HaberAske Skylark 2010

2010

‌from the Headmaster I hope this new edition of Skylark finds all its readers in excellent heart. Skylark reflects intimately our core aims. They are: to challenge bright boys to achieve the highest standards, to develop a sense of community and shared values and to support parents in preparing their sons for a fulfilled life. When you read about the wealth of activity and achievement enjoyed by our pupils over the past year I think you may agree that Habs is in very fine form and doing just what it sets out to do.

This is an enthralling and uplifting community; it is more than a school, it is an experience. We are privileged daily to work with and to nurture some of the brightest and most talented young minds you can find. It is that enlightened regime of academic excellence and extra-curricular vitality that allows our boys to take their places with utter confidence on the national and global stage.

So it is my pleasure yet again to commend Skylark to you all, and I hope you enjoy what you read. Within these pages you will glean a clear sense of what makes this school so special and so different from many others. My thanks go to all those pupils and staff who have captured the Habs experience during the past year in print and in so doing have breathed life into this edition.

With warmest good wishes.

Peter Hamilton Headmaster

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Performing Arts..........................................4 Events ......................................................14 Trips .........................................................23 Originals...................................................38 Features...................................................53 Prep & Pre-prep.......................................66 Clubs and Societies .................................82 Houses .....................................................90 CCF / SCS.................................................97 Sport ......................................................108 The Foundation ......................................128 Old Haberdashers’ .................................133 Common Room ......................................140 The Skylark Team ..................................147

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The Trial Review of 'The Trial' With the chorus swivelling the stairs and gantry in clockwork motion, Josef K. finds himself as if in an Escher drawing or on Penrose stairs, ascending and descending without somehow getting higher or lower, trapped. This was a striking image to represent the heart of Franz Kafka’s compelling and disturbing novel ‘The Trial’, adapted for the stage by Steven Berkoff and produced at Haberdashers in December 2009 by Tim Norton. 'The Trial' is a challenging piece for any company to take on, let alone a young one, but Tim Norton brought an imaginative coherence to the piece, and elicited such strong performances from the cast, that this took its place alongside that remarkable series of productions at Haberdashers which are not merely school plays but genuinely exciting theatrical experiences.

Josef K. is the aspiring bank functionary, whose breakfast does not appear one morning but some goonish officers of a mysterious court do - played with relish by Josh Kaiser and James Colenutt. K. finds himself trapped in a legal process, where the charge is unknowable and the legal jurisdiction both inaccessible and yet empowered with limitless reach. As he goes on his quest to seek acquittal from what he does not know, K is accompanied by a chorus of monochrome figures who manipulate stairs, doors, phone lines, picture frames, everything which should represent a way out or understanding for K and which do not. The design and the chorus achieved this brilliantly. The production could have worked even without speech, its carefully modulated and nameless menace rising and falling, and with its well articulated borrowings from silent movies, such as the mechanics of Metropolis or the pathos of Chaplin.

In both speech and action the play was powered along by the performance of Elliott Ross as Josef K. It was a considerable task for a young actor and he maintained an imposing stage presence and dynamism from the moment he appeared from his morning bath at the start of the play, when the court officials call to arrest him at his lodgings, until the moment at the end when he has lost both the legal process and his life - maybe always the same - and is plunged back in his bath, presumed drowned. In his speech, he combined a tone of assertion with bafflement which deftly captured K.’s predicament. There might have been a touch more variety in

expression, but it’s true there’s not much sign of it in the text of the play or the novel.

As he moves between different contexts, seeking relief from accusation, K. projects his physical desire into what becomes a series of three female characters- a fellow lodger, Miss Burstner; a laundress employed by the courts; and his lawyer’s maid Leni - lent great credibility and warmth by Olivia Rennie who played all three. In her performance, Leni in particular - needy, earthy, quick-witted brought an extra human dimension to a play which otherwise moves between the abstract and caricature.

Not that there’s anything wrong with caricature, as ably demonstrated by Sam Briggs in drag as K’s landlady, Mrs Grubach, and in full armwaving, accented Italian flood - spaghetti mode you might call it - as Titorelli the court painter who, in supplying images of the court, lays another false trail in seeking its inner workings.

Likewise commanding the stage were Adam Pabani as Huld, the monstrous lawyer who also claims, with great gesture but no action, to have access to the workings of the courts, and Tom Herbert as Block, another of Huld’s clients, twisting and snivelling in abject, resentful dependence on the lawyer. I laughed at these performances, and found them chilling. They wouldn’t have disgraced the League of Gentlemen (who, indeed, have been known to refer to Haberdashers as the Elstree College of Comedy).

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The most difficult figures to make a mark on are the symbols of authority, K.’s father and the priest in the cathedral, played by Ed Moores and Jack Finger respectively. Their brief appearance, endowed with gravity from on high by both actors, gives a starting point to interpretations of the play, about perhaps an individual stumbling and falling short of the expectations of an earthly father and a heavenly one. But there are many other lines which can be taken. A contemporary of Kafka was Freud, and the Trial could be seen as K.’s super-ego unleashed. There seemed in the story to be foresight of the totalitarianism which was to sweep Europe in the decade to come after the novel was published in 1924.

Kafka’s daily grind at work for an insurance company may have inspired a sense of that modern managerialism, in full force today, the power of which is indisputable but which can hollow out the human subject, with 'targets' the only reality. This production wisely fixed no frame of reference on the play but left the attempt to interpret to be like the misleading ups and downs of the Escher drawing or Penrose staircase. As I left the auditorium, I overheard another member of the audience say, ‘That was amazing. Stunning. Didn’t understand a word of it.’. Maybe that was the point.

John Lotherington (John Lotherington is the former head of History at Haberdashers’, a respected author and is now Vice-President of the Salzburg Global Seminar, an international cultural and scientific think-tank and forum.)

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The Tempest Reviewing Shakespeare is never an easy task. As an English teacher I have endured far too many productions in which well-meaning amateurs stumble over their blank verse and drown in a sea of iambic pentameter. Worse still are the actors who are word perfect but seemingly have little clue as to what the words actually mean, mouthing Shakespeare as though he were a recipe for a lovely chocolate cake or a particularly dull shopping list. And the shouting – dear oh dear, don’t mention the shouting. It was with these all too recent horrors in mind that I approached The Tempest with some degree of trepidation. Within minutes, however, my fears were dispelled by a cast who performed from start to finish with vigour, passion and, most crucially for this reviewer, comprehension.

The middle school production of Shakespeare’s final play got off to a dramatically impressive and noisy start, grabbing the audience from the off with a storm at sea and frantic screams as a ship is wrecked by the eponymous tempest.

For the next couple of hours, we were transported to Prospero’s island, where the wronged duke of Milan has used his magical powers to exact a complex revenge on Antonio, the brother who deposed him and exiled him to the island along with his young daughter Miranda.

A veritable gallimaufry of plots combines over the course of the play. Miranda falls in love with Ferdinand, the son of King Alonso.

Prospero’s slave, Caliban, plots a murderous fate for his master along with Stephano and Trinculo, whose drunken antics bring much

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light relief to the play. The ever-treacherous Antonio and Sebastian are quite happy to collude in usurping the King of Naples with some unpleasant skulduggery. Tying everything together is the all-seeing Ariel, spirit of the island, as he carries out Prospero’s bidding and ensures that nobody is harmed, and leads the whole cohort of characters to the inevitable confrontation and denouement.

What is often thought to be Shakespeare’s final play defies easy categorisation – it contains a lot of comedy, but the bloody revenge of plays such as Macbeth is negated with a more mature playwright ending with scenes of touching forgiveness and reconciliation. What seems initially to be the Machiavellian machinations of a bitter and deposed duke ends instead with family reunions all round and a happy ending for all.

Among a uniformly excellent cast, plaudits must go to Adam Kayani’s portrayal of a noble Prospero and Glenn Edwards as his truculent slave, Caliban, who steals most of Shakespeare’s best lines in the play. Scott Gordon’s Ariel was appropriately energetic and the decision to have him perform bare-chested caused several female members of the audience in the row in front of me to swoon visibly.

Comic relief in a play initially littered with dark thoughts of betrayal and revenge was provided by Stephano and Trinculo, with both Jo Fraser and Reece Augustin-Spooner pulling out all the stops to wring every drop of humour from their wine-fuelled malarkey with a confused and rapidly intoxicated Caliban.

In performing Gonzalo, Eliot Cohen seamlessly became a man four times his age and dispensed wise words of wisdom and support wherever he wandered, while Rufus McAlister and Lakmini Wijesurighe as Ferdinand and Miranda gave a poignant portrayal of young and innocent love.

In a play in which magic plays such a central role, it was an evening of wonders, with the entire acting company giving their all, no matter how large or small their roles. The staging was equally impressive, with a production filled with appropriate legerdemain.

All credit must go Hugh Silver and his technical team for the ingenious effects deployed throughout the night – it was all too easy to forget that I was actually sitting in the drama studio.

So, my initial worries came to naught. A truly fantastic tour de force of thespianism. And not a shout in earshot. I left wishing that more Shakespeare productions were produced and directed with the care and attention lavished here by Dawn Morris-Wolffe and her dedicated cast – it knocked spots off many allegedly professional experiences I have attended.

I Wheeler

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Fool's Gold The Junior School production for 2010, ’Fool’s Gold’ was directed by Mr Cox and involved a cast of 23 boys split into two Acts. The first Act included three separate Commedia dell’Arte pieces, the witty and simplistic improvisation that entertained Italian audiences in the 15th Century, initially formed through improvisation and subsequently scripted.

They were performed outside in the Yew Tree Gardens behind Aldenham House. The Commedia pieces utilised the natural set, lent by bushes and trees, as did the street performers in 15th Century Italy. The use of half-face masks heightened the sense of comedy, especially when used in the two Zannis, played by Chris Combemale and Oli Sims. As well as this, costumes for the

Commedia pieces, designed and realised by Simone Jones, were incredibly effective and, along with the talented performances, showed the differences in social classes between the characters very distinctly. Each of the Commedia pieces were compact, full of action and humour as sword fights broke out and Maids became Aristocracy! A particularly strong dramatic image was created the diversity of both Josh Harrison and Josh Davis, who were not only excellent as Isabella and Franceschina but were able to change character completely and play several other roles. All of the Commedia pieces were performed with energy, enthusiasm and skill.

The second act was inspired by the Trestle company, which was founded in 1981 and drew some of its influence from Commedia, using full-face masks. However, it differed greatly to the Commedia dell’Arte pieces. It was performed in the Drama Studio with a

ranked stage sloping down toward the audience. The set was designed by Hugh Silver and represented a museum, highway and even a swimming pool at one point. Because the eleven-strong cast was using full-face masks the entire piece was performed in mime. The sound and lighting effects, operated by Aaron Gelfand, were extremely effective and served to assist the boys using voiceovers, blackouts and even a laser display. The cast was extremely successful in illustrating the importance of their respective characters in relation to the others, a task made more difficult by the permanent expression on their masks. The Trestle piece was hugely different from the Commedia and took its inspiration from the 1963 film ‘It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World’. However, it still exuded an energy and excitement from its cast members. Both pieces were highly successful and remarkably creative.

Sam Skalla U6

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Battle Of the Bands With the Bourne Hall plunged into darkness and a sense of expectation in the air, HABS Battle of the Bands 2010 was ready to start.

As usually happens over the Battle of the Bands, there were so many performances that it was impossible to squeeze them all into one day, and so the large Bourne Hall was booked for two days. However, as all proceeds from the Battle went to charity, many of the generous

students of HABS didn’t mind dipping into their pockets to buy tickets for both days of performances.

All of the acts performed brilliantly, even with the usual spattering of oddly named groups: “Cake Machine”, “Boo! Cake!”, “The Aenied”, “Delta Force” and “Roadkill” all made appearances, but the most strange name must have been “Peter Spence and the Department of External Relations”, taking its inspiration from our staff itself. The music was as varied as the band names themselves, with Michael Jackson and Jimi Hendrix, from Dizzie Rascal to Avenge Sevenfold, but the one thing that was consistent throughout was the exceedingly high quality of music and performance, as the crowds of about 250 boys and teachers on both days discovered. In total, over £1500 was raised for Great Ormond Street Hospital which was an even greater total than last years’.

The special effects were, as to be expected, second to none. What was it that caused the effect? Was it the dazzling lights? The absolutely jaw-droppingly good guitar solos? Or was it just the way that every single act contained some form of bizarre, yet strangely enticing dancing? Either way, it’s impossible to say that the atmosphere could have been any better for what was HABS best demonstration of its musical talent.

Of course, the show would have been nothing without the hosts, Mr Hall and Miss Cousens, who kept the show flowing and the jokes both funny and incisive. This dynamic duo received huge cheers every time they appeared on the

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stage, even from the visiting members of the neighbouring Girls’ School! Thanks to all the stage, lighting and sound crew who all performed magnificently, despite having one of the most difficult jobs, seeing as they often had to concentrate too hard on coordinating the effects to be able to watch their own work.

Special thanks must go to Sam Freeman and Matthew Anisfeld who organised the whole event, from the bands and auditions to the Upper Sixth students, imperiously guarding the front door to ensure that only those with actual tickets could enter. Finally, the band members must receive some mention, if only for doing the small task of giving people a reason to come to the event in the first place, and rewarding them massively for doing so.

Stuart LesserlL6

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Percussion Concert On the evening of the 28th April, the Seldon Hall once again played host to the annual Percussion Concert. Although not huge, the audience thoroughly enjoyed the crash bash and smash of a stage packed with every percussive instrument imaginable.

The concert was kicked off by the Junior ensemble, who played a lively rendition of the Can Can, which was followed by an accomplished performance by George Menon performing a complex Joplin Rag. The audience was then treated to a virtuosic guitar performance by Omar Ali and Max Prais playing Stairway to Heaven, followed by the first of two drum solos by Jake Lewis. Matthew Anisfeld demonstrated his immense skill by playing Monti’s Czardas on three different instruments before the first half was rounded off stylishly by the Year Eleven ensemble playing Vampire Weekend’s Mansard Roof, arranged for percussion by our very own Matthew Anisfeld.

Summer Concert The evening of the 13th May 2010 saw the newly refurbished Bourne Hall play host to this year’s Summer Concert. Always a memorable occasion, the Summer Concert features a wide range of ensembles and performances from boys of all ages, and for those in the Upper 6th it is their final HABS concert.

The second half began with Jim Beryl making way for Sam Freeman to take the stage and conduct an exciting and skilful performance of a snare drum piece; Strike or Strike Out by the CCF band, stunning the audience back into a truly percussive frame of mind. This was followed by a quieter moment that allowed Leland Hui’s xylophone to ring out. Ishwar Mahesh then stepped up to display his talents on the drum kit before Matthew Anisfeld and Sam Freeman then wowed the audience with their dexterous and musical performance of The Galloping Comedians. They soon made way for the combined talents of the Jazz Quartet to play a beautiful rendition of Oscar Peterson’s L’impossible, before four sixth-form students provided inspiration for younger years by playing Debussy’s Day at the Fair. This proved to be quiet before the storm as

the senior percussion ensemble took to the stage for the grand finale; Brazilian Street Dance, featuring the school’s new samba drums. It was a fitting end to a truly percussive concert.

The Concert Band opened proceedings, setting a high standard of performance with their piece The Producers, a medley from the Mel Brooks musical which they will also play on their tour to the Rhineland in the Summer. The Trebles Choir, with new director Miss Cousens, followed with a beautiful performance of Dankworth’s Light of the World, and Rhythm of Life.

by the contrasting yet highly enjoyable guitar ensemble. The Big Band, having received a platinum award from the national final of the NCBF Big Band competition in April, closed the first half with accomplished and impressive performances of their two pieces Count Bubba and Nutville. The Jazz Band entertained the audience in similar fashion with a variety of numbers during the interval.

Then came the percussion ensemble, with two colourful and exciting performances, followed

Opening the second half was Philomusica, confidently performing Sousa’s Liberty Bell March then negotiating the challenging rhythms of Take Five. Following this were the HABS singers, comprising the Upper 6th music students plus staff, showcasing their versatility in their well-controlled performances of Is You Is and Let the Words. This was followed by a professional-sounding performance of Oscar Peterson’s “l’impossible” from the Jazz Quartet, leading the way for the final item, Symphony Orchestra. La Gioconda provided the opportunity for some fun, as the brass and woodwinds’ choreographed bouncing amused audience and conductor alike. Once again, the leavers were highlighted as the solo flute melody to Fauré’s Pavane was passed between the three Upper 6th flautists. The Introduction to Act III, Lohengrin proved a lively and rousing end to a highly successful and thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Thanks again must go to Jim Beryl and the music school teachers for providing the audience with talent, flair and enthusiasm.

Congratulations to all involved.

Ishwar Mahesh L6

Tom Haniff L6

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Spring Concert The Spring Concert, on a damp, and rather uneventful evening of the 25th March 2010, saw the HABS Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mr Muhley, undertake two of the great works of orchestral repertoire. The first piece was Symphony No.9 “From the New World” by Dvorak in which he was inspired by the new and exciting sounds of folk tunes heard on his first visit to the USA in 1892. The piece opened with a glorious series of trumpet chords, followed by Max Jenkins on the Cor Anglais, playing the main melody of the piece. The calm first movement was followed by a more lively second, where the violins were thrust into the spotlight, playing a soaringly melodious but haunting sound. Flutes and oboes were demanded in the next act, and the talents of School Captain Aaron Taylor and Andrew Rose were more than up to the mark. The fourth movement, with the

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return of the brass chorus and Max’s indomitable playing, ended with a solo from Matthew Naughton, one of the winners of the Annual Sheila Watson Strings Player Prize, as well as the first desks of the cellos, violins and violas serenading the piece to a close. Overall, the Symphony was excellently played by all members of the Orchestra with great vitality and vigour.

Gillwater opened the piece with a heartwrenching solo. The evening ended with a final movement, using the talents of both the soloist, the choir and the entire orchestra to maximum effect. Special thanks must go out to the Prep Choir, for coming across the road to boost numbers, and of course to Mrs Gillwater, for returning to the school for the first time since her performance in the Messiah Oratorio

by Handel, several years ago.

In contrast, the second work of the evening, Poulenc’s Gloria, written in 1959, was inspired by his Catholic faith and is an emotional piece of great depth. The piece began with a riotous opening from the strings, brass, and visiting harpist, in the form of ‘Gloria in Excelsis Deo’.

Following with a somewhat faster and more jovial ‘Laudamus Te’, with various different lines of verse crossing over each other to maximum effect. This was followed by ‘Domine Deus’, whereupon the visiting soloist Jessica

Freddie Julius L6

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Unplugged, Live on the Quad This year, Unplugged took the levels of humour, revelry and sheer musical ability to new heights, during the sunny, summery lunchtime in which it occurred. The event was kicked off with an excellent Gideon Caplin from the Lower Sixth, performing on his guitar, and was hosted and organised

by Miles Coleman, recently elected MP for the constituency of Haberdashers’, and Matthew Anisfeld, who kept the mood high, and the crowds in control.

Gideon was followed by the Haberdashers’ Ukelele Orchestra, performing ‘Sweet Child of Mine’. The Orchestra is unfortunately in its last year, as both Ben Jacobs and Andrew Shipley will leave for the vast world of university study later this year, leaving only Hugo Davidson to carry on the U.O.’s vast legacy. This act was succeeded by a guitar duet comprised of Ed Schwitzer and Miles Coleman, performing ‘Scummy’, with Mr Schwitzer singing vocals.

Tom Livingstone shortly followed, and after apologising for the lack of humour in his act, performed his own composition with the guitar and his voice, named ‘Running’.

Wind Concert Here, the events were interrupted by a small army of morphsuit-clad Year Elevens, but the sight of some twenty or so teachers watching the performance turned them on their heads.

Recovering from the interruption magnifcently, Matthew and Miles announced that Olly Fox and Josh Cowan would be the next to perform a cover of the Coldplay’s ‘Shiver’, with Olly on the guitar and vocals, and Josh playing on the drums. Jordan Walsh, announcing that he was only informed that he would be performing this morning, then proceeded to valiantly perform the Libertines’ ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’, on his own, playing both the guitar and singing. Josh Manasseh and Sam Briggs then gave an improvised rendition of Noah and the Whale’s ‘Slept with a Stranger’.

In the final act of the day, Daiyaan Ghani, Joe Attan and Josh Cowan performed Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Free Bird’, which was received with rapturous applause by the audience, now including several members of the Girls’ School.

Daiyaan then performed two songs himself, the first being Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, interspersed with imitations of both members of staff and other students in his own year, and the second being a cover of The Lonely Island.

Zachary Spiro L6

The seemingly ever-present snowfall was at fault for the disruption caused to rehearsals early in the year, claimed Mr. Simm. The effects of such disruption were invisible; the Wind Band Concert was flawless, and serves as a tribute to the effort and talents of those involved that even England’s infamous weather could not prevent a success.

The concert opened with a spellbinding ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ by the Flute Quartet, followed by the newly renamed Incendium, winner of last year’s Young Musicians of the Year award, playing ‘Thriller’, featuring a saxophone solo by Sam Freeman. Big Band produced a relentless and excellently conducted performance of ‘Hunting Wabbits’, featuring solos from Matthew Anisfeld, Oliver Anisfeld, Omar Ali, James Rose, and Sam Freeman.

The second half of the concert begun with Wind Sinfonia’s tribute to the King of Pop, playing a medley of Michael Jackson songs.

Congratulations must be given to James Rose in abundance, for his admittance into Guild Hall for the Jazz Piano course, of which there was only one space in the entire country! Further accolades were awarded, with the annual Wesley Woodage Brass Prize going to Brett Bernstein and Andrew Campbell, while the Woodwind prize was awarded to Head Boy Aaron Taylor.

The concert was finished with a triumphant ‘Superman March’, which finished the evening in glorious style, and ending no doubt one of the most superbly performed concerts of the year.

Zachary Spiro L6

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HABS win the International Schools’ Mace The ESU Schools’ Mace competition is the largest of its kind in the world with teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland competing to become the national debate champions in their own country and getting the chance to represent their nation abroad. The contest is a proving ground for some of the best university debaters of today. Past winners have gone on to become senior lawyers, well-known journalists and prominent scientists. It is the oldest and most prestigious tournament in the country, having run since 1957.

Almost unique for secondary schools, the topics are released in advance and the students have time to research and prepare.

For the competitors, this is a mixed blessing as it allows them to explore many of the interesting aspects of each debate but also means that the judges have very high expectations on the knowledge and understanding of each student.

Ed and Hasan (who also earlier in the year represented Team England in Qatar for the World Schools’ Debating Championships) had won the England National Final in April and thus HABS represented England in Glasgow.

The pair said that it was ‘quite surreal’ to debate in the ‘architecturally stunning’ Glasgow University Chapel: ‘Shouting point of information sounds a lot more offensive and indignant when done in a place of worship’.

The audience was lively and engaged and after some deliberation that the judges awarded the win to the England champions, Edward Schwitzer and Hasan Dindjer of HABS. The Rt. Hon Charles Kennedy MP, the former leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, presented the ESU Silver Mace to them, who said that ‘It [meeting Charles Kennedy] was a highlight for us. The debate was just after the new coalition had been formed and we were talking to him about whether he thought the Lib Dems should have done a deal with the Tories or Labour. We remember him saying: ‘No-one favours my option: a Tory minority government.’ The next day an interview with Charles Kennedy appeared in the Guardian under the headline ‘Charles

Kennedy: Why I couldn’t support Clegg’s deal with the Tories’ in which he explained his position. We were then able to point out smugly that he had revealed it to us first’.

After the win, HABS boasts the proud record of being the only school to have won this trophy four times in its history: 1977, 1980, 2002 and 2010.

Ameya Tripathi L6

‘The flight out was fine, but on the way back the dreaded ash cloud got the better of us, so we took the train home’. Hasan says, ‘Food was typical Glasgow fare (oil, grease, fried food)’, to which Ed added ‘I ate not one but two steaks in Glasgow’ and that Hasan ‘lost the plot when Ms. Gleeson and I threw crumbs at him’.

They faced the Welsh champions, Ysgol Friars, and debated the topic; ‘This House Believes the United Kingdom should abandon its nuclear weapons programme’. When asked about what preparation for the debate was like, Hasan said ‘Quite intense. We'd been quite lucky with the England Final in that, for reasons I can't recall, we had left everything to the last minute but still managed to get through. We didn't want to take any chances with the International Final, however, so we did a pretty decent amount of research - I remember reading a few CND [Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament] briefings.

We then had half-formed speeches which we perfected on the way to Glasgow and during the day. We spent several hours before the debate going through our speeches in a small hotel room with Jill and Dr Craig, which was a good way of calming our nerves before the debate.’

Also fighting for the international title were the Irish and Scottish teams from Castleknock Community College and The High School of Dundee. Their motion was ‘This House would introduce a sin tax on tabloid newspapers’. The debates offered much scope and involved questions of morality, public good and how to approach such issues reasonably.

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HABSMUN 2010 Given the gauntlet laid down by last year’s inaugural Haberdashers Aske’s Boys’ School Model United Nations, the 2010 incarnation was always going to be a challenge. However, over the penultimate weekend of the Lent term, Secretary-General Brett Bernstein and his extensive team of sixth-formers put together an event that will live long in the memory of HABS, de facto the world.

Model United Nations is a simulation of said global organisation, and at HABS it is run largely by the students, both boys and girls. As well as the chairing of the event, security and an administrative team are required, not to mention enormous amount of other business.

Preparations for the event began months before the conference, with Brett and the Presidents of the General Assembly, Aaron Taylor, Hasan Dindjer, Casey Swerner and Edward Schwitzer, working together on various pre-conference tasks. These included organising catering for over 600 people, organising a tuck shop which certainly never had a shortage of anything, and, of course, inviting delegations from other schools and providing them with appropriate details for the weekend. 40,000 sheets of paper were requisitioned for the weekend, serving as resolutions, notepaper and organisational briefings.

The last few days before the conference were ones of both excitement and mild anxiety.

Meetings were held to prepare all HABS students for the hosting of hundreds of guests over the upcoming weekend. A huge number of others helped the so-called ‘Power Five’ of the conference, as well as the teachers to make sure everything was perfect and ready to go for 4.30pm on Friday.

The weekend began calmly, with delegates slowly being welcomed to their committee rooms by the chairs, where they lobbied other delegates to sign their resolutions, prepared weeks in advance of this occasion, and asking other nations for what was referred to as their Royal Seal of Approval. This was the beginning

of the delegates’ difficult task of representing the views of their country while persuading others of their own opinions.

The conference officially kicked off with an opening ceremony that saw speeches from Brett, Mr Hamilton, and Keith Vaz, who, appropriately, served as Minister of State for Europe. All parties stressed the importance of co-operation and communication, and the value of Model United Nations in nurturing excellence in the fields of diplomacy and compromise. After a performance from the jazz quartet, HABSMUN was open, and the delegates readied themselves for a busy weekend.

team members must have been the ‘eviction’ of a delegate, which was generally taken in good humour, and always made the conference more animated.

Saturday saw the committee process begin in earnest after the process of lobbying was over.

Resolutions were discussed by the hundreds of delegates as the Old Refectory, the Old Gym, and the Bourne, Seldon and Aske Halls were taken over by besuited representatives of nations from Austria to Zaire. The committee chairs controlled heated debates over international issues such as political prisoners, eutrophication, capital punishment, and human rights in various countries. The wording of resolutions was discussed in order to ensure that they were phrased in appropriately diplomatic parliamentary language, as well as the content itself, with firm and decisive action being sought. Wording and presentation was a particularly important issue for the crucial Security Council, a select committee of only 15 delegates, chaired by Ameya Tripathi and David Woolfman.

Mr Pauletto spent much of the weekend alongside David Stone supervising the Security team, while his counterpart in the Press team was Mr Li. Mr McKane was joined by teachers from various schools on the Resolution Approvals Panel as Mr Simm oversaw the entire conference. This quadrumvirate was instrumental in preparing for the conference and was always there to answer questions and maintain good relations with advisors from other schools both before and during the conference.

The administrative team, headed by Alexis Storey and Anushi Desai, prepared packs for each delegation, that they might enjoy an engaging weekend without getting lost. The sterling work of the Admin team extended further in the messaging which can be referred to as Bi-national Communication.

David Stone’s security team was responsible for physically setting up the whole school for the conference and making sure both teachers and chairpersons were happy with how they were kept. The highlight for many security

Les Joutes Oratoires - French debating Friday 26th February saw the final of Les Joutes Oratoires, the L6 French Debating Competition organised by our French assistant Nicolas Reynard.

All 36 members of the L6 who study French took part in the competition and they are to be congratulated on an extremely high level of argument and language.

The final was fiercely fought between Ben Poster and Anthony Meyer who proposed the motion “Les nouvelles technologies rendront inutile l’apprentissage des langues étrangères”

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and the opposition team Joel Kariel and Raphael Torrance.

Each team produced a very impressive performance. The judges, The Headmaster and Dr Koestlé-Cate, finally awarded the debate to Joel and Raph, no doubt thanks to the tutelage of an exceptional duo in Mmes Robson and McKenzie.

Anthony Meyer L6

The Press team, headed by Clare Ludlow and comprising boys and girls from HABS and guests from the Royal Russell school, produced the HABSMUN newsletter, ‘Le Munde’, throughout the weekend. This light-hearted publication was composed of news, views, games, and information about all the HABSMUN officials.

With the final resolutions having been debated, General Assembly convened on Sunday. Hours of intense debate resulted in the passing of numerous resolutions. Now that the safety of the world’s future was assured, an awards ceremony was staged, and the chairs of the respective committees recognised the delegates whose stars had shone brightest over the weekend. Certificates in hand, the participants returned to homes as far afield as Manchester and as uncomfortably close as Merchant Taylors’, bathed still in the warm glow that only HABSMUN can endow.

Tom Ough L6 Akshay Kishan Karia Year 11

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The Master Debate Haberdashers’ has a fine tradition in the field of debating, and it was in recognition of this that the Lent Term saw the eagerly-awaited Master Debate. The event saw Hasan Dindjer and Ed Schwitzer, the school's senior debaters and World Schools’ Championships runners-up, pitted against the Master of the Haberdashers Company, Mr G Pullman, and Mr D Hochberg, a former School Captain and Mace tournament winner.

In front of a packed Old Refectory, Hasan and Ed spoke in support of the motion “THB that HABS should become co-educational”, to the raucous delight of the boys in attendance.

Against them were Mr Pullman and Mr Hochberg, who argued against the proposition. A debate of the highest standard ensued, Ed’s piquant wit providing a suitable foil for Hasan’s contrastingly calm articulacy, as the students sought to counter their elders' measured approach. The nature of the motion ensured that hilarity was in abundance, as gender alteration was suggested and rebuffed, the merits of girls as solutions for boredom in lessons were discussed, and Mr Hamilton was called to account for his (alleged) failure to personally ensure that boys’ classroom temperatures were two degrees below the girls’.

It was a hugely entertaining afternoon, but there could only be one winner. With chairs Aaron Taylor, School Captain, and Sarah Edwards, Head Girl, having conducted an informal voting ceremony that pronounced Ed and Hasan champions, the victory was consummated by the senior masters’ decision.

Thanks must be extended to the participants and the organisers for making such an enthralling lunchtime possible.

Tom Ough L6

HABS win The Oxford Union Schools Debating Competition The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School debating team of Aaron Taylor and Miles Coleman won the Grand Final of The Oxford Union Debating competition on Saturday 13 March. Miles also won the prize for the best speaker in the Grand Final.

Final, and all four boys came in the top ten in the individual speaker list.

“I am delighted to learn of this tremendous achievement’, said Mr Hamilton, “but I shouldn’t be surprised.

Debating has become a real strength of our school, and all due credit must go to all the Habs Boys, as well as their long-serving coach Mrs Gleeson.”

Ameya Tripathi L6

This is a hugely prestigious competition with over 800 teams competing, including all the current England and Scotland debating internationals and the Canadian national team.

So it was remarkable that two HABS Boys teams reached the Grand Final, making up half of the four competing finalist teams.

The winning Habs team won the Grand Final while arguing for the very difficult motion: This house would replace all age restrictions with tests of psychological competence. “It was a very difficult motion to consider properly when we only had fifteen minutes preparation time”, said Aaron Taylor, adding, “but that’s what makes it exciting”.

The other team from HABS, Hasan Dindjer and Edward Schwitzer, were members of the England School Debating team which recently returned as runners-up from the World Schools Debating competition in Qatar.

Success at Oxford follows an equally impressive achievement at the Cambridge University competition two weeks ago, when HABS Boys again had two teams in the Grand 17

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Economics-French

Novel-Writing Award Ceremony The penultimate week of term saw the climax of the Literary Society's Novel-Writing Competition. On a balmy summer's evening in the Headmaster's Garden, each entrant read a chapter of their novel to a relaxed audience of family, friends, teachers, and literary agent Luigi Bonomi, who was to award the Novel Prize to his choice of the entries. The readers were also competing for the Audience Prize, for the best performer on the evening. After an enjoyable ceremony,

punctuated by an interval of wine and titbits, the winners were announced. Hannah Marcus claimed the Audience Prize and came third in the Novel Prize, which was won was Deep Ghose, with Willy Thong the runner-up. Thanks must be extended to compère Mr O'Sullivan and his team of helpers for ensuring the smooth running of the event.

Tom Ough L6

On Tuesday 19th January, HABS witnessed their first ever fusion between Economics and French. The discussion was between two of our fluent French speakers, namely Dr Koestlé-Cate of the Economics department, and Nicolas, our French oral assistant.

The opportunity for those studying the two subjects in question was too good to miss for the 30 attendees, including some students from the girls’ school and a few although slightly confused economics teachers.

The discussion consisted of Nicolas asking Dr Koestlé-Cate a range of important economic questions regarding the measurement of Economic Growth and Human Development – the latter proving particularly difficult to measure as it consists of a wide range of unquantifiable factors. The topic of the discussion is being a widely debated throughout the economic world today, with large disagreements amongst economists about what the most important factors are and how to measure them.

Once the discussion had terminated, the opportunity arose for the audience members to ask questions (en français, bien sûr), which further unearthed the difficulties which today’s economists are facing de nos jours.

Overall, the discussion was pleasant to follow, with both teachers speaking at an appropriate pace, and enlightened economics through the medium of a different language – originally a dubious concept to most of us.

Ben Poster L6

Philosophy Society welcomes visiting Professor It was another coup for PhilSoc as David Papineau, Professor of Philosophy of Science at King’s College London, spoke on Thursday 12th November to a packed Aske Hall.

Addressing the theme of humans as merely physical objects, he held the hundred-strong audience in the palm of his hand as he powerfully advocated materialism. Intellectually roused, the attendees asked him as many questions as time would allow as lunchtime drew to a close, and the Professor, an occasional colleague of HABS very own Dr Jonas Green at the University, dealt with the questions confidently. The audience was illuminated from both scientific and philosophical perspectives, and the Science Society committee, and, of course, Professor Papineau, deserve the heartiest of thanks.

Tom Ough L6

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The Great North Run On the Saturday 19th September, five eager runners congregated outside Victoria Coach Station at 11:00 pm on a cold evening in order to compete in the 2010 BUPA Great North Run. The five of us (James Edgley, Akash Alexander, Joe Yarwood, David Lawrence and Joe McCormick) decided to run the half-marathon on behalf of the Percy Hedley Foundation, and were aiming to raise in excess of £1000 for the charity that specialises in helping disabled people and their families to cope with all types of disability. Having travelled on what must have been one of the most noisy and rickety buses, shattering our dreams of a tranquil prerace sleep in the process, we arrived weary eyed at Newcastle Coach Station at 5:30 am to find that it was pouring with rain, and with no cafes to shelter in, we had to take refuge in the Newcastle Metro- the only lit and warm place that we could find! Having warmed up and found amusement at Joe Yarwood being placed in the start section for ‘elite athletes’ by accident, we boarded the train and hitched a lift to the start. On arrival, we packed our bags onto the bag buses, and headed for the start line, where we waited for a 30 minutes for the start of the race. Once the race had begun, the atmosphere spurred us on, with not a single part of the route not being manned, passing iconic landmarks such as the Tyne Bridge and St James’ Park whilst overtaking several Stigs and cross dressers! Despite slowing in the last four miles, all five of the HABS runners finished the 13.1 mile course in under two hours.

Following our massage from the Percy Hedley Tent, we had to endure a downpour, before boarding the metro for the second time in the day. Despite a delayed flight, all runners arrived back at London Stanstead 23 hours after we had set off and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience of the day.

Joe McCormick L6

Election Night As election fever gripped the nation, five boys from Years 8 and 9 were invited by the English Speaking Union to “Election Night at Dartmouth House”. After hearing from Lord Watson of Richmond (former BBC reporter and President of the Liberal Party), our team of five had just 30 minutes to prepare their own fully costed manifesto.

After much heated debate as to whether we should increase unemployment benefit, build more wind farms, save listed buildings, or take one of the many other difficult spending choices it was time to present the arguments.

Jack Lewy took up the challenge of being Prime Minister to present the manifesto in just three minutes to the assembled schools. Like any good politician, the judges commented that “He made you believe in what he was saying,

Dr Aubrey de Grey visits Habs On the 19th January, HABS Science Society was privileged to be addressed

by Dr Aubrey de Grey, a leading figure in the field of gerontology, the study of ageing. Dr. de Grey has made public appearances on TV, radio and at many events around the world. He is the Chief Science Officer of the SENS Foundation, which aims to offer solutions to ageing, resulting, in theory, in indefinite life spans. Of course, he made clear that he would never be able to offer ‘immortality’, as aging is only one cause of death, albeit the largest one.

He elucidated the weaknesses in traditional approaches to extending life and suggested that periodic repair of accumulated ‘damage’, which he defined as the undesirable side effects of metabolism, was the only realistic way to accomplish his goal.

He has divided the different causes of agerelated diseases into seven categories and has proposed strategies for overcoming each of these seven major problems. Dr de Grey focused on the problem of the accumulation of ‘junk’ inside cells and presented credible evidence for being able to prevent such aggregations by addition of enzymes to the

he made you believe that he believed in what he was saying, even though he probably didn’t!”

Sir Peter Jennings, former Sergeant at Arms to the House of Commons, spoke to round off the evening. Questions from the HABS Boys included “How can you become a Lord?”, “How should we reform the Lords?” and “What would you have done differently when the police came to arrest Damien Green, MP?” In answering the last question, Sir Peter was clear that he would liked to have done things differently, but he was sure that there was more back story yet to emerge!

Jack Lewy Year 9

cell which could break down these harmful byproducts.

Dr. de Grey stated that he believes the first person to live to 1000 years old is alive today and is only 20 years younger than the first 150 year old, thanks to his idea termed “longevity escape velocity”. The audience was given a chance to ask questions and some raised the issue of how sustainable of a world devoid of ageing would be. Dr. de Grey acknowledged that there would be significant problems but had little doubt that they would not be overcome through technological advances Matthew Earnshaw L6

Youngest MD Citigroup has ever seen visits Habs On Friday 22nd January, the Habs Economics Society hosted Mr Paul Miskin, the youngest sales MD Citigroup has ever had, at the age of twenty-nine, and a man who has worked in the city for over two decades. He came to talk to about thirty aspiring Haberdashers on his life story and how he retired by forty. He was accompanied by his colleague Keith, who studied Economics at Oxford and has been in the stock broking business for close to thirty years. Mr Miskin was asked questions about our emergence from recession, about the stock market, and even about the new 50% tax and his witty responses made the talk particularly interesting The talk ended with Mr Miskin giving us advice on how to get into the City. He used the example of a past job interview where he asked the interviewee how many beans make five.

The interviewee responded “One, two halves, another two, and three thirds”, and Mr Miskin explained that such a clever response guaranteed him the placement. Perhaps, it is not necessarily the grades which will get you the city job in the future, but the attitude and charisma.

Nii Cleland L6

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Teachers Question Time The second event of its kind in HABS history, Teachers’ Question Time ’09 was greeted with enthusiasm from across the school. Chaired by Ameya Tripathi, a distinguished panel of teachers consisting of Dr St John, Dr Hyde, Mr Lloyd-Williams and Dr Green were questioned on a selection of topics ranging from the state of the economy to the inviting of the BNP leader Nick Griffin to speak on the BBC. In spite of the allure of a nearby charity cake sale there was an impressive turnout for the event, comprising not only boys eager to see their teachers struggle with the topical issues of the day but also members of the girls’ school who had arrived for what turned out to be a spectacular success.

Views expressed by the panel came from right across the political spectrum. Among the more controversial opinions were a desire for the reintroduction of corporal punishment and a belief that foreign aid burdens third world nations with western values of materialism. The dubious ethical grounds for the invasion of Afghanistan and the continued NATO military presence in Iraq were challenged to widespread agreement.

As well as the pre-prepared questions given to the chairman, students were given the opportunity to test their teachers’ political beliefs on the spot as questioning was opened up to the floor.

Many of the questions – and most of the answers – proved to be highly witty and amusing as well as erudite and well-informed, and by the end even the most politically apathetic student could not have failed to enjoy the occasion.

Christopher Howarth L6

Mencap Funday Mencap Funday has continued to grow not only in size, but in ambition. A highlight of the school year, Mencap Funday is a day where children with disabilities are invited to leave their cares behind and spend the day with two volunteer students. Students and teachers alike from both the Girls’ and Boys’ school unite to organise and take part in the day, whilst fundraising events are held throughout the year.

After a restless night, I awoke at 5.30am on Sunday 27th June, surprised to see that such an early hour genuinely existed. Arriving at school some hour later, the committee and I donned our distinctive orange T-shirts and began to prepare for what was set to be a chaotic few hours. With the campus finally equipped to receive the influx of populace, the volunteers began to arrive at the frankly leisurely hour of 9.30am. Before long, the grounds were bustling with male and female students as well as visiting children. The weather was on our side, and the visiting children and volunteers were soon enjoying themselves. Staple activities such as arts and crafts, the bouncy castle, exotic animals and a visit by a fire engine ran alongside the new activities, which included a magic show and a karaoke room. After a quick visit to the karaoke room and a tear-inducing rendition of ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, I began my duties as 20

chairman – to ensure that the day passed without incident but also to enjoy witnessing the proverbial fruits of the committee’s labour.

Owing to a timetabling error by FIFA, Mencap Funday was rudely interrupted by the England vs. Germany match. With the match on display in the Aske Hall, the less sport-inclined volunteers continued with the merriment of the day. As 4pm and the days’ end approached, the committee were thrilled with the enormous success seen by Mencap Funday 2010.

It must be reiterated, however, that such a gargantuan event simply cannot take place without the tireless effort put in place by the utterly fantastic committee, not to mention Dr Perera, whose commitment to the day is nothing short of extraordinary.

All that remains is to thank each and every single person who contributed to the fun-filled event, and wish the very best of luck to Abbasali Manji, who will assume the role of chairman for Mencap Funday 2011.

Joe Gaus L6

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Tiny Iron Habs played host to the legendary Tiny Iron, wrestler, actor, bodybuilder and celebrity bodyguard, last December. Tiny has starred in several films, including the recently-released ‘Dead Man Running’, and was on the shortlist for the part of B A Barackus in the upcoming ‘A-Team’ movie. One of his main claims to fame is that his biceps are the biggest in Britain, and, to maintain his astonishing physique, he eats three live chickens a day. This fact, as well as many others, was a feature of an aggressive publicity campaign around the school for months beforehand, with corridors plastered with posters by mischievous sixth-formers.

Tiny’s face was superimposed onto Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ and an image of the Crucifixion; the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School, in an era of strident multiculturalism, had found its Messiah.

A countdown, facilitated by daily poster updates for weeks in advance, heralded Tiny Iron’s imminent coming, and it was rumoured that he would be coming with an entourage of sixty-four bodybuilders in order to perform a muscular rendition of ‘The Nutcracker’. With a frenzy being whipped up, the numbers on the countdown fell, until, on a snowy Wednesday, the great day dawned. Thanks to Adam Landa and the Strouts team, Habs was to play host to the record-breaking bodybuilder, and, just before lunchtime, Tiny Iron arrived.

Flanked by a phalanx of prefects, Tiny strode down the Quad, his scarlet vest exposing his rock-hewn musculature to the chill breeze.

Although it was lesson time, boys of all ages joined the procession, jostling to snatch a highfive or even a hug from the great man. Having been given a quick tour of his new stomping ground, he was taken to the Bates, bypassing the queue. Although it had been demanded that he should have privacy while downing his customary chickens, many sought to sneak into the dining hall through the rear entrance, and were rewarded by snatching fleeting glimpses of chicken, albeit in curry form, being wolfed down.

the doors with great excitement. The attendance of non-Haberdashers, come specifically to see him, was a mark of Tiny Iron’s pulling power, or rather the considerable gravitational fields said to be commanded by each of his colossal biceps. After a seemingly eternal wait, the queue was harried into some kind of order, but this was quickly dispensed with when it was suggested that the demand might allow for a doubling of price to no less than two pounds. With sixth-formers manning the doors and thrusting jangling buckets under the hordes’ noses, the doors were opened. In streamed hundreds of Haberdashers, scrambling to secure the best seats. Tiny paced the front of the auditorium, cracking his knuckles thunderously.

Silence was called for, and an anticipatory hush settled on the audience. Landa acquainted the onlookers with the esteemed guest, although he needed no introduction to the selfproclaimed Haberdashers branch of the Tiny Iron Appreciation Society. The floor was given to Tiny, and, in a reverberating growl that plumbed the depths of his audience’s hearing range, he began to speak.

“I have never had so much love in my life!” roared Tiny, in reply to which everyone in the Hall leapt to their feet and loudly proclaimed their allegiance. Moments later, the ‘Biceptor’, overwhelmed by his passionate support, informed his following that they would be taken with him “when I get to Hollywood”, which, of course, was a cue for more noise and a mobbing of the stage. The man once known as Andrew Harrison explained his rigorous bodybuilding regime, his childhood idolisation of the likes of the Incredible Hulk, Superman and Sam Skalla, and his life-long dream of playing legendary A-Team member B A Barackus.

This was followed by an arm-wrestling session.

Dr Craig was the first victim; Tiny allowed the well-loved Deputy Head to come within inches of victory, but, with a rowdy crowd cheering him on, defeated DC with a swift swivel of those famous forearms. Next up was former School Captain Aaron Taylor, nominated by an audience eager to see the mighty deposed.

“Is this your captain?!” demanded Tiny of the students, having looked Aaron up and down, before proceeding to overpower him in seconds.

“Merked!” crowed Aaron’s schoolmates, as he shook hands with his conqueror. After this, the gauntlet was laid down. Anyone in the Hall could challenge Tiny at his own game for a mere five pounds; what chance a famous victory? The chances, it seemed, were either very low or non-existent, as the audience learned why Tiny Iron styles himself as ‘Half Man, Half Amazing’. Having declared himself to be a ‘philosopher’, it seemed appropriate that, in true Platonic tradition, Tiny Iron had bettered all-comers both intellectually and physically.

Great fun was had all round, and the event succeeded in raising a large amount of money for the Just Children Foundation, which helps disadvantaged children in Zimbabwe. Tiny’s message was that we can achieve anything to which we put our minds; a generation of schoolboys has hope.

Tom Ough L6

Having sated, for the moment, his ravenous appetite, Mr Iron permitted Adam and company to escort him to the Seldon Hall, in which swathes of the school’s studentry had already set up camp, in order that they might claim a front-row seat. However, unlike in the case of Tiny Iron, whose gym work commences in the small hours, the early bird did not capture the worm – the worm being, as was eagerly explained, ‘two tickets to the gun show’ - for the prefect team dispersed the interlopers, who were forced to join the rowdy queue filling the Seldon corridors.

An inordinate and innumerable rabble of students, clutching in their hands the requisite pound coin for entry, awaited the opening of 21

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Ceramics Workshop Day with John Higgins On Sunday 15th November 17 GCSE ceramicists were very fortunate to be treated to a workshop day with John Higgins who is an eminent English potter and fellow of the CPA. John Higgins is well known for his one off ceramic pieces with reference to architectural imagery so it was appropriate that our workshop day was fashioned around the work of the inspirational architect Frank Gehry who designed such notable buildings as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Disney concert hall in LA, California.

This man is so famous that he even got a guest role on the Simpsons!

We began the day with an interesting demonstration where John talked about the different ways to create the various components necessary to create a building in clay, working spontaneously and freely.

He threw pots on the wheel that were then altered and in one case cut open and made into a slab for later use. Mrs Gleeson had prepared a huge number of extrusions and slabs which we could use to build our Fantasy buildings and then it was our turn to get our hands dirty.

Three hours and about 250 kilos of clay later we all had our own mini versions of a Frank Gehry construction. We had been working with a background slide show reeling through all of Gehrys portfolio and later the ceramics of Ken Eastman, which certainly gave everyone great inspiration for their work. The studio was full of flowing roofs and juxtapositioned towers and it made everyone realise how interesting it must be to actually design such amazing structures that actually become iconic buildings in the real world.

We all thank Mrs Gleeson for arranging such an interesting and stimulating day for us by inviting John Higgins to school to inspire us with his work.

Jack Lewy Year 9

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Trips 23

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Gdansk

The History Trip to Berlin and Gdansk Berlin If I had told somebody I was going on a History trip to Berlin, the first image that he might conjure up is of a Berlin in two parts: booming capitalist West Berlin juxtaposed with languishing communist East Berlin.

But what we in fact discovered was three sides to Berlin, those of the Hitler era, the Cold War and the Modern Day. A case in point is the Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park (East Berlin), our first stop after touching down in Schoenefeld Airport and the epitome of Soviet Communism: set within a large, immaculate, police-patrolled park, the figure of a Soviet soldier stepping on a crushed swastika towers over intricate murals depicting the bravery and triumph of Soviet Russians over the evil Nazi regime. This memorial shows how the defeat of Hitler was depicted in Russia, how the Russians glorified a ‘people’s victory’ without any mention of the actual people who died in the conflict and how, despite Berlin’s modern-day dynamism, the city maintains this and other memorials at great cost in exchange for the locations of mass German graves in Russia.

Throughout our stay in Berlin, we reached distant corners of the city effortlessly with public transport from our base at the Helter Skelter Hostel right in the centre, off Friedrichstrasse. Each day was full, in a bustling city that, to do it justice, takes many weeks to get to know. With tour guide Gabriel’s love of Berlin (his hometown), immense knowledge of, and passion for history, he led us through the city, giving us invaluable and unique insight.

We visited the Holocaust Memorial, the ‘Field of Stelae’, an area in central Berlin made of huge concrete blocks placed in regular lines.

Standing on the edge, looking out over the tops

of the stelae, I was unimpressed: how could a gently swelling sea of concrete possibly memorialise the Holocaust? But as soon as I started to walk between the blocks, the ground sloped down and the sun’s light and warmth were blocked. All I could see were the cold, impersonal concrete masses towering darkly above me. How could anyone resist such a relentless, oppressive force; how could any person escape the regularity of the unyielding, immovable wave of concrete? As I stepped out blinking into the light, I felt I understood a bit more of the terror and the helplessness of the people who were trampled by the Nazi regime.

The East Berlin of twenty years ago is barely perceptible underneath the vibrant and thrusting place it is now. The few remnants that remain are incongruous relics of an embarrassing time in East Berlin’s history: a token section of the double wall that divided the city showed us the daunting reality of a floodlit no man’s land, certain death to those who sought to cross; faded crosses are carved into the stone by the river bank to commemorate the deaths of people who had, mostly unknown, tried to swim to freedom in West Berlin; a few apartments remain unchanged since the fall of the wall, displaying the scant living conditions of communist East Berlin. It was, however, the account of a man who was born in East Berlin that gave us a perspective of what it was really like to live under communist rule. X’s story was that as he had been brought up under the regime, he did not truly know how different life was, just on the other side of the wall. He had no interest in politics because his parents had no interest: it was dangerous to be involved in any politics other than those of the Communist party.

Berlin is now an energetic, thriving, unified city.

Its magnificent museums, of which there are almost too many to count, are testament to Germany’s willingness to move on in the world without forgetting the past. East Berlin in particular is now the place to be, with art and culture flourishing among the modern and regenerated buildings. In Gabriel’s apartment block was a private club, in which we were lucky enough to get a private performance from Miss Kenichi, an up-and-coming and talented German singer. It was an incredible modern East Berlin experience.

We all wanted more of Berlin, but we left with the satisfying knowledge that Hitler’s beloved Reich Chancellery has been knocked down in favour of a greasy Chinese restaurant to help us through the twelve-hour train journey to Gdańsk.

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Gdansk is an impressive Polish port city on the Baltic Sea, which has suffered much abuse from armies sweeping through Poland on their way to conquer Europe. Its history is particularly intriguing because its rule has changed so many times during its history.

Again, we stayed right in the centre of the city, which prompted many excursions into the exquisite ‘Amsterdam-esque’ streets and reminded me so painfully of my cherished Dutch roots. And, much like Amsterdam, Gdansk has a rich history as a successful trading port, although its prosperity declined in the 18th century when change of rule and competition further west marked the end of the glory days of a city with coffers overflowing from the profits of wealthy merchants. Today, however, Gdansk is an important Polish port and city, of which the beautifully reconstructed town centre is evidence.

We learned about Gdansk’s pivotal role in the Second World War: indeed, the war started with the bombardment of Westerplatte (in Gdansk).

On 1 September 1939, the Polish post office was the scene of a great battle between German soldiers and Polish paramilitary troops.

We heard an inspiring lecture from a Polish woman, who proudly proclaimed herself to be a Gdansker, about the battle and how it came about, as Gdansk was at the time a free city, not part of Poland. What I noticed throughout our stay in Poland is that its people are immensely proud of their country’s history. We visited Stutthoff, the first Nazi concentration camp outside Germany, and the man who guided us through the camp was a prisoner himself during the war (although in a different camp). He gave us an emotional and impassioned view of the suffering that real people felt while imprisoned.

Our final topical theme in Poland was the antiSoviet ‘Solidarnosc’ (Solidarity) movement and its charismatic leader Lech Walesa. It was here in Gdansk that Solidarnosc started demonstrations against communist rule that spread to the rest of Europe. The movement was an important trigger for the fall of an already crumbling regime. Lech Walesa himself ended up the Polish Prime Minister, and we visited the very place where his fame started – the Gdansk shipyard.

In the few days we spent there, it was clear that Gdansk has been a city of huge significance, for Poland and for the whole region.

Ben Oppedijk L6

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Stuttgart Exchange This was the eleventh time that HABS had taken a group of young German enthusiasts to Stuttgart and it was without doubt one of the most enjoyable.

Admittedly, the mornings were always a challenge. 6:30am hurts no matter what country you are in. The fun filled scheduled days always made up for the bruising start to it.

We were given a taste of what German school was like and then headed into the city. We did a countless number of things in Stuttgart from touring the local parliament to shopping. But spending time with our partners was never boring, finding common ground was easy and we never fell short on things to talk about. Learning about German culture was very interesting.

After spending our first day in school and noticing many contrasts between our respective education systems, we were given the opportunity to explore the area around the city. For many, the highlight of the entire exchange was a trip to Aquatoll swimming complex where we enjoyed zooming down the chutes at high speeds. That was followed by shopping in Heidelberg and a tour of the castle.

