The Elizabethan 2008

Editorial

contents

Contents Editorial Foreword Foundation Apologia

2 3 136

Acorn House Introduction Activities Arts

Original Art

Creative Writing Editorial

Staff Leavers

Year 2 Leavers

Friends of Acorn House

7 8 10 10 12 14 14 14 16

Introduction Activities Arts

Music and Drama

Creative Writing Sports

Football

Swimming

Athletics

Hockey

Cricket Editorial

School Council

Staff Leavers

Charities

Friends of Beechwood

21 22 24 24 26 30 30 31 32 33 34 38 38 38 39 41

Beechwood

Elizabeth College Activities

Combined Cadet Force

I and D Week

Community Service

Charities

Sixth Form Life

45 45 54 58 59 60

Arts

Cartoons and Design

Original Art

Creative Writing

Drama

Music

Library Sports

Cricket

Fencing

Golf

Football

Hockey

Athletics

Swimming

Sports Leaders

Rugby Trips

Barcelona

French Exchange

Geography

Biology

DoE Explorations

Classics

Choir

Skiing Editorial

Staff Leavers

School Council

62 62 64 67 70 74 75 76 76 80 85 86 90 93 94 94 95 96 96 98 100 102 103 105 106 108 111 111 113

OEs Introduction Dinners Sports Articles Committee News

115 116 118 120 127 128

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The Elizabethan 2008

:: 001

Editorial

Foreword

Principal’s Foreword This has been an important year in the life of College because it has seen the fundraising intentions of the Foundation bear fruit. In particular the long held goal of improving study and social facilities for the Sixth Form was finally fulfilled with the new facility in use from October 2007. These improvements were only made possible through the generosity of College’s supporters drawn principally from current parents and Old Elizabethans. In recognition of this support the quiet study area was formally named the Mike Wilson Reading Room, in honour of the memory of Jurat Wilson (5036) who served as a College Director on three occasions. Similarly the Sixth Form Study Hall has been named in memory of AJ Perrot, late father of Advocate Roger Perrot, Chairman of the Foundation Appeal.

Beechwood pupils also now have a new all-weather play surface on site. During the year the facilities for Music and Drama in the Main Hall were upgraded, with improved lighting and sound equipment plus a more flexible staging system.

Regular readers will have noticed that we have switched to recycled paper this year as part of our College-wide support for environmentally friendly initiatives. As ever my thanks go to all the pupils and staff who have written articles and to our editorial team for their hard work in compiling this edition of the Elizabethan.

I am also particularly grateful to the local companies whose sponsorship of advertising space has again allowed College to produce such a fine record of the past year.

ND Argent

Within this Elizabethan you will see evidence of a wide range of activities, performances, productions, trips and tours. This edition also records pupil achievement by both teams and individuals. As usual it is not the intention to furnish an exhaustive list of all that has taken place over the year, indeed that would fill these pages many times over. Rather it is our goal that the contents should give a sense of College life. It is also my hope that former pupils will find assurance in these pages that College continues to offer its pupils more than just a classroom education. One statistic to support this is the fact that during the academic year College ran nearly 100 off island trips and tours. Many of these trips were sports tours or CCF expeditions but there were also academic and cultural trips to locations as diverse as Iceland and Barcelona.

Chairman’s Foreword Dr Argent says in his ‘Introduction’ to this issue of the Elizabethan that it has been yet another important year in the life of College, and it is one which has seen generous support turned into impressive facilities for many members of the Foundation. The work has been made possible through the hard work of those involved in the Foundation Appeal. I would like to pay tribute to them, and especially to Advocate Roger Perrot, for his vision and guidance as Chairman of the Foundation Appeal, and record my thanks and that of the Board to him and to his fellow committee members.

002 :: The Elizabethan 2008

It was good to be able to welcome the Lord Bishop of Winchester, one of the most senior members of the Bench of Bishops, to College in the spring, and to take the opportunity to show him the newly refurbished Sixth Form Centre and the Mike Wilson Reading Room. Bishop Michael is the College Visitor and he was very impressed with the projects so far achieved and those towards which we are working.

The visit also gave an opportunity to bring him up to date about the life of College and to have some time with Dr Argent. The Bishop’s visit and his official position within the Foundation as Visitor underline one of

the distinctive qualities and characteristics of College to which allusion is made in our Mission Statement – that all we do ‘to educate pupils to fulfil their abilities, enabling them to become responsible citizens’ is done in ‘our caring and Christian foundation.’

Do enjoy this record of a remarkable year, and keep those who work so hard for College – especially the Principal and staff – in your thoughts and prayers.

The Very Reverend Canon K P Mellor

The Foundation

Editorial

Elizabeth College Foundation 2008 has been a hugely significant year for the Elizabeth College Foundation.

The Foundation Development Appeal was launched in early 2007 with a set of prioritised projects due to be completed within 3 years. Thanks to the generosity of the donors to the Appeal, this year has seen the completion of three of these projects: The new Sixth Form Centre, the All-Weather Pitch at Beechwood and the Library and Music Room at Acorn House neatly providing one at each section of the College.

The 2007 Development Appeal has been enormously successful, and current and future students who benefit from the new and improved facilities resulting from the Foundation work are greatly indebted to the generosity of all of the donors who have contributed to the Appeal.

The Sixth Form Centre was formally opened on 22 January 2008 by Geoff Rowland, the Bailiff of Guernsey, and has been hugely successful in providing high quality and

flexible accommodation for our Sixth Form students.

The Beechwood All-Weather Pitch was installed during Michaelmas term 2007 and has already proved itself to be invaluable with the changeable weather we have had last winter, and indeed summer!

The Acorn Library and Music Room was constructed during the summer holidays and formally opened by Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Le Cheminant on 7 November 2008. This bright new room now accommodates the Acorn House Library as well as the school musical instruments. It also provides an additional flexible space for the children to undertake music and other creative activities in small groups, or as a whole class. Head of Acorn House Mrs Julie Veron commented that â&#x20AC;&#x153;The new Library has proved to be extremely popular. Staff and children enjoy coming in here so much that we have had to draw up a timetableâ&#x20AC;?.

The final two major projects to be funded by the 2007 Foundation Development Appeal are a new Pavilion at the Memorial Field and a retractable cover for the swimming pool. Planning permission has been granted for the Pavilion and detailed plans drawn up ready for the selection of a builder in early 2009. We hope the Pavilion will be in use in Michaelmas term 2009.

Next year will see the formation of an Elizabeth College Foundation Legacy Club. The Legacy club will be a social and luncheon club, comprising those people who have chosen to make some provision for Elizabeth College through their Wills.

If you are interested in finding out any more about the Elizabeth College Foundation or the Foundation projects please contact Dot Carruthers Elizabeth College Development Officer Tel (01481) 728217 Email foundation@elizcoll.org

The Elizabethan 2008

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Editorial Visitor

Miss K Labbé Licence (Lit) R G Le Sauvage BSc Mrs P E Maher BA ARCM D F Raines BSc DPhil Dr E Ryder BSc PhD Mrs C L Saunal BA T C Slann Dip NEBSS M A G Stephens BA Mrs A Thibeault BA MA C D van Vlymen BSc PhD M Wesley BSc G Wilce BSc MSc D Wray BEd

The Bishop of Winchester

Directors

The Very Reverend Canon K P Mellor (Chairman) Professor R Conder D Grut N Guillemette K M Hudson S Le Maître Advocate P M A Palmer Deputy L S Trott Ms M Wheatley

Clerk to the Board of Governors and Bursar JM Willis Principal

N D Argent BA PhD

Vice-Principal

S G D Morris BSc

Geography, Life Skills, Community Service

A R Cross MA

Head of Sixth Form R J James BA

Chaplain

Rev’d R G Harnish BSc DPhil MA

Latin, Ancient History English, Film Studies, Critical Thinking Religious Studies, Psychology ,CCF

Teaching Staff

Mrs E M Adams DipAD Art B W Allen Cert Ed Design and Technology, Life Skills, CCF, Games B E H Aplin BSc Geography, Life Skills, CCF, Games Miss K Brent BEng BSc Mathematics Mrs M Campbell BA MA English, Drama B Clarke BA Business Studies, ICT, Games C R W Cottam MA CTABRSM Latin, Classics, Ancient History, Games G S Cousens BA History, Mathematics, Games T R de Putron BSc Mathematics, Games R M Davis BA ICT, Games Mrs M C Dudley BA French, German, Latin, Community Service Miss P J Dudley MSci MA MRSC Chemistry T Edge BA MA Religious Studies, Games Miss J Flood BA MA English, Drama, Community Service M Garnett BA PE, Games, Life Skills A Good BSc PE, Games Mrs M Gordon MA French, Spanish, Community Service A Hale BSc Mathematics, Games Mrs T L Halton BSc Biology P C Harris GRSM ARCM Music, Music Technology M N Heaume BSc PSHE, Games M P Higgins BSc Physics, Careers, Games J J Hills BA MPhil MA Latin, Classical Civilisation, Ancient History, Games J R Hooker BA History, Games S J Huxtable BA Geography, Games D R L Inderwick BA MA English, Drama, Games, Classical Civilisation, CCF A M Jewell BEd MEd English, Drama, Life Skills M E Kinder BEd English, Games, Life Skills

004 :: The Elizabethan 2008

French Biology, General Studies, CCF Music, Music Technology, CCF Chemistry Mathematics French Design and Technology, CCF Art French Biology Design and Technology, CCF Physics PE, Mathematics, Games, Sports Leadership

Elizabeth College Junior School Geography, Games

Director of Studies

directors & teaching staff 2008/09

Headteacher

Mrs S Battey, Cert Ed

Beechwood Head

Mrs S Battey, Cert Ed

Deputy Head

CJ Veron, BEd

Teaching Staff

Miss K A Henry BA Miss D L Wenman BA Mrs AM Pollard BEd Mrs S E M Crittell, BA Mrs K J Robinson BEd Mrs D C McLaughlin, BSc Mrs M Boyle BSc Mrs N Stevens BEd Miss E J Brooker BSc P Sargent BA Miss F A Le Tissier BMus MEd Mrs R Robinson, BCom Mrs M L Kinder Cert Ed Mrs K Le Guilcher Cert Ed Mrs P E Maher BA, ARCM

Acorn House

Yr 6 Class teacher Yr 6 Class teacher Yr 5 Class teacher Yr 5 Class teacher Yr 4 Class teacher Yr 4 Class teacher Yr 3 Class teacher Yr 3 Class teacher Yr 3 Class teacher SENCo Co-ordinator of PE Head of Music General Subjects Teacher General Subjects Teacher Learning Support Head of Strings

Head

Mrs J Veron BEd

Teaching Staff

Miss K L Parrott BSc Miss E V Carré BA Miss C J Kimber BSc L A Purdue BSc Mrs R Curtis BA Miss C Gillman BA Mrs J Atkinson BEd Mrs W Gabriel Cert Ed Mrs A Liu NVQ L3 Early Yrs Care & Edn

Yr 2 Class teacher Yr 2 Class teacher Yr 1 Class teacher Yr 1 Class teacher Reception Class teacher Reception Class teacher General Subjects Teacher General Subjects Teacher Pre-School Curriculum Leader

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Acorn House

Contents Introduction Activities Arts

Original Art

Creative Writing Editorial

Staff Leavers

Year 2 Leavers

Friends of Acorn House

006 :: The Elizabethan 2008

7 8 10 10 12 14 14 14 16

Introduction

Acorn House

“

As with all schools, we never stand still. We are always striving for better experiences and greater success for all our pupils.

Head’s Report 2007-2008

”

The Academic year from September 2007 at Acorn House has been extremely busy. New staff have joined us and changes have been made to the school buildings and play areas. The number of children in school has grown to 109.

Miss Emily Carré joined us at the beginning of the year to embark on her first year of teaching. She has achieved a great deal during this year and is continuing to teach in Year Two alongside Miss Parrott, providing many exciting opportunities for the children. Mrs Jo Atkinson joined us in the Lent term as a part time teacher. Mrs Atkinson is a talented musician and has helped Miss Le Tissier with some of the Music teaching.

Friends of Acorn have continued to give strong support to the school. They have organised a Halloween Ball, Quiz Night, Christmas Fayre and Beach Barbecue to name just a few events, not to mention the many other time consuming fundraising activities, such as the Webb Ivory catalogues and Christmas Pudding orders!

The new playground apparatus was partly funded by Friends, with the balance of funds coming from the Elizabeth College Foundation.

The children were so excited to see it in place and could not wait to have a go. The excitement continues and the apparatus is well used by all. I would personally like to thank committee members, past and present, for all their hard work.

Celebrations throughout the year have included Harvest Festival, Christingle Service, Christmas Concerts, Class Assemblies, Summer Concerts and Sports Day, all of which have given children and parents much pleasure. These events inevitably require much planning and preparation. I am grateful to the Staff of Acorn who train and encourage the children to produce such enjoyable events.

It is good to see Year One and Two children taking part in some of the Beechwood celebrations, as this makes transition at seven less daunting for children.

to have this new room, providing us with this extra space and the facility for children to develop important library skills.

As with all schools, we never stand still. We are always striving for better experiences and greater success for all our pupils. The staff at Acorn are extremely caring, committed and provide a solid foundation to your child’s formal education. We hope that through our bright, friendly and stimulating environment, children will develop a genuine desire for learning and acquire the necessary skills to enable them to move forward confidently, with increasing independence.

Mrs J Veron

During the summer holidays, a new room has been built in the back playground, funded by the Elizabeth College Foundation. This is to be the home to many new books and hopefully in the future a bank of small laptops, which will be used by the children. Losing the library was one of the casualties of moving the Pre-School downstairs during the summer of 2006. We are therefore delighted

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 007

Activities

Mrs Bowden’s Sports Club I did sports club with Mrs Bowden every Thursday after school.

Sport is my favourite thing. In sports club we did basketball, netball and dodge ball we even did dancing sometimes which I really enjoyed. When it was sunny we played what’s the time Mr Wolf, running races and cricket outside in the field. The best part of sports club was running races and dodge ball because I liked running fast and its great fun when the soft balls chase me in dodge ball.

clubs

Environmental Club My favourite activity was collecting bugs using special equipment. I had to suck up the clear pipe and the bug was sucked up the green pipe into the container. We studied the bugs, we identified them and put them back.

Sports Club is great!

I learned about the world around us and how we must look after it.

It was great!

Tom Symes

Harry Benson

Miss Kimber’s Computer Club I liked computer club because you learn some new things that you can do on the computer. You can do some drawing and some fun things.

Michael Davies

008 :: The Elizabethan 2008

clubs

Activities

Mr Purdue’s Football Club I love Football Club.

At 3pm I am always ready to rush to get changed and get to the Astro Turf. We play matches and it is fun. Every week we are in different teams, which is fantastic because I can play with all my friends. My football skills are improving and I run around a lot. It makes me fit!

Joshua Pipe

Miss Parrot’s French Club In Year Two I attended French Club. Miss Parrot was our French teacher. She was very nice.

At the beginning we watched cartoons in French. One of the first things Miss Parrot taught us was to say “Hello my name is Jacques” in French. We also listened to French songs and learned how to count to ten.

Miss Le Tissier’s Choir

I really enjoyed French Club.

In choir you get to learn lots of cool songs and have lots of fun. At the end you get to sing ‘Bananas in Pyjamas’.

Jacques Cloete

Miles Hardill

The Elizabethan 2008

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Arts

010 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Original Art

Original Art

Arts

The Elizabethan 2008

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Arts

Creative Writing

Sculpture Trail 1 Yesterday we went to Saumarez Manor.

First we got into groups. Next we saw some sculptures. Then we had an ice-cream. After we went back home. It was fun.

Jasmine King Year 1

Sculpture Trail 2 Yesterday 1P went on a school trip. We got there on a bus it was very funny. When we got there we got into groups and we went to look at the sculptures and the first thing we saw was the Angel. We all liked it, it was very cool. After that we went to look at the Mermaid it looked very cool.

Charlie Sullivan Year 1

Jack & the Beanstalk Once upon a time there was a boy. He lived with his mother and his cow. He sold the cow for some beans.

He gave the beans to his mother and she threw them out of the window and he went to bed.

Next morning he woke up and he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe his eyes. Once he had eaten his breakfast he climbed it. He got there to find he had read a sign. An ogre came out she put him in the microwave her husband came and he said fe fi fo fum I smell a child. He fell asleep and then he stole a chicken and a harp and he climbed down the beanstalk and chopped it down. He lived happily ever after.

Dougie Kelham Year 1

Government House Egg Hunt The Lieutenant Governor kindly offered to allow Acorn House pupils to hold an Easter Egg Hunt in the grounds of Government House on Tuesday 18 March.

Louis Tostevin wrote this letter to The Lieutenant Governor.

Thank you for letting us go in your garden it was fun. All of us found six eggs and there were sixteen people in our class and in the other class there were seventeen people. Best wishes, Love from Louis.

012 :: The Elizabethan 2008

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Editorial

Staff & year two leavers

Staff Leavers

Clare Bowden Clare left us at the end of the Trinity Term, excitedly awaiting the arrival of her first baby. This was not a real good-bye, as she will return to work some time during next year’s summer term. Clare, as fit as ever, worked right up until three weeks before her due date and the baby was born on that exact date. She had a beautiful baby girl, who has been named Amelie. We wish Clare, Simon and Amelie a stress free first year and look forward to seeing Clare again next year.

Sara Dorey Sara joined Acorn House in September 2001, as a full-time teacher in reception. She has taught in several of the island schools and is very experienced when working with young children. Her classroom always has a calm atmosphere, where children are encouraged to gain in confidence and independence.

Sara was instrumental in getting Acorn House involved in ‘Fair Trade’ and many of their products are still being used in the kitchens today. As a keen musician she ran an after school Music Club for Year Two children for many years and more recently ran a popular Environmental Club, which ensured that the school grounds looked attractive throughout the year. Sara has taken up a new post at Blanchelande Girls’ College, where she will be teaching a class of Year Two children. We wish her every success in her new post.

Mrs J Veron

014 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Year Two Leavers Assembly Farewell from Acorn House It is always sad when we have to say goodbye to children, ‘moving on’ is often a difficult time for all concerned. However, as the Year Two children sat on the stage for their last Assembly they appeared to be anything but worried. During their time at Acorn House, they have developed in many areas both physically and emotionally.

They know why they come to school and understand what they need to do to impress.

Each child had the opportunity to recall a favourite time or event in school and to say which subjects they had enjoyed most; Literacy and Science were both very popular.

All children received a special ‘Acorn House Bear’ and a Leavers’ certificate, on which their teacher had written what they were particularly good at during their final year.

At the end of the Assembly the Parents’ cup was presented to two children, one from each class. They share the cup for the following year. The cup is given to pupils who are seen by others to be ‘Good Citizens’, always kind and helpful; pupils who are good at keeping our ‘Golden Rules’. The two boys who received the cup this year were Pierre du Putron from Miss Parrott’s class and Felix Spence from Miss Carré’s class.

year two leavers

Editorial

“

During their time at Acorn House, they have developed in many areas both physically and emotionally.

”

Acorn There is an adage we all know ‘From tiny acorns mighty oak trees grow’.

So when my tiny acorn into seedling grew I knew exactly what I must do.

I popped him in the nursery bed Where songs were sung and stories read.

Safe in the warmth of the Pre-School sun He set down roots, learning, having fun.

Out of the Nursery he was potted on My seedling would tie, cap and blazer don.

The watering can of Reception poured Maths, English, Science, our seedlings soared.

A new Head Gardener took up the spade, During year 1, there were changes made.

Adjusting seed trays and deciding to merge With the greenhouse next door, we had a growth surge.

Thank You Acorn House The Year 2 parents would like to thank Mrs Veron and your wonderful team of teachers and teaching assistants for everything you have done for our children.

For many of us the relationship with Acorn started 5 years ago when, at the age of 2, they literally toddled into the pre-school, into the unknown, clung to our legs and did not want us to leave. Now aged seven - things are very different! They are confident and independent. They have learnt so much; in fact their development is simply amazing. This is due to the care and nurturing, the skill and endless enthusiasm of the teachers and assistants which has given them a happy environment in which to flourish.

Year 2 saw new gardeners tending the beds, Exciting skills, clubs, subjects filled seedling heads.

The greenhouse gets hot when your leaves reach the glass, You’re top of the school, the most senior class.

My acorn’s grown so fast you see He’s become a sapling, a fine young tree.

He’ll make a good man, a reliable bloke, Well on his way to that mighty oak!

You can have a good seed, the right soil and pot.

You can pick the best school, the perfect plot But without the right teachers, gardeners, let’s say You won’t grow strong plants at the end of the day.

As they move onto their next adventure in Beechwood, we would like to leave a gift for the school. The focus this year has been on reading and so we would like this donation to be used to purchase reading books for the children of Acorn House. Thank you.

So to all these gardeners we warmly thank From your cans of knowledge our seedlings drank.

Where daily you, in this greenhouse, strive Nurturing plants so they flourish and thrive.

We Thank You on behalf of the Year 2 Parents 2007/2008

Vanessa Pipe

Sam Benson

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 015

Editorial

Friends of acorn house

Fun and Fundraising At Acorn House fun plays a very important part in learning as well as in fundraising so the Friends of Acorn House were very happy during the year to be asked to make a major contribution to the new playground facility for the enjoyment of all the children, and to have achieved their target whilst having a whole lot of fun.

The year started with a hugely successful Halloween Ball which was supported by parents and staff and particular mention has to be given to all members of staff who auctioned their time or skills raising a lot of laughs and money. The poor children who still have the threat of their headmistress turning up as their babysitter for the evening may not of course agree!

The Christmas Fair is an event which the children always look forward to, and the

016 :: The Elizabethan 2008

pocket money stall and childrens’ tombola are therefore a major attraction. Special credit goes to Miss Carré who organised all of her class to help and who had the nerve to successfully ask for a discount in Poundworld!

In the Lent Term we organised a very successful Quiz Night. The questions certainly taxed us and we all remembered things we didn’t know we knew. In the same term we produced tea-towels sporting self-portraits of all the children to give out to loved ones at Easter.

In the Trinity Term the sun shone, gone were the dreadful rainclouds of the previous year so Sports Day went ahead as planned and judging by the generous level of donations parents were grateful for the refreshments laid on by the Friends. Our final social event

of the year, the Beach Barbecue, is the only social event on our calendar which involves the whole family and record numbers attended this year. Top Cat Catering did us proud and the children entertained themselves making it a very happy occasion for everyone.

The children are now very much enjoying the new playground and equipment, and their smiling faces both leaving and entering the school reflect the fact that learning at Acorn House is fun. I am happy to have been able to play a small part in putting those smiles there.

Morven Guilbert Chairman Friends of Acorn House

charities

Editorial

Miss Carré’s Climb of Kilimanjaro At the beginning of the year I was talking with a friend, Stephanie Caldwell, discussing different adventures. We both wanted to take part in a challenging experience and, after lots of planning and internet searching, we decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

We joined an organised group of 9 people from around the world and climbed on the Machame Route. This route takes seven days, with a night climb to the summit, at 19,341ft. It was this final hike to the summit which proved to be the most difficult! We were woken at 11pm after just a few hours’ sleep, ready for departure at midnight. Temperatures were well below freezing so we set off wearing up to six layers of clothing and headlamps to light the uneven and rocky terrain. The pace set by the guides was slow but steady and a necessity in order to adapt to the low levels of oxygen. We walked in single file, each carefully following the footsteps taken by the hiker in front. At around 6am we were told to stop, put on our sunglasses and our Factor 50 suncream. It was still dark so we were slightly confused. However, by this stage in the climb we all had complete trust

in our guides and followed instructions without question. Two minutes later the sun had risen, lighting up the mountain and revealing the most amazing view.

It was still extremely cold but the sun had revived our spirits and shown us that the summit was not too far away - or so we thought! Four hours later after a difficult and strenuous final climb we reached the summit. It was such an incredible feeling to have finally fulfilled such a huge dream.

All our planning, preparation and training had definitely paid off; and to make this even better we knew by doing so we had succeeded in raising money for The Mines Awareness Trust.

The whole experience was both amazing and humbling. Our porters and guides worked so hard to ensure our safety whilst achieving our goal, remaining cheerful and supportive throughout the climb. Apart from headaches and shortness of breath luckily we didn’t suffer too badly from the altitude – reaching the summit we saw the serious effects it can have on people.

It was so rewarding seeing the outstanding panoramic views from the summit; seeing the sunshine streaming across the glaciers was extremely memorable. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is something I am so pleased I have done and would recommend to anyone looking for a challenging experience.

To date, Stephanie and I have raised £5,700.

I would like to thank the many parents, pupils and staff that sponsored me and donated so kindly to the coin drive.

Miss E Carré

“

It was such an incredible feeling to have finally fulfilled such a huge dream. All our planning, preparation and training had definitely paid off.

”

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 017

Editorial Be First to the Bar – how to become a Guernsey Advocate Ally McBeal, Judge John Deed, Kavanagh QC, and

completed the LPC you must undertake a two

Once you have qualified in England you can take

famous legal dramas depicting the professional

year training position within a law firm, called a

the Guernsey Bar exams. You will need to study

‘training contract’. It is worth noting that the top

Norman and French law in Caen for three months

firms will pay for their trainees’ LPC fees (which

(a great opportunity to study in France). Once you

are currently around £10,000) and a maintenance

have successfully completed these requirements

allowance during the LPC year. However,

and worked with a Guernsey Advocate for at least

competition for training contacts at these firms is

twelve months you can be admitted to practise

tough and you will usually have to apply at least a

in Guernsey.

of course Legally Blonde are some of the most

(and personal) lives of judges, barristers, solicitors, prosecutors and attorneys. They have inspired

generations of lawyers. Law is the most popular

university degree with nearly 90,000 applications each year for roughly 17,000 places in the U.K.

alone. However, do not let those figures put you off. There are many opportunities in the local

profession to help guide Guernsey’s talent towards becoming become the island’s next Advocates.

year before starting the LPC. To become a barrister you will need to take the Bar Vocational Course (“BVC”). Like the LPC, the

Make yourself standout

Getting work experience and building contacts

BVC takes either one year full-time or 2 years

will increase your chances of qualifying. At AO

part-time. Before taking the BVC you must be

Hall we offer ‘A’ level students, undergraduates

How to get there.

accepted as a member of one of the Inns of Court

and graduates paid work experience placements

To practise as an Advocate you must first qualify

(see www.barcouncil.org.uk/about/innsofcourt/),

to assist with their careers development. Our

as a lawyer in another recognised jurisdiction. This

where you must dine at least 12 times (an old

students are not put in front of the photocopier

involves either studying for a law degree (“LLB”) or,

tradition). The Inns of Court offer scholarships

and asked to make coffee! We focus on

having completed a degree in a different subject,

to BVC students which include paying for BVC

giving practical experience and get students

then a graduate diploma in law (“GDL”). A law

fees (these are currently around £12,000) and

actively involved in most of our cases. We also

degree normally takes 3 years and the GDL is one

maintenance costs during the course. After

offer students who are taking a gap year the

year full-time or 2 years part-time.

completing the BVC and your dinning sessions

opportunity to work as a paralegal. This type of

After completing an LLB or GDL you need to

you can be called to the Bar of England and Wales

experience is essential when it comes to getting

decide whether to become a solicitor or barrister.

(and don the wig and gown). However, before

a training contract or pupillage. We aim to build

In simple terms a solicitor is a lawyer who

you can practise you will need to find a pupillage

lasting relationships with our students so that

offers legal services directly to clients outside of

in a barrister’s chambers (www.pupillages.

they know they have our support throughout

court and has the power to act on their behalf.

com), which lasts at least a year. Competition

their studies and for when they decide to practise

A barrister will only act on behalf of his or her

for pupillages is fierce. From 2006 to 2007

in Guernsey. It normally takes between 5 and 6

clients in court, normally upon instructions

nearly 1,600 students passed the BVC, but only

years to qualify as a Guernsey Advocate and it

from a solicitor, and provides specialist advice to

419 started pupillage. Generally only students

can be a difficult and expensive process. However,

solicitors on points of law.

with the best grades from top universities or

with the help of a local firm you won’t get lost on

In order to become a solicitor you need to pass

who have broad experience in extra-curricular

your way to the Bar!

the legal practice course (“LPC”). The LPC takes

activities (including mooting, debating and work

one year full-time or 2 years part-time. Having

experience) are successful.

18 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Changing perceptions.

Laurent Thibeault Legal Assistant, AO Hall Advocates 2008 / 2008 OE: 9212

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Beechwood

Contents Introduction 21 Activities 22 Arts 24

Music and Drama 24

Creative Writing 26 Sports 30

Football 30

Swimming 31

Athletics 32

020 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Hockey 33

Cricket 34 Editorial 38

School Council 38

Staff Leavers 38

Charities 39

Friends of

Beechwood 41

introduction

Beechwood

“

Teachers open the door but you must enter by yourself.

”

Headteacher’s Report 2007-2008 2007-8 has been a very busy year in the life of the Junior School. There have been developments throughout the School which will have a lasting effect on the teaching and learning of the children.

Staff, children and parents have worked hard together to ensure the enjoyment of learning and the awe and wonder in the development of our girls and boys is always at the forefront of our minds. The staff would wish me to thank all our parent helpers for the support they give us during the school year. We hope that you enjoy coming in each week as much as we enjoy having you!

The installation of the fibre link between our two sites has allowed the School to be one as pupils and staff can all access the Guernsey Grid for Learning and the World Wide Web from every teaching room within the School. Ease of communication enables quick responses to queries and I hope that parents will find access to the offices and staff far easier now.

Children learn much about themselves as they move through a school year. They develop their understanding across the curriculum. They cope with their physical changes and build on previously learned skills that enable them to reach their full potential during their time at the Junior School. I feel privileged to observe the children as they work and play and see their enjoyment in all they are asked to do.

One cannot ask for more from them, they work and play hard achieving a good level of success.

The Junior School has grown in size over the year. Mrs Veron and I spend many hours showing prospective parents our School.

We both feel honoured to be ‘in charge’ and are always happy to show the School to its best advantage. The future looks very encouraging. Our waiting lists are filling up fast and the frequent enquiries from near and far allow us to make firm plans for the future.

The installation of the all-weather surface and the construction of a class room at Acorn House during the summer holidays have enhanced facilities further. When I look back over the last two years much has been accomplished in terms of the fabric of the buildings, improved resources, the employment of additional staff and the embedding of the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 curriculum. All of this enables pupils to achieve their potential over time.

The musical activities that the children have performed for us during the year have been enjoyed by us all. The standards get ever higher and with all staff and many parents involved, especially with the costumes and refreshments, there is always a family atmosphere on these occasions. Parental support at Games fixtures is always welcome and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the parents who have hosted visiting children throughout the year. I know that this is not always an easy task and am most grateful for your support.

After a year when we have been able to hold all our sporting events on the correct day the PE and Games staff are pleased that so many children tried their best and enjoyed

the events in which they were involved.

The Sports Day Barbecue ran like clockwork with the Friends of Beechwood Committee and Monsieur André working together to produce a delicious lunch. This was just one of the events the Friends of Beechwood organised. The theme was ‘Extreme’ and boys and parents discovered some hidden talents! The Committee, chaired by Carolyn Oxburgh, worked very hard this year and raised a magnificent sum of money, which we have yet to decide how to spend! The new kiln is installed though and I know that Mrs Robinson and the children will put this to good use. My thanks also to our leaving Year 6 parents for their generous gift, which we will use to purchase extra ICT equipment, such as digital cameras.

I would like to congratulate Sally Inderwick and Sue Orton on gaining their Higher Level Teaching Assistants qualification after their two years of study. No mean feat when working and bringing up a family. Other staff have attended courses both on and off island and the staff body and children benefit from their improved knowledge.

Many people make for the smooth running of our School and I would like to thank them all for their hard work and commitment. I wish the leaving children and staff much success in their next stage of their lives.

I will just finish with a message for all the children. Please remember throughout all the stages of your education that ‘ Teachers open the door but you must enter by yourself’.

Mrs S Battey

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 021

Activities

activities week

Year 3 Activities Week Activities Week, which had been eagerly awaited by all the boys, had eventually arrived! It was Monday 23rd June and school was buzzing with excitement.

Our first trip was to ‘La Bailloterie Campsite’.

On such a lovely sunny day and in such idyllic surroundings, the boys were spoilt for choice in which games they should play.

Some chose to play volleyball, some cricket, others played hide-and-seek and a go-kart provided endless fun for many. A barbecue lunch was provided and was ably prepared

by Mrs Stevens, Mrs Rix and the campsite team. After lunch, the boys were able to spend their pocket money on small ‘delights’ from the campsite shop. The time flew by and soon it was the end of our first day.

Tuesday saw the boys returning to school and eager for the next day’s activities. First, it was indoor football at Elizabeth College, where the ‘Blue Team’ ended victorious.

After eating a picnic lunch at Beechwood, we headed for Grandes Rocques and the annual sculpture competition. The boys did not disappoint. Their sculptures were fantastic. There were Roman forts, boats,

volcanoes and castles, as well as the winning ‘Lava Monster Land’.

Beechwood was the venue for Wednesday, but it was no normal school day. The morning was spent back in the time of the Romans. The boys created mosaics and coins. The highlight was their search for larks in the school grounds for the ‘1000 Larks’ Tongue Soup’ which they ate for lunch! This was kindly prepared by Mrs Cotran and her daughter. During the afternoon, we had a 3W versus 3M sports tournament consisting of throwing the welly, an egg and spoon race, and a waiters’ race to name but a few. The competition was fierce and close between the two classes but everyone enjoyed themselves.

This year the winners were 3W, who take the trophy with them to their new class until next year’s Year 3 tournament.

Thursday was another busy day, which began down at the model yacht pond.

The weather was near perfect for the boys to enjoy a morning’s sailing, whether they were beginners or experts! To this was added a short tour of Castle Cornet,

Year 4 Activities Week Year 4 had an action-packed week of activities once again, beginning with a day in Jersey. The boys had a great time exploring the zoo, and particularly the shop! After a picnic lunch we went to Aquasplash, which was the highlight of the week for many, with its three flumes, wave pool and lazy river. Everyone was ready for their meal at Pizza Hut after that.

On the Tuesday, we went orienteering on the large course at Blanchelande. This turned out to be the hottest day of the week, so we returned to school early to recover from the heat and the nettle stings.

The next day was spent sailing on the model yacht pond, where a change in the weather to very windy meant that some people capsized and one boat nearly left the pond altogether!

022 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Wednesday was the start of our two day camp at school. A very excited and lively group of boys arrived in the evening to set out their “camps” in the school hall. Some were incredibly well-organised – and some less so! The boys really enjoyed themselves and even slept on the second night. Special thanks must go to Monsieur Andre for all his help, especially with the catering. The last two days of activities were a change from previous years: we took the boys to Oatlands for mini golf and trampolines and also to Vazon to the Guernsey Surf School.

They particularly enjoyed the surfing.

We all enjoyed our week; it is fantastic to see how all the boys entered into the spirit of the different activities.

Mrs S Crittell and Mrs K Robinson

together with a visit to the shop – to spend a little more pocket money on some small ‘treasure’! Lunch was enjoyed at ‘The Bowl’, followed by an exciting afternoon of ten-pin bowling. The talent was really quite impressive!

The final day was not quite as warm and sunny, but this in no way spoilt the boys’ enjoyment and pleasure in their eagerly anticipated trip to Herm. The boat left the harbour at 10.15 and after a fairly smooth crossing we arrived in Herm. We spent some time on Fisherman’s Beach whilst groups of boys visited the shop (more pocket money – more precious trinkets!). We then made our way to Shell Beach for lunch and a Scavenger Hunt. No sooner had we finished eating our ice creams than it was time to return to the harbour for our boat back to Guernsey. It was a fantastic day.

And so it was the end of another successful Activities Week. The boys were fantastically well behaved and seemed to thoroughly enjoy all their experiences.

Miss D Wenman and Mrs D McLaughlin

activities week

Activities

Year 5 Activities Week It was with some trepidation that Year 5 set off to experience a brand new location for their activities week. Manor Adventure in Shropshire took a little more getting to, but it was definitely worth the extra travelling.

We visited the RAF Museum at Cosford en route (a fabulous huge hangar full of aircraft and tanks!) before arriving at the Manor just after lunch. After that, it felt like we didn’t stop until we boarded the coach home on Friday!

The boys enjoyed a range of activities – archery, confidence and high ropes courses, obstacle course, underground maze and survival skills amongst others. Wednesday saw us at Enginuity (a hands on technology centre) and Blist’s Hill Victorian Town (the highlight of which was the Victorian sweet shop!). Hamish Glass and Elliot Vine joined the Victorian street players for a short time and delivered Shakespeare with confidence to a large crowd and the boys visited the doctor’s house, full of surgical instruments, and thanked their lucky stars that they didn’t have to face any of them! All in all, the boys had a fantastic week. Mr Sargent managed to fit in a go on most things while Mrs Kinder and myself provided lots of encouragement and TLC and wielded a camera to good effect.

Judging by this year’s reaction, Manor Adventure and all its fun is likely to be a fixture on our activities week for some time to come!

Miss E Brooker

Year 6 Activities Week On Sunday 21st June, 31 excited boys descended on the ferry terminal, armed with some rather large suitcases! After some emotional goodbyes (from the parents) we boarded the Condor fast ferry, armed with our sea sickness tablets, for a surprisingly calm journey. This was gladly welcomed by Mr Veron, Miss Parrott and Miss Henry, as many boys soon began feeding on Maltesers, Starbursts and Minstrels!

The journey to the Chateau was seamless and in no time at all the boys were unpacking in their dormitories. After a short tour of the grounds they tucked into their first French supper.

The boys woke up at 6am on their first morning, bursting with excitement and eager to start the activities. However, this morning energy was short lived and the teachers quickly became the boys’ personal alarm clocks, ensuring they made it to breakfast on time!

Three groups were formed for the wide and varied daily activities. These included bread making, canoeing, archery, fencing, assault course and a new addition; aeroball!

This game was a cross between basketball and trampolining which proved to be very popular with pupils and teachers alike!

The enthusiasm demonstrated by the instructors or ‘animateurs’ was infectious and in no time at all the boys were conversing in French with them! Although it must be said, some more successfully than others!

After an enjoyable, fun and hectic week, we headed back to St Malo and boarded the Condor for the return trip.

Unfortunately, the sea was rather rough and as a consequence, sick bags were at the ready! However, the French Trip 2008 was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all involved which was helped by the outstandingly good behaviour from the group which impressed both the staff at the Chateau and our own staff.

Congratulations everyone - another super Activity Week!

The trip to the market at Vire was very popular amongst the boys, which finally gave them the opportunity to spend and bargain their euros on some ‘lovely’ presents! After a picnic en route, we headed to Mont Saint Michel where we climbed to the top for the superb views before exploring the shops in the narrow lanes. It was then deemed essential for several boys to buy the biggest ice cream possible as it was such a glorious day!

Miss K Henry, Miss K Parrott and C Veron.

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 023

Arts

Art & Music

Art Week September 2007 The theme this year was ‘Landscapes’, chosen specifically with the intention of focusing the boys’ attention on colour mixing with paints. It also gave them the opportunity to study the work of a variety of artists.

Each year group spent one afternoon at a local beach, sketching, photographing and painting what they could see and recording the variety of colours. They followed this up with paintings and collage

work. Each year group studied the landscape paintings of a wellknown artist, working in paint, pastel and with collage materials to make their own picture based on that particular artist’s style.

The Artwork produced was fantastic. Art Week will definitely be a feature in the diary next year.

Mrs K Robinson

The Beechwood Musical Year 2007-2008 proved to be another very busy year for the musicians in the school. The academic year certainly started in real musical style – in the form of the arrival of a set of steel pans! Sincere thanks go to the Old Elizabethans for providing this wonderful addition to the music department and, in particular, to Jerry Girard for his personal commitment in ensuring that the school received them.

The pans arrived with Jim Barnardin, an expert in steel pans. Jim’s visit included an inspirational two day workshop for all the children. He offered an excellent insight into the history of steel pans as well as giving useful tips on playing them. The inaugural ECJS steel pan band has played throughout the year, including competing in the Eisteddfôd and performing outside St James as drinks were served prior to the Beechwood Ball.

024 :: The Elizabethan 2008

The school choir continues to go from strength-to-strength with numbers remaining staggeringly high (approximately one-third of the school). The real enthusiasm amongst the children to sing is heart-warming for me and it has been particularly pleasing to now be in a position to start working with the children on the more technical aspects of singing. The choir performed again this year in the Eisteddfôd and I was particularly proud of the way that they not only sang but also in how they conducted themselves. On the whole all eyes were on me (their conductor!) and they stood immaculately – true indicators of a disciplined choir.

him for his dedication and enthusiasm.

The String Group saw a large intake from Year 3, which is encouraging for the future.

Under the watchful eye of Paula Maher the group gained in confidence and it was particularly pleasing to hear their excellent performance at the local Eisteddfôd – an event the string group had not previously entered.

I have been very fortunate in having the loyal and committed support of Daniel Emmerson as my Head of Choir. There is, as with any group, a lot that goes on behind the scenes and Daniel was always ready to assist me and take as much off my hands as possible. I extend very grateful thanks to

2007-2008 was another musically successful year for the children and I very much look forward to the musical activities of 2008-2009!

The number of children receiving instrumental lessons increased over the year and those who were entered for practical examinations, taken through the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, were successful.

Miss F Le Tissier

drama

Arts

Gardening Club The Beechwood Gardening Club grew in leaps and bounds this year. First of all, it benefited from adult help in the form of Mr Johnson and Mr Buckle, Year 3 parents, with the stalwart support of Monsieur André.

The garden area (between the hard court and the cricket nets) was enriched with topsoil from the all-weather surface. After it was dug over, Mr Buckle brought a variety of flowering plants, creating formal flower beds, summer annuals, a wild flower area, a stand of sunflowers and even a small banana tree. Mr Johnson set to on the vegetable patch. The children were shown how to dig, weed and water, so that by the end of the summer term they could already see the results of their endeavours as seeds sprouted and plants grew. The start of the Michaelmas term showed a very different

picture. Over the summer – benefiting from some TLC from Monsieur André and steady rain – the whole garden had become a mass of plants. Flowering plants abounded, with the addition of an unintentional but nevertheless very rich and creative wildflower area. The sunflowers had reached the height of several metres, tomatoes abounded, the courgettes and marrows, pumpkins and potatoes, lettuce and radishes, peas and beans had all fruited and grown impressively. The children have thoroughly enjoyed tasting the fruits of their labours. Plans are still at the potting shed stage, but it is envisaged that the garden will continue to flourish in a number of different ways. Watch this plot!

Mrs A Pollard

The Blue Crystal In March 2008 the whole school performed the musical ‘The Blue Crystal’ at St James.

‘The Blue Crystal’ is set 2000 years in the future, when the Earth’s natural resources have been depleted and its life support systems depend on the crystal to power a giant computer. The crystal is stolen

by Zarcons, a warrior race from a distant planet, and Earth people look to Captain Tor (Cameron Chalmers) his crew (Andrew Oxburgh, Daniel Emmerson and Brendan Ferbrache) and Co-Dot the Robot (Ryan Harris) to regain it and save the world.

This was another ambitious project with all the Year 6 boys taking a speaking role. This

production included more movement and dance and even battle scenes as Captain Tor and his crew fought the Zarcons, led by Alex Stewart.

The lighting and sound effects for these scenes in particular was a vital addition and we are grateful to Daniel Gosselin from Elizabeth College and David Brewin (Year 5) for their help, which was most professional.

The soloists and chorus sang beautifully and benefited from the musical accompaniment of Charlie Cottam (flute and sax) and Dominic Rowe (drums). Thank you both.

