HaberAske Skylark 2008

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 Cover AW

29/10/08

11:11

Page 1

The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School

2008

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 Cover AW

29/10/08

11:11

Page 2

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

Skylark 2008

…from the Headmaster There are many regular events that many of us look forward to immensely: take the storks that fly back to Alsace every Spring, the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau, indeed the arrival of Summer itself but I particularly look forward expectantly, and gratefully, to the arrival of a new edition of Skylark. It is a pleasure yet again to commend it to you. Its contents reflect our core aims: the fact that we challenge bright boys to achieve the highest standards, we develop a sense of community and shared values and that we support parents in preparing their sons for a fulfilled life.

Exceptional boys and exceptional teachers working together in magnificent surroundings and facilities, allow us to enjoy exceptional success. We remain amongst the very best boys’ schools in the UK and we were delighted with consistently splendid results we enjoy for entrance at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Thirty-seven boys were awarded places with the vast majority achieving offers at their first choice university. Last summer’s results were as uplifting as ever and the performances of the boys at ‘A’ level and ‘GCSE’ were a credit to them.

No school can reach its potential without involving all its communities in its goals and aspirations. Together we can ensure we remain not only one of the best schools in Britain, but one of the best schools in the world. And together, we will someday be able to offer the benefits of a HABS education not just to those who can afford it, but also to those who can benefit most without regard to financial constraints.

I hope you enjoy what you read and ask you to join me in thanking all those pupils and staff who have devoted so much time in making these pages come alive.

With warmest good wishes.

VE R E S

AND

OB EY

Peter Hamilton Headmaster Summer 2008

THE HABERDASHERS’ ASKE’S BOYS’ SCHOOL 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 2

BAINES design & print 01707 876555 Printed on environmentally friendly paper A31822

Cover Photograph - Lunchtime in the Art Studio.

HABS is an incredibly exciting and uplifting place to be. From the Pre-Prep and the Prep right through to the Main School we are lucky to be nurturing some of the brightest and most talented young minds in the UK and this is reflected in the insights, the articles and reports which illustrate fond memories of the year past written in that inimitable HABS style. Skylark (along with its termly sister publication, Skylight) captures the multiplicity of what happens at HABS in this very strong and supportive community; it reflects also our commitment to the fundamental principles of academic excellence and extra-curricular vitality.

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:27

Page 3

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

performing arts events trips originals features prep clubs and societies houses CCF/SCS sport common room

4 15 27 38 56 68 77 88 95 104 119

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:27

Page 4

Performing Arts

4

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:27

Page 5

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

Grimm Tales - Junior School Play Performed with energy, pace and a keen sense of wit, this year’s Junior School play proved a triumphant example of theatrein-the-round, engaging and mesmerising its audiences across three nights in May. The production of Carol Ann Duffy and Tim Supple’s adaptation of Grimm Tales consisted of six segments, each taking us into a world of enchantment, folklore and darker subtexts.

“Little Red Cap”, the first of the tales to be performed, saw a vigorous and sinister performance from Eliot Cohen as the Wolf, not to be outdone by the innocence and gullibility of Little Red Cap and the Grandmother, convincingly played by Charlotte Samuelson and Tom Senior respectively. The staging of the spectacle of Little Red Cap and her Grandmother bursting from the Wolf’s belly somehow managed the feat of being both horrifying and aesthetically pleasing to behold – a result of the superb direction of Mrs Morris-Wolffe and Miss Heinen (with first-class assistance from Matthew Cowen, Alex Sherr and Alex Woolf), as well as the use of the stage and lighting.

Following the dark undertones of “Little Red Cap”, “The Musicians of Bremen” afforded a lighter touch. A tale of four animals coming together, each fleeing adversity in the form of their tyrannical masters and eventually settling in a house they decide to make their own, the cast’s interpretations of the roles allowed for each individual performance to shine. Rufus McAlister gave an accomplished and sympathetic performance as the seemingly bumbling Donkey whilst the performances of Sam Kempner, Anand Patel and Eliot Cohen as the Dog, the Cat and the Cockerel were similarly both comic and touching. They were complemented by the suitably stealthy Scott Waissel and Rikhil Rughani as the Robbers.

Again, the staging of the tale was to be applauded: the way in which our actors circled their way around not only worked on a literal level, in terms of the animals journeying their way towards Bremen, but also as a tension-building device, invoking the audience’s sympathies and heightening expectation of what was to come.

The skilful direction and the sole prop, the spinning wheel, in “Rumpelstilstkin” enabled the audience to immerse themselves in a variety of settings and contexts. Being inthe-round also provided the opportunity for the cast, at the point in the tale when the young Queen (Higson) invites her messengers to seek an answer to Rumpelstilstkin’s conundrum, to break from the fictional confines of the tale and engage with the audience.

This served to foreshadow the narrative crux of the ensuing tale, appropriately entitled “A Riddling Tale” and performed with graceful simplicity by Rufus McAlister as the Husband, Madee Higson as his Wife and Rebecca Heitlinger and Charlotte Samuelson as her fellow Flowers, complemented by Alfie Bambaji and Josh Zietcer as narrators, amongst others. With an interval dividing the tale in half, two defining traits of the production came to the fore: audience participation, inviting guests to speculate on how the Husband had identified his Wife amongst the three Flowers (it was noted that many an audience member was ruminating thoughtfully over their beverage), and wit, with in-jokes about the

prize up-for-grabs, alluding to the tight production budget – and actually belying the actual cost of the production, it has to be said!

If any more proof were needed that this was a production notable for its versatility and range, the initially dark nuances of “Hansel and Gretel” provided a striking contrast with “A

The versatility of the cast shone throughout the production and Anand Patel’s transition from a wily cat in “The Musicians of Bremen” to the brooding Rumpelstilstkin, the third tale in the sequence, was a case in point. Delivering this latter part with great zest and a dramatic range extending from guile to fury upon learning of the Queen’s discovery of his identity, Patel was well supported by his fellow cast members – Joseph Fraser, Tom Senior, Madee Higson and Loïc Desplanques.

5

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

Riddling Tale”. The way in which the abandonment of the young protagonists (Nick Royce and Rebecca Heitlinger) at the hands of their parents (Eliot Cohen and Madee Higson) was accentuated marked this shift in tone following the interval. The cast pulled off their performance with verve and conviction; Royce’s resourceful Hansel and Higson’s chillingly cold mother being of particular note.

The tale’s denouement also saw a deliciously venomous performance from Higson as the cannibalising Witch, before a touching reunion between the Father and his children.

A further shift from the intense drama of “Hansel and Gretel” to the upbeat comedy of “The Golden Goose”, shaped the final part of the production. As Dummling, Joseph Fraser invoked our sympathy in being made an outcast by his family, as well as much laughter as the eventual Goose-bearer. Inspired use of the production space was again evident, with Dummling and his Goose pursued by a train of characters, played by Scott Waissel, Anand Patel, Adam Nash, Danny Wiser, Loïc Desplanques and Charlotte Samuelson.

Dummling’s marriage to the Princess and a lively folkdance rounded off a superb evening of entertainment in the Drama Studio. Steeped in originality, Mrs Morris-Wolffe and Miss Heinen’s production offered a refreshing take on familiar narratives. The cast clearly enjoyed the opportunity of working together and rose to the challenge of performing in-the-round with great aplomb. No review of this production would be complete without also acknowledging the efforts of the crew, including Simone Jones’ exquisite costumes and the excellent work on the set and props, courtesy of Hugh Silver, Miss Bird, the SCS Props Group and Mr Cox. The chilling, enchanting and enduringly atmospheric music composed and performed

by Bruno Heinen, with Leslie Boulin Raulet on the violin, complemented the cast’s performances perfectly. In sum, Grimm Tales was fast-paced, diverse and enthralling in every respect: the audience’s hearty applause for cast and crew at the end of each evening’s performance was most thoroughly deserved.

T-S Li

6

29/10/08

15:27

Page 6

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:27

Page 7

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

Sweeney Todd - Middle School Play The scene that greeted the audience on entry set the mood of the evening. The dimly lit stage, backed by the nightmarish silhouette of an industrial skyline and accompanied by an unsettlingly quiet melody prepared us for the chilling performance which was to come.

The characters were brought to life wonderfully by the fine cast. Richard Breislin’s Tobias Ragg was notable for his killing of Todd in a wonderfully ironic twist, contrasted to the previous devotion Ragg bore to Todd. Breislin’s performance gave a heart-breaking quality to this conclusion by the slip into madness that the boy had suffered in the cavernous cellars.

His reversion to childishness and pathetic recitation of nursery rhymes in the final scene, gave a darkly haunting quality to the events.

His eventual exit, being dragged away under guard, was thus rendered even more tragic.

James Colenutt’s Anthony Hope offered a heroic simplicity that stood out as a ray of light and goodness in the play. Colenutt provided a much needed heroism, presenting a character that we could truly sympathise with and actually like. In so doing, Colenutt as Hope was the one in whom we invested much of our emotion.

Sam Skalla as Judge Turpin offered an almost James Bond-like suavity to the character that made him even more detestable. The haughty manner with which Skalla delivered his lines and the eternally complacent expression effectively portrayed Turpin as the villain. Whilst

Cast Sweeney Todd: Anthony Hope: Beadle: Judge Turpin: Tobias Ragg: Mrs Lovett: Beggar Woman: Johanna: Alfredo Pirelli: “The Human Bear”: Jonas Fogg / Watch:

Arnie Birss James Colenutt Oliver Goldstein Sam Skalla Richard Breislin Jack Finger James Hoenig Henry Griffin Akshay Karia Harry Krais Ed Moores

Director: Jeremy Cox Assistant Directors: Alex Sherr, Matt Cowen Alex Woolf and Dawn Morris-Wolffe Deputy Stage manager / Set Design: Hugh Silver Assistant Stage Manager: Jack Talboys Lighting Operator: Ashley Talai Costumes By: Simone Jones Assistant stage managers: Matthew Cowen and Alex Sherr.

Props and body parts: Lynne Bird, Lucy Jay and SCS Props Group Bald Caps by: Josh Green, Max Herbert and Niall Moore.

Set construction: SCS Stage Crew.

not a killer himself, he was certainly not a sympathetic character.

Jack Finger as Mrs Lovett offered a refreshing wit to the dark proceedings that assisted in making the performance far more humorous to the audience. The poor, love struck pie-maker, whose only want was Sweeney Todd and a cottage by the sea, was effectively portrayed by Finger who used comic pauses and timing to add poignancy in a humorous manner to virtually every line.

The entire cast formed a tight group and provided a wonderfully vibrant collection of characters. Oliver Goldstein’s Beadle was menacing and by his proximity to and communication with the audience, really displayed Beadle as a dominating totalitarian bully. James Hoenig as the Beggar Woman offered a frighteningly mysterious character that resembled the “Woman in Black” with unnerving results. Henry Griffin’s Johanna offered a wonderful display of innocence that really made one sympathise with the abuse that she suffered throughout.

Akshay Karia as Pirelli displayed a wonderfully extravagant swindler, whose successful transformation to common crook made the character hilariously ridiculous. Harry Krais as the Human Bear offered a sad, tragic figure whose interplay during the final scene brilliantly countered Birss’ Todd, as this former showman attempted to take on the fiendish machinations of Todd. Edward Moores as Jonas Fogg portrayed the most terrifying character in the play. Moores played the role with a sense of realism that made the character completely horrifying.

Arnot Birss in the title role gave a fantastically menacing performance as the “Demon Barber”. The graceful movements and flicks of his razor displayed the devilish pleasure that Todd eventually finds in the form of his revenge. The emotive gestures and mannerisms that Birss used, contrasted to great effect with the more restrained characters, really bringing the history of Todd’s exile to the fore and making the character strikingly realistic. The unassuming grace employed by Birss contrasted with the violent, disturbed mindset of the character. This brought a devastating tragedy to the character of Todd and in his death he became almost vindicated of his crimes, acquiring the role of a tragically fallen hero.

I felt that the production was hugely successful. The understated design brought a gloom to the proceedings perfectly complimenting the action on stage. The technical work of Hugh Silver and his team gave a terribly sombre feel to the piece through the sparing use of light and nightmarish set. Mr Cox’s direction brought the characters to a tragic reality and ultimately made the piece extremely poignant. It was a truly wonderful production and also brought a welcome touch of the macabre to the history of theatre productions at HABS. Johnny Parr L6

With very special thanks to Tim Norton, Nicki Heinen, The HABS Print room, Eric Johnson, Chartwells catering, Matt Earnshaw and Tom Haniff.

7

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:27

Page 8

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

The Front Page - Senior School Play The Senior Play is always a highlight of the Christmas Term. We have been treated to some outstanding productions in recent years and we were not to be disappointed by this beautifully set and ferociously paced performance of “The Front Page”, written by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. This colourful evocation of hard-nosed journalism and political corruption surrounding the trial of Earl Williams in 1920’s Chicago is extremely difficult to pull off without a cast which is confident in handling the rapid exchanges required. As the majority of the show is dominated by the nine reporters and their nine telephones running red hot with news stories, the potential for chaos is high but it is to the great credit of the cast and their director, Mr Norton, that the action was never less than utterly convincing.

Matt Slavin drove the hard-bitten element of the pack whilst Channon Zhanghaza and Michael Bentley brought a more musical pitch and perspective. Arnie Birss provided the wisdom in his elder statesman role and all of the newshounds turned upon the exotic Adam Hartnell in his perfumed splendour. The actors succeeded in giving us a cross between the press club and a locker room for the jocks only.

Even the hour of the execution was made to seem inconvenient by these guys’ insouciance!

Into this den came wives, girlfriends and mother-in laws at their peril. The breezy Hildy Johnson, played with confident, charming brashness by Alex Petrides, raised the energy of the play by the sheer joy with which he announced that he was off to an adman’s job in New York. With a promise of devotion to his fiancée, he showed it was possible to have a life beyond the press but would he be able to resist the lure of a great story or even break free of the influence of Walter Burns, his tyrannical editor? Alex Woolf, in the role of Burns, had several outstanding moments as the seemingly omnipotent newspaperman with a shrewd understanding of his charges.

There were moments of rich theatrical enjoyment in this production. The wonderful barbershop scene with the lovely cleaner, Jenny, played by Charlie Baker, was a splendid counterpoint to the rapid-fire dialogue of the opening scenes. The games of poker, or betting tips, punctuated with commentary on people’s ruined lives, revealed in-jokes and punch lines.

A brilliant ending to Act One saw gunshots, broken glass and the chaos accompanying the escape of the convict.

We were impressed from the start by the wonderfully constructed set, replete with nicotine-stained ceiling, the sounds of jazz clarinet and piano and the period detail of magazines and posters. The hawking newspaper boys and artfully projected front page illumination combined to lead us into the real centre of the play, the newsroom of the Criminal Courts Building in Chicago, where reporters first appeared lounging on chairs, thumbing playing cards or idly answering their telephones whilst waiting on the “news”.

This was magnificent ensemble playing by the cast of reporters waiting overnight for the imminent hanging of Earl Williams, convicted of killing a black policeman. Despite the gravity of the background the reporters conveyed a brilliantly callous sense of what was worth their interest, or not, in a way that reminded all of us of the intrusions and caprice of the modern media. Pain, death, family bereavement, topical filler or robbery; it did not matter as the newsmen filled the stage with wisecracks, humour, titillation and sheer bravado. The repartee crackled. Josh Green, Neil Joseph and

8

Act Two opened with the resulting detritus of this pandemonium and it was amazing to see how the attention of the newsmen was riveted to the hunger for copy. Stories needed filling and the lure of the big scoop was never more apparent. Awkward moments for Hildy as he faced the laconic drawl of his impressive mother-in-law played by Morgan Kainth, and tried to keep his Peggy (Emily Canfor-Dumas) sweet. Domestic details aside, the introduction of a number of colourful characters opened up the intrigue for the audience. Adem Aljo played the Mayor with splendid B-movie matinee idol

posturing and Sagar Gupta’s Sheriff grew progressively more heated and facially expressive as it became clear that shenanigans were being uncovered. Ben Ashenden gave us a wonderfully poised but slow-talking gangster in Diamond Louis. Williams’ death was to be set against the political backdrop of a “red tide” rising and his execution was imperative as a vote winner! The perversion of the legal process was summed up in the line, “a man’s life is a bargaining chip”.

Earl Williams was superbly played, through the exhaustion of glandular fever, by Eliot Ross. His entrance and subsequent concealment in the roll-top desk was both farcical and ironic as it centred all of the attention on the proximity of the quarry to the baying press pack. Daisy Walker’s Molly Malloy was endearing as she protected her man. Surrounded by newswolves, she trembled like a lamb at the fear of Earl’s discovery and made the ultimate sacrifice by jumping from the window to divert the attention. These were just some of the many highlights of this play and excellent supporting performances from Sam Skalla and Niall Moore provided cameos of high quality as the plot was filled out and we moved towards the deal-making and possible reprieve. There was even the Jean-Paul Gaultier matelot, Nikesh Patel, making a slick appearance as a removal man!

Above all, this was another demonstration of the exceptional capabilities of the Drama Department at Haberdashers’ and they are to be congratulated. An enormous amount of time, effort and ingenuity are invested over long rehearsal periods. The detail and care with which the play was mounted were a tribute to the Production Crew. Wonderful costumes by Simone Jones captured the fashions of the day and decorated the superb set design, a construction by Hugh Silver and his assistants.

Sound and lighting were subtle accompaniments to the action and were wellmanaged by Amal Mavani. With such a depth of talent and experience now working on all productions, we can look forward to more excellence in the future.

C Bass

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:27

Page 9

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

The Front Page - Behind the Scenes In the theatre, simplicity on stage is often the most difficult to achieve. The naturalistic interior of a 1930’s American newspaper office provided quite a challenge to recreate on stage, but with a hard-working and dedicated stage crew, it would prove to be a challenge well within our reaches.

As far back as September work began, with Hugh Silver, the school’s talented technician, starting to build some of the set required.

Before long, the HABS Drama department had travelled back to the 1930s, with a vast range of props from the period appearing in various places around the school. Reporters’ notebooks, vintage typewriters and period phones all replaced the bloody heads and spears left over from last year’s gruesome “Macbeth”. By late October, the set was well on its way to being built and Hugh Silver, assisted by Tom Solomons and George Bach, spent every spare minute sawing, drilling and gluing.

Weekends were a now a thing of the past for the stage crew with most of us giving up our Sundays for rehearsal and some so committed as to come in and help build the set on Saturday as well. Praise must go to Neil Joseph and Alex Woolf who, despite both having lead roles in the play, found time between rehearsals to assist in the building of the set over weekends and after school.

Meanwhile Amal Mavani, the Stage Manager was in his element. He was present at almost every rehearsal and, assisted by Matt Cowen the stage was prepared and lines were prompted time after time.

As 27th November loomed ever closer, the pressure started to increase for cast and crew alike. Every minute was needed to ensure that the set was prepared and that everybody knew what they were doing. Mr Norton demanded perfection and this meant staying well after school hours, sometimes until nine o’clock during the week. Despite the immense effort by the whole company, we still ended up being a day behind schedule just a few days before the first performance. Mr Norton began his countdown, informing us that we had just “72 hours left” before we were due to open.

With the first performance on Tuesday evening, the stage crew worked tirelessly all weekend to ensure that everything was in place. On Monday morning, we had to start “teching” – integrating all of the lights and scene changes with the actors’ movements on stage. This was a long and dull process as it often is. Amal Mavani, as Stage Manager, had the demanding task of co-ordinating the sound and lighting elements. Philip Bagshaw was superb on sound, being well prepared in advance and always playing the right cues at the right time. Matt Anisfeld on lights, worked tirelessly, so much so that we actually managed to tech the whole play in just one day, a quite remarkable achievement.

However, things took a turn for the worse when during the final dress rehearsal, the two key protagonists, Alex Woolf and Alex Petrides, were handcuffed together during a pivotal scene in the play.

unenviable position of no longer having our two lead actors as separate entities. After 45 minutes of polite and composed inquiries as to the location of the key, it was left for technician extraordinaire Hugh Silver to save the day and within two minutes, the handcuffs had been broken and the two Alexs were again free to continue with the scene.

With the opening night just one day away, Mr Norton was keen to remind us how we had “just 24 hours left to turn this around”. Time was against us so much that we couldn’t even fit in a full run through before Tuesday night. It was fitting therefore that, to the horror of Mr Norton, the whole company should be singing a quite beautiful rendition of “Let it be” just 22 hours before the play was due to open.

But, with a giant effort from everybody, it was “all right on the night” and the cast and crew put in a colossal performance. Of course a massive thank you must go to Mr Norton who gave his time, effort and talent to design and direct the play. The standard of the performances was outstanding and over the next four nights everyone seemed to get better and better. In the wings, Matt Cowen and Tom Solomons were being expertly guided by Amal’s calm and collected voice on the headphones, while Philip Bagshaw and Matt Anisfeld timed their sound and lighting cues respectively to perfection. In fact, it would not be inappropriate to say that “all’s swell that ends swell…”

Matt Cowen and Amal Mavani L6

Unfortunately no one had the foresight to check whether the key was around to unlock them. So with 25 hours left until the opening performance, we were in the rather

9

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:27

Page 10

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

Battle of the Bands Battle of the Bands is one of the most anticipated events of the school calendar, bringing together members of both the boys’ and girls’ schools to enjoy some great live music. Set over two days in February, it is a cultural and social highlight of the academic year, showcasing some great talent.

This year was no exception, with six bands taking the stage displaying their musical prowess and entertaining the packed Bourne Hall. The first day opened with a set from the upper sixth newcomers “Scott and the Heteros”, playing songs by David Bowie and the Pixies. They proved to be a technically able band but unfortunately the songs were somewhat lost on the unknowing crowd, and their final number had to be cut due to lack of time. This made way for the only lower sixth band, “The Panacea”. Containing two pupils, two ex-pupils, and one other, they adopted the name of “Stranger Danger” for the day, opening with a tight rendition of Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out”. They then launched into a song of their own composition, “Rockshow”, displaying fine guitar skills from Kavi Joshi and Adam Ludlow. They closed their set with the classic “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis, unfortunately marred by technical difficulties, but not taking anything away from their overall performance. Competition hosts Ben Ashenden and Josh Green then introduced the day’s headliners, “TBM”. They immediately grasped the audience’s attention with a superb performance of the Killers’ “Mr Brightside”, before relaxing the atmosphere with “Philosophy” by Ben Folds Five, displaying front man Peter Garside’s great vocal ability. The first day was closed with an upbeat performance of the well known “Fluorescent Adolescent” by Arctic Monkeys, with a comic cameo coming from Missagh Fini.

10

The second day of Battle of the Bands opened with a set from Year 11 band “Overdrive”. Combining two well-known Muse songs, they opened their set in style before a thumping performance of Metallica’s “Fade to Black”. The highlight of their set was the stunning guitar work of Kaz Ong, which really did steal the show. They preceeded the upper sixth band “Another Delivery”, who proved to be extremely daring in combining the Eagles’ “Hotel California” with Muse’s “Knights of Cydonia”. This was an interesting mix, showcasing the band’s musical expertise which has been evident in their previous song, “Into Oblivion” by Funeral for a Friend. The second day headliners “One Man Band” then took to the stage, with Robin Tuck opening with an outstanding drum solo. This was followed by a lively version of Mcfly’s “5 Colours in Her Hair”, and the Wombats’ “Moving to New York”. They finished their set with the popular Hoosiers song, “Worried about Ray”, displaying great stage presence with singer Alex Petrides’ vocals worthy of praise.

This left just enough time for the hosts to announce the winners of the competition, along with several other awards. Best Overall Band was awarded to TBM for their showmanship and brilliant talent, with Channon Zhangazha of the band picking up Best Musician. Best Guitarist went most deservedly to Kaz Ong for his outstanding dexterity; Best Bassist went to Tom Solomons for his wonderful display of skill and technique, Best Drummer went to Robin Tuck for his excellent drum solo and consistent playing, and finally Best Vocalist went to Alex Petrides. Overall this year’s Battle of the Bands proved to be a great success, showcasing some of HABS’ finest talent. With four of the six bands leaving the school this year, it provides an opportunity for the younger bands to develop and hopefully become as able as these six by next year.

Bring on Battle of the Bands 2009!

Kavi Joshi L6

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:27

Page 11

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

Wind Bands’ Concert Report As soon as the Big Band took to the stage and set the show alight, the audience knew they were in for another night showcasing our vast array of musical talent. Their rendition of Dom Menza’s very advanced “Groovin’ Hard” was delivered with precision and high quality, with a superb tenor saxophone solo from Sam Freeman. The Horn Quintet then continued the concert with a fine performance of Mechura’s “Andante con Moto” followed by Haydn’s “Divertimento” played by the newly established Senior Wind Quintet. A number of ensembles continued the first half, ranging from a jazz number by the Saxophone Ensemble, to Mancini’s “It Had Better Be Tonight”, played with panache by the Flute Choir. The half ended as well as it started with the Jazz Band taking to the stage to perform John Coltrane’s “Blue Train” and “All the Things You Are”.

The second half, which provided the audience with equal excitement, was kicked off by the Wind Sinfonia playing “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “La Cucarracha”. As the night wore on, the audience were kept interested with a number of performances from ensembles such as the Jazz Flute Ensemble and the Senior Brass Dectet, followed by the newly formed Year 11 Wind Ensemble. The culmination of the concert was Mr West’s Concert Band, first performing “Hamilton Blues”, composed by HABS’ own homegrown talent, Toby Young, followed by an arrangement of famous Dave Brubeck tunes called “It’s About Time”. Both were played with a superb level of musicianship and versatility. In between the pieces, were two well-deserved awards The Wesley Woodage Brass Prize went to Sam Rabinowitz, and the Woodwind Prize was shared between Greg Schey and Toby Young. It was a delightful end to what was a superb evening of talent, noise, energy, excitement and fun.

Sam Moodey L6

Guitar and Percussion Concert As usual, April marked the annual Haberdashers' Guitar and Percussion Concert. The evening was truly enjoyable and left all performers and spectators in high spirits.

Since joining the school this year, newly appointed guitar teacher Mr Woodhouse has made a marked difference to the guitar programme, shown clearly by the numerous ensembles, all performing to an exceptionally high standard. A particular highlight was “Around the World in Seven Minutes” by Colin Arenstein performed by the Year 8 Guitar Quartet. Guitar solos by Paavan Buddhdev and Daniel Gold heightened the virtuosic ambience present throughout the evening.

Resident percussion teacher Mr Beryl continues to produce percussionists of a remarkable quality.

Ishwar Mahesh has proceeded to stun audiences year after year and again wowed the audience with his technical and musical proficiency. A chance to bid a fond farewell was presented at the end of evening, where Mr Beryl thanked Duncan Jenkins, Michael Bentley and Lawrence Fisher amongst others for their years of service to the percussion life of the school.

Raphael Rosler L6

Autumn Concert The Autumn Concert is always the musical highlight of the term, and the 2007 concert proved to be no different. Philomusica opened the concert with a rousing rendition of the popular “Magnificent Seven” theme, ably conducted by Mr Bantock. The band showed great potential, and will undoubtedly be the key elements to a flourishing Symphony Orchestra in the next few years. They were followed by the relatively new Saxophone Ensemble, under the guidance of Ms Harvey. Two pieces were enough to showcase their talent, contrasting a peaceful, rather minimalist “Water Colours”, with a more high tempo, jazzy number called “Strut Your Stuff”. Next up was the Chamber Choir with the Rutter piece “Down by the Riverside”, accompanied by James Rose on the piano, who performed with precision. The Percussion Ensemble then followed with two pieces. The first being “Tequila”, which was performed with panache, helped by enthusiastic audience cries of “Tequila!”, and the second being the military-esque “Stick Beating”, to an equal standard, under the guidance of Mr Beryl. Ending the interval with a bang, were the Big Band, under the direction of Mr Simm. They performed the Miles Davis classic “Four”, with an excellent tenor saxophone solo from Sam Freeman, followed by the more mellow “A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square”. Parents were still humming along as they left their seats!

After some light nibbles and refreshments (clearly the best part of the evening!), the audience were welcomed back by Mr West’s Concert Band. They performed “Salute the Duke”, a dedication to the work of the legendary Duke Ellington, followed by “Dambusters March”, from the film of the 1950s. Both were played with an advanced level of maturity, showing off the band’s versatility. James Rose then followed with “The Jazz Grasshopper” (composed by himself) showing his potential and evidence of his “HABS Young Musician of the Year” title. Then, the moment for which all the year 7 boys (if they had not fallen asleep by now), had been waiting; the Year Seven Singers. They raised their voices together to perform “The Ash Grove” followed by a medley of classic songs ranging from Fiddler on the Roof to Mary Poppins, to the delight of the many proud parents and grandparents filling the hall. Finally, the Symphony Orchestra rounded off the evening with Elgar’s “Imperial March” and “Night on the Bare Mountain” by Mussorgsky. Both these proved a fitting end to an evening brimming with talent and variety, and thanks must go to the music staff, prefects and others who helped make the event run so smoothly.

Sam Moodey L6

11

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:27

Page 12

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

Summer Concert This year’s very emotional summer concert marked the end of an era for all musicians at HABS and is one that will not be forgotten for a very long time.

Mr West marked his final concert at HABS by conducting a band made up of almost every member of the school that could play a wind or brass instrument performing John Williams’ “Star Wars”. Mr West stole the spotlight again just before the interval when he sang “New York, New York”, putting Sinatra to shame, backed by the Big Band and conducted by Mr Simm. He received a standing ovation from every member of the

audience and will be sorely missed when he moves to Wales to take on his new job there.

Other acts included guitar, percussion, flute, string, wind and saxophone ensembles. Philomusica wowed the audience with their “Bounty Hunter Theme” and the Jazz Band entertained audience members on the quad during the interval.

The concert finished with two very patriotic tunes; the Radio 4 UK Theme (compromising of folk songs from all over Britain), and finally, Elgar’s famous “Pomp and Circumstance March No.1”.

Not only was the music exceptional, but every

member of the Symphony Orchestra was resplendent in at least one red, white or blue garment and Mr Muhley was brandishing his British themed socks. The audience, in true “Last Night of the Proms” style, were all given British flags and party poppers which finished the concert with a bang!

The atmosphere was fantastic from start to finish and really showed the school’s music at its finest.

Sam Freeman Year 11

Junior Concert The Junior Concert comprised a variety of superb acts. Mr Pritchard’s Jazz Band began the concert in a confident and stylish fashion, and we later went on to see several performances from years 610. This included the excellent guitar quartet, very well taught and conducted

by Mr Woodhouse, as well as the horn quartet, a bassoon duet, String Orchestra and the flute choir, performing Robbie William’s “Angels” conducted by Year 11 student Aaron Taylor. Mr West’s Wind Sinfonia finished off the concert in style.

This concert really showed what talent and potential the younger students of the school have. Thanks must go to the music teachers, who guide the boys along their way, and especially Mr West, Mr Simm, and Mr Muhley for organising the concert.

Akshay-Kishan Karia Year 9

12

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:27

Page 13

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

Handel’s Messiah

Orchestral Concert The Seldon Hall was filled on the cold evening of January 17th, 2008’s Orchestral Concert. Despite having just arrived back at school after the Christmas Holidays, there were many performers ready to take the stage. The evening began with the senior String Quartet (coached as ever by Mr Bantock), playing Dvorák’s “Waltz” with a sense of clarity that characterises great chamber music.

It was then the turn of three soloists to impress; Parav Pandya performed two movements from Telemann’s 1st violin sonata, Euan Au played the Allegro from Vivaldi’s second violin sonata, and the double bass’ solo potential was displayed in Dominic Lui’s performance of Waud’s “Novelette”.

The first half closed with another two string quartets. The first played a pair of Rondeaux by Purcell, from his pieces “Abdelazer” and the “Fairy Queen”. The second, comprising string players from the Junior School, and coached by Ms Worn, gave us Nelson’s variations on “Early One Morning.”

Refreshed after returning from the interval, the audience was treated to a powerful “James Bond Medley” from the Philomusica, under the baton of Mr Bantock, a timeless piece enjoyed by all. The evening was brought to a close by the Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Mr Gee. All eyes were on Thomas Flint for his dazzling solo part in the Finale from the ever-popular “G minor Violin Concerto” by Max Bruch, which he, and the orchestra, played with real flair. Indeed, Thomas’ contribution to school string music was then recognised as he, Martin Cheung and Anthony Ko, all from the Upper Sixth, jointly received the Sheila Watson prize for string playing. Hoping to finish the concert in style, the orchestra closed with Bizet’s “L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2”, which features both delicate wind and brass solos, and the magnificence of a full orchestra. Performers and the audience all left in high spirits.

Aaron Taylor Year 11

The 20th March was undoubtedly the highlight of the musical year at HABS, with a rousing rendition of Handel’s Messiah performed by the Choir and Symphony Orchestra. The rafters of the Bourne Hall roof were distinctly worse for wear after a choir of 190, orchestra, harpsichord, organ and four soloists sang and played with great passion (and volume!). Other staff working on site reported hearing the music resounding around the Quad outside, such was the projection of sound achieved by the boys, parents and staff taking part. The performance was leant more poignancy given that 250 years before the concert, almost to the day, Handel was himself conducting a performance of his extremely well-known oratorio, at the Foundling Hospital in London. He would have been proud of the HABS singers and instrumentalists, who produced a superb, vibrant performance, worthy of its standing ovation. The months of hard work, rehearsals and dedication finally paid off as the performers went through all three parts of one of the world’s best known musical works, both within and without the choral genre. Huge thanks must go to all the music staff who trained the performers to such high standards, Mr Muhley for conducting the Choir and Orchestra, and Mr West who trained the Prep Choir. The evening also raised a total of £685 for CORAM, the very same organisation that Handel himself supported by conducting the Messiah in aid of orphans in London. The donation will go towards helping boys and young men who live in difficult circumstances around the UK. Sam Moodey L6

Concert Band National Festival of Music for Youth The members of the Concert Band arrived at school in surprisingly high spirits on Friday 11th June, given that it was 7:00 am, just two days into the Summer Holidays. They were heading to Birmingham, for the Finals of the National Festival of Music for Youth.

After a long but entertaining journey, the band members reached the prestigious Symphony Hall, where they joined seven other School Wind Bands in the practice rooms. In reality, the warmup time was an opportunity to sample the local

cafés, before a quick tune-up, and followed by a last-minute change to one of the pieces from the band’s conductor, Mr West.

The small audience was nevertheless receptive to the first piece, the medley of Dave Brubeck hits, “It’s About Time”. The ever-popular “Take Five” went down well, and the judges enjoyed the rhythmic playing, though they commented on the occasional tendency to slip out of time in the challenging 7/4 passages. The second piece was the aptly named “Hamilton Blues,” a composition by band bassoonist Toby Young, which the judges said was “well-scored.”

The programme closed with the band’s signature piece, “The Stripper”. Though it was felt that a greater dynamic range could have been displayed, the audience enjoyed the bright sound, which filled the Symphony Hall, bringing the performance to an exciting end. The day marked the final performance of the Concert Band in England with Mr West as Conductor. A song-filled coach journey back to school brought a fun day to an end.

Aaron Taylor Year 11

13

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:28

Page 14

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

Lunchtime Live

This year’s Lunchtime Live concerts have been as varied and as enthralling as ever. The audiences (often reaching double figures!) have been entertained with a variety of performances from Bach to Bernstein, via almost every other genre imaginable. Special thanks must go to Mr West who has organised each concert, and who has lent a helping hand to all performers.

9th October The first lunchtime performance of the year was a recital given by AS and A2 Level musicians. We were treated to four solos from varying genres, but of consistent high quality. Sam Moodey started off the concert with a saxophone solo, ably followed

by Yong-Soo Park on violin and a bassoon solo by Toby Young. The concert was rounded by off by a superb piano performance by Raphael Rosler.

23rd October “Unplugged” provided fabulous entertainment.

Organised by sixth formers, it featured acoustic and semi-acoustic performances of the work of familiar artists from Michael Bublé to Gavin DeGraw. The programme was given added spice with the "open mic" slot, which resulted in a truly memorable operatic performance from Joel Ross, which left us astounded.

20th November This lunchtime we heard a variety of performances from pianists and wind players. There were representatives from the Prep, Junior and Middle Schools and from the Sixth Form as well. The Year 5 Chamber Wind Ensemble enchanted us with an assured performance to conclude events.

27th November With the Associated Board examinations approaching, today was an opportunity for some of the entrants to rehearse their repertoire under the pressure of a live performance with an audience. Every piece was played to a high standard, combining accuracy, maturity and poise.

14

15th January We were treated to a stylish and memorable performance of Schumann’s magnificent song cycle “Dichterliebe” by two members of the Senior Management Team.

Mr Byrne (Assistant Head – Director of Teaching) sang the German songs by heart, accompanied by Mr Parr (Head of Sixth Form) on the piano. There was enthusiastic support from a large contingent of sixth formers, who appreciated the delicious irony of Schumann's musical settings of Heine's texts.

22nd January Our number was swelled by a sizeable contingent from the Girls’ School as we enjoyed “Guitars Galore”. We witnessed solo and ensemble performances from both seasoned performers and relative novices, though all performed with confidence and expertise.

29th January The Seldon Hall was filled not just by us, but also by a jazzy atmosphere as Handel and Haydn made way for more contemporary composers. We were treated to some Einaudi, his trademark Alberti bass patterns played with great assurance, and the Clarinet Choir performed “My Heart Will Go On” with passion. Other pianists performed blues and jazz pieces with evident enjoyment.

The Jazz Band rounded things off, under the direction of Malcolm Pritchard, offering up “Route 66”, “Blue Train” and “All The Things You Are”; a performance relished as much by the instrumentalists as by us.

5th February This lunchtime saw a showcase of HABS outstanding wind and brass ensembles. We listened to an extremely high standard of performances from Prep woodwind players, a GCSE woodwind quartet and a French Horn Quartet.

The Audience

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:28

Page 15

Events

15

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:28

Page 16

Skylark 2008 Events

Adam Smith Institute Talk On 17th June, Dr Madsen Pirie, President of the Adam Smith Institute, came to talk to the schools’ budding lower sixth economists.

The Adam Smith Institute is a free market think tank which has influenced many Government policies over the years. It was formed in 1977, named after the father of modern economics, Adam Smith. To quote Dr Pirie, “We propose things which people regard as being on the edge of lunacy. The next thing you know, they're on the edge of policy”. This was an excellent opportunity to learn from an Institute that was the pioneer of privatisation during the Thatcher years. The purpose of Dr Pirie’s speech was to dispel myths regarding the economy and economic growth, topics of hot debate in the current global economic climate.

Notably, Dr Pirie said that economic growth was very resilient, and could occur in a vast array of circumstances, but not in regions that currently suffered from genocide or corruption (or, apparently, socialism). In addition, Dr Pirie explained that the world’s resources were not running out, but in fact growing. He also put forward the Institute’s favoured income tax policies, which was met with popular approval from the audience. A laissez-faire think tank’s ideas were always going to prove contentious for revolutionary HABS boys and this proved to be true in part, as several questions were put forward which provided healthy debate. All in all, Dr Pirie’s visit proved to be an extremely worthwhile experience for the students, broadening our perceptions and informing us of a more practical way of approaching economics.

Apratim Gautam L6

Healthy Eating Day On Tuesday 5th March, if one had glanced into the Aske Hall at any given time of the day, that person would have been greeted with a strange sight. A miniature kitchen had been erected, and swarming around it were hungry, excited year 8 pupils. After an assembly on the topic of healthy eating, run by the resident team of chefs and dieticians from Chartwells, and also by our very own head chef was greeted enthusiastically by all the boys. Two forms at a time were herded into the Aske Hall for an interactive healthy eating experience. It was illustrated that vegetables can be exceedingly tasty (though many of us are still not convinced!) and even stylishly presented, through the simple medium of cooking for us then letting us taste! We were taught how to “taste” a drink in the correct manner, in effect by gurgling it, which resulted in a great volume of stained shirts, as the two exotic drinks that were concocted for us were carrot and ginger juice and beetroot juice, both having garish (natural) colours. It was a great event, with good food, amusing chefs and “interesting” drinks, and it changed many views on fruit and vegetables, and indeed healthy eating itself, in Year 8.

Jacob Rabinowitz Year 8

Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party On the 9th December, the Girls’ School hosted the annual Christmas Party for senior citizens helped by many volunteers from the Boys’ School. As always, the event turned out to be successful, with everyone having an enjoyable time. The decorations were excellent with lights, stars, tinsel and Christmas trees throughout the Prevett Hall, and all through the event, the committee on both sides of the “Black Gates” were there to make it the best Christmas Party ever. With a large input from both the boys’ and girls’ committee, there managed to be a huge range of entertainment and plenty for the senior citizens to do.

Our aim was to give the senior citizens a fun day out to celebrate Christmas, and they could partake in anything from bingo to

16

Christmas quizzes, to singing and dancing!

With an amazing selection of talent including the Girls’ Jazz Band, James Rose’s Jazz piano and Christmas Carols from Raphael Rosler, this all became possible. The food was delicious with cakes, biscuits, and mince pies being provided. During the party, all the guests were singing, dancing and enjoying themselves, whilst the volunteers joined in as well.

After many hours of gift wrapping, table setting and planning, the entire event fell into place with everything going smoothly. It seemed as though no one wanted it to end, because, thanks to all the participants every single person had a great time.

Many thanks must go to Mrs Gomez and Mrs McKenzie, the Boys’ and Girls’ School

Committee, the volunteers, and the Girls’ School teachers. We will be looking forward to the next Christmas Party, and hope that it will be an even greater success.

Josh Michaels L6

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:28

Page 17

Skylark 2008 Events

History Quiz Who was the first King of a united Italy? Who “climbed to the top of the greasy pole” of politics? Who died at Little Big Horn? It was questions such as these that separated the wheat from the chaff at the History Quiz. Fuelled by fizzy orange juice, the teams’ lust for glory and honour led to contestants delving to the very roots of their factual knowledge, to unearth the gems of historical wisdom required. The quiz consisted of six rounds each with a theme that catered for every skill, requiring dates, names, places, quotes and numbers.

Art and Ceramics’ Exhibition Private View The Private View of the GCSE, AS and A Level Art and Ceramics Exhibition was held on the evening of Thursday 22nd May. Over 100 parents, pupils, staff and guests enjoyed a visual feast of creative work in the Bourne Hall.

Guest speaker, and practising artist, Richard Corbett (OH), was generous in his praise for the artistic endeavours of our pupils and encouraged those boys taking the A2 course to continue to explore and enjoy their art beyond school. Richard gave prizes at GCSE level to Josh Rose and Keyur Gudka for Ceramics, to Toshin Oshinyemi for Sculpture, to Andrew Specter for drawing, to Daiyaan Ghani for painting, to Tom Ough and Daniel Lehmann for Printmaking and to Peter Sienkowski for Photography. At AS Level, Michael Moore was awarded the Painting prize and Michael Hollins the prize for Sculpture. At A level, Neil Justice and Sam Pinner both won awards for a series of imaginative, sustained and highly personal works.

S Todhunter

European Youth Parliament The competition started to pick up momentum as the teams were spurred on by the splenetic juices of competition. This history quiz, conducted with the gravitas of a historical battle, was not for the faint-hearted and some teams began to fall back under a barrage of questions on 15th Century British Monarchs and a sudden shortage of biscuity snacks, with some even resorting to hiding under the table. However, from amongst the carnage emerged “The Serfs”, a team led by Justin Richardson and Rob Ingham Clark, who, laughing in the face of the questions and toasting the tears of their rivals, went on to achieve victory, much to their opponents’ dismay. A great time was had by all and thanks go from the History Committee to all who attended and in particular to Alexi Gerolemou, Sam Moodey and Dr Sloan for organising the event.