Our tour of the Ritter Sport chocolate factory was also a favourite for many. After hearing a

Year 8 Trip to Barcelona In the first week of the October half term, 30 excited boys set off to view the many wonders of Barcelona. We left cold and miserable Heathrow and found ourselves lapping up the joyful air of Barcelona two hours later. Having dumped our bags in the hotel, we went on a short walk around the Calella before settling down for the night in preparation for the week ahead. The following morning sparked off a Gaudi themed day, visiting the amazing cathedral designed by Gaudi, the Sagrada Familia. This was followed by a trip to another Gaudi building, the Casa Batlló. But the best part of the day was definitely going to the Chocolate Museum, where we even got a taster at the end! That night we went to the Bolera and Miss Mckenzie’s team won. Everyone was very excited on the third day on the way to Port Aventura. We refused to let the rains top us from enjoying the rollercoasters, Dragon Khan and Furius Baco. That night we went to a performance of traditional Flamenco Dancing.

The penultimate day saw us touring the famous street La Ramblas and the market Boquería. We then went to the Camp Nou and walked around the stadium. In the evening we returned to the hotel for a traditional Paella dinner, before finishing off the evening with a fun-filled quiz on the whole trip and what we

short history about chocolate production, we put on aprons and proceeded to make our own chocolate bar including the paper wrapping! Of course, there was plenty of time for us to stock up on some chocolate for ourselves and our families. Later that afternoon, we visited the world famous Wilhelma zoo.

Other excursions included a warm welcome at the ‘Rathaus’ where we watched a video about Stuttgart and then were given a detailed guided tour of the city, a visit to the ‘Landtag’ where we learnt about the German political system, and a trip to a local bakery where we had the opportunity to make our own pretzels. The sporting afternoon was as successful as ever with all students taking part in a wide variety of sports, but despite our best efforts, the German footballers triumphed on this occasion.

Going to a foreign country to live with strangers who don’t speak your language is a lot more fun than one would think. We were all nervous at the start but each other’s company always helped. The fact that I was stopped by airport security for having scissors in my bag didn’t help, but that’s just one of the countless experiences I gained on this trip to look back and laugh about. We got to experience this amazing opportunity with our best friends and we made many more when we were there, even German ones. There was a noticeable improvement in everyone’s German on our return. From the German enthusiasts to the more laid back linguists, everyone excelled in their German.

Unfortunately for us, a Volcano decided to release hundreds of years of ash and, therefore, block the view for aeroplanes. This meant a 16 HOUR DRIVE BACK TO ENGLAND!!!

At first it sounded horrible but now I can see that there was no better way to round off this amazing trip then to spend 16 hours with your friends on the back of a coach.

Overall, the whole trip was a resounding success and we are all looking forward to welcoming our partners to England this summer. However, all this would not have been possible were it not for Mr Donaghey, Frau Tebb, and Herr Metzger who put in a huge amount of effort into organising the whole trip.

Year 9 Germanists

The Stuttgart exchange was without a doubt the most fun I have ever had on a HABS Trip.

had seen. On the final day we went to the town of Gerona and were given a tour of the town.

After Girona we went to the airport and made our way back to London. The HABS coach arrived back at school full of tired boys with happy faces; it’s a trip we will ever forget.

Jack Ottman and Nat Myers Year 8

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Russia trip – November 2009

and thus, somehow, managed to make us feel right at home.

Great enthusiasm was shown by Habs’ Russian students when half of all boys studying the language signed up for October’s trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg. That made three of us.

Highlights of our time in Moscow had to include a visit to Red Square, that most famous yet rarely-visited destination, around which are the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, Lenin’s Mausoleum and other major landmarks, all condensed into one incredible space. A plaque just outside the square purports to be the very centre of Russia, ignoring Moscow’s location, and naïve tourists chuck coins over their shoulders for luck – only to have them snapped up by ‘resourceful’ old men and women. We bought our obligatory Russian hats here, too, all 10 of them between us. Rufus had an interesting experience that may have involved him ferociously donning his imposing hat, somebody being frightened leaving a toilet, mistaken identity and Mr. Thackrey, but what happens in Russia stays in Russia.

Having been learning Russian for just over a year in Hertfordshire isolation, we were keen to practise our new skills face-to-face with living, breathing Russian citizens – who seemed as formidable as the language itself. We therefore boarded an early flight with a mixture of excitement and mild apprehension, but this was dissipated upon landing: even before setting foot on Russian soil, we were struck by their love of bureaucracy. Having been told to remain in our seats and allow Russian health officials to “record your body temperatures”, looks of ridicule and perverse horror were exchanged, before the captain announced,

“Ladies and gentlemen, you may now disembark. I’m sorry about the delay; there are no health officials present.” Ah, Russia!

Minutes into our week-long trip, we had already experienced the long, ineffectual and perhaps dislocated arm of the law.

We then spent three days in the capital, seeing the sights and sampling Russian cuisine every lunch and dinner (highlights included chocolate pancakes with cheese and fried curds with sour cream), then experiencing the abundant cultural events on offer, such as folk concerts, opera and the cinema in the evenings. At first, we were all amazed by the huge differences between East and West: we stared at the huge buildings, wide roads, wires strung haphazardly between lampposts, the policemen with widebrimmed hats who watched over every street corner; we talked with surprise about the stray dogs that trotted about this bustling city, the dirty cars with blacked-out windows travelling everywhere at break-neck speed, the golddomed old churches that seemed to peer out of the most surprising alleyways, not to mention the cultural differences that seemed evident in people’s outward behaviour. We then began to realise just how lucky we were to be on a school trip to such a distant and different place, accompanied by a teacher who had thankfully spent years here in his younger days

Agincourt

On 2 July 2010, the History Department took 48 excited and noisy Y7 boys to France to see the sites of the battles of Agincourt and Crecy, the Underground City at Naours and the magnificent 15th century chateau at Rambures. This was a wonderful way for the boys to celebrate the end of their first year in the school, complementing the Hastings trip with which they began the year back in September. They learnt about some interesting history, they had lots of fun, they ate well, they ate badly, they did not annoy any French people, and they tired out their teachers.

Matty Desmond Yr 7

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There followed an entire day on the train in order to get to St. Petersburg for our last three days. The train journey was an eye-opener, seeing not just the countryside, with its brown grass and endless birch trees, but also the rundown villages in between. On arrival in St. Petersburg, we saw immediately that it was much more westernised: coffee shops were installed amongst grand Baroque buildings, and everyone and everything appeared much more tourist-friendly. We took a walking tour around the city, and visited the beautiful cathedrals and palaces that we had read about in History lessons. Our stay there was great fun, and doubly interesting because we now had two cities to compare. Landmarks such as the Bronze Horseman and the Peter and Paul Fortress were stunning, and a great way to finish our experience of a week in Russia.

Many, many thanks must go to Mr. Thackrey for being a ground-breaker and taking three boys out to a very different country on his own, and for organising such a wonderful trip. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on a school trip that would have surpassed most holidays, and left confident that we would all return sometime soon…

Luke Ilott Year 11

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Alpe D’Huez Senior School Ski Trip 2010 marked Mr. Simm and Mr. Thackrey’s baptism of fire as they took charge of the Ski Trip for the first time.

They were ably supported by Mr. Dathan, Mr. Hardman, Mr. Keenleyside and Mr. Marx. The result was magical.

The adventure began on Sunday 14th of February at 03:30 am in the school coach park. Even amongst the heavily bagged eyes and grumbling bed-heads, smiles of anticipation were universal amongst the 56 boys from year 9-12 who were about to experience a week they will never forget.

With the exception of a hair-raising two and a half hour transfer, which included 21 hairpin mountain bends, our arrival at the hotel and the swift equipment hire saw us settled in to bed early on the first night. Whether through dreams or excited sleepless nights, everyone’s mind was focused on the slopes that night.

The first day’s skiing gave rise to glorious skies and flawless pistes. It was the first time of many that Mr. Simm would suggest that the group “remember to put on plenty of sun cream”. It was a case of the pot calling the kettle ‘red’ as Mr. Simm emerged at breakfast halfway through the trip with a more than healthy glow about him. Many aching bodies could be seen enjoying the pool and table football on the ‘Games Night’,

most notably a year 12 individual who had taken it upon himself to demonstrate the art of human piste bashing the whole way down a red run.

Day two commenced with the remnants of the good weather. The ski lesson groups were finalised and the instructors were introduced to their groups of able men. This proved to be bizarre for some instructors because Sachin Hoyle (L6J2), Ben Dathan (L6J2), Gideon Caplin (L6J2) and Robert Marx (L6M2 ) decided to dress up as ‘A Red Man’, James Bond, Santa Claus and ‘V’ of ‘V for Vendetta’ respectively.

The elements closed in on the mornings of days three and four, although the afternoons still provided stunning conditions and magnificent photo opportunities. As the students found their feet on the snow, rumours of great feats and greater embarrassments started to spread. These were confirmed on both evenings when Duncan Grindall (L6S1) was awarded a tour t-shirt for successfully landing a 360 spin on skis and Max Sinclair (11R2) received a mention for breaking a drag lift and for incensing a local slalom coach!

The penultimate day was conquered by the weather. The poor visibility and heavy snow led to the only ‘lie-in’ of the trip as a group of L6th and two teachers chose not to brave the mountain. The excuse for this lay somewhere between the adverse weather and the eventful night beforehand. After lessons, which consisted of skiing or snowboarding at a snails pace for fear of getting lost, the group retired en masse. In true HABS style, Mr. Marx called to order a maths workshop that afternoon.

The final day was approached tentatively as nobody wanted to mar an injury free week by finishing with a bang on a hazy day. Luckily, despite the unthinkable number of falls by the so called “expert” ski group on the resort’s famous and fearsome ‘Le Tunnel’ run, the group came in off the slopes after an enjoyable but saddening last day’s skiing unharmed.

Dinner consisted of a rich mushroom and cream sauce on toast to start, succulent roast pork or nut roast for main course and delicate mille-feuille to finish. After dinner, it was time for the much awaited prize giving.

Mr. Simm addressed the group for the final time, awarding the following boys for their behaviour and achievements on the trip.

Best novice skier: Josh Morris 11S1 Best novice snowboarder: Jonathan Munger 10S1 Most improved skier: Ben Dathan L6J2 Most improved snowboarder: Andrew Popov 10J2 Men of the tour: James Colenutt 11M1 and Anto Meyer L6H1 Best snowboarder: Guthrie Hill 10J2 Ski King (Best skier): Dominic Edwards L6M2 The lower sixth followed with an impromptu prize giving of their own. Mr. Keenleyside was awarded some racing wax for being “speedster of the trip”. Mr. Marx was given an alarm clock for having fallen asleep on a gondola and supposedly riding it round three times before waking up. Mr. Hardman was presented with a whistle for being “most likely to get lost”. Mr. Dathan was given strepsils for “longest speech maker”. Mr. Thackrey received a shot glass and a miniature bottle of the local spirit for reasons unknown. Mr. Simm was gifted some factor 50+ sun cream for reasons made evident by the trip photos. Finally Mr. Thackrey and Mr. Simm were heralded with champagne and applause all round for organising a truly epic trip.

The trip finished as it had begun with breakfast at 05:45 am. The group departed much as it had arrived; tired, grumpy but uninjured. Alpe D’Huez will never forget HABS, we will never forget Alpe D’Huez.

Anthony Meyer L6

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Year 10/ L6 Art trip to Henry Moore Foundation Earlier this year Art students from years 8 to Lower 6th took a minibus and Mr Keenlyside's Car to the Henry Moore Foundation, in the far North of Hertfordshire, far from where many of the

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students had been before. We explored the sculptural and humanistic aspects of Henry Moore’s work.

All students produced some very successful sketches in their art books as well as useful comments on the methods of creation for Moore’s work and his influences given to us during a tour of the site by Mr. K. The boys

Art Trip to Tate Modern and Royal Academy of Arts

public due to their fragility, together with around 65 paintings and 30 drawings by the man himself.

Back in the spring term of 2010, a group of about 50 GCSE and A Level Art students travelled to the Royal Academy of Arts.

The trip was made especially to see the sensational Van Gogh exhibition which was only around from 23 January - 18 April 2010. It was the first major Van Gogh exhibition in London for over 40 years and was therefore a must see event. The exhibition displayed over 35 original letters, rarely exhibited to the

We spent the visit walking through the galleries admiring the numerous works of art.

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to photograph any of the exhibitions and had to rely on our sketching skills, or postcards, to acquire any copies of particular pieces that may have caught our interest, although the majority opted for the latter.

The trip, however, was not yet over and after a walk along the south bank of the Thames in

used the trip to try to influence or generate ideas for the coming year's art work. After being charged overpriced amounts at the Henry Moore foundation gift shop we belted down the motorway and just managed to catch the school coach by a few minutes.

Andrew Jones L6

the beautiful spring weather we visited the Tate Modern. As stated in the name Tate Modern is the national gallery of international modern art.

Here we each went off on our own or in groups to explore the different exhibitions on each floor of the museum, finding pieces that would relate to coursework or exam themes we were working on at the time.

Overall the trip proved to be very useful as the variety of art we saw had something to suite everyone, and coupled with the lovely weather, it was an enjoyable day out for all.

Nihull Shah Year 11

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Vienna Art Trip For the previous five years I had travelled with the Art department on the annual art trip in the October half-term. Naturally it made sense to go six-for-six and join Mr. Keenleyside, Mr. Todhunter and Mrs. Herbert once more on the 2009 Art Trip to Vienna. And so, as the eldest (non-staff member) of the group, I embarked on my final art trip of my life at HABS.

Our first port of call was the Kunsthistorisches Museum (the Museum of Fine Arts), the resting place of the Hasburgs’ imperial fine arts collection. However, despite the large statue of Theseus Clubbing the Centaur atop the central staircase, I must admit that it was what was outside the museum that interested me most; I spent more time drawing the fountains directly outside the museum than I did the artefacts and paintings within it. From here we travelled down to the Vienna Secession, a building nicknamed by contemporaries as the “golden cabbage” in affection for its foliated dome. While its upper levels were home to kiosks playing short films of varying abstraction (one of which did actually send me to sleep), in its basement lay the wonderful Beethoven Frieze, a long mural painted by Gustav Klimt that eventually served as inspiration to some of my artwork in my Upper Sixth year.

Our second day in Vienna began with a trip to the Leopold Museum, a building which houses one of the largest collections of modern art in Austria, and the world’s largest collection of work by Egon Schiele. At the time there was a special exhibition on the work of Edward Munch, although, regrettably, my fixation with drawing Schiele’s death-mask meant that I ended up seeing little of it (nor that of the museum’s wider, permanent collection). We then moved to another building in the Museumsquartier (a particularly famous cultural area in Vienna), the Museum of Modern Art, where the students were split into two different groups, each receiving a tour of a part of the museum’s collection. In the evening we visited the Prater amusement park, home to the Wiener Riesenrad, a Ferris wheel that famously appeared in the films The Third Man and the James Bond film The Living Daylights.

The following day we visited the KunstHausWien, a museum designed by (and dedicated to) the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, an artist on whom my opinion is divided. On the one hand, it is necessary to recognise Hundertwasser as the impressive graphic designer that he was, if the breadth of his work alone is not to be appreciated.

(Hundertwasser’s work was not limited to prints and architecture, but also included flags, license plates and clothing.) However, as someone who enjoys design most when it works within its limitations (as opposed to without them), the ultimately idealistic and entirely impractical designs of some of Hundertwasser’s grander

ideas (such as his designs for an entire village) did not appeal to me, and at times I felt that Hundertwasser’s bold aesthetic sensibilities were more than a little off-putting. An evening visit to the Haus der Musik, a museum dedicated (as the name implies) to music and sound, was especially enjoyable when Tom Haniff started playing the theme song to the film Spirited Away on an open piano in the museum foyer.

We started our third day with a visit to the Albertina, a museum home to one of the largest print collections in the world. Sadly my exposure to such a collection was limited once more when I again became fixated on drawing a large statue of Athena at the museum’s entrance, after I had been prevented from drawing some other Romanesque statues in a smaller sideroom. We had a much quieter evening than previously, although a quiz on the things we had done on the trip may have allowed for have some overly dodgy marking when it called for the students to check their own answers. On the last day we made one last trip out to the Schönbrunn Palace, a former imperial summer residence with a suitably impressive garden, boasting any number of fountains and statues, as well as the world’s oldest zoo.

Not only was the art trip to Vienna thoroughly enjoyable in its own right, I am without doubt that it was a suitable end to six years of travels with the Art department.

Gregory Steckelmacher U6

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Rhodes Debating 2010 Let’s be honest here: Rhodes was an odd choice for a debating boot camp; a debating boot camp was an odd choice for a school trip to Rhodes. Perhaps it was this oddness that resulted in a marriage made in heaven.

For once, a school trip started without having to wake up at 2 in the morning and we all seemed fresh and ready for the minibus trip to Gatwick.

We readied our debating skills with some almost pointless arguments, a theme which continued throughout the trip. Rahim Velji getting stopped and searched at security, despite not setting off the metal detector, provided the first comic moment of the trip. That was quickly followed by the revelation that Max Sinclair managed to get himself thrown out of a BA lounge. The trip was to be littered with these funny, if slightly ‘had to be there’ moments.

You would have thought that, with it being about 12 when we arrived at the villa and apartments that were to be our homes for the week, it would have been straight to bed, with a bedtime story if we were lucky. However, this was Dr. Craig’s trip, which actually meant rooting out some swimming trunks and going for a swim in his pool at 12.30 in the morning - 'banter’!

It was pretty clear that this would be no ordinary school trip.

After enjoying the wide selection of juices, cereals and bread available for breakfast, we settled into our first debate of the week. These were to be debates riddled with humour and Max Sinclair’s slip of the tongues. He started with perhaps the best comment of the week: in a point of information in the debate 'THW Ban Zoos, he said, completely seriously, “Do you realise that most animals born in zoos are actually born in zoos?”

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Lunch then followed, with Max again the centre of attention by making, or at least trying to make, a sandwich that included as many ingredients as you could possibly find in a Greek supermarket. Needless to say Mrs. Gleeson promptly stopped him in his tracks.

The beach followed lunch, with all enjoying the chance to unwind in the 35° sun and splash in the sea. Others got a bit too interested in the ‘topless population’ of the beach; Jack Lewy commenting that "It is easy to confuse them with fat men…"

The rest of the week followed suit: we had two ‘banter-filled' debates each day, a seminar on a topic such as economics in debating, went to tavernas for lunch, and we also went to the beach or to a nearby town. Trips to Lindos and Rhodes Town were both extremely enjoyable; with certain boys grasping the true idea of a trip abroad by buying 'genuine' designer clothes and belts for around €5.

The trip was truly superb, filled with exactly the correct amount of debating and other activities, which altogether made for a brilliant atmosphere and a really good learning experience. Best moments included picking fresh figs off a tree in one of the tavernas we went to for lunch, and the meditation session lead by Mrs. Gleeson, which was supposed to relax us and get us in the right frame-of-mind for winning arguments (or debates as we are supposed to call them).

Chet Sharma decided that, in order to expose gay politicians, we should check to see if their luggage is 'gay', before proclaiming that he wished to see gay and 'normal' people holding hands. Niloy was determined not to be outdone, and in the debate 'THW Have Native managers for National Teams', he said with utmost confidence, “England's not a country, it's a nation. We live in the country of Great

Britain”. To name but a few, we debated topics such as whether or not life should mean life for convicted murders; whether we should abandon the war on terror; whether we should chemically castrate sex offenders; whether we should ban the consumption of alcohol; whether we should abolish limits on immigration globally; and whether we should abolish patents.

Congratulations go to Daniel Lande, Raphael Levy, Ameya Tripathi and Alex Harrison for finishing in the top eight on the speaker tab, whilst special congratulations must go to Daniel Gold, Jacob Rabinowitz, Arnie Birss and Christopher Howarth, for coming fourth, third, second and first on the speaker tab respectively. The top four truly deserved their positions, with only 0.3% of a speaker point between Chris and Arnie.

Finally we must thank the staff on the trip: Dr. Craig, Mrs. Gleeson, Mr. McKane and Ben Lewy.

They all provided excellent judging, feedback and tips for improvement, as well as ferrying us about in the minibuses. More specifically, Dr. Craig must be thanked for organising the trip and allowing us the use of his beautiful villa; Mrs. Gleeson must be commended and thanked for her superb cooking throughout the week; Mr. McKane must be thanked for organising the teams and their positions for each debate, as well as producing the speaker tab; and Ben Lewy must be thanked for his interesting and useful seminars.

Raph Levy L6 Robert Harris Year11

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Athletics Trip to Club La Santa, Lanzarote This Easter holiday, as every year, the top upcoming and developed HABS athletes from all ages across the school, travel to Club La Santa for warm weather athletics training in preparation for the following season. Club La Santa is a worldrenowned Sports resort that has accommodated distinguished sportsmen such as Jensen Button and Hugo Cliff. The school travel and train throughout the week with a ‘sister’ school Princess Helena College, Hitchin, as a cunning ploy by the staff to get those more lazy athletes to train hard hard in order to impress. This year had been extra special as our stay had been extended for another week as a result of the volcano explosion in Iceland.

Each day we would be training alongside some World class athletes, many from the national teams from Eastern European Countries (the Polish and Czech Republic athletics squad were there this time round). However the astonishment was a two-way street with our own athletes such as Efe Uwaifo, the England Schools 100m Champion astounding the Eastern Europeans.

The mornings were technical sessions working on the various different field events, while the evenings were devoted to speed, fitness and agility, working with harnesses, sand bags, minihurdles and parachutes. However, this was only part of the constructed timetable.

In addition to the athletics, the boys had the opportunity to take part in a wide range of different sports and activities. Mountain Bike rides across volcanic ash, followed by a swim in the refreshing Atlantic Ocean. 5-a-side Football tournaments, Beach volleyball and a diving competition, Padel Tennis, Snorkelling, Kayaking and canoeing in the lagoon. Of course there were the opportunities to compete in events such as triathlons, duathlons and aquathons for

those extra keen athletes, myself included.

However, after a hard session, one requires some time to sit back and relax and on offer were a range of trips outside the complex to places of interest elsewhere on the island of Lanzarote. (Fire Mountain, The Underground Caves, The Sunday Market, A Golf day and a visit to the Cesar Manrique gallery, the celebrated Spanish Surrealist who lived in Lanzarote.

That was just the day, and in Lanzarote, the day doesn’t just end when the sun goes down! Each night there would be various activities such as pool competitions, although none were able to match the pool prowess of the sixth form pair of myself and Head Boy Anthony Meyer. There were also disco’s and shows on in the main square, but the most popular activity in the evenings, as you would expect, was sleeping The final day is always taken up by the inter school Pentathlon Event. It starts at 10.00am and finishes at 5.00pm. Each team is made up of 10 students from the two schools (Princess Helena College from Hitchin). The scoring system is based on the ESAA scoring table, so

that all the team members are involved. Medals and prizes are awarded to the winning team and to the best individual in each age group.

The winning team this year called themselves ‘Big Al’ and included the following boys from the Junior school: Karan Basu, Sam Gottlieb, Marcus Rapacioli and Ben Jones (The winners of the individual events were Max Marmor – Year 7 (2nd Liam Baines, 3rd Ed Mort), Sam Rodgers – Year 8 (2nd Jack Green, 3rd Jake Krias), Josh Pauk – Year 9 (2nd Henryk Hadass, 3rd James Hart) and Efe Uwaifo – Year 10 who also won the Victor Ladorum (2nd Arshia Hasemi, 3rd Hugo Cliff)). The athletes really do enjoy the day and gain a great deal from the occasion.

The second week ran smoothly with a continuation of the training sessions as well as further activities run by the staff such as canoeing and kayaking. A huge thank you must go to the accompanying staffs that were able to make the week pass and deal with the unexpected circumstances which made the holiday that much more enjoyable.

Sachin Hoyle L6

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Biology Field trip to Nettlecombe Court, Exmoor

Our investigations had to be carried out on day 3, which happened to be the same day as the Wimbledon final, a sad misfortune.

Investigations ranged from “the effect mowing has on species diversity” to “the effect the speed of a river has on the shrimp diversity.”

Although we wanted to watch the tennis, our investigations were more important and we were all hoping for spectacular results, which some of us got, and the others – not so much.

Soil samples and moisture contents were calculated only to be followed by more calculations, yes our old friend Simpson and his diversity index.

July 2010 saw the start of the biology A2 course for us post examiners. Us keen biologists were ready to put on our ‘wellies’ and trudge through the mud to put our investigative skills to the test. We were hoping to impress the teachers more than the previous year and improve on their feeble results!

The early morning set off was accompanied by groans from a coach of around 20 L6 biologists. It was as if we had never seen the sun rise. The journey was long and boring only to be greeted with a huge estate surrounded by acres of grass. We arrived, dumped our bags in our rooms, and straight away we were put to work. Work in the evening was something we had never experienced, and will hope never to

The number crunching was worth it for some of us who managed to get fantastic results, but for others, not quite what they expected. All in all, it was an enjoyable weekend full of mind stimulating activities to keep us on our feet. do again especially when learning about freshwater shrimp and yarrow grass.

Nikesh Arya L6

Day two presented us with a chance to carry out some investigative work, and by the end of the day we had to have come up with our own projects. Lunch was followed by planning our individual investigation and carrying out pilot studies to come up with suitable hypotheses. Although the hay fever really was starting to kick in – dosing up on those tablets was truly necessary.

Upper 6th trip to Madrid October After three successful Upper 6th trips to provincial Spanish cities, Mr Bardou decided that it was time to introduce the extraordinary delights of Spain’s capital to HABS hispanists. The students stayed in a central hotel under their teacher’s close scrutiny but were treated to some terrific food in Madrid’s best restaurants and had the opportunity to sample the city’s nightlife.

The trip’s main aim, however, was for the students to get to grips with one of Europe’s major cultural centres and the excursions were geared towards this. We encountered

Velazquez, Goya and El Greco at the Prado, and Picasso, Dali and Miro at the Reina Sofia. We also toured Old Madrid, Bourbon (Royal) Madrid and the playwright, Lope de Vega’s house.

A day trip to Toledo gave us an insight into the history of religion in Spain and visits to the Bernabeu, a Flamenco ‘tablao’, the bullring, the cinema and the theatre allowed the students to sample Spanish popular culture at its best.

The students certainly seized every opportunity to speak Spanish and returned home with a true sense of what Madrid is all about and how it fits in to their understanding of the Hispanic world.

M Bardou

Year 8 visit the Black Country Living Museum 154 Year 8 boys visited the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley as their Field Day Trip.

The boys enjoyed visiting the historic buildings that have been moved to and authentically rebuilt at the Museum, as a tribute to the traditional skills and enterprise of the people who lived in the heart of Victorian industrial Britain. The boys were transported back in time as they went down a mine and saw the construction of a chain by a traditional blacksmith in a canal-side village. Year 8 benefited from seeing working craftsmen in action and local guides kept the boys entertained with their knowledge and unique Black Country humor.

R Sloan

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Golf Tour to La Manga The entourage of 16 golfers led by Mr Ward, Mr. McIntosh and Mr Maguire assembled on the early hours of the morning eagerly anticipating the fourth annual golf tour to La Manga Resort located in Murcia, Spain; a radical move away from the tour’s long established home of Vilamoura indeed. Over the next four days, the riveting battle for the tour title would unfold on the pristine fairways of the North, West and South Courses of this world renowned resort.

We arrived in Spain to uncharacteristic weather (British grey skies and rain), which we had all been yearning to leave behind. The day’s practice was cancelled; instead we settled for the next best option of exploring the fitness centre and swimming pool, and stocking up on any food supplies to sustain us through the evening.

The following day, on the North Course, tour journeyman Ben Cherkas took the early lead scoring a brilliant 38 points considering the lightning fast speed of the greens which at first caused problems for much of the group.

However, trailing just two points behind were Yash Patel and former tour champion Vivek Patni, the latter also winning the nearest the pin prize for the day. Shot of the day honours went to tour rookie James Soo who hit a crisp 6-iron from 155 yards on the final hole to 3 feet, setting up an easy birdie which earned him a round of applause from the hotel spectators! Late afternoon was spent sorting out ‘kinks’ in our golf swings that were the basis of our relatively modest start to the week but it also gave us an opportunity to don our fiery red HABS tour apparel.

inspiration for Yash Patel’s flawless round (42 points) enabling him to move into pole position with a considerable lead over the rest of the field, despite the challenge of very tricky doglegs and narrow fairways that the course provided. Last year’s runner up Aidan Kovenklioglu earned the nearest the pin prize at the 4th hole with a spectacular iron shot to just 3 feet from the pin and young gunner Joel Citron took shot of the day honours after his splendid chip-in on the par 5 15th to save par.

To put the icing on a highly successful day, the teachers won a bottle of champagne for their supreme general knowledge showcased in a pop quiz held at the restaurant where we had our dinner.

The final day, played at the Championship South Course (the site of multiple Spanish Opens) kicked off to a very icy start for the two leading golfers…Furthermore, any optimism for good weather was quickly disappearing after the first grey clouds appeared, bringing a torrent of rain and wind that tested even the most proficient of tour golfers. The water theme of the day continued when many of us consulted our course maps (helpfully called

‘scoresavers’) to find out that water dominated the course layout for 15 holes out of 18.

Nonetheless, Patel, favourite for the victory on the final day, held his steely nerve to shoot yet another fantastic round, this time 37 points, to seal the deal and win the 2010 title by 16 points against runner up Ben Cherkas. Two ‘Shot of the day’ prizes were awarded: 2009 champion David Fernie for his purely struck iron from a fairway bunker to within 5 feet of the hole and young gun Jack Myers.

Further prizes and special mention go to Ben Catchpole, who having secured a tour record on the opening day doubled his points the next day and on the final day to rightfully deserve the Most Improved Player Award, and Best Dressed Golfer went to Aidan Kovenklioglu.

Overall, the tour proved to be an incredible success, giving many of us the chance to experience three very beautiful but challenging courses and forecast the immense talent and potential of the next generation of HABS golfers.

James Soo L6

Round 2 at the West Course, played over more agreeable weather, perhaps was the source of

Düsseldorf Work Experience exchange visit - 9th to 20th April On Friday 9th of April, seven budding linguists arrived at Düsseldorf airport to commence the annual work experience exchange. Under specific orders from Mr Donaghey to only speak German, we were introduced to our families and were then driven back to our respective houses.

Prior to the placements, the group was given extensive guided tours of the historic cities Köln (Cologne), Bonn and Düsseldorf. There we saw iconic German landmarks including the ‘Haus der Geschichte’ in Bonn, and ‘Hohenzollern Brücke’, a famous attraction for newlyweds.

The work placements themselves were a resounding success. The students worked in some of the finest German firms ranging from

the notorious Deutsche Bank to a horse clinic located just outside the city. Working for such top German companies meant that not only did everyone significantly improve their lingual ability, but we also gained insightful knowledge about pursuing careers outside the UK.

Many thanks must be given to Herr Hütterman and Mr Donaghey for arranging such high quality work placements and for assuring that everyone had a great time.

Alex Harrison L6

Outside the world of work, the students engaged fully in all aspects of German everyday life. Not only did we visit their school Mataré Gymnasium but all students socialised and enjoyed the rich local culture.

Overall the exchange was a wonderful experience for all those who took part, and despite a certain unexpected volcanic eruption, all students arrived safely home after a fantastic two weeks.

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Paris International MUN Eleven members of the Lower Sixth and one baritone Year Eleven recently enjoyed phenomenal success while participating in the Paris International Model United Nations (PASMUN) conference, a simulation of the United Nations, which ran from the 3rd-6th of December, in the grand headquarters of UNESCO. The students hit Paris with a bang, perched on the Trocadero with a fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower, before receding into a crepe filled slumber in a wobbling and stair stacked hotel.

On Friday, the students engaged in a first round of tough debate (after some time zone scares and scoffed cereal bars), representing France and Belgium within the smart committee rooms and magnificent GA of UNESCO. The delegates argued, listened, voted - and in the case of France, vetoed - a number of clauses in literally as constructive a manner as possible, on a range of issues from Afghanistan to the environment.

Saturday was a particularly successful day for delegates: in the Security Council, debate finished half an hour early due to an all encompassing submission; in Human Rights, a student resurrected a shouted down clause which granted yearned for rights to the people of Nigeria; and in EcoSoc, a student singlehandedly saved the global economy with only his index finger.

This spectacularly successful day was capped off with a chow mien and rosay with Matare Gymnasium, a partner school based in Dusseldorf, as well as a wheat based birthday present for resident 17 year old Sachin Hoyle.

Setting aside his exhausting economic efforts, Aadarsh Gautam set the General Assembly alight on Sunday morning with a crackling speech on the issues of global pandemics.

As per the norm, the students kept their placards up throughout GA, and even though they were not recognised again they were paid handsomely in awards, with four distinguished delegate awards to: Ameya Tripathi, France, Security Council; Daniel Lehmann, France,

Human Rights; Aneesh Misra, France, Special Conference on Kyoto; Daniel West, Belgium, Disarmament, as well as three highly commended awards to Aadarsh Gautam, Luke Ilott and Sachin Hoyle.

Some of those who won awards were MUN veterans and should of course be congratulated, but it is highly notable that some students who were new to MUN were so successful in such a high quality conference, a testament to both the instruction that has been passed down for years and their own particular talent. If anything, the trip assured the students that even as many monumental figures from past MUN years depart, astonishingly successful and lively conferences remain very much a thing of the future.

We are all hugely grateful to Mr. Simm for the opportunity to attend such an excellent conference, and all the year groups involved in MUN eagerly anticipate upcoming conferences in The Hague, Bath, Haileybury and of course HABSMUN 2010.

By Ameya Tripathi L6

The first day of debate was capped off by a blistering social evening hosted by the Paris American School at Duplex, followed by a walk with Parisian historian Mr. Simm, who finely explained the details of all manner of fascinating things from the limestone that the Tour Montparnasse pushed in to the existentialists that wafted into the Cafe de Florets in Saint-Germain - while students slid headfirst down the Champs D’Elysees.

Malaysia Cricket Tour With the October half term break finally arriving the school’s senior cricket squad headed out on our muchanticipated tour of Malaysia and Singapore. With 9 games to play in the space of two weeks, the schedule was always going to be a challenge for a squad consisting of 17 boys from the upper school.

The tour got off to a slow start; we fought valiantly however only ended up coming second to two strong sides in the first two days. Two loses that we could only put down to the heat, humidity and ‘jet–lag’.

These results, however, made us realize that we would have to be at the very top of our game to get results and the reality was this was not going to be as easy as we had first assumed.

Predicted to be our toughest opposition prior to tour, a goods night sleep left the whole squad geared up and ready to play the Malaysian Malays U15’s. A real spectacle for all who watched, the game was played under international Pro40 Laws in coloured kit using a white ball. A great team effort in the field 34

allowed us to bowl out the Malays for what was considered to be a below par score. Nevertheless runs were on the board and they needed chasing. Chasing was exactly what our new captain Tom Edrich intended on doing, a quite brilliant innings, always keeping a calm head throughout, Edrich finished on 48 not out guiding HABS to our first victory on tour.

With a great team performance any hints of jet lag and dejection soon faded.

As so infamously quoted by a great leader, ‘winning became a habit’ and we never looked back, managing to secure victories in all of our last seven games, a true achievement.

Two notable victories contributed to what was a fine finish to a great tour: The first against Jahore President XI, young Nishanth Selvakumar hitting 6 of the last two balls of the innings to record an emphatic ton.

The second a floodlight day/night match against the Lord’s Taverners of Malaysia President XI. Although a comfortable victory for HABS the whole squad relished a once in

the lifetime experience. Unanimously the most enjoyable game on tour.

Off the field we had an incredible time. For the majority, staying in the heart of Malaysia allowed us to see some quite amazing sights ranging from the great heights of the twin towers right down to the Kuala Lumpur local market.

The final stats were: played 9, won 7, lost 2.

The whole squad can be proud of what was a very successful tour both on and off the pitch.

The squad can now only look forward in expectation to South Africa in February.

Athman Sivakumar L6

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Battlefields Trip At half past five in the morning 35 boys and 5 teachers boarded the coach to depart on the 2010 History battlefields trip to Arras and Ypres. Despite the fine drizzle that could have dampened anyone’s spirits and the severe lack of sleep, everyone was excited for what promised to be an interesting trip.

We were certainly not disappointed because, one 6 hour coach journey later, including a full English breakfast on the ferry, we arrived at the historic French town of Arras. During the war, Arras was shelled flat by both German and British artillery, however, after the war it was one of the many towns rebuilt with reparations paid by Germany. We were let free to eat our own lunch in the central square overlooked by the magnificent houses of the old town built in the traditional Flemish style.

Our next stop was at the Canadian visitors centre on Vimy Ridge. This section of the front was given to the Canadian government after the war, as a token of gratitude to the Canadian’s contribution during the war. The battle at Vimy was particularly special because it was the first time that all 4 Canadian divisions fought together in France. It was also exceptional in the fact that there, a section of the Allied trench system was a mere 20 yards from the Germans’. After a look at the underground light railway tunnel we then proceeded to the Memorial Hill. This was the first time of many, on the trip where we had to come to terms with the sheer numbers of those who died in the war. Around the base of the memorial there are 11,285 names of Canadians who died fighting for the very hill on which the memorial stands. Staring at what seemed endless lists of names silenced even the most loquacious amongst us, the scale of the list was almost incomprehensible.

We then made the journey to the French cemetery of Notre Dame de Lorette, site of the three battles of Artios. There we visited the fascinating museum and the renovated trench systems complete with typically French, not restored artillery pieces including the famous German ‘Minenwerfer’ howitzer. We then progressed to the cemetery which was a sobering experience for all, as we walked slowly around the grounds looking at the graves and occasionally finding the grave of a 16 year old – someone but a year older than

us. A stark reminder that the war had not just consumed professional armies but also volunteers and children. And even though the motto engraved on the cathedral did not justify the loss of life it certainly commemorated the lives and deaths of the 35,000 in the cemetery well, ‘considera Israel pro his qui mortui sunt super excelsa tua vulnerati.’

However, if this was to shock us we were still nowhere near to understanding the scale of what we were faced with, as our next stop was the Menin Gate, in Ypres, Belgium. On the walls are inscribed a list of 54,900 men who gave their lives ‘pro patria et pro rege.’ That evening after checking in at our hotel we attended the memorial service held every evening at the gate. After the Last Post had been played, Joshua Parikh (9C1) laid the HABS wreath on our behalf to commemorate the 85 HABS boys who gave their lives in the Great War. There was something unusual about the atmosphere at the Menin Gate; the sense of patriotism there, was greater than anything, and more genuine than at the World Cup. After a charming evening meal and a good night’s sleep we ventured to Tyne Cot cemetery near Ypres where 11,954 British soldiers lie at rest, the largest British cemetery in the world.

The cemetery also commemorates 34,927 soldiers who have no known grave. The site of the cemetery is on a ridge where the allies pushed out of Ypres in the summer of 1917 until they reached Passchendaele village, site of the battle of Passchendaele. Here we received a talk by Dr. Wigley on the role of old Haberdashers in the war and on by Mr. Simm on the Third Battle of Ypres. Above the gate of the cemetery is a plaque dedicated to the Australian 2nd Division who took the pill-boxes in the cemetery.

From there we visited several museums and cemeteries at Hill 62 and Hooge Crater. Both were fascinating with the Hill 62 museum, also showing replica trenches complete with underground tunnels. At the Hooge crater Mr. Clark, ever alert, suddenly noticed the lack of a crater. This is because the crater had been filled in to make way for a new road laid in the 1920’s. Next we briefly visited the Essex Farm cemetery where John McCrae, author of ‘In Flanders’ Field’ worked and now lies. We then returned to Ypres in order to visit the ‘In Flanders’ Field’ museum. There we found many interesting artefacts from the war as

well as a sign pointing to the ‘Beachvolleyball Douches’, I still have not a clue as to why Dr. St John found it so interesting! After half an hour, of educating ourselves as to how women’s ‘Beach Volleyball’ is played, (or more what the players looked like) we left Ypres for the last time.

At 3 O’clock we arrived at Langemark cemetery. Langemark is just one of four German cemeteries left in Flanders Fields; here lie the bodies of 44,294 German war dead. There is, neither, a big monument to the dead nor a huge wall with the names of the deceased. In fact 24,000 of the 44,294 lie in one communal grave. Of these 24,000, 16,940 have been identified and their names are inscribed on bronze tablets. At the far end are the ‘students’ graves’ and beyond these are stone tablets inscribed with the names of the regiments that lie in the cemetery. There is no visitors’ centre and no flowers. This visit woke us all up to the fact that it takes two sides to fight a war and often only the victors choose to remember.

At quarter past nine on Sunday we arrived back at HABS tired but happy. The trip certainly broadened our horizons to what actually happened in the Great War as well as broadening our understanding. However, this would not have been possible without the teachers Mr. Simm, Dr. Wigley, Dr. St John and Dr. Sloan who made sure the weekend ran smoothly, also special thanks to Mr. Clark for organising such an incredible trip.

Julian Dixon Year 10

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Strasbourg Trip The first week of the autumn half-term holiday saw the annual Lower Sixth exchange to Strasbourg take place.

Twelve A-Level Francophiles set off for the rendez-vous with the Girls’ School contingent, and as afternoon lessons began, the coach set off for Stansted Airport. One uncomfortable Ryanair voyage later, the students were meeting their host families, and it was with much trepidation that ‘Les Anglais’ stepped into the ubiquitous Renaults that were to ferry them to their homes for the week. But the weekend that was spent with the French families, although at first intimidating, was, in fact, the subject of great enjoyment by the English guests. By common consent the French were most welcoming, and a good balance between lingual immersion and socialising with other exchanges was struck, with one evening being set aside for a bacchanal, involving most of the Exchange’s participants. The customary football match also took place, and it was, unfortunately, France who prevailed, with England going down nobly by a score of 16-17.

Monday was spent sightseeing in the Strasbourg area. The group, comprising of

twenty-one students and three teachers, was able to visit, for example, an immense Germanbuilt chateau and some of the local vineyards.

Although the subsequent wine-tasting was enjoyed greatly – perhaps too greatly – it seems that the frozen atria and chilly towers of the castle are best appreciated, in the on-site restaurant over a steaming mug of hot chocolate. The view of the surrounding Vosges Mountains, though, was stupendous.

The next day was used to explore the city itself.

The teachers’ tour took the group to the European Parliament, a modern art museum and much else besides as the group trundled around the city, by foot, bus, and tram. Mr Fenn revealed, the admittedly, tenuous link with the School to be another Haberdashers’ Guild.

It was a tiring day, but having to get up the following day to go to school with the French was not a pleasant prospect. Fortunately, though, Wednesday was not as bad as first feared, as French schools are only open until lunchtime then!

Thursday was the final full day in Strasbourg.

Once again, the English took the chance to see some other of the city’s attractions. The cathedral’s tower was finally open, and from so high up – a calf-crunching 365 steps –

the cityscape was magnificent. The shopping mall was also visited, as was the Alsacien museum. Predictably, the mall was treated with most interest.

The week in Strasbourg ended on Friday morning as, at an ungodly hour, the travellers piled aboard a minibus after some fond farewells by the river as crepuscular tendrils insidiously sabotaged the night. Although it was nice to return home, every student had enjoyed the trip immensely, despite being bested even at table football. Hearty thanks must be extended towards organiser Mr Fenn and his Girls’ School counterparts for an unforgettable week.

Tom Ough L6

Rhineland Music Tour There was nearly no concert at all on the first day. The picturesque hills on the bank of the Rhine are unaccustomed to unwieldy coaches laden with timpani and double basses, and it took a friendly if not entirely sober local to direct us through the meandering paths of Kaub to the beautiful St Peter’s Church. It is not a concert venue used to 18-piece Big Bands- that much would have been clear without the local child in the back row with his fingers in his ears- and the size of the surrounding village was reflected by the empty seats in the audience (we were playing ‘for ourselves,’ claimed conductor and tour leader Mr Simm).

Nonetheless, unperturbed by the ambiguous reaction to the overture from ‘The Producers,’ the joint forces of the Big band and Concert Band blasted out in the mellow acoustic such favourites as ‘ night in Tunisia,’ ‘Harlem Nocturne,’ and ‘Superman march,’ with typical energy.

It had been a busy day; in the beating sun we’d visited the region’s theme Park, ‘Phantasialand,’ and tomorrow was to bring a Rhine cruise and a free afternoon around the ‘Drossselgasse,’ favourite of unscrupulous tourists. For the second concert, in the Rudeshiem market square, we took advantage of this passing trade, playing an expanded concert for this newly enlarged crowd. The Big Band expanded its repertoire, playing its newly learned ‘Nutville,’

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with its technically demanding soli, with great precision and style. It was then the turn of some of the smaller ensembles formed of band members to shine; the Jazz trio of James Rose, Ishwar Mahesh, and Ben Cherkas dazzled with their improvisations, and the jazz flute quartet provided a new timbre and more gentle dynamic, before the return of the Concert band, playing other original film scores, including ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ and closing with a powerful if not subtle rendition of its trademark ‘The Stripper.’

The final day, before another long coach journey home, was filled with a tour of the overwhelming Marksburg Castle. The Rhine banks in which we were staying had been composed of hundreds of Medieval Principalities, and thus we drove past tens of similar castles each day, but the opportunity to tour the inside of this restored castle was quite amazing. The mood swiftly changed, however, for our final performance- the last ever for eleven members of the upper sixth-, on the revolving stage at the Bad Neuenahr Spa Gardens. The crowd was deceptively large,

since many were hidden amongst the trees and in any other available shade on this fiercely hot afternoon. In another concert than lasted far longer than programmed, the various ensembles, including this time a close harmony group, performed with the vigour that only a final concert could bring. The domed outdoor stage provided extra power for the bands, who were not short of moments of gentle precision, notable in the Big band’s performance of ‘Hunting Wabbits,’ in which the interweaving solos pass between the sections, and in the Concert Band’s ‘007 Theme.’ Not even a prolonged concert could reduce the energy of the players, and the last night debrief, in the hotel games room that had provided many hours of violently competitive ping pong over the past few days, was an emotional affair. For the upper sixth it was their final day with the school, and a hilarious round up of the trip presented in the form of an originally composed barbershop performed by the A2 musicians was a fitting end to a thoroughly successful tour.

Aaron Taylor U6

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Offenburg Exchange In the summer of 2010 the year 8s embarked on an adventure that was exciting and exhilarating, while also teaching us much German. We woke up early on July 10th, eager to go to Offenburg and meet our German alter egos. They had come to England earlier in the year and enjoyed the sights and activities. We had to go on a 14 hour coach journey through England, France and Germany. You may think this would be tiring but it was actually quite fun. We all chatted and got to know each other better and then, before we knew it, we were in Germany. The weather was hot and sunny when we got there, in fact, it was like that the whole week. Our German partners picked us up and we all parted ways.

On the first day, our German family planned a day for us. This gave us a chance to get to know the German families and do exciting things. People went to different cities, rowed down the river Rhine, and went swimming and all sorts of other things. It was also the first day we got to experience authentic German cooking. Have you ever had ‘Flammenkuchen*’ or ‘Maultaschen’**? It was all very tasty!

Then through the whole week we did a great range of activities. We went to a German school which was an enlightening experience.

We also had a tour of Offenburg where we saw the church and the walls of the city. The next day we went to Triburg where we saw a beautiful enormous waterfall. We also went to a cuckoo clock museum which was very interesting and bought some souvenirs. On Wednesday we went on the lake in Titisee,

which was crystal clear. We also went up a huge mountain and climbed to the top of a church in Freiburg. On Thursday we had adrenaline rushes in Europapark, there were some of the fastest, scariest, gigantic roller coasters in Europe. Finally on Friday we went down the old silver mines and looked around an open air farm museum, but to finish the week we went bobsleighing down a steep hill and swimming in a fantastic pool.

We were sad to leave at the end of the week but we went home, having improved our German and having had a great time. Tschüss! *Like pizza with a very thin base **Packets made of pasta dough containing vegetables or meat Simon Cobb Year 8

Walton-on-the-Naze

Chambéry Exchange Trip From April 7-13, seven Year 8 HABS boys and ten girls from North London Collegiate School spent a week in the town of Chambéry on an exchange visit to Saint Francois de Sales, a prestigious school in the shadow of the Alps.

Participants got up bright and early and travelled to Stansted, where we got on the 9.30 flight to Lyon. After arriving in France we took a long coach drive to Chambéry, where we met our partners. During the week Mr. Byrne accompanied us on many visits the most interesting, in my opinion, being the Mer de Glace where we entered the Ice Cave which

was fascinating. At the weekend we participated in activities such as bowling and quasar with our exchange families. We went home to England after a very tiring but rewarding week.

Two weeks later we welcomed the French to England where they came to school on the coach and went on some exciting trips to England’s many tourist attractions.

A good time was enjoyed by all on the Exchange and I’m sure that everybody would definitely recommend the trip.

Hugh Odone Year 8

On 22nd June 2010, half of Year 8 was taken for a day to Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex. On a bright Tuesday morning we arrived promptly at HABS at 9 am for the gruelling 2 ½ hour coach journey. When we reached Walton we were given a clipboard and a notebook crammed full of exciting activities. We were given the task of looking at the different shops and sources of income around the town of Walton which is a similar size to Radlett.

The teachers gave us a generous hour to explore and told us (to our delight) that we were allowed to buy items or sweets from the stores around Walton.

Later in the afternoon we left Walton Town for a long winding walk down to the beach. We discussed different aspects of weathering and erosion present on the beach where we would spend an exciting half-hour looking for sharks’ teeth. Only Mr Maguire and one boy were successful. Soon afterwards we used different equipment such as ranging poles and a clinometer to measure the gradient of the beach and discussed how weathering and erosion affected the cliff face and different sides of the beach.

At about 1 pm we relaxed on the beach and ate our packed lunches. During the hour we had, most boys decided to climb the huge cliff face to see the Naze Tower. We filled ourselves up with savoury cakes and refreshing ice cream before trooping back by coach to Walton Town. Here we were again given the chance to spend our time (and money) by browsing the numerous shops in town and at Walton Pier.

This was a huge tourist attraction with an arcade where we could enjoy ourselves and reflect on a fun and exciting day of learning.

Sajan Rajani Year 8

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Originals

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A Level Art

Dominic Keen

Nader Nurmohamed

Dominic Keen

Greg Steckelmacher

Charlie Schaffer U6 Nader Nurmohamed

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AS Level Art

Raphael Torrance - “HABS Art gives my dreams a colossal vitality and the realisation that life can and will tumble short of them”

Tom Haniff - “HABS art is what allows me to express my creativity amongst the uniform” Eden Tarn – “HABS art to me is a whirlpool of colour, expression and individuality”

Peter Sienkowski – “HABS Art provides structure to a pastime of mine” 40

Andrew Jones - “HABS Art is the fluid of creation that runs through the veins of the school spewing out works of extreme variation reflecting,to me,the varied and wide society in a physical form”

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Jared Ovsiovitz - “HABS Art is a lesson unlike any other.To me art at Habs is diverse and empowering in the sense that any idea you have is not right or wrong, but a potential project”

Demetri Gerolemou - “HABS Art is an expression of creativity and ideas,in a form whose effectiveness is hard to rival.”

Tim Tsung – “HABS art is the unique time when a student can free themselves from curriculum and express their fullest imagination through creative beauty”

Nick Constantinou – “HABS Art helps me to express myself in ways which I can’t do in other subjects,where I can put my ideas into practice”

Nabil Freeman - “HABS Art is the embrace and representation of awesome thoughts and feelings in different,varied ways.”

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Forever Young Stooping down, Arthur reached out to the wicker basket and cast the penultimate log onto the fire. Golden flames licked out, tentatively at first, as if savouring the flavour.

A prod from the tarnished brass poker sent crimson sparks dancing up the brick chimney.

Embers glowed appreciatively and the fire could not hide her joy at being fed. Crackling with delight she greedily engulfed the dry bark.

Arthur shuffled wearily across creaking floorboards to the front room window and moved a corner of the net curtain to one side.

His breath misted up the glass; on the other side of the pane Jack Frost had left his trade mark signature of elaborate ice crystals. The recent arctic weather front had already deposited a thick blanket of snow that smothered his lawn and path making the two indistinguishable. Bare branches laden with snow defied gravity. Now the sub zero temperature of the night added to the scene: the harsh frost that had descended on this picture post card view sparkled under the muted light from the flickering lamppost. Arthur stood surveying the view and watching the trail of his breath. He filled his lungs with air and then exhaled heavily making the patch of condensation on the glass expand and retract.

Unable to resist the temptation, he summoned the energy to inhale deeply then let out a prolonged breath. Lifting a trembling index finger he traced a heart on the window, speared it with an arrow and proudly wrote the initials A and M in slanting swirly capital letters each end of the arrow. It was a bit wobbly and not the sort of writing you saw much nowadays but that had been the norm when Arthur had been a child. It had been drilled into him by his school master, Mr Kempleton over eighty years ago. Faced with the cane for inaccurate or smudged letters, Arthur had been quick to master the techniques of calligraphy.

Luka Noeyinclarama Year 7 42

Reflecting on his work Arthur returned to his rocking chair and the warmth of the fire. He recalled the first time he had carved those very same initials and the very same design into the trunk of the tallest oak tree in the village seventy years ago. Despite the passage of time the memory was as vivid as if it had only been yesterday. Aged almost sixteen he had just returned from posting a letter for his father when he saw her sitting by the stream. Her long brown hair fell softly in curls on her shoulders, her bright blue eyes and the silhouette of her body that hinted through her blouse in the bright summer sunlight. He smiled fondly as he reminisced. Despite being a year younger than he was, she was the more confident of the two and it was she who had invited him to share her home made biscuits with her by the water’s edge. He had noticed her in school. Being a small village school typically everyone knew everyone but they had never actually conversed; why would they?

What would he have had to say to her? She’d not be interested in football, cricket or fishing and what would his friends have said? But that day, at that moment, her smile enchanted, words a little stilted at first soon flowed effortlessly and the smell of her skin was intoxicating. That very afternoon he had known their futures were destined to be entwined.

That very afternoon, as they walked together in the sunshine along the grassy bank chatting and laughing, at ease in each other’s company, he knew that he had met his soul mate. In an uncharacteristic expression of romance once they had parted company, each to return to their respective homes, he carved his declaration of love onto the rough tree trunk with his pen knife. There it stood for all to see, still visible today, if anyone cared to look.

Snuggling under a patchwork quilt Arthur rocked in front of the glowing fire, comforted by both the extra warmth from the quilt and the notion that it was his M who had devotedly

sewn each of the multicoloured squares of fabric together many moons ago. His slightly bent gold rimmed spectacles misted up and a solitary tear escaped and trickled down his pale wrinkled cheek. Valiantly he reached for his crisp white handkerchief and wiped it away.

Blinking to suppress further tears he swallowed hard and replaced his handkerchief into his trouser pocket. Glancing upwards he blew a kiss to a smiling bride in a framed black and white photograph that stood in pride of place on the mantelpiece above the fireplace. Her radiant smile warmed his heart with love and filled his head with memories. The handsome groom in the faded photograph shared nothing in common with the wrinkled brow, hollow cheeks and white haired reflection that stared back at him in the mirror these days but the passion he felt inside burned with the same fervour.

