The Boltonian 2023

Boltonian 2023 THE

CONTENTS SCHOOL NOTES

2

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & COMMUNITY PROJECTS

32

CLUBS & SOCIETIES

59

THE HOUSES

67

CAMPS & JOURNEYS

74

MUSIC & THE CREATIVE ARTS

97

CREATIVE WRITING & ARTWORK

113

SNAPSHOTS

120

SPORTS

122

SCOUTS

158

THE OLD BOLTONIANS

161

Editorial Staff Editor: Miss K.S. Wrathmell Cover Artwork: Henry Nuttall 13a Photography: Old Boltonian Mark Power at www.karlkramer.co.uk, the School Marketing Department & Dr. D. Rogers Communications should be sent to the Editor, Miss K.S. Wrathmell, at School.

News of Old Boltonians should be sent to the Development Office in School.

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School Notes Headmaster’s Review of the Year 2022-23 _______________________________________________________

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s the sun streams into the school to mark the start of the new academic year, my colleagues and I are busy with training and preparation for the year ahead. As is often the case, we are all reflecting on the previous academic year and looking at how we can build on the various successes of 2022-23. And there have been lots of outstanding achievements across the broad and varied life of the school. You will see throughout this edition of ‘The Boltonian’ that there is much to celebrate, and that the Boys’ Division is thriving across the full range of academic and co-curricular activities within school life.

The class of 2023 sat their A Levels, which for many students, were the first external public examinations in their school careers, having been assessed at GCSE by Teacher Assessed Grades. Taking those examinations must have been nerve-racking, especially against the national narrative of tougher grade boundaries, the removal of additional exam support such as formula sheets and reports in the national press of a shortage of university places. The much-publicised return to grade distributions in line with 2019 led to a fall in grades nationally, but we managed to buck this trend and maintain the standard set in 2022, which were significantly above 2019 levels. These outstanding results have enabled another excellent university admission season and interestingly, more boys progressing onto degree apprenticeships than have done previously.

The outstanding success of the boys is down to their hard work, their perseverance and tenacity combined with the talent of our teaching staff and the high-quality lessons that the boys have enjoyed.

Outside of the classroom, The Levels have been seeing plenty of action, and I am delighted that School has once again been awarded the School Games Gold Award for the second year running. Our football teams have played some excellent, competitive matches

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throughout the year, with our younger squads all progressing through to their Town Cup finals. The three finals were fiercely fought, but we narrowly missed out on bringing home some silverware on each occasion. In Rugby, we saw some high-quality performances across all age groups. Our Under 13s only lost once all season and won the AKS 7s tournament. The Under 15s also won the bowl in a thrilling encounter against Stonyhurst. 15-0 down at half-time, Mr. Fernside delivered a team talk that inspired the boys to a 33-20 win – a fitting result for Mr. Fernside’s last match leading a school rugby team. We have also enjoyed significant success in many other sports including Athletics, Water polo – where we have become Under 15 national champions, Climbing and Chess and I know you will enjoy reading the various reports included in this edition of ‘The Boltonian’.

Another of my personal highlights was seeing the Great Hall turned into a 1920s ballroom for the Senior production of ‘The Great Gatsby’. It was great to see guests dressing for the occasion and creating a truly unique atmosphere. The quality of performances throughout the year was exceptionally high, and our Christmas Festival and musical production of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ were once again worthy of any professional theatre. This year also saw the welcome return to The Bridgewater Hall for our Gala concert, the first time we have performed there since 2019. We had over 600 performers from across the Foundation, who played and sang to a sold out hall. The performances were sublime, and it was an enchanting evening of music, covering everything from Elbow to Tchaikovsky. At Easter, our Senior Concert Band performed at the ‘nationals’ at the Royal Northern College of Music as part of the National Concert Band Festival in their prestigious concert hall. The Band once again received a Gold Award, a fantastic achievement in a competition that features professional bands.

School Notes It has also been a great relief to see restrictions on travel fully lifted, and, once again, the boys have been able to experience a variety of trips and visits both locally, nationally, and internationally. This year saw the welcome return of the Ski Trip in February, the Year 7 Paris Trip, a Hockey tour to the Netherlands, and Year 9 have returned to the Battlefields once again; these are just a few of the many trips and visits on offer and boys are very lucky to have such knowledgeable and dedicated staff who are so willing to give their time so that students can have unforgettable, life-changing experiences.

Foundation Head – Review of the Year _______________________________________________________

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s I write my second Boltonian piece as Head of Foundation, it is remarkable how routine those ‘new’ arrangements now are and how readily all the various parts of Bolton School have embraced that change and benefitted from it.

If my first year was characterised by those wide-reaching shifts in school structures, this second year has been characterised by detail and systems, making sure that what we do well is firmly embedded in the life of the Foundation. In all those considerations, we have used the idea of there being necessary and unnecessary differences and this has worked well: both to remove unnecessary complications in our daily life where things have been different for no good reason and, most especially, to help us be clear about the important differences, traditions and ethos of the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions and to celebrate those.

So, as the new term begins, I am excited for the year ahead and what the boys and staff will achieve together. I look forward to more exciting action on the Levels, to visiting lessons, to the next set of productions and concerts and enjoying the engagement of Old Boys, who will continue to share their experience and knowledge with the current generation.

And finally, as well as anticipation and excitement for the year ahead, I also feel a strong sense of pride. I am proud to lead such a strong, able, diverse and supportive community of teachers and students.

I am assured by the knowledge that we will continue to work together, to build an even stronger community, creating an environment where everyone can thrive, true potentials are achieved and the very highest of ambitions are reached.

Mr. N.L. Ford Boys’ Division Headmaster

It has been a great pleasure to see how Mr. Ford has begun to shape aspects of the Boys’ Division to reflect his own character and vision. Normally a leaving Headmaster is not able to enjoy and be part of the changes after he has moved on, and it has been a rare privilege to see how, within our enduring ethos and purpose, Mr. Ford has made many of our traditions his own. We have also seen some new events this year, not least the Alumni of the Year Awards, which has been a wonderful opportunity to invite some great role models back into the Boys’ Division and for them to share their story with the boys in the current school.

These pages resonate with the activity and success of a happy, vibrant, confident school; one that is very assured in what it does

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School Notes well and one open to the challenge of changing times, one where boys will make friends and have fun, achieve academically and build the skills they will need to make a difference to their lives and the lives of all those around them.

Mr. P.J. Britton

Valete – Mr. Peter John Humphrey (or simply “PJ”) _______________________________________________________

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eter John Humphrey retires this summer after working at Bolton School for over 35 years. He was already an Old Boltonian before he started employment here, having spent nine years as a pupil in the Junior and Senior Schools.

PJ graduated from Nottingham University in 1987 with a degree in Electronic Engineering. Whilst he was searching for employment in the lighting industry, the Head of Science at Bolton School (Colin Chambers, who happened to be a friend of PJ’s dad) put out an urgent plea for a Physics Technician, as the A Level Physics practical assignment was looming, and the existing Technician was off sick at the time. PJ agreed to help on a casual basis, but ended up staying full time as a Physics Technician and Practical Demonstrator.

At that time, the School was buying its first classroom set of computers to teach curriculum IT lessons. They couldn’t get a sensible price to network them, so PJ did it, developing his role into Physics and Computing Technician, and getting the Headmaster to invent a new pay scale and job description! He spent most of the summer with the school electrician, dragging cables around what was to become the School’s first computer room – C23.

As time went on, the computing side grew, and PJ became Network Manager. Crucially, he also began to share his expertise by teaching Coding to the O Level and A Level Computing groups, thus taking his first tentative steps towards becoming a teacher. By the mid-1990s, after helping to set up a computer network in the Girls’ Division, PJ decided to become a fully qualified teacher, which he achieved in 1996 whilst still working in the school. As time went by, his teaching role developed into Head of Computing, and then Head of IT as well.

Being an Electronics graduate, PJ was also an expert teacher of A Level Electronics, and Sixth Form students will recall his confident and easy-going style in their Electronics lessons. He undoubtedly inspired many to study Electronic Engineering or Computer Science at university.

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Many Old Bolts will remember PJ in his Exams Officer role. Always knowledgeable on the latest iteration of the JCQ regulations, PJ executed this role with the utmost efficiency and professionalism.

He was most supportive towards subject Heads of Departments and gave confident guidance to boys in the run up to, and in the aftermath of, their external examinations.

Countless boys will fondly recall his leadership of the Year 8 summer camp at Saundersfoot. He initially offered to take on the role of camp Mess Officer and Cook after enduring a week of camp slop on his first visit as a member of staff, and this role logically progressed into Camp Leader on the retirement of David Shaw and the late David Allen. The camp still runs strong and now benefits from three-course meals, running hot water and a satellite internet-link, all thanks to PJ’s vision and pragmatism.

PJ will remain a highly respected member of the Common Room.

He is energetic, highly organised and logical with a clear mind who can always see the focus of an argument through all the noise and confusion. With a twinkle in his eye, he can sum up a complex narrative with a catchy TLA (three-letter-abbreviation), some of which are not printable here.

PJ is a most interesting and worldly-wise person – he is a polymath.

He knows a lot about a lot of things! He is immensely practical and hands-on and doesn’t hesitate to offer practical help to anyone.

He is genuinely interested in people and their stories. Friendly and approachable, he was an advocate of fairness towards the boys. Like many, I have valued his friendship over the years, and benefitted from his wise and timely advice; advice that was not always requested, but given nonetheless, and that was usually (annoyingly) spot on!

44 years spent at Bolton School – not many can claim such an achievement. A pupil from the good old days, with countless stories of outrageous student exploits, who developed into a forward-looking educational leader and innovator. His retirement is Bolton School’s loss, but his legacy will inevitably endure.

Mr. C.J. Walker

Valete – Mr. Paul Fernside _______________________________________________________

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aul Fernside came to work at Bolton School as a rugby coach some 31 years ago, in 1992. After studying for his PE degree at Bolton Institute, he decided on a change of career, having previously worked as an Engineer; he therefore qualified as a teacher after the completion of his PGCE Course at Edge Hill

School Notes University. His excellent coaching skills and hardworking, likeable personality soon led to him progressing to a full time PE teaching role in 1996.

By the year 2000, he was promoted to Master-in-Charge of Rugby Union, and he took on the challenging directive of increasing the participation and performance of Rugby at Bolton School. This would be no easy task, especially with the popularity of association football in the town of Bolton. After years of hard work, he most certainly achieved this, with large rugby squads in each age group.

His enthusiasm and knowledge brought enjoyment, development and memorable experiences for thousands of boys over the years, to remember for years to come. Mr. Fernside worked relentlessly, showing drive, passion and determination to get ‘A’ and ‘B’ Teams out every Saturday onto the Levels in most age groups, and worked tirelessly to improve the quality of facilities, coaching and provision available to the boys. His popularity amongst the students, was always evident, and it is clear that the boys truly appreciated his time, energy and expertise over the years.

My first dealings with Paul, came in 2002 when a fresh-faced Mr. Johnson arrived as Head of PE in the Junior School. After some team teaching, we instantly formed an excellent relationship and it wasn’t long before he was accompanying me on the annual cricket tours to Worcester.

Over the years, I have been on numerous Patterdale trips alongside Paul and a very memorable tour to the Caribbean. There were many fond memories of the tour, including my first taste of a Caribbean Festival up on the cliffs of Shirley Heights, with the sound of steel drums and the smell of spiced rum. A visit to watch an International one-day match between West Indies and India resulted in our lads dancing in the deluge of rain whilst it was being covered live on Sky Sports back home!

Paul’s commitment to Rugby did not stop at school level, as he played, captained and coached at his local and beloved Bolton Rugby Club. In 2018, he received an award from the Rugby Football Union and Mitsubishi Motors Volunteer Recognition Programme for his enormous contribution to Lancashire Schools rugby, spanning over two decades. His talent and experience soon became noticed at the highest level, with him undertaking a Talent ID role for English Rugby. His commitment and expertise won many trophies over the 31 years, but, most recently, he helped to guide the Under 15 Rugby Team to become winners of the County Cup in his final ever season and sign off in spectacular style.

It wasn’t just Rugby Union where his skills lay – he was an avid cricketer and wicketkeeper, gracing the Levels for the Staff Team in many cricket festivals and friendlies over the years, as well as his commitment to club cricket. In addition, he would enjoy introducing pupils to one of his greatest passions in life – Fishing – regularly taking groups of boys fishing as part of their House Day activities.

His love of school sport was clear, with him attending and organising many tours over the years; including several cricket tours to the Caribbean, Worcester and most recently his 2nd XI Tour to Leicester.

In addition, he would organise and lead Rugby Tours to South Africa, Ireland and Portugal. Mr. Fernside, also enjoyed his role as a Form Tutor and visited Patterdale Hall over 30 times in his career, often giving up his time to accompany other forms as well as his own, including Park Road.

Over the years, Paul had several additional responsibilities, including Head of Chorley House and Head of Lockers, before becoming Head of Games alongside me as Head of PE in 2008, after the Director of Sport, Mr. Pledger, took on a new role. His title became Director of Sport in 2021, and his retirement now comes after 15 years of success in the running of the Sport Department.

His wide range of skills, sense of humour and leadership will be missed greatly by pupils, parents and staff alike. The Department of Sport would like to thank him for his leadership, service and expertise over the years, and wish him a long, happy and healthy retirement.

On a personal note, I would also like to thank him for his friendship, advice and support over the 21 years we have worked alongside each other. You will be missed greatly.

Mr. M. Johnson

Valete – Mrs. Cath Fox _______________________________________________________

C

ath joined the school in 1994, initially on a part time basis. She quickly went about raising the profile of Religious Studies in the curriculum by completely restructuring and re-ordering the Lower School teaching programme.

She later pioneered the introduction of GCSE RS, establishing it as a popular subject option.

Few people were aware of, or truly appreciated, Cath’s phenomenal work ethic. She consistently demonstrated sustained outstanding dedication to classroom teaching. As the sole member of the department, for many years Cath had the privilege – or perhaps the misfortune – of teaching every boy in Years 7-9. While the same content was delivered many times, Cath had the capacity and imagination to flexibly adapt lessons according to the individuals in each class. Her patient encouragement helped the boys produce excellent work, often showcased on the regularly updated display boards in A25. The sheer volume of work that she marked

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School Notes weekly, coupled with her fastidious desire to reward through the Commendation system required meticulous recording. When other staff were perhaps commenting that they had two sets of reports to write, Cath quietly without complaint embarked on writing reports for a whole year group. She will certainly be admired for her professionalism in the classroom.

Cath should also be remembered for the genuine care she offered to each individual and her desire to see every pupil flourish spiritually as well as academically. She had a unique position to encourage deep thinking on big questions of life, while never imposing her own deeply held Christian beliefs. She simply embodied the qualities she fostered – valuing all without discrimination, being a strong advocate for issues of justice, having confidence to speak of faith, modelling kindness and, above all, living prayerfully with thankfulness and gratitude for the gift of life itself.

Her wider contribution to school life has been significant. She organised “God and the Big Bang” days – interactive workshop days to provide an opportunity to gather different local schools together to discuss and debate the compatibility of science and faith. She enjoyed working with colleagues in the Music Department to oversee the annual Christmas Festival. This included selecting appropriate readings, choosing and rehearsing readers and inviting guest speakers. For many years, Cath used her creativity to produce stunning floral pedestal arrangements to adorn the stage for major school events. She had a spell running a Philosophy club and cohosted the weekly Christian Union society.

Cath is very much a people person. She was always to be found socialising in the Common Room at morning break, a large cup of coffee in hand. Many colleagues have valued her listening ear and wise advice, and have enjoyed her amazing and generous hospitality.

We wish her and Tony a fulfilling and healthy retirement, as she continues to walk daily with Jesus, – the real master she served throughout her long and distinguished teaching career.

Mrs. E.M. Greenhalgh

Valete – Dr. Mike Yates _______________________________________________________

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ike Yates joined Bolton School as Head of Chemistry in September 1999, having previously worked at Bradford Grammar School, Manchester Grammar School and on a teacher exchange to Sydney, Australia. For younger readers, that means Dr. Yates joined Bolton

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School not only in the last century, but in the last millennium!

He quickly established himself as a first-rate teacher and a supportive, kind and personable Head of Department. A committed subject specialist, he worked hard to provide a huge range of challenging opportunities for his students. If there was a chemistry competition or event that we could get to, Bolton School would be there and we often met with success, winning competitions like the Young Analyst Competition and Top of the Bench and gaining some top prizes in the Olympiad.

As Head of Department, he always made time to understand the needs of his team of teachers although he always lived by the mantra of “employ the best teachers and then let them get on with it!”

He was always available to check through some chemistry or give advice on a practical. We never did decide on the collective noun for a group of chemists, but we admit we were not always the easiest bunch to manage; however, Mike managed us with compassion and patience.

Mike’s tenure brought the Chemistry Department to a new, more outward facing role locally. He invested considerable time in bidding for funds to set up local collaborations for the development of teachers. Mike set up the first Ogden Trust partnership cluster in Bolton, hosting training activities for teachers and events for pupils and this was where he first encountered a young Dr. Turner! His work in establishing the Triple Science Network had a big impact on the uptake of Triple Science in the local area.

This collaborative outlook brought many teachers and pupils to Bolton School over the years. His work with bringing Sir Harry Kroto back to the school for science events has had a lasting impact on thousands of students from primary age upwards and their teachers.

Mike worked hard to foster a strong working relationship with Sir Harry and hosted him in school a number of times before his death in 2016.

Mike’s tenure as Head of Department saw huge changes in teaching and learning. He saw overhead projectors replaced by projectors and interactive whiteboards and the introduction of iPads, although he always allowed us to keep our beloved rolling whiteboards and he was never too far away from a marker pen. He has seen the growth in the pastoral side of teaching and the role of the form tutor.

He is the first to admit that the job has become more demanding, remembering in his early years heading to lunch at the Lion of Vienna on a Friday or sharing a sandwich lunch with colleagues in the Tillotson Pavilion, but, more recently, lunch would be eating a sandwich at his desk whilst replying to emails.

Beyond the chemistry classroom, Mike will be fondly remembered by the large number of boys involved in Water polo. This, of course, made him a style icon, rushing around in Crocs and shorts. The Chemistry Department will smell quite different when there aren’t trunks drying on the pipes! Alongside Mr. McGinty, Mike helped

School Notes coach school teams to a magnificent ‘treble of trebles’, winning all three English Schools Water polo age group titles for three consecutive years (2015-2017) and the Under 18s to national school champions from 2014-2022. In addition, for the past eleven years, at least one Bolton School pupil (and on one occasion there were four) has been selected for the GB Junior Water polo team, which competes in the European Championships. He has always considered himself to be the support act, but without his input to training and support with logistics, those results would not have been possible.

Reflecting on his time at Bolton, Mike’s ‘best bits’ certainly don’t include the hours with spreadsheets and in meetings. He has most enjoyed the core business of a committed school master, working with students, particularly those who have chosen to study Chemistry in the Sixth Form, and with those who have taken part in activities outside the classroom such as water polo, skiing and mountain biking. He also feels privileged to have worked with some fantastic colleagues, particularly in the Chemistry Department, where they have offered a rich source of ideas to bring into his own teaching.

A literal and metaphorical giant of the Chemistry classroom, Mike will be missed by students and colleagues alike and we wish him well as he leaves Bolton School to enter a sort of semi-retirement phase. He has taken up a part-time post as a lead practitioner with a multi-academy trust. This involves him teaching A Level students in a number of schools remotely over Zoom. This role has been created in part due to the lack of subject specialists; whilst this is not ideal for children in schools, it has proved an opportunity for Mike to take up his first post teaching in the state education sector. He is also going to further develop his business, teaching first aid.

Dr. K.L. Turner

Valete – Miss Hannah Sherry _______________________________________________________

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annah Sherry, a dynamic presence at our school, arrived with a burst of enthusiasm and a strong commitment to making positive changes. Her impact has been remarkable. She led the Senior Concert Band to achieve a prestigious Platinum National Concert Band Festival award, showcasing her dedication to musical excellence. Under her guidance, the band consistently secured Gold awards in subsequent festivals, demonstrating her ability to nurture emergent talent.

Concerts are a staple of the School’s cultural calendar and Hannah

brought massed voices to these occasions, with Senior Concert Band a highlight of events such as the Bridgewater Hall Gala Concerts.

Hannah’s school contributions extended far beyond the stage. She revamped the Music curriculum by placing practical music-making at the heart of Lower School lessons, diversifying pupils’ musical diet and embedding skills to lay inroads into music industry careers. Her Woodwind and Brass initiative allowed budding musicians to explore instruments, igniting new talent in an area of growth need. She also spearheaded Arts Award projects for Year 7 pupils, even during challenging times, bringing the arts into homes and encouraging participation during the pandemic.

Hannah’s passion for inclusivity led her to establish a Year 7 choir, encouraging boys to enjoy singing for the sake of singing. She is always ready to collaborate, and contributed her musical talents to various theatre productions, from leading Tycho drumming in performances of ‘The Tempest’ to bringing the party to Gatsby’s mansion with her band.

Her contributions to achieving the Boys’ Division’s Platinum Artsmark status in 2018 and 2021 attests to her commitment to nurturing an enriching artistic culture within the School.

As Hannah moves on, we bid her farewell with gratitude and best wishes. Schools fortunate enough to have her will undoubtedly benefit from her boundless energy, determination, and exceptional talent.

Miss. N.R. Lord

Valete – Mr. Dave Roberts _______________________________________________________

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ave joined the Physics Department in 2015.

His first role was to do a maternity cover. He had previously had a very successful career in teaching, which included a Head of Science role and Head of Year. This vast wealth of experience enabled him to instil confidence in his classes and inspire them to do well. He continued to contribute to the department by taking on GCSE classes and covering absences.

Dave is very passionate about Astronomy and I was delighted when he started an Astronomy Club in the Physics Department. This ECA expanded quickly and became very popular. Astronomy is now taught to Years 7-10, with Year 11 and Sixth Formers attending to support staff. Students now have the option to take this exam at GCSE. Dave’s enthusiasm and dedication to this ECA has enabled many students to enjoy the subject and develop many useful skills.

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School Notes He has also developed a very popular Astronomy trip to Patterdale, which involves a planet walk around the grounds and many other exciting practical activities. He also enjoyed attending Saundersfoot every year.

We shall miss Dave’s enthusiasm and dedication towards the development of his students. He was always keen to do exciting practical activities and show the students how exciting and relevant Physics is. He was well respected by his students and was always willing to give of his time to ensure that they got the best possible experience. Dave was always willing to help out in the department and he was a valued member of the team. We wish him well in his retirement.

Mr. M.R. Ormerod

Valete – Mr. Mohammed Patel _______________________________________________________

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ohammed Patel joined us a Newly Qualified Teacher in September 2020, having previously trained with us as part of his PGCE. He was interviewed for the role just two days before the country entered its first lockdown, and his career began in the extraordinary circumstances of teaching in masks, two metre exclusion zones and ‘bubbles’. Despite these challenges, Mohammed was an extremely popular teacher with the boys, who enjoyed his lessons because he broke down content in a way that they could understand. He formed positive relationships with his classes, and he successfully enthused the Lower School Book Club readers as part of his wider contribution to departmental life.

Mohammed also gave his time to help the broader life of school and he was a regular contributor to sport on a Tuesday and Thursday evening, helping coach both football and cricket. This further helped him develop positive relationships with the boys and establish himself as a teacher and form tutor. Mohammed’s broad contributions to school life, as well as his warmth and good humour will be missed as he explores opportunities in the Middle East.

Mr. N.L. Ford

Valete – Miss Lydia Gillibrand _______________________________________________________

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ydia Joined the Geography Department in September 2021 from Bury Grammar School after a successful two-year spell. Lydia soon became a popular teacher with the boys due to her meticulously well-planned lessons that were bursting full of exciting tasks. She resurrected the Junior Geography Club to become one of the most attended ECA clubs for Lower School pupils. This was due to the excellent quizzes, games and enthusiasm that she put into every session. Lydia helped to grow the department by increasing numbers at GCSE and A Level and she was fully immersed in all aspects of the fieldwork, including residential trips to Patterdale. She also gained promotion after her first year in two new roles as the Head of Blackburn House and Head of Racquet Sports. Her energetic presence and positive outlook on life helped to drive forward the new roles, expanding the uptake particularly in Badminton and Tennis. Lydia’s time at the School was short, but, as a geographer may say, her impact was seismic.

She moves onto a new role as Head of Geography, but within the Foundation in Girls’ Division. We wish her well in the future, but I’m confident we will retain close links through our roles.

Mr. P.J. Newbold

Valete – Mr. Tom Gilligan _______________________________________________________

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om Gilligan joined Bolton School in September 2021 as a newly qualified teacher, bringing with him considerable expertise in Mathematics and Physics and a passion for rock climbing. He spent his first year based in the Physics Department and his second based in Mathematics, and quickly proved himself an excellent teacher – patient, helpful, and academically excellent. He was also an outstanding colleague – kind, thoughtful, considerate, and more than willing to work. The boys learned from him, liked him, and appreciated him.

Meanwhile, in climbing, Tom ran two lunchtime sessions a week on the climbing wall he helped to reset, showing patience to beginners and inspiring the stronger boys with his excellence, just as he did in the classroom. His contribution to the squad, training

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School Notes and attending competitions, was pivotal in our back-to-back victories in the Manchester Schools Climbing Championships, and he staffed international climbing trips to France and Spain, where, as everywhere he went, his contributions were invaluable. He left us, and teaching, in 2023 to take up an exciting, physics-driven opportunity at BAE; the School’s loss is national security’s gain.

Mr. D.N. Palmer

Valete – Mr. Jake Lucas-Nolan _______________________________________________________

I

n January 2021, Jake joined both the English and Classics Departments. Through the COVID-19 Lockdown, he quickly learned the technique of teaching via Zoom and, despite the difficulties, inspired and motivated his pupils.

Outside of the classroom, he continued to promote a lively environment. He enjoyed playing chess against the many talented players at our school (often losing), provided a safe, contemplative setting for the Senior Literary and Debating Society’s discussion of current, occasionally divisive issues, and gave away hundreds of prizes from class competitions to eager students who tapped on the English Office door.

Mr. N.R.W. Wyatt has been appointed as Acting Director of Professional Development and Dr. R.L. Kell is Acting Head of Chemistry.

There are also several new appointments to the School: Mrs. A. Mistry has been appointed as Teacher of Geography and Mr. S.R. Foy has been appointed as Teacher of PE. Mr. D. Szafranski and Mr. J. Harrison Twist have been appointed within the English Department. Mr. P. Limb has joined the Music Department and Mrs. M. Liang has been appointed as Teacher of Physics. Mrs. J.M. Choudhury joins the English and R.S. Departments and Miss Z. Adam has been appointed as Teacher of Mathematics. Mrs. L.R. Acton has been appointed as a Teacher of Chemistry. Mrs. V.C. Mee joins the Classics Department.

Mrs. C. Fardy has been appointed as a Learning Support Teaching Assistant and Mrs. J Mees moves from Beech House to assume the role of Sixth Form Supervisor. Mr. D. Ali-Scott has been appointed as our Graduate Sports Assistant.

Mr. P. Cesari joins the School as the Boys’ French Assistant and Miss Y. Mora is the new Boys’ Spanish Assistant. Mr. B. Hausmann joins us as the Joint German Assistant.

Miss K. Neal has been appointed as a Graduate Music Assistant and Mr. S. Perry joins us as an Outdoor Learning instructor.

Remembrance Day Assembly _______________________________________________________

It has been a pleasure working with a staff member who is so lovingly regarded by both the faculty and the student body. We are confident he will continue to make a significant contribution to the teaching and learning of students as he embarks on this new chapter.

Miss J. Petrie

New appointments to the staff _______________________________________________________

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eptember 2023 saw a number of changes to the Staff Common Room. Mr. M.G. Chilton has been appointed as Director of Sport and Mr. M.R. Ormerod has been appointed as Head of Science. Mrs. E.A. Jepson has been appointed Careers Co-ordinator. Mr. L. Jones has been appointed as Head of Blackburn House and Silver DofE Co-ordinator. Miss Compton has been appointed as Year 7-9 SPACE Co-ordinator and Head of Racquet Sports.

Mr. P.J. Newbold has been appointed as Assistant Head (Assessment and Achievement) as a maternity cover and Mr. S.P. Heald was appointed as Acting Head of English, again as a maternity cover.

T

he majestic and sombre melody of Sir Edward Elgar’s Nimrod reminds us that the eleventh day of the eleventh month is Remembrance Day, the day that marks the signing of the Armistice at Compiègne, bringing to an end in 1918 the hostilities on the Western Front. Today has great significance for us. The various restrictions set in place during the pandemic in force no longer, we may commemorate together in this magnificent Great Hall those members of this school who lost their lives in two world wars. For such an occasion as this, the Hall was conceived by the first Viscount Leverhulme and his young Manchester architect,

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School Notes Charles Adshead. All members of the Boys’ Division seated or standing, side by side and row by row, as those who have gone before us did, we can have a clearer sense (than when seated apart in our classrooms) of the impressive nature of a large school: its identity, its diversity, its unity and its strength. Today, in a world that is undergoing many changes (some of them alarming, many disturbing), we can also have a clear sense of continuity. That in itself is not necessarily comforting. The prolific eighteenth century hymn writer, Isaac Watts, calls us to remember how, Time, like an everlasting stream, Bears all its sons away; They fly forgotten, as a dream Dies at the opening day.

The young men whose names are recorded on the Rolls of Honour either side of the Memorial Window left this place never to return; but it is a paradox that the catastrophe of war led to their not being forgotten. And when we hear the detail of their lives, set down for us by the local historian, Dr. Eric McPherson, we understand that these men not only belonged here once – they are part of us still.

Perhaps too, when we hear how their lives ended, we may sense more deeply the experience of loss, grief, anger and frustration that two generations of boys and parents and staff felt, along with all others in the two world wars: the disbelief and helplessness realized so movingly in the agonized questions posed by Wilfred Owen in his poem, Futility: Are limbs so dear-achieved, are sides Full nerved, still warm, too hard to stir?

Was it for this the clay grew tall?

Neither Remembrance Day nor the service that takes place at the Cenotaph in Whitehall and at thousands of other memorials around the world are in any way celebrations of nationalism. They are what they have always been: a time for two minutes of poignant and reverent silence at eleven o’clock, the time at which, as agreed in the terms of the Armistice, hostilities were ended. The original request for the silence to be observed in Great Britain was made by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, whose son had been killed in action in France in 1917.

He stated emphatically the need for this moment, words that made a great impression on King George V: ‘The silence is due to the women who lost and suffered and have borne so much. It is due to the children that they know to whom they owe their dear fought freedom. It is due to the men, and from them, as men. But far and away, above all else, it is due to those who gave their all, sought no recompense, and whom we can never repay.’

Before we keep that silence today, we listen now to the names of those pupils from this school who lost their lives some eighty years ago that we may have our freedom:

10 SCHOOL NOTES

Sergeant (Pilot) Alfred Ronald Cheadle, 82 Squadron, Royal Air Force, killed 26th January 1942, aged 20 Alfred Cheadle was a member of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and joined the Royal Air Force on leaving Bolton School in 1940. He had enjoyed the many opportunities in school to develop his interest in sport and drama; he wrote for The Boltonian and enjoyed debating. On a training flight early one morning, he was piloting a Blenheim VI, but whilst accelerating to flying velocity, his plane flew into trees on the edge of the airfield. It is likely that the darkness had concealed them and he had not been able to take evasive action. Both Sergeant Cheadle and another crew member were killed.

Flight Sergeant (Pilot) William Dracas Ashley, 269 Squadron, Royal Air Force, killed in action 30th April 1942, aged 23 William Ashley joined the School in 1931. He was a member of the Junior and Senior Second XI football teams and he took part in at least one school play. He left the School in 1936 and worked in an accountant’s office before joining the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and later the Royal Air Force. After training, he was in service with Coastal Command, carrying out extensive patrols over the North Sea from a base in Iceland. It was on one of these operations that he met his death. He is buried in Reykjavik.

Sergeant (Pilot) Geoffrey Isherwood Markland, 7 Squadron, Royal Air Force, killed in action 6th May 1942 Geoffrey Markland joined Bolton School in 1926. He took part in the school camps in 1931 and 1932 and, on leaving the School, he held the position of senior audit clerk in a chartered accountant’s firm. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1940 just as he had been preparing to complete his final examination to become a chartered accountant. After training, he was posted to Bomber Command. He was a member of the crew of a Stirling I bomber engaged in an operation to Stuttgart, but the plane crashed 14 kilometres south of Maubeuge in France. All eight crew members were killed; they lie buried in the local cemetery.

Second Lieutenant Richard Parkinson Gratrix, Indian Armoured Corps, died in hospital, 12th June 1942, aged 20 Richard Gratrix was the son of Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Gratrix of New Hall Lane. He joined the School in 1929, but left in 1935 to complete his education at Bedford School. In 1939, he volunteered

School Notes for the Royal Armoured Corps, but was not called to active service until December 1940. He had served as a member of the local Home Guard battalion of which his father was the commanding officer. He joined a cadet training centre in India and was commissioned into the Indian Armoured Corps. He died in an Indian hospital and is buried in the Delhi War Cemetery.

Sergeant (Wireless operator/ Airgunner) William Dennis Warburton, 69 Squadron, Royal Air Force, lost without trace, 15th June 1942, aged 20 William Warburton joined the School in 1932. He was a superb Scout and was appointed both First Class and King’s Scout. In 1938, he took part in the Anglo-German camp held in Wales. In 1940, he joined the Royal Air Force and, after training, was posted to Malta.

On an operation in the Middle East, his aircraft went missing and was lost without trace.

Sergeant (Navigator) James Harold Evans, No. 12 Operational Training Unit, Royal Air Force, killed in action, September 1942, aged 22 James Evans was a member of Bolton School from 1931 to 1935 when he went to Eltham College, London. He studied at London University and passed the Civil Service examination to join the Customs and Excise Service. A member of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, he was called up to train in Florida before beginning service with an Operational Training Unit in readiness to join a Bomber Command squadron. At the time, such units were called on to supplement the squadrons, and on a flight bound for Essen, a heavily defended city, his plane was shot down by a German night fighter and crashed near Eindhoven in Holland. All crew members were killed.

Sergeant (Pilot) Harry Nuttall, 119 Squadron, Royal Air Force, killed in action 6th May 1942, aged 22 Harry Nuttall joined the School in 1931 and left in 1935 to join the firm of Tootal, Broadhurst and Lee, where he worked before serving with the Bolton Employment Exchange. He joined the Royal Air Force in July 1940 and trained in South Africa. He was posted to fly Catalina flying boats in Gibraltar. He was killed in September 1942 as the result of a flying accident.

Flight Lieutenant Donald Higson, 540 Squadron, Royal Air Force, killed in action 17th October 1942 Donald Higson joined Bolton School in 1926 and became a Monitor and Captain of his House. He was a talented athlete and had interests in horticulture, drama and Scouting. He continued his education at Bolton Technical College and took a job at the firm of Tootal, Broadhurst and Lee. At this time, he was a member of the Bolton Little Theatre and he attended Deane Church. In 1935, he had obtained a commission in the Royal Artillery Territorials. He was seconded to the Royal Air Force and was commissioned as a pilot prior to being posted to a Photo Reconnaissance Unit in 1941, taking part in missions over Norway and the Baltic. He was on his fifty-fifth mission when he died. He is buried in the Oslo Western

Civil Cemetery.

Flying Officer Peter Greenhalgh, No. 41 Service Flying Training School, Royal Air Force, killed 20th November 1942, aged 30 Peter Greenhalgh joined the School in 1923. He had a wide range of interests as a member of the School Orchestra and Dramatic Society. As a prominent member of the Scout Troop, he attended numerous camps held, for example, in Normandy, Vosges and the Pyrenees. He belonged to the Bolton Dramatic Society and the local tennis club, and he played for the Old Boltonians’ Football team.

Commissioned in 1941, he was killed in an accident whilst on duty at his flying school.

Pilot Officer Charles Douglas Marshall, 418 (RCAF) Squadron, Royal Air Force, killed in action 4th December 1942, aged 20 Charles Marshall entered the School in 1933. A talented sportsman, he was also an enthusiastic member of the Scout Troop and interested in drama. He was one of the earliest volunteers to join the Home Guard and had been a member of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve when he joined the Royal Air Force in 1941. Commissioned at Cranwell in March 1942, he was posted to a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron. Engaged on a mission to Namur, he was killed with his two fellow crew members. He is buried in Dunkirk Town Cemetery.

Early this year, we received a letter from Mr. Sam Swift, Manager of the Leicester Tigers Foundation, in connexion with the unveiling of the Leicester Tigers Foundation Monument at their Welford Road Stadium. He noted that, “Across the two world wars, fifty-three Leicester Tigers players sadly fell in the theatre of war, whilst a further thirty-seven survived. All these brave men will be honoured on a magnificent statue of a Tiger’s head”. We are grateful that he drew to our attention that Lieutenant Charles Reginald Fausset was one of their players, and it is right that we take this opportunity to commemorate him now as we have the other young men who had taught at Bolton School before enlisting.

Lieutenant Fausset gained great distinction both in academic and sporting pursuits. He held diplomas from Marburg University and the Sorbonne, and was a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, where he was captain of the university cricket team and quartermile and half-mile champion of Ireland. He was appointed Senior

SCHOOL NOTES 11

School Notes Modern Languages Master at Bolton School from January, 1909 to July, 1910. When war began, he was teaching at the Oswestry High School for Boys. He secured a commission in the Royal Irish Regiment. He was killed in action on the night of the 2nd May, 1915. He has no known grave, but his name is to be found on Panel 33 of the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, on which are engraved the names of fifty-six thousand officers and men who lost their lives in Flanders.

Remembrance Day can often be the anniversary of some remarkable achievement or, sad to note, catastrophic failure. This year is the seventieth anniversary of the first British nuclear trials, in which around twenty thousand servicemen were exposed to radiation whilst they witnessed atomic tests. Boris Johnson called for an oral history to be made so that the experience, and regrettably, the suffering of these men should not be forgotten. Many welcomed therefore the statement made in October by James Heappey, Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans, that the government will establish a permanent memorial to recognize that “veterans who supported the creation of our nuclear deterrent have played a crucial role in keeping Britain and our NATO allies safe and secure.” He added, “Their sacrifice contributed to achieving the ultimate guarantee of sovereignty, and they forever have this nation’s gratitude”.

Eighty years ago, this nation was being tested to its limits. The German Africa corps had driven back British and Commonwealth troops in North Africa. The Japanese had occupied much territory formerly part of the Empire. Russia was desperately dependent on this country’s sending of supplies, as Hitler’s invasion in the East seemed unstoppable. The British and American people sensed the crisis and called for initiative and action. This is the context for the disastrous attack on 19th August 1942, on the harbour of Dieppe, known as Operation Jubilee, involving five thousand Canadian troops, one thousand British soldiers and fifty US Rangers. It has been compared to the notorious failure of Passchendaele in 1917; those who survived likened it to the infamous ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’, and in a study published last year, one historian states that Dieppe stands “in its own right as a metaphor for bloody futility”.

Four thousand of the British and Canadian forces were either killed, wounded or captured; two thirds of the Canadian troops were lost.

For many years, the Canadian officer in command, Major General John Hamilton Roberts who had told his troops, “Don’t worry, boys, it will be a piece of cake”, was sent anonymously each 19th August a box containing a small piece of cake.

The plan involved many risks and Field Marshal Montgomery tried repeatedly to stop it until he was posted to North Africa. Some commentators have suggested the plan was driven by the ambition of Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was in charge of combined operations, but there were other senior officers who had a vested interest: the Canadian commanders, who wished to prove the worth of their troops and Air Vice-Marshall Leigh-Mallory, who wanted a decisive engagement with the Luftwaffe. But the operation was not founded upon accurate and detailed intelligence, vital detail such

12 SCHOOL NOTES

as the disposition and strength of German defences, topographical detail to ensure that heavy equipment could be transported across sandy beaches, and whether effective communications could be set up.

The operation seemed doomed from the start of the 18th August, when British radar stations reported the presence of German convoys leaving Dieppe. The naval commander, Captain HughesHallet took no evasive action. At 3.40 am, German armed trawlers attacked and sank several of the landing craft and scattered the rest.

Any hope of launching a surprise attack had gone. Nonetheless, No. 4 Commando unit landed in good order and fought hard to destroy the German battery on the western flank; but very few of the Canadian forces were able to reach their objective. British soldiers too, lacking the planned smoke cover which had been blown away by strong winds, had to deal with ferocious German fire. Many tanks were mired in the boggy terrain and, those who proceeded, ran into concrete road blocks that prevented further progress. Supporting fire from ships and the Air Force made little impact on the German installations. The commanders failed to realize how badly the operation was going and committed more men to the assault, who were themselves caught up in the carnage. When the order to retreat was given at 9.40 am, members of the evacuation force were also exposed to unceasing, heavy fire.

The Italian foreign minister, Count Ciani, noted in his diary that “Victory has many fathers, but defeat is an orphan”. Operation Jubilee led to Major General Roberts being shunned by all, as he unjustly became the scapegoat for all that had gone wrong – a dreadful time for a proud and able man.

However, leaving to experts the task of examining who was culpable, one may acknowledge that, as often happens, operations that miscarry enable future success. The meticulous preparation for the Normandy D Day landings in June 1944, was in no small way informed by the failings in Dieppe 1942. Moreover, recent reviews tend to see Operation Jubilee as a smokescreen action: admittedly, a most costly one, intended primarily to distract the Germans from the real objective of obtaining the newly upgraded 4-rota Enigma machine to help the Bletchley team intercept German communications.

Judging the ethics of costs is part of the burden of any leader. The ethics of loss of life is the heavy burden of a leader who commits his people to war. Leadership, its different aims, style, values and effectiveness, has been of concern to people of all nations in the past year, especially when ambition has borne bitter fruit. In this connexion, we may recall Christ’s directing his disciples, “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all and servant of all”. Nor should we forget Lord Byron’s comment (which I partly re-fashion) that we should not wish to have leaders who, in their desire to make of the earth their own paradise, succeed merely in making their people’s earth a hell.

School Notes The Collins Dictionary has made the word ‘permacrisis’ its word of the year. You may wonder how one can possibly introduce this into a Remembrance Day assembly. Like leaders, words have power – they can shape assumptions and attitudes; they clarify thought or obfuscate. We must be alert to the implications of words spoken or written to us and to see the world as it really is: not distorted by half-truths, newspeak or pseudoscience. We have no wish to be drawn into an Orwellian nightmare of unceasing conflict and endless bad news.

For that reason, we commemorate today those who, in bitter and enduring conflict, gave their lives that the freedom of the peoples of the world should be vouchsafed. That freedom still needs to be cherished and protected by Parliamentarians, the Law, the Press and all free thinkers, for it is the key element of a happy life. Life, like the talents, is a gift; it should not be squandered and is best lived purposefully. The most forceful expression of this that I have read recently was in an online news account of the exceptionally talented guitarist, composer and producer, Michael Cormac Roth, who died this year of a rare form of cancer, aged but twenty-five. “Sink your teeth in,” he said. “You don’t always get to choose your destiny and you don’t always get to choose your future.” All of you in this Great Hall have the opportunity to achieve great things. Today’s hard work unlocks the breadth of opportunity that many do not have. This Day of Remembrance is also a Day for the Future.

Will you please stand.

This year we leave behind, with the deepest sorrow, the second Elizabethan age of this fairest isle. Let us anticipate a new reign that brings renewal and preserves order and freedom.

We end this morning’s commemoration with the words inscribed upon the War Memorial of Bolton Tell ye your children, Our brothers died to win a better World.

Our part must be to strive for truth, goodwill and peace that their sacrifice be not in vain.

Lest we forget.

Dr. S.W. Holland

The Tillotson Lecture _______________________________________________________

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he 50th Bolton School Boys’ Division Tillotson Lecture was delivered by former pupil Professor Robin Ali, Class of 1984, in which he gave a personal perspective on his career as an academic in the field of biotechnology and on what he sees as the future of healthcare.

Robin Ali, who is now Professor of Human Molecular Genetics at King’s College London, said it was a pleasure and honour to be invited back to Bolton School and that he was delighted to see that it is ‘still a great educational environment’. He spoke of his fond memories of his time at school (1976-1984) and how he went on to spend his undergraduate years at University College London (UCL), where he has also spent much of his career. He said, rather modestly, that in 2003, when he became the youngest professor (of Molecular Genetics) at UCL, it was a rapidly moving field and it was more down to being in the right place at the right time than his own brilliance. He also told how, two years ago, he moved across to King’s College London to head up a centre for advanced therapies.

Whilst the centre has many academic teams, he said his main focus is, and has been for 30 years or so, on advanced gene cell therapies for the treatment of eye diseases, particularly inherited retinal disorders.

Professor Ali gave the audience an overview of biotechnology from 1970 from the first isolation of restriction enzymes in bacteria, to his latest projects at King’s where his team is working on developing a range of gene and stem cell therapies. He then went on to field a range of questions including: to what extent can you rely on the use of potentially pathogenic viruses in possible life-changing treatments; is there a correlation between retinal detachment and

SCHOOL NOTES 13

School Notes ethnicity or genetics; the scalability of advanced therapies; and, answering a question about what advice he would give to the students in the audience, he advised following your passions and interests, seeing things through, having patience and perseverance and to only work on things that are really worth working on.

Earlier in the day, Professor Ali visited Biology and Design Tech classes in the Boys’ Division and enjoyed a tour of the campus.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report _______________________________________________________

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olton School has released its latest Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Report. Reflecting on the paper, which covers the 2022-23 academic year, Bolton School’s Head of Foundation Philip Britton said: ‘We, like many institutions, were minded to examine our approach to inclusion, diversity and equity after the death of George Floyd in May 2020 and the testimonies published by Everyone’s Invited. We have been determined to ensure that our response is sustained, transformative and proactive and this is our fourth such report summarising our work in this area.

‘As we have acknowledged before, our approach to making sustainable changes has been encouraged by Alumni, who have engaged in a constructive examination of the past. Our Foundation Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Group monitors initiatives in this area and we have also created Sexual Misconduct Liaison Officer roles to support students in reporting and responding to sexual misconduct.

‘In our Primary Division, access to resources which promote inclusion and celebrate diversity have enabled pupil and family engagement.

Hesketh House, our Junior Girls’ School, emphasises access to traditionally male-dominated sports.

‘Across the Foundation, we continue to encourage applications from diverse backgrounds in recruitment, aiming for an inclusive workplace. A review of the Gender Pay Gap has also inspired ongoing discussions on our approach to flexible working.

‘We are conscious now of also needing to develop a long term focus as we equip colleagues with the skills to deliver our DEI agenda, as we listen to pupils and involve them in the development of initiatives and as we prioritise student wellbeing and create a narrative that links welfare and DEI.’

The Bolton School Bursary Foundation _______________________________________________________

2

022 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Bolton School Foundation’s Bursary Scheme. In the past quarter of a century, the Bursary Scheme has enabled over 2,000 young people to receive a first-class education that they would otherwise have been unable to access, before going out into the world to make a difference for good.

Bolton School now offers bursary support to one in every five of its Senior School pupils, many of whom attend with a fully-funded place, meaning the School has one of the most generous bursary schemes in the UK. The growth of the School’s Bursary Scheme to its current level has only been made possible through the generosity of the School community, particularly its Alumni, and a number of local and national philanthropists and charitable trusts.

‘Recently our Girls’ Division and Junior Girls’ School received positive feedback in the ISI inspection regarding their inclusive ethos and the impact of inclusive practices. The introduction of new pastoral programmes in both Senior Schools as well as co-curricular programmes across all Divisions, highlight our efforts to address diversity and inclusion.

In the past ten years, the School’s benefactors – many of whom themselves benefited from a funded place here – have generously donated almost £11m to the School in support of the continued expansion of its bursary scheme. Each of those supporters shares the School’s ambition to level-up the educational opportunities available to disadvantaged children in Bolton and the local area, so that every young person living locally can reach their true potential, regardless of their family’s circumstances.

‘Pupil focus groups showed a positive response to the School’s efforts in promoting DEI. Students emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach beyond standalone events and recommended incorporating DEI topics into the curriculum. Changes have already been made to broaden the content and approach for inclusivity and diversity in subjects such as History, English, and Modern Foreign Languages.

Our clubs and societies continue to enhance the student experience by offering diverse opportunities. Our Girls’ Division has introduced four new clubs: Culture Club, Proud Club, African Caribbean Club, and Roots Society, which promote cultural awareness and inclusivity.

It is the Governors’ objective that, by 2030, one in three pupils at the School should receive bursary funding for their education.

If that ambition is to be achieved, then the future growth of the bursary funds available to support pupils at the School must be maximised. In pursuit of that goal, and marking the next exciting phase of the School’s fundraising endeavours, earlier this year Bolton School’s Governing Body established a new Charitable Incorporated Organisation – The Bolton School Bursary Foundation (BSBF) – which will raise, hold and grant the School’s bursary funds in the future.

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School Notes By establishing BSBF, the Governing Body seeks to ensure that the funds already given so generously by the School’s supporters to the Bursary Fund are ring-fenced for that purpose in the decades to come. The primary charitable purpose of BSBF is to provide bursary funding to the School, and its charitable objectives, in line with the School’s ethos outlined by Lord Leverhulme, are ‘the advancement of education for the public benefit of those who need financial assistance in particular, but not exclusively, by the provision to Bolton School of bursary support for the benefit of pupils who would be unable to continue in education at the School or who would be unable to commence education at the School despite being accepted, without financial assistance.’

Reflecting on the new charity, Ian Riley, Chair of Bolton School’s Governing Body, said: ‘During the past two decades, the School’s Bursary Fund has benefited hugely from the generosity of Alumni who wish to ensure that the ladder of social mobility remains in good repair for the next generation of pupils at the School. In establishing BSBF, the Governing Body is seeking to provide our donors with assurance that their gifts will only be used for their intended purpose – namely, the provision of bursary places at Bolton School.’

The majority of bursary funds previously held by Bolton School have now been transferred to BSBF where they, alongside new funds raised, will be invested by BSBF’s trustees. The School has retained a modest proportion of the bursary funds in order to provide some flexibility in the future; further transfers may be made by School to BSBF in future years at the direction of the Governors. BSBF’s trustees will make an annual bursary grant to Bolton School to support pupils who need financial assistance. The School’s Senior Officers will decide how this grant is awarded, in line with the existing admissions and bursary assessment criteria. Existing and future donor-applied restrictions on the use of bursary funds will continue to be honoured by both BSBF and Bolton School. All funds held by the School which have been given by donors to provide for extra-curricular support, hardship funding, scholarships, prizes and capital projects are unaffected by these changes.

BSBF will be Chaired by John Craven (Class of 1982), who also serves on the School’s Governing Body. He is joined by five other trustees – Suve Banerjee, Andrew Palmer and Ian Riley (all current Governors of the School), and Michael Griffiths (Former Chairman of the Bolton School Governing Body) and Nigel Wightman (former member of Bolton School’s Investment Committee).

During the 2021-22 academic year, the School community made pledges and gifts totalling £1.71 million to the Bolton School Bursary Fund. This exceptional generosity enabled the School to spend £3.1 million on means-tested bursary assistance and hardship grants during the year, supporting 342 pupils across the two Senior Schools.

The Lever Family and Royalty _______________________________________________________

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hilip Britton, Head of Foundation at Bolton School, delivered assemblies in mid September considering the interconnectedness, over the years, of the Royal Family and the Lever Family. Ordinarily at this time of year, the Head reflects on an aspect of Lord Leverhulme’s life, the benefactor who re-endowed the School in 1915 and whose birthday falls on 19th September.

Mr. Britton opened his talk by focusing on the Queen’s life of duty and service and how, over 70 years, she shaped the whole nation’s life whilst offering longevity and a sense of continuity. In many ways, Mr. Britton pointed out, the Leverhulme family had done much the same for Bolton School.

The Foundation Head told how Lord Leverhulme would have met Kings Edward and George on several occasions in the early twentieth century and not just when he became a Baronet and a Viscount. He would not, however, have met Queen Victoria because, during most of her reign, William Hesketh Lever was a grocer’s boy in Bolton.

It was, Mr. Britton explained, his development of his soap empire and supply chains which enabled Lever to become a successful businessman and philanthropist. The Head informed both assemblies that Lever served as High Sheriff of Lancashire and was to go on to become the first Viscount Leverhulme. He also reflected on his time as an MP for the Wirral from 1906-09 and, as a Liberal, his early campaigning for the introduction of old age pensions and equality for women.

Mr. Britton recalled that one time Leverhulme did meet King George V was in the run up to war. He met with the King and the Earl of Derby to discuss supply chains, one of Leverhulme’s areas of expertise, at Knowsley Hall. Sixth Form readers Henry Nuttall and Hannah McKee, assisting the Head, told of Leverhulme returning from Knowsley in 1913 to see a bright light on Rivington Pike, only to find it was his own bungalow on fire, set alight by suffragette Edith Rigby!

The audience learnt how the first Viscount died in the 1920s and was succeeded by his son, William, the second Viscount, who became Deputy Lieutenant and High Sheriff of Cheshire. These roles, Mr. Britton explained, would have given him frequent meetings with the monarch.

Connections with royalty were further deepened by the third Viscount, who inherited the title in the late 1940s. Prior to that, Mr. Britton recounted how he had read for an MFL degree at Cambridge and taken on the role of Estate Manager at Sandringham. When he became Viscount, he went on to become Lord Lieutenant for Cheshire, a post he held for 41 years. He would have met the Queen on several occasions and there is a photo of him showing her around the Lady Lever Art Gallery in 1957.