Charles Reith L6

DT Exhibition The Design Technology department were invited to have a display stand at the British Innovation and Technology Show at Alexandra Palace the week before half term. HABS was the only school to be represented at this prestigious show as it is largely a showcase for entrepreneurs to exhibit their inventions. Miles Kaye was awarded a gold medal and the title of “Young Innovator of the Year Award” for his GCSE Water Ski stand. Sam McPhail achieved a silver medal for his AS project – a collapsible canoe paddle – and Basil Letts attained a bronze medal for his GCSE project – a snooker seat and stand.

Two teams of eight, comprising of equal numbers from the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools, were taken to compete in the Regional Section of the European Youth Parliament; an event, coordinated by Mr Reid, which took place in the Locarno Rooms of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Whitehall.

The intention of the day was to debate various prearranged topics, ranging from environmental to economic issues, and it proved to be an excellent opportunity to explore the EU in great depth. Unfortunately, however, we were placed in the same debating chamber thus removing the possibility of both teams being able to advance to the National Session in Durham later in the year.

Despite the quality of the other competitors, both teams managed to excel in the forum, dominating the debate as much as possible.

During the numerous recesses we were treated to coffee, biscuits and a selection of sandwiches to supplement our hard work. At the end of the debate, after a short judging break, one HABS team was awarded victory whilst the other just missed out and achieved a narrow second.

The winning team of Julian Parmar, Arrash Yassaee, Luke Tullo and Ben Dive were rewarded with a trip to the National Session in Durham, where HABS unfortunately failed to advance to the Inter-National Session.

Sameer Agrawal L6

N Holmes

17

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:28

Page 18

Skylark 2008 Events

INTER-SCHOOLS’

DRAGONS’ DEN This year’s Dragons’ Den saw 4 teams pitch their ideas to three external “Dragons”. The team with the idea that most impressed the Dragons would win the cash prize of £100.

The first team to share their idea was the team from North London Collegiate School. The team, known as “Jinks”, proposed to tackle the problem of being unable to carry more than two mugs or cups of a drink. Their concept focussed on a linking system between the mugs, which meant that up to six mugs could be carried at one time, by one person, without the need for a tray. Despite a useful idea and good handling of the Dragons’ questions, Jinks crumbled under pressure from questioning from the audience as key design flaws were pointed out and the lack of a prototype meant they were unable to defend their design. This, coupled with a very long, over-detailed presentation, meant they failed to impress.

The second team to face the Dragons were “Like to Bike” from HABS Girls’. Their plan was to set up a bike rental service. Their presentation focussed on a bike rental scheme to be set up at Warwick University.

Their pitch, centred on the positive impact their idea would have on health and the environment greatly impressed the Dragons.

They were followed by the first team from HABS Boys’, “Posture”. The team consisted of Jonny Graham, James Tan, Daniel Greane and Mitchell Bayer-Goldman. Posture’s idea was to create a seat cushion

Junior School Disco

made from memory foam to improve posture for those spending all day at a desk, at school, in the office or at home. The judges were thoroughly impressed by the concept of the idea and the way in which it was presented by the boys. However, the absence of a prototype coupled with the team’s apparent “lack of ambition” hindered their effort.

The final team to pitch their idea was “Recycle”, the second team from HABS Boys’. Their idea, similar to “Like to Bike’s”, was a bicycle rental system. However, on a hot afternoon, their boring, incoherent presentation and less than impressive rental system impressed neither the Dragons nor the audience.

After a short break for refreshments, the Dragons came to their decision. Thanks to their clear, concise presentation and a very workable idea, “Like to Bike” were declared winners. The event proved to be a success, with a large turnout from students from HABS and even North London Collegiate girls coming to support their school’s team. Thanks must go to Mrs Shah for organising the whole competition, the Dragons for offering their considered judgement and valuable advice, the Economics Society for hosting the event and all four of the participating teams for creating such an interesting spectacle.

Kishan Patel L6

Former Head Teachers’ Tea Party

The Junior School Disco is the year’s most anticipated social event for the Year 7s and Year 8s, and this year’s disco was no exception. Though expectations were high, it exceeded all of them by a large margin.

In the words of one Year 7, “It was the best, and only party I’ve ever been to”.

18

On 22nd May, Year 7 had the pleasure of meeting their former primary school head teachers. First, we gathered in the Bourne Hall eagerly anticipating their arrival while we finished off the final preparations.

At the disco there was plenty of great food and a shocking supply of soft drinks. A professional DJ was hired for the night who played all our favourite songs; the great hits were brought out, including “The Macarena” and “I don’t feel like dancing”, as the young dancing kings and queens of tomorrow strutted their stuff on the dance floor. Naturally, everyone loved it. In the Bourne Hall there was a huge disco ball on the roof and the stage was packed with glo-sticks. It got hot at times, but luckily Sixth Formers were there to give us drinks which energised us to dance even harder. It was a great night and everyone enjoyed it immensely, but sadly it was school the next day so at the late hour of nine o’clock, we all had to leave to get some shut eye…

As word broke out that the teachers had arrived we all started buttoning up our shirts and tightening our ties! The teachers arrived anxious to see us and our progress.

After Mrs Bardou introduced them to the school, we assembled into our school groups waiting to be photographed together. Then our old teachers watched a short presentation on the school’s various achievements and ate some nibbles. In small groups, we then took them on a detailed tour of the school. The teachers were very impressed by us and the school. Some even wanted take back some of the ideas they saw to their primary schools!

We all loved the disco and want to thank Mrs Bardou and the Sixth Formers for organising it.

We all thoroughly enjoyed the tea party and we are grateful to Mrs Bardou for organising it.

Jack Lewy Year 7

Elliot Steene and Gavin Vine Year 7

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:28

Page 19

Skylark 2008 Events

London to Brighton Bike Ride

Perhaps the day was always going to be one to remember anyway, but when a passing pigeon chose to bless a rather unlucky Aadarsh with its own holy water, we knew it was going to be something special…

Bleary-eyed and with some complaint, nine boys from Mr Holmes’s DT set, the crème de la crème of the cycling world, met at the coach park on Sunday 15th June, eagerly anticipating the upcoming ride for the British Heart Foundation from London to Brighton, only 56 miles…The cold morning quickly gave way to blue skies, a cool breeze, and squabbling traffic, as we made our way down to Clapham Common in South London, with the bikes and one tandem strapped precariously to the sides of a trailer, made out of what seemed to be balsa wood.

Our start was scheduled for 8:30am but it was around 9:30am that the fellowship set off alongside the Hulk, Batman and Robin, and Professor McGonagall. Mr Holmes (as himself) and Mr Hamilton (as The Headmaster) put the group of younger riders to shame as they sped off into the distance, redefining how to look cool on bikes older than my greatgrandmother.

The course weaved its way through the South Downs, for what seemed an age, testing the riders’ capabilities as they encountered hills, ambulances, other cyclists, hills, cars, buses, hills, and people riding alongside you insistent on a harmless chat. Over 30,000 cyclists joined us on the way, ranging from the supremely serious, in legally dubious amounts of lycra, to those that seemed to prefer to push

their bikes rather than actually get on them.

A 20 minute break at the halfway mark allowed time for the heroes to compare battle scars, and death-defying escapes from other incompetent riders. We sat in the middle of the village square at Turners Hill with a silver band playing on the green – you could not have created a more perfect spectacle of middle England.

My cycling partner, Joe McCormick, and I were not looking forward to the climb up Ditchling Beacon – a one in four hill just four tantalising miles from Brighton. The situation was not made any better by the fact that our tandem had now only two gears that actually worked but we did our best and only had to push it halfway up the hill!

At five o’clock for most, or six o’clock for one or two, the entire group was stumbling around Brighton Pier like a bunch of bandy-legged cowboys. The imprint of the seat will remain for longer than it took some to move around without wincing. After a quick crêpe, and a short walk we were back in the minibus, sitting silently, too tired to speak.

The Headmaster

When we returned to HABS at 7:30pm, spirits were livened again, and the usual stream of senseless chatter and awful jokes resumed amongst the group, now bonded like brothers.

Each person has a collage of fond memories to take away, along with a good feeling that comes after completing a challenge that could just save someone’s life.

Joe Yarwood Year 10

19

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:28

Page 20

Skylark 2008 Events

Lord Macnally’s Visit One surprisingly sunny March morning, I left my French class early, as seemed often to be this case in this period. Telling Madame Swallow that “J’étais désolé”, but I had to see “some Lord bloke”, I scampered off to Aldenham House, via a mirror to pompously check I looked pristine in this ambassadorial role.

The “Lord bloke” was Lord McNally, and my flippant remark dealt a severe injustice to both the man himself, and the fact that I was by now an expert on him. Originally an advisor to James Callaghan, he became Head of the Political Office of 10 Downing Street when Callaghan became Prime Minister. This position meant that he met leaders and important figures from all over the world, including Ford, Carter, Kissinger, Breznev and Gromyko.

However he made a transfer in 1981, joining the newly created SDP, and, since supporting their merging with the Liberals in 1987, he has held a number of senior positions in the Liberal Democrats. At the moment he is Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. And, as part of a sort of visiting-youth-in-schools (or something like that) project, he was coming to HABS and I was to be part of the entertaining party. It was all very exciting.

I was the third to arrive, of a party of three Lower Sixth boys and a good few from the Upper Sixth. Brimming with questions to ask, I sat there without saying much at all, steadily making my way through the crisps on offer, and kindly taking on the task of passing them around to people. Perhaps I should have accepted some of the wine on offer from Mr

Parr, to destroy my inhibitions.

Anyhow, conversation from the teachers present dominated these early scenes, for which we were all ashamedly grateful, but in which Lord McNally presumably had not come to partake.

Luckily, we were soon called to lunch, which, from recollection, was an ambrosial piece of chicken followed by an equally divine desert. The fact that it was served by teachers, Mrs Pollock and Miss Bird, enhanced the taste infinitely. Now the conversation started to flow. Initially, for me, this was with Mr Lemprière, and we engaged in a fascinating discussion on “A Passage to India” and other AS Level-related wonders.

However, a rotation system was cleverly employed, meaning we all were given the opportunity of speaking to Lord McNally.

Cleverly working the system so that most of the eating had been done by the time I was placed by his side, I ended up in the third, and final, rotation, meaning there would be no distractions available and we could talk hard, uninterrupted politics. This time, the two other Lower Sixth boys, (Oliver Ilott and Samir Majithia) and I grasped the mettle with two very strong hands each and our (pre-prepared) questions came flowing naturally and spontaneously. Meagre queries on Callaghan and “all those amazing people you met” warmed us up, to be followed with the slightly more challenging, “Did he think the SDP had been a success?” Lord Macnally replied forcefully and persuasively that it had, as New

With 10 lucky students having been selected, we were soon off to revel in the grandeur of Haberdashers’ Hall in Farringdon - alongside 10 of the separately chosen Haberdashers’ Girls - where we were wined and dined, all the while hobnobbing with the crème of the City, allowing time for networking and informal questions. The next day we were put into one of ten groups, each consisting of a student from every Haberdashers’ school and all were ready to delve into a day of exploration and inquisition: for some this included a visit to the Bank Of England museum, for others the day consisted solely of a visit to the offices of their allocated financial institution, all of which were very impressive and appealed to everyone’s appreciation for wealth and success (the students forgave all signs of overt ostentation).

20

Sam Rabinowitz L6

Public Speaking

Monmouth Enterprise Initiative The autumn term brought with it the second annual opportunity for the Lower Sixth boys to partake in the prestigious Monmouth Enterprise Initiative. Whilst last year the boys were allocated to different Chartered Surveyors firms, this year HABS boys were offered work experience at a top International Bank.

Labour had effectively been founded based on the issues raised by the SDP. For me, this was refreshing – hearing a politician who, if he had stayed with Labour, would probably have ended up with powerful positions in government, but who was still delighted at his decision to leave, on the basis that British politics had benefited as a result. The conversation was now starting to get fascinating. Lord McNally was incredibly amiable, and he genuinely impressed me in a way that I never thought possible from one of his party. He also seemed far more realistic than your average Liberal “we are such a big party” Democrat, or at least he spoke more openly on the subject, and when I put to him my belief that the Lib Dems would never get anywhere, he gave a typically honest answer.

This was the striking thing about him – his stated and genuine aim was to get youngsters more interested in politics, with efforts to recruit voters for the Liberal Democrats coming a distant second. And this utterly unselfish desire to essentially improve our country was, for me at least, why his visit was an immense success, not only for the welcoming party but also the whole Upper Sixth, who were treated to a riveting speech by him afterwards.

The day as a whole provided a successful insight into life working in the City, as well as more opportunities for networking. The boys made the sort of contacts that one hopes would lead to securing work experience, and maybe even a career at one of the top Banks we visited, amongst them; Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan.

Inexperienced as we were, this unique opportunity provided for most a first taste of the financial mechanisms that keep the economy ticking, and sparked for many an intrigue which would flourish to become a fervent determination to secure a job in the City after university. Overall, this was an invaluable experience and one that comes highly recommended to next year’s Lower Sixth. Thanks must of course go to Mr Parr for organising our participation, and to Ms Pindoria, for her part in the organisation of the event and for escorting us to dinner at Haberdashers’ Hall.

Niall Moore L6

On 4th February, two teams participated in the Rotary Youth Speaks regional round. The intermediate team, comprising Akshay Kishen-Karia (Chair), Oliver Anisfeld (Speaker) and Zac Kay (Vote of Thanks), convincingly won the intermediate section (years 7-9) on the topic “Happiness is not a Laughing Matter”.

The Senior Team of Randal Cliff (Chair), Charlie Reith (Speaker) and Prashant Kukadia (Questioner) were runners up in the Senior section on the subject “Where have all the Heroes Gone?” with Randal being voted best Chairman.

On 5th February, the Year 11 team comprising Aaron Taylor (Chair), Hasan Dindjer (Speaker), and Freddie Fulton (Questioner) competed in the second round of the ESU competition and won the Hertfordshire title against very strong competition.

The team competed in the South East England Area final at Felsted School, but unfortunately failed to proceed to the National Final.

Akshay-Kishan Karia Year 7

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:28

Page 21

Skylark 2008 Events

Year 11 Physics in Action The Year 11 Physics in Action was eagerly anticipated well in advance of its occurrence on 22nd January.

The initial race to form teams was evidently part of the challenge; the evolution of teams was almost like transfer deadline day in the football season with players swapped and drafted in and out.

However, by 4.00 pm on 22nd January, twelve teams stood ready and waiting outside the Bourne Hall.

Last minute tactics were shared before the teams entered the arena to be met by the Physics department. The task, explained by Mr Fielder, was to use two ball bearings to switch on a bulb, with the distance between the starting position of the first ball bearing and the final location of the second differentiating between the successful teams.

The task seemed pretty tough considering there were only thirty minutes in which to complete it! We barely had time to munch the biscuits and drink the orange juice provided before racing into action creating solenoids, paper tunnels, plastic straw tracks and anything else we could think of. All of the teams worked positively and had something to show when the half an hour limit expired. Despite the endeavour of all twelve teams, only three successfully completed the whole task as stated. The winning team of Aaron Jesuthasan, James Glanville, Muhammad Gulamhusein, Christie Cooke and Mathew Powers-Freeling managed a distance of eight metres between the two balls.

I think it is fair to say that all sixty boys had a good time trying to solve this rather challenging task by applying concepts and ideas learnt over the year’s Physics course. Thanks must go to the Physics department for organising the competition which proved to be a great success with plenty of creativity and inventiveness shown throughout.

Manesh Mistry Year 11

Orator of the Year Orator of the Year rightfully ranks amongst the most prestigious intellectual pursuits in which the HABS Boy can hope to participate, and ultimately emerge from victorious. His analytical insight and skill in delivery will be witnessed, tested and rebutted before an audience; wit, confidence, charm and incisive logic must be employed – and all without the slightest air of pomposity. Public speaking is an art which has been practised through our history by great orators from Cicero to Obama, Martin Luther King to Nick Clegg. It was therefore encouraging to see such a consistently high standard of public speaking from this year’s finalists.

Having impressed during the preliminary stages with their reflections on an issue of their choice, the six worthy finalists of this year’s Orator gathered in the Aske hall on the penultimate day of term to deliver their carefully-considered speeches. The topic, “Romance is dead”, was one that allowed the finalists to ponder and discuss a number of different views and ideas, and all of the speeches revealed a great deal of thought given to analysis, humour and style.

Some speakers argued that the consumerism associated with modern society had turned true acts of romance into ritualistic gift-giving.

Indeed Joe Gaus, the main proponent of this idea, suggested the greeting card giant Clinton’s – among others - must be morally to blame for its role in corrupting our romantic instincts. Akshay KishanKaria argued that even seemingly elaborate acts of romance where also prey to this unconscious obsession with the material; simple gestures were far more sincere, but these had long been forgotten in a busy world. Zac Kay’s position was that the distinction between love and romance, although nuanced, was an important one. Although he saw a loss of romance, it was less clear whether this was the characteristic of a society without love, or just of one that was shy of showing it. Oliver Anisfeld succeeded in building an instantly strong rapport with his audience; while keeping us laughing, he managed to expound his ideas of how the word “romance” itself actually related to his family and thus how he was the most romantic speaker!

Guy Lewy was voted runner up by the judges for his engaging speech about why romance was not dead in so far as people actually cared more about their love lives. Even if divorce rates were up, this was a sign not of dysfunctional marriages, but of more discerning lovers.

People everywhere genuinely thought they had a soul mate whom they were destined to find. Lurid tabloid covers of “Posh and Becks” and various other inane celebrity couples highlighted, very simply, the true love people believed they had found, and the pride they took in advertising it to the world. Guy’s conversational tone and vivid use of humour and example made him worthy of second place.

This year’s deserved winner of Orator of the Year was Ameya Tripathi, whose emotional delivery and exceptionally well-argued and perceptive ideas ensured that he stood out as the clear victor. Ameya chose to tackle numerous features of our changing values and technologies and discuss their impact on the way we express romance. He challenged the audience to think about the ways in which computers had changed romance, and argued, amongst other things, that prohibition in America had resulted in a romantic age, and that gender equality had blurred the roles men and women once occupied in the chivalrous romance of days gone by. If romance was indeed dead, he urged, it should be resurrected. Ameya’s speech was striking in its maturity and in the highly abstract and original thinking of which it consisted. His delivery was emphatic, varied, and always sensitive. Ameya’s name will be another fine addition to the Brier Shield.

Hasan Dindjer Year 11

21

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:28

Page 22

Skylark 2008 Events

Social Skills Day Here at HABS we take pride in knowing that amongst our ranks we have boys with enough academic capability and potential to shape the future of this nation, if not the universe. However, it is not academic prowess alone which distinguishes a Haberdashers’ Boy from your average Joe MTS layabout. A Haberdashers’ Boy has that ability to present himself, to shake hands and to converse in a way so as to make another feel at ease in his company. Such skills were presented and taught by Rachel Holland Associates on what was known as the social skills and etiquette day.

Boys who attended found that excellence was never nurtured like this…

The day was split into several small sessions, looking at a range of particular skills ranging from the perfect handshake, to the correct way to enter an interview room, to the meaning of body language. (For reference one hand on the hips and the head slightly tilted is textbook flirting. Look out for this “come hither” signal). Boys were taught the importance of body language in an interview situation, and how essential eye contact really

is; be it a social occasion or an Oxbridge interview. One such lesson was given by a representative of shirt makers Charles Tyrwhitt, who expressed the importance of personal attire; through the brutally honest judgement of the ill-fitting suits of a few unlucky members of the audience.

With a newly taught knowledge of true sartorial elegance, boys then enjoyed the more intimate, soothing part of the day. It was rightly stated that personal appearance is vital; a ruddy complexion, filthy chewed nails and a wild head of hair are unacceptable in an interview, or for any situations that matter. Thus, boys treated each other to a facial and a manicure. The enthusiasm with which boys partook in such activities must have been refreshing to see, and mention must go to Randal Cliff, who felt instantly at home in the hands of a fellow classmate as he was lathered gently with moisturiser.

acquired walk and handshake which oozed confidence, along with the ability to speak with resonating ease and articulacy. Thanks must go to all of the members of Rachel Holland Associates, who conducted a thoroughly enjoyable day; and to Mrs Pollock for the organisation of the day. This day showed that though some may be good by nature, a Haberdashers’ Boy is excellent, through nurture. “Manners maketh man” indeed.

Janak Vyas L6

By the end of the day, fifty Haberdashers’ boys were turned into fifty young gentlemen, with a newly

Talk with Raj Persuad On 26th June 2008, eminent psychiatrist Raj Persaud (OH) came to talk to the Lower Sixth on the subject of psychiatry. This was made particularly interesting considering that earlier in the week, Mr Persaud had been suspended from the General Medical Council for three months after admitting unintentionally plagiarising others’ work in a book and a series of articles. However, there was no sign of this recent controversy as he exuded confidence and enthusiasm for his subject.

The subject of the talk was on motivation and luck and was a fascinating study into why people do the things that they do. Although this may not sound interesting at first, Mr Persaud made it relevant to us by relating it to university and job interviews and by the end of the talk, all had found something to take away with them. In particular, he focused on the motivations for people’s actions, and his belief that most people could be divided into being

past, present or future oriented. What this meant, was that he felt some people constantly worried about the past, others preferred to live in the moment, such as those who liked the rush of heroin flowing through their veins, and some feared the future consequences of their actions. He concluded that it was best to be a mix of past, present and future oriented to lead the happiest life.

His talk was illuminated by interesting and relevant examples of stories to explain his theories. For example, when discussing the subject of luck, he told us about a couple in America who actively disliked the concept of a lottery, but when the opportunity came for a $300 million jackpot they decided to buy a lottery ticket. The husband bought a hundred lottery tickets because he did not have change for a hundred dollar bill and they ended up winning the lottery, despite it being the first time they had ever played. Since then, the couple have played the lottery every week, believing that they are “luckier” than everyone else, and this was an excellent case study explaining the relationship between luck and chance.

All in all, the talk was extremely useful and interesting and there was much to be taken from what he had said. The talk proved to be enjoyable and we thank Mr Persuad for coming to visit our school and providing us with a small insight into the world of psychiatry.

Sachin Galaiya L6

22

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:28

Page 23

Skylark 2008 Events

Darren Shan’s Visit On 6th May, the Junior School was treated to a fantastic morning. The popular children’s author, Darren Shan, paid a visit to HABS to speak to us about his new novel, Death’s Shadow, the seventh book in The Demonata series.

We were all very excited about the news that Mr Shan was visiting and he was given a suitably warm welcome, with many of us sitting on the edge of our seats, wanting to hear every word he would say. He started by explaining how he came to be a writer and told us that he had always been interested in writing stories and amazing tales, ever since he was a child; indeed, his childhood was his inspiration for his first series, “The Saga of Darren Shan.” He also explained how he had a morbid fascination in guts and gore as a child, thus spurring him on to write about bloodthirsty vampires!

After summarising “The Saga of Darren Shan”, he read us a spooky extract from the first book in the series, “Cirque Du Freak”.

This was immensely enjoyable, not only owing to Mr Shan’s spirited reading but also the hilarious contributions from the lucky boys who were chosen to read parts.

Mr Shan went on to outline his current series, “The Demonata”, which concerns demons and how the world copes with them hiding in the shadows. However, he was reluctant to give too much away about “Death’s Shadow”, the most recent instalment in the series. We were told to “read and wait and see!” A further reading of a terrifying extract from “Lord Loss”, the first book of “The Demonata”, followed, in which the character of Grubbs

Grady faces peril when he comes into sudden contact with demons.

An enlightening question and answer session rounded off the morning. Amongst other things, we learned that Mr Shan has written a vast number of books – but not all of them have been published. Finally, a long and enthusiastic queue of boys formed to have their favourite Darren Shan books signed by the great man himself and we were privileged to be able to discuss our favourite titles with him: it was a perfect end to a memorable morning.

Andrew Djaba, Stephen Hodgson and Josh Mahir Year 7

AS-Level Theatre Studies As part of the AS-Level Theatre Studies course, the group must perform a piece which they have scripted, devised and created. This year saw the class adopt the task of creating a fictional story based on one of poetry’s most recognised figures – T.S Eliot’s “J. Alfred Prufrock”. The piece, which was entitled “And how should I presume?” followed the life of “Alfred Prufrock” between the age of six until his eventual death at seventy years old.

The cast, consisting of Alex Sherr, Matt Cowen, Neil Joseph, Johnny Parr and Alex Woolf, each performed a different distinguished time period in his life.

The piece was a moving and emotional tale of Prufrock’s inability to fit in with society and find his worth and place in life. His pitiful existence was compounded by the failure of his sole passion, his love for a mechanic who moves away to fight in the Second World War at the height of their relationship. The piece ended spectacularly with the “Old Prufrock”, performed by Alex Sherr, drowning himself; this was expertly shown with him hanging suspended off a bar seven feet above the ground, before going limp causing the lights to go out on his life, and on the performance.

Alex Sherr L6

23

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:29

Page 24

Skylark 2008 Events

A Recovering Haberdasher Monday 16th June was a remarkable day in so many ways. As Prince William was elevated to the Order of the Garter, President George Bush travelled the United Kingdom and Old Haberdasher Raj Persuad was charged with plagiarism, the announcement of a mystery guest at Monday morning assembly led to a number of pervasive rumours. Who was this famous guest who would address us at lunch-time? Who was so important that we would kick ourselves if we didn’t see him as we were told by the all-knowing Mr Corrall? With a typical Haberdashers’-centric view of the world, the rumours abounded.

It was surely George Bush, who had decided that the Northern Irish peace process was far less important than the prospect of a rowdy group of HABS’ boys. Else it was Dr Raj Persaud, fleeing to his alma-mater to avoid press coverage. Alas, they were all wrong.

Unbeknownst to all but a select group, the mystery guest had been accosted at the North Drive and bundled into a maintenance van (to avoid a curious group from Year 10) inside which he was quickly driven to Aldenham House and unloaded. By the time he reached the Bourne Hall, some had guessed who he was (One knowing and boasting prefect was told to “Just shut up”), but the suspense was tangible. As the Headmaster mounted the stage in an assembly-like fashion and began to talk about exams, many feared the worst. They were soon relieved when Mr Hamilton protested his ignorance on his chosen topic, and invited Matt Lucas onto the stage to preach about his experiences.

Matt Lucas is a man who needs no introduction; least of all to Haberdashers’ boys.

As he walked onto the stage the Bourne Hall exploded in jubilation and only calmed down as he reached the Headmaster’s lectern. From there he entranced the whole school with tales from his time at school, stopping only to sternly question a toilet-hungry Akhil Raithatha as he tried to leave. We learned why French was such a tough subject (because it was in French), how Mr Bagguley never forgave Matt after he accidentally dissected him and why he had such low opinion of PE as a subject.

After his speech he answered questions mediated by the Skylark Editor, Ben Lewy.

Questions varied from the good - “Were you involved in any clubs and societies?” (squeaked

by Daniel Gold) to the bad- “Would you send your son to HABS?” (demanded by Oscar Hausman) to the just plain ugly - “If you were so thick, how did you get in then?” (asked by a rather cocky young gentleman at the front).

Unfortunately, time for questions was limited: there was still important business to be done.

Matt had left school at the end of his fifth year; his achievements unrecognised by the school.

That was about to change. Matt was promptly made a school prefect before being given his

“I once accidentally dissected Mr Bagguley.

Nice man, his head now sits in one of those glass jars in the biology corridor.”

24

“I make my living by sitting in a wheelchair even though I can walk, and saying ‘yeah I know’ and by dressing up as a ASBO-flouting teenage girl who says ‘ohmygodisocan’tbelieveyoujustsaidthat.

Thatiswelloutoforder”

House Honours Tie by the current Russells’ Housemaster, Mr Hardman.

On finishing, Matt Lucas left the assembly hall in a dignified manner following the Headmaster. Unfortunately, the crowds were unwilling to stand back as their hero walked away. They thronged at him, trying to touch his head until someone fell over and injured themselves and management thought it wise to evacuate Matt out safely; leaving the boys to their fate with Mrs Gleeson and Mr Corrall.

The day had only just begun for Matt though.

After a quick buffet lunch with the Skylark editorial team and a chance to reminisce with

the teachers who he remembered, a whistlestop tour ensued with Mrs Gleeson, Dr Spence and Ben Lewy. No teacher was safe as Matt entered classroom after classroom, disrupting all lessons in his wake. Each set reacted differently; some waved, some cheered and some demanded that he sign their maths textbooks so that they could steal them to show their grandchildren. He met the teachers who had taught him during his time at HABS; reminiscing and seeing what had changed.

Alas, a school tour is necessarily confined by the timings of school life. No tour of Haberdashers could be complete though without a visit to the infamous Coach Park.

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:29

Page 25

Skylark 2008 Events

“I was good at drama. People still talk about my Merchant of Venice.

Unfortunately I did it in the middle of Romeo and Juliet.

That didn’t go down well.”

Matt had mentioned in our interview with him that his schoolboy ambition had been to commandeer the coach park tannoy. Finally, his dream was to be realised. As Matt entered the Coach Park Hut (much glassier than he remembered it) throngs of HABS boys and girls (until then excluded) surrounded the hut, initially confused by the announcement that all coaches had been cancelled and that they would have to wait there for the next 24 hours. Demands that “all fatties get onto the coaches” did nothing, even the information that the coach to Lima, Peru was departing failed to disperse the huddled masses. It took requests from Vicky Pollard and brute force from the groundskeepers to convince everyone to get onto their coaches before they left. Like an admiral saluting his fleet, Matt waved his cohorts goodbye as their coaches departed.

Ben Lewy L6

“French I couldn’t understand because everyone spoke French. If they’d have taught this ‘French’ in English, I’d have been in with a chance.”

25

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:30

Page 26

Skylark 2008 Events

Mencap Funday On the third Sunday of June every year, HABS turns from a place of blue blazers, coffee-addled teachers and academia into a wonderland. The Mencap Funday transformation is a startling one. Gone is Mr Parr demanding clean-shaven pupils, gone is the need to walk rather than run, gone are the anxious worried faces. What replaces it is, in one word, fun.

Disabled children from all walks of life, about 100 in all, come to visit and play, with two volunteers from HABS guiding them. We have everything they could want, from classic funfair games, to swimming, to sweets, to facepainting…the list is enormous. Every year children laugh and smile along with the volunteers and the school becomes something wondrous. The day started off with drizzling rain, but, like some sort of divine intervention, 15 minutes before we were due to begin the clouds parted revealing a beautiful blue sky.

These past two Mencap Fundays I have been fortunate enough to be part of the committee organising the day. So perhaps the day was made extra-special by the fact that the hard work put in throughout the year by Dr Perera, Mrs Lee and Miss Marx of the Girls’ school, and the 12 members of the committee came to fruition. Seeing a child’s eyes widen as he or she sees the animals we have brought along, or playing make-believe as a tiger with their volunteers after having just gotten their face painted or singing their hearts out at the karaoke is a truly wondrous experience to behold. One feels that one has created that most elusive of things: unadulterated happiness.

There were too many highlights to list. I and the rest of the Lower Sixth will no longer be at the school for Mencap Funday next year, so at the end of this wonderful journey thanks must go to all of the committee. Above all, however, thanks must go to Dr Perera. Her efforts define tenacity, organisation and above all a real and true desire to help disabled children have a great time. This year’s Funday was a tremendous success; it went as well as could have possibly been hoped. It’s now up to Raj Dattani and next year’s committee, along with future committees to make sure that this trend continues for a long time to come.

Alessandro Furlotti L6

26

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

29/10/08

15:30

Page 27

Skylark 2008 Events

Trips

27

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:30

Page 28

Skylark 2008 Trips

The Y7 History Trip to…Agincourt (1415) On the 27th of June, a large part of Year 7 was waiting in anticipation for the upcoming trip. Mr Sloan told the Joblings boys to go to the front of the coach; true to form, we went to the back! This apart, the behaviour of all of the boys was impeccable. When we reached Abbeville we had our dinner and went for what some people say was the least exciting part of the trip – bowling!

were given 10 Euros each and were told to spilt into groups of three to buy our dinner.

After this we went back to the hotel and went to sleep; it had been a long day!

The next day we were told to be up by 7:45 as breakfast was at 8:00.

Then we left for the Underground City of Naours. We met up with a guide who spoke (almost) flawless English. We entered a cold, dark, narrow corridor that did not warn you of the labyrinthine network of rooms ahead of us.

There were three chapels, two of which were huge. The guide told us about different types of traps which the French used against lone bands of attackers. Then the group who did not go to the city first went on “le petit train” and saw a windmill. This windmill was used as a secret lookout to tell the villagers to get underground. When we got back to the coach we enjoyed some Blackadder, which was played almost constantly for the rest of the trip.

Our next visit was to the châteaux of Rambures. This was my favourite part in the trip. We were split into two groups and mine was to go in second. While we waited we were told in full by Mr Clark the background history of the Hundred Years War; his Henderson’s class (obviously) knew the most. When the first group returned Mr Clark was halted in his talk and it was our turn to visit the castle. We were led over a dry moat across a drawbridge and into a relatively small open-air antechamber.

We were shown a prison, although some of the menace of the place had been lost during its conversion into a kitchen. We were told why the walls were made of brick, not stone. We saw the King’s resting place in the fortress and we were informed about the history of coats of arms and how they symbolised your position or assets as a baron or knight. One of the highlights of the chateau was when Ed Nutting had to (try) to carry a knight’s chest-armour; he managed to do it for the time the guide was talking. A knight’s armour was so heavy if he fell off his horse he would not be able to stand up.

After this, we travelled to St.Valery sur Somme, the port from which William the Conqueror left for England. We went to a beach there and started throwing stones at the beach (for some unknown reason). Dion fell into the sea. When we reached our meeting point in the town we 28

The next day we woke up at the same time and went to Crecy. My group was the first to go to a tall tower-like structure where Edward would have stood in Crecy. Dr Sloan told us about Crecy and how the English longbowmen, (I mean Welsh) won the battle. When we left the tower, Mr Clark took various pictures of us as dead French or triumphant English. After this we set off for Agincourt where there was a good information centre and a museum. A particularly interesting thing about this museum was that there was a sack with a rope that was used to show whether you could properly pull the string of a longbow. We left the top floor of the museum and went to a

room where the battle was laid out. Then we entered a dark room where there was some dodgy projection as there was a statue (meant to be Henry V) with a projection so off-centre he had two noses! We continued on to a room with more projections that gave a detailed explanation of the battle. We proceeded on to a room with a video about Agincourt which, annoyingly, kept on repeating the lines “Agincourt, 1415”. We then left the information centre and went to the battlefield (even though we didn’t get off); we were told by a French guide the position of the armies and their camps.

Then we left for Calais and the only difference between this and the way to Calais was this was much louder as every one was exited. I suggest anyone that gets to go on this trip should go as it is great fun and Dr Sloan would be happy.

I would like to thank him and all of the teachers for running this trip and helping us to finish the year on a high.

Pranav Subhedar, Year 7

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:30

Page 29

Skylark 2008 Trips

Junior Trip to Barcelona Last October, an intrepid group of 30 Year 8 boys flew to Barcelona for a week of linguistic, cultural and culinary delights.

After barely two hours on Spanish soil, we tasted the delights of “churros” – the Spanish version of doughnuts – on the beach. Not quite up to “Krispy Kreme” standard but a nice start to the trip!

Monday was a Gaudí-themed day and we experienced the pleasures of the Sagrada Familia and Casa Batlló, rounded off nicely with a trip to the amazing chocolate museum. Even more amazing was Scott Gordon’s face after he had sampled the delights of the chocolate wheel! After dinner, bowling provided an opportunity for Mr Kennedy’s group to show their prowess. Tuesday was a more low-key affair with some beach football and a trip to Girona in the afternoon. A

visit to a flamenco show in the evening rounded off the day. Wednesday’s trip to “Port Aventura” theme park was a highlight for many with rides on the “Dragon Khan” providing thrills. Our last full day was spent strolling in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, sampling the delights of a Spanish market, then a trip to the Parc Guell and the Nou Camp stadium where there was much purchasing of football shirts! Everyone sampled paella on the last evening, which stood us in good stead for the quiz which followed. We were not at our best at 5 am the next morning when we had to get up and dash to the airport for our early morning flight back to London. A good time was had by all!

A Mckenzie

CERN 2008 restaurant through its proximity proved dubious. After the meal we all headed back to the hotel. The next morning after some much needed rest, we set out again for the boat trip around lake Geneva.

All in all it was a wonderful and wellorganised trip and I hope next year is as enjoyable and runs as smoothly as it did this year. I’d recommend it to anyone doing physics at AS/A level as it was a thoroughly enjoyable trip and well worth going.

Charles Talbot L6

In the spring half term, a group of twenty boys left in the pursuit of enlightenment to CERN in Switzerland, accompanied by the cream of the HABS physics department. The trip was a first for HABS, and was organised by Mr Jackson, who had done the trip with his previous school. On the Saturday morning everyone met at Luton airport at around five in the morning and left for Switzerland in high spirits. Mr Kingdon’s qualities as a leader of men became increasingly apparent in the stressful and bewildering airport environment, ably supported by Mr Kerr, the third and final member of staff that accompanied the boys on the trip. Once in Geneva Mr Jackson wasted no time and we headed straight for CERN after leaving our bags in lockers near the hotel.

Once we arrived we had the pleasure of walking around the CERN museum, during the four-hour wait for our tour. Insult was then added to injury as we were made to wait and extra hour because one the guides had not turned up, and one guide had to do two separate groups. However the tour was fascinating, giving an in depth look into what the greatest minds of the 21st century were spending their time doing. Each tour lasted an hour and both groups were shown what exactly was going on and what the physicists at CERN were achieving. After the tour had finished, we started the long journey back to the hotel. The hotel, a very cosy establishment, accommodated two boys to each room. After a few hours to settle into our rooms and relax we met up again and headed straight for the nearest restaurant. The method of discerning the quality of a

29

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:30

Page 30

Skylark 2008 Trips

Year 9 and 10 Trip to the Battlefields of Northern France Early in the morning of Saturday, June 14th, boys from Years 9 and 10 slowly and grumpily trickled into the coach park, making the obligatory complaints of “This is sooo early” and “I bet Mr. Clark gets a lie-in”. After loading onto the coach and setting off, we braced ourselves for the long journey ahead. We arrived at Dover after a three-hour long ride and eagerly piled out of the coach into the ferry, which hosted food and coffee shops as well as the odd arcade centre and, conveniently, change machines. Some boys were pleased to find that breakfast was still being served and joined a queue for food that seemed to stretch right back onto dry land.

Others, myself included, wandered aimlessly around the ship looking for entertainment, a kind of hide-and-seek game where only the seekers are playing.

We arrived in France and got back into our personally-moulded coach seats, and drove out into the lovely European sunshine, heading for Vimy Ridge, the site of a major battle in 1917.

The trench system there had been restored in concrete, and we were interested to see the height and width of a real trench, things we had been learning about in Year 9. There were electric fences in front of the trench parapets, and sheep inside the fences, and some of us thought that it was odd to be keeping livestock on the site of such devastation. Mr Clark handily pointed out that both features were there for our protection: there were still unexploded mines in the vicinity, and the sheep helped to “soak up” any that might remain. We also looked at the memorial to the many Canadian soldiers who died there. It was a sobering experience.

Back onto the coach, and we were off to Arras, a large town in the area that had been the site of British headquarters during the war. For my uncultured mind, much more interesting was the local Subway Sandwich Bar. After much peer pressure however… my group of friends, however, were determined to be authentic and scouted out a decent French restaurant in the

30

square. It was hard. Eventually we settled for a nice-looking place near the cathedral, and entered gingerly. We were, after having expected to test out our French, immediately greeted with “Hello”s and the inevitable question of “Ingleesh?” We were disappointed, but were made angry when a waitress complained that “In France, you speak French.”

Yes, we knew that, we’d tried our best; tell that to your man at the door!

Anyway, back on the coach and this time to a First World War museum in Peronne before going to Amiens for dinner. After again wandering around for an age looking for a good meal, we ended up going to the same restaurant as everyone else this time, a far safer proposal. The food was good, and we tipped well, but we realised that we were going to be late for the rendez-vous and rushed away after leaving the money, prompting the staff to think that we had left without paying, another boon to Anglo-French relations. We trekked back to the hotel in Amiens and settled down for a good night’s sleep. Well, a good night’s sleep for those of us who hadn’t locked themselves out of their rooms within minutes of receiving the key.

On the Sunday, we woke up at a slightly more reasonable time and drove away to BeaumontHamel, the site of an attack during the battle of the Somme by the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. This was a more open battlefield, and we could easily see the remains of the trench lines dug into the ground. The battle caused 95% casualties for the Newfoundlanders, and these men were commemorated in a memorial behind what were the British lines. The memorial, a large mound made of rocks and earth, was capped by a bronze animal, which seemed to be the focus of most of the discussion that day. Was it an elk? Was it a moose? Was it (it was) a caribou? The monument also provided an opportunity for a charming group photo, with boys arrayed on all three levels of the mound.

We then drove a few miles to the memorial tower to the Ulstermen who fought in the battle of the Somme, not far from their Newfoundlander comrades. Mr Sloan explained in detail how his forefathers had fought for Britain. Not far from that memorial was the huge Thiepval monument to the missing at the Somme, with over 73,000 names on its walls.

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:30

Page 31

Skylark 2008 Trips

The sheer size was depressing, and, as if that wasn’t enough, the designers had added another graveyard behind the monument. I counted three Ilotts on the lists.

For lunch, we drove to nearby Auchonvilliers, a village that had been used as an aid station by British troops in the war. After being treated to a lunch of baguette and fries, we headed underground into a rather cramped cellar, which had been home to stretcher-bearers for most of the war. On the walls were carved graffiti and even small memorials to fallen comrades. We could suddenly feel much closer to the men who fought, walking into their private abode and peering back into their lifestyle. But for me the visit to Auchonvilliers, known to British troops as Ocean Villas, will be remembered not for a moment of empathy for the suffering troops, nor for the food that was surprisingly tasty but for an incident that occurred soon after we emerged from the cellar. We all sat down on a bench, the kind you might find in a pub garden, and when I say we all I mean we all. And then, all of a sudden, I felt the bench beneath me lurching backwards and jumped off just before the whole thing collapsed, laying on the ground like an Ikea flat-pack.

cemeteries in France are something of a rarity due to their defeat and the huge reparations paid by Germany to the Allies. Backing up this point, the crosses, of which there must have been thousands, had four names on them each, two on the front and two on the back. We spent some time amongst the horrors of war then went to another huge cemetery, this time an Allied one, at Delville Wood, where an old HABS boy named Haggis lay.

We crossed the road and visited the South African monument, a beautiful building with scenes of South African sacrifice and old artefacts from the war. It was our final visit

before the long ride home. Unfortunately for us, the queue at the port for UK Immigration Control was near-endless and slow-moving, so, after sitting in a hot coach with no air conditioning and no open windows for hours, we missed our ferry. Although we didn’t miss it by much; it seemed that the captain of the ship had stayed in port for just long enough for us to get through the border control, and then left at speed. We resigned ourselves to the fact that our coach, of all vehicles, wouldn’t make the jump from jetty to ferry, and slumped back down for another few hours.

