring 649 runs with seven half centuries, and he was often the most reliable of the bowlers, claiming 20 victims. Of the other team members, captain Edward Clements bowled consistently well but was unlucky, frequently beating the bat. He could be relied on for quick runs and fittingly it was his innings of 34* which took us to victory in the final game of the season against a Devon U16 XI. All-rounder, Sheilen Patel scored useful runs and captured 21 wickets with his leg-spin bowling while seamer, Hemang Majeethia, in his first full season, also bowled well on occasions. Wicket-keeper, Alex Cook (15 catches, 3 stumpings), 84
was a model of consistency, who often scored vital runs when they were most needed, notably against QEB. Another talented cricketer, Lakshman Ruthirapathy, perhaps did not score as many runs as he should have but his clean hitting was certainly destructive on occasions, particularly against Exeter and our Australian visitors, and he was outstanding in the field. Finally Mufaddal Trunkwala and Ollie Lee, with limited opportunities, deserve credit for being excellent team men, while youngsters Lewis Jenkins and Amish Parekh showed much promise for the future. The 2nd XI also enjoyed a spectacularly successful season, winning all completed games against regular opposition. Skippered thoughtfully and intelligently by Alex Canfor-Dumas, who should be recognised for his commitment to the side in his second year in charge, Habs steamrollered most sides, either dismissing them cheaply or setting too large a target. The openers, Canfor-Dumas and Matthew Soffair, provided solid starts, both making big scores when it mattered, while Vishal Patel showed both class and temperament in scoring runs consistently at number three. He fully deserved his opportunities to play in the 1st XI at the end of term. The bowling attack was led by seamers, Priyesh Patel and Mo Kazmi, ably supported by an impressive array of spinners, Amit Bhundia, Richard Jeffcote, Shamit Nathwani and Thusagar SriSatkunasingham. Mention should also be made of wicket-keeper, Josh Newman, surely as good a glove man as can be found on the 2nd XI circuit. The 3rd XI enjoyed another excellent season, winning 6 of the 7 games and drawing the other. Alex Harris led the side superbly on and off the field and his fifties against UCS and St Albans, together with Josh Newman’s fine 123* against Bishop’s Stortford HS, were the obvious highlights of the term. Alex was reliably supported by the other members of the team, particularly Adam Barnes and leading wicket-taker Alex Alimo. Congratulations to everyone who played and also to the Lower Sixth boys, who competed as a 4th XI and won their game against St Albans. This year’s U15A side promised a huge amount but never really produced their best performances until after half-term, when three games in a row were won against Watford (revenge for an earlier cup defeat), Bishop’s Stortford HS and QEB. The team was ably led by Lewis Jenkins, with other valuable batting contributions coming from Luke Tullo, the Maldes (Neel and Hemal) and Hasit Mehta. Of the bowlers, seamers, Jaidev Devlia and James Tan, and spinners, Amish Parekh and Daniel Mehaffey, amongst others, all took wickets at important times. Indeed the whole squad has worked hard and enjoyed its cricket and, hopefully, the majority will play for one of the three senior XIs next season. The U15B side played some good cricket this season, winning 5 of its 7 matches with notable victories against UCS, Watford and St Albans. Nakul Patel led the side well, with good support from Sanjey Selvanathan, Tharun Puvaneswaran and Athi Kailayapathivagan, while special mention should be made of Akash Purohit’s accurate and threatening bowling. This was an excellent season for the U14As, during which the whole squad progressed most pleasingly. Highlights included a last ball win against St Albans and a total rout of a highly rated Bishop’s Stortford HS team but sadly we lost to Berkhamsted in the first round of the County Cup, a match we had in our grasp. There were many significant batting performances, notably from the captain, Basil Letts, and from Hamza Zahid, Sriraaman Sriskandakumar, Sebastian Schusman and Jonathan Miller, who was also the outstanding fielder. The best and most successful bowlers were Schusman and Keshal Patel but no fewer than eleven boys bowled during the season and all played their part in what was a cohesive and effective team effort. The U14B side had a very successful season both in terms of results (7 wins and just the single defeat) and the development of cricketing skill. There were some outstanding batting performances from Ravi Sanghani, Nick Robson and Sahil Shah, who scored two half centuries and also impressed with his off-spin. Other good bowling performances came from Vishal Singhal, Krishna Patel and the
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Of course the Cricket Club could not function without the efforts of a number of people and this is a good time to thank once again the staff for the time and effort they give to coach and umpire the various teams, the ground staff, the scorers, the caterers etc. Doug Yeabsley deserves particular thanks for all the work he does with all age groups throughout the year. Thank you also to parents and friends who watch from the boundary – your support is always welcome and much appreciated. Particular thanks go to those who hosted our Australian tourists.
captain, Branavan Rudran, who was a credit to himself, the team and the school.
Finally we must say thank you to our Aussie coach, Ben Mahoney, who has now left us for Berkhamsted. Ben has had a strong influence on Habs cricket and helped to make us far more positive and competitive on the field. Much of our success at 1st XI level in the last three years is due to him and we wish him well at his new school. S Charlwood
In common with all the teams, the U13As had a fine season, winning 11 of its 14 games and losing on just 2 occasions, narrowly by a margin of 6 runs in a high scoring game with QEB and disappointingly to Watford in the County Cup. Tom Edrich led the side with calm authority and batted well throughout season. Kushal Patel also performed with distinction and the whole squad can be pleased with its efforts. A highlight was the inaugural Junior Tour to Devon (for which many thanks to Doug Yeabsley). Unfortunately the game against Blundells was cancelled after heavy rain but the team did beat Ottery St Mary CC convincingly. The U13B side enjoyed an excellent season, winning all seven of its matches, most of them comprehensively. The boys played some very good cricket, notably Alex Watts, Scott Spurling, Craig Waterman, Aadarsh Gautam and Pavan Surepeddi with the bat. The wickets were shared amongst the bowlers with Zack Osman doing particularly well. Congratulations go to the whole squad, who worked with enthusiasm and determination. The unbeaten U12A side enjoyed a fantastic season, dominating all its matches on a strong cricket circuit. Apart from brief spells against Bishop’s Stortford HS and QEB, we were vastly superior to our opponents in all areas of the game. Allied to this, under the captaincy of Nishanth Selvakumar, the outstanding batsman as well as wicket-keeper, the boys were true ambassadors of the school. Special mention should also be made of the batting of Akash Kadiwar, the tight bowling of Ashley Sivarajah and the spin twins, Naveen Nandakumar and Rohit Bhatia. The U12Bs won all their games except one against a well-drilled A side from Kingsbury HS. Alex Briggs and Charlie Rubin shared the captaincy duties, attacking batsman, Ben Peacock, scored runs consistently while spin bowler, Anand Dhamecha frequently caused disarray amongst the opposition. Meanwhile the U12Cs were undefeated, winning all three of their fixtures in some style. Akhil Shah captained the side with authority while the team spirit and enthusiasm shown was outstanding. A strong bowling attack, led by Jonathan Tang and Arjun Popat, supported consistent batting performances and the general level of ability demonstrates the depth of talent in the year group and bodes well for the future of Habs cricket.
CRICKET CLUB RESULTS Team
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Abandoned/Cancelled
1st XI
22
19
3
0
2
2nd XI
11
10
1
0
2
3rd XI
7
6
1
0
1
4th XI
1
1
0
0
0
U15A
14
6
1
7
3
U15B
7
5
1
1
3
U14A
11
7
2
2
2
U14B
9
7
1
1
2
U13A
14
11
1
2
4
U13B
7
7
0
0
1
U12A
11
10
1
0
1
U12B
7
6
0
1
1
U12C
3
3
0
0
0
Totals
124
98
12
14
22
NB An abandoned game is one in which no ball is bowled. The list of draws includes games that started but were later abandoned.
