The Lion 2022-2023

THE LION 2022 2023

THE LION 2022-2023

SCHOOL Pages 1-41

ARTS Pages 42-150

TRIPS Pages 151-175

SPORT Pages 176-236

EDITOR Mike Baker

ALUMNI Pages 237-246

DESIGN, DTP AND TYPESETTING Jiri Musil

Our printers, Kingsley Print & Design, have also committed to greater environmental sustainability, including the following: Suppliers now carbon offset all of the paper used for printing A biodegradable gloss laminate has been introduced and they now print using vegetable ink They also have FSC and ISO 14001 accreditation 2

the lion

the magazine of hampton school

2022-2023

The Editor wishes to thank: Rupert Scarratt Sarah Dearden Liz Colvine Carol Griffin

It is a great pleasure to contribute some introductory words for The Lion magazine, which records in admirable detail another memorable year for our School community. Our editor, Mike Baker, has compiled a splendid and typically insigh�ul account of 2022-23.

And what a year it was! Alongside the sheer vibrancy of everyday Hampton life, a host of partnership ac�vi�es and a highly successful ISI inspec�on visit, our teams were crowned na�onal champions in both the English Schools Football Associa�on (ESFA) and Na�onal Schools Chess tournaments – by all accounts a wholly unprecedented ‘double’.

Our exemplary Class of 2023 very much led the way with their trademark generosity of spirit, fellowship and camaraderie. A Level results day saw our talented Upper Sixth and their families celebra�ng excellent results and we wish them every happiness as they embrace life beyond Hampton.

In addi�on to our First XI squad’s momentous victory in the U18 ESFA Cup Final, our First XV performed impressively on a compe��ve circuit and the spring Sevens season saw plenty of success for Hampton’s rugby players. Members of our Boat Club won medals at the Na�onal Schools Rega�a and GB selec�on for our J16 coxed four offered further evidence of Hampton Rowing’s welcome resurgence. During the summer term, Hampton Tennis flourished and a plethora of School and Borough Athle�cs records were broken. Meanwhile, the sound of leather on willow resounded on our playing fields as cricket teams across the age groups (and indeed in the thriving OHA club) enjoyed excellent seasons.

Our Performing Arts provision also con�nues to thrive and Hampton’s drama�sts had a wonderful year. October’s joint Senior Musical with LEH, Legally Blonde, saw Hamptonians and their neighbours ac�ng, singing and dancing with energe�c aplomb; our annual joint junior produc�on with Waldegrave Girls’ School showcased the talents of younger pupils in a series of brilliant performances of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. An imagina�ve and hilarious staging of The 39 Steps, along with pupils from Hampton High, was a personal highlight – a real end-of-term treat for those lucky enough to a�end.

Similar delights were to be found in Music, from hearing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and a superb Choral Society Concert involving over 200 parents, staff and friends of the School, to the ever-magnificent entertainment provided by Voices of Lions. We are indebted to colleagues in our Music and Drama departments, alongside our Hammond Theatre technical and events teams, for devo�ng so much �me, energy and exper�se to helping Hamptonians produce such highcalibre performances.

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Following the Covid-affected years, a welcome sign that the good ship Hampton has resumed its natural course has been the resump�on of our full programme of UK-based and overseas residen�al visits, tours and training camps. Hamptonians undertook an extraordinary number of trips, featuring des�na�ons from the Lake District to Borneo, Tallinn, Italy and Tenerife. I benefi�ed myself from the company of our Fourth and Third Year historians as they respec�vely explored Berlin and the First World War ba�lefields of Belgium/Northern France. Once again, many of our pupils’ most forma�ve experiences occurred outside the classroom, including another award-laden year for our Model United Na�ons delegates, over 150 boys ac�vely par�cipa�ng in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, and a typically engaging programme of Talk! speakers. Making the most of the myriad co-curricular opportuni�es on offer remains at the heart of being a Hamptonian and this was no be�er illustrated than by the group of youngsters who established ‘The Hampton Dig’ under the aegis of our History department’s Mrs Arno� and Mrs Wilcox. Having donned the prescribed wellies and layers of protec�ve clothing, club members assiduously removed layers of soil in a machine-excavated corner of our playing fields – unearthing Hampton’s history in this way was a striking experience for them and indeed for me when I joined them for a cathar�c session with a pickaxe!

the new college’s September 2022 opening was the product of a longestablished rela�onship between our three schools. It is making a tangible difference to the lives of young people and promo�ng social mobility in one of the capital’s most disadvantaged areas. Moreover, we remain strongly commi�ed to the development of The Fitzwygram Founda�on, a separate but closely-linked educa�onal charity that funds free places for boys whose families could not otherwise afford a Hampton educa�on. This most important and transforma�ve of causes con�nues to be fundamental to our future plans and aspira�ons.

A�er a decade in The Headmaster’s study and reflec�ng on another joyful Hampton year, I am con�nually upli�ed by my colleagues’ commitment to providing our pupils with a truly excep�onal academic and all-round educa�on. I thank them wholeheartedly for their dedica�on, skill and loyalty. Similar gra�tude is due to our pupils, parents, governors and alumni, all of whom play their parts in ensuring that Hampton is such a dis�nc�vely happy, forward-thinking and inclusive se�ng. It remains a huge privilege to lead such an inspiring School community.

I do hope that you enjoy this latest edi�on of The Lion.

With kind regards and best wishes

Our extensive partnerships programme remains integral to who we are and what we stand for at Hampton; in recent years, over 5000 pupils from 200 state-maintained schools have par�cipated in a wide range of joint ini�a�ves. In the context of poli�cal and media debate about poten�al future government policy towards independent schools and their families, it should not be forgo�en that exis�ng cross-sector partnerships provide enhanced educa�onal opportuni�es and outcomes for everyone involved. Feltham College, a pioneering sixth form se�ng established by Hampton, LEH and Reach Academy, is an enlightening example of what can be achieved by working together.

Lauded as ‘pushing educa�onal boundaries’ by the Times Educa�onal Supplement and praised in parliament by our local MP, Munira Wilson, 2

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Kevin Knibbs Headmaster

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Eleanor Astrup I am looking forward to joining Hampton as a teacher of Economics. I hope to dispel the common myth that Economics is a dismal science; it is, in fact, alive and increasingly relevant in today's globalised world.

Marc Rudajev

Elizabeth Murfin

After spending 16 years working as a portfolio manager and trader at various banks and hedge funds in New York, London, Hong Kong and Singapore, I made the decision to become a teacher in 2013. At that point, I returned to university to obtain my masters of education.

Despite my advanced age, I can empathise with all of my students as it was not too long ago that I was one myself!

It has been a circuitous route to teaching Geography at Hampton.

Upon completing my degree, I took up a position teaching mathematics and finance at the Milken Community School in Los Angeles. I enjoy bringing in firsthand accounts of real-world experiences into my maths lessons as much as possible. In addition to teaching, I was also a football (soccer) and tennis coach at that same school, which enabled me to see many of my students shine on the pitch/court and meet others that I had not had the opportunity to meet in the classroom. I look forward to doing the same here at the Hampton School.

This spring, my wife had the opportunity to move to London, so we decided to make the move over to England. I have been told that the weather has changed a lot over the past 20 years since I last lived in London, and that it is now similar to that of Los Angeles. I hope those rumours are true! I look forward to a fulfilling year ahead and being the American purveyor of mathematics knowledge.

My love of the subject started at school learning about the incredible power of the elements. I studied at Durham where I also rowed and played a lot of hockey. It was here that I met incredible people with whom I decided to cycle the length of South America, and it was that life-changing journey that led me into teaching.

I have taught all over the British Isles in all sorts of schools and become increasingly interested in the power of people. To further this interest, after getting married, moving to Jersey, and having two children, I studied for a master's degree in education and international development – which was fascinating.

I have recently taken a bit of a detour from that though, into teaching science in a prep school, which was very stimulating and extremely useful in terms of making links between subjects.

I have held Hampton School in high regard since working at Shrewsbury School and coming up against your might on the river and the football field – it is good to now be on the winning team!

I am looking forward to sharing my passion for the subject and getting to know the south-east.

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My passion is to broaden the horizons of young people and, after having taught in the Middle East and the UK – and, prior to that, working for a global bank – I hope that I have plenty of realworld experience to add to the theory of Economics. My hope is that when students leave school for the world of university and work, that they are better informed and more considerate decision-makers.

I also hope to support the development of Hampton's move towards a more sustainable world. In 2019, I led my school to UNESCO accreditation and was paid a visit by Ban Kimoon to celebrate our work. I am passionate about developing the consideration of UN Sustainable Development Goals by the everapproaching target of 2030.

When not teaching, I have a passion for fundraising through taking on challenges; next year, I will run the London marathon for a mental health charity – a cause important to me and a big motivating factor as I clock up seemingly endless miles over the next 6 months. I also enjoy traveling with my family to far-flung places such as Bali, Sri Lanka, and Yorkshire.

Economics is a fascinating, relevant, and widereaching subject which I cannot wait to share with the brilliant young minds at Hampton.

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James Flanagan

Jude Willoughby

Sotiris Zannettou

I have taught Chemistry and been Assistant Head (Learning and Teaching) at Hampton for a year now. I am originally from Belfast and stayed in the city to do a Master’s in Chemistry at Queen’s University. I was fortunate to get involved with research at an early stage of my degree, working on sustainable alcohol oxidation with Dr Mark Muldoon and Dr Matt Cook. They were both great mentors and encouraged me to travel to the USA for graduate school, where I completed my PhD at Stanford University in California, supervised by Professor Robert Waymouth. At Stanford my work combined Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, studying new ways of making biodegradable polymers by growing plastic inside specialised bacteria.

My first encounter with Hampton was when I illadvisedly tried to take up rowing as a schoolboy – a great sport, but why such early starts? I used to be regularly overtaken by Hamptonians in their VIIIs, and, facing away from the direction of travel – again, why? – I must have had a few near misses with them where the river narrows at Platt’s Eyot.

At age 13, my uncle gave me two old motorcycles, both identical in model but in an equally bad state of repair. My mission – if I chose to accept – was to restore one good motorcycle from the two.

My desire to go into teaching came during my PhD when, alongside my research, I had the opportunity to do some teaching – or TA-ing as it is called there – in some of the undergraduate Chemistry courses. Within a month of finishing my PhD I started teaching Chemistry at Brighton College. At Brighton I was a Deputy Housemaster of a boarding house, as well as a Deputy Head of Sixth Form, where I worked on various aspects of academic enrichment. I then moved to Dulwich College as Head of Chemistry and Co-Director of Science, as well as a Resident Tutor in a boarding house.

Outside of Chemistry, I enjoy classical music and play the violin. I also enjoy football and have supported Liverpool from the early 90s, so it has been great to celebrate their hard-earned successes in the Klopp era. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Hampton so far, teaching motivated, sparky pupils in a wonderfully kind and welcoming community.

I wisely dropped the rowing habit at university.

This helped me to achieve an undergraduate degree in English Language and Literature and, later, a Master’s in English from 1550-1700 – both at the University of Oxford.

My research interests centre on the metaphysical poets, particularly those writing at the end of their vogue in the English Civil War period.

As a teacher, I remain interested in the ways in which English can relate to other subjects, such as history and philosophy, which I look forward to thinking about with my Hampton pupils this year.

When I mentioned to a university friend and Old Hamptonian that I was applying for a position here, I knew I had made a good choice. He spoke very highly of the school and, in my experience so far, he was absolutely justified in doing so.

I look forward to meeting more of you and to working with my Form – alongside Mr Ferrier – and classes throughout my time here.

Challenge accepted!

This was the beginning of my journey into design, engineering and technology. I soon after, discovered Brooklands Museum. The museum was so accessible and with such a rich history of motorsport, aviation, and technological achievements – I loved it and needed to be involved.

I would shadow some of the engineers on weekends attend shows with my uncles and generally live and breathe engineering. Our small garden at home was always filled with my projects that I would build modify or restore. I would regularly visit the engineers at the museum and seek advice. They would always be willing to help.

The depth and breadth of knowledge available to me was amazing, truly skilled individuals that were trained and served in what some would say was the hay day of British engineering at my disposal and all I needed to do was ask – that was super cool.

No surprise…I perused Mechanical Engineering – with a bias towards Motorsport – at University followed by employment at McLaren Cars. I was approached by a former teacher and asked if I would speak to students from Brooklands College about my roles and responsibilities at McLaren. I enjoyed it and seed was sown, I pursued this weekly for some time. I received positive feedback from a former teacher of mine who was working at the college. I then began the to transition into teaching with Brooklands College being my first teaching post.

I have enjoyed 15 great years in the classroom, and I am delighted to be teaching Engineering

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school Design at Hampton. I look forward to sharing my subject passion and contributing to an impressive, aspirational, and supportive environment.

I enjoy travelling and have recently explored Algarve with family – I have previously travelled central and South American. I love sports with football being my favourite, attending gigs and sketching in-between entertaining my two fabulous children.

toured many ancient sites – and to have knowledgeable and caring teachers.

After my experience in Italy and a year teaching in rural Russia, I worked in a traditional Chinese school for three years, where I taught Western Classics. I also practiced kung fu and immersed myself in some of the Eastern Classics. Living and working in such a different yet sophisticated culture helped me to realize the value of Classical education from various point of view.

Prerequesites for being an excellent teacher for me means not only attaining the highest expertise in my subject area, but also developing holistically as a person as well as knowing and understanding how to build a fulfilling life. I really hope that my experience and knowledge will help the boys at Hampton grow both in their knowledge of Classics and in life in general.

Here are some fun facts about me. I can do a proper windmill and swipes – do not worry if it does not make sense – but I cannot do it in a smart suit, so please do not ask me to do it at school. I am an avid reader, but my movie taste has not changed since I was 12! When I was two, I was surrounded by basset hound puppies.

Vitalii Berezhnoi How often do you meet a Russian person who speaks Latin and Ancient Greek, knows breakdancing, and competes on a National level at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? This combination of interests might seem quite unusual, but they came naturally into my life as I followed my life adventure.

I am looking forward to contributing my best efforts to the education of students at Hampton, and I am thrilled to begin my journey in such a reputable school and such a brilliant Department.

My passion for Psychology first developed when I attended a taster session that my school was holding to decide A Level options. I quickly became intrigued by the topics covered in Psychology – Conformity, Obedience, Aggression, Gender – as well as the many famous psychological studies conducted – Milgram Obedience Task, Zimbardo Prison Experiment, Little Albert – which I now enjoy teaching to my students.

This materialised in my decision to read Psychology (BSc) at Durham University, where I was exposed to multiple fields of the subject which only increased my fascination. After leaving University, I was asked by my old school if I could cover a couple of A Level Psychology lessons, as they were running short on staff. I volunteered with no prior experience in teaching and found – very quickly – that the experience was exciting and thought-provoking.

Teaching something you are passionate about means that each lesson is enjoyable, engaging and motivating. I strive for each student who leaves my classroom to experience this as well, which is helped in that Psychology is such an interesting and relatable subject anyway! Even though Psychology is only an A Level option, the Department does run a weekly Psychology club for younger years, and I would invite anyone who is even slightly interested to attend.

Outside of the classroom, I love spending time with my family and watching sit-com TV series – Modern Family is a popular go-to. Coming from Tonga where Rugby is the national sport, I love to play and watch it, and I am excited to be involved with Hampton School rugby. When I am not teaching, I am likely watching videos of different recipes of food dishes to try, visiting friends and family, involved with my local church or just spending time outdoors relaxed and content.

I did my bachelor’s degree in my hometown in Russia as a History teacher. But ever since I met my wife, who is English, I knew how exciting it is to learn something about other cultures and know people with different perspectives on life. It was during a trip to Italy I realized that I wanted to study Classics. Standing at the top of the tower of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, I was moved by the beauty of the Medieval city below me. I became inspired to find out more about how people lived in these glorious and magnificent civilization which laid the foundation for the world as we know it now.

I became fluent in speaking, reading, and writing Latin and Ancient Greek in Italy in a unique place where the only means of communication were these languages – sort of like in an average Medieval European university. It was incredibly hard; I had to study from 7am to 11pm all in Latin language! At the same time, it was a true privilege to be surrounded by such beauty – we lived in a Renaissance villa and, with our choir,

My family quickly settled in Solihull, Birmingham, where we have lived for 20 years; we very much consider it our second home, though not quite as tropical as the Pacific!

I am delighted to be joining Hampton School and look forward to working with students who ‘have an insatiable thirst for knowledge which lead to achievements that are far and above national and worldwide averages’ (ISI Report, 2022).

Moses Fakatou Hello everyone! I am very excited to be joining the Psychology Department at Hampton School this academic year. By way of introduction – I am originally from Tonga, a small island in the South Pacific, and was born in Australia but subsequently moved to the UK all before I was 2 years old. I love travelling by the way!

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My hope is to inspire and motivate my students to leave Hampton feeling hopeful and excited for their future and confident in their own skills and abilities. Let’s get going!

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Rosie Pickford Scienti

Tom Aucutt

Alice Jacobs

My personal motto is ‘sapere aude’ – roughly translated as ‘dare to know’ – and this has been my guiding principle in life, as I believe that knowledge is power and curiosity a virtue. This has provided a nice counterbalance to society’s cynical idea that ‘ignorance is bliss.’

There appears to have been something in the air this year that has made the pull of the Hanworth Road irresistible to a few former members of the teaching staff, me included. It feels wonderful to have rejoined the Hampton Common Room after a brief but action-packed two years living in Lisbon, where I was working as Head of Modern Languages in one of the city's many new international schools.

Older Hampton boys might do a double-take when they see me in the corridor this term – I have been here before, and I am returning to Hampton for Stint 2: a little older, not much wiser, but very happy to be rejoining a place I felt very at home in for years.

Born in the not-so-leafy parts of Surrey, you would be forgiven for thinking that this – and my career choice! – would mean that English was my first language rather than Italian…but no! I did not know any English whatsoever until I started school at five years old, so naturally becoming a teacher of English was the obvious choice. I guess you could say I am living proof that anyone can learn a new language and love it!

While currently a yellow sash in Hung Leng Kuen kung fu, I hope to keep making progress and working on my forms. I also enjoy watching films, especially dystopian, sci-fi and fantasy genres. The cult classics The Labyrinth and A Never-Ending Story will probably find their way into one or two lessons over the coming year.

I also have a few outlets for my own creativity, such as painting and photography, but – perhaps stereotypically for an English teacher! – I am currently working on a sci-fi novel about the emergence of true AI, called AI’m Alive, which I began before recent developments in AI technology and is somehow already feeling a little dated.

One final fact about me is that my husband and I decided to create our own surname – the final part, ‘Scienti’ – when we married, based on some Latin words for concepts that were important to us. See if you can figure out what they were!

I look forward to meeting you all and having a great year together.

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There was, of course, plenty of time for exploring Iberia, lying on beaches, enjoying morning ocean swims, and consuming my body-weight in pastéis de nata! My Portuguese has improved a lot too, and the experience of truly immersing myself in a different language and culture for the first time since university has reaffirmed all that got me into teaching languages in the first place; I feel more prepared than ever to shamelessly evangelise to Hampton pupils about the benefits of learning a new language and living a new culture.

So, why come back to the drizzly UK with its expensive restaurant food and ULEZ debates? It is a fair question to ask. In reality, there were many reasons but among them was how much I enjoyed working at Hampton from 2013 to 2021. It is a special place, packed with kind and talented people both in the classrooms and in the Common Room. I feel incredibly privileged to be leading the Modern Languages Department, and I am grateful for the support and warmth I have received from colleagues already so far.

I am a keen – but hopeless – golfer, a decent cook, and I am immersed in a relatively new passion project, helping out as much as I can with our family’s small vineyard in Northern Portugal. I love football too, and I will happily talk to anyone about the mighty Fourth XI or perhaps even bring you along with me on Sunderland’s 2023-24 promotion bandwagon.

the magazine of hampton school

2022-2023

I am keen to see the ways in which the school has changed, to meet its newer members and to be back in touch with those who still remember me.

In the three years since leaving Hampton, I have lived and taught in north London, and taken up the trombone. Both have been a lot of fun, and I am really looking forward to continuing the latter in every way I can at Hampton.

Although I plan to be spending quite a bit of time in the Music Department, I am officially here to teach Classics, and I cannot wait to get my teeth into some Juvenal with the Sixth Form, as well as introducing yet another generation of Hamptonians to the immortal Caecilius.

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David Clark

has run to places such as Malawi, Namibia, the Isle of Skye, Snowdonia, Windsor Castle and so many more.

I hardly feel placed to comment on Mr Clark’s 39 years at Hampton, given I have only been at the School for one of those years! However, it is clear that he has had such a huge impact in so many areas of Hampton life and is respected and cherished by his colleagues.

He has always run these trips with a calm manner, never being flustered by mishaps or and always maintaining his composure, even in times of crisis! He also brought a sense of humour that is essential on big trips such as those with Adventure Society.

Mr Clark always brought good humour and enthusiasm to the classroom and, after covering a few of his Second Year lessons, I know that they very much enjoyed his teaching.

PAH

I have been hugely grateful for his support, energy and devotion to the boys having the best possible experience outside of the classroom whilst at Hampton, this will all be sorely missed.

However, it is outside of the classroom where Mr Clark has had the most significant impact for me.

Starting up three new trips post-Covid as a new Head of Department was a daunting task, but he was constantly supportive and helpful throughout the whole process, always trying to find ways that trips could be run, instead of thinking of barriers for them not to.

In a world of health and safety and red tape – which I know Mr Clark always adhered to! – this can-do attitude was much needed for the pupils to enable them to have a huge variety of trips available to them at Hampton.

Mr Clark will very much be missed amongst the History Department, but our GCSE syllabus includes the Vietnam War and so who knows if a field trip could be organised to his new home!

OGR During his 39 years at Hampton, Mr Clarke has taken on so many roles that it is impossible to do his time here justice in a few lines.

He has been a PE and History teacher, Form Tutor, athletics coach, runner, Chair of the ISSP, Educational Visits Coordinator and Head of Outdoor and Adventurous Activities, just to name a few.

One of his most notable contributions to the School have been the huge range of trips that he

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Alasdair McBay Alasdair McBay joined the Mathematics Department at Hampton School in 1998 from Cademuir International School in Scotland having graduated from Dundee University with a BSc in Applied Mathematics and an Msc in Education from Edinburgh University.

In 2007, Mr McBay was appointed Senior Tutor, and this was followed, in 2013, by his appointment as Director of Studies with effect from September 2013.

This appointment was made by the then out-going Headmaster, Barry Martin, but with the full consensus of the in-coming and current Headmaster, Kevin Knibbs. In fact, Mr Knibbs credits Mr McBay with his own career at Hampton as it was during a number of visits from the north-west of the UK to the south-west of London with the First XI football team from his previous school, and when Mr McBay was then coordinating football at Hampton, that the two met. Mr Knibbs was impressed by the warmth of the welcome and the standards that Mr McBay insisted upon from Hampton’s players and decided that if he ever moved south to London, Hampton was where he wanted to be!

them to a number of national and county championships, culminating in the side winning the ECF National Schools Chess Championships in June 2023 – a fitting farewell.

In Ronda, southern Spain, Alasdair is something of an unlikely celebrity, and people will stop and speak to him in the street or ask after him in local restaurants – ‘El Jefe’ (‘The Boss’). He has been instrumental in maintaining excellent relations with our local partners in Ronda and in ensuring an authentic and thoroughly enjoyable experience for Hampton pupils and staff on 17 Ronda trips – every trip since 2004. Alasdair particularly enjoyed Ronda 2023, during which he was presented with a Club Deportivo Ronda shirt by the pupils and was able to see Scotland beat Spain 2-0 in the Euro 2024 Qualifier match.

The Ronda trip enjoys legendary status at Hampton, among pupils and alumni, and this is in no small part thanks to Alasdair’s hard work, care, and unparalleled attention to detail. From timetabling lessons to arranging local football fixtures or tapas, he always ensured the right balance of language, culture and fun, including his famous guided tour of Ronda’s bullring – where he enjoyed nominating a staff member to be the bull before re-enacting a bullfight – and the challenging, but scenic, ‘Walk to Ronda’, driving the pupils 10km away from Ronda and walking them back, largely uphill.

Alasdair McBay will be sorely missed at Hampton School, but he will be continuing his association with the ISI Inspectorate, and, in addition to inspecting schools here in the UK, will, from time to time, be off to various corners of the globe to inspect independent British schools overseas.

We wish him well in his future endeavours and owe him a great debt of gratitude for all he did for the School.

In addition to his role as Director of Studies, Mr McBay also undertook the somewhat onerous task of compiling the timetable at Hampton as well as the responsibility for ensuring that the School was ready for ISI Inspections. In 2015, he joined the Senior Leadership Team, in his role as Director of Studies, and, having qualified in 2002 as an Inspector for ISI, becoming a Reporting Inspector in 2016.

Verity Moria, Jennifer Simmonds & MB

In 2014, Mr McBay undertook a well-deserved sabbatical. He is an avid walker and has completed the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and other similar routes, on a number of occasions, always returning in time for GCSE results day. However, for his sabbatical, Mr McBay chose a somewhat lengthier path – London to Jerusalem!

Having taken the ferry across the English Channel, he commenced his walk through Europe on 4th July 2014, taking in France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Cyprus before arriving in Israel and his destination in early December – a journey of approximately 5500 kilometres! The return journey was somewhat quicker, travelling home by air and then rail from Istanbul.

Many will fondly remember following his progress in Assembly: ‘McBayWatch’.

Mr McBay was also widely involved in the School’s cocurricular programme; for many years he was a member of the Duke of Edinburgh Award team and was also responsible for co-ordinating School football and for running the U15B squad. He was a firm – but fair – referee for both School and external matches.

He has also overseen the School’s extremely successful Chess teams for a number of years, proudly leading 8

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Helen Booker

Writing Club. Staff have benefitted alike, with Mrs Booker and Mrs McLusky writing and leading a creative writing course for the Common Room. In the last five years, Mrs Booker has also built close links with our partnership schools, delivering fun and inspiring workshops to Year 5 and 6 children. Helping even the most reticent writers find their voice, Mrs Booker has demonstrated that everyone has a story to tell if given the supportive guidance and creative space needed to encourage them.

Of course, Mrs Booker’s talents are not purely creative or cerebral. She is exceptionally organised and efficient, two qualities which cannot be overestimated in the world of teaching. Needless to say, she has been called upon many a time to help with both the day-to-day running of the Department and with the organisation of more significant events.

Some memorable examples of the latter were her annual First Year trips to The Globe Theatre; shepherding over 150 twelve-year-olds, whose attention seemed more focused on the content of their packed lunch than on the sea of pedestrians heading in the opposite direction along a heaving Southbank, was no mean feat – particularly after being stuck on a coach for a good two hours thanks to the south west London traffic! No wonder that, one year, Mr Payne so readily volunteered to escort a sick boy back to school having only made it as far as Teddington; he knew from experience what was on the cards!

Mrs Booker first joined Hampton in September 2000. Within a year, she had left. A rather short-lived career at the school, one might have thought at the time. Fortunately for us, after a ten year ‘break’ bringing up her three children and setting up her professional photography company, Mrs Booker returned for a much longer stint. And in true Mrs Booker-style, she has not taken her foot off the pedal since, managing to rival the output of many a full-timer!

In addition to her meticulously planned and effectively executed lessons, Mrs Booker has contributed significantly to the creative aspects of the Department, working closely with Mrs McLusky to design the unique Writers’ Room and running our popular Senior Writers’ Room Creative

Joel Baker

Totally unflappable, Mrs Booker always remained the embodiment of calm on these trips, although she did eventually reach her limit and opt for a slightly less onerous arrangement of The Globe actors travelling to Hampton.

Mrs Booker will be hugely missed by all of us, and clearly not just for her effortless sartorial style. Her warmth, positivity and support will stand her in excellent stead for a career in coaching, and we wish her the best of luck for her exciting new endeavours.

CER

He was an outstanding member of the Department, always generous with his time and inspirational to his classes. His classroom manner engendered a calm, focused and creative atmosphere that helped pupils to really flourish.

Modest, kind, and reliable in all things – he is very much missed by all of us in the Art Department.

With his growing family, it was a hard decision for Joel to leave Hampton, but the move to Dorset seemed like the best decision for him; he is now happily installed in a new home only a short drive from his new job as Head of Art at Hazlegrove Prep School. He now has views of rolling hills and fields and has gladly escaped from the grind of the Kingston one-way system – though I suspect he still misses the drive past Hampton Court and the ‘Hampton Riviera’!

As he says himself, ‘I will always have very fond memories of my time at Hampton and feel privileged to have enjoyed 12 years of service at the school. Our family relocation to Dorset is a big change, but we are settled and enjoying our new life in the country!

Joel Baker joined Hampton as teacher of Art in March 2010. He settled in to working with the Art team and was soon creating ‘Art Teacher examples’ that were the envy of his colleagues!

I owe a huge “Thank you” to all of the supremely dedicated, talented and kind-hearted colleagues with whom I worked and learnt so much from over the years.’

KAW the lion

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Alice Goodman

Alice joined the Psychology Department, which was headed up by Steven Wakefield, an incredibly charismatic and eccentric Head of Department, whose novel approach really began to rub off on the innocent Alice’s teaching. He took an extremely creative approach to lessons, setting a president and actively encouraging risk-taking and creativity from Alice herself.

Indeed, Steve persuaded Alice to introduce definitions of abnormality by behaving in an alarmingly abnormal way in front of her class; the aim was as follows: to see how long it would take a class full of polite pupils to remark. Walking in with only one shoe on and seemingly slurping wine from her glass the students were immediately attentive. Gaining confidence, Alice began to embody her new ‘Ab Fab’ persona with vigour. Unfortunately, this cunning plan fell down slightly when one of the pupils asked to go to the toilet and instead ran to their Head of Year to say that Miss Goodman was having a funny turn and drinking alcohol in the lesson – it was herbal tea! Despite this minor hiccup, Alice’s ability to bring interest and energy to the classroom never ceased.

After such an enjoyable and successful first year, Alice went onto complete her PGCE; she was then appointed Head of Department after four years. She also tried her hand at basketball coaching, believing that her netball skills would carry her through Lower School training; unfortunately, they did not, and in her words this particular aspect of her time at Hampton was ‘an absolute fail’!

When stepping through the Hampton gates 11 years ago, an enthusiastic and fresh-faced Alice could not have possibly known what she was letting herself in for, and Hampton could not have known just how fortunate it was to have found such a kind, hardworking and funloving Common Room member.

Alice came to teaching after completing her Psychology degree at Leeds University and working in qualitative research afterwards. With no previous teaching experience, she was thrown in the deep end, immediately starting Sixth Form teaching. This was a steep learning curve during which Alice began to understand how the boys wanted to learn, when to use humour and how to command a classroom with ease.

She immediately loved the atmosphere and the challenge of working with bright students which brought out her best qualities – qualities which the previous headmaster, Barry Martin, clearly saw during her interview and thankfully took a chance on.

Despite this, Alice brushed herself off and found many other ways to support the school community. She showed particular skill in forming and nurturing inter-departmental alliances to secure her place on numerous trips and DofE excursions. Many of these provided some of her fondest memories of her time at Hampton, such as during DofE, plentiful trips to tea shops in the New Forest, waking students up at the crack of dawn and helping them plan menu items; to her amusement, boys would try and plan elaborate sushi menus or eat all their ‘emergency’ Mars bars within the first two hours of the weekend. Standout trips included the Washington Politics trip and the Ad Soc trip to Zambia and Malawi – which was an all-time highlight, boasting incredible safari and community projects.

Alice has been loved by pupils and staff alike and will be sorely missed. She is confidenceinstilling, empathic, and diligent. She always makes time for people, whether they simply need brief bolstering, to feel heard or repeated support. I have seen boys flourish and mature into excellent young adults under her scrupulous care and feel honoured to have worked so closely with her during my time at Hampton School.

Hampton could not have anticipated how lucky it was the day that Alice joined the staff, but we now know just how fortunate we have been to have her for the last 11 years. Thank you for everything you have done and good luck with the next adventure.

HJP

Marc Boardman

Marc joined Hampton as a French and Spanish teacher in September 2014, fresh from a year spent travelling and working in Italy and Argentina following university.

Having completed his teacher training within the Modern Languages Department and established himself as an effective and inspirational teacher, he spent four years as an Assistant Head of Year in the Middle School and a spell as Acting Head of Fifth Year before taking on the role of Head of French, then Acting Head of Modern Languages.

As a linguist, Marc is first-rate, and to so many pupils over the years he has imparted not just high personal academic standards but a passion for language-learning, cultural inquisitiveness, and a love of French and Spanish literature. Among many innovations during his time at Hampton, he established a popular Second Year trip to Provence, as well as masterminding a Lower School French comic strip competition and arranging for tutors from Oxford University to deliver lectures on cultural topics to Sixth Formers. He entered Hampton linguists into the EU young translator contest, who went on to achieve fantastic results; and he has been instrumental over the years in coordinating the French and Spanish extension provision for Sixth Formers preparing to continue their language studies at university. Under his leadership of the French Department, the Hampton team secured a victory in the Joutes Oratoires Lycéennes national French debating competition in 2021.

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school As a teacher of languages, Marc has always been a strong advocate for the value of international trips and accompanied many of them during his time at Hampton. Over the years, he has joined staff and pupils on travels to Mexico, Cuba, Lille, and Ronda, as well as First Year day trips to Le Touquet.

He has been an outstanding line-manager: patient, tactful, and kind in his discussions with colleagues; knowledgeable, dedicated, and incredibly hard-working in the execution of his duties; and he always put the interests of the pupils first. The Modern Languages Department has been in excellent hands under his expert leadership, and he has our heartfelt thanks for everything he has brought to the role.

Alongside his departmental responsibilities, Marc spent his fair share of time out on the football pitch as the coach of several teams over the years – not to mention as an invaluable member of the staff five-a-side contingent! – and we hope he will find opportunities to put his skills in this area to good use in his next chapter.

A calm, quietly passionate and highly respected teacher, Marc leaves Hampton for a well-deserved career break to travel in South America. We wish him every success in the future and look forward to hearing news of his adventures!

KEW

Oliver Ellsworth

In the last six years, he has managed to become an Assistant Head of Year and Second in the English Department, in addition to completing an MA in Education and the Independent Schools’ Qualification in Academic Management. When you throw getting married and having two children into the mix, it is easy to feel exhausted just reflecting on what he has achieved!

Indeed, it has to be said that, at times, it feels as though Mr Ellsworth is something of a machine – and we mean that in the nicest possible way! Despite all his additional responsibilities and undertakings, he has continued to produce engaging and challenging schemes of work, delivering lessons with energy and enthusiasm, has provided thorough and regular feedback for all his charges, and has organised trips and external speakers to enrich our curriculum.

He has tutored his Form groups with considerable care and high expectations, and has supported his Heads of Year through numerous investigations. At the weekends, the rugby pitches have had a thorough pounding from Mr Ellsworth’s various A teams, executing the meticulously planned strategies devised by their highly-skilled coach.

Whilst the English Department must confess to benefitting hugely from Mr Ellsworth’s teaching resources which he so readily shared, and to relying on him to help us charter the Hampton literary ship through the tumultuous waters of the dreaded CAGs and TAGs processes with his Excel masterpieces, it is Mr Ellsworth as a person which we will miss the most. He has been such a supportive presence, willingly giving up his time for others and remaining unfazed by the challenges encountered along the way.

His promotion to Assistant Head, Head of Sixth Form, at King’s College, Taunton, is richly deserved. We wish Mr Ellsworth the best of luck – and lots of cream teas!

CER

Ro Bradbury When Mr Ellsworth turned up to Hampton School for his interview – carrying a sizeable dossier of career achievements and highlights to date – we felt certain that he was destined for great things, and he has not disappointed.

I was fortunate enough to be Ro’s NQT mentor in her third year of teaching, and two things became very apparent early on. One, that I would need to think very creatively about how to write the areas that she needed to improve on, and two, that it very much felt that Ro was helping develop my teaching – with the innovative ways she taught each topic – rather than me helping her. the lion

Ro is a wonderfully caring, passionate, and engaging teacher, colleague, and friend. If any pupil has been lucky enough to be taught by her, they will be able to wax lyrical about the carefully thought through lessons, the constant links to topics of syllabus, and the number of opportunities to stretch and develop problem solving skills.

She genuinely cares deeply about each of the pupils that she teaches and will always go the extra mile for them. Alongside this, Ro is an incredible valued member of the Department, not just as the welcoming face of it, but for her positive attitude, willingness to help at any opportunity, and the kindness she shows to everyone. To continue with her many strengths, she also stretched and enthused our very brightest for their STEP preparation and other university admission tests.

For most, what Ro achieves in the classroom would be enough, but whilst being at Hampton for six years, she has helped many pupils rowing on the river, using her international rowing experience. Furthermore, she has been a dedicated member of the Quiz Society, enabling pupils to succeed in national competitions. In her spare time, she became the inaugural British Cycling Zwift eRacing Champions in 2019, and had two children.

She moves to The Netherlands with her young family to start the next chapter in her life. We all wish her the very best with teaching and the long cycles in the search of anything resembling a hill.

Thank you for everything you have contributed to Hampton in your time here, Ro. You will be sorely missed at Hampton and a small hope is that one day you will grace the Hampton Common Room again as a teacher.

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Robin Hardman

It is absolutely no surprise that he has moved on to senior management as an Assistant Head at Trinity School Croydon. His youthful exterior and odd socks belie an extremely mature, reflective, and talented teacher who is more than ready to take on this new challenge. I honestly cannot identify a single notable achievement from my ‘WFH’ lockdown months, but Robin wrote a book – The Writing Game – underlining his deep commitment to the importance of teaching writing skills effectively.

Staff and pupils alike have benefitted from his ingenious and creative lesson activities, from ‘Judgement Jenga’ to ‘Essay Triathlon’ and ‘The Vicar of Glibly’. He has gained a reputation for panini point starters – successfully tricking boys into high levels of engagement with the lure of food.

Robin exuded calm, confident professionalism when he arrived for interview at Hampton in 2018. With only three years teaching under his belt, he presented as a master craftsman who had seen every trick in the book and had complete command of the classroom. He is an immensely talented and natural educator; watching him in the classroom makes me want to be a better teacher.

Praise aside, he is an extremely messy neighbour.

As a very tidy person, the trail of work and sportsrelated detritus next to me in the office has been disturbing. Footballs, cricket balls, ties, shoes, discarded essays, mugs sprouting organic growth, a chair covered in wardrobe items encroach alarmingly towards my minimalist desk.

Robin sometimes gives the impression of having a laid-back demeanour, with his reputation for odd socks and an occasionally untucked shirt emerging from one of his many pairs of chinos.

Do not be fooled by this laissez-faire air – here is a man with a huge, razor-sharp brain, who takes pride in possessing an arsenal of niche facts and an enviable grip on grammatical structure. Boys who have tried to ‘out-fact’ him or question his grip on general knowledge have comprehensively failed in their endeavours. They are also obsessed with trying to work out the political persuasions of their politics teachers. Robin has largely remained an enigma; their poor efforts to de-code him politically peaked with: ‘Mr Hardman sounds quite posh Miss, so he must vote Conservative’.

A keen pitch and armchair sportsman, Robin has been a dedicated and enthusiastic rugby coach for the 14As, 15As, 16As, and as an assistant coach for the First XV. His detailed understanding and experience of the intricacies involved in back play have added huge value to the rugby careers of many Hamptonians. He has fostered excellent, respectful relationships with his players, despite being occasionally tempted to sub himself in. It has also been commented upon that Robin gets very excited in weekly games of touch rugby, and – despite being prone to a bit of ball-hogging – throws excellent passes. His energetic play in weekly staff 5-a-side football has also produced notable moments of glory and concussion drama!

He was an integral member of the Department and Common Room, and became a close friend to many of us, helping us through the Covid years and beyond. His emotional intelligence was equalled by his academic expertise: he delivered the Pre-U and GCSE qualifications and was much-loved by his pupils over his four years here.

Indeed, his care with marking and resources was exemplary.

Robin has certainly pressed the fast forward button on his life, getting married, becoming a father, and gaining a highly deserved promotion in under a year. I would like to take some small credit for one of these life-changing moments, as Robin met his future wife Hattie – AKA Miss Oliphant, a former, beloved member of the Hampton Common Room – at my wedding in 2019. Seeing them get married last year was truly the happiest of occasions.

Most of all, he was a real champion of the subject’s academic worth and inspired his pupils to think critically – and to love this aspect of the subject. Outside of lessons, his Third Year Philosophy Club, with his mug of questions, was a staple in the Hampton week, and many pupils looked forward to it.

Robin – we all wish you huge happiness and success as the next chapter of your life unfolds. To say that we will miss you would be an enormous understatement. The good ship politics will sail on with a new captain, but you have taken us in a wonderful new direction.

JAF

Robin took over as Head of Politics in September 2020. He has overhauled our teaching of writing skills with great success. He is an outstanding teacher; the boys know they are in expert hands and that Robin cares deeply about getting the very best from every pupil he teaches. His energy and quest for developing teaching and learning strategies is boundless.

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pupils and staff alike, with his various shenanigans and wit.

Mark Scott Mark joined us in 2019 and quickly became the ‘heart of the Tower’. Larger than life, and with a relentless positivity, he never failed to cheer us up,

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The Lower School loved him too. He and Mr Lori – with their creativity and dedication to fun, as well as intellectual rigour – made great improvements to the schemes, including the introduction of the entertaining trailer and Jesus projects.

Beyond the Department, Mark was a wonderful form tutor for Fourth and Fifth Years, as well as acting as their Assistant Head of Year in 22-23. When not in a classroom, he could normally be found on the sports fields, coaching football: the football and rugby players – he played competitively outside of School – looked up to him, respecting his expertise in all things sport.

From those pupils who maybe only encountered him at the office door – and passed his questioning! – to those of us who were taught/ coached by, or worked with, him, he will be dearly missed. The office and School will be the lesser, albeit the quieter, without him!

Finally, I am personally indebted to him for all the help that he has given me. We wish him

school congratulations on his marriage to Elle, and all the very best for their new life back in Northern Ireland.

We hope that he will come to visit us, and his beloved Southwest London, in the not-toodistant future!

BJC

Kit Saunders

to wear, sarcastic and witty retorts; even wine appreciation.

Seriously, though, he has been a tremendous Latin and Greek teacher, and we will especially miss his Roman History expertise. No pressure, Mr Hall! I do not know where numerous boys would have been without his knowledge and educational nous; indeed, he has been instrumental at getting a raft of boys to take Classics / Ancient History / CAAH at University.

Likewise, in a short but stellar career here, he has sucked a huge number of friends into his orbit. At times, I think people only know our niche little Department exists because of our buoyant, interconnected mascot. There are so many people who will miss him dearly as he makes his way across the world to Singapore, and few that will remain unchanged in his wake. As a colleague put it, it is hard to believe that he has only been here three years; it feels like he has always been here – in a good way, that is!

I therefore have only one thing to say to him as he gets ready to pack his bags: it is never too late to change your mind. Much 'amor’ and many ‘vale’s from us all.

JWB

Kit, Mr Saunders – o di immortals – where to begin!?

I remember interviewing Kit during the first lockdown, and feeling a slight bit – okay, quite a bit – of trepidation about hiring someone without watching them teach a lesson and on the back of a mere half-hour chat. A lovely chat, to be sure, even if the novelty of Teams and Zoom calls and online-what-nots was wearing off, but still, not even close to a usual interview.

As it quickly became apparent, I need not have worried. Not only was he able to teach the timetable he started the year with, but as the days and weeks went by, he was able to take on minor tweaks and then more and more major ones, until half a term or so in he had a timetable almost unrecognisable from his initial one – and all this during the second lockdown! And all with a permanent and irrepressible smile, that was visible whenever his chic and a la mode choice in masks was not hiding it.

Post-lockdowns, with the jeopardy and workload decreased, this one-man-band has found countless other strings to attach to his Odyssean bow – Head of Tennis and Assistant Head of UCAS to name the two most recent ones. As it happens, we have discovered that he is awesome at anything he turns his hand to – I am not jealous, honest! – whether it be golf, rugby, tennis, ice skating, cooking, choosing the right tie

Henry McTernan

year that Henry had left. Such was the wonderful impression which he made on pupils and staff alike during his three short years here.

Henry grew up in Lincolnshire and headed south to Christ’s College, Cambridge to study Classics Course II. He then took on the PGCE, again at Cambridge, during which time he taught successfully at Wilson’s School. However, we were thrilled that he migrated 17 miles due north-west to Hampton School in September 2019 for his first teaching post.

It may be a clichéd phrase from any positive pastoral report, but it is absolutely true: from day one, Henry threw himself into all aspects of School life, and the School was all the better for it.

His contributions to the Classics Department were invaluable, particularly when it came to Sixth Form teaching, and I know that his pupils benefited hugely from his knowledge of Latin, Greek, Ancient History and Classical Civilisation. Yet he always wanted to offer his pupils more, and as such went out of his way to study for a Master’s degree in Education, once again at Cambridge, during which time he studied pupils’ engagement in non-linguistic classical material.

Henry also had a great impact on the sporting life of the School, giving up most lunchtimes and weekends to get involved in the pupils’ active pursuits; he was a dedicated coach to his U15 Football Team, served regularly at Table Tennis Club and formed one half of the legendary crosscountry duo with Mr Clarke!

Yet even more important than these glorious feats – and what I will cherish most – was Henry’s character. Confident without being arrogant, and kind and respectful to all, he was known by pupils and staff alike as a genuinely lovely person who would make anybody feel at home. He also had a wicked sense of humour, responsible for many a belly-laugh in the Classics Department with his renowned word-play and meme-making.

Oh, those memes! I think they may have got us all through lockdown learning…

I am afraid that I do need to begin this valediction with an apology to Henry and to all readers of The Lion; this piece should have been in last year’s edition, what with our cherished colleague having left Hampton School in July 2022.

However – and I must warn you that what I am about to write comes with a ‘cheese warning’ – it is, perhaps, fitting that this piece has arrived when it has, as I did not quite want to accept last the lion

Henry left Hampton School for a change of scenery, and has been teaching Latin, Greek and Ancient History at Wellington College, a coeducational boarding school, since September 2022 with much success.

I think that it might be time for me to accept that he has left…but I do so armed with intensely happy memories of our time working together and with all the best wishes for the future. ave atque vale, Henrice! We still miss you!

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The English Department The English Department charged once more unto the breach this year in its determination to support pupils in their development of key skills and – even more importantly – to foster a love of reading for pleasure, encouraging and recognising the importance of thinking creatively, and to inspire a depth and capacity for emotional intelligence.

One of our newer ventures, The Writers’ Room, was in full swing again, engaging students from across the School in weekly group discussions and creative workshops. Of the many creative pieces lovingly crafted and national writing competitions entered, particular congratulations are due to Isaac Crowhurst for winning the Connell Guides Short Story competition.

Stephen King’s apt observation that ‘books are a uniquely portable magic’ is echoed by the words of the equally ‘magic’ J K Rowling, who rightly points out that ‘if you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book’ – a sentiment to which the Department also adds ‘listen’, given the joy of Audible as yet another way into reading and the world of Literature. Get reading at home!

Budding authors in the First to Third Year explored gothic fiction, resulting in a whole host of gruesome and spooky stories, and also engrossed themselves in fantasy worlds, creating tales to rival Tolkien. The challenge of writing micro-fiction was unexpectedly taxing, with six-word stories considered to be the most challenging of all!

As ever, it was a busy year of events that extended beyond the syllabus and below are some of our highlights.

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The Senior Writers’ Room members also welcomed pupils from LEH for some collaborative creative writing, sharing their combined interest in developing writing skills and fostering a creative voice to express themselves.

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Connected by the sharing of stories, and after reading an extract based on the idea of names, pairs worked together to start a story about a character and their name. In a short space of time, intriguing stories emerged as imaginative minds joined forces and connected through the power of writing!

production of the play on the banks of the Thames. Naturally, this was enjoyed hot on the heels of a range of ‘cheeky’ Nandos, speedy Pizza Expresses, and Wahaca wraps – the flavours of which were as wide-ranging as the discussions had about the staging and themes!

The Department’s three Junior Book Groups have hugely enjoyed the opportunity to shadow the Yoto Carnegie Awards this year, thanks to generous support from the HSPA. Discussions, opinions, and debate has been buzzing from the Library’s Reading Room. The Blue Book of Nebo, by Manon Steffan Ros, was a resounding favourite when the groups met at the end of the year – clearly the boys’ tastes match those of the competition’s judges!

Unsurprisingly, the Sixth Form enjoyed an enormous range of extension events and trips to broaden and extend their critical and contextual understanding of their A Level texts.

Reported on in its own right in the Lion, the Arts Award ran successfully for another year; a huge number of pupils from the Third Year benefited from the unique opportunity to embrace their passion for the arts, develop leadership skills, and gain a nationally recognised qualification. Pretty cool!

With Othello firmly back on the syllabus for IGCSE – for a couple of years at least – over 100 pupils from the Fourth and Fifth Year were fortunate enough to get to go on a trip to watch the latest National Theatre

At the conclusion of an oft repeated trip the National Theatre Archive to watch Sam Mendes’ production of King Lear, the boys could be heard asking with rueful dismay when it finished, ‘is this the promised end?’

Closer to home, wonderful events were organised within Hampton that included pupils from local, partner schools, enabling everyone to benefit from visiting speakers and enriching the quality of the discussions and questions asked.

We were treated to a Supernatural Prose Convention – that was frighteningly superb – which helped pupils to engage with the historical the lion

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school context of texts, such as Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray, and a Shakespeare Lecture session, led by Professor Carol Rutter of Warwick University, that generated some fiercely interesting questions in the Q&A session.

Even in the final week of term, the Lower Sixth Literature cohort was joined

by Dr Jonathan Brockbank of York University – one of our Department’s favourite lecturers as an undergraduate – via Teams for a talk on all things ‘Marlovian’ and Faustus-related.

As ever, the whole School also benefited from wonderful opportunities to think differently about their learning and approach to every subject; two Pens Down Days saw a marvellous range of activities across each Year Group and incredible creativity on display by staff and pupils alike. In this instance, creativity was mightier than the pen!

There was also some superb creativity on show in the publication of the School’s Arts Magazine, Lion Print, where a wonderful collection of the boys’ poems and prose was paired with specially produced artworks commissioned within the Art Department. Do peruse it at your leisure in the ‘Magazines’ section on the School website.

Journalism was also at the forefront once again; boys scooped up a wide range of reporting skills as part of their involvement in the Young Reporter scheme. The headline, breaking news was clearly the terrific enjoyment had by all taking part!

Finally, the annual Character Day event brought colour, humour and reading to the forefront for the Second Year, who – alongside some inspired costumes of their favourite literary figures – enjoyed a talk from Matt Whyman, award-winning author of young adult novels, whilst also raising a wonderful sum for Form Charity.

