The Lion 2023-24

THE LION 2023 2024

SCHOOL Pages 1-37

TRIPS Pages 126-147

ARTS Pages 38-125 SPORT Pages 148-214

Pages 215-224

It is always a pleasure to contribute some introductory remarks for The Lion magazine and this latest edi�on certainly encapsulates the vivid, vibrant and varied nature of Hampton life. Our erudite Editor, Mike Baker, deserves our warmest congratula�ons for compiling such an engaging and all-encompassing record of the year just passed.

Our Upper Sixth ‘Class of 2024’ led from the front with characteris�c generosity of spirit, good humour and fellowship. We were delighted to celebrate in August with our talented Leavers and their families, as they reaped just rewards for their hard work with excep�onal A Level grades and university entrance outcomes. We thank them for their enthusias�c all-round commitment to School life, along with everything that they contributed to upholding Hampton’s dis�nc�vely warm, friendly and purposeful ethos.

Beyond the classroom, 2023-24 proved to be another splendid year for Hampton Sport. Three of our senior Football teams reached finals, with the First XI victorious in the Surrey Cup and runners-up in the pres�gious Hudl League; both our U16As and U14As squads picked up silverware at inaugural Independent Schools Tournaments hosted at Arsenal FC’s renowned Hale End Academy. In Rugby, an impressive U15A squad reached the last eight of the RFU Na�onal Cup, while senior players performed well at the St Joseph’s College Fes�val and in a variety of spring term Sevens tournaments. Louis Lynagh OH (2019) made his interna�onal debut for Italy, helping gli Azzurri to victories in the Six Na�ons compe��on. During a resurgent year for the Boat Club, our J14 Squad was dominant in winning gold in both the J14 A and B Octuple events at the Na�onal Schools’ Rega�a, while our J15s were silver medallists in both the A and B VIIIs. Pride of place on the water went to Harry Oliver of the Lower Sixth, who represented GB U19s and won gold at the Junior World Championships in August. Earlier in the summer, a host of new School records were set in Athle�cs and our Tennis teams performed strongly, while Cricket flourished across all age groups and our hugely promising U12s were Middlesex Cup winners. Our Chess First Team also excelled, finishing as na�onal runners-up in the English Schools’ Chess Championships.

The depth, breath and sheer quality of our cultural programme remains a par�cular source of joy and inspira�on. Our Music Department undertook a typically ambi�ous, eclec�c and wide-ranging schedule of performances across all three terms, including bravura concerto performances by senior pupils and two cap�va�ng Rock Concerts. Voices of Lions con�nue to be among the jewels in the Hampton crown and their stellar performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Fes�val amply demonstrated the virtuosity of our musicians.

In Drama, the joint Hampton-LEH Senior School energe�c produc�on of Li�le Shop of Horrors was a triumphant success and showcased the talent of performers, crew, and orchestra alike. Special men�on is also due to our Junior Theatre Company for their impressive staging of Macbeth in November, as well as the entertaining Lower School produc�on of The Playhouse Appren�ce during the summer term.

Indeed, the co-curricular life of the School con�nues to thrive in every respect, with Hamptonians taking full advantage of a myriad of lunch�me clubs and socie�es: from coding to classics, from bee-keeping to LEGO architecture and cryp�c crosswords (not at the same �me!). Highlights this year included our Intermediate Quiz Team being crowned na�onal champions shortly a�er our Seniors finished as na�onal runners-up, and Ishaan Das and Caleb Weinstein being recognised as 2024 na�onal French Deba�ng champions. A host of excellent speakers contributed to our Talk! series, all of whom were compèred with aplomb by senior boys and ques�oned astutely by large audiences.

School ‘holidays’ are a misnomer at Hampton, with trips outside term�me this year embarking for des�na�ons as diverse as Malawi, Prague, Athens, Morocco, Vienna, Italy and Snowdonia. Around 400 Hamptonians undertook Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

expedi�ons, alongside comple�ng over 5,000 hours of volunteering work. A personal highlight was joining our Fourth Years in Berlin – a city that I hold in especially high regard. As ever, it was a pleasure to accompany Hamptonians as they explored the German capital’s fascina�ng history and culture – with the added bonus of being together in one of the Euro 2024 fan zones to watch England win their quarterfinal on penal�es!

Our pupils play meaningful roles in the local community and our extensive partnerships programme remains fundamental to who we are and what we stand for at Hampton. Notably, members of our Genocide 80Twenty campaign group were invited to the Rwandan High Commission in London to launch a collabora�ve book with genocide survivor Sophie Masereka.

We also played our part in the UK democra�c process during the 2024 General Elec�on campaign by hos�ng a hus�ngs event in our parliamentary cons�tuency, Twickenham. Candidates answered ques�ons from Hamptonians and members of our local community, providing a pla�orm for lively and though�ul debate.

Our School has experienced another truly memorable year and one replete with outstanding achievements by pupils, colleagues and alumni alike. We hope that you will enjoy finding out more about 2023-24 at Hampton within the pages of The Lion

In reflec�ng on my 11 years (thus far) as Headmaster, I’m more certain than ever that our School’s dis�nguishing feature and superpower is the prevailing culture of mutual support, fellowship and camaraderie that helps everyone to aspire to personal best. In this regard, Hampton offers an admirable example for others to follow: future happiness, good order and prosperity all depend on apprecia�ng and cherishing our differences, alongside nurturing a capacity to disagree agreeably.

My hear�elt thanks go to all those who con�nue to make Hampton such a dynamic, diverse, and upli�ing community. Happy reading!

Kevin Knibbs Headmaster

New staff

Emily Elliott

I am thrilled to be joining the Art department at Hampton, and I am excited for the years ahead.

I was born and raised in Manchester where I studied Art at the Manchester School of Art, moving to the south twelve years ago. I have stayed in the local area ever since my move south, following the river; having moved around the borough, I have now settled locally with my family.

I spend the majority of my free time changing nappies, making food that ends up on the floor, and saying the same sentence fifteen times over! Occasionally I do get to start conversations with other adults, but I am yet to finish one. My expertise is now organising toys into themed boxes for them to then be thrown across a room, and I am an expert in begrudgingly knowing all the words to the songs from Frozen.

Yet, despite this, children are who are important, and watching my own children grow and learn each day brings me real joy. This is what I am excited to see working at Hampton School, having the opportunity to teach pupils who have a love of learning and hopefully provide an exciting and enjoyable Art education where you will learn new skills, develop ideas and grow in your artistic confidence – with no throwing or singing included!

Dominique Chapman

As a local girl originally, I am so excited to be returning to my roots to teach Drama here at Hampton this year! After studying at Esher College down the road, I specialised in Renaissance Literature at the University of Kent, which led me to a year abroad studying at Berkeley in California – one of the greatest years of my life, particularly because I finally got to join a Glee club!

After university, I won a place at the London School of Musical Theatre where I trained as a performer, after which I auditioned for some very interesting jobs, even doing a stint for Disney as a Fairy Godmother! I later re-trained as a theatre director at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond under Paul Miller, where I directed a revival of Ella Hickson’s Precious Little Talent in 2018.

Since then, I have been teaching and directing at Cranleigh School for the last five years, where the boys have all forewarned me about Hampton’s talent on the rugby field! I have now moved back to London from the Surrey Hills with my partner and our Cockapoo, Heidi, where I have so far been enjoying running on the commons and taking Latin dance classes at the famous studio, Pineapple. Highlights of the summer have been mountain-climbing in Lake Garda and seeing Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra live.

I am so impressed by the standard of Drama and theatre-making I have seen at Hampton and cannot wait to get started on directing A Christmas Carol, coming up in November –hopefully see you in auditions!

Arijit Chakravarty

Born in India, I came to the UK aged seven. The very next year, I began learning the violin, and piano, aged eleven.

For seven years, I sadly missed going to any fetes or car-boot sales on Saturdays as I conscientiously attended the Centre for Musicians, then held at the iconic Pimlico School, London. This meant that alongside a full week of school, I spent all my Saturdays studying the violin, piano, composition, music theory, rehearsing in string quartets, choirs, and orchestras and attending many excellent concerts.

After completing a music degree and postgraduate violin studies, I worked for many years as a violinist and violin teacher. Thus was a very exciting chapter in my life. I was fortunate to play with some very fine musicians in UK chamber ensembles and orchestras and to get to do a great deal of international travel and TV Radio recording work.

Having always loved the academic side of music, I was wooed back into the classroom, with an almost spiritual ‘calling’ to teach Bach chorales! I feel very privileged coming to teach at Hampton and hope to contribute whole-heartedly to the pursuit of academic excellence in a way that is both fun and rewarding and to look after a pupil body that is characterised by its intellectual curiosity and sheer good will.

Aside from my musical education, my A Level studies in Maths and Physics, has sparked a longstanding interest in cymatics, sacred geometry and overtone singing. For leisure, I enjoy drawing, gardening, walking, yoga, playing the piano and composing, and learning elementary Sanskrit!

Nicola Wallace

I am delighted to be joining you all at Hampton School this September! News of the school’s excellent reputation reached me all the way over in Twickenham, and since joining I found out my aunt enjoyed working at Hampton some 40 years ago.

After finishing my English Literature Degree at Exeter University, I faced the inevitable dilemma of what to do with it. Being certain that I would be bored rigid in an office and that I could not bear any life which did not surround me with books and ceaseless talk about the beauty and craft of literature, the lively environment of the English classroom seemed ideal.

18 years of state school English teaching followed, and my expectations did not let me down. I still love listening to the creative and original ideas of pupils, who never fail to surprise me.

I have a particular penchant for the gorgeously dense, crafted sentences, and Latinate vocabulary of Victorian novelists, with Hardy probably ranking as my favourite, and I adore the dark and raw poetry of Plath and Hughes.

With a background in Latin, I have a particular interest in etymology, and I am always interested to learn new facts about words; did you know the word Hampton derives from the Old English word ham meaning ‘home’ and tun meaning ‘enclosure, yard, or town’?

After 14 years and feeling like part of the furniture at my previous school, I am looking forward to getting stuck into all aspects of life at a new school and sharing my passion for English with all the bright young minds at Hampton.

I expect to join plenty of clubs and trips, so I hope to meet many of you there, and I am already planning my World Book Day outfit – always a highlight of my year!

Javier Torras Casas

I was born in Barcelona where I attended a boys’ school and started to develop a strong interest in art. I studied a degree in History of Art in both Barcelona and Rome; my frequent visits to Baroque churches in the Eternal City triggered in me a particular interest in finding out about how spirituality, beliefs, and social structures could be conveyed through the action of art-making.

After graduating, I started to get painting commissions in the UK, and I decided to develop my art practice more professionally – which I did by starting to exhibit in some London art galleries and study a master’s degree at the Royal College of Art.

One of the best experiences I have had as an artist is to have been selected for the High House Art residency in Norfolk by British artist Antony Gormley. There, I worked on both painting and sculpture, especially in landscape installations that helped me to define an interest in the relationship between humans and landscapes.

I have always combined my art practice with teaching – which I am still doing here at Hampton – and I hope to help many pupils find inspiration and passion through Art.

Henry Man

01001000 01101001. When I first got in touch with computers, I was surprised that only zeros and ones make up the entire computer world. After learning computer language – which seems to be the simplest language in the world – I taught my desktop computer how to play chess. I was happy it played intelligently, as the ideas came from me. It also became my personal assistant, renewing my library books before the deadlines.

My childhood dream was to be a teacher, inspired by my primary mathematics teacher. After graduating from university, I have enjoyed more than 10 wonderful years in the classroom. Teaching is meaningful, joyful, and motivating, so I look forward to sharing my subject passion and contributing at Hampton.

In addition to teaching, I was also an athletics coach at my previous schools, striving for medals and trophies with pupils as a team. As a marathon runner, I also tried to make time to run after school. I enjoy joining competitions since chasing positions is very exciting. I also benefit from regular exercise – so I have not had to see a doctors for over 20 years!

Charlie Harrison

In what seems to be a relatively rapid full circle moment, I have returned to the school after a generation – but this time on the other side of the desk. The beady-eyed amongst you may spot a photo or two of me in the corridors.

I left Hampton School as an enthusiastic geographer, taking on an undergraduate degree at the University of Manchester, where I focused my studies on Orwellian-esque surveillance, the Anthropocene, and the impacts of conflict on young people. The latter led me to a postgraduate degree, still in Manchester, studying humanitarianism and conflict response.

WhilsttacklingthischallengingcourseinaCOVID19 year, I still explored some unique academia, culminating in a dissertation on the interactions of people at checkpoints in conflict zones.

Being the true geographer that I am, my university summers were spent using the cash earned from part time jobs, visiting as many places as possible. One year involved an expedition to Everest Base Camp and a two-

month backpacking trip around South-East Asia, another year provided the opportunity to travel the length of Central America – truly a geographer’s Eden across both physical and human disciplines. If you find volcanoes interesting, then do not overlook Guatemala!

Outside of my love of the subject, I am a big sports fan. Being of kiwi descent, rugby has played a big role in my life, and I have been to 4 of the last 5 World Cups. I also come from a very theatrical family so when I am not watching the All Blacks, you may find me enjoying what the stage has to offer.

I am absolutely delighted to be part of this community again and I look forward to giving back to somewhere that has given so much to me!

Pete Thompson

Having spent seven years teaching Music at Truro School, in Cornwall, I have had quite a change of scene moving to Hampton. I am enjoying getting to know my new colleagues, pupils and the local area, although I am naturally missing the sea and beaches in all this sunny weather!

Like so many of the boys I have met here in my first term at Hampton, I love to engage in a wide range of musical activities, both within the school day, and in my own time.

Among other things, I have thoroughly enjoyed running the School Choir this term. As well as running a number of jazz ensembles and a boy’s barbershop chorus at my previous school, I have worked as a professional singer for many years, with the choirs at Durham and Truro Cathedrals. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to regularly sing alongside my pupils in my previous role, as the cathedral choristers all attended Truro School.

I was also fortunate to be able to spend a year living in Boston, MA in 2021-22, as part of a Masters in Music Education. Whilst studying, I loved having the opportunity to engage in the rich musical culture Boston has to offer, conducting musicals, performing jazz and getting to know the local professional choral scene. I would recommend studying abroad to anyone who gets the opportunity to do so!

Since moving here, I have joined a choir and a jazz band outside of school. I am also a keen runner and have thoroughly enjoyed evening runs around Bushy Park and along the Thames. I look forward to getting to know pupils, colleagues and the local area more as I spend more time here.

Leaving staff

Alex McLusky

Prior to teaching, Alex McLusky worked in television production, on a range of programmes from ‘Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway’ to ‘Coronation Street’ to ‘University Challenge’.

The world of celebrity and glamour, however, was no match for the lure of the chalkface – and the long holidays – and she retrained to be teacher, joining Hampton in 2004.

A multi-talented, creative educator, she has taught English across the School, been a caring and conscientious Form Tutor for year groups from Third Year to Upper Sixth, directed a school play, led creative writing projects, and run charity events during her 20 years at Hampton. As well as this, she taught Drama for a year, attempted to strengthen links between Hampton and then Denmead, and worked on a National Theatre playwrighting course for the boys.

Three significant whole school projects are high on the list of lasting legacies that Alex leaves behind.

She pioneered the setting-up and running of oracy sessions across the school to help pupils develop all-important verbal communication skills. Oracy is now taught in every year group, across every department and as part of Sixth Form curriculum enrichment. Her sessions for Hampton and LEH senior pupils were renowned for being useful and fun!

Pens Down Day was another of Alex’s initiatives, encouraging diverse teaching and learning without the use of a pen across all subject disciplines.

The Writers' Room was also borne out of her ideas, energy, and enthusiasm for creativity in school. Alex worked tirelessly researching and designing everything from paint colours to room layout, procuring the coveted Writers’ Room long table and special chairs, and sourcing artefacts to decorate the room (and function as creative writing prompts). A diverse range of books, colourful posters and the teal Writers’ Room notebooks and pens provided the finishing touches to a fabulous classroom. The innovative creative writing prompts are invaluable for colleagues and pupils involved in the Senior and Junior Writers’ Room co-curricular sessions and courses. Alex also ran a creative writing course for staff, which was particularly well-received by colleagues across a range of subject areas.

Alex’s priority has always been the pupils – planning and teaching engaging lessons with energy and creativity. She has consistently invested time and effort in getting to know the boys and what matters to them, recognising that they need someone on their side A gregarious and striking figure with a strong voice and a powerful sense of standing up for what she believes is right, even when going against the norm, Alex will be much missed by colleagues, pupils, and their parents alike. There is no doubt that she has raised the profile of creativity at Hampton. She is leaving to spend time with family and to become a private English tutor.

Matt Sims

Matt Sims has a deep-rooted connection to Hampton School, having spent a significant portion of his life here as both a pupil and a teacher. His journey began as a pupil, where he was influenced by his father, a dedicated teacher who made a lasting impact as head of the English department.

Matt's educational path took him to university, where he earned a degree in Sports Rehabilitation, before he returned to Hampton as a PE teacher.

Matt’s older brother, a fellow Hamptonian, also made his mark as a member of the First XI football team that triumphed in the ISFA Cup in 1999.

One of my earliest memories of Matt was when he was a Fifth Year pupil on pre-season football camp at Lievin in north France. He was one of the 50 Senior footballers on this particular trip. Matt was determined, energetic and always very respectful. It was clearly evident he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his brother and many other ambitious and talented footballers.

I then had the pleasure of spending the next two years teaching Matt A Level PE, as well as coaching him in the First XI football team – alongside legendary coach Mr Maclean.

Matt was a dynamic, attacking full back in the First XI and vice-captained the team in his final year.

It was very evident that Matt loved Sport and PE, and it was no surprise when he bounced back to Hampton in 2006 as a fresh-faced member of the PE and Sport department.

He quickly established himself as an exceptional PE teacher, striking a brilliant balance between genuine kindness and well-considered challenges that the boys embraced with enthusiasm.

As both a supporter and leader of the PE and Sport department, he played a crucial role in developing and refining the PE curriculum, ensuring it remained engaging and relevant. Matt introduced innovative sports programs that catered to all abilities, making physical education accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

His dedication not only enhanced the pupils' physical skills but also fostered a love for sports and teamwork that will benefit them beyond the classroom.

Matt really pushed the specialist sports programme, supporting and organising festivals and events which enabled our boys more opportunities to perform and develop. He is a special teacher, coach and practitioner, and he has coached many football teams in his time at Hampton. All the school’s sport teams flourished under his leadership, and many achieved regional, county and national success.

I was very fortunate to coach the First XI with Matt for five years, and it was truly a very special partnership. In our time together travelling up and down the country, we managed to produce some very special teams that collected some silverware along the way. It was no surprise that, during this period together, we reached two ISFA Finals – winning once in a memorable match, described as the ‘clash of the titans’, versus Millfield.

Moreover, his role as a Tutor and mentor extended beyond sports; by providing invaluable guidance and support, he has inspired not only young athletes but also his colleagues to strive for professional growth. His emphasis on community involvement through collaborative sporting events with local schools highlights his commitment to promoting health and fitness in a broader context.

He also played an invaluable role as a Second Year Tutor and Assistant Head of Year during his time at Hampton. His fair judgement and excellent humour made him an incredibly popular Tutor; his 'Passion Project' idea, where he would encourage pupils to present one of their interests outside of School to the rest of the class, helped him to get to know his tutees and engage with them. He wanted them to know that he valued them as individuals, and this additional effort was appreciated by us all.

It is clear that Matt has left an indelible mark on the Hampton School community through his remarkable contributions as a teacher, coach, and mentor. His unwavering dedication to sports and the personal development of both pupils and staff exemplifies what it means to be a true leader.

From organising festivals and events that allowed young people ample opportunities to showcase their skills, to coaching the First XI and guiding teams to notable successes, Matt has fostered an environment where excellence is not just encouraged but achieved.

The emotional connections and memories forged during moments of triumph and challenge have undoubtedly enriched the lives of many, creating bonds that will last well beyond his time at Hampton. While his departure is indeed a significant loss, it is heartening to know that his legacy will continue to resonate within the school community.

As he embarks on this new chapter, we can only look forward to seeing the impact he will surely have in his future endeavours. Best wishes, Matt –your passion and commitment will be missed, but the foundation you have built will inspire generations to come.

Enjoy your next adventure!

Verity Short

Mrs Short is an exceptional teacher, brilliant colleague, and friend to many who will be very sorely missed. Warm, kind, with a very positive, pragmatic attitude, brilliant subject knowledge, modest as well, there are few teachers I know of that have had a more positive impact on the pupils at Hampton.

Any pupil who has been lucky enough to be taught by Mrs Short or had her has a Form Tutor will know how much she cares about each and every pupil in her charge. She regularly goes above and beyond what is expected of her in terms of how she is willing to help the pupils in her charge mathematically or in a pastoral sense. She works incredibly hard to support them and regards everyone with dignity and respect.

Her lessons are meticulously planned and delivered with warmth and energy. She is regularly seen at lunchtimes sitting down with pupils to give them any extra help and support they need.

Over the years she has been the catalyst for a number of new and successful initiatives in the Maths department, as with her experience, thoughtful understanding of the wider School context, and high work ethic she is able to initiate, prepare and deliver with great success.

The pastoral care of Mrs Short’s tutees and pupils is always at the forefront of her mind; she is often the first person to notice and then approach a pupil

Esther Arnott

Mrs Arnott has had a huge impact in the History department throughout her time at the School. Countless Hamptonians have been enthused by her fantastic teaching and knew that every time they step in her classroom, they would be inspired.

The Sixth Form especially benefitted from her expertise on the Tudors and the anecdotes and extra detail she brought from outside of the specification gave life to a topic that sometimes can be seen as dull!

As a new Head of Department, Mrs Arnott was incredibly helpful in setting up various Key Stage 3 assessments and principles and her advice and guidance in my first year was invaluable.

Outside of the classroom, she led a thriving History Archaeology and Archives Club, alongside Mrs Willcox, which undertook ambitious projects which the pupils who took part always loved. Examples include researching Hampton during World War Two, the story of the founders of the School, and, most recently, conducting an archaeological dig on the school site.

These amazing activities always required hours of work from Mrs Arnott to organise and facilitate, to make sure the boys had the best experience – a reflection of how she would always go above and beyond in her role.

We wish her well on her next role at Hampton Court House School, and she is very much missed in the department!

who may be struggling, and I know how many pupils have benefited from her empathy and tactfulness in navigating the many challenges that teenage boys face.

Being an excellent sports person herself, she has also contributed a lot to the sport at Hampton, with Mr Burke and Mr Mills saying ‘she has been an excellent football and tennis coach, working with U13 players in both sports. We are very grateful for here time and effort spent with the boys and for working so collaboratively with other staff. A huge thank you from the Sports department and good luck in her future endeavours.’

She moves, with her family, to Millfield for a new experience and for her two young – very sporty – sons to experience all that Millfield has to offer. If they manage to take after their mother in terms of sporting prowess, as the captain and Cambridge Blue for hockey and national aged champion for tennis, ‘Short’ maybe a surname to look out for in the future.

I know so many people wish her and her family all the very best for the future; if she ever decided to move back to London, I hope she knows that a job at Hampton would always be available for her.

I was always told that ‘A good teacher cares about a pupil’s education. A great teacher cares about the whole child.’ Mrs Short therefore is truly one of the greats.

Tessa Bartholomew

Hailing from the wide-open spaces and sunshine of Southern Africa, Tessa Bartholomew joined Hampton in 2015, bringing with her a wealth of innovation and experience, both from within education and beyond.

Prior to teaching, Tessa worked in PR agencies, in journalism, and as a press and media relations officer for the Met Police in Specialist Crime Units. Never a dull moment, but not entirely compatible, she says, with the rhythms of family life.

She retrained to be a teacher at St Paul’s Catholic College in Sunbury and then joined Halliford School, where her teaching talents were justly recognised, and she became both Head of English and Director of Teaching and Learning.

It was our privilege, therefore, when such a knowledgeable and experienced teacher joined Hampton’s English department.

She quickly made her mark and has championed the importance of creativity since day one.

Tessa has run numerous initiatives, including Creative Careers, the highly successful Young Reporter scheme, and the Lion Print creative arts magazine. More recently, she has taken the reins in the senior club for The Writers’ Room, again advocating for the value of the written word.

All of her achievements are worthy of recognition and praise, but Tessa has always conducted herself with modesty and quietude – never boasting –always putting the boys’ interests before her own.

