The Cheltonian and Floreat: 2019-20 Academic Year by Cheltenham College

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT

A joint edition for the academic year 2019-20 1

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

Contents Introduction from Head

News from The Prep

Academic 5 Co-Curricular 21 Charity 29 Community 33 Houses 36 Cheltonian Society

- Introduction from the President

- Cheltonian Society Events

- Feature Articles

- Cheltonian Society Sport

Sport 83 Valete 104 Acknowledgements 107 Merchandise 108

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

WELCOME FROM THE HEAD I began my address for our virtual Speech Day 2020 with the following quotation from Martin Luther King: ‘the ultimate measure of a man (or woman) is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy’, and in this exceptional year, in which Covid 19 threatened so much of what we all hold so dear, we have all sought to live up to these sentiments. I am delighted that we have brought The Cheltonian, the magazine for College, together with Floreat, the magazine for the Cheltonian Society, this year, as it echoes the way that we have stood metaphorically ‘shoulder to shoulder’ (albeit at a distance) throughout the latter half of this busy academic year. If there has been a positive outcome to all this, it has been the way that all members of the College community have been able to share, via technology, in the variety and creativity of school life; from concerts to chapel services, from sports competitions on

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

Strava to House events on Twitter and Teams. Our classrooms have been your homes and we have felt closer as a result. I hope that you, our family and our friends, feel that you have been included in College life more than ever before. There are many lessons to be learned from the opportunities afforded to us and we shall most certainly enjoy learning them. The future starts now. The Autumn and Spring terms of 2019/20 were exciting and busy. We were treated to some exciting sport, music and drama, which included the whole school musical featuring a cast of 70, Margaret’s Mind, written specially for us, and the Scholar’s Play Love in Idleness performed at the Playhouse. The musical contributions from our choirs and orchestras were a real high point; particularly having the chance to hear our choral society perform Verdi’s Requiem and at the Autumn Concert, the full production of The Snowman. On the sports field, in the classroom, in activities and in Houses we can look back together, through the articles and photographs so well documented here, at a year to remember.

Things will be different as we move forward now into the new academic year. Despite the challenges, College is full with more pupils than ever before. We have meticulously planned the activities and ways of working within the limitations of the current situation, and we look forward to harnessing much of the creativity of lock-down in new and exciting ways. The record of this time next year will no doubt be different but no less energetic. Pupils, staff, parents and OCs will know how much we value being back here at College and we know that these times of uncertainty will pass. Thank you so much for the support that you have all offered us. Be assured that it has been gratefully received and we know we have much to be thankful for as we move ahead as a community; full of character, creativity and confidence.

Mrs Nicola Huggett

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NEWS FROM THE PREP We, however, live in challenging times and the Key Worker Programme at The Prep played a crucial role in the crisis of recent months. The Prep staff not only ran a fantastic online education programme, but they also kept the school open every day to look after the children of key workers, allowing them to continue the extraordinary work in which they were engaged. We were also lucky enough to be able to use many of the College buildings during the term to allow us to safely bring back every child in the school, from Nursery to Year 8. At a time when almost all schools were either shut or operating a skeleton timetable to a small number of children this was a fantastic achievement, deserving of highlighting here, and says everything you need to know about the dedication, commitment and sheer hard work of the staff. The fact The Prep is now at its largest for well over a decade is a direct result of all they have done over recent months.

It would have taken a bold leap 12 months ago for me to imagine that The Prep staying open throughout the year and having every child in school for the last weeks of the Summer Term would be two of the proudest achievements of the school over the last year.

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

There was, it is sometimes hard to believe, a pre-Covid time, and The Prep had a wonderful first two terms of the academic year. Academic success in the classroom, highlighted by a number of impressive scholarships, continued and extensive success on the girls’ and boys’ sports fields as well as several wonderful shows (culminating in the swashbuckling Three Musketeers), enchanting concerts and stunning

artwork. The Boarding House has never been so full, and we were having a wonderful year! Although the Year 8s all managed to sit (and do extremely well in) Common Entrance, and return to school before the end of the year we didn’t get the chance to celebrate their many, many successes, over their years with us, in the normal ways. We are very much looking forward to throwing them a suitable party once restrictions allow! What of the present and the future? Well, as mentioned earlier, it is many years since The Prep has been so popular, with waiting lists in a number of year groups. The current restrictions whilst onerous for staff and parents, allow the children to enjoy school almost ‘as normal’. I have no doubt it will be a spectacular year, and with a brand new Nursery in the planning and an extensive refurbishment programme to supplement the ongoing excellence of the staff The Prep can, and will, remain a beacon for all through these challenging times.

Mr Tom O’Sullivan Head, Cheltenham Prep

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NEWS FROM THE PREP

Fifi Russell

Dress: Yuriko Fukuda

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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ACADEMIC The 2019-2020 academic year was dealt an unforeseen and unprecedented blow by the enforced closure of schools for the entire Summer Term. Pupils, staff and parents, alike, felt the impact keenly; shock and disbelief were compounded by the announcement that public exams would be cancelled. Contemplating the ‘new normal’ of life in lockdown – separated from friends and cut off from the spiritual, cultural and academic

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wellspring of College – many Cheltonians must have emerged from the Easter holidays feeling somewhat despondent. The Common Room met this emotional and educational emergency with determination, good humour and consummate skill, however, mobilising a remote school programme that was second to none. As you will see from the montage below and the departmental reports that follow, this professional tour de force achieved very high standards of teaching and learning and, crucially, maintained the strong bonds of the College community that are so intrinsic to its spirit and

character. The pupils responded in kind; their optimism, resilience and commitment to learning was spectacular. As a body, we emerged from the ordeal stronger, wiser and, paradoxically, closer. Looking back, therefore, in contemplating the entire extraordinary experience, the wonderful oxymoron with which Dickens opens A Tale of Two Cities seems remarkably apt, ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....’

Mr Timothy Brewis

ACADEMIC

Societies Lower College Society There was an array of extraordinary speakers this year kicked off by Dr Lewis Dartnell with a talk from his latest book, Origins. The ethical hacker, known to all but close friends as FC, regaled us with adventures exposing security loopholes. Author and comedian, Dom Joly, took us on a stunning walk around historic and present-day Lebanon, nonchalantly shrugging off gunfire in the best tradition of Flashman. We closed with journalist Mr Mark Woods, who described the horror of Rwanda’s genocide and inspired us with stories of reconciliation that have followed. Lower College Society (LCS) is not a spectator sport, however; the other half of the year was sourced from creativity and brilliance within LCS’s own ranks. So many deserve credit here

Your Lower College Society Needs

YOU!

including those taking part in the New Year Quiz, presentations on pseudo-Science and our final online gathering unbowed by Covid-19; the pure joy and enthusiasm for ideas remains alive and well at the heart of LCS.

Mr Dominic Nelder

Upper College Society Upper College Society (UCS) introduced videoing of student presentations this year as well as feedback from fellow students using technology. Mr Richard Watts, College’s Marketing and Communications Manager, winner of the 2012 UK Business Speaker of the Year Award and a past JCI National Public Speaking champion, began by advising our students on public speaking. Having similarly advised members of the BBC, Mr Watts gave the students practical tasks on delivering presentations, addressing questions such as what to include (and what to leave out), the organisation of content and its effective communication.

Students went on to give some excellent presentations on a range of issues, powerfully and concisely communicating their points and responding intelligently and confidently to questions. At the end of each evening, feedback from that evening’s judge was given as well as virtual feedback from fellow students. Finally, intranet links were sent to presenters so that they could re-visit their performances. Students also staged a court case with Mr Adam Kydd, a qualified barrister, acting as that evening’s judge. The student lawyers argued for and against the murder charge of a local shopkeeper, who killed a man stealing from his shop. Mira Kohen Morhayim, Krish Patel, Talia Somen and Sebastian Cornwell acted as impressive lawyers, even drawing upon the Criminal Law Act of 1967 to make their cases. Boudica Yi, Beth Jenkins, Emily Heardman, Gaurav Mediratta, Thomas Chu, Constantin Loesche, Sophie Morton and Edward were engaging and entertaining witnesses. The Society, run by its Presidents Gaurav and Boudica, is grateful to all those who took part.

Reverend Dr Adrian Samuel

Wednesday 20th November, 2019 89pm TLG. Celebrated comedian, author, raconteur, and occasional hiker, Dom Joly will be speaking about his trek across Lebanon. He will be signing copies of his new book, the Hezbollah Hiking Club and showing clips from his film of the same.

Lower College Society presents:

Wednesday 11th March in TLG 8-9pm The Rwandan Genocide – A journalist’s eye All welcome. 3rd and 4th award holders please attend.

All welcome, especially 5th form Historians. Award holders must attend.

Please bring £20 cash for hard copy purchases.

UPPER COLLEGE SOCIETY PRESENTS

PUBLI C SPEAKING

College Society

Infinity and Immortality.

BY RICHARD WATTS Adrian Moore, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oxford and Vice-Principal of St Hugh’s College, will be discussing Infinity & Immortality. In 2016 he wrote and delivered a ten-part radio series entitled ‘A History of the Infinite’ for BBC Radio 4, drawing upon his studies.

TLG 7 - 8 PM TUE 17 SEPTEMBER Refreshments Provided!

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Asking “Would you want to live forever?”, he argues that there are certain mathematical tricks that we can play with infinity to better answer this question. All academic award holders are expected to attend, but all students are encouraged to take advantage of this exception opportunity.

Big Classical, 7pm-8pm Thursday October 3rd

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Austin Taroey

‘Art is the lie that enables us to realise the truth’

Annie Carter

Art Pablo Picasso.

This year we welcomed Mrs Ginette Baker to the teaching team. Now at the end of her first year, it feels as though she’s has been with us for much longer; she’s part of the furniture. My team and pupils have been brilliant and the standard of work, and brave curiosity, continues to define the Department.

Jude Bridge

Praew Jeerawatanawart

We were delighted with our results at A Level and GCSE, with 100% A*-B in Sculpture A Level (66% A-A*), 100% A*-B in Fine Art A Level (75% A-A*) and 63% 7-9 at GCSE.

Emma Chan

Cissy Liu

The focus to develop awareness of artists’ practises enabled pupils to be rich in intellectual inspiration as well as technical ability. Curriculum trips remain intrinsically important for all pupils, and we thank the Houses and other Departments who enable the pupils to experience the wealth of inspiration beyond College - even with the occasional early start! Pupils have had the pleasure of being taught by Ms Claire Curneen, a leading and prominent ceramicist who opened our 2019 Summer Show and Miss Sam Lucas, who worked with Lower Sixth sculpture students for a few weeks. Sam’s involvement with Vulgar Earth, an artists’ group working alongside PhD researchers into coral bleaching, gave a great example of the power of art. An exhibition of the resulting collaboration will be exhibited this coming year, and will consist of work by staff and pupils reflecting our Department philosophy of enabling pupils to develop artistic skills in a broad range of media, making for exciting progress in the secure yet electric environment of the studios.

Beatrice Leslie

We celebrate a number of A Level students who are continuing their arts studies this coming year. Of note, Tuesday Roberts and Molly Sanders are going to study Fine Art at the Edinburgh School of Art - one of the leading and most competitive art schools in the world. From a host of offers Yuriko Fukuda accepted a generous scholarship to study fashion design from Otis College of Art and Design, USA.

To those pupils moving on from College, we say ‘good bye and good luck.’ A big thank you goes to all those parents who have had to deal with creative teenagers at home and to my team who always have the pupils’ interests at the forefront of their minds.

Ms Jo Millar

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ACADEMIC

Jazz Milne

Molly Krauer

Jessica Pulford

Sarah Rotermund

Hin Lam Fung

Imie Brown

Georgina Raphael

Fifi Russell

Honor Hardie

Emma Donaldson

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THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

Tilly Wood

Nina Hindmarch

Tobias Millar

Kristy Chan (OC) Degree Show

Georgina Raphael

Sophia Vivian

Molly Sanders

Imogen Freissner-Day

Freya Haddon

ACADEMIC

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Business Studies and Economics With new speakers on the coveted Mini MBA, a new overseas trip and the departure of our very own Dr Graham Mallard, the year was extraordinary and unlike any that have gone before. The Department has seen much excitement surrounding the increasingly popular Mini MBA with talks from OCs, staff, parents, university lecturers as well as other business leaders. We welcomed pupils from All Saints’ Academy to join us for this elective again this year and whilst it was a successful course, it was a shame that the finale of the Dragons’ Den style pitch in London was cancelled due to Covid-19. The Departmental trip to Frankfurt in October half term was the first (we hope) of many, biennial trips. Led by Mr Adam Kydd and Miss Beatrice Langford Powell, the group enjoyed lectures at the Bundesbank, a tour of the Opel car factory, and a visit to the European Central Bank. Flight delays led to unexpected pleasures: tasting Riesling wines on the Main River, looking at the Kirchners in the Städel Museum, and admiring the autumn leaves from the Heidelberg Palace. We were very sad to see Dr Graham Mallard depart from College for new pastures at Easter and also sad to be saying farewell to Mr Todd Freedman. We wish them both well as they begin their new chapters. We welcomed Miss Stephanie Burns as the new Head of Economics and Mrs Holly Brooke as the new Head of Business. We are excited to be working with both of these experienced and enthusiastic new members of staff. We wish the departing Upper Sixth all the very best with their onward plans and look forward to hearing from them as they settle into life beyond College.

Mr Todd Freedman and Mrs Zoe La Valette-Cooper

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Classics Classics has had an emotional year beginning with a farewell to Mr Charles Wright after a remarkable 44 years, and then ending with dramatically accelerated goodbyes to our Upper Sixth students. Besides the academic talents of the entire Upper Sixth, the Classics Society will especially miss the contributions of stalwart Giorgio Iamoni and President Iona Brockie who took up her place to read Classics at the University of St Andrews. Meanwhile, staff and pupils have witnessed an extraordinary transformation in the Classics Corridor, with four classrooms and the office given a total refurb, and Apple TVs installed throughout. The Department looks shinier than it has in centuries! And not a moment too soon. No doubt inspired by these developments, our pupils began working feverishly towards their exams, and their teachers were delighted when the dreaded algorithm confirmed that in both Latin and Classical Civilisation, our entire A Level cohort gained A or A* grades. Not to be outdone, our GCSE Latin and Greek pupils produced 100% 9-7 (that’s an A or A* grade, in old money) for a fifth consecutive year - with 59% of them gaining the top grade - whilst our Classical Civilisation students set a new high of 83% for 9-5 (A*-B grades). As pupils will attest, in this new era of Covid-19, Classics has embraced online teaching, with Teams meetings, assignments, Forms quizzes and screen sharing just some of the regular new features of lessons. Who would have guessed Agrippina the Elder and the Accusative Absolute would be heading to Quizlet and Sporcle? A busy programme of lectures and trips was curtailed but not before a team of 19 pupils won five medals in the Gloucestershire Classical Speaking Competition. Congratulations to Evie Poulain, Bella Parry, Petra Azazoglu, Karina

Rajan and Charles Hellens for Silver medals, and Donna French and Charlie Froud on their outstanding Gold.

Mr Thomas Lambert

Computer Science Having had our first set of IGCSE results back in 2019 we have improved upon them again with a great cohort. This year we have launched a Third Form computing course which enables pupils to use their computers much more effectively. Topics have included College computing, Microsoft Word, how to search properly and, of course, a bit of coding with Python. We have also moved into A Level Computer Science to allow the Fifth Form to continue their passion for all things computing. As part of their development we attended an ethical hacking competition where we came fourth. This coming year will see further development with the introduction of the IT Cambridge Technical course to allow those with a love of computers to continue but without the need for programming.

Mr Jonathan Morton

Design and Technology This year has seen even more exciting developments within the Department. We have now completed our exhibition space, specifically designed to showcase all our pupils’ fantastic work across all year groups. We hope to officially open it in the coming year and welcome all parents, guardians and pupils to come along and see all the exceptional work our pupils have produced this academic year. We have re-developed the Third Form curriculum to emulate our expectations in Fourth Form. Pupils had the opportunity to create a product in both our timbers and textiles specialisms, whilst

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learning about polymers and utilising our laser cutter. Once pupils had decided on a specialist area to work within, they created design ideas and developed these in order to make their own version of the original product. This gave pupils a taste of independence and allowed them to understand how their own products could be conceived and developed. In Fourth Form, textiles pupils created and documented samples including a wide range of seams, pleats, appliquĂŠ, couching, batik dying, silk painting and much more. The project this year was a mini non-examined assessment project, designed to give pupils even more insight into the expectations of GCSE coursework. With pupils fully engaging in design work, developmental strategies and presentation skills, the work produced was of superb quality. In timbers, pupils created a candle holder, learning about the vast range of tools and equipment available to them, along with a wide variety of wood joints and finishing techniques. Fourth Form timbers and

textiles pupils received their contextual challenges in May and they all made exceptional progress, despite the challenging circumstances. We are incredibly proud of them all. In Fifth Form, we saw a dramatic increase in pupil performance and quality of outcome. The developmental work produced was absolutely superb, leading to some very original outcomes that fully fulfilled the design brief, without the need for products being any bigger than an A2 piece of paper. The laser cutter was fully utilised by both textiles and timbers specialists, all of which provides valuable marks for the use of CAD in the marks criteria. We will be showcasing all their work in the coming year in the new exhibition space. This should not be missed and a date for your diaries will be coming soon! At A Level we have yet again seen the standard of coursework raised by our exceptionally talented fashion and textiles students. Their sketchbooks, particularly the design work, this

year are of degree standard. We had a wide range of garments manufactured, from a fulllength couture inspired, fully corseted gown, to a unisex jacket complete with free machining, beading, pattern cut belt loops and buckles. In product design we have seen some outstanding final products, including a fully mechanised electric tipping trailer and fully operational tennis umpire chair, complete with laser cut score cards. The 3D printer has been heavily utilised this year, along with the laser cutter, in our fully kitted out CAD classroom, which has 16 desktop computers that include all the software pupils need to produce their own developmental work and final outcomes. During the Summer Term our wonderful team manufactured more than 300 visors and hand delivered them to local hospitals to support our incredible NHS staff.

Mrs Kirstie Naish

Imie Brown

Guy Beazley

Austin Taroey

Charlie Gardiner Oliver Callon Hine

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ACADEMIC

Imogen jones

Olivia Elliot

Yuriko Fukuda

Maria Cowing

Kelly Ting

Imogen Jones

Lara Scudamore

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THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

English

Geography

In the strangest of academic years, there was still much to celebrate in the English Department. From the Quad balcony to the hidden backwater that is Mr Karl Cook’s beloved H5 (furthest from fresh air, but closest to The Hadley), Cheltonians have continued to impress their pursuit of excellence in our subject.

Geography continues to engage pupils with the contemporary issues of the day. We have been delighted with the range and quality not only of external speakers, but also of the intellect displayed through the debates held as part of our Bingen Society meetings.

We began the year by taking the whole Third Form to the Everyman Theatre for a performance of The Woman in Black. Reports of sleepless nights followed, partially due to Mr Nick Nelson’s impromptu stop for the architectural appreciation of a supposedly haunted house on College Lawn. Later in the term, two members of a stellar Upper Sixth cohort, Beth Jenkins and Taya Suleyman delivered a brilliant paper on two ghosts in Shakespeare’s Hamlet at Wellington College’s inaugural Sixth Form English Literature Conference.

This year’s winners of our debate competition included Jessica Hale and Ellie Mitchell who argued that behavioural change is the best route to sustainability, Charlie Heardman and Fionnuala Dowling-Membrado who argued that we should not build HS2, and Olivia Jones and Fionnuala Dowling-Membrado who argued that childhood vaccinations should not be made compulsory. Congratulations to them all. The Department enjoyed an excellent set of result this year with 99% of our IGCSE pupils achieving G9 – G6. Our A Level students also performed well where 94% achieved A* - C. Both the pupils and staff should be praised for their efforts in achieving such excellent results.

We were very lucky to be able to welcome Professor Lewis Dartnell who delivered a lecture on his most recent book titled Origins: How the Earth Shaped Human History, which was a perfect blend of science and geography. The lecture not only challenged our pupils’ preconceptions about the past, but it also made them think very carefully about humanity’s future. We were also delighted to welcome Dr Adele Wolujewicz who delivered her lecture on the future of global disease where she explored current patterns of global disease and future health issues. As ever the Blackpool Brooke, Birmingham and Sand Bay fieldtrips provided opportunities for primary data collection. No fieldwork would be complete without some rainfall and I’m pleased to say that we were not disappointed! Best of luck to all those geographers departing for Russell Group universities as we look ahead to the next Iceland expedition this coming year.

Mr Fraser Dobney

The first two terms were also punctuated by exciting offers from Dr Luke Davidson’s Literary Society, including sessions on Arabic Poetry with Mr Adam Kydd, the work of the Spanish poet and playwright Lorca with Ms Ana Lopez Reyes and a collaboration with the TPE department on Voltaire’s Candide. In staffing news, we bid farewell to Miss Harriet Hook, who takes up a teaching position at Headington School, Oxford. We also reach the end of an era in waving goodbye to the irreplaceable Mr Cook, who leaves College for Peponi School, Nairobi after more than 30 years of service to our community. Generations of Cheltonians have been blessed to be part of one of Cookie’s ‘teams’; we will miss him a great deal. We welcomed back 40 of last year’s Fifth Form to study English Literature at A Level this coming year. They are a group with so much promise who were denied the opportunity to shine in their GCSE exams. They, as we do, have two years of Jay Gatsby, Caius Martius and Offred to enjoy.

Mr Andrew Straiton

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ACADEMIC

History Just as the Department were putting the final touches to next year’s brand new Third Form scheme of work centred around historical significance, Covid-19 hit, and pretty much blasted out of the water any of the other events, changes or people we had set up for selection. Nothing deterred our historians from capping a great year both in and out of formal lessons in New Block with a sterling Summer Term, where their humour and resilience reminded all of us what makes teaching so genuinely rewarding.

Rees, Emil Mekhtiev, Emily Heardman, Jessica Baker, Harry Jinks, Harry Lyle, Sebastian Cornwell and Mrs Nicola Huggett were all amongst the faithful contributors and attendees and worthy recipients of ties. Our last ties were awarded at the annual dinner, held online in April for a hilarious 45 minutes: the fancy dress was the best yet and watching efforts come in from bedrooms and gardens around the globe was something else. Morley’s never seen anything quite like it.

Miss Jo Doidge-Harrison

History of Art

The Fifth and Upper Sixth managed an undaunted and nigh on 100% attendance in ‘remote’ lessons, with those in the Far East routinely having to be ordered out of lessons and back to bed! Courses were completed, consolidated and the joys of wrapping up with a final University Challenge round featuring embarrassingly out of date database photos, or else Kahoot quizzes run by an unbelievably competitive Nanyuki-Chedworth Upper Sixth collective, were very real.

We began the year in a hale state, feeling overtly positive given the quality of our first tranche of Pre-U results for our outgoing Upper Sixth. This, coupled with a transitioning Lower Sixth cohort of some 22 students, provided great buoyancy at the time. It was heartening to hear news of OCs changing to read History of Art on the back of the positive grades received, with the University of Edinburgh emerging as firm favourite in this vein.

The Sixth Form (and even a few Fourths) led The Morley Society this year with real chutzpah: the first two terms saw standing room only meetings, with offerings ranging from ‘The Fastest Fin with an M43’ and a history mystery (‘The Bisley Boy’) to James Kirk gloriously fighting for redemption via Tudor ruffs. James, Jemima

We enjoyed an excellent visit to London in December going to the National Gallery, Tate Britain and the British Museum. Regrettably, more ambitious plans to sojourn to both Rome and separately to Paris had to be curtailed. Paradoxically, we were delighted to be able to welcome Dr Simon McKeown, Head of History

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

of Art at Marlborough College in early March, to talk on ‘Dutch and Flemish Still Life Painting of the 17th Century’. This provided us all with great food for thought and an opportunity to appreciate a different take on a familiar genre. Mr Dan Evans and I enjoyed marshalling a sufficiently eclectic array of Personal Investigation projects this year, on George Stubbs, David Hockney and Lucian Freud, for example, focusing thus on the best of British art. Our broader subject interests were piqued by great stimulus provided by the annual Cheltenham Literature Festival, with compelling presentations on Impressionism and British portraiture accordingly. Our departing Upper Sixth experienced an unprecedented period of non-classroom engagement with regards their learning, yet despite this, my colleague and I very much enjoyed crossing the finishing line with them at Summer Term half term. A rare opportunity to offer a comprehensive pre-university course post-half term was embraced by those concerned, proffering an alternative survey of urban graffitist art alongside the High Renaissance in Venice during the Cinquecento. It was extremely good news to learn that a record 10 students have gone on to further the subject at university.

Mr Nick Nelson

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Mathematics The Department continues to enjoy success in national mathematical competitions. Every year we enter the UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) challenges. These papers are designed to test not only mathematical skills and knowledge but also ingenuity. At the Senior level, 37 pupils received certificates for creditable performance. Top place in Lower Sixth was achieved by Saul Kim and William Gibson (U6), who was one slip from full marks, came top overall. Both Saul and William along with six others (a new College record) gained Gold certificates for being placed in the top 6% nationally. At the Intermediate level, a total of 73 pupils achieved recognition with the award of certificates. The number of Gold awards this year was very good at 12. Particular credit and congratulations must go to Kylan Ni, Lilly Wang and Pan Vongsurakrai who were placed first in their year groups with scores which put them in the top one quarter of a % nationally; 13 of these pupils were also invited to compete in the follow up rounds in which they did very well indeed. The College Mathematics Society, now in its 13th year, is going extremely well, with talks from pupils, members of staff and external speakers. The highlight of the pupil presentations were the many talks given by this year’s president, William Gibson. In particular his talk on Maths and Chemistry was superb. I would like to thank William for his leadership of the Society over the last two years. Also, I would like to thank both Alex Chow and Nicolas Mediato Diaz, who as deputy presidents, gave many good talks on a wide variety of topics. It was encouraging to see younger members of the society play leading roles too. Finally, congratulations to the two students who achieved places to read Mathematics at university; William Gibson at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, and Alex Chow, the University of Warwick.

Dr Brendan Enright

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Modern Foreign Languages It has been another lively and busy year in Modern Languages. The year was kicked off with the European Day of Languages, which saw an excellent Chapel address led by the Heads of MFL Society (Emily Fowler, Mira Kohen Morhayim and Beth Jenkins) and a number of other linguists in which they reflected on the importance of languages in an increasingly globalised society. Under the leadership of Mme Helen Powell, the MFL Society has also seen a wide range of events: Kahoot nights, foreign-language film screenings, cheese and wine tasting, lectures from external speakers including those from the University of Warwick and the first ever MFL Society dinner, involving an incredible range of MFL-inspired fancy dress! November brought our annual inter-schools debating contest; around 70 pupils took part from eight local schools, across the three languages. Particularly impressive were the Lower Sixth students stepping up to face students from the year above. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite win any of the competitions, but Thomas Kinsella and Beth Jenkins performed admirably in reaching the final of the French competition before losing a tight debate. For the first time in a while, we had considerable success in the UK Linguistics Olympiad (UKLO), with some outstanding performances from Emily Choy (Gold), Kelly Ting (Silver), Alfie Watkins (Bronze) and Petra Azazoglu (Bronze). A huge thank you to Sra Ana Lopez Reyes for both coordinating this and leading the Spanish Department this year.

Music With the advent of remote learning, the joy of making music together has presented the biggest challenge for the Third Form. Thankfully, the year group have been fantastically creative at home and very willing to send in recordings of themselves singing and playing. We had a great response for our class recordings of Let It Be which included all manner of musical contributions, even homemade percussion sets assembled out of kitchen paraphernalia! With the Fourth Form, the flexibility of Microsoft Teams helped us to continue to deliver GCSE course content, and it was been particularly helpful in allowing pupils to compose remotely and seek help quickly through screensharing. The option of submitting recordings for performance assessments took the pressure off pupils in some ways, allowing them to capture their best before receiving feedback. With the uncertainty surrounding GCSE exams towards the end of the Spring Term, the Fifth Form, perhaps the largest cohort in College’s history at 23, threw themselves into ensuring their performance and composition coursework was completed to the best of their ability before the end of term. The extra time and energy really paid off in the end with over half of the pupils being awarded an 8 or 9, and almost three quarters achieving a 7 or higher. The Sixth Form were dedicated to pushing themselves in all aspects of their musicianship. The Lower Sixth particularly enjoyed exploring in granular detail the motivic development present

Sadly, our Easter and Summer trips to France and Spain were cancelled due to travel restrictions, but we are hoping to run trips as normal this coming year.

Mr Ben Page

ACADEMIC

in Hitchcock’s 1958 masterpiece Vertigo (music by Bernard Hermann, of Psycho fame). The Upper Sixth, being in the same situation as the Fifth Form, also dedicated their time and efforts towards coursework, and their final compositions are superb. Listen to them over on our YouTube channel. The A Level Music cohort achieved 100% A*-A, and they are continuing to study Music on prestigious university courses including Music and Music Psychology at the University of Leeds, and Music at Santa Clara University, California.

Mr Shaun Pirttijarvi

Politics Despite the extraordinary conclusion to the year, the Politics Department is buoyant. We are sorry not to have said goodbye to the Upper Sixth however and wish them the very best for the future. It was a relief that we managed to attend the annual Congress to Campus conference at Wellington College in March as it is a highlight of the year. The Department has embraced the opportunity (necessity!) to try something different with remote learning and we intend to use our new skills in the coming year; although I doubt Mr Chris Reid will attempt TikTok videos again. Following on from the stunning A*s from OC Mr Taliesin Kauffmann (S, 2019) and OC Mr Ilija Kirilenko (L, 2019) in 2019, this year’s Politics students delivered another excellent set of results crowned by three A* grades. OC Mr Ernest Lau (L, 2019), now a PPE student at the University of Durham has maintained regular contact. In December at a Conservative Party reception in Sunderland he met the MP for Bishop Auckland and then heard the Prime Minister speaking, wearing his Morley Society tie of course! Having met Alex Chalk, MP for Cheltenham, at the end of the previous year, students met him again sooner than expected. Autumn Term saw the calling of (another) General Election to try to break the Brexit deadlock. The Upper Sixth were invited to attend the hustings at All Saints’ Academy, one of our partnership schools. At the end of the hustings, College students James Barltrop and Will Buttress offered to help

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

campaign in Cheltenham for the candidates and indeed did so on the weekends that followed. Throughout College, the Department ran a mock election for both pupils and staff. Sixth Form launched the mock election by presenting in Chapel and all Politics students ran the ballots in their Houses. Jointly with the History Department, the Morley Society’s meetings have been lively affairs with excellent attendance and lots of snacks. Our new Lower Sixth have been very active. Emil Mekhtiev presented on both ‘Libertarianism’ and the ‘Exploitation of EU funds in Hungary’, and Sam Akrofi made us all think by asking what the world would be like if people never revolted. We hosted a joint talk with MFL towards the end of the Autumn Term. Mrs Ursula Groden-Kranich, member of the German Bundestag and current parent, came to speak about Britain, Germany, Brexit and the EU. It was an excellent evening and expanded our understanding of European perspectives on Brexit considerably. Sadly, our annual dinner could not take place in person this year, but it did happen virtually. We dressed up in historical and political fancy dress and met on Microsoft Teams. Mr Reid made an excellent Viscount Morley and I look worryingly like Donald Trump with very little effort.

Mrs Alexandra Eldred

Psychology This was a year of interesting changes and challenges for the Psychology Department. We bade farewell to Mrs Jane McQuitty in December and welcomed Miss Lara Beere back from maternity leave at Easter. Our Upper Sixth students continued to be one of the hardest working and engaged cohorts of students I have had the pleasure to teach. They did not let the distance between them impact on the solidarity, cohesion and community spirit. To the end of lessons, I was impressed by the commitment, resilience and team spirit of such a wonderful group of students.

The Lower Sixth studied a range of introductory topics, including how important their early attachment bonds are and how these affect later friendships and relationships; memory and forgetting; explanations of conformity, obedience and resistance; explanations and treatments of phobias, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Teaching took a varied and practical approach and students found themselves as participants in replications of famous research. They also had a variety of opportunities to collect and analyse their own data. Students are also expected to contribute to small group class presentations as well as using the resources available on the digital zone. These, and the remote learning since Easter allowed many in this cohort to develop lifelong independent learning skills. The Psychology Society met half-termly and we had some fantastic in-house talks from Mira Kohen Morhayim, Stephanie Wong, James TaylorKimmins, Emma Alves, Tuesday Roberts, Ryan Lam, Emily Fowler and Meera. These talks afford students the opportunity to share their passion for Psychology topics beyond the course and I am always impressed at the quality of the talks they produce. As part of their courses this year students also watched Three Identical Strangers, the true story of triplets separated at birth. We say goodbye to our Upper Sixth students, a number of whom are going on to university to study Psychology and we are delighted to have shared our passion for the subject and enthused so many of them to continue their studies beyond A Level. We wish all our Psychology cohort best wishes for the future.

Dr Tricia Norman

Science In my first year as Head of Science I would not have predicted in one million years what lay ahead of us. The effects of Covid-19 and the global lockdown will live long in the memory and serves as a reminder that the human race is not impervious to infection and the evolving nature of a virus. Although constructed as three separate departments (Chemistry, Biology and Physics)

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we are united in our aim: to provide the best scientific education to our pupils and give them the skills and tools to understand and interpret the world around them. It is the pupils that meet our three subjects in the middle and foster the interdisciplinary nature of science. This year their resolve has been greater than ever. This year the Science Department opened its doors to Year 5 from St John’s Church of England Primary School. As part of the Department’s outreach provision 60 pupils from St John’s were taught KS2 Science over the course of eight weeks. They had the opportunity to get hands on experience with practical science; an opportunity that they would not have had normally. Sessions were led by Upper College students from the Chemistry elective and were an absolute credit to College. Other outreach events included our annual prep schools afternoon as well as our yearly visit from The Catholic School of St Gregory the Great in Cheltenham. Finally, our collaboration with All Saints’ Academy continued with the 7Up Physics partnership. The breadth of collaboration undertaken has benefitted our pupils massively, improving confidence, knowledge and understanding of our subjects. The student-led Science Society has gone from strength to strength. The 2019 committee was superbly led by Gaurav Mediratta with Thomas Chu, Jago MacInnes and Boudica Yi. Attendance at committee meetings increased massively with numbers regularly hovering around 50! The Science Lecture series again saw some big names speak at College, with Mr Mark Miodownik, Dr David Nott (via the

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Cheltenham Literature Festival), Professor Rachel O’Reilly, Dr Helen Heath and Professor Adam Hart coming to College. Unfortunately, we had to postpone Sir Martyn Poliakoff and Professor Lee Cronin. We hope to welcome them in the coming year. Bekzat Amirbay was elected as the Science Society President for this year and we are all excited to see how the Society evolves over the coming year with a raft of new and exciting events planned. Watch this space!

Dr James Copeland-Jordan

Biology This was a varied and exciting year in Biology. Congratulations to all those who took part in global competitions, run by the Royal Society of Biology. In the UK Biology Olympiad, 33 A Level biologists competed against pupils from 668 schools worldwide and 21 were awarded certificates. A special mention goes to Milo Watkins, for achieving Best in School. In the Biology Challenge, 80 of the Fourth Form took part against 23,695 pupils from 367 schools worldwide. A special congratulations goes to those who achieved Gold certificates (Geena Capps, Aidan Portch, Harry Dawson, Ho Ying Lam and Luke Richardson), placing them among the best young biologists in the country. In the Autumn Term, before I joined College as the new Head of Biology, the Upper Sixth undertook their A Level Biology field trip to Leeson House, Dorset, where they gained first-

hand experience of sampling techniques and statistical analysis of data taken from a variety of ecosystems. Lower Sixth attended the University of Warwick for an inspiring Biology conference in November with distinguished speakers, including Dr Nessa Carey and Dr Rohin Francis. During the Summer Term’s programme of remote teaching, many Third Form biologists challenged themselves to apply what they have been learning about photosynthesis to out-do one another in a four-week plant growth competition. Who knows how many budding botanists will go on to contribute towards global food production in the future? The Department bids farewell to Miss Ruth Kramer and Mrs Isabella Mech. We wish them every success in their next steps, and thank them for their support, guidance and superb teaching over many years. In the coming year we welcome Miss Tegen Lochhead, who joins us from Cheltenham Ladies’ College, and Miss Lucy Scarrott, who joins us from The Downs School, Compton.