MMB

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The Metamorphoses of Apuleius – more commonly known as The Golden Ass – is the only ancient Roman novel to survive in its entirety. In a particularly gripping section of this novel – all about the flesh-biting witches of Thessaly – a very famous Egyptian prophet named Zatchlas breathed new life into a corpse.

In much the same way, the gradual disappearance of Covid has breathed new life into the Classics Department this year, such that we were able to return to our blissfully busy schedule! It is with pleasure that we present Hampton’s fasti MMXXII-MMXXIII. ARW First up, we have an overview from Fifth Year pupil, Jasper de Linde, on how our glorious discipline has been doing, both within the School and beyond.

‘The past year has been outstanding for Classics. In recent news, Latin has become the fourth most taught language in primary schools; it's fantastic that more children are getting access to opportunities they might have missed. This marks a significant step in Classics becoming more open and inclusive. We should remember why missing out on Classics matters: it matters because people matter, their lives, their stories, their hopes and dreams, loves and losses, trials and triumphs matter. The Classics

Department put on exciting events this year, and we look forward to sharing them with you.’

Jasper de Linde gratias, Jasper! We kicked off proceedings in mid-November at The Harrodian School Classics Conference, which returned with a vengeance – and a big box of mince pies. A nine-strong cohort of Sixth Form Latinists, Hellenists and Ancient Historians was treated to a series of fascinating, undergraduate-style lectures by top academics from the Universities of Oxford, Kent and London.

Professor Armand D’Angour spoke about the chorus in Greek tragedy; Professor Richard Jenkyns spoke about women in Homer and Virgil; Dr Rosie Wyles spoke about violence and Athenian civic identity – whilst gracefully dealing with a rude audience member! – and Dr Mairead McAuley spoke about transgender antiquity.

In true Hampton fashion, our pupils were responsible for many of the questions posed to the academics following their talks, and it was delightful to see so many pupils feeding back what they had learnt to their peers in lessons the following week. gratias agimus, Harrodian! We will be back in November 2023.

ARW

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school Later that month, Ben Kane, a best-selling author of historical fiction, returned to Hampton to again inspire another generation of Classicists. His talk this time around focused on the facts and fictions of gladiatorial combat.

Our tickets encouraged us to keep our wives and families with us at all times, we were advised not to alight in the underworld, and finally we were asked to notify the gods immediately if we saw a wooden horse unattended. palam ridebamus.

The most comforting aspect for me – with my advancing years and accompanying waist-line – was the fact that the most successful gladiators would have needed a bit of extra meat around their midriff to protect against serious weapon-related injuries. I no longer have to worry about not being so ripped!

JWB

For the first time post-Covid, Mr Barber spoke with Heads of Department at local prep schools about the transition from prep school Classics to secondary school Classics. The teachers enjoyed being shown around the School by some of their old pupils. A suitably cake-heavy cena was laid on to assist with the symposium.

Professor Matthew Leigh, from St. Anne's College Oxford – with reliable awesomeness – recorded a lecture about Aeneas' descent to the underworld in Book 6 of the Aeneid for the Guildford Classical Association (GCA).

Extracts from this book were set as the verse set text for the present GCSE Latin pupils. His talk provided excellent historical and literary context as well as linguistic support for the pupils' studies. His mellifluous and metrical reading of the Latin were a happy bonus.

Sometimes, as a Classicist, you have cause to note that you have niche interests. This fabulous December evening at KCL was one of those evenings. A cohort of intrepid students and their teachers witnessed an engaging summary of Virgil's magnum opus, the Aeneid, in English, interspersed with recitations of Latin and reconstructions of Roman music being played masterfully on replica auloi.

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euge! annus MMXXIII adest! What better way to start the new year than a trip to London’s museums?

The Fifth Year Ancient Historians went to explore the British Library's exhibition of the mythology that surrounds Alexander the Great.

It served as an insightful delve into the varied characterisations of Alexander that different cultures have held, from Medieval Europe and later Persian stories to modern portrayals. On the same trip, they visited the British Museum, the highlight of the visit being the Parthenon Marbles and the Nereid Monument.

Jasper de Linde Alongside preparations for the main event, February brought welcome submissions from Lower School pupils for the Lytham St Anne’s Ancient Worlds Competition. This year’s question was as follows: ‘the discovery of which ancient site or artefact interests you the most, and why?’ Pupils then had to make a PowerPoint presentation on their chosen artefact and film themselves delivering it.

Congratulations went to First Year pupils, Jiashan Li and Oliver Yang, who were our respective runner-up and winner. Oliver Yang made a superb presentation about the Valley of the Kings, which covered the tombs, objects

school and inscriptions found therein. Unfortunately, he did not qualify for the grand final, but this was still a fantastic achievement. Well done, Jiashan and Oliver!

And now for the main event! We were delighted to run our first residential trip in several years to Hadrian’s Wall in March. Anticipation started building a few weeks prior when we were lucky enough to host Dr Abigail Graham, Classics Research Fellow and expert in Roman epigraphy at the universities of Oxford, Warwick, London and the British School at Rome.

Dr Graham spoke to keen pupils from both Hampton and LEH about life as a Roman soldier and local Briton along the wall, including in famous forts like Birdoswald, Corbridge and Vindolanda. Her lecture was delightfully interactive, with pupils relishing the opportunity to handle Latin inscription rubbings, replica objects and real coins. They even played a ‘guess the object’ round at the end!

ARW Let’s hear from Second Year pupil, Theo Liang, about how the trip itself went!

On Friday 24th March, I – along with 39 other pupils and 6 teachers – departed for Hadrian’s Wall in Northern England at around 6:40am. Built

by Emperor Hadrian in AD 122, Hadrian’s Wall is a fascinating Roman wall that marked the boundary between Roman Britain – then called Britannia – and Scotland. It spans a length of 73 miles today – the builders must have been very tired – and it still contains remains of massive military fortresses.

It was built because Hadrian wanted to consolidate the Empire and bring peace to its people without expansion. He secured the Empire’s borders by building walls and wooden palisades, keeping a close eye on them; Hadrian’s Wall is one of the largest and most complex of these.

After we departed from Hampton, we arrived at Chester four and a half hours later. We looked around the city walls, amphitheatre and museum, stopping for 30 minutes of free time also to explore the town centre. The modern town was actually built around the Roman walls – there are some wall sections still there in the streets!

Then we arrived at our accommodation, The Sill, and had dinner.

Afterwards, we listened to a fun lecture about the Roman Army – we got to wear replicas of the armour, and see unearthed artefacts with remnants on them!

The next day, we departed to Cawfields for a guided walk. Along the way, the guide told us all about Roman weapons and armour, and that it actually took 800 years for the Romans to invade Britain because of the British tribes unrivalled metalwork! We walked to Milecastle 42, which is the 42nd milecastle along Hadrian’s Wall. At every Roman mile along Hadrian’s Wall – which is slightly less than a mile – there is a milecastle. These milecastles were placed at strategic positions, and housed 20-30 auxiliary soldiers.

After this, we arrived at the Roman Army Museum, watching a 3D film about Vindolanda, Hadrian’s Wall and some very interesting facts about the Roman army. We also attempted to see if we were good enough to become Syrian archers by trying a simulated bow which measured how far the arrow would go based on our pull strength. I got around 220 metres – which is a very good score!

Then, we departed to see Vindolanda for ourselves. Vindolanda was one of many Roman frontier forts and settlements – unearthing them gives us a very personal window into the lives of people who lived here. The Vindolanda museum houses the fruits of the excavations including some of the famous Vindolanda writing tablets. It is one of the best-preserved Roman forts, in part due to that it has only been excavated for 48 years, and

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school still has over 100 years’ worth of archaeology to come. That night, we did a fun trivia quiz for entertainment.

The next day, we walked from The Sill to Housesteads Roman fort – another very well-preserved Roman fort – before heading to Chester’s Roman Fort.

It was very interesting observing how similar the structure of the forts is similar to modern town-centres – a central road with shops and houses on the sides – and some other interesting things, like how the baker’s floor had to be raised to keep the bread warm.

Overall, I thought that Hadrian’s Wall was both a fun and informative trip, and I think that reflects the opinion of all who went!

I am definitely looking forward to more trips!

Theo Liang At the start of the summer term, we had the great fortune of hosting Thomas Gavin, an expert in ancient coinage, who gave a lecture to our ancient historians about ancient numismatics – the study of coinage.

From a history of coinage in antiquity, to the propagandist misconceptions of particular coins, and even discussing coinage’s role in the perhapsemperor Sponsian’s ‘discovery’, all in attendance were able to glean incredible knowledge on a beautiful and invigorating archaeological niche.

In addition, Mr Gavin was kind enough to answer and endure a slew of questions – primarily from yours truly – on individual coins, their iconography, evolution, and political significance, all of which were answered thoroughly and superbly engagingly. To me, it was as if Christmas for the next century had come all at once – and I mean that entirely in earnest!

UKLO, many of whom were competing for the first time. Over 1000 pupils from across the country sat the fiendishly difficult exam, with this year’s paper featuring some particularly challenging questions including Albanian, Lardil and Meroitic.

Eleven Hamptonians secured awards in this year’s UKLO: Gold: Silver: Bronze:

Henry Ayres Ishaan Das and Piers Marchant Kenny Anyanwu, William Colvine, Sam Ho, Aleks Lorenc, Harry McClusky, Nathan Navarro, Zac Nolan and Tom Williams

Particular congratulations go to Lower Sixth Former Henry Ayres who received a Gold Award for the second consecutive year and went on to round two of the Olympiad one month later. Henry secured a well-deserved Merit for his performance in this round, which involved sitting a challenging 3.5-hour exam. Only 90 pupils across the country sat the paper and Henry’s award places him in the top half of candidates, which is a phenomenal achievement.

This is the eleventh year that Hampton has encouraged pupils to take part in the UKLO competition. Well done to all of the Hamptonians who took part, be they award-winners, first-timers or veterans! And thank you to the Modern Languages Department for promoting the competition so successfully.

LC & ARW Last, but by no means least, we bid ave atque vale to a much-loved member of the Classics Department, who is embarking on an epic voyage per vastum maris aequor arandum (Aeneid Book 2, line 780).

In terms of extra-curricular Classics – because who could ever get enough?

– Sanskrit club has been run this year, and has been an immensely challenging, yet similarly rewarding, foray into a language likely very different to any language which had been studied before: symbols corresponding to syllables, the existence of the dual person, and recent scholarly advances in a millennia-old language’s grammar have been thoroughly enjoyable to learn about.

One of our resident ‘Hampton legends’, Mr Kit Saunders, is leaving after three years to take up a richly deserved role as Teacher of Classics at Tanglin Trust School in Singapore – a country in which he has wanted to live for several years. His expertise, enthusiasm and dedication to all areas of School life have been unparalleled, and he will be cherished by pupils and staff alike.

Please give his valediction in this issue of The Lion a read!

Charles Blagden

ARW

Whilst we are on the subject of languages, the Classics Department has also overseen the running of two more clubs which aim to promote and develop skills in this challenging, yet rewarding, discipline.

A dedicated cohort of budding linguists attended Junior Linguistics Club in the autumn term, which was run by Miss Winstock. Linguists learnt how to solve all sorts of linguistic puzzles in all sorts of languages – be they ancient, medieval or modern! – with highlights including the successful decoding of the Georgian script and the near-perfect translations of verbs written in Mongo – a language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo!

The questions were taken from the foundation and intermediate rounds of the UK Linguistics Olympiad, with a view of preparing pupils as well as possible for the advanced round of the competition in Fourth Year!

ARW Sure enough, in February, Hamptonians enjoyed success again at the annual UK Linguistics Olympiad (UKLO), a national competition which presents the pupils with some words or sentences in one of the world’s 7000 languages and asks for further forms or meanings. A group of 22 pupils from Fourth Year to Upper Sixth took part in the advanced round of the annual 20

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One of the main reasons why pupils joined HAAC was because of the promise of an archaeological dig. This year, the Senior Leadership Team agreed that we could excavate a strip of the field near to the Old Hamptonians Pavilion.

This site was a stroke of luck because, when pupils investigated seventeenthand eighteenth-century maps, they found it was on former farmland next to a track. One end of the track led to a mill and the other end led to the hamlet of Hanworth. Could it be that this site had been walked by people taking goods to market 200-300 years ago?

The dig began on a cold but bright November afternoon. Disappointingly, the careful breaking up of the earth and scraping turned up nothing at first, and the pupils remarked on the fact that it was much harder than they imagined removing earth using just a spade and the strength of a Hamptonian!

Undeterred, however, over the following weeks the pupils returned with gusto and soon enough made their first discovery: pieces of Victorian delftware, which is white porcelain with blue patterns. As the digging continued and the trench got deeper, the pupils found a horseshoe which had been in the ground for over 100 years. Was the horseshoe evidence of the track linking the mill to the hamlet of Hanworth, perhaps walked upon by a horse and cart?

The prize find came to light in the final week, proof that patience really does pay off. By this time, the trench was around four feet deep. As Eric P brushed the earth away, he revealed a ceramic beige find, which was curved with part of its base remaining; it appeared to be the bottom of a bottle. The pupils bagged the item up to take inside for further analysis.

The Dig was so much fun but, by the end of January, as the ground began to freeze, it was time to head into the laboratories so pupils could put their finds under the microscope to investigate them further.

Being in the science laboratories and looking at each piece under the microscope was an entirely different experience. First, the pupils carefully washed and cleaned each item to remove soil and debris before taking photos through the microscope. They were able to confirm that many of the pieces were indeed Victorian delftware, and we also had many pieces of brick and slate for roofs from the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century.

The prize find required further detective work. Pupils used the internet to research the bottle. Looking at the blue words printed on the bottle they thought that one read ‘Thames’ and were excited to find a similar looking bottle from ‘Henley on Thames’. However, the word ‘Thames’ was at the start of the phrase on the bottle, not the end, so it could not be ‘Henley on Thames’.

Further research led the pupils to a picture of a ginger beer bottle manufactured by T H Hawkins in Thames Ditton. It was a definite match!

What was more fascinating was to find out that Hawkins had owned and run a ginger beer factory in Thames Ditton high street from 1865 – there is even a blue plaque marking this site today!

The pupils ended the project by imagining who might have travelled from Thames Ditton to Hanworth on foot or by horse and cart with a bottle of ginger beer, and how their bottle ended up in the ground. Had they been on their way to the mill, carting goods pulled by a horse on a hot day making it thirsty work?

Although they could not answer these questions with certainties, the opportunity to discover their own artefacts and to use their historical imaginations to reflect on the past made this archaeological project a great deal of fun and hugely rewarding.

With thanks to the HPSA for granting HAAC the funding for the archaeological equipment.

SW

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First Year Trip to Windsor Castle On two days in October, the First Year travelled to Windsor Castle to support their learning about William the Conqueror and the Norman Conquest. Whilst there, they participated in a workshop about medieval knights, where some pupils were even knighted by the castle staff! They were then able to walk around the castle, visiting St George’s Chapel and paid their respects at the grave of the late Queen Elizabeth II. In the castle the boys were able to learn about how best to defend against a siege and consider the difficulties of attacking such a well defended building.

supported the work that pupils had been doing on the First World War and really brought to life the horrors of trench warfare and the sacrifices made by soldiers on both sides.

At the Last Post Ceremony on both trips, Hampton boys were able to lay wreaths at the Menin Gate and we also laid a wreath at the name of Old Hamptonian, AJ Winterbourne.

During the second trip, the boys also participated in an energetic game of Windsor Castle ‘higher or lower’ which resulted in much friendly competition. Overall, both trips were a great success and we look forward to returning next year.

Second Year Trip to the Mary Rose The Second Year were able to travel to Portsmouth to see the Mary Rose and related exhibitions on two very sunny days in June. All groups attended a workshop where they looked at why the Mary Rose sank in the Solent and used artefacts to discover who was on the Mary Rose. The boys were very interested to hear that the crew of the ship were not just British, but Spanish and North African!

In addition, the museum had recently opened a new 4D experience where the audience could experience the sights and sounds of diving the Mary Rose wreck, with voiceovers from the divers themselves. This was a fascinating insight into how the wreck was discovered, investigated and then brought to the surface. To top the day off the boys watched as a Chinook and then Apache helicopter landed on the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth

Lower Sixth European Cities Trip In Easter the History Department took 25 Lower Sixth pupils to Munich, Vienna and Prague to experience three historically significant cities.

Highlights of the trip include walking tours of all three cities, visiting the Communist Museum in Prague and sampling local cuisines throughout. We travelled between each city by train (with one coach journey due to a strike!) and boys were able to enjoy significant amounts of free time to explore the cities.

Holocaust Memorial Day To mark this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day the History Department was honoured to host two visits from Jeanette Marx. Jeanette’s mother, Mascha Nachmansson, a survivor of the Lodz Ghetto and deportation to AuschwitzBirkenau in Nazi-occupied Poland. During Jeanette’s first visit she spoke to Sixth Form pupils drawn from several schools across our Borough. She also helped the pupils make an awareness raising film that was disseminated online and throughout our local area, being viewed several thousand times.

We were then privileged to welcome Jeanette to speak to an audience of pupils, parents and local dignitaries to mark Holocaust Memorial Day in January.

Third Year Battlefields Trip The department resumed running this trip after a number of years hiatus due to COVID and it was received with great enthusiasm by the Third Year boys. We travelled to Ypres and the Somme, visiting sites such as Tyne Cot Cemetery, Newfoundland Memorial Park and the Menin Gate. The trip 22

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At the event members of 3E gave a presentation on their research into a photograph of a group of pupils from a school in Herne, Germany. The group, along with pupils from a school in Herne, collaborated to investigate the fate of the Jewish children. Whilst the project revealed many tragic stories the boys were pleased to discover that one survivor remains alive and well in the USA.

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Religious Studies and Philosophy Second Year Trip to Hounslow Mosque On Tuesday 14th June 2022, we went on a trip to Hounslow Mosque and Islamic Centre. We had studied Islam as part of the Second Year syllabus for Religious Studies and Philosophy, and the trip not only deepened our understanding of the religion, but also provided us with a cultural experience.

As a pupil, I really felt that the trip was not only informative, but also enjoyable, giving our year group a true taste of Islam and its beliefs.

Firstly, the mosque was fascinating to look at, especially when looking at the calligraphy in the mosque. We learnt about many parts of the mosque, including the mihrab – the wall at which Muslims face when praying – and the minbar – the raised platform from which an imam addresses the people in the mosque.

Of course, I should not forgot to mention the highlight of the trip: meeting the imam. The imam, the leader of prayer, gave us an educating talk about the mosque. Seeing the interior of a mosque in person was an unforgettable experience for me, and learning about it more from the imam was great. Nearer to the end of the session, we were allowed to ask questions of the imam, in which we strengthened our knowledge about the daily times of prayer and Ramadan – the month of fasting for Muslims.

Overall, the trip was a fascinating one, with it being a superb experience for each of us in Second Year.

Agalyan Sathiyamoorthy

Hounslow Mosque In the morning, the trip began at Hounslow Mosque, where we had a talk with the imam. We learnt many things about Islam, such as why the direction to where they pray is important – they pray towards the Kaaba in Mecca – and the history of Islam. This helped us deepen our knowledge from lessons. We were also shown a secret door which was almost exclusive to Hounslow Mosque. Finally, we thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to listen to the imam sing a call to prayer.

St Anne’s Church In St Anne’s Church, we talked to vicar and famous public figure, Giles Fraser, before moving around to complete questions about the church. I found the talk very interesting, particularly the more philosophical parts of it. Giles gave an interesting answer to the problem of evil, something that we also studied this year, saying that he believes that God does not end evil not because he does not love us, but because he does not have the power to. This was an answer we were not expecting.

Overall, the RSP trip was very fun and thought-provoking. We heard different and fresh inputs on problems we had studied in class. 10/10!

Umair Mukhtar 24

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Fifth Year GCSE Trip to St Paul’s and the Buddhapadipa Temple Last year, pupils had the opportunity to visit the Buddhapadipa Temple, which was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom and is home to several monks and nuns. It was designed by Thai architects to give a striking impression that stands out due to its tall white walls and red and gold roof.

The interior walls of the temple hall are covered with colourful paintings that depict events in the Buddha’s life in a unique style which includes details of modern figures ranging from Superman to Margaret Thatcher. The shrine room is decorated with candles and flowers symbolising core beliefs such as the impermanence of life, represented by the flowers which will eventually wither away.

After looking around the temple, we also had the opportunity to ask a former monk questions about his experiences; his answers helped to develop our understanding of Buddhism. We then walked around the tranquil, secluded gardens carefully designed to be peaceful and calming for the mind giving us the opportunity to reflect on the experience. We then set off for St Paul’s.

We arrived in London at around midday and were given time to buy lunch from wherever we wanted. After we ate our meals, we headed to St Paul’s Cathedral where we received a guided tour. We were split into small groups and shown around the cathedral where we got to see the world-famous dome. Our tour guide explained each feature of the painting and the artwork on the dome while also asking us challenging questions relating back to our RS course. Afterwards, we sat down at the choir stands and received another interesting talk from our guide.

At the end of our tour, we were fortunately able to meet a priest working at St Paul’s and we were able to ask any intriguing questions regarding the duty of a priest or Christianity itself. The priest was able to answer every question or query we had in exceptional detail, providing a great insight into what life is like as a priest.

Ewan Duncan & Thomas Edwards

Junior Philosophy Clubs This year’s Lower School Philosophy Club was a resounding success; a perfect balance between fun and thought, Hamptonians from the First and Second Years discussed a wide variety of fascinating topics. A particular highlight was the debate on future generations and if we have a moral towards them.

Every Wednesday lunchtime, the Quiet Room was packed out and became an opportunity to discuss ideas and explore concepts beyond the RS and Philosophy syllabus. Using the tools of logic and reason to investigate the ways in which humans experience the world, the boys’ critical thinking and analytical skills were put to the test and improved.

Thank you to everyone who came along; there will be a warm welcome and a few rounds of ‘Just a Minute!’ and ‘Word Association’ waiting for you next September.

RVA The Third Year Philosophy Circle has been a great experience throughout the year. Every Friday lunchtime, we convened to discuss a random question that had been written by previous members and went from there. Because they were written by pupils, the questions have been about every topic imaginable, from philosophy and religion to politics. the lion

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school Everybody was allowed their own opinion about things, and by the end of the 25 minutes, people had often changed their minds after a short debate.

The highlight must have been the prestigious Philosopher of the Week award, granted to the person who made the best points and arguments.

Going into the Fourth Year, leaving the Circle comes with sadness, but also the knowledge that a new generation of inquisitive young minds will have the chance to enjoy the club.

impression on all who attended. The pupils were brilliant, giving Mike their undivided attention and asking excellent questions.

Sixth Form Talk by Dr Daniel of Oxford University

MS

Hampton School Ethics Society Abhi and Malachi founded and led this new Society last year. It was a great success, with excellent attendance each Friday lunchtime. The pupils discussed a wide variety of ethical thought experiments, as well as many applied issues, from nuclear war to medical ethics. I would like to thank Abhi and Malachi, and all the boys, for all their efforts.

Visit from Mike Haines of Global Acts of Unity It was an honour to welcome Mike Haines of Global Acts of Unity to Hampton last spring, to speak to the Third Year. His brother David, an aid worker, was murdered by members of ISIS in 2014. Mike spoke about his journey to forgiveness of his brother’s killers, one of whom was sentenced in the USA shortly before this talk. His message – of the incredible importance of tolerance, love, and forgiveness – was very powerful, and has left a lasting

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Last February, we welcomed BBC New Generation Thinker, Dr Dafydd Daniel. He gave a lecture to the Sixth Form on natural law and conscience.

Hamptonians were joined by pupils from local schools, and all appreciated this opportunity to listen to an expert in the field.

BJC

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Mike Haines on overcoming hate and finding common unity In June, Mike Haines gave the Third Year an inspiring talk about his brother David, a humanitarian worker, who died at the hands of ISIS while working in Syria.

even when they faced barbaric treatment. Mike’s voice began to tremor and crack, as the gravity of the moment dawned upon us, we knew that there was not going to be a happy ending. Mike’s grief and sadness was clear to all of us.

Their parents were in the armed forces, so they often moved around, never staying in a place long enough to make close friends. Mike noted that they were, ‘the only constant in each other’s lives’. Mike became a social worker and David, a humanitarian worker: ‘as one was helping individuals, the other was helping whole communities.’

Initially Mike remarked that he felt extreme anger and hatred to those who killed his brother, David. But after many years he realised that, ‘If I hate, they win.’ He went on to explain that terrorist groups seek to sow division in society so that their extremist groups can rise to power and usurp the democratic governments built on peace and prosperity and replace it with hate and division.

As a humanitarian worker, David went to many countries to provide emergency responses to people caught in the crossfire of civil wars and other conflicts. He would do everything he could to provide aid to the people who needed it most, regardless of their race, religion, or background. One time, he was able to negotiate a peace settlement between tribes in Sudan so that emergency aid could get to those that needed it most and who were unlucky to have been at the centre of the conflict.

‘If I live with anger and hate, the terrorists have won. Through creating fear and distrust, they want to turn us against each other. They want to turn community against community.’

One such humanitarian mission was to evacuate refugees out of Syria after parts of the country had been taken over by the terrorist organisation ISIS. In the mission, there was a high-risk of death, and it was going to be extremely dangerous.

This was made clear during the evacuation, when they were stopped by some ISIS soldiers and taken away as hostages. The hostages had to be transported from place to place so as not be tracked down easily.

Refugees and organisers of the mission were barbarically beaten for defying ISIS’ regime.

However, David always kept the spirits of the refugees and other humanitarian workers high, even at the cost of many vicious beatings.

He always tried to inspire optimism and positivity amongst the group,

When two of the ISIS soldiers who had taken part in the murder of his brother were put on trial, Mike said, in front of the whole court, ‘I forgive you.’

Additionally, he is now good friends with an imam called Shahnawaz. Breaking down the barriers of religion and race by asking the difficult questions of each other and being curious, rather than judgemental. They have now been good friends for 13 years.

Despite having a significant fear of public speaking, Mike strongly believes that the world needs to hear this message, so he does it anyway. Giving public talks and speeches to schools and communities about unity and common humanity.

Thank you, Mike Haines, for talking to us. I can say on behalf of my fellow pupils that it was one of the most inspiring stories that we have ever heard, not only due to the inspirational content of the speech, but also the courage with which you delivered it.

Thanks also to the RS Department for arranging the event.

Finley Milner

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Modern Foreign Languages Lower Sixth Work Experience Trip – Hamburg, Easter 2023 We arrived in Hamburg on Sunday morning and after buying our weeklong travel passes (the first of many linguistic/logistical challenges!), headed to our host families’ homes and settled in to our new lives for the next week.

We were due to meet at the Colon language centre early next morning. Public transport strikes did not make this easy, but we got there in the end. All six of us were in the same class which lasted throughout the morning and into the early afternoon. We had many teachers who taught us a variety of German topics and helped us improve our grammar.

We then went our separate ways for lunch, with some of us trying out the many culinary choices on offer in the vibrant city of Hamburg. By mid-afternoon, we were all at our work experience placements. I was put behind the hotel bar in a central hotel, Lucas Hermann-Sosa and Matt Lyons were waiters in a coffee shop in the iconic Speicherstadt district, Henry Hughes and Guru Nadarajah worked in a local toy shop, and Kristian Brookes worked in a charity shop distribution centre.

The work experience taught us how to deal with sometimes being very busy, and sometimes rather bored! We all appreciated the many opportunities to improve our German, whether taking orders or helping customers.

In the evenings we had the opportunity to walk around the city and see some of the many attractions it has to offer, including the bombed-out church Mahnmal St. Nikolai, the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the town hall, and my personal favourite, Miniatur Wunderland, the largest model railway system in the world.

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The weather throughout the week was rather temperamental, with a bright sunny afternoon changing to a hailstorm within 30 minutes.

However, the highly efficient public transport system helped us to get where we needed to go while avoiding the worst of the weather.

One particular highlight was King Charles III’s visit to Hamburg on Friday 31st March, which was a total surprise to all of us. The crowds he drew to the train station and the town hall were huge, with many Germans – somewhat bizarrely – proudly brandishing the Union Jack.

On the penultimate day we were off timetable, as our language school and work placements had concluded the day before. We took a tour around the unique Elbphilharmonie music hall on the river before taking a ferry along the Elbe. Later in the day, we were shown around Hamburg by an enthusiastic guide who had many interesting facts to share.

On our final day we said goodbye to our welcoming hosts before making our way back home.

Overall, it was a very engaging trip that helped us immerse ourselves in German language and culture. Many thanks to Mrs May for making the trip possible.

Piers Marchant

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Geography The Geography Department enjoyed many highlights this year – many of which can also be seen in the Trips section of the Lion – and below is just a snapshot of some of the many wonderful things that the pupils were able to enjoy with us!

Thank you to all of the pupils who helped to write these lovely reports as well!

Geographical Association Lectures Spending two hours after school on a Monday was not at the top of the list for evening plans – even as a geographer myself – but looking back over the last year of lectures, I will admit they proved useful in aiding my choice of university course, so I am glad I attended them.

The year’s lectures kicked off with a journey through the deglaciation of the Irish ice sheet on the Antrim Plateau in Northern Ireland during the Late Glacial period with Alex Clark, and the collection of data through ice boring.

A shift to the human side of Geography came in March with a lecture from Tim Hall on the Geography of cybercrime, including scams, hacking and online impersonation, a major international concern due to its rapid growth and difficult prevention. What stood out to me was the lack of effort in reducing cybercrime by the host countries due to the major economic benefit they receive.

A highlight of mine was the unexpected, yet very welcome, invitation to lunch with author Tim Marshall, which included an off-topic discussion around Africa’s sporting prowess and my mention of Zimbabwe’s national single sculler living in and working in East Molesey. This prompted a chuckle from Marshall – a moment I am rather proud of! This was followed by his lunchtime ‘Talk!’, focusing on the economic development of the Sahel in North Africa, with Ethiopia in particular, over the next decade. However, I was drawn towards the concluding section, during which Marshall illustrated the political importance of the growing satellite and aerospace influence Russia, China and India possess, or ‘space Geography’ in Marshall’s words. Maybe my dream of space travel is still possible with a degree in Geography!

Edward Clark

Geography Club This year, I participated in Geography Club, which was a fantastic experience. At the start of the year, we addressed many different geographic questions, from different landmarks to time zones to capital cities, as a preparation for the World Wise Quiz in December. It was all very fun and challenging. You can discover many shocking facts – such as there are 9 time zones in Antarctica!

During the Spring and Summer Term, we played a variety of logic puzzle games from all around the world, such as Pong Hau K’I from China, Tsoro Yematatu from Zimbabwe, and Tapatan from the Philippines. The puzzle games were certainly tricky, but also entertaining.

Overall, Geography Club is absolutely amazing, and I really enjoyed playing these interesting and enjoyable logic puzzle games as well as attempting the Geography Quiz! I encourage anyone to join!

Oliver Yang the lion

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World Wise Quiz On 5th December 2022, geographers from LEH, Tiffin Girls, Thames Christian School, and Hampton came to participate in the World Wise Quiz.

The students from Hampton were hugely excited – practice during the Geography Club sessions had all led up to this! The questions became harder as the rounds progressed, with points being given to the team that gets the answer correctly the first.

There were many Geography rounds – perhaps unsurprisingly – such as the photo round testing our recognition of famous places and a map skill round, but also a Christmas round and a general trivia round.

Overall, the winning team were ‘Relatively Good Geographers’ – some wonderful irony – from the Thames Christian School.

Siddharth Srivastav

Trip to the London Docklands On a chilly Friday morning in late November, Fifth Year geographers assembled bright and early at North Greenwich Underground Station, ready to begin one of the more enjoyable aspects of the IGCSE syllabus. Having made our way to our classes, we quickly boarded the TFL cable-car across the Thames. This provided an excellent opportunity to get our first glimpse of the area we would be studying later in the day, as well as to stock up on cable-car related facts – despite costing over £60 million to build, it does not have a single regular user.

We were at the Docklands to gather information for our enquiry: ‘To what extent has the London Docklands changed over time?’

Disembarking at the Excel Centre, we discussed the administrative side of the fieldwork – risk assessments and the like – before setting off on our transect – the geographical term for the line on which we collected our data. This took us through the centre of the Docklands and Canary Wharf, before continuing through Pepper Street, Tiller Road and Westferry, leaving us at the Greenwich Foot Tunnel. This allowed us to fulfil the aims of our fieldwork, showing the extensive regeneration experienced by the area as a result of the work of the London Docklands Development Corporation in the 1980s and 1990s.

Canary Wharf was a very built-up business district which seemed to be rather affluent. We noted our findings along the way so we could compare data from different areas once all the data had been collected.

We carried out an environmental quality survey at each site. The higher the score, the worse the environmental quality of the area. Most areas used to be points of interest during the Docklands’ industrial era; however, they look completely different now. They have experienced a great deal of regeneration to make the Docklands the area it is today.

Some parts of the Docklands are still struggling from deindustrialisation, but much of the area has been completely renovated into residential neighbourhoods or streets filled with shops and services. To investigate the different land uses within the Docklands, we created a land use map using a Goad map. Throughout the trip we also visited sites for which we had photos that were over 50 years old before the deindustrialisation of the Docklands occurred. We were able to compare the sites now to how they were before.

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What we concluded is that the levels of regeneration dropped steadily as we continued along the transect, showing that the redevelopment, whilst widespread, had certainly not been evenly distributed.

Once we reached our final site, we found ourselves at the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, a piece of Victorian engineering which has proved far more useful than the contemporary cable-car. We had to descend a spiral staircase into the tunnel which was an incredible feat of engineering that most students had no idea existed. Once we’d reached the other end of the tunnel, the ascent up the stairs felt somewhat longer. Once the trek to the top was complete, not only was there a sense of accomplishment but also excitement as we were all about to board the Uber Boat service ready for the surprisingly quick journey back to London Waterloo, where our trip ended. A very scenic view back home was a lovely way to end the trip and get some much-needed snacks.

It was a brilliant trip – certainly one of the more interesting ones I have been on in my time so far at Hampton and a great way to complete the urban fieldwork section of our specification. Thanks must go to all the Geography Department for their expert guidance around the Docklands, as well as to Mr Bett, who made his return to Hampton Geography for the trip.

Harry Oliver & Sam Govier

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Trip to Seaford The Fourth Year geographers were lucky enough to enjoy a trip down to Seaford, a small town on the south coast.

The primary objective of the trip was to investigate whether Longshore drift was an active process at Seaford. This involved engaging in a series of activities that not only tested our theoretical knowledge but also allowed us to witness first-hand the dynamics of coastal processes.

Therefore, after reaching the coastal town at around 11:15, we split off into our classes and began the data collection. There were three sites dotted along the beach where we carried out the fieldwork.

At the first two, spaced roughly 500m apart, we measured beach profiles and analysed the size and shape of sediment using callipers. This enabled us to observe and compare the variations in sediment characteristics, the shape of the beach and the impact of Longshore drift on these sections of the beach.

At the final site, we measured the exposed height of the terminal groyne on its east and west side, aiming to identify any significant differences before putting our artistic skills to the test and attempting to draw a field sketch.

Unfortunately, after the required data had been collected, we had no time to enjoy the warm weather at the beach and headed back to school.

While all aspects of the trip were fascinating, what made it particularly captivating was the opportunity it provided for us to witness and apply the knowledge we had acquired from the classroom to a real-life scenario. This experience allowed us to gain a deeper appreciation for the subject and understand the practical implications of the theories we had studied.

Observing the coastal processes in action and actively participating in data collection and analysis not only enhanced our understanding of the topic but also sparked a sense of curiosity and enthusiasm among the students.

Overall, the fieldwork trip to Seaford proved to be an enriching and unforgettable adventure, enabling us to bridge the gap between theory and reality while instilling a lifelong passion for Geography.

Alex Rust & Aaryan Desai

Trip to Cuckmere On June 8, we went on a Geography trip to the river Cuckmere, learning about the formations of the river’s lower course and how humans have impacted the natural course of the river over the last 200 years! Our enquiry question of the trip was ‘Is the River Cuckmere’s lower course that of a ‘typical’ river?’

We started our walk at High and Over, near a 180° viewing point – using the amazing view to form our first impressions of the river. The lower course of the river mainly covers Seven Sisters Country Park, which comprises of chalk cliffs, open grassland, and many of the features of the lower course of a river – such as meanders and oxbow lakes.

We also learnt about different types of data sampling: random, choosing sample sites at random; systematic, collecting data at different intervals/ times; and stratified, selecting sample points based on area/features/ population.

We then walked down to Brook Hole Bottom to see the Oxbow Lake and Meander. One of the Oxbow Lakes in this area was a very strange one – it was a different shape than most: an O shape rather than a C. Additionally, there were scars of other old oxbow lakes as well – one way in which this lower course is not like others.

At the next two sites we visited, the river has been dug into a straight alternative route and a levee has been constructed – a wall to prevent flooding in the area and enable farming and grazing – showing that River Cuckmere’s Lower Course is not that of a typical river.

Out route led us to the Salt Marsh near the Shingle Beach which is an ecosystem of Halophytic – salt-tolerant – plants which can cope with very little oxygen. Originally, the entirety of Cuckmere Haven would have looked like it, but most of it was drained during the Medieval Times. This is another factor that River Cuckmere’s lower course is not that of a typical river – as most of the natural floodplain was drained.

Overall, the River Cuckmere trip was a fantastic experience, and I would like to thank the entire Geography department for organising it – in my opinion, it was a very well structured and planned trip.

I am definitely looking forward to future trips like this!

Theo Liang the lion

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Arts Award An eclectic group of Third Year artists took part in the Silver Arts Award this year, producing impressive creative projects including political graffiti, composing music for spoons, and a memory-improving dot-to-dot books for people with Alzheimer’s.

The Arts Award is a co-curricular project which runs from October to June and enables pupils to develop a passion in the arts as well as learn important leadership skills in working with others and running workshops. Boys who successfully complete the programme gain an external qualification from Trinity which is equivalent to a GCSE. Some 20 boys were selected for their original ideas and clear desire to develop a new artistic skill; a team of eight Hampton teachers, trained by Trinity, mentored the boys and helped them over the bumps of their creative journey.

One team of ambitious nature photographers – Joe Perry, Tom Boardman and Ben Fairbairn – developed their technical skills in photographing deer

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and birds in Bushey Park. Inspired by the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum, they developed an impressive collection of both action and close-ups some with a charming, comic twist.

Arun Swales and Harry Ng set about learning how to play alternative instruments and compose music for them, starting with the spoons and glasses moving to the diddly bow and ending with an uplifting melody using the keyboard and a Japanese electronic synthesiser, called the otamatone.

They used their new skills with making music with the spoons and glasses in an inspiring workshop with Year 6 boys at Hampton Prep on the Arts Award Leadership Day in June.

More fun and even more mess came with Harrison Chalmer’s graffiti art workshop at the Prep School. His workshops were set on the field, with pupils wearing aprons and gloves and masks as they enthusiastically covered large boards with spray paints. Harrison’s own graffiti was inspired by a tour of graffiti art in London; he chose to make a political statement about the Government’s policy on immigration.

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Film-making was a popular art form this year with Eugene Kwon and Daniel Kim creating a charming animated film about the Christmas Day truce in World War I; Harry Ellis created his own documentary which explored mental health challenges, and Thomas Finney made an uplifting film about the joys of cycling, with clips from his rides in all seasons.

wrote a soundtrack for a video game and Neel Mohindra and Arun Crowe developed their sports photography skills, focusing on U14C football fixtures. Their workshops at the Prep were a hit as the Year 6 pupils enjoyed the challenge of capturing images of each other shooting hoops and kicking balls.

One of the most original projects was done by Sebastian Woods, which involved making model scent pots in the shape of a rose, a pine cone and a lemon. The pots are part of an ambitious project to help his mother restore her sense of smell after losing it when she was ill with Covid. The combination of the visual trigger and essential oils help rebuild the sense.

Underpinning the Arts Award is the to reflect meaningfully on one’s progress and to set and keep to deadlines; the class of 2022-23 found this the most challenging element of the programme – there was a few sprinting to the finish on the closing date! Yet, they crossed the line with a sense of enormous satisfaction in the knowledge that they had created and achieved something hugely impressive.

Other exciting projects included a charming novella by Oliver Booth and an architectural design for a rehabilitation unit by Will Olsen. Leon McQueen

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Miss Field’s MUN Round-up Hampton MUN debaters have enjoyed another fun and action-packed ‘season’. We have participated in five conferences and made a particular effort to train new junior debaters in our weekly lunchtime club. Ms Bellingan joined us to assist with all these events, with a huge amount of enthusiasm, energy, and a bundle of fresh ideas.

The boys continue to impress us with their incredible maturity, grasp of global events and nimble ability to create arguments from multiple different perspectives. For those new to MUN, pupils represent the views of the country – or delegation – they are representing. Global problems must be discussed and diplomatically solved from a perspective that a participant may not personally agree with.

Congratulations to our conference participants, who over five conferences managed to accumulate eighteen ‘highly commended delegate’ awards, seventeen ‘distinguished delegate’ or ‘best delegate’ awards, three ‘highly commended delegation’ awards and two ‘distinguished delegation’ awards.

What superb individual and collective efforts!

to run this weekly club, chairing debates and producing fictional and real scenarios for us to debate.

We are particularly indebted to Theo Elliott who produced most of our scenarios and crises and chaired many debates.

It is very heartwarming to observe boys running an activity with virtually no supervision from staff. They are so skilled and enthusiastic they really do not need us to help them! It is a pleasure to continue to see Model UN thrive at Hampton and we hope it continues to go from strength to strength.

As ever, it is far better to hear more about the MUN experience from the boys themselves, so thank you to Vishal, Finn, Felix, Sam, and Leander for the following reflections.

JAF

Vishal Saha MUN Haileybury Reflections I am also very proud to extend thanks to our senior debaters who are leaving Hampton this year. They have thoroughly immersed themselves in this activity for the best part of 5 or 6 years, won multiple awards, and enjoyed chairing at conferences in their Sixth Form years.

Thank you to Luke Trotman, James Darke, Lucas Cairnes, Adam Sizoo, Adaam Shahzad, Tristan Robinson and Charlie Coulter for their consistent, highly skilled, and wholehearted contributions to MUN. Weekly MUN club continues to attract many boys from all year groups.

It is fantastic to see senior boys working alongside and training junior boys in the weird and wonderful ways of MUN, grappling with the intricate language and strange procedures. A huge thank you to all boys who helped

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Fifteen Hamptonians from various year groups showcased their skills at the prestigious Haileybury MUN (HMUN) 2023, representing the delegations of Thailand, the Netherlands, and Cambodia. HMUN stands as the pinnacle of the MUN calendar, attracting hundreds of pupils not only from the UK but also from across Europe and the USA. In my role as the representative of Cambodia in the Special Committee, I engaged in passionate discussions covering a wide range of pressing issues, including the treatment of incarcerated youth and the rights of protestors.

Following intense lobbying and negotiation on Friday evening, the debates commenced enthusiastically on Saturday morning – after a delicious Full English breakfast at the hotel.

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The debates were heated but certainly humorous – such as when a delegate compared a resolution to his Fanta can, describing it as ‘flat, bland, and tasteless!’ The Special Committee even witnessed a dramatic walkout, adding to the excitement of the proceedings.

The Saturday evening provided a well-earned break from packed day of debating, featuring the highly anticipated Quiz night, this time held in collaboration with LEH. Ultimately, the weekend culminated in a resounding triumph for Hampton HMUN team with awards across the board. I was delighted to received ‘Distinguished delegate’ in my committee, and the Cambodia delegation picked up the highly coveted distinguished delegation award.

Overall, Hampton took home four Highly Commended Delegate Awards – Isaac Crowhurst, Felix Von der Geest, Theo Elliott, and Leander Koutsoudis-Bhuller – and two Distunguished Delegate Awards – Vishal Saha and Sam Trotman. Finally, as previously mentioned, the delegation of Cambodia achieved the Distinguished Delegation award, which lifted Cambodia to the ranks of global powers such as Russia and China, the other two delegations to receive this award.

Sam Govier MUN Benenden Reflections This year marked the return of BMUN to Hampton’s MUN calendar after a three-year hiatus down to the initial pandemic and then the more recent omicron scare.

Finn Watton & Felix Von Der Geest MUN Haileybury Reflections Always a highlight of the year – albeit not for the 7am start from LEH The Haileybury MUN weekend was a weekend to remember, with our delegation of Cambodia overperforming in both our individual committee rooms and the General Assembly, with our lucky charm in the form of President Hun Sen on note paper clearly doing its job.

However, Cambodia’s success was by no means the end to Hampton’s big wins at the conference. The other delegations, such The Netherlands and Thailand – AKA Siam in the Historical Committee – also performed incredibly strongly, with Leander Koutsoudis-Bhuller taking away an award for the Dutch delegation, and both Sam Trotman and Isaac Crowhurst taking away individual awards for the folks back home in Thailand.

The success resulted in a jovial mood on the way home with student Vishal Saha performing Ice Spice’s Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2, and many other chart toppers of our time! The shared sense of victory and excitement brought the entire Hampton MUN team together; it is a testament to Mr Knibbs’ favourite observation regarding the ‘Hampton ethos’.

– this year was no exception. 19 delegates from Hampton represented 4 nations, including Russia and the DPRK, debating a wide range of topics from objects in outer space to foreign intervention in conflict areas.

In my case, representing Russia while discussing freedom of journalism presented an obvious challenge while attempting to persuade other delegates to join Russia’s side. The unusual absence of any GA or crisis allowed for long and intriguing debate within committees, though limiting the amount of co-operation within the delegations themselves and dictating that delegation awards could not be given out.

Yet, this did not stop Hampton from coming away with the usual multitude of individual awards from a number of different delegations and committees. The return to BMUN was certainly an enjoyable one, and thanks must of course go to Miss Field and Ms Bellingan for arranging Hampton’s involvement, as well as accompanying us on the day. the lion

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Leander Koutsoudis-Bhuller MUN Club Reflections Over the past year, we have had an incredible time at MUN, at both the club on Tuesday lunchtime and at the many conferences that Hampton attend.

I was lucky enough to attend 4 conferences across the year at RGS, Reigate, LEH and Haileybury and have represented the nations of France, Japan, The Netherlands and the UAE. I have debated topics from the Regulation of Cryptocurrency to the gender pay gap, and I can certainly say that every debate observed, resolution written, speech made and point of information expressed I enjoyed.

As a Third year, I have only started my MUN Journey recently, and this is only the beginning of what I hope a long time participating in MUN at Hampton. I am also very happy for all the Hampton delegates who have won awards this year; every committee is always competitive and it is no small feat.

MUN also saw what I would call my highlight of the year: winning a highly commended award at the prestigious Haileybury MUN. Haileybury MUN is the largest MUN conference in the country with over 600 attendees, with participants traveling from the USA, The Netherlands and Switzerland to take part. Each committee had over 100 delegates, all with a steadfast point of view and strong debating skills. Winning an award at such a prestigious event was an incredible feeling and I would love to go back next year.

In summary, this year at MUN has been successful in all aspects, with lots of awards won across the years and many fun debates on Tuesday lunchtimes. Thank you to Mrs Field and Miss Bellingan for helping to run the club and organise us for all the conferences.

The MUN experience according to Ms Bellingan It was with great joy, and a good dollop of trepidation, that I stepped into Mr Agulian’s shoes this year to help Miss Field run our auspicious MUN club on a Tuesday lunch. I was predicting debate jargon that I had never

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heard before whizzing over my head and scenes of rapid-fire debate and intellectual sparring on topics people much younger than me knew lots more about. All of this, happily I can say, proved to be true. What I should have seen coming was just how much fun I was going to have. I can wholeheartedly say that those steps into the Lecture Theatre were the best steps I took this year.

Our MUN-ers are characterised by their generosity in spirit and with their time.

One of the greatest qualities about MUN is how involved members are and their keenness to help the club and fellow club-goers grow. This year we have been thrilled to have Theo Elliot chair debates on a number of crises of his own making, and it has been a real joy to see Theo and our other experienced delegates working closely with our younger debaters to submit amendments, develop their confidence and hone their Oracy skills.

The vertical nature of the club makes it truly invaluable and is what makes MUN such a unique, fun, and engaging space within the school. There is no doubt this is somewhere confident and articulate boys who enjoy problem-solving and debating through diplomacy and tact can explore new ideas and find new skills and traits within themselves they may not have otherwise.

We are particularly looking forward to meeting new members next year and welcoming back those who have already trod the boards of a Conference floor. Our members have also been very generous and welcoming to me, and I have been so pleased to be able to party to some of the successes our delegates have had this year. Many, many thanks go out to you all.

The wit and tact with which our pupils’ debate when at conferences – which, let’s be honest, are daunting at the best of times – is phenomenal.

They are quick on their feet, knowledgeable beyond their years, and even if they are representing a small a nation such as Liechtenstein, they are always prepared to go toe to toe with anyone from the Security Council. In essence, our delegates this year have been dauntless.

I will finish with a huge congratulations to you all. Your achievements this year have been many and varied, and all were undeniably deserved.

Here’s to another great year!

CRB

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Senior Debating Hampton Senior Debating has showcased outstanding performance throughout this year, demonstrating our dedication and hard work.

Through rigorous training in our weekly workshops and house debates, we have achieved commendable results in prestigious debating competitions at LSE, Manchester, Mace, and Oxford.

Our success at Mace has led us to the regional round, where we secured the first position locally. At Manchester, our team performed exceptionally well, ranking among the top 10 against formidable international teams.

With our compelling arguments, all four Hampton teams participating in the Oxford Schools Debating Championship achieved top-ten rankings in the London Region. Moreover, one of our teams advanced to the national finals, engaging in debates with teams from Ireland, Bulgaria, and Canada on thought-provoking topics ranging from maternity leave to the future of artificial intelligence.

Thank you to all the staff who made this all possible!

Mehmet Altinel & Jamie Reger

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Quiz Society The quizzing season for this year has been a particularly busy one. At the start of the year, the future of the Schools Challenge was in uncertainty, with its previous organisers retiring after 30-odd years running the national competition. Fortunately, new organisers took the helm, and we were able to enjoy a full calendar of quizzing events.

Firstly, in the Senior competition, both our A and B teams succeeded in winning their first rounds against RGS Colchester, King Edward VI Camp Hill Boys, and Calday Grange Grammar School; but, they narrowly missed out on a place in the national finals, having been knocked out at rounds 4 and 3 respectively.

The teams were Piers Marchant, Conor McNeany, Joshua Ripon and Alex Pooley for the As and William Colvine, Harry McLusky, Milo Walker and Samuel Hughes in the Bs. We were really impressed with the boys’ performance, and this is the best we have ever done as a School. It also bodes very well for next year – the younger quizzers have been seriously impressive!

biting first match against Magdalen College resulted in an unfortunate loss for Hampton, 630 points to an agonising 620. This left us competing for the Plate and we comfortably beat Tiffin in our next round to progress through to the final. Despite a strong start in our final match, we lost to City of London A team 480 - 420 leaving us proud runners up in the Plate competition. Our B team was Alexander Laing, Svajan Ganesan, William Denmark, Fred Owen and Dennis Hayes.