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Far East Cricket Tour With over a year of planning and fundraising and months of training behind us, the HABS 1st XI cricket squad set off from school at 6am on December 16th for a 25-day tour of Hong Kong and Malaysia. After some initial confusion at the airport (“are we allowed to take our hand luggage on the plane with us?” – Rishi Pandya) we touched down sixteen hours later to begin the first leg in Hong Kong, not allowing fatigue or jet lag dampen our enthusiasm. A day of relaxation followed, including a boat trip around local islands on a junk kindly provided by Credit Suisse. The trip contained some brief cases of comedy, although Sheilen Patel missed the amusement, suffering from severe seasickness. He was comforted by Jackie Yeabsley, who kindly assured him that the boat trip on Christmas Day would be ten times worse! Four consecutive days of cricket followed, a taxing programme in the warm conditions. The first game, against Kowloon CC, resulted in an easy victory for HABS, who knocked off the required 108 to win without loss, Gavin Baker leading the way with an unbeaten 54. Our next opponents (Hong Kong Youth) proved much tougher opposition in a shortened game, with HABS narrowly failing to chase a challenging 159 off 30 overs. With both games taking place at the luxurious Kowloon CC, the squad took advantage of the jacuzzi, sauna and other facilities for some sorely needed R&R. The next two games took place at the equally plush Hong Kong CC, with the hosts providing our opposition. Batting first, Rob Clements blasted a swashbuckling 87, including eleven 4s and four 6s, and opening partner Ajay Soni hit a more circumspect, but equally impressive 81 not out, giving Habs a commanding total. Five wickets for man-of-the-match R.Clements, and three from older brother and captain Ed, secured a memorable victory against a side coached by former England international Phil DeFreitas. Unfortunately, HABS were unable to repeat the performance the following day against Hong Kong Under-19s, limping to a five wicket defeat. The party were now able to enjoy the Christmas period, snapping up cheap watches, clothes and football shirts at the local markets, with Muffadal Trunkwala in particular leading the way in hard bargaining techniques. Christmas Day comprised (to Sheilen’s delight) of a long boat tour, with a traditional Yeabsley glass of port at 11am to settle any queasy stomachs. Muffadal admirably played the part of Father Christmas in our ‘Secret Santa’ game to soften the blow of a stocking-free Christmas morning! A lunch of scallops, king prawns and other local ‘delicacies’, followed by a 5-a-side football tournament, all in the basking sunshine, may have been less traditional, but were without doubt great fun. Many of the tourists, but particularly Gavin (to his cost), seemed willing to take huge leaps into the unknown… After rising at an obscenely early hour to leave Hong Kong on Boxing Day, we moved on to Kuala Lumpur, and were thrust straight back into the action on the 27th against the Malaysia Malays. HABS performed disappointingly, narrowly losing to a side we should have beaten comfortably, although the intense heat and humidity may partly explain our performance. Only Soni excelled, claiming 2 for 10 off 10 overs. We bounced back the following day, however, cruising to a 7 wicket win against Royal Selangor CC, thanks largely to 54 not out from R.Clements. This was followed by another easy victory against Kelawar CC, with Soni amassing 72, and R.Clements claiming 4 for 18. With a few free days to enjoy, we took the opportunity to see the sights of KL, visiting both the Petronas and the KL Towers, as well as a huge, monkey-filled Hindu shrine, and the royal palace. 2006 was welcomed in in style at the Royal Selangor Club, with the party continuing throughout the night… We managed to recover in time for our final game, against KPG CC. 73 from R.Clements and 5 for 24 for Soni enabled HABS to clinch our most comprehensive victory, and end the tour in style. After celebrating Tour Manager Doug’s birthday, the party left KL for the tropical paradise of Langkawi. Here we spent three days enjoying the white sand, blue sky and clear water, topping up our tans, playing beach rugby and taking advantage of the cheap food and drink. All that was left were the End of Tour Awards ceremonies, both official and unofficial. After a couple of hairy moments for Shamit Nathwani, Rob rightfully claimed player of the tour, and Olie Lee and Muffadal shared the best tourist award. It was then with great disappointment, tinged with excitement, that we returned home to meet friends and family. We had developed our cricket and performed reasonably well, winning 5 out of 8 games, but perhaps more importantly had bonded as a group, making lifelong friends and having a fantastic time in the process. Our deep thanks go to Mr Mahoney for his coaching and comradeship, Sam Bloch and Jackie Yeabsley for their company, but most of all Doug Yeabsley, who put in a huge amount of time and effort in to making the tour the success it was, and who was a great inspiration both for our cricket and more generally. Alex Canfor-Dumas
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1st XI Football
2nd XI Football
3rd XI Football
Despite not retaining the Crusader Cup, this season was an extremely successful one for the First XI. In the group stage of the Cup, HABS recorded simple victories over St Edward’s and Radley College, 6-0 and 7-1 respectively, and ground out two excellent results against Berkhamstead and Bedford school, 2-1 after extra time and 3-2, thus seeing HABS progress to the semi-finals with a 100% record. In between these group games, HABS attained an excellent set of results in friendly games, beating Bedford Modern 1-0, St Albans 3-0, Aylesbury Grammar 4-1 and an excellent win against Old Habs, scoring twice in the last five minutes to win 4-2. The only defeat came against Merchant Taylor’s, where an understrenghted team went down 4-1, three days before the Cup Semi Final where HABS faced Oundle, in which after an extremely scrappy first half, HABS broke the deadlock after 50 minutes, the ball rebounding to David Dinkin who scored from 6 yards. With HABS pressing for a second goal, Josh Hearne sealed the win with a fantastic strike, running from 40 yards out to the edge of the box before smashing into the corner to send HABS into the Cup final, where they were to face Rugby school for the third successive season. HABS began the game very brightly but were not able to convert any of their chances, whilst at the other end I was forced into a decent save from Rugby’s only real chance of the first 40 minutes. The second half continued in much the same vein, but with 15 minutes to go, HABS were punished by a 25 yard strike that curled into the top corner, giving Rugby a 1-0 lead that they eventually held on to to win the Cup. In terms of the squad, both myself and Philip Maton have performed well in goal, and have been well protected by the back four, predominantly consisting of Ben Gershuny, Alex Alimo, Chaz McNicholas and Ricky Jacobs. In the centre of midfield, HABS have been blessed with great strength in depth, George Perrozzi, Ed Clements, Zak Presky and Ed Broderick who all performed very well. On the wings, Rob Clements, Etiene Ekpo-Utip, Jake Gilbert and David Dinkin have consistently provided creativity and goals, whilst up front Jacob Gold, Josh Hearne and Lakshman Ruthirapathy linked up well and scored important goals throughout the season. Thanks must go to Mr Ward and Mr Kerr for their coaching throughout the season as well as the supporters that attended games, most notably the Cup final in Rugby.
The 2nd XI had an outstanding season, winning six games, drawing four and losing only one, and that with a severely weakened team. The campaign got off to a perfect start, with a 12-0 thrashing of St. Edward’s, and we remained unbeaten until after half-term, with thumping victories over St. Albans, Berkhamstead, Radley and Highgate along the way. Our one reverse came against Aylesbury, when a side depleted by injury and unavailability narrowly succumbed to a 2-1 defeat. The team managed to recover from this disappointment by grinding out good results in the far more challenging games that came in the latter part of the season. There have been many fine individual performers worthy of note. Perhaps foremost amongst these was Lakshman Ruthirapathy, whose pace and finishing was a constant threat to opposition defences, leaving him with 14 goals. He was supported on the goals front by skipper Alex Canfor-Dumas, who scored 10 despite often playing in midfield, and Jake Gilbert, who chipped in with 8 from the right wing. Charlie Norton played extremely effectively and unselfishly up front, while Daniel Needleman and Andrew Kelmanson were both deployed to good effect in central midfield, and Doug Gilmour and latterly Sheilen Patel were creative on the flanks. Our solid defence was built on the rock that was Phil Maton in goal, with Luke Bullen and Nick Westbrook as dependable full backs. Marc Hinken, Ben Grabiner, Gavin Baker and Kwaku Afrifa all performed well at centre back at various stages in the season. Moulding this collection of talented individuals has been Habs’ equivalent of a Jose Mourinho/Aidy Boothroyd coach, the football genius of Mr Kerr. His leadership has played a significant part in making the season as enjoyable and successful as it was, and we are very grateful to him, and everyone involved in Habs football, for all their time and hard work.
The 3rd’s enjoyed their most successful season in a decade putting together an impressive record of 6 victories and just the one defeat. There was a new face on the coaching team as well with the experienced and knowledgeable Mr. Charlwood receiving assistance in the form of ex-pro, Mr. Hails. The squad made a convincing start to the season with a 5-2 crushing of Bedford Modern School and confidence carried over to our next game against Berkhamsted where, despite playing on a frozen pitch, we pulled off a remarkable 9-0 victory with Darshan Patel bagging a hat-trick. A physical battle ensued against Radley College where our combative midfield led by captain Aqil Sohail and Anastasis Mouktaris and two goals from Adam Preston (one a superb left-foot shot from the edge of the area) ensured a 3-1 triumph. Peter Schaffer filled in commendably at centre back to keep a clean sheet in our next game against Highgate and the clinical finishing of Josh John and tenacious winger Alex Short led us to a 4-0 victory. We had to overcome some questionable refereeing decisions and a physical Bedford side, eventually running out 3-1 winners, before our depleted side went down to a very strong team from Latymer Upper School. The season finished on a high note though with a 3-0 thumping of rivals UCS including two goals which would grace any league in the world; a 30 yard volleyedlob by Anastasis Mouktaris followed by Alex Short’s 20 yard screamer, curling into the top corner. Both Mr.Charlwood and Mr.Hails must be credited for a successful and enjoyable season on and off the pitch and with many lower 6th players retained for next year, sights are firmly set on an unbeaten season next time around.
Adam Nathan (Captain)
James Tobias
Alex Canfor-Dumas (Captain)
Association Football Results 2006 Team
Played
Won
Lost
Drawn
For
Against
1st XI 2nd XI 3rd XI U16 A U16 B Club
12 11 6 8 6 43
10 6 5 5 2 28
2 1 1 2 4 10
0 4 0 1 0 5
36 47 24 28 8 143
14 15 10 8 14 6
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Basketball
1st XI Hockey
2nd XI Hockey
A successful year both on and off the court saw basketball take an increased role within the school coupled with some impressive performances at all levels. The senior team put together an unbeaten season with comprehensive victories over Aldenham, Westfield, Haileybury and Merchant Taylor’s. There were strong contributions from the U6, particularly from Sunit Raja, Kwasi Afrifa and Ishan Batra and similarly James Tobias, Sam Ruback and Kwaku Afrifa made valuable contributions from the L6.
This was truly a season of two halves. We began the season during the Christmas holidays with the tour to Barcelona. Here we layed three matches against Radley College, Reeds School and a young Spanish side and did very well to win two and draw one of these games, winning the triangular tournament in the process.
The season had its ups and downs for the 2nd XI. The opening game against local rivals Aldenham was a close encounter and unfortunately we came off on the wrong side of a 2-1 score line. The second match against Watford followed a similar pattern, however, a superb goal from the captain settled the 2-1 victory.
However, there was some disappointing news to come out of the tour as Captain Zak Presky lost his shins and was ruled out for the season.
Teams from lower years also showed great promise with the U-16 team (Yr.9/10) developing a vastly increased overall understanding of the game which although were not translated into result this year, will prove invaluable in coming years. Similarly, the U-14 team (Yr.8) showed a tremendous eagerness and dedication to training which resulted in an unrecognisable improvement by the end of the season and put in some very encouraging and mature performances, particularly in the Watford District Rally which HABS were fortunate to host where our U-14 team finished 3rd. the U-13 team (Yr.7) also finished 3rd in their respective rally and it was pleasing to see a high level of commitment in training enabling them to develop a solid understanding of the sport in general.