Stephanie Kirby

Steph Kirby joined the Art department at Hampton in September 2014. This was her return to teaching after starting a family, and, as time went on, her part-time role grew to a full-time one.

Steph has had a huge impact on the way that Art has developed at Hampton. Her open and encouraging approach has been a major factor in pupils at Hampton choosing Art as one of their GCSEs or A Levels. She has run exciting photography projects for exam groups and for the Sixth Form Enrichment programme and we have all benefitted from her expertise in this field. The recent Alumni Art Show – December 2023 – was Steph's project, and the resulting exhibition and open event was a wonderful celebration of the creative careers of recent Old Hamptonians.

She has also pioneered the 'Made' catalogue that celebrates the work of our Sixth Form leavers. This is currently on the school website and a great advertisement for the power of creativity and what it can give to those who study the visual arts.

Steph has been a friend to us all in the Art department and we will miss her enormously.

We will stay in touch as she progresses to her new role at St George's School, and hopefully this move will provide some exciting opportunities for us to collaborate on new projects in the future.

In the classroom, the pupils know they are in safe hands. Lessons are always meticulously prepared and tailored to different learning styles. Her attention to detail is second to none. Not only does she provide pupils with a toolkit of skills to develop in English, but she also emphasises the relevance of her subject matter to real-life.

Tessa’s compassion has meant she has been an exceptional Form Tutor, and Assistant Head of Sixth Form. What I have always liked about her is how she always sees life through the lens of a teenager, removing unnecessary stress and helping her tutees manage the challenges that they may face. As a colleague, she is the first to encourage other teachers to consider what a pupil may be going through, promoting kindness and humility. The words of Brene Brown sum up her modus operandi: ‘What we know matters, but who we are – and how kind we are – matters more.’

Becoming a Mental Health First Aid Trainer, thus, was a logical step. In recent years, she has organised and run mental health courses for staff, encouraging empathy at the heart of teaching practices. She also volunteers at a mental health unit with her Cockapoo: a registered Pets as Therapy dog.

Away from school, Tessa can often be found paddleboarding – with her SUP pup, Leo – or walking along the towpaths of local rivers and canals. Mumbles and the Gower coast in South Wales hold a particularly fond place in her heart.

Tessa leaves to go to Hampton Court House as School Mental Health Lead, Sixth Form Enrichment Lead and English teacher. She tells me that she is excited for a new chapter, and I am confident that they will reap the benefits of all she has to offer.

KAW

Hannah Mason

Hannah is an absolute diamond of a human being.What has been evident since the first moment she walked through the doors of Hampton School is how deeply she cares about the pupils that she teaches, and her pupils have enjoyed her lessons immensely.

Her willingness to take on different classes, groups and tasks has been invaluable to the Maths department and have been to a credit to how talented she is. She has a specialism in Further Statistics, helping pupils with SEND, she has run the STEP preparation course, as well as completing some very detailed analysis on public exams which have lasting benefits to the pupils at Hampton.

Hannah was integral in setting up Hampton’s Pride Society, supporting LGBTQ+ pupils by giving them a space for their voices to be heard and for them to share their thoughts and feelings with others who were thinking and feeling the same way. She has not just helped those pupils, in some cases she has helped them to find themselves and supported them through struggles few others might have spotted.

She is refreshingly honest and extremely generous in sharing her own experiences – as well as her strong views on Doctor Who! – to help those around her to make sense of the world. She has advocated for those pupils alongside providing training for colleagues to leave them better placed to provide appropriate support.

Those of us who have been lucky to get to know her over her time at Hampton will know what a lasting impact she has had on the place, and we are going to miss her hugely.

GRH & CJB

David Sharkey

David joined Hampton in September 2020 and was instantly an enormous asset to the English department. Mr Sharkey was widely appreciated by pupils for his hugely varied, interactive and discursive lessons and for his philosophy of encouraging the pupils to think for themselves and develop their own interpretations of literary texts.

In his three and a half years at Hampton, David was extremely popular with staff and pupils alike owing to his great fairness, good humour, and enthusiasm for sharing innovative teaching practice with his colleagues: all of whom looked forward to being in David’s warm company each day.

David very successfully oversaw the running of the Hampton Sports Chronicle, guiding the pupil editors in the production of countless very professional editions, with this celebration of Hampton sporting endeavours appreciated enormously throughout the School community.

David departs Hampton to pursue an exciting new chapter developing his communications consultancy for sports and business leaders on a full-time basis, and we all wish him the very best of luck in what we know will be a hugely successful venture.

David, thank you for your commitment, positivity and hard work: we will miss you.

school

Joanna Moore

Joanna Moore joined Hampton in 2017, and she soon began to show her impressive skills as an educator with her vast subject knowledge and positive approach to anything she tackles.

Her strengths as an Art Historian and Architecture graduate have been a great asset to the Art team. She has been a kind and generous member of the Art department team, and she will be sadly missed. She goes on to start a new challenge not too far away at Hampton Court House School, and I am sure that she will stay in touch.

Joanna has a great ability to enthuse her pupils and has always been generous with her time. Her Lego Construction Club has brought a lot of happiness to pupils in the Lower School who aspire to be future architects and engineers.

She also became involved in the Bee-Keeping Club and her passion for this has grown over the years. Phil Langton has very much appreciated having a helping hand to run the club and her creative input has been so valuable.

Hampton has lost a very bright light, but I know she will go from strength to strength in her new role not too far away!

Jonny Fryer

Mr Fryer joined the History department in January of this year as a familiar face to many, being an Old Hamptonian!

He has made a fantastic contribution to the department in his short time at the School, attending trips, running extension sessions and inspiring pupils

with his lively and enjoyable lessons. He has also got stuck in outside of the department by taking the U15C cricket team and accompanying a First Year Adventure Society trip to Dorset.

Mr Fryer will be very much missed by the History department, and we wish him all the best in his new role at Mill Hill.

KAW

OGR

History Department

History Society

This year, I have been to History Society every week it has happened. It is run by Mr Roberts, and pupils of all ages are welcome. We gather in the Lecture Theatre every Friday, and have speeches, debates, quizzes and more.

My favourite round of the quiz is the AI image round, where AI creates an image of something of historical importance, and we have to guess what this is. I also like the general knowledge round, which are just ‘straight up’ history questions!

I would like to say a huge thank you to Mr Roberts for putting this club on every week; it has been the highlight of my lunchtimes.

Joe Bates

Every Friday for the past year, the Hampton History Society has been meeting in the Lecture Theatre. A club for all Year Groups, it operates on an open-door policy, with first timers always welcome.

We debate historical topics, watch presentations made by pupils and teachers alike, and take part in quizzes that have ranged from ‘guess the

Battlefields Trips

In March, the History department ran two battlefields trips to Ypres and the Somme for the whole of the Third Year. The purpose of the trips was to give pupils an appreciation of the true horrors of the Western Front and to support their study of the First World War in lessons.

During the trip, we visited sites such as Tyne Cot Cemetery, Newfoundland Memorial Park, and the Lochnagar Crater.

The most poignant visit was to the Menin Gate, where we watch the Last Post Ceremony and lay a wreath on behalf of the School. We also paid our

historical event from the AI image?’ to ‘what was that historical military vehicle?’, among other things. As a regular attendee, I can say that these quizzes have been a highlight, allowing me to have fun with my friends, even if we do not know all the answers.

Another aspect of History Society I have enjoyed are the debates, where a motion is put forward by Mr Roberts and we have to respond using historical examples. Everyone is given the chance to speak and there are lots of thoughtful, productive ideas from both sides.

I have made new friends from attending history society as well as learning lots of new facts. Questions spanned the time of the Romans to the 2010 General Election – which have really helped me expand my general knowledge. There were also presentations from pupils on subjects such as the Falklands War and the Battle of Culloden, the last battle thought to be fought on English soil. These were insightful and thought-provoking talks on topics I knew little about and I thoroughly enjoyed both.

A club of great teaching, learning and enjoyment, History Society has been a constant source of knowledge acquisition and joy in my Friday lunchtime – and I know that all other attendees would agree.

Rory McEwan

respects at the name of Old Hamptonian AJ Winterbourne, who died during the Third Battle of Ypres. This is something that thousands of Hamptonians have now done, and it gives the boys an understanding of the sacrifices made by our Hampton community.

Other highlights of the trip included a 3:30am departure from Hampton, the Leonidas chocolate shop in Ypres, and a delicious meal at the Captain Cook restaurant.

Thanks to all of the boys for behaving so well whilst at important memorial sites and the many staff who accompanied the trip.

Berlin Trip

At the end of the summer term, 40 Fourth Year pupils went to Berlin for three nights to experience the historical sites of the city. These included a cycling tour around key places, a boat tour down the River Spree, Sachsenhausen concentration camp, and the Cold War Museum.

This all complements the IGCSE topics that the pupils are studying in class, including the causes of World War Two, the Berlin Wall, and life behind the Iron Curtain.

Pupils were also able to sample the culinary delights of the city, such as currywurst, pork knuckle and the famous German kebabs – which were a particular favourite of many boys!

European Cities Trip

The European Cities trip to Munich, Vienna, and Prague ran for the second time in the first week of the Easter Holiday. The trip consists of three nights in Munich and then two in Vienna and Prague, giving a group of Lower Sixth a taste –both figuratively and literally! – of each city.

It is a packed schedule, with two to three visits each day, but pupils also enjoy a lot of free time and opportunities to explore the cities. The highlight of the trip was a walk created by Mrs Partridge and Mr Lawrence, where boys followed the story of Michael Seigel, a Jew who was publicly humiliated and abused during Kristallnacht in 1938. This was an enlightening and shocking experience for the boys who gained a better appreciation of what life was like for Jews under the Third Reich.

Other activities included visiting Dachau memorial site and the Olympic Park in Munich, the Schoenbrunn Palace and walking tour of Vienna and the Museum of Communism in Prague, amongst many others. The boys also enjoyed going to the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna to watch Austria versus Turkey and then having their own impromptu game of football at the base of the Petrin Tower in Prague.

A huge thank you to all of the boys who attended; they were excellent company throughout and approached the trip with exactly the right attitude. In addition, thank you to Mrs Partridge, Mr Lawrence, and Miss Bellingan for accompanying the trip.

VMS

The English Department

Once again, it was a jam-packed year for the English department, whose main objective – beyond supporting pupils in their efforts to achieve outstanding grades and fulfil their aspirations – remains helping boys at Hampton to share in Barak Obama’s belief that ‘Reading is important. If you know how to read then the whole world opens up to you.’

Oscar Wilde also rightly observed that ‘It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines who you will be when you can’t help it.’ Thankfully, in addition to an incredibly well-resourced library, book-swap shelves in the English corridor, and teachers brimming with favourites and suggestions, there is also Audible to help find and enjoy more books –something that Wilde never benefited from on his commute!

The Writers’ Room, continues to go from strength to strength – skilfully avoiding cliches such as that one – engaging pupils from across the School in weekly group discussions and creative workshops.

Aspiring authors and potential poets in the First to Third Year – as part of the Junior Writer’s Room – particularly enjoyed exploring historical fiction; they entered the Young Walter Scott competition in that vein, which showcased their imagination. There were also a high number of Freddobased competitions – which certainly got the creative juices flowing. The boys also hugely enjoyed ‘The Writer’s Game’, where narratives are shaped or triggered by chance, such as the roll of a dice.

In the Senior Writers’ Room, boys explored how different stimuli helped to shape or inspire a piece of writing; for example, how a character can be based entirely upon a name, or how challenging it can be to follow on directly from someone else’s narrative.

The Senior boys also got the opportunity to get involved in the editing of the creative arts magazine, Lion Print, sharpening their critical eye and giving them an opportunity to reflect on their own writing and how it might be perceived by others. A whole myriad of national creative writing competitions were entered – fingers crossed for them!

Many of the piece’s created or inspired by work in the Writer’s Room can be found in the School magazine, Lion Print – something else that should definitely be on your reading list! Well done to all those boys whose work is featured there alongside superb artwork created by our Art Scholars.

The department’s three Junior Book Groups read a range of texts that emerged from the Carnegie Awards this year. Generating some avid discussion, the favourites that emerged were Away With Words, by Sophie Cameron, and The SongWalker, by Zillah Bethell. The Third Year also raved about the thriller, Burnham Wood, by Eleanor Catton, and – perhaps unsurprisingly – thoroughly enjoyed The Talented Mr Ripley, by Patricia Highsmith. We await reviews of how the film stacks up in comparison as well as what they think of her other novels!

The Arts Award, run from the English department, continues to thrive; it serves to provide a fantastic opportunity to foster creative, independence, and leadership skills whilst working towards a rigorous GCSE-style qualification. A full report follows in this section of the Lion!

A highlight of the year remains the annual trip to Friends House in Euston for the Literature and Language Conferences run for Sixth Form pupils. English Language pupils enjoyed a range of stimulating and varied talks

from experts in the field on topics including Child Language Acquisition, Performativity, and Sexism in Language.

English Literature pupils had the opportunity to hear from various scholars and authors who focused on the Poems of the Decade anthology on the A Level course. In addition to benefiting from various new readings and interpretations of some of the key poems, the ever-popular and flamboyant author of ‘Look we have coming to Dover!’, Dalijt Nagra, was a hit – and the boys even managed to get a photograph with the star himself!

Upper Sixth Literature pupils studying Othello also enjoyed a superb trip to see the play performed in the Sam Wannamaker Playhouse – a beautiful setting and thoughtful performance that stimulated much literary debate! There was many a ‘green-eyed monster’ envious of their peers the following day. One Upper Sixth class also enjoyed the opportunity to visit Keats House to support their work on the Romantics – as Keats himself asserted, ‘Nothing ever becomes real until it is experienced.’

There were also wonderful theatrical highs for the Lower School as well. The Third Year had the opportunity to watch a performance of The Woman in Black, and a visiting theatre company put on a fantastic version of A Christmas Carol for the First Year.

As has become tradition at this point – evolving seamlessly from Pens Down Day – the whole School also benefited from the chance to think about their learning and approach to every subject from a different perspective; No Limits Day prompted a superb and diverse range of activities across each Year Group, encouraging creativity and recognising that writing and note-making are not the only means by which we learn – an important lesson to us all!

Another year and another fantastic issue of the Hampton Sports Chronicle was published on the School’s website. Under the fine Editorship of pupils Harry McLusky and Omer Demiral, the slick magazine included articles on Rex Booth’s gymnastics success, Louis Lynah’s performances for Italy in the Six Nations, Hampton’s Football philosophy, and much more. In addition to major feature pieces, there were also a host of superb match reports written by our budding sports reporters on the School’s HSC website – have a read! Congratulations are also due to Harry McLusky who was shortlisted for a national journalism award – a phenomenal achievement.

The Young Reporter scheme also continued to ‘scoop’ up a great deal of support and generate reams of wonderful copy during the course of the year. Boys honed their journalistic skills as they submitted articles in seven different categories, such as sport, politics, and local issues.

Finally, Character Day provided its annual splash of colour and humour – all whilst promoting and bringing reading to the forefront for Second Years, who – in addition to getting to wear inspired costumes based on their favourite literary figures or novels – enjoyed an excellent talk from Cliff McNish, author of young adult novels. The event also raised a fantastic sum for the School’s Form Charity projects as well – reading and literature strike as forces for good again!

Thus one chapter ends, and we look forward to the next with great enthusiasm and excited anticipation.

Publius Vergilius Maro – more commonly known as Virgil* – began his epic, the Aeneid (one of the most influential works of western literature), as follows: arma virumque cano (‘I sing of arms and of the man.’).

Virgil been around today, the Classics department reckons that he might have considered adding our awesome annal to the list of things of which he sings. ‘I sing of arms and of the man and of Hampton School’s glorious feats’ – sounds great, right? It even contains a tricolon, of which Mr Knibbs would be proud. Jests aside, it is with great pleasure that we present Hampton’s fasti MMXXIII-MMXXIV, featuring epic talks, trips and talent!

*This is THE Virgil. Not the Dutch footballer or the pilot of Thunderbird 2.

We were thrilled to kick off the Classics proceedings with the nostos of award-winning author of Classical fiction, Ben Kane, who visited the School once more after his brilliant talk on gladiators last year. Let’s hear from Second Year pupil, Shiv, who attended this year’s talk on Macedon’s most notorious king…

Have you ever heard about the legendary King of the Macedonian Empire? The extremely powerful, almost psychotic man whose Empire expanded across 2,000,000 square miles? This man, Alexander the Great, was one of the most successful conquerors to this day, and many people write about his awe-inspiring exploits.

Ben Kane, a successful author who has written multiple books about Alexander and the Roman Empire, came to Hampton in February to talk about Alexander the Great, and brought his books and props along with him. It was an insightful and gripping talk. He went into detail about Alexander’s amazing exploits, and how he went from being a young king that everybody looked down on to being one of the most feared men of his time.

Alexander became king at the age of 20 and was ridiculed by surrounding empires; Macedon (the name of the area at the time) was attacked from left and right, but after a show of pure brutality, he earned respect as a powerful ruler. As the events of his life went on, he gained more admiration and fear until he had the most powerful empire his time had ever seen.

I recommend Ben Kane’s books to anybody who is interested in Ancient History and The Roman Empire, and I hope he comes back to Hampton to give another talk soon.

gratias, Shiv! We now move from one legendary lecture to another, this time by Dr Stephen Kershaw who spoke about the ancient civilisation at Mycenae to our Middle School and Senior Classicists.

Although the Mycenaeans are known for their bloodthirstiness and love of gold, Dr Kershaw argued that this is only part of the picture, with archaeological evidence including beautiful art, colourful clothing and ornate jewellery strongly suggesting that the Mycenaeans were a much more complex and interesting civilisation than first meets the eye.

Dr Kershaw also provided some important musings on the unsolved mystery of how the Mycenaeans eventually died out. Many thanks to LEH who hosted the talk and for inviting us per the ancient rules of xenia.

ARW

Cue marvellous March, which was particularly jam-packed! At the start of the month, the Lower School Latin Reading Competition, which was run by the Association for Latin Teaching, was intense and exciting. Our group of First and Second Year pupils read exceptionally well, demonstrating their dedication and skill. Their performances were precise and expressive, reflecting their hard work and passion for Latin.

Despite their outstanding efforts and impressive readings, they were narrowly edged out by a team from a different school. Nonetheless, our pupils' commitment and excellence left a lasting impression on everyone present.

Next year, we will add more acting to our excellent reading to engage audience even more.

It was then time for the Middle School and Senior Classicists to indulge in what March had to offer. First up, they visited Sir William Perkins’s School for a riveting – and rather niche – talk by Dr Boris Rankov on rowing in the ancient world. Luckily, they did not have to partake in any rowing themselves, or they would have been too tired to fully enjoy the event which took place the next day. What event, I hear you cry? Let’s hear from Upper Sixth pupil, Charles, to find out more.

Even for students of the ancient world, March now feels an age behind us. In one of the last events before the exam season’s miasma descended, Senior Classicists were able to attend the inaugural Classics Dinner, joint with LEH.

The evening began with a wonderful lecture from Cambridge’s Dr Caroline Vout, on theevolution of deific presentation in Ancient Greek and Roman art, from Aphrodite to Augustus, divine understanding to imperial image-making.

Shiv Verma

VIB

The influence of the incumbent pantheon on the ‘new kid on the block’, Christianity, was particularly interesting to see, with the cultural connection perhaps best seen in Acts 17:23, with St Paul addressing the Athenians.

Following a break for drinks – complete with a chance to have a photograph taken, armed with a gladius, scutum, and other ancient militaria – dinner itself began.

While dining, we were treated to a talk by LEH Classicist Mo Lessey, on the notion of monstrosity in the ancient world, particularly through the lens of the Gorgon Medusa. With extracts from Hesiod and Ovid read for an insight into the ancients’ views of the myth, the reasons for the manner in which the modern world has received Medusa – from the works of Natalie Haynes to the Versace logo – were made all the clearer.

Just after pudding, attendees endured a talk on the role of the Battle of Carrhae in the collapse of Rome’s Republic, and the foundations of the Principate. Winding, prolix, and with sporadic use of the PowerPoint, it was a pleasure to write and deliver, alongside my eloquent colleague, Findlay Barrand.

With promises of good food, better company, and extra insights into the ancient world, one must recommend attending the next Classics Dinner wholeheartedly. Indeed, those with a particular passion for Classics should begin vying for the chance to deliver on a topic of their own choosing.

Truly a night to remember.

Charles Blagden

We did say that March was marvellous, didn’t we? Well, it does not stop there! After a four-year, Covid-induced hiatus, Hampton School’s Classics department was delighted to run its biennial overseas trip in March 2024 for a 39-strong cohort of keen Classicists, drawn from the Second Year all the way up to the Upper Sixth. This year’s destination was Greece, whose ancient culture is one of the bedrocks of western civilisation.

The tour began in Attica, with visits to the unusual rectangular theatre at Thorikos and the beautiful Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, a special beacon for sailors about to navigate – or having just navigated – the Aegean Sea.

The next day or two was spent in Athens, where pupils marvelled at the world-famous Akropolis (with its Theatre of Dionysus, Propylaia, Erectheion and Parthenon) and other sites of great political importance like the Agora and Pnyx. Visits to the Agora, New Akropolis and National Archaeological Museums further informed the pupils’ understanding of ancient Athens as they connected the archaeological findings found therein with their original locations.

A walking tour soon morphed into a coach tour, as the Classics cohort departed for Marathon, where Hampton’s Upper Sixth pupils – themselves prospective Classics undergraduates – directed the re-enactment of the eponymous battle which secured an unprecedented Greek victory over the mighty Persians.

The next stop was the bewitching site and museum of the Pan-Hellenic sanctuary, Delphi, the visit to which was guided expertly by Mr Hall. Delphi was once considered by the Greeks to be the centre of the world, and people from all over the ancient world flocked here to set up their treasuries and receive oracles from Pythia, high priestess of Apollo.

From one Pan-Hellenic sanctuary to another…Olympia was up next! Hamptonians enjoyed another expertly guided tour, this time by Mr Barber, around this sprawling site which once housed the gargantuan statue of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

It is, of course, more famous for being the home of the Olympic Games, and Hamptonians were lucky to experience first-hand the different features of the sporting site, such as the Zanes, exercise area and stadium!

The final coach stop early on Sunday morning was Mycenae, home to one of Greece’s earliest civilisations famous for its mythological house of Atreus, love of gold and penchant for blood-sports. Hampton Classicists relished the opportunity to walk into the bee-hive tombs, through the Lion Gate and up to the palace, where, according to myth, Agamemnon was killed by his wife, Klytemnestra, in a bath! Unfortunately, the bath has not survived, but the cohort was at least able to see another epic body of water – the Corinth Canal – before it returned to Athens airport and arrived safely in London later that evening.

Hamptonians and teachers gathered for the final time in the baggage reclaim area of Heathrow Terminal 5 for the awards ceremony, with bar-ofsoap prizes awarded to the winners of the many competitions set up during the week: Classics Quiz, Bingo, Best Serious Photo, Best Silly Photo, Best Poem, Best Meme and Fastest Runners! The teachers were also very happy and humbled to receive thank you cards and presents from the entire group!

The Classics Trip to Greece, then, was a resounding success. Not only did the pupils’ exploration of the sites and museums hugely benefit their study of Classics – both on and off syllabus – but the shared experience of an overseas, residential trip – especially post-Covid – brought like-minded pupils, regardless of their year group – closer to each other.

For these reasons, the Classics department very much looks forward to continuing its successful programme of residential trips. Next on the agenda… Hadrian’s Wall 2025 and Sicily 2026! ARW

Blimey, what an Odyssean journey we went on! We knew that you wouldn’t be able to get enough of our Greece trip, so we are delighted to provide you with an ‘alternative prospectus’, courtesy of our eloquent and eagle-eyed Head of Classics, Mr Barber.