The boys did so well to compete under the pressure and atmosphere of the live matches and we were so proud of them for reaching the National Finals for the first time! We will be back next year.

In the Summer Term, the Lower Sixth inter-form quiz kicked off, with all 19 forms competing. The knock-out style format soon whittled the 19 down to 4 semi-finalists: NJS, SEM, MJC and DSH. It did not go unnoticed that the caption of the Senior A team, Piers Marchant, attended many of the heat matches to size up the competition! Finally, in an exciting final match DSH v NJS, DSH claimed victory with a score of 270 to 540.

Bring on 2023-24!

The Second Year inter-form quiz was extremely competitive this year with a strong team from each Form taking part. From nine teams originally, four teams progressed to the semi-final stages: 2L, 2P, 2F and 2H. Four teams then turned to just two as 2P and 2F completed convincing wins over their opponents to advance to the grand final. In an exhilarating final match, the quizzing experience and prowess of Alfie Keller, Rahul Bansal, Alexander Laing and Arshan Nekoui could not be overcome and despite a valiant effort by 2P, 2F emerged victorious. Other pupils involved on the 2F quiz team were Siddharth Srivastav and Adam Khan.

Some seriously impressive knowledge was demonstrated over the course of the Second Year inter-form quiz, and we would encourage anyone wishing to get involved with more quizzing to attend trials for the Senior Team next year.

In the Junior competition, our A team sadly suffered an early defeat to City of London B team with inexperience on our part playing a significant role.

Plenty of lessons were learned for the future and these quizzers will be back next year better than ever! Our A team was Alfie Keller, Rahul Bansal, Zach Amiji and Umair Mukhtar.

Hampton B team enjoyed wins over The Dragon School and ESMS B team to reach the National Final held at The Hall School in north London. A nail-

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Form Charity It has been another busy year for Form Charity, having been able to raise over £16000 for the incredible causes which the School voted for in September.

This year, we supported Momentum Children’s Charity on a local level; The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity nationally; and the Ishami foundation on an international level. Engagement with Form Charity events this year provided aid to sick children; gave support to those being treated for cancer; and provided genocide education, as well as support for survivors.

We have also been able to provide support for the Pakistan floods through sending the funds raised from the October half term MUFTI to Islamic relief.

The Bake Sale in particular was a very busy break time for all of our volunteers, where the hundreds of cakes donated were baked by the Second Year – to whom we are extremely thankful. Through this, we were able to raise £537.50, with approximately 700 baked servings bought and sold.

Form Charity may often be fun, games, and enjoyment for wonderful causes, but we also challenge intellectual abilities – still for wonderful causes, and, admittedly, still quite fun!

Such was the case in the joint Second and Third Year Quiz, combined with LEH. We offer our congratulations to our winners, the ‘Floppy Fishes’, and to our runners-up, ‘Caecilius’, for whom winning this quiz turned out to be their Vesuvius. Winners and non-winners aside, this event was able to raise over £150 pounds in one lunchtime, for which we are all grateful. Fourth Year quizzers were able to raise a further sum close to £100, with congratulations to 4D and 4F, who achieved a joint win – I am sure they are as thankful as we are for the presence of our compatriots over the fence at LEH in the Christmas Quiz, who have helped take both teams to victory, and aid our fundraising efforts in the process.

Parents and staff took a gamble at the Christmas Raffle – firmly in the spirit of giving – and were able to raise a combined £2057. The opportunity to win a ‘spa experience for four’, worth £240 was a worthwhile prize for which to strive at the Spring Raffle, and contest for this provided close to £1000 for our charities.

2L excelled themselves in putting together their own mini-fundraiser for Form Charity. Making and running a mini-funfair complete with games and stalls takes real ingenuity and perseverance, so, as well as our thanks, we must offer our respect to all involved. 2H ran their ‘sweet in-a-jar’ activity to aid our causes; and 2F’s secret Santa added an air of both mystery and camaraderie, sorely appreciated in those wintery months of the year.

The ever-active and seemingly tireless Music Department gave their stupendous Carol Concert, in which almost every pupil at the School will remember singing – whatever our ears for tone, pitch, dynamics, and key might have been. Due to the success of the Carol Concert, an additional £737 was raised for our Charities.

What round-off could be complete without thanking those so central to the success of Form Charity? Mrs Michelsen, Mr Stockdale, Miss Rommer and Misss Czumaj have been paramount in our organisation and actions, which, for those of you familiar with their work, will come as no surprise at all. It would not be right to omit our fellow members of the Sixth Form Charity Committee, who have volunteered their time, effort, and capabilities, in support of the fundraising causes.

Finally, we thank you, dear reader: student, staff, or parent, we know that it is only ever through mass engagement, your engagement, that we are even close to being able to support the causes which we do throughout the year.

Thank you ever so much for reading, and we wait with bated breath for your nominees and votes for next year’s charity selections.

Charles Blagden & Oscar Tejura

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Pride Society

What a year for the Pride Society! As I sit down to write this, we celebrate our 3rd anniversary as an established group at Hampton School. Having waved a tearful goodbye to some of our founding members at the close of last academic year, we look to the future, and have already started to welcome several new Hamptonians to our metaphorical campfire.

Pride Society is a very special place at Hampton School; it is kind, it is truthful, and it is open. The space is for everyone to be open and honest to live their life, be they LGBTQ+ or not. Our regular cake and chat generates lots of laughs, spicy debates, and occasional on-the-pulse gossip from the community.

We have been delighted to welcome a legion of Allies to our meetings over the year, with the Hampton Common Room keen to show their support for our pupils and the LGBTQ+ community as well as to learn from our stories. It was also our privilege to welcome Mr Knibbs to our group in the Spring Term, who joined us for cake, chat, and to listen to some of our pupils' stories.

We then swiftly cut to our vibrant, energy laced meet-ups with LEH, which have included Space Hopper races, outdoor picnics, quizzes, cartoon competitions, and a whole array of Gen-Z slang – which I still have not been able to fathom, even with the assistance of Google Translate!

Vicci, Mr Vann-Alexander, Mr Haynes, and Mrs Mason – who we will sorely miss on maternity leave – consider it our pleasure to spend time with such a lovely group of pupils.

If you have not yet made it to Pride Society, I have a message for you from one of our founding members: ‘You are not alone. You have so much to look forward to. Please, if you are struggling with your sexuality, talk to somebody, you'll never regret talking about it.’

Come and join us, and remember, love always wins.

CJB 40

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A Special History of Hampton Hampton’s Return to Independence “Your wish is my command,” – an Inside Story “At 1100hrs, we’re going to see Thatcher.”

I found Tim Syrad’s piece in the last OH Chronicle about the generations of his family at Hampton fascinating, particularly the tales of John and Stuart, both of whom I met when they joined the Old Hamptonian Lodge nearly sixty years ago. I still have the vivid memory of John’s rueful admission that his Rolls had dented my mini-van in the tiny car park at the Staines Masonic Hall in those very early days. The Lodge still misses the avuncular presence of Stuart – and, indeed, it would be so nice to see John again at the Lodge, which now meets in London. I confess, I don’t get there myself very often these days; the journey down from Oxford (and back up in the early hours…) is not an easy one in one’s eighties!

In Tim’s opening paragraph, I caught sight of the name, Willie Whitelaw, recorded as having been engaged as a guest speaker at an OH dinner. Perhaps now might be the time to put some flesh onto the bones of this actually rather important footnote to the history of Hampton’s return to independence, lest the story be buried forever!

Willie Whitelaw could, without question, be counted amongst the great statesmen of the twentieth century. He served in most of the principal Offices of State during an eminent career, following distinguished service during WWII in the Scots Guards, where he had earned a Military Cross as a tank commander during the North Africa campaign. His father had been a railway magnate who sent him to Winchester. Soon after the war, Major Whitelaw was adopted by the Conservative Party as its Member for Penrith and the Borders, where he lived at his pile, ‘Ennim’, Blencow, nearby. On retirement, Willie Whitelaw was elevated to the Upper House as Viscount Whitelaw. But it is as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland that Willie will be remembered, and hopefully for a not insignificant part he played in the survival of Hampton.

I could have kissed him; almost did.

And so, I waited, with bated breath, outside the department of Education and Science. Whitelaw emerged. We drove off. I waited, eyes on the rear-view mirror.

“Young man,” he began, “don’t you ever ask me to do you a favour ever again…”

My eyes welled; I wiped them professionally. It was well known in Whitehall, despite later rumours to the contrary, that Willie found Margaret difficult (despite her assertions later, that ‘every Prime Minister needs a Willie’ – this pun, I should mention, provided like many of her witticisms, by her own PPO…).

And so, later that year, I invited Willie to join us at the annual dinner. They toasted him as guest speaker and his reply was thanks enough: looking sidelong at me, with those famous oyster eyes, he began: “When I promise to do a friend a favour, I do my best to keep my word.”

Thunderous applause. And to be honest, I forget the rest of the tale!

But it deserves its place in the history of our School!

Geoffrey Bourne-Taylor OH (1952-57)

So, where do I come in? At the time, I was employed as a Detective Sergeant in the Special Branch at New Scotland Yard and served as one of the team of Personal Protection Officers (PPO) to his nibs; I still dine out on tales of those memorable few years: Whitelaw was a gentleman of the old school; my relationship with him was indeed very personal – indeed, how could the proximity of such a job be otherwise? The accompanying picture of Willie and me at the Derby (with his handwritten annotation) amply illustrates the relationship we shared!

Margaret Thatcher was, at that time, Secretary of State for Education and Science and under her watch, Hampton had petitioned to return to independent status. To give credit where it is due, Thatcher saved 94 grammar schools. Time seemed to be running out and Tom Adams, the then Chairman of Governors of the School – who had incidentally joined the OH Lodge on the same day as me – suggested that my contacts in Downing Street (and never underestimate that proximity to which I have already alluded!) might, in some way provide some indication of the outcome, as the deadline approached. I broached the subject delicately during a rare quiet moment one weekend. I interpreted Willie’s typical gruff, yet humorous dismissal meant that he had noted my concerns and would probably do what he could… as I keep stressing, one’s proximity in such associations can be almost indecent!

The days dragged by; the deadline approached.

One Thursday morning, as I met him in the limo at his Clabon Mews, London home, he asked: “What are we doing this morning?” the lion

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In the weeks before October Half Term, auditions were held for the Junior Musical with Waldegrave School. This year it was to be Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. The musical was a West End hit for Andrew Lloyd Webber and now it was to be a hit on the Hammond Theatre stage.

At the first rehearsal, there was nervous energy as two groups of virtual strangers were brought together to produce the wonderful sound of song. Week on week, the rehearsals began to produce great results and, by Christmas, Act 1 was ready to fully run.

Joseph was my first production at Hampton School, and I was absolutely blown away by the joy it brought to everyone involved.

I am so proud of each and every person who took part in the show and made it possible. From the cast, to the crew, the band, and Waldegrave School, and of course, the wonderful Drama and Music Departments, thank you for everything you did to make the show a success.

To tell you more about the experience, one of our Hampton cast members have written a review.

AEJ

After the holidays rehearsals returned with greater intensity with Sundays fully taken up by rehearsals.

The Sitzprobe was an exciting moment for the cast, as we got to run the show with the fantastic band comprised of pupils, staff and visiting professionals. I found it an incredible experience to perform with a live band. The expertise of Mrs Esser only further enhanced the experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed the musical side of this production.

By show week, the excitement among cast members was palpable. On Monday, we performed all morning in our dress rehearsal the lion

and then performed to First and Second Years in the afternoon.

Then, on Tuesday we performed to an open audience for the first time. The show ran smoothly, and we were all delighted afterwards.

On Wednesday we performed to children from local primary schools. This was my favourite performance due the immense energy shown by the younger children, although, it has to be said, each audience was incredibly energetic.

We had another show on Wednesday and Thursday was to be closing night. There was a mixed sense of excitement and disappointment that this journey would come to an end.

Looking back, the cast came so far together and many friendships were made by the end of the production. The energy of the cast, crew and band on the final night was incredible and full of joy. Personally, from this production, I learned how to dance and how to sing in a musical.

It is an experience that will last with all of us forever.

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The joint Senior Musical this year was Legally Blonde, hosted

by LEH – a lively, energising musical full of positivity!

The Sixth Form pupils who took part really enjoyed the process and the final performances. They loved the choreography, ensemble numbers, and larger than life characters.

It was a pleasure to see them performing on stage, having fun, and enjoying themselves.

Some notable performances included Theo Gibson as Professor Callahan, the musical's villain, and Johnny EvansHutchison as the romantic lead, Emmett. Conor McNeany also had a lead role as Warner, the man Elle follows to Harvard law school.

We were so impressed with all the performances by the pupils, from both Hampton School and LEH. We would like to thank everyone at LEH who enabled the show to happen: from the crew to the choreography, and from those working on props to those creating the costumes.

Thank you to Miss Torrent, Mrs Ashe, and Mrs Tate, and everyone involved for making the show a huge success and providing this wonderful opportunity for our pupils.

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On Tuesday 6th December, I entered the Hammond theatre, excited and willing the show to start – and, once the lights came on, I was not disappointed!

The story is as follows: Richard Hannay, an English gentleman, is approached in a theatre by a woman who reveals herself to be a spy.

She stays the night in Hannay’s flat, but she is murdered. Hannay, now on the run, heads to Scotland, where he encounters the villainous head of ‘the 39 Steps’. Fleeing the police and falling in love, Hannay attempts to stop the devious villain from smuggling top secret Air Defence secrets out of the country.

This performance was incredibly funny, and the actors were brilliant! It was certainly a Hampton performance to remember.

A big shout out to Miss Bryant, who directed the play, and all of the actors involved in the Third, Fourth and Fifth Year, along with those from Hampton High.

Also, a huge well done to all of the stage crew, who helped set up those brilliant scenes and thank you to all those involved in making the play.

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arts During the past three and a half months, boys from the First, Second, and Third Year have been working hard to produce Miss Tiller’s amazing play, Once Upon a Pine: The Adventures of Pinocchio.

The play was based on the original Pinocchio, but it has been very cleverly converted into a much funnier and relatable version. I loved performing in this play – it was a wonderful experience and we all made friends with boys across the Lower School.

The play combined movement to music, humour, improvisation, storytelling, and even some audience interaction! The script breathed new life into a well-known narrative and, as the weeks of rehearsal went by, it began to take shape and we filled it with fun characters and energy.

It was really cool performing in front of so many people and our friends, family, teachers – and even Mr Knibbs!

I loved performing the puppet dream sequence, where we acted like puppets whilst doing a synchronised, atmospheric dance.

After the final performance, we were all very sad to be saying goodbye to the cast and crew, but we are all looking forward to the next Lower School production.

James Nunn For the past few years, Miss Tiller has put together an amazing summer show for the First, Second and Third Years to be a part of.

This year the show was, Once Upon a Pine: the Adventures of Pinocchio. We worked on it for about two to three months having two rehearsals every week.

Like the year before it, the show was a huge success, and I speak for the whole cast and crew when I say that we had a blast and that it was a great opportunity to get to know people that have the same passion as us for Drama.

Charlie Donald After a particularly successful performance of the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat during the winter term, many Hamptonians were already chomping at the bit for another opportunity to immerse themselves in the Lower School Drama productions this summer.

So, I was glad to leap back into the action following my last performance in the show Alex.Wonderland during my first year at Hampton.

Therefore, I was filled with joy and anticipation when I learned that the show this year would be loosely based on the well-known fairytale Pinocchio – albeit with a comedic spin on some of the more harrowing parts of poor Pinocchio’s tale!

Before long, the cast was finalised – I was cast as Pinocchio! – and preparations for the big night had begun.

Familiarity soon began to kick in as everyone became more comfortable and confident with the script, events, and scenes of the play. These rehearsals flew by so quickly; I made numerous friends with fellow cast members and had a lot of fun on the way.

Before long, it was the dress rehearsal, which we performed much to our surprise in front of a primary school in the Hammond Theatre.

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arts Nerves were building and our hearts beat a little faster as the time to the big curtain drop dwindled. However, despite our tangible anticipation and anxiety, we were pleased with what can only be described as a brilliant performance. The next two nights passed in a blur as our cast produced a second and third successful performance. It would be an understatement to say that we were happy with our result!

My favourite part of the show – despite not even being in the scene itself – was the circus scene during the middle of the show. I think not only did it

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produce a great and effortless source of entertainment for some of us for hours while we practiced during rehearsals, but it also showcased a comedic side of the cast and a more fun one too.

Overall, the production was an experience I will never forget throughout my time at Hampton, and I will encourage everyone to engage in more of these projects in the future.

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Drama Workshops

The Drama Department have had a very busy year for workshops and theatre trips throughout the academic year.

In September, the Sixth Form Dramatists had a workshop with Kneehigh Theatre Company, which was filled with energy, comedy and playfulness.

Next, the Upper Sixth took part in the workshop based on the practitioner Brecht, who they decided to use as their practitioner for their ‘Component 2 devised piece’, where they created socially and politically motivated pieces for their final exam.

In November, we had the theatre company Splendid lead a workshop with our Sixth Form, extending their knowledge of Brechtian devices – but in a more playful way – inspiring the Lower Sixth to use Splendid as their practitioner for their examined devised piece.

The First Years had their introduction to Drama in June, when we invited world-renowned theatre company, Frantic Assembly, to lead workshops with the whole Year group. We were so impressed by the pupils’ energy, focus and creativity, and we are so excited for this year group to start Drama lessons this year.

Lower Sixth Drama also took part in a workshop with Frantic Assembly, focusing on the movement in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime to support them with their final exam.

We love taking part in workshops and exploring different styles and practitioners to inspire our Dramatists.

Theatre Trips We have also taken the pupils on a wide range of theatre trips to see both new writing and classic plays. The trips have included The Life of Pi, Noughts and Crosses, The Woman in Black, Newsies and Accidental Death of an Anarchist.

The pupils are always exemplary on trips and make the most of being exposed to live theatre.

Mr Thompson has joined several of these trips, and he is able to dissect exactly how the technical aspects of theatre are utilised to create the theatrical experience, and this is vital when helping the pupils to be able to analysis and evaluate live theatre as part of their course.

Thank you to the wonderful pupils and staff who have contributed to enable these trips and workshops to be a success and we look forward to what is in store for 2023-24.

AEJ

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Revolution & Rebellion: Music in the 20th Century 29/09/2022 To begin with, this was a style of concert I had never been part of before and neither had the teachers. Nothing like this had really been done before at Hampton school: interval sections with lessons of musical history and context while others displayed the wide, extravagant range of music and art of the 20th century.

The musical context was very much needed and interesting to listen to and follow throughout the concert, explaining each different genre in the mixing pot of music which was the 20th century – everything from impressionism and painting images in your mind with sound, to extreme dissonances and lack of functional harmony or even absolute silence.

challenging to stand still and convince the audience I was ready to play for a whole 4 minutes and 33 seconds with no music in front of me. However, it was a Hampton first and was quite relaxing and an entertaining break in the sporadic sound changes and alterations of this concert.

To end the concert, we all performed Riley in C – which was a confusing and unmeasured symphony of sound and rhythm. From my perspective playing, it was quite difficult to stay out of rhythm with people, as I ended up feeling like I was waiting for entries. Some of the cells were unique and interesting which did lead to some incredible dissonances at some points. Overall, it was a fun five minutes of controlled ‘chaos’ that sounded surprisingly elegant!

I was one of the few that ‘performed’ in John Cage’s 4 minutes and 33. A piece like no other, three movements of absolute silence. I found it quite

Logan Herries

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Legally Blonde 10-14/10/2022 While our eyes may have been tired of all the pink by closing night, I am sure the cast, crew and band would all agree in saying that this year’s Hampton and LEH joint musical, Legally Blonde, was a truly spectacular and rewarding performance to be a part of.

Mrs Tate got us all Whipped Into Shape with her incredible and exhausting choreography. The complex skipping routine was especially hard to master, but we all kept our huge smiles all the way through. We also had to get used to some new dancing styles – Irish dance being my personal favourite! The fun, exhilarating, and sometimes hilarious dances made the experience So Much Better.

Mrs Ashe helped us learn the catchy, but complex, five-part harmonies. The fantastic music and brilliant playing of the band helped us stay Positive throughout all our rehearsals. Hearing the sound we all made on stage was

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incredibly rewarding, and the music was precisely What You Want for a funfilled show like this!

The director, Miss Torrent, masterfully staged all the scenes, providing a funny and enjoyable performance for the audience. Helping us let go of our inhibitions and stop being Serious, we were able to have fun and go over the top with our acting. The show could not have been done without the tech crew and costume crew, who completed the show with the bright pink stage and eye-catching costumes!

Though it was a long five weeks of rehearsal, the end result was an experience I will remember forever. As the highlight of my School career, I encourage everyone to try to get involved with Music and Drama at school!

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Keyboard Concert 03/11/2022 The annual keyboard concert is always one of the music diary’s most hotlyanticipated events — and this year did not fail to deliver. Attendees were treated to performances from 30 Hamptonians, from First Years playing their first ever Hampton concert, to those in the Upper Sixth playing one of their last.

The evening started with two 20th century organ pieces in the Main Hall, including a masterfully-played interpretation of Messiaen’s Le Majesté du Christe demandant sa gloire à son père by Tomas Escobar, a vastly rich and complex 20th-century composition by O. Messiaen.

The concert soon moved to the Hammond Theatre, where the audience were treated to an outstanding overall standard of playing, with several exceptional performances either side of the interval.

The first half saw Boris Duke’s Nocturne in C# minor by Chopin, a hauntingly lyrical piece played with sensitive phrasing and great technical aplomb, as well as Oli Hudson’s refined interpretation of the slow movement of Beethoven’s Sonata in C minor. After a short interval, the second half opened with Leo Ma’s spectacular rendition of Liszt’s renowned — yet notoriously difficult — Liebestraum no. 3, in particular excelling in the tricky voicing of the melodic line. Later on in the evening, Rohan Crowe delivered a gripping performance of his own composition: a Romance in C minor, inspired by the likes of Schumann and Rachmaninoff. It was a beautifully-structured piece, filled with inventive and eclectic harmonies.

The evening closed with Oscar Liu’s electrifying performance of Khachaturian’s infamously difficult Toccata, in equal parts filled with dramatic flair as well as technical virtuosity.

As for my own performance, I elected to play Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in B minor, a piece that, on its surface, appears to be markedly different from the typically exciting Romantic repertoire one might expect to hear in a keyboard concert performance. Inspired originally by Arnold Bröcklin’s symbolic painting Die Heimkehr, ‘The Homecoming’, which depicts the rear view of a man sat next to a swimming pool at dusk, looking out at a landscape filled with autumn trees. Both the way in which the time of day inherently represents the fading of the sun to darkness, and the time of year represents the fading of the trees’ leaves as winter approaches, highlights a sense of loss and solemnity which Rachmaninoff evokes subtly yet meaningfully; he does this through both the laconic, sighing melodic figure that permeates the prelude, as well as the feeling of incompleteness created by the numerous unresolved suspensions.

The way in which it seemed best to prepare to perform this piece ahead of the concert was simply to explore it through playing it, in order to immerse myself in the emotional soundscape created so masterfully by Rachmaninoff throughout the prelude, which I was – hopefully! – able to portray while playing the wonderfully sonorous concert grand on the Hammond stage.

Overall, this year’s keyboard concert proved, once again, thoroughly enjoyable, both for the audience who attended as well as for the Hamptonians who received the fantastic opportunity to play.

A huge thank you goes to Mr Roland, Mr Zuckert, Miss Mattinson, and Mr Green for making this possible!

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New Boys’ Concert 08/11/2022 The New Boys’ Concert was a fabulous evening of immense music talent displayed in the Hammond theatre.

There were sumptuous piano chords to fabulous violin melodies!

I thought some stand-out performances were from the electric guitarist with Ekam Randhawa with Kiss From Rose and Aaryan with Johnny B Goode; they demonstrated their amazing technical ability which resulted in the whole room tapping their toes.

There were many excellent pianists, including Marcus Panditharatna, Tom Balmond and Max Trevers. There was also an amazing number of incredibly talented violinists who played impeccably in their first concert at Hampton – hopefully there will be many more to come!

There was an abundance of brass players playing some technically very difficult pieces, such as Joe Bates, Zac Carter, and me, Oscar Riddell.

A special mention must go to Daniel Spooner who sang the ‘Bird’s Lament’ very confidently – and in his first public performance!

Although I found performing nerve-wracking, after it was over, I was very glad that I had done it; it gave me immense feeling of pride to showcase my talent in my new school.

This concert was an amazing success and really showcased all of the talent that has been brought in to Hampton’s Music Department – what an excitingly musical future we all have!

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St Cecilia’s Day Dinner 19/11/2022 Guests were treated to an excellent fine-dining experience, skilfully curated by the Hampton Catering Team, enjoying a three-course meal interspersed with an eclectic assortment of Classical and Jazz music.

The standard of music was, as usual, very high on this unique occasion. The night commenced with the Gigue from Bach’s seminal Partita no. 2 for violin, played energetically by Johnny Evans-Hutchison.

Many more exciting performances littered the first half, including a vibrant rendition of Giant steps played by Aitor McConnell, and a capricious Beethoven’s Piano Sonata 27, Movement 1 performed by Pranav Santhosh.

Highlights from the second half included Ishaan Das playing a very lyrical The Swan, by Saint-Saens, breathing much needed fresh air on this old classic, and Theo Mantel-Cooper played Variation on a Theme of Rossini by Frederic Chopin on the flute equally movingly.

Next up, striking fear into the hearts of every Mozart lover in the audience, was the Jazz band’s thrilling performance of Nardis, by Miles Davis.

Energetic drums and powerful bass commanded the stage as listeners were briefly transported from a black-tie dinner event to a soundscape more befitting of a mosh-pit. An absolutely exhilarating performance!

Elegance and civility was shortly restored in the third half – the correct terminology according to Mr Roland – with a stunning performance of Interstellar, by Viduna Diyasena.

The evening was then rounded off with fittingly impassioned performances of Wieniaswski by Freddy Liang, and a Chopin Nocturne, by Tomas Escobar.

Overall, it was a wonderful evening where both the musical stakes and culinary steaks were high and of high quality!

Rohan Crowe

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String Concert 22/11/2022 This two and a half hour concert involved of a wide range of extremely high-quality music from a large variety of boys and instruments, all enthusiastic about showcasing the hard work they have put in during this last year.

The concert was opened by the highly skilled chamber orchestra, playing Divertimento in D, K136 by Mozart in a typical Mozartian style. With an exciting and fast-paced performance, the scene was set for the rest of the concert.

Many brave boys took on the mountain of a challenge of playing solos – from personal experience, I can say that it takes plenty of hard work and determination to do.

Thomas Finney performed Concerto in G, Op. 3, No. 3, Allegro, by Vivaldi, truly demonstrating his resilience.

The audience then got a taste of the double bass from Oli Lennox Smith, playing Vocalise by Rachmaninov. A quite solemn piece, with plenty of emotions being conveyed during the performance; this was then followed on by a string quartet consisting of Leo Ma, Nathaniel Carson, Tej Mosaku and Xavier Fricot, coached by Mr Schofield, playing another piece by Mozart, String Quartet No. 3 in G, K156, Allegro. This was played with attentiveness to musical detail and in a very unified manner, a testament to their hard work.

Furthering the variety that the audience would receive that evening, Jeff Liu performed unaccompanied, playing one of JS Bach’s Partitas with much clarity and projection, Partita No. 3 in E, Gavotte En Rondeau.

Yangzi Tjoe then stepped up to play a Rondo by Beethoven, Sonata, Op. 12, No. 1, Rondo. A piece consisting of many fast flurries of notes and contrasting passages – Yangzi executed the performance to near perfection, not to mention the incredibly difficult accompaniment that showcased Mr Oyarzabal’s incredible piano playing!

Finally, the first half of the concert was topped off by the Guitar Ensemble – Freddy Liang, Theo Mantel Cooper, Ishaan Das, Daniel Tressider – coached by Mr Hvarchilkov. They elected to play Conquest Of Paradise and Blade Runner, by Vangelis. It is an amazing choice of piece! It was also a great performance, concluded by the dramatic smash of the gong, marking the end of the first half.

The opening of the second half was taken on by yet another string quartet, consisting of Yangzi Tjoe, Declan Goh, Gabriel Porter and Jian Graffe, coached by Miss Oliver. It was a very difficult piece requiring an immense amount of co-ordination and focus; it was played very enthusiastically and emphatically.

Johnny Evans-Hutchison then played Partita No.2 in D minor, Sarabande and Gigue, by J S Bach. We then got a repeat of Vocalise by Rachmaninov, this time played on the viola by Harry Spence; it was a sensitive performance, with plenty of expression conveyed to the audience.

After that, the audience got another taste of Haydn, this time in the form of a Concerto in C No.1, Allegro Moderato – a piece which takes a lot of focus and technical ability. Edmund Ng provided us with an energetic and joyful performance, executing many difficult sections with precision. the lion

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arts Nearing the end of the concert, the audience then received a mesmerising performance from Freddie Liang, performing Concerto No. 2, Op. 22, Romance, by H Wieniawski. A very elegant and rich piece with many areas of extremely high pitch, Freddie executed it with excellence!

Finally, my turn came as I got up to perform Allegro by Joseph-Hector Fiocco – a piece that I have learnt and practiced often. I felt very prepared, and had no doubt that I could give a very good performance. After seeing all my other compatriots playing so well, I felt empowered and confident, knowing that I could do the same.

As the penultimate performance, the only solo cello performance of the night took the stage: Elegie, Op. 24 by Faure, played by Charlie Bishop.

This is a melancholic, yet exciting piece.

Finally, the concert was capped off with yet another string quartet, headed

by Miss Van Ments, including Freddy Liang, Johnny Evans-Hutchison, Harry Spence, and Charlie Bishop, performing String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4, Allegro ma non tanto, by Beethoven. The exciting and varied piece, accomplished with a vast amount of enthusiasm and skill, was a perfect way to conclude the concert.

A very memorable and enjoyable concert for all those listening, the boys should be very proud of what they have achieved this year, and for having the bravery to come up on stage to perform to a large audience.

As always, these concerts cannot be done without the theatre crew, preparing everything to be carried out to perfection. A huge thanks must go to Miss van Ments in particular for organising this concert and for guiding and inspiring all the string players to strive further and further.

Another person who has played such a large role in this concert is Mr Oyarzabal, having that much energy to flawlessly accompany so many of the students, and also for the incredible amount of practice to learn the variety of pieces that were given to him.

Declan Goh

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Carducci String Quartet Concert & String Masterclass

Hampton was extraordinarily lucky to welcome the renowned Carducci Quartet to give masterclasses to some of the most advanced string players.

The Carducci Quartet were split into three, as they each gave masterclasses simultaneously across the school. The advice was very constructive, and it was clear that their friendly help made a huge difference to each of the players.

At lunchtime, the quartet gave a taster concert to GCSE and A-Level students, the Symphony Orchestra, and string-playing musicians.

After this they gave a Q&A session – it was fascinating to find out interesting facts like they now practise very little together, instead doing more individual practice.

In the afternoon, the quartet focused on the School’s chamber groups, including string quartets. Once again, their insight was invaluable, and all the ensembles left with a clear idea of how to improve.

The Carducci Quartet also did a full evening quartet, with pupils and teachers from schools around the area also attending. They treated the audience to playing op. 33. No.2, The Joke, by Haydn, Quartet in E flat by Fanny Mendelssohn and op. 96, American, by Dvorak. Their animated way of playing together only added to the impeccable playing, and the applause at the end represented the resounding success of the entire day.

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Christmas Concert 1 08/12/2022 I have found playing in the School Symphony Orchestra this term an amazing experience. I think it is a great opportunity for young people like me to play in such an advanced orchestra, especially after Covid.

My favourite piece we got to play was Danzon No. 2, by Arturo Marquez because, even though it was the most challenging piece we played individually and as a group, once we got it all together it sounded incredible!

The rehearsals are a highlight of my week, and I cannot wait to see what we are playing next term.

James Nunn The Christmas Concert was a sensational experience for me as a musician. I took part in the First Year Choir and the Concert Orchestra.

With this being my first term in Hampton, I was quite nervous before the performance with the orchestra. We had a rehearsal earlier in the day and, for me, it made me more confident as I was able to have on final with the other members and I thought it sounded great in the Hammond Theatre.

On the night, I thought it sounded amazing.

Overall, preforming in the concert was hugely enjoyable!

Zac Carter & George Scholes

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Christmas Concert 2 09/12/2022 This concert featured a brilliant mix of festive classics and classical masterpieces. The night was started by the brass band’s performance of Punchinello March, by William Rimmer, and Prismatic Light, by Alan Fernie.

This was followed by an excellent performance of A Holly Jolly Christmas, by Voices of Lions, that set an excellent tone for the night’s choral performances.

Next, I performed A Merry Christmas with Consort of Voices. Performing in such an exposed fashion in front of a packed-out Hammond Theatre can feel nerve-racking; however, once the barrier of the first few bars is broken, it is easy to relax and enjoy the piece. From the stage, we all felt that it was a thoroughly successful performance.

The Chamber Orchestra then played a wonderful rendition of Serenade for Strings, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, playing the fourth movement, Allegro con spirito. The first act was closed by Chamber Choir singing a medley of Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman, arranged by Kirby Shaw. I thoroughly enjoyed singing in this playful festive tune!

There were a number of well-executed solos – and even a visit from Rudolf himself – albeit only in the form of a reindeer headband!

There was a general buzz backstage during the interval as over 40 boys scrambled to help set up the stage, put on their bow ties and grab their instruments for Symphony Orchestra’s performance.

The first piece was the iconic first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony which, personally, as a clarinettist, is great fun belting out the opening line.

Next was a stunning performance of Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, by Saint-Saëns, with Freddy Laing on the violin. He performed beautifully in a performance I will never forget.

Finally, to close, we played Danzon No. 2, by Arturo Márquez, an incredibly complex yet wonderfully fun piece that is based off of many Cuban rhythms.

The evening ended brilliantly, and it was amazing to take part in!

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13/12/2022 The Hampton Carol concert is – in my opinion – always one of the staple events of the Hampton school calendar year: several hundred audience-members packed into a tightly enclosed space, eagerly awaiting the various repertoire prepared by each separate choir over the span of the term.

This was acutely drawn attention to this year given our inability to perform live carol concerts for the past few years due to Covid!

The service started by candlelight with a serene Voices of Lions rendition of Silent Night. The rich mix of tenor and bass served to transport the audience into an encapsulating performance.

Perhaps one of my favourite moments of the carol service, from an audience member’s perspective, was hearing ROAR perform Mary don’t you know. It was fantastic to hear a rendition of one of my favourite artists, Pentatonix. To me, this shows the versatility of the Hampton Music Department, emphasising that anyone can get involved with singing and find something that they enjoy. ROAR’s performance was well phrased, harmonized and performed.

Gaudite and I wonder as I wander gave boys an opportunity to do some solo singing.

The Chamber choir-backed Johnny EvansHutchison and Filip Lorenc as they floated over the texture beautifully in the John Rutter piece, and the Quintet in Gaudite were well managed and put together.

For myself, singing in the quintet was an intimidating but exciting experience, as I find it hardest to perform in front of peers and family members!

Finally, the chamber choir rounded off the carol concert with Lux Arumque, by Eric Whitacre. I was thrilled with the performance, especially as Whitacre’s music is no easy beast to contend with.

The carol concert ended with thoughtful prayers and a blessing from the Vicar, before the choir departed with the organ voluntary.

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New Piano In October, we were thrilled to welcome a brand-new Boston 'by Steinway' piano to the Department – thanks to the generous funding of the HSMS. The new piano joins twelve fantastic existing Steinway pianos, offering yet more opportunities for our young musicians to play on such beautifully designed professional-standard pianos.

A huge thank you to the HSMS from me and everyone in the Music Department.

We are so lucky to have such a hardworking and encouraging society who are constantly looking for ways to enhance the musical life of Hampton School.

DER

Interview 10-Minute Interview – with Mrs Francesca Moore-Bridger, French Horn VMT

cannot imagine anything better than sharing a skill I have honed for almost my entire life with others and inspiring them to get the same love from music that I have.

Can you tell me more about your Music Degree / education?

I studied at the Royal College of Music Junior Department on Saturdays and then went on to study music at Newnham College in Cambridge. After my undergrad and a year off to go travelling, I spent two years doing a Postgraduate Diploma at the Royal Academy of music. I then won a job as Principal Horn of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Santiago in Chile just after graduating and after a couple of years there I came back to start my freelancing career back in the UK. Tell me a bit about how you came to join the music dept at Hampton?

I saw that Hampton were looking for a Horn teacher, and the excellent musical reputation of the school lead me to apply!

What are your responsibilities within the Music Department?

Can we please start off by you telling me a little bit about yourself?

I teach the French Horn pupils and often take part in the school concerts to bump up the numbers if and when needed.

How are you involved in music outside school?

My name is Francesca, and I am a freelance French Horn player and teacher who started teaching at Hampton last year.

What were your musical experiences growing up, and how did you become a teacher?

I am the Principal Horn of Orchestra of the Swan, and I am a busy freelancer around the UK. I am currently in the middle of a tour of Muppets Christmas Carol, having just finished a production of Wagner’s Rheingold.

Just last week I was watching myself as a member of a marching band in the new Star Wars series. I am lucky to have a very varied career!

Could you tell me more about your own musical journey growing up?

Some of my most vivid, early musical memories are my parents taking me to the Proms when I was really little, and also dancing around Covent Garden having seen the Nutcracker at Christmas time.

I grew up in a family of educators – you could say it was in my blood to teach! I 78

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I wanted to learn the horn from the age of three when I had a go on one that my uncle had under his piano.

I was the only person there who could make a sound on it and it was gold and shiny and definitely the instrument for me! I had to wait until I had my big front teeth so learnt the piano first. Once I was having lessons, I soon won a place in the National Children’s Orchestra, then went on to the National Youth Orchestra and beyond.

Is there a musician you particularly admire?

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arts Too many to mention! I think anyone forging a path in the Arts’ industry is admirable, however they make it work for them.

If someone wants to learn a musical instrument, what advice would you give?

What advice would you have to a boy who wants to study music?

Do it! There are some wonderfully varied music courses out there. Just make sure to find a place which has all the options you are looking for.

Go for it! There is absolutely nothing to lose.

Which one piece of music would you choose for your Desert Island?

Are there any top tips for those wanting to pursue a professional music career?

Keep your options open. Be open-minded. Take all opportunities thrown at you, and enjoy every step of the – sometimes bumpy – journey!

I think I would take the soundtrack to Hamilton – then I can spend the time learning all the words!

And your Desert Island luxury?

Do you still get an opportunity to perform?

All the time, luckily.

Is this the one where everyone asks for the complete works of Shakespeare?

Am I allowed Netflix!?

Theo Tang Organ Scholarship In my quest to continue my organ learning journey over the summer, the key challenge was to find a suitable place to practice.

My resident organ teacher at Hampton School kindly recommended me to get in touch with the Parish of Esher as a starting point. I was duly invited for a meeting to use the organ for practice which went rather well – at the end of it, the Director of Music offered me an organ scholarship, which was a pleasant surprise.

My debut as a Junior Organ Scholar finally came on 23rd October, with a post sermon piece, Fauré’s Pavane, in the parish communion at Christ Church, followed by a commissioning ceremony at the end of service by the Reverend.

Looking ahead, my duties at both Christ Church, Esher and its sister church St George’s, West End, will involve a lot of hard work and commitment as well as opportunities such as practicing as a visitor at Chichester Cathedral.

Those experiences will no doubt help me to further progress my organ playing and confidence in public performance and competition.

Thanks to the special opportunity to learn Organ through the school’s ‘Rare Beast’ scheme last year. By sharing my experience, I sincerely look forward to seeing more fellow organists in school, as, currently, there are only two of us in the whole school! the lion

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Woodwind Concert 24/01/2023 The annual woodwind concert was a diverse showcase of musical genres and styles.

The Piano Quintet opened the concert with the Rondo movement from Mozart's Quintet in Eb major, showcasing their mastery of the classical repertoire.

Oscar Schofield performed He's a Pirate from The Pirates of the Caribbean, setting an exciting and upbeat mood to the stage.

The Wind Quintet played the lively movement from Divertimento No. 1 in Bb Major by Haydn, displaying their cohesiveness and musical prowess.

Theo Mantel-Cooper captivated the audience with his performance of the Adagio and Allegro movements from the Sonata in B minor, Op. 2, No. 3 by J. Ranish on the flute.

Tomás Escobar’s rendition of the 1st movement from the Sonata for Alto Saxophone, by P Woods was a standout performance, showcasing his technical proficiency and musicality – particularly with a creative solo and the way he nailed the high notes in the altissimo range!

The Clarinet Ensemble brought the concert to a close with a playful and light-hearted performance of Scherzetto, Pavane and Gopak, by G Jacobs.

On the whole, the concert was a testament to the versatility of woodwind instruments and the musical abilities of the performers. The diverse selection of pieces, from classical to contemporary, showcased the unique qualities of each instrument and the performers' exceptional talent.

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In last week’s Rock Concert, there was a magnificent display of talent across all the Year Groups. There was an array of performances from bands to solos, in which there were three brilliant soloists. There was also a very diverse range of artists being played from Motörhead to The Police.

Alex Trevers started the concert off with a great performance, leading the intermediate rock band by playing the iconic song ‘The Bends’, by Radiohead. We also saw Sixth Former Felix von der Geest showcase a completely original song – amazing!

The hosts provided great comedy for the excited crowd; they kept them on their toes through the transitions while the performers were setting up on stage.

We would also like to thank the backstage staff, without whom none of this would have been possible. We are already excited for the next Rock Concert later this year, and we hope you can join us in the Hammond Theatre and experience the great atmosphere that comes with the great musicians!

We all then had our sound checks and got ready to play – I was in Junior Rock Band B, which is the Second Year rock band.

My friends and I had dinner and got into our dressing rooms, where we all began to get very nervous. The concert started at 7 o’clock and we listened to a brilliant first half performance from all the acts.

Then, as the final band of the first half, we were on.

I got to the keyboard and began preparing myself whilst the guitarists tuned up and plugged their guitars in. Our first song was ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ by Journey.

It went very well, and we all got an enjoyable applause – but the nerves were still going because we had a second song, my personal favourite, ‘Livin On A Prayer’ by Bon Jovi. I started the song and, soon, I was having the time of my life.

After the final crash of the drum, we got enthusiastic applause, and we walked off stage very pleased with our performance. It went how we would have liked it to, and I could not have asked for a better experience than that!

William McKillop & Daniel Tresidder After school ended, me and my friends went straight to the Hammond theatre where we were told about how the concert would work. On the stage, they had an amazing setup: from amps to drum kits, keyboards to DJ setups, microphones to speakers – everything was there!

The rest of the concert was very enjoyable, and then we all went home – and started to prepare ourselves for the next concert in June!

Overall, it was a very good experience!

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Playing in the band for this year’s Junior Production was a marathon feat of musical stamina for all those involved. A star-studded band – conducted masterfully by Mrs Esser – supplied the foundation to the catchy tunes of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

It would be safe to say that Any Dream Will Do will be stuck in our heads for a while!

The diverse ensemble of teachers, students, and alumni alike came together for their first rehearsal in early December, as preparation began for the flurry of performances during the start of February.

As for the performances, each one was a success and great fun to be a part of. While in Canaan the times were ‘tough’, life in the pit was far from it. Fueled on Tesco jelly babies and boosted by an enthusiastic cast, every number became easier and easier with each performance.

Stand-out moments included the matinée performance for a number of local primary schools, and it would be difficult to forget the grand entrance of Pharoah upon singing about his dreams.

All in all, it was a great experience and a pleasure to be a part of.

Thank you to Mrs Esser for conducting, Mrs Jones for directing our actors on stage, the cast for giving their all each night, and the production team for making sure everything ran smoothly.

Ben Williams The Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat musical offered the opportunity to learn a full range of theatrical skills outside of academic lessons – from singing to dancing to acting on a stage with a professional band group, a full lighting crew and over 200 people watching!

When I heard that my brother and a few of my friends were auditioning, I thought to myself, why not give it a go? As someone who was lucky enough to get a solo part for one of the movements, this was a great way to learn a new skill by performing in front of an audience, having had no previous theatrical experience.

The support and advice offered by the teachers for all members of the cast was phenomenal. Forty students from our school and Waldegrave took part in two afterschool rehearsals per week – and some over the weekend towards the end – to produce this show, performed publicly in the Hammond theatre on what were three spectacular evenings, as well as to a local primary school children and younger years from Hampton.

While the rehearsals were fun, energetic and productive, this was also a great opportunity to collaborate and socialise with people from other schools – everyone got on so well that there was much disappointment when it all finished so quickly!

Overall, I would personally recommend trying whatever theatrical opportunity offered by the School to anybody who is interested in music, drama, acting or dance, as this was an unforgettable experience which I did not regret one bit.

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Unsilenced: A concert of music written by women composers

In the final week of the first half of the Easter term, the second ‘Unsilenced Voices’ concert took place, the first having taken place last year.

The concert’s creation is credited to Mr Oyarzabal, and it would not be possible without his help organising the event.

So, what is the concert about? As the name suggests it is meant to celebrate unsilenced voices, those being the voices of female composers of a wide range of differing backgrounds and time periods.

The concert featured pieces from the Romantic period and up to the late 20th century and whilst most of the pieces were played by solo pianists, there were also various ensembles such as a piano, oboe and flute trio, piano duet and a choral piece sung by the Consort of Voices.

All in all, the concert was a complete success and demonstrated the importance of allowing all people of any ethnicity or gender to express themselves through music and illustrates that it is just as important as any other piece of music or art.

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Chamber Concert 23/02/2023 The Chamber Concert marked the day that always promises to be one of the most entertaining events of the School concert calendar, celebrating the diverse array of small ensembles within the School.

The first half opened with a Haydn piano trio, performed in a poised, quintessentially classical manner, after which the Junior Guitar Ensemble treated us to a jazzily upbeat arrangement of Sunny, by Mr Hvartchilkov.

Mozart’s music then made the first of many appearances it would make that evening, with highlights including The Magic Flute, performed by a wonderful – one might even say magic – flute duet consisting of Will Colvine and Theo Mantel-Cooper, each of whom deftly brought out the lyricism of the operatic melodies.

The second half of the Mozart double-feature consisted of the fast movement of an early string quartet, whose intricate instrumental interplay and fiendishly fast passages were tackled with great aplomb by the players, capped off in particular by a virtuosic tour de force of technical wizardry by first violinist Leo Ma. Mr Horden’s trombone ensemble then proceeded to deliver exciting renditions of two concert classics— Holst’s Jupiter and Scarborough Fair – before the Wind Quintet performed two movements of a Haydn Divertimento, once again capturing effortlessly the elegant style and succinct articulation that so characteristically defines the music of this period.

Tomás Escobar, Theo Mantel-Cooper and the ever-exuberant Mr Oyarzabal then brought about a drastic change of mood with their expressive performance of a piano and wind trio by 20th-century composer Madeleine Dring, before Tomás traded in his oboe for the piano and was joined by Johnny Evans-Hutchison and Tetsuro Kato for the closing act of the first

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half — an intimate and pensive rendition of one of Fauré’s late piano trios.

The second half opened with a refreshing change of timbre, provided by the Brass Ensemble, who expertly navigated two short concert pieces by Pezel and Mourer, followed by a jauntily upbeat performance of a traditional Polish polka dance for Clarinet Ensemble.

Freddy Liang then took centre stage with Miss Van Ments to perform Bériot’s Duo Concertant for two violins – a breathtakingly moving performance whose lyrical phrasing and expressive vibratos kept the audience immersed in the romantic soundscape until the very last note.

We were then treated to another spirited Mozart string quartet — this time, one of his later works — following which the Lower String Ensemble performed Themes from Carmen, ingeniously arranged for cellos and double bass, managing successfully to convey the nuances of operatic themes on instruments to whom such melodies are relatively foreign.

Mozart’s music made its third and final appearance for that evening with the first movement from his Quintet for Piano and Winds – myself at the piano – with an elegant, yet energetic, performance from the ensemble as a whole.

The evening came spiritedly to a close with the String Quartet performing an early work by Beethoven, played typically with dramatic gusto and flair to provide a fitting end to a simply magical concert.

Overall, I am sure that all the audience members and performers alike would agree with me in saying that it was most certainly an evening to remember, and join me in thanking Mr Zuckert, Mr Roland, Miss Estall, and Miss Van Ments and all the other staff and accompanists who made it possible.

Ishaan Das

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03/03/2023 The annual Jazz Café took place to a crowded audience ready to see the Swing Band and Jazz Band perform.

more pieces, ending with an energetic It Don’t Mean a Thing by Duke Ellington.

The evening began with a trio of well-known pieces from the Swing Band, including What a Wonderful World and The Pink Panther, led by Mr Ferrier, before Sam Moshi took to the piano to perform Blue in Green by Miles Davis.

Milo then performed a powerful rendition of My Way before the Jazz Band performed their last set, starting with Song For My Father by Horace Silver.

The Jazz Band, led by Mr Horden, energetically filled the majority of the first half with a variety of Jazz standards, intermingled with impressive improvised solos from Tomás Escobar on Saxophone, and Logan Herries on Clarinet.

The food was then delivered during the interval, allowing a brief rest for the performers, before Milo Band entertained the audience with Blue Skie.

The Swing Band took the stage again to perform their final set of four

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A dynamic rendition of Nardis, by Miles Davis, followed a complete solo performance by Tomás Escobar, before finishing with Cantaloupe Island by Herbie Hancock, with everyone having a chance to solo and finish on a high note at the end of the evening.

This great evening could not have been possible without the great efforts of the Music Department, Catering Department and Theatre Crew, who helped make the incredible night possible.

Piers Marchant

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Choral Society Concert 11/03/2023 After I received the orchestral call up for this year’s Joint Choral Society, I was desperate to play in the stunning and breath-taking Requiem by Mozart, chosen

by Mr Roland, for an astonishing evening concert in the Hammond. The music was tough, the notes were problematic, but, in the end, the journey was worth travelling.

As the rehearsals flew by, Hampton and LEH pupils and professional musicians all got together, and produced some absolutely stupendous music – every Monday rehearsal was given 100% by all players.

Playing in that group was an absolutely incredible experience, and I certainly had loads of fun rehearsing the thunderous and fast Dies Irae, and the tear-jerking Lacrimosa. But, in spite of all of this, it was still missing something exceptionally important.