Overall, it was an interesting and entertaining trip. Not only did I enjoy the company, the scenery, the weather and the food (to an extent), the main advantage of going on the trip was in seeing with my own eyes all of the places we’d learnt about. I could almost recognise the battlefield at Thiepval, and walking in the footsteps of the stretcherbearers at Auchonvilliers was incredibly touching.

Luke Ilott Year 9

From Auchonvilliers we travelled to the huge German cemetery at Fricourt. German 31

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:30

Page 32

Skylark 2008 Trips

Art Trip to Berlin Unfortunately, it would not be unfair to say that the Art department’s 2007 trip to Berlin got off to a bad start. On our second day in the city, the tram system’s fastclosing doors got the better of us, causing half the group to secure a less-thantraditional tour of Berlin, whilst the other half could do all but crack open our sketchbooks and draw whatever there was in sight. And even though it wasn’t until Thursday, our penultimate day in Berlin, that we finally got a grip on the city’s eight different public transport systems, that didn’t stop Mr Todhunter arranging visits to eight different galleries, providing the group with a deep and varied insight into both German and international art.

Indeed, in retrospect, the Art trip to Berlin allowed everyone involved to view an incredibly wide variety of artistic styles, with each gallery offering something to everyone.

On the first full day of the visit, we visited the Alte Nationalgalerie, a museum which housed a collection of 19th century paintings and sculpture. Although such a classical style is not among my favourites, a short perusal of the ground-floor gallery revealed a room displaying a picture which had been left unfinished. Half of the scene had been roughly painted, whilst the other half was left bare with only blue-pencil sketching present, revealing an interesting insight into how the artist had planned his work. Another picture in the same room had two central figures blocked out, begging the question of whether the artist had failed to finish the piece or if it had come under censorship at a later point.

Next on our tour was the Hamburger Bahnhof, which included a much more contemporary selection of modern artwork, the museum acting as a home for Germany’s answer to the Turner prize: the Preis der Nationalgalerie für Junge Kunst, or rather, the Nationalgalerie Prize for Young Art. Although I found browsing a much wider range of art more liberating, the quality of the artwork varied accordingly. One setup, which consisted of a tap that allowed a droplet to form until it fell onto a drum with a microphone nearby, all of which was recorded and projected onto a wall, was certainly enjoyable to watch, and I could understand and agree with the artist’s belief that the piece represented the fleeting nature of life. Alternatively, another piece displayed as part of the Nationalgalerie Prize for Young Art and located deep inside the exhibition, consisted of a selection of 80s’-and-earlier video game cabinets, all closely packed together and ready to be played. I cannot help but feel a strong mixture of bewilderment, yet intrigue, at this piece. On the one hand, I could not see how the public’s enjoyment and appreciation of the artist’s creation extended much beyond venturing inside and playing a few games or two – indeed, many of our group soon found themselves doing just that – but on reflection I think there is something clever and devious

32

in the way that the creator chose not to provide enough space in between the rows of cabinets for two people to stand side by side, or even back to back. Subsequently, the artist has created an environment which is rather uncomfortable to be in, and thus, to an extent, has constructed a scenario where they are in control, even if it seems that the viewer is. The viewer might derive some sense of pleasure from the games not only from playing them, but from the feeling that by playing them they are cheating the system – instead of admiring the piece for what it is, the viewer can simply take advantage of it, so to speak, in order to achieve personal gain. However, by making the viewer enter an uncomfortable scenario in order to access the arcade machines, the artist has “played” us, taking advantage of our preconceived desires for whoever would want to watch the suffering we put ourselves through just to access such enjoyment. Perhaps this is why TV screens nearby showed live-feeds of those playing the arcade games. Indeed, this piece is successful in that it makes the viewer but a rodent in a maze, yet allows them to maintain the feeling that they are not. Whether or not that is art, however, is still debatable.

On Wednesday the Gemaldegalerie once more lured us into the world of 13th to 18th century art, the museum containing of impressive collection of works from those periods. However, the pendulum of style swung back once more, when the next

museum, the Kunstgewerbemuseum, contained an impressive display of dresses and clothing by German fashion designer Uli Richter. In the afternoon we visited the Bauhaus Archiv, a small museum at the heart of the Bauhaus movement of art and design.

Disappointing only in its small size, and thus limited exhibition, I found the whole movement very much exemplified in a “Bauhaus chess set” that was on display.

Instead of the usually stylised and detailed pieces, those on a Bauhaus chess set were comprised mainly of cubes, with small variations to differentiate the different pieces (for example, a knight and a queen would contain the same basic cube body, but the former would have two corners removed, whilst the latter would have a circle on top).

Overall, I am sure both the Bauhaus and regular variants played equally well, but by removing the excess detail from the pieces, the set managed to show just how much we put into the objects we use. When people think of a pawn, they might immediately visualise the familiar curves that commonly form it, but in reality a pawn is nothing unless we give it a shape to cling to. By taking such familiarity away, the Bauhaus chess set laid bare just how natural and second-hand these design elements are in life and truly noted our connection to them.

Thursday soon came around, and with it different museums. The first was a visit to the Sammlung Berggruen Museum, a private collection which boasted a wide collection of

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:30

Page 33

Skylark 2008 Trips

Work Experience in Düsseldorf Picasso works, from both his earlier and later periods. Of course, viewing such pieces was enjoyable, but I was most gripped by the next museum visited, the Brohan Museum. This was a collection of Art Nouveau furniture and artwork, and I found the strength of its contrast with the prior day’s Bauhaus work repeated nowhere else within the trip. The ornate, decorative nature of everything within was of a stark difference to the bare and harsh functionality of the Bauhaus, and although I found greater resonance with it than with the freshness of the Bauhaus, I think that a compromise is truly necessary, for as easy as it might be to become sick of the Bauhaus’ rejection of the aesthetic, I can believe it equally likely to become swamped in the Art Nouveau movement’s full endorsement of it.

Lastly, it was on Friday that we visited the Berlinische Galerie, another collection of modern artwork that featured a variety of works in different mediums. Although the upstairs gallery featured mostly paintings, drawings and sketches, the lower gallery featured works that varied wildly. On entering the gallery, one must pass through a room containing four office chairs with speakers attached and some graphically styled images on the walls. The most “interactive” of the works there, it was certainly not the most unusual, the mantle of which goes to a continuously inflating and deflating tank. Although the odd nature of the works displayed was certainly similar to those at the Hamburger Bahnhof, I cannot help but feel that the work had a more refined feel to it. In any case, the museum was a suitably excellent finish to the 2007 Art trip to Berlin.

Overall, even though my preference for modern art to more classical styles may have stopped me from appreciating both in even amounts, I think that the Art trip could include such a spectrum of styles is very much to its credit. I would like to thank Mr Todhunter for organising the trip and the gallery visits and Mr Keenleyside and Mrs Herbert for their involvement with it.

Greg Steckelmacher Year 11

The German Work Experience Exchange began and ended in chaos, with our flight to Düsseldorf taking off from Heathrow’s Terminal 5 just a couple of days after its public opening and our return flight cancelled due to snow at Heathrow.

However, thanks to an extremely welcoming host family, I can personally say that my week spent in Düsseldorf was one of the most enjoyable weeks of my life.

The first full day of the exchange, a Sunday, consisted of a tour around the House of German History in Bonn and the sights of Cologne, whilst our last evening included a full group meal at a restaurant in the Aldstadt (Old Town). The rest of the time was free time, with our exchanges organising a wide range of activities, including visiting the Düsseldorf Television Tower and a modern art museum, going bowling, watching a film in German and a Karaoke evening.

Meanwhile, the serious part of the trip took part from Monday to Thursday. Work placements ranged from banks, hospitals and a consultancy firm, whilst the five girls from St Margaret’s School in Bushey worked at a bank, local newspaper, primary school, bookshop and department store.

My work placement was at Deutsche Bank, where I spent four days in the “Business Banking” section. The work I was assigned varied each day, including drafting letters to English-speaking customers, binding presentations, distributing the post and also transporting the odd money transfer request.

The rest of the time I was allowed to listen in on conversations with customers and also ask

any questions I had about new terms that I had come across (all in German, of course!). Not only was it a fantastic opportunity to improve my German speaking and listening skills but also a chance to learn new vocabulary and experience a foreign business environment.

On Friday we were given the chance to accompany our exchange partners to their school, Mataré Gymnasium, in order to better understand the differences between the German and English schooling systems.

Although I only had two proper lessons to attend, due to various lectures about sixth form courses taking place, I did manage to get extremely confused in trying to understand a French lesson which was conducted in German!

Thanks are in order for Herr Hüttermann for organising all the work placements and the trip to Bonn and Cologne and also to our host families for their excellent hospitality.

Rohan Sheth L6

33

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:31

Page 34

Skylark 2008 Trips

Lanzarote Warm Weather Training Once again we had another extremely successful trip; the boys worked very hard, both on the track and in the field. All boys recorded Personal Bests in several events.

Every day we arranged two two-hour training sessions on the tartan track, the morning dedicated to field events while the evening session focused on the track. As well as athletics the boys had the opportunity to take part in many other different sports and activities. Mr Lowe and Mr Cox took 12 boys on Mountain bike rides across 20km of volcanic ash, we played 5-a-side Football on several occasions, beach volleyball, tennis, squash, basketball, wind surfing, kayaking and we also had a very competitive diving competition in the leisure pool in front of a Mr A Keenleyside also organised several trips outside the complex to places of interest elsewhere on the island of Lanzarote. Paul Valente (OH) our Discus and Shot coach, helped out on these trips, which included trips to Fire Mountain, The Caves, The Market, A Golf day and Cesar Manrique.

Everyday after our evening training session we had a meeting with prize giving and awards followed by various group activities such as Pool competitions, live music and bands playing in the main square. The pool competitions went extremely well and were organised with the help of the senior boys.

Due to a severe sand-storm on the last day we were unable to hold the traditional Pentathlon event and therefore the prizes for the athletics were awarded for performances produced during the rest of the week. The winners were Rory Cartmell Year 7, Efe Uwaifo Year 8, Adam Goldstein Year 9 and Dan Lehmann Year 10. The winner of the Victor Ladorum Cup was Darius Price Year 8 for scoring most points in a single event (85). This year we were joined by two L6 students who helped coach the juniors every day and then captained the Pentathlon teams. They were outstanding and excellent role models for the other athletes. They were Rishi Naidoo and Rishin Patni.

In summary it was an excellent trip, enjoyed by students and staff alike. The boys socialised really well with the girls from Princess Helena College, who also attended Club La Santa during the same week. Many thanks must go to the staff involved Mr Lowe (and Mrs Lowe), Mr Cox, Paul Valente and Mr Keenleyside. The boys’ behaviour throughout the trip was extremely good. It was a real pleasure to take them and I hope to organise another trip for next year!

A Keenleyside

Bayfordbury Observatory Visit On the evening of 13th March Chinmay Kamat and Alexander Jacques of Year 8 and Benjamin Dive and Richard Tan of Year 12 took part in another trip to the Bayfordbury Observatory, part of the University of Hertfordshire.

Activities included a talk on an astronomical topic, some IT work identifying different types of galaxies, a talk in the Observatory Planetarium and a tour of the telescope facilities. Although hopes of looking through the telescopes were stymied by the inclement weather, the evening was nevertheless highly enjoyable and enthusiastically facilitated by the postgraduate students expertly answering questions and talking about their research. The evening was a very useful supplement to the astrophysics topic that has just been taught to the Year 12 physics students and also extremely relevant to the two Year 8 students who both take an active part in the Astronomy Club at school. The group was also joined by a party of sixth formers and their teachers from Haberdashers’ Girls.

A Jackson 34

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:31

Page 35

Skylark 2008 Trips

Henry Moore Trip

Lower Sixth Geography field trip – Dorset An early Saturday morning departure saw thirty five bleary eyed geographers, accompanied by their six eager teachers, leave the school coach park for the annual Lower Sixth residential field trip to Dorset. The course is designed to cover fieldwork techniques as well as human and physical geography, all of which would be crucial for the summer AS examinations.

Despite several distractions, one being the wrong road, Mr Toddhunter succeeded in guiding the car expertly into the car park of “Hoglands” - the home of Henry Moore for the last 40 years of his life. The area surrounding the property is littered with his works, varying in size from a bench, to a small house.

The weather, being clear and in the low twenties, was perfect for wandering through the grounds and taking in the art. Form is a big part of Moore's work, and the bright sunlight really emphasised the surface detailing that must have taken him so long to achieve. Being so deep in the Hertfordshire countryside and being spread across such a large area, it felt very secluded, which only further helped with taking in the art. Perhaps the strangest thing about Hoglands, is that despite how contemporary and stark Moore's work is, it blends so seamlessly with the natural environment that it's displayed in. Returning home safely was just the icing on an enjoyable day out for all.

Michael Hollins L6

Black Country Museum On the penultimate week of the Spring Term Year 8 attended a field trip to the Black Country Museum. After an early start, 150 bleary eyed boys piled onto their allocated coaches for the testing three hour journey to the museum. With PSP and iPod battery levels dangerously low on charge and threatening to cease entertaining us, we finally arrived.

After the last of us had scrambled dopily off the coaches, we were split into house-oriented groups, led by dedicated Black Country Museum guides dressed in the traditional 19-20th century miners’ attire. Their costumes were accompanied by authentic Black Country accents too, though luckily we were just about able to understand approximately every fifth word, allowing for a certain amount of sense to be made and knowledge to be gleaned! We were led around the interactive, outdoor museum, with the guides circulating where each group went so no attraction was ever unnecessarily crowded. The first section of the museum that my group experienced were the notoriously dark, damp, dank and generally claustrophobia-inducing mines. We were all equipped with miners’ hard-hats and every fifth pupil was given possession of a much coveted torch.

Then we were led into the depths of the mines by the experienced and knowledgeable guides. Inside, there were unsettlingly realistic figures of miners, with the occasional voiceover telling any particular miner’s story. After emerging from the pitch black, thick darkness of the mines the shafting spears of light from the bright sun were certainly a shock and it took us a while to grow accustomed to the light once more. After being in there for only about half an hour, it amazed us how miners could spend a whole day engulfed in the darkness! Then, we purchased fish and chips, prepared in the traditional “black country” manner. When we had devoured the last remnants of our meal, we were given leave to explore the small model village’s shops; the sweet shop was certainly a great hit! Finally, after a short period spent at the miniature fairground, which was received with delight by the less mature amongst us (so almost all!) we departed for School. Only this time, the journey would be far more tiresome, as most of our entertainment options had either worn off their novelty or had depleted batteries. The only possible entertainment we could gain was from singing football chants and just general “tunes” all the way home. So we did, to the frustration of all those not singing!

The trip was a great success, and all boys involved received it with immense enthusiasm, especially the food!

Jacob Rabinowitz Year 8

Our first port of call was Weymouth, a fine example of a traditional English seaside resort. We were even greeted by traditional English seaside weather – torrential rainfall and gale force winds! With limited time available, every student set about the task in hand. The main aim was to survey the land use patterns in the town’s central business district and then compare them with a ten year old map of the area. By the end of the afternoon we had all become well acquainted with central Weymouth, not to mention the prevailing weather conditions. The drenched gaggle of students and staff gratefully returned to the shelter of the coach and then we all headed east to our home for the next two days, Brenscombe Outdoor Centre near Corfe Castle on the Isle of Purbeck.

On arrival we were given the grand tour: television lounge, dining hall, laundry room, toilets and shower block. Most of the party were accommodated in the aptly named ‘Chicken Shed’ and we settled in to our bedrooms to grab some rest before the evening session. A converted barn/conference room played host to our lessons and briefings for the course and it must be said that the centre, bordering working farmland, proved to be an excellent venue.

Sunday saw the students involved in two main activities, organised in shifts. Firstly there was a reconnaissance visit to the sand dune system on the Studland peninsula. The weather was still somewhat inclement but we took heart from the brighter forecast for Monday. This excursion allowed us to familiarise ourselves with the undulating dune environment which was the subject of our AS fieldwork investigation.

Although this was just a preliminary visit, it gave us the opportunity to choose the topic for our course work and decide on the data we would need to collect the following day. The other activity was a minibus tour to study settlements on the Isle of Purbeck. This gave us a chance to revise rural settlement theory and provided case studies of the market town of Wareham and beautiful villages like Worth Matravers.

After an evening of detailed preparations for our data collection, the final day saw the fieldwork at the dunes themselves. In an action packed morning we discovered that a ranging pole makes an excellent walking stick and that, contrary to Mr Day’s insistence, a wet slack is not easily traversed! Nevertheless, it was glorious day and a productive one at that. Following the field course the data was used to produce a polished set of fieldwork reports for submission to the examination board, as well as providing material to answer the summer AS geographical investigation paper All good things must come to an end though. Our long weekend away over, we travelled swiftly back to HABS, arriving just in time to catch the 4 o’clock coaches. It had, without doubt, been an entertaining and educational trip.

Whether it was the high spirited antics of Johnny Wiser or the unconventional celebrations of Ravin Mehta’s 17th birthday, I think I speak for everyone in saying we enjoyed every minute of it Justin Richardson L6 35

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:31

Page 36

Skylark 2008 Trips

Model United Nations The Summer term saw the gentle dusk on what has been an outstanding season of Model United Nations conferences, even by the notoriously high standards of HABS. This year we participated in seven major conferences, came home with a record number of awards, and reasserted our reputation as a leading global MUN school.

The epic campaign started in October, with HABS effortlessly waving past opposition to sweep a vast stash of awards at the Cheadle Hulme conference. This was quickly followed by the Royal Russell School Conference, an old HABS favourite. Exceptional performances from Niall Moore, James Fox and Martyn Cukier, ensured HABS had an insurmountable advantage in the General Assembly, taking home more awards than any other participating school.

This was shortly followed by further success as the cold rush of winter saw 10 budding Lower Sixth delegates led by Mr Simm debate key issues at the UNESCO headquarters in the heart of Paris. Exquisite performances from Randal Cliff, Sameer Agrawal, Ben Lewy and Charles Reith saw HABS deservedly earn 25% of all awards, as well as witnessing the delegation of the Intergalactic Empire of Antigua and Barbuda achieve a full house, the first time this has ever happened in the history of the Paris MUN Conference. It was this phenomenal achievement in particular that demonstrated the great talent that would emerge in conferences in the following term.

The climax of the MUN year saw 12 boys from the Sixth Form travel to The Hague in Amsterdam to revel in the largest MUN conference in world, consisting of over 3,500 students from all corners of the world. Armed with the most concrete of resolutions grasped firmly in their hands, the HABS cohort lobbied, debated and entertained their respective

36

committees over a week of intensive diplomacy, representing the country of Vietnam. Once again, the ever-immaculate guidance of Mr Simm prevailed; as the delegation of Vietnam went on to pass just under 10 resolutions through plenary session, an astonishing 25% of all resolutions passed at the entire conference. Truly, the trophy cupboard was now requiring an extension.

This orgy of diplomatic destruction continued to cause anarchy and strike fear in the hearts of opposing schools. Despite great resistance from the Chairmen at the Bath International School MUN (a first time visit for the HABS delegates) the delegations of Israel and South Africa went on to dominate the proceedings at the UK’s largest conference, out-classing the likes of Shrewsbury, Kingswood and Cheadle Hulme.

Haileybury was the last major port of call, with HABS taking a relatively inexperienced group to represent the delegations of Egypt, Ukraine

and North Korea. Debate was nonetheless flawless and immaculate, and many a new talent shone through. The final day saw multiple ejaculations of mellifluous verbosity in the General Assembly, as Julian Parmar ensured Ukraine would bag an award. The delegation of North Korea with help from their leader Simmpas “Ding-dong” Pas also returned home with a rather splendid shiny plaque.

With a satisfying conclusion in Milan, the Conference programme has gone extremely well and has exceeded any prior expectations.

With HABS now planning on hosting its own conference in March, as well as participating in further conferences in Dublin and Alkmaar, who knows where the wise counsel of Misters Simm, Corrall and Pauletto will take us next year?

Arrash Yassaee L6

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:31

Page 37

Skylark 2008 Trips

Senior School Ski Trip The coaches were near silent as the senior school ski trip departed, a predictable consequence of the 3:45am meeting time that had left everyone only semi-conscious of their surroundings. Despite this unsociable hour there were virtually no late arrivals and we were soon on our way to Serre Chevalier, via Gatwick and Grenoble.

We arrived at Serre Chevalier and found ourselves outside the Hotel Frejus where we were provided with skis and boots.

Unfortunately the hotel’s supply of boots was rather lacking which resulted in the majority of the lower sixth and several other boys, being forced to take a hazardous trip to a separate ski hire shop, over unfamiliar and slippery terrain, in the pitch black of night.

After an arduous journey on the first morning, which consisted of crossing the road outside the hotel, we reached the slopes and set off in groups with a teacher who accompanied us for the first morning while we familiarized ourselves with the resort. Due to the unusual lesson time we had free ski both before and after which turned out to be very successful despite the occasional complaint of an empty stomach that the late lunch inevitably resulted in. At the start of the first lesson the instructors took us off to be judged on ability before being split into the appropriate groups which we kept for the rest of the week.

The instructors themselves were a fun lot with the top group’s being particularly entertaining. He had a love for moguls, being an ex-mogul racer, which he soon imparted to us along with an allconsuming hatred for snowboards and snowblades. The fact that his group contained one of each was not well received. Much to his annoyance, and our amusement, the snowblader, Josh Benhamou, decided to remove his snowblade, for no apparent reason, only to see it disappear down the slope in a high speed race with the instructor.

The skiing itself was fantastic; there had been a massive snowfall the week before and the pistes were very well looked after. Unfortunately for the more adventurous, there was a lack of fresh powder but this had no effect on the number of spectacular wipe outs which included a couple of boys skiing into trees that they swore had magically appeared in front of them. The resort was quite a big one and there was plenty of available skiing including a brilliant ski park which attracted many of the more daring boys. Three such boys took this “daring” to a whole new level as Alex Gomar, Robbie InghamClark and Andrew Shipley decide to ski the morning there in what shall be termed inadequate clothing, acquiring some confused looks from the locals.

Overall the trip was a great success with everyone having a great time and once again James Devlin was crowned as ski-king. Thanks must go to all the staff, without whom such a great trip would have been impossible; particular thanks go to Mr Marx who was the overall organiser. These trips are always great fun and it is definitely worth taking up this opportunity.

David Walker L6

37

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

Originals

38

29/10/08

15:31

Page 38

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:31

Page 39

Skylark 2008 Originals

Systems and Control GCSE

Adam Cobb - Push-along Row Boat

Edan Tarn - Toy Train

Nick Parker - Time Telling Car

David Lawrence - Bird Catcher

James Edgley - Pull-along Dog Shiv Haria - Music Stool 39

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:31

Page 40

Skylark 2008 Originals

Graphical Products GCSE

Aadil Hakim's Energy drinks

Harshil Shah's promotional campaign for Lust Shower Gel

Nabil Freeman's Windows Media Phone promotional poster Adam Jan-Mohamed

Joe Gaus’ New Console - Revolution

Nick Constantinou's Blackberry promotional poster

40

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:31

Page 41

Skylark 2008 Originals

Systems and Control GCSE

Rahim Esmail - High quality chess board with storage of pieces

Ben Cowan - Rotary Multi-spice Rack

Ben Catchpole - Shape sorter and mechanical pull along toy

Ben Dathan - Collapsable and Adjustable Drawing Board

Akash Alexander - Portable, Spring back Cricket Stumps 41

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:31

Page 42

Skylark 2008 Originals

AS Product Design - Year 12

Michael Hollins – Mac Mini Dock

Florian Culka – Art Stand and Carry Case

Alexi Gerolemou – Remote Control Car Case and Ramp

Sam Gaus – Camp Fire Stand 42

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:31

Page 43

Resistant Materials GCSE

Elio Elia - Activity Centre to go into a child's high chair

Neal Shah - Portable Laptop Desk

Alex Maxwell - Fishing Tackle Trolley

Joseph Yarwood - Men's Toiletries Holder

Joshua Goodman - Kitchen Trolley

Saahil Lakhani - Seat to fit into bath for eldery people to shower 43

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

Skylark 2008 Originals

Sam Pinner

Yexi Tran

Marlon Biber

Jack Lloyd Jones

A2 Art Work

44

29/10/08

15:31

Page 44

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:31

Page 45

Skylark 2008 Originals Skylark 2008 Originals

A Night in the Jungle A rustling of leaves in the tree canopy broke the eerie silence that the night had cast over the Vietnamese jungle. The noise was greeted by the cocking of a rifle, as the weapon was aimed at the source of the disturbance. Camouflaged against the jungle floor, Commander Ryan Powell felt certain that his panicked heartbeat would reveal his position, but his body moved not a centimetre as he stared unblinking at his target. The mounting tension was relieved by a piercing howl, and the soldier allowed himself a deep sigh as a monkey swung through the trees above him. From his concealed position in the undergrowth, Ryan glanced at his tent where the five privates he commanded slept. The yell of the baboon had not caused any of them to awake: the squad had become used to the trepidation contrived by their inhospitable surroundings, but the commander had realised long before that none of his men slept peacefully. Every so often he would hear them talking in their sleep, even their dreams were dominated by the torment they had endured over the past month.

Although he had attempted to convince himself that the distressing condition of the squad was attributed to the terrible surroundings, Ryan knew that their demoralisation went deeper than the humidity, insects and fatigue. Every morning via radio, news reached the men of more casualties and prisoners to this perilous offensive, as individual squads sought to discover and eliminate guerrillas in their favoured environment.

Powell was the only commander whose squad had not been depleted since the launch of the assault. His courageous leadership had inspired the confidence and trust of his men; but they all were resigned to the reality that their luck almost certainly would not hold in a fortress littered with booby traps and the fanatical rebel fighters.

Over the last month since being promoted to squad commander, Ryan’s initial pride at the responsibility afforded to him had had been replaced by the understanding that he was accountable for the lives of his men. The burden of leadership had cast a shadow over his mind, and his body was showing the consequences of the stress he had suffered.

His face had become lined with the weight of deciding not just his path, but that of five others whose sole reliance on him was draining. Ryan had become conscious that the soldiers no longer disturbed him with questions or problems: they appreciated the load their commander was encumbered with, but the closeness of the unit only made him more anxious to preserve the lives of his friends.

Only hours before the group had stumbled on an enemy camp, and though they had successfully exterminated their adversaries

whilst suffering no losses, the jeopardy in which their lives were placed disturbed Ryan.

He felt they were like ants in a room filled with people: they may survive some close encounters, but it was only a matter of time before they were squashed. Ryan could accept liability for his own destiny, but one wrong move could leave the death of five boys in their early twenties on his conscience. Now thirty six, Ryan was a veteran of enough wars to accept that death would come eventually, as it had done to many of his friends. Glancing back at the tent Ryan knew that any number of the men it contained could be dead in the next week, young families would be left behind and parents would receive letters about their children giving their lives for the country.

Ryan reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture he had received at base before the start of the assault. His wife Cassie stood smiling at him, their newborn son cradled in her arms. He wondered whether he would live to see his son, his influence over the outcome of people’s lives extended beyond the squad he commanded. He was no longer fighting for himself as he had fifteen years ago, but for those he loved in his life. As he placed the photo back into his pocket Ryan finally understood that the changes his life had undergone were not necessarily for the worse.

There was no point dwelling on all he could stand to lose, as he had once learnt “It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all”.

Ryan checked his watch: there were twenty minutes remaining before he would wake Private Jackson to take his place. Dawn was approaching, but the light failed to penetrate the trees that roofed the jungle, preventing the hope and optimism that the morning brings from entering the claustrophobic atmosphere. Recently the fatalities the Americans had sustained had caused Ryan to question the morality of the war.

He was no longer certain, as he had been before, that the cause justified the sacrifice of so many men with their lives ahead of them. Ryan had endeavoured to place these feelings to one side: nothing was to be achieved by questioning the war; he had his orders just like the men under his command. This realisation had only heightened his sense of insignificance: his squad was one of thousands; his death would only be a statistic. His existence, like that of the entire army, was in the hands of a few men on the other side of the world. It was almost as if the world was one giant chessboard, and they were unimportant pawns, willingly relinquished for the good of others. Ryan gave an ironic smirk as he compared the control he had over his squad with that of the President on a much larger scale. For the first time the commander empathised with those men in suits living peacefully in what seemed a world away from the torturous jungle.

It was difficult enough for Ryan to dread the guilt of failing his squad, than to fear being held accountable to an entire country.

Andrew Dallal L6

Another look at his watch announced that his three hour shift was now over. He stumbled over to the tent, his legs feeling like lead under him, and tapped the young soldier on his back.

Private Jackson jerked round, expecting the worst, but when faced with his commander he sighed with relief. He stood to attention and waited for Ryan to speak.

“Keep watch from now until seven, and then wake us all for breakfast. Watch out for any monkeys,” added Ryan with a smile.

“I’ll be glad if that’s the worst I need to deal with,” replied the soldier with a wry smile as he left his commander to rest.

Bats You walk right past us, Without acknowledgement, Too busy to stop, to care.

We lie here in the dark, Dormant, for now Until the right time comes.

For in the dark we are powerful, In the night sky, we reign Not in terror, nor in vain.

Sound - our reliable friend who, Unlike you, who walks by – Informs us every minute Of people like you, Who think we don’t exist And live on, almost oblivious to our presence.

And when the trumpet calls, We will lose our inhibitions, Rise up and show the world The true nature of inner beauty, Belonging only to us And not to you.

Still we are the ones Wondering who the blind fools Really are in this world.

That day we stretch our wings You will understand Why being in the dark Hindered us so.

Together we’ll wreak Havoc.

Though we may be meek, And divided we are lost, Ours is the Earth, The kingdom and the glory.

In the morning we will Master the sun.

Neeloy Bannerjee Year 11 45

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 46

Kayur Gudka

Skylark 2008 Originals

The Inner Mind of a Shark I swim in the deep waters, watching, Waiting, the water cool around me.

Tiny fish move, but do not bother me.

I do not strike, as they are mine.

The King Shark I lurk in the bottom of the ocean, Still. Waiting for my moment.

Focused, I pounce on my prey, Triumphant, I’m unstoppable.

My white-pearl teeth, Dig into the helpless creature.

I stop, step back and watch as my meal ceases to die.

Quickly, I release him from this agony.

I glide through the murky water, Blood staining the area around me.

I am ruler of the ocean, Come; try and fight me.

There are sharks, clustered for protection, But this is inadequate for me, As the sea that was once my master, Is now mastered by me.

My skin is smooth, My every fin is perfect, I use them very well, For they are here to my advantage.

Prey swim by me, Surely a creature of such grace would not attack?

But I rip flesh from bone.

As ruthlessness is my nature.

Guy Lewy Year 8

Anonymous

Alone on the sea

My purring pleasure

I can’t speak to or hear anyone. There is no sound and no noise.

Complete silence. Like a guitar without strings. All I can hear is the faint clapping of the waves against my old, dilapidated ship.

I lounge on my silky throne, absorbed in my latest slumber.

My perfect tail elegantly curled across my whiskers.

In purring pleasure, I see the kill. Oh my deadly fun.

The cornered mouse. The brain-dead pigeon. My wondrous game.

The cool icy breeze passes by and reminds me of that presence of life. I look up towards the ominously looking midnight sky. The bright, circular moon catches my eye. It’s like a giant, gleaming face and has craters for eyes looking upon me. The moon illuminates the bleak dismal ocean and I gaze upon my surroundings.

Then I realize at just how isolated. I am imprisoned by the nature around me, all alone. Just like an ordinary fish in the sea.

I regret my silly stubborn act of shooting the Albatross. But it’s all too late. I can only dream of what would have been if I hadn’t.

Floods of thoughts entered my brain. What if I don’t survive? What if the ship begins to flood? Where would I end up?

I was as anxious and as scared as a mouse caught in a trap, because I was trapped. I was the mouse who had been captured and lured. I was the one who couldn’t do anything to escape. Then slowly I drifted into a long, dazed sleep, leaving my nightmare behind me.

Anonymous 46

With unequalled balance, I patrol my palace walls.

Unchallenged. Unrivalled. I survey my lawned estate.

Below me, my guards, these worthless beings with their vulgar ways, Project their piercing back then flee on my snarled command.

At night the kill is on. My silent skill startles my prey.

My razor claws, freshly sharpened on my stairway carpet, Sink their fatal grip into my helpless victim. Ah, sweet death is mine.

And dawn reveals the hidden deceit behind my loving store.

I return to my pet’s tender care. Oh how they adore me, These pet servants manage all household chores, Groom my royal fur and attend my palace functions each eve.

Whilst I enjoy my fire’s wooden warmth and sleep some more.

Anonymous

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 47

Skylark 2008 Originals

Sean Tomlin

Yexi Tran

Marlon Biber

Akhil Bakhda

A2 Art Exam Pieces

47

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 48

Skylark 2008 Originals

AS Art Exam

Michael Hollins

Michael Moore

Florian Culka

AS Art Work

48

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 49

Skylark 2008 Originals

Trouble Sleeping

The Fly

What time is it, one or two?

When you are all alone, time has no meaning to you.

Cold water drips slowly through the many ceiling holes Soaking my feet through to the soles.

I hear a wail, probably someone weeping, No wonder I have so much trouble sleeping.

I returned to my desk, sinking into the deep chair. I lowered the light until only a dim glow illuminated the room. The dark rain clouds were spewing drizzle onto the windows.

Closing my eyes, I lowered my head into my hands, straining to remember what it was I had been thinking of before. However hard I tried, I could not conjure up the thought. Drained, I slipped into a slumber.

My thoughts drift back to earlier that day, When we were all lined proudly and gay.

Until with a horrendous whine Three wretched Minnies pitched beyond the line.

I hear a noise; probably the visiting Brigadier’s snoring, Doesn’t he know that I have trouble sleeping?

I dreamt of a battlefield. Men were fighting giant flies. It was pouring rain, yet the rain was ink, and the flies were struggling in it.

Then, I saw him: my son! I moved closer to him, but he was running from the battle. Suddenly, we were in a city. I followed him as he made his way, by train, through the underground. Once he got off, he made his way out of the station, and approached a building I recognised. Why, it was the office! I caught up with him, reaching to tap him on the shoulder. He turned, caught sight of me and beamed, “Father!”, yet no sound came from his mouth. Instead, the surroundings darkened and his expression changed.

The smile I loved so much relaxed into a look of fear. He slumped to the ground.

“No! Please, not again! Don’t let him die!”

Perhaps a walk is the best remedy for me, Although there is naught of beauty to see.

The moon has risen, a pearly lantern in the sky Casting its brilliant light over those who will die.

My thoughts are interrupted by the pitter patter of rats as they go creeping, Don’t they know that the men have trouble sleeping?

It’s getting chilly; the wind is growing strong And I pass a watchman cheerfully singing a song.

Poor fellow, he can not know that by sunset the next day He will be lying under the naked Flemish clay.

The wind passes me by, whistling and howling, Does nature not know that some men have trouble sleeping?

Time to head back into the safe underground world, Back in bed I find a British flag unfurled.

What am I doing here serving my time?

I remember, they said to come here was to repent for all past crime.

My mind wanders back home to Madge and the kids, they must be worrying, Damn God, doesn’t he know that I have trouble sleeping?

I pounded the ground beseechingly, but no matter how hard I punched, he did not wake. Lightning snapped around me, and I jerked back to consciousness. However, the knocking did not fade.

A buzzing noise suddenly stops suspended in the dark night sky, A Doodle Bug comes hurtling towards the dugout; I guess it’s my turn to die.

I remember the old tales of battle, death and glory But do they know the truth which lies behind the story?

Merci á Dieu for this eternal blessing, At least now I will have no more trouble sleeping.

“Sir!” cried Macey.

“What. What is it?” He entered the room panting.

“It’s Mr. Woodifield, sir. He’s just had another stroke, right outside the front door to the building. I regret to inform you, sir, but he’s dead.”

Bharrathi Sarvananthan Year 11

Robert Ley

Ross Schlaikjer

By Rory Freeborn, Year 9

49

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 50

Toby Webber

Skylark 2008 Originals

The Fly I had a very interesting chat with Mr Woodifield today. The poor feller’s off his rocker if you want my opinion. When I whipped out the old whisky he was so overcome with emotion he nearly cried. Those girls of his are too cruel if you ask me, they must be boring him to death. Every man needs some whisky once in a while.

Nikhil Subbiah

Like everyone who comes into my office he was in awe at all of the fixtures I’ve had put in: carpet, furniture, electric heating and the like. It really is a beautiful piece of design and it gives me great pleasure being commended for it. Everyone who turns up at my door is amazed by it.

Then the conversation took a turn for the worse. He mentioned that his daughters had been to Belgium recently to visit his son, Reggie’s, grave. He told me that they had also seen my son’s grave, even thinking about him now brings me teetering on the edge of sanity, sometimes the grief is too much for me.

Once old Woodifield had left, I was overcome with the kind of grief I have just described, a heart wrenching kind of grief which nothing will ever heal. Many people say sorrow heals with time but for me this can never be the case. He was the reason for my life, some people turn to religion for a purpose but I only needed to look at my son. He was the driving force of my life and now he is gone.

Daiyaan Ghani

“Simply splendid” were his favourite words. He was the pride and joy of my life but no longer.

Cut down by a machine gun they said, doing his duty for King and country. Is throwing your life away “doing your duty?” He had insisted on joining up, no one could ever call him a coward and this, among other things, makes me immensely proud. Six years ago, yet still nothing can ease my pain. I want to, I need to, move on but it is impossible. Inside I am a broken man but I cannot show the staff my hurt; I definitely can’t show my clients my suffering. I must put on a brave face, there is nothing else I can do.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a fly in its death throws floating in a pot of ink. Quickly, I fished it out with my pen and placed it on some blotting paper to dry. It finally managed to clean itself and started to open its wings. Such a brave little insect. Then a thought struck me, how brave is this fly, really? I started dropping ink on it and waiting for it to clean itself.

Then I dropped anther drop. I know now it was cruel, and call me a sadist if you will, but it was only a fly. When eventually it died, I felt a sudden rush of lightness to my head. Maybe I had in some way avenged my son’s death. But as I flicked it into the bin I felt a grinding feeling of wretchedness that I could not control. Then it hit me. This fly, like my son, had had its life thrown away for no reason at all. However insignificant that life, it was still important and no amount of killing would avenge it. At that moment I understood.

Greg Steckelmacher

Anonymous

50

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 51

Skylark 2008 Originals

RadSoc Trip to North Korea Radical Society is extremely proud to have organised this thoroughly successful excursion, which was much enjoyed by all. Wishing to visit a genuine Democratic People’s Republic, North Korea seemed like the perfect destination, and we were all raring to go.

Flying into PyongYang, we could feel the happiness of the natives rising up like an uplifting cloud of joy. We were all swept along by the sheer optimism in the smiles of the obviously healthy and well-nourished children who greeted us with flowers. Already our preconceived notions were beginning to wear away.

We toured the glorious city, marvelling at the magnificent Ministry of Truth-shaped pyramid that is the architectural highlight of the city, at the spectacular display at the Arirang Games in the equally impressive May Day Stadium and at the inspiring giant statue of the Great Leader Kim Il Sung.

Oddly, our bus broke down about half a dozen times, resulting in our walking some places, but this merely meant that we could get to grips with the city, which was spotlessly clean and almost entirely without anti-social behaviour – maybe Boris could take a leaf out of their book!

At night, the place was serene and tranquil, with barely a single sound to be heard in the entire city, despite its population of 3 million: such mutual respect and consideration really makes one reconsider the state of British society.

One of the most memorable experiences was being told the true story of the Korean War, rather than the Western propaganda that had been fed to us by the bourgeois imperialist History Department. A moment of jollity was had by all when it transpired that our tour guide was unaware of the existence of 1984 – either the book or the year!

On another occasion, we passed by a small choir, spontaneously singing praises to the Dear Leader, Kim Jong-Il, which really gave an impression of how much they love their governor. Another example of this noble devotion came when, on spotting a disease-ravaged corpse on the pavement, some citizens formed a human barrier to shield the sight from our eyes in order to preserve the good reputation of their nation.

The Koreans were very helpful in ensuring that we got the full Korean experience: we discovered that the radios and televisions had been upgraded to ensure that only Korean broadcasts could be received, thereby removing the temptation to switch over to CNN or the BBC. In short, it was a hugely eye-opening experience for all, and we were sad to leave. Thanks must go to the omni-benevolent Great Leader and Dear Leader for their remarkable generosity and magnanimity in hosting us and bestowing upon us such bounty as of which we are not worthy.

Leo Davidson U6

Greg Steckelmacher

Life Drawing

51

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 52

Skylark 2008 Originals

Those Annoying Generals Poppies are red, My body’s gone blue.

There are lice in my clothes, And mice in my stew.

Poppies are red, My toes are blue.

We’re living in a bloodbath, Just ‘cos you tell us to.

Poppies are red, My feet are blue.

We’ve won the war, No thanks to you.

Poppies are red, My legs are blue.

You think you helped, But that’s not true; Because who fought in the trenches, Not you.

Andrew Spector

Poppies are red, Ashes are black.

To hell with you generals, And don’t come back.

Old Boy’s Burden

Harman Grewal Year 7

Take up the Old Boy’s burden, Send back the cash you earn, And cart your sons to Elstree So they can have their turn; Remember all the good times, Forget about the bad, You want your child to be like you: The Son, a clone of Dad. Take up the Old Boy’s burden, Make sure you keep in touch, And give our students high-paid jobs; Now that’s not asking much?

We’re keeping with tradition, What public schools are for: Giving boys a fast-track To Oxbridge, jobs and more.

Take up the Old Boy’s burden, Join the conspiracy!

A worldwide web of HABSboys: With common goals and interests, We’ll rule the world entire; As far as the eye can see, my son, The global HABS empire.

Take up the Old Boy’s burden, Admissions tutor, please, And give our students places: Ignore their Bs and Cs. You thought that you were free, The day you first left HABS, But now we need your help to make New Oxons and Cantabs.

Leo Davidson U6

52

Celebrations On those sunlit fields of green grass and bare earth, where the wind trills through the trees the soldiers once flocked like the wise men with mirth, laughing and joking to their doom.

And how could they stay, at home in their towns, with cousins, and brothers so far away, laughing and joking to their doom.

Loud was the cry of the mudded guns, quick was the death that followed, and down went those brothers, and fathers, and sons, weren’t laughing and joking at their doom.

Out went those letters of sadness and grief, given by some damned old fool, those letters were so short and brief, that hardly a tear was shed, for those men who are laughing and joking no more…

Joe Yarwood Year 10

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 53

Skylark 2008 Originals

A Homage to Christie Victoria House stood atop a large hill, overlooking a landscape of beautiful countryside. The house had been empty since the late nineteenth century and so was almost derelict some thirty years later. The residents of the nearby market town of Langton frequently remarked that it was a terrible shame that such a majestic house was lying empty and unwanted, and the news that the mansion had been bought by an elderly widow was greeted with widespread interest.

Catherine Edwards had lived in London since her birth, marrying a man almost twenty years her senior, who had profited handsomely from investment in diamond mines in Africa. When he died, Catherine inherited his entire estate; many of her acquaintances had discussed the mystery of her husband’s decease. Catherine maintained that he had contracted scarlet fever, but many people saw his death as very “convenient” for Catherine, and believed that his demise was of a more sinister nature. Using much of her husband’s legacy, Catherine purchased Victoria House for a princely sum, considering its condition, with the intention of relocating her entire household to the country.