Following the tour the team was on a high and our first game back was a local derby against Aldenham which we won 5-3. We then beat Bedford Modern with comfort before losing to Watford Grammar. This was followed by the Herts Cup Competition where we had a tough pool and came out beating Hailybury, drawing to Hitchin and losing to Watford. This was then followed by two wins against RGS High Wycombe and Berkhampsted before a weak loss to Dr Challoners. However we bounced back strongly with a 5-0 thrashing of Windsor to complete a successful start to the season.
Unfortunately the next two games against Hitchin and RGS High Wycombe were cancelled as both oppositions could not field teams. Following this was our most convincing win of the season; a 4-1 win against Berkhampsted, with a first-half hattrick from Amraj Rayat and some excellent supply by Amit Bhundia.
Mr.Kingdon and Mr.Jenkins must take a huge amount of credit for training all year groups and organising an increased number of fixtures from last year. Their contribution, along with the dedication of the players, has allowed basketball to take a significant step forward within HABS and looks to have a promising future ahead. James Tobias
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Following this our season took a turn for the worse. In short, we didn’t win another match. The season finished with our annual trip to the Bath Hockey Festival where we came up against tough opposition and England players, which was an experience to say the least, and inevitably we lost three of the four games. This has been a highly enjoyable year both on and off the pitch and I would like to thank Mr Long for umpiring our matches and coaching throughout. Sammy Ross
The following week we faced Kimbolton without our injured captain, and managed to squander a half time two goal lead, ending up with a 2-2 draw. However, we followed this up with a good 2-0 victory against Haileybury. We then came up against St Albans and were outclassed, losing 4-0. We proceeded then to beat Harrow 3-2 (with Alec Zetter getting two goals) but unfortunately squandered another two goal lead against Merchant Taylor’s, losing 3-2. The last match of the season against Bancroft’s produced a very satisfying 2-1 victory, a fitting way to end our season. Much of our success has been down to the solid defence of Jun Taoba, Daryl Li, Tom Weir and Ellis Sava. Many thanks also have to go to Dr Stiff and Mr Swallow, with the two best beards in the school (according to them), for coaching and umpiring the team. Zamir Herji
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U16 A Hockey
Under 15 A Hockey
Under 15B Hockey
The team had a mixed season. We started off well with a convincing 5-1 victory over local rivals Aldenham. Although with our only penalty flick not reaching the line, we were confident we could continue the season with more wins, fielding a much stronger side than last year and actually scoring goals.
In general, we have had a very successful season this year. I am pleased to say that in the last two matches we scored eleven goals and conceded just one. We had solid defenders, including: Luke Tullo, Oliver Illot, Milin Raja, Nuckle Patel and Nishil Shah.
The U15 B team enjoyed another successful season scoring twenty-seven goals and only conceding seven in seven games. The team saw some great results this year and it was clear from the start that we had a very strong team with able and committed players. However our first loss against Windsor ‘A’ made us realise that there was still a lot of work to be done in co-ordinating our play on the pitch. Intensive training then proved useful as we went on to beat Hailybury 9-1. Next followed our most important match of the season against St Albans. Although we managed to retain a large amount of possession we unfortunately lost 3-1 after a short bad spell. We finished the season by beating Bancroft’s and Merchant Taylor’s 5-1 and 6-0 respectively. Thanks must go to Miss Jackman, Mr Yeabsley and Mr Long for their coaching and umpiring throughout this highly successful season.
However, this was not to be as we were defeat 4-1 by Watford in our next match. We knew we weren’t at our best but had a chance to prove ourselves in the Herts Cup Competition, where amazingly we were able to get revenge on Watford, winning 1-0. However, due to illness and absence we weren’t able to go on to win the tournament. This was followed by a 3-2 loss to Dr Challoners and a 2-0 win over Haileybury. Our last win of the season came as a satisfying surprise. After losing 8-0 last season we came out 2-0 winners against Merchant Taylor’s. Our last two games against ended disappointingly against RGS High Wycombe and Roundwood, but did allow us to show off our promising attack. Overall we ended up with five wins, which although does not reflect our strong team, shows an improvement. Thanks must go to Mr Keenleyside for coaching and supporting in victory and loss. Arun Kumarathas
All these defenders worked effectively together with our brave keeper Sammir Kassam and learnt to cope effectively with the difficult situations that the team faced. Our dominance in midfield in almost every match, demonstrates the team’s creativity and special awareness. Andrew Dallal, William Gallimore, Daniel Mehaffey and Hemal Malde in particular played skilfully throughout. Our attacking force was strengthened with the determination of Jamie Yates on the right and Tharun on the left. Tharun impressively scored in almost every game. Thankfully, we had some players from the ‘B’ team to help us when we were in need, such as Hasit Mehta, Alex Parker, Kwaku Afrifa Jr, Jay Sha and Sadiq Mussani. They proved themselves to be skilful hockey players and may become future ‘A’ team players. Overall, we were all extremely pleased with the season and hope with the great coaching of Mr Yeabsley, that future seasons will be as successful. I thoroughly enjoyed captaining a team that is willing to work hard and take the game to the opponents.
Phillan Amin
Anthony Pieri
Under 16B Hockey After a disappointing start to the season, the U16B’s worked extremely hard to pull off a draw against St Albans, which should have really been a win. The season continued to frustrate us as we lost the next few matches of the season. However, the only win of the season was an impressive win, with HABS dominating the match against RGS High Wycombe. Anjul Haria was the season’s highest goal scorer with an unforgettable three goals, but he was well supported by the passing of Miraj Patel. At the end of the season the team was disappointed with just one win, but did learn a lot and improved their hockey in some aspects. Many thanks go to Mr Matthews who coached us through thick and thin. Sukhdeep Singh Sohal
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Barcelona Hockey Tour This was the first ever hockey tour to Barcelona and, judging from its evident success, I am certain that it will become a permanent fixture in the school calendar. Not only was it expertly organised, down to the smallest details, by our inspirational and iconic leader, Mr Yeabsley, but it was a fantastic opportunity to experience local Spanish culture, consolidate our team spirit and most of all, improve our hockey. The tour began on a dreary Monday afternoon in Luton, where both the U16 and U18 squads were looking forward to a week in the sun and a chance to show off our brand new polo shirts (fit with prestigious sponsorship from David McCarthy, Fine Jewellers! Who needs Nike anyway?). Alas, we were all to be bitterly disappointed on arrival in Barcelona, where the weather outside was more reminiscent of Elstree than of the Mediterranean. However, after transferring to our relatively grandiose accommodation situated a few miles out of the centre in the Castelldefels region, a few members of the squad were quick to drop their bags and carry out some reconnaissance work on the local establishments. This done, everyone tried to get an early night but the peculiar nature of the television entertainment supplied by the hotel in each room, pointed out by Dave ‘Ron Jeremy’ Snower, caused a certain degree of agitation and over excitement during the ensuing hours. The next day was action packed with an early morning visit to a local theme park, where due to high wind speeds, only a lucky few were able to experience the monster rollercoaster that was ‘Genghis Khan’, whilst others made do with some ritual soaking at the rapids and log flume. All in all a wonderful way to start the day, which was then followed by a trip into the heart of Barcelona to visit Gaudi’s stunning, aweinspiring feat of architecture, the ‘Segrada Familia’ Cathedral. Most members of the group, including tour captain Zack Preskey, who was suffering from vertigo, managed to climb the 80ft to the top where they were rewarded with a stunning, panoramic view of the beautiful city. Later that night, following a very genial squad meal at the hotel, the staff allowed for a few hours of free time regulated by a strict curfew. The morning came all too quickly and this was a very important day: it was time for both teams to face their first opponents and now we really had to focus. Playing at a local Spanish club, Athletico Terrassa, the U18s were to play the home side and also Reeds, an English school from Surrey, in a mini triangular-tournament, whereas the U16s were to play the Spanish side only. Our first match was a tough affair and it took us time to acclimatise to the conditions. Alex Cook had a splendid match in midfield, really breaking up the play and distributing well. After a goalless first half, 90
the front two were changed for Jeffcote and Langely who proceeded to terrorise the opposition defence, finally scoring a goal each. The Spanish managed a consolation late on but we hung on for a solid victory. After watching Reeds massacre the home team 8-1, we were understandably a little apprehensive for our encounter with the Surrey school. However, we played magnificently, scoring early on through Cook, who drove down the centre of the pitch to slot home easily. This was followed by an onslaught of pressure from the opposing team but we fought, harried, hustled and defended resolutely. The killer blow came from Sammy Ross, just before half time, with a superb run down the right that was completed with a cool finish into the bottom left hand corner. In the second half we managed to increase our lead with another goal, only for Reeds to initiate a comeback in the final moments. However they only managed to claw one goal back, thanks in no small part to some miraculous work in defence from Zac Rowlinson and Snower in goal, leaving the final score at 32. The U16s faced a strong side from Terressa who were, in the main U18, and tried exceptionally hard. It was their first game, and being a mix of U15 and U16 players they found it hard to gel. The captain Arun Kumarathas was outstanding and won the man of the match award, whilst Oliver Birch marshalled the defence strongly and prevented a more substantial loss. In the end in a courageous performance we went away 3-1 losers. The following day was to be our last. Both teams were to play at an Olympic venue, equipped with a water-base pitch and tiered stand seating. The facilities were marvellous and the U16s rose to the challenge to grab a comprehensive 2-0 victory over some tough Dutch opponents. Joel Ross in
midfield was outstanding whilst Daniel Mehaffey, playing left half had an excellent match. It was great for the spirit of the tour that such a comprehensive victory was recorded. The U18s were scheduled to play Radley College, a daunting prospect as they are a school renowned for their sporting prowess and pedigree. But, judging from the results so far, we were confident we could disrupt their easy flowing hockey and maybe get a result. The match started badly when we allowed their forward too much time and space in the area and he duly punished us with a cracking strike. However, we didn’t panic and managed to grab a goal from a nicely worked short corner just before half time. The second half was a frantic, action packed affair and although we struck again from another short corner we were always on the back foot and their equaliser was no great shock. We managed to cling on until the end in what was a fantastic match and a brilliant end to the tour. The results were celebrated at a local tapas bar where we had a squad meal before dispersing into Las Ramblas region of Barcelona, or as MIY called in ‘the Covent Garden of Spain’. After some shopping, eating and a minor dispute over a beer mug, we all returned to the hotel for our last night; a night that will go down in the memory, I am sure. Perhaps I should leave it at that, suffice to say that this most entertaining, high-spirited and rewarding experience owes a great deal to Mr Long, his wife, Mr Keenlyside and the squad mascot Joshua ‘Jack-Jack’ Long, all of whom we thank immensely for their support, good humour and patience. And last, but no means least, we must thank Mr Yeabsley for all his hard work in organising a very complex and varied programme for the two groups. Barcelona ’07 anyone? Manaas Jain
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1st XV Rugby
2nd XV Rugby
Overall the 1st XV have had a mixed season. The season started with a pre-season festival at Pangbourne College, following some pre-season training at school. The festival gave a great opportunity to see how some of the lower sixth boys could handle the physical and mental step up to senior rugby and provided good match practice before the start of the season.