That missing piece of the puzzle arrived, as on the day of the concert, the orchestra and choir fused together to assemble a masterpiece no one had ever seen – rehearsing as a whole for three hours, which was a gargantuan effort by each person.

The choir was beautifully dominant, accompanied by a totally booming orchestra. Everything was in place.

By the time the concert came, everyone was prepared. The choir sat in their seats, the players were ready with their instruments in their laps, and, when the lights dimmed, we began.

The show flew past, and what a show it was. All of the players and choir put in our all, led by Mr Roland. The players’ muscles were absolutely exhausted from the exuberant playing they had just done.

A round of applause was received as it ended our wonderful experience.

Leo Ma The day started at two in the afternoon with an innumerable number of singers of all different ages together with the brass band rearing to go for a three-hour rehearsal.

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arts We started off this rehearsal with Rutter’s Gloria, before later giving the brass band a break as the orchestra took their place for Mozart’s famous Requiem.

This lengthy rehearsal put us all in good stead for the performance.

No introductions were needed as we immediately launched into Requiem Aeternam, in which we first heard one of the four tremendous soloists that were accompanying the choir.

We continued to power on through this one-hour epic. There was a great contrast in movements with the powerful Confutatis leading into the eerie and solemn Lacrimosa.

Once we had finished the Requiem, there was a short interval before the brass band began to play the introduction to Rutter’s Gloria. While this piece is shorter in length compared to the Requiem, it is no less impressive. It was a definite shift in tone from Mozart’s dark sound world into the sheer triumph portrayed by this piece.

The third movement was particularly notable due to the thunderous Amen being projected by the entire choir which produced an unbelievable sound.

The entire night flew by in what felt like seconds.

It was amazing to be part of something so grand and of such high quality and I cannot wait for next year’s concert.

Felix Droy

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ISSP Music Day & Concert 14/03/2023 Over 170 pupils from eight different secondary schools gathered at Hampton and LEH for the 2023 ISSP music day – an annual event of music making between the schools of the ISSP partnership.

After a brief introduction from the teachers, we were divided into our various ensembles and began our first rehearsals. Being a member of the choir, I was introduced to our first piece Never Enough from the famous musical The Greatest Showman.

After lunch, we took our seats in the Hammond theatre for a unique opportunity to enjoy a lively performance from String Fever – a modern string quartet containing electric instruments and, uniquely, a human beatboxer. With a diverse and expansive repertoire, ranging from Mozart and Tchaikovsky to the Madagascar movies, it was without a doubt a highly entertaining performance, much enjoyed by everyone.

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In the afternoon, we were introduced to the rest of the music we would be preforming in the evening, which included the music for the finale of the concert – the dramatic anvil chorus from Verdi’s Il Trovatore which was to be performed with both the choir and orchestra.

After a final run-through and a dinner, the concert began with an impressive solo performance of Abba’s The winner takes it all, followed by several other smaller ensemble performances as well as the full orchestra’s performance of Brahms’ Hungarian Dance.

The concert finished with the famed anvil chorus – its exciting nature was a fitting end to an exciting day. Many thanks to all the staff who made this unique opportunity possible!

Oli Hudson

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Spring Concert 23/03/22 The 2023 Spring Concert, after months of rehearsals, began with the Symphony Orchestra playing Also Sprach Zarathustra – the opening to Space Odessey – to a full Hammond Theatre, before playing the Flying Theme from ET. Performances such as The Pink Panther and Over the Rainbow – Swing Band – Battle of Jericho – Roar – and The Lamb – Chamber Choir – followed.

It was wonderful to see how all of the pupils’ and teachers’ hard work had paid off. This led into Earth – Concert Orchestra – Pirates of the Caribbean – Sinfonia – Underneath the Stars – Consort of Voices – and La La Land – Chamber Orchestra – which closed an amazing first half.

The second half began with a hugely impressive Percussion Trio, composed and performed by Max Nandra, James Clark and Mr Wilmott.

Voices of Lions performed Rains of Castamere – with atmospheric solos from Milo Band and Seb Evans – and a joyful arrangement of You’ve Got a Friend in Me from Toy Story.

It would prove to be a busy night for Seb, as he expertly played the first movement of Weber’s Bassoon Concerto.

The concert was closed by the brilliant Brass Band, who played Carnival de Venice, with Kai Kelly playing an incredible solo, followed by, Mancini Magic.

All of the performers had a great time, and it is fair to say that the audience left wowed by all the wonderful music and talent on show.

Huge thanks must go to Mr Elliot, Mr Thompson, Mr Green, and all of the Music Department, especially Mr Roland.

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Pro Corda A small group of Hampton musicians set off for King’s College Wimbledon to take part in the first round of the Pro-Corda National School’s Festival 2023 – a competition that sees some of the best chamber ensembles from schools around the country push their limits and compete against one another.

Once the minibus had dropped them off at the gates, the first group to perform was Mr Oyarzabal’s Piano Trio, who played the colourful Fauré Piano Trio, followed by Miss Van Ments’ String Quartet, led by Freddy Liang, who played Beethoven’s fiery 4th String Quartet, and lastly, Mr Schofield’s String Quartet, led by Leo Ma, who played Mozart’s String Quartet in G major.

After each group had performed and received their coaching session with the judge, they all returned to school just in time for the end of the day.

After a week of deliberation, the results of the first round were released; it was announced that Mr Oyarzabal’s trio and Miss van Ments’ String Quartet would be progressing to the semi-finals – also held at King’s College Wimbledon.

After competing in this round, and many sleepless nights waiting for the results, we were all disappointed to hear that neither of the groups progressed to the final, which was to be held at Brighton College.

Overall, it was a great experience for all of the performers involved; everyone gained invaluable feedback from the judges, and we can now start looking towards next year’s competition!

Tomás Escobar

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Staff Interview – Pete Dennis

I joined Hampton after covering for an old RAM friend who had done some professional work at Glyndebourne Opera. It was not something that I initially wanted or intended, but I found that the boys at Hampton were so polite, interested and engaged in singing that I totally changed my mind about teaching. I then applied for the role when it became available – almost twenty years ago.

My time at Hampton is very busy. I would love to be involved in more concerts or the School’s musical theatre productions, but, since I started all those years ago, the number of students has increased so much. I am literally either teaching full time at the Senior School or at Hampton Prep and Pre-prep.

I do not take any whole class music lessons, but I have conducted choirs when I had more time in the past.

My priority at the moment is helping to raise my two daughters. My ‘professional’ career matters nothing compared to that, so I guess my career outside school remains – as I like to call it – open but on hold. As I have a full-time day job, I do not have time for anything else – and by about 9:00pm I am spent anyway!

I think I mentioned a little about my formative years as a chorister, but when my voice changed I channeled my musical interest into brass music.

I am a huge fan of brass band music and spent most of my teenage years playing for a very competitive championship section brass band.

During the school holidays my average day would equal about 5 or 6 hours practice. I actually got accepted at the RAM on two first study instruments: voice and Trombone. In the end, though, something had to give and I found that there were more girls in the choir than in the brass band.

I am a professional classical singer that accidentally fell in to teaching. I have been teaching now for nearly twenty years.

I was a chorister from a very young age. Choir practice and the busy liturgical calendar was second nature to me. I did not even realise I was learning music – although I did begrudge going to evensong if a James Bond movie was on TV on a Sunday evening!

I did not ever consider being a professional singer. I was raised in a small mining village in Yorkshire where most of the boys from school were destined for the ‘pit’. Some did not even wait until the Summer term to take their GCSEs but opted for a mining apprenticeship instead.

Taking up a career as a professional opera singer was about as likely as me taking up a career as Kylie Minogue’s space shuttle chauffeur.

My first study instrument was trombone, when I was a teenager. I was singing to myself down the corridor at the local music college where the singing teacher heard me and had a free period. He literally corralled me in to have a lesson.

I auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music about two months later with the only three songs I knew and got offered a scholarship. It was a very surreal ‘Billy Elliot' experience. I even got the National Express coach to London – my first trip out of Yorkshire on my own! After the RAM, I got offered another scholarship to go to Australia, where I was able join the Young artist program with Australian Opera.

The musician I most admire? What a question! This answer is not definitive, but among the ones I admire for their outstanding musical mojo, I would say are the following: Jazz, Chet Baker; Classical, Bryn Terfel; Music theatre, Philip Quast; Rock and pop, Freddie Mercury; and Folk, Kate Rusby.

Want to learn an instrument? Go for it! Take any opportunity in life that comes your way. Sometimes, if you are lucky or determined – or both – the happy diversion becomes the destination.

Top career tips. Do not do it unless you are anything less than 100% committed. Turn up, do not be a diva; do the job that's asked of you.

Make friends. Network. No job too small – you never know who you are going to meet at that 20th Century interpretive vocal concert in Lower Snodbury; it could be the future conductor of the English National Opera being just as frustrated as you are.

Study music? Of course. Most of the skills you will need in life will be covered in studying and performing music; if you can master these skills in front of an audience under pressure, then you have pretty much got things covered. And it makes you windswept and interesting – sometimes!

The music I would choose for a desert island would be anything by Philip Glass; this would give me the determination to build a boat!

One luxury? A boat so I would not have to listen to Philip Glass while reading a ‘Building Boats for Idiots’ book. Einstein can stay on the beach – I would be on the boat. Sorry, bad in-joke!

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Brass Concert 20/04/2023 Geared up with excitement and anticipation, Hampton's 2023 Brass Concert featured some spectacular performances.

The show opened with the Brass Ensemble, directed by Mr Ward, who performed two baroque pieces by Pezel and Mouret respectively. It was a magnificent start to the event, with Will Holden on the Trombone and Matthew Sedgwick on the Tuba starring in this ensemble.

This was be followed up by a series of phenomenal solos by a wide-range of Hampton pupils – showcasing the diverse number of instruments and talent on display.

Daniel Tresidder begun with a daring performance of Rhapsody in Blue, by Gershwin, on the Trumpet, which was then proceeded by Tom Milton's rendition of A Trumpeter's Lullaby.

Other notable individual performances prior to the interval were Will O'Brien's performance of James’ Trumpet Concerto and Charlie Donald's excellent interpretation of Let's Face the Music, by I Berlin.

A magnificent first half of the concert culminated with Year 9 Ralf Sauer's show-stopping solo performance!

Amidst a strong turnout from the Hampton Brass players in the first half, the suspense and excitement from the crowd was palpable. The second half did not disappoint, as it opened with the Trombone Ensemble, who performed two pieces, Jupiter, by Holst, and Pavane, by Faure.

This was followed by the Horn Trio playing a fantastic arrangement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 (movement 3), directed by Miss Moore-Bridger. Though playing a difficult and uncommon instrument, the French Horn players thrived under the spotlight, producing a magnificent performance for the audience.

The theme of captivating solos returned at this point in the concert as Filip Lorenc and Alex Richford performed energetic and captivating pieces. A shift in tone was as Sam Ho played Rêverie, by Glazunov, on the French Horn, before Kai Kelly stole the show with his outstanding performance of Deux Danses, by J Defaye.

It was a concert filled with flawless performances from a range of instruments; the different nuances in tone, by each performer respectively, provided character and flair to the occasion.

A special thanks must go out to all who made this possible, with Mr Tong accompanying all soloists, as well as Mrs Esser and the rest of Hampton's Music Department.

The future is certainly bright for Brass Music at Hampton School!

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Junior Schools Music Workshop 23/04/2023 The Junior Schools’ Music Workshop Day was a great experience to be able to partake in.

Being able to engage with pupils from the partner Junior Schools and help them out to play a multitude of great pieces in a joint concert made for a really enjoyable day. To think that we did not even know each other and then, by the end of the day, within only a few hours, we were able to create an incredible number of performances really gives you a sense of accomplishment!

The day generally had a really positive atmosphere to it, with everyone willing to learn and cooperate. When it came to the music, while I could see some people struggling, it was good to have everyone try their hardest to play, but most importantly, enjoy the pieces.

A personal favourite of mine was the final piece of the programme: a combined choir and orchestra performance of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. I would definitely recommend others to also take part in this event in the years to come, and I would be delighted to return!

Euan Seymour

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Sixth Form Trip - RAH 27/04/2023 We left School in less than pleasant conditions. There was heavy rain for the entire journey from Hampton to South Kensington. At South Kensington station we were allowed to get some dinner before making our way to the Royal Albert Hall; we needed to fuel ourselves for the long performance ahead.

Mahler’s 3rd Symphony is six movements long – the longest composition he ever created! It is often regarded as the longest symphonic work in the standard repertoire, clocking in at around 110 minutes.

In reality, the piece flew by due to the amount of interesting features Mahler was able to implement.

The rich harmonies and large orchestra are common of Mahler’s maximalist style and filled the vast auditorium with ease. Mahler often used choirs in his symphonies and the 3rd.

The first symphony to use a choir was Beethoven's 9th and added great contrast to the orchestral writing, an effect Mahler clearly loved.

The music was amazing, and the venue added to the experience immensely.

Felix Droy

First Year Workshop – Brazilian Samba Drumming 02/05/2023 On the 2nd May, all of the First Year classes took part in an amazing samba band workshop in the Hammond theatre.

The teacher Raul, from Inspire Works, showed us lots of really cool and interesting instruments – like the tamborim, the ganza and the surdo.

We learned about the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil as well – did you know there are 300 people in the samba schools and the Carnival goes on for five days every February?

We all chose an instrument, and I played the surdo. On the instruments, we played Brazilian rhythms and when we were all playing together, we were making quite a lot of noise!

It was really fun to do something different, and I am really grateful to the Music Department for organising the workshop.

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Leavers’ Concert 10/05/2023 The 2023 Leaver’s Concert was our moment – this year’s Upper Sixth had one last opportunity to show off their skills and talents, and it absolutely did not disappoint!

With the freedom to choose the programme, there was a wide range of different musical genres and ensembles on display – from the guitar ensemble and string quartet, to acapella, to rock, to solo pieces and duets across a plethora of instruments.

Some of my personal favourites from the evening included Ollie Lycett’s exciting performance of Bound to Dare, an original piano composition by himself; Freddy Liang’s and Yangzi Tjoe’s mesmerising piano duet of Waltz from Sleeping Beauty, and Johnny Evans-Hutchison’s and Tetsuro Kato’s

performance of The Long and Winding Road – a fitting and fantastically performed song to end the evening with.

I performed a piano rendition of Epilogue from the film La La Land. Though daunting at first, performing the piece quickly became one of the most exciting and energy-filled concert performances I have had at Hampton – matched by the reception of a great audience of family and friends.

Performing at this concert had been one of the most rewarding feelings and being part of it was certainly one of the most memorable evenings at my time at Hampton.

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Moonscapes 25/05/2023 There are some concerts at Hampton that are such quality you could sell tickets to the general public. I could be biased, but I think the Moonscapes concert by Mr Oyarzabal was one of them. As the name suggests, all pieces performed in the Hammond Theatre that evening were related to the moon.

The moon has inspired piano music since the invention of the piano, but the idea here was to visualise the music, vividly brought to life with a video backdrop. These ranged from portraits of a starry night sky to a view of the moon’s rotation whilst moving through space. On their own, perhaps nothing much. But together: magical.

I was excited to perform my piece, a Nocturne by Chopin in C# minor. My projection was the view of something flying slowly through a galaxy – an almost 3D perspective of the stars. The Steinway grand piano makes everything sound amazing and makes it easier to bring out all the emotions of the piece.

The concert ended with an amazing improvisation by Ollie Lycet. He played as a soundtrack to a 1902 French short film A Trip to the Moon, which was the first science fiction movie ever made. Not that long ago, every film would have sounded that way: just a video and someone playing the piano go match the plot with a musical mood. Ollie managed to add a dynamic of joy, fear, and suspense through his playing, often Mickey-Mousing – syncing the instrument accompaniment with what happens on screen – to the video.

The Moonscapes concert was an evening of truly exceptional music, in a format that I have not heard of before – let alone seem before! Perhaps Mr Oyarzabal should take his next Hampton show to the West End! It would be a long shot – maybe a moon shot? But as this evening showed, they are the best shots to take.

Alex Nelson

Third Year Workshop – Japanese Taiko Drumming 22/06/2023 The Japanese drumming workshop was an unforgettable experience with an amazing instructor that led us through the art of taiko.

The first part to this style of drumming was the stance in which you play; one leg in front of the other and slightly diagonal so that you maintain optimal balance. Then, the Bachi – the Japanese word for the wooden sticks – which once held correctly allowed us to start to play.

At first it was quite simple with a repeated sequence of ‘Don Doko Don’ where the ‘Don’ is equivalent to a crotchet and a ‘Doko’ is to a quaver. It was harder than it looked!

After this, we played a more interesting beat which included hitting the outside edge of the drum – ‘Ka’ or ‘Kara’ – and it was very hard at first. Despite this, we got better and eventually could play it very fast, which was so much fun.

Overall, this workshop was great, and we all learnt lots about the fascinating style of taiko drumming.

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After school had finished, we all gathered in the Hammond Theatre for a briefing of the night ahead. Afterwards, all the acts for the concert had their sound checks and a final rehearsal.

I was in multiple acts; I was playing in Junior Rock Band, with my brother, and on my own as a solo – so, as you could imagine, I was really nervous.

Following some desperate last-minute preparations, the concert got underway at 7 o’clock. I was extremely nervous, but I managed to calm down by enjoying listening to all the brilliant performances before me.

Soon enough, I was on stage with my brother and – putting all nerves aside – we put our hearts into the performance. Although I previously had doubts, I was very pleased with how it went.

Before long, I ended up on the stage again with Junior Rock Band, and we played three songs: Mr Blue Sky, Black Night, and Bat Out of Hell.

I think that all of our hard work and practice paid off with this performance!

Finally, in the second half, I played my solo: Stand By My Woman, by Lenny Kravitz. I put all the energy that I had left into the performance, and I thought that it went well.

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience of performing in the concert – it was really fun. It was also very enjoyable listening to all of the other amazing performances from a variety of different acts, genres, and musicians.

Harry Skeffington

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Second Year Workshop – Caribbean Steel Pans 27/06/2023 We were lucky enough to have a workshop, led by Mike from Inspire Works, exploring Caribbean Steel Pans – this did not feel like a lesson, it was so much fun!

The combination of making music, learning about the history of this style of music, and geography created an underlying sense of fun in this period.

Everyone was smiling as soon as we started playing. I was lucky as I got to play the bass part which led the tempo of our ensemble.

The style of music, originating in Trinidad and Tobago, was an incredibly fun music style which got many of the members of 2F dancing whilst still playing.

This is a musical experience that I will remember for a long time!

Xavier Knowles

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Staff Interview – Alexandra Vadova

love music, which is always a plus, as it makes regular practice much more enjoyable. I feel privileged to see my pupils grow and develop year by year, and my biggest joy is when I see them inspired, or having an ‘aha’ moment, when some musical idea suddenly makes sense.

How are you involved in music outside school?

My musical career is a really interesting blend of performing solo/chamber music repertoire, lecturing, and teaching. I am quite active in finding opportunities to perform, and am passionate about curating various programmes, depending on the venue and audience type. Apart from being involved with classical music, I am also a person who enjoys musicals, jazz concerts, and many other types of music, as I find this variety grounds me and gives me even more inspiration when I go back to practising Beethoven or Bartok, for example. My PhD enabled me to spend a few years researching the music of a famous composer/pianist/violinist from Romania, George Enescu, whose piano music I recorded and analysed.

Tell me more about your own musical journey growing up.

I was lucky to have an incredibly patient and kind first teacher, who challenged me by preparing me for masterclasses, competitions, and concerts – mostly as a soloist. We used to have three hours of 1-1 piano lessons per week at school, followed by Aural training, Music History, and Music Theory.

Since I attended a ‘normal’ high school, I also used to dedicate quite a lot of extra time to the many other subjects which I loved – such as foreign languages, Romanian literature, Mathematics, Geography – thus, I had to develop quite early-on the skill of time management, as well as balancing my school life with my social life.

I never knew exactly where my musical journey would take me, but I was blessed with incredibly supportive people around me, who nourished my talent and love for music.

Can we please start off by telling me a little bit about yourself?

I was born in Romania and started playing the piano at the age of four. My parents, who are both teachers, quickly realised that I showed musical talent, so they took me to the best piano teacher in my hometown, who guided my musical steps for the next 14 years.

Is there a musician you particularly admire?

There are so many pianists, particularly from the early, mid-20th century, whose unique musical personalities inspired me tremendously. Amongst them would be George Enescu, Dinu Lipatti, Martha Argerich, Daniel Barenboim, and Serghei Rachmaninov.

If someone wants to learn a musical instrument, what advice would you give?

After graduating from high school, I was accepted onto the Bachelor of Music degree at the Royal Academy of Music, where I spent another 12 years, completing, also my Master of Arts, Advanced Diploma, and PhD in piano performance/research.

Tell my about how you came to join the Music Department at Hampton?

I had already known about and admired this School, due to its incredibly academic results, for many years; thus, when I saw that a position for a Visiting Music Teacher opened up in 2021, I knew it was meant-to-be, so I quickly applied, and went through the audition and interview process. I remember feeling quite nervous when I first started, but everyone made me feel welcome and integrated almost immediately.

As with any human relationship, the connection you have with your music teacher is very important. Find a teacher who inspires you, challenges you by setting high standards, but also someone who finds joy in the mistakes, and who understands your personality and the music which might suit you better. We are very lucky to have such incredible teachers at Hampton; there is such a wide variety of instruments available, which is very exciting for any pupil wanting to start learning a musical instrument.

Are there any top tips for those wanting to pursue a professional musical career?

What are your responsibilities within the Department?

The secret ingredient is to never give up, despite the many difficulties that may come your way. If your instinct is telling you that music is in your future, persevere, keep practising, ask your teachers for performance opportunities, learn and read as much as you can.

I teach 1-1 weekly piano lessons, during which I spend time developing the innate musicality of my pupils and, of course, challenging them with various types of pieces, in order to help them grow. I find that each pupil at Hampton has their own, unique talent, and everyone that I teach seems to

Practice does make perfect, and, although I am not a huge fan of ‘perfection’, there is only one way to get to Carnegie Hall – hint: by practising! Practising will allow you to feel free on stage and to actually enjoy the moment, and, most importantly, make a lasting impact on the audience. the lion

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Summer Concert 05/07/2023 The Summer Concert was a wonderful culmination of an academic year full of music. The evening felt particularly special knowing that it would be the Upper Sixth pupils' last. For that reason, it was fitting that two Upper Sixth pupils, Johnny Evans-Hutchison and Pranav Santhosh, both played concertos with the Symphony Orchestra.

Being a Symphony Orchestra member myself, it is fantastic to play with a soloist as you must follow their lead whilst supporting them by playing as well as you can.

Pranav played the first movement of Greig’s Piano Concerto in A Minor, made particularly famous by featuring in a sketch by Morecambe and Wise.

However, he certainly played all the right notes in the right order, and his performance was seamless!

Johnny followed fantastically with Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor. The piece’s wonderful runs and carefully linked sections make it a joy to listen to as well as play.

The concert started with a triumphant performance by the Brass Band, playing Slaidburn and Black, Dark and Golden Light.

Later in the evening, Voices of Lions performed Send in the Clowns by Sondheim and Son De Camaguey, a Cuban folk song. This was my personal favourite to perform in due to the contrast between both pieces.

Send in the Clowns is a beautiful, serene piece, whilst Son de Camaguey is upbeat with an array of percussion. During the latter, Mr Roland stepped away, and we performed without a conductor. It was an incredible performance – the huge applause from the audience was testament to that.

Overall, the Summer Concert was a wonderful farewell to the Upper Sixth, and I look forward to another year of music before saying goodbye to another year of brilliant musicians.

Samuel Hughes

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Italy Tour

A delay took us to Lucca to give out leaflets before our magnificent final concert.

We had an amazing time in Tuscany, Italy!

When we arrived back at the hotel, we were treated to a bit of entertainment

by Sixth Formers Felix Vondergeest and Seb Pedder, distributing awards to many of the other boys on the trip and giving thanks to many of the teachers who made it possible.

On the first day, after an early flight, we travelled up the Montecatini Funicular to see the wonderful village of Montecatini Alto, with stunning views of Montecatini.

On Friday morning, after a bit of souvenir shopping, we made our way to the airport after a long but amazing week of sightseeing and singing – many friendships had also been made across Year groups as well.

An early sleep followed with excitement about the next day. On Tuesday morning, a bright start took us to an exhilarating water park where we enjoyed the slides in the heat for a few hours.

Everybody on the trip enjoyed it and benefited from a time with friends in a new location. Thank you to Mrs Esser for organising the trip, and to Mr Roland, Mr Zuckert, Miss Alishaw, Mrs White, Miss Mattinson, Mrs Jones, Mr Hill, and Mr Ferrier for helping with the tour.

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After an enjoyable time, we travelled to Pisa where we admired the scene and took lots of funny and memorable pictures. We finished the day with a concert in a beautiful church in Montecatini.

Wednesday was also an early wake up call with the Hampton School Choir travelling to Florence to explore and enjoy the beautiful city. We were lucky enough to visit a church and a very interesting museum before we had some free time to eat lunch and discover new areas of the city centre, including the old bridge known as the Pontevecchio.

Another brilliant concert ended the day – although we were pretty tired and the weather was rather hot!

On Thursday, we took the coach to Siena, where we had lots of time to get lunch, look at the cathedral, and take in the area.

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Arjan Walia 82 singers from First Year to the Upper Sixth, and ten fabulous teachers, went on a five-day choir tour to Italy. It was an incredibly exciting and informative tour around five beautiful cities in Tuscany: Montecatini, Florence, Pisa, Sienna, and Lucca.

We flew to Bologna then travelled to our hotel in Montecatini Terme, before taking a very warm trip on the funicular railway to enjoy the views and buy some souvenirs.

On Tuesday, we beat the heat by going to Aqua Village, a super-cool waterpark, and then we fitted in a trip to the leaning tower of Pisa to take some funny photos before our first concert that evening.

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arts On Wednesday and Thursday, we also got to see the historical cities of Florence, Siena, and Lucca. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip; my favourite part of the tour was going to Florence because we saw some amazing, historical architecture and we had two and a half hours to explore and get some delicious pizza and lots of ice creams!

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, we performed evening concerts in three stunning churches in Montecatini, Florence and Lucca. All of the choral groups from Hampton took part, including School Choir, Chamber Choir, Voices of Lions, Roar and Consort of Voices.

The churches ranged from the Chiesa di San Salvatore di Ognissanti in Florence – originally constructed in the 1250s and the burial place of the famous Italian painter Botticelli – to the San Paolino church – the only fully renaissance church in Lucca – to the modern Basilica di Santa Maria in Montecatini, built in the 1950s. It was an honour to sing in such beautiful, sacred places with such amazing acoustics. The styles of the churches reflected the variety of the pieces we sang, from renaissance pieces by William Byrd, to 16th century madrigals by Thomas Morley, through to the Jazz Missa Brevis, written by the contemporary composer Will Todd.

Overall, the tour was a hugely enjoyable experience which everybody loved. We all feel very fortunate to have taken part and we would like to say a big thankyou to our teachers for taking us!

James Nunn In the first week of the summer holidays of 2023, choir members enjoyed an excellent tour to the region of Tuscany in Italy. We performed three times – once in each of Montecatini-Terme, Florence and Lucca.

School Choir had an excellent repertoire, including I Want Jesus to Walk With Me and the Jazz Missa Brevis, composed by Will Todd. The Tenors and Basses gave brilliant renditions of My Lord What a Morning and Steal Away, which featured a super solo from Milo Band.

Shenandoah and Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho were beautifully sung by Roar! and Consort of Voices gave delightful performances of God be in my Head and Civitas Sancti Tui. Lastly, Chamber Choir performed a range of pieces, from the upbeat piece Sing Joyfully, to the more thoughtful Didn’t it Rain, and the powerful O Radiant Dawn.

Overall, the pupils had an excellent time in Tuscany, and we would like to thank the Music Department for organising this amazing musical opportunity!

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Quartet for the End of Time 03/07/2023

The piece began with a harsh and complex introduction to Messiaen’s style of writing, entitled Crystal Liturgy, and incorporated many rhythmic and modal elements based on his synesthesia, which associates harmony with colour in one’s mind.

The second movement, which depicts angels in heaven announcing the end of time and uses ‘soft cascades of blue-orange chords’, was followed by a languishing clarinet solo as the third movement, entitled Abyss of the Birds.

After an upbeat and surprisingly conventional scherzo as an interlude, the fifth movement returned to a meditative cello solo, accompanied by triads in the piano, dedicated to ‘the eternity of Jesus’, which was followed by an erratic sixth movement, entitled Dance of Fury – requiring significant virtuosity from the performers to execute convincingly!

Old Hamptonians Thomas Knollys, clarinet, and Joel Banerjee, piano, returned to the Hammond Theatre to give a performance of Messiaen’s Quatour pour la fin du temps with their piano quartet.

The audience, which was made up of current and returning students alike, friends and family, and members of the Common Room, was treated to eight movements of the profound quartet, titled For the End of Time, which was inspired by a passage from the Bible, and was composed while held captive in a Nazi concentration camp.

The seventh movement, Cluster of Rainbows, was an obscure polymodal and contrapuntal theme and variations, and the final movement recalled the fifth movement with a violin solo – accompanied again by triads in the piano, and also dedicated to ‘the Immortality of Jesus’, which rounded off the 50 minutes of music.

Afterwards, Sixth Form musicians were invited to share lunch with the performers, and receive advice regarding life as music students, based on the performers’ experiences studying at university and conservatoire.

Tomas Escobar

Memories of Hampton School Music I will take away so many musical memories from my time at Hampton. The trip to Italy in 2023 was an experience like no other, performing in three stunning churches, in addition to singing with Voices of Lions at Edinburgh Fringe.

Throughout my years at Hampton, composition has also served as a key component of my musical development, spearheaded by expert guidance and the chance to explore different routes of music technology.

A particular highlight was having my A-level compositions performed by some of our talented instrumentalists in a concert this year.

My music career at Hampton School was full of surprises and memorable moments, but none quite tops the Voices of Lions trip to the worldrenowned Edinburgh Fringe, in 2022. Giving out fliers in the lively busy atmosphere of the Royal Mile, pulling all the possible ticket-selling tricks in the book, and performing in nearly sold-out shows meant that there was never a static moment!

On top of that we got to watch shows from other great performers in the Fringe, one of my favourites being the famous Showstopper: the Improvised Musical.

I would like to thank Mr Roland and the whole Music Department for providing so many special opportunities, and I look forward to contributing more in the future.

Although, by the end, I had completely lost my voice, this trip was definitely one of – if not the best – I have experienced at Hampton, and I cannot wait to return next year as an alumnus for one final trip to the Fringe.

Cameron Marshall

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September started with the GCSE Art Exhibition and Private View, and the Fifth Years visited the William Kentridge Exhibition at the RA.

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In October, the Lower Sixth visited Bankside and the Tate Modern Cézanne show.

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Bankside by Ben Zieleznik, Lower Sixth

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In November, the Third Years visited the New Art Centre at Roche Court in Wiltshire.

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GIanluca Cohen Roche Court sketchbook page

Robert Bercea Roche Court sketchbook page 124

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In December, Lower School pupils were busy creating lino-prints inspired by ‘The Natural World’.

George Scholes, First Year print

January saw the Lower School Art Exhibition being installed. It was a particularly colourful affair!

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In February, parents and pupils were invited to the Lower School Art Exhibition.

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In March, the Sixth Form A Level Art pupils visited the Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House to view the ‘Peter Doig’ exhibition.

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In April, GCSE Art pupils were hard at work for their GCSE Art timed test to complete the course.

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May: Mr Adrian Bannister had work accepted for the RA Summer Exhibition 2023.

May also saw the A level timed test and Private View, timed to coincide with the Upper Sixth Leavers’ Evening.

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June: The Fourth Year visited the Tate Modern to see the Hilma af Klint Piet Mondrian ‘Forms of Life’ exhibition and 'Capturing the Moment'.

This exhibition explored the influence that photography has had on painting and includes work by Hockney, Jeff Wall, Picasso, Warhol, and others.

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Oliver Yang - First Year

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Alex Finn - First Year

Alex Rainey - First Year

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Hari Lever - First Year

Louis Chun - First Year

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Josh Kim - First Year

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Eric Paqvalen - Second Year

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Charlie East - Second Year

William Denmark - Second Year

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Leonardo Falcone - Second Year

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Ralph Crowther - Third Year

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Omer Olcer - Third Year

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Adil Sirajudeen - Fifth Year

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Anonymous - Fifth Year

Rohan Chen - Fifth Year

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Oliver Lacy - Fifth Year

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Rudi Parrish - Fifth Year

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Rudy Mills - Fifth Year

Tom Harvey - Fifth Year

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William Nicholls - Fifth Year

Calum Warmer - Upper Sixth

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Calum Warmer - Upper Sixth

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Arjan Sian - Upper Sixth

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Daniel Clarke - Upper Sixth

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Isaac Quigley - Upper Sixth

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trips

In February half term, a group of Fourth and Fifth Years headed out to Iceland for a geography trip. We arrived late at night into a windy and wet Keflavik airport and made the trip to our hotel for a few hours of sleep before the first sightseeing day.

We started the first day in Iceland with our driver Pali and guide Dorothy picking us up and taking us to a stunning viewpoint over the frozen lake Kleifarvatn. There was a very strong wind on our first day at some points, especially at our coastal viewpoint where it was too windy walk to the lighthouse on the headland – also almost too windy to get the all-important class photo!

Later in the afternoon, we took a hike through a lava tube – which was an awe-inspiring experience! These lava tubes were formed when lava solidified on the surface but continued to flow underneath causing a hollow tube to form. On our way out, we were met with snowy and windy conditions which provided some comedy as a few of us – including me – even though we had crampons, had small slip into the fresh snow.

The next day was the activity everyone was looking forward to: the glacier hike. The glacier tongue we walked on was called Sólheimajökull Glacier – The Home of the Sun Glacier – and is the southernmost glacier of Iceland and an outlet glacier from the main ice cap Mýrdalsjökull.

Despite strong winds, we made it to the top of our climb and enjoyed the spectacular views – and the odd snowball – over the U-shaped valley and the electric blue icebergs floating in the frozen lake. The world-famous Skogafoss waterfall was up next on our itinerary. And despite briefly turning into an icicle, there was a huge 60m drop of water greeting us.

After a couple of photos, we returned to the bus to visit an equally stunning waterfall where we posed for a group photo.

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Swimming was a popular activity in the evening where we arrived at the local pool in 3-degree weather, so the hot tubs proved very popular amongst the boys.

After a hotel change – and a geography quiz! – we embarked on the most popular attraction in Iceland: The Golden Circle. We starting out with the largest and most breath-taking waterfall of all three we went to: the two-tiered Golden Falls. Viewed best from afar, the 130ft falls flowed into a tight gorge which was a perfect example of the geographical principle of waterfall retreat.

The world-famous Geysir came next; despite the main geyser not erupting since 2016, the partner, Strokkur geyser did erupt, and we had the perfect view of the chute of boiling water. However, like all the other geothermal spots we explored the stagnant smell of sulphur was dominant! Þingvellir National Park was next, where the tectonic plates were pulling the country apart. Our final swimming opportunity was a quick five-minute walk from our hotel and was an enjoyable swim in the dark and sub-zero temperature after dinner. We even had a lovely 10pm fire alarm at the hotel, where many enjoyed the negative degrees in their PJs! Our final day involved a 4D interactive ‘Ride over Iceland’, which showed the beauty of all the country especially the part we could not see in the winter. The lava show was a highlight for many as real lava was poured out right in front of us as we learned how it responds to ice and water.

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank all the staff who gave up their holiday to look after us on this once in a lifetime trip and a special thanks Mr Hill for the organisation and running of the trip – we all had a brilliant time.

Ben Robinson

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The Russian Department’s trip to Tallinn was the first trip I had been on for three years due to Covid – and it was amazing!

After a three or four hour flight, our trip began with a series of tours around Tallinn's Old Town. We learnt all about the city's rich history, which dates back to the 13th century – to the Teutonic order!

We visited Kadriorg Palace, an 18th century palace built by Tsar Peter the Great of the Russian Empire, which still stands today, housing many beautiful paintings and statues as the Kadriorg Art Museum.

The highlight of our first day for me was the end, where we spent the evening in a local Russian restaurant, mastering the art of preparing traditional Russian dumplings, also known as ‘pelmeni’ – which surprisingly turned out to be a success – and sampling traditional ‘borscht’ – a warm and delicious beetroot soup eaten with cream, made by many Slavic and Baltic cultures.

The following day, we headed to a Russian-language school in the heart of Tallinn, giving us a window into the real education system and the chance to speak Russian in a real-life scenario. Each of us was paired with a partner, and we spent some time talking with them in their lessons.

In the afternoon, we went on a tour of Soviet monuments, learning about the history of Soviet occupation in Estonia, the lion

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visiting graveyards, memorials, and even a KGB prison cell.

We returned to the school for a cultural evening, where we spent time with our partners, played games, and took part in a cultural quiz about England, Estonia, and Russia. We finished off the night with some traditional food and a tea-tasting experience.

The next day, we took a bus to Riga, the capital of Latvia, and visited the Museum of Latvian Occupation, where we explored Latvia's history during the occupation. We finished off our day with a relaxing visit to an Illusion Museum – a fun way to wind down and have fun as a group!

Our final day was spent exploring the Old Town in Riga, with our tour guide even telling us where the best lunch places were! After exploring the town in small groups, we gathered for lunch, to buy some bobbly hats and fridge magnets for our family, and to prepare for our flight back home to London.

Thank you to the whole Russian Department, Mrs White for organising everything, and Mrs Havord and Mrs Searle, who volunteered their time to come along on the trip!

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trips A fitting way to end seven years of Hampton for eleven Upper Sixth leavers – a party of 24 Hampton and LEH pupils travelled to Borneo for a threeweek trip with more highlights than can be mentioned!

relaxing on some gorgeous beaches; from camping to karaoke in the jungle; and seeing amazing sights in the cities.

It was truly the trip of a lifetime – unforgettable!

But, in an effort to name but a few – which you can also see in the amazing photographs accompanying this article – here are some of the wonderful activities we did: building a car park out of concrete without any power tools; climbing Mount Kinabalu in the worst rain most of us have ever experienced; seeing countless animals in sanctuaries and on the rivers;

Thank you to all of the staff who made this trip possible, and thank you also to all of the students for fully embracing every element of the experience.

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Widely regarded as one of the best trips run by Hampton, more than 30 years running, the Fourth Year Spanish trip to Ronda lived up to its billing again this year.

We were also exposed to the very pleasurable and vibrant Spanish culture, highlighted by a day trip to Sevilla. In Sevilla, we visited many interesting historical structures, such as the Sevilla Football Stadium and the Sevilla Cathedral.

On the morning of the 25th March, six staff and forty pupils departed Heathrow, and arrived in Ronda in the afternoon, after the roller coaster ride of a bus journey up to the town. We stayed at a small, family run hotel, in the modern part of Ronda, from which we could walk everywhere we needed to go.

Lunchtimes gave us a chance to explore local specialities, such as paella and Spanish tortillas, in small groups, while dinners were spent together as a group at various restaurants.

Hampton boys have been staying at the same hotel since the trip began, and relations between hotel staff and Hampton are very good – which, fortunately, this year’s cohort did nothing to jeopardize!

The clear highlight of the experience for most of us was the daily football session on a local pitch, where we also played two matches against local boys from the schools we attended. It was a fun way to relax after a morning of lessons, despite the sweltering conditions – temperatures topped out at 31 degrees!

Each day we attended classes at local schools with students our age, and also visited a local language school with adults of all ages.

Spending time with the Spanish youth allowed us to better our everyday conversational skills – and learn some Spanish slang! – and we also got the opportunity to wander around the town with our new friends during our free time. Language school classes were a more formal opportunity to improve our abilities as linguists.

Overall, the whole trip was an incredible experience of language and culture, and a special mention must be made to Mr McBay on his final trip to Ronda, and last year at Hampton. He has been going to Ronda for twenty years, for which he was awarded a CD Ronda football shirt, appropriately emblazoned ‘El Jefe’ – ‘The Boss’.

We would also like to thank Mr Malston, Mrs Jacobson, Mr Boardman, Mr Saunders, and Ms Singleton for making the trip possible.

The town itself was beautiful, with an impressive bridge separating the old town and the new town, with amazing views from various viewpoints.

Alex Ashton

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¡Hola todos!

Over the October half-term break, the Fifth Year and Lower Sixth were lucky enough to go on a school trip to Madrid to practice our Spanish and to take in the local culture. The trip lasted six days, with every day having something new in store.

We arrived on the Friday, which we used to orientate ourselves around the centre of town, with a short tour of key locations such as El Palacio Real de Madrid, and to get settled in with our hosts for the week. While not much happened on the first day, I did get to eat a delicious homemade Spanish tortilla from my host Rosario – so there was a silver lining!

On the next day, we ventured out of Madrid to Segovia, which is renowned for its towering aqueduct – and which you have no doubt seen before on at least one travel listicle or postcard.

Segovia is also home to Alcázar de Segovia, a medieval castle with history dating back to the Romans and the influence of Moorish culture. It was filled with interesting Spanish medieval history – and we even got to climb to the top to look out over Segovia and its surroundings!

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trips only browsed there for a short while, as we then visited El Prado, the art gallery most notable for holding Velazquez and Goya’s works; my personal favourites being Goya’s Black Paintings, a mustsee if in Madrid – even my art-gallery-sceptic friends enjoyed them.

Later, a well-deserved break for those who somehow prefer football over art galleries, we were able to go off in our own groups to watch El Clásico. My group was able to find a prime location for watching the match, at Carl’s Jr., and watched the game to completion, a 3-1 win to Real Madrid.

Monday was the beginning of our formal Spanish classes, but, thankfully, they were fun and painless – so they did not impede the good vibes on the trip at all! After the language classes, we set off to the cable cars that took us to a part of an expansive park in Madrid named Casa de Campo. At the top, a highly competitive football match took place, which sports correspondent Daniel Evans has recapped: ‘El Clásico entre los Year 12s y los Year 11s fue muy intenso. Se jugó en un estacionamiento gigante en un parque de Madrid, pero por suerte no se rompió ningún coche. Los de Year 11 estaban dominando y ganando 6-4 (gracias a dos autogoles de Shaz), pero gracias a la llegada de Raúl – un maestro del mediocampo – para los de Year 12 el partido cambió. El partido terminó 9-6 a favor de los Year 12s, que les permitió ganar la Batalla de Madrid.’

‘El Clásico between the Year 12s and the Year 11s was very intense. It was played in a giant parking lot in a park in Madrid, but fortunately, no cars were broken. Those in Year 11 were dominating and winning with 6-4 (thanks to two owngoals from Shaz), but thanks to the arrival of Raúl – a master midfielder – the game changed for the Year 12s. The game finished 9-6 to the Year 12s, which allowed them to win The Battle of Madrid.’

Continuing the football theme, on Tuesday, the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium was on the itinerary. Unfortunately, I am the last person to ask about football, but there were plenty of trophies and cups which Real Madrid have obtained in their tenure in the trophy room, and an 81,044-seat capacity stadium, which was impressive itself. There was also, of course, the obligatory merchandise shop at the end, with Real Madrid rubbers, pens, jerseys, any Real Madrid branded items one could want, really.

On the final full day, Wednesday, another art gallery was checked off the list, this time, El Museo Reina Sofía, which had a more modern art theme to it than El Prado. There were many famous paintings and artists, most notably, Guernica, the famed painting

by Picasso, was on full display, and it was as awe-inspiring as it is in the photos.

After Reina Sofia, we set off to La Plaza de España, where we tried the coveted calamari sandwich, a delicacy local to Madrid.

Thursday marked the end of this amazing trip, with us saying goodbye to our hosts and teachers at the language school for one final time. Going to Madrid was an amazing experience, and we cannot thank Miss Embiricos, Miss Noble, Mr Moore, and, of course, Mr Malston enough for not only arranging, but also being on the trip with us all. Thank you!

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On 16th October, 43 Hamptonians and six staff boarded the flight from Gatwick, arriving in approximately four and a half hours at Tenerife. Having woken up at around three in the morning, we were all pretty exhausted and slept for most of the flight. We arrived at around 11:30am and began a coach journey to Las Margaritas banana plantation in the south of the island.

Wednesday included the much-anticipated visit to Siam Waterpark – arguably the most exciting day of the trip! Rated the best waterpark in the world, our adrenaline-filled excursion included 30-metre vertical drops, towering and looping flumes, and exhilarating rapids, as well as a lazy river – a handy and effortless method of transporting ourselves around the park.

When we arrived, we were welcomed by a tour guide who worked at the plantation and immediately got to sample the local bananas – or ‘plátanos’ – harvested from the plantation; they were incredibly sweet and free of all kinds of pesticides. We were informed about how the banana plants were, in fact, a type of grass – which amazed us all – and how banana ‘grasses’ were all female, ranging from grandmothers, to mothers, to daughters.

In the evening after dinner, we walked to the local square to buy all sorts of souvenirs, ice cream and snacks.

Finally, to end this fascinating visit, we were treated to a selection of snacks, including banana jam and a Canarian staple of gofio – comprised of wheat, maize, flour and other types of grain, served with a chilli jam – which was surprisingly delicious.

The next day we learnt about the Volcanoes and Mount Teide, the third largest volcano in the world. We learnt all about the earth’s plates and how volcanoes work. We visited extinct volcanoes and discovered how they were formed. On the way to each of these sites, we learnt a lot of interesting things about the Island; for example, we found out where the plant life gets water from. Unfortunately, we were not able to go up to the summit of the volcano on the cable car due to the it being too windy – as evidenced by the ‘hat’ cloud over Mount Teide.

On the last day, we visited the Bioclimatic Village Tenerife; we were greeted by a moving robot who, aided by voice commands from our guide, led us around the building. We looked at how the area was utilising as much renewable energy as possible and how, due to the arid climate of Tenerife, rainwater was collected in ‘galleries’ in mountains. We even got to look inside the top of an old wind turbine!

After that, we headed off to the Pyramids of Güímar. We were told that if you stood by one of the Pyramids on the 21st June, during sunset, you would actually see a double sunset due to the way the Pyramids were aligned.

Overall, we all really enjoyed the trip, and we are so grateful to all the staff who took their own time to accompany us on this wonderful experience, giving us the fantastic opportunity of exploring Tenerife and its unique culture.

Freddie Tranter, Avraj Mangat & Lucas Stynes-Tres

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Konstanz Exchange As the academic year 2022-23 drew to a close at Hampton, the outward leg of the latest Konstanz Exchange commenced, reigniting this longstanding partnership with Ellenrieder Gymnasium in Richmond Borough’s twin town in the South of Germany.

25 boys in the Fourth Year and 16 girls from LEH had hosted exchange partners in October 2022; on the afternoon of 7th July, following a flight into Zürich Airport and a coach transfer to Konstanz, there were happy reunions outside the exchange school before all were swiftly taken away to enjoy the hospitality of their host families for the weekend.

A plethora of outdoors activities was reported to Herr Studt and Herr Gray – some boys were taken up mountains, others went on sailing trips on the Bodensee, a big group went kayaking, and a few even visited the famous Rheinfall landmark.

The official programme began with a highly successful and enjoyable visit to the local open air swimming pool Bodensee Therme on Monday. The pool’s lifeguards – a profession not usually known for being blessed with patience and understanding of teenagers – were so impressed by our rowers Leo and Henry hammering out length after length in the serious swimmer's pool that they turned a blind eye to the LEH and Hampton pupils getting to know each other by going down the amazing water slides en masse.

On Tuesday, the exchange party went on an excursion to Stuttgart to visit the famous Mercedes-Benz Museum: a vast, innovative exhibition that presented their most iconic vehicles – more than 160 ranging from some of the oldest automobiles ever built to legendary racing cars and futuristic

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research vehicles – in the context of technology, day-to-day life, social history and popular culture.

The Hampton pupils then had a few hours free time to explore Stuttgart around lunchtime.

There was a huge storm on Tuesday night, the effects of which unfortunately made Wednesday’s planned activity of visiting the island of Mainau to do a treetop adventure course impossible due to safety concerns.

Instead, the Hampton party went to Sea Life with their German exchange partners and walked around Konstanz old town and its shops.

On Thursday, we visited the Lake Dwelling Museum in Unteruhldingen and looked at the excellent reconstructions of stilt houses from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, then took a boat to Meersburg to see its medieval castles and buildings.

There was official business on Friday, as we were honoured with a reception and guided tour of the historic town hall in the centre of Konstanz before saying our goodbyes at school and heading to the airport – marking the end of another successful Konstanz Exchange.

The boys represented Hampton superbly and were brilliant company for the week.

Danke an alle Austauschteilnehmer!

PST & SG

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Work Experience Trip to Lille After four years of waiting, we were finally able to resume the Sixth Form Work Experience Trip to Lille.

Using a different company from previous years, the students were all allocated a work placement in the centre of Lille.

A total of 17 students took part in the trip – 9 Lower Sixth and 8 Upper Sixth. The placements varied from restaurants, hotels, and a toy shop, to a coffee shop, and radio station.

Students stayed with host families, and both work placements and families were impressed by the standard of their French – and by their behaviour.

It was a successful trip, and I can only encourage anyone doing French for A Level or DELF to make the most of this experience.

SCY The Students’ Views A great trip from start to finish, and an excellent way to develop our linguistic skills. Through talking with our host family and getting to work at our placements, we were able to gain more confidence in our speaking abilities, as well as learn a variety of new phrases and vocabulary.

The trip also immersed us within French culture, inclusive of local cuisine and customs. In all, the trip was undoubtedly an eye-opening experience and an incredibly useful way to improve our spoken French.

Ollie Lycett During the October half term, the French A-Level students took a trip to Lille, where several of us took up different types of work experience in a range of work placements around Lille.

We all stayed with very kind host families, who provided very comfortable accommodation over the week. We had the opportunity to try the type of food a typical French household would eat on a daily basis – which was all delicious!

From there, in the mornings, we would make our way from the host family to our work placements, via public transport.

My personal experience of the work placement was a very enjoyable one. I worked at a nursery on the outskirts of the centre of Lille, accompanied by two other French A-level students, where we looked after children of a range of ages. This involved activities such as reading to them, thinking of creative ways to keep them entertained and feeding them which was quite the struggle. The employees at the nursery were all incredibly friendly, and – although we were not practicing our French in the more practical way at our the lion

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trips work placement – in my opinion, the exposure to the French language has been hugely beneficial in improving my fluency and confidence in the language.

After our work placements had ended, we were given the liberty to explore Lille city centre, where I was exposed myself to the culture and tried new foods in Lille – which was a beautiful city with plenty to see. I also had the opportunity to visit others still on shift at their work placement to see the variation in the type of jobs on offer on the trip.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable trip, and I would encourage any French student looking to improve their fluency in the language and experience a different culture to go on this trip.