We were also very fortunate to have a set of magnificent new scenery designed and built by Karen Robinson and Marge Kinder depicting the spaceship and planet Zarcon.

Our thanks to both and also all other staff and teaching assistants for their help with scenery, props and costumes.

Most of all congratulations to all the boys for such a wonderful production making all their hard work worthwhile.

Miss F Le Tissier (Musical Director) Mrs R Robinson (Producer)

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 025

Arts

creative writing

The Pied Piper of Beechwood

The Cottage in the Woods

Once upon not so long ago, a thriving school called Beechwood stood next to a main road. The children who drove each morning to this happy school really loved it. But one day an extraordinary thing happened to disturb the peace.

DRAGONS! That was the problem. Suddenly on that bright, sunny day, dragons invaded Beechwood. Huge, scaly and fierce dragons, with their tails as long as twenty children (that was the entire class of 3M!) they flipped all the tables upside-down. The dragons even feasted on the children’s cooked lunches. (Would you race away from this dragon school? Well I would! I feel so sorry for the terrified children.) The children screamed and shouted a few even fainted.

Chapter 1 The driving rain sent us hurtling out of control like a balloon being popped! Suddenly, we took one last jerk, crashed into a tree and crumpled.

“This is well awesome!” shouted my little brother with an excited squeal, hardly audible beneath the remorseless rain.

“Look, this is getting us nowhere, let’s try and get some shelter! Out of this wretched wood.” My dad exclaimed, with a sense of certainty.

We searched in the woods for what seemed like hours on end.

Then, I saw a house, silhouetted against the black background.

We started to gingerly walk toward it like a snail, slowly creeping towards its inevitable death.

Days, weeks, months went by. One day in the school council room, they were discussing a plan to get of the nasty vicious dragons. One child with short brown hair shouted, “We need a brave knight to slay the dragons!” But there were no castles nearby to find such a knight.

Suddenly, the door burst open and slammed against the white wall. A tall strong person stood in the room.

“I’ve saved many schools from bats, beetles and maggots, I’ll rid you of your dragons for £500!” he stormed. “£500! We’ll give you £1000 if you do get rid of them!” replied the head boy with encouragement. “What’s your name? “ asked the boy with brown hair.

“My name’s McGregor,” answered the tall stranger. Before the school council could say anything the door was slammed shut.

Daniel Emmerson Year 6

Before lunch, the smell of flesh wafted through the school. Amazingly, the dragons followed the lovely smell. They followed McGregor to a volcano. Mcgregor threw the flesh into the depths of the volcano and the dragons followed it. McGregor rolled a huge rock in front of the entrance. When McGregor returned to Beechwood, he claimed his £1000. “HA HA!” laughed the head boy. “Didn’t you realise that it was a JOKE!” McGregor’s face grew red with anger. He stomped out of the room and slammed the door shut. The earth shook. A shiver of fear ran down the back of the councillors. “We’ve saved £1000 for the new climbing frame!” they sang with delight.

The next day, the smell of sweets wafted through the air. The smell was so lovely that while the teacher had her back to them, all the children just marched out of the school to follow McGregor.

McGregor led the children to a dark cave. Outside the cave, he stopped and shouted “OPEN, OPEN, OPEN!” The entrance to the cave opened. Mcgregor walked into the dark cave, followed by the children.

When the children entered the cave McGregor stopped again and shouted “CLOSE, CLOSE, CLOSE!”. The entrance to the cave slowly closed. Just one child, who realised his near capture, slipped through a gap in the stone and ran back to Beechwood. He told all the teachers and the parents …. And the councillors…. And the head boy!

Magnus Chisholm Year 3

026 :: The Elizabethan 2008

I Will Rule!

I have had enough.

I will not be imprisoned.

I will somehow break out And show those creatures their error.

I am fat, yet thin In the same moment, Though it depends on how You perceive me.

Since I was born I have been passed from hand to hand Like a normal human amusement.

But I am more…much more.

Have put me Through agony, Ripping me, tearing my soul.

But I will have my revenge.

And now I am forgotten.

Locked away, moulding, rotting.

But my words are more powerful Than they imagine.

I will wreak havoc on them And destroy their world.

I will start the revolution.

Books will rule humans!...eventually!

Harry Brooke Year 6

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Arts

creative writing

Summer

Unravelled in the Woods

Summer comes with sun shining, Summer comes with babies crying, Summer comes with children playing, Summer comes with rugby balls flying, Summer comes with flowers blooming, Summer comes with birds chirping Summer comes with dogs yapping, Summer comes with cats meowing, Summer ends with good times leaving, Autumn comes again.

I was alone, in the woods with no-one to talk to and no-one to give me sympathy. I had lost my mum, and dad and brother all in the woods a few minutes ago.

All alone!

As I called into the distance for my family, “Mum, Dad, where are you?” My voice filled the atmosphere and made the trees shiver in their very own boots, but that wasn’t a good thing, it was bad. Terrible! I searched the woods for my parents…. No- I scanned the view that came hurtling into my eyes.

No hope.

No hope filled my heart with joy. Now- All I longed for was a slightly tanned face attached to a body; which appears to be my Dad coming to save me! So I could amble back home in delight! Then…. came brightness.

A cottage! The first house for miles!

Charles Brewin Year 4

Jack Rihoy Year 6

A Cautionary Tale: Don’t call a Teacher Names.

Shipwrecked!

If you say a teacher’s fat She will say, “You little bat.”

If you say a teacher’s mean She will say, “You ugly green bean.”

If you say a teacher’s wrinkled, She will say, “You look crinkled.”

If you say, “Where’s a teacher’s date?”

She will say, “I don’t know – is yours a crate?”

If you say a teacher’s shoes look bad She will say, “Okay, you’re sad.

Mine are better.

Why don’t you just send me a letter?”

If you say, “Oh, did I mention…?”

She’ll say, “Okay, you have detention.”

So never call your teacher names Otherwise you’ll have lots of pains.”

Max Bach Year 5

Sword (A Kenning Poem) Heart breaker Body slasher Bone breaker Viking belonger Back cracker Life remover Body piercer Widow maker Shield divider Power bringer Warrior crusher Village plunderer Soul destroyer

Jordan Baker Year 6

028 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Hi! I’m Jimmy. It’s 1726 now and I’m around the Jimmy Islands on my boat ‘Dodo’. Let me tell you my story…

“Starboard, man. Starboard!” screamed the First Mate. I rushed to do his bidding. Before, I was in the cabin eating. Now I realised why we had to stop. Storm!! Before I came on a ship, I thought it would be smooth sailing. It occurred to me, I was seriously wrong. The rain came down, in torrents, everyone was baying for information. The waves hit the ship until I fell off, a beam trailing behind. When I hit the foaming water, I had fainted.

I woke up, a smell of salt overcame me. I sat up, feeling the sand around me. Right in front of me was Michael. Tears welled up in my eyes, not of sadness, but of gratitude. I got on my knees, hands clasped together.

“Oh thank you Lord, for Michael!” I screamed to the heavens. “Please, Lord, may there be food!”

After that, I looked around me. There were birds fluttering through the skies, there were animals hopping from tree to tree. There was a smell of grass and salt, mixed into a beautiful fragrance. There was wind blowing freshly through my water-ridden hair.

There was some movement near my feet. Michael was awake.

“Huh, huh! What is happening?” Then he noticed me. “Jimmy-boy. Where are the rest of the crew?”

“Dead.”

“Well, let’s go find some fruit and whatever, water too.”

We set off, trudging through the unforgiving forest. Several times I was cut and itchy from thorns and stinging nettles. Soon, we saw some coconuts. I grabbed the tree and started hauling myself up.

“Why don’t we just shake the tree?”

“Doh!” I said, annoyed, “why didn’t I think of that!” I jumped down. Kicking branches as I went, they toppled down, like balls being dropped. We picked them up and carried on our way.

“Hey, don’t we get milk out of these things?” I replied with a yes so we smashed the coconuts on the mossy stones. We trudged on and got to a waterfall. It was steep. Very steep!

Jamie Jenner Year 6

creative writing

Arts Metal Monster of the Deep

Daniel Lee Barber Year 5

Master of Speed It’s a windy day, but still I roar along Racing to my destiny My aggression convincing me that this is my territory I’m on patrol…

I have no boundaries My construction is correct…..superb Still my master’s expectancy is high I vigorously rage on Flashing out warnings here and there I specialise in speed You should praise me Humans-I’m the nine eleven ... Porsche.

Luke Hince Year 6

The Charge of the Snail Brigade Half a foot, half a foot, Half a foot onward Into crow valley Slid the six hundred.

“Forward the Snail Brigde!

Travel at speed!” he said “Eat with greed!” he said Onward they ‘charged’.

Claws to the right of them.

Beaks to the left of them.

Swoops unnumbered.

Attack! - Through the tall, green trees.

Crawl up their wobb;y knees.

Capture the lettuce please!

Thanks to the Snail Brigade.

Noble six hundred.

Matthew Colfer Year 6

The Swamp Monster

I was the power, The power of the world I have sunk my enemies In those glorious days My skin was wonderful…unblemished Now it is wrecked Torn apart by some loathful creatures How could they now keep me awake?

For I’m submerged, deep in my grave The depths of the ocean swallowing me up How I wish…

Oh how I wish I could fire My deadly arrows once again And take the lives of others From my unwelcoming arms For I am the mighty…

U-19 U-boat to many.

Alex Bushell Year 6

“

A secret passage way - would there be a secret passageway?

”

I found myself in a haunted castle. I looked around. It was pitch black and there was only a dim candle lighting the way. I went down the darkest passageway because it looked like there was a trap door. I walked and walked. I felt worried - it seemed like there was not a trap door at all. Then I felt lights turned on ….there stood a horrid figure… The soldier leader. I had shivers running through my back… I saw his dagger shine in the candle light. He lifted his dagger.

I ran for my life. I had escaped… Then I fell down a pit. I just managed to glimpse at the wall - there were strange carvings in it. I landed at the bottom of the castle in a cell. …What was that? The walls were closing in on me! What should I do… A secret passageway - would there be a secret passageway? I looked around. Hey a door, not a trap door but a door! I had got out!

I went through the stone door. I fell… and fell… and fell into a swamp. There was the swamp monster approaching me. I was going to die!

Either the swamp monster would eat me or I would drown. The swamp monster chose. He was hungry.

I looked around. This was the last view of my life…

George Garnett Year 4

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 029

Sports

Football

Football This was the first time I had been in charge of a school having only taken up my post after the Christmas holiday. The boys had been training hard during the break to ensure they were ready for the tough challenge that lay ahead. We had qualified for the Channel Island 7 a-side football after finishing 2nd to Hautes Capelles in the Guernsey Schools’ Tournament. We were placed in group B with Castel, along with Bel Royal and Rouge Bouillon, both from Jersey. The other schools competing were Hautes Capelles, Amherst, De La Salle and Les Landes.

In our opening game against Castel we started strongly with Peter Tautscher scoring with a fine header from a corner.

After Castel had equalised Tautscher restored our lead after a Ryan Harris corner. Just before half time Castel levelled the scores after our goalkeeper Andrew Oxburgh could not stop a well placed shot.

The second half was end to end, but Castel scored the only goal of the half meaning we lost the game 3 – 2, leaving us to win our final two games.

Our second fixture was against Bel Royal from Jersey. We needed a win to have any chance of progressing from our group to the semi finals. Ryan Harris scored the only goal of the game to secure a 1-0 victory. After the opening loss against Castel our game against Rouge Bouillon was one we had to win. Ryan Harris continued where he left off in the previous game to help us secure a two goal win, with the other courtesy of an own goal from a Rouge Boullion defender. We created plenty of chances in this game to make the win more impressive, but hit the woodwork twice, which would have been decisive. This proved to be the difference between making the semi finals

“

and not. With the top three teams all finishing on the same points it came to goal difference and unfortunately we missed out on the semi finals by a single goal. This meant we could only finish 5th if we won our two remaining games, the first being against Amherst.

As in the previous game against Rouge Boullion we dominated the play, but could not find the breakthrough despite Cameron Chalmers and Andrew Tautscher coming close to breaking the deadlock. During extra time the pattern of play continued, but still the vital goal was missing. This meant the dreaded penalty shootout!

Cameron Chalmers, Ryan Harris and Peter Tautscher all tucked their penalties away with confidence, but this could not prevent us from losing the shoot out 4-3, leaving us to settle for the 7th and 8th place play off.

In our final game we had a re-match against Rouge Bouillon. Ryan Harris scored his third goal of the tournament to give us the advantage. More chances were being created, with Liam Todd coming closest, but the second goal still proved elusive. With the game drawing to a close, right back Jacob Houston found himself outside the opposition’s penalty area and when the ball came to him unleashed an unstoppable right foot strike that found the top corner. A 2-0 victory left us finishing 7th on a day that could have seen us make the semi finals.

Hautes Capelles continued their good form to win the tournament.

The team played some exciting football and were unlucky not to have gone further in the competition. The defence of Jack Rihoy, Jordan Baker and Cameron Chalmers, along with goalkeeper Andrew Oxburgh, only conceded two goals in open play, the same

as winners Hautes Capelles. The substitutes also played their part in a successful day when on the pitch. They were Liam Todd, Brendan Ferbrache and Jacob Houston.

We were holders of both the A and B 5 a-side competition. The tournament was held at the end of the season at Beau Sejour.

The 5 minute games meant any goals were precious. St Mary & St Michael, St Andrew’s, Forest and Notre Dame were the other schools taking part.

The A side struggled initially, but soon found their form, winning their first three games. The final game against the Forest would be the decider. Our impressive form from the 7 a-side tournament continued, but we still lacked the goals to finish off our opposition. As the final whistle approached we were going to retain our trophy until disaster struck when, with almost the last kick of the game, we conceded a goal, handing Forest the title.

The B team faired better and managed to retain the trophy. Having lost their opening game the pressure was on, but they got stronger as the tournament progressed.

Despite only returning with the one trophy all the boys contributed to an entertaining afternoon of football.

I am optimistic that we can build on the success of last season. We have a strong group of Year 5 and 6 and I am looking forward to my first full football season leading the team, which will hopefully bring plenty of success and good quality football.

P Sargent

We have a strong group of Year 5 and 6 and I am looking forward to my first full football season .

030 :: The Elizabethan 2008

”

Football & Swimming

Sports

Year 4 Football The Year 4 Football Club proved to be very popular, with around twenty regular players each week. We managed to play 7 a side games for two teams against Hautes Capelles School as a warm up to a big tournament later in the term. We drew the Team 1 game 3-3 and won the Team 2 game 3-2!

We had a rough start against La Mare de Carteret. We had so many chances but we kept on missing them. The ball would not go into their goal. It was such a one sided game! They scored from a lucky cross and the whistle went for the end of the match. We had lost the game 1-0. (Max Galins)

Against Hautes Capelles we won with a 3-2 score. Teddy Le Clerc scored two goals and the score was 2-2. Then George Garnett scored a cracking goal in the last minute to win the game. Alex King, our goalie, also did a very good job. (Dougal Perfitt)

We beat St Martins 4-0. I scored a good goal after 12 minutes and another into the top corner. George Clayton scored next and added another after half time. This was a great team display. (Teddy Le Clerc)

We hosted a first team tournament against St Martins, Castel, La Hougette, La Mare de Carteret and Hautes Capelles Schools on Wednesday, April 2nd at the College Field. This proved to be our ‘fortress’ as the results were superb! Some match reports follow: Against Castel, we started off playing really well, but conceded a goal first. Luckily, Anthony Stokes got one back to level the score and then George Clayton got another. When Teddy Le Clerc scored two more, we secured the match with a 4 goals to 1 win. (George Orton)

This was our last game in the tournament. We kicked off and looked like a good team. About 9 minutes into the game I scored from 15 metres out. I scored another quickly afterwards. Half time came.

After 5 minutes their captain scored, but we kept battling and held on to win 2-1! This was our best game as a team. (Anthony Stokes) Well done to all of the boys in the Year 4 Football Club! I hope that you all continue to enjoy your football in the future.

C Veron

We played La Hougette and this was probably our hardest game of the tournament. We knew that these boys were good. We were very determined and after 20 minutes Anthony put in an astonishing cross for me to score the only goal of the game. We won 1-0.

(George Clayton)

Beechwood Swimming Gala At the end of the summer term, when eight gold medals were still a dream for Michael Phelps, Beechwood Boys were achieving their goals, winning gold, silver and bronze in the junior and senior swimming galas. The galas were the culmination of two terms of swimming lessons. All boys were encouraged to participate and contribute points towards a closely fought house competition.

Some fantastic swimming and sportsmanship was shown at both galas.

All boys that participated did their house proud. With some nail biting finishes it often came down to the touch judges to decide on the final placings. Many boys achieved personal bests and some even won their first swimming medal.

In the individual events Leo Fossey produced wins in both the ‘A’ Freestyle and Junior Open Fly. These great results, together with his determination and performances in swimming lessons, earned him the Junior Swimming Trophy.

The junior relays saw Le Patourel claim three victories and therefore top the points tally, some 14.5 points ahead of their closest rival Home. McCrea and Halliday finished in 3rd and 4th respectively.

In the senior gala Year 5’s Harry Parfit claimed three individual victories with outstanding performances in the 25m Backstroke, Breastroke and Open Butterfly.

Harry’s talent in the pool sealed him the Senior Swimming Trophy.

The senior relays were to be the deciding factor on which house would win the overall trophy. With few points separating the four houses everything was to swim for. In an edge of the seat style drama Le Patourel and McCrea both claimed two victories. However, when it came down to the final scores, Home took the trophy finishing on 76 points. Le Patourel finished 1 point ahead of McCrea on 70 points, with Halliday finishing on 65.

The poolside at both galas was a buzz of excitement and apprehension. Staff, boys and parents gave their all, whether it was swimming or supporting. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Mrs M Boyle

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 031

Sports

Athletics

Cross Country 2007-2008 This was another successful year of cross country for our Beechwood Boys. The Smokebusters races were a great hit for our boys as usual and at least 20 of them enjoyed competing against other island junior school children at the fortnightly races. The Year 3 and 4 pupils run a course of approximately 1 kilometre and the Year 5 and 6 pupils approximately 2 kilometres. Many pupils train at our school Cross Country Club and out of school at Athletics Club. They enjoy working hard on their long distance running and improving their times.

The first race of the season was at La Mare de Carteret Playing Fields and this gave our Year 3s a taster of long distance races.

Alastair Chalmers, Teddy Gordon-Le Clerc and Alex Stewart placed first in their respective year group races and Tom Nightingale came in 2nd, not far behind the Year 5 winner. The results were very similar in the following few races of the season at Les Amarreurs, Grandes Rocques and Pembroke.

Then, the highlight of the season arrived and thirty of our pupils took part in the Mud ‘n’ Fun Run, even more of our pupils taking part than normal… I wonder why! The boys turned out ready and raring to run through the muddy course. Usually, the children’s main aim is to improve their time but on this occasion their intention is to get as muddy as possible with their mates. Fortunately, we prewarned their parents to bring along bin sacks for the children to sit on in their cars after the race! The children took part with such good spirit and enthusiasm. This event was closely followed by the Christmas Fun Run where the participants run a mile! They were given their finishing times so they could try to beat it for the mile run at the end of the season.

Smokebusters arranged a couple of winter warm-up races after Christmas in preparation for the Individual Championships. The serious running races were back in full flow. The route of this race

was around L’Ancresse Common and the weather conditions were not at all inviting. All the boys deserved medals for taking part in such blustery and bitter cold conditions! However, the trophies were awarded to the children who placed first, second and third in their year groups. Congratulations to: Year 3

Year 4 Year 5 Year 6

Thomas Rihoy Alastair Chalmers Teddy Gordon-Le Clerc Thomas Nightingale Cameron Chalmers

2nd 3rd 3rd 2nd 1st

The 2008 Inter-school Cross Country took place at L’Ancresse. The afternoon was blessed with great weather and running. The races were split into the four year groups. In the Year 3 race Alastair Chalmers of Le Patourel stormed to victory ahead of Thomas Rihoy and Rory Betley. Teddy Gordon-Le Clerc’s sprint finish saw him beat Joshua Shand in a photo finish with Alex Parfit coming third. Over the longer distance of one and a half laps Tom Nightingale claimed victory with Harry Parfit second and Charles Cooney third. A close battle in the Year 6 race saw Cameron Chalmers and Alex Stewart at the head of the field. Chalmers made his break after the first lap and never looked back, with Stewart second and Peter Tautscher rounding out the top three. Halliday claimed the House competition winning three out of the four year groups. The final cross country race of the season was the Inter-Insular in Jersey. Many of the island squad were selected from Beechwood. Well done to Charles Cooney, Hamish Glass, Harry Parfit, Andrew Oxburgh, Alex Stewart and Liam Todd. They met with tough competition and even though they did not place in any of the races, Alun Williams was pleased with the way they represented us.

Miss D Wenman

House Championship 2007/08 - Congratulations Le Patourel

Halliday

Home

Le Patourel

McCrea

Football Junior

Senior Cross Country Junior

Senior Hockey Junior

Senior Swimming Athletics Cricket Junior

Senior Michaelmas Term Lent Term Trinity Term

25 50 50 50 50 50 40 25 20 50 20 20 20

20 25 20 20 20 20 85 20 30 20 35 25 35

50 25 35 25 25 25 85 50 50 25 25 35 50

35 35 25 35 35 35 50 35 30 30 50 50 25

TOTAL

490

400

540

520

032 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Hockey

Sports

Beechwood Hockey Tour to Ipswich Last weekend saw 16 boys travel to Ipswich for the Beechwood annual hockey tour.

We were hosted by the families of Ipswich Preparatory School.

The boys were split into two teams and each had 5 matches. On Friday the boys played against The Abbey School. The ‘B’ team game was a close affair with the teams still locked together at 0-0 come the final whistle. Jordan Baker, playing in defence, gave a man of the match performance. Unfortunately the ‘A’ team did not fair as well as the ‘B’s’. After a tight first half, our opposition pulled away in the second half and were 7-1 winners. Our goal came through Andrew Oxburgh, with Alex Bushell playing exceedingly well, deserving the accolade of man of the match.

On Saturday, both teams played a mini tournament against Old Buckenham Hall and Ipswich Prep. The ‘B’ team again played with great determination in their first game and were unlucky not pick up a draw. The final score was 1-0 to OBH. The ‘A’ team claimed their first on tour victory against OBH. Two goals from Andrew

Oxburgh were decisive in a 2-1 victory. The next games for both teams were a dress rehearsal for the Beechwich Trophy to be played on the Sunday. Peter Tautscher made some great runs forward to try and get Beechwood on the score sheet but, unfortunately the ‘A’ team lost 0-2. The ‘B’ team played well but lost by 1-0.

The Beechwich Trophy is decided on the ‘A’ team’s result, but if this match was drawn, then the other score would be the deciding factor. The ‘B’ team started brightly, but suddenly found themselves 2-0 down at half time. In the second half we created more opportunities, but could not find a way past their goalkeeper. The final whistle resulted a score of 2-0 to Ipswich.

apply more pressure and, when we did not manage to clear our line, they got back on level terms. Both teams created other chances with Ipswich coming closest to taking the lead. The final whistle went and Ipswich had retained the trophy. The boys were disappointed, but had been outplayed in parts by a stronger Ipswich team, who had reached the National Finals last year.

The boys in both teams played above their previous level of attainment and were a credit to the school both on and off the field. Well done to all the boys who went to Ipswich!

P Sargent

After the ‘B’ team’s result it was down to the ‘A’s’ to win the Beechwich Trophy. The game began closely with few chances for either team. By half time the score remained at 0-0. Early in the second half we developed a great attack, which ended with Anthony Stokes managing to squeeze the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs. The boys celebrated as if England had just won the World Cup!! Ipswich were starting to

Beechwood Hockey Festival On a windy and wet Saturday morning Beechwood hosted their annual Hockey Festival. Three Beechwood teams took part as well as teams from Cheltenham College Junior School, Elizabeth College, The Ladies’ College, St George’s School and the Guernsey Hockey Club.

Cheltenham had arrived on the Friday morning for their annual tour. Games against their 4 mixed teams had provided valuable game practice ahead of the Festival the following morning.

The Festival was split into two sections; the Main and Plate Tournaments. Both were played on a round robin basis, with every team playing each other once. 3 points

were awarded for victory, 2 points for a draw and 1 point for a loss. Goal difference would be the deciding factor if points ended level.

Despite the atrocious weather conditions some superb skills were on show for the brave parents who watched from under their umbrellas! Both tournaments proved to be very close. In the Main Tournament our team faced tough opposition. Despite playing some of the best hockey of the season, we finished 4th behind Guernsey Hockey Club who secured victory, with Cheltenham finishing a close 2nd and, also with a team in 3rd place.

The Plate provided some of the most exciting action of the day. After the round

robin section the top three teams played off and 4th to 7th played each other once again. The Beechwood B team had a superb day, not losing any of their games, but this still was not enough to claim the victory!

This went to Cheltenham, with Beechwood C, who had never played a game together finishing a creditable 5th.

The day ran smoothly, despite everyone being a bit damp! Every team had an enjoyable day including the lunch provided by the Friends of Beechwood. The day would not be as successful without the help of the Friends, parents and teachers who all contributed to the morning’s hockey.

P Sargent

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 033

Sports

cricket

Review of the Cricket Season The season started full of promise with us having good strength in depth. Our season saw us taking on GCA sides, Les Beaucamps, VCP, Denmead and Ipswich at home, and our annual tour which took us to our hockey rivals, Cheltenham.

Despite losing our opening game of the year from a winning position the potential of our squad with the bat and ball was clearly evident. Will Fazakerley’s batting was powerful, but well measured in a quick fire 45. With all the bowlers sharing the wickets we were in a comfortable position to take victory in our first competitive game. A final wicket stand of 40 from the GCA tail end saw them win by a single wicket. We played the GCA sides throughout the season with varying success, but this helped us to gain vital middle practice.

Ipswich was the first visiting team to come to the College Field. We played two

games against them over the weekend.

We played some of the best cricket of the season against Ipswich winning the warm up match comfortably chasing down the runs. The Sunday game would be for the Beechwich Trophy. With Captain Ryan Harris electing to bat we posted a total of 120 with Harris, Jack Oldfield and Alex Bushell all scoring highly. Our bowling throughout the season was accurate and the wickets began to tumble, apart from the vital wicket of Cameron Rule, Ipswich’s star player. Once we had taken Rule’s wicket the tail end soon followed meaning the first victory against Ipswich since 2003.

This season saw our first ever encounter against a mixed Years 7 and 8 Les Beaucamps Secondary School side. The game was played over a quick fire 15 overs.

Beaucamps batted first and our tight bowling on a narrow pitch saw us restrict them to 61 off their allotted overs. After

a steady start, we lost our first wicket with only a few runs on the board. We then picked up the run rate and finally reached our target comfortably with 3 overs remaining. This provided us with important middle practice ahead of the eagerly awaited clash against VCP. On a hot and sunny day at the Memorial Field our 4 teams were ready to battle against our Jersey rivals from Victoria College. Each of the 4 year groups were represented and they were optimistic of their chances. The day proved to be a huge success despite the results not going all our way. The games proved to be close and although the 4th XI was the only victory it showed the potential of the players in the lower end of the school.

“

On a hot and sunny day at the Memorial Field our four teams were ready to battle against our Jersey rivals from Victoria College.

”

034 :: The Elizabethan 2008

cricket

Sports

The annual Year 6 Kwik Cricket Festival was held at KGV. We took a team of 10 boys to the tournament against other local primary schools. In our group there were three other teams from St Martin’s, Amherst and Castel schools.

After a couple of comfortable victories, we played Castel to decide who reached the final. In a close game we were the victors and gained our place against St Martin’s ‘A’ team in the final.

After the short flight to Bristol we were ready for our tour to Cheltenham. The first match of the tour saw us take on the home side’s 1st XI. Having been given the ball we bowled as usual with pace and accuracy. Despite our best efforts Cheltenham posted an excellent score off their 25 overs, with one player scoring a century.

With the run rate being over 5 runs an over victory seemed unlikely.

To salvage a result from the game we had to bat out the overs.

After a couple of bad shots and some good Cheltenham bowling, we were staring at defeat, but Ryan Harris was batting beautifully.

He made his 50 and guided us to a moral boosting draw.

After a visit to the local museum and a look at the impressive Cheltenham College grounds, we were ready for the afternoon’s 6 a-side tournament. Six teams from three schools, Richard Pate, Cheltenham and Beechwood, took part. The format was short, with each pair only facing 2 overs each. Although from the outset our boys tried to hit as many boundaries as possible we were losing too many wickets. Each time a wicket was lost the team’s total was halved! Once the boys had got into their stride they showed what they could do with the bat and ball. The Beechwood Bears, captained by Year 4 Anthony Stokes, took the honours having looked like they would lose their vital final match. Wickets in the final overs saw them sneak home against Cheltenham Chargers and take the prize of a brand new cricket ball each back to Guernsey, with many of them still shining them at school the next day!

We elected to bat first and, although we were scoring plenty of boundaries, we were also losing wickets at regular intervals. Each wicket we lost resulted in 5 runs being deducted from our score.

Our final total was 126 from our 8 overs (each team starts on 100 runs). St Martin’s played sensible cricket and, while we managed to get a couple of wickets, they were always in control. The game ended with St Martin’s winning by 9 runs and we had to be content with being the runners up in this exciting game.

After topping their round robin group the Year 5 cricket team have made the semi finals of their tournament. They will play against either Hautes Capelles, Vale or St Martins The tournament will draw to a close on the day of the County Twenty20 and will hopefully bring an early success to the new cricket season.

The forthcoming season looks exciting with the group of players we have at Beechwood. Will Fazakerley, Thomas Nightingale and Jack Oldfield all look promising all round cricketers. I must thank all the parents for their support at games and providing lunches for our visiting teams. A special mention to Toby Peatfield and Jason Shambrook for helping to coach our 1st and 2nd XI teams throughout the season and Jonny Orme for organising our matches against GCA sides. I am looking forward to building on the success of this year, as we enter the next chapter for the Beechwood cricket teams.

P Sargent

Denmead would be the final test of a long season. On the Friday our Year 6 side took to the field. In cool conditions the boys played some good cricket in what would be their last match in their Beechwood shirts. A comfortable victory was secured and left them smiling, as they looked forward to their activities week in France.

The Sunday game was the turn of a Year 5 dominated team, with a helping hand from Year 4 Anthony Stokes and Year 3 Rory Betley.

After batting first we left the field with confidence after posting a respectable score and in the knowledge we had a good bowling attack. Each of the players bowled at least 2 overs and despite our best efforts Denmead secured their first victory on tour having lost on the Saturday morning to the GCA. It was a fantastic experience for the boys as, for some, it was the first time they had represented the school for cricket.

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 035

Editorial KPMG Employer of Choice, rewarding, great work-

and travelled out to the region for a week with

life balance, benefits, global opportunities,

how they can present information about HIV

full support from his employers. The three day

professional training, employer support, friendly

and Aids to the children in an interactive yet

course also gave Rachid and his colleagues the

and social atmosphere – these are just some of

educational manner.’

opportunity to work in the local community,

the words which describe a career at KPMG

being assigned to one of10 community projects

Channel Islands.

The community school caters for children

across the city, which has over seven million

from four years old up to 17 years old and at

inhabitants. This corporate citizenship element

the time of the project there were 25-30

And YOU could be part of KPMG after completing

enabled them to have a direct impact on the lives

children in attendance.

your A levels or degree. In Guernsey we are

of individuals and to work together in an informal

looking to recruit a number of audit and tax

environment whilst doing something worthwhile

‘The school itself was really more like a yard than

trainees who will be offered the opportunity

for the community.

an actual school,’ said Rachid. ‘It was incredibly

to study for the Chartered (ICAEW) or Certified

basic, but the volunteers still managed to ensure

(ACCA) Accountancy Qualifications in either

Rachid was placed on a project on the outskirts

that the children were educated on simple life

department, with tax trainees also having the

of Ho Chi Minh City, working with volunteers at

skills as well as core subjects like maths. It really

option to study the Taxation Technician (AAT) and

Nhi Xuan community school for underprivileged

highlighted the comparative luxury that we live

Chartered Tax (CTA) Qualification.

children and found the experience very humbling.

in here in Guernsey. The experience has certainly

Once qualified, there are a number of

‘Going to Vietnam for the course was always

own community. I would definitely consider

opportunities available to our staff, one of

going to be a unique experience. It was great to

looking at more overseas voluntary work in

which is taking part in international milestone

have the opportunity to meet so many people

the future. I am very grateful to KPMG for the

events. Rachid Frihmat, an assistant manager in

from our offices across the world, but it was only

opportunity I was given to travel to Vietnam and

the KPMG Audit team in Guernsey, has recently

when we arrived at the community project site

I gained so much from the experience. I would

returned from a once in a lifetime trip to Vietnam.

that I realised just how impacting it would be,’

recommend anyone to take up the offer if it

Rachid was nominated to attend a KPMG Global

said Rachid.

comes their way.’

‘I was working with a small team of volunteers

If you would like to be part of KPMG Channel

made me think about how I can help out in my

Regional Senior Team Member Event in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

who work at the school every afternoon. The The international ‘milestone’ event ran from

school is run by the charity Save the Children

7th - 9th July 2008 and saw 150 delegates from

which ensures that the children of migrant

KPMG offices in Europe and Asia coming together

workers who come to the city are educated for at

to be challenged and inspired. It gave attendees

least an afternoon every day. The school survives

a unique opportunity to network and to learn

purely on donations and relies on the input of

about each other’s cultures and the differences

10-12 volunteers to teach the children. Our task

between life with KPMG across the world.

was to work with these volunteers to share our

Islands Limited or are interested in our work

experience or bursary schemes please contact

Elaine Painter at careers@kpmg.guernsey.gg or KPMG Channel Islands Limited, 20 New Street,

St Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 4AN. Please quote Elizabethan08 in your email or letter.

business and life experiences and to show them The event is one of a number of opportunities for qualified members of staff to attend in order to develop their personal and technical skills and in turn progress in their career professionally.

Recently members of staff have travelled to Miami and Dublin for managerial workshops and Toronto for the Global People Workshop.

These worldwide events also provide networking opportunities for local staff and integrate KPMG Channel Islands Limited with KPMG offices all over the world.

Rachid, 26, trained with KPMG after completing university and has been with the company for four years. He was nominated to attend the event by senior management at KPMG in Guernsey in recognition of his recent excellent performance

036 :: The Elizabethan 2008

“

Once qualified, there are a number of opportunities available to our staff, one of which is taking part in international milestone events.

”

Š2008 KPMG Channel Islands Limited, a Jersey Company and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss cooperative.

We are looking to recruit high achievers to commence trainee contracts in our Audit or Tax department.

Candidates should possess a range of skills and abilities and a determination to succeed. As an accredited training practice for the ICAEW and ACCA, we offer an excellent training package, support and the benefits of being part of an international network that is also a leading provider of audit and tax services in the finance industry.

We are also offering bursaries to A Level students who are looking to go to university in September 2009.

We will provide financial support to help students throughout their studies and valuable work experience where you will receive hands on experience in the day-to-day life as an Audit Trainee. In addition, we will assign you a mentor who will support you through your time at university and when you are in the office.

To be considered for a trainee position or bursary, please contact Elaine Painter, HR Assistant, KPMG Channel Islands Limited, 20 New Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 4AN

At KPMG coming home wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t limit your options

Tel: +44 (0) 1481 721000. Fax: +44 (0) 1481 722373 e-Mail: epainter@kpmg.guernsey.gg www.kpmg.guernsey.gg KPMG Channel Islands Limited is an equal opportunites employer

Editorial

The School council / staff leavers

School Council The School Council this year has been ably run by the Chairman, James Birley, assisted by Andrew Oxburgh and Jack Colley (the Secretary). They have organised a notice board at Beechwood, which informs pupils of the agenda for forthcoming meetings and displays the minutes, along with other pertinent information.

A welcome addition this year has been that Acorn House representatives have joined Beechwood, forming the Elizabeth College Junior School Council. The age of the members (as young as five years old) has been no bar to having good ideas. All the children have benefited from learning the skills of debate and gained an understanding of democracy.

A highlight of the year was the Primary Schools’ Congress. On Wednesday 14th May ten boys (Joel Evans 3M, Brent Oldfield 3W, Jack Smart 4C, George Orton 4R, Harry Parfit 5P, Jack Colley 5K, Daniel Emmerson 6V, Ryan Harris 6H, Scott Bourgaize 6H and James Birley 6H) represented ECJS at the Specsavers Primary Schools’ Congress at the Peninsula Hotel. The Congress, the first in Guernsey, is an exciting island-wide venture, where young people were given the opportunity to make their views known to the Island politicians.

The children heard how the Young People’s Survey showed that children in Guernsey are positive, confident, healthy and active, and very happy with their lives on the island. Nevertheless, there were some issues, particularly regarding smoking, the use of alcohol, crime, bullying, the environment and the 11 plus. It was interesting to see that many of the same concerns were shared by children in schools across the island.

“

Prior to the Congress, the class councils and the School Council had worked hard, discussing the topics raised. The children had voiced their concerns and had come up with possible solutions, which they then took to the Congress. The boys each worked in a group with children from seven other schools, discussing the issues and coming up with all kinds of excellent solutions. We were very proud when James and Daniel were chosen to report back from their respective groups, sharing the children’s ideas about how to tackle crime and environmental problems. We were also pleased when one of the ECJS Beechwood ideas – ‘beerbusters’, similar to smokebusters, to teach children about the dangers of alcohol – was adopted. As a result of this, alcohol education now forms part of the PSHE curriculum in Year 5.

After the children had shared their ideas, the Deputies who had been present throughout the discussions gave their feedback.

All were very impressed with the children’s thinking and positive concern.

It was inspiring for the children that their views are being taken so seriously, particularly when they heard that the States have already taken steps to tackle some of the issues. We are already looking forward to the next Congress and an exciting year ahead for the School Council.

Mrs A Pollard

The Congress, the first in Guernsey, is an exciting islandwide venture, where young people were given the opportunity to make their views known to the Island politicians.

”

038 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Staff Leavers

Mr Iain Kilpatrick Iain joined Beechwood at the beginning of a very wet January which must have been a shock after the warmth of South Africa.

During his years at Beechwood he was a class teacher in Year 4 and Year 5, teaching his pupils a wide range of subjects. Design and Technology became an important area of the curriculum in which many children benefited from his careful teaching. Latterly Iain became Head of Physical Education. Iain left us for promotion and we wish him well in his new post.

Mrs S Battey

charities

Editorial

Future for Nepal I was lucky enough to go to Nepal this summer with Durham University as part of a Charity expedition to raise money for Future For Nepal. This was largely due to the kind help of Acorn House and Beechwood children, who raised half my total through their annual Coin Drive.

The expedition consisted partly of a trek to Everest Base Camp and partly of working in a school. There were 20 students from the university and we were spread among 5 schools. My school was called Bipul Shiksha Niketan, a school of about 400 students, and was located to the east of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The school was in an area renowned for serious poverty and political violence between Maoist and Congress groups. Our aim was to spend two weeks working there, giving the children an opportunity to practise English with native speakers and encouraging them to continue their education. It is noticeable that the classes almost halve in size between the ages of 11 and 16 as the older children drop out of school in order to find paid work.

The money that was raised has helped to build a playing field surface for the school â&#x20AC;&#x201C; previously the children played football on an uneven dust pitch that can turn to ankle deep mud and puddles in the monsoon rains. The school has also bought a couple of computers with the money to help the children to learn IT, which can really improve their job prospects.

Nepal is the fourth poorest country in the world and the contrast with the Western World is pronounced. I stayed with a devout Hindu family. Their life was governed by worship, and the three times daily meal of potato curry, lentil soup and rice. We experienced power cuts every day and there was a fuel shortage that made the roads impassable due to mile long queues of taxis and buses hoping for petrol that day. Despite these difficulties, families and teachers were very welcoming to us making the experience, although challenging, very enjoyable.

The other part of the trip was the trek.

Unfortunately we were unable to do the planned route to Everest Base Camp. Due to clouds over the mountain pass to Lukla airport we were unable to land and there are no roads that lead to that part of Nepal.

Instead, we trekked to Annapurna Base Camp. Annapurna is the 10th highest peak in the world at 8091 metres and the base camp is at 4700 metres. We did a 12 day trek allowing plenty of time for acclimatisation to prevent altitude sickness. The scenery was stunning, beginning with lush jungles with monkeys and exotic birds and ending just below the glacier, in a barren windbeaten landscape.

The whole trip was a fantastic experience for me, and more importantly, was an opportunity to make a very real improvement in the lives of children from Nepal.

Miss J Robinson

The Elizabethan 2008

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Editorial

charities

Charities Report Beechwood’s support of charities got off to an early start when we took part in Big Kids Day on September 28th. Big Kids Day is Island FM’s annual fundraiser for Help a Guernsey Child.

Mrs Cotran and her crew also took the opportunity to help the children improve their healthy eating habits by providing a fruit smoothie at break time. We are grateful to Milton Produce for supplying the fruit and helping us to support this worthwhile cause.

The children came dressed up as ‘Big Kids’ - in other words, adults!! This was their chance to try being a grown-up for the day and wear Dad’s (or Mum’s!) shirt and tie!

The teachers came dressed as… you guessed it, Beechwood pupils. However, they didn’t have to sit in class for lessons or practise their rugby tackling skills. Just coming dressed up was enough for them!

A month later it was the turn of Children in Need, the annual BBC appeal for children in the UK. The school combined their fundraising efforts by also raising funds for CLIC Sargent, the children’s charity which the school has supported for the last couple of years. The children came in mufti, many dressed in their favourite football team’s kit as a sign that they are glad they play football when many children do not

have the opportunity to do so. A variety of football related activities were organised

by Mr Kilpatrick and Mr Veron: a crossbar challenge (in which the teachers also took part where Miss Wenman emerged as Beechwood’s newest hope), a ‘keepy-uppy’ competition and a penalty shoot-out. The excitement was at fever pitch while a good amount was raised for the two charities.

October also saw Guernsey’s annual Swimarathon which was again superbly supported by Beechwood, followed by the yearly Poppy Appeal for the British Legion.

Many of the children also filled shoeboxes with appropriate gifts for children in Africa, which were collected and organised by the Rotary Club for their annual appeal.

Years 4 and 5 once again thought, as Christmas approached, of children less fortunate. Year 4 supported the Rotary Christmas Tree of Joy, collecting to buy a present for a child, while Year 5 collected money for AIDS orphans in Tanzania who are supported by the Tumaini Fund.

January saw the easiest – and most difficult – day of the year for the teachers. The Big Hush, a sponsored silence, was certainly the most difficult day for the children! For the whole of lesson time, they were not allowed to make any kind of sound at all – no talking, whispering, exclamations…

Charity

Amount Raised

Big Kids Day Island FM Help a Guernsey Child Children in Need BBC Appeal CLIC Sargent Swimarathon Rotary Shoe Box Appeal Poppy Appeal Year 4 Christmas Tree of Joy Year 5 Christmas for Tumaini Harvest Festival/Carol Service Help a Guernsey Child The Big Hush Sport Relief Friends of Beechwood Coin Drive

£701.65 £134.50 £134.50 £881.50 Many boxes collected £49.69 Gifts £47 £298.40 £1508.40 £252 £1200

TOTAL

£5207.64

040 :: The Elizabethan 2008

The teachers were also silent and had to work hard to still carry on teaching as normal. Although some children still tried to maintain silence at break and lunchtime, most were relieved to be able to chatter as soon as the ‘freedom bell’ had gone! The Big Hush took place this year on Loud Tie Day: the children also raised funds for the Guernsey Bowel Cancer Awareness Charity by wearing a luridly coloured tie with their usual white shirt.