Several months later, Quentin Black received an invitation in the morning’s post. His butler brought it to him along with his usual kedgeree, toast and coffee, and it was with considerable self-discipline that he distracted his attention from the sumptuous breakfast close at hand.

To Detective Quentin Black, It would please me greatly to have the pleasure of your company at a dinner party which I shall be hosting on October the 23rd, at Victoria House. I hope that you are available, and will arrive promptly at a quarter-past seven.

Hoping that you are well, Catherine Edwards The letter bore no postmark or date. Black looked up. “She definitely seems keen for me to be there,” he mused. The last time he had received an invitation of this kind, a double murder had ensued, and Black guessed that he was not being invited purely for his humorous anecdotes.

“Jenkins, please reply to this letter immediately, telling Mrs Edwards that I look forward to her party.” Jenkins left the room, and Black sat alone, hoping that the Edwards woman would at least provide him with a good meal. It would be fair, he thought. She had already made his breakfast cold.

Black arrived at Victoria House in good time, and made his way briskly through the myriad of hedges, which seemed to have been recently planted. He continued through an old-fashioned wooden hallway, into a large, red-carpeted dining room, with the table set for six. The room was a little too large, and Black noticed that all of the guests were standing near a small stone fireplace, which provided the only source of heat.

Black introduced himself to Albert Sampson, and learned that he was a former undersecretary to the Viceroy of India. He was a genial, if fairly dull man, who seemed to have gone slightly senile. He had known Catherine since they were children, their parents having been very good friends; however, they had neither met, nor spoken for almost fifteen years. After he had entertained Black with the same story three times, Black continued around the small fireplace. Next, he met a young man by the name of George Parker, who worked as a master in a London school. He had some very definite ideas about the methods that a teacher should use, and he had been educated at Eton. Black immediately received the impression that Parker regarded Black’s company as beneath him, and decided to leave before he was regaled with another exciting story about the joys of the education of the young.

Black then encountered a rather attractive young woman, who seemed to be slightly in awe of her surroundings. He was about to introduce

himself when he was accosted by a troubled-looking Catherine.

“Mr Black,” she wavered, in a voice with apprehension that she had vainly endeavoured to hide.

“I am very suspicious of one of my guests. The young lady that you were about to talk to has just threatened me in a most horrible manner.”

“Ms Edwards,” replied Black, laconically, “you will have to be more specific.”

“She suggested that she help herself to the silverware. She believes that she holds some sway over me. I fear that she was attempting blackmail, and now that I have refused her demands, will try something more-” Catherine searched for the word, “-desperate. She is the niece of a cousin of mine. Apparently she has fallen on hard times recently” “Of course, I will keep an eye on her Ms Edwards.” It did not even occur to Black to question what the blackmail was. He did not really feel that Catherine was in any genuine danger, and was already tired of the dinner party. Black walked across the room, and as he looked over, he saw Parker glance at the young woman, and motion sharply towards his pocket. Black strolled over to a rather expensive-looking, but tasteless coffee table, and took a handful of pistachios, wondering what Catherine’s real motive for holding this dinner party was, and what Parker’s action had meant.

The guests were all at dinner. Sampson was regaling Parker with a story about the Indian culture and its idiosyncrasies, much to his neighbour’s boredom, and Black had just received a vintage bottle of claret, which he was sampling thoughtfully. Black thought that he imagined a slight smell of almonds, and hoped that the next dish would contain the nut, which he regarded as quite a delicacy. Catherine seemed to have finally distracted herself from the young woman, who was examining the mantelpiece, her eyes appearing quite magpie-like. The meal dragged on, and the main course was cleared. Black was watching the maid bring a magnificent trifle to the table when it happened. The young woman slumped forwards onto the table. Everyone jumped in shock, and attempts were made to revive her but it was no use. Black jumped up and looked at the other people in the room. He saw an incredulous Sampson, a flabbergasted Parker and a hysterical Catherine Edwards.

Black walked over calmly to the woman, and could immediately see that she was dead. He briefly examined her food and he caught the idiosyncratic odour of cyanide. That was what the smell of almonds had been. The staff would not have had the means to procure this poison; therefore, the murder must have been a premeditated crime, and it was surely committed by one of the three other members of the dinner party.

Jonathan Metzer Year 11

Winter Days The snow that fell is so cold and white, Sparkling too, what a glistening sight.

The icy snow weather, crunchy and grey, On this sleet and bleak day.

Snowball fights and snowmen made, By crunchy snow, the blizzard laid.

Jack-Frost made the world a winter paradise, Blizzards, icicles, and frozen ice.

At last the sun is on its way, The last of all these winter days.

The snow is melting, the snowmen fried, What a wonderful day, the winter has died.

Dion Rockson Year 7 53

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 54

Skylark 2008 Originals

An absent friend Sunlight gone Leaves the living alone To dwell in the dark Of never-coming dawn When light is over Illusion draws closer Its absence is missed An absence forever Why can’t it be sunlight And the day to abound With untold promise For a day that is spent Not wasted in winter And a day that is meant As opposed to half-hearted November through January attempt So in a few months The sunlight will come Leaving the dark And all that it’s done To bask in the rays Of all over light That gives hope and promise Against a dark night Jonathan Parr L6

La lutte de l’orgueil

Salil Patel

Il essaya De surmonter la difficulté Mais le souvenir le laissa Avec une agitation envahissante La honte qui évoque la haine Donc il faut qu’il dise Vous devez me rendre Raison avec le pistolet Avant que je tombe Dans les bras De la démence

54

Freedom As the sun solemnly sets beneath the golden sky, A lone hawk drifts, silently swooping unto an oblivious mouse.

Not a sound stirs the complete serenity induced, By the blanket of calm, over the grassland.

And as it darkens, a bird timidly chirps into the air As if testing the consistency of it.

A snake rustles some leaves quickly, Then falling silent once again in nervousness.

Slowly one ferret ventures out from its home, Twitching at the slightest crack or snap, Fully wary of any potential threats That might suddenly jump out at it.

A racoon sees the ferret and joins it, Cautiously to say the least.

Like old friends, they linger out in the dark, Enjoying old freedoms, now lost.

Instantly the bird tells a bee, who sets off, Buzzing along with his blissful tune.

Ears prick up as they understand and smile, They can come out now, all is well.

Animals gather around the water hole, All smiling faces and happy memories.

Hedonistic pleasures far behind them As they just lie there, drinking.

A noise, not heard for twenty-four hours, Suddenly creates a raucous scrambling, To rush back into their homes.

Its starting again. The zoo is opening.

Neeloy Bannerjee Year 11

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 55

Skylark 2008 Originals

Pride and Prejudice Darcy entered the drawing room with every intention of discovering Mr Bingley there, perhaps already engaged in a card game with Miss Bingley. He did indeed stumble upon his host, whom Mr Darcy was mildly surprised to discover was completely alone, regarding Netherfield’s fine gardens from out of the window.

Bingley barely noticed that he was no longer without company, and only when Darcy made his way across the room to a table, on top of which were a collection of crystal decanters, and started to fix himself a small glass of brandy did Mr Bingley acknowledge this new arrival to his presence with a quick glance at Darcy.

“I mean to talk to you Bingley, about something quite urgent,” said Mr Darcy. Darcy had turned his head to try and read Bingley’s expression but for all his efforts he only discovered Bingley to be smiling, his face awash with a look of contentment. “It concerns Miss Jane Bennet and your intentions with her.”

“I feel I am very much in love with her Darcy and I have every intention of entering into marital negotiations with her father.”

“Yes I understood that to be the case. I wish to offer my opinion as a matter of urgency however; I’m afraid I must warn against such actions.” At these words Bingley shot a look at his friend in turn, but his smile had faded noticeably and in its place was a rather puzzled expression that also betrayed his hurt at hearing these words. “I do not deny that there is indeed a certain charm about the elder of the Bennet sisters, I myself have warmed to their manner but I have come to realise something which I must express. I do believe that Jane Bennet’s attraction to you has more to do with your £100,000. Miss Bennet is of an amiable disposition but I think her mother may have different designs on her daughter’s marriage. You are wealthy, of a much higher social status than their family and are without a wife, understandable perhaps why they may wish to form social ties with your family.”

“Listen to me Bingley. I think only of your best interests in this matter. We have been in Hertfordshire for long enough. Do not allow your feelings for Miss Bennet to obstruct your best judgement! I fear you will only end up disappointed. There is no need to remain here; with your social standing and personal charms you are much better suited to find companionship among London’s very fine high society. I have humoured you during your exploration of country life but enough is enough; I speak only as a friend Bingley, do not misjudge my intentions.” Darcy had since drunk several more glasses of brandy and Bingley was pacing in front of the fireplace, his eyes darting agitatedly in time with the wafting ashes from the now smouldering logs.

“And may I ask what evidence you have for this Mr Darcy? For I make it my common practice not to feel untoward to any person in my presence, but I find myself annoyed at your rather brash analysis of the feelings between myself and Miss Bennet. Pray tell, what is the truth behind them? Speak, convince me that your words are not laced with treachery.”

“My dear Mr Bingley, I assure you that I would not approach this situation in such a forward manner if I were not so sure of myself. You must have heard Mrs Bennet’s words and the tone in which she said them when Jane Bennet was lodging here at Netherfield whilst ill? She is very quick to comment on your abundant wealth, and why not? Is it not apparent in every room of your lodgings? But I feel she wishes her daughters only to marry so as to boost the family’s financial standing. For after the death of Mr Bennet the family will be without inheritance, there is no immediate male heir except for the rather disagreeable and supercilious Mr Collins. You can see, I’m sure, their reasons for wanting to tie themselves to you and your wealth.” Darcy placed his glass on the table top and made his way over to join Bingley by the fireplace. Although Bingley did not raise his stare to look at Darcy, he remained silent, an indication for Darcy to continue. “Come back with me to London with

the ladies of the house and see if you prefer the social opportunities it has to offer. If you decide to return then I shan’t stop you from doing so, but if you decide you are better suited to the quality of life the city can provide then you can correspond with Miss Bennet by letter and let her know of your decision to remain in London, if only for the time being?”

“Perhaps Darcy. I do of course trust your judgement and value your companionship, but what of Miss Elizabeth Bennet?”

“What of her?” replied Darcy, forcing an uninterested drawl into his voice.

“Do not do me the dishonour of thinking I have been so occupied with Jane to not notice your heightened interest in Elizabeth Bennet of late?”

“I have no interest in her, she is an agreeable and respectable woman I will not deny, but perhaps I will be better suited to marriage to the fine daughter of Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Anne. A more sensible match wouldn’t you agree, Bingley?” “Indeed.”

“Well that is not the issue at hand. What say you to my proposal? Return with me to London, reinstate yourself in high society, there is much for a man of your position and status to gain in the city.” Bingley had looked up at Darcy when talking of Elizabeth but his eyes were once again fixed on the dying embers in the doggrate. Bingley stepped back from the fireplace and followed a wisp of smoke as it disappeared through the opening of the chimney before releasing a large sigh and turning to face the window once again.

“Yes, fine, I shall do so, I shall ensure the servants summon several carriages and our luggage is packed promptly. I assume we leave at once?”

“Excellent, at once indeed. I shall inform my sister of our impending departure.” With that Darcy left the room with an abruptness not unlike that of a man who has accomplished that which he had always intended.

Niall Moore L6

Peter Sienkowski

“Really, Darcy, I must protest. Surely that is absurd, I have spent time with Jane and know her to be a very pleasant mannered girl, I can assure you her intentions are surely honest.

There is no denying that if we were to be

married it would be a step up for her but it is not true that that is the feeling on which her affection is based!” By this point Bingley was showing signs of annoyance at Darcy’s apparent impudence.

55

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 56

Features

56

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 57

Skylark 2008 Features

What to do in retirement

During the period between my last maths lesson in July 2007 and my return to teaching (Albeit temporarily) in 2008, I’ve lived a busy life‌.

These are a selection of pictures taken in the Svalbard Archipelago, New Zealand, Argentina, Antarctica and the Falkland Islands.

Trevor Hyde

57

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 58

Skylark 2008 Features

Everest

58

Welcome to the jungle

The Himalaya

As the darkness spread around us, and the motor vehicles screamed past, we unexpectedly saw a hot bright light. Jumping out of the way of this motor bike, which on its single seat carried an entire family, we realised the absurdity of this exotic city. The intense smell of spices from bazaars intoxicated whilst the deafening sound of vehicles did not.

Kathmandu is a fantastic city which I would highly recommend to any intrepid traveller.

The opulent palaces contrast with rancid slums, but in either of these places you find friendly people, who are, admittedly, out there to con you, but simultaneously want to invite you into their homes for masala tea. My companions, David Walker, Charles Reith and Will Hanneman were largely new to the bedlam of a rising Asian city, and although I had some idea of what to expect I was still shocked by the vivacity and diversity of this urban jungle. Both Hindu and Buddhist temples line the streets as they have done for over 2000 years. The city’s ancient architects created the pagoda and the oldest Buddhist stupa in the world which lies on a hill in the very centre of the city. The explorer experiences a crescendo of awe upon climbing this monstrous urban hill, largely due to its “stairway to heaven”. The myths state that this stupa was Kathmandu’s first building whilst the entire city was built around it. It is called Swayambhunath but is also known as the “monkey temple” for obvious reasons.

Kathmandu contains many other sites of interest. The series of stupas which surround Pathan offer mysticism unique to the city. They are rumoured to contain the remains of the Buddha and are also some of the oldest buildings in the city, dating back some 1,500 years. Our time in Kathmandu rapidly came to an end. On our final night we went bed at two in the morning, only to be awoken two hours later in order to catch our flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, a remote mountain airstrip and village, from where we would begin our trek.

The 45 minute flight from Kathmandu to Lukla was the most breathtaking of my life. After flying across what seemed like half the Himalayan range, we began to feel the pilot release the throttle and we began to climb up the snow-capped peaks of several small mountains. The sun, as I remember it, was a blinding orangey-red and rose over the imposing peaks. Below we crossed verdant valleys, each covered by jungle. During the spring these valleys are covered with Magnolia and Rhododendron, rendering them an abyss of purple and pink. The fertile foothills of the Himalaya soon yielded to the sight of astonishing white peaks, which effortlessly formed a perfect line across the entire horizon.

There was euphoria, there was the Everest region.

The Landing I am of the opinion that our approach on Lukla was not amusing. It was horrifying. “Would we land safely?” I asked myself. “Probably not,” I replied to myself. Our new American friends informed us of the crash of two aeroplanes, such as the one we were sitting in, in the valley directly in front of the runway 600ft to the runway: The aircraft somehow clambers over the last few pointy peaks and is beginning to descend. Lukla is in sight. The nose of the aircraft points downwards. Quite unusually and due to the layout of the cabin and cockpit, they were the same thing, you could see clearly out of the front windows.

450ft to the runway: The aircraft faces some strong crosswinds, and it appears that the plane is careering uncontrollably either towards a tarmac runway (in which case it seemed most likely that we would crash) or it would miss the runway and fly into the cliff below (in which case we would crash).

Suddenly the plane simply drops in the air and I smack my head on the ceiling. Forgetting to wear a seatbelt is not clever. I scramble to find the buckle but before I can do so the aircraft

jerks and drops again, this time sending me flying off of my seat. Terror. Charlie begins to consider the possibility of death, whilst I “valiantly” help Will find a sick bag. The airhostess sits silently in the corner, as if this was just another day.

150ft to the runway: In a manner that clearly defies all laws of physics, the aircraft manages to lift its nose in time for our first glimpse of the sky, from the front windows, in over three minutes. The pilots get the plane to stop falling out of the sky and it begins to glide elegantly, just in time for the impending tarmac. Never have I felt so lucky yet excited by the descent of an aircraft.

0ft to the runway: The plane touches down on a runway which is clearly too short for this aircraft to land on. I conclude that a toaster has more horsepower and reliability than our plane; I therefore consider another means of transport back to Kathmandu. It was uncanny how the Himalayan aeroplane scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was so similar to what we had just experienced, granted the pilots didn’t jump out of the aircraft with all of the parachutes, laughing hysterically.

SO…then it began. We strapped our bags to our backs and began walking through Lukla to the bottom of the valley, another 1000ft down.

The first Himalayan night was spent showing card tricks to the locals and fighting for warmth in our sleeping bags. The tea houses had absolutely no heating, no light and most of the time no clean water. They provided shelter from snow and a little from the wind. However they are better protected from the wind than tents, and thus they reduce the loss of crucial body warmth. The trek continued the morning after. The rush of adrenalin started almost immediately as we came across our first Himalayan bridge. At a snail's pace we clambered across: we had not planned to fall 200ft into the rocky rapids below. Eventually we made it and stopped in a small village for lunch. The food was bland and consisted of boiled vegetables, contaminated water, iodine and potatoes, much like the food we would eat three times a day for the next couple of weeks. I would go as far as saying that army rations have more grandeur in their taste than the meals we had to eat. The walk continued to the “Namche Death Trap” as I referred to it.

In order to get to Namche we were faced with the challenge of ascending an extremely tall and steep hill and rapidly gaining altitude. If you were to stand in front of this hill and bend your neck as far back as you could it would appear to stretch into the stratosphere. The sun burned down on us, the air was beginning to get noticeably thinner and the stench of Yak faeces was overwhelming. Warm sweat engulfed my t-shirt and my boots were submerged in poo. However dear reader, after all of our toil and trouble, we made it. The moment I saw Namche Bazaar I stopped and

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 59

Skylark 2008 Features

stared gaily. The mountainous town was beautiful. It almost seemed like a modern and inhabited interpretation of Machu Picchu.

Namche is built on a mountain side at the fork of the Khumbu valley. On the left a new valley extends to Gokyo and onward to Tibet, on the right the Khumbu extends and finishes at its source at Everest Base Camp. The town was remarkable. It had internet cafes, a German bakery which played Led Zeppelin in the background and tea houses with western style toilets. A five star experience.

However, it was about this time when I began to feel the effects of poor sanitation in the region. I caught diarrhoea and acquired a resting heart rate of 120 bpm! I think that the heart rate was related to a combination of my illness and the altitude, but it was disconcerting nonetheless. The tea houses were not clean and illness brought on from the food was inevitable. In the subsequent days we made our planned progress across the valley; however David also acquired diarrhoea and Will was seriously suffering from sunstroke. Poor health made the climb harder than it should have been. The sun at altitude burnt down on our faces. Shade rapidly disappeaed as we were almost above the tree line. Attempting to climb along mountainsides whilst being dehydrated, weak and increasingly unable to breathe is similar to opening your chest and ripping out your lungs. There is simply pain, no oxygen and no energy to use.

However, none of us ever gave up, which I am particularly proud of. The pain and frustration did become unbearable, but if it had to be, it had to be. We simply walked a little slower, stopped more often and consumed as much medication as we could. I must add that Charlie hadn’t succumbed to any illness so far.

The Beast, or Charlie Reith, would want you to know this.

The scenery had now completely metamorphosed from lush green valley sides to more baron scree slopes, boulders and ice.

The temperatures were plummeting and the sun was our sole source of warmth. The perils of exertion at high altitude were becoming more and more apparent when an American man was evacuated from our lodge to Kathmandu. The terrain became tough and foreboding in the sense that the ground was unstable. We even saw our first landslide, the dust cloud produced engulfed us within minutes even though it occurred on the other side of a valley a few kilometres away. If we had been on that side of the valley I wouldn’t be writing this now - a frightening thought. But it was at this time that some of the gifts of the Himalaya unravelled themselves. We visited the largest monastery in the Everest region in a village called Tengboche. So we walked in quietly and carefully took off our boots to reveal our tired and blistered feet. Walking into the main room, we saw the most awesome golden statue of the Buddha. There was a homely, warm and inviting smell of incense

and almost as soon as we sat down on one side of the room the monks began to pray in their very deep, low voices. They sang in unison in a way that amazed me. The monks practised the Mahayana school of Buddhism, which was so unfortunately almost destroyed

by Mao Zedong in Tibet, many decades ago.

The chance to see authentic Mahayana Buddhist ceremonies has become much harder after the Chinese invasion of Tibet and this is why I feel so privileged to have sat and watched the monks continuing their traditional lives of peace, solitude and happiness. It was also on this day when we saw our first ever view of the sunset over Ama Dablam. It is considered to be the most beautiful mountain in Nepal, and I must say that I agree. It is the “Himalayan Matterhorn.” Lhotse (4th highest mountain) had been creating huge clouds at sunset, a spectacular sight.

Everest Base Camp Christmas Eve 2007 - After an incredibly long walk from a distant Sherpa village the team

made it to Gorakshep. We met a group of Australians in their mid twenties who were heading towards Base Camp and they decided to follow us as their guide was suffering from altitude sickness and couldn’t go any further.

After we had eaten another tasteless, bland lunch our energy began to return as we realised that our entire trek was about to reach its climax. From Gorakshep we could roughly see how far Base Camp was, and let me tell you, it seemed a lot closer than it turned out to be. What was barely a mile turned out to be approximately five; it was like some malevolent optical illusion. The route appeared relatively flat and simple but how so very wrong we were. The gain in altitude was only 600ft; however, the total climb must have been approximately 1800ft. We were constantly bombarded with large hills of scree slopes, unstable boulders and Australians. The lack of air was making this constant cycle of climbing, slipping, climbing and going down before climbing again, very difficult. I remember having a severe headache, an extremely dry throat, and a feeling of slight giddiness. It was almost as if I was slowly falling asleep as I climbed higher and higher – alarming. The altitude was beginning to get to me and every step I took was the highest I had ever taken. Many of the boulders fell away every time I stepped on them, causing several mini landslides. I must admit that this last leg of the journey was much more challenging than I had first anticipated. However, we finally stumbled over the last few hills to see the final descent to Base Camp. Base Camp, to put it quite plainly, is a barren, desolate, cold and uninviting place. Yet, somehow, it is absolutely stunning. As we had come in Winter time, there weren’t any teams camping in a bid for the summit, but we did on many occasions find the remains of their campsites. There were many prayer flags around and even the occasional Coca-Cola bottle (quite a disappointing thing to have to stare at, when you arrive at such a

59

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:32

Page 60

Skylark 2008 Features

wonderful place). Base Camp is home to the infamous and dramatic Khumbu Icefall. The icefall contains a vast number of séracs (which are large clumps of ice the size of houses); they constantly and slowly move down the mountain side. At Base Camp you can hear the loud cracks of the moving glacier if you walk up close to it. There were often many landslides in the immediate vicinity and on average one could be heard every five minutes. We decided to venture into the glacier without any crampons, because we were feeling heroic and didn’t have any crampons.

The glacier was quite a strange place, because I found myself at crossroads. On the left is a long, treacherous road to the rooftop of the world, and to your right is a long, treacherous road home. We were lucky enough to begin our descent from Base Camp at sunset, the most beautiful time of the day in the Himalayas. There was a point when we all stopped dead and stared at a view of Mount Everest like no other. It looked absolutely magnificent, almost like a king of the Himalaya, wearing a golden crown and staring down on the world. At that moment, there was absolutely no other place in the world where I would have liked to have been at more than on that glacier staring at that large lump of fiery rock and ice.

Kala Pathar Summit Kala Patthar, a secluded grey mountain, is located 5KM West of Everest. Its literal meaning is “The Black Rock.” This was to be the mountain that we actually climbed on our

60

trip and we were excited but exhausted. Our ascent could only be described as a war, but with each team member fighting a different battle. Charlie was finding it difficult to slow his ascent, which was unnerving considering he had only just recovered from altitude sickness. David was fighting much of the same battle; however, his altitude sickness had been much more potent the previous night making his ascent quite disconcerting. Will was in the midst of an intensive conflict between having sunstroke and reaching the summit whilst I was simply slow, elegant and composed, like a true mountain goat. You may wonder what the human body feels on climbing a Himalayan peak. I would suggest that you strap an elephant to your back and down an entire bottle of vodka, because you can’t walk in a straight line at times and the lack of air makes everything feel heavy, slow and lethargic. In the worst cases, standing up and sitting down can become an effort. However, back to the ascent. It was around the time when we had clambered up half the mountain that we caught up to the Spaniards. They were a Spanish couple who had begun their ascent over two hours ago but were evidently very slow. It seemed rude to overtake the couple so I decided to not overtake. Charlie eventually lost all patience and climbed around them, almost sprinting up the mountain, closely followed by David. Will and I were relaxed, taking it easy and unlike Schumacher at the front, Will had learnt the ways of the mountain goat. Eventually we reached the base of the summit which had a David and a Schumacher sitting on it smugly. The true summit was only another 30ft higher after a short free climb on some loose rocks. There is only enough space for one person to stand on it at any time and on either side there are vertical drops of approximately 3000ft. It is highly exposed to fierce Himalayan winds and appears to be a menacing place from a distance but it is strangely beautiful. Furthermore, it is covered with stunning prayer flags, of every size, shape and colour which contain the vivid prints of ancient Buddhist prayers and images (see below). But when you finally pull yourself up the final boulder and turn around you get the

urge to cry. Behind you Everest towers over the rest of the world and in every direction there is nothing but azure skies and mountains. There is an amazing feel of isolation because of the emptiness and you begin to suddenly feel very, very small because you are lost in a vast mountain range that stretches as far as the eye can see. There are no buildings, cars, lights or sounds, bar the wind, and this is the joy of mountaineering; it takes you away from the world and propels you to a time and a place where nature still thrives unhindered. It is a place where man can find solace and stop worrying about money, a career, where to find our next burger joint and all of the other things which consume our lives in the West. It is the type of place that every person must find at one point in their lives, because to not do so risks insanity. A surreal place to spend Christmas day. Well, there it was, the end of our expedition.

Someone, somewhere once said – “Everest. It brings tears to your eyes and then freezes them to your face.” That person knew.

Phillan Amin L6

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:33

Page 61

Skylark 2008 Features

An Interview with Robert Popper Old Haberdasher comedians are not hard to remember; indeed the triumvirate of David Baddiel, Sacha Baron-Cohen and Matt Lucas are hard to forget. They are not alone however. Working at the BBC, working on or performing for such cult comedy shows as “Bo' Selecta!”, “Black Books”, “Spaced”, “Bremner, Bird and Fortune” and “The Eleven O'Clock Show” and producing “Look around you” and series three and four of the hit “Peep Show”, Robert Popper is deeply ingrained in the comedy world. He worked with Sacha Baron-Cohen in 2007, has published a bestselling series of his bizarre letters entitled “The Timewaster Letters” under the pseudonym of Robin Cooper, featured in cameo roles in “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz” and won two BAFTA’s for his success in “Peep Show”.

We were lucky enough to obtain a quick interview with him...

Have you ever made references to HABS in your writing?

What years were you at HABS between? Which House were you in? What was your Favourite Subject?

Fawlty Towers was originally going to be set in the school gym, but the BBC bosses insisted it was relocated to a hotel - for “budget reasons”.

I joined in 1910 and have never left. My House is Nielsons. My favourite subject is “The Future of Man”.

Does the Bafta mean as much as a House Tie to you?

Which parts of school life do you remember most?

Being made to sit inside a helium filled orb and count backwards as fast as possible.

This was our way of worshipping Tarvu.

I have tied my house tie around my Bafta.

They have equal importance to me.

Why do you think that so many of today's high profile comedians went to HABS? Have you been back to HABS since you left?

Because of the pins.

Which Teachers do you best remember?

I remember them all - Mr Limberg, Mr Nuttersley, Master Nicksahl, Mr Themberry, Mr Nielson, Mr Ilf, Mrs Ilf, Mr Fug, Mr Helson, Mr Hilson, and Messrs Hulsum and Halsuhn.

Do you have any embarrassing stories about your time at HABS that the boys might enjoy?

Do all of the old HABS comedians keep in touch, or do you compete with one another?

Once, only to collect some pins I had dropped on the Quad: I didn't find them…

Thank you Robert…

We all live in a little bungalow in Elstree. The yellow house on the corner.

Ben Lewy L6

What inspires you when you write your comedy?

The motto “Serve and Obey” I was once made to peel 40,000 onions in front of the entire school for eating pins.

Why do you write books under a pseudonymRobin Cooper?

What activities prepared you for a life of comedy?

Who is he?

Pin-eating What is your favourite comedy project?

It was probably writing Fawlty Towers. (For legal purposes, this isn’t actually correct)

61

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:33

Page 62

Skylark 2008 Features

Excerpts from The Interview with Matt Lucas:

Ben:

Before I begin, I’ve been asked to tell you that Ms Bird went to see your show; She said she was too embarrassed as it was a bit too rude for her.

Matt:

I heard, I was very upset that she didn’t pop backstage to say hello. It was a bit rude, but basically I learned all the rude things from her

Ben:

I’ll pass that on to her. So can I ask you, do you have happy memories of your time at HABS?

Matt:

Let let me think what happy memories do I have? I remember being scorer in the cricket team in the first year, but I made a bit of a mess of it all and they got rid of me because I put down everyone’s nicknames in the book rather than their proper names and I was too busy nattering away to the parents of the kids who were playing to remember the actual score so I made it up – somewhere there will be a score sheet from my first year where I made a complete mess of it but the music teacher at the time who was in charge of cricket called Mr Rose was furious with me and said that in the whole history of the school this was the only cricket match that they didn’t have proper records for. So I made a terrible mistake there.

they start at the top of the list and look down, well I always started at the bottom of the list and look up – and I didn’t have far to go so I wasn’t very good at my exam results and I remember getting 14% in a chemistry exam at the end of one year and I remember getting a detention from a chemistry teacher called Mr Berger.

Ben:

What about your teachers, did you get on with them?

Matt:

There were some very nice teachers there and there were some terrifying teachers, err but I remember with great fondness a middle school teacher, an English teacher called Mr Cook, he was head of Middle school then, I remember him with great fondness because he realised I was a bit of an individual and he would always take time out to chat to me and he made a big impression on me, does he still wear white shoes?

Ben:

No, not any more.

Matt:

Ah well he always wore white shoes, I remember that and he was always very dapper and everyone liked Mr Cook, he was one of those people that everyone liked very much and I remember Mr Wilson…he was great, you know he wrote me a really nice letter when I left and he was quite eccentric I think but always in a nice way and he had this amazing ability that when you arrived at the school on the first day of the first year that he knew everybody’s names, the names of everybody’s parents, their addresses, their birthdates. He had this kind of extraordinary memory, he could teach Derren Brown a thing or two. And there were other teachers, there was a German teacher called Mr Tyler, long before your time, well he left before I did so he must have left in ‘89 or ‘90 who was truly terrifying and used to shout with great resonance at everybody and he had a catchphrase which was “when I came here they told me this was a school for clever boys … and I believed them.” And that was his kind of mantra that he would repeat anytime anybody got anything wrong, he was very scary. There was also a librarian called Mr Cheney…he was very easy to wind up…Mr Todhunter I really liked. I bumped into him in Marks and Spencers last year, I was very excited and I couldn’t help but notice that he hadn’t aged at all, like Dorian Gray he must have a picture in his attic getting older.

Ben:

You also mentioned Perry Keenleyside in one of your sketches.

Matt:

I did, I’m sure we did, I mentioned names of several school references into our sketches, both mine and Davids, names from school and work and in the first series of

Where I did have a good time? I used to play in the school bands a lot and I remember I think he was called Mr Legg, I’m sure he’s not there anymore but he used to conduct the band and I was in the third or fourth year and we played a show in the Seldon Hall and Princess Margaret came along to see it and that was very exciting and I remember Sir Ian McKellen coming along making a speech and I also remember David O’Leary, you know the former Arsenal player and one time Leeds manager giving a speech as well which was very exciting and I also had happy memories when I did school plays and things like that but less happy memories of my academic achievements.

62

Ben:

Do you think that HABS might have been where your comedy started?

Matt:

Well I think there was a lot of chance for creative expression, you know in the extra curricular activities, so yeah I remember being in a school play when I was thirteen and improvising and getting laughs so yeah I mean that gave me a lot of confidence.

Ben:

Yeah, but did you have any less happy memories?

Matt:

Well – you know I wasn’t very academic so you know that way that people when they pin up the exam results that

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:33

Page 63

Skylark 2008 Features

Little Britain there’s a kind of fusty old schoolmaster who’s teaching children to read Great Expectations, it’s not based on any one particular teacher but both me and David had memories of long boring lessons on summer days that never seemed to end.

Ohhhh! Dr Wigley, what a very nice man. He’s great he was.

Please send him my regards, he was my housemaster.

Ben:

So do you remember things like the Bates?

Matt:

Yeah I always remember in the Bates that whenever anyone dropped a plate everybody cheered. I was there err the first day they ever served breakfast in the Bates – it was about 1989, quite a monumental occasion, I have still got a t shirt saying that I was there the first day they served breakfast in the Bates.

Ben:

So what was the worse thing you ever did that no-one ever found out about?

Matt:

Coorrrrmmm! Oh well I did smoke in the woods but I’m sure Skylark won’t appreciate you telling that (We did!), I remember going to Tyke’s water or whatever it was called I used to smoke, in fact I did smoke in a cubicle in that toilet, you know that cubicle in that toilet next to the SLT.

Ben:

About those toilets, did you ever leave a message on the walls of one of them?

Matt:

No I didn’t, but if I had to leave a message I would write SERVE AND OBEY; In a way it would be naughty in transgressing the rules by writing a message but what I would be writing would be a valuable piece of advice. Is the SLT still there?

Ben:

They knocked that down!

Matt:

What, they knocked down the SLT?

Ben:

Yeah, they knocked down the entire building.

Matt:

Ohhh! I think a little part of me has died, I used to smoke dope there but, oh that’s terrible, I shouldn’t say that. What naughty things did I do that no-one’s found out about? Errm well I did, by accident, because I was a bit absent-minded go on the all weather pitch with my studs and it damaged the all weather pitch, do you know what I’m talking about? Is that still there, the all weather pitch? They did find out though. I managed to avoid the teacher for about two weeks but eventually he cornered me but he had calmed down thankfully.

Ben:

Why do you think so many HABS boys went into comedy?

Matt:

Erm erm, Because I think that the school fills you with a healthy neurosis, gives you plenty to write about.

Ben:

Yes, how true! And finally if you don’t mind, what is the best part of fame?

Matt:

mmmmm……. well I got to meet some – I’m a big Arsenal fan and I got to meet some of the Arsenal footballers – they didn’t know who I was but it was still exciting to meet some footballers.

The best part of fame is, well one of them is the honour of being asked to give an interview and come back to your old school.

Ben:

Would you come back if someone invited you?

Matt:

Of course

So we did…

Ben Lewy L6

63

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:33

Page 64

Skylark 2008 Features

Interview with David Rudnick felt that I was a pure artist although I’ve liked to draw and do graphic design but on the foundation course I took I found that, for myself, it was not particularly fulfilling to do art all of the time. I missed the intellectual side of having a curriculum, with books to read! I increasingly found that after the course I wasn’t a fine artist or painter and I didn’t really want to be an illustrator. I liked to do art but what I really wanted was to learn and have a more focused period of study from my university experience and I’ve really enjoyed having this from my time at Yale; there has been more than ample opportunity to follow intellectual pursuits as well as artistic skills.

As you previously said, you didn’t want to be an illustrator, so where do you see yourself after university?

Well that’s a really good question and its something I’m still considering. While at HABS I had so much fun doing art. The department was great, not only did they let me practice within the curriculum but they also gave me the resources to do other things such as magazines or posters for around campus. As I did the projects of my own, I found that my connection with art was on a more cultural level; I liked doing things for the school community, creating a dialogue with it. So this is what I feel will be of interest to me in the future.

I hear that you are doing some artwork for a Yale magazine, how did that start?

How have you been finding university in America?

Well, first of all, let me say that Yale is a fantastic place. It really takes you aback when you first get there, as it’s actually surprisingly different to England in a way you wouldn’t expect. I originally had a very simplified and basic view of the country, although there’s the common language and what you think is a common culture, it’s obviously not English. To be honest the whole thing has been pretty crazy.

Was it always going to be university in America or did you also look into the English system?

I had never actually planned to go to America. I originally wanted to study Art at Oxford, but as it turns out I didn’t get in, twice. After this I took a look at my other English university offers but I felt that at this point I wasn’t ready to say, “this is where I want to settle and this is what I want to study”, whether it was fine art, philosophy, or history of art and this is what I would have had to have done if I stayed in England. This is one of the best things about studying in America, there is so much flexibility in the classes and modules you choose, but also in the selection of your major; you’re not expected to decide straight away.

And is that the liberal arts system?

Yes. You will have to do some core subjects, kind of like you do at GCSEs, and then your chosen subject similar to that at A level. You end up doing some languages or sciences along with your major subject but it all varies depending on which university you go to but the general idea is the same in all.

I take it that you’re majoring in art then?

As it turns out, no, I’m doing Art History. In between HABS and university I took an Art foundation course and I still do some Art courses so I am keeping up with the practical side but I’ve also studied graphic design and history and philosophy of art. I’ve never

64

Well, I founded a music magazine with some friends called Volume which has now turned out to become the Yale music magazine and this has been really exciting for me. It’s all graphic design, something I had never really thought about doing. I mean I remember my time doing it with Mr Hardman and had a good time, but thinking about it on this level was very different. The work we did at school was something I personally didn’t have to think about on such an elemental level in terms of what it actually means in the wider world.

However during my time at HABS I actually did a magazine for Hendersons house and I think it would be fair to say it was one of my favourite things that I did. I asked Mr Lloyd-Williams whether I could do it and he said yes, probably thinking that I would never follow it through and when I finished it I’m pretty sure it wasn’t what he wanted but I had done it anyway. It was especially done for the first years and was full of misinformation; I had a lot of fun with it, something I feel is important with everything you do.

So how are you finding the standard of work that you are now having to produce compared to that of your peers at Yale?

While I was at HABS I was always inspired by what I saw, as in I would see the A level work and think, “That’s what I want to do”, but now I have to think about whether or not it is good in its own right, not whether it is good compared to what was done before. However at the same time you have to move away from looking at things as “is this good compared to my peers?” and towards, “is this good compared to what is currently being produced, not just within the immediate university environment?” So with the magazine that I have done, there is no room to say that it is good for someone in university, you have to be able to say it is good full stop.

And the teaching, what’s that like?

It’s brilliant. When I was doing my foundation course it was all about experimentation and “finding yourself”, which was something I was actually opposed to; there was very little direction. I wanted them to teach me how to draw and how to paint. Some people find it very liberating to be in this environment but I needed some guidance, as at this stage I was personally more interested in perfecting a craft.

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:33

Page 65

Skylark 2008 Features

But now at Yale it’s all about technical skills, it’s extremely well focused on the theory of painting, colour and drawing; something I was always wanting.

design or magazine layout but most importantly find your voice, find your personal angle; something that will make you stand out from the rest.

I now suggest we move onto some more pressing issues, American or English girls?

What have you found are your best and worst parts about being an artist?

The worst part would have had to be the fact that Art isn’t necessarily a game of skill. You must realise that you can easily become really excited and respectful of art at the top level, for example I am very interested in the work of Hurst and the Chapman Brothers, but there is also so much rubbish around; some at the top are producing really ugly art which becomes increasingly difficult to distance yourself from when you are pretty much surrounded by it. What I think I longed for was to be a part of a group of people like the Vienna Circle in which I would be surrounded by 7 or 8 people whose work I truly admired and which would push me to produce good art. This is something I did definitely find during my time at HABS in that during certain classes this experience of having brilliant peers was evident and would push me to be the same. When you’re in a system of 100’s and 1000’s of people it can be quite hard to find this.

However I have felt that this has broadened my perception of what is available for me to do because I’m not having to follow the track of a single peer group. Now I do a lot of printmaking. I still draw and I have actually become really interested in fashion. One thing Art as an education has most certainly given me is an appreciation of what it can potentially have to offer and a sense of humility towards what is actually around.

What advice would you give to those who are going on to study Art?

What a lot of my friends and myself really can’t stress enough is the extent to which in Art and fashion and related disciplines it’s really not the qualification you get so much as it is the work that you produce and the contacts you make. Those who really make the most for themselves are those who have moved onto the professional world with work experience; you hear it all of the time. The real world doesn’t really care how you fill the criteria of assignments and exams at university but more about how you can fill their criteria. It’s not just about getting the best grades and being the most successful at school, although I’m not saying that it isn’t important.

So what would you suggest that the students should do?

In Art, it is very much about the portfolio; the material things that you can show that you have accomplished rather than just a sheet of paper with a few As and A*s on it. 1000’s of people leave university with degrees in fine art or design but it’s your work that is special, it’s what you can do. I would really encourage everyone to take up some freelance work to build your stock of work. Do some website

LOL. Well, the Yale girl…hmmm…I’d have to say that the Yale girl is probably not representative of the American girl. But I must say having the English accent is a real bonus. Although, the Yale girls aren’t as impressed by it, they aren’t the ones who think I’m from Buckingham Palace, they’ve kind of sussed that out. I must say that this point is actually relevant in showing how vastly different America is from place to place. In some sense American life is just like what you’ll see in the movies or on TV. You’ll laugh at how many people have a high school experience reminiscent of that of “Saved By The Bell” but in other places it isn’t necessarily that homogenous.

In fact, in America the culture in general is vastly different. Back in England, turning 18 is considered to be your coming of age whereas here you’re not really considered an adult until 21, something clearly shown by the drinking age. You don’t really associate as much with the adult world as you do in England. This does have some surprising implications, for example in the way that people listen to music. Here it’s house parties until you’re 21; just imagine the type of music you’re exposed to for that long a period. You can’t really go to clubs and gigs because they are often for over 21s. There is also a very big distinction between Americans and Europeans; I mean I always look foreign. The distinction is actually bigger than most people realise. In England we get a lot of American pop culture, in music, television and even our food whereas our culture doesn’t really transpire back.

So how do you feel about having your artwork up on the walls at our school?

It’s on the wall in our new building.

Well I’m actually quite touched and proud that it’s up on the walls. It was my AS level piece and I’m glad people like it. I do hope however it doesn’t just inspire people to be as good as me but to be much better than me.

One thing I must say is that at HABS I really did have a great opportunity. I know a lot of people from other schools who were really jealous of what we had. The departments were great and the facilities were brilliant. We could do so much, from sculpture to silkscreen printing. At university I am finding it quite hard to access such things because I don’t necessarily specialise in that field or the resources are in another building a mile away. At HABS we had everything at our fingertips, always there to use at any time. To be honest I wish I’d used them more. I really do appreciate what the school offered and gave me.

Rishin Patni L6

65

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:33

Page 66

Skylark 2008 Features

Interview with Dr Peter Spence Peter Spence was born in Haiti. When he was seven, his parents returned to Ireland.

They emigrated again to Canada when the troubles began in Belfast and settled in rural Alberta. After graduating from High School he worked in various sales, marketing and retail management posts before enrolling as a mature student in the University of Alberta to pursue a BA (Hons) in History. He was awarded an MA in History by the University of Western Ontario before being awarded a scholarship to pursue a PhD at the University of Cambridge. His PhD thesis was published as a book called The Birth of Romantic Radicalism: War, Popular Politics, and English Radical Reformism, 1800 to 1815. After several lecturing posts in Wales and New Zealand, Dr Spence became a temporary Lecturer in 18th Century History at Cambridge and Fellow of Queens’ College.

Following this, he chose to use the combination of marketing and education experiences to pursue a career in academic advancement, first at the University of Hull, then Clifton College (Bristol), before taking up the post of Director of External Relations at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School in July 2006.

What is your role at HABS?