Hamptonian Greek-Speak Dictionary

• A Lacey - a wound suffered for a greater cause

• A Zhou - to put down ‘zzz’s anywhere, even amid the hub of board games

• Anna-tennae - to have one is to be attuned to unwanted decibels

• Barbarians/Barberlonians/Barberfetts - a finely tuned cohort collecting under a shape shifting banner

• Blagden - to ornate even simple speech with heaven sent eloquence; no blagging necessary

• Brawl Stars - electronic friendship creation device with legendary skins

• Coach - time and space travelling device with hibernation settings, liable to induce sickness

• Digby - to be accepted by one’s elders as one of their own; to have strong views on theft and cultural ownership

• do a Nero - to win an event(s) without even competing

• Findlayism - an elegant descriptive spoonerism, e.g. ‘more light hop than hoplite’ (during the legendary Marathon re-enactment, describing the surprise Greek tactics which shock-and-awed the Persians)

• Fuldner - to keep fully updated, often by tweets; to leave precious items unattended

• Furrikos - one of many cute feline companions itching to be stroked at the ancient Athenian Thorikos silver mine

• Gabriel - a child sized adult wearing cool shades while playing poker

• Gush - an origami production line

• Hall mark - to bring the past to life in lucid and idiomatic colour

• Hall-plites - a collection of willing trip goers, armed with only pens and pencils

• Hamilton - a collection of selfies collated from around the Greek world

• Jai bag - a tardis of snacks

• Jake - to take time for a daily chocolate shot, or evening malt loaf

• Lagging - to be arbitrarily prevented from ‘killing’ as freely as a Second Year would wish, best proclaimed loudly to lessen the blame in case of subsequent failure

• Lever - to measure vehicular distance via a watch metronomically one click at a time

• Linen - modern day drapery to be-shirt an aspiring young adult

• Marbles - collective name for statuary and architecture; not to be used in conjunction with the proper adjective ‘Elgin’

• Mythos - legendary cold beer forever out of reach of Sixth Form fingers

• Naupaktos - an offer of ice cream to those prepared to trek, and toilets to those bold enough to enter cafes without a latte

• Nea Makri - a place of seaside beauty and rushed pizza

• Noisy neighbours - other schools lacking the Hamptonian appreciation for good behaviour in hotels

• Romanise - to make an ancient site your own by way of mimicry and statues etc.

• Sludge - the final third of a Greek coffee; one of Mr Barber’s favourite genres of music

• Taylor - to process gyros at an extraordinary rate and amount

• the mark of Tolo - a mosquito bite, often found in profusion after frolics in the sand

• Tholos - ‘the Swiss army knife of civic buildings’ (ARH, Delphi)

• to Winstock - to take stock of every eventuality and then some; to go above and beyond in every regard

• Vasilis - regal driver, baggage tetris master, and lunchtime enabler JWB

We will admit that the Greece trip was a tough act to follow, but the department’s last event of the year certainly gave it a run for its Mycenaean gold.

In June, eight unwary Hamptonian delegates made their way to London Bridge to watch the annual KCL Greek play, this a meta mash-up of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata. Performed originally in 411 BCE at the height of the Peloponnesian war, this is an inspirational, if edgy, example of Old Comedy, in which Aristophanes imagined the Athenian and Spartan women joining forces to end the devastating conflict. Their method twofold: one, taking over the Acropolis to prevent the treasury being available to their belligerent menfolk, and two, imposing a sex strike.

The superb Edith Hall gave a lecture beforehand explaining the long history of the play and the ways it has been reimagined over the generations since.

The first act, mostly in English, gave us a nineteenth century battle of the sexes, as the femalemembersofaClassicsdepartmentstruggledtoprovetheiracademiccredentials.

The second act then let loose the play in its original Greek [with surtitles to help us follow the action; not that this was particularly difficult!] Lots of belly-laughs ensued and a memberable evening was had by all.

JWB

One of the best things about Classics is its multi-disciplinarity: whether you are a linguist, literary enthusiast, philosopher or historian, there’s truly something for everyone. That’s why the Classics department is proud to have overseen the running of two linguistics clubs, which aim to promote and develop skills in this challenging, yet rewarding, discipline. For the entire academic year, a dedicated cohort of budding linguists attended Junior Linguistics Club, 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. Hard work was always rewarded at the end with some light relief: think a hotly contested game of ‘Guess the Language’, or a fun Kahoot! on Cockney rhyming slang.

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 30 pupils from Fourth Year to Upper Sixth took part in the advanced round of the annual UKLO, many of whom were competing for the first time. Over 1,800 pupils from across the country sat the fiendishly difficult exam. The competition tests participants’ ability to decode information about various unusual languages and this year’s paper featured some particularly challenging questions including Adinkra Symbols, Kannada, Georgian, Zou and Guna.

Nine Hamptonians secured awards in this year’s UKLO:

Gold: Jihwan Moon

Silver: Kenny Anyanwu,Henry Ayres,Advait Bendale and Rohan Chen

Bronze: Arun Datta,Edmund Ng,Zac Nolan andBen Williams

Particular congratulations go to Fourth Year pupil Jihwan, who went forward to round two of the Olympiad the following month, and also to Sixth Form Hamptonian Henry, who rounded off his stellar UKLO career with a well-deserved fourth consecutive award.

This is the twelfth 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

Geography Department

As ever, the Geography department has had another busy and exciting year, including a full program of excursions, some of which can be found in the Trips section of the magazine.

Below are a few of our highlights from the year, and I hope they give a little glimpse into some of the ways boys can engage with geography beyond the classroom.

We must thank our fantastic pupils for writing such a range of interesting, informative and humorous set of reports.

Geographical Association Lectures

Whilst the extra two hours at school on a Monday were not too well received by Sixth Form geographers, the GA lectures attended have proven to be incredibly valuable for all geographers in the Sixth Form. Spanning a range of different topics from urban growth to reforesting the world, they enriched our geographical education beyond the syllabus.

This year’s lectures began with economic geographer Konstantinos Melachroinos of Queen Mary University of London, who discussed the subject, ‘Why Do Cities Exist?’ He shared his findings from years of research on the causes of regional economic growth in both an economic and political perspective. The lecture offered invaluable knowledge of economic geography and enabled a much deeper understanding of regional disparity, a key part of our A Level syllabus.

In November, we were treated to Hampton geography legend and former UK environment journalist – Fred Pearce. Many Hamptonians were familiar with Fred’s work, having read his popular title ‘When the Rivers Run Dry,’ and therefore his lecture, which focused upon his latest work, ‘A Trillion Trees,’ was eagerly anticipated.

Fred’s lecture, where he reminded us that is everyone’s responsibility to help solve the global crisis of deforestation, was inspiring and educated everyone on the severity of the problem, whilst also providing everyday solutions we can all do on a small scale to help mitigate this issue.

Finally, in January we received a lecture from James Stephenson focusing on the role that TNCs have played shifting global development back towards the human element of the subject. James shared his first-hand experience of the influence which TNCs can have upon local populations in Zambia with a focus on creating an ‘identity’ for local children.

James’ own work involved channelling his interest in rowing to form a rowing club for the local community. This left us leaving the lecture with thoughts of how we may be able to follow his example and combine our interest in sport with servicing our communities to make a difference in the lives of people around us.

The 2024 GA lectures have been an invaluable experience for all geographers and provided us with a great opportunity to expand our understanding of the subject beyond the A Level course. We would like to sincerely thank all that were involved in making this possible given the amount of time and coordination that would have been needed to organise such interesting and relevant lectures.

Leo Hartley & Navik Mendis

Geography Club WorldWise Quiz

My team – the Geographical Association's Association – were all very excited as we began the culmination of a term's practice of geographical quizzing at Geography Club. We had entered into the Geographical Association WorldWise quiz, hosted by Hampton, with high hopes, especially as no Hampton team has emerged victorious in living memory.

The first round was to individually answer questions that went in alphabetical order, with my teammate Akshay winning us the first point by answering: C – a region of France famous for the fizzy wine it produces –the answer being Champagne.

We kept on picking up points through the next rounds, whilst of course helping ourselves to the Christmas themed mince pies. We had to guess climate statistics, unscramble capital anagrams and recognise global company logos.

Finally, it came to the last set of questions, guessing landmarks from removed squares of a grid hiding the image. After a nerve-racking few minutes of correct answers from all schools, the results came in...we had won!

It was a close victory – by only 7 points – but we were incredibly proud of winning in our third year of competing.

Alfie Keller

Chalk Stream Poetry

During Geography Club, Lower School pupils crafted poems to raise awareness about the plight of our precious and rare chalk streams which are coming under treat from extraction and pollution. The Hogsmill is one such stream that flows northwards before reaching the Thames at Kingston.

The following were entered into a competition run by ‘Chalk Stream Poet’, which was introduced to us by a Hampton School Parent.

Chalk Streams

Once the waters were crystal clear, You could see the brown trout swimming near. The bees were buzzing while the kingfishers flew. Now, the waters are NOT see-through. Mud and dirt have infected the stream, And now, it’s not really clean. The wildlife are screaming. They say, “Please stop!” But pollution and droughts are all they’ve got.

Milan Samantha

Chalk rivers are really cool, So don’t use them to make a swimming pool. Where water once flowed, crystalline clear, Is now full of sewage and fish’s tears.

The eels have suffocated, The trout all dead, This little piece of England, Gone, I dread.

To make the rivers once more, Lush and green, It takes voluntary help, From people like you and me.

To save the water, So that the rivers aren’t slaughtered, Help with the solution, To the overwhelming pollution.

So to save the animals, The badgers, herons and otters, We have to work together, We really, really gotta.

Alfie Crowhurst, Akshay Narayanan & Rahul Kumar

Save Us

Save us for our clear water please Where you enjoy to sit beneath the trees

Keep our biodiversity intact

So full of animals it remains packed

Save us from drought

So we can keep our trout

Stop all this over extraction

So we can remain an attraction

Save us by joining hands

So we can keep our clean lands

Stop all this harmful pollution

Only then there can be a solution

Svajan Ganesan, Adam Saker & Guradaes Pal Singh

Seaford

On the 13th of June, all Fourth Year geographers set out on the annual expedition to Seaford, East Sussex.

Although the day was grey and windy, the blue sea and exciting fieldwork awaiting us kept us busy and entertained for the time we spent there.

First on the itinerary was the field sketch of the cliff face, and we studied the intricate bedding planes of chalk formed over millennia, exposed by the power of the sea. In addition, measurements of coastal defences and the gradient of the beach allowed us to understand the effects of the longshore drift in evidence at this location.

One of the more interesting sampling methods included the intricate measuring of individual rock dimensions, which demonstrates how smoother and more rounded pieces of sediment were found in the east of the beach as they have been eroded by the processes of abrasion and attrition as they have been transported eastwards by longshore drift.

Overall, this in-depth data collection allowed us to create an insightful overview of the beach in Seaford, adding on to the generations of Hampton Fourth Year data from this fascinating landmark of the south coast.

Alex Pooley & Matthew Woodburn

Slapton

On the Friday before the Easter holiday, we caught the train from Paddington Station to the sunny town of Totness; excitement was sky high as a geographical journey was about to unfold in the southwest of England, with the initial aim of finding out if chain shops were beginning to take over the more traditional, locally owned stores.

We set off with high hopes around the town in small groups, keeping track of the number of different types of shops we saw and whether they were chain stores or locally owned, with the results – surprisingly to most of the group – showing that the traditional shops in Totness were still thriving.

To conclude a successful first day away, we took a short coach journey to the rural Slapton Fieldwork Studies Centre where we would be learning about the River Lemon, in preparation for the following day. As the group sat down to their first delightful dinner, conservation about the River Lemon was flowing.

The next day, we put on our wellies and waterproof trousers and set off to the River Lemon, with a short stop at Hay Tor – a fascinating granite rock feature protruding from the ground on a hill above the River Lemon –where we created field sketches and learned how it was created.

Our aim of the hydrology investigation was to see if the characteristics of the river followed the Bradshaw model, displaying differences in the river’s upper and lower course. The weather however was not on our side with hail and rain, most likely orographic, landing on us at our first data collection site in the upper course of the river.

Despite this setback, a packed lunch and change in weather meant that spirits stayed high for the rest of the day. We waded into the river again at two more sites and collected all the data required, including depth, width, wetted perimeter, velocity and other river measurements, before Mr Hill announced that the 2024 Welly Wanging competition would commence.

Tension built as geographers attempted to launch their wellies as far as possible; however, there could only be one winner, with Sam Bond prevailing in the end. We then headed back to the field centre to review the data before dinner.

Later we took part in hotly contested quiz testing our general and geographical knowledge to relax after a tiring day of fieldwork.

The final day of fieldwork saw us visiting the villages of Slapton and Chillington to assess whether these rural villages were in decline or growth.

We split up into two groups visiting both settlements, looking at the provision of services and comparing past services to current ones to measure changes in the towns. Each group looked at one settlement in the morning before a stop for some lunch at the beach next to Slapton sand bar, then switching and investigating the other village. This took up the whole of the day, returning to the field centre for late afternoon.

That evening the highly anticipated Slapton Olympics took place, with thrilling events including the limbo and an enduring press-up competition, from which Adam Attia emerged victorious.

This concluded the trip in style, with Monday seeing us travelling back to London and giving thanks to the Geography department for giving up time in their Easter to make the trip possible.

Daniel Wight, Alistair Wight & Alec Hamilton

Religious Studies and Philosophy

Mike Haines Talk

We were delighted to welcome Mike Haines OBE, of Global Acts of Unity, back to Hampton to give a Religious Studies talk to our Third Year pupils.

Global Acts of Unity was set up by Mike following the murder of his brother David, an aid worker, by members of ISIS in 2014. Mike spoke about his journey of forgiveness of his brother’s killers. He also discussed the damage that hate does and why the values of unity, tolerance, understanding, and forgiveness should always be promoted.

Yet again, Mike’s talk was profound, powerful and deeply moving, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended.

Third Year, Jamie, described it as ‘the best and most inspiring talk he had ever heard,’ whilst Ollie reflected on the ‘huge impression’ Mike had left on those present. For Ollie, the ‘clarity with which Mike spoke about his journey of forgiveness was particularly inspiring, alongside his subsequent mission to promote his story to others.’

Third Year Hamptonians were brilliant throughout, giving Mike their undivided attention and asking a range of questions at the end. They showcased the kind of intellectual curiosity and rigour that has been a mainstay of their RS lessons this year, and a significant number remained behind afterwards to continue the Q&A.

Ethics Cup

On November 30, 2023, ten members of the Lower Sixth travelled to Christ’s Hospital in Horsham to participate in the Ethics Cup, a debating competition requiring teams from across the country to present their viewpoints on complex and contentious ethical issues, ranging from fast fashion to punching Nazis, before a panel of judges.

After tucking into some festive refreshments, the debating began and Hampton’s teams presented sophisticated arguments on inter alia, geriatric parents, orphan drugs, and ear-piercings.

They answered questions from their opponents and the judges with carefully considered responses but, despite receiving significant acclaim from the judges, narrowly missed the chance to progress into the final round of the competition at St Andrews University – the hosts emerged victorious.

Not to be disheartened, they returned to Hanworth Road with their heads held high, and some leftover mince pies, at the end of a fine display of ethics debating.

Will Fox

First Year Trip

On the First Year RS trip, we went to the Mandir and the Gurdwara. In the Mandir we first had to remove our shoes as a sign of respect and put them in a shoe rack. Afterwards, we entered a large, spacious hall and sat down on the carpeted floor. We watched a film which explained how the Mandir was built out of Bulgarian limestone and Italian Carrara marble, intricately hand-carved in India before, being shipped to England to be assembled, like a massive jigsaw puzzle, by more than three thousand volunteers.

As the film played, I noticed that the roof above us closed to dim the room. When the film stopped, we filed out of the hall, down a corridor and made our way up a flight of stairs with a spiralling handrail to the prayer room formed by pillars that were elaborately carved with beautiful details. The surrounding walls depicted Gods and elephants in symmetrical patterns.

We sat between the pillars waiting for the prayer ceremony to start. A chant was sung and doors at the front of the room opened to reveal five figures depicting the Deities. The figures were almost alive. Above them was gold pieces intricately carved to perfection.

To the sides of the prayer room were more figures depicting other Gods, such as Hanuman and Ganesha. Once the prayer was finished, we headed back to the shoe racks and took a picture in front of the statue outside before making our way to the Gurdwara.

The sense of the Mandir created an ideal setting for worship, or puja in Sanskrit.

Asher Connor

Second Year Trip to Local Places of Worship

On Thursday 20 June, the whole Second Year went on a trip to Hounslow Mosque and St Anne’s Church in Kew.

When we arrived at the mosque, we were instructed to remove our shoes and enter the prayer hall. We sat down on the carpet and listened to the imam, who stood in front of us. He told us about how Muslims prepare for prayer through the washing of the body – called wudu – and how, when praying, they face towards the Kaaba in Mecca.

The room was beautifully decorated with lovely patterns on the carpets, and the mihrab was decorated with green and gold tiles.

After this, we hopped back on the coach to St Anne’s, another beautiful place of worship, where Giles Fraser, the vicar, spoke to us about the difference between philosophy/Greek thought and theology/ biblical thought – especially with regard to the problem of evil. He discussed potential solutions, and some of us asked some challenging questions!

This was fascinating, and it was interesting to hear about both the theistic and non-theistic perspectives on how we can solve the problem.

The mosque had a very impressive structure, with a dome, multiple halls, a library, and a place to do wudu – a Muslim cleansing before prayer. There were many people on the floor reading the Quran and it felt like a very special place for them.

Fred Owen

We went into the main worship hall where we met our imam. He taught us about the core tenets of Islam and explained how you must uphold every one of them to be a true Muslim. He also talked about the special features of the mosque such as the minbar and the special Muslim prayers on the walls of the mosque.

Finally, he answered a range of questions that we had about the Muslim faith.

Next, we went to the church. The Church was extremely ornate and contained lots of engravings in the walls and memorials to famous local people. You can see the difference of how they decorate their holy places.

In the church, we had a talk from a former Guardian writer who talked to us about the problem of evil and how he would answer it. He said that the Bible never says God is omnipotent, but it is rather God’s love that gives him his power.

I think this was a great trip which showed us the differences between these two cultures and told us a bit more about religion.

Gabriel R Knowles-Szuniewicz

Philosophy Extension

A group of 15-20 pupils met each week of the spring and summer terms to explore a wide range of questions in philosophy and theology, including free will, personal identity, knowledge, Rawls, time, induction, the Akedah, Jesus’ death, Cartesian scepticism, death, art, and machine minds, and to develop skills in logic – the latter, albeit, to some chagrin!

On the last session of the year, it was great to have OH Nick Allen, studying PPE at Oxford, come in to answer our questions regarding philosophy at university and student life.

It gave us a great insight into what we might expect, and it was good to hear how much he is enjoying it.

First Years Exploring Hindu Beliefs

The First Years created and played the ancient Indian game of ‘Snakes and Ladders’ to explore Hindu beliefs about samsara.

Tom Hagan

Modern Languages

National Final of the French Debating Competition

Having qualified through the regional stage of the hotly contested Joutes Oratoires national French Debating Competition, our duo of Caleb Weinsten and Ishaan Das were invited to the French Institute to participate in the National Final against schools from across the country.

Each team debated two prepared motions, in our case whether Western governments should encourage people to have more children and whether teachers should be paid on merit.

Caleb and Ishaan won both of these debates and progressed to the Finale d’Or – the gold final – against The Perse Upper School where they had to argue that violence can never be legitimised.

The debate was fiercely contested but Caleb and Ishaan’s impressive debating skills and sophisticated language meant that they were the clear winners.

The boys received a prize for their efforts which included a trip to the French Embassy to meet the French Ambassador at an evening reception to celebrate the Olympic Games in Paris and la Francophonie

We are immensely proud of Caleb and Ishaan who impressed everyone with their rigour, clarity, the relevance of their arguments and their ability to convince the judges. We hope for more success in the competition next year!

German Debating Competition

In the final week of term, our three A Level Germanists – Ömer Demiral (captain), Ollie Davies, and Isaac Tarragano – headed over to LEH for a German debating competition, in which they argued in favour of equal pay for all genders.

The pupils prepared brilliantly but also had to think quickly on their feet, rebutting arguments about economic and commercial practicalities, social equality, and of course women’s versus men’s football!

The result was very close: LEH scored an excellent 137 points, while Hampton, with 141, won praise for the naturalness of their delivery and engagement with the judges.

Well done Hampton on a really impressive performance!

Arts Award

A select and artistic band of Third Years made it through the final, challenging hurdle of the Silver Arts Award this June. Sixteen boys were accepted on to the rigorous programme which gives them a GCSE-equivalent qualification – awarded by Trinity College.

The award is divided into two stages: in the first they developed a new artistic skill and in the second they planned, organised, and delivered a Midsummer Arts Event for the Prep School.

This year’s Arts Awarders turned out a wonderfully eclectic mix of projects that included the following highlights: car photography; pixel game design; writing and making a short film; and writing a two-act play.

Moderated by Trinity College London, the Arts Award is run in our school by nine trained advisors who are also full-time teachers. They encourage and motivate the boys on what is otherwise an independent project. For many boys, the most useful experience comes from experimenting, reflecting, rethinking and starting afresh. It is exciting to see what emerges from this journey.

As the co-ordinator of the programme, I have been most closely involved in three of the projects. Leonardo Falcone started in November with an idea for a board game. He wanted to create the physical game, having worked in digital design before. His educational chemistry card game, Elemental, impressed Boardgames Club and won him a school prize. Theo Liang and Siddharth Srivistav worked together to develop from scratch a pixel art game, with soundtrack. It was a hit with the Year 6 boys from the Prep who took part in their workshops.

The climax of the programme was the leadership day which was hosted at Hampton School on June 21. The boys designed t-shirts, posters, and a colourful timetable, as well as organising a ‘walking bus’ from the Prep and giving them goody bags at the end.

Impressively, the boys hosted the event in terms of providing refreshments in the Cloisters and even giving the fire drill information.

The Midsummer Arts Event is when our boys run workshops for Year 6, teaching them an element of their creative skill. The drumming and songwriting workshop, run by Harry Skeffington, Alexander Laing and Oliver Champkin, was an inspiring session. The Prep boys loved taking flower photographs in Francis Sun’s session – especially as the prizes were Freddos!

The Arts Award seeks to help young people explore the possibility of further study and careers in their chosen field. All of the candidates attended exhibitions or shows and reflected on how they were influenced, sharing this with their forms in a presentation. Later, they interviewed professionals working in their creative area and asked those important questions how you make a living as an animator or architect, for example.

Talk!

In 2023-24, the Hampton School Talk! series offered a superb opportunity to hear from distinguished speakers from all walks of life. This year’s Talk! programme included ten invited speakers for our lunchtime events.

The guests were:

• Harry Cole (Political Editor of The Sun)

• Sir John Curtice (Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde media commentator and President of the British Polling Council)

• Olivier Evans (Foreign Office Diplomat)

• Professor Nick Lane (Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry University College London)

• Nicholas Hopton (British Diplomat)

• Tim Coombe and Jamie Magnus Stone (Directors of Doctor Who)

• Professor Ian Davis OH (1953) and David Peppiatt, OBE, OH (1987)

• Guy Havord (Football Broadcaster)

Harry Cole, Political Editor of The Sun, opened the Talk! series addressing an audience of Hamptonians, partner school pupils and members of the community about the trials and tribulations facing political parties ahead of the UK 2024 general election. Mr Cole responded to an array of incisive questions, ranging from the future of The Sun post Rupert Murdoch, charges of misinformation and sensationalism, and which party The Sun would declare for in the election.

Sir John Curtice, one of the leading experts on the UK’s voting behaviour assessed the ‘mood of the nation’ on the key issues of the economy, the NHS and climate change. Sir John delivered an illuminating analysis of the challenges facing Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer as they sought to convince voters that their party offered the best solutions.

In the spring term, we hosted senior Foreign Office diplomat Olivier Evans on the second anniversary of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. Mr Evans offered expert insight into the ongoing war. He reflected on the enormous losses and devastating impact of the war on innocent civilian lives and Ukrainian infrastructure. The Foreign Office specialist also highlighted the far-reaching effects of the war on the global economy and wider geopolitics and international relations, underlining the importance of continued support for Ukraine by global partners both financially and politically.

We also heard from former UK ambassador Nicholas Hopton who has had a distinguished career in British foreign affairs, particularly in the Middle East. Quizzed by the audience on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, Mr Hopton stressed the importance of a two-state solution and the critical role that diplomacy will play in finding a resolution to the crisis, and the consequent devastating humanitarian plight in Gaza.

Our final speaker of the spring term was Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry at University College London and acclaimed author Nick Lane. Professor Lane delivered a thought-provoking talk on the science behind our feelings, approaching the question from a scientific perspective, drawing on a diverse array of evidence to illuminate the myriad factors that influence our emotions.

In the summer, Doctor Who directors Tim Coombe and Jamie Magnus Stone spoke to a Hammond Theatre audience about the privilege of working onthe family-favourite and the responsibility of protecting the legacy of this iconic science fiction show. Answering questions from Hamptonians, the directors both agreed that working on Doctor Who was a highlight of their careers.