Thank you to Madam Yoxon and Mr Boardman as well, for working hard to organise it, and for making it such a memorable trip.

Krishan Singha I spent five days working in a climbing gym for my work experience. Most of my time was spent making espressos and serving pints behind the bar – it was interesting to discover the Lille custom of drinking beer at breakfast!

The experience was invaluable for developing my linguistic competence and cultural understanding of the region, so I must give thanks to Mr Boardman and Mrs Yoxon who organised the trip. Merci!

George Garofalo

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Fourth Year Paris Exchange We started our trip by arriving at the LEH car park and departed to St Pancras, with the weather looking miserable.

However, our moods brightened as we crossed The Channel and arrived in France with the sun shining on the French fields. We arrived just after noon at Paris Gare Du Nord, and slowly made our way to Notre Dame de Sion school.

After enjoying our weekends by visiting various landmarks, enjoying the fabulous sunshine, and getting a sense of the Parisian lifestyle, we gathered in the reception area of Notre Dame de Sion school, ready for our first excursion, Les Bateaux Mouches.

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trips After this wonderfully scenic boat tour on the River Seine, we quickly hurried to the Jardin des Tuileries to enjoy lunch and to have some free time, exploring the nearby monuments such as the Musée du Louvre.

The following day we visited the Arc de Triomphe and Avenue Champs-Elysées, in the afternoon we visited the Musée d’Orsay which was a first for many. A personal favourite was the pieces that Gustav Klint had produced.

Before visiting EuroDisney on the Thursday, we first attended a tour at UNESCO, which was an eye-opening experience on how the world works on a global level. It was very interesting to hear about the stories behind some of the pieces of artwork in the UNESCO gardens and the tour was fabulous. We got to see the painting by Pablo Picasso which he did not put his signature on.

On our penultimate day in Paris, we were lucky enough to go to EuroDisney for the day. We were given lots of free time to go and explore the two parks – Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios – in the sunshine. Eventually, of course, we had to leave!

Everyone went home with their exchange partners, packed their bags and had their last dinner together. The following morning, we said our goodbyes and made our way back to NDS to make our way to Paris Gare du Nord to head back to London on the Eurostar. Our week in Paris sadly came to an end.

Overall, it was an excellent trip, and everyone enjoyed their time living a Parisian lifestyle for a week.

Gabriele Chiarotti & Hugo Vicente-Louis

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South Downs On Monday 11th October, a Geography trip set out to South Downs, one of the many national parks in the UK. Incredibly, it stretches 260 miles across the south coast.

The Geography trip started out like any normal trip. We registered, check whether we had the right kit, got a packed lunch and then got onto the coaches.

The coach journey was a long one – one and a half hours! After the coach ride, I got out of the coach and was surprised by how pleasant the air was!

We then went straight into a walk, which began with a steep uphill bit which was made slightly enjoyable by the fact that two horses were following us – they were very cute!

After we got up the hill, you could see the countryside for miles. It was a beautiful view, and we saw many other hills and massive buildings that looked tiny from 200 meters up in the air.

It was cold and windy but at times it felt pleasant when the rays of sun filtered through the clouds and warmed us up – for a short period of time at least! We walked alongside the hill side and after a while we went onto the South Downs way – which is a 100-mile walking path! After five minutes of walking alongside the path, there was a youth hostel which had a sign showing what percentage of the South Downs way we were walking on.

We continued to a barn, where we stopped to do some map skills; we were learning about grid references, so we did some of those.

After that, we walked for around 30 minutes before stopping for our packed lunches – which were surprisingly scrumptious! We then kept walking for a bit before talking about how this land used to be used for quarrying. We also learnt about how most of the South Downs is Natural Chalk and Greensand.

While our teacher was explaining a Geography topic, we saw some hang gliders – though, of course, we were listening still!

Our final stop was the Devil’s Dyke, which looked amazing. We learnt about a myth where the Devil was trying to flood the area by dawn by digging a channel to the sea but was tricked by a pastor with a lamp. It was a very interesting story that we all found enjoyable – though, not to spoil the story too much, it was actually formed by erosion.

After the Devil’s Dyke, we hopped onto the coaches and said goodbye to the South Downs. Something I like about Geography in Hampton is that we learn a lot but not all with pen and paper.

Gabriel Knowles-Szuniewicz & Vihaan Kukreja

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Slapton On 24th March, Lower Sixth Geographers, having gathered at Paddington for 9am, headed South West on a scenic train journey to Totnes, with the goal to investigate how the community was combating the growing consequences of high street decline.

We concluded that initiatives such as the ‘Fiver fest’, encouraged locals to spend locally. In addition to this, high footfall from tourists in the holiday seasons will keep the high street of Totnes thriving for time to come. Following our human data collection, we travelled to Slapton Field centre, where we settled in and discussed plans for the days ahead.

On Saturday, our first destination was Haytor, a remarkable granite landform nestled in the rolling hills of Dartmoor. The gusty weather did not stop us from making field sketches, as well as taking in the stunning scenery, and contemplating the possible formation of Haytor.

In the afternoon, we turned our attention to the river Lemon, exploring how it changed downstream, stopping off at four different locations along the river, collecting data on the velocity, width, depth, and wetted perimeter of the river, with the goal being to analyse if the river stayed in line with the Bradshaw model.

This fieldwork was great fun, and equipped with wellington boots and waterproofs, we could roam around the river, albeit with caution, to collect the data which we examined later in the classroom, evaluating our data collection methods and the validity of our conclusions.

The evening ended with a quiz, run by Mr Townshend, challenging us on our general knowledge and testing our ability to name countries solely from their shape!

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On Sunday morning, half the group ventured into the town of Slapton whilst the other half took the minibus to the beautiful town of Chillington to investigate whether rural decline was occurring. To establish our conclusions, we examined land use within these towns, for example the presence of post offices and their opening times, shops, location of nearest school and more.

After both groups were finished investigating the first town, we met at Slapton beach where we ate our pack lunch and engaged in an extremely competitive game of beach football. Following the excitement of the match, the two groups swapped which towns they were investigating, with the group that visited Chillington going to Slapton and vice versa.

After our stimulating day out, as promised by the Geography Department, on our final night we would be taking part in the Slapton Olympics. The Slapton Olympics is a competitive series of games where the classes battle it out for a prize of Oreos. Some of the games included throwing cheerios into a cup with the winner getting the most in within a minute, another included who a round of limbo. To make the event even more tense, both classes ended on a draw leading to a battle of who could hold a plank for the longest with the stopwatch surpassing four minutes until one of the valiant participants gave in.

Overall, it was an excellent trip – thank you to those to made it possible!

Matthew Barnett & Tom Edwards

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Adventure Society Trips From Betws-y-Coed to Borneo, and from Poole to Penrith, it has been a busy year for the Adventure Society!

With trips for all Year Groups, ranging from a mountain-biking weekend in the Surrey Hills for the First Years to Gold DofE expeditions for the Upper Sixth, Hampton’s adventurers were able to enjoy watersports, walking expeditions, cycling, climbing, mud runs, archery and so much more!

A wonderful time was had by all.

Thank you to all of the staff involved for making these phenomenal trips possible and to the boys for their great humour and energy every step of the way!

DF

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First XI Football The season started with a trip to St George’s Park, where fitness tests, training, and some fixtures all took place at the incredible facilities.

This was followed just a couple of days later by the Gordon’s pre-season festival; this helped to set the tone for the season, particularly our convincing 2-0 win against the hosts in the final. We have now won this competition for the second time in two years, which is an excellent achievement.

The first half term proved to be tricky; it included a tough loss away at Forest, where we would return later in the season, and a difficult round one ESFA tie away at Richard Challoner’s, the team who had knocked us out the previous year. The score was 2-2 after 90 minutes. In extra-time, we managed to pull through – thanks to a Joe Treacy header and an outstanding volley from Jamie Wilson off the back of a beautiful cross-field pass by Josh King, making it 4-3 at the final whistle.

In this competition, we followed up with convincing wins against Ditton Park Academy and local rivals KGS. This was followed in the second half term by a home tie in the ISFA competition against Lancing college.

A classy, chipped finish from Ben Robinson, as well as goals from Adam Coombs and Johnny EvansHutchison – who went on to be our top two scorers for the season – put us into the round of 16.

A couple more ESFA wins, as well as back-to-back wins and clean sheets in the Hudl league – where credit is due to goalkeeper Conrad Knight and his back four – against Ardingly, including a smooth transition and counter-attacking goal from Ben Walker, and against Bede’s put us in a strong position with just one game to go for the term.

Princethorpe away in the ISFA cup Having been made to play up perhaps one of the steepest pitches the boys had ever played on in the first half, we found ourselves 1-0 down at half time. A goal from Alex di Soccio, followed by a Zain Suterwalla brace, and some strong defensive work from Toby North, Harley Mackenzie, Paddy Harvey, and Josh Pye, turned the game around. We won 3-1, sending us into the quarter finals; it was a great way to round off the first term.

After the Christmas break, we found ourselves with a critical run of games, starting with Alleyn’s in round 6 of ESFA. This proved fairly straightforward thanks to the team’s hard work. A shout-out is due to Kyan Soni for chasing down their centre-back and then the goalkeeper in the 89th minute to earn himself a goal and top off a 3-0 win.

We then faced Shrewsbury in the quarter-final of ISFA: a big game, drawing perhaps our biggest crowd of the season up to this point. We went 1-0 down early on, but responded well; goals from Adam Coombs and then Jamie Wilson from the spot, after earning the penalty himself, put us 2-1 up before half time.

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First XI Football Stellar defensive efforts from Harley Mackenzie and Joe Murray in the second half, as well as Josh Pye putting in a great midfield performance, meant that 2-1 was still the score at full time – this was certainly one of the highlights of the season!

side, followed up by strong performances against both Cardinal Vaughn and a tough Rossall side.

It was finally ESFA final day A few days later, we made the trip to Warwick University to play Repton in the league – typically a very tough fixture with a bit of a rivalry. Despite going 1-0 up, we found ourselves 3-1 down with only around 8 minutes to go. But, coming from behind was becoming one of the themes of our season, and a tidy bit of dribbling from Johnny Evans-Hutchison, followed by a brilliant finish, gave us a bit of momentum. Matt Moffatt’s corner from the left was buried by Toby North to equalise and earn us a valuable point with less than three minutes to go: a classic set-piece link up.

We faced Royal Russel in the ISFA cup semi-final at home; but, on the day, we were simply out-played by a better side and, despite our best efforts, lost 3-1 to the eventual winners. Congratulations go out to them.

We had to find a way to bounce back quickly and get ready for the ESFA quarter-final, away at St Thomas More High School in Southend.

We found ourselves 1-0 down from a set-piece early, on a very narrow 3G pitch. Despite a large crowd of vociferous home supporters, we found a way to score a couple of goals and take back momentum and control. We eventually ran out 6-1 winners and booked our place in the semi-final.

We found out that we had an away draw to either Millfield or Forest – depending on the result of their game. A few days later we learned that it would be Forest, the side we had lost to early on in the season.

We found ourselves 2-0 up at half time, thanks to another Toby North header from a set-piece and a goal from Adam Coombs. Although in the second half it looked like we had thrown it away – as Forest managed to pull it back to 2-2 with a pair of scrappy goals – we did not panic. Adam Coombs grabbed himself yet another goal – which proved to be the winner – producing one of Mr Burke’s favourite photos in which Coombs displayed excellent technique.

We once again welcomed Shrewsbury to the 3G, this time in the league and once again came out 2-1 winners with goals from midfield duo, Matt Moffatt and Kyan Soni. This proved to be a useful result; not only did we take three points, it also meant that we were 2:2 against them so far in the season – perhaps an important factor as we soon found out they would be our opponents in the ESFA final!

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There were over 700 members of the Hampton School community – as well as a similar number of Shrewsbury supporters – in attendance. The atmosphere was outstanding at Stoke’s Bet 365 stadium and an experience that most people will never get!

Inside the first six minutes, we worked a beautiful passing move, starting with goalkeeper Conrad Knight and ending with Ben Robinson opening the scoring with a composed left-foot finish. This was then followed up by Josh King goal to make it 2-0 not long later.

Shrewsbury came out after half-time and managed to exert a period of pressure. This resulted in their centre-back smashing one into the top corner from an estimated 40 yards, bringing Shrewsbury right back into the game.

Some outstanding defending from both full-backs, Matt Sedgwick and Aaron Mills, forced their biggest threat to switch wings – at least a few times – to try and find some space. But, despite his best efforts, he could not manage it. He was eventually forced off by an outrageous Zain Suterwalla ‘drag back’ that it would be rude not to mention!

A late counter-attack – when Shrewsbury were starting to throw numbers forward – was finished off by Alex di Soccio, who proceeded to pull off an interesting celebration, put the final nail in the coffin for Shrewsbury, and the game ended 3-1.

The feeling of lifting the ESFA national cup trophy, in front of friends, family and 700 Hampton supporters, is not a memory any of the boys will be forgetting quickly. It was also an incredible way to crown what had been a remarkably successful year for Hampton School Football and a great way for this year’s Upper Sixth to sign off their Hampton careers.

Finally, a massive thank you is due to Mr Burke and Mr Ritchie, as well as Mr Whiffin; without them this season would not have been possible – both from an organisation point of view, but, more importantly, a footballing perspective; tactically, we were set up in a way that suited us, technically, and in terms of fitness, all the boys have improved a huge amount and it is reflected in the results.

Matthew Moffatt

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Second XI Football

Second XI Football

Rex Booth, who, despite getting injured in the second half of the season, was key for the squad’s morale.

The Second XI season, led by the passionate Mr Cumberbatch, was up and down, but ultimately positive.

The season concluded at the Beveree Stadium, with a crushing 4-0 victory against Reigate Grammar U18As; this was a great team performance, helped by a brace from the rapid and skilful Suryaksh Tewatia, adding to the impressive 10 goals he scored from wide. This was only bettered by player of the season Adam Humpish, who was a stalwart up front and scored a hugely impressive 14 goals.

The season started in the summer at St George’s Park for a pre-season camp, which provided an excellent opportunity for the squad to get together and gel. It was a mixed start, with three wins from the first five games; the team faced the challenges of cohesion and finding a suitable formation for our playing style .

After the half term, the trio of Jago Doherty, Josh Hood and Sam Wooldridge formed a brilliantly balanced and aggressive midfield; they provided excellent cover for the defence, and their energy epitomised Mr Cumberbatch’s values on the pitch – with the latter’s tough tackling only matched by Mario Romano, which did not go unnoticed by referees.

A run of three 4-1 victories in November really got the season going. Much of our success was down to the creativity of Camilo Clarke and Joe Moylan-Jones going forward, reflected in their great delivery and finishing abilities. The scoring run of centre-back Daniel Townsend also cannot go unmentioned – he very much seemed to develop a habit from scoring from corners in particular.

After a hard-fought draw against a top Harrow side, with an excellent performance from the versatile Aidan Painting, who put his body on the line to secure a result, we progressed through the cups winning three games with three clean sheets. Much credit is due to the stable, resilient centre-back partnership of Zac Cacheaux and Sam Brewster, who benefited from the confidence of the vocal and commanding Will Holden behind.

Unfortunately, a poor run of form led to a quarter-final exit – a narrow 2-0 loss – in the ESFA cup against a strong Southend High School. This was very much despite the best efforts of an energetic Max Irens, whose workrate and dribbling ability were inspirational to the rest of the team.

However, we bounced back, helped by the returning faces of Joseph Treacy and Stanley Cumming, who gave us a real boost going forward; they enjoyed 12 goals split evenly between them in only a short period of time.

Strong wins in the quarter and semi-final booked us a place at in the final of the London IS Cup; this victory was underpinned by strong performances from both full-backs, Archie Kimble and Zachary Omaar, who were everpresent members of the defence, providing defensive security as well as attacking threat. They were also well covered and supported by the lively 180

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The silverware was a fitting ending to an impressive season in which 19 out of 29 games were won and 100 goals scored – despite playing against many U18A sides.

A huge thank you goes to Mr Cumberbatch, whose hard work and enthusiasm contributed hugely to making it a great last year of football at Hampton.

Archie Kimble & Will Holden

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Third XI Football

season. Between the posts, Matthew Barkus performed superbly in goal, helping us win some challenging games and pick up many satisfying victories in the season.

The team built momentum throughout the season, and we confidently approached our last game against Box Hill School. Sam Gale scored two impressive goals, which were both left-footed shots from outside the box; this gave the ‘Lions’ a rewarding 2-0 away win to conclude the fixture list for the season.

Finally, the team would like to say a big thank you to Mr Hussain for his motivation and coaching skills, and also to the rest of the Hampton coaching staff who made this possible.

Ed Joyce

Third XI Football

Fourth XI Football

U16A Football

U16A Football Fourth XI Football The 2022-23 season was eventful for the Fourth XI, with six games won, six draws and four losses.

The enjoyable campaign started with a confident draw against Radnor House First XI, which boosted our morale for the season ahead.

Enhancing our confidence further, we went on to beat Salesian College 3-2 twice.

Our positive performances continued through the pre-Christmas run, with the team going unbeaten – apart from one away match against Bradfield College. With the game level, Leo Hartley struck a great freekick that only narrowly rebounded off the post. Bradfield swiftly went on the counterattack and scored a last-minute winner. Whilst it was a disappointing ending the match, it was a brilliant effort from the boys – even more so given the long and disrupted journey to get there.

The 2022-23 season saw the U16s introduced to Senior football for the first time; despite stepping into another year of mental and physical pressure, they produced some excellent and highly entertaining football along the way. An exhilarating show of character and teamwork saw the boys’ triumph through the year, as well as winning their first trophy in yellow and black.

Standout performances across the season from goalkeeper Sam Ellis, as well as a back line of Joe Murray, Ömer Demiral, Joe Downham, and Will Fox, saw Hampton keep thirteen clean sheets across the course of the season. This defensive quality was mirrored in attack as we tallied up 87 goals, winning twenty matches and only losing six.

We kicked the season off with a preseason tour away at St George’s Park, where the team worked on their fitness as well as building a strong team character ahead of the season. A couple days of hard work and the team were ready to start the season on a strong footing.

Throughout the season, the outstanding player was Sam Gale, who consistently anchored the midfield and was supported by the solid performances of Felix Lyon, Finn Gould, and Kristian Brookes. Top goalscorer, Freddie Bate, led the line in attack, and he was ably supported with numerous goals from fellow strikers Saganan Thuraisingham, Kasra Taheri, and Ben Hagan.

After triumphs in pre-season fixtures, we started our first few games with some pleasing results, including a convincing 5-0 win as well as a 3-0 win in our first round of the Surrey County Cup against local team Teddington School. A brace from clinical finisher Michael Azoo, as well as a goal from striking partner Shivam Handa, saw Hampton breeze into the second round of the cup – a journey that we were ready to go far on!

The centre-back pairing of James Taylor and Josh Vergunst provided the backbone of the defence, winning many headers and tackles throughout the

The season continued to show signs of great improvement as we excelled in our weekend fixtures, improving as a team emphatically. the lion

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sport A 4-0 win over a tough Charterhouse side was one of the standout victories of the mid-season games, with goals from captain Joe Murray as well as some clinical finishes from midfielders Rudy Mills and Sam Bond.

Following this win Hampton started their journey in the ESFA cup, where a home game was played against St Peter’s Catholic School. Although it took a while to get into the game, the captain broke the deadlock – followed by two more from our Fulham and England international, Josh King.

The team and the rest of Hampton are unbelievably proud and grateful for everything Josh has done in his time at the School; we wish him well as he begins his journey as an aspiring professional footballer in the years to come.

took the ball around the goalkeeper and – with real composure – doubled Hampton’s lead.

With 15 minutes left to play, Josh King was brought onto the pitch to help see the game out. With some of his first touches of the ball, he too brought the ball around the goalkeeper and finished with ease into the empty net, leaving Hampton 4-1 up.

The full-time whistle blew, and Hampton were victorious. The U16As had won some silverware for the School – hopefully, this is just the first of many trophies to come! Hampton lifted the trophy in front of the travelling supporters, a moment they will never forget.

The U16A ESFA cup run came to and end, however, as we suffered a defeat in the following round in a tight 2-1 game to a particularly strong Dr Challoner side.

Many thanks to Mr Burke, Mr Ritchie, and Mr Whiffin for their ongoing support and training throughout the season. A huge thanks to Mr Mills for coaching us for another year in what has been an excellent season. The boys all appreciate your hard work in preparing us for senior football at Hampton.

In the light of this, our County Cup run was still well and truly in the motion. We bounced back immediately from our ESFA defeat with a 3-0 win in the second round of the county cup. The team’s desire to win this tournament was like never before. We knew we could do it.

We will look back on this season as a great test in character and teamwork, and – most definitely – as a season to remember.

Joe Murray

We kept progressing in the season, seeing positive results weekly – including a late win against a challenging Eton team in a seven-goal thriller, and a similar result against Millfield where Hampton prevailed in the dying minutes of the game.

However, the County Cup remained our main objective, as the quarter finals were upon us.

U16B Football

A tight and messy 2-1 victory in the quarter-final saw us play an away game in the semi-final – one the whole team had to be up for! We travelled away to the Howard of Effingham School on a Tuesday afternoon where spirits were high; we knew our objective, what we needed to do in order to win.

Hampton was set back by conceding first in the game; however, a double from midfield star Ben Moffat had Hampton back on the front foot.

Clinical goals from Ed Knott and Shivam Handa saw the boys through, winning 4-2 away from home, putting us in the finals of the Surrey County Cup. Confidence was high ahead of the final; Hampton were unbeaten in 2023 bar one match. The final day had come.

The team had prepared well and were ready to take on the challenge.

Winning this game would be the first piece of silverware our team had won in our time at Hampton, something we all aspired to achieve. The game was held at Dorking Fc’s stadium, where we would face Sutton Grammar School in what would prove to be a fantastic and dramatic game.

We started the game in familiar Hampton fashion, testing the keeper early on; however, there were no goals to break the deadlock. Unfortunately, it was Sutton who grabbed the first goal, putting Hampton one behind.

We dug deep in the first half, eager not to go into the break a goal down.

With the help of Michael Azoo’s scintillating finish, Hampton equalised.

Not too long after, a ball into the box was headed down by Joe Murray and comfortably finished by Sam Bond, leaving us 2-1 up heading into the break.

The confidence grew in the team as the second half began. We continued to press hard and create chances, as we knew the next goal would be crucial.

Not too long into the half, a loose ball was latched onto by Sam Bond, who 182

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U16B Football This season was an extremely successful one for the U16Bs – despite an early exit to the cup in a tough and disappointing defeat to Glynn in the second round of ESFA. We played 16 games, winning 13, drawing 1, and losing 2 – the highest win-percentage of any Hampton teams this year.

The team was much changed from previous, with additions of Robin Neil, Caleb Levell, Fahad Hussain, Rohan Kripalani, Stanley Kelly, and Freddie Hunt to strengthen the side.

Under the leadership of Mr Fuldner and captain Archie Hurst, it took only one game for cohesion to be found, bouncing back from a first game of the season 3-2 loss to Sutton Grammar’s Third XI, to beat Forest School 9-0, which included a well-deserved, first, long-awaited goal for Harry Gregory.

The team picked up momentum in the coming games with wins such as an impressive 5-3 comeback victory against Bradfield College after being a goal behind going into the last ten minutes, followed by a comfortable victory against Charterhouse including a superb ‘perfect’ hat-trick by Olly Spray.

sport Then came the cup game.

The team had been drawn against a familiar and tough opponent in Glynn School. Having grafted for the full 80 mins with goals from George Coyle and Tom Fearnside, as well as a magnificent solo goal from Fahad Hussain, 3-3 at the final whistle was not enough. Entering extra time, the U16Bs found themselves bruised and battered with cramps and injuries, with Glynn the physically superior force, triumphing 6-3 after extra time, leaving the team gutted and exhausted.

After a short break with numerous games being cancelled, the U16Bs went unbeaten for the rest of the season, beating opponent after opponent, seeming to glide past any opposition.

Notable moments included a dramatic last-minute winner from Oli Lacey after an unusually strenuous game against Mill Hill and a gutsy comeback against a strong Whitgift Third XI from 2-0 down, successfully working our way back to draw 2-2 in some properly dreadful weather.

For the team, the highlight of the season was beating Gordon’s School U16As not once, but twice: a 4-0 victory first time round, at their home ground, and a 7-2 thriller in the second on Hampton soil.

Later in the season, Arya Etminan was promoted from the Cs to bolster the defence and the team ended the season with six clean sheets and a goal difference of 57.

Overall, it was a thoroughly strong season – albeit a sad one as it was the last season as U16s playing together before the team disbands in Hampton’s Senior XIs next year – that we all enjoyed enormously. Thank you to all of the staff, coaches, and parents who made it all possible.

It is also important to mention the players who have played every single match this season for their impressive commitment. So well done to Henry Forster, Thomas Davies, Mateo Lemardeley, Joe Murphy, Anuj Srivastav, Freddie Phillips, Harry Spence, Yangzi Tjoe, Benjamin Taskis, George Sexton, Declan Goh, and last, but most certainly not least, Harman Virdi.

Winning the golden boot this season – with an outstanding 11 goals – is Henry Forster; congratulations to him!

To conclude, there have been some hilarious moments this season both during matches and on the training pitch. Some of my personal favourites include a rare but ridiculous mistake from the anonymous goalkeeper against KCS Wimbledon a game which also included an unlikely halfway line goal by ‘FP7’, Freddie Phillips. Additionally, laughs were shared at Mr Bichsel’s utter dismay when Germany were shockingly knocked out by Japan at the World Cup. Lastly, a particularly funny moment would be the ludicrous formation played in the last 15 minutes of our 8-0 win over Box Hill School as everybody wanted a goal before the final whistle blew on this stupendous season.

Thank you and well done to all involved on a superb season!

Mateo Lemardeley

U15A Football

Archie Hurst

U16C Football U15A Football The U15As had a brilliant 2022-23 season, with 24 games played, of which 17 were won, 1 drawn and 6 lost. The 70 goals scored, and 37 goals conceded, throughout the season led to the team’s hugely impressive 73% win-rate.

In September, the season commenced and saw us go on a five-game winstreak, which involved passing through rounds 1 and 2 of the prestigious ESFA cup.

U16C Football Expertly managed by ‘the special one’, Mr Bichsel, the U16Cs managed to win 4 out of 7 fixtures drawing 2 and losing 1 – albeit due to a lack of numbers – scoring an eye-watering 27 goals and conceding just 9.

The team has seen many changes this season with 29 different player’s contributing to the success. I would like to congratulate the whole squad for their incredible work this season not only in matches but also on the training ground. Furthermore, I must give praise to the many players who have managed to make the ever so difficult leap to the coveted B team.

During this spell, goalscorers consisted of Dexter Boyle, Nicholas Avetoom, Daniel Mills, Sam Maritz, Ollie Swetman, Quinn Schutter, and Alex Ashton, with a notable mention in light of Nicholas Avetoom’s five goals in a 6-3 win versus Esher High School.

Despite this excellent form, October and early November proved to be an exceedingly tough time for the team; the following seven games would result in one draw, six losses and a frustrating exit from the ESFA competition – mainly due to injuries and challenging opposition.

In particular, we faced League One’s Burton Albion, in the midst of our mid-season St Georges Park visit. Defensive players, such as Louis Basing, the lion

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sport Joe Turton, and goalkeeper Eddie Haycock, were prolific in limiting the academy side to three goals, compared to our two.

The boys’ first win after this run came in the Cornish town of Truro, where we produced a dominant 9-0 performance in round 3 of the ISFA cup.

However, we were to be defeated by a very strong Eton side in the subsequent round.

This defeat only motivated the team further, and lead to us finishing top of the Elgin Capital Schools 7-team league, after emphatic 3-2 wins against Bede’s and fierce rivals, Whitgift.

This resulted in us playing Highgate, who finished second in the other Elgin league. Wingers, Sam Moylan-Jones, Daniel Mills, and Arjun Banerjee, created havoc for their respective opposing players, whilst Angus Hacking, Ben Wallace, Nolan Brenninkmeijer, and Hamish Soley all played their parts in securing the defence. This 2-1 victory would place us into the final against national champions, Aldenham, as our last game of the season.

Having lost 3-0 to the same opposition the previous year, we were determined to seek revenge.

At half-time, we came into the break on the wrong side of a 1-0 scoreline – yet, most importantly, we still had our heads held high. A more positive start to the second half was rewarded when Alex Ashton scored from a Sam Moylan-Jones cross.

During extra-time, Alex Ashton doubled his goal-tally by pouncing on a defensive mistake; the team saw this through until the full-time whistle, making us Elgin League Champions.

This was a remarkable end to our Lower School footballing years, and it capped off a brilliant season for the U15As. Thank you, and well done to everyone involved!

Our undefeated run continued for another five games, keeping spirits high among the team, and included a variety of good performances from everyone who played for us.

In the second round of the cup, on home turf, we came through victorious with a convincing 3-0 win over Windsor Boys School. However, all good unbeaten runs come to an end, and we were faced with an immensely strong side in Eton College.

Unfortunately, our ESFA run also came to an abrupt end after a hard-fought game against Kingsdale Foundation School, which we lost in extra-time.

Going into the Christmas holidays, our record was looking promising; we had won 8 of our 14 games. After the festivities, we saw our first match called off – which put us on the back foot for our game against Dulwich College, who were always going to be a tough side to beat.

Our top-scorer for the season was our impact winger, Joshi Rasi de Mel, who contributed an astonishing 23 goals. Our other star attacker, Billy Wilkinson, scored an incredible 21 goals, falling just short of Joshi.

Credit to Felix Robinson, who played with great skill out on the left wing, where he was a consistently excellent player. Evan Rutter also played well throughout the season, amassing over 10 goals for the team.

The midfield was held together by some of the most technical players in our team. Our captain, Richard Page, played well throughout the season, leading the team both on and off the pitch. Ed Massey enjoyed a breakout season, playing some amazing football in the biggest of games, scoring in the ESFA match that we unfortunately lost in extra time.

Alex Bergbaum showed off his natural talent and flair during the season, scoring some great goals. Alfred Bancroft held the midfield together, playing in a more defensive role where he could show his ability in tackling and playing perfect through-balls that cut through defences.

Ollie Swetman Towards the end of the season, Sammy Jeffrey joined the midfield ranks and played in a similar role to Alfie, keeping the defence and midfield in check when he played in that more advanced position.

Our back-line was solid throughout the season, conceding only 39 goals compared to the 67 we scored.

U15B Football

We had a great full-back in Arun Bhandari, who used his fast pace to help us both in attack and in defence. Arun often made great decisions that were key in the moment, and he was also our star when it came to throw-ins, reaching the penalty spot with a throw from the sideline. Will McTavish was an equally solid full-back whom we could always rely upon to put in a good performance. Will was also an astonishingly good reader of the game, always playing the right pass.

The U15Bs had a strong season this year, losing only five games.

Oscar Cacheux was an amazing centre-back who demonstrated how calm he was under pressure, time and time again. Oscar almost never let the ball through him, making him a player that consistently performed at a high level. Alongside Oscar, was Elias Pena, who showed his ability to fly above everybody else when the corner came in, using his height to great advantage.

Eli also showed great movement of the ball, playing at both centre-back and full-back, always playing great passes that – almost always – found the man he was looking for.

Our coach Mr Bailey led us through thick and thin, starting off the season with four wins on the trot – including an exciting first round match in the ESFA cup against South Bank University Academy, which we won on penalties, with our keeper Joe Gordon making two big saves.

At the back, we also had Sam Aragon who showed his ability to dance around the pitch with the ball at his feet, leaving opposition players helpless to his ability to dribble. As the season progressed, Sam played more and more often as a central midfielder where he could show off his talent.

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sport Another highly influential defender in the team was Connor Hendricks, who made his debut in the first round of the ESFA cup, helping us bring home the victory. Additionally, Connor fought the whole game, no matter the scoreline, which helped create a great team spirit.

In goal, we started off the season with Joe Gordon, who was a great shotstopper – especially when facing penalties. Our other goalkeeper was Rocky McCann, who played aggressively and used his great kicking ability to his advantage. Rocky was a great keeper, and almost never conceded in a oneon-one with an attacker.

Richard Page & Alfred Bancroft

The U15Cs finished the season with a 3-1 win against Tiffin School, ending on a win – just as they had started.

The team are grateful for the efforts and contributions made by Mrs Smith and other members of the coaching staff, both on the pitch and in the training sessions.

Alasdair J McIntosh

U14A Football

U15C Football

U14A Football U15C&D Football In the 2022-23 season, the U15Cs experienced a series of ups and downs – unfortunately accompanied by many cancelled games.

With their first game of the season, the U15Cs comfortably beat their first opponents Wilson’s School 3-0, with notable performances coming from Jayden Park and Noah Kelly, who scored a stunning goal from just outside of the box.

After a disappointing 2-1 loss away at Forest School, the U15Cs faced Alleyn’s School at home. Well worked team goals came from Dante Patel and Alex Lopez Sostres. After an incredible team performance, the fulltime score was a 5-0 win for Hampton.

A thrashing at Eton, followed by a defeat, and another huge loss at Eton, were what came next for the U15Cs, before drawing at home with Royal Russel School – where Pedro Canas Molteni shone, grabbing a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw. Inspiring midfield play was also conducted by Karun Bhalla, Johnny Purton, and Max Rashkes.

The U14As had another successful season; led by captain Alessandro Cardinale, they won 17 of their 23 matches, losing just 4, and scoring 78 goals along the way.

The team enjoyed a good season in their respective cup competitions, narrowly missing out on the Elgin League semi-finals on goal difference and progressing through to the Surrey Cup Final on penalties.

27 different players represented the A team this season and all contributed with fantastic individual and team performances – they should all be looking forward to building on this next season when they represent Hampton at U15 level.

U14B Football

Three cancelled fixtures later, the U15Cs played out what was potentially their greatest team performance of the season, in a 5-1 win at home over Mill Hill and Belmont school. It included an incredible defensive performance from Alasdair McIntosh, Arjan Walia, Rudy Sian and keeper Joe Gordon, who, after an amazing triple-save, was unlucky not to go home with a clean sheet. With many players getting on the scoresheet, particular standouts were Ruben Bouwmeester-Reid and Max Turner, who were directly involved in many of the goals.

Following an unfortunate loss at Epsom College, the U15Cs played St John’s School at home. After an unstoppable rocket of a volley from Ted Killick-Steele, the U15Cs came out on top in a 2-1 win.

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sport One of the highlights of the U14B’s season was the incredible win in the ESFA round of 32 against Steyning Grammar School.

It was a freezing December afternoon and the game kicked off with Steyning starting the stronger side and managing to find an early opener.

We battled to try and equalise before half time but were unable to. We did well to keep up the pressure going into the second half and Dominic Stenning levelled the score quickly after the break. Soon after, a well worked team move ended with Benjamin Williams striking a first-time shot past their goalkeeper to give us the lead.

Unable to convert from the many promising chances we had to put the game to bed, we conceded a penalty. They scored, taking the game into extra time. We continued to create opportunities, but, with neither side finding a winner, the game went to penalties.

football continue to develop as they move up through the School.

They are a real credit to themselves and the School, and should be very proud of the character and team spirit they have created over the last two years.

WSL

U14C Football

Nerves were especially high after Steyning scored their first and we missed ours; however, our anxieties were settled by Joe Perry, who saved the next one. Our next four penalties were calmly slotted in by Dominic Stenning, Benjamin Williams, Dario Puljic and Thomas McMonagle.

It was 4-4 after five penalties for each team, and another brilliant save by Joe Perry meant that if we scored our next penalty, we would win it.

Freddie Tranter stepped up and scored a great penalty, sending us through to the next round of the competition.

Even though we were not able to continue onto the quarter-finals of ESFA, we still, undoubtedly had an amazing season under Mr Leafe’s management.

During the season we racked up 13 wins, 4 draws and 3 losses. We also maintained a very strong defence throughout the year, rarely conceding; however, the highlight of the team was our attack, as we scored 60 goals in only 20 games – equating to a huge three goals a game for us on average!

Overall, we had a win rate of 65% and were unbeaten in 85% of our games. All in all, it was a very successful season, and I know we are all looking on excitedly to next year – hopefully keeping up our good form as well!

Maurice Rey, Joe Perry & Dario Puljic I have so much positive to say about this group of young footballers. It has been the highlight of my time at Hampton to coach such a highly motivated, hard-working, and talented squad. I was immensely lucky to work with them as my first group at Hampton; it has been very rewarding to see how they have developed into a well-organised team in which each and every member plays for each other.

Just to add to the comments of Maurice, Joe and Dario, I would like to commend Yuvrajh Sahota for his very switched-on, excellent decisionmaking, Daniel Lee for his tenacious hard work, Ralph Crowther for his composure on the ball and fantastic attitude, Jude Lord-Smith for his commitment and desire to improve his game, and his wonder goal away at Dulwich – yes, we all remember! – Finley Milner for his precise passing and clinical finishing, Freddie Tranter for his Messi-esque vision, Nicholas Hennebry for his excellent attitude and work-rate, Jasper Bird for his skilful forward moves, Robert Bercea for his wonder strike(s!) away at Bradfield, Benjamin Williams for his lightning pace, clinical finishing, and commitment to developing into a fearless ‘No. 9’, and Kamran Chandran-Daykin for his skilful moves in midfield.

I will be working with Second XI next year; however, I will be making sure I catch as many U15Bs games as I can, and I look forward to seeing their 186

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U14C Football At the start of the season, with around fifty new boys coming into the Year group, there was an air of change in the U14C squad; after an inconsistent, but ultimately successful, campaign last year, it was both frightening and exciting.

The new additions to the squad settled in quickly and effectively – although this combination of both old and new faces was perhaps not best translated onto the pitch until the very final match day, where they travelled west to face Reading Blue Coat School.

After an unbeaten run, which stretched back to the start of November, unfortunate weather resulted in five separate cancelled fixtures, and the team travelled to Reading knowing it would be their final match of the season.

We made the perfect start after just a few minutes, when midfielder Daniel Bathula tapped home clinically from close range, following a corner from wing-back Otto French.

For the rest of the half, the U14Cs held onto their slender lead thanks to the goalkeeping heroics of Seb Rautenberg, combined with the steely determination of Maxwell Gladding, Theo Stafferton, and Jaipaal Ghotra in defence, led by vice-captain Max Vynnytskyy.

However, despite impressive shifts by both wing-backs, Otto French and Alex Sleeman, and a surprisingly successful cameo outfield for our usual goalkeeper, Ed Barkus, we were unable to add to our lead before the break: chances were few and far between.

However, this all changed in the second half when, with the rain pouring down, the miserable weather was contrasted by our jubilation as we ran riot after the break. We made the perfect start to the half, winning a penalty which was coolly dispatched by Otto French – his first goal of the season. He then turned creator for the third, as he laid it off to Arun Crowe to finish off a well-worked corner routine.

sport A final round of substitutions added fresh legs, and this translated onto the scoreboard; brilliant work from winger Eugene Kwon won another penalty, which was once more converted, this time by Mohammed Ali. Ian Leung, Gabriel Spooner, and top-scorer Will Kirk also came on, adding energy and ability into the attack for the final ten minutes – and the U14Cs were not quite finished yet! Theo Cheung was denied a stunning solo strike by the opposition goalkeeper, only for it to be converted on the rebound by Louis Harvey. Mohammed Ali added a stunning sixth from close range before we celebrated joyously at the final whistle, commemorating our biggest win of the season.

Despite a season heavily disrupted by cancelled fixtures, our incredible work-ethic was always clear and prevalent – whether it was the warm-up jogs and stretches around the pitch, or translating the tactical work from training into matches.

I have no doubt that this will continue next year, and I cannot wait until we will get back on the pitch in the Autumn term of Fourth Year.

Arun Crowe

U13A Football

Following this, the season was characterised by a series of tight, lowscoring affairs, where we repeatedly came away feeling that the result did not quite reflect the balance of play. Too often, a series of chances went begging only for the opposition to score through a set piece or a breakaway goal.

But, as Jimmy Greaves probably also once said, ‘goals win games’ and moral victories count for very little.

While the team conceded a miserly 23 goals across 18 games, we were only able to score 40. But the chances were there, and this felt like a season where a very strong team could, with a little bit more precision – and, yes, luck – have had an exceptional year.

The results may not have suggested it, but this is a team with an extremely bright future.

So, who was part of this team?

In goal was Harrison Gilbert. As the season progressed, Harrison grew in confidence and made some outstanding saves. You do not get through a season conceding just 1.2 goals per game without an excellent goalkeeper and, time and again during the season, he pulled off a remarkable save or faced down an onrushing striker. Having said this, the greatest moments of tension in most games were the times when Harrison stood in the box having calmly gathered the ball and everyone waited to see what he would do next. Harrison was the only one who ever knew.

The defence was solid throughout the season. To bring in another football cliché, Tom Scrimshaw was the very definition of a player with ‘good feet for a big man’. His calmness and quality on the ball made him a reassuring presence throughout the season – though it also felt that he may be one of the young players who is not necessarily benefiting from the FA’s directive to not practice heading during training sessions.

U13A Football

Overall, we played 18, won 9, drew 5, lost 4, scoring 40 goals, and conceding only 23.

As the late, great Jimmy Greaves often said, ‘Football is a game of two halves’. He also once said ‘The only thing Norwich did not get was the goal that they finally got’, and ‘Geoff Hurst had a hammer in his left boot and good left feet are like bricks of gold’, so it is worth taking anything he said with a pinch of salt; but, despite this, there is an element of truth in the initial statement. Unless the game goes to extra time, of course. But, I digress. The point is that this football cliché has a strong relevance to the U13A team’s football season in that it was very much a season of two halves.

As the squad woke up on 1st December 2022, they were standing on a record of six wins, one draw and no losses, having scored 22 goals and only conceded 8. They were in the fifth round of the ESFA cup and down to the last 16 of the ISFA cup. Surely, glory was just around the corner?

Well, as it turned out, it was not.

On that first day of December, they lost an extremely tight ESFA cup game 2-1 away at St Andrew’s School, before tumbling out of the ISFA cup four days later on penalties to Aldenham School, after the match finished 0-0 after extra time.

George Eggleton was a mainstay throughout the season, committed in the tackle and not afraid to offer a barnstorming run forward from centre back, not unlike a much less square-headed Harry Maguire.

Toluwanimi Idowu was a new addition to the A team squad this year, but fitted in immediately, with a fantastic ability to read the game combined with being remarkably quick. Beyond this, his through balls lead to several goals during the course of the season, making him a threat going forward as well as the proverbial ‘brick wall’ for the opposing forwards.

Henry Wood quietly went about his business at full-back, always tidy, always committed and always someone who could be relied on with and without the ball. James Phillips was another new addition to the squad and was another defender who was entirely comfortable with the ball at his feet, also playing in centre midfield when required. In terms of commitment to improving himself as a player and the strides made during the year, he was arguably player of the season.

The midfield was led by Oliver Khaksar, who also top scored with 10 goals. His is an all-action style, but one that is combined with quality on the ball and an occasional over-eagerness to shoot from 40 yards out. He was a great influence on every game he played. Partnering him in central midfield was Sebastian Howard, a skilled technician – who helped keep the team playing the sort of football that Hampton is known for – and who offered a calmness in possession that benefited everyone around him.

Brennan Coletta was used in a variety of positions – from up front to out wide to centre midfield – but he always delivered regardless of what the lion

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sport was asked of him – even if he didn’t necessarily agree with it! Beyond that, his corner-taking was a constant threat, leading to plenty of goals and countless near-misses as the rest of the side desperately tried to turn the ball goalward using parts of their bodies other than their heads.

by captain Will Bush, and vice-captains Adam Saker, Charlie Donald, and Ruben Easter.

Our biggest win came in trip to Lambeth in the ESFA Cup second round against Bishop Thomas Grant School, ending in an emphatic 12-3 victory.

On the wings and up front, the side was filled with talent.

Ned Leonard acted as a fantastic link-man, creating chances as well as getting on the end of them, with a keen awareness of the game, a tireless work rate – watching him sprinting 20 yards to close down the keeper, possibly unnecessarily, for the 15th time in the half was always inspirational – and excellent feet. Noah Rasi de Mel was a livewire throughout the season with lightning pace and superb technique, tormenting defenders and generally finding himself rolling around on the floor in pain at some point in the second half after an opposition player had clipped his ankles for the 27th time.

The U13B’s ESFA Cup run was relatively short-lived, as we lost in the third round to a very strong Whitgift side – one that progressed to the semi-final, losing to Ravenswood, who would be the eventual winners, whom we had beaten 8-0 in an earlier friendly.

It was a standout game for the U13Bs, on a snow-covered morning on the 3G. We had a poor start, letting in two very good long strikes; but, we came back with Adam’s brilliant finish to get past the excellent Whitgift keeper. We kept up our momentum when Ashton scored a penalty not long afterwards.

Ben Whiteley was always influential and would occasionally take games over when he was able to find a match-up that worked for him. When he was running at full speed at a retreating defence, it always felt like a chance was about to come. Rufus Lawson offered a rugged, relentlessness out wide, running his opposition player into the ground with his charging runs and assiduous defence and was another player who created countless chances.

Finally, there was Tristan Drake, who has sadly left the School for the tough, unforgiving life on offer in Australia. He will be missed for his skilful wing play, finding and creating space and always offering an attacking threat.

Yet, in the last minute, and with the final kick of the game, a horrid turn of events resulted in a penalty being awarded to Whitgift; they initially hit the post, but they scored the rebound.

During this match, Sam Hudson, ‘the brick wall’, saved two penalties; in the season as a whole, he saved five out six penalties.

Sam’s heroics blended alongside our first-half goalkeeper Haadi Hariri, whose sweeper-keeper style was the perfect yin to Sam’s yang.

It is a squad filled with talent and as they grow as a team – and physically – in the coming years, they have every chance to become one of the stronger Hampton year groups. Most importantly, they are an excellent group of boys, with an excellent attitude and sense of camaraderie that will stand them in good stead as they move into next season.

In addition to our goalkeepers, we had our rock-solid defence who only let in 19 goals this season. The full-backs, Will Bush, Paul Isalan, and Ethan Geiger, provided width and energy all season.

There was competition for places at centre-back, with Matteo Mastrodonato, AJ Coady, Zaki Chapman, and the late transfer from rugby, Joe Timba, proving that competition breeds excellence.

But, at the end of the day, it is important for them all to keep working, giving 110%, because, as Bobby Robson once said, ‘if we start counting our chickens before they hatch, they won’t lay any eggs in the basket.’ Wise words.

TJG

U13B Football

On this bedrock, the U13Bs proved to be an attacking force; with creativity and energy from all areas, we scored a whopping 81 goals!

The midfield was ever-changing, and everyone played multiple positions and roles. Charlie Donald, Max Pagnamenta, Hamza Yahie, Isaac Hurst, Grigory Dobrynin, and Ethan Price played their part.

Many of our games were won in the midfield - where we controlled play and won the ball back quickly, and where everyone showed a desire to play expansive, attacking football on the front foot in the ‘Hampton way’.

Finally, our attacking players – whose finishing, ability to be in the right place at the right time, and pressing from the front was superb – deserve mention. Adam Saker was our top goal scorer, and he was ably supported by Tioba Shittu-Balogun, Kota Dooley, Rufus Lawless, Ruben Easter, and Ashton Crossley, who all chipped in with vital and important goals.

Over the course of the season, we improved massively in training; we also tried different formations, though we mostly stuck to 4-33. Our improvement was undoubtedly thanks to our coaches, Mr Bischel, Mr Hossein, Mr Ritchie, Mr Hurst, and – most of all – our enthusiastic and encouraging coach, Mr Scott.

U13B Football

The U13Bs had an excellent season, losing only two games, winning twelve, and drawing three out of seventeen games. The side was well led 188

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U13C Football

U13D Football The season began with a comfortable 11-0 win against Berkhamsted School, followed by a hard-earned 2-0 away win at Chigwell, with Adam Khan showing his goalscoring instincts with a second half brace.

U13C Football

Comfortable wins followed against Ibstock Place, 7-0, and John Lyon Bs, 4-0, to end the first term with a 100% record.

The U13Cs had a brilliant season, going unbeaten and scoring an average 6.4 goals per game – which resulted in ten wins and two draws overall. The only draws were against A teams!

A great number of our goals were scored by strikers George Moria, Salahuddin Shah and, when he joined us form the B team halfway through the season, Hamza Yahie.

On the wing we had Isaac Hurst, whose goals and assists proved crucial in some of our tighter matches this season – not many of those though!

Max Pagnamenta joined us from the Bs halfway through the season, and he was a valuable addition to our attack. We also benefited from the brilliant work-rate and skills of Oscar Midgely-Carver on the right, as well as Alex Milicic, who scored some fantastic goals from right midfield.

In the centre of midfield we reaped the rewards of the sublime passing, tackling, and versatility of Finley Hughes, Charlie Donald, and Will O’Shea.

We only conceded 13 goals all season, with goalkeeper Olly Philips making some important saves and improving his distribution across the season.

There was also the versatile Dylan Love, a right-footer at left-back. Rightback was one of the strongest positions in the C team, with both Danny Prichard and Zaki Chapman starring in the position, both defensively and when supporting the attack. We also had a fantastic centre-back partnership, with the power and tackling of Alex Semenenko and the speed, positioning, and captaincy of William Denmark.

Our best game was arguably against St Paul’s. Despite it not being the highest scoreline, we played some brilliant football, with a free-flowing play and devastating counter-attacks, resulting in a 3-1 win.

The opposition coaches and parents were very complimentary about our style of play; the coach in the last match, which we won comfortably, said, ‘That was the most enjoyable heavy defeat that I have ever watched!’

William Denmark

U13D Football The U13Ds enjoyed a remarkable 2022-23 season, winning 11 out of 12 games, and scoring 54 goals.

The Spring term began with a 2-1 win over KCS, a 2-0 win over Dulwich, and then a 1-0 victory against Gordon’s Bs. A solitary defeat against Epsom College Bs was followed by four more wins, and the team ended the season in style with an 11-0 win over Thomas’ Battersea.

The group gelled really well on the pitch and socially, and it was built upon a very strong back line of Jatin Patel, Ben Penny, Eric Paqvalen, Josh Gibbins, Luke Fitzpatrick, and Josh Millington-Jones, who also flourished as a winger.

The midfield was an extremely strong and powerful unit of Aadam Khan, Jack Haynes, Jack Mountney, Ben Roman, Max Dexter, Jaime Rey Bertolin, and Euan Seymour, with Sanjit Barber and Adam Khan proving a potent strike-force.

Last – but no means least – goalkeeper Zachariya Iqbal had a remarkable season, only being beaten 7 times, and keeping 9 clean sheets, ably protected by his back line.

I wish the team all the best for the next season, and they must be congratulated on an amazing season!

RRT

U13E Football The U13Es had an amazing season of invincibility, finishing with a record of seven wins and one draw from the eight fixtures played.