My role is to coordinate our externally-facing activities (admissions, marketing, public relations, alumni relations and fundraising) so as to present a single aspirational message to our communities of friends HABS is one of the best schools in the UK and we want it to be one of the best schools in the world. To become the best we can be, we need to mobilise all our communities; current and past parents, current and past pupils and current and past teachers.

Why? - What support and assistance can they give us?

In the short run; career mentoring, providing work experience, gap year mentoring, voluntary work. In due course we hope that many will make the school a beneficiary of their charitable giving. We aim to provide the best possible education with the funds that we have; additional funding would allow us to be even better than we are today. We spend substantial sums in the provision of bursaries, but we would be delighted if we could provide additional bursaries to any boy who could benefit from an education at HABS, regardless of their financial resources.

So how does this compare to what other schools are doing?

We are some way ahead of other schools in this process and as yet few have considered combining all the externally-focused aspects of the school under one umbrella. However, it is clear that this model is being copied elsewhere. .

How did you go about defining our new message and were you involved in the new letterhead?

We began by forming a series of focus groups (young old boys, older old boys, current and past parents, pupils and teachers) to assess what were the unique brand values of HABS. Having established what our broader community believed was unique to us, we then approached a number of design companies to seek their advice on a refreshed visual identity that represented these values. Their submissions were distributed to a panel of pupils, old boys, parents and teachers, and the design they selected was the one that is now being implemented on letterheads, signage, etc.

The reaction externally, I’m pleased to say, has been very positive.

Why “Nurturing Excellence”?

Is this a feasible objective?

We hope that donors will emerge not only from those who have an affinity with our school, but also those who share our aspiration to create one of the best schools in the world open to any boy with the ability to benefit from the HABS experience. Many schools (particularly in the USA, Canada and Australia) already receive substantial sums from their communities. British universities have demonstrated that friends and alumni are happy to provide philanthropic gifts to support their institutions. British schools are now following this example with the same degree of success- Harrow School is one of the leaders in this area.

66

I wanted a strap line that was true to our brand, that exemplified what we stand for, and that gave a steer to what we aim to be in the future. At a final gathering of all those who had been involved in the brand consultation exercise, I asked them to define in a few words what values epitomised the HABS experience. Two factors emerged from every discussion group – “excellence”; and “care, support, sustenance, attainment, nurture”. “Nurturing Excellence” rapidly emerged as a defining statement of our core aspiration, and was one which applied to our entire community, not just teachers and pupils. It is true to our history, and provides the basis for a future fundraising drive.

Why not “Serve and Obey”?

Serve and Obey is the motto of the Haberdashers’ Company, therefore it is and remains the motto of the school. It doesn’t represent the real experience of the school, which is the role that a brand statement should play.

What is your favourite aspect of working at HABS?

Every morning, as I walk up the North Drive towards Aldenham House, I realise how incredibly lucky I am to work in such a beautiful environment. And as I walk past the boys coming up from the coach park, I am reminded that my role is to make sure that every member of the school’s external community is involved in providing the best possible education for our pupils.

What is your favourite song?

Jerusalem, of course! But seriously, my PhD research focused on radicalism in Britain during the French Revolution. As part of this, William Blake played an important role – to this day I remain perplexed as to how a poem and song that is a stern critique of English politics and economics has become the epitome of British conservatism.

Perhaps a HABS Boy will write a paper explaining this someday.

What is your favourite film?

The academic in me suggests I should mention the “Battleship Potemkin”, for its dramatic role in the development of early cinematography, or perhaps “Reds” which made American audiences more aware of the importance of the Bolshevik Revolution.

My undergraduate dissertation was on the radical reaction to the Red Scare in America in 1919-1920, and both of these films provided a useful counterpoint to assumptions about Russian history and American anti-communism.

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:33

Page 67

However, if truth be told, it is Walt Disney’s “Jungle Book” which I can watch over and over again. Its compelling story line, lushlyillustrated animation and collection of unforgettable songs never cease to please me.

What would be your favourite superpower?

Time travel. What else could an historian answer?

Luke Tullo L6

Being a New Kid on the Block I won’t lie, when I came for my interview I felt intensely intimidated. HABS looked more like a tiny village than a school. We proceeded for a tour and I was pleasantly surprised at the sheer mass of facilities available! I saw a gym that was ready to use, that eclipsed the likes of professional gyms; I saw a library large enough to account for my local one; I saw classrooms, nearly all equipped with the latest smart board technology. All in all I saw a ridiculously wellequipped school. As I slowly began to understand in the first few weeks of my time at HABS, the school was in fact not intimidating, it was full of friendly students who were keen on their sport and had a marvellous work ethic. All the teachers were more like peers than teachers, as they guided you through your first weeks. I found life at HABS brilliant!

HABS is obviously defined by its academic skill. Many teachers are graduates from Oxford or Cambridge, and are hoping to carry on the tradition. This year alone nearly one fifth of boys in U6 were offered places at Oxbridge. At GCSE level getting ten or eleven A*s is routine, whereas in other schools the child would be marvelled as an up and coming Einstein. This is not to deter anyone from sending their children here, but for you to understand the level at which most HABS boys “roll”; and even if these are quite high standards do not doubt the ability of the teachers for, at HABS, as the Adidas motto goes, “impossible is nothing”.

HABS’s extra-curricular activity has seen MUN conferences, debating, and public speaking push the frontiers of success further and further… On top of that, regular awards in Duke of Edinburgh and Army only add the touches of gold to students’ illustrious careers at HABS. Every boy has to participate in games, and success in the likes of rugby, cricket, hockey and football know no bounds. I myself found my involvement in football as a brilliant encouragement, and thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait for next year’s season to begin, especially ready to fill the vacuums that will be left by the likes of Ronaldo.

What’s different about HABS compared to any old bog-standard school? Well as a new boy I was in a very good place to answer this question. A lot of unique things happen at this school, which would not happen anywhere else. For example where else would one of your history teachers walk in wearing his university robe for absolutely no reason whatsoever? Or where else would you be able to sit in a classroom and a boy stands up to give the teacher a congratulatory hug for his fine work with the class! No where. Like Oxbridge, HABS has its own traditions that are carried out year in year out, and are always extremely enjoyable. There are History dinners, massive Jewish Society parties and the list goes on and on. Best advice: expect the unexpected.

If you are wondering what a new boy should expect then read on. Expect a school that has no boundaries, except on the cricket field; a school that does not take no for an answer, as stubborn as Jeremy Clarkson on a good day. Filled with unique and outstanding students, and as I was told, expect to “hit the ball rolling, because life will whizz past faster than a train,” words of wisdom by our eloquent Head of Sixth Form Mr. Parr, who obviously has never used the London Overground before. As a HABS boy, you are not only expected to do well at your academic level, but you are expected to participate in oodles of different hobbies and extra-curricular activities, ranging from Politics Society, to football and rugby, to Duke of Edinburgh. The school gives your child so many extra-curricular opportunities that by the time it comes to UCAS applications you won’t need to be adding things, but picking out things for lack of space!

All in all, HABS for a new student will change your life, it might get you into an outstanding university, it might just help you choose your perfect career, or even aid you in your progress to PM. In any case, at HABS, anything is possible.

Prashant Kukadia L6

67

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

Prep

68

29/10/08

15:33

Page 68

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:33

Page 69

Skylark 2008 Prep

Prep News busy and exciting year.

The Prep School has enjoyed another in the UK Primary Mathematics Once again the boys performed extremely well prowess contributed to ical Challenge and without doubt their mathemat results in the annual Key Stage II g andin outst ing Haberdashers’ Prep School attain the top performing Independent Boys’ SATs. Haberdashers’ Prep School remained Tables.

Prep School in “The Sunday Times” League range of extra-curricular activities As always the boys have participated in a wide y of sports; one of the highlights of the and have achieved great success in a variet run in the London Mini-Marathon. to en year being the selection of Daniel Reub were unbeaten all season and the s team et Crick B The U9 A & B and the U11 strong opposition. swimmers also performed creditably against Dream”; the Year 4 and Year 6 Year 6 production of “A Midsummer Night’s Additional highlights of the year included the Centre in Pembrokeshire and the in Buckinghamshire and Orielton Field Study residential trips to Kingswood Activity Centre in October. am Vietn in The World Chess Championships in selection of Ravi Haria to represent England ” and his poem will be unter Enco f “Grie y charit etition organised by the Richard Matheson won a National Poetry Comp published later this year. our awareness and taught us up by Jacob New. The members heightened A new club called “Wildlife Explorers” was set the school. about the animals and birds that live around Burma Cyclone. All the Prep boys Paddy Sidwell, organised a Fete in aid of the man Chair by led bly super cil, Coun ol Scho The Teacher!” to Treasure Hunts and ng a variety of stalls ranging from “Splat the contributed to a lunchtime of fundraising; runni Blindfold Basketball!

The Haberdashers’ Company at the bookmarks by Mr Michael Jeans, Master of The Kingfishers were presented with crested ended with the release of Wood. Everyone enjoyed the occasion which official opening of the Pre-Prep School in How Prep and Pre-Prep boys the Both end of a very successful inaugural year. environmentally friendly balloons to mark the n received an award for his Meno ge Geor and in their End of Term Concerts completed the year with some wonderful music outstanding contribution to music. on offer at Haberdashers’. The ol’s pupils have enjoyed all the opportunities Scho Prep the and rep Pre-P the t doub ut Witho med back Mr Stephen Wilson (exHall on Friday, 4 July when Haberdashers’ welco finale of the year took place in The Bourne endation, a day of great celebration.

Head of the Junior School) for the Prep Comm

Yvonne Mercer Head of Prep & Pre-Prep Schools

69

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:33

Page 70

Skylark 2008 Prep

Prep

SPORT

Rugby:

Football:

Hockey

U11 A Team After an outstanding season opener against Northwood Prep, the U11 A team has not always played to its strengths and its members have given away possession too easily. It was also evident that despite the considerable pace in the backs, the U11 A’s handling skills were not always good enough to take advantage of this and scoring chances were squandered.

However, there is certainly plenty of character in the team and in matches against Belmont and UCS, with HABS facing almost certain defeats at half time, the HABS team was able to turn the matches around and come out comfortable winners.

U11 A Team Poor weather and soggy pitches delayed the start of proceedings in January, and perhaps lacking match practice, our boys found the opening fixture against Belmont challenging.

Our hosts, who featured the son of a “famous name” in their ranks, shaded a competitive encounter, but to their credit our boys finished the stronger, in losing 4-2.

It was with immense pleasure and pride that 22 boys represented the Prep School at hockey this term: a sport still very much in its infancy at HABS Prep.

S Lowe

However, the defeat, rather than demoralising the team, actually galvanised it and we went on to win the next six matches. Particular highlights were a narrow 2-1 win against close rivals Radlett Prep, an impressive performance of wing play in defeating UCS 4-2 and a thumping 6-1 victory at Bedford Modern. The team have also complemented these friendly matches with an excellent run in the Wix Cup.

We began our fixtures against Northwood Prep who, rather worryingly, had been playing hockey since Year 3. Much to our delight, we won the A and B team matches, 3-0 and 2-0 respectively!

The next game was against Berkhamsted. They had played hockey for a whole term during Games lessons and so skill-wise certainly had the upper hand. It was a gripping match by the A team and the score was level until the final minute! The crowd got behind our boys and seemingly “willed” the ball into the net during a desperate goal-mouth scramble. The B-team held on to a very respectable 0-0 draw.

S Todhunter P Whitby

Basketball

Chess

Having played some friendly matches, the fixture against St Johns from Northwood gave the HABS team their first taste of competition against opposition their own age. We were quite worried as St Johns is a tremendous rugby playing school so we expected some very large boys…we were not disappointed!

The game started at a very fast pace and many handling errors were made. HABS boys were quickest to set up a strong defence and slowly took control of the game. After an early exchange of baskets, HABS then scored eight unanswered points and were never to lose the lead, eventually winning 22-11.

Chess, being a very successful activity at HABS, has seen many notable achievements this year. Of particular note is that of Ravi Haria who, at only the age of 9, has been crowned the Under 9 British Chess Champion 2008, having spent two weeks in Liverpool competing in the annual “British Chess Championships” organised by the English Chess Federation (ECF) last month. In the same competition, Ravi also came second in the Under 10 age group and narrowly missed out on first place in the Under 11 age group by half a point. Earlier this year, Ravi also competed as part of the England squad in the “Commonwealth Chess Championship” in New Delhi, where he was awarded a Bronze medal. He also achieved joint 2nd place in the “Under 11 Barnet Schools’ Chess Association Individual Championships 2008”.

M Jenkins

Other outstanding accomplishments have seen Lawrence Lee crowned the “U9 Herts Chess Tournament” champion, and the U12 and U14 champion at the “Junior Brentwood Chess Tournament”. Lawrence has also jointly achieved first place with George Lawrence in

70

the “Under 9 Barnet Schools’ Chess Association Individual Championships 2008”.

Raphael Fulton has also achieved 1st place in the “Cub Chess Competition for London”, winning 5 out of 7 games in the process.

T Loebrnberg

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:33

Page 71

Skylark 2008 Prep

Neptune’s Kingdom t with my friends, Mat and Max, on One sunny morning last summer, I wen reef. l a diving expedition around a cora expedition centre. At the expedition When my friends arrived, we set off for the away for a long time, while Mum was Dad centre, Dad went to find our guide. As we would have a look around. wasn’t looking, Mat, Max and I decided that d quite interesting. But we didn’t notice We went inside a room that we thought looke a sign on the door saying “NO ENTRY”.

“Look”, said Mat. “Some wet suits”, said Max. we heard a cracking of the floorboards Quickly, we put on the wet suits. Suddenly, and… CRACK! went, until we hit hard on the seafloor. At We fell into the sea: down, down, down we could see someone without a wet suit on. first, my vision was a blur and I thought I No, it couldn’t be, but it was!

“Hey guys, I think that’s Neptune!” I said. soon did. My two friends and I stared in Neptune hadn’t turned around yet but he blue sea, yet his hair was as black as amazement. His eyes were as blue as the night. wed Neptune.

“Who are you to enter my domain?” bello “Well, I’m Mat and…” ed onto Mat’s face. Immediately, he But before Mat could finish, an octopus jump n punching at the octopus. Eventually, it bega began trying to rip it off. Max and I also let go. y about that. Here are some coins and “Tentacles! Bad Boy!” said Neptune, “Sorr then you’d better be on your way”. and said goodbye. When we got to the Neptune handed us one golden coin each uits and put back on our normal clothes. surface, we quickly changed out of our wets to crack the floorboards again, and found We ran out of the room being careful not Mum and Dad waiting anxiously.

“Hi Mum” I said.

“Where have you been?” asked Mum. “Oh…just…you know…looking around!” gh time for a few minutes of scuba “Oh, well, come on then, we’ve just got enou diving.” …

We all smiled at each other and off we went James Miller Year 3

Seasonal Beach Scene Summer

Winter

As I approached the beach, I could see much activity on the golden sand. I could taste the sour salt in my mouth, making it feel dry. When I was closer, I could hear the high pitched voices of delighted children. The joyful children were running freely on the shining, slippery sand and I could feel the forceful but sultry wind on my sunburnt face. I dangled my arms out of the rocking boat to feel the refreshingly cool water gushing through my fingers. I was nearing the shore when I could smell the burning of over-cooked hot dogs. I was thinking of where I should land safely and smoothly on the crowded, sun-baked beach. Excitement was filling up within me, and with joy, I took my first ever steps on the crisp sand of the beach.

I stood on the sea-front road and stared out sadly across the bleak and chilly seaside scene. I shivered as the icy coldness cut through my grey, woolly coat. The deserted shops, demolished, stood to attention like mournful soldiers in their grey, rusty armour, waiting in their sadness towards their doom. A howling blustery wind whistled across the abandoned sea-front like a dog squealing for its long lost owner. The desolate beach spread out before my eyes, its dull yellow blanket of sand and their frothy waves crashing their sorrowful rhythm against the salty shore.

Thomas Almond Year 5

71

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:34

Page 72

Skylark 2008 Prep

Year 4 Trip to Windsor Castle On Wednesday 21st May, Year 4 set off for Windsor Castle. It was to be an unforgettable, action-packed day! As it is one of the Queen's residences, we had to pass through a lot of security when we arrived. Looking out to see whether the Royal Standard was flying, which would indicate that she was currently in residence, we attended our first event of the day, which was a superb talk on castles – called “Defence and Attack.”

This was handy, as we would be completing a project on attacking Windsor Castle in the medieval period when we returned to school.

Then we caught the end of the “Changing of the Guard”, which was very exciting; we even had our photos taken next to a sentry box. After this we toured around the castle grounds, visiting the State Apartments, St. George's Chapel and the famous Dolls’ House. This was so impressive that it had running water in five of its bathrooms as well as electricity! The trip was a real highlight of the year and truly brought history alive!

TRIPS P Whitby

Year 6 Trip to Orielton

Year 6 enjoyed a wonderful residential field trip to Orielton Field Studies Centre in Pembrokeshire. This was our first time at Orielton, but it lived up to our expectations; the food was excellent and we only had one broken arm!

Pupils enjoyed a variety of activities but for many, the highlight was shelter building, where boys were organised

into teams and asked to create a waterproof shelter in the woods. The Rocky Shore Safari was also a great success and it was a delight to see 43 boys paddling in the rockpools along the beautiful Welsh coastline.

Everyone agreed that the trip was a huge a huge success.

C Grimes

72

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:34

Page 73

Skylark 2008 Prep

Year 4 Trip to Kingswood On the 20th June, Year 4 went to a Kingswood residential centre in Wexham, Buckinghamshire. After an exciting coach drive full of laughter and chatting, we arrived. The first lunch was astounding we had chocolate fudge cake for dessert!

The activities were action-packed and once they had started, we did not want them to finish. There were large fields where we could run around and play.

During some of the activities, we learnt how to climb, shoot arrows and sword fight! Overall, the best activity was nightline. Blindfolded, we went into a forest on a mud track. We then had to hold onto a line to guide us around obstacles; Mr Whitby and Mr Bowley meanwhile, were pouring water all over us. Worryingly, it looked as if they were having more fun than we were! On one of the nights, we had a campfire. We sat around the crackling fire on tree trunks singing songs and eating chocolate and marshmallows. We all agreed that this was the best school trip ever!

Alexander Astruc and Ashvin Kuri Year 4

73

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:34

Page 74

Skylark 2008 Prep

Homework is NOT Good In my opinion I do not think that children should have homework at all, unless they ask for it (which is not going to happen!)

Teachers say that we have homework because we need to keep practising and practising what we have learnt at school (even if we just did it for one and a half hours and are going to do it again tomorrow). I personally do not think that this should happen because if we keep doing things over and over again, then we might forget what we initially learnt.

Children already put in many hours of work at school, and then they are forced to do another hour of repeated work at home, every day, five hours a week. The average child (if school ends at four o’clock) does approximately five hours of work a day, not including break time. If you times this by five, then the average child does more than twenty hours of work a week: I think that you can do the rest of the maths.

Also, when there is an exam coming up, big or small, a small amount of homework is bearable, but then teachers triple the workload in and out of school! This can put too much pressure and stress on children, thereby affecting their results in the exams, and quality of their work.

74

There is also something good for the teachers if they don’t give homework to their pupils. The teachers wouldn’t have as many things to mark, giving them more free time to relax.

Perhaps they could lie on the sofa, or take out a book to read, sipping a warm mug of hot coffee and nibbling a small biscuit.

The reasons stated above outline why I think children should not have homework; I argue that it is unreasonable for teachers to give themselves, and children who go to school (as there are some people who cannot afford to go to school), extra work, when it is completely unnecessary. I am sure, without doubt, that most children agree with me on this. I also believe that children should have a bigger say with regard to what they are forced to do. For example, although the law says that children must go to school, adults were the ones who decided to make the rule. However, even if we do not need to go to school, I still would… …but I wouldn’t want to have homework.

Christopher Combemale Year 6

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:34

Page 75

Skylark 2008 Prep

The Magic Box I will put in the box: the sacred serpent, The sapphire scale of s flying to the sun, The feather of a Pegasu ova splitting stars.

The sound of a supern I will put in the box: w born pterodactyl, The crystal egg of a ne angels, A small star carved by in front of the sunset.

A tree growing jewels I will put in the box: dog as a puppy, The first stare from my cient Grandma, The last laugh of my an by my Uncle.

The aeroplane carved I will put in the box: gold, A rainfall with drops of A scorching icicle, and A freezing fire. stic unicorn, m the bones of a maje My box is fashioned fro corners. e lid and wishes in the With snowflakes on th I shall climb in my box: mmit, Up to the rewarding su and slate, Past the screes of flint at my face.

Where the wind claws Jacob New Year 5

75

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:34

Page 76

Skylark 2008 Prep

Rainforest Ruins This is a piece of writing declaring my thoughts on the destruction of the tropical Amazon Rainforest. I believe that this is a problem that we must sort out today, for if we do not, who knows what could happen to the future of our planet.

Every second, an area the size of a football pitch, in the rainforest, is being cut down by loggers, destroying many plants and animals, sometimes destroying their natural habitats, sometimes killing them. This wipes out entire species daily. If this continues, hardly any different types of animals, plants or trees will exist in this world. I feel that it is vital to keep nature as it is, because if humans have the technology to save the planet, then they should: at all costs.

Over half of all medicines originate from plants; many of these are from the rainforest. There are still hundreds of untested plants and trees that could contain possible cures to worldwide problems, such as cancer and influenza, which are residing in the rainforest. With loggers cutting down the rainforest regularly, the cure to cancer could be burning right now, before our very eyes. Imagine that you are in the twenty second century: you may be saying, “My grandfather is cured! Now I know why we have environmental talks at school!� Or, unfortunately, you may not.

You may not believe that these points which I have just mentioned are very important, or bear any relevance to yourselves as individuals, but my next point will affect EVERYONE, including you.

Many loggers burn the wood that they collect, which is a massive contribution to the current dangers of global warming. If global warming is to continue, the global temperature will go up, causing the ice caps to melt, making water levels rise, and places such as London, New York and Hong Kong may become submerged under water. This would cause much disease and unhappiness throughout the world, which I believe is unacceptable.

America is the second biggest polluter in the world, and being such a rich country, their president, politicians and citizens can, and should, takes steps towards stopping this crisis. However, although China is the world’s biggest polluter, it is not as wealthy as America and can therefore not be expected to address the problem to the same degree. Hence other rich countries, such as Britain and Saudi Arabia must redouble their efforts to stop global warming instead.

If the world is to stop global warming and save the rainforests then we all need to take actions to aid this cause. To achieve this, the leaders of countries of the world, in particular, must act together; only in doing so can they stop this threat to our lives.

Today is the time to act. The longer the world leaves this problem, the worse the problem will become. The worse the problem becomes, the harder it will become to repair. After all, there is no time like the present.

Harry Kingdon Year 6

76

The Wilderness There is a monkey in me, Climbing from tree to tree, Both cheeky and clumsy, And likes to tell jokes.

The wilderness gave it to me and the wilderness will not let it go.

There is a sloth in me, Sleeping whenever it gets a chance, A body that lies on anything it sees, Energetic but tired.

The wilderness gave it to me and the wilderness will not let it go.

There is a March hare in me, Bouncing from place to place, Energetic and crazy, Joyful and active.

The wilderness gave it to me and the wilderness will not let it go.

There is a puppy in me, Vivacious and blithesome, Playful and quite fast, But can be lazy and tired.

The wilderness gave it to me and the wilderness will not let it go.

There is a meer cat in me, Looking from one area to another, Curious and watchful, Prepared for anything.

The wilderness gave it to me and the wilderness will not let it go.

Oh, I got a zoo, a menagerie, Inside my infant body, Rooting into my head and body, Lying in my heart for eternity.

I came from the wilderness.

Edward Mort Year 5

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:34

Page 77

Clubs and Societies 77

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 78

Skylark 2008 Clubs & Societies

Debating “But HABS hasn’t won anything this year”, you all might shout. Well, after the glittering successes of last year, this year’s attempts at debating were almost bound to end in disappointment, overshadowed by last year’s unprecedented victories at the Oxford Union, the Cambridge Union, the Durham Union, the English Schools’ Mace, the International Competition for young debaters, the Sir Peter E Lazarus Debating Competition and the MPW London Schools’ competition. Thankfully however, all those who predicted Haberdashers’ imminent demise in the Facebook group “HABS” Boys rampage must be stopped” were to end up far more disappointed than we. In late 2007, a team consisting of James Fox and myself successfully defended the London Schools’ title. The same pair later joined forces with Hasan Dindjer to win the Bristol Debating Union’s Schools’ Competition, the first time HABS had ever won this competition.

Alas, we were less successful in the other major senior competitions, though Ben Lewy and James Fox succeeded in reaching the Cambridge Semi-finals, whilst Edward Schwitzer and Scott Macdonald achieved the same feat at Durham. Though Ben Lewy and Scott Macdonald broke to the final of the Peter Lazarus competition, in a bizarre fluke of judging they were judged to have simultaneously been the best team there on the day, yet to also not have won.

Ben Lewy was again selected to represent the English junior debating team, this time competing in Dundee at the Four Nations Debating Tournament. James Fox, the outgoing Debating Captain scored an even greater achievement in being selected for the English Schools’ Debating Team to debate in The Worlds Schools’ competition in Washington DC; a tournament he proceeded to win. Regardless of the outcome, participating in these competitions has been a great experience for all involved. Friendships have been made, ideas exchanged and barriers broken, and everyone had a great time.

Success was not limited to senior debaters either. After winning ICYD two years in a row, a junior team consisting of Ameya Tripathi and Akshay Kishan-Arya scored a huge success in breaking into the Grand ICYD Final at the Oxford Union. Despite a flabbergasting set of speeches, the judges decided that a third HABS victory in a row was not in the cards. It was perhaps time to let someone else win. Even more encouraging is the renewal of interest in debating lower down the school. Attendance has grown from only a handful several years ago to a solid core of several dozen. Though this year may have seen a slump in success, the future of debating at HABS seems secure. All that remains is to thank Mrs Gleeson for organising such an enjoyable year of debating, Dr St John for travelling to Oxford with us and running his ubiquitous Tuesday afternoon debates, all those who represented the school and the indomitable James Fox who has been such an exceptional Debating Captain for the past year. We only hope that our successes continue.

Ben Lewy L6

Durham Schools 2008

Mace Eastern Area Final 78

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 79

Skylark 2008 Clubs & Societies

Junior Debating No warning could have adequately prepared me for the challenge I was to face in attempting to control (and even inspire) a zealous group of Junior School debaters every week. Yet the challenge has most certainly been a fulfilling one not just for myself and Ben but for each of the young debaters who has consistently given up his Wednesday afternoons to learn, to argue, and (we hope) to have some fun along the way.

We started the year with mostly beginners and several Year 8 boys who wished to acquire an even greater level of erudition via the medium of debate. Having revised the basics of British Parliamentary debating, we got started with various commonly debated topics such as the abolition of private schools, school uniform, a ban on smoking, and raising the voting age.

As the year progressed and our young debaters gained experience, we moved on to tackle more challenging issues, such as nuclear disarmament and even the introduction of quotas for children’s TV presenters. We were therefore impressed with the maturity and the thoughtfulness with which all members of the Junior Debating Club approached these more demanding and subtle issues.

Junior Debating Club stands, and will continue to stand, as a bastion of free speech and expression for all in this community. It has also been a pleasure to run and organise; for this I am indebted to Ben Lewy, for running the club alongside me, and to Mrs Gleeson and Mrs Pollock for overseeing the Club.

Hasan Dindjer Year 11

Over the past year, Ben and I have witnessed a remarkable change in some of Haberdashers’ most promising young minds.

To learn to think analytically and to express oneself lucidly and persuasively must surely be one of the most fundamental and necessary of a man’s education. Indeed, many of the group had the chance to attend a British Parliamentary “master class” presented by an experienced Oxford debater.

Amnesty International

Duke of Edinburgh

This year Amnesty Society has become larger than ever, with the expanding consortium of budding lower sixth students resulting in the creation of the first ever Amnesty Committee, dedicated on bringing guest speakers as well as raising awareness for various causes and issues that Amnesty International supports and publicises. This has therefore led to a subtle change from the usual weekly letter writing that normally takes place in Amnesty Society.

The events calendar started, brightly with a talk by Middle Eastern journalist Saeed Taji Farouky, who gave Amnesty an insight into the Human Rights Crisis of China, in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Ethical issues of the death penalty were also raised, as well as an insight into the practical undertakings of countries using the death penalty.

This year’s Duke of Edinburgh expedition to Amersham was interesting to say the least. Three silver groups set out on Thursday 13th of March, that is to say after waiting for two hours before we managed to locate Mr Moss. We then made our way to our starting point. Due to our delay and because of technical difficulties with the Sat-Nav we were dropped off only a fifteen minute walk from our first campsite, Green Park.

The highlight of the year was the Darfur awareness campaign, which commenced with a presentation by David Shedden and Arrash Yassaee, introducing the conflicts background, and social and political history to members of the Society. This was to lead up to the fabulous talk on the Death Penalty by guest speaker Saeed Farouky, who raised many important issues. The week also saw the committee organise the sale of Darfur badges to raise funds for the crisis appeal, and the boys all rose to occasion, raising a truly commendable sum.

After a long and restless night we awoke to find ourselves in good fortune with the rain having ceased and the sun shining. We set out at ten o’clock and found ourselves making good time. Two of the groups managed to arrive at the meeting points at the designated times. There were problems with the last group; they seemed to have got lost in the first woods they passed and thus were delayed by over an hour and a half.

Thanks must go to all members of the committee for their tremendous efforts during the year, for all members of the society for their weekly letters, and especially Mr Whiteman, for his unflinching commitment to a truly worthy cause. We hope that next year brings at least as much success as this one has been, and that we can use the new Amnesty infrastructure as a platform for future success.

Arrash Yassaee L6

We managed to arrive at the campsite and take our tents out of our bags when it started to rain. This continuous drizzle made life a lot harder as we tried to set up and cook our food. The night was epitomised when we were told by the night watchmen that we were not allowed to leave the campsite because we were bothering the customers in the deserted sports hall.

However, all the groups made it to the final campsite before nightfall and we were able to set up and cook our food before the night’s rain.

The next day was a fairly short walk of 4 miles when compared to the previous day’s walk of 30 miles, and we made it to the meeting point in just over an hour. We were then transported to Amersham station by Mr Fielder and made our way home, a little worse for wear.

Ashiv Patel L6 Benjamin Dive L6

79

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 80

Skylark 2008 Clubs & Societies

Bridge

Chapel

This year, the HABS bridge club has been stronger than ever. The influx of new boys from the lower years has given the club more depth. As previously, the school A team has entered into the Middlesex League; but unlike last year, we have not won a match yet, our best result being 18-2 which is very creditable indeed. Again, another competition we enter every year is the Schools Cup in Loughborough, this year held on the 15th March. We travelled up by minibus, as we could only raise one team this year, and even though we were knocked out of the cup, we entered what we believed was the competition for the plate. However, even winning that competition and being the 5th best school team in the country, we got no silverware. This was a great achievement, but we still believe that we deserved the Schools’ Plate.

Slightly separate from this, five pairings entered into the U19 pair’s qualifier. The competition was very strong, but after four hours of hard competition, Basil Letts and Edward Hughes-D’Aeth came out on top with a staggering 73% followed very closely by the Merchant Taylor’s first pair, who had 71%. Considering only the top five go through, three HABS teams reached the national final held on the 22nd March at the Royal National Hotel, London, which is a great achievement. When the day arrived, we all met in the lobby of the Hotel and waited for competition to commence. After another six hours of frantic bridge, the results were published; Basil and Edward managed to become the 4th best pair in the country behind the three England pairs. Mr Haring (who was competing in the U25 competition next door) said that that was a good result given that we have not played in any really serious competitions before. The other two pairs, Kishan & Rishi Chotai and Nikesh Arya & Joshua Caplan, came a creditable 13th and 14th respectively.

I would like to thank the teachers (Mr Marx, Dr Nolland and Mr Haring) for giving us expert coaching and I hope that we can carry on this good form next year. Once again, it has been a very good year for the school bridge club and I hope that it continues for many years.

Edward Hughes-D’Aeth L6

The very first weekend of the school year saw a Chapel trip to Hilfield Priory in Dorset. Despite a quick trip to A & E following a tussle with a gardening fork, it was a relaxing and inspiring weekend for all who attended. David Lindsay was able join us there and share his knowledge of the local countryside and silly games.

Our warm thanks to Brother Bart and other members of the community for their hospitality.

The year progressed at pace and we were able to raise, with much hilarity, well over £100 pounds at the Harvest auction. Shrove Tuesday saw the consumption of enormous quantities of pancakes, maple syrup and whipped cream and fierce competition in the musical bumps.

We continue to support two students at Mvumi School, Tanzania. As well as fund raising, we regularly pray for the work of the school. It is set in rural Africa, educating local children and is currently building a centre for the education of blind students. The sales of ice-lollies at Sports Day have enabled us to contribute to the cost of this building. Gabriel and Gordon (our link students) have both written to us and we responded with a mass letter write sending 50 letters giving details of our lives and ensuring them of our support.

Fairtrade is not something that only the Chapel community feel strongly about; our week long stall of Fairtrade products sold £550 of (mostly) chocolate (Indulgence without Guilt) and sparked a debate to be taken up by the Geography society into the promoting the use of Fairtrade products throughout the school.

The summer term began with a Confirmation service joining others at the Abbey for a moving and joyful service. We were able to celebrate with a “welcome” and cake on Thursday morning in Chapel. It’s never to early for cake!

The ever popular Richman/Poorman Lunch took place just before study leave. It was a great way to highlight the poverty that so many live in and a good social occasion to say farewell to our leavers in the U6, thank them for their contribution to the chapel community and wish them well for the future.

It has been a good year, we have particularly enjoyed joint services with the Girls’ school and visits from Father Vladimir to celebrate Catholic mass and look forward to new school year.

Rev Markby

80

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 81

Skylark 2008 Clubs & Societies

Chess The season started with a weakened squad after the defection of one of our top players on a chess scholarship to Wellington College, but we still knew that we had impressive strength in depth. We also knew that it was the last roll of the dice for U6 players Senthuran Sathyanandha and our Board one Vedantha Kumar.

The Millfield International in October was the first tournament and we were the clear favourites having won it the past two years.

The opposition were strong but the boys performed exceptionally well and won for the third year in succession by a healthy margin.

Next, in November, was the U14 Rapidplay and in February the U18 Rapidplay, both held in the Midlands. We won them both, the U18 event was rather one-sided with our main opponents having a weakened team, whilst the U14 tournament was very close indeed.

During this time the A and B teams were progressing smoothly through the English Chess Federation (ECF) National Schools Championships (formerly known as “The Times”). They won both their zones and were through to the knockout stages. Thankfully the teams were kept apart this year and the A team qualified for the last-four meeting in July, whereas the B team narrowly lost to Guildford in the quarters with the team unable to field some players for various reasons. With a full

strength team we might have won and been the first school to have two teams in the finals of the ECF.

(the winners the previous 3 years running) in the other. We were confident but in a nailbiting finish we were narrowly defeated.

June brought the Pontins Schools Championships in Brean Sands, Somerset and we entered an U14 team and an U16. Again, clashes with other commitments meant that our teams were not full strength but nevertheless we won both categories.

The final was Millfield beating Nottingham relatively easily and in the 3rd/4th playoff between us and Guildford the boys showed their true form and won by a convincing margin. The team (and myself) were disappointed not to win this event but still managed to smile for the camera in the knowledge that the season overall was a great success.

In July came the prestigious ECF finals and the chance for HABS to have the perfect season. I really thought this was going to be our year and we would end the 50-year wait to have our names on this trophy (we came second in the early 1990s and 2004). We had Millfield in our semi with Guildford playing Nottingham

J Barnes

Classics Society

Hindu Committee

Classics Society came into being some MMLI years VI months after the death of Julius Caesar (September 2007). While having mitigated success in the first half term, it soon grew to become a regular occurrence with a meeting on Thursday lunchtimes, where the committee members took turns to host the light-hearted event. The speakers give a short presentation on a topic, ranging from warfare and mythology to cooking and philosophy. These generally take the form of a short introduction to the topic, followed by some sort of practical to get the audience involved. Since Christmas we have also joined forces with the Girls’ school, and we alternate every week, giving us a broader range of subjects to discuss.

The committee’s aim at the beginning of the year was to cover a wide range of appealing topics. This year, we have discussed some very controversial issues within the Hindu community, for example, the new state-funded Hindu school, and we were able to bring in the leader of the project to speak about his hopes and aspirations for the project.

I have had a lot of fun running the society so far this year; after all, who could forget eating Justin Richardson’s homemade roman bread, or the unrestricted violence of hitting each other with gladii (swords), or even Mr. Whiteman storming out of the room when Ben Gann announced that “300 (the film) was actually quite historically accurate?” I hope that people have enjoyed Classics Society as much as I have and that, perhaps, they’ve even learnt a thing or two about the Roman Empire.

Benjamin Dive L6

Other speakers also came in, providing intense question and answer sessions where the audience were able to enhance their knowledge of current issues and of Hinduism as a religion.

Furthermore, we covered other Hindu topics, such as “The Caste System”. Over the course of the year, we tried to blend in the cultural aspect of Hinduism with the religious aspect to entertain the large crowd that the assembly attracted. There were also assemblies dedicated to religious events such as “Diwali”, and this allowed the boys to learn about the religion in an enjoyable and interesting manner.

The main reason why the assembly was such a success this year was due to the immense contributions of Ms Pindoria and Mr Corrall, who helped to keep the large crowds under control.

Akash Purohit L6

81

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 82

Skylark 2008 Clubs & Societies

Conservative Society I think it’s fair to say that Conservative Society’s inaugural year has been a successful one. In September we met to elect a committee of politically like minded individuals and have in my opinion managed to carve a definite niche as one of the schools most upstanding communities.

Our activities this year have been varied and enjoyable. Most of our early sessions were dedicated to discussion of canvassing and campaigning techniques with a potential autumn general election looming. After November we focussed more on debate and discussion on current political affairs – we had meetings dedicated to The Budget, Datagate, State Opening of Parliament and all the Spring party forums.

Economics Society An exciting year for the Economics Society has been epitomised by the hugely successful HABS Dragons' Den, where budding entrepreneurs were given the opportunity to present their innovative, potentially money-spinning business ideas in front of our externally appointed judges. Aside from the return of this annual event, there was considerable success in the newly created HABS Stock Investor Challenge, which attracted 111 applicants, all in the hope that their selection of ten stocks and shares from the FTSE would return sufficiently high percentile returns for them to be crowned the champion investor of HABS and win a stunning, new PDA. Congratulations to Jeevan Dhillon, now the proud owner of this grand prize.

The standard of the business ideas presented to the dragons was, as expected, very high: a bike loan company, “EasyBike”; a customisation service, “Customizd”; a kit cleaning service; and an imaginative new invention by “Cycone”: a new way to eat your ice-cream: hands-free! The final decision, a difficult one for our three judges, ultimately led to Aadarsh Gautem, the originator of the “HABS Kit-Clean” service and brother of Economics Society chairman; Apratim Gautem, winning over the Dragons and crowned as the winner of the HABS Dragons' Den, in front of a packed Aske Hall of pupils and teachers. A later inter-school version was also very successful.

Members of the Economics Society have also made a presentation to Year 11 about studying Economics at AS-Level in the Sixth Form, allowing them to make informed decisions when deciding whether to take up the new subject.

The Economics Newsletter has also taken-off this year, under Kishan Chotai, co-ordinating the production of a bimonthly newsletter containing informative articles on current affair, with most members of the society also having contributed articles to the newsletter during the course of the year.

There has also been considerable success for Teamexcel [Akash Jhunjhunwala, Marios Kyriacou, Rohan Sheth, and Kelvin Wong] at the “IFS Student Investor Challenge”. Having beaten off fierce competition from over five thousand other teams across the country in the initial Portfolio Challenge, where teams were faced with the task of investing and “growing” £100,000 of virtual cash in the stock market, two HABS teams progressed to the South-East England Regional Final, which was held in London in March. The teams answered 70 challenging questions on current issues in finance and economics, with Teamexcel finishing a close second, one point behind the regional winners, with 59 points out of a possible 70. Subsequently, Teamexcel succeeded in gaining progression to the National Finals as one of two teams to represent the South-East England Region. At The National Final held in London on 30th April the group delivered a presentation to representatives from Bloomberg, Deutsche Bank and Foreign and Colonial Investments, winning the national competition (See article) The school's economics journal, “The Key”, is also due to be published later this year, and we hope that you will find much interest in reading this first-class publication.

Perhaps the greatest triumph of this session were the four speakers invited in conjunction with Politics Society. The most notable a former leader of The London Assembly, Brian Coleman AM and David Cameron’s Parliamentary Private Secretary Desmond Swayne MP. The insight they gave into local and national politics was invaluable, and we received very promising attendances for all of them.

The work ethic of our committee is admirable and I offer particular thanks to my deputy Robbert Ingham Clark, our secretary Matthew Worby and Dr. StJohn.

It’s been a great pleasure sitting as Chair for this year, and I hope that 2009 will be just as fruitful as 2008 has been.

Justin Richardson L6

82

I must also add my thanks to Mrs Shah, who has mentored the society with tireless enthusiasm, Apratim Gautem (Society Chairman 2008) and Shamil Karia (Society Vice-Chairman), as well as all the members of the Economics Society for all their efforts this year, without whom these successes would not have been possible, making the Economics Society a truly delightful group to belong to.

Kelvin Wong L6 Economics Society Secretary

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 83

Skylark 2008 Clubs & Societies

DIY Double your Money: Who Said Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees? ifs Student Investor Challenge In the midst of volatile market conditions on November 5th, with Northern Rock’s problems just starting to unfold, the stock markets opened to 92 Haberdashers’ boys along with over 20,000 others across the country to take to the “ifs Student Investor Challenge”, a virtual stock trading challenge.

Consequently, two Haberdashers’ teams of 4, “teamexcel”: (Akash Jhunjhunwala, Marios Kyriacou, Rohan Sheth, Kelvin Wong) and “the sris”: (Phillan Amin, Dhylan Baskaran, Nathan Hoyle/Julian Parmer, Arvind Patel) finished among the top ten teams in the challenge, out of over 5000 teams, and qualified for the Regional Finals, which were held in London in March.

Subsequently, teamexcel qualified for the National Finals after finishing in a respectable second place in the South-East region, and went on to win the competition, along with the much envied prize of an all expenses paid trip to New York.

“teamexcel” [left to right]: Marios Kyriacou, Rohan Sheth, Akash Jhunjhunwala, Kelvin Wong

The initial Portfolio Challenge consisted of each team of four members investing in a portfolio of 10 stocks from a list of selected stocks and shares from the FTSE and small-cap, with a [virtual] £100,000, over a period of 4 months. Whilst share values fluctuated according to the actual share prices on the stock exchange, team members were faced with challenging buy-sell decisions on a day-to-day basis; the potential to capitalise on Northern Rock’s constantly changing share value as the nature of its troubles became more and more apparent, as well as Rio Tinto, consistently linked with an acquisition by BHP Billiton, saw some teams benefit with boosted portfolio values, whilst others suffered with their “hard-earned” money wiped away in front of their very eyes: such are the tortures of life…

The second round involved more general financial and current affairs knowledge, and with our two HABS teams competing against a further 22 teams from the South-East region, teamexcel emerged as runners-up in the region, taking the second, and final, qualifying spot to represent the Southeast region at the National Finals. The Regional Final consisted of two sessions of short quizzes, which involved 70 challenging questions in total including current topics in the news, the sub-prime crisis and advertising slogans. Teamexcel finishing the day with 59 points, qualified for the National Final, a single point behind the winners, who achieved 60 points out of a possible 70; the Sris finished with 50 points. Moreover, whilst the student teams were racking their memories for answers and absorbed in engaging discussion, accompanying teachers were also given the chance to test their own knowledge and participate in the quizzes, each in with a chance to win their ultimate teacher-prize of a bottle of Champagne.