In May, we were privileged to hear from global leaders in humanitarian aid, Professor Ian Davis OH (1953) and David Peppiatt OH (1957). The alumni spoke to the audience about the challenges of ensuring aid reaches those who need it most, as well as giving a first-hand account of what it is like to be an aid worker on the front line.

Our final speaker of the year was football commentator Guy Havord Mr Havord spoke about covering many of the most exciting football stories of the past two decades and how sports journalism has changed beyond recognition since he joined the profession. He also treated the Hammond Theatre audience to some of his more memorable reporting moments, including the very first post-match interview with a teenage Cristiano Ronaldo who had just joined Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon.

Form Charity

We believe that it is fundamentally important to the development of pupils as individuals and our effectiveness as a School that we continue to strive to make a positive impact on the world around us. Form Charity has once again made a remarkable difference this year, raising a fantastic sum for our three charities – The Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust, The Woodland Trust and Children at Risk in Asia.

Here’s a recap of Form Charity 23-24:

Year Group Charity quizzes are always a highlight among Hampton and LEH pupils. From the First Years to the Fourth Years, the air was filled with joyful enthusiasm and a spirited sense of competition between the forms. The camaraderie and friendly rivalry between teams not only brought smiles and laughter but also helped raise substantial funds for our chosen charities throughout the year.

‘We really enjoyed making and running the quizzes for year groups, and hopefully they also enjoyed participating in them!’ – Form Charity Committee

As well as quizzes, foodbank collections have always been an integral part of Form Charity – we received hundreds of food donations throughout the year from pupils and staff that were sent to the Feltham foodbank. Thank you to all pupils and staff who have been so generous for bringing a donation

In the lead up to the Christmas holidays, Form Charity organized a Shoebox Appeal for Solace, a leading specialist charity in the UK supporting women and children experiencing domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Forms from all Year Groups filled shoeboxes with a variety of donations for children and young adults over the Christmas period. Hampton pupils donated over 130 shoeboxes to Solace, it was great to see the Hampton community come together at the end of term to support such an important cause, and we look forward to another year of donations.

Perhaps regarded as one of the most popular fundraising events, the First Year Bake Sale has once again been a great success; every biscuit, pastry and slice of cake sold out within 15 minutes, raising further invaluable funds for our Form charities.

Many thanks to the First Years and staff for baking and bringing delicious treats and raising so much for our charities! The Second year Character Day was equally as popular, seeing a variety of innovative and colourful costumes.

To end the academic year, the Lower Sixth took part in a well-organised rounders tournament with LEH’s Lower Sixth. The teams showed great camaraderie and enjoyed competing against each other on a hot summers day. Congratulations to the winning team, and thank you to those who participated!

To round up the end of the academic year for Form Charity 23-24, the First Years showed great team spirit in the much-anticipated Charity Fun Run on the fields. Congratulations to the winners of the fun run: 1W!

Overall, it has been another very successful year for Form Charity. None of this success would be remotely possible without Miss Embiricos, Miss Holt, Mrs Michelsen, the rest of the Form Charity Committee and most of all, every pupil and member of staff who have donated. We are always looking for more ideas on how we can raise more money, so if you have one, please get in touch with us!

Vaibhav Neela &Sixth Form Charity Committee

UCAS & Careers

UCAS

Upper Sixth Hamptonians again applied to some of the best universities in the UK and indeed the world, and achieved a record 820 offers between them. A remarkable 56 pupils – 26% of the year group – received at least one offer from a Global Top 10 university (Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and UCL) this year, and 98% of the Upper Sixth received at least one offer from a Russell Group or equivalent university.

During our annual Universities Week, we had a series of talks provided by some of the perennially popular destinations for Hamptonians including Bath, Nottingham, Durham, Edinburgh, Southampton, Warwick and Exeter.

The sessions provided a broad flavour of student life and apprenticeship opportunities at these popular destinations. The event also included a conversation between Old Hamptonians who are now completing their first year at University. These former pupils shared insights about their experiences, with a particular emphasis on the benefits of visiting the university in advance.

All in all, the week proved to be a highly popular and informative introduction to the evolving arenas of academia and employment.

Overseas Universities

International universities have been a popular choice for our 2024 leavers, with pupils applying to study in the US, Canada, Ireland, The Netherlands, Italy, and even China! Photographed are four pupils looking forward to their studies in the US: James Page (Old Dominion University), Caleb Weinstein (Duke), Navik Mendis (UCLA), and Zain Suterwalla (Adelphi).

We are looking forward to hearing about the boys’ adventures on the other side of the pond, and to following the sporting achievements of the recruited athletes in the group – James (golf) and Zain (soccer).

The admissions process for US universities can be extremely competitive (Duke University had, for example, an admission rate of 4.1% this year), so current Hamptonians looking at this route must get ready to really sell themselves in their applications!

Careers

This academic year, Hampton pupils have enjoyed a range of careers events tailored to their age and stage.

A particular highlight was the talk given on the future of careers and the evolving workplace to Fifth Year boys and parents by Mrs Jane Hamilton, Careers Correspondent for The Sun and The Times. The take-home message was that most young people entering the workplace can look forward to ‘squiggly careers’ with multiple roles in multiple domains over the course of their working life. We are delighted that Mrs Hamilton will return to give the talk again in November.

Careers Week, which featured panels of highly successful individuals representing career paths popular with Hamptonians including Finance, Computing & AI, and Law, as well as the Civil Service, Journalism, and Publishing & Advertising, was very well attended.

Careers Week 2025 is already taking shape, and we look forward to hosting a panel on Sustainability for the first time. If you missed any of the talks, or want to listen to them again, you can find them on OneDrive and Clickview, together with an extensive back catalogue of talks from previous years.

Finally, the Third Year enjoyed an inspiring afternoon hearing from professionals working across the full spectrum of creative industries including Architecture, Publishing, PR, Advertising, Marketing, Music and Film.

If there is one thing current Hampton pupils can learn, it is that it is never too early to start thinking about the direction they want to take, and that soft skills such as communication, collaboration, resilience, adaptability and initiative are just as important as concrete skills and qualifications. And, of course, at Hampton, there are ample opportunities every day to develop both!

Degree Apprenticeships

Hamptonians consistently go on to attend highly reputed universities, but we also recognise that Higher Education opportunities have evolved substantially. Our pupils must be well-informed to secure the most appropriate route for them, and a Degree Apprenticeship is becoming an increasingly popular choice, with more and more universities offering them.

So it was that in our extremely well-attended Universities Week, one of the talks was by degree apprentice and OH Sulie Siddique, who outlined his experience combining work with achieving a degree. As a final year Jaguar Land Rover apprentice, Sulie explained both the financial benefits and additional organisational skills required to achieve his BSc in Digital and Technology Solutions through the University of Warwick.

One of our Upper Sixth has recently been offered a highly sought after place on the PwC Finance degree apprenticeship partnered with the University of Manchester. Given the intensely competitive nature of these programmes, this really is an outstanding achievement.

The Hampton MUN 2023-24 ‘season’ was a vintage one. We participated in five conferences (REIMUN, BMUN, LEHMUN, EPMUN and HMUN) and transferred even more responsibility to pupils in the organisation of our weekly lunchtime club. Attendance from all year groups continues to grow; pupils are the best ambassadors for this activity and often recruit friends from their form groups to join our weekly debates on topical global issues. 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 talented 2023-24 conference participants, who managed to win eighteen ‘highly commended delegate’ awards, eighteen ‘distinguished delegate’ or ‘best delegate’ awards, six ‘commended delegate’ awards and two ‘distinguished delegation’ awards. Several Sixth Form pupils acted as external guest chairs at both REIMUN and LEHMUN, marshalling their committees with utter confidence and a keen grasp of arcane MUN rules and regulations. As ever, we are very proud of these achievements, but it is worth noting that the best MUN outcomes are produced by the teamwork, camaraderie, and skills that all pupils enjoy and develop.

Our 2024 ‘leavers’ have thoroughly immersed themselves in this activity for the best part of 5 or 6 years, winning multiple awards, and chairing at conferences in their Sixth Form years. Thank you to Felix von der Geest, Finn Watton, Theo Elliott, Thomas Perry, Vishal Saha and Piers Marchant for their hard work, indefatigable humour, and highly skilled contributions to MUN. They were wonderful role models to our younger pupils and frequently helped to train and encourage our new MUN debaters.

One of the most heartwarming developments in MUN at Hampton is that it has grown into a largely pupil-led co-curricular activity. Pupils run our weekly club, chairing debates, and producing fictional and real scenarios for us to debate. Staff facilitate our attendance at conferences, but pupils run this activity with virtually no supervision. They develop confidence, knowledge, and mentoring skills and this must be highlighted as one of the less tangible benefits of MUN.

Reflections on our 2023-24 season and MUN in general are provided by Rishi Vijayan, Sam Govier, and Digby Joice.

Rishi Vijayan (U6MB)

I must admit, I’m sceptical of the power of UN diplomacy in decisively improving the world. However, after a truly wonderful year, one thing I’m completely certain of is that Hampton MUN will decisively improve the school life of anyone that comes along to the Lecture Theatre on Tuesday lunchtimes.

23-24 was my first full year being one of those fortunate people and as cliched as this lament is, I wish I had started earlier. I’m sure you already know that MUN very usefully develops important inter-personal and oratorical skills and I’m sure that the many successes in conferences this year will be mentioned by others. As a consequence, I feel no guilt in using my piece to draw attention to what I think the best part of MUN is (although the personal development and school achievements are still great).

At Hampton, MUN is decidedly and utterly enjoyable. Skill and intelligence remain valued, but the light-hearted atmosphere that pervades everything MUN here means that the all-important balance between fun and positive competition is struck. I think there’s no better example of this than the Haileybury conference, ‘the cup final of MUN’. A great deal of

awards was won but what I most fondly remember are the memories of the good-humoured speeches in conference and the camaraderie of the group across all its year groups outside of it (and above all the magical singing in the minibus of Finn Watton, Vish Saha and yours truly).

The pivotal role of Ms Field and Ms Bellingan in creating an MUN experience that I’m clearly such a fan of must be highlighted – we’re all so grateful to them for their immense enthusiasm and support. Finally, I’d also like to thank the boys in the year above me who also gave me plenty of support this year and played important roles themselves in fostering the lovely atmosphere of Hampton MUN.

Sam Govier (U6GHC)

A staple of the MUN calendar, Haileybury MUN once again proved a fitting finale to the year. Armed with suitcases for the overnight stay, resolutions for debate, and some interestingly-headed notepaper for the Afghan delegation, a group of 15 delegates set off for the highlight of our season. Following an astoundingly traffic-free trip around the M25, in which Hampton MUN’s finest showed off their questionable tastes in music, we pulled into Haileybury to begin the three-day conference. Proceedings began with the opening ceremony and lobbying in committees, before delegates dispersed for the evening and we headed to the Premier Inn that would be our base for the weekend in Hertfordshire. One night and a full English later, we travelled back to Haileybury for the first day of debate in committees. Hamptonians tackled a number of pressing issues, such as the management of social media during crises, the freedom of expression in the press, and the use of foreign mercenaries. It was a day of intense and fruitful debate, after which we headed back to our hotel to relax ready for what Sunday had in store.

The day’s debate began later in the morning on Sunday, so we enjoyed a lie-in before packing and turning out of our accommodation. Committee debate continued in the morning, with Hamptonians making speeches and amendments throughout the day, before the GA-dominated afternoon. Seemingly almost as soon as the conference had started, it came to a close with the eagerly anticipated awards ceremony. Hampton had one of their most successful conferences to date and possibly our most successful Haileybury MUN on record, scooping 9 individual awards and a Distinguished Delegation award for Afghanistan, composed of Thomas Perry, Felix Von Der Geest, Piers Marchant, Finn Watton and Vishal Saha. Individual Distinguished Delegate awards went to: Vishal Saha, Thomas Perry, Finn Watton, Isaac Crowhurst, Sam Govier, Rishi Vijayan, and Alex Pooley, and Highly Commended Delegate awards went to: Piers Marchant and Sam Trotman.

Over the course of the conference, Hampton delegates made an astonishing 83 speeches, 137 Points of Information and 66 amendments, as well as passing 2 resolutions – a great achievement at a conference where simply getting your resolution debated is a near-impossible task. Huge thanks must go to our “Advisors” – Miss Field and Miss Bellingan – for accompanying us to Haileybury, a conference which was a worthy end to our year of hard work debating in club

Digby Joice (3B)

Last year, MUN club was a huge success: we attended to five conferences winning award after award and representing Hampton School in the best possible light. During the lunchtime club we had many exciting and varied topics of debates, ranging from nuclear weapons to clean water. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our brilliant Upper Sixth as they left for university aftermany long years of contribution to the club. Some of the highlights included speeches in Russian, the burger republic of Haiti, and that climate change does not exist motion. I think that all members of the club learned lots of new skills in public speaking, negotiation and representing ideas different or even opposing to their to their own.

The MUN experience according to Miss Bellingan

After the unbridled success of our 2022 – 2023 year, I anticipated the return to MUN for the 2023 – 2024 season with much enthusiasm. Not only was I now well-versed in all the MUN-lingo and routines, but what with the excellent calibre of pupils we knew we would have this year, Miss Field and I were anticipating a highly joyful and successful year. And we were not wrong! Our pupils thrived this year as ever, at club and conferences alike, and it was wonderful to see so many new faces across all year groups in and amongst and learning from our more experienced debaters.

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 Sam Govier and fellows chair debates on a number of crises of his own and others’ making, and it has been a real joy to see our other experienced delegates working closely with our newer and 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.

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

There is no doubt MUN 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’re so looking forward to what the year ahead holds and can’t wait not only to meet and make some new fantastic debates, but also to watch the many inevitable successes of those who will be joining us at our various conferences this year!

I will finish with a huge congratulations to you all.Your achievements have been many and varied, and all were undeniably deserved. Here’s to another great year!

Chess

This has been another superb year of chess for Hampton, with the First VI winning the Briant Poulter League – unbeaten by any other school – and coming second in the ECF National Schools Finals.

With the tremendous success that Hampton has had over the years, it is safe to say that the future of Hampton School Chess is in good hands.

The Briant Poulter League is a round robin chess league with 3 different groups: Division 1 – the strongest division – Division 2 West and Division 2 East. Both Hampton First and Second teams played in Division 1 this year.

It was a huge success for Hampton's A team, with a result of 8 wins and 2 draws – 1 against KCS Wimbledon’s A team and another against Wilson's A team. With an outstanding final score of 18 match points, Hampton won the Briant Poulter League!

The Second VI had a tougher time of it in this hugely challenging league; they had a final result of 1 win and 9 losses. But, it is important to remember that they were playing against the A teams of other schools – including against fellow Hamptonians in the First VI!

English Schools Championship

Waking up on Thursday morning we knew the things this day and the next would hold. As we jumped out of registration, we awaited our departure, looking at the trophy we had one last year that was ready to leave the cabinet in the School’s Reception. Our attempt to defend our title would start here.

Upon our arrivalat Nottingham, the first round was not long in beginning, and it would be dishonest to say that we were not all a bit nervous. Winning a match (above 3.5/6) scores 2 match points, drawing (3/6) scores 1 match point and losing (below 3/6) scores no points. Game points (individual player points) determine the outcome of tiebreaks.

Our team consisted of the following: Rajat Makkar, Jai Kothari, Anirudh Shidlagatta, LuokeWang, Alexey Lapidus, and Naavya Sharma.

The first two rounds, against Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Exeter, were strong wins, beating them 5-1 and 5.5-0.5 respectively. This was a very nice confidence boost overall, and we did not encounter any real tricks from our opponents.

Round 3: City of London. Apart from board 4 and board 6, the games had been relatively straight forward, and at least awin or 2 draws was needed to win the match overall. On board 6,Naavya, played a string of top-engine moves to maintain a winning advantage! Unfortunately, under enormous time pressure, Naavya missed acritical move and his game ended in a draw. At board 4, Luokeground out a win in hisendgame having been up by a pawn, giving us a victory of 4-2.

We were now tied first place with only one other school: KCS, our main rivals. After dinner, we headed to the accommodation, and got our own individual rooms. We slept very soon with some preparation for the second, crunch day of the tournament.

Round 4: KCS. At board 1, Rajat Makkar clinically outplayed his opponent from start to finish and won – seemingly – effortlessly. At board 2, Jai

Kothari exerted pressure on his opponent both over the board and with his 20-minute time advantage. However, his opponent held on very well, and the game ended in a draw.

On board 3, Anirudh Shidlagattahad built up a very strong positional bind, slowly improving his pieces throughout the game, but unfortunately missed the critical moves left in the positions; this meant that the game ultimately ended in a draw.

On board 4, LuokeWang was facing a very strong, dynamic player who was attacking him all the way through. Luokeheld against the pressure for almost the entire game, but unfortunately the pressure reached him as he blundered. As a result, board 4 ended as a defeat for Hampton.

At board 5, the position remained very balanced throughout the game, but was always anyone's game. Towards the end of the game, Alexey Lapidus found an unexpected tactic to sway the game in his favour, but he had lost a lot of time on his clock. With little time left, he missed a brilliant move by his opponent to force a draw, but then reacted incorrectly under extreme time pressure. And so, board 5 also ended in a defeat for Hampton.

Quiz Society

It has been a particularly thrilling year for the Quiz Society. First of all, a new Intermediate age category at the Schools’ Challenge competition has meant that we entered six teams this year, five of which qualified for their respective finals.

Over the May Bank Holiday, our two Senior teams participated in National Finals for both the main competition, and the plate competition, finishing second in each.

The teams were Piers Marchant, William Colvine, Sam Govier and Ronit Raj, who came runners-up nationally, and Navik Mendis, Harry McLusky, Samuel Walker and Avinash Gogineni, who were runners-up in the plate.

Later on in June, both Intermediate teams attended their National Final. In a Hampton School first, the A team finished in first place and were crowned National Champions!

The B team reached the shield final on the same day but sadly just missed out on the win. The boys were Alex Pooley, Ben Bates, Albert Simpson and Umair Mukhtar for the As, and Joshua Ripon, Kanishk Manjunath, Milo Walker and Alfie Keller for the Bs.

And to complete the set, the Junior A team qualified for their National Final at the end of June. The team of Fred Owen, Dennis Hayes, Magnus Findlay and George Wright fought valiantly but suffered defeats in the quarter-final of the main competition and the semi-final of the shield.

It is the first time in Hampton history to have reached finals in every age category and we are incredibly proud of our teams.

At board 6, Naavya Sharma initially got into a very difficult position from the opening stage. However, with very surgical defending, Naavya managed to hold against all threats and the game ended in a draw.

Ultimately, we lost the match 3.5-2.5; it was a very close encounter that could have gone either way. But as the common saying goes: when the going gets tough, the tough gets going – and, this time, KCS were tougher.

Round 5: Westminster. Whilst we could no longer come first, we could still compete for second place. Hampton ended the tournament with a resounding victory of 4.5-1.5, ending the tournament on a high.

Whilst we were very close to beating KCS, in the end they had proved themselves throughout the tournament to be a very strong school that persevered and held together under the tensest moments.

But, it goes without saying that Hampton still ended a truly phenomenal year of chess with a memorable highlight. Successyet again and much to look forward to next year!

Anirudh Shidlagatta

It has been a wonderful year in the Drama department, and we could not be prouder of all the pupils involved in our cocurricular produc�ons, academic performances and clubs.

This year has seen the addi�on of two new performances from the Drama Club, three joint produc�ons, and hundreds of pupils involved in Drama at Hampton School.

It has been an immense pleasure to be Director of Drama with such a talented group of pupils and I want to thank the Drama department, Theatre Team and Events Teams for their endless dedica�on to providing incredible opportuni�es for these young people.

AEJ

Based on a cult-classic B-movie filmed in just two days on a repurposed set, Little Shop of Horrors is a whimsical horror-comedy musical, crafted by the legendary duo Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, who would go on to define Disney’s ‘Renaissance’ era with classics such as The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast

Unfolding in the backdrop of a struggling florist shop on New York’s ‘Skid Row’, the story follows Seymour Krelborn, one of the shop’s two employees, who stumbles upon a ‘strange and interesting new plant’ during an unexpected ‘total eclipse of the sun’.

The narrative takes an unexpected – perhaps unless you had seen the title – turn when Seymour realizes that Audrey II, the plant, named after the other employee who he is totally in love with, must be fed blood to survive.

Thus begins Seymour’s reluctant descent into murder, his first victim being Audrey’s sadistic dentist boyfriend. Alan Menken’s brilliant soundtrack, in the style of 50s ‘doo-wop’ and early Motown, paired with Howard Ashman’s hilarious script and lyrics solidifies Little Shop of Horrors as one of my alltime favourite musicals.

Upon learning that Little Shop of Horrors would be the senior musical in February last year – whilst I was not exactly surprised given that our Drama class had worked it out already! – I was absolutely thrilled.

To get the chance to be a part of a musical I grew up loving, in my last year at the School was such an incredible opportunity; to get the news that I would be playing the lead role felt surreal.

The magnitude of a production like this requires a colossal team effort. With a 50-person cast, alongside the crew, band and puppeteers, each individual contributes a unique skill set and has to do their job correctly – otherwise the whole production could fall apart!

Considering the sheer scale of this production, I was really impressed with how quickly everything just worked. A huge part of this was the brilliant direction we received from Mrs Jones, Mrs Richardson, and Mr Roland.

Undeniably, staging such a show posed considerable challenges. The rehearsals required significant time and energy, and the dedication and effort invested by everyone, both behind the scenes and on stage, was nothing short of incredible.

Then, the set arrived. I have never had the opportunity to perform in such a brilliant set before. Suddenly you are no longer in the Hammond Theatre, you are there in ‘Mr Mushnik’s Skid Row Florists’, thanks to the work of Mr Thompson, Mr Elliot, and Miss Thomas.

Actually being there on stage with the set, the puppets, and the amazing band really levelled up the energy in the cast. Yes, show week was tough –and it was tiring for everyone – but it was probably the most enjoyable week of my time at Hampton and certainly one that will be difficult to forget!

Sam Moshi

The production of Little Shop Of Horrors was a resounding success, featuring five sold-out performances over four days and nights; each one earning enthusiastic applause. With exceptional sets, fantastic acting, singing, and dancing accompanied by our very own orchestra, this year’s Senior Musical truly was one to remember.

Much of this was down to the exceptional dedication of the entire cast and crew, as well as our outstanding orchestra and director, Mrs Jones. The show was truly a production ready for the West End stage!

As Deputy Production Manager, I had the privilege of overseeing the crew – assembled of Hampton pupils ranging from Lower Sixth to Second Year – throughout rehearsals and production. With lighting and audio to programme, a set to assemble and a show to put on over three weeks, the crew worked tirelessly to make sure the production ran smoothly so the actors could put on a show-stopping musical.

Having started the process sat on the Hammond floor, watching snippets of the play in rehearsal whilst making creative decisions about what it would look like at the end, it was hard to imagine just how professional the performance would ultimately turn out. Especially from the crew’s side, the

amplified sense of community which comes with having a shared goal was evident – and it was lovely to see everyone pitching in, even if it was not their designated role, to help get the show on its feet and running smoothly.

From paper to performance, the whole process was a joy to be a part of, and I think it is fair to say both cast and crew were sad to say goodbye to each other when it was all over – especially after having spent Sunday together all since the start of term.

Come showtime each night, I was shocked by just how breathtaking the production was, whether it be Adam Gaunt playing a narcissistic dentist, Tom Cowley and Eric Taylor voicing a man-eating plant, or Gigi Donald and Sam Moshi singing their hearts out for an audience of almost 400, it simply would not have been possible without everyone’s collective efforts and input – whether it be cast, crew, orchestra or the ever-helpful Mrs Jones, Mr Roland, and Mrs Richardson.

Isaac Crowhurst

This October, I was involved in the Little Shop of Horrors Senior Musical – but not in the way that you might think! I would usually have been busy with the ‘theatre tech’ side of things, but this time I was given the incredible opportunity to play percussion in the band!

The band was mostly comprised of music teachers that you probably know, such as Mr Ferrier, Mr Zuckert and Miss Mattinson – and conducted by Mr Roland – but I was one of three pupils also asked to play.

In the lead up to the official performances, we had several after-school rehearsals in the Music Hall, making sure that the music for the show would be the best it could possibly be.