Beechwood once again supported Sport Relief: the children wore the theme colour red and took part in a wonderful assault course which Mr Veron and his class put together. Working non-stop to complete as many circuits of the course within 15 minutes as they could, they all worked extremely hard. The class achieving the most circuits was 4C – well done! Mrs Cotran and her team helped keep up energy levels with a healthy energy bar.

The summer saw the Friends of Beechwood organise the annual Coin Drive. Beechwood and Acorn House counted out coins to support the efforts of Miss Carre, who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of the Mines Awareness Trust and Jessica Robinson (Mrs Ruth Robinson’s daughter) who went to Mount Everest base camp to raise funds for orphans in Nepal. The children – and their parents – were again very generous.

Finally, the School Council determined to adopt the Tumaini Fund as a school charity, raising money through ongoing class collections and special fundraising events.

This is a new project, beginning in the next school year, which will also help to develop the children’s understanding of what life is like for children in poorer countries.

A magnificent total of over £5000 has been raised for charity this year – well done, Elizabeth College Junior School!

Mrs A Pollard

Friends of Beechwood

Editorial

Friends of Beechwood Annual Report The Friends of Beechwood Committee has had a very successful fundraising year in 2007/2008. With this in mind I would like to begin my report by thanking all those on the committee who worked so hard to make our events fun and exciting for both the boys and their families.

It was decided that our theme for the year would be ‘Extreme’ and this certainly proved very popular with the boys!! The ‘Extreme Thrill Fair’ was held in the Michaelmas term and with the help of the School Council we had a record number of boys’ stalls all trying to raise the most money whilst being the most extreme and wacky. A lot of fun was had by all and along with the usual stalls such as tombola, books, bric a brac, cake and jar stalls we managed to raise over £1,800.

We are most grateful to all those who took part and helped on the day.

One of our main aims is to organise fun social events for the boys and their families.

This year we held a bingo evening and a racing night. These both proved to be extremely popular and the boys had great fun. A special thanks goes to Mrs King who, by agreeing to cater for the racing night, enabled us to increase our fundraising potential. The total raised from the two nights was £1,600.

A new venture for the committee this year was Phoenix Trading. Friends of Beechwood

have become an independent trader of Phoenix Stationery and any profit made goes directly into the fundraising account.

A big thank you goes to Mrs Bushell who kindly agreed to take on the organisation of this and in the first year has already made a profit of over £200. It is hoped this will prove popular with parents and in ongoing years can prove to be a good fundraiser.

All these events whilst being great fun are also there to provide funding for things which will enhance the children’s school life. This year we have provided a new kiln for the art department, some new Smart boards and shelving for the library. It is also planned to purchase digital cameras for all of the classes so that the children can use them in their project work.

Our biggest event for the year was ‘The Extreme Ball’ held in St James. It began with a champagne reception held outside in the summer sun (yes there was some this year!!).The Beechwood Steel Pans wowed us with their playing as well as everyone driving down the Grange. A relaxed atmosphere prevailed throughout the dinner followed by dancing when some extreme movements could be seen on the dance floor. A big thank you goes to all those who sponsored the evening as well as those who provided auction and raffle prizes as this enabled us to raise an amazing £5,871.

Of course the Friends of Beechwood are also involved with various events organised by the school over the year. This includes house matches, the Christmas lunch and sports day to name but a few. It goes without saying that the more helpers there are, the less work for everyone. I am sure all those who helped at these events would agree we had a lot of good fun whilst enhancing the school life of the boys.

Our final ‘Extreme’ event was the boys’ disco at the end of term. This always proves popular with both the boys and the girls attending from Melrose and Blanchelande.

The children excelled this year and showed us some extreme fashion, hair styles and dancing!! They certainly put the adults to shame in ‘Extreme’ dressing. Well done to them!!!

Carolyn Oxburgh Chairman Friends of Beechwood

On closing I would just like to thank everyone who helped and supported the committee during our ‘Extreme’ year and I wish next year’s committee all the very best.

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 041

Twelve individuals now working at Collins Stewart Wealth Management passed through the doors of Elizabeth College â&#x20AC;&#x201C; each with very different skills and interests.

We caught up with them and found out the rhyme and reason

behind their life choices. What did they do after leaving Elizabeth College and why do they choose to work at Collins Stewart wealth Management?

0 Favourite Subject at Elizabeth College?

0 Did you know what you wanted to do when you left school?

0 What path did you follow after Elizabeth College?

0 How did you come to join CSWM? 0 What do you enjoy about working at CSWM?

0 Maths - I liked numbers.

0 No - I actually studied Building Surveying at Uni. 0 Straight to Uni. 0 Applied for a job through an Agency.

0 I enjoy the variety of work that my role involves. I

0 English Literature 0 Not really, but fancied being a pilot.

0 Went to Uni. 0 An agency set up an interview for me.

0 The culture and the people.

Charlie Roger,

Rod Sallis,

Head of Collins Stewart

Research Analyst

Wealth Management Guernsey

0 Geography as I found it easier than the others.

0 Not at all.

0 I worked for 6 months to fund my travelling for 6

0 Maths due to my fascination for figures!

0 Yes, I wanted to be a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm but I failed my O Level in Physics so was unable to apply.

months then went to Uni.

0 I went straight into a job in the Civil Service.

0 When a friend of mine, who worked fo CS,

emigrated to New Zealand I applied for his job.

Richard Gill,

0 Variety, as each day presents new challenges.

0 I applied through an agency but knew I wanted to work for CS above other firms. Luckily they were Matt Atkinson, Stockbroker

Senior Compliance

came to equations.

0 English & Economics 0 Not exactly.

0 Travelling first then on to Uni.

0 Something in IT. 0 I went on to College of FE to study IT. 0 I went along to an agency. Armed with my GCSE

0 This is one of the few places in Guernsey where you can be at the centre of the investment process rather than rubberstamping investment decisions Investment Manager

made in the UK.

Joe Ozanne, Contracts Clerk

0 Classics - it ws easy to remember..

0 Yes, I had long intended to go to Sandhurst.

0 Went to Uni then on to Sandhurst.

playing) together.

0 Maths and Football.

0 As I failed to make a professional footballer I reasonably good at at school (Maths & Economics).

0 I went to work in the Securities department of a Fixed Interest Investment Manager

0 I had a friend who knew someone at CS to ask for me, within an hour an interview was in my diary.

Richard Hodgetts,

0 Being able to do a city job in Guernsey.

Hedge Fund Analyst

0 Sciences - they had real answers to the questions,

bank where I stayed for the next 18 years!

rather than havinvg to be creative.

0 I knew someone who worked at CSWM, came in

0 Absolutely not.

0 Uni to read Biology. Then 18mths travelling.

0 My family knew someone who worked at CSWM in

for an interview and got the job.

0 I enjoy being involved in strategic planning. The people arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bad either!

0 Chemistry because I liked doing experiments.

0 Yes, I wanted to be a seaman officer in the Royal

at CSWM.

0 I enjoy the company of the people I work with.

CSWM hold.

world in which to be involved and we have a

thought it best to make the most of what I was

passes and a good IT backround, I was offered a job

I also enjoy the Sports and Social events that

0 The stockmarket is a fascinating and synamic great team of people who enjoy working (and

Paul Philp,

looking for a graduate trainee at the same time.

0 Seeing the fruits of your labour!

0 Maths, not sure why other than I was good when it

Officer

Jeremy Mattinson,

also work with a good bunch of people.

Stockbroking. I came in for an interview, accepted a Phil Le Pelley Stockbroker

job in the London office then transferred to Guernsey.

0 My job is very varied and can be exciting.

Navy, however, due to an eye injury I was unable to pursue.

0 PE - I was very competitive at school.

0 Yes, something involving stocks and shares.

0 Went to Uni to read Economics at Nottingham.

0 I wrote to the CEO asking if there were any

0 Straight into a job at a bank which was the last thing I wanted to do.

Andrew Courtney, Project Manager

0 I had a friend who knew the CEO who happened to be looking for someone with my skill set.

vacancies. I knew him as he was my football coach

0 I like working for a dynamic employer in a challenging environment with other dedicated professionals.

when I was 11.

Robert Pickford, Investment Manager

0 The fact that no day is the same.

www.collinsstewartwealth.com

Local excellence, international expertise

Focused on preserving and growing wealth Collins Stewart Wealth Management is a leading investment manager and stockbroker with a focus on preserving and growing clients’ wealth through excellence, every day.

Managing and administering in excess of £4bn of assets (£2bn of which is on a discretionary basis as at 31/12/07) through our international network of offices, we are part of Collins Stewart Plc - a leading independent investment banking group.

To find out more please call: Charlie Roger on 726511, email croger@collinsstewart.com, or visit www.collinsstewartwealth.com

Portfolio Management

Stockbroking

Investment Funds

Collins Stewart Wealth Management is a trading name of Collins Stewart (CI) Limited (“CSCI”), which is licensed and regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission, the Jersey Financial Services Commission and the Isle of Man Financial Supervision Commission, and a trading name of Collins Stewart Europe Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. CSCI is a member of the London Stock Exchange, The Channel Islands Stock Exchange and the International Capital Market Association. This advertisement is issued by CSCI.

Elizabeth College

Contents Activities 45

CCF 45

I and D Week 54

Sixth Form Life 59

Charities 60 Arts 62

Design 62

Original Art 64

Creative Writing 67

Drama 70

Music 74

Library 75

044 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Sports 76

Cricket 76

Fencing 80

Golf 85

Football 86

Hockey 90

Athletics 93

Swimming 94

Sports Leaders 94

Rugby 95 Trips 96 Editorial 111

Combined Cadet Force (CCF)

Activities

Dartmoor 2008 - December Dash Exercise December Dash is designed to familiarise boys with the delights of Dartmoor as a precursor to Ten Tors but it is also, and quite simply an end of term jolly to escape the longest term and prepare for the Christmas parties. Year 10 cadets often use this as their first off–island CCF activity.

It started off on a cold, dark and wintry night as in all the best thrillers yet I was watching some of the hardy sixth formers in shorts loading the trailer. I thought it was cold but it was nothing like Dartmoor. We arrived and drove straight to Chickerill Camp for a nice, warm meal in their new facilities. Afterwards it was late and everybody went to sleep quickly. We woke up early and marched straight to breakfast. It was a nice warm breakfast that kept us going for the drive to Dartmoor. We arrived in a snow flurry but, after the antics of last year, I think Camp Staff tried to get a bit of revenge by giving us the billets the furthest away from the cook house; I was devastated!

We changed and set off on the North Moor. We were allocated to our groups, I got allocated to the Spider Pigs. We started off with finding our 100 metre pacings and were then off.

We got used to compass readings and taking bearings as well as other map skills. We returned to camp and then had dinner at the Mess: unfortunately it was a 10 minute walk to it. We then had our night exercise and, after few wrong turns, finally reached the start car park (actually a Pub Car Park near Lydford). We then had to group into year 10 and went with Sam Meader and Jonathan Branch

up to the top of a tor without torches. Once at the top we got into our exposure bags as a training exercise and then took a group photo. Mat Hale was standing at the large granite cross at Brat Tor which overlooks the lights of Cornwall. It was cold but exhilarating.

Being out at night without street lights etc is a fantastic way to appreciate the stars.

On the Monday we went horse riding which I had never done before and although my horse was aggressive it was very enjoyable.

Afterwards we went mountain biking along trails and even though I had an eventful crash this was also very good. This way we had seen, cycled, ridden or walked most of the Ten Tors areas. In the evening we went to the cinema in Exeter to watch the Golden Compass. This was the worst of the December Dash films – recent Xmas blockbusters have been Casino Royale and The Incredibles.

To finish the December Dash we spent the afternoon at the Royal Marines Commando Training Centre which coincided with that heady and curious combination of The Corps Christmas Carol Service, a monster PT session lead by the scary PTIs, the Passing Out Parade of a Troop and the first day of a new Recruits intake. That all seemed like a volatile mix to us so we kept a low profile in the swimming pool and on the climbing wall.

Thank you to Mr Aplin, Mr Wesley, Mlle Labbe, Mr Curtis and Mr Domaille.

Jonathan Laws

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 045

Activities

Combined Cadet Force (CCF)

Blow your own bugle (sic) – Review of the CCF Year

The year started with the first public performance of the newly re-formed Corps of Drums when six drummers and one trumpeter performed for the annual Combined Services Dinner in College Hall.

They had rehearsed with performances for the Watling Cup for Drill and for the College’s Service of Remembrance. They certainly raised the pulse of the 100 guests.

This Dinner is a special occasion as it is the only time that the silverware of the Royal Guernsey Militia is on show beyond the confines of a strong room. OEs Evan Ozanne, Colin Ferbrache and Mark Laine organised the evening and it is a strong demonstration of the central role that College has played in Island life over the centuries.

Also present was His Excellency Sir Fabion Malbon, a keen supporter of the Cadet Forces. It has been a pleasure welcoming him to College for informal visits so that he can cast an eye over the activities of cadets away from the spotlight of activity.

Sir Peter Le Cheminant was also present and his name lives on at College as we have retained the four Recruit Sections named after famous OEs: Brock, De Sausmarez, Le Cheminant and Le Marchant. With over 160 cadets we have a buoyant, dynamic presence within College. It is good that the majority of modern day College pupils have a common bond that will stay with them for a life time. The 43 CCF trips off island are open to all cadets and offer an amazing range of opportunities; sailing in the Solent, flying in Lynx and Merlin helicopters, Ten Tors and shooting at Bisley – the centre of excellence for target shooting.

046 :: The Elizabethan 2008

12 cadets completed the Cadet Vocational Qualification – the BTEC National Vocational Qualification. This maps and formalises the CCF activities such that the higher achieving cadets complete the equivalent of four GCSEs during their Cadet career. We have also provided opportunities to enable cadets to gain their Duke of Edinburgh Awards – 12 Bronze, 8 Silver, and 1 Gold.

Bronze expeditions in Guernsey are rather timid but they do provide an important grounding for off island challenges. Few such challenges are as clearly defined as the Ten Tors and we have now gained a strong reputation in this gruelling benchmark for youth groups. The 35 mile team rose to the challenge and coped well with the heat, a stark contrast to the 2007 waterlogged event.

Exercise October Dragon remains a key part of the Year 11 programme and gives cadets a chance to focus on field craft in Bovington, helicopter drills in RNAS Yeovilton and gliding in RNAS Culdrose – surely the prettiest location for an airfield anywhere in England. Again, there was a cultural element to this with Fl Lt Inderwick extolling the virtues of Jamaica Inn and Daphne Du Maurier to the RAF Section, Lt Col Aplin linking the birthplace of Lawrence of Arabia (Clouds Hill) to his grave at Mortown with an orienteering run for the Army Cadets, and Lt Allen and 2Lt Slann singing sea shanties with the RN Cadets!

Air Experience Flying at RAF Benson provided an excellent opportunity to stay in RAF Uxbridge – the home of RAF Command and to consider the deeds of The Few so long ago. Equally thought provoking was

the role of the solitary Mosquito from RAF Benson that enabled the destruction of the Scharnhorst before it could wreak havoc on the Atlantic Convoys. It was good to welcome Mlle Labbé on this excursion into British history. Flying over the cooling towers of Didcot power station was cool!

The Annual Inspection was conducted by Col James Porter OE and he was able to present the ‘Extra Mile’ Trophy designed and made by PO Pierre Petit. Pierre and his fellow cadets have enjoyed an amazing four years with the CCF and I am confident that the campfire stories will grow and grow around the dinner tables of the island in years to come; all will be exciting, most will be true! I have stumbled across some of the photos (pulling one armed wheelies on the Coast to Coast mountain bike trail) and look forward to hearing the truthful (if harrowing) accounts of what actually happened when, returning from a staff debrief session in Stonethwaite village we heard a loud bang and saw an aerosol can shoot into the sky. Pierre deserves our respect but he owes an enormous debt to his mates who have worked with and tolerated him these last four years.

Wales and the Welsh seem to have featured heavily with leadership course in Brecon and an excellent adventure training in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrrndrobwillantysiliogogogoch; being in Wales in the spring and at the end of the Grand Slam season is a special, if rare, feeling.

Annual Camp in Cornwall was a great success despite the plethora of H+S controls; each cadet even had to sign a

Combined Cadet Force (CCF)

declaration that he was not likely to be pregnant before being allowed on the Obstacle Course, oh yes, and once on the obstacle course he was not allowed to race. As for the March and Shoot teams being banned from running …. don’t get me started! Fortunately Miss Deadly had sufficient food handling skills and qualifications to be allowed to serve the beans from the Norwegian containers – much to Mr Wesley’s disappointment!

Bisley remains the highlight of the year for many cadets and the strong team and individual results – including retaining the Haines Shield by beating Victoria College, and winning the Victoria Cup (Michael Creber – the best shot at 600 yards) are evidence of the superb coaching from SSI Capt Rick Le Page, less evident for those not present are the many jokes that maintain a sense of humour amidst a fairly intense and sober activity.

During the year we have run 43 school trips through the CCF. Yes, 43! It is my aim to keep these open to all cadets and to minimise the costs so that in years to come there is a commonality amongst the OEs with the round robin of exercises being the talk of the dinner set and ‘When I…’ Brigade.

The year ended with Ex Summer Special to Poland. This was the 15th such exercise and the aim remains to take us out of our comfort zone; this keeps staff and cadets on their toes. We certainly did that this year by hitting the heights of the Via Ferrata / Klettersteig routes in the Tatra Mountains, and the depths in the Camps at Auschwitz and Birkenau. Every trip is special but his one had an emotional edge which added to the holistic nature of the experience.

Special thanks are due to young 2Lt Wesley

Activities

for his inspiration back in June 2007 and to Mr Hooker who was the guest lecturer in charge of History, Decorum and Life Appreciation. Throw in a paramedic and a couple of mountain goats and you have the perfect team. The cadets were ok as well! It is hard to convey just how civilised the Decor Hostel seemed after 5 days in the hills, or maybe it was the Aussie maidens on their European tours that made it seem to comfortable.

With so many restrictions featuring in the lives of young people today it is heartening to be able to offer extension activities that really do stretch minds and bodies. ‘Mens in sana copore’ is an oft quoted motto; for us it seems to work well. I am convinced, and am regularly told by Cadets and parents, that the many Cadet Force experiences on offer are a key part in the preparation of adult and off-island life. Most Cadets will have had to sort out food, menus, cooking, cleaning, kit care, being presentable and punctual and so on as part of their training before heading beyond the pier heads and away from the family home.

It is a privilege to be able to work with such motivated pupils and such dedicated staff.

Congratulations go to Mr Slann (Second Lieutenant RNR), Mr Wesley (2LT) Mrs Maher (Pilot Officer), Mrs Halton (Pilot Officer) and Mr Heaume (Pilot Officer) on their various promotions.

A footnote: the Nissan Vanette is dead, long live the Fiat Scudo. Without the support of the Principal, Bursar, OEs, Friends and the staff room as a whole it would not be possible to run such a dynamic and successful Cadet Force that is fully inclusive and rounded in its contribution to modern day College Life.

B Aplin

Gap Year activities Dear Mr Aplin I can remember you saying to keep in touch and to send a postcard from my gap year and I apologise I have not done that until now! I was just emailing you to let you know I went back to Chamonix for 2 weeks this September after such a great time on Ex Summer Special in 2007. I attended a mountaineering course with a commercial company, where I learnt the basics in ice and rock climbing. We then rounded up the week climbing up the ‘easiest’ 4000m peak, Gran Paradiso in Italy.

I spent a week acclimatising and after seeing a forecast that there could be a window in the weather and managing to get a place in the Gouter hut 48 hours before, we decided to attempt Mont Blanc. Unfortunately my mum suffered from altitude sickness on the way up and so stayed at the Gouter but my Dad and I managed to reach the summit the following morning. Strong winds and low temperatures made it difficult but we were still extremely lucky with the weather, there had been no summiters for the previous 4 days and everyone was cautious following the massive avalanche that had killed eight climbers below the summit. It was a fantastic way to round up my gap year but I know that I wouldn’t have had the ambition if it wasn’t for the CCF trip last year.

My Dad has always been keen I show an interest in mountains but never really succeeded until I went on that trip. Now I definitely have the bug!

Kind Regards,

Christopher Dravers (9323)

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 047

Activities

Combined Cadet Force (CCF)

A Parent’s Perspective My recollection of the CCF is one of heavy uncomfortable uniforms, silly war games and few positive features. I gladly undertook Duke of Edinburgh instead and also remember cleaning the WRVS “Meals on Wheels” van on Monday afternoons.

I had always seen my son as being a quiet, slightly shy lad. I really did not see him as someone who would take to the CCF. I could not have been more wrong. He has in fact embraced the CCF with both arms and has taken a huge amount of positives from his experiences. I have also noticed that the uniforms look a lot more comfortable than they did in my day!

The CCF has helped to develop him into a much more rounded individual. He has become more assertive and actually gives the clear impression of being a leader as opposed to being a follower.

The feedback that I have had from his trips away is that he has a strong will to complete the task in hand and gives no impression of ever wishing to give up on an exercise.

The exercises that he has been involved in have become

progressively more difficult and he clearly sees these as positive challenges: he rises to them and enjoys them greatly. Although many of the voluntary exercises involved lengthy walking and uncomfortable nights, he has been introduced to many new experiences. He has hiked around the mountains of Europe, flown gliders in the South of England and camped in Snowdonia, and I must say that I am rather jealous of what he is able to do. The only negative is the state of his rucksack when he returns home!

Nothing can truly prepare a parent for the state of the dirty clothing which comes back from these trips. However I consider it to be a very small price to pay! I would now commend the CCF to each and every boy at Elizabeth College. Even if you do not think that your child would be suited to the CCF, every child can take many positives from the experience and be a better person for it. His experiences might be slightly different to my son’s but they would be positive experiences nonetheless. My son is a much better boy for his time in the CCF and I thank the CCF staff wholeheartedly.

(We don’t want to embarrass the boy involved so this article is published anonymously)

Advanced Infantry Course - 2007 Knook Camp, Salisbury Plain Now In the Sixth Form with CCF a whole new list of opportunities are opened.

This course to develop the infantry skills of cadets in both CCFs and ACFs is run annually on Salisbury Plain.

equipped and treated like regular soldiers on training. This means the Directing Staff give you privileges and leeway to make your own decisions.

The nine day course is designed to be educational in all aspects of field craft and infantry skills as well as to be mentally demanding and stimulating and to show how to cope with sleep deprivation and new circumstances.

The first day of the course is lectures to ensure that everyone has a base level of knowledge to fall back to when the going gets tough. On Sunday the tough get going practising the skills learnt in the classroom; this is when you really bond with the other cadets from across the South West.

The course is seen as the height of your cadet career; it is undisputed as the best course going, equipped with SA80 A2 assault rifles, Personal Role Radios, Night vision sights, and more ammunition and pyrotechnics than most cadets will see in their entire life. It is set up so that you are

On Monday you deploy on Exercise Lone Wolf. Carrying all the equipment we were taken to Area 5 on ‘the Plain’. Here we were kicked out of the vehicles and given the location of our Forward Operating Base (FOB). From our secure FOB the two 8 man sections executed patrols at day and at

048 :: The Elizabethan 2008

night, in support of the main mission.

The final night, Thursday, was the culmination of the week’s exercise. Low on sleep but high on adrenalin I was given the command posting as patrol commander, leading the two sections (as for this final mission both sections would operate together) to an ambush. After lying in position in the -2o°C night for 2hrs 45mins we completed our infantry tasks successfully until at about 0700 an off-road truck took us home for a much needed breakfast and a day’s rest.

Saturday was spent debriefing and exploring ways to take our new formed skills back to our Contingent.

Nicolas Ozanne

Activities

Combined Cadet Force (CCF)

Dartmoor Ten Tors Challenge 2008 After the heavy rainfall and flooded rivers of 2007 we were well prepared for the challenge and had confidence in our leader Ben Burtenshaw. He had attended the UK RN Cadets Leadership Course, had a good supply of stories and jokes, used sports psychology from his cycling competitions to get us in the zone … and was also slightly mad. True to form, he nearly missed the boat!

Chickerell Camp has become ‘home from home’ over recent years and this is due in part to Colonel James Porter OE as he has smoothed the waters and oiled the cogs to enable us to turn up late at night when Office staff have gone home. Most of the team had stayed there on at least six occasions. Col Porter is also heavily involved with the running of Ten Tors as is Maj JP Quertier who runs the Cornwall Light Infantry / Rifles TA Unit in Bodmin. The Elizabeth College link to Ten Tors is quite strong despite that stretch of water.

On Friday we went through scrutinizing with few problems – often it is a complete nightmare – and only needed an extra six hot drink sachets. Thereafter we could relax and visit the other teams and listen to the various ‘Bing Bong’ announcements on the PA system.

‘Bing Bong’ at 5:30am is followed by 2600 groans as teams have to go through the last minute checks and preps whilst listening to 70’s music blasting out – Tina Turner, Queen, Monty Python etc. The festival-like atmosphere includes long queues for the toilets! There are few things to match the start line at Ten Tors; every team vies for position and tries to show off its mental instability with slogans on T-shirts, weird hats and flags. The Guernsey flag was one of the best flags on show!

We had given 100% and completed the Challenge – though walking to the kit check and presentation areas was increasingly painful as the adrenalin ebbed away.

We really do need a Jacuzzi in the Ifor Williams trailer!

B and A Aplin

As for the walking, well it was fine up to check point one (Shilstone Tor), but then we made a mistake and went straight to check point three (Hanging Stone Hill), so had to go back to Steepeton Tor. At this point we were walking faster than 5km/ hr and needed to slow down. As the day progressed we slowed down and camped at Black Tor in the south west corner of Dartmoor. At least we would be heading home with every step on the Sunday.

Sunday was boiling hot and we took things easy and kept the pace to a steady 4km/hr.

Wet feet from a mixture of stream water and sweat meant that our skin began to blister and we should have changed socks more often.

It is very difficult to describe the feeling of euphoria on passing crowds at the Finish.

RAF Overview Gliding has dominated the scene in the CCF RAF section this year.

We have moved to a new gliding school (626VGS) who fly the winch launched Viking gliders. 19 boys managed to gain their Gliding Induction Course 1 and 2 certificates and three, Ben Pearson, Adam Norman and Julian Janes, went on to complete their Gliding Scholarship. Hopefully this year some of these will go on to complete a flying scholarship in fixed wing planes.

The Section was admirably run by Sam Meader who gained the rank of Warrant Officer. This year his place is taken by Matthew Hale who completed the Cadet Leadership Course at Frimley Park in the summer.

Flight Lieutenant R Inderwick

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 049

Editorial Experience career success with Ogier an award winning legal and fiduciary firm If you are interested in a career that offers great

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financial services and legal sectors then look no

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of Ogier has given rise to a number of different

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A number of career paths are available in our

to develop their skills and expertise working alongside such experienced colleagues.

Work and Play

further. The recent growth and development

human resources, information technology,

career paths. Ogier is one of the leading, global

administration and secretarial services.

out of eleven jurisdictions, the firm employs over

Work Experience Placements / Bursary Scheme

for staff each year, which are aimed at helping

Ogier offers work experience placements for

new starters settle in. These events also enable

a number of industry awards in recent years. The

students interested in careers within any of the

all employees to get to know each other better,

Guernsey office (which opened 10 years ago)

three business units. Please contact Jenny Feist on

away from the working environment. Sporting

now employs nearly 100 staff and has plans for

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success in 2008 included our 4 man inter-firm

further expansion.

discuss further what we can offer.

relay team. Andrew Munro, Andrew Keast, Guy

offshore legal and fiduciary firms. Operating

800 professional and support staff and has won

Ogier recognises the importance of a happy workforce. An active sports and social committee organises a number of social and sporting events

Lloyd and Allan Luu finished a valiant 4th out Each year, Ogier awards a small number of

of approximately 50 teams in this year’s event -

bursaries to students who are embarking upon

completing the 1 km laps each through the streets

a career in law in order to assist them with their

of St Peter Port cheered on by a number of their

studies at university. The required qualifications

colleagues as they crossed that elusive finish line

and benefits available are listed at the end of

at the top of Smith Street.

this article.

Training & Development

Ogier encourages all staff to continue learning and developing new skills, knowledge and expertise. We recognise that whether an employee is starting their first job, moving from another firm, or perhaps changing career, there will be areas where further training is required so staff can carry out their roles and enhance their

There are a number of career opportunities to

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consider when working for one of the leading,

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in order to obtain more formal or further

Feist on tel: 01481 752207 or email

relevant qualifications as part of our career

jenny.feist@ogier.com. Alternatively, visit

development programme.

www.ogier.com

Working for Ogier Group

Interested in applying for an Ogier Bursary?

We support aspiring lawyers at all stages of

employees the chance to gain experience of a

Each year Ogier awards a small number of students going

their professional development, from university

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solicitors and qualified lawyers wishing to

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they are involved and the international standing

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Fiduciary

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of the firm also ticks the right boxes when it comes to job satisfaction. Ogier offers a working

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profession. These roles include administrators

other jurisdictions or recruited from top London

of trusts, companies and funds at all levels,

law firms, which offers new recruits the chance

accounting, book-keeping and compliance.

50 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Qualifications Required and Bursary Benefits

on to study law a place on the firm’s bursary scheme. The academic requirement for entry into the scheme is a minimum of one A and two B grades at ‘A’ level. The rewards include: • Financial support payable in quarterly instalments directly to the student’s bank account.

• Preferential consideration for work placements during the holidays and/or gap year at Ogier, Guernsey.

• Invitations to various social events organised by Ogier, Guernsey.

• Use of firm’s library and information services when in Guernsey.

• Careers’ advice from Partners and other lawyers.

• £200 of book tokens.

Excellence.Offshore Experience career success with an award winning Guernsey law and fiduciary firm Law Ogier is one of the leading law firms in Guernsey and is recognised for its high calibre Guernsey Advocates and internationally qualified lawyers.

Each year we award a small number of bursaries to students who wish to pursue a career in law in order to assist them with their studies at university.

Fiduciary Our rapidly expanding fiduciary team has a reputation for providing quality advice in an efficient and responsive way. We also offer opportunities for graduates to build challenging and satisfying careers in fiduciary services.

Ogier endeavours to provide practical and financial support to give you a head start in your career. Training and development of our legal and fiduciary teams is one of our core values.

If you would like any further information or an application form, please contact: Jenny Feist on (01481) 752207 or jenny.feist@ogier.com or write to Ogier, Ogier House, St Julian’s Avenue, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 1WA •

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Activities

Shooting 2008

The 2008 fullbore season began in March with 11 students completing the NRA Basic skills course on a fresh day at Fort Le Marchant Range. This was followed by a trip to Jersey with mostly junior members of the squad; we were beaten in competition by the Jersey Rifle Association (JRA) and Victoria College. However the early season competition provided us with valuable experience.

The boys then competed weekly with much success shooting alongside the Guernsey Rifle Club each Saturday. Jonathan Branch and Brett Benest collected silverware at the GRC Spring Prize Meeting. The cable laying ship anchored in the range danger area for much of the season did cause disruption but the boys as always were eager to get to the range as often as possible. Saturday mornings were set aside for Army Target Rifle (ATR) shooting and it was pleasing to see that the scores were high for the experienced firers and also for the juniors.

The Bisley Meeting as always approached too quickly and with only 2 days of practise left a coached match was arranged with success and we left with confidence high.

Bisley administration generally throws up something unexpected but in 2008 it was more surprising than usual to find that the boys’ accommodation had been double booked. Fortunately OE Nick Harlow was on the ground ahead of us and was able to

052 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Combined Cadet Force (CCF)

start searching for empty beds before our arrival. This was done only to find that the staff room had also been double booked, a parting shot from a disgruntled employee we heard.

Shooting started in earnest on the Tuesday morning and was of high quality from the Elizabeth College boys. Wednesday produced the most remarkable set of scores that I have ever seen at Bisley at 600yds. No less than 12 of our squad featured in the top 100 scores. Michael Creber, in a nail biting tie shoot, out-shot the Stamford cadet to win the Victoria Tankard and become the National 600yd champion. On Wednesday the boys had a well earned B-B-Q at the London and Middlesex Club while the staff made the team selections. Not an easy task as we had such a strong squad. Ashburton Day arrived and the boys appeared quiet as they set about their preparations under the direction of the squad Captain Jonathan Edwards. The boys shot well and by the end of the competition had produced some great results. The Asburton VIII placed 7th beating Victoria College and retaining the Haines Shield. The Schools IV placed 1st and the Cadet pair of Max Barber and Charles Downing placed 2nd. Jonathan Branch won a bronze medal in the Spencer Mellish. It was good to see Dr Argent put in a 47 ex 50 in the veterans match that followed.

Six boys remained at Bisley to compete in the Imperial Meeting. The elements of

wind and rain played their part much more than usual. We all followed with interest the fortunes of OE Nick Mace in the Grand Aggregate. Adam Knight and Mike Creber both got into Queen’s 2 and young Adam Norman stole the show in his first Imperial Meeting with a tremendous effort at 1000 yards, placing 13th overall and the highest placing tyro.

The Guernsey Open Meeting attracted many good shots and our senior boys, having recovered from Bisley, were keen to participate. Jonathan Branch and Brett Benest again collected silverware.

To round off the fullbore season we travelled with 5 boys to Jersey to compete in the JRA Open Meeting and, more importantly, to combine with Victoria College to compete against the touring UK Cadet Team, a very high profile match. The boys were very much on form having shot in the individuals and then for Guernsey, and ‘possible’ scores were being achieved. The UK Cadets won, but only 7 points separated the 2 teams at the end of 3 ranges. Brett Benest had the highest score in the match of 148 ex 150 closely followed by Jonathan Branch, Mike Creber and Adam Knight.

Oliver Collas was selected as coach for the match and has been awarded the annual coaching trophy for his achievements.

R Le Page

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Activities

Investigation & discovery week

Culinary Concepts: My Diary Day 1 (Monday) On Monday 30th June at 8.45am we met in the Beechwood cookery room for a demonstration of bean jar which had been kindly put on by Marguerite Paul. Because the bean jar would have taken so long to cook, she had brought in one that she had made earlier. The bean jar she had made consisted of: 1 pig’s trotter or shin of beef V lb (200g) haricot beans V lb (200g) butter beans large onion chopped 2 carrots diced 1 bay leaf salt and pepper to taste 2 pints beef stock or water And the steps required to make it are: 1. Soak the beans overnight in water.

2. Place all the ingredients in either an earthenware pot or a large casserole dish and pour over the water or stock.

3. Cover the jar or dish and place it in a moderate oven at gas 2-3 or 15O-17O°C for 6-8 hours.

4. Check the dish occasionally and top up the water level as needed.

5. Check the seasoning, remove the bones from the meat and the bay leaf.

6. Serve with crusty bread and Guernsey butter.

As well as showing us how to make bean jar Mrs Paul demonstrated how to make Guernsey biscuits for which she had already made the dough. When Mrs Paul mentioned the word biscuits we thought they would be similar to cookies but we were out of luck and amongst us the biscuits did not go down well. The Guernsey biscuits tasted like unsalted, watery bread.

We were taken by Mr James and Madame Gordon to the main Checkers store. Some of the ingredients me and my partner Will Stephenson bought to put in our salad are red pepper salad dressing, a bag of florette mixed salad, green seedless grapes (to give it a tangy flavour), half a cantaloupe melon,

054 :: The Elizabethan 2008

half a HUGE cucumber, a bag of mixed peppers, a HUGE onion, some Indonesian peanuts, some walnuts and some pine nuts.

Day 2 (Tuesday) On Monday 1st July at 9.30am we met at Village De Putron where we walked down to the prestigious Fermain beach café where the Portuguese owner/head chef gave us a demonstration of an omelette (his way).

First of all some of us had to beat the eggs with forks in dishes. Then he put a splash of oil into each of the four sizzling frying pans. Next he put a handful of uncooked bacon lardons and a handful of chopped up cold ham into each of the frying pans.

As the ingredients began to sizzle in the oil, he stirred them aggressively with a fork.

After this he put a few herbs into each of the whisked up egg bowls which he then tipped into each one of the frying pans. Last of all he sprinkled grated cheese onto each omelette. We each dug into half a whopping omelette. It was exquisite!

Day 3 (Wednesday) Today we met at Beechwood at 8.45am for a 9.00am start. Straight away we got to work on picking the crabs which were either chancres or spiders. The crabs took about 30 minutes to pick but first we had to learn how to do it which was fairly complicated. When picking our crabs the main things we had to beware of were the dead man’s fingers (the intestines) which were a more greyish colour than the rest of the meat, and the bone which could put us off eating them when it came to it.

Next we walked down to the Rowan Tree Restaurant at Salerie Corner. First of all we were shown round the spacious kitchen and then we met the chef who prepared a Greek salad with scallops wrapped in bacon on the top, this was delicious. Next he showed us the crab that had been freshly caught by the fishmongers this morning, the width of its shell was probably about 40cm and apparently this was a small one in comparison with some of the others they have had! Out of a bit of yesterday’s

crab we made a dish which consisted of chopped large tomatoes, crab and yogurt with some fresh tomato sauce around it (NOT KETCHUP). Once we had finished with this we asked some questions and talked about the food. During the chat the other chef gave us some crab bisque, Guernsey gache with homemade jam and some crab tart which was basically crab quiche except without any cheese. Once we had finished in the kitchens, the owner, Babis Kalamis gave us a tea tasting session because at the restaurant they have 16 different kinds of tea, all of which are made with the pure tea leaves and no tea bags. After tasting four of the teas my favourite was ‘green energy’. Most of the teas are designed to do something to you, e.g. peppermint which is meant to clear your head. Last of all we were told to choose a packet of tea each from the Rowan Tree shop to take home, I chose camomile because it is my Mum’s favourite.

Day 4 (Thursday) Today we will meet at Beechwood at 8.45am to prepare bean jar to serve at our evening presentation. We will then walk down to College to prepare for the presentation at 6.30pm.

James Wilkes-Green

Investigation & discovery week

Activities

Beekeeping 2008 During this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s I & D Week a small group of students took advantage of a few days of sunshine to learn something of the craft of beekeeping.

After a short introductory session, the group members were fitted out with protective clothing before proceeding to the practical sessions. Obviously, these sessions are always very weather dependent: it just takes the weather to be a little bit stormy or a little bit cold for the bees to become aggressive and the beekeepers to become nervous. But we were lucky; we were able to visit two apiaries. The first, near Vale pond, housed the bees in one of the traditional WBC hives. Mr Jewell demonstrated how to open the hive and how to use the smoker to subdue the bees. We were able to see worker bees in abundance, as well as some drones, brood, pollen and honey. Clustered

around this hive, we must have been intimidating for the bees, but they were very well behaved!

Our second apiary was larger, with 5 of the modern National hives which are used by most beekeepers nowadays. This time the students opened the hives, with Mr Jewell watching and helping when necessary. It is unnerving when you first remove the roof of the beehive to see the mass of bees down below, or even worse, the mass of bees flying up and towards you. But it is amazing how quickly confidence grows, especially when you are wearing the protective clothing. We were able to work through all the hives, and even to see a queen bee.

Extracting the honey is always one of the highlights of this activity, and, although there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a great deal this year, we were able to extract honey on the Wednesday of

I & D Week. Room 6 was transformed into a sterile environment, with plastic sheeting on the floor and bowls of hot water for copious washing of hands. The extracting machine (a sort of glorified spinner) was brought out, and after a lot of sticky hard work, every student was able to go home with a jar of honey.

A Jewell

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 055

Activities

Investigation & discovery week

Old School FM This year Elizabeth College decided to run a live broadcasting radio station for the I & D week. This is the first time a school in the Channel Islands has ever attempted to run a live broadcasting radio station. So here it is, the adventure that was Old School FM, it had its ups and its downs, but it was definitely worth it . . .

Preparations For me it started in one assembly, when the teacher who would be overseeing it, Mr Clarke, asked if anyone would be interested in running a live broadcasting radio station.

At first I only thought of it as something interesting to do, so I signed up, but soon I started really getting into it, and was doing more and more for the radio, and loving every minute.

We had to start somewhere, first we had meeting with everyone who was planning on doing the radio from the school including Mr Clarke and one of the student’s parents, Richard Bird, from Links Communications, who was our technical man and whom we couldn’t have done it without. Finally we also had Ian Campbell who is Head of Marketing at Airtel Vodafone, who had kindly agreed to sponsor the radio station. We began to discuss roles, and amongst other things money.

Even though Airtel were giving us some sponsorship money, they could only provide a fraction of what was needed, so the job of securing advertising from local companies fell to everyone on the team, though some put in more effort than others.

056 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Over the next couple of weeks the list of companies advertising with us steadily grew, as did the equipment which was kindly loaned to us by BBC Radio Guernsey, and from Richard who let us use many of his own resources. By this point it was clear to everyone that some were more dedicated than others, but then really I guess that’s the same in any workplace. The one thing that never ceases to amaze me is how much preparation went into just 4 days of broadcasting.

Official Broadcast This is what it had all been leading up to, finally we would be going live on air. We began at nine o’clock, with DJs Nick Kerins and Ryan Ferbrache, who thought they’d kick off with something punchy, and so chose ‘Led Zeppelin’ with ‘Whole Lotta Love’ suggested by Mr Clarke. The DJ pairs rotated every hour and a half, so everyone was on every day.

Test Broadcasting Each DJ pair had an hour practise the previous week. The official broadcast started on Monday 30th June, but the licence covered from the Saturday and, because we were so keen to get going we began broadcasting immediately. In just the basic team we had; the two Wills (Weather/ News), Toby our roaming reporter, Alex Bird our sound editor, Richard Bird (his father) our technical man, Mr Clarke the teacher running it and myself, the DJ. We gained some experience on the Saturday, and were also back in on the Sunday.

Lucas Harrisson

We had one or two near misses through the week, but we did our best and hopefully you didn’t notice! We tried to get as much variety in as possible, each person’s show had a unique style or theme, and we also had many interesting interviews on the radio, such as those with Chief Minister Deputy Lyndon Trott and Deputy Mike O’Hara. We also had the ‘Spanish phrase of the day’ with the Spanish teacher Mrs. Gordon, and the ‘Thought of the day’ with Reverend Harnish. Finally from all the Old School FM Team, we hope you had as much fun listening as we did broadcasting!

The Team • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Lucas Harrisson – MD/DJ/Tech Ryan Ferbrache – DJ/Tech Jack Heywood – DJ Joe Alvarez – DJ Alex Falla – DJ Rafael Van den Bossche – DJ Jordan Rosamond – DJ Nick Kerins – DJ William Carter – Weather Man William Gould – Weather/News/Travel Alexander Bird – DJ/Tech/Sound Editing Toby Wright – DJ/Roaming Reporter Richard Bird – Tech Mr Clarke – Teacher in Charge

With thanks to Airtel Vodafone for all their help, BBC Radio Guernsey for the generous loan of their equipment and to all the companies that advertised with us.

Maths and Psychology

Activities

Team Maths Challenge At 7 o’clock on a Monday morning in term time, one might expect Elizabeth College students to be waking up and getting ready for the week of schooling. However, for four boys and Miss Brent the morning began even earlier than that, and by 7 they were boarding a plane to England. Christopher Galpin, Jonathan Spicer, Sam Smith and myself, having won the regional finals of the Team Maths Challenge, were given the chance to compete in the National finals that were taking place in London. We had fought rivals such as Victoria College and the Grammar School to earn this opportunity so were not about to go down without fighting!