Ironically, the winner of this prize was the teacher of the winning team in the region!

“the sris”[left to right]: Julian Parmar, Arvind Patel, Phillan Amin, Dhylan Baskaran

On the 30th April 2008, two representative teams from each of the four regions of the country congregated in the quiet backdrop from the buzz of the City of London, the Barber Surgeon Hall, in nervous apprehension of the massive task ahead of them. The day commenced with a business challenge, in which teamexcel were faced with the task of considering the subject of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and devising a strategy for a company to take up and advertise such a scheme. This was followed, in the afternoon, by the main focal point of the day, where each team had to deliver a presentation to a panel of judges, each being representatives from the competition’s sponsors: Bloomberg, Deutsche Bank, and Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust. After each team had waited their turn to brave themselves against the judges’ questions and delivered their presentations, the results were ready to be announced, and amid much excitement, teamexcel were declared the National Champions. As a result, the team has won £2,000 for the school, as well as an all expenses paid holiday to New York for themselves and a teacher, which includes £200 spending money for each team member.

I would like to thank Mrs Shah for accompanying us at the Regional and National Finals, and wish next year’s participants luck with the Portfolio Challenge, hoping that they will similarly enjoy the tests and trials of investing in the stock markets.

Kelvin Wong L6

83

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 84

Skylark 2008 Clubs & Societies

Scribe With such an excellent, high calibre exhibition of the school’s finest literature and poetry, the Scribe magazine ranks amongst the top publications – some may even say it rests proudly and with ease at the premier position. However, Scribe must endure a very long journey before being delivered to all the eager pupils, and this voyage must be shared with the rest of the school.

It all began with that fateful day when Scott MacDonald, squealing with delight, turned round and proclaimed Sam Rabinowitz as the new chief of Scribe. The rest of the talented team was duly assembled and the genius flowed. Upon arrival at the first meeting, each position was established, along with some preliminary targets. Each member was extremely eager to contribute, with Oscar Hausman producing a set of rather risqué, yet funny posters featuring dictators and genocide, whilst I settled for more Elmofriendly ones in order to encourage submissions to Scribe. Aditya helped to print them off and add the words “Deadline 9th February”. Despite the obvious hilarity, Mr Li resisted our efforts to persuade him to allow us to put some of the posters up. He initially replied with, “You’ll get me fired”, which unfortunately we were to learn was one of his favourite catchphrases, along with “No you can’t put that in!”, and for variation, “I will lose my job for that” (hence the aptness of Freddie’s slogan: “mildly scathing – but not enough to get Mr Li fired”). In spite of the worryingly strong pleasure that Mr Li got from censorship, he kept the whole Scribe team on track and ensured a tasteful result at the end.

Each meeting always had several reoccurring traits. Firstly there would be the usual, “Where’s Aditya?”, to which we all realized that he must be late due to printing off posters, as that was his area of expertise.

Freddie would repeat his slogan. As we waited, or in most cases continued with the proceedings, Oscar would then entertain us with some light mockery of everyone, which of course was enjoyed by the whole crew.

Even with this light-hearted atmosphere, Sam managed to direct us all efficiently and effectively, and any prospecting chief editor should take example from him. Mr Li and Sam managed to extract many ideas which continued to fountain across the room each session, perhaps even more so than the Mr Wright and Scott duo managed last year, as this was the birth of the definitive Scribe bumper issue and “King of Wit” (although most pupils seemed too shy to submit and display their wit). Along with this, Chris and Ameya brilliantly managed to design most of the magazine with artistic expertise, borrowing, yet enhancing the front cover, whilst providing a stylish new layout throughout, and the final hurdle was cleared

by Ameya in his assembling the material.

There was an overwhelming amount of material to use for Scribe this year that was of a very high standard. This, however, resulted in lengthening the copy editors’ painstaking job of reading through it all thoroughly to check the content and grammar (as of course, Scribe would not want to publish any crude, inaccurate pieces, as we are educated gentlemen). Nevertheless, it was still a pleasure to read such a range and variety of pieces that were the core of the magazine and vital to making it a success.

The fruits of Scribe’s labour we hope can evidently be seen, having passed through the colon of Scribe, cultivated into what can only be described as a gem within the publishing community, and pushed into the hands of many fans.

James Grant L6

Shooting This has been the first shooting season since the range re-opened that HABS has really been able to show its competitors what it is made from, and we have not disappointed. The season started quickly – too quickly in fact – we had to cobble together two teams at very short notice and this didn’t bode well.

The cobbled together team was too unbalanced, with some of our best shooters placed in the B team, this meant that the A team finished a measly 6th in Teams of Eight National Cup Competition. The B team, however, propelled by Ben Rubak’s good shooting, managed to take home the gold in the Division 3 BSSRA League.

Despite the disappointing results for the A team Mr Saddington remained optimistic and entered our four best shooters for the Keith Emsall Hertfordshire Cup. HABS dominated throughout the competition and went on to win. This good result was also coupled with the news that the B team had come second in the same cup. This placed the HABS A & B teams first and second best respectively in Hertfordshire!

The teams were revamped and reshuffled for the next set of competitions, with the surprise addition of Jake Sanders (whose shooting has improved beyond recognition) into the B team. We were then entered with harder targets (which no one had ever seen before, let alone practiced on) into the qualifiers for one of the best leagues in the country. Nonetheless, the A team qualified into Division 1 with the B team qualifying into Division 2, a feat which we never thought possible.

We all remain optimistic for the upcoming leagues, and believe we have an excellent chance of success.

Daniel Black L6 84

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 85

Skylark 2008 Clubs & Societies

Mountaineering Club Reverend Markby, Mr Steel and Mr Hardman have taken three Mountaineering Club trips this year.

September 2007 saw a trip to North Wales where we scaled summits lining the Nant Ffrancon Valley including Y Garn (via Devil's Kitchen), Foel-goch, Mynydd Perfedd, Elidir Fawr and Carnedd y Filiast. The following day, we climbed Arenig Fawr in strong winds and rain. Having reached the summit, we took a few moments to reflect on the eight lives lost on the summit when a Flying Fortress crashed on the mountain, August 1943.

October 2007 saw a trip to the Peak District where the lads scrambled up onto Kinder Scout and spent a day amongst the peak groughs on the Kinder plateau.

April 2008 gave us the opportunity to scale the highest peaks of the year around the Cadair Idris area. Using the King's Youth Hostel as a base we enjoyed reasonable walking weather on the first day with light rain, strong wind and ten mile visibility. We climbed onto the Cadair Idris massif, “bagging� the following peaks: Craig Cwm Amarch 2595ft (Amarch Valley Rock), Cadair Idris 2930ft (Idris' Chair), Mynydd Moel 2831ft (Bare Mountain), Gau Graig 2241ft (Hollow Rock), Cyfrwy 2661ft (The Saddle), and Tyrrau Mawr 2169ft (Large Towers).

The second day brought more gusty wind and a lower cloud base meant that the walkers were navigating with map and compass above 2000ft. We climbed Aran Fawddwy 2969ft, the highest peak outside the Snowdon range, and two further summits: Gwaun y Llwyni 2247ft (Moorland of the Bushes) and Waun Camddwr 2037ft (Moor of the Crooked Stream).

We look forward to the opportunity to pull on the hiking boots once again next academic year!

T Hardman

MEEP Academy MEEP Academy (Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics and Politics) has done very well in its first year at HABS; its weekly meetings every Tuesday lunchtime have achieved a massive turnout, even reaching thirty at one lunchtime.

During this year my senior academics and I have managed to keep MEEP interesting,

with often unusual topics, ranging from discussing our own existence to debating the moral issues and consequences of time travel.

Despite the rise of the rival philosophy society, we have managed to hold our own in the rising stakes of deep thought, amassing over twice their maximum turnout. It is from these achievements and simply the opportunity to contribute to the exemplary sophistication of our school that I am proud to be chairman of MEEP Academy.

Special thanks go to Mr. Cawley, Richard Breislin, Paavan Buddhdev and all the rest of the organisers who have worked so hard to make MEEP Academy an intellectual success.

Jack Aaron Year 11

85

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 86

Skylark 2008 Clubs & Societies

Life Drawing It’s been another exciting year for the Life Drawing Club, a varied assortment of GCSE, AS and A Level pupils eagerly and enthusiastically honing their drawing, and occasionally painting, skills in a range of creative media.

Our models, Peter and Sam, along with Ira and Nisida from the Girls’ School have been the epitome of calm and stillness providing our students with an impressive variety of poses. There have been some outstanding images created, many of which found their way into the end of year exhibition in the Bourne Exhibition Hall.

FTSE Fringe Theatre Society Experience has had an eventful year, with trips to a diverse range of some of London’s best plays. The quality of the society rests in the skilful picking of only the best productions to go and see, usually in the West End. The first play that we went to see was "All About My Mother", the first English language stage adaptation of Amoldovar's classic film. Little were we to know that a combination of death and cross dressing would be such a suitable way to start the year's trips. With the school party for this outing consisting mainly of teachers and five boys, the popularity was clear, but the play was brilliant nevertheless. Other highlights of the year must include a trip to the thrilling promenade production of "The Masque of the Red Death". This was building on the production of “Faust” that we went to last year, which was also by the same company. The night was a memorable experience for all who attended, with many boys enjoying the intimate interaction with the actors (and actresses). While these two plays were highlights for me, there were plenty of others that deserve a mention. Only in FTSE could you see a play and after have a discussion beginning with “I found the second rape scene particularly shocking”, in reference to “I’ll Be The Devil.” In all it was another thoroughly good year for the school’s least publicised and most successful society.

Scott MacDonald U6

The range of expression has been especially pleasing, with Nikhil Subbiah, Greg Steckelmacher, Jack Lloyd-Jones, Yexi Tran and Neil Justice in particular raising the standard as the year progressed. The visiting girls too, have produced some beautiful work in graphite and pastel, and have provided a benchmark for our GCSE candidates to measure themselves against. We wish Jack and Hannah Greene every success as they head off to Art College and the fresh challenges of drawing from the figure they will meet there.

S Todhunter

Junior Science club Junior Science Club has enjoyed another fantastic year, drawing in a large number of participants each week. This was coupled with some interesting and impressive demonstrations staged by the teachers. The year started off on a rather delicious note, as Mrs Letts and Mrs Jones served up toffee popcorn. The Year 7s enjoyed making the popcorn and were more than happy to go through bowl after bowl. Mr Kerr followed this on with several fantastic and wet experiments. The Year 7s were given an insight into a fun world of physics that they had never known to exist.

Another fun and informative session was run by the ever ebullient Reverend Markby. She was more than willing to dissect a rat and we were given enlightening facts about its several organs.

The Year 7s were surprisingly un-squeamish and very enthusiastic at taking videos and photos using their mobile phones.

Dr Pyburn gave several informative talks and organised experiments, allowing the first years to improve on their practical skills. One such experiment involved making our own volcanoes, before watching them explode in a spectacular flash of colour. Other more complex practicals included crystal growing. Despite the difficulty of this experiment, the crystal samples proved a source of fascination to the Year 7s.

Thanks must also be extended to Mrs Jones, whose enthusiasm in running Junior Science Club is unwavering and to all of the other teachers who gave talks and contributed to the running of the club.

Libin Mathew L6 86

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 87

Skylark 2008 Clubs & Societies

Politics society In a year which has seen a nation’s leader fumbling for a vision the politics society has once more proved the sort of institution on which NHS reform might be based. Efficient, productive and at all times highly stimulating, it has been a year in which political debate has run rampant through the student body, with the society as provocateur in chief.

The year began with a visit from Lembit Opik, renowned Liberal Democrat MP and, until recently, partner of one half of that artistic institution the “Cheeky Girls”. His views on a wide range of topics were well received and he dealt with the unenviable task of answering questions from the floor with a great deal of grace.

As events in the American presidential race became more frenzied a mock primary was held in which Hilary Clinton, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney and Rudy Guiliani all battled for the White House, each being admirably portrayed by a member of the society, along with a special guest from the girl’s school. Barack Obama, crowned victor here, no doubt took his queue from the mellifluous Randal Cliff and subsequently leapt up in the opinion polls, rocketing on to secure the Democratic nomination.

Collaboration with a Conservative Society which seemed to have taken it upon itself to restore the Conservatives to office through its industriousness yielded a veritable army of men with blue ties.

First amongst them was Brian Colman, former Chairman of the London Assembly, whose vigorous and passionate style and revelations about a certain city mayor happily combined political astuteness and the more vulgar gossip column. He was followed by a succession of Conservative MPs, notable amongst them Anne Main MP for St Albans.

Further insight into the person of David Cameron, a figure who had featured heavily in talks up till this point, was provided by Desmond Swayne, Cameron’s Parliamentary Private Secretary.

However the politics society was also careful to appeal to the wide ranging political views present in the school,cinviting Miranda Dunn, local candidate for the Green Party, to speak. The talk proved highly stimulating, and in the debate that followed ideologies clashed amongst the student body.

Ukulele Orchestra When the idea for a Ukulele Orchestra at HABS was first raised at the beginning of the year, few thought it would turn into such a spectacular success. From humble beginnings in the Religious Studies department, the society soon grew. With heaps of ukuleles being ordered through the school bursar, all charged to naïve parents, the membership increased from just three to about fifteen, with ages ranging from Year 9 to the Upper Sixth.

The pinnacle of the year's activities must have been the performance on the Quad for Unplugged, which should allow the orchestra to continue through many generations of HABS’ boys.

Our cover of CHH Parry’s “Jerusalem”, and SB Cohen’s “Throw Miscellaneous Objects Down the Well” was so notable it featured on the HABS Website, and on many secret Facebook videos. Thanks to Mr Cawley who has been immensely helpful and allowed us to use his room in Religious Studies, and to the music department for putting up with our requests for cheques to order yet more ukuleles.

The HABS political pendulum soon swung in the other direction, with the society welcoming David Campbell Bannerman, Deputy Leader of the UK Independence Party. Within the multitudinous beliefs of the audience there was an admiration, in some cases begrudging, for a speaker who argued in so convincing and respectful a style.

This year has also brought about an unprecedented level of cooperation with the Girls’ school, a move which has raised even higher the enviable social status conferred through membership of the society. In addition it has allowed us to attend a number of talks, from Lords to activists on bail from Her Majesty’s Prison service.

Thanks must go to Mr Reid, without whose guidance the society would not be in so healthy and vibrant a condition.

Oliver Ilott L6 The departing U6 team sincerely hopes that for years to come students will be able to hear the sound of “Faith” and “YMCA” ringing through the English corridors on Wednesday lunchtimes, in what we hope will become yet another quirky HABS tradition.

Scott MacDonald U6

87

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

Houses

88

29/10/08

15:35

Page 88

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 89

Skylark 2008 Houses

CALVERTS

What a difference a year can make.

Within Calverts much has changed since the end of the summer term 2007. While we may not be sitting quite at the top of the leader board in the house competitions, I do not think anyone anticipated that we would have been as high up as we are with a debutant house leadership team.

I would like to thank Channon Zhanghaza, for all his efforts in leading the house, running assemblies, getting to know and supporting the boys. Mr Fenn and Mrs Jones also deserve thanks and praise for their efforts this year.

Their exemplary ability to organise the house is evidenced by the fact that I can not recall a single event all year in which Calverts have not participated with a full, enthusiastic team.

Once again this year, tenacity and perseverance have shone throughout the house. The new Calverts Year 7s, in particular, have already been of great credit to Calverts with their endless enthusiasm and great attitude. Much was said about their brave performance in inter-house rugby, for example, and I know that they will continue to bring pride to the house over the next six years.

Charity has once again been a big part of our efforts this year and everyone has helped raise money for the house charity “Hope and Homes for Children”. The Calverts’ Cake Break early on in the year was an innovative and enjoyable event, and far more to the boys liking than the gruelling endurance events that certain other houses suffer. The traditional house fete was run again this year, thanks to the assistance

and support of almost every boy in the house who ran the various stalls and provided the prizes and food for the occasion. As I write we are eagerly anticipating the release of our latest charitable venture, the Calverts Cookery Book, which will contain recipes kindly donated from boys throughout the house.

Looking forward to next year, I wish the new house officials Alex Parker, Sameer Agrawal, Ashiv Patel and David Walker the best of luck.

I’m sure that their efforts, with the continued support of everyone in Calverts, will bring the house the success it deserves.

Oliver Birch U6

89

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 90

Skylark 2008 Houses

HENDERSONS

If a house’s success was judged purely on the positions they achieved in the various shields on offer, then it would be fair to say Hendersons have not had the best year. However, we Hendersonians believe in something greater, something less tangible, something that cannot be measured by any artificial means. It is in the noble pursuit of self-improvement and the desire to enjoy all that we do, that Hendersonians stay true to their House identity.

That is not to say that Hendersons has been a house devoid of triumph this year. Though the road to success in inter-house competitions has been long and arduous, with encouraging adequate participation often a greater obstacle than the skill of the opposition, Hendersons can be proud of certain accomplishments. We have dominated the clashes in debating and public speaking, victorious in both Junior and Senior Debating and boasting the HABS Young Orator of the Year. Our appreciative gratitude is offered respectively to Lyall Cukier and Robert Harris of 8H, James Fox (U6H) and Hasan Dindjer (11H) and Ameya Tripathi (10H). It would also appear that Hendersonians do not just have nimble tongues, but quick feet as well, for success of an oratorical nature was 90

matched by victories in Year 10 and Senior Athletics. Here again, several boys performed outstandingly well, most notably James Edmunds (10H), who alongside Darius Price (8H) and James Grant (L6H) make up some of the strongest athletes in the county and, indeed, nationally.

It has often been the case in the past, that someone might watch inter-house water polo and witness a Henderson team fighting insurmountable odds against our opponents, or someone might drop in on inter-house table tennis and see a representative from another house calmly hitting the ball over the net, confident that it would not be coming back.

However, this sight has become more of a rarity this year. Hendersons have shown, with creditable performances in the traditionally weak events of swimming and water polo that a level of competitiveness to match the undeniable talent of other houses is emerging.

The House has also achieved cerebral successes in a number of areas over the course of the year; these include Model United Nations competions with a very strong sixth form team of Martyn Cukier, James Fox, Alexander Newman, Scott MacDonald (U6H) and Arrash Yassaee (L6H). Equally pleasing is

the success of our Chess stars: Thomas Senior (7H) and David (10H) and James (8H) Lawrence; all of whom have represented England in international competition.

Of equal merit, big thank you must be offered to all members of the House who have supported our principal charity, The Hornsey Trust, over the past two years with great fundraising events, from charity fun runs, to auctions and cake sales. All monies raised have contributed to the very important work of this local charity, who work tirelessly on behalf children with cerebral palsy.

Finally, we cannot rest though in our quest to be the best. The good work of this year, masterminded by Michael Bentley and his house officials, must be continued. In order to harness the limitless potential of those in Hendersons, we need a collective surge of enthusiasm and dedication from the whole house. We must take inspiration from the exemplary efforts of our master, Mr LloydWilliams, and his deputy, Mr Clark. Hendersons are not far from achieving something special, let us achieve it next year.

Luke Tullo L6

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 91

Skylark 2008 Houses

JOBLINGS

Joblings is HABS’ Greenhouse, quite literally and more. The colour green represents our high-spirited, “never-say-die” attitude and being a “Jobloid” myself for the past six years I can proudly claim that our pupils are the liveliest that the school embraces. As a house we tend to rebel against the school’s reputation as a “sweatshop”, reminding others that school can be a fun place to be.

The boys in Joblings boast both creative and athletic talents and have high expectations of themselves in inter-house competitions. Joblings, however, is not just about its students but its teachers as well, who play highly motivating and active roles throughout the students’ academic careers. The “Jobloids” have a warm and amicable nature, maintaining strong relationships with one another throughout their secondary school years and beyond.

In their spare time the boys of Joblings have also proven to be very humanitarian, raking in large sums of money for the school’s major charities each term. Others within the school community are clearly envious of the pleasant nature of this colourful house. If only all boys could be in Joblings…

Over the next year this house aims to further improve on present success, especially on the academic front. We hope our competitive nature as Joblings’ boys will lead us to more success on the sports field and in the classroom. Though friendly, we are also motivated to become a house to be reckoned with. We realise that hard work is essential for our progress and we always strive to be the best wherever possible. We advise other houses to watch their backs.

Joel Ross U6

91

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 92

Skylark 2008 Houses

MEADOWS

Scholars maintain that if one were to examine the history of Haberdashers’ Aske’s it would become all too clear that Meadows have dominated the many spheres of House competition. Records inform us that Mr Meadows, the master who generously gave our house its inspirational yet catchy name, was a man of many skills. Not unlike our current housemaster he enjoyed “a spot of cricket” and “general merriment”.

Historians often argue that Mr Meadows was responsible for the early decades of Meadowsian success. Naturally then, we cannot help but attribute our recent, righteous and resounding success to firm leadership from Mr Bagguley and Mr Simm.

The year began with dizzying optimism amongst the new set of house officials. The small, messy house office, tucked inside R.S. in dangerous proximity to Mr Lloyd-Williams, was originally in a state of such disarray that only one person could practically be in there at one time. The fresh new Meadows team tackled this problem early on by throwing out the majority of ancient furniture, including Mr Bagguley’s mysteriously locked filing cabinets.

Computers were ordered, phone line activated and swivelly chairs stolen from the English office. Before long the room, which was so dark and dingy that it could only have been seriously used for drug-trafficking or illicit night-time rendez-vous had become a hub of 92

fervent Meadowsian activity. With the HQ restored to its prime the Meadows team fuelled term after term of house event success.

Particular mention must go to our junior section which has impressed the entire house with its consistent run of achievements including solid wins in inter-house swimming.

An impressive win came from junior cricket also, despite being seeded fourth, with two sixes from the captain Aditya Modi; beating the “old” Russells.

Without wanting to gloss over Meadows’ full year of commitment to inter-house competition, one which is perhaps highlighted by an impossible middle-school badminton comeback and two football final wins over Russells, the past year for Meadows will be best remembered for other activities. This note of diversion brings me hastily onto something which has characterised the recent Meadows experience. The Assembly has been revolutionised into a cornerstone of Meadows life. Assembly official Danny Kessler has singlehandedly rejuvenated this dusty public school institution by forging the “Danny Kessler Assembly Cup” out of metal and brawn.

Edward Morrison, another key house official, contributed towards the trophy cabinet too by giving his name to the “Edward Morrison cup for all-round excellence and that”; an award which has been sought after with worrying, near illegal, degrees of vigour amongst the junior school.

Meadows charity has also been kept afloat by Anshul Bakhda through the sponsored “crazytie Friday” extravaganza and, more publicly and less embarrassingly, the Battle of the Bands; appearing in the Bourne, Seldon and Quad, plugged or otherwise.

The past year for Meadows has been compelling and rich; that is a given. However it seems to me that the newly formed house mantra, “Meadows: we love it … MORE”, will transcend the parameters of an academic year and, hopefully, continue to inspire Meadowsians to remember that the road to victory is long but one which brings great rewards. Indeed this has been demonstrated by our recent victory, despite a late and desperate Russells’ comeback. It would seem therefore, considering Meadows’ consistent success in inter-house events and its own blossoming ethos of solidarity, that we as a house love it far, far more!

Ben Ashenden U6

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 93

Skylark 2008 Houses

RUSSELLS

It has been another really enjoyable year for all involved in Team Russells, with Mr Hardman and Mr Todhunter guiding us to formidable success and tending the Russells Greenhouse to great effect.

After narrowly missing out on a clean sweep of house trophies last time round, hopes and expectations were high at the beginning of this school year. Not to disappoint, Russells quickly notched up a healthy lead in the Crossman with victories in all of the inter-house cross countries as well as senior chess, generating a gap of 26 at the top of the leader board. This was to be followed by further 1st place finishes in senior basketball, year 8 rugby, year 7-8 waterpolo and badminton to mention but a few, putting Russells in a very strong position.

Despite a fantastic recent team performance in the swimming, a slight decrease in the frequency of our successes over the course of the spring term led to the race for the Crossman and Dunton shields being as tightly contested as ever. Injustice barred the way however, as we were pipped by Meadows.

Charity events have, as ever in Russells, been at the forefront of the many activities in which Russells’ boys take part. Varying from paper aeroplane flying contests to cookie sales, the Russells’ charity spirit has become something to be proud of. The Russells’ Ironman Challenge, possibly the best fundraiser the school has ever seen, continues to raise significant sums of money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. In its 15 years of existence, Ironman has raised well over £29,000 and it has been predicted that we should be able to complete the Atlantic Challenge in under 70 years. This means that, as a house collectively, we will swim a distance equal to that necessary to cross the Atlantic Ocean. I am very excited to return to school during my retirement in order to bear witness to this momentous occasion.

There are many people to thank for the effort that they have put into the house during my tenure as house captain. Josh Newman, the vice house captain, has been unwavering in his support, ever present at training sessions and inter house events and his enthusiasm will be very difficult to emulate. Thanks must also go to all the house officials in the upper sixth, as well as a few from the lower sixth, for their help at training sessions and support for the younger year groups. The form tutors, as ever, have guided their respective forms with great skill and been selfless in the time that they

have devoted to their tutees. Special mention must go to Mr Morrish, my own form tutor, who is retiring at the end of this year after 21 years of devoted service to the school. I am sure that his vast wealth of knowledge and experience, as well as his jovial and positive attitude towards life will be sorely missed. Last but certainly not least, Mr Hardman and Mr Todhunter, whose leadership has been absolutely immense ever since they first took over the house. This year more than ever I have been able to appreciate all the fine work that they do and I am sure that they will continue to inspire the lucky members of Russells house for many years to come.

Finally, I would like to wish good luck to next year’s house officials, led by Charlie Reith and his vice captains Randal Cliff and Tharun Puvaneswaran. I hope that my fellow outgoing house officials and I have set a difficult example for them to follow, but am equally hopeful that they will build on and surpass what we have achieved this year.

Sam Cherkas U6

93

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 94

Skylark 2008 Houses

STROUTS

Strouts, the golden army, the shining beacon of HABS, has enjoyed yet another glorious year of great enthusiasm, success and high standards. We have achieved an almost effortless grace coupled with a steely spirit that has set us mentally and spiritually apart from the other Houses, even without the aid of a big drum and fancy hand signals. Last year’s success of winning both the Crossman and Dunton shields spurred us to ever higher aspirations. Yet even with our great determination and the force of history behind us we have faced a year plagued with injury and near wins, the cruel hand of fate forcing us to endure mediocrity. The year, however, can be epitomised in two words: team spirit, for without out that, what is Strouts? Through the ups and downs of the year we have stayed solid, a team never breaking rank.

There have been many a notable successes over the year especially when it comes to interhouse events, with many outstanding individual and team performances to commend. We have retained our reputation as the champions of hockey yet again with a win over Russells in the senior hockey finals. Torrential wind and rain, as well as the loss of our talented captain, could not stop us from emerging victorious.

Unfortunately “illness” in the staff camp stopped us from adding a further success in our scheduled match against the staff team.

94

The swimming gala was another excuse for the house to showcase our young talent.

Accompanied by the jingle of the Strouts’ tambourine drowning out the cheers, the golden boys swam their hearts out. Other wins included senior badminton and Year 8 basketball. We have excelled with our house charity events once again with many innovative, money-making ideas including the iPod raffle and the Easter egg tombola.

I must now mention our dearly loved house officials. They have worked tirelessly, organising the house, counting house points, supporting old and young Strouts’ boys alike and injecting enthusiasm into whatever they do. This has especially come through in our varied and interesting House assemblies, that have entertained us on many a morning. We could not function, however, without the elegant pillars of the Strouts’ community, Mrs Wijeratna and Dr Clayton. These two leaders have supported the whole House, caring for every boy’s well-being and lifting spirits. Yet Strouts is tinged with deep sadness at the loss of Dr Clayton as she moves on to be Head of Biology at John Lyon School. She has been an inspiration and an incredible deputy housemistress and she will be greatly missed.

We wish her every success in her new post and welcome Mr Thackrey as the new deputy housemaster.

Finally a great deal of thanks must go to every Strouts’ boy; each one of you has made the Strouts’ experience what it is today. I am

honoured to be able to work with people of such calibre and it has been a privilege to lead this brilliant house. I wish Niall Moore and the new officials every success for the coming year and know they will continue the house’s fine traditions.

Arun Kumarathas U6

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 95

CCF / SCS

95

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:35

Page 96

Skylark 2008 CCF/SCS

CCF

The Biennial General Inspection

Annual Report from Contingent Commander It has been yet another year of success and expansion for the CCF which now has a total membership of 350 including 120 new recruits from Year 10. This is a result of the enormous enthusiasm of the senior cadets who run the programme and the ways in which they motivate the younger cadets. The high point of the year was the Biennial General Inspection; this saw the Army take the Contingent Commanders Trophy from the Navy, victors in 2006. The Army was also victorious in the assault course competition, taking the Alex Wheatly Memorial Trophy which the Navy had held since 1996. The inspecting officer Group Captain Lyle gave us an outstanding report which has helped to maintain the very high level of morale within the Corps. Other high points included the Otterburn Tri-Service Adventure Training Camp which saw an unprecedented103 Cadets complete a Duke of Edinburgh Expedition in very difficult conditions. Summer Camp in Penhale was as popular as ever and saw wins for both the Senior and Junior Assault Course teams in the inter-school competition.

The CCF said goodbye to SSI Dave Tremaine at Christmas after 20 years of exceptional service and we hope that he enjoys a well deserved retirement. He has successor is Corporal Major Alex Gaddes who joins us from the Household Cavalry. He has been responsible for training with the Blues and Royals and has a wealth of experience ranging from horsemanship and skiing to parachuting and working with the Cadet Training Team in Kent. We also welcome Mrs Michelle Blagg to the CCF as Assistant SSI. She did an admirable job keeping the administration of the CCF going in the later half of last year after the departure of Dave Tremaine. Captain Mike Yeabsley has left us after 25 years as both cadet and officer to become Head of Geography at Aldenham School. We will miss his conviviality, spontaneity and energy.

He has been replaced by 2Lt Jon Corrall who joins the Army Section for his final year at Habs. He will combine his duties as the Deputy Head responsibility for the CCF with that of being a junior officer. We also say good bye Pilot Officer Richard West. He is going on to be Head of Music at Christ College Brecon and will be missed for his irrepressible sense of humour. Finally, Lt Louise Clayton is also moving on to become Head of Biology at John Lyon. She will be missed for her congeniality and her commitment. They have been replaced by Sub Lt Brendan Ward in Biology, Sub Lt Gavin Hall in Economics and Flying Officer Robert Oldfield in Mathematics. We are all looking forward to working with them in the coming year.

The social calendar within the CCF is as busy as ever. The Old Boys’ Reunion Dinner at the RAF Club Piccadilly was a very enjoyable occasion where over 100 old boys, cadets and officers were entertained by our guest speaker and old boy, Colonel Richard Harold, Deputy Governor of the Tower of London. He gave us a humorous and entertaining account of life inside the Tower. We entertained the 2002 Year at the Army and Navy Club in St James. It was a moving event as most of the old boys had not seen each other since they had left school. As ever, we thanked the Upper Sixth Form at a dinner at the Tower of London for all their hard work and said farewell to them and their parents at our open afternoon in May. Sam Hussain (Navy), Ben Ashenden (Army) and Peter Garside (RAF) and the senior cadets have managed to maintain the very high standards of the CCF and pass on a thriving organisation to the next generation.

N Saddington

96

First of all, the formalities. The first event of the day was a march past, lead by the guard of honour, performing a rifle drill routine finally perfected after many hours of armnumbing practice. They were followed in step (on the most part) by the three sections each saluting the visiting officer, Group Captain Lyall of the RAF, on the way past. The whole march past was accompanied by an outstanding CCF band, who, at very short notice, had managed to devise a piece that was admired by all of the on looking parents and teachers.

The march past was followed by the demonstrations. The Army performed a section attack on the croquet lawn. This comprised of a very large number of blank rounds being fired, lots of smoke and a lot of noise. The Navy performed a sail past on Aldenham reservoir and the RAF demonstrated a classroom lesson in Flight Simulator. All three demonstrations were a success and ended the morning on a high, with all the cadets ready for the afternoon’s activities.

After lunch the competitions got underway. The assault course was attacked with vigour by all the teams, the orienteering meticulously planned and the drill teams were getting in the last minute practise before their moment in the spotlight under the scrutinising eye of the judges. As word of mouth got around about the winners of various events the anticipation grew as everybody jumped to their own conclusions as to who would win. But in the end it was a comprehensive victory for the Army section, regaining the title after many years.

So all in all the day was a great success, enjoyed by all who took part.

The events were intense, the parades were spectacular and victory belonged to the Army. Bring on 2010!

Jonathan Miller Year 11

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:36

Page 97

Skylark 2008 CCF/SCS

Army

Penhale Summer Camp 2008 On a bright Saturday morning the cream of the Combined Cadet Force’s assembled at school, buzzing with anticipation at the coming residential army camp.

Unfortunately they were left to buzz for rather longer than anticipated, suffering a delay which meant that our transportation had still not arrived six hours after we had assembled at school at 0800 hours.

Clearly the bus driver was not up to scratch on his military time. Luckily Major Saddington proved his quality, dealing ably with the situation and using his initiative and credit card to feed the hungry students at a motorway service station.

Finally we arrived, and had time to settle into our army accommodation before lights out.

Penhale army camp is a cadet camp run by the Ministry of Defence. Being extremely well equipped and situated it is one of the most popular camps, and as such the school can only be guaranteed a place once every four years.

The week which followed was spent engaged in a series of military orientated activities. The cadets eagerly waded into exercises on observation, manoeuvre and firing. One of the highlights was an exercise entitled “Bravo Two Zero”, in which the cadets were unexpectedly

ambushed at gun point, taken prisoner, rescued by some impressive British commandos and forced to perform an Escape and Evade, involving scrambling through tunnels, moving beneath enemy gunfire and crawling through a river. This was great fun, despite the harrowing manner in which it has just been described. Later on in the week we made a visit to the firing range, where cadets were able to try out the Light Support Weapon.

This is a fully automatic rifle used by the British Army, and the cadets were firing live rounds.

Luckily neither human nor fauna were injured.

Their were many diversions besides the Rambo-esque escapades which populated much of the timetable. American Football tournaments were organised, with minimal causalities, and at the end of the week the staff were challenged to a game of (proper) football. The nature of the result remains an issue of contention, although with Corporal Major Gaddis holding the keys to the armoury there was only so much debate we were willing to involve in.

these joyful moments in photograph led to him being stranded on the cliff face. This was highly amusing.

The Penhale summer camp was an undoubted success, and whilst much of this must be attributed to the staff who ran the camp and the excellent members of the teaching staff who accompanied us, credit must also go to the senior cadets who were responsible for much of the organising and execution of the week. It is one of the greatest accolades of the cadet system within the school that it can produce a body of boys of such character and skill that they could bear the weight of responsibility so ably. It is in this vein that we can look forward with such optimism to the coming year under the guidance of our newly promoted leader, Warrant Officer I Johnny Parr.

Thanks must go to all the teachers involved in the trip, and to the cadets for making it such an enjoyable experience.

Oliver Ilott L6

One of the surprise pleasures of the trip was an activity called coasteering. We were taken off the camp, suited up in wetsuits and helmets, and led on a tour of the Cornish coast from the perspective of its chilly waters. Much fun was had making leaps from the cliff side or scrambling through watery caves, although the attempts of one member of staff to capture

97

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:36

Page 98

Skylark 2008 CCF/SCS

Ampthill Field Day

RAF How can one capture the brilliance of the RAF in a single article? So many things have happened so well during this year that it is hard to know where to start. Perhaps the best way is to describe the fun and energy that radiates out of all the cadets (and Mr West) every week; or maybe it is better to show how much we have learned and matured in one short year.

The year started in September, when we came back refreshed after a long summer holiday spent practicing drill. Well, maybe not everybody did that, but those of us that went to the summer camp did and we had great fun doing that, as well as all the other activities that were on offer. As we settled back into the school routine we underwent a tough program of assault course training, raft building and tug-of-war to strengthen our bodies and toughen our minds for the challenge ahead.

On the autumn Field Day the Year 10s went flying – or rather went to watch a film as dense fog grounded all operations to everyone’s dismay, apart from Mr Stiff who seemed to enjoy watching Dambusters a little too much. The following Night-ex with the Year 10s was a great success

The autumn term field day this year fell in October which meant that weather was good for the annual Ampthill field day. For those not au-fait with the principles of this historic event, a rough explanation is in order. The day is somewhat of a proving ground for the Year 10 cadets of the Army and Royal Navy sections. They test their orienteering skills in a five mile hike. They test their strength with a heavy rucksack carried for the duration of that hike. They test their wits against fiendish Practical Leadership Tasks. They test their staying power by spending a night in Ampthill Park under what one could call a “basic” tent. Needless to say this requires a boy of a certain calibre (no military pun intended) and I am pleased to say that the cadets faced their challenge with honour and courage to match even the hardest of battle-worn servicemen.

The day was led by a collection of six senior cadets from the two participating sections whose preparation before the event paid off well as the customary night exercise was arranged and implemented with almost military precision. Weeks of cadet training in the lead up to the event under the tutelage of the Lower Sixth walking group leaders ensured that only a solitary (and thankfully vacant) tent was temporarily set on fire. Luckily this was dealt with by the ever-watchful Officers (staff) without anybody being put in danger. Despite this excitement all was quiet on the western side of the park that night as the cadets slept, awaiting the big push the next day.

A round of the National Anthem at 0600 hours gave the cadets only half an hour to make breakfast and meet out on the main field. The remaining Lower Sixth, not involved in leading walking groups, had arranged Practical Leadership Tasks for the cadets.

These involve one boy assuming leadership and instructing the team on how to complete a task. The teams were then ranked on their performance on the events which were as varied as a wheelbarrowed escape from behind enemy lines, to British Bulldog played only in Commando Crawl. The day ended with a prize giving and speeches of thanks from the Officers. General David Tremaine the CCF Corp’s Officer in Chief remarked that it was the most successful Ampthill in his 25 year tenure and added that “never before in the field of human conduct has so much been owed by so many to so few”.

Charles Reith L6

98

The Christmas holidays flew past us and soon we found ourselves in the winter term. In addition to the pressure of the upcoming Biennial General Inspection, our Warrant Officer (Peter Garside) set up an ambitious three week inter-flight competition to separate the men from the boys. In a series of gruelling events every cadet gave it his all and pushed himself to excel; but in the end it was flight four who won by the narrowest of margins. However this was nothing compared to BGI where every man was tested to his absolute limit and where the RAF as a whole tried very hard.

The summer term really started during the Easter holidays where, despite the upcoming GCSEs and AS-Levels, many cadets went to Otterburn Camp for the Duke of Edinburgh award. As well as a two day expedition (three days for the silver group) boys had the chance to go quad biking, rock climbing, clay pigeon shooting and chat with Ghurkhas. It was hard work at the time, but everyone relished the experience. Finally, the Year 10’s managed to travel to RAF Benson to fly in small powered “Tutor” aircraft. Indeed they vividly remember performing loop de loops over Oxford University and barrel roles over the Thames. It was with this pioneering spirit that the Lower-Sixth took over from the previous team at half term. Under the leadership of Anthony Rumford, Ben Dive and Phillan Amin and the eternal guidance of Sqd. Ldr. Bass they are determined to build on the success of previous years and show the world why the Haberdashers’ RAF section is, quite simply, the best.

At the end of the term Mr West left the section for pastures new. We would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his commitment and energy which underpinned the section’s drive. We wish him every success in the future.

Benjamin Dive L6

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:36

Page 99

Skylark 2008 CCF/SCS

Otterburn Army Camp It was a cold morning in March when over 60 boys and officers met in the coach park to drive more than 200 miles to the Otterburn army training camp in Northumberland. After more than 6 hours travel we finally arrived at a rather bleak looking Army base with various buildings and barracks situated alongside a windy road.

We were allocated barracks and beds, and then had a briefing to tell us what to expect over the next six days.

6:30 am on the Tuesday morning signalled the start of an action packed week. Breakfast was quickly followed by a coach ride out to Kielder Castle and the start of our 12 kilometer hike across the hills and valleys surrounding the base. We were split into groups of six cadets, each group being led by an older cadet. Among the excitement of the walk two groups found themselves being chased off farmland and had to wade across a river to get back on course.

Thursday started with Rock Climbing in the morning and Quad Biking in the afternoon. As usual Jack Misner managed to break something.

Thankfully this time it was only his Quad Bike and he had to get towed back, much to the delight of many onlookers.

Friday saw us start two days of Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award hiking. This included navigating an 18 kilometer walk through snow covered terrain with tents and kit to carry on our backs. Night was spent under canvas with only Army rations to eat. Thankfully Captain Roncarati brought some good food round which made the night more bearable.

The morning found us climbing up the 619 meters of “Windy Gyle� with all our equipment only to find that lunch was at the bottom!

On the final day of the camp we all had a go at Clay Pigeon Shooting, with Dan West taking the honours as best shot. Mountain Biking was left till last with the majority of cadets cycling to the top of the climb.

We were all very tired on the coach journey home and were glad to arrive back at HABS to hand over dirty kit to our parents.

Our thanks must go to Mr Lloyd-Williams, Mr Roncarati, Mr Stiff, Mr Simm, Dr Sloan, Mr Van deventer and Mr Saddington who organised and shared this great camp.

Ben Dathan Year 10

99

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:36

Page 100

Skylark 2008 CCF/SCS

Royal Navy

The CCF Royal Navy section has had an eventful year – we have enthusiastically jumped into all of the activities that the CCF has to offer, and more besides! We were quick off the marks at the beginning of the year, with preparations underway for the Autumn Term field day at Ampthill in October. While the junior cadets learnt more about square-bashing, the senior cadets worked tirelessly in front of the computers trying to put together a feasible plan to entertain the younger cadets for a day - and perhaps teach them something too. Over the next few weeks, the ever-eager Lower Sixth taught the junior rates the basics of setting up a tent, using a gas stove and various other survival skills. The field day itself went smoothly – consisting of groups of Year 10 cadets accompanied by Lower Sixth group leaders finding their way to the campsite after being unceremoniously dumped a few miles from Ampthill on a Thursday evening. The rest of the trip was composed of a night exercise and leadership activities on the following day.

The next big event of the Navy year was the triservice Biennial General Inspection – to be held in March. A senior RAF officer visited the school on the Spring Term Field Day, and we worked with the Army and RAF sections to organise a display of some of the CCF activities and a competition between the three sections involving events such as the assault course, shooting and raft building. Preparation for this lasted for many weeks – all sections were particularly keen to win the competition! The day itself went perfectly – all of the cadets were very enthusiastic and although we did not win the coveted trophy, we put up a good fight, coming a commendable second.

In the summer, we made good use of the sunny weather and sailed most weeks on Aldenham Reservoir. This culminated in our final field day of the year where some of the Year 10 cadets headed off to Rockley Point, Bournemouth, for three days of sailing while those who could not sailed at Aldenham Reservoir for half a day and then enjoyed a capture-the-flag style wide game and a barbecue 100

All in all, the Royal Navy CCF section have had an eventful and thoroughly enjoyable year, and we look forward to continuing this in the future.