In the final two rehearsals we played the music as the cast sung – a totally different experience which made the show really come alive for the first time. This also involved spending the first of many electrifying hours in my percussion corner of the orchestra pit. I played many different instruments in the show – over ten! – which was quite daunting at first, but I grew accustomed to it over time. Amongst others, I played the vibraphone, xylophone, bongos, wind chimes, triangle, and tambourine. Quite the range!

The day of the first show arrived and I was admittedly a bit nervous, despite having really grown in confidence from first rehearsal to last. The reason for my apprehension was mostly due to one particular xylophone solo I had, during which any mistake would have been painfully obvious! Luckily, all went well each night!

The shows were a truly unforgettable experience. Playing to full houses alongside such incredible musicians and performers was rather surreal as it was happening, and an indelible memory now that it’s over. I will always be grateful!

Oliver Champkin

‘Is this a dagger which I see before me?’ One of the best-known lines from one of the best-known plays by William Shakespeare. In the Term Autumn members of the Junior Drama Club performed Macbeth. It offered a great opportunity for us to take the stage in front of our friends and family while also developing theatrical skills such as physicality and vocal techniques –including some impressive Scottish accents!

It was amazing how quickly we managed to put the production together. This was not only possible because the whole ensemble worked very well as a team, but also thanks to the teachers who provided such phenomenal advice. Mrs Jones, Mrs Richardson, and Mr Haynes all helped to direct our show.

Typically, rehearsals for Hampton productions are after school for ninety minutes, but we had much shorter rehearsals during lunchtimes only; this meant we could be part of a production without it having too much impact on our time.

This was a complex play in terms of organisation; there were three different casts each performing up to four scenes. I played the first Macbeth – and particularly enjoyed killing King Duncan – played by my friend, Vihaan.

I then handed the literary dagger to Mika and Teddy. Having three casts allowed the maximum number of people to take part; but, as a consequence, it had to be carefully produced in order to allow the audience to make sense

of it. We wore distinctive outfits – for example, the three Macbeths were the only actors wearing red T shirts – to help convey to the audience who was who in each cast. It was simple but very effective.

The cast plays a vital role in putting on a play; however, none of it would be possible without the amazing technical crew, led by Mr Thompson. All the music and lights were expertly designed by them, making the play more engaging and exciting. The suspense created with a crow’s caw or sense of dread with the sound of a death knell took the play to a whole new level and really enhanced the experience for the audience.

Overall, I would definitely encourage you to take part in any theatrical opportunity on offer during your school career. Words cannot describe the amazing feeling you get when you are performing in front of the audience at the Hammond Theatre.

Plays are also a great way to socialise with people you do not normally get a chance to talk to – and, who knows, Macbeth may come up in your GCSEs and knowing a few key quotes off by heart would be helpful!

I did not have any experience with acting until I joined Hampton. It has enhanced my life, and it can definitely change yours too.

George Vincent

Bleak Expectations Middle School Play

From October to February, rehearsals for the Middle School Play were running in earnest.

With actors from both Hampton and LEH, the play was a playful and comedic mash-up of the two famous Dickensian novels, Great Expectations and Bleak House, following the entertaining endeavours of young Pip Bin, who attempts to save his sister from a forced marriage and thwart the Machiavellian Mr Benevolent.

For a school production, it was incredibly challenging; it was, effectively, a full-length West End performance! But, thanks to the experienced directory of Mrs Jones and the professional efficiency of Miss Thomas, Mr Thompson, Mr Elliot and the pupil stage crew it all came together.

The performance was a huge success, with laughter echoing around the Hammond almost continuously on both performance nights.

On the personal level, many great friendships between the two schools have been made, which we are sure will last; we look forward to the next Middle School Play.

Filip Lorenc

What can I say about Bleak Expectations, other than it was an immense amount of fun?

It was great to work with people from other Years in the School and to make some friends along the way – even if I was already working with some of my good friends.

It was my first production with the School; being an ensemble member was great for my first one because it was not too much acting and pressure for a first performance. However, it meant I got a feel for the theatre atmosphere. It just felt like we were all a big family by the end!

It was also great, as it has led me onto greater things; I successfully auditioned for next year’s joint musical, 42ⁿd Street, mainly thanks to the amazing experience I had as part of the ensemble and cast in Bleak Expectations

I would also like to thank Mrs Jones mainly, as well as the Hammond Team staff, for an amazing job on the set and with helping us to bring it all together!

Oliver Atlay

Sixth Form Play

Our Sixth Form play this year was Pygmalion, directed by Piers Bishop.

A cast of Lower and Upper Sixth pupils from Hampton School and LEH performed the George Bernard Shaw classic on two nights in our Drama Hall. There were incredible performances from all involved, including John Staples, who play the cantankerous yet highly intelligent Professor Higgins, who led the play, alongside Eliza Doolittle.

Our director, Piers, did an outstanding job of directing the cast to create his vision and rehearsals were always purposeful and creative.

Congratulations to all involved, and we look forward to the Sixth Form Play next year!

Joint production with Hampton High

In June, Hampton School and Hampton High performed a joint production of The Playhouse Apprentice. This play is an ‘exhilarating and hilarious story about theatre, bravery and how a little voice can make a big difference’.

The story starts with the Lord Chamberlain closing the playhouse because of a play which ‘slurs the Queen’s good name’. The actors then sign a petition in protest to deliver to the Lord Chamberlain; but, when they hear about the mortal terrors of Blackfriars – through which they had to travel to reach the palace – they chose to send the apprentice, Pygge.

From here the audience watches Pygge face all manner of terror from a freaky nightmare to the rude wherrymen, who refuse to take him across the river. Pygge nevertheless reaches the palace and through a mix of ingenuity, humour and passionate oratory, he delivers his message.

This play was also slightly different for me; whilst I am often in the audience watching on, I was cast in my first play at Hampton as the Lord Chamberlain – the villain of the piece. It was an incredible process which I was delighted to be a part of. Each rehearsal was a joy, the cast were great to work with, and the rapport we developed was great.

Thanks to the brilliant direction of Mrs Richardson and the diligent creation of props and costumes by Mr Thompson and Miss Thomas, the play was a rousing success which the audience hugely enjoyed.

It was truly an incredible experience in which I am so grateful to have been involved.

Rory McEwan

Scholars’ Concert

The inaugural Scholar's Concert successfully took place on Wednesday 4th October.

It was a wonderful celebration of the talent the Hampton musicians had to offer. There was a warm positive reception from a great audience as 23 pupils took to the stage to perform.

There were many highlights from a fantastic concert. David Tam and Harry Ng both played Greig's Nocturne on separate occasions with great

musicality, and Oli Lenox Smith played Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata with expertise.

Fillip Lorenc's rendition of Tequila Sunrise on the Trumpet was a very fun, upbeat listen.

Monti Smith and Nathaniel Carson both sang with beautiful precision, and Aleks Lorenc sang Flow My Tears with much emotion.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable evening demonstrating that the music department is in safe hands for the future.

Samuel Hughes

New Pupils’ Concert

The New Pupils’ Concert was an amazing experience, and it was an honour to play in it. The excitement in the air was tangible and the prowess of the performers was exceptional.

There was a large variety of instruments being showcased, from the guitar to the piano and the violin to the double bass. We were also treated to the performance of the First Year rock band Thunderstrike, who played Highway to Hell – an awesome piece that I thoroughly enjoyed!

I played Csikos Post, by Hermann Necke, which is a lively piece with lots of humour. I practiced for a month before the New Pupils’ concert, trying to bring out the liveliness of the piece, as it tries to portray a Csikos. This is an agile, cheeky performer, who stands on the backs of two horses and drives

three more in front of him in ‘pickaxe’ formation. In several parts of the piece, there is a distinct buzz of the underlying galloping noise of the harmony, whilst the melody depicts the dangers and tricks that the Csikos would perform to taunt the audience.

Despite all my practice, my nerves were still playing as butterflies cartwheeling in my stomach as I entered the stage. Drawing all the experience that I had from playing in various concerts in the past, I harnessed my nervousness and utilised it to give me that burst of energy which compels one to exceed their ‘best’.

Overall, it was a phenomenal experience, with every instrumentalist playing uniquely, accompanied by the overwhelming applause from the audience. It was a pleasure to be part of this concert and to share the beauty of music with my friends, family, and teachers.

David Tam

Christmas Concert One

In the build-up to Christmas Concert One I was very excited; we had enjoyable songs, we were well prepared, and we would have a lot of fun.

That morning, during Period Three, we went down to the Hammond theatre to rehearse. The songs we were singing were called Jingle Bell Rock and Shoulda' been a North Pole elf

The rehearsal went very well, and we all felt prepared for the evening when we would perform it to a large audience.

In the run up to this concert through the last few weeks, Mr Zuckert, my music teacher, explained to us that the music teachers had a competition to see whose class could sing the best at the concert and that we had tobe the best singers at the concert – otherwise he would lose his winning streak!

I enjoyed the songs, and I think my favourite was Jingle Bell Rock because it is a very fun, upbeat, and popular Christmas song.

When we did the actual concert, I was slightly nervous but felt well prepared; there was a lovely atmosphere at the start when we were waiting in the Sports Hall and got to do a Christmas quiz. When we got onto the stage, we were happy and excited to go.

The songs went excellently, and everyone sung very well. Once we had finished the concert, we went to the Lecture Theatre and watched Robby the Reindeer. Christmas Concert One was a great experience, and I am excited to be involved in more concerts.'

Christmas Concert Two

Preparing for the Christmas Concerts involved hard work, dedication, and at least one rehearsal every week. The ensembles were able to get a basic understanding of their pieces in their first few rehearsals of the term, and refinery was key for excellent results in the concerts. The choices of repertoire were reflective of the ensembles themselves and the nature of the concerts. Everyone was excited for what was to come.

Christmas Concert Two started off with the second First Year Choir, conducted by Mr Ferrier and Miss Mattinson, also singing the same pieces as the preceding First Year Choir.

Second was the special one-off Britten Choir, a higher-voice choir, conducted by Mrs Esser and Miss Mattinson, who performed four movements from Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols – this is where the name comes from – complete with candles. The Britten Choir were also accompanied by a harp, played by Miss Hunting-Morris, the new harp teacher.

Finally, the Symphony Orchestra performed three pieces, two being concertos with Sixth Formers as soloists. Their first piece was Movement 1 of Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto, with Charlie Bishop as the cello soloist. The second performance of the Symphony Orchestra was Movement 1 of Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto, with Tomas Escobar on the piano. Their final piece was the Colas Breugnon Overture by Dmitri Kabalevsky.

Performing in the concert was a joy. The ensembles I were a part of were brilliant – not only the ensembles themselves, but also their performances of their repertoire.

In my opinion, the highlight was the Britten Choir in Christmas Concert Two, being a oneoff, but also the nature of their performance was reminiscent of a church rather than a concert, their candles adding to the atmosphere. The Britten Choir also had the first appearance of a harp in one of these concerts, which was rather special. However, all performed brilliantly, and the pieces sounded amazing.

Overall, the concert was splendid, with a proper Christmas spirit present in the ambience. Everyone contributed to the lovely performances, giving the audience a real insight into Music at Hampton.

Reuben Nicholson & Nileeth Gwalla

Carol Service

Recently, I took part in the carol service at St Mary's church, featuring the collective musical talents of the Music department and Hampton School Choir. It was a heart-warming celebration of the holiday season. Opening with the Voices of Lions' rendition of Lux Aurumque, the stage was set for an evening of musicality.

The main choir presented famous carols like the spirited Ding Dong Merrily on High. In addition to the main ensemble, smaller choirs, such as Roar! and the Consort of Voices, which I was in, added their own unique flavours to the festive mix. Roar! infused energy into the atmosphere with Come and See the Child by Greg Galpin, while the Consort of Voices, delivered a performance of Lully, Lulla, Lullay, by Phillip Stopford.

The inclusion of solos from various choir members brought a personal touch to the service, showcasing the individual talents that collectively contributed

to the overall experience. These solos, spanning from many pieces, added layers of depth to the musical tapestry.

Throughout the service, prayers and readings were seamlessly integrated between the carols, creating moments of reflection and contemplation. This thoughtful blend of music and reflection allowed attendees to connect with the essence of the Christmas story on a deeper level.

As the service reached its crescendo, the congregation joyfully united to sing the hymn, O Come, All Ye Faithful. The combined voices of the choir and attendees echoed through the space, creating a powerful sense of unity and communal celebration.

Overall, I believe the success of the evening was a testament to the dedication put into rehearsals during school hours. The collaborative efforts of the Music department and the Hampton School Choirs manifested into a memorable and uplifting carol service, leaving everyone in attendance immersed in the true spirit of Christmas.

Devam Kumarswami

Staff Interview - Gweni Hunting-Morris

Can you please start off by telling us a little bit about yourself!

My name is Gwenllian, but I use Gweni as my full name is quite a mouthful! I come from Cardigan inWestWales. TheWelsh language is strong in my area, so I grew up speaking it and did all my schooling through the medium of Welsh.

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

My family is quite musical, so< growing up, there was lots of music in the house, from Gilbert and Sullivan to Nina Simone. I saw the harp at concerts and National Eisteddfods and was always drawn to it. I started taking harp lessons, followed by piano and later flute. I have always enjoyed learning and so teaching was something I wanted to try – and I love it!

Can you tell us a bit about your Music degree/education?

When I was in Sixth Form, I had always thought that I wanted to study the harp at conservatoire, but I decided to take the academic route to music instead. I enjoy lots of different aspects of music from composition and arranging to learning about its history, so I felt that I could still do these and also continue with harp performance at University. I studied at King’s College London which has a partnership with the Royal Academy of Music so I received my harp lessons through the Academy whilst taking lectures at King’s.

Tell me a bit about how you came to join the Music department at Hampton.

I graduated from King’s in July and after moving back to London confirmed my resolve to look for a teaching position. When the vacancy at Hampton was advertised I leapt at it. I was really buoyed by the fact that the school had recently acquired a harp. The musical world needs more male harpists to break instrumentstereotypes.ThisissomethingwhichIactuallyresearchedatuniversity, so I was thrilled to see that Hampton is taking steps to break this mould.

How are you involved in music outside school?

Outside school, I work with London Youth Choirs as an Assistant Leader. I help the conductor with all things musical and pastoral. This includes taking sectionals and leading warm-ups. I enjoy choral conducting very much and am hoping to develop this. As a harpist, I am booked for a variety of events, including concert performances, wedding ceremonies, dinners, and receptions.

Tell me more about your own musical journey growing up

Growing up, I enjoyed accompanying my dad on harp and piano and trying to get my reluctant brothers to play piano duets! I sang with various choirs including Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion. I competed regularly in competitions on harp and piano, winning the 2020-2021 Dyfed Young Musician Award. I am always exploring different genres of music and adapting them for the harp.

Is there a musician you particularly admire?

This is a hard question! At the moment, I am really enjoying Cecile McLorin Salvant; she is an American jazz singer. I recently saw a clip of her performing her album at The Met Cloisters, featuring some 12th century songs with jazz inflections – which was mesmerizing!

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

Do not be scared to try something new. Remember that everyone has to start somewhere. I started the trombone in Year 12 because I always wanted to try a brass instrument, I gave it my best shot, though I do not think I’ll be pursuing a career as a trombonist any time soon!

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

Try and say yes to as many opportunities as possible, even if it is outside your comfort zone.

What artists that have inspired you?

One of the first professional harpists I saw was Catrin Finch. Her stage presence and musicality continues to inspire me.

One piece to choose for Desert Island?

This is probably the hardest question. I’m going to go with Rodrigo’s En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor, The Grimethorpe Colliery Band arrangement by Trevor Jones. I love the devastating cornet line in contrast to the brilliant rousing tutti crescendos.

Desert Island Luxury:

If I was stranded on a desert Island at Christmas my luxury would be fried Christmas pudding!

From Polyphia to Deftones, the 2023 Winter Rock Concert hit the Hammond Theatre by storm, as musicians from all years raised the roof.

Parents, teachers, pupils and friends alike were treated to a plethora of electrifying music, with something for everyone.

This year I had the honour of being appointed as the host of the Rock Concert, along with my dear friend Vishal Saha. Wat an experience it was! I was blown away by the sheer talent on display that night, with several highlights of note.

Firstly, the junior band ECLIPSE took me by surprise; they came out onto the stage with passion and excitement for their performance. Playing their original song ‘Shadows’, ECLIPSE delivered a truly impressive display of both showmanship and musicianship, setting a tremendous standard for the following acts. Their original song was incredibly well thought out and planned, and I hope there will be more originals to come down the line in future Rock Concerts.

Another standout performance for me was ‘The Monty Fletcher Experience’. With a clever play on words, the Jimi Hendrix inspired

band delivered a captivating and energetic performance of one of the most notoriously difficult songs to play in the rock world – Voodoo Child. But my word did they do it justice! Despite only three in the band, Monty and his bandmates lit up the theatre, with extravagant costumes and a scintillating guitar solo by Monty himself, even playing the guitar with his teeth! Certainly, a performance to get you off your seat.

Finally, perhaps the most technically impressive performance of the night was the band Polyphony’playing O.D. by Polyphia. I was enthralled by Rohan’s dancing fingers as they raced across his guitar, bringing the song and his instrument to life. Despite all its technical brilliance, Polyphony produced an exceedingly brilliant and memorable performance, that I hope to see again.

The Winter Rock Concert was an experience like no other, and it was a pleasure to not only host and be a part of, but also to watch and appreciate the incredible talent on display in our school. We are already looking forward the next one!

Milo Band

ISSP Day

In January, a number of schools were invited to Hampton to perform in a massive concert. There was a string orchestra, a woodwind ensemble, a choir and many solo acts.

The concert started off with some solo acts, including a rock band playing Foo Fighters and a beautiful rendition of Valerie

There were also classical pieces, including violin and many other instruments.

Then, the ensembles performed. The choir, which I was part of, sung two pieces. The first was a Queen medley and the second was What Was I Made For, by Billie Eilish from the Barbie movie – both of which were really fun!

I loved singing with people from other schools, even if there were only five or six tenors and basses!

The string orchestra and the woodwind ensemble played amazingly too, with the string orchestra playing a tango that I really loved.

The concert ended in a fantastic closing number called Sunday – an aptly huge number to end a huge concert. It involved all the ensembles and sounded really good.

Overall, I feel that the ISSP Music Day is a great way to meet musicians from other schools and make music with them.

Having only a day to prepare this many pieces was very challenging; but, I felt that it all came together really well with the massive help and guidance

provided by the teachers – who must need so much patience to deal with all of us!

I think that all the people involved are excited to do this again – I know I am! – and I also hope that the parents can put up with another one of our concerts!

Arun Swales

String Concert

More than 50 players from the Hampton strings department took part in the String Concert, playing on a variety of instruments – from guitar and violin through to viola, cello, double bass, and even the harp.

The evening started with solo performances, with players from the First Year all the way up to the Upper Sixth showing a fantastic repertoire from intermediate to advanced musical skills.

There were a variety of different, interesting performance. For example, Colin Yeung, a First Year, played a mesmerising, unaccompanied traditional Japanese style piece called Sakura, arranged by Millar. Pierce Bishop, a Second Year, played the only viola piece of the evening, an energetic and confident scherzo by Brahms.Yangzi Tjoe, the leader of the Hampton symphony orchestra, performed twice: a solo Wieniawski concerto movement on the violin and then the beautiful piece Mountain Stream by Kanga on the harp.

I played the first movement from Bach’s violin Concerto in A minor, and it was such a fantastic experience playing on the Hammond stage in front of a big audience. I really enjoyed it!

As a finale, all of the string players in Hampton, no matter the level of their experience on their instruments, joined together to play The Fiddler’s Hill,

by J Moore. This was such a cool opportunity because we got to play in a huge string orchestra, all making music together.

We would like to say a massive thank you to Miss Van Ments and all of the other music staff for organising this special evening.

James Nunn

After school on the 1st February, many brilliant musicians took part in the rehearsal for Miss Van Ment’s Big String Orchestra – the final one before the performance. I was taking part in two performances, the Big Orchestra and a solo piece, only my second at Hampton.

As you can imagine, I was very nervous, but listening to the other brilliant performances before and after my solo calmed me a bit.

I took to the stage, and put all my energy into the performance; overall, I think it went quite well, despite my doubts previously.

Hearing all the brilliant performances, it really showed me what I could achieve at Hampton with all the opportunities that I am given.

Then came the time for the main part of the concert: Fiddlers Hill. I think Fiddlers Hill is a great piece, combining folk and classical music to form a brilliant, fast-paced tune. I was playing in the Subdominants, and it was just a great experience playing in front of hundreds of people with a big group of musicians.

I had never really done something on that scale before and I look forward to doing so again!

Magnus Findlay

Unsilenced III

Hampton School hosted and was treated to its third anniversary of the Unsilenced Concert, which celebrates music written by women composers, in the Hammond, with a plethora of pupils and staff in attendance.

Music from various periods of time spanning from the Baroque Era right up to the modern 20th century, from the likes of Angela Morley to Elisabeth di Gambarini, were played by numerous performers with flair.

The spectacle contained virtuoso performances by the Clarinet Ensemble, who played a spectacular rendition of Danse Creole by Chaminade, the Consort of Voices, who performed Upon you Heart, by Eleanor Daley, and the Piano Bassoon duet of Alex and Dominic Nelson, playing Llama’s Lullaby by Ruth Gipps.

In general, the concert was an immense success and allowed the women composers – who were previously silenced – to truly express and share their marvellous works, demonstrating the importance of freedom in music.

Jazz Café

The 1st of March marked the day of the annual Jazz Café; but, this year, it was evolving from a jazz café concert into a whole jazz day.

All of the pupils involved in both jazz ensembles, swing band and jazz band were able to attend jazz workshops in the afternoon, delivered by a visiting professional jazz quintet. These workshops were based on key jazz skills, mostly focusing on improvisation and playing by ear and using both of these skills, everyone from swing band and jazz band, with the help of the jazz quintet learnt a song together by ear, that they would later perform in the concert.

Everyone felt they had learnt a lot from the workshops and were encouraged to try to use these newly learned skills in the concert later.

Last, but not least, this concert could not have been possible without the aid and coordination of Mr Oyarzabal, who worked tirelessly to create this masterpiece of a concert, and to whom we are hugely grateful.

Shortly after the workshops, the time came for the concert that the jazz ensembles had been working for since September.

The concert was split into two halves; the jazz band and swing band played one set in each half as well as the visiting quintet, who played their own set, a special guest singer who sung a number, and everyone, who played the song that they had been working on in the workshops.

Everyone in the concert was great, and I think the idea of a whole jazz day was a fantastic! Everyone had a hugely enjoyable time and look forward to more of the same next year.

Leo Ma

Harry Skeffington

Keyboard Festival: Piano Masterclass, Danny Driver

The inaugural Hampton Keyboard Festival concluded in style as we welcomed Danny Driver, concert pianist of international fame, to deliver a masterclass with select pianists from across the Year Groups.

The quality of piano music on display throughout the masterclass was of the highest echelon; the first session – of which I myself was part –included Chopin’s Revolutionary Etude performed stormily, by Oli, a characterful rendition of Copland’s Cat and Mouse, by Ralph Y, as well as a typically sensitive and deeply expressive interpretation of the last of Rachmaninoff’s Études-Tableaux by Tomàs E.

To start off the masterclass, I played an excerpt from the first movement of Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto, ahead of my performance in the following week’s Spring Concert.

Danny’s emphasis on the melodic shaping of the left hand, as well as on the importance of playing into the keys to produce a deeper, more fluid tone in the lyrical second subject of my chosen piece were both strikingly insightful, helping greatly to enrich my subsequent performance.

As for Oli, the focus was on the weight of the arm and how to use it to phrase the heroic dottedrhythm motif of the piece, while, for Ralph, he concentrated on clarity and contrast between the slower and faster sections to weave together a sense of narrative character.

The session then concluded with exploration of each of the layers of Tomàs’ Rachmaninoff étude, and the way in which each of the voices can evoke a sense of intricate orchestral drama.

Perhaps what was most remarkable about the entire experience was how much each of us could relate to and learn from the advice given to all the other pianists as well as ourselves – thanks in no small part, of course, to Danny’s eloquence and candour of expression.

I think I speak for all of us in extending a huge thank you to Danny as well as Mr Roland and the rest of the Music department for their organisational efforts, and we most certainly look forward to welcoming Danny back to Hampton in future years!

Ishaan Das

Teacher Interview

- Jamie Akers, Classical Guitar

How did you become a teacher?