SCHOOL NOTES 15

School Notes Centenary Refurbishment for Leverhulme Pavilion _______________________________________________________

The Head told how the third Viscount was also Chair of Governors at Bolton School and how he financed the Leverhulme Pavilion, which is now 40 years old. The Viscount shared a passion for horse racing with the Queen and named three of his horses after Bolton School – one was called Boys’ Division, one was called Girls’ Division and the other Bolton School. He had three daughters but no male offspring so, upon his death, the title went into abeyance. His second daughter was an extra lady in waiting to the Princess Royal. His third daughter, Jane Heber-Percy, whose husband was Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, would have met the Queen on several occasions. Mr. Britton recalled Mrs. Heber-Percy visiting the School to dedicate the new flagpole from which the Union Jack was flying at half-mast (at the time of writing) to commemorate the life of Queen Elizabeth II. Mr. Britton concluded his assembly by stressing how structure and continuity matter and how they had allowed us to seamlessly change our monarch and Prime Minister in the same week. He then read an excerpt from a prayer in praise of the new monarch and agreed by all major religions before leading both assemblies with the first singing of ‘God Save the King’ in the respective schools since 1952!

On Friday 9th September, the Head of Boys’ Division, Nic Ford, and Head of Girls’ Division, Lynne Kyle, led whole school assemblies that reflected on the Queen’s life, her inspirational leadership and service to the country.

16 SCHOOL NOTES

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olton School’s Leverhulme Pavilion underwent a thorough refurbishment earlier in the academic year. The building, which is situated on Chorley New Road and has floorto-ceiling windows and doors that overlook the new allweather sports pitch saw upgrades to its meeting room, changing rooms, toilets, kitchen and serving area.

The pavilion and adjoining sports pitches, near the main Bolton School campus, are used by both Divisions for hockey and lacrosse lessons, training and competitive fixtures, as well as by Bolton Hockey Club and the University of Bolton.

Director of Sport in the Girls’ Division, Mrs. Heatherington, said: ‘The refurbished Leverhulme Pavilion has not only improved the fabric of the building, but the upgrades to the changing and toilet facilities, along with a kitchen refit, have enhanced the post-match hospitality we are able to offer in our school fixtures.’

Mr. Robson, Master-in-Charge of Hockey in the Boys’ Division, held a similar view: ‘The hockey teams have really benefitted from excellent facilities next to the AstroTurf, with modern changing rooms, working warm showers and access to toilets. We have a place to store equipment and a place to shelter in inclement weather. The

School Notes additional two changing rooms at the rear of the building have been used by visiting schools and are ideal on busy days when multiple teams are on site.’

Viv Lake, Second Team Captain and Fixtures Secretary at Bolton Hockey Club, was also delighted with the refurbishment: ‘The new facilities have enhanced the experience of Bolton Hockey Club members, opposition and spectators. We can now offer teams up to date changing facilities and hot showers. The use of the kitchen and the indoor viewing of the new Astro pitch is a great asset.’

The restoration took place forty years after the Third Viscount Leverhulme, who was Chairman of Governors from 1949-1990, gifted the pavilion to Bolton School and one hundred years after the site was first purchased by the Foundation.

International Women’s Day _______________________________________________________

A

whole school assembly in the Boys’ Division focused on the International Women’s Day theme of ‘Embracing Equity’. The virtual assembly was led by Mr. Ford, Head of Boys’ Division, and featured Miss Roddy (Boys’ Division Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Lead) and Katie Clinton, who is a Partner at KPMG, an Old Girl (Class of 1997) and serving Governor of the School.

The virtual assembly began with a Thought for the Day from Luca, who shared the importance and significance of International Women’s Day. He talked about the history of the day, which has been honouring the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women since 1911, and its origins in the earlier Women’s Rights movements of the late 1800s. He said that ‘the successes of women, at times of immense subjugation, stand as a testament to their courage and fight at times when feminism meant radical action in the face of oppression.’

Mr. Ford reminded pupils that the Boys’ Division celebrates International Women’s Day to highlight the importance of male allies in the fight for equality and equity. He went on to explain the theme of ‘Embracing Equity’: where equality means that everyone is given the same resources, equity recognises that each person has different circumstances and allocates the resources needed for all to reach an equal outcome. He illustrated this idea through several real-life examples of inequity, such as cars being designed for the typical male driver and tested using dummies that replicate male bodies and driving positions, which leads to women being 47% more likely to be seriously injured, and 17% more likely to die.

He encouraged boys to try not to default to the male perspective, and to consider the differences that exist and might need to be overcome to help everyone thrive and succeed fairly and safely.

Katie Clinton then spoke about her career with KPMG: she joined the Graduate Training Scheme after university, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 2003, and was admitted to the KPMG Partnership in 2014. At the time, she was one of the youngest women to have ever done so. She talked about the ‘gruelling’ six month promotion process, culminating in a panel interview with the board of KPMG’s UK firm.

However, it was in that final interview that she was faced by a question she didn’t expect and began to realise that, despite her young age, she could have reached this point even sooner had she not been a woman. At the end of her ten-minute presentation, the Chair of the panel expressed that he had completely understood her business case and had no questions on it, except one: why had it taken her so long to get here?

Katie said, ‘At no point in the previous six months, indeed at no point in the previous 14 years of my career had it dawned on me for a moment that actually I wasn’t progressing as quickly as I could and should. I was so proud to be in the room that day, and at such a young age. I considered myself so lucky to have the opportunity to become a KPMG Partner. The conversation in the room triggered by that one question was probably one of the most powerful, thoughtprovoking questions I will ever have in my career. Perhaps not quite the conversation I expected to be having in the interview of my life, but one that ignited my commitment to making KPMG a fully inclusive workplace, where everyone can come as they are, where all colleagues have equitable opportunities to progress their careers and thrive, regardless of their gender or ethnicity or any part of their identity, background of circumstance.’

Her powerful address culminated with the important role that men and boys play in the fight for equity for all disadvantaged groups.

She asked the boys to be aware of the kind of experiences that their female peers face, and to try to understand them, so that they can be aware of the differences that exist and may need to be overcome for everyone to succeed.

Finally, Miss Roddy brought the assembly to a close with her final thoughts, reassuring the boys that they did not create the culture of gender inequality that exists today. However, she went on to explain that today’s young people have inherited it, and have the power and responsibility to take back control.

She encouraged them to listen, ask questions about why inequalities exist and educate themselves in order to make change, and be brave and speak up when they see inequalities. Looking ahead to the future, she asked boys to embrace equity in their future careers.

She ended with a call to action: ‘The fight for gender equality will be won far faster with the help of male allies. Use your power and your

SCHOOL NOTES 17

School Notes privilege to be an ally. Join in, support one another. By embracing equity, we can all affect positive change in the world.’

Elite Athlete Programme Launch _______________________________________________________

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ater polo playing Olympian and Commonwealth Gold medal winner, Dr. Ed Scott, returned to his alma mater to help officially launch Bolton School’s Elite Athlete Programme.

breakfasting with Usain Bolt, tea parties at the palace and open top bus parades! After this tournament, the group largely stayed together and Ed went on to captain the England team that won Gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Ed advised the current crop of athletes to take up every opportunity to find out what they are good at, telling them how he had also played football and taken part in archery and rock climbing whilst at school. He said he did not do any of these endeavours particularly well until he found the niche position of goalkeeper in a niche sport, Water polo!

He also advised boys and girls that they will need to get good with their time management and prioritisation skills. At one point, he was juggling playing for five or six teams and keeping up with his studies!

He told of the social experiences that he missed – he was often in the pool at 6.00am in Manchester – but how this was more than worth it as sport had helped shape who he was: an Olympian with a second language, who had travelled the world.

Addressing an audience of elite athletes and their parents and guardians from the across the Foundation, Ed recapped his journey to the very top in Water polo. He told how he had really fond memories of his time at Bolton School and recalled how, with the help of Dr. Yates, Mr. Jones and Mr. Pledger, he found his sporting passion there.

Ed emphasised how he had worked hard and had often taken himself out of his comfort zone, playing with a higher age group to develop his talents. He recalled winning his first of three different age group national tournaments with the School’s Under 14 team and then, shortly afterwards, picking up his first England cap.

Ed spoke about joining up with the GB Under 19s team for the European Championships and how he was supported through this by his teachers. He recounted how in Year 12 the ‘stars seemed to align’ as he was chosen for the England Men’s Seniors, ahead of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia where the team just missed out on a Bronze medal.

He said sometimes, in life, it is about working hard, being in the right place at the right time and then making your own luck. After completing several years of study at the University of Leeds (a Biomedical degree), he recalled how he was allowed a year out to play Water polo for Barcelona where, through sheer hard work, he became one of the best goalkeepers in the Spanish league. After the 2012 Olympics and a second year in Barcelona, he returned to Leeds to complete his studies. Ed is now a doctor and anaesthetist.

This, he said, did give him something to focus his energies on after Water polo and that it was important for athletes to always have a Plan B and to think about their next chapter.

Ed recalled a number of interesting insights into the London Olympics, which he said was a crazy, whirlwind month, including

18 SCHOOL NOTES

Dr. Mullins from the Boys’ Division and Mrs. Winder from the Girls’ Division also spoke during the evening, outlining how the School is the centre of a child’s life and how it attempts to balance sporting endeavour with academic success.

They told how the School aims to develop a positive mindset in pupils, to offer guidance on nutrition and strength and conditioning and to provide bespoke curriculum adjustments. There was consideration of certain ‘pinch-points’ as children move up from Primary to Senior School and as they move into their GCSE and A Level years. Both also spoke about the ‘supporting team’ around an elite athlete – their coaches, their parents and their teachers and the importance of mentors within school – be that Heads of Year or others already taking part in that particular sport as well as peer to peer mentoring and, sometimes, from former pupils.

In the question and answer session, Ed explained how he has learnt to deal with pressure, telling how he goes back to basics, to the barebone essentials. This technique, he said, served him both in sport and in his work as an anaesthetist.

Bolton School contributes over £50m to UK GDP _______________________________________________________

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olton School contributes millions of pounds to the local economy, a report using the ISC/Oxford Economics modeller has found.

In the last financial year, Bolton School contributed £23.4 million towards the town’s gross domestic product (GDP). Bolton is one of the country’s largest towns and the contribution represents 0.43 per cent of its entire GDP.

School Notes Further afield, Bolton School contributes £50,678,897 to the UK’s GDP, a figure which comprises the School’s own GDP plus that of its UK-based supply chain and the induced GDP, which is generated through the spending of staff and the school’s suppliers’ staff.

Philip Britton, Head of the Bolton School Foundation, said: ‘These are significant figures and the contribution of independent schools should not be underestimated. Together they contribute £16.5 billion to the UK economy, supporting 328,000 jobs and £5.1 billion in tax revenues. The sector saves the government £4.4 billion annually by educating pupils who would otherwise take up a place in state-funded schools. If we did not exist, 2,349 of our own pupils would be entitled to a free state school place.

‘As a School, last year we paid £15.9 million in tax into the Exchequer’s coffers, which included income tax, NICs, plus indirect and induced tax contributions. Payments to other businesses for goods and services relating to our core operations amounted to almost £11m. The total number of jobs supported by our activities is 747.

‘Zadok the Priest’, which was composed for the Coronation of King George II in 1727 and has been used in every coronation since. She also told the listening pupils that the closing music would be ‘Crown Imperial’, composed for the Coronation of Edward V and inspired by Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’.

She then looked back some 70 years at the previous coronation and how it was celebrated, noting that Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation was the first to be televised and indeed the first major event to reach an international audience! Today’s assembly, in fact, replicated part of the School’s celebrations back in 1953, when a service was held on the Friday before Elizabeth II’s Coronation. In the previous week, there was also a Coronation Concert and the Coronation Lanterns were purchased and put on display at the entrances to the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions: these now hang under the main arch leading into the Riley Quad.

‘Besides our significant contribution to the local economy, we offer an outstanding education for over 2,500 children and help stimulate social mobility — one in five of our Senior School pupils receives assistance with their fees. Our pupils also contribute enormously to the region through their volunteering and work in the community and we are a regular collaborator with local state schools.’

Coronation Assembly _______________________________________________________

Mrs. Kyle spoke about the traditions of coronation that date back hundreds of years and how this celebration is also a solemn religious ceremony. She explained how the service would unfold the following day and gave a brief history on the Crown Jewels, which were made for King Charles II in 1661, after the previous set was sold and melted down by Oliver Cromwell!

Looking forward to the weekend of celebrations, Mrs. Kyle spoke about Coronation Big Lunches and the King’s message for everyone to join ‘The Big Help Out’ on the Monday Bank Holiday. Pupils in the Primary Division got a head start on this earlier in the week with a visit to Bolton Hospice!

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he Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions came together for a special assembly to mark the coronation of King Charles III. This special occasion was held in-person in the Girls’ Division Great Hall, decked in Union Flags and bunting, and livestreamed virtually to all Boys’ Division form rooms.

Finally, Mrs. Kyle encouraged everyone listening to tune in to at least part of the Coronation, as this is an important moment in history and reminded those in the hall that, in future years, they will be able to say, ‘I was there’.

The whole school stood to sing the National Anthem to bring the assembly to a close, and girls departed the hall to the ‘Crown Imperial’ march.

Mrs. Kyle, the Head of Girls’ Division, began by speaking about the organ music that accompanied the entrance to the Great Hall:

SCHOOL NOTES 19

School Notes Founders’ Day Assembly _______________________________________________________

the transformative opportunities of education and in aspiring to a better future.

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After the singing of Jerusalem, the School Captain thanked all of the key benefactors and Head of Boys’ Division, Mr. Ford, paid tribute to five centuries of teachers and able scholars, from the first single school master to the present.

ith School flags flying in Centre Quad, both Divisions at Bolton School enjoyed whole school assemblies that remembered their founders. The tribute takes place annually on or around the anniversary of the date of the death of one of the School’s major benefactors, Lord Leverhulme, who died on 7th May 1925.

In the Boys’ Division, Philip Britton, Head of the Foundation, opened the assembly by saying that Founders’ Day is all about continuity and change as we mark the fact that we follow on from those in our past, that we live our lives in the present and that we are part of shaping the lives of those to come.

The audience was transported back to the very beginnings of the School in 1516. Henry VIII, aged 25, was still in his first marriage and his wife had just given birth to a daughter, who was to become Bloody Mary. Members of the Monitor team talked about how the world looked in this year and how Bolton itself would have appeared.

Mr. Britton noted it was the last time in the Great Hall for Year 13 students and for a few Year 11 boys. He told how he could remember many of them as Nursery ‘Butterflies’ and all the plays, concerts and presentations that they had been involved with. He left them with the words of Mike Griffiths, former Chair of Governors and Captain of School, who always advised leavers to go out into the world to try and make a difference for good and to strive to make each place that you visit a little better than it was when you arrived.

Alumni of the Year Awards _______________________________________________________

Mr. Britton then introduced the School Song Forty Years On which, he said, was ‘stolen’ from Harrow School in 1904 in an early example of ‘product placement’ by Headmaster Mr. Lyde. He told how it fell into disuse in 1966 and had been reintroduced in 2016 when the Boys’ Division celebrated its 500th year. The third student reading of the morning spoke of the founding of the School in 1516.

Asking why does all this matter, Mr. Britton said it is important to understand our context – where we come from, what we are, what our purpose is now and what our future must be. He told how it is important to feel that you are part of something – something that extends back, but also an understanding that you can shape the future. Ever since 1516, teachers at the School have believed in

20 SCHOOL NOTES

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olton School has announced the winners of its inaugural Alumni of the Year Awards. There were two clear winners.

Sir Philip Craven was voted Old Boy of the Year and Dr. Sheila Fisher was voted Old Girl of the Year; there were also two awards for outstanding achievement, which went to Rebecca Turner and to the duo of Max Griffiths and Sam Yates.

School Notes Head of Foundation Mr. Britton, presiding over a rare joint assembly of girls and boys from Junior and Senior Schools, lauded all the winners for their valuable contribution to society. Each, he said, had gone out into the world and made it a better place. Three of the four winners were on stage to inspire the next generation of Bolton School pupils and each gave a thank you speech and an overview of their career.

Sir Philip Craven recapped his life, recalling how he had broken his back aged sixteen in a climbing accident, but had not let that hold him back. He told how he had noticed a wheelchair basketball game taking place out of his hospital window and had decided that sport would be his salvation. Whilst he had been given an offer to study at Cambridge, he chose the University of Manchester because it was nearer to his club, the Southport wheelchair basketball team. He joked that he went on to achieve a First Class honours in basketball.

Touching on some of the highlights of his career, he reflected upon: taking part in five Paralympic Games and the two years he spent playing wheelchair basketball in France, winning the national league and cup; his work with the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation and as President of the International Paralympic Committee; his employment with British Coal and the Toyota Motor Corporation; and how, somehow, he had squeezed in a year as Chair of the Old Boltonians’ Association! He concluded his talk by saying that the most pleasing thing about the award had been that it was voted for ‘by my peers’ and he thanked the audience ‘for making me feel young again!’

Dr. Sheila Fisher, a Governor at Bolton School for almost 40 years and former Vice-Chair of the Girls’ Division, told how her schooling had instilled in her values for life and provided her with the confidence to live her dream. She broke her journey down into four acts for the assembly. Act 1, she said, was as the first woman Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon, caring for people with cancers of the head or neck and for those who had endured facial trauma. Act 2, she explained, was, after she had suffered from inflammatory arthritis, as a Medical Researcher. Act 3 was as a proud mum to two sons and Act 4, which she is currently in, as a Minister at church, a trustee at her local hospital and as a Director at a Multi-Academy Trust. She told the pupils aged 10 to 18 that life is not about what you get, but what you give and ended by saying: ‘Bolton School has been at the core of my life. This award means more than I can say. Thank you very much!’

Thank you so much for this award.’

The award for Outstanding Achievement amongst Old Boys went to Max Griffiths and Sam Yates. The pair had other commitments on the day and joined the assembly via a pre-recorded video message.

They explained about LivLife, a self-sustainable charity that they had set up, which offers education and empowerment to young people in Tanzania. It is a project that the School has, in the past, raised funds for and sent students to help out with. Max and Sam looked back on their days at Bolton School with fond memories and recalled how it inspired their interest in travel and the world and how it had doubtlessly influenced their setting up of LivLife.

After the assembly, the award winners delivered more personal, fascinating sessions with year groups from across both Senior Schools before attending a special lunch, where they were formally presented with their awards.

Senior Prizegiving _______________________________________________________

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he Boys’ Division community came together towards the end of term to celebrate a multitude of achievements in the annual Prizegiving ceremony. This year’s guest speaker was Old Boy Roger Draper (Class of 1986), who has been involved in the global business of sport for over 20 years and is the former CEO of Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association.

The Outstanding Achievement for an Old Girl went to Rebecca Turner, who left in 2006 and is now a primary school Design Technology teacher. Rebecca told how, in 2020, she lost her brother Tom, aged just 20, to leukaemia. She said that she chose to be positive and, rallying his friends and family, pledged to support Blue Sky Hospital Funds. In the first year of fundraising, she raised £15,000 and in the following a year, a further £10,000. She explained how she will continue to raise funds every May, which is the month in which Tom died. She finished her talk by saying: ‘I loved my time at Bolton School and I still have some very special friends from that time.

SCHOOL NOTES 21

School Notes Parents, pupils and staff gathered in the Great Hall while Sixth Form Organ Scholars Laurence Britton and Xuan Wang provided music.

The evening was punctuated by a further two very different musical performances from Year 12 students: James Bland played Movement 1 – Élégie (Paisiblement, Dans Presser) from Sonata for Oboe and Piano by Francis Poulenc, accompanied by Mrs. Whitmore; and later in the programme Dylan Lincoln performed Tornado of Souls

by Megadeth on the electric guitar. Following a brief welcome from Head of Boys’ Division Mr. Ford, Prizegiving began with the singing of the School Song: Forty Years On.

musicians, the Young Musician of the Year competition and a full suite of concerts. The Senior Concert Band also won a Gold Award at the Concert Band Festival.

He thanked staff and parents alike for their support of the boys in all of their endeavours. He also expressed his appreciation for the many Old Boys who gave their time to present careers events such as Perspectives Lectures and World of Work talks, as well as being part of the mentoring scheme, which recently was recognised at the Northern Leadership Awards.

Mr. Ford then gave his Review of the Year. He noted that this was the first Prizegiving in several years with no pandemic-related restrictions, and that the boys’ academic achievements have continued despite this disruption to their education. He then described just a few of the many impressive accolades that pupils have collected this year.

These included receiving Science Olympiad certificates and success in national Maths, Engineering and Computing competitions; achievements in linguistic Olympiads and foreign language debating competitions; and boys becoming ‘Word Millionaires’, earning reading awards and performing in public speaking competitions. He remarked that the half-termly Celebration Assemblies have involved an average of 100 boys every time.

In the world of sport, the School has achieved the School Games Gold Award for the second year running, and over 70 students were celebrated in the annual Cups and Colours assembly. Mr. Ford presented a ‘highlights reel’ of trophies collected in Football, Rugby, Water polo, Swimming, Athletics, Climbing and Cross country.

Moving on to Drama and performance, Mr. Ford looked back on this year’s drama productions, ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’, the Bridgewater Hall Gala Concert featuring over 600 young

22 SCHOOL NOTES

Tim Taylor, the Vice Chair of the Governing Body, then took to the podium to give a brief address.

He looked back on his own time at Bolton School before congratulating the boys and echoing Mr. Ford’s thanks to parents and staff, who make up ‘the team behind the individual successes’ celebrated at Prizegiving.

Ahead of the presentation of prizes, special guest Roger Draper gave an entertaining and inspirational address.

He began by reminiscing about his school days and the staff he remembered fondly. He also said that, despite having Perthes’ disease as a child and being unable to walk for almost three years, he was ‘sports mad’ and ended up representing School in most sports. He also talked about his years of study at Loughborough University, where he held international honours in two sports: tennis and rugby.

School Notes By the age of 32, he was the chief executive of the Sports Council of Sport England: a huge step up when, just ten years before, he was learning about sports policy at university! His first big project was the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. He went on to be an Accounting Officer for Wembley national stadium, setting up the Sports Lottery, and worked as Accounting Officer on the London Olympics and Paralympics. He was part of the team that helped to transform UK sport so that the country moved from 22nd or 23rd in the medal table to second or third. Since then, he has run British Tennis for seven years, during which time the UK went from 53rd in the world rankings to first, and ran the Super League for a few years.

Most recently, he has been helping to set up the sports infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, using sport to change people’s lives.

He shared five things he has learned from 30 years of working with the best sportspeople in the world: high vision and simplicity; excel in planning; focus; seize opportunity; and world class execution. He went on to explain more about these, giving details about how each one is an important aspect of ‘why winners win’.

Mr. Ford then paid tribute to members of staff leaving this year, including three who have accrued a total of 80 years of service between them. The departing staff were: Miss Gillibrand, Mr. Gilligan, Mr. Lucas-Nolan, Mr. Patel, Miss Sherry, Mr. Roberts, Dr. Yates, Mrs. Whitmore and Mr. Fernside. He spoke about their time at the School and thanked them for their varied contributions to school life.

Finally, Head of Foundation Mr. Britton spoke to the gathering to bring the evening to a close. He said that Prizegiving is a celebration of achievement, an appropriate occasion to be proud of and an opportunity to ‘look back on what has shaped us and forward to all that might be’. He thanked the Governors for the many hours of time they volunteer to the school, and teaching colleagues for their passion and commitment to the development of young people. He also thanked the parents for their engagement with School and their important support for the boys, whose talents and personality, he said, are what make up the Boys’ Division.

Finally, he gave three lessons from his own experience. He told the boys to always follow their passion and inspiration, and listen to and work with people who share that passion. He advised them to accept that they will fail and don’t be afraid of it, but learn from it and ‘if you do fail, fail fast’. The third lesson was to always be yourself: something he said he has struggled with himself in the past, as a young northerner, but worked to overcome.

Prizegiving ended with the whole of the Great Hall standing to sing Jerusalem.

Earlier in the day, Roger enjoyed leading a tennis session with a group of pupils at the Leverhulme Pavilion, and held an interesting Question and Answer session with Year 10 boys studying PE at GCSE.

Following the presentation of prizes, the Captain of the School, Alexander McKie, led the vote of thanks to Roger.

Senior Prizewinners _______________________________________________________ EMMA SAXELBY (French): METCALFE (Modern Languages): MAYNARD ANDREWS (German): CLIVE WILLIS (Spanish): WATERHOUSE (Russian): GEOFFREY ROSSETTI (English): LIPSCOMB (Speech & Drama) Senior: LIPSCOMB (Speech & Drama) Middle: THE RALPH LITTLE PRIZE: ARTS CENTRE AWARD:

Luca Kelly 13e Ben Rimmer 12a Luca Kelly 13e JJ Campbell 13a Barnaby Keogh 13i JJ Campbell 13a Billy Burrows 12c Sam Entwistle 11e Charlie Silvester 12e Alexander McKie 12f

SCHOOL NOTES 23

School Notes BARONESS MORRIS: MIDDLE SCHOOL RESEARCH PRIZE: LEVERHULME SALVER: THE RILEY PRIZE: ROBERT AINSWORTH (Classics): H.T. LANE (Biology): VICTOR LAMBERT (Medical Studies): KIRKMAN (Biology): SCIENCE INVESTIGATION: WARBURTON (Geography): LEIGH-BRAMWELL GEOGRAPHY PROJECT: JUNIOR GEOGRAPHY: BRAMALL (Economics): WILLIAM BROWN (History): BOOTH (Economics & Social History): PENSTON MEMORIAL (History): 1st PENSTON MEMORIAL (History): 2nd Alexander 9a ETHEL WIGGLESWORTH (Organ): BRIERLEY (Violin): METCALFE (Music): EASTHAM (Choral): PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION (Chemistry): MELMOTH 1803 (Chemistry): MICHAEL DILLON (Chemistry): PHYSICS: STONER (Physics):

RELIGIOUS STUDIES: HIGGINSON (Art): TILLOTSON (Typography):

24 SCHOOL NOTES

Ewan Davies 12b William Martin 11b Saul Farrell 13g Henry Nuttall 13a Laurence Britton 13f Neeraj Singh 13g Siddhant Patel 13c Amaan Patel 13b Neeraj Singh 13g James Parfrey 11b Bill Danson 13d Antoine Jodeau 9c Abdullah Zaeem 9d Rishi Narla 13i Sam Couriel 13d Daniel Heather 13e Thomas Melpignano 9c George MeredithXuan Wang 13g Mark Liu 13i James Bland 12c Oliver Longworth 13a Thomas Boardman 13f Thomas Boardman 13f Will Garlick 13f Akshay Kallat 8c William Richardson 8c George Seddon 13h Jacob Collinson 10a Lucas Horridge 10d Patrick Humphreys 10d Isa Youssouf 10c Henry Nuttall 13a Zack Kitson 11d

JARY (Art): Subhaan Aslam 11e BRABBIN (Art & Technology): Brandon Yuen 13h DEREK DeMAINE (Art History): Henry Nuttall 13a MELLOWDEW (Design & Technology): Harry Mathieson 13c Neerav Patel 13i DOBSON (Engineering): BAGGLEY (ICT): Jack Fletcher 13e AINSWORTH (Mathematics): Jack Fletcher 13e TOM WATSON (Statistics): James Logan 13b JOHN BLAKEY: Yash Anand 11b Neerav Patel 13i GARDNER-TAYLOR: ALDERMAN STEELE: Ellis Matthews 13b STEELE: Derek Leong 7a RYLEY (Community Service): Sam Johnson 13c FRANK BROWN: Joe Burrows 13e Jake Partington 12h Sebastian Hawkes 10a Charlie Beckett 9b Hal Danson 8a Egan Moore 7e James Parfrey 11b BERNARD CROSSLEY AWARD: SPECIAL ENDEAVOUR AWARD: Jonathan Frank 11a GRANT KINNIE AWARD: William Martin 11b RON BOOTH: Sebastian Thompson 13c Aran Pomian 13g NORMAN DAVIES (All Rounder): SIMMONDS (Swimming): Sebastian Thompson 13c Fin Wyatt 9e WAINWRIGHT (Blackburn): (Chorley): Max Carter 13a (Manchester): Muhammad Choudhary 13e (Wigan): Kaushik Kathiriya 13i BROOKER PRIZE: JJ Campbell 13a

Aran Pomian 13g

Simon Whitmore 13h

Sebastian Thompson 13c Laurence Britton 13f FRANK GREENE: FRANK GREENE: Max Carter 13a Rishi Narla 13i BOLTON GRAMMAR OLD BOYS:

School Notes Lower School Prizegiving _______________________________________________________

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upils from Years 7, 8 and 9 were joined by their teachers, parents and guests in the school’s Great Hall for Lower School Prizegiving; an event, founded by Assistant Head Mrs. Waller in 2018, that recognises and celebrates pupil achievement.

Opening the address, Mr. Ford, Head of the Boys’ Division, reflected on his words from the 108th main school Prizegiving Awards, held earlier in the week. He took his audience back to 1952, when Headmaster Mr. Poskitt broke the news to the school of the death of George VI. At that time, shortly after World War Two, Mr. Ford told how parts of the school were still being built, but that there was still a palpable sense of community and working together as a partnership – attributes that still infuse the school today. He recalled how a German visitor commented on how the school offered an education for life and a wide range of extra-curricular activities; again, very much like today. Mr. Ford went on to say how offering such a broad range of opportunities, allows each boy to find their passion and realise their potential.

Mr. Ford commended boys for persevering through what have been some difficult years, pointing out that for the older boys it was their first year of not being disrupted in some way since they were in Year 5. He stressed that it had not held them back.

Recapping the year, she spoke of how boys had engaged with House activities – every pupil representing their House in order to try and win the Lyde Cup and in charitable endeavours. An amazing twothirds of boys, she said, represented the School in sport, with the Under 13 Rugby team winning all but one game in their season, all the football teams reaching their year group Town Cup Finals and she also spoke of successes in Athletics, Cricket and Water polo, with some Under 14s playing for the Under 15s’ team, who became national champions. Mrs. Waller also lauded the artistic, music and cultural life of the boys where, again, the key word was participation.

She said there had been nine concerts across the academic year, the most memorable perhaps being at the Bridgewater Hall, and told how all Year 7 pupils had been involved in the Artsmark Award. She thanked boys for their important work in the Lower School Council, which plays an important role in shaping the school. She said that the Pastoral Team had been really impressed by how boys had supported each other’s well-being and had been heavily involved with Anti-bullying week and quizzes to raise awareness of LGBTQ+, neurodiversity and Islamophobia. She also commended them for their consistent academic achievement and engagement with a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and societies. Mrs. Waller ended by saying that when she is asked what is the best thing about working at Bolton School, she always answers that it is the pupils.

Antoine Jodeau played The Last on trumpet by Andrew Wilson and awards were made across many areas of school life, including Form Tutor Awards and Commendations and prizes for academic and extra-curricular achievements.

Assistant Head Mrs. Waller told how she was very proud of the boys, who, she said, had performed outstandingly in a busy and productive year. In her review, she explained how behind each award there is effort, sacrifice, co-operation, determination, hard work, resilience and willingness.

Mrs. Waller painted a picture of the Lower School years being busy and exciting and of the school being a hive of activity, all of which helps develop happy, successful and fulfilled young people.

SCHOOL NOTES 25

School Notes Lower School Prizewinners _______________________________________________________ FORM TUTOR’S AWARD

Derek Leong (7a) Hashim Masood (7b) Brig Harkness (7c) Mahad Chohan (7d) Ewan McCairn (7e) James Ogg (7f)

Aryan Agrawal (8a) Avi Patel (8b) Akshay Kallat (8c) George Burrows (8d) Jamie Chen (8e) Gabe Payne (8f) Tanmay Gokul (8g)

Jakub Maron (9a) Zac Walsh (9b) Matthew Pearson (9c) Noah Meadows (9d) Liam Dougall (9e) Rith Narla (9f)

FORM TUTOR’S AWARD FOR DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT

Joshua Carter (7a) Diren Dhiraj (7b) Moses Kopicki (7c) Ayron Dhokia (7d) George Glover (7e) Ali Al-Hashmi (7f) Jimmy Elliot (8a) Rory Freestone (8b) Mustafa Amirat (8c) Ambrose Zheng (8d) Thomas Holt (8e) Callum Hodgson (8f) Cipri Prasad (8g)

Ethan Dixon (9a) Freddie Wardle (9b) Christopher Ejeh (9c) Kayden Meadows (9d) Ben Heath (9e) Zain Khan (9f)

COMMENDATIONS

Derek Leong (7a) Jacob Jones (8d) Oscar McVerry (8d) Zain Khan (9f)

Year 7 Year 8

Year 9

CONTRIBUTION TO THE HOUSE BLACKBURN

Mateo Sprott (7f)

Charlie Simpson (8d)

Fin Wyatt (9e)

26 SCHOOL NOTES

CHORLEY

George Pickett (7b)

Hashim Masood (7b)

George Stoddart (8e)

Sam Cottrell (9b) MANCHESTER

Justin Li (7b)

Yehia Mohamed (8c)

Zain Patel (9b)

WIGAN

Saad Alam (7a)

Rocky Beaumont (8d)

Sochi Umeadi (9a)

AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE LOWER SCHOOL COUNCIL

Justin Li (7b) Jacob Little (8a) Louis Ferguson (8d) Dhilan Jacobs (9a)

LOWER SCHOOL COUNCIL CHAIR

Ilyas Khunda (9c)

LOWER SCHOOL COUNCIL VICE-CHAIR

Jax Ho (9a)

PARTICIPATION AND ACHIEVEMENT AT PATTERDALE HALL

Ayron Dhokia (7d) Joseph Michael (8g) Aaron Patel (9c)

PARTICIPATION AND ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC

Justin Li (7b) Tanmay Gokul (8g) Nishan Sharma (9d)

PARTICIPATION AND ACHIEVEMENT IN THE CREATIVE ARTS

Moses Kopicki (7c) Seth Thompson (8a) Daniel Keene (9c)

PARTICIPATION AND ACHIEVEMENT IN SPORT

Abas Khambalia (7b) Max McKay (8f) Lohith Ramesh (9f)

LOWER SCHOOL AWARD: ELOQUENCE

George Pickett (7b) Thomas Sibley (8a) Zain Khan (9f)

EXTRA-CURRICULAR COMMITMENT

Ayron Dhokia (7d) Charlie Feng (8c) Dhilan Jacobs (9a)

PERSONAL PROGRESSION AWARD

Justin Li (7b) Thomas Holt (8e) Dhilan Jacobs (9a)

ECO AWARD

Jacob Jones (8d) William Richardson (8c)

School Notes Monitors 2022-23 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Back row l-r: Rory Pixton, George Seddon, Neeraj Singh, Henry Nuttall, Joe Dady, Tom Boardman, Dan Heather, Robert Murray, Will Fothergill, Seb Thompson, Owais Khan, Harry Whittles, Bill Danson, Joe Burrows Middle row l-r: Siddhant Patel, JJ Campbell (Senior Monitor), Zane Nirodi, Simon Whitmore (Senior Monitor), Barnaby Keogh, Luca Kelly, Will Duffy, Saul Farrell, Will Garlick, Ellis Matthews, Jack Fletcher, Reuben Simpson, Shahzeb Syed, Jamie Death, Neerav Patel, Sharull Hossain, Fadi Khaled Baiza Front row l-r: Paul Bigger, James Logan, Xuan Wang, Muhammad Choudhary, Sam Abram, Marcus Ng, Max Carter (Vice-captain), Rishi Narla (School Captain), Laurence Britton (Vice-captain), Tom Ghee, Aran Pomian (Senior Monitor), Mihir Patel, Kaushik Kathiriya, Oliver Longworth, Brandon Yuen

Class of 2023 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SCHOOL NOTES 27

School Notes Inaugural Year 11 Prom _____________________________________________________

A

fter months of preparation, the stage had been set for the inaugural Year 11 School Prom. The Great Hall had been transformed from a stuffy exam hall to a chamber of wonders, themed with a Hollywood and Oscars twist. Much time and effort had gone into its creation from Prom Committee meetings to a joint division gathering designed to help the year group meet new people before the day itself.

Whilst we enjoyed our selection of food, the entertainment continued with a table magician, who displayed a wide selection of magical tricks. The highlight of the evening, however, was undoubtedly the prom dance floor, which provided much entertainment as well as the photo booth and props, which allowed some more casual photos and memories to be captured.

The hive of activity and excitement did not reduce, and time seemed to slip away as, before long, the evening began to draw to a close. As people began to trickle out of the building and onwards into the night, the unmistakable smiles and laughter beamed from all who attended, now ready to enjoy their summer.

A huge thank you must be given to all the staff, from teachers to catering to housekeeping, who helped create this splendour of an occasion, the Prom Committee for their input and support and the Parents’ Associations for their kind donations. The evening was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Arriving in eager anticipation after the conclusion of the exams, vast arrays of carriages, from sports cars to limousines, carried the guests. Many took the opportunity to have photos on the red carpet before continuing on to enjoy a pre-dinner mocktail – a refreshing combination of orange juice and grenadine. Sonorous tones of conversation echoed across the Leverhulme Suite as classmates rejoiced at the opportunity to mingle and admire the smart and formal attires which were captured for prosperity by the photographer.

Before long, it was time for Mr. Britton’s address, where he took much pleasure in welcoming people to “his party” and invited everyone to take their seats in the Great Hall. With much excitement, the group moved along the decorated corridor and staircase to the main event. The hall was almost unrecognisable and had been superbly decorated to match the Hollywood theme.

William Martin 11b and James Parfrey 11b

28 SCHOOL NOTES

School Notes A Level and GCSE Results Day ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

T

he Class of 2023 at Bolton School celebrated an excellent set of A Level results in August. In the morning, Year 13 girls and boys, along with parents, gathered in their respective Great Halls to collect their results. This was the year group where, nationally, the results were set to fall back into line with pre-Covid exam results.

The Boys’ Division results were very much in line with 2019 and in many subject areas were better. The A*-A pass rate was at 48.6% and A*-B pass rate was at 74.7%, very similar to the previous year; the percentage of A* grades (15.7%) and those achieving A*-A grades were significantly higher than 2019. 90.3% of papers were graded at A*-C and the overall pass rate was at 99.4%.

Girls’ Division students recorded a similar set of results to the boys.

The percentage pass at A*-A was 41.9% and the pass rate at A*-B was at 70.3% with the overall pass rate being the same as the Boys’ Division at 99.4%. 86.1% of grades were at A*-C. Philip Britton, Head of Bolton School Foundation, said: ‘Across the campus, both Divisions have performed well and, as ever, there are some outstanding individual and collective results. Students have much to celebrate, as do their teachers, who have supported them both academically and pastorally. The results should be celebrated all the more when one remembers that these students were in Year 10 when the pandemic hit and their GCSEs were cancelled, and this is the first time they have sat formal exams.’

Besides achieving outstanding exam results, many students have also been involved in a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

Zane Nirodi, who achieved A*AAB, is one of seven young men off to Medical School and is also a cricketer with aspirations of playing professionally. Jamie Death, who achieved BCC, is the GB number one in his weight category at judo and is in the England Under 21 squad. Aran Pomian, a Gold DofE recipient achieved A*AA grades.

Four students were set to enrol on degree apprenticeships, one of which was Seb Thompson, who achieved three Bs; he will join Jaguar Land Rover at their Gaydon site and will study Electrical Engineering at Warwick University. Seven Boys’ Division students got 3 A*s or more.

SCHOOL NOTES 29

School Notes In the Girls’ Division, Safia Adia with four A*s was very excited to be going to the University of Newcastle to study Dentistry and Amaani Adam, also with four A*s and off to study Dentistry at Manchester, said that she ‘can’t wait’ to start, as it’s been the plan for a long time and ‘lots of hard work’ has gone into preparing for the extra interviews and qualifications required. Kelly Chae, who completed her Gold DofE, achieved three A*s and an A. Frankie Williams-Denton also completed her Gold DofE and is a member of the England Lacrosse squad: she achieved two As and a B. Martha Halford with BBC grades similarly completed her Gold DofE and is a member of the England Lacrosse squad. Shriya Pindoria achieved ABB whilst being a member of the Lancashire Women’s Under 18s’ Cricket squad and playing for Ramsbottom Under 18s and Seniors.

Six Girls’ Division students got 3 A*s or more.

The morning was another opportunity to celebrate with a year group that was significantly impacted in their formative Senior School years by the pandemic: they spent the latter half of Year 8 learning remotely, Year 9 in bubbles and Year 10 in masks. However, this set of results saw a return to pre-Covid levels, as with A Level results the previous week. Across the whole of Bolton School (Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions), a third of grades (33.7%) were 9s and 8s and more than half the grades received (54.8%) were graded 9 to 7.

Both Great Halls at Bolton School were filled with excited chatter as Year 11 returned with their parents and family members to collect their GCSE results in August.

Head of Foundation Philip Britton said: ‘It is always an enjoyable morning sharing success and celebrating with pupils who have realised their potential in academic studies as well as developing into well rounded people, who have enjoyed hobbies and interests, sporting excellence, creative talents and challenge in the outdoors.

‘It is also good to see nationally the grade 9, introduced to be a sign of real excellence, has become rarer again and that in that context so many of our pupils have achieved that distinction. Also nationally, the north has not performed as well as the south, so it is great to think we can be a leading light in the north to show that academic achievement is here as well.’

30 SCHOOL NOTES

School Notes Keen Water polo player Rob Bentham achieved grades of 7, two 6s, four 5s and a 4 while also training and competing at an international level with the English Schools Team.

Organ Scholar William Martin achieved six 9s, four 8s, an A and a 7 and plans to stay on at Bolton School to study Russian, History, Maths and French next year.

There was a huge amount of personal and individual success across the whole year group. A large number of students achieved the grades they needed alongside impressive extra-curricular endeavours, from Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards to elite level sport to involvement in music, drama, community action and much more.

Emilia Nuttall, who is in her second year of playing at the Blackburn Rovers Football Academy, received five grade 9s, two grade 8s and two grade 7s. She has been playing football since she was six years old and has plans to continue: after A Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Physical Education at Bolton School’s Sixth Form, she hopes to achieve a football scholarship to study in America. She said that she is keeping her options open with her studies, but potentially hopes to one day play professionally.

Molly Grimshaw achieved eight grade 9s and two grade 8s in her GCSE while also training at the Under 20 England Lacrosse National Academy. She juggled her mocks with training residentials, and had to keep up her fitness levels throughout the examination period, as the weekend after her GCSEs ended she was training at the National Academy! She also plays netball for the School and helped the Under 16 team to win the Town Championships. Next year, she will study History, Geography, Classical Civilisation and Drama in the Sixth Form, with future plans of attending a London university for a degree in History before a Law conversion course. Her sporting aspirations are to make it into the National Lacrosse squad and eventually play at international tournaments.

William Malley and Charlotte Harris are among the students who completed their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards alongside their studies: both took part in kayaking expeditions. William has aspirations of going into Law, like his grandfather, and achieved grades of 9, five 8s and four 7s. Charlotte achieved three 8s, three 6s and three 5s and is considering a career in Psychology.

In the Girls’ Division, nine girls achieved ten or more grades 8 or 9 and a further nine students received nine or more grades 8 or 9. In the Boys’ Division, ten boys received ten or more grades 8 or 9 and eight more boys achieved nine or more grades 8 or 9. Aspiring medic Rhea Sudhakar achieved ten grade 9s and one grade 8, and Ethan Wong achieved an amazing clean sweep of twelve grade 9s!

Elite athlete Zach Baumann was pleased with his GCSE results, which allow him to head off to Manchester United’s football school.

SCHOOL NOTES 31

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects

S

PACE is the curriculum enrichment programme for all students in the school designed to expand the boys’ development in the following areas:

S P A C E

instructor led them through some basic steps in this traditional folk Middle Eastern dance whilst explaining its origins and its cultural importance in bringing communities together.

Social, Spiritual Physical, Personal, Practical Active, Aesthetic, Academic Community, Cultural Enterprise, Entrepreneurship

Taking part in activities in these areas is an important part of boys’ character development and helps to prepare them to succeed in all aspects of their lives. In this way, SPACE contributes to the school’s aim of helping to shape students into confident young men with the skills and attributes required to lead happy and fulfilled lives.

SPACE takes place every fortnight on a Monday afternoon for boys in Years 7-9 and 12-13. Students in Years 10 and 11 have ‘SPACE days’ – days off timetable throughout the year to participate in enrichment activities.

Here are some of the highlights of this year’s programme: Academic Enrichment Carousel This year saw the addition to the Year 7 programme of a series of six sessions aimed at stimulating students’ intellectual curiosity.

Each session was based around an academic subject or topic which does not appear elsewhere in the Year 7 curriculum, but which members of our teaching staff have particular expertise in. These sessions were: Architecture, Engineering, American History, Myth in Art, Astronomy and Ukrainian. These subjects are either areas which boys will have the opportunity to study further up the school, engage with through extra-curricular activities or may wish to pursue a career in even though they would not study them elsewhere on the school curriculum. Many thanks to the talented staff who delivered these sessions.

Sport Representing both the P (physical) and A (active) letters of SPACE, sport is an important part of the enrichment programme. Most year groups enjoyed some inter-form football competitions with Years 7-9 managing to fit in two competitions: one in the Autumn Term and a second in the Summer Term. It’s always a pleasure to watch these competitions and to see all boys in a form group working together in what are always highly competitive events. Thanks to the Sport Department for their efforts organising these tournaments.

Further to these tournaments, Year 9 enjoyed refreshed carousels of activities, which they rotated around in their form groups across much of the year. Several of the new additions to this carousel of activities had a physical element; these included rock climbing at a local climbing centre, experts from Bolton Flat Green Bowling Club introducing their sport and the return of fencing to the programme.

Year 8 participated in a Dabke dance workshop, where an external

Fares leading a warmup with Year 8 ahead of their Dabke dance session.

Cookery One of the most popular activities in the SPACE programme is cookery. These sessions were hosted in the Girls’ Division Food Technology rooms and, this year, we were able to provide all boys in our Sixth Form with two sessions. Year 12 learned to make homemade pizza and chow mein whilst Year 13 cooked fajitas and learned the basics of baking by making scones and biscuits. For Year 13 students, these are recipes which many plan to cook again next year as they embark on the challenge of living away from home for the first time. Thanks to Mrs. James and all the other supervising staff, who enabled the boys to learn important food preparation skills.

Students in Year 13 carefully preparing their fajita ingredients.

Creative Arts This area of school life continues to flourish under the guidance of Foundation Director of Creative Learning and Partnerships, Miss Lord, who has increased the opportunities for boys to engage in the Creative Arts and cultural activities during SPACE. The Arts Award completed by Year 7 and coordinated by Miss Lord and Miss Sherry has been extremely successful; sessions for this qualification have taken place during SPACE. Year 8 engaged with some of the 2022 Bolton Film Festival’s selections, learning about shot composition and writing some short reviews. Year 9 enjoyed a session on Special FX makeup and engaging with Design Awards briefs from the Royal Society of Arts.

32 ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects

Final pieces from Year 7’s Arts Award are displayed in the Arts Centre

Pastoral Curriculum SPACE continues to be a key vehicle to deliver elements of the pastoral curriculum, including Character Education, PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic), SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) and Universal Values led by the Deputy Head, Mrs. Brandon. Topics are addressed in a safe environment through a combination of lectures and workshops using appropriately qualified and experienced external speakers alongside expertise found within the school. Some of the most memorable sessions this year included a moving talk about mental health by former England Rugby International Danny Sculthorpe, a session to Year 10 about active consent and a talk to Year 8 about the importance of healthy relationships.

Like in previous years, a carousel of activities aimed to help equip Sixth Formers with some of the practical competencies they will need for life beyond Bolton School has been delivered to Year 13.

Sessions included finance, managing their online presence and work-life balance. Year 12 had a carousel of activities with a similar purpose, which included sessions on car ownership, cookery and finance.

Close ups of some of Year 7’s final pieces from their Arts Award

Year 13 demonstrating their ironing prowess

Year 9’s Special FX makeup session in progress

Year 13 learn how to use a one of the school’s defibrillators as part of a First Aid session My thanks go to all the staff who contributed sessions to the SPACE programme – it wouldn’t be possible without their dedication. The planning for next year’s programme is already well underway; we are aiming to make it the best yet!

And a couple of the results!

Mr. D.F. Teasdale

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & COMMUNITY PROJECTS 33

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects Charities Committee _______________________________________________________

Careers _______________________________________________________

I

t has been a busy year across the Boys’ Division for charitable events. This year saw a clear structural development of the Charities Committee, which has allowed progression by allocating each member a role (Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Communications Officer, Finance etc.) This gives Senior boys experience as to how a committee operates, allowing them to take ownership and responsibility for helping others.

The Boys’ Division has contributed to many Foundation events or organisations throughout the year from the Malawi school collection, Christmas Hamper collection, Poppy Appeal, the Children in Ukraine appeal, the Pakistan floods and Barnardos to name but a few. Money has been raised through specific collections such as Non Uniform days as well as whole school initiatives.

The House System continues to provide a platform for discussion within assemblies and action with regards to local charities. Each House develops a real sense of togetherness by selecting, researching and acting upon the needs of each charity for common good. Each House Captain has also played a significant role in assisting Housemasters in raising monies and community-led projects within each House. You can read about these initiatives in the Houses section of the magazine.

Mr. P.D. Jackson

B

oys throughout all stages of school have enjoyed another year of a broad Careers programme. Our alumni form an important part of this programme and we are very grateful to all who have contributed through lectures, mentoring and interview preparation. Thanks as well to our colleagues in the Development Office, who work hard to match inspirational alumni to our students.

In the Lower School, the SPACE Programme again delivered a number of sessions where students could reflect on their interests and begin to research careers that might motivate them. It is also very interesting to see the wide range of career areas that students consider and their interest as they explore jobs they had previously not heard of. An important part of our work with Lower School boys is their familiarity with the Unifrog platform. As a Unifrog partner school, this package provides much more than just university course and career ideas, and our students can exploit the many resources available to them.

To celebrate British Science Week, a large group of Year 9 students attended a careers event at Manchester Museum, where they met over 30 exhibitors who share their area of science work, whether in academia or commercial institutions. This event highlighted the various opportunities within STEM.

34 ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects Our Year 10 students completed a psychometric profiling activity, which leads to a careers interview in Year 11. This helps to provide them with some much-needed direction and support at the point they are considering A Level choices.

One of the key priorities of the careers team is exposing students to a range of careers. Our A to Z lunchtime programme continues, as do the Perspectives lectures, which take place over Zoom. Topics have included graphic design and careers in languages. Students in Years 10 to 13 also take part in half termly World of Work sessions taking place during form periods.

Year 12 finished their year with a SKILT day, exploring personal branding and practising their interview skills in advance of the Interview Skills Evening, where they were paired with an alumnus related to their career area of interest. The feedback from both students and interviewers was very positive, and this programme is something unique and highly valuable which we offer both our boys and girls.

Miss Bramhall took over running the Careers programme from Mr. Newbould during the academic year and her thanks go to him for his support during the transition.

During our training, we encountered challenges and setbacks.

While attempting to find checkpoint 18, we ended up going in a circle and got temporarily lost. Undeterred, we retraced our steps, identified our mistake, and successfully located the checkpoint.

Building on this experience, we tackled checkpoint 17, considering factors like direction and duration. We devised strategies to catch any deviations from our intended path and our instructor challenged us to navigate without constant reference to the map. Despite a few wrong turns, we persevered and eventually found the checkpoint.

We moved on to checkpoint 16, successfully using the bottom of the map to locate it near a bridge; however, at checkpoint 15, we encountered challenges again, deviating from the correct direction and venturing into a muddy section. Nonetheless, we learned from these experiences and enjoyed a well-deserved lunch break before planning an example route for the upcoming expedition, incorporating grid references, compass measurements and estimated travel time.

Miss E.A. Bramhall

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award _______________________________________________________ Bronze Award The training day for our expedition was a crucial step in preparing for the adventure that lay ahead. We began by familiarising ourselves with the 20 amendments, ensuring we understood the guidelines and safety measures to be followed during the expedition. The focus then shifted to honing our map skills. We learned about 1km grid references, unique grid reference codes and the practice of planning a route. Putting our skills to the test, we headed to Lever Park, where we planned a route to reach various checkpoints on the map.

Filled with excitement and armed with the knowledge gained from our training, we soon embarked on the actual expedition day. As we met up with our instructor, our decision-making skills were put to the test as we divided tasks and equipment among our group. The walk began under glorious weather conditions and we maintained a steady pace, taking strategic breaks to rest and refuel with some delicious snacks when we felt we all needed them: a true testament to teamwork. Though we encountered occasional challenges and got lost towards the end of the day, our determination led us back on

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & COMMUNITY PROJECTS 35

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects track, and we set up camp. Within camp, we prepared surprisingly delicious and extremely easy meals from our ‘wayfarer packs’. After sorting out our food and our tents for the night, free time ensued and games of rugby and football were enjoyed by all of us in camp.

Despite the initial apprehension, sleep came easier than expected, allowing us to rest and recharge. The next day started with an early wake-up call, and we set off with improved navigation skills. Remarkably, we managed to stay on track throughout the day, overcoming challenging uphill climbs and fending off those pesky horseflies. A well-deserved break at a café rejuvenated our spirits before we made our way to the designated meeting point, successfully completing our expedition.

The DofE expedition was an unforgettable journey of growth, resilience and teamwork. From the training day, where we honed our map skills and faced challenges head-on, to the actual expedition, where we navigated through some stunning landscapes and overcame obstacles, the experience left a significant mark on our personal development. We learned the importance of preparation, adaptability and decision-making, while forging bonds with our group members. The memories and lessons gained from my DofE experience will continue to inspire me in future endeavours, reminding me of the rewards of stepping outside my comfort zone, something I encourage you to do too.

Jayden Cheung 10b

36 ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects 2, meaning we made progress faster than expected and so had to slow down to decrease our pace. The weather was fantastic and the scenery amazing. Together as a group, we thoroughly enjoyed this day and even took the opportunity to stop at a public toilet near the river edge as we weren’t staying at any places with facilities.