Mr Jonathan Thomas

Chemistry The Department has been busier than ever, putting on a full programme of events throughout the year to inspire, stretch and engage our pupils. At the very end of the last year we travelled to the Three Choirs Vineyard and Dunkertons Cider Company as part of Department Day for the Lower Sixth. Miss Lara Beere led the trip (no pun intended) where students learned about

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the brewing and distilling process as well as sampling different types of liquor. In November, we staged the return of Chemistry Spectacular, the Department’s annual demonstration lecture. One highlight of the year was the arrival of ‘The Box’, a 1m3 reinforced Perspex box used to contain some larger explosions. On the back of this we took the lecture ‘on the road’ to Moor Park Prep School where it was well received. We hope to do more outreach like this in the future. Our pupils have demonstrated some excellent success in our external competitions this year. College participated in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC) Top of the Bench and Young Analyst competitions, narrowly missing out on a place in both. The Chemistry Olympiad saw some of the best results ever with Alex Chow, Nicolas Mediato Diaz and Michelle Siu receiving prestigious Gold awards and Saul Kim receiving a Silver. Similar successes were seen in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge where Jason Chan, Alex Chow, Thomas Chu and William Gibson all received Gold awards. Some events had to be cancelled including our annual trip to the University of Bristol’s Chemical Laboratories and the RSC Spectroscopy workshop.

Dr James Copeland-Jordan

Physics It has been another busy year in the Physics Department. We welcomed Mr William Kemp to the teaching team who quickly introduced both pupils and staff to the joys of Teams (which would become particularly useful after Easter!). In the Autumn Term, two teams of Sixth Form physicists entered the Online Physics Brawl and were both placed in the top 10 of UK school teams in their year groups. A handful of Upper Sixth students then went on to enter the British Physics Olympiad (BPhO), with a specific mention going to Nicolas Mediato Diaz who managed to qualify for the British Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad training camp. A number of pupils entered the Experimental Project competition and were tasked with building a bifilar pendulum. Various awards were won, with Denis Solovyev and George Hardy earning a Bronze award in the Senior competition, and Bryan Luo and Luke Richardson earning Silver awards in the GCSE competition.

Finlay Hurst, Tobias Millar, Georgia Morling and Leonid Zhuravlev all winning a Silver certificate. The Department was proud to continue our role in the 7Up scheme with All Saints’ Academy, working with several of their GCSE pupils to try to achieve the top grades in Physics. Additionally, we organised a training day with a number of teachers working together to develop how we deliver practicals. The year obviously ended in a rather unusual way, but the Department is looking forward to bringing newly learned skills and technology into our everyday teaching. We have a number of students pursuing Physics and Engineering degrees in the coming year and we wish them the best for their future.

Mr Jeremy Dodd

Sports Science This summer we celebrated some excellent results for a very resilient and stoic cohort. All students secured their first choice University and we wish them all the best as they embark on their exciting journeys. A special mention must go to Jack Cunningham who takes up reading Sports Performance at the University of Bath. Jack worked remotely for the majority of his A Levels whilst continuing his skiing training and competing for the GB team and the Junior Winter Olympics. We wish him every success for the future and I hope to see him competing in the Winter Olympics very soon. This year we have continued to develop the GCSE activities we offer. Weight training and life-saving have not only been enjoyable for the pupils but have also offered them life skills and experiences that extend beyond the curriculum. This year, all the GCSE pupils received basic lessons in water survival and first aid including CPR and treatment for minor injuries and shock. Despite their excellent achievements in these areas we do hope they never have to put their skills to use in real life!

This year’s cohort have proved unique in terms of their non-exam assessment (NEA) submissions with two pupils performing in rock climbing and windsurfing. The Fourth Form cohort have proved to be a really positive and engaged year group throughout the year but we were even more impressed with their efforts and dedication during the Summer Term. They completed lots of physically demanding but enjoyable challenges including The Phone Tap Challenge and the Fun for Five. They deserve particular praise and thanks for their Fundraising Challenge for the Sue Ryder Leckhampton Hospice. They raised more than £200 in just one double lesson. Outside the classroom, pupils have enjoyed talks and lectures from a range of athletes and sports ambassadors. One of the Lower College’s favourite events was a speed and agility workshop and practical session with former British Heptathlete and Olympic medallist Ms Kelly Sotherton. This year we sadly say farewell to Mr Henry Davies and wish him every success for the future as he continues his work at the English Institute of Sport. Hopefully one day we will see him at the Olympics!

Mrs Rebecca Faulkner

Theatre Studies Teachers and pupils continue to enjoy the academic rigour of the linear qualifications. Our Upper Sixth relished the challenging of exploring and performing three different texts; Medea and A View from the Bridge and a contemporary play of their choice. During their practical exploration they were asked to make connections between the two texts looking particularly at how women through the ages have been depicted in drama. Our Lower Sixth were faced with the challenge of devising original work using the ideas and theories of a theatre practitioner. This year they researched the work of practitioner Mr Max Stafford-Clark

In the Spring Term, we entered the top sets of Fifth Form pupils into the BPhO Intermediate Challenge, and are pleased to report a number of awards, with Oleander Hall, Bobby Hui,

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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founder of the Out of Joint touring theatre company. Mr Stafford-Clark prides himself on producing contemporary and politically important work, that often utilises verbatim or documentary techniques, which involves incorporating the words of people from real life into your work. Students used their work to shine a light on the issues of the treatment of asylum seekers and sexual assault victims as they strive for justice. The devising work produced by our Fourth Form also served to prove how our young people are actively using theatre to educate and raise awareness of important issues. Some of the topics explored were peer pressure, the dangerous influences of the internet, child trafficking and school shootings. As always, excellent learning in the classroom has been enriched and developed by an extensive programme of trips. This year we saw numerous high quality live performances and productions broadcast live in the cinema, which served as an invaluable inspiration for our pupils and allowed them to develop their understanding of how drama functions in performance. Trips this year have included Woman in Black, Cabaret and Asking For It.

Mrs Sian McBride

Theology, Philosophy and Ethics It has been another busy and exciting year in the TPE Department. Dr Peter Vardy of Candle Conferences visited College to talk to all TPE IGCSE pupils, as well as many pupils from All Saints’ Academy. Dr Vardy, formerly VicePrincipal of Heythrop College, is a wellknown theologian, author and speaker. His lectures during this conference on peace and conflict, sexual ethics and life and death got pupils thinking deeply about these key issues. We were also fortunate that Mr Rizwan Ahmed of the Bristol Muslim Cultural Society came to talk to the Third Form about Islam in the UK. Our Upper College students went to hear Professor Richard Dawkins speak about his new book at the Cheltenham Literature Festival; Dr Adam Dunning came along, too, and he did very well not to heckle Professor Dawkins! In addition to these events, the Department has continued to put on more regular events, such as TPE Society and Dr Adrian Samuel’s Philosophy lunches. This academic year we have had TPE Society talks by Dr Samuel on ‘Kant’s Critical Philosophy,’ myself on ‘Voltaire’s Candide’ (in conjunction with Lit Soc), and Freddie Greenfield

and Bryan Luo talking about the meaning of life (it turned out not to be 42 after all!). Pupils from all year groups have completed fantastic extra work including a number of extra essays and book reviews, with some of them earning the much-coveted TPE Tie. Finally, ‘well done’ and ‘good luck’ to all our students in their future endeavours.

For Pleasure, For Life: Re-energising reading at College

Dr Matthew Harris

Floreat It is no coincidence that our wellbeing programme shares its name with Floreat, the name of the Cheltonian Society magazine as both celebrate flourishing in its broadest sense. LIT. SOC. PRESENTS

FLOREAT

Old english Anglo-Saxon legacies

LIT. SOC. PRESENTS Arabic Poetry

Beyond the Exotic

Failing is feedback for learning Look after health and wellbeing Open to opportunities and to others Resilient: reflect and improve Effort brings reward Ambition to grow in all areas Trusted and learn for themselves College places high priority on Floreat and the space it provides for reflection, sharing and character development. Pupils’ own words explain much better than I can attempt to the effect of Floreat on their lives. ‘During the time of remote learning when we have all been working at home, all being together in Floreat has meant we can see all of our friends in our tutor group and spend time together.’ ‘A strong feature of the Upper College programme is the range of speakers invited into College. Speakers come from all walks of life, address a variety of topics and share their points of view. Even if contentious views are shared that one doesn’t agree with, the exposure to these ideas is helpful in broadening our thinking or re-examining our own views.’

Doom is dark

and deep

In the 2nd Lit Soc of the year, Dr. D. introduces the literatu re of Old English and shows how its languag e and poetry continu e to resonate with modern poets.

FRIDAY 5:15pm - this talk is given by Mr Kydd -

Come to The Library, 5:15 pm This Friday, 4 October 2019

Come to The Library, 5:15 pm This Friday, 13 March 2020

This year College has launched a new programme designed to help sustain pupils’ reading. What with the busy nature of College life and the myriad easy distractions on offer to everybody, the pleasures of sustained silent reading can easily be eroded. Time needs to be found and opportunities created if pupils are to get the experience of reading that is so essential for their futures. This year, the Third Form have been given an hour’s reading time each week. HSMs have been at the vanguard, inviting their charges into their homes on the ‘private side’ for comfy seats and cocoa! Indeed, the winner of the Marketing Photo of the Year competition was of a set of Leconfield boys all reading in Mr Evans’ study! With the pandemic, colleagues and pupils are rediscovering the pleasures of immersing themselves in a good book.

Dr Luke Davidson

‘Floreat is like a bonding session for our tutor group. It is more informal than lessons. We trust each other and know each other really well. It is an open space where we can talk about topics, share views and know that no one will judge us or be offended.’ ‘Floreat is about discussion and debate. You get to hear a range of views about a topic from people of different backgrounds, which develops understanding and respect.’ From an Upper Sixth student: ‘When you join Third Form, you might think ‘What is Floreat about and what’s it for? You think that you could be doing something more productive. But as you go through College you come to acknowledge the core values that it develops. These are positive values that definitely affect pupils’ thinking. Now I see that reflection is important.’

Dr Mary Plint

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THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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CO-CURRICULAR The year will certainly be remembered as a unique time within College’s cocurriculum. Whilst the Autumn Term and, mostly, the Spring Term were unaffected by the global pandemic, staff and pupils demonstrated great flexibility, resilience and resourcefulness in the Summer Term to ensure that there was challenge outside the classroom. From virtual choir performances, lunchtime concerts and drama clubs to athletic development videos, skill challenges and competitions against other schools, Cheltonians engaged in a hugely positive and encouraging way with all that was offered. It was a great shame that those pupils, particularly in the Upper Sixth, had their co‑curricular involvement in the final term cut short, but I hope they will all look back at their time in College with great fondness. Our co-curricular provision aims to complement life in the classroom. It is about challenge, determination, the ability to bounce back when one fails and to realise the reward of hard work and effort; lessons in life which I hope will serve our 2020 leavers well.

Mr Stephen McQuitty, Deputy Head (Co-curricular)

CCF So much happened in two short terms which flew by. The Combined Cadet Force continues to flourish with a wide variety of field days and Wednesday afternoon training.

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The year started apace with our Biennial inspection conducted by current parent Major General Duncan Capps CBE who visited us during our October Field Day. The overnight Field Day was conducted at Swynnerton Training Camp and was delivered by Sixth Form cadets introducing the new Fourth Form to a variety of challenges ranging from fieldcraft to first aid and survival. Leadership development continues to be the mainstay of the Contingent with instructional training delivered to all Fifth Form cadets to prepare them for delivering lessons through into the Sixth Form. The combined Fifth Form had the opportunity to take a break from exam preparation by throwing themselves as a team at the Llangorse Climbing Centre, helping each other as the tightly knit unit that they are. Meanwhile the Fourth Form were let loose in the Forest of Dean, learning to navigate in some very wet conditions. All cadets returned, thanks to some excellent management and support by our Senior cadets. Cadet Warrant Officer Class One Will Buttress has been outstanding as Head of Corps, winning the Army Leadership Award, ably supported by Cadet Warrant Officers Class Two (WO2) Max Morris and James Barltop, Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Annabel Watkin and Flight Sergeant Max Sutton. We are very grateful to all of our wonderful leavers for their continuous positive influence on Junior cadets.

at Aztec Aqua Park. The cadets benefitted from excellent wind conditions and beautiful sunshine and were able to put their knowledge to use on the water. In February, the cadets were released into the English countryside along with the Army and RAF sections, and proved that they are just as capable at navigating on land as they are on the water. The Royal Navy Fifth Form stand out as a group for their dedication, cheerful enthusiasm and maturity. Cadets and staff would particularly like to thank our leaving staff Sub-Lieutenant BerenDain Delbrooke-Jones, Dr Vicki Hawkins, and civilian instructor AUO Alex Rooke for their energetic and positive contributions. As ever, we thank Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Ayres and Warrant Officer Second Class Jason Gwynne for all they have done for us this year. A number of Senior cadets have been supported in their applications to join the Forces. We wish them all the very best for their future endeavours and hope they can return to inspire the next generation. It is so positive that such a regular stream of cadets embark on careers in the Forces. Warrant Officer Class One Simon Oates has been appointed as Head of Corps for the coming year and we look forward to his leadership for this year’s Fourth Form recruits.

Captain Will Kemp

Cadet WO2 James Barltrop has been outstanding this year in the level of ownership he has taken of the RAF section and pushing them on with their mandated training. He is awarded the Millennium Trophy for his outstanding contribution throughout his time. The Royal Navy section was led by CPO Annabel Watkin and Petty Officer Paddy MerheimKealy with activities centred around practical seamanship and outdoor skills and teamwork. The seamanship skills were put to use early on during a fantastic day of sailing and kayaking

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Duke of Edinburgh’s Award The year promised great things with the launch of the Silver Award (a first for College) and the re-configuration of the Bronze Award within the CCF. Seven students from All Saints’ Academy joined us too for the classroom sessions of outdoor training for their Gold Awards. The Silver Award was begun with an enthusiastic group of 23 Fourth Formers when they embarked on the 12-week National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS); another College first. The week by week training both in class and outdoors followed the guidelines set out by Mr Nigel Williams of the NNAS in our teacher INSET and proved to be hugely successful. This was augmented by yet another stunning field day in the Black Mountains of the Brecon Beacons, on Sugar Loaf. Most of the boys and girls began their volunteering activities in January either with the pupils in The Prep or on our Energy Envoys initiative in College. The Award has allowed for sufficient flexibility for pupils on Bronze, Silver and Gold to continue some activities from home so their community volunteering record could continue on their own initiative during the enforced break from College. In addition, the comprehensive sports programme offered by College enabled their physical recreation record to continue unabated. We waited anxiously to see if our expeditions (the highlight of each Award level) and the adventure camp in Ullswater could be saved but sadly these were lost. But plans are well underway to ensure every pupil has their wilderness experience in the coming year. So, whereas the past year was a quietly productive year for the Award at College, the coming year promises greater vigour than ever.

Mr John Jones

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

Co-curricular Drama Our busy year began with a cast of 15 Fourth and Fifth Formers staging an abridged version of As You Like It. This was part of a new initiative, The Shakespeare Experience, which brought together pupils aged 9-16, from three different schools to celebrate the work of our greatest playwright. In tandem with these rehearsals, we also worked on the Newick House and Ashmead House Play; an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches. As always, the House play offered a wonderful opportunity for those who lacked confidence before to take to the stage and it was particularly pleasing to see the whole of Newick’s Upper Sixth appearing, many of whom had never before graced the Big C stage. The Autumn Term ended with two sell out performances of the much-loved Variety Show, which saw its usual mix of comedy sketches, music, singing and dancing. This wonderful event acts as a reminder of how supportive our community is of nurturing young talent and raising money for charity. All of the £5,000 made in ticket sales went to supporting our supported schools: the Residential School for Children with Special Needs, Bradet, Romania; the Shamrock School, Nepal; and Gogar Primary School, Kenya. Our Scholar’s play Love in Idleness was performed at the Cheltenham Playhouse in January, directed by our Director in Residence Miss Emily Taylor. This year was even more dramatic than usual, with our leading man being struck down with mumps and missing the first night. However, the rest of the very talented cast understood that the show must go on and it was a credit to their resilience and commitment that they pulled together and continued to put on a wonderful performance with a last minute understudy from the wonderful Miss Emily Taylor.

February saw the return of The Vagina Monologues, in Jack Ralphs studio; a powerful series of monologues given by pupils and staff to campaign against injustice levelled at girls and women. The cast were especially pleased to have contributions from and for men and boys: Mr William Kemp spoke on the importance of gender diversity in leadership and India Kay penned and performed a piece exploring root causes of male violence. We were delighted to include a historical voice from the pages of Constance Maud’s No Surrender delivered by Ruby Coull and Kimberly gave us a powerful celebration of female strength in an improvised dance set to the words of Ensler’s ‘I Dance’. Our final major production was a rather special one: the staging of an original musical written for us by RADA student and former Director in Residence, Alex Gatherer. Margaret’s Mind was written specifically to ensure that as many of our talented pupils at College had an opportunity to showcase their skills and more than 50 of them sang solo lines or had speaking roles. This reflects our commitment to be as inclusive as possible. We were also really proud that we used this production to raise issues surrounding mental health and social anxiety and so helping the College community to further explore and understand how drama can be used to effectively educate as well as entertain.

Mrs Sian McBride

Music The Music Department has celebrated a number of successful performances, featuring pupils from all areas of College and at all levels of experience. Weekly Choral Evensong continued with a regular congregation attending from College and the local area. These were all audio broadcast over the internet, and hopefully in the future, by video as well. Regular lunchtime concerts featured new members of the Third Form alongside

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experienced Sixth Formers. Since these moved online during the Summer Term, audience numbers increased by more than tenfold, which provides useful food for thought in how we can continue to develop these concerts in the coming year.

the choir included the Chapel Choirs, staff, parents and friends of College. Together with the combined 80 piece orchestra of professionals and College’s advanced instrumentalists, this was easily the largest scale performance ever seen at College.

House Singing took place before the October half term, and as ever was hotly contested. This year featured the popular addition of a staff band for the accompaniment instead of piano accompaniment. All Houses provided superb entries, but this year’s victor was College Lawn with their lively rendition of Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now.

The Autumn Concert featured College’s instrumental ensembles, the highlight of which this year was the Symphony Orchestra’s rendition of The Snowman, played alongside a screening of the much-loved animated film. The famous solo Walking in the Air was sung beautifully by Jasper Penny from The Prep.

The Choral Society’s annual concert took place in Big Classical; a stunning performance of Verdi’s Requiem. With internationally renowned operatic soloists – including one of College’s own singing teachers Mr Quentin Hayes – this stirring and large scale performance played and sang to a packed audience. With more than 150 members,

Plans for the Carol Service were amended at the last minute due to issues with the Chapel roof, however the combined choirs and over half of the College community came together in a very special service held in St Luke’s Church. The Spring Term saw brilliant performances from JIG and Jazz Band in the Jazz Concert,

and the ever popular singing competition had entries of a phenomenally high standard, superbly adjudicated by professional tenor Mr James Gilchrist. We hope very much that there will be an opportunity this coming year to perform the music that was being prepared for the Orchestral Concert that would ordinarily have taken place in the final week of the Spring Term. Special mention must be made of Murphy Lee, who was to have been playing the violin solo in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. As a member of Upper Sixth he has now left College. This year has seen us enter a new era of virtual concerts, services and performances, and while we look forward to returning to more normal routines, we have learned a great deal and developed new skills that we will want to keep for the future.

Mr David McKee

Remembering Fraser Graham Musician 1980-2020 To describe Fraser as a pianist is missing the point. Fraser was a consummate musician and superb professional pianist. His work was versatile, varied and creative. He was also a gifted trumpet player, guitar player and composer. He was at home giving solo classical recitals, accompanying other soloists, playing in bands and orchestras or helping other musicians perform and progress. His breadth of style as well as his variety of musical roles was truly exceptional. His recording of ‘China Gates’ was used for the 2017 film Call Me By Your Name, nominated for best picture at the Oscars.

Fraser began learning the piano at the age of five and continued this alongside trumpet as a student at Oakham School. Former Oakham Director of Music David Woodcock describes their first meeting: ‘On hearing some very loud Beethoven, he was ready with a rebuke for such treatment of an expensive piano. He had the wind taken out of his sails on discovering a tiny 10-year-old, not yet able to reach the pedals, completely lost in another world of music.’ A highlight of Fraser’s school career was playing the solo part in Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto. His trumpet teacher remembers helping Fraser’s brother move house. As they wheeled the piano down the street they had to stop while Fraser played some of Rach 2 in the street, unable to help himself. Fraser was a gifted academic musician: a composer, songwriter and guitarist, as interested in the writing of poetry as the music, even writing drum and bass music. Throughout school Fraser battled with Music vs Science. Inevitably, Music won in the end, and after a disastrous term at the University of Bristol studying Chemistry Fraser moved to study piano at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Fraser taught piano at Oakham, College, the University of Loughborough and Uppingham Community College. He threw himself into these roles (while still finding time to play online chess between lessons). He remained an active recitalist and accompanist, and for a long time was accompanist for Leicester Philharmonic Choir. He gave numerous recitals around the UK including venues in Cheltenham, Oakham and Steinway Hall, London as well as performing in the Dean & Chadlington Summer Music Festival.

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More recently at College he developed a partnership with Bill Ko, an incredibly talented viola student. With Fraser’s support, Bill won Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year competition, gained places in The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, City of Birmingham Youth Orchestra and gave prestigious recitals around the country including at the Cheltenham Music Festival. This was much more than a pianist accompanying a soloist. This was a partnership formed between two great musical minds, working and progressing together. Fraser’s professional work was defined by his musical versatility and was in no way limited to classical music. He played extensively with his brother Dave and other friends for Funk Soul Brother, local group Funked Up, Leicester based The Moderators and soul bands including The Temptations. Most recently he had been working with a crossover band Symphonica run by Miles Hancock. Another important ensemble for Fraser was the Witchell Trio, formed after Peter Witchell’s funeral, just over two years ago. This was the first collaboration between Fraser, Peter Coates and Jenny Kelsey and they have since performed all over the country. Fraser will be remembered as a great pianist and a superb and versatile musical talent. His true success was in the relationships that he developed with students, staff, friends and family. Fraser’s musical generosity and humble approach formed true musical partnerships. His insatiable, infectious musicianship bubbled through everything that he did. The effect he has had on young and old musicians will stay with them, and his musicianship lives on through them.

Mr David McKee

CO-CURRICULAR

CO-CURRICULAR DRAMA Love In Idleness

Variety Show

The Cheltonian 2019-2020

Margaretâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mind

The Witches

The Vagina Monologues

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CO-CURRICULAR MUSIC JIG

Autumn Concert

The Cheltonian 2019-2020

Bill Ko

Remote Music

Choir

Orchestras

CO-CURRICULAR

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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CHARITY The Whole School Charity - a school hall for Gogar Primary, Kenya The Pupil leadership team (PLT) elected to raise funds for Gogar Primary School in Kenya which has 900 pupils, many of whom walk miles every day to attend school. 4.

classrooms classrooms

350

M-H

classrooms 3.

9.000 m wide road

410 2,200

classrooms lab

900

1. G.

classrooms

200mm thick Natural stones smooth dressed walling in c/mortar 1:3

225mm thick Natural stones foundation walling R.Conc.Column bases to S.Engineers details.

50mm thick weak conc.1:4:8 blinding.

SECTIONAL ELEVATION 01-01

kitchen

MASTER LAYOUT A. not to scale

Ridge piece to clients approval. 28 Gauge IT4 Box Profile GCI sheet. 50x50x3mm Structural roof members to S.Engineers details. 40x40x3mm structural web members to S.Engineers details. 450x200mm Reinforced Conc. beam (Nominal mix 1:2:4) to S.Engineers details.

Steel Casement windows to Architects details and specifications

AGL

0.400

playground

ELEVATION 04-04

3.550

3,100

D.O.S

300mm thick Natural stones hardcore fillings machine compacted in layers 50mm thick quarry dust murram blinding 1000 gauge damp proofing sheet to Architects details.

BRC Mesh fabric reinforcement Ref A142.

The copyright of this drawing vests in E -DESIGNS MODULES it MUST not be retained,copied or used without their express Authority.

NOTES

1. All construction work to comply with the latest Kebs. standard code of practice,Local Authority By-laws and fire regulations 2. All walls to reinforced with hoop iron at every alternating course 3. All r.conc. works to structural engineers details 4. P.v. denotes permanent ventilation and must be provided above all openings where indicated or shown. 5. Contractors must verify all figured dimensions and levels on site before commencement of works and any descripancy must be reported to the project Architects for clarifications 6. All levels shown are finished levels unless otherwise stated. 7. Read only Figured dimensions. ROOF TILES SPECIFICATIONS 8. Steel lattice structural roofing members to structral engineers details 9. 12mm row bolts cast in r.conc. beams at 1200mm C/C. 10. Ridge pieces to match roof coverings 11. All trusses to structural engineers details 12. Roof coverings shall be Decra roofing tiles

150 mm thick oversite concrete floor slab,nominal mix 1;2;4 38mm thick cement sand mortar floor screed

REVISIONS Item

descriptions

marked / date

ELEVATION 02-02 G.

ELEVATION 01-01 B.

Exit 02 4.

S-01

A. A.

4,100 1,500 400 1,500

2,992

700

4,100 1,500 400 1,500

700

4,100 1,500 400 1,500

700

4,100 1,500 400 1,500

1,500

2100

200

4. 1 2 3

3,000

down

B. 3,000

ROOF PLAN LAYOUT

4,100 700

E-02

24,600

4,100

400 1,200

+0 +450

3,200

3. 3,200

Signature;................................................ Date ..................................................... project title;

-300 -150

E-04

Entrance/ Exit

4,000

-450

8,400

AUDITORIUM capacity 650 persons

16,400

4,000

E-03

Client;

GOGAR PRIMARY SCHOOL. P.O.BOX 60 - 20100, NAKURU.

RAISED PLATFORM

PROPOSED MULTI - PURPOSE HALL locational site;

LR.NO.8902/02,GOGAR

6,200

drawing

title;

+450

Head office;

DEVELOPMENT HOUSE 8TH FLOOR,SUITE 817 MOI AVENUE NAIROBI. +254 722705500.

down

3 2 1

WORKING DRAWINGS

A. 400 1,200

E-DESIGNS MODULES 3 2 1

B. 2250 4,100

700

1,500 400 1,500 4,100

C. 700

S-01

Entrance hallway

3 +450 2 1 +0

1,500 400 1,500 4,100

4,100

GROUND FLOOR PLAN LAYOUT

D. E-01 700

1,500 400 1,500 4,100 20,500

E. 700

F. 1,500 400 1,500 4,100

700

G. 1,500

2,108 4,100

200

Office 001 A: 431,953,616 mm2 <floor type> H: 2.70 m

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SECTIONAL CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

1:100

Branch office; PLUTOS BUILDING 1ST FLOOR,SUITE 1A KENYATTA AVENUE NAKURU +254 722 272982.

College community would collectively walk the distance from Cheltenham to Gogar. Unfortunately, weeks of non-stop rain meant that the walk had to be cancelled at the last moment. Worse luck was to follow; the rescheduled date was also cancelled in the Summer Term. However, this did not stop Cheltonians completing the walk from their homes; wherever they were in the world, they walked or cycled and completed their ‘mini-migration’. And they did so wearing the T-shirts which had been kindly donated by our sponsor Castellum. Building work got underway quickly over the summer and we were delighted to receive news that the first phase of the build has been completed. The school hall is now open for business; being used to prepare exam classes in a Covid secure space! Huge thanks go to all those in our community who fundraised, donated and supported this endeavour. Special thanks must be extended to Vanessa Grant Trust’s Mr Johnny Onslow and to the tremendous generosity of Castellum.

checked by;

SAMMY N.NGIGI, Signed................ Date .................. scale;

Over the last 15 years, College has fundraised for a range of facilities for Gogar and many Cheltonians have visited. Gogar lacked a school hall in which the team could meet and celebrate. The team therefore set themselves the goal of raising £32,000 so that this dream might become a reality. Mufti days, Christmas feasts and charity rugby and netball matches were organised and monies collected, but the great fundraising drive centred around a whole school walk around Leckhampton Hill. The aim was that the

sheet

no;

01 of 2

S.K NGEN'Y Signed................ Date;................... date;

MARCH. 18'

Dr Adam Dunning

CHARITY

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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Supported Schools Gogar Primary School, Kenya In addition to the news of College fundraising for the school hall, we are delighted to report that Ernest, the student we have been supporting through his secondary education, has passed his final school exams and has been accepted to study at the University of Nairobi. We look forward to continuing his sponsorship through his first degree. Ernest was also delighted to receive a laptop just in time for Christmas donated by College and kindly delivered by Talia Somen.

Miss Jane Brodigan

• The building of Casa Chris; a transition house for young men over the age of 18 to live in as they develop independence at home and in work • Building of workshops and craft rooms • Installation of fire escapes and smoke detection systems • Purchase and maintenance of 10 BMX bikes, still going strong after 10 years, 1000s of miles of racing around and even fire! • Building and maintenance of swings and a play fort • Dental care • DIY equipment • Hundreds of pairs of shoes and literally tonnes of donated ‘as new’ clothing • Poly tunnels • Rabbit hutches! • A secure bike shed • Solar panels to heat water • Play equipment, including pens, pencils, colouring books, and of course.. thousands of balls! Sadly, there was a terrible fire in January 2017, which began in a chimney and which destroyed the girls’ accommodation, theatre, clothing and bike stores. Luckily no one was hurt, and it was wonderful to see Casa Chris being used as emergency accommodation for many of the girls during and after this terrible time. College worked closely to provide necessary funds to replace vital equipment and the bike store. Since then, with the support of a French charity, lovely new accommodation for girls has been built.

Residential School for Children with Special Needs, Bradet, Romania For the first time in 20 years, due to Covid-19, there has been no post-GCSE trip to Bradet. We thought it was a good time to look back at the journey so far.

Since 2000, hundreds of Cheltonians have had the privilege of volunteering at Bradet by joining the annual post-GCSE trip. During their time at Bradet the pupils initiate play-work with the children, such as playing ball games, painting, singing or simply sitting and holding hands. College is profoundly grateful to the Childcare

Department of Brasov, and in particular, the amazing Razvan Cicorschi, without whom, none of this would be possible. Challenging, yet immensely rewarding, it is a profoundly moving and unforgettable experience, perhaps best expressed in the words of our Cheltonians themselves: ‘The most important week of my life.’ ‘It was an experience that I will never forget. Not a day has gone by since, when I haven’t looked around me and thought how lucky I am. I really have been inspired. Thank you.’ ‘A breakthrough moment for me was when I realised it was just like playing with my five year old sister, which shows difference really is only skin deep.’ ‘Thank you for the opportunity to meet the children of Bradet and to learn so much about ourselves.’

Miss Jane Brodigan

The Shamrock School in Pokahara, Nepal The Shamrock School relies heavily on College support to keep their 60 boarders in an education that they would not otherwise receive. Raising funds to keep the school operational is a continual struggle and in March of this year they came very close to permanent closure. Donations raised by the effort of College pupils and parents have been of huge help in securing their future. In the last few years a number of College pupils and teachers have visited to work at the school. Shamrock pupils display an incredible work ethic and continue to achieve some of the best exam results in Nepal. Many have gone onto further study both there and abroad.

Mr Dominic Faulkner

College’s connection with the school began in 2000, following a visit in 1998 made by Mr Chris Rouan, former Head of Biology. With children three to a bed in a chaotic and dangerous environment, when Chris first saw Bradet, it was known locally as ‘the black hole’. This visit inspired him to fundraise for the children and in typically inspirational fashion, Chris recruited over 40 College pupils to fundraise by cycling the entire way from College to Bradet. Since then, the partnership has flourished. Over the years, thousands of pounds has been raised at College’s annual Variety Show and by pupils inspired to undertake fundraising challenges such as the Whole School Walk, (revived again this year for the Prefects’ charity) Land’s End to John O’Groats and Iron Curtain sponsored bike rides, Three Peaks walks, Cheltenham half marathons and fashion shows. Over the years, these fundraising efforts have enabled the following: • Renovation of the dormitories; replacing huge dorms of 80 children in overcrowded beds, with cosy dorms for six • Refurbishment of the girls’ and boys’ houses

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CHARITY

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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COMMUNITY Chapel

Chatfeild-Roberts Library

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, ‘to lose one Holy Mystery may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both Holy Mysteries looks like . . . ‘ well, you know how the quotation ends. But Chapel did indeed lose both Christmas and Easter this year.

‘The doors of wisdom are never shut.’

Mr Beren-Dain Delbrooke-Jones

Benjamin Franklin

International Society

Before this year’s seismic turn of events, the Library continued to thrive in what is an increasingly vibrant research culture at College. The launch of the Foundation Project Qualification (FPQ) with our Third Form, along with the now well-established EPQ, meant that pupils have made greater use of the Library and its physical and digital resources than ever.

Clearly it has been a challenging year for our international pupils, yet I have noted their impressive resilience and resourcefulness in the face of considerable adversity.

The Library team has found the vast range of topics our pupils are engaged in, as well as the inquisitiveness and earnest desire to think critically about the world they live in, nothing short of thrilling.

Our annual international induction was both enjoyable and highly successful in terms of inducting and welcoming our new pupils from abroad, who were hosted cordially by Ashmead and Newick House on this occasion. Our pupil supporters, largely Upper Sixth students, were invaluable.

During Advent, dust settled on the heads of pupils during Sunday worship. Sharp eyes detected cracks around one of the large stone bosses towards the West End. The building was closed immediately so that inspections and repairs could take place. But this could not have come at a worse time; eight Carol Services were all summarily cancelled. Quick-footed logistics enabled College to enjoy its Carol Service at St Luke’s Church, and later that week The Prep held its Carol service at Christ Church. However, much had been lost, not least the charitable fundraising which usually takes place throughout the Christmas season. The effect of being locked out of Chapel meant that there was a keen desire to get back in as soon as elementary repairs were completed in January. During this time the Chaplaincy staff were superbly assisted by the four Keepers of Chapel Jemima Rees, Gemma Radburn-Todd, Jack Szeto and Nicolas Mediato Diaz. Of course, no one anticipated that the Christmas close-down was merely a precursor. And yet Chapel managed to reinvent itself, shifting its daily services online and keeping the scattered College community together. Pupils continued to write and record their talks, as well as reading lessons and leading prayers. A new and wider audience began to enjoy the Chapel experience and, best of all, Mr Alexander Ffinch (and his exotic socks) became cult viewing on YouTube.

Dr Adam Dunning

The Library has always been a proud champion of reading at College but this year has seen this advocacy, through collaboration with partners and peers across Departments and Houses, grow into something more momentous. With protected reading time set aside for Third Form, the growing popularity of the English Department’s Reading Diploma, the success of a Common Room Book Nook, and our most popular World Book Day event ever – a multiweek online quiz that stretched pupils’ and staff’s literary knowledge to the limit – reading is quite clearly something that is cherished at College now more than ever. Seasonal reading lists, a National Poetry Day competition and, vitally, ongoing remote access to an enormous number of online resources and reading materials, show that the Library has continued to serve its community as fervently as ever.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know...".