The best season for seventeen years with nine wins and two losses ensured a truly enjoyable campaign for a team that had awesome spirit and commitment. The level of enthusiasm this year has been the best I’ve known since joining the school. This was due to the inspiring opening speeches of Messrs Bagguley and Matthews before the start of each game, meaning we’d always come out firing each and every game and play our hearts out until the final blow of the whistle.
At times during the season the team played some excellent attacking rugby in addition to them showing a lot of character, spirit and commitment. Competition for places in the starting fifteen was also good in a season that saw the team progress to the 3rd round of the Daily Mail Cup, following good wins against Fernhill School and Broxbourne School before being defeated by Roundwood Park School. The season started with our first fixture, losing away to QE Barnet 12-16, a game we should have won. Next we played a very strong St Benedict’s side and went down 36-7, as well as picking up a number of injuries to key players during this game. In our first home game we played St Alban’s and lost 8-17, however this was followed by our first home win in a very tight game with Watford GS which was won 15-11. The season was to see us play two new fixtures against Reigate GS and Brighton College. We won the Reigate game 30-22, playing some excellent attacking rugby and defending very well, however we lost 11-24 in the Brighton game despite the team playing very well against this strong side. Following this the team lost 0-24 to Mill Hill just before half term. The senior squad trained during the second week of half term, and a good attendance ensured a lot of good work was completed for the latter part of the season. Following the break we had a very close win over Latymer Upper, 18-15. In our final three games of the season we had mixed fortunes. We travelled to Bedford Modern and suffered our heaviest defeat losing 13-53 against a very well drilled side. We then drew against Berkhamstead 10-10 in a game that could have gone either way. The last game of the season against Merchant Taylor’s was a very physical encounter which we lost 5-12. I would like to take this opportunity in thanking Mr Metcalfe, Mr Bagguley, Mr Matthews and Mr Mahoney for all their help with coaching the senior rugby sides over the season. Also, a big thank you to the players, who trained, played and supported throughout the season.
The season has shown some great rising stars of the lower sixth: Richard Jeffcote, our resident Kiwi and scrum-half was able to find gaps in the opposition line that most people could not see. Gavin Baker managed to save us from many an almost certain try with his enormous boot, clearing our half whenever the opposition looked the least bit dangerous. Max Herbert, returning from Shrewsbury, showed his raw abilities of the game with his crash ball and his devastating tackling. Peter Lipka, scoring seven tries in three games with sheer pace out wide and just simply running around the opposition. In the forwards we had our front row: James Hunt, proving an unmovable block in the scrums, Jacob ‘Dog’ Turner, turning over all rucks that he was first to and Nick Jardine, with his pace and strength in running. In the second row we had Moe Kazmi, with his fantastic lineout ball, always guaranteeing our side possession, and the back row of Alex Short and Kwaku ‘Tank’ Afrifa, with their great lines of running, which, for Kwaku, was often straight over the smaller opposition players. Quick passing out of the tackle from all these players allowed the team to make huge amounts of ground turning defence into attack. However good the lower sixth were, we cannot forget the Upper Sixth ‘Old Guard’ who supported Henry Waterfield’s captaincy admirably. In particular Andrew Leach, with his great running from fullback, Alex Schey with his dynamic open play and Charlie Norton, the flanker turned centre who was able to link the backs and forwards so well, running incredible lines of deft passes. Altogether this has been a very successful season for the 2nd XV and although we lost two matches, they were both well fought and we never gave up trying to win, even in the dying seconds of the game. It has been truly enjoyable captaining the 2nd XV in such a successful season and therefore my final thanks have to go to Mr Bagguley and Mr Matthews who were there all season to coach and support us. Henry Waterfield (Captain)
S. Davey
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U16 A Rugby This season, much like the seasons of before for our year group, has had its ups and downs. Most of which, unfortunately, have been clear downs. Early in the term we all looked forward to a season which, considering the enthusiasm and energy of the players after the summer term, was suggested to be our best yet. Our first game was against old rivals, QEB and after victories in previous years, we were generally optimistic. However, the victory proposed was not to be. From here things went from bad to worse with a massive injury count of nine out of the 15 starting players, combined with a couple of cases of severely poor fitness levels which crippled our fighting force. Devastatingly two out of every three starting ‘A’ team players were injured at some time during the term, and so, needless to say, we were marching an uphill struggle throughout the season. Thanks go to several heroic ‘B’ team players, such as Joshua Green, Alex Lombardo, Adem Aljo and Peter Garside who all added weight to the team, replacing our whole front row. To say that we lost every single game this season would be unfair. We did win one; it was a sound victory against Latymer Upper School, and indeed many other games were lost only by one or two points; and in some cases only forty. But the fact remains that everyone who played throughout the season fought to the end. A particular mention must go to Oscar Dodd and Alex Petrides who contributed almost single handedly to the score totals. I would like to thank Mr Bass for coaching us this season and consistently committing himself to the training sessions through thick and thin. Ben Ashenden Despite the results, there is no shortage of ability amongst the U16 Group and, with attention to physical power, there will be a great development. Some excellent rugby was played against St Benedicts, Mill Hill , Bedford Modern and Latymer. Indeed, the champion St Benedicts team was held to 12-7 at halfway, a massive improvement on the previous times that the two teams had met. However, we were outgunned heavily, mainly through injuries, against Brighton, Berkhamsted and Merchant Taylor’s. I salute the determination and good humour of Ben Ashenden and his team over the course of this difficult season. The Easter Term Sevens Series was most enjoyable to coach and the very skilful performances of the squad reflected the fun and commitment they put in at practice. We beat three schools at the Herts Tournament, only to be denied further progress by the competition timings being curtailed! The highlight was a near-perfect match at Rosslyn Park, where we defeated Rugby School in great style and enjoyed a good finish to the day at that wonderful competition. Well done to the squad on their fine participation and enthusiasm. C. Bass
Rugby Results 2005. Team 1st XV 2nd XV U16 ‘A’ U16 ‘B’ U15 ‘A’ U15 ‘B’ U14 ‘A’ U14 ‘B’ U13 ‘A’ U13 ‘B’ U12 ‘A’ U12 ‘B’ 92
Played 14 11 11 9 11 10 10 10 9 9 8 8
Won 5 9 1 5 3 6 1 4 4 5 2 3
Drawn 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
Lost 8 2 10 4 8 4 8 6 5 4 5 5
U16 B Rugby This season, the U16 B’s have a record of 4 wins and 5 losses in 9 games that were played and 2 games were cancelled. As soon as the season started, the injury list began to grow, and we were playing with a depleted side. This list continued to grow throughout the season, leaving Dr. Lexton with very few players to choose from, and struggling to raise a side. This culminated in us turning up to Berkhamsted with only 12 players, but with the help of 2 players from the 2nds this number reached 14. Still a man down, we put up a good fight, only losing the match by 1 point. A few weeks into the season, “the beast” otherwise known as James Cooper recovered from injury and luckily did not return to the A’s. He added a great amount of weight to the side, in mostly muscle and his aggression was second to none. Most noticeably every time he made a big tackle, he would always shout “I really want to hurt that chap,” well not in those exact words but you get what I mean. Duncan Jenkins
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Under 15A Rugby This season the Under 15-A team had a series of mixed results and performances. The season began with a hard-fought 10-point victory over Q.E.B, however team was brought back down to earth the following week, when they faced them again, in the Daily Mail Cup. Despite a performance of a very high standard, the team agonisingly found themselves on the wrong end of a 2322 scoreline.
Under 14 Biarritz Rugby Tour During the October half term, 28 players from the Under 14 Rugby Squad travelled to France to a small town just outside Biarritz, called Soustons. Team spirit was high as we met the tour operator, Mr Billy Davidson, ex-Harlequins second row forward and the travelling Gloucester RFC fans at Stansted. After the short flight to Biarritz, we landed in hot sunshine and transferred to the bus. Soustons is a rural town in the French Basque region and we were staying at its extensive sporting complex. Every day we had the opportunity to play rugby on the pitches outside our rooms and practised our skills and teamwork. We had A and B matches against the local youth side from Soustons RFC and played in a rugby sevens tournament. The strong victory achieved by the A team was a great result. However, we did not play rugby for the whole time. We cycled to the beach where we all went boogie-boarding on the Atlantic waves and kayaking on the lake at the centre, both of which were good fun and enjoyable. At the end of the day all the kayaks were joined together and some of us tried to walk along the line that had been created. We then all stood up, some of us being unable to keep our balance and falling into the lake! We also went to a local market, saw a bullring and central Biarritz, where there was much to buy. In the evenings, between our last activity and dinner there was always time for us to chill and relax in our rooms or play football with the locals. The ‘Mr Clarke’s Quiz Night’ and the Entertainment Night were very amusing and resounding successes. The highlight of the week was the European Cup match between Bayonne and Gloucester that we went to watch. Gloucester came out on top in a hard fought match and afterwards we were able to explore the stadium, meet local people and hear the Basque bands that the teachers were watching in the beer tent! A lucky few of us were able to get into the changing rooms and have our photos taken with England stars like Mike Tindall and Phil Vickerey.