Later in the evening, we selected another wild camping spot and set up camp, unpacking our boats again. As a team, we had to help each other move the boats on the bank and collectively take individual responsibility so we could maximise efficiency as the toilet stop meant we only got to camp around an hour before sunset. This experience was exciting, but required us to work effectively as a team and communication was essential.

Silver Award The Silver Duke of Edinburgh programme in school has been a significant success and an enjoyable experience for me and my peer group through the opportunity to plan and develop skills in the outdoors. We chose to complete our expedition using kayaks on the river Tweed, in Scotland.

Our expedition began in early April and we set off on a four-hour bus journey to the River Tweed. The first day consisted of packing up our boats and ensuring all belongings were sealed and secured and then paddling down the river for over five hours. We stopped off for lunch on the bank and then continued to find somewhere suitable to camp; however camp was not an ordinary campsite – we were wild camping. After selecting a woody area which we decided was most protected, we set up camp and put up tents on a slightly bumpy surface. No piped water meant all our water had to be purified from the river and toilets were another interesting factor.

Night time quickly came and, after cooking our dinner, we went to bed, wondering what the next day would be like.

The second day started early and we had to pack away our tents and personal kit and put on some slightly wet kayaking gear, which was not the most pleasant feeling. Fresh and early, we set off down the river and we carefully navigated, ensuring we inspected ahead for hazards and potential dangers. The current increased on Day

The third day came, after a rough night and with everyone slightly tired. We set off for another day of paddling, but unfortunately, it rained and rained and rained, meaning it was considerably colder and therefore the mood dropped; however, everyone kept paddling and, determined to finish, we made great progress. To our delight, the weather brightened up towards the end, and we were able to get out and unpack our boats in dry conditions. This feeling of completion was amazing and, as a group, I think we did extremely well. This was a brand new route that even the staff hadn’t used before so our map reading, planning and teamwork all played a vital role in enabling us to complete our expedition.

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & COMMUNITY PROJECTS 37

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects

My group and I are extremely grateful for the support and guidance of the school staff for enabling us to complete the Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which personally has been extremely enjoyable and rewarding.

Alex Cook 11b

For our Silver DofE, we did a kayaking expedition along the River Tweed.

On Day 1 of our expedition going down Walkerburn Cauld, we decided to take the left of this route as this was the route that seemed the safest as there were no stoppers or trees on our path. After this, we headed another 6km until we reached a small rapid, which then led to another rapid which we navigated safely. After this, we kayaked roughly three and a half kilometres until we reached Yair Cauld, which was good for surfing. After another 2km, we set up camp for the night by the river. We had completed 30.07km.

On Day 2, we started going down Melrose Cauld. After this, we kayaked for 10km until we reached Mertoun Cauld. At this point, we had to exit our kayaks to inspect the Cauld was safe to run. We shot the Cauld far left to ensure we were on the safest route possible. A short while after this, we reached Rutherford Cauld, which was safe to run. Finally, there were two small grade 3 rapids, which finished off our 32.8km run.

Day 3 began with a 4km run until Kelso Cauld, which was safe to run straight down.

There was then just over 5km until we reached Banff Mill weir, which had an impressive four drops. Two small caulds and 14km later, we got off in the small town of Coldstream.

William Malley 11b

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Academic Enrichment & Community Projects Gold Award Gold Duke of Edinburgh this year was an amazing experience, from completing the Volunteering section to the Expedition.

the end of the third day was very rewarding, with the ability to have a shower at the campsite and also a chilled evening. We managed to power through the final day, with the thought of knowing that we would have a comfy bed to sleep in that night.

In the Gold Duke of Edinburgh scheme, there are five sections to be completed, the usual Volunteering, Physical, Skill and Expedition, and an additional Residential section. The Residential section included completing four nights away from home at an unfamiliar setting. At this facility, we had to undertake shared activities with unknown people. For our residential, some of us completed NCS, which is a National Citizenship Scheme, and this included spending some nights away from home at Kingswood, Dearne Valley. At this location, we undertook many different activities in the days and evenings – some activities included high ropes, buggy building and team problem solving. NCS was an enjoyable experience, as we got to meet new people from around the Greater Manchester vicinity whilst also creating memories that will last a lifetime.

The Skill section aims to help participants to develop or learn a new skill. Our skills varied, from developing guitar skills to learning about stocks, trading and online ways to make money. The Skill section was very interesting for all of us, as it widened our knowledge of an area of curiosity.

Overall, the Duke of Edinburgh scheme has been an amazing opportunity that we would encourage anyone to take part in. It has helped shape us into more resilient and determined individuals, with new skills and memories to tell in the future.

Jayden Luhar 12a

The Physical section pushed us to get out and be active. Two of us are part of the hockey team and so we used this opportunity to advance our hockey skills, learning about new techniques for passing and also game strategies.

The final section was Volunteering. All three of us highly enjoyed this section as it pushed us to meet new people and help our community.

One of us completed our volunteering hours at Bolton Hospice, offering our help at the cash register, helping price clothes and interacting with customers. Another activity that was completed was coaching Year 7 Hockey students after school. In this, we helped set up drills for the boys to complete and also umpired matches, developing our own understanding of the game as well.

The Expedition was the most memorable part of the scheme. Luckily for our expedition, the weather stayed positive, with temperatures exceeding 20°C for the whole duration. Our route consisted of hiking in an unknown area of the Lake District, and then camping for three nights, with one being a wild camp, and the other two on campsites.

The first day was quite tiring, as we were breaking into the walk, but with a couple of detours, we managed to get to our destination.

The second day included hiking up Skiddaw, which is a 930 metre high mountain. This was very challenging for every member of the group; however, we managed to stay positive and conquered it. The hike down was a nice glide and this led us safely to our wild camp.

The third day was probably the most tiring, after two days of intense walking and still another two days to go, the group’s energy levels were at a low. After climbing to a higher altitude, we could hardly see anything as the clouds were very low that day, so we had to both tackle our low energy levels and little to no visibility. However,

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & COMMUNITY PROJECTS 39

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects Prior to the presentation of awards, several students offered their perspectives on achieving Silver or Gold, recounting some of their experiences and the life-skills that they had learnt along the way.

Silver Award recipient Olivia Melling recalled paddling for three days on a canal for her practice expedition and how one of her group ended up falling in! Lessons were heeded, she said, and the girls then knew what to take when it came to the actual expedition. She also recalled how she volunteered as a netball coach for Year 7 girls, how she got involved with Young Enterprise and developed her physical fitness through netball.

Charlotte Harris, also a Silver Award recipient, spoke of her adventures canoeing on the River Ouse and how this inspired her to take up kayaking, which she has since enjoyed in North Wales, the Lake District and on the River Irwell. Tennis at Markland Hill Racquets Club enabled her to pass her Physical section, where she also volunteered. The undertaking of a First Aid course saw her fulfil the requirements of the Skills section. Charlotte told how she had been given a new set of skills for adulthood, including a new-found confidence, the ability to work collaboratively and advanced map reading capabilities!

The third Silver Award speaker, Veer Patel, told how he had found the DofE experience to be ‘incredibly rewarding’. He told the audience how he had developed his resilience and perseverance during an arduous expedition in the Lakes, volunteered as a Troop Leader at Scouts, played hockey as his physical challenge and an instrument in order to pass his Skill section. He felt the award would be hugely beneficial to him as a person.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Celebration Evening _______________________________________________________

I

n delivering her opening address at this year’s DofE Celebration Evening, Mrs. Kyle, Head of Girls’ Division, reminded the audience of pupils and parents about the dedication that is required to achieve the award and of all the lifelong benefits that successful completion brings. In the last year, 96 boys and girls achieved their Silver Award and 29 their Gold Award.

Gold Award recipient Aran Pomian spoke about the five days and four nights on expedition and about how much he enjoyed his residential in Oxfordshire working for Mencap. He told how the qualification is hard work, but well worth it, as it is so highly valued by universities and employers. He said it had given him a great sense of achievement and helped him build up a whole range of personal skills, including working independently and as part of a team.

Two Gold Award Sixth Form girls, Hannah McKee and Halimah Natha, spoke about their experiences – one had undertaken a Christian outdoor pursuits challenge in the Lakes for five days and the other

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Academic Enrichment & Community Projects had resided at an outdoor activity centre with the NCS scheme. They both agreed that the expedition was a big challenge, but character building as they fought off midges, the fog, a disintegrating boot and struggled with wet, heavy bags. They recalled how they had needed to dig deep when, after four hours, they realised they were only halfway up Skiddaw. Having learnt from bitter experience, they advised the audience that public signs are there to help you! Despite getting lost, they had no regrets whatsoever.

album, which tells the story of an old man looking back on his life – the memories of an old man being the deeds of a young man.

John admitted to not always making the most sensible decisions and told how as a young man, having hitchhiked to Acapulco, he dived off the 100 foot cliffs in an attempt to emulate Elvis in one of his movies!

The speaker then recalled how, in his forties at a dinner party with three friends, they conceived the idea of ‘lunarantics’. The idea was that every full moon, they and like-minded souls would head out for different moonlit micro-adventures. The project has grown in size from the initial four friends to up to 42 participants; a group, which he said, has become a supportive gang of mates. He quoted the saying ‘people like people like themselves’ and told how there is always a great deal of laughter on their outings and how cheese is their supper of choice. At Christmas, he said they like to indulge in a ten-course outdoor meal.

The guest speaker for the evening was John McCarthy, an outdoor enthusiast and expedition leader, who occasionally works with groups from Bolton School’s adventure learning centre, Patterdale Hall. John reflected on how being an instructor is the best job in the world. He recalled how, aged ten, he went on his first residential with school and had his first experience of climbing. He realised his body could do amazing things and, from then on, he had a role – as the boy who rescued footballs stuck in trees and on school rooves.

He also recalled the liberation of walking up Skiddaw with a group of friends as a fifteen year old. He admitted to not achieving the Gold DofE Award, but did get to go to Buckingham Palace to collect his Chief Scout’s Award. In his late teens and early twenties, he said the great outdoors became his life.

John admitted to there being a fine line between adventure and misadventure, recounting the story of their first jaunt to ‘invade Scotland by boat’ and how, on their return, they were met by the coastguard in the Solway Firth! He told how he had done 110 lunarantic evenings and how, on the whole, they have been remarkably incident-free. Except, he said, the night we lost Andy and the night Tim only had one job to do! These two events were actually chapters in his book ‘Full Moon Lunarantics’, which, he said, captures the fun, adventure and friendship enjoyed by the group. Membership involves a certain amount of risk and people need to be resilient and committed. He told how the concept has inspired others who have set up similar groups around the world – in places as diverse as Munich, West Virginia, the Forest of Dean and Inverness! The next full moon, he advised the audience, is on Friday 5th May – why not have an adventure?

John finished by telling students that he hoped they would all become leaders of industry and his parting advice was that if you find something you like doing, then do it to the best of your ability and practise until others will pay you to do it.

John told of once being on the outskirts of the music industry and of managing the largest record store in London for three or four years.

During that time, he said, his life was about earning money, going to gigs and having fun in the outdoors. He reflected on how music had given him lots of great lines which he often quotes to people and told of Pink Floyd’s track Free Four, from their 1972 Obscured by Clouds

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & COMMUNITY PROJECTS 41

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects Duke of Edinburgh’s Award ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The following boys were awarded during the academic year 2022-23: Bronze Tamim Aani Hamza Ahmad Owan Ahmad Mohammed Ahmed Rayaan Ahmed Umair Ahmed Ayaan Akiff Mohammed Akram Shabaan Akram Ahmad Aleid Yash Anand Ahzam Anwaar Mayhar Arshad Subhaan Aslam Zayd Atcha Cooper Atherton Emilio Atherton Thomas Atkinson Zihan Bachu Lewis Bailey William Baines Zachary Baumann Muhammed-Yahya Bax Adam Berisford Freddie Bovill Alex Bowen-Heaton Harry Brown Luke Burns Harry Butler Abdullah Bux Ethan Caswell Neel Chadha Aariyan Chauhan Jayden Cheung Arun Chopra Hashim Choudry Jacob Collinson Alex Cook Ryan Coombes Zachary Corrie Finlay Corrigan Ted Danson Adi Darshan Umar Darsot Finlay Davidson Dimitrios Demertzis Charlie Darbyshire

10c 10c 11e 13b 11c 11f 10b 10a 11d 11f 11b 11b 11c 11e 10a 10a 11e 11e 10c 11c 10e 11c 11e 11b 10d 11c 11a 10a 10d 10d 11d 10e 10f 10b 10a 11c 10a 11b 11a 11d 11d 11e 10f 11f 10e 11e 11b

Avnish Dhiraj Nathan Diakabana Spencer Dodd Alex Dorsky Greg Dorsky Ben Duncalf William Earnshaw Jack Entwisle Sam Entwistle Oliver Evans Emmanuel Eze Dominic Farrell Adam Faulkner Jack Fearnley Sam Fitzpatrick Alex Fitzsimmons Jonathan Frank Joseph Garlick Michael Gatenby Khushal Gola Ed Goodfellow Henry Goodwin Toby Greenwood Seb Gregson George Griffiths Yoji Haddow Adnaan Hajee Charlie Hart Taylor Hartley Dev Hasija Tom Hatchett Oliver Hatton Sebastian Hawkes Xavier Hawkes Ethan Herring William Hoare William Hope Lucas Horridge Monty Horridge Oscar Horrigan Jack Horrocks Matthew Houghton Harry Howarth Jonny Hughes Tristan Hughes Patrick Humphreys Cory Husbands Ammaar Ibraahim Adam Isaji

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10d 10d 11a 11f 11e 11d 10a 11b 11e 11b 11e 11a 11a 11c 10c 10c 11a 11f 11b 11d 10d 11b 11f 11f 11b 11a 10d 10f 10a 10d 11b 10c 10a 10c 10d 11d 10e 10d 11a 11a 11a 10b 10a 10b 11c 10d 10e 11a 10c

Huzayfa Ismail Mustafa Ismail Samuel Jackson Maria Jones-Brosed Mayan Kathiriya Ashton Kay Edgar Keogh Jacob Keld Ismail Khan Waqas Khan Zain Khan Adam Khattak Zack Kitson Jacob Kozera Soumil Kumar Jonak Laha Marcus Law Oliver Leahy Mark Lintott Kelsey Liu James Logan Jeffrey Lok Charlie Lomax Mikaeel Lorgat Isaac Lucas Ben Maher Harry Maher Yusuf Malek Abdur-Rahman Maljee William Malley Freddie Marshall William Martin Jake Mayor Calum McAndry Lucas McGann Harry McLoughlin Amrit Mishra Samarth Misra Archie Moffitt Joshua Moffitt Alistair Mogg Corey Morgan Edward Morris Tony Mottram Corbyn Murray Ahmed Musa Tinashe Musadaidzwa Sam Neill Thomas Newton

11f 10f 11c 11e 11c 11b 11b 10c 10d 11a 11e 11d 11d 10d 11e 11a 10f 13e 11b 10c 11c 10a 11b 11c 11a 11b 11c 11a 11f 11b 11c 11b 11f 11e 11d 10b 11c 11f 10f 11f 10f 10a 10a 10e 10d 11e 10f 11d 11e

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects

Riley Ng Joe Nicholson Alfred Norse James Parfrey Warren Parody Charlie Parrott Adam Patel Adam Patel Anish Patel Arran Patel Arun Patel Kush Patel Mihir Patel Mohammed-Yusuf Patel Nikhil Patel Ziyad Patel Alexander Pearce Oliver Peters Nathan Pierson Liam Pijper Harrison Prill Danyal Qadir Aasam Raja Muhammad Razaq-Aziz Haoming Ren Matthew Roberts Max Roberts Alex Rowley Oliver Rowley Fraser Sackfield Suliman Sadiq Leo Sandiford Oliver Seddon Mohammed Shaikh Harry Shannon Austin Shelly George Sherratt Aidan Shum William Simpkins Keeran Singh Alfie Smethurst Charles Smith Arthur Snape Lucas Stevenson Michael Stivaros Mohammed Ali Sunni Fin Sutton Taqi Syed Dara Taherian

11f 10b 11a 11b 10d 11b 10c 11c 11c 11d 11a 10b 13h 11c 11f 11d 10b 10d 10f 10b 10f 11b 10e 11a 11f 11d 10f 11c 11c 11b 11d 10a 10e 12b 10e 10b 11f 11c 10f 10e 10e 11d 10c 11d 11d 11c 10f 10a 10e

Zak Tanfield Shah Tavakolynik Zach Taylor Muhammad Thagia Zach Tyrer-Hall Suhayb Valli Rayhan Vasanwala Abdullah Vaza George Warren Nathan Watts Joseph Welsby Thomas Wilson Adam Winter Ethan Wong Arin Wong James Woods Matthew Wright Luke Yates Freddie Yearsley Isa Youssouf

11b 11d 11f 11e 10f 10c 11e 11c 11f 10f 11b 11f 10b 11b 11f 10a 10b 11f 10b 10c

Silver Sam Abram Thomas Atkinson Jacob Audley Jonathon Brennan Joe Burrows David Chow Rhys Davies Jake Dickinson Adam Faulkner Neo Fitzgerald James Fitzsimmons Keshana Fonseka Marcus Fung Nat Gatenby Cameron Geskell Levi Higham James Hodgson Daniel Houghton Harvey Husbands Akshat Kamath Ashton Kay Fenn Kay Daud Khan Aarij Khan Oliver Leahy Dylan Lincoln

13a 11e 12e 12f 13e 12c 13e 12c 11a 12i 12b 12h 12d (2022 Leaver) 12h (2022 Leaver) 13b (2022 Leaver) 12b 12e 11b 12d 12e (2021 Leaver) 13e 12i

Kevin Longthorne Oliver Longworth Jayden Luhar William Malley William Martin Harry Mathieson Alex McKie Noah Nethercott Marcus Ng Yash Panasa James Parfrey Jake Partington Mihir Patel Mohammedzayd Patel Muhammad-Mustafa Patel Raees Patel Veer Patel Sam Paton William Pearce Lewis Pierson Adi Ranganath Hamza Razzaq Patrice Rostami Suliman Sadiq Bilal Sardar Guy Seddon Jacob Simmonite Jack Stevens Davyd Sywanyk Harry Taylor Ben Turner Chris Williams

Gold Charlie Ashton Joe Burrows Callum Cavanaugh Will Fothergill Kaushik Kathiriya Ben McCarthy Harry McDermott Robert Murray Aran Pomian George Seddon Harry Whittles Marcus Williams

12d 13a 12a 11b 11b 13c 12f 12f 13a 12c 11b 12h 13h 13f 12d 12e 12c 12c 12f 12c 12f 12g 12e 11d 12h 13f 12i 12c 12d 12d 12i 13h

13d 13e 13b 13h 13i 13c (2022 Leaver) 13b 13g 13h 13a 13d

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & COMMUNITY PROJECTS 43

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects Sixth Form Volunteering Celebration Evening _______________________________________________________

A

s the Summer Term drew to a close, Sixth Form students in the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions gathered in the Arts Centre to celebrate their outstanding contribution to their local communities through volunteering and community action work. Year 12 volunteered for 10,498 hours between September 2022 and June 2023 and over 80% volunteer at least twice a week.

Old Boy Andrew Jowett OBE (Class of 1980), the Chief Executive at Build It International, joined proud parents, staff and students for this special occasion.

In her welcome, Mrs. Entwistle reminded everyone of Bolton School’s ethos of giving back and making a difference for good, and noted that volunteering offers students the opportunity to gain a broader understanding of the challenges and issues that others face, in addition to building important life skills and developing confidence.

184 Year 12 students this year received certificates, with 57 of those being Gold Awards for over 100 hours of voluntary work. The hours this year amount to a record-breaking value of £50,000.

Six students were then invited to share their wide-ranging volunteering experiences. Marcus Fung spoke about working in a Barnado’s charity shop and about tutoring younger chess players and arbitrating competitions. Kashaf Ashraf talked about her volunteering at Bolton Hospice. Kevin Longthorne described working at a Covid vaccine centre and at a nursery, as well as refereeing youth rugby matches.

Elliott Rigby spoke about voluntary work in school supporting drama productions and the fireworks evening, as well as being a Dance Assistant. Jayden Luhar talked about coaching hockey, doing paired reading and his work with youth group Creatives Now. Mariam Ali described being a youth leader at Beavers, helping to organise Tea at the Riley and working with Homeless Aid’s Street Kitchen. They all mentioned the many skills they had developed and the huge amount of benefit they had gained from volunteering, while simultaneously helping others. These speeches were followed by the presentation of certificates to the exceptional students who gave their time this academic year.

Andrew Jowett then gave the evening’s keynote address. He began by looking back on his ‘wonderful’ time at Bolton School, recalling the sports and outdoor pursuits, in particular the trek camps, and

the opportunities he had to lead younger boys in these activities.

Through taking part, he developed inquisitiveness, confidence and leadership skills while also learning both to take responsibility and take risks. After leaving Bolton School, he went on to study Geography at Oxford University, where he became involved with a literacy programme for migrants.

Offering his first piece of advice for the evening, he encouraged students to follow his example as, despite pressure to get on the career ladder after university, he took his time to explore different things to find out what was the right fit. This led him, at 28, to a career in Central America, building water systems and schools with Save the Children. He then worked in East Africa for a time, before eventually founding Build It International in 2007.

Build It International is a charity which provides construction education to young people in Zambia and supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. 200 to 250 young men and women are enrolled in each practical six-month course, and the charity also works with employers to offer students and graduates work placements and job opportunities, supporting the trainees into work.

Andrew also explained how Build It International’s trainees help to solve problems, for example the charity works with Zambia’s Ministry of Education to build schools in communities where an upgrade is needed, providing facilities so that the government can then send trained teachers to the new school buildings. He said that in many cases, the siblings of the builders go on to attend these schools. He also shared impact studies that showed how, after each year, levels of poverty are reduced for Build It International trainees, showing the real difference that these practical courses are making in young people’s lives. Later in his talk, he shared the ‘1 Million Hands Up’ campaign that Build It International is currently running on social media.

Moving on to some reflections, Andrew reminded everyone that it’s okay to take time, find skills and interests and follow where they lead.

He also recommended being genuinely interested in other people, and to see the bigger picture to recognise the importance and impact of what you are doing. He added that it is a privilege to volunteer, as ‘the pleasure is in the giver, not the receiver’: volunteering offers a huge amount back. As well as making an enormous difference to others, it develops confidence and gives opportunities to meet and make connections between a wide variety of people.

Finally, Andrew’s call to action was for the Sixth Formers to continue supporting their local community, wherever they end up, and to consider a career in the voluntary sector, as charities need talented people just as much as business and government. He congratulated the School, staff and especially the students on their achievements: ‘I’m really, really blown away, I’m so impressed.’

To bring the evening to a close, Mr. Britton thanked Andrew for his

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Academic Enrichment & Community Projects affirming address. He too offered his thanks and congratulations to the gathered students, and their parents for their support, acknowledging that the small amount of ‘compulsory volunteering’ at Bolton School is a necessary push that allows so many students to go above and beyond when they find something they are good at and enjoy doing. He said that this evening was an opportunity to be ‘terrifically proud’ and that he is ‘enormously optimistic that students will leave prepared to make a difference for good.’

The ‘A’ competition was won by Bolton School Junior Boys, who beat St. Andrew’s from Over Hulton 1-0 in a very tight match.

Football Festival _______________________________________________________

The Girls’ competition saw Eatock run out 3-1 winners over St. Thomas Chequerbent.

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nce again, the Bolton School Football Festival, which runs over two days after school, has proved massively popular with local primary school girls and boys – 140 teams competed in total.

Day One saw hundreds of Year 3 and Year 4 pupils from local schools play some great football on the Bolton School Levels. The mini games were played in a great spirit and were refereed by Boys’ Division pupils from Years 7, 8 and 10.

Day Two, which enjoyed even better weather, saw hundreds of Year 5 and 6 pupils compete in three fiercely contested competitions.

Again, the matches were refereed by older Bolton School pupils and local referees were provided by Bolton PE and School Sport. The ‘B’ competition was won by St. Brendan’s, who overcame Egerton CPS 2-0 in the Final.

Bolton Children’s Fiction Awards _______________________________________________________

J

ennifer Killick’s Dread Wood was chosen as this year’s Bolton Children’s Fiction Award winner. Each year, children from Years 6 to 9 from across the region vote for their favourite title, chosen from six recently published works shortlisted by the library team at Bolton School.

Over 200 pupils from three local primary schools and eight secondary schools attended this year’s awards ceremony, held in the Great Hall of the Boys’ Division at Bolton School. Having already read and reviewed the books and met the authors via Zoom, the audience, which also comprised book clubs, sat in eager anticipation of the

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Academic Enrichment & Community Projects announcement. Head Librarian, Mrs. Howarth, compèred the event, opening by saying: ‘This is always a very exciting day in which we count up the pupils’ votes. The benefits of reading are endless and today we are here to celebrate and promote a passion for stories.’

After praising the six shortlisted authors and all the other wonderful writers out there, she announced this year’s winner as Jennifer Killick’s Dread Wood. The author, who was in attendance, was presented with a leather bound copy of her book by Jacob Jones, an avid Year 8 reader from Bolton School, who had written an excellent review of her novel.

Jennifer talked about the power of stories and how books can get you through difficult times. She said that she hopes to make people feel better through her own writing. She also spoke about what inspires her and where she gets her ideas for her children’s horror stories, as well as about some of her own favourite books.

Jennifer then answered a wide range of thoughtful questions, including: Who do you base your characters on? What insect do you hate the most? Do your books gets translated? Did everyone think you would become an author? Which book, if you could, would you change?

Boys and girls from Devonshire Road, Hesketh House and Park Road primary schools, along with secondary school pupils from Canon Slade, Bolton St. Catherine’s Academy, St. Wilfrid’s C of E Academy, Parrenthorn High School, The Derby High School and Outwood Academy Hindley, as well as pupils from the Boys’ Division and Girls’ Division of Bolton School then had an opportunity to meet the author, to have her sign books and, using Jennifer’s writing tips, to undertake a creative writing workshop.

Taking to the podium, the author recapped her life, telling how she had always wanted to be a writer, but that a schooldays shyness and lack of self-belief had held her back. While she studied English at university, it was only after she had done a few ‘boring jobs’ that she undertook a Masters in Creative Writing and decided to try and fulfil her ambition of becoming a writer. Jennifer told how she was first published in 2017 with her book Alex Sparrow and the Really Big Stink. She advised that an author’s work undergoes many rewrites and that it took six and a half years from penning her first novel to it being published. During this time, she said, it was only her stubbornness that stopped her from giving up on her dream. To date, she has written twelve books – she even read a ‘world exclusive’ from one of them, a short story called ‘The Pond’, which will be included in the anthology, Read, Scream, Repeat. Her advice to the young audience was to ‘put the work in and have confidence in yourself.’

One pupil, James from Canon Slade, said: ‘Today I went to the Bolton Fiction Awards 2023 and had the best time of my life. I loved that we were able to get our books signed by the author that won. I loved that they included interactive things that we were able to do such as creating our own mythological creature, writing our own metaphors and much more.’

Another pupil, Saif Karim from Bolton School, described Jennifer as being: ‘Even better than J.K. Rowling!’

The other five shortlisted books were The Last Firefox by Lee Newbery, Carnival of the Lost by Kieran Larwood, How I Saved the World in a Week by Polly Ho-Yen, The Last Bear by Hannah Gold and The Ship of Doom by M.A. Bennett.

The Teenage Journey _______________________________________________________

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he School has offered a programme of meetings throughout the academic year, in conjunction with the Parents’ Association, that has aimed to help parents deal with some of the issues that they might face with their child in their teenage years. Known as the ‘Teenage Journey’, the sessions have given parents a chance to listen to professional advice and guidance, sometimes from the School’s own staff, sometimes from outside speakers and, just as crucially, from parents who have ‘been there’ and can relate to the issues other members of the parental body have. All the meetings (and there has been one each half term) were designed to provide practical, tangible advice and support, and parents from across the Foundation attended. Some of our notable external speakers included the well renowned Chris Hemmings, who spoke passionately and eloquently about ‘How to be Man in the

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Academic Enrichment & Community Projects Twenty-First Century’, and Dr. Ola Demkowicz, from the University of Manchester, whose thoughts on the ‘Storm and Stress of Teenage Development’ were particularly insightful. Thanks should also go to Mr. Ford, Mrs. Brandon and Ms. Bradford-Keegan, who also shared their expertise. There is no doubt that those who attended found the sessions to be most informative and useful.

Mr. P.G. Davidson

Proctor Team’s Review of the Year _______________________________________________________

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cross the last academic year, the Proctor Team has had oversight and input into many activities and initiatives across the Senior Boys’ Division. In October, we recognised Anti-Bullying Week, in which pupils across all year groups were invited to wear ‘Odd Socks for Sport’, something that Mr. Fernside has been passionate about each year. Assemblies and pastoral periods were focused on raising awareness about bullying, the impact it has on those who experience it, and how to be an Upstander. The theme of Anti-Bullying Week 2022 was “Reach Out” and pupils in Years 7 to 9 made their pledge to the cause by decorating paper hands that were displayed in the dining hall for all to see – some of these formed part of the Anti-Bullying display outside the Proctor Office.

We welcomed Mrs. A. Hasija to the Proctor Team, who worked with The Diana Award (an organisation supported by HRH The Prince of Wales) to train ten of our pupils to be Anti-Bullying Ambassadors. The team of Ambassadors now meets each half term to explore ways that the School can continue to challenge bullying behaviours and offer peer support. It is important that work against bullying and unkindness is not limited to Anti-Bullying Week alone and that our awareness of such issues is all year round. The Ambassador Team are passionate about the cause and have already brought together some exciting ideas which we hope to share with you throughout the year ahead.

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Academic Enrichment & Community Projects In February, we celebrated LGBT+ History Month in School. As well as accessing resources within the Pastoral Periods, pupils were invited to take part in a quiz, which required them to research key dates and information about LGBT+ rights in the UK. As in 2022, rainbow ribbons were also available to buy for a donation to the Rainbow Trust, an organisation that supports LGBT+ youth throughout the UK. A special thank you to Miss Peters, who created a fabulous display of butterflies outside A29 – a representation of diversity throughout the School community.

Mr. R.J.W. Humphreys

British Canoeing Discover Award _______________________________________________________

During Neurodiversity Week in March, we invited pupils to find out more about their unique strengths and differences by encouraging pupils to take part in a virtual quiz, in which answers could be found using QR codes on the display outside A29. Social media is now an inevitable part of growing up for nearly all children. Whilst social media can be used in a positive way, it has also made childhood tougher for many. In response to the growing need for improvements in social media education, not just for young people, but also for parents and staff, The Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit decided to pilot The Social Switch programme. The Social Switch empowered Year 10 students to mentor and guide Year 7 students through assemblies and Pastoral Period sessions. The aim of these sessions went beyond e-safety. Children’s lives are spilled across a blurred picture of online and offline worlds and the programme was designed to reflect and engage with this and covered identity, relationships, as well as risks and opportunities across online and offline worlds. Mr. Humphreys guided the Year 10 pupils involved as they delivered sessions throughout the Summer Term.

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fter completing the Paddle Start Award in Year 7, boys who selected paddle sports for their Sport lessons have completed their British Canoeing Discover Award. The Discover Award allows you to develop your decision making and practical skills for a fun and safe time on the water, as you become a more skilled and independent paddler. Through this award, you learn how to choose and effectively use equipment, whilst developing an understanding of the factors which affect your paddling.

Congratulations to Tony Chen (8f), Roman Doherty (8d), Rory Freestone (8b), Theodore Jones (8g), Theo Michaelas (8g), Yehia Mohamed (8c), Vincent Parkinson (8b), Shay Patel (8a), Noah Plenderleith (8b) and Alexander Preston (8c).

Mountain Bike Instructors’ Award _______________________________________________________

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chieving the Mountain Bike Instructors’ Award (MIAS) was great fun, spending a weekend at The Anderton Centre learning to coach beginner mountain bikers. Over the course of the weekend, we learnt what to pack in your trail bag, how to progressively step up riding difficulty, how to perform

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Academic Enrichment & Community Projects an M check on bikes and what to do in emergencies (apparently amputation isn’t always necessary).

Lego continues to be a favourite hobby of our students, with a base in developing three dimensional skills and innovative pieces.

Creating the most inventive animals saw the following receive prizes:

I also believe that over the weekend, we benefitted from more than just new knowledge of biking, with the food at the Anderton Centre fuelling us with bacon butties in the mornings and curry for lunch. The course allowed us to meet other local mountain bikers and trade ideas on great biking spots.

After gaining both Assistant and Level 1 qualifications, I look forward to helping coach the School Mountain Biking Club. I would highly recommend the MIAS course to any pupil that enjoys the outdoors, as the qualification allows you to see new parts of the local area and will hopefully encourage you to find more places to enjoy riding.

Louie Healey 8d Harry Taylor 12d

Art Enrichment _______________________________________________________

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his academic year saw the introduction of regular Art competitions to entice and continue to develop our creativity in school – they’re also fun! September began with a photographic call out for those images so often gathered over a long summer break. With some stunning images, the visitors to our Open Morning in October voted for their favourite.

Theo Michaelas 8g Next year, there are plans for a drawing competiton and an animation prize. Watch this space for the creative output in the next edition.

The ‘Who Am I?’ Year 9 Art workshops, organised by Bolton Council, are a collaborative project enabling schools in Bolton town to collaborate on Art projects whilst developing knowledge on diversity, and celebrating our differences. The four sessions began with a gathering of all contributing schools: Bolton Boys’, Eden Boys’, Ladybridge and Harper Green, in which we met for the first time in November to introduce ourselves.

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Academic Enrichment & Community Projects acrylic paintings of family members, the graphic designers exhibited animations, video and film work, branding and advertising pieces.

Digital work sits alongside more classical art work, but whatever the students’ preferred method, our courses allow them to develop their own individual style. The Summer Exhibition exemplifies this and our thanks go to our many visitors who came to support them and enjoy the talent on show that evening in June.

In the second and third sessions in the Spring Term, we created our Art responses to who we are and then met for the final time this year to celebrate all that had been created and enjoyed. It was a most wonderful opportunity to meet other Art colleagues and students from our town. The culminating exhibition in the town centre was enjoyed by many with lots of positive comments from visitors.

Many of the pieces from the exhibition can be found in the ‘Creative Writing and Artwork’ section of the magazine.

Mrs. M.A. Ryder

Horwich Parkway Station Project _______________________________________________________ The Art Department’s Summer Exhibition took place on a lovely summer evening in June. This showcase event aims to celebrate the GCSE Art & Design and A Level Art and Graphics work that Year 11 and 13 students have worked so hard to produce over the past two years. We have always been very proud of the variety, breadth and depth of the creative work of our students, and, as highlighted in the exhibition, there is a place for every creative at Bolton School.

The fine artists showed us their stunning tonal shaded work and

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e are delighted to have been given further opportunity to create artwork to adorn the walls of Horwich Parkway Station in Bolton. Boys from the Senior Artists Collective have met regularly to learn about and create visual murals based on the tradition of Horwich’s railway past. They also considered what might make a rail journey less mundane and channelled positive thoughts in their messages.

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Academic Enrichment & Community Projects The intention is to have the work made into weatherproof panels and sited at the station over summer.

Mrs. J. White

Sir Lindsay Hoyle Visit _______________________________________________________

Mason Burke 10a

Lucas Horridge 10d

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ixth Form students from across the borough enjoyed a very special morning with Sir Lindsay Hoyle, The Speaker of the House of Commons, at Bolton School.

Mr. Britton, Head of Foundation, welcomed Sir Lindsay, who opened his address with an overview of his political career. He stressed how getting young people involved in politics had always been a priority for him, and, indeed, how this had been a part of his own experience: he had come from a political family, and became the youngest councillor to serve Chorley at the age of twenty-two. After experiencing local politics, he told how he was encouraged to stand for the Labour Party and spoke about his work as a ‘champion of overseas territories’, even going against the government when necessary.

Sir Lindsay explained how he became a Deputy Speaker and all about his elected position as Chair of Ways and Means, explaining what the role entails and how he fulfils his duties. He also talked about some of the challenges he has faced in the position during what has been a frenetic time in politics, from helping to beef up Parliament’s cyber security, to dealing with the aftermath of the death of Jo Cox and the London Bridge terror attack.

Harry Butler 10d

Amaan Akram & Noah Spielmann 10a

Sir Lindsay then went into more detail about his election as the Speaker of the House of Commons, what the role means and how he has brought his own style to the post.

He told how, when he arrived, the top three posts in the Speaker’s office were all held by men: it involved some difficult conversations, but he has since changed that to make it a more diverse office.

Having good staff, he said, is key to achieving effectiveness, and he talked about some of the people he works with day to day, as well

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Academic Enrichment & Community Projects as shedding light on some of the lesser-known aspects of his job: he reminded everyone that ‘sitting in the chair’ is only three hours a day, and this is only a small fraction of his role! As the ‘Chairman’ of the House of Commons, he is also responsible for salary negotiations, making decisions about repairs to the building and a host of other duties and responsibilities. Reflecting on some of the key moments from his time in the House of Commons, he recalled how the mood of the chamber changed completely when word came through that the Queen was ‘very ill’.

servants are often involved in politics at the highest levels without being political.

Mr. Britton thanked Sir Lindsay for his address and his thoughtful answers to the questions posed by students. He also thanked Mr. Winrow of the Bolton School Girls’ Division History and Politics Department for arranging the event.

In closing, Sir Lindsay said that Parliament had undoubtedly changed over the years. However, he emphasised, there is a need to bring back respect, not just tolerance. He said that people should believe in democracy and that the ballot box should be the answer.

Overall, he said he felt ‘lucky’ to have such a ‘wonderful job’ and that the House can be the worst or the best and ‘when it’s the best, there’s no better place to be’.

Sir Lindsay then opened the floor to questions, the first of which was: ‘is it difficult to remain neutral?’ He replied that being neutral is part of the rules, and he couldn’t have taken the job if he wasn’t prepared to follow them. He admitted that it is sometimes difficult, but he cannot show favouritism. When asked whether it is difficult to represent his constituency as Speaker, he said that he still lives in Chorley and ensures that he makes time to be there and to talk to constituents. He also said that he has a unique position, in that he may not be able to speak in the chamber, but he can summon the Prime Minister, and others, and, in private, use his position effectively on behalf of his constituents.

He talked about Prime Minister’s Questions as being ‘pure theatre’, a good place to raise issues, but not a place for effective scrutiny or to get an answer. He offered his thoughts on Scottish independence, and spoke on the necessity of a scrutinising body, whether that be the Lords or some other entity. He also shared some anecdotes about the Speakers’ Conference, which he hosted in Chorley at the request of Nancy Pelosi! He talked about the psychological impact of the job on MPs, including the abuse and intimidation they can face, and the work he has done to combat this and encourage positive health and wellbeing.

In light of Liz Truss’ resignation in the days before his visit, several questions were posed about the change in Prime Minister and the possibility of a General Election. Sir Lindsay stressed that it is important for his job to be able to build a relationship with the Prime Minister, whoever they may be, and that the country needs stability most of all. He reminded everyone that the UK does not have a presidential system, and the public selects a political party, not a person.

Finally, Sir Lindsay gave his advice to those looking to pursue a career in politics: get involved in local, grassroots politics and join a party. He said that if you want to be at the cutting edge, look at becoming an MP, but he also reminded the audience that civil

‘Sir Lindsay’s talk was a wonderful opportunity for Bolton School students studying Politics at A Level, as well as younger Girls’ Division pupils involved in Model United Nations (MUN), to hear from a senior political figure about working in Government. I was delighted to extend an invite to local schools and colleges too. All in all, it has been a great morning’, said Mr. Winrow.

Pupil featured in The Historian Magazine _______________________________________________________

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Level Historian Aadam Patel was delighted to see his article about the rise and fall of the remote Pacific island of Nauru published in the latest edition of The Historian, the magazine of the Historical Association. Aadam chose the subject of Nauru as he thought it would make an interesting case study.

The Year 13 student’s work featured alongside that of professional historians and academics, and was selected by the panel of the Young Historian Awards from hundreds of submissions from schools across the UK. It is only the second time that an article from the Boys’ Division’s Sixth Form magazine, The HistOracle, has been selected for national publication in the 12 years that it has been going to press, although the School has won the award for Best Sixth Form Magazine numerous times.

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Academic Enrichment & Community Projects Linguistic Competitions _______________________________________________________

climbing efforts by all the rest of the squad, gave Bolton School a winning combined total score and overall victory.

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he Linguistics Olympiad is now a firm fixture in the academic calendar and, once again, a number of committed Sixth Form linguists spent an afternoon decoding a range of unfamiliar languages. Tom Debreczeni, David Chow, Marcus Fung, George Houghton (Bronze award) Alex McKie, Ben Rimmer (Silver award), Veer Patel from Year 12, and Barnaby Keogh from Year 13 enjoyed exploring the morphology and syntax of a set of completely unfamiliar language systems. Congratulations go to Ben and George for securing medals in what the organisers acknowledged was an especially challenging competition this year.

The boys all demonstrated academic curiosity in extending their linguistic interests beyond their A Level studies.

Mr. D.W. Kettle A group of keen Year 9 linguists enjoyed participating in the inaugural National Language Competition organised by GCHQ, the UK’s intelligence, security and cyber agency. With the aim of inspiring pupils to discover their aptitude for learning languages, this was the first competition of its kind. The boys engaged in a week-long set of immersive language-themed challenges hosted on a virtual platform, and demonstrated excellent teamwork and problem-solving skills with enthusiasm, showing real linguistic promise. With over 600 schools taking part, the boys made an impressive debut for the School.

Congratulations to Hanaan Ahmed, Zain Burrill, Mohammed Gondal, Ben Heath, Kieran Holt, Shayan Kanji, Temka Khadkhuu, Ned Manock, Kenzie Naylor, Matthew Pearson, Leo Simpson and Jack Singh.

Mrs. C.A. Brace

North West Schools Climbing Championship _______________________________________________________

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n March, Bolton School Boys’ Division attended the North West Schools Climbing Championship at Rock Over Climbing Centre in Manchester. A team of ten boys from Years 8 to 13 had eight climbs to attempt, with points available based on how many attempts each climb took.

Expectations were high, given Bolton had won the same event in 2022. Squad captain Paul Bigger secured an impressive 1st place in the KS5 category, and Zayd Atcha and Aaron Patel achieved 1st and 2nd place respectively in the KS3 category. These high placed results, together with some amazing

British Physics Olympiad _______________________________________________________

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n December 2022, six Year 13 students from Bolton School Boys’ Division entered Round 1 of the British Physics Olympiad Competition. This is an extremely hard physics paper designed to challenge the most able students in the country. This year, there were also many entries from China. Well done to the following boys who all achieved medals: Siddhant Patel George Seddon Neerav Patel Frankie Chen Muhammed Akhtar Fadi Khaled Baiza

Gold Silver Silver Bronze II Bronze II Bronze II

Physics Olympics _______________________________________________________

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ighteen teams from nine schools from across the North West took part in this year’s Physics Olympics at Bolton School. Each team, named after a famous physicist, comprised four Year 9 scientists who, during the course of the day, took part in a series of challenges, quizzes and tests.

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & COMMUNITY PROJECTS 53

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects

The day allowed gifted and talented pupils from Stockport Academy, Parklands Academy, University Collegiate School Bolton, King’s Leadership Academy, North Halifax Grammar School, St. Joseph’s and The Lowry Academy, as well as pupils from both Divisions of Bolton School to indulge themselves in a day of fun, but stretching Physics activities that their normal timetable might not allow for.

Mr. M.R. Ormerod

Chemistry Enrichment _______________________________________________________

Beginning at 9.30am, the teams took part in six half-hour tasks: Delayed Timing, Rainbow Babies, Bullseye, Sink or Swim, Jelly Baby Towers and, the hardest of them all: Fermi Quiz.

After a buffet lunch, prizes were handed out to the six individual event winners and to the overall first, second and third placed teams. There was also a small memento of the day for all who were involved.

Team Feynman from the Lowry Academy of Salford was the overall winner, in second place was Team Joule from Bolton School Boys’ Division and taking the Bronze medal was Bernoulli, a second team from the Lowry Academy.

Chemistry Olympiad Designed to challenge and inspire, the UK Chemistry Olympiad is a unique opportunity for students to push themselves further and excel in the Chemistry field. This two-hour examination is designed to challenge, so is not easy! The test is an opportunity to develop their thinking and problem-solving skills, and to test their existing knowledge of chemistry in real-world situations. Whilst the competition is aimed at Year 13 students, the Chemistry Department always encourages younger students to participate, notably Year 12s and occasionally Year 11s!

This year, three students performed particularly well, gaining gold medals.

Name Form Tom Boardman 13f Frankie Chen 13b Siddhant Patel 13c Zain Akram 13h 13d Sharull Hossain Mark Liu 13i 13g Rayyan Patel Veer Patel 12c Andy Shen 12g Muhammad Choudhary 13e

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Award Gold Gold Gold Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Silver Bronze

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects Ketan Dhokia Daniel Elding-Parry Danny Heywood Akshat Kamath Hamza Mehraj Zain Mehraj Sam Paton

12g 12h 12a 12e 13h 12f 12c

a quiz where we looked at various anagrams, crosswords and quiz questions related to chemistry. Finally, we had a comprehension, where we investigated venoms and poisons and looked at how they related to chemistry. Overall, the day was very enjoyable, we worked well as a team and it made us appreciate chemistry more.

Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

Ethan Herring 10d

C3L6 C3L6 is a challenging 90-minute written Chemistry examination held in June, open to students studying in the UK in Year 12 or below. Veer and Sam performed well, but not quite well enough to be selected for the summer training camp held at St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge.

Name Form Veer Patel 12c Sam Paton 12c 12h Kiran Adiyodi James Bland 12c 12d Muhammad-Mustafa Patel Harry Adams 12g Zayan Azad 12i Daniel Elding-Parry 12h

Award Gold Gold Silver Silver Silver Copper Copper Copper

Chemquiz The Chemquiz team won the prize for the best practical work at the recent competition against the best schools in Greater Manchester.

The students had to use their practical knowledge and problemsolving skills to solve a puzzle, and then present their findings in a well-reasoned and comprehensive report. This was an extremely challenging and competitive event and the team performed superbly.

Well done to Akshay Kallat (8c), Neeraj Patel (8c), Kieran Holt (9a) and Ethan Herring (10d).

Dr. M. Yates

On Thursday 15th June, three other boys and I represented Bolton School Boys’ Division in the Chemquiz competition at Manchester Metropolitan University. The competition was made up of roughly twenty schools from all over Manchester. The competition consisted of four different activities, the first of which was an interesting demonstration. A group of scientists showed us lots of different fun science demonstrations, for example setting on fire foam bubbles which were on a man’s head and lighting up various fuels to create huge fires. This was one of the highlights of the day that I found particularly interesting.

Another highlight was the practical, where we were given samples of soil and water; we were given the challenge to decide where was best to grow vegetables in the event of being marooned on an island.

As a team, we worked so well together to find where it was best to grow the plants that we won a prize. Additionally, we took part in

Biology Challenge _______________________________________________________

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he Year 9 and 10 Biology Challenge is a national competition that tests the best young biologists across the nation. Only the top 15% are awarded medals with only the top 5% being awarded Gold.

Name Form Luke Burns 10a Nathan Watts 10f Zain Burrill 9e Jayden Cheung 10b 10d Ethan Herring William Simpkins 10f Noah Spielmann 10a Abdullah Bux 10d Ed Goodfellow 10d 9d Daniel Hunter Antoine Jodeau 9c Jeffrey Lok 10a Jakub Maron 9a Max Roberts 10f 9f Leo Simpson Nathaniel Waghorn 10b James Woods 10a Abdullah Zaeem 9d

Award Gold Gold Silver Silver Silver Silver SIlver Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

The Bebras Computing Challenge _______________________________________________________

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he Bebras Computing Challenge, hosted by the University of Oxford introduces computational thinking to students.

It is organised in over 50 countries and designed to get students from all over the world excited about computing.

Each participant answers as many questions as they can in 40 minutes that focus on problem solving, computational and logical thinking. All our Year 7 boys took part during their ICT lesson.

Congratulations to the following boys who scored Distinctions: Yahya Abdullah Taylor Aspden Ziyad Bagasi

7d 7c 7d

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & COMMUNITY PROJECTS 55

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects Ben Booth 7a Mahad Chohan 7d Tanishq Das 7b Calvin King 7c Derek Leong 7a Justin Li 7b Nicky Ling 7d Faaz Sajid 7a

Picture this: an empty Everest. The only sound being that harsh, howling wind at the summit of the prestigious mountain. You look up and around: the only view is the derelict, isolated building. The crippled infrastructure of the local village left bare, visible, vivid.

Hopes and dreams destroyed. One decision, one fateful decision.

The perfect natural beauty will never be seen again. This is why Everest should be kept open.

Zac McAlister 10b

Very well done to Justin Li in 7b who scored the highest mark in Boys’ Division and has been awarded a certificate for ‘Best in School’.

Mrs. E.J. Fielding

Visit from author Matt Dickinson _______________________________________________________

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n the Autumn Term, the Library organised for Boys’ Division students in Years 7 and 10 to hear talks on a variety of topics from published author Matt Dickinson. This is not the first time that Matt has visited the school, but it is the first time speaking to these two year groups. Year 10 were given an insight into journalism and were supported in a real-life approach to writing an article, which fitted in with their English Language curriculum focusing on reading, exploring and writing non-fiction texts. All boys were engrossed and wrote notes throughout and asked some really insightful questions at the end of the fifty minutes. This was then followed up in English lessons, where students were asked to write an article debating whether Mount Everest should remain open, especially with its recent status as a ‘Bucket List’ life experience.

The economic benefits of the tourists who climb Everest are immeasurable; they have turned neighbouring villages from being rural and poor to having proper infrastructure and money to hand.

From this, schools were built, roads were laid and shops and businesses were created. Each climber pays £50,000 to climb the mountain, so imagine the profits from a whole group of climbers.

Ed Goodfellow 10d Year 7 experienced a variety of talks across the day, led by their questions and intrigue and, as always, Matt used his experience of climbing Mount Everest countless times to entice boys into issues around the environment, geography, science, and even topics such as economics and morality issues.

This year, for National Poetry Day, BSBD English and BSBD Eco launched a poetry competition to coincide with Matt Dickinson’s visit. He kindly agreed to judge entries and select the winning prize.

The theme this year was ‘The Environment’ and this clearly inspired boys and we had many fantastic entries. It was certainly difficult to shortlist and Matt had a difficult task in selecting one overall winner.

Matt gave the winner his feedback: ‘Rivington’ by Ethan Knight is a worthy winner of this poetry prize.

It caught my attention immediately with its bold use of vocabulary and an evocative atmosphere. He connects the ebb and flow of the natural world (rivers carrying fragments of rock) with the human experience (I inhale the recently moisturised air) in a sophisticated way. Nice work, Ethan, well done!

You can read some of the entries to the competition, including the winning entry in the Creative Writing section of the magazine.

Ms. J.Z. Sigrist

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Academic Enrichment & Community Projects Enrichment in Modern Foreign Languages _____________________________________________________

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ur year 12 and 13 Hispanists enjoyed a study session delivered by Dr. Carmen Herrero at Manchester Metropolitan University. They learned to use cinematic vocabulary to describe scenes from the Almodóvar film ‘Volver’ in detail – excellent preparation for their A Level writing paper and a taster of university life.

Congratulations to our Year 13 Boys’ French team of Barnaby Keogh and Will Fothergill and Girls’ Spanish team (Henna & Martha) who were runners-up in the final of the North Schools’ MFL Debating Competition hosted at Cheadle Hulme School. The debating motions prepared in advance were “Digital technology is making young people’s lives better” and whether “Religion has a key role in modern society.” In the final, the boys had 20 minutes to prepare an unseen motion – “Being prepared is over-rated” losing narrowly to Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, who argued against the motion having won the coin toss. The final was judged by Xavier Lavry, president of the Alliance Française, who was impressed by the standard of the competition and, of course, the finalists.

Mr. A.C. Robson Despite the regrettable and hugely saddening conflict in Ukraine, 2022/23 is proving an exciting and successful year in the Russian Department.

JJ Campbell and Mihir Patel represented the Spanish Department at the annual North West Schools Debating Competition. They were worthy opponents in all of their debates, which included topics such as ‘Lockdown helped to improve education’ and ‘Simple is better than complex’. Although they won some of their heats, they did not progress to the final this year. We all enjoyed supporting the Girls’ Division team in their final debate.

Our boys are progressing superbly, with Barnaby Keogh and Ben Rimmer both winners at the Sheffield University Russian Essay Competition – Barnaby for the second time! We look forward to future entries from our younger pupils.

We have also welcomed several guest speakers who have run sessions on, amongst other things, links between Bolton and the Russian Empire during the Industrial Revolution, whilst Old Boltonians Mr. Peter Scott and Mr. Andrew Clelland spoke about their experiences of using Russian in their careers in journalism and scientific research.

Mrs. J.L. Cotton

Mr. N.R.W.Wyatt

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & COMMUNITY PROJECTS 57

Academic Enrichment & Community Projects During the Summer Term this year, for the first time, Year 8 German pupils completed a film study. Together with Mr. Boyd and Mr. Brace, classes have watched ‘Das Wunder von Bern’. They learned about post-war Germany: the changing roles played by men and women, the after-effects on people and places, and the hope brought by the 1954 World Cup. Students have completed character studies and learned about some of the famous people portrayed in the film. The German Department is looking forward to watching student presentations at the end of the project and will be awarding prizes for outstanding work.

Six pupils from both Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions represented the School as Regional Finalists in both French and Spanish at the Routes into Languages Spelling Bee Competition held in Liverpool in March. Unfortunately, the competition was tough and they did not obtain a place in the final, but they all did a cracking job and should feel very proud of themselves.

