English Department

The Open Mic evening on 19th March was hosted by performance poet Mike Garry. 60 students of all ages entered our competition from which Mike selected 12 winners to perform alongside him on the night, including Bryony Meech in Year 7. Lydia Hounat in Year 12 was the overall winner alongside him on the night. The Lake District Creative Writing Retreat took place in February half term at Patterdale. Poet Peter Sansom and novelist Chris Wakling led daily workshops, offering invaluable tips, techniques and one-to-one advice. It’s been lights, camera, and non-stop action for the Year 10 Film Makers Club this year. After analysing cinematic techniques, storyboarding their script and being trained by Mr Kyle to use the equipment, they began fi lming, much to the embarrassment of some staff who became unwitting extras on exiting the staffroom! The fi lm should be ready to show by the end of term. Those with nervous dispositions are advised to avoid it...

The Town

Life in the town at night is colourful; delicate streets lined with Narnian lampposts, slightly drunken laughter spilling out of doorways with a couple of notes of a song.

The town from above is a different kind of beautiful, the colours softer, blurring together in stark contrast with the snow on the mountains.

The lights echo up the hillsides, decorating the trees with trails of luminescence, ebbing out gently as the mountain grows steeper.

EMMA HUSSAIN YEAR 11

Hunger Hill

Sit on a bike. Pink is best With purple tassels on the handlebars. Ride the wavering, wobbling wheels on your way, Plant your feet on the pebble paved path, Take in the sloping elegance of your kingdom: Hunger Hill. You are fi ve again, you are Queen again, Your dominion belongs to you again. Square red houses join to square red garages And square red fl owerpots sit on square red windowsills. Taste the air So far untainted by the smoke of dragons and Ford Fiestas. Lift your feet off the ground now, Steady there, don’t fall, You’re soaring down the hillside, it’s like you never left at all. ELOISE BOOTH

too much

some loud chatter isn’t too much to bear but there’s laughter and that’s off-putting y’know that paranoia whispering in your periphery they’re looking at you and watching and giggling don’t trip up now or slouch dammit you’re alright here and have as much right as them why do you care stop that they aren’t your people for all you know it’s all in your brain no ceasing of that I’m afraid they’re taking too long to get a drink wonder what’s keeping them sneaked out just walked away because that way you’re sat alone haha then there’s that laughter again. It’s so off-putting. HELEN MORRIS YEAR12