The rhythmic swinging pendulum of the grandfather clock cast its hypnotic spell and Arthur’s heavy eyelids closed. His forgotten brewing pot of tea sat stewed and now stone cold. In the semi-conscious twilight world of early slumber Arthur mused how cruel fate had been to steal her from him so swiftly without any warning, just over a year ago. Life now was so lonely. An intolerable void circulated eternally within. The pain of his loss resonated from his core throughout every fragment of his frail being. On occasion it momentarily diminished but it was always present, possessing the power to rear itself at any time.

The arrival of sleep brought with it fleeting welcome distraction. Sleep freed Arthur from the constraints of a body slow to react; a body that had become plagued with ailments of old age. A body few came to visit or even bothered to speak to. As he slept softly snoring in the firelight, he was forever young, forever united with his beloved M. Daniel Paul Year 11

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Nader Nurmohamed U6

The love has gone Shadows

Blackberries

Slivers of black mist

Like flies clasped to a fishing line

And snaps.

Float by my side;

Frangible, rigid stalks hold

The skin shivers,

The face of my conscience.

Violet clusters, oozing

And contracts.

Dark figures plague my mind

Blood, red and vivid

The hair stirs,

Screeching, laughing into the abyss

Autumnal breezes scatter thorns

And settles.

Inside my head, inside my brain

Peppered onto branches

The eyes moisten,

The murky mist just keeps coming back

But, alas!

And close.

Until the midnight chasm closes

The vole uncovers

The nose twitches,

And they wait until morning to torment me again.

The violet clusters, oozing

And relaxes.

Blood, red and vivid

The lips dry,

And carries them mile on mile,

And crack.

Until his aching heart stops beating.

The body shakes,

Will Missen Year 7

And withers.

Will Missen Year 7

The world bends,

The heart stops, And is silent.

You blink. You blink again.

The love has gone David Joels L6

Pierre Binfoh GCSE

Saif Khan GCSE Ceramics 43

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SHORT STORIES: Chapter 1 The minute hand quivered for a split-second before flickering menacingly between the 59th minute and the hour mark on the face of Big Ben. 48 hours had passed. Midnight and the dawn of a new day had arrived. The threatening black sky, without even the slightest hint of the possibility of moonlight, looked imposingly upon the dark streets of London. A shrieking wind cursed through the air, turbulent and seeming as though anything in its path would have no option other than to be demolished. Not a soul was to be seen out on the eerie alleyways, neither on the main streets of the subdued city. The foreboding trees, which had been around for centuries, no doubt felt threatened by the cruel gale and their leaves shook and floated to the floor, as the wind swept through on its path.

Peter looked on. Alone. He was the only person to be awake at that hour within the security of the city. He was contemplating what had happened previously, at this precise time, just 48 hours ago. The light in his apartment, on the top floor of a steep block of flats, was dull and sombre, lifeless to say the least. Atop the pile of takeaway delivery boxes, unfinished and never to be consumed again, was a stack of papers. These formed the entirety of Peter’s job, as a journalist, always reporting, always working. Although he held a pen in his hand, he could not hit a thought process, for all the money in the world. The concentration drained from him the moment it had got dark and being in the heart of a tough winter, this had been around 4 o’clock. Even so, since then Peter had remained in this position, thinking, always thinking, and perhaps even regretting.

Hunched up on the window ledge, a silhouette formed on the opposite wall; Peter had been reconsidering all of his actions and what had happened just 48 hours ago. That was it, just a small space of time, but even so, for Peter, enough time to fill an entire life. The future looked rather bleak, and he knew it. He was unsure of what was coming up, what trials and tribulations he would have to make, but even so, he was powerless to stop it. Peter was truly scared.

occurred just 48 hours ago, and were disappointed by the man’s actions. He cut a sorry figure as he turned out the light in the room and strode into his bedroom, undressed and put on his pyjamas. The last thing that Peter did before jumping into bed and sleeping through his torment was to look into the mirror and see a disillusioned face stare back at himself, someone who was unsure of their place in the world at that present moment in time. As Peter pulled the bed sheets over his limp body, he let out an enormous sigh, before shutting his eyes and putting his sorrows away for another day.

The last of the chimes from St. Stephen’s tower filtered menacingly throughout the eerie night air, with an air about it that sought a purpose. It was unsettling for anyone who cared to listen to it, the only person being Peter, and a sleepless night awaited him. 48 hours had passed between now and THAT. Daniel Lande Year 10

Anthony Tang GCSE Ceramics

Fireworks Standing alone, The blackness of the void Creeps into your heart.

Then, suddenly – boom – crackle – hiss.

Down and out forever.

Light, beautiful light Floods into your heart.

All is well with the world.

Harry Jacobson Year 7

The report needed to be in by the morning, but even so, it appeared as though there would be absolutely no chance that he would be able to finish it come the hour that it was required. It wasn’t a great situation to be in, work wise, seeing as competition between journalists was so great that even someone of Peter’s intellect could not comprehend it. Peter arose from his temporary workstation and strode purposefully past the coffee table, with the takeaway boxes on it, and the tatty sofa, which had been acquired two months ago from a cheap second-hand shop in a dodgy back street.

Nevertheless, it served its purpose and was there to stay. The picture frames on the wall, filled with the portraits of key historical figures, glared at Peter, as if they knew what had Raph Levy GSCE 44

Matthew Huggett Year 7

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The Dream Lisa Freedman was a spoilt girl. She had everything she could have ever wanted in life.

She was walking up the Front Driveway feeling contented about her day at school. Although she had cheated on her Maths test it still felt very pleasant to receive her five merit marks in front of the school. Better still, she had accidentally-on- purpose spilled milk all over her enemy Melissa. She did her homework and went to bed early without a care in the world.

That night she had a horrible dream…

the father blamed the mother for being good for nothing. Lisa was sitting at the breakfast table; this in itself was a very unusual occurrence as her own personal butler usually brought her breakfast in bed. However, her dad had fired her butler yesterday along with all the other cooks, cleaners and gardeners that had worked for this family of three. Quite abruptly her father said, “You are going to live with your Auntie Leah while we sort our lives out. We might see you again in the future but I wouldn’t bet on it.”

“I don’t have an Auntie Leah,” Lisa whined.

Her dream had started with her walk home from the limo to the house. Instead of going upstairs to do her homework (or get her personal nanny to do it for her), she walked past the Kitchen and heard her Dad talking on the phone (most likely to her Mum who was on holiday in Barbados.)

“She’s an old school friend of mine. She runs a shop in Liverpool; I understand that she is very successful. She should be here by now.”

“They’ve done a runner and left me with all the debts.” Lisa’s father was a property owner and had become extremely rich spending money extravagantly on his wife and daughter. “You’ll have to forget about the round–the–world tour you were planning to go on with Lisa. We’ll rent a one bedroom flat in Hull or somewhere.” This was too much for Lisa to take in. She stormed in and screamed the place down. There were a lot of tears flowing and slamming of doors.

In the car Leah asked Lisa lots of questions.

Lisa found herself liking her auntie Leah less and less. For starters Leah seemed very interested in Lisa’s health. “You see, in my business health is very important.”

A few hours after this argument Lisa’s mother returned from holiday without her usual sun tan. They had another heated argument where

A few hours later and after many more questions they arrived at the shop. It was an extremely large place and Lisa’s first

It all happened very quickly after that. Lisa had been collected by a woman who was cross eyed and smelt faintly of blood but otherwise seemed perfectly normal.

“What is your business? Lisa asked. Leah had mumbled something about selling organs for humans to eat like a butchers shop. Lisa suspected that she was hiding something.

impressions were that it was more like a hospital.

“I hope you don’t expect me to work in here,” Lisa said rudely.

“No but I hope that you will appear in it,” Leah said slyly.

They walked into a very large room. There were row upon row of jars of blood with signs like “AB positive”. During the next few seconds Lisa had seen almost every organ in the human anatomy. A sign said: “ALL CANNIBALS AND VAMPIRES WELCOME. HALF PRICE ON ALL B NEGATIVE BLOOD”. That was when Lisa finally realised what was going on. They were going to cut up her organs and sell them to vampires and cannibals. She opened her mouth to scream but of course you cannot scream your sleep. She woke up with a start.

Her eyes were still closed and Lisa just lay there. It was all going to be alright. Her butler would bring her breakfast in bed and then her nanny would help her dress. Then her driver would take her to school. She did not like admitting that she was scared but that was a scary dream. It was so vivid and in all in full colour and most of all it really felt like she was inside the dream.

She opened one eye and saw a surgeon leaning over her with a knife in his hand. This time, she was able to scream.

Edward Upson 8R

Rory Freeborne GCSE 45

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Design Technology Upgrade of the Design Technology Graphics Room Over the summer holidays our Graphics Room has been completely refurbished to an 18 workstation computer suite.

With the advent of the new GCSE specifications it is no longer a requirement for pupils to use drawing boards in their Product Design GCSE. Much of the graphical work now involves using software packages such as Photoshop and Adobe Creative Suite.

Education in Engineering Scheme Little was know about what was lying in store for us at our first EES meeting early in November. The newly formed group, chosen after an interview process, consisted of Aneesh Misra, Ben Dathan, Subon Sivanathan and Joe Yarwood; we were tasked with working alongside an engineer from AECOM to try to solve the issue of water wastage around the school.

Over the coming weeks and months our team met weekly to update each other of the progress made. As often with vague projects, a large portion of our time was initially spent identifying where water was being wasted throughout the school. In the end we came up with two solutions- one involved fixing a ring into the piping behind the sinks to reduce the diameter of the pipes and thus reduce flow rate, and our other solution involved motion sensors at sinks which automatically shut off taps which had been accidentally left on. After deciding on a project we began to research the design and building methods in order to bring them to life.

Our group was spurred onwards by tight deadlines, the watchful gaze of our supervising teachers Mr. Kerr and Mr. Roncarati, and the enthusiasm and commitment of our ever present engineer. We had aimed to build the projects over a 3 day period, but this was cut short due to the school and the roads around it being snowed in. Soon after however we had completed the projects (albeit with a few burns Rory Freeborn GCSE 46

from the school’s soldering kit due to some delicate circuitry) and began to test the ring and the sensors on how much water they saved. The information we gather over a number of trials and statistically backed guesswork gave us the building blocks with which to start preparing the presentation we were to give at the ‘celebration and assessment day’.

The day itself went smoothly, with a number of our assessors taking great delight in the simplicity and effectiveness of the water saving

ring. It was concluded that all in all it was a very successful and enjoyable day. The EES project gives those that participate a small but tempting glimpse into the life of an engineer, although maybe more importantly it gave us a deeper understanding of teamwork, communication and crucially a positive and enthusiastic outlook. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone thinking about a career in engineering- a fantastic opportunity not to be missed.

Joe Yarwood

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Mr. Duschenes Visit

State of the Art – CNC Router

Rotary Technology Tournament

In early December we were fortunate enough to invite a guest speaker to address all of our GCSE candidates.

In the Spring Term we took delivery of a state of the art - Computer Numerically Controlled Router. It has a machine bed working surface of 1200mm x 600mm and a suction table to hold the work in place.

In early March twelve Yr 10 pupils attended the annual Rotary Technology Tournament at the Bushey Academy School. Each of our teams comprised of four pupils and many local schools in the area took part.

This is only the second machine of its kind that Boxford have fitted and installed into a school within the UK. It will prove to be an extremely valuable piece of hardware for our boys to use particularly those within Years 10 to 12.

The problem solving task this year was to design and make a beacon that had a flashing light on top of it. The light had to pulse ten times in a ten second period.

Mr. Duschenes (father of Timothy) came and spoke in the Aske Hall. The title of the talk was ‘Furniture Manufacturing’ but the presentation proved to be a really fascinating insight into how the design of a product can have radical implications on the manufacturing costs and subsequent sale price of the product.

We are extremely grateful to Mr. Duschenes for presenting such a high quality and informative lunchtime talk.

Limited materials were provided to each group and marks were awarded for the quality of the design ideas as well as how successful the prototype actually worked!

One of our teams won the task and was presented with a trophy by the Mayor of Watford.

Make a project in a morning!

We are very conscious within the department that our subject has changed radically over the last thirty years and the experience that our parents had at school in their more traditional Woodwork’, ‘Metalwork’and ‘Technical Drawing’ classes bears little resemblance to the Design Technology classes of today!

Back in March of this year we invited our Year 7 parents to come into our workshops on a Saturday morning and make a project using the up to date tools and machines that their boys experience using in their own DT lessons.

Computer Aided Design, laser cutting, machine lathe work and photo image manipulation.

Hopefully their 3D photo stands are now taking pride of place at home!

12 very brave parents sportingly turned up and spent three hours sampling the delights of

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GCSE Systems and Control

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GCSE Graphical Products

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GCSE Resistant Materials

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GCSE Resistant Materials

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Features

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Two Life Sentences An Interview with Mr Cook The forty years Mr. Cook has spent in the teaching profession could well be summarised by the aforementioned statement. Yet to say that the years he spent in teaching English and looking after adolescent boys was anything like a prison sentence would be a serious misunderstanding.

It soon became quite apparent that he had loved every aspect of his teaching career and had gained a wealth of experience and knowledge along the way. Even as he reflected on his time at Haberdashers’, there seemed to be a part of him that did not want to leave.

The relationships he had made with the School; his teaching colleagues and the pupils themselves, appeared to be something which he could never forget and, after the years he spent at this school, one could hardly blame him!

Mr. Cook has undoubtedly left a lasting impression on the school community, and the reason for this is because students, past and present, all have a unique and important attachment to him. As Head of Middle School for 22 years, HABS boys have always respected him, not only as a dedicated teacher but also as a mentor; They see him as someone who they could trust beyond the classroom.

When asked about how he had been able to create and maintain such a good relationship with his pupils, he simply smiled and said ,‘I haven’t really thought about that, but a part of me thinks that it’s because I have been here so long. Three school generations have passed during my time and I suspect that one generation has passed their Middle School experiences, good and bad, onto the next. I have always tried to treat pupils with courtesy and respect and consequently I have expected no less from them in return. It took a little while for that mutual understanding to establish itself, of course, but I hope that it has underpinned my approach to all routine difficulties as well as to the highly sensitive, pastoral and disciplinary matters.

Many boys would agree that Mr Cook was always someone who believed in second chances and his ethos of ‘amicably settling issues with salutary lessons’ is one that has endured and helped him to form strong relationships with his pupils. Obviously there had been times when ‘difficult’ boys could not be reasoned with and such exchanges required something more than a civilised conversation.

However, he said that many of those matters were often finally resolved by the boy’s acceptance of a blunt truth viz. he needed Haberdashers’ more than it needed him. In Mr. Cook’s lengthy experience of this highly selective school, he had been continuously 54

aware of a direct correlation between a boy’s academic progress and his conduct. Given the school’s achievement ethos, “If a pupil is in control of his academic work and enjoying some degree of success, then his school behaviour will inevitably reflect that level of personal security. If not, then I leave you to complete the sentence.

Over the years, Mr. Cook has spent a great deal of time and personal tenacity encouraging, ‘underachieving’ boys and he acknowledged the considerable and valuable assistance that he received from both the pastoral and academic staff in helping boys who were struggling to regain a sustaining belief in themselves and their abilities.” It reflects so well on us as a school that so few boys leave us at the end of the Middle School years.” It is largely through these values- ‘integrity, selfrespect and maintaining honest, open relationships’ that he was able to create a

bond between himself and the boys in the Middle School.

The strength and longevity of this ‘bond’ is only really given substance when one speaks to any Haberdasher who has had the privilege to know Mr. Cook and one is taken aback by the praise they have for someone who they never considered simply as a teacher, but rather more as a friend. Moreover, every Haberdasher has his own personal attachment, his own special memory of the Head of Middle School.

Hence, the attributes and qualities of Mr. Cook led him to become a source of inspiration for many. Many pupils look up to him as an individual who is fair and honest, as someone who could be trusted and always showed them respect. This naturally led to me asking who had inspired him. It was readily apparent that individuals who worked closely with him, the Housemasters from the last 25 years, his

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exceptionally talented colleagues in the English department and, not least, the pupils he taught, were all a constant source of inspiration. “I have always been quick to absorb the vitality and intellectual enthusiasms of those around me. I frequently tell the boys that members of staff have to learn to live with excellence in much the same way that they do. “ Mr. Cook firmly believed that ‘teachers learn effectively from each other, just as the boys learn from one another’; more often than not, colleagues would provide that ‘spark’, that ‘shaft of light in the darkness’, which would broaden his thinking. The rewards of teaching English Literature to gifted, highly articulate pupils, as well as helping to build the confidence of those who underprized their abilities had been a constant source of personal fulfilment. The lively classroom discussions ( the infamous ‘Habs’banter)in which the boys explored and developed their own ideas and responses to literary texts were particularly rewarding, not least when ‘things were going wrong’ in the Middle School; a fairly regular occurrence! The free thinking and exciting atmosphere in the classroom often provided a valuable contrast to the serious disciplinary interview with a Middle School boy and his parents.

Mr. Cook arrived at Haberdashers’ from Harrow County Boys’ Grammar School in 1973, at a time when many schools were undergoing comprehensive reform. He arrived with a strong sporting background and helped to run the Senior Rugby teams and Tennis squads, whilst also settling into the English department.

He reflected on his first years at HABS and spoke of the ‘70s being the ‘happy times’, a time when there was ‘freedom to teach’ beyond the exam board syllabus. He spoke of his involvement with the department which

The “Cuts Man” Every fighter needs a “cuts man”.

Somebody loyal, somebody that you can trust, somebody who has the knowledge to repair damage. Someone who has the strength to offer quiet reassurance when the blows of life come thick and fast.

Direction is what every fighter craves.

The heart may pound, the muscles may scream and the brain may be scrambled, but the calm words of the “cuts man” act like a balm, soothing the fire within.

This “cuts man” has his chair in the corner on the floor of a tired old block.

devised and assessed its own ‘O’ level English and English Literature exams under the aegis of the ‘Oxford and Cambridge Exam Board. “In essence, we could follow our own enthusiasms and interests and they, in turn, fired the boys’ imaginations and responses. The modern target- driven pre-occupation with assessment criteria has clearly constrained many of those freedoms.” That said, he felt reassured that the ‘off-syllabus enhancement’ provided by so many academic departments and the vibrant wider extra-curricular life of the School helped to sustain the excitement of learning at HABS. 1981 saw Mr. Cook’s departure from Haberdashers’ as he left to take up a post in the British School in the Netherlands. He thought that after ‘eight memorable years, it was time to move on. “ I had this terrific job too early in my career, so it was time to seek a new challenge.” However, his absence was short lived as he was invited to return to Habs in 1984. Having been initially appointed by Dr. Taylor in 1973, he was re-appointed by Mr. Bruce McGowan. Not long afterwards, he was a promoted to be Housemaster of Strouts ; “ This was a wonderful job and I was fortunate enough to have the benefit of so much considered advice and expert help from Mr. Alan Wood, my distinguished predecessor.

Whilst hearing about Mr. Cook’s time at HABS, I was overwhelmed by the weight and breadth of his experiences. I wondered at the changes he must have witnessed in the school; the change in student dynamics, the change in teaching methods and methods of assessment. I also wondered about the vast number of boys who had been under his care; 22 years and 500 boys in the Middle School at any given time. I leave it to the mathematicians to work that out.

More importantly, I asked him what made him stay so long. What kept him at the school so long?

Go there at break and he will be there, the watchful eye, surveying his string.

A bad round, the boy fighter stands next to Michael Cook, awaiting the measured response to his own unmeasured actions.

The words are long and barely audible above the din of panic in the young lad’s brain. Sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet but the words of the “cuts man” always hit deep upon the dry palate of a nervous young fighter.

“As I said earlier, this is a difficult school to leave. I tried once and returned; indeed I was both flattered and relieved to be invited to do so. In 1988 the Head of Middle School post was essentially a disciplinary role; I was appointed to keep the Middle School boys ‘in order’. Much the same is true today, of course, but pastoral responsibilities have immeasurably expanded during those 20 years. We knew in the early 1990’s that we needed to improve how we looked after the boys and I feel privileged to have played a significant part in those changes. It took several years to achieve the school-wide, House based structure that we now have and I was determined to stay here long enough to see the benefits of that change of culture.

While my pre-occupation for the past 22 years has been the daily welfare of the boys in the Middle School, my occupation for 40 years has been the teaching of English. The rewards and pleasures of teaching lively minds, helping to stimulate an ‘inner life’ in a recalcitrant pupil, lighting up imaginations and studying some of my favourite literature ( How many times have I taught ‘Great Expectations’ I wonder?) have certainly brightened the darker days of Tuesday detention !

These were his reasons, his thoughts and his experience. It was his belief in what he taught and how he taught it. If it had not been evident before, it should be rather clear now; he simply enjoyed it. He enjoyed that “rigorous intellectual combat” with his pupils; he enjoyed the interaction he had with a huge number of disparate personalities. He enjoyed the allconsuming involvement, the rewarding relationships and it now seemed the right time for him to say goodbye.

I finally asked him if, after all of these years, he could define a typical “Haberdasher”. “No!” he replied, “there is no such thing. They are all talented, strong-willed individuals and many of them are not afraid to think differently.” He went on to echo the words of the late Bruce McGowan who often claimed that for a Haberdasher the word “no” is usually the beginning of a discussion.”

Mr. Cook, a teacher who based his teaching on relationships; an individual who based his relationships on honesty; a personality whose honesty and fair-mindedness elicited universal respect.

We salute you, Sir! Aneesh Misra L6

Like all of the boys, he returns to the ring. But this time with a renewed vigour, a sense of purpose and a desire to right the wrongs of his past.

Everyone learns from the “cuts man”.

And I mean everyone.

A Metcalfe

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My Gap year in Brazil The beauty of travelling is as much in what you see in terms of tourist sites as whom you meet along the way. You won’t necessarily meet the most interesting person on the planet, and to expect to do so is missing the point. I would say that a sufficient condition for experiencing something different would be to meet people who weren’t raised in North London; a story can be interesting for no reason other than that it is different.

There are two main, complimentary joys to travelling. The first is obvious; by being in another country, and by talking to other people you learn a great deal about diversity, and those other people.

The second joy is that you learn about yourself.

By seeing other ways of doing things, other cultures, other views you consider yourself differently. Travelling is such a wonderful way of learning; about you and other places, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

I flew in to La Paz International Airport; from London it takes around 24 hours, because there is no direct flight. I was lucky enough to get just one connection, but several people I spoke to, including Husein Meghji, with whom I was travelling and met in La Paz, had in excess of 4 or 5 connections, some of which are inevitably missed. La Paz sits at an altitude of 3,640 metres, and it shows, because it is very cold. Backpacking as students, accommodation is almost exclusively based in hostels, which are buzzing hubs of tourists all of similar age, and by virtue of the fact that they are there in the first place, similar interests. South America has a very well connected system of hostels, and so the biggest concern would be not having room in a hostel, rather than not finding any hostels at all. The first hostel was called the Loki Hostel, and is well known for its ‘party atmosphere’. Largely what this amounted to was several groups of drunken Englishmen, so being homesick was not an issue. Bolivia features the highest percentage of indigenous people in its population at 85%, and just 15% white. The result is an authentic South American vibe to the nation, unlike Argentina, which, as you will see later, could easily be in Europe, not several thousand miles away. I strolled (or, in fact, clambered in an exhausted fashion; not being used to the altitude meant I tired quickly. Sadly Barnet does not sit atop a mountain) into the Loki, and met with Husein,

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who had acclimated so well that not only had his Spanish become proficient, he had been compared to the irresistible Enrique Iglesias by two separate girls. Personally, I do not see the resemblance, but was informed that this was ‘my loss’.

Travel across the vast distances in South America is largely done by the use of buses.

These buses, though, are unlike any in Europe; assuaged were my fears of rickety, unstable scraps of metal, because these buses are from the same family of coaches we use to get to school, but better. They come in two classes; semi-cama and cama, the latter allowing a passenger to recline to almost horizontal, and sleep as best as possible. Unfortunately, sleep is generally difficult thanks to several consecutive hours of 80’s love ballads, a mystifying choice that soon had me apoplectic.

Our next stop was Potosi, the highest city on the planet, sitting at an impressive 4,090 metres. Potosi is notable for its’ mines, from which silver ore is mined. A picturesque enough city in its own right, the main reason to visit the city is for the mines, through which one can traverse as part of a tour. We knew we were going to go through the mine for some time, and my feelings towards it were ambivalent. One the one hand, a unique experience but on the other, being surrounded by several hundred metres of rock it did not enthuse me greatly. Or at all. Before the mine tour, we were instructed to buy gifts for the miners, and dynamite, which they would blow up for us. Huzzah. The mine itself is multilayered, and is inside a mountain. To be honest, I was disappointed. Not by the mine itself, but because there were children of 12/13 working in oxygen and light deprived conditions, for no reason other than that their parents and older siblings worked there. The miners earn the highest average salary of Bolivians, as compensation for working in such harsh conditions. The downside is that they have the lowest life expectancy of any

Bolivians; a paltry and abhorrent 45 years. One young, entrepreneurial boy, offered to sell us shiny silver ore rocks. When we enquired as to how much to we should pay, he replied ‘IN SPANISH’ (It’s up to you). Cheeky. Meeting and talking to those miners has given me a greater sense of empathy for the miners currently trapped in Chile. I could hardly stomach 4 hours, let alone months.

Next stop: Uyuni. The Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat. Approximately 40,000 years ago it was part of a prehistoric lake, and when it dried it left behind two lakes, and two salt flats. The interesting thing is that you are so tremendously high up, yet in the middle of a desert, two things I would not naturally associate. The salt flats looks as though they could be a lake frozen over; white like snow in all directions, broken by soaring, snow tipped mountains. We embarked on a three day tour, and had five Israeli students for company. Our driver, Raul, was a man of few words, typified by the second day, during which we were

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caught in a sandstorm. We arrived at a waystation for lunch, and during this time, we saw the wind whipping up sand with some violence outside. Unperturbed, and despite his colleagues warning him not to go, Raul pushed on. We only made ground for about 20 minutes, when Raul pulled over; the sand storm was truly vicious, and visibility was limited to less than a metre. Women might like the strong, silent type, but I prefer the kind that explain a plan, rather than sit there in silence, something Raul was obstinately refusing to do. With the wind having not even slightly abated, we inexplicably pushed on. With no reference point, no bearings at all, going was treacherous, as we were barely able to make out the markings of the path (not so much a road as two parallel strips of sand mounds, inside which the jeeps were supposed to traverse). More than once, we saw jeeps that had turned back, to the safety of the previous way station. At one point, Raul stopped the car, and turned it around. ‘Ah,’ we supposed, ‘he doesn’t want to risk it.’ No, no, he did. He was driving in reverse? Why? An explanation was, typically, not forthcoming.

Eventually, we reasoned that he was trying to prevent the engine clogging with vast quantities of sand. Pace was slow, but we were making progress. Whether it was in the right direction was another question. Smash, a piece of debris had been carried by the wind, and had decimated the back window. The result was that the sand outside was now…inside. So, we had to drive head on, risking the engine stalling or dying. Eventually, somehow, someway we made it to our home for the night, and I have a feeling no one was more relieved than Raul.

Incidentally, living in North London, you really miss out on seeing the stars, because of light and fossil fuel pollution. I’ve never seen anything like the sky in Uyuni - stunning, and to be honest indescribable. The truth is out there.

Blasting through South Bolivia with two new Israeli compatriots, who referred to Husein with a guttural H, we found ourselves in Argentina.

The Argentinians are not particularly loved by the rest of South America because they consider themselves to be the Europeans of South America; chic and sophisticated. Well, mainland Europe, if you’ve ever been to a Wetherspoons, you’ll know those two words are not accurate to say the least. It’s obvious in the way that towns in Argentina are set out like the plazas and café’s that are archetypal of towns in Spain or Italy. Since we haven’t had a note on food yet, it seems appropriate now.

Argentinean cooking is very straightforward.

Find the largest grazing animal you can and throw it on fire. Vegetarian food extends as far as the meagre salads, which accompany the abundant piles of meat. A personal highlight of the trip combined this with exquisite wine in Mendoza, the capital of the wine region in Argentina. In Mendoza, tourists can hire a bike for the day and cycle to the various vineyards, to see how they make wine and sample a wide variety. At a rustic, old vineyard we had a barbeque luncheon with a gorgeous chardonnay. That is contentment.

Our last stop in Argentina was Iguaçu Falls, located on the boundary of Argentina and Brazil, and a mere 24hours on a bus away from the capital, Buenos Aires. Iguaçu is one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, and makes an extraordinary site. The entire site has the backing track of a ubiquitous roar, of water falling into water, and makes for a spectacular panoramic view. Certainly, the highlight is a boat ride that takes you into several of the waterfalls, soaking you through and through.

That combined with the frequently encountered critters called Coati’s (or Brazilian aardvarks) that had a penchant for some Maryland cookies Husein was carrying made for an interesting, and wet, experience.

Bolivia in general is cold. The high altitude can make for below freezing weather on a regular basis, no more so than in Uyuni. But, the further south we travelled the warmer it got, though it tended to resemble London. The weather as we crossed over into Brazil was noticeably warmer, and over the next few weeks we would become enamoured with

Brazilian weather, acai (a sugary, smoothie like drink), caiprihinias (Brazil’s favourite alcoholic drink), football (we were in Rio during the World Cup), and,the Brazilian people who were friendly and welcoming. First stop was Florianopolis with its white sand and flowing beaches, where we were guaranteed the ‘most beautiful girls in the world’, by our overexuberant, salesman like tour guide. Sadly, it emerged that we had come off-season, and so the beautiful girls were nowhere to be seen.

Naturally, we left, and went to Rio. Rio is a city that suites someone with eclectic interests. You can see beaches, go rock-climbing, go to a ‘favela party’ and have the Hollywood promoted health drink, acai, all in the same day.

On a personal level, I really enjoyed Rio, and an important reason for this was the volunteering in a school in the largest favela (slum) of Rio, Rocinha.

It was after this that I decided to raise funds for this school, which it lacked, by hosting a charity football tournament. It made elemental sense to do so, since we were surrounded by football 24/7.

So Husein, Rafael (a Brazilian friend we made) and I set out to create our tournament, which was held against the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean on one side, and the glitzy hotels of Copacabana on the other side. We raised around £200, and it was a pretty good evening for everyone involved. That and the memory of the spectacular views from the Cristo, and Sugarloaf Mountain made it a truly memorable city.

We finished our trip with a foray into the Brazilian jungle, which lies north of the Amazon. To finish the trip we had this varied, relaxing journey on canoes, boats and trudging through swampland, and it made a fitting finale to the trip.

Overall, I think it difficult to do the trip justice because there are so many varied experiences; just reviewing the places we went has taken the better part of four pages. Perhaps the best advice I can give is to go out there and experience it yourself. There is such a huge variety of characters, of sites; one of the best aspects of travelling is the book swaps. People read a book, like it and then give it to you.

Along the way, Husein got a book called ‘Marching Powder’, which is about the incarceration of an English drug dealer in the world’s most notorious prison, San Pedro (in La Paz, Bolivia). I got the autobiography of Anthony Keidas, lead singer of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. What I’m trying to say is that it is hugely worthwhile, probably more so than reading this article. Which perhaps should have been my opening line.

Apratim Gautam

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whereas individuals who enjoy planning and producing video-bulletins can participate in the Creative Team. The roles within this project are of a multi-various nature and so the door is left wide open for any individual with any sort of interest to play a role.

Over the past year, a handful of students and staff alike have undertaken the huge responsibility of creating a TV channel for the school. Using the template of Sky News and BBC News 24, the students have worked hard in materializing a daring idea into a purposeful reality.

‘HABSTV’ is the name of a channel set to broadcast within the school with its main purpose of bringing the entire school community together. The question that immediately arises is ‘How does one go about bringing a school community as large and as diverse as the one present in Haberdashers together?’ The answer to that would be through the medium of news. The team behind HABSTV will broadcast weekly news bulletins covering all the news within the school during that particular week. The aim of the news bulletins is to cover achievements of boys from all walks of life from all year groups.

In addition to the news bulletins, the weekly broadcast will also present a ‘Feature’ video, which will be feature length videos focusing on all aspects of school life. These videos could range from a video diary of a Year 7 boy in his first week of school, all the way up to University and Interview guides for the Sixth form. The aim of such ‘Features’ is to document the wide variety of activities and interesting news that goes on within the school which everyone may not necessarily be aware about.

The channel will primarily serve the purpose of using the medium of video broadcasts to inform students of weekly updates throughout the school calendar, such that individuals do not miss out on important information and notices. As mentioned earlier, the feature length video clips would complement the weekly news bulletins, ensuring that each bulletin is unique and equally as exciting.

One could easily question the point behind the creation of a school TV channel, yet the easier task lies in justifying the concept. HABSTV stands for more than merely a TV channel.

HABSTV is new extra-curricular activity, designed to encompass a large number of boys within the school all with very different skills and interests. Due to the scale of this new project, a large team is needed. Each week, a technical and creative team is required to produce the bulletins, and so it is unsurprising to suggest that many boys will be involved.

Boys interested in Computing and Video-editing can participate within the Technical Team, 58

HABSTV is now a beckoning reality but it has taken a year to materialise from an interesting idea to what it is now. A team consisting of Anthony Meyer, Aneesh Misra, Max Jenkins and Sam Healer have worked hard in developing HABSTV. This is because in October 2009, HABSTV was a sketchy idea. It became apparent to the team, that they had to start from the ground-up with this new initiative.

It was once said that ‘Money is human happiness in the abstract’, and it certainly applied to the team, who were first put to the task of gaining funding for the project itself. In order to film and edit high-quality films, new cameras and editing software was required, and like any other technological equipment these days, these new items did not come cheap. Hence, it became essential that the team could secure funding in order to make HABSTV really take-off.

The team of four had to pitch to the Senior Masters of the School, in order to justify the cost of this new project, and for any individual, it is almost certainly a daunting task! Some say that a meeting with the ‘Senior 6’, is like meeting the ‘Dragons’ from Dragons’ Den, whereas others have speculated that some individuals had never returned from their encounter, vanishing from existence. All we know is that meeting the Senior Masters is a tough task, and asking them for money is simply impossible.

Miraculously, however, the team were able to enthuse the masters concerning the idea, and were given their approval to continue developing the idea and turning it into a fully functional initiative.

HABSTV began to take shape, and a team structure started to appear, with Anthony Meyer taking the helm of the initiative. With Anthony as Chief Editor, Aneesh Misra and Max Jenkins occupied the role as Deputy Editors and Sam Healer undertook the role of Technical Editor.

During the subsequent months, the HABSTV team grew and undertook classes in Video Filming and Editing with a professional TV Editor, who had worked on shows for MTV. These classes ranged from the team learning about how video interviews should be set-up prior to the interview to how video footage should be edited and compiled to make a video.

The importance of HABSTV has significantly increased

due to the time and effort a substantial number of individuals have put into this idea. The countless hours of planning and organising have led to HABSTV being launched this academic year. The support of both pupils and teachers has enabled high-quality cameras and high performance video-editing software has been acquired. This has allowed the team to film and produce high-quality footage which will, no doubt, add a touch of professionalism to the videos produced.

Looking back at where it started it is an achievement in itself that HABSTV is now something of a reality, looking to make a huge impact on the school community both through its video bulletins and through the boys participation as well.

The team had taken huge strides in bringing HABSTV to the forefront of the school community, yet when HABSTV is launched, the team will have to take a gigantic, colossal leap into the unknown, where they will produce videos frequently.

HABSTV is a new idea, and yes, undoubtedly there are risks involved, but the brilliance and individuality that comes through this concept is something that will ensure HABSTV will continue running year in, year out, evolving as new people bring new ideas.

Many would support me in saying, that HABSTV is new, innovative and fresh to the school community. It is very much a concept of the future, realised today.

Aneesh Misra L6

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HABS and our Alumni In the middle of Alan Bennett’s The History Boys (2004), the Headmaster is asked where he went for university: Irwin: So, where did you go?

Headmaster: I was a geographer. I went to Hull.

Irwin: Oh, Larkin.

The response is one that many hear whenever Hull is mentioned; Larkin served as the librarian there from 1955 until his death in 1985, where he wrote much of his published work. Many universities, it appears, are applied to because of the people who used to be there rather than the people that are there. I asked someone who went to university a very long time ago, ‘Why did you apply to Baillol?’. He said, ‘Oh, you know, I liked the whole idea of the tradition of the old Marxist aristocracy’.

What does that even mean? Many people applying to universities also look at the alumni list. It doesn’t seem to be deliberate - what happens is that students type in the name of a university on Wikipedia and one of the sections says ‘alumni’ and it proves irresistibly interesting - and perhaps, it is an easy way to make a tough decision. Loughborough University has Lord Sebastian Coe, the Chairman of the London Olympic Organising Committee on its ‘wiki’ list of notable alumni, and Monty Panesar, the England spinner that Graeme Swann replaced. If I type in ‘Durham University’ I find that both Sir Richard Dannatt, the former Chief of the General Staff of the British Army, Milton Margai, the first Prime Minister of Sierra Leone, and Andrew Strauss, the captain of the England cricket team, have it as their alma mater. Does this mean that if you

go to Durham you will become an Army Chief that can lead countries and play cricket for England even though you were born in Zimbabwe? What is going on here?

It may not be a very useful measure of a university or institution then, but it is quite fun.

So let’s have a look at the list of notable HABS alumni and see if that encourages people to come here.

First up on the list is Frederick Augustus Voigt, a British journalist and author of German descent. Voigt was at the school’s Hampstead campus and made his name as an opponent of the rise of dictatorship and totalitarianism (not within the school; within Europe!). Recently on a debating trip a pupil made a speech on the Weimar Republic ‘because no one else had yet’ and he felt it had been ignored. Voigt was much the same. He spent thirteen years working for the Manchester Guardian on Germany, and in 1926 scored a major journalistic breakthrough when he disclosed documents detailing the secret collaboration of the Reichswehr (the Weimar Republic’s military) and the Soviet military authorities, thus contravening clauses in the Treaty of Versailles that stipulated Germany should not re-arm.

Another ‘scoop’ was his discovery of the Polish oppression of the Ukranian minority in Eastern Poland. Voigt was so successful because like the typical ‘shmoozing’ HABS boy he built up a confidential network of informants such that he was one of the few people left who could provide reliable information about Germany after the rise of Hitler. It is also claimed that, ‘Despite not being conventionally good-looking with his thinning hair and thick glasses, Voigt seems to have been something of a "ladies' man" and was married three times’! But ignore that, prospective student - HABS boys are ladies’ men and conventionally good looking!

Voigt produced two perceptive political books.

In his second, Unto Caesar, he perceptively claimed that Communism and Fascism were ‘revolutionary, secular, pseudo-religions’.

But a nineteenth century German liberal is not who you normally mention when asked at a family dinner who went to HABS. No, the most common answer is ‘Ali G, innit?’. Some say

that he was actually quite a quiet boy at school but Dan Mazer, a scriptwriter who also went to HABS and wrote scripts such as Borat and Bruno, says that at HABS because all the boys were too small to beat each other up they had to make up with verbal jousts (ignore this, prospective student: HABS Boys are conventionally ripped, too). Sacha Baron Cohen exported the culture within HABS of making politically incorrect jokes to the outside world.

Contrary to what you might think, it has some positive effects (Sacha is now married to the Hollywood actress Isla Fisher). We’ve also got David Baddiel, who wrote the World Cup song, Malfoy from Harry Potter, Matt Lucas from Little Britain and Mark Kermode (that guy off the BBC with the ten foot high, silver quiff) as our more recent alumni in the Arts.

Another former student we have is Damon Hill, the former British world champion in F1. He did win the championship when even the oldest current HABS Boys were four years old, but needless to say we are convinced that his driving style would have been nurtured skidding to ‘keep off’ the quad or roaring down Dagger Lane.

So what does all of this mean? Not necessarily very much but I think you would have to deduce that if you want to send your son here be aware that they’ll come out a man who is a passionate anti-Fascist and a profane and politically incorrect comedian and an actor who gets paid to sit in a wheelchair all day (even though they’re not disabled), a conventionally and unconventionally good-looking man who gets all the girls, whilst at the same time a TV historian who spends his Saturdays getting into spats with Hermione and Sundays blitzing round Stowe corner in an F1 car while maintaining his monolithic silvery-grey quiff in his rear view mirror. All we can say is that there’s certainly a great number of varied and original people who’ve been here, which probably demonstrates the futility of this exercise!

Ameya Tripathi L6

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Habs Conspiracies

wandered towards the half-built Studio Four the noise rose to a deafening cacophony, the crazed ululating surrounding the terrified Mr. Rose.

Being referred to as having “the gift of the gab,” we all know how the pupils who make up our school love to talk. There are one and a half thousand boys making up seven years at Haberdashers’, yet a rumour can spread between every person, teachers and students alike, within one and a half minutes.

Throughout my six years here, I have been subject to some fascinating stories; both potential rumours, such as ghosts, and headline making news, including murders and fires. Here are some of them. As with every conspiracy story, they vary from the delusional to the, well, delusional.

later, we were still left waiting, and were told that Period 6, after lunch, had been cancelled.

A small minority of boys celebrated at missed lessons and, if very lucky, tests, yet, beneath this, almost everybody was confused as to what had brought on these events. After all, there was neither a fire nor an emergency vehicle in sight.

Gas Leak and Fire

As time dragged by, and the pupils grew increasingly tired and hungry, we were finally released from our enclosure towards the dying minutes of the lunch break, and led back into a school in which half the doors and corridors were locked, and all of the lockers in specific areas had been opened and searched.

As with many of the HABS conspiracy stories, the reliability and truthfulness of ‘The Tale of Studio Four’ is highly doubted and debated, but students who stay late in the music hall still claim to hear sounds from beneath the floors of Studio Four..

The conclusion was that a gas leak had occurred, most likely leaking from a locker which contained a gas cylinder belonging to one of the pupils going on a CCF trip to Otterburn, North Yorkshire, that week.

Jack the Ripper

On 8th October 2009, less than a month into the new school year, two mystifying and ambiguous incidents were brought upon the school within just a few hours of each other.

A sunny Thursday afternoon, the school was looking immaculate; it was a mere two days until the school’s annual Open Day, the hedges had been trimmed, the lawns were pristine, and the campus resembled a computer simulation; impossibly perfect, even by Haberdashers’ standards.

However, everybody’s lunchtime routines were ruined when, at around 1:00pm, the shrill blare from the school’s numerous fire alarms called out. Everybody had to make their way to the Astroturf pitches, some complaining of missed opportunities at the “Passion Gates” due to the impromptu and poorly-timed fire drill.

Suspicions and queries began to arise by the ever-inquisitive Habs boys when, half an hour

However, this did not explain another fire alarm! It rang at 4pm, almost in unison with bell signalling the end of another school day. Ironically, I had been alerted by a teacher on the Astroturf pitches during the incident over lunchtime of how the last time there was a fire in school, it occurred at 4pm, making it impossibly difficult to measure who was on and off campus. How coincidental, it seemed, that the same had occurred! This time, emergency vehicles did arrive almost immediately, headed straight for the sports hall which was bellowing smoke.

Fortunately, everybody left school that day safe and sound. Despite this, it seemed curious that, despite not one real fire occurring in my prior six years at the school, this one day, ever so close to open day, consisted of both a gas leak and a sports hall inferno.

The Tale of Studio Four Every school has its ghost stories, and HABS has more than its fair share, the most well known being ‘The Tale of Studio Four’.

The story involves an ex – teacher, named Mr. Rose. During the building of the music school (the Seldon Hall) Mr. Rose, who lived at HABS, would hear strange howlings from the construction site in the dead of the night.

Normally he would ignore them, passing the noises off as escaping gas, or falling building materials, but one night he decided to investigate the strange sounds, so, armed with a torch and a single clove of garlic, he tentatively wandered into the half-built hall. As he

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The next morning Rose was found, unconscious, among the building works by concerned workmen, who immediately called for an ambulance. Upon coming round, Mr. Rose claimed to remember nothing of the events following his entrance into Studio Four, but starkly warned builders not to continue with the construction. His advice ignored, building continued, but months later, a human finger was apparently found amongst the building site as the foundations were laid. Rose subsequently left the school, but not before retelling the story of that fateful night to many students currently in the Lower Sixth.

As you are whisked down Butterfly Lane as a young Year 7, it is likely that you might be forewarned of the rumours of Jack the Ripper.

Despite supposedly operating in the area of Whitechapel, older boys and siblings especially delight in scaring the newcomers by suggesting that Jack worked amongst the leafy woods of Aldenham.

The legend has it that he would crouch down behind the banks very late at night and kill a small animal like the many squirrels that scurry around the lanes. Then, he would wait until a motorcar rumbled tentatively into the gloom of the silent, unlit road, trying to spot the bend they knew existed not only in their memory.

The shock of seeing any obstacle on the road would slow the car down even further, late at night, so the motorcars would slow down and inspect the dead squirrel or rabbit or whatever else was on the road and as they stopped, often getting out to examine, Jack would quietly creep out of the hedges. Even when he knew he could get to his victim, he wouldn’t make a noise, and it is only when he grabbed them by the neck that the victim would first become aware of their assailant and let out a lonely, unheard howl. Bloodthirsty Jack would make his final move, then get in the car with the bodies and make it appear like a road accident, as if his victims had failed to peer through the gloom and crashed past a blind bend. There used to be claims that he used to knock around the Old Drama Studio.

Matt Kuber, Ameya Tripathi & Elliot Marcus L6

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The Year That Left Every year a part of the school goes off into the wider world, and reports back once they’ve made it on to a Wikipedia page. This year, we thought it might be a good idea to find out what the year that left was like by asking a cross section of boys from it about their experiences.

If you could choose a Premiership team to describe HABS, which would it be?

Considering their ongoing commitment to nurturing youth and excellence in terms of entertainment and provision of swagger, the great Manchester City seem the most similar team to HABS. The similarity in appearance as well as character between Roberto Mancini (OH) and Phillip Parr, although understated in the media, is a significant factor.

Philip Bagshaw

What school trip did you enjoy most at HABS? Argentina and Chile. It was an unbelievable experience of different cultures, staying with families made the whole trip a fantastic character building experience as well as good preparation for the rugby season. Has made me want to return to South America in the future and explore other areas of the world.

Hasan Dindjer

How did your involvement in societies at HABS improve your academic career?

It's a bit early to judge but I'd like to think that keeping myself very busy at school had

some positive effect on my work. Debating makes you pretty good at arguing quite convincingly for one side of an argument whilst paying little attention to 'the truth'. This is good for A-Level essay subjects (though I daresay bad for some other things). In general, I think that juggling a lot forces you to manage your time as efficiently as possible, a skill I've neglected since leaving HABS, but should probably re-learn before starting my law degree. I should mention that being on the Skylark editorial team gets you a long way.

Matthew Worby

reason this was such an achievement was that in the previous year we won just 3 games in the entire season and that daily mail cup run was a real display of team spirit and courage from a side that were often underdogs and it is something I am very proud of.

Brett Bernstein

Would you ever send your children to HABS? Of course, I can't see anywhere else providing for little Bretts in the same way.

Ed Schwitzer

What were you feeling upon leaving HABS? There was a sense of relief that I finally got to progress onto bigger and better things. I think from the start of the final year, when everyone was checking ‘UCAS track’ once a day, university was tantalisingly close, and the year just wanted to be off, be done with school. But there was also a small twinge of regret, HABS was a place that I had spent 7 years; some of my year had spent 13 years there. The routine became comforting and we all knew how the place worked, but ultimately we all felt that we had been nurtured to the fullest extent, and it was time to achieve excellence in the wide world.

Johnny Miller

What was your greatest achievement at HABS and why?

My greatest sporting achievement was probably captaining our U15 rugby side to the 5th round of the Daily Mail Cup (the national knock out tournament) only to lose to eventual finalists in a tight game, putting us in the top 32 schools in the country. The

What was your favourite memory from any HABS school trips you went on?

Perhaps it was seeing the look on Mr Simm's face in The Hague when Ben Dive called him Alex. Or maybe it was when we had returned from the Year 9 trip to Boulogne and upon entering the coach park, we saw Mr Corrall slyly remove vast quantities of wine from the coach hold. Certainly, what makes HABS school trips so special is the singing of Jerusalem once you've made that special right turn into Dagger Lane.

What aspect of HABS do you think you'll miss the most?

Definitely the banter! It was so refreshing to stroll into the common room on a Monday morning and hear the laughs about what some poor guy had done on Saturday night.

Furthermore, Sue takes banter to a whole new level and my nickname of "Billy no mates" was something I sported with immense pride.

Nii Cleland L6

New honours ties and scarves awarded

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Bantock Interview Unless you are a cellist, frequent the Music School or are in any of the School Orchestras, you are unlikely to know exactly who Mr Bjorn Bantock is.

However, he is undoubtedly one of the most powerful characters in the entire Music Department. An internationally renowned conductor, enthusiastic extrovert and fantastic cellist to boot, he recently managed to create, organise, and market the first ever Habs String Tour through sheer force of personality. In an interview with Mr Bantock, we try to discuss all of these things and more.

Z: So, what did you do before you came to Habs?

B: Had a life! (Laughter) There’s so much of it; you’d need to be more specific.

Z: Did you teach before you came here?

B: I had a job in Manchester before I came here, teaching the cello, and before that, I studied at Manchester again, at the Royal Northern College of Music, with Emma Ferrand and Ralph Kirshbaum. And before that, I was in Holland, in Amsterdam, studying with Gregor Horsch, the lead cellist of the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Before all that I studied in the Conservatory of Music in Stellenbosch, which is just outside Capetown.

Z: How do the schools that you were at before compare to Habs?

B: I started my cello teaching in the state schools in Manchester, which were incredibly rough. I remember one of the first schools that I turned up to; I thought it was a jail! It had rolls of barbed wire on the fences, and electric gates with buzzers at the front door. It was very intense. The children were basically savages; no one ever came to lessons. It was all very depressing. So when you compare the buildings and the set up of the classrooms in the private sector, I don’t think the boys even realise how lucky they are sometimes.

I think that the facilities that are available to the staff and pupils alike are second to none, so that’s quite; well... it’s something to think about.

Z: Are you still in contact with any of the cellists that you trained with?

B: I have a few friends that I’m still in good contact with; one of them is now the 62

godfather of one of my sons, but I don’t really play the cello anymore, so much had to stop, and so my playing career ended, which is when I came to Habs.

Z: How long have you been conducting for?

B: I started conducting when I was a teenager, at a National Youth Orchestra Course in North Wales, of all places. The Brass Ensemble there asked me to conduct something one afternoon; they needed a conductor as they were doing some complicated piece or something. That was the first time I ever conducted anything, I was about 14 I think, and then I caught the bug, but as I thought that the cello was more important for me, I stuck with the cello. When I stopped playing the cello, I thought maybe I’d like to try conducting again. Basically I needed another way to make music, and so I contacted a teacher recommended to me at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Colin Metters, and I did an audition for him, he said yes, he’d take me on, and I had about five years of lessons with him.

Z: And you’re conducting orchestras internationally?

B: Yes, I do, quite a lot really considering how much cello teaching I do… I’ve worked with the Capetown Philharmonic Orchestra quite a lot, and the Hertfordshire Philharmonic, and I go to Denmark about three or four times a year to conduct some orchestras there. I also work in Italy and Germany quite regularly, things are starting slowly… Like red wine (Laughs). I’m going to Poland in the autumn and then to South Africa again at Easter. I’ve also just recently been asked to take over the St. Albans’ Symphony Orchestra as their principal conductor, and also I do a lot of freelance stuff; whatever’s available and because the school term is so short; we only actually work for about thirty weeks per year, so that leaves the rest of the twenty weeks of the year free to do other things. At the moment, I’m managing to do a lot of my work in the holidays, which are very extensive in the teaching profession.

Z: I remember reading on your website, that you were in a newspaper, for a Music Festival, the first ever in – B: Oh yes, Malta! I had a friend who was a composer, and we decided that we’d like to start an International String Orchestra Festival in Malta, which we spent about eighteen months planning. We got sponsorship from various companies, and we had a festival which ran over ten days; it involved getting professional string teachers from the colleges in London to go and teach for a week to students from all over the world. We had students from Russia, Australia, South Africa, the U.K,

France, Denmark, Germany, and America.

In order for them to be to be invited, they had to send audio or video tapes and we chose the best thirty performers. They were all student, or college level musicians and we put them together with the professionals in a real string orchestra, and we had master classes where they performed to the professors and they also had lessons, chamber music lessons and string quartets every day. That was very successful, I enjoyed that. Malta is a wonderful place to be, so sunny and hot and the coffee is like diesel (Laughs!). We also played some concerts on the island of Gozzo, which is just a short ferry ride. Everything in Malta is an overpoweringly intense bright yellow sand-stone colour, and in glorious opposition the Catholic churches and cathedrals are fantastically over the top, embellished to the height of opulence…and it’s just beautiful…truly the last bastion of Catholicism before the great foreboding ‘Africa’ looms over the bow of your ship!

Z: So, moving on to your work at Habs, lots of people have noticed your somewhat... unusual style, maybe in teaching, but specifically in wearing rather interesting costumes, famously the Pirates of the Caribbean costume, where you wore a pirate costume, with a parrot on your shoulder, and more recently last year when you were playing Austin Powers, and you came in dressed in felt, and a crown and a giant flashing sceptre. So what do you have to say for yourself?

B: Well, we’re working with music which is a creative thing…fluid and unpredictable, also very, very hard work. I was working with the Philomusica Orchestra there, and it’s a quite difficult age group to work with, basically they’re all between the ages of eleven and fourteen, and it’s incredibly important that the best way to educate young boys and young men (in my humble opinion!) is to get them enthusiastic about what they’re trying to do. I don’t think that the ‘stick’ approach works; well it does work for a short time, but maybe because of resentment and fear on behalf of the child. I think that the best way to learn, and the best way to educate them in the long term, in a life sense, not just until the exam, is that they are incredibly enthusiastic about what they are doing, with discipline of course. In a way that’s what is so tantalising about learning music, you need these two seemingly diametrically opposed things in yourself, absolute discipline and absolute freedom to do whatever, in this case Austin Powers! If I were doing another subject, Geography or Biology for example, I think I might do exactly the same thing. I think that if the boys are enjoying what they do, then they don’t even realise how much they learn. They’re learning just for the enjoyment factor, so you then sneak in the

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education alongside that. I think that’s important. I come from a... well… when I was in school it was incredibly different; I grew up in a kind of totalitarian state system, basically under the iron rod, and we were caned excessively for absolutely everything, and I’m not sure that that’s such a good idea. So, maybe I’ve gone to the other extreme?

Z: The ‘RENT A CROC’ poster on your wall, is that something you would put up if you were a Biology teacher?

B: (Laughs) That was actually a present from one of the boys; I was threatening to phone Rent-a-Croc if they muck about, and I even have a (fake) number in my mobile phone to show them if I have to. I pretend that you can rent crocodiles in various shapes, stages of development, ages and colours: with teeth, without teeth, you can have titanium teeth for instance, for various uses in and around the music classroom; of course, it all depends upon the severity of the punishment to be meted out! I tell them that it’s my cousin who owns that!

Zachary Spiro L6

The Quad ...a great meeting place and centre for the school that we often don’t notice Complacency is pandemic in any Haberdashers classroom. The confident saunter of the HABS Boy is added to our gait on the very first day of year seven, but nowhere else is this complacency better evidenced than around the quad.

Each day hundreds of boys stroll around, and occasionally across, the carefully manicured square, wholly ignoring their surroundings.