With Mr Ferrier leading the team through the season, we managed to rack up a goal difference of 52, 25 of these goals being in the first two matches against Berkhamsted and Ibstock. Most of these goals were racked up by the team’s top-scorers: Sanjit Babar, Theo Tang, and Kian Boroujeni.

The next three games were slightly more challenging, each increasing with difficulty as we progressed.

Against King’s College, we won 3-0, with amazing performances from Zen Nicola, Ben Griffin, and Dmitriy Uzhvak who helped to keep their strong attack at bay. the lion

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sport Then, the team played in our first ESFA match against Heathland school. We played an amazing match and knocked them out with an 11-0 win.

After a month off, we went into the next round of the ESFA competition.

We played some nice football but could not finish the chances that we needed to. We conceded silly goals and we were disappointed with the result. We were out of the ESFA cup.

The following Tuesday, we started our County Cup run. With no sessions or reflection of the result on Friday, we went into the game ready to give it everything and that is exactly what we did. With a pitch like a bog, there was no room for mistakes; everyone did their job, we finished our chances and defended. We left their ground, coming back with a 2-0 win.

U13E Football The next match was won 2-0 against Gordon’s School; it was an all-round great match, especially in the midfield, with Kai Wyers and Atulya Sahi creating opportunities for wingers Ben Silver and Alex Collado to score two amazing goals.

Following this fixture, St Paul’s invited us to their ground for an exciting match – the toughest of our run. With a quick goal from them, Dean Frye and Svajan Ganesan stepped up and provided us with a strong midfield platform. Alex Lapidus and Dominic Nelson also faced the pressure, both keeping the ever-frequent shots out of our net. Eventually, the ball was successfully placed into our opponent’s net, and we drew the game 1-1.

After this intense match, we breezed through the rest of our matches – with an overall score of 22-0 on aggregate!

Special mentions for these matches go to Zach Amiji and Abhideep Sunilkumar, who both scored in these matches.

Only due to everyone’s hard work and determination was the U13E team able to have an incredible season. Thank you to all of the staff and parents who made it all possible!

Shanjeet Khan

Coming back after a difficult draw against Berkhamsted, we played against Glyn with a new formation and strategy: we wanted to overrun the midfield and create the chances we needed. That is exactly what we did. With a deeper midfielder, we were able to control the game, keep the ball, and create chances.

Our next County Cup match was against Coombe school, and we went into the game with a fierce urge to win.

We started the game off positively creating chances and dominating possession.

It was not all great though. Going into the second half at 0-0, we were desperate for a goal. The game was reaching its end and we found ourselves on the counterattack, which we converted to make it 1-0. With there only being a few minutes left we needed to hold on. But we conceded a penalty, which was saved

by Louis Spira to keep us ahead – and we went down the other end and scored a penalty to seal the win!

In our biggest game of the season yet, in the County Cup quarter finals, we faced a particularly difficult side, Riddlesdown Collegiate.

We did well to stay in the game, 0-0 at half time. However, we were not showing many signs of positivity in and around their box. Halfway through the second half we were caught sleeping; they scored to make it 1-0.

We were more motivated than ever to push and get a goal. We won a penalty, with 15 minutes left – this was the time! But their goalkeeper guessed the right way, keeping them ahead. They went and scored five minutes later, and our heads dropped. To seal it, they scored to make it 3-0. It was an unfortunate result after such a well-fought match.

U12A Football

However, we ended the season on two highs; it was a weekend of great football to round off the season: a 3-0 win against Ravens Wood and a 5-1 win against Reading Blue Coat.

Overall, it was a hugely positive season with lots to be happy with; but, of course, there remains a lot to improve upon for the season ahead. The boys played some great football, even when things went wrong, they stayed positive – a fantastic quality for the side to have.

Cillian Connolly U12A Football

The season started off with a disappointing result against Forest School; however, the team showed signs of positivity and things that could be improved upon.

With a week of training and improving off our last defeat, the team bounced back with a great 7-3 win against Alleyn’s. Everyone played their part; everyone had their role and we soon started to put things that we worked on in training into matches.

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U12B Football After two weeks of pre-season trials and training, the U12B’s curtain raiser was against Forest school. The team talk before the game consisted mostly of the boys trying to learn each other’s names and work out who was playing

sport where, but despite being 3-0 down at half-time, we battled back strongly and almost found an equaliser at the end, with the game finishing 4-3 to Forest. It was a resilient and enthralling second half display which set the tone for the season ahead.

This time, all five of our penalties were confidently dispatched and it was down to Louis in goal once again to come up with the crucial save to secure the win.

Sadly, the cup run would come to an end in the next round against Tunbridge Wells Grammar School, but to get as far as we did was a brilliant achievement that all the boys involved should be proud of.

The two games after the cup exit were where we produced some of our best football. New arrival Stefan Backovic and the ever-present George Scholes, whose versatility proved invaluable throughout the season, both scored goals in our 6-2 win against St Paul’s, and an all-round accomplished team display, notably featuring several impressive saves from James Stott in goal, led to a 6-1 victory over St John’s Leatherhead.

U12B Football The following Friday saw the beginning of our ESFA Cup campaign, and what turned out to be one of the games of the season away against Winston Churchill School. It was a wet and windy September afternoon, but that did not put a dampener on the action.

Despite finishing with a 0-0 draw away at Reading Blue Coat, after the game the whole team were quite rightly upbeat about the season as a whole. I hope they had as much fun playing as I did coaching them, and that they all look back on their first year in Hampton football colours with pride.

I look forward to following their progress in the years to come!

Leo Louis announced himself up front with a wonderful hat-trick to give us a 3-2 lead going into the final stages. A quick counter-attack from the opposition, however, resulted in a last-minute equaliser to send the game to extra time.

A penalty to the hosts shortly after the restart meant we were 4-3 down, but, once again, up stepped Leo to score a fourth to send the game to penalties.

After composed finishes from Leo, Isaac de Quintal, and Dean Fitzpatrick, it was 3-2 with one penalty remaining. With an outstretched left hand our goalkeeper Louis Spira managed to prevent their final penalty from finding the corner to give us the win. The celebrations continued long into the minibus journey home.

OMW

U12C Football

After beating Alleyn’s 2-1 – thanks to a brace from winger Tom Pfanner – our ESFA second round match was a more comfortable affair, defeating Coombe Boys’ School 4-1. Striker Inwoo Yoo scored the pick of the goals in the first half, with Louis continuing to produce save after save to keep us in the lead.

Wins against Berkhamsted and John Lyon School’s A team followed, with the latter providing an opportunity for striker Henry Sage to make his debut having been promoted from the Cs. A debut goal dispatched from the penalty spot capped off an excellent display also featuring a first goal of the season for midfielder Zidan Akhtar and full back Sebastian Wright.

The final test of the Christmas term was our ESFA third round game against Reading School. This time it was our defenders who secured us the win.

Centre back Jay Aragon had begun to form an excellent partnership with Alex Paton and Lewis Hendrey, which allowed us to restrict Reading to just the one goal from a – thoroughly questionable – penalty. Midfielder Elijah Thomson scored a stunning brace to secure a 3-1 win and progress into the next round.

In January, the Christmas cobwebs were dusted off in a 4-2 win against KCS Wimbledon, with new additions to the team Thomas Hintzen and Charlie McNeil settling in well and producing assured performances.

The fourth round of ESFA followed. We had been drawn away at Whitgift, the toughness of which was immediately apparent as we went 1-0 down early on. A second half goal from Jojo O’Shaugnessy however, who had recently transferred from the U12A Rugby team for an ‘undisclosed fee’, sent the game to penalties.

U12C Football The U12Cs enjoyed a strong season, registering 10 wins from their 17 fixture and regularly holding their own against tough A and B team opposition.

Between the sticks, both Josh Button and Oscar Frydman-Orsteen made a range of eye-catching stops and distributed well.

Our fine defensive unit of Daniel Savage, Rajvir Sahota, Tom Hunt, and Eric Rainey were particularly solid and all contributed some quality to the attack either from set pieces or forays forward.

We had some excellent technical quality in midfield where Edward Richardson and Zidan Akhtar controlled games and carved out chances for our potent forward players: Inwoo Yoo and top-scorer Benji Jonas, who were also blessed with great service from skilful and hard-working wide players Leon Young and Anthony Simonov.

We were also blessed at times with fine contributions from Finn Readey, Tom Balmond, and Sewon Park. the lion

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sport If I were to highlight one player who really set the standard it would be captain Shay Bhagwan, who played in virtually every position with a first-class attitude and never stopped running. But, this season really was a fine team effort.

I would like to thank the boys for their commendable attitudes to training which saw them develop greatly over the year, playing some wonderful passing football. The boys were a credit to the School in every match and I wish them every success for the future.

loss was 10-0. We scored a combined total of 34 goals, but let in 41 goals, giving us a goal difference of -7.

Vihaan Kukraja was an excellent goalkeeper, and his shot-stopping was outstanding in all games. Without him we would not have won a single match. Our defenders, Samuel Buckle, Ian Burguillos, Thomas Net and Mathew Kuenzel were solid at the back. Edo Cominacini and Nico Watts were our initial attackers, later being replaced by Alexander Kirkman and Alex Andre.

CAM The rest of us, Devan Dhariwal, Bevan Perera, Jovan Bhatnagara, Konrad Granberg, George Vincent, Manav Krishna Kallimvelli Vasanth, Ishaaq Alam and myself played in the midfield.

U12E Football

On reflection, we have a number of elements to work on next season, but we can take a lot of positives.

Earlier in the season, our positions moved around in matches, but it did not take long to get settled and our positional play was quite good. An area for improvement is around better communication which would enable us to pass better, making it even better than it already is.

We also need to put more pressure on the attackers when we are defending, not giving time to the player on the ball. We played a lot of good, welldrilled teams, and it was certainly challenging at points.

For next season, our objective is undoubtedly to concede less goals and get a couple more wins under our belt! But, overall, we hugely enjoyed the season – thank you to everyone who made our matches possible and came to support us.

U12E Football The season for the U12Es was a bit of a mixed bag. We played ten games and won four, drew one, and lost five. Our greatest win was 8-2, and our biggest

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First XV Rugby Preseason began at the Esher President’s Cup, where the boys looked to see what we could produce before the season officially started, against some well-respected opposition.

Unfortunately, we left the tournament in second place, after some strange ruling left Ipswich victorious in the final after a draw. However, we left the tournament with some well-earned victories against Wellington College, St Benedict’s and National Cup champions of the previous year, Trinity – where Joshua Acela stood out, especially after showing his strength in a carry against one of England’s proclaimed prodigies.

We looked to defend our title at the South Coast Kings tournament on the early days of September; however, the weather prevented that from happening for another year.

We looked to carry this momentum into our first game of the season, under the lights at Cobham RFC, against Seaford College, where Mr Thomson looked to employ his tactics against the boys in the gold and black for the first time.

Captain Cameron Hill led us out into the pouring rain and towards the moment we had been waiting for. Nerves led to a few decisions going against us, with Seaford going ahead 3-0 in the early stages. However, Seaford struggled to deal with our intensity and our speed of play, dictated by our energetic scrum-half Freddie Skinner.

Eventually, we managed to get over the Seaford try line, with yet again another brutal carry from Joshua Acela, leaving the Seaford defensive line in disarray. Zach Gellatley added the extras, as he did all evening, putting us up 7-3. This period of Hampton prowess continued, with Jamie Brownleader creating a chance out of nothing with an inch-perfect cross-field kick to the captain, which resulted in another try.

The remainder of the first half reflected the physicality and desire of both sides, with massive shots coming in from Henry Langrish and James Morgan, really setting a tone for how we must defend all season to be successful.

Some excellent work at the break down from Frank Hall and Sam Ho allowed us to force Seaford back and end up by the opposition 22, where we resulted with a scrum. A powerful scrum, evident from all the hard work done off the pitch in the weight-room, gave us front-foot ball, where a perfectly executed backs move finished with Finlay Wiseman barreling over the try line.

With not too long to go, we knew we had to stay resilient behind the ball, with Ollie Tynan and Dan Haarhoff showing us and the spectators exactly how to defend, along with Theodore Tyler-Low and Tom Cowin reaching highest in the lineouts to secure possession in the latter stages.

The score was 24-6 when the final whistle blew, allowing Mr Beattie’s side to start off the season well, and for some of the old boys to be assured their shirts are in good hands.

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First XV Rugby An away fixture against Brighton College followed, where Henry Donaldson used his sheer power to get us over the line; the one-try game ended 10-0.

Unfortunately, our perfect record had to come to an end against Trinity in the semi-finals. However, our disappointment quickly vanished as we looked towards our next challenge: Denstone for the Third-place position.

Further convincing victories at the ‘Lion’s Den’ occurred against Campion, RGS High Wycombe and Hurstpierpoint, which helped us pick up some real confidence and belief throughout the squad going into our away fixture against our local rivals Epsom college.

Luckily, Steve Lamming stepped up to fill the vacancy of an injured Zack Gellatley; however, we left it too late. Despite a finishing surge, we ended up on the wrong side of a 15-12 scoreline. We came into this tournament looking to win it; nonetheless, we left it with heaps of experience and knowledge of who we are as a team and excited for what comes next.

Thoughts of a few of their damaging academy players did not seem to impact the focus of the team, allowing Fifth Year Nick Lynagh to show us his talent and finishing skills to get some points on the board. Along with a fantastic performance all round, the game ended 29-17 – with a rather joyful team photo under the scoreboard to honour the match.

This win gave us huge momentum going into one of the country’s most renowned schoolboy rugby tournaments: the St Joseph’s Festival in Ipswich.

The squad had grown ever closer, and a bond was forming, making us even stronger out on the pitch. We were in a good place to do well in this tournament.

Day one started promptly, forcing us onto the main pitch to face the hosts, St Joseph’s college. A large crowd was in attendance; however, neither their drums nor their ‘chat’ could prevent Nico Luckman from scoring in the corner – with a finish so good he could not seem to remember it afterwards!

This incredible ability to find the try line allowed Nico to end the season as top try-scorer, having achieved the same accomplishment the previous year.

We won this game 7-0, and we were also victorious over RGS High Wycombe and Brighton college later in the day, where Max Cardosi was able to show how well he can control a rugby game, putting us top of the group.

Day 2 came quickly; before the dew could dry off the grass, we were up and against a very physical side in RGS Newcastle in the quarter-final. A massive defensive effort from the forwards in the breakdown underpinned a 12-3 win.

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After ending up in the well-known NextGenXV top 10 rugby schools in the country for the season – so far at 7th place – we looked to pursue the difficult fixtures we had ahead of us.

Unfortunately what followed were three losses against Trinity, Harrow and Cranleigh. These fixtures were the ones where we learnt the most about ourselves as a squad and what we had to do to be able to compete at the highest level we were capable of.

Mr Beattie put us back together and supported us towards an incredible performance against John Fisher. Nico Luckman had achieved a hat-trick within 20 minutes – one of which being subject to a viral video posted by the England Rugby social media, resulting in over 1 million views!

The spectacle continued with a stylish finish in the corner by Tom Williams, followed by – arguably – the try of the season from none other than Nick ‘Big Dog’ Allan. This game displayed exactly what this squad and Hampton rugby has been all about ever since we joined the School: exciting and breathtaking, running rugby.

The winter term was closed off with a 45-14 win over St John’s on the 3G, where another brilliant team effort was on show for the spectators.

One of the biggest games of the season, against St Benedict’s, was just around the corner, leaving a sense of anticipation within the whole squad leading up to the fixture. The Upper Sixth boys were about to put their First XV shirts on for the last time, and were looking to triumph over our well-known rivals.

sport Scintillating feet from Cameron Hill led the team to an early lead, followed

by Henry Langrish and James Morgan, looking to make their presence known in the defensive line. Tig O’Donnell used his physicality to prevent any opposition player from stopping him crash over the whitewash, and, before we knew it, the final whistle had been blown.

41-3 was the final score; it represented exactly what this squad were able to accomplish. Our 15s season had put us in a prime position for the sevens season, which came forward thick and fast.

Overall, this past season has been a massive success; it resulted in a 70% win-ratio, with 551 points scored, thoroughly expressing the style of rugby which is encouraged at Hampton.

Some of the great rugby schools in the country fell short against us, which leaves this season as one which those involved will remember and cherish throughout their journey to follow. Cameron Hill lead by example and without a doubt had a great influence on all teammates both on and off the pitch, along with fellow vice-captains, Henry Langrish and Joshua Acela.

Further congratulations go out to Nick Lynagh for representing the First XV as a Fifth year, whilst still competing for top try-scorer throughout the season.

Sevens The sevens season began at our own hosted tournament, where many of the countries strongest sides looked to express their ability in this more expansive form of rugby. An electric atmosphere formed on the sidelines from all Year groups throughout the School for the first match against Hurstpierpoint.

Early stages of the game had supporters nervous as what would unfold; however, the blistering pace of Nick Lynagh ensured us we would not fall short of the win. A physical encounter against Ipswich followed, where the

likes of Henry Langrish controlled the breakdown – as he had been doing all year – allowing us to progress past them, onto Epsom college, with the win.

Fancy footwork from Henry Donaldson – again resulting in an England Rugby post – and the deceptive speed of Frank Hall resulted in a 26-12 win, which was followed by a comfortable 27-0 win against John Fisher in order to top the group.

The final against the well-driven Cranleigh did not go our way, leaving them victorious. However, we were now well aware of which areas needed perfecting in order to compete with the best in tournaments to come.

The Middlesex 7s was upon us quickly, where we showed our proficiency from minute one, resulting with us at the top of the group after fairly comfortable encounters against John Fisher, Felsted, and Windsor Boys respectively. Pin-point restarts from Max Cardosi, to help us retain possession, and an astonishing performance from Ollie Tynan, were crucial to this achievement.

We looked to carry this momentum into the semi-finals against Millfield; unfortunately, however, it did not quite go our way, making that the final contest for the squad that day.

The Surrey 7s tournament was snowed off, but the squad was in a strong position heading into the national tournament at Rosslyn park, where everyone was fit and ready to perform on the national stage.

The sun was out – for a short while – as we took on Worthing College in our first encounter of the day. The likes of Nico Luckman and James Morgan bombing down the touchline proved impossible to defend – along with Mr Mobbs Smith’s tactical genius concerning the game of sevens – which secured us a win after game one.

What followed was Barnard Castle, where once again the kick-off allowed us to dominate this encounter and keep pressure on the opposition. A carving run from Freddie Skinner finished off another fantastic performance, leaving the scoreline at 33-5.

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sport The heavens began to open, as we walked out onto a narrow, postage stamp of a pitch to face Samuel Whitbread Academy. We stuck to the gameplan despite the conditions, and Joshua Acela was able to run the length of the pitch to get us off to a flying start. Shortly after, James Morgan and Nick Lynagh followed his example, propelling us towards a 45-5 victory.

Beechen Cliff awaited us as our final game of day one. The rain continued to get heavier, resulting in a mud-bath. Our physicality was tested, but we still looked to move the opposition around and pierce a hole through their defensive line. Fortunately, Freddie Skinner once again waving his magic wand and finds himself across the – now not so visible – try-line. An ambitious kick and chase followed, resulting in Cameron Hill sliding in for the five points and a 31-5 win.

Now we looked to embrace the challenge of day two, so the squad returned home to recover in order to get back to it with the same intent.

Unfortunately, it was not to be in our first game against Brighton college, as the big occasion seemed to get to us; we let the game slip out of our hands.

What followed was a game to remember against the prestigious Sedbergh.

Dynamic running from Finlay Wiseman, followed by an offload off the floor to Nick Lynagh, gave the Hampton boys hope at the beginning of the game. This was an end-to-end, full of entertainment, enthralling match which was a pure spectacle for those on the sidelines in the pouring rain – with not a piece of grass in sight after the excessive use of the pitches!

A late surge over the line from Nico Luckman was unfortunately ruled as held up, and Sedbergh left with the win. Our final game against Denstone was a tough one which went the way of the opposition, but the squad looked forward to finishing the season off strongly at the Sedbergh Tens festival.

The boys started off very strongly, with two confident wins against QEGS Wakefield and King’s Macclesfield. This lead up to the biggest contest we would face on the first day: Seaford.

Seaford started powerfully, going two tries up early on. The rugby we had been playing all year began to shine through with points being put on the board, and the game was finished off by an unbelievable run through the heart of the Seaford defense by Tom Cowin, careering us to top of the group.

Early on Monday morning, we faced Brighton College – which is always a difficult encounter – where we unfortunately fell short. The previous champions, Kirkham Grammar, were next, and they were only able to take the lead in the closing minutes.

Felsted was to be the final game of the season, and the Upper Sixth boys proudly carried the squad over the line to a victory, finishing off an exceptional season for a squad which have honored the opportunity to wear the shirt.

Thanks are necessary for the Upper Sixth, who have most definitely taught the younger individuals in the squad, and the whole School, how much it means to put on the shirt. The qualities they portrayed will for sure be carried on through to next season, where we will look to find a way to compete with the success of this year.

Finally, thank you to Mr Beattie, Mr Mobbs Smith, Mr Rees, and all other coaching staff involved for all the time and support which has been given to us; there is no doubt this season would not have been possible without you.

Finlay Wiseman 196

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Second XV Rugby

Coming back after Christmas, the Hampton Second XV delivered with flair.

A combination of Mr Moore coaching genius and individual talent lead to a well-deserved victory over the prominent Whitgift School. A perfectly weighted cross-field kick from Oscar James that landed in the arms of winger Charlie Puczyniec, as well as a flowing set-piece move that lead to a try from Owain Humphrey, gave Hampton a lead which rarely came close to being threatened. A strong scoreline of 36-19 secured our win over Whitgift.

Finishing on a high, Hampton welcomed the touring side Club Universitario de Buenos Aires in a tight and unpredictable contest. Nevertheless, the Second XV persevered, showing the class and composure that the gathered crowd had learnt to expect throughout the season and securing a narrow – yet deserved – victory over the tourists to round out the year.

Overall, another very successful and enjoyable season for the Second XV.

Second XV Rugby All the best for next season!

The Hampton Second XV enjoyed another successful season, playing 12 fixtures, of which 7 were won and 5 lost.

We began the 2022-23 season looking to replicate the record-breaking success of the previous year. While some murmuring that we would be unable to do so may have arisen after an unlucky early loss to Seaford College, the following week’s comprehensive dismantling of Brighton College proved that Mr Moore’s side were not done winning yet!

Hal Lewis & HSM

Third XV Rugby

Forwards Nick Allen and Matthew Barnes opened the scoring, before the latter was handed a red card under somewhat odd circumstances that threatened to give Brighton a route back into the game. The victory was never really in doubt, though, as inside-centre Steve ‘The Lamborghini’ Lamming twice cut apart the opposition defence to finish off the game in Hampton’s favour and ensure Brighton entered the next day’s First XV match with the mentality of having already lost.

A run of success followed in the next few weeks. Campion School were seen off with an impressive scoreline of 58-7, with try scorers including Marcus Taylor and James Abrahart, demonstrating a clinical edge to the Second XV’s attack – not wholly dissimilar to the 2015 world cup winning All Blacks!

Third XV Rugby RGS High Wycombe offered a tougher challenge, but they failed to account for the speed and skill of Will Barclay, leaving a hole in their defence large enough for him to exploit in order to secure a Hampton victory in the last play of the game.

Hurstpierpoint College were next on the hit list and, having certainly heard of our recent successes, were undoubtedly pessimistic heading into their tie; this was soon proven to be understandable as Hampton powered to a convincing 22-0 win – our first clean-sheet of the year.

Winston Churchill once said, ‘failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts’. These words would soon serve to comfort the Second XV as we headed into a steep and unfortunate learning curve against some tough sides over the next few weeks.

The Third XV started off a successful season with a convincing 22-7 home win over a good Brighton College side.

This was then followed by an even better game for the Third XV where they saw off Campion, scoring 29 points; in the process, they started to find their feet and play some good, expansive rugby.

However, the first loss of the season came in the next game as we suffered a heavy defeat to a RGS High Wycombe side; but, the boys showed good resilience and managed to score two tries of our own, as well as learning some important lessons that would help us in tighter games later in the season.

Powerful tries from Aran ‘The Cash Machine’ Taheri-Murphy were not enough to overcome a strong Epsom side, while a score from captain Hal Lewis salvaged some of the Second XV’s pride on a tough away day at Harrow.

After this loss, we bounced back strong with a 30-point victory over Hurstpierpoint College at home. We continued to get better and play the attractive brand of rugby that is often associated with the Hampton Rugby Third XV.

However, after an improved performance against Trinity, Hampton finished the game against Cranleigh truly having proven the old saying that ‘form is temporary, class is permanent’, in a comprehensive performance that led to a 12-5 win.

With captain Will Aust side-lined due to injury, the next fixture away at Epsom provided the chance for Calum Warmer to step up from vicecaptain and for the Lower Sixth members of the Third XV to really find their voice in the team. the lion

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sport This next match looked to be a very tight game as we headed into it, with both Hampton and Trinity Third XVs having had very good seasons up to this point. Having made the journey to Trinity, we put on an impressive, winning display – despite a late Ryan Carey yellow card, and thanks to a late try from Louis Simmonds-Gooding, before he left for social league.

This victory marked a huge improvement in the team since the start of the year and a good way for the Upper Sixth boys to spend the afternoon before Parents Evening.

Unfortunately, we then had another nail-biter but came out on the wrong side by one point in our defeat to Cranleigh at home. However, this was a great game for everyone, and it included probably the fastest try for the Third XV record, with Barnaby Byers scoring directly from kick-off thanks to a kick in behind from vice-captain Calum Warmer.

The future of the Third XV team looks bright, as the Lower Sixth consistently put in solid performances and displayed leadership and passion – although they might still want to work on their passing!

Will Aust

U16A Rugby

The streak of narrow games continued. The first of our two-match series against Harrodian First XV was narrowly lost by only two points, but it was still an impressive display from all of those who played – including an excellent finish from always reliable fullback Isaac Quigley.

Match two was to be played at home; this time, we came out on top by five points, much to the delight of the rest of the Senior Rugby squad as they watched on. The last few minutes of this game saw our resilient Third XV defend three scrums on our own five-yard line before Harrodian knocked on the ball and the full-time whistle was blown.

Next up was another clash against an excellent Latymer Upper School team, played in the sunshine on the First XV pitch.

There were many highlights of this game, most notably Ineesh Ghai recreating his infamous step to go past three players at once, two tries for vice-captain James O’Donoghue – much to surprise of all – and great defensive performances from all of the Third XV, as we held them to only one try while scoring two of our own.

This game would prove to be the most difficult of the entire season, and it was a great test for us as a team; it certainly allowed us to show how far we had developed since the beginning of our season.

For the Upper Sixth, the following game would be our last ever in the black and gold; therefore, we were determined to put on a show for all the fans who came to watch.

In the end, this is what we did, with a hat-trick from Will Aust – combined with Ryan Carey’s first ever Hampton try; he caught the ball on the opposition 22-yard line and proceeded to run through what seemed to be the entire team before putting the ball down much to the shock of everyone, especially himself!

Other honourable mentions must go to Theo Shah, who played superbly every game at either winger or full-back, and scored tries for fun if the ball ever got out to him. Our other winger, Gus Carter, also put on a great show for all whenever he got the ball.

A strong 40-point win was the perfect way to end what had been an extremely memorable season with a great group of Hampton Sixth Formers.

We also must thank Mr Baker for sharing with us his rugby wisdom and amazing coaching the whole year round, as well as Mr Powell, who played a huge role in helping the Third XV all year and for refereeing the vast majority of our games.

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U16A Rugby There are two ways of writing an end-of-season report. The first is to reflect on the team’s progress in quantitative terms, relying on statistical measures such as win-loss ratios and points scored and conceded.

In this sense, the U16As had a successful season – winning more matches than they lost, improving their performance against all but two opponents compared with how they fared as U15s, and scoring more tries than in any other previous season. They beat Whitgift for the second successive season, ran up high scores against the likes of Trinity, Hurstpierpoint, and John Fisher, reached the last 64 of the Rosslyn Park National Schools’ Sevens, and won their group at the Warwick Sevens with a points difference of +151.

But, this is a rather crude way of evaluating a team’s progress! Instead, it is much more meaningful to reflect on the individual and collective growth that took place over the six months of the season, and in the off season, to celebrate some of the most special memories, and to consider the development of the whole squad as they finish five years of playing together as a year group.

From Lucas Raivio’s rumbustious ball-carrying off the bench against Seaford, helping to overturn a 28-7 half-time deficit, to Toby Smith’s spectacular solo score against Cranleigh, there is no shortage of highlights to recall.

Challenged at the beginning of the season to develop a less structured, faster, and more fluid style of play, the boys responded magnificently, with half-backs Will Skinner and Tim Wright setting an exceptionally quick pace for those around them – helped by consistently strong running from Tom Kilpatrick, Ben Conaghan, Louis Spight, and Joe Cornell, among others.

In the forwards, Danny Settle and Will Wheeler quickly learned how to run, and defend, and be competitive lineouts. Tom Massey became an increasingly destructive presence on both sides of the ball, and captain Will Wallace adjusted superbly to the demands of moving from the back row to hooker – and occasionally deputised with distinction at prop.

sport Adam Gwynne, Max Meikle, John Staples, and James Maloney delighted in spoiling the opposition’s ball, and all played their part in an increasingly well-oiled lineout – with thanks to Miss Singleton, Mr Stebbings, Mr Dow, and Mr Scarratt for their expert guidance in this area.

The backs enjoyed a more consistent supply of quick, attacking ball than they had as U15s, and used this to excellent effect in constructing some sensational team and individual tries.

Harry Armstrong was invariably one of the best players on the field in each game, combining intelligent defending with extraordinary skill in attack, and scoring two tries – one against John Fisher and the other against Trinity – that will live long in the memory. Tom Harvey, Toby Smith, Alfie Amor, and Oscar Allen all grew in confidence as the season progressed, and by the end of the year it was impossible to decide which of them to leave out of the starting team.

Daniel Wight stepped up from the Bs, where he had long been a leading light, with great skill and determination, soon proving to himself and everyone else that he is an incredibly talented and brave full-back. Jacob Austin was a deadly presence on the wing, memorably scoring four tries against Hurstpierpoint – whose back line will still be having nightmares about his clinical finishing!

In the sevens season, Leo Luczkiw saved us from elimination at Rosslyn Park with two solo tries – opposition coaches could not believe that he was an U15, and he will no doubt thrive in seasons to come.

After several years away from School rugby, Alastair White returned, playing well for the Bs in the 15-a-side season, and then becoming an integral part of the sevens squad, where he found himself going toe-to-toe with top schools like Sedbergh, Dulwich, and Epsom.

The future is extremely bright for this bunch. Ben Conaghan, Harry Armstrong, and Joe Cornell all joined Nick Lynagh in representing the First XV as U16s – and acquitted themselves extremely well. The remarkable strength in depth was evident when we won the Surrey Plate with a B team – beating A teams from Trinity, St John’s, and John Fisher in the process – and came second at the Middlesex Festival with an A/B team squad.

I have thoroughly enjoyed coaching this characterful and committed group for the past two years, and I wish them all the best as they make the transition to Senior Rugby. I have no doubt that the First, Second, and Third XVs will enjoy great success – and play an exciting brand of rugby – over the next two seasons.

My particular thanks go to Will Wallace, who was a superbly mature, supportive, and inspirational captain, but I shall miss every single one of them greatly.

RHA

U16B Rugby Our season kicked off with a long journey down to Seaford College, fresh from our summer break and pre-season training. Seaford looked to play their typical physical style of rugby that Hampton struggled to break in the first half. Despite a massive defensive effort for the entire game, Hampton could not form an effective attack and the first game was a hard fought 3-12 loss.

U16B Rugby Our second game was Campion School, this time on home soil. The sun was shining, and it looked to be an exciting game of fast rugby. The game certainly delivered on those prospects, as Campion could not keep out Hampton’s constant attacks. Our wingers – Ali White, James GilbertSmith, and a debuting Kessan Konesakumar – were the pick of the players as they capitalised on try-scoring opportunities to win 48-14.

Next, we faced RGS High Wycombe away – which, similarly to Seaford, is always a physical encounter. From the beginning it was a stalemate as Hampton locked RGS High Wycombe in their own half but struggled to convert opportunities into tries. Our breakthrough finally came in the second half, when Nat Taylor conceded the most obvious knock-on of the season, only not to be spotted by the referee and the try was scored.

Heading into the final 10 minutes, locked in our own half with only a 5-0 lead, we relied on our blitz defence, heavily drilled by our coach Miss Singleton. It worked and, after 10 minutes of ferocious defence – and huge hits coming from flanker Isaac Tarragano – we held onto a win.

Our fourth game was away to Hurstpierpoint College. After a long journey we were raring to go and secure a third win of the season. It was an evenly matched game from the get-go, but Hampton just gained the edge on Hurst due to our lineout dominance and defensive physicality. As a result of this, we scored two excellently worked tries. Despite one lazy defensive set costing us a try, we won 17-7. Special mention goes to our scrum-half Thomas Henderson for sneaking a try away from the entire forward pack!

Our final game of the first half term was against Epsom College at home, and we were confident having won the last few fixtures. Epsom are historically a significant challenge, so it was a testing game for us as a squad.

Throughout the game, we dominated with a series of crunching hits and the discovery of a very strong driving maul which helped secure two tries against a much larger pack.

As a result of this, we won the game 26-7 – a highlight was no doubt Josh Skeaping throwing in what might have been the most illegal tackle in history and not even waiting to be sent off before leaving the field. We live and learn.

We then faced Harrow in our first game back from the October break. This is always a tough challenge and, this year, it was played in cold and freezing conditions – which only added to the difficulty. Sadly, we struggled to secure any solid possession as our forwards were outplayed by their larger pack.

Despite a valiant try saving tackle by our full-back Daniel Wight, we lost 17-0.

Next up we played against Trinity Croydon at home. Trinity struggled against our quick-ball speed and fierce defence. As a result, we stacked on the points and conceded very few, leading to a well-deserved 41-7 victory. the lion

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sport Our final game of the first term was against Cranleigh School away.

Cranleigh had a strong size advantage and looked to exploit this throughout the game. Our first breakthrough came from a beautiful line from Gabe Salmassian, who scored in the corner; this was ably converted by our flyhalf, Olly Gellately.

This was my second time coaching this Year Group, and it was a pleasure to see how much they had developed as a squad. I was exceptionally proud of how they played with focus, maturity, and resilience, producing outstanding rugby week on week.

I wish them all the best for Senior Rugby.

Our forwards played a brilliant game in picking apart Cranleigh’s tough defence, as well as ensuring lineout dominance throughout the game. The team really came together during this match, and I look back on it as our best performance of the season.

We were then off to Grasshoppers for the Middlesex Festival in which we were going to play against A team squads. With some help from a few of our own A team players, we felt we had a very strong squad to go all the way in the festival. We managed to win four out of our six matches, with a very impressive victory over St Benedict’s helping us finish second overall.

RJS

U15A Rugby

Our next two fixtures were all called off due to waterlogged pitches and because of a shortage of numbers for our opponents meaning that this was all until after Christmas.

After the Christmas break, we had a few huge games coming up. However, the weather conditions meant our fixture against Tiffin was called off – meaning we had to wait another two weeks for our biggest game of the season against Whitgift!

U15A Rugby

We got off to a great start as Ali dived over for a very good try early in the game. However, Whitgift came back with two very good tries to leave the score 10-5 at half time. We benefited from some great words from Jack Shepherd, who came down to support us, which helped us put in an outstanding second-half performance.

The U15As had a mixed season, but we still enjoyed some great highlights.

Despite a significant number of injuries throughout the year, we beat huge teams such as Trinity and John Fisher.

We scored a converted try and a penalty to make the score 15-10 with around 15 minutes left. Not long after the penalty, Eshan Mir dived over for an excellent try in the corner, giving us a 20-10 victory and a massive win.

In our second game of the season, we faced a large Campion side. It was a good attacking display from Hampton, including some great carries

by Xavier O’Donnell and some amazing try-saving tackles by Monty Seager.

With a few injuries and players going up to the As, we were missing a couple players for our game against St Benedict’s. Despite this, we put in a tremendous performance with our forwards dominating the game in a 20-0 victory.

In one of the earlier games of our season, we faced RGS High Wycombe.

After an intense match, with five minutes left, we were drawing 17-17 and defending our try line. However, thanks to an amazing defensive effort, especially by our front row – Xavier O’Donnell, Amulya Thapa, and Rajvir Dhillon – we successfully kept them from scoring, resulting in a proud draw for the team.

After the half term break, we had just the one fixture to look forward to.

With a few players coming down from the As because of sevens, we felt we had a strong squad to defeat Harrodian.

The conditions were very difficult; however, we fought through these with our forwards putting up a very strong performance. William Youster was the most impressive of the forwards, scoring two tries to help us win 27-5.

This was an excellent season, with us only losing two block fixtures.

Thank you very much to Miss Singleton for coaching and organising the teams every week and for making sure everyone got game-time in our very large squad.

Oliver Gellately & Natty Taylor The boys enjoyed an outstanding season, and they played for each other week in week out – with smiles on their faces – whatever the conditions.

They adapted when needed, and they were happy to try new positions when the situation arose.

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The U15As also took part in the National Cup this year. In our first match of this cup, we faced the local side Wimbledon College. Although we had many injuries and a significant number of players stepping up from the Bs, we played very well and gained a comfortable 33-24 win. Oscar Paterson, Gabriele Chiarotti and Tobi Quigley played particularly well.

Next up on our fixture list was Trinity School, Croydon. Wanting revenge from last year, we headed into this game ready to make some big defensive hits and tire them in the wide channels. We did exactly this, achieving a well-deserved 26-10 win.

Another tournament fast-approaching was the Middlesex Cup. We enjoyed some very convincing wins, with some big carries by Max Rolles and great tackles by Ben Rowe and Freddie Lingard. However, we finished second overall after a last play try by St Benedict’s to win the game.

Feeling hard done by after the unfortunate Cup loss, we faced another Croydon based school, John Fisher. We had a big victory again, with great defence by Toby Walters and four tries from James Stanworth.

sport In our final game of the season before sevens, we faced St Benedict’s again.

In this match, we sought to beat them after our loss in the Middlesex Cup. We played with great pace, moving the ball to the wings excellently, gaining a convincing 41-7 win, including some stunning tries by Leo Luczkiw.

This was an excellent way to finish our 15s season, really showing what we can do. The aim next year will be to play like this on a more consistent basis!

These boys were a pleasure to coach throughout the season – hardworking, enthusiastic, and good fun.

They should be particularly delighted with the way they played in their final XV and VIIs matches. These games showed the significant strides they had made as a team, and the heights they can reach, even if playing at this standard did not happen on a consistent basis throughout the season. That will be the challenge moving forward, and I have no doubt they will rise to it in the years to come.

Sevens

RTS

U15B Rugby

After our last seven’s season, coming top 12 in the Rosslyn Park Schools National Seven’s Competition, we had set a high benchmark for ourselves.

Our first tournament was the Surrey Sevens. We came second in our group after two convincing wins against Wallington Grammar and Salesian and a tough loss against RGS Guildford, moving on to the plate quarter-finals against John Fisher.

With some great plays from the whole team and good defensive work

by Sam Vowles and Hugo Vincente Louis, we narrowly won 28-24, passing through to the semis to face a physical Trinity side. After suffering a great number of injuries throughout the tournament, we sadly were knocked out.

Our next tournament was quite a distance away, up north in Warwick. After losing two out of three group matches, we luckily came second in our group on points difference, and therefore faced Wimbledon College in the knockout stages. After some great efforts from the whole team and brilliant tries from William Squire, we unfortunately lost by ‘Golden Try’.

Our final tournament was the Wimbledon College Sevens. We headed into this tournament looking to end on a high. After three large wins against Ipswich, St Edward’s Oxford, and London Oratory, with included some great tries from Sam Maritz, we entered our final group match against Warwick, hoping to top it. Unfortunately, we lost last play of the game, so advanced into the plate semi-finals against Eton College.

With some great runs and tries by Leo Luczkiw and Thomas Deedman, we ended the match with a 26-23 win. Our final match was against a confident Dulwich College side. After some great tries by Omar Khan and a fantastic try saving tackle by Louis Wright, we won the game 19-12, winning the plate competition.

Overall, we enjoyed a great sevens season and racked up a great number of convincing wins. The tournament win at the end was a fantastic way to end our season on a high.

Thomas Deedman

U15B Rugby Preseason training was keenly attended, and there was a real air of anticipation – building on the foundations of some late-season success from the year before.

The first match was a long trip away to Seaford, where, thanks to an excellent Oscar Paterson pick-and-go, we went into half-time level. Felix Landricombe, Toby Walters, and Rajvir Dhillon were excellent in defence, making some ferocious tackles. Unfortunately, Seaford used the slope to their advantage in the second half, running out eventual winners 21-5.

Another long journey followed the next week, away to Campion School, where again the scores were even going into half time; but, once more, the team ran out of steam against some muscular opponents in the second half.

What followed was a tough few weeks, where both the U15As and Bs were decimated by injuries – which meant often players having to play out of position, or sometimes with even fewer numbers. As such, heavy defeats ensued against Hurstpierpoint, RGS High Wycombe, and Epsom College.

However, some people really stood in these tough weeks, with Max Camillieri, Alex Barnes, and Erik Domsodi in particular putting in stellar performances both in defence and attack.

In the final few weeks of the first term, despite fixtures against other strong schools, the team continued to play with real heart.

Although going down 34-10 to Harrow, huge improvements were evident in defence and in ball-carrying.

This again was transferred to the match versus Trinity School at home. On a wet and windy day, the ball-carrying by the forwards especially was ferocious, with Orly Froud, Gabriel McGrory, and Flynn Taylor the lion

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sport constantly making carries deep into the Trinity Half. This led to the team going into the final 10 minutes only one score behind. Trinity unfortunately counterpunched with a few late tries to eventually end up winning 24-5.

U14A Rugby

However, the team travelled down to Cranleigh with confidence. There, an excellent maul-try from Ben Robinson put us into the lead, before a very strong Cranleigh runner scored three length-of-the-field tries that resulted in a 31-5 defeat for the team.

Despite not winning a game, morale in the group was exemplary. Training was well-attended, and more and more boys were joining the rugby squad, such as Jin Ho Bae, Robbie Kerr, and Sam Maritz.

Unfortunately, the next three matches versus John Fisher, St John’s, and Tiffin were all cancelled – games that were eminently winnable given the progress we had made. It was not until after Christmas that the next match was played, away on a cold day to Whitgift.

The match was incredibly even, with spirited defence and line-breaks from Ryan Chen often gaining territory. A Tobi Quigley penalty put us ahead, before Whitgift went clear. A Stunning Sam Maritz solo try from halfway put us in with a shout of victory, but Whitgift clung on for a narrow 17-8 win.

However, our progress was yet again evidenced in the next two games: easily the two best performances of the year.

U14A Rugby The U14A’s season began, under the blazing sun, with a win against Seaford College. It was certainly an excellent start!

After another strong win against Campion School, we came up against an opponent that beat us convincingly in the season before. We travelled on the coach to RGS High Wycombe. It was a tight match, with us enjoying a 7-0 lead throughout most of the game. A last-minute try from RGS meant the game finished 7-7; this represented a massive improvement from last season’s fixture and a huge step forward for us in our rugby.

Firstly, in a midweek match versus Box Hill School the team played with great panache. Two early tries from close range by Amulya Thapa put us ahead, before Sam Maritz turned on the style, scoring from a Tobi Quigley cross-field kick, and then some more long-range, solo tries to complete a hat-trick. Further tries from Orly Froud and Flynn Taylor, combined with accurate conversions from Tobi, led to 45-0 victory.

After a couple of well-fought wins, we travelled to Epsom College – a team we had not come up against before. The game finished in a 14-14 draw, after we made a strong comeback from 14-0 down.

This was followed by a match versus local rivals St Benedict’s. Despite a close game last year, we played with considerable elan to win comprehensively 57-0, with Erik Domsodi scoring a hat-trick from prop, and further tries for several, including Henry Walmsley on debut from the wing. Tobi Quigley and James Eggleton converted the tries to cap off an excellent afternoon.

Following this good run-in form, we suffered a defeat against Cranleigh School; they were a very strong and well-drilled side, though it was an excellent contest.

Unfortunately, further cancellations versus Ibstock Place and Harrodian looked to have finished off our season prematurely, before a hasty lastminute fixture versus Hampton High was arranged.

Despite our recent good form, Hampton High brought a very strong team – one that would have given the As a tough match! Unfortunately, the season ended in a heavy loss. Despite the result, the match gave many the chance to make their debut on the First XV pitch, which was a hugely enjoyable moment for all.

What was a tough season in the beginning, ended on a strong note; what was most impressive was the continued good nature of all the players. By the end of the year, everybody had progressed immensely as individual players.

Particular congratulations must also go to Erik Domsodi, who was voted Most Improved Player of the Year, and Alex Barnes, who was awarded Player of the Year.

Good luck in your U16 Season!

ARH 202

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After beating both Harrow and Trinity School, we also won the first round of the Middlesex cup against Gunnersbury Catholic School.

An illness then spread through almost half the team before we came up against St Richard Reynolds in the Cup final. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we finished as runners up.

We also lost again John Fisher School – with well over half the team still unavailable.

Frustratingly, our next couple of games were called off due to poor weather conditions.

However, we came back from the Christmas break reinvigorated – something which was reflected in our hugely impressive win over Whitgift School. We finished the season very well, ending with a strong win against St Benedict’s School.

We then moved onto sevens season.

It took a while to adapt to a completely different game style, embracing new tactics and skills.

We travelled to Warwick for our first tournament. After winning all of our group matches, we progressed to the knockouts and made our way to the final, beating Sedbergh along the way. We were playing some breathtaking sevens rugby, with many superb tries scored by almost everyone in the squad.

sport Unfortunately, we went home as runners up, losing to excellent Welsh side, Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern. Though our overall performance was superb.

Our second tournament was Surrey sevens. Entering the tournament as reigning champions, we had high hopes. In the blistering cold, frost, and snow, we played three group stage matches. Finishing top of the group, we went onto beat Whitgift in the quarter-final.

We advanced into the semi-finals against St John’s School. But, sadly, our structure fell apart somewhat after conceding early in the first half, and the game finished 15-0 – plenty of lessons learned though, however.

The squad was large, with many Hamptonians participating, some experiencing rugby for the first time.

Whilst we did not ultimately win many matches over the course of the season, we put in some serious good fights and – most importantly – had a great deal of fun and built on friendships.

Everyone performed their best, played as a team, and improved as rugby players; hopefully this serves as a good base and springboard for some further wins next season!

Thank you also to all of the coaching staff who helped us this season.

Jack Youster

Our final tournament of the season was Rosslyn Park, the biggest school’s sevens tournament in the country, with many schools across England – and even a school from Dubai!

We played some excellent, flowing rugby on the first day with three wins in the group and then a victory against Northampton School for Boys, which took us into the cup on day two. We lost our first two games on day two, however, which meant we were knocked out of the tournament – though it was a fantastic experience.

U13A Rugby

Overall, it was a great season for the U14As, and we enjoyed many strong wins against some of the best schools in the country. We also finished the season with some astounding sevens performances across all three tournaments – leaving us much to be proud of.

Throughout the entire season, we were coached by Mr Ellsworth, Mr Hood, and Mr Mobbs-Smith, who improved us massively as a team and supported us through the season – thank you to all of them and to the parents who supported us on the touchline.

Harry Drewry

U14B Rugby

U13A Rugby We started the rugby session with enthusiasm and under the expert coaching of Mr Gray.

After a difficult start to the campaign, our first victory came during a closely contested match against St George’s Weybridge. Unfortunately, we were swiftly put back in our place against Epsom College a week later. However, our confidence returned with a powering victory over Halliford.

The highlight of the season was the Middlesex Festival at the end of November. Not only did this get us out of School for a day, but it also enabled us to pick up our first piece of silverware! We ended the day as champions, having won all our games though teamwork, courage, and sheer determination!

An unfortunate winter period followed, with a mixture of weather conditions and several fixtures were cancelled – which obviously annoyed the team.

U14B Rugby Firstly, I need to say that our results do not reflect on how well we played as a team – and they certainly do not reflect the wonderful fun we had or the comradeship that grew throughout the season.

Out of 15 scheduled games, we only managed to play 11 due to poor weather. Out of these we won two – a closely fought game against Seaford College, where we won 17-15, and our game against St Benedict’s, which we won 17-7.

Our first sevens tournament was at Warwick in March of this year. The day started well, with us being victorious in four out of five group matches.

Unfortunately, limited by injuries, we lost the final game of the day.

The season finale was the Rosslyn Park tournament on the last day of term.

Despite missing half of our squad through injury, we fought hard against new opposition with our new replacements in horrendous weather conditions. Although we could have done better with our full squad, we were rewarded with a victory in the last match of the day.

Throughout this season of rugby, the U13As has benefited from contributions from many players: Xavier Knowles, Benedict Butterfield, the lion

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Overall, the boys have shown great potential and a real passion for rugby, and I look forward to witnessing their rugby journey throughout their time at Hampton.

PST

The season was fantastically enjoyable and huge thanks go to Mr Gray for all the work he has put in. Hopefully, with some new players joining us at U14s – to add depth and competition – we can enter next season with even more excitement as well!

Kian Windley

U12A Rugby

U13B Rugby

U12A Rugby Under the excellent captaincy of Breton Cseh, the U12As have been a real pleasure to watch develop, build friendships, and coach. If I think back to where they were in September to where they are now, they have really grown as players and have learnt some valuable lessons along the way – namely, do not throw away a four-try to nil lead against St George’s Weybridge!

U13B Rugby It has been an exciting and rewarding season for the U13Bs, filled with growth, teamwork, and the development of essential rugby skills. The boys showed great dedication and it was inspiring to witness their progress.

Our front row of Ben Govier, Danai Thomas, and Thomas Graham – as well as Alfie Keller at hooker until he converted to outside centre – worked hard on improving their body position in the scrum and became increasingly formidable in the loose as the season progressed.

Sam Attwood, Sam Coupe, and Maxim Guthalo made up the engine room; the latter two improved their handling skills so much that their speed was utilised in the backs towards the end of the season – Maxim in particular impressing with his fearless defence.

Aarav Desai and William Matthews mainly played 8, though they could also be found elsewhere in the forwards when needed. The whole pack carried hard, defended effectively, and put in a lot of work in around the pitch.

Ed Pedder captained the team well from his position at scrum-half – Farhan Aroos also played 9, alongside popping up on the wing. Tristan Landricombe truly flourished in his role as fly-half, causing considerable problems for opposing defences with his speed and intelligent passing game.

Our wings, Elliott Jones – whose kicking from hand became a real weapon in the latter part of the season – Huw Parry, and Sena Kelly were huge threats on the wing, working well with our hard-running centres, Daniel McCahearty and Jasper Miles.