The following few games were difficult for the team, as they showed glimpses of what they were capable of, and got themselves into winning positions, only for uncharacteristic mistakes to cost them victories against the likes of St. Benedicts and Reigate. This run was broken with a win against Latymer Upper, where the team showed the guts and determination necessary to succeed. Despite this, the season ended on a disappointing note, as they lost to Merchant Taylors. B. Mahoney
U15 B Rugby This season the U15 B team had an overall successful season, winning six of their ten games. The first games saw HABS up against local rivals Q.E.B, and after a closely fought game, HABS came out on top 12-5. This match was followed by a bench mark performance for the season, which saw Oliver Coates run in a hatrick of tries so see HABS win 34-5. The best game of the season was to come against a strong Brighton team, of whom we knew little about. The first half started well, and at half time Brighton had their necks in front. But after a motivational team talk from Coach Mr. Holmes, the team came out for the second half and played the best 30 minutes of rugby of the season. A huge team effort left HABS 26-22 victors when the final whistle blew.
After a great week, we travelled home knowing more about French rugby and lifestyle as well as having had lots of fun on the way. Thanks must go to Mr Bass, Mr Clarke and Mr Cole for taking us on a truly memorable tour.
The last game of the year was against a Merchant Taylor’s team who had had a similar season to HABS in terms of results. HABS started the match well, and had the lead at half time. Taylor’s managed to claw their way back into the game, but the team managed to hold on for a 22-17 victory.
Adam Hooper and Andrew Middleton.
Daniel Munger
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Athletics
This has undoubtedly been our most successful season to date with a magnificent second place in the National English Schools Track and Field Cup final. Our Under 16 team was beaten by just 16 points by Southend High School for Boys. We have seen fine individual achievements by Habs athletes gaining county selection and breaking meeting records. We have begun to dominate our early season fixture at Dr Challenors relays and this year was no exception with Habs winning all of the events. Our senior athletes continued their good form by again retaining the Watford & District Under 20 trophy and then the following day travelling to the prestigious Achilles Relays where we gained three second place positions and were triumphant in the Under 17 4 X 400m relay. The team of Martin Cheung (11R1), Alex Petrides (11M2), Michael Bentley (11H1) and Sam Cherkas (11R1) were just able to defeat Millfield School to win missing the school record by point one of a second. In the Hertfordshire County Multi Events trials Kaz Ong (9HA) finished third as an individual and the Habs Under 15 team of Mirav Vyas (9SB), Alex Barnett (9CB), Kaz and Andrew Mushin (9MA) were clear winners ahead of Hitchin Boys. Kaz went on to represent Hertfordshire in the South East Counties Multi Events Championships where he improved his all round performance considerably to finish third and goes on to compete in the ESAA National Multi Events Championships at Derby in September. Alex Petrides (11M2) and Robbie Phillips (11M2) were in the Hertfordshire Intermediate boys team at the South East Multi Events meeting and despite having to cope with exams in the prior weeks both performed creditably. At the time of writing our last fixture of the season awaits, the Hertfordshire League Final. The Under 16 team have dominated their competition winning their half of the league with ease and now must go on to try to win the final where top teams from each half of the league meet to try to win the trophy outright. The Under 14 team have had mixed performances, injuries and erratic results preventing any real consistency. They are however in the final and could at their best be capable of winning. In the Watford and District Championships Habs Boys were overall winners, the Under15 and Under 16 teams were competition winners and the Under 14s were second by one point to Watford Boys. The Under 13 team found the competition a little tough finishing 6th but close enough in points to the winners to suggest that with good preparation they could be a competitive force in next year’s competition.
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The English Schools Track and Field Cup is the premier event for schools on the athletics calendar. Habs has competed in this for several years and made the national final on two previous occasions. Aspirations were high this year with both teams qualifying to the strongest regional final. The Under 14 team had a respectable score and were looking to improve in the second round. The Under 16 team performed to the highest level and posted the second highest points total in the country. The regional final at Bedford was a very hot day and proved to be the undoing of the Under 14s who faded to finish 7th with a points total less than in round one. The Under 16s were consistent and as in round one qualified for the National Final with another high points total. The final took place at Bournemouth on Saturday 1st July and the experience many of the team had gained from their previous making of the final in Gateshead in 2004 was to prove invaluable. Every member of the team performed to a very high level with James Grant (10H1), Rishi Naidoo (10M1), Kwaku Osei Afrifa (10H1) and Jonathan Graham (10H1) all winning. There were other numerous top three placings and it was hoped that at the halfway stage in the competition we could reduce the 8 point deficit that we had on Southend Boys but as it was they doubled their lead on the track and Habs were awarded the runners up spot with a truly magnificent score that would in previous years have won the competition. The current Under 16 team are undisputedly the strongest athletics team to come through the school in recent years. Individually Kaz Ong has been outstanding. Double County champion in the Triple Jump and Sprint Hurdles he travels to Gateshead to compete for Hertfordshire in the ESAA Track and Field Championships on July 7/8th. James Grant and James Edmunds (8H) have both been breaking school records and setting meeting best performances in their respective pole vaults. Scott Spurling (8J) Discus, Myles Houghton (8H) Javelin and Max Jenkins (8M) were all selected to represent Eastern Counties in the National Independent Schools Championships at Birmingham July 2nd and we have a number of other athletes who performed well at the county championships . Andrew Mushin won the Under15 shot Vivek Patni (7S) won the Under 13 Hurdles and Akash Jain (7C) the Under 13 shot. Both Andrew Campbell (9HB) and Robin Tuck (11M2) had good high jump competitions to finish 2nd in their respective age groups The Prep School athletes have begun to show promise finishing in third spot one point behind St Martins and winners St Columbas in the recent Habs Junior meet. Joe Bamford (6MJ) claimed a fine 3rd place in the Eastern IAPS championships and at the time of writing we await the results of the six athletes who represented Habs in the Hertfordshire Primary Schools Athletic championships. The final meeting of their calendar will be Sports Day on 5th July which traditionally produces keenly fought competitions. S. Lowe
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Water Polo
Badminton
There has been substantial success this year in water polo. Three of the four age groups have reached finals of a national or regional competition and the U14s showed real promise towards the latter stage of the season. Following success in friendly matches against the likes of Eton, Highgate and Harrow, the U19 team put together a great run in the English Schools Regional competition. The team qualified for the final, picking up maximum points from the group stages, which included some emphatic victories, mainly inflicted upon London Oratory whom we defeated three times. Despite our fantastic record, we were disappointed to be overcome by three strong teams in the final of this competition, finishing in fourth place overall. The team managed to pick themselves up for the final tournament of the season, the Hepworth Trophey, hosted at HABS. Although we were missing key players, (notably captain and goal-machine Adam Barnes) we still managed to come a close second, putting in three gutsy performances that really characterised our whole season. Special mention must go to Tobias Stedman for his sheer ferociousness in front of goal, Oliver Inow, who gained in confidence tremendously whilst playing between the sticks and Adam Barnes for his scoring ability and captaincy. The U16 team reached their final of the regional competition where they came third. The team only lost two of twenty-two matches this year. Captain Greg Schey and Duncan Jenkins provided a large number of goals between them and the impressive defensive work of Alex ‘Mare’ Petrides saw him pushing firmly for a starting place in the senior side at the end of the season. A special thank you must be said to all of the U16 squad, as often they were required to play two or more fixtures a week. The U15 team managed to go though the season only having one defeat. Runners-up in the English Schools’ championships, many of the players have once again found themselves playing up an age group and commitment has been of the highest level. Alex Parker, has been a speeddemon and goal-guzzling machine, and deserves a mention for the way he appeared for the U19s in the Hepworth Trophy, three years above his age group. The team has real skill and potential to build an extremely solid reputation for prowess in the sport. The U14s are an up and coming young side, and although the season may have at times been a tough one, real potential is now being shown with players becoming keener and gaining enthusiasm for the sport. We all would be nowhere without the great Mr Hyde, whose coaching and passion for the sport has been inspiring for all of us in a highly successful season.