But on the occasional days that the school is found empty it is hard to understand how so many can walk past the area so quickly. Its beauty lies in its simplicity. A small plaque lies in the square’s centre and before this two trees

stand side by side. It comes as a refreshing break to the intensely busy surroundings, but its importance is more symbolic than aesthetic.

It is the school’s centre point, the unavoidable cross roads through which every journey around the school will pass. Although I don’t remember ever being expressly forbidden from walking on the grass of the quad it simply is not the done thing. When researching this article I ran to the quad’s centre to read the plaque and upon reaching it I felt exposed and reckless and began to rehearse possible excuses in my head. Even if the Quad isn’t fully appreciated my sprint back to the surrounding path shows that it is certainly respected.

The quad’s simplicity leads to its versatility and the varied events that take place on the quad show its usefulness to the school. Sales are commonplace, but the acoustic concerts in the summer and the transformation of the quad into a small park on Mencap Funday are the moments that stand out in boys’ memories of the quad. The quad is the heartbeat of Habs, and perhaps the complacency is more representative of the gentle respect the boys feel for the area than their taking it for granted.

It is, after all, just a square of grass.

Elliot Marcus L6

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HABS Summer Workshop This year HABS Summer Workshop celebrated its 25th Anniversary.

Both weeks had over 150 boys and girls who enjoyed a whole range of exciting activities ranging from Dance (which is new this year) to Adventure – which involves Canoeing, Camp craft and Orienteering.

HABS Summer Workshop is a non – residential activities camp for boys and girls between the ages of 7 to 13.

There are 2 one week courses – the first begins on Monday 9th July 2011 and the second one begins on Monday 16th July 2011.

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Children from all schools are welcome to attend either one or both weeks and the cost of the camp is approximately £180 per week.

The children can choose from a range of activities including – Football, tennis, hockey, dance, athletics, photography, pottery, adventure, design, electronics, fun with wood, video production, badminton, cricket, drama and T shirt printing.

The day is from 9.30am until 4.30pm. A hot lunch and all equipment is provided.

The Workshop has particular benefit to those children who are about to start their schooling

at Haberdashers (7+ and 11+) as it gives them a chance to orientate themselves around the school and to meet other new boys and some of the teaching staff.

Should you wish to receive an application form (which will be available at the end of May) please contact Mrs. Tracey Clark on 0208 266 1720.

N Holmes

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Prep & Pre-prep

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Prep News endation Day on delivered the Annual Report at Prep Comm Twenty eight boys, along with Miss Mercer July 2nd 2010. t many new T’ and the packed Bourne Hall heard abou The theme of this year’s report was ‘FIRS ol.

Scho Prep the in year this time for the first initiatives and events which have happened 6 as part of d animation film compiled by boys in Year each of The audience watched a superbly constructe y Competition held earlier in the year. In Poetr e gave accounts of the Inter- Hous ains Capt e House Hous their in The . sat Study have of e boys ramm Prep their Art Prog in Friday assemblies the was Andrew’s House everytime! This year Term to won mn h Autu whic the entry in n the s etitio group comp g year writin four the y Competition, there was also a hand Poetr a as well As Ties. e Hous new Groups, proudly wearing their ins. remind the Prep boys how vital this skill rema ded evidence of how challenging their their first ever residential trip and they provi for Kent, rd, Ashfo in ens at Kew re Cent wood Kings Year 4 went to the their day visit to The Royal Botanical Gard

by Mrs Magnus). The Year 5 boys described e (mad DVD ous fabul a gh throu were activities e.

Walkway and the famous Temperate Hous where they were enthralled by the Treetops oint pens, bottle and wired 100 plastic bottles, felt tips, ballp Herbert in this year’s Art Project; they cut Mrs ted assis Club Art the Hall. from Prep boys the Thirty dly hanging in mble a spectacular chandelier – now prou tops and toothpaste lids to create and asse Years 3-6 were invited to learn Bridge; to attend a lunchtime Yoga Club and learn to 6 Year for y rtunit oppo an ded also added to the Year 6 curriculum.

Other ‘Firsts’ this year have inclu year Spanish and German lessons were This y!). famil and n Fulto ael Raph to s Backgammon (with thank end of term event was once again a dance club was set up and the traditional a that Prep the in ity activ lar popu a Dance continues to be such the boys. dance competition organised entirely by ly received by parents and friends of the cal CATS (and T. S. Eliot’s poetry) was warm musi the on d base , enjoyed.

Tails’ um’s ‘Poss n The Year 6 Productio face painting which the boys thoroughly dance routines along with some striking erful wond some ded inclu again once and school World s Team. Ravi represented his country at the who was selected for the U11 England Ches Haria Ravi ! ed older includ years have 7 year nents the of oppo st ights again Individual highl ament where he played at the prestigious Cappelle-le-Grande Tourn Junior Chess Championships in Turkey and was crowned ns and Max Goodkind, in his first season, very successful entering official competitio been have club Judo the of bers mem e Som Runner-Up in the IAPS Judo Championships.

Herts’ Schools’ U9 Judo Champion and was premiere of ‘A Mountain’ Operetta and at the televised at City Hall. He also performed in ‘The Ice Noah Max sang in front of Boris Johnson Christmas Carol’ in Leicester Square. tics at Crystal Palace. He came et in the London Youth Games Mini Athle Barn of ugh Boro on Lond the sent repre Ashvin Kuri was selected to second in the 200 metres. in the ‘Top Hat’ Stage School production. a as well as securing the lead role of ‘Billy Elliot’ Oper Soap BBC n know well a in part sion Harry Sharer won a televi vement considering just 230 medals r Mathematics Olympiad. A fantastic achie Junio UK the in l Meda ze Bron a ded Joshua Silverbeck was awar ipants! are awarded from an entry of 250,000 partic the Gold Medal for their Acting Dialogue.

London Festival of Music & Drama and won North the in part took Six haniThad l Nikhi Aryan Mishra and with Benjamin and Freddie Wright for the ted all-round sportsman) was selected along talen very a and in capta et Crick U11 George Lawrence (our U11 County Cricket Squad. him on to Sport’ trophy which was presented to won the Prep School ‘Overall Contribution sman sport ted talen ly huge er anoth er, Jonathan Walk Commendation Day. stars. ’ Squad and the ‘Future’s Squad’ for rising years) has again been selected for the Herts (9 r playe s tenni ted talen very a – er Sam Warn his age group in the U10 hurdles at the IAPS on and in the Prep, Adeoluwa Tokuta won seas ever best its ded ol record by 1cm! recor d squa tics The HABS’ athle jump on Sports Day just missing the scho jumped an outstanding 1.39cm in the high ye Obile iposi Ayom hips. pions cham nal regio boys and regarding the astonishing generosity of the this year and special mention must be made e activ June very the been and has Read cil ber Coun Octo ol the Scho ding The Prep sored events inclu total £8,172.37 was raised through spon Haiti Earthquake their families in fund-raising activities. In supported the RSPCA, Cancer Research, has d raise y mone the , days i muft and fete time lunch a to ion addit Sponsored Swim. In Street Hospital. , Teenage Cancer Trust, and Great Ormond Appeal, Sparrow Schools, Freddie’s Fund s (based on the Key Stage II Results of the topped the Sunday Times Parent Power Table had Prep ’ HABS some tremendous that news the with n The year bega h consecutive year. The year ended with st ranked Boys’ Prep School for the fourt highe the HABS ng maki ) years three ous previ enge. results in The UK Junior Mathematics Chall new 2010/2011 Academic Year! the staff in the Prep. We can’t wait to start the and boys the to done Well year. lled fun-fi We have certainly enjoyed a busy and

Yvonne Mercer Head of Prep & Pre-Prep Schools 67

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Orielton, Wales My favourite part of Orielton was unarguably sharing a room with my friends. On the first day we clambered up the stairs as quickly as possible, lugging ginormous, over-packed suitcases to grab the best beds in our dorms! Our room consisted of 6 boys and 3 bunk beds (six spaces). It was a new and exciting experience to me.

Our room was a dull white and the beds were made from wood which creaked every time you fractionally moved yet they were still comfy and welcoming to rest on. There was a nice warm and comfy carpet which spanned the floor as well. Our room looked like a World War 1 minefield with clothes spewed out on the floor and towels flung onto random ledges and onto the floor. It was hastily cleaned up when teachers announced dreaded room inspections.

At night our room was alive with the sound of laughter which sadly didn’t go down well with the teachers. After a few energy lacking days I think our group realised that the teachers only made us go to bed early for our benefit not theirs.

There was a vast array of rooms, each with their own specific name, ours was called Seal.

I loved all of the trips out and learning about Nature.

I have to say in my opinion the worst thing in Orielton was packing to go home. Packing was grim and a sober task as a week of fun had just come to a halt.

Gideon Daitz Year 6

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The Long Climb On a sweltering-hot Friday afternoon in June, twenty-eight boys, seven from each of the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ Prep School houses, stepped off the coach, their hearts trying to escape their chests, and lined up in front of the impossibly tall trees, threatening figures blotting out the sun.

The four lines of seven, one for each house – Andrews, Davids, Georges and Patricks – stood in the shadows of the four eighty-five metre tall menaces.

At precisely 3:15pm, the starting whistle split the skies and the first four men clambered for the stars. The annual inter-house tree-climbing race had begun.

Georges got off to an excellent start, with Johnny Walker effortlessly scaling the meanlooking branches. However, the Patricks supporters were losing luck; Iyon Rudran broke every branch he stepped on and was relying on only his strong hands to get him up- but were they strong enough…? The annoyed supporters tried to distract Johnny, ending in a long drop and a sudden stop as the poor boy was hospitalised from a fatal slip.

However, the event had to continue. Johnny’s substitute, Noah Max, took to the front of the red-laden line.

The race was re-started, with a ten-second handicap for poor old Patricks. With Iyon disqualified, things were not looking up for them. However, Ben Wright made up for lost time and scaled it to the clouds, drawing with Davids’ first man, Michael Nio.

The Big Scream It was getting hot between the houses when Alexander Davis finished first, making the Georges crowd at the roots roar!

Just seconds later, Sohum Patel grasped the top branch in triumph as his mates cheered him from Earth.

Patricks had made a smooth comeback; Ravi Haria cheered up his teammates by finishing next.

Meanwhile, far, far below, Andrews’ last man was waiting on the solid soil, waiting when man six would give him the all-clear to start climbing.

“I knew from the very beginning that Georges would do well,” stated Mr. Lipscomb, Housemaster of the reds, after the race. I’m so proud of them, honestly!” he adds confidently as he sees his seven top men hoist the cup.

“I don’t know how I made that comeback at the beginning…” said Ben Wright of Patricks, a little uncertainly. “But I did it, and that’s what matters…”

“I don’t think I’d have stood a chance!” sniggered Mr. Brown, hardly able to conceal his laughter as Mr. Lowe made his drawn-out thank-you speech. At that, Mr. Lipscomb and Miss Grimes both fell into hysterics category as the sturdy trees vibrated with the everlasting echoes of their hyena-esque laughter.

Noah Max Year 6

Local girl attacks famous spider at park.

Incy Wincy was attacked at his home by a human giant, Little Miss Muffet, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The spider is recovering at home with his parents. Witnesses saw the girl squeezing the spider viciously in her hand. “The pair of them were making a horrendous sound, both screaming their heads off! Miss Muffet ran all around Hyde Park squeezing the poor creature.”

Our reporters, Scor P.Ian and Tara N. Tular, managed to have a word with Incy Wincy at his home.

“I was sitting there, minding my own business, making my web. Then suddenly, a monster of a girl turned around, saw me, and started attacking. She screamed like a wild dog, I tell you. She squeezed me and even stepped on me. That girl should live in the jungle, with the animals!”

The doctors think Incy will not recover until he has an operation on his flat stomach. He won’t be able to appear on Spider TV for a long time.

The spider police say do not panic if you see a human, just crawl away quickly.

An emergency hotline has been set up for all spiders who have been attacked by humans.

The number is……

Tamilore Awosile Year 4

Andrews began to lag behind as Noah worked his magic on the tree. He was up the trunk in an instant and the next man started to climb: Isaac Zamet.

The race was pretty tight until Craig Hall of Davids fell from the sky. Soon, yellow’s fourth man was at the opposite end of the tree to the end he had almost been at just a few precious seconds ago. Craig cursed the tree as the Ambulance whizzed him away. His loyal sub, Theo Lewy, stepped up and finished the job in seconds. He had put Davids back in the race.

Andrews were putting up a good fight, but it wasn’t good enough. The other houses were just too fast. By the time their third man was up and away, Davids had cleared five, Patricks had three to go and Georges’ sixth man of seven, Finn O’Riordan, was already on his way to the sun.

Just when they couldn’t afford to make another mistake – they were almost back in the game – Andrews’ fourth man, Daniel Ellis experienced the terror of free-fall. Hew was raced into the ambulance with the other two unlucky competitors and awaited his arrival at the nearby A&E. Gideon Daitz took his place and could have been mistaken for a monkey as he flew heavenwards.

Year 3 Portraits 69

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Black The soul of evil, the sound of space, The scent of danger, as spooky as night, The laugh of a joker, The kung-fu of a ninja, Black is the sound of rock guitars playing, Space as dull as night, as spooky as a ninja, Wrestlers as strong as a bull, Danger, the sign of bad, the taste of mud, Soul, the taste of burning, the smell of rum, The battle of power, King as powerful as a joker Myles Yates Year 3

Pomegranate P- Pomegranates are my favourite fruit O- Overwhelming flavour on your tongue M- My brother and I love them E- Eating them all day long

The Magic Box I will put in the box A favour from a friendly friend The cheeky laugh of a goblin A cat with a cutting claw

G- Gathering them whenever we can R- Refreshing on a hot summer’s day A- And bursting with juicy vitamins N- Nutritious A- A gift from heaven !

I will put in the box An action figure with a shivering body A beam of light from the Northern Lights A bit of gold from a goldfish

T- Tastier than anything else E- Everlasting!

Imran Kermalli Year 3

I will put in the box A smile from my mother A cute meow from a cat

Blue is the colour of….

Blue sounds like the sky, That gleams while the mellow bluebirds are chirping gracefully.

Blue feels bitter like the transparent ice in the north.

A toddler’s first day at school

Blueberry I will put in the box B- Ball shaped fruit L- Lovely on a hot summer’s day U- Under a layer of cream

Blue is the colour of our school uniform that is very spruce.

E- Even delicious with pancakes

Uranus is a blue, fair, craggy planet that is very petite.

E- Enjoyable to eat

Blue sounds like the flowing current of the sea.

Blue is the colour of you when you are flabbergasted.

Blue tastes like a blueberry, pure and succulent.

Jay Patel Year 3

B- Blue and dark

A thirteenth month and a flying carpet A devil with a halo And an angel with horns

My box is fashioned with snow, ice and glass

R- Really ripe

With asteroids on the lid, with life and death in the corners

R- Rated 5 star!

Its hinges being the elbows of tigers

I- It is picked from a bush E- Eating it makes you healthy

I shall play football in my box

S- Small but tasty

In front of a roaring crowd at the Emirates

Arron Kennon Year 3

And then travel to a beach the size of Spain.

Nikhil Bashir Year 5

Year 5 Installations

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“The Wilderness�

There is a Baboon in me, Aggressive when challenged, Climbing with determination and doggedly never giving up, Making people laugh.

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

There is a Lion in me, Brave and strong in every battle, Likes to be in charge, King of the jungle, When action concludes, likes to have his daily nap.

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

There is a Hawk in me, Sharp-eyed, spotting any opportunity to attack, Protecting its family when in danger, Moving as swift as a ball through the air.

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

There is a Salmon in me, Always taking the hard route, Darting through the water, Year 4 Colourscapes

Forever swimming, never stopping.

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

There is a Frog in me, Always leaping from place to place, Full of energy, never staying still, Eating food in the blink of an eye.

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

Oh, I have a zoo, a menagerie Inside my heart, Pumping around my body, Loving me forever.

I came from the wilderness.

Michael Miller Year 5

Arjun Year 3

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Music in the PREP SCHOOL The prep school is full of opportunities for pupils to experience a wide range of musical activities and there are many exciting chances to perform in concerts and orchestras. Every class has two music lessons a week usually involving singing, listening to and learning about music. My instrument is the trombone but I particularly enjoy composing music to go with short film and cartoon clips and listening to music from other countries.

Every Christmas there is a ‘Words and Music’ concert including performances from the wind band, string orchestra, woodwind and string groups, the senior choir and the junior choir. Everyone has a part to play and there is also some acting from different year groups. It is hilarious to see the parents’ faces as they hear the punch line of a joke or their son walks on to the stage in an outrageous costume!

On Wednesday lunchtimes the instruments come out and the orchestras are in session.

There is a vast String Orchestra and almost everyone who plays a stringed instrument is in

it. There is also the smaller, Premier Strings group for the early grades and then there is the Wind Band. In year five, every boy has to learn a new instrument in a group. If they learn one already, they are invited to join a Chamber group. I found it interesting to be learning with other boys in a brass Chamber group. For pupils who choose to carry on their instrument they have individual lessons once a week but at different times each week to avoid missing too much of any one subject. There is a senior choir where all boys from year 5 and 6 are allowed to join in and sing. There are many amazingly enjoyable opportunities to perform, such as last year’s Barbican Gala Concert and this year’s Main School Choral Society Concert which the senior choir are taking part in and which I am enjoying rehearsing for. There is a junior choir of boys from year 3 and 4 as well and they learn fun, lively songs and perform some of them in concerts. Overall, there is a lot of music involved with prep life from ‘Highpitched’ hymn practices to lively orchestra sessions.

Alexander Astruc Year 6

Year 5 Installation

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Noah Max Year 6

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The Terrible Truth of India As soon as you step out of the plane forty degrees Celsius of heat hits you. Going into the airport building you can already smell the stench of the unhygienic, sweat coated, half naked porters.

Outside is the busy India. People-pulled rickshaws travelling slowly. Babies with no clothes crying in their begging mothers’ arms.

Poor, blind men singing horribly to make some money. Thousands of cars on the road turning and switching sides without any traffic lights.

Cars move so slowly because of the traffic that people stand in the middle of the roads unhurt.

Carrying on down the streets you see a holy river with people bathing in it, being careful not to be hit by a boat. Look up and you’ll see hundreds of flats towering above you. You never really see houses as people can’t afford them.

Each flat has a large, flat roof known as a terrace. Terraces are great fun to play on.

They’re like gardens for people who live in the flat, except they have no grass. They’re made of stone. At night you see the glistening stars and with this small amount of light you see moving figures, not humans… These are quite large stray cats and dogs. The creatures are beautiful but I know I shouldn’t go near the disease-carrying strays.

In each room of the flats or houses are at least one or more large fans hanging from the ceiling to make you cooler.

INDIA IS MY FAVORITE PLACE! Sahil Baid Year 6

A Roman Soldier Why I would like to be one I would like to be a Roman soldier because I would be paid a lot of money ( denarii). I would be treated with respect. I would be particularly good at building walls, bridges, roads, boats and walls.

I would be travelling and visiting a lot of different countries and be able to defend my emperor, Rome and my country. I would make a lot of new friends along the way.

I would love to be a Roman soldier because I would be wearing armour and carrying weapons.

I would have to get up early and be very fit as I would have to run twenty to thirty kilometres a day. I would be very organised and ready for anything.

Best of all, I would get the best seats at the Colosseum to watch the gladiators!

Andrew Rogers Year 3 Year 5 Bamboo Ink and Brush Paintings

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The Vegetable Patch Club The boys are enjoying making a real mess in the mud as we turn the soil ready for planting. As well as getting messy we are getting slightly distracted by discovering some really meaty worms! In a few weeks time, once we having finished digging and the weather is a bit warmer then we will start planting seeds. Once again we will be planting lots of runner beans, courgettes, and potatoes. We were also amazed to see how many new strawberry plants there are this year.

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Sports at the Prep At HABS, we play a variety of sports.

In the autumn Term, we play rugby, in the spring term football and in the summer term cricket. We swim all year round.

My favourite sport is football and being in goal because you are allowed to dive around and get all muddy!!

If you show your sports teachers that you are working hard at improving, you could be chosen to play against other schools.

You also have the option to join lunch time sports club and improve your skills. As you get older, you get to play badminton, rounders, hockey and basketball.

I love sports at HABS! Khaleel Jiwa Year 3

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Chess

“Waiting”

The start of the year began with the trials for Elite Chess from which 4 teams of boys were selected the Pontins’ qualifying tournament held on 28th February in St Albans. The team members were:

I sat down in the waiting room of my dentist feeling very apprehensive and nervous. I wanted it to be tomorrow already! I looked around and tried to relax, all the other people looking as cool as cucumbers. They were probably here for a check-up. I was having my tooth pulled out! What was that antagonising noise? The fish tank! It was supposed to relax you not irritate you and then the fidgeting began. It started with my foot that I couldn’t stop tapping. Then my leg wouldn’t stop shaking and my hands were repeatedly tapping on my legs.

There was that humming of the fish tank again! I glanced at the clock. I could feel my hands becoming sweaty and my heart rate increasing. My thoughts were confused. How…what if they get the wrong measurements and I feel…someone turn off that fish tank…pain? I looked back at the clock – it had barely moved. I reassured myself that it was broken. Please stop me

U11 A Ravi Haria, George Lawrence, Shreyas Pulle, Joshua Silverbeck, Jordan Urban, Martin Zucker.

U11 B Nikhil Chavda, Luca Ignatius, Thomas Johnston, Mark Newman, Rahul Shah, Harry Sharer.

U9A Alex Jones, Obaydh Khan, Aryan Mishra, Purushot Sadagopan, Ben Schwarzmann, Harjivan Singh.

U9B Jamie Barnet, Zamaan Dudhia, James Hughes, Jamie Harper, Henry Rocha, Ravi Vijaygopal Some boys were playing for the school chess team for the first time. Many were nervous, but excited at the prospect of pitting their skills against other local schools. After the first round everyone settled down and became familiar with the routine. This soon proved to be a promising tournament. By the end of the 4th round, the U11 As had already cruised to victory, following a long tradition of HABS success in the competition. The other teams however still had a difficult fight on their hands, as they attempted to sneak into the next round.

Excitement grew when the Chief Arbiter, Tony Corfe, told everyone that the top 5 teams went through but the 6th place team may also go through depending on a tie-breaker. The U9A team managed to squeeze through in 6th place. Unfortunately the U9B and U11B teams just missed out.

Some great chess was played. The highest individual score was George Lawrence, who won all his games with 5/5 on board 2 in the U11A team. I was proud to captain the U11A team. We are looking forward to playing in the semi finals at Camber Sands on 26th to 27th June. As well as the U9A and U11A teams, HABS Prep will be represented in the plate competition.

Thank you from all the boys to Miss Mercer, Mrs Witzenfeld, Mr Lawrence, Mrs Khan and all the parents and team managers who helped and supported us and, of course our, school coach, Lorin D’Costa.

Ravi Haria, Year 6

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waiting. It seemed like an hour of nervous worrying sitting there. Then the humming of the fish tank came again. “Someone turn it off!” I screamed in my mind. “Put me out of my misery and call my name!”

They did. Finally, the heart-sinking moment came, the dentist walked as calm as can be into the room and called my name.

As I was walking into the room, I asked him if he was going to put me to sleep. He said he was going to make my mouth numb then do it.

I felt worse as I sat in the chair and watched the syringe being loaded. After the pain of the injection, nothing hurt but the worst part was to hear the tooth root snap as it was pulled out!

Saul Federman Year 5

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Encounter with a Tiger The dark rainforest, shaded from the sun’s light by leaves, was a beautiful blend of the greenery and the cool blue water, crystal clear, dripping slowly off the pointy leaves from the trees high overhead. Sweat was sticking to my forehead in a thick film; the air was hot and humid.

Suddenly a great roar erupted from the very heart of the rainforest, almost splitting the sky in two. It rang in my ears. I was frozen in sheer terror, rigid to the spot. All the birds perching on trees suddenly took to the air, in a massive, swarm-like body, and raced off.

Then, an eternity of silence.

I realised I wasn’t breathing, so I suddenly began to breathe in gulps of air in huge quantities. I knew that if the origin of that roar came too close, I might never breathe again.

Finally, after a few minutes, my breathing rate had returned to normal. But soon I noticed something strange. Apart from me, something else was breathing too. Something close by.

Something in that bush...

Before I had fully taken it all in, an Indian tiger leaped from inside the large shrub. Not knowing whether to feel surprised or terrified, I stepped backwards and tried my best not to turn and leg it. Slowly, the details started to sink in. I knew I would remember them forever.

The tiger pawed the ground, its long sharp claws cutting deep into the sticky mud. Black and orange stripes covered its body. The pattern seemed to make me feel strangely dizzy and confused, so much so, I nearly fell flat onto my back. I tried to look away, but it seemed mesmerising, in a way.

It opened its large jaws. The sound of the teeth opening was similar to the sound of a knife being sharpened. Some of the sharp upper teeth were connected to the lower ones with long, thin strings of saliva, glistening in the small amount of sunlight that was able to get through the upper leaves. When fully open, a huge, deafening roar flew from the gaping cavern of a mouth. Even with my fingers tightly in my ear, my eardrums almost burst. The sharp, yellow, bloodstained teeth like those of a vampire after an attack, stretched outwards to their furthest.

Finally, the mouth slowly closed, the sound similar to the sound of a sword being slid into a scabbard after a battle. The tiger’s nostrils flared. Its big, evil yellow eyes gave me one last stare, as if giving a warning never to set foot on its territory again. It jumped stealthily back through the bush and raced off into the heart of the rainforest.

And that, thankfully, was the last I ever saw of the evil creature.

Noah Max Year 6

Our World War Two Topic Diary Entry by Jake Charnley about an evacuees journey Year 3

Dear Diary, ion and kissed me, me off at the stat As my mum dropped ons. I was st. I had many emoti bur to ng goi s wa e I felt lik relieved all at the cited, anxious and ex d, sa py, hap s, nervou when I got my while I settled, but same time. After a te a long time for o tears. It took qui book out I burst int down. I decided to friends to calm me the teachers and me mum, dad and me ily picture, it had fam my at k loo a have dad was in his a grey jumper and my in it. My mum wore and when I looked up nly the train shook army uniform. Sudde field with cows, azed to see a big am s wa I to pho from my ing like it before, had never seem anyth I s. key don and horses ntryside!! we where in the cou

Letter home by Edward Isaacs Year 3 Cherry Tree Street Dundrum Co Hereford 12th March 1940 Dear Mum, I miss you so much but a nice lady called Mrs Jones is looking after me. It took five hours to get to Dundrum. We went via Exter and then went straight here. I feel good being because I have escaped the danger. How are you?

My new school is really nice, but we have to walk 1 mile to get to school! Our teacher is called Mr Wilson. Today we did maths and learnt how to divide 10 into 101. Every morning before I go to school we walk the dog. For the first time in ages I had fresh milk and eggs. I’ve seen a cow, pig and hen on the farm that I am staying on. The house is very old and is made out of bricks, the floorboards creak.

How are you coping? I need to go right now and do my homework.

Love from

Edward

Dear Diary,

Diary Entry by Hugo Max Year 3

The air in the train smelt of cigarette smoke.

I was about halfway through the journey when I was sat there, bewildered about what was happening. I cuddled my teddy as if it was my mum. After we went thro ugh a tunnel we came out the other side but there wer e no buildings, just green fields. I decide to draw the fields but then it was getting late and out teacher told us we would arrive soon. We drew up at the station and I just wanted to go to bed.

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The Magic Toothpaste

Encounter with a Golden Eagle

A Trip to Congo

“Ouch!” I screamed as I fell out of my bed onto my hard bedroom floor. I stumbled on in pain towards the dreaded bathroom and looked at the new toothpaste perched on top of the stylish sink. I put the thinnest streak of it onto my new, green toothbrush ready to try it out. The streak however suddenly seemed a lot bigger, I realised it was growing! The tooth paste had out grown my toothbrush by now it was a large blue blob and had fallen to cold tiled bathroom floor. I could now make out a sort of human, it was a GENIE! It spoke. “I am your Genie, you…”

As I looked around me, I saw speckled sulphur rocks, as orange as the fur on a tiger, mossy trees with ivy as green as an emerald and pine needles scattered on the floor. On my left was a clear stream, as clean as the air, trickling down the mountainside. Some golden and white flowers, which were studded between the rocks, looked like a man’s face. The sun shone as bright as a lion’s mane and the pine needles were as brown and as crisp as an autumn leaf. There were some grey stones which were indistinguishable alongside the sulphur rocks and I didn’t notice them for a few minutes.

As I stood in the sun-baked rainforests of Congo, I breathed in the warm air that filled the spaces around me. I stared into the opening of the trees towering tall.

Branches swooped down low like hands closing in on me I quickened my stride. As I approached the clearing, I could see a stream half flowing from the baking hot sun. I was enhanced by the perfection of the river it was almost as if everything in it had its very own rightful place. All the exquisite sounds of animals fascinated me; it was as if every animal was in a competition to shout the loudest like fans at a football match. I kneeled down beside the water and peered at it. The water was as clear as a diamond, which had been polished for the last 100 years. The stream was fast flowing even when half full and the currents crashed against the rocky banks like Cornish breakers.

“Let me guess … have three wishes?” I replied confidently.

“Trust me; I do a lot more than that.”

I was walking to school and every now and then the Genie would beg to be let out of my school bag. I walked through the school gates and it into the classroom where Mr. Martin was telling my class how to do algebra. I tried to pick up the lesson from where he was but it was a hard task. I then decided to let out the Genie. Mr Martin’s speech was at the peak of its boringness so I asked the Genie if he could block out the noise of Mr. Martin’s droning on.

It happened! I asked the Genie if my desk could be filled with chocolate. I opened my desk lid. It had happened! I asked to become Prime Minister. The Genie climbed onto my shoulder and whispered in my ear, “You cannot wish for things that will affect other people.”

“Oh! I get it.”

The bell went and Mr. Martin stopped me on the way out to break.

“I heard you speaking to something over your shoulder. What was it?”

“Nothing sir,” I muttered.

“Then stop talking to thin air and go out for break.”

The rest of the afternoon I kept on wishing. Instead of cross country, I wished we had cricket. Instead of an essay, I wished we could watch a video. Instead of maths, I wished we had art. All of these wishes worked. I was on the way home from school about to wish for pasta when the Genie tripped me up.

“Stupid Genie! Stupid wishes! I wish I didn’t have any wishes!” I then realised what I had said. “Wait! No!” The next morning I woke up and walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I squeezed the tooth paste and the Genie appeared; this time he was grey. Weirdly, he seemed to be disappearing. As I watched him vanish I could make out a faint smile on his face and then he mouthed, “Good bye.”

Freddie Wright Year 5 78

Suddenly I heard a high pitched noise as screechy as a baby’s scream. A strangely shaped figure soared over me and I could almost make out two massive wings. My instinct suddenly got the better of me and I ducked instantly. As I looked up I saw a figure with two wings and a beak circling up into the light blue and white swirls above me. I could now see the massive body of an amazingly colossal bird. It had a yellow beak which meant it had to be a Golden Eagle.

The Golden Eagle had a golden forehead with black eyes; it looked like a royal throne. Its wings were tree bark brown with tints of moss green, extending from the wings were feathers which were silvery grey. Its tummy was a chestnut brown with golden, but vicious-looking claws. Its tail had the same silvery grey feathers as the wing extension did, but the tail was shaped as a triangle.

Alexander Davis Year 6

As I was about to place my foot on the rocky river bank I was forced to a halt by the mating call of an amphibian over which my foot was about to be placed. I squatted and stared at what would have been crushed under my foot.

It was little, no bigger than 5 inches. I locked eyes with the creature its eyes burned with the intensity of an Australian bush fire. The staring went on for minutes on end until I turned away; as our eyes locked, once again I noticed he had not flinched.

The texture of its skin was rough and warty. It had two red lines streaking down its back like new years firework display. I stepped closer towards him to pick him up, he stood up on his back legs and ferociously bit at the air like a snake lashing out for his prey. I could feel his personality as a leader and he was very protective about his own territory. It turned sharply towards the reeds and entered the water elegantly it glided through the water as swift as a hawk. Muscles pumping, fighting against the current, it was incredible how his tiny body managed to get across that stream.

I knew now was the time to leave him in peace.

Gideon Daitz Year 6

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Possum’s Tails The Prep School production this year was “Possum’s Tails” which was part musical, part poetry. 49 members of Year 6 wore elaborate make-up, costumes, ears and tails to portray the characters from T. S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”. They gave two performances to a sell-out audience and a good time was had by all!

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Pre-Preparatory School News Soon after the start of the Autumn term, all the boys took part in the Donkin Cup Cross Country run at the Preparatory School. The boys performed with excellence in their Winter Production ‘A Winter Workshop’ in December. The Kingfishers’ also enjoyed a trip to the Pantomime to see Aladdin at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage.

The whole of the Pre-Prep were treated to a visit by the Young Town Planners.

Throughout the day they learnt about the basics of house building, they then all constructed their own building and created their own Haberdashers’ town. Lots of interesting buildings were created, including a Haberdashers' jail!

Other highlights of the year included a Year 1 Mother’s Day Concert, a trip for the Year 2s to Celtic Harmony Camp where they spent a fun and educational day learning various hands-on activities incorporating the natural environment and ancient Celtic culture and most recently a Year 1 trip to Knebworth House and Gardens where the boys took a walk around the dinosaur park, played in the Adventure Fort, took a trip on the miniature train and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the lawns. We also managed to fit in a Year 2 cycling afternoon, a Year 2 swimming gala and a Year 2 Grandparents’ Afternoon when grandparents were invited to come into the classroom, look at the children’s work and finish off with a cup of tea and cake. Lastly, the sun shone for the annual Kingfishers’ Sports afternoon.

Races included 400m, 80m, hurdles, fun race and a relay.

In June the Year 2 boys enjoyed a day trip to Brighton. The boys along with staff and parent helpers took the train to Brighton.

All 36 boys along with teachers and parent helpers enjoyed a lovely, but exhausting day out!

We held a charity fundraising evening in conjunction with The Pampered Chef. The evening was based on a ‘Ready, Steady Cook’ theme and a competition between Year 1 and Year 2 mums was held to see who could make the best dish. All in all it was a great evening.

As always, there is never a quiet moment in the Pre-Prep. Well done to all who have helped and taken part in these events.

Mrs A Fielden, Pre-Preparatory School Senior Teacher

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MY FIRST DAY

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Mother’s Day Poems Mum you’re amazing as the man in the moon Mum you have a brilliant suit Mum you’re a star Mum I don’t think you want to drive a rusty car Mum you’re the best Mum you give us joy and zest!

Raiyan Khan Year 1

Mum your smile is as big as a star Mum you dress like a superstar Mum you smell of a coconut from a far Mum you drive a black Mercedes car Mum your skin is like a chocolate bar Mum you’re my superstar!

Kanayo Year 1

Mummy you’re as sweet as a bird Mummy you always smile a lot We always have a walk together while we are waiting for my sister’s coach Mummy I really like your spaghetti bolognese Mummy I am proud of you and I will always be!

Thomas Oakland Year 1

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Mountaineering Autumn

and good driving conditions brought us back to Habs by 6 pm; an excellent weekend away.

On the first weekend of half term Mr Roncarati and Rev Markby took ten boys to North Wales for a Mountaineering Club Trip.

Some of the boys were keen to tackle Snowdon (1085m), so with clear blue sky over head, we set off up the Watkins path that started just near the Youth Hostel. Not wanting to be just part of the crowd, we soon headed off to the north, past a disused quarry, and through a deserted valley that led up to the south slopes of Y Lliwedd (898m), and dramatic views of the Snowdon Horseshoe and beyond. Having bagged our first summit, we rejoined the Watkins path for the final slog to the new café on the highest point in England and Wales, and arrived just as a steam train pulled in.

We headed back along the Rhyd-Ddu path before cutting down into our original valley.

Spring On Friday 15th January the HABS Mountaineering Club set off for South Wales anticipating a white weekend and we were not disappointed. The heavy snow from earlier in the week had cleared just enough to be able to reach the hostel by minibus but the surrounding summits were still well-covered.

The forecast for Saturday was for high winds, low cloud and persistent heavy rain, undeterred we set off to the highest peaks in the Brecons aware that we might need to turn back but determined to give it our best.

In the event, the snow underfoot was soft and it was swollen streams and melt water under the snow that determined our route. Progress was slow and exhausting but discovering thighdeep drifts as we clambered across the peaty plateau cause much laughter and general high

Summer Over the weekend of 24th and 25th April, Revd Markby and Dr Hobbs took 8 year 10 boys to Snowdonia for the Habs Mountaineering Club summer expedition.

Saturday dawned clear and bright as the group set off for Cadair Idris, walking straight from the youth hostel (Kings, Dolgellau – one of Wales’ best kept secrets). The weather was perfect, with stunning views and a cooling breeze, as they rapidly bagged the following summits: Craig Cau (791m), Penygadair, Cadair Idris’ main summit (893m), Mynydd Moel (863m).

The route down was steep and slow but wellpunctuated with stone skimming, bouldering and

This left time for some impromptu bouldering practice before a return to the Youth Hostel.

Sunday morning was overcast, with a little rain as we set out from Capel Curig to ascend Moel Siabod. The low cloud gave an eerie feeling as we passed the quarry lakes and scrambled up a steep gully to the summit. A speedy decent

spirits. We eventually reached the summit of Fan Y Big (719 m) an hour behind schedule.

Not wanting to push our luck, we left Pan Y Fan for another trip and headed back to the minibus through knee-deep slush and past raging torrents of melt water. No doubt the views would have been amazing but with a cloud base of 400m we saw nothing all day!

Sunday dawned clear, bright and cold, with stunning views of the snow-topped mountains.

The risk that the slush of the previous day had turned to sheet ice were high, so we choose a

The boys were impeccably behaved throughout and a delight to take away.

They were Jack Adler 10J2, Nehul Patel 10H1, Alex Glassman 10J2, James Uri 10R2, Ashwin Dharmasinsham 10H2, Ross Malloy 11H1, David Westcough 11J2, Ravi Sanghani U6J2, Josh Cowan U6 H2, Mikey Charlesworth 10J2.

Rev Markby

route below the snowline taking in Tor Y Foel (515m) and a pretty woodland walk.

The boys were delightful company, extremely wellbehaved and earned well-deserved compliments from the other guests in the Youth Hostel.

P Roncarati

just sitting in the sun. Later on, Dr Hobbs was able to use a lifetime’s experience of working with combustible material to build a cracking campfire around which the party sat until late into the evening.

They were joined by other guests from the youth hostel who complemented the Staff on the behaviour of our boys.

Sunday took the group inland to climb Aran Fawddwy (905m). With a cloud base of 600m, the summit was cold, wet and windy – not a place to hang around but, in the words of Hadi Latef, it felt heroic to be there. As they gently descended, the clouds lifted revealing Wales in all its remote ruggedness.

It was an excellent weekend’s walking, with boys who were both engaging and enthusiastic.

Rev Markby

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Chess After a slightly disappointing 2008-2009 season, by HABS’ own high standards, the team were eager to make amends. There was little change in the team, with only one player, Gajern Kailavasan “retiring” after 6 year of service to the team. This led to Ravi Haria, the Prep-school wonder kid being drafted into the side.

The season began with a relatively straightforward victory at Eton College in a 6 board jamboree against 3 other teams. This was quickly followed by a highly impressive victory in the U18 Rapidplay tournament in Birmingham.

HABS won all of their 5 matches, including a hard-fought victory over Nottingham, the 2008 winners of the competition and a side who had caused us problems in recent meetings. The team finished with a highly commendable game points tally of 31/40, which included 4 “best board” prizes. The good performance was rewarded with the traditional celebratory trip to Burger King on the journey back to London.

Closer to home, the teams have benefited from high quality coaching by Lorin Da Costa, a young, aspiring Grandmaster, with the stronger players having sessions on Mondays and the B Team on Wednesdays.

Since then, both the “A” and “B” teams have progressed well in the ECF National Schools’ Competition. The “A” team swept aside QEB 5-1, Hazelwood 6-0 while the “B” team recorded victory over NLCS 4.5-1.5 before two nail biting matches against UCS and Highgate when down to the wire.

Fortunately, HABS came out on top on both occasions, sneaking home 3.5-2.5. This success led to a winner takes all knock-out match between the two HABS sides. Although the “A” team ran out comfortable winners, the “B” team, comprising of mainly junior school boys, have shown this year that there is a strong pool of talent throughout the

school. The “A” team then went forward to the Championship diviosn in the national knockouts with the “B” team contesting the Plate competition.

At the end of the spring term both teams are through to the last 8 after further victories over Fortismere and St Albans resp. College.

The “A” team are due to play King Edwards B’ham and the “B” team” Homefied School in May. The success the “A” team has achieved so far this year, despite little change to the team demonstrates the clear improvement in the players’ games. This is particularly true in the cases of Shymal Patel and Tommy Senior, who have steadily moved up the board order and continued to achieve excellent results.

A day trip to London to watch the world’s top Grandmasters in Action at the London Chess Classic was well received, with Jonathan Pein from Y7 proudly showing off his VIP badge (his father organised the tournament!)

David Lawrence L6

Bridge Club This year has been the most successful season for HABS Bridge for some time. The season began encouragingly as Basil Letts was selected for England U-20 team that competed in the Channel Trophy against France, The Netherlands and Belgium. The good news continued as the A-team, consisting of Basil, Hugh Brannan, Anesh Patel and Rishi Chotai won their first match in the Middlesex League 12-8 after Mr. Haring was tactically replaced at half time.

After a heavy defeat, we bounced back well, as we won our next match on the last board. The next ended in a nail-biting draw, which, despite ending at 11.15pm, spawned a long debate about who was at fault. Team spirit at its best! We had to undertake our latest League game without talismanic captain Basil. Despite falling heavily behind in the first half, the team battled back well to lose narrowly. We currently lie mid-table with one match to play: the best result for a number of years.

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The B team was Bhavik Patel, Josh Parikh, Jonathan Clark and Dylon Dissanayake. They were just below halfway in the qualifier finishing on -13 points.

The highlight of any season is undoubtedly the Schools Cup, the national competition. We were handicapped from the start as Basil, Hugh and Anesh were on an army trip, which meant little sleep. After waking up at 4.30 on Saturday morning we headed up to Loughborough, meeting the rest of the team there. The day went exceptionally well: the A-team won the qualifier convincingly, scoring +91 points, with second place on +33. In the semi-finals they faced Nottingham High School and won a close match by 9. In the final they faced St. Paul's and won comfortably by 24, the first time they had won the cup since 2004.

The C team of James Zhao, Josh Treon, Rishi Galayia and Nikesh Arya entered a separate competition. They won all their qualifying matches to reach the semi-finals and then won their semi-final. But in the final they lost by just 5 points to a team which included a current England Schools international.

This has been an exceptional year of bridge at HABS; the A team are national champions and the club is thriving with over 20 regular members.

Mr. Marx and Mr. Haring are unstinting in teaching and encouraging us all, so many thanks to them both. The club is located in M04, the home of bridge, and practices are Tuesday and Thursday lunchtime, with an afterschool session of Wednesday. New members are welcome.

Hugh Brannan L6

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Debating It was a bittersweet and packed debating season for HABS this year as the respective teams made it into many finals but unfortunately walked away with fewer trophies. Consistent high performance from the senior debaters was backed up with notable discoveries and improvements in the younger year groups. Without exception, we ‘broke’ at national competitions to reach grand finals. In a year with many volatile judgements our performances confirmed our place as a formidable debating institution. A fear that once the oldest year left debating would decline was put to bed with the discovery of young (and some old) new talent and significant performances from ones to watch.

In the Cambridge rounds, our A, B and C teams all broke to the semi-finals winning each of their debates. Shaneil Shah, Willy Thong, Akshay-Kishan Karia and Ameya Tripathi were involved in winning those first round debates and were gracious in stepping down and allowing more senior debaters (who had previously been unavailable) to compete at Final’s Day, where they performed exceptionally.

Our ‘A’ team of Hasan Dindjer and Ed Schwitzer and our ‘B’ team of Aaron Taylor and Freddie Fulton were both in the Grand Final and all four came within the top ten of the speaker tab.

In addition to huge debating performances for HABS, outside debaters also excelled. Five students were invited to trial for the England Debating Team in October: Miles Coleman, Ameya Tripathi, Edward Schwitzer, Aaron Taylor and Hasan Dindjer and Ed and Hasan were selected for the England World Schools Team to compete in the Worlds Schools Debating Championships in Qatar. It was the first time two HABS students were selected to be part of the four-man team. When in Qatar, after resounding victories against Ireland and other nations, they narrowly missed out on clinching the title despite a strong performance in the Grand Final against Canada. They became part of a rare group of four English teams to have reached the final.

The Master’s Debate followed soon after as Ed and Hasan took on two masters of the Haberdasher’s Company on the motion ‘THB HABS should go co-ed’; they convincingly and entertainingly argued their case.

The biggest success of the season came in Glasgow. Having won the England National Finals in April, Ed and Hasan went on to win the International Schools’ Mace, the oldest and most prestigious tournament in the country. Many former winners have gone on to become well

known journalists, senior lawyers and prominent scientists. It has run since 1957 and HABS are the only school to have won this trophy four times in its history: 1977, 1980, 2002 and 2010.

The motions before the house were ‘THW introduce a sin tax on tabloid newspapers’ proposed by Ireland and opposed by Scotland and ‘THB that the United Kingdom should abandon its nuclear weapons programme’ proposed by HABS, as England, and opposed by Wales. The Rt. Hon Charles Kennedy MP, the former leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, presented the pair the ESU Silver Mace in Glasgow University Chapel.

Strength in depth is continuously sustained by our Inter-House Debating competitions which guarantee very strong debate and the tireless work of SCS Debating (older boys who on a weekly basis coach younger ones) to whom much success is owed but above all we must thank Mrs. Gleeson, not only for organising our really fun and engaging debating competitions and trips but also for her sharp and clear guidance and coaching which has sustained the HABS Debating tradition for so long.

Ameya Tripathi L6

Strong performances in the early Oxford rounds culminated in another final for Ed and Hasan and silverware for Miles and Aaron as they won on Finals Day. They won on the motion: This house would replace all age restrictions with tests of psychological competence. “It was a very difficult motion to consider properly when we only had fifteen minutes preparation time”, said Aaron Taylor, adding, “but that’s what makes it exciting!” Miles Coleman was also awarded the prize for best speaker.

At the Durham competition our ‘B’ team were unlucky not to break but our ‘A’ team of Ed and Hasan did superbly, reaching the final.

Unfortunately, they were not awarded the win but the disappointment was tempered by some very good tapas and a very enjoyable trip.

A new competition at Aylesbury Grammar School confirmed that there was plenty of talent in lower year groups as well, as Ameya Tripathi and Christopher Howarth broke into the Final of the competition. It was an encouraging performance which allayed fears about our bench strength as did the performances in the early Oxbridge rounds. Ameya Tripathi and Shaneil Shah will take up the positions of Debating Captain and Vice-Captain respectively in the coming year.

Moreover, further down the school there were more promising signs as Robert Harris and Daniel Gold won the Cambridge regional round of the International Competition for Young Debaters. They along with Jacob Rabinowitz and Guy Lewy excelled on Finals Day and were unfortunate not to break.

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Economics Society When the new Economics Society was formed in late October, the new committee was determined to be more focused and active than our predecessors. Led by an ambitious Nii Cleland, we first established that we would publish newsletters with recent economics news every other week. These newsletters have been well received by all sixth form economics students, and the committee has enjoyed looking into economical decisions and actions in the outside world which affect all of us.

A further aim decided at the beginning of the year was to have an increased number of speakers come in to speak to economics students about life as an economist or using economic theory in finance, in comparison with our predecessors. We have been fortunate to have two speakers come in so far this year, Dr Ulrike Hotopp and Mr Paul Miskin and we look to have a few more before passing over the reigns next year.

A third goal for the year was to create some economics videos. Our first one was released mid-January; the video was a great success, and was enjoyed by many viewers, through use of the intranet.

Following in the suit of last year, the society thought it beneficial to have a relevant economic debate. The motion chosen was ‘This house would stop giving third world aid’. Around 30 students from both the boys’ and girls’ school witnessed the fierce battle between Nii Cleland and Krishna Patel proposing, and Joe McCormick and Apratim Gautam opposing. The latter team were declared winners after an audience vote. All who attended were thoroughly impressed with the depth of the arguments provided on both sides, and the intense debate that followed.

The year so far has been one of great prosperity for the Economics Society. We have had numerous highlights, and have already fulfilled many of our aims set at the start of the year. Although attendance to some of our events is something we would have liked to improve, the events still ran successfully. We look to continue in this manner for the next few months, until the time comes to pass over to a new society.

Freddy Sheldon L6

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European Youth Parliament In the sumptuous surroundings of the Foreign Office's Locarno suite, famous as the place where the future of post-First World War Europe was determined, select committees from schools across the South-East argued, debated and competed against each other for the honour of being awarded that elusive prize - the chance to participate in the European Youth Parliament National Finals in Durham later this year. Sixteen schools, each represented by an eight-man delegation, were faced with the task of proposing and defending a resolution before their fellow delegates. The Habs team was made up of Sixth Formers from both the Girls’ and Boys’ schools. Topics for debate included a proposal for a Europe-wide nuclear missile defence shield, ironically shot down by the Habs team in a blaze of rhetoric, and a recommendation on how best to resolve the on-going Afghan-Pakistani border dispute and thus cut those countries' dependence on the opium trade.

Debating commenced at ten, and by lunch-time the various committees had taken part in three debates and heard a talk from Baroness Glenys Kinnock, who has had experience representing Britain in Europe, on the need for greater British participation in the European Union. The HABS team had done particularly well, securing an almost unanimous vote on their resolution, the committee placard having been continually waved in the air to catch an approving nod of the chairman. Barely was there time for lunch before the clock struck one and the fourth debate began.

This one was particularly heated, and no sooner had one delegate sat down before another had stood up and was arguing a different point of view. Especially noticeable was the diversity of opinion, and even teams who agreed on a point in principle vehemently disputed the way in which it was to be prosecuted. An hour was barely long enough to contain all the contributions people wanted to make, and it was with reluctance that the chair drew to a close the last Englishspeaking debate of the day.

This was not the end of Haberdashers’ participation, however, as speaker after speaker then stood up to argue en français against a resolution in favour of changing the criteria for entry into the EU. Although not every delegate

MEEP Academy Being chairman of the school’s original body for philosophical discussion has been great fun. Meeting on Monday lunchtimes, MEEP (Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics and Politics) Academy’s goal is to take the more unusual and often unanswered questions or problems about life or just a hypothetical scenario and try to come up with a logical solution. With topics often being highly fascinating and even controversial, from the inherent difficulties of

was a French speaker, non-speakers continued to assist their teammates, hastily compiling points from a translated copy of the resolution.

Finally each committee was invited to announce their vote in the language of their choice. It was here that the global nature of the assembly of students was shown most fully, with votes being cast in English, German, Polish, Hindi and even Latin to an increasingly amused crowd.

Eventually came the deciding moment - the announcement of which two teams out of the sixteen would go on to the National Finals in Durham. After ten minutes of agonising waiting during which each team was appraised for its individual performance, the result was finally declared. It was a resounding success for Habs, our cheers even drowning out those of the team simultaneously announced next door.

Particularly amusing was the reaction of the chairman. An old Merchant Taylor, he gave us a rueful smile as he announced the winners; in coming top in the Regional heat we had defeated the delegation sent by his alma mater.

It is therefore with great anticipation that we await the National Finals this September. If successful here, the HABS team will have the chance to participate in the International session of the European Youth Parliament, held next year in Athens. The possibility of success is very much within our grasp, and we eagerly await the challenges ahead.

Christopher Howarth L6

sharing reproductive organs with a conjoined twin to whether there is an objective morality, we have never had a boring session, with me even taking inspiration from some of the more heated discussions. Seeing new members such as Nils Gaukroger show great ability in arguing hypothetical points and senior members like Paavan Buddhdev take control in organising upcoming topics has assured me that MEEP Academy will continue to be a lively presence in the school’s future.

Jack Aaron U6

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Foreign Modern Languages The start of the year heralded a revolution in languages, as our ever-committed committee was approved by our leaderto-be, Señora Gomez, and the man controlling the machinations of the department, if not the school, Mr Thompson. A team comprised of la crème de la crème of L6 linguists – most notably our presidential polyglot, Mr Elio Elia – included seven other representatives of French, Spanish, Italian and German: a super-alliance of razor-sharp minds and leonine spirits that formed FMLSoc. After establishing ourselves as guiding lights for the lower years by providing language clinics, we branched out into providing nourishment in the form of the FML Continental Brunch, paving the way for our first major festive festivity: the FML Xmas Xtravaganza. Open to the Junior school, though enjoyed by teachers and students alike, it featured a smorgasbord of European delicacies from each represented country, along with the newly studiable Russian. The children were kept enthralled by presentations on the traditions of Christmas in each country, before Santa made an appearance, much to their delight.

After the Christmas holidays we returned to spreading the FML word – and there was no better way to do so than by indoctrinating young minds with the annual Junior FML Quiz. Our host with the most, Ben Poster, fanned the competitive inter-house fire from the mere embers of contestants from the Junior school.

Though the committee marked most of the contest, a tense finale pitted the teams’ singers against each other, featuring a heartfelt rendition

Literary Society ‘To climb steep hills,’ William Shakespeare once mused, ‘requires slow pace at first!’ It was with this admonition in mind that the newly-constituted Literary Society began after Mr O’Sullivan selected a committee in February.

However, just as the Bard’s illegitimate progeny multiplied, so too did the LitSoc family grow at speed, with a loyal core of members from both sides of the hedge.

The first talk, delivered by the Chairman on ‘The Joys of Joyce’, drew over thirty students and teachers, and, as other students proffered their own services, the Society maintained its healthy following. Xander Hughes’s address on ‘Dystopia’ dealt intelligently with themes raised by George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, and Yevgeny Zamyatin, while Joe Gaus spoke with flair on the title of ‘Alice: Through the Looking Glass’.

This year has also seen close ties being developed with the Girls’ School, in the great tradition of such literary unions as Tristan & Isolde, Romeo & Juliet, and Ron & Hermione.

Philosophy Society

of “Un kilomètre à pied”, which the teachers had the arduous task of judging. As anticipated by the four of us who bleed light blue, it was a sweeping victory for the Russells boys.

Our newly instated Provençal French assistant, M. Nicolas Reynard, this year organised L6 French debating. Weeks of preparation led up to a heated tournament – tense debates, tough decisions, and astounding standards of argument and language throughout. The final, pitting Anto Meyer and Ben Poster against Joel Kariel and myself, was on a motion concerning the relevance of language teaching in the face of technological advancement. The panel of adjudicators, consisting of Dr Koestlé-Cate and our highly esteemed Headmaster, finally awarded the victory by a slender margin to our team, no doubt thanks to the tutelage of our dynamic duo.

Special thanks must go to the stellar Joel Kariel, without whose organisational skills we would still be des moutons perdus.

Raph Torrance L6

With the boys being invited to Wendy Cope’s address at the Girls’ School, and the ‘fairer sex’ gracing us with the presence at each of our events, it can certainly be said that, from the first feeble fumblings, members have grown, and intercourse of the highest calibre has ensued.