"The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

WORLD BOOK DAY '20 THUR

- Dr. Seuss

LOOK OUTQUIZ FOR IN THE THE WBD BULLETIN NEXT WEDNESDAY

Naturally, I am grateful to our EAL team, all Housemasters, Housemistresses and Matrons, and of course parents and guardians in navigating our overseas pupils through uncharted waters this year.

Naturally we aimed to recognise key international events during the Autumn and Spring Terms, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Loi Krathong, Chinese New Year and International Students’ Day. The International Dinner in Spring Term was, as ever, a real delight. This is a super opportunity to come together and celebrate our diversity and, of course, to showcase some stunning national dress. Neri Rattanachatta and Thomas Chu have both evinced excellent leadership skills in their role as International Prefects this year. To this end, I feel strongly that the committee meetings they organised and chaired, have been instrumental in both tackling any issues encountered by our international pupils, whilst also supporting and nurturing such inherent eclecticism. This year, as much as ever, I have greatly enjoyed witnessing a myriad of contributions made by international pupils. In the classroom, in Chapel

THE LIBRARY'S 20 BOOKS TO READ THIS

Summer

6 MAR 2020

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT LIBRARY STAFF

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We look forward to opening our doors again this coming year and sharing this beautiful space with all Cheltonians.

HANDPICKED & AVAILABLE NOW FROM YOUR LIBRARY

COMMUNITY

and across the whole co-curricular gamut of activities at College, you have shone and astonished, and for that I am truly grateful.

Mr Nick Nelson

Partnerships The key partnership event of the year was the formal launch of the Cheltenham Education Partnership (CEP). This took place at the start of October in the Queen’s Hotel. Pupils from at least five schools spoke of how CEP was already having a positive impact on their educational journey. Professor Jose Chambers from the Comino Foundation attended the launch and spoke enthusiastically about the importance of Creativity within Education. Since its launch, CEP has recruited more member schools and has pushed ahead with the appointment of a co-ordinator. A full programme of partnership activities will start up again in the coming academic year, but it has been a testament to the dedication of College staff to CEP that the newly launched Latin programme continued remotely during the Summer Term. Examples of partnership activities undertaken this year include: 7 Up programme, Mini-MBA

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

programme, TPE conference, the Chemistry Spectacular, hands-on science lessons, the Shakespeare Experience, forest school, rugby skills day, and Heads of Science gathering. College and The Prep continue to grow their enhanced partnerships with both All Saints’ Academy and Saint John’s Church of England Primary School. Working with All Saints’, College continues to support the charity Talent Tap; an initiative which offers pupils from the Academy access to the alumni networks of independent school partners in order to develop business acumen. Connections have also been made this year with the South West Education Partnerships.

Dr Adam Dunning

Community Action ‘We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.’

pupils took part in a variety of settings including visits to care homes, schools, Cotswold Riding for the Disabled and the Wilson Gallery. This year we secured two new additional placements for volunteering: the Leonard Cheshire Home where pupils engaged and supported individuals with physical disabilities, enabling them to carry out creative tasks; and the RVS Coffee Shop at Cheltenham General Hospital, where two of our pupils learned to make coffee and sell goods to the public. Although the majority of the pupils on the programme are Lower Sixth and Fourth Form, we have secured work experience places for Upper Sixth students wishing to undertake Medicine at university. This has been invaluable for them and their personal statements, giving them a flavour of hospital life. The visits have benefited both the placements and our pupils alike.

Mother Teresa

Pupils’ Perspectives

The Community Action Programme continues to offer a strong presence within Cheltenham. More than 60 Sixth Form students and 24 Fourth Form

‘I have learned that giving someone my time can make a big difference and that being just a little patient and kind can mean the world to others…. I think it is very important that we spend the time with people who we care about and respect the amazing opportunities that

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we have while we can. I am very grateful to the College Community Action team that gave me the opportunity to be compassionate and kind and to give back to society.’ ‘I liked how this enabled me to help people. It was also relaxing and all of us students and the elderly both managed to get to know each other quite well.’ ‘I really enjoyed this experience because I find it really relaxing and fun to paint the benches. I realise how we spent only 40 minutes each week, which is not much time, but it helps the hospital a lot. Small actions can make a difference.’ ‘Most of the residents were really sweet and they would share their past experiences with us.’ In all, the Community Action Programme continues to grow in strength and offers a variety of opportunities not only to volunteer but to develop character, new skills and new friendships. No matter how small that offer of help may be, it makes a difference.

Mrs Julia Hande

Wheely Wonderful Bel Cornwell’s wheelchair marathon in aid of the Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice. In July, Bel undertook 11 separate ‘walks’, each 4kms long in order to complete the distance of a marathon in aid of the Sue Ryder

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Leckhampton Court Hospice.

been a huge comfort and reassurance to us’.

Bel first started to work for Cheltenham College as a Teaching Assistant at The Prep 11 years ago. She then moved over the road to College, where she worked as an HR administrator and as the Co-ordinator for Partnerships, Community Action and Charities. In this role, Bel particularly enjoyed helping to build strong links between College and the community and facilitating and supporting pupils to work together in these projects.

Before Bel started to notice signs of MND, she ran in many half marathons and completed several triathlons. In true Bel spirit, determined to keep a sense of purpose she settled on the idea of a wheelchair marathon; it seemed apt to choose a discipline that had been such an important part of her life previously.

Six years ago, Bel was hit with the awful shock of being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and for five years, despite a deteriorating condition, she managed to continue working at College until September 2019 when the loss of her ability to speak signalled that she could no longer continue in the role that she had come to love. Even though MND has stripped her of key functions such as walking and talking, it is in her nature to look for solutions, rather than only seeing the problems; focusing on what she can do is Bel’s inspiring strategy and it is this amazing outlook that led Bel to set herself her fundraising challenge for Sue Ryder. For Bel, the Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice is a very special place; for the last two years it has supported her and her family through some challenging times. Bel says, ‘They manage to combine an unassuming professionalism and understanding, together with a spontaneous empathy in everything they do - which always leaves me in awe. It is a remarkable haven of positivity, which has always

Undeterred by her near escapes with falling off the edge of the pavements in Winchcombe and spurred on by her accompanying family and friends, all the messages of support and by the spirit of the people at Sue Ryder, Bel completed her challenge and raised an amazing £7,110 for this remarkable charity. It was a delight for many to see and hear her being interviewed on BBC Points West; looking and sounding just wonderful! A fitting tribute to a remarkable lady. As we go to press, Bel has begun her next challenge to raise further funds for Sue Ryder: to cover a further 100 miles of wheelchair walks through the Cotswolds and further afield in her family’s favourite arboreta and woodlands. Any donation you may care to make to this wonderful cause would be very welcome: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ cornwellfamily-sueryder

Miss Jane Brodigan

COMMUNITY

ASHMEAD whilst enjoying a lovely homemade curry. Trips further afield included seeing the musical Six and a Severn Stars netball match.

Charity

House Events Ashmead is always buzzing with excitement thanks to the amazing outings that take place almost every weekend. The House families are always excited to come together in friendly, bonding competitions such as the Olympic competition that marked the start of a great first term. Another favorite is our annual Christmas Dinner, which we celebrated with Leconfield. We had a blast, dancing for hours and eating our delicious meal. Our regular ethnic-themed food nights were a treat that everyone looked forward to. This year we had the first-ever family quiz and curry night where all year groups came together and participated in a general knowledge quiz

This year we raised £1,600 for Winston’s Wish which is a charity dedicated to helping grieving children. In addition to a charity auction night with Newick, we put on a performance night in which all year groups took part in preparing a group act together, followed by additional acts formed by friends. All in all, it was a really joyous and heartwarming evening.

Sport Demonstrated by our small but hardearned trophy shelf, House pots for Ashmead is never really about winning. We go out to the pitch, court and pool with all we have to represent our House. This year however we did take back some trophies thanks to the amazing and enthusiastic sportswomen of Lower College. Special mention must go to El CharlesJones, who was placed second in the qualifiers for nationals in fencing and who is currently representing the South West.

Drama and Music Whether in Chapel each morning, Sunday services or House Singing, when it comes to singing, we certainly give it our best shot. For House Singing this year and with Arabella Hoodless as our leader, we loved performing a very uplifting mash-up of three popular Queen songs. We cannot forget the many talented girls who excel in Drama and Music. Special mention should go to Lara Scudamore, Sophie Fowler, Georgina Hamer and Edie Doherty for participating in the school musical Margaret’s Mind. This year Ashmead and Newick House put on a very entertaining production of The Witches with pupils from all years, including Sophie Fowler, Georgina Hamer and Edie Doherty as the eponymous villains, coming together to create a wonderful night full of laughs and proud parents.

Farewells This year we say goodbye to our wonderful Upper Sixth. They never failed to bring joy and happiness to the House, in particular Honor Skelding who has been an inspiring Head of House. Olivia Elliot has been an incredibly supportive Deputy Head of House and Amelia Kitson has looked after the Third Form brilliantly. We also want to thank all the Prefects for their contributions. They have worked hard to bring us closer together and make Ashmead the wonderful community that it is. We also sadly say goodbye to Georgina Hamer as she leaves to pursue her drama. Another farewell goes to our wonderful Olivia who returns to Spain after a lovely year with us. A very sad goodbye goes to Mr Preston who is leaving the best House he has ever been in, but we are pleased that we will still see him around College. Thanks also to Miss Tew and Miss Edgington Rooley. You will always have a place in our hearts and will be missed dearly. Thank you!

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We would like to say a huge thank you to the whole Ashmead team for making our House feel like a second home. Special mention of course goes to Mrs and Mr Leach who are always there for us. We really appreciate all the love, care and time that they dedicate to Ashmead.

House Editors: Tomiris Marabayeva and Emer Hughes

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HOUSES

BOYNE HOUSE Sport

House Events We have enjoyed a great year. The annual Clan Walk and BBQ on the first weekend was a great way to welcome the new Third Form and allowed them to get to really know everyone. The annual Spring Superstars event was another highlight with some brilliant clan activities run by the staff including human hungry hippos, Mallard’s Mystery Muck and of course the infamous multi-catch. Enjoyable weekend activities have included the Eastnor Castle mudrun and the trip to the Airborne trampoline park.

Charity This year we were pleased to continue to work with the amazing James Hopkins Trust. We visited the centre regularly to help with cleaning, playing with the children, maintaining the fantastic memorial garden area, and helping them prepare for their annual Memorial Celebration Service. We continued to send messages from Easter onwards while a number of boys also got involved with writing letters to those in isolation. Others fundraised by setting themselves physical challenges. Fortunately, we managed to fit in our Contact the Elderly high tea earlier in the year which was received extremely well.

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

We showed our true worth in rugby House pots, coming away with another win for the Senior team. Congratulations go to Sebastian Blake who was offered a professional contract with Gloucester Rugby Club and to Luke Wiles who continued with polo as part of the England team and competing for a number of high goal teams. We also had a very strong showing within the water polo team. Freddie White, Guy Thomas, George Duff and Ethan Tsang were involved in a number of matches representing College in U18 championships under the watchful eye of Dr Hawkins.

Academic We welcomed a number of talented academics at the start of the year: William Staunton received an academic scholarship and Milan Thapar an academic exhibition. Luke Wiles was also awarded an academic scholarship in the Lower Sixth as well as receiving his Full Colours along with Charlie Heardman.

Drama and Music We have seen a number of musicians getting involved in concerts throughout the year. Ryan

Lam received his music Full Colours blazer and in Drama, Henry Cane put in a brilliant performance in College’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s As You Like It. We look to see him flourish as an actor in the future.

Farewells Sadly, we have to say farewell to Head of House Cameron Stevens and the rest of the Upper Sixth, who have been exemplary role models and have contributed to building the legacy of Boyne House. We also sadly say farewell to other stalwarts; Dr Mallard and Dr Hawkins move to Clifton College and Cheltenham Ladies’ College respectively. They have been hugely popular, approachable, diligent, generous, compassionate and inspirational in equal measure. Dr Copeland-Jordan steps back from his role as Resident Tutor and Assistant Housemaster. We will miss his dry sense of humour, high standards, occasional blast on the drums and sense of fun. Fortunately, he stays on the tutor team! Finally, Mr Delbrooke-Jones leaves us to move east with Miss Knowles as she takes up a job at Eton College. With Miss Knowles living in and Yavi having been born here, Boyne House has long been part of his extended family. The whole family will be sorely missed for their fun, youthful energy, dedication and fancy dress!

House Editor: Edward Calder

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HOUSES

CHANDOS Newman, known for her cooking skills, was extremely helpful during our bake sales which have always ended with a great amount of donations and happy stomachs. In the Spring Term the whole team took part in the charity swim which involved a total of 1,344 lengths in order to swim the distance from England to France. We raised over £1,000 – well above our target! In addition to this, Molly Krauer in Fifth Form made scrubs for NHS workers in Cheltenham.

House Events This year we have taken part in many House family competitions which always have a great atmosphere. Mrs Poulain tested our skills with her marshmallow challenge, which unsurprisingly ended up with our floor being too sticky to walk on! As always Christmas Dinner proved to be a fun night during which, as tradition dictates, staff and pupils alike all relax and begin to unwind from a long, stressful term. Despite the somewhat patchy Secret Santa, the night ended with a great speech and a lot of laughs; typical of our lightheartedness and sense of family.

Academic Chandos is a House filled with determination. Full Colours were awarded to Rachel Zhang, Emily Fowler, Frankie Pinchard, and Half Colours were awarded to Lydia Newman, Robin Wang, Mia Naylor and Julie. The achievements clearly show that Chandos girls have been working to their full potential.

Sport Chandos girls are known for their amusing times during sport events; we may not always win but we certainly end it with a laugh. In the Summer Term we did our own form of sports at home. Several girls including Poppy Williams and Beatrice Cornwell took part in the virtual 5km races while others followed the sports activities set by Mr Marsden. Everyone took part with a smile on their face!

and Lala took part in the lunchtime concerts, which showcased their incredible talents. Duniya Banda was placed first in a prestigious College singing competition where international opera singer, Mr James Gilchrist, acted as judge.

Farewells We said a sad farewell to our Upper Sixth. Mrs Poulain hosted a bitter-sweet Zoom meeting with the girls in which they experienced their journey through College in a beautiful Powerpoint, eliciting both tears and laughter. Head of House Tuesday Roberts sent us all her farewell speech, which was guaranteed smiles and tears. Chandos will be different without these girls but we know they are moving on to the next chapter of their lives, and we wish them the best of luck in the future.

House Editor: Poppy Williams

Drama and Music Chandos has been fortunate with the number of members who are gifted in the performing arts. Frankie Pinchard was given her Full Colours for Drama while Lala Krairit worked on her Music diploma. Many of the girls, including Emma Chan

Charity Our chosen charity this year was the Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre, which we worked hard to support. Lydia

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HOUSES

CHRISTOWE Charity

House Events Despite being apart for the Summer Term, the past year was a very successful and busy one. Christowe continued to build its strong sense of community through numerous events, such as the House family football and dodgeball tournaments. Matrons Mrs Jenni Hyde and Mrs Clair Parker-Butler put up a good fight in the House pool tournament. The Christmas Dinner was highly amusing and enjoyed by all once again, and there were great speeches by Piers Morgan, Gus Milton and Constantin Loesche. Meanwhile all year groups had the opportunity to participate in weekend events, such as minigolf and laser tag.

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

The Prefect team met with representatives from the House charity, Teenagers in Crisis, and established a good relationship with them. Through the sale of Christowe branded hoodies and other merchandise and with the pool tournament entrance fee, we were able to raise more than £60. At the time of writing Christowe had raised more than £1,300 for the whole school charity: a school hall for Gogar Primary School, Kenya by means of the mini-migration 10km challenge. We look forward to building up our charitable efforts in the coming year.

Academic Head of House Piers Morgan was awarded his Full Colours and Thomas Chu is off to University College, Oxford to read Biochemistry (Molecular and Cellular). Congratulations to all the Boyceites for their efforts and successes and we look forward to celebrating the coming year’s accomplishments.

Sport Once again, Christowe’s sporting success does not lie in the main College sports. The House secret lies in the hidden talents of swimming captain Thomas Chu, basketball fanatic Marco Colombo and badminton supremo PK leading us to third, second and first places in House

pots badminton, swimming and basketball respectively. We are looking forward to coming back hard this coming year to build further on our domination of the House pots rowing event.

Drama and Music First place still eludes us in the prestigious House Singing competition, but for the third year in a row, we have been the top-ranking boys’ House; this year performing an excellent rendition of ‘Hey Jude’. The House musical talents do not end there. Henry Green joined JIG in his first year at College and along with three other Boyceites, Stanley Mok, Jasper Chaing and Alex Chow, comprise the biggest House representation in JIG of all the 11 Houses.

Farewells As well as the thoroughly entertaining Upper Sixth leaving this year, we are saying goodbye to three members of House staff: after more than 30 years of service to College, Mr Cook leaves us to take up an exciting leadership position at Peponi School, Kenya; and our Resident Tutors, Mr Freedman and Mr Wilson, who have brought such fun and enthusiasm to their roles over the last three years, are leaving for Australia and the Seychelles respectively.

House Editors: William Hechle and Simon Oates

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HOUSES

COLLEGE LAWN Academic

House Events This was the first year that College Lawn had all five year groups. From trying circus skills in the garden, to falling off the climbing walls at Lunar City, it is safe to say that we had our fair share of good fun. Particularly memorable was the Christmas Dinner where everyone, no matter how stressed or tired from school, came together for a good time. We’ve had loads of evening activities too, particular highlights being Mr P’s baking nights and Mrs M’s nacho nights.

It would be a huge understatement to only call the girls in our House clever; they are so much more than that. We are proud of Donna French, who was awarded a Class Civ prize for her outstanding performance of a passage from Medea at the Gloucestershire Classical Speaking Competition. Fourth Form gained awards in the Biology Olympiad while Half Colours were awarded to Immy Jones, Steph Lau, Victoria Chan, Joyce Lam, Louise James, Sam Wam and Ruby Coull. We are also very proud of Louise, who has been awarded an Academic Exhibition for Upper College.

Charity To raise money and awareness for our chosen charity, Cheltenham Open Door, we bought and re-sold handmade chocolates from a local chocolate-maker to raise funds for our charity. At the end of the Spring Term, we collected food to send to the local food bank run by the Trussell Trust.

Drama and Music A major accomplishment is that we won the annual House Singing competition despite being the smallest House! Our efforts and hard work of rehearsing every lunch break and evening definitely paid off! In other news, in the College singing competition, Sam Wan won first place in the Musical Theatre category. Molly Prothero sang the solo in the Christmas service, Donna French sang in Jazz Band while others performed in the jazz concert and Verdi’s Requiem. JIG members of College Lawn also performed outside our House during the Cheltenham half-marathon, to cheer on those who participated. Nine girls from College Lawn took part in the superb College play, Margaret’s Mind. We mustn’t forget Zara Shaw’s

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

fabulous performance in the Scholar’s Play Love in Idleness. Lastly, other congratulations go to Sam Wam who earned a place at the National Youth Theatre.

Sport Our pupils made impressive progress in sport. Millie Weale and Maria Cowing won Gold in the indoor regional rowing competition and Dina Nejkic participated in the TAP. Honor Huggett and Gaby Bifulco played for the 1st XI hockey, and Honor has been awarded an Upper College Sports Scholarship. Hockey players also won the Plate competition, while in House netball pots our Senior team came third and the Junior team came second. Our Fourth Form came third in the inter-House rowing competition, and the Third Form won the inter-House cross country at the start of the year.

Farewells This year we said goodbye to our very first Upper Sixth: Liv, Iona, Immy, Sophie, Gemma, Zara, Anna. We could not have hoped for a more talented, caring and fun first set of Upper Sixth leavers. We’re sadly also saying goodbye to Freya Haddon who was one of the founders of College Lawn when she joined us in Third Form. Freya has brought so much fun and laughter to the House. Lastly, we say goodbye to Miss Kramer who has cared for us all as a tutor for the last two years. We’ve loved having you in House Miss Kramer! It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to the people who have been very dear to our community and we wish them luck in their new beginnings. Keep in touch; you’ll always be a part of College Lawn!

House Editors: Julia Gellere and Joyce Lam

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HOUSES

HAZELWELL Academic Greenites were very successful in the classroom and adapted well to the new world of remote learning. Bill Ko and Saul Kim earned their Half Colours whilst Nicolas Mediato Diaz received his Full Colours. Nicolas was invited to the British Physics Olympiad training camp at the University of Oxford and is off to the University of Cambridge to read Natural Sciences at Gonville & Caius.

House Events Over this past year and under the wonderful leadership or our brilliant new Housemaster, Mr Hayes, Hazelwell has truly flourished. We have made College headlines in a number of fields, thus highlighting the breadth of talent that we have in the House. Whilst individual successes will be reported here, it is the continued spirit and atmosphere of Hazelwell that makes it such a wonderful place to live. From the support in the audience at this year’s performances and the defiant determination on the rugby field in House pots, to the small acts of every day kindness around the House, every boy should be proud of their contribution to the Hazelwell community. Huge thanks to the Hayes family for all they have done for us this year.

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Sport House resilience and determination was on display across all House pots with both Senior and Fourth Form rugby teams, the Junior swimming and the Senior badminton teams all coming second. Individually we saw success with Fin Wellstead winning the U16 hockey Player of the Season and Will Gilderson finishing as the top goal scorer. Luke Shuttleworth was chosen to represent Gloucester U18 at rugby academy level whilst Tom McCormick signed a professional contract with the Ealing Trailfinders rugby club. In cricket, Will Gilderson represented the Best of Bunbury playing against the West Indies U15 and he has recently joined Gloucester rugby talent pathway, alongside Benjamin Cunningham. Alex Chan represented Gloucester Saxons basketball club and made his senior national league

debut. Most notably, skier Jack Cunningham represented Great Britain at the 2020 Youth Winter Olympics. His highlight was competing in the Olympic Super-G and finishing in the top 20 in the world. Jack is now committing to a full two-year program with Team GB and we wish him the best as he leaves College.

Drama and Music On the stage, Charlie Froud and Freddie O’Neill starred in As You Like It whilst Edward Hartley and Alexander Taylor were both outstanding in the Scholars’ play Love in Idleness. Thomas Bridge and Charlie Froud were male leads in Margaret’s Mind whilst Alexander Taylor, Bill Ko, Bryan Luo and Oscar Chan all played supporting roles. Full Colours in Drama were awarded to Oliver Coker and Edward Hartley. Our contribution to College music continues to be strong with Bryan Luo, Murphy Lee and Oliver Callon Hine notable performers. Travis Ip and Oscar Chan were awarded Full Colours in music. After being named Gloucestershire’s Young Musician of the Year, Bill Ko performed the The Viola Concerto by William Walton with the Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra at the Pittville Pump Room before accepting a place at the National Youth Orchestra.

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Farewells It was sad to see the Upper Sixth leave but they certainly made their mark in Hazelwell and we wish them all the very best for their future endeavors. We also send our best to Mr Dodd who is departing College to teach in Singapore. We would like to thank him for his contribution to Hazelwell as a tutor and the positive role he has played in supporting the House scientists.

House Editor: Alexander Taylor

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HOUSES

LECONFIELD

House Events Despite Porcherites being unable to return for the Summer Term, there were many fond memories made by all. There were two new additions to the House team: Mrs Thomas as matron alongside Mrs Groves, and Mr Diamond who took up residence on the top-floor, stepping into the big shoes left by Mr Lovell. Both new members made great impressions on the boys and their help is appreciated by all. In terms of improvements, our beautiful orchard was re-designed and there are plans for the downstairs snooker room to be turned into a more communal space with a billiards table. At the beginning of the year, the whole House got together for a game of ‘Hunted’ around the College campus which allowed our large intake of new Porcherites to familiarise themselves with the grounds as well as with other members of the House. Several weeks later, the Third Form hosted their counterparts from Hazelwell and Ashmead for a Safari Dinner which certainly enlivened the House that Saturday. We also thoroughly enjoyed our traditional trip to JDR Karting in Gloucester early in the Spring Term and somehow managed to leave with no injuries despite little use of the brakes.

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Charity

Drama and Music

Always at the forefront of generosity, Leconfield raised an impressive £2,015 for the whole school charity: a school hall for Gogar Primary School, Kenya, and despite not being able to walk together, many Porcherites completed their 10km challenge during the sweltering weeks of May. Additionally, the House decided to support The Barefoot Project which provides sports equipment to developing communities. So far, Porcherites have donated over one hundred pairs of good quality hand-me-down shoes which was greatly appreciated by both The Barefoot Project and Mr Evans.

As one of the largest Houses in College, there have been many individual achievements worthy of recognition this year. Thomas Hesketh made an appearance, along with Harry Dawson, Finn Cutts and Ariyan Mediratta in College’s musical Margaret’s Mind. Ariyan also competed in the national ‘Teen Star’ singing competition and, with support from fellow Porcherites, made it to the regional finals. On the music front, despite immense coaching and absolute devotion to practise, Leconfield were once again pushedaside in House Singing– although wounds were salved by pizza afterwards.

Academic

Farewells

Milan Macdonald-Bradley, Pan Vongsurakrai, Matthew Sun and Leo Jamous all gained Sixth Form scholarships. Maths supremo William Gibson is off to read Maths at Pembroke College, Oxford. Although there were no Speech Day prizes to congratulate this year, I’m sure Leconfield would have swept up the awards considering the depth and breadth of talent across the House.

It was with great sadness that Leconfield said goodbye to its Upper Sixth who excelled during their years at College. Head of House Harry Stewart and his Prefect team were both excellent role-models and friends to everyone in Leconfield and the whole House wishes them the best as they move onto bigger, more exciting fields. Leconfield also says goodbye to Alvaro from Fifth Form and we wish him the best in Spain.

Sport

Appointments

In recent years, Leconfield has had a tough season on the sports pitches. However, not this year! In the Autumn and Spring Terms, Leconfield vanquished their opponents in both the Sports Hall and on the football pitch as Porcherites battled their way to victory in both the badminton House pots and retained the football Eminson Cup for the second year. Our Senior hockey team narrowly lost out to Newick House in the final.

Krish Patel was appointed Head of House for the coming year alongside deputies Charles Hellens and Jack Szeto. Krish said: ‘I’m sincerely grateful for this position and hope to not only build on Harry’s legacy but to re-build the House spirit after such a long time apart.’

House Editor: Charles Hellens

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HOUSES

NEWICK HOUSE is only a short walk away from Newick which allowed members of the House to see where the money that we have raised is going and how much it is helping the members of our local community. Our main fundraising event for this academic year was the charity auction held at the Newick and Ashmead House play in the Autumn Term which raised £1,390 for the charity.

Sports House Events It was another fantastic year for Newick with many individuals achieving various different feats and the House as a whole really coming together and having numerous successes across many aspects of College life. This clearly shows the immense talent that the House currently possesses across all year groups. House events included the paint balling trip and the annual trip to the Cotswold Water Park which were both great fun.

Charities Newick decided to support the charity Maggie’s. This charity provides support for those with cancer and their families. Maggie’s in Cheltenham

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Sport has been one of Newick’s main successes year after year and this year has certainly been no exception. Newick was represented at the highest level by numerous Muglistonites across an extremely wide variety of different sports. The Juniors won their rugby House pots whilst the Seniors made it to the final, only losing narrowly. In addition to that success, both the Seniors and Juniors won the House swimming galas. Being represented by some members of the House who had never swum competitively before made us especially proud. Finally, the Senior hockey team finished off by winning the House pots very impressively.

Drama and Music The main event of the past academic year for Newick was the House play, The Witches, performed with Ashmead and skillfully directed

by our very own Resident Tutor, Mr Hollingbury. The play allowed the whole House to get involved in one way or another and was great fun whilst raising a lot of money during the charity auction for both Houses’ chosen charities.

Farewells Newick said goodbye to an Upper Sixth, who were brilliantly led by Dominic Kelly and his deputies, Guy Beazley and Max Sutton along with the whole Prefect team. Sadly, their final year was cut short and there were certainly mixed feelings about not being able to sit the A Levels! Newick also says goodbye to one of our long-standing Tutors, Mr Davies. Mr Davies was Resident Tutor in Newick (2013-2017) and having stepped down from that role three years ago, he has remained very much part of the Newick family and is regularly seen on duty in the evenings every couple of weeks. He will be missed by all of the Muglistonites (especially those who were very grateful for his guidance in the gym!) and we wish him good luck as he leaves College to start a great new job with the prestigious English Institute of Sport. We also say goodbye to Mr Horn who has always been great fun on duty in the evenings. We wish him well as he moves next door to Christowe to become their Resident Tutor.

House Editor: Tom Beazley

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HOUSES

QUEEN’S Homes. They provide day care to people with dementia and we have visited them regularly this year to join in with activities such as quizzes, carol singing and barn dancing but the highlight was when we brought our dogs. This allowed them to reminisce about their past and childhood pets. We raised about £1,000 with our House BBQ, auctions and charity stalls and then a further £250 by hosting a Zoom charity quiz.

Academic House Events We started the year with a friendly yet competitive game of family rounders, a Halloween party and many informal in-House lunches or evening ‘Werewolf’ games. We enjoyed preparing for House Singing, and we came second, but our favourite event always is the performance evening in the Spring Term. There is so much talent in Queen’s, ranging from singing, LAMDA pieces, funny sketches, Zumba and video montages. Parents joined in the fun and it was a night no-one will forget.

Charity Queen’s chosen charity is the Secret Garden Hub, which is affiliated with Lilian Faithfull

In true ‘all round education’ style, Queen’s girls have flourished and contributed to all aspects of College life but academic congratulations go to Grace White and Freya Coull who received their Full Colours and to Scarlett Jinks, Niamh McBride, Sophie Iles, Georgia Morling and Arabella Finch who received their Half Colours. Everyone showed the effort and commitment that is so representative of Queen’s girls’ hardworking attitude. Arabella Finch and Grace White also received prizes for their entries in the Fifth Form essay competition.

Sport We had a strong start, being placed first in the Third Form swimming gala and second in both Junior and Senior hockey House pots, with Imogen Cutts saving a few goals

in her goalie debut. Rebecca Cook was awarded her shooting Half Colours and took the first place in the House shooting competition. Scarlett Jinks gained her netball Half Colours and Meg Knight was awarded her netball blazer, despite recovering from surgery last year! We were placed second in House netball. It was so close; it went down to goal difference. Sadly, we were unable to display our athletic prowess for Sports Day but we are looking forward to making our mark this coming year.

Drama and Music As always, we were strongly represented in the Variety Show with Molly Ropner, Coco Haycraft Mee, Sophie Essenhigh and many more. Arabella Finch took the lead in the Scholars’ Play, Love in Idleness and was awarded her Drama blazer, along with Bella Wilkinson and Taya Suleyman. The school musical, Margaret’s Mind starred Grace Tyler and Niamh McBride, who received their Drama Half Colours. Sophia Vivian was awarded a Sixth Form Drama scholarship and won the Classical singing competition. Niamh McBride and Eliana Hale took to the stage and performed a powerful piece for The Vagina Monologues. However, it is not all about the polished performances; girls can be always heard singing, dancing and playing the piano. The future is bright for the performing arts in Queen’s.

Farewells Mme Bates organised some virtual Speech Day drinks. This was a chance for us to say goodbye to Mrs Mech aka ‘the wonder-woman of College’ and the Upper Sixth, described as a ‘talented, feisty and loveable bunch of girls who have now turned into amazing women’. Speeches were very emotional and meant a lot for all of us, as we remain a community, even when we cannot physically meet. Bella Wilkinson and Tabby Barnes positively referred to ‘the beginning of new chapters in all the leavers’ lives’. We will miss them so much!

House Editors: Darcey Norman, Grace White, Anabelle Wells and Freya Coull

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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HOUSES

SOUTHWOOD

Charity This year, together with Queen’s, we held a BBQ to raise money for Insight, a Gloucestershire based charity. This year, we were able to raise £900 for Insight, which will help them to promote social inclusion and provide facilities and recreational activities, along with advice and support to those who are blind or partially sighted. Earlier in the year we hosted a coffee morning for Macmillan Cancer Support, and we raised £130 from our cake sale. Southwood also raised £772 for the whole school charity: a school hall for Gogar Primary School, Kenya.

Sport The House has had another very successful year on the sports fields, as we proved superior in the Junior Colts’ rugby; a category Southwood

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

has dominated since 2012. The Juniors went on to win the House hockey pots and were runners up in the swimming pots and rugby pots. Southwood was also runner-up in Senior football pots. We’d like to offer massive congratulations to Louis Hillman-Cooper, for his place in the England U18 rugby squad and for being offered a professional Academy contract with Gloucester Rugby. Congratulations must also go to Ed Carter for being selected for the England Hockey Bristol performance centre and Isaac Tagg, who was selected to be part of the Emerging Players programme at Gloucestershire county cricket. Congratulations too go to James Boyle for being this year’s captain of golf, hockey and cricket and for his Full Colours in hockey. Max Pinkham has been awarded Full Colours in swimming while Charlie Anton-Smith was awarded Half Colours in hockey. Final congratulations go to Jasper Lowde for being captain of College’s boat club, Will Buttress as Head of Corps for CCF, Max Morris as Head of the Army section, and Paddy MerheimKealy as Head of the Navy section.

Academic A huge well done to Southwood’s Third Form scholars, Ed Carter and Tom Unsworth, and Sixth Form’s Jude Bridge for his Art Scholarship. George Hardy achieved Full Academic Colours, and was also a part of the very successful Maths Challenge team who were able to be placed second in a national competition of 22 schools. In the national Biology Challenge,

Luke Richardson received a Gold award, Ben Rathbone and Angus Wragg obtained a Silver award, and Jamie Reid received a Bronze award; congratulations to you all!

Drama and Music To add to Southwood’s successful academic and sporting year, Jago MacInnes was awarded a Drama blazer for his outstanding contribution to College Drama and Willoughby Cooke was awarded Drama Half Colours. Freddie Barr was awarded a Music scholarship. Southwood had another successful House music evening with eight wonderful performances from a wide range of year groups. In the Variety Show, there were some great performances from Alexander Knott and Freddie Barr. Thank you and well done to Jago for hosting the event.

Thank You On behalf of the House, I’d like to thank our Matrons Mrs Hutchins and Mrs Thomas for brightening everyone’s mood with warm toast and hot tea and all our tutors for supporting us through the tough weeks. I’d also like to say good luck to Southwood’s next Head of House, Charlie-Anton Smith; we have every faith that he will lead the House to even more success in the coming year!

House Editor: Will Dangerfield

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HOUSES

WESTAL keep the spirits high. A weekly magazine article written by Georgia Jones-Perrott connected us together by showing what everyone was up to. We enjoyed our Westal Weekly Challengeusually set by Mr Lang and the creative approaches to all of the different activities. We were also very honored and proud to have been able to provide accommodation for the NHS workers during lockdown.

Charity House Events Westal held lots of trips and events which were a great success. Some of the highlights include visits to Gloucester rugby, Ninja Warrior UK, Gloucester escape rooms and Bath netball. Other exciting events included kickboxing, sushi making, the Sixth Form charity dinner, burger nights, BBQs, Dr Harris’s game nights and Mr Lang’s quiz nights. The Westal House spirit was not damaged by the time apart but in fact, grew stronger. Through the Summer Term, Westal had weekly challenges, bake-off competitions, and meme competitions as well as having a page full of great reading and song recommendations to

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

We chose to support Meningitis UK. In 2015, tragically, we lost one of our Westal girls, Abi Kelly to meningitis. To raise money, we hosted a casino night in Westal for the Sixth Form. We hired a blackjack table and a roulette table along with croupiers, and people enjoyed the social aspect of the evening. It was an enjoyable night and was a good opportunity to get the Sixth Form together. Everyone who attended donated to the charity and we managed to raise more than £1,100, of which we are extremely proud.