Badminton has continued to flourish this season with large numbers of boys playing the sport both at recreational and competitive level. The first challenge was the Hertfordshire Squad Trials: Kamran Haq, Nigel Tao, Akash Jhunjhunwala, Anjul Haria and Arun Kumarathas were successful in being selected for the Under 17 Squad; Philip Chee and Alex Gomar were selected for the Under 15 Squad. Sahil Shah was selected for Under 13 Development Training. Kamran, Nigel and Akash have all represented Hertfordshire at different levels this term. Nigel continues to benefit from the specialized coaching through the prestigious National World Class Start training programme. Once again there has been enormous interest in Badminton especially amongst the junior boys. All these boys have trained regularly on a weekly basis and have made progress in skill and in levels of fitness. The Junior School Badminton Tournament was held on Open Day. Twenty-five boys took part. Sahil Shah won the event beating Rehaan Adat in the final. We have also played fixtures against other Schools and have achieved very good results. Against Gravesend and St. Albans we won at all age groups. In the game against Hitchin we were evenly matched. For the first time we played a new fixture against Latymer Upper School which we won convincingly. The school has again achieved high placings in the Hertfordshire Schools Badminton Association Tournaments. At the end of a series of events Haberdashers’ has come first in the Under 18, Under 15 and Under 13 Tournaments. This is the first time the School has won all three age groups. The following boys have participated in the tournaments and won points for the School: Harry Beeson, Alex Gomar, Anjul Haria, Akash Jhunjhunwala, Arun Kumarathas, Suraj Pabari, Hershal Shah, Prag Shah, Suraj Shah, Philip Bagshaw, Basil Letts, Alex Parker, Jake Sanders, Nishil Shah, Richard Tan, Henry Tang, Reehan Adat, Anand Dhamecha, Aadil Hakim, Prasanna Jothibal, Sahvan Karia, Arvind Kaza, Tej Malde, Anthony Meyer, Matthew Mort, Naveen Nandakumar, Kushal Patel, Shanil Patel, Vanit Patel, Freddie Ross, Nishanth Selvakumar, Akhil Shah, Paras Shah, Rikin Shah, Sahil Shah, Salman Sheikh, Scott Spurling and Anthony Tang. Both the Under 16 and Under 14 teams performed well in the preliminary rounds of the Badminton England Top Schools Team Tournament, which were held at Haberdashers’. However the competition in the under 14 group was tough and we came 6th. In the Under 16 group our team was stronger and we were equal with Park High School on matches and games won. Park High School went through to the finals by scoring 329 points against our 321. The following boys represented the School: Akash Jhunjhunwala, Suraj Pabari, Alex Gomar, Arun Kumarathas, Basil Letts, Sahil Shah, Craig Waterman and Vanit Patel. A special mention must be made of our top three players and their achievements in the Under 17 National Championships. Arjun Mehta had a good tournament reaching the quarter finals of the doubles, as well as having a number of other notable wins. Kamran Haq reached the quarter finals of the mixed doubles and lost the match against one of the top seeds in three close sets. In the boys doubles Nigel Tao and Kamran Haq reached the semi final losing in a closely fought contest. They therefore retained the bronze medal they won last year. Our thanks go to Bob Welsh who has done so much to help the boys develop their skills. Dipesh Borkhataria has provided valuable administrative support through his School Community Service.
Nick Jardine
Fencing On Wednesday 22nd March a group of seven boys attended the Boys’ Senior Epee Public Schools’ Fencing Championships. Our initial eagerness was, however cooled at the appearance of a large number of GBR team jackets around the pistes. Two of our team George Harnett and Shanil Patel fought four GBR members between them, unsurprisingly losing those matches and being eliminated. Daniel Barry was drawn in another difficult pool and, in his final match was unlucky not to be awarded a marginal point that would have won the fight. The greatest tragedy, however, was that of Jerome Woodwark. After losing three of the four matches in straight points, it was discovered that his sword was not working and failed to register points. Jerome was eliminated leaving Peter Campbell, Paul Hardwick and Aaron Landau to face the second round. Peter Campbell was unlucky, in that although he had beaten two excellent fencers in the first round, he was drawn in a pool with the eventual champion, the eventual runner-up and a GBR team member. Despite putting up a good fight, he was eliminated along with Paul Hardwick, who lost his second round pool matches by narrow margins. However, Aaron Landau fought through his group, to gain qualification in the next round. Aaron faced the 5th seed in the competition, and eventually lost 15-6 in a long, gruelling match. Thanks must go to Mr Marx, Jo Maynard and Marc Bengry for their excellent coaching throughout the year.
A J Herzmark
George Harnett 95
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SECRETARY’S NOTES. Adrian Roberts who taught History here once joked that Haberdashers was a “fur lined rut”. In reality though Habs is a professionally challenging and highly stimulating environment. Little wonder then that our three retiring colleagues this year have given over 98 years service to the school and its boys. Frank Hanbidge arrived at the school in 1970 and has spent his entire teaching career here. For the last ten years he has been Head of the Sixth Form and his addresses to the Sixth Form at Wednesday assembly have been a model of scholarship, wit and wisdom. He will long be remembered as an outstanding Common Room Chairman, public speaker and an exceptional English teacher. He was Head of the Careers Department, which, with its emphasis on university application, made him a particularly appropriate choice for his promotion to Head of Sixth Form. He will also be remembered for his involvement in staff plays both as a producer and actor. We congratulate Phillip Parr who succeeds Frank as Head of Sixth Form and also Lynn Bird who has been appointed Senior Tutor to the Sixth Form. David Griffith also devoted his entire teaching career to Haberdashers and arrived here the same year as Frank Hanbidge, having started his professional career as an engineer for Hawker Siddeley. In his time at the school David has taught over 4700 boys all of whom will readily testify to David’s outstanding qualities – his erudition, his extensive knowledge, his attention to detail and his calm, gentle demeanour. David has been Head of Electronics, which was taught with great success to O level and to GCSE and then he took over from John Welbourne as Examinations Officer a post he held for over twenty years. He is unique in having been Common Room Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary (twice) as well as serving on the Common Room Committee for two further spells. David Lindsay has been our school chaplain for 26 years. David has looked after the interests of all faiths with a special love for the chapel and its role in promoting a fair and just world. We will miss his assemblies and his carol service addresses with their unique mix of laughter and pathos. On behalf of the Common Room we wish these colleagues many years of happy and fulfilling retirement. David’s successor, Reverend Jane Markby, joined the school in the Biology department at the start of the Summer Term and will take over as School Chaplain in the Autumn. Diane Williams joined the Religious Studies department, initially as a part-time teacher of junior classes, in 1992. Since 2000, she
has led the department with consummate success, whilst at the same time being a highly effective and compassionate tutor. We wish her well as she moves with her husband, Alan, to new beginnings in Cardiff. Tim Walker leaves the Maths department, to take up a teaching post at Kings Bruton School in Dorset. A tremendously talented and popular mathematics teacher, he has coached the U12 rugby teams and has been the school’s Examination Officer. Also in the Maths department our congratulations go to Ian Jacques on the publication of ‘Mathematics for Economics and Business’ and well done to Diana Robertson who has been appointed the school’s Registrar. Kate Hammond is leaving us to become Head of History at Bottisham Village College, Cambridgeshire. Kate has made an enormous impact since she arrived here in 2003. We wish her every success for the future. Our best wishes go to Stephen Clarke and Emoke who were married during the summer holidays and also our congratulations to Ian St. John on the publication of his biography of ‘Disraeli and the Art of Victorian Politics’. Within the IT department Vaughan Connolly leaves us to take up the post of Deputy Head of Mander Portman Woodward. During his four years at Habs Vaughan has presided over an exciting period of technological change at the school. He will be working under Matthew Judd who has recently been promoted to Principal at Mander Portman Woodward College. Our congratulations to Rosa-Anna Martinez on the birth of her daughter Dalia back in December, though sadly for us Rosa-Anna has decided to leave the Spanish department to become a full time mother. We also say farewell to Berta Broncano who joined us as a temporary Spanish teacher last November. We wish her well as she leaves to take up the post of Head of Spanish at Merchant Taylors’ School in the Autumn. Shane Davey, Ben Mahoney and Emma Jackman (our gap year student) are all moving on from the PE department this summer. As Director of Sport and Physical Education for the past two years, Shane Davey has worked tirelessly in what is one of the most wide-ranging and demanding positions in the school. He returns to his previous school, the Salvatorian College in Harrow. Ben Mahoney has been Director of Cricket Coaching since he arrived in 2003. He has been in charge of swimming, as well as running rugby and hockey teams with great expertise. He goes onto his new post at Berkhamsted Collegiate School in September. Emma Jackman is going onto complete a graduate training programme at Parmiter’s
School in Watford. We wish them every success for the future. Our best wishes also go to Ian Matthews who married Abby this summer and will become a full time member of the PE and Games staff from September. Our congratulations to Mike Yeabsley in the Geography department who married Clare last April and also to Will Henry who taught saxophone here at Habs and married Bethany in December and has now emigrated to Australia. Gemma Harvey has taken over from Will and begins saxophone teaching from January. Steve Byron has joined the peripatetic staff to teach trombone and Jake Lenson has covered for Simon Munting (guitar) during his recent illness. We are delighted that Simon is now back with us. Liz Tomlin covered for Ruju Nathwani our Music school secretary whilst she was recovering from an operation. Ruju is also now back with us. The English department was joined at the start of the Autumn Term by Nuala Murray, fresh to teaching from the Institute of Education. Nicki Heinen also became a permanent member of staff and Dawn Morris-Wolffe returned in November from her maternity leave and her lovely twins. It has been good to read Matthew Wright’s critical articles for ‘The Tablet’ and to see ‘Scribe’ flourishing under his careful guidance. Congratulations to Catherine Lyons who becomes Head of Learning Support. Jack Alvarez has been appointed Examinations and Database Officer with effect from January 2007 and Rob Kerr has been appointed to succeed Jack as Head of Physics. We wish them every success in their new posts. In the Prep School our congratulations go to Hilary Pullen on the birth of her second son, Cameron back in March. History was also made in the Prep school this year when they went to a three form intake across the year groups and from September 2006 will be taking in pupils at 5+. Looking back on this year a particular highlight was the musical concert held at The Barbican in March. Orchestras and choirs across the entire age range of the school took part and for those of us who were privileged to be a part of the audience it was a real celebration of the richness and diversity that we so often take for granted here at Haberdashers. N. Holmes