We were met by Mr Hale at Gatwick airport and accompanied by him we began our sequence of train journeys, which provided a welcome opportunity to catch up on some sleep! We finally arrived at St Pancras station and managed to get lost trying to find the exit. After wasting 10 minutes of our time in this preoccupation, Mr Hale suggested going back to where we got off the train and sure enough the exit was right there! It was a short journey on foot to the Camden Centre, where the main competition was to take place.

The first part of the Challenge was a poster competition that all the teams had prepared for before arriving at the finals.

The poster was on the subject of rolling circles and we were given 3 questions to answer and 1 hour to prepare our poster. The building of the poster went rather well, and we managed to produce a decent looking product, but in our diligence saved the 3 questions till last, and probably lost a few marks for wrong answers on the questions.

We didn’t place in the poster competition.

The main challenge consisted of four separate stages: a simple problem solving section; a crossnumber section; a head-tohead section; and a ‘relay race’. The problem solving section involved ten challenging questions or small activities that were to be completed by each team. Our team did fairly well at this, and managed to get over 50 percent of the points, a good result for such challenging questions. For the crossnumber section, we divided our team in 2 and were given a set of clues each to complete a crossword using numbers. One team got the across clues and the other the down clues. We managed to just about finish this crossnumber in the time and accumulated a good 40 points out of a possible 60.

The head to head section was what really set us back. We were each given a question, each of which relied on the answer to the previous question to be completed. The first team to get the final answer got the point. Unfortunately some errors were made somewhere in the line most of the time and we ended up scoring not so well as in the other rounds. The relay challenge was one we scored fairly well in and overall the most fun of the four rounds. Again, we split into our two teams as in the crossnumber, and were placed on two separate tables at different ends of the hall. The object of the round was to answer a question and take it to the foster teacher we had been given at the start of the competition to be marked. If the answer was correct we could take the next question to the other half of the team and then the cycle would start again. We managed to fit about 14 questions each into the time and great fun was had running around the huge hall! In the end we came 41st out of 64, which was a little disappointing. Nevertheless we had great fun taking part, and were even permitted to eat some tubs of ‘Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough’ ice cream on the way home!

Jack Heywood

Psychology Seminar the speakers were very interesting, but Dr Murray’s analysis of the Miss Guernsey Pageant is the one that sticks in my mind.

There were two interesting additions to the Psychology Syllabus this year. First, Dr Harnish and Ms Tassel organised an in-house seminar on different approaches to some of the topics we were studying, including stress and body image. All of

Then in late April we visited the Jersey Zoo to study attachments between adult primates and their young. We began with a lecture concerning specific events which had happened to some of the primates involving attachments, losses and the formation of new bonds. We then walked to different areas to ensure we gained the maximum understanding of all the different attachments of various animals around the zoo, including orang-utans and gorillas. The trip helped us to appreciate the delicacy of attachments, at the same

time helping to relate these attachments to human relationships as they were surprisingly similar – though we tried not to behave like monkeys! Not only was this trip enjoyable and fascinating, but allowed us to comprehend the factors and conditions of attachments, leading to a more concrete recall of attachments when it came to the AS examinations.

We are looking forward to our A2 studies, and hope that we will have other good opportunities to explore issues outside the classroom.

Jack Mahé and Matthew Leach

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 057

Activities

community service

Community Service Experiences At the beginning I took community service as an easy way of spending a Friday afternoon. I thought ‘this is the last afternoon of my week and I just want an enjoyable activity to pass the time’. My experience in community service turned out to be a lot more. My group, which consisted of me, Chris Ferbrache, Miss Flood and, for a period, Sam Corbet and Nicholas Lane, were assigned to help out at an after school kids club run by the Salvation Army.

Every Friday we would walk down to this centre, at first with dubious feelings about screaming kids, and spend up to an hour helping keep them quiet and active. This is no easy feat and not the relaxing Friday afternoon I had in mind. However after two weeks or so it gets easier as you make friends with the workers and children and, I know how this sounds, it gets fun. Helping kids draw and paint, playing pool and challenging them to playstation can make the time fly by and sometimes you don’t want to leave.

You make acquaintances with some of the kids; I had been going to the after school centre for maybe two years or so and some of the children who pass through became good friends and I have seen a few come up into Elizabeth College. As well as this I got to spend an afternoon with some good friends, and I got to know a teacher I have never had before.

It has been a challenging experience and sometimes, right about the time I was having a crayon stabbed into my leg, I just wanted to leave. But I saw it through and I have taken a lot from the experience.

Matthew Leach

Working at the Oxfam shop has been enjoyable, mainly due to the other friendly and helpful workers easing me into the different tasks I have done. These tasks include re-stocking shelves, once I had priced the goods, organising the many different sections of videos, games, books and other items and also general cleaning

and odd jobs such as hoovering and carrying boxes. I really do feel that I have been helping the local community.

Jack Mahé

For the duration of last year we were helping to tidy and improve the aesthetics of the St Stephen’s Church community garden. Together with a dedicated team of Lower Sixth and Year 11 students, we found the difference we made very rewarding.

It was also a relaxing way to spend our Friday afternoons, with conversations of the weekend to come being top of the agenda.

Although morale was already high, it was boosted even more when a new member joined the team. Following the autumn leaf clearing our main task was to dig over the flower beds ready for the summer. Overall it was an enjoyable experience and we look forward to more happy Friday afternoons as we begin our final year at school.

Nicholas Tayler and Nathan Trump

Community Service Placements -2008/09 Charities Co-ordination - Simon Pybus St Stephen’s Garden - Chris Ferbrache , Matthew Leach, Jack Mahé, Richard Parkin, Nicholas Tayler, Nathan Trump - Yr 13 Salvation Army after-school club - Nicolas Lane - Yr 13. Samuel Corbet, James Spittal Yr 12. Oscar Richardson, Ben Thoume - Yr 11.

Ron Short Centre - Lucas Willis - Yr 13 Shoebox Appeal Club - Joshua Le Tissier, Hugo Morgan, James Oliver, Maximillian Tremlett - Yr 11 Oxfam Shop - Max Betley, Nathanial Eker Yr 10 Red Cross Shop - Joshua Bougourd - Yr 10 Les Bourgs Hospice Shop - Ryan Ferbrache, Daniel Moyles - Yr 10

058 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Charities

Activities

Charities Summary Following the College decision to take a more active and co-ordinated approach to charities, the introduction of a Charities Co-ordinator to the Sixth Form prefects came about. Whilst the role had previously been assumed by the Second Senior Prefect, this year was the first an official Charities Co-ordinator was appointed.

Sitting down at the start of the year, it was decided that this year, as well as honouring the usual events, such as Children in Need, the College would create connections and build bridges with local charities, so that a relationship can be maintained over the years instead of simply sending away money and letting that be the end of it.

The first activity of the year was the Swimarathon where Mr Allen’s various teams raised £975. The College was well represented with teams from a wide spread of year groups taking part, and the Upper Sixth Form team even won a trophy for the number of lengths they managed in their hour. This was a fantastic start to the year’s fundraising and showed how much potential support there was within the student body, paving the way for later charitable causes.

The staff were just as willing to get involved which was shown in their ‘Bleep Test’, ran for Children in Need. The event attracted a huge number of student spectators, lending their voice in support of the staff’s failing

legs. That being said, I think everyone will admit they were surprised at the standard of the staff running, especially Mr Heaume reaching 15.4, just beating Mr Hills into second place. Children in Need proved to be the landmark of charitable activity, raising well over £2000 by various methods, including a cake sale, the wearing of ‘mufti’, and even a sponsored chest wax. As well as Children in Need, the school had a day dedicated to Jeans for Genes and Sport Relief, both of which raised well, Sport Relief featured a student ‘Bleep Test’, which proved just as popular as the teachers’.

This year, College also had help from various outside sources. Following the idea to auction off the car park, it was suggested why not auction off the College. Various estate agents were involved, and several very generous donations received. The pupils were shocked when they arrived at school on the day and found the school for sale!

The First XI football squad were also invited to spend a day in the kitchen of ‘Da Nello’s’, cooking a sponsored lunch for guests, to raise money for the Maison Million Appeal. After a fun, insight filled day into the running of a kitchen, closely watched by the kitchen staff under head chef Tim Vidamour, the guests left full and satisfied, with over £900 raised for the appeal.

As part of the attempt to develop connections with locally based charities, Mr Jewell’s Year 9 decided to have a weekly cake sale to raise money for the Tumaini Fund and Guernsey Bowel Cancer. On top of this, they started a film club once a week and come the end of the year had raised £900 to split between the two charities. The GSPCA also received a separate donation, raised by year 8 Town’s fundraising efforts, showing the wide range of charities supported. Whole-school assemblies were also organised, in which issues such as slavery were presented, to raise awareness of some of the problems facing poor people the world over. The Student Council even voted to give the elected Charities Co-ordinator a seat on the Council, a move intended to create a closer link between the Charities Committee and the School Council. All in all, this year has been very successful, not only raising a fantastic total of money, but also in raising student and staff participation and awareness, which is priceless. Thanks must be extended to all the parents who donated money, cakes or time, and of course the students and staff. Well done for a great year.

Joe Le Page

Welly-Wanging for the GSPCA Each tutor group is encouraged to undertake charitable activities. This year the Year 8 Town tutor group decided to hold a fun day in aid of the GSPCA. Supported by their tutor Mrs Webster, the boys organised and ran a number of events during morning break and lunchtime break including ‘Beat the Goalie’, ‘Welly Wanging’, ‘Ball and Bucket’ and a cake stall. These activities were enthusiastically undertaken by many College boys and as a result 8T managed to raise over £180. Unfortunately this was at the cost of one of Mrs Webster’s

wellies which remained lodged in an overhanging tree.

Mrs Webster arranged for the tutor group to visit the GSPCA to tour the Animal Shelter and understand a bit more about the valuable work that is carried out there.

GSPCA Welfare Officer Lorna Prince said “we would like to thank the boys as they are only a small tutor group and they raised a lot of money for the cause. We hope this inspires more people to raise money for the shelter as the funds are vital for the work we want to do”.

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Activities

Sixth Form Life

Life In The Sixth-Form: A Medley Of Views From The Top Of The School The new Sixth Form Centre was the first Foundation project to be completed and has now been in operation for nearly a year.

Head of Sixth Form Mr James asked the 2008 leavers for their view from the top of the school.

Staff: The chance to become a prefect gave me responsibilities I had never had before.

This was really rewarding and, coupled with the extra freedom and respect you have as a sixth former, meant I had a great time this year. I think one of the best things was the completely different relationship I developed with staff; you are treated entirely differently.

Study: I remember the talks we had by older students about the “gap” between the years from GCSE -> AS -> A2. I never believed them at the time but now I know it is true.

New Facilities: Most of my class would agree that the refurbishment was amazing with the exception of having the front steps outside for a while until it was finished. It used to be viewed as a dumping ground but now it is being treated with respect and seems to have helped show a more mature side of my class that I didn’t think existed.

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Activities: To be honest I don’t think sixth form changes this. Granted there are more to choose from but having taken part in fencing my entire school life has been good.

To get to know people within the school from the other years and to get on and have fun away on trips but also the support given is fantastic. The atmosphere is excellent.

Prefectship: With great responsibility comes great power. Really, the most successful key to this is getting respect of the others in school so when you make a decision they follow it without the need for further action (or punishments). Most of the time getting along with people and being approachable and friendly helps and when trouble does happen, they follow your decision.

Another matter to do with this is if fights do occur and you need some help, the other prefects are willing to help. It reminds me of a case down by science where two boys started to fight, one prefect tried to stop it but the hype was a bit too much. Another prefect nearby quickly came in and together they sorted the entire affair.

My case was when I had a duty in the sports hall. At the end of lunch I needed to get the boys to put the balls away. Giving the correct tone of voice and presence I often had all the balls away in the cupboard within 5 minutes whereas the teacher on

duty said they normally take a lot longer.

Freedom: My greatest freedom was perhaps the lessons up at Ladies’ College. It was good to be trusted to get up for lessons in time and make even more friends. I think this in itself has meant I have made some best friends who I don’t want to lose touch with: Friends for life.

Names: I remember the green folder in year 7 that contained some rules that we were supposed to follow. The one that stands out was calling people by their first name. Did that happen? Not a chance! Surnames seem to be the in thing since there are many people with the same first name. However I always felt that it was nicer this way round.

Leaving: I must admit it is strange to not have to wake up early in the morning to get ready and make my way to school. I feel part of my life is missing but I know the future will contain bigger and brighter events. I would like to thank you and the school for the experiences I have had during my years at Elizabeth College. I have enjoyed my time, picked up a lot of skills, learnt a lot (and realise I still have lots more to learn) and made some very good friends.

the saravia society

Activities

The College Visitor The Bishop of Winchester the Right Reverend Michael Scott-Joynt visited Elizabeth College on Friday, 18 April 2008.

The Bishop of Winchester is the College Visitor, as decreed through an Order of Council of 1568, a mere five years after the College was founded. He explained “Visitors were appointed to represent the founders’ intentions and therefore would be asked to settle any disputes that got beyond the internal management structure”.

The Bishop, who is one of the most senior Bishops in the Church of England was accompanied on his visit by the Chairman of the Elizabeth College Board of Directors the Very Reverend Canon Paul Mellor. They were given a tour by Dr Argent of the new Sixth Form Centre, which has been funded by the Elizabeth College Foundation.

They also visited Elizabeth College Junior School at Beechwood to see the Science Laboratories and the all-weather play area which was also a Foundation funded project. While Bishop Michael has never been called on in his official capacity as Visitor to settle any disputes, he was delighted to see the new developments at the College and understand the impact

the Foundation work has had on all of the pupils in the Junior and Upper Schools.

Bishop Michael is also the Visitor for five Oxford Colleges. He is Prelate of the Order of the Garter and sits in the House of Lords as a lead Bishop on constitutional issues, as well as being a spokesman for the Great

Lakes area of Africa. He is a regular visitor to The Congo and Burma and speaks on issues affecting those countries with the Government. The Bailiwick of Guernsey is annexed to the diocese of Winchester and Bishop Michael has Episcopal responsibility here for Ordination, consecrations and confirmation.

Mrs D Carruthers

The Saravia Society The Saravia Society, est. 1963, named in honour of the first headmaster of Elizabeth College, exists to promote interest and awareness in a broad range of contemporary issues, and to develop the arts of critical thinking and balanced judgement through engagement in formal and informal discussions.

Although dormant in recent years, the Society is once again active. We would like to take this opportunity to invite any OEs, parents or anyone else who would like to speak to the Society to make contact, in the first instance with Miss P Dudley.

We will be running a programme of events on Friday evenings throughout the academic year. Papers of approximately 30 minutes, early on a Friday evening, would be presented, followed by time for plenty of questions and then a meal in town where we are especially keen to encourage informal academic conversation. This is not only aimed at current sixth form students, but at visiting speakers. In some cases, a visiting speaker may have the time and inclination to visit academic lessons during the morning. We have no fixed preference for academic subject, nor for any particular style of talk. We only hope that the speaker will be dynamic, enthusiastic and engaging,

and that his speech or paper would leave plenty of room for students to ask thoughtful questions at the end.

Lastly, there will be a function this year for both current and former members of the Society and we will do our best to compile a full register from the attendance records and minutes of meetings that have been retrieved from the archives. However, this process could be greatly simplified by members making contact directly. A full report of activity will appear in next year’s issue of the Elizabethan.

Miss P J Dudley

on behalf of AR Cross, Dr R Harnish and RJW James

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Art

Cartoons and Design

Library art with Kev F Sutherland With the popularity of cartoon books, graphic novels and ‘how to draw’ guides in the library it seemed a perfect opportunity to invite cartoon artist Kev F. Sutherland in to give us a quick lesson during his visit to the island for the Guernsey Festival of Comedy.

students soon got to work creating new heroes of their own. Kev made it clear that a vivid imagination, a large piece of paper and some self confidence was all it took to get started.

Famous for his work in the Beano, Viz, Marvel, The Funday Times and 2000AD, Kev F. set our own Elizabeth College ‘Bash Street Kids’ a challenge: ‘ to create and produce their own comic in just a morning’.

It didn’t take long. Soon Freaky Fred had his extra long neck stuck round a lamp-post, Comb Over Man lost his wig in a swamp and Mrs Puffsci (a giant pet cat), was off on her world rampage! Other memorable creations included the Web Slave, Man Seal and the OAP wrestler.

Following a fast paced introduction which included, ‘how to create comic characters’ and ‘how to develop cartoon stories’ the

With the help of some clever photocopying tricks, black outlining and Kev’s very quick collation of hundreds of images, the boys

were presented with a copy of their very own comic. Kev F. had also found time to create a 30 second caricature of each student which was also included in the final work.

Staff and students enjoyed his lively pace and his visit has since inspired a group of regular ‘cartoonists’ in the library. The popularity of Asterix, Commando and Marvel seem set to endure, alongside modern Manga art and cartoon versions of Shakespearian classics.

Mrs K Garnett

Design an Ad Competition 2008 - Information and Communication Technology Department Having won the trophy for the “Most Deserving School” in 2007, many boys were keen to enter The 2008 Guernsey Press and Star Design-an-Ad Competition.

The competition included several different categories including internet homepage design, newspaper advertisement design and best brain-storm.

Building on the success of 2007, this year Elizabeth College achieved even more winners, especially in the web design section. Overall College boys won 22 awards of which 11 were first place. In the web page design category Adam Emmerson

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and Alex Bird received the 1st and 3rd prizes respectively and Elizabeth College won the section.

Well done to all of the boys in Years 7, 8, and 9 that entered the competition and well done to all the prize winners.

The Design-an-Ad Presentation was held at St Pierre Park Hotel and the boys received their prizes and certificates. The picture shows the prize winners: Joe Trenchard, Matthew Davies, Fergus Roche, Jamie Lindsay, Luke Phillips, James Cottam, Thomas McConnell, Jack Miller,

Adam Emmerson, Alexander Bird and Barney Christopher.

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Original Art

Arts

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MAQ 238100

creative writing

Prologue and Chapter One Astrophysicists believe that there is a pattern to the entire universe. Their awful presumption is that the millions upon millions of other galaxies all have the same style of makeup as our own, with several spherical planets orbiting a central star. The real truth is that the universe changes. Only a mere 4.37 light years away lies Alpha Centauri and it is here the system changes. On the Earth of humans all simple things lie on the edge of chaos causing linear objects to exist in a complex state. In the system of Alpha Centauri they have toppled into chaos. Here life has emerged in the most unlikely of places – Quadrati. Unlike the Earth’s spherical shape, Quadrati is a more unusual form. It orbits Alpha Centauri as the fifth planet in the order. The others seem fairly normal, gaseous and solid, spherical planets. But it is at Quadrati where the crossing of the chaos boundary, as it would seem, is most obvious. The cube floats in space at a sort of angle so that to the onlooker it seems like a diamond in the sky. I say diamond, not because it was shiny, it was more of a dull brown-red colour really, but just that the shape seemed to fit for how I am trying to describe this most unusual of planets to you. And it is on this ‘diamond,’ where the crossing of the chaos boundary has meant the existence of a second atmosphere to that of the generally accepted planetary atmosphere. An atmosphere of magic.

I hope you have this absurd image fixed in your mind. Now let your imagination take you close in to the planet into the northern hemisphere. You see, when scientists, authors and writers make programmes or write books about other planets in space, they always seem to have amazing technology for time and space travel. Once again, humans are wrong. What was really lying on the surface of Quadrati was something that looked far more like our Earth in the times of witches and people being foolish enough to describe England as “a green and pleasant land”. Spread across the south-westerly quarter (using conventional Earth directions although there was no magnetic north on Quadrati so you wouldn’t get very far using a compass) was a sprawling metropolis of stone and wood. In the middle of the city, although too far north to be called exactly centre, was a grey-stone castle. In essence it was really a house but when one is royalty it seems your living area has to be ludicrously large. Centred around this castle, because when one is part of the upper echelons of society one wants to be as close to the other important people as possible, was an inner circle of large, well-built houses, each with their own large, well-kept garden. The further away you got from the pivotal point of the castle, the more the state of the houses declined, until eventually the stone walls turned to wood, and the wooden houses got smaller and smaller until you were at the part of society where things happen.

At the change between stone and wooden houses was one very long, circular and multi-coloured street. This was the market street of Mezia, possibly the largest, most highly populated, crime filled, busy and above all smelliest city in the Universe. The smell of the city was mainly what the atmosphere of Quadrati was made up of.

Arts

The market street was seemingly never empty. By day it was full of happy shoppers and vendors and by night it was a popular meeting place for men of dubious association and women of the night. It was here in the market street where the story that is the main theme of this book begins.

Chapter One The market street was one of the most dangerous places in the known universe. Probably more dangerous than the East End of London and France in World War II put together. Strolling down the centre of the street was someone probably equally as stupid as the market street was dangerous. Dressed in the height of fashion of Mezia, a sort of outfit that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Shakespearian play, was a man who thought that just because he was someone who took money from people he was superior to all these ‘commoners’ in the street. In short terms, a tax collector. Right now however he was doing completely the opposite to what he should have been doing. Right now, he should have been running as fast as he could whilst screaming like a small bird was pecking out his insides. That is what he should have been doing. However he was strolling down the middle of a packed street in broad daylight.

Unfortunately for him he was wanted. It doesn’t really matter who by, the Assassin’s Brotherhood will take on any job for the right fee, but he was wanted.

Slinking down one of the tiny streams that led into the main river that was Market Street was a wily boy of about 19. He was wearing a long brown robe that was the dress of all novices at the Assassin’s Brotherhood. Inside the huge fold of his sleeve, strapped around his left wrist was a sharp, poisoned flick knife. Entering the Market Street the young boy made his way towards the man as inconspicuously yet quickly as he could. Getting within five metres of the man his pace quickened and when he was right behind him he flicked the knife out from his wrist driving it into the man’s back.

Pushing the man forwards to the ground the young boy slipped out of the thronging crowds. As he was slipping away the commotion in the street suddenly doubled as people noticed the dead man.

People around him shouted for a doctor whilst people further away shouted back saying that there weren’t any doctors. Meanwhile, all the doctors slipped away not wanting to get involved. Suddenly a person at the edge of the crowd noticed a man in magician’s dress and started yelling for him to help. As other people noticed the man they started pushing him and asking for help. Soon the man was getting moved towards the centre of the crowd. “No, no!” he protested, “Erm... I’m not really a magician, I’m going to a fancy dress party. Anyway, I don’t have my spellbooks, and... Oh, just leave me alone, please” Ignoring the man’s protests the crowd kept pushing until he was in the middle standing next to the dead man.

“Go on then!” people began to shout, waiting for him to do something. Staring around him in panic the man leant over the dead body and said “Wokara, lilotopus, moo.” Nothing happened.

Josh Denoual Year 10

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Arts

creative writing

T’was the Night It was the night before Christmas, I was so excited about Santa coming I could feel the blood rushing around my body. I hung up my stocking and put out a carrot, mince pie and glass of milk for Santa, then I said good night to my family. I walked up the stairs, got into bed and as turned out the light I was thinking of all of the presents that I had wished for and hoping to find them sitting in my stocking in the morning! I kept tossing and turning under the duvet, I couldn’t sleep, I was just too excited so I got out of bed and looked at my ‘glow in the dark watch’ and it was 1:00 in the morning, so I quickly dived back under the covers. But then, I heard a clatter of hooves and a ringing of sleigh bells, I thought to myself, could it be....? I didn’t take any chances, I threw myself from the covers and soared across the room to the window and, as I peered over the sill down to the snow covered garden below, I saw him, I mean, it was really him!

that covered the rooftops and sparkled like little diamonds. Then I saw some houses and the doors were only shoulder height, they were set in a circle and in the centre of that circle was a big factory that puffed thick black smoke out of a lot of little chimneys poking out from the roof of the building. I decided to investigate.

I didn’t know what to do, or how to feel, I just, stood there, motionless, glued to the floor..., then suddenly all the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood up and my body turned icy cold and covered in goosebumps. I felt excited and scared all at the same time, I was overwhelmingly terrified!!!

I looked back to watch the elves but they were gone and all of the machines had stopped processing the toys. I got scared and turned to run back to the sleigh but there was a blockade of little elves stopping me from getting out. One of them said to me in a high pitched voice “What are you doing here? You should be in bed asleep, not sneaking around Santa’s workshop!”

He was quite short but as round as a plum and his face was covered in long white hair, with a big, fluffy beard hanging from his chin just as I had imagined. He was covered in hand-made red and white silk cloth and he squinted through circular glasses trying to make out the outline of the sign saying ‘SANTA please STOP HERE!’ he turned, winked and disappeared just like magic!

I leant over a bit to see if I could see any of my presents in his gigantic sack, I could only make out a peculiar shaped parcel with a name tag with the address. I leant out a little to try to see more but I lost my grip and tumbled into the large sack. Just as I got my head together Santa came and closed the sack. I felt a sudden jerk, he had started to fly back to the North Pole to refill. A couple of hours must have passed. I felt a huge clump, like a rhinoceros had charged into the side of the sleigh! I got up, and tried to undo the knot but it held good. I fell back in disappointment and saw a small gap in the fabric. I wedged my hand in it and tore a bigger hole in it and popped my body out and stepped lightly on the freshly fallen snow

“

I found a little door that led into the centre of the factory. And inside the factory there were loads of little people with funny little striped outfits covering their bodies from head to toe but the people weren’t the only thing in there! There were machines and conveyor belts scattered around the room creating lots of little and large toys and wrapping them at the same time! Then I noticed a humungous tree in the corner of the room which was decorated from point to base with candy canes, chocolates and baubles and most of all a big star sitting in its rightful place on top of the amazing tree.

Then an extremely small elf walked in and in a very low pitched voice it bellowed “Follow me!” so I had to, there was no other way out. If I ran left I would trip over elves and if I ran right to the tree I would still trip over elves, they were everywhere! As I followed the puny elf I asked him where we were going, he replied “Santa …… we’re here.”

After a couple of minutes we approached a wide door leading into a large room and in the centre of that room was a huge armchair with the big, fat, red and white, hairy old man. He turned around in his chair and looked at me and raised one eyebrow. By that time my eyes had filled themselves with water and had started to flood down my cheek, then my body turned cold again, he raised the other eyebrow and said to me “Do you like Christmas pudding?”

Saxon Brewer-Marchant Year 7

I didn’t know what to do, or how to feel, I just, stood there, motionless, glued to the floor...

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creative writing

Arts

The Black Aid “Socks, pants, phone, tops, trousers. Right that’s everything, I’m all set for Kenya.”

faded and sleep was needed for the first scene of crime the next morning.

PC Constable Adrian Morkham was a member of the Metropolitan police force but since solving the reasoning behind the death of Princess Diana he hadn’t been able to solve any crime at all. The only thing keeping him in the force was that the chief knew that he really solved the crime of Princess Diana’s death. Although all the fame and glory had been hogged by his sergeant and he was rich and thanked and had a celebrity life style and all the accessories he could need whilst old Morkham was still stuck in the force and had had a demotion or two and was on his last chance. Fail to solve this crime or he was out of the force.

The sun woke us at 4.30 am just like an alarm clock but instead of a constant beeping, a never ending ray of light. The first scene of crime was puzzling as there was just a maroon ribbon left by where the now ill personnel was lying when the cold blooded attack happened. She heard a rickety engine like the one from the tractor next door then saw a tall man running towards her with a syringe before he poleaxed her with some sort of crowbar. Suspect number one Ijahi Belesaki a farmer who luckily spoke very good English said he was at the Farmers Association meeting in the newly built Oxfam village hall. He gave us three alibis that all backed him. He wasn’t out of the question but a very faint, tough to convict and seemingly very nice man.

There had been a suspicious spreading of HIV aids and people had recorded scenes of a tall man in a black cape running away from the place of the crime. Morkham and his assistant Deputy Ian Golding were off on African Airways to Nairobi.

When they arrived in Nairobi it was a scorching hot day and it was extremely humid and dusty. They had a five-hour wait to the second plane, which turned out to be an old rickety thing driven only by a half sober pilot. There were only six others on the plane including their translator, four men from a Kenyan TV crew coming to solve the crime and a tall black man. It was hour flight on the plane even though it would only have taken a jet 5 – 10 minutes.

Although when they got there they saw why the plane taking them was so small, the runway was a field and the terminal a small, wooden shack. There were only two men there apart from the group of us from the plane. It was like a ghost town. There was a little Jeep waiting for us as well as one for the TV crew. We paid the money for the week hire for the Jeep. That was all the time Morkham had to solve the crime. This would have been a tough crime for Sherlock Holmes to solve especially in that short amount of time. They went straight to the surprisingly three star hotel as light had

Crime two was in the milk shed belonging to another local farmer who said he was checking a loud noise from the barn with his son, the doctor’s assistant. They arrived in a rickety old van to tend to the sick man. The son said that he was hit but not concussed whilst the father was concussed and given diseased blood. The son got back to his feet and chased after the tall black figure but could not catch him as he mounted a jeep of some kind.

We hurried to the garage about seven miles away to see when the last jeep had been purchased. Our translator asked the man who said “The last jeep was bought five months back from now. Business is poor and it is hard to get enough money to keep this garage running.”

The scene of crime three was a different matter however. There was a big black glove and a syringe with a small amount of the HIV+ blood left in, although a large amount had been put into the ill man’s body. The lady’s story was quite similar to the other two stories but did contradict in the fact that again the vehicle was this time supposedly a fast speedy car with a quieter engine than normal. Suspicions were

growing now but in our penultimate day would there be time to pin down the real culprit of these brutal attacks?

Finally, the last and most recent crime yet had another clue which proved vital to solving the tricky odd crimes. There was a credit card with no name but it had a number we would be able to trace down at one of the local banks. But none out of the seven within a 30 mile radius of the Village had the details. This had taken up the last day and both me and Ian were dreading the flight back to Nairobi. We boarded the plane, it had arrived and hour and a half late.

When we were in Nairobi I ventured into the city with Ian to find a bank to pay for our baggage for the flight. We went into visa Nairobi and withdrew fifty pounds each to easily cover the luggage. Ian said shall we just check the card as he still had in his wallet so I showed my Police I.D. Amazingly the small man came back and said it belonged to Joaha Belenski the doctor’s assistant. We raced back to Punlub the small village on the flight, which again seemed like an eternity. We jumped into a Jeep straight to the Belenski household and ran around trying to find the disgusting killer. He was spotted running through a cornfield then into a sugar cane field.

Morkham was too old and a bit slow but Golding sprinted off through the fields with Morkham lagging a bit behind. Golding got with in leaping distance and seized upon him the man was nearly breaking free when good old PC Morkham sprang upon and said “You’re nicked”.

After leaving the man to the Kenyan authorities they both arrived home to a hero’s welcome. Morkham kept himself in the force and even edged a promotion as well as Ian Golding.

Merlin Veron Year 8

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Arts

drama

‘Journey’s End’

by R C Sherriff (produced by Elizabeth College, 7th – 9th November 2007)

It was fitting that the Elizabeth College production of R C Sherriff’s ‘Journey’s End’ should fall on the eve of Remembrance Sunday, which coincided in 2007 with Armistice Day, November 11th. A 20th Century classic, the play is set in a dug-out among the trenches of the British front line near St Quentin, France, in March 1918, as officers and men wait anxiously for the great German offensive, Operation Michael.

As the audience arrived so were more poppies seen in the College Hall, and as we sat and gazed expectantly at the stage, our mood already attuned, a stunningly realistic rendering of the officers’ subterranean living quarters transported us effortlessly back to life in the trenches of the First World War. The dim lighting of the underground room was accentuated by the dour colours, khaki uniforms, plain wooden furniture and the corrugated iron, roughly cut planking and black mesh of the walls and ceilings.

From this grim space a staircase led up

070 :: The Elizabethan 2008

towards a ghoulish light, through which smoke could be seen hanging in clouds.

Up these stairs men would go to face their unknown destiny as they prepared to go along the trenches and ultimately ‘over the top’. This focal point at the back of the stage symbolised the fateful question in the minds of all the combatants. When and at what cost would they each next have to mount those stairs to face the bombardment of their enemy?

The action starts cleverly with a cameo of an experienced British officer, a veteran of the trenches, preparing to hand over his command. Sherriff allows us the illusion of normality as Hardy, played perfectly deadpan by Matthew Hale, dries a large woollen sock over the candles which are the only source of light in the dug-out. The humour of the scene and the matter of fact optimism of Hardy almost convinced us that this war was merely an inconvenient interruption to ordinary life, rather than the

“

The cruel reality of war is that the risks are greater for those lower down the hierarchy

”

Drama

great destroyer of lives and social structures that we know it to have been.

The arrival of the new team under Company commander Stanhope (Jack Heywood) soon, however, leads to the unravelling of these expectations. It becomes clear that Stanhope, the war hero, with his Military Cross, and reputation for leadership, is not as in control of his feelings as he would like it to appear. He fortifies his inner fears with whisky, taken in regular and extreme measures. In this claustrophobic setting he can lose his self-restraint and turn savagely on any who penetrate his mask. Jack Heywood managed this complex character with great skill. We flinched as he bawled out his younger old school contemporary, Raleigh (Max Betley), who had deliberately sought a posting at the front in Stanhope’s unit, since he had hero-worshipped him at school. This angers Stanhope, who is in love with Raleigh’s sister, and is terrified that Raleigh will write home the truth about his descent into alcohol dependency. Raleigh does indeed write home, and Stanhope imposes in a fury of anxiety the right of censorship. To his mortification, when Osborne (Jacob Cherry) read out the letter it contained no criticism, only praise. Max Betley was engaging with his youthful and wholly innocent enthusiasm for service of his country in the war, and Jacob Cherry conveyed an uncannily realistic impression of a gentleman schoolmaster in early middle age, calm, pipe smoking, and totally reliable.

Throughout these early scenes the threat of an imminent call to arms hangs over all the characters’ minds. One who seemed unperturbed was Mason (Harry Shields), the cook orderly, whose regular sallies on to the set provided moments of humorous relief as he bantered with the officers in defence of his meagre allocation of rations.

Harry Shields embodied this part with a natural presence and sense of comic timing. Another character who for much of the play seemed solidly reliable and incapable of being other than what he

appeared was Trotter (Callum McCutcheon).

A plain speaking Londoner, a foil to his more privileged fellow officers, Trotter shows no distaste for Stanhope’s drinking habits and no fear of the conflict which lies ahead, except for one moment of revelation when he pauses unexpectedly in midconversation, and for an instant we saw on Callum’s face the haunted expression of yet another man who knows he has to face death. The character who more obviously lived in the grip of this realisation was Hibbert (Laurence Deane). Our first glimpse of him was of a man trying to claim that his health was failing and that he needed to go back down the line to the field hospital.

Laurence’s portrayal of a man who is close to losing his identity to the power of fear, brought moments of true pathos. He captured the nervous indecisiveness of the man who has not quite forgotten who he would like to be, but now can never be, with touching realism.

The scene when Stanhope exerts his authority, threatening to shoot Hibbert with his service revolver if he deserts by leaving the front line without permission, was a turning point in our understanding of both characters. Jack Heywood had to take Stanhope from dangerous control freak to humane comforter, and Laurence Deane had to take Hibbert from gibbering coward to consoled colleague without losing credibility. That they succeeded at this critical moment for the play was a tribute to their dedication and to the skills of their Director, Maz Campbell.

Arts stereotype he portrays, but when faced with the loss of life of his men, even he revealed a trace of regret. Other visitors to the officers’ quarters were the Sergeant Major, stolidly well played by Jack Lee and the captured German soldier, snarling guttural defiance, a tantalisingly brief appearance by Guy Simpson.

The sound effects in the production were superb. Well chosen background music, played as prelude and in the intervals, in particular the excerpts from Brahms’s German Requiem, enhanced the mood. The occasional outbursts of artillery fire and shell explosions were very realistic. Both the sound and the visual effects of the bombardment which ended the play were truly and terrifyingly spectacular.

The realism of the characters’ uniforms, totally of the period, was due to the assistance of Russell Doherty, who acted as technical advisor and loaned props and costumes. And with the sterling assistance of the stage crew of staff and pupils the pace of the play was never once allowed to flag. In short this was an extraordinary effort by a very young cast to present a play which deals with the devastating and often unspoken psychological effects of mechanised and industrialised warfare.

A R Cross

The cruel reality of war is that the risks are greater for those lower down the hierarchy, and in the First World War the protected status of the higher ranking officers is brought home to us by Sherriff in the character of the Colonel (Benjamin Parish). He strides imperiously into the lives of his men, with confident instructions for a raid on the German trenches and blithe optimism about the forthcoming German attack. Benjamin’s characterisation of this role was emphatic and true to the class

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Arts

Drama

‘Anything Goes’ – but perhaps not for this performance! have all the reliable electronic navigational aids of today.

The night scenes were a tour de force and the lighting crew are to be congratulated on their inspired use of the emergency lights to simulate the romantic glow of moonlight. To complete the sense of the crew’s bustling activity on a ship at night, clever use was made of the corridors and stairs at the rear of the auditorium, with the back-stage people running up and down and the distinct sound of muffled, urgent commands – a brilliantly constructed atmosphere being the result.

‘Anything Goes’ by Cole Porter is not a musical which I had seen before but is certainly one which I would wish to see again soon. The programme invited us aboard the SS American where ‘quite simply …. Anything Goes!’. How true.

The scene was set as the audience climbed the College steps gangway to the great ship, to be greeted by the comfortingly chosen top-ranking swimmers Jeremy Osbourne and Olly Collas. At once, you felt entirely safe as these two would be sure to rescue you from the sea, should the ship strike an errant iceberg or be sunk by an electrical storm.

From the outset, it was obvious that we were to be treated to an evening of witty surprises. The set immediately conveyed the feeling of an ocean liner, though ‘Health and Safety’ had clearly insisted on determining the number of lifebelts; it almost seemed as if there was one for every actor we saw during the evening.

The provision of two crosses on the superstructure was presumably a reminder of the proximity of Easter but may also have been necessary as lightning conductors

072 :: The Elizabethan 2008

should the electrical system play up.

The all too short signature tune was played by the small but spirited band, conducted by a particularly animated Paula Maher.

Then, the lights went up on the stage and the action began in earnest. The cast all gave illuminating performances but, by the end of the evening, four of them had been of such a high standard that they carried the show and were the only ones which I can still remember. So confident were these actors that they were able to throw in impromptu witticisms to cope with those minor problems that crop up in any performance but which are seldom the same two nights following. I really had never fully appreciated just how much of the action on a liner goes on at night but during the day I suppose passengers are involved in off-ship activities such as water-skiing, snorkelling, bow-wave surfing, dolphin rides and the ever popular tours of local icebergs. It was soon obvious that the liner was sailing close to the equator, so quickly did night fall. This was slightly perplexing as SS American was supposedly en voyage from New York to London but remember that ships of the 1930s did not

The aquatically named Jo Flood directed this musical and, towards the end, she introduced another clever trick. To generate the atmosphere of the Captain’s cocktail party on the voyage’s final evening, the audience were encouraged to leave their seats and mingle together while enjoying a glass of wine. Thus they felt so much a part of the whole experience and many were seen calling loved ones on their phones, presumably to confirm their time of arrival home, as one would at the end of a voyage.

Too soon, Captain Cross announced that our journey was over and we spilled out onto the College steps, to be greeted by the tantalising, twinkling lights of the Grange, simulating those of a dockside, and the extravagantly illuminated shape of the SS St. James standing proud in the berth next to ours. The perfect end to a memorable evening and we all left whistling the catchy ‘Anything Goes’ theme, almost as if it were the only song in the show.

Godfray Guilbert [Editor’s Note: unfortunately the second night performance of ‘Anything Goes’ was cruelly abbreviated not long after the start by a power cut across St Peter Port. While the performers and band did their valiant best under the emergency lighting, when it became clear that the fault was not going to be repaired quickly the performance had to be abandoned.]

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Arts

music

Review of the Year 2007 – 2008 – Music Department The Music Department tends to hit the ground running at the start of the Michaelmas Term due to the College Commemoration Service taking place at the end of the first week. Thirty three members of the College Choir were involved in this important event which is of such significance to the College year. The first half term of the academic year also included the College Open Day and the usual musical activities could be heard by the many visitors who attended the event.

The Winter Concert took place in the College Hall at the beginning of December and involved all of the College Ensembles as well as allowing for some of our senior performers to offer various solos. Highlights of the event were the ‘Orchestra of Cellos’ performing Arbeau’s Pavane and the three most senior College Prefects performing a movement from Schubert’s Trout Quintet.

Just ten days later, forty four members of the College Choir led the Senior Carol Service at the Town Church. The following evening, at St James, the Junior Carol Service took place. The wind, brass and string players, together with the College Choir, combined to give a truly festive finish to the term. Again, it was pleasing to note that so many of our students were able to participate on this occasion.

The third Faculty of Creative Arts Junior Exhibition Evening took place at the beginning of February and saw the College Hall full of displays from the various departments within the Faculty.

The opportunity was taken for various soloists to perform which they did with considerable success.

A small team of Senior musicians were included in the Band for the Drama presentation of ‘Anything Goes’. Building on the success of last year’s production of ‘42nd Street’ this proved to even more dynamic an event.

The Foundress’s Concert is traditionally the highlight of the College musical year. This year it was decided to theme the evening around music connected with stage and screen. Along with each school’s own contributions, performers from Beechwood and Elizabeth College came on stage for the Grand Finale which this year was a performance of movements from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. The Concert was a considerable success and included such items as Rossini’s Overture to William Tell and a particularly rousing performance of ‘I’m a Believer’ from the Senior Wind Band.

The annual visit to St Malo by the College Choir followed its usual format with the Choir singing at two services

Eisteddfod Successes 2008

Congratulations to the following students who won their groups in the music section of the Eisteddfod.

Class 174 – Compositions Under 18 John Longmire Trophy 1st and 2nd – Michael Jones Class 55 – Double Bass Under 16 Archer Cup 1st - Tim Plummer Class 86 – Brass Solo – Under 18 Arthur Burns Cup 1st – Hywel Robinson Class 87 – Brass Solo – Open Cyril T Hockaday Cup 1st – Hywel Robinson

074 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Class 11 – Piano – Themes from Shows, Television and Films – Under 18 1st – Alistair Jones Class 50 – Cello Under 16 Martin Thomas Cup 1st - Alistair Jones Class 53 – Double Bass Under 12 Ann Mulvey Cup 1st – Hugo Ciotti Class 59 – Harp – Open 1st – Michael Jones

over the weekend. Both the Saturday evening’s performance at the Chapel of the Dominican Convent and the Sunday morning Mass in St Vincent’s Cathedral in the Intra-Muros of St Malo went particularly well. The French congregations were very appreciative of our efforts.

This has been an exceptionally busy year for the department and in conclusion I would like to thank the tremendous support given throughout the year to College Music by Mrs Maher, Mr Cottam, Mr Cross and the invaluable members of the Schools’ Music Service.

P Harris

Library

Arts

The Carnegie Book Awards This year Carnegie was very popular. Many College students signed up to read the seven books which were: Here Lies Arthur – Philip Reeve Apache – Tanya Landman Crusade – Elizabeth Laird Gatty’s Tale – Kevin Crossley-Holland Finding Violet Park – Jenny Valentine Ruby Red - Linzi Glass What I Was – Meg Roscoff To help the students reading the books, Mrs Garnett set up an excellent wiki for the students of Elizabeth College and Ladies’ College who were taking part in Carnegie to communicate their views on various parts of the novels. This was well received by my compatriots, and the wiki soon filled up with extended views of the shortlisted novels.

(thank you to them for sponsoring it for us), and with most of the food having been grabbed by us boys, we then voted on our favourite books. Apache came out top and Crusade second.