On 21st June, the German Department hosted Year 8 Futbol Lingo Day when it welcomed Pierce Kiembi from Futbol Lingo to school. Pierce is a former semi-professional footballer and current academy coach at Burnley FC. He delivered an outstandingly interesting and engaging assembly to the whole of Year 8 about language learning and using languages in the football industry.

The students were absolutely captivated. After the assembly, boys in Year 8 who study German were split into groups to take part in workshops. They worked in teams to bid to be the host nation of the ‘Meisterschaft der deutschsprachigen Länder’ – all, of course, in German!

The pupils benefitted from some words of wisdom from Alex Gao, an Old Boy, who was placed second nationally when he had taken part in the competition as a Year 7 back in 2014!

Congratulations also to Barnaby Keogh in Year 13 for his Commended French entry in the Anthea Bell Translation Competition hosted by Oxford University.

Ms. K.J. Roddy

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Clubs & Societies Senior Literary and Debating Society _______________________________________________________

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at each session. The sheer energy and enthusiasm of our group is contagious, and it is fantastic to see pupils engaging in such a positive and healthy, creative activity.

ne of the extra-curricular activities that students take a keen interest in is the Senior Literary and Debating Society. This has become a popular way for numerous pupils to develop their confidence in public speaking, as well as creativity and improvisation.

The Society meets every week, with topics and arguments prepared by students who wish to speak in advance. Topics have ranged from studying a language at GCSE to disbanding the monarchy. Three students argue in favour of the motion, while three argue against.

Arguments are delivered eloquently, despite the inevitable divide in opinion. Questions are then asked from the floor (wider audience) before a final vote to decide the motion.

The Debating Society has given pupils several opportunities to enhance their skills outside of school. Recently, members of the Boys’ Division recently had the opportunity to participate in the MACE debate competition. This allowed boys to debate a variety of fascinating topics with other schools regionally. In addition, boys have been able to attend the English-Speaking Union Academy, where they benefitted from professional coaching to further hone their debating skills.

We would like to thank Mr. Lucas-Nolan for co-ordinating the Society and allowing so many students to enjoy debating.

William Malley & James Parfrey 11b

Dance Club _______________________________________________________

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s we waltz towards the end of another school year, I am delighted to report on the huge success of our joint Dance Club. Involving a diverse mix of boys and girls from both Divisions, the club has become one of the most popular extra-curricular activities, and has recently been extended to two lunchtimes each week. There are now around 130 pupils listed on the register, with regular attendance of approximately 40 pupils

Dance Club has always prided itself on being an inclusive, respectful space where pupils from both Divisions have been able to come together to socialise and share their love of music and movement.

Through learning partnered Ballroom and Latin styles with lots of different people, pupils develop interpersonal life skills along with their dance moves, all of which are valuable in other social settings and for qualifications such as The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

In addition to the teamwork and dedication of our pupils, we also owe a huge thanks to the Boys’ Division Parents’ Association for their recent purchase of a new portable PA system. With the ability to play music at a decent volume for the Great Halls and Gyms and, at the same time, utilise a headset instructor microphone, the new kit will undoubtedly benefit lots of pupils in future. The Parents’ Association has been a supporter of Dance Club for many years, and we are grateful for their continued support and generosity.

So, as the dancing comes to a close, and we hang up our sparkly shoes for the summer, I look forward to planning ahead for September and welcoming new members from our Year 7 cohort. After the lull of Covid years, it is great to see our Dance Club is finally ‘back on its feet’ and going from strength to strength.

Thank you again to all of the dancers, and to Parents Association for their support. I am confident that the club will continue to be one of the glitter ball highlights of our Bolton School community.

CLUBS & SOCIETIES 59

Clubs & Societies cleanliness is tested when he is mistaken for a war hero preparing to fight in his own country. The film was produced prior to the COVID pandemic, and the war hero speaks in Ukrainian. Did Dany Boon foresee the future? We then watched Raid Dingue starring Alice Pol as the central character. Her dreams to be part of the elite national security force R.A.I.D. cover the themes of pulling strings “le piston” in high places; how workplace affairs compromise judgements and the misogyny shown towards a female in a macho environment where showing one’s feelings is an unwritten no no.

Mrs. E.J. Fielding

French Film Club _______________________________________________________

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very Tuesday lunchtime during the Autumn and Spring Terms, a group of French cinephiles comprising the majority of the A Level group, some Year 11s and and, at times, an encouragingly large number of keen Year 10s, worked our way through many excellent, contemporary French films of the 21st Century. The competing demands on their time on a Tuesday lunchtime for meetings, forums, clinics, exams and various one-off events meant that the numbers attending fluctuated from week to week, but we kept going and those in attendance benefitted hugely from exposure to wider French culture.

We began the year covering both of the Mesrine films – L’Instinct de Mort and Ennemi Public Numéro 1. These are crime films based on the life of French gangster Jacques Mesrine starring Vincent Cassel.

It raised some serious issues on how we treat the root causes of crime and how we deal with offenders in institutions.

We then watched the 2017 film adaptation of the book Un Sac de Billes by Joseph Joffo. The film movingly tells the story of two young Jewish brothers in the Second World War telling the story of the Holocaust from a child’s point of view. Starring Patrick Bruel as the father and Christian Clavier as Dr. Rosen, it has been critically acclaimed. The Year 13 students have been studying the book as part of their course so there was an immediate benefit to them. For others, it introduced them to an often misunderstood part of recent French history.

In the depths of January, we watched the film Welcome! The film highlights the plight of immigrants living in Calais and their plans to reach the UK. The film centres on an Iraqi Kurd, who receives swimming lessons from a recently divorced swimming instructor whose motives for helping the young man are questioned by neighbours and authorities.

We lightened the tone with two lesser well known Dany Boon comedies to round off the term. Firstly, Supercondriaque, as the name suggests, is about a raging hypochondriac whose need for

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I strongly recommend the club for boys studying GCSE French and A Level French who want to be exposed to some French in an enjoyable way whilst also learning about wider issues. We simply watch the film with subtitles for 35 minutes or so and carry on the following week.

Mr. A.C. Robson

Eco-committee _______________________________________________________

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co-committee representatives from across the Bolton School campus presented an overview of their work over the previous year to the Governing Body. The event formed part of the celebrations around each of three schools within the Foundation – the Junior Boys’ School, Boys’ Division and Girls’ Division – being awarded a prestigious Eco Schools’ Green Flag.

Pupils stood by display boards in the School’s Riley Centre and confidently discussed their work with governors. They spoke about the different projects and events, from bees to garden centre trips and planting trees and potatoes, to picking up litter, recycling and meat-free Thursdays. Students had also been participating in the Earthshot Prize, which is designed to incentivise change and help to repair our planet over the next ten years. Each school gave a presentation and displayed great knowledge of the eco topics in a very mature and engaging presentational style.

Clubs & Societies Russian Club _______________________________________________________

I One Senior School parent said: ‘Being a member of the school Eco Club and council has unlocked and magnified a passion, awareness and appreciation for the environment within our boy, which is a joy to see. Our son is often excited to update us on activities he has participated in, including visiting RHS Bridgewater, birdwatching, litter picking and discussions on waste and recycling. He is clearly developing a sense of social responsibility from his involvement in the Eco Club.’

Year 8 have been engaging with environmental issues in SPACE this year in the Net Zero Challenge. After learning about what ‘net zero’ means and why many countries are targeting net zero by 2050, pupils designed a solution either for the school community or for their own communities, which could contribute to reaching this target. There were some fantastic ideas, ranging from alternative methods of energy generation to transport and using green spaces more efficiently.

t has been another hugely successful and enjoyable year for all those who have attended Russian Club over the past twelve months (and that is a significant number of boys!)

Despite the wider political issues, Russian Club and Russian itself continue to thrive at Bolton School. We have had excellent, informative updates each week from Sam Entwistle (and, latterly, Vince Parkinson) that have kept us abreast of the developments in the Ukrainian conflict. These sessions have sought to inform, to educate and to clarify events in a measured and sensitive way. They have been greatly appreciated and there is no question that those who have attended have seen their understanding and appreciation of the intricacies of this war both improve and deepen.

In addition to this hard-hitting sobering material, there have been the usual laughs and opportunities to explore aspects of Russian culture that continue to amuse and bemuse. Over the course of the year, we have looked at songs, wacky Russian videos, tales from the East and spoof footage of Putin as well, of course, as the regular Russian Club quiz. There have been countless ‘new features’ that have helped to make B16 an enjoyable and useful ECA for those that attend.

Some shocking facts about plastic such as ‘by 2050 there will be more plastic by weight than fish in the oceans’ really engaged students in thinking about their own plastic usage. Inspired by a series of books, we considered rethinking about our use of items such as yoghurt pots, vegetable packaging and coffee cups. Four of the groups then went out litter picking on the school site, collecting ten full bags of waste. The need for positive action and agency was discussed with some examples from activists who had grown ideas such as the two minute beach clean.

Our sincere thanks go to the Politburo Sam Entwistle, Peter Craig, Joe Stead and Zain Ali, to staunch regulars such as Jacob Simmonite and Evan Weston, and to the new upcoming generation.

We very much look forward to the them taking the club on more adventures next year. Thanks, also go to Mr. Wyatt, whose infectious enthusiasm has helped to make B16 one of the best places to be in the school on a Thursday lunchtime.

Miss E.A. Bramhall

Mr. P.G. Davidson

CLUBS & SOCIETIES 61

Clubs & Societies Science Club _______________________________________________________

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his year at Science Club, we have covered a range of topics from plant cells to chromatography. Science Club takes place every Friday lunchtime and is led by Miss Bramhall and Mr. Teasdale.

I personally have most enjoyed observing how different metals change flame colour.

For example, how copper chloride makes a flame green and how barium chloride also makes a light green flame. For this experiment, we put the metal powder on a splint and then over a Bunsen burner. My favourite flame was potassium chloride, which produced a bright purple flame.

I also enjoyed the egg drop challenge. In this challenge, we were provided with limited materials and had to complete it under a certain timeframe. There were many design ideas among the different pairs – some included making parachutes to slow the descent of the egg and using water balloons to soften the impact A similar challenge was to create a small boat that could hold the most weights. Again, this challenge was with limited materials and had to be completed under a certain timeframe. The winning boat, which myself and my friend made, was an inflatable boat which was created by sealing the edges of two small sheets of newspaper with tape with air trapped between to make it float.

immediately reacted, producing foam and gas, causing it to expand.

Other experiments included lighting flammable substances and creating rockets with gas and water bottles.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed Science Club this year and I hope to continue to attend this ECA in the future.

Ewan McCairn 7e

Star Wars Club _______________________________________________________

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ello There! Star Wars Club is a place in which Year 7s and Year 8s bond over their love of the Star Wars universe, reviewing the saga through watching movies, doing competitions, games, and quizzes.

Supervised by Mr. Wyatt, we make our way chronologically through the prequel trilogy (The Phantom Menace, Attack of The Clones and Revenge of The Sith), The original trilogy (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi) and The sequel trilogy (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker).

We created the club to bring Star Wars to people who didn’t have access to it before and to allow students to relax away from the stress of tests and homework through watching movies and playing games.

We are very passionate about bringing Star Wars to the wider school community. We enjoy Star Wars because of the nostalgia from when we were younger, the action, the emotional rollercoaster and the suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Not to mention the infamous duelling scenes, iconic quotes and the compelling plot.

Our competitions this year have consisted of creating our own Star Wars concepts and designing our own lightsabre and planet.

Those who attended Science Club were invited to watch Dr. Francis Mair from Manchester University conduct science experiments in the Great Hall. An example of an experiment executed was making elephant toothpaste, which was made with hydrogen peroxide, diluted dishwasher solution and yeast. Once these were mixed, it

62 CLUBS & SOCIETIES

Thanks to all our members for an excellent year. May the Force be with you!

Yash Raja, Oscar McVerry, Louie Healey and Jacob Jones 8d

Clubs & Societies Quiz Clubs _______________________________________________________

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unior and Senior Quiz Clubs continued to meet weekly as boys showcased and built up their knowledge on the usual wide range of topics. The friendly rivalry amongst the Year 11, routinely matched the levels of fervour on the sports field, despite the frequent protest that there are never enough sports questions. The highlight of the quizzing year took on a new twist in its debut in a virtual format.

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he Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) Club is a student led extra-curricular activity that runs on a Wednesday lunchtime with students from both Divisions. DnD is a cooperative, storytelling game, where players take on the roles of different characters within a story. Characters make friends and enemies, fight monsters, discover loot, and complete quests.

The Senior team of Ben Rimmer (Year 12), Edgar Keogh (Year 11), Kyran Chitre (Year 10) and Nathan Watts (Year 10) were required to put into practice some of the quizzing techniques acquired during remote learning from three years ago with an online heat against The Perse School in Cambridge as part of the National Schools Challenge competition. The boys made a brave effort against some frustrating technological limitations and agreed that despite some practical advantages, nothing beats the atmosphere of a face-to-face competition.

In another first, the Junior club held its first inter-Foundation quiz competition with its own slimmed-down version of a University Challenge style competition. Teams of Year 7 girls and boys enjoyed a visit across the quad for a home and away fixture chaired by Mr. Owen and Mrs. Brace. Some quick buzzing and excellent teamwork saw each team put their well-honed skills into practice and be victorious on home turf. This stoked the fires of what we hope will become a regular fixture.

Mrs. C.A. Brace

The idea of starting a club was mooted when a GD student said that they wanted to play, at which point the Library staff began scouting out other possible adventurers. After gauging interest, we advertised for club members and ‘Dungeon Masters’ (who tell the stories). I have played before, so I helped with the set up and purchase of manuals etc. Mr. Fairbairn (who runs the War Gaming Club) supervises when he is free.

Adventuring parties were formed and the games began in September 2022.

We have seen friendships blossom, an increased confidence in students and feel that it is a lovely (loud) safe place for imaginative, social play. Students obviously enjoy it too, as there have even been meetings in the holidays!

Dungeons and Dragons Club _______________________________________________________

As Ali Asghar put it, “Dungeons & Dragons is an awesome game with a lot of possibilities, the game is practically endless. It is a great

CLUBS & SOCIETIES 63

Clubs & Societies time. You must make many decisions one by one, and teamwork is crucial: doing things to complement each other’s moves, giving advice on what to do and many other situations you will undoubtedly come across. This creates a strong bond within the party, and it’s an easy way of making friends.

It is also pretty heavy on your imagination, most of the time there is no massive map with different landmarks, forests or whatever, it’s just you and the words of the DM. These two aspects and many others make a simple game into a massively epic adventure with a lot of fun to be had.”

The Club will continue to run next year and there will be vacancies for new players. The Library also has exciting plans to open access to other students with a House Day taster session. Copies of the manuals are available as reference only, please speak to me if you would like to view them.

Mrs. A. Caller

Craft Club _______________________________________________________

N

ew to the ECA calendar this year, Craft Club has been open to Years 7-9 on a weekly basis. The objective of the club was to immerse the boys in hands-on crafts and ultimately create objects that were good enough to sell.

Demand for the club was very strong at the start of the year.

We began looking for images that we could use to make Winter/ Christmas cards, drawing the best ones onto Lino tiles and cutting them out ready for printing. The printing sessions created multiple cards and some wrapping paper that didn’t quite match the quality we expected to be able to sell, but, a lot was learned and we moved on.

The Spring Term saw us move into ceramics, using clay to create mobile phone holders, which we glazed in bright colours and patterns.

These we were able to sell, taking bespoke orders that we fulfilled over the end of term into Summer Term. Money made will go towards better materials such as new glaze colours and effects.

Moving forward, we aim to continue to create objects that are good enough to sell. Skilled students from Year 7 will lead more of the club as they begin Year 8. Look out for Craft Club posters and shop opening dates.

Mrs. J. White

Club Animalia _______________________________________________________

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lub Animalia is the students’ chance to help out with the care of the Biology Department’s exotic animal collection, which includes locusts, giant Madagascan hissing cockroaches, a corn snake, a leopard gecko and mice.

With so many animals now present in the labs, the teachers and technicians need help looking after them. Sixth Formers have taken responsibility for the daily care of a different animal. Every Friday at Club Animalia, under their supervision, Year 8 and 9 pupils help to clean the tanks and ensure the animals are comfortable.

Favourite activities at the club include bathing the leopard gecko, counting the cockroaches and feeding the snake. The boys get a chance to handle the animals and learn about their behaviour and biology, while also appreciating the responsibility that comes with owning animals.

Without the outstanding team of boys helping to run the club, this would not be possible; We would like to express our thanks to Andy Shen, Matthew Chae, Warren Parody and Ben Pursey. In addition, we would also like to note the help and assistance given by the Biology technicians Mrs. Hartley and Mrs. Hamer.

Dr. N. Morgan

64 CLUBS & SOCIETIES

Clubs & Societies Model United Nations _______________________________________________________

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n the Summer Term, a delegation of five Year 10 pupils from Bolton School – Stella Rojek, Nathan Watts, Joseph Williams, Tamim Aani and Freddie Bovill – attended the WIMUN XIV Model UN Conference at Withington Girls’ School.

Many thanks to Mrs. Mistry who accompanied the pupils at the conference.

Mrs. J. Holliday

Junior German Club _______________________________________________________

The annual event offers pupils a chance to cut their teeth at a beginners one-day MUN Conference. Older students often go on to attend more in depth two-day events. The theme this year was ‘modernity’ and the Bolton School deputation represented Belgium. Each pupil joined a committee, overseeing fields such as Environment and Science, Technology, Economics and Health and debated issues including far-right extremism, the regulation of oil supplies, the education crisis post COVID-19, preparing for future epidemics and protecting endangered wildlife.

Our students were all first-time attendees and were competing against very experienced delegates; however, they threw themselves into the experience, contributing to their committees and even getting an amendment passed! They pushed themselves out of their comfort zones, debated a range of complex issues and considered viewpoints other than their own, developing very valuable skills.

They also met other like-minded debaters. We were exceptionally proud of the confidence and resilience they showed.

T

his year, the German Department launched a new lunchtime club for students in Years 7-9. Since September, over 20 students have gathered weekly to enjoy a taste of German language and culture. Along with Ms. Roddy, they have enjoyed activities such as mask making to celebrate Karneval, watching German-language documentaries about sport, festivals and the automobile industry, finding out about famous places in Germanspeaking countries, and even sampling traditional foods such as stollen and lebkuchen. A particularly memorable Friday lunchtime was spent competing in a heated wordsearch competition! The club is growing from strength to strength, and we always welcome members old and new.

Ms. K.J. Roddy

CLUBS & SOCIETIES 65

Clubs & Societies Psychology Club _______________________________________________________

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ambient temperature. During their investigation, they learned about how infrared radiation is absorbed and reflected by different types of chocolate, investigating how rate of absorption is affected by colour.

his year, the Year 10 Psychology Club has looked at a variety of topics and explored a deep and nuanced understanding of psychology and its various subfields. The club has looked at the area of crime, developing a criminal profile by understanding and applying the FBI profiling technique. We also aimed to gain an understanding of the motivations and behaviours of those who commit crimes.

Memory was another topic we considered. Students learned about eyewitness testimony by watching a video of a mock crime and then tried to identify the offender. The group gained a greater appreciation for the complexity of human memory and its potential vulnerabilities.

We have also explored OCD, Depression and Schizophrenia, recognising the differences in behaviour and the impact it may have on others. Later, we considered the brain and localisation of function, yet another fascinating area of Psychology that examines the ways in which different regions of the brain are responsible for different functions. Students completed a practical task to show the functional areas of the brain.

We would like to thank the Year 10 for making the club lots of fun and are looking forward to running this again next year.

Mrs. J. Sanders

Science Crest Club _______________________________________________________

Here is what Will Richardson thought of the club: ‘I’ve really enjoyed Crest Club as it was something I had complete control over. A year ago today, I would never have seen myself doing this ECA as Science wasn’t really my thing; however, I had seen it as somewhere I can use my creative ideas and have a bit of fun. I would truly recommend that the Year 8s do this ECA next year as you could find a new passion. My experiment was to find out which chocolate melted the quickest. We used an ‘oven’ made from cardboard. It managed to reach up to 80 degrees centigrade. We also used a probe to measure when it had melted.’

Rith Narla, Milan Pitalia, Advaith Govindu and Xavier Jones from Year 9 tried to determine Avogadro’s constant using a monolayer of molecules. They used a solution of stearic acid in hexane to form a single layer of stearic acid molecules on the surface of water. They measured the number of drops needed to cover the water surface and calculated the area occupied by each molecule. From this, they estimated Avogadro’s constant, which is the number of molecules in one mole of a substance. This project was challenging for Year 9, but the group showed tenacity to attain results very close to the true value.

T

Jamie Chen and Charlie Butler (both Year 8) and Noah Meadows in Year 9 investigated the effect of different substances on the germination and development of cress growth. They planted cress seeds in different pots and watered them with different solutions such as lemon juice, sugar water, and coffee. They showed perseverance with their project as the initial seedling planted in winter, unsurprisingly showed little growth. Eventually, they managed to identify that coffee solution has a positive effect on growth.

Will Richardson and Akshay Kallat from Year 8 showed innovation by building a simple infrared oven using cardboard boxes, aluminium foil and filament bulbs. They were investigating which type of chocolate melts the fastest. They even had a simple probe to determine the point of melting. They used a thermometer to measure the temperature inside the oven and compared it with the

These projects have helped the students develop their skills and knowledge in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as their creativity, problem-solving and communication abilities.

he Bronze CREST Award is a STEM project that challenges students aged 11+ to conduct their own scientific investigation. It requires at least 10 hours of work on one project area chosen, designed and performed by students.

In school, the lads have participated in this award as an extracurricular activity for Year 8 or 9 students across a full year and this year, three groups have achieved their Bronze Crest Award.

66 CLUBS & SOCIETIES

Dr. I. Tranter & Mr. T. Gilligan

The Houses The Lyde Cup _______________________________________________________

T

he House System has been in place for 120 years and, through various iterations, has evolved to support and develop the boys’ moral, social and cultural understanding of the world around them through building a community within each House with its own distinctive identity.

Through its activities, the House System provides boys with the opportunity to learn from other year groups and their experiences. It provides the opportunity for the older boys to be role models for the younger boys and develop leadership skills at the same time.

Mrs. Ebden has helped to shape and develop the House System during this academic year by organising the three House Days. She has implemented several innovative changes that have helped the days run even more smoothly and we thank her for her leadership.

The following cups and trophies were awarded for participation in House Day competitions: Chess trophy Blackburn Cricket cup Blackburn Cross Country trophy Blackburn Junior Football trophy Chorley Blackburn & Chorley Inters Football trophy Senior Football trophy Chorley Golf shield Manchester Hockey trophy Manchester House Quizzing trophy Chorley Wigan & Manchester House Creative Pursuits trophy Indoor Ball Games cup Blackburn Indoor Games trophy Wigan Indoor Racquets trophy Manchester Outdoor Pursuits trophy Manchester Junior Rugby trophy Wigan Senior Rugby cup Manchester Swimming and Water polo cup Chorley Tennis cup Chorley Word Games trophy Blackburn Junior House Cup Inters House Cup Senior House Cup

Blackburn Blackburn Wigan

From the three House Days alone, the result were as follows: 4th place Chorley with 6,670 points 3rd place Wigan with 6,700 points 2nd place Manchester with 6,910 points 1st place Blackburn with 7,100 points

However, the pupils’ efforts within their studies are also taken into account. The Commendations totals for each House were as follows: 4th place Wigan with 9,564 points 3rd place Manchester with 9,999 points 2nd place Chorley with 10,305 points 1st place Blackburn with 11,840 points Well done to the following boys, who achieved the top number of Commendations in their year group: Year 7 Derek Leong 109 Year 8 Jacob Jones 109 Year 9 Zain Khan 70 Year 10 Arthur Snape 43 Year 11 Isaac Lucas 36 Year 12 Ben Rimmer 29 Year 13 Barnaby Keogh 14 The overall standings for the Lyde Cup, which was first presented in 1903 by then Headmaster Lyde, were as follows: 4th place Wigan with 16,264 points 3rd place Manchester with 16,907 points 2nd place Chorley with 16,975 points The winners of the Lyde Cup and overall House Champions were Blackburn with 18,940 points.

House Colours _______________________________________________________

H

ouse Colours are a public recognition of service and commitment shown within the House System and Charity Committee. House Colours were awarded to the following boys: Name Joe Burrows Callum Cavanaugh Sam Johnson Hashir Sapra Max Carter Barnaby Keogh Rayyan Patel Xuan Wang Priyesh Fernando Jayden Luhar Muhammad Choudhary Guy Seddon Kaushik Kathiriya Daniel Corr Will Fothergill Neerav Patel

Form 13e 13b 13c 13d 13a 13i 13g 13g 12b 12a 13e 13f 13i 13c 13h 13i

Colour Full Half Half Half Full Full Full Full Half Half Full Half Full Half Half Half

House Blackburn Blackburn Blackburn Blackburn Chorley Chorley Chorley Chorley Chorley Chorley Manchester Manchester Wigan Wigan Wigan Wigan

THE HOUSES 67

The Houses Old Boltonians _______________________________________________________ Blackburn House Report _____________________________________________

I

On leaving School, every boy automatically becomes a member t has been an Association, excellent year of the Old Boltonians’ and is subsequently given the for Blackburn House, with theAssociation is free, and all Old title of ‘Old Boy’. Membership of the highlight being thetwice donations Boys receive a Newsletter a year and invitations to a variety for Blackburn of eventsraised both across the countryFood and in School. These events are Bank. Pupils and to their a fantastic opportunity keepfamilies in touch with both the School and wereclassmates, extremelyaskind, former well asthoughtful to establish new friendships with other generous with their donations Oldand Boys.

– a grand total of 189 kilos! When giving the donations, the Year 13 Leadership Team had a tour around the Food Bank to understand how vital donations are to keep it running alongside the fantastic volunteers.

In the Spring Term, pupils got involved with completing the fitness challenge. The aim was for pupils to push themselves out of their comfort zone and set a fitness goal to improve their physical fitness, which could link to any sport of their choice.

They set themselves three targets over the term, which they documented through a diary. During the term, pupils in all year groups then presented their fitness journeys in their Year assemblies. Pupils spoke about what they achieved alongside any challenges they encountered, including lack of motivation or limited time to complete the challenge. They then spoke about how they overcame them and what they enjoyed most about their challenges.

Pupils became inspired to donate following assemblies which focused on the cost of living crisis and how much we need to support our community in times of need. One assembly featured a ‘Higher or Lower’ game for pupils to guess the price of each item of food to link to the donations that Blackburn Food Bank are in need of. These included tinned tuna, tinned tomatoes, pasta, cereal and soup.

Miss L. Gillibrand

Senior Leadership Team Captain

Joe Burrows

Vice-captains

Callum Cavanaugh Sam Johnson Hashir Sapra

68 THE HOUSES

The Houses Chorley House Report ____________________________________________________

A

new academic year saw Chorley House encouraged to live a healthy lifestyle by focusing on a ‘Healthy Heart’, a running theme during assemblies throughout the year. Our chosen charity for the year was Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).

CRYs vision is working towards preventing young sudden cardiac deaths through awareness, screening and research, and supporting affected families because every week in the UK at least 12 young people die of undiagnosed heart conditions.

Boys across Chorley House heard stories of inspirational individuals who have dedicated their lives to health and fitness, most notably, The Iron Cowboy, James Lawrence. Lawrence completed 50 Ironmen in 50 days across the 50 states of America – a staggering accomplishment demonstrating mental resilience and exceptional fitness and endurance levels.

Alongside this, boys heard key messages throughout the year on kindness, resilience and tolerance, giving boys plenty to think about both within and outside the school environment.

Chorley House also looked at the importance and historic significance of the House System. The House System at school has a long and meaningful history, which was established as a way to build community, encourage healthy competition, and develop well-rounded young men. Generations of students have taken pride in representing their House on the sports field, in academic life, and with their extra-curricular endeavours. The House System fosters leadership and collaboration that lasts beyond a student’s years at the school. Chorley House carries on this rich tradition and infuses the House identity with its own distinctive culture and annual themes like ‘Healthy Heart.’

The students of Chorley House embraced our annual fundraising challenge, Up&Move, with great enthusiasm this year. The challenge encouraged the boys to complete any physical activity they enjoyed, from walking to cycling, while raising money for the cardiovascular charity CRY. Their efforts paid off, as the House raised over £700 for CRY through Up&Move and the boys were proud to support such an important cause while also staying active. It was a rewarding month that embodied Chorley House’s spirit of charity and fitness.

It was a close competition at the annual School Sports Day between the four Houses of Wigan, Blackburn, Chorley and Manchester. The students of Chorley House were eager to win, after coming in second place last year. On the day, adrenaline was high as the Chorley athletes gave it their all in every

event. They racked up points in sprints, distance runs and field events. In the end, it was a photo finish for first place between Blackburn and Chorley. Though they didn’t take home the top prize, the students of Chorley House were proud to have earned second place.

A huge thanks to all who have contributed to Chorley House this year, including the Senior Leadership team.

Mr. L. Watkinson

Senior Leadership Team Captain

Max Carter

Vice-captains

Barnaby Keogh Rayyan Patel Xuan Wang

THE HOUSES 69

The Houses Manchester House Report ____________________________________________________

M

anchester had another fantastic year supporting The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, our chosen charity for a number of years. We started by collecting selection boxes for patients over the festive period. We collected almost 250 individual boxes which was an amazing feat. We delivered these to the hospital just before the Christmas holidays and they were given out to patients receiving treatment over the festive period.

Later on in the year, we used the Humphrey’s Helper boxes to collect money for the Hospital. Boys were asked to come up with personal challenges so they could collect sponsorship money. Year 9 pupil Oliver Icely raised almost £200 completing a cold water swimming challenge. Other great fundraisers were Suhayb Pal, Brody Shum and Freddie and Charlie Bovill. Overall, Manchester House was able to donate just shy of £600. The Hospital was incredibly grateful and put the money towards their campaign to raise money for children’s play therapists. We are hoping to continue our good work next year in support of this great Hospital.

Captain

Muhammad Choudhary

Mrs. A. Ebden

Vice-captains

Muhammed Akhtar

Senior Leadership Team

Guy Seddon

70 THE HOUSES

The Houses Wigan House Report ____________________________________________________

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t has, once again, been an excellent year for Wigan House, with our members enjoying great success across a wide range of academic, sporting and other activities on our House Days and on Sports Day. All involved did a great job in volunteering for, organising and competing in these events, once again illustrating the kind of attitude Bolton School takes pride in.

to vote on, attended Charities Committee meetings, acted as security for staff table tennis and set wonderful examples for our other members to follow. Our sincere thanks, therefore, go to the Senior Leadership Team (see below), Elliot Davies and Matthew Cooney of Year 12, Shah Tavakolynik, Luke Yates, Yash Anand and William Martin of Year 11, Isa Youssouf and Aariyan Chauhan of Year 10, Jack Singh and Abdullah Zaeem of Year 9, Jacob Little, Thomas Sibley and Jensen GregoireParker of Year 8, and Faaz Sajid, Saad Alam and Ismaeel Ali of Year 7. You have done superb jobs, boys; hopefully you will be interested in putting yourselves forward for leadership positions next year. For those leaving us, all members of Wigan wish you the very best.

Mr. N.R.W. Wyatt

Following the amazing work done by members of Wigan in recent years, it was decided to focus our fundraising efforts once again on sustainability. We also voted to continue our support of Bolton Green Umbrella, a small, recently formed group aiming to reduce litter, re-energise green spaces and promote environmental initiatives in our town. We are developing a close relationship with BGU, and are very much enjoying helping to champion their endeavours.

Following suggestions presented by a number of our Year Captains, we launched the Wigan 5000 kick-up challenge in April. This event promoted getting outside, doing some exercise and allowing ourselves to switch off for a while as elements of a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, pupils were encouraged to find an appropriate outdoor spot, get a football, and try to contribute at least 20 kick-ups to our overall total. Naturally, this was easier for some than for others, and some do not like football at all, but all contributions were gratefully accepted! At the time of writing, not all donations have been collected, but special mentions must go to Sochi Umeadi (once again!) and Rocky Beaumont, whose fundraising efforts were truly inspirational.

Huge thanks to these two and to everyone who contributed.

The person who did the most kick-ups for the cause was Adam Berisford of Year 11, who not once looked flustered in doing 932 over the course of ten minutes!

This year, Wigan House also invited pupil spectators to the opening round of the annual staff table tennis competition in Boys’ Gym. This raised over £100 in about half an hour, as well as some raucous chanting. Following many pupil requests, subsequent rounds and subsequent tournaments will be opened in the same way.

The invaluable contributions of our Leadership Team and Year Captains must also be acknowledged. These boys led assemblies, gave speeches, presented ideas for the House

Senior Leadership Team Captain

Kaushik Kathiriya

Vice-captains

Daniel Corr Will Fothergill Neerav Patel

THE HOUSES 71

The Houses

On House Day, you can try..

72 THE HOUSES

The Houses Sports Day _______________________________________________________

The final House standings were as follows: 4th place 3rd place 2nd place 1st place

Wigan with 331 points Manchester with 374 points Chorley with 381 points Blackburn with 395 points

Therefore Blackburn takes the title for the second year in a row in Mr. Jones’ debut year!

O

ur annual Sports Day was the final athletics event of the season, with all four Houses competing for the coveted trophy. In addition, there was the ‘Wardle’ trophy for the tug of war competition, which was won by Mr. Wyatt’s Wigan House. The trophy now sits proudly in B16.

For the first time, there were also some Year 12 inter-form relays, with Miss Compton’s 12b the victors. Of course, the rain came, but that didn’t dampen spirits – one year it will be sunny!

The Wardle Trophy was awarded as follows: 4th place joint 2nd place 1st place

Chorley Blackburn & Manchester Wigan

Mr. M.G. Chilton

THE HOUSES 73

Camps & Journeys Patterdale Hall _______________________________________________________

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his year has been a year of firsts for us, and for Bolton School – the culmination of many years of lobbying for equitable use of Patterdale Hall across the Divisions of School.

For the very first time, the Girls’ Division has visited as much as the Boys’ Division on curriculum time residential outdoor learning, alongside a packed schedule of extra-curricular opportunities including German language, Creative Writing, Astronomy, an R.S. Retreat and of course Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions.

74 CAMPS & JOURNEYS

Camps & Journeys At the lower end of the school, Year 3 students from each Division visited for a one-night stay, giving them a flavour of what is to come over the next ten years of their school career. This fun programme explored the local area, taking on the hunt for the ‘Glenridding Griffin’, in the hills, on the lake and around the grounds. Archery, a ropes course, orienteering, canoeing and hillwalking made sure the visit was packed with challenge and adventure.

facts. My favourite one was that the howler monkeys screeched at their predators to warn them.

The Girls’ Division saw additional visits in both Year 10 and Year 12. During the Year 12 visit, the students focused on leadership – exploring the theory, practice and dynamics around teamwork and leadership, and ways to build and develop into high performing teams.

We then attended a conservation lesson and learnt about animals and products being made out of them, which is making them extinct and endangered, such as crocodile skin being used in designer handbags. This puts them at a high risk of becoming extinct as companies are using them for their benefit and money.

After lunch, we saw animals such as orangutans, giraffes, kangaroos, meerkats, lemurs and lions. Finally, we got an ice cream before getting on the bus and going home after a long enjoyable day.

As ever, we never want to stand still at Patterdale Hall, and, with the generous financial support of Bolton School alumni, have invested in building a bespoke archery range and shelter on our site.

This enables a spectrum of target distances to be used at the same time and a nice space to shelter when the weather is less than perfect.

Ben Aziz-Young 8f

Then we had a look at the sea lion show; they did lots of tricks and things which we enjoyed – out of all of them, I enjoyed watching them do basketball skills and front flips. We also watched a penguin show, where they swam around, dived and did tricks.

Ingleton Waterfall Trip _______________________________________________________

Mr. T. Taylor

Blackpool Zoo trip _______________________________________________________

T

he Blackpool Zoo trip was very informative and entertaining. We were educated about many animals and how they live. To start with, we had a wander around the monkey enclosures and got some pictures and videos of them and learnt many important

I

n Year 9, we recently visited the Ingleton waterfalls to discuss rock and waterfall formations. The walk started with a viewing of a valley formation from which erosion created a distinctive ’V’ shape just above the surface of the stream. We discussed and noted them down on our worksheets, sketching a diagram and learning how to annotate field sketches. Finally, we reached the main waterfall, Thornton Force, which was absolutely huge. The water was streaming down and forming a plunge pool at the bottom.

We noted down how the waterfall was formed through hydraulic action and abrasion. These forces cause the overhang to collapse

CAMPS & JOURNEYS 75

Camps & Journeys and eventually a plunge pool was formed and the waterfall moves slightly further back. After this, we continued the hike to the top of the walk and we were rewarded with an ice cream and a gorgeous view of the River Twiss. After this, we continued on the path towards Ingleton past the Triple Spout waterfall and eventually back to the village. We managed to descend on time and made it to the coach and returned to school before 4 o’clock.

Nishan Sharma 9d

New Islington & Etihad trip _______________________________________________________

D

uring our trip to Manchester, we started off near New Islington to study the impact that regeneration has on the Built Environment by using an index of decay survey. At each site, we filled in tables and added the score – the higher the score, the better the site was. Overall, the sites got worse as we went further down, due to the dereliction in the area.

River Dean Brook _______________________________________________________

W

e studied Dean Brook to prove that as the river moved downstream it would conform to the characteristics of the Bradshaw model. We went to three sites along the river to investigate different features using a systematic sample in small groups of four. We looked at the width and depth of the river and we explored the pebble roundness and length. Each site was roughly one kilometre apart. The precipitation levels were extremely low compared to normal circumstances because Bolton had been sunny for once during the previous four weeks. This meant we had to use the dry width and depth to get more realistic results. Halfway round, we managed to find a small portable café to treat ourselves to a doughnut. Overall, the trip was invaluable to our Fieldwork Skills paper for GCSE.

When we got to the Etihad, which was site 10, we received a tour of the stadium. This consisted of a dressing room tour, the gym, the pitch, the lounge and the press conference room. Here, we had a presentation about Manchester before investments were made in the area. After these were made, positive impacts could be seen in the new Manchester. As a result of Manchester hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2002, investments were made in the area. Ultimately, we found the trip to be fun, informative and an insight into what happened in the history of the stadium.

Mustafa Ismail 10f & Adam Isaji 10c

6th Form trip to Ainsdale and Easedale _______________________________________________________

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he Year 12 geographers embarked on their regular visit to Patterdale for three days. On the way up, we took a detour to Ainsdale to collect sand dune data for their NEA. This involved following a transect from the beach towards the inland areas, mapping out the height, size and features of the different sand dunes. This year, it was particularly hard work with temperatures reaching 26 degrees.

Ismail Khan 10d, Jaison Arhin 10b & Leo Sandiford 10a

76 CAMPS & JOURNEYS

Camps & Journeys After a good night’s rest at Patterdale, we started our journey to Grasmere to hike up to Easedale Tarn and back. Along the way, Mr. Jackson talked through the various erosional and depositional features of the area, which is the local glacial valley case study that the pupils use in their A Level examinations. It was another hot day requiring lots of sun cream and water, but the view was worth it when we arrived.

Kicking off with an early morning flight from Manchester, we arrived enthusiastic, but tired, in a sunnier Spain. On that first morning, we discovered some of the routes that we would revisit over the next couple of days, building up gradually to harder and harder climbs.

For the final day, the boys visited the town of Keswick to look at the flood protection after Storm Desmond and also how the characteristics of the town have changed from its early mining heritage to the modern day tourist driven economy. A well-deserved fish and chips in the centre wrapped up this year’s trip and we departed back to Bolton.

Mr. P.J. Newbold

Eating lunch out on the mountainside (and attracting a good deal of wasps), it was a great bit of fun to explore together all the hidden crags and crannies dotted amongst the rocks. As the week progressed, we worked up to the 6b+, ‘Tai Chi’ – some of us even managed to beat it just as the sun was beginning to set, and with some great action shots besides. I’d highly, highly recommend such a wonderful trip.

Climbing Trip to Spain _______________________________________________________

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he Spain Climbing Trip to Costa Blanca was a fantastic opportunity to experience outdoor climbing in an entirely different setting, brushing up on skills developed on the school climbing wall – not to mention new techniques and styles as well.

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Camps & Journeys

A

t the end of the school day on Friday 11th November, the Sixth Form trip to Paris set off from Manchester Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle for a long weekend visiting a number of cultural sites and monuments historiques.

On Saturday morning, after a hearty breakfast, we walked along the Seine River and saw a memorial for the Algerian war, as well as the Eiffel Tower and many beautiful monuments that have given the riverbanks their UNESCO protected status, such as the Louvre, the bridges and Grand and Petit Palais.

Then, we had lunch at a brilliant little boulangerie, for an authentic baguette au jambon and a coffee éclair, which I really enjoyed.

Shortly afterwards was a guided tour round the Musée Carnavalet, in which the French guide Sandra insisted that we were good enough to have the two hour tour in French, which was a challenge.

Nevertheless, I did learn lots about the history of Paris and answered several of Sandra’s questions myself.

David Chow 12c

Sixth Form Trip to Paris _______________________________________________________

Then we went to our restaurant, Bouillon République, where I ate snails for the first time and, while I don’t regret the experience, I certainly wouldn’t do it again! I also ate steak frites and the most delicious crème brûlée I have ever tasted. I also sampled everyone else’s food, which allowed me to taste many French delicacies which my companions were too full to finish. After that, our legs got a rest as we went to the cinema to watch Novembre – a thriller about the work of the counter-terrorist police during and following the terrorist attacks in Paris on 13th November 2015. After that, we returned to our hotel and had a good night’s sleep after a long day.

78 CAMPS & JOURNEYS

Camps & Journeys where a French guide gave us a tour which was very interesting and moving, highlighting the French Vichy government’s collaboration in the deportation of Jews.

On Sunday, we all walked along the Passerelle Bichat to see the famous Amélie scene where she skims the stones.

Also, we went to a covered market and had a competition to buy the most interesting thing we could for two euros.

In the afternoon, we went to the Musée des Arts et Métiers, then we made our way to the Catacombes, which was a chilling experience seeing all the bones laid out as a spectacle. Then we had my highlight of the trip, a meal at La Cantine Bretonne, where I ordered crevettes for the starter, big prawns with the heads still on, which were fun to eat, and a chicken salad called La Cocotte.

On this trip, I learnt lots about the French language, and how to hold conversations in the language. I improved my quick thinking skills and, by the end of the trip, my brain was hard-wired to French, so that instead of having to think of a translation into French for a sentence, I had to think what I was saying in English after the initial thoughts in French! I am very grateful to my teachers and particularly Miss Sullivan for organising the trip.

Reuben Simpson 13g

London Design and Technology Trip _______________________________________________________

On Monday, we went to Montmartre and saw various sites connected to the New Wave cinema filmmaker François Truffaut’s childhood and film shoots, including the Montmartre Cemetery. Montmartre was a much calmer part of Paris to what I had seen before then, and the graveyard was very pleasantly serene. We also went into the Sacré Coeur basilica on our way through. We walked down and saw the Moulin Rouge on our way to the Galeries Lafayette, where we had lunch and did some last minute shopping. The Galeries Lafayette were a place of style, the epitome of the French mode.

Then we went to the Holocaust memorial – the Musée de la Shoah,

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Camps & Journeys The Design and Technology trip to London was a thought-provoking journey of creativity and culture. We started at The Design Museum, which featured the impact of design, exploring cutting-edge innovation and visionary concepts.

Astronomy Trip to Patterdale Hall _______________________________________________________

T

he third annual Astronomy weekend took place from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th January at Patterdale Hall.

The group this year consisted of boys from Years 7 to 13, accompanied by members of the Physics Department and our amateur Astronomer Gary Hill.

The Victoria and Albert Museum was our next visit, which led us into a world of design, fashion, and decorative arts, and revealed centuries of craftsmanship from intricate textiles to inspiring architectural models, tracing the evolution of design sensibilities.

We also visited the Natural History Museum, which stands as a tribute to Earth’s ancient past. Its grand halls house a collection of fossils, minerals and life forms from eons long gone.

To finish, we visited Tate Modern, a museum full of modern and contemporary art, from avant-garde installations to mesmerising sculptures.

Jake Dickinson 12c

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The aim of the weekend was to offer Astronomy-related activities to all the boys and, of course, take advantage of the dark sky area of the Ullswater valley (assuming little cloud cover). We were very fortunate on the Friday evening to be treated to mainly clear skies over Patterdale, enabling the boys to put into practice what they had learned about the constellation of Orion and various stellar objects that can be found using the constellation. Ask any of the boys what M42 is and they should point out that it is a nebula found within Orion.

Saturday saw the boys treated to many activities such as synthesising a comet from dry ice and sand; launching water powered rockets; making Galilean telescopes; a masterclass in telescopes using a selection of semi-professional telescopes courtesy of our amateur

Camps & Journeys astronomer Gary Hill and following the new solar system orienteering course in the grounds of Patterdale Hall.

Years 11, 12 and 13 were treated to a hands-on session on drone flying and photography by Gary Hill.

Overall, it was a very successful weekend, giving the boys an insight into the world of Astronomy and many practical skills. The Physics Department is looking forward to seeing the results of their attempt at astrophotography that will be displayed along the Physics corridor.

Mr. D. Roberts

The evening sessions included a very interesting illustrated talk delivered by Year 13 pupil George Seddon on the collision of neutron stars forming black holes – interesting to everyone, but maybe a little difficult for Year 7 to follow! The next to present were Muhammad Akhtar from Year 13 and Zak McCallister from Year 10, who included explanations and tips of how to take pictures of the night sky using cameras and mobile phones.

This year, I left Patterdale in awe of the night sky above us. Even though it was cloudy, this didn’t take anything away from the whole experience. We spent time learning about constellations, neutron stars and telescopes. We completed orienteering within the grounds, which showed the true scale of the solar system. At night, we even got to watch films like The Martian and Ad Astra. Overall, this trip was great for our knowledge and enjoyment of Astronomy.

The boys then had the opportunity to use their phones or iPad to take pictures of a somewhat cloudy sky, but with the moon and stars appearing between clouds. Since then, a few members of our Astronomy Club from Years 7-12 have captured images from home.

Sunday’s activities consisted of making L.E.D. models of constellations by Years 7 and 9 – they were very pleased to take these home with them.

Zac McAlister 10b

Year 10 measured out a scale model of the solar system stretching from the entrance to Patterdale Hall to the pier at Ullswater. This was then followed by all the boys.

As I am part of the Astronomy Club and am taking the subject for GCSE, I was given the chance to go to Patterdale Hall over a weekend on the astronomy trip. While we were there, we were given the chance to take part in many activities, such as making dry ice comets and bottle rockets; stargazing; and outdoor activities with the Patterdale staff. In the evenings, there were talks by some of the older students and space-themed films such as The Martian.

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Camps & Journeys By far, my favourite part of the weekend was the opportunity to do stargazing, as the skies were extremely clear so it was perfect to try and find different stars, constellations and objects. Overall, the trip was extremely interesting and definitely helped me understand more about the night sky.

Joseph Williams 10c

Joint Creative Writing Retreat _______________________________________________________

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atterdale Hall has been hosting high quality creative writing courses for the past 10 years. Using specialist tutors including published authors, programmes are tailored to meet the needs of the school and individuals. During the February half term, Year 7 to 12 pupils from the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions spent a wonderful week at the Hall working with poets and novelists in small groups, receiving individual writing tutorials, enjoying visits and workshops at Wordsworth’s house and museum, taking inspirational walks in the poet’s footsteps through Aira Force and participating in storytelling and writing showcases.

Whilst schools can offer an excellent English Literature and Language provision, we understand how difficult it can be to meet the full cross section of the curriculum topics whilst remaining in the classroom.

Using our comfortable residential centre in an inspiring location, coupled with highly specialised tutors, Patterdale Hall’s creative writing programme empowers students to become confident, skilled and original writers.

2023’s retreat produced two anthologies: ‘Tales from the Shadows of Patterdale Hall’ and ’52 Hertz’.

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Camps & Journeys The 4 star resort at Sestriere in Italy, where we stayed looked beautiful from the outside and was great on the inside as well. It also had a stunning view of the Alps and the lovely bit that we skied on. The hotel room was very nice and clean and had a nice, big bathroom with a good sized shower, many big cupboards to put your clothes and shoes in and even a mini fridge!

Miss N.R. Lord

The skiing for me was the best part by a long way and I think everyone would agree with me because even though it was quite tiring having to wake up at 7 every day, it was definitely worth it. We were given our own skis and boots provided by the hotel, which were both very good quality and worked well. There were four different groups ranging from beginner skiers (Group 4) to very experienced skiers (Group 1), and what group you were depended on the difficulty of the slopes, with red being the easiest and black and double black being the hardest. Also, a great part of the trip was when every day the teachers would buy us a hot chocolate, which I thought was really nice as they didn’t need to.

Joint Ski Trip to Sestriere, Italy _______________________________________________________

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irst of all, I want to thank the teachers who took me on the trip for being kind, nice and, most of all, funny. The way there and back was a great experience – we had a luxurious bus which had charging ports and we also had multiple stops for places to eat (McDonald’s) and to get snacks for the bus so we were never hungry. Finally, we got to sit next to who we wanted on the brilliant bus and we were allowed to bring blankets and pillows for the ride as well! I also had a great experience on the ferry from England to France as there was a shop where we could get snacks, aftershave, perfume and hot food as well.

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Camps & Journeys

Tristan Bennett 8a

Climbing trip to Fontainebleau _______________________________________________________

Overall, it was an amazing experience that I won’t forget and I completely encourage people to go, as for me, it has been the best school trip I’ve ever been on. Also, we got to go with the opposite gender, which was a chance to make new friends. Everything about the trip was great from the nice teachers to the brilliant hotel and the skiing slopes and it is also very worth going for the memories. I’d like to thank the school for providing us with the astonishing trip, which I would love to go on again if I can.

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T

he experience that I had at Fontainebleau was incredible.

It was the first time I had tried outdoor bouldering as I had only previously bouldered indoors. The whole trip was a great experience that I won’t forget, from the feeling of completing a problem to the fun we had at the campsite after a great climbing session. We tried lots of boulders from many different locations including Roche aux Sabots and Canche aux Merciers.

Camps & Journeys The first day bouldering at Roche aux Sabots was an introduction to outdoor bouldering as there was a new technique involved that was very different to the way we were used to indoors. This involved using our feet more than our hands to finish a problem. The first day consisted of us trying our newly learnt technique on easier boulders within a circuit until lunch, when we prepared our own sandwiches with fresh bread, cheeses, vegetables, and meats from the supermarket. (We shopped there every morning and again in the evening to make our evening meal as a joint effort.) After lunch, we continued onto harder problems and walked up to the Cul de Chien, a boulder that looked like a dog’s head, when it unfortunately rained!

The next day we went to Canche aux Merciers, which was a mixed day of sun and rain and lots of slacklining with Mr. Kettle showing impressive moves of being able to sit down and stand up again on the slackline and even being able to walk backwards on it.

However the biggest highlight of the trip was on the third day when we went to Franchard Cuisinière to try a dyno called La Superbe and met with Alex Honnold, the man who climbed El Capitan without ropes. There is a documentary made about the incredible feat called Free Solo. Furthermore we met Tommy Caldwell, who climbed The Dawn Wall without ropes and there is also a documentary about his amazing achievement.

Year 7 History Trip to Brougham Castle _______________________________________________________

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his year was the twentieth anniversar y of our annual trip to Brougham Castle. In the grand scheme of things – not to mention the castle’s 800-year history – this is of no consequence whatsoever. However, in terms of the School, it’s an association of some longevity with implications worth considering. I suspect that the Brougham Castle trip was the first ever annual day trip run by the department, certainly in living memory – but I’m happy to be corrected on that score. Across two decades, close to 3000 Bolton School boys have stormed its fortifications, a force probably similar in size if not deadliness to the attack launched by the Scots in 1388. The first Bolton School boys to visit are now in their early thirties, and almost every single boy who has attended the School since 2002 has been there. At least 100 Bolton School/Tyrers coaches have forged their way up and down the M6. About 2000 packed lunches have been provided, probably slightly fewer than 3000 work booklets have been diligently filled in and a small fortune has been spent on miniature catapults, pencils and ice lollies in the gift shop. The sun has shone about 90% of the time. Some members of the History Department calculate that they have made approximately 60 visits to Brougham Castle. Obviously, as an historian rather than a mathematician, I cannot vouch for the absolute reliability of these statistics, but they are not far off the mark.

On the final day we went to Apremont and tried the boulders called La John Gill and Le Piano with La John Gill being a fun and challenging problem for everyone.

Overall, the experience that I had at Fontainebleau was amazing and I hope to go back again next year.

Aaron Patel 9c

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Camps & Journeys Year 12 Biology Field Trip to Aberystwyth _______________________________________________________

Small wonder then, that we feel like Brougham Castle is our castle, and our links with the staff who run it are very strong. It is still, for us, the perfect place to demonstrate the principles of castle design, the tactics of defence and attack and the fact that getting out and about and visiting historical sites is about the best and most enjoyable way to bring the subject to life. The first trips of our third glorious decade are already booked for next year.

T

he annual Year 12 Biology Field Trip to Aberystwyth left at the usual early hour on the Monday, while the rest of the school were beginning their end of year activities. Four hours later, after the usual pilgrimage to Oswestry Services and torrential rain, 38 boys and three staff arrived at a cold, windy beach in the centre of Aberystwyth.

We aim to carry out a variety of ecological techniques that all seem to involve placing small square pieces of plastic along a tape measure (don’t worry, we tell the boys that this is called a transect, and is a vitally important method of assessing how the changing abiotic factors affect the distribution of shoreline flora and fauna!)