Edmond Louet and Thomas Quin also deserve much credit for their willingness to play pretty much anywhere in the backs.

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As the season developed, some excellent partnerships started to emerge – particularly in the centres, with Edison Yip’s elusive running lines and Lucas Woods’ deft hands and outside breaks. In the pack, Max Coney and Eashan Backs’ distractive running lines were excellent. Tackle of the season goes to Hari Lever, with his bone-crushing tackle in the Caterham match.

In December, the team went to the County Cup tournament, which, as ever, was an excellent day where the best teams in the County meet.

Throughout the day, Joshua Dunbar-Lee played, as he always does, to an exceptionally high standard, and with a very low error-count, whilst Jojo O’Shaughnessy was particularly effective in attack. Tom Staton continued to be an invaluable member of the squad – being so versatile that he can play basically any position called upon! Overall, the team did not lose a game, but they finished runners up on try count back: a very admirable achievement.

The Whitgift game will stand long in the memory as one of the best performances I have ever seen by an U12 side.

On a cold, damp morning against strong opposition, every single one of the players had an excellent game. In particular, I will remember Joe Lloyd bravely making a number of tackles against opposition players that looked more like Fourth Years than First. I will also remember Alex Finn, who, as ever, was completely tenacious in everything he did, and Ben Jago, who had his best game by far – even with a lack of shorts!

The back three, however, were the standout players, linking incredibly well with Daniel Spooner – who made some elusive runs – Archie Skinner – who cut some brilliant lines at pace from full-back – and Jonny McMonagle – with his terrifying pace, finishing off some tries that for anyone else would have simply been impossible.

sport During the brief and waterlogged sevens season, the team once again improved dramatically throughout the two tournaments they played. Huw Chapman starred in the Reigate tournament – he was just so difficult to tackle!

The most exciting thing to think about this group is – with the amount of raw talent they have – I believe they have a lot of potential; they will be an everincreasing force on the demanding South West of London rugby circuit.

I have so very much enjoyed coaching this group of players, and I wish them ever success in the future.

NJS

U12B Rugby

The U12Bs had a very enjoyable season this year in which they all grew significantly as players.

Whilst they endured a difficult start to the season against some strong opposition, things finally fell into place against Caterham. In this fixture, a strong defence resilience paired with some superb try-scoring gave captain Huw Chapman an excellent 40-10 victory, which earned him a call up to the U12A team.

The team continued to develop well in the months leading up to the Christmas holidays, with Zac Carter, Manny Carraretto, Ian Chen, and Josh Kim all bringing an increased physicality for each game.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Knowles-Szuniewicz and Navraj Dhillon really started to get to grips with the dark arts of rucking, effecting many turn overs for the side against the likes of Halliford and Trinity.

George Halberstadt offered stability at scrum-half, and Lucas Bennell was equally industrious in both attack and defence. Throughout the season, Max Grierson, Julius Morris, Samrith Poonia, and Jonty Gwynne provided powerful running – Julius’ four tries in an enthralling draw against Whitgift were testament to this.

This squad has an exciting back three in Digby Joice, Freddie Robinson, and Monty Smith. All season, they ran with pace and agility, scoring several tries and improving significantly in their defence.

Mr Dow and Mr Saunders very much enjoyed working with this year group, and we very much look forward to hearing about how they develop in the coming years.

U12B Rugby

CWS

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Senior Rowing The start of the year saw the newly formed Senior Squad training in small boats and singles; this helps to learn responsibility and to take accountability for the movements of the boat. This worked well as, come the autumn training camp in Laias in northern Spain, we found ourselves with some reasonable speed.

Autumn training camp in Laias was a tough week; we were training near the northern border of Portugal and Spain and, although we were expecting sunshine, we soon discovered that at this time of year the weather here was one of two things: wet or really wet!

Needless to say, we were in for some very soggy mileage. This training camp was particularly challenging mentally, as we would be out in the rain for hours at a time multiple times a day just to get back and find out that we still had some ‘erging’ or weights to do.

The Hotel was really nice and the food was excellent – which help lift the dampened spirits! The benefit of this week was clear when we got back to the UK; no session thrown at us could phase us anymore.

The second half term had lots in store for us: a transition to larger boats, but also a chance for some of our rowers to start going through the GB process. Alex Cresswell – the Captain of Boats – Dominic Must, Kai Kelly, and Theo Elliott qualified to race in Boston for the first round of Team GB trials.

This had the consequence that Alex and Kai were invited for a GB training camp over winter, although Dominic would sub in for Kai after Kai became ill.

The same four people also got a chance to attend the first pairs time trail in February; Dom and Theo even progressed one step further. However, regrettably, we did not progress further in the Team GB selection process – though it was a fantastic experience.

With some good early races in small boats before Christmas, we were looking forward to the transition into the Eights over the Christmas holiday. This, however, did not materialise due to a strep throat infection that swept through the School and the whole of the Home Counties; Covid also reared its head again, taking some of the rowers off training for the entire break.

This certainly put us back and many of the early gains seemed to have faded away; so, it was with much determination that we pushed on into the spring term to try and get back to our best.

After more training – but still affected by illness – we came to the first of the three big races of the season: the Schools Head of River on the tideway. This seven-kilometre race gave us a chance to see just how we weighed up against other schools and clubs across the country.

The following rowers represented the second eight, having pulled in some U16 squad members to get the crew to race: Nathan Le Bougeant, Vaibhav Neela, Henry Bunkall, Joshua Maisuria-Hull, Sam Berresford, Edward Clark, Jasper Bezzant, Thomas Perry, coxed by Johnny Rofe – who finished fifteenth in their category – and Alexander Cresswell, Oscar Tejura, Oscar Kelly, Kai Kelly, Dominic Must, Theodore Elliott, Toby Gwynne, Arjun Kang, coxed by Ben Knight – who achieved a tenth place finish raced in the first Eight.

Following this, we went on to the Easter training camp to Seville. Seville was absolutely beautiful: beaming sunshine; fresh oranges; and a beautiful stretch of river defined this trip.

We rowed on a 2km course outside of our hotel and prioritized morning and evening sessions to make way for the afternoon siesta. This was also a major selection camp as the final crews for National Schools regatta were being finalised.

Edwin Martin and Edward Clark joined Alexander Cresswell, Kai Kelly, Dominic Must, Theodore Elliott, Toby Gwynne, Arjun Kang and cox Ben Knight to make the first Eight for the regatta season.

A coxed four of Oscar Tejura, Oscar Kelly, Sam Berresford, Jasper Bezzant and Joshua Maisuria-Hull was also formed to compete as, unfortunately, a second Eight was not viable.

The coxed four would go on to have a successful regatta season with Mr Neville as their coach. As the National School's Regatta approached, the four had much to look forward to; it had a good chance of doing well and a medal was a strong prospect. After making it through the first few rounds, coming second in their time-trial and winning the semi-final, they had arrived at the final as one of the favourites.

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Their competition was a collection of clubs from all over the UK; a Scottish school and an Irish club had both entered extremely fast fours. The final saw the Hampton crew go out strong and led from the start. The Scottish four from Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association kept up an intense chase, slowly narrowing down the two-second lead. With 500 meters to go, the crew from Aberdeen put in a strong finish; the Hampton crew bravely tried to fight this off, but the Aberdeen crew manged to squeeze through on the line with a 0.5 second win. Regardless, this silver medal was a huge achievement in a very exciting race.

Dorney Lake, which included the Silver medal coxed four and the J16 first Eight which had come fourth at the NSR. After two days of intense racing, the first Eight remained unchanged, having held off the challenges from the four and the J16s.

A second Eight was formed from the J18 Four and four of the J16 crew, and so Oscar Tejura, Oscar Kelley, Jasper Bezzant, Sam Berresford, George Buckingham, Harry Oliver, Fabian Tinsley-Roy, and Harry Bernard, coxed by Zaidan Amiji, now formed the second Eight.

Running parallel to this was the first Eight. It faced the challenge of the Championship eight category at National Schools regatta. Coming up against the very best rowing schools in the country, the rowers knew that they were going to be in a very strong field from the twenty-two crews entered.

Mr Greenaway brought in a finishing coach, Ben Lewis, to help with the first Eight, whilst Mr Lee and Mr Neville joined forces to coach the second Eight in an attempt to qualify for the University event: The Temple Challenge Cup, at Henley Royal Regatta.

The Eight were hoping to squeeze a place in the A final, but, after some tough races – which were made ever the harder by the Dorney cross wind – this target seemed unlikely. On Saturday, out in lane 6, the Hampton crew came third in their Heat and then had to progress through the reperchage, where they came second to qualify for the A/B semi-finals on the Sunday.

The first Eight rowers started to find more speed in the run up to Henley.

Along the way, the first Eight competed in its best race of the season: Marlow regatta. During the 8-lane racing, the First Eight came first in the 4th final – out of 11 finals – beating the top crews from Newcastle University, Imperial University, and Nottingham University.

Drawing lane 6 again, the semi was a tough race-off where, despite their best efforts, the crew did not qualify for the targeted A final.

Finally, this led on to Henley Royal Regatta; here, the second Eight had a very strong row and, although they – sadly – did not qualify, they were the fourth-quickest non-qualifier from the forty-six non-qualifiers for the Temple Challenge Cup: a fantastic effort all-round!

After a few hours to pick ourselves up, the crew prepared for the B final instead; it was here that we had a very intense race against Bedford. In the end, the crew managed fourth in the B final. Although not achieving our initial goal, the crew had raced with determination and pride, and enjoyed the close racing of this regatta.

The year was not quite over yet; one more major race was left: Henley.

The Hampton Henley Campaign 2023 began in the half term break following the National Schools Regatta, NSR. We did some seat-racing at

In the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup for Junior Eights, Hampton drew Abingdon in the first round. Abingdon, an age-old rival for the boat club, was a great start to the regatta.

The Hampton crew had a strong start and controlled the race to win by three lengths. The second day, however, would be a tough challenge against the National Schools winners St Edwards. Despite a brave start – and never allowing St Edwards to settle – the result went to the stronger crew, with St the lion

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sport Edwards winning by two and a half lengths. St Edwards would then go on In late March, the School’s Head of the River Race was our first opportunity to become the overall winners of the competition. to showcase just what we could do – and hopefully build off last year’s results, where all crews finished out of the top 10.

Overall, the 2022-2023 season was hugely eventful; we navigated extremely tough challenges under the experienced leadership of Mr Greenaway and Mr Both A and B crews flew off the start line, burning past numerous crews – Neville. The Upper Sixth – who have since left the School – enjoyed a strong including powerful boats such as Westminster, Shiplake, and Radley – end to their Hampton School rowing careers, while the Lower Sixth are now finishing 3rd in both categories. This stunned the competition! This was the looking forward to building on the successes and performances from this final head race of the season and put us in a good place for the regatta season. year and into the 2023-2024 season.

Theo Elliott Regatta season is very different to Head season; regattas are only 2km races, rather than the longer head races, and are side-by-side rather than the oneby-one style of head races. This presents a whole new set of mental challenges and alters our style of training from low reps, heavy lifting, and longer tests on the rowing machine to faster, high-impact work geared around getting us faster and faster for National Schools’ Regatta. This is where schools and clubs from across the UK come to race to see who the fastest crew in the UK is.

But, before that, there were numerous regattas that took place, such as the Wallingford, Poplar, and Bedford. Wallingford saw the J16 Second VIII take on J16 First VIIIs. Despite racing well, they were in a fast heat and subsequently did not qualify. However, the A crew raced hard in the heats, making the final by 0.3 seconds.

Despite this, we pushed on into the final and came 2nd, beating the likes of Eton and Radley. Later in the day, the First VIII was split into two coxed fours. The B 4+ went out in the heats but the A 4+ made it to the finals, coming 2nd, beating South African Schools Rowing Union (SASRU) and Westminster, but just losing out to Great Marlow School (GMS), who would prove to be powerful opponents throughout the rest of the year in 4s racing.

U16 First VIII Rowing

With Wallingford behind us, we turned our focus toward Bedford regatta.

This saw the A crew once again split into two coxed fours.

Following some mishaps, the B 4+ lost out to GMS and the A 4+ ended up winning, beating GMS in the final by one foot.

Following last year’s somewhat underwhelming results, new coach Mr Lee had some serious work to do!

After this, the Second VIII turned up to convincingly beat Abingdon’s Second VIII, before – unfortunately – crashing in the final and losing to a St Kicking off the year, it was clear from the outset that training was going to Pauls crew. The First VIII also raced after the 4s races, re-joining to win the be much more intensive. This consisted of two gym sessions a week and three J16 8s event, beating SASRU by a length. water-based sessions per week.

The squad turned up to Poplar with the intention of laying down the During the head race season – time trial races – mileage was our biggest gauntlet over 2km in the 8 ahead of National Schools. focus; the aim of this was to build and develop our aerobic base, which is the foundation to our race pace.

We had two straight finals due to crews scratching from the races. The B 4+ consisting of Philip Crawshaw, Harry Bernard, Tristan Thorpe, Eliot The first race of the year was Kingston Small Boats Head. Hampton sent Mitchell, and Ben Knight won against the A 4+, with both Hampton crews four boats to this race and placed 3rd, 4th, 5th , and 6th out of eight boats. This disappearing over the horizon from the viewpoint of the other crews. represented a promising forecast for the year, as our squad depth was shown immediately; however, it highlighted that we still had much to learn.

Later in the day, 8s racing was the focus, with the A and B VIIIs in the same race, finishing 1st and 3rd respectively – both crews also recorded their fastest Fast forward a month and Hampton Small Boats Head was upon us. This times. Finally, it was National Schools’ regatta, with both crews hoping to at took place on our home stretch of water and – given the conditions and least medal, if not win their event. injury situation – those who raced did themselves proud in the single scull, one of the most difficult boats to learn well.

After racing well in the time trials, both crews were into their respective finals, and both had a shot at winning. Both crews went hard off the start, Moving on in the year, Hampton Head was upon us. This race is similar to with both in the top three of their finals by the 1000m mark. The B crew the previous race, just with larger boats! Fuelled by a newfound rivalry with held onto their position and finished with a bronze medal; however, it was KCS, the 4- boat of George Buckingham, Harry Oliver, Philip not to be for the A crew, as Bedford gradually slipped past them, pushing Crawshaw, and Harry Bernard finished 1st by 11 seconds. As well as this, them into 4th place. What ensued was a well-deserved celebration for the B Philip Crawshaw continued his winning streak by helping the Second VIII crew, but also a silent realisation from the A crew that they needed to get finish in 1st place in the Second VIIIs category. faster.

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The last dance for the B crew was Bedford Star Regatta. This is the same format as Bedford regatta and takes place along the same stretch of water as well. One of the coxed fours, featuring Nathan LeBougeant, came 3rd.

Later, the two fours joined to make an VIII which lost by two lengths to a strong Bedford crew.

only increased by the 1000m marker. Into the last 500m, it looked as though GBR were starting to come back; however, the crew from France were too strong and held off the powerful GBR finish. France triumphed by 8 seconds over the Hamptonian GBR crew.

Nonetheless, with added experience in the form of new Senior coach, Mr Back at Hampton, the J17 4+ – which had placed 2nd in their Nat Schools’ Butler, the crew can look forward to stepping up and building upon our final, earning them a silver medal – combined with some of the J16 A crew success this year in the coming season. to form Hampton’s Second VIII, which would go to Marlow and then Henley qualifiers to attempt to qualify for the Temple Challenge Cup – a Harry Bernard school and university event, with notable entries from the likes of Oxford Brookes University and Harvard.

The crew trained hard over the course of two weeks, recording a strong performance at Marlow Regatta the week prior, placing 2nd out of all the Second VIIIs in the category, and 5th in the whole category. This gave the crew much hope for Henley Qualifiers.

The crew travelled up to Henley three times before the race to get a feel for the course and, once satisfied, geared up for the qualifier: the biggest race of their lives so far. The crew fought well, catching Girton College, Cambridge, and putting some serious distance on an Imperial crew. Sadly, it was not enough, and the crew heartbreakingly missed out on a spot in the event.

J16 Second VIII Rowing From crabs and clashes with trees to taking home a medal at the National Schools’ Regatta, this year of rowing at Hampton has been an eventful and extremely enjoyable one.

We started the year off as an already familiar squad, with the addition of Mr Lee – the new J16 rowing coach. We quickly stepped on with the training, and adjusted to changes that J16 rowing brought to the table, most notably the tiring 7:30-1:00 Saturday morning sessions. Over the October half term, the squad got some necessary endurance training in Laias, Spain, including 20+ kilometre sessions on the water. This was invaluable in squad bonding and setting us up for the racing season ahead.

Finally, the four fastest available J16 rowers were selected for trials for the GB versus France match, and the chance to represent GB in an international fixture. The 4+ consisting of Fabian Tinsley-Roy, Harry Bernard, George Buckingham, Harry Forbes, and Zaidan Amiji faced huge pressure from Eton, GMS, St Pauls, and Latymer in the time trial. These crews were the fastest school J16 4s in Britain and naturally the results were very close, with Kingston Small Boats Head: The first race of the year for us. This was our Hampton winning by 0.9 seconds, securing the chance to represent GBR chance to see where the squad stood amongst the numerous other internationally. competitive rowing schools. We entered four coxed fours, which placed 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th – a decent but not astonishing set of results. This was exciting After a delay in the start, the GB crew were down by half a length – due to as we knew there was potential for the big races later in the year. catching a crab – but quickly retook the ground that was lost. However, the race pace of the French crew was faster than that of the British crew. Coming Throughout the Autumn term, we had been building up our sculling into the first 500m, the French crew had a lead of half a boat length, which abilities in preparation for the Hampton Small Boats Head. Unfortunately, the lion

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illness throughout the squad and poor conditions on the day meant that the squad came back with sub-par results. However, we still managed to finish off the term on a good note with the annual Hampton-LEH Christmas Pudding Races. We saw ferocious racing over the 250m course – and as always, the LEH rowers outdressed the Hampton rowers in the fancy dress competition!

after giving it everything, we finished last. This gave the crew motivation for the following regattas.

The next regatta was Wallingford Regatta, where the J16 Second 8+ raced hard through the strong headwind against many A crews, even managing to beat some. From there, we moved onto Bedford Regatta; we convincingly beat Bedford in the quarter-finals and Abingdon in the semis to get through Fast forward to the new year – winter training had not been optimal with to a final against St Paul’s. Unfortunately, in the finals we clashed oars with cold weather and illness. Despite this, the squad quickly got back into the a tree not long into the race, causing us to miss out on winning narrowly. swing of things and set the focus towards the other Hampton Head: Hampton Fours and Eights Head. It was at around this point in the year that With the crew left feeling disappointed and motivated to win, we pushed on the J16 squad began to divide up into a First and Second eight, which with training the following week, seeing massive improvements as a result. remained mostly similar through to the end of the year. The newly formed We proved this at Poplar regatta, coming 3rd in an A boat category – this was J16 Second Eight went into Hampton Head with hopes high, and after a the final regatta before the National Schools’ Regatta. strong, performance took the win.

In the two weeks before Nationals, we sharpened our technique and drilled As the long winter build up to the School’s Head of The River Race in our racing strategies. This time flew by, and before we knew it, the day had (SHORR) got shorter and shorter, the sessions became more oriented come. Feeling nervous but confident, we relied on the numerous training towards producing a race-ready crew. Sadly, many of our scheduled training sessions and invaluable talks from Mr Hill. races were cancelled – including Hammersmith Head and Kingston Head – due to poor conditions, which meant that we missed out on important prep; We raced hard, and placed 3rd in the time trial – right where we wanted to this posed a challenge for the squad. Despite this, the squad put up brilliant be. This solid result from the time trial meant that we’d secured an performances, with both our eights 3rd in their respective J16 Ch 8+ and J16 advantageous lane for our final.

Second 8+ categories.

Skip to a few hours later, we were warming up for our final. We were inching Following this successful end to the head season, we turned our focus toward closer and closer to the moment we had had our minds on for the last few the regatta season ahead. As part of this we jetted off to sunny Seville, where months. Despite the nervousness and weight on our shoulders, we were we enjoyed eight days of intense training to produce the fastest possible crews confident. We knew we had a good shot! for the upcoming regattas. While our trip was primarily focussed on the training, the gorgeous weather and surroundings were a welcome change from Cut to 20 minutes later, we were absolutely sending it down the 2000m our normal stretch of river – and no doubt did wonders for the squad morale! course in front of 1000s, and before we knew it, we crossed the line in 3rd position with a convincing lead over 4th. We had done it!

Our first regatta of the year was a friendly competition between other schools on Dorney lake, called BASHER regatta. The J16 Second 8+ put up That moment was one of few unforgettable ones for us, and we could finally a strong performance in the time trial, placing 18th out of all the crews across appreciate all those early Saturdays and hundreds of kilometres rowed. all ages. However, in the next race, despite gaining a dominant lead from the start, we unfortunately caught a crab. The other crews quickly overtook; Columbus Craven 210

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J15 Rowing

Our first test of the Regatta season was in the friendly match, BASHER, against Bedford, Abingdon, St Paul’s, Eton, and Radley.

The J15 rowing year appeared daunting at first, but without a doubt was Due to several absences, our First VIII was unable to enter the competition. incredibly fun with many key memories made along the way.

However, our Second VIII and Third VIII’s competed finishing in 2nd and 3rd in their finals respectively. It was tough racing against some of the top After having adapted to our new training schedule for two months – crews in a country in the first real test since training camp. including incorporating sweep oar sessions every Friday as part of training – a select few J15 rowers went to do Kingston Small Boats Head.

Meanwhile, training became more intense and difficult as the 1km tests and other ergo pieces became a frequent part of the Wednesday after-school The arduous 5.2km required much stamina and endurance, and the squad sessions. However, the progress was steady and definite. hit the challenging course with great confidence. Only a week later, the whole squad then went on the same course, except titled Teddington Head. Eight days after the race at Dorney Lake, our First VIII returned to have a Among the great efforts, a huge congratulations to Leo Robertson and real test against familiar opposition whom we had raced just one month Henry Hoeffken, who came first in the double sculls event, beating the earlier at the School’s Head of the River. We finished in 2nd place in Heat B silver medallists by 0.7 seconds. with a time of 6:46, 10 seconds behind the leaders, Radley College. Through our result, we finished in 5th place overall, just enough to secure a spot in the Then came Hampton Small Boats Head. On a chilly, winter morning, the A final later in the day.

J15 squad put in tremendous efforts in boats of 4 and 2 – in particular, a fantastic First-place finish from the coxed quad of Ben Knight, Freddie At 18:18, our crew raced in the A final at Wallingford Regatta. This was the Mundell, Leo Robertson, Monty Hunt, and Henry Hoeffken in their event. defining moment in our J15 year. Through that 2km race, the whole crew believed in a common idea and aim. There were no individuals in that crew, After some training in temperatures below freezing over the winter holidays, and it felt as though we were a common unit, racing for pride and glory. We the J15 squad went on to do Eton Invitational Head – which provided great finished the race at a time of 6:46.7, second behind Radley College, by 10 experience at the famous Dorney Lake, covering just under 2km. seconds again.

Hampton then hosted once again another head race, Hampton Head, where However, we had also beaten Westminster School, St George’s College, the home-stretch of the river took a large toll on the rowers.

Shiplake College and King’s College School. These were the schools who had beaten us at Schools Head of the River, so this was a big result for the boys After a lengthy interval – to focus more on sweep oar rowing – two boats to take under their belt as we entered the business end of regatta season. from the J15 squad came to the Schools’ Head of the River – arguably one of the most highly regarded races of the year. After waiting for a while in Unfortunately, our next race, Thames Ditton Regatta was cancelled due to queues to go up to the start in the pouring rain, both our crews journeyed weather conditions. down the 4.25 mile course, which really pushed us to the limits of our teamwork, stamina and perseverance.

However, training continued, with 6x500s and 1 km pieces becoming frequent in preparation of National Schools. We trained five times a week, The squad came away with highly satisfactory results of 5th out of 13 in the twice in the gym and three times on the water. With all of this rigorous championship eights category for the A crew, and 11th out of 21 for the B training, we became more confident in our abilities to prove an upset against crew category. the top schools like Radley and St Paul’s.

The A crew’s fitness was tested over that weekend, with the National Junior Sculling Head. After having not sculled for a period of time, it was especially exciting that they came away with a gold medal, coming first in this national sculling event. It could definitely be said that this was the best possible way to end the head races for the J15 year, and a huge thank you to the coaches for supporting us all the way.

The National Schools Regatta 2023 was spectacular.

The First VIII and Second VIII both competed in their respective categories against some of the top crews in the country. The Second VIII finished 15th in their Time Trial to secure a place in the C Final against Eton, St Paul’s, Eton, Royal Shrewsbury and Shiplake. In their final they finished in 3rd place with a time of 3:36.35, losing out to St Paul’s School and Eton College.

Next stop, Regatta season!

There was a difference of 8 seconds between the winners and 3rd place of the Through the J15 training camp at Hazewinkel, Belgium, the squad’s focus C final of the Blue friars Cup for J15 Second VIIIs. shifted to shorter yet more intense pieces of work over a 1km distance. Over this 5-day period, we seat-raced crews to figure out a ranking within the Meanwhile, our First VIII placed 9th, with a difference of 0.6 of a second squad to begin the process of crew selection for the regatta season. between 9th and 3rd in the time-trial. It was a tough pill to swallow given the progress that we had made in training over the past weeks, but we were It was during this time that our squad bonded for the first time on a deeper determined to row the boat together one last time as J15s. level off the water, as there was more time to partake in light-hearted activities such as Mario-Kart or Murder in the Dark. This developed a We started well in the B Final, in 2nd place by the 500-meter mark, yet losing unified and concrete squad ethos that boded well for the intense and short out to Enniskillen in Lane 1 and King’s College in Lane 2. It was a hard-fought regatta season. final, and we were unlucky to come out on the wrong end. However, over the course of this year, we have improved significantly in all aspects of the sport.

Of course, the National School’s Regatta was the pinnacle of our J15 year, but, from March, there was still a lot of work left to be done. We left training I think that there is much to look forward to for our J16 year. camp with a sense of pride at what we had accomplished and an eagerness to see what the year would behold.

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J14 Rowing

Our training schedule was tough; aside from having sessions on the water, we also had a significant amount of land training. It was designed to physically challenge every single one of us, to push us to our limits, and to make sure we were being the best versions of ourselves that we could possibly be.

Rowing. When you first think about it, you might think about a sport which is physically and mentally demanding.

As a squad, we began our competitive year in February with Hampton Head: a massive event hosted by the boat club with schools like Abingdon, A sport which demands focus, teamwork, and dedication.

Westminster, and Kingston Grammar all competing. The course is just over 3 kilometres and follows a time trial format.

A sport where there is an extensive training schedule.

The day started early as we had an hour and a half wait in a long snaking queue All of that, we can safely say, is very true. But, we can also say that rowing in the until we raced. As we approached the start line, all three of our boats reported Third Year at Hampton has been an absolute blast! the feeling of the tension, nerves and excitement slowly rising.

Rowing is a fantastic sport to experience, from just taking a few gentle and soft strokes on the water to feeling the wind blowing in your hair as you race competitively in head races and regattas, against some of the best crews in the country. The vast majority of our squad were complete novices to the sport, and it does sometimes feel a bit odd to think that we went from tentatively taking our first few strokes in the water, to winning four medals at a national level.

Once we arrived at the start line, we readied for the go. Meanwhile, the tension was palpable in the air. Despite this, the moment ‘Go’ was called for each crew respectively, we zoomed off.

At first, the race was not too difficult; the adrenaline was coursing through everyone’s veins! But, as we progressed, everyone started to tire to the point that, by the time we reached the end, everybody looked exhausted.

Our first session on the water was on a rainy day back in September 2022. We chucked our bags into the dedicated Hampton truck, registered with our head Despite being exhausted, every crew did very well overall; the A boat came first, coach, Mr Perry, and jogged down to the boathouse. the B crew followed swiftly only four seconds after. This placed them second overall and first in their category. The C crew, despite being one of the last boats It was inspiring for us to see sleek boats gliding gracefully over the water, with to race that morning, still placed well, ending up third in their category. all of the rowers perfectly in time, placing their blades into the water with absolute precision. We were all slightly nervous for what we were getting Overall, we had a very successful start to the competitive season having won ourselves into, but we were all really excited for our journey ahead. two gold medals and a bronze.

Our first session was – to say it frankly – exhilarating!

On a rainy day in March, the squad attended its first national event: the Scullery Heart at Eton Dorney. The A and B boats raced over two 1800m legs There's something liberating about rowing, being on the water, and working for the national title in their categories. With both crews first and second at together as a crew. Participating in any activity or sport is always fun, but with Hampton Head, confidence was high. rowing you feel a sense of immense pleasure and satisfaction when taking every stroke. There was a great deal of new information to take in, with plenty of The B crew performed strongly, overtaking numerous crews ahead in the timeunfamiliar language to learn, some examples being ‘bow pair on red’ and trial format and took home the gold in their event. The A crew were the fastest ‘catching a crab’. by far in the first leg, yet succumbed to fatigue in the second leg, narrowly 212

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sport missing out on the title and finishing an admirable second to The Windsor By the 500m mark, all crews seemed to feel the pain setting in and St Paul’s Boys’ School – the start of a rivalry that would last through the summer! edged ahead. In a tough battle for the silver, Windsor managed to edge us out.

We crossed the finish line in third place, winning us the bronze medal; we were We then left for a training camp in Somerset – which definitely built character all very pleased, but it left us hungry for a better placing next year. as well as our rowing skills! The week away was to prepare for a summer full of racing. Upon our return – wet, muddy, but unbroken – we took to the national The B crew also placed well, placing third as well in their final. The C crew stage again for the Scullery Regatta, a side by side race. placed fourth in their final. Ultimately, we were very happy taking home our bronze medal and will return next year to try to win gold.

The A and B crews performed well. The B crew came fifth in their event, with small margins separating them from a medal. The A crew were once again up Rowing is so much more enjoyable – even though rowing is always fun – In the against The Windsor Boys’ School. Both crews shot off ahead of the rest of the summer. Longer, sunnier days mean that we are all in a better mood. Many pack and were in a gladiatorial battle. A small crab led to Windsor taking the boys new to the sport joined us in the summer term. lead; it was just a little too much to pull back, with us finishing second again.

It was also over 10 seconds until the third placed crew crossed the line.

Samuel Hughes told us that, ‘Rowing in the Third Year was great, despite only picking it up in the summer. I found it straightforward to pick up the basic In a boat, you obviously have to have some people who actually row. The technique; however, I found it particularly useful to train on Wednesdays and coxswain – cox – often gets overlooked. While not actually be rowing, the cox Sundays as extras. plays a vital leadership role in steering the fastest line, and keeping rowers motivated and to keep on fighting.

The land training also made a difference to my fitness. I believe that rowing is a great sport because you always make a difference no matter which seat you are in, unlike Johnny Rofé, the A crew cox, told us a little bit more about his role: ‘The cox other sports. has a very important – and sometimes tiresome – job: to keep the crew running smoothly and efficiently. In short, we stop the rowers from breaking things, while I really enjoyed Kingston Regatta, my first regatta, as there was a relaxed atmosphere making the boat run as fast as possible!’ being towards the end of the year. I also loved our trip to Henley. In my opinion J14 rowing was great and other people should try it too."

Akshay Phian, the B crew cox, said, ‘My life as a cox began as a result of an unfortunate injury. I soon discovered that the cox was not as redundant as I had So, there it is: our wonderful year of rowing. We must say that it was thought; we lead, coach, and control the crew for utmost efficiency and speed.’ challenging to cram a whole year of highlights into such a short report! From being a squad which has won medals at national regattas and head races against In contrast to the slightly more serious races that we had taken part in was the the best boats in the country, to some of the more light-hearted moments – interform rowing competition that took place in March. Everyone, including such as when one of the rowers let his half-blind steer a double into one of the those who did not have rowing as their main Games option, could take part in coach's launches. We would urge anyone to give rowing a go. Like any sport, interform rowing. the more you put in, the more you get out, and you get a lot out of rowing!

Each Form sent about 10 people to the competition, and we were not just On behalf of all of us who gave rowing a go, we would also like to say a massive rowing against the other forms. We also had to contend with the Form Tutors! thank you to all of coaches, Mr Perry, Mr Ward, Mr Bedford, Miss Ziegler, and The aim was simple: see how far your team could travel in 20 minutes on the Mr Jones for the time and effort they put into making this such a fantastic year. rowing machines. 3H took an early lead, but it was the Form Tutors, who finally crept ahead of all of the other teams. Despite all of our efforts, we just Archer Jones & Joshua Ripon could not catch up to the Form Tutors – maybe next year!

On the final day of exam week, the event the whole year had been building up to, National Schools Regatta, arrived. Hosted at Dorney Lake, we had three boats entered into the competition.

It was an early start, having to be at school by 7am, yet most boys were not as upset about this as the day’s event meant missing our exams!

We soon arrived at Dorney Lake and prepared our boats for our first time-trial starting. We knew that we had to be in the top six to get into the medal final, so we ready to give it our all. This paid off, and our A crew came third overall, just 2.63 seconds away from first place.

The B octo narrowly missed out on their medal final and the C boat raced in the B crew race, placing in the top 18 and progressing to a side-by-side final – a great achievement for this crew!

After our initial races, we had a long wait, but soon it was time for the medal final. This race, despite only being 1000m seemed to be our most stressful and important one of the year.

There wasn’t much wait at the start line and so with the ‘Attention, go!’, we were off. Immediately, our crew, St Paul’s and our closest rivals, Windsor Boys’, zoomed off; the three medallists seemed to be decided by the halfway point. the lion

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First XI Cricket

The season started with a successful tour to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Whilst there, we faced other touring sides, such as Winchester, and local side The Sheikh Zayed Academy, winning three out of the four games.

The first game we played when we returned to England, following cancellations due to rain against MCC and Worth School, was Merchant Taylor’s School. After a strong performance in the field, the highlights of which were four wickets from Will Knowles and a superb relay catch between Naavya Sharma and Leo Hartley. The batting was less impressive as we slumped to 65 all out.

Following the Merchant Taylor’s game, Hampton played Harrow. The game was sadly abandoned following a promising batting performance, where we ended on 151-9 from our 50 overs, which included a maiden 50 from Fifth Year Anuj Srivastav.

Our next game was against Tiffin School. We bowled first, and we were led by Naavya Sharma, who took four wickets; we bowled Tiffin out for 55, and then proceed to knock off the total comfortably.

Following the game against Tiffin we had our game against Dulwich cancelled due to rain, which allowed us more time to prepare for Reed’s. We managed to ‘bowl straight bro’ bowling first against Reed’s, which led to us bowling them out for 212, thanks to Natty Taylor’s four wickets. After a strong start, led by Matthew Moffat, who scored 50, we had other strong contributions from the batsmen, leading to victory in the final over.

After a short break, we faced Epsom College in the National T20 competition. We batted first and only managed to score 93, which Epsom chased down.

The next day we played away at Brighton College. With Hampton batting first, Tetsuro Kato and Josh Vergunst managed to dig us out of a hole, as we found ourselves 9-3, scoring 46 and 33 respectively, which helped us get to a very respectable 191-8 off our 50 overs.

After a poor start to the bowling innings, Brighton were 110-2 off 23 overs; however, amazing spells from Leo Hartley, Naavya Sharma and Will Knowles meant that Brighton needed 8 off the last over.

Unfortunately, the Brighton batsmen managed to hit a 6 off the last bowl of the game, meaning that the two-hour drive on the way home felt even longer.

Following heartbreak at Brighton, we batted first against East Kent Cricket Academy. A brilliant batting performance meant that we got 233-4 off our allocated 40 overs, where Matthew Moffat top scored with 62, supported beautifully by Naavya Sharma 41, Thomas Tabor 40 and Tetsuro Kato 40*.

We then bowled East Kent Cricket Academy out for 93, the highlight being Will Knowles’ 6-27; he was the first bowler of the year to get on the honours board.

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sport The following week, we travelled across the river to play St Paul’s. After some brilliant ‘foot on the throat’ bowling early, St Paul’s were 14-0 off their first 10 overs. Louis Simmonds-Gooding then bowled brilliantly, taking 6-25 off his 10 overs, leaving St Paul’s 103 all out off 43 overs.

After Hampton struggled to 53-5 off 24 overs, Josh Vergunst and Hugo Knowles steered the ship brilliantly with an unbeaten 51 partnership, which saw Hampton get the total in 42 overs – in turn giving local rivals St Paul’s their first and only loss of the year.

The following Saturday we faced KCS Wimbledon at home. Hampton, bowling first, managed to dominate the KCS batting lineup, with the wickets being shared around as we bowled them out for 89 off 31 overs.

Our next game was against Eton College, which saw a weakened side due to many of our experienced players had exams. We managed to bowl Eton out for 225 in the 50 over. We sadly fell only 20 runs short in the chase, despite a strong 44 from Naavya Sharma.

Following a convincing batting performance, we restricted Brighton Grammar to 88-8 off their 30 overs.

Our next game was against another touring side from Australia, St Kevin’s.

Batting first, we found ourselves 20-3; however, another recovery materialised thanks to Josh Vergunst’s 30, Hugo Knowles’s 53 and a superb 86 from Natty Taylor, which brought us to our highest total of the season: 252.

The bowling performance was also very impressive; we bowled St Kevin’s out for 107. The star of the bowling performance was also Natty Taylor, who took 5 wickets – his fifth being courtesy of a brilliant solo relay catch by Will Knowles on the boundary!

Following a great victory against St Kevin’s, we faced Whitgift in our final Saturday game of the season.

th

Days later, we played our annual fixture against the Old Hamptonians. We comfortably won thanks to Harry Gregory’s 5-25 as the Old Hamptonians were bowled out for 97; another Matthew Moffat 50 saw us chase down their total in 22 overs.

The next day we played RGS Guildford, where we batted first. We ended on 229-6 off 50 overs, where Matthew Moffat scored another 50 and was brilliantly supported by Anuj Srivastav with 43, Tetsuro Kato with 40, and Zack Gellatley with 36*. Wickets were again shared around as we bowled RGS out for 209 in the penultimate over.

We then hosted our first touring side of the year, Brighton Grammar School from Melbourne, Australia, in a 30 over match. We batted first and scored 188-8 off our 30, the highlight of which being Anuj Srivastav’s 50.

Bowling first, we started strongly and, ultimately, bowled Whitgift out for 146 in the 44th over. The chase began poorly as we found ourselves 13-2 off 4 overs; however, once again Natty Taylor and Josh Vergunst did a brilliant job to put us in a strong position, as they put on a 87 run partnership between them. Natty then proceeded to bring up his 50, leaving us needing 11 runs with 9 overs in hand. We managed to get over the line in the 46th over which was an incredibly proud moment for the team as it was the first time a Hampton 1XI side had beaten Whitgift in 6 years.

Two days after our great victory against Whitgift, Cricket Week at Hampton began, and we played against Waterkloof, a touring side from South Africa. After some pauses for rain, Waterkloof managed to reach 1949 before declaring, the pick of the bowlers being Will Knowles, who took 4-62 off 18 overs. We managed to reach 95-2 from 40 overs until the game had to be abandoned due to the fact that Waterkloof had to leave to avoid the traffic.

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sport Our second game of Cricket Week was against St Augustine’s College, a touring side from Sydney, Australia. This game sadly did not last long as, after bowling first and having St Augustine’s 29-4 off 12 overs, the rain came down and cancelled another game.

Our final game of the season was against Hutchins, a touring side from Tasmania, Australia. After deciding to bat first, we found ourselves 42-7 off 23 overs. We managed to end on 69 all out off 34 overs and, after a strong team talk the boys went out to bowl for the final time this year. After a good effort from the opening bowlers St Augustine’s found themselves 50-2; it seemed that Hampton had an impossible task to win.

After a change of bowling, on came Natty Taylor, who spun the game on its head with a quick 4 wickets. Bowling at the other end, Will Knowles took another two wickets, meaning St Augustine’s were 67-8. An incredible piece of fielding from Leo Hartley, who got a direct hit run-out, followed; this meant that St Augustine’s were 68-9 leaving Hampton needing one wicket to win and St Augustine’s needing two runs to win.

Two balls later, Will Knowles took the outside edge of the number 11 batsmen which carried perfectly to Natty Taylor, at first slip, who took the

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catch brilliantly – perhaps unsurprisingly, this sparked incredible and emotional celebrations for the team in their last game together; we had achieved the impossible!

This amazing win meant that the team finished the season with a record of 14 wins and 5 losses, including our record of 3 wins and 1 loss in Dubai.

The runs from the year came predominately from three batsmen: Natty Taylor, with 326 runs; Matthew Moffat, with 302 runs; and Josh Vergunst, with 264 runs. Our highest wicket-takers were Will Knowles with 32 wickets, Natty Taylor with 23 wickets, and Naavya Sharma with 18 wickets.

After such a strong year with so many brilliant performances, the fact that the younger boys were so important to the successes of the team bodes very well for the next season of Hampton cricket.

Finally, on behalf of all the cricketers, I would like to thank Mr Banerjee and Mr Parrish for guiding and providing us with excellent cricketing advice and for making the season such an extremely enjoyable experience for all of us.

Zack Gellatley & William Knowles

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Second XI Cricket

U16A Cricket

Second XI Cricket

Against St Paul’s School, Fifth Former William Wallace made an excellent, hard-hit 56 not out, supported by Oscar James, who made 48 opening the innings. Findlay Barrand’s 17 not out saw us to a total of 173 for 3. Our visitors were bowled out 53 runs short of our total, with the wickets shared

by Maneesh Patel, Ollie Hamilton, and Zidaan Khan.

The Second XI squad enjoyed an excellent 2023 season; from 12 matches, the side won 8 and lost only two – with two further matches abandoned.

After dedicated and assiduous training at the indoor nets from January 2023 until the start of the outdoor season, all players were ready to hit the ground running.

Our first defeat of the season followed in the next match away at KCS Wimbledon by two wickets, off the last ball of an exciting match.

Hampton’s batting – for once – failed to ignite, with only Ollie Davies (28 not out) troubling the scorers in a sub-par total of 145 all out.

The team was fortunate that Upper Sixth pupil Ishaan Patel accepted the position as captain; Ishaan led the team magnificently with both maturity and sensitivity. A win-rate of 80% from the team’s ten completed matches bears testimony to a highly successful season.

Brave bowling by Ali Jennings (three wickets for 22), Ollie Davies – again!

– with two for 24 and, in particular, Navik Mendis (three for 11 runs off 5 overs) ensured a very close finish.

Hosting MTS Northwood for our opening match, we bowled and fielded superbly to dismiss our visitors for 114.

Three consecutive wins – against RGS Guildford, Brighton Grammar School (Melbourne) and Eton College – restored confidence among the players.

Findlay Barrand took four wickets for 7 runs off 3.3 overs in a devastating spell of bowling. Hugo Knowles led the way with an undefeated 41 runs, supported by Thomas Tabor (33) and Oscar James (29).

In the first of these three victories, Ollie Hamilton’s three wickets for 14 runs off 3 overs paved the way for Thomas Tabor (69) and James Page (23) to see us home with sensible batting. Olly Spray (55) and Ollie Davies (24) helped post a challenging total for our Australian visitors who fell 70 runs short of the Hampton total, with William Youster taking 3 wickets for a miserly 23 runs. Against Eton, Kyan Soni (44) and William Wallace (47) – a batter of great potential with two years of Senior Cricket ahead of him – comfortably eclipsed Eton’s total of 167 for 7 to ensure a 5-wicket triumph. Ollie Hamilton again bowled tidily.

The match at home to Harrow School was abandoned after Hampton Second XI had scored 145 for 7 off 30 overs – with, again, Hugo Knowles (26) and Oscar James (34) leading the way.

A resounding victory by 77 runs over Tiffin School rounded off an excellent month of April, with Leo van Gelder contributing a hard-hit 60 runs – ably supported by Olly Spray (29) and Louis Simonds-Gooding with a combative 48 not out. Tiffin School’s batting subsided tamely to 100 all out.

A visit to Reed’s School followed, where again the Hampton batting came to the fore. Thomas Tabor (51), Olly Spray (28) and Sam Gale (24 not out) all batted well to accumulate a challenging total of 161 for 6.

Excellent bowling by both Navik Mendis, with three wickets for 18, and Ali Jennings, with one wicket for 8 runs off 5 accurate overs, skittled Reed’s School for 86 all out.

Two further consecutive victories ensued against Brighton College Second XI and then St Paul’s School Second XI. Against Brighton, Ollie Davies bowled brilliantly to take 3 wickets for 22 runs off 5 overs, supported by William Youster’s teasing leg-breaks (2 for 22 off six overs). Another excellent knock from Hugo Knowles (51) – and a well-made 36 by Sam Gale – took us to a well-earned victory.

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Our second defeat of the campaign followed away at Whitgift School, after Hampton failed to make use of a fast outfield and good batting conditions.

James Page opened the innings with a magnificent display of clean hitting to race to a score of 41 runs after only 7 overs before, disappointingly, holing out in the deep when a century was there for the taking.

Our final total of 148 on the Whitgift main ground – a Surrey CCC venue – was never going to be enough – despite the brave efforts of our bowlers.

Ollie Hamilton was outstanding once again with the ball.

Disappointingly, the final match against our Australian visitors from Sydney – St Augustine’s College – was literally something of a ‘damp squib’, being abandoned due to rain after 11 overs.

Nonetheless, there was time for a delightful ‘ceremony’, where Ishaan Patel was presented with a ‘thank you’ gift from the rest of the Second XI squad, for being such an outstanding captain for the 2023 season – despite the attendant pressures of sitting his A Level exams and endeavouring to meet a challenging medical school offer.

sport All that remains is to thank Mr Harrison for his support, encouragement, good humour, and expertise throughout the year.

still batting after 10 overs, then the U15s had a strong platform to build their innings.

Also, we are grateful to the loyal band of parents – and not forgetting Grace S from Hampton High School – whose support was most welcome throughout an enjoyable season for Hampton School Second XI Cricket.

He was the team’s top run-scorer, 232, so the next stage is to convert 30s and 40s into 80s, 90s and centuries. He was also always good in the field, and he took some excellent catches. His highlight of the season was a brilliant start against Whitgift in the cup game which put a strong opposition on the back foot.

AFE

U15A Cricket

Joe Turton – Joe had an excellent year with bat which made up for the disappointment of a back injury which stopped him bowling in most games.

He started the season as an opener, but he looked far more comfortable in the middle order. His ability to push the ball into gaps and his quick running between the wickets meant he was able to get the scoreboard going as soon as he came to the crease against either pace or spin.

Rohan Paul Muktieh, Captain – Rohan had his first experience of captaining the School team and displayed a good knowledge of the game.

His batting made huge strides in the winter and this paid dividends in the summer. He played some solid innings and was always keen to take the responsibility of setting or chasing a winning total.

This has been a really progressive and positive year for Joe, who topped the averages with 37.8. His highlight of the season was a brilliant 50 against Eton which nearly saw the side home to famous run-chase.

We never got to see too much of his pace-bowling due to injuries, so fingers crossed his bowling will blossom as he enters the senior part of the School.

His highlight of the season was the first 4 overs against Whitgift in the cup match where we got to see the best of Rohan’s pace and aggression against high quality batters.

Raphael Taylor – It was an excellent season for Raph who learnt the value of concentrating on your strengths and having a plan. Despite not having great speed, his medium-pace is incredibly accurate and consistent. Apart from a short and wide ball with the first ball of the season, he rarely missed the stumps after that. Many a top order batman pushed him back for six overs and allowed Raph to ply his trade, which meant that, overall, he had a fantastic U15A season.

James Stanworth – A very modern opener who does not care for leaving the ball too much. James was able to pressure many of the opposition bowlers and it was certainly fun to watch. The quick starts meant anytime he was

His highlight of the season is a tricky one; with too many excellent spells of bowling to choose from, I will go for a funny one: a piece of boundary

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sport fielding which ended up with the ball appearing to attack Raph as flapped arms and legs to get rid of it!

Ed Reilly – Ed bowled with fiery pace throughout the season and was a very consistent opening bowler for the team. His desire to bowl quick means he gives 100% effort to each and every delivery. He balanced this with great control and rarely bowled a bad ball.

His batting has also really progressed, but this did not turn into the scores as he would have wished; but, he has certainly on the right track to become a strong all-round cricketer. His highlight of the season was the many times he rearranged top order batters stumps with one nipping back through the gate.

Aziz Memon – Aziz experienced a season which is not uncommon at U15s; he is a technically strong batsman, but he struggled to score at the required run rate at certain times. Whilst this is frustrating at the time, it will be a huge learning experience which he will grow from. His greatest asset was his desire to be at the crease and improve. This does not always deliver immediate results, but it will in time.

He looked like an A team player, and I am sure will get his rewards in the next few years. His highlight of the year was a big opening stand in the cup game against Whitgift, which set a strong first innings total.

Adi Shanbhag - Adi is a genuine all-rounder, but his bowing was the most impressive this season. He showed glimpses of talent with the bat and an ability to get into his innings very quickly. However, his great value to the team came with his bowling, where he bowled some excellent spells of legspin. He has great control and the ability to adapt to the challenges different batters offer.

the field, and will enjoy the longer form cricket offered in Senior matches.

His highlight of the season was his brilliant attitude to every single training session and match – a future captain in the making.

Ram Kolanu – Ram had a tough season with the bat, and he will be disappointed with his return. The harder he tried the harder it became; but, the fact he tried is the most important thing, and we saw the shoots of recovery towards the end of the season with an excellent 50 for the Bs and a strong contribution to the tied game against KCS Wimbledon. Ram has plenty of talent and will learn from this season. His highlight of the season was maturely accepting being moved to the Bs and then going on to score an excellent match-winning 50 – a brilliant response!

Will Squire – Will burst on the scene with a last-minute call up, having been dragged from the B team pitch to sub for the As. He never left the side after that! Will has huge potential with a strong bowling action which allows him to deliver some genuinely quick deliveries.

With a winter of work on his action, he could be one to watch over the next few years. His highlight of the season was anytime he hit the keeper’s gloves hard with a quick delivery or the smile on his face every time he walks out to bat.

Rohan Prabhudesai – Rohan broke into the As and certainly did not look out of place. He bowled with good control and should gain huge confidence from making his A team debut, as it clearly shows he is making excellent progress.

His highlight of the season was his strong spell of bowling in his first ever A team match.

CH

He will be a valuable asset to any cup team going forward as he has the habit of taking regular wickets. His highlight of the season was an eye-catching 24 in the final game of the season, emphasising his potential as a batsman.

Richard Page – Richard entertains whatever he is doing on the cricket field, and he is also highly competitive and skilful. He progresses the game each and every time he comes to the crease; he has the ability to pressure the bowler with controlled aggression and stylish shots. He always bats for the team and has a keen eye on the scoreboard and match situation.