There were four lucky Elizabeth College students who had been chosen to go to the Guille Alles lunch. In groups we discussed the books with other students who had also been chosen to attend this lunch and the vote here came to the same. We then ate and waited for the UK judges’ result. True to form, the judges didn’t choose the people’s favourite, but it was not as bad as it could have been. Here Lies Arthur was the winner.

Alexander Watson

Just prior to the official lunch at Guille Alles Library, the students who had read the novels from Ladies’ College joined the Elizabeth College students in the school Library for lunch and a book discussion. We ate a very nice Marks and Spencer lunch,

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Sports

Cricket

Elizabeth College Cricket – Review of the 2007/8 Season “The cricket season seems to be shorter and badly affected now by many other outside factors. However, when teams are seen playing then it is still possible to see the commitment and above all the enjoyment.

As with most sports, success breeds success and the above mentioned enjoyment.”

This is a quote from the report of the 2007 season. Has anything changed, I wonder?

This has been a full season for all of the College teams. The Junior ‘B’ eleven did not tour but played against a full strength St Michael’s team both in Guernsey and Jersey as well as against Alderney in Alderney. This is an age group which must be catered for and developed. The junior eleven ‘A’ team destroyed Jersey and then undertook a tour to the United Kingdom. Both Reigate and Tiffin were beaten, with only a close loss to Hampton School. The undoubted highlight was a century for Harry Player.

The Junior Colts lost a close game to Victoria and must learn from this; in cricket you can take nothing for granted. The two teams in the year 9 schools league finished first and second, the ultimate decider of the competition being in the first fixture, the game between the two sides! Nicholas Waldron proved to be the

076 :: The Elizabethan 2008

difference with sympathetic captaincy, not only in this game but also during the rest of the competition. The two squads of young cricketers were all able to play a full part.

The Senior Colts were victorious against Victoria in Jersey in a game which saw over 480 runs scored, ample revenge for a defeat in the under 15 Inter-Insular. Several of these boys went on to play for older College teams, including Matthew Renouf in the First Eleven.

The College Second Eleven were well led

by James Ferbrache, finishing third in their GCA League. They were also forced to play a 20/20 against Victoria, winning comfortably.

Again, several boys went on to play First Eleven cricket.

The season of the First eleven was determined largely by one week in June.

On the Saturday Rovers were beaten in a Championship game, Jersey were beaten in the under 17 Inter-Insular. On the Monday the Old Elizabethans were beaten in a T20 before Victoria were beaten on the Tuesday.

To cap off this week the MCC were beaten on the Thursday. I have long been of the opinion that you cannot compare teams but many observers compared the class of 2008 with that of 1989. Let these teams

stand in their own right. There were many star performances, none more so than that of Tim Ravenscroft who scored 152* against Rovers, then 86* against Victoria, both match-winning performances. The result of the 2008 season shows the others.

It has been said that the strength of Guernsey cricket reflects the strength of College cricket. The relationship between the College and Guernsey cricket is growing and many boys now have the opportunity to play in both Inter-Insulars and in ICC/ECC competitions. In 2008 Guernsey won the under 19, 17, 14, 13 and tied the under 12 InterInsulars, losing the under 11 and the under 15s. The real breakthrough was, however, in the under 15 ECC-Div 1 Tournament with a very close loss to Holland. The under 17 tournament resulted in a third place, quite encouraging and thrilling. Bring on the under 19 World Cup in July 2009.

Things are moving along well!

Again, my utmost thanks go to all of the boys, the Staff and parents who freely give of their time.

M Kinder

cricket

Sports

2008 Season Report

Cricket Quotes

2008 proved to be a successful season for the 1st XI Cricket team, although it was not without its ups and downs. Facing the top teams in Guernsey’s Carey Olsen Championship along with other quality sides, the Elizabeth College squad turned out some memorable performances. Considering the opportunities missed in both the Cobo and Wanderers matches, Elizabeth College could have finished top of the table given a different turn of events.

However, finishing third with two hard fought victories and having dominated a rain-affected match is a just reflection of how the side has improved and developed from previous years. One week in June saw the season peak, with victories over the OEs, Victoria College, who had held us to a shaky draw previously in Jersey, and also the MCC. This was the first time we have beaten them since 1989 despite some valiant attempts to throw the game away in the latter stages. The annual tour saw the first time the College has taken part in a Twenty20 tournament, which they lost by the narrowest of margins in the final, having won two games to get there. Three final games against Hampton School’s squad saw the opponents come out on top each time. After a thoroughly enjoyable season, I look forward to following the team’s progress over the next couple of years.

Overall, our cricket season was a great success, with the highlight being the away victory against Victoria College in the final game of the season.

A Week To Remember

Joshua Kirk – Junior XI

Richard Angliss

At the end of a long term many of our First Eleven cricketers were tired, having had to endure exams and a lot of cricket. Then they were faced with 5 games in 6 days followed by a UK tour, a visit from Hampton School and the Under 17 ECC Division 1 Tournament in Belfast. WOW! And here follows the diary: Saturday June 21st vs. Argyll Won by 101 runs A comfortable win, the highlights being Ben McVey taking 4-19 and Tim Ravenscroft scoring 152 not out.

Sunday June 22nd vs. Jersey - The under 17 Inter-Insular Won A very encouraging result with Jonny Clark scoring 95 in a comfortable win.

Monday June 23rd vs. Old Elizabethans - T20 at the College Field Won by 20 runs.

Tim Ravenscroft scored 41 out of a total of 194-7 wickets. The OEs scored 174-5 wickets in reply.

Tuesday June 24th vs. Victoria College Won by 4 wickets Adam Robin took 5-39 in helping to bowl Victoria out for 215. In reply Tim Ravenscroft scored 86* and William Thompson 40. FANTASTIC. Thursday June 25th vs. MCC Won by 3 wickets.

William Thompson scored 71, Jonny Clark 45 and Tim Ravenscroft 42. Again FANTASTIC. Let this group of young men take full credit for this excellent set of results. Sadly the tour was not quite as easy!

Connor Tostevin – Senior Colts

This year cricket in year nine was split into two teams (team X and team Y) with Zak Damarell and I as captains. The first match was played between X and Y which the X team won comfortably.

They went on to win all of the games and the tournament. Decent performances were from Joe Alvarez who was only out once in all games and scored 48 not out against St Peter Port School and Nick Waldron with 71 not out against St Sampson’s. A mixture of the two teams went to Jersey to play against Victoria with Zak Damarell as Captain. Unfortunately the Elizabeth College team lost in a close match that included a good 76 from Joe Alvarez.

Nicholas Waldron – Junior Colts

This season has been a great success for the Junior Eleven. On our tour to the UK we played 3 games and won 2. The game we lost was very tough but also very close. Our game against Victoria College proved to be a very comfortable win by 6 wickets. With everyone doing their best and putting their all in, it made a very enjoyable and successful season.

We went into each game feeling more physically and mentally tired but I think the teamwork and the team bonding in the side helped all of us through to win each game. The MCC match was the highlight for me because it is the prestigious match of the year and one game I am used to losing, but something was different in that game after beating a strong Victoria side two days earlier; there was a self belief that we could pull something out of the bag. This battling spirit that consumed us pulled us through in a few other games, like playing Victoria away and having to defend for a draw for 17 overs with only one wicket left!

Jonathan Clark

I thought that this year’s victory in the Under 17 Inter-Insular was excellent. We batted well, with a great knock from Jonny Clark, who scored 95. To then bowl Jersey out for under 100 showed our superiority in the bowling department. This game acted as a great warm-up for the ECC Div 1 Championship in Belfast.

William Thompson – GCB Under 17s

I thought that this year’s ECC Division 1 in Jersey was a very good championship for the Guernsey U15 side. We played well in every match and, after losing to Ireland in the first match, we bounced back to beat Denmark quite comfortably, finishing second in our group. After being narrowly defeated by Holland in a close contest, we came out in fourth place.

Zak Damarell – GCB Under 15s

M Kinder

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cricket

Sports

Friday Schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cricket We started the league with a strong game against La Mare de Carteret, the top five batsmen all getting twenties. With some strong bowling we had them all out pretty quickly. Our second game against Les Beaucamps became a lot harder! We became anxious with us only getting 104, with strong totals from the top three. As we came out to field the opener from Beaucamps scored 45 not out but we eventually got them all out for 91.

Our last game against the Grammar school was the hardest, as the top four got out cheaply before Adam Wakeford put in a good performance with a total of 36 after the 18 overs. They came out to bat and we got them out quite quickly, leaving us with an easy win.

Alex Penney

Under 13 Cricket Tour 2008 Departures Our plane just about made it safely to Southampton airport after some rough turbulence and a bumpy landing perhaps preparing us for our Thorpe Park excursion.

Our first match Once we had landed we had long drive to the ground of our first opponents, Hampton School. We won the toss and, underestimating our opponents, chose to bat first. We got off to a good start with Harry Player and Adam Law opening the batting. Adam was the first to get out with a respectable total of 15. Josh Kirk then came in and had a good knock of 17 but then got bowled. After this we had a middle order collapse with Oliver Nightingale getting out for 1 and Tomos G ap Sion, Adam Emmerson and Nick Rumens all getting out for 0! Fortunately Matt Stokes picked us up with a score of 11. Harry then went on to score a century on the last ball of the innings. This performance gave us a healthy total of 185. In the second innings our best bowling performance was from Tom Hutchinson with figures of 7 overs, maiden, 4 wickets for 37 runs. Their best bat came from King with a score of 80 which went towards their total of 188 which they achieved on the last over. All in all it was an exciting match to watch and was a reasonably good start to our tour!

Our second match We arrived at Reigate Grammar School all dressed and raring to go. Reigate chose to bat, this turned out to be a bad decision with their best bat only achieving a score of 22 and a total of 106. Some amazing bowling from Josh Kirk was the main reason for their score being so low, with figures of 7 overs, 3 maidens and 2 wickets for 9 runs!

We easily achieved this total in the 14th over with Adam Law scoring 50 and Toby Belton scoring 17 as well as other batsmen contributing to our total. This we considered to be a job well done as we retired to our hotel with a smile on our faces.

getting 15 runs. Our best bowler once again was Josh Kirk with figures of 4 overs, 2 maidens and 4 wickets for 6 runs. We easily reached their score in the batting with everybody contributing to our total.

It was a great tour with one narrow defeat and two convincing victories. We would like to thank Mr Huxtable for organising the tour and also Mr de Putron who did a great job driving our luggage around.

Tomos G ap Sion

Thorpe Park!

After a good nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleep and hearty cooked breakfast the team was ready to visit Thorpe Park, a huge theme park! Some decided that they would go safe and enjoy the smaller rides such as teacups, but others such as Andy Clark, the daredevil of the group, decided to go on the bigger rides such as Colossus and Inferno.

The last match After the thrills of Thorpe Park we arrived at Tiffin sports field. Would we require nerves of steel here? No! In this game Tiffin won the toss and chose to bat. We restricted them to 58 runs with their best bat only

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Sports

fencing

College Fencing College Fencing has grown beyond all expectation, not only in size but in standard. I am sure the fencers themselves can attest to their achievements more eloquently than I can. I am incredibly proud of the lot of them.

With over 100 fencers in College alone, we would not survive if it were not for the dedication of a small band of outside coaches and volunteers who regularly give of their time to keep the whole thing ticking over. It remains for me, on behalf of all the fencers, to thank

Julie Dyer, Attila Stánitz, Meyrick Simmonds and Denise Ozanne for their continuous support over the year – and to thank the many other parents and friends who have provided accommodation for coaches, transport for fencers, supervision for tours, support for fundraising activities, and all the other little essentials that make me think we have truly created a fencing family here in Guernsey.

Dr R Harnish Master in Charge of Fencing

The Beechwood Initiative Over the past year, I have been going to Beechwood School on Friday afternoons with Attila Stánitz and Fraser Ward to run a fencing club for years five and six. The Beechwood Club is a brand new initiative. It not only allows pupils to begin fencing a bit earlier, but also gives sixth formers like me an opportunity to develop our coaching skills. Dr Harnish is keen that we leave College, not only as excellent fencers, but with a valuable qualification that we can use when we leave. The opportunity to work with the Junior school has been good experience and has given me the perfect opportunity to launch my coaching career, though I’m not really looking forward to the examinations, since Dr Harnish is bringing over the coach trainer from the Hungarian Sports University, Professor Gábor Bognár, to make sure we are up to scratch!

I have really noticed the improvement in the boys over the time I have been working with them. They have worked hard on all the basics, including a good en garde position, footwork (everybody’s favourite) and basic blade actions. The boys are always enthusiastic about fencing and they always seem to look forward to the sessions. This enthusiasm, along with their dedication, is probably responsible for all their improvement and bodes well for the future of College fencing.

Jamie De Carteret

The Channel Island Senior Fencing Championships The 2008 Channel Island Senior Fencing Championships took place in Jersey, where Guernsey’s fencers managed to dominate over a strong home team. The shining lights of Guernsey’s contingent were the Elizabeth College fencers, of which, due to the timing of the event, there were only two: Fraser Ward and myself.

Undaunted by an adult orientated competition, we strived to deliver a memorable display of the College’s fencing prowess. The first day saw Ward produce an unprecedented set of bouts in both the early Poules and the Direct Eliminations that followed, where he was able to deliver resounding victories against all opponents.

Unfortunately the poor organisational skills of our Jersey hosts meant that the final had to be delayed until the next day.

Undeterred, Ward again produced a sound

080 :: The Elizabethan 2008

fight to emerge as the Channel Island Men’s Sabre Champion.

On the same day the Men’s Foil Competition kicked off. Fencing well in the Poules, I managed to achieve a bye to the quarter finals where I fenced the Sarnian legend, Ross Martel, whom I dispatched 15–1. The semi-finals passed off without incident and I was through to the final where I fought the reigning Guernsey Foil League Champion, Rupert Sewards. After a titanic effort he was beaten 15 – 7.

All in all the Championships were a great success; not only for Guernsey who bought home all the silverware, but also for Elizabeth College which, without question, is beginning to dominate Channel Island fencing.

Pierre Ozanne

fencing

Sports

The Budapest Camp and “Hungarian Magic” We have had a Hungarian coach, Attila, working with us at the College Fencing Club all this year. Hungary is also the country Dr Harnish disappeared off to for three months’ sabbatical a few years ago, returning with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of new exercises, each more technically and/or physically demanding than the last. It was against this backdrop that we were given the opportunity to visit the country, and to see for ourselves what goes on there.

Our training was split between three prestigious Hungarian clubs, Honvéd for the foilists and epéeists, and the Dózsa and Vasas clubs for the Sabreurs. Training began, after warming up, with an extended footwork session designed to provide us with a strong technical foundation for our fencing. The focus was not just on improving our skills, but in developing our tactical awareness as well. In the afternoon we had an invaluable opportunity to put our training to good use against the Hungarian fencers from the club, thus gaining vital experience at fencing unfamiliar opponents.

It is an unavoidable problem with fencing here in Guernsey that there is only a very limited group of opponents with whom to practice. When we go to competitions we must be able to counter a whole range of different techniques and tactics, and being able to practice with the Hungarian fencers meant that we would be better able to do it in future matches.

What really set apart the training we received in Budapest was the quality of the coaches. They all seemed to have a little bit of “Hungarian Magic”. Each day each fencer received an individual lesson from a coach who, utilising years of experience, drew the best out of us, providing an extremely high level lesson and giving us fresh perspectives on technique and tactics.

As well as experiencing a new type of training, we were also able to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of an easternEuropean city. Honvéd, the club in which

the foilists and epéeists were training, is an old converted Synagogue. From the outside one would never guess the activities taking place inside. Each day, between footwork and sparring, all the fencers re-grouped and went on a cultural visit. Our first visit was to the largest Synagogue in Eastern Europe.

There, we saw a memorial to all those who died in the Holocaust. It was a willow tree made of metal and shaped like a menorah.

The leaves on the tree were like dog tags, with the names of the dead. We also visited the Hungarian Parliament and a huge indoor market full of all things Hungarian – especially food. Perhaps the most disturbing visit was to the “Terror Haz” or “House of Terror”, the former headquarters for the Russian secret police, which is now a museum about what happened there during the Socialist period. We joked a little about the small cells that prisoners were put in, and Ben Parish even crawled inside one – but he would not let anyone shut the door. We certainly learned a lot more than just fencing on this trip.

made it an invaluable trip from a training point of view as well. I can only hope the trip will be repeated next year. There is still much more for the older fencers to see and learn and it would be a shame not to provide a similar opportunity for some of the younger fencers.

Matthew Hale

Perhaps the most enjoyable, certainly the most relaxing, part of the trip was the final day, in which we spent what seemed like hours relaxing in the art-deco Gellért Baths. These swimming pools are filled with hot mineral water from below the city.

One pool is quite hot; the other is kept just above body temperature. We started in the hot pool to relax our muscles a bit. After going into the steam room and jumping into the ice cold plunge baths a few times, we wallowed in the body temperature pool.

It gave time for what we had learned to sink into our minds and gave our aching bodies some time to recover! Afterwards, we went to a banquet at the Márvány Menyasszony Étterem. We were in a very posh private room with great food and live gypsy music and dancing laid on just for us.

The opportunity to travel to foreign climes is not one regularly offered to many of those who took part in this trip. It was an experience we are not likely to forget in a hurry and the level of coaching available

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Sports

fencing

The Public Schools’ Fencing Championships If there was a competition with 1400 competitors from 120 schools, would you think first of fencing? Or even Great Britain? Well, this year’s Public Schools’ Fencing Championships was exactly that, making it the largest amateur sporting event in Europe. Affectionately known as “Crystal Palace”, the competition was held at Nottingham University this year as the usual venue was closed for renovations.

To all the new people going and even to more experienced members of the fencing club, it can seem a daunting event, coming up against some of the best amateur fencing talent in the UK. We were the largest contingent of Guernsey fencers ever this year, a reflection of the growing success of fencing in Elizabeth College, mainly thanks to Dr Harnish. Of course the organisation of this year’s event was much harder than ever, not only because of the amount of people going, but also because of the logistics of getting to Nottingham as a group.

Early on a Monday morning a group of 56 fencers left Guernsey and headed toward Birmingham – a feat in itself, with more than 60 bags of “oversized luggage”, including over 250 weapons to check in. When we landed in Birmingham we stopped for lunch (Dr Harnish did his best to keep us away from the fast food outlets, but not entirely successfully) and got on to our coach to Nottingham University, where we stayed in student accommodation – perhaps a foretaste of things to come. That evening was the weapon check, in which all the armours (myself included) tested the weapons to make sure they were suitable for fencing in a competition.

On Tuesday the competition began! We all took part in our group warm-up and footwork to be ready for the day ahead.

The same was done on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, but then some fencers from other schools asked if they could join us, because we seemed so professional. And we were. On Thursday evening the prizes were presented. We were first across three

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weapons in the Mount-Haes division (years 8 & 9) and the senior division (sixth form).

We were also first overall, across the ages in Epée (though by far our smallest team, the epéeists put in our best performance) and Foil. Dr Harnish was not too pleased about coming second in Sabre, because that is his weapon. I feel a bit sorry for the sabreurs, because he will make them train harder than ever next year! We were also second overall for the Junior division (GCSE years).

But I think the best achievement was to win the Graham Bartlett Cup for the Best Boys’ School in Britain. I swear I saw a tear in Dr Harnish’s eye. With an improvement of 44 points over the previous year we also won the cup for most improved school for the third year in a row. To add to this we were 10 points from Brentwood for the overall trophy for both boys and girls, quite an achievement for an all boys’ school and considering that Brentwood hosts one of the top fencing academies in Britain with five full time coaches!

There were also several remarkable individual achievements. One of the most commendable was that of Matthew Ashworth who came third of 117 in the Boys’ Junior Foil, after some amazing fencing in his Direct Eliminations and a close fought match in the Semi Final, which he lost by one hit. His sheer determination and ability brought out everyone’s team spirit and anyone who wasn’t fencing at the time was watching on the piste to cheer him on. This is one of the things I love about this event, not only is it an individual event, it is also a team one, so everyone cheers on everyone else, giving a really good sense of pride and team sprit.

As well as this I think it would be good to mention Fraser Ward who came fifth in the Boys’ Senior Sabre. One of my favourite stories was when he went to check his seeding after the first round and heard some boys from another school asking who this Ward guy was, because they had never heard of him – and he seeded first!

James Firth and Pierre Ozanne also made the quarter finals: James was sixth in the

Mount-Haes Sabre, while Pierre was eighth in the Junior Epée. That must have annoyed him, because he was only eleventh in the Foil, and that is his real weapon.

This vast improvement in College fencing pays tribute to Dr Harnish’s tireless efforts to push his fencers to their limits and to show them what they are capable of. Since my first Crystal Palace I, along with many others, have seen the improvement not only in standards but also in the organisation and professionalism of the fencers and coaches, although sharing our holding area with the Jersey fencers always causes a small amount of friction! I feel that the club will keep on growing and improving, rising to an even higher standard in the UK or maybe even Europe. I know that some of our fencers are setting their sights on earning a place at the Commonwealth Junior Championships next year!

And to finish I think it best to thank Dr Harnish and all the other coaches, especially Attila and Julie, for the effort they put into our trips and training: THANK YOU!

Daniel Gosselin

fencing

Sports

Fencing for the Future Next year, we are hoping to send fifteen fencers from the Elizabeth College Fencing Team to Malaysia to represent Guernsey at the Commonwealth Junior Fencing Championships, so there are new opportunities and new challenges ahead for the fencers of Elizabeth College.

The largest challenge facing the senior fencers next year is the increased amount of training that we will have to endure – as well as the other preparations for this major competition – in addition to all the normal competitions. It means more painful training camps (though that is hard to believe at the moment), extra fencing sessions and more lessons; however the rewards could be even larger. A prime example of this is shown by the school’s performance at the Public Schools’ Fencing Championships where the effects of extra training, such as the Budapest training camp, are already beginning to show.

Personally, I am looking forward with great anticipation to the new fencing season with all its exciting new prospects – especially

the Commonwealth Championships. The extra training and commitment needed to reach the standard required to compete in Malaysia will be challenging, with fencing training on four days a week and fitness training on another two. We will also have more training camps over weekends and half-term holidays when, somehow, Dr Harnish manages to persuade top fencers and coaches from around the world to come over to Guernsey to give us the benefit of their knowledge and skill.

I know that next year we will be going to more ranking events, like the British Cadet and Junior Championships in Sheffield and various smaller events for individual weapons. I am pretty confident that, with the help of some of the best and most committed fencing coaches in Britain, we will be able to perform well in the upcoming competitions. It might not be next year, but I am sure that in the not-too-distant future there will be Elizabeth College Fencers representing Great Britain on the international circuit.

Matthew Ashworth

Fencing for a Gap Year I came a little bit late to fencing, joining the newly formed Sabre Club in year 10, but I soon got addicted. In this, my last year at College, Dr Harnish has not only encouraged my fencing, but also encouraged me to attend a Level 1 Sabre Coaching Course in Canterbury. There, I was taught by the same Hungarian masters who taught Dr Harnish and my training partner was the UK No. 1 Sabreur, Chris Buxton. It was a great experience and I discovered that I have a real talent for coaching.

Dr Harnish has put together a gap year programme for me next year. It is part of

his efforts to make the fencing club selfsustaining. I will be coaching groups and giving individual lessons for two terms, and then flying off to Budapest to complete the International Coaching Course, sponsored by the International Olympic Committee at the Budapest Sport University. I will not only obtain my diploma in coaching, but will also be able to continue my training as a fencer with some of the top coaches in the world. Fencing at College has given me much more than I expected and I will always be grateful for the good times I had and the good friends I made in the club.

Fraser Ward

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Golf report

Elizabeth College v Victoria College 2007 Last year the golf match was in Jersey, which was a challenging experience because with a youthful squad we were looking to gain experience and give them a good match; I believe we did manage this.

Our day did not start off well with the ferry being delayed and Mr Hooker frantically worrying about whether we would get there on time, but we stayed calm and focused on the mountainous task that lay ahead of us! The ferry eventually came and we had a safe passage across to Jersey even though it was very windy.

When we finally arrived at the golf course we had an hour to get some last minute practice in and some warming up done.

Mr Hooker walked us through the first few holes explaining to us what to do on them and general tactics for the course, seeing as he has probably played it many more times than us! This was certainly interesting because some of our lads managed to find the beach on their first go, but luckily it was only practice.

After some last minute preparation and a pep talk from the team captain Tom Case, we were ready to go out on the course.

Step up to the plate Charlie Wilkes-Green; his first drive was a good one hitting the fairway comfortably, his opponent then did the same, thus setting up what looked like a good encounter between the two. James Smith and Theo Maubec had managed to hit their tee shots on to the fairway so it was a good start for Elizabeth College. The last three players to go out were Guy Craze, Tom Dawson and Tom Case. Tom Dawson, who many believe to be a great up and coming youngster, proved his worth by managing to win the first hole! After the first few holes EC was up in 2, down in 3 and all square in 3. As we reached the par 3 fourth things were not looking so good for Elizabeth College any more, but a bit of magic from the debutant James Smith managing to stick his tee shot to 12ft was

possibly a turning point so early on in his match, this leaving him 2 up.

When we got to the next par three 8th things were getting progressively worse for us but nevertheless nobody had given up hope and Charlie Wilkes-Green proved his worth as he walked out of that hole with the closest to the pin at 8ft 5in - congratulations! Our influential captain, Tom Case, managed to contain their captain (who plays off a handicap of 2) to a respectable 2 up by the mid way point; Elizabeth College were going alright with James Smith, Guy Craze, Nick Craze and Tom Dawson each 1 up in their respective matches.

The back nine was the start of our downfall unfortunately as possible fatigue had begun to creep into a few of the players’ minds and swings, although Max Ellis did still manage to produce one of the few birdies of the round with a stunning approach shot to the par 4 twelfth. However James Smith and Nick Craze were still managing to hold their own. A few mistakes led Nick to 3 down and similar problems for James Smith made it look as if it was a possible whitewash for the Jersey boys, but a fight back was on the cards for the EC boys as James Smith won the next two holes to reduce the deficit to 1. Guy Craze and Tom Dawson gave a glimmer of hope to Mr Hooker who looked to be having a torrid time out there (it was very windy and cold). They both managed to reduce their games to 1 up and 2 up respectively. With the captain losing on the par 4 15th and most of the team losing before they got there, there were only four players left who looked as if they could get a point; they were Tom Dawson, Nick Craze, James Smith and Guy Craze. Unfortunately Guy and Tom didn’t manage to get any points, both losing out on the 17th. However Nick needed to win the hole to win the match and James Smith needed to win to half. James was down the 18th first, he only managed to get 5 with a wayward tee sheet, and his opponent managing to play

his way to the green under pressure and sink a par putt for the win. Now the hope rested on Nick Craze’s shoulders to stop the whitewash, with both players hitting stunning tee shots, Nick Craze with the slight advantage with possibly his best tee shot of the day going over the road. Both players managed to put the ball on the green and then both under serious amounts of pressure rolled the ball up to the hole but neither dropped; how frustrating for both players. In the end they both did the sportsmanship thing and picked up each other’s balls and said that the half was good enough, these were our only points.

The match ended a resounding 7 and a half to a half. In the end the match was a good one; we created some obstacles for them to overcome but they were just too good for our young team. Thankfully they have lost some of their most influential players therefore we are looking to bring the trophy back to EC next year.

Guy Craze

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Sports

football

Football Review of the Year Another season of football has come and gone but there was to be no silverware this year. The Year 8 team had a good term including a successful tour to the UK. In the league the boys played well and probably exceeded expectations by finishing runners-up to the Grammar School.

The Year 9 team also finished runners-up in their league, behind St Sampson’s and reached the Aztec Cup Final. In a very close game, in which College had a goal disallowed, the team finally fell behind after a late goal from St Sampson’s striker Will Garnett (no relation - honest!).

The Year 10 team had a disappointing season. Having twice won the league in Year 8 and Year 9 and having lifted the Aztec Cup, they never really got started. In fact they actually finished out of the top three at the end of the season.

Due to new FA regulations Under 16s are no longer permitted to play against adults and consequently the Second XI’s fixture list was decimated. With a small Sixth Form it was difficult to field a team each Saturday so games against our usual Business League opposition had to be cancelled. As a result a few games were played against Year 11 teams from other schools and Victoria College.

Hopefully next season, with a larger number of footballers in the

Sixth Form, a full fixture can once again appear on the calendar.

The First XI always had a difficult season ahead of them. With none of the team playing in the First XI the previous year the Channel Island League was a real baptism of fire. Although we finished sixth out of seven the season can be classed as a success (largely due to the excellent leadership of Carl Pugh) as the team demonstrated an excellent team spirit and work ethic and were a pleasure to work with.

Despite being the underdogs in all games the First XI never gave up and worked hard to make it a difficult task to be beaten. Despite our defensive solidity we found it difficult to score goals, which proved to be our downfall. However, as recognition of the hard work and team spirit within this squad, every member of the team was awarded colours in the end of year presentation. The Marshall Shield for contribution to College football was awarded to Carl Pugh and the most improved player went to William Allen. The highlights of the season were the First XI ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and the tour to Italy, neither of which would have been possible without the generous sponsorship from Da Nello’s Restaurant. Thank you once again Nello for your generous support.

M Garnett

Tim’s Kitchen Take a team of teenage footballers and add sharp knives, flames and 43 hungry customers waiting for a top-notch lunch. It sounds like a recipe for mass-maimings and disaster – but that’s how Da Nello’s raised more than £900 for Maison Million.

What kind of restaurateur would let a football team loose in his kitchen during service on a Sunday lunch? One who has taken leave of his senses? But last Sunday Da Nello’s did just that – all in the name of charity. Given that the boys of the Elizabeth College 1st XI team were cooking, a cynic might say that there was only one certain recipe on the menu – disaster. But against every odd in the book, the lads triumphed.

“There are sharp knives, flames, gas, alcohol, ladies’ underwear on the washing line upstairs . . . and customers,” pointed out Da Nello’s director Marco Ciotti. He seemed surprisingly calm. But then, it was only 10am. At 12.30, 43 customers would arrive,

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all at once. They would be cooked for and served by a football team. And they were paying for it.

The St Peter Port restaurant has been sponsoring the team for three years, including helping out with the cost of an Italian football tour. “Last year my father [the eponymous Nello] did some language training with them before they went” he told me. “He taught them a few football terms, how to buy food, that sort of thing.”

But we’re not talking your basic pidgin Italian here. This was more about how to defend yourself against the referee on the pitch – and to woo the women off it.

Having mastered the art of heckling in a foreign language, it was time to learn how to cook Italian. “We thought if we were going to do this, then it would make sense if there was a charitable element to it,” said Marco.

football

Sports

Tim’s Kitchen continued The Maison Million Home Appeal, which the Guernsey Press launched in April with the aim of raising £1m to kick-start the building of a 29-bed Alzheimer’s unit, was the choice.

“This was a charity we really wanted to support. It’s such a big thing – it is not just about helping the people who have the illness itself but the people around them,” said Marco.

But back to the food. And for Tim Vidamour, head chef and partner at the restaurant for 28 years, this was going to be a real juggling act. As well as diners eating from Tim’s charity menu, there were 50 others in the restaurant to cook for – and he had already mentioned that there were so many people in his kitchen it was more like Folies nightclub on a Saturday night. “I think he has it under control,” Marco said. “His kitchen is not a shouting kitchen. Tim never shouts. Fingers crossed it’s going to be OK. It should, hopefully. Hopefully is my word of the day.”

Mike Garnett, master in charge of college football and coach to the 1st XI, said that over the past three years Nello had not only been a financial sponsor, but a really committed fan.

“Nello has been to watch the boys play football, he follows their results, taught them survival Italian, fed them pasta and always welcomed the opportunity to talk football with them,” said Mike. He said the charity lunch had been the best thing yet to come from their successful partnership.

“I would like to thank him and his staff for giving the boys an opportunity that they will remember for a long time,” he said.

On a normal day the kitchen is staffed by seven chefs. On Sunday there were 13. It is not a big kitchen.

The boys on kitchen duty had been in since nine preparing as much in advance as possible. Normally at this time on a Sunday I would have been tucking into some breakfast while watching the Hollyoaks omnibus, I ventured. There was a nod of

agreement from two bleary-eyed boys who were wrapping green beans and carrots in leek bandages.

to organise your defence and your kitchen staff and make sure you’re doing your job properly,” he said.

So, on to the menu. To start, a choice of spinach and roasted pepper soup, pasta with Bolognese, peas and cream or roasted baby onions. Mains were a choice of fritto misto, lamb cutlets and garlic and mint braised chicken with tomato and mushrooms. For sweet, mascarpone and ginger cheesecake, a classic tiramisu or fresh raspberry and rose wine jelly.

A whisker before 12.45 and the restaurant was packed but things seemed calm and still on track. As the orders came in – for 30-odd soups – the boys just got to work. Tim stood like a quality controller, checking everything as it left the kitchen, but had no complaints.

There was mild panic as extra diners arrived and people made off-menu requests, but nothing team Tim’s Kitchen couldn’t handle.

As orders from the regular diners started to come in, I remarked that I was interested in how, exactly, this was all going to work in tandem. “That’s the part I’m interested in, too,” he replied Tim, with a touch of hysteria.

“We’ve got everything under control. I don’t know if I will be able to say that at 12.30.”

But he was still laughing.

Among diners sampling the culinary skills was Mike Garnett. “My lunch was fantastic today. I am really proud of my team and their achievements this term. Teamwork is the key in any successful restaurant or football team and everyone has played to their strengths today.”

Captain of the football team and one of the main course chefs for the day, Carl Pugh, 17 was nervous about his role. “It was quite a daunting prospect when I heard I was on main courses,” he said. Carl’s parents were paying customers so the pressure really was on. He added that Nello’s crash course in Italian had been extremely useful for the team before its recent tour. “’Arbitro’ was good. That means referee, but he taught us more about body language.”

When the chips were down and definitely all eaten, the day had raised more than £900 for Maison Million. “The boys were absolutely outstanding today. The food that they cooked and served was truly Da Nello standard and they received plenty of praise,” said Marco.

Zoe Ash (8993) Printed in Guernsey Press 3 December 2007 - reproduced with kind permission of Zoe Ash

John Purdy, 17, is the team’s goalkeeper and for one day only was taking on the dubious title of chief Lothario – handing out the trademark roses at the end of the meal. “He’s going to be cheesing it up in the restaurant,” laughed Marco. And the maestro himself, Nello, had given John a few one-liners to deliver with the blooms. “You are the cheese in my macaroni and you are the blue in my sky were a couple,” said John. He did add that he would stop short of actually asking women when they might be running away together, as suggested.

But working with the team to do something for charity was a great idea, said John. He reckoned that his role as maitre d’ was a similar job to that of goalkeeper. “You have

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Sports

football

Italy Trip 2007 It was a cold and dreary Wednesday afternoon. Five members of the sixteen that made up the First XI football squad were in the airport waiting for the others to turn up, when a nice man working for Aurigny told them that check-in was closing and that if they wanted to go anywhere the bags would have to be put through immediately. It was ten minutes later that the first great sporting feat of the trip was carried out: Mr Mike Garnett, the shortest person on the tour, set a new world record for unloading eleven students and one teacher from a moving bus, complete with bags, checking them in through a closed desk and practically throwing them through security, losing only one can of deodorant and small pot of Vaseline in the process. Italy 2007 had begun.

Having successfully reached Gatwick due to Mr Garnett’s superhuman feat earlier, we found ourselves waiting for a bus to our overnight accommodation. Despite the insistence of a certain John Purdy that the hotel was just ‘a minute down the road’ we boarded a bus after a brief wait, and 20 minutes and about 2 miles into the journey the same John Purdy threatened to not play for the rest of the trip if we made another joke about his geographical talents. Seeing as he was our only goalkeeper – and a very good one at that – we thought it best we shut up, at least for now.

Due to our 5am start the next morning, much of the time before reaching Italy is a blur for the team, but Josh Langlois’ pizza breakfast does linger nauseatingly in the memory. This lethargy quickly subsided upon reaching Italy, where they are now heralding the new sport of pigeon baiting in St Mark’s Square (Venice) as the best thing since cars were fitted with horns. The game works as follows: find someone who is terrified of pigeons and throw seed at them, with hilarious results. Having drunk in the ancient culture and sophistication of Italy’s most renowned city we rounded the day off with a McDonald’s – possibly containing some of the excess pigeons from St Mark’s Square.

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The next day saw a trip to the Giuseppe Meazza (also known as the San Siro – the name changes depending on whether Inter or AC is playing there), where the boys were quick to request whether similar facilities could be erected at the College Field for our football fixtures. It was on this fateful journey that we were also first introduced to the Italian traffic, an experience I’m sure those of us who were in desperate need of the conveniences will remember for years to come. We left the stadium looking forward to returning on Sunday to see Inter versus Lazio; little did we know that we would in fact not return. That evening College FC had their first match against a local Italian club side. This proved to be a very open game as College adapted to the new style the Italians played – a high offside line and lots of quick short passing, and of course a fair

amount of diving and cheating. The match finished an unlucky 4-3 to the Italians, despite a fantastic lob by Dave Henry’s shoulder and the most offside goal ever allowed in a competitive match from Joe Inzaghi Le Page. Jordan Griffin added the third in the dying moments of the match, following yet another offside run by the aptly-named Inzaghi who was obviously thriving on the absence of any linesmen.

The third day in Italy saw a trip to Verona and the hometown of Romeo and Juliet.

This was a pleasant city filled with friendly locals, especially the couple of street-sellers we adopted after we bought watches off them – mainly to get them to leave… how naïve we were. After a brief run-in with one of the human statues you often see

dotted around in Italian cities, some of us saw fit to flee the scene and take a look at the magnificent Roman Amphitheatre that makes up the centre of the town. Led by intrepid climber Mr Good, we reached the summit and found where all the Italian sunshine of the trip was hiding, but before we knew it the afternoon was over and we were back on the bus on our way to the second match of the tour.

The second match proved to be a very tight affair, with both teams having good chances but being unable to break the deadlock. By now, College FC had adapted to the Italian game, and Jonny Edwards, our rock in the centre of defence, showed this progress by demonstrating to the referee exactly what a dive was when the language barrier was too strong to bypass, much to our amusement.

The deadlock was broken when Will The Animal Allen somehow managed to control the ball on the turn, in the air no less, and lift it with his laces over the helpless keeper into the net; much like Ronaldinho’s famous free kick against England, the jury is still undecided as to whether he meant it.

Meant it or not, it proved to be the only goal and after a few heart in mouth moments, such as John Purdy being forced to literally fly across his goal and produce the save of the season, diverting a free kick headed for the top corner away round his post, the final whistle went and the Italian team were left with having been beaten one – nil at their own game, namely scoring a fluke (perhaps) and then defending and somehow holding on for the remainder of the match.

Sunday, our final day in Italy, was all set to be the highlight of the trip. The team spent the morning exploring Milan city, or at least a small section of it, and this revealed what proved for many to be the highlight of the trip – a man with an uncanny ability to do keepy uppys with his crutches – seeing truly is believing in this case. A second highlight followed whereby whilst ‘scouting for local talent’, Alex English pointed out some so-called ‘totty’ at a table just off of Milan square. Having concurred with Alex that indeed this was totty, Dec ‘Ducko’ Granville

football

Sports

“

our rock in the centre of defence, showed this progress by demonstrating to the referee exactly what a dive was when the language barrier was too strong to bypass.

took a look at who she was with, purely out of curiosity of course, and was shocked to see none other than premiership star Xabi Alonso. After a brief discussion about what to do to confirm our suspicions, young Jordan Griffin, who knew no better, walked straight up to him and asked if indeed he was Xabi Alonso and not just some guy with a striking resemblance. Xabi confirmed his identity and having looked up and seen fifteen teenagers in the middle of the road, wide-mouthed in awe, he was quick to wave us away to avoid the risk of being mobbed.

Morale was understandably high on our return to the bus as we began our trip back to the Giuseppe Meazza in expectation of watching Inter v Lazio. As we rounded the final corner towards the stadium, our associate from the company who organised the trip phoned to inform us that the match was cancelled due to the tragic death of a Lazio fan at the hands of a policeman in what is now being called an accident.

The initial plan was to rush to Bergamo, just a short drive away, and try to watch AC Milan v Atalanta but this was decided against. That evening, when we saw the violence that ensued on the television, and learnt that the game was abandoned after a mere seven minutes, this proved to be a pretty good decision. Instead the team went bowling, where Carl Pugh proved his talents, gaining four strikes in a row to shoot (no pun here) into the lead, before being pegged back by John Purdy gaining three strikes and two spares to take victory at the last gasp.

”

The third and final game of the trip saw us take on a significantly stronger Italian side than the other two previously faced, and the low morale following the day’s events took its toll as College FC were subjected to a 4-0 defeat despite their best efforts, punished by some fantastic finishing and very tired legs.

The final day of the trip saw us travelling back to Guernsey via Gatwick. We were back home before we knew it, pausing only briefly to eat half of the brownie stock of Frankie and Benny’s and for Jonny Edwards to collect in the fines from the trip with which presents for the teachers were to be bought. We parted at Guernsey airport and went our separate ways. Mr Garnett and Mr Good were presented with their gifts in the form of alcoholic relief, probably just what they needed after a trip away with us!

Joe Le Page

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Sports

Hockey

1st XI Hockey Tour On Thursday 13 March the 1st XI hockey team set off to England to play in the Bath Schools Tournament. The team this year consisted mainly of Lower 6th but had bonded well in earlier games against the men’s sides in Guernsey and left feeling confident.

The first game was against Churches School at their home pitch, which in the past was always a closely fought match. This time the home team came away with the win after scoring a late short corner against the run of play.

The next game was played in Bath on a high quality pitch against Ratcliffe School. This match was less competitive with College

dominating the game and winning 3-1 with goals from Daniel Wray, Tim Ravenscroft and Hywel Robinson. This was an improvement and was an impressive victory due to a large reshuffle playing players in unfamiliar positions.

The next day all the matches were dogged by bad weather; all day heavy rain and strong winds made it difficult to leave the minibus to get onto the pitch. Unluckily for us we had two games, the first against a tough Exeter College side. They scored early on as the pitch started to become waterlogged and puddles started to form. This made the playing conditions very difficult and the game very scrappy. Right at the end of the game a hopeful ball was played

in and was deflected in by Carl Pugh to end one a piece. The second game of the day was played against Queen’s College Taunton. Another tight game, but with the Guernsey side coming away with a 2-0 win against a well drilled Somerset team scoring from a short corner strike and a goal for the centre forward, Ollie Lepp.

The last game on tour and the last game of schoolboy hockey for Adam Robin, Carl Pugh and goalkeeper, Jake Le Marchant. The three senior boys worked endlessly but in vain as the game was lost 0-1 to a very skilful Windsor side.

Jonathan Clark

Elizabeth College Year 8 Hockey Tour 2007-08 The year 8 hockey season started with some tough fixtures against older teams. Despite coming close we ended up losing some of our early games to the better teams. However, there were plenty of positives to take forward to our fast approaching tour of England.

We flew to England to take on Churches and PGS (Portsmouth Grammar School). That evening we were involved in a 5-5 thriller!

Despite going a couple of goals behind early on, the character of the team came through as Andy Clark, the captain, fired 2 quick goals before half time. Soon after Churches hit back with a goal of their own before the break. After half time we saw some great work from Adam Wakeford and Jack Smith down the right side; this pairing soon proved vital as College drew level. It didn’t take too long before College took the lead for the first time. With tired legs out on the extremely wet pitch due to the terrible weather conditions, Churches fired 2 quick goals to put us 5-4 down with minutes to play. However thanks to some great solo work from Andy Clark who broke through the defence, he found Ollie Nightingale who scored the equalizing goal. Two very tired teams left the pitch amazed and drained.