The main project involves finding out if limpet populations that live on a sheltered shore have different shaped shells to those living on an exposed shore. Aberystwyth is blessed with two shores that have very different exposures: College Rocks in town is protected in a bay while Borth rocks is exposed to the full force of the Irish Sea. The difference in their appearance is due to directional selection operating differently in the two habitats.

We also visited the glorious sand dune systems of Borth, where Mr. Benbow was able to unleash his inner Geography teacher and tell the boys with unwavering confidence about erosion of granite cliffs and longshore drift (despite later finding out that the cliffs are actually a type of mudstone!)

Miss S.V. Burgess

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Camps & Journeys The planned mark-release-recapture activity fell victim to some dynamic risk assessment after a storm in the Irish Sea had whipped the surf into clouds of foam and was at the time battering the location where we had planned to carry out the activity.

The other side of the trip is a great opportunity for the boys to experience a university campus and to live in university halls of residence for a couple of days. I would like to thank Dr. Procter and Mr. Benbow for their good company and enormous help and to Ms. Hartley and Mrs. Hamer for organising all of the kit.

Dr. N. Morgan

Year 7 Paris Trip _______________________________________________________

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n Day 1, we had to be at school at 4am so we were all very tired, but excited. Once we had set off, it took hours to get to the service station, where we had something to eat. Then we set off again to the ferry.

The ferry was really good because we were allowed to do what we wanted. Now we were in France, we just had one more drive to our hotel. Once we had arrived at Parc Astérix, we ate and went to bed.

On Day 2, we visited the Thiepval Memorial, which acknowledges the unknown soldiers, who fell in World War I whilst saving their country. People who were identified are also acknowledged, with their names engraved on the Memorial. After paying our respects, we visited the Thiepval Museum, where we saw artefacts and replicas of objects such as planes, bomb shells and guns. Personally, combined with the boards of information, I found this quite interesting.

Following this, we had lunch, which was a tuna salad sandwich – there were mixed opinions about this! Last on the itinerary was Parcours Aventure, a high-ropes course with varying difficulty levels.

On Day 3, we went into Paris and we went to the Eiffel Tower. When we reached the First Floor, we were given some money to buy some food and we were all given time to practise our French. We wish that we had had the time to go to the top floor! Next, we took a boat ride around the city, and the scenes and views were absolutely outstanding. I also really enjoyed the boat trip and would definitely do it again. Next, we journeyed to the medieval city of Senlis, where the monarchs of the early French dynasties used to reside. The boys were quite impressed by the sight of the magnificent Gothic cathedral and its interior as well as the quaint cobbled streets.

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Camps & Journeys Year 8 Trip to Saundersfoot _______________________________________________________

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irstly, I would like to start by saying that the Saundersfoot trip and holiday was extremely enjoyable and incredibly fun. More than 40 Year 8 boys were getting ready to set off on a journey which would take about seven hours. As we set off, the mood was great as everyone had started their summer holidays early. We were all talking and having a good time and while we experienced dark, gloomy skies on leaving Bolton, we arrived at camp with the sun shining.

On Day 4, we went to Parc Astérix! Most people went on the highest rides whereas others were content with just the small ones. The amount of plushies, foam hammers and winged hats that we brought back was unbelievable – they took up nearly half of the seats on the coach! When we got back, we had an excellent tea before heading back to our rooms. Needless, to say, we had an amazing day.

On Day 5, we had our last morning in Paris, unfortunately. Getting an early start, we packed our bags and carried them out until the room was spotless, ready for room inspections. Breakfast was as usual, the delicious buffet. Eventually, we all boarded the coach – our time in Paris was over. We then got on the ferry, this time from Dunkirk to Dover, and re-entered England after more passport stamping.

Derek Leong 7a, Thomas Davis 7c, Ayron Dhokia 7d, Moses Kopicki 7c & Max Preston 7c

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As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by our camp leaders and our head of camp, Mr. Bradley. We entered the marquee and went to our tables, before being briefed and told about the camp rules, and also the plan for the week. This included a swift trip to our tents, where we got our kit ready for a trip to the beach. We were then ready and set off again. It was a quick walk down to our private beach, and everyone was ready to jump into the sea. It was cold, but everyone was enthusiastic, smiling, laughing and enjoying the moment.

Everyone came together to create and protect a rock pile. This was then seen on the following days on our walk to Saundersfoot. We slowly made our way back to camp for some free time and a shower, before eating and heading to sleep to end our eventful first day.

On Day 2, we all woke up tired as the excitement had finally cooled down. After getting up, we filed into the marquee for our first breakfast, which was cereal and toast. We were then told about the different competitions across camp, which included cricket, football and table tennis tournaments. It was a simple format of tents vs. tents for cricket and football, and one on one in the table tennis.

Luckily, I had a bye for the first round in table tennis, and had to wait for football and cricket. Unfortunately, we lost one-nil in the football and then collapsed in the cricket, losing both. It was fun, yet annoying that we got knocked out so soon.

Camps & Journeys boat. All in all, it was a great day out.

We were called into the marquee and made some packed lunches for our trip to the town of Saundersfoot. We walked down the beach and arrived at the pier. After a lot of wandering, my group made our way to the ice cream shop, and then got fish, chips and gravy. Next, we got some sweets and we went to the arcade, and, with everyone contributing, managed to get around 3200 tickets. We got some sweets and a bunch of rubbish that you find at arcades. I got an ice cream and our time was up as we waited for the minibus back to camp.

Back at camp, the finals for the cricket and football were played.

Unsurprisingly, Tent 6, with two Lancashire players, won the cricket and Tent 5 won the football. The table tennis tournament carried on, and I ended up beating Oscar McVerry to reach the Final. We had our tea and also had hot cocoa with cookies before heading off to bed.

The second night had come and gone with not much sleep again. Trudging out of our tents, we made our way to breakfast and got ready to head off to our first theme park, Oakwood. We arrived early and realised we were the first ones there so had all the rides to ourselves. I had never been on a roller coaster before, so I didn’t know how I would react, but I headed to a roller coaster in Scary Street, and I really enjoyed it. We eventually made our way round to Speed, the tallest, fastest and steepest roller coaster in Wales, with 90° chain lift hill and a 97° first drop. It is the sixth fastest roller coaster in Britain. We went on this three times in a row, before going to Drop, a ride which throws you up and down through the air. When going on this ride, we waited in line with Miss Dean, Mr. Costello and Mrs. Roadnight all going on before us. We went on and as we were coming down a second time, the ride stopped mid-air.

Everyone wondered what had happened and eventually we were stuck there for around 10 minutes. We were around 15 metres in the air, with everyone looking up at us, but eventually we got down and were able to get on with our day. Another highlight for me was going on a boat ride with some friends, and chasing other boys in our

Day 4 was the second day of going to a theme park. We were given a sheet and would get activities ticked off once we had done them.

My highlights of the day were go karting, baseball, the zip line, the shooting range, the electric car racing and mini golf. At first, the park didn’t seem very big, but after looking at the map, we hadn’t seen more than half of the activities available. We once again split into groups and some of us went to the electric cars whilst others were still at a playground. I sadly lost, finishing fourth, but got sabotaged by my friends (and had a slower car!) We then went on the bumper boats and everyone started crashing into each other and racing. We walked around to the go karts and were disappointed we didn’t get on the adult ones as we were one year too young. I was overtaken on the last corner, but managed to do quite well as it was my first time. We went to the shooting range and I managed to hit a bullet in an area to get the highest score, even with a broken gun. We played softball, and then went to the zip line, which was good fun. We also went on an electronic clay shooting game. I then had another go at softball before we made our way back to camp.

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Camps & Journeys On Day 5, we went to Tenby. Before setting off, we ate some breakfast and made packed lunches. We arrived late morning and most of us were very hungry so we decided to get something to eat.

We went to Dominos and shared two medium pizzas between four people. Miss Dean came in whilst we were eating and asked us about having some pizzas on our last night and we all got excited about the prospect. We went around exploring and met up with some friends when they were getting fish and chips. Whilst they were eating, we walked and found a market place with a few shops, and talked with some staff. We bought some sweets and saw some more boys from our school. We mainly just explored before heading back to camp.

We woke up a bit later on our last full day of camp, and were briefed

by Mr. Bradley in the marquee. We had breakfast, and then walked into Saundersfoot on our last trip out of camp. This was similar to our previous trip to Saundersfoot village. We then headed back to camp and packed up our tents as it was forecasted to rain in the morning, and we all slept next to each other in the marquee, which was madness, as you can imagine! This was the best night’s sleep I had, as I realised that I had been sleeping with my head downhill for the rest of the week!

On our final day at camp before setting off back to Bolton, we were woken by Mr. Bradley an hour earlier than usual. We washed and ate breakfast before packing some packed lunches, gathered our belongings and headed onto the coach. The mood was sad as we all realised we had a very long coach journey back. Everyone was tired, but eventually we made it back to school before going home.

George Stoddart 8e

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Battlefields History Trip _______________________________________________________

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t was an enormous pleasure to once again be able to go to the First World War Battlefields of Belgium and France. Due to the Covid restrictions, the last trip was back in 2018 and it was feared that things may have changed dramatically when we arrived in Ypres. Of course, some things had changed, most notably that our overnight ferry took us from Hull to Rotterdam rather than to Zeebrugge. The crossing too was the choppiest I can remember, very different from the usual idyllic summer crossing. It resulted in a two hour delay, and we were then stuck in traffic for a good 5 hours, which was far from optimal.

Plans had to change, but the boys acclimatised to these setbacks with a characteristic British ‘stiff upper lip’ and enjoyed embracing a situation that was beyond anyone’s control. Indeed on the ferry, the boys embraced more opportunity to quiz and we received numerous compliments about the boys’ behaviour from many fellow passengers, which always reminds us as colleagues how lucky we are to work with such decent young men.

We finally arrived in Ypres and went straight to the Passchendaele Museum and despite being fresh off a very long journey, the boys heartily engaged in what the Museum had to offer by studying the uniforms worn, the equipment carried and of course, a walk through what the trench networks would have looked like. It was then on to the hotel, which I must say had changed very much for the better – this was luxury far beyond what any fighting Tommy might have experienced and more akin to a General’s experience of the fighting in the Great War. It was then onto the first of two nights of what might accurately be referred to as questionable evening cuisine, the boys referring, in good spirit, to the ‘mystery meat’ on the menu. It did remind us of what a soldier of the First World War might have been ‘treated’ to in a trench and I suppose kept us all grounded. In any case, the ice-cream was fine!

Camps & Journeys told the remarkable truth that the youngest soldier who fought in this conflict had lied about his age and was actually only 14. The boys might have questioned why a boy would do this, but such was the propaganda sold to soldiers at the time that many teenagers were desperate to sign up and prove themselves. We then toured some of the Somme Battlefields including a visit to the Lochnagar Crater and the Thiepval Memorial before returning back to Ypres for the evening. Thiepval is always a busy memorial, but the boys were able to find the names of the seven Old Boltonians commemorated there, each of whom has no known grave and this includes two brothers, Edward and Ernest Blackburn, killed on the same day in August 1916. In the evening, we were able to attend the Menin Gate ceremony at a much closer proximity compared to the night before, which was a real privilege. The boys’ behaviour was exemplary.

That evening, we listened to the Menin Gate Ceremony from the distance whilst it was explained to the boys that nearly 55,000 names are commemorated on that memorial. These are the names of men whose bodies were not recovered during the fighting, eight of whom went to Bolton School. At this moment, it began to sink in with the boys that they perhaps had more in common with the men who fought and died more than a hundred years ago, than they thought. We then walked along the ramparts to the Lille Gate Cemetery, where the boys were taught about the early engagements of the war, but also could reflect on what is one of the most beautiful locations for a cemetery, certainly in the town of Ypres.

On the next day, we crossed the border to the Somme in France.

Firstly, we visited the Vimy Ridge Memorial and received a tour from a Canadian student tour guide. The land on which the Vimy Memorial is located was gifted to the Canadians in perpetuity as a sign of gratitude for Canada’s sacrifices during the First World War and in particular at Vimy. The boys were told of the fierce fighting that occurred on the ridge and of the Canadian soldiers’ eventual success in pushing the Germans back in April 1917. The boys were

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Camps & Journeys

On our last day, we had a hearty breakfast and went to Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth Cemetery in the world. We were able to lay a wreath by the name of Fred Carrie, but held in our memories the other four Old Boltonians who are named on the wall there and have no known grave. This wall is remarkable as it is an overflow of names that were supposed to be commemorated on the Menin Gate, but there was not enough space, which is incredible when you see the sheer size of the Menin Gate memorial.

We were also able to pay respects to the grave of a relative of our own pupil, Jude Dickinson. Tyne Cot is a cemetery that never fails to emote, such is the size and scale of human destruction that is commemorated there. We were also able to visit Langemark Cemetery, the largest German cemetery of the First World War. Boys could see the contrast of how that cemetery is maintained compared to others as there are several mass graves and many soldiers’ names are unknown. The contrast starkly reveals there is some truth in the saying ‘history is written by the winners’.

We then headed for Talbot House in Poperinge, where men were able to convalesce when not on active duty during the Great War. We were able to imagine what it might have been like for a soldier who had some time off during the First World War as Daniel Keene played the piano in the museum and we all sat quietly contemplating, the staff whilst drinking tea, the boys whilst drinking cans of pop. We then set off back towards Rotterdam and fortunately, the traffic was kind and we made our ferry crossing, which the boys enjoyed thoroughly.

It is strange to say that the boys enjoyed such a trip, but they truly did. They managed the responsibility of paying due respect to those that fought in the First World War whilst also enjoying time with their friends in exactly the manner we would expect of them. My thanks to the boys, but also Miss Marsh, Mr. Moore, Dr. Mullins and Dave Hitchen, our incredibly knowledgeable coach driver, for their tremendous company on an enjoyable and memorable trip. We all look forward to going again in July 2025.

Mr. H.S. Brown

Outdoor Pursuits trip to the Alps _______________________________________________________

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uring the summer, five other boys and I had the opportunity to travel to the French Alps to experience a range of fantastic whitewater rivers. All members of our group have had at least two years of kayaking experience and this was a chance to test our skills in a way simply not possible in Britain.

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Camps & Journeys move on to rivers with relentless whitewater, such as the Ubaye Racecourse, Middle Guil and Lower Guisane. These instantly became all-time favourites with our group, due to the continuous volume of Grade 4 rapids. To provide context, Grade 4 whitewater can include moderate or severe waves and drops, which require skill and precision to navigate. We finished the trip with another run down the Ubaye Racecourse, before reluctantly returning to the campsite to pack the van for the journey home.

Arriving at Manchester Airport on 30th June, there was a great volume of excitement – even a three-hour flight delay could not extinguish our eagerness to escape the rain of Manchester! After a two hour flight to Geneva, followed by a four hour drive, we arrived at La Rochette campsite, where we stayed for the duration of the trip. This proved to be a very comfortable and clean campsite, with the all-important swimming pool, restaurant and WiFi!

We began paddling on our first full day, making a gentle reintroduction to easier whitewater, such as that of the Lower Guil and Durance. The presence of examinations had meant we had been unable to kayak on a river since March, and this was evident in the first few days of the trip. The speed and volume of the water was distinctly higher than the rivers we were used to, presenting a whole new challenge. Despite this, we all regained our previous paddling standards quickly and this enabled us to progress to difficult whitewater. However, conscious of not overstretching ourselves, we spent a more relaxed day at the slalom site in St. Clement, where many of us were able to remaster our roll. The first example of difficult whitewater was on the Upper Guil, where our teamwork and abilities were tested in an inescapable gorge. However, the use of bank-based assistance to maintain communication allowed for a safe yet thrilling descent. This success meant we were able to

Overall, the trip was a tremendous opportunity in which all members of the group improved their kayaking skills in a new environment. I would like to thank Alex, Jacob, Tristan, Saul and Will for being great company over the two weeks, the Scott Trust Fund for providing a grant for the trip, and Mr. Bradley, Dan, John and Alistair for their invaluable support, guidance and time given over the course of the trip.

James Parfrey 11b

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Camps & Journeys Hockey Tour to The Netherlands _____________________________________________________

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t 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning in August, 32 boys from Years 10-13 assembled on Chorley New Road, ready to depart on a 6-day trip to the Netherlands to not only play hockey, but to experience another country’s lifestyle, people and cities, and have a great time doing so.

After a relatively smooth day of travelling, with all but one lost bag, we arrived at Stayokay hostel in Soest, Utrecht, where we would be staying for the next three days.

The following morning was a pro coaching session at Kampong HC, one of the best teams in the Netherlands, with a ridiculous 90 senior teams that play on an expansive 9 pitches, and we were lucky enough to enjoy a session that morning with three coaches from the club. It was an extremely useful session during which we used equipment and did drills we’d never seen before, but had a great time doing them. After lunch at Kampong, we went into Utrecht, where we got some more fitness training by walking up the 465 steps of the Dom Toren. We then had burgers for tea and then made our way to Bison Bowling for a competitive end to the day.

The next morning, we were back at Kampong, this time for a training session led by our own coaches, which was equally as useful and enjoyable as the previous day’s. Up next was the National Military Museum in Soest then a Cold War-themed escape room, which, after you got over the stress of a nuclear threat, was really fun.

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Then came the first round of matches. The Under 16 team, made up of Year 10s and Year 11s went up against HC Houten, losing 3-0 in a great show of hockey. The Under 18s, made up of Year 12s and Year 13s were up against Top Division side SCHC Bilthoven and, after a spirited game, came out with a 12-0 loss – not reflective of their efforts against an extremely talented side.

Both teams were also very well looked after, with some great postmatch hospitality.

Camps & Journeys

Next was a trip to Efteling, The Netherlands’ biggest theme park, where some took full advantage of the fairly extreme rides on offer, and some took it easy, sticking to the slower, more horizontal rides, not wanting their breakfast to make a reappearance.

Straight from Efteling, both teams travelled to HC Schiedam for their respective matches. This time, the Under 16s managed to come out on top, with a well-deserved 2-0 win. The Under 18s, drawing the short straw, ended with an 8-0 loss, again, against very strong opposition. After the match, we departed to our second intriguingly designed hostel of the trip, in Rotterdam.

A tour at FC Feyenoord’s stadium in Rotterdam was the next morning’s activity: our favourite fact was that the first floodlit match at Feyenoord was against the one and only Bolton Wanderers, who amazingly won the match in 1957 3-0 – I know, I couldn’t believe it either! Lunch that day was in the form of a pancake cruise through Rotterdam, where there were unlimited Dutch pancakes with a ridiculous number of topping options available, which Patrick took full advantage of when making his almost criminally stacked up pancake.

The final matches of the trip took place that night too, both at Dordrechtse Mixed Hockey Club (DMHC). The Under 16s started off the night and, despite playing one of their best matches of hockey to date, they were beaten 5-0 by a pretty formidable team. While the Under 16s got changed and socialised with the opposition over some well-deserved Domino’s pizza, the Under 18s started their match against an equally strong Dordrechtse team, losing 7-0, despite the Under 16s’ excellent sideline encouragement. The night was a great finish to the competitive side of the tour and really showed the spirit of the game.

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Camps & Journeys

For the final day of the tour, we started off with a fairly extreme High Ropes course including ziplines, climbing walls and more, which was a lot of fun. We then stayed firmly on the floor during the afternoon’s visit to The Hague for our taste of Dutch culture, visiting the Mauritshuis art gallery, the Dutch parliament building, the Royal Palace and the Peace Palace. We then returned to the hostel, getting ourselves ready for the early start to travel back the next day.

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A late transfer, long queue, quick sprint through Schiphol Airport and yet another missing bag later, we arrived back in Manchester on the Saturday morning – exhausted, but also extremely happy and grateful for a trip that not only improved our hockey and made us closer as teammates, but let us experience and enjoy a different country’s people and culture. However, none of it would have been possible without the impressive and dedicated organisational skills of Mr. Robson, alongside Mr. Sutcliffe, Miss Petrie and Miss Archer. We all had a truly amazing time and I’m sure, given the chance, we would do it all again.

Nathan Watts 11f

Music & The Creative Arts Music Notes _______________________________________________________

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his academic year has been packed with performance opportunities for our musicians and, as some of the events were either live-streamed or recorded, several can be enjoyed again via the School’s website.

Autumn Term Mr. Spooner retired at the start of the Autumn Term as Foundation Organist, having been School Organist in the Girls’ Division since April 2017 and then becoming School Organist in the Boys’ Division in January 2021 when Mr. Pain retired. My thanks to Mr. Spooner for his commitment to the School and its music-making. I am also very grateful to Mr. Morrison, who returned from retirement (having previously been the Girls’ Division organist), to teach our organists and play at assemblies and other events until Mr. Spooner’s successor was appointed. I was delighted when Marc Murray joined our team as Foundation Organist in January 2022. Mr. Murray is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and an RCO Accredited teacher. His expertise, enthusiasm and musicianship are much appreciated by his students and the wider school community.

On Saturday 1st October, Bolton School welcomed alumni back to School for its ‘2’ Leavers Reunion, which saw guests from 1952, 1962, 1972, 1982, 1992, 2002 and 2012 return, some for the first time in decades. The Boys’ Division Great Hall resounded with splendid organ performances given by two of our organ students, namely Laurence Britton and Xuan Wang. A number of alumni made a point of saying how impressive the musical renditions had been, and many former pupils were able to wait awhile in the Great Halls, with the unmistakeable organ sounds bringing back many memories.

On Saturday 8th October, pupils from both the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions performed at the Open Morning to highlight some of our musical opportunities and musicians’ talents. Performances were given by, among others, the Senior Orchestra, Senior Concert Band, Chamber Choir, Girls’ Lower School Choir, pianists and organists.

and appreciative audience of family and friends in a Musical Evening in the Great Hall.

Excellent solo and duet items were heard on voice, violin, oboe, piano, guitar, trumpet, cornet, drum kit and organ, with a vast range of musical styles expertly presented. The performers were: Year 8 pupils George Burrows, Jenson Byrne, Jamie Chen, Charlie Feng, Alex Hilton-Jones, Charlie Simpson and Ambrose Zheng; Year 9 pupils Advaith Govindu, Dhilan Jacobs, Peter McCreedy and Rith Narla; Year 10 pupils Marcus Law and Nathan Pierson; Year 11 pupils Ethan Caswell, Ollie Evans, Michael Gatenby, Amrit Mishra and Arun Patel; Year 12 students James Bland and Jake Partington; and Year 13 students Barnaby Keogh, James Logan, Oliver Longworth and Xuan Wang.

The accompanists were Ms. Lien and Mrs. Whitmore.

Nathan Pierson 10f

Ethan Caswell 11d

Arun Patel 11a

Oliver Longworth 13a

On Tuesday 15th November, both Great Halls were packed with an appreciative audience listening to the varied musical programme of the Joint Autumn Concert. This was a fantastic evening of musicmaking involving 250 pupils, with performances from all of the joint ensembles, in addition to a selection of other groups and soloists from each Division.

On Monday 10th October, twenty-four musicians, spanning Years 8 to 13 in Bolton School Boys’ Division, entertained an enthusiastic

The concert opened in the Boys’ Division Great Hall with the Senior Concert Band’s renditions of Adrenaline Engines and Doctor Who: Through Time and Space. Harry Adams then played the Theme from ‘Ladies in Lavender’ as a violin solo. Next, it was the turn of the

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Music & The Creative Arts Tuned Percussion Ensemble with their arrangements of Paparazzi and A La Samba. The String Ensemble treated us to Jurassic Park and Spring, followed by the Boys’ Division Guitar Group’s Livin’ on a Prayer. Next up was Charlie Simpson performing Love Rears Its Ugly Head on drum kit. The Boys’ Division Lower School Choir sang Riptide (with soloists Jenson Byrne and Tanmay Gokul), followed by the Boys’ Division Drum Corps playing Marie’s Wedding and Scotland the Brave to conclude the first half of the concert.

Cynthia Cheung shared Scarf Dance on piano. Next, it was the turn of the Girls’ Division Senior Choir singing Opening Up (with soloists Ananya Ajit, Anna Medvid and Elliot Rigby), followed by the Jazz Ensemble’s Watermelon Man. The concert concluded with the Chamber Choir performing Ubi Caritas (with soloists Oliver Longworth, Kiana Murray, Rishi Narla and Isabel Heaton) and Revolution (with soloists Molly Bell, Ananya Ajit, Rishi Narla and Elliot Rigby).

Senior Concert Band

Senior Orchestra The Year 8 Concert took place in the Great Hall on Tuesday 22nd November. This musical extravaganza featured whole year group singing of popular songs (Somebody That I Used To Know, With Or Without You, Whatever and Unstoppable) directed by Miss Sherry and Miss Archer, and accompanied by the ‘band’ made up of Dr. Booth, Mr. Forgrieve, Mr. Lovatt and Mrs. Whitmore.

Guitar Group

Drum Corps For the second half of the concert, the audience moved to the Girls’ Division Great Hall and proceedings resumed with the Senior Orchestra’s Waltz No.2 and How to Train your Dragon. Marissa Hollinghurst performed Quasi Allegro on the organ, followed by the Girls’ Division Lower School Choir singing When you Believe (with soloist Sophie Hurley). The Accidentals sang The Rose before

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Several specially formed ensembles entertained the audience. An instrumental quartet (Jamie Chen, Stephen Nagai, Gabe Payne and Charlie Simpson) performed Libertango, and the Vocal Group (Theo Michaelas and Jack Rothwell, with Charlie Simpson on Drum Kit) delighted us with Viva La Vida. The Ukulele Ensemble (Harvey Becker-Le Cerf, Tanmay Gokul, Theo Michaelas, Stephen Nagai, Neeraj Patel, Thomas Sibley, Krishnan Velayutham and Jai Venkataraman), directed by Miss Archer, played Stand by Me and Smoke on the Water. The Samba Band (Charles Kaboutian, Gabe Payne, Noah Plenderleith, William Roberts and Charlie Simpson) energised the hall and ensured that feet were tapping with an improvisatory piece specifically created by Mr. Forgrieve. Piano, recorder, guitar vocal, xylophone and drum kit solos were provided

Music & The Creative Arts

by Charlie Feng, Steven Wang, Harry Roberts, Krishnan Velayutham, Thomas Sibley, Gabe Payne, William Roberts and Jenson Byrne.

Ukelele Ensemble

bitterly cold December evening. Senior boys sang as members of the Chamber Choir. Proceedings began with the traditional Hodie, which sees the choir progress into the hall in total darkness, save for their lantern candles which lead the way. The congregation enjoyed participating in rousing communal singing throughout the carol service, which included stirring renditions of carols, as well as quieter musical items and reflective readings and prayers. The retiring collection raised over £500 for the charity Anastasia Days.

On Wednesday 14th December, the Boys’ Division Christmas Festival opened in the Great Hall with an invitation to worship from the Head of Boys’ Division, Mr. Ford. It was a joyous evening of singing and rejoicing, accompanied by a full orchestra and organ, as well as a staff and pupil choir. The congregation certainly played its full part. It was quickly on its feet and, throughout the evening, offered its voice to festive classics including Once in Royal David’s City, See Amid the Winter’s Snow, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!, Joy to the World!, Mary’s Boy Child, Shine Jesus Shine and O Come, all ye Faithful!

Samba Band On Sunday 27th November, the Senior Concert Band, directed by Miss Sherry, performed at the regional heats of the National Concert Band Festival, held at Crompton House School in Rochdale. After a fantastic performance, the group was presented with a Gold Award, together with an invite to the National round of the festival in April. The Percussion section also received an additional award in recognition of their contribution to the music.

There were quieter moments too with the Lower School Choir’s rendition of Gabriel’s Message and the Chamber Choir’s singing of A Voice, A Chime. Sixth Formers Billy Burrows and Rishi Narla presented the vocal duet When Love Was Born and the String Quartet performed an arresting Fantasia on the Ukrainian Bell Carol.

From the 7th-10th December, some of our musicians performed in the impressive production of The Great Gatsby, set in post-war Paris and Jazz Age New York, with musical numbers arranged and led by Miss Sherry. The novel was adapted for the stage by our Foundation Director of Creative Learning, Miss Lord. You can read full details about this elsewhere in this magazine.

The Ceremony of Carols in the Girls’ Division Great Hall on Monday 12th December brought cheer, good spirit and light to a dark and

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Music & The Creative Arts Ensemble – performing Bach’s dramatic Toccata and Fugue.

Everyone’s feet were then set a-tapping when the Tuned Percussion Ensemble, comprising pupils from across the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions, launched into Mr. Forgrieve’s Bridgewater Bash, specially written to be performed at the Bridgewater Hall. The entertainment continued apace with a polished performance of Circle of Life by the Intermediate Concert Band, featuring pupils from Years 7 to 10 from both Senior Schools.

Interwoven throughout the evening were thoughtful readings, reflections and prayers, read by the Reverend Alan Saunders, Vicar of St. Peter’s Church in Halliwell, Head of Foundation Mr. Britton and by pupils from across the year groups.

From the donations received at the Christmas Festival, we gave £300 to Compassionate Missionary Sons, Nigeria and £300 to When You Wish Upon A Star.

The Primary Division Choir brought a tear to many an eye when they performed Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sing. The Senior Concert Band, featuring pupils from both Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions, was on fine form with their renditions of Cantina Band and Imaginarium. The first half of the programme closed with the Massed Voices of Year 7, along with older pupils, performing old classics Africa, I’m a Believer and Mr. Blue Sky.

Spring Term On Thursday 16th March, around 600 pupils from across the Foundation performed in our Gala Concert at Manchester’s prestigious Bridgewater Hall.

The evening began with pupils from the Infant School, Junior Schools, Senior Schools and Sixth Forms – the Foundation’s Massed

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The second half of the evening opened with the Girls’ Division Senior Choir, made up of pupils from Year 10 to Year 13, singing She Used to be Mine and the Chamber Choir offering up impressive renditions of How Can I Keep from Singing? and Sogno di Volare (A Dream of Flight). The Boys’ Division Lower School Choir, made up of pupils from Years 7 and 8, offered an equally enchanting Somewhere Only We Know, before the joint Senior Orchestra offered up Intermezzo and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. The evening drew to a climatic end with a Massed Finale singing an emotive and uplifting version of Elbow’s One Day Like This.

Music & The Creative Arts • Charlie Simpson (drum kit) • Matthew Yeung (violin) The Senior Finalists were: • Harry Adams (violin) • James Bland (oboe) • Laurence Britton (drum kit) • Dylan Lincoln (electric guitar) • Arun Patel (trumpet) • Nathan Pierson (vocal) • Xuan Wang (piano)

Taking to the stage, Head of Foundation, Philip Britton, praised the 600 musicians and performers saying: ‘It has been a sublime evening of music-making by pupils from Years 2 to 13. Every seat in this great hall has been filled and our School community has come together to deliver a joyous Gala Concert. What a wonderful opportunity it has been for our pupils to play at such a prestigious venue and for our younger girls and boys to be inspired by older ones, showing them what they can become. Behind all these stunning performances – musicianship of this calibre is, of course, taught – thanks must go to the Music Department and to all those that have helped with the logistics behind the scenes.’

Bolton School last performed at the Bridgewater Hall pre-Covid in 2019, and, before that, in 2015 in celebration of the School’s 100th and 500th birthdays.

A few days after the Bridgewater Hall Concert came the Final of the Young Musician of the Year competition, in its nineteenth year, on Tuesday 21st March. This provided an evening showcasing outstanding talent. Fourteen gifted solo performers, who were already winners in their individual instrumental categories, shared their passion for music with an appreciative and enthusiastic audience in the Great Hall.

The Junior Finalists were: • Jenson Byrne (vocal) • Jamie Chen (piano) – as he was at Patterdale Hall his performance was played on the large screen as a pre-recorded video.

• Ike Edwards (bass guitar) • Antoine Jodeau (cornet) • Tejas Neelam (flute)

The Finalists Adjudicator Philip Dewhurst, former Director of Music at Cheadle Hulme School and long-standing examiner for Trinity College London, had the difficult job of choosing the ultimate winners. He was extremely complimentary about every performance and offered detailed feedback to each musician.

Mr. Dewhurst went on to announce the Senior Young Musician of the Year as Laurence Britton on drum kit, and the Junior Young Musician of the Year as Matthew Yeung on violin.

Senior Young Musician – Laurence Britton 13f

Junior Young Musician – Matthew Yeung 9e

MUSIC & THE CREATIVE ARTS 101

Music & The Creative Arts The Junior Young Composer of the Year award was given to Charlie Feng and the Senior Young Composer of the Year to Rishi Narla. The Most Promising Performer Award went to clarinettist Freddie Audley.

Junior Young Composer – Charlie Feng 8c

Freddie Audley provided his rendition of the third movement of the Sonatina for Clarinet by Horowitz, both accompanied by Ms. Lien.

Invigorating organ music was provided at the start and end of the assembly by Mr. Murray. The packed Great Hall listened intently and thoroughly enjoyed these performances.

This year’s May Serenade, held in the Girls’ Division Great Hall on Thursday 4th May, provided a wonderful opportunity to showcase the range and depth of musical talent in the School, and to say farewell and thank you to Year 13 students.

In a subliminal nod to the date – May the 4th (be with you) – the evening opened with the school’s Senior Orchestra performing Star Wars: Episode II. They followed this up with some well-chosen selections from the Peer Gynt Suite. The talented Jazz Ensemble showed off their virtuosity through Herbie Hancock’s Chameleon and the Chamber Choir sang Run and What I Did for Love from ‘A Chorus Line’. Around these items, Girls’ Division pupils entertained the audience with a vocal solo, vocal duet, piano solo, clarinet duet and choir items.

Senior Young Composer – Rishi Narla 13i

Most Promising Performer – Freddie Audley 12i

The competitions began in January with hundreds of boys performing in the Heats to members of the Music Department staff; 64 musicians were then selected as Semi-finalists to perform throughout the whole day to Mr. Dewhurst on 15th February. The winners of each instrumental category then proceeded to performing at the Final.

Mr. and Mrs. Hilton, who were in the audience, were thanked for their continuing annual contribution towards the prize money as the ‘Walker-Hilton Music Prizes.’ All of the pupils took home a trophy, together with prize money for the winners.

Summer Term On Sunday 16th April, the Senior Concert Band, conducted by Miss Sherry, performed at the National Concert Band Festival’s National Final at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. The group played a challenging and varied programme of contemporary concert band music to two experienced adjudicators. After receiving feedback on their performance, they received a Gold Award. The boys involved in this joint ensemble were Freddie Audley, James Bland, Harry Brown, William Earnshaw, George Houghton, Antoine Jodeau, Ashton Kay, Jamie Logan, Jake Partington, Arun Patel, Alex Pearce, Nishan Sharma, Neeraj Singh, Ben Turner and Brandon Yuen.

I was delighted to lead the Full Assembly on Monday 17th April, which recapped on the musical successes in the Senior Boys’ Division and featured three of our Young Musician competition winners. The Senior Young Musician, Laurence Britton, performed Halasana on the drum kit, accompanied by Mrs. Whitmore. Matthew Yeung, our Junior Young Musician, played Czardas on the violin, and

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In the following week, on Tuesday 9th May, fifty-two Senior boys and two Senior girls presented a splendid evening of musical entertainment in the Boys’ Division Great Hall. A wide range of musical styles from the Baroque period through to jazz, pop, film music and West End musicals were enjoyed by a very supportive audience made up of family, friends and staff.

Ensemble items were played by the Guitar Group (directed by Mr. Rodwell and assisted by Dr. Booth), the String Ensemble and Ukulele Ensemble (both directed by Miss Archer), the Lower School Choir (directed by Miss Sherry) and the Drum Corps (directed by Mr. Forgrieve).

Music & The Creative Arts

Nishan Sharma 9d

Superb solo and duets items were given by Nicky Ling (piano), Suhayb Pal (vocal), Mateo Sprott (trumpet), Reuben Wardle (piano), Jamie Chen (piano), Jamie Daley (guitar), Oscar McVerry (piano), Theo Michaelas (vocal), Gabe Payne (xylophone), Alex Pierson (vocal), Jack Rothwell (vocal), Ambrose Zheng (piano), Advaith Govindu (guitar), Peter McCreedy (violin), George MeredithAlexander (violin), Nishan Sharma (xylophone), Ed Goodfellow (guitar), James Bland (oboe) and Laurence Britton (organ).

The piano accompanists were Mr. Forgrieve, Ms. Lien and Mrs. Whitmore. Mr. Lovatt ensured that all amplified items were suitably balanced from the mixing desk.

Head of Foundation, Mr. Britton, thanked all of the performers and brought the wonderful evening of music-making to a close.

Suhayb Pal 7e

Gabe Payne 8f

Mateo Sprott 7f

Alex Pierson 8a

James Bland 12c

From the 14th-16th June, Lower School thespians from the Girls’ and Boys’ Divisions came together to deliver a stunning production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. in the School’s theatre. Sell-out audiences lauded their acting and singing. A detailed report can be found elsewhere in this magazine.

At Senior Prizegiving on Monday 26th June, musical performances were given at the start by Laurence Britton and Xuan Wang on the organ. James Bland, accompanied by Mrs. Whitmore, performed Élégie for oboe by Poulenc, and Dylan Lincoln played Tornado of Souls on electric guitar by Megadeth. These stunning and highly contrasting renditions were hugely appreciated by all in the Great Hall, including Guest Speaker Roger Draper. Forty Years On and Jerusalem were sung heartily and accompanied majestically on organ by Mr. Murray.

Wednesday 28th June brought the chance to recognise and celebrate the achievements of pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9. Assistant Head Mrs. Waller was joined in the Great Hall by Mr. Ford, teachers, parents and guests. Mrs. Waller praised the boys for their participation in the musical life of the School and we were treated to a trumpet solo from Antoine Jodeau, who gave a beautiful account of The Last One Tonight by Andrew Wilson.

On Friday 30th June, a special assembly took place in the Girls’ Division Great Hall, which saw Mr. Britton receive a certificate confirming that Bolton School is a Royal College of Organists’ (RCO) Accredited School (joining an elite group of schools nationally) from Tom Bell, the Royal College of Organists’ North West Director.

Mr. Bell addressed the assembly, explaining about the work of the RCO and provided interesting information about the organ, which the RCO actively promotes. Organ Scholars Marissa Hollinghurst and Emily David performed in the assembly, as well as Foundation Organist Mr. Murray, who, as previously mentioned, is an RCO Accredited Teacher.

William Martin and Lucas Ng performed to Mr. Bell on the Boys’ Division Great Hall organ in a session later the same day.

Advaith Govindu 9f

Peter McCreedy 9d

Mr. Britton said: ‘The accreditation, which will initially last four years, recognises our work with young organists at Bolton School.

We are blessed with two pipe organs, one in each Division, and these help us in the tuition and training of young people as organists.

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Music & The Creative Arts In both our Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions, we offer a number of full and half organ scholarships. We also have strong connections with local churches and venues, and our pupils have recently played at Bolton Parish Church and the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. For many former pupils, the sound of the organ is one of their abiding memories of School and recent renditions at alumni reunions have been particularly well received.’

singing and piano, as well as directing the Chamber Choir and accompanying on piano in concerts and exams.

My heartfelt thanks to Hannah, Alice and Cath for all of their significant contributions to the Music Department’s successes, and I wish them well as new chapters begin for them.

From this account, you will see that it has been an extremely busy, productive and satisfying year, of which there is much to be proud.

My thanks to all of my colleagues who have played their part in our successes.

Bring on the next action-packed musical year!

Mr. I.K. Forgrieve

The accreditation programme has been developed to help likeminded institutions to share ideas and approaches to teaching and learning so that high standards in organ playing and choral direction can be maintained.

The School looks forward to working closely with the RCO and Bolton Music Service in future projects.

Once again this year, for two weekends in March and June, the National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain used our facilities to rehearse and perform concerts in the Great Hall. Young musicians travelled from across the UK and these events were highly successful.

I am delighted that the NCO plans to return to Bolton School next year for further projects.

As this academic year drew to a close, we said goodbye to Miss Sherry after seven years of service to Bolton School as she moves on to a new post as Head of Performing Arts at Cheadle Hulme High School. Her successor as Boys’ Division Head of Academic Music will be Mr. Peter Limb.

Also leaving is Miss Wriglesworth, who has been an enormous help throughout the year as our Foundation Graduate Music Assistant.

She has immersed herself fully in the musical life of the school and is now leaving us to complete a PGCE training course as a Music teacher.

Mrs. Whitmore has retired from classroom teaching after many years of faithful service across both Divisions. I am delighted, however, that she will remain as a visiting instrumental teacher to teach

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Music Colours _______________________________________________________

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rts Colours (Music) are a public recognition of talent and ongoing dedication to work within Music.

Music Colours were awarded to the following boys:

Name Form Colour Harry Adams 12g Full Freddie Audley 12i Full James Bland 12c Full 13f Full Laurence Britton Billy Burrows 12c Full Priyesh Fernando 12b Full Marcus Fung 12d Full George Houghton 12f Full Oliver Leahy 13e Full Mark Liu 13i Full Oliver Longworth 13a Full Alexander McKie 12f Full 13i Full Rishi Narla Ben Turner 12i Full Xuan Wang 13g Full Brandon Yuen 13h Full Harry Brown 11a Half 11a Half Adam Faulkner Ashton Kay 11b Half Jamie Logan 11c Half Kevin Longthorne 12d Half William Martin 11b Half 12h Half Jake Partington Arun Patel 11a Half

Mr. I.K. Forgrieve

Music & The Creative Arts Instrumental Music Examinations _______________________________________________________

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he results of our onsite examinations in the Senior Boys’ Division from this academic year are shown below. These lists also include the results of digital exams since last summer’s holidays (where candidates submit videos to the examination boards) where teachers have made me aware of the results.

Congratulations to all candidates and their teachers on these splendid results.

Mr. I.K. Forgrieve Harry Adams 12g Freddie Audley 12i Xuan Wang 13g James Bland 12c Billy Burrows 12c

Trinity Violin ABRSM Piano ABRSM Organ ABRSM Oboe LAMDA Musical Theatre Kingsley Sou 8c ABRSM Piano Yash Anand 11b Trinity Rock & Pop Electric Guitar Neeraj Singh 13g Trinity Flute Ethan Wong 11b Trinity Cello Advaith Govindu 9f Trinity Classical Guitar Jamie Chen 8e Trinity Classical Guitar Trinity Baritone Jamie Logan 11c William Martin 11b ABRSM Organ Amrit Mishra 11c Trinity Classical Guitar Ben Pursey 10d Rockschool Vocals Suhayb Valli 10c Rockschool Vocals Matthew Yeung 9e Trinity Rock & Pop Drum Kit Brandon Yuen 13h ABRSM Violin Alex McKie 12f Trinity Singing Charlie Simpson 8d Trinity Piano Adam Faulkner 11a ABRSM Cello Dhilan Jacobs 9a Trinity Rock & Pop Electric Guitar Jayden Luhar 12a ABRSM Piano Alex Pearce 10b Trinity Piano Ben Pursey 10d Rockschool Vocals Trinity Rock & Pop Harry McLoughlin 10b Electric Guitar Jenson Byrne 8d Trinity Singing Jamie Daley 8e Trinity Classical Guitar Advaith Govindu 9f Trinity Tuned Percussion Toby Holt-Gregson 11a Trinity Piano Dhilan Jacobs 9a ABRSM Piano Yash Raja 8d Trinity Piano Priyesh Fernando 12b ABRSM Violin George Meredith-Alexander 9a Trinity Violin

Grade 8 Distinction Grade 8 Distinction Grade 8 Distinction Grade 7 Distinction Grade 7 Distinction Grade 7 Distinction Grade 7 Merit

Alex Pierson 8a Jack Rothwell 8d Matthew Knight 8g Charlie Feng 8c Advaith Govindu 9f Marcus Law 10f Ambrose Zheng 8d Thomas Sibley 8a Aryan Agrawal 8a Jamie Daley 8e Alex Hilton-Jones 8d Charles Kaboutian 8e Peter McCreedy 9d Rayyan Munshi 7c Reuben Rowley 9a Shivaansh Dubey 10f Bryn Edwards 8b Ruhaan Bhalla 8a George Burrows 8d Theo Michaelas 8g Will Cutler 7b

Grade 7 Merit Grade 7 Pass Grade 6 Distinction Grade 6 Merit Grade 6 Merit Grade 6 Merit Grade 6 Merit Grade 6 Merit Grade 6 Merit Grade 6 Merit

Charlie Feng 8c Mayan Kathiriya 11c Reuben Wardle 7d Oliver Hickey 8b Matthew Knight 8g

Grade 6 Merit Grade 5 Distinction Grade 5 Distinction Grade 5 Merit Grade 5 Merit

Suhayb Pal 7e

Grade 5 Merit Grade 5 Merit Grade 5 Merit Grade 5 Pass

I

Grade 4 Distinction Grade 4 Distinction Grade 4 Distinction Grade 4 Distinction Grade 4 Distinction Grade 4 Distinction Grade 4 Merit Grade 4 Merit

Taylor Aspden 7c Joshua Pilkington 7c Zahil Aziz 7a Ewan McCairn 7e

ABRSM Singing ABRSM Singing Trinity Piano ABRSM Singing Trinity Tuned Percussion Trinity Piano Trinity Piano Trinity Singing Trinity Piano Trinity Piano Trinity Rock & Pop Drum Kit Trinity Piano ABRSM Violin Trinity Classical Guitar Trinity Violin Trinity Classical Guitar ABRSM Guitar ABRSM Flute Rockschool Vocals Trinity Singing ABRSM Singing for Musical Theatre ABRSM Singing Trinity Piano ABRSM Violin Trinity Piano Trinity Rock & Pop Guitar ABRSM Trumpet ABRSM Trumpet ABRSM Violin Trinity Rock & Pop Drum Kit ABRSM Singing for Musical Theatre

Grade 4 Merit Grade 4 Merit Grade 4 Pass Grade 3 Distinction Grade 3 Distinction Grade 3 Distinction Grade 3 Distinction Grade 3 Distinction Grade 3 Merit Grade 3 Merit Grade 3 Merit Grade 3 Merit Grade 3 Merit Grade 3 Merit Grade 3 Merit Grade 3 Pass Grade 3 Pass Grade 2 Distinction Grade 2 Distinction Grade 2 Distinction Grade 2 Merit Grade 2 Merit Grade 2 Merit Grade 2 Merit Grade 1 Distinction Grade 1 Distinction Grade 1 Merit Grade 1 Merit Grade 1 Pass Grade 1 Pass Grade 1 Pass

Creative Learning and Partnerships _______________________________________________________ t has been a pleasure to review the creative learning, and arts and cultural development that has taken place in the last academic year. This overview provides a flavour of the wide array of creative endeavours, innovative partnerships, and transformative initiatives that take place within school and beyond, in our local community and in national communities of learning.

Theatre: Joint Senior Production of The Great Gatsby, December 2022 In 2022, it was 100 years since F. Scott Fitzgerald’s character Jay Gatsby threw his lavish parties in the infamous tale, The Great Gatsby.

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Music & The Creative Arts Set in post-war Paris and Jazz Age New York, our Senior Joint Production drew on the The Lost Generation context of the novel’s genesis as well as telling the tragic story of Gatsby (Jayden Luhar), a self-made millionaire, focused upon his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan (Felicity Field), a wealthy young woman whom he loved in his youth. Nick Carraway (Billy Burrows), a Yale University graduate from the Midwest, was our guide through the show. Nick recounted the events of the fateful summer of 1922.

of the Age, Elliot Rigby as Gertrude Stein, David Chow as Charles Ritz, Thea Littlefair as Sherwood Anderson, Eve Blackmore as Klipspringer and Elizabeth Stanton, Yaqeen Alkaabi as Catherine, Fletcher Mellor-Brook and Bea Foy as the McKees, George Houghton as Owl Eyes, Safa Karim as Mrs. Gatz, Amelie Harrison as Senator Brandeis and Sam Entwistle as a key witness to Myrtle’s death.

The novel was adapted for the stage by our Foundation Director of Creative Learning, Naomi Lord. Writer Willa Cather commented that ‘the world broke in half in 1922 or thereabouts’ and the 1920s was without doubt a decade of distinctive qualities. The show considered the state of the world in 1922 and left an open question, ‘what has changed in the intervening years?’

In 1922, the world had just emerged from a war that had killed millions and a global pandemic – the Spanish Flu – that had killed tens of millions more. The era was also known for excess, as well as relaxation of and rapid change in social politics and behaviours.

In 1922, the Ottoman Empire fell, the British Empire was showing signs of decay, the USSR was founded and Mussolini and his Blackshirts began their march to Rome.

An ensemble cast variously played bootleggers, flappers, brokers, suffragists, war veterans and the ‘men and girls [who] came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars’ of Gatsby’s parties. Jayden presented a Gatsby as a haunting presence, never quite able to access the society of the high life his parties conjured, alongside Felicity’s saccharine and self-serving Daisy.

Billy Burrow’s handling of Nick provided a wonderful arc to the show – an astute and accomplished picture of a character coming of age as illusions of grandeur shattered around him. They were supported by excellent character presentations from Alex McKie as Tom Buchanan, Ilham Nagi as Jordan Baker, Cameron Geskell as George Wilson, Molly Bell as Myrtle Wilson, Ella Worsley as Maya Wolfsheim, Tom Griffiths as Michaelis, Ila Stephenson as the Spirit

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The cast presented the joy and the freedoms of the 1920s alongside the unsettling prescience of Fitzgerald’s tale of boom before bust – the Wall Street Crash arrived in 1929 and the ‘30s rapidly descended into World War Two.

Music & The Creative Arts The show was delivered in cabaret style in an immersive Jazz Age environment, opening in Europe and hopping across to the USA with audiences dressed to impress in 1920s attire. The action was accompanied by live music from our Gatsby Band led by Miss Sherry, who also arranged the music.

Congratulations to the pupils and staff who presented this ambitious piece of theatre. Thank you to our Parents’ Associations for presenting refreshments and dressing the Senior Library in true Gatsby style.

School hosted both the Local and Regional Finals of this competition, welcoming eight schools from across the North West to two wonderful evenings of theatre.

George Burrows and Charlie Simpson’s performance of an extract from The Taming of the Shrew and Gabe Payne and Thomas Sibley’s performance of an extract from Romeo and Juliet took them through to the local ESU heat. Gabe Payne and Thomas Sibley were highly commended in the regional final.

Theatre Festival In March, boys and girls in Years 7 to 13 presented a celebration of classic and contemporary texts with a host of different players across three evenings. Produced by Miss Talbot (Girls’ Division Director of Drama), pupils presented an array of self-written and self-directed pieces which were well received by audiences. The Theatre Festival initiative is a great testing ground for pupils to experiment with theatre craft as well as performance.

Lower School Joint Musical – Beauty and the Beast Jr.

English Speaking Union – Performing Shakespeare Competition Beginning in the Autumn Term and concluding in the Spring, all Lower School boys participated in School heats of the ESU’s Performing Shakespeare Competition. Pupils worked on the selection and interpretation of passages from Shakespeare plays in English lessons, enjoyed Drama lessons to explore Shakespeare as a performance text and then competed in class rounds. The winners of the class heats took part in a Lower School Final judged by Ms. Sigrist, Miss Lord and Ruth Allison (Youth Director, Octagon Theatre).

Lower School thespians from the Girls’ and Boys’ Divisions came together to deliver a stunning production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. The large troop, performing over four nights in midJune, left sell-out audiences delighted with their acting and singing.

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Music & The Creative Arts The festival was a true celebration of the Bard’s timeless works and its impact was wide-ranging. As part of the project, our junior schools, Park Road and Hesketh House, actively participated in engaging workshops with Old Boy and actor, Charlie Derrar, immersing themselves in the enchanting world of Shakespeare.

These sessions not only deepened their understanding of the plays, but also sparked their creativity and passion for the dramatic arts.

Reflecting on the production, Year 7 pupil Orla Sweeney, who played Mrs Potts, summed up the thoughts of many of the cast, when she said: ‘During my time in Beauty and the Beast Jr, I have experienced many new aspects of theatremaking and performing. One of the best parts of joining the production was my glamorous costume, which made me feel like a princess and made everything feel more realistic. It was also a huge opportunity for me to make many new friends in my year and others. The collaboration with Boy’s Division was an opportunity to make even more friends! I am so proud to have been part of such an amazing production and was very impressed by the spectacular set… it was such an honour to be a part of the show and I loved every second!’

Community Theatre: Shakespeare Festival We are thrilled to share the success of our Summer Shakespeare Festival, a groundbreaking project that brought together the creative forces of Rose Bruford (North), Undersong Productions and Bolton School. Made possible by generous funding from the Arts Council, this collaborative endeavour aimed to create an aspirational vertical learning experience, fostering performance skills exchange and inspiration across different age groups, from primary school to undergraduate students.

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A Senior Ensemble, comprised of talented pupils from Years 7 to 12, also took part in the festival led by Old Girl and director Collette Murray. These young actors showcased their extraordinary skills as they shared the stage with Rose Bruford actors in captivating performances of both A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest, directed by Collette Murray and Chris Penney on behalf of Rose Bruford, respectively. The magic of Shakespeare’s words were brought alive for Year 3 and 4 pupils during the school day, and evening audiences of the casts’ families and friends.

Our festival went beyond the boundaries of Bolton School, embracing a wider community of primary schools from across Bolton.

We were delighted to welcome pupils and staff from St. John the Evangelist, ESSA Academy, The Oaks, Walmsley, Johnson Fold and St. Michael’s, enriching their cultural experiences through exposure to Shakespeare’s masterpieces. Thomasson Memorial School joined us for a BSL interpreted show, ensuring that the beauty of the performances could be enjoyed by all in our local community.

The impact of this unique project will extend far beyond the festival itself.

Next academic year, our partnering schools will receive follow-up workshops led by the actors who performed in the shows.