The Literary Society has yet more up its velveteen sleeves. The agreement of Luigi Bonomi, one of the most influential publisher in the country, to run a seminar here in April, was most promising, and other names are in the pipeline, although public exams put the brakes on a proposed trip to Dublin on Bloomsday.

It has been an unequivocally good year for the nascent Literary Society. Enlightenment and entertainment have been doled out in equal measure to supplement the cake that has become customary at each event. For such success, thanks can be given in part to the efforts of Mr O’Sullivan and the Committee, but largely to the participation of the other members of LitSoc, without whose attendance and input the fantastic year we have had would not have been possible.

Tom Ough L6

As a result of the inspirational teaching HABS Philosophy students are fortunate to receive; this year has seen the birth of the HABS Philosophy Society. Under the wise guidance of Jonas Green and headed by Ben Jacobs and Jonathan Metzer, a number of eminent academics have visited HABS giving talks on myriad topics ranging from the question of the mind and body to the Sorites paradox. We have been delighted by the enthusiasm for Philosophy at HABS, and students from North London Collegiate, Aldenham School and QE Boys’ School have attended a number of PhilSoc events too.

The first speaker was Prof. Tim Crane of Cambridge, who outlined his unusual antiphysicalist stance on the issue of what the mind really is, arguing that we can never successfully reduce it to a purely physical thing. This was particularly interesting given that his friend and rival Prof. David Papineau had argued for physicalism earlier in the year at Science Society, and Prof. Crane said afterwards that he was very impressed with the questions posed to him by the keen audience. Prof. Terry Irwin of Oxford was the next visitor to HABS, giving an illuminating talk on why we need to consider human nature when we are discussing ethics; utilising his wealth of knowledge on Aristotle.

We were then privileged to receive the vivacious Prof. MM McCabe of King’s College London (whose proudest achievement is surely supervising the PhD. of our very own Jonas Green!) She discussed the problem of self-knowledge, including her dramatic new interpretation of Plato’s allegory of the Cave.

The next speaker was Prof. Simon Blackburn of Cambridge, a devotee of David Hume, who explained his hero’s arguments against theism. He was submitted to thorough questioning by the audience in the packed Aske Hall, and was impressed with the level of discussion. Finally, Prof. Tim Williamson of Oxford endeavoured to give an answer to the question of how many grains there are in a heap (the famous Sorites paradox) with his novel argument that there is a definite answer, but we cannot know it.

This year has been an extremely successful one for Philosophy at HABS, and it has flourished. Thanks must go to the committee who worked hard to provide such high-quality speakers and of course to Dr Jonas Green. We are sure that PhilSoc will continue to grow next year under the new committee and eagerly await the visit of Plato, who has agreed to take time out to give a talk in the Autumn Term on the subject of ‘why I am still relevant today’.

Jonathan Metzer U6

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Politics Society This year Politics Society, or PolSoc to the initiated, has enjoyed a slew of superb speakers; combined the immensely interesting election that was held in parallel to the real proceedings it is safe to declare those halcyon months as a success. The mantle’s being passed from one year to the other was smooth and slick, like a greased-up David Cameron and the new society have proven resilient and taciturn, unlike Gordon Brown.

Nicholas Clegg is also a politician.

In their death throes, our predecessors provided a few wonderful orators, notably Baroness Ludford MEP. Her stance on all things European was refreshing when one considers the usual anonymous sleaze associated with the European Parliament; and contemporary as the build up to the election of MEPs was in full flow. Another speaker of note, provided by the fresher, more vibrant committee of the 20092010 period was Mr Peter Tatchell. Whilst something of a maverick his socialist take on electoral reform was eye-opening.

Unfortunately his words to sixty boys and girls were not enough to sway the manner in which the most recent election was held. (editor’s note might also mention late speakers when they happen) The other sides to Politics Society must also be praised; firstly the “Question Time” style event which revealed the inner machinations of some of HABS’ most revered and feared teachers.

Chairman Tripathi’s Dimbleby impersonation was pitch perfect. Our election (editor’s note hasn’t happened yet and will probably fill most of the space).

All things considered the HABS Politics Society has been, as usual, the constant forerunner in the society world, breaking new boundaries so that the less innovative others can then waddle through the Politics-shaped mark. It is always a sad day when good-byes are said to an old committee, especially one so spectacular, but said they must be. On that note best wishes must also be offered to the incoming committee who shall no doubt strive to follow in the hallowed footsteps of their forebears.

Arnot Birss L6

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On Thursday 25th February, political campaigner Peter Tatchell addressed the Politics Society on his concerns about the current state of ‘democracy’ in the UK. Peter Tatchell has been campaigning since his school days and has been vociferously involved in a variety of political campaigns, notably being a co-founder of the gay rights group “OutRage!”. He is perhaps best known internationally for his twice attempted citizen’s arrest of Robert Mugabe.

In his lecture entitled, ‘Stop the general election: the voting system is rigged’, Mr. Tatchell demonstrated that the current electoral system results in unrepresentative governments that are a far cry from democracy. He put Mugabe, Ahmadinejad, Blair and Thatcher under the same umbrella in that none of them had been voted in by a majority, noting in fact that every government since the 1950s has been voted in based on less than 50% of the popular vote. He identified one flaw as being that the votes could hinge on just a handful of key constituencies citing that if just 15,000 people had voted differently in the last general election, Labour’s 66 seat majority would have been obviated. Mr.Tatchell proposed reform to something more resembling the ‘top up’ system used in Scotland which would result in more proportional representation. A firm advocate of pure democratic principles at whatever cost, Mr. Tatchell wanted to put an end to strong governments able to force through policies not in keeping with the desires of the general public and by way of this he hoped that the general public would gain a greater sense that their vote could make a genuine difference.

Providing a high-profile finale to a month packed with Politics Society speakers, Baroness Frances D’Souza, the eminent scientist and life-peer, gave to the PolSoc a fascinating introduction to the political minefields of Lords Reform. Though it was not one week since the society had heard Dr Sean Gabb speaking on Libertarianism it was pleasing to see new faces at the meeting, proving that political awareness extends beyond the regular group of PolSoc attendees. The Baroness was particularly impressed with the quality of questioning that followed her talk, praising the high levels of maturity and erudition shown by all present. As the General Election comes ever closer and with it the HABS Mock Election, this talk provided a welcome introduction to such a pertinent issue in the months to come.

Christopher Howarth L6

The lecture was well received by a keen audience who quizzed Mr. Tatchell for as long as time would permit on issues such as the tradeoffs introduced by a different voting system and how we should vote in order to bring about such an electoral reform.

Buddhist Assembly Buddhist assembly has been a great success over the past year. Under new management from Ramith Gunawardena, Duncan Grindall, Tom Roberts and Elliot Marcus the new team has striven to make the community at Habs more aware of Buddhism.

With faultless support from Dr. Perera the team presented various assemblies each week, discussing different aspects of Buddhism. The year started with an introduction to Buddhism, its beliefs, teachings and traditions. Discussion then

went on to the Buddhist views on more contemporary subjects such as euthanasia, drugs and social conflict in areas such as Burma and Tibet. The highlight of Buddhist Assembly was definitely the weekly meditation which would last several minutes at the beginning of the assembly, which was much needed by several pupils due to the hectic lifestyle Habs boys lead. The Buddhist committee would like to thank all of the regular folk that attended Buddhist assembly each and every week, and a special thanks to Dr. Perera for her help and support without which the assemblies would not have been possible.

Ramith Gunawardena L6

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Amnesty International Society This year has been arguably the most successful in the history of the Amnesty International Society, incorporating our very successful Amnesty Party, collaboration with the Girls' school and our highly informative and sociable letter-writing sessions.

The Amnesty party - with help from our Girls' school counterparts - took place in the penultimate week of the winter term and a fantastic time was had by all: we had live bands, cheap pizza, sweets and drinks and we managed to raise over £200 for charity. With even more events being set up, the year promises to get even better. All proceeds went to the Amnesty International Trust and went to helping those in need all over the world.

Alongside fundraising, we have run letter writing every Friday and have enjoyed great success in writing to some of the most important people in the world about prevalent issues in our time, even on occasion receiving replies. We have written about the lack of a civilian protection programme in Guatemala and the release of political prisoners in Iran.

Thanks must go to Mr Whiteman for providing us with all we need and helping to deploy our fundraising events, to the committee members of last year and those of this year in organising many of the events and making Amnesty a truly inspirational and interesting place to be this year, and we hope to continue our successes next year.

Dan West L6

Science Society With the Science Society 09/10 team leaving behind excellent techniques to lure scientists to HABS, the new 10/11, smaller, more tightly knit Science Society is rearing to go.

The problem of attendance has been resolved, and our aim is to not only to bring a large audience but also to drive the whole school, de facto the world, to events. We hope to continue the regular sequence of lectures that was expertly coordinated by the old team along with Miss Pindoria. With our optimism sky high we hope to show pupils, through the medium of prominent scientists, that "Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge" – as said the great Carl Sagan. From Palaeontology to Cybernetics and Bioethics, we have managed to book world-class scientists, from a range of fields, to give lectures at HABS over the next year. Whether phoning Richard Dawkins or emailing Stephen Hawking, we have tried our best and succeeded in masterminding an outstanding line up.

The future looks bright and hopefully this time next year we shall be basking in the glow of our very own stellar line up.

Salil Patel L6

Christian Union Christian Union has had a thoroughly successful year, running many events, greatly increasing attendance and, of course, eating heaps of brownies. Autumn term saw a look through Matthew’s gospel, as well as the ever popular Christmas party in which we investigated the birth of Christ. During the spring, we looked at the events leading up to Christ’s death on the cross, including a fascinating glimpse at some of the ancient prophecy fulfilled in this historical event. Along the way, we have had various speakers giving talks on a range of issues, from the problem of evil to Simon Cowell.

Hindu Assembly Our aim as members of the Hindu Assembly committee is simply to teach people about different aspects of our religion and how they relate to us, as Hindus and to us, as students.

Over the course of the year, we have tried to make our assemblies as interesting, thoughtprovoking and, of course, as fun as we can.

Many Hindu festivals have been discussed including major events in the Hindu calendar such as Navratri, Holi and, in arguably one of the best assemblies of the year, the story of Diwali presented to our audience in the form

of a funny, yet informative play. We have also spoken about the teachings and values of Hinduism and how they relate to us. We were very grateful to have Anthony Ball, an exHABS boy, come in to give a talk on Hinduism, explaining to us how teachings of Hinduism relate directly to our everyday life, whether Hindu or not. I would like to thank Miss Pindoria for running and organising the assembly and the rest of the committee members for taking the time to prepare and present assemblies throughout the academic year.

Saahil Lakhani L6

However, the highlight of our year was the Easter Party. With over 40 people and a large stockpile of food packed into B08, we heard an excellent talk on the historical evidence for the resurrection, and its relevance for today. Many thanks must go to Mr Cawley and Mr Garvey and several other members of staff for their hard work over the course of the year, and to Mr Clark for letting us use his room and spill lemonade on his desks!

Gregory Nelson L6

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This year has been an uncharacteristically successful one for the men in dark blue.

After years in the wilderness, languishing in 5th or 6th place, 2009/10 has been something of a Calverts renaissance. A good performance in the Work and Conduct shield is encouraging and, whilst finishing top was perhaps too much to ask, 2nd in the Crossman is a superb achievement and one which the boys can be immensely proud of.

On a personal note, watching the Crossman events has been particularly entertaining. The swimming gala was memorable for the humidity and noise of the venue but more importantly for the excellent performances of JJ Dixon and Jared Baker. On the rugby pitch great determination and teamwork was shown by the Year 9 to secure 3rd place and by the year 10 to carry on playing through driving snow long after survivors from the rugby dinner

the night before had retreated indoors.

However the list of sporting achievements could easily go on...

As ever, Calverts’ contribution to charity has been outstanding. Supporting the RNLI and local cancer charity Cherry lodge, the house managed to raise a record-breaking total. The now annual Calverts’ cake break has joined the Christmas fete as a central aspect of house fundraising as well as bringing Calverts together, working towards a common aim.

Marcus Chaplin must also be mentioned for his exceptional contribution through numerous Krispy Kreme and chocolate sales.

On both the Crossman and Charity sides of Calverts, thanks must go to Deputy House captains Alex Barnett and Andrew Shipley for their support.

and great humour into sport, running stalls at the fete and building the Calverts’ ‘snowlady’ they have settled in brilliantly and house assemblies with them has been a pleasure. I hope they continue this positivity through out their time in Calverts.

However this year has been most significant as it marked Mr Fenn’s last as House Master. After 3 years of outstanding, conscientious and good humoured leadership, it is with great regret the Calverts will see their leader step down.

I wish the very best to Oli Goldstein and his house officials under the new leadership of Mr Thackray and Mr Roncarati. Under their guidance I’m certain Calverts can continue to fulfil its long awaited potential.

Patrick Ray U6

The incoming year 7 have proved to be a great asset to Calverts. Throwing their enthusiasm

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In response to the question, “What words would you use to describe your house, and what is it that makes Hendersons unique?”

boys to a 7th win in 8 years. Further success was earned in Senior Inter-House cross country where a number of senior lads ran with real distinction.

I think Hendersons is a house which is difficult to describe using mere words. Hendersons, to me, is more the feeling that develops as a result of the camaraderie that develops through the pastoral system with your house master, form tutor and fellow members of the house. I think this also answers the second section of the question – the closeness of our community is unmatched amongst the other houses. It’s definitely true to say that the pupils in Hendersons maintain close ties even after they are no longer taught with their house group after year 8.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my Vice Captains, Ben Jacobs and Josh Manasseh, for their hard work and ever dependable support of the house administration and also to thank Mr. Clark who, as Deputy Head of house, does an enormous amount of work behind the scenes to ensure things run smoothly. I am also immensely grateful to Mr Lloyd-Williams for all he’s done for the house in the 7 years that we, in the Upper 6, have been under his leadership. We wish him all the best in his new role as Head of Middle school – he will be missed.

Another key aspect of the house is its caring, ‘let’s share’ attitude which has resulted in Hendersons graciously throwing away some of the inter-house competitions by fielding under strength sides. No one wants to be hated as much as Russells, so the Hendersons’ chain of command has adopted a policy of mediocrity – winning is only important if anyone checks the scores and here in the Hendersons’ house office we are more than happy to spend our time spreading the love as opposed to remaining glued to the Crossman table on the intranet. Having said this, at the time of writing we are still to compete at Hockey and InterHouse Athletics at all age groups. These two sports often yield strong results for the house and subsequently we may yet stand a chance of climbing the leader board and winning some silverware.

Even our carefree attitude couldn’t prevent us from continuing our fine tradition in inter-house bridge where Hugh “Bambi” Brannan led the 92

Stay red, Basil Letts U6

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As with any incoming House Captain, at the start of the year my mind was set on changing the traditions and sparking trophical upheaval. My mind was set on stirring the previously dormant spirit of Joblings that lay within each and every green-tied student. My mind was set on galvanising the masses of the House out of their lethargy for involvement and from the disappointment of past years, drawing forth a new, more powerful and (if it were even possible) a greener Joblings!

Unfortunately with the swimming gala marking my first official event and the resounding sixth place that ensued, the signs did not seem promising. However things slowly began to pick up and gain momentum with the success of the tennis tournaments within the various years and inter-house athletics proving fruitful in my first term. I began to hope.

Throughout the year, watching each and almost every inter-house event, I saw feats of not just courage, but also bravery in the face of sometimes inevitable defeat. And although results more often than not did not go our way, I could not help but be impressed by the attitude shown to me by the younger boys as they played their hearts out for the House.

Gradually I began to realise what was so different about our House, what made it so special and what kept its spirits so high even through the five year trophy drought.

We are a House of individuals, full to bursting point of people who excel at different things.

The main actor in the school play, two of the top three golfers in the school, an England physicist, the winner of the poetry recital competition in Year 7 and 8, the new head of the Navy section, the School Captain, the rugby first XV captain, the vice captain of the school debating team, the School Vice Captain, the youngest editor of the school science magazine, almost the whole school senior badminton team‌ The list of Joblings students involved with and excelling within the school goes on and on and on. No other House can boast the School and the Vice Captain, no other House has as hard a time picking a house captain thanks to the strength in depth of the years below, no other House is exceptional to anywhere near the same degree of exceptionalness. And so far from being dismayed at our lack of success with the school competitions, I take heart in knowing that for the last year I have led a House sparkling with brilliance. Perhaps next year, the incoming house captain can use the exceptionality of every individual and build a team of competition winners to more accurately reflect how great this House is.

All that remains is to thank the out going house officials, to Vishal Chohan, Sam Briggs and Elliott Ross for fulfilling their roles so fantastically, to Freddie Fulton and Anesh Patel, the house vice captains, for taking the lead in my absence and to Mr Swallow and Mr Dathan for organising much, much more than any of us could possibly imagine. It has truly been a pleasure.

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If your house was in the dictionary, what would it be defined as and why?

Interestingly, Meadows is actually in the dictionary. The following is taken from the OED: Meadows /’med us/ 1 n. all-conquering, allaction, all-hours ‘house’ combining natural preeminence with unsurpassed pastoral care 2 v. comprehensively beat whilst retaining air of effortlessness 3 n. state of mind ‘They well and truly Meadowsed us out there today. And all while being completely Meadows. I wish I could Meadows like they can in Meadows. They’re really great.’ Branavan Rudran, 2010 Origin: O.E. mædwes, originally "house of the chosen ones" oblique case of mæd. Often inscribed at top of Anglo-Saxon shields.

As for why it was described as above, I can only speculate that Meadows’ sterling performance over the past year was taken into consideration. Since assuming office last June, the current house officials have overseen an unprecedented trophy haul and, at time of writing, have guided the house to first position in almost every competition. Such competitions as the Inter-House Water Polo, Rugby and Football have been dominated across all year groups by ‘Bagguley’s lads’, and Meadows have performed admirably in many others.

Progress has made away from inter-house competition as well. House assemblies have been varied and endlessly fascinating, ranging from Joey Charles’ shaving foam extravaganza to Alex Kazanjian’s philosophical musings on the nature of gender relations in modern 94

society. House charity has thrived this year, with Splat the Teacher and the 1k Challenge proving money-spinners. As ever, Battle of the Bands was a great success, price hikes not deterring the screaming (but not standing) fans of such musical groups as ‘Peter Spence and the Department of External Relations’. Duties, under the watchful eye of Matthew Worby, have been performed to a standard described by one impressed observer as ‘acceptable’, and end-of-term assemblies have combined outrageous humour with impressive timekeeping. Most of all, however, there has been a great sense of community around the house this year. Boys turned out to support their fellow Meadowsians in large numbers, and this togetherness was helped by the ‘us versus them’ mentality created by the removal of double points events, for so long the backbone of Meadows’ victory. As one Year 7 boy said to me: ‘they tried to keep us down, George, but we just came back stronger’. This bouncebackability was down, in no small part, to the efforts of Mr Bagguley and Mr Simm, whose strong and comforting rule over the boys allowed them to achieve their potential for house and school, as they have done for many years. For this, we, the departing Upper Sixth, shall be ever grateful, and long may it continue.

George Colenutt U6

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If Russells were to be compared to a football team, Arsenal would be a fitting answer. A club which prides itself on being extremely diplomatic, competitive and fair, who are subject to envy from all other clubs, and rightly so. In our housemaster and deputy we have someone reminiscent of Arsene Wenger and Pat Rice – passionate, hard-working and respected, with a knack for nurturing young unknown saplings into distinguished young men.

After coming a narrow second place for many years, hopes were high that 2009-2010 would prove to be the year of the Russelian. The preparation began in the summer with the new year 7’s meeting for an informal gathering at Aldenham Country Park for a “game of footy and some food”, which in true Russells fashion was used as an opportunity to scout the talent.

Soon the autumn term was upon us. The Russells’ lads, full of our characteristic determination and endeavour took an early lead in the Crossman and soon our old enemy, Meadows, were battling with us for top spot on the coveted Crossman Shield. At the end of the autumn term only 9 points separated all 6 houses. As the competition unfolded uncharacteristic defeats in swimming and hockey, which were Russells strongholds, proved to be costly as we ended up in 3rd in the overall competition. Russells over the past year have competed well in all realms of school competition and our year 7 & 8 must be commended on their 1st place in the Stephen Wilson Junior Work and Conduct.

Despite another year of heartache in the pursuit for the Crossman shield, success has

been celebrated elsewhere. Russells prides itself in being the house involved in all spheres of Haberdasher life. Let it be sport, music, drama or MUN, Russells boys have flourished and led from the front. This was illustrated by 25% of full colours being awarded to Russell’s boys and a record 11 members of the year 11 being awarded Aske ties. Our dedication to charity is another reflection of our success: Wings of Hope, The London to Brighton Bike Ride and various individual charity fundraisers have all raised copious amounts of money for a variety of good causes. However, our most notable contribution to the charity work of our school comes through the collective effort in the incredible Ironman challenge, now in its 7th year, raised a monumental £ 6322.58 for the Teenage Cancer trust.

good fortune for the forthcoming year. I am sure whatever success they endure will be due to the ever-present Russells team spirit, mutual support and good humour, which I have been so privileged to receive in my fantastic seven years in Russells.

Branavan Rudran U6

Team Russells would not be force it is without the unwavering support of many individuals who embody the Russells ethos. My vice captains Ravi Shah, Brett Bernstein and Daniel Cheung have been instrumental in the success we have endured this year and have led a wonderful year of U6th prefects who have mentored and trained the younger years. The Russells tutors have been unwavering in their support to the lads. Finally, Mr Hardman and Mr Todhunter, have both continued to inspire and lead the house to new heights of success.

I am sure Russells will remain at the forefront of all realms of Haberdasher life as long as these two men continue to lead.

To oversee a House of such dedicated, diligent and enthusiastic young men who consistently go beyond what is expected of them has been a true pleasure to lead. I would like to wish Marco Marcello and his team of prefects every 95

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Another exciting and fun-packed year for the Strouts family.

It’s not all about winning - it’s about having fun, working as a team and getting involved.

This year the boys in Strouts certainly did that.

We kicked off the year with the presentation of a cheque for the sum of £1,886 to Rays of Sunshine, the elected charity for the previous year. Rays of Sunshine helps to turn wishes in to happy memories for children living with serious or life-threatening illnesses. Joshua is suffering with acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and is Star Wars mad. The House chose to make his day by presenting him with a lifesized R2D2. For the new academic year the House then voted to support The Just for Children Foundation, a charity aiming to help the most needy children in Zimbabwe, ultimately raising £1,565 – a noble effort.

Charity fund-raising events included the everpopular Easter Egg Tombola, the Summer Fete, numerous cake sales and this year’s new enterprise – shoe shining. But the Charity highlight of the year, or perhaps even school highlight of the year, was the day Tiny Iron came to Habs. The event was brought about for Strouts by Adam Lande. After feasting on lunch in the Bates and touring some of the classrooms Mr Iron then addressed a full capacity Seldon Hall, before arm-wresting some lucky punters. The event was huge, generating a handsome profit for the House charity.

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As ever, the Crossman shield was a hardfought series of competitions. So many of the boys were involved in so many different events.

The all-new 7S were runners-up in the crosscountry, tennis, debating, and water polo.

Strouts victories were then seen in the Middle School debating, Year 8 hockey, Year 9 rugby, Year 7/8 table tennis and Year 8 tennis.

Perhaps the most entertaining of all the events was the pioneering snowman building competition – a glorious team victory enjoyed by all who made it in to school that day! The Sixth Form’s endeavours were rewarded in them retaining the Senior Work & Conduct shield and the table-tennis team added the Inter-House cup to the silverware.

My thanks, in particular, go to a wonderful U6th Year group who have been an absolute delight to have in Strouts over the last 7 years. The team of House Officials, ably lead by Shiv Pabari, were a force to be reckoned with and provided enormous support and entertainment over the course of the year. Mr Thackrey and Mr Garvey, the dynamic duo, were so good at doing the job in my absence that they were both promoted, and deservedly so. We wish Mr Thackrey all the best as Housemaster of Calverts and Mr Garvey as Deputy Housemaster of Meadows. We also welcome Mr Metcalfe as the new Deputy Housemaster of Strouts and thoroughly look forward to having him in the family.

S K Wijeratna

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CCF This year the CCF has taken expeditions to Wales, Scotland, Northumberland and Yorkshire.

Over 300 Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions have been successfully completed. This year has also seen our first groups complete their Gold award. October Field Day at Ampthill, Longridge and Norfolk saw over 300 cadets camping and taking part in leadership training and military exercises. Our Tri-Service Adventure Training Camp to Otterburn was attended by 140 cadets and 30 staff. The cadets enjoyed the horse riding, mountain biking, orienteering, clay pigeon shooting and quad-biking. Army Summer Camp at Garelochhead, our largest ever, gave 70 Cadets the opportunity to undergo military training in Argyll and Bute and to explore the nuclear submarine base at Faslane. Other highlights of the year were the Navy Sailing Course at Salcomb in June and Army Field Day to Tidworth, hosted by the First Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

This saw a wide range of military activities, most spectacularly, Cadets making section attacks from Warrior armoured personnel carriers. Our shooting team retained the Emsall Trophy, the Hertfordshire Cup for the third year in succession and Ben Lockwood received a medal as the top CCF shot in the county. Max Jenkins was awarded an Army Scholarship and Akash Alexander and James Edgley given an outstanding report following their successful completion of the Army leadership course at

We welcome our new SSI Sergeant Stephen Macpherson who joins us following a distinguished career with the Royal Marines where he served in Special Forces with the Special Boat Squad. He has already made an immediate impact upon the Corps where his energy, professionalism and good sense of humour have been really appreciated by both Cadets and the Officers. Thanks are due to Laurence Thackwray (OH) who stood in as temporary SSI last year and experienced a learning curve even steeper than his leadership year as a senior cadet. He made an admirable contribution to the effective running of the CCF last year. Lt Commander Tom Hardman is standing down as Head of the Navy Section for the second time. Tom is to be thanked yet again for his outstanding contribution to the Navy Section and the CCF. He is being replaced by Lt Gavin Hall who has already made a real contribution to the development of the Navy Section. His entertaining reports of activities have become an integral part of the culture of the Corps. The Coules Cup was awarded to Miles Kaye for his outstanding contribution to school shooting and Adrian Ko was awarded the Contingent Commanders Cup for his overall contribution to the CCF.

Army

competition) and by weapons training. The section recently received upgraded A2 rifles, which are semi-automatic and as such every cadet had to be retrained in order that they could fire safely. Once this had been accomplished and BGI was finished, attentions turned to the recent Tidworth field day. This field day was unusual in that all Years went to the same training area and the field day involved camping out for 2 nights. The cadets were stretched and pushed to the limit; Saturday morning involved a 4.30 wake up for example and by the time we left there were some very wet, cold and tired individuals. The field day itself was action-packed. It was run by Fusiliers from 1st Battalion and involved rides in Warriors (the Army APC) and weapons demonstrations. We were fortunate enough to see sniper rifles, mortars, tanks and, perhaps most exciting, the Javelin missile system with its thermal imagery targeting system (known as the ‘clue’). In addition, all cadets fired on the electronic range and participate in a night ambush on some unsuspecting NCOs. The night expedition involved the cadets lining up on a ridge overlooking one of the enemies key transport routes. As the land-rovers travelled along the road they triggered trip flares and suddenly

The Army Section has had another successful and entertaining year. The Autumn term was spent introducing the new cadets to drill and weapons handling, while the more experienced members of the section were given lessons on ambushing and other aspects of the Advanced Infantry course.

Further aspects of the course included camp craft and navigation which equipped the year 10s to deal with their field day in Ampthill. The year 11s travelled to Thetford training area for their field day which was thoroughly enjoyed by all; the cadets arrived on Thursday evening and set up harbour before they were attacked by a group of enemy U6. They were then divided into recce parties and tasked with patrolling out into the night to find the enemy positions and determine their strength in order to launch a counter attack the next morning. With the positions located, it only remained to launch full section and platoon attacks when light broke on the Friday. It was quite a sight to see 60 cadets move forward in perfect formation across the Thetford plains unloading thousands of blank rounds as they went.

The spring term was dominated by preparation for BGI (where the Army won the inter-section 98

Nescliffe. Finally, our Biennial General Inspection was a triumph. We received an outstanding report Brigadier Patterson which reflects the exceptional commitment of Cadets and the Officers to the Corps.

The CCF social calendar is as busy as ever. The Old Boys’ Reunion Dinner at the RAF Club Piccadilly was a very enjoyable occasion where 115 old boys, cadets and officers were entertained by our guest speaker, one of our distinguished old boys, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Butterwick. He was ex-head of the RAF Section and School Vice Captain, who is soon to take command of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. He studied History at Cambridge, commanded a Battle Group in Iraq and is currently working for the MOD at the Department for International Planning in the Middle East. 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. The Section Heads: Matthew Worby (Navy), Basil Letts (Army) and Andrew Campbell (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.

Nicholas Saddington (Contingent Commander) 100 cadets lay fire down on the enemy as they stumbled out of the vehicles. It truly was an outstanding field day and it demonstrated the benefits of the section’s long standing association with the Fusiliers who pulled out all the stops to ensure we had a fantastic couple of days.

The Army section then is in a very healthy situation indeed. Demand for membership is ever increasing and the availability of resources is becoming more and more impressive – for example, the section now has three LSWs. All that remains is to thank the NCOs and Officers who work tirelessly to ensure things run as smoothly as possible. In particular, Adrian Ko and Miles Kaye put in hours of work for the CCF in organising kit, delivering lessons and in general making sure everything gets done.

UO Letts

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Ampthill 2009

The Call of the Wild

The 8th October 2009 saw 150 Army and Navy cadets, in Year 10 and Lower 6th, venture up to Ampthill Park for their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Practice expedition accompanied by a dozen staff.

When it comes to adventure training, few locations can compare to Ampthill with its heady blend of wilderness, extreme climate and ever present danger from extreme factions of the indigenous population. Recently the siren-call of the wild proved too great for 150 HABS RN & Army cadets including Yr 10 boys, a smattering of adventure-hardened 6th form leaders and a dozen watchful staff.

Collectively they set course for Ampthill to tackle our annual Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Expedition Practice exercise.

The adventure started as groups of year 10 boys were ferried off to various drop off points some distance from camp armed with only a map, compass, route card, a heavy rucksack full of equipment and a couple of Lower 6th leaders to guide them on their intrepid hike.

With darkness swiftly falling, their navigational skills were heavily tested.

Soon after, Ampthill Park was filled with tired yet noisy cadets setting up their tents and preparing their evening meals. The boys then grouped together for the traditional ‘noncontact’ wide game where the Year 10’s had to transport glow-sticks from one end of the field to the other without getting caught by the fearsome Lower 6th.

After a tiresome battle, the boys settled down for a night in their sleeping bags, unaware of the cold and crisp night ahead. The campsite slowly awoke in the morning and the quiet park erupted into the sound of local dog walkers and hungry cadets. They were soon ready for the main activity; Practical Leadership Tasks (PLTs) designed and led by our eager Sixth Formers.

Potential leaders shone while trying to overcome the carefully prepared and, in some cases, ingenious tasks. Boys were made to climb barrels, walk blindfolded through ‘mines’ to rescue a stranded soldier (namely a willing Lower 6th volunteer) and even stick their heads in holes containing unimaginable contents to rescue an apple. The Year 10s took to the challenge with great determination and, under the watchful eyes of the Sixth Form and the HABS staff, they worked together showing great teamwork skills and, for the most part, completed the tasks skilfully and with seeming ease.

The leaders brought proceedings to a close with various awards; the most innovative PLTs the best Year 10 cadet and, of course, the team with the highest overall PLT score. The day finished with a customary litter sweep before the equipment was packed up onto the trailer, and 150 tired cadets filled the coaches for the journey back to HABS.

to move glow-sticks from one location to another against fierce opposition. For an hour the boys raced and laughed their way around the inky-blackness of the plateau before settling down for the night.

There comes a time in a man’s life when he wishes he had purchased a warmer sleeping bag. For many of our boys and at least one of

the staff, this time was around 3.00am the following morning. Thankfully the first welcoming kiss of the sun's rays and an enormous breakfast thawed all out sufficiently for the main activity of Day Two. Soon we were ready for nine PLT tasks designed and led by 6th formers, where the leadership potential of our boys would be tested to breaking point.

With the precision of a fully serviced Swiss chronometer, our 6th form advanced party conjured up a base camp and a check point whilst the staff ferried groups of boys to various drop off points some distance from the camp. As darkness wrapped Bedfordshire in its loving but chilly embrace, our intrepid Yr 10s set forth, each armed only with map, compass, torch, warm clothes, route card and an enormous rucksack full of equipment, not to mention a 6th former to shadow them.

In the bleak and icy blackness our boys honed their navigational skills to a rapier’s edge. Up on the checkpoint a long time later we counted them through, pausing only for an entertaining encounter with a highly animated local man who was convinced that we were all somehow involved in a plot to steal one of his tractors, some distance away, using a broken spoon.

Tears of pride welled up in the eyes of the checkpoint staff as our boys turned, if not into men, then into boys who could read a map with reasonable precision in the dark.

Even the most jaded of souls could not have been unmoved by the PLT (Practical Leadership Task) activities. With the tension of a tight-rope, suspense of a thriller and entertainment value of “It’s a Knockout”, the tasks demonstrated not only the high ability of our Sixth Formers but also the growing potential and steely determination of our Yr 10s. The ingenuity of the tasks and full engagement of the boys was highly impressive. The learning was intense but in the finest traditions of HABS at Ampthill, the learning was also great fun.

Ampthill proved once again that the quality of HABS boys is formidable. To name individuals in this short piece would be unfair; all deserve praise for organising, managing and completing the camp simply superbly and with no fuss. Yet we hope that the photos attached might showcase both the spirit of the camp and the ability of our boys.

Thanks must go to all the staff and Sixth Form boys who helped organise and run the activities and make Ampthill 2009 yet another successful CCF Field day.

PLTs over, the boys prepared and ate another large meal and completed a meticulous sweep of the park for litter. Our 6th form leaders then brought the camp to a close. “Awesome” is perhaps a word used far too often, yet it seems to describe Ampthill 2009 both succinctly and accurately. The camp is something that all of our boys will remember fondly for many years to come. It will provide the energy source for a thousand conversations beginning with “do you remember” and will itself be remembered as a phenomenal experience in accelerated learning. The sleepy silence on the coaches home was deafening. Perhaps the intensity of the task had drained our boys. More probably, they were quietly reflecting on an undeniable truth; the skills forged at Ampthill will be tested to the limit during our 2010 Otterburn camp next Easter.

Saahil Lakhani L6

S/Lt Hall

The Year 10s displayed bravery and determination whilst the Lower 6th expertly led, organised and watched over the events of the two days. The trip was great preparation for the Easter expedition to Otterburn and provided a fantastic introduction to CCF life for the younger cadets.

Ampthill Park soon erupted with an infection of multi-coloured tents. The air became charged as the boys heated up a variety of fearsome and unusual culinary brews, downed them in seconds, then grouped together for our evening exercise; “The Wide Game”. The rules of this game are perhaps unfathomable, but certainly hinge upon “no physical contact” and attempts

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Biennial General Inspection The Biennial General Inspection (BGI) is one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the CCF calendar at HABS. It marks the union of the three sections within the school as they celebrate the achievements of our cadet service as a whole, while at the same time, the fierce rivalry between them as they battle it out in an attempt to become overall victors in the various events over the course of the afternoon. This year, the event took place on Friday 5th March, and was one of the best competitions the school has seen in a long time.

The afternoon commenced with a select few from each section greeting the distinguished guest, Brigadier DJ Patterson from the army, with a clockwork honour guard drill. Following this, the Brigadier took the opportunity to meet some of the cadets and discuss how they viewed the CCF within HABS. A lunch hosted by the headmaster was next on the agenda for the guests, after which each of the three sections had the chance to demonstrate one of their strengths. For the Navy section, this was portrayed by a sailing demonstration on

Aldenham Reservoir, with the Army putting on a Section Attack shortly afterwards, and the demonstrations were concluded with a flight simulator and aircraft recognition from the RAF. These were swiftly followed by the main event of the day: the inter-section competitions. Each section had their individual strengths, with the Navy putting on an immaculate performance in drill, and the RAF showing their strength in raft building, but at the end of the day, the Army were too strong, cleaning the floor in events such as the Challenge Course and Orienteering, to name but a couple.

The afternoon concluded with the awards ceremony for all cadets, including the eagerly anticipated results of the various competitions and finding out which section had been victorious. This was followed by a speech from the Brigadier telling cadets what life in the Armed Services is really like, and how fulfilling a career within them can be. He also mentioned how lucky we were to be part of such a successful CCF, and that we should make the most of every opportunity that comes our way.

Although the majority of cadets went home that evening feeling knackered and drained of energy, it is fair to say that each and every cadet tried their best and thoroughly enjoyed the day. Thanks must go to the Brigadier for coming in to judge, and Mr Saddington and Mr Thackwray for their continuous hard work and notable commitment to the CCF as a whole on a weekly basis. The three sections would simply not be possible without them.

Mohsin Saleh L6

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During the Easter break, 128 boys and 20 staff made their way up to Otterburn on the Scottish border for an epic week of outdoor activities, including a Duke of Edinburgh expedition, in stunning surroundings. We were welcomed by a security barrier and barbed wire fencing in order to enter the army base where we were staying, only to find soldiers and sheep on the other side. With the almost impossibly harsh predicted weather conditions on our minds, we had a hearty dinner, made up our bunks, packed our bergens and then went to bed… eventually going to sleep.

thought about yet, and the sky was even showering us with sunshine instead of the expected snow. But after 5 hours of walking, things began to change for a few unfortunate people. Blisters were the main nuisance, closely followed by a couple of groups getting lost and setting the radios abuzz with SOS calls of “We’re in a forest and we don’t know where we are.” It turned out that the forest was an active logging area with constantly changing paths and clearings, testing our navigation skills and sanity to the limit.

Getting lost, or as we called it, “taking minor detours” aside, the practice really helped us to find our physical endurance levels, and the 26km route did prove too much for most in the end.

The bronze practice expedition the next day started off brilliantly: everyone knew exactly where they were, blisters weren’t even being

The bronze expedition itself went even better: The Sun was out for both days, spirits were high, blisters were sorted out, and the views were breathtaking, especially after the long climb to arrive at the top of a hill. Every group made it to the campsite at Lounge’s Knowe before dark without any major problems (other than Niloy somehow getting stuck in a muddy hole and temporarily losing a boot).

We quickly set up a small city of tents and cooked a filling evening meal of wayfarer pouches, pot noodles and 24 hour ration packs, before getting a good night’s sleep.

After cooking breakfast and wiping frost off anything that was left outside overnight, all

DofE Trip to Otterburn

traces of the tent city were packed away into bergens and all ten groups left for their final destinations.

Apart from the expeditions, the bronze groups spent a tiring but really rewarding day mountain biking over the hills and through the forests of the area, and orienteering. On the last day before returning home, quad biking and clay pigeon shooting had been organised, which proved to be a new experience for many cadets and for most, the highlight of the week spent in the North.

Otterburn 2010 was an amazing experience where all cadets learnt and practised some valuable outdoors and survival skills, pushing themselves physically and mentally to their limits while having a thoroughly enjoyable time.

Guy Lewy Year 10

Navy The Navy section has had, once again, an excellent year in terms of the overall spirit in which all activities were undertaken. The departure of the previous senior cadets left a big hole to fill, but Matthew Worby, Sahil Patel and Ravi Shah have excelled in orchestrating a wide variety of activities for the rest of the section to enjoy.

The first event on the list for the Navy, undertaken with the Army section, was Ampthill.

This is an eagerly anticipated overnight camping and hiking trip for new Year 10 cadets organised by the Lower 6th. This year three cadets, Ho Tang, Saahil Lakhani and Joel Kariel, ensured that this trip ran smoothly and was as enjoyable as possible for the new cadets with their efficient planning and leadership.

After the field day, the section moved on to the Winter Courses programme, taught by members of the Upper 6th. Their lessons included how to tie various knots in ropes, essential for sailing, and how to polish shoes worthy of being worn to parade. In addition, the Lower 6th gave presentations to their own year on various topics, ranging from ‘life in the navy’ to ‘surviving a terrorist attack’.

The courses went extremely smoothly and the section progressed from the Winter Training into perhaps the most important event of the year,

the Biennial General Inspection, or BGI. The year was always going to be overshadowed by this event, an inter-service competition between the Combined Cadet Force.

The preparations beforehand were rigorous; each section had been working towards this competition for months and had selected skilled teams for a wide selection of events, such as the march and shoot, the tug-of-war and the assault course. The BGI had been won by the Navy four years ago, so it was important to everyone there that the section did well. Although the results showed that they finished in third position out of four, these figures do not indicate the closeness between the Navy and RAF sections. There were some good highlights to take away from it; the drill team won its competition comprehensively with a fantastic display led by Neeloy Bannerjee and the performance of the Navy

cadets in the Honour guard meeting the Brigadier was highly commendable.

As another year draws to a close, with the final few sessions of sailing all that’s left, the section as a whole would like to show their sincere gratitude to Mr Hardman, Mr Ward, Mr Cucknell, Mr Hall and the team of Upper 6th officers, as it is only due to their immense hard work and commitment that the successes of this year were possible and that all cadets had a different task to take part in on a weekly basis.

Nikhil Subbiah L6 101

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CCF Dinner Hosted as a way of thanking the Upper 6th on their hard work, diligence and effort throughout not just the year but all four years of their CCF life, the annual Combined Cadet Force dinner was this year held in the Tower of London, by virtue of the fact that the Habs CCF section is attached to the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and that they have their headquarters in the Tower itself.

Post-champagne-reception jokes were perhaps funnier than they should have been, as we, clad in freshly ironed and often unworn dinner jackets, meandered through the museum inside the Tower.

A fine meal, ranging from the delectable artichoke soup garnished with truffle oil through to the tender and sumptuous lamb and potatoes, was put on hold briefly to listen to Major Saddington’s words of wisdom and reflection. In his address, the red-faced historian recounted tales of Major LloydWilliams and goal-post destruction and looked forward to a time, five years from now when we could all come together again and have a reunion dinner at the Army and Navy club.

Riotous speeches from the three senior cadets in the sections, Basil Letts (Army), Matthew Worby (Royal Navy) and Andrew Campbell (RAF), followed, as Matthew Worby compared his team to Senior Management, declaring Sam Freeman to be Mr Boyes as “we have no idea what he does” and Neeloy Banerjee to be Mr Cook since “in particular, all the year tens and elevens love him – just this morning he was engaged in a group hug with them all”, while Andrew Campbell hailed Oliver Cohen as the second messiah. All speeches though, in

Royal Air Force

its wide-ranging proficiency time and time again.

The RAF Section has enjoyed an actionpacked year of progress under the steadfast leadership of Andrew Campbell, Matthew Naughton, Oliver Cohen, and Branavan Rudran.

The Section secured a commendable second place out of four in the legendary BGI competition, beating both the Royal Navy Section and half of the Army Section. We were triumphant in both the Raft Building and First Aid competitions and came a close second in several of the others.

The RAF Section continues to grow in size and prowess, providing far more than just key military skills to its keen and able-bodied cadets. From patching up the wounded to soaring through the clouds, the RAF Section equips its members for any and every situation. With all cadets gaining valuable survival experience under the bivouac and profiting from the invaluable advice of Officers within the Royal Air Force, the Section provides its cadets with skills stretching in every direction beyond the classroom. Manoeuvring and navigating over many and varied expanses of water and across the terrains of the Hertfordshire countryside, the RAF Section demonstrates

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describing the success of the year and thanking the many staff for all their hard work, diligence and effort throughout the CCF, highlighted the strength and depth within the section not just in terms of the 340 cadets in the CCF this year, but the time and willingness

The autumn term Field Day saw a successful overnight bivouacking exercise, providing the year 10, year 11, and upper sixth cadets with valuable survival experience, as well as a great deal of fun, involving night exercises, assault courses, raft building, and climbing walls. Meanwhile, the lower sixth cadets enjoyed a very informative day at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, experiencing all manner of aviation equipment from the last 100 years.

The Lent term Field Day saw yet more bivouacking for the upper sixth cadets, this

of the teachers help us truly to nurture our excellence – and for that we are eternally grateful.

Neeloy Bannerjee U6

time accompanied by the lower sixth cadets at HOAC, where a delicious dinner was prepared by each cadet before a night under canvas and a day filled with a ferociouslyfought raft building competition and a seemingly perilous range of activities on the high ropes course. Meanwhile, the year 10 and 11 cadets ventured to RAF Benson for the chance to experience powered flight and learn more about how the RAF operates dayto-day.

Thanks must go to Squadron Leader Bass and Flying Officers Stiff, Thackrey, Whiteman, and Oldfield for their sterling work in overseeing the Section’s progress throughout the year.

The RAF Section looks forward to yet more action-packed challenges and excursions in the coming year and beyond.

WO Andrew Campbell

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Warcop The highlight of any year in the CCF must be summer camp, the chance to get away from home with your best mates and live for a week on a military base. Last year the summer camp was at Warcop in Cumbria, and after a 7am start and 6 hour coach ride we arrived at Warcop and were shown to our accommodation.

We were thrown straight into the programme with a quick brief on the next day’s activities, would be doing a series of section and platoon attacks against an infantry militia operating in the area. This gave the senior cadets a chance to practice their leadership skills and give the younger cadets, many of whom were on the very first summer camp, the opportunity to hone their weapon handling skills, and section and platoon battle drills. The following days involved a series of stands such as First Aid, Signals, watermanship and leadership training. The first aid training allowed cadets to obtain a certificate making them first-aid qualified. The signals stand gave cadets an insight into the jobs of those in the Royal Corps of Signals, and cadets learnt

Salcombe, Devon On Thursday 1st July Mr Cucknell and Miss McKenzie took 12 Year 10 Navy cadets to experience 3 days of intensive sailing on board the Egremont, a retired Mersey Ferry moored in the estuary at Salcombe in Devon. For most of the cadets, sailing in tidal waters was a new experience and they threw themselves into the challenge with much enthusiasm, making real progress in their sailing abilities each day. Further difficulty was added to this task by the obstacle course of moored boats in the estuary through which the cadets had to navigate in order to reach clear water.

about military radios, radio masts and how to put long range radios together. The watermanship stand run by the Corps of Royal Engineers showed cadets the principles of raft building, and, more importantly, teamwork.

Teams of five competed against each other racing from one end of a lake to another, the losing team having to run barrels around the lake. The second half of the stand gave cadets a hands-on introduction to many kinds of weaponry including submachine guns such as the MP5, assault rifles such as the M16 and AK47 and light anti-tank weapons such as RPGs and LAW 80s. The morning of leadership training allowed each cadet to lead their walking group to a navigation point somewhere in the hills near Warcop. On Wednesday morning, cadets were given the opportunity to learn how to withdraw from a defensive position, a skill not known to any of the cadets or officers. The group was split between the defensive position and paintballing pairs. The afternoon was concentrated on the ranges practicing marksmanship principles for the upcoming march and shoot completion between all the schools on the base. Thursday was the day of adventurous training. Cadets were taken

climbing, kayaking or were taken on a hike around the Lake District. Thursday evening, preparations were made for the night exercise and camp out. Cadets patrolled into a platoon harbour under the watchful eye of the senior cadets. Later on in the night, a recce patrol was sent out to gather intelligence on the enemy’s activities. The next morning, cadets were supposed to go out on a series of platoon attacks; however, because of the poor weather, the exhaustion of many of the cadets, some even having gone hypothermic during the night, the exercise was cancelled and the contingent retired to the warmth of the barracks. That afternoon, the march and shoot team, which was lead by Alex Barnett and Miles Kaye, competed against many other strong schools but eventually prevailed and won the competition, the trophy now being displayed in the CCF Office. The following day cadets packed their equipment, to return home ready for mummy to wash their dirty laundry. This year’s summer camp is in Garelochhead, Scotland, the first time the contingent will have travelled north of the border. It should be a worthwhile experience.

RQMS Adrian Ko

moments included Max Sinclair being dragged at full speed behind the Pico helmed by Joey Chong after having fallen out during a particularly vigorous gibe and Tom Baines (one of our most experienced sailors) somehow managing to capsize while being towed behind the safety boat. The cadets returned to school as more confident and capable sailors and with many a story to tell.

A McKenzie

With a strong breeze getting up on the final day and small waves beginning to form in the estuary, the cadets had their first go at sailing their Picos with their jib sheets up. The safety boats were kept busy as the cadets struggled to keep their boats upright (the ease of capsizing in unfamiliar conditions having been demonstrated to them earlier by Mr Cucknell and Miss McKenzie in their RS Feva), but the boys demonstrated how much they had learnt over the last three days by coping extremely well with the increased wind speed. Top 103

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Summer Field Day

appears” at the end of the story to rescue Mr Benn from his adventure.

Introduction: A Book of Seven Rings

In many ways, Lt Cdr Hardman is rather like the shopkeeper. As Mr Holmes and I tried unsuccessfully to coax one slightly nervous cadet and his Topper the last metre to the shore, Lt Cdr Hardman “suddenly appeared” in a fast moving Laser. It was all too fast; a flash of white sail, a bang, a shout of “get in!” he was gone again, leaving our cadet and his Topper not just at the shore, but in fact safely on the shore. Although his tactics may be unconventional, we had to concede that Lt Cdt Hardman is very good at sailing indeed.

As every samurai knows, Miyamoto Musashi’s wrote “A Book of Five Rings” in 1643. It may not have the page-turner qualities of more contemporary works such as Katie Price’s “Being Jordan”, but its introduction paints an enthralling picture of the power and humility of a true Zen master.

As the early morning sun climbed high above Aldenham reservoir, our own Zen master, sailing instructor Barry, danced effortlessly with his RS300 (more of which later) in the strong breeze: that book, that power and that humility were all brought vividly to life.

Meet Barry – a Man of Steel.

Barry Steele, a great friend of the HABS RN CCF, was scheduled to give our cadets a full day of sailing instruction. HABS tends to use only top-flight instructors, and modest ex-World Champion Barry is the best of the best. He moored his RS300 (even more of which later) and we shook hands, his enthusiasm and energy jolting me with the power of a defibrillator. Cue the arrival of Chief Petty Officer Mark Smith just two minutes later than scheduled - not bad considering he had driven from Gosport, Hampshire, that morning. As we merrily set about setting up some Toppers, Lt Cdr Hardman and Mr Holmes shepherded our cadets into the sailing club with the panache of a pair of cunning sheep dogs - or perhaps that should be “sea dogs” – and I realised that this field day would be nothing less than historic.

In a flash, seventeen Toppers and two Picos were rigged and ready to roll (indeed, most of them did roll during the course of the day). With the speed of a whirling dervish, Barry whipped our cadets into a state of peak excitement and launched them into the reservoir. The more astute cadets immediately recognised that this was like no other day of sailing they had enjoyed, as today there was some wind. Few schools have a fleet as large as that of HABS, and witnessing nineteen of our dinghies setting sail is a sight that my colleagues and I shall long remember.

Very much a “hands on” instructor, Barry conveyed his instructions to the circling cadets through the medium of a powerboat and loud hailer. This combination curiously gave his voice the characteristics of an enthusiastic dalek, albeit without the general themes of world domination and extermination. Then again, he did set high standards. The cadets rose to the challenge magnificently, stowing nerves firmly in the hold and throwing themselves into the task.

The learning curve, as is so often the case at HABS, was steep and exhilarating.

Jaws Attacks Readers approaching middle age might be familiar with the animated children’s series “Mr Benn”, in which a shopkeeper “suddenly 104

Our short morning break and a little further instruction from Barry followed this brief encounter. For the second sailing session he would raise the bar sharply, tightening up on tacking technique. Once more our cadets set sail, zig-zagging endlessly into the wind with considerable polish – HABS boys really do learn quickly when they have to.

Sheriff Hardman Rides Again All this time, Barry’s RS300 had been taunting Lt Cdr Hardman. The RS300 is a full-blooded racing machine. It has the stability of a pig walking in high heels across an ice rink in a hurricane, and the speed of a Jaguar fighterbomber in a vertical dive. It is brutal, beautiful and takes no prisoners; characteristics that I knew would prove irresistible to Lt Cdr Hardman. Sure enough, the two were soon face to face in a showdown reminiscent of the iconic Carry Grant western, “High Noon”.

I am sure that I heard the RS300 snarl as Lt Cdr Hardman sized it up. As he leapt on board, it kicked, bucked and charged off like an angry mustang. For half an hour they slugged it out.

Highlights included the RS300 literally catapulting Lt Cdr Hardman into the drink, and Lt Cdr Hardman finally wringing full power out of this wonderful machine, saving the sporting reputation of HABS once again. I for one was glad to hear Barry declare that it was lunchtime.

So to Lunch: Our cadets had clearly worked up an apatite during their morning’s exertions and immediately set about a wide variety of foodstuffs with great vigour. Meanwhile the staff were greeted by an apologetic Mr Holmes, their volunteer chef for the day. “I’m afraid there isn’t much for lunch”, he confessed, “just garlic buttered prawns, a couple of peppered steaks each, some garlic buttered new potatoes, some couscous, fresh bread and a rocket salad”. “No pudding?” we cried in dismay. “Just a large

chocolate and pecan torte”, he replied. We forced it down, assisted by the most comprehensive collection of fresh fruit juices that we had ever encountered. Michael Winner himself would have been impressed by Mr Holmes’ lavish repast.

Getting Serious: Another brief briefing, then it was back to work for our boys. This time Barry honed their racing skills, putting them through practice start after practice start before he was satisfied. CPO Smith, Lt Cdr Hardman and Mr Holmes were all drafted in by Laser and Topper to make the racing as serious as possible.

Around this time, from the safety of the safety boat, I witnessed a transformation as cadets and their boats became one. Their initial apprehensions had disappeared amid a sea of smiles and laughter, adequate testimony to the pedagogical skills of our instructor. Barry, it seemed, had taught them to dance. Two or three (or ten) more practice races later saw our proceedings start to draw to a close. Tired but happy, our cadets packed their machines away with meticulous care before setting sail for home; to a man they had developed their skills enormously during the day.

Lying on my couch much later, in reflective mode, a warm feeling overwhelmed me. This was partly due to severe sunburn, but also to the excellent performance of our cadets. During an eight hour day they had enjoyed around six hours of instruction from a world-class yachtsman. They had applied themselves with characteristic vigour, enthusiasm, determination and ability, maximising their learning and enjoyment. Not a negative word had been said.

Not a moment had been wasted. Their behaviour was absolutely and completely faultless throughout, making one proud not just to be associated with them, but to know that they are keeping the tradition and high standards of the HABS RN CCF alive in a way of which that those who have gone before them would be very proud indeed.

S/Lt G Hall

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Field Day to Portsmouth “Where shall we go for field day then?” pondered Lt Cdr Hardman. His loyal officers thought about Tunisia, Marbella and then Dubai before finally settling on Gosport, Hampshire.

speeds of up to 4mph, with the cadets gasping at the sights and sounds of Portsmouth Harbour.

Gosport has never traditionally been a hotspot for tourism. This is no surprise; those not attached to the Royal Navy are barred from its greatest and best attractions, and are instead limited to visiting its Spar shop and bus depot.

Issues of national security and “Need to Know” regulations prevent me from revealing what we saw on our harbour tour. Suffice to say that we sailed past a number of very large RN vessels indeed, all of which had great big weapons, and one of which might or might not been the Ark Royal. Somehow the fine rain and mist, and the backdrop of swirling, deep, grey waters gave an ethereal beauty to these mighty vessels - this was a very fine harbour tour indeed.