The following day saw EC take on PGS. College played some of their best hockey of the season in periods and held on to a 3-2 lead, Andy Clark scoring another good goal. After the success of the morning, the team were taken to St. Marys to watch Southampton take on Ipswich in a championship football match which finished 1-1.

The highlight of the evening must have been the triumph of the bowling. The annual 10 pin bowling was won by College with Nick

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Rumens scoring an impressive 152. All this meant College retained the bowling Cup. The final day saw a seven aside tournament take place at Churches School. A strong start by EC 1 put them in contention; however a slip up in the semi’s against Churches 1 saw College playing for the third spot. EC 2 also got to the semi-final stage before losing to a strong PGS team. This set up a College play off for 3rd and 4th place. EC 1 came out on top and took 3rd place.

The team then returned to Guernsey exhausted and pleased with their success.

Oliver Nightingale

hockey

Sports

Hockey Cup Finals Into the Finals (the Road to Footes Lane) This year has been a hugely successful year for College hockey and both Elizabeth College senior hockey teams made their way into their respective knock out Cup Finals.

The second XI saw off tough opposition to face the Unwantables Hockey Club in the Plate final. They have made great strides this season, played some fast attacking hockey and scored lots of goals in the build up to the final.

The First XI won both their round robin games on their way to the men’s cup final, defeating the League runners up and the league champions on their way. A great display against Colombians saw them polish off their more illustrious opponents 3-1 in the first game. In the second game they came up against the Unwantables who had swept all aside on their way to their first league title in 15 years. A great display of fast moving hockey combined with solid defence saw College come through 1-0. Some people may have seen these results as an upset but the way the team has progressed this term it is certainly no surprise to the staff.

A Good Mens Division 1 Cup Final - EC1st vs. Cenkos Yobbos - Match Report

Going into the game the team was very confident despite influential attacker Andy Whalley (an OE himself) at full fitness for the favourites. It promised to be a good, flowing game and didn’t disappoint, with attack after attack coming from both teams.

It was also a game where loyalties would be tested in the case of Yobbos goalkeeper, Andy Good, PE teacher at College.

The game began on a warm Saturday morning, with the teams lining up in front of a capacity crowd at Footes Lane. The game started well and the College certainly didn’t fear the more experienced and, on paper, vastly superior Yobbos, boasting

West of England veterans Jonny and Adam Clark as well as former West of England player Tim Ravenscroft, current West player Tom Still and island players Steve Eulenkamp and Daniel Wray.

College came close on a number of occasions, with forwards Olly Lepp and Hywel Robinson using their pace to create havoc in the Yobbos back line. However, it was Yobbos who took the lead after a defensive mix up left goalkeeper Jake Le Marchant, in his last game, with no chance to stop the ball going in the net. Yobbos managed to take a 2-0 lead into half time with Andy Whalley scoring the first of his goals.

Elizabeth College got some inspirational words of advice from manager David Wray before coming out strongly in the 2nd half with a goal from Olly Lepp. This was then followed by a period of soaking up pressure with Andy Dawson-Ball pulling off some last ditch tackles to stop Whalley who was causing out-going midfielders Carl Pugh and Adam Robin some problems at left midfield. This was matched by some strong defending from Will Allen in particular who got in the way to stop certain goals, as well as the heroic Le Marchant doing his best, and College were lucky not to concede a third when Jonny Taylor of Yobbos missed from a yard.

Much of the praise for the attacking form should go to midfield trio Wray, Ravenscroft and Jonny Clark who all played some silky hockey and, with the help of Adam Clark brought on up-front, managed to create a number of penalty corners, which were not used particularly well. However, one corner on the hour mark created the incident of the match. Clark slipped the ball left to Eulenkamp, who fired it across the goal and it found its way into the net off a defender’s foot. To the disbelief of the whole team it was disallowed. This was where Good’s loyalty was to be tested. He and the rest of the Yobbos team did own up to the goal.

Alas, it was too late for Eulenkamp, who had over-reacted badly to the decision and

was shown a yellow card for dissent. The goal was allowed and the game continued with ten minutes to go, but without the defender. However, they held on until the end of the game, to take it to extra time.

College tried their very best to hold on for penalty strokes, with some excellent tracking back from forward Hywel Robinson, who had put his soul into the game, as well as some good running from the Clark brothers in the midfield. In fact the whole team played with immense passion, but it was in vain, with Whalley adding two more to his tally to put the game beyond College as the extra man advantage started to show.

Despite the loss, the team received a loud ovation at the end of the game and Adam Clark was awarded the Young Player of the Year Award in front of the crowd. At the end of the game manager Wray and Principal Dr Argent were full of praise for the team, but were also gutted that they had lost.

Steve Eulenkamp

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Sports

Hockey & house sports

Year 10 Hockey Tour We went on a successful tour to the UK and after the weather postponed our departure and caused us to miss our first game against Newcastle-Under-Lyme, we got off to a winning start beating Kings College Chester 4-3 with Tom Still and Adam Clark scoring two goals each.

We were hosted by the boys from Kings Macclesfield and got to know them before our match the next day, which we won convincingly 4-0, the goals coming from Renouf, Tostevin, Dovey and Clark.

That afternoon we watched a football match between Wigan and Derby at the JJB Stadium before spending the evening in the Trafford Centre. The night was spent in a Premier Travel Inn and our final game was against a highly rated Bowden Hockey Club. Everyone played well and we finished our tour unbeaten, winning this game 5-0, not without having to work hard. The goals came from Dovey (4) and Clark. Overall it was a worthwhile and enjoyable tour.

Tom Still

House Sports Results In Year 7 South and Country shared first and second place in all of the inter-house activities. North and Town must work hard in Year 8 to beat the top two houses. Captain James Wilkes-Green collected the trophy for South .

In Year 8 North won all but one of the inter-house activities where Country took the inter-house Chess Honours. Their Captain, Nick Rumens, collected the Year 8 House trophy.

In Year 9 all houses won at least one of the inter-house events with Country coming out on top thanks to their performances in the cross country and 11-a-side Football competitions. Tony Paluch Collected the trophy for Country. Year 10 had less events than normal and thanks to a great performance in the swimming and

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second place in the athletics, South took the championship from Country. Ben Dewsnip was the South House Captain in Year 10.

South Town North

Country

Yr7

215

115

120

205

Yr8

190

115

210

80

Yr9

150

120

115

190

Yr10

85

55

40

70

405

485

545

Total 640

Athletics

Sports

Athletics Review of the Year This was another good year for College Athletics teams, despite again losing the Hutchence Cup. The junior age-groups continued to produce good results, and the Year 10 team is beginning to realise its huge potential. Eight College athletes competed in the Under 17 Men inter-insular in September. This year’s Captain, Hywel Robinson, has been selected to represent Guernsey in the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India, in October 2008.

Hutchence Cup

We had expected to run Victoria very close after last year’s tight match, but the Forrest brothers for Victoria were back on absolutely top form and our young team struggled a bit. Jeremy Osborne won the Shot Putt for College in his fourth and final appearance in this match and Hywel Robinson took the 400m by over four seconds. Will Bodkin was another convincing winner in the 800m, but the most promising performance came from Ben Fiore in winning the Javelin, for which he won the Williamson Memorial Cup. With seven athletes from Years 10 and 11, the future should look slightly more rosy.

Colours were awarded to Will Bodkin, Ben Fiore, Phil Roussel and Stephen Eulenkamp, and re-awarded to Hywel Robinson and Jeremy Osborne.

Sports Day

The Victor Ludorum was Hywel Robinson with victories in the 100m, 200m and 400m. With Will Bodkin also winning the 800m and 1500m and Dan Arblaster the Javelin, Country scored a convincing victory for the House trophy. Jeremy Osborne scored a double in the Shot Putt and Discus for the third successive year, a remarkable achievement, and he will be sorely missed in the throws in future years.

Two athletes set Sports Day records in the Year 7 competition: Tomos Geraint Ap Sion in the Hurdles and Michael Mann in the Javelin. It was Tomos who came out on top in the individual competition by just one point, and he also led South to a

narrow victory from North in the house competition.

The Year 8 Champion was Nicholas Rumens, with a double in the 200m and 400m.

North and South tied the team competition, both well clear of third placed Town. Jack Heywood was an expected winner in the Year 9 competition with victories in the 100m and 200m and second places in the Long and Triple Jumps. He also anchored Town House to a Sports Day record in the 4 x 100m relay. With Ben Cuddihee taking the 400m, 800m and Hurdles as well, Town were expected winners of the house competition.

The Year 10 individual champion was never in doubt with new Sports Day records for Jacques Ogier in the 100m and 200m as well as victories in the 400m and Long Jump. With Joshua Lewis winning the 800m and 1500m and Christian Georcelin the High Jump, Town proved easy winners of the house competition, but this is an extremely strong year and we can look forward to some excellent performances from them next year.

Island Schools’ Sports

2008 was an excellent year for College teams, overall our best for a long time, despite not winning any silverware. The Year 7 team was a close second to the Grammar School, the best performance coming from Michael Mann in winning the Javelin.

Richard Sweeney won the Shot Putt, and these two along with Luke Inderwick, Tomos Geraint Ap Sion, Louis Payne and Sam Pearson were awarded Junior Colours.

The Year 8 team finished third, with Harry Player being awarded his colours. The Year 9 team also struggled to finish fourth, with Alex Lacey and Nick Robilliard the only two athletes selected to represent Guernsey against Jersey, for which they received colours. The Year 10 team should have won, had it not been for a disastrous relay (too much watching the GB teams I think!). Jacques Ogier was the best athlete from any school with two victories in

new championship best performances in the 100m and 200m. Josh Lewis won the 1500m, Ben Fiore the Javelin and Phil Roussel the Shout Putt. These, along with Christian Georcelin, were awarded colours.

In the Boys competition College was second overall to the Grammar School, by just 1 point, our best result for many years, and one which bodes very well for the future.

Cross-Country

The very strong Grammar School team won the Island Schools’ race, despite College having three runners in the top 10, Tomos Geraint Ap Sion (4th), Callum ChapmanPage (5th) and Adam Emmerson (9th).

However, this was a pleasing performance, especially as Tomos and Callum are only in Year 8.

The Years 9 & 10 race saw College score the customary convincing win, with all our scoring six athletes in the top eleven, winning by nearly 50 points from the Grammar School. Joshua Lewis led the team home in second place, and was followed

by Luke Bisson (4th), Alex Falla (5th), Matt Renouf (6th), Jacques Ogier (7th) and Maurice Wyser (11th).

Will Bodkin, the pre-race favourite, ran out an easy winner of the College Senior race in a new record time, and with the first four places filled by runners from Country House, they came out convincing winners.

Joshua Lewis won the Year 10 in another new record, and led Town House to victory.

In Year 9 Ben Cuddihee (Town) equaled the record, but it was South House who came out on top in the team competition. Adam Emmerson also set a new record in winning the Year 8 race from Rory Stahelin, perhaps the most exciting of all the races. Adam also led North House to a convincing win.

Tomos Geraint Ap Sion won a close race in Year 7 from Callum Chapman-Page, but with both representing South House the team competition was never in doubt, though Country packed in well to get within 8 points.

C R W Cottam

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Sports

Swimming & sports Leaders

Sports Leaders 2007/08 The Sports Leader Programme takes place on Friday afternoons as an option alongside CCF and Community Service. Its aim is to teach boys leadership skills through sport. We now have an established pattern through the four years that the boys commit to this activity.

The boys start in Year 10. Under the guidance of Kathy Stuart from the Guernsey Sports Commission the eight boys this year completed the Junior Sports Leader Award.

This is a nationally recognised award and gives boys advice and experience in skills such as communication, organisation, fair play and health and fitness. One of their major projects during the year was to assist local sports development coaches to run a Sports Fun Day at Forest School. All eight boys successfully gained their certificate

and are now working in local Primary Schools assisting with after school sports clubs on a Friday afternoon. Providing the boys gain their Junior Sport Leader Award, in Year 11 the boys then embark on a one year placement at a local Primary School.

Each Friday afternoon they assist with an after school sports club in a variety of sports throughout the year. Currently we are assisting with clubs at St Martin’s, La Houguette, Castel and Hautes Capelles Primary Schools.

In Year 12 boys are encouraged to gain a Level 1 Coaching award in a number of different sports. Mr Kinder ran a very successful Cricket course on Friday afternoons in the Lent term which led to eight boys gaining this award. These courses are sports specific and form the

start point of gaining nationally recognised coaching awards. Using these awards our aim is to get Year 13 boys out in the local community assisting with sports clubs in Guernsey. Currently we have boys active in Guernsey Hockey, Football, Rugby, Cricket, Badminton, and Tennis Clubs. In addition a number of boys are helping run lunchtime and after school clubs at Elizabeth College and games at Beechwood school.

Congratulations to all who have taken an active part in the programme this year. A big thank you to Kathy Stuart at Guernsey Sports Commission, Mr Clarke at Elizabeth College and all the Primary School teachers who give of their time to make this option a success.

D Wray

National Schools’ Swimming Relay Report Earlier this year, two swimming teams from Elizabeth College went to Sheffield (near Manchester) to compete in the National Schools’ Swimming Relay Finals. We had previously competed in heats in Guernsey along with most of the other island schools.

We left Guernsey on a Friday morning and travelled to Manchester where we then hired a minibus to travel to a large shopping centre in Sheffield. On the way we had to pass over the Pennines; only the day before the pass had been closed due to bad weather so it came as a bit of a shock to come across a lorry blown over by the wind. The weather was cold and it was a shock to us Guernsey boys. At the shopping mall we had free time to go off and look around all the shops. After this we went to

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have a look at the competition pool in Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, the British Swimming HQ. The pool was 50m long (twice the length of Beau Sejour). That evening we went out for a meal followed by the cinema.

The next day was the competition; we went for a pool familiarisation session followed by a large breakfast in the complex. By this time, many schools from all over England had started to arrive.

The competition itself was unlike anything I’d ever been to before; you sat and watched the races knowing that you were competing with some of the best swimmers in the country, strange when we come from such a small island. Matthew Allen, our team captain who has attended the event for the last five years, put our minds at ease.

As for our results, the junior team - Charlie Holbrook-Sanderson, Joe Ogier, David Hall and Luke Belton - came fifth in the medley relay and ninth in the freestyle. The intermediate team - Jacob Cherry, Stewart Hume, Josh Lewis and James Jurkiewicz came seventh in the medley relay and ninth in the Freestyle. That evening, we went out for dinner again in the Trafford Centre (Manchester) followed by another film.

We could go on this trip because we are all committed to our swimming training.

When we get to go on this sort of trip it makes it all worthwhile. All teams can be proud to be in the top ten of the best schools in the whole of the UK.

Luke Belton

rugby

Sports

Rugby First Game against Grammar

Our first game of the season was a friendly match against Grammar school. This was the first match of the year for us and for Grammar, so the purpose was to give us both some practice before the cup game the following week. Going into the game we did not really know what to expect. We had been training all year but this was our first match and we did not know how we would perform.

For some of our team it was the first real game of rugby they had played. We also did not know what to expect from the opposition.

We knew that they had not had as much time to train as we had, but we also knew that they had some good players.

As soon as the game started it became clear that it was going to be close, and the whole team showed that they were really up for the game. It was apparent that our training had sunk in, as we scored within the first 5 minutes. We played a more structured game than Grammar with a better attacking and defensive line.

The game was very even and neither team looked more likely to win than the other. Our whole team seemed really up for the match and everyone played with a lot of effort, especially in the contact area where our players tackled with a great deal of physicality. The game approached its end with the score at 12-19 to Grammar. Despite the fact that we were losing, at the end of the game we appeared the more dominant team, spending most of the time in the oppositionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s half. If the game was a bit longer we may well have gone on to win but as it was the game ended as 12-19 to Grammar. We left the game with the knowledge that we could play some good rugby and the cup game was going to be a close affair.

Cup Game against Grammar

Following the previous game we approached the cup game with the knowledge that we could win. We had won the cup last year and we were determined to retain it. While we had lost the first game, it had been very close and we felt it could have easily gone our way but for a few moments. We knew that we played a more structured game than they did, due to all the practice that we had in our games sessions which they had not. At the beginning, Grammar seemed to have the upper hand and they scored the first two trys of the match which meant we were 14-0 down. Coming back from this position seemed a daunting prospect, but we were back in the game when Tom Zierer charged down a Grammar kick near their try line and I touched it down to score our first points of the match. Sam Meader, our number eight, brought some further respite when he ran the ball from the base of a scrum to score a brilliant try, untouched by any of the Grammar players.

Both of these trys were converted expertly by James Smith. This made the scores level and made the game more intense as both teams were desperate to pull ahead, there being not much time left. Unfortunately it was Grammar that scored the next try when there was about five minutes left. We fought back quickly with determination and spent a lot of the remaining time up close to the opposition try line but we were unable to score a final try and the final whistle was blown to end the match at 21-14 to Grammar.

While we were inevitably disappointed not to have retained the cup, we were still pleased with the performance we had given and the effort we had put in.

Richard Parkin

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Trips

Barcelona

Barcelona 2008 This year the Language Department decided on a trip where the main objectives were to improve students’ knowledge of the Spanish language and to learn about the Catalonian culture, including a cookery lesson enabling the students to produce a four course Spanish meal.

On the 6th April 23 excited Year 9 & 10 pupils, accompanied by Mrs Gordon and Mr and Mrs Slann, left for a week in Barcelona.

During a fun filled, action packed week, the students experienced Spanish and Catalan culture, visiting Salou, the Grand Prix circuit of Catalunya, Camp Nou museum and Stadium, home of Barcelona FC, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia Cathedral with its beautiful architecture and Parc Guell, also designed by Gaudi.

They also took a ride in the cable car at Montserrat some 1,350 m up with a slope of 45 degrees. It offered breathtaking panoramic views which included sight of the monumental Rosary of the Virgin. Once at the top the boys were able to visit the Benedictine Monastery.

096 :: The Elizabethan 2008

Much to the amusement of the boys, and despite the attempts of Will Ozard to change her mind, Mrs Slann declined to take the trip to the top!!

The students also enjoyed an afternoon of karting and a fabulous afternoon at Las Ramblas in Barcelona where they all took part in, and thoroughly enjoyed, a Spanish cookery lesson and also had the opportunity to sample Tapas, not to everyone’s taste but most seemed to appreciate the experience. In the evening, they visited the beautiful magic fountains at Montjuic, a sight not to be missed!

Saturday was our last day and it was spent at Port Aventura, one of Europe’s best theme parks. The boys had an exhilarating, day, giving members of staff a few premature grey hairs with their fearlessness in experiencing some of the highest, fastest stomach churning rides at the park. In the evening they returned to the hotel weary but happy, ready for the journey home on Sunday.

Mrs M Gordon

Barcelona

Trips

“ The Boys’ Perspective To begin with we went to Salou to have a look around the local shops and play football near the beach. Around lunchtime we left on the coach for Barcelona. Our first stop was the Camp Nou, where we ate lunch then went on a tour around the stadium and museum. After this we went to the official Barcelona football club shop, which was really expensive! Next we were taken to a famous street for shopping and street performances called Las Ramblas. We split up into two groups.

Group 1 had a cooking lesson; this consisted of looking around a local market before heading to a restaurant. Here we helped make some traditional dishes from Spain.

The starter was a sweet tomato drink, then we had “Pan con Tomate” or tomato bread with Spanish tortilla. Then we had extremely tasty seafood paella and a lovely dessert called “ Crema Catalana” or crème brulee to us.

Group 2 had time to look around more shops and street performances in Las Ramblas before visiting the “Barrio Gothico” the Gothic Quarter. After this they went for a meal at a tapas restaurant where they tried different tapas such as spicy chicken, “Jamón Serrano” cured ham, chorizo, “Patatas bravas” spicy potatoes and other delicious things. The night ended with a visit to an ice cream shop with many unusual flavours before travelling back to the hotel.

Joshua Cutter and Christian Georcelin CIRCUIT OF CATALUNYA Spanish food is muy deliciosa [very tasty]!

It was an interesting visit where we had the

We had the chance to witness the race school drivers doing their first ever practise runs for F1.

”

chance to witness the race school drivers doing their first ever practise runs for F1.

The noise was unbelievable, you cannot get a true feel for the atmosphere just by watching it on the TV, and even though it was only a practise, the air was electric.

This was an unforgettable experience and a good place to visit!

Rafael Van Den Bossche KARTING IN SALOU After visiting the Circuit of Catalunya we were left with the desire to go racing, so we went to Salou for an afternoon of karting.

When we arrived we were divided into two groups of under 14 and 14 and over. Then we went racing and had competitions for the best driver. The winner of the under 14s was Richard Bailey and the winner of the over 14s was Anthony Paluch. It was a fun afternoon!

Jake Golland PORT AVENTURA On Saturday we went to a theme park just outside Salou. This is the best theme park in Europe. It is made up of lots of fast rides, water rides and simulators. The newest ride was Furious Baco, which went from 0-135 km per hour in 3 seconds. One of our favourite rides was Dragon-Khan, which had 10 loops. This was undoubtedly the best day of the trip!

Alex Falla, Pierre Le Page and James Chan MONTSERRAT MOUNTAINS We left the hotel at about 9:30 and walked to the train station to catch a train at 10:00.

After this journey we arrived at Barcelona

where we had lunch at McDonalds. After lunch we walked to the metro station where we took a train that took us to the cable car in order to reach the top of the mountains. The top revealed a stunning view of the valley and the mountain range.

Once we arrived at the top we had a quick walk around the village and visited the monastery. We then travelled down the mountain in the cable car and back to Barcelona and then Salou on the metro and the train. Overall it was a very long day of travelling but worth it for the views.

Lucas Harrison, Richard Bailey, Charlie Couture and Rafael Rito TRAVELLING OUT Having just broken up for the Easter holidays most of us were excited about travelling to Barcelona, although probably not so much about waking up at 5:00am to meet at the airport for 6:00am. Shortly after leaving Guernsey we arrived at Gatwick to wait for our second plane to Barcelona. After many McFlurries, some shopping and playing games we finally checked in and took our flight to Barcelona.

Having enjoyed a comfortable flight to Barcelona, we took our coach to Salou and during the journey we had the opportunity to catch up with some sleep or watch a movie. In the evening we arrived at our hotel, California Gardens, where we had some hot food and then relaxed in the games room, playing pool and video games.

By then most were tired and ready for a fun week ahead.

Joseph Duquemin, Callum Holland, Alex Giubileo and Tony Paluch

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Trips

French Exchange

Sixth Form French Exchange to St Lô Wednesday 26th March saw around thirty Ladies’ and Elizabeth College French students board the Victor Hugo ferry and take the epic and daring voyage to Dielette in order to meet up with new “friends” from L’Institut St Lô, who would hopefully, over the course of the exchange, improve the level of our French, so that we could gain better marks in our oral examinations. Since January we had known the names of the people that we would be exchanging with. Some lucky people even had telephone numbers and e-mail addresses so that they could break the ice before the first meeting at L’Institut, but more importantly find out how much English their partners could speak! Predictably, no such luck for me. Those who had the fortune of contacting their exchange students had a rough idea of what their partner looked like, and in one (rather disturbing) case someone actually printed out an A4 picture of their partner (no names mentioned Jan, don’t worry).

Suffice to say, the first introductions were awkward, and for me pretty terrifying. I am not the tallest person in the world, but unfortunately it looked like my exchange student was. There was lots of “bonjour”ing and admiration of the weather (thanks to Mr Rahman for many years of drilling the weather into us every lesson!) and then a nice long awkward silence whilst the rest of us were introduced to our exchange partners. French students don’t go to school on Wednesdays, so having met for only a few minutes I was whisked off to his home for the afternoon. It was during the hour or so car journey that I learnt, through much gesticulating and use of “Franglais”, that my partner spoke no English. At all. Whatsoever.

This trip was going to be fun...

That first afternoon was possibly the most awkward few hours of my life and I’m sure many of my friends felt the same way. Having been at home for three hours it was announced, again through copious usage of gesticulation, that we would be going into town to meet up with some of our friends. Thank God for that. After trawling around the shops (for some reason, the girls enjoyed this more than the boys) we went to the pub (no alcohol for us of course) and played copious amounts of pool (for some reason, the boys enjoyed this more than the girls).

The next day saw us all gathered at L’Institut in preparation for a tour of the campus and then a lesson with our exchange students.

Most of our students were taking the “Bac Pro”, which focuses more on vocational subjects. This meant that our lesson consisted of typing a pre-typed letter back into the computer to improve our typing skills. That was a fun lesson... After a typically healthy lunch we visited a farm museum and an art gallery (it was more interesting than it sounds) before going back to our families for the evening. My evening meal that day was to be “lapin”. Strangely, I had lost my appetite. After another early rise, the next day saw us visiting a biscuit factory. The owners got slightly annoyed when they realised that for the most part, we were only interested in the free tasters. From there, it was a two hour drive to Cap de la Hague

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but due to the weather, the coach turned straight round again. That was a worthwhile visit.

Over the next few days, the language barriers were slowly broken and we found ourselves settling in quite nicely to our hosts’ lives.

Meal times were no longer dreaded and full of awkward silence, but full of animated discussion. My hosts loved football. I hate it.

But still, I was in their home so for five days straight I talked of nothing else!

Finally, it was time to return to Guernsey with our hosts. This time, we would be speaking in English the majority of the time in order to improve our hosts’ English. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out with my student so I ended up speaking solid French for the entire week. The teachers thought that this was great. I didn’t. That first evening, we fulfilled our duty of being an English stereotype and had “le rosbif”, much to my partner’s amusement.

The students followed the same sort of timetable that we had followed in France, with them visiting different attractions and having lessons given by both Mme Thibeault and Mme Sproule.

To mark the end of the trip, Harry and Tom Miller kindly hosted a farewell party during which friendships with other people’s exchange partners were made and email addresses were exchanged. The following morning saw us all meeting up at the harbour, to wish the students (in some cases) a tearful goodbye and a safe journey.

Even though the exchange lasted for just shy of eight days, we all felt that our French had improved considerably, and the amusing over-the-top accents demonstrated on the ferry on the way there had turned into sort of a genuine one (well, almost). On behalf of all the students who went, I would like to thank Mme Thibeault and Mme Sproule for making it such a memorable trip, and (provided I can take French A2!) I am looking forward to next year’s exchange.

Daniel Ingrouille

Interior design for the kitchen

Forest Road | Tel: 234000 | Fax: 234007 | mail@channelislandceramics.com | www.channelislandceramics.com

Trips

Geography

Dorset AS Geography Field trip We arrived on a very rainy October 15th 2007 in Southampton, apprehensive about the week which was going to follow, mainly due to being told that in this rainfall we were going to have to collect our first pieces of primary data, ironically near the sea so some moisture was to be expected... but not to the level we experienced. The mood was lifted by the appearance of some speakers on the bus and needless to say techno, drum and bass were the choice to psyche us up for the task ahead.

down the surprisingly decent food that we were given with hot chocolate on tap.

Rested and recovered, we awoke the next day to a cold, but sunny morning, and a day on the River Wey. Here we had fun, as we got to get wet, but it was our choice whether to or not. We took measurements at 6 points down the river, eventually ending in Weymouth harbour. The day ended with a drive up to Portland, with views over Chesil beach and a final stone skimming session there.

When the destination loomed earphones came out and smiles upturned at the realisation of how rainy it was. We had come prepared, but not for what we saw. The staff from the centre met us at Studland Sand Dunes and promptly split us up into the groups that we were going to spend the next few days working in. A look around showed an almost competent mix, myself excluded. From there we were given the option, lunch then, or work. Being an enterprising bunch we decided that work was the best option, while everyone else was munching sarnies on the bus staying dry. Due to this we managed to get a good three sand dune transects above everyone else and we were getting better and faster with each one. It paid off finishing a whole hour before everyone else.

The next day was more human geography based with a coastal management trip to Lyme Regis which ended in a game of rugby on the beach, and some undiscovered talent upturned, in the form of “The Clark”. Although a boys vs girls match was suggested, it was deemed unfair as we would have to let them win. We also marvelled at the fact that most of the houses are held up by a wire which stops them from slipping off their clay bases and onto the main street. The ice cream was also very good. From there it was a short coach ride to the new settlement of Poundbury, the vision of Prince Charles himself. The Town Hall is built in a medieval style and is called ‘The Brownsword’. A quick walk around the outskirts showed that we were being followed by the nearby “Dorchester Massif”, but after some rocks were exchanged in our direction, the police were ‘phoned, and they were carted back home

Moods cheered up when we were out, unpacked, had a warm shower and wolfed

to their waiting worried mothers. That night was spent, by the more adventurous ones, in the sea off the base of the cliff from the centre where we were staying, a celebration of our final night.

The next day gave us an opportunity to either walk or bus to the point of Durdle Door on Dorset’s Jurassic coast. Needless to say I took the bus, although, I think to everyone’s surprise, the majority decided to walk. This was the final relaxed day where a number of stunning photographs were taken and the geology of the Jurassic Coast was revealed to us. From there it was a walk to the beautiful Lulworth cove and the surrounding geological bays. As we relaxed on the massaging chairs in Southampton airport, it dawned on us that the week we had just spent was coming to an end and a new memory created that a lot of us will remember for the rest of our lives. As the sun set behind our plane the sombre final journey home was upon us. We now had to actually write our coursework!

Thanks to Mr Huxtable for organising the field course.

Matthew van Leuven

GCSE Geography Fieldwork on Fontenelle Beach Are the pebbles on Fontenelle Beach sorted? This is the question that was the basis of our day-long fieldwork at the Fontenelle Bay area. After being issued with a twenty-four page booklet we lined up behind Mr Huxtable who promptly led us from the Fort Le Marchant area down onto the beach, where he kept us fascinated with yarns about wave-cut platforms, weaknesses between diorite and granodiorite rock types and something about sun cream. Our fascination was short-

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lived, however, as our attention was soon diverted by a shout of discovery by Henry Carre. We ambled up to investigate, and ended up being completely occupied with a deceased rat. I digress.

We persisted with our task by seeking to prove four hypotheses which involved studying various pebble shapes and sizes.

Using technical equipment we measured the size of pebbles along specific points and recorded the lengths in a table. We

then, using the Power scale, gave a unit of angularity for the pebble. Various exercises like this resulted in pages of scribbled notes, measurements and averages.

At the end of the day we were all bursting with enthusiasm to start our coursework and proclaim our new found knowledge about Guernsey’s coastline to our friends and families. Whoever said pebbles were boring?

Boaz Williams

Geography

Trips

Geography Fieldtrip - Iceland 2008 The latter part of the Easter holiday saw Elizabeth and Ladies’ Colleges A-Level Geography students travel to Iceland.

Despite the location of the island the climate is relatively temperate and we experienced clear skies and warm sun throughout the trip, encouraging many to show their true Guernsey colours by wearing T-shirts and shorts.

icebergs, which often float and crash at speed, as well as seals and other life. This immense and beautiful area was where the car chase scene in Die Another Day was filmed, after it had frozen over. A short walk from the lake took us to the coast, which was made up from black sand due to the basalt rock, as well as snow – not quite a typical Guernsey beach!

After an exceedingly early start, a relaxing swim in the Blue Lagoon geothermal pools was well received by all. We then departed to the capital city, Reykjavík, taking a floor of the Youth Hostel as our base camp.

The following morning we met our tour guide, Ragna, who often entertained us with her mythical stories and her knowledge and enthusiasm of the island, and our silently punctual bus driver, who were to accompany us throughout Iceland for the majority of the trip. Our first visit was to the Hveragerái Geothermal Centre, where we experienced the heat of the natural geothermal springs through boiling (and promptly eating) Icelandic eggs, before continuing on to the Nesjavellir Power Station. Following a short coach trip, we arrived at the Geysir hot springs and landforms, where spectacular eruptions from the geysers left many in awe (although also wet). However the day was not yet over, and we still had time to cross between tectonic plates at the ëingvellir rift valley structure, and saw the stunning Gullfoss Waterfall, before returning to the youth hostel. Those who had enough energy left also took part in the Icelandic swimming tradition at the nearby bathing pools.

Our penultimate day was spent largely around the coastal town of Vík, which sadly is expected to be washed away very soon when part of the Mêrdalsjökull Icecap melts following an eruption from Hekla volcano.

The unique local crafts here, especially the woollen products from the Icelandic sheep, gave us ample opportunity to become further acquainted with the unusual exchange rate of Icelandic Krona. We also saw the magnificent columnar basalt cliffs, similar to the structures at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, among many other amazing coastal and erosional landforms.

The trip was enjoyed thoroughly by students and teachers alike, and I am sure they look forward to returning in the future.

Thanks go to Mrs Brogan and Mr Aplin for accompanying us and also to Mr Huxtable, our tour leader.

Adam Tolcher

We spent much of the following day on the Sólheimajökull glacier and Mêrdalsjökull Icecap. While some travelled up in a giant orange Snowgroomer, others had the privilege of more personal transportation in 4x4s across the glacier. The thick snow provided much (tiring) entertainment for us, including tobogganing down the slope and the creation of ‘snow babies’. A highlight for many was the visit to the Jökulsárlón Pro-Glacial Lake. The lake contains many

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biology field course

Lower Sixth Biology Field Course to Slapton In order to prepare for the A2 Environment module and for A2 coursework all students continuing their Biology studies attended a field course at Slapton Ley Field Centre during the last week of the summer term.

They were accompanied by Mrs Halton and the local expert himself, Dr Van Vlymen.

The field course started in typical fashion, a three hour boat delay! Nevertheless, spirits remained high with Matt Thoume providing the entertainment for the boat journey.

A three hour coach drive then ensued on a painfully slow coach until the party of students and teachers arrived at the centre shortly after midnight. Curiosity started to emerge when we were greeted outside in the dark and rain by an eccentric man with a ponytail who claimed to be the manager.

A ‘buffet’ followed as we were kindly given the left-overs from the previous dinner (plenty of sandwich filling but no bread!) before we were introduced to our spacious accommodation.

Morning came and seeing the centre in daylight convinced us that we were staying at an eco-centre, with its solar panels on roofs, rainwater harvesting taks and my least favourite, the eco-toilet located in a sort of garden shed. The day kicked off with an introduction from our tutor for the week, an unbelievably enthusiastic woman named Debbie. Tiredness swept over the group in the morning theory session on adaptations of aquatic invertebrates but interest returned for the afternoon fieldwork with a walk through Slapton Wood to study animals in different microhabitats (riffles and pools) in the woodland stream. ‘Kick samples’ were taken (by placing the net downstream and using either your hand or foot to disturb the river bed and wash

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the disturbed material into the net) and from these samples species were identified using a key. Dan Arblaster, Hywel Robinson and Rick Parkin claimed the prize sample when they discovered ‘Nightrider’, a megamonster of a dragonfly nymph. Biting midges featured strongly in the river, unfortunately for Dan, as he had chosen to wear stunningly short orange shorts! After being compassionately told to ‘man up’ we proceeded back to the centre, where despite the anti-social finishing time of 9.15pm after the final theory session, everyone was having a good time.

Day two followed a similar pattern, starting with a morning theory session on xerophytic adaptations followed by a practical session lasting from late morning to mid-afternoon. The practical session consisted of sampling various abiotic and biotic factors that affect plants growing on a shingle ridge on nearby Slapton Sands, as well as the succession of plant species with pioneer species furthest down the ridge then becoming more complex towards the back of the ridge. This was the hottest day of the trip so certain members of the group aptly chose not to wear sun cream, Adrian D’Arcy being the pick of the tomatoes.

Day three started with a scandalous situation. We were to be walking through reed-beds and in shallow lakes all day and someone had stolen my wellies! After a quick sulk we headed out to Slapton Ley in order to assess species richness and biodiversity in reed-bed and open-water habitats. The night before we’d all been warned to wear long trousers, naturally we all turned out in our shortest shorts!

The best discovery in the reed-beds was a Greater Boatman, quickly followed by

many more by the same trio of Dan, Hywel and Rick. We were also analysing the trophic structure which meant having to identify species as carnivores, herbivores or producers and group those from the same category together; you can guess what happened when an incorrect identification was made! Another person sampling was Dr Van Vlymen who sampled the plankton from the lake. He received 10/10 for his work and prepared microscope slides of the algae and small invertebrates for the class to look at.

The previous evening started with a rugby game so naturally the fourth day featured many aching limbs and war wounds, the pick of which being Steve Eulenkamp who unfortunately had fallen badly on his ankle and now had a bad limp. Lucky for him day four contained lots of walking! A theory session started the morning with an introduction to marine ecology, zonation on a sheltered rocky shore and adaptations to living on an exposed shore, before we clambered into the minibuses and headed off to Gorah rocks. We sampled the length of the beach looking at the species of seaweed and other organisms present. On returning to our accommodation there was a surprise in store for Mike Creber and Joh Harvey when they found that the school staying next door had broken into their room and left a lamb skull! Despite our fears that this was a warning it turned out to be a light hearted joke and Joh took great pleasure in befriending the girls that had left it.

On day five we studied the management strategies in place in the National Nature Reserve around Slapton Ley and discussed the impact of agriculture and sustainable

D of E Explorations

farming management schemes. This meant an enjoyable walk around the reserve with an occasional eye on a portable TV brought by a member of the group so that we could see the mighty Andy Murray play Nadal at Wimbledon. The result was similar to the weather, not great. The evening provided us with the opportunity to plan our mini group projects followed by an intense football game.

Day six was a favourite day of mine. We spent the morning and early afternoon sampling for our mini projects on marine ecology. My group was investigating the morphology of limpets on exposed and sheltered shores. We headed down to Gorah rocks, a twenty minute walk from the minibus but calamity struck! The bucket containing sampling equipment for most of the groups had been left in the minibus.

Unable to return to the buses we all had to improvise; Hywel’s method for generating a random sample definitely being the best - spinning a fifty pence piece on top of a crab shell and then walking in the direction of a marked edge. Late afternoon provided us with the opportunity to write up our projects for an evening presentation, with my group consisting of Nic Lane, Mat Van Leuven and myself being proclaimed outright winners and receiving a prize of suitably inscribed Slapton pens for our efforts. “A memorable victory,” exclaimed Mat. At this point it was time to say goodbye to Slapton, for we were leaving early in the morning. A presentation of some signed washing up gloves to Debbie, our tutor for the week, summed up the jovial but focused attitude of the trip. We were all grateful to Dr Van Vlymen and Mrs Halton for making it a very enjoyable trip and look forward to obtaining a record number of As in our ecology module!

Oliver Collas

Trips

‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ and ‘Dancing with Wolves’ DoE Award Gold and Silver explorations The expedition got off to an uncomfortable start right from the word go due to seven hours of delay for our connection ferry to Weymouth, thanks to a combination of bad weather and other ferry delays. Instead of arriving in Weymouth in time for supper we arrived at midnight. Fortunately the camp staff and taxi driver had agreed to stay up for us! The discomfort was eased by the beds and fried breakfast but it was still stormy for loading the roof rack prior to heading to Gatwick and on to Krakow! Upon arriving at the airport we then had another drive to Zakopane, our Base Camp for the first week. This was done in poor visibility due to awful weather and with endless road works as Poland tries to improve its roads prior to Euro 2010 (it needs to complete 1350kms of new roads and has so far managed 35km! But, the plumbing in Surrey is excellent!). Despite the excellent Sat Navs in the hire cars we had trouble finding a campsite and when we did torrential rain made the experiences of putting tents up a nightmare, as well as being hindered by the fact that it was very dark. Mr Wesley’s tent almost floated away!

From here on in one could only hope that the journey would get better. And it did, over the following two days the weather cleared up, apart from the regular rain showers at approximately 4pm each day! These two days were all about getting acclimatised to the time difference (only a few hours), the new surroundings, food and language and the altitude (by scaling Giewont 1984m) Our explorations followed a West-East crossing of the Tatra Mountains, mainly across the lower slopes which were full of flowers, pastures, wildlife and gorgeous streams. There were also caves to follow and vertical cliff faces in the limestone.

“

Exercise Summer Special is designed to take you out of your comfort zone. Mr Aplin

”

The route for our group was from Kiry to the “Chocolate Valley” anticlockwise. Although first suffering a major navigation error, our group stuck together, held spirits high and continued on. A valuable learning experience to work as a team in both motivation and navigation!

After the first day we pitched our tents, in a rather unconventional way on wooden platforms with large nails as tent pegs as we were not allowed to camp on the national park’s land! This campsite was also complete with traditional well water and tradition wooden outdoor toilets (a pit in the ground with a wooden cubicle; these were much to our amusement!)

[Continued overleaf]

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D of E Explorations

DoE Award Gold and Silver explorations [Continued from previous page] After finishing the previous day on a high, but fuelled by the regret of making silly mistakes, we started this day to prove ourselves as successful mountaineers and navigators. With a fast pace, much improved navigation and with good decision making, we walked East to West through the lower slopes as they were covered in more vegetation and trees for shade and valley floor streams for cooling off; in 35°C it was hot work and due to the limestone there were no streams on the valley sides. We then went up to Sarnia Skala peak [1376m], our favourite named peak for obvious reasons, and trekked back to Zakopane campsite, where we stayed that night.

After the DoE exploration was complete we had the best day of the trip! Getting up early in the morning then using the cable cars to get up to the Polish/Slovak border, we continued with a knife edge ridge walk, which, included some fantastic views and which, accompanied by our singing, made the perfect day out! Some vertigo crept in on some of the slopes but that’s all part of the experience and gives an overload of adrenalin! Brilliant!

The highest points were Kasprowy Wierch [1987m] and Kozi Wierch [2291m] and I particularly like the use of chains and ladders (called via ferrat) to get up to them!

We then hiked back down to Zakopane campsite. This was an excellent experience in the high mountains.

After this highlight we descended the picturesque Drajonnec valley to Krakow and settled into the 1930s Hollywood themed hostel. We had to share the kitchen with girls from Down Under who have a Krakow visit on their ‘must do’ list for Europe. It is a beautiful city with many Renaissance style buildings and the infamous Auschwitz Camps nearby.

The following day we went to Auschwitz / Birkenau, where at least one and a half million Jews were murdered by the Nazis.

Much regret, sadness and hatred was felt and many of the group did not really

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know what to do with themselves, very depressing, but at the same time I am glad to have seen and known what happened, something for all of us to never let happen again.

We also toured the Jewish Quarter and visited the site of Oskar Schindler’s factory, made famous by the Spielberg film and where Schindler managed to save hundreds of Jews from the gas chambers at Birkenau.

(On our return, Radovan Karadzic was captured and is to be tried for crimes against humanity, Robert Mugabe refused to acknowledge the election results in Zimbabwe and the people of Darfur are still being subjected to virtual genocide. And as for Tibet…!)

The next day we visited the World Heritage Salt Mines with over 200km of underground tunnels that produced 25% of Poland’s wealth until the Industrial Revolution. Cut within the tunnels is a huge cathedral for 600 worshippers and a five star restaurant which is much sought after by wedding groups. It was like being in a large town 90 metres underground. The salt was brilliant with our end of trip barbecue that evening...not that we took any!!

In just a few days we went from 3000m above sea level to 140m below ground, via the depths of the Concentration Camps.

To finish the trip we visited the Wawel Castle in central Krakow – rather like the Tower of London, and Nova Hutta – the planned Socialist City around the steel works that were meant to provide an ideal life for everyone.

On the whole a fantastic trip, many valuable experiences and useful tips picked up along the way. Definitely worth the money!