After leaving College, I mostly travelled around playing music.When my son was born, I thought I had better get a regular income, so I applied for some guitar teaching jobs, including at LEH which led to me working at Hampton. Despite having had no teaching experience, I managed to get all the jobs I applied for to give me my start in teaching.

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

I have a diploma in jazz studies from Napier University Edinburgh. I then studied for a BMus degree in guitar and lute at the Royal College of Music, after which I did a Masters degree in baroque guitar and lute. I finished up as a Junior Fellow at Trinity College of Music for which I received a Post Graduate Advanced Diploma in musical performance.

Tell me a bit about how you came to join the Music Deptartment at Hampton?

I was on holiday in Portugal one summer, when I received a message on Facebook from the music administrator at Hampton asking me if I would cover some teaching here because they had more pupils applying than could be accommodated. She said it would probably be for about one term – and that was 11 years ago!

What are your responsibilities within the Music department?

I teach one-on-one guitar lessons.

Do you take any whole-class music lessons?

Not at school level; I do some visiting lecturing at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland while involves bigger groups but nothing at Hampton.

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

My first musical experience was playing tenor horn in Peebles Burgh Silver Band. Aged 10, my appendix ruptured, so I was not allowed to play horn or do sports at school. My primary school teacher started teaching me some chords on the guitar while the other children were doing PE. For a few years I taught myself to play from books and listening to music – initially rock and blues then jazz and finally classical. I taught myself to read music and tried to copy techniques from watching videos. My high school music teacher heard me play and persuaded Border’s regional council to employ a guitar teacher so I could have lessons. I played in rock bands, jazz ensembles, big bands, musicals and with orchestras, it was quite a broad range of experience overall.

Is there a musician you particularly admire?

Stanislav Hvartchilcov.

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

Be patient and methodical, learn to enjoy the process of learning and exploring your instrument and its music. Approach technique like a scientist, observing carefully, solving issues with dispassionate curiosity. Be willing to listen to and learn from a broad range of sources.

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

Turn up on time, be friendly, like-able, polite, and willing to try out new things. Be a good colleague and reliable employee and people will want to hire you.

Do you still get an opportunity to perform?

Yes, I do a mixture of things. I have a reasonable sized solo career and have released several solo albums, mostly of obscure 19th century guitar music. I play with a few chamber music groups, early music ensembles and singers. I played for a lot of operas and theatre and recently did soundtrack recordings for series for Netflix, Amazon Prime and Sky.

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

Be committed, it is not an easy option. Studying music is a big commitment and you will have to make many sacrifices so if you are going to do it; be sure and then really go for it.

What artists have inspired you?

Julian Bream, Django Reinhardt, Angelo Debarre, Jakob Lindberg, Paul O’Dette, Joe Pass, John McLaughlin, Tony Iommi, Edward Van Halen.

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

Farewell Fantasia by John Dowland.

And your Desert Island luxury?

An espresso machine!

Junior Schools Workshop Day

For the Hampton Junior Workshop Day, we welcomed a variety of pupils from Prep and Junior schools near Hampton with ages ranging from Year 1 to Year 6.

On the day, we split into groups: choir, strings and woodwind, and brass. Some of the members of ROAR! – a small choir for pupils in Years 7-9 – Hampton concert orchestra and Sinfonia helped out, and we sang and played alongside our guests. We also chatted to them during a break and lunch, as well as rehearsing in our separate groups.

At 2.30pm we joined together and presented a concert to their parents, showcasing what we had worked on throughout the day.

The strings played an arrangement of the Hungarian Dances, by Brahms; the woodwind and brass played The Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, by Ron Goodwin; and the choir sang two pieces: You Will be Found from Dear Evan Hansen, by Steven Levenson, and Beyond the Sea, by Bobby Darin.

After that, the strings and woodwind joined together to play the James Bond Theme, by Monty Norman. And, finally, we all performed Do, Re, Mi from The Sound of Music, by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

It was amazing to meet and perform with these young musicians and show them what music at Hampton is all about; I am looking forward to taking part next year!

James Nunn

Upper Sixth Composition Recording and Concert

In 2022, I set about writing two compositions for my A level music course – one for voices, and one for a string quintet.

Two years later, and I am on stage, performing my very own piece with some of my dearest friends in front of an audience of proud teachers and parents.

After countless re-drafts, intense and gruelling workshops and a copious amount of feedback, the feeling of watching or performing your own compositions on stage is like no other.

During the concert, I was filled with a mixture of overwhelming nerves, but also a electric sense of excitement, as I saw the end product of all of our hard work.

I was privileged enough to be able to work with ten of my immensely talented fellow pupils across the two pieces, as well as benefit from the invaluable help of Mr Roland, Mr Ferrier, and Mr Thomson.

Unsurprisingly, they pulled of two incredible performances that I will never forget. The dedication and passion for music involved across both the choir and the string quintet was there for all to see, and I will be forever grateful for their help – they truly did my compositions justice. A unique experience that was a fantastic way to mark the end of my A level music course!

Milo Band

Our A Level Music class was fortunate enough to have the opportunity for our compositions to be performed on Friday, with the Music department arranging an informal Composition Concert to showcase our pieces.

It was a unique experience hearing the wind quartet that I had been working on for so long played by my peers and teachers, who were kind enough to perform it, and I discovered some improvements that I could have made in writing for some of the instruments – which will help me with compositions going forward.

It was also very special being able to perform my own piano piece to an audience, something which I had never done before, and it created an added layer of emotion by performing a piece which I had created, and that represented my artistic visions.

I also enjoyed being able to hear my peers' compositions, and admire their work, as well as appreciate the collective effort which we had put in.

Tomás Escobar

Last night's composition concert was perhaps the perfect conclusion to our final few weeks of academic music. On top of having the privilege of hearing the compositions played by an incredible group of professionals, it was also wonderful to see our peers' compositions and all their intricacies come alive.

Paired with a small audience of our parents and teachers the atmosphere proved to be a particularly special one.

Zac Dowlatshahi

After spending the last two years working on three compositions, as part of A Level Music, I was incredibly lucky to hear two of them performed live, alongside my classmates' creations.

It was a wonderful experience to hear these pieces transformed from hearing little snippets coming out of each other’s headphones into full-bodied performances on stage reminiscent of composers from Rachmaninoff to Haydn, yet still reflecting the distinct voices of my peers.

This is of course in addition to hearing what I've been working on in Sibelius, listing to midi sounds for the last year and half, suddenly realised in front of me, an experience altogether different from anything I could have imagined.

Sam Moshi

Leavers’ Concert

On Wednesday 8th May, the Upper Sixth musicians entered the Hammond Theatre for what, for many of them, would be their last performance at Hampton. It was both an immensely enjoyable and poignant evening that I am sure will be remembered by all for years to come.

The audience were treated to a range of genres in the concert, from classical and jazz to funk and rock, including several own compositions from the performers. Rohan and Zac both masterfully performed their own pieces on piano, and the funk band’s original creation was stunning.

Some highlights for me were the performances by the Jazz Band. Each member played so passionately and really added their own flair to the pieces, and their extraordinary musical talent was clear to see. I also really enjoyed Milo’s rendition of Finzi’s Fear No More the Heat of the Sun; he sang with great emotion and sensitivity. Another spectacular – and loud! – performance was that of Monty, Freddie, Zac, and James, with their version of Claudeland by Highly Suspect. They really knew how to put on a show!

All in all, it was an amazing concert, and all performers and staff involved deserve a massive thank you for all they do and have done for music at Hampton!

Ivo Meldrum

Staff Interview

Peter Thomson

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

Before I start, I want to say that I have had a wonderful first week here at Hampton. I have felt warmly welcomed by friendly colleagues and pupils alike and very much look forward to getting to know the wider Hampton community in time. Please do not hesitate to introduce yourselves when the opportunity arises. Although I have been teaching music for some time now, this is only the second school I have worked in, and I am delighted to find out that the lovely people at my previous school in Truro were not an exception! I have thoroughly enjoyed my music and teaching journey so far and can’t wait to find new opportunities here. As well as my musical interests – more below – I am also love running and football.

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

I was very fortunate to have access to lots of music through a really vibrant musical community in Yorkshire, where I grew up. As well as taking part in many school choirs and bands, I also sang in the choir at Leeds Cathedral and took part in weekly Saturday rehearsals within a vibrant county music program. I quickly learnt that music is not only a lot of fun, but also one of the best ways to meet some of the nicest people. Meeting and engaging with existing music teachers, combined with a keen interest in music direction, led me to explore teacher training – and I have not looked back.

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

I had a wonderful time studying music at Durham University, where I was fortunate to supplement my degree with a choral scholarship at Durham Cathedral, as well as through the wide range of co-curricular opportunities afforded to students who study there. As well as the many performing and conducting opportunities I had, I really valued the time my degree allowed me to read and explore my academic musical interests.

Following a few years teaching atTruro School, I was fortunate to be granted an opportunity to complete a Masters degree in Music Education at Boston University. I would strongly recommend taking an opportunity to live and study abroad – I was fortunate to meet a whole range of wonderful people, and thoroughly enjoyed a return to academic study alongside observations and work in a very different school and university music culture.

Tell me a bit about how you came to join the Music department at Hampton?

I was immediately taken with the warmth of welcome I received from all the staff on an interview day, and the clear commitment and ambition found within this department, epitomised by Mr Roland. I was also lucky to conduct the consort of voices as part of the interview, which only confirmed the calibre of musicians found at Hampton School and persuaded me to accept when I was offered a role here.

What are your responsibilities within the department?

My main role at the school is as a teacher of music, helping to deliver and shape a curriculum to inspire the boys who take music, whether it is those who come to lesson with a wealth of musical experiences, or those just starting out on their musical journeys. At this early stage, the excitement at the moment is not knowing exactly what my role will look like beyond that, as I work alongside Mr Roland and Miss Mattinson to discover where I can be most effective within and in addition to the curricular and co-curricular offerings of Hampton School.

Do you take any whole-class music lessons?

I am lucky to be teaching across every Year Group, which is really valuable as I build a picture of the whole musical journey a boy takes through Hampton School.

How are you involved in music outside school?

Having only just moved to London, I am excited to get searching for the many opportunities London has to offer – I have already been to an excellent funk gig in the Hampton Hub! In Cornwall, I was lucky to be involved in a wide range of music making, including regular singing with the Truro Cathedral Choir, working as an accompanist with the Truro Choral Society, and playing trumpet with the Penzance Orchestral Society, to name a few.

Tell me more about your own musical journey growing up

I have always done my best to satisfy a wide range of musical interests, from jazz to choral music to rock to Mahler. Although various stages of my life have perhaps favoured different styles at different times, I have found that teaching music is one of the best ways for me to share and continue exploring the fullest range of my own musical and life interests.

Is there a musician you particularly admire?

There are far too many to mention, but various musical heroes and idols of mine – in no particular order – include Charlie Parker, Mahler, Stevie Wonder, Shostakovich, Mozart, Berg, Byrd, and Messiaen.

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

Get started – learning a new instrument is one of the most exciting things you can do! Then find someone great, a friend or mentor, to guide you with it further.

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

My biggest tip is to be guided by what you love, not by what you feel people expect you to do. My next tip is to keep broadening your musical experiences – the more things you find you love, the more opportunity to find where you fit.

Do you still get an opportunity to perform?

I am lucky to have continued to regularly sing and play to a high level alongside my job. I continue to be inspired by music and musicians I encounter, and that only inspires me further to find paths for new generations of musicians. I look forward to finding new musical opportunities here in London.

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

Take time to listen to the music you love, both at home and where you can find it live. Meet and share your love with fellow musicians. Talk to those who have taken musical journeys you might be interested in, and see what their experiences were like, and how that might help to guide your own journey and choices.

What artists have inspired you?

I have mentioned a few above, but I might add Billie Holiday as a special extra, for being a truly inspirational human being.

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

If I can choose an album, it would probably be Giant Steps.

And your Desert Island luxury?

A piano!

September saw the GCSE Art Exhibition, which celebrated the work of our summer 2023 GCSE Art pupils. Work showcased their responses to the themes ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ and ‘Rhythm’and the exhibition was well attended.

It is a useful event for all pupils to see what GCSE Art is really all about. It is not just about the skills of drawing and painting; it is about ideas and self-expression in a uniquely visual way.

Rudi Parrish - Fifth Year

October saw the Lower Sixth make a visit to The Sky Garden in Central London to help inspire their large-scale paintings that focus on ‘The City’. Visits to the Sir John Soane Museum and the beginning of Life Drawing classes for Sixth Form also started this month.

Art Scholar Leonardo Falcone discovered that his piece‘The Axolotl’won the Nancy Rothwell BioArtAttack 2D Prize for his age category. It is an art competition organised by the Royal Society of Biology with biology illustrations as the theme.

November was the month when Third Years visited Roche Court New Art Centre for the last time. They are closing their education facility this year, so Third Years made the most of this inspirational visit by studying the work of Peter Randall-Page and other artists on their return to school.

Upper Sixth History of Art pupils visited the home of Old Hamptonian Tim Sayer to see his vast collection of contemporary art, part of which has already been donated to The Hepworth Gallery, Wakefield.

Tim Sayer Collection

Tim Sayer OH (1963) – Art Collector

In November, our Upper Sixth History of Art class travelled up to Highbury to visit self-confessed ‘artaholic’ and Old Hamptonian (1963) Tim Sayer in his modest terraced home.

Tim and his wife Annemarie have amassed a collection of 600 works over the course of 50 years while working as a journalist for the BBC and as a ballerina respectively.

The collection includes works by Prunella Clough, Anthony Caro, Naum Gabo, Bridget Riley, Gerhard Richter, Rebecca Salter, and Henry Moore – to name just a few – and will be one day bequeathed to The Hepworth Wakefield Gallery in Yorkshire.

The house makes up for its width with its immense height, three floors of art with every single wall, door and room plastered with artwork.Tim and Annemarie explained that every picture told a story, and they were able to tell us exactly who made it, where it was acquired and the context in which it was made.

Tim expressed his preference for prints as a cost-effective way into the art-collecting business. He started collecting prints when he was still at Hampton Grammar School, as it was then. He was always keen to buy books, and it was whilst rummaging in a junk shop in Richmond that he came across a portfolio of 183 prints that he liked the look of. He still has some of these prints on display in the house alongside the rest of his collection. This now comprises more than 400 paintings, drawings, prints and photographs, as well as reliefs and sculptural pieces.

The upstairs living room has been previously described as perhaps London’s most gorgeous room – and I am inclined to agree.

The house contains so many artworks that, despite spending hours in their company, it felt as though we had barely touched the surface.

Zachary Dowlatshahi

Tim Sayer Collection - Jonathan Miller

December saw the first Alumni Exhibition, which showcased the work of Old Hamptonians who are now working in the Creative Industries. Work from Graphic Designers, Games Designers, Furniture Designers, and Architects was all featured in this inspiring show that hopefully has encouraged current Hamptonians to study Art.

January saw the Upper Sixth A Level Art class visit the White Cube Gallery and the Saatchi Gallery to see the work of Anthony Gormley and ‘Christo’ respectively. It was an inspirational day with plenty of ideas to take forward into their own work for the Externally Set element of their course.

February was marked by the Lower School Art Show being installed.Work from First, Second and Third Years was put on show in the Gallery with an Open Event scheduled for later in the term.

Fifth Years visited Tate Britain to help them to explore starting points for their examination project and pupils were inspired by the work of Turner, Moore, Willaim Blake and others at this amazing gallery which has a focus on British art.

In March, the artist Paul Catherall visited Hampton to run a print-making workshop with our Upper Sixth Art Pupils. His work was also on show in the Gallery in conjunction with the Lower School Art Show.

April saw the Fifth Years completing their ten-hour timed test as the culmination of the externally set task. This gave them the opportunity to complete their final pieces in uninterrupted time over two days. There were some exceptional independent performances.

Thomas Tatnall-Shreve - Fifth Year

May saw the Upper Sixth complete their 15-hour timed test over three days; they created some spectacular work that was personal and showed highly creative responses to the set themes. It was also time for the Art Foundation Course final shows. Old Hamptonian Daniel Clarke completed his Art Foundation Course this month and his work was on show at Camberwell School of Art in South London alongside his fellow students.

June was the focus of our First Year Art Days, where all First-Year classes were able to work together to produce collaborative work inspired by the artists Keith Haring and Anthony Gormley respectively.

Art staff also managed a trip to Kew Gardens to plan forthcoming Third Year Art visits in the autumn term.

June was also the month where our Art Technician Jeremy Blighton learned that his work had been accepted in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition for 2024. This is an exceptional achievement and represents his 10th time of exhibiting in this prestigious event.

Asher Connor - First Year

A Sharma - First Year

David Tam- First Year

Colin Yeung - First Year

Mehrad Mirkhani - First Year

Erik Plamadeala - First Year

Archie Skinner - Second Year

Alexander Gancz - Second Year

Edison Yip - Second Year

Bretton Cseh - Second Year

Oscar Schofield - Second Year

Jamie Spasov - Second Year

Second Year Textiles

Patrick Hobbs - Second Year

Alexander Barton - Third Year

Anton Chetverkov - Third Year

Eric Paqvalen - Third Year

Danai Thomas - Third Year

Archie Crowhurst - Third Year

Toby Walters - GCSE

Marin Matejka - GCSE

Ian Kim - GCSE

Rohan Paul Muktieh - GCSE

Sasha Garkavenko - GCSE

Thomas Tatnall-Shreve - GCSE

Thomas Deedman - GCSE

Gabriel McGrory - GCSE

Alasdair McIntosh - GCSE

Tom Milton - Upper Sixth

Camilo Clarke - Upper Sixth

Sam Berresford - Upper Sixth

Ben Zieleznik - Upper Sixth

Tom Milton - Upper Sixth

Stefan Deverill - Upper Sixth

trips

On Friday 5 July, Hampton adventurers and four equally adventurous staff departed Heathrow Airport, destined for Malawi.

After an orientation day in Lilongwe, we set off for our hotel, Cool Runnings, in Senga Bay: a green oasis right on the edge of the lake.

We began our community work at Hampton Private School, formerly the Hampton School and Safe Haven, set up by Hampton in 2008. We spent three days refurbishing the school’s walls by painting them and ensuring that they had protection against the intense heat of the sun.

It was hard work – there were a great number of walls to cover and many coats of paint to complete – but it was very rewarding; it was even more rewarding as the pupils would come running up to us to talk and joke with us as we painted.

Under Sam’s leadership, the inspiring figure in charge of community work in Senga Bay, we worked hard under the sun and definitely earned our lunchbreaks.

In the evenings, after a long day of hard work and lots of food and games, we had talks from Sam about the culture of Malawi; it was incredibly interesting to learn about the stark cultural differences and to hear about how Malawians live.

We ended our time in Senga Bay by playing in the – now traditional –football match against the school’s team. After a great strike by Zaki, as the ball bounced along the sand, Hampton England was 1-0 up. However, after

an equally calamitous and hilarious mistake in goal, the ball was fed to the Malawian’s striker who seized upon the opportunity to equalise.

After 5 minutes of celebrating – which saw the Malawian supporters storm the pitch with overflowing enthusiasm – the game restarted and remained equal until full time and penalties.

The game was declared officially a draw, but we agreed to play penalties to determine the unofficial result. Five rounds of tense penalties followed; ultimately, Zaki scored the final penalty to bring home the win to Hampton England and bring our time in Senga Bay to a rewarding end.

After saying our goodbyes to Sam and her team, we headed off to Chembe Eagle’s Nest at Cape Maclear, where we had the opportunity to snorkel or scuba dive in Lake Malawi.

For many of us it was our first time diving, and we learnt some survival skills before our real dives.

During the dive, we saw many different species of fish – as well as learning how to ‘equalise’ the pressure in our sinuses and the surrounding water. It was a surreal experience being able to breathe underwater, and something that many of the group would want to try again in the future.

The next day, we travelled to Domwe Island by kayak, and except for a few ‘completely on purpose’ capsizes, it went rather smoothly.

Isaac Tarragano

The group then had the challenge of setting up tents on wooden platforms; although it was a challenge pitching a tent without pegs, many groups ended up making something that resembled a tent.

After this, the group hiked up to the top of the island and enjoyed breathtaking views of Lake Malawi and Cape Maclear. We then had to cook our own dinner, consisting of a delicious pasta and some fruit salad, which was enjoyed by the entire group.

Sadly, we struggled to pick up enough internet data to watch the Euros final, but text messages from parents kept us updated on the score; although the result was disappointing, we still hugely enjoyed our unforgettable time on Domwe Island.

Monty Nendick

Leaving Domwe Island we started a different chapter of the adventure. In Liwonde National Park, we were lucky enough to be able to go on a three-day safari in the Malawian wilderness.

During the experience, we embarked on three land safaris and one boat safari – all of which were amazing! Up close, we saw hippos, elephants, lions, impalas, water bucks, and buffalos.

Guided by the incredible McCloud, the group were so fortunate to able to see animals in their natural habitat.

There were many funny moments on this safari adventure – and some scary ones as well! One such instance was the time when one group’s vehicle broke down, stranding them within the park and requiring them to be rescued by the other group and taken to see the very rare – closely located –lions that were hungrily chomping on a carcass.

Another close encounter took place on the water. During the lake safari, one of our boats broke down about 10 metres away from a very large group of curious hippos who travelled rather too close for comfort towards us.

During this trip, we saw many hippos and crocodiles, as well as a herd of elephants drinking in the lake – which was utterly incredible! Thankfully, everyone made it back in one piece – not that this was ever really in doubt!

It was truly an ‘adventurous’ trip with plenty of memories made that will last a lifetime.

Thank you very much to all of the teachers who helped on this trip; all of the boys thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience – particularly the safari – and a very large special thanks to the best guide in Malawi, McCloud.

Monty Seager

Excitement levels were sky high as budding geographers from the Sixth Form descended upon Heathrow ready for the long-awaited department trip to Morocco.

After an extremely pleasant layover at Lisbon, the pupils and staff arrived into Marrakech, where we met our fantastic tour guide – Larbi – and our coach driver, who were to be our companions on our North African adventure.

A fragrant and tempting dinner of traditional Moroccan cuisine including a delicious meatball dish awaited us at Hotel Akabar – our base for our first night. Waking afresh the next morning to the cacophony of street hawkers cries, we began the five-hour drive from Marrakech through the Atlas Mountains via the Tizi-n-Tikcha pass – the highest point in the Atlas Mountains at 2260 meters – to the desert city of Ouarzazate.

During the drive, we stopped at the incredible Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou an ancient, fortified city and UNESCO world heritage site, which looms high above the desert sands. Taking into account the harsh desert climate, some

members of the group purchased traditional Moroccan clothing from local vendors to cover their eyes and nose from the sand and searing sunlight.

Arriving into Ourazazate, a welcome sight awaited. Not quite the fabled desert oasis, but a cooling swim in our hotel pool!

Day three would prove to be the most memorable for many on the trip. Starting our drive to the town of Zagora on the fringes on the Sahara Desert, nature once again stole the show. The Tizi-n-Tinififft pass in the Jebel Sahro mountains features stunning weathered gorges which left us geographers in awe. It is one thing reading about weathering processes in a book but another altogether to witness thousands of years of mother nature’s work so close up.

Upon arriving into Zagora, the group swapped the four wheels of our coach for the four legs of a more traditionally Moroccan form of transport: the reliable camel! Once on board the ‘ship of the desert’ and saddled up, we rode off across the undulating dunes to the Bedouin desert camp where we would spend the night. Each one of us was given a traditional Moroccan

trips

headdress to don, and we were treated to the most incredible hospitality including an evening of songs and dancing around the campfire. The night will be looked back upon with fondness by many, as we all felt truly connected to the traditional local culture.

The group rose early the next morning to watch the sunrise over the camp, a truly breathtaking experience for all. The morning continued with another camel ride back to our coach where we drove to the village of Tamegroute. We were privileged to see highly skilled pottery artisans at working, crafting beautiful works of art. We were also fortunate enough to visit the Library in Tamegroute, which was once one of the most important Koranic libraries in all of North Africa.

The day’s visits ended with a trip to the Atlas Film Studio, where scores of Hollywood blockbuster desert scenes – including Gladiator, The Mummy, and Star Wars – were filmed. We once again returned to our hotel in Ourazazate where a hotly contested Geography department quiz unfolded. On Day five we set out on the five-hour return journey to Marrakech and again crossed the stunning Tizi-n-Tichka pass – which provided yet more stunning views of the Atlas Mountains.