Sport This year was a great year for Westal in terms of sports. We had great success in all House pots and we managed to win Senior hockey,

netball, rackets, badminton and both the Junior and Senior swimming titles. Westal have had seven girls in the hockey 1st XI this year with Abbie Whybrow captaining the team with huge success. They even made it to the quarter final of the National Cup. We also had three girls playing for the netball first team under our Resident Tutor Miss Cook.

Drama and Music In terms of Drama, many Westal girls took part in the whole school production, Margaret’s Mind. Victoria Brain and Geena Capps had their own solo numbers and we were all amazed by Mirabel Evans who took to the College stage as Margaret; the lead role. In terms of Music this year, Westal girls have taken part in a variety of musical events including Tezita Roy-Assen in this year›s harp concert and India Kay in the Variety Show and The Vagina Monologues. Sonya Mo and Aanya Patel took part in the singing competition with Sonya coming second in the musical category and Aanya getting a place in the final. As part of the larger musical groups, Westal girls have had a clutch of solos in choir performances including Victoria Brain, Sonya Mo, and Georgina Hiscock.

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Farewells We say goodbye to a lovely Upper Sixth and we wish them the best with their life beyond College. We congratulate the new leaders in House with Georgia-Lili Robertson as Head of House, Izzy England and Talia Somen as Deputy Heads of House and Izzy Greenwood as Deputy Head Girl.

House Editor: Izzy England

Remembering Varvara Konyaeva In April this year we learned of the tragic news that we had lost a very dear member of the Westal family. Varvara’s considerable achievements and many contributions to College life are easy to recall, and her genuine passion for learning, her clever sense of humour and, most importantly, her sincere kindness will reside in the forefront of every pupil and teachers minds when they think of her. She was a unique and incredibly stylish individual who matched intellectual flare and ambition with a friendly warmth and a kind and caring soul. We all miss her with great sadness. Our thoughts and prayers extend to Varvara’s family who will always have a home in Westal and in College, and to her Westal sisters and her friends across all other Houses, to whom she was so close.

Mrs Amy Lang, Westal Housemistress

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HOUSES

CHELTONIAN SOCIETY President of the Cheltonian Society more so. Sadly, the AGM in early March 2020, when the formal transition of Presidents was supposed to occur, never happened courtesy of a certain pandemic. The Committee never had the chance to say a personal thank you for his contribution, which I am sure would have been warm and unanimous. In another goodbye, I also want to highlight the departure of Rebecca Creed who has been a mainstay for the Society team for 13 years. She was instrumental in the Society’s development over this period and the organiser behind so many highly enjoyable events. All done with much good humour and enthusiasm.

It’s a pleasure and honour to be writing this foreword as the new President of the Cheltonian Society, in an equally new format of The Cheltonian and Floreat together. It is entirely appropriate that the two come together and I am very much looking forward to the Cheltonian Society working ever more collaboratively with College and The Prep in the coming years. First, we should all say thank you to my predecessor, Robin Badham-Thornhill (H, 1973, past staff and past Council member). In his first year as President, under his careful stewardship, the former Cheltonian Association and Old Cheltonian Society finally merged into one. This made perfect sense then and now, even

For the year up to March, Rebecca and the team had organised the usual round of events, with the highlights being the OC 25-year reunion and first ever Burns Night Dinner. Since March of course, all has been quiet on the events front. No doubt, we all look forward to the time when we can get back together once again. The Cheltonian Society represents and acts to support the interests of OCs, current and past parents and staff, the Council and friends of College. It is a wide and diverse stakeholder group, across many age groups and from across the globe, so not without its challenges! In the coming years the Society Committee membership will evolve to reflect these stakeholders and also importantly includes Sebastian Bullock (Cheltonian Society and Development Director) and the permanent Cheltonian Society team. I and the current

Committee look forward to the opportunity to build on the work done by past Committees, and to become an ever-more integrated part of and facilitator of the College family and eco-system. The Society’s focus for now should be threefold. First, we have a very relevant role to play in supporting a professional network for current and recent pupils in an increasingly competitive job market. Second, we will continue to be the focal point for Society-related events, from Society Sports through House Reunions to wider, cross-College community celebratory occasions. Third and finally, we will look to leverage social media and the multiple communication channels available, such as LinkedIn, to build awareness of the Society and thus by association, College. If you want to know more about the Society, have ideas for how the Society can better support the interests of its afore-mentioned stakeholders, or wish to make an active contribution, please do reach out to the Society office at society@cheltenhamcollege.org or 01242 265 694. I hope you will enjoy reading this combined edition of The Cheltonian and Floreat and I look forward to meeting some of you at an event in the coming year. The sooner the better!

Mr David Stewart (OJ & H, 1978, past parent and past Council member)

Cheltonian Society Committee The affairs of the Society are managed by members of the Committee, appointed in accordance with the rules of the Society in consultation with the Head of College. In addition to the AGM held in September, there is a Committee meeting each March, as well as additional working group meetings.

Current members of the Cheltonian Society Committee are: David Stewart, President (OJ & H, 1978, past parent and past Council member)

Anthony Holt (Xt, 1994)

Tim Swainson (Xt, 2001)

Darawati Hussain (current parent and wife of OC)

Charles Wyn-Davies (BH, 2008)

John Barter (NH, 1989 and current parent) Helen Burgoyne (Ch, 1987 and Chair of CET)

Caroline Noble (current parent and wife of OC)

Lucy Caines (W, 2010)

Piers Norton (S, 2016)

Sebastian Bullock (CS & Development Director and Hon OC)

Abi Coley (current parent and Prep staff)

Paul Partridge (H, 1986)

Malcolm Sloan (CS Secretary and Hon OC)

Matt Dawson (current Prep staff)

Lucy Shackell (Q, 2014)

Sarah Thompson (CS Lead)

Alex Eldred (current College staff)

Tunku Nasiruddin Shahabuddin (Xt, 1987 and current parent)

Kate Human (CS & Development Administrator)

Georgina Gardner (Q, 2015)

Ivan Yuen (H, 1986)

George Smith (BH, 2010 and current staff)

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CHELTONIAN SOCIETY EVENTS 2021 Events have been a real feature of the Cheltonian Society in recent years and we very much hope that if the Covid-19 restrictions allow, we will be able to warmly welcome you to the following events.

Sunday 11 April

Andoversford Races, Cheltenham

Saturday 19 June

Thursday 27 May Cheltonian Society Spring Drinks, The Travellers Club, 106 Pall Mall

July (date tbc)

Old Cheltonians Day, College

Cheltenham Cricket Festival, College

Saturday 18 September

Thursday 21 October

1995 and 1996 Old Cheltonians Reunion Dinner, College

Thursday 18 November

Cheltonian Society Malaysia Reception, Kuala Lumpur

Thursday 2 December

Cheltonian Society Thailand Reception, Bangkok

Thursday 25 November

Cheltonian Society Hong Kong Reception

We are also planning a series of early evening talks for current parents by our younger Old Cheltonians at College. Please see the Cheltonian Society website for updates, www.cheltoniansociety.org or contact Sarah Thompson on 01242 265 694 or s.thompson@cheltenhamcollege.org

Christmas Drinks, Memsahib Gin and Tea, Cheltenham BACK TO CONTENTS

CHELTONIAN SOCIETY

FEATURE

How Can I Make Things Better? Tunku Halim Abdullah (H, 1982) ‘I’d like you all to tell me what I can do to improve College.’ The middle-aged man stared at us from across his desk, eyes glimmering, waiting for an answer. I was in the Fourth Form and sitting three rows back from our new English teacher, the recently appointed Headmaster, Richard Morgan. I felt surprised and honoured that the Headmaster would ask us, we lowly Fourth Formers, of what he could do to improve our school. Hands immediately shot up and, not waiting to be asked, a couple of voices said ‘The food!’ Everyone nodded. Yes, it was the food. Richard Morgan frowned. ‘Is it really that bad?’ ‘Yes!’ everyone said. But Richard Morgan didn’t want our opinions just for the sake of asking it because, a few weeks

later, it seemed that a switch had been flicked and suddenly there was a big improvement on what was served in the Dining Hall. The dishes were a lot tastier and there was a greater variety to choose from. I was impressed. It felt as though we, his English Fourth Form pupils, had made a positive difference. He asked our opinion and then acted on it. Of course, he had probably asked many others this same question and received the same response. That was not important. What was vital was that we were asked, listened to and positive action was taken. This memory from 1979 is significant and sticks in the brain 41 years later because it takes a certain humility and open-mindedness to ask that question.

How can I make things better? Our ego tells us that we know best, that we have all the answers. Which, of course, is simply not true. I cannot recall any political leader asking their citizens: ‘How can I make our country a better one?’ Or perhaps of greater importance, the question: ‘How can I make your lives better?’ To pose this very question exhibits a certain level of humility because the Headmaster, Prime Minister or whoever it is that is in a leadership position is implicitly saying: I don’t have the answers. I value your opinion. I need your help. Most of us believe we know the answers or, even if we don’t, will pretend that we do. Ten years later, as a young lawyer in Kuala Lumpur, I was not worldly enough to know that such pretence is perhaps de rigeur in the working world. Perhaps such a lack of worldliness is the reason I resigned from Oracle, the US $40 billion company, and then left bustling Sydney, where I had worked as the company’s Legal Counsel. Our young family then moved to Tasmania, settling in a house beside the Derwent River where I spent many an hour looking out for dolphins. I have spent most of my life now as a writer. Whenever I finish writing a short story, a novel or a non-fiction book, I ask the question of no one in particular. ‘What can I do to make this better?’ I’m not lucky enough to see the hands of Fourth Formers shooting up but the memory tells me that I don’t have all the answers.

Tunku Halim at College

Tunku Halim in U6, outside his Hazelwell study bedroom

Tunku Halim now

Tunku Halim’s latest book

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

The author writes under the name Tunku Halim. His latest work includes the collection of short stories Scream to the Shadows, the novel A Malaysian Restaurant in London and a biography A Prince Called ‘Charlie’.

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Christopher Hartley-Sharpe (Cheltondale, 1980) Engineering. Even this did not reach the levels of practicality that I craved, so I subsequently ended up working in countryside management in the Newcastle area, re-wilding former coalmine sites.

Chris at College

Chris now

I started at the now non-existent Cheltondale House in 1975, following in the footsteps of my father Richard Hartley-Sharpe (Cheltondale, 1953) and my grandfather Arthur Hartley-Sharpe (Cheltondale, 1919). My years at College were largely unremarkable. I was good at the sciences and poor at languages, and never could work out why I was obliged to study Latin instead of Geography. I enjoyed rugby, despite breaking my collar bone in my first term (which rather limited my early attempts to learn to play a musical instrument) but was much less interested in the summer sports, and finally negotiated that I could pursue my interest in photography instead. In the days when this involved photographic film, a darkroom and lots of chemicals, it was a much more timeconsuming activity, but I still occasionally have the satisfaction of coming across photographs that I remember taking in some of the older Cheltonian publications. Keen to do something more practical than theoretical with my Science A Levels, I went to the University of Newcastle to study Mechanical

However, with the combined influences of sharing a house with medical students and being a member of the North of the Tyne Search and Rescue Team, I suddenly decided to apply for the Northumbria Ambulance Service, and ended up training to be a Paramedic. In 1995, after taking a sabbatical to do medical research in Melbourne with my wife Helen, we moved to London and I joined the ambulance service there. Since then I have undertaken a number of roles, including being the Operations Manager for Central London for the period that included the terrorist attacks of 2005. My research experience gained in Australia has enabled me to spend much of my time undertaking operational development, and introducing new systems and working practices. My projects have included: the introduction of emergency call prioritisation; the development of a telephone advice system for low acuity calls (this subsequently became NHS Direct, now known as the 111 service); and even the introduction of cycle responders. More recently this led me to the development of volunteer responders and my current role as Head of First Responders, for which I am responsible for volunteer Emergency Responders, Community First Responders, public access defibrillators, co-responding organisations (e.g. the Metropolitan Police Service and

Hatzola), and the development of the GoodSAM Responder smartphone app.

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From Saving Memories to Saving Lives Alongside this, Helen and I have been volunteering to provide healthcare in African countries (Helen was born in Tanzania) and since 2008 we have worked with a charity (ashantidevelopment.org) operating in central Ghana. We lead on the development of sustainable healthcare projects, are now both directors of the charity, and I recently became the Chairman. Indeed, we were in Ghana when the Covid-19 lockdowns started and we only just managed to get one of the last flights back to the UK! I returned to an ambulance service for which the demand had tripled to 11,000 patients a day, and had significant levels of staff sickness. Within a week we had initiated the recruitment of over 1,300 temporary staff to support frontline services, including airline cabin crew assisting with our emergency call handling, and existing volunteer responders being upskilled to work with Paramedics on emergency ambulances. We also established a helpline for staff who became ill, with volunteers handling the calls and delivering home self-test kits for staff who were too ill to attend national testing centres. Initiatives that have been standing us in good stead as we tackle the second wave of the pandemic. When we are not at work, Helen and I manage a livery stable which we own near Chichester, and enjoy overseas travel, including undertaking the trek to Everest Base Camp in November 2019.

Chris undertaking voluntary medical work in Ghana

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Chris and Helen at Everest Base Camp

CHELTONIAN SOCIETY

FEATURE

Building an Equitable World Shona Ramchandani (Ch, 2001)

Shona at College

Shona now

Picture this: I’m seated, cross-legged, on a cold hard floor in an all-girls’ boarding school classroom in a small town called Dehradun, in the foothills of the Himalayas. The soft sunlight glints off the smartly dressed gentleman at the front of the room, who is showing us technicolor pictures of a gorgeous, castle-like boarding school, for which he is soliciting the first class of international students. The year is 1998, and the man standing in front of us is Headmaster Paul Chamberlain of Cheltenham College. Little did I know then how much that moment, and this gentleman, would change my life forever, by offering me an opportunity that surpassed my wildest dreams. A year later, I’m on a flight of many firsts - my first international, solo flight, my first escalator, and

my first (Indian) celebrity sighting - all en route to the two years that continue to be a highlight of my life! At College, more firsts - blood pudding (happy to have since discovered more of Britain’s better cuisines), Chapel on Sundays (which ended up being mostly the international student contingent) and an on-campus pub (I definitely won points on that with my friends back home)! Not to mention a world-class faculty who inspired me in so many ways, especially in my continuing passion for Biology, Theatre and English. Then - writing credits in the Cheltenham Literature Festival, being cast in various plays (proudest moment: winning the sought-after Drama tie!), discovering new loves in squash, cricket and rowing (not to mention... boys!), and, of course, thrilling in the wonders of the High Street! What a time of discovery and difference, of lifelong friendships, and of memories that feel like yesterday when I step back on those hallowed grounds. After my A Levels, my experiences with a world I’d only read about in books before the age of 16 now ignited my interest in seeing the world. I ended up where I am located now, in Minnesota in the United States, by way of a short stay in the

Shona and Caritta Lin (Ch, 2001) in U6 at the Christmas Ball and at a Diwali celebration in the US in 2019

United Arab Emirates the summer I graduated from Cheltenham. As it so happens, September 11, 2001 marked my third day of University, and of course, an earth shattering re-alignment of the world as we now know it. While I had always been interested in equity and social justice, unbeknownst to me then, this moment served to cement my growing experiences of ‘difference’ into a lifelong vocation. My otherness had first become salient as an international student in Britain, but my American (and subsequent other, international) experiences gave me the language and the knowledge to understand the power of being able to navigate differences with depth and effectiveness. Today, I work globally as a Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Consultant in my own firm, Chrysalis Consulting Collaborative. I successfully help global corporations, educational institutions and non-profit organisations to work better, more efficiently and more profitably by helping people to genuinely embrace, support - and leverage - each other’s unique identities. Who knew that these seeds of navigating global cultures, planted thanks to College when I was but a delighted teenager, would bloom into a lifelong passion for helping people to build an equitable world?

Shona and Shivani Somaia (A, 2001) in the Ashmead dorms in L6

Shona with (left) Jonnie Clough (S, 2001) and (right) Tom Barfield Grainger (OJ & BH, 2001) in U6 at their final Drama Awards dinner and together at Tom’s wedding in 2017

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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Lynn Rowland (Xt, 1962, past parent and past Council member) In 1954 my parents moved me from my Welsh valley primary school to The Wells House, a boys’ preparatory school situated halfway up the Malvern Hills. Here the regime was pretty tough with cold baths in the morning, runs before breakfast and a Headmaster who was not inclined to spare the rod! However, we all liked and respected him for he had our best interests at heart, instilling in us tremendous confidence in all we did. Sport was extremely strong, and I was fortunate to be part of the 1955 rugby team which won every school match without a point scored against. One highlight of the school year was the river picnic, when the whole school was taken to Tewkesbury and put on a flotilla of rowing boats. The first stop was Twyning, where the whole school bathed nude in the River Avon; there was, of course, no Health and Safety in those days! In 1957, I arrived at Christowe, together with 14 other new boys. My time there and indeed at College was most productive and enjoyable. I remember being extremely well cared for by Harry and Jacqui Boutflower, especially when my father died very suddenly when I was just 16. Two members of staff to whom I was also grateful were Jim Greenwood who brought me on as a rugby player (I was College captain

Mortar board celebration when College scores, 1961

Lynn at College

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in 1962) and also Malcolm Mennie, a brilliant Geography teacher who did much to ensure I achieved a place at Oxford. I felt extremely privileged to spend four years at that great university even if, on one occasion, I feared for my life when being chased down the High Street by a gaggle of screaming girls who had mistaken me for George Harrison, the Beatle. My first teaching job was at Felsted School, a school similar to College but with a penchant for producing great cricketers and hockey players. I went there as they needed someone to coach rugby and my interview for the job was quite extraordinary. The Headmaster and I talked rugby for half an hour and then he offered me the job. I explained to him I wanted time to consider it and, as I was leaving his study, he asked, ‘By the way, I quite forgot to ask you, what is it that you teach?’. My four years at Felsted were most enjoyable but, in the first week, the school Steward approached me stating it was part of his role to issue new members of staff with correcting rods! I stated I had no need for one, but he insisted. In his office he had a cabinet with a door which sprang open, revealing four different canes, each with an individual name. I remember two, Stout Stanley and Whippy Will, the latter I was told being very popular in West African schools; that is the one I opted for although I never actually applied it to an individual. However, I did keep it on my classroom desk and, whenever I lifted or touched it, it was remarkable how quiet and compliant the class became! In 1972, I moved to The Royal Wolverhampton School and gained valuable experience working under two Headmasters, the first impervious to any change and the second quite the opposite. I remember particularly two members of staff. Firstly, the librarian who only occasionally opened the library in case the boys polluted the

Lynn at College

books and, secondly, the senior Housemaster who would sometimes suddenly appear from bushes or jump down from a tree to cries of ‘gotcha matey’ as he arrested boys who were smoking.

FEATURE

A Not-So-Typical Life in Education

In 1984, on becoming Head of The Richard Pate School in Cheltenham, I was extremely pleased to have the opportunity to make the transition from secondary to primary education. I spent 22 very happy years at RPS with delightful children and extremely supportive staff, parents and governors. Upon my retirement in 2006, I joined College Council and subsequently The Cheltonian Endowment Trust which has meant I have been able to give a little back to the place that did so much for me. It was good to renew my acquaintance with Ian Wright (past staff) whom I had known from Felsted days when he was master i/c rugby at Bishop’s Stortford College. I remember him walking towards me at the end of one of the early College matches and saying, ‘I know you so well but have quite forgotten your name.’ I had not seen Ian for about 15 years but soon began refereeing school matches for him for several years thereafter. Another person to impress me was Phil Davies, a larger than life character who was then Head of CCJS. We used to share transport to attend IAPS meetings and, on one occasion, we were travelling back from Oxford and discussing prep schools. I happened to mention The Wells House and Phil asked in a loud voice, ‘You didn’t go to that awful place, did you? When I first came to The Junior and we played them at sport, especially rugby football, I always regarded them as the lions from the hills and we were the lambs to the slaughter.’ I thought that was splendid coming from a former England player and British Lion. ‘That’s just about right, Phil.’, I replied.

Lynn’s 60th at The Richard Pate School

CHELTONIAN SOCIETY

FEATURE

The Four Rs Dr Ken Yeang (NH, 1966)

Ken at College

Ken now

The most compelling issue today that all humanity, not just architects and designers, must address is the extensive damage that human society has inflicted on the Planet’s natural systems. Aerial pollution from the burning of nonrenewable fossil fuels has affected the Earth’s biogeochemical cycles causing global climate change and the rise in global temperature and sea levels. Human society’s other deleterious acts of impairment include extensive deforestation that causes loss of biodiversity and reduction in Nature’s ability to provide ecosystem services. Besides these, there are a multitude of other callous acts on the natural environment. Scientists inform us that humanity does not have much time to repair, recover and to save our planet. Their studies indicate we have perhaps 10 years or less. I have added a fourth R to the old saw of the Three Rs that we are taught at schools -

Solaris, Singapore

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

Reading, Writing and ‘Rithmetic. The fourth is ‘Rchitecture’ because after College I went on to study Architecture. After graduating I went on to do post-graduate research for a doctorate at the University of Cambridge. My dissertation topic was ‘ecological design’, designing for a sustainable future for human society and for all species and their environments on Earth. The dissertation subsequently became the agenda for my life’s work as an architect in designing for environmental resilience. In the early years, design had been preventive, to minimise negative impacts of building on the natural environment, but in the intervening period until the present, humanity has inflicted such extensive damage to the planet’s natural systems that designing has now become no longer just mitigating negative impacts but a race and a rescue mission. Concurrent with work as an architect, I have continued researching, which is rewarding as it engenders ideas for my architectural work. I have adopted a ‘cyclic’ process where investigative research work generates propositions, that lead to inventing novel design ideas, which are then implemented in my building projects to the extent possible, which then further leads to new discoveries, where the outcomes are evaluated and put in my writings and books. The entire cycle of researching-designing-buildingevaluating-writing is then repeated, although not always continuously and in strict sequence, as the process is often interrupted by the vicissitudes of professional practice.

My recent book (published 2020) is Saving the Planet By Design – Reinventing our World Through Ecomimesis (Routledge, UK). It discusses three propositions for designing for our resilient future: Ecocentricity, where designing must be based on the science of Ecology; Ecomimicry, where our built environment must be designed and remade to emulate and replicate ecosystem attributes to become Nature-like; and that ecological design is the biointegrating of a set of four ecological infrastructures – Nature (and its natural systems as an infrastructure), Human Society (and its social-economic-political-institutional systems), the Built Environment (including all our technologies and artefacts), and the Planet’s Hydrology (being Nature’s water cycle, involving closing the loop in the use of water in the built environment and enabling the recharging of ground water).

About Ken Yeang Dr Ken Yeang is the Executive Director at T.R. Hamzah and Yeang Sdn Bhd. He is both an architect and ecologist, known for his ecologybased eco-architecture and masterplans that have a distinctive verdant green aesthetic. He is particularly known for his ‘bioclimactic skyscrapers’ that use recycled water, solar technology and vegetation growing up the outside of the building. Ken Yeang trained at the Architectural Association School (UK) and his doctorate is from the University of Cambridge on ecological architecture and planning. He has authored more than 12 books on green architecture. Awards received include the Aga Khan Award, Malaysian Institute of Architects Gold Medal, Malaysian Government’s Merdeka Award. He holds the Plym Distinguished Professorship (Illinois University). In 2008, he was named by the Guardian ‘one of the 50 people who could save the planet.’

Book cover for Saving the Planet By Design

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FEATURE

Bundle Beds: Sleep Anywhere Lucy Bartlett (née Solari) (Ch, 2004 and past staff) I love camping, I love travelling, I absolutely love having friends round to stay… but most of all, I LOVE a good night’s sleep. (Even more so now that I am a mother of two cheeky boys!) Frustrated that portable beds were either uncomfortable or too bulky, and involved a hunt for spare bedding and fiddly equipment that took ages to set up, I set out to change this by creating the Bundle Bed. It’s been a rather interesting journey, and I’ve learned so much, so here is my story so far...

low-quality sleep. ‘There must be a better way of doing this?’.

The idea for Bundle Beds came to me when I was in the Australian outback... I slept surprisingly well out there. Why? Because of my camping swag. I loved the fact that these roll-out beds were cosy and comfortable, felt like my bed at home and were super easy to set up – wherever I happened to end up. The only problem was that it was flipping huge!

Enough was enough. It was time for a good night’s sleep!

Once back in the UK, and working as a nanny, I faced quite the challenge: how to make five beds for five kids fit in one room for the monthly sleepover. It was a time consuming and exhausting process, followed by the painful pack-down the next morning in the presence of five over-tired children, frazzled by a night of

The final straw came whilst on a camping trip in Wales. Four adults, one VW polo…WAY too much stuff! The main culprit being - as usual - the bedding. The airbeds of course deflated overnight and, whilst being painstakingly reinflated, this precious bedding lay festering in a damp and murky puddle, leaving it cold, wet and less than inviting.

I spent quite a long time trying to make a prototype in my garden shed from a large piece of foam, waxed cotton and some random reindeer patterned Christmas bedding that I’d managed to find at the bottom of my parents’ laundry cupboard! It became apparent pretty quickly that I was not a natural seamstress, and therefore the finished article was rather embarrassing! However, it did the job of illustrating my vision, and gave me a basic template from which to work. The next steps came alongside a move to Brunei (my husband is a teacher and started a job at Jerudong International School). Amazingly, just down the road from where we were living, was a factory that agreed to prototype the product for me. They produced a far superior sample to anything that I could create, and following on from that, they agreed to manufacture the first run of Bundle Beds. Bundle Beds launched on Kickstarter in 2016, reaching the target of £25,000 within 48 hours and ending the campaign with almost three times the goal amount. The website was then live, and beds started rolling out of the warehouse. The birth of Bundle Beds was followed by the birth of two baby Bartletts, Arthur (just as the

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Lucy at College

Lucy now

Kickstarter campaign ended in 2016) and Dougal (in 2018). It won’t surprise you that having kids and starting a business is utterly exhausting, and perhaps not the quickest route to success, however we learned a lot and grew slowly in those first three years. Production in Brunei was fantastic, but the logistics from there were not so simple. So, after a couple of failed attempts with Chinese factories, and coinciding with our family move to Switzerland, we brought production closer to home. Our beds are now made in Turkey, along with almost all of the materials and components of the bed. In March 2020, Bundle Beds became a family run team, with my awesome brother Rob joining the business. Rob also has two boys of a similar age to mine and appreciates the need for easy products that allow for a great night’s sleep when out and about with the kids. We’re excited to have launched with Joules at the end of 2020 and have a large outdoor retailer taking us on in the next few months. 2021 looks set to be the year of camping and staycations, so we are looking to launch a new product in the Spring, and hope that the next year will be a big one for us... Watch this space! To find out more please visit www.bundlebeds.com or email hello@ bundlebeds.com. We’re delighted to offer Cheltonian Society members 10% off the beds. Please use code CHELT10 at checkout.

CHELTONIAN SOCIETY

FEATURE

A Life in Mountains Rob Collister MBE (H, 1965) I am retired now but I spent all my working life in mountains, initially as an outdoor pursuits instructor at Ogwen Cottage and Plas y Brenin, the national mountain centre, in North Wales but for the last 30 years as a self-employed mountain guide. This was a profession that took me all over the world leading some very exciting and adventurous climbing and skiing expeditions until I became aware of the size of my carbon footprint and began to cut down on the amount of flying I was doing. For the last 12 years or so I confined my activities to the Alps, which was no great hardship, and still regularly travel out to Switzerland by train which I find far more comfortable and less stressful than flying. As a job, the life of a mountain guide inevitably creates tensions for a family because of the frequent absences and it does not make you wealthy, or even well-to-do â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sending my children to a private school was never an option. But, overall, I have no regrets and I like to think I have enriched the lives of many by sharing the wonders and beauty of the natural world. I am not sure why I was drawn to mountains from a very early age as no one else in my family was interested but it was at College that the foundations were laid for my future career. I learned to ski on a winter trip to Zermatt, not the sort of resort usually frequented by school parties but there had been an outbreak of typhoid the previous year and, in the aftermath, hotels were offering accommodation at knock-

down prices. Blowing the dust off long-forgotten photograph albums, I am reminded that I did a Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award expedition in the Cairngorms in 1963. I can recall very little of it apart from pouring rain and excruciating earache which ended in my travelling home early and being told by the doctor that I should avoid outdoor activities of that sort in future. The following year found me doing my DofE Gold expedition on the Isle of Skye and loving it. I have a vivid memory of sitting by a driftwood fire on the shores of Loch Scavaig and suddenly realising that inquisitive seals were rearing up out of the water to see what was going on.

My introduction to rock climbing was on the same camp. I was taken up a 1,000ft gully in the Cuillin Ridge which I found disappointingly tame until we emerged onto the crest of the Main Ridge to see Loch Coruisk far below and the Hebrides scattered about the sea before us. In that moment I was hooked for life. Other photos show a group

Rob on Duke of Edinburgh, Isle of Skye, 1964

Rob perched at the top of Devilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chimney, Leckhampton Hill, 1964

Working as mountaineer for the British Antarctic Survey

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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Despite my Housemaster, John Bowes, telling me more than once to, ‘stop being such a Tarzan’, I somehow scraped into Cambridge where I confess to devoting more of my energy to climbing (often on buildings at night) than

Working as mountaineer and dog-driver for the British Antarctic Survey

to my studies. I do not feel too guilty about this as the experience gained in the Alps and the Himalayas over three long vacations led directly to my first job. This was as mountaineer and dogdriver with the British Antarctic Survey which left me quite unsuited for anything but an outdoor life in the future. During the 1970s I kept in touch with College and helped out on several CCF camps on Skye organised by the inimitable David George. On the last one, in 1976, my wife Netti, pregnant with our first child, came along too. The Gold expeditioners were camped at the head of Loch Coruisk and, after checking that all was well, Netti and I moved down to a small bothy by the sea. A violent storm blew up and in the middle of the night a cold and bedraggled group of lads burst into the hut badly in need of hot drinks and blankets. Staying at the hut next day was a non-

Camp in Kashmir

starter as there was no way of drying wet clothes and sleeping bags; but the obvious escape routes were barred to us as the Scavaig River was a raging torrent and quite uncrossable. Instead, we had to wade across the Mad Burn where it enters the sea and take the steep, ill-defined route back along the coast to Glen Brittle which I had last done on my own Gold expedition 12 years earlier. It was even more arduous this time and, in retrospect, must have been a close-run thing with some of the party on the verge of collapse. I remember carrying two rucksacks the last few miles and being hugely impressed by my wife’s fortitude and ability to raise the spirits of the boys. Approaching our golden wedding, nothing has changed there! After that, work and family life took precedence and I lost contact with Cheltenham until very recently but writing this has made me aware of how much I owe to my time at College.

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of us climbing and abseiling on Castle Rock near Cheltenham and, on another occasion, three of us making a clandestine visit to the Devil’s Chimney on Leckhampton Hill. One picture shows me perched uneasily on top, wondering how on earth I was going to get back down. Another time, climbing came in handy when I was able to sit very quietly on a branch 30 feet up a tree while an angry gamekeeper harangued my friends at the foot of it. In 1965, my last year at College, the CCF camp was held on the Isle of Arran where, despite appalling weather which saw us washed out of our camp-site and into a local village hall, we managed some more climbing as well as lots of hill-walking.

Rob ski touring in 2010

End of the Cuillin Main Ridge

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CHELTONIAN SOCIETY

FEATURE

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Katherine Wyn-Davies (W, 2011) born. Whilst studying I would burn scented candles and I began to get headaches from them. When I looked into the ingredients, I was shocked to find the poor and toxic ingredients within the candles that I was burning, and they always produced a lot of soot. I knew there had to be a better way to make candles! For a year I researched the best methods and experimented with many different ingredients before, finally, Elinor Sophia (elinorsophia.com) was born. Katherine at College

Katherine now

I started at College back in 2006 and I still have very fond memories of my days there. I was lucky to be surrounded by great friends and teachers who encouraged me. I especially loved Textiles, History of Art and Business Studies. It was during a Business Studies lesson that the seed was planted that one day I could have my own business. After College I went on to study at KLC School of Interior Design in London, where I gained my BA (Hons) degree. I wasn’t certain what I wanted to go on to do, so I decided to do a Masters. I went on to study an MSc at Oxford Brookes in Historic Conservation. It was during this time that the idea for my new business was

Elinor Sophia is a sustainable fragrance company. I manufacture all of the candles with a natural wax blend of soy, rapeseed and beeswax. It took me many, many experiments to find the perfect wick and wax for the process. They are scented with fine fragrance oils and the other products within the range are also made with renewable ingredients. I think it is important to spread the word about the benefits of using sustainable, non-toxic ingredients, as so many people aren’t aware that the ‘luxury’ products they are buying are made with cheap and toxic ingredients. Before the pandemic I was working in partnership with Savills doing pop-up shops at their buildings in London – these were such fun, interacting with customers and getting to meet

so many great people. It is a real shame that they have had to stop due to Covid, but hopefully this is just for now. This means that now my business is 100% online – it’s tough as the social media platforms where you can advertise are now very saturated with many small to medium sized businesses, but it is exciting when you see your efforts come to fruition. I have just been awarded the ‘Young Entrepreneur Of The Year’ award by the WOBAs (West Oxfordshire Business Awards). I am absolutely thrilled with this award and very excited for the future of Elinor Sophia. I hope to spread the word even more about the dangers of some of the toxic products out there in the industry and hopefully convert many more people to natural ingredients. I would like to encourage students at College to follow their passion, even if it’s not what your friends are doing, or the standard path that many will follow. You should ‘go for it’ and you will make a success of it – just work hard, follow your dream and anything is possible! To find out more please visit www.elinorsophia.com @elinorsophialtd

Freshly poured candles

Elinor Sophia diffuser

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

Elinor Sophia ‘Christmas in the Cotswolds’ candle

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Mark Stevenson (Cheltondale, 1981) Covid-19 has made 2020 a unique year for all of us. This year for me has been a particularly intense one supporting governments and healthcare systems around the world scale Covid-19 diagnostic Mark at College testing. I have led my company’s response to this shared global pandemic. I expect this will continue as ‘testing to control spread’ continues to be an important contribution to how we can all return to a more normal life in 2021. I am Chief Operating Officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, based in the United States at our HQ in Boston. With a mission to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer, we have 75,000 colleagues globally developing innovative technologies. We are the leading manufacturer of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based diagnostic tests and early in 2020, we developed a very sensitive assay to detect Covid-19. We have scaled manufacturing capacity to supply testing to labs around the world. I was contacted by the UK Government and met the Prime Minister in early March at No 10 Downing Street to discuss supporting three initial mega ‘Lighthouse’ labs in the UK for Covid testing. We provided

technology for those labs and are now working to provide more automated systems to further meet growing testing needs. My life journey since leaving College has been quite a global adventure. After College I studied Science, Chemistry and Microbiology, at the University of Reading and then completed an MBA at Henley Management College. I joined a scientific instrument company that was developing technology to sequence the human genome. I moved with the company to Stockholm, Tokyo, and then San Francisco, becoming President of the company. After that company was acquired, I moved again with the new company to San Diego in Southern California and then Boston. My wife and I have three children with a very global view having now worked and lived on three continents. We maintain a house in the UK as we still enjoy visiting to stay in touch with family and friends. This year, it will be 40 years since I left College. When I reflect on my time in College, I realise I was exposed to many different ideas and opportunities. Gerald Vinestock, my Housemaster in Cheltondale, created a great atmosphere for boys learning, living and having fun together and I made some great friends. I took full advantage of the breadth of extracurricular sport and music activities from playing rugby, rowing and playing the trombone in the orchestra. I left College not being sure of a

specific career, but with an intellectual curiosity to learn about healthcare and the life sciences and with confidence to explore the world of opportunities.