With its officers waving their “RNR Access All Areas” security passes, the whole HABS RN section cavalcade swept into Fort Blockhouse to where the real action in Gosport resides: Fort Blockhouse is home to some of the finest MOD accommodation in the Portsmouth area.

All good things must come to an end, and for our cadets the end of the sea-leg meant that more good things were about to start. These things included a visit to HMS Victory, to “Action Stations” which is a RN activity warehouse, and to a submarine museum.

In its day, which was sometime during 1962, Fort Blockhouse was probably Hilton-like in its level of luxury. Now nearing the end of its useful life, or perhaps even slightly beyond it, the Fort is basic and functional, but at least it still has excellent sea views. It also contained Mark Smith, our Area Instructor (a serving Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer), who was nothing short of outstanding in every regard, despite having worked for around sixteen hours that day by the time of our arrival.

Mark left no stone unturned in ensuring that we were settled, comfortable and organised for the next day. He is a true professional in every sense.

The high standard of presentation and behaviour displayed by all cadets during the day is testimony to the professionalism of the HABS RN CCF section and to the high standards which HABS SNCOs insist upon. At a time when the local press is littered with tales of juvenile delinquency, our cadets made one feel especially proud to be joining them on such adventures.

They were a delight to spend the day with.

The first challenge was for the cadets to make their own beds from a combination of bed-related items, a task which was clearly novel and new to many of them. Their plight was made worse by my attempting to convince them that their blankets were in fact “WiFi electric blankets”, and offering them the fictitious choice of “down-filled or acrylic?” for their pillows. Thankfully, the excellent HABS RNR Senior Non-CommissionedOfficers were on hand to ensure that all cadets achieved a ship-shape result. By around 3.45AM, all had drifted into a peaceful slumber.

Next morning at 06:45, a time the existence of which many of the cadets were previously unaware, saw them parading outside in very fine fettle. A short march (about eight measured paces in fact) then placed each of them face-toface with a cooked breakfast of truly gargantuan proportions. It never ceases to amaze one how much the truly committed cadet can eat.

Soon afterwards the section split into two, with the Sixth Form cadets heading off for a relaxing morning at the assault course whilst the Upper School cadets marched off to Petrol Pier and onto a powerful RN launch. There they floated peacefully at the jetty for half an hour whilst its crew discussed both fog and iPhone applications with the HABS staff; a number of regulations threatened to preclude us from sailing.

With the skills of a hostage negotiator, Mr Holmes, himself with over fifteen years of RNR service behind him, bonded instantly with the crew. He used subliminal techniques and perhaps even magic to secure our launch. Soon we were gratefully powering through the surf at

A “must see” destination for all people with any soul at all, HMS Victory initially appeared slightly less well equipped with guides than one might have hoped. This mattered little to the young cadets who took great delight in independently assimilating a great deal of information on this most famous ship in no time at all Their education was aided somewhat by Mr Holmes’ informed commentary on nautical matters, and very little by my own nautical trivia (“Boys, do you know where the expression “son of a gun” actually comes from?”) Thankfully, we soon managed to latch onto a guide with a command of the metaphor that was humbling to behold (“…and a volley of grape-shot saw the enemy splattered all over the masts like an omelette; a Spanish omelette at that.”)

their dry runs.

HABS is very privileged to have its own inhouse assault course, but as you can see from the photographs, there really is nothing like the real thing!

Reunited, the whole RN section gave a fond “farewell” to Gosport and set off for home. A vote of thanks for this fine field day adventure must go to AI Mark Smith whose calmness, fine organisational skills and, where appropriate, scariness made the whole trip a success. Thanks also are due to Lt Cdr Hardman without whose energy, commitment and iPhone we simply couldn’t manage, and to SLt Ward, SLt Cucknell, Mr Holmes (previously Lt Holmes) and Mr Whalley who oversaw the whole trip. Moreover our Senior Cadets deserve praise. Messrs Worby, Shah (Ravi), Glanville, Freeman, Banarjee and Patel (Sahil) led the cadets superbly, setting an excellent example and representing HABS to the general public in as fine a way as is humanly possible.

Last time BRNC Dartmouth, this time sailing past the Ark Royal (or not as the case may be).

As my socks slowly sizzle away their dampness on the radiator, and I reflect on my RN CCF adventures I am left thinking wondering, “whatever next?”

Oh yes, adventure training in Otterburn. That’s next.

S/Lt G Hall

Somewhat reluctantly we finally sailed back to Gosport, met up with the Sixth Form. But what had they been up to all day?

The Sixth Form had been to Royal Navy’s Leadership School at HMS Collingwood with the intrepid and cool AI Mark Smith, who was refreshed after what must have been two hours of sleep.

Team Ghandi, Team Mandela and Team Churchill battled it out around the obstacles on a “dry” run, followed by a “very wet and muddy” run. HABS boys learn quickly, and their wet run times were around twelve minutes, some three minutes faster than 105

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SCS The boys of Habs are very lucky in that they are all very talented and have the privilege of an excellent education. The SCS program at Habs provides the boys with the opportunity to ‘give something back’. This year 175 boys chose to be involved in SCS in one of the three different areas: Some boys help out the various societies, clubs and departments in existence in the school; their work is evident all around the school – producing props for Drama productions, maintaining and generating materials for noticeboards, coaching younger boys in a variety of sports and clubs; and many other areas.

Visiting a large number of local residential care homes and homes for the disabled; at times it is difficult to decide if the residents or the boys gain more from these visits.

Many boys help a variety of institutions in the wider community, giving their time to help out at places of worship, youth groups and sporting clubs.

It is most rewarding to see how much the boys gain from their involvement in SCS and how willingly they give of their time and energy – long may it continue.

Finally I pay tribute to the many members of staff who lead the boys in all of these activities. I especially acknowledge the contribution of my predecessor, Mr Jon Barnes, who contributed countless hours to the success of SCS over many years.

Geoff Kissane

Penniwells Centre The Penniwells RDA Centre is located on 16 acres of prime Hertfordshire countryside. The site is well equipped with stables, outdoor and indoor riding facilities. This year Samir Petker, Saahil Dhanak and myself have been helping out at Penniwells every Monday after school.

Our visits involve us helping the riders, of all ages and disabilities, by sidewalking with them or simply leading the horses. We also help to clean the stables by sweeping the porch and providing fresh drinking and food supplies for the horses. It has been said that without the help of volunteers "Penniwells would simply not function." I have gained a great sense of achievement by helping the children to ride the horses and am proud of myself for succeeding in making their life a little bit more enjoyable.

Akash Mehta Year 11

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Hill House

Prep Sport

Every Friday afternoon, visiting Hill House, a very pleasant care home in Elstree, has become a true highlight of the week for Tanmay Jain & I; a wonderful opportunity to visit the residents of Hill House.

Throughout our year working with the Prep School Sport, we have predominantly worked with rugby and football squads during their lunchtime and after school training sessions. Occasionally, some of us were asked to referee younger age groups in fixtures. On field days we would come in for the day and organise/referee touch rugby or seven-a-side football tournaments. Throughout the year we accompanied teams between years three and six at home and away matches, offering advice and encouragement from the sidelines.

Initially, it was a very new experience for both of us as we tried to get acquainted with both the friendly staff and residents. To illustrate these opening visits in graphic detail, the main topics of conversation revolved around the hackneyed prompts: ‘Oh, the weather was beautiful this week, wasn’t it?’ or ‘How was art class?’ or simply ‘Food any good?’ However, as the weeks progressed, we found out that we had an innumerable amount of topics to converse about; discussing the principles of Zen with a recently turned Buddhist (who spends hours dabbling on iTunes and was also a local tennis phenomenon in his early days), quizzing the residents on the most random facts possible (for example how many pints of beer are consumed at the Munich Beer Festival every year) and debating economics around the globe.

Overall, our weekly visits have left us feeling a huge sense of satisfaction that we have tried to improve the lives of these residents, some of whom are not much older than us and just want someone to talk to. The many lessons we have learned from these trips have enabled us to realise that we are incredibly fortunate individuals and should use our time and effort to give back to those less fortunate than ourselves. We thank both Dr Perera for accompanying us to Hill House and Mr Kissane for giving us this timeless opportunity.

James Soo L6

A standard week would involve attending a year-five football session on a Monday evening, organising drills and exercises. Then, on a Friday afternoon, helping at matches whether it be officiating or coaching. The experience is one we would recommend to any enthusiastic student. The younger children benefit and appreciate our work and it’s very rewarding.

Prep school sport is a very enjoyable option and whatever you put in, you will get out double.

Ned Birss Year 10, Ben Kohler Year 10 and Jonathan Tang Year 11

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Press and PR

Princess Alexandra

SCS Press and Public Relations have combined together to create a bigger and better army of reporters, photographers and publishers of all things Habs.

This year we spent our Friday afternoons at the Princess Alexandra care home in Stanmore. For some of us it was a brand new experience to visit the older generation, get a chance to keep them company and listen to the interesting stories they had to tell. The home largely caters for elderly Jewish men and women with 68 permanent residents who spend their time within the home and its beautiful gardens.

Tasks ranged from interviewing Old Haberdashers, who have cycled round Africa, to taking winter pictures of the school’s elegant grounds. All our reports have been published on the school website and many have submitted articles to local newspapers, school publications and 10,000 members of the school community (Old Boys, teachers and parents). It is a quick-paced, extremely eventful and exciting team to be a part of, and we certainly recommend it to those interested in a career in the media industry.

Zak Kay Year 11

Props The school’s theatrical productions have been a great success; but this surely could not have been possible without the existence of the ‘props family’, spurred on by a reward of tea, chocolate and the opportunity to make something from nothing (mainly junk found in an old cupboard). This requires great determination and imagination from all of the ‘props family’, trying to better our prop-predecessors to make the school’s drama performances as professional and impressive as the West End.

One lady is 104, but despite her age, is full of excitement and amazing stories about her life.

She has two daughters, who are twins.

Incidentally they attended HABS Girls many years ago. She also has five grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Her late husband was a Dutchman who worked as an accountant in London.

Another resident claims to be one of the only Jewish commanders to serve in the First World War, while Hans is a famous holocaust survivor and artist and has produced renowned paintings of the liquidations of the ghettos.

Independent My SCS in Sai School of Harrow has been very rewarding. I have helped out at this charitable organisation for the last 3 years. Previously, I started off as a classroom assistant and I worked my way up to become a voluntary teacher of world religions. My duty was to educate young people about different aspects of religions and how each one is interrelated.

Every year, the organisation is heavily involved in the event ‘Diwali on the Square’. Our role as the youth of the community is to support Sai School of Harrow and open up stalls advertising and selling things for charity. Last year, I volunteered at a learning centre where I aided disabled children with computers. As a result, I have received ‘The Diana Award.’ The community has helped me tremendously as it has developed my communications and leadership skills. The whole experience has been fulfilling especially as I organised this service myself and each week I look forward to helping these wonderful kids.

Kushal Thakker L6

Overall we have thoroughly enjoyed spending our time in the home and gaining much knowledge from the older generation. We hope to remember this extremely rewarding experience for many years to come.

Elio Elia L6

Our family includes: Papa Glückstein, Pedro the Carbon-paper king, Mr Jones, Mr Francois, Briggalicious, the rising star Eden Tarn, the seamstress Nicholas Constantinou (a.k.a.

Vivienne), Lord Kohli of Hendon and Guru Gérg.

From our ingenious talent we have been able to create a dead goose from shuttlecocks and tennis balls to a brand new bath, look like it was worth 5p and ready for the skip.

Nick Constantinou L6

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Rugby First XV Rugby The HABS First XV season began with a gruelling pre-season, led by Mr Matthews and Corporal Cook from the Marines. With unprecedented levels of fitness in a first team squad, excusing the perennially unfit Ademola, we went into the first game of the season against Hatcham College with confidence. The game was a successful one, a solid performance producing the desired result, giving us the opportunity to rotate our squad and test untried combinations. One man who had his chance that day was Niral Panchal who, reminiscent of a young Jonah Lomu, tormented the Hatcham defence with a combination of power and pace in a breathtaking 10 minute performance... This would be the last time Niral played for the first fifteen.

The following few games, and the first half of the season, produced new things for HABS rugby. The levels of commitment and passion could not be questioned, with our defence becoming increasingly resilient and everincreasing levels of innovation on the pitch.

However, we headed into the second half of the season with plenty of work still to do.

Juggling a number of commitments, the squad began to look depleted as injuries and other extracurricular activities began to take their toll on the squad. Our club secretary, Basil Letts, decided to go and play cards with his grandmother rather than travel with us to Haileybury, where the squad performed with distinction despite falling to defeat.

A scratchy win against Latymer, however, gave the team confidence moving into the fixture against Bedford, a team HABS had not beaten away at first XV level for 15 years. We performed with distinction, taking our chances and defending like men possessed. Special mention must go to Aneesh Misra, who ran the ball into contact once, only to end up injured and off the pitch. We won 17-10. With the sweet sound of Jerusalem ringing in our ears, we headed home, victorious. The only performance of the season that competed with our efforts against Bedford was that against MT’s, where an under strength side showed guts and determination in the last home game of the season to push our local rivals all the way.

Despite many combinations and changes, the guts shown in the forwards have been inspirational. The position of scrum half has brought much debate this season, and whether it was Basil or Andy Middleton, we have always had a no. 9 who has marshalled the defence well and delivered quick ball. Our fly half, Charlie Johnson, managed to deliver time and again with impressive pace and skill. The centre pairing was inconsistent for the first few games, until we witnessed the resurrection with

Joe “Jesus” Yarwood. Joe and Alex HughesMontoute formed a solid midfield partnership, accompanied effectively by an ever changing back three combination.

Finally, I would just like to say how much I’ve enjoyed this season. It’s been an honour to captain such a great bunch of lads and this is a rugby season I really will never forget. I would also like to thank Mr Matthews on behalf of everybody here for all the effort he’s put in to make sure we have had a successful season. Although sometimes results haven’t gone our way, Mr Matthews always showed commitment to the team to help spur us on to achieve greater results. I hope that the HABS First XV will build on this result and go from strength to strength in future years.

Jonny Miller U6

2nd XV Rugby The 2nd XV enjoyed a highly successful year, winning 7 out of 10 games, only losing to two ‘posh’ public schools as well as a team unbeaten in 3 years. Teams we once could only dream of scoring against have been trounced home and away, and a youthful team built around a small core of Upper Sixth have shown their considerable potential against opponents who were often a whole year older. 1st team call-ups and injury crises were overcome with determination and a fantastic team spirit. Boys have become men, men have become legends, and one legend has become captain.

The season started with a tone-setting 15-12 win at QEB courtesy of a last-minute Alex Barnett penalty from the halfway line. This was followed by a thriller at home against UCS, with Subomi Anidugbe scoring a number of tries in a 29-24 HABS win. Unfortunately, the traditional pre-St Albans injury crisis set in ahead of our next game, and after Anidugbe and star winger Antonio Castagno were stretchered off after a couple of minutes, HABS could only fall to a 500 defeat. After Watford Grammar had taken one look at our teamsheet and called off our match, we played Tiffin at home and comprehensively routed them 25-15. An early contender for the prestigious ‘try of the season’ award put HABS in control, Andy Middleton and Philip Bagshaw combining for a well-worked score. A nearperfect half-term was marred slightly by an unfortunate defeat to Stowe the following Wednesday, in which HABS battled hard but failed to convert pressure into points and were duly punished by a useful outfit.

A nasty tie away to equally posh Haileybury followed after the half-term break. The pack,

combining hard runners such as Josh Mannasseh and tough cookies like James Hoenig, dominated, but it was not enough to save HABS from a 17-0 defeat. That was to be the last of the year, however, as pleas for members of the squad to train finally paid off and the 2nd XV embarked on a thrilling winning run. Latymer Upper were demolished 29-10 at home, the combination of young tyros (Ademola Olorunshola, Adam Pabani) and grizzled veterans (Andrew Shipley, Barn Ahluwhalia) too strong for the visiting side.

Bedford Modern were then humiliated 42-10 on their own patch. A physically nasty performance was epitomised by the strong running of Dan Lehmann and the silky footwork of Mirav Vyas and Sujane Sivasubramaniam, with Captain George Colenutt winning try of the season hands down after running in from around 90m.

Berkhamsted were next to feel Dan Lehmann’s anger, and with the first move ever recorded in a 2nds match finding James Edmunds, HABS triumphed 24-10. The season ended as it had begun, with a 15-12 victory over local rivals. MTS made every effort to shake the visiting HABS side, even cannily covering the pitch with goose droppings before kickoff, but to no avail. Jack Finger epitomised HABS’ determination with some flying tackles, and after captain Colenutt crashed over for what seemed like and therefore was his 30th try of the season, HABS edged the win thanks to a marvellous performance from sub Joe McCormick. Having decided chasing down his own kick to score was not enough, McCormick sunk a drop goal in the last minute to win the game, and HABS ended 7 years of hurt.

There are, of course, many people who deserve the credit for making this team the best 2nd XV in the school. The players, who played the games. The captain, who won the games. The supporters, who failed to turn up in record numbers. But most of all, I believe I speak for the entire team, and Mr Bagguley, in extending the warmest of thanks to the 3 Ms, Messrs McIntosh, Metcalfe and Matthews, for their coaching, commitment and effort. In particular, Mr Bagguley would like to thank Mr Matthews for his tremendous enthusiasm, hard work and dedicated skill in providing original training routines which the senior squad benefited from.

The senior squad all developed a determination to succeed as their skill level improved.

But to build on this unexpected level of ability and winning mentality, there was only one man for the job (literally, we had no choice) and that was Mr Bagguley. He led us to some fantastic victories and performances we never thought we could achieve, but what was most important is that we enjoyed every minute of our rugby this year, largely owing to the team ethos he nurtured.

George Colenutt U6

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3rd XV Rugby

to the referee to inquire the basis of his decision.

Mr Jenkins no longer teaches at our school.

“It’s like rugby, but fun.” Perhaps this comment from a Lower Sixth student on the opening day of the season best sums up the experience of representing the Third Fifteen.

But however inglorious the team’s record, it has to be acknowledged that at this level, results are not important. What will leave a lasting impression, on both the team members leaving Habs and those having another shot at winning a game next year, is the enjoyment we took from the season.

Losing every single game is never heartening, but Mr Lloyd-Williams’ inspirational stewardship ensured that the new shirts, expensive, and, fortunately, expansive, were worn with pride. Although the first fixture of the season, a three-team tournament at the home of bitter rivals Merchant Taylors, predictably ended in defeat, there were hints of a burgeoning understanding between wise old heads like David Shamtoob and athletic young colts such as Oliver Simms.

The season continued with a trip to Berkhamstead, a game marred by a brawl started by a disagreement over whether the first apostrophe boasted by Haberdashers’ Aske’s was necessary. We may have been undone by our opponents’ freakish ability to put more than two passes together, but the integrity of the school’s beloved apostrophe remains intact.

St Albans Boys were next up, their kit, a vile mélange of custard yellow and bile black, besmirching each pitch as they set about their annual trouncing of the senior Haberdasher teams. Their most punishing performance was, of course, reserved for the Mighty Thirds.

Although man-mountain Dan West managed to register a try, dragging St Albans’ back row on his enormous shoulders, it was pure luck that prevented the Albanians’ score reaching triple figures. However, it was a valiant effort by Lloydo’s Lads, with no substitutes on a sweltering day.

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Tom Ough L6 and David Stone U6

fixtures until the game against Merchant Taylor’s was abandoned after one of their players suffered a serious injury. Although we did not technically record a victory in our final game, a 26-26 draw against Dr Challoner’s might as well have been. Losing 26-7 at half time, Mr Bass wrung the changes, introducing our substitutes and mixing the positions around. Charlie Cohen would produce a sensational performance, scoring two tries and converting Chonu’s last gasp try to secure an incredible draw.

U16A Rugby

Lewis Stock Year 11

Although the Under 16 A’s only won two games this season, there were some sensational highlights to pick out. The opening day win of the season, against perennially strong QE Boys, whom we had never beaten before, appeared to beckon in a new era for HABS Rugby; unfortunately, we would subsequently lose our next two games to a very strong St Albans side and a decent Watford Grammar team. Our next, and last, victory of the season came against Tiffin, as we travelled away on a bitterly cold morning to be marched on the pitch by our emotional lock, James Colenutt, who delivered his second poetic and moving speech of the season. With our defence immense, Chonu secured the win with a try in the last play, hobbling over the line on one leg to record a memorable 21-17 win.

U16B Rugby

However, we failed to build on our two victories, and would go on to lose the next four

The B’s have had an up and down season, with the highlight being the 16 – 10 victory over Berkhamsted, where, despite missing some key players to a mysterious illness, we overturned the previous season’s 40-0 loss. Whilst wins weren’t exactly free flowing, with UCS our only other victim, with Nish, Jothibal, Mat Perlman and Pierre scoring our points; there have been some great memories from our final season together. The most memorable moments of the season were undoubtedly two try saving tackles made in the final two matches of the season, with Ben Steinart hitting Berkhamsted’s biggest man (almost twice his height) so hard that he dropped the ball 10 metres forward, as well as Oli Rutherford finishing the season in style by gloriously hammering an MTs player.

Raph Levy Year 11

RUGBY CLUB RESULTS 2010 Team

Played

Won

Lost

1st XV

11

4

7

Drawn

36

For the final fixture, Merchant Taylors were invited back to Habs for a battle royale, the encounter that would finally settle local bragging rights, that would once and for all establish Habs as the dominant force at third team-level rugby.

A strong side stormed into an early lead, bolstered by reinforcements from Game One. By half-time, Habs were 19-0 to the good.

2nd XV

10

7

3

70

3rd XV

5

0

5

0

4th XV

2

0

2

0

U16A

10

3

6

U16B

9

2

7

22

U16C

2

1

1

50

U15A

11

3

8

But half-time changes of personnel, intended to make a fairer game of it, backfired spectacularly. The starting XV could only look on in horror as their replacements capitulated; Taylors racked up score after score to leave Habs only a couple of points ahead with seconds to play. With original front row Weide, Ough and captain David Stone watching aghast, the Habs pack was pushed inexorably towards its try line. With one final effort, the ball seemed wrested out of play. But Mr Jenkins, refereeing, inexplicably signalled that a try had been scored.

U15B

10

8

1

U15C

5

2

3

U15D

1

0

1

U14A

14

10

2

U14B

10

6

4

60

U14C

6

2

4

33

U14D

1

0

1

U13A

11

5

5

U13B

10

9

1

90

U13C

2

2

0

100

U13D

1

1

0

100

As the full-time whistle blew, Taylors could not contain their surprise. Meanwhile, Habs were in uproar, with angry remonstrations on the touchline. Incensed, Samuel Skalla made his way

U12A

4

3

1

U12B

4

2

1

1

50

Totals

139

70

63

6

50

1

Win %

30

27 1

80 40 0

2

71

0 1

45

75

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Under 15 A Rugby On the back of a disappointing season last year, we arrived at HABS late in August for pre-season training, only to be greeted by the legend that is Mr. Metcalfe. After only one session, we knew this season was going to be our most enjoyable yet thanks to his many renowned phrases, like “that’s the badger” or “you couldn’t catch swine flu in a pig farm”. When the first day of school did come, all those months ago, all I remember is Jordan Nathan diving into his fixture card, not to see when the first game was, but to see how many he needed excuses for. I’m proud to say that this great level of commitment carried on throughout the whole season. However, not all was negative in the under 15 camp, a friendly bet was on between Efe and Darius against Jordan and myself to see who could score the most tries this season. I hoped this sort of competition between squad members would spark a good first performance against Q.E Boys, and I was right. Within the first 5 minutes their captain came off crying, and it’s fair to say HABS gained a bit of street credit after that tackle. The game continued in this fashion, I have never seen a HABS side so ruthless. It finished 48-5 on the scoreboard.

This was our first win over Q.E Boys in 3 years, and the feeling was great. It was fair to say that the future looked bright, and with Noah in the squad, it looked a little orange.

Jordan notified me that we had UCS up next, but thanks to a Jewish holiday, they had an excuse not to get killed. St. Albans followed UCS, a team that we beat by a single point last year. We were a bit out of match practice thanks to UCS, and St. Albans went on to take a 20-7 lead at half time. The first of many inspiring team talks from Mr. Metcalfe was completely undone 30 seconds into the second half as St. Albans crossed our line after a stupid interception. 27-7 down, but this is when we decided to play. In typical HABS style we pulled it back to within a try, 32-28 down, with 1 play to go. The mood was set, the air was crisp, and Big Al was waiting for the try to come. Efe Uwaifo used his raw pace to beat his man on the outside to go one on one with the full back. He was in; no one could stop him at this pace, apart from Arshia. He “accidentally” pulled back one of their players, the penalty was given, and we succumbed to our first defeat.

Tiffin still makes me mad when thinking about it, so I won’t go into much detail about the match, apart from the fact that with 2 plays left we were 27-20 up, and at the end of the game we somehow had managed to lose 32-27.

However, we do have a scapegoat; Arshia got himself sent off for a supposed punch on one of their players. So that’s Arshia 2 HABS 0.

This, however, was nothing compared to the Haileybury result. A very fair match and one which finished 33 all after a late Haileybury try. The ref then somehow managed to add on an extra point from somewhere, and Haileybury were given the win 34-33. This wasn’t the first time he had tried it, earlier in the match he overlooked on of our tries when counting the score, only to be corrected by Darius Price. A draw in my book, but a loss thanks to their 16th man.

As Jordan looked into his fixture card again, the seasoned looked like it was going to be a rather long one, as Latymer, Bedford, Berkhamstead, Merchant Taylors and Dr. Challoners had all beaten us within the past two years. The interest in rugby seemed to be lost after the Haileybury game, as we didn’t turn up for the Latymer game, as they brushed us aside with some ease, beating us 34-17.

Losing is a hard habit to get out of, especially when some players don’t wish to put the level of commitment in that is needed to turn round a few losses, and the trend continued. Bedford also put 34 past us, as we were turned over 34-14. Berkhamstead were in the 6th round of the Daily Mail at this stage, so a win for HABS looked very unlikely, but for the first half we really competed. The forwards hit every breakdown and the backs decided to tackle on the most part. However, in the second half we just capitulated, and conceded 34 points to lose the game 51-5. The season was as good as over for some players, 4 losses in a row had got rid of any interest they had in rugby, and the final two performances of the season were shocking, a 55-0 drubbing by Merchant Taylors, and a 45-7 loss to Challoners.

The season ended very poorly, but at times we did play some fantastic rugby. For periods in matches we were a class above the other team, its just when it came down to the physical battle we didn’t want the win as much as the other

side did. 15 minutes of good rugby does not win a game, but there are certainly promising signs to be taken forward into next season. A big thank you has to go to Mr. Metcalfe, who has been a fantastic coach this season, and deserves a knighthood for sitting through and watching some of our performances.

Rob Lynch

U15B Rugby After some tough pre-season training, the B’s began the season against QE Boys at home. The match was closely fought with HABS prevailing 14-12 winners after a lovely breakaway try by Tom Kay. A home draw against St Albans proceeded, before another very close fought match, this time against Watford Grammar, resulting in a 27-25 victory in HABS’ favour. Despite not performing to the best of our capabilities, we subsequently defeated Tiffin 17-7.

The next three games were the highlights of our season. We scored 149 points, with Phillip Sadgrove returning from a series of mysterious injuries to score 7 tries. We then faced the strongest opposition of the season, Berkhamsted. Played off the park by an impressive unit, we had only one try to show for our valiant efforts. We rethought our strategy for the final contest against Merchant Taylors, and with the introduction of Jordan Nathan in the back line we felt we had a good chance of a victory. After an excellent game, in which HABS came from behind numerous times, we ran out 29-26 winners. Man of the match went to Jordan Nathan for a superb effort.

The top try scorers for the season included Ben Kohler with 9, Phil Sadgrove with 8 and Maanal Akhaney with 5. All in all, it was an extremely successful campaign ending up with the team scoring 263 points and only conceding 174.

Guided by the tactical genius of Mr Holmes, the under 15 B’s recorded 7 victories, 1 draw and only 1 solitary defeat: a brilliant effort from the whole team.

Ben Kohler Year 10

We swallowed this defeat and looked forward to Watford Grammar, a side we had never beaten. The game got very heated towards the end of the game, after accidentally kicking one of their forwards in the head, the Watford Grammar coach proceeded to hurl abuse at anyone who would listen. This act of intimidation was not enough to swing the game in their favour, as we came out on top 26-20, defending our line like nothing the HABS staff had seen before. This however, was to be our last win of the season.

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U14A Rugby We had come into Year 9 after a difficult season last year hoping for a big improvement in our results. We started very brightly with a convincing win against Q.E. Boys, followed up with a 64-0 thrashing of Latymer Upper in the Middlesex cup; a great start to the season. The next match we faced was against our main rivals, St. Albans. A weak performance gave them the upper hand throughout most of the match but eventually we showed our spirit by fighting back to draw 27-27 with a dramatic pitch-long try in the last play.

We then travelled to Tiffin where again we won by another 50 point margin, but we were brought back to reality in our next match when we faced a well drilled and organized team; Watford Grammar. A below par performance ended in a loss, but we had learnt our lesson and bounced back fantastically for our next game. We took advantage of the fact their players had not played together for very long, and edged out 24-14 winners in a hard fought match. This was followed by another victory against Latymer Upper, the score this time 27-0.

We had reached the semi-final of the Middlesex County Cup and were paired with a physically superior Orleans Park side. Despite their size we hit the ground running with a great start scoring three in the first half, we hit the self-destruct button in the last ten minutes with a chaotic performance that gave the other side a chance to get back into this game, but we pulled through and won 27-17. We faced our toughest game of the season next against a Bedford Modern, a side we had never beaten, and duly we lost 38-8. A 31-3 victory over Berkhamsted and a 14-14 draw with

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Merchant Taylors’ preceded an interesting game against Dr Challoner’s, in which the opposition were not able to field a full side so some of our players had to switch!

The County final was looming and when it finally dawned on us we rose to the challenge magnificently. Despite our warm-up being halted due to hazardous weather, we took to the field and gained and early advantage with two tries following good play. They hit back with a try just before half time and despite a snowy, freezing, uphill challenge in the second half, a tough game was finally won 22-17. Our triumph was celebrated with a muddy whole squad bundle on coach Mr. Kerry and even a couple of dives into the mud!

I’d like to thank Mr. Kerry, Mr. Jenkins and Mr. McIntosh for coaching us this year and we are all looking forward to next year for another exciting season.

Ben Lewry Year 9

U14B Rugby This season for the B team has been a very successful one, which has seen a rapid improvement throughout our squad.

We have welcomed 2 new boys and 3 former C team players into our squad to boost our development.

We started off our season with a game at Q.E Boys, and despite an uneasy performance we came away with a win. A special mention goes to the performance of Sam Goldsober who subsequently earned his place in the “team of the week”.

Our next game against UCS was cancelled, but after a hard week of training, we faced St. Albans. We lost but we made it a hard fought game. Next came the utter destruction of Tiffin

School, a game we dominated and won 49-0.

Then followed a dominant win over Watford and a narrow loss to Haileybury College, before another convincing win against Latymer Upper in torrential rain. Then followed a game against the enemy, Bedford Modern, which, amazingly, was deadlocked at 0-0 right up until half time.

We then seized the initiative and won the game 10-5. Another game, this time under the tutelage of Mr. Clark, followed, which we lost 27-32 to Berkhamsted. Then came the match against our main rivals, Merchant Taylors.

Despite the weather we played exceptionally well and lost narrowly 12-5.

Special mentions go to Amir Kumarathas and Jordan Sandrasagra who between them scored 11 tries, with Amir edging ahead with six. But our largest try scorer, by a clear mile was Zach Brin. We actually lost count of how many tries he scored, but we think that it is somewhere in the region of 14!

On behalf of the team, I would like to thank Mr. Kerry for running our training sessions in Games and after school, Mr. Clark for taking us for two matches, Mr. Mathews, Mr. McIntosh and Mr. Metcalf for helping us in our games sessions and most importantly we would all like to thank Mr. Jenkins for being a brilliant head coach and great fun.

U13 B Rugby Report The U13 B side also had an extremely successful season, winning 9 games and losing only 1, with the highlight of the season being the 51-0 thrashing of nearby school Belmont, where the team played some quality rugby.

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Football 1st XI Football With no pre-season training due to poor weather, the HABS First XI, coached by Mr Ward, was hurriedly assembled in one training session before the first game against St Columbus.

A promising 2-0 win followed, with manager Ward not hesitating to book the foul mouthed opposition players, confirming his status as the gaffer. Amidst two cancelled games against beatable opposition was a 2-2 cup draw against St. Albans, where vice-Captain Joe Zender and debutant Aristo Savva netted as HABS came back twice from behind. The two would continue this scoring form throughout the season, scoring many of the teams goals.

This hard-fought draw was followed by a few results which did not go our way; however, talent was clearly on show with Andy ‘Haggis’ Middleton bossing the back four alongside the reliable Luke Chrispin. The teams attacking nature was evident with surging fullbacks Elliot Kaye and Manesh Mistry supporting their wide men whenever possible, whilst Jamie Michaels or George Colenutt pulled the strings at the heart of the midfield.

After the half term break, a tough 1-1 draw against local rivals MTS confirmed the team’s strength in depth, as goalkeeper Oli Goldstein was put out for the season with a broken wrist, joining the wounded Joel Salomon and permanently cramped Alex Parker in the physio room. A masterstroke from manger Ward resulted in Zender ending up between the sticks, demonstrating his unorthodox yet effective keeping style for all to see. He was subsequently replaced in the next game by the more experienced Dan Korn.

The highlight of our season was against the reputable Old Habs Brazil tour winning team. A legendary team, according to Manager Ward; however, they were soon grounded down by a determined first team that dominated the pitch all round and found themselves 2-0 up by the break with a double from Savva thanks to good attacking play down the wings from Tom Roberts. The second half saw mass squad rotation with international striker Simon Stanfield taking the field alongside new boy Mayer and the consistent Matt Woods. We went on to dominate and the prolific Stanfield, our first team striker, went on to score his first for the season, wrapping up a well deserved 4-2 victory.

Mirav Vyas U6

2nd XI Football The second eleven endured a frustrating season filled with drama, disappointment and postponement. Despite a last-minute wonder

goal from Captain Marc Charles, which salvaged a draw in their opening match against St Columbus, the team could not carry any momentum into future matches. Despite good performances from Ni Cleland, David Lawrence and George Colenutt, the seconds suffered consecutive defeats against Radley College., St Albans and Aylesbury Grammar. The team received fantastic support throughout the season from Mr Thompson and Mr Simm, and will hopefully go from strength to strength into future years.

Marc Charles U6

3rd XI Football This year's third XI had a lot to live up to. It was led by the good looking Mehul Shah, and had a lot of strength in the form of Elio Elia and Neil Shah. Such was the talent in the side; Mr Charlwood decided that it would be necessary to handicap us by placing Oli Bello in goal. The Thirds were successful in winning two games, beating bitter rivals Merchant Taylors 4-1 and coming from 1-0 down against Bedford Modern to beat them 2-1, a team who HABS had consistently lost to in the past. We did, however, lose two games, mainly due to Neal Shah's inability to score from 6 yards. This year saw consistent, outstanding, courageous performances by the ‘Shepherd’ Mehul Shah, who scored all the goals, as well as good performances from the whipped Ally McBeath, Toby Webber, Serge Albohayre, Sahil Lakhani.

Other mentions should go to Josh Kaiser, who seemed to be unavailable for every away game, as well as the legendary Gideon Caplin, who maybe should put down another sport as his first choice next year.

Mehul Shah U6

U16 A Football After 5 years of waiting, and the first few games being cancelled due to the snow, we began our first match against St. Albans raring to go.

Not knowing what to expect from our opposition, we began the game playing flowing football and got off to a great start with the first goal of the season from Matt Perlman. Goals later followed from Charlie Cohen and Chonu, and a wonder goal from Brendan wrapped up a brilliant 4-0 win. Having been battered by St Albans in rugby over the years, it was nice to teach them a lesson in a real sport.

Our next match was against Radley, and with players already missing through injury, opportunity knocked for Year 10 talents like Rob Lynch, Jordan Nathan, Efe Ufaiwo and Darius. While the team performed bravely – with Efe notching a debut goal – Radley were marginally stronger, and managed to secure a 2-1 victory. We subsequently lost to the much bigger and much stronger Mill Hill 1sts; however, there was certainly no shame in

losing 4-2 to a team made up of 18 year olds.

Our penultimate game was against Bedford Modern, and with the team being made up of players from the As, Bs and even Year 10, things did not look good after 20 minutes when we found ourselves 2-0 down. However, displaying all kinds of resilience and spirit, we recovered to eventually take the lead at 3-2.

While Bedford would eventually equalise – the game ending a draw – everyone came out with their heads held high and a deep sense of pride after a magnificent performance.

The final game came against UCS. The game kicked off, and we were quickly pinned back in our halves. Things weren't looking good, until tactical genius Mr Hails altered the formation.

From then on, we dominated the game, and were awarded a penalty which Brendan calmly slotted home. After a disallowed goal from Charlie, UCS were awarded a penalty in the last minute. Shiraj in goal decided to be the hero once again, making a superb save low down to his right. The game finished 1-0, with the season ending on a hugely encouraging note before we move on to compete for places in the 1sts and 2nds.

A big thank you must go to Mr Hails for putting up with us throughout the season and preparing us so well.

Charlie Rubin.

U16 B Football With the season fast approaching – and team members keen to dispel the notion that rugby is the only sport worth playing at HABS – disaster sadly struck, with the weather choosing to intervene and subsequently wreck pre-season training. This left us badly underprepared for the start of the season, and cost us two valuable games that would have probably provided a chance to test out tactics and strategy. While it became apparent in Games sessions that there was quality in abundance, the lack of a pre-season meant that we were behind schedule in putting together a team. We thus started the season slowly with what can only be described as some weak performances; however, there were positive signs in the figures of Josh Morris and Matthew Ashley, who excelled with some very displays. The team began to gel, and our refusal to dwell on negatives – and our insistence to accentuate the positives – saw us really progress as footballers. This sense of progress culminated in a win in our final game against UCS – by far our best display – with Ben Alalouff taking two beautiful goals amidst a spirited, determined and passionate team effort. Thanks must go to Dr Sloan for his continued hard work, and we hope to build on the positives of this year and have a very successful season next year.

Danny Morris

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Cricket Another fine season The Cricket Club at Habs continues to flourish and has enjoyed much success again this season. We set ourselves high standards and are always trying to improve what we do, and this year has been no exception. The bare facts and figures do not tell the whole story but they are certainly worth recording nevertheless.

Of 166 matches played by the Club as a whole, breaking last year’s record of 149 games, 117 resulted in wins for Habs teams (surpassing by 2 the figure set in 2009) and this despite strengthening the fixture list in a few places. There were in addition 5 draws (rarely an option these days), 2 ‘tied’ matches and 42 defeats, while only 12 fixtures were cancelled (none of them as a result of bad weather in what turned out to be a remarkably dry summer term). In this modern age of mainly ‘limited overs’/result cricket, to win 70% of all the matches played this season is quite an achievement and many congratulations must go to all concerned, players and coaches alike, who contributed to this success…they are well deserved.

The 1st XI, captained by Tom Edrich, enjoyed a season of mixed fortune, ultimately winning ten games but losing on five occasions. After an indifferent start to the term and the unfortunate cancellation of several fixtures due to exams and other pressures, the season ended on a high with victory at previously unbeaten Bancroft’s and an outstandingly successful Devon Tour, where all four games were won and middle-order batsman Basil Letts discovered the form of his life!

A strong side (at least on paper) comfortably won its opening fixture of the campaign against Mill Hill, thanks to a century opening partnership between Kushal Patel (74) and Nishanth Selvakumar (55) and a fine spell of leg-spin bowling from vice-captain Seb Schusman (4 for 32), Ben Cherkas (2 for 30), happily recovered from the back injury which seriously curtailed his season in 2009, having earlier removed the opposition danger man, Adam Rossington. However three of the next five games ended in defeat as Harrow 2nds beat us by 5 runs despite 7 wickets for Shanil Patel, Berkhamsted bowled us out for 72 on a wet wicket after winning a crucial toss and Bedford Modern simply outplayed us on the day. Sandwiched between these losses were drawn games against the MCC (a much improved performance by Habs) and Merchant Taylors’ (abandoned after heavy rain during the lunch interval). The final game before the half term break saw a return to form as St Albans 114

was comprehensively defeated. Patel (107) and his new opening partner Tej Malde (77) put on 187 for the first wicket, with the former, caught on the boundary for 99 against the MCC, this time completing a well deserved century. Our final total of 244 for 3 off 40 overs proved too much for the opposition, who were restricted to 203 for 8 in reply. A new ‘block’ fixture with Abingdon School was won overall by Habs teams but the 1st XI came up against an outstanding schoolboy cricketer, Josh Smith, and suffered another defeat.

However we bounced back immediately with victory in a hastily arranged twenty/20 game against St Albans (after the cancellation of the Aldenham fixture). The boys thoroughly enjoyed this challenge and totally outplayed St Albans for a second time this season. Two more ‘easy’ wins followed against QE Barnet and Old Habs CC, but, sadly, three other games were cancelled with the opposition unable to raise teams to play us. The inaugural Habs Cricket Week included the traditional end-ofterm’ timed’ games against Doug Yeabsley’s XI and the Fraser Bird XI. After a disappointing draw in the first of these games, we chased all the way against a strong FSB side, assembled

by Michael Yeabsley, eventually losing by just 7 runs with two balls remaining… …and so to Bancroft’s and a superb Devon Tour. For the second year running Habs destroyed Bancroft’s unbeaten record, this time dismissing them for a meagre 119 and then coasting home after a few early alarms to win by 7 wickets. This excellent result was followed by wins on successive days against Exeter School, Exeter CC, Devon Dumplings CC and Devon U16s. Basil Letts was the star of the show, scoring 406 runs in the four games, including 120* (his maiden century for Habs) against Exeter CC and 143 the very next day against Devon Dumplings as Habs successfully chased a target of 294 in 40 overs to win by 2 wickets with an over to spare in one of the outstanding ‘finishes’ of the last twenty years.

The final game of the tour and season took place at Axminster, where Devon U16s were defeated for the third year in a row. Batting first, Habs posted a total of 264 for 5 off 50

overs, with Edrich and Letts both amongst the runs, before dismissing the county side for 243.

Letts’ incredible form in the last week of term took him to the top of the batting averages for the season with an aggregate of 687 runs at an impressive average of 68.70. In addition to his two ‘hundreds’, he had three other scores in excess of fifty and completed his school career with over 1000 runs for the XI. Opening batsman Kushal Patel (663 runs @ 39.00) was not far behind in terms of the number of runs scored. He also passed the ‘fifty’ mark on five occasions, going on to a century once, and now occupies 7th place on the Habs all-time list with 1657 1st XI runs. He struggled with niggling injuries for much of the season which hindered his bowling but it was good to see him back to something like his old self, bowling with pace in Devon. Captain Tom Edrich (454 runs @ 30.26, with a top score of 79) batted consistently well throughout the season. He has a fine cricket brain and reads situations well, and, although he struggled with his bowling at times, he was always prepared to lead from the front. It was fitting that he should play a major role in the final game against Devon U16s.

Jonathan Miller (337 runs) was an excellent team man, who could always be relied on and, like Letts, will be greatly missed next year, while Tej Malde (261 runs) made the other opening berth his own. Nishanth Selvakumar (271 runs) surprisingly struggled for runs this season but there was no disputing his class as his innings against Exeter School demonstrated, prompting one spectator to come to see him bat again.

His wicket-keeping was consistently good, however, and his chirpy nature behind the stumps ensured that everyone was awake in the field! On the bowling front, seamers Shanil Patel (22 wickets @ 15.18) and Ben Cherkas (19 wickets @ 29.73) led the way, putting in consistent performances throughout the season.

Unfortunately Shanil was unavailable for the Devon Tour, but this gave leg-spinner Seb Schusman (24 wickets) the opportunity to rediscover his early season form and pass him in the number of wickets tally. Off-spinner Tom Edrich could not buy a wicket at the start of the season but eventually finished with 16 ‘scalps’

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while the second leg-spinner Karan Setia claimed 10 victims. The unluckiest bowler was definitely Keshal Patel, who bowled a consistent line and length but frequently passed the edge of the bat. Others to feature at various times during 2010 included Sahil Agarwal, Akash Kadiwar and Ashley Sivarajah and all three will be expected to play a full season in 2011, while second wicket-keeper Athman Sivakumar may well get more opportunities.

this level was equally impressive, giving Kailavasan enormous resources with which to attack the opposition. In fact the 3rd XI managed to dismiss every team it came up against, a notable feat, with Ronny Talker, Kushal Malde, Kushal Shah, Neal Shah, James Edgley and David Lawrence all performing admirably. This all-conquering side should be proud of the way they played this year, making it an enjoyable experience for all concerned.

Overall then, despite the disappointing defeats, coach Dan Kerry can be pleased with his second season

The 4th XI had five tough fixtures this season, winning on three occasions against Harrow, St Albans and Berkhamsted, while a 5th XI contrived to tie its solitary game with St Albans.

Congratulations go to all boys involved; it reflects the strength of Habs Cricket that we are able to field five senior sides given the constraints of the summer term.

at the helm and optimistic about the future.

However the success of the Cricket Club is not measured by the results of the 1st XI alone. All the teams have contributed and everyone involved can take credit for the excellent results of the club as a whole.

The 2nd XI, under the guidance of Andy Simm and captained by Kishan Dias, enjoyed a fine season, winning eight games, notably against Merchant Taylors’, Bedford Modern and Abingdon, and losing just twice when absences weakened the side we were able to field. At full strength, however, this was a strong and settled 2nd XI and it was a shame that one or two games had to be cancelled and that the side was unable to preserve its 100% record.

Opening batsman Tej Malde began the season in fine form, which earned him promotion to the 1st XI. His partner Arjun Sofat was also amongst the runs, as was Hugh Brannan, who achieved the distinction of scoring a century (exactly 100*) in the 10 wicket demolition of St Albans. Others to feature included wicketkeeper Athman Sivakumar, Sahil Agarwal, Karan Setia and Hamza Zahid, all of whom played for the 1st XI on occasions, Paras Shah, Rikin Shah and Vivek Patni. Bowlers Khushil Wagjiani and Ashley Sivarajah were later invited to join the senior side in Devon, while Joe McCormick and Ameya Tripathi in most other years would have been 2nd XI regulars.

The 3rd XI had a fantastic season, winning all nine of their games and playing some excellent cricket along the way. Gajern Kailavasan led the side skilfully until injury took its toll, at which point Joe McCormick took on the captaincy duties with aplomb. The major strength of the team was the depth of talent available for selection, which meant there was always somebody willing to stand up and be counted when others failed to perform.

Notable batting performances included Ben Peacock’s 72 not out against Q.E. Barnet, a score matched by James Edgley against Bedford Modern, and Alex Watts’ 67 against Aldenham. Rikin Shah (82* and 5 for 23) produced a tremendous all-round performance against Abingdon, but the most consistent batsman was Joe McCormick, who was always keen to take on opposition bowlers from the word go with considerable success as scores of 61*, 91 and 72 amongst others suggest.

The strength and depth of bowling available at

The U15A’s enjoyed an exceptional season, winning sixteen of their eighteen games (seventeen from nineteen if we include the walk-over victory in the Hertfordshire Schools County Cup Final) and they improved markedly in all aspects of the game. The team was well lead by Ronak Shah, ably assisted by a group of experienced boys who understand the nature of the game. The key to their success can be attributed to a strong team and work ethic, especially in the field where run outs and sharp fielding became the norm. James Lawrence was outstanding with the bat and scored consistently and heavily all season, the highlight being a hundred against Bedford Modern. With the ball, the combination of new ball swing-bowling and expert leg-spin proved too much for the majority of our opponents.

Khalil Osman bowled with exceptional control and swung the ball prodigiously in each game.

He consistently removed the top order, ensuring that the opposition’s middle had to face our ‘deadly spin twins’. Here the pairing of Ronak Shah and Luke Minett was devastating, as they captured 54 wickets between them during the course of the season. Hard-fought victories over St Albans, particularly the convincing win in the semi-final of the County Cup, were probably the high points in this successful campaign, while other notable victories came against Abingdon, Dr Challoner’s and Haileybury. Only an exceptionally strong Brentwood side proved to be in a different class. In conclusion this team can be very proud of its achievements and can look forward to senior cricket at Habs with confidence.

Berkhamsted and Brentwood. The former we beat despite having batted poorly and then having to bowl well to close out the game. The same can be said about the match against a very strong Brentwood side, where a poor batting performance by Habs meant we did not have many runs to defend. However, a very aggressive and accurate spell of bowling saw us almost secure victory, only losing by 1 wicket in the end. St. Albans was meant to be our hardest fixture, but a dominant 121 by Noah Levy meant that the game was always beyond their reach. The second half of the season saw notable batting performances by Asad-Ali Rehemetulla and Aditya Modi, and excellent bowling performances by Chinmay Kamat and Dylon Sivam. Everything that the team had learnt was put to the test against an impressive Haileybury side in the last match of the season where we managed to restrict the opposition to win narrowly by 7 runs. All in all this was an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable season.

The U14A’s experienced a season of transition.

At the start of the summer term they continued their fine form from last year, with a comfortable win over Harrow in a game played at Radlett CC. Mudit Taldar (4 for 20) demonstrated what he was to show all season, his tight bowling forcing batsmen into errors.

An even better performance followed with a hard-fought victory over Berkhamsted in difficult conditions, Jaimin Patel and Harry Mistry leading the way to a respectable total, which proved too much for our opponents after a devastating spell from Eloka Agu. The winning ways continued with Tom Colverd amongst the runs, scoring half-centuries in good wins against Aldenham and Bedford Modern, and Will Wright taking 5 for 11 to defeat Watford in the County Cup. However, a defeat against St. Albans in the first of a number of low-scoring affairs stopped the momentum. With half-term and exams, form dipped and defeats by Abingdon, Dr. Challoner’s and a weak Q.E. Barnet side, despite 6 for 29 from Taldar, left the season in danger of petering out. Our form returned, however, with a confidence-boosting win over Rickmansworth, Rohan Mandumula leading the way with 71, and the destruction of RGS High Wycombe, thanks to an opening partnership of 122 by Mandumula (52) and Colverd (76*), just

The U15B’s also had a superb season with some notable triumphs along the way. More importantly the boys have developed into good cricketers both with bat and ball. The season began with some easy victories against Harrow (won by 10 wickets) and Aldenham (won by 7 wickets), before the month of May brought tougher opposition in the form of 115

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in time for the cup semi-final. Unfortunately St. Albans once again proved too strong. The season finished well with an unlucky narrow defeat at Haileybury, Harry Mistry leading the way with 59, and a win against Bancrofts, Ishaan Patel contributing 58*. The inaugural Cotswolds Tour was a great success. A draw against Chipping Camden and a narrow victory over Cotswold School, including a century from Mistry in a partnership of 177 with Mandumula, leaves much cause for optimism for next year.

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Devon Tour at half term helped to bond the team together and also provided an opportunity for a number of the fringe players to show what they could do, while the end-of-term twenty/20 game (in conjunction with the U12A’s) against Radlett CC was deemed a success. Looking towards the future, if this squad of players can improve their consistency, they will undoubtedly win more games than they lose.

The U14B’s took a while to gel as a team and their season started with defeats against Harrow and Berkhamsted, although in both cases the general feeling was that Habs would have won both games if they had been played later on in the season. Once the batting order was established and the best bowlers identified, the breakthrough came with a victory against Aldenham, where Rikhil Rughani made 61. This game was followed by outstanding wins against Bedford Modern and St Albans, who both fielded strong sides. By this time, our team spirit began to show and it did not waiver for the remainder of the term. The first game after the half term break against Abingdon provided a tough new fixture. The opposition posted a high total, but we competed and fought back well. Despite a fine innings of 79 from Shivankit Hora, however, Habs eventually fell short of the target, but it was a satisfying team performance nevertheless. After good wins against Dr Challoner’s and QE Barnet, the team was completely different to the one which had started the season, now full of confidence, skill and composure. RGS High Wycombe and Haileybury were no match for us and the season ended on a real high as we thrashed both, Ramana Carthigesan’s catches against the latter being a highlight here. It was particularly satisfying to see this team progress in such a way throughout the season. The boys formed good relationships with one another and their all round play and fielding improved a great deal. Many thanks and congratulations go to Amit Kurani for captaining the side and well done to every boy who took part and made it so much fun.

The U13B’s had an extremely successful season recording nine wins, a tie and just a single loss. The squad was extremely well balanced, and a number of batsmen and bowlers were capable of changing a game aided by some athletic catches: Hugh Odone’s one-handed full length diving catch against QE Barnet deserves mention, as does Vishnu Gnanasubramanian using his full six foot frame to pluck a full-blooded drive out of the air against RGS High Wycombe. Russell Hughes captained the side with increasing composure and authority and kept wicket very tidily. The all-round talent of the team was too much for many opponents, four of whom were dismissed for scores under fifty. Merchant Taylors’ were the first to suffer this ignominy, succumbing to a ten wicket thrashing, and similar fates befell Bedford Modern, QE Barnet and RGS High Wycombe. Sam Grossman and Rahul Shah were consistently the most dangerous batsman, with Rahul’s dogged unbeaten 65 against St Albans leading to a narrow victory as wickets tumbled at the other end. Several bowlers shared the spoils: James Radcliffe was top wicket-taker owing to his nagging accuracy, while Karan Amin caused problems with his pace and Rahul Dawda with his brisk off-spin. The only disappointments were a tied match against Abingdon, where we lost our last three wickets with the scores level, and the sole defeat against John Lyon’s A team, where a century from an extremely talented batsman put the opposition’s total beyond us. Player of the Year was Hugh Odone for an exceptional all-round performance: aggressive pace bowling, superb fielding in the covers, unorthodox attacking batting and incredible enthusiasm. This is a very strong group of B team players who will continue to dominate the opposition as they move through the school.

The U13A’s enjoyed a mixed season results wise but continued to improve throughout, achieving notable victories against Berkhamsted and QE Barnet amongst others.

Regular openers Nikhil Amin and Tim Tan both scored plenty of runs, with their highest totals being 75* and 50 respectively. These two were ably supported by captain Oliver Marshall and wicket-keeper Alex Nwobi-Mistlin. In the bowling department there were also some excellent performances. Miguel Perera and Vinay Popat both bowled exceptionally well with the new ball and they were backed up by excellent spin bowling from Jay Purohit and Paddy Sidwell. Fielding was a particular strength of this team and they were all willing to throw themselves about! The three-game

The U12A’s enjoyed another successful season with eight wins, including victories against Berkhamsted, Bedford Modern, St Albans and Abingdon, and just two defeats, both of which were against teams with one or two outstanding batsmen that we were unable to dismiss. It is clear that we have a strong squad at this level with batsmen and bowlers in plentiful supply but we need to learn to exert pressure in the field through fielding expertise and more accurate bowling. Ian Harris was the top run scorer, closely followed by Alex Willis.