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Reverend David Lindsay
When David Lindsay retires this summer the school will undoubtedly be a poorer place. His leaving will be of a different order to those other significant departures which punctuate the academic calendar, for not only will our community have lost an exemplary chaplain, a caring counsellor and a first class teacher, countless members of the extended Haberdasher family will feel that they have lost a trusted, thoughtful friend. This feeling of friendship has been forged through familiarity. Successive generations of governors, staff, students and families have come to know David and his much cherished family through the many stories of his life’s journey that he has shared in his carefully structured assembly themes, chapel sermons and entertaining Carol Service addresses. It is a journey that brought him to Elstree in 1980 from his home in Hartlepool by way of Cambridge, where he collected his law degree and Oxford where he read theology in preparation for ordination. When he arrived at Haberdashers’ he had already worked as a university chaplain, a parish priest and a probation officer. It is typical of David’s preaching that he has readily shared his vulnerabilities as well as his encounters on his journey; he has allowed us to laugh with him and at him as he has educated us. His indubitable skill as a communicator is fuelled by an extraordinary energy and huge reserves of talent. So gifted is he that, when listing his talents, David’s musicianship might easily be overlooked. A member of St Alban’s Bach Choir, he anchors the basses in the school Choral Society and during staff charity concerts slips effortlessly between the concentrated demands of barbershop quartets, comedic 98
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compéring and the gleeful teaching of Geordie folksongs to giggling audiences. Indeed his love of community singing has been a highlight at many of the Old Folks’ Christmas parties, where he has delighted young and old alike with his love of the traditional. An accomplished pianist, restless for a new challenge, he decided a few years ago to take up the oboe. Typically, under Delia Meehan’s expert tutelage, he impressed many boys and colleagues by securing, with remarkable alacrity, a grade eight distinction, before demonstrating his expertise in a polished recital at one of the initial lunchtime live sessions before dashing away to lead the weekly meeting of Amnesty International It is, in fact, characteristic of David that he entertains us while he teaches us. Being an extrovert, he relishes performance, embellishing the stories he tells with his skilful imitations of accents and mannerisms. His Winnie the Pooh excerpts, a firm favourite with many, give but a hint of the range of voices that can be frequently heard emerging from his classroom in the R.S. department. His phenomenally good memory enables him to produce with enviable ease an apt quotation for almost any situation and to commit to memory a sizeable part for a dramatic production. Audiences have thoroughly enjoyed the monologues and cameo character parts that he has created for charity events, as well as the significant roles which he has taken in school productions, such as Romanoff and Juliet, The Winslow Boy and The Real Inspector Morse. Yet David is not content simply to tread the boards. At those times of term when most of his colleagues are wrestling exhaustion, he not only acts in pantomimes, plays and sketches outside school; he writes, directs and produces them! It is David’s delight in words that lies at the heart of his work at Haberdashers’. His skill in the classroom is driven by the astonishing energy that he brings to each of his classes. From the first moment that he bursts through the door, he challenges each of his students, be they believer or agnostic, to engage with complex ideas, to think for themselves and to produce excellent work. His passion for what he describes as theological literacy is at the heart of a department that owes its success and thriving existence to his tireless campaigning for its proper place in the academic curriculum. Words also lie at the heart of David’s ecumenical chaplaincy. His ability to find just the right word, for the right occasion, is so remarkable that after one memorial service a governor of the school felt compelled to describe
his ministry as “pure gold dust.” Even those who sometimes struggle with David’s liberal understanding of the Christian faith are quick to acknowledge his gift with words. Whether it is in finding the right words to unlock the healing process or the right words to challenge and refocus our attention, David has made a difference to our lives. It is he who frequently reminds each and every member of the school that we are loved for who we are and not what we do. In a community that is so often driven by perfectionism, he is the person who points out our inevitable shortcomings and reminds us of the lasting values of humility, compassion and love. “The Rev” has shared in the joys, fears and tragedies of successive generations of Haberdashers’; he has brought his wisdom to numerous baptisms, marriages, and burials. Countless colleagues, students and families have relied on his skill and patience to walk beside them during their times of need and anxiety. He has listened to them, counselled them and always been there for them through innumerable meetings, letters, telephone calls and visits. No one is turned away and no one is forgotten. This confidential and vital supportive work is the true substance of David’s ministry at Haberdashers’ but by its very nature it cannot be documented. Perhaps, in its place, a shared recollection might serve to capture the essence of what has been his legacy to the school for over a quarter of a century. It is of David, at his happiest, in late May. Genuinely delighted, he leaps up and perches on a chair in the Old Refectory. Beaming at the bishop, the families and friends of the newly confirmed members of chapel and the hard working kitchen staff, he enthusiastically offers thanks and praise to everyone present. For those few moments he is sure of that which is in no doubt to others; he has fulfilled his vocation and brought the message of unconditional love to the heart of our community. As he moves on from Haberdashers’ he will continue to share this message with others but he will, at long last, be able to enrich his own life by using more of his energies to indulge some of his own passions, such as music, theatre, hill walking and his family. We wish him a long, happy and fulfilling retirement. D. Williams
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Frank Hanbidge Boys will, unsolicited, offer praise for his gently guiding technique and the depth of his knowledge. Frank seems to me to be someone, who perhaps in a slightly old fashioned way, believes himself to be an educator, preparing boys for life rather than making them, in the unhappy phrasing of the Head of QCA, “job ready”. Frank says that what he will probably miss most when he retires is “sharing the books”, passing on to others, encouraging in others, a delight in literature and language. We have seen him do so to generations of Habs boys, vast numbers of whom have become his friends and several of whom are now working in the worlds of journalism and writing. What better accolade for this first rate teacher than to see these tangible, enduring tributes? To have inculcated shared passions and helped shape future writers is a tremendous achievement. Am I making him sound a bit dry, a bit serious? Like someone who is still, after all these years, discovering new aspects of wellthumbed texts? Well, in part, he is some of these things. But he is also full of courtesy, humour, wise counsel and wit. Over the last few years, the English department has had much need of Frank’s stalwart, unceasingly generous support. Frank has always unhesitatingly stepped in to help us, the school and the students. He puts others’ needs first. Frank almost didn’t join the staff at Habs, in those long gone days of 1970. He tells a nicely judged tale of not really knowing that much about the school when he applied and how, on his teaching practice, someone mentioned a certain former colleague, one Marjorie Dawson, and that her husband, Keith, was Head of History at Habs. (Several of us recall Keith’s later incarnation as Headmaster.) One of the most remarkable characteristics of Keith and Marjorie was a generosity of spirit. And so it was that Marjorie offered this fresh-faced young applicant a lift to the school for his interview. But on that early March day in 1970, heavy snow prevented access to Elstree. Luckily for the English department and the school, the interview was merely delayed 24 hours and Frank got the job, joining a small, but formidable group of very individual talents. Thirty-six years is an enormous amount of time to spend in the same school and it speaks admirably of the loyalty Habs inspires in its best teachers. It also underlines the ways in which valued colleagues have been encouraged to develop and become fulfilled. Just think of all the roles Frank Hanbidge has played in his time here, as he retires as Head of Sixth Form and a distinguished member of the English department. He has been a past Head of
Careers and Chairman of the Common Room, itself a significant mark of the respect in which he is held by colleagues. We have all seen him tread the boards in numerous staff plays: not least his first and, 25 years later, with wonderful symmetry, his last: Stoppard’s delightful The Real Inspector Hound. Frank has an actor’s uncanny ability to transform himself…by just removing the trademark glasses sometimes! He pulls himself up to his full height and appears almost unrecognisable. In addition, of course, there have been his wonderful monologues and recitaions in the Staff Entertainments, always delivered with such panache. For Frank is a great raconteur, telling a good story without too much embellishment and arriving at a point we didn’t always see coming. This is also a strength in the classroom. Not only does he bring fine subject and general knowledge to his classes, he also displays a discursive relish: he tells a good story. Observers of his lessons and generations of students always comment on that trajectory in his teaching. Over the years, I have shared many A level sets with Frank and their respect for his erudition and the range of his reference has been evident. I have often been consoled in my ignorance on some rarefied point by a helpful youth telling me not to worry, “Mr Hanbidge will know”!
He has a quirky interest in cars and has mastered e-mails (sending perfectly phrased ones which make them an almost acceptable alternative to the handwritten note). His ability to defuse a tricky moment with a witty observation we have all witnessed in classes or the common room. It is not often Frank loses his calm demeanour, even when confronting the bearded, long-haired, coloured shirt-wearing recalcitrant sixth former. Frank shows us there are other ways of asserting yourself. Most often what we see, what we warm to and what we shall miss most is a witty, generous and gifted colleague who epitomises the qualities of a gentleman and a first rate schoolmaster. Frank will now have more time to research, perhaps spending more time in Oxford where he and Carol have long enjoyed a base. He will have more time for walking the dog, his own or someone else’s, no matter; more time for tinkering with cars. In any case, more time for himself and for Carol. We all wish both of them a long, very happy and relaxed retirement and hope to see them often at future school events. M. Lemprière
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Tim Walker goatee beard which might even have been fashionable at the time). His dress sense was the same then as now – wearing his trademark Timberland shoes though it is surely a sign of his maturity that he has added the velvet jacket and uncoordinating ties to the mix.