FEATURE

Mobilising a Response for Covid-19

Mark met with the Prime Minister to discuss Thermo Fisher Scientific’s support of mega ‘Lighthouse’ labs for COVID testing, March 2020

Mark in his Cheltondale room

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CHELTONIAN SOCIETY

FEATURE

How a U-48 Sent Me to College Gordon Mellor (H, 1947 and past parent) Late in the evening of 17 September 1940 the steam passenger ship SS City of Benares, with 90 children being evacuated from Britain to Canada among the passengers, was sighted by the German submarine U-48 commanded by Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Bleichrodt. Two torpedoes were fired, both missing. At 00.01 hours a third torpedo was fired which hit Benares, causing her to sink very quickly, 235 miles west of Rockall. Of the 90 evacuees on board, 73 died of exposure on lifeboats or were missing presumed lost at sea. My father had applied for me to be on board. However, I was instead assigned to be on the next boat, which was immediately cancelled by Winston Churchill, along with the whole Children’s Overseas Reception Board (CORB) plan

to evacuate British children abroad. So, there I was, high and dry, with nothing to do except thank my lucky stars. I was an only child and did not have much dialogue with my father. I was sent to sit the Common Entrance for public school. I was very nervous but managed to pass and the next thing I knew, I was on the train with my mother. We arrived at Cheltenham. No taxis – petrol was strictly rationed; it was war time. We had to walk from the station. It must have been about two miles, taking it in turns to carry the suitcase, my trunk having gone ahead. We arrived at Hazelwell and were greeted by the Rogers. After the usual pleasantries, my mother kissed me and left. To this day I have no idea

where she went or what her plans were. There I was, standing in line with five other new boys. We were shown round the House, then I was left in my upper dormitory cubicle to unpack and then proceed to the ‘sweat room ‘ for prayers, followed by the games room for cocoa where there was a super half-size snooker table. The dress was boiler suits for lessons, smart denim blue, with a richly emblazoned gothic CC on the breast pocket and a very convenient slit on the right leg for a slide rule. Otherwise, sports jacket and trousers. ‘Keep your jacket buttoned at all times.’ There were many other protocols, mainly punishable by ‘three of the best’ by a Prefect with a gym shoe. When the Prefects shouted ‘Orderly!’ in unison, the whole House came running; the last one there got a job such as sweeping the passage. Most of the boys at College were from a military background. My father was in the process of being a self-made man, having been in the Royal Flying Corps, then winning £500 on the Irish sweep with which he bought a taxi and developed a multimillion-pound enterprise. But it soon became obvious to all what part of the country produced me. I had a Lancashire accent, which became the target for ridicule. Determined to talk like the others, I developed my ‘pahsts’ and ‘lahsts’ together with a strained vocal delivery. Problem was after two terms returning north for holidays my speech was now a problem, in reverse, but I won’t go into that.

Gordon at College

Gordon now

Of course, no females in College then. No doors on the loos. Cold shower every morning…. a beating if you were caught using warm water. It wasn’t too bad though.

The SS City of Benares left Liverpool on 13 September 1940, with 90 child evacuees on board

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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Stephen Shortt (Xt, 1990 and current Prep parent)

Stephen at College

Stephen now

Thirty years since leaving College I am still making my way along College Road every morning, except now instead of on foot with my school books, I’m in my car dropping my sevenyear-old daughter off at The Prep. I remember the morning schlep from Christowe to the Dining Hall for breakfast back in 1990 with nostalgia. Unlike now, the food choices left a

little to be desired. To wake us up in the morning, Dr Sloan would ring a bell with great enthusiasm along the Sixth Form corridor. I would, more often than not, pull my trousers up over my pyjamas and prepare to look ready to go when he peered around my door. He would say ‘Good morning, Mr Shortt’ in a booming Irish accent, and as soon as I had heard the squeaky door at the end of the corridor shut, I would promptly pull off my trousers and go back to sleep. It’s funny how some memories never leave you. I was never a morning person as you can tell, and even now my employees joke about waiting until at least 10am to get any sense out of me. Now my morning routine involves getting up at 8am, going straight to my desk in my spare room come office, and firing up my Mac. Then I wander downstairs to feed the three retrievers (I’m not sure what possessed us to have three retrievers) and grab a cup of tea. Then back up to my desk

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From College to Creating a Global Men’s Grooming Brand in my dressing gown to start work. I’m not a nine to five person and love the flexibility of working from home. You might think that my lackadaisical approach to my hours would mean that I don’t achieve much. (I seem to remember Dr Sloan saying the same thing 25 years ago!) However, the last four years of my life have I think definitely proved the opposite. In 2015 I decided to leave the family business which supplied wholesale health and beauty products for companies like Proctor & Gamble and Unilever and go it alone. I had reached the age of 44 and having a possible mid-life crisis I thought it was time to create something on my own. I sold up my shares in the family business and quit my job. On the Monday morning I woke up unemployed. My wife was a little nervous but knew this was what I had to do in my life and gave me her full support. I had always been frustrated by the choice of men’s skincare products available, especially for my sensitive skin, so spotted a gap in the market. I spent nearly a year researching the men’s grooming products available on the market, which included visiting numerous barber shops in Shoreditch, where I looked very out of place (picture a bald bloke with a map). I decided to call the brand ‘Hawkins & Brimble’ which was an amalgamation of two dapper looking gentlemen’s names from the 1930s. One year later I launched our first six products. Little did I know how hard it was going to be to make money from it. Four years on, and what feels like a bit of a whirlwind, Hawkins & Brimble products are now sold in 23 countries from Canada and America to Australia and New Zealand. We are stocking in Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug and Wholefoods. Despite Covid, our sales are really flying, especially in export markets such as China and India who love British products. Some recent highlights include being listed by Boots (after four years of trying), collaborating with 21st Century Fox on the Bohemian Rhapsody movie, and shipping our first jumbo jet full of products to Shanghai! We sell online through our websites globally and have stock in seven warehouses across the globe for quick delivery. Our digital strategy has really come into its own especially since Covid when people want home delivery. My strengths at College were music and design, and despite years of playing the drums in various bands I never quite managed to go professional. So, I am glad that my creativity has helped in my current business so much. I also work as an Export Champion for the UK Government so if any budding entrepreneurs need any advice on exporting let me know. To find out more visit www.hawkinsandbrimble.co.uk @hawkinsandbrimble https://www.linkedin.com/stephenpetershortt/ Hawkins & Brimble products are now sold in 23 countries from Canada and America to Australia and New Zealand

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CHELTONIAN SOCIETY

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The Road to Entrepreneurship Sofia Fominova (W, 2008) What an experience it was! We worked with estate agents to find the perfect location at the heart of Covent Garden, the local council to get permissions, interior designers to create a beautiful ambience, nutritionists to develop healthy recipes, local farmers to supply organic produce daily, and many others who made our dream come true. A year later, we opened LabOrganic, serving delicious cold-pressed juices, smoothies, salads and desserts all made from organic ingredients, free from refined sugar, gluten and dairy. The Financial Times named LabOrganic ‘one of the best cold-pressed juice bars in London’ and customers loved our products.

Sofia at College

Sofia now

My first memory of College is when I came all the way from Moscow for my interview. Although I was very nervous, the experience was incredible. I fell in love with the beautiful Chapel and the idea of singing every morning; I loved the Dining Hall that reminded me of Harry Potter; I was impressed by the sports field and the Art Department; I loved Westal, which only had 16 girls back then, and Mrs Jackson seemed like the nicest and most caring Housemistress. I passed the interview and even got an academic scholarship that made my parents very happy. I was delighted because I got a pink tie and I was ready to start my A Levels.

went on to study at university.

I started College in 2006 and chose Politics, Economics, Maths and Further Maths for my A Levels. I had never studied Politics or Economics before and found them challenging at the beginning. I remember calling my dad back in Russia after my first Politics class and crying because I did not understand 80% of what we were discussing. A few weeks later, Politics and Economics became my favourite subjects that I

Everything at College was so new for me and I loved every bit. Boarding with friends was always lively and the House Drama, Sports and Singing competitions were so much fun. Even the detentions I was given for coming home late on the weekends are warm memories. I also found my life-long best friend and my mentors at College and I am grateful for the community we had. After College, I went to study BSc Politics and Economics at the London School of Economics. My entrepreneurial journey started almost straight after I graduated. While spending Christmas with family in Sydney, I noticed some wonderful trends that we were missing in London. One of them was cold-pressed juice bars with healthy juices and nutritious and nourishing food. After some research, my former partner and I decided to give it a go, opening the first cold-pressed juice bar in London.

Running a retail business was demanding. Managing a team of employees, developing new products, staying on top of trends, and organising events were so much fun, but we also had to ensure that the business was profitable and sustainable. One of my main challenges was that I found it hard to scale the project. That’s when I decided to look into technology and create a more scalable business that would encourage even more people to lead healthy lifestyles. I didn’t know much about technology back then but I loved the challenge! The idea was to create a platform where chefs, nutritionists and food enthusiasts would share their knowledge, recipes and meal plans to inspire others to live their healthiest, most invigorating lives. Following much research, the first version of Mealz was born. We started with just a few hundred recipes and a few articles and today have more than 80 active contributors and 500,000 page views monthly. During the Covid-19 outbreak and the national lockdown, we saw a significant increase in interest in cooking and a 300% growth in Mealz users. We started offering online cooking classes taught by chefs and nutritionists and launched a mobile app that is positioned as one of the best meal

LabOrganic creates nutrient-rich, organic, cold-pressed fruit and veggie juices, alongside a nutritious food selection

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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As an avid learner, I chose to heighten my knowledge, achieving two Masters degrees from Westminster Business School during my construction of Mealz: MSc in Marketing Management (2017) and MSc in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Enterprise Development (2018). My final dissertation on Conversational Commerce and the application of Artificial Intelligence in customer service won an award from the Worshipful Company of Marketors. This higher education enabled me to further improve my business and scale Mealz to a whole new level. However, my ambitions continue to grow. Once I discovered the transformational power of technology and learned that many industries are still very low tech, I realised how many more industries we can benefit. In early 2020 my husband and I established Truligent, a venture studio that creates and owns many other companies. We focus on creating enterprise software and business-to-business (B2B) software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications.

Most of our products are R&D (research and development) heavy and define new industries. Today we have nine companies, including Mealz. Other companies include: • a software suite that makes supply chains transparent; • a technology that leverages Artificial Intelligence to discover new materials; • a tool that helps companies hire executives; • a product that allows businesses to manage digital assets; • and a few more... We have established a repeatable business structure that allows us to create companies in less than four weeks. Once a company reaches profitability, we hire a dedicated team and let the business run on its own – enabling us to focus on new ventures. Such a structure will allow me to participate in the creation of thousands of jobs over the next 10 years and break into many of the traditional industries with technology. College instilled in me enthusiasm, a positive attitude and an entrepreneurial mindset. I was constantly challenged at College; I remember

when Mrs Jackson asked me to be House Prefect and how scared I was to say yes. Today, I can see that being Westal Prefect taught me how to listen to others and inspired me to improve my communication and leadership skills. At College I learned to appreciate the importance of building strong and trusting relationships with the people around me.

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planning apps on the market today. I love seeing how Mealz changes people’s habits, making it easier to try new dishes and see how healthy eating impacts their overall health.

Most importantly, my years at College taught me to be brave and persistent. I realised that failing is a part of the learning process and today I see beauty in failing, taking it as an opportunity to learn from my mistakes. Once I believed in myself, I managed to achieve great academic results and I had fun on the way. This attitude still seems relevant to me on a daily basis. I am incredibly excited for what the future holds. We are at the beginning of the journey with Truligent and I am thrilled to see our companies grow and change the way many industries work today. We are on a mission to generate over £5 billion in enterprise value over the next 10 years - and I couldn’t be more pleased about my entrepreneurial career, which was awakened back in College.

Mealz is a recipe platform for discovering healthy recipes, creating virtual collections and meal planning

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CHELTONIAN SOCIETY

Jean Vatchara (A, 2006)

Jean at College

Jean now

It was the Autumn 2002 when I joined Fourth Form at College. Moving to a new country and adjusting to an entirely new culture was rather a daunting experience given I was just 14. Little did I know that those four years at College were to become the most formative years that perhaps defined my career and the way I thought. I spent the majority of my College life in the Art block, mostly painting away. When I had the chance, I would even spend my prep time there. I have been known to be covered in paint and was sent back to Ashmead to change more than once. College had an amazing Art Department (Mark Ward, Sarah Millyard, Nick Nelson and most importantly Richard Gilbert), I am certain that I owe them my design career. Richard Gilbert became my first mentor and pushed me to do an Art Foundation at Kingston University as a year out before I went to the University of Newcastle to read Architecture.

Photo by a day magazine, Thailand: adaymagazine.com

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A Career in Bloom Architecture turned out not to be my calling even though with my A Level subjects, Art, Physics and Maths, it made perfect sense. This led me to steer my career path to a different direction – advertising and design. I worked as an art director for an advertising agency in Bangkok and directed a small advertisement for Google Hangouts. I spent a few more years in a Bangkok design firm working on branding and identity design before I returned to London in 2014 to do an MA in Information Experience Design at the Royal College of Art. This course explores the role of communication design in the digital age. At the RCA I had a chance to collaborate with Sonos and the Science Museum. Our work was exhibited at the Spanish music festival Sónar+D and at the Royal Academy of Arts for an RA Late Event Digital Disconnections in 2015. Upon graduation, I had the opportunity of doing a duo exhibition for Gallery Sensei with a friend and colleague Alisa Sinclair in London. Draw Your Own Reflections is an interactive piece where I get the attendees to draw themselves on the mirror producing an image far different than what they may think they are capable of eliciting. This idea was first incepted in College’s Art block when I was in Lower Sixth doing exams! It was the cover of a project sketchbook made with a piece of reflective plastic sheet and Tippex. After the London ventures, I returned to Bangkok to work as a senior designer at a Bangkok

design firm, Farmgroup. The company works to build brands, help international brands create a presence in Thailand and make art more accessible to fellow Bangkokians. During the stint, I worked for clients such as Longchamp, BEAMS, and the Spanish artist Joan Cornellà. During the three years I spent building a presence for many businesses, I came to a realisation that the company that most needed a brand, was my family owned faux flower business, Permaflora. Having joined in Jan 2020, my goal remains fairly ambitious – to change the perception of faux flowers as merely a substitute of fresh flowers, to the height of craftsmanship. Faux flower making is much more than labour-based manufacturing, it is an art form. I believe that the techniques created precisely for making them has to be highlighted, celebrated and preserved. Our company, founded in 1990, revolutionised the way faux flowers were made. We were the first producers of ‘real touch’ flowers. Our flowers get this incredibly realistic look from the dexterity of our craftsmen and the innovative ideas concocted by my father. Permaflora products have been exported globally, including the UK. However, we have operated mainly as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and barely have a market presence. In the past nine months or so, we have been working tirelessly to give the Permaflora the branding it deserves. I have been heavily involved in every process from the design of the flowers, the arrangement, the photography and the copywriting. Late last year, I had a chance to further synthesise my professional skills and experiences for our company by building and collaborating in an exhibition called Suckcessors at ATT19 Gallery. It is an exhibition about the inner workings of family businesses and aimed to expose the realities of inheriting an enterprise as second-generation owners via original art pieces created from our businesses. We hope to continue to challenge the viewer’s perception of faux flowers, pushing our products into art, fashion and beyond. For more information please visit: www.permaflora.co.th

Permaflora ‘real touch’ flowers

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

One of Jean’s paintings from College

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FEATURE

Supporting Zero Emission Transport Ambitions Sam Clarke (OJ & Xt, 1999 and current Prep parent) when you know your target audience and you know your subject matter well enough, then the rest is down to confidence and courage in your conviction. Courage is therefore somewhat mandatory for any soul who embarks on the free-spirited goal of charting your own course of enterprise.

Sam at College

Sam selling Christmas trees in Twickenham

I believe I first met Sebastian Bullock, College’s Development Director, back in 1998 when he had the challenge of educating me towards my Economics A Level. Whilst my time at College from ‘89 to ‘99 has unquestionably helped shape me into the man I am today, I was not particularly academic and mostly a nearly-man on the sporting field. So when Sebastian, some 30+ years later, kindly asked me to speak to some budding Lower Sixth students a few years ago on my journey through entrepreneurialism, I could never have imagined such an invite as a younger man. Throughout my career so far, I have spoken at hundreds of events, been interviewed on live TV, provided evidence to the Transport Select Committee in Westminster and even spoken at the European Commission in Brussels, days after a major terrorist attack. However, I found speaking to a group of A Level students at my old school, in front of my old teacher, is far more intimidating. Experience has taught me however,

Sam With The Mayor of London

Gnewt’s zero emission vans, delivering across central London in partnership with the Mayor of London and Innovate UK

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I began my journey selling Christmas trees on the side of the road in Twickenham, which was far from glamorous. In order to trade, my business partner and I needed land, stock and capital and we had none. I persuaded England Rugby to allow us to use a dormant carpark for free if we gave a share of any profits to their selected charity. We flew to Denmark and somehow negotiated a deal for some of Europe’s finest quality trees with almost no deposit. Capital came in the form of credit cards. Now we had the best location, the finest quality stock and the working capital to pull it all together. Four trading weeks later, with a little help from friends and having worked tirelessly, physically and mentally, for 20 hours a day every day, we had sold out. More pertinent however is that we settled all our creditors’ outstanding bills on time, fulfilled our obligation to donate to charity and still had a worthwhile profit. In a few short years that site became the largest and most successful plot in the UK selling over 6,000 trees a season. Personally, I re-invested my profits into travelling extensively, focussing my time in China where I spent hours trawling through gargantuan trade fairs. But the idea that ultimately hit me, nearly hit me. As an idiot tourist I looked the wrong way crossing the road and an ELECTRIC moped very nearly ran me over. I was taken aback by the prevalence of this mode of transport in Chinese conurbations even in the early 2000s. Consumed by the opportunity I then embarked on bringing electric vehicles to the UK. I naively felt I had all the answers and knew exactly what to do. In reality what really happened is I brought a flawed first-generation product to market, with sketchy supply contracts whilst borrowing tremendous

sums of money from overly generous family. This ultimately paved a road of uncertainly I never wish to repeat. Reinvention was therefore needed and quickly. I met a new business partner, we built a proper business plan to take these learnings and do it again, better. We successfully raised Angel investment and translated all our electric vehicle learning into a zero-emission delivery service in Central London called Gnewt, an acronym for green new transport. We enjoyed exponential growth in the early years and forged some priceless relationships along the way. Having started trading in 2009, our Angels very successfully exited in 2014, we sold the company in its entirety in 2017 and I personally exited in 2020. I now have some small consultancy and advisory roles but my day job is proudly working as the Chief Vehicle Officer for GRIDSERVE who are building a nationwide network of highpowered electric forecourts. These will support the inevitable needs of the UK’s zero emission transport network ambitions. I do rather hope my previous experience puts me in reasonable stead to help deliver this next exciting chapter. When asked to speak, I often feel drawn to reference the mistakes I made, the painful lessons that it taught me and how best to bounce back. It may sound counter-intuitive, but I genuinely now reflect fondly on my failings in equal measure to my successes. For the very few, running your own business is all too easy, for the vast majority it is unrelenting graft, sacrifice, compromise and commitment whilst performing at levels you didn’t know you had. Even then, there remains the unforgiving statistic that 90% of new businesses do not see it through the first year of trading. Whatever stage of life you are at, if you wish to embark on a successful path as an entrepreneur, my only advice would be that 110% commitment is the only acceptable bar to get there.

As Chief Vehicle Officer for GRIDSERVE, Sam is helping to build a network of high-powered Electric Forecourts™

CHELTONIAN SOCIETY

FEATURE

Basecamp to Biotech Charles Ball (OJ & L, 2009) & Tom Stubbs (OJ & NH, 2009) Tom and I attended College from Junior School until we left aged 18. College being a school that encourages both academic and outdoor pursuits, we were lucky to go on a number of school trips during our time there from climbing in Snowdonia to skiing in the US. One memory that has stayed with us was the College trip to Nepal, led by Dominic Faulkner in 2008. The trip included three days of white water rafting and three weeks of trekking across the beautiful Himalayan mountains, culminating in what was supposed to be an ascent to the Annapurna Base Camp. On the final day of the trek, having woken up at the crack of dawn, we found that the night had taken some of our team members ill. They could not continue. Despite our 17-year-old selves raring to carry on, the decision was made that we turn back and head home. This memory continues to inform my decisions and actions to this day in the sphere of business. While strong leaders can persevere through adversity, the best leaders understand that sometimes perseverance means changing plans with changing circumstances. After school, Tom and I continued our journey to the city of Oxford. Tom obtained a First Class Honours degree in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry from the University of Oxford, before continuing his academic career by undertaking a PhD at the University of Cambridge. I took a different path, graduating

from Oxford Brookes with a 2:1 in Real Estate, before starting my journey in sales and communications. We founded Chronomics in December 2017 – the world’s first-to-market epigenetics testing service – along with two other scientists from the University of Cambridge who met Tom during his PhD. Whilst there, they realised the potential of epigenetic saliva testing – a repeatable, measurable and actionable way to predict how a person’s current lifestyle and environment will affect their long-term health. Given my background in sales and communications, I was apprehensive about being at the forefront of an epigenetic company rooted in scientific knowledge and understanding. Originally funded by a Silicon Valley based venture capitalist, we started the RebelBio Accelerator programme for start-up companies specialising in biotech and life sciences. I distinctly remember the daunting experience of being one of only two people in a room full of 40 with neither a background in science nor a PhD. Despite this, over the past three years I have come to realise that my ability to understand epigenetics at a basic level is a powerful tool in the biotech world, which is notorious for advanced academic research but lacking in communicative skills. My skill set has enabled Chronomics to bring a complex concept to a broad customer base. Indeed, through this

Tom at College

Tom now

Charles at College

Charles now

process I have come to learn that non-scientific values and skills can not only be applied to the scientific world but can be incredibly valuable to it. In January 2019, Chronomics raised £1.2 million in seed capital in a key scale-up round. In March 2020, when Covid-19 hit, we had to transform the Chronomics technology and testing approach in order to apply it to the creation of a non-invasive saliva-based Covid test. Regulatory approvals were fast-tracked thanks to the support of Public Health England and the UK government. More recently, the UK government placed Chronomics on the approved list of providers for the Test To Release Scheme. Consequently, Chronomics has become one of the few companies in the world that can provide saliva‑based Covid testing at scale globally. Like the best climbers, the best leaders are comfortable being uncomfortable. Choosing to step into calculated risk may be uncomfortable, but it is also how progress gets made. The decision to turn back after weeks of trekking in Nepal was not an easy one to make, particularly for teenagers who thought that reaching the Annapurna Base Camp was more important than the interests of the entire team. Similarly, being one of only a few non-scientists in a heavily science-based world is neither comfortable nor easy. Yet, the combination of Tom’s academic experience and my skills in communication has allowed us to both navigate and merge biotech with what was originally a consumer orientated business, culminating in a business that is now scaling up from 10 to 50 employees in the coming weeks and months. Despite our progress, we have only just reached base camp in the sphere of business. As the world continues to change and new challenges come our way, we still have the rest of the mountain to climb. To find out more visit www.chronomics.com

College Nepal trip, 2008: (left to right) Charles, Tom and Will Ripley (S, 2009)

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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Mike Dalton-Morris (Xt, 1991) connected me with different people, including Head of Careers, Mr Pearce. My North Star, what makes me tick, is sport and directing events. It’s been the centrepiece in my life. The accepted path after College was enrolment at a ‘good’ university, to do a ‘proper’ degree, to set yourself up. I wasn’t clear what I wanted to do, but the traditional path and expectations didn’t resonate with me. Mike at College

Mike now

At College, as in life, I have not typically taken the easiest path. The reason for this is not to be rebellious, or to be different. There was also conformity, stubborn singlemindedness, reluctant agreement, as well as a curiosity in what I did; it was simply my adventure and I wanted to have active input. My journey after College took me to Australia to work in the sports industry. I was very happy at College and I have many great memories of the people and the place. I am grateful to those who understood me (some of the time), supported and invested in me (most of the time), challenged me (all of the time) and set me on the right path with a kit bag of skills to cope with life ahead. The foundation provided by College and my family was excellent and put me on the right path. I was a capable student, but as one report stated: ‘Life is a breeze for Mike’. This encouraged me to find greater focus, to be clearer on what I wanted. It was fair, but perhaps life is a breeze for us all to manage? The thing is the breeze is unpredictable; it can help or hinder, but you have to manage it. In sport, as in life, you can play with or against the wind. Some days the wind is against you, there are cross winds, or there are calm ‘perfect days’ but you have to play it, whatever your sport or situation. We all have a choice how to metaphorically ‘manage the wind’, either working it out, dealing with it, or let it impact your approach, your mindset, your confidence, and ultimately your result, if you let it. My experiences outside the classroom had a significant impact on how I was perceived at College, another important transferable lesson. I always enjoyed being active and ‘hands on’, so I volunteered to run backstage productions, an introduction to events management. It also

Mr Pearce understood my goals and what success looked like for me. I didn’t want to go to university for the sake of it. He found a Sports Science course at the University of Loughborough and I found a new motivation to succeed. The problem was I now had to play into a strong intellectual breeze having dedicated my time to sport rather than study; my mock results were appalling, so I needed to focus. My teachers supported me, as they would have done earlier if I was less resilient. I was no longer fighting against the wind; I was managing it. I narrowly made the grades, an unexpected surprise for all! The learning here is that it’s important to play smart, and manage the prevailing wind, not let it distract you. I was lucky to get great support and found what I loved. The wind of change is blowing throughout the world currently, and those that find focus will be more likely to succeed.

a different path… philosophically knowing that I’d rather try and fail, than regret not having a go. Life is a breeze, taking me back to Australia to work in events, exhibitions and then onto the media industry.

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A Different Path: ‘Life is a Breeze’

I enjoyed working in media, with lots of opportunity and broader business learnings. Eventually I returned to the sports business I loved, securing a dream role at Cricket Australia (CA) leading digital sales and commercial strategy. I’m not the only ‘Pom’ at CA, but I am the only one with a dissertation on cricket from a UK University. College life as a boarder prepares you for independent living, but it can also be hard at times. My family OC connection is through my brother James Dalton-Morris (OJ & Xt, 1990), sister Alex Marriage (née Dalton-Morris) (Ch, 1994), brother-in-law Tom Marriage (BH, 1994) and his brother Ollie Marriage (BH, 1991). Alex and Tom’s daughter Chloe has Cerebral Palsy, the result of tragic circumstances. Chloe is an amazing young lady, with her parents the wind beneath her wings, encouraging her to expand her horizons and realise she is capable of more than she thinks. Chloe’s disability brings perspective, but like all kids she can do far more than she thinks possible, a great lesson for everyone.

Before heading to Loughborough, I planned a gap year in Australia, playing sport, farming, and teaching at Wesley College in Melbourne thanks to a College Master (Mr Haslam). I grew up fast and learned a great deal. I loved life in Australia and it suited me. I connected.

Inspired by Paralympian Karen Darke, Chloe and Tom set up a Quest79-mile bike ride for the Spinal Injuries Association. Quest79 encourages individuals to do more than they imagine possible, turning challenges into opportunity. It leads by example through commitment, determination and spirited resilience, and inspired me to support in Melbourne. Everything was planned, before the Covid storm hit.

Loughborough was amazing, with people from all walks of life, but with a common bond around sport. Life was good – until a storm hit! While playing 7s rugby, I devastatingly tore my knee ligaments, requiring a full reconstruction. However, that storm cloud had a silver lining, as I channelled my efforts into sports administration, which ultimately set me apart, as I secured a coveted apprenticeship in the sports industry.

Invariably those affected by disability or spinal injury find a way, so we needed to demonstrate the spirit shown by Karen and Chloe. Melbourne’s strict Covid lockdown restricted travel up to 5km from home, for an hour per day. The solution was to ride on a turbo-trainer on my porch, completing 254km before Ollie, Tom and Chloe battled through the wind and rain from Bristol to Newbury to complete their Quest.

I had a great start to my career and a rare opportunity, but London did not feel right. I had the chance to relocate to Australia, with potential to work on the Sydney Olympics 2000, so I took

Life, like the weather, is not always straightforward and invariably harder for some than others. The weather, as per life, is never perfect; it can be surprisingly good or disappointingly bad, but you learn from both, sometimes more lasting lessons in adversity. With hindsight, my advice to my younger self would be to encourage him to manage the wind, learn how to play with or against the wind, in sporting parlance. You can control your goals, yourself, and how you approach things. You can’t control others, their expectations or unknowns. You can’t control the weather! The wind of change will always blow, and the unexpected will happen, and you have to deal with it. Hopefully you don’t have to struggle alone as there are safe harbours to help you when you face an unexpected storm, as you will. I wish you well.

Tom Marriage (BH, 1994), Oliver Marriage (BH, 1994) and Tom’s daughter Chloe completing their Quest 79-mile bike ride for the Spinal Injuries Association

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Mike cycling 158 miles for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia, on a turbo-trainer in his car port during the Melbourne lockdown

Life is a breeze. Learn how to harness the wind.

CHELTONIAN SOCIETY

FEATURE

Duke of Edinburgh Gold Reunion Squad: Philippa Coull (A, 2012), Laura Bevan (A, 2012), Ollie Braithwaite-Exley (L, 2012), Lily Haycraft Mee (Q, 2012), Freddie Unwin (S, 2012), Oliver Rodney (Xt, 2012), James Philips (L, 2012), JJ Ball (Xt, 2012) anniversary reunion of our Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award expedition which will truly go down in history.

DofE Gold expedition in 2011

Reunion expedition nine years on. Back row, left to right: Ollie Braithwaite-Exley (2011)/JJ Ball (2020), James Philips, Lily Haycraft-Mee, Ollie Rodney Front row, left to right: Philippa Coull, Freddie Unwin, Laura Bevan

Of all the things that 2020 will be remembered for (the era-defining pandemic, catastrophic wildfires, global protests), it is of course, the ninth

Back in 2011, an elite group of seven athletes from College (Philippa Coull, Laura Bevan, Ollie Braithwaite-Exley, Lily Haycraft-Mee, Freddie Unwin, Oliver Rodney and James Philips) embarked on an epic 5-day expedition through 120km of harsh landscape in Snowdonia, to complete what would become our greatest achievement thus far, our DofE Gold Award. Although only Oliver R actually managed to receive the award from HRH Prince Philip, the expedition itself will go down as one of the highlights from our time at College. We survived almost entirely on cubes of jelly, with James at the front scouting for campsites, and Lily (or Great Aunt Muriel as she is retrospectively known) at the back with her walking sticks. Some key moments from the expedition include: falling into a bog on day one with all our gear, gorging on pasties on top of Snowdon (against DofE rules, sorry Mr Bullock), and being literally blown off the summit of Snowdon. Despite having only three hours of sunny weather over the expedition, it certainly kickstarted our love for adventure and exploration. To commemorate the ninth anniversary of our Gold expedition, we decided to do another expedition (DofE Platinum) to see how our mid20s have affected our fitness and team morale. As K2 and Everest were off the cards due to Covid,

we decided to settle for the equally challenging Wye Valley as our destination this year. Seemingly unaware of the world falling apart around us, we set off from basecamp with the original team other than substituting JJ Ball for Ollie B-E - ready for three days trekking a vaguely planned 80km route. Although it quickly became clear that a few years in the working world hadn’t done wonders for our fitness, it was evident that regardless of how many years it’s been since we were all together it felt like only yesterday (later reaffirmed when mistaken for a group of 17 year olds actually doing DofE). Along our walk we re-lived some golden memories from College: Third Form discos, CCF camp, House pots matches, tracksuit tea, singing/shouting hymns in Chapel and carefree summer evenings on College Field. Of-course no Floreat/Cheltonian article would be complete without mentioning what we are doing now after College. Well, it’s a diverse group, we’ve got the following: Dr Coull is a GP in Poole, JJ is a solicitor at Travers Smith, Laura is finishing her WPP Fellowship in New York, Oliver R negotiates acquisitions at Amazon, Ollie B-E is a fishing guide in Russia, Freddie is a chartered surveyor for Cushman & Wakefield, James works in property at Douglas & Gordon, and Lily works at a tech startup. After making some more very happy memories, we are already planning our expedition (DofE Diamond) to Nepal in 2021, maybe.

Gold Expedition in 2011

Reunion expedition in 2020

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

Gold Expedition in 2011

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Olivia Swainson (Ch, 2005) and James Holding (L, 2004) With restrictive measures that meant many of our guests would not be able to attend and a headcount reduced to 30, we took the decision to stick to our original date and go ahead with our wedding. Despite the challenges, we were incredibly fortunate to have a full ceremony in St. Peter’s Leckhampton followed by a wonderful garden reception surrounded by family and friends whilst remote guests joined us via a video feed, carefully directed by the groomsmen. Olivia and James at College

Olivia Swainson (Ch, 2005) married James Holding (L, 2004) Saturday 18 July 2020 at St Peter’s Church, Leckhampton, Cheltenham. When the first lockdown started, we never thought for a moment that we would be able to go ahead with our wedding. However during May and after much deliberation, this was the decision we finally made.

We worked with our original suppliers and called in some favours from resourceful friends to pull off the wedding day. It was as close to the original plan as possible but on a much smaller scale. This year will hopefully allow us to celebrate with our full guest list, but we are very lucky to be one of the few 2020 wedding couples to actually be married.

Other OCs in attendance included Victoria Kendall (née Cadbury, OJ & A, 2005), Katarina Påhlson‑Möller (Ch, 2005), Jamie Dey (OJ & H, 2005), David Hughes-Jones (Xt, 2005), James Carter (L, 2005), Robert Clarke (NH, 2004), William Thornton (L, 2004) and Jamie Hall (L, 2004).

FEATURE

OC Lockdown Wedding

James with Best Men (left) William Thornton (H, 2004) and (right) Robert Clarke (L, 2004)

James and Olivia, one of the few 2020 wedding couples to actually be married, with OC guests (far left) Katarina Påhlson-Möller (Ch, 2005) and (far right) Jamie Dey (OJ & H, 2005)

Our fond wishes to all Society members who have got married or had a baby in 2020. Please do send us your news to society@cheltenhamcollege.org. The usual Announcements page will return in the next edition. The Obituary Supplement will be published as usual later in the year.