We must thank Mrs Dixon, Mr Hardman, Mr Wright and Mr Holmes for their commitment, and a special mention to Dr. Clayton, who unfortunately leaves us this year. Finally, we must thank the Upper 6th officers who have led the Navy section this year – Cox’n Sam Hussain, Bos’ns Dev Joshi & Sam McPhail and Chief Petty Officers Anthony Ko, Giancarlo Grasso, Matt Slavin, Miraj Patel and Zach Goldie.

Julian Parmar L6

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:36

Page 101

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:36

Page 102

Skylark 2008 CCF/SCS

SCS

Sports Intranet Sport Intranet has been an enjoyable SCS with everyone putting forth a valuable contribution. The past year has allowed all the students, William, Harry, Kishen and myself, to flourish as a team; William, as one with much sporting ability, has been responsible for writing reports relating to various sports from golf to rugby, whilst the rest of us have regularly updated the website. This activity is something which helps us to develop our IT skills yet at the same time is also rather enjoyable due to the support and encouragement of Mr Yeabsley.

Ravin Mehta L6

Leavesden Green

Heath House

Windmill House

As any primary school teacher will tell you, keeping ten children busy for 40 minutes on a Friday afternoon can be a task that requires a great deal of planning, an ability to think quickly on one’s feet and often, a lot of luck!

However, it is precisely this challenge that the Leavesden Green SCS Team, comprising of Wajid Malik, Neel Rajani, Harshil Shah and myself, have found most rewarding this year.

Activities have included making rockets, Cartesian divers and electronic circuits and the fact that the children left more knowledgeable and substantially more curious at the end of each session has been a testament to the success of the team in making science both accessible and fun. Our collective thanks go to both Mr Fielder and Mr Jackson for organising each week’s activity, transporting us to and from Leavesden Green Primary School and for adding their considerable knowledge and experience whenever necessary.

Heath House SCS has provided the boys involved this year with a highly memorable and rewarding experience. What started as rather simple sessions of refreshment and conversation has now evolved into a multitude of organised games and activities, several of our own conception. As the weeks have progressed, we have learnt much about both the residents themselves and how best to adjust our approach so as to get as many involved as possible in the activities we plan and organise. Learning more about each individual resident has certainly helped to cohere the group during the activities. Our weekly visits to the Bushey home for the elderly have often left us with sense of great satisfaction, as we mull over the afternoon’s events and share stories told by the various residents. It truly has been a thoroughly enjoyable year, as we grew to know the residents a little better, and they too have perhaps learnt something about ourselves.

Thanks must go to Dr Pyburn, firstly for accompanying us on our weekly visits, and secondly for assisting whenever help and ideas were needed.

Windmill House has been visited by four boys this year, accompanied by Mrs Nelson. These visits to a home for the terminally ill and those recovering from illness was a new experience for all in volved as they were in their inaugural year. However once we familiarised ourselves with the residents and the layout of the home we began to enjoy ourselves and form bonds with those at the home. Out return after christmas was emotionally difficult as we found that a resident against who we had fequently played scrabble had passed away. This loss affected us all, but we found that attending his funeral was a great help.

Rohan Sheth L6

Arrash Yassaee L6

102

The best way to describe Windmill House is as a “Labyrinth of friendly faces”, and it is true that every where you go you are sure to find a person who is willing to have a chat and tell you a story.

Ashiv Patel L6

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:36

Page 103

Skylark 2008 CCF/SCS

John Grooms

Radlett Lodge School

This year, four HABS boys have spent their Friday afternoons at the John Grooms Centre.

For three pupils of the school, Tuesday afternoons have become a highlight of the week as we visit Radlett Lodge School. A short car journey through the centre of Radlett, accompanied by Dr Lexton, leads us to our destination.

The John Grooms Centre provides a home for handicapped people and those with learning difficulties. During our visits we undertook several activities, and made lots of friends. These activities ranged from the very addictive “Buzz” game, to a range of exercises such as volleyball and the unforgettable karaoke. While every visit provided an opportunity to learn more, there were some highlights which stood out. These include Samir Majithia’s soulful rendition of “I’m singing in the rain”, and Libin Mathew’s weekly performances on the dance floor. However, the true highlight was the satisfaction earned by helping the John Grooms Centre and its members.

Radlett Lodge School is semi-residential and educates autistic children aged six to sixteen.

Autism is a mental handicap that affects the ability of an individual to communicate with others. Autistic children “live in their own world”. The teachers at the school aim to give these children the skills to cope with life in the community. During our visits we undertook many different activities including playing games, reading, cooking, painting and sports.

Each visit allowed us to communicate and make friends with these children.

Playing with them is great fun, however the true highlight was the satisfaction of helping children less fortunate than ourselves.

The year has been fun, whilst also providing an insight into life at John Grooms. On behalf of Samir Majithia, Jaimin Arya, Beeran Jethwa and myself, I would like to thank Mrs Rhys-Brown for her continuous commitment to making our Friday afternoons so productive and enjoyable.

We enjoyed our time at Radlett Lodge School and we are grateful to the teachers there for bestowing this opportunity upon us, and to Dr Lexton for his efforts alongside us.

Nikesh Arya Year 10

Libin Mathew L6

Stage Crew The Stage Crew, run by Mr Norton, must undertake a variety of tasks. From simply storing scenery to constructing an entire set, the range of jobs is huge, offering unprecedented excitement to all members. The skills learnt through completing these tasks are invaluable in the future; I will be able to do manly household chores like setting up bookcases and fitting together chairs. Members of the SCS Stage Crew are encouraged to help with many of the school’s major productions in which we help the actors in the shadows from back stage. The creation of a performance requires many different areas of expertise, and so we are expected to work beside and help other similar SCS activities, such as the props and lighting departments - helping to create the stage for the latest junior school production, “Sweeny Todd”. There are risks involved in the jobs as well, as many a time I have found myself bespeckled from head to foot in various colours of paint. The staff involved, Mr Norton and Hughy Silver are both diligent and scathingly witty, and are all too

happy to aid us in impossible tasks. Stage Crew has enabled me to meet new people and become more confident in my bearing and deportment and has provided me with something to look forward to on Friday afternoons.

Luke Costi L6

103

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

Sport

104

29/10/08

15:37

Page 104

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:37

Page 105

Skylark 2008 Sport

Rugby The 2007 season saw the senior rugby teams struggle for good form but there was promise shown lower down the school, most notably from the U15 team led by Ian Matthews and Nick Holmes. The school’s record was, unfortunately, a losing one, but strong performances were plentiful, as the teams showed much promise for years to come.

1st XV The 1st XV struggled to piece together a good run of form, as injuries hit the squad, and many inexperienced players were relied upon. The season started with an encouraging 42-22 victory of local rivals Queen Elizabeth Barnet, with Captain Ben Ashenden winning a lot of line out ball and the backs playing free-flowing, attacking rugby. The basis for a successful season seemed to be in place with inside centre Oscar Dodd producing a fine display, scoring a hat-trick of tries. The team’s next game, however, set the tone for the rest of the season, as they came up against a supremely strong St. Benedict’s team. The crushing 94-0 defeat began a record-breaking run of 8 defeats in a row. This heavy loss dampened the team’s spirits and, over the coming weeks, they were unable to convert their glimpses of good form into a victory. The losing run included a defeat at the hands of a competitive St. Columba’s in the Daily Mail Cup, as a tight encounter ended in 10-24. This loss condemned the team to a Vase encounter against Roundwood Park School, but again the team struggled to carry forward their signs of good form into a victory as they lost 24-12. The run was broken as the team showed the heart necessary to succeed, with a 24-20 victory over Latymer Upper, with fly-half Will Gallimore scoring 19 points in the match. However, local rivals Merchant Taylors followed successive defeats to Bedford Modern and Berkhamsted, and – despite a Herculean performance from youngster Andrew Mushin, the only member of the squad from year 11 – the team were unable to round off their season in style. The season was, overall, a disappointment, but deserved full colours were awarded to captain Ben Ashenden and gutsy flanker Robbie Philips, along with L6 member Rishi Naidoo, who showed much ability and potential for next year.

2nd XV The 2nd XV also struggled this season, but key victories allowed the team to end the season with a more respectable record. Beginning the season brightly, the team were victorious over Queen Elizabeth Barnet, with newcomers Anthony Rumford, Edward Clayton and Jonny Graham all penetrating the Barnet defence for scores. The game ended in a convincing 36-0 victory, and was much cause for optimism for the future. However, losses to strong St. Benedict’s, St Albans and Tiffin sides dampened spirits, and it was not until November 24th when the team went into battle against a strong Bedford Modern side that results took a turn for the better. With the legendary Al Metcalfe leading the team from the relative slumber of the coach journey to the war that waited on the pitch, expectations were high. Knowing the match would be hard fought, and a test of every reserve, the opening quarter proved difficult as a Bedford score looked a formality. However, majestic decision of coach Metcalfe to tinker with the back line paid dividends as centre James Tan caught the ball and – in the immortal words of his coach – “ran like a cocker spaniel chasing a piece of silver paper in the wind”. As he crossed the line, he gave the team a 5-0 half time lead. Bedford

began the second half the brighter, though, and swiftly converted their possession into points. At 7-5 in arrears, the team faced an agonising defeat, but in the final minute they were gifted one final chance. With the clock ticking, HABS were awarded a penalty, and time stood still as Lewis Jenkins placed the ball for his shot at glory. The parabola of the ball took it through the posts, and the game was won, 8 points to 7.

Anthony Rumford and Jonny Graham were reduced to tears, as coach Metcalfe proclaimed the game to be “the best performance from a Haberdashers’ 2nd XV in living memory”. The epic victory will go down in Haberdashers’ sporting folklore, and the season ahead appears to hold great promise.

U16 XV The U16 A team went into the season with a good week of pre-season training behind them. Arch-rivals Queen Elizabeth’s were dispatched of in a 41-0 victory in the opening game of the season, breaking a run of 4 years of defeats to the opposition. However, the team were unable to build on the strong start as they lost by a similar score line to a very strong St. Albans side the following week. A narrow victory against Watford followed, before a lacklustre display resulted in a 3 point defeat at the hands of Tiffin. It was this inconsistency that plagued the team for the rest of the season, as the team suffered from a large number of injury casualties.

Following a disappointing loss to Mill Hill, the team responded with a gutsy 36-29 win over Bishops Stortford but a loss of form hit the team at the season’s conclusion as they suffered three defeats in the final three games. Chris Bass’ hard work was appreciated throughout the season, and special mention goes to Shiv Pabari, who played half the season with a broken nose, demonstrating the desire the existed within the team to be successful. The narrow defeats should not detract from what was a hard fought and encouraging season for the side.

U15 XV It was the second consecutive season where Ian Matthews, ably assisted

by Nick Holmes, groomed an U15 A team to have the most successful win ratio in the school, winning 10 of their 16 games. The B side supplemented this brilliantly, winning 8 out of 10 matches, and providing many players who ably graduated to A team level. Captain Scott Spurling led the team from the Number 8 position and scored an array of tries throughout the season, gaining his team much popular acclaim and recognition throughout the school. James Edmunds, Marco Marcello and Vice Captain Max Jenkins were also pivotal to the success of the team.

The team were unlucky not to replicate the Daily Mail Cup success of last year, however, falling foul to the home advantage rule as they drew 5-5 to Richard Hale. Following two strong wins in the Vase, the team travelled to Leicester but were unfortunate to be knocked out to an evenly matched team as kicked penalties proved to be decisive. The rest of the season, though, was a great success, with both A and B teams recording memorable victories against St. Albans and Tiffin – both traditionally tough opponents. The coming years for senior school rugby appear to hold much to look forward to.

105

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:37

Page 106

Skylark 2008 Sport

Rugby Tour to Chile and Argentina Forty-one members of the HABS Rugby Club gathered in the coach park for the commencement of the rugby tour. Dressed in matching chinos and a specially commissioned polo shirt, we certainly looked the part and were keen to see if we could translate three days of pre-tour training into success in South America. Then followed the long journey to Chile which entailed two coach rides and two flights, and added up to over twentyfour hours travelling.

U14 XV The season was an inconsistent one for the Under 14’s, led by Mr. Stiff.

Despite a thrilling 36 all draw against Queens to open the season, the team struggled to piece together any form in the subsequent weeks with heavy defeats to QE Boys, St Albans and St Benedict’s. However, superb wins over Tiffin and Watford Grammar proved that the team could succeed. The tour to Biarritz brought much enjoyment as well as a superb game of rugby in the Basque country. Returning to school, the team had high spirits but could not carry on the good form, losing the four matches following the break. Despite these losses, the team picked themselves up with a terrific win against Berkhamsted, but then ended the season with a crushing defeat to Merchant Taylors. The team have much potential though, and can look forward to the coming season which holds the challenge of the Daily Mail Cup - with much excitement.

U13 XV The Under 13 Rugby squad – led by GAP year student Ivan Kennedy – struggled to find form despite their strong start to the season. Two victories early in the term were swiftly cast aside as the team fell into a losing habit, as – despite gutsy performances versus Bishops Stortford and Latymer Upper – the team lost 6 games on the trot. However, the squad were more determined to succeed following their failure, and pulled together for a final victory against a tough Bedford Modern outfit, ending the season in style. The victory should give to team confidence to progress next year, as they look to become a stronger and more formidable outfit in the future.

U12 XV The Under 12 Rugby squads enjoyed success this year. Building on some fantastic performances before Christmas, the boys refocused and made great strides to improve all aspects of play. The enthusiasm and determination from the squad was exceptional and not even the weather could dampen their spirits following the Christmas break. The A’s and B’s took the field against Haileybury and - playing against some boys from the year above - recorded two excellent victories, with the A team winning 58-5. The squad went into the next fixture with confidence and were excited at the chance to test the teams’ abilities against Berkhamstead, who often prove to be tough opponents. A cold crisp morning saw the A team produce some flowing attacking rugby and recorded a decisive victory by 38-0. The B team won a tense game by one point and played with real determination and self-belief to overcome the home side. The season continued in much the same vein, and the team can look forward to progressing and developing as a team in the coming years.

1st XV 2nd XV 3rd XV U16 A U16 B U15 A U15 B U14 A U14 B U13 A U13 B U12 A U12 B Total 106

P 13 12 7 9 9 16 10 11 10 11 9 10 6 133

W 2 5 4 3 3 10 8 3 1 3 5 7 4 58

L 11 7 3 6 6 5 2 8 9 8 4 2 2 73

D 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2

F 154 162 136 138 141 429 445 124 88 231 185 290 142 2665

A 441 225 193 192 236 162 84 281 263 310 192 61 78 2718

Our first night was spent in a hotel in Viña del Mar and whilst torrential rain dampened our spirits, the first match of the tour, against Wenlock School, our first hosts, the next day was eagerly awaited. The postponement of the matches due to a waterlogged pitch was therefore met with disappointment; however, it gave us a chance to enjoy the hospitality of our Chilean hosts in Santiago before we faced each other on the rugby pitch. The day of the postponed match was warm and sunny and HABS boys prepared for their first taste of rugby on the tour. It was a successful first taste, with both the senior and junior sides running out comfortable victors, despite a succession of unfortunate injuries.

Buenos Aires was our next destination and after a free day for sightseeing, we met our second set of hosts – for the senior team, Club de Regatas Bella Vista, and for the juniors, St Hilda’s College. The matches against our hosts were scheduled for the following day.

Unfortunately, two losses were suffered. The juniors failed to give their best performance against an equally talented team, whereas the seniors acquitted themselves well but were still defeated heavily; such was the gulf between the sides. Our time in the Argentinian capital concluded with a guided tour of Buenos Aires, including a visit to La Bombonera, home of Boca Juniors.

We continued on our travels, with Duendes Rugby Club in Rosario our next destination. HABS experienced two further losses, both sides overcome by a combination of greater size and daily training. However, the juniors began extremely promisingly and held the lead for the majority of the first half. These performances were no disgrace against one of the strongest rugby clubs in Argentina.

Our last hosts were Jockey Club de Córdoba, and after a morning’s pleasant sightseeing, the serious business of our final game on tour approached. We were all desperate to win and finish on a high despite difficult matches in the middle of the tour. For the seniors, the significance of the match was heightened further as it signalled the end for three of HABS rugby’s most dedicated servants – Ben Ashenden, Robin Tuck and Sagar Gupta. The juniors played first and here, endeavour was not enough for victory, with the team unable to rise to the occasion. Then it was the turn of the seniors, utterly focussed yet aware that a win would ensure the success of the rugby aspect of the tour.

What followed was one of the finest performances by a HABS sports team. This was enough to secure a comfortable victory, but it had required a huge effort by every player to sustain the monumental defence and fluid attacking with which HABS outperformed Jockey Club.

At the final whistle, the fatigue of a long tour was replaced with jubilation and the knowledge that whatever had gone before, HABS rugby left South America triumphant.

For the final two days on Argentinean soil, we relaxed on an estancia, a South American ranch. While recovering from the strains of a physically demanding tour, boys and staff alike threw themselves into hiking, horse riding and, more literally, the icy river to which we trekked one morning.

An end of tour ceremony was held on our last evening in Argentina which allowed us to reflect on a fantastic tour where our hosts had been welcoming, the rugby had been hard but worthwhile, and the food, to the dismay of the vegetarians, had been nothing but meat. Awards were presented to the Most Improved Player of the Tour, for personal and

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:37

Page 107

Skylark 2008 Sport

sporting development were key goals of our time abroad. This went to Charlie Johnson for the juniors, and to Kwaku Osei-Afrifa for the seniors. The Players of the Tour were similarly recognised, Marco Marcello for the juniors, and Robin Tuck for the seniors. The teachers received gifts marking their hard work and organisational expertise, for without the efforts of Mr Metcalfe, Mr Matthews, Mr McIntosh and Mr Bass this outstanding tour would not have been possible.

Luke Tullo L6

107

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:37

Page 108

Skylark 2008 Sport

Hockey 1st XI It has been rewarding season for the hockey 1st XI, in spite of a crowded fixture list.

Following a disappointing loss to open the season against local rivals Aldenham, the team recorded a win over Bedford Modern and a gutsy 2-2 draw against Watford. A run of 3 straight wins followed, including a moralboosting 7-1 thumping of Hitchin. Amongst those wins was Andrew Dallal’s goal of the season, as he carried the ball in familiar style to the opposition area, and - having taken on 3 defenders - coolly slid the ball home. With a victory against a strong Dr. Challoner’s side, the second half term began brightly with a further two wins to take the teams victorious run to 6 games, but a dramatic 2-1 loss to Stowe followed, as the team conceded two crucial goals at the death. A great 2-2 draw at Haileybury was followed by another win against Windsor, leading to the match against St. Albans with spirits high. In another close fought match we came out second best but the effort put in by the players must be commended. A disappointing loss against Merchant Taylors’ followed that, but the annual Bath festival ensured the team’s morale remained high, and not even the weather could dampen the spirits.

Throughout the season we played good flowing hockey and against the stronger teams have relied on the counter-attacking game, which has suited our quick wingers Joel Ross and Arun Kumarathus. With Tharun Puvaneswarun top scoring with 9 goals, the side were never

108

1st XI 2nd XI U16 A U16 B U15 A U15 B U14 A U14 B U13 A U13 B U12 Total

P 19 11 9 8 12 8 12 7 8 3 4 101

short of attacking options, and were ably supported by Milin Raja and Oliver Birch who were solid in their defence. The centre of the park was marshalled by Amish Patel and Anthony Pieri, as Luke Tullo and Tom Zhang protected the wings. It is only fair to recognise the huge contribution made by Mr Long, who has shaped the team and its success in his final season in charge.

W 9 10 5 6 7 7 7 5 1 1 2 60

L 7 0 3 3 4 1 3 2 5 1 2 31

D 3 1 1 0 1 0 2 0 2 1 0 11

F 34 38 24 29 30 33 41 31 8 4 3 275

A 20 13 17 9 16 5 26 8 17 3 7 141

which benefited the team as a whole. This, coupled with Dr Stiff’s passion, has paved the way for the success of the side. In attack, our very own Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole - in the shape of Tristan Minall and Jamie Yates – consistently provided goals and a high work rate to keep opposition defences busy. The

2nd XI Dr Stiff’s demand of consistent performances was heeded by the 2nd XI, who had their most successful season in 25 years, winning 10 of their 11 matches, and drawing against local rivals St. Albans in order to maintain their unbeaten record. The ethic of “team individuality” paid dividends as the side were each able to express themselves in a manner

midfield was solid, creating chances and attacking with enthusiasm. Alim “Ping Pong” Hirji was outstanding, demonstrated by his four goals against fierce local rivals Merchant Taylors’. Jamie Everitt, Alex Parker and Zain Arora have run tirelessly supporting both defence and attack, not allowing the opposition to gain a strangle hold over us. The defence has been equally solid with Hemal Malde, Jai Shah, Shailraj Parikh, Nishil Shah and Anthony Ko all making telling contributions throughout the year. In many games it has been the

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:37

Page 109

Skylark 2008 Sport

alertness and agility of goalkeeper Kwaku that has prevented the opposition taking advantage of our mistakes, and has allowed the rest of the team to storm forward. Thanks must go to the best two beards in the hockey coaching business, Dr Stiff and Mr Swallow for their continued help to make this year so enjoyable and successful.

U16 The U16 team have had a fantastic season, with many highs and only a few lows, most of which coming at the beginning of the season. After losing the opening 2 matches to St. Clement Danes and Bancrofts, the team then improved greatly, both individually and as a unit, and were unbeaten for the rest of the season. Some incredible performances were registered; the most notable being the second half against Dr Challoners where the side scored 6 goals to rack up a stunning 6-1 victory. There were also victories against Watford Grammar and St. Albans, both of whom had never been beaten in previous years by our team. The main threat often came down the right wing, with Alex, Sahil Shah and Roshan all linking up with each other brilliantly. However the highlight of the season came in a thrilling penalty shoot-out victory over St. Clement Danes, which saw the team crowned as County Champions. Plenty of goals were scored on the counter attack, as teams found the speed and skill of our side overwhelming. With Hamza Zahid and Antonio Castagno working tirelessly for the team and scoring plenty of goals, there was never a shortage of names on the score sheet. However, every team needs a solid defence and that was exactly what was given by the back four of Alex Cheung, Jonny Miller, Daniel Cheung and Basil Letts with Daniel Korn in goal – all of whom was magnificent throughout the season. The team ethic instilled in us by our coach, Mr Keenleyside, meant we finished a highly successful side, in total scoring 23 goals – with Adam Pack top scoring with 9 - and only conceding 10.

Aril Hakim and Amish Mira turned in a solid performance in defence.

With the Easter Half Term fast approaching the team entered the Southgate Festival. Charlie Johnson scored the winner in the opener – a grudge match against HABS B – and continued his good form, scoring four goals in the whole tournament as the team finished a very respectable 4th. After a weeks break the team returned refreshed and rejuvenated to play a strong St Clement Dane’s team. The team were outclassed in a 4-0 defeat, despite Kushal Patel exceptionally manmarking the opponent playmaker with great effect. The team bounced back from this though, as they hit the finest form of the season beating Kimbolton, Haileybury and Bancroft’s all 3-0. The team followed this with a disappointing 3-2 loss to St. Alban’s, but ended the season with a hard fought victory over rivals Harrow and a very close contest with Merchant Taylors’, which ended in a 1-0 defeat. There is much promise for future years, however, as the team look to develop and build on their success.

U15 After the foundations laid by Mr Fenn last year, the Under 15 team looked to improve from the results of last season. With the guidance and expertise of Mr Yeabsley, no time was wasted in preparation for the first game against Aldenham. Two goals from Tom Edrich gave the team the victorious start they needed, and a 5-2 demolition of Hitchin followed with Charlie Johnson and Max Jenkins dominating throughout. However the team’s jubilance was cut short with a first defeat of the season against Dr Challoners who had numerous county and south of England players, so a 3-1 loss was no disgrace. The team showed great courage and confidence bouncing back from the defeat to beat Berkhamsted 6-0, with Joe Yarwood dazzling the opposition with his silky ball skills whilst

U13 The U13 team showed much spirit this year, and improved hugely during their first full season. Many players had never touched a hockey stick before January, so their progress was even more impressive, particularly as most of their opponents had far more experience. Losing their first two matches 5-0 and 3-0, the team’s season picked up with a 1-1 draw against Dr Challoners. Despite dominating for most of the game, the team fell behind and were saved by a strike from Ben Lockwood. A 1-0 defeat to Bancroft’s followed, though the team felt hard done by as the goal came against the run of play. The highlight of the season was to come though, in the shape of the 7-1 destruction of arch-rivals Aldenham, with hat – trick from Aditya Modi, and 1 apiece for Phil Sadgrove, Dan Kaye, Darius Price and Edward Almond. Despite this success, the team were unfortunate to come up against two strong sides, losing both games, but not going down without a fight. During the season the team has been saved by the excellent defence of Charlie Colenutt, Mark Rister, Felix Talijaard, Jared Baker and Raul Doegar.

Goalkeeper Casey Sharp has also been magnificent. With a great pool of talented players with lots of potential there is much anticipation of success at U14 level.

U12 The U12’s introduction to hockey involved two matches this year, the first a loss to a well-drilled Dr. Challoner’s side, but the second brought wins for both the A and B team against Bancroft’s. Following a shaky start, the teams came through with 3-1 and 2-1 victories respectively. Mr Moss’ attitude in helping the team to develop and relax under pressure paved the way for victory, and there is much to look forward to next season.

109

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:37

Page 110

Skylark 2008 Sport

Cricket The 2008 season will go down as one of the most successful in the history of HABS Cricket. The bare facts and figures tell the story! Of 138 matches played (a record in itself…another 33 matches were cancelled, mainly due to bad weather), 103 resulted in victory for HABS teams, the first time we have passed the century mark! There were, in addition, 5 draws, 2 tied matches and just 28 defeats. Most games these days are limited overs and so draws are rarely an option. The old-fashioned timed (declaration) games are few and far between and the phrase 6.00pm and twenty means little to young cricketers brought up on a diet of win/lose result cricket only. Even so, to win 75% of all the matches played represents a remarkable achievement and many congratulations must go to everyone, players and coaches alike, who contributed to this success.

With full fixture lists at A and B team level and in the senior school, where we can field at least five XIs, before the onset of block leave and public examinations take their inevitable toll, the introduction of C team games has provided opportunities for more boys to represent HABS in inter-school matches.

Interest in the sport is probably at an all time high and continues to grow.

1st XI A young 1st XI, captained for a second year by Ajay Soni, enjoyed a highly successful tour of Malaysia last October, winning nine of the ten games played. Many thanks, of course, must go to Doug Yeabsley for masterminding the tour yet again. This summer the team has been inconsistent but, at its best, has defeated strong opposition in Berkhamsted and Bedford Modern amongst others, while also thrashing UCS by a record margin of 243 runs. Even in defeat we still had opportunities to win the games but inexperience told in the end. Two excellent back-to-back victories, involving successful run chases, were recorded against Doug Yeabsley’s XI and Old HABS CC and we were only denied a win against the powerful Fraser Bird XI by the weather. This year’s Devon Tour was wetter and muddier than usual but we did manage to achieve three more victories in the games that were played, including a second win against Exeter School and success in the penultimate game of the season, in which the side played arguably its best cricket of the summer, against Devon U16’s.

On the batting front, captain Soni (509 runs @ 36.35) led the way with an undefeated century against DIY’s XI and three more half centuries.

He now leaves HABS having scored 1,959 runs for the 1st XI at an average of 34.36, which puts him in 4th place in the list of 110

highest run scorers for the school. He also captured 20 wickets for the third successive season and 73 wickets at 21.57 overall.

Opening batsman, Kushal Patel (476 runs @ 31.73) recorded his maiden century in the victory over UCS and also hit an unbeaten 87 against Exeter. Hopefully he will become more consistent as he gains further experience, both with HABS and Middlesex. His usual partner Lewis Jenkins (334 runs @ 27.83) offered solid support but needs to expand his strokeplay at times. Neel Malde (386 runs @ 32.16), perhaps the find of the season, and 14 year old Nishanth Selvakumar (282 runs @ 31.33), another Middlesex star, have also impressed with the bat, while Kailash Morjaria, after a difficult start to the season, thrived in his new role as“pinch-hitter, striking a rapid half century in the win against the Old Boys and several other brief cameos.

Of the bowlers (only eight were used all summer), Middlesex off-spinner Tom Edrich (33 wkts @ 15.90) and slow left-arm Amish Parekh (25 wkts @ 22.04) were the most successful.

They were joined mid-way through the term by leg-spinner Seb Schusman (19 wkts @ 12.47), who added an extra dimension to the attack.

Both Tom and Seb achieved 6-wicket hauls during the season. All three bowlers will feature in the team next year, which bodes well as schoolboy batsmen notoriously find spinners more difficult to play than the quicks. What we lack, however, is a genuine pace bowler, who can make the breakthrough with the new ball and blast away the tail, although Kushal Patel (17 wkts @ 19.70), currently the fastest bowler in the team, may be able to add this role to his armoury.

Fielding is another area which does need improvement (and this is true of all HABS teams!). Too many crucial catches were dropped and there were times when we let the opposition off the hook through poor concentration in the field, particularly, oddly, at the start of games. It would be good to see the intensity shown in the victory against Devon U16s far more frequently. Nishanth Selvakumar (9 catches, 6 stumpings) kept wicket in most of the matches and will, hopefully, continue to improve and develop this aspect of his game. Despite his age, he

certainly makes his presence felt behind the stumps!

Two others who deserve mention are Matthew Soffair and Asad Husain. Vice captain and an excellent team man, Matthew struggled all season with the bat but still scored crucial runs against Berkhamsted, Exeter and Devon U16s. Asad (10 wkts @ 35.70 ) meanwhile frequently opened the bowling and has contributed much to team spirit during his two years in the XI. Their commitment to the team during their U6 year is commendable. Hemal Malde (8 wkts @ 15.25) perhaps deserved more opportunities and will surely get them next year while Basil Letts and Jonathan Miller will also come under consideration with the bat. Letts captained an U16 XI, including several youngsters with the potential to make the grade, to victory against Sydney GS, our third success in the past three seasons against Australian opposition.

One person who will not be returning to see how these players develop is Michael Yeabsley, who has just completed a second stint as 1st XI coach prior to his move up the road to Aldenham School. Michael has been associated with HABS Cricket for many years.

As a former pupil, he played in the 1st XI with much success, scoring nearly 1,500 runs and taking 128 wickets, the third highest tally behind his brother Richard and Jinesh Amin.

He has repeated that success as coach of several talented 1st XIs as well as other teams and we will miss his competitive spirit and good advice. We do, however, wish him well in his new post and look forward to renewing acquaintances when HABS play Aldenham and on the occasion of the Fraser Bird match.

The success of the Cricket Club is not measured only by the results of the 1st XI. All the teams have contributed and everyone involved can take credit for the outstanding results of the club as a whole.

2nd XI The 2nd XI enjoyed another successful season, losing only two games, drawing one and winning all the rest. The team was ably led by Basil Letts, who overcame the significant challenge of gaining the respect and support

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:37

Page 111

Skylark 2008 Sport

of a squad which contained a majority of boys two years older than him. The fielding performances that Basil got out of the team were consistently good and these, along with his judicious use of a range of bowling options, enabled the 2nd XI to win some close-fought games. Among the nine victories, notable triumphs were recorded against St Albans, Bishop’s Stortford HS and RGS High Wycombe.

On the batting side, the first individual to show real talent was Jonny Miller, with the result that he was deservedly promoted to the 1st XI before half-term. Other notable contributions came from Luke Tullo, who registered two fifties and one 49 to go with the fifty he scored for the 3rd XI, and Josh Newman, who scored two match-winning fifties when the side was chasing big totals. Basil Letts, Thusagar Sri Satkunasingam and Shamit Nathwani all made good contributions with the bat as well, while Ravi Pandya had the ability to disorientate the fielding side with his destructive hitting.

Sukhdeep Sohal and Rishi Patel led the bowling attack and proved our most reliable and most successful bowlers. Although Rishi took more wickets this season, Sukhdeep was more consistent and more threatening, and had more bad luck in one season than most bowlers have in a career. Seb Schusman bowled leg-spin which was too good for most 2nd XI batsmen before being promoted to the 1st XI where he continued to take wickets.

Next season will involve a different group of boys, which is in itself exciting. We would, however, like to thank this season’s cohort for their enthusiasm and good humour.

3rd XI The 3rd XI maintained the proud record of recent HABS 3rd XIs, winning all six of its games against other schools. Luke Tullo’s half century in the opening fixture against QEB earned him promotion to the 2nd XI, but this only provided opportunities for other players to step up to the mark. UCS, Berkhamsted and John Lyon were all dispatched with relative ease before our main rivals, Merchant Taylors’ were destroyed, our victory margin an impressive 10 wickets. John Mansell’s 5wicket haul and an unbeaten opening partnership between Amarjeet Johal and Arjun Dasgupta meant that the game was over before tea! The final game of the season produced the closest finish as St Albans was defeated by just 5 runs. Akhil Raithatha, Philip Chee and Kishan Alahendra, amongst others, have all played their part while Arjun Niranjan deserves great credit as captain of this team, both for his organisational skills and his quietly authoritative leadership on the field. There remains a strong nucleus of players for next season and so the future is bright. Mention should also be made of the 4th XI, captained

by Ankul Wangoo, which won one of its two games, and the 5th XI, which would have played its first ever game but for the rain.

U15 The U15As also enjoyed a successful season, winning ten of their thirteen games, including notable triumphs against Berkhamsted, Bedford Modern and Bancroft’s. The side also made good progress in the HSCA County Cup Competition before losing rather unluckily to Watford at the quarter-final stage. With the scores level, HABS were knocked out by virtue of losing 9 wickets, one more that the opposition! Captained by Joe McCormick, others to feature during the season included Ben Cherkas, Shanil Patel, Athman Sivakumar and Arjun Sofat and it is to be hoped that those mentioned as well as all the other squad members will be aiming to push their credentials in senior cricket in 2009.

The U15Bs repeated the success of recent seasons, winning six games against Aldenham, UCS, Berkhamsted, Mill Hill, QEB and St Albans, where we defended a total of 85 to win by 13 runs, and losing just once, when a severely depleted side suffered defeat at the hands of RGS High Wycombe in the final game of the season. Pavan Surepeddi captained the side and he, along with wicket-keeper batsman Hugh Brannan and all-rounder Neal Shah, who was unlucky not to be selected more often for the A side, are worthy of mention amongst others.

U14 The U14As, arguably the most talented of the junior squads, also had the most to live up to after their performances during the previous two seasons. Despite a poor run either side of half term, a strong finish to the term meant that this was another very successful season for this team. A convincing batting display against Aldenham, with Nishanth Selvakumar 65 not out, led to a win by nine wickets and a strong display from the bowlers against UCS promised much for the season.

However, after losing Selvakumar to the 1st XI, the frailty of the line-up became apparent. The team had to work hard to chase down a target of 184 against Berkhamsted, Akash Kadiwar leading the way with 68, but struggled in their first defeat against Bedford Modern. A tie against Mill Hill and a second defeat, this time

by St. Albans, showed the players that they had to start battling for victories. A hard-fought win over Watford in the next game provided a much needed turning point for the season. Tej Malde, now as captain, batted through 35 overs for an unbeaten 74 to help set a challenging total and tight bowling and fielding enabled the side to achieve a victory by just nine runs. After this narrow win, the U14A”s remained undefeated for the rest of the season. Several comfortable victories followed and the team managed to gel just in time for the later stages of the County Cup. A tense win in the semi-finals, again over Watford, led to a final against Monk’s Walk School from Welwyn Garden City. In a low-scoring affair, Rikin Shah and Khushil Wagjiani produced valuable runs to boost our total and excellent bowling by Naveen Nandakumar (3 for 19) and Ashley Sivarajah (3 for 15) kept the opposition batting under control. Sahil Agarwal and Karan Setia provided useful support and in the end a win by 26 runs was an outstanding achievement. The team can now look forward to representing Hertfordshire in the National Schools Competition next year.

The U14Bs had a terrific start to the season with a comprehensive win at Aldenham, where Ben Peacock hit an unbeaten century, and they followed this up with a second crushing victory against UCS, with Ashley Sivarajah the undefeated centurion on this occasion.

However things did not always go their way and, although they won seven games in total, including those against Bishop’s Stortford HS (by 10 wickets) and RGS High Wycombe, they did lose three games, albeit narrowly each time. Alex Briggs (captain), Daniel Paul, Muqeet Majed, Anand Dhamecha, Arjun Popat, Kushal Malde, Kushal Shah and Visakan Navayogaarajah, amongst others, are all worthy of mention for their exploits during the course of the season. Congratultions, however, go to the whole squad for the skill, good humour and team spirit shown throughout.

U13 The U13As exceeded expectations and enjoyed an excellent season, winning thirteen of their

111

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:37

Page 112

Skylark 2008 Sport

fifteen games. Perhaps not as talented, at least in individual terms as the year above, they nevertheless displayed tremendous spirit, particularly in the field, and played well together as a team. The squad especially enjoyed their trip to Devon, courtesy of Doug Yeabsley. The weather was poor but they did manage to play one game, defeating Colyton GS. In the regular school fixtures, notable successes came against Berkhamsted, St Albans, Bishop’s Stortford HS and in the final game at Bancroft’s, where Maanal Akhaney scored a superb 105 not out. He and James Lawrence were the two batsmen capable of achieving the essential big scores and they were well supported by the tenacious Rhys Jenkins. All the bowlers performed well at times, particularly Venkatesh Surendran and Luke Minett while captain Ronak Shah also deserves mention. One of the most exciting games was against Bedford Modern, where HABS required 25 runs to win off the final three overs (and still 11 off the last) with only one wicket remaining.

Somehow the last pair, Minett and Khalil Osman, managed to engineer a tied game! Unfortunately, the only defeat (and we must refer to it!) came in the final of the County Cup Competition against Hitchin School.

Chasing a target of 112 in 25 overs, HABS eventually fell 5 runs short…disappointing but it must not detract from an otherwise fine season.

The U13Bs gelled from the start and played well together as a team, winning all nine of their games. The spirit amongst the boys was high and their desire to win was obvious throughout the season. By far the closest game was against QEB, but our outstanding bowling on that occasion ensured that we emerged victorious. Other close games against Bedford Modern, St Albans and RGS High Wycombe were won by a combination of solid batting, accurate bowling and superb fielding.

The team was well-led by the captain Ed Almond and vice-captain Noah Levy, who always ensured that the fielding was sound in order to maintain pressure on the opposition. The leading batsmen were Levy and Efe Uwaifo, who struck 6 sixes against St Albans, while Suraj Joshi and Glenn Edwards featured amongst the bowlers. Ben Lockwood and Nikhil Joshi also contributed with both bat and ball. Overall this was a group of players passionate about cricket, who always supported each other and fully deserved their success.

U12 The U12As had perhaps the most disappointing set of results, winning four games against John Lyon, Merchant Taylors’, Bedford Modern and Bishop’s Stortford HS but losing on six other occasions, including the last four games of the season. William Wright, who also plays for Hertfordshire U12s, captained the side, and produced some good displays with both bat and ball, but was inconsistent. Others to feature at various times were Sam Schusman, Josh Goldstein, Rohan Mandumula and Jaimin Patel but there is clearly much work to be done during winter nets, particularly on the bowling front.

The U12Bs had a relatively successful season, notching up five victories while suffering two defeats. After early-season wins against Berkhamsted, John Lyon and Merchant Taylors’, the team’s first loss 112

came against Bedford Modern, when we collapsed from 54-1 with no fewer than six run-outs to 82 all out and a defeat by just 3 runs.

Suicidal running between the wickets continued to plague our season, with openers Rikhil Rughani and Jordan Waobikese managing to run themselves out in two consecutive games. Nevertheless, victories were achieved against Bishops Stortford High School and QEB, following a season’s best score of 32 from Kush Purohit. Unfortunately, the term ended with a defeat as the team was thoroughly outplayed by RGS High Wycombe to lose by six wickets, having made only 67 all out in our innings following more suicidal run-outs. Bowling was the team’s strength throughout the season, with at least eight bowlers fielded in each match and the wickets shared among fifteen bowlers. Our batting was rather brittle, but in most games one batsman steered us towards a reasonable total, such as Eloka Agu with 22 against Merchant Taylors’ and Rughani with 26 against Bedford Modern. Kush Purohit was Player of the Season as both highest run scorer and leading wicket taker with viciously turning leg breaks. The team was well captained by Amit Kurani, who managed to ensure that all boys contributed to each game, whilst simultaneously pushing for victory. The boys should be commended for their excellent team spirit and high standards of sportsmanship and we look forward to their continued development next year.

As we try to involve as many boys as possible, C team fixtures were arranged in each year group this year and there were wins for each team. Indeed the U15Cs won all three of their games!

HABS Cricket could not function without the huge input of a number of people and I should like to take this opportunity to thank once again my colleagues on the coaching staff for the tremendous amount of time and effort they give looking after the various teams. I should also like to thank everyone else who contributes to our success, the ground staff (particularly our Head Groundsman, Danny Beckley), the scorers and the caterers for example. Doug Yeabsley deserves special 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. Finally, of course, congratulations and well done to all the players, may the Cricket Club continue to go from strength to strength!

S Charlwood

Club record P

W

D

L

A

1st XI 2nd XI 3rd XI 4th XI U16XI U15A U15B U15C U14A U14B U14C U13A U13B U13C U13 Tour U12A U12B U12C Staff XI

19 12 6 2 1 13 7 3 17 10 3 15 9 1 1 10 7 1 1

10 9 6 1 1 10 6 3 14 7 1 13 9 1 1 4 5 1 1

4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (tied 1) 0 0 0 (tied 1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

5 2 0 1 0 3 1 0 2 3 2* 1 0 0 0 6 2 0 0

4 3 2 1 0 3 3 1 2 1 1 3 0 0 2 2 2 2 1

Totals

138

103

5(+tied 2)

28

33

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:37

Page 113

Skylark 2008 Sport

Football

Club record

1st XI The season has been a mixed one for the 1st XI, with a record of 7 wins, 1 draw and 6 defeats. At the beginning of the season the team was boosted by fresh talent from the Lower 6th including Will Gallimore, Jonny Graham, Prashant Kukadia and Anto Rumford.

The season started well for HABS, with 5 wins in our first 6 games. Our football was exquisite, mirroring the unbeatable Arsenal side of 20032004. The goals were flowing with Will, Nick, Prash and Vice-Captain Matthew Cohen all finding the net on a regular basis, being supplied by the ever reliable Jeremy Julius and Adam Hartnell. The defence was dependably solid with Captain Ed Morrison, Missagh Fini and Sam Cherkas keeping out the opposition attacks with ease. The reward for our endeavours was a mouth-watering Crusader Cup quarter-final tie away at Oundle. Unfortunately the season took a turn for the worse; we were outclassed 3-0 and were knocked out of the Cup at the quarter-final stage for the second season in a row.

With confidence low, our football began to suffer, starting a demise comparable to the great Derby County, with four losses from our next 5 games. The season ended on a high note with a decisive 7-1 win over Mill Hill, with Rishi Patel bagging 5 in one game!

Special mention must go to Missagh, Nick Vassiliou and Ed who performed superbly throughout the whole season. Thanks must go to Mr. Ward for all his time and effort managing and coaching the team, and we wish the team the best of luck for next year.