Willis also bowled with fire and brimstone alongside Bhanuj Gautam and Aman Chatterjee. Reuben Woolley showed glimpses of real class at the top of the order with the obdurate James Benson, while the best

bowling performance was recorded by William Withyman. His accurate swing bowling ripped apart the upper order of QE Barnet to give him figures of 4 overs, 6 wickets for 9 runs. There are others with potential in this group and it is now up to them to work hard and develop their consistency and performance.

The U12B’s had an outstanding season with all ten games resulting in victories for Habs. The commitment and enthusiasm of the whole squad was superb throughout the summer.

John Lyon School was defeated by four wickets in the opening fixture, where Hugo Murphy and Ed Mort kept their heads after a middle order collapse and guided the team to victory. We then travelled to Merchant Taylors’ in conditions better suited to the Winter Olympics than cricket, but Matty Desmond had obviously wrapped up well as he managed to score 47* to secure victory with an over to spare. The fixture against Berkhamsted proved to be a close affair. James Cleaver scored 51* out of a team total of 127 for 6, but the opposition looked as though they would reach this target before quick wickets from Shaniel Lakhani and Ed Mort turned the game, securing a 5 run victory. Bedford Modern was defeated easily after James Cleaver (49) and Matt Desmond (58*) enjoyed an opening partnership of 170.

The momentum was maintained by direct bowling and athletic fielding, Sidharth Sheth (3 for 4) achieving the best bowling figures. Josh Davis led the charge against St Albans taking 3-14, assisted by Sheth and Lamba with 2 wickets each, as our opponents were bowled out for 79. The match against Kingsbury A team had a very dramatic climax, Albie Cohen (47*) securing victory by one wicket with a four off the last scheduled ball of the match, to the great relief of his team mates. Abingdon, RGS High Wycombe and Edge Grove were defeated more comfortably, the high point being James Cleaver’s innings of 64 against RGS. However, the local derby game against QE Barnet proved to be another very close game, with Habs scoring fourteen runs off five balls to secure victory by two wickets with one ball to spare. It was especially pleasing to see lower order batsmen like Shanay Bhamini and Jaspar Kenton coolly accumulate valuable runs in a tight chase. The key to this team’s success was their hard work in training. Their competitive spirit and willingness to learn augur very well indeed for the future.

The C teams at each age level also deserve mention, particularly the U12C’s, who won all four of their games, and the U13C’s, who won their three games. Less successful were the U14C’s, who failed to win a game but enjoyed their cricket nevertheless. Meanwhile the U15C’s won two games, including a close encounter with St Albans by just five runs.

So as the 2010 season ends, our thoughts turn immediately to 2011. In February we are planning to take a 1st XI squad and a Development (U15/U14) squad to South Africa, where we hope to play games in Durban and

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Cape Town. Practice for these boys will commence in September, making use of our recently re-furbished and now state-of-the-art Indoor Cricket Centre, which was officially opened earlier this year by Angus Fraser, former England bowler and now Director of Middlesex Cricket. This summer we hosted Middlesex-Hertfordshire U17 and Over 50s games, as well as allowing Hertfordshire U19s to use our outdoor nets, and we hope to develop further our links with Middlesex CCC and with our local club in Radlett.

CRICKET CLUB RESULTS 2010

Cricket is clearly alive and well, despite the pressure of exams and other activities, and at the forefront of Habs sport. This is due not only to the skill and commitment of all the players at all age levels but also to the dedication and sterling efforts of the staff who give up so much time to coach the boys and umpire all the matches. In fact 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, our Head Groundsman Danny Beckley and his team, the scorers, the caterers and everyone else connected with the Club. Dan Kerry and Doug Yeabsley deserve special thanks for all the work they do with all age groups throughout the year. Doug in fact has now completed 45 years magnificent service at the school, much of it for the benefit of Habs Cricket 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 as a whole continue to grow from strength to strength as we look forward to further success in the future?!

Team

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Abandoned/ Cancelled

1st XI

18

10

3

5

6

2nd XI

10

8

0

2

3

B XI

1

0

0

1

0

3rd XI

9

9

0

0

0

4th XI

5

3

0

2

0

5th XI

1

0

1*

0

0

U15A

18

16

0

2

0

U15B

10

7

0

3

0

U15C

3

2

0

1

1

U14A

18

11

1

6

0

U14B

10

7

0

3

0

U14C

4

0

0

4

0

U13A

14

6

1

7

0

U13B

11

9

1*

1

0

U13C

3

3

0

0

1

U13 Tour

3

1

0

2

0

U13/U12

1

1

0

0

0

U12A

10

8

0

2

0

U12B

10

10

0

0

0

U12C

4

4

0

0

1

Staff XI

3

2

0

1

0

Totals

166

117

7 (*= tie)

42

12

• The U15A, U14A and U13A results include HSCA County Cup matches. • An abandoned game is one in which no ball is bowled.

The list of draws includes games that started but were later abandoned.

Stephen Charlwood (with contributions from other team coaches)

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Cricket 2010: Devon Tour The quality of cricket played during the 2010 cricket tour was excellent throughout, and at times outstanding. All four games resulted in victory for HABS and a hero emerged in the form of middleorder batsman Basil Letts.

First some facts and figures: in the four games played, 2058 runs were scored for the loss of 53 wickets. HABS recorded its highest score (295 in just 40 overs) this century and then matched it the following day in a remarkable run chase, while Letts, with innings of 74*, 120*, 143 and 69, following his match-winning 48* at Bancroft’s, totalled 406 runs on tour at an average of 203!

In the opening game of the tour against Exeter School at picturesque Sidmouth CC, Habs captain Tom Edrich won the toss and elected to bowl first.

The opposition batsmen made a good start; however, putting on 68 for the first wicket before leg-spinner Seb Schusman made the initial break-through. There followed a partnership of 142 for the second wicket with the Exeter no 2 completing a fine, if at times fortunate, century.

Kushal Patel, bowling for the first time since the Abingdon game just after half term, built up quite a pace and captured two wickets, but the final Exeter total of 236 for 4 after 40 overs set a challenging target for us to chase.

In reply, HABS lost Patel and Edrich inside two overs and at 8 for 2 the Exeter total looked a long way off. However, Nishanth Selvakumar (50) batted beautifully and, in company with Tej Malde (27), added 90 for the third wicket before he drove a ball straight to mid-off, having just reached his half century. Malde was bowled soon after and drinks were taken with the score on 115 for 4. At this point Basil Letts (74*) and Jonny Miller (51*) came together in what proved to be the match winning partnership, an unbroken stand of 122 for the fifth wicket. After a mid innings lull (two successive maidens) both batsmen found their touch and began to put the ball away with increasing aplomb. In front of an appreciative crowd Letts and Miller completed fine half centuries and took HABS past the target with more than two overs to spare.

The following day, a weak Exeter CC side was defeated with some ease by exactly 100 runs at the County Ground. Batting first on this occasion, the Habs openers Kushal Patel (45) and debutant Arjun Sofat (22) put on 77 for the first wicket in just nine overs before both were dismissed. Selvakumar fell cheaply this time but Edrich (34) and Letts (120*) added 72 for the fourth wicket. Letts, again with Miller (43) for company then took over, smashing the ball to all parts of the ground as the pair put on 130 for the fifth wicket. Letts completed a superb maiden century for the school and, after Miller sacrificed his wicket in a mix-up over a quick single, Karan Setia was left to face the final two balls of the innings, both of which 118

he summarily dispatched to the boundary. The final total of 295 for 5 (after 40 overs) is certainly a record in recent times.

The Exeter reply began well but, once wickets started falling, the result was never in doubt.

Spinners Ashley Sivarajah (3 for 38), Seb Schusman (2 for 26) and Tom Edrich (3 for 10) all bowled well as our hosts were restricted to 195 for 9 in their 40 overs.

The third game of the tour, a new fixture with Devon Dumplings CC, played at Kilmington, presented HABS with a considerably tougher challenge against strong opposition, who included several Devon Premier League players among their number.

Khushil Wagjiani, playing despite dislocating a finger the previous day, dismissed the Devon Dumplings’ South African opener with a real corker of a delivery, which swung and left the batsman off the wicket. Unfortunately for him, he was a good enough player to get a touch and nick the ball to the ‘keeper. Despite this early loss, the score mounted rapidly, reaching 149 in only the 19th over before the second wicket fell. Karan Setia (4 for 32) bowled an excellent spell in the second half of the innings, cleverly mixing up his deliveries, but all the other bowlers were punished and the final total of 293 for 8 after 40 overs looked way beyond our scope.

Patel (34) and Malde (25) began confidently, but when the former was dismissed, brilliantly caught by a diving widish mid-on with the score on 70, our hopes looked bleak. Sahil Agarwal (32) played his best innings to date for Habs, but when he was run out immediately after the 20 over drinks break, followed soon after by the dismissal of Miller, 150 runs were still required from the remaining 17 overs.

Enter Basil Letts (143), dropped early on, to take the game by the scruff of its neck. Continuing in the form of his life, he brought up his ‘fifty’ off 33 balls and then took just another 21 to reach the magical three figures for the second day in

succession. At the other end Tom Edrich was the ideal foil, giving his partner as much of the strike as possible. Letts certainly made the most of his opportunities, scoring more than 100 runs in boundaries (one exquisite cover drive was undoubtedly the shot of the day). Eventually he was dismissed for an outstanding 143, scored off just 73 balls, and, with the result still in the balance, it was left to Seb Schusman (6*) and Ben Cherkas (18*, including two huge ‘sixes’) to complete an astounding and memorable victory for HABS, one which drew much appreciation from our opponents.

The final tour game against Devon U16s at Axminster CC presented another tough challenge. With the temperature soaring, Edrich won the toss and decided to bat first.

Patel (30) and Malde (23) again made a promising start but when Selvakumar was caught off his first ball in the 21st over, the score was 76 for 3. Edrich (79) and Letts (69) then put on 120 for the fourth wicket before Miller (20*) and Cherkas (18*) added valuable and, as it turned out, crucial late runs take our total to 264 for 5 after 50 overs.

In reply, all the Devon batsmen made ‘starts’ but none could post a really big score as wickets fell at regular intervals, Ashley Sivarajah (3 for 23) bowling a fine 10 over spell. Our opponents were always up with the required run-rate, however, and when the Habs fielders put down a number of difficult chances the target appeared to be under threat. At this point Tom Edrich (4 for 64) decided to take responsibility and he brought his team to the brink of victory. It was left to Kushal Patel to deliver the coup-de-grace, clean bowling the last batsman with Devon still 21 runs short of the HABS total.

A run of five victories in succession (including the Bancroft’s game) meant that the season ended on a high. Next up for the boys and coaching staff is South Africa!

S Charlwood

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Swimming

Shooting

This season has seen a range of terrific performances, ranging from the Intermediates storming their way to the top of the podium, to Ishwar Mahesh’s unparalleled levels of commitment, which were most accurately demonstrated in his 100m Individual Medley swim, a memory which the team shall cherish forever.

On Saturday, May 8th, the school shooting team and the CCF shooting team were invited by the Old Haberdashers' Rifle Club to Bisley Shooting Range, one of Britain's finest ranges, for a day of shooting with the our full bore 7.62 mm rifles.

The success of the Intermediates was closely matched by the Junior team gliding into third place, missing the silver by just two points, and the Seniors attaining a solid fourth place out of nine competing teams.

The season also witnessed outstanding swims from Sachin Hoyle, J.J. Dixon, Harry Jukes, Hugo Cliff, Jared Baker, and of course Edward Allchorne. Mr. Stiff’s infinite support, paramount organisational prowess and ingenious tactics must not be forgotten, all of which enabled us to have a very successful season. Even when triumph did not knock our door, we all went home tired, but happy.

The whole swimming team looks forward to next year, as we are keen to overpower the other schools and have another successful season.

Peter Kempl L6

Waterpolo Report Waterpolo teams across the school set out to make a splash this year, aiming to compete at the highest level against not only our local rivals but also nationally.

There have been a number of notable accomplishments, with many members of the U19 squad being thrown in, at the metaphorical deep end, against opposition two years above their age. The U16’s also performed swimmingly in the National Waterpolo Championships- brilliant against tough rivals from around the country.

When we arrived at Bisley we were shown how to properly clean and prepare the rifles for use by the members of the Haberdashers' Rifle Club.

Having prepared all the rifles and equipment, the shooting began. In the morning, we shot over the smaller distance of 300 metres in order to get used to the somewhat different rifles and to the strong recoil, and to gain some confidence in using the new weapons.

The results from the 300 metre distance were better than we expected, some fine scores were attained, with several perfect shot. After lunch at the clubhouse we moved onto the larger distance of 600 metres; a vast increase from the 25 yard (23 metre) range we use in school.

of being an unprecedented marksman with an astronomical score of 43/50.

Nikhil Subbiah was right on Simon's tail with a score of 42/50. The third position on the podium was rewarded to James Glanville, who shot a 40/50.

Many thanks go to Mr. Saddington and Mr. Lloyd-Williams for making the trip possible. It was an experience which none of us will forget.

The two teams also have the utmost respect and gratitude for Alan Morris, Dick and Peter Winney, Charlie and John Freeman, the members of the Old Haberdashers' Rifle Club, for devoting their time to training us, giving us advice, and for helping us achieve such high scores.

It was an excellent trip, we all look forward to shooting at Bisley again.

Peter Kempl L6

Most of the team had never before used such high calibre weapons, especially for competition shooting over such distances.

The results were extraordinary. Many of us had simply hoped to hit the target at 600 metres, but the outcome was rather different. Both teams attained outstanding scores, with the best shot of the day going to Simon Lee, who maintained his authority

The HABS ethos on waterpolo in the younger years has been nurtured recently by the hard work of Mr.Matthews and Mr.Stiff, with many more pupils in the Junior School being introduced this aquatic world. These squads, in turn, have produced sets of fantastic results, regularly dominating local rivals such as Q.E. The future looks bright for HABS waterpolo, with several players now regularly training at county level and Tom Dean (L6) training with England. Next year will bring new challenges afresh, although I am sure that HABS will rise to them and continue to compete strongly.

Joe Yarwood L6 119

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Hockey U16 A Hockey This season, our last together as a year group, has been both a successful and a frustrating one for both the A’s and the B’s. The contrasting seasons last yearwith the B’s enjoying their ‘Miracle’ season of winning every game and the A’s not really performing at all– meant that both teams were eagerly anticipating the start of this season. However, disruptions from snow in the first few weeks of term meant that our season began against old rivals St. Albans with hardly any preparation at all. This proved to be one of our toughest matches of the season and, despite being level twice in the game, we were eventually beaten after one of their forwards scored a great goal, stopping the ball with his foot and then side footing in, an excellent piece of footwork which their referee chose to ignore. Nishanth was then sent off for pointing out his temporary blindness and we slipped to a 3-2 loss.

This was really not a fair reflection of how both teams had played and, although we had started the season had started badly, we were still sure that this could be a very good season. For the A’s, this feeling was to be tested in our next game against Dr. Challoners, another very strong side. Even without their best player, Ashley’s idol, Andy Blood, they were still a strong team. However, a very good performance meant that we secured a 3-1 victory, including goal of the season from Kishan smashing into the top corner. The A’s went from strength to strength, narrowly edging Stowe 3-2 in a tense and exciting match in which we came back from 2-1 down to eventually gain our second straight victory thanks to Vivek scoring the first, and only, hattrick of the season.

We then travelled to Haileybury for our next match and, although nearly all of us seemed to be more focussed on the food after the match, we dominated the game to come away with a well-earned 5-2 win. After this, we visited Watford another tough game, and one in which a fourth straight win eluded us as we were held to a 2-2 draw, largely thanks to both Akash and Rikin making goal-line saves and some great defending all around. Then, in possibly our best match of the season we stunned a Merchant Taylors side who we had never beaten before with a comprehensive 4-0 victory. This included some very good goals including Harry rounding the keeper to score his first of the season.

All in all, this has been a season which has had its ups and downs, but one which has been thoroughly enjoyable throughout. There have been many great performances, and memories, not just from this year but for all the years we have spent together.

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U16 B Hockey When I look back over the season past, my mind is fixed on two words: consistency and quality. The Under 16 B Team lacked both this year, but one thing remains clutched close to our chests, and that is pride.

Following on from last year’s ‘Miracle’ season, where the team won every game, 2010 was always going to be difficult. However, the team was eagerly anticipating the year ahead with dreams of glory reignited over the Christmas break. The weather, unfortunately, had other ideas and our early training sessions were cancelled. This meant we came into our first game against St Albans disastrously undercooked and we were duly punished, 3-1 it finished. This was the first loss the team had suffered since Year 9 and the raw emotion was visible for all to see. Despite the result, we had played some promising hockey, only let down by depleted fitness levels. This shock to the system proved an omen for the rest of the year, as our disappointment turned to unbridled despair on one fateful Monday evening.

Playing, a light–hearted practise match our star player, Mr Kushal Shah was brutally beaten to the ground, by himself. As Kushal lay writhing in pain, screaming out into the cold winter air, the team, including Coach Kerry, burst into rampant laughter. It turned out our worst fears were realized when Kushal shuffled into school the next day carry, not using, crutches. How could we beat Stowe now? The answer was simple: we couldn’t. A brilliant first half performance by all, especially Chris Edwards, was let down once more in the second period.

Actually, ‘let down’, does not do our

capitulation justice, this was specialist as we went into the last 15 minutes all square and finished the match 5-0. This humiliation was too much.

With Kushal out for the foreseeable future, the rest of the season stretched out before us like a particularly long road. But this road wasn’t as long as first seemed after our rematch at St Albans. We played some beautiful hockey, with Kishan Raganathan controlling the ball with poetic majesty. 4-1 it finished and we had found our swagger. However, we were restricted to using our new form to beat the A Team in training as our games dried up. The entire season came to our last game against the ‘Old Foe’ and a much vaunted Merchant Taylor’s side. We began the game with the worst display of hockey conceivable and fell 20 after five minutes, but the heart of the side was never in doubt as Kishan scored two and brought us level. At half time we spoke of our last half together as a team and playing with passion, but we did not and we slumped to a disappointing 4-2 defeat. A painful end to a painful season, especially for our Kushal.

But this is not about one season; it is about the three years we have spent as a team together.

I, for one, am immensely proud to have played with and captained such a top group of blokes, thank you to everyone who has played for us.

We could not have had such an enjoyable season were it not for the limitless enthusiasm and tactical nous of our beloved ‘Coach’, Mr Kerry. Thank you very much, once again, to the entire team and especially Mr Kerry who gave so much and got so little.

James Colenutt Year 11

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U15 Hockey We started the season with a rough start due to pre-season hockey being called off due to the bad weather. We had a few training sessions and were prepared for our first encounter against Dr Challenors.

The A team, despite playing well, unfortunately lost to a well taken goal.

Our next game was against close rivals St.Albans. We were the better side and had many short corners, and finally, thanks to a perfect injection by Ben Kohler, stop by Noah Levy and sensational shot from our esteemed Captain, managed to score, finishing the game 1-0 for the second year on the trot.

We subsequently played Stowe, a well drilled team, and unfortunately lost heavily 7-3 despite 2 goals from Luke Vaz and one from, again, our magnificent Skipper. Local rivals Aldenham followed, where we started slow and conceded early, but fought back with a goal from Aditya Modi to finish the game as a draw.

We then faced Mill Hill. We started positively; however, a quick break and clinical finish saw Mill Hill take the lead. We were saved on many occasions in the first half by Pranev, who made some excellent saves. After an intensive half time discussion about ‘basics’, we came out the better team in the second half, with Luke Vaz scoring a deflection, before the floodgates truly opened and we moved into a decisive.

Luke Minett also adjusted well from being promoted to the A’s.

U13 Hockey This was the first year that most of the u13s had played hockey, and apart from a few boys, none of the team had picked up a hockey stick before! It was a challenging start for our coaches to teach us the basics of the game and this was further hindered by the snow, causing all of pre-season training to be cancelled!

A trip to Haileybury followed, and, with heavy possession of the puck, we started very well.

However, due to some slack passing in the midfield, we conceded another break away goal. This preceded 2 heavy defeats to both Harrow and Watford, with the team scoring only one goal in this space of time. Our 3rd last game was against Bancroft’s, where we struggled due to the significant number of injured players. We played well, yet could not overcome the player deficit and eventually had to concede a 4 – 2 loss.

Our penultimate match was against MTS, on their new water based pitch. The team warmed up well and were unlucky to concede in the first 10 minutes. We went in at half time with the score at 1 - 0. We had a good positive team talk and started the second half the better side, eventually scoring from a deflection by Aditya Modi of my reverse stick shot. Yet we were still losing until the last 20 minutes when Ishaan Rahman expertly managed to pick out Noah Levy unmarked at the top of the D, allowing him to slap the ball first time to the top left hand corner of the Goal, leaving the opposition Stunned and our team ecstatic. The game finished 2-2, but we are hoping for a win next Saturday against Winsor. We have had a mixed season with highs and lows but we have all had a great time, and for that I would like to thank on behalf of the team Mr Maguire, Mr Cooper, Mr Garvey and Dr Pyburn for the excellent coaching and support throughout the season.

U14 Hockey Due to snow, pre-season hockey was cancelled, thus meaning the U14 Hockey squad had a rather slow start to the 2010 Hockey season. This showed during our first match against St Albans, losing 6-1, with the opposition showing far better fitness levels and stick skills. However the team showed great character coming back from this defeat to win 1-0 against Bancrofts in a tight match. Despite a heavy defeat against Dr Challoners, the A team managed to string two victories together, first defeating Haileybury 3-2, then winning against the tough opposition of Harrow 4-1, playing some superb hockey, linking with each other and converting chances with deadly precision. A close loss to local rivals Watford did not dampen the team's spirit, finishing the season with a bang beating academic rivals Merchant Taylors 5-0, a first for the squad, before winning our last game 6-0 by beating Windsor. The whole squad would like to thank the tireless efforts of Mr Cooper and Mr Fenn, spending many cold, windy evenings motivating us and developing our hockey skills. The U14 B team side also had a successful season, and like the A team, started slowly, winning our last two games of the season, playing six games and winning three, whilst having two cancelled due to the snow.

Rufus McAllister Year 9

Ben Lockwood Year 10

A few special mentions must go to our goalkeeper chris from year 7 as well as Mr Thackrey and mr cooper for all their hard work and coaching.

Now that our first season has finished, we can all look back on a thoroughly enjoyable first season and to say that we are all looking forward to next one and with it better success!

Ollie Marshall Year 8

However thanks to mr cooper, mr thackery, Mr Metcalfe and mr stiffs fitness training and drills we all developed our skills and became hockey players, a sport we all thoroughly enjoyed.

'The results were not that important' was the way mr thackery described the start of our season. We were playing schools that had played much more hockey than us, but as the season progressed, we became much more successful, showing that all of the training had paid off.

During the early part of the season we managed to find the goal once, and during that match won our first and only game.

The a team finished on a high against edge grove at the end of the season, and although the score, not to be mentioned, was not a win, we played extremely well, illustrating our development from the start of the season.

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Tennis The huge potential of our tennis players shown last year came to fruition in 2010, with several successes throughout the season. The Middle School, in particular, had a highly successful campaign coming runners-up in the Aegon County competition and winning the Phillips Cup at Eton for the first time in the school’s history. With over 40 boys attending the Year 7 trials at the beginning of the summer term, the enthusiasm for the sport at junior level is very encouraging and bodes well for the future.

Year 7

Year 8

This year has been a mixed bag of results and we have had a challenging set of fixtures. Our first match was a friendly against Aldwickbury Park. Jay Kaposi, Joel Citron and I took singles victories, winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 on the way to a closely fought draw. In the county league we faced very tough fixtures in our group and were beaten

by Hitchin Boys, St Albans, and Sir John Lawes. All of these pitched us against mainly Year 8 players with high LTA ratings. Our most pleasing match was our last and we were delighted to beat St.Georges. We took impressive wins of 6-0, 6-1, 6-5 and 6-3 from Adam Burchell, Joel Citron, James Cleaver and Harry Wilkinson-Roberts. We won the doubles sets in this match as well to win 6 sets to 0.

The Year 8 tennis team have had a very good season, coming together as a team and narrowly missing out on winning a trophy. In the County League we won three out of our four group matches beating Verulam, Parmiters and Aldenham comfortably, but unfortunately lost against eventual group winners Aldwickbury.

One of the highlights of the season was travelling up to Eton to test our abilities against the best independent schools in the country.

Justin Mullem and I managed to qualify from the group stages into the knockouts. Irfan Allana and Krish Majithia were in an extremely tough group and did not manage to qualify, but still enjoyed the experience. In the Watford and District League the team finished runners-up with several players contributing to a real team effort: Jack Myers, Daniel Landau, Daniel Calman, Adam Levy, James Radcliffe, Aidan Kovenklioglu and Matt Drean all winning important sets along the way. I would like to say a huge thank you to Mr Hails who has organised all our matches and training sessions and for his encouragement and support.

We also had a year 7 Tie-Break Challenge tournament after school. Congratulations to Jay Kaposi, James Cleaver and Alex Freedman for winning their respective boxes.

Aaron Goldberg Year 7

Andrew Gilbert Year 7

Herts County Doubles Championships HABS were fully represented at both levels of competition at Rickmansworth and did particularly well in the Under 14 competition.

Year 9 students Harry Mistry(9M2) and Edward Curtis(9S2) managed a great run despite minimal preparation due to Ed’s unexpected extended stay in Lanzarote. Along the way they beat a very strong pair from Aldwickbury 6-3 in the semi-final to set up a final with St Albans.

Despite a spirited performance from both players they went down 6-4, the level of tennis being extremely impressive.

J Hails Nicola Mabbit Trophy HABS Under 15 tennis team again represented Watford in the County District Finals at Queenswood School. The year 10 team of Daniel Rose, Jaimin Shah, Daniel Kaye, Marc Rister, Nikhil Joshi, and Ed Almond had earned the right to be at the finals day by winning the Watford District League. Even with the competition expected to be strong, hopes of a successful day were understandably high as the team had comprehensively won their league without losing a single set and had finished runners-up this time last year.

To speed up play, the rule for Finals day was to be ‘killer-deuce’, which really added to the tension in close matches. The boys were fresh from experiencing this at close hand in our own House competition and wins over Monks Walk school and St George’s were followed in the final by a straight sets victory over JFK. The boys were delighted to go one better than last year and win the Nicola Mabbit Trophy.

J Hails

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Phillips Cup at Eton HABS were fully represented at all levels at the I.S.T.A Championships at Eton during the last week of term. The competition is always very strong with a number of schools having nationally ranked players. It was at Under 15 level that all pre-tournament expectations were surpassed by Will Dunnigan and Felix Taljaard. In the Plate competition straight sets wins over Coulsdon, Portsmouth, our own pair Ed Curtis and Amar Vaghela, and Uppingham set up a semi-final clash with St Paul’s.

Our opponents, as well as being previous winners of the competition, had won through to this stage without going close to dropping a set and it was clearly going to be a tough test. In the early exchanges Felix and Will lifted their game to another level playing some wonderful doubles tennis, volleying their opponents to frustration in the first set to win 7-5. St Paul’s responded very positively and the 6-2 reverse left the match perfectly poised for an exciting climax. Having been in this position a number of times in the County League this season, the HABS pair held their nerve to win 14-12 in the championship tie-break to earn their place in the final.

So, after playing their first match three days earlier and with limbs tiring in the afternoon sun, Felix and Will faced Rugby School in the Phillips Cup Final. The first set proved every bit as close as their previous match, but the HABS pair produced the winning shots at vital times to take it 7-5. This proved to be a crucial psychological blow and they went on to win the second set 6-2. On conclusion of the match Felix and Will were presented with a huge trophy, having been crowned HABS’ first-ever winners of the Phillips Cup, since its inception in 1978.

J Hails

County Final HABS Under 15 tennis team reached the Aegon County Final at Queenswood School. Ed Curtis, Joe Gold, Amar Vaghela and Felix Taljaard had stormed into the Final by virtue of an excellent 6-0 win over Tring School and met Bishops Stortford High School for the right to be crowned County champions. Our opponents on the day looked strong on paper, with their individual LTA ratings being substantially higher than our boys and also having beaten St Albans 5-1 in the semi-final.

The signs were ominous in the early stages of the doubles matches with Ed Curtis and Joe Gold trailing 0-5 and Felix Taljaard and Amar Vaghela 0-3 down. Typical of the fighting spirit shown by the team this season our first pair rallied to lose a respectable 3-6 against an

extremely powerful Bishops Stortford pair whilst Felix and as Amar produced a 7-6 victory to level the match at one set all.

Bishops Stortford made their experience count in the four singles sets that followed winning three of them to clinch the match 4-2 despite Ed Curtis producing some outstanding and brave tennis to beat their highly rated first seed 7-6. The County League campaign has been a real squad effort, with no fewer than ten players playing for the team. In addition to the 1st IV who represented the school at the final the following boys have also played their part: Will Dunnigan; Joe Bamford; Rahul Doegar; Harry Mistry; Kirill Bekov and Jacob Harris.

J Hails

Inter House Tennis Results 2010 The depth of tennis talent in the school was again in evidence throughout the Inter House Tennis Competition and the standard impressive in all the age groups. The ‘killerdeuce’ rule again provided several close matches with a number of crucial sets being decided by the tennis equivalent of a penalty shoot-out. The competition was well supported by both pupils and teachers with the Finals Day in each competition proving to be an exciting climax.

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

1st

Russells

Strouts

Calverts

Hendersons

2nd

Strouts

Joblings

Joblings

Calverts

3rd

Meadows

Meadows

Meadows

Meadows

4th

Hendersons

Russells

Hendersons

Strouts

5th

Calverts

Calverts

Strouts

Russells

6th

Joblings

Hendersons

Russells

Joblings

J Hails

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Golf

Aldred suffered a rare setback in the top match, losing 5&4 against a barrage of birdies from his 1 handicap opponent.

HMC Foursomes

With Harry Kovenklioglu managing to grind out a 1 up win despite 3 putting the final hole, all hopes rested on Aidan. The youngster came up the last hole 1 up on his older opponent, and after pitching to 8 feet with his 3rd shot, his opponent sent his 3rd through the green meaning Aidan had the luxury of 2 putts for the win, duly sealing the match 2-1 in HABS’ favour.

HABS new-look HMC foursomes’ team started their campaign with a win over Merchant Taylors' at Mid-Herts Golf Club. The top pair of Will Aldred & Aidan Kovenklioglu cruised to a comfortable 8&7 victory, although Aidan's brother Harry slipped to a 3&2 defeat with partner Ben Cherkas. All hopes rested on final pair Phil Bagshaw and Shan Ahluwalia who held a slender lead at the turn, and managed to pull away over the back 9 to emerge 3&2 victors and secure a 2-1 win.

Disaster struck the team in the car park of Hendon Golf Club prior to the next round against Mill Hill, when Will Aldred’s driver was found to have been damaged in transit, meaning the HABS no.1 had to tee off with a 4 wood for the entire round!

The middle match of Harry Kovenklioglu and Ben Cherkas was first to finish, with HABS falling to a 4&2 defeat. This was quickly avenged by Phil Bagshaw and Shan Ahluwalia who won the bottom match 3&2.

Top pair Will Aldred and Aidan Kovenklioglu found themselves 1 up at the turn without having halved a hole in the match, and after losing 14 and 15 they were 1 down. The 16th swung HABS’ way when Mill Hill found a lateral water hazard, and the par 3 17th was also won after Aldred nearly holed his second shot.

Needing just a half at the last, HABS unfortunately lost to a par 4, meaning extra holes were necessary.

After a superb 9 wood from Aldred onto the green in rapidly failing daylight, Mill Hill found trouble in a bunker, and when Aidan putted up to the hole side, the win was assured.

The reward for the Mill Hill win was a regional semi- final trip to face Bedford on the Duchess course at Woburn.

In match 1, William Aldred and Nick Mason were granted a reprieve on the 18th green when Bedford missed a short putt for the match. With Bedford in trouble on the 1st extra hole, Mason hit a fine 3 wood to 8 feet to secure victory and put HABS a point ahead.

With Phil Bagshaw and Shan Ahluwalia going

down 2&1 in the final match, all eyes turned to the middle match where Harry Kovenklioglu and Ben Cherkas found themselves 1 down playing the final hole. With Bedford in the fairway and HABS 30 yards further on in a gorse bush, the game looked lost, but when Bedford missed the green long and left on a muddy lie, there remained a glimmer of hope.

Harry took a penalty drop and then sent a towering wedge shot from 140 yards over trees which landed just 4 feet from the hole. Bedford replied with some brilliance of their own, chipping on to 18 inches.

Cherkas holed a tricky putt to put the pressure back on the opposition, but Bedford holed out to secure a 2-1 scoreline.

ISGA Matchplay Competition With all three players behind in their matches with just a few holes remaining, it seemed that HABS first foray into the ISGA knockout would be a short-lived one, but all the drama lay ahead. Will Aldred won the 16th and 18th holes of his match to go into extra holes.

Having hit a seemingly perfect tee shot on the first extra hole, Aldred was crestfallen on finding his ball sitting on a tree root up against a tree with no way of advancing the ball onto the green. With no option but to chip out into the fairway, Aldred watched his opponent play a well-controlled shot onto the green to set up a possible birdie. The HABS no.1 then produced a sublime pitch shot to just inches from the hole, and when the Mill Hill player missed his birdie attempt, a further hole was required. The tables were turned immediately when the Mill Hill player found himself stymied by a tree, and Aldred ground out a solid par to take the match as his opponent made an unfortunate double bogey.

With Aidan Kovenklioglu going down 2&1 in the bottom match, all hopes rested on older brother Harry. The older sibling wrestled himself from 2 down with 2 to play to be all square after 18, eventually taking the crucial match on the 20th hole.

The team then travelled to Thorndon Park Golf Club in Essex for a second round tie against Brentwood School.

The team ensured an unbeaten Autumn term on Thursday 10th December when they overcame the challenge of St Columba’s College in the Semi-Final.

Captain William Aldred put the first point on the board with a 3&1 win, but this was swiftly annulled when Aidan Kovenklioglu went down 5&4 in match 2.

All hopes then rested on year 11's Nick Mason (pictured), who was making his debut in the HABS team, with Harry Kovenklioglu having pulled out on the eve of the match with a back injury.

Mason trailed 3 down early on, but clawed his way back to be 1 up after 13 holes. The match was at Mason's mercy at the 17th when two putts from 12 feet would have sealed the win, but an unforced three putt and a loss at the 18th meant more extra holes drama for the HABS team.

With his opponent in trouble off the tee, Mason made a regulation par 4, taking the match on the 1st extra hole.

The team took on Felsted in the East region final of the competition at Brocket Hall over the Palmerston course.

With Captain Will Aldred and Harry Kovenklioglu both up in their matches on the front nine, the omens were good for the Hobs side, but the game swung the way of Felsted on the back nine.

Aldred found trouble off the 18th tee but still reached the par 5 green in 3 shots, while his opponent chipped on for 3, but much closer to the hole. When Aldred uncharacteristically 3 putted, his opponent made par to clinch the match.

Harry Kovenklioglu then appeared through the gloom, having closed out his match 3 & 2.

The final match eventually came down the 18th hole, with Aidan Kovenklioglu 1 down, needing to win the final hole to force extra holes. Lying 80 yards behind his opponent off the tee, Aidan hit a fine fairway wood to within 100 yards of the green, and his opponent hit a tree and then a greenside bunker to put the HABS player in control. Aidan eventually had 2 putts to win the hole, but the HABS side was unable to grasp the opportunity.

HABS still have time on their side, and with three players with single figure handicaps, they will inevitably learn from their experiences this year and hopefully go a step further next season.

A Ward

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Cross Country The season had started well with the senior team winning the overall district title and more recently the team has grown in confidence having taken the lead with a strong showing in our showpiece relay event, the ‘Goater Cup’ in January. The race was, inevitably won by St Albans Boys who took their 12th victory in a row in the event but the HABS performance did at least serve as a boost to the overall squad’s moral. Shortly after that this was converted into victory at the IAPS Prep school area championships where the under 13 team, lead home by Jonny Daitz, took the overall team win by just one point from Caldecott.

The improvements in inter school results have also greatly influenced a flurry of fast times in

the school’s own season long competition for the ‘Ultimate Loop’ which sees boys competing for the fastest times in each year group to run around Aldenham Country Park Reservoir. The season has already seen 3 school records smashed by Tommy Almond (Year 7), Elliot Reidy (Year 8) and David Fernie (Year 11) but the pinnacle has to be the new overall school record set by Max Jenkins (L6) who, in freezing conditions, took 6 seconds off the old school record to set the new overall best of 9:22 for the 2800 cross country kilometres. Shortly after that Max continued his great form with by

taking 9th place in the Hertfordshire County championships; a performance which sees him shortlisted to represent the county nationally.

J Cox

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Athletics Thursday the 15th April….7.45a.m. My wife’s mobile phone receives a text. ‘Good luck getting home, all flights over UK airspace grounded due to ash from Icelandic volcano’.

Some of the party members from St Clement Danes School run past us confirming there are no flights and that there might not be any in the foreseeable future.

Confusion follows, where are we going to stay, when will be get return flights and does this mean that Liam Baines is finally going to have to have a wash? We had finished a very successful week and performances looked promising from many of our recognised athletes and with the season fast approaching hopes were high. Anthony Meyer and Sachin Hoyle had been outstanding as junior coaches; Anthony took to the pole vault immediately leaving me wondering what might have been had he shown this talent earlier. Sachin hurdled well and showed he could run a good 800m.

Joe Bamford stepped up on a very windy day and threw over 45 meters in the javelin; in competition this is a school record. Ed Curtis did every duathlon, triathlon and aquathlon he could and Jared Baker proved he is half young man, half fish by swimming full lengths of the Olympic 50 meter pool underwater.

Despite all our delays and uncertainty our experienced leader, Mr Andy Keenleyside remains calm and plots our return to the UK. Thursday 4th May ….Achilles Relays, Radley College Oxford.

The 4 x 110m hurdles final. 3 teams in the final, HABS , Millfield and Uppingham. We are the slowest of the qualifiers, but have more in hand for the final and we have pedigree in this event, winners on several previous occasions.

The start looks good, Sachin Hoyle is moving well but hits the penultimate hurdle and does well to stay upright. Millfield make a mess in a chaotic first change over, go too early and are disqualified. Kaz Ong sets of after Uppingham and it becomes neck and neck. Alex Barnett on the third leg keeps us in with a chance and hands to James Edmunds who sets off in his usual energetic way to reduce the gap.

Uppingham are good though, James gets close but we are second by just point 3 of a second.

Soon after our Under 17 4 x 100m qualify for the final in an outstanding time of 44.7 secs, only Rugby are quicker. Efe Uwaifo, Henry Preston, Jordan Nathan and Kishan Ragunathan look good enough to threaten one of the really old HABS School records set back in the 1970’s and take the Achilles title.

Mr Humphrey Waddington plots our strategy with Kishan and Efe and we look for a time under 44.5 secs. A great final and the time is achieved but sadly Rugby clock 43.9 and we have to settle for second. On the coach home we check performances, no wins this year but two seconds, two thirds and several other top 6 placings.

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The season is gaining pace, with a successful first round in the Herts league and a convincing victory in the Watford and District Under 20 championships the day before the Achilles, we take a deep breath and prepare for the meets that now come thick and fast.

Friday 14th May ESAA Track and Field Cup- County Round.

The hammer event is a bit of an unknown quantity as this is the first time the Habs athletes have thrown in competition although training has looked encouraging. Benedict Jones throws just 27 meters and begins a string of performances that will see him add 6 meters to the school record by the end of term.

Paul Artunduaga is just short of 24 meters.

Jared Baker for the Under 16’s is up against two big throwers from St Columbas but manages to throw nearly 28 meters so points gained for these performances are on target. In this competition it’s about points scored for your performance not necessarily where you finish.

By the midway point HABS are in front in both the Under 14’s and the 16’s and the afternoon programme sees some outstanding performances. The older boys show their track strength, in the hurdles and sprints we are dominant, Efe Uwaifo and Joshua Pauk record outstanding 100m times, Arshia Hashemi runs close to 54 secs for his 400 meters and newcomer Rob Lynch steps onto the track in his first 800meters and records 2m.14 secs. He has no idea of pace and runs the first lap much too quick, even laps are more desirable. If he manages this then that time will come down.

The Under 14’s on the field begin to show promise. Edwin Birch achieves a 2m.40 pole vault, Marcus Rapaciolli does 2m.30. Jack Green triple jumps 10m.72 in virtually his first competition and the points total begins to build. We win both competitions; our scores in both age groups are in the top five nationally.

For the first time ever there is a chance that HABS could get both teams to the national final at the same time. Still the regional round to go yet though.

Monday 7th June Half Term break over, we return with great expectations for the next 5 weeks. We comfortably lead the Herts league in both age groups, the Year 7 athletes have had their first match at harrow Athletic club and were joint winners. Archie Preston shows real promise as a hurdler setting a new meeting record; Omar Todd and Harry Wilkinson-Roberts show potential as throwers. We are in with the best team for the next round of the track and field cup and we are confident of more points; perhaps enough for the finals.

I open the inbox of my emails and read every team manager’s nightmare. The Under 14 team’s vice captain has glandular and is out indefinitely. Sam Rodgers is a big points scorer in the Cup, a 400m and Discus man who is not going to be easy to replace.

Friday 11th June. HABS Junior meet at Westminster Lodge Exam week over and a chance to try out the Under14’s against strong opposition with forced changes in place. Harry Kingdon has trained all week to come in as our thrower and Edwin Birch goes in the 400m; 66 seconds on the school grass track in a P.E. lesson sounds promising. Edwin arrives at the start line on a high, he has just pole vaulted 2m.60 for a new personal best and with determination he sets of at a good coming into the final straight in the lead. This is the danger area of 400m running but Edwin powers through and crosses the line in 62 secs, matching the times run by Sam. The Under 14’s win this meet comfortably ahead of two teams who will be in our regional final in the Track and Field cup. Toye Ibikunle is running 12.5 secs for the 100m and throwing well in the shot. Kwabena Tenkorang is improving with every race. Jake Krais is throwing close to 30 meters in the discus, it all looks promising.

Just as we go to get on the though Toye gets a bad attack of cramp, he can hardly walk which is worrying for Monday.

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Monday 14th June ESAA Track and Field Cup Regional Final

Wednesday 30th June Watford and District Championships

It is easy to tell how an athlete has performed before you ask the question ‘how did it go?’

The body language and facial expressions say a lot plus the fact there is a quickening of pace in a rush to tell others. Thankfully there was a lot of smiling from the first hammer throw to the last passing of the baton. As a team the HABS athletes focused and improved. Toye had recovered, Jonny Daitz found an extra half a meter on his triple jump, Rob Lynch fresh from running an excellent 2m.10 secs 800m in the county schools championships was able to reproduce the performance again and Mithun Kamaran continued to get closer to running under 60 secs for the 400meters, this time just point 5 outside the minute. Edwin Birch continued his form in the same event reducing his time to 61.2 secs. The Under 16’s had event winners in Phil Sadgrove (shot), Darius Price (high jump), Joe Bamford (javelin) and Efe Uwaifo (100m and Triple Jump).

Darius Price is not very tall so to jump 1m 91cms is no mean feat. The bar towers above him and yet with a vast number of people watching he cleared this to capture the district record and title and the school record in a moment.

When the results come through, it looks promising, although we are not winners our points score looks encouraging, both teams adding over 20 points to their first scores. Had we done enough to qualify both teams to the national final?

Tuesday 29th June Herts League Final From the start point of the 200m it is possible to see Edwin Birch on the pole vault run up. His approach is a bit laboured but this is not unusual for him; he is slow to warm up and get better as the height increases. The pole is not extremely high, about 2m.30 well within his range. He hits the bar on the way up with the backs of his legs, he has more attempts though so……….. Five minutes later he is still laying on the bed though surrounded by staff and then by medical help. Disaster: a suspected dislocation of the elbow and Edwin is out of the Track and Field cup team. All had seemed to be going well, Sam Rodgers had made an early recovery from glandular fever, we had both teams in the final of the Herts League, both teams in the final of the Track and Field Cup and a sense of anticipation about our potential to achieve. The meet continues and Edwin is whisked away to hospital for further care.

It was an inspirational day with a large number of HABS athletes capturing district titles and looking good doing so. The Under 15 4 x 100m relay team of Joshua Pauk, Rufus McAlister, James Hart and Henryk Hadass broke the meeting record as we completed the second leg of the HABS athletic firsts in winning all the age groups and the boys overall trophy in the same year.

Saturday 2nd July ESAA Track and Field Cup Final Gateshead.

As I stood at the hammer cage watching Jared Baker and Arshia Hashemi throw, text messages kept coming through on my phone.

‘Marc Rister cleared 2.90……cleared 3.00………Marc over 3.05………pb he is over 3.10’. Marc had saved his best till the last meet of the season and as an early event set the ball rolling on what was to be a roller coaster ride of emotions. We hardly dare watch as Darius Price had one attempt left to clear 1m.79 in the high jump. He clears with ease and eventually goes on to win the event with 1m.86. Listening to the gasps of amazement as Efe Uwaifo triple jumped out way beyond the officials and other competitor’s expectations.

All the boys rose to the occasion, Miguel Perera had by far his best hurdles race in the competition beating all the competitors many twice his size. Max Marmor for the second time in the season broke the Year 7 school 800m record and Marcus Rapacioli finally achieved the points total he needed to gain his HABS elite athlete T shirt along with Toye Ibikunle and Hugo Cliff.

As we sat on the track at the end of the meet with the results being read out in reverse order we had completed the third leg of our hat trick of firsts for HABS Athletics in getting both teams through to the final in the same year.

We finished 4th in both age groups out of 1900 original entries and for a moment I did think that the Under 14’s might gain third place, but in the end we were nine points short.

And any final memories of Gateshead? The Friday evening walk along the estuary to the Stadium of Light. The impromptu timed vaulting competition over metal traffic bollards; I’m sure not many other teams warmed up this way.

Standing in the main stand for the last track event cheering and shouting at the Under 14 4 x 100m relay team made up of throwers of all shapes and sizes as they trundled the baton around. Well done to all those who have competed this year, 2010 will certainly be remembered as a vintage athletic season.

S Lowe

We do not dominate the league final in either age and I am sceptical that the Under 14’s have even an outside chance of winning. The Under 16’s show they are strong on the sprints though and the 4 x 100m squad (Darius Price,Efe Uwaifo, Jordan Nathan, Ned Birss) break the meeting record in winning the final track event of the night.

The reading out of results in reverse order is a tense affair but there is delight for both teams as we complete the first leg of our hat tricks of first for HABS athletics; winning both Herts League age group finals at the same time.

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The Foundation 128

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Skylark 2010 The Foundation

The HABS Foundation The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School Foundation (charity number 1107027) is the Trust created in 2006 to which all donations to the school are allocated.

The Trustees are composed of the Headmaster, the Bursar, the Director of External Relations, and four nominees from the School Governors.

The HABS Foundation was established for three main reasons.

Firstly, the Trustees of the Habs Foundation oversee as transparent a process as possible for the receipt, processing and allocation of funding. All donations (cash, legacies, etc) to the school are recorded as donations to the Foundation.

Secondly, the Trustees have endorsed a strict code of ethics for donors and their donations to ensure that all gifts go to the ends intended by the donors, that all donors are appropriately stewarded, and that relationships with donors are conducted according to the highest standards of integrity and honesty. All fundraising activities are kept under ongoing review and oversight.

these provide a direct benefit to the school and its community by augmenting those aspects of the ‘Habs experience’ which make our school such an extraordinary institution. Donations are not used to substitute for ordinary operating costs (except at the request of the donor).

Finally, the Trustees allocate the funds received according to the wishes of the donors. When funds are unspecified, the Trustees ensure that

Donors and their gifts to the HABS Foundation already transform lives and opportunities. There are boys at the school today who would not

David Dein

At Arsenal, he was responsible for football matters taking an active role in the transfer of players and contract negotiations where he was able to use his extensive network of football contacts. Dein was behind the appointment of the then little known Arsène Wenger to the manager's job in 1996; under Wenger, Arsenal have won the FA Premier League three times and the FA Cup four times, and Dein strongly backed him and his transfer wishes throughout.

The Changing Face of Football It was a particular privilege for us when David Dein of Arsenal came to speak about his experiences of the Premier League. David’s sons were at the school, and he was so pleased with their education that he was delighted to offer his services as a Foundation speaker.

Seldon Hall was packed with pupils, parents and old boys, several of whom were fortunate to leave with mementos of Arsenal gained in an auction which followed the talk. We left the talk, given several months before the world cup, convinced by Dein’s argument that FIFA needed to endorse proposals to modernize the game -- not least to ensure that recording facilities were in place so that the referees and linesmen could check controversial decisions.

In 1986, Mr Dein was voted onto the board of the Football League Management Committee and subsequently achieved a place on the FA Council. He was also a major force in the inception of the FA Premier League in 1992.

He eventually rose to the position of vicechairman of the FA in 2000, a post he held until 2004 when it was scrapped after restructuring. He was subsequently re-elected

otherwise be here without support provided by the Foundation, and many more boys benefit from activities, prizes and facilities that would not otherwise exist. Please join with hundreds of our friends and supporters by making your own donation to the HABS Foundation.

to the FA Board as a FA Premier League representative.

Dein also helped obtain Arsenal's entry into the G-14 group of major European football clubs in 2002, and became chairman of the G-14 in October 2006. G-14 was subsequently subsumed into EUFA. A keen promoter of women's football, he was also President of Arsenal Ladies Football Club, the most successful English women's football team, while Arsenal vice-chairman.

The funds raised at the Dein event were directed to support Sport at HABS. P Spence

David Dein is a football entrepreneur and successful businessman. He is the former vice-chairman of both Arsenal Football Club and the Football Association. He was also the chairman of the G-14 group of European football clubs between October 2006 and May 2007. In August 2007 he sold his shares in Arsenal F.C. to London-based business company Red & White for £75 million. When he bought them originally for £250,000 he was told he was mad and that it was ‘dead money’.

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Peter Oppenheimer Peter Oppenheimer was at Haberdashers’ from 1948 until 1956.

Until 2000, he concentrated on teaching economics at Christ Church, Oxford. He has had a distinguished career, and is currently the President of the Centre of Jewish and Hebrew Studies at Oxford, Chairman of the Jewish Chronicle and a member of the Jewish Policy Research in London.

When you were at school, what line of work were you considering?

I wouldn’t wish to claim that I “excelled”, but I certainly was committed to acting (as a 4th former I was privileged to play the lead in Shaw’s St Joan, brilliantly produced by English master Len Moody, a pupil of F R Leavis) and I also swam breaststroke in the school team.

I don’t remember considering any.

Partly, it was too far ahead – after prospectively 2 years of National Service and 3 years of university. Partly, I have never had that kind of clear-headed ambition. When university pupils have spoken to me about career anxieties, I have often pointed out the variety of inclination in these matters; my own wife decided at the age of 12 (apparently) that she was going to be a doctor, and never changed her mind; whereas I’m still not sure what I want to do, except that I think I would be doing something else, if I didn’t enjoy my present existence. It’s what economists (following Samuelson) call “revealed preference.”

Do you recall any funny moments/stories from your time at the school?

What is the most enjoyable thing about teaching and working at Oxford?

An assortment of minor ones, such as ‘Wilf’ Hewitt’s dictum that the only ailments at Corps camp were blisters and/or constipation, and it if wasn’t the former it must be the latter, so he allegedly once dosed up with laxative a boy actually suffering from sinusitis.

Being an employee and yet at the same time in large measure self-employed, with significant opportunity to vary ones activities. And in retirement, being aware of the appreciative recollections of pupils and associates.

Which subjects did you study for A-Level?

English, History, Latin Did you excel in any particular sporting/extracurricular activities?

Another was the formidable (Christadelphian and scrum-half) ‘Taffy’ Barling’s response in RI to the then record number of Oxbridge awards achieved by the school in 1955. He pointed us to the Beatitudes – “You see what it says, boy: ‘Blessed are the Meek’, NOT ‘Blessed are those who win University Scholarships’!”

What aspect of Haberdashers’ best prepared you for the future?

The injunction to Serve more than to Obey (!), and to make worthwhile use of one’s capacities.

Joel Kariel U6

Kevin Bakhurst Kevin Bakhurst attended Haberdashers’ between 1977 and 1984, followed by St John’s College, Cambridge, where he read French and German. After working at Price Waterhouse, a Professional Services firm, he joined the BBC in 1989 and has been moving up through the company until he was promoted to Controller of BBC News in December 2005.

Which subjects did you study for A-Level?

English, French, German Did you excel in any particular sporting/extracurricular activities?

Not really – I participated in a wide range, but I wouldn’t say that I excelled in any!

Do you recall any funny moments/stories from your time at the school?

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Many. Most involve the humour and ready wit of teachers and classmates. It’s no surprise to me that the school has produced a string of top comedians.

When you were at school, what line of work were you considering?

I wanted to be a barrister.

What aspect of Haberdashers’ best prepared you for the future?

The all round education at the school and fostering a life-long interest in learning and the world. It also gave me a degree of self-confidence to take away.

What’s the most enjoyable thing about working for the BBC? Being proud of what the BBC stands for in our programmes and coverage; the people I work with; the places I have seen and people I have met whilst working.

Joel Kariel U6

Raj Persaud – Psychology of Happiness and Relationships As the year was drawing to a close, the lower sixth still had one more enjoyable event to experience before being able to take a well-deserved break for the summer. On a Thursday afternoon, the day before the summer holidays, Old Haberdasher and world-renowned psychiatrist Dr. Raj Persaud gave a presentation on the psychology of happiness and relationships. The speech began with Dr. Persaud briefly introducing himself, notably that he left Haberdashers’ in 1979 and that “after you’ve left, you realise what a great school this is.”

He then went on to explain how happiness is directly related to relationships, whether they are intimate or business affairs. Dr. Persaud touched on the necessity to use skill and strategy in relationships, and his ideas on the need to seduce people to get what we want initially gave rise to bouts of laughter from his teenage audience. However, on explaining his point more deeply, specifically on the Machiavellian approach to life, the boys became engrossed in his words.

Next, Dr. Persaud explained why men take women out to expensive restaurants; it is due to the psychology of association, whereby the woman will always associate the man with the enjoyable experience of the date. He went on to give some tips on how to use strategy in relationships. A few clips from the movie Groundhog Day were shown which encapsulated many of these strategies.

Finally, Dr. Persaud gave us the most important tip of the day, which reminded us that despite many people using strategies and skills in relationships, the best thing to do is “to just be yourself.” As expected, he was very friendly and open to any questions from the students.

Joel Kariel U6

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Solai Indoor Cricket Centre

Theresienstadt Exhibition

HABS Foundation establishes an outstanding Cricket Centre

As one of the foremost schools in the UK, we have the capacity and responsibility to offer leadership to our regional, national and international communities. A particularly exciting opportunity to do so came from the Dr Sloan, Head of History, who spearheaded the Theresienstadt initiative.

Angus Fraser, former England cricketer and now Managing Director of Middlesex County Cricket Club, opened the Solai Indoor Cricket Centre at Habs in front of a gathering of sportsmen, pupils and staff yesterday evening.

He noted that Middlesex were always looking to recruit the best players in the region, and believed that this facility would ensure that some might come from Habs.