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CHELTONIAN SOCIETY

CHELTONIAN SOCIETY SPORT Our thanks to all OCs and other Cheltonian Society members involved in running sports clubs. All clubs receive an annual grant from College via the Development Office. Please contact Sebastian Bullock, Cheltonian Society and Development Director for any further details, s.bullock@cheltenhamcollege.org

Cricket The Summer of 2020 was like no other and as such there was little to report in terms of cricket seasons. That said, there were still impressive contributions on club and county circuits by many former Cheltonians. The Cricket Club aims to continue the strong tradition of cricket that is instilled into Cheltonians of all abilities once they have left College. There are a number of fixtures through the course of the season and highlights include a game straight after the Cheltenham Cricket Festival, on the county square against the Gloucestershire Gipsies. At the top level, the OCs compete in the Cricketer Cup, which is the premium old boys’ cricket competition. Any are welcome to show an interest in playing in various fixtures. We are especially keen to hear from those who might be keen to match-manage

fixtures as we are currently looking into expanding our fixture base. If you would like to know more, please contact Kyle Willis-Stovold (OJ & S, 2006 and past staff) at kmws.willis-stovold@radley.org.uk

Football The 11-a-side Football club is newly formed in 2021. The Club has now formally joined The Arthurian League, an official FA League of old boys, based in London. We will be playing 14 matches from September 2021. The club is keen to hear from anyone interested in dusting off their boots! Please contact James Wheeler (BH, 2013) and Jock Jamieson-Black (H, 2013) at jockjblack@gmail.com

Golf 2020 has been a difficult year with most of the large golfing tournaments cancelled, however we have been able to run a number of successful

matches against Marlborough, Birkenhead, Dean Close, Sherborne and Wellington. The society has a full fixture list planned for 2021 and we look forward to playing matches against a host of other school societies at wonderful venues such as Royal St Georges, Royal Wimbledon, Little Aston and Royal Porthcawl. The Golf Club is open to golfers of all abilities. For membership and other information, contact Angus Baillie (OJ & L, 1994), at angus.baillie@me.com

Women’s Hockey It was a great shame that the Dean Close Sixes Tournament couldn’t go ahead in 2020. This is an annual alumni hockey tournament for teams from all over the country. Last year’s tournament was a lot of fun, made even sweeter by being crowned champions on away turf! The date for the next Hockey Sixes is Sunday 24 October 2021. Fingers crossed it will go ahead. I think that the tournament will mean so much more to everyone as it will be a comeback year and, if anything, it will just be great to have some normality on the hockey pitch and be around friends. Anyone can play and there isn’t a maximum number of players, the more the merrier, and it would be lovely to see lots of faces swapping on and off the pitch. Check the Facebook group for all the details: facebook.com/groups/ochockey

Men’s Hockey The Men’s Hockey Club is going from strength to strength. We currently play in the Old Boys Hockey Cup, along with other founding members Sherborne, Radley, Clifton and St Edward’s School, Oxford. These games take place under the lights on Sundays at Battersea Park and there are Golf Club Autumn meeting, Denham Golf Club, September 2020

Men’s Hockey team after game against Radley College, December 2019

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Sailing

enjoyable evenings afterwards. Looking ahead, we hope to continue competing in the Haileybury Sixes Tournament, pick up the traditional OCs vs XI fixture at College, run some type of tour, and throw a dinner in London. We currently have a strong core of around 25 OCs, but we’d love to expand the club. Whether you played hockey at College and want to dust off your stick, or fancy turning up to watch and join the match tea after, it would be great to have you. If you’re a keeper you’re definitely picked. If any of the above sounds of interest, or you just want to pull on a tight Cerise and Black quartered top once again, then get in touch with Charles Stuckey (OJ & NH, 2010) at cmastuckey@gmail.com

Rackets While we are disappointed that the Old Cheltonian Gold Racket weekend and the Noel Bruce were unable to go ahead in 2020, we believe having two OCs in the World Doubles Championship is a first for us: Jamie Stout (H, 2002) is in the Men’s Doubles and India Deakin (W, 2019) is in the Women’s Doubles. Congratulations also go to India for winning The Renny Award at the Annual Rackets Awards 2019/20, awarded to the player who has shown the most improvement over the year. We very much hope that the next Gold Racket weekend will be able to go ahead. It is currently planned for 12-14 March 2021. For more information on the Gold Racket weekend, please contact Mark Briers at m.briers@cheltenhamcollege.org. Anyone who would like to continue playing rackets can contact Tom Floyd (Xt, 2005) at tfloyd@winkworth.co.uk

The Sailing (or Yacht) Club’s main event each year is the Arrow Trophy, a great two-day event on the Solent where up to 25 independent schools test each other’s sailing skills on board standard charter yachts. A typical first day may see up to seven short Upwind/Downwind races followed by a nice dinner in Cowes. On the second day the aim is to improve the results achieved on the first day with some very competitive sailing. All levels of experience are eligible; it’s the taking part that matters!

India Deakin (W, 2019) won The Renny Award at the Annual Rackets Awards 2019/20

Rifle Shooting The Rifle Shooting squad takes part in the Bisley Schools Veterans Competition, which we hope will be able to go ahead in 2021. We don’t practice throughout the year but have a strong squad, which is open to all members of the Cheltonian Society. If you are interested in joining, please email Ed Compton (Xt, 1999) at info@bisleyhomeservices.co.uk

Rowing We are keen to relaunch the Caterpillar Club which will be based at the Boat House in Tewkesbury and will have the full support of the College Boat Club. A framework is currently being established. The Caterpillar Club will be open to all members of the Cheltonian Society and if you would be interested in joining, please email John Barter (OJ & NH, 1989 and current parent) at john@barter.uk.net

Are you in the rail for the 2021 edition of the Arrow Trophy? If you are interested, please contact Paul Koch (H, 1984) at p.koch725@gmail.com

Squash Squash in 2020 has, I’m afraid to report, been a complete write off. The Londonderry Cup was initially postponed back in March just as it was reaching the culmination and subsequently cancelled for the year. We are very much hoping that the competition and squash will be back on in 2021. We are always looking for new ‘younger’ squash players, so please do get in touch if you would like to get involved. For details, please contact Angus Baillie (OJ & L, 1994) at angus.baillie@me.com

Sailing Club racing for the Arrow Trophy, 2018. Photo by Michèle Littleboy

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CHELTONIAN SOCIETY

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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SPORT Sport is the heartbeat of College. It connects people and provides an opportunity to build good health, success and friendships for life. The opportunity to play fixtures against some of the best sporting schools in the country is stimulating, challenging and can provide lifetime memories. The highs and the lows enable us to grow as part of a team and as individuals. Learning to train, compete, win and lose are key aspects of sport which is why we believe so strongly in its value as part of a young personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development.

Our sport is structured in a way to encourage all pupils to enjoy the additional support services College has to offer, such as strength and conditioning, individual coach mentorship, injury rehabilitation clinic and video analysis. Creating a balance between academic achievement and physical well-being can be fundamental to a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long-term success. Having pupils with a profound love of sport and exercise is what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re striving to achieve. We are fortunate to have an outstanding team of Heads and Directors of sport, sports professionals, Common Room coaches and professional mentors who can support the journey. Whether the aim is to be a future Olympian, a wish to play recreational sport or just to keep fit, our aim is to provide a foundation for the future. It is a joy and honour to be a part of

the developmental journey, wherever that takes the individual. During lockdown, delivering a remote sports program certainly created a challenge for our Heads and Directors of sport and one that required some careful thought and strategy. The aim was to provide pupils with a comprehensive range of sporting activities, workouts and skills sessions to complete from home to maintain and improve fitness levels and improve core skills. A varied and engaging remote programme comprising of three key aspects, the Summer Term remote games programme certainly achieved this aim:

Athletic Development This resource, which was developed by Mr Henry Davies and Mr Nicholas Moffatt, underpins all sports providing a Strength and Conditioning foundation for all College pupils. Sessions include speed, agility and strength, alongside running activities, home-based circuits and fundamental movement exercises.

Progressive Skills Tutorials The team provided bespoke tutorials across a wide spectrum of activities and sports. We strove to create a remote programme that

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SPORT

can be accessible, engaging and challenging for pupils of all aspirations, whether to be a performance athlete or those who simply wish to stay active. The Cheltenham College Sport Channel on Streams, College’s YouTube, is our library of recorded content from which we can create bespoke training programmes for pupils or where pupils can log in to access specific coaching videos created by College coaches.

across a number of sports. We are proud that the remote resource provided support and we are grateful for the engagement shown under such difficult circumstances.

Challenges

With optimism, we look to a future of health, sporting success and friendships.

These included virtual competitions against peers and other schools. In order to facilitate some competition, we created a Cheltenham College Strava Group allowing pupils to record an activity and display their achievements on individual Strava feeds. Friends and followers shared their runs, cycles and swims and left comments on each other’s activities. Since its initiation, we have 164 pupil and staff participants and a huge amount of collective club activity. We were able to monitor pupil activity and create opportunities for pupils to challenge themselves, be active and most importantly, come together as a community during this period of isolation. The club will stay active and moving forward, should be a superb resource to bring friends together during the holiday periods. In addition, we were able to create virtual races against Marlborough College, Clifton College, Radley College and Downe House School. Race times were recorded using Strava. The aim of the races was to be as inclusive as possible by including categories to appeal to a wide spectrum of pupils of different abilities.

Mr Ben Marsden, Director of Sport

Added to this were a number of further initiatives. These included messages from international and Olympic legends Jimmy Anderson, Lily Owsley, Chris Robshaw and Crista Cullen. There were cooking tutorials for healthy lockdown snacks and curries plus skills challenges and inspirational interviews with OCs who’ve transitioned into professional sport such as Mr Oliver Soames (BH, 2014), contracted cricketer with Hampshire County Cricket Club discussing a player’s mindset and playing with no fear. We had a fascinating interview with Flora Fletcher, current pupil and international hockey player, understanding her learning environments, experiences and what has supported her impressive journey so far. Mr Rhodri Hande (S, 2016), OC and current magician, explained how his experiences relate to sporting performance. And finally, Mr Gwyn Williams interviewed Mr Karl Cook analysing his impressive 32 years of sporting achievements at College.

The following sports reports are a testament to the commitment, dedication, passion and drive that has seen us through the current year, a year unfortunately cut short.

We are proud of this group of sportsmen and women who continue to act as role models for their peers, demonstrating how to balance many commitments whilst pursuing ambitions of playing in high performance environments.

Badminton Coach: Mr Sol Griffiths Captain: Thomas Kinsella

Talented Athlete Programme Coach: Mr Henry Davies

Although the unprecedented end to the year impacted all sport, our Talented Athlete Programme (TAP) athletes continued to make huge strides forward in their personal and athletic development. Commitment is one of the core values of the programme, and our TAP group continued to demonstrate this week after week, all working towards their goals. Some notable achievements have included an ongoing selection for Louis Hillman-Cooper in the England U18 rugby side, Tilly Wood for her selection in the Welsh Hockey NAGS programme, Flora Fletcher for representing England Hockey Under 18s and Jack Cunningham for being selected in the GB Snowsports Alpine FIS squad and to represent Team GB in Lausanne 2020 Youth Winter Olympics. It has been fantastic to see former TAP athletes give their insights to current pupils: OC Mr Oliver Soames (BH, 2014) with Hampshire Cricket; OC Miss India Blake (Q, 2017) at the University of Bath; OC Mr Ollie Thorley (BH, 2015) with Gloucester Rugby; and OC Miss Jamie Chadwick (Ch, 2016) as Formula W Champion amongst others provided valuable advice for facing challenges and the importance of keeping active.

The club has enjoyed a good year with successes at Stowe School, Magdalen College School, Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Radley College and Bromsgrove School. The club continues to thrive with animated sessions involving all levels and an equal number of boys and girls. We say goodbye to stalwarts of the club: Thomas Kinsella, Giorgio Iamoni, Emily Choy, Rachel Zhang and Neri Rattanachatta. We thank them for their commitment, service and good humour. To our delight, we have an exciting number of younger players coming up through the ranks: Isaac Wong, Matthew Sun, Travis Ip and Vincent Charoenarpornwattana. The next two years look very bright! As always, we say a big thank you to Mr Sol Griffiths, our fabulous coach, who does so much to make badminton the popular sport it is. Thanks, too, go to Dr Tricia Norman and Mrs Sarah Orwin-Henderson for their support of the club this year.

Dr Luke Davidson

Added to this were important inputs from current pupils who shared their sporting experiences and current journeys so others can learn from them. We are sad to have missed many aspects of our Summer Term sport yet the crisis has offered some positive outcomes. It has engendered an opportunity for pupils and coaches to be creative and to use technology to further our learning and experiences. It has been interesting to note that this difficult time has allowed many of our pupils to practise aspects of their sport and fitness programmes in a different way. Many have discovered new passions for running, swimming and cycling. Where pupils have been inspired through our skill challenges, the coaching team have seen unique skill acquisition

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Basketball

Cricket

Coach: Mr Michael Higgins

Coach: Mr Mark Briers

Captain: Jason Chan

It has obviously been hugely disheartening that we were unable to play any cricket in the Summer Term. For the Upper Sixth leavers, it was especially disappointing that they were not able to complete their College cricket careers in the way that they would have liked, particularly when the weather was so amazing. The season had promised great things with an experienced squad of players returning from the XI last year. Added to this would have been several younger

The team are continuing to go from strength to strength. This is reflected in the record number of wins over Rendcomb College, Marlborough College, and The Crypt Grammar School, and only two (marginal!) losses against St Peter’s Roman Catholic High School, Gloucester, and Bromsgrove School. Alex Chan has led the way in scoring followed by Jason Chan and Hin Lam. Constantin Loesche has had a remarkable season, averaging more than 10 rebounds per game! For the first time in College basketball, two of our 1st team players, Alex Chan and Jason Chan, were selected to play for national league basketball.

cricketers who had been part of the successful tour to the United Arab Emirates earlier in the academic year. At least, the winter training programme was a success and was well attended across all our age groups. As always, the strong fixture list would have provided all our teams with the opportunity to test themselves against some of the best cricketing schools around and the opportunity to play on some wonderful grounds. The summer would also have seen the continued development of our girls’ cricket programme with more fixtures and playing opportunities than in previous seasons. We were also due to host an International Association for the Philosophy of Sport (IAPS) girls’ cricket festival for the first time.

Mr Michael Higgins

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SPORT

It was hoped there would be some opportunity to play cricket for various club sides before the season finished and missing the College season will provide the leavers with an added incentive (if one was needed!) to return in the future as playing members of the OC Cricket Club. Abbie Whybrow must be congratulated on her selection into the Western Storm Senior Side. Keep hitting those 6s Abbie!

Mr Matt Coley

Equestrian It has been another great year for the Equestrian team at College, with pupils competing in a range of disciplines: dressage; showjumping; and eventing. We have also for the first time been incorporating pupils from The Prep in training which bodes really well for the future and it was lovely to see how they progressed. Whilst it was a frustrating end to the academic year with the cancellation of many competitions, that is the nature of the times and we have to be thankful for and guard our health. We have been very lucky to have specialised showjumping training from Mr Joe MacDonald, dressage training from Mr Rob Lumb and eventing from Mr Tom Rowland who competed at Badminton last year. We have been out competing at many competitions starting with a great win at showjumping qualifier with Captain of Equestrian Poppy Pitt leading her team of Mahony Knight and Georgia-Lili Robertson. In February we qualified for the Elite Showjumping at the Hickstead and Windsor Show. The young team included Ellie Savage, Katie Baker, Zennor Harvey and Mahoney Knight. It was such a shame they did not get the opportunity to show what they could do in front of Windsor Castle.

It has been an exciting restart of sport for many of our riders since lockdown with great wins at Dauntsey in the Schools Equestrian Games (SEG) eventing for Ibble Watson, Georgia-Lili Robertson and Ellie Savage. That was quite a weekend! Zennor then also won her section at the SEG event a fortnight later. So clearly the lockdown training had been paying off! We also had OC Miss Alicia Lee (Q, 2017) representing Great Britain at the European Young Riders (U21) Championships held in Hungary in August. Alicia was the highest placed British rider, achieving over 69% in all of her tests but sadly could not compete in the coveted freestyle to music as her horse hurt itself by accident in her final test. I am pleased to report that it was only minor but it was so sad they did not have the chance to dance together as they were improving every test. Then again that’s horses! A massive thank you to all the parents who support College riding and drive their children endless miles to represent College. It is very much appreciated!

Mrs Jenny O’Bryan

Football Boys 1st XI Record: played 4; won 1; lost 3 Coach: Mr Lucas Slowick and Mr Ben Page Captain: Tom McCormick This year saw a number of pupils making their first starts for both the 1st and 2nd XI, which bodes well for the future. The 1st XI impressed with their resilience; bouncing back from a tough loss against a very strong Wycliffe College side to take a good draw at St Edward’s School, Oxford – a match they were very unlucky not to win after captain Tom McCormick scored an outstanding free kick. Unfortunately, the season was curtailed, meaning we were limited to just two further

fixtures; both losses against Wycliffe and Bromsgrove School. The team worked brilliantly during training and saw huge improvements between fixtures thanks to their focus on team shape and positioning; work that we know will bear fruit this coming season.

2nd XI Record: played 4, drew 1; lost 3 Coach: Dr Brendan Enright The season was badly affected by rain, but luckily the River Chelt did not turn to blood and we did not see one locust on Reeves Field. Despite the difficulties, the season was very enjoyable, and once again, I cannot fault the dedication and spirit of the boys in the team. The fixture list started with a clash against our good local rivals Wycliffe College. The team played extremely well and we dominated the opposition. We were set to win when Wycliffe scored in the last few minutes and we were unable to reply. The fixtures that followed against St Edward’s School, Oxford, and Bromsgrove School were difficult and we lost heavily. However, as usual, we kept going and never gave up. The final fixture was the second leg of the ‘El Glosico’ against Wycliffe. We battled hard and held them at 1-1 for a long period, but two quick goals undid us. All season the team played as a team and it might seem unfair to pick out individuals however, James in goal was superb, as were Archie Rosenfeld and Ned Hanbury.

Girls Record: played 4; won 1; lost 3 Coach: Mr Nick Runciman Captain: Tuesday Roberts

It was a thoroughly enjoyable Spring Term for all involved in the girls’ football programme. With 23 members, the group consisted of 13 who were new to the game and 10 playing their second year. The Upper Sixth members contributed greatly to the successes with their positive actions both on and off the pitch. The way they integrated the new younger members of the group is particularly worthy of praise. The desire as a group to develop both as individuals and as a team was fantastic and the girls’ concerted efforts both on the training pitch and in the matches was rewarded with the positive experiences they created. The enjoyment within the games and during training was infectious. Team spirit grew stronger as the weeks passed and with that, the quality of their football improved beyond expectations.

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The home victory versus Malvern College was a special performance; against a team who had been competing in a national competition over two terms and had already beaten us convincingly in our first fixture, it provided a great memory for the girls and a just reward for their endeavour and self-discipline. Special mention goes to Sophie Morton, Ana Laura Fernandez de las Moras, Honor Skelding, India Turner and Julie. Many of the leavers will have fond memories of their last time playing a team sport with their friends at College and toying with the possibility of joining their respective university clubs.

Girls Fitness

HMC foursomes, finally succumbing at home to Malvern College. The team also had a wonderful two days at Burnham and Berrow Golf Club in the West of England Public Schools’ Championship in early October. The team has been superbly led by James Boyle whose impressive striking off the tee has intimidated many an opponent! Thank you to Dr Brendan Enright for all his continued assistance in the running of golf. Thanks must also go to the OC Golf Society for their continued support and for putting out a really strong side for our annual fixture in November. Cotswold Hills Golf Club has been, once again, in magnificent condition, and has provided some wonderful hospitality over the season.

Girls Fitness has continued all this year with all sessions being completed internally for the first time in a few years, after the sad demise of Reach Fitness.

Mr Jonathan Mace

With the aim of good all-round fitness and encouraging a love of exercise for all that can be continued outside the College environment, a varied programme has evolved. Knowledge of the gym environment and exercise classes will stand all in good stead post College.

Although disrupted at the end with the cancellation of the fixture against St. Edward’s School, Oxford, the season still saw more than 68 games completed with College putting out 11 competitive teams across the age groups. All teams were able to record a win or draw in 40% of these games, which is a good achievement.

From bodyweight circuits to an introduction to weight training in the Performance Gym with a good cardio-vascular and lighter resistance workout on the Balcony Gym, hopefully there was something for all. Varied equipment from resistance bands, Bosu balls, Watt bikes and cable machines to barbells, leg press and squat racks has encouraged all to try something new. We had a great year with all fitness levels catered for by the team of professionals supported enthusiastically by teaching staff. Thank you all.

Mrs Ruth Cook

Golf Coach: Mr Jonathan Mace Captain: James Boyle

A somewhat shortened golfing season resulted in the team being unable to enjoy the longer days and more favourable golfing conditions that the Summer Term should afford. However, this does not detract from an excellent first half of the season.

Hockey Boys

Southwood continued to perform well coming away with the Junior House pots title and after a fantastic final between Leconfield and Newick House, it was Newick that emerged with the spoils of Senior House pots. College continues to be in the mix when it comes to the end of season honours for the Independent Schools’ Hockey League (ISHL). This season the 2nd XI were once again competing for the top spot and finished in a very creditable second place. But the team of the season within the ISHL was the Junior Colts B under the tutelage of Dr James Copeland-Jordan and Mr Duncan Simpson who were unbeaten in their five matches and scored a total of 18 goals whilst only conceding three in the process. It is a real credit to this group

for their positive attitude and commitment to go out and enjoy their hockey. Within the fixture cards there were a number of notable performances. The first fixture of the term against the much bigger school of Marlborough College saw five wins and a draw for College teams in the 11 matches. The Colts’ A game doubled up as a cup game and saw a resounding 6-1 away win, while both the Junior Colts’ A and B teams produced dominant displays for their wins by three goals. The performance of the day went to the Yearlings’ A with their 5-2 win. Once again College teams were able to show their positivity in their performances against another of the large schools in Wellington College. Out of the 10 fixtures, College won four and drew one. There were some great performances especially away from home for the Yearlings’ B and C teams with two goal margin wins. College players continue to excel with their respective clubs and have achieved some creditable individual honours. Oliver Walker was part of England Hockey’s Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) programme, whereby he attended national training camps as well as completed a number of workshops and a portfolio of his studies. Cheltenham Junior Hockey Club U16 boys’ team managed to qualify and then host the U16 Area Club Finals. The College boys who were part of this squad were Mickey Stranack, Archie Thomson and Ed Carter. Ed has also been part of England Hockey’s performance centre programme; travelling down to training camps in Bristol as part of the Futures Cup programme.

1st XI Record: played 9; won 1; lost 8 Coach: Mr Gwyn Williams and Mr Jamie Diamond Captain: James Boyle A team training squad went to Barcelona for a pre-season training camp prior to the start of the Autumn Term. The boys were exposed to a variety of training environments, amazing weather, and a glimpse of one of Europe’s favourite cities. This was a fantastic opportunity for them to experience playing against a very different style of opposition from their usual

During the Autumn Term, the team made steady progress in the Independent Schools Matchplay, including an excellent win away to Monmouth School, and had a hard-fought campaign in the

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SPORT

circuit and a chance to be coached by an Argentinian international. The boys were a real credit to College in their behaviour and attitude both on and off the pitch. The group took a lot of learning from the experience and were very much looking forward to returning to College and starting the season. The team, captained by James Boyle was a young squad but one that was very clear in their goals for the term: to remain committed to their processes; to play the game; and to be positive in what they did. The first fixture against Marlborough College, brought a great sense of optimism and positivity, but unfortunately the boys did not take their chances when presented with them and were taught a lesson in being clinical. A superb display of flicking skills from a Kingswood School player proved to be the difference as the XI suffered another loss. They were improving but could not convert chances and they conceded goals at critical times in games. The National Cup brought a glimpse of what the boys were capable of as they surged to a 3-1 lead, only to allow King Edward’s School, Bath, back to 3-3. The XI showed their sense of resilience to then hit back and grab a late winner through Oliver Walker and progress to the next round. The XI took some confidence into the Wellington College fixture and in a really tight game, they were edged out by one goal. This game showed the boys they were performing as a group but needed some consistency in their play. Abingdon School has always proved to be a stern opponent with their real depth in club hockey players. The XI were determined to produce a real performance against this opposition. They did this and can be proud of what they had set out to do that day, but it just fell away to a quality side playing with real confidence in their skill set. With the season drawing to a close, the XI could only be credited for their displays of attitude in their performances. They had decided that no matter what, they wanted to enjoy themselves, to enjoy playing as a team and to play for each other. All credit must go to them as they continued to try and implement what we had worked on in training and took each game in their stride. Sadly, the last fixture, against St Edward’s School, Oxford,

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

was cancelled, as was a much anticipated game with the OC XI. If you were to just look at their results, this was a frustrating season for the boys, but this young group developed so much and showed a great sense of maturity in how they approached their games and in their honesty in the analysis of their performances. Full Colours: Jude Clayton and James Boyle Half Colours: Charlie Anton-Smith and Harry Stewart

of Abingdon School and Wellington College. In fact, all the goals this season were scored in the second halves of games. Particular credit needs to go to the defensive line, who were particularly busy this season. Special mentions for individual performances go to Guy Beazley for his motivation and energy on the pitch, Harry Huggett for his individual skill displayed during his goal of the season and finally Edward Calder and James French for frequently playing back to back games in goal. Player of the Season: Guy Beazley

Players’ Player: Charlie Anton-Smith

4th XI

Player of the Season: Jude Clayton

Record: played 5; lost 5

Club Player of the Year: William Stanton

Coach: Mr Nick Nelson

2nd XI Record: played 6; won 3; drew 2; lost 1 Coach: Mr Olly Morgan Captain: Harry Jinks This was an extremely resilient group who worked hard throughout the term in both their training and matches; a highlight being a lastminute goal against Radley College to secure a draw. Some individual highlights from the season were Edward Ferris being top goal scorer with six, while Edward Calder in goal produced some outstanding saves throughout the season which merited his call up to the 1st XI. Munaki Munjanganja was a force throughout the season and produced some fantastic displays which either assisted goals for team-mates or he scored them himself. All these performances contributed to the team finishing as runners up in their ISHL league. A great season for these boys. Most Valued Player: Munaki Munjanganja

3rd XI Record: played 6; lost 6 Coach: Mr Jeremy Dodd Captain: Guy Beazley With players from three different year groups, this was a young team for Senior hockey and the boys did well to integrate and bond well as a team. Their performances improved over the term, playing well in the second half particularly against the likes

Captain: Arthur Baker This term produced some competitive close games but marginal losses. The most successful and enjoyable game was against Marlborough College. It was a credit to the boys as this team comprised of several Fifth Form pupils alongside our Upper College representatives. The team was effectively captained by a very passionate and patriotic Arthur Baker. Some individual highlights were the display of James French in goal playing for numerous teams on a Saturday and making multiple saves in all games. It was a fantastic effort from this young man. The most skilful player was Zac Marsh with his dizzying skills and Christopher Au was arguably the most committed player, demonstrating an unstinting work ethic. George Hardy stands out for his solid defensive displays at the back. Players’ Player: George Hardy

Colts A Record: played 9; won 4; drew 2; lost 3 Coaches: Mr Ben Marsden and Mr Paul Hayes Captain: Finlay Hurst Following well-attended pre-season training, the season got off to a flying start and they won their opening match of the season against Marlborough College 6-1, which also doubled up as a National Cup game. There were excellent performances from Fin Wellstead in goal, David Noble and Eddie Buttress in defence; Jaden

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Somen, Anay Shah and Finlay Hurst in midfield; and Oliver Elliot, Joshua Poulain and Hugo White in the forward line. Next up was Kingswood School and a 1-1 draw with the highlight being Finlay Hurst’s excellent reverse stick shot into the top corner. Then came beating Colston’s School in the second round of the National Cup. Will Gilderson scored a brace to secure victory for College but unfortunately the team were knocked out at the quarter finals stage. A particular highlight of the season was the outstanding team performance against Bradfield College away. Will scored a superb open play goal in the first minute of the match, while the second half saw the team respond outstandingly, moving the ball with confidence. Following some intricate passing through the left-hand side of the pitch from Tom Wackett, Theo Nicholson ended up with the ball and struck it into the bottom left hand corner of the goal to score. The final whistle blew and the team were delighted to enjoy such a well-constructed victory away from home. I am extremely grateful to Mr Paul Hayes for his game-based knowledge and coaching expertise throughout the season. Players’ Player: Fin Wellstead, Finlay Hurst, Tom Peck, Rory Jenkins Coaches’ Player: Fin Wellstead, Finlay Hurst and Will Gilderson Most Valued Player: Fin Wellstead

Junior Colts A Record: played 6; won 1; drew 2; lost 3 Coaches: Mr Todd Freedman and Mr James Coull Captains: Harry Dawson and Robbie Slatter

latter by example. There were notable individual performances from Benjamin Cunningham, Willoughby Cooke and Mickey Stranack. Players’ Player: Jamie Reid

Junior Colts C Record: played 4; won 1; lost 3 Coach: Mr Will Bates Captain: Ben Rathbone

Junior Colts B Record: played 6; won 5; lost 1 Coaches: Dr James Copeland-Jordan and Mr Duncan Simpson Captain: Frankie Walker

It was a fantastic season for this squad culminating in topping the ISHL and being undefeated champions. The team was fantastic and individual players that deserve recognition for their efforts are Jason Mawundula, Rex Clarke and Thomas Bridge. Throughout the term there have also been some highlights that need to be mentioned: Scrase Duffy’s unwavering energy on the pitch, covering more ground than all other players combined; Ariyan Mediratta’s bullet-like goal against Abingdon School which showed excellent control and precision shooting; the dynamic duo of Jonty Kimber and Luke Richardson’s dominance in midfield which created some very intelligent plays for others; Tash Munjanganja was excellent in and around the goal, picking up multiple goals, showing some nice bits of skill and a high work rate under pressure; Frankie Walker was superb in his captaincy, bringing the squad together and always remembering that the team is bigger than the individual.

The boys took their time to get into their stride but once they were up and running, they started to improve and show some real promise in their performances. This culminated in a win against Radley College at the end of the season. Throughout the term the boys showed some great resilience. A special mention must go to James Chan, who although new to goalkeeping was outstanding throughout the season, making multiple saves of a very high quality. Player of the Season: James Chan Most Improved Player: Ben Rathbone

Yearlings A Record: played 6; won 1; lost 5 Coaches: Mr Tim Lang and Mr Tom Wilson Captains: Henry Williams and Ed Carter

Player of the Season: Frankie Walker

The season started off superbly against Marlborough College with a well-constructed 3-1 win. Although it was a 1-1 draw, Wellington College away was a real highlight; the boys played some superb hockey and dominated the game throughout but could not quite finish off and get that second goal. Captains Harry Dawson and Robbie Slatter led the team with their own distinctive styles: the former with vocal leadership qualities and work rate and the

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This was a challenging season but the group displayed lots of energy and desire when they came up against some strong opposition. A barnstorming 5-2 win against Marlborough College was the highlight of the season, and the blazing tomahawk that went in off the cross bar from Ed Carter was the moment of the match. A special mention must go to Ethan Feinson, who is developing great understanding and awareness, along with fantastic attacking instincts and skill. Henry Williams had some outrageous exploits between the sticks, while Ed Carter continues to demonstrate silky stick work and a good work rate on the field of play.

Yearlings C Record: played 5; won 2; lost 3 Coach: Mr Dan Lovell Captain: Aaryan Malde

Player of the Season: Henry Williams Most Valued Player: Ed Carter

Yearlings B Record: played 6; won 1; drew 2; lost 3 Coach: Mr Freddie Million Captain: Rafferty Turner

It was a promising start to these boys’ hockey careers at College. The season started off with a close fought 0-0 draw with Marlborough College. Throughout the term the matches were all competitive and we witnessed some spectacular goals. Our best game was against Wellington College, where the boys were sublime in their attacking hockey. They came out winners 3-0 and were relentless with their approach to fast flowing hockey. Some results did not go our way, but the boys’ performances were a credit to them and they deserved more. They gave 110% in every game. Most Valued Player: Cody Watts Most Improved Player: Finn Cutts

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

A frustrating start to the season saw the team lose 2-1 to Marlborough College at home. We took an early 1-0 lead but were pegged back to 1-1 before half time. A scrappy second half saw Marlborough score the decisive goal despite College having the majority of the possession and chances. The boys bounced back well in their next fixture and won in impressive fashion 2-0 away at Wellington College with Arthur Robinson facing very little in the way of threats on his goal. The momentum continued when College took a deserved 2-1 win against Abingdon School away. This was by far the most impressive performance. The boys showed great team spirit and really fought to hang on while facing late Abingdon pressure and a very lastminute short corner scare. The last two games of the season saw more spirited performances but unfortunately both were lost. Overall it has been a most enjoyable season and the team conducted themselves incredibly well and did themselves proud. Player of the Season: Wilf Morris. Most Improved Player: Ronan Cowing

Girls The club continued to grow and raise the bar within all facets of the game. Players were consistently achieving national recognition with club, school,

attendance at performance centres and national age group representation. Large numbers of girls had the opportunity to represent College in fixtures. The quality of performances improved, and players were challenged in their learning while maintaining their enjoyment of the game for their wellbeing and desire to continue to play once they leave College. There were 120 games completed of which College either won or drew 57% of the matches, with 50% being wins. In these games 277 goals were scored by all teams; demonstrating the positive way College plays the game. Internally House pots once again had all girls involved. Westal retained the Senior House pots and College Lawn won Junior pots for the first time. The spirit shown by all was summed up by Queen’s and College Lawn combining to form Queen’s Lawn and play in the Senior Bowl competition. In the Independent Schools’ Hockey League (ISHL) there were some notable performances with both the 1st XI and the Yearlings’ B team finishing in second place, whilst the 3rd XI and the Yearlings’ A team secured third place finishes. With all age groups back in National Cup competitions, the U18s managed to get to a national quarter final, the U16s were knocked out in Round Two and the U14s made it to the West Preliminary Finals. Within the block fixture cards, out of the 12 games against St Edward’s School, Oxford, College managed to win seven and draw one with all Yearlings’ teams winning. Against Bristol Grammar School, College won five of the eight matches and against Clifton College there were some superb team performances in the 11 matches, of which College won eight and drew one. The Malvern College fixture has always produced some competitive matches and this year College won six of the 10, with all the Junior Colts’ and Yearlings’ teams winning without conceding a goal and scoring 24 goals in the process. The three Senior matches with Cheltenham Ladies’ College were all won by College and the 1st XI

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retained the Emily Sumaria Cup. The final fixture of the Spring Term with Bradfield College, for once, was not affected by weather and in 11 matches, College won five of them and drew two. In terms of individual achievements there were national honours for Flora Fletcher with the England U18 National Age Groups Squad (NAGS) programme while Tilly Wood was selected for Wales U16 NAGS. Isy Y has been training at England Hockey Bristol Performance Centre and a number of Junior players are involved in development programmes locally. At club level Flora Fletcher captained Clifton Robinsons Hockey Club at the national U18 indoor finals and College had representation for both U18 and U16 Cheltenham Hockey Club teams at the same competition with Alice Vyvyan-Robinson, Annaliese Goff, Olivia Vyvyan-Robinson, Jessica Robertson, Emilia Lewis and Isy Y. The club is in a strong place, partly due to the challenging and enjoyable learning environments created by the staff. I would like to thank all the coaching staff who have spent numerous hours devoted in all manner of weather out on the astros ensuring the girls have a fantastic experience of hockey here at College.

Mr Gwyn Williams, Director of Hockey

1st XI Record: played 14; won 11; lost 3 Coach: Mr Gwyn Williams Captain: Abbie Whybrow

There was a real sense of determination from the team to take on the challenge left by the unbeaten leavers of 2019 and these players were looking to make this season all about their achievements under the captaincy of Abbie Whybrow. Pre-season saw eight new players introduced into the squad; three were from Fifth Form and they quickly all bought into the culture of the XI. Within their fixture card they only lost two games: runners up in the ISHL, only losing to the winners Wellington College; and in a return to national competitions, the team managed to reach the Tier 2 national quarter finals. In the indoor season the U18s were County Champions beating Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Dean Close School. Unfortunately, they lost out to the eventual winners Millfield School at the semi-final stage at the indoor West Finals. The season started with a good win over Kingswood School; the goal coming from Honor Huggett with a cracking penalty corner strike. Next up was Wellington College and this would be a real test for the girls. The game was played in a really competitive spirt and with a great intensity; at 3-2 down, College had some chances but failed to convert and Wellington took the game. On reflection, the group spoke about the learning and were happy with our training and placed trust in our processes. This faith was repaid as they then went on a winning streak of six games that produced some sterling performances over Clifton College 4-2, 2-1 over Marlborough College and 4-1 wins over both St Edward’s School, Oxford, and Bristol Grammar School in which Meg Knight grabbed a hat trick. There was a real sense of purpose and this was reflected in their play and especially in how they worked for each other. The half term break had a negative effect and they were a little slow in getting back into the right frame of mind for their fixture with Malvern College; they shipped some goals early on but then got back into the game only to run out of time in trying to find an equalising goal. However, the positivity remained in the group and they won their last four games which included a 5-0 win over Cheltenham Ladies’ College in the Emily Sumaria Memorial match and a win over Bradfield College in the final match for the leavers.