These workshops will deepen the pupils’ understanding and appreciation of the theatrical process, giving them an opportunity to learn from professionals who brought the characters to life on stage. In addition, the schools will have access to wrap-around digital resources, including rehearsal room video diaries from Rose Bruford rehearsals, providing valuable insights into the creative journey.

Music & The Creative Arts The final was attended by eight primary and secondary schools from across the North West – approximately 120 pupil competitors – for the first schools dance competition of its kind in the region.

We firmly believe that this project is a pioneering initiative in intergenerational learning. It has bridged gaps between age groups, encouraging a vibrant exchange of ideas and skills. We hope that the case study arising from the project will be a useful resource and inspiration to other educational institutions.

The setting for our performances added an enchanting touch to the festival. The shows took place in an outdoor theatre dome, with the natural beauty of our school woodland serving as a backdrop and an extension of the stage. It was a truly immersive experience, connecting the audience with the essence of Shakespeare’s world and enhancing the magic of the performances.

The Summer Shakespeare Festival was an incredible journey, filled with creativity, learning, and shared experiences. We extend gratitude to Rose Bruford (North), Undersong Productions, and Arts Council England for their support and collaboration. We also commend the dedication and talent of all the students, actors, and educators involved, as they have made this project an extraordinary experience.

Rotation Dance Exchange: North West Schools Breakdancing Competition In November, Bolton School hosted the first North West schools breakdancing competition, employing local and international dancers of different styles (categories such as Hip Hop, Breakdance, Live and Experimental) alongside musicians and Hip Hop DJs to create an exciting event.

Workshops were delivered in schools across the North West ahead of the final, creating a schools network for these dance forms where there had been none previously.

The majority of participating schools were drawn from priority areas of Greater Manchester. It was an aspirational event including professional male and female dancers. The Netherlands’ 2023 Olympic Breakdancing entrant, Cis Brans, was a judge and performed at the event.

Community Partnerships – Creatives Now Creatives Now is a youth-led creative enterprise facilitated by Bolton School and Bolton at Home for 12-18 year olds who live in and/or go to school in Bolton. The collective explores the cultural landscape of the North West via trips and visits, hosts conversations with local, national and international artists, commissions artists for project work, hosts schools exhibitions, collaborates with Bolton Council’s place, education and cultural development teams, hosts online workshops and has its own dedicated studio space in the town centre.

In the Autumn Term, the collective worked with Park Road Art lead Mr. Minta on a psychogeography project, exploring the town centre to produce an installation about young people’s relationships with civic space and town culture. It also worked with artist Ruby Unsworth to produce comic strip and zine responses to their multimedia explorations of Farnworth as a regeneration zone of Bolton.

In October, the group produced t-shirts with Breakdown Bolton with the contributory aim of breaking down stigmas around mental health, and participated in the Youth World Mental Health Day event at Bolton Town Hall in which they led creative health activities. In

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Music & The Creative Arts the Spring, the group enjoyed more crossover with Breakdown Bolton to produce ‘Boltopia’ a model and manifesto for a creative, healthy, environmentally friendly and inclusive town.

The results of the project will be screened at Bolton Film Festival in the Autumn Term. The second iteration of this project will include further filmmaking and masterclass sessions with national and international film festival programmers to support the development of children and young people’s participation in Bolton’s film scene.

In February, Creatives Now were invited to represent town youth culture and arts development as part of the Royal Visit to Bolton. The group displayed project work at a Town Hall event and shared their aspirations for cultural development in Bolton with King Charles.

Sharing Stories with the Octagon Theatre In the Summer Term, Creatives Now also partnered with the Octagon Theatre, joining the theatre’s Sharing Stories project. The collective explored storytelling methods and will work on creating dynamic storytelling sessions for families for delivery at Bolton Central Library in the Autumn Term.

Creatives Now also worked with the Humanities team and all of Ladybridge High School’s Year 8 pupils to support their ‘Bolton Rewind and Regenerate’ project in May. Miss Lord ran local cultural ecology sessions across two days, exploring how cultural development can support a town’s regeneration. Creatives Now hosted an exhibition of the year group’s work across shop units in Crompton Place, Bolton. Pupils engaged members of the pupil in conversations about their research and recommendations and welcomed both Bolton Council leaders and local politicians to their discussions.

The collective also contributed to focus group conversations as part of the development of Bolton’s new Cultural Strategy.

Bolton Film Festival Youth-Strand Pilot In the spring, the collective hosted conversations with film, animation and VFX specialists. In the summer, they launched a film project pilot in partnership with Bolton Film Festival, sponsored by Bolton School. The project took place over seven weeks in bi-weekly sessions with Spanish filmmaker Javier de Prado, a development director for Netflix in emergent media tools and production.

Javi introduced the group to free online machine learning tools, teaching them how to generate still image and moving image files from text and text + image prompts, as well as supporting the development of film narratives and editing skills for the group’s micro-films. The group worked on films that are a hybrid of AIgenerated material and original footage. They also used a Bolton LoRA (low rank adaptation of large language systems), created by Javi from the group’s photography of the local area, to fine-tune their machine learning results with a Bolton flavour.

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Saturday Social with the Octagon Theatre Saturday Social is a weekend theatre project delivered in partnership with the Octagon Theatre, Bolton. The project runs in 10 week phases and encourages participants to explore celebrated stories to create page to stage shows performed for family and friends.

Workshops take place on Saturday mornings at Bolton School led by the theatre’s Youth Director. It is a fully-funded project with places for 25 young people aged 10 to 14 who live in and/or go to school in Bolton. Priority is given to applicants who are new to theatre arts participation.

Music & The Creative Arts Creative Learning and Community Enterprise School conscientiously contributes to local and national development of arts, culture and creative learning. The Creative Change Conference held in New Brighton in September 2022 raised an important discussion about how to generate youth involvement in our neighbourhoods and to engage and maintain youth involvement with school leadership and support. In May 2023, Curious Minds hosted a Cultural Education Summit in Wigan, where it was noted that there was excellent practice in cultural education happening in schools across the country, but it still takes brave teachers to make it happen because much current education policy works against it. Cultural development work in education also has a key part to play in place development and the Levelling Up of northern postindustrial towns.

Miss Lord contributed to the Department of Education’s Cultural Education Plan as part of South East and North West focus groups this year. She also represents the School in Bolton’s Cultural Education Partnership and Bolton’s Cultural Leaders’ groups.

Creative Learning and Partnerships at Bolton School were the focus of a May 2023 podcast in which Miss Lord, Mrs. Holt (Deputy Head Teacher, Hesketh House) and pupils Billy Burrows and Felicity Field discussed creative thinking in the classroom, arts participation and mastery, and community partnerships and active pursuit of work experience. Staff from across the Bolton School Foundation have been part of a two year national creative thinking action research pilot from 2021 to 2023.

School successfully applied to participate in Curious Mind’s Creative Health project, which comes with a £10,000 grant for school and neighbourhood-based co-designed arts projects. We will participate alongside schools from across the North West, Greater Manchester Creative Health Region consortium, Artsmark Award and the Royal Society for Public Health.

Year 7 Arts Award All Year 7 pupils participated in independent arts projects supported

by Art and Music Department teachers, led by Miss Sherry. Pupils took part in arts activities, reviewed an event, designed and produced a personal arts project and shared their skills in SPACE sessions, independently at home, and in Art and Music lessons.

Drama Colours _______________________________________________________

A

rts Colours (Drama) are a public recognition of talent and ongoing dedication to work within Performing Arts. Drama Colours were awarded to the following boys:

Name Harry Adams Billy Burrows David Chow Cameron Geskell Tom Griffiths Liv Hextall George Houghton Jayden Luhar Alexander McKie Fletcher Mellor-Brook Sam Entwistle William Littlefair Kiran Sastry

Form 12g 12c 12c 12h 12g 12c 12f 12a 12f 12g 11e 12g 12f

Colour Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Half Half Half

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Music & The Creative Arts This address was delivered at the Whole School assemby in which the Arts Colours were awarded: I was pleased to be asked to address you today on the occasion of Arts Colours being awarded. It is my pleasure to share my perspectives on the importance of participation in the arts, cultural education, and creative learning. Let me be clear, I believe there is a place for creativity in every subject discipline and I have some ideas to raise that I believe are pertinent to our collective future.

Firstly, as we navigate a world where technology is advancing rapidly, creative thinking skills are more important than ever. We need to cultivate agile thought capability that we can apply in new situations. Rather than just being critical and judicious consumers of digital media, we must also engage meaningfully with digital production as makers. It is clear that how we learn and work will rapidly evolve with the rise of AI. As such, we must embrace new digital tools actively, rather than letting them control us. By equipping ourselves with the ability to use these tools creatively, we can excel and innovate and this will undoubtedly serve us well in our future professions.

The United Kingdom is home to some of the world’s leading digital industries, including film and gaming technology. “Crea-tech” – or when creative design meets technology – is a huge national opportunity. Great economic and cultural value will be derived for the UK in the coming years across fashion, advertising and publishing as well as screen and music. That’s something those who make video games knew all along. The ‘STEM’ skills – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – are very important in crea-tech. I’d like to add A for Arts into this, making ‘STEAM’. Wasn’t the last industrial revolution powered by steam? We must acknowledge that creativity and artistic integrity is essential in these emergent areas.

Second of all, now, more than ever, we need creative thinkers, as economic, social and environmental crises have placed our world in a fragile, unbalanced and degenerative state. Our generation is part of a tremendously important mindset shift, from human-centred to lifecentred. We are reconnecting with the environment and relearning that we, as a society and the economy we have created, are part of the ecologies we rely on for our survival on this planet. It has never been more important to fundamentally reset our relationship with our planet. Prosperous societies depend on prosperous ecologies.

Lessons in humanity – you know, History, Geography, Philosophy, Politics, Literature and Language, the Humanities – are a key here, as are the social sciences. Absolutely essential is our capacity for creative response: systemic thinking, draw on our capacity for imagination to create hopeful alternatives to the reality we know, adaptive design, the wisdom and diversity of collective thought, long-term views on impact and consequence and ability to work with the unique context and potential of people and communities, is critical for achieving meaningful change and long-lasting impact.

Lastly, it is of course important to speak about the personal and social.

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About fun. I have had the opportunity to play F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Nick Carraway in the school production of The Great Gatsby, a droog in an adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange and the police officer of Bedford Falls as part of school’s feature film of It’s A Wonderful Life. Outside of school, I have played roles such as the Hunchback of Notre Dame with Manchester Musical Youth. I am a member of school’s Chamber Choir and many of us in this room have recently performed on the stage of the Bridgewater Hall.

We have extraordinary opportunities available to us here. These opportunities are transformative in terms of personal challenge and process. Imagine, in December I hosted audiences’ journeys through 1920s Paris and New York in this very room – the entire Great Hall was changed into a speakeasy environment.

These experiences thoroughly immerse us in the discipline and the satisfaction of process. These experiences immerse us in others’ viewpoints on life as we explore the histories, stories and expression of what it means to be human. The arts promote health and wellbeing as they help us to contextualise and understand ourselves.

They also allow us to lose ourselves in process, beauty and collective endeavour.

Thank you very much for listening, and congratulations to all the Arts Colours recipients!

Billy Burrows 12c

Art Colours _______________________________________________________

A

rts Colours (Art) are a public recognition of talent and ongoing dedication to work within Art. Art Colours were awarded to the following

boys:

Name Will Duffy Jake Hudson Henry Nuttall Subhaan Aslam Ethan Caswell Ted Danson Finn Flanagan Liv Hextall Archie Forshaw Zack Kitson Freddie Marshall Rob Monaghan Matthew Roberts Charlie Silvester Charlie Smith

Form 13e 13i 13a 11e 11d 11e 12c 12c 11a 11d 11c 11d 11d 12e 11d

Colour Full Full Full Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half

Creative Writing & Artwork Our Forest When the sun rises, in the forest evergreen, The birds tweet and sing for everybody to hear Sometimes it can sound as if they’re singing for their queen, But if you approach them too loudly, they may fear.

The decaying leaves rustle on the forest floor, A home to worms, mini-beasts and insects If you walk on the leaves, it’s like knocking on their doors Telling them to hide and watch, the sight of the prospect.

Ollie Evans 11b The following poems were entered into the English Department’s National Poetry Week Competition. These were judged by the author and adventurer Matt Dickinson.

Rivington As the petrichor set in over the moors, I inhale the recently moisturised air.

A scene of layers with all its contours, Creates a place beyond compare.

Meandering rivers carrying fragments of rock, Depositing sediments to outside banks.

Constantly flowing around the clock, The time has come to give our thanks.

Terraced gardens, a replica castle, Breathtaking views and hidden gems.

Natural landscape that really does dazzle, Unspoilt, unscathed that no one condemns.

So let us be proud of our wondrous outdoors, And all that surrounds us nearby.

The petrichor set in over the moors, My home, my haven, I cry.

Ethan Knight 7e – Competition winner

And when the smell of foul dung creeps into your nostrils, You know an animal has eaten well and is resting after its meal.

If you steal the remains, you’ll hear a high pitched trill, It’ll chase after you and the chase becomes real.

But when night falls and the forest settles down, The living in the forest is no longer a game.

Out come the apex predators wearing a crown Coming to attack and inflict pain.

But the real apex predators, Aren’t wild cats, snakes or sharks, But mankind itself, Coming from afar.

Out comes the evil poacher, Looking for huge game to kill, Then he sells for money the deer and the tiger, So his happiness can be fulfilled.

But the animals of the forest should be protected, As it’s a thriving eco-system in itself, If you damage the forest, you’ll regret it, After seeing the poor animals’ health.

But this isn’t only in the woods, Also in deserts, sea and even mud, And in other of the Earth’s habitats, Housing reptiles, insects and wild cats.

But that’s only the tip of the iceberg, (Which is also another habitat), The food chain goes very deep, With many species that have never been seen.

Nature is vast and unending, From flowers to squirrels and birds in the garden, It’s not something to be played with, But admired, viewed and protected.

‘The Dog Log’ – an organising system for a dog’s accessories Yash Anand 11b

Sochi Umeadi 9a

CREATIVE WRITING & ARTWORK 113

Creative Writing & Artwork The sea retreated, fragments rolled down, The shore obstructed all around, But still Pliny pressed on with might, To help those in need and do what’s right.

Pomponianus was in deep consternation, But Pliny still offered precious consolation, With tender embrace and soothing words, He calmed his friend’s fearful nerves.

Josh Moffitt 11f The following poem received ‘Highly Commended’ in a creative Classics competition, which took place in the Summer Term. It is based on Pliny’s account of the eruption in 79 AD.

Broad flames shone out from the mount, Their brightness increased by night’s account, But Pliny assured all was well, But the town was in flames, nothing to quell.

Unveiling the Wrath of Vesuvius

And so to rest he was retired, His breathing heavy, but not quite tired, Outside, his attendants heard him sleep soundly, As the mountain rumbled around him loudly.

This cloud from Mount Vesuvius arose, Its appearance like a pine tree it clearly chose, Like a trunk so tall with branches spread, Dark and spotted then bright and red.

The wind blew in-shore, the sea retreated, But still his resolve never depleted.

He pressed on through cinders and through flame, To aid those hurt and diminish their pain.

Pliny, a man of learning and research Saw this sight from his own perch, He ordered a vessel to be got ready, To explore this intriguing sight so heady.

Pomponianus had sent his baggage on board, As he was ready to flee at a moment’s accord, But Pliny urged him to keep up his spirits, And face the anguish with heroic merit.

But a game-changing note from Rectina came, Her house at the mountain’s base was in flame, No escape, but only by the sea, She begged for his help so she could flee.

And so they sat and watched the sight, Of Neptune’s fury in his might, Pliny observed with calm discourse, As the mountain rumbled with increasing force.

So he changed his plan with noble intent, To assist people in jeopardy he went, To danger’s point he steered his course, Observing the scene with calm discourse.

But still he showed no sign of fear, His courage never did disappear, He faced the danger with steadfast heart, Determined to play his valiant part.

Cinders fell and pumice stones, Burning rocks had made him prone, But still he pressed on with bravery, ‘Fortune favours the brave,’ emboldened he.

Amidst the stones and ashes, he arose, From slumber deep, to face the tempest’s throes, The court now filled with remnants of the eruption, Escape was needed lest they face more destruction.

To Pomponianus at Stabiae he went, Embraced him with encouragement, A bath and supper with cheerfulness, Or at least the appearance of fearlessness.

With friends he stood, in anxious company, As walls did shake and threaten misery.

They weighed their options, house or open field, And chose the latter, hoping it would yield.

Flames shone luminous in the night, But he still assured all was right, Just villages burning, nothing to fear, And then to sleep without a tear.

A safer path, though dangers still did loom, As cinders fell and spelt impending doom.

With pillows tied upon their heads with care, They braved the storm and ventured out to dare.

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Creative Writing & Artwork Though day had dawned in lands beyond their sight, A deeper darkness reigned as if it was night.

But torches bright and lights of varied kind, Did offer some relief to ease their mind.

They sought the shore to see if they could flee, Upon the waves that crashed relentlessly.

But they still raged and offered no reprieve, And so he lay upon a cloth to grieve.

Twice water called, and twice it did suffice, Before the flames did rise with sulphur’s vice.

Most people scattered, leaving him behind, As noxious vapours claimed his weakened mind.

With his slaves’ aid he stood, but fell once more, As a victim to the vapours’ deadly roar.

Three days did pass before his form was found, In peaceful sleep upon the hallowed ground.

A tale of woe, of Neptune’s fearsome might, Of bravery in the face of the darkest night.

A history told, a memory to keep, Of one who faced the mountain’s toxic sweep.

In Misenum, his kin did wait and pray, For news of him upon this fateful day.

But this is not their tale, nor one to tell, For this is his and his alone to dwell.

A man of courage, strength and fortitude, Who faced the eruption with a calm, steadfast mood.

A memory to cherish and revere, Of one who faced his facts without a fear.

Tejas Neelam 7e

Inheritance (Diary Entry #1) ‘The graveyard was enveloped in a scent that was both pungent and unmistakable – the smell of the inevitable. And yet, I found myself relishing it, even loving it. As raindrops fell against the metal box that held my father’s lifeless body, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anger.

The soft patter of the raindrops felt like nature’s gentle touch, a touch that should have been reserved for someone who was deserving of it.

My father had been nothing but a waste of space, consuming gallons upon gallons of rain that he did not deserve.

With muddy boots and shovel in hand, I set to work creating a final resting place for my father’s spirit, a place where he would be forgotten and his memories buried. There, in the quiet of the graveyard, I found a brief respite from the pain and trauma of his abuse. In death, his ridicule and hurtful comments died with him, and I was left to embrace who I am without his influence. The order and serenity of the graveyard served as a reminder that what was meant to be will come to pass, and I found beauty in the way it screened the truth about my father and our relationship.’

As the harsh winds blew through the tears, holes, and rips in Marshall’s anorak, goosebumps raced across his slim, bruised body like ripples in water. Dead leaves, caught up in the wind, rustled and crinkled against his sharp stature. There, in the midst of the autumnal chill, lay the deadman’s stone, a silent symbol of the person’s endless stay in the earth. The mossy exterior of the stone commemorated the time that had passed, etched with the memories of a life once lived. As the winds gusted and swirled, the stone stood as a solemn sentinel, disturbed by the currents of the air, but steadfast in its remembrance of the past.

The lines of graves belonged to the whole Tristus family, Marshall was last. An angry expression lived on his face, perhaps a mask or just the burning hatred seeping through him. Marshall did not enjoy open space, his slim statuesque body could fit just about anywhere.

Anywhere where he saw fit. The scent of mouldy wallpaper clung onto him, probably from the wet corners he looked to for comfort.

He stood still in the corner of the bustling homeless shelter that was not dissimilar to a prison cafeteria. Hatred spread across his face, eyebrows, mouth, eyes, and cheeks, everything on his starved face was displaying his anger to the world. He could not describe it, the sight of the shelter in disorder caused him pain. No order and no control.

Freddie Marshall 11c The remaining pieces were created at the writing retreat at Patterdale Hall during the Spring. They are taken from two anthologies entitled ’52 Hertz’ and ‘Tales from the Shadows of Patterdale Hall’.

The soft tapping of his bare feet quickened as he pushed into line.

The chain of dishevelled and dirty hair was disturbed by a bald head, sticking out like a sore thumb. He bounced his left foot against the floor, as he waited impatiently for his serving of “food”.

“What’s it you’re havin’?” Asked the beer-bellied man behind the counter, holding a dirty ladle. Marshall silently pointed his bony fingers towards the gruel that was presented to him on the table-top burners.

Ali Asghar 9a

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Creative Writing & Artwork Redemption Fortunately for Ocean, Joe hadn’t changed the door lock to his apartment. Seemingly there was no real urgency to do such; one cannot predetermine a psychopathic ex smashing down the door threatening to stab their heart so they know how it feels. Locksmiths are expensive, also.

Jake Hudson 13i A Town’s Fearful Encounter The jeep barreled down the path, its tyres spinning up mud as it skidded to a stop. The huntsman emerged from the vehicle, his smug expression firmly in place. His elongated face was dominated by a sharp nose, and he slung his rifle over his back with a practiced ease.

As he made his way through the town, parents frantically pulled their children inside and old women scattered, belongings tumbling from their hands. The deserted streets echoed with the rustling of curtains being shut against his passing.

Undeterred, the huntsman pressed on toward the dilapidated homes on the outskirts of town. Children peered through the shaded windows as he disappeared into the hinterlands, his rugged features twisted in distaste. He spat on the ground, a show of contempt for the unremarkable town and its people.

Max Preston 7c

It was never a usual relationship. Whilst they met in a usual way, through usual people, shared usual interests, usual aspirations, made usual dinners, watched usual shows, went to usual restaurants, made usual conversation, usual jokes, before sharing a usual apartment on a usual street in a usual city, discussing getting a usual dog, yet something was wrong. They convinced themselves of happiness. Engulfed in romantic notions rather than romantic realities; there for sex, but missing for sentiments. Two usual men in an unusual relationship.

A letter in one hand and Joe’s apartment key in the other, Ocean walked in muted confidence through corridors of doors fruitful with life behind each. From as early as he could remember, a pressure for perfection overwhelmed Ocean. Described as highly academic and yet mildly annoying in school, he was Captain of the Drama Club, Debating Club, the Choir, both Liberal Club and Conservative Club, Badminton Club and Astronomy Club. He never cared what the club was, so long as there was a winner at the end. In short, rejection was not something Ocean was well accustomed to. Red hair, kept short and slicked back, the occasional stray aiding this crescendo of vacuous fury thumping towards Joe’s door. Nervously picking at the skin around his nails, drawing back the pink, fleshy underbelly – a fresh start. Ocean was fixated upon an upwards posture of dominance, proving to both himself and Joe he wasn’t entirely defenceless. With careful precision, Ocean turned the key and slowly opened the door. He knew what he was doing was bad, and yet there was something so thrilling about being a bad person.

Entering into the tiny hall, Ocean saw the kitchen left frozen in desolation – a macabre, untouched hopelessness concealed in peeling lime walls. Empty promises of mugs and plates left balanced on counters in delicate poise, as though a singular movement would shatter the facade of ostentatious stability Joe always aspired to. He was awfully pretentious for a failing heavy metal drummer. A brown sludge gurgled from the sink in a low, churning tone. The counters stained in coffee, ketchup and memories. Turning around to close the door, Ocean became transfixed on Joe’s scarf hanging from the rusty nail. Ocean held it close, shutting his eyes and imagining Joe’s rosy cheeks against the soft wool – the warmth he once provided.

Billy Burrows 12c

Ted Danson 11e

116 CREATIVE WRITING & ARTWORK

Creative Writing & Artwork

Henry Nuttall 13a

William Hoare 11d

My Second Soul

Pale Presence

Hidden away, inside my heart, is a second soul of mine.

An old soul, the original soul, but one I haven’t brought out in years.

But sometimes I cross paths with someone new or someone old, and sometimes it triggers my second soul.

And all feels hopeless.

Dusk was crawling over the mountains, creeping like a foreign entity. Rasping, my breath kept me in reality. A hypnotic aura emitted from the manor house. Appearing at the window, a pale figure, dressed from head to toe in fine white lace, wavered in the gloaming.

Some people don’t like my new soul, they want my old soul back.

They will do anything they can to try to kill my second soul.

And all feels hopeless.

Curious as to whom or what I’d find, I rapped a request to enter on the door, which swung open to an eerie foyer lit by candlelight.

Under burning embers in the grate lay final scraps of a bloodstained contract that caused the fire to pulse red.

Lit in silhouette by moonlight, he arrived in the room. A hand, pale white like death itself, touched my back. My body screamed, but no sound came.

Sabry Ibrahim 7f

The government is torn apart because of my new soul.

They fight and shout about the existence of my second soul.

And all feels hopeless.

But other times everything is good.

Little breaks from the chaos, and the small things and kind people that love my second soul.

And all is okay.

Liv Hextall 12c William Duffy 13e

CREATIVE WRITING & ARTWORK 117

Creative Writing & Artwork The Sun’s Deadly Rise A normal summer’s day in the Appalachian plains had just begun with the rise of the searing, burning, flesh-melting sun.

As the sun reared its ugly head, its light shone brightly, almost divine in nature, engulfing all who met its gaze. It was rather beautiful in fact; its colour was a golden yellow like syrup as pure as can be. Its glow was a calming glow, which felt like one of the warmest hugs in the world. Its presence hung in the sky as if it was a guardian angel. This was a rather grim contrast to the events that unfolded on the small rocky planet below. It was chaos. Pure chaos. As the sun basked all in its heavenly light, the air warmed up around them.

First, it was like a hot shower; a bit relaxing, but slightly odd. Then it came.

The scorching sun beat down mercilessly, causing the skin of those exposed to it to rapidly soften and melt away like ice cream. The warmth they had once welcomed, turned against them, twisting and deforming their bodies until they were nothing more than a pile of sludge on the ground.

Jerry’s heart pounded as he beheld the rising sun, the day he had dreaded for so long. With all the strength he could muster, he sprinted towards his farmhouse, shouting to his family to seek refuge. Though his voice echoed across the plains, he received no reply. Desperate, he bolted the doors shut and stacked hay bales to block the entrance, revealing a small metal hatch with a lock. He fiddled with it, sweat pouring from his brow, until the door hissed open, revealing a ladder leading down to safety. At that moment, he looked back at his beloved home, memories flooding his mind. Tears streaming down his face, he slowly shut the hatch, feeling the final lock engage with a click as the ground shook beneath him.

Bruce struggled to emerge from his bed before dawn, his corpulent body resisting every movement. Though his appearance suggested a culinary background, he was, in fact, a worker in the New York Stock Market, leading a monotonous life of work, dining, and sleep.

Though content with his routine, he longed for companionship, but his obsession with money and self-centred behaviour often kept people at bay. It was during one such day that he checked the news and read the devastating headline: ‘The Sun Will Kill Us All! Doomsday Is Here!’

He looked at this title and chuckled, his low voice echoed through his penthouse apartment. “What a load of hogwash!” he said to himself. “Does the media think this is even remotely believable?” he scoffed and put his phone down. He laughed awhile at the absurdity of this headline, but little did he know the truth that was on the horizon.

Jax Ho 9a

Archie Forshaw 11a A Broken Rope Swing There’s a broken rope swing, Over bramble and brush, The branch has long since snapped away, And I’ve no one there to push.

And yet upon the clear chill winds, In echoes lost to time, I hear the voices and their laughs, I break down, undermined.

I see days of aching shoulders, And months of calloused hands, And times we thought we’d never age, In mythic forest lands.

But life it has no mind for peace, And time no care for soul, And the days that made me who I am, I scarcely know at all.

And so I sit on hardened dirt, And stare off into space, I fear I’ve not much more to say, I’ve run my human race.

But I hear notes of childhood, Under swaying canopy, And watch ghosts racing on their bikes, Beneath umbrellas green.

On autumn days in setting sun, Their names shine on the trees, I dream of what more could have been, And their souls smile absently.

Tom Griffiths 12g

118 CREATIVE WRITING & ARTWORK

Creative Writing & Artwork The Ferryman (After Edgar Allan Poe)

Subhaan Aslam 11e

Far upon an island drifting, off the edge which sand drains, soft and sifting I came to tend a lighthouse glowing just off the wayward shore.

As I turned in, soon for sleeping; a howling wind came nearly weeping Weeping tears of grain-white salt, torn free from seabed floor.

But while I stood there seeing, with that distant storm cloud leaping – Sights of sailors dashing ships – against my windward seafront door – The shadow of a sailing ship lay dark, dark against the seeping thick mist that veiled the silent dipping of a single darkwood oar.

Blindspot Kids laughing Parents chatting Nothing seems weird But in the corner of an eye A little to the side A man in black With a bloody sack Standing alone Staring through people as if they are dust He wants us One step at a time.

We don’t notice as his footsteps are timid.

At once a shiver ran, and here and then a quiver ran Up and down my arm, before, with slow and numbing glance I glimpsed my guiding light glow dim, deep, deep within her core.

I muttered from my frozen lips, ‘Why not forbid this devil ship’s approach upon my shore?

But ever still, drifting, dripping, eerie still – the oarman dips his oars One time, then twice – such that an illness wracked my core – ‘No matter,’ I said, ‘how still the ship – against all but natural laws.’

I call into the night – ‘Men have dashed their hopes on these rocky steppes before!’

But in flickering light, she resumed her steadfast course towards my shores.

David Chow 12c

Jensen Gregoire-Parker 8a

Zack Kitson 11d

‘The Control Bowl’ – an automated product that regulates how much food an animal can eat at one time Shah Tavakolynik 11d

CREATIVE WRITING & ARTWORK 119

Snapshots

Snapshots Spellbound

ss Uno how to pa

the time!

Going out with a bang

The lads show ‘Tenacity’ of sp irit

oys!

Chillin’ with the bu

120 SNAPSHOTS

heights Scaling great

e Going for a slid

The end of an era for some

Snapshots

g!

What a good eg Give us a wave !

Tour, anyone?

Lunch fit for a king

Hunting for clues

ht balance Striking the rig

All kitted out and raring

to go

SNAPSHOTS 121

Sports Sports Preface _______________________________________________________

On a personal note, I would like to wish our Department all the best in the future, and look forward to hearing of even more success stories.

The Department would also like to thank Helena Walker, of HW Sports Rehabilitation, for her expertise treating our injured players.

The next pages of ‘The Boltonian’ will give you the chance to read about the fine achievements of our teams and individual athletes.

Mr. P. Fernside (Director of Sport)

I

t gives me great pleasure to write my final introduction to the Sports section of the 2023 Boltonian, After, a very enjoyable stint at the helm, it is time to get the fishing rods out on a more regular basis!

At the annual Cups and Colours Assembly, it was a great pleasure to award nearly seventy sportsmen their colours and trophies for a wide variety of activities.

Sport Cups and Colours _______________________________________________________

S

port Cups and Colours are a public recognition of talent and ongoing dedication to work within Sport. Sport Colours were awarded to the following

boys:

Name Chess Laurence Britton James Logan Hashir Sapra Marcus Fung Amrit Mishra

Jamie Death won the Hindley Trophy for sporting achievement, after his successes on the judo mats of the UK and Europe.

After receiving his trophy on crutches, Jamie made a speedy recovery to win the English Open Championships at Under 21 in the under 81 kgs. category. This victory enabled him within his weight category to be ranked number 1 in Great Britain. Congratulations.

As usual, I would like to thank the many staff who give up countless hours to run School sports teams. This huge commitment, along with the continued great work by the Grounds, Catering and Estates teams, enable us to be consistently at the top of our game.

122 SPORTS

Form

Colour

13f 13b 13d 12d 11c

Full Full Full Half Half

Cricket Kaushik Kathiriya Zane Nirodi Cian Patel Alistair Reed Harry Whittles Harry Connor Keshan Fonseka Akshat Kamath

13i 13e 13c 13d 13a 12i 12h 12e

Full Full Full Full Full Half Half Half

Football Max Carter Nathaniel Kampers Sunyul Koo Ben Male Ben McCarthy Guy Seddon Seb Thompson Charlie Ashton Joe Emery Sahir Jiva Sam Johnson Kian MacDonald Alistair Reed

13a 13e 13b 13g 13c 13f 13c 13d 12b 12b 13c 12g 13d

Full Full Full Half Full Full Full Half Half Half Half Half Half

Sports Golf Joe Emery Thomas Wilson Tobias Yates

12b 11f 12b

Full Full Full

Hockey Oliver Longworth John Oxley-Harrison Reuben Simpson Simon Whitmore Jonathon Brennan Thomas Brennan Callum Cavanaugh Alex Dorsky Greg Dorsky Will Garlick Jamie Latchford Oliver Leahy Jayden Luhar Alex McKie Jake Partington Mihir Patel Nikhil Patel George Worth

13a 13a 13g 13h 12f 13i 13b 11f 11e 13f 12g 13e 12a 12f 12h 13h 11f 13c

Full Full Full Full Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half

Outdoor Pursuits Paul Bigger David Chow Saul Farrell Jacob Simmonite Ben Turner Xuan Wang

13a 12c 13g 12i 12i 13g

Full Half Half Half Half Half (re-awarded)

Rowing Barnaby Keogh

13i

Half

Rugby Joe Burrows Bill Danson Henry Nuttall Rory Pixton Aran Pomian Hashir Sapra Ryan Williams Robert Bentham James Bowie Evan Dare Josh Dickens Jake Dickinson Will Duffy Finn Flanagan Harry Laithwaite Kevin Longthorne Luis McPherson

13e 13d 13a 13b 13g 13d 13f 11d 12b 12b 12c 12c 13e 12c 12f 12d 12f

Full Full Full Full Full Full Full Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half Half

Sam Neill Noah Nethercott Jack Stevens

11d 12f 12c

Half Half Half

Swimming Robert Murray Seb Thompson

13b 13c

Full Full

Tennis Priyesh Fernando

12b

Half

Water polo Robert Bentham Joe Carolan Josh Dickens Sam Fitzsimons Ellis Matthews Oliver McCann Robert Murray Noah Nethercott Aran Pomian Seb Thompson Jamie Logan

11d 12g 12c 12i 13b 12a 13b 12f 13g 13c 13b

Full Full (re-awarded) Full (re-awarded) Full Full (re-awarded) Full (re-awarded) Full (re-awarded) Full (re-awarded) Full (re-awarded) Full (re-awarded) Half

Sports Cups were awarded to the following boys: Name Form Joe Burrows 13e

13i Jamie Death

Alex Dorsky 11f & Greg Dorsky 11e Joe Emery 12b

Oliver Hinks 11a

Harry Lumb 11e Ben Male 13g

Ellis Matthews 13b

Henry Nuttall 13a & Aran Pomian 13g

Cup Parents’ Shield (Rugby) Hindley Trophy (Best Individual Performance) TPP Award (Volunteer in Sport Award) Eric Dawber Award (School Golf Captain) Alan Prince Award (School Badminton Captain) Tennis Captain’s Cup Chris Rigby Award (Football Player of the Year) Pearson Trophy (Water polo Captain) Sharples & Harrison Award (Spirit of Rugby)

SPORTS 123

Sports 11f Ashworth Trophy Nikhil Patel

(Most Improved

Hockey Player) Rory Pixton 13b L.C. Jones Award

(School Rugby Captain) Seb Thompson 13c Bradley Trophy

(School Football Captain)

Field Cup

(School Swimming Captain) Simon Whitmore 13h Allison Trophy

(School Hockey Captain) Harry Whittles 13a Hyde Plate

(School Cricket Captain)

develop numerous boys and encourage their love of ‘The Beautiful Game’. After a few years of obvious disruption, getting hundreds of boys playing regular weekly football is by far the highlight.

A minute’s silence was held in remembrance of HRH Queen Elizabeth II during the week following her death To the boys themselves, we hope they find a tremendous sense of pride when they pull on the black and white jersey, following in the footsteps of literally thousands before them.

A View from the Dugout _______________________________________________________

A

nother year packed with lots of football saw fifteen Bolton School teams play over 180 fixtures, with 376 boys involved. None of this can happen without the support, guidance, not to mention many hours put in from various sports, academic and coaching staff, who I would like to start by thanking for their considerable contributions to Bolton School Football. As ever, the first priority for our Football programme is to

124 SPORTS

This season saw a number of individual and team highlights. A number of boys are combining their school football with professional Academy clubs, whom we have developed a number of strong working relationships with, opening the doors for our boys to make their way within the professional game. Two of our Year 11 leavers, Zach Baumann (Manchester United FC) and Zach Giggs (Sheffield United FC), have signed post 16 Scholarships and we wish them well in their footballing journey. Joe Nicholson (Under 15) and Kieran Holt (Under 14) represented the ISFA National sides while Oscar Hatton and Cam Firth (Under 13s) were chosen for the ISFA NW squad, with Oscar subsequently selected for the National side.

Sports ISFA representation at any level is a fantastic achievement for any boy and a culmination of hard work, dedication, but, above all, a commitment to schoolboy football.

Sticking with ISFA, the First Xl had a long early round trip to RGS Newcastle in the Under 18 Boodles Cup, which unfortunately ended in defeat, while the Under 13s bowed out to Cheadle Hulme and the Under 15s to Moorland in those Cup competitions respectively.

The Town Cup saw three teams reach the finals in March – unfortunately, all came up just short, but congratulations to our Under 12, Under 13 and Under 14 teams; they will all look to go one better next season.

As quickly as one season ends, another begins as the cycle continues; boys will move up an age group and recommence their battles on the top northern schoolboy football card. For those Senior boys moving on, some of whom will have played hundreds of times for School, I wish them good luck in their footballing careers, at whatever level that may be. I encourage them all to continue to forge friendships and enjoyable experiences through sport and football; there is, of course, OBAFC that provides a local club for Old Bolts and other players. I am sure they will think back on the many hours spent on The Levels with fondness and a smile.

Mr. M.G. Chilton

1st Xl Football _______________________________________________________

A

nother largely successful season, on reflection, with School Football well and truly back up and running.

It was going to be another inexperienced 1st Xl, with only a handful of Year 13s having played Senior Football and small numbers at Year 12, meaning a large proportion of Year 11 jumping straight into the school’s premier team vs. players sometimes two years their senior.

The first half term of a long twenty-three match season saw notable wins vs. The Grange, Sandbach, Hulme Oldham and King’s Chester.

A narrow 2-1 defeat to Manchester Grammar School and a loss on the road to an excellent Altrincham Grammar School side were nothing to be too downbeat about; another 2-1 defeat to a strong Wilmslow High School in the ESFA Cup could really have gone either way; but losing away at Royal Grammar School Newcastle in the early rounds of the ISFA Cup was certainly a disappointment – with the long drive and service station stops getting in the way of the boys’ approach and application in a National Cup game that really should have been won.

After returning from the October half term break, the team went on a really strong run in the middle part of the season – up until February, there were nine wins, a solid draw on the road at Cheadle Hulme and just the two losses out of the twelve matches played. Great team performances away at powerhouse schools such as Shrewsbury and Rossall really demonstrated where the squad could get to. Wins came against the likes of Bury Grammar School (twice), Merchant Taylors’ and St. Bede’s.

SPORTS 125

Sports Year 11 reinforcements came from the likes of Adam Berisford, Ben Maher and Emmanuel Eze during this period, who added to the Manager’s Player of the Season Yoji Haddow and Lucas McGann as Year 11s who played the vast majority of the season in the 1st Xl. Max Goodwin played games during his second season in goal, with Year 12s Joe Emery, Kian McDonald and Sahir Jiva the notable Lower Sixth contingent; all will be valuable assets in the coming season that I look forward to seeing in September, along with a new wave of Year 11, eager to impress.

– we tried six different men between the sticks in the first eight matches – meant that our rollercoaster start to the season was understandable; we won three and lost four of our opening eight matches. However, if you can treat those two imposters just the same, to quote Kipling, and manage to find a good goalkeeper, yours will be a good footballing campaign. And, after we successfully recruited Max Goodwin and James Lockie to answer the SOS in goal, that is precisely what we had; their performances were superb, and bred confidence and security into those in front of them.

The final half term of the season unfortunately tailed off somewhat, with bad weather and cancellations – it’s during these weeks where those Year 13 boys, who have committed so much over the seven years of their school careers, get to pull on the black and white shirt for some of the final times. Managing school football with school work, exams and other pressures is a difficult task, but one which Bolton School footballers have done for decades. It does not go unnoticed: Ben Male received the Players’ Player of the Year award, Seb Thompson, the outgoing 1st Xl Captain, and Ben McCarthy also received Cups. Max Carter, Nathaniel Kampers, Guy Seddon (top goal scorer for the season) and Sunyul Koo were the other key Year 13 members of the squad receiving Full Colours. I encourage them all to continue their football journey at whatever level and wherever that will be. They will miss Saturday morning when they are gone, I am sure of that.

The hallmarks of this team were their ability to stick together, to seek to overcome adversity as a unit and to dig in when the going got tough. This was embodied in captain Sam Johnson, whose toughtackling, solid defending allied to his positive leadership skills were a delight to see. He was ably assisted by the dependable Alistair Reed, the skilful George Sherratt and the calm, accomplished Aidan Shum, who, together, formed the heartbeat of a defence that kept seven clean sheets this campaign – quite an achievement in schoolboy football at this level. They were ably assisted by Sammy Dziobon, who performed admirably well as a solid defender, comfortable either in a back four or a back three. The way, in particular, that they defended so resolutely in a 2-0 victory away against a very physical and robust Stockport typified the spirit in the ranks.

My thanks to Mr. Hunt and Mr. Branagan, who we are very fortunate to have passing on their considerable knowledge and expertise. I would also like to thank the parents and families of all boys who have supported us home and away over a number of years. I will see the rest of you next season!

Joseph Prudham excelled in attack. He scored 17 goals this campaign, perhaps the highlight being his scintillating display away at King’s Chester – JP, as he’s known by teammates, netted four times in a fine 5-3 victory there. His forward partner, Chris Williams, was equally effective, offering energy and pressing up front that saw him form an excellent rapport with Joseph. Chris’ 12 strikes were a very respectable return and the 2nd XI will have to work hard to replace this potency up front next season as the pair move on to life beyond Bolton School.

Mr. M.G. Chilton

2nd XI Football _______________________________________________________

T

he 2nd XI will look back on the 2022-23 season with pride and contentment on a job well done. It took time for some players to adjust to the speed and intensity of football at this level, and that became evident in the early stages of the campaign. This, and the lack of a regular goalkeeper

126 SPORTS

Further ahead in midfield, the unquestionable heartbeat was the Players’ Player of the Year, Billy Maher. His immense performances had traits of Bryan Robson, for those of you familiar with that name, and he chipped in with some crucial goals too, not least the winner in a 2-1 conquest of St. Ambrose. Supported by the outstanding Harry Summers (prior to his injury), the gifted Harry Connor (who scored, arguably, the Goal of the Season at Chester!) and the excellent Joe Emery, it became clear to see why so many sides struggled to match the energy and ability of this midfield. If you add to this Archie Forshaw, whose wizardry and speed of thought regularly bamboozled opposition defences, you had a team brimming with attacking prowess, but equally able to mix it if required.

Added to these players were a whole host of other boys who made hugely significant and meaningful contributions. James Fitzsimmons showed a versatility and deftness of touch with his left boot that bodes well for next season. Able to play in the back line, in midfield or upfront, he has an array of talents that will serve the School well next year. Isaac Lucas offered energy and bite in the middle of the park, and it was great to see him be able to return to the field of

Sports play before the end of the campaign after his serious injury. Lucas Stevenson was a menace on the left flank, with his skill, pace and dexterity leading to many assists, as well, of course, as chipping in with a couple of goals himself.

Contributions came from many quarters. Jack Fearnley proved reliable and assured when asked to step up, as did Monty Horridge, who was happy to help the team out in whatever way was needed.

Joe Carolan, when his commitments permitted, featured regularly, offering strength and directness when he played. Cian Patel did well when called upon and his no-nonsense style and tenacious tackling were undoubted assets. Thomas Wilson offered energy and vigour from the flanks and in attack. He also scored a crucial goal in a 1-1 draw away at a strong Sandbach.

My thanks go to all the boys for their unstinting efforts this year.

This was a campaign that had significantly more highs than lows and one which we can look back on favourably in years to come. I thank them all for their involvement and I look forward to a similarly enjoyable season next year.

Mr. P.G. Davidson

3rd XI Football _______________________________________________________

A

football season consists of a collection of stories. It is my honour to share a few of these with you in my first season as the manager of the famous Bolton School 3rd XI. Pre-season training was a chance to get to know the players and their abilities, and work on shape on and off the ball.

Competition for places was high, and the lads were excited for the first game. A new dawn had begun.

As Captain, Charlie Ashton led the boys out onto the pitch for the season opener at home versus the highly rated Manchester Grammar School. With several players making their Senior football debut, a highly contested game of football saw goals at both ends, 2-2 and all square at the break; the team needed something extra – cue Harry Connor. Receiving the ball in the right channel, Connor glided past his man and reached the byline. An audacious spin and flick past another defender, in the style of Dimitar Berbatov, saw him bearing down on the keeper, followed by a clinical finish to complete the move. We had the lead. Moments later, it was that man, Harry Connor, again in space. Shifting the ball quickly out of his feet, this time he unleashed a sweetly struck 25-yard drive into the top corner to complete a 4-2 victory. A team performance capped off with two moments of individual brilliance. We were underway.

October saw us travel to Stonyhurst, set in the wonderful surroundings of rural Lancashire. The game was played in significant winds. After winning the toss and turning Stonyhurst around, the lads started the game well. Early pressure led to a corner, where the ball fell

nicely for Captain Charlie Ashton, who would emphatically crash the opener in off the bar. The first half saw further goals at both ends and the Thirds went into half time with a narrow lead. The second half saw an open game, as attacks ebbed and flowed from both sides.

In a moment of magic, Harvey Husbands picked the ball up in the left-hand channel with his back to the byline. A positive run saw him glide past two or three Stonyhurst defenders. A quick glance up at goal and Husbands curled a right-footed shot from the edge of the area that arched beyond the keeper, clipped the inside of the post and found the back of the net. The lads came away victorious with a 5-4 victory.

The season saw two physical games against Westholme, dubbed by the lads themselves as ‘The Battle of Westholme’. The first game will be remembered for the tackles. One tackle was met with another robust challenge. After a number of cautions, the boys remembered there was a game of football to play. Half time saw the game all square, but we would go on to rue a host of missed chances before a mistake at the back saw Westholme get in behind to take a 2-1 lead.

The final ten minutes saw wave after wave of attack from the Thirds, but, frustratingly, they could not find the equalizer. The fiery game had ended in defeat and Westholme let us know. It felt this was the game where we really came together as a squad, and I could see how determined the lads were to set the record straight in the return leg. We would play that game only a month or so later; this time, we knew our opposition and we knew how they liked to play; however, this time, it would not be such a physical encounter, but a display of artistic possession-based football from the Thirds, who controlled the game. On a wonderful surface, the boys confidently kept the ball and easily had 70% possession, refusing to engage in the physical encounter of the previous fixture. In a comfortable game, the boys redressed the disappointment of the earlier defeat, running out 4-0 winners on the day.

Late January saw us travel to Cheadle Hulme, another highly rated team on our fixture list. A large, vocal home crowd would cheer on a Cheadle team who were unbeaten at the time we faced them.

Lacking possession and with decisions going against us, there are times in a game of football when a team must dig deep and defend when your opponents are on top, and this game was no exception.

Robust defending from Tom Leach, Rob Murray and Harry Whittles ensured we repelled attack after attack from Cheadle in the first half; however, even when your back is to the wall, you must believe there will always be a chance. A neat interchange of passing from brothers Harry and Freddie Summers, followed by a low drive from younger brother Harry, brought a well-worked goal that gave us the lead in the first half. The second half saw wave after wave of Cheadle attack, but midfielders Harry Summers and Charlie Ashton ensured the midfield stood up to the test, combining physicality with good technical midfield play. The last ten minutes of the game became stretched, and the introduction of the silky Michael Gatenby gave the team an outlet, and his quick feet and link-up play gave the lads some extra confidence. As Cheadle overcommitted, the evertenacious Harvey Husbands broke clear on the ball, sliding home

SPORTS 127

Sports the all-important second goal. A 2-0 victory away at Cheadle – we enjoyed the ride home.

It is tradition at Bolton School for the 2nd XI to play the 3rd XI in ‘The Season Finale’ – a fixture that continues to grow in prestige.

All the talk in the corridors was about the game in the week leading up to the Seconds vs. Thirds, with bragging rights at stake. The day arrived and the Third XI wore an alternative red kit as the ‘away’ team whilst the Second XI wore the traditional black and white stripes. Early pressure from the Second XI saw them take a 1-0 lead.

The Thirds were working hard, but did not have enough possession against a well-drilled 2nd XI. Chances were few and far between.

Late in the second half, there was a free kick out on the left. Phelan Brindle swung in a dangerous cross that wasn’t cleared; it was messy, there were bodies everywhere, but, somehow, it was lashed home! We were back in the game. However, again in the second half, the Second XI controlled the game and the Thirds needed to endure long periods of play without the ball. Nevertheless, the lads showed incredible resilience as, again, the Second XI took the lead with a well-worked second goal. We were 2-1 down, final substitutions were made, time was running out and hope was fading, but belief remained. Moments remained – a late attack from the Third XI saw a cross flash across the penalty area that wasn’t fully cleared. A neat touch and turn from front man Freddie Summers and an instant shot and it was there! An equalizer in the final minute! The celebrations spilt over onto the pitch as Freddie was mobbed by his teammates by the corner flag. It was 2-2. It was Full Time. It was penalties.

The lads lined up on the halfway line. A crowd had gathered on the touchline by this time, adding to the occasion. Penalty takers were agreed, and each taker had to now make the long walk to the penalty spot and place the ball on the spot. Nobody wanted to make a mistake. Some well struck early penalties found the back of the net. Both teams missed penalties and there were some excellent saves. All square after the first five penalties and it was Sudden Death. There were three more penalties each, and still the deadlock could not be broken. Penalty nine, and the Second XI missed. This meant that if the Thirds scored their ninth penalty, they would win the game. Lucas Ingham stepped up. Everyone held their breath.

Lucas placed the ball on the spot, a deep breath, a run up, a side foot shot to the Keeper’s left and it found the net! Cue Pitch Invasion!

The Third XI had beaten the Second XI in the Season Finale! A memorable way to end the season!

Mr. M.S. Pilkington

Under 15 Football _______________________________________________________

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t was a story of two very different halves to the 2022-23 football season for the Under 15 Football team. Unfortunately, Mr. Johnson became ill and required surgery at the start of the academic year, which meant that the team’s preparations for the season were disrupted.

Thankfully Mr. Branagan and Mr. Hunt helped the lads to prepare for what was a very busy schedule of competitive Saturday morning fixtures and cup matches.

Unfortunately, the team was knocked out of the ISFA Cup, losing 6-3 to Moorlands School and then 5-1 to a strong Canon Slade team in the Town Cup, meaning that the rest of the season would consist of only friendly fixtures.

On Mr. Johnson’s return, the focus was to trim an extremely large squad of 32 players down to a more manageable number and to maintain the focus and motivation of the players, despite having no competitive football to now play.

The second half of the season was the polar opposite for the lads, with them producing some excellent performances and wins against strong opposition. The team began to score goals more readily, thanks to some excellent finishing from Corbyn Murray and Joe Nicholson, and were much more solid at the back with Yely Lytvyn and Liam Jenkins at the helm.

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Sports The resurgence of the players began after the Christmas break, with an outstanding 6-1 home win against Bury after they had previously lost 5-0 earlier in the season; this seemed to galvanise the lads as they followed this up with a 4-2 win against King’s Chester and an outstanding performance winning 7-0 against Cheadle Hulme. The results continued to improve, with the team only losing one match in the second half of the season, thanks to some excellent goalkeeping from Matty Wright and the outstanding leadership of the Captain, Oliver Hatton.

in front of goal, but the side’s success was built on the excellent attitude and consistent level of application shown by the squad as a whole.

All in all, the season was turned around, despite the Cup disappointments early on and lessons were learnt with regard to the importance of having an excellent attitude and work ethic to ensure the team’s success.

Stand-out victories over the likes of Altrincham Grammar, King’s Chester and Cheadle Hulme followed in the winter months, with the side showcasing their impressive ability to play out from the back with the ball on the deck week after week, even on testing pitches.

I wish the boys well for next year in what will be a steep learning curve as they embark on playing Senior Football for the first time.

After Christmas, attention turned to the Town Cup, and away assignments at Westhoughton and Kearsley were successfully navigated in the early rounds before a Semi-final home victory over Turton ensured a second Final in as many seasons against Canon Slade. But it was not to be for Bolton in the decider, with Canon edging a 2-1 victory in a cagey affair after the previous campaign’s penalty shoot-out victory.

It was clear from the first game of the year that this was a resolute group of players. Bridging a three-goal deficit away at Manchester Grammar School is no mean feat and it was testament to the desire of the side that they were able to level the score at 4-4, only for the home side to steal a winner in the final minute.

It was not the conclusion to an impressive season that the squad had hoped for, but the staff and parents were delighted to see the progress that the side had made over the course of the campaign.

We hope to see them go one better next year!

Mr. D. O’Toole Mr. M. Johnson

Under 13 Football _______________________________________________________ Under 14 Football _______________________________________________________

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t was a very pleasing campaign for the Under 14 Football side, who can be very proud of a record of 19 victories from 22 fixtures. 110 goals were scored over the course of the year – just 21 went in at the other end – in a season that saw 31 boys represent the School. Four of them – Charlie Dewhurst, Sochi Umeadi, Eddie Griffiths and Kieran Holt – reached double figures

W

ith the usual football season opener against St. Bede’s postponed due to the Queen’s death, the first fixture of the 2022/23 season saw a visit to MGS, always a tough opponent. A spirited second half performance saw the Under 13 ‘A’ team secure a 4-4 draw, whilst the ‘B’ team prevailed 3-1, with Sulayman Akiff scoring his first two goals of a prolific season – the first of many victories for the ‘B’ team.