Back in the bustling and cosmopolitan city of Marrakech, the group had the opportunity to visit the many shops and stalls of Djemma al Fna – the main square and market of Marrakech – where many practised their haggling skills to get the most out of every dirham they had. The most popular purchase for the boys were football shirts with a few of our group snapping up so many bargains that they could have started their own stall in Djemma al Fna.

The evening was capped off with a dinner on the square before returning to Hotel Akabar.

Day six promised to be physically demanding with a hike in the Atlas Mountains starting at the village of Imlil and taking around two hours to reach the crest of the Tizi-Mzik Pass (2489m). The group enjoyed lunch with exquisite views of the high Atlas Mountains including Toubkal (4167m) the highest mountain in North Africa.

On the way back to Marrakech, we stopped to visit a female-run argan oil cooperative, and it was fascinating to learn how the variety of products from cooking oil to cosmetics are made, all by hand.

Our final day in Morrocco was a particularly informative one, with us spending the day in Douar Oulad Elguern, the village in which our tour guide grew up in. The group participated in some everyday village activities including making mud and straw bricks and making charcoal with some being better than others. We also enjoyed traditional Moroccan tea and constant feature and highlight of the trip for many, Tagine.

Completing these activities made us all realise just how fortunate we are with all the comforts at home and just how much that we take for granted that many others do not have.

As our return flight departed there was a mood of both sadness at the end of such a fantastic trip but also gratefulness at what an amazing experience had been had by all.

A special mention and thanks must go to Miss Brown for organising the trip and to Mrs Peel, Mr Fuldner, and Mr Double for making the trip so flawless – and, of course, also to our terrific coach driver and tour guide.

Alec Hamilton

Barcelona Fifth Year and Lower Sixth Study Trip

The trip started way too early for most boys with 5:30am or 6:00am wake ups for everyone, but it was all worth it to land in Barcelona with almost a full day to spend in the city on Monday.

We arrived at the language school and were quickly briefed on how the city works and our itinerary for the week before being given some free time for lunch. We all came into the trip prepared to fully immerse ourselves in Spanish culture; despite this, I think quite a few McDonalds were consumed for the first lunch just to get some quick food!

We walked down to a well-known, popular market, La Boquería, where Miss Embiricos set us the task of bartering with Spanish locals. Particular highlights included Isaac Tarragano getting four carrots for the price of three and persuading shopkeepers into half-price peaches. Following the success of this, we went to our homestays’ houses and met our host families and had dinner with them before finishing up for the day.

On Tuesday, we had an early start, arriving at the Enforex school for 8:45am. Once we met our teachers, we settled into a school day of two sessions, learning the language along with the cultures of Barcelona.

At 1:00pm we were dismissed to explore the city and find a local place for lunch, allowing us to familiarise ourselves with the area and gain an understanding of the local dishes. Returning at 3:30pm, we prepared for a tour of the city, briefly getting to enjoy some of the beauties of the city –especially those of the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.

Following the tour, we enjoyed some free time to navigate the local areas. After this, we returned to our homestays for a homemade dinner with the family and then to sleep – another busy day was to follow!

Wednesday started with language lessons, learning the subjunctive with a mix of exercise and discussion-based lessons; we visited Parc Güell, one of the tourist hotspots of Barcelona, and we were set taskmaster challenges varying from filming documentaries to recreating photos the teachers sent us.

The viewpoint from the Parc was stunning, looking over the entire city and giving you a chance to pinpoint famous points from the Barcelona skyline, such as the Sagrada Familia. We finished the day by watching the Barcelona match against Shakhtar Donetsk – which saw an unsurprisingly dominant performance from Barca! – and everyone got involved in celebrating the goals with the local Barca fans.

Thursday had a lot of exciting activities to offer. Again, we arrived at the language school for 8:45am, where we involved ourselves in different angles of learning, such as a Spanish version of Trivial Pursuit.

We were granted a lot of time for lunch, allowing us to travel further to see different areas and experience different restaurants around the city. Upon return to the school, the group set out to Camp Nou, FC Barcelona’s stadium.

Unfortunately, the stadium was under renovation, but we were able to experience the Camp Nou Museum exhibition. The museum offered an

exhilarating experience, allowing us to learn about the club’s academy, history, and current team.

Following this we had the opportunity to navigate new areas of Barcelona, offering markets and local tapas restaurants, before returning to our families for dinner.

On Friday, we enjoyed our last morning of language lessons. Having bid adios to our teachers, Veronica and Ana-maria, we made our way to Plaça Reial. Armed with a sheet of photograph tasks and three hours of free time, we set out to explore a part of the city we had not yet visited.

Photos varied from famous menus to street performers – some were completed more easily than others! These were promptly dispatched to the teachers for judging, and we finished the day at the beach in Barceloneta before returning to our homestays.

Saturday was another early start as we met at the language school at 8:45am, ready to embark on our day trip to Sitges. A very warm day with a welcome coastal breeze greeted us at the seaside town and we were given a brief tour of attractions along the seafront, finishing with the church of Sant Bartomeu and Santa Tecla, which produced stunning views along the coastline.

An unplanned trip through a horror film exhibition followed, before we were released for lunch. This involved a hotly contested game of beach football, with one rather questionable goal proving the difference between the two teams.

After lunch, the ‘Sitges Olympics’ took place, with Mr Moore’s ‘Baywatch Sprint’ relay, beach football and space ball being played between groups. Miss Embiricos’ group ultimately came out on top despite the best efforts of the others.

Although Sunday was curtailed somewhat by our return to the UK, we still made sure to enjoy our last day in Barcelona. A much later start at the language school meant a lie-in for most before we walked to Montjuïc.

With another warm and sunny day in front of us, we set off in small groups to explore the park and its various attractions, which include the Olympic Park and the National Art Museum of Catalonia.

Having taken in all that Montjuïc had to offer, we headed back into the city for the final time to enjoy lunch. Fed and watered, we returned to the language school, collected our luggage and boarded the coach bound for the airport. After a few long airport queues, we arrived safely back in the UK late in the evening.

Overall, it was a hugely enjoyable trip, and particular thanks must go to Miss Embiricos, Miss Noble, Miss Holt, and Mr Moore for allowing us to experience it.

Isaac Tarragano, Rudy Mills & Sam Govier

Hamburg

In the first week of the Easter break, eight Hamptonians travelled with Mrs May and Frau Lenck to Hamburg. Our accommodation near the Hauptbahnhof was unglamorous but never boring – we even witnessed a police-escorted protest march from our windows one evening!

On the first day, the pupils delivered German presentations on some key sights in the city centre while we got our bearings. We then had a tour of the St Pauli football ground and were fascinated to hear about the left-wing, anti-establishment history of the club.

Every morning, the pupils attended a language school, where they had great local teachers who focused on spoken German and taught them a lot about the city. In the afternoons, they headed off to a wide variety of work experience placements – working in cafés, hotels, a kindergarten, a charity clothes distribution centre, and a soup kitchen.

These varied experiences gave the pupils great insights into real-world German language and culture.

In the evenings, we entertained ourselves with Frau Lenck’s Hamburg quiz and with visits to an enormous fun-fair and the ever-popular Miniatur Wunderland. We even tried our hand at an escape room – the first challenge of which was solving the clues in German, the second of which was surviving all the jump scares!

Many thanks to Frau Lenck for all her help and to the pupils – Ollie Davies, Ömer Demiral, Avinash Gogineni, Caleb Levell, Matthew Parker, Gabriel Porter, Ronit Raj, and IsaacTarragano – for being thoroughly good company.

I am already looking forward to returning to Hamburg in 2025!

Tenerife

During October half term, 38 lucky Third Years were given the opportunity to travel to Tenerife – both to learn about the fascinating geography of the region and to go to the best water park in the world.

After an early start at 3am and a four-and-a-half-hour flight, we were delighted to arrive under blue skies and golden sunlight in Tenerife.

After a quick stop at the local supermarket for lunch, we arrived at our first of many activities, a banana plantation. We learned that bananas are important to the local economy. We were taken on a very interesting tour that involved telling us how all the platanos trees – platanos is a certain type of banana, but sweeter – are given the level of water they need – a mixture of desalinated water, rainwater and sewage! – and also how the platanos trees reproduced.

We then tasted some of the local banana-based delicacies, including some delicious banana jam.

After the tour, we made our way back from the plantation to our hotel on the other side of the island! The rest of the day was spent being assigned our rooms and eating our dinner, before retiring – exhausted – to bed.

On the second day, we woke to yet another sunny day and an exciting excursion to Mount Teide. The National Park contains amazing volcanic rock formations that have an uncanny form due to weathering.

After arriving at the base of the mountain, we ascended in a cable car and ended up only two hundred feet from the summit. After an excursion across one side of the mountain, which ended with a geography talk from Mr Townshend about prevailing winds and orographic rainfall, we arrived back at the cable car lift, where we took our time to recover our breath and look down at the fabulous view around us – we could see the whole island and even some other Canary Islands!

In the evening, at the end of an eventful day, we were told that we were allowed to go into Puerto de la Cruz for an ice cream and the chance to do

some gift shopping. The ice cream was delicious and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

The next morning, excitement levels were high because it was the day almost everyone signed up on the trip for – of course, they wanted to also learn about the geography of the region as well! – the renowned Siam Waterpark. The world’s best waterpark, some of Siam’s more well-known slides include The Tower of Power, Kinnaree, The Dragon and Singha. The wave pool was very popular as the waves were massive!

It was a great day as we were all allowed to go and queue for our own rides and so everyone split into groups and tried to pack in as many rides as possible. Of course, to make it geography-related, we were asked about the economic benefits of Siam Waterpark building a new slide every year.

The final morning of the amazing trip was spent in an underground lava tunnel, where we learnt about how over millions of years, lava has cooled inside the tunnels and created the vast chambers that were left behind.

The caves were incredible and we spent a minute with our torches off so that we could appreciate how dark and silent the caves were. We could not see our hands when we put them in front of our faces!

Finally, in the afternoon, we visited the mysterious pyramids of Guimar. Originally thought to have been built by farmers, new evidence now shows they were built at about the same time as Aztec pyramids. We learnt about how the pyramids were perhaps a shrine to the Sun God, where people would worship as the pyramids face a gap in the ridge where the sun appears to set twice. Is it a coincidence or is there a possible link between the Aztec sun worshippers and the pyramids of Guimar?

After those activities, it was sadly time to go home. We boarded our plane and flew back to England, before being driven back to Hampton School, where our parents picked us up.

A huge thank you to Mr Highton and all the teachers involved in making this trip possible. It was a great experience, and I hope the current Second Years look forward to it next year.

Rory McEwan & James Earl

Nice Trip

On 24th March, 15 pupils from the Sixth Form, alongside Mrs Yoxon and Mrs Owen, met up bright and early to embark on the 2024 French Trip to Nice.

Having touched down just before noon, everyone met up with their host families and went back to their houses for a few hours before meeting up again in the afternoon and taking some time to explore the city. This period of orientation and rest proved integral in what would turn out to be a jampacked and fantastically organised week of activity – all thanks to Mrs Yoxon's planning.

Monday brought everyone's first visit to the AlphaB language school in the heart of the city, which would provide fun and enriching lessons for Lower and Upper Sixth pupils alike during each morning of the trip.

The Lower Sixth pupils began lessons straight away and learned all together whilst the Upper Sixth were sorted into classes having completed an assessment on the first day. They were then challenged with specialised teaching alongside other students and professionals at the B2 or C1 level.

The afternoons saw a mix of cultural sight-seeing and scenic exploration. From the glitzy streets of Monaco and the exhibits at the Musée Masséna in

Nice, to the Florian confiserie, each excursion offered a unique perspective on the region's rich history and artistic heritage.

A highlight for many was the visit to the Picasso Museum in Antibes, where pupils were able to see a portfolio of one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. The trip culminated in the glamorous city of Cannes, adding a touch of cinematic flair to the already picturesque setting of the South of France.

One of the most valuable aspects of the trip was the opportunity to practice both professional and conversational French. Whether engaging in structured classroom activities or interacting with their host families over a meal, the pupils were encouraged to hone their language skills in realworld settings. This immersive approach not only enhanced understanding of up-to-date linguistic intricacies but also fostered meaningful discussions about societal and cultural themes in the region.

Overall, the Nice trip proved to have huge educational, cultural, and enjoyment-based value throughout the six days that it lasted. A massive thank you is due to Mrs Yoxon and Mrs Owen for planning and supervising it, allowing the pupils to enjoy such a memorable stay.

Josh Hood

Konstanz

The 2023-24 Fourth Year German Exchange with our partner school, Ellenrieder Gymnasium in Konstanz, concluded in July.

Seventeen Hampton participants, together with LEH pupils and teachers from both schools, travelled to one of the most beautiful areas of Germany to spend the first week of the summer holidays with their partners, who had enjoyed visiting us in October.

The week in Konstanz is always a full one, with a programme of days out to explore the surrounding areas complemented by time spent with host families, providing ample opportunity to speak lots of German – and this year was no different.

Many activities involved the breathtaking star of the show, Lake Constance, including a walk around the lake edge one morning to spend time at an outdoor water park; later in the week, a boat trip to the historic sites of Unteruhldingen

and picturesque Meersburg offered great vantage points to take in the stunning views and learn more about the communities of the Bodensee.

A day spent in the city of Stuttgart included a visit to the Porsche Museum, and, more locally, on the scenic island of Mainau – and all the exchange partners were able to spend time together completing the high ropes course.

In a new addition to the programme, the final day involved a sunny walk across the border into Switzerland for a tour of the Gottlieben chocolate factory – where the unlimited free samples were a big hit!

Mrs Willett-Pečnik and Dr Flanagan were delighted with the way in which Hampton pupils made the most of their time in Konstanz and contributed to making it such a successful exchange.

KEW

Berlin

At the end of the last academic year, 40 Fourth Years travelled to Berlin for a History trip.

It was an incredible experience in a beautiful and culturally rich city. Unsurprisingly, there were a range of fantastic highlights: a Nazi bunker only a door away from the underground train system, where Berliners sheltered from allied bombs in World War Two; the view across the whole city from atop the TV tower or Reichstag; and the bike ride from our hotel to Checkpoint Charlie, Humbolt university, and the Brandenburg gate.

Visits to the Stasi Prison and Sachsenhausen concentration camp were particularly moving and helped us understand a part of Germany History that is very complex.

Another highlight was undoubtedly being there during the Euros; I cannot forget watching the penalty shootout of the quarter-finals from our

makeshift fan-zone after the real one was cancelled due to thunder – the cheers rang out from the East side Glallery to the Alexander Platz!

But, the trip was not all about History and football, we were also fortunate to be able to immerse ourselves into the heart of the city and sample the delicious Berlin food. Lunches at Hackescher markt were a real highlight, and everyone enjoyed sampling the array of cuisine on offer.

Overall, it was a fantastic trip, and I am very glad I had the opportunity to go – it was great fun and really helpful in improving my understanding of the Cold War. I thoroughly recommend that all Fourth Year historians go!

Finally, a big thank you to all the teachers who made it possible!

Matthew Woodburn

Docklands

On a particularly chilly morning, Fifth Year geographers travelled to the Isle of Dogs, London, as a key part of the urban fieldwork section of the IGCSE syllabus.

During the day, geographers enjoyed practicing various sampling techniques to investigate how the urban area in the London Docklands has changed over time. We looked at a range of methods implemented in this area which has aided its regeneration following a period of decline.

We met by North Greenwich underground station, which allowed us to discuss our plans for the day. With a harsh cold wind keeping us company, we walked to the newly constructed Emirates cable car station. Whilst suspended over the Thames, we sampled the different land uses we could see across east London.

On the opposite bank, we assessed the failures of the Emirates Air Line –setup initially as a way for people to commute to work, it is reported to have no regular commuters! The £60 million project’s £6 ticket costs have made it uneconomical as a mode of regular transport; however, it undoubtedly serves a role as an attraction for tourists.

Our day continued as we carried out a risk assessment on arrival at the Excel Centre. This building hosts the London Boat Show annually as well as playing a key role in London’s 2012 Olympics where it was used to show boxing and weightlifting amongst other Olympic events. In this risk assessment, we ensured our own safety on this trip in ways such as working in small groups so that no one got lost!

Then we began collecting primary data along meticulously selected transects; this was key to answering our enquiry question: ‘To what extent has the urban environment in the London Docklands changed over time?’ Data such as annotated photos allowed us to see the charge in the area; when we compared photographs from the present day to historical

photographs taken at the same location over 50 years ago, the change became apparent.

At these transects, we also conducted environmental quality surveys where we ranked aspects of areas such as air pollution and building quality on a scale of 0, 5 or 10, which enabled us to see how development of different areas of the area differed. This quantitative data was useful as comparison between sites shows us how consistent the levels of deprivation were in the area.

As we conducted further fieldwork, such as a land use survey, the change in the region became evident; following a period of deindustrialisation the LDDC – London Docklands Development Corporation – worked to bring prosperity back to the area. This allowed us to see how the land use in the area had transitioned from industrial in the mid 20th century to commercial and residential as it is in the present day. This has been a result of key transport infrastructure such as the DLR, which has made the area more interconnected with the rest of London.

In addition to this, we carried out a questionnaire where we asked people in the London Docklands their opinions on the area. Despite our findings being limited by time constraints, we maximised the effectiveness of our questionnaire by asking a combination of open and closed questions. We did this as closed questions make comparison between people far easier and open questions give us more depth of people's opinions as they are not restricted by a list of set answers.

Despite the fiercely windy conditions, the trip was very enjoyable. It was rewarding to carry out fieldwork that we had been planning in class in the weeks prior, and it was interesting to look at this data in the following lessons after having experienced the area first hand.

Overall, it was a valuable experience which greatly aided our understanding in the urban fieldwork section of the IGCSE.

Elias Pena & Arthur Cale

South Downs

This year, the First Year all went on a trip to the South Downs. The teachers gave us a booklet and packed lunch before we departed. The sun shone and the breeze whistled at us as we departed. It was all chatter and laughter on the coach as everyone bonded during the journey.

On our journey, we travelled past water resources and more. We travelled on the M3, where we observed gravel quarries and learned about their subsequent uses for reservoirs and leisure activities. Our journey also led us past the famous Thorpe Park before entering the orbital M25 motorway.

Once we arrived, the beginning of our hike featured a challenging uphill climb before reaching our first rest stop. We learnt about the South Downs, a national park with a diverse array of landscapes. Then, exploring the geology of the South Downs, we discovered that the key rocks are chalk, clay, and greensands. Specifically, we delved into the formation of chalk as a sedimentary rock.

Mr Hill, our leader, challenged us to spot the triangulation pillar, offering a merit to the first one to do so. Despite not winning this challenge, I still enjoyed the competition. We also utilised ordnance survey maps to track our entire journey from Tottenham Manor Farm to Saddlescombe village, covering a distance of 8km. During our journey, we also discussed quarries, exploring their pros and cons.

Progressing to Devil's Dyke, we acted out how a devil – digging the great channel of Devil’s Dyke – gave Saint Cuthman and Sister Ursula until sunrise to defeat him; but, despite this, Ursula and Cuthman made a plan to use light to overpower him.

We ultimately learned that it was flint that broke up the chalk as it rolled down the hill. When ice melted, the water was not able to soak into the chalk hills, so it flowed over the top of the permafrost, eroding the land.

Our journey concluded with a tiring, but rewarding, descent – during which we encountered MOOving cows before reaching our coach!

Overall, the trip was a memorable experience that combined elements of geography, geology, folklore, and physical endurance.

Liangxu Zhong

sport

First XI Football

The season started with a third consecutive preseason tournament win at Gordon’s school, which would foreshadow a successful season for the First XI.

A 3-2 league win away at Bede’s, which included one or two of Patrick Harvey’s ‘cross or goal’ moments, along with wins in the early rounds of the ISFA, ESFA, and County Cup competitions, represented a positive start to 2023-24 season.

The second half of the first term, however, would be one to forget; a 3-3 draw against Royal Russell and a 2-2 draw against Ardingly saw us fall down the league table.

Our hopes of national silverware also slipped away as a 4-3 loss to Windsor Boys, followed by an ISFA exit on penalties, despite a Nicholas Avetoom hat-trick, ended the cup runs for the season.

All attention shifted to the league and the County Cup.

The revival started with a 2-0 league win against Repton at Warwick University before Christmas, with this form continuing after the holiday break. Three more wins against Charterhouse, Millfield, and Shrewsbury in the league saw us go top of the league, with other schools still having to play each other.

Our resurgence and success was thanks in large part to our ‘brick wall’ defence, that included Paddy Harvey, Aaron Mills, Toby North, Angus Hacking, Zachary Omaar, and Conrad Knight in goal – who conceded the fewest goals in the league, eight, whilst keeping three clean sheets.

Jamie Wilson scored a goal in every league game, finishing the campaign with nine – a fantastic achievement he should be extremely proud of!

The boys ended up finishing second in the league, which is the joint highest finish ever by a Hampton side – well done lads!

The ‘Last Dance’ for the Upper Sixth came in the form of a Surrey County Cup final at Dorking Wanderers’ stadium. Wins against Royal Russell, Glyn, and Grey Court – including a last-minute Max Irens winner and a Zain Suterwalla double – helped set up a memorable day. The team got the job done thanks to a Jamie Wilson volley in the first half as the Upper Sixth ended their Hampton journeys with some silverware.

A massive thank you to Mr Burke and Mr Hurst for this season and our whole time at Hampton – it truly is the end of a very special era for Hampton football.

Conrad Knight

Second XI Football

The 2023-24 season was certainly a memorable one for the Second XI, characterised by courageous comebacks, captivating cup campaigns, and 19 victories in all competitions.

Amongst the most prominent of these came in the very first match, in the form of a well-earned 1-0 win over an RGS First XI on the 3G. Having arrived back at school a few days before, and with a successful preseason tour to Loughborough University under their belt, the side got off to winning ways thanks to an Ed Knott goal. Ed, who made an intelligent run from midfield and in behind the defensive line to get on the end of a through ball, slotted it home at the near post to give the side their first goal of an eventual 91 scored over the course of the season.

The start of October brought some resounding victories for Mr Leafe and Mr Ritchie's squad, as a 16-1 win and a 4-1 score line came against Kew House School and Bradfield College respectively. The former of these two kicked off the team’s ESFA campaign, in what would go on to be a highly exciting cup run for the squad. The game also marked a notable debut for Michael Azoo, bringing five goals to his personal tally for the season.

Likewise, the latter stages of November featured statement performances. An away day to play a Harrodian School First XI looked all but lost given the 2-0 deficit heading into the last five minutes of the game. However, in the dying moments, and testament to the squad's remarkable resilience throughout the season, Savan Soni and Jacques Huet popped up with goals to even the scoreline and earn a draw for the away side. This was followed up by a 5-0 win in ESFA round 3 only a few days later, as Tom Tabor, Ed Joyce, and Gabriel Fouché accompanied Huet on the scoresheet.

Having subsequently seen off Glyn School in the ESFA last-16 thanks to a strong team performance, alongside the particular efforts of super-sub Jago Doherty and work-horse James Queen, the side faced their biggest game yet in the national quarter final. An away fixture at Southend High School looked to be slipping away again until a screamer from the left boot of Ed Knott evened the score line and sent the game into extra time.

Having capitalised upon their momentum and dominated the final stages of the game, Hampton could not find a way past the opposition defence. As the clock ran down, the referee blew his whistle to signal the arrival of a penalty shootout. Looking as though they were down and out again, and

Fourth XI Football

with 8 penalties taken, goalkeeper Sam Ellis was faced with the bleak prospect of having to score his penalty and then save the next to keep his team in the ESFA Cup. Having blasted his home, Ellis stepped up and saved the next, hooking it away with his foot to keep the game alive.

Three penalties later, and with the score poised at 6-5, Ellis faced another penalty, this time with the potential reward of shootout heroics and earning his team a spot in the semi-final. As the attacker stepped up, he guessed right – in both senses – and pushed the ball away, only to be greeted by the ecstatic arrival of his teammates who had sprinted to celebrate with him from the halfway line.

The semi-final brought, unfortunately, the end of the side’s ESFA Cup campaign, losing 2-0 away to Millfield School despite a hard-fought performance.

We would like to thank the irreplaceable efforts of Mr Leafe and Mr Ritchie, alongside all of the parents and fans, who stayed by our side throughout the year. It has undoubtedly been a season to remember, and a great way to mark, for some players, their last ever in a Hampton shirt.