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It was a superb season for the team they achieved much, including the way they played and went about their training and learning, for which I thank them all. The girls certainly took on the challenge they were set by the XI of 2019 and those shirts have now been left in an even better place with their legacy ready to inspire the XI of 2020. Full Colours: Flora Fletcher (Re-award), Abbie Whybrow, Alice Vyvyan-Robinson and Georgia-Lili Robertson Half Colours: Tilly Wood, Meg Knight, Honor Huggett Players’ Player: Georgia Lili-Robertson Player of the Season: Abbie Whybrow Club Players of the Year: Jemima Rees, India Turner and Flora Fletcher

2nd XI Record: played 11; won 6, drew 1; lost 4 Coach: Mr Tom Wilson Captain: Poppy Pitt and Honor Skelding

It was another strong season from the team with two of these players gaining some exposure to 1st XI hockey. The girls went about their hockey with a tremendous spirit and established a strong culture to enjoy the game and play the College way: be creative and score goals! Some real highlights from the season were an awe-inspiring second half performance against Taunton School in which they scored four goals and blew the opposition away after going in behind at half time. The girls played with flowing, attacking hockey, and showed some excellent movement, passing and finishing that Taunton

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could not overcome. The 5-4 win against Bristol Grammar School showed the grit and determination of the group as they held off a late comeback to win a close game. Special mention goes to Olivia Jones for displaying some great finishing skills in scoring four goals in the match. Wrapping up the season with a 4-1 win over Bradfield College, to finish with what was one of the best team goals seen on Cotswold astro all season was a fitting end for this group. Players’ Player: Honor Skelding Player of the Season: Emilia Davis Most Improved Player: Sanaya Gheewala

3rd XI

for her attacks up the wing, driving in to the D and setting up a huge number of goals. Maddie Bonner was a huge loss to the team at half term, she had played exceptionally well in goal considering this was her first taste of the sport. Jemima filled her shoes exceptionally well. Molly Corbett and Hannah led the team fantastically. All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable year as the girls had a fantastic attitude throughout.

Colts B Record: played 9; won 2; lost 6; drew 1 Coach: Mrs Kate Hornsby Captain: Bhavishya Gem and Olivia Negus-Cole

Players of the Season: Maddie Bonner, Molly Corbett, Jemima and Hannah

Colts A Record: played 11; won 1; lost 10

Record: played 10; won 1; drew 1; lost 8

Coach: Mr Jeremy Dodd and Mrs Annette Poulain

Coach: Mr Gwyn Williams

Captain: Aoife McAuliffe

Captain: Georgia Jones-Perrott There were some really good performances that did not always reflect in the scores. The team did suffer some injuries that distributed the make-up of the squad but they just got on with things. There was a good win over Cheltenham Ladies’ College and a draw with St Edward’s School, Oxford. These results were a testament to the great attitude the girls had when playing; always with a smile and playing for each other. It was good to see some of the players gained experienced of playing in the 2nd XI throughout the term. Special mention goes to Amelia Kitson; working consistently hard for the team, in every game she must have covered every inch of the pitch! Most Valued Player: Amelia Kitson

4th XI Record: played 9; won 4; drew 1; lost 4 Coach: Miss Emily Hartley Captains: Molly Corbett and Hannah

In some respects this was a tough season as a number of players were elevated to the 1st XI but the girls showed tremendous spirit and determination in making progress over the term. A number of these players previously had been in the B or C teams and have now had been exposed to A team hockey which will set them up well for their transition into Senior hockey next year. The progression was seen with them losing to Marlborough College 7-0 in the first fixture, and then only 2-0 in the final week. Special recognition goes to Imogen Friessner-Day for her efforts in goal throughout the matches.

This was a very tough season for the team who came up against much stronger opposition especially at the beginning of the season. Having said that the team showed great resilience in the face of adversity and they never let their heads drop; playing hard right until the final whistle in every match. Throughout the season the defence was always strong with Olivia NegusCole playing a vital part in all the matches. There were good wins towards the end of the season. We beat Bromsgrove School 4-0 with goals from Oleander Hall, Olivia Piggott, Tamsin Uglow and Annie Finan. The goal scored by Olivia Piggott was probably the best of the season. The match against Wycliffe College was, I think, the best we played. Going down to two early goals, the team dug deep and raised their game. The final score was a well-deserved 2-2 draw. The girls were really buzzing at the end of the game and all the way back in the minibus too! Most committed players were Georgia Morling, Sophie Iles, Lara Capps, Emma Donaldson and Freya. Most Valued Player: Bhavishya Gem Player of the Season: Olivia Negus-Cole Most Improved Player: Oleander Hall

Most Valued Player: Alicia Neilson

The season started well with a 3-1 victory away at Wellington College with two goals from Poppy Treasure and one from Octavia Elwes. The 2-1 victory over St Edward’s School, Oxford, was also a brilliant display of teamwork that rose above tricky conditions on the pitch. The spirit of the team was once again seen at Clifton College with a 4-2 victory. Special mentions for achievement and commitment go to: Molly Corbett for being able to juggle both hockey and rowing commitments this term and displaying fantastic leadership throughout the season; Hannah for outstanding communication on the astro, enabling everyone to work together as a really good team; Poppy Treasure for tireless efforts to put pressure on the opposition when they were in possession of the ball; Jemima for sensational goal-keeping every game she played in goal; Ellie Mitchell

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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Junior Colts A Record: played 8; won 3; drew 1; lost 4 Coach: Mr Ben Marsden and Mrs Jane McQuitty Captain: Isy Y

and their routine commitment to being the best they could be on the pitch and having a stellar attitude on match days. Special recognition is given to Izzy Bidwell and Nina Allan who started the season in the C team but represented the B team in a number of matches and made huge progress. Emily Oates was very strong in attack, committed and vocal in leading the team on. Player of the Season: Emily Oates

Junior Colts C Record: played 10; won 7; drew 1; lost 2 Coach: Mrs Alexandra Eldred Captain: Donna French

Of the last five fixtures, the group lost only one game and were unbeaten for the remainder. The loss was conceded against a very strong Marlborough College team. The penultimate game of the season saw the team enjoy a resounding 7-1 victory against Malvern College. The entire 14 player squad contributed equally and it was a fitting tribute to the vast improvements made by many throughout the season. This strength in the latter part of the season was a clear demonstration of the side getting better as the season moved on. Throughout the season Jessica Robertson showed great composure playing full back, dictating the play and making many crucial defensive interceptions and tackles throughout while captain Isy Y played at centre half, moving the ball on early and defending diligently. Isy often created team opportunities by eliminating at the right time and linking with those around her. Matilda Kitson was the everpresent goalkeeper that all sides need. She had a number of game-deciding performances throughout the season. Most Valued Players: Jessica Robertson, Isy Y and Matilda Kitson

Junior Colts B Record: played 9; won 6; drew 1; lost 2 Coach: Miss Elizabeth Rawkins Captain: Claudie MacInnes

Player of the Season: Minnie Fletcher

It was an amazing season, not just in results but with a tremendous bunch of girls to work with. The season started so positively with four matches unbeaten. Some highlights were the terrific match against Bromsgrove School and a 2-1 win. The score should have been much higher as the girls dominated from start to finish but the Bromsgrove goalkeeper was amazing with her saves. There was a nerve-rackingly close match against Marlborough College. It was goal for goal until the end with Marlborough scraping the victory 5-4. The girls were a real credit to themselves, being the nicest, most dedicated and upbeat team in the club. They greeted midweek fixtures with a sunny attitude and played an away match on a Saturday without complaint when all other teams had had their matches cancelled due to motorway problems. They are definitely the most tuneful bus companions I have ever had. Special recognition goes to Ellie Savage who played all season having never played hockey before, and Edie Doherty who was the stand-out player in every match. Donna French showed absolute commitment to goal keeping after volunteering to play in goal at the start of the season (taking the kit home over half term to practise!) and an excellent captain, who led from the front (the back, ha ha!). Player of the Season: Donna French

Yearlings A

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Yearlings B Record: played 9; won 8; lost 1 Coach: Mrs Sarah Dawson Captain: Jessica Heynes The first game away was against Kingswood School and, having no idea what they would be like, the girls were fantastic; they played with real determination and won 8-0. This set the tone and expectations high. The fact that not only did we have an almost unbeaten season, but we had a 31-goal difference was a testament to the brilliant attack and defence. This was an excellent squad and we rotated players regularly during matches without complaint. It was genuinely a team performance every time, rather than a few individuals taking the lead. There was some movement between squads and it was great to see four players go up to the A team at some stage in the term. In terms of individual performances this was not easy to define as everyone contributed superbly. We had strong players such as Elli Collins and Evie Poulain who stood out and secured themselves A team positions. Jessica Heynes gave all round performances and had the ability to put herself in some great positions. Sophie Wood had great skill levels and Eva Colbourne in defence had pace and could attack from deep. Katie Rathbone was solid and reliable, happy to adapt to wherever I needed to play her, always 100% committed.

Record: played 9; won 3; lost 6

Player of the Season: Katie Rathbone

Coach: Mr Tim Lang and Miss Hannah Maclean

Yearlings C

Captain: Izzy Anton-Smith It was a fantastic season with these girls, both on and off the pitch. There was a terrific match against Malvern College that ended in a 6-0 win and at times they could have been mistaken for an A team. To end the season the girls had a nailbitingly close match against Bradfield College, fighting all the way to the bitter end of the match and securing a 2-2 draw. More important than match highlights is to acknowledge the girls

traps and took the game by the scruff of the neck. Before Malvern had settled, we were 2-0 up. Playing with great composure and control, we were unstoppable, eventually winning 4-0. The final Saturday of term saw a quite brilliant performance against a strong Bradfield College that had put many of our fixture card to the sword. The girls had only one thing on their mind, and that was a win. Collectively they were relentless in attack and resolute in defence. Each and every member of the squad played a part in this sweet end to a long season. It was a happy bus ride home! There are some special mentions for individuals. The solid back three of Rosa Hanbury, Autumn Conner, and Katie Baker provided the team with strong foundations. The midfield combination of Erin Darbin and captain Izzy Anton-Smith continue to impress with their neat stick skills and electric pace. Minnie Fletcher has shown incredible tenacity and will to win on every occasion she has stepped onto the pitch. She has an engine like no other, and a rapidly developing skill set that will no doubt see her go on to be a very good player indeed. A special thanks must be extended to Miss Hannah Maclean for her tireless enthusiasm and inspiring team talks.

The team showed great determination to get the second goal needed against St Edward’s School, Oxford, to go and win the closely fought contest 2-1. Having had the lead taken away from them in a shaky few minutes, the girls produced one of the best halves of hockey I have seen to bring themselves back into the match, and really push Marlborough College to the brink. Against Malvern College we saw a renewed drive and will to win. The team came flying out of the

Record: played 9; won 8; lost 1 Coach: Miss Ellen Matthews Captain: Bella Parry The girls had an excellent term and really came together as a team with brilliant communication, team spirit and positivity. Even though the term started off with a close fought loss, the team then went on to win their remaining games. The girls demonstrated real grit and determination and

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did themselves proud in every game. There were some very strong performances against Clifton College and a 6-0 win, a 6-2 win over St Edward’s School, Oxford, and to finish the season with a 7-0 win over Bradfield College was a testament to all their hard work over the course of the season. It should be noted that this was Carrie Hui’s first time in goal. Players of the Season: Bella Parry, Mollie Chambers, Carrie Hui and Olivia

Netball My first year as Director of Netball has been a successful one and it was fantastic to be able to field six Senior and eight Junior teams, as well as two pathway groups at both U14 and U15 level, from the outset. The girls were provided with a wealth of opportunity to play netball competitively, as well as to develop their skills and play interHouse competitions against their peers. Over the course of the season the girls played in more than 60 matches, winning close to 50% of these, with a number of narrow losses across all age groups, which could have gone either way. It was great for the girls to improve on their winning percentage on last year by more than 10% and we are hoping to continue this upward trend in the coming years. The season featured particular highlights including fixtures against Tudor Hall School, in which we lost only two matches across both Junior and Senior level, and against Malvern College, again losing only two matches out of the 10 played. The Yearlings’ C team had a particularly great start to their first netball season at College, winning five out of their six games, and narrowly losing to Marlborough College by one goal in their first fixture of the season. House pots was held early in the term to encourage the girls and set the tone for the season. Holding it on a Saturday was a real success and allowed the girls to support their House across both Junior and Senior competitions. Winners of the Junior competition

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

were Ashmead and winners for the Senior competition were once again, Westal. There were also some fantastic individual achievements this year: Poppy Dillon not only being an integral part of the Yearlings’ A squad, but also performing outside of College at both Hucclecote Netball Club and Severn Stars; Fenella Clayton also had an impressive season playing within her age group for the Junior Colts’ A team, but also up into the 1st VII on a number of occasions. These experiences are great development opportunities for the girls and something they should strive to achieve. During my first season the bar has been set high by all girls at the club, both in training and at fixtures. The netball coaching team has been instrumental in the development of the club and have helped to create the best environment possible for the girls to develop and thrive within. It was unfortunate that the season had to be cut short and we missed our final two fixtures of the term, which were sure to be well contested. I am already looking forward to getting the next season underway. Miss Samantha Cook, Director of Netball

1st VII Record: played 7; won 5; lost 2 Coach: Miss Samantha Cook Captain: Katya Jennings The season started with a great performance and third place finish at the Rugby School preseason tournament. Our opening game against Marlborough College was a true test for where we were at despite the absence of a few key players. With a 21-32 loss, the squad knew that fitness was an area in which we needed to work on. After two weeks of training and no fixtures due to House pots and exeat, the girls trained hard and as a result had an outstanding game against the Royal Grammar School, Worcester. We narrowly lost by one goal in the dying seconds of the game having worked back a six-goal deficit going into the second half. After what was an exciting and nerve-racking game to watch for all, the squad went on to win the next five games of the season. The addition of Fenella Clayton, from Fourth Form, made a

huge impact to the building of combinations in the defence circle. The team had a fantastic approach to netball and were extremely professional throughout training and matches. Rose Dillon’s excellent attacking skills, shooting accuracy and experience stood the team in a dominant position. Poppy Pitt made the most improvement this season; she demonstrated huge learning from game to game and often made well timed turnovers at crucial moments. An excellent season for all. Full Colours: Katya Jennings (Re-award), Meg Knight, Rose Dillon and Poppy Pitt Half Colours: Scarlett Jinks, Willow Ransome and Emily Heardman Players’ Player: Rose Dillon Coaches’ Player: Poppy Pitt

2nd VII Record: played 6; won 3; lost 3 Coach: Miss Claire Rowland and Mrs Amy Lang Captain: Georgie The team had a slow start to the season with a few losses at the beginning but wins came over Tudor Hall School, Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Malvern College. Despite losing to Bloxham School, it was closely contested, with end to end play. Losses early in the season were against far bigger schools, but the girls maintained their composure and kept working hard. Player of the Season: Olivia Jones

3rd VII Record: played 6; lost 6 Coach: Mrs Alexandra Eldred Captain: Georgia Jones-Perrot The squad played with tenacity for the entire season. They took the uncertainty surrounding social distancing and fixtures towards the end of term in their stride and they trained well until the end. The scores and results do not necessarily reflect how hard they tried or wanted the victory. On more than one occasion, Tudor Hall School and Bloxham School for example, we held our opposition to a similar score. The team tended

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to drop off in the second half of the game. As a squad of 3rd VII players, we played 2nd VII teams on a number of occasions due to some schools fielding strong U16 squads. Therefore, the girls were sometimes playing better and more experienced teams. The squad is quite young overall so they have gained vital experience for next season. It was great to push Bella Evans up to 2nd VII; she earned her place through training hard. Special mentions go to Lizie Birch and Imogen Cutts for their best effort and intensity.

of the season losing 36 – 8. This was a great learning experience for the girls and they were gracious in defeat; the opposition’s coach even commented on what lovely pupils they were! The girls were a pleasure to coach throughout the season and they always worked hard in training. It is a shame that we were unable to play our fixture against Wycliffe College as they had certainly improved.

applied themselves fully in all training sessions and did their upmost to implement what they had learned in their fixtures. These girls were an absolute pleasure to coach and it was a really enjoyable and rewarding season. All players made equal progress and performed well on court with some shining in one match and others in another!

Most Improved Player: Olivia Negus-Cole

Most Valued Players: Claudie MacInnes, Donna French and Isabelle Hillman-Cooper

Most Valued Player: Bella Evans

Most Valued Players: Molly Krauer and Grace Tyler

U15C

4th VII

U15A

Record: played 5; won 4; lost 1

Record: played 6; won 2; lost 4

Record: played 6; won 2; drew 1; lost 3

Coach: Miss Hannah Mclean

Coach: Mrs Annette Poulain

Captain: Jemima

Captain: Matilda Kitson

The team made a roaring comeback after a relaxed start to the season. Three losses in a row couldn’t dampen the spirit of the squad who came back to claim their first win against Cheltenham Ladies’ College, which hugely pleased the crowds. Despite the high from the previous match, Bloxham School had the advantage of being on home soil and College conceded 17 goals but scored 12. Our final match of the season exhibited the intense training schedule and fitness regimes implemented by Mrs Ruth Cook, where we saw off Malvern College 25-14 and ended our turbulent netball season feeling like champions. Despite starting the season with one defender, Frankie Pinchard, Jessica Pulford and Lara Capps managed to turn our team’s defence into our strongest element. Captain Jemima led our team well throughout the season, instilling confidence in our players. Rebecca in attack and Willa Cook in centre court exhibited some serious talent on the court while being filmed for their Sports Science!

The team played some excellent games this season and their skill and ability improved immensely. Their understanding of game strategy and the determination to improve as a team made this season a pleasure for the coach. Outstanding achievements were a win against the Royal Grammar School Worcester 21-14 and a fantastic win against Tudor Hall School 22-7. One of the best matches this season was against Cheltenham Ladies’ College in which the girls drew 14-14. It was a nail-biting match and a demonstration of how far the team had come. With the season cut short, they were unfortunately unable to use this to continue on their winning streak. Fenella Clayton must be commended for stepping up from the U15As and debuting in the 1st VII where she played superbly.

Most Valued Players: Jessica Pulford and Robin Wang

5th VII Record: played 1; lost 1 Coach: Miss Ellen Matthews Captain: Tabby Barnes The team played a tricky match against Marlborough College at the very beginning

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Coach: Miss Helen Davies Captains: Sophie Essenhigh, Harriet Oates and Abigail Frankham The team were a committed group of individuals who demonstrated great sportsmanship to their opposition throughout the season. They played enthusiastically come rain or shine and no matter the result. Their hard work and dedication at training resulted in excellent results; only losing one game. They made a conscious effort to put skills learned into practice in matches. Sophie Essenhigh and Harriet Oates were particularly superb. They were constantly enthusiastic and worked amazingly well to keep spirits high within the team as well as excellent playing! Most Valued Player: Zennor Harvey Players’ Player: Sophie Essenhigh Player of the Season: Abigail Frankham Most Improved Player: Harriet Oates

U15D

Player of the Season: Eliana Hale

Record: played 1; lost 1

Most Improved Player: Matilda Kitson

Coach: Miss Grainne Linehan

U15B Record: played 6; won 4; lost 2 Coach: Mrs Rebecca Faulkner Captain: Claudie MacInnes The team scored 112 goals and conceded only 83. They made huge progress and worked together as a cohesive and effective team throughout the season. The squad showed passion and determination at all times. They

Captain: Mahony Knight The first match of the season was against Marlborough College who brought a very experienced team onto the court. Whilst our comparatively limited number of training sessions was reflected in the scoreboard, the girls really used it as an opportunity to get back into the feeling of playing as a team. By the last quarter of the match they really got into the swing of things, scoring four goals. Due to the season being cut short, the rest of our scheduled

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matches were unfortunately cancelled. However, the team really worked hard in training sessions and showed great improvements; they focused on their netball skills, particularly with handling of the ball and goal shooting. They were keen to learn more versatility in which positions they played to ensure they were more rounded players.

Scurr, Katie Rathbone and Mollie Chambers. Solid defending at the back with Mariia Guzhvina and Tezita Roy-Assen let very few passes into the circle. Fantastic shooting by Gilly Hechle, Georgia Scott and Marnie Davies meant that our scores were all high and our goal difference was plus 120. Gilly was particularly outstanding in the shooting circle.

Player of the Season: Catherine Gedney

Most Valued Player: Gilly Hechle

U14A

U14D

Record: played 6; won 3; lost 3

Record: played 2; lost 2

Coach: Miss Macinnie Meyer

Coach: Miss Emily Hartley

Captain: Minnie Fletcher

Captain: Lilli Campbell

The team were fortunate enough to play in the County tournament in the Autumn Term. They only had two training sessions to come together and had an incredibly successful day, winning their pool matches and only losing in the semifinal. During term fixtures they had convincing wins against Tudor Hall School, Malvern College and Bloxham School and two incredibly close matches against Marlborough College and the Royal Grammar School, Worcester, losing by three goals and one goal respectively. To finish the term the girls played a well fought training match against the Junior Colts’ A team, losing by only three goals – a great achievement. Autumn Conner is commended for her versatility on court; being prepared and eager to play in a range of positions without complaint.

Despite playing only two games, the girls worked incredibly well as a team and played with great gusto. There was clear improvement in skill and ability over the course of the term and they were engaged and a really lovely group to coach.

Player of the Season: Autumn Conner

U14B

Players of the Season: Lilli Campbell, Mirabel Evans and Poppy Watkins

Polo Coach: Dr Graham Mallard Captain: Monte Swain-Grainger

The Autumn and Spring Terms were once again times of success for the club. Having achieved the status of being double national champions the previous year winning the Schools and Universities Polo Association’s

(SUPA) National Schools’ Arena and Field Championships, College maintained its successful run at SUPA’s National Arena Championships held at Rugby Polo Club. Our first team, captained by Monte SwainGrainger and including Luke Wiles and Edward Walker, won the open division, beating Millfield School and a combination team in normal time, and then beating Wellington College in the final on penalties. Our second team of Jemima Walker, George Tomblin and Ben Pattrick had a tougher day, losing all three of their matches against other schools’ first teams: Stowe School, Rugby School and Harrow School. Our third team including Yuriko Fukuda Oliver Callon Hine and Holly Bullock beat teams from Marlborough College and Queenswood School on their way to securing the runners-up position in the novice division. This success was followed up by equally impressive performances a week later, when College entered two teams into SUPA’s Girls’ National Arena Polo Championships at Black Bears Polo Club in a rainy Henley-on-Thames. Our first team, including Jemima Walker and Izzy England, ended as runners-up in the open division to a very strong Heathfield School whilst our second team of Holly Bullock, Daisy White, Eliza Kennedy and Ottilie Roberts lost to teams from Stowe and Wellington before beating a team from Marlborough. Jemima and Holly played particularly well in the open and

Record: played 6; won 4; lost 2 Coach: Mrs Sarah Dawson Captain: Lucy Makin This team was packed with girls with the most positive attitudes, especially in their match against Bloxham School. They were beating them heavily, but the girls responded well to position changes and rose to the challenge; not letting their own game and performance drop. The team had a plethora of shooters to choose from, all of whom are strong. They all supported each other greatly and tried their best when they were given the opportunity. The way they have taken on the responsibility for their own warm-ups showed leadership and accountability and as result helped each other to improve. Mariia Guzhvina and Georgia Scott both came up from the U14Cs into the Bs for their efforts in training and for the potential they had. Both have done a fantastic job with Georgia showing how versatile she can be and Mariia showing excellent progress as a goalkeeper. Players of the Season: Lucie Makin and Bella Parry

U14C Record: played 6; won 5; lost 1 Coach: Mrs Kate Hornsby Captain: Gilly Hechle, Mollie Chambers and Flora Scurr It was an outstanding season with the team only losing their first game against Marlborough College by one goal. This was unlucky as we had led going into the third quarter, but just couldn’t maintain the lead until the end. There was some fantastic mid-court play from Flora

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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intermediate divisions, respectively; and for Daisy, Ottilie and Eliza these were their very first competitive matches, with Ottilie scoring her first competitive goal. That College was able to enter two all-girls teams into these championships, for the first time in at least the recent past, is indicative of the health of the club. Seven novice players, including a number of riding horses for the very first time, enjoyed fortnightly training sessions at Longdole Polo Club. Alternating Monday afternoon sessions, as well as additional sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, were enjoyed by 10 more experienced players. The club is thriving at a level that hasn’t been seen in recent years and which bodes well for future years.

Rackets Coach: Mr Mark Briers

College rackets in both Autumn and Spring Terms was busy and productive. Despite the National Schools’ Competitions in March being cancelled, both boys and girls enjoyed regular fixtures throughout the Spring Term with a number of pleasing victories. Led admirably by Max Sutton and Abbie Whybrow, the club boasted its greatest number of players to date: some 80 players in total, outperforming a number of two-court schools in the process. Great to see. A far cry from my first Cheltonian report…

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The girls remained unbeaten at Junior levels since Christmas with Isy Y, Lily Nicholson, Olivia VyvyanRobinson and Beatrice Cornwell leading the way for some promising first years. Our Seniors only lost once to Wellington College at home after beating them away with Molly Clarke, Fionnuala Dowling-Membrado, Flora Fletcher, Emilia Davis and Hannah all contributing impressively. The ground is prepared for Alice Vyvyan-Robinson, Tilly Wood and others to step up this coming year. Representation in the Ladies’ British Open doubles staged at Malvern College in November, was better than any other school and College secured the Plate trophy; the very same feat was repeated at the World doubles at Wellington College in January. Together with two runners-up trophies (U16 and U18) at the National Schools’ Doubles at The Queen’s Club, in London in December, the girls can be proud of their achievements. As well as securing a runners-up medal in the Senior singles for Max Sutton, at the Nationals, the boys became increasingly competitive at Senior level with victories over Marlborough College, Haileybury and Harrow School in the Spring Term, to complement some excellent performances in the latter part of the Autumn Term against St Paul’s School, Tonbridge School and Clifton College. As we say goodbye to great supporters of the club in William Stanton and Gus Milton, our Lower Sixth players Gus Edwards, William Taylor and William Hechle are all players that should be vying for honours next season. Hopefully Anay Shah, who also had a good run at Queen’s, and Theo Nicholson will also push them. At Junior level, healthy representation at both Fourth and Third Form

fronted by Robbie Slatter, Freddie Sanders, Joseph Coley and Ekam Khaira meant that many pupils have played competitively in fixtures; victories over Malvern, Harrow and Marlborough are testimony to these boys’ hard work. Domestically, Max Sutton won the College singles Bridgeman Cup and Freddie Sanders won the COAL Plate for Junior singles. Sadly, Newick House and Christowe were unable to play the KA Cook House Doubles Cup final and both girls’ competitions were unable to be completed. As ever, we continue to appreciate the support of other sports, their Masters and Mistresses in charge, and, inevitably, Mr Mark Briers as the core of our success.

Mr Karl Cook

Rowing Coaches: Mr Jed Greenhouse, Mr Nicholas Moffatt, Mr John Jones, Mr David Lait, Mr Julian Scrivener and Mr Joe Murphy. Captains: Jasper Lowde and Molly Corbett As the weather in the Autumn Term turned biblical, we headed inside for the miles and miles of ergo sessions and tests. Fortunately, we could occasionally get out on the water and these sessions were met with huge enthusiasm from the squad. We also had Strength and Conditioning sessions on a Friday evening, which led to many of our squad gaining much strength and power which would transfer over to the boat. With all the training banked, we were set up perfectly for Wycliffe Small Boats Head in early December. Captain Jasper Lowde

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Wycliffe Head

Rugby

As we were pinning the numbers on each other I couldn’t wait to get into that boat because it was my first competitive race in a single scull. It being December, splash jackets were essential. I steered the bridge successfully and the race was pretty much smooth sailing and I got into my rhythm for the next 2.5km. With the time trial gaps looking close with my rivals, I was quite surprised at this as I had only been focusing on my technique during most of the race. The final metres were approaching, I suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline and the boat began to pick up some more speed. After coming off the water, there was a buzz between all of the crews and everyone felt accomplishment in what they had achieved that day.

Arising from a number of fixtures across the Autumn Term, the season comprised of many fantastic team and individual performances.

Relentless competitor Maria Cowing The Senior girls all came back to rowing in the new year, and started to develop a sweep coxless four. I was really pleased with the progress all the girls made, developing in small boats as well as the coxless four project, with strong performances at Wycliffe Head and wins at Gloucester. With our season sadly cut short, I feel confident that the team will be able to pick up where they left off and continue developing their talent next year. Captain Molly Corbett Head of Rowing, Mr Moffatt, has talked much about his five-year plan for the club. The boys’ eight project is a part of this and will continue with the up and coming Seniors, combining Upper College and Fifth Form rowers where useful. This has already influenced the lower years in the Third and Fourth Form, who are showing an enthusiasm that hasn’t been seen at the club for some time. This is a good indicator that the club is going in the right direction. Second in Command Maximus Morris With challenge comes opportunity and starting Cheltenham College Boat Club again has involved time spent learning about and acting on values, process, and building our collective aims as a whole squad. Integrating new Third Formers into the club and getting them on the river on good days at Tewkesbury, I hope has been more than worth the effort they made during winter land training. Stepping stones of successful competition were made at indoor rowing events, including our own; a first. Well executed but limited racing on the water stoked the fire in the Seniors and Fourth Form with well applied learning along the way.

The Yearlings demonstrated huge resilience throughout and it was encouraging to see all 75 pupils, some of whom were playing rugby for the first time, develop and remain engaged in the game. Particular mention must go to the Junior Colts’ B team who recorded some great results across the season and none more so than their 14-10 victory over Rugby School. The Colts, who were arguably the most consistent team in the club, really established themselves on our tough circuit as one of the best. Their last gasp score against an unbeaten Clifton College team was their most notable victory. The U15 Natwest National Schools’ Cup team also progressed into the fourth round.

It was a proud moment for College to see Louis selected for a second year running with the England U18 squad and he and Sebastian were awarded full time professional contracts with Gloucester Rugby. A huge thank you must go to the grounds team, medical staff, catering team and coaches who have really helped support and develop the 280 pupils involved in the club.

Mr Olly Morgan, Director of Rugby

1xt XV Record: played 11; won 7; lost 4 Coaches: Mr Olly Morgan and Mr Dan Murphy Captain: Louis Hillman-Cooper

It was also great to see individual recognition for Ross Broughton-Johnson, Eddie Buttress, Max Brown, Leo Jamous, Will Gilderson and Temwani Banda who all represented Gloucester Academy. The Seniors started the season in emphatic form having had convincing performances against Malvern College, Stowe School, Marlborough College and St Edward’s School, Oxford. Rugby, who were one of the best in the country, provided a stern test and although the result didn’t go our way, it was one of the performances of the season, where the players showed true grit and determination. Other notable performances included the charity match against Sir Thomas Rich’s School which was supported fantastically by College and where £1,049.95 was raised for the whole school charity: a school hall for Gogar Primary School, Kenya.

The team produced some fantastic displays across the term and none more so than against Marlborough College where the team produced a resounding 35-5 victory to claim the Parry Combe Cup.

Individually, Luke Shuttleworth, Louis HillmanCooper and Sebastian Blake continued to perform well for Gloucester U18s in the Academy League. Lower down the Academy age groups, many pupils were selected into the DPP and PDG squads across the U14, U15 and U16 age groups.

We produced one of our best performances against National Cup finalists Rugby School in a really competitive game, which saw College lead at halftime. However, the power of Rugby in the second half proved too much and we lost 29-8.

There were also some impressive victories against Stowe School, Malvern College, Hartpury College, Blundell’s School and Sir Thomas Rich’s. We recorded our biggest victory of the season over St Edward’s School, Oxford (55-12).

I can’t speak highly enough of the maturity of the rowers as they’ve responded again and again to evolving situations; making the best of every session, every week, and during the Summer Term’s remote learning phase. The future is bright with motivation and desire. We are grateful for all the parental support that makes it possible for pupils to be a part of rowing. Our famous boatman and coach Mr Jed Greenhouse and I are excited about the pontoon project now that we have re-invigorated it. This will be transformational for the club and its future.

Mr Nicholas Moffatt, Head of Rowing

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With a disrupted Sevens season due to weather restrictions, it was great to make two U18 tournaments. The VII beat Dulwich College in the third place play-off at Shiplake College, having lost narrowly to Wellington College in the semi-finals. This was backed up with a fine display at the West of England Sevens where we made the final. Louis Hillman-Cooper, Luke Shuttleworth and Sebastian Blake all started for Gloucester in the U18 Academy League. Louis was also selected for a second year running with the England U18 squad while he and Sebastian were awarded full time professional contracts with Gloucester Rugby. Players’ Player: Sebastian Blake Coaches’ Player: Louis Hillman-Cooper Most Improved Player: Edward

2nd XV Record: played 10; won 6; lost 4 Coaches: Mr James Hayden and Mr Lucas Slowik Captain: Gus Milton It was a very positive season, which started with a convincing victory against Malvern College (46-0). We stumbled against Stowe School, which tested the characters of the boys, but they bounced back straight away taking back to back victories over Marlborough College and Blundell’s School, both of which were very close encounters. This was testament to the boys’ resilience and determination to grind out games. We then travelled to Rugby School which was always going to be a challenging fixture. The boys fought hard but sadly came away empty handed. A very quick bounce back gave them a huge win against St Edward’s School, Oxford. This was followed by a fortnight of lessons for the boys who lost back to back fixtures against Millfield School and Sir Thomas Rich’s. Then came along the greatest two weeks I’ve ever experienced as a coach. I had the pleasure of taking the boys away to Sherborne School where they left nothing on the pitch, putting in their best performance of the season. Lastly

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Clifton College came calling and the boys weren’t finished. They played better than I could have ever hoped for. They took their game to another level winning 26-13 at home, finishing the season in such style. I couldn’t be prouder of them. Throughout the season Bryn was an absolute machine, week in week out, performing with class and pure determination to succeed. Stand out performances were given by Charlie Gardener, William Stanton and Piers Brown. These three stood out and could have easily won Player of the Season. They’ve given a great deal to College rugby and each one of them had a stellar season.

fewer victories than they deserved. Individuals who stand out are Jack Szeto, Thomas White and Henry Meyrick for consistently outstanding play. Player of the Season: Jack Szeto Most Improved Player: John Chan

Colts A Record: played 9; won 7; lost 2 Coaches: Mr Nick Runciman and Mr Matthew Preston Captain: Simon Oates

Player of the Season: Bryn

3rd XV Record: played 10; won 3; drew 1; lost 6 Coach: Mr Duncan Simpson Captain: Hamish-James Anderson This was a tough season for the team who often took the field against much larger opposition, but win, lose or draw, there was tremendous spirit throughout. The team’s unity built in some tough situations which really helped to carry them over the line in some tight matches. It was a super win over Rendcomb College’s 1st XV and a last second loss to a very strong Marlborough College side. The boys were extremely unlucky to not finish the season with a win after totally dominating Clifton College in their final game and yet finishing with a draw. Special mention must go to captain Hamish-James Anderson, who led the boys superbly both on and off the pitch.

Record: played 6; won 1; drew 1; lost 4

Twenty different pupils represented the team during the term, with 14 different try scorers and eight different Man of the Match awards given. They all had a superb work ethic with strong organisation and a tenacious defence all of which were key to the team’s successes. Overall, they scored 193 points and conceded only 149. A smart kicking game, unrivalled accuracy in the line out and their natural flair in attack were also evident throughout and made all the difference in the closer fixtures. Exceptional victories were those against Rugby School (10-8) and Clifton College (29-26). Special mention goes to Will Gilderson who scored 85 points: 44% of the total points scored and a quarter of the total tries scored.