James Adam

Classics

Trips

Classics Department UK Field Trip The Classics Department has always felt that Field Trips to the UK are an important part of our students’ learning experience.

This is not least because the UK examiners tend to assume that candidates for A-Level Classical Civilisation and Ancient History (Roman Britain) have visited the major UK museums or Roman sites. If we did not organise these trips our students would therefore be at a considerable disadvantage.

2008 was no different and there were two trips for the respective Upper Sixth students of Classical Civilisation and Ancient History.

The Civilisation students had their opportunity in February. We were booked on the British Museum Sixth Form Study day on Mycenaean Greece, and we were then to stay on for an extra day so that the students could look at the Elgin Marbles and other Greek sculpture in the museum for their coursework.

Unfortunately, due to lack of numbers, the museum cancelled the study day at short notice, but as our flights and accommodation were already booked the newly appointed curator for the Aegean Bronze Age, Leslie Fitton, agreed to arrange an individual study and handling session for us. This meant the students actually handled some replicas of Bronze Age Greek daggers, as well as some original Linear B writing tablets – over 3,000 years old!

The evening was spent at ‘Spamalot’, the Monty Python musical – probably the highlight for the students if the truth be known!

Day 2 saw us back at the museum, notebooks and cameras at the ready. After a brief tour to get their bearings the students went off on their own to glean material for their personal coursework assignments.

Four weeks later, and we were back in the UK with the A-Level Ancient Historians. After an early flight to Gatwick we were faced with a two hour wait for our minibus to be ready, but the hire company did give us £5 a head to buy breakfast, so the morning was not lost. When the minibus eventually arrived we found it had a speed inhibitor set at 58mph, so we had to rethink our original plan after visiting Fishbourne Roman palace and head straight for Bath.

Day 2 saw us heading north through the Cotswolds, visiting Chedworth Villa and Cirencester, and then up to the reconstructed Roman fort at The Lunt. The night was spent at Iron Bridge Youth Hostel – when we found it after going to the wrong one initially, which appeared to be very closed!

the niches in the changing-rooms of the baths) before beginning the drive south. We took a detour to visit the extant stretch of Roman road on Wheeldale Moor, always a good photo opportunity, before arriving late in the evening, tired but satisfied, at York YH. Day 5 is Boudicca Day! Our first stop was at Verulamium (St. Alban’s) and then on to Camulodunum (Colchester) the oldest city in Britain.

Both were attacked and burnt to the ground during Boudicca’s revolt of 60-61AD, but the museums also contain excellent examples of Roman mosaics and evidence of the variety of religious practices which existed in Roman Britain. The evening was spent in London and, at the request of the students and perhaps somewhat appropriately, saw a visit to the theatre to see Nick Hytner’s production of ‘The History Boys’.

The final day was for visits to the British Musuem and the newly refurbished Roman exhibits at the superb Museum of the City of London in the Barbican Centre. Both contain plenty of evidence of life in Roman Britain, and the latter again has vivid reminders of the horror and ferocity of Boudicca’s rebellion, including the severed skulls of the victims of her army.

Finally we had the drive back to Gatwick, which was maybe the most exciting part of the trip as the traffic seemed to become ever worse as we slowed to a crawl. Would we make the flight? Would Nick Blows make it back for his 18th birthday party? Happily, the answer to both questions was ‘yes’, and the students arrived back in Guernsey tired, but with plenty of material for their coursework and evidence for their examination answers.

It was truly a privilege to be able to take both these field trips, and I thank Alan Cross for his assistance and good company on the Roman Britain trip. However I must also thank Adam Briggs, Nick Blows and Joe le Page from the Classical Civilisation group, and the entire Ancient History group: Richard Angliss, Nick Blows, Hamish Boyle, Martha Downing, Chloe Ferreira, Carl Pugh, Jo Waldron and Callum Wrench. They were all enthusiastic, interested, scholarly and, most importantly, tremendous fun and I wish them all every good fortune for whatever the future may bring.

C Cottam

Our morning visit on Day 3 was to Wroxeter Roman town before the long drive up to Hadrian’s Wall. We visited several sites on the wall as we drove steadily eastwards alongside it towards out next youth hostel at Once Brewed. Day 4 is always a highlight with a walk along part of the wall itself and visits to the major forts at Housesteads, Vindolanda and Chesters (where the crew posed in

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College Choir

Choir Trip to St Malo February 2008

It seems that the annual Elizabeth College Choir Trip to St Malo is somewhat akin to the proverbial bus, just not the French variety (for which read on . . .). After waiting for 25 years before being asked to be a member of this trip, and with the added privilege of being asked to write the Elizabethan report, I find history repeating itself a mere year later, yet this time with increased responsibility.

The absence of Mr Cross for the initial part of the trip meant I found myself in charge of ensuring the boys, 50 strong this year, were successfully navigated from the ferry terminal to the youth hostel. In what seemed a strange case of déjà vu, I watched as the Principal disappeared with his car packed full of all the luggage, and Mr Harris rode off into the sunset with the venerable Abbé. Still, I had been here before, I knew where the bus-stop was, we only needed to change once, and we were in France, so

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what could go wrong? One hour later and I was wondering what had gone wrong, except that I was all too aware – the bridge was open. For those of you not familiar with St Malo, this is the bridge which allows boats to pass into the inner harbour; and not so much as a velo-moteur to move on the neighbouring roads. However, I knew the bus would arrive eventually, as it did, so I was able to respond with a typically Gallic shrug of the shoulders to the increasingly desperate comments and questions from the 50 or so Elizabethans blocking the pavement at the bus-stop.

When we eventually arrived at the Youth Hostel just in time for supper, we found Dr Argent and Mr Harris in unsurprising, yet nevertheless depressing, good cheer. However, after rapid raids on the supermarché and with stomachs full, the assembled masses were ready for their musical masses. As a reward for my

successful negotiation of the St Malo public transport system I was given the evening off, so Mrs Cottam and I made our way into St Malo, only to find at two o’clock the following morning that she is now allergic to oysters.

Saturday dawned bright and breezy as the choir gathered for their morning rehearsal led by Mr Harris and accompanied on the keyboard by Miss Le Tissier. The lower voices were strengthened by the arrival of Messrs Cross and Surcombe to add to the presence of Dr Harnish, and the sounds emanating from the rehearsal room as I sat in the sun sipping my coffee and reading suggested that the evening performance would be of a high quality. However first there was a bus trip into St Malo Intra Muros for the all important shopping (I think that is the correct French term) before another short rehearsal.

College Choir

And so to the real purpose of the trip, the first of two sung masses. This was in the beautifully simple little Chapel of the Dominican Convent de Ste Anne, which is attached to the back of the hostel. The Mass Setting by Mr Harris contains many choral favourites and the choir responded superbly to a packed and very appreciative congregation with an excellent opening rendition of the ‘Hilariter’ and ‘Kyrie’. The standard was maintained throughout, despite some logistic difficulties just prior to the service due to the size of both the congregation and the choir.

After supper Mr Hooker proved that he has lost none of his skill and ability to enthuse the boys on the gravelly volleyball court as I watched somewhat apprehensively clutching the trip First Aid kit; fortunately this was not required and all proceeded to bed in one piece.

We were immensely privileged to be allowed to sing the Sunday morning mass in the superb setting of the Cathedral of St Vincent in St Malo. This glorious building has the acoustic quality one would expect and the high treble voices rang round the lofty norman vaulting. Cesar Franck’s ‘Father Almighty’ was a particular highlight and John Rutter’s setting of ‘The Lord Bless You and Keep You’ was a fitting and moving close to both the service and the weekend’s musical performances. The party split into small groups, each under the guidance of a member of staff, to buy lunch in the many

cafes in St Malo. After much pizza and many crepes we all re-grouped for the walk back to the hostel at Courtoisville to relax.

However, first was the small matter of the beach games, organised by Dr Argent.

This year we had a wider choice on offer.

The activities started with the traditional bare-foot football which featured some remarkable lapses in concentration from those attacking the goal away from St Malo.

This could be explained by the difficulty of playing on sand or maybe they took their proverbial eye off the ball. I am sure that the presence of a couple of girls sunbathing topless behind the goal had no bearing whatsoever.

The football was followed by rounders, which proved harshly competitive and resulted in your writer arriving at College the following week on crutches. Xander Barnes, the Year 8 with whom I collided in our zeal to catch the Principal’s lofted hook, came off relatively lightly, if a little stunned initially; however he held on to the ball leading the Principal to complain “He might at least have had the good grace to drop it!”

This was to be the last trip for three stalwarts, Joshua Langlois, Tom Miller and Fraser Ward, who between them have given over 20 years service to the College Choir. As they headed off with Mr. Harris for a meal in St. Malo the remainder of the party enjoyed another evening of Hooker and Argent

Trips inspired fun and games. Monday morning was spent by dwindling numbers of boys attempting to solve one of Dr Argent’s supply of fiendish Sudoku puzzles, lured on by the promise of a £10 prize for anyone who was successful. The Principal is a wise man and does not rashly flash his cash, which on this occasion remained unclaimed in his wallet.

The final act was the bus trip back to the ferry terminal – an easy enough looking task. The first bus to La Gare Routieres was not a problem, on time and quick. However, then it all began to go horribly wrong. We caught the right number bus at the right time, but for some reason the driver seemed to have decided to go the reverse way round the circular route. The clock ticked on and I became increasingly worried as we seemed to be driving ever further out of St Malo.

However we held our nerve and eventually arrived at the ferry terminal in time and the 2008 Choir Trip to France drew to a close.

I am sure the boys would all wish me to thank Mr Harris for his detailed organisation and hard work, as well as his musical inspiration and direction, Miss Le Tissier for her accompaniment, and Messrs Argent, Cross, Harnish and Hooker for their time and contributions to making another Choir Trip so successful.

C Cottam

“

We were immensely privileged to be allowed to sing the Sunday morning mass in the superb setting of the Cathedral of St. Vincent in St. Malo.

”

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Ski Trip

Ski Trip February 2008: St Anton

The week got off to a good start this year as the boat left on time and arrived in St Malo early, spirits were high due to a smooth crossing. The coach journey was fairly uneventful, as one would expect, although we woke up the next day to discover that we were suddenly behind schedule; it was later revealed that the coach drivers missed a turning!

sustained a pleasant week’s sunshine along with cold weather, allowing for sustained good snow conditions. After a hard day’s skiing, a large meal was welcome, and the hotel excelled itself, providing seconds and, for the economists amongst you, a free lunch.

We arrived in St Anton early afternoon and were greeted by the friendly hotel owner who provided us with a small lunch.

We should probably stop here to discuss the hotel owner, who not only owned a hotel, but a ski school and ski hire shop (or as it transpired half the resort). He even managed to put up with the antics of Year 8 who were always up to mischief.

The conditions enabled all levels (beginner skiers and boarders, intermediates and advanced) to develop either their skiing or sitting ability (for the snowboarders amongst us), and all made good progress throughout the week, culminating in a slalom race which, although it didn’t present a challenge to the top groups, provided some amusement for the staff, especially Mr Hooker who skied the course backwards.

St Anton, for those of you who do not know it, is one of the largest Austrian resorts, with an extensive ski area, as several of the group discovered after being misplaced by their instructors. Although no new snow fell during our stay, some had fallen the previous week, and global warming

Throughout the trip almost everyone managed to do something either embarrassing or rather silly, which led to the development of a fine system, orchestrated by Mr Good (who conveniently didn’t have to pay anything himself). These were read out on the last evening amongst

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the other prizes, and each person had to give a donation towards the teachers’ refreshment fund. To give an example of the fines, they ranged from “skiing backwards as a show off” to “losing a ski off a cliff” and in one case for “claiming that ‘my parents don’t pay three grand a term for me to be a dustman!’ (after being made to clear up the bus)”. Congratulations must be given to Jem Bishop for attaining the most prizes.

After a great week’s skiing with no major accidents - bruising from ice skating seemed to be the largest cause for complaint - we boarded the coach for the long journey home.

Our thanks go to all the teachers for all their hard work organising and running such a successful trip.

Oh, and for the record, skiing is still better than snowboarding.

Barney Williams

ski trip

Trips

Ski Trip Highlights/Memories

PGL

The highlight for me had to be the theological debates between Barney, Boaz and Simon at lunch….

AWWWWSSOOOMMMEEE!!!!!

Mr Hooker’s incredible race finish... backwards and wearing a Rastafarian hat and wig Miss Dudley’s perseverance with snowboarding despite the bruises The fantastic snow conditions with great instructors I remember the hotel manager – he kept popping up all over the mountain to make sure we were being taught properly

The food was really good – including the cooked lunch at the mountain restaurant – better than the usual dry sarnies Falling over so many times and thinking that I would never get going – but I did The evening snow show by all the instructors which showed the history of ski-ing and all the different styles of ski technique Alex telling the coach driver that his parents don’t pay fees for him to clean buses. And the driver telling him now was the time to learn if he wanted to get a lift to the slopes

Jem’s monster the Nighthog Going across the valley in a cable car and seeing the amazing views down below Watching the helicopter pick up an injured skier and fly with them hanging from the chopper all the way down the valley. It made me a bit more careful!

Mr Good’s fines – especially when he had to fine himself Sharing a room for the first time away from home Chris’s speed skating – awesome!

Can you imagine being strapped into a flimsy contraption with your legs dangling helplessly as you are hauled at least 25 metres into the air?

And then can you imagine pulling a thin cord which releases you and sends you hurtling towards the ground? Sounds insane!

That’s just one of the great activities that 30 Year 7 boys did on the 2008 PGL trip to Osmington.

What else did we do? The great dragon boat race revealed we were the champions (much to Callum’s disgust) whilst the raft building proved our superb skills in creating floating apparatus.

Back at camp we showed our survival skills by conquering our fear of the trapeze, Jacob’s Ladder and the speed of the 50 metre zip-wire.

Finally back on the ground we headed off to the quad bike track to indulge in some action on four wheels. Later our wheels were reduced to two as we headed up the mountain on our bikes.

The highlight of the trip however was Tower Park, with its terrifyingly tangled tubes! My favourite drop was Screamer which had a vertical drop – you could definitely see what it’s been named after. Overall PGL was an awesome trip and I can’t wait to go again.

Matthew Beck Yr 7

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 109

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staff leavers

Editorial

Godfray Guilbert Godfray Guilbert retired from College at the end of the Michaelmas term 2007, having taught Biology for over 29 years. Indeed he latterly achieved that rare distinction of teaching the sons of pupils he had previously taught.

Godfray is of course an Old Elizabethan (5304). He joined Beechwood as a pupil at the start of the Michaelmas term in 1955.

Beechwood records are scant but they indicate that he won the cup for elocution in 1958. In his time in the senior school he emerged as a strong academic, managing to acquire no fewer than 12 O-levels. His Sixth Form academic achievements were even more remarkable, he gained five A-levels and a distinction at S-level. It should be noted that passing five A-levels was a much rarer achievement in the 1960s than it has become today. Godfray was also a member of the CCF RAF section, achieving marksman status. During his final terms at College Godfray was appointed Senior Prefect.

Godfray left College in 1967 and read for a degree at the University of London. After graduating in 1972 he joined the City of Westminster School as a teacher of Biology.

He must have quickly established himself

as an excellent teacher because he was promoted to Head of Biology within two years. During this time he was also elected a member of the Institute of Biology, the professional body for UK biologists.

In 1978 City of Westminster’s loss was College’s gain as Godfray returned to be Head of Biology at his old school. He led the Biology Department with distinction ever since, achieving very high standards in his subject area. For example, as long ago as 1995, the Biology Department achieved 40% A grades at A-level. In September 2002 Godfray was promoted to the post of Head of the Science Faculty, a role in which he steered the sciences through radical revisions of the GCSE syllabus.

Typical of long-serving teachers at Elizabeth College, Godfray made memorable contributions in a variety of other areas.

He supported the pastoral system by serving for many years as Housemaster of South House. His continuing involvement in the CCF saw him ultimately become Officer Commanding RAF Section and he received the CCF Cadet Forces Medal in recognition of this role. Godfray also had a long standing interest in ICT, records show

him attending programming courses in the 1980s, and he became the school’s IT coordinator in the late 1990s. Godfray has varied interests beyond the confines of College. He was College’s staff link to the OEA committee and as many readers will know he is a very talented photographer. As a Guernseyman Godfray has a keen interest in local politics, initially serving as a Parish Constable and since 1994 as a Douzanier in the parish of St Andrew’s.

It is very difficult to do justice in a few paragraphs to an association with College that spanned, “man and boy”, more than 41 years. Moreover, the full list of Godfray’s contributions to College is beyond the scope of this article because it would fill many pages. It is therefore incumbent upon me to try to say in précis what he has meant to this school. It is, I believe, the most telling tribute to Godfray to say that generations of pupils have been able to rely on him not just as an excellent classroom teacher but also as a member of the Common Room who is willing to give freely of his time to advance their intellectual, social and personal development.

ND Argent

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 111

Editorial

staff leavers

Maggie Webster Maggie joined the Maths Department at College in September 2002. She was an experienced maths teacher who had taken some time out of teaching but had missed the enjoyment and job satisfaction. It did not take long for her to remember, not only the enjoyment, but the sheer hard work. I am sure she must have wondered at times what she had let herself in for but she has been a most dedicated teacher throughout her time at College.

She has been a real asset to the department for these past six years and helped give us I first arrived in Guernsey In 1991 to take up a teaching post at Les Beaucamps School.

Six years later I tried my hand in the finance industry and started to work my way through accountancy exams but as time went on I realised my heart was still in the classroom and was thrilled to be offered a post at Elizabeth College, where part of my remit was development of Key Stage 4 (GCSE yrs 10/11 to most of us!).

With the trust and unwavering support of my Head of Department, Andy Hale, and Senior Management I was able to introduce GCSE Statistics onto the syllabus and effect a change to the International GCSE which I feel is a better preparation for A level Maths.

The students’ response has been extremely encouraging, availing an already very successful department with even better grades and results. This period has also seen a dramatic rise in the number of students opting for Maths at A level, bucking the national trend. The work is demanding, the job satisfaction immense! “Thank You” Elizabeth College for a wonderful note on which to retire.

Instead of a leaving speech I wrote a little poem about my experiences at old E.C. Here it is – but please bear in mind it was intended primarily for the staff.

Mrs M Webster

112 :: The Elizabethan 2008

a long period of stability. Looking back over these years it is amazing how much work she has done – sorting out KS 4 curriculum twice (new GCSE materials and then introducing IGCSE) and preparing for the old A level (with four modules) which then changed to the new six module course a couple of years later.

She set up the GCSE Statistics course for Y10/11 some four years ago and has now kindly donated a trophy for Statistics to be awarded at the annual Prize Giving. This was awarded for the first time this year.

Maggie’s Leaving Ode I wish I had been younger When I joined the Common Room Six years is only just enough To be a newish broom.

How clean I sweep is suspect In t’ Maths block I would say It’s coffee making, washing up And tidying day by day.

Job info failed to mention The only one staff loo In ‘O’ block – shared with menfolk Not what I like to do!

The students are mainly pleasant And staff simply superb Especially the Maths ones That goes without a word.

At Christmas we have pressures Reports, concerts, carols, sore eyes The Maths lot take some solace In mulled wine and mince pies.

Dear Andy has been patient My ideas not always rational But now we have no coursework And Year 11 truly international.

The Prin was also worried Should he let me have my head?

I wanted early entries But have Year 10 Stats instead.

I must also mention her efforts as a house tutor. I know it’s not her favourite aspect of the job but – as is typical of Maggie – she does not do any job half-heartedly. Every year she has shown a genuine interest in each boy as an individual. One small example, to illustrate Maggie’s attitude to the job – on the morning her Upper Sixth Formers sat their last maths exam, she presented each of them with a good luck four leaf clover. We all wish Maggie well in her retirement, we shall miss you.

A Hale Every job has its downside For me it’s the tutoring To teach maths my main objective Yet rewards the boys do bring.

I know they appreciate my efforts But tutees are frustrating Encourage, cajole and guide them Shape behaviour by debating.

Now targets, aims and objectives Have become intentions by the score Our WALTs and WILFs and WILYs Are plastered on the door.

Yellis, Midyas, Ayliss Exceeds, Meets, Falls below Tis only a matter of time Till on staff they do bestow.

I’ll not miss all the deadlines Reports, assessments too.

Inset and Parents Evenings But will miss the staffroom do.

The energy I have no longer To cope with all the rigour Of teaching life at old E.C. My God you need such vigour.

So tinged with a little sadness I say a fond ‘Goodbye’ But forever I’ll be grateful For the opportuni-tie To play but just a small part In a great establishment And know even without me College will go from strength to strength.

Leavers and School Council

Editorial

Brian Hughes Brian Hughes joined us from Liverpool for a breath of Guernsey air. Having run Art Departments in hugely different countries and different types of schools, he combined a love of his subject with a keen understanding of how to deliver it successfully to students of varying abilities.

His leadership led to steadily improved results and during his time here increasing numbers of students chose to take Art to examination level. In addition to this, he developed the Photography AS level

course into a popular option, introducing digital and computer technology. The annual exhibition of students’ examination coursework, mounted by the Art Department, has become a significant event in the cultural life of the community. Brian also willingly helped design and paint sets for a variety of dramatic productions and assisted on PGL trips to France.

Away from school, Brian was a keen sportsman. A generous spirited golfer (he had to be when he played with me), he

regularly enjoyed local tournaments as well opportunities to play abroad, and he closely followed the majors elsewhere. He was also a sociable tennis and squash player with a sardonic sense of humour.

But his home always beckoned. Brian is an intensely private man who never quite put down roots here; strong familial ties eventually called him back to teach in the UK.

R James

The School Council For the next academic year the School Council aims to not only build on the foundations and success from last year but bring in some new inventive ideas. Last year the School Council, with a senior committee comprising of Josh de Kooker, Ben Jones and Tom Miller, initiated a new prefect system, improved lockers throughout the school by refurbishing them and improved the aesthetics of the school by displaying student artwork in classrooms and corridors throughout the buildings.

The new prefect system meant the introduction of ‘Junior Prefects’. These are Year 11 students who assist prefects from the sixth with tasks such as lunch duty and registration. The role of ‘Junior Prefects’ is to assist older prefects and less of authority over people their own age. It was felt that anyone who wants to be a junior prefect should be given the opportunity in order to give all pupils the chance to take on more responsibility and feel more involved with the school. Only if they were not performing the role satisfactorily would they have the position taken away from them.

For the next year the senior committee consists of Oliver Collas, Harry Miller and Hywel Robinson. Elections will be held throughout the week beginning 8th October to elect two representatives from each year. The School Council has already

met once this year with last year’s elected members present. Here we tried to set out goals and ideas for the coming year.

This year we are focusing on improving inter-house competitions. To enable this to happen, house prefects have been introduced (one for each house).

The Council is contemplating introducing an academic side to house competitions.

This would involve the ‘Merit Sticker’ system currently running for Years 7-11 being turned into a house competition, with points available each half-term for the house that has the most merit stickers. House competitions would also be extended to include singing, drama and potentially alternative sports such as dodge ball.

We are keen to introduce a house flag competition, whereby students design an emblem (similar to a coat of arms) for their

house. For each house the design would be collected and students would vote for the emblem to represent their specific house. A set of rules will be set out whereby designs have to include elements of the house name and colour. The School Council has also decided to try and introduce a buying/ selling board in college where students can sell and buy used items. If the item is above a certain price limit then the purchase must be made with the consent of parents.

I look forward to the coming year in School Council and hope that the changes made to the house system improve house morale and further the sense of belonging to a particular house. Good luck to all candidates who are involved in the October elections.

Oliver Collas

“

The new prefect system meant the introduction of ‘Junior Prefects’. These are Year 11 students who assist prefects from the sixth

”

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 113

Old Elizabethans

Contents Introduction Dinners Sports Articles Committee News

114 :: The Elizabethan 2008

115 117 118 120 127 128

introduction

Old Elizabethans

The President’s letter replace the need for expensive ’mail-outs’, although the ‘Elizabethan’ will still be sent to all members as before.

Once again, please can I appeal to you all to give the Association regular updates about your career and personal circumstances.

Without doubt, this is the one thing that your fellow OEs read with avid interest and we always welcome contributions.

Fellow Old Elizabethans, You will read this as I approach the last few months of my Presidency of the Old Elizabethan Association. So where did the past five years go?

In June, I will hand over an Association that is both active and flourishing. Inevitably, there have been a few disappointments amongst the many successes, but overall I have managed to achieve much of what I hoped for when I took on the Presidency in 2003.

The website has been up and running for a couple of years and is now an essential constituent of the OEA infrastructure. It provides news of OEs, advance notice and subsequent reports of OEA events and sporting occasions, an archive of historical information, the ability to search for fellow OEs and a forum for OEs to communicate with each other. The latter function is one area that has been a disappointment, as this has been rather usurped by upmarket facilities such as ‘Facebook’.

We have also now compiled a comprehensive database of contact details for OEs and this has enabled us to e-mail members directly with news of coming events. In time, we hope that this will

The OEA has been very much involved with the very successful Foundation Appeal that has managed to raise circa £1.5m to fund projects at the College, including the new Sixth Form Centre, the all-weather playing area at Beechwood, a new building extension at Acorn, and the current project to replace the Memorial Field Pavilion, along with a much needed cover for the College swimming pool. Roger Perrot spearheaded the original campaign but has now stood down and Bruce Parker has taken over as Chairman with the emphasis moving towards persuading OEs to consider setting up legacies in favour of the College. The need to source funds for capital projects at the College could well become more critical as the States of Guernsey, yet again, debate the financial support that it gives to the Independent Schools in the island. Support from the College’s alumni could well become even more essential to guarantee the viability of the school that has served them well in the past.

I am delighted to report that the Association continues to recruit new members and the past year shows a net increase in numbers of 23. Throughout my Presidency I have attempted to make the Association more interesting to younger OEs and, with this in mind, the two most recent OEA committee members, Ben Le Huray (8699) and Rob Newton (8612), have brought youthful viewpoints and enthusiasm to our deliberations.

Perhaps our social events have not appealed to the younger fraternity and, in this regard, we hope that we can develop new social activities that do. However, there is so

much ‘going on’ in Guernsey, it could well be that people are just too busy to attend yet another function. We are in the process of setting up some social events for the many young OEs living around London and the Association is planning some sporting activities, culminating, perhaps, with matches against Guernsey OE teams.

In addition, we hope to identify someone in different year groups who can act as a catalyst to persuade their peers to attend the various OEA events, particularly the Annual Dinners.

In conclusion, I would like to pay tribute to the many people who have supported the Association during my Presidency.

In particular, Gresham Barber has been the most wonderful Secretary, we have had enormous fun working together and I could not have achieved what I have without his unstinting support. Gresham is a perfectionist and I am sure that his organisational skills have been very evident to you all.

All the committee members and supporters such as Bruce Parker and Chris Meinke have helped enormously, particularly in setting up the website.

Finally, I wish to say publicly that I consider Elizabeth College to be extremely lucky to have Dr Nick Argent as Principal. Over the last five years, I have been closely involved with Nick and his excellent team in the Common Room and I have to say that I have nothing but praise for the way in which the College is performing in the whole spectrum that is ‘education’. I would have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending Elizabeth College as a place of educational excellence.

I wish you, my successor, and the College well for the future.

Jerry Girard

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 115

Events

Dinners

The 144th Old Elizabethan Association Dinner The 144th Old Elizabethan Association Dinner was held in the College Hall on June 27th 2008. Once again the weather was anything but a balmy June evening!

However, undeterred, 113 Old Elizabethans and guests came up the well worn College steps to be greeted by the President and Secretary.

The College Hall, renowned for stimulating nostalgia, recent and distant memories of OEs, produced the most wonderful vibrant atmosphere for this memorable occasion.

Here there were friendships being rekindled on a yearly basis, some OEs who see each other most weeks of the year and some who have not met since they left College over 40 years ago! A very welcome guest from the Common Room was Suzanne Battey, Head of the Junior School. The Guest

of Honour was Malcolm Wicks MP (5775) Minister of State for Energy. His speech was light hearted, highly amusing and only very slightly political. He was aware that he had been referred to, by a most senior OE, as a ‘Labour Bugger’. His answer to the diners was simple, they would have to put up with him until they could come up with an OE who was a ‘Conservative Bugger’!

A superb Floreat was proposed by Michael Eades (6529) including some amusing competitive spirit as to which local legal firm had the most OEs! The Senior Prefect, Josh de Kooker (9918), delivered a most confident and profound speech.

The Principal, Dr Nick Argent, (how does he speak so comprehensively about the College year without any notes?), was obviously proud of some very fine achievements on

and off the field during the year. One of his amusing recollections was the EC versus VC cricket match when “Elizabeth College scored 129 and Victoria College didn’t”! He also made note of the amazing performance of Nick Branch who attended the Palma Match with the Channel Island Team and came up with the second highest score at 900 yards.

Sadly, the last dinner that our President Jerry Girard will preside over as President but what a great night to go out on. The Carmen was particularly robust this year!

Thank you to Colin Langlois (5746).

The 144th Guernsey Dinner, they just keep getting better!

Gresham Barber (5159) Honorary Secretary

List of Diners 3929 3946 3968 4014 4094 4188 4213 4232 4280 4497 4501 4537 4561 4747 4755 4775 4861 4902 4916 4996 5058 5159 5180 5210 5221 5224 5225 5236 5274

Sir Charles Frossard Sir Peter Le Cheminant R Honey V J Collas A R Higgs F Le C Sarre H D Ferguson M T Le Maitre R J Gill P J Martel A E Le Page K Bichard J H Orly B R W Parker P J Bachmann I A Barrett R H Bisson N G Stanley-Wood R L Godwin M St. J Paint D N Watt G Barber R R Matthews P K Wilson C P Meinke N L Guillemette G D Pay S Le Pelley F Degnan

5304 5308 5313 5363 5383 5442 5450 5464 5512 5605 5618 5642 5695 5713 5746 5751 5773 5775 5797 5841 5850 5858 5866 5921 5927 5933 5942 5980 6034

116 :: The Elizabethan 2008

G Guilbert A H Langlois D J Ozanne D Le M White M G Nicolle P S T Girard R A Perrot A G F Bodman N H Allen R Smith A Lindsay P H Touzeau I H Beattie M F Mauger C E Langlois M J Mann D S Stuart M H Wicks A D C Webber N P de la Rue C J Robilliard G A Riley J Symons A J Higgs A J Lindsay N M Ozanne T Wright P J G Atkinson P G Baron

6086 6154 6212 6261 6289 6298 6303 6372 6490 6529 6598 6623 6686 6722 6805 6815 6823 6825 6831 6883 6904 6925 6960 7148 7157 7170 7240 7246 7258

A C Gallienne M J Tidd J M Willis T C Slann R E Le Poidevin M R Windsor J S C Wallis J N L Fitzgerald S D O Lacey M J S Eades J A B Gollop S G Perfitt C D Thompson L S Trott M C de Garis S W F Howitt M P Read M J Riddiford J R Toynton D K M Chan M R Thompson R J R L Bellis J J L Morgan S M Ross C A L Brock M A J Helyar J Torode A J H Dempster J P Nicolle

7479 7541 7566 7591 7633 7671 7745 7940 7956 7980 7989 8198 8364 8468 8617 9002 9027 9320 9783 9786 9918

A L Bisson R W Gregson M G A Dunster A J de L Cleal R Clark J R W Ovenden W R Annan P J A Moody J P A Barrett R G Le Sauvage D H Steer N J Bachmann D Crosland A J D Margison G M Taylor F A F Bodman S E G Willis A R Brewer C D Paluch J G Plumley J J de Kooker

Honorary Members

N D Argent

T Collenette

C R W Cottam

S Battey Associate Member

P Davis

dinners

Events

The 145th Old Elizabethan Association Dinner The RAF Club in Piccadilly once again played host to the 145th Old Elizabethan Dinner on 3rd October 2008. Encouragingly numbers were considerably up….well done those OEs who travelled from the far corners of England, Wales and of course Guernsey, not forgetting two European OEs from Switzerland and Portugal!

The Guest of Honour was L A M Lewis (4467) a fine stalwart of the OEA and a very persistent attendee at the London Dinner! He spoke emotionally about his time at Elizabeth College and the importance to him of maintaining links with it, through the OEA. Many amusing stories were told from his colourful and very successful career.

Floreat Collegium was proposed by J C Tucker (7515) in a splendid and robust manner. He later admitted that he was enjoying himself so much, he was reluctant to sit down!

his account of the College Year, which only seems to get better and achieve more year on year. Some outstanding results were recalled; such as 44% of all A Level entries achieving ‘A’ grade passes and record high GCSE results. The College was the largest fundraiser at the Swimarathon and at the National Fencing Championships there were 9 prizes for boys, 7 of which were taken away by Elizabeth College! Other sporting successes included coming 7th in the Ashburton at Bisley, thereby beating Victoria College, and Michael Creber shooting for Elizabeth College who won the Victoria Tankard (that was a tough one for that Jersey college to swallow!) Last but not least the OEA, Victoria College and the MCC (Marylebone not Middlesex!) were all beaten

by College in the same week. The victory over the MCC was the first since 1989.

The Principal concluded by expressing his thanks to Roger Perrot for his Chairmanship of the Foundation, now taken over by Bruce Parker, and also to Jerry Girard for his Presidency of the OEA which will end mid 2009.

Gresham Barber (5159) Honorary Secretary

The Principal, Dr. Nick Argent, delivered

List of Diners 4151 4451 4467 4537 4669 4747 4952 5058 5081 5129 5159 5308 5364 5442 5482 5531 5622 5714 6010 6890 7003 7040 7423 7515 7517 7668 7901 7906 8022 8127 8198 8200 8213 8234 8314 8316 8433 8601 8638 8676 9027 9202

G E Heggs C L C Fitzgerald L A M Lewis K Bichard J G Stranger B R W Parker M F Martel D N Watt J W Read A P Duncan G Barber A H Langlois D N Scott P S T Girard J K R Porter A G Powell R A Smith-Ainsley H R Stranger K J Le Page G A Hunt S G Foote B Mc L Spittal A J Niles J C Tucker N J R Wilson S B R Mackay J M Robinson W M Walden S R Bone M E Le Pelley N J Bachmann L S Cairns S C Kirkpatrick S B Womersley A M Chopin C J Colclough M J Hemans M Brehaut W K Dawber T D Henry S E G Willis P H Human

Honorary Members

N D Argent

K P Mellor

A R Cross

The Elizabethan 2008

:: 117

Sports

OE Rifle Club

Bisley 2008

Veterans Results A Team Nick Mace 50.8 Nick Branch 50.4 Peter Jory 49.9 Rob Waters 49.4 Adam Jory 48.6

OEs placed 7th 246.31 Old Victorians 4th 246.34 Winners Old Epsomians 247.29 A number of Old Elizabethans shot extremely well at Bisley’s 2008 Imperial Meeting. Nick Mace was the most successful; in the Grand Aggregate, made up of all the main competition scores, he tied for first place with 690.80. However, he was counted out into second place on central ‘V’ bullseyes, leaving CPO Nigel Ball the actual winner and Flt Lt David Calvert, the renowned Commonwealth Games Gold medallist, in third place. Adam Jory placed 33rd with a score of 677.74.

In the final of HM the Queen’s Prize, Nick was joined by brothers Adam and Peter Jory and Nick Branch. Michael Creber, a College cadet, had scored 144 in the second stage, missing the cut for the final by two points. Peter scored 291.24 placing 33rd, Adam 290.28 in 40th place, Nick Branch 287.30 in 60th place and Nick Mace 284.28 in 81st place. All four acquitted themselves well on a sultry day with fickle and quicklychanging winds.

In addition to taking second place in the Grand Aggregate, Nick Mace won the Clementi Smith and Elkington (Long Range) aggregate and was third in the Century and the Monday Aggregate.

118 :: The Elizabethan 2008

A number of OE’s and College boys fired for Guernsey in the long range Mackinnon match. We congratulate the College itself on a particularly good Bisley.

Adam Jory was second in the The Times at 300 yards and Peter Jory was third in the Tucker aggregate.

Mike Martel (4952)

B Team Peter Sirett 49.6 Mike Martel 49.4 Scott Benest 47.4 Bruce Parker 46.4 Nic Boyde 44.1 OEs placed 11th Winners Old Marburians

235 .19 245.29

C Team Nick Harlow 49.2 Simon Martel 47.4 James Geering 46.3 Gary Hunt 46.2 Alan Le Page 42.1 OEs placed 13th Winners Old Epsomians

230.12 243.29

Veterans Aggregate 1st Old Epsomians 734.86 8th OEs 711.62 Lucas 1st Old Epsomians 1037.78 4th OEs 995.41 Marlingham 1st Old Marlburians 3386.338 3rd OVs 3359.336 9th OEs 3260.312

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01/12/2008 13:50:14

Editorial

articles

“Since we went away” This school book diary of life as a child evacuee from Guernsey was written in an exercise book by Geoffrey Peter Warley (4335). It was recently unearthed by his daughter, Helen. Some excerpts from the diary, which describes everyday life in the evacuated College, are given below.

At 9.30pm we picked up our cases and began to march to the Harbour – we were off. We went aboard the ship – a Dutch cattle ship of about 4,000 tons – she had just come from Dunkirk. The crew were very kind ‘tho’ we did not understand them properly.

The opening page is dated May 7th 1945 but on page 2 he says he begun it on May 16th 1948. He is unable to recall why he wrote it after the war finished or from where he recalled the information, such as from previous diaries. Having unearthed this book only a few weeks ago, his family have taken great delight in his written anecdotes and the detailed drawings within it, but more importantly the characteristics he reveals of himself and how many of them are still so evident in him today as he approaches his 80th birthday. He has always been a keen studier of maps, timetables and menus. His interest in drawing and making paper aeroplanes led on to an apprenticeship as a draughtsman at Westland Helicopters, Yeovil, where he worked until his retirement 20 years ago.

We left at about 11.30pm, the pilot it seems being unwilling to go without trying to demolish the breakwater which we heartily biffed as we steamed out. We went round the South coast of Guernsey which was very beautiful in the moonlight. Boys were pointing out where they lived. On board were The Ladies’ College and Girls Intermediate and Elizabeth College and Boys Intermediate.

Whilst this diary reads of simplistic child activities, happy holidays and generally good times, my Father was only 11 years of age and leaving home without his family without knowing for how long.

Helen Warley June 20th 1940 I went to College in the morning with Dad. I had my case and blanket, my school bag of books and a carrier of grub. During the morning we were arranged in groups. I was M3 or No 3 of group M. We were labelled with a luggage label tied to our lapel and in our groups on our cases, outside the college waiting for the boat. At midday we were given a mug full of “tomato soup”, (I have since been told it was a mixture of every tin in the place). We survived the afternoon and the boat failed to arrive. We were sent home for tea, having been warned to be back by 7pm.

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I spent part of the night below but the smell and heat was too bad so came on deck though we weren’t supposed to.

Friday – We arrived off Weymouth at about 9am but we were not allowed to land till the afternoon. While waiting on board we watched the planes and the multitude of ships of all descriptions. We disembarked and felt ever pleased – they took us onto a cinema and then------------------gave us a medical examination. Next we toiled along the main road (for miles it seemed) with cases to a park where, in a theatre, we were given tea and sandwiches. In the same park as we sat in the sun an ice-cream vendor came to the rescue and gave us all he had.

After more tea and cake and things in some place nearby (I do not remember exactly) we were taken by bus to a railway station.

We had no idea where we were going and I don’t think anyone cared much. We left Weymouth about 5pm and started northwards passing through Bath and Bristol and arriving at Hereford about half past eight. Here we stopped and were able to get for 11d a bottle of ginger beer.

Next thing I remember was a lamp shining in my face and a voice belonging to the Railway Company saying “time to get out.” It was Saturday June 22nd and it was 4.30am

and we were in Oldham and it was raining.

We got out on to the platform and into buses which took us to the Cooperative Hall where we were to live for the next fifteen days. We were given more or less what we wanted in the way of sandwiches and biscuits and drinks and then bundled off to bed for a few hours. By ten o’clock everyone was up and enjoying a huge breakfast in which there was unlimited amount of everything. For the rest of the time we were there we were to have meals like that. They did the best they could for us. Everything was made free to us – the cinemas, the swimming baths, the boating lake – we do what we liked.

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Chapter 2 - We move to Great Hucklow.

The junior forms were in Dorms A and B. The Senior Boys lived in the hangar of the gliding field which was empty except for a few dismantled gliders in one corner.

We slept on camp beds in both places. The prefects and the sixth formers slept in the loft of a farm nearby.

The Principal and family lived in a caravan.

The food was very good and we had nothing to worry in the way of work. We were limited to space and in books as everyone did not bring theirs. When it was fine we did lessons outside just a couple of hours a day. On a wet day our routine was something like this; Breakfast 8 am. Make beds, tidy up, inspection 9 am , after which we got back under the covers and spent the day designing planes and ships for our own army, navy and air force, which never got further then paper. Although we did little work, the candidates for the School certificate had to carry on and they took their exams in the recreation room.

Chapter 4 After my holiday I returned to school at Hucklow and after a while, because the weather had become colder, we were moved. We were still in the village in much better quarters. We took over the quarters where the Ladies’ College had been. We settled in Barleycrofts and the Nightingale Home. School was started properly in the recreation room, the room behind the Weslyan Chapel and the room behind the Unitarian Chapel which were turned into form rooms. The smaller boys did school at Nightingale. Mrs Hickinson’s shop was always in great demand for drinks and chocolate (when she had some).

1941 After the beginning of the new term the snow set in properly and soon a multitude of sledges appeared, bought and homemade. The best was Mr Dyers six-seater on which I ventured once alone………………once! Mark you. I couldn’t control it and overtook and crashed over another boy, luckily he wasn’t hurt.

Eventually snow became so bad we had

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to send an expedition to Tideswell, the nearest town two and a half miles away for bread and coal. We took sledges and got to Tideswell after negotiating a 16ft snowdrift.

The return journey was terrible, but we did it in 3 hours after shedding coal everywhere.

Back to school again 1941 summer term.

We had plenty of cricket. Mr Peach helped and we soon had a fine pitch going with coconut matting and everything. We soon got a first X1 together and began to arrange games with other schools. Our notable week had 3 matches. We won the lot. St Anselms at Bakewell, at Great Longstone we played Birkdale and at Buxton, Normanton.

To the first and third matches the bigger boys went, to the second the Juniors went because only one bus could be provided.

Major Caldwell asked Dorey, Stacey and me to go with the Juniors and dish out tea. He provided huge buns and cakes, all lovely, and dished out hundreds of bottles of pop (big flagons were the only bottles). We dished out the grub and had a good tea ourselves.

We then cycled home.

Christmas Term 1941 Got back to Whitehall, rather strange after Hucklow, you had to do more for yourself here. We sat on forms, straight hard forms with no back. You settled down to routine pretty quickly – there was no time to wonder what sort of place you had come to. Orderly duties were new, and lighting the fire in the Butlers Pantry wasn’t always easy to the new boy at Whitehall. I was in 4A straight away, I slipped to 4B. Mine was dorm 3 – with other boys from Hucklow so OK. Football - in the 3rd game here, not bad sometimes. Very cold up here in the cold weather. Winds make it bitter and the west wind drives rain under windows and doors.

We have our own Chapel here.

We have a new master this term. Dr Pick has come to take Mr Wheadon’s place. He has gone to Refton. Dr Pick is a foreigner, either Austrian or German who escaped from Germany in 1933 when Hitler came to power. He arrived in England unable to speak a word of English. He is now our English Master. He has written several books. Very popular here as he is very decent to us, though he is hated by Mrs H. Nov 5th was a very sad day for us. Mr Waite had a stroke and died suddenly. The whole school attended the funeral in Buxton. Mr Mardey came and took Latin and English till the end of term. He and I never got on well, threatened to BEAT me!