Josh Hood

It has been the privilege and proudest experience of my time at Hampton to work with the resilient, mature, and sporting young men whom the Second XI have developed into. Whilst we could not quite get over the line to the ESFA Final and narrowly missed out on a trophy in the London Cup Final, the group’s real achievement – and what I am proudest of – is the culture which they have created.

They have given all of themselves to the ‘we’ over the ‘me’, won and lost with class, and have always chosen positivity, belief, and empathy to lift each other up. In this, they have epitomised the way in which Hampton football teaches so much more than the sport. Their season has been admired throughout the Hampton community; progressing to a national semi-final and another cup final are a fabulous bonus.

Thank you to the boys for their hard work, the ‘Hampton Ultras’ for their unending support, and to Mr Ritchie for inspiring me and the team.

The Fourth XI had a near-perfect season, going unbeaten in fourteen of the fifteen games played.

Following one rare loss in October, the side went undefeated thereafter, with notably impressive performances coming against Radnor House Twickenham U18A in which we trailed 2-0 at half time before coming back to win 3-2.

There was also a ruthless 9-2 thrashing of Epsom College Third XI.

All the players were integral to the success of the side, but it was the talismanic figure of Ted Clark, ever-present in many of the goals scored, who deservedly picked up the player of the season award.

Thank you to all of the coaches and parents who made this fantastic season possible.

U16B Football

Our season this year was one of ups and downs, all of which have helped prepare us for the next two years of U18 football. Overall, we played 15 games throughout the season, winning 6, drawing 3, and losing 6.

Throughout it all, we were led by the experienced and knowledgeable Mr Fuldner, who always approached situations with the team’s best interests at heart, and for that, we are all very grateful.

Our season started as something of a rollercoaster as we had to adjust to the customary shuffle of players between teams. We lost our first game, but we came back incredibly strongly with a more than convincing 8-2 win over Thomas’s Battersea, with goal contributions from Sam Aragon, Richard Page, Billy Wilkinson, and Joshi Rasi de Mel, who scored an outstanding 4 goals.

We endured a close loss to a very strong Bradfield side, who we always look forward to playing, and followed that up with another big win against Forest School’s Fifth XI 5-0. Again, Joshi and Billy were on the scoresheet, alongside Connor Hendricks who scored a brace. Credit is also due to goalkeeper Rocky McCann for his tidy clean sheet.

Our next match saw us come up against Eton College, a match which is always highly anticipated. The final score was 3-3 after a thriller of a match in which Evan Rutter and Noah Kelly joined Billy on the scoresheet in a game which could have gone either way.

Unfortunately, ESFA was not to be for us this year as we lost to Kingsdale Foundation School. However, this gave us time to work on improving individually and as a team, which showed in our 5-1 win over Ardingly College’s Fifth XI. The spoils were shared between the following: Monty Seager, with a brace on debut; Billy, in what turned out to be his last game before heading to Rugby; Sixth Former Harry Spence, and Elias Pena, one of our outstanding centre backs this season.

Our last game of the term was not to be for us against a strong Ibstock Second XI squad; but, it saw the debut of Alasdair McIntosh, who continued to grow into his role at centre back throughout the rest of the season.

The spring term started off with an interesting game against KCS Wimbledon in tough conditions. The game finished 2-2; an outstanding solo run by Oscar Paterson led to an assist – the equaliser – in a game which should have ultimately gone our way.

The rest of the first half term was slightly frustrating, with two cancelled games, including one against Dulwich. However, just before half term, we played St James’ Boys U18 team, in which Alex Lopez Sostres scored with

a great strike from outside the box to help ease us to a comfortable 3-1; Monty also chipped in with another brace.

Unfortunately, the second half of term saw us fall short against a good Epsom College A team and St Paul’s Fifth XI. Another cancelled game allowed us to set ourselves for our final three games.

The first of these was a fixture against Tiffin School’s A team, which I am sure will be remembered by everyone who played in it as one of the most hard-fought matches of our season. The game ended 1-1, with our only goal coming from an incredible free kick goal, struck by Felix Robinson

Our second game of the last three was against the same KCS side that we came up against at the start of the term. This time we made sure things went our way, and we secured a very convincing 4-1 win, setting us up perfectly for our final game of the season. It would be prudent at this point to not mention Evan’s contributions in goal throughout the second term, with some solid saves in that time.

Our last game took us out to Box Hill School to face their Second XI. In a surprisingly comfortable game, we ended up winning 4-1 to end the season on a very pleasant high. Incredibly, all four goals were scored by Monty, securing his spot as top goal-scorer, with 10 goals in the season.

Our midfield throughout the season was kept firm by Max Turner, Ted Killick-Steele, and Alfred Bancroft, alongside a selection of others, including Ed Massey who helped us out in a few games this year.

In defence, we could never go wrong with Arun Bhandari and Will McTavish, in the full back positions, and Oscar Cacheux at centre back, with Elias and Alasdair.

Overall, the season proved to help us develop into players ready for senior football next year; a huge thank you is due again to Mr Fuldner for leading us the whole way.

Alfred Bancroft

I just wanted to add a few words to say that this has been an immensely enjoyable season for me and I was very impressed with the squad’s motivation and determination to play and improve, coming out for sessions during study leave and showing dedication to their team throughout the season. Typically modest about his own contribution, it is important to highlight the impact Alfred Bancroft has had on everyone in the team with his encouraging, motivational and supportive captaining. Well done to everyone in the team for their positive contributions this year; I have loved working with you all and all the best for your years in the senior squads!

U16C

This year of football started very promisingly for the U16Cs with a massive 8-0 win away over Thomas's Battersea, with great individual performances topping off a resounding team effort.

We had many more great performances along these lines, namely the 6-1 win against Ibstock and the 4-1 away victory over Ardingly, as well as a few

closer contests, such as 3-2 wins against RGS and Forest School, fighting back from a losing position on both memorable occasions.

However, there were certainly some that went the other way, with the 9-1 loss to Eton college not being much of a highlight for us.

We were able to bounce back from this result, though, ending the year winning 5, losing 3 whilst scoring and conceding 26 across these 8 games in the C team alone.

There has certainly been a lot of change in the personnel for the U16Cs this season, with us unfortunately struggling to make up numbers for many games as the year progressed. This meant that many of us who remained ended up spread across other teams, with some playing matches for the Fifthand FourthXIs, as well as having to adapt to different positions within the C team itself.

Overall, it has been a very promising year, a lot of which was down to the efforts and dedication of all of the coaching staff involved, most importantly, Mr Porras, for which we are hugely grateful. We are all excited for and look forward to the next year of football.

Owen Walker

U15A Football

This season started with some challenging matches, with a 3-1 loss to Bede's in the Elgin League; however, we managed to turn things around with an outstanding 5-2 win against Whitgift to keep hopes alive in the tournament – Rio Felonov Tzanev with four well-taken goals securing the win.

Following on, we had a couple friendly wins against some strong opposition, in which we showed great character. There were standout defensive performances from Yuvraj Sahota and tireless work-rate of Alex Watson were notable highlights.

After this, we had our first cup match of the season. It was a well-fought match between us and our opposition, Glyn. The game could not be decided in normal time, finishing 2-2. This could have been a different story if it was not for the determined defending of Sooho Jin. Eventually, after a gruelling extra-time period, the game went to penalties. Unfortunately, it did not go our way and it was the end of our ESFA Cup journey.

Following the cup exit, we had a big Elgin League game against Bradfield, which was won 4-0. Charlie Moffatt picked up an exceptional brace and helped the side to dominate possession.

Next, it was time for our trip to Holland. We were able to train at the Vitesse training ground and we played against a tough U16 local side. However, we were unable to end the trip with a win – though we took great heart in the fact that we had produced one of our best footballing displays of the year.

Upon returning to England, we were able to go on an eight-match winning streak, which included some major games for our season: a 3-1 victory over Eton, and a 1-0 win over Charterhouse in the Elgin League. Stand-out performances came from Faris Salman, who worked exceptionally hard and caused chaos on the right-hand side, and from Adam Malik, who controlled the tempo in midfield.

We then had three ISFA Cup games to look forward too. This included an 8-2 win over Sherborne, where Marcus Soloman showed excellent skill and composure in the final third, and Finley Milner picked up excellent positions between the lines and scored a brace.

A 2-1 round-of-16 win against Downsend saw a great solo goal from winger Gabriel Connolly and a couple of match-winning saves from Max Cooper. These two wins led us to our biggest game of the season yet: a quarter-final against a familiar Eton side.

In an incredibly tight match, it ended in our favour: 2-1. A highlight of the game was a decisive penalty won by a great individual dribble from our half to the opposition's box by Freddie Thwaite, which was then converted by Charlie Moffatt. However, it was the defensive prowess of Alessandro Cardinale that kept Eton to just one goal.

The quarter-final was followed soon after by the semi-final against a strong Whitgift side. The match started off as a tense affair, with both sides creating plenty of chances. However, Whitgift were the ones to break the deadlock, and a couple minutes later they scored again. Despite our best efforts and a late goal, we were knocked out of the ISFA Cup, after an excellent campaign.The team showed real class throughout the tournament, and we can hold our heads high with our efforts.

Our tournaments were not over for the season, however, as we had a big game against Royal Russel in the Elgin League. This required a win to confirm progression out of the group; however, we could only secure a wellfought 2-2 draw. Dom Stenning demonstrated excellent defensive understanding to nullify a dangerous Royal Russell side.

Unfortunately, this meant our Elgin League campaign was over on goal difference; yet, despite this, it had certainly been a campaign that we could all be enormously proud of.

The last few games of the year saw more tough fixtures in the calendar. However, these games were dominated by Balti Birts and some ridiculously brave goalkeeping from Seb Rautenberg – both of whose performances were a huge factor in successfully capping off a great year of football.

Overall, the season was a fantastic one and was filled with many positives. We played some outstanding football and made some excellent progression as a team. The team have worked tirelessly, and we can look forward to a successful season next year.

I would also like to thank the team and the coaches for a very memorable year of Hampton Football.

Rio Felonov Tzanev

U15B Football

After another great season, it is time to look back and review it!

23 games were played, of which 15 were won, 5 lost and 3 drawn. This season, 65 goals were scored and 30 conceded.

Notably, the team went the entire season without losing a game at home, winning every game but one – against Whitgift – where the last touch of the match was a goal that meant it ended as a draw.

My personal favourite game of the season was against Gordon’s School U15As. Playing a team above can often be challenging, and, within the first few minutes, it looked as if this game would be even more than a challenge.

In the first 15 minutes we were on the backfoot but managing not to concede. Then, a mis-hit cross from the opposition sailed over our keeper to make it 1-0. Then, out of nowhere, a well-worked counterattack saw Robert Bercea equalise from the left wing.

A great volley from their striker saw them take the lead again just before half time. A goal down and having only taken one shot, our chances appeared to be low. However, a clever tactical switch from Mr Finnerty saw us change to play a 3-5-2 formation.

Immediately we had more chances. A clever ball from Balti Birts saw Nicholas Hennebry score his first to level the game. Two more goals from him and one from Jasper Bird saw the game turned on its head, the two strikers playing incredible football to give us a commanding lead.

The game ended 5-3 to us after an intelligent cross from the opposition winger pulled one back for them. Four goals in one half showed the genius of the tactical switch, and gave us the win: a true display of determination and great tactics.

We also had a great run in the ESFA cup.

In our first match, we played against Coombe Boys’ school, coming from 1-0 down to win 5-1. Next, we played Windsor Boys’, producing a commanding performance which saw us win 2-0 – despite missing two penalties in two minutes!

In the third round we played John Hampden Grammar School, winning 3-0. In the fourth round we came against our first big challenge in the form of Sandringham school, which saw the game stay 0-0 for the whole

game and for 20 minutes of extra time. A 3-2 win on penalties saw us move to the quarter-finals against Weydon School.

Unfortunately, in the warmup, an injury meant that our keeper was unable to play, resulting in me playing in goal. It is safe to say that I will not be playing again in goal anytime soon! A 4-1 loss saw us exit the cup.

Overall, it was an excellent and hugely enjoyable season – everyone is looking forward to the coming year of football and what we can produce! Thank you to all of the staff and parents for their time and support throughout the season.

Maurice Rey

U15C Football

The U15Cs have had a rollercoaster of a season, with the team playing the best football we have produced in the past 4 years. We played 15 matches, with 7 of these won, 3 drawn and 5 lost. Over the course of the season, we scored a whopping 37 goals and conceded 26. Leading the chart for goals this year was Gabriel Gragour, with 7, and the player who represented the side the most was co-captain, Maxwell Gladding

We started the season incredibly, going unbeaten in 5 against various opponents, with two incredible results against Bede’s and Alleyn’s school, winning 6-0 in both matches. However, we then met our match with our first loss of the season against Eton college.

We had a bumpy run to the end of the season, with mixed results; but, amongst the chaos, we still had our highlights, with another 6-0 win against King’s College, scoring some incredible goals that included a hat-trick from Louis Harvey

The end of the season was far from doom and gloom as we went unbeaten in three; my personal favourite match was our 2-1 win against Tiffin, where we came back from a goal down in the last 10 minutes of the match thanks to a well-timed volley by Joe Perry, and an outrageous goal by Daniel Kim from near the corner flag.

On behalf of the entire team, we would like to thank Mr Cumberbatch for coaching us, and we would also like to express our gratitude to all of the other coaching staff and parents who helped us throughout the season.

Daniel Bathula & Maxwell Gladding

U15D Football

Our first match was after the Christmas break against KCS Wimbledon, a game which we comfortably won 3-1.

After a cancelled match the following week, we played Gordon’s School; unfortunately, we squandered several chances when we ought to have won the game. But we learned from the match and looked to the next opportunity to put that right.

Although there were no more matches for the rest of the half term, we came back to record possibly one of the best comebacks – even though it was not a win. With 10 minutes to go, against Mill Hill and Belmont School, we found ourselves 3-0 down. But, our newly invigorated high press caused defensive mistakes, which Harry Gordon and Dylan McNamara capitalised on. A few minutes later, what I intended to be a cross ended up in the back of the net, sparking wild celebrations on the touchline.

Against Epsom College, the game remained at a deadlock for most of the game, until defensive errors by the keeper two times in two minutes allowed Oliver Atlay and Joseph May to make it 2-0. A third goal followed – even though it was offside and in need of some VAR reviewing – securing us the victory.

It was ultimately a great end to the season; out of 11 games played, 5 were won, 2 drawn and 4 lost – two losses came against the same school. 40 goals were scored across the games,and we conceded 26 goals.

We would like to thank Mr Bracken and the other coaches for their time spent helping us improve this season; thanks also to our parents for all of their time and support along the way.

Joshua Chapman

U14A Football

This season was one of our best yet, gaining vital players such as Leo Nishida, Alex Pollock, Myan Mallipeddi and Theo Jenkins towards the back end of the year.

In the Third Year we took part in multiple prestigious tournaments: the Surrey County Cup, ESFA and an invitational tournament at Arsenal academy. Throughout the season, almost every Thursday afternoon, we battled and overcame our opponents in the regarding competition. For the first time in our Hampton careers, we were still in not just one, but two cup competitions after Christmas.

ESFA: This well-known tournament is between almost every school in the country with around 800 teams that enter.

After a relatively easy start to the ESFA cup run with 3 byes in the first 4 rounds we faced St Andrew’s Catholic school in the 5th round.We had already faced this team the year before in ESFA narrowly losing 2-1 so were determined to get a win. After a brace from Ben Whitley and Oliver Khaksar, and some magical build-up play by Alex Pollock, we comfortably won 6-0, sending us into the 6th round – the furthest we had ever gone in this wonderful competition.

Next up we had Heathside, who were last season’s semi-finalists, so we knew we would need to play well if we were to continue our run. One masterclass from Thomas Scrimshaw later, putting in goal-saving blocks and scoring at the other end, we were victorious by a goal to nil. Hopes were high, and minds began to dream of what this run could become.

Next, we faced Matthew Arnold School in the round of 16. This game would go down in history…Devastatingly, a hat-trick from Oliver Khaksar was not enough to seal the victory. Heartbreaking! They scored a last minute, added-time winner to send us out of the cup.

This amazing cup run only makes me dream of what this team could achieve in the coming years.

County Cup: Alongside ESFA, we were also competing in the Surrey County cup during the season. Having only participated in this competition in First Year, we were excited to see what it would have in store for us.

Off the back off three comfortable victorious in the first three rounds, we found ourselves in the quarter-finals against Wimbledon College. Stakes were high, and we were eager to get some silver wear to show what a great season we were having.

After a subdued performance, we managed to escape with a 2-1 victory –with some tremendous defensive work from our fullbacks, James Philips and Henry Wood

We were now into our first ever semi-final in a Hampton shirt and were one more step away from getting into a cup final. Now only Epsom stood in our way – whom we had previously between 2-0. An unfortunate start and a good finish from their striker sent us 1-0 down within seconds. We were going to need an impressive comeback for us to win.

With 10 minutes remaining, Leo Nishida finished off an impressive team move sending shock into our opposition. In the final few minutes of the game, Epsom got a free kick by the halfway line and after a scramble in the box somehow it went in! We endured heartbreak once again; we had got even closer to victory in yet another competition, but our only remaining chance now was at Arsenal academy.

Arsenal Invitational: In our last training session of the season, we found out we would be visiting Arsenal academy in the summer term for a tournament

– an added opportunity for silverware. Excitement was high, with around half the team being Arsenal fans.

Going into this one-day tournament, we felt confident; we had developed significantly throughout the season due to Mr Hooper’s great coaching. We had five matches with five wins needed for our first trophy.

Four games and four wins later, following impressive defensive performances from Joe Timba and Tolu Idowu, we needed one more victory to secure the cup. Alex Pollock stepped up to the penalty spot in the final minutes of the game and calmly slotted it into the corner.

We had got our hands on some silver wear! We were victorious at Arsenal!

Block fixtures and Elgin league: Throughout this season we have many fixtures, home – including on the beautiful F1 pitch – and away, with many wins and only four loses. From highs, such as an 8-1 win against Ardingly college, to a few lows, such as narrowly losing out on that cold, bitter and rainy day at KCS Wimbledon, on the whole it has been a strong season.

Having defeated strong sides, such as Glynn school, thanks to the masterclasses in the middle of the park by Sebastian Howard and Leo Nishida, a victory against Royal Russel was needed for us to progress to the final of the Elgin League.

Despite strong performances from all of the team, particularly of Rufus Lawson and Noah Rasi de Mel, we could not get over the line; with neither team scoring, it ended as a draw.

As a consequence, we did not have the points to qualify; however, we still finished 4th, which in itself is an impressive achievement due to the strength of the competition.

After our disappointment in the Elgin league, we bounced back for the last game of the season: an outstanding 10-1 victory against Reading Blue Coat School. Tom scrimshaw’s hat-trick – following various rabonas and skills –will live long in the memory for us and the spectators this season. Mr Knibbs even compared our performance to one of the famous 1995 Ajax side – high praise indeed!

Overall, we enjoyed a tremendous season – with positive runs in three great cup competitions – learning a great deal and developing as a team – all of which was all summed up in our impressive victory at Arsenal. We now look forward to even more exciting and successful seasons ahead – with hopefully some more silverware to come.

George Eggleton & Oliver Khaksar

U14B Football

As we moved into a new school year in the autumn of 2023 and the leaves began to turn a shade of golden brown, it was a shade of gold and black at Hampton in the shape of the U14B football team that occupied the minds of many – or at least a few!

The season opener was a strong start against Glyn, in which we won 2-0 away from home – with an impressive defensive performance and goals from Theo Jenkins and Bailey Hornsby-Clifton

In fact, the first four games of the season were victories, with 24 goals scored and only 1 conceded. This included our ESFA campaign starting with a clinical 8-0 win against Ibstock. Grigory Dobrynin also scored 4 against Bede’s School in an impressive 9-1 win.

The winning run was interrupted by ACS Cobham’s ‘A’ team, where we narrowly lost 3-1 – despite being in control of the game for large periods. This was our only defeat until Christmas.

However, this chastening defeat seemed to light a fire, and once again the Bees had a sting in their tail! Bradfield College were the unfortunate victims, and they were down 7-0 as the first half ended, following some outstanding goals from Paul Isalan – an absolute worldie from the halfway line – and two goals each from Adam Saker and Kota Dooley, and a lovely effort from yours truly! Our final score was 8-3 after the foot was taken off the gas in the second half.

A dour draw against Eton followed; but, we got straight back to winning ways after a thumping win against Forest School 8-0, in which Ashton Crossley scored a delightful hat-trick and Adam with another brace. Ollie Hazell, despite his diminutive stature, towered over the defence for a headed goal – and Brennan Coletta contributed with a hat-trick of assists.

The first week of November delivered the next round of ESFA, where very strong performances by Arthur Kangis, Ollie, and Theo proved key to settling our victory. However, in a decisive moment at 2-2, George Moria made a charging run into the penalty area after a good first touch which led to a match-deciding penalty that was slotted home by Brennan.

The next game was a long-awaited rematch against Eton away. The talk pregame was about how we were losing our fantastic centre-back pair of Joe Timba, who had earned a chance to play for our A team, and Arthur. However, our fears were misplaced as Tolu Idowu came in to the team and decided that nothing would get past him; it was an outstanding performance at the back, and he even got himself on the end of a corner to score.

The term finished with a 10-1 demolition of Ardingly, including hat-tricks from both Ashton and Brennan and a stylish solo run and finish from Tioba Shittu-Balogun

The final win of the 2023 calendar year was an important and exciting one, the ESFA round of 32 against Windsor. The game was level at 2-2 after extra time, with goals from Ashton and Kota, and we were heading into a penalty shootout. The atmosphere was electric as the rest of the Year came to watch the drama unfold in the penalty shootout. Cometh the hour, cometh the man – or men! – as a save from Harrison Gilbert and a match-winning penalty from Grigory sealed the win.

The spring term of 2024 brought us our final eight fixtures of the season; just like the Autumn this block of fixtures, this again only yielded one defeat, with 31 goals scored and 8 conceded. It served as a testament to the quality of both the team’s attack and defence.

This term started with a 5-0 away win over KCS. Highlights included Ashton chipping the ball over the defence for Adam to score one of his two goals in that match. Other scorers included Theo, Grigory, and Kota.

One of the highlights of the season was the home game against our rivals Whitgift in the ESFA round of 16. It was a tightly-fought contest which finished 1-1 at full time. However, Kota refused to have this match settled by penalties and went on a rampage, scoring two quick goals in extra-time, along with a further goal from Grigory, helping the side to win the match 4-1.

Possibly one of the performances of the season – which sent the Whitgift boys back to Croydon very disappointed – was a repeat fixture outside of the ESFA competition a few weeks later; the 3-3 draw was secured with two last-minute goals by Joe and Tioba, which again left Whitgift in shock.

In between the Whitgift matches, there were good wins against Dr Challoner’s and Epsom College. But, we unfortunately fell to defeat –against the run of play – when facing Ivybridge in the ESFA quarter-finals, despite a brilliant performance from back up keeper Haadi Hariri

The last game of the season was a typically dominant performance from the team – as we had seen on many other occasions. We won 10-2, with braces from Adam, Ashton, Bailey and Ruben Easter; on another day, we could have scored many more.

Well done to the whole team for a fantastic season. The stats read as follows: 21 games, 16 wins, and 2 losses, with 93 goals scored – our top scorer with 18 was Kota, and Adam chipped in with 12 assists – and only 22 goals conceded.

Player of the season was voted as Joe, for his role in our strong defensive unit, ably assisted by Arthur, Paul, Oscar Leonard and Will Bush, who were all superb throughout and never took a backwards step. Tolu joined the defence during the season and had a hugely positive impact. In goal, the combined efforts of Harrison and Haadi kept most opposition attacks at bay.

In midfield, Ollie was a ball-winning dynamo, Grigory was a constant goal scoring threat going forward, Theo a link from front to back, dribbling through many teams, Bailey was a flurry of activity and invention, and, finally, Brennan was our creative spark and distributor.

Up front, Kota and Adam were both lightening quick and sharp finishers all year and drove our goal tally, along with strong centre-forward play from target man Ashton in the middle and the elusive and tricky Tioba on the left.

Excellent cameo appearances during the year from Ruben, George, Danny Prichard, Ethan Price, and William Denmark meant that the Bs kept buzzing all the way to the final game of the season!

U14C Football

At the end of the 2023-24 season, the U14Cs had left an impact on all the teams they faced.

Having played twelve games, our final record was nine were won and three lost. Also ending on a positive