Coach: Mr David Mckee

Player of the Season: Will Gilderson

Captain: Jack Szeto

Players’ Player: Finlay Hurst

This fantastic group of boys were always keen for a game and very unlucky to have had some of the best matched fixtures cancelled, meaning

Most Improved Player: Harry Garbutt

Players of the Season: Archie Rosenfeld and James Taylor-Kimmins

4th XV

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Colts B

Junior Colts A

Junior Colts B

Record: played 9; won 5; lost 4

Record: played 12; won 5; lost 7

Record: played 11; won 7; lost 3; drew 1

Coach: Mr Will Kemp

Coach Mr Freddie Million

Captain: Tom Wackett

Captain: Ollie McGrath

Coaches: Mr Jamie Diamond and Mr Jason Gwynne Captain: Robbie Slatter

This successful season had many highlights including an assured victory against Blundell’s School thanks to a fine individual performance from Joshua Poulain and maintained discipline from the whole team in this hotly contested match. There was also a tactically immaculate performance against Colston’s School putting into practice everything we had done in training with a real team performance. The team were boosted by a physical and commanding display by Alvaro. Finally, winning at home (15-7) against a physical and determined Sherborne School was particularly sweet with a Man of the Match winning performance by Hugo White and his resolute display at full back. Special mentions go to Tom Wackett as a calm, determined and composed captain who is always keen to work for others; Tom Peck and Joshua for both leading the back line and showing great skill, and Fin Wellstead and James French for work ethic and commitment throughout the season.

The team’s confidence soared by making it to the fourth round of the U15 Natwest National Schools’ Cup but this was by no means the only highlight of the season. Highlights include Benjamin Cunningham’s conversion kick to win the game against Malvern College and a massive win against St Edward’s School, Oxford winning 36-10. Despite losses at Blundell’s School (15-29) and Taunton School (14-16) the team’s performance in both matches was excellent.

It was a great season with satisfyingly big wins against Rugby School and Stowe School. All players involved in the pack were outstanding and were very impressive physically with tackles and groundwork. Special mention goes to James ‘Electric’ Chan who scored a fantastic try against Rugby with his outstanding pace and quick feet. Player of the Season: Charlie Keene

Players of the Season: Jonty Kimber, Charlie Payne and Tash Munjanganja

Player of the Season: Tom Peck Player’s Player: Fin Wellstead

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Junior Colts C Record: played 9; won 1; lost 8 Coaches: Mr Nick Nelson and Miss Natalie Mcdaid Captains: Theo Dobson, Freddie O’Neill, Henry Cane, Ben Barltrop and Mickey Stranack

Bryan Luo’s fantastic try complete with sound effects against Wycliffe College while notable players throughout the season were Henry Cane, Ekam Khaira, Finlay Stevens, Josh Yang and Marcus Bailey. The rotating captains were Theo Dobson, Freddie O’Neill, Henry Cane, Ben Barltrop and Mickey Stranack.

Yearlings B Record: played 10; won 2; lost 8 Coach: Mr Tom Lambert Captain: Charlie W

Player of the Season: Mickey Stranack

Yearlings A Record: played 10; won 1; lost 9 Coach: Mr Todd Freedman Captain: Teddy Bennett

The highlights are many including starting the penultimate game of the season against Sherborne School with sheer determination. The boys had a great opening, scoring a try in the first few minutes. This fantastic morale boost after a hard season was enough to lift their confidence for a truly fantastic game of rugby. It looked like a different team out there. The boys also fought valiantly in atrocious whether against Rendcomb College; never losing heart or determination despite the icy rain trying to quash their steely grit. Special mention goes to

This was a resilient group of boys who continued to turn up and play each week on a very tough circuit. The highlight of the season was definitely a victory in the friendly match at Rendcomb College with a fantastic display of running rugby in the second half of what was the final game. Earlier in the season the fixture against Rendcomb was in freezing conditions. The team was determined throughout only to lose narrowly 14-19. Teddy Bennett captained superbly throughout the season.

This was a tough season, as the boys showed plenty of skill and heart, but were sometimes overwhelmed by the physicality of the circuit. Plucky narrow losses were had to Stowe School, Blundell’s School and Sir Thomas Rich’s. There was a tremendous team try away to Millfield School, appropriately finished off by breaks from Cody Watts and a rampaging Tom Min. There was a dominant win over Wycliffe College, complete with a hat trick from Charlie W. The season finale topped it all, with a nail-biter for the ages: under siege from Clifton College throughout the second half, Sebastian Balletta beat four players to run in his second long range try, before the heroic tackling of Aaryan Malde, Rafferty Turner, Henry Williams and Sebastian Thompson saw the team narrowly hold on for a 15-10 win. Queue wild celebrations. Player of the Season: Sebastian Thompson

Player of the Season: Fred Barter

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Yearlings C Record: played 8; won 1; lost 7 Coach: Mr Adam Kydd Captain: Finn Cutts

At the end of the Spring Term the clays section held its club championships. A tough course saw 13 pupils compete for the boys’ and girls’ High Gun and the Novice Gun; the eventual winners were Edward Hartley 45/50, Rebecca Cook 32/50 and Carson.

Results Mr Kydd: ‘Bertrand (pseudonym), I want you to get angry, and play a hard, aggressive match today: understood?’ Bertrand: ‘Yes Sir.’ Sometime later Timothy (pseudonym): ‘Mr Kydd, sorry to interrupt you, but I’m in House with Bertrand. You see, he really would like to get angry and aggressive, but, you see, he’s a convinced pacifist, and thinks we really ought to sort out these things in a peaceful and civilised way.’ Special mentions go to George Duff, Theo Clout and Jay Wheatley. Player of the Season: Henry Green

Shooting Coach: Mr Chris Reid

Unfortunately, the rifle season was cancelled but clays managed to finish with another strong performance over the two terms. Led very well by Charles Carpenter, the A team also comprised of Paddy Merheim-Kealy, Ryan Lam, Edward Hartley and Tommy. The B team featured Hamish-James Anderson, Seb Burden, Theo Hall and Carson. Molly Corbett, Rebecca Cook and Sofia-Maria Capelastegui made up the girls’ team.

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Marlborough Challenge Flush joint winners, sporting seventh, Rebecca Cook second and Charles Carpenter thirteenth

Millfield Invitational Girls fourth, boys sixth, Charles Carpenter second and Rebecca Cook third

Rendcombe College Close second by Sofia-Maria Capelastegui who was also High Gun

Harrow Fido May Overall winner, flush fourth, Charles Carpenter High Gun

Cheltenham Challenge Sporting winner, flush fourth and Edward Hartley joint High Gun

Mr Chris Reid

Marlborough College, we were able to field players from all years giving them more experience and adding to their development and enjoyment. The inclusion of the Jesters and Staff vs Pupils matches into the calendar was great. It provided the opportunity for our players to put their skills to the test against some very good squash players, as well as gaining some bragging rights against the staff. We would also like to thank our leavers William Gibson, Gaurav Mediratta, Javier Peralta Martin, Lydia Newman, Milo Watkins, Ben Harvey Wood and Max for all their commitment and support to squash over all their years at College. We hope you have a very successful future and continue your squash in your future endeavours.

Squash

Swimming

Coach: Mr Jamie Diamond and Mr Rob Shepherd

Coach: Mr Andy Osborne Captains: Dina Nejkic and Thomas Chu

The development of squash players has been excellent this year. Bigger numbers coupled with brilliant attitudes from the pupils and our coach Mr Rob Shepherd, have produced a thriving environment. This has enabled all our squash players, from beginners to performance, to develop and enjoy the sport. Fixtures have been first class with some outstanding results, especially from our 1st V who have been getting better week by week. But it wasn’t just our most experienced players who performed well. Due to our strength in depth, in our fixtures against Bromsgrove School, Radley College and

College has been thwarted in many of its swimming endeavours due firstly to adverse weather preventing travel and then three major events cancelled in the Summer Term. In spite of this, there are some highlights, many of which have come from internal competitions. The year started with strong performances in the Third Form galas, with accolades to Southwood in the boys’ competition and a dead heat victory between Westal and Queen’s in the girls. Latterly, Newick House and Westal were victorious in the Senior and Junior sections of House swimming pots.

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point in which they were ready for the summer season. To the two captains Molly Clarke and Will Stanton, denied their chance to lead College in their final year, well done and thank you for committing whole-heartedly and pro-actively to the programme each and every year. Finally, to all of those that help to keep the tennis buzz alive, in particular Mr Karl Cook who sadly leaves College after three decades of support: thank you!

Mr Tim Lang

Water Polo Coach: Dr Vicki Hawkins Captain: Richard Fung

As a very young team, formed from a mix of experienced and new players, the U18 team had a tough season, but they have progressed well as the season went on. Here at College we enjoyed external competition facing Marlborough College, Kingswood School, Monmouth School for Boys and Monmouth School for Girls, Dean Close School, Cheltenham Ladies’ College and we also welcomed Bloxham School to our fixture list. In amongst this competition we have had some successes, notably a win against Dean Close and the boys winning their half of the fixture against Monmouth. We have seen many new, talented swimmers join our Third Form ranks and have seen some impressive times being achieved too.

In the first round of the English Schools’ National Competition, College drew a tough

group, including Northampton School for Boys, Bedford School, Bedford Modern School, and Marlborough College. College performed well against some experienced opposition, and after a win against St Edward’s School, Oxford, qualified for the finals of the Plate competition. College finished as runners up and gained some valuable experience for the future. The U18 squad competing in the English Schools’ Swimming Association ESSA included Richard Fung, Jasper Chiang, Joseph Maguire, Ethan Tsang, Louis Power, William Yang, Aidan Portch, Freddie White, Willoughby Cooke, Guy Thomas, Jude Richardson, George Duff and Milan Thapar. The Baldwin Trophy for U18 Top Scorer: Joseph Maguire The Edwards Cup for Most Valued Player: Jasper Chiang Most Improved Player: Aidan Portch

Dr Vicki Hawkins

Lastly, we thank Dina Nejkic and Thomas Chu for their captaincy of the club this year.

Mrs Zoe La Valette-Cooper

Tennis Captains: Molly Clarke and William Stanton

In September 2019 the Winter Tennis programme sprang into action with many of the top tennis players in College fitting in valuable training around their winter sports practice and indeed their academic and co-curricular commitments. Lunch time sessions ensued, with the aim of kicking on from the successful Summer season. The weather, as we all know, was shocking in the Autumn and it was incredibly satisfying to see the commitment and endeavour of the pupils under such testing conditions. There were many a rain-soaked and windswept day out on the courts and to keep spirits high and to remain focused on improvement was no mean feat. Sadly, the hard work and ambition through the winter programme was cruelly hindered in the Summer Term and the squad wasn’t able to demonstrate how much they had improved. It was earmarked as a potentially very successful season with both the girls’ and boys’ squads looking strong and determined to do well. No doubt once we return to play, we will really see the skill and potential of the current cohort of young tennis players here at College. It is important to thank Mr Chris Warner for all his hard work throughout the winter to develop and bring on the squad and to deliver them to a

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VALETE Our Fond Farewells Phoebe Aitken Phoebe joined College in 2014, having previously been teaching at Bristol Grammar School. She quickly established herself as a hugely popular, positive and incredibly dedicated member of the Biology Department and wider College community. She was a popular, caring and dedicated teacher of Biology, who worked incredibly hard to ensure pupils were at the centre of her agenda, giving generously of her time. In addition to her significant contributions to the Department she also become extensively involved in the co-curricular aspects of College and her contributions were generous, significant, wholly reliable and enthusiastic; she led the Senior girls Fourth and Fifth Form hockey teams, Senior girls netball and tennis, and also started rounders for girls in the Summer Term. She was a stalwart of the CCF naval section and latterly assumed the responsibility of Officer in Charge, cultivating an enthusiasm and energy amongst the cadets. She was a loyal and expert tutor for Leconfield Lower College boys and her tutees really benefitted from her gentle coaching and positive approach. A talented and accomplished singer, she also found the time to support the Choral Society and sang in the choir on occasions. College was truly fortunate to have such a dedicated teacher, an outstanding colleague and a true professional in every sense of the word and we thank her for all her many and varied contributions to College life. We wish her and her family all the very best for the future.

Ruth Kramer

Karl Cook It is with a heavy heart that we say farewell to Karl and Ruth Cook after 32 years of hugely successful association with College. A new academic year without a member of the Cook family will be very strange indeed. Karl’s contribution to College cannot be underestimated. His many hats have encompassed every area of College life: as a Housemaster of 15 years, Rackets Professional, English teacher, Director of Sport and Director of Sports’ Partnerships, Karl has helped to shape our ethos today. He is a true gentleman and one that embodies those characteristics we seek to nurture in our young Cheltonians. His warmth, diplomacy, integrity and social ease are immediately apparent, qualities that have imbued the corridors

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of Leconfield and from which many past Porcherites and their parents have benefitted. Never one to raise his voice and always preferring a ‘quiet word’, he is the master of courtesy and discretion. Karl’s loyal stewardship of those who have been fortunate to have been taught, coached or mentored by him will stay long in their memory. Above all, he has been a loyal servant to College, and he will be sorely missed. Karl arrived at College in September 1988 as a young Tennis and Rackets Professional. Over the next six years Karl was instrumental in the resurrection of the game of rackets at College: The Cotswold Rackets Club was created and The Cheltenham Gold Racquet became a national tournament for evening club players to encourage players from all over the country to experience the ‘new’ Cheltenham Court. The game had been re-established within both College and in and around Cheltenham and College achieved full recognition from other schools in fielding a commendable pair at all age groups. In 1992 College’s U16 pair reached the Colts’ doubles’ final at The Queen’s Club, London. In 1994, the role of Rackets Professional was taken on, firstly by Richard Ellis and then by Mark Briers. This began a period of outstanding success for College rackets, with Karl and Mark overseeing the development of a huge number of outstanding rackets players, including World Champion Jamie Stout (H, 2002) and our first Ladies World Doubles Champion in India Deakin (W, 2019). During this period College became the leading rackets playing school in the country, producing a regular stream of winners at the National Singles and Doubles competitions held annually at The Queen’s Club. Karl’s strong association with the game will no doubt continue from afar, but he leaves College rackets in fantastic health. Record numbers of pupils are playing the game and College is leading the way in the relatively new area of Ladies Rackets. OCs continue to fly the flag in the world game, and many are hugely indebted to Karl for the guidance and support that he has given them. The next chapter of Karl’s career at College saw him appointed to the role of Housemaster of Leconfield to mould the lives of the numerous Porcherites that passed through his doors. As with all Houses, there were initial challenges to overcome but Karl and Ruth created a hugely supportive and inclusive environment for their charges during a highly successful 15 years at the helm. Since leaving the House, Karl has taken on several diverse roles, including Prep School liaison, Director of Sport and more recently Director of Sports Partnerships. He has raised our profile as a host school for National IAPS competitions and has begun the process of College becoming an MCC Cricket Hub. Of course, another key aspect of Karl’s place at the heart of College is as an inspiring and adept English teacher. Indeed, it is strange to think of an English Department at College without Karl.

Many a colleague has enjoyed popping up to H5 – one of the best-hidden classrooms in College but, critically, the closest to the Hadley – to talk through an idea and get his feedback based on the long-view of his time in the Department. But of course, it’s in the classroom where the magic happens. If you were to visit one of his lessons, you would be immediately struck by the atmosphere: year on year, his teaching has been characterised by high academic ambition and a spirit of mutual respect and collaboration. Karl is particularly adept at making each of his pupils feel part of the journey and out of the class of individuals, Karl creates a team. With his calming presence, reliability and friendship, we will all miss him a great deal. Karl – it’s been a joy for us to have been part of one of your many teams. We wish Karl and Ruth our very best wishes and thank them for all they have achieved as they embark on their new challenge at Peponi School in Nairobi, Kenya, where they will be joining up with former colleague, beloved friend and former College Housemaster, Mark Durstan.

Matt Coley with contributions from Anna Cutts and Andrew Straiton

Ruth Cook For the past 28 years, Ruth has been an integral part of the College community, fulfilling various roles with her characteristic can-do dynamism. In the academic year 1992-3, Ruth joined College as Assistant Marketing Manager at College and what was then Cheltenham College Junior School. She remained as Marketing Manager for College until 1999 and during this time enjoyed promoting the first vanguard of girls into Kingfishers and initiated the first ever ‘24 Hours’ event for prospective College pupils. Apart from a family exchange to Scots College, Wellington, New Zealand in 2005-6, many will remember Ruth, shoulder to shoulder with Karl in Leconfield from 1994 to 2009. In addition to supporting Karl and growing their family of four boys, Jack, Will, George and Sam, her roles in House were many and various: from house training Gappies, to employing and managing all House staff and stepping in to act as Matron herself for a term and a half. The truth is it is hard to put into words what Ruth’s contribution to Leconfield must have entailed, but those who have any insights into the inner workings of a boarding House will know and there is no doubt that Ruth will have caught and held many a fast ball in her time and that the Leconfield team were all the happier for her care, forethought and hard graft. In 2009, when the Cooks left Leconfield, Ruth was keen to use her Personal Training qualifications for College, and she

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established Girls Gym/Fitness as a regular games option for an expanding girl population at College, championing the value of regular and targeted exercise and providing personal training plans for all involved. The Balcony Gym became her domain! She also established and oversaw College’s ‘Off-Games’ provision, including the complex and vital field of Head Injury management. It is because of Ruth that, as a school, College quickly became a leading exponent of the GRTP policy where pupils were safely returned to our busy sporting programmes following injury. Whether it be stepping into Leconfield with an armful of three-month twins or the big family Christmases, her happy days in Marketing or the last day in House, we hope Ruth has many a happy memory of her time in College. But to her, the College community owes a great debt of gratitude to her years of unstinting, energetic and committed service. Here’s to a few happy years returning to Marketing, this time, with a bit more sunshine! Safari njema Ruth!

Jane Brodigan and Rebecca Faulkner

Rebecca Creed Rebecca joined an energetic and relatively new Development Office in 2007 joining Bridget Vick, College’s first Development Director. Her calm, intuitive and flexible approach to everything that was thrown at her at this time, enabled a newly formed Cheltonian Association to speedily establish itself with its myriad of new and successful initiatives designed to encourage its members to reconnect with each other and importantly, College. The inception and tremendous success of Floreat and the events programme, is a testament to her hard work, tenacity and dedication to College. She introduced new events nearly every year OC events, a marquee day at Cheltenham Races, a marquee day at the Gloucestershire Cricket Festival, a Christmas Fair, which raised significant funds for various local charities, garden visits and in her last year a Burns Night. She also introduced the very popular Cheltonian merchandise brand, adding new items regularly to keep the interest going. Rebecca, as Society Manager, was very much in charge of the office and was very much respected by her colleagues of whom she was very supportive. She willingly helped everyone in the office in so many different ways and was very much a team player. Rebecca always enjoyed a good party, provided there was a good bottle of prosecco at hand. The Department’s Christmas lunches - party might have been a more appropriate name were thoroughly enjoyed although her choices for the secret santa presents were not for the faint hearted! She and her family have a strong connection with College. Her two brothers Greg Selby (H, 1990) and Giles Selby (H, 1994) are OCs and were followed to College by Rebecca’s son

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Tom Creed (H, 2019) and daughter Immie Creed who attended The Prep, formerly known as the Junior (OJ, 2016). Greg’s two sons have joined College this year, one in Hazelwell and the other in The Prep. We are really sorry to see her go but we wish her well in her new role as PA to the Headmaster of St Edward’s Cheltenham. St Edward’s gain is College’s loss.

Malcolm Sloan

club as a Monday Activity and stretching pupils on mud and trail runs. All this while also taking part in the 200 mile Coast to College, and the 24 Hour Cotswold Challenge run to raise money for charity, and throwing himself into the CCF on camps, courses and expeditions to Austria and Norway. He has been an outstanding Resident Tutor, Assistant Housemaster, colleague and friend who cares deeply and diligently for his various responsibilities and pupils under his care. We wish him, Charlotte and Yavi all the very best for their move to Eton College.

Henry Davies

Richard Penny

Henry Davies joined the Sports Science Department in 2012 as a post graduate assistant. He brought a huge amount of enthusiasm and knowledge to lessons and very quickly established himself as a competent and inspirational teacher. Alongside Sports Science lessons, a Resident Tutor role in Newick House (2013-2017) and completing the Graduate Teaching Programme with the University of Buckingham, Henry continued to develop his knowledge and experience within the world of Strength and Conditioning (S&C). With such a huge passion for S&C and athletic development, Henry reinvented College’s Talented Athletes Programme (TAP) and introduced a whole College S&C programme. From this point on there really was no stopping him! His appointment at the English Institute of Sport came as no surprise and we wish him every success as he embarks on a lifetime dream to work with elite athletes, preparing them for international and Olympic success. Henry will be sorely missed. He has given so much to College and enriched the lives of so many Cheltonians, I am sure they would all join me in thanking him for all he has achieved and wishing him luck for an exciting future.

Jeremy Dodd

Rebecca Faulkner

Beren-Dain Delbrooke‑Jones To describe Beren as the librarian is like describing Clark Kent as a journalist. In addition to driving forward digital literacy and research skills, re-energising the Reading Diploma and setting the conditions for productive study in the Library, Beren has made learning and literature accessible through his visibility in so many other facets of College life. Beren has been a champion for accessible literary extension with the addition of Book Nooks to all Houses, extensive departmental reading lists, endless hours spent cataloguing departmental libraries and refreshing the themed reading offer in Common Room. Beren is one of those Colleagues who engages pupils in his passions; playing rugby for Cheltenham Tigers as well as coaching Senior and Junior rugby teams, leading a popular running

The Science Department are extremely sad to see Jeremy leave College. Having joined from Radley College in 2018, Jeremy has galvanised the spirit of the Physics Department and has made them one of the most progressive departments at College. Jeremy is a man of unwavering belief and conviction in pupils’ ability, the path the Department must take and what is right for the teaching and learning of our pupils at College – the Practical of the Week being particularly popular! His passion for science is clear for all to see; a true scientist, Jeremy is one to watch for the future. According to the Office for National Statistics (sic), Jeremy has attended more Science Society and Lecture Series meetings than most pupils at College! I will truly miss Jeremy in the Department. However, I am sure that his long body and short legs will find a perfect setting at Dulwich College, Singapore. We wish him, Rachael and ‘bump’ well as they commence the next exciting part of their lives together.

James Copeland-Jordan

Dion Douglas Dion has been the College Videographer since the beginning of 2019. His outstanding work has been instrumental in demonstrating the very best of life at both College and The Prep to pupils, parents and the wider world. Never content to deliver only what is required, he has constantly pushed forward the technical and creative aspects of all of the videos that he has produced. His dedication to achieving video perfection has seen him work far too many hours. Our staff, parents and pupils are indebted to him for this as the outcome is that we all now have many wonderful memories preserved in video-form for years to come. Dion leaves us to build his own videography business and we wish him every success. We are sad to see him leave us but pleased that he is following his dreams and building a career that he is passionate about. His final video at College was the Upper Sixth Speech Day annual review and it will stand forever as a monument to both the unusual year

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at College and Dion’s incredible talent. However, if you ask the man himself, he will surely direct you to ‘Beep Beep Day at The Prep’ as his preferred Oscar contender… Good luck Dion!

Rich Watts

Vicki Hawkins

Jane Brodigan

Back in April 2016 Vicki wrote a speculative email asking about a career change to teaching. It soon became apparent that she was a trained lawyer, a GB athlete, and held a Maths PhD. Despite the extra cost of employing a translator (sic), so that the children could understand her accent, we employed her without hesitation. Vicki is extremely talented and learns very quickly; she almost instantly became a very effective teacher. She took the advice ‘don’t smile until Christmas’ to heart and quickly earned the respect of all. Vicki has an extraordinarily high capacity for work and has contributed in many valuable ways to the Department. She has also been an excellent source of wisdom and a good friend to many. Vicki has also run water polo, been a member of CCF (with a particular interest in camping) and has been an excellent tutor in Boyne. A superb colleague and teacher in every respect, Vicki will be missed by many.

Ruth Kramer

Brendan Enright

Hattie Hook For one year only, Hattie joined us from Malvern College to teach English and Drama as maternity cover for Venetia. ‘A very radiant beam of light’ with ‘a very certain kind of energy’ who is ‘fun,’ ‘fun,’ and did I mention ‘FUN’? These are just some of the words Hattie’s pupils have used, so rightly to describe her and her lessons. Warm, enthusiastic and always putting the pupils first, her meticulously planned and resourced lessons engage, inspire and enthuse. Hattie has supported a range of co-curricular drama productions: helping backstage at the Scholars’ play Love in Idleness and the whole school musical Margaret’s Mind. With stylish barefoot aplomb, she fronted the production of The Vagina Monologues and delivered a powerful original duologue with Emily Taylor. In this year’s Variety Show, she did an admirable job coaxing the first XV rugby into something resembling publicly acceptable ‘choreographed’ moves as well as directing comedy sketches. As a tutor for the Leconfield Third Form, through dogged determinedness, great empathy and a brilliant sense of humour, Hattie has built great bonds with her charges and won over their parents to boot. Committed and loyal to the House, her friendly, bright and positive presence will be greatly missed by everyone in Leconfield. And of course, this is true of her friends in Common

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Room too who among many things will miss her booming laugh, stylish interpretations of the working wardrobe and GREAT CHATS. Inspiring joy, originality and excellence, those Headington girls are very lucky!

THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

Ruth joined College in 2014 as a teacher of Biology. She has been a stalwart in the Biology Department, having an unbridled passion for the subject and being an outstanding teacher. Her commitment to the subject and pupils is unsurpassed and she consequently became Head of Department in 2016. Ruth led the transition to the introduction of the linear A Levels; this was a smooth and seamless one with the results being nothing short of outstanding. She has always been an extremely supportive and collegiate colleague, always willing to give freely of her time. Her particular fondness lay with the Upper College students for whom she was an excellent mentor and role model, providing many of them with excellent foundations for life beyond College. Her passion for teaching meant that she was a superb mentor for PGCE students and NQTs giving them excellent foundations on which to base their teaching careers. Ruth will be sorely missed in College Lawn where she was an invaluable tutor. We all wish Ruth a very happy retirement and much happiness as she plans her numerous holidays and spends time with her family and friends.

Beren-Dain Delbrooke-Jones and Zoe La Valette-Cooper

Isabella Mech Isabella joined College as Head of Science with a mission to take science at College to a nationally recognised standard. She certainly achieved that and more. Isabella has had an enormous impact on not only our teaching of Science, but also the lives of countless students of Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine, Oxbridge scientists and our Upper College students generally, notwithstanding her excellent Biology teaching which instilled a love of the subject in so many pupils. Isabella has a tireless work ethic and will always put herself out to go above and beyond for the pupils in her care. She also elicits great loyalty from her pupils who know that they have a far greater chance of success if they are able to obtain the standards of excellence that Isabella sets for them. In her time as Head of Upper College her attention to detail meant she knew exactly how each of the students in her charge was performing, and, knowing that this would set them up for the future, she always wanted them to get the very best for themselves. We will miss Isabella’s wonderful Chapel talks where the whole school was able to witness her passion for Africa and nature. Isabella returns to teaching Biology at Cheltenham Ladies’ College where she will enjoy the opportunity to spend more time in the classroom.

Crispin Dawson

Isabella Mech

Alan McKnight

Graham Mallard

Alan joined us in September 2018 to help the Biology Department to cover a period of absence. He gave us four terms of his invaluable experience that he had primarily developed during his extensive career at Malborough College, initially as Head of Biology and latterly as a Head of a boarding house. Alan remained with us until Christmas of 2019, working as a stalwart of the Biology Department, a caring and dedicated Sixth Form tutor and a member of the Southwood team. His experience and measured approach was evident in everything Alan undertook and he became a real asset to the Department, readily sharing his ideas and his invaluable insight. He was a popular colleague and could always be relied upon to support the Department and the pupils. He was an incredibly safe pair of hands for his charges and they benefitted from his true passion for the subject, good humour and strong work ethic. He left us to take up another short-term teaching post at Malvern College, and is likely to retire soon. We wish him, and his wife a very happy, healthy and long retirement and extend a big thank you for all he gave to College.

These last six years, Graham has made a hugely significant impact on College life. From his compassionate and academically inspirational leadership of the Business and Economics Department, as the Head of Academic Enrichment, and the Master in Charge of College’s most successful sports team ever, polo, he is first and foremost, a devoted friend who always puts others first. He has often been lauded for his unfailing positivity and sense of decency, fair play and teamwork. Not for nothing does he have the unofficial title of ‘the nicest man in College’. Graham has brought so much and indeed given so much of himself – his kindness, energy and expertise – to his colleagues and to the pupils of our school. We can but thank him wholeheartedly and sincerely for the gift of his fellowship and wish him every success on future trails.

Ruth Kramer

‘No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other’s worth.’ Robert Southey

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Jane McQuitty

Clare Underwood

Tom Wilson

Jane joined us in 2013 as the Psychology Department rapidly expanded, only having been introduced as a subject available in College the year before. She brought with her a wealth of experience both in teaching and in working in an independent school. She remained with us until Christmas of 2019 working as a superb Psychology teacher, impassioned and skilled hockey coach and dedicated Lower College tutor for Ashmead. Whether it was on the hockey pitch, in House or the classroom, Jane was measured, reliable, fair and totally committed. She approached everything she did with enthusiasm and a real ‘can do’ attitude. Her work ethic was impeccable and she took on new challenges with a genuine desire to ‘make it work’. I know that she will do a stellar job in her promotion to Head of Department at The King’s School, Gloucester. Many pupils have much to thank Jane for, in her excellent teaching, going above and beyond in supporting them in their preparation for A Level exams, and genuine desire to care for their development and wellbeing. We wish her and her family (three quarters of whom are still based at College) every health and happiness for the future.

Between shifts in the Art Department, Clare may be found under the bonnet of one of her vintage cars, weekend camping, spinning fire poi or running to the post office to pick up parcels including an array of car parts or 1950s clothing from ebay.

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Tom. He has firmly cemented his credentials as an excellent teacher of Chemistry and Biology over the past three years. It is fair to say that Tom has certainly cut his teeth and perfected his craft at College. Tom’s deadpan delivery and gentle giant approach have resounded with many a class and have allowed pupils to flourish under his wing. Tom is a leader of teaching and learning and has brought many new developments into the Chemistry Department. His use of pupil feedback is unparalleled and he inspires us to think about the way we teach. In addition, he is a passionate sports coach whose love of the game (be it hockey or cricket) overflows to the pupils’ advantage. Perhaps above all he is a kind and patient Resident Tutor in Christowe; qualities that are a pre-requisite of the role which he naturally holds in abundance. His tireless energy and willingness to go above and beyond is valued so highly by the House team. Tom introduced House breakfasts, commendation recitals, ran House trips and much more. Always there to be relied upon, day or night, Tom has been a blessing to Christowe. He is an all-round schoolmaster whose career is just starting. We wish him and Charlotte well in the Seychelles. He will be sorely missed.

Tricia Norman

First employed as the Art Department Technician in 2005, Clare has worked as a much-valued part of the Department machine: she is the vital builder of bespoke canvasses and installation spaces; curator of exhibitions; and provider of art equipment extraordinaire. She has also been an essential fount of knowledge for a great many pupils over the years, providing valuable, technical experience which the pupils appreciate greatly. Working alongside the pupils across the Department has been a highlight of Clare’s job and so we hope that her ambitions to undergo more teaching practice will come to happy fruition in the future, (especially if there is any welding involved). We wish Clare very well as she embarks on the new and adventurous part of her life journey.

Jo Millar

James Copeland-Jordan and Todd Freedman

Acknowledgements

Editorial Notes

The editors would like to thank the following for allowing the use of their photographs in this publication:

Old boarding Houses will be named in full. The following abbreviations for current boarding Houses:

• a day magazine (adaymagazine.com), Thailand, for the picture ‘Jean’ in Jean Vatchara’s article

A Ashmead

• Andy Banks

BH Boyne House

• Cheltenham College Archives

Ch Chandos

• Cheltenham College Marketing Department; especially Rich Watts, Dion Douglas and Nicole Njagi

CL College Lawn Xt Christowe

• The Cheltonian Society

H Hazelwell

• Childcare Department, Brasov, Romania

L Leconfield

• Gillman & Soame UK Ltd

NH Newick House

• Jacob Fisher

Q Queen’s

• Rob Hall

S Southwood

• John Jones

W Westal

• Julia Hande • Sports Leaders UK • Vanessa Grant Trust • Shamrock School, Nepal • Clare Underwood

To comply with changes to GDPR legislation, we have sought consent to publish names and images. If consent has not been received, regrettably, mentions of this individual have been limited to first names or, if necessary, have been removed. If you would like to give consent, please contact dataprotection@cheltenhamcollege.org

Our thanks Too many to list here, but many thanks go to the great number of pupils, teachers, support staff, OCs and Housemasters and Housemistresses who have kindly provided articles, information and images for this edition. The editor, Jane Brodigan, would like to thank Kate Human, Sarah Thompson, Sebastian Bullock and Malcolm Sloan for their work on the wonderful Cheltonian Society content, to Rich Watts and Mary Plint for their expert input and to Laurette Thomas for her exhaustive technical editing, proof-reading, patience and moral support. On behalf of Cheltenham College, the editor would like to express our gratitude to Mat Jolly of Jolly Good Design.

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CHELTONIAN SOCIET Y MERCHANDISE

OC Silk Tie £15

OC Silk Scarf £15

OC Silk Bow Tie £20

Socks (pack of 2 pairs) £12 One size (sizes 6-11)

College Silver Cufflinks £65

House Bow Tie £20

House Cufflinks £25

English Bone China half pint mug £15 Wooden plaque with College Shield £25

Rugby shirts £15 Ladies M & L Mens S, M & L

House Rugby Balls £8

House Friendship Bracelets £5

Large Umbrella £20 Cheltonian Society Wool and Fleece Scarf £18

You can now order Cheltenham College House Tracksuit bottoms direct from the supplier. These come in navy, black, charcoal and grey marl with sizes from S to XXXL £18.00 plus postage. www.surridgesport.com/cc-houses

Ian Weatherhead Limited Edition (300) Prints

Ken Messer Watercolour Prints

Limited Edition (250) Mounted print £25

Print only £120 (UK p&p £6)

Framed Print (frame choice: silver, natural ash, gold) £189 (UK p&p £15)

If you have any ideas for new Cheltonian Society merchandise, we would love to hear from you. Please drop us a line on society@cheltenhamcollege.org To order either call 01242 265 694 or email society@cheltenhamcollege.org Or send a cheque payable to ‘Cheltenham College Services’ to Sarah Thompson, Cheltonian Society, Cheltenham College, Bath Road, Cheltenham GL53 7LD Merchandise can be collected from Cheltenham College, or there is a one-off charge of £3.50 per order for UK postage and packaging. Overseas postage cost will vary. This excludes Ian Weatherhead prints which are charged as indicated.

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THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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Cheltenham College Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 7LD

Cheltonian Society Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 7LD

Tel: +44 (0) 1242 265 600 Email: reception@cheltenhamcollege.org www.cheltenhamcollege.org

Tel: +44 (0) 1242 265 694 Email: society@cheltenhamcollege.org www.cheltoniansociety.org

Registered Charity No. 311720

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THE CHELTONIAN & FLOREAT 2019-2020

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The Cheltonian and Floreat: 2019-20 Academic Year

Articles inside

Stories from our Old Cheltonians

Valete - Our fond farewells

Sport

Acknowledgements

Cheltonian Society Sport

Houses

Community

Co-Curricular

Academic

News from The Prep

Introduction from Head