There has been an indoor cricket facility at the school since the opening of the McGowan Sports Centre in 1985. We have been aware for some time that it needed to be refurbished and a gift of £20,000 to the Foundation has allowed us to create one of the leading cricket facilities in the country. Not only does this facility have top grade specific flooring and the most advanced lighting; it also comes with a state of the art ICT and video system, by which every move can be captured, tracked and assessed almost instantly. As one boy noted, ‘The coaches told me what I was doing wrong, but I didn’t understand until I could see it myself.’

The donor requested that the Indoor Cricket Centre be named after the town of Solai, in Kenya, from which the family originated. His two sons thoroughly enjoyed their time at our school, and he was delighted to be able to give something back to the school which had given so much to his family. We were delighted to show him the facility earlier in the day, before the formalities began.

Cricket is the most popular sport at our school, and we have a history of remarkable accomplishments in our fixtures. Most notably, we have achieved recent success at both county and regional level across the age ranges whilst a number of boys have been selected to play representative cricket.

Theresienstadt, a fortress town north of Prague, was converted by the Nazis into a transit camp for thousands of Czech, German and other Jews. The ghetto saw much suffering and death, claiming over 30,000 lives and sending many more to die in Auschwitz and other extermination camps. A book by Hannelore Brenner, The Girls of Room 28, documented the experiences of children trapped in this camp, and inspired an exhibition which toured Austria.

Thanks to several generous donations to the Foundation, we reprinted the exhibition for display at Habs, becoming a vital resource in teaching our boys about the particular sufferings of an important part of our Habs community. Most poignantly two survivors of Theresienstadt – Helga Pollack (80) and Eva Weiss (87, above) – came to talk to our pupils and, as the culmination of the week’s activities, addressed a packed audience of pupils, old boys, parents and teachers.

the nation based on childhood and conflict.

In the year to come, we hope to replicate the success of the Theresienstadt initiative by launching a similar project with a particular resonance for those in our school with an affinity with eastern Africa. In particular, we hope to devote a week to an interdisciplinary analysis of child soldiers in Uganda, with the aim being to bring some of those rescued from this life to Habs to talk to our pupils and parents. If sufficient funding is provided into the future, Habs can thereby provide a national resource of immense value to our community and our nation.

Peter Spence

The two ladies embodied the best of the indomitable human spirit. They both said that Theresienstadt “brought out the best” in them, when they learnt how to share and endure and love and forgive. All those who listened to these wonderful women found it an inspirational experience, a privilege and a lesson on how to live with dignity and humanity.

The success of this initiative has led to the crafting of a broader ambition, the Phoenix Centre. By this we aim to create an interdisciplinary resource for schools around

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November 2010

Dear Friend As Patron of the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School Annual Appeal 2010-2011, I am writing to ask you to donate to the HABS Foundation.

I thoroughly enjoyed most of my time at the School and even today, I remember the hours I spent attempting to score a first century for Habs - which I never did! Our generation only briefly enjoyed the new Elstree campus, but that was enough to convince me that the School was going to thrive - and so it has. The School’s results in the recent A levels were outstanding, with 41% achieving the new A* grade. 36 boys have taken up places at Oxford or Cambridge and almost all the others will attend their first-choice University. You will have read of the enormous range of activities and successes in the termly Skylight newsletters, and I am delighted that the School continues to prosper.

Yet one thing remains the same as when I was at Habs – the sense of meritocracy fostered by our history and traditions. At Habs, boys judge each other by their achievements, not by their backgrounds. It is this strong sense of community that makes our School so special; it is this which the Headmaster and I, amongst others, wish to maintain. Habs can only retain its unique culture if we are able to admit the brightest boys regardless of their ability to pay. The HABS Foundation needs your help to raise the bursary funds that can achieve this goal.

I want to offer the Habs experience to as many talented boys as possible and hope that you also support this goal.

Contributions to the HABS Foundation Bursary Fund have grown spectacularly over the past year and there are pupils making an enormous contribution to the School today, who are only here thanks to this support. Please give now to help us transform the lives of others, who would also flourish at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School.

Best wishes

Sir Martin Sorrell (Hendersons 1963)

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Old Haberdashers

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JOHN BAMBOROUGH, O.H. 1921-2009 John Bernard Bamborough was not only the first Haberdasher to become the head of an Oxford College, but had the rare distinction of creating one virtually from scratch, and then establishing it as an inter-disciplinary graduate community of international renown. Linacre College is his creation and is a tribute to him.

Born on 3 January 1921, the son of a political journalist, Bamborough won a Governors’ Scholarship to Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hampstead School (in Westbere Road, near Cricklewood railway station) where he quickly showed his remarkable academic and intellectual ability and acquired a lifelong literary interest in the work of Robert Burton, author of “The Anatomy of Melancholy” (1621).

In 1938 Bamborough went up Oxford as a scholar of New College, where he was one of Lord David Cecil’s first pupils, and in 1941 was awarded a First Class in English Language and Literature. After graduation he served in the UK’s Coastal Forces as a Lieutenant in the RNVR, and subsequently in the Royal Navy as an Education Officer with the rank of Instructor Lieutenant. In 1946 he returned to Oxford as a Junior Lecturer at New College, and in 1947 became a member of Wadham College, whose Warden, the legendary Maurice Bowra, a veteran of the First World War, was gathering together a group of gifted young dons.

As Fellow of English at Wadham (1947-62) and University Lecturer in English (1951-62) Bamborough built up a thriving and successful undergraduate school of English and made outstanding contributions to scholarship. There was first a study of Elizabethan and Jacobean psychology, “The Little World of Man” (1952), and later books on Ben Jonson (1959, 1970), and editions of Jonson’s “Volpone” (1963) and “The Alchemist” (1967). He edited the “Review of English Studies” from 1964-78. During the 1990’s he wrote most of the introduction and commentary to the six volume Oxford University Press edition of “The Anatomy of Melancholy”.

Bamborough drew particular attention to Burton’s recipe for avoiding melancholy, which Dr. Johnson had recommended to Boswell: “Be not solitary; be not idle.” It was an apt commentary on his time at Haberdashers’ and his career in Oxford.

Bamborough was registered for a place at Habs. on 4th. March 1931 and entered the school on 29th. September. He passed Ordinary School Certificate in 1935, flourished in the sixth form, took Higher School Cert.

(English, History, Latin, French) in 1937, and won the R.C. Sherriff Scholarship to New College in 1938, to which was added a Haberdashers’ School Leaving Exhibition, an award given only to the most talented.

When he left Habs. in July 1938 “Skylark” noted dryly: “J.B. Bamborough, (1931-38). – 134

VIa Modern . Calverts. House Vice-Captain, 1937-38, School Prefect, 1937-38, R.L. Stevenson Club Prizeman, 1937. Sherriff Scholarship in English Literature, New College, Oxford, 1938. 2nd. XV 1937-38. 1st. XXX Colours. Athletics Team 1937-38. Secretary Tennis Club, 1938. Secretary of the Abbott Club, 1937-38. Dramatic Society 1938. Editor of “The Skylark”, 1936-37-38. Leaving Exhibition, 1938.”

In the 1937 Upper School Athletics Sports he won the Under 16 and a half-year Hurdles, in the Autumn Term was a congratulated on his “fine performance” in the Inter-House Senior Cross-Country Races, thanked for working hard to improve Calverts’ position in the Lower School, and awarded House Colours. In the 1938 Upper School Sports he was first in the Hurdles and third in the 220 Yards Open, performances that ensured his place in the school’s Athletics Team, in which he specialised in the Medley Relay.

In the Summer Term of 1938, seated on the Headmaster’s left in the Prefects’ Photo, dressed in the then Prefects’ uniform, with white shirt, formal tie, black jacket (handkerchief in the top pocket), striped trousers with deep turn-ups, grey socks, and black, leather-soled, lace-up shoes he appeared to epitomise the supposedly conformist attitudes and values of the 1930’s.

His “Skylark” accounts of the 1937 and 1938 School Camps, his ballad “The Novice”, his poem “The Long and the Short of It” and his skit “Bungkom” at first do seem to share the laboured whimsy and staid prose style of much else in the school magazine, as does his Oxford Letter, recounting his first months in New College.

However, a closer examination of these contributions to “Skylark” reveals a fluent written style, impressive knowledge, and a wry (even subversive) humour. Its review of his performance as the Porter in “Macbeth” in January 1938 remarked “J.B. Bamborough was too sober and agile for such a whoreson drunk knave who has slept so sound. This actor found a part more congenial to him in the Second Murderer” “Skylark” shows his literary interests and a quizzical (even anti-establishment) outlook. He spoke to the Abbott Club (the sixth form discussion society) on “Should Poets be fostered by the State? and “Is Shakespeare a Great Dramatist?” A lampoon entitled “Have with you to Westbere Road!” was subtitled “A Quip for an Upstart Schoolmaster. Being the Blast of the Trumpet against the sundry abuses, scandals and monstrosities of School Life.” His satire “Shakespearian Sports” could be taken as an attack on organised games. His squib “Megalomania” was aimed at Hitler“Once upon a time there was a man who thought he was a European Nation.”

In the 1980’s he sent a letter to the School

Archives explaining that his generation was aware of the social divisions and tensions in the United Kingdom, but was overshadowed by the possibility of war. If war broke out they expected London and all the major English cities to be flattened by bombs and the whole country to be carpeted with poison gas. “We were convinced at one ad the same time of the need to ‘Fight Fascism’ and of the wrongness of war and re-armament. This was the familiar dilemma of the Left Wing at that period; I think we vaguely felt that the answer lay in some form of passive resistance.”

In December 1938 his juniors in the Abbott Club invited him back from Oxford to hear his remarks on university life, delivered in his “inimitable style” of “bantering persiflage”. His next, and apparently last, visit to Haberdashers’ was in 1953 when he returned to open the new Preparatory School, then in Flower Lane, and Dr. Taylor proudly introduced him as an Old Haberdasher and the Dean of Wadham.

Soon after joining Wadham Bamborough showed his skills as an administrator. He was in succession Dean (1947-54), Domestic Bursar (1954-56), and Senior Tutor (1957-61).

A year as Junior Proctor introduced him to University committees. He was a member of Hebdomadal Council (1961-79) and ViceChairman of the General Board of Faculties (1964-67), influential positions at a time when, as he testified to the Franks Commission in 1965, ideas for new initiatives were “darting about all over” and he felt himself “sitting on the lid of a boiling kettle”. He was a formidable figure in the University, a supporter of moderate reform.

Oxford’s provision for graduate students and graduate studies was inadequate. Linacre was the first of three new inter-disciplinary colleges designed to cater for the growing numbers of graduates, and under Bamborough’s guidance became a model of an international and an egalitarian community, very different from many of the ancient colleges. As Principal from 1962 to 1988 he ruled Linacre with a firm hand. Civilised and modest, a man of dry wit and convivial humour; he was also a practical, vigorous man, with a clear understanding of what he wanted; a man of energy and decision who did not hesitate to make up his mind. He established a powerful and talented academic and administrative team, dedicated to creating and fostering an entirely new kind of college.

Bamborough and his Norwegian wife Anne (whom he married in 1947) made the whole college, Fellows and students alike, feel members of a distinctive community. They were a famously hospitable Oxford partnership, and made lifelong friendships that extended across the world. They created a friendly, informal and liberal atmosphere that is captured in “Bamborough’s Lincacre”, a series of affection tributes to “Bam” (as he was known in the college) by his former colleagues and students.

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David Scott met him as Principal elect: “As I was ushered into what seemed his palatial suite of rooms in Wadham, I saw this striking figure. He reminded me of a young Bertrand Russell, and I entered with a strange mixture of excitement and sheer terror. I listened as he explained how I must decide if I wanted to be part of the robust but vacuous social life of the undergraduate colleges, or to be part of the mature, co-educational, international, interdisciplinary environment of Linacre. Here he paused, and then to emphasize the gravity of his comparison he suddenly leaned back in his chair to an acute angle that appeared to defy the laws of gravity. The subsequent, vivid description of his vision for Linacre that followed inspired such confidence that I felt no desire to apply to any other college.”

Bam aimed for a judicious mixture of tradition and modernity. He suggested that he was “inventing a tradition a day”, and members wore gowns for dinner, but in contrast to some colleges the Linacre grace was a brief

“Benedictus Benedicat”. In the early days money was short. Some of the cutlery for the opening dinner had to be borrowed from Wadham. The 1960’s were challenging. During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, some Oxonians fled to Scotland, but Bam counselled remaining in Oxford, imperturbably exemplifying the English spirit that had seen the nation through the worst years of World War II. During the Great Freeze of 1963 Bam organized members of Linacre into work groups to go to coal storage yards and haul fuel back to the college, to offset the sub-zero temperatures in private and public rooms.

and articulate- we expect that of all Oxford dons- but above that, he was gracious, generous, witty, fair, farsighted, optimistic and compassionate, qualities seemingly in short supply in today’s world.”

Would that all colleges had leaders who shared Bam’s qualities. Lawrence Goldman OH recently showed them as acting-Master of St. Peter’s College and we expect that Mark Damazer OH will show them as Master with effect from 1st. October 2010.

John Wigley.

Not surprisingly, Bam inspired deep affection and respect. Peter Holloway described him as “one of the nicest gentlemen one could wish to meet, kind, considerate, understanding.” Earl Gooding recalled his “wit and wisdom, graciousness, easy flow of conversation and picturesque language”. Kenneth Laurence remembered that he “he exhibited the best Oxford had to offer. He was intelligent, scholarly

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Mark Rawlinson “Roo are Ya?” asked the headline in The Sun when Mark Rawlinson (1975) emerged as one of the Red Knights – the group of five City figures that attempted to win control of Manchester United. Or, as The Sun put it, the “five-a-side team of fans aiming to produce a football giantkilling by taking over Man U, Wayne Rooney and all.”

Mark Rawlinson, a Red Knight, is also the senior corporate lawyer at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. A partner for more than twenty years, he specialises in competitive or contested situations – such as the recent challenge to the Glazer family’s control of Manchester United – and has advised EMI, P&O, Morgan Stanley and Marsh & McLennan.

When journalists write about Mark – as they have on a number of occasions this year: shortly after the Red Knight’s bid, BP hired him to prepare its defence against a potential takeover that might have taken place after the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster – they often joke that he is that rare commodity, a Manchester United fan born in Manchester.

And it was only because Mark’s father changed jobs that the Rawlinsons left Manchester and Mark came to Haberdashers’. At the time, he was in the First Year at Manchester Grammar School. He had taken the MGS entrance exam at the age of nine – “it was meant to be a practice exam!” – and managed to win a place.

He spent a year at MGS before moving to Habs, where he re-did the First Year. “They were both direct grant schools in those days,” Mark explains, “but they were very different places. Manchester Grammar School was very intense, it was a pressure cooker. If you did sport, you were given the idea that you were putting your academics at risk. Haberdashers’ was more laid back. There was a different approach, they wanted to develop people in the round.”

Memories of life at Haberdashers’ are closely tied to memories of teachers. T.E. Carrington, “TEC”, a history teacher who had been in the Air Force, “a big bear of a man”; “‘if you yawn

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again boy,’ he would say, ‘I’ll jump down your throat and strangle your liver.’” Peter Squire, a favourite history teacher: “his son, Nick, who went to Bedford Modern, is now one of Freshfield’s partners.” English teachers: Frank Hanbidge (“a lovely man”) and Simon Stuart, “Yogi”: “he would find sexual allusions in everything; he’d find them in Upstairs, Downstairs!” David Grossel – a young teacher at Habs in Mark’s time, who taught Paul, Mark’s younger brother, who also went to Habs and has gone on to be a partner at PwC – is now the Second Master at King’s College School, Wimbledon, where he teaches Mark’s son: “as David puts it, ‘the third Rawlinson I’ve had the misfortune to teach’”.

There are two incidents from his time at Habs that Mark recalls most keenly, one happy and one sad.

The first is the presentation of rugby colours at an assembly in December 1975. It was a period when the 1st XV was particularly strong – the team went on a run of 65 unbeaten matches from October 1973 to December 1977. Otto Chan, a good friend of Mark’s, had got into the Firsts quite early on in his time at Habs. He had taken the Number 7 shirt from an older boy, Billy Hughes. “Billy had been a real hero to Otto, and Otto wore Billy’s original rugby shirt all the way through his time in the Firsts. At the assembly for colours, Dai Davies, as well as giving Otto his colours, presented him with a new rugby shirt.”

The second is the memory of the death of Colin Dunn. Colin, who had been the school captain, was working as a student teacher at Habs when he had a fatal car accident. “I remember school assembly. All the prefects were crying, and you had no idea why, or what was going on. Then the Headmaster explained what had happened.”

Mark went up to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, to read history, but he became friends with another freshman who was reading law and who encouraged him to change course. Was a legal career an obvious choice? “In a way. At the time, friends and family would always say to me: ‘You’re an argumentative bugger, you should be a lawyer.’”

He asked his Director of Studies which law firms he should apply to, made five applications, and joined Freshfields in 1982: as the profile on his company website puts it, Mark is “still on his first wife and his first job.”

But the City is a very different place today than it was when Mark began his career as an articled clerk – on a starting salary of £3,340 per annum “plus luncheon vouchers”. In the early 1980s, Freshfields had thirty partners; today, there are four hundred partners at the firm. And the idea of partnership has changed over time: “it was an entitlement rather than an obligation in those days. It was a huge club; things have changed enormously.”

And yet Mark anticipates that the next five years might well see more dramatic changes unfold than he has experienced in his career to date. The supply of legal services will outstrip demand; as a result, more law firms will merge or go bust. Pricing pressures will lead to the segmentation of the legal industry: higher margin, lower gearing players will concentrate on providing higher value advice to clients, and outsource an increasing amount of due diligence work to lower margin, more highly geared commodity players. Increasingly, law will be a business rather than a profession.

And what of the Red Knights, the consortium of big businessmen, bankers and lawyers that tried to broker a takeover of Manchester United? “We’re keeping a watching brief,” Mark says. The club’s level of gearing is unsustainable; it’s well-chronicled how much cash has been taken out of the club, cash which could have been spent on rebuilding an ageing team. “The Glazers’ expectation on valuation was too high,” Mark explains. “But at some point they could come under financial pressure, and at some point that valuation could change. The Red Knights may not see the light of day again. But they may…”

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Studying in America Ironically in this great nation of meritocracy and egalitarianism, the great universities of the northeast are the finishing schools for her aristocracy. With highly competitive admissions and worldrenowned faculty, the intellectual accomplishments here are many but for some, this is four years to party and buy expensive trinkets.

I won't forget the evening last fall (autumn) when as I left campus the window of a new Range Rover rolled down; out popped a friendly wave - the girl at the wheel lived ten doors down the hall from me.

The information we must learn in international relations classes is 'vocabulary', not terms. My field of study is itself an American invention - in Britain, one studies politics, law, or history.

Classes are huge and have iClickers - remotes with four buttons which one uses to vote on questions in class. Audience participation has

reached new technological heights in American universities and today entire lectures go by without the professor being interrupted.

Students bring laptops, chat on AIM, read the New York Times online and take notes. Come teatime America's office workers get into elevators down to the first floor and grab a cuppa Joe. While relaxing, or if feeling too warm, they first take off jackets, revealing soft collared short sleeved shirts with buttons to hold those collars down. Ties tend to stay on.

To one another, college students are ‘bros’. Or ‘guys’, or 'man' or if you're in California; ‘dudes’. We greet one another with a noncommittal but forced 'Hi, what's up?' or 'How are you?' - not one person will wait for the answer to that question, by the way. To answer is unexpected and awkward - even startling. The girls all wear exactly the same

things: a hybrid of pants (trousers) and leggings (tights), a North Face fleece, a Longchamps tote bag, tall boots, a Mac laptop no older than two years, a Blackberry, and a hair band. Many are blond, many have blue eyes, most wear make up on a daily basis. This is a community of highly individualistic people who are forced, most for the first time in the lives, to live with a roommate. We get along, but we're territorial. An imaginary line divides every dorm room.

Dining is absurd. The options make the Bates look like a soup kitchen. With nine food stations on two floors, 'Leo's' dining hall is vast. Stir fry, sandwiches and salads, tortilla wraps, steak, pie, pasta, pizza, Mexican, and an American diner - whatever you want, dripping with fat in all-you-can-eat portions, topped off with ice cream sundaes, milkshakes, or frozen yogurt from the Hershey’s ice cream bar. One stumbles out of the food cavern and clambers into a taxi the size of a Jaguar XJ. These vast cars have small cramped interiors with oversized vinyl seats. The roofs are low, the prices are high, the cars slow, and the suspension spongy. One pays with money identical in size shape and colour from $1 to $100 bills.

For most people leaving adolescence this is a time to ruminate without the fear of paying bills over one's head.

And while that is true of students in Britain too, here one doesn't think of law school or internships for the first two years. That is time to get to know friends, to drink beer, to explore the local neighbourhood, simply to revel in being away from parents. The remaining two years are spent fretting about law schools admissions tests and one's grade point average: a cumulative average of all grades from first class to last. Therefore there isn't too much in common between experiences here and in Britain after leaving Haberdashers. Summers here are for unpaid Congressional internships, there for earning money and seeing old friends. Weekends are for partying, in Britain for studying.

And of course in the wider world; religion is everywhere in this most staunchly secular country. Politics, despite America's carefully formulated political beginning is reduced to talking points, notes on hands, and soundbites.

Economics is deeply ideological and anything

that seems to provide welfare to those in need is socialist, communist, European, or worse: French. The law is a weapon, not a shield.

Family is an institution, the elementary social unit, and a revered patriarchal formulation - not the messy reality of dirty dishes, muddy footballs and homework. The arts are not operatic and splendid but eyed with suspicion for perverting the impressionable. ‘History’ is a channel, and ‘empire’ is a dirty and alien word - despite America's imperial past. Science is Asian but the new president wants MIT and Stanford to bring it back to the US. Today, air and space are an inconvenience and a luxury with American airlines little more than coaches and NASA a ghost of its former self. And yet in a country of three hundred million one will find tens of millions of people who steadfastly disprove all of these stereotypes In short, America is a profoundly complicated and bizarre place not at all similar to Britain.

The colours on our flags are the same, the shared, past, present, and future bind us, and with air authorities increasing the cap for air travel, there are even more flights back and forth. But the pond is an ocean and that shared language is nothing but an illusion of familiarity. It remains a grand and proud nation, built on most admirable foundations. By all means come visit but don't forget your guidebooks because the lingo, the boulevards, the grub, the mugs, even the gas have different names here.

Some of my favourite American words from About.com's British to American translator: anyplace for anywhere, bill for banknote, biscuit for scone, cookie for biscuit, jelly for jam, suspenders for braces, trunk for boot, hood for bonnet, saloon for pub, fries for chips, drug store for chemist, and the infernal 'rest room', for lavatory.

Udayan Tripathi OH

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Adam Jacobs World Cup 2010

A few recollections of yesteryear Shortly before Easter I was put in contact with Mrs Gleeson, editor of Skylark, as my own copies of the HABS Magazine had obviously been thrown out by my parents some time ago (a useful note to readers being, perhaps, that they should not leave them in the family home when they move out). It is surprising how nostalgic one can become in one's dotage. Dare I suggest that they can also make interesting reading for sons, daughters, and grandchildren, even if just to prove that Father Grumpy or Grandad Doddery did actually have mental and/or physical faculties back in the dark ages.

Anyway, Mrs Gleeson asked if I would like to jot down a few recollections about HABS which in my case relate to between 1958 and 1963, and therefore, bridge both the Cricklewood and Elstree sites. They are intended to be both light-hearted and factual, and written in the hope of not offending anyone. PC is not always uppermost in the minds of the older generation!

I was one of some forty pupils of all ages who moved to HABS Cricklewood from Mercers' School in Holborn in September 1958, when the school closed. The two schools were of a similar standing, although Mercers' was smaller and ran into financial difficulties.

To me, the greatest difference was in moving from a soccer playing school, to one where at the time, everybody played rugby whether they wanted to or not, except, that is, for a few cross country runners. Neither soccer nor hockey was an option on the curriculum.

The sports ground was at Chase Lodge, just off Five Ways Corner in Mill Hill. I believe it is now the Chelsea FC training ground, but never mind. To get from school to the sports ground, we were supposed to walk the best part of a mile, and then catch a bus along Hendon Way and Watford Way before a lengthy uphill walk.

However, against the rules, those better, or more enthusiastic sportsmen would often hitch lifts in cars, vans, or even on the backs of open-topped lorries. It got us to the ground early where the very cramped and cold changing rooms awaited us. The others, and less enthusiastic participants, got there in due course and had to make do.

As one of the thirteen year olds who had never played rugby before, I was initially put in what was called "the lowest game" to learn the laws of the game. Fortune struck for me, however, in a big way with the outbreak of the Asian flu epidemic, which afflicted much of the school, and in particular, the top rugby game for my age. I was immediately promoted to fill in and represented the school the following week and thereafter.

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We were all very excited about moving into the country at Elstree in 1961 and outwardly, at least, the transition went very well. Coaches were provided from Stanmore, Edgware and Elstree Stations only, at that time. Missing the coach and being late for school was a heinous crime. I used Stanmore Station and buses from the bottom of Brockley Hill to Allum Lane were not frequent. If we were forced to use them we would then have to walk through Aldenham Park, where a light aeroplane crashed on one occasion, over the bridge on the lake, past where the girls' school now is, and sneak in through the gate by Aldenham House, without being seen.

One tangible memory I still have, is the 1961 copy of the Eagle Sports Annual (built around a weekly comic which ceased publication in the mid-1990s). "Taffy" Barling, the Joblings Housemaster, and being Welsh a rugby enthusiast, somehow managed to get the under-fifteens coaching session photographed.

He then narrated it himself. The combined finished article then made up the Christmas Annual. Perhaps, some of your fathers or grandfathers still have a copy.

On leaving school, Chris Menezies, our excellent bandy scrumhalf and I, were introduced to Wasps by Dai Davies, one of the P.E. masters. I played for Wasps for 21 seasons and remain very much involved. The lifelong friendships which the sport fosters, do, I am sure, surmount many other sports. Thank goodness I stopped playing soccer!

Before moving on to some memories of Elstree, perhaps I could just touch on the subject of Latin. Besides recalling that verbs always come last in a sentence (I think), and being able to decline and conjugate a few nouns and verbs (not very useful in later life) the only thing I remember is blackboard rubbers flying across the classroom. One particular master was prone to becoming upset by certain miscreants.

The main problem was that because of an eye defect, we could never gauge in whose direction the rubber was being aimed.

Some of the boys, however, walked down the road from Elstree village. It was not unknown (please excuse the double negative) for some of them to arrive at the school in a hearse. The family of one of my contemporaries was in the funeral business, and if trade was slow on a given day, he would drive in using one of the fleet vehicles with some of the late boys on board.

I learnt to drive in the school grounds at Elstree. Through the school, a well-known driving school undertook Saturday morning lessons for 16 year olds, using the playgrounds and internal roads. These lessons moved directly onto the public highway adjacent to the school as soon as the age of 17 was attained, and I successfully passed my own driving test shortly after. I was lucky enough to be bought a car (for enthusiasts, a 1938 Morris 8 Tourer) at a cost of ÂŁ25 and drove to school where we were allowed to park in the roadway outside where the Preparatory School now is. For several weeks, I even drove with my left leg encased in plaster after breaking my ankle. The clutch pedal was adapted so that it matched the shape of the rocker. That would, of course, not be allowed today, for insurance reasons.

When the school moved to Elstree there was no cricket pavilion. We used a marquee, which was actually more like a smallish tent. It was situated further around the boundary than your present pavilion, between Aldenham House and the gates to Allum Lane. It did have running water in one side of the tent and out the other.

Rugby was, as I have already said, the number one winter game, and we had a very strong fixture list. I remember the trip to play Monmouth School very well. We were all billeted out to the homes of our opponents. I was, however, dismayed to discover that the house had no electricity. Not much use for someone using an electric razor (before rechargeable ones had been invented) and I had no intention of trying to use a cut throat razor for the first time in the dim gas lighting.

I was taken to task the following morning for appearing on parade in school uniform before the match, looking scruffy. On the up side, the coach driver did allow some of us to drive his coach around the Monmouth School playground, unbeknown, as far as I know, to those in charge.

In my final year, David Wrench joined the staff of the Science Department. However, he propped for Harlequins and England and took over the First XV coaching in a very different, forthright and earthy way. I recall one of the forwards having hair, which he considered to be too long, and was certainly much longer than his own. He told him in no uncertain terms to get it cut and that "they will still love you - they still love me".

In those days, one of the fixtures looked forward to by the First and Second XVs was against Old Haberdashers'. Much of the school, together with parents turned out for this. For safety reasons, such matches no longer take place. However, two or three years after I left, the school First XV had an outstanding undefeated season. David Wrench decided to organise an extra match against that side which included a loose-head prop who had apparently taken all opponents apart during the season. He got together a team of former internationals and various school alumni. I packed down beside him. In a very constructive way, David Wrench gave the young man a lesson in what scrummaging would be about in his next season in men's rugby. I met up again with David Wrench, a few years later, when I played against him in Bristol, his subsequent club. He looked after us royally that evening, as you would expect of the rugby fraternity.

The years have now rolled on and I am enjoying my time in retirement, after 42 years working in the NHS. I have taken up golf "enthusiastically". Somewhat foolishly, I thought that having played several different sports with a moving ball, to a reasonable standard, playing one where the ball just sits there waiting to be hit should be no problem.

How wrong you can be, even taking into account the extra limitations to my flexibility after years of abusing various parts of my body on the sports fields. Mind you, I would never have swapped it. Sadly, I am not sure what I can blame for my lack of mental agility!

Roger Skinner 139

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Secretary’s Notes Heraclitus, the Buddha and the Second Law of Thermodynamics (now there is a combination!) tell us that nothing ever stays quite the same, and the constantly changing landscape of the school and its Common Room bears testament to this truth. I suspect, however, that this year in particular will be long remembered in the school as a year of change. There was unease in the Common Room following Viking warnings of quantum shifts looming on the electronic horizon, but, for now, we experience our own loss of many distinguished colleagues, among them certain pillars of the school community.

The following remarks are intended only as a sketch of these gentlemen; their enormous legacy to the school is described more adequately elsewhere in this publication.

Simon Boyes, Second Master, is retiring after a magnificent thirty years of continuous service to the school. A true gentleman, he has kept the Haberdashers' engine well oiled with his efficient style of management; his warmhearted approach has made him greatly appreciated by staff and boys alike. Michael Cook has been Head of Middle School since 1988 and with his retirement we lose another central figure in the school community.

Michael epitomises excellent pastoral leadership and his contribution to the school over the years has been enormous. His fair, caring nature has made him an immensely popular pastoral figure. David Reid also retires this year. David has taught Economics at the school for the past twenty-two years and his calm, scholarly approach to teaching, as well as his constant willingness to offer advice and encouragement, have been much appreciated by staff right across the school. We wish Simon, Michael and David a long, happy, and healthy retirement.

Duncan Byrne, our first Director of Studies, leaves to take up the position of Academic Deputy Head at Cheltenham College. An accomplished singer, enthusiastic sportsman, and a most generous colleague, Duncan has led by example as an outstanding schoolmaster. Melvyn Bardou, Head of Spanish of four years, also leaves us to head up his own Modern Languages Department at Mill Hill School. Boys and staff alike have appreciated Melvyn's commitment to outstanding Spanish teaching and to the rugby and cricket teams he has led. Dr Ian Jacques retires from his position as Head of Mathematics to teach parttime in the autumn. Though, happily, Ian does not leave us, he has been outstanding in his ten-year role as Head of Mathematics, inspiring students and raising standards with the compelling passion he has for his subject.

The sunny Chilterns draw away our Chaplain of four years, Reverend Jane Markby. In her time here not only has Jane been a first rate

teacher and a capable and enthusiastic public speaker, she has also provided many individuals, and the school community as a whole, with spiritual and moral guidance. Jane leaves to take up the post of Chaplain at Berkhamsted School. Our School Counselor, Angela Bard, also moved on in the Spring after nearly five years spent providing invaluable support to both boys and staff; she leaves in order to concentrate on her private practice.

We also bid a fond farewell to Bob Welsh who retires as PE Technician following a recent hipreplacement (he can still beat the boys on the badminton court!). Bob has assisted in many areas of school life including the CCF and Mencap Funday and is widely respected by the staff. Many in the Common Room will also be very sad to see Doug Yeabsley leave after a staggering forty five years of service to the school. Doug will be much missed. Paul Collins, Audio Visual Technician, also retires this year following over twenty years' important service. We are very grateful to these colleagues for their contributions to the school and we take encouragement from their length of service, which must be indicative of a successful Common Room.

Amy McKenzie has been enticed northwards to Derbyshire where she will take up the position of Head of Geography at Repton School. Amy will be remembered, amongst other things, for her commitment to her subject whether in lessons or the Geography Club, and for her outward looking work on charity fundraising within the school. The Geography Department also loses Humphrey Waddington who has successfully covered Su Wijeratna's maternity leave and whose gregarious personality will be missed.

We say goodbye to three colleagues in the Languages Department. Simona Dexter returns to Italy having helped boys attain excellent standards in Italian over the last six years, inspiring many to go on to study the language at University. Hannah Philip has been a student teacher in the Department since February and she has thoroughly involved herself in the life of the school; she is sure to make an excellent teacher as she goes to the States to join her husband. Nicholas Reynard also leaves for Paris where he will continue his academic studies; Nicholas has worked extremely hard in the Department, redefining the role of Foreign Languages Assistant.

The Music Department will be sad to lose Victoria Moran, their hardworking Music School Gap Year Assistant. We wish Victoria well as she leaves to continue to teach violin and flute and study for an MA. Tessa Witzenfeld leaves the Prep School to have her baby in September. We are very grateful to Tessa for all she has done during her three committed years, in particular her enthusiastic support and organisation of the chess teams. Anna Putt is another loss to the Prep School as she leaves to become full-time

a mum to her baby daughter, Grace.

Colleagues will also be sad to see Ros Hoffler leave the Music Department earlier this year.

We wish these colleagues every happiness and success for the future.

Our grateful thanks go to Florence Aspart who leaves following the birth of her second son Luca, for her nearly six years service as the Deputy Head’s Secretary. We wish her and her family all the very best for the future. We also extend our gratitude to Will Whyatt for covering in the Physics Department for Ian Fielder’s absence while he recovered from his accident.

We also say goodbye and the very best of luck to student teachers Alice Martin, Katherine Arblaster and Laura Purcell.

Besides the numerous leavers there have also been many changes in the pastoral and academic management of the school. Firstly, many congratulations go to Mark LloydWilliams who will take up his position at the helm of the Middle School; we wish him well in his new post. Mark will be ably assisted by Christopher Bass, who has been appointed Senior Middle School Tutor. We are also delighted for Sylvie Koestlé-Cate who has been appointed Teacher of Economics. Lastly, the Careers Department will benefit from Anjna Pindoria as Deputy Head of Careers, and Sharon Sacofsky who has been made Careers Guidance Officer.

We welcomed Su Wijeratna back from maternity leave at the start of the Summer Term to resume as Strouts Housemistress, and our thanks go to Peter Thackrey and Robert Garvey for such an excellent job as interim Housemaster and Deputy Housemaster respectively. Peter Thackrey will now take up the post of Housemaster of Calverts, and we also congratulate Andy Simm who is to be the new Housemaster of Hendersons. Our best wishes go to those who have been appointed to fulfill the role of Deputy Housemaster; Robert Garvey as Deputy Housemaster of Meadows, Alastair Metcalf as Strouts Deputy Housemaster, Paolo Roncarati as Calverts’ Deputy, and Rachel Wright who will assist Andy Simm in Hendersons. Congratulations also go to Diana Rhys-Brown who is to head up PSHE and Michele Jones who has been placed in charge of the staff induction and mentoring program.

Through all of this activity it is heartening to see some colleagues celebrating weddings and new arrivals. Congratulations are in order for Chris Bass who announced his engagement in February and also for Nuala Murray who is recently engaged to be married to Peter Burgess. We were also delighted to learn in April that Nick and Debbie Moss were blessed with the birth of Eden Miriam Moss, and, earlier in September, that a daughter had been born to Jonas and Parul Green.

It is good to be reminded as the year closes of the significant creative and sporting prowess 141

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that exists amongst the staff. Tim Norton continues to amaze us with his plays; the highly acclaimed A Grave Situation generated a hugely enjoyable staff trip of nearly ninety back in December to the Pleasance Theatre in London. It came as little surprise in April that Duncan Byrne was going to run the London Marathon. What was more surprising, however, was that he did it as a Womble, apparently raising some money for charity!

John Fenn ran the Bupa London 10K and, despite sustaining a knee injury during the run, raised some hard-earned funds for the RNLI.

No one could quite beat Mike Cucknell’s performance in the Edinburgh Marathon, though, finishing as he did in an impressive 3 hours and 20 minutes!

It has been a year of significant change in the Common Room and despite the badges around our necks one wonders how, in such a shifting landscape, we maintain a clear sense of community identity. As we readjust and prepare for another year we are reminded of Simon Boyes opening Friday Notices, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the

service of others”. Unfortunately the words are Gandhi’s, not Simon’s, but they are reminiscent of our school motto and it seems fitting to end by drawing attention to the many heartwarming acts of kindness that one regularly sees around the school. As we reflect on the past year we are privileged to be able to draw inspiration and encouragement from the legacy of those who have gone before.

A. Stimson

Simon Boyes Simon Boyes leaves Habs, as full of dedication and insight as he was on his first day, 1st September 1976, after 33 years of outstanding service.

He went to Jesus College Cambridge to read Psychology and later augmented this with an OU degree in Chemistry which he passed with distinction.

He was appointed by Keith Dawson as Senior Master, and then promoted by Jeremy Goulding to Second Master. Before that he had been Head of General Studies and Careers, areas which Simon led with imagination and zeal.

Homme à tout faire, his composure was no better demonstrated than when he became acting Headmaster during the interregnum when Jeremy Goulding moved to Shrewsbury or when he took over the Headship of the Prep School. On both these occasions praise was universal. He has always been not only an outstanding colleague, but an incredibly safe pair of hands, and someone who has always brought intelligence, good sense and sound personal judgment to all of his work.

Simon unfailingly embodied those very important qualities of helpfulness, gentleness and kindness. He has been a supreme example of a colleague who is approachable, always helpful and unflustered in a crisis. His patience and generosity with his time, his ability to look ahead, his down-to-earth pragmatic approach to the immediate issues, his ability to render the complexities of ICT simple, his gentle kindness, all have made him such an ideal colleague.

Jon Corrall reports that by nature Simon is a problem solver, and possesses a mind which is very quick to see a way round a problem. Keith Dawson always said of Simon that he had the ability to see around corners. So often, Simon would come up with a workable solution which has provided invaluable breathing-space whilst we slower thinkers had time to think through the problem.

This ability has been of great value in his main areas of expertise; the timetable and the 142

curriculum, where so often he found the imaginative solution to what appeared to be an impossible problem. He always tried to accommodate people's wishes and to make things possible. The helpfulness he provided to staff is offered in equal measure to pupils. You only needed to witness the long queue of boys outside his office at option time to see how caring he was in wanting to enable boys to study the subjects of their choice.

We shall all remember him in different ways: the boys will remember the lessons from a first-rate Chemist; Common Room will have memories of, I hope, a model of efficiency and kindness and warmth, an indefatigable hard worker, a man who has always been able to

give of his time, who has worked easily with teaching staff and support staff.

I shall remember him for his integrity, trustworthiness, diplomacy, discretion, precision, intimate knowledge of routines and people.

We lose not just a colleague but a great friend of the school, and not least a personal friend to many of us. He will always be a most welcome visitor to Elstree. I am sure you will all join me in wishing him and Elizabeth a long, active and happy retirement.

Peter Hamilton

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He has also supported and mentored substantial numbers of staff and most importantly he has devoted himself to Newly Qualified and Beginning Teachers. These are the life-blood of our profession and Habs is rightly proud of its part in fostering new talent and launching careers.

Any good teacher knows the significance of assessment in the learning process. Boys need to know how well they are doing in order to do better and schools are no different. Whilst Disraeli is often credited with promoting a healthy scepticism about statistics, information when used wisely (to ask questions) can substantially enhance the job we do. Duncan’s work with MidYis and ALIS, with internal and external exam analysis was impressive not simply for his dextrous use of the spreadsheet, but for its role in helping us reflect.

Duncan Byrne Duncan Byrne joined Habs in 2006 to become the school’s first Director of Teaching. Strictly entre nous, there were some in those far-off days who wondered why teaching needed directing at Habs.

But, as Duncan soon convinced us, those at the front of a race need to take particular care of what is happening in the rest of the field.

Duncan’s success in his role stemmed not just from his excellence as a teacher of French and German, but also from his passion for effective pedagogy. Luckily it was not just the boys who benefited from his expertise. Duncan instituted staff ‘Learning Lunches’ designed to allow colleagues to explore new teaching techniques and share ideas over a sandwich. On one Development Day he encouraged a number of brave volunteers to teach model lessons to their colleagues and, always keen to lead by example, hosted Beginners’ Japanese himself.

Duncan has a remarkable ability to keep balls in the air. He is also a man of many talents. He was quick to volunteer himself for the Staff v Student university challenge team (staff win, by the way!), but how many of us would have the confidence to test ourselves under John Humphries’s stern questioning by appearing on Mastermind? And, lest you should be thinking that all of our hero’s talents are cerebral, let me remind you of Duncan’s dedicated service to U13 cricket, his natural authority as football referee, his participation as a Womble in the London Marathon and his penchant for long charity bike rides in the French Alps. If that were not enough, he is also an accomplished musician and singer, forming his own closeharmony group at school. From the sublime performance of Schumann’s Dichterliebe to the less precise harmony of the staff Christmas Dinner ensemble, Duncan has entertained and shared in equal measure.

pupils alike, and it is this above all – his unflappability, his consistency, his ability to get on with people - that makes me confident that Melvyn will be a success as a Head of Department at Mill Hill.

Melvyn Bardou It is hard to imagine a more personable, friendly, even tempered and good natured colleague than Melvyn Bardou. During his 5 years with us, these personal qualities helped ensure his popularity with colleagues and

Melvyn will, of course, be missed by his colleagues and friends on the staff, but he is also one of those rare teachers who will be consciously missed by his pupils. Year after year he established excellent constructive relationships with the boys based on mutual respect and enjoyment of the educative process. Melvyn is an outstanding Hispanist as well as a native French speaker. Although this is tremendously valuable to our department, it isn’t this that makes him such an effective teacher. Rather, it is his passion, his enthusiasm and his rapport with his pupils. Habs boys have an instinctive sense of which teachers are worthy of elevation to the highest status that they define with a single-word epithet: legend.

Melvyn is very firmly one of these chosen few, and we hope that the boys and girls at Mill Hill realise how lucky they are to have him.

How has this modern-day Prometheus crammed so much into his four years at Habs and why are we letting him escape? The first is easy: acute insomnia! How else can one combine Chairmanship of ISMLA (the Independent School’s Modern languages Association), serving as a Governor of his sons’ primary school and advising the government on the absurdity of their proposals to vet host families during language exchanges with leading sixth form assemblies and providing outstanding support both as a tutor and a ready helper to Heads of Department?

The second question is trickier. Many will regret the loss of such an exceptional teacher; others will bemoan the departure of a talented colleague and, for some, the absence of a good friend. But we should remember that schools are built on departures. As Phillip Parr tells the Upper Sixth each year, whilst we will miss them, it is right for them to go and, like the departing upper sixth, Duncan is ready for his next challenge. He has packed a career’s worth of activity into his four years at Habs and we are profoundly grateful. It is now up to us to continue to build on what he has achieved and for the baton to be passed to his successors.

Duncan leaves with our very best wishes to become Academic Deputy Head at Cheltenham College.

Simon Hyde

Despite a demanding job as Head of Spanish, Melvyn always made an effort to contribute to school life outside the department. This is why so many colleagues from across the Common Room will be sad to see him go. His involvement in the coaching of cricket and rugby has been consistent and committed, and I know that this has been appreciated by boys and staff alike. Similarly, his commitment to the programme of school trips has been significant.

Melvyn has contributed a great deal to the school during his time at Habs, and he has deserved this opportunity to lead his own faculty. We hope that he will look back on his years here fondly, but his departure is a beginning rather than an end: it is appropriate, therefore, to thank him warmly, and to wish him all the very best for an enjoyable, successful and rewarding onward journey.

R J Thompson

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A day before the interviews the Headmaster at the time told a guest, “We’re about to see a man with two first class degrees.” I had already made up my mind and neglected the need for political correctness by remarking incautiously, “I’m sure we’ll appoint him.”

David Reid In July 2010 David Reid retired after over twenty years service in the Department of Economics and Politics. It has always been hard to find good Economics teachers but particularly so in the late 1980’s, when almost all economists went into the City.

David visited Habs to decide whether to apply. I showed him the Department, the Library and the Staff Room, where he explained the role of the Orange Order. When I dropped him off in Watford, he kept his intentions to himself but he did apply.

We did. We never regretted the decision. An Ulsterman born and bred, David had spent most of his school days at Royal Belfast Academical Institution, read Classics at Trinity College, Dublin, and then joined the Northern Ireland Treasury. He later left, became a local councillor and studied Economics and Politics at Queen’s University, Belfast, before moving to Oxford, where he undertook research at St. John’s College, supervised by the formidable Professor Finer of All Souls.

David brought this academic excellence and wide experience to Habs. He concentrated on teaching Economics, specialising in Applied Economics and the Labour Market, and prepared pupils for PPE at Oxford and SPS at Cambridge, besides teaching General Studies and, on occasion, Latin. As a member of the Careers Team he was responsible for Economics and related subjects and as a Form Tutor he advised, guided and supervised succeeding groups of Sixth Formers.

In addition to his academic and pastoral work, David took Wednesday afternoon golf for many years. Moreover, as the school’s European

Carol Concerts in St Albans Abbey; her sermons were always engaging, and never predictable! There was often a certain disarming honesty in the way in which she dealt with the moral issues of the moment.

Jane was often sought out by staff and pupils seeking solace and advice, and she took great interest in the welfare of the whole school community. She often was in the vanguard of visitors to staff and pupils who had been hospitalised.

Rev Jane Markby The Reverend Jane Markby arrived at Habs five years ago. She was appointed as school chaplain, and also as a parttime teacher in the Biology Department.

Her vivacious and cheerful manner and empathetic warmth for others, was matched by a fierce intellect, and a robust sense of adventure.

Amongst her numerous roles as School Chaplain, she was responsible for organising all the major spiritual events of the school calendar. Many staff and pupils will recall her fondness for the theatrical in her Christmas 144

In her teaching of Biology, she brought a razorsharp intellect and clear sense of purpose into the classroom, which was appreciated by those she taught, as well her teaching colleagues.

She was well aware of the ridiculous stance taken by creation “scientists”, and was a confirmed neo-Darwinist. She was often amused that some pupils thought that, as member of the clergy, she should subscribe to the nonsense touted by biblical fundamentalists about evolution. Jane was an enthusiastic anatomist, and her demonstration mammal dissections for the Junior Science Society were one of the highlights of the Society calendar.

Jane was responsible for proposing, organising and running the first official field-trip for sixth form biologists at Nettlecombe Court in Somerset. This course provides a fantastic opportunity for sixth form biologists to carry out their A2 investigations, saving them a huge amount of time in the classroom later. This

Fellow he organised the highly successful Euro-days and Boulogne Trips and was master in charge of the European Youth Parliament team, which on several occasions he coached to the UK finalp; one memorable year he took the team to represent the UK in Paris, after cautiously assessing and dismissing the risks posed by rioting and striking Frenchmen.

In everything that he did, David was a master of detail, hard working and thorough, totally professional and so widely respected. As a teacher he set very high standards and coaxed pupils up to them. As a Form Tutor he was firm and patient and solved problems by tact and understanding. As a colleague he was his own man and also utterly reliable. It was entirely fitting that he was Head of Department between my departure and Mrs. Shah’s appointment.

Generations of pupils benefited from David’s work. They knew his dry humour but not that, in private, he enjoyed good food and wine and relished spending his holidays absorbed in the culture and language of Italy. They remember him for his intellect, his knowledge and his teaching. Many of them recount that they used his lesson notes throughout their study of Economics at university. On their behalf, of his colleagues, and of the school to which he gave so much, I wish him a very happy retirement.

John Wigley

course is now a compulsory annual feature for all pupils studying biology in the sixth form.

Jane loves the outdoor life, and is a keen camper, cyclist, sailor and mountaineer. She generously employed these skills in helping to run Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions, and also many Mountaineering Club trips; in fact most of the summit-photographs from expeditions seem to feature a line of Neanderthal males with one diminutive female human nestled amongst them!

Jane has now moved to Berkamstead School as full-time Chaplain, as well as a teaching theology. The biologists shall greatly miss her kindness, intelligence and generous sense of fun, and the Mountaineering Club will miss a staunch supporter.

Roger Delpech

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Upon the Retirement of Robert James Welsh 11th September 1940 “These cruel indiscriminate bombings of London are, of course, a large part of Hitler’s invasion plans. He hopes by killing large numbers of civilians, women and children that he will terrorise and cower the people of this mighty, imperial city. Little does he know the spirit of the British nation or the tough fibre of the Londoners”.

Five years later, on 15th April 1945, following the ravages of the Second World War, a glimmer of hope returned to 11 Marlborough Road, Islington with the birth in the front room of Robert James Welsh.

Bob’s formative years were spent in Elstree.

The area was surrounded by film studios and he soon smelt the grease paint and headed for the bright lights, when he left Furzehill School at 14 to take up his first job at the local garden centre.

Given the demanding job of planting one marrow seed in one hole, covering it with compost and repeating several hundred times, the thrusting Welsh soon became impatient, planting 3 or 4 seeds in the same hole. The ensuing rain and mild weather gave rise to perfect growing conditions much to Bob’s chagrin. And on the fourth day with marrow plants sprouting up everywhere, our hero was dismissed from his post.

Bob spent the next 5 years working for Barnet Council tending the parks by the Old Courthouse (in front of the petrol station which is on the right as you drive into Barnet).

Following this Bob strode purposefully into his next position at Wall Hall Girls’ School, in Aldenham, now the site of a large housing development. He became know for his work ethic and attention to detail.

Five years were spent at Wall Hall followed by another five at Queens College, Bushey. Being concerned with his career development, Bob had clearly decided that five years would be spent at these establishments before moving on to better things. The next five years were spent at Bushey Hill School, the first school to have a redgra playing surface in the country.

You’ve got to admire the attention to detail …

Bob’s most demanding position was as Head Caretaker at yet another girls’ school, Northfields by Watford Junction Station. Mr Welsh was the only male on the books and he was soon granted ‘god-like status’ amongst the ladies. In a single week, he laid 250 ‘flagstones’ covering 150 square metres, truly a phenomenal feat. But it soon dawned on Bob that his employers may have been taking him for granted when he was asked to dig an Olympic sized swimming pool with a trowel.

However, the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune were waiting in the wings, soon to play

their hand….

In 1980, Bob first applied to Haberdashers’ answering an advertisement for the position of Groundsman and Cricket Coach. But his application was rejected on the grounds that he was overqualified for the cricket coaching.

A year later, Bob answered the call for a Groundsman only and he was immediately snapped up and put on the payroll.

Bob’s big break arrived in 1985 when David Davies, Director of Sport, invited him in from the cold to work as the Sports Hall Supervisor.

And it was here that Bob really made his mark with the boys and staff of the school.

The job title has changed over the years from Supervisor, to Sports Assistance to finally Sports Hall Manager but the Sports Hall has always been simply Bob’s place.

Under Mike Davies, Bob used to basically work 70 hours a week, his daily work of organising and maintaining the equipment, all of the lettings in the evenings and driving minibuses at weekends.

He helped, and continues to help at athletic events, sometimes as far away as Gateshead or Manchester and he has recorded a number of world records on his trusty stopwatch.

“Guns up, Bob”, I cry as the starter prepares to fire and Bob prepares to take another lick of his ice cream. “100 metres’ time for lane 4, please,” the recorder asks; “9.45 seconds,” Bob replies.

Bob has seen the passing through of 5 Directors of Sport. At one stage 5 years ago, the Sports Hall was like a drinks station at the London Marathon with 3 Directors coming and going in 2 years. Thankfully the last few years have passed relatively peacefully with Ryan at the helm.

Bob used to go regularly to the Junior Rugby tour to Wales kindly hosted by Clive Rees and one of the many highlights each year was to walk around the sealife centre in St Davids and check as to whether the owners had expanded on their collection of 1 cuttlefish, 2 common crabs and an eel.

When Bob was working at Haberdashers’, he became one of the most dependable and reliable of colleagues. At late notice he would answer the call of many a distressed teacher.

He would drive vans on social outings, to Brighton for Holmesy for the London-Brighton bike ride and up to Northumberland for the CCF, all at the drop of a hat. He is one of the kindest of men.

He is the longest serving Presidents of Hertfordshire Badminton. Bob has himself played badminton for Hertfordshire and coached a full England International in Andrew Salvage.

I think of the thousands of boys who will remember you Bob, woe betide any of them who wore shoes that marked the Sports Hall

floor. You were always harsh but fair and the boys loved you for it.

A Metcalfe

Amy McKenzie Those of us who are keen gardeners know that some plants, although possessed of a relatively short growing season, nevertheless make such an impact that a plot is all the better for their presence.

Amy McKenzie’s two-year stay has been a kaleidoscope of impacts, both parochially within the Geography department and also extending across the wider extent of the school.

Amy’s academic engagement with Geography was first fostered through schooling in Qatar, where her engineer father worked, and then in Sussex. At Cambridge, she became fascinated by the wide range of hazards which humankind tries to understand, to predict and to manage. In particular, and perhaps as a counter-point to her time in the heat of the Middle East, Amy saw both intellectual and emotional challenges in trying to fathom the way of life of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic region. These peoples are experiencing great turmoil in their lives as they face profound environmental change with all its implications for their economy and society. It is in this personal and sympathetic response to the needs of others that we begin to understand Amy. For it was soon after her arrival at Elstree straight from her PGCE year, that Amy took on the role of school charity co-ordinator. She speaks in admiration of the impressive multiplicity of initiatives boys come up with to raise both awareness of, and funds for, charities of all sorts.

It is that same sense of concern which has characterised Amy’s time as a Joblings Form tutor in the Middle School, where her firm care will be much missed. In equal measure to sympathy is Amy’s belief that challenge is important for personal growth and development. Her encouragement of boys to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme exemplifies a practical approach to this belief. Within Geography, Amy has established the GAIA society, an opportunity for Sixth Formers to be introduced to ideas, theories and concepts beyond the realm of the A level specifications. Amy has not neglected personal challenges, as she has learned to sail while a member of the Navy section of the CCF. And so Amy migrates north to Repton, where she will continue to encounter fresh challenges running their Geography department. With her desire that, through her teaching and cocurricular activities, young people live lives as full as possible by making the most of their talents, Amy has much to contribute within a school. We wish her well in all her endeavours.

Dr Stiff 145

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The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School Nurturing Excellence

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Skylark 2010 Skylark Team

Editor Aneesh Misrah

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Clubs & Societies Christopher Howarth

CCF Moshin Saleh

CCF Charlie Johnson

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Sport Oliver Goldstein

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Trips Nikesh Arya

Originals - Art Eden Tarn

Originals - Literature David Joels

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Common Room Marco Marcello

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Foundation/Old Boys Joel Kariel

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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