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Sports Saturdays in October, November and December brought victories against Westholme, King’s Chester, Bury Grammar, St. Aidan’s Harrogate and Rossall, whilst progression through the first round of the Town Cup was navigated with ease, thanks to a 4-0 victory against Ladybridge, with Cam Firth contributing a brace of cup goals. The second round of the ISFA Cup, the stage we entered the competition, proved rather more nerve-wracking. An Alex Roberts winner on the stroke of the final whistle at the end of extra time meant that a penalty shootout was narrowly avoided. Unfortunately, the third round of the ISFA Cup would see Bolton School Under 13s exit the competition, following a 7-3 defeat at the hands of Cheadle Hulme, a team that also recorded a 4-1 victory in January against the Under 13 ‘A’ team.

The defeat away to Cheadle Hulme in January was one of only two defeats the Under 13 team endured during block fixtures in January, February and March. Victories for both ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams against The Grange School and Leeds Grammar School provided particularly enjoyable Saturday mornings. The quality of Filippos Giannakopolous’ two goals against The Grange School will live long in the memory and could possibly be attributed to him wearing his father’s old football boots. The Under 13 ‘A’ team’s 4-0 victory away at Leeds Grammar School was perhaps the most complete performance of the season, with the twin strike-force of Oskar Fadil and Jensen Gregoire-Parker linking up to great effect, supported by Mr. Hunt’s favoured midfield ‘box.’

game was a joy to behold, but the number of chances missed was perplexing and frustrating in equal measure.

And so, the season reached its climax. A final Saturday victory against AKS Lytham was perhaps the most wind-affected game ever witnessed. A 1-0 first half deficit was turned around thanks to a wind-assisted goal from goalkeeper-turned-striker Oscar Hatton and Sulayman Akiff’s eighteenth goal of the season, as well-taken a penalty as one could hope to see at schoolboy level; Hasan Baki and Yasin Ogunnusi completed the scoring. That just left the small matter of the Town Cup Final against last season’s victors and ESFA Elite School’s Under 13 finalists Canon Slade. The first half went well, other than an injury to wing-back Lucas Bishop and Captain Mustafa Seedat needing to leave the pitch for a change of boots.

Oskar Fadil and Jensen Gregoire-Parker with a goal apiece meant it was all square at half-time, but it could have been even better, with Cam Firth’s corner hitting the post on the stroke of half-time. The second half didn’t go so well or, at least, a ten minute spell of the second half didn’t go so well. Let’s just say that the Bolton School team finished as Town Cup runners-up for the second year in a row.

The squad will now be competing for places in the School’s Under 14 team – good luck to them in this endeavour. Thanks are due to Mr. Branagan and Mr. N. Hunt for their enthusiasm, commitment and footballing knowledge in coaching the lads. A big thank you to Mr. Patel, who had a 100% win rate in the games he took charge of (on reflection, perhaps he should have taken charge of more games?) Thanks also to parents for supporting the boys and making sure the lads were always in the right place at the right time.

Well done to Sulayman Akiff for finishing top scorer with eighteen goals, Filippos Giannakopolous for being voted Players’ Player of the Season and Mustafa Seedat for deservedly receiving the Coaches’ Player of the Season award; he set an excellent example as Captain, both in his play and behaviour and School Football would be all the more enjoyable if all players followed his example. A season that ended without Cup success, but many victories achieved, some fine performances, many of the lads showing real development in their skills and understanding of the game and no fewer than thirty-five boys representing Bolton School at Under 13 level.

February brought a comfortable 6-1 victory in the Town Cup Quarterfinal on Little Lever’s astroturf pitch, notable for an Alex Roberts hattrick, another wondergoal from Filippos Giannakopolous and Will Robert’s newly bought trainers making him look like he was playing in flippers. Announcements over the school’s tannoy system at the end of the school day evoked memories of Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World,’ but proved no distraction to the focused Bolton School Under 13 footballers.

In March, victories against new opponents for Bolton School in the shape of Rishworth School and Woodhouse Grove School were punctuated by a 2-0 Town Cup Semi-final victory against Smithills School. The number of chances the Under 13s created in this

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Mr. C. Hunt

Sports Under 12 Football _______________________________________________________

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ver one hundred boys trialled for this year’s Under 12 Football Squad, with the trials taking place over a number of weeks. This is always an exciting time for the boys as they are given the opportunity to showcase their talents and compete for places in the squad. Eventually, we settled down to a squad, and training and matches began in earnest. We enjoyed a long and successful season, travelling as far as Harrogate, whilst also playing our usual local rivals. One of the peculiarities of Under 12 Football is that we are able to field two teams nearly every weekend, which is fantastic as we are able to involve as many players as possible week in, week out.

Results were largely good, but, most important of all, was the willingness shown by the boys to commit to training, the team and improving both individually and collectively. Whilst it is always a challenge to bring a large group of players together who have largely never set foot on a football pitch as a team until this point, the boys cottoned on quickly to our way of thinking and what we expected of them. Within a small number of weeks, we saw real progress, with the squad producing some excellent football and results along the way. As always, the boys were adaptable and did not complain when asked to fill in for a teammate in an unfamiliar position, showing a willingness to serve the team and learn a new position.

They are an enthusiastic bunch, who battled on through the season even when we faced teams who were stronger than us. This enthusiasm and sheer will to carry on saw the group reach the Final of the Town Cup. Despite not coming away with the trophy, the boys should be proud of all of their hard work and commitment to School Football across the year. They have grown both individually and collectively, and we wish them well as they move into Year 8 in September.

Mr. M.H.J. Prentki

View from the Scrum _______________________________________________________

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he 2022/23 season has been an excellent season for Rugby at Bolton School, bucking the trend of what we see nationally.

Participation has been excellent – over 250 pupils have represented the School at some level this season, and we have taken part in over 100 fixtures across the North West, maintaining a 60% win record.

Rugby has enjoyed the support of John Roberts from AO this season, and all sides are now sporting new shirts. Many thanks from all for his generosity.

The Watkinson Academy at Under 12 has continued to develop young talent. Working with lads from several club sides, along with those who have never played the game, Mr. Watkinson and Mr. Aspinall have managed to build an excellent togetherness in the squad. We look forward to seeing them progress over the years.

The Under 12s in action vs. Wilmslow High School New to Bolton School, Mr. James has had a quite phenomenal season with the Under 13 side alongside Mr. Heald. They finished the Lancashire Under 13 festival at Preston Grasshoppers RUFC as third best in the County, and went the full 15-a-side season losing only once. In 7s, they won the Trophy at the AKS Tournament before having the season disrupted by poor weather. This is certainly up there with the most successful season a Bolton School side has had in some time. They should be hugely proud of what they have achieved.

Mr. Barlow and Mr. Boyd have coached the Under 14 side this year, Mr. Barlow doing so alongside his commitments with Sale Sharks DPP and others. Their expertise and experience in the game have very much been on display as they have improved the side greatly.

Winning the Plate in our 7s tournament was a pleasing climax to the season.

The Under 15s have also had a good season, in what will be Mr. Fernside’s last at the School. Having taught hundreds of young men over the years, and introduced the joy of Rugby Union Mr. Fernside gives his two pennies’ worth to so many whilst at following the Under 15 Lancashire Plate Bolton School, it was fitting that his last Final win game in charge of a team was a victorious Lancashire Plate Final against Stonyhurst

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Sports College. All involved in Rugby at Bolton School wish him well in his retirement and hope he has tight lines.

At Senior level, we have consistently put out two competitive teams – this is in sharp contrast to other traditionally strong schools in the area. Much of the credit must go here to Mr. Jackson for his work keeping the 2nd XV an enticing prospect on those cold December mornings, and to the lads for buying in.

Jack Stevens storms down the wing supported by Ammaar Ibraahim Individually, this season has also been a successful one, with Will James, Noah Haseldine, Dev Hasija, Corey Morgan and Cooper Atherton all being selected for Sale Sharks DPP and Robert Bentham being selected for both Sale Sharks’ and Wigan Warriors’ Academies.

Corey Morgan, Cooper Atherton, Dev Hasija, Will James and Noah Haseldine have all been selected for Sale Sharks DPP Mr. T. Benbow

1st XV Rugby _______________________________________________________

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s always, the first Monday in September saw lads traipsing towards The Levels for the first session of the year, full of hope for the coming season.

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There was much changed from the previous campaign. Mr. Joseph was sunning himself in retirement, while only seven Year 13s made themselves available and there was a bold move to white shorts.

The season started well, with a good performance resulting in a narrow defeat to a strong side from Manchester Grammar School.

Unfortunately, the wind was somewhat knocked out of us when we drew St. Ambrose College in the second round of the RFU Plate Competition. It was surprising to find a school of such high renown in the third tier of the competition. Despite a gutsy display, Ambrose ran away with the tie and we were left with several injuries.

Such a setback may well have derailed another group of players, but it did, in fact, pull the boys together. Skipper Rory Pixton alongside Vice-captain Henry Nuttall and senior players Hashir Sapra, Joe Burrows, Aran Pomian, Ryan Williams and Bill Danson rallied the troops. We subsequently went on an excellent run. In October and November, we won four on the bounce, claiming the notable scalps of Giggleswick and Stockport Grammar School. Other memorable games included an excellent victory against Birkenhead and a tense draw at Hutton Grammar School.

Joe Burrows throws his patented dummy The old guard was well supported by a good number of Year 12 coming into the team. Flanagan was solid as a rock at scrum time with Jake Dickinson and Luis McPherson carrying well and Jack Stevens a menace at the breakdown. In the backs, James Bowie was a regular at 9 with Harry Laithwaite and Noah Nethercott showing flair in the back three.

Noah Nethercott touches down against Wilmslow High School

Sports Several Year 11s have also represented the 1st XV this season, notably Robert Bentham and Sam Neill, taking their opportunity to become regulars in the side. It would be a real shame if they did not return next year.

The last few games of the season were tough, with several injuries weakening the team. The lads, however, stuck at the task manfully.

It was just reward for their efforts to beat Clitheroe Grammar School in the final game of the season, to retain the Caspar Joseph Trophy for another year.

against Lancaster Royal Grammar School and St. Anselm’s, losing both games, but this did not tell the whole story. The whole team battled hard and showed true grit and determination even in defeat, which highlighted the character of those representing the School’s 2nd XV; many of these will learn from this experience and go on to play for the 1st XV next year.

There were some outstanding performances throughout the season by other squad members, most notably Jack Entwistle, Haoming Ren, Charlie Darbyshire, Ammaar Ibraahim, Ethan Caswell, Jamie Logan, Robert Bentham and Sam Neill – these boys were consistent and reliable members of the team and they demonstrated many of the character traits a typical Bolton School boy possesses, most notably, determination and resilience. The most impressive thing that this group of young men showed was team spirit and togetherness – qualities which will stand them in good stead in life beyond Bolton.

May I take this opportunity to wish those players leaving school every success in their futures and I do hope you keep playing rugby.

Congratulations to Sam Neill for gaining a Rugby scholarship at Kirkham and Robert Bentham for one at Sedbergh.

The 1st XV following victory over Clitheroe Grammar School Mr P.D. Jackson Many thanks to Mr. Barlow and Mr. Jackson for their assistance with the Seniors this season – their positivity and commitment have been hugely appreciated by myself and the players.

Mr. T. Benbow

2nd XV Rugby _______________________________________________________

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he opening match of the season was a cracker, losing narrowly to Manchester Grammar School 41-38; however, the team came back strongly, winning their next two games against Giggleswick and Wilmslow. The team, consisting mainly of Year 11 boys, was now starting to find form. Training sessions on Monday evenings helped form this bond, with Sunni Mohammed Ali leading the way in the number of training sessions attended. Captain Matthew Cooney led the way both on and off the pitch, and was an excellent role model for the younger boys in the squad.

Under 15 Rugby _______________________________________________________

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he 2022-2023 season was a great season for the Under 15 team – some challenging and well fought games displayed our team’s talent and passion to play. We started the season very positively, going unbeaten for a number of games, yet, with a few injuries affecting the team, our winning streak came to an end. Despite our loss of players, the boys lifted their spirits and continued to play for each other and fought out many passionate wins, including two wins out of three games against Manchester Grammar School.

Further on in the season, the Under 15s played with great enthusiasm and pulled off a number of impressive wins against Lancaster Royal Grammar School, Ripley St. Thomas and Bury Grammar School.

The boys participated well in the sevens tournaments and achieved the Bowl in the AKS 7s.

The pack performed well against Stockport Grammar School, with Hashim Choudry, Matthew Roberts, Jake Mayor and Spencer Dodd all putting in big performances. The team was tested in matches

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Sports For our final game, we were presented with the toughest challenge of the season: a Plate Final against Stonyhurst College. With a slow start and a tough first half, Stonyhurst led 15-0 at the break. A superb start in the second half put Bolton on the front foot and they remained there for the rest of the game. Tries came at regular intervals, as the 17 available players rotated on and off the field, and kept the momentum going until the final whistle. I couldn’t be more proud of the perseverance and determination shown to win us the game – it couldn’t have been a more triumphant end to the season.

Mr. P. Fernside

Under 14 Rugby _______________________________________________________

T It was an honour for me to represent the Under 15s team as Captain throughout the season and play alongside my friends, who stood by me in this role. The boys represented the badge in all kinds of weather and put on a show, and as a Captain, that’s all that I could ask for from my players. I would like to thank Mr. Fernside and Mr. Watkinson for their relentless support and drive for us to succeed.

Nathan Pierson 10f Personally, I would like to thank Nathan for his hard work as Captain over the last two years. He has brought a very mature approach to the leadership of the side. I would also like to thank Mr. Watkinson, who stood in during my absence.

To the team, many thanks for the lasting memory of the epic win vs. Stonyhurst at Fylde – a great way to finish my rugby career at School.

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he 2022/23 season had its ups and downs, but I am pleased to say more ups than downs. As a professional rugby coach and coaching a wide variety of players from Under 7s through to international players, I need to adapt to each squad individually. My main aim at this age grade is not only to develop the players in front of me as players, but also develop them as decent upstanding individuals; on both counts this had its challenges, but I hasten to add more positives than negatives. The season, I believe, was a success in that we recorded nine wins and one draw out of eighteen games.

We had success in winning games that, on paper, we would have expected to lose and, on the flipside, lost some games we would have expected to win; however, as the season progressed, the players developed, always looking out for each other and playing as a solid unit. I was particularly encouraged that the more experienced players always lifted those with less experience. All the players learned from this and showed great sportsmanship, resilience and understanding.

There were a couple of standout games which come to mind – the match at Manchester Grammar School which we expected to lose as we had never beaten them previously, we came away with a win, a truly hard-fought battle. The Cup match against Liverpool College, played at Bolton School mid-week, in which we were losing 12-0 with 10 minutes to go, we came away with a victory with the very

Sports last kick of the match to win 14-12. The finest achievement, for me, was to win the Bolton School 7s Plate competition.

Victorious over Manchester Grammar School It is always nice to win, but, for me, it is not about winning – it is all about the players having fun, the scores are secondary. You do not have ‘winners and losers’, you have ‘winners and learners’.

As the players move onwards this coming season, I am sure they will develop further and their success shall continue. I purposely have not named a single player within this article as, I believe we are a team, a group who always work together – if we win, we all win, if we ‘learn’, we all learn.

great success in our tournaments, where we narrowly came second in our group at Preston Grasshoppers, but still went on to win the third and fourth playoffs. We also had great success at our other tournament at AKS Lytham, coming home with silverware. Our regular season was extremely impressive too, going unbeaten until the last game of the season, where we only just lost to St. Anselm’s, a heartbreaking moment for all the lads. I’ve really enjoyed playing with everyone on a Saturday morning and bonding with everyone on and off the rugby pitch. Thank you to all the coaching staff that have helped out in training and in our matches during the season; they have made it possible for us to develop and have taken up their time on a Saturday to come and manage our games.

Maxim McKay 8f What an amazing season! The Under 13 Rugby squad has experienced a season filled with remarkable success. Since September, our young athletes have showcased tremendous dedication, skill, and teamwork, resulting in an outstanding performance during fixtures and at our weekly training sessions.

My heartfelt thanks must go out to all parents who supported the team through the season, not only on the sidelines, but encouraging the players, shipping them around to training, games, etc. not only at school, but to their respective clubs.

Mr. T. Barlow

Under 13 Rugby _______________________________________________________

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t’s been a pleasure to be part of an excellent rugby season this year. As Captain and alongside Vice-captain George Burrows, It’s been great to see how everyone has developed within our teams, including me, and everyone who has come down to training on Thursday nights and in the sports sessions. We’ve had

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Sports involvement. The future looks promising for this squad, and I eagerly anticipate their continued growth and success.

Every player, either on the ‘A’ or ‘B’ team, has demonstrated the values of this great sport and what being part of a group is all about.

Both teams have demonstrated significant improvement in their technical abilities, tactical awareness and overall rugby knowledge.

Many players have honed their passing, tackling, and kicking skills, allowing them to execute their moves with precision and accuracy.

The team’s commitment to each other and the pride they show when they don the black and white hoops is a credit to them all, which has undoubtedly contributed to the development of our players’ fundamental rugby skills.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this season has been the team’s ability to work together as a cohesive unit. I am immensely proud of all players that have demonstrated the values of trust, communication, and sportsmanship, fostering a strong team spirit.

This camaraderie has been evident during matches, with players supporting and encouraging one another, resulting in seamless coordination on the field.

Our Under 13s’ success has not gone unnoticed, as they have consistently achieved impressive results throughout the season against strong opposition. Speaking with colleagues and officials pre- and post-match, many have commented on the team’s ability.

Their dedication and hard work have resulted in numerous victories – indeed, the ‘A’ team won the Kirkham 7s trophy and played 15 matches, winning 14 of the domestic fixtures, and only lost one game all season, which demonstrates their proficiency and ability to apply their skills effectively during competitive matches.

Beyond the tangible achievements on the field, I feel the whole squad has developed in character and has upheld the values of rugby; this is evident when watching these young athletes exhibit respect, discipline, and integrity both on and off the field, setting a positive example for others to follow. The players’ exemplary behaviour and sportsmanship have earned them recognition from opponents, coaches and spectators alike.

In conclusion, the Under 13 Rugby team’s success this season can be attributed to the dedication of the boys, parents and coaching staff here at Bolton School. The facilities and opportunities offered to the boys have allowed the squad to flourish, both as individuals and as a team. I am incredibly proud of their achievements, and I extend my sincere gratitude to all involved with School Rugby, but, most importantly, the boys and their parents for ensuring their

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Mr. C. James The ‘B’ team provided a platform for players to show their worth in the highly competitive Under 13 Rugby squad. The highlight of the season was the away victory at Manchester Grammar School, with Henry Smethurst scoring five tries on his rugby debut to ensure we finished as narrow victors; this match showcased some great performances across the team, from the likes of Zain Musa, Wesley Else and Jacob Little, in what was a closely fought game. Another away game at Stockport Grammar School ended in narrow defeat this time, but it did include a breakaway consolation score from Hugo Gallet and a memorable cameo from Paddy Connelly. In another match, we managed to beat ourselves, after providing the opposition with a number of players, and there were some tough battles in the remaining fixtures.

The ‘B’ team regulars showed admirable enthusiasm and dedication to the cause, and it was great to see several of them make their way into the ‘A’ team during the course of the season.

Mr. S.P. Heald

Under 12 Rugby _______________________________________________________

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he Under 12 Rugby team has had an action-packed season, full of competitive matches against familiar foes and new opposition alike, and the team’s passion and solidarity has certainly shone through.

We started strongly, beating West Hill in our opening fixture. The team showed promise, with good tries from open play. Our rivalry with Manchester Grammar School was as fierce as ever, but the team dug deep to emerge victorious in a tight contest, thanks to a determined defence around the fringes.

A strong St. Mary’s Crosby side got the better of us in windy conditions, but the team never stopped battling at the breakdown.

We swiftly bounced back with an emphatic win over Giggleswick,

Sports playing fantastic rugby with power and strength up the middle.

Excellent game management from our team helped contribute to a dominant performance all round.

Performing with great spirit against the best schools at the Lancashire Festival was a proud moment. Never ones to give up, the team fought valiantly in defeat to St. Anselm’s for our final game of the season.

This squad has developed immensely, forging tremendous team spirit. The boys should be hugely proud of their efforts – the future looks bright!

Mr. D.W.J. Aspinall

A View from the AstroTurf _______________________________________________________ In a thriller against Wilmslow, the team’s self-belief and composure was fantastic to see against tough opposition, filled with many talented club rugby players. We faced a stern test away at AKS Lytham, and while the result didn’t go our way, the boys led from the front tirelessly in a tight exchange.

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s I reflect on another season of School Hockey (this will be my twenty-seventh such report since taking over as Masterin-charge of Hockey in 1996) there is, of course, much to celebrate. Over the course of the season, the various year groups have played 43 friendlies that we have arranged ourselves, as well as entering the Under 16 & Under 18 North of England Indoors Cup, the Under 13 & Under 15 Powerplay Tournaments, the Under 12 In2Hockey Cup, the Under 14 Lancashire County Cups and represented Lancashire in the Under 16 & Under 18 North West Finals Days. We have run training sessions until 5.45 pm every Monday evening for Year 10 & Seniors; every Wednesday night for Years 8 & 9 and every Friday night for Year 7. We have also been working hard to develop Junior School Hockey and have welcomed some of the stronger Girls’ Division players to attend Monday night training to further their development. There is a huge appetite for hockey in the school, particularly now we have the excellent refurbished Leverhulme Pavilion adjacent to our very wellused AstroTurf; the biggest battle is juggling all of this with limited staffing and pitch time available. There is the further constraint of fitting fixtures into a busy school calendar without going over budget for transport. The current staffing model is unsustainable in the medium-term and it is a welcome relief that a hockey specialist will be joining the PE Department in September to take on some of the workload.

Birkenhead had the upper hand on the day, but the team contested every breakdown with grit and determination. We then ground out a hard-fought victory in awful conditions against Hutton Grammar School.

Beating rivals Manchester Grammar School twice in one season was an amazing achievement. Mature game management helped seal the victories. We racked up the tries against Scarisbrick, before battling past Bury Grammar in another tight encounter. Lancaster may have ended our winning streak, but the progress made was clear.

In late August, we are taking 32 players back to the Netherlands for specialist coaching and three competitive fixtures based in Utrecht and Rotterdam. We were asked by the tour operator to assess our

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Sports level so they could match us against similar opposition. I said we were playing in the Premier League, playing all the top schools across the North West and working hard on a limited budget to survive the drop. Therein lies the dilemma – do we keep developing to maintain present levels and invest to improve further so as to be able to compete with the best or do we accept the limitations of staffing and competing demands from other sports and drop down a league to play 6th Form colleges and other developing schools if you can find that sort of opposition? The reality is that in the borough of Bolton, we are the only school offering competitive boys’ hockey so if the School wants decent opposition, we need to travel far and wide – that means going to Cumbria to play Sedbergh, to the Wirral to Cheshire to play King’s Macclesfield and over to the Fylde coast to play Rossall.

It is fair to say that the 1st XI Captain Simon Whitmore had a difficult job on his hands. For various reasons, many of the Year 13 pupils did not attend training and seemed content to simply turn up on match days and then give it a go; it is difficult to work on tactics and build a team spirit with players who are not there. Nevertheless there were many positives: Oliver Longworth grew in confidence in goal and put in some strong performances. Thomas Brennan was a vital part of our defence, making many excellently timed tackles.

John Oxley-Harrison worked tirelessly in midfield and distributed the ball well. George Worth scored some vital goals up front. Simon Whitmore had perfected his drag flicks by the end of the season. The Year 12s worked hard in training and did what was asked of them in games, but the vast majority had only started playing hockey in Year 10 and were learning fast. The three Year 11s who were the stalwarts of the team – Nikhil Patel, Greg Dorsky and Alex Dorsky – were excellent role models and will form the nucleus of the team next year.

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The greatest achievement of the season has been the massive expansion of 2nd XI fixtures. Across the North West, boys’ hockey is expanding within the schools we play on the circuit and the 2nd XI have had twelve matches. Callum Cavanaugh has excelled in his role as 2nd XI Captain, surprising many with his maturity and determination on the field of play. He also engendered a great team spirit and led by example. There were many standout performances, but the forward line of Joshua Moffitt, Jonathon Brennan and Raoul Saxena were especially impressive.

The Under 15s were ably led by Nathan Watts and Kyran Chitre and had a great camaraderie as a unit. Many of them have helped with the development of Junior Hockey on Friday evenings as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Volunteering hours. On their day, they can compete with the best (beating Birkenhead, avenging an earlier defeat) and putting in an outstanding performance at Sedbergh.

They were also capable of some horror shows – the day at King’s Macclesfield being a case in point. We have discussed mindset and they are learning to adopt a more Wolf-man persona on the pitch!

The Under 14s were rocked by the news that Oliver Scales was leaving to join another school. How would we compete without him? Aaron Patel took over the reins as Captain and, after a few early setbacks in the role, grew into the job. It is fair to say that the side has chopped and changed in all positions and we are starting to work out what is our best team. The welcome arrival of Elliot Guest has strengthened the defence, although we are still struggling to score goals up front. The team are attending training in large numbers and we will get stronger and better.

Sports The Under 13s have only had three friendlies and a Cup competition, but have really enjoyed their hockey. We have some talented players developing in the year group. Daniel Croston won Goalkeeper of the Tournament in the North West Finals. Chris Frank is a great defender and distributor of the ball.

I have been delighted with the progress of the Under 12s. We offer them the chance to train on a Friday evening and they have been attending in massive numbers – upwards of 20 most weeks, with a lot of support from older pupils. This has enabled us to set up skill stations, working around a carousel for the first hour with the reward of a game for the last 30 minutes or so after the departure of the Junior School, with whom we share the pitch up to 5.15 pm. There are many heroes in this team – and that is the key. They listen to advice and work well as a team.

It has been a privilege and a pleasure to coach the Senior Hockey teams this season, yet it has also been tinged with irksome anomalies, as many of our hockey players are academically talented, which means they have many demands on their time. Untimely injuries to players beyond our control and a busy school timetable meant we have been unable to get our strongest 1st XI team on the pitch on a weekly basis. The pleasure was to watch those who stepped up from the 2nd XI into the 1st XI blossom into very competent hockey players on what is a very challenging North West Schools hockey circuit. Most opposition had 8 to 10 players on the pitch who play competitive club hockey at a weekend, in comparison to our 5 to 6 – an average we hope to improve on as we introduce more of our boys to this high level of competitive hockey.

Injury meant we lost the extremely talented Mihir Patel for large parts of the season and this meant Captain Simon Whitmore and Vice-captain Reuben Simpson as well as key players John OxleyHarrison and Thomas Brennan had to step up with leadership and motivation for all the other players in the side, in particular, to help Year 12 and 11 players coming into the 1st XI for their first season of ‘Senior Hockey’. Jayden Luhar, Nikhil Patel (last season’s Under 15 Captain), Alex Dorsky and Greg Dorsky all grabbed their chance to go straight into the 1st XI and grew physically, technically and in squad importance into solid starting line-up players for the whole of the season.

Whilst results for the 1st XI don’t read well this season, all games were matched very competitively, but we lacked punch up front to put goals away that would have brought us back into matches; most of our goals from open play were scored by our talisman and Captain Simon Whitmore, but also through developing the skill of drag-flicking at Penalty Corners. By the end of the season, Simon scored some fantastic goals drag-flicked from the top of the D past all the defenders and goalkeeper into the high corners of the net.

I hope you enjoy reading the individual reports from the various team captains. Once again, my thanks to Mr. Sutcliffe, who works tirelessly as our main coach; to Mr. Moore for his help with Senior Sport and with Years 8 and 9 coaching on Wednesday evening, and to Miss Petrie, who has greatly enjoyed giving up her Friday evenings helping with Year 7 coaching. I would also like to thank Mr. Fernside, who retires this summer as Director of Sport. He has always been supportive when I have asked for equipment, understanding of the demands of the job and a great listener when things haven’t always gone to plan and I’ve needed to discuss something. I look forward to working further with Mr. Chilton as we work together with a development plan to enable Hockey to thrive and grow further.

The 2nd XI benefited from players getting some 1st XI experience as we rotated a lot of players between the teams and played competitively all season, but with improving results as the season went on, resulting in some great wins in the second half of the season. Over the course of our hockey season, we used over 40 players from the ‘Senior Hockey’ group in competitive matches, representing the School to the best of their ability.

Mr. A.C. Robson

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Sports Hockey continues to grow throughout each age group with our after school hockey training sessions being well attended and Senior players have offered their time through volunteering by coaching and mentoring younger players within the school. The future for Hockey in Bolton School looks very bright.

Mr. N. Sutcliffe

1st XI Hockey _______________________________________________________

Some particular season highlights go to George Worth for scoring an incredible first time half volley from a 50 yard aerial I threw against Merchant Taylors’, a recovery from being 3-0 down at half time to only a 4-3 loss against King’s Chester, in which Reuben scored his first goal for the 1st team and Marcus Ashall-Payne, who became a regular 1st team starter despite this being his first year playing hockey. Congratulations go to Tom Brennan for being nominated Player’s Player of the Year, Nikhil Patel for Coach’s Player, and top goal scorers being myself (9), George Worth (4) and Mihir Patel (3).

Special thanks go to all the staff, who put in so many hours to help coach all of the squads, arrange so many fixtures, and of course volunteer to umpire matches, even if their umpiring comes with at least six controversial decisions each game. And finally, good luck to next year’s hockey squads. I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing some better results on the School Twitter.

Simon Whitmore 13h

2nd XI Hockey _______________________________________________________

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ith the addition of optimistic Year 11s into the first team, we entered the season with a very young and relatively inexperienced team. This may have been reflected in the first half of the season, with back to back losses; however, we quickly stepped up to the competition and put in some hard graft at training to quickly develop into a more well oiled team to start putting in good performances week in, week out. Many Senior players attended Monday evening training sessions regularly, despite me introducing some occasional fitness sessions, as well as Wednesday afternoon Sport lessons, meaning all players were putting in a shift and had a busy hockey schedule. Yet this still wasn’t enough hockey for some people – many of the squad are members at external hockey teams and have had successful seasons: Nikhil and the Dorsky brothers have made a name for themselves at Bolton Hockey Club, Tom Brennan and Oliver Longworth have played alongside Mr. Moore at Golborne, the Vice-captain, Reuben, has been playing at my former club Leyland and Chorley, and I followed in Mr. Robson’s footsteps at Preston Hockey Club featuring at national league. The effect of so many people playing so much hockey both outside of school and for the 1st XI was abundantly clear as we put in a much greater fight every week.

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his year, the Second XI entered the season with one main goal in mind – win more games than First XI. After a slow start losing in the first game, we came back and beat St. Anselm’s 1-0. This was followed by a flurry of wins and draws up until Christmas. After Christmas, the Seconds faced some difficulties, with people being out for mocks and other exams; however, we did finish the season with a draw. The passion and comradery displayed from the team throughout the season was amazing, however, this sadly converted into green cards, leaving us playing some games with ten men for portions of the game. Most importantly, we succeeded in our goal of winning more than the First XI. Player’s Player was awarded to Raoul Saxena. After a change of position at the start of the season, it took Raoul some time to adjust; however, by the end of the season, he resembled a prime Erling Haaland, scoring a tap in to secure a draw in the final game of the season. I’m sure everyone will agree there has been huge improvement across the team and including in those who were not being selected every week. I’d like to thank everyone who played for the Seconds this season and I wish you good luck for next season.

Finally, I’d like to thank Mr. Robson, Mr. Sutcliffe and Mr. Moore,

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Sports who gave up their time to organise fixtures, training and helped Hockey grow as a sport at Bolton School and I hope to see the sport continue to grow in popularity and success.

Callum Cavanaugh 13b

Under 15 Hockey _______________________________________________________

Each and every player has worked extremely hard this year and that has shown in their personal growth as players; I hope that they all got as much out of this season as I did, and that they continue to progress in the Senior teams next season. However, none of this would be possible without the organisation, coaching and generosity of Mr. Robson and Mr. Sutcliffe, whom the whole team thanks for all their efforts this year.

T

his year’s Under 15 Hockey season was nothing short of challenging, with us winning one out of eight games; however, this does not at all represent the efforts, improvements and overall spirit within the team. Whilst the results on paper don’t look too great, there are positives to be found, notably, the team turning a 5-2 loss to Birkenhead into a 4-0 win and, for the most part, the games were close with generally a one or two goal difference – an improvement on last season.

Nathan Watts 10f

Under 14 Hockey _______________________________________________________

Another successful aspect of the season was the MGS Powerplay Tournament. In the Cup competition, we played five short games, of which we won two, drew two and lost one, all against respectable hockey playing schools, something the whole side should be proud of.

T

his year has been a large stepping stone for Under 14 Hockey – our players have developed, and we have had some success to show that as well. In our training sessions on Wednesday nights, we have many new players coming to try out hockey and many coming to improve.

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Sports At the beginning of the season, we played two games, drawing one and beating St. Anselm’s College 3-0 in the other. After these two successful results at the start of the season, our progress slowed down, with a loss against Wirral Grammar School to end the Autumn Term.

The loss didn’t dishearten us – we continued to work and train as a team, managing to show up every Wednesday after school. We kept our mentality even when going 1-0 down against King’s Macclesfield and turning the game around, finishing it off 2-1 to Bolton with goals from Ian So and Teddy Duffy.

In the Under 14 Finals, we had five very difficult fixtures, and, with our team still developing, we unfortunately did not manage to win a game; however, we still managed to progress in a lower bracket of the tournament and entered the North West Finals in Timperley.

We played six games in this tournament and we ended the season on a good note, winning one of our games and drawing two – even with the losses, our team came out of this tournament happy overall to finish the season. Overall, we are improving as a team and, with hard work and dedication, we will continue to improve.

We scored some thrilling goals like when Kingsley Sou dribbled two defenders with a V drag back and cleanly slotted the ball into the far bottom corner, leaving the goalkeeper clueless, against Lymm High School.

Aaron Patel 9c

Under 13 Hockey _______________________________________________________ Our final goal went to Jay Venkatarama, who nicely tapped the ball in with a stunning finish.

Daniel Croston 8e & Chris Frank 8f

Under 12 Hockey _______________________________________________________

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ur opening game ended in an unlucky 3-2 loss to AKS Lytham, who scored a last minute winner. The first goal of the season went to Alex Hilton-Jones, with a nicely taken penalty shuffle.

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riday evenings this year have been spent training hard for the hockey season, and what a season it has been! The Autumn Term saw both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams play AKS Lytham at home; the ‘A’ team had a narrow loss after lots of great defending, but the ‘B’ team enjoyed a win.

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Sports The Spring Term saw the Under 12s travel to King’s Macclesfield for the Tier 2 School Championship. After a rocky start to the game, losing our first two matches, the third match saw us draw. With just two matches left to play and a team talk, we turned the results around and won our final two matches, securing us fourth place.

We would like to thank all the coaches who train our growing team with their relentless hockey drills and advice. We hope to have lots more matches next year and improve on our fourth place.

Team fixtures have been widely successful, with wins secured in the Bolton League against schools including Bolton School Girls’ Division, Thornleigh and Rivington and Blackrod. Well done to Canon Slade, who were the overall tournament winners – we already look forward to our re-match next year! Pupils involved in the tournaments include Harry Lumb, Oliver Hinks, Max Roberts, Zach Tyrer-Hall, Matty Wright, Alastair Mogg, Arthur Snape, Haoming Ren, Calum McAndry, Shan Saidi, Kush Patel, Daniel Keene, Liam Dougall, Jayden Cheung, Marcus Law, Adam Patel and Nanda Lukalapu.

Tristan Jones 7b

Miss L. Gillibrand

Badminton _______________________________________________________

Cross Country _______________________________________________________

B

adminton has gone from strength to strength this year in terms of extra-curricular clubs and the team fixtures. Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 have thoroughly enjoyed participating in weekly clubs, and there has been a clear progression in skill and ability shown by those attending the clubs for the past two years. Pupils have become innovative in creating mini skill games to further enhance their abilities including shot precision, fast footwork and teamwork trials in paired challenges. It has also been a fantastic opportunity for older pupils in Years 10 and 11 to help coach the younger pupils to prepare them for being on the Badminton team between Years 9, 10 and 11. Back in December, we held a Year 7 and 8 tournament to allow the pupils to understand the format of a fixture so they have a clear understanding of etiquette.

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he standout Cross Country performance of the season saw Daniel Bleakley win the Year 7 Town Championship race to become Town Champion!

Ben Howarth (5th) and Abbas Khambalia (6th) also finished inside the top ten for a strong team outing.

In the Year 8/9 race, Chris Frank finished 14th and Hugo James 20th as they qualified for the Town team, as did Liam Pijper (12th), Matthew Houghton (14th), Oliver Hatton (15th) and Harry Howarth (16th) in another solid team performance for the Year 10s.

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Sports exceptionally, qualifying for the National Finals held at the London Aquatics Centre. Competing amongst the top schools in the country was an incredible achievement for Ethan Blyth, Benjamin Quilliam, Jack Rothwell and James Vaughan.

We then went on to face strong opposition in St. Ambrose, who had some seriously talented swimmers. We just ended up on the wrong side of the result, but a hard-fought gala nonetheless. Westholme then travelled to Bolton School for a joint gala with the girls. This was another fantastic gala, which showcased talent from both sides.

An impressive win took us into the Christmas break.

Friday lunchtime training sessions have continued to grow, with many dedicated boys putting in considerable effort. The squad worked extremely hard during the Autumn Term and deserved an extended break over the holidays.

The new year began with our annual Fast Water Gala, hosted at Bolton School. Sandbach, Ripley, Hutton, QEGS Blackburn and ourselves competed in the unique event, where overall lowest time is key. We came out on top with some fantastic performances, bringing home the Cutty Sark Trophy.

Mr. M.G. Chilton

Swimming _______________________________________________________

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ith the new season upon us, the boys were full of excitement and raring to get started in the pool once again. Having worked hard last year and over the summer, they couldn’t wait to put their skills to the test in competitive action.

Our first gala was against our closest of rivals and it’s always a highlight to face the Girls’ Division in the pool. With cheering from both sides, the competition was fierce, with the girls prevailing by the slimmest of margins in a thriller.

A highlight of the season was Bolton School hosting the ESSA qualifiers this year. Our very own Junior Swimming squad performed

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A reverse fixture against St. Ambrose followed, with the boys wanting to get one past their opponents after a narrow defeat the previous term. The lads did just that and swam a gala with intensity from start to finish – certainly one of the highlights of the season.

The Junior boys also won the Town Championships at Bolton One, beating all local schools to claim the title – a fantastic achievement in front of a capacity crowd.

Sports and finished as a 1-1 draw. Last year’s Final also finished as a draw at full time between these teams, so, once again, the match was to be decided by a three-player penalty shoot-out. Unfortunately, whereas last year Bolton won the shoot-out and thus the 2022 title, this year, it was Trinity’s time to be victorious. Bolton had held this title since 2014, but this winning streak ended with Trinity School going on to win the Under 18 title. Bolton then defeated City of London School in the third/fourth play-off, avenging their defeat earlier in the day.

An away win against Sandbach capped off what was a fantastic season with many highlights throughout. Huge thanks to all who have contributed to Bolton School Swimming this year.

Mr. L. Watkinson & Mr. A. Evitts

Water polo _______________________________________________________

A

t the end of January, the Under 18s travelled to Northampton, where they qualified for the English Schools Finals, finishing top of their qualifying Semi-final group on goal difference. The first game was a rematch of last year’s finalists, which saw the boys draw with Trinity School, reflecting how close in ability the standard of these teams is. Bolton then defeated both Queen Elizabeth’s and Haberdashers’ Boys’, winning the group with a better goal difference.

Back row (l-r): Ollie McCann, Noah Nethercott, Joseph Carolan, Robert Bentham, Robert Murray, Joshua Dickens, Seb Thompson, Jamie Logan Front row (l-r): Harry Butler, Zach Tyrer-Hall, Aran Pomian, Ellis Matthews (Captain), Sam Fitzsimons Congratulations to Year 11 pupil Robert Bentham and Year 12 pupils Joe Carolan and Sam Fitzsimons, who were all selected for the Great Britain Youth Water polo team (born 2006 or later). This team competed in the European Championships Qualification tournament in Malta in March.

The Under 15 Water polo team travelled to Grantham during half term to compete in the Semi-final stage of the English Schools competition. In this tournament, Bolton finished runners-up to St. Bedes and St. Joseph’s, after defeating King’s School, Grantham. In March, the Under 15s then travelled to Northampton, where they won the English Schools Plate competition.

The Finals were held at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School in March.

The team started the defence of their title with an unexpected loss in their first group match against City of London School before then defeating King Edward’s School, Birmingham so they finished runners-up in their group. In the Semi-final, Bolton School again met the strong Trinity School team who had won their qualification group, so this match proved to be the Final. Again, the encounter was close

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Sports to compete at St. Ambrose College in May. In this English Schools Semi-finals tournament, only one team qualifies for the Final. The Under 13s started the day with a narrow defeat by St. Ambrose College. The team played well, demonstrating better individual skills and tactical awareness, but were not physically strong enough to prevail. It was a consolation to win the other games. In the Finals in May, Manchester Grammar School and St. Ambrose College finished second and third respectively, showing the strength in depth of the teams in this area of the country. This year, the Under 13s have gained invaluable experience from pool time at the all deep Bolton One pool. They are a talented squad, who have enormous potential both on an individual and a team level, and we look forward to following their future success.

The team comprised: 1. Harry Butler (Captain) 2. Sam Fitzpatrick 3. Zach Tyrer-Hall 4. Nathan Pierson 5. Kelsey Liu 6. Freddie Wardle 7. Luca Ramirez Nievas 8. William James 9. Matthew Yeung 10. Stanley Mathieson 11. Lucas Bishop 12. Jimmy Elliott 13. Oliver Carter The Under 14 and Under 13 Boys’ and Girls’ squads attended a training camp in Malta during the Easter holidays. They trained at the St. Paul’s Club and played a number of games there as well as some fixtures at the Maltese National Water Polo stadium, which included a match between our Under 14 Girls and the Maltese National Junior Girls’ squad.

In the Spring, the Under 13s competed in the first round of the English Schools competition; they were narrowly defeated by St. Ambrose College, drew with Manchester Grammar School and defeated St. Joseph’s and St. Bede’s College, Bradford. Their thirdplace seeding no goal-difference resulted in them then travelling

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The year’s successes were celebrated at the Water polo dinner in June, where awards were made for the Most Improved Player, the Players’ Player and the Coaches’ Player.

Sports beautifully balanced course that challenges the very best. The three games were very tight and came down to the last few holes on all occasions. Joe and Toby were very narrowly beaten, both playing against boys whom represented England. Tom managed a victory, but we needed two out of the three to win – so very close, once again.

Dr. M. Yates

Golf _______________________________________________________

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he academic year began with an invitation to the Worsley Marriott to play in a national tournament run by the Independent Schools Golf Association, with two from the three students’ scores to count. The team chose itself – the three lowest handicappers in school, accompanied by a teacher, therefore, Mr. O’Toole stepped in and showed the boys a thing or two. The boys were Joe Emery, Toby Yates and Thomas Wilson.

Their handicaps are scratch, 4, and 6, respectively. They enjoyed a great day, beautiful weather, and managed a respectful fourth place, which included gross scores of 72 from Toby and 76 from Joe, both in the top 15 from nearly 60 competitors. The overall winners were Rossall, with a tremendous score of 135.

As usual, we entered the national tournament, the ISGA matchplay and were drawn against Kirkham Grammar in the first round. Last year, this team beat us rather convincingly and our boys were out for revenge. Joe, Toby and Tom managed victories, each fully deserving their win. We were now at the Quarter-final stage and played Ashville School, Harrogate. They travelled over to Bolton and the game was played in some rather difficult conditions. The Bolton team donned their waterproofs and battled the elements. Once again, it was a 3-0 victory, with the team showing great determination and resilience.

The Semi-finals were looming; we now faced Red House School.

They had a long journey, travelling from the North East, as we had been drawn to play at home. With strong results in the previous rounds, the three boys were confident of winning this match and after the first few holes, I could see why. Joe managed a sublime start, birdieing two of the first four holes. Toby was outdriving his opponent by a country mile and Thomas’ putting reminded me of Tom Watson, routinely knocking in anything under fifteen feet.

The scoreline was repeated, 3-0 and a trip to the National Finals at Slaley Hall beckoned – only Leeds Grammar stood in our way.

Disappointingly, I could not make the Final, so Mr. O’Toole, with his superb knowledge of the great game, took the boys. The regional final was at the excellent Manchester Golf Club, known as a

During House Days this year, we have taken two enthusiastic groups to play the pitch and putt course within Heaton Park. I have witnessed some excellent golf from the younger generation and I hope that these boys continue to improve and hopefully, one day, join our Golf team.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all members of the Golf team, who have, through much hard work and dedication to their sport, reduced their handicaps throughout the season and are beginning to receive deserved recognition on a county and national level. Joe Emery has played in World Amateur Ranking Events (WAGR) and is ranked 5th at Junior level in Lancashire and I am sure that Toby will continue to improve and once again join the elite golfers within the county. Next year, the team will have to change slightly, as Tom Wilson moves to Rossall School, receiving a golf scholarship, as well as continuing his studies. I wish him the very best of luck.

My thanks go out to Mr. Fernside and Mr. O’Toole for their continued and invaluable help.

Mr. C. Coffey

Chess _______________________________________________________ ECF Under 19 Team Chess Challenge 2021-22 A degree of uncertainty following on from the pandemic, meant that the final for this competition (for which we had qualified in March) was delayed until the start of the following academic year.

Along with thirteen other school teams from across England, we gathered in The Huxley Building at Imperial College, London on 14th September.

London was a little busier than usual for a weekday in the middle of September, as this was the day that our recently passed Queen, HRH Elizabeth II was taken to Westminster Palace to lie in state, ahead of the funeral five days later.

Appropriately, the final began with a respectful one-minute silence for the late Queen. Then Round 1.

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Sports 3 came very close to winning and changing the team’s fortunes, but was outplayed in a tight endgame.

As is often the case in a Swiss tournament, the first-round pairings were brutal to some teams, then in Rounds 2 and 3 the games were much more even. After three rounds, Wilson’s School and Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital School started to break away from the pack, and after five rounds, Wilson’s were the winners. Bolton finished in a respectable 9th place, with 9½ game points from a possible 20.

ECF Under 19 National Schools Chess Championship 2022-23 You may recall from last year that our ‘A’ team qualified for the National Finals of this competition for the first time in a couple of decades. This year, we repeated our success.

Our journey to the Finals began on 24th November 2022 in the Great Hall, when we hosted the qualifying round for the North West region.

We welcomed teams from Manchester Grammar, Crossley Heath, Calday Grange, King’s Chester, Wilmslow and Cheadle Hulme. Our ‘A’ team was given a bye after last year’s success, but we were represented by our ‘B’ team (Leon McGuigan Lazo, Samarth Misra, Ahmed Aleid, Luke Burns, Frankie Chen, Josh Moffitt) and ‘ C’ team (Zac Walsh, Marton Lange, Dheer Shah, George Pickett, Rayyan Munshi, Tristan Jones). After a three-round Swiss tournament, five teams – King’s Chester, MGS (A), Cheadle Hulme, Bolton (B) and Wilmslow qualified, having scored 4 or more match points from a possible 6.

In the first-round proper, our ‘B’ team was paired with MGS (A) and the ‘A’ team (James Logan, Hashir Sapra, Marcus Fung, Marlon Wen, Amrit Mishra, Laurence Britton) with St. Christopher’s CE Accrington. Fortunately, both fixtures were at home, so we arranged to play both simultaneously on 24th January. The Ian McKellen Drama Studio provided the setting for the standard play matches.

Our ‘A’ team were quick to beat St. Christopher’s 6-0, but the ‘B’ team had a tougher time of it. Despite impressive wins by McGuigan Lazo and Misra on boards 1 and 2, the team lost 2-4; Aleid on board

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On 14th March, we met MGS (A) again. This time, they were drawn against our ‘A’ team. We travelled to their place to meet them in the Regional Final. Last year, we beat MGS 4-2 after Captain Logan’s heroic win on the top board. We beat them more comfortably in this year’s match, winning on all six boards. And so, we were going to the Finals again.

The King’s Meadow Campus at Nottingham University was the venue for the National Finals on 29th and 30th June, only a few days after GCSE and A Level exams had ended. Our ‘B’ team’s board 1, Leon McGuigan Lazo stepped up to join the ‘A’ team when Hashir Sapra became unavailable. On paper, we were ranked 20th out of the 26 teams at the Finals. Round 1 started at 1pm on the first day, with two more rounds before a late dinner at Pizza Express. Exhausted, the boys took to their beds before ‘lights out’ at 11pm to rest before the final two rounds, beginning at 9am the following day. After five gruelling rounds, we finished 15th overall – 5 places above our expected finish, so a positive result.

It was a great end of the year for the ‘A’ team, and the end of an era for two of our strongest players, James and Laurence, as they played their last competitive games for Bolton School before going on to university. We wish them all the best and hope they continue to play over the board in the future. They can be proud of the part they have played in the last few years in our growing success.

I say it every year, but participation in Chess at Bolton School is higher than ever, and this is in no small part due to the success of the teams. We look forward to more finals in the future as new talent comes through.

Sports As the end of January approached and the weather was starting to improve, we were hit with an unforeseen challenge as Salford Quays became a Bird Flu epicentre. Being a densely populated area, the council banned watersports for several weeks and so we were back in the gym again. We did take the opportunity to involve ourselves once more in Race the Thames. This charity row was the 72km of the tidal Thames, which is raced virtually through the Concept 2 rowing machines by teams across the country. Money raised went towards London Youth Rowing, a widening participation organisation.

Mr. P. Costello

Rowing _______________________________________________________

R

owing in the 2022/23 academic year had a number of successes and challenges. We began the year with a new intake of Year 11 students, who quickly picked up a good technique. Brandon Yuen and Barnaby Keogh competed at Agecroft Head in November; this was Brandon’s first race, and they navigated the tricky course well. Moving through winter, our Wednesday afternoons were subject to much wind, high flow and lots of rain. We were able to get out in bigger boats occasionally, and the boys had their first go at sweep rowing (one blade) as opposed to sculling (two blades), which had been our focus.

The Summer Term saw the start of the finer summer weather and we were joined by four new Year 12 boys, who picked up the sport like ‘ducks to water’. I am excited to see the progress made by the squad into next year and look forward to entering some more events.

Miss E.A. Bramhall

Gymnastics _______________________________________________________

S

even Year 8 finalists took part in this year’s much anticipated Gymnastics Vaulting Final. The contest, one of the oldest running in the school, saw boys competing and preparing during their curriculum lessons and extracurricular lunchtime club.

The finalists, chosen from the whole year group, performed in four disciplines in front of their peers: the through vault, the long fly, the rotational vault and the double box vault.

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Sports Sailing _______________________________________________________

T It was an outstanding Final. The standard was high this year, but there was a clear winner; in fact, one of the best performances I’ve witnessed in the twenty years I have been watching boys take part in this competition. Toby Hazelton won, with a magnificent display of control, flight and precision. Congratulations to all the boys who reached the Final. Second place went to Ben Quillium and third place to Tristan Bennett. The awards were presented by Head of Foundation, Mr. Britton.

his year has seen an expansion of sailing opportunities across the Foundation. In Boys’ Division, Year 7 students now have the opportunity to sail during their curriculum Sport lessons and the Thursday evening Sailing Club allows students in Years 8-11 to sail during the summer months.

The Sailing Team continues to train most Saturday mornings during term time and, this year, entered an additional regatta. Generous donations from Boys’ and Girls’ Division Parents’ Associations enabled the purchase of two Lasers to improve the range of craft available for use by students.

Year 7 Sport Year 7 students were given the opportunity to attend a taster session during one of their Sport lessons in the first half of the Autumn Term.

Some students then opted to sail for the remainder of the year. Their sailing skills and ability developed over the year, and they obtained either their Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Level 1 or 2 certificates of the Youth Sailing Scheme.

Sailing Club The Club provides an opportunity for Year 8-10 students from both Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions to develop their sailing skills. It runs on a Thursday evening from April-September. Those with potential, appropriate attitude and a firm commitment may be invited to join the Sailing Team on Saturday mornings. This year, Club members have learnt to sail in a mixture of conditions, ranging from virtually no wind up to 20mph winds with gusts of 30mph. Capsize recovery is one of their specialities!

Earlier in the week, congratulations had gone to Daniel Bleakley, who won the Year 7 Gymnastics Competition, with second place going to Tom Davies and third place to Brody Shum.

Sailing Team The team consists of some very tenacious individuals, who are not afraid of the cold, wind or rain; they have even sailed when it has been snowing! This year has seen an expansion of the team and the range of boats available for them to train in.

Mr. M. Johnson

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In March, eight students from Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions participated in the National School Sailing Association double handed team races at Draycote Water Sailing Club. This was a completely new race format for them. The students were split into two teams of four

Sports and competed as Team ‘A’ and Team ‘B’. After a short while, team members managed to get to grips with the format and began to become more competitive. Teams ‘A’ and ‘B’ achieved 7th and 11th position finishes in Stage 1 and Team ‘A’ went on to achieve 1st and 4th positions in the Silver League of Stage 2.

Team A: Ashton Kay, Tristan Hughes, Zach Tyrer-Hall & Daniel Hunter Team B: Neve Haughton, Lucia Baker, Emily Fox & Rory Freestone Dr. M.J. Procter NSSA DHTR 2023 Sailing Competition On Saturday 18th March, the first of the two days of the competition, we arrived at Draycote Water Sailing Club to find the RS Fevas waiting to be rigged. We were given the racing timetable, and we ended up taking part in ten short, furious races throughout the day.

There wasn’t much wind in the morning, but it did pick up by the afternoon, so was very exciting by then. The races consisted of four marks, and you were racing against one other team. A team consisted of two boats, and two people in each boat – the helm and the crew. School entered two teams into the competition.

Each race consisted of lots of tactics to try and get both team boats over the line first before the other team. Tactics within the race included playing with the rules to push the other team out the way and off course; however, any slight errors of the rules caused lots of protests and therefore penalties – something you didn’t want to have. Depending on the direction of the wind, the course changed around a lot, so you had to keep your eye out for where all the markers were. Tristan and I missed a marker in one of the races due to a change in wind direction, and we were therefore disqualified from that race. By the end of the first day, my team (Zach Tyrer-Hall, Daniel Hunter, Tristan Hughes and I) had been positioned within the Silver Fleet. This meant that the following day, we would be racing against others with similar racing standards to us.

On the Sunday, we were straight back on the water.

My team won four of the four races, so we moved straight up to top of the Silver Fleet.

We were given the chance to try and make our way into the Gold Fleet; however, we lost, so our final position at the end of the competition was 1st place within the Silver Fleet.

It was, yet again, another great opportunity and a very enjoyable competition. There are still many things we can work on, and I can’t wait for the next competition.

Ashton Kay 11b Regional Junior Championships In June, team members participated in the RYA Regional Junior Championships at Bassenthwaite Sailing Club. In the Championship Fleet, Will Colvin sailed his own RS Tera and finished in 19th position whilst Zach Tyrer-Hall and Neve Haughton finished in 14th position in the RS Feva fleet. In the Regatta Fleet, Lucia Baker with Rory Freestone and Daniel Hunter with Emily Fox achieved 4th and 5th places respectively in the RS Feva fleet. Although not sailing for School, Ned Manock finished 13th in the Topper 5.3 Championship Fleet.

Dr. M.J. Procter

Athletics _______________________________________________________

A

thletics has continued its rejuvenation over recent years, with a number of Personal Bests, medals and even a couple of School Records!

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Sports At the Regional Indoor Winter Athletics, Aryan Nunkoo (7c) achieved Silver in the High Jump, Ben Howarth (7a) achieved Silver in the 800m and Mateo Sprott (7f) achieved Silver in the 200m.

In team standings, a big well done to both Year 7 and Year 8, who finished as runners-up out of the twenty schools in the borough.

Mr. M.G. Chilton

A View from the Wicket _______________________________________________________

A Year 7-10 teams entered the English Schools Athletics Association (ESAA) National Cup. The Intermediate team made up of Years 9 & 10 qualified for a Regional Final of the competition at Ellesmere Port against the best performing schools in the North West.

s the sun sets on another cricket season at Bolton School, it’s only right to reflect on the progress and contributions that our cricketers have made. This season has been a testament to the dedication, skill, and commitment that define our athletes.

From the very first delivery bowled to the final boundary struck, our cricketers have left it all on the pitch. Their unwavering spirit and pursuit of excellence have not only brought victories, but also invaluable life lessons.

This season has been a celebration of sportsmanship and camaraderie. Records may show wins and losses, but it’s the personal growth and the character honed through both winning and losing that truly matter. Bolton School’s Cricket team stands as a testament to the values of integrity, teamwork, and determination.

The Intermediate team finished 5th overall with three individual Gold medals – Joe Nicholson (10b) jumped 1.65m in the High Jump while Fin Sutton (10f) ran 11.8 seconds in the 100m. Sam Fitzpatrick (10c) won the Hurdles in 12.4 seconds, setting a new School Record that had stood since 2014.

Our cricketers have made us proud, not just with their victories, but with their commitment to fair play and their exemplary sportsmanship. They’ve shown us that Cricket isn’t just a game; it’s a way of life that instils discipline, teamwork and respect.

Neel Chadha (10e) in the 800m and Joe Nicholson (10b) in the High Jump qualified for the Regional Greater Manchester Schools event as did Mark Lintott (11b), who set a new School Record in the Year 11 200m with 22.75 seconds; Mark beat the previous record by over 1.5 seconds held by M.R. Williamson since 1975!

In the traditional Bolton Town Championships, the following were crowned Town Champions in their respective events: Year 7 Long Jump Year 7 Triple Jump Year 8 Shot Put Year 10 High Jump Year 10 1500m Year 10 100m

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Charlie Highton (7a) Ethan Blyth (7e) Henry Smethurst (8g) Joe Nicholson (10b) George Holt (10b) Fin Sutton (10f)

As we look forward to the next season, we do so with great anticipation and excitement. We eagerly await the challenges,

Sports the growth and the shared moments of joy that cricket will bring, because, at Bolton School, Cricket is a tradition and a passion that grows stronger as pupils move through the age groups.

In closing, we extend our gratitude to all who have contributed to making this season truly special. Here’s to many more seasons of cricketing excellence at Bolton School, inspiring generations to come.

Mr. L. Watkinson

from one of the Lancaster batsmen meant the opposition crept ever closer to the target. The game went right down to the wire and eventually ended in a tie on the last ball of the game. Year 10, Harrison Prill, showed maturity beyond his years to keep his nerve bowling the final over.

Our annual Mervyn Brooker Trophy took place at Edgworth Cricket Club, with the School looking to get back to winning ways in a game that is always played in the right spirit, in memory of our former Headmaster. Bolton School did come away with the win, which levels the series two games apiece. We look forward to the next one.

1st XI Cricket _______________________________________________________

T

he 2023 cricket season saw the 1st XI face both familiar rivals and new opponents. With a shift towards more mid-week fixtures, the team was eager to get back to competitive cricket.

The season opened with tense matches against long-standing rivals Manchester Grammar School and Cheadle Hulme in the HMC T20 Cup. Both games were closely fought, but MGS and Cheadle prevailed by narrow margins. While the results were disappointing, there were strong performances from players like Keshana Fonseka, who batted solidly at the top of the order, and Harry Whittles, whose lively fast bowling troubled the MGS batsmen.

Next up was Lancaster Royal Grammar School. An excellent 130 runs from Keshana Fonseka, ably assisted by the middle order, pushed our first innings total to 240; however, in reply, a fine innings

Hopes of winning against Cheadle Hulme and Merchant Taylors’ were dashed by the weather, with heavy rain forcing the cancellation of the fixtures – this was a frustration shared by many schools across the region.

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Sports Another competitive game against Manchester Grammar School closed a season that was hit by inclement weather and sunshine in equal measure.

The 1st XI played their last match of the season against the MCC. Fine weather drew good crowds and gave the team the chance to finish the season strongly. Akshat Kamath won the Spirit of Cricket award for his positive display whilst batting. Old Boy, Tom Liversedge, presented the award and gave a complimentary speech, with thanks to Paul Fernside, who was to retire at the end of the academic year.

The start of the season finally came, and it couldn’t have been a more difficult fixture for us to cut our teeth, playing MGS away.

Although we lost the fixture by 30 runs, it enabled us to identify the areas that would need to be improved over the season. It quickly became evident that the main focus would need to be fielding, as we dropped an astonishing six catches during the game. The standout performer of the match was Luke Burns, producing an outstanding bowling display with figures of 5-19-5.

Throughout the week, we worked hard to ensure the lads’ catching technique was flawless and they began to grow in confidence.

We found ourselves away the following game at Lancaster and fortunately won the toss and elected to bowl first on a very concerning wicket. The boys played brilliantly, bowling LRGS out for just 59 and taking an amazing eight catches during the game. What an astonishing turnaround in one week and proof that practice does make permanent!

The following week, our Cup adventure began with a victory against Bishop Rawstorne. Next up was the return fixture against MGS at home. This time, the lads produced a much-improved fielding performance and the game was closely won by Bolton in dramatic fashion. There were comfortable wins against Birkenhead, Parrs Wood (in the Cup by eight wickets), and King’s Macclesfield, where we posted a huge total of 196/5. Harrison Prill was unlucky to get out on 49 and Nanda Lukalapu on 40 runs.

Unfortunately, the momentum ended there, with disappointing back to back defeats to MGS in the Quarter-final and then LRGS on the following Saturday – always tough to swallow when performances don’t match the potential of the team. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable and rewarding season watching the boys’ tactical knowledge and fielding improve. I look forward to seeing how they get on in Senior Cricket next season.

Mr. M. Johnson

The team can take pride in their development and resilience, and, with continued work, we look forward to next season.

Under 14 Cricket _______________________________________________________

Mr. L. Watkinson

he Under 14s have completed an excellent cricket season, losing only two games, both Saturday fixtures – firstly, away to MGS and more recently away at Birkenhead. The side has also won their way to the County Final once again.

Sadly, at the time of writing this article, the other half of the draw was incomplete and it looks like the Final will now be played on their return to school in September.

Under 15 Cricket _______________________________________________________

T

he Under 15 Cricket team has shown in parts this season what a talented group of players they are. Preparations for the season began in January, with pre-season winter nets.

Having previous experience of coaching them in Year 8 enabled me to see the progress they had made over the two years and I was excited to see what the season would bring.

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T

The team enjoyed Saturday wins vs. LRGS (twice) including an excellent away win on a difficult wicket, which tested our batters’ resilience; we stood up to the task and became a better side due to the character shown on the day.

Sports In the Cup Competition, we hosted a local school – Eden Boys’, who proved to be tough opponents, pushing us to the limit. The final score was Bolton 195-6, Eden Boys’ 130 all out. In the next round, we hosted Stonyhurst on a Saturday afternoon, which unfortunately meant we had to cancel our match vs. King’s Macclesfield.

Bolton bowled and fielded very well to restrict Stonyhurst to 58 all out, and competent batting took the side to 59-3 to book a place in the Semi-final. A difficult away draw at Merchant Taylors’ needed the team to be at their best, as the host side had some very good players. Merchants batted first, finishing on 118-6. An excellent first wicket stand by our opening pair of Adam Jenkins and Advaith Govindu took us close to the target and we completed the task with nearly five overs to spare, with Bolton 121-4.

Good luck to the side in the Final in September!

Mr. P. Fernside

Under 13 Cricket _______________________________________________________

T

he Bolton School Under 13 Cricket team had an excellent 2023 season, showing their quality against tough opposition and making it all the way to the County Cup Final.

Despite our efforts to get our games played on time, the other teams’ delay meant we will have to wait until the new school year to play the Final.

Our final Saturday match was a revisit to Merchants. This resulted in a 17 run win with Venkishen Duddukuri top scoring with 47, which took him to the top of the runs scored board.

The team was very well led by Captain William Lucas, who also kept wicket with maturity throughout the season. At the crease, Adam Jenkins (125) was supported by Advaith Govindu (136) and Venkishen Duddukuri (165), who led the runs column.

Advaith once again led the way in the bowling with 15 wickets, completing a good season for this cricket enthusiast. The team is a very talented group, large in number and the other wickets were shared around the group.

Personally, I would like to thank Will for doing a great job as Captain, Mr. Aspinall for his help running the team and leading the Tuesday night fitness sessions, and finally, our parents, who travel some distance to watch us play in great numbers.

The first match against Manchester Grammar School away was a tough start, with the team losing to strong opposition. This served as good experience against quality players early on. The next game at home against Lancaster marked an excellent bounce back performance. Dylan Yates stole the show by scoring a brilliant 100 to help claim victory for the team. Unfortunately, the next fixture against Manchester Grammar School at home saw another loss against this talented side; however, there were still valuable lessons to take from competing with strong opposition.

The lads showed great enthusiasm in the development cricket morning, eager to play an internal match against their peers. This intra-squad game was good preparation and a chance to gel together.

In the County Cup, the team secured an important home win against Canon Slade in the third round. This set them on their way in the Cup competition.

An away victory followed against King’s Macclesfield, thanks to superb batting by Dylan Yates, Adam Bhuta and Musa Haq. Daniel Watts also excelled with the ball in a close game. The second match against Lancaster saw the team continue their good form with another win on the road. It was an excellent all-round performance and demonstrated that this team was a force to be reckoned with – promising signs when moving through the year groups and into Senior Cricket.

The Quarter-final of the County Cup at home against Turton was a big success, winning convincingly. Dylan Yates was again top class with a century, with great support from Jacob Prill and Musa Haq’s bowling.

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Sports In our next fixture, the lads earned a comfortable home win against Birkenhead. The team was really gelling by this stage of the season and parents were all complimentary of the boys out on the field.

Despite windy conditions away at Merchant Taylors’, the team battled well to claim another victory – their resilience and skill shone through.

two week break before the next game. It was a daunting trip to MGS, in which we were chasing a lot more runs against an extremely strong bowling attack and this proved to be a step too far, but with lots of lessons learned, I am sure. Matthew Fern scored a notable 1-16 from his five overs. The ‘B’ team match was a much closer affair and highlighted the strength in depth the squad possessed, with 26 boys representing the School.

The season culminated with County Cup glory, beating Unity College in the Semi-final to set up a final showdown with Manchester Grammar School. Poor weather unfortunately ended the County Cup competition and though having to share the trophy, this was still a magnificent achievement.

Overall, it was a superb season, demonstrating this team’s qualities and potential for the future. A big thanks to all who have contributed this season.

Mr. L. Watkinson

Under 12 Cricket _______________________________________________________

In the Lancashire County Cup, the team hosted Pendle Vale in the early rounds, which was a comfortable win, played with a great spirit. Unfortunately, the next round would see us go out in a below par performance to local rivals Canon Slade.

King’s Macclesfield would be our next double header, again with the whole squad involved across two games. Again, unfortunately our opposition would prove too strong, but Abbas Khambalia and Matthew Fern both scored 20 runs against a fast bowling attack.

It was then the return of RGS Lancaster, who were certainly fired up, having lost to us earlier in the season. Bolton scored 101, with nobody hitting any significant runs and it seemed halfway through the LRGS innings that they would reach the figure with ease; however, some excellent death bowling from Harry King, Tobias James and Aadi Vyas had our opponents 9 down as LRGS just levelled the series 1-1.

D

uring the winter months, the usual rounds of indoor cricket trials took place, with over 60 Year 7 boys attending from a whole host of local clubs. As the Summer Term began, the boys’ first game was a trip up the M61 to RGS Lancaster. Bowling first, it was clear to see the talent and strength in depth with the ball, with Alex Smethurst the pick with four wickets. Chasing 107, it was Diren Dhiraj who showed early promise with the bat, scoring 54 not out in his first match for Bolton School, and he steered the team home to victory with four overs to spare –a great start. Disruptions to the calendar meant a

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As ever, the Bolton summer meant a couple of cancellations. The final game of the season was away at Birkenhead School and, batting first on a small pitch, it was decided that the boys would retire at 25 runs, meaning thirteen batters were used in total. With three boys reaching this milestone, (Diren Dhiraj, Abbas Khambalia and Raunav Naran), a massive 177 was scored! It was always going to be a difficult chase for our hosts, especially with early wickets.

Twelve bowlers were used and so the rhythm of the game was disrupted slightly. Birkenhead batted their overs, but fell 30 runs short.

Hopefully, the boys will get a big summer under their belts playing club cricket and will return hungry in Year 8 to go better in the County Cup and push on as a squad. A big thanks to our School Cricket Coach, Mr. Heaton, for all his time and efforts with our latest batch of School cricketers.

Mr. M.G. Chilton

Sports Tennis _______________________________________________________

T

ennis has thrived this year. The highlight was winning the North West stage of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Year 11-13 tournament against Altrincham Grammar, Calday Grange and Fallibroome Academy. Pupils demonstrated excellent skill and etiquette at the tournament. Pupils are thoroughly looking forward to the Bolton School Boys’ Division vs. Girls’ Division rematch this summer as a fun fixture!

The boys thoroughly enjoyed this experience and left them eagerly anticipating Roger’s return for more tennis action in the future. It served as a fantastic conclusion to the Tennis season and a welldeserved reward for the team’s dedication and practice throughout the term.

Miss E.J. Compton Roger Draper is a very interesting man of many talents – his leadership in the sporting industry being the most noteworthy. I sadly did not get to play against him due to an injury, but it was great to watch him play. He is an extremely gifted tennis player, and I learnt lots from just watching him! Overall, I enjoyed the experience as it was great to see someone with passion, who has excelled in his career.

Zak McAlister 10b

Miss L. Gillibrand On Monday 26th June, Old Boy Roger Draper, joined the Tennis team to share his remarkable journey and career in sport. Along the way, he delighted everyone with funny anecdotes, such as the time he hosted Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for tea and chocolate ice cream! Following his talk, he joined the team in playing some highly competitive doubles matches, where an impressive standard of tennis was showcased by all. Incredibly, some boys even managed to hit a few winners past Roger!

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Scouts Spring Term changed to a focus on the World Challenge badge, along with cooking, pancakes and an ice skating trip.

Scout Troop Report _______________________________________________________

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he new Scouting year began with an influx of new Scouts from both the Year 6 Scouts and new entrants to Year 7 from both the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions, creating a full troop of five patrols.

As ever, the focus of the Summer Term was preparation for the summer camp, refreshing the techniques for tent pitching, cooking on wood fires, use of axes, knives and saws, along with more outdoor games.

The Scouting year finished with our summer camp, returning this year to one of our favourite sites in North Somerset at North Widcombe.

Our Autumn Term program included a range of activities, from a night hike to pumpkin carving and Wide Games, to climbing and Nerf warfare at school, ending, as ever, with our Christmas party.

I would like to finish by thanking all the Leaders and Troop Leaders who give up their time voluntarily every week. Any extra volunteers from Old Boys and Old Girls or parents are always more than welcome.

This year, after a long period in front line Scouting with the Group, I am taking a more administrative role in the Troop as I leave Bolton to live in the North Lakes.

John Greenhalgh (Scout Leader)

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Scouts Paradox Explorer Scouts Report _______________________________________________________

D

uring this academic year, the Explorers’ programme has included traditional Scouting activities such as backwoods cooking, pioneering and evening hikes. The walks have revisited Rivington Pike and Winter Hill, as well as exploring Pennington Flash Country Park.

Sea kayaking

Night hike on Rivington Pike The tour of the Bolton Mountain Rescue HQ included outdoor first aid instruction. The annual visit to Bibby’s Farm allowed the Explorers to refine their archery and rifle shooting skills. Kickboxing also proved to be a very popular addition to this year’s activities.

Paradox members enjoyed expressing their ideas through painting and sculpture as well as balloon debates.

The stunning views on Sark

The highlight of the year was the Summer Camp in Jersey, where the Explorers were able to take part in a sea kayak journey, blokarting, cycling around Sark as well as visiting neolithic dolmens, medieval castles, and the WW2 war tunnels. The Unit camped at the Jersey Scout Centre, where they met Scouts from Cork, Belfast, Essex and Berkshire.

Mont Orgueil Castle

Blokarting

An integral part of the activities is working towards the Scout Top Awards.

Ann Chambers (Paradox Explorer Scout Leader)

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Scouts World Scouting Jamboree _____________________________________________________

weekend trip, looking after one another as we navigated the city in our groups, similar to what we would go on to do in Seoul. It was helpful to communicate through a language barrier, navigate a foreign public transport system and even operate with foreign currency – all transferable skills for Seoul. We realised on the Jamboree that our unit had had a unique experience having a training camp abroad and I would like to reiterate how lucky we all are to have had that opportunity.

O

Travelling to South Korea was an enigmatic experience. In Seoul, people were so delighted to see us that they asked to take photos with us on the street. After three fun-filled days in the city, we arrived at the Jamboree site, and already it was a whirlwind of activity. We unpacked, set up tents and gazebos and prepared our campsite for the following weeks. We barely had time to clean up before heading to the Opening Ceremony. The atmosphere on the walk there was electric – Scouts from different nations joining in with obscure chants and campfire songs unheard before. We were encompassed by a sea of people, some even on each other’s shoulders to get a greater view. The Opening Ceremony was a long, energetic night, filled with cheers, dancing, and undying enthusiasm. The noise level was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, with music and fireworks uninterrupted all through the night. Over the next two days, we explored each other’s subcamps, forming lifelong friends and trading everything we possibly could. I still keep in touch with many of the people I met during that time. This journey has been one I’ll never forget.

n the selection day, we were split into groups of around nine and did various different activities like orienteering, cooking and team games. They were assessing our communication and ability to work as a team over our capability on each task. The wait before the email confirming our place was filled with anticipation and nerves, and then infinite excitement once we learned we had been accepted.

The next year and a half in build up to the Jamboree was jampacked with fundraising and camps.

In order for us to go to the World Scout Jamboree, we each had to raise £4,000. This money covered all our travel expenses as well as making sure Scouts from other countries with fewer opportunities to fundraise were able to experience the Jamboree.

We did many fundraising events such as movie nights for the Beavers and Cubs, and quiz nights, supermarket bag packing, bake sales, raffles combined with individual fundraising like sponsored runs to raise enough money. We also were lucky to receive some grants that helped us greatly to reach our goal. The whole fundraising process really helped us develop many skills that were useful for us on the Jamboree.

Every couple of months, we’d have training camps, where we would do various activities to bond together as a unit and become used to skills like easily putting up and taking down a tent and cooking together as we would be doing so on the Jamboree. My favourite training camp would have to be Red Rose, a 2-week camp in the summer of 2022, it was here that I believe we fully came together as a unit and learned how to work alongside one another. We also had plenty of meet ups and day events such as bowling and meals out. All in all, through the entire journey running up to the Jamboree, you are certain to make lifelong friends and memories.

It’s safe to say that Paris, early summer 2023, was not our smoothest training camp, though I would argue it was one of the most enjoyable. From a river cruise along the Seine to a Monopoly run around the city, our trip was filled with exciting activities. The trip also provided the chance for a run through airport Security, which some of our unit members had never been through before – this maximised significantly our time in Security going to and from Korea. The unit bonded more closely than ever over the

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The UK contingent’s decision to leave the Jamboree was tough.

It was an emotional night – some shed tears of sadness, some shed tears of joy. Shortly after we left, other nations followed and then the Jamboree, in its entirety, was cancelled. We spent our remaining time in Seoul, where we continued on with our Scouting endeavours. The Jamboree’s failures were widely publicised in Korea, and the locals of Seoul were sympathetic and, in some cases, apologetic. We used much of our time trying to experience as much culture as possible, visiting temples, restaurants, and even a Korean football game. Our Jamboree journey ended with the Closing Ceremony in Seoul Stadium, where the contingents were reunited for the first time since the cancellation. It was almost unfathomable to be part of one of the largest gatherings so far, with thousands of Scouts all looking to relate to those who had gone through the same vacillating experience – a bittersweet ending before returning to the UK. Maryam Ali, Chloe Zhang, Rosie Heywood, Hannah Adamopoulos & Danny Heywood 12a

The Old Boltonians Message from the President _______________________________________________________

R

eceiving the chain of office from Roy Battersby at the AGM was a special moment – if a slightly surreal one – as I asked myself: “Am I really old enough to be doing this?”

Well, it’s fully 30 years since I left School and, as there is no time like the present, I am now ‘doing this’, and I will do whatever I can to help the Association and the School to prosper.

I am focused on supporting ‘Growth’ in three key areas: 1) Growth in participation in the many brilliant OBA events – the Dinners, Lunches and Reunions that are the bedrock of the OBA, where personal connections and friendships are refreshed and maintained – and which are such great fun!

2) Growth in involvement of Alumni in offering practical help to pupils – especially through the ‘Careers’ sessions for pupils and the ‘Find Your Path’ Mentor Scheme for recent leavers – both are great ways to share your experience and to ‘give back’.

3) Growth in Alumni support for the Bursary Fund – providing such life-changing opportunities to so many young people in Bolton and across the North West.

In terms of ‘Growth in participation’, a highlight was the brilliant Reunion for ‘3’ Classes in September. Over 200 Alumni from both Divisions attended. I was thrilled that my own Class of 1993 reached 50 Alumni and it was an added joy to share the day with my Dad’s Class of 1963. We all admitted to some ‘butterflies’ on the morning, but these quickly disappeared as we re-connected, shared a convivial lunch in the Dining Hall and took a self-guided School Tour – memories flooded back and we were in stitches. Many continued for drinks and dinner at Retreat; some intrepid souls even made it to the Old Man and Scythe! A huge thank you to Laura Firth and the School’s Development Team for organising such a brilliant event. Old Boys, when it’s your Reunion, please do ‘get stuck in’ and make the most of it. So much can be achieved with LinkedIn (to track people down!), WhatsApp (to build a community) and some old-fashioned ‘word of mouth’.

In terms of ‘Growth in support for the Bursary Fund’, I have met with John Craven (Class of 1982; Governor; Chair of Trustees, BSBF) to understand the excellent work to grow the Fund and the plans to push from ‘1 in 5’ to ‘1 in 3’. I appreciate that everyone will be in a different position when it comes to contributing and would simply encourage you to give it serious thought – you can enable life-changing opportunities.

It is an honour to be your President. I simply ask that you ‘get stuck in’ in whatever way you can!

Richard Washington (Class of 1993) Old Boltonians’ Association President, 2023-2024

Old Boltonians _______________________________________________________

O

n leaving School, every boy automatically becomes a member of the Old Boltonians’ Association and is subsequently given the title of ‘Old Boy’. Membership of the Association is free, and all Old Boys receive a twiceyearly newsletter, ‘The Bugle’, and invitations to a variety of events, which provide a great opportunity to keep in touch with both the School and with former classmates, as well as to establish new friendships with other Old Boys. Old Boys who are not currently on the mailing list, but would like to join it, should contact the Development Office.

We look forward to seeing as many Old Boys and Old Girls as possible throughout the coming months – please keep an eye on our social media channels for news of Reunions and School events.

The Development Team

In terms of ‘Growth in involvement’ the Careers sessions for pupils continue to be a highlight – I am grateful to all Old Boys who have supported these. It’s fabulous to see my own Class of 1993 stepping up. Most recently, Stuart Yardley (in for four days from Oz for the Reunion!) ran a superb session on Investment Banking.

THE OLD BOLTONIANS 161

The Old Boltonians Stay in Touch _______________________________________________________ Connect with Old Boys and Old Girls on the Bolton Alumni Network: www.boltonalumninetwork.com ‘Like’ our Facebook page for event invitations, School news and memories: search Bolton School – Old Boys and Old Girls (Official) Connect with fellow Old Boys on LinkedIn: connect with Bolton School Alumni and join the Bolton School Group Follow School and Alumni news via X (Formerly Twitter): @BoltonSchool/@BoltonSchAlumni Follow boltonschoolalumni to keep up with news, events and memories on Instagram. You can also follow bolton_ school_foundation for the latest news and photographs from School and use #BSAlumni to share your own memories and photos.

Watch short films posted on the School’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/boltonschoolmedia Read regular blogs from pupils and staff from across the campus: boltonschool.me/ View photos of Alumni events on Flickr at www.flickr.com/ photos/bsalumni/albums Visit the ‘Former Pupils’ section of the School website at www.boltonschool.org to see event photos, read Alumni career profiles, find news of Old Boys, view an up-to-date events calendar, update your contact details and more.

Contact Us: Development Office Bolton School Chorley New Road Bolton BL1 4PA T: 01204 434718 E: development@boltonschool.org The Development Team: Rebecca Brayshaw – Development Manager Lorraine Dewhurst – Development Assistant Laura Firth – Director of Development and Alumni Relations Frances Johnson – Development Officer Rebecca Kendrick – Development Assistant Emma Metcalfe – Alumni Engagement and Development Officer

162 THE OLD BOLTONIANS

School Captain 2022-2023 _______________________________________________________

A

s the academic year draws to a close and School Captain Rishi Narla makes the transition from pupil to Old Boy, he tells us about his year in post and offers advice to incoming Captain Alex McKie. Full Name: Rishi Narla Years at School: 2011-23 Deputies: Max Carter and Laurence Britton Were you a member of any teams, clubs or societies in Sixth Form?

I enjoyed my music and was in the Guitar Group and Chamber Choir during my final couple of years. I represented the School in the Cricket 1st XI. What were your key responsibilities as Captain?

Aspects included organising monitorial assistance for any school events and assemblies, and generally being a good role model for younger students. There was a lot of meeting guests and governors, along with giving tours, which I quite enjoyed. Another part of it was speaking in assemblies, such as doing a ‘Thought for the Day’ and doing readings.

What was the most memorable occasion for you as Captain?

There are two key memories that I have which are very different.

The first one was at the annual Old Boys’ Dinner. I did not know that a cheese board comes after the main courses of a meal (I had assumed it came at the start), and when I expressed my surprise, both Mr. Britton and Mr. Ford looked at me like I was crazy, and Mr. Ford then introduced me to various cheeses for the rest of the night.

Lesson learnt – cheese comes last.

The second core memory for me was speaking at the quadrennial Bridgewater Hall concert alongside my Girls’ Division counterpart, Anika. I had performed there before, although compèring was a very different experience. I eventually got into it and was quite comfortable quite quickly, although I had ridiculous amounts of adrenaline backstage and was practically bouncing around in the wings. It was a very unique experience and I was very thankful for the opportunity.

What was the most difficult aspect of being Captain?

Naturally, in a large group of teenagers, there will always be a few people who don’t want to pull their weight, although the majority are fully willing to play their part, and balancing duties and roles between everyone to ensure fairness is probably the hardest thing; you don’t want to overuse anyone just because they are willing to do their job.

The Old Boltonians Were there any unexpected aspects involved with the role?

One quite amusing thing that happens is that as a Captain of School, you become sort of like a minor celebrity (my brother’s mates in Year 9 don’t help, as they all knew me before too). One time I was walking across the Boys’ Quad and some Year 7 or 8 boy stopped me, asked for a high five and then practically started interviewing me, asking about my plans for the future and how it feels to speak in assembly.

Has the role helped you develop any new skills?

I am now a lot more comfortable with public speaking and have a lot more confidence in my own stage presence. I have also developed my people management skills in communicating with the other Monitors as well as VIPs. What would your advice be for the incoming Captain?

Make it abundantly clear to your monitorial team that you are on the same team and you are on their side. It’s a little awkward sometimes, because you are the same age and you have grown up with them, so the authority is based on genuine respect as opposed to how someone might listen to a teacher for fear of getting punished. It’s a lot easier on everyone if it is clear to them that you all have the same goals. You get more flies with honey than with vinegar.

How do you feel about leaving School?

Honestly, I am not sure it’s fully hit me yet, it just feels like the start of another summer holiday. I feel like I may miss the structure School provided and need to provide that for myself, which may be a challenge. It’ll be a new start and an opportunity to meet new people, though I will miss the community feeling that I had at school.

What will you be studying at university?

I am (hopefully) going to study Economics at university.

Are you planning on being involved in any activities/societies at university?

I plan to do similar extra-curricular activities to what I do at school, such as cricket and music activities, but I will definitely explore new interests and join some more academic societies too.

What are your career aspirations?

I am not entirely sure what I will do after I graduate, potentially investment banking, or I might go into consulting or may choose a more academic, research-based route. So, in short, I have no idea!

Will you continue to be involved with School?

Absolutely. My brother still attends Bolton School, so I’ll be there for concerts and events. I would also quite like to do a Prizegiving or Tillotson Lecture speech (if I am successful enough), and can see myself attending Alumni events in the future.

Old Boltonians’ Golf Society Report _______________________________________________________

T

here is little to report this year in terms of the golf section as entry numbers have dwindled significantly over the past few years making it unviable to run the usual events of the Gwynne Jones Goblets, The Taylor Trophy and The Matchplay Rose Bowl. To this point, I would urge any Old Boy who is interested in playing in these events next year to contact me over the winter so we can try to get these back in the diary in 2024.

Sadly, the team assembled for the Grafton Morrish Qualifying at Huddersfield Golf Club in May was not successful in making it to this year’s Finals in Norfolk. Lower qualifying spots and an everincreasing standard meant that the team of James Chadwick, Richard Sellers (both Class of 1998), David Cramant (Park Road, 1994-95), Nick Baxter (1996-2000), Jeff Bennett and Guy Haynes (Class of 1995) were not able to make one of the three spots on offer. We will, of course, be giving it our best shot again next year.

Mark Milhouse (1989-1994), Golf Secretary

Old Boltonians AFC Report _______________________________________________________

T

he Football club started the season basking in the glow of the preceding July’s excellent centennial celebration at school. Writing one year on, as I muse, Janus-like, in the middle of the closed season, the glow dimmed as the season rolled out and all four men’s teams found wins elusive and faced battles more against relegation rather than for championships or promotions.

Finding the right blend of age, with concomitant experience, and youth, with its pace and drive, proved hard to achieve for the Saturday teams, with regular struggles to even find eleven capable and fit players for the ‘A’ team. The First Eleven, often including at least half who qualify as veterans, were mercurial and saw a little Cup success. Goal scoring is often seen as instinctive – this knack was rarely evident for the Reserves – perversely when goals came, they flooded in at both ends. Both finished mid table. The ‘A’ team, inexplicably in a division of first and second teams despite their previous season, languished again and finished in a relegation spot, but reached the ‘A’ & ‘B’ team Cup Final.

The Veterans were strong only in that clichéd sense of holding up their whole division, finishing last. Innumerable players have been called on, but to no avail in a winning sense; at least several of the first eleven qualifying as veterans are moving from Saturday to Sunday in the year ahead.

The Ladies shone in the relative gloom. They gained promotion back to their premier division and did themselves proud in their divisional Cup Final.

THE OLD BOLTONIANS 163

The Old Boltonians The ‘estate’ is still the envy of so many – The Lee Pavilion is now ten years old, but is a fine facility and, as a defiant show of commitment to further improvement, the pitches are now cared for by a combination of new tractor and local contractor.

On a further brighter note, the club celebrated in mid-May with one final centenary event, namely a sun and nostalgia-drenched match involving some three dozen former players, ranging in age from mid-thirties to mid-seventies. Numbers were, it must be admitted, augmented by one or two sprightlier fellows, but, irrespective of age or speed, many glimpses of class shone through our possibly rose-tinted spectacles. Later in the day, the inaugural end of season presentation evening was enjoyed in a lively and energetic commemoration of the season with all its ups and downs.

Once preparations for the ‘23/’24 season began and facing the pressures of so much amateur sport, the committee assessed the likely finances and practicalities of increasing costs and reducing playing and team and club management rosters. The sad but expedient decision was made to drop the ‘A’ team for at least the year ahead. On the playing front, energies will concentrate on a galvanised stronger link with school and forging links with various charities and voluntary bodies providing youth football in Bolton.

Old Boltonian altruism will hopefully be joined by the much-needed potential generation of a flow of future players. Financially, committee brains are focusing on new ways of generating much-needed funds, be it new forms of sponsorship or fundraising events.

Janus is the Roman god of transitions and beginnings, so, whilst the month may not be January for either writer or reader, the club is on the threshold of another new phase; one it intends to be an effective streamlined model, maintaining the strength of links with the past and pathways to a bright future.

Martin Wadsworth (Boys’ Division Staff, 1974-2006)

From the Archive: Record Breakers _______________________________________________________

C

urrent pupil Mark Lintott’s recent recordbreaking performance in the 200m prompted a delve into the archives to see how long some of the Boys’ Division athletics records have stood – perhaps these times and distances will inspire some competition in School!

164 THE OLD BOLTONIANS

EVENT

NAME

TIME/ YEAR DISTANCE

70m D.J. Hytner (Class of 1994) Hurdles

1988

12.3

75m P.T. Atherton (Class of 1997) Hurdles

1992

12.7

80m S. Smith Hurdles

1992

12.3

100m A.J. Salem (Class of 1991) Hurdles

1989

14.8

110m M. Hawksworth (Class of 1983) 1983 Hurdles

16.4

400m R. Critchley (Class of 1992) Hurdles

1991

64.5

100m

M. Kenny (Class of 2008)

2005

11.2

200m

M.S. Lintott (Year 11)

2023

22.75

300m

J. Yearn (Class of 2017)

2014

38.2

400m

C.J. Eatough (Class of 1993)

1990

52.1

800m

A. Keat (Class of 2014)

2012

1:59.88

1500m

A.J. Parker (Class of 1993)

1992

4:16.0

3000m

G. Lilleywhite (Class of 2017)

2015

9:37.6

High Jump

N.M. Isherwood (Class of 1985) 1985 /J. Shaw (Class of 2016) /2016

1.85

Long Jump

M.G. Power (Class of 1980)

1980

6.32

Triple Jump

B. Parmenter (Class of 1993)

1992

13.16

David Allen (Boys’ Division Staff, 1957-1993) – died 22nd January 2022 _______________________________________________________

D

avid was born in Bacup, moving to Great Harwood as war started and his father was needed as a fire officer there. At 11, he gained a scholarship to Accrington Grammar School, from where, after many attempts to gain his School Cert. Latin, he won a further scholarship to the University of Oxford.

The Old Boltonians After a Baptist start, his family joined the Congregational church, where he soon followed his father as a lay preacher, a deacon and Sunday School Superintendent. Scouting was all-important from the day he was invited to join his new friends at the 4th Great Harwood Cubs! When he went to Oxford (a huge culture shock, moving from clogs and cobbles to gowns, mortar boards and being waited on at table!) it was helping at a local Scout troop that kept him grounded.

His father died in his first year, adding yet more stress, but a natural acting ability, his love of preaching and a huge desire to learn more kept him going and his original three-year Geography course was extended to a Theology degree and then a Teaching diploma (kept going with many holiday jobs, from 8-loom weaving to Christmas Post), whereupon he decided enough was enough and he’d better apply for a job!

A job at Bolton School brought him back to his beloved Lancashire, and he transferred his Scouting to the 19th Bolton Group. Scouting also brought about his marriage to Margaret, whose father was the Group Scout Leader, HVB! His original appointment was to the Geography Department, but this eventually took a back seat as he concentrated more and more on the R.E., which eventually led to him becoming Head of Religious Studies. Here, he was not quite so restricted – he famously said he “taught boys, not exams”, but his love of maps and visiting foreign lands was shown in the adventurous Senior Scout camps that he (or was it the boys themselves?) planned.

He was delighted when his two daughters joined the Ventures and were able to share some of the challenges and fun. He was awarded both the Silver Acorn and the Silver Wolf, and shortly before he died he was told he had his 70-year service award!

In addition to many outdoor pursuit and Scout visits to St. Marks, Cautley, and New Year youth hostelling walks, there were about 30 years of third form camps, mainly at Saundersfoot (and mostly shared by his family) with other dedicated and courageous members of staff. They were an annual headache and delight! Who could resist singing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, choked by woodsmoke and too often in drizzle? And as for visits to the local hospital or police station – well, enough said … those are better left to your private memories!

After his retirement from teaching, David took further training and was ordained as a minister to the URC, taking up ministry at Little Lever URC and helping them join with the local Methodists as the LEP at Christ Church, where he served for ten years.

Then, with more freedom after his second retirement, he and Margaret were able to thoroughly enjoy visits to wonderful places, from The Holy Land to the Arctic, sailing in the Canaries to studying prehistoric remains in the Shetlands and, of course, Norway, the country of their first foreign visit together! Always it was the people

he met who mattered most, although his three children and five grandchildren were his real delight.

Throughout all this was his love of music, particularly choir singing, where his powerful tenor voice was a valuable asset. He treasured his weekly School choir practices long after his actual teaching days were over. And as for Reunions – there couldn’t be enough of them!

He was always so intrigued to follow up those young men he had taught and to discover how they had moved on in life. It was one such meeting which resulted in him helping to set up a branch of Emmaus in Bolton, a charity which helps homeless people to find a home and an aim in life; David believed strongly that everyone deserves a chance to overcome previous mistakes and misfortunes and to regain their self-respect by helping those worse off than themselves – not a bad principle for all of us!

As his daughters sang at his funeral, “Farewell My Friend”.

Margaret Allen (née Brookes, 1947-1957) David Allen (Boys’ Division Staff, 1957-1993) I was one of a number who helped teach the R.E. syllabus and without formal qualification to do this, I greatly appreciated his enthusiastic guidance. His enthusiasm and dedication were apparent in the very many assemblies he led. Beyond his major professional role, he played an original and important part in the extra-curricular life of the School. He designed and pioneered the sponsored walk, which was completed by boys and staff over many years; he energetically raised money for charities; he initiated blood donation by staff and senior pupils. These are the areas in which I had contact with him. His many other achievements are recorded in ‘The Boltonian’, particularly his distinguished leadership of Scouts and Venture Scouts. There are many tributes to come from people whose lives he touched in all kinds of ways. His was the kind of service which has meant so much to Bolton School.

Charles Winder (Boys’ Division Staff, 1964-1999) When David’s death was announced, there was an outpouring of sympathy from Old Boys, many of whom shared their memories of this ‘legendary’ teacher.

Although he only taught me for one year in 3rd Form (Social Studies), he seemed to appear in every circle of my Bolton School Venn diagram. If it wasn’t Scouts, then it was as a tenor, belting out that line for years – even after he’d retired – while I tried to emulate him, or doling out Fisherman’s Friends as we waited to file on for some concert or service, and if not that then in a main School production (Oliver in 1990 and Iolanthe in 1993) or the Saundersfoot 2nd year camp (1990 in my case) or saying grace at an OBA dinner or reunion. He really was Mr. Bolton School. An ever-present for me and a huge influence on my life. There was always an amusing anecdote, or a rich remembrance of times past which stretched back decades before I even arrived at the School and went on, seemingly for decades, after I had left. He was the stuff of legend, Boris and the

THE OLD BOLTONIANS 165

The Old Boltonians bright red beard and all that! Warmth, compassion, no-nonsense, integrity, straight talking directness. They don’t make ’em like they used to. He will be hugely missed.

Stefan Horsman (1988-1995)

R.I.P. Boris. He once dusted my head quite significantly with the board rubber… and, as he taught Geography, I had to walk home with blue, green, red, purple and yellow hair. He certainly was a character!

I shall be forever grateful for the encouragement he gave me, along with the metaphorical arm around my shoulder, when he realised this working class boy from a council school was struggling in a world of privately educated high-flyers who regularly used words which I had never heard during class discussions in my first year.

I hope that with David’s prompting, this small example of social mobility worked, at least to some small degree.

Gary Sykes (1963-1970)

Chris Rudd (Class of 1974)

Dave (‘Boris’) Allen was my first form teacher at Bolton School and helped me settle into what was a very strange world for me at the time. A lovely man.

Mark Power (1973-1980) He helped me realise that there may be more than one way of doing things. The ability of Bolton School to accommodate such different characters was one of its great strengths.

Thomas Ward (1966-1972) Remarkable man, with an unwavering moral compass that even an atheist like me could appreciate. I remember him telling us that we were very privileged, and with that privilege came responsibility.

Decades before the Spiderman films!

Stefan Kukula (1976-1983) He (Boris) took me for Geography and R.E. and he was my Form Master in 3B1 in September 1966. He also said grace at the OBA Annual Dinner for as long as I can remember. Always an interesting and entertaining character.

Chris Taylor (1965-1973)

A. Howard Northam (Boys’ Division Staff 1963-1996) _______________________________________________________

I

first met Howard in September 1964, when I joined the Staff. Though we hardly ever crossed paths academically (he being a Historian and I a Physicist), in other aspects of School life we were connected in several ways, the earliest being through fell walking. He was one of those, led by Bill Brown, who showed me the ropes in relation to Youth Hostel fell walking trips, but his major influence on my love of mountains concerned the annual Austrian Alpine trips.

My experience had been with teenage friends, self-taught on the ‘suck it and see’ approach to fell walking, but Howard was an expert; having spent part of his National Service in RAF Mountain Rescue in the Brecon Beacons and, especially in Austria, he passed on good safe practice long before Health and Safety was invented. Anyone who went on one of those Alpine trips would know that Howard was central to making them such a wonderful experience: the best part of two weeks spent high up in the mountains with such a sense of achievement.

I have great memories of his Saundersfoot camp, he actually made R.E. interesting, something few other Masters managed (at least for me!)

Duncan Cameron (1974-1981) DA was a very human teacher, and I enjoyed working with his wonderfully sour Pooh-Bah in The Mikado back in 1986.

Graeme Lindsay-Foot (1979-1986)

David Allen as Pooh-Bar in The Mikado 1986

166 THE OLD BOLTONIANS

Another aspect of School life we shared was Staff Cricket, which, in the 1960s, involved matches against other staffs most weeks of the Summer Term. I was an enthusiastic bit-part player, but Howard was the real deal, fielding in the slips, often opening the batting and scoring a decent number of runs, most notably with Peter Harrison, two gentlemen together. We also shared singing in events, particularly when all of the policemen in Derrick Shaw’s ‘Pirates of Penzance’ were members of staff.

The Old Boltonians Howard was born and raised in Oxford, where he went to school and where he learned his cricket and athletics. He did his National Service straight from school, only a couple of years before the system ended, and then returned to Oxford, where he earned his History degree at Balliol, and his PGCE, and where he was a member of the Athletic Club. It was also in Oxford that he met his wife, Judi, who was a nurse. After such involvement with Oxford, it must have been a culture shock when his next move was to Bolton, where he remained for the whole of his teaching career and, indeed, for the rest of his life.

Not surprisingly, as a young teacher, he immersed himself in History, but also became a prominent member of staff in Cross Country and Athletics and, of course, fell walking. At first, he shared the Cross Country with ‘Butch’ Ingham, and, not owning a car, he was dependent on Butch to get to matches, making him a victim of some of his sudden whims, such as the day when he had heard of a train crash in the area, diverted to take a look at it and never got to the match. Howard was often to be seen with starting gun or stopwatch in events like the annual road race relay from Woodlands.

He was not the first to lead Austrian trips, but I rather think he was the most knowledgeable. Although the earliest involvement in the DofE awards was through the Scouts, when eventually it became available to all members of the school, Howard was the first to administer the scheme.

Throughout his career, he was known to be a safe pair of hands. In 1974, he took over from Peter Harrison as Master in Charge of the Lower Block (Years 7 and 8), at the time, one of only three Block Masters. When, in 1982, the system changed to having a Year Head for each year group, he became First Year Block Master and held the post until 1995 when he became Admissions Tutor. Early retirement in 1996 brought a new aspect to his life.

In the early years of retirement, he and Judi experienced some very adventurous holidays – trekking to the Everest Base camp on the northern side of the mountain from where Mallory and Irvine had made their fateful attempt on the peak; spending time in tropical Borneo including a trip in a dugout canoe and visiting Peru (not so common then as it is now). From the 1970s, he had been a keen family man, proud of his son, Simon, and daughter, Anna, and, later, four grandchildren, and they remained a close-knit family throughout the unfortunate period when his health declined, eventually leading to his death while suffering from severe Alzheimers – a cruel end for one who had had such an adventurous side. My sympathies go to Judi, to Simon and to Anna, and to all of the family.

Hatice Torun (Boys’ Division Staff 2016-2019) _______________________________________________________

I

t was with deep sadness that we announced to the school and alumni communities the sad passing of Hatice Torun, a former colleague, who passed away after a short illness in December 2022.

Hatice joined Bolton School as a Newly Qualified Teacher of French and German in 2016, having impressed the respective interview panels with her sharp wit and extremely strong personality. I remember her interview clearly, as she deftly dealt with the questions thrown at her with such confidence and vigour that it was hard to believe she was only just starting her career. Her engaging personality, sharp wit and nononsense approach became the trademark of her classroom, where boys progressed quickly, but enjoyed themselves as they did so.

Hatice was highly organised and blended both traditional and modern teaching methods successfully in her teaching. She created significant e-learning resources to enable boys to master grammar in both French and German and she was a passionate advocate for the importance of learning languages, ensuring the subjects thrived at Bolton School during a period of national decline. Her passion for teaching was clear to everyone who came into contact with Hatice, and she was an outstanding form tutor and freely gave her time to benefit the boys. She coached several boys to success in the national French Spelling Bee Finals in Cambridge, accompanied and organised overseas trips, involved herself in Model UN and even helped with Scouts. She bought the same tireless energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the extra-curricular life of school as she did to her classroom.

Despite only working with us for a relatively short period of time, her impact on the boys, parents and colleagues was profound. No-one who came into contact with Hatice will ever forget her.

Mr. N.L. Ford.

David E. Shaw (Boys’ Division Staff, 1964-2002)

THE OLD BOLTONIANS 167

Destination of Leavers 2023 History

Fadi Khaled Baiza

Hull York Medical School

Medicine

Amaar Ahmed

Gap Year

Muhammad Khan

Newcastle University

Dentistry

Mohammed Ahmed

Medicine

Owais Khan

Manchester Metropolitan University

Law

Degree Apprenticeship - BAE Systems

Morgan Kirkpatrick

Apprenticeship - DHL

Sunyul Koo

Mechanical Engineering

Samuel Abram

Newcastle University Keele University

Ubaid Ahmed

Muhammed Akhtar

University of Manchester

Zain Akram

Physics Gap Year

Farhan Akram

University of Central Lancashire

Physiology and Pharmacology

Mahad Anwaar

University of Manchester

Economics

Sahil Arjan

University of Leicester

Computer Science

Marcus Ashall-Payne

Gap Year

Charles Ashton

Newcastle University

Business Management

Paul Bigger

University of Liverpool

Engineering

Thomas Boardman

University of Oxford

Chemistry

Thomas Brennan

Newcastle University

Business Management

Laurence Britton

University of Oxford

Classics

Joe Burrows

Newcastle University

Chemical Engineering

John Campbell

Newcastle University

Combined Honours

Max Carter

University of Exeter

Medicine

Callum Cavanaugh

Gap Year

UCL (University College London)

Oliver Leahy

University of Central Lancashire

Aerospace Engineering

Mark Liu

University of Manchester

Medicine

James Lockie

Nottingham Trent University

Economics

James Logan

University of Bristol

Mathematics

Oliver Longworth

Loughborough University

Product Design Engineering (2024)

Benjamin Male

Employment

Amin Maljee

Gap Year

Adil Master

Economics and Finance

Lancaster University

Harry Mathieson

Heriot-Watt University

Engineering

Ellis Matthews

Newcastle University

Sport and Exercise Science

Kelvin Matthias

Manchester Metropolitan University

Law

Ben McCarthy

Lancaster University

Computer Science

David McGlynn

University of Lincoln

Classical Studies

Hamza Mehraj

Lancaster University

Biomedical Science

Robert Murray

Lancaster University

Economics

Ibrahim Cheema

Gap Year

Frankie Chen University of Cambridge

Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Marcus Ng

University of Leeds

Biological Sciences

Muhammad Choudhary

Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry

Zane Nirodi

University of Liverpool

Medicine

Newcastle University

Rishi Narla

Gap Year

Daniel Corr

Durham University

General Engineering

Henry Nuttall

University of Leeds

Politics

Samuel Couriel

University of Bristol

Social Policy and Politics

John Oxley-Harrison

Newcastle University

Earth Science

Joe Dady

Gap Year

Aadam Patel

Lancaster University

English Language

Bill Danson

University of Leeds

Law

Amaan Patel

University of Manchester

Accounting

Rhys Davies

University of Reading

Classical Studies

Cian Patel

Leeds Beckett University

Gap Year

Mihir Patel

Jamie Death

Product Design Gap Year

William Duffy

Manchester Metropolitan University

Photography

Mohammedzayd Patel

University of Manchester

Medicine

Tony Duong

University of Sheffield

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Neerav Patel

University of Manchester

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Shuaihan Feng

Gap Year

Rayyan Patel

Lancaster University

Economics

Jack Fletcher Imperial College London

Mathematics and Computer Science

Siddhant Patel

University of Cambridge

Medicine

William Fothergill

Durham University

Modern Languages and Cultures

William Garlick

University of Sheffield

Mechanical Engineering

Thomas Ghee

Degree Apprenticeship - PwC

Mohammad Hadi

Pharmacy

Liverpool John Moores University

Ammaar Haffeji

Degree Apprenticeship - Horwich Farrelly

Rory Pixton

Newcastle University

Mechanical Engineering

Aran Pomian

University of Nottingham

Economics

Joseph Prudham

University of Nottingham

English and Philosophy

Alistair Reed

Loughborough University

Mathematics

Hashir Sapra

Gap Year

George Seddon

Physics

Durham University

Haseeb Hajee

University of Central Lancashire

Law with Business

Guy Seddon

University of Leeds

Geography

Daniel Heather

Newcastle University

Economics

Hasan Shaikh

University of Varna, Bulgaria

Dental Medicine

James Hodgson

Newcastle University

Pharmacy

Reuben Simpson

University of Warwick

Neeraj Singh The University of Edinburgh

Biological Sciences with Management

Frederick Summers

University of Salford

Marine Biology

Shahzeb Syed

Sofia University for Dentistry, Bulgaria Dentistry

James Hodson

University of York

Business and Management

Matthew Hope

University of Nottingham

Medicinal and Biological Chemistry

Sharull Hossain Jake Hudson

Gap Year

Manchester Metropolitan University Advertising and Brand

Communications

Hashim Iqbal

Gap Year

Classics

Seb Thompson

Employment

Xuan Wang

Biological Sciences

The University of Edinburgh

Mohammed Itowala

Degree Apprenticeship - Crowe

Simon Whitmore

University of York

Economics

Daniel Jarvis

Physics

Harry Whittles

Lancaster University

Economics and Finance

University of Sheffield

Ali Jiva

University of Liverpool

Law

Christopher Williams

Newcastle University

Law

Samuel Johnson

Northumbria University, Newcastle

International Business Management

Marcus Williams

University of Salford

Computer Science

Nathaniel Kampers University of Liverpool

English Language and Communication & Media

Kaushik Kathiriya Lancaster University

Degree Apprenticeship - BAE Systems

Ryan Williams

Newcastle University

Pharmacology

Thomas Yates

Durham University

Chemistry

Kass Young

Edge Hill University

Business and Management

Brandon Yuen

Swansea University

Aerospace Engineering

Luca Kelly

King’s College London, University of London

Politics

Zaid Yusuf

University of Leicester

Accounting and Finance

Barnaby Keogh

Durham University

Modern Languages and Cultures

Joe Zhou

University of Manchester

Economics and Finance

168 THE OLD BOLTONIANS

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