Matthew Cohen U6

2nd XI The 2nd XI had a difficult start to the season, with defensive frailties proving costly in the early games. The first win came with the visit of Radley College, and the side found the winning habit after half-term with successive victories over Bedford Modern, St.Paul’s and Merchant Taylors.

In a constantly changing line-up due to 1st team promotions, Randal Cliff was a dominant force in midfield, while Rishi Patel’s goals saw him frequently called on by the Firsts. Oli Coates began to find the net with increasing regularity as the season wore on, while James Grant and Athi Kailayapathivagan will challenge for a first team place next season.

Thanks to Messrs. Simm and Thompson for coaching the side and for their support.

A Ward

3rd XI Commitment to 3rd XI football was a little disappointing this season.

Injuries, calls from the 1st and 2nd XIs and absences for various reasons all contributed to an unsettled squad and enforced team changes for virtually every game. Inevitably results were equally disappointing. The side achieved an exciting 4-4 draw away at Aylesbury GS but were well beaten by Berkhamsted, Bedford Modern and St Paul’s, amongst others.

The highlight of the season was undoubtedly the 3-2 victory at UCS in the final game.

S Charlwood

1st XI 2nd XI 3rd XI Under 16 A XI Under 16 B XI Club

P

W

D

L

F

A

14 12 8 8 6 48

7 5 1 2 3 18

1 1 1 2 2 7

6 6 6 4 1 23

35 22 13 17 9 96

26 23 27 19 8 103

U16 A The Under 16 A season started with an impressive pre-season training day where the potential of the side was clearly apparent. Our first fixture was away to St. Edwards in Oxford, and the team was welcomed with one of the best surfaces that we would play on all year. The game started off well and it was clear to see that the pitch suited a passing style of play. An eventual score of 8-1 with 8 different goal scorers emphasised the attacking nature of our football.

The team then showed its strength in depth against Radley with Antonio Castagno stepping in as left back and Kaz Ong making his debut at right wing. Having dominated most of the first half with Simon Stanfield coming close to scoring, we unfortunately found ourselves two-nil down at half time. The team showed its determined nature by pulling a goal back midway through the second half and ten minutes from the end a wonder strike by Alex Parker from thirty yards into the top corner made it 2-2. Strong defending from Joel Salomon and confident goalkeeping from Seb Schusman assured the well deserved draw.

The strong character of the team was again shown in perhaps the highlight of the year. We were away to Bedford Modern and were once again two-nil down at half time. After an inspirational team talk by Mr. Hails the team set out eager for the second half knowing that we had been in this position before. With solid defending at the back by Anuj Amarshi and the makeshift left back George Colenutt, the attacking players took their opportunities to advance. Two quick goals, including another wonder strike by Parker after good work down the wing by Elliot Kaye, and the other a header, left the clinical finishing of Ed Penn to seal the win for HABS. Overall the season showed the great potential of the team and special thanks must go to Mr. Hails for his experienced coaching and tactics throughout the season.

Mirav Vyas L6

U16 B The Under 16 B’s had a very successful season. This did not look likely at the beginning, when the first two matches were cancelled because of wet weather and we were well beaten by a good Bedford Modern team.

In the event, this was our only defeat. The most notable victories were secured at St Paul’s, where we had a poor record, and at home to UCS, our local rivals. Perhaps the best performance of all was in the 2-2 draw against a fine Aylesbury side.

The team had many stars. Goalkeeper Josh Manasseh listened to his coach’s advice and improved enormously. The defence was tenacious, the balance between skill and determination in midfield was just right; the attackers were fast and intelligent (but strangely reluctant to score goals). Above all, the spirit of the team was wonderful – not surprising, perhaps, given their awareness that they were excellent players.

R Sloan

113

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:37

Page 114

Skylark 2008 Sport

Athletics Probably one of the most encouraging aspects of this year’s Athletics season has been the strength in depth in the sport, particularly in the junior years evident at both training sessions and in results.

Our strength in depth showed in the Watford and District championships where won the team event in 2 out of the 4 competitions, successful in years 7and 8, runners up in year 10 and third in year 9.

Having finished runners up in the overall competition in 2007, it was pleasing to regain this trophy in 2008. In the District U20 championships finished 4th but just 10 points away from first.

In our early season fixture at Harrow School our Under 15 team finished 4th, the U17’s 3rd and U20 4th out of 8 teams. The teams were not at full strength but nevertheless their were some encouraging performances notably Robin Tuck’s high jump of 1m.94cm and good wins for Pierre Binfoh (U15 400m) and Justin Hornsby Cowan ( U15 Javelin). In the prestigious Achilles Relays the Under 17 4 x 100m hurdles team of Kaz Ong, Mirav Vyas, Alex Barnett and James Edmunds defeated Millfield in a very tense final to win by 100th of a second, a trophy last won in 2006.The Under 14 and Under 16 teams qualified for the Herts League final, both winning their respective Area A leagues. The final took place at Hemel Hempstead on June 24th and the level of competition was very high. The Under 14’s had a rather lacklustre first half to the programme on the track, but a big effort in the field events saw them go in to the last relay event in contention to win. A fourth place in the relay though was not enough and they finished 2nd by one point to Queens school Bushey. The Under 16 team had some good individual performances from James Edmunds ( 80m Hurdles), Scott Spurling ( Discus), Max Jenkins (800m and Javelin) and Charlie Johnson (Pole Vault) but they did not really challenge for team honours and eventually finished 5th.

The year 7 and 9 teams enjoyed good competition in a Herts Schools Invitational fixture both winning, the latter by just 4 points from Queens and Watford Boys and the former in their first fixture by some 20 points. The year 7 team won 10 out of the 12 events. number of other schools in the county. In the Junior meet on the school track the Under14’s finished second to Lincroft Middle school and the Under 12 prep team also finished 2nd behind the same school. St Columbas College organised the last inter school fixture of the season and although on field day the Under14’s secured first place, the Under 12’s second.

Perhaps the only slight disappointment has been in the English Schools Track and Field Cup where the Under 14’s missed qualifying for the National Final by just 8 points and one place. They were up against strong opposition in the regional final but aquited themselves well and although not making the final their score of 445 point placed them 11th highest scorers nationally. The Under 16’s were able to improve by 45 points in the second round but were still some 40 points short of the score required to make it through to the national final.

Although school athletics is largely team based there have been some fine individual performances with a number of athletes gaining selection for County and Regional teams. Darius Price and Efe Uwaifo must be congratulated as National Champions for 2008 after both winning their respective events at the National Prep Schools Championships , Darius winning the High Jump with a leap of 1.60m and Efe winning the Triple Jump with 10m.66. Rufus McAlister 6th in the shot and 200m, Joe Bamford 7th in the Javelin and Rory Cartmell 8th in the 800m also competed, all representing the Eastern Counties after their selection to the team following the I.A.P.S. Regional championships.

Kaz Ong is Herts County Inter Boys 100m Hurdles champion for 2008 and will represent Herts in the English Schools Championships at Gateshead on July 11th and 12th .In winning the title he broke the school record set back in 1978. James Edmunds represented Hertfordshire in the South East England Multi Events championships in Reading after his success in the County competition and has the opportunity to compete in the same age group again next year. Harry Mistry ran a strong race to win the Hertfordshire Year 7 boys 70m Hurdles.

In all 9 athletes gained top three places in the County schools champs and 7 gained top three places in the Regional Prep schools meet. 11 boys are district champions. Darius Price has broken the Year 8 high jump record, Phillip Sadgrove the Year 8 shot and Jonah Levy the Year 7 discus (1kg) and Henryk Hadass Year 7 discus (.75kg) The strength in depth is an encouraging feature of the athletics squad; it is a key element we should strive to maintain if we are to fulfil our aspirations of competing at the highest level on a regular basis.

S Lowe

114

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:37

Page 115

Skylark 2008 Sport

Golf

`X Country

The second Haberdashers’ golf tour to Vilamoura, led by Mr. Ward, kicked off at 4am on Sunday 10th February. By midday, the party were settled and preparing themselves for the first round, to be played at Vila Sol golf club, on Monday afternoon.

The wind caused difficulties for many of the tourists on day one, as scores dipped well below level to handicap, with favourite Marc Kuber leading with surprise package Vivek Patni on 35 points each.

This year has been reasonably successful in that it has built on last year’s experiences, produced good performances and bodes well for the future.

Following a relaxing first evening spent along the marina, the players returned to the hotel for an early night to prepare themselves for “moving day”. The scene of last years climax – Millennium – proved to be the most challenging course of the week, as winds rose way above expected speeds, and caused many problems for the players. No such problems for leader Patni, however, who was able to construct a magnificent round of 39 points, along with playing partner David Fernie, who stayed in the hunt with a round of 38 points, just two points behind the front runner. These two held a 7 point lead over the field, as the esteemed Old Course awaited the players on the final day.

The finale presented a particularly early start for the field, each of whom was looking to put their names on the trophy for 2008. The early start and darkness that came with it, was not enough to deter “best dressed golfers” James Tan and Will Gallimore from wearing their sunglasses at 7 a.m., but their golf inevitably suffered as a result. It was newcomer Zain Arora who produced the best golf of the day, but it was not enough to overhaul Patni’s lead, as his 31 point round was enough to secure the coveted title at his first time of asking.

The trip, once again, was a great success, and thoroughly enjoyed by all, and thanks for this must go to Mr. Ward, who organised and led the trip so enthusiastically, along with Mr. McIntosh and Mr. Whalley, who were such good company throughout the week.

Attendance at training has seen an improvement and this has been reflected in races.

Highlights include HABS’ very own Goater Cup. This is a relay race held at Aldenham Reservoir and involves one person from each year group running a lap of about 2.7 km. HABS managed to put out four teams which is an achievement in itself, and a time of a little over 60 minutes for the A team, although not challenging the likes of St Albans and Loughborough, was pleasing, and the event as a spectacle was very enjoyable.

The main success came at the Watford and District champs, where the senior team managed to come 1st with numerous high individual finishes. This was the current senior team’s last chance to win this competition after several near misses, which made it even sweeter.

Lower down the school, Hugo Cliff produced an excellent performance, winning the individual race.

Consistently determined running from Jamie Everrit, Johnny Parr, Oliver Ilott, Michael Hollins, Martin Cheung, John Mansell and Sam Cherkas made this a memorable final season.

Huge thanks must go to Mr Cox for his enthusiasm (especially at training!), taking us to all the races and being a fantastic coach.

J Cox

Will Gallimore L6

115

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:37

Page 116

Skylark 2008 Sport

Swimming

Water polo The past year of water polo has been successful and has provided many reasons to be optimistic for the future of the sport at HABS. The majority of these achievements have come from the extremely promising U14 squad. The U19 team had some success in their efforts at the Nationals, but were unable to go as far into the tournament as they would have liked. The U14 team showed the way, easily qualifying for the National Finals in Walsall. There, they acquitted themselves well, defeating City of London School and Bolton School to finish fourth in the country.

This accomplishment is enhanced as several of the team were playing a year above their age. Two boys in particular in Year 8 have excelled; Hugo Cliff and Jared Baker have spent nine months training at a regional training camp and both have secured selection for the National Training Camp to be held at a state-of-the-art 50m swimming pool at Millfield School. Thomas Dean represented Middlesex U17 at Sint-Niklaas in Belgium over the summer. The matches were played in a very cold lake with marked pitches. Despite these challenging conditions, Middlesex finished third overall.

Three longstanding servants of water polo at HABS leave this year, whose dedication we should recognise. Greg Schey, Oliver Inow and Duncan Jenkins have played countless games for the school, and Greg and Oliver have devoted their time to selflessly coaching the younger boys. As a result of his excellent performances at the Nationals, Oliver was selected to play for the U19 English Schools Barbarian’s team. Water polo at HABS would not function without the efforts of Mr Matthews and Mr Stiff who give up their time to attend training and organise fixtures.

Luke Tullo L6

116

This year, the swimming teams have again splashed to success in the swimming pool with both the Senior and Junior teams retaining the Panagraphics League titles, despite strong opposition from St. Albans. Further to this, both the Junior and Intermediate teams secured the highest improvers’ awards for their respective age groups: an excellent achievement. The Junior and Senior teams (Junior Team: Edward Allchorne, Jared Baker, Hugo Cliff, Tom Dean; Senior Team: Randal Cliff, Adam Maxwell, Alex Parker, Kelvin Wong) also competed in the Regional Final of the Bazuka National Swimming Team Championships, both finishing 3rd and 4th in the Medley and Freestyle Relays. This is a considerable achievement considering that the region covers not only Hertfordshire, but also surrounding counties as far afield as Oxfordshire, as well as many North London boroughs.

HABS has also seen substantial achievement on the district level, with boys representing Watford and District in the annual District gala at Stevenage with strong performances. This was highlighted by the impromptu entry of a school relay team for the JUBA trophy at this gala, with Edward Allchorne, Jared Baker, Hugo Cliff and Thomas Dean wrapping up a comfortable 2nd place. This team will hope to compete together in the same race next year, having swum up an age group this year.

However, the swimming team would not be the same without the continued support and inspiration of Mr Stiff. His tireless attitude has led to us on countless occasions being able to put forward strong, full teams for galas, where it would otherwise not have been possible, and he has been a key factor in our success this year.

Kelvin Wong L6

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:37

Page 117

Skylark 2008 Sport

Badminton The school has retained the Under 18 Hertfordshire Schools trophy they won last year. We have been successful in fixtures against Immanuel School and Hitchin. The Under 16 Team recently won the County stage of the Badminton England National Inter-Schools Tournament.

The Under 16 Badminton Team attended the National Inter-Schools Badminton Finals in Derby. Teams from eight Schools took part and we played against three other schools in our group. We started well with a hard-fought win against Nottingham High School (3-2). However, the depth of ability of the other two teams was readily apparent and we lost against Kingswinsford High School (Worcestershire) and Thornden College (Hampshire). It was an impressive achievement to reach the Finals.

The Team represented Hertfordshire in the Eastern Region National InterSchools Badminton Championship at Sandy, Bedfordshire. In closely

fought matches with schools from Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire Haberdashers was unbeaten, winning against Thomas Deacon Academy 3 - 2 and Sandy Upper School and Community College 4 - 1. The team are now Regional Champions. Congratulations to the following boys who represented the school: Philip Chee, Sahil Shah, Neeloy Banerjee and Anesh Patel.

The Watford and Hertsmere SSP Badminton Inter-Schools Tournament took place Yavneh College Borehamwood. The School competed against other Schools in the local area: Bushey Hall, Bushey Meads, Owens, Watford and Westfield. Playing five games against these five schools Haberdashers' was undefeated: played 25, won 25. The team was Philip Chee (captain), Sahil Shah, Sachin Hoyle, Neeloy Banerjee and Anesh Patel. The School retained the shield it won last year. Thank you to Mr Herzmark, Mr Welsh and Mr Pyburn for coaching the team.

A Herzmark

Basketball U 13 v Highgate Won 26 – 11 The sole game played by the HABS U13 Basketball team ended in glorious victory over local rivals Highgate. The game took familiar shape as Habs dominated from start to finish with Hall of Famer Lyle Cukier dictating proceedings from his position at Small Forward.

However, MVPs Efe Uwaifo and Darius Price lived up to expectations and delivered on the biggest stage of all, scoring the majority of the team’s points. With much potential the team look to build on their success next season and take home the regional title. A special mention must go to Mr. Robert Welsh for pumping up the balls prior to the game.

117

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:37

Page 118

Skylark 2008 Sport

Tennis Tennis Competitions in 2008 included the senior Youll Cup (Eton) the U15/14 Thomas Bowl Cup (Eton), the U13 John Barrett Cup (Eton), BSTA U15 (x3 teams), BSTA U13 (x3 teams), U15, U14 and U13 District league; as well as the block of school “friendly� fixtures and the County Pairs Tournaments! HABS still hold the record for entering the most teams into competitions within Hertfordshire!

The BSTA squads played some outstanding tennis this season. The U15s qualified for the county final, loosing narrowly to Watford GS. However, our strength in depth at U15, U14 and U13 level was evident at District level. The U13s (who are actually U12s playing up a year) won the Herts District Competiton after a competitive finals day and the U14 came a very close second, only loosing by one game on games count.

Inter House Tennis has proved to be very successful. Six boys from each house for years 7 to 10 played doubles, resulting in a finals day. The level of tennis throughout the age groups was very encouraging. The competition also allowed the boys to officiate and record their own results which was much appreciated!

Results: K Long

U15 & U14 AIV

BIV

CIV

U15 District

U14 District IV

Hughes, Alex 10H2 Roberts, Tom 10M1 Edwards, Dom 10M1 Soo, James 10H1

Chotai, Rishi 9S Tho, Jonathan 9C Anandarajah, Brendan 9C Malde, Tej 9C

Rubin, Charlie 9S Ross, Freddie 9J1 Ward, George 9S Ragunthan, Kishan 9H Edwards, Chris 9M

Harris, James 10S1 Watts, Alex 10C2 Waterman, Craig 10S2 Selvakumar, Shiv 10J1 Spector, Andrew 10C1 Adat, R 10M1

Mason, Nick 9J2 Yu, Alvin 9R2 Morris, Josh 9S2 Prais, Max 9R2 Patel, Aaron 9S1 Grayson, Joel 9J1 Alalouff, Ben 9J1 Paul, Daniel 9H1 Rutherford, O 9M1

U13 & U12 AIV

BIV

CIV

U13 District IV (U12 only)

Tailjard, Felix 8M Bamford, Joe 8M Shah, J 8R Doegar, R 8C Vaghela, A 8C Joshi, N 8C Gold, J 8H

Uwaifo, E 8R Kaye, Daniel 8S Rose, Daniel 8R Almond, Ed 8M J Shah 8R

Harris, Jacob 7J Bavesha, Sahil 7J Stelzer, Ben 7C Nash, Adam 7M

Mistry, Harry 7M Goldstein, Josh 7C Bekhov, Kiril 7C Kempner, Sam 7H Bambaji, Alfie 7M

InterHouse Tennis Competition

118

Yr 7

Yr 8

Yr 9

Yr10

1st Calverts 2nd Joblings 3rd Hendersons 4th Meadows 5th Strouts 6th Russells

Calverts Strouts Meadows Russells Hendersons Joblings

Joblings Calverts Meadows Strouts Russells Hendersons

Calverts Hendersons Joblings Strouts Meadows Russells

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:38

Page 119

Common Room

119

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:38

Page 120

Skylark 2008 Common Room

SECRETARY’S NOTES Along the road to nurturing excellence, we all embrace a heady wind of change and renewal. At the same time, the Common Room maintains a healthy regard for the virtuosity that has kept the school sitting pretty, surveying an exciting future. For instance, earlier in the year, the same term which saw the opening of the Pre-Preparatory school in Radlett, starting a vibrant new phase in the school’s history, also saw the publication of “Serve and Obey” in which Dr Wigley, himself a school stalwart, so expertly documents the school’s illustrious past.

Later in the year, in the same week when the Girls’ school first hosted a Joint Common Room Party, reciprocating our hospitality after the inaugural event last summer, the school Sports Day made a noisy, thrilling return to the calendar, to the delight of boys and staff alike.

These events, with their emphasis on fun and fellowship in the sunshine, have been welcome additions to the schedule; they complement academic challenges in a way that Haberdashers’ has always promoted.

This harmonious blend of new ideas and traditional strengths is typical of our diverse school community. And nowhere are those traditional strengths better exemplified than in the enduring quality of Haberdashers’ staff.

Sadly, several familiar faces will be leaving this year to start on new paths.

Michael Morrish retires after 21 years of distinguished service to the school during two spells at Elstree, starting the first in 1975.

During the second he has managed the Geography department with considerable skill, inimitable charm and kindness. He has also brought these qualities to his teaching: indeed, his concern to maintain Geography’s high standing in education has led to his authorship of a number of seminal text books and the post of President of the Geographical Association in 1999. A true gentleman and scholar, his cheerful wit and energy will be much missed in the Common Room.

Kay Frances

Richard West

to Dorset with her husband Alan and Daisy the dog. We all hope that she will be very happy there.

large sums of money for various charities by running in several long-distance races, including the London Marathon. We all wish him well as he takes a break from teaching.

Philip Morris, who joined the Modern Languages department in 1986, left the school in May after 22 years of dedication to languages (French and German) and philosophy teaching. We thank him for his service to the school and wish him well for the future.

Adrian Herzmark first joined the English department in 1996 and has taught throughout that period, except in 2004 during which he experienced major surgery and convalescence.

He bravely returned to teaching in January 2005. Throughout his time at the school he has given up his time wholeheartedly to Sport and extra-curricular pursuits, most notably in Badminton, coaching teams to national successes and in Mencap Funday, which he organised for several years. He has also raised

The music department will lose a fine teacher and a conspicuous personality in the form of Richard West. His rapport with pupils is legendary. After eight years at Haberdashers’, he will be transferring his talents to Christ College, Brecon where he will be Director of Music. His versatility as a performer, writer and conductor for the Concert Band and Wind Sinfonia, as well as his infectious humour and enthusiasm will be Brecon’s gain and Elstree’s loss.

With the departure of Dr Louise Clayton from the Biology department, the school is losing another major contributor. Louise has excelled as a classroom teacher, a life-saving instructor, an officer in the CCF Royal Navy section and not least as a caring, devoted Deputy

There are two other departures from the Geography department: Stephanie Clifford, who will be taking up the post of Head of Geography at St Martin’s, Northwood, leaves us after four industrious, happy terms at Haberdashers’. Michael Yeabsley will become Head of Geography and Master in charge of Cricket at Aldenham School after 11 years serving Haberdashers’ with distinction in a variety of fields, passing on his ICT, cricket, rugby, hockey and CCF skills to many appreciative pupils and staff. A great character and firm favourite with the boys, Michael will be a vital asset to his new school.

Kay Francis leaves the Prep School after 25 years of outstanding teaching. She is relocating 120

Adrian Hertzmark

Dr Louise Clayton

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:38

Page 121

Skylark 2008 Common Room

Housemaster (and temporary Housemaster) for Strouts. The school is sad to say goodbye but wishes her well in her new post as Head of Biology at the John Lyons School.

Yet another cause for celebration came with the news that Peter Stiff has seen his excellent Geography textbook “Coasts” published by Philip Allan.

In the Economics department, Peter Briercliffe has announced his retirement after a highly successful five year spell at Haberdashers’. A popular figure amongst his colleagues and pupils, Peter has delivered his lessons with dry, Northern humour and outstanding academic knowledge. His personality and professionalism will be missed by his fellow Economists and the Common Room in general.

The Music department has replaced one of its instrumental specialists, Nigel Gibbon, a trumpet teacher, with Phillip Bainbridge. The addition of the services of Eleanor Valentine as Music Assistant has been a notable gain for the music school.

Adrian Jackson Jo Kingston has brought some varied and innovative teaching methods to the classroom in her time as an R.S. Teacher at HABS. She is leaving to pursue a career in the Civil Service after two years of fine work as a teacher, 7S tutor and a committed organiser for J-Soc. She has also broken new ground in her role as Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator. We are sorry to see her go but delighted that she has also announced her engagement to Mark Israel with the wedding planned for November.

Dr David Nolland The Mathematics department bids farewell to two of its “young guns” in David Nolland and Rob Percival. David ends his three years of scholarly teaching at the school to teach parttime at St Albans High School, enabling him to devote more time to his academic studies.

After two years, Rob relinquishes his role as Assistant Head of Mathematics, in which capacity he has introduced many exciting innovations and curriculum developments, in order to work for the VSO in Namibia.

Jo Kingston Further congratulations are in order in the R.S. department - to Rob Cawley and his wife, Claire who gave birth to a daughter, Ruth Abigail Cawley, in early June.

Other new arrivals include Alexandra, the daughter of Michael and Clare Yeabsley in April, Charlie James, the son of Kevin and Sarah Long in the same month and Neo Maxim, the son of Bjørn and Hanja Bantock a little earlier in March.

Rob Percival Adrian Jackson is leaving the Physics department to become Director of Physics at Wallington County Grammar School. In just two years at HABS he has managed to raise the profile of astronomy considerably, initiate exciting new Physics trips and lend his support to the school’s successful Chess Club. We wish him a happy and rewarding career in Surrey.

There was extra springtime joy in the Common Room when two of our number, Melvyn and Debbie Bardou tied the knot in the Easter holidays. We all wish them many prosperous years of marriage together. In the Prep School more happy news has since emerged with the wedding of Jo Rother and Tessa Loebenberg's engagement.

The ICT staff are losing the valued assistance of Shanheng Ho as he comes to the end of his internship year. Shan has provided crucial help in areas such as TrainingZone and the Russells Intranet website. The main school website was significantly revamped under the supervision of Yonatan Sherr, ICT Web and Data Systems Developer; he too has left for pastures new after laying firm foundations. Similarly, Amy Barrett is now residing in California after sterling work establishing HABS external relations database.

The sheer versatility and energy of Michelle Blagg has kept her in demand across the school. Michelle, who is leaving to complete a History Masters course, began her time as Deputy Heads’ secretary but her obvious skill and efficiency meant that her coveted talents were subsequently reassigned to administration of the CCF during an important transition period. The school will feel her absence but also sends its gratitude and best wishes to Michelle in her next adventures.

Colleagues were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of three former colleagues: Angus Young, who taught Design Technology from 1985 to 1995, Terry Carter, a popular former Clerk of Works and Neville Grenyer, an outstanding Geographer and published textbook author who taught with distinction both at Haberdashers’ (in the 1970s) and Winchester College.

In the main school we congratulate Peter Thackrey who has been appointed Deputy Housemaster of Strouts, succeeding Louise Clayton . In the Prep school congratulations also go to Paul Whitby who has been named Senior Teacher (Development).

These notes could not conclude without a mention of our Common Room chairman, Chris Muhley. Alongside his multiple musical responsibilities, Chris has managed to give an added dimension of festive frivolity to Common Room gatherings such as the Christmas Party; he has also brought his own brand of cheeky wit to Common Room briefings. Most importantly, though, he has worked immensely hard and with great integrity to serve and represent the Common Room body in all its various parts, helping to maintain a happy and fulfilling working environment. Another great Haberdashers’ tradition is in safe hands then.

(No pressure on his successor!)

121

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:38

Page 122

Skylark 2008 Common Room

Mike Morrish his Geography degree at Exeter, Mike’s first job was in the hard-nosed world of marketing. He spent three years as a brand manager for those great British institutions – Omo, Surf and Persil. But for Mike, those three years with Lever Brothers seemed to lack any real sense of purpose, and he decided to follow a career in tecahing.

At this point, serendipity lent a hand. Mike’s passion for amateur dramatics had allowed him to meet someone who was to become one of the most influential people in his life.

His name was Rex Walford.

When I first met Mike Morrish he was dressed from head to toe in bright red nylon and I was dressed in rubberised fluorescent orange. It was 1976, and on starting salaries of £1916.18 per year, neither of us could afford a car, so we both came to school on motorbikes.

But there the similarity ends. Mike had arrived at Haberdashers’ a year ahead of me, and already his organisation was legendary. Exercise books were stacked for marking in regimented piles. Pupils’ work was meticulously corrected in a careful, steady, precise hand, every letter neatly formed by the product of a remarkable symbiosis: the human typewriter. Years later, nothing’s changed of course, except Mike no longer wears bright red nylon to school.

Mike is a remarkable person; a professional of the highest order, an exceptional teacher, an outstanding manager of people, and an incurable show-off. Born in Mill Hill, his association with Haberdashers’ started early.

Whilst at St George’s Junior School he was already throwing taunts at the “cabbage bashers” (rhymes with Haberdashers) of toffeenosed HABS Prep down the road. Later, as a boy at Orange Hill Grammar School, he raced us in the Goater Cup, pounding the same punishing course followed by pupils to this very day.

Mike’s passion for Geography was also nurtured early. Camping expeditions with the Scouts and a three-week mountaineering trip in the Austrian Alps, quite an adventure then, fired an early passion for travel. Having taken

122

Rex was also a local man, born in Edgware, an enthusiastic and highly influential geographer in his own right - and a talented drama producer. In 1972, Rex was looking for young talent for his latest squeeze, and he selected Mike.

Rex and Mike hit it off from the start. Rex, recognising that all teaching involves a degree of acting, encouraged Mike in his planned career move. Mike left Lever Brothers, and went to Leicester University to train. He never looked back.

Mike’s first teaching job was at Guthlaxton College, known locally as “Gutho”. Described

by Mike as “a pressure cooker seething with adolescent hormones”, Gutho was a large comprehensive on the edge of Leicester. But this was something of a “golden age” for Geography. The subject was developing rapidly in universities throughout Europe and the States, and at Haberdashers’ a young Head of Department called John Rolfe was busily engaging his team on the writing of one of the most influential school textbooks of the late twentieth century – the Oxford Geography Project. Rex Walford was also busy developing advanced teaching methods using games and simulations to teach newly emerging principles.

Careers were developing rapidly, threads inevitably inter-twined, and when two members of the Haberdashers’ writing team left for promotion elsewhere, John Rolfe turned to Rex to help him find someone with sufficient talent and ability to hold the torch. With his exceptional qualities, the obvious candidate was Mike Morrish.

Mike was appointed to Haberdashers’ in 1975, and stayed with us until 1983. An energetic

and highly organised teacher, he gave far more to us than just Geography. Soon he was leading student exchange trips to MontclairKimberley Academy in the United States, as well as giving full-on participation in crosscountry and squash. With his love of theatre, he not only staged managed every school play, but was also involved in a succession of staff plays, directing two of them himself. Indulging his passion for black music as part of our general studies programme, he introduced hundreds of boys to the sound of Motown Blues and American Soul. Not that his professional career was being neglected. His multiple talents and organisational skills quickly saw him appointed to the role of Moderator for one of the most influential O Levels of the day – the Schools Council Geography Project.

Mike also has an extraordinary writing talent.

He is a wordsmith, capable of crafting that style of concise, fluent and accessible text that is perfect for young people. In 1980, he was seconded to the prestigious Geography 16-19 project to help write materials for their innovative new A Level. Oxford University Press were impressed enough by what they saw to invite Mike to write a new textbook to resource schools’ growing interest in global development. The result was another milestone for Mike: “Development in the the Third World”, published in 1983.

It was clear nothing would keep Mike caged at Haberdashers’ for long. Rex was now hugely influential in the Geographical Association, and he desperately needed Mike’s commercial acumen and educational talent to drive the subject forward as their first Publicity Officer.

Working together they set up the legendary WorldWise Quiz for schools, a powerful promotional tool that was to lead directly to the first International Geographical Olympiad in 1993.

Mike’s career was now at lift off. He wanted a department of his own to run. In 1983 he left Haberdashers and moved to Alleyn’s, Dulwich.

Co-educational, the school was very different to Haberdashers. Mike loved its open and cooperative character and felt there were lots he could do to develop his new department.

Mike’s textbook became a hugely successful publication, selling tens of thousands of copies.

Part of the proceeds unashamedly went to fuel Mike’s secret passion for fast cars. Mike is no automotive engineer, he wouldn’t know a hydraulic tappet from a grease nipple, but his encyclopaedic knowledge of Formula One and his expert eye for a set of well turned alloys meant that it wasn’t long before a chunky bright red Toyota MR2 gleamed in the school car park. At a time when most teachers drove frayed saloons, eyebrows were suitably raised.

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:38

Page 123

Skylark 2008 Common Room

It was also in this car that I was treated to a terrifying hairpin descent of Clifton Gorge … but that’s another story.

But Mike was also keen to promote his subject, and following a three-year stint as Publicity Officer at the Geographical Association, he became the first editor of GA News.

Appointments as Junior Vice President, then Senior Vice President, quickly followed, culminating in his election to the post of GA President for the year 1995 – 1996. This was a crowning achievement for Mike, recognising him internationally as an outstanding professional teacher, innovator and organiser.

1995 was also the year that Mike came back to HABS. With the retirement of John Rolfe, Mike was the obvious choice of successor. But the timing was not ideal. Holding down the office of President of the GA at a time of peak membership, and at a time when school Geography was under threat from changing government policy, Mike now found himself taking on the management of a major academic department in a leading independent school. It was hardly going to be easy. It speaks volumes for Mike’s sheer professionalism that, despite this extraordinary workload and a commitment that would have felled any lesser man, he achieved all that was asked of him without a murmur.

In the following summer of 1996, Mike married

Dawn. Dawn had two delightful and talented children, Nina and Jay, by a previous marriage, and despite his previously meteoric professional career, Mike now did an extraordinary thing. Showing a completely different side to his character, he stepped back from the GA to focus entirely on his family and his department, a decision from which Haberdashers’ has benefited hugely.

Mike subsequently served the school for another twelve years as Head of Geography.

During this time his quiet personal and professional commitment has been highly valued by his immediate colleagues. He has run the department with an extraordinarily kind and gentle touch, carefully steering it through difficult times with all the wisdom of his past experience. Always willing to listen, intensely loyal, and entirely democratic, Mike will be greatly missed.

over 15,000 photographs, some of such startling quality and perception they could easily grace the pages of the National Geographic.

So as we say farewell to Mike, we do so in the knowledge that Haberdashers’ is losing a huge and diverse talent, a great teacher, and an outstanding professional. Although he will continue to give his energy and expertise to Geography and education for many years, his warm personality and infectious humour will be missed by those of us who have been privileged to count him as both colleague and friend.

M Day

Retirement, however, is a word Mike refuses to use. Through his many contacts in the Geographical Association he intends to remain professionally very active, both on committees and with important professional bodies such as the Field Studies Council and the prestigious Royal Geographical Society, as well as developing his professional writing career. Mike will also continue to be a great traveller and photographer. His travels to China (four times), Borneo, Pakistan, Japan, Russia, Morocco, Egypt, the Gambia, as well as the USA and Europe, have already yielded a collection of

123

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:38

Page 124

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

Delia Meehan were originally held in the Seldon Hall, but in 1989 they moved to the Bourne Hall. At her final Prep concert the orchestra numbered 80 players. That orchestra has surely grown both numerically and in quality over 21 years and has made an immense contribution to the success of orchestras and wind bands in the main school. Indeed the Prep musicians are the cornerstones of the main school’s music making.

Delia Meehan

Delia’s love of teaching was recognised in 1987 by inviting her to teach class music within the Prep School. In that role, she brought that same care and level of attention to her 220 students as she did to her 20 or so oboe pupils.

One of the keys to success when organising concerts is adequate preparation. Time is needed to carry out all the practical things like booking the hall and music, but time is also needed to “get inside the concert” – to imagine how it will present itself to the audience in, perhaps, 10 months time. It needs to be talked through.

Delia knows her students. She carries their developing personalities in her head; she thinks about them as individuals. She understands their humour, she assesses their personalities with great speed (and I include adults here too) and this is why she has had such conspicuous success in matching boys to orchestral instruments for tuition in Year 5. And in the case of double bass students she even knows the size of the family car.

Delia has always been good at this aspect of her job and she has always kept the department up-to-speed about her next concert, and its programming, on a regular basis.

So when she announced that she was going to retire, we knew we hadn’t heard the last of it.

She’s reminded us, daily, not only that she was retiring, but also how many days it was to go! “I can’t believe it, I’ve only got another five days!”

It would be easy however, in a school such as HABS, to cream off the very best musicians and work with them alone. But Delia’s desire to help those deemed to be incapable of singing in tune, resulted in her completing an MA on this topic. Indeed her mantra was often heard “never write anyone off – they all progress at different rates. Every person has some music in them.”

And written of her: “Thank you. You’ve taught me so much.” Not written by a pupil but by a colleague. Delia has taught us all something.

Some of that teaching has been administered through informal conversation, perhaps over a coffee, or in the Common Room, or at lunch with her daily pudding of two Kiwi fruit.

Delia has always enjoyed directing things and being in charge. Words and Music and the Prep School Concerts enabled her to stand at the centre and do just that.

With the support of her colleagues in the Prep School and the music department, she put on some great concerts. She’s directed the Prep Orchestra, four recorder groups, junior choir, the whole school singing and produced an enjoyable programme involving other items, too. Those who came to her final Prep concert can be in no doubt as to the degree of affection in which she was held. The standing ovation said it all.

Delia has given much to enrich this school’s music making. She has worked with great enthusiasm and determination to share her love of music with others. And she has succeeded. Her spirit will live on through her pupils and the wonderful framed collages in the corridors of the Music School. All this is a great tribute to her.

So thank you, Delia, for all that you have done, we shall miss you dearly, and we wish you and Mike all the very best for a long, fruitful, happy and fulfilled retirement.

C Muhley

Delia came to HABS as an oboe teacher and she continued to teach this instrument throughout her time here. She is an outstanding teacher. She understands her pupils; she has an intuitive instinct as to when to move them on, when to curb their over confidence, when to listen and, importantly, when not to contact parents. And this has produced some wonderful players: just from my time Matthew Betts, Marcus Cherry, Nicholas Saunders, James Arthur, Tim Hall and, of course our former Chaplain, The Revd. David Lindsay.

Her work as an Associated Board examiner has been invaluable here. She is a keen advocate of nurturing the complete musician, and all the disciplines to be found in exams feature in every lesson. Rightly, all aspects are an integral part of learning to be an oboist and musician in equal measure.

On the group music-making front, in 1986, alongside the formation of recorder groups, Delia began the Prep Orchestra. Prep concerts

124

Staff Christmas Orchestra

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:38

Page 125

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

Michael Yeabsley The Yeabsleys are one of Haberdashers’ most celebrated dynasties and it is hard to conceive of a time when they are not represented on the school staff. Certainly Mike’s father Doug has found it impossible to retire and continues to do sterling work long after his chemistry teaching career came to an end.

However, now we have to come to terms with the fact that, after eleven years of distinguished service, Mike Yeabsley is leaving to become Head of Geography and Master i/c Cricket at Aldenham School.

During his time with us Mike has carried on the Yeabsley tradition in fine style, sharing many of his father’s admirable qualities. He is truly a chip off the old block: a much loved teacher, an outstanding sportsman, a talented organiser and a great character.

Mike was a pupil at Habs between 1984 and 1991, going straight on to gain a very good degree in Geography at Durham University in 1994. He then moved to Cambridge University to study for his PGCE, training under the inspirational guidance of Rex Walford, a key figure in geographical education over the past forty years. His first job took him to another great seat of learning, Oxford, where he taught at St. Edward’s alongside the well known author Garrett Nagle and contributed to an OUP textbook. However, when Habs advertised for a geographer in 1997 the lure of his “alma mater” proved too strong and Mike rejoined the school as a fully fledged member of staff.

Throughout his time at Habs Mike has taught geography classes at all levels with real distinction and his sets have consistently achieved strong results in public examinations.

By nature and training a physical geographer, he has specialised in this branch of the discipline for much of his sixth form teaching, though in recent years he has also delivered the human elements of the A level course with typical efficiency. Mike has made a significant contribution to curriculum development in the department, co-ordinating the GCSE course as well as producing useful guidance booklets for practical work at A level. He is a strong advocate of the essential role fieldwork plays in geographical education and has participated energetically in every aspect of the department’s annual programme. However, the area in which his influence has been most profound has been the application of ICT to regular geography teaching. Mike has devised countless IT based presentations and exercises which have been incorporated into the department’s work. He has patiently assisted and encouraged colleagues to expand their own capabilities when using the computer and interactive whiteboard in lessons.

Mike’s impact on the games field has been fully the measure of his contribution in the classroom. He has coached rugby, hockey and cricket, bringing to each sport a potent mix of expertise and commitment. Rugby was most important initially and Mike has guided teams at all levels, including the school third XV. In hockey he has taken responsibility for training the under 15 A team throughout his career here. The same is true of cricket, for which he has been coach of the U15 A team and the First Eleven.

Along with his father, Mike has led two sports tours to the Far East as well as the annual Devon cricket tour. He also thoroughly enjoyed organising a hockey tour to Barcelona in 2006.

Another longstanding aspect of Mike’s extra-

curricular involvement has been his work with the army section of the CCF, in which he remains a commissioned officer. Although clashes with other responsibilities prevented him attending CCF camps, he has been a regular participant in field day expeditions.

Mike has been a member of Hendersons as a boy and man, co-ordinating charity efforts and raising considerable sums for Tommy’s, a charity focusing on research into natal medical conditions. A dedicated form tutor in Year 8 and, latterly, Years 10 and 11, Mike has inspired a fierce loyalty from pupils in his care and will be greatly missed by both them and his colleagues.

M Morrish

Common Room welcomes new Staff 2008

125

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 AW1:A31822 HaberAske Skylark

29/10/08

15:38

Page 126

Skylark 2008

The Skylark Team

Ben Lewy Editor

Oliver Ilott Assistant Editor

Luke Tullo Assistant Editor

James Tan Events

Sam Moodey Music

Matthew Cowen Drama

Adrian Hogan Clubs & Societies

Charlie Reith CCF

Sameer Agrawal SCS

Will Gallimore Sport

Jonny Graham Sport

Rishi Naidoo Houses

Niall Moore Trips

Florian Culka Art

James Grant Literature

Rishin Patni DT

Kelvin Wong Prep 126

Jamie Yates Head Photographer

Phillan Amin Photographer

Robbie Ingham-Clark Photographer

J Gleeson Staff Editor

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 Cover AW

29/10/08

11:11

Page 2

Skylark 2008 Performing Arts

Skylark 2008

…from the Headmaster There are many regular events that many of us look forward to immensely: take the storks that fly back to Alsace every Spring, the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau, indeed the arrival of Summer itself but I particularly look forward expectantly, and gratefully, to the arrival of a new edition of Skylark. It is a pleasure yet again to commend it to you. Its contents reflect our core aims: the fact that we challenge bright boys to achieve the highest standards, we develop a sense of community and shared values and that we support parents in preparing their sons for a fulfilled life.

Exceptional boys and exceptional teachers working together in magnificent surroundings and facilities, allow us to enjoy exceptional success. We remain amongst the very best boys’ schools in the UK and we were delighted with consistently splendid results we enjoy for entrance at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Thirty-seven boys were awarded places with the vast majority achieving offers at their first choice university. Last summer’s results were as uplifting as ever and the performances of the boys at ‘A’ level and ‘GCSE’ were a credit to them.

No school can reach its potential without involving all its communities in its goals and aspirations. Together we can ensure we remain not only one of the best schools in Britain, but one of the best schools in the world. And together, we will someday be able to offer the benefits of a HABS education not just to those who can afford it, but also to those who can benefit most without regard to financial constraints.

I hope you enjoy what you read and ask you to join me in thanking all those pupils and staff who have devoted so much time in making these pages come alive.

With warmest good wishes.

VE R E S

AND

OB EY

Peter Hamilton Headmaster Summer 2008

THE HABERDASHERS’ ASKE’S BOYS’ SCHOOL 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 2

BAINES design & print 01707 876555 Printed on environmentally friendly paper A31822

Cover Photograph - Lunchtime in the Art Studio.

HABS is an incredibly exciting and uplifting place to be. From the Pre-Prep and the Prep right through to the Main School we are lucky to be nurturing some of the brightest and most talented young minds in the UK and this is reflected in the insights, the articles and reports which illustrate fond memories of the year past written in that inimitable HABS style. Skylark (along with its termly sister publication, Skylight) captures the multiplicity of what happens at HABS in this very strong and supportive community; it reflects also our commitment to the fundamental principles of academic excellence and extra-curricular vitality.

A31822 HaberAske Skylark 08 Cover AW

29/10/08

11:11

Page 1

The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School

2008