His wicketkeeping needs to be tidier if he wishes to have the gloves higher up the School, but this is certainly not beyond his capabilities. His highlight of the season included any time he came to the crease – but, specifically, an excellent 61 against a strong St Paul’s team.

Zaid Ahmed – Zaid enjoyed a fantastic season where he really highlighted his value to any team with his all-round ability. He struggled for opportunities early in the season with the bat, but, when given the chance, he showed off his stylish batting with a highlight being a match-winning 31 against RGS Guildford.

His leg-spin bowling was outstanding, and he was top wicket-taker with 18 wickets at an excellent strike-rate and economy. Zaid is going to be a huge asset to the School teams over the next few years. His highlight was a brilliant bowling display against Brighton College, with figures of 6 overs, 3 maidens, 4 runs and 5 wickets!

James Eggleton – James was a victim of his own all-round ability in the fact he did not get enough time at the crease with either bat or ball in the U15 season. Having said that, every time he performed, he showed that he is making great progress and will be one to watch over the next few years. He is a technically strong batter, much improved left-arm spinner, rock-solid in 220

the lion

the magazine of hampton school

2022-2023

U15B Cricket The U15Bs have had a fantastic summer season of cricket, playing nine games, winning six and very narrowly losing three to the likes of Eton, Whitgift and Reeds. Nevertheless, the lads should be incredibly pleased with the results they have come out with, which stemmed from the dedication, training, and hard work they have had over the past couple of months.

Each player has improved tremendously, and I am going to describe their impact on the team with a few words: Raph Cawthra: Mr reliable when batting and my vice-captain. Raph was an instrumental top-3 batsmen this year, with a highlight 92 runs in one innings!

Viren Asnani: Even though Viren was not the vice-captain, I could always trust in him to give me great advice and always perform well when we needed him the most.

Daniel Mills: The best spinner I know. Danny would always play superbly well – with the bat, ball and in the field – and leave the batsmen and sometimes myself in awe with the variations of his bowling.

Ben Robinson: You could always trust that Ben would create a different batting stance every time he came to the crease, but he would always do well.

He would create some very funny times in the field with his ‘chirping’ at points too!

sport Zakariya Hayat: Our big-hitter when it came to batting, and a superb precision and pace bowler. Zak could smack a ball miles into the air no matter what speed it came to him at. If it was in the slot, it was gone.

After the first match of the season was narrowly lost at Merchant Taylors’ – with all three results possible going into the final over – the U15Cs reeled off five consecutive victories.

Alfie Bancroft: I do not think anyone has improved as much as Alfie this year. He has been incredible when batting this season and can always be counted on the bowl in the death or take a great catch at square leg.

Of these victories, the win over Reeds was close – by only 3 runs – while those against Tiffin – by 6 wickets – Brighton College – by 99 runs – St Paul’s – by 10 wickets – and KCS – by 8 wickets – were all emphatic.

Robbie Ker: I do not think anyone would have thought that Robbie was new this year. He has gelled with the team so well and has been an amazing bowler for us.

The season ended with three defeats – against RGS, Eton and Whitgift – two of them by very narrow margins indeed, leaving an overall playing record that does not quite do them justice; yet, despite this, it serves as a good reflection of the entertaining and attacking manner in which they played their cricket.

Rohan Prabhudesai: My extra cover. Rohan can field, bat, bowl, you name it, he can do it all so well. I do hope the As do not snap him up next year!

Peter Cole: Batsmen turned bowler, Peter has become a vital opening bowler for our team, and he created one of the greatest moments when in his final ball of his final over, he gets a wicket to grab 5 and take home the ball.

Aryan Sharma: R9. What a bowler! Pace, precision, timing and bounce. We could always count on R9 to make us laugh, on or off the pitch.

Harresh Jayanthan: The opening bowler. Harresh, no matter what day or time, would always open and do so incredibly. Maidens, wickets and a plethora of low economies, Harresh has been integral to us winning this season.

A team loanees: Thank you to the A team players of Aaryan Desai, James Eggleton, William Squire and Ram Kolanu. Aaryan was a superb man to have on the field, with his incredible cricket knowledge and tactical thinking. James would always get us off to a great start when batting, seeing out the opposition opening bowlers and then smacking anything for 4. Will, the quickest bowler I think I have ever seen – apart from Mark Wood! Finally, Ram, thank you for giving us the best batting performance of the season – sorry Raph! – with 97 runs off of 79 balls!

Thank you so much to Mr Haynes for being our coach this year, and to all of the team. It has been an utterly incredible experience to be your captain and I hope that we can win more and more as the seasons come.

One of the many admirable qualities of the team was their collective desire to share around the opportunities to bat and bowl, whatever the match situation. In total, eighteen boys played at some point in the season, of whom fourteen played regularly, representing the team in five or more matches.

Shane Karunakaran captained the team thoughtfully and effectively while opening the bowling. Ben Beesley and Sam Vowles bowled right and left arm spin respectively, taking a good number of wickets – with Beesley taking a 3 for 1 against St Paul’s.

Gabriele Chiarotti and Rocky McCann shared the wicketkeeping duties, with both also batting very effectively: Chiarotti scored the team’s highest individual score – 59* against Brighton – with McCann playing several hard-hitting cameos.

Arun Bhandari always got the innings off to a fast start, Joshi Rasi de Mel was consistently good as an allrounder, while Ed Massey scored the most runs in the first match of the season – in the team’s final match, he also took 3 wickets without conceding a run to set up a grandstand finish against Whitgift.

Connor Hendricks was a near ever-present and joined Joseph Gordon, Rudy Sian, Will McTavish, Max Camilleri, and Evan Rutter in making positive contributions at some point or other with either bat or ball.

Beyond this group, Viren Asnani, Peter Cole, Ben Robinson – scoring a fifty – and Alfred Bancroft all played in one fixture, on loan from the Bs.

Monty Seager All the boys who played should be very proud of their efforts; it was a very enjoyable and successful season, and they were good company throughout.

U15C Cricket

JOM & PS

U14A Cricket I would like to start off by thanking all the coaches that helped us with our training for all their support throughout the year, they definitely helped make the season the success it was. Throughout the year, the team played ten match and won five of them.

U15C Cricket Overall this season, the side played 9, winning 5 and losing 4.

Our first game of the season, a T20 in the cup competition against St Richard Reynolds, was an absolute highlight. It also meant that we kicked off our season well with a resounding victory. Our top order secured a solid 173-3, with a stand-out innings from Aadi Khera. This innings was followed by some tight bowling led us to a brilliant 62-run victory. the lion

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sport Another highlight of the season was the highly anticipated match between us and Merchant Taylors. Unfortunately, on this occasion we could not pull of the win; a middle order batting collapse led to us falling short of the necessary target by 48 runs. Despite this, it was a fantastic and competitive match from which lessons were learned all-round.

A particularly notable win was the thrashing of intense rivals Reed’s, where our top-order bowlers brought the opponents down to a position of being 12-5. Reeds managed to post a total of 84, which was chased down with ease by our rotated top-order batsmen.

The tight victory over KCS Wimbledon was another stand-out moment of the season. It was Aarush Jain who managed to score the winning runs in what was a relatively low-scoring game, and we managed a hugely pleasing two-wicket win.

A fantastic performance against RGS Guildford, that resulted in a 32-run victory will also live long in the memory.

U14C Cricket t was a mixed season for the U14Cs, who won two and lost six of their games.

The first win came in a tightly fought contest against Merchant Taylors’ School, where Hampton won by two runs. Our second, though, was a resounding victory against Brighton College where we won by 61 runs.

Notable performances included Joshua Chapman scoring 57 not out against Brighton, Max Trevers taking three wickets against KCS, and Isa Hiba-Saibo doing the same against St Paul’s.

The team were a credit to the School throughout and always played with a positive attitude in the spirit of the game.

I wish them well for their season next year!

Overall, I consider the team’s season a success. Whilst it may not have gone perfectly, the team showed good character to not let our heads drop and always play to the final ball.

OGR

Joe Perry

U13A Cricket U14B Cricket The U14B cricket team enjoyed a tremendous summer of success, winning 7 out of 9 games.

The season started with an exciting win over Merchant Taylors’ school, with captain Harry Drewry and Stanley Amor seeing the side home in a nailbiting finish. After a comprehensive six-wicket victory over Harrow, with Stanley Amor scoring a half century, a third victory was secured in a close game with Reeds school. Ameya Mathur, Alex Watson, and Ollie Williams combined to take 7 wickets to bowl Reeds out for 110. Stefan Hilmy scored a composed 43 to take Hampton to 137 after a batting collapse had left them on 78/5.

A comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Brighton was followed by two exciting wins over St Paul’s and KCS Wimbledon. After a superb bowling performance to reduce St Paul’s to 135 all out on a flat batting wicket, Hampton were reduced to 104/9, with 5 overs to go. The unlikely last-wicket pairing of Ameya Mathur and Ollie Williams produced a wonderful rearguard action, with Williams hitting four from the last ball to secure a memorable victory.

The next game against KCS was just as close, with Hampton pulling off another victory by hitting a boundary from the last ball to win.

Against RGS Guildford, the winning streak continued. Alex Watson took two wickets, and Jack Youster took three wickets on his debut as a legspinner to reduce RGS to 100 all out. Some composed batting from Stefan Hilmy and Stanley Amor saw Hampton home with five wickets to spare.

Two defeats against very strong Eton and Whitgift teams followed, but the team can view their season with great pride, and each of them should look to keep improving their skills and enjoy as much cricket as they can during their time at Hampton.

RRT 222

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the magazine of hampton school

2022-2023

U13A Cricket The U13As showed themselves to have huge potential this season, putting in some fantastic individual and team performances, but without getting on the sort of winning streak that would lead the casual observer to realise how well they were capable of playing.

The team played 10: won 4, lost 4, tied 1, abandoned 1.

This record does show what an even season it was, and so many of those matches were themselves very even, going right down to the wire – selfevidently in the case of the tie against Tiffin.

The side was in an unassailably strong position in the match against Ibstock, when a thunderstorm brought an abrupt and premature end to proceedings. No Duckworth-Lewis method on this occasion, so the honours were shared.

Good wins against strong oppositions in the shape of Reed’s, KCS Wimbledon and Merchant Taylor’s School were tempered by defeats at the hands of St Paul’s, RGS Guildford and St George’s in fixtures that could have gone either way.

The early season cup victory over St James’ was relatively comfortable, but the proudest moment of the season came in defeat against Whitgift in the

sport final match. Playing on their picturesque First XI square we bowled first and restricted a powerful batting line up to 106 from 20 overs, having had them 37-4 inside the first 10 overs. Two wickets with the ball and spirited middle order runs from Xavier Knowles were enough to get us close to the target, but we ultimately fell 20-odd runs short against a strong bowling attack.

Whitgift reached the national final at this age group for a reason and the neutral umpires on the day told me that we were the only side all season who had given them such a close match. Credit to the boys for that performance!

This group of players have learned a lot and have a lot still to learn to become the cricketers and the team they should aspire to be.

Ashton Crossley deserves particular mention for his courageous captaincy throughout the season, despite injury and discomfort. He kept wicket with skill and scored plenty of runs, especially when he moved up the order and looked to build an innings.

Sanjit Baber showed great class with the bat and mesmerised batsmen with his leg-spin bowling during some magical spells. Oliver Khaksar bowled with pace all season and was, at times, unplayable when he got his length right and the ball to move laterally. He also showed his batting prowess with a match winning 69 against KCS Wimbledon.

equally committed in the field and had strength and depth in the bowling.

A season highlight was the incredible team performance where we bowled St Paul's School out for 68 and then chased it comfortably with our opening batsmen in just 8 overs.

Manraj Grewal perfected his spin bowling technique this year; this helped us to secure the win against Reeds, who were all out for 109 when chasing our admirable total of 156 for 5.

Chalking up 170 runs in 20 overs against Ibstock Place for the loss of only one lost wicket – bowling them out for only 35 – was a clinical team performance, and Shanjeet Khan and Danny Pritchard provided a great contrast to the spin bowlers that was tricky for our oppositions to handle with their accurate pace bowling.

Most importantly, throughout the season, the morale of the team was always high, helping and encouraging us to win games. Thank you to all of the staff for their coaching and time spent helping us to enjoy such a wonderful season.

Ethan Geiger

Rufus Lawson, Will Bush, and Max Pagnamenta chipped in with useful runs during the season, as did George Eggleton when he stole the show with an audacious 41 batting at 10 against St George’s. George also bowled well with the new ball – if a few too many overstep no balls! – and was increasingly supported in the bowling department by Jack Haynes, Will O’Shea, and Jatin Chandra who all improved significantly during the season – bowling consistent line and length, and extracting just enough movement in the air and off grass wickets.

U13C Cricket

I look forward to watching all these players develop their skills and continue to improve as they move up the School. They were a pleasure to coach and showed impeccable spirit and sportsmanship all season – arguably the most important qualities of any sports team.

TFR

U13B Cricket

U13C Cricket A highlight of our season – unsurprisingly – was our first match was against Merchant Taylor’s; we were all ready to start the season off strongly, so when I won the toss, we were all happy to bowl first. We bowled particularly well that game, bowling them out for less than a hundred runs! We thought this would be an easy target to chase down, but when one of our openers got out in the first over, our attitude changed. Our other opener and number three built a strong partnership and got us to about half of Merchant Tailors total. In the tenth over, our number three was unfortunately caught on the boundary, but luckily, we still had strong batters to come. Our opener, who had been in from the start, was starting to tee off and our number four was doing well to score runs. With about 5 overs left of the innings, we managed to chase down their score and leave knowing that we had played a good game of cricket.

U13B Cricket The U13Bs had a great season, with lots of wins, consistently high runtotals, and plenty of great knocks!

After that match, we were due to have many more; however, they were unfortunately called off due to the unpredictable weather. So, our next match was against Reed’s school.

Amongst many impressive performances, both Noah Rasi de Mel and Aarav Desai chalked up half centuries with the bat. The team were

Unluckily, we lost the toss and Reed’s put us in to bat first. We were not used to this and, unfortunately, one of our openers got out very early on. Luckily, the lion

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our other opener and our number three built up a very strong partnership again when our opener lost his wicket having scored 30 runs. After this, we lost a few wickets, and our strike rate went down a lot. However, we did manage to score over 120 runs, which was a good total for those conditions – and one we thought we could definitely defend!

Our bowling and fielding started off very well, and we managed to get one of their openers out in the first over! After this, we got a couple more wickets and we were on track to win. But, unfortunately, we struggled to get their number three out, and he managed to stay in until the end and lead his team to victory.

Another memorable match from our season was the following week when we played St Paul’s.

We won the toss and put St Paul’s in to bat first. We bowled quite well and got a couple of wickets, but the main thing was that we managed to restrict them to 140 runs – which we thought was a decent score to chase due to how fast the outfield was!

We started off our chase strongly, with a good strike rate, but unfortunately one of our openers was bowled in the fifth over. As usual, our number three and opener built a strong partnership and got us to about 80 runs. In the 12th over, our number three got out and our number four came in. With about 15 runs to win, our opener scored a fifty! It only took us a couple more balls for us to win the match.

Overall, I thought that the team played very well this season, and I am hugely looking forward to next year!

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the magazine of hampton school

2022-2023

U12A Cricket The U12As learnt a great deal during the course of this season, developing their individual skills and building a sense of togetherness as a team that will stand them in good stead as they progress through the School. But, much of that learning was done through adversity as they played nine games, winning three of them and losing six.

For all that, there were some magnificent highlights during the season.

Against St Benedict’s in the Middlesex Cup, the team were chasing 160 off 20 overs and found themselves floundering at 73-5, well behind the required run-rate. From there, Sebastian Wright and Manav Krishna Kallamvelli Vasanth put on a remarkable partnership with Manav scoring 69 not out off 52 balls and Seb bludgeoning 45 not out off 25 balls, taking them to within a run of victory. It was not to be, with scores ending equal and Hampton losing having lost more wickets.

Brutal though this loss was, it only served to spur them both on for the next match against St Paul’s, where the team was chasing 124. In this case, the team was on 13-2 when Seb and Manav came to the crease. When Seb was out, the score was on 118 and the game was won. Excellent though Manav’s unbeaten 25 runs were against a strong attack, the plaudits had to go to Seb who brutalised the opposition, smashing 78 from 34 balls, including 10 fours and 5 sixes – a sensational innings at any age, let alone as a 12 year old.

While these were two memorable partnerships between these two players, possibly what will stick in the mind even more was the over in the penultimate match against Guildford where, after a Friday games session spent practising putting pressure on the fielders with more aggressive

sport running between the wickets, Manav and Seb managed an all-run 4, followed by an all-run 6 two balls later – something you would have to watch a lot of cricket to see repeated!

Of course, each individual in the side had their moments during the course of the year.

Siddanth Shetty was potentially slightly held back by the slow nature of many of the pitches we played on, meaning that his elegant, timing-based game struggled to thrive. But, he showed the technique to cope with pace and swing and showed what he was capable of with a composed 20 against St James’ school, helping the side to a 9-wicket victory.

Fred Owen similarly showed flashes of great skill with a sumptuous straight drive and the ability to face down the fastest of opposition bowlers. With a 50 against Guildford and an unbeaten 34 against St James’, Rajvir Sahota (132 runs at 18) showed that he was able to bat long – as long as he could get to double figures in the first place! His positive, aggressive attitude to batting allowed him to stand up to whatever was thrown at him. All three of these players also kept wicket at various times during the year, each acquitting themselves well with the gloves.

The middle order was held together by top run scorer Sebastian Wright (215 runs at 35) and captain Manav Krishna Kallamvelli Vasanth (186 at 31).

The combination of Manav’s calm accumulation and Seb’s aggressive – though still technically proficient – hitting was impossible to stop at times.

U12B Cricket This year’s U12Bs were a fantastic bunch of players who developed greatly over the season; they played the game with a smile on their faces, even when results did not go their way.

We had plenty of bowling talent: Ollie Syers and Huw Chapman were very consistent performers with the new ball – Ollie also playing a remarkable innings from number 11 to top-score against KCS) – Bevan Perera and Devan Dhariwal also took important wickets, and Ishaaq Alam bowled with pace and hostility.

The batting did not click quite so often, but vital innings from Shay Bhagwan, Vihaan Kukreja, and Matthew Rogers underpinned our efforts; the best knock of all came from Sam Diggins in our final fixture against RGS Guildford.

Neev Gangwani, Lewis Hendrey, and Devam Kumarswami were reliable contributors with both bat and ball, as was player of the season and captain Henry Sage, who also took some memorable catches in the field.

The highlight of a very enjoyable season was a fine team performance leading to victory against a strong St Paul’s side.

I am sure that the boys will go on to great things in the U13s.

Vayun Jain and Nico Watts both showed potential with the bat, with Vayun studied in defence and able to bat time, manipulating the strike and Nico clearly capable of striking the ball as well as putting pressure on the fielders with his aggressive and opportunistic running between the wickets. There will surely be more runs for them both in future years.

In terms of bowling, Alex Finn (9 wickets at 14) was the top wicket-taker, bamboozling batsman with his flighted googlies. His 4 for 20 to dismantle St James’ batting order was a highlight. Samrith Poonia’s (7 wickets at 16) medium pace away swing was a challenge for batsmen throughout the season, and he was often on hand to come on and nip a promising innings in the bud for the opposition. Louis Spira (5 wickets at 21) bowled with good pace and movement, with his best deliveries being near unplayable.

CAM

U12C Cricket The U12Cs progressed well throughout the cricket season – which was unfortunately was hampered by weather – with 17 different players representing the side; they were also led by three different captains, each of whom were a credit to the side.

Neil Thakur (4 wickets at 32) ran in hard throughout the season and produced some stand-out moments in the field, with his run out from point against Whitgift showing how much the team’s fielding had come on. Vayun Jain (3 wickets at 43) was a little unlucky not to have more success with his crafty legspin. As he grows older and stronger, it will become more and more of a weapon for the team.

Starting the season with a tough loss at Merchant Taylor’s, followed by three cancelled matches in a row, they managed to pick up their first win against St Paul’s, by 27 runs, as well as an emphatic win away at RGS Guildford – which included a fantastic knock of 30+ by Joe Bates, who cleared the rope with the first ‘6’ of the season!

Nico Watts (3 wickets at 35) bowled with aggression and, when he found his rhythm, genuine pace, and Sebastian Wright (3 wickets at 49) also bowled some challenging spells with less reward than might have been expected.

All those who played for the C Team should be proud of their efforts; they certainly did themselves justice with both ball and bat in hand for the School.

Probably the pick of the bowlers was Manav Krishna Kallamvelli Vasanth (7 wickets at 12), offering relentless consistency in terms of line and length, always challenging the stumps with his inswing at a lively pace, memorably taking 3 wickets for 0 runs off 2 overs against Tiffin.

CH

There is clear potential in the team, not least in the positive attitude they have towards the game, each other, and wanting to learn and improve. A strong summer for their clubs and a thorough winter programme should see them able to return next year to push themselves on to greater things individually and as a team.

TJG the lion

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Tennis This summer has once again been a busy summer for the Tennis teams at Hampton.

Our Seniors did well, progressing to the fourth round of the Rootham shield with Dominik Hagmaan, Lawrie Wilkin, Theo Mantel-Cooper, and Ollie Drew. They played some exceptional doubles and have represented Hampton magnificently over the last 5-7 years.

The Lower Sixth players also performed well, with Caleb Weinstein, Rohan Crowe and Mateo Puljic all performing at the highest level at the ISTA championships at Eton.

It has also been great to have the likes of Josh Hood, Tom Williamson, Liam Bruen Guerrero, and Ronit Raj all getting competitive game time during the season and collecting several wins.

The Juniors also performed well in their Surrey Leagues, and the U12s and U14s did very well to reach the Finals Day for their age categories.

Throughout the season for the U12s, Antony Simonov and Zidan Akhtar performed impressively, and I look forward to see how they continue to develop. Juan-Leonardo, Harrison Chalmers and Dario Puljic deserve credit for their competitive performances and willingness to play a lot of tournaments at the highest level.

Brennan Coletta and Oliver Scott played some excellent doubles at the ISTA championship and made it through to the quarter-final stages after a long two days. They demonstrated not only impressive talent but also a fantastic attitude – which will take them far in this sport!

Across the Junior years, there is a vast amount of talent, with more than 80 boys in the First Year engaging with and playing tennis. This bodes very well for Tennis at Hampton, and I look forward to seeing how these players develop over the coming years.

specialist sports

CWS

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Golf 2022-23 proved to be a popular year for Hampton Golf: Senior games afternoons at Fulwell were enjoyed by more pupils than ever – especially during the summer term, which saw an influx of fair-weather golfers! – and record numbers of players took part in the Richmond Schools golf tournament in June.

The tournament, split between David Lloyd and Fulwell GC, attracted over 50 players from seven schools in the borough. While the trophies for the best Senior, Intermediate, and Junior scores were won by three different schools – Teddington, RTS, and Turing House respectively – Hampton players gained a nearest-the-pin prize – Benny Butterfield – and a runner-up medal for Stableford points in the senior category – Alex Trevers. All competitors enjoyed the day and conducted themselves impeccably.

Earlier in the academic year, our Senior team faced very tough opposition in our two knockout tournaments.

In round one of the HMC Foursomes competition, our top pair Adam Humpish and Harley Mackenzie managed a very convincing win against their Whitgift opponents. With Robbie Ker and James Page unable to make headway in their match, everything rested on Ollie Lycett and Joe Wooldridge, who fought hard to keep the match alive up to the last hole but were narrowly beaten on the 18th green.

The boys learnt some important lessons about foursomes strategy, which will be of great help next year when the HMC competition changes to a round-robin format, giving the team lots more games in the first half of the year.

With half of the above team having now finished their A Levels, if there are any potential lowhandicappers out there, I would love to hear from them!

The first-round ISGA Match was equally tough, with James Page losing narrowly on the 17th green, and Adam Humpish finishing all-square after 18 holes. Eyes turned once again to Ollie Lycett on the 18th; this time things did not go his way, so we left the main competition to compete for the ISGA Plate.

In these matches, all three players’ Stableford points count towards the team total, so the pressure was definitely on. The Hampton teams certainly rose to the challenge: firstly Adam, James and Ollie defeated St George’s Weybridge; and, in the next match – this time Adam, Ollie and Joe – we managed to beat KGS by just 2 points.

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sport Disappointed to miss the Plate Finals because of public exams, we will hopefully have another shot at this next year!

The annual Old Hamptonians match is often the highlight of the end of the golf season, and this year definitely did not disappoint.

The Upper Sixth were represented by Adam Humpish – captain – Harley Mackenzie, and Ollie Lycett, and the Lower Sixth by Joe Wooldridge, Thomas Fatani, Freddie McIntosh, Will Brown, and Hal Leman. Alex Trevers from the Fifth Year and Robbie Ker from the Fourth Year completed the team, who competed against ten Old Hamptonians – with the best seven Stableford scores to count on the day.

The pressure was on for the School team, who had not won the trophy since 2017. This did not phase the boys one bit, and they came in with some outstanding scores, especially Joe – 40 points – and Will – 41 points. Well done also to Will for his outstanding longest drive, and to Mr Saunders for gaining the highest teacher score.

After such a long wait, it was an absolute pleasure to see the boys lift the L W Stokes Challenge Cup at the end of the day.

Many thanks to Mr Worrall for all his help this year and to all the boys for their enthusiasm, competitive spirit, and flawless etiquette on the course.

As ever, I wish the leavers all the very best, and hope to see many of them back for the OH match next year.

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Athletics

and many personal bests were achieved. Fantastically, there were also some School records that were broken!

A few days after our return from the Easter break, we travelled to Harrow on Saturday 22nd April. This was a very useful introduction to the Athletics season, allowing our athletes to come together to compete so early in the term.

Congratulations to the following for breaking a School Record:

Eighteen athletes – from the Second Year to the Upper Sixth – competed against seven other schools; with a depleted squad, we finished a commendable third overall.

There were some notable wins for our seniors: Stanley Cummings in the 400m and 800m; Aaron Mills and Freddie Bate won the 100m and 400m races respectively; while Theo Webb enjoyed a convincing win in the Steeplechase.

Stand-out performances from our Intermediate and Junior athletes included Sam Moylan-Jones winning the 100m and Fraser Kerr winning the long jump with a personal-best performance.

Our Senior 4x400m relay team finished the competition with an impressive win – and they had the school record firmly in their sights!

The start of our Track & Field Cup campaign was on Friday 12th May at Lee Valley Athletics Centre. Twenty-eight athletes from the First to Fourth Year made up the U13 and U15 teams, and I am delighted to report both teams out-scored all of the others to win round 1, meaning they progressed to the Regional A Finals later the following month.

• • • •

Sam Moylan-Jones (U17)100m – 11:31 Aaron Mills (U18) Javelin – 40:40 Stanley Cummings in a pulsating 800m race – 2:02.10 Gus Carter, Stanley Cummings, Freddie Bate, and Aaron Mills on their exciting 4x400m relay – 3:37.85

Other notable performances on the day: U15s (Second & Third Years) • Marcus Solomon 2nd place 1500m 4:35.74 • Alessandro Cardinale 1st place HJ 1:60 U17s (Fourth Years) • Jayden Oni • Tom Deadman • Angus Holker Seniors • Gus Carter • Stanley Cummings • Aaron Mills • Freddie Bate

2nd place 100m Hurdles (16:05) 2nd & 1st place 100m & 200m (B r aces) and 2nd Triple Jump (10:57 - PB) 2nd place 400m (55:93 - PB) 2nd place Javelin (28:66 - PB) 1st place 400m (51:95 A race) and 4x400m relay 1st place 800m (2:02.10 - PB) & 4x400m relay 1st place 400m (51:94 B race - PB) 4x400m relay and Javelin 1st place Steeplechase 2000m (7:10.30 - PB) his first �me and 4x400m relay

Surrey & Susses Schools Combined Events Open at K2 Athletics Stadium, Crawley Joe Timba and Ethan Monk (Juniors) and Jayden Oni and Ruben Bouwmeester-Reid (Inters) competed for the first time in five events in one day. All athletes performed very well in their category, gaining valuable experience.

John Fisher fixture involving four schools Over forty First, Second and Third Years competed, many for the first time, performing with genuine enthusiasm, which served as great preparation for the remainder of the athletics season and the upcoming events.

U15 Athle�cs Team

Middlesex Schools Track & Field Championships at Lee Valley The county championships are always of a very high standard and many of our athletes performed very well.

U13 Athle�cs Team Our second meeting at Harrow was on Saturday 20th May, and it proved to be another exciting one. Twenty-eight athletes across most Year Groups performed in the Junior, Inter and Senior categories. To come third overall again was a decent outcome; there were some inspirational performances 230

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Kieran Bouwmeester-Reid (Seniors) Shot 13.46 (PB) to achieve the na�onal standard Aaron Mills (Seniors) 400m Hurdles 59.2 (SB) just off the na�onal standard Angus Hacking* (Inters) 400m 55.38 (PB) qualified for the final and achieved fourth fastest �me Daniel Mills* (Inters) 200m 23.69 (PB) qualified for the final Sam Moylan-Jones* (Inters) 100m 11.53 qualified for the final.

Jayden Oni* (Inters) 100m Hurdles (PB) 16:53 Marcus Solomon 1500m 4:22 (PB) finished second, just off the na�onal standard *a year young in their category

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Track and Field Cup, Regional A Final at Watford Athletics Arena Our Junior team, U13, made up of First and Second Years, performed extremely well; all athletes contributed to a great team effort, giving the team another high total score of 383pts.

Our Fourth and Fifth Year combined team were hampered by external exams and DofE; nevertheless, there were still some notable performances, particularly from Sam Moylan-Jones who broke the School and Borough record in the 200m with a run of 22:79.

Joe Timba continues to impress in the 80m hurdles winning in a School record 12:30, also winning the discus with a 28:19 throw.

The Intermediate Team, U15, made up of Third and Fourth Years, all really impressed and some produced some outstanding performances; they finished fourth in a Regional A Final against fourteen other strong athletics schools with a pleasing overall score of 471pts.

Track and Field Cup Team

Richmond Schools Borough Athletics Championships at St Mary’s It was a warm day for our athletes and staff for the annual showcase, Richmond Borough Athletics.

Our First Years performed well overall, finishing a competitive 2nd place out of 10 schools. Most notable performances came from Eric Rainey, who won the Javelin with a throw of 24:34.

The Second Years finished in 2nd place, with some particularly impressive performances that included Joe Timba winning the 80m hurdles in 11:82, breaking the Borough record.

The Third Years finished one point off the lead in a great team performance; Marcus Solomon 1500m, Jack Holden 800m, and Alessandro Cardinale Hurdles and High Jump all won their events impressively.

Notable Performances in School Events / new Records: Name Marcus Solomon Sam Moylan-Jones Aaron Mills Keiran Bouwmeester-Reid Stanley Cumming Joe Timba Theo Webb Freddie Bate, Gus Carter, Stan Cumming, Aaron Mills

Age Inter Inter Senior Senior Senior Junior Senior

Event 1500m 200m 400m Shot 800m 80m Hurdles Steeplechase 2000m

Posi�on 1�� 1�� 1�� 1�� 1�� 1�� 1��

Time 4.22.56 (PB) 22.79 (PB) 51.94 (PB) 13.48 (PB) 2.02.10 (PB) 11.82 (PB) 6.43.00 (PB)

Record SR SR & BR

Senior

4x400 relay

1��

3.37.85

SR

NQS - Na�onal Qualifying Standard

SR - School Record

NQS SR SR & BR

Loca�on Lee Valley Borough Harrow Harrow Harrow Boroug Harrow Harrow

BR - Richmond Borough Record

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English Schools’ Athletic Association Track & Field Cup Championships in Birmingham Hampton Senior athletes, Gus Carter and Kieran Bouwmeester-Reid, travelled up with the seventy strong Middlesex Schools’ team the day before the big event. Never before have Hampton had four athletes competing in the National Finals.

Gus raced in the 400m Hurdles heats, producing personal bests to get through to the final against a very strong field. This is Gus’s third appearance at English School’s, which is a fabulous achievement for any young schoolboy athlete. Kieran competed in the Senior shot putt competition a year younger than most athletes.

Kent County Athletic Association Decathlon Championships Kieran Bouwmeester-Reid continued his combined event athletics by competing in his first Senior two-day Decathlon Championships. Kieran performed fantastically well achieving seven personal best scores over the course of two days competing. A wonderful, determined achievement for a very talented athlete.

DAY 1 100m 11.82 DAY 2 400m 52.62

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Long J Shot High J 5.99 11.88 1.85 100H 16.26

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Discus Pole V 39.89 3.20

Javelin 44.36

1500m 4.35.22

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Cross-Country At the Richmond Schools Cross Country Championships there was a fantastic team atmosphere, with Hampton School winning the overall event, with victory in the Year 8/9 race, tying first place in the Year 10/11 race, and earning a credible second place for our Year 7 runners.

Notably, Isaac de Quintal came 8th in the Year 7 race, and the tremendously talented Marcus Solomon finished over a minute in front of the next runner in the Year 8/9 race. Sam Bond finished 4th in the Year 10/11 race, and the consistently excellent Henry Fagan came second in the Senior race – admirably backed up by third and fourthplace finishers Daniel Clarke and Theo Webb.

In the Middlesex Cross Country Championships at Harrow School’s impressive – and sometimes slippery – course, our Hampton School contingent represented Richmond Borough and ran exceptionally well, helping to win the event for the borough against high-calibre runners from across the county. Henry Fagan and Marcus Solomon once again put in fantastic performances; both were selected to represent Middlesex in the Nationals in Nottingham.

At the King’s Trophy event on Wimbledon Common, the School enjoyed a strong set of performances on their challenging course, where our Hampton A Team finished 4th out of 32 teams comprised mainly of other schools with strong running reputations from across the south-east region. Our B Team finished a respectable 21st and included Luke Trotman, Charlie Coulter, Sam Shephard and Ed Mason.

In the Hampton Paarlauf in early December – involving multiple teams from eight schools – our U19 team won their division and our U17 team finished second, while our U15 team came 6th overall. The event allows teams to self-manage which member runs which leg around the school grounds and a good deal of strategy was brought to the fore by our winning Senior team.

Overall, it was an excellent year of Cross-Country running. Competitive accomplishments aside, there have been some real standout improvements this year, for example Ed Mason, who demonstrated resilience and a real upbeat passion for running to improve his running pace from just quicker than walking pace to sub-20 minutes for a Park Run. It has been a real privilege to see how well these boys have run together, and to recognise how their team spirit has grown during training and at races – they should be proud of their efforts! We look forward to seeing what they can achieve next year.

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Squash What is Squash? Squash is not just a sport played between two athletes. No. It is an artform – and there is no better way to express your supreme athletic ability than through a simple game of squash.

Though it is not a widely known sport at Hampton – you can be sure it is one of the most loved by its players, including myself who had the privilege of being in the First V squad for the School.

You may be asking about the success of the team at Hampton. Are we top of the country? No, but we are close – we are always put in the top tournaments in the country by our excellent coach, Mr Schurch, and always are on the brink of defeating the best of the best – sometimes.

And though we are yet to win against any school so far, I am sure with the next generation of aspiring squash players we will have great success and perhaps even bring some silverware home for the first time.

Fun is the most important thing when playing a sport and that is guaranteed when you join squash.

Specialist Sports Specialist sports continue to flourish here at Hampton. Things are starting to return to normal following Covid, with several fixtures across the sports and a great number of pupils participating and representing the School.

There were successes throughout the year and across the sports in Richmond Borough competitions – and fantastic participation in lunchtime clubs and after school squad sessions!

Badminton Badminton continues to be an immensely popular sport across the year groups at Hampton and this was reflected in the number of fixtures and number of participants in these fixtures. The U12 boasting a team of 17 players in just one fixture!

The U13 and U15 sides both won their respective Richmond Borough competitions, and these players will look to assist the Senior Badminton side over the years who continue to participate in the very strong London Schools Badminton League.

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So, give it a try, your spot in the team is practically guaranteed if you join and I can tell you as a fact that you will get a chance to be destroyed by full-time players in a competitive match when you have little to no experience. What more could you want!?

Jamie Smith

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Table tennis

of two singles games, and one doubles, which the Hampton squad were not used to.

Table tennis had a good season with fantastic participation and attendance across the age groups.

Our only loss came against an experienced St Paul’s team, where the difficult doubles game sealed our fate.

The highlight of the season was the U16 team who won the London Schools West League – see the separate article below!

Comfortable wins over KCS, Rutlish, Coombe Boys, Epsom College and Southborough solidified our position at the top of the table. Luckily, a loss from St Paul’s meant that our First place position was confirmed, winning the South London Schools West U16 League!

The U13 team had a less successful season in the competition, but were on the wrong side of results in some very closely-fought matches which they will improve from.

The future looks bright for Hampton table tennis with a great number of pupils playing across the years and the continued efforts of all our coaches.

A strong season awaits next year, as three of our four players return to the table – we hope for a deeper run into the national tournament and the same result in the League!

Shane Karunakaran

U16 Table Tennis The table tennis season began with an extremely tough Richmond Schools tournament for the U16s, where we faced the strong side of Grey Court in our first match, losing 3-6.

In the following two rounds, a dominant performance from the squad – Danny Mason, Ronit Raj, Oliver Dugaric, and Shane Karunakaran – put us in a respectable Third place out of 10. Unfortunately, this meant we missed out on the Middlesex Schools competition by just 3 points.

Volleyball Volleyball is an increasingly popular sport at Hampton; we saw our U15B side win the Richmond Borough Competition, whilst our U13A side finished in Second place on points difference.

Lunchtime clubs are eagerly attended, and the sport provides a great way for boys to play with boys from other Year groups. There are a number of good volleyball players in the School, and we hope to increase the number of fixtures over the coming year.

Despite the narrow loss at the start of the season, we had several convincing wins in the South London Schools West U16 League. The format consisted

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The Alumni Office The Alumni Office supports a global network of Hamptonians, welcoming former pupils, parents and staff. We are here to support this thriving community and provide opportunities for alumni to connect with each other and the School.

The office supports Hamptonians after they have left school and throughout their studies and careers. Hamptonians can benefit from valuable networking opportunities across a wide range of professions. We also

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organise a range of events from reunions to formal dinners and networking to sporting occasions.

Want to stay connected? Our Hampton School Alumni LinkedIn group is the perfect way to stay in contact with each other, wherever you are in the world, network and find out about alumni news and events. Search Hampton School Alumni to join the group.

We are always delighted to welcome alumni back to the School. If you would like to arrange a tour, organise a reunion or would just like to pop by to say hello, please contact the Alumni Office by email: alumni@hamptonschool.org.uk or Tel: 020 8783 4406.

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A Year of Alumni News Sir Brian May OH (1965) We were delighted to congratulate Sir Brian May OH (1965) on his knighthood in the 2023 New Year Honours List. Sir Brian, a founding member of the rock group Queen, is also an accomplished astrophysicist, now attached as stereoscopist to many NASA Space exploration teams. Sir Brian re-established the London Stereoscopic Company in 2008 and was Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University from 2008-2013.

2010, winning every race they competed in in 2022. They also set a new World Best Time at the 2022 World Rowing Championships and were awarded World Rowing Para Crew of the Year at the 2022 World Rowing Awards.

His work defending Britain’s wild animals also led him to found the SaveMe Trust in 2009, which is his continuing passion, campaigning for the rights of foxes and badgers, and hosting an active wildlife rescue operation.

Ollie also took Gold in the PR3 Men’s Pair at the Championships. Well done Ollie!

Ollie Stanhope MBE OH (2016)

Paddy Ardill OH (2018) Looking for a new cricket podcast to listen to? Then look no further than Paddy Ardill’s Outside Edge weekly series. Discussing all things cricket, it is a must for all cricket enthusiasts! Available on Apple, Spotify and Amazon Music.

What a year it has been for Great Britain’s PR3 Mixed Coxed Four and Ollie Stanhope OH (2016). In this boat class, Great Britain is undefeated since the lion

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Quartet for the End of Time

recognised since the scheme launched in the 1950s and included alumni dating back to 2018, and three current Upper Sixth pupils.

Many congratulations to all Hamptonians who achieved their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Hampton School Music Department recently welcomed a music quartet, which included pianist Joel Banerjee OH (2018) and clarinettist Thomas Knollys OH (2018), to Hampton to perform Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time.

The eight-movement piece of chamber music was written by the French composer under the extreme conditions of a prisoner of war camp during World War II.

Cartoonist marks Coronation Lunch

Alumni Football Friendly

At the beginning of January, we were delighted to welcome back Hamptonian footballers from the Class of 2022 and 2021, who played a friendly with the School’s First XI team.

Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards

Hampton pupils and staff celebrated the coronation of King Charles III with a Coronation Lunch fit for a king!

Cartoonist David Lewis OH (1986) returned to School to help celebrate the occasion by creating a memorable cartoon of the day’s events.

A record number of Hamptonians attended Buckingham Palace this year in recognition of achieving their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

It’s all Hockey for Tony!

Hosted by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, 29 current and former pupils were honoured for completing the challenging programme.

This is the largest annual cohort of Hampton DofE Gold winners to be

Many congratulations to Tony Gibbs OH (1965) on his Gold medal at the Australian Champion Masters Hockey (over 75s) with team Victoria, held in October.

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Luke Michels OH (2022) Long-time friends Barney and Luke wanted to take on a challenge to raise money for The Max Windle Memorial Trust, a mental health charity who provide support to young adults. As rugby lovers, they cycled around the Five Nations rugby stadiums – covering 1400 miles in just two weeks across France, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England, raising over £13,000 along the way.

They started their ride at the Stade du France on the 20th July and finished at Twickenham exactly two weeks later on the 4th August, cycling through all weathers and terrain. Some of the rugby governing bodies kindly welcomed Luke and Barney to the stadiums, with the RFU covering their story in a news article. Well done to you both!

Shaun Joash OH (2019) Grand Canyon senior forward Shaun Joash added an award to his prolific collegiate resume when he was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Far West Region second team. Many congratulations Shaun!

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Harry Fieldhouse OH (2018)

Tom Randall OH (2020)

Many congratulations to Harry Fieldhouse OH (2018) who rowed bow seat for Cambridge at this year’s Lightweight Boat Race, beating Oxford by 11 lengths.

Many congratulations to Tom Randall OH (2020), part of Cambridge University's Football team at this year's Varsity match.

Rollo Orme OH (2020) Congratulations to Rollo, Vice President of OULRC, who coxed the Oxford boat in this year’s Lightweight Boat Race.

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A Year of Alumni Events An Evening with the Lynaghs We were delighted to welcome alumnus and Harlequins winger Louis Lynagh OH (2019), and his father, Wallaby legend and current parent Michael Lynagh, back to Hampton for our latest Talk! event. The two rugby greats were hosted by The Times Deputy Rugby Correspondent, Will Kelleher OH (2010).

Talking all things rugby from school trophies to the World Cup and everything in between, a good time was had by all.

All proceeds from ticket sales and refreshments on the night went to our dedicated charity, the Fitzwygram Foundation, set up to provide more Free Places at Hampton. Thank you to all those who attended and helped us raise over £2500!

2012 Leavers’ Reunion

At the beginning of October, we welcomed back some of our Class of 2012 for their 10-year reunion.

We were also delighted to welcome back Barry Martin (Headmaster 19972013) and former teachers Colin Flood and Ken Rice.

Walter Bailey and Alex Green memorial football matches On a wet and windy Saturday in March, we were delighted to see such a great turnout for the annual Walter Bailey and Alex Green memorial football matches.

Held in memory of Alex Green OH (2014) and former teacher and referee, Walter Bailey, Hampton First XI took on the Old Hamptonians First XI for the Walter Bailey Cup and the Second teams played for the Alex Green Cup.

Always played in good spirits, the School won both matches with the First team winning 4-1 and the Second team winning on penalties after a 9-9 draw!

Thank you to all those who braved the unsettled weather to take part and support.

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Celebrating our Class of 2023!

In May, we said a fond farewell to our Class of 2023, along with their parents, at this year's Leavers' Reception. Many memories were shared, as the boys reminisced about their time at the School.

Thank you for all you have contributed to Hampton life. We wish you the very best of luck in the next chapter of your lives and are delighted to welcome you to our alumni community.

It was wonderful to see Mike Hart OH (1970) celebrate the 50 anniversary of winning the 1973 Double Sculls Challenge Cup and Ed Bellamy OH (1989) and the 1988 Hampton VII celebrate the 35th anniversary of securing the 'Triple' (School's Head of the River, National Schools' Championship and the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, Henley). th

Thank you to all those who joined us and many congratulations to Mike and Ed!

Bowled over at the Alumni Summer Luncheon The sun shone on returning Hamptonians from 1947-1974 and their guests, at the recent Alumni Summer Luncheon, which took place on the same day as the School versus the Old Hamptonians' cricket match.

Alumni enjoyed lunch, followed by an afternoon of watching cricket, with the School beating the OHA by nine wickets.

1981 Reunion On the last day of the academic year, we welcomed our Class of 1981 back to Hampton, along with their partners, for a long-overdue, Covid-postponed 40-year reunion. Along with a tour of the School, many memories were shared and friendships rekindled over a summer-inspired buffet.

Hamptonians at Henley We were delighted to see so many Hamptonians join us for the annual alumni lunch at Henley Royal Regatta 2023.

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Inspiring Hamptonians Careers Week Current Hamptonians were wowed with the passion, knowledge and expertise of the alumni volunteers who came back virtually to talk all things careers, during this year’s Careers Week.

Taking place over four evenings, the event allowed current pupils to hear from and ask questions of alumni from a whole host of different areas. Panel sessions were held on careers in Science, Medicine, Media, Communications and Public Affairs, Computer Science and Finance.

Odgen Trust STEM event

Many thanks go to the following alumni who volunteered their time and expertise to support the Week: John Allden OH (2015), Ben Hansford OH (2015), Henry Golding OH (1999), Athi Dharmaratnam OH (2016), Luke Minors OH (2008), Dr Charlie Vickers OH (2006), Dr Ed Mitchell OH (1991), Sam Benstead OH (2011), Ollie Samuels OH (2013), Simon Nayyar MBE OH (1985), Andrew Caesar-Gordon OH (1986), Anil Sharma OH (2001), Timothy Alexander OH (2012), Harry Graham OH (2009), Jeff Blaevoet OH (1977), Luca Cericola OH (2016) and Alex McHugh OH (2012).

On 8th March, 120 Year 10 pupils from seven partner schools across the local area attended an Odgen Trust STEM Careers Day at the School.

gas industry, Andrew McHutchon OH (2005), Senior Data Scientist at McLaren Racing and Dr Ian White OH (1991), current parent working at the Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology at UCL, who offered Hamptonians and partner school pupils fascinating insight into their careers.

We were delighted to welcome Adrian Ede OH (1977), retired Project Manager and Chartered Engineer with over 30 years’ experience in the oil and

Thank you to all those involved for giving up your time and expertise to support the event.

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Funding Free Places at Hampton As a former grammar school, Hampton does not have a large historic endowment fund on which to draw when providing support with fees. So, in 2016, a separate but linked charity called The Fitzwygram Foundation was established with the sole aim of funding Free Places for talented children who would not otherwise be able to benefit from a Hampton education.

Today, there are 106 young people attending Hampton on completely Free Places, and many more families receive means-tested financial help with fees. In addition to covering the cost of Free Place recipients’ School fees, funds are also made available for uniform, lunches and travel expenses.

Koby Kalavannan OH (2020) is currently studying Medicine at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and attended Hampton on a Free Place. A chess prodigy since joining the First Year, Koby went on to accrue many titles including U18 British Chess Champion. He joined the orchestra and performed with male-voice choir Voices of Lions and was School ViceCaptain in his final year.

‘Hampton has just really shaped who I am. I cannot imagine being the same person I am if I had gone to another school. Hampton School has provided such an amazing foundation for the next stages of my life and I am really looking forward to what the future has to offer.’

To ensure that all pupils benefit from the remarkable range of opportunities at Hampton, the Foundation also funds participation in co-curricular activities such as music lessons, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and School trips.

Luca Cericola OH (2016) is one of those who has benefited from a Free Place at Hampton. Now a trainee solicitor, he says he will always look back at his Free Place offer as a life-changing opportunity for him.

‘I credit all the success in my life down to the moment I got the offer of a Free Place at Hampton. The School supported me and believed in me and offered me so many opportunities. Hampton turned me into the person I am today and I will be forever grateful.’

If you would like to learn more about how to apply for a free place at Hampton, please contact our admissions team who will be happy to talk you through the process: admissions@hamptonschool.org.uk If you are interested in suppor�ng the work of The Fitzwygram Founda�on, please contact: Fitzwygram@hamptonschool.org.uk

Old Hamptonians’ Association If you are interested in playing cricket, football, rugby or golf then the Old Hamptonians’ Association has a club for you!

The cricketers compete in the Surrey Championship on Saturdays, with the U21 Trust League taking place on Sundays. The Football Club are once again AFA Premier League Champions and boast a very strong second and third team. The Rugby Club are having a renaissance, built on the foundation of many recent alumni and the Golf section plays up to ten fixtures a year.

The sections are always looking for new members, so if you would like to find out more information or join, please contact oldhamptoniansassociation@gmail.com 246

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the magazine of hampton school

2022-2023

In Memoriam We commemorate and pay tribute to the lives of alumni, staff and friends of Hampton School who are no longer with us. If you would like to submit an obituary or dates for our In Memoriam page, please contact the alumni office by emailing alumni@hamptonschool.org.uk.

Name Edward Chatley 1937 - 2023 Brian Collison 1951 - 2023 Gordon Davison 1942 - 2023 Anthony Ferguson 1955 - 2022 Malcolm Forrester 1933 - 2023 Brian Garrard 1934 - 2023 Keith Hanman 1935 - 2023 Christopher Harding 1951 - 2022 Bharat Khanna (teacher) ✝2023 David Lonsdale 1952 - 2023 Tony McKenna 1935 - 2023 Nick Newman 1985 - 2023 Patrick Pollico�-Reid 1946 - 2023 Ken Rawlings MBE 1934 - 2023 Graeme Roe 1935 - 2019 Ian Schofield 1956 - 2022 John Soden 1931 - 2023 John Taylor 1943 - 2023 Ian Thomas 1937 - 2023 Jack Wells 1928 - 2023

Dates at Hampton 1949 - 1956 1963 - 1968 1953 - 1960 1966 - 1972 1944 - 1952 1946 - 1948 1946 - 1952 1962 - 1969 2017 - 2021 1963 - 1970 1946 - 1952 1996 - 2003 1957 - 1963 1945 - 1950 1948 - 1954 1967 - 1975 1942 - 1947 1954 - 1962 1949 - 1956 1939 - 1946

Hampton School, Hanworth Road, Hampton TW12 3HD T 0202 8979 9273, E admissions@hamptonschool.org.uk

www.hamptonschool.org.uk