1945 Back to school again – the shortest term we ever had. Usual routine etc. Very excited as the Invasion of Germany went on.

Holidays again and off to Hereford for a day and a half. Then off to Derby for course at Marheraton. Back to Hereford for the rest of the holidays.

Off to school May 1st, May 8th VE day, May 9th Annual Inspection and confirmation, Thursday 10th, we heard you were free!

Geoffrey Warley (4335)

1943 1943 now and when one comes to think of it the time has gone quickly because there has been so much to do. We never got much free time in which we can think about how the time goes, I suppose it is better, we would only grumble if the time went slowly.

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College in Exile

Photos Courtesy of David Le Cheminant (4331) Prefects 1943

Back row L to R: VD Hibbs, L De Garis, DA Le Cheminant, FL Duquemin. Front row: RA Le Page, PT Le Maitre, R Le Poidevin, JD Gibson, AM Hunter

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The Arabic Inscription on the College Hall Organ Whilst at an OE Dinner in the College Hall, my eye was drawn to the wooden screen above the organ. I noticed for the first time that there is Arabic writing carved across the top. So many hours spent in that hall as a boy and yet I had never noticed it before, nor had my fellow diners. Had we all spent our childhood unaware that we had been sitting beneath a verse from the Koran?

I took a photo of it and made some preliminary enquiries. At first sight it appeared not to be Arabic after all. Was it Urdu, Farsi or Ottoman Turkish who all use (or used) Arabic script, but it was none of these. I turned for help in deciphering this from the Oriental Institute in Oxford who passed me on to Colin Wakefield at the Department of Oriental Collections at

the Bodleian Library. He tells me that it is Arabic after all and the text is from Psalm 150, verse 4 (second half): “Praise him with stringed instruments and the pipe” and verse 6 “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord”.

The style of the screen is obviously Arabic but Colin Wakefield says that the shapes of the Arabic letters are a bit idiosyncratic. To an untutored eye, they seem to have little in common, hence the initial thought that this was not Arabic. He also notes that there are few diacritics which also add to the confusion. These are dots placed above and below certain letters in Arabic. They help to distinguish between letters, which without them, might otherwise appear to be identical. He wouldn’t like to conjecture

Chocolate – It’s “Officielle-y” good for you!

where the carving might have been done but implies that it might derive from an Arabic Christian source.

As indicated on the plaque on the organ, the chamber housing it was built in 1934 (I assume by knocking out the wall of the hall and building the chamber on the outside).

The organ originally may have come from Castle Carey but how it got there in the first place would need research.

Since others may have also failed to notice this writing, and given the current interest in the Middle East and the Arabic world, I thought I would bring it to the attention of Elizabethans.

John Orley (4561)

A letter from Paul Merritt (6323) all the way from Sydney, Australia contained part of a copy of the Guernsey Evening Press printed on Monday April 21, 1941. Inside the Gazette Officielle was a coupon to be cut out and exchanged for chocolate.

The text on the coupon reads: “A supply of chocolate having arrived from France, it has been decided to distribute it free on a ration basis to the children of the Island who have reached the age of one year and are under 16 years of age on Monday next, April 21st. The form printed in this paper must be filled up and returned to Elizabeth College. Envelopes should not be sealed but should be marked “Chocolate” in the top corner. It should be noted that the chocolate is not a gift from the Red Cross but a purchase made by the States to augment the food and improve the health of the children.”

Of course at the time Elizabeth College was safely relocated in Derbyshire, but the arrival of this confectionery must have been well received by the children remaining on the island.

Apparently the article was found in an old timber case in Sydney.

We must suppose that the original owner did not have children of the appropriate age, or did not believe the claim that chocolate could “improve the health of the children”!

Mrs D Carruthers

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1: ?

2: ?

3: ? Nicolle?

4:sherman/Sailor 1 5: ?

6: Master 1 7: John Orley 4561 8: Master 2 9: Malcolm Boyd 4555 10: Vincent Carey 4529 11: David Budden 4548 12: Fisherman/Sailor 2 13: John Foley 4660 14: Peter Mansell 4516 15: ?

16: ?

17: David de Garis 4783 18: Christopher Seth 4828 19: Brian White 4413

The Cutting Crew The picture of members of the 2nd Elizabeth College Scout Troop on a day trip to Jethou in summer 1950 which was printed in the 2007 Elizabethan has sparked some interest from a number of Old Elizabethans. Malcolm Boyd (OE 4555) brought in the original picture from the Guernsey Star and had identified a number of the participants.

Chris Nicolle (4621) wrote to confirm that he was indeed the “Nicolle?” (No 3) identified. He writes “I was most surprised to see a photo of myself in the Elizabethan ‘The Cutting Crew’. I remember a great day out starting in hot weather and getting drenched on the way back. I believe we had a donation for troop funds for the work.

I wonder if Health and Safety would let 13 year olds loose now with ‘Bill hooks and scythes?”

“I had a great time in the Scouts. W.W.M. Cooper was the Scout Master and Latin teacher, assisted by Mr Seth. They gave up a lot of time and holidays for us, camping twice in France, Somerset and many times on Herm; once we erected a Totem pole on Herm and put a 2/6 underneath, I wonder if it is still there?”

“I was not a great scholar at College but enjoyed scouting very much and have tried to keep to the promise, laws and B.P.’s ideals all my life. I am now 70 and was still camping in tents last year but have now moved up to the luxury of a motor-home. I now live in

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rural Isle of Wight which is much like Guernsey was in my childhood.”

Chris Robins (5342) confirmed that Master 2 (No 8) was indeed Mr Walter Cooper (Coop). Chris not only married Coop’s daughter Caroline, but also became Scout Leader himself in the late sixties.

He believes that Master 1 (No 6) was Major Micky Manchester although Bruce Parker (4747) thought it was more likely to be Jack Reddish the gym master.

Finally John Cutler (6397), with assistance from Andy LaJoie (4790) identified the sailors as Les Sauvary and Art Le Page on the boat Seabreeze.

“

I remember a great day out starting in hot weather and getting drenched on the way back.

”

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First Female Teacher at Elizabeth College May 1920 Mrs Barrow came with her husband to live in Guernsey in 1910. Before joining Elizabeth College she had created and run “The Guernsey High School for Girls” based in Le Grand Bouet, which offered, amongst other subjects, classes in Arithmetic, Elocution and General Intelligence. While employed at Elizabeth College she also worked at the Ladies’ College teaching book keeping. Mrs Barrow left in 1923, to be replaced by an “Old Boy with a good Batchelor of Commerce Degree”.

Mrs May E E Barrow was the first female teacher at Elizabeth College, joining the College in May 1920 to teach “Commerce”, probably a precursor to today’s Business Studies. Mrs Barrow was the Great Great Grandmother of Alistair Brouard (Upper VI 2008) and OEs Daniel (8380) and Jacob Le Pelley (9174). Alistair’s mother brought in copies of some of Mrs Barrow’s documents including a testimonial from the Principal, the Rev William Campbell Penney.

Mrs Barrow’s testimonial gives a good indication of the work she undertook and also the sort of woman she was: “Mrs M E Barrow joined our staff in May 1920 to organise and conduct classes in Commerce as an alternative to Latin (or a second modern language) for boys of fourteen and upwards. The class of boys with whom, for the most part, Mrs Barrow has had to deal, is obvious from the above statement.”

“The experiment has been a complete success. The boys responded at once instead of being ‘oddjobbers’ whom nobody wanted, they found themselves in the hands of a practised teacher and disciplinarian with a passionate interest in everything connected with her subject.”

“Even the weakest boys began to improve their writing and spelling. If the first aim of a teacher is to arouse intelligent interest, Mrs Barrow has certainly achieved it – and the interest, once aroused has been, I think, wisely directed in the choice of subjects and textbooks, while it has certainly been supported by good discipline.”

College seemed to be somewhat coy about Mrs Barrow’s employment; she is not listed as a Master in the Elizabeth College Registers and while the Principal alludes to her work in his Speech Day reports she is not mentioned by name. In his report on 26 July 1920 Principal Rev W Campbell Penney said “The Commercial Classes which had recently been started had proved to be a success”. The next year he is slightly more forthcoming, the report in the Elizabethan of October 1921 indicates that “In commercial work they had an energetic instructress. They had a very good commercial class, full of go and push.

Degrees were given today in Commerce and doubtless they would soon be able to get a qualified examiner, who would be able to inform them whether they were working on the right lines. Commercial work was taken instead of Latin and occupied six hours per week. They were now publishing a Business Journal, copies of which could be seen and purchased by members of the audience.”

“

If the first aim of a teacher was to arouse intelligent interest, Mrs Barrow certainly achieved it

”

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Editorial How many Psychologists does it take to change a lightbulb?

Psychology has moved on a long way from black leather sofas, goatee beards and “Tell me about your childhood” (although it’s true that there are still a few psychologists lurking about ready to give you an electric shock or two at the drop of a hat). Despite being a relatively new science, born in its modern form at the start of the 20th Century, it has developed at a phenomenal rate to address the whole range of human experience, from how we see and hear, to how we learn and remember, why Sarnians and Caesareans might not always see eye to eye, why some children turn out like saints while others would eat Supernanny for breakfast, and pretty much everything in between.

New technology means that we can even “see inside” the brain and find out which parts are active as people carry out tasks like reading, speaking, or even driving a (pretend) taxi around London.

And if we can get a better understanding of how our minds, brains and behaviour are linked together, then we stand a better chance of understanding what happens when one of those links is damaged, resulting in mental disorders like schizophrenia, autism or depression.

The excitement about psychology’s potential is spreading: it is now the 4th most popular A-level subject in the UK, and the 3rd most-studied subject at university. But sometimes students are a bit surprised by the content of psychology courses – “it’s more sciencey than I was expecting” is a common comment from our

Rob Newton Initially educated at Notre Dame, Rob gained a scholarship to Elizabeth College in 1989. His time at College saw him compete in the three main sports (football, hockey and cricket), culminating in representing the College 1st XI in all three, in both the lower and upper sixth, and going on to play for the Guernsey Men’s Hockey 1st XI in more recent years.

Leaving College in 1996 with nine GSCEs and three A Levels he gained an Upper Second Class Honours degree in Law from Bournemouth University. Rob spent five years in the UK; three in Bournemouth and two in London working in investment management.

The fantastic sporting opportunities in Guernsey brought him home in September 2001 where he embarked on a Chartered Accountancy qualification, becoming ICAEW ACA qualified in 2004 with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). That same year he married Nadia (neé Falla) a former Ladies’ College student who he had met

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undergraduates (the use of “sciencey” betraying the fact that they were never taught English by Mr Fletcher). So I was very grateful to Rick James for giving me the chance to talk to the current Lower Sixth about the sort of topics that they might study during a Psychology degree. We talked about why people might sometimes see colours that aren’t really there, how we’re all experts at lipreading without even knowing it, and how children develop a sense of humour. Then it was on to the career paths that a psychology degree opens up and how to pick the best university at which to study. I hope the students found it useful – with any luck we’ll even see a few of them at Cardiff before too long.

And the answer to the question in the title is one. But the bulb has to really want to change.

Dr Mike Le Pelley (8127) A photo of Mike Le Pelley that looks fairly normal, albeit upsidedown. But turn your Elizabethan upsidedown (so that Mike is now the right way up), and hey presto! Not so normal after all.

at the age of 14. In 2006 Rob and Nadia travelled around the world, returning in October and subsequently returning to PwC in April 2007.

Since his return, Rob has set up home in Clos de Fosse Andre and he is the proud father of Sophia Eve who was born on 4th December 2007.

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Honorary Secretary’s Jottings Gosh! Has another year passed since I last put fingers on the keyboard for the ‘Elizabethan’.

Some highlights of the year have to be the Sir John Foley Lecture Lunch. It was indeed a brilliant opportunity for the lunch guests to renew their association with Sir John, held in great affection by so many. His talk was both interesting and amusing and we are grateful for his help in allowing us to donate £1000 from the proceeds of the lunch to the College Foundation Appeal.

Lady golfers (OEs’ wives) appeared for the first time at the annual OE Golf Day at La Grande Mare and made it a great success.

With 42 playing and nearly 60 for the dinner afterwards, with some bizarre prizes

being awarded, it was a great day. The ladies behaved themselves impeccably on the course and therefore have duly been invited back for next year! My sincere thanks to Roger Smith (5605) for his hard work and standing in for Keith Austin, the event’s usual organiser (out of the Island once again on holiday!).

With nearly 1400 OEA members worldwide I am staggered by how little information I receive from you all. The OE news section of the Elizabethan, once so prolific with news gathered by Alan Hunter, is now almost bereft of anything of interest. Sadly Alan, although well, is unable to continue this huge task. We all like to know what each other is up to and it could not be easier with the website and email to write a few lines

to create interest and fellowship amongst us all, this being one of the objectives of the OEA. Come on OEs, a call for action!

Finally I must comment on my President’s term of office soon to terminate in June 2009. Jerry has worked tirelessly with huge enthusiasm and energy for the Association and Elizabeth College. I must confess when some of his ideas were put forward, my immediate reaction was ‘here we go, more hard work’! However, these ideas were always a success, always good fun and someone or something benefited. He has served the Association with distinction and I have enjoyed working with him enormously.

Gresham Barber (5159) Honorary Secretary

OE Association Committee Members 08/09 President 5442 P S T Girard Secretary 5159 G Barber Treasurer 7040 B McL Spittal Committee Members 4974 K V Austin 6289 R E Le Poidevin 8699 B R Le Huray 8612 R P Newton College Representative 6261 T C Slann Financial Adviser 7481 M Le C Bousfield (Cenkos C I Limited)

Membership (as at 30th September 2008) Bailiwick of Guernsey 950 Jersey 12 United Kingdom 309 Overseas 60 Honorary 28 TOTAL 1359

New Members 2008 4335 4654 4752 5206 5225 5501 5535 5699 5756 6146 6154 6298 6331 6815 7038

G P Warley J F Neale J L Marshall N G F Pullinger G D Pay J P Binsted R A Shepherd R J Collas R A Bird N T Massey * M J Tidd M R Windsor P R Foote S W F Howitt N M De Garis

7126 7148 7222 7956 8364 8503 8619 8805 9202 9386 9429 9596 9663 9678 9684

S M Moody * S M D Ross C P Derham J P A Barrett D Crosland L F Parks B L Lanoe * G E Hurdman * P H Human J D Le Page * N C Blows S D Benest T G Case * J P Mann * C T H Paynter *

9758 J T Brennan 9893 C J D Whitworth 9894 S J Waters 9895 C G Pugh 9900 S K Meader 9903 C M Goddard 9910 JM Bichard 9913 J W V Andrade * 9914 H A Boyle 9918 J J de Kooker * 9924 B H Jones * * Denotes Life Member.

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Editorial ANNOUNCEMENTS for next year’s Elizabethan should be sent to: OE News The OEA Honorary Secretary c/o Elizabeth College

BIRTHS To Sarah and Ben Godwin (7817), a daughter Tallulah Isabelle, born on 10 January 2008.

To Joanne and Adrian Peacegood (8218), a daughter Amy Paige on 10 June 2007.

To Claire and Matt Raines (8220), a daughter Sarah Alyssa born on 12 June 2007.

To Nadia and Rob Newton (8612), a daughter Sophia Eve born on 4 December 2007.

To Shelley and Scott Dee Wilson (8782) a daughter Paradis Summar in Tauranga, New Zealand on 9th May 2008.

DEATHS John Austin Upham (3468), born 13th April 1910, died on 27th September 2007.

Lt Col (Retired) JAC (Jimmy) Webber (3927), born 11th February 1918, died in July 2008.

He had been frail for some time.

Professor Ivo Carré (4039), born 20th June 1920, died on 16 December 2007.

Edward Peter Hirst Coles (4286), born 4th November 1925, died on 20th March 2008.

Survived by his wife Deirdre.

Jeff Burton (5996), a Director of Elizabeth College, born 1st April 1953 died 4 June 2008 in an accident in Paris.

Richard Walker (4511), one of the OE Rifle Club Vice Presidents, died on 11 January 2008 following a heart attack. Richard

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was always eager to help out and devoted much time to the Club. In fact he was instrumental in establishing the rules governing our Club when it was reformed in 1958. He, with others, also set about establishing the London Dinner during the early ‘50s. For the past three or four years his health had declined, but he managed in that period to attend the AGMs and club dinners at Bisley. 2007 was the first year he missed one of those events.

His funeral was held in Hillingdon and a number of OE’s attended. We send our condolences to Pat, his wife.

OBITUARY Professor Ivo Carré (4039) Many students have stepped from the portals of Elizabeth College to make their distinguished mark on life and one such man was the late Professor Ivo Carré.

Having attended Les Vauxbelets College, and then Elizabeth College, the latter from 1932-9, the professor spent much of his rewarding life away from Guernsey, returning only on his retirement from the medical profession.

Ivo went to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and received his early training in paediatrics in London and Birmingham. Later he was a research fellow in Melbourne, Australia.

In 1956 he became senior lecturer in child health in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and in 1963, professor in that department, retiring in 1987. Dr Desmond Creery, a contemporary as a paediatrician and states that Ivo had a most distinguished career in paediatrics.

“He was known internationally for his pioneering medical studies in the 50s and 60s of children with hiatal hernia and gastro-oesophageal reflux”, explains the doctor. He goes on to state that the professor’s exposition of the natural history, treatment and outcome in these

conditions has led to a great understanding of their management and prognosis by paediatricians and physicians. “ For relaxation from his important work, the professor sought the west of Ireland where he enjoyed trout fishing and painting. Ivo has been described as ‘a man of cheerful and equable personality’ and he enjoyed his retirement in his 15th-century family farmhouse home in Route des Blicqs, St Andrew’s. He spent much of his time maintaining his ancient home as well as researching the Carré family tree in the Channel Islands and France.

The professor is survived by his wife, Pamela, his son and daughter, Philip and Claire, and four grandchildren. They will remember the professor as a Guernseyman of whom to be proud.

Written by Herbert Winterflood and published in the Guernsey Press 10 January 2008

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Editorial Ordination of John Luff An Old Elizabethan reunion with a difference took place onThursday 8 May 2008 when the Reverend John Luff (5179) was ordained at Town Church, followed by a Vin d’Honneur in College Hall. The choice of Elizabeth College Hall as the venue for the celebration was particularly special, not just for the Reverend John Luff, but also for the two other Old Elizabethans involved in the service: the Bishop of Blackburn the Right Reverend Nicholas Reade (5688) who led the ordination service and the preacher, Reverend Richard Hamilton (5164). The three men were all at College together in the early 1960s.

The Reverend John Luff said “To be celebrating in the College Hall seems particularly fitting as Elizabeth College was founded by Queen Elizabeth I in order to train young men for the Anglican Priesthood. Tonight three old boys of the school are continuing to uphold that tradition.”

OBITUARY Jeff Burton (5996) 1 April 1953 to 4 June 2008 did not wish to follow the family’s farming tradition, Jeff proposed going to University but a Press advert for an Articled Clerk at Lince Salisbury led to him taking up Accountancy. He qualified as Chartered Accountant in 1975 and, although Lince Salisbury had been very good to him, he decided it was time to go to a bigger organisation and in 1977 joined the Bank of Bermuda where he enjoyed working in Hong Kong, Bermuda and London as well as Guernsey.

Born in Guernsey on 1st April 1953, Jeff was born into a farming family based in Deslisles. He attended Castel Primary School before passing the 11 plus to Elizabeth College (5996) when J F K Day was Principal.

In the Cadet Force (Army) he was a good shot and recalled cycling to L’Ancresse with a rifle over his shoulder and being allowed to keep it at home until he attended school next day! He was appointed to be a Prefect.

On leaving Elizabeth College in 1971, and much to his grandfather’s disgust as he

In 1987 Jeff became MD of Hambros Fund Management and, having successfully survived the October 1989 market crash, he advised them that they should outsource the fund administration function to Guernsey International Fund Managers (GIFM), part of the Barings Group, where Jeff was appointed MD. At Barings, he built GIFM into the largest fund administration company in Guernsey before becoming the Managing Director of Barings (Guernsey) Limited, a director of the holding company in London, Baring Asset Management Holdings Limited and the Chief Executive Officer of the Baring Financial Services

Group. This group had 800 staff located in Guernsey, London, Dublin, Isle of Man and Jersey. In 2005, the sale of the Baring Financial Services Group to Northern Trust was completed and Jeff took the opportunity to leave to consider new opportunities, including being appointed to the Board of Directors of Elizabeth College.

Jeff had been a Chairman of the Guernsey Fund Managers Association and a member of the Guernsey International Business Association. He also worked closely with the Guernsey Financial Services Commission including acting as a member of working parties on fund regulations.

Jeff married Clare in 1979. Their sons Andrew (8916) and Nicholas (9125) have both recently attended Elizabeth College and their daughter Jemma, currently in her final year at The Ladies College, has just become one of the first female cadets in the Elizabeth College CCF.

Mrs C Burton

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OBITUARY John Upham (3468) John Upham, a man of a very quiet disposition, but with a wealth of engineering experience at his fingertips, died on 28 September 2007 at the age of 97.

He was a man who upheld old values and weaved into his interesting life a balanced and wise portfolio which endeared him to his many friends and business associates.

He approached everything he did with the same sincere, dignified manner.

His death has brought into the open the many facets of engineering in which he was involved, including the clearance of German equipment in Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney after the Second World War. Some of his exploits during the German occupation are recorded in Bill Bell’s book, Guernsey Green, which tells of the life and times of Bill Green, a close friend of John, who is referred to as ‘Jackie’.

John was born in Guernsey in April 1910 and was educated at Elizabeth College 1919 - 1926. He became a draughtsman at Leale Ltd and later was appointed the last engineering manager of the Guernsey Railway Company when it was still running the tram service from St Peter Port to St Sampson’s. During the German occupation he managed Burgess Engineering Ltd, thus assisting in the maintenance of the essential services of gas, electricity and water.

At one stage during the Occupation, when wireless receivers were banned, he made a one-valve radio and placed it in the bottom of a tomato chip basket, covering it with beans. As such containers were in common use, John could risk leaving it quite visible without the enemy suspecting anything untoward. But this was a minor achievement compared with the big engineering projects which he later masterminded.

After the war, John was running John Upham Ltd in Les Amballes, and was persuaded by the Ministry of Supply to

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take on the task of opening up German tunnels and salvaging the scrap which had been dumped there. Bill Green estimated that the company recovered 17,000 tons of scrap metal, which was exported to the UK to help with the steel shortage.

On one occasion John managed to get a German half-track vehicle working again and employed it to drag from a tunnel such items as field kitchens, guns and collections of steel helmets.

John Upham Ltd developed the ‘Guernseyman’ boiler which was the first oil-fired boiler to be built locally and intended for soil sterilisation and glasshouse heating. Some 300 were made, some going to Jersey and two to the Canary Islands.

James Langlois remembers when John was asked by Guernsey Customs if his company could burn more than 100,000 cigarettes which had spots all over them.

The cigarettes were delivered to the Guernsey Railway Company for destruction in its incinerator. Customs officials were in attendance to see that all the cigarettes were dutifully destroyed. But the railway staff devised a system whereby it appeared that all the cigarettes were being cast into the flames. What was not known to Customs was that the incinerator consisted of two sections and at the outlet end some of the material was being collected by the staff for burning at a more leisurely pace.

He courted the late Nancy Vallender and they were married in Watford in 1940.

Their son, John was born in 1943 and their second child, Margaret was born in 1946.

For 20 years John served on the States Apprenticeship Committee, helping to place young people in various trades. He had a love of music and was a member of The Little Choir, which entertained during the Occupation. Also, he was a founder member of the Guernsey Choral Society. He could also claim to be a founder member of the Guernsey Road Safety Council as well as a founder of The Society of Inventors.

Truly, an all-rounder who made use of his talents for the benefit of his island home. John Upham was a legend of local enterprise and his expertise in engineering and his determination to overcome problems helped to save Guernsey when the island was at a low ebb during the dark days of the Second World War.

Written by Herbert Winterflood and published in the Guernsey Press.

“The Inward Turning” by W D Winkfield (4640) Contemporaries of Bill Winkfield will remember that, like other students leaving Elizabeth College in 1950, Bill was looking forward to getting out into the world and making his mark. He lived life to the full but sadly it was to become complicated and distressing as he developed the illness schizophrenia.

The story of his life is set in India, Africa and England and Bill’s book, just published, has given Consultant Psychiatrists the first opportunity to relate the experience of being ill and psychotic to a whole life, which has been lived to the full in spite of the continual setbacks of a severe and recurrent mental illness.

I quote Claire Lawson, Consultant Psychiatrist at Fulbourn Hospital who concludes her foreword in the book thus….

“This book should be read by the general public, people with mental illness and by mental health professionals. It moves some way to dispelling the stigma attached to the mentally ill and to remind us, often in a low key way, of the triumph of the human spirit in the face of life’s vicissitudes.”

Gresham Barber Honorary Secretary

Count the number of directions your career can take.

Mercator Trust Company Limited is one of the largest independent providers of fiduciary and financial services in Guernsey. Our size and range of work means that we can offer careers in a variety of disciplines for graduates and school leavers. And it also means that if you join us and find you want to change direction, you can embark on a different career without having to change company. We provide a complete training programme, which includes full financial support and paid study leave to assist you in achieving your professional qualifications.

So if you want to work with a progressive organisation that offers a little more, contact Anna McKerrell on 234200 or email anna.mckerrell@mercatorgroup.gg

Mercator Trust Company Limited PO Box 336, Anson Court, La Route des Camps, St Martin, Guernsey C.I. GY1 3UQ

T: 234200 F: 234300 E: info@mercatortrust.com www.mercatortrust.com

Editorial

News

Malcolm Wicks talks about energy, politics and school days nuclear electricity.

Recently, I went with the French Energy Minister to Flamanville. He’s from Alsace and so when we caught the train from Paris I said I was going to introduce him to Normandy as I was married to a Norman (Margaret Baron of Alderney). Anyway, we were shown around the Flamanville site, the beginnings of the new building, the re-processing and I have to say I was mightily impressed …

BP: … but when people in Alderney still say to you, “My God !” ….

In January 2008 Bruce Parker (4747) interviewed UK Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks (5775) who has been piloting the UK Energy Bill through the House of Commons.

Here he talks about energy, politics, the Channel Islands and his school days BP: First of all, the wider issue – what’s the case for nuclear power in the UK ?

MW: It’s a very considered case. I recognise the fears and the proper concerns about safety and security in this terrorist age. But I’ve been involved in this since Tony Blair first asked me to conduct an Energy Review and I became convinced about nuclear power for a number of reasons.

I believe in the science that says mankind is responsible for the huge discharge of carbon dioxide emissions, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, which is partly responsible for climate change. Unless we get hold of this as the century develops, we’re going to see catastrophic events … flooding, the wiping out of numerous species, hunger and the enforced migration of millions of people. Global warming is the major challenge of the 21st century.

We need a whole armoury of measures including energy efficiency and renewables

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which are absolutely vital. A revolution, too, in how we build our houses. And nuclear has to be a part of that.

MW: …. well, I don’t meet people who say “My God!” in Alderney. After all these decades, it isn’t a hot topic of conversation.

What I would say, though is that there’s no room for complacency about safety, security and how we dispose of the waste.

Important, complex, difficult and expensive issues. I’m not complacent but the French companies have a proven and impressive track record.

BP: The suggestion is that the new reactor being built in Normandy at Flamanville by Electricité de France might be the template for similar plants in the UK.

BP: Last week, Guernsey Electricity largely ruled out wind power in favour of tidal energy. With your knowledge of the islands, what does that say to you ?

MW: Britain is relaxed about foreign companies participating in its power supply.

EDF are a major supplier here already, a very respectable player and I expect them to come forward with other companies with proposals for new reactors.

As regards Flamanville, since my school days at Elizabeth College and when I first visited Alderney, aged around 16, I kind of stared and wondered at the site as it looked from Alderney. Initially, I suppose I was worried and sceptical about how close it all was to the lovely island and the other islands. That was an era when all of us were worried about nuclear power and nuclear weaponry – my school days were very much the days of the cold war. But I’ve grown to accept it as part of the seascape and the landscape – the safety record of the French nuclear industry is really very impressive. And France has a lower carbon footprint because of

MW: As a mere UK minister, I wouldn’t have the temerity to comment on the views of Guernsey Electricity. But renewable energies are developing fast and furiously. They’re going to be an increasingly important part of the picture. Only today the EU has signalled a massive growth of renewables and we’re very much up for that.

The British Isles are blessed with huge wind resources and in places with strong currents and tides. Marine technology interests me greatly. I’ve studied it to some extent and there’s a £50 million fund promoting research and development in the UK … but, you know, if you compare all this with aviation, we’re probably at the Wright brothers stage. We mustn’t get ahead of ourselves on this – most of the technology hasn’t been tested sufficiently yet.

news

However, it’s a verifiable fact, because I’ve had it verified, that in Alderney you’ve got some of the strongest currents and tides in the world, certainly the British Isles. My own sea-sickness in the waters around Alderney bears testament to that. There’s an important group in the island, Alderney Renewable Energy, they talk to me about their work – usually in the Divers Pub. But I don’t think anybody should pretend in the next five or ten years that a lot of our electricity is going to come from marine.

We’ve missed out on being world leaders with wind – I want Britain to be the world leader of marine.

BP: If the correspondence columns of the newspapers are anything to go by, there’s a bit of a cooling off between the Channel Islands and Westminster, a suggestion that the Labour Government can’t be bothered with the islands. Do you sense that ?

MW: No, I don’t. Although I’ve had ministerial responsibility in three departments now, I’ve had no involvement with the islands officially. But I have informally and I don’t sense that, no. I suspect that if the islands were to send an MP to Westminster, he or she wouldn’t be a member of the Labour party – probably a furious independent. But people are still very happy to buy me a pint in Alderney !

BP: You once said to me that if Paul Davis, your Elizabeth College physics master in the 1960s, had ever thought you’d be a future Science Minister and now Energy Minister, he’d have to have believed in miracles.

What do you say to Paul now?

MW: Well, I had every respect for Paul – I liked him and he was a great teacher.

I still remember his report at the end of my first term. ‘Wicks has learned no physics this term. 0/100’. When Tony Blair asked me to take on the science brief, I told him I thought my science masters might be surprised by this. Tony replied that he was now interested in science but was hopeless at school but he’d found a certain humility with the subject helps.

Editorial Murray Dron Old Elizabethan Murray Dron (8517) has moved from Channel TV to become one of the presenters on the recently-started Setanta Sports News channel.

Lyndon Trott elected Garland selected Chief Minister for Beijing Following the General Election of People’s Deputies on 23 April 2008, the States chose former Treasury and Resources Minister Lyndon Trott (6722) as the Island’s Chief Minister.

As a trained accountant with a background in the finance industry, 43-year old Lyndon is well placed to deal with the challenges facing the new States. He is particularly concerned about the economic impact of demographic changes and believes the States should be concerned about this now.

Other OEs who were elected were: M H Dorey (6172) S McManus (6117) M J Fallaize (8956) S Ogier (7349) J A B Gollop (6598) R Domaille (5819) R R Matthews (5180) A Langlois (5308) P R Sirett (5457) S Langlois (5828)

August 2008: Guernsey’s top athlete and Old Elizabethan Dale Garland (8958) was selected for the Great Britain Beijing Olympics Squad. In what he thought was his last chance for selection, he ran a second slower than he had hoped thanks to the after-effects of a hamstring injury.

Nonetheless, the selectors took into account his recent excellent form, including the European Cup, and named him as one of the 6 members of the 4 x 400m relay squad.

Sadly, Dale did not run in the 4 x 400m relay, but waited on the sidelines as first reserve.

We congratulate him on his selection, which reflected his hard work and dedication.

Being there must have been a memorable experience, and we hope to see him taking part in the 2012 London Olympics.

“

...it’s a veritable fact, because I’ve had it verified, that in Alderney you’ve got some of the strongest currents and tides in the world, certainly in the British Isles.

”

The Elizabethan 2008

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Editorial

The manchester bursaries

Through the Manchester Fund the OEA was delighted to financially assist two sixth formers with their exciting trips abroad. Daniel Wray attended the World Sailing Championships for Laser 4.7s in South Africa and Simon Morris went to Svalbard on a British Schools Exploring Society expedition. Here are brief accounts from Daniel and Simon of their adventures.

Laser 4.7 World Championships - Hermanus Yacht Club, South Africa 27 December 2007 – 4th January 2008 One hundred and fifteen sailors from around the world made the long journey to South Africa to compete in the 4.7 Laser World Championships. Five sailors from Great Britain had entered. Three of the boys, Josh Irons, David Thomas and Michael Clark, competed in the ‘pre worlds’ during the week before Christmas, with Michael finishing in a creditable fifth place. Liam Gardner and Daniel Wray joined the other GBR sailors for the main event.

The day of the practise race saw light winds and very shifty conditions and although all the sailors launched, with the exception of the Italian team, the race was eventually abandoned with the wind refusing to settle in any one direction. The Italian team’s boats had been held up in Customs.

Fortunately their container arrived later that day allowing them to race the next day.

The competitors were split into two fleets, yellow and blue.

Each day two back to back races were scheduled which would allow a maximum of ten races to decide ‘gold’ and ‘silver’ fleets for the last two days of the competition.

Many were expecting strong winds at this very picturesque venue, two hours east of Cape Town. The sailing would take place on a salt/fresh water lagoon with a back drop of mountains just half a mile behind the Sailing Club.

On the opening day a light Force 3 stayed for most of the day allowing the opening two races to be completed. A Slovenian, Andraz Gulic, won both his races and followed this with two fifths the next day in similar conditions to take an early lead. For the Great Britain sailors Daniel Wray enjoyed the conditions most with a seventh and a tenth which saw him fourteenth overall after the first three races.

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Michael Clark had a brilliant fourth race to finish second although he also had a thirty second which he was able to discard later in the competition. Josh Irons had an eighteenth in race two but couldn’t find the consistency to gain places overall. Although the weather forecasts predicted stronger conditions it was the light south westerly that prevailed.

On day three Daniel Wray had another tenth and an eighteenth and Michael Clark a sixth and sixteenth. This would put both sailors in a strong position to get in the ‘gold’ fleet for the final two days of racing. That evening New Year’s Eve was celebrated at the Sailing Club in typical style and thankfully the first race was not scheduled until the afternoon of New Year’s Day. One of the features of the event was the great camaraderie of the sailors from the twenty two nations that had entered and the friendly family atmosphere that the club had achieved.

Day four promised much. However, the morning breeze dropped off as the sea breeze kicked in and only one race was completed. The wind became very shifty and positions in the race changed dramatically.

Daniel Wray, fourth around the windward mark, finished thirty third by the end of the race.

Day five was the last day of racing to try and get into the ‘gold’ fleet. Rather like the practise race day, the fleet launched only to be held at the start for the wind to settle into a constant direction. One fleet did get a start only for the wind to drop to virtually nothing on the first beat and the race was abandoned. Eventually races were cancelled for the day and positions would be worked out on the seven completed races with competitors receiving one discard. Michael Clark and Daniel Wray had qualified for the ‘gold’ fleet with the other three British sailors in ‘silver’.

The final two days of competition saw the predicted strong winds and positions in both gold and silver fleets changed dramatically. Michael had three good races of tenth, fourteenth and fifteenth finishing eighteenth overall. Despite some good starts Daniel found it difficult keeping pace with boys 15kg heavier in the 25 – 30 knots of wind, eventually finishing forty ninth. In the silver fleet the British sailors found the stronger winds more to their liking. Liam Gardner had a 14th, 15th, 24th and 30th to finish top Brit in the silver fleet in twenty fourth. David Thomas also saved his best to last with a 14th, 16th and 22nd to finish twenty seventh. Joshua flirted with too many black flags and finished forty first out of the fifty seven silver fleet sailors. Despite mixed conditions in the weather there was no substitute for talent and it was no surprise that with a late flourish of good results the overall winner was Croation, Filip Matika. Filip was World Champion in Optimists in 2002 and 2003. Second was Brazilian, Baepi Pinna, ninth in the 2004 Optimist Worlds and third Peruvian, Alex Zimmermann, fourth in the 2006 Optimist Worlds. Six girls made it into ‘gold’ with Croatian, Tajana Ganic finishing first girl in thirty fifth place overall.

The World Championships was a great experience with South Africa a beautiful country and Hermanus a fabulous sailing location. Thanks to all who played their part in organising the event and particularly the parents for making the whole event possible. In 2008 the 4.7 Worlds will be held in Croatia and looking at the results local competition will be very strong. If you are thinking of taking part, don’t hesitate and miss your chance, get your entry form in.

Good luck.

Daniel Wray

The manchester bursaries

Editorial

British Schools Exploring Society visit to Svalbard All the young explorers, YE’s as we were called, met up at Heathrow Airport, full of anticipation as to how the trip would turn out. After two flights we arrived in Longyearbyen. Svalbard is a group of islands within the Arctic circle. The island which we visited was called Spitzbergen. We had been split into groups called Fires. Each Fire was named after a famous explorer, mine was Fiennes and consisted of 11 YE’s and two leaders. Our main leader, Mike, was in the regular Army and the other was a research scientist called Lucy.

One of the main attractions of this expedition for me was exploring an area of the world that is relatively inaccessible. The maps we used were 1:100,000, giving little detail and hence plenty of exploring opportunities.

On arriving at base camp and looking at the stunning scenery, my Fire decided that we would like to visit as many different parts of Spitzbergen as possible. Other Fires had different ideas and one Fire headed out onto the ice cap for 20 days. To achieve our goal we split the expedition into three ‘mini’ expeditions. The first to Maithesondalen, the second to Pyramiden and Munindalen and the third to Ebbadalen (renamed by us to ‘Ebbsheaven’ due to its beauty). In each of these trips, we blended together climbing peaks, exploring tundra, washing in glacial streams and relaxing.

A typical day would consist of waking up around 7 o’clock (sometimes earlier or later depending on our plans), looking at the weather (ranging from clear blue skies to whiteouts, with temperatures ranging from -10 to +10 degrees), having a wash and making breakfast. At 07.45 we had listening watch where

we would check over the radio that nothing exciting, like a polar bear attack, had happened at base camp over night (nothing ever did). Then after the day’s activities we would boil water to add to our dehydrated powdered meal dinner which actually tasted good (maybe it was the millions of calories) and after chatting and relaxing we would usually retire around midnight (although given the midnight sun we’d often chat well into the next morning).

At the end of the trip, when we had dismantled base camp we headed back to Longyearbyen. The journey took three hours in a RIB. All of the Fires met up together and we celebrated with a final meal. After a month of army ration pack food, we had the first taste of real food, ‘joined-up meat’ as the chief leader called it.

I arrived back at Heathrow exhausted, but grateful that I had had the opportunity to experience wilderness in one of the most remote places on earth. It was rather odd seeing the dark for the first time in ages, as I discovered on the trip, midnight sun is great for sun bathing (even if you are lying on snow).

As well as practical skills such as walking on ice, basic glaciology and mountain awareness, I also learnt some useful leadership and teamwork skills. Living together with people as they get progressively worse smelling will inevitably do this to someone.

However, in my mind the most useful skill I learnt was how to effectively trade chocolate bars to my advantage!

Simon Morris

The Elizabethan 2008

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Editorial

Chaplains report

Apologia pro Capellania sua: I don’t think it would have all got me so down if just once in a while – just once in a while –

there was at least some polite little perfunctory implication that knowledge should lead to

wisdom, and that if it doesn’t it’s just a disgusting waste of time! But there never is! You never even hear any hints dropped on a campus that wisdom is supposed to be the goal of knowledge. You

hardly even hear the word “wisdom” mentioned.

J.D. Salinger, Franny and Zooey, Penguin edition, 1964, p. 95.

When I first arrived ‘on campus’, I was given an office pupils cannot visit – one without a phone or a network connection. I was given a room well off the beaten track (in the tower, past the Le Marchant library) in which to create a chapel (though no time to hold services there), and a counselling room in what was then and is now again a very small cupboard in the library. It did not take long to work out either the place or the understanding of Chaplaincy entrenched in the structures of College, nor to begin my campaign to challenge them both. A generation of students has come and gone since I joined the school, and the pupils now know well how I think and what I stand for; so it is to those still troubled by the remembrance of things past that I make this apology.

If you want to take a closer look at chaplaincy, you could do worse than to begin by asking where it is to be found.

And the answer is not within the Church but within secular institutions, whether as cash-strapped as the NHS or as profit-driven as the airports, as slimmed-down as Her Majesty’s forces or as over-stretched as Her Majesty’s prisons. The fact that chaplaincy continues to be funded in such places argues that its primary function is not to proselytise, to convert or to indoctrinate.

Neither is it there to dispense opium, ritilin, valium or prozac to those unable to cope with reality. So why is it there?

There are two major metaphors that shape contemporary conceptions of such establishments. The first portray

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the institution as a machine – a system of mechanisms (call them policies if you will) for ensuring the smooth processing of people. People processing plants, like prisons and hospitals, like airports and armies, rely for their success on certain mechanical features (clear structures and efficient procedures, for example), so there is no reason to think the machine metaphor is entirely inappropriate. But it does have its limitations.

The mechanical model shifts the moral duty of the institution from personal care for the welfare of others to the impersonal administration of institutional justice – with fair scales, perhaps, but blindfolded and wielding a sword. There cannot be a person reading this article who has not encountered the consequences: a species of bureaucratic idiocy manifested by the suspension of judgement in the name of impartiality; that is, the blind application of general rules regardless of specific circumstances – and heedless of the cost to those involved. When Margaret Thatcher said “society does not exist”, we all knew she was wrong. Society, like family, is not just a set of individuals, but a group of people in a relationship. To that which is observable, something extra is added – the ghost in the machine (though following current usage, perhaps I should substitute ‘spirit’). It is the same invisible essence that turns bodies into people and people into societies that turns institutions into organisations.

The second major metaphor portrays the institution as an organism. After all, institutions, Frankenstein-like, often seem to develop a life of their own. And like all creatures, their basic instinct is to protect themselves. There is, in almost every institution, a drive toward self-preservation that does not count the cost to those who are institutionalised. Any organisation, driven by the need to make profits or to attain targets in order to survive, contains pressures pushing toward dehumanisation – toward treating people as means to an end.

The metaphors of modernity have therefore landed us with institutions that are almost purely instrumental, with management dedicated to meeting political agendas and the business of material survival.

The life of an institution is defended by its management. Their principal tools are policies and procedures. As a result, those who rise to positions of such authority are charged with a primary concern for the well being of the machine. And although they are human, they are expected to maintain the emotional distance required to make “tough decisions”; that is, to administer institutional justice – instrumental justice – with fair scales.

Chaplains stand outside the normal management structure. In hospitals, they are part of the clinical team, but not part of the medical staff. In the forces, they are commissioned, but stand outside the rank structure. Why? Because the primary duty of chaplains is to immerse themselves in the total experience of living as part of their institutions. Metaphorically, their job is to help the organisation to know itself, to humanise the machine.

As the conscience of the organisation, their duty is clear: to affirm the humanity of those who find their institutionalisation dehumanising, and to make sure the apprehension of those in authority is informed by the direct experiences of those subject to the policies they pursue – to remove the blindfold and hold back the sword.

In Colleges, Chaplains make sure everyone hears that wisdom is supposed to be the goal of knowledge. But their job is not simply to speak “wisdom”; it is, semper eadam, to ensure its place in the policies of the institution – to transform the organisation into a community.

R Harnish Chaplain