I first met Tim during the Autumn term of 1996 at a Hans Woyda Mathematics competition match against Queen Elizabeth Boys’ School. In spite of being several minutes late, he arrived completely relaxed, and I was immediately impressed by this tall, laid back young man with only slightly more hair than me (that mainly due to a
He joined the Haberdashers’ Mathematics department the following September. A tremendously talented, highly successful and popular mathematics teacher, Tim instantly established a rapport with all of the classes that he has taught. He is equally at home teaching the lower sets in the Junior and Middle school, as he is teaching Further Mathematics to potential Oxbridge mathematicians. He sets himself and the boys that he teaches the highest possible standard. It is also typical of Tim that, not content with his Engineering degree from Jesus College Cambridge, he has committed himself to learning even more mathematics by taking a part-time degree at the Open University (although I notice that he has studiously avoiding taking any Statistics courses so far!) Tim has been fully involved in many aspects of school life. Boys in the Junior School are most likely to have met him on
the rugby pitches on Friday afternoons. Tim has run the U12 A rugby team during the Autumn and Spring terms. He has been an outstanding rugby coach for many years; he has a real passion for the game, which he conveys to the boys. Tim also cares very much for the pupils in the school no more so than those in Meadows where he has been a very understanding and committed Year 10/11 House tutor. Older boys in the school are most likely to know Tim through his work as Examinations Officer. He has been in this important post during a period of unprecedented growth following the introduction of AS module examinations. I have been amazed at the patience that Tim shows when dealing with an almost constant stream of useless individuals who haven’t a clue what modules are being taken, and demanding remarks and resits to order – and that is just the Heads of Departments! In spite of the considerable demands of the job, Tim always remains an oasis of calm. Clever, resourceful, kind, generous, modest, happy, organised, disorganised, … are all adjectives, which describe this remarkable gentleman. We shall all miss him, but wish him every success with his “escape to the country”. I. Jacques
David J Griffith David joined the school in September 1970 as a newlyqualified teacher from the Institute of Education in London. After graduating from St Andrews University he had started out as an engineer working for Hawker Siddeley but he was lured into the teaching profession by the financial rewards – yes he did earn more as a teacher back in 1970 than he did as a professional engineer. In his time at the school David has taught over 4700 boys all of whom will readily testify to David’s outstanding qualities - his erudition, his hugely extensive and detailed knowledge of matters both academic and practical, his attention to detail, his calm and gentle demeanour. 100
In a career spanning such a long period, it is clear to see that passion for Physics has been a major influence in sustaining the outstanding and incomparable teaching that David has offered. But as with so many people here, this is but one aspect of an incredibly rich and varied contribution to the life of the school. David has been Head of Electronics, which was taught with great success to O-Level and then GCSE, and then took over from John Welbourne as Examinations Officer a post he held for 20 years. He was superbly equipped for the role. He is incredibly well-organised, is methodical and patient, he has a sharp eye for detail, is technologically adept, and can make even the most obscure examination board regulations and instructions clear and comprehensible to boys (and to staff). “Calm under fire!” describes David so well, which is definitely a positive attribute for someone who ran the school shooting for a decade and established the school’s archery club back in the early 70s. He was also teacher-in-charge of the Model Railway Society with its huge layout in the stable block of Aldenham House. David is unique in having been Common Room Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary (twice) as well as serving on the Common Room Committee for two further spells. For such committed service to your colleagues we thank you most warmly.
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The Common Room says goodbye to... Vaughan Connolly Vaughan Connolly arrived at Habs in September 2002 to take up the post of Head of IT. It is probably fair to say that at the time the school, despite its considerable academic reputation, did not occupy a commanding position in the technological world. Much has changed in the last four years and much of that change can be attributed to Vaughan.
Wai-Shun Lau
Colleagues and students alike will recognise in Vaughan not just a first-rate teacher, but also someone keen to innovate and experiment. He delights in all manner of new gadgets and electronic devices, but far from seeing technology as an end in itself he is keen to exploit its pedagogical potential. Many of his ideas have proved to be inspired, if a little unorthodox, like the ‘staff play zone’ recently established for the technologically timorous to experiment with iPods and other new digital delights. More than anything else, Vaughan has brought to the school a sense of what it is possible to achieve through technology and he has worked tirelessly with the school’s technical team and colleagues in many teaching departments to turn possibilities into reality. In curricular terms Vaughan has also presided over an exciting period of change and innovation. He introduced A Level Computing to the school and has pioneered the use of the European Computer Driving Licence in Year 9. Outside the classroom, he has been an enthusiastic and successful supporter of school debating, swimming and the SCS programme as well as a committed and supportive tutor.
Mark Taylor
Diane Williams Question: What makes an institution a community? Answer:
People like Diane Williams.
Diane joined the Religious Studies Department - initially on a parttime basis - in 1992. Susequently she became full-time (which enabled her to work as a Tutor) and then she took over the leadership of the department. Diane smiles with her eyes and teaches with her whole being. She is a fully integrated person for whom faith and practice are one. Professionally she teaches a subject which requires students to respect other people's beliefs; privately she offers everyone reverence and esteem. Her lessons are interesting, well-resourced and organised. She creates an atmosphere in which all boys have both the platform to contribute and the opportunity to learn from one another, and her quietly achieved standards ensure that mutual respect is the order of the day. The younger boys learn so much from one another, and the older boys have a unique experience of discussing real life-and-death topics. Challenging, even painful issues are sensitively addressed in the climate of hope and security which characterises her classroom. The enormous popularity of R.S. in the school is a testimony to both the personal and the professional qualities of Diane and her team.
Shane Davy
Rosa-Anna Martinez
Diane has been a Strouts Tutor for nine years: latterly in Year 9 but for seven years in Year 7 where she welcomed and nurtured generations of the youngest boys in the Main School. She could smooth away the trepidation of the new boy and help him to develop a secure sense of his worth, and she stayed in touch with them as they progressed through Habs. So many former tutees and other boys who have met Diane in the classroom find themselves popping in to see her, and whether it's to share good news or to seek help in a crisis, they find a ready listener, warm and generous. Former pupils of the school - including some with cosiderable difficulties - contact her and visit her to continue their association with the most compassionate and perceptive supporter they have ever known. Her kindness to colleagues is legendary in the Common Room, and so many of us have reason to be grateful to her for her concern and beneficial influence in our times of trouble.
Ben Mahoney
Well-intentioned teacher trainers used to commend "unconditional positive regard" as an ideal in relationships (between parents and children and - pastorally - between teachers and pupils). That phrase contains ten syllables. I prefer the monosyllable "love": that is what Diane has given us and what we feel for her. May she and her family prosper in their new home in Cardiff: we shall never forget her. Stephen Wilson
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The Common Room welcomes new staff 2006...
SCHOOL PREFECTS School Captain
Jamie Susskind
Vice Captain
Alexander Cook
School Recorder
Harry Bresslaw
Amish Acharya James Allchorne Abhishek Banerjee-Shukla Daniel Barry Harry Beeson Nishil Bhagani Arjun Bhohi Harry Bresslaw Peter Campbell Alexander Charles James Costi Jaimin Dave Etiene Ekpo-Utip Abhi Ghosh
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George Harnett James Hunt Lewis Jacques Nicholas Jardine Richard Jeffcote Mohammed Kazmi Kartik Kumar Jeremy Leong Arjun Mehta Daniel Needleman Kristian Parry Viraj Patel Vishal Patel Samuel Ruback
Peter Schaffer Parth Shah Jai Sharda Matthew Sherr Christopher Stevens James Tobias Jacob Turner Harry Walton Tom Weir Laurence Wicks Jerome Woodwark Andrew Yiakoumetti
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…from the Headmaster It is both a pleasure and a privilege to introduce once again this year’s edition of Skylark, and I heartily recommend it to you. As you read I hope you sense it reflects our core aims: to challenge bright boys to achieve the highest standards; to develop a sense of community and shared values; to support parents in preparing their sons for a fulfilled life. The magazine records some of the activities that have inspired and will remain in the collective memory, uniting all Habs boys as they form part vibrant network that will result we hope in a sense of friendship and community for life. It also highlights, with its usual engaging sharpness and professional insight, the most striking moments in what was a very full academic year. It will give you a snapshot of what goes on; a snapshot of the challenges and the opportunities in this most vibrant, academic and multicultural of schools where we make it our daily aim is to make the best even better. Be it extra-curricular activity of all sorts from chess to debating, or community service, drama, music, art, design, sport, or most importantly academic study, we aim to prepare our pupils for the best of universities, the best of careers and the best of adult lives. Last summer’s results were again very strong, indicative of consistency over time. We were delighted with our best results for entrance at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge since 1999. Thirty-nine boys were awarded places; most others achieved offers at their first choice university. The boys who took ‘A’ level were rewarded with just over 92% A and B grades. At GCSE they achieved just over 88% A*/A grades, and close to 57% A*, again our best ever. We remain one of the highest performing schools for boys locally and in the UK.
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We also continue with new developments apace: the Prep School has now welcomed a cohort of 5+ boys. Our programme of refurbishment and enhancement of our building stock continues. Staff recruitment and training remain amongst our highest priorities. We are launching a new development foundation. Our inspection last academic year resulted in a glowing testimonial, confirming our position as one of the country's best independent schools. Outstanding amongst the school's many substantial strengths was the quality of our pupils. They were described as "exceptionally well-motivated learners", "making rapid progress and attaining high examination results", whilst participating outside the classroom in a flourishing programme of over seventy different activities. They also thoroughly enjoy and appreciate school life gaining places at their first choice universities. In acknowledging the excellence of our premises, accommodation and learning resources, particular praise was reserved for the quality of pupils' personal development. Pastoral care was rated as exceptionally good, resulting in a school ethos where all pupils are valued and racial harmony is of the highest quality. The overall ethos is of "an outstandingly well-integrated school community" supported by dedicated and hard working staff. Our Prep School shared the limelight. According to the inspectors, the school's "excellent academic record" and "care for each individual" contribute to "an excellent ethos in which a positive joy in learning can flourish from the earliest age." I hope you enjoy what you read and know you will join me in thanking all those pupils and staff who have worked so hard to make these pages come to life.
THE SKYLARK TEAM
BAINES design & print 01707 876555
With warmest good wishes to you all.
Peter Hamilton Headmaster Jamie Susskind Editor
Harry Bresslaw Editor
Abhi Ghosh Technical Editor
Alex Cook Events
Amish Acharya Clubs & Societies
Peter Schaffer Music
Robert Goldstein Trips
James Costi Originals
THE HABERDASHERS’ ASKE’S BOYS’ SCHOOL James Hunt Drama 2
Parth Shah CCF / SCS
Max Herbert Photography
Nick Jardine Sports
Oliver Marcuse Prep
Butterfly Lane, Elstree, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire WD6 3AF Tel: 020 8266 1700 Fax: 020 8266 1800 e-mail: office@habsboys.org.uk website: www.habsboys.org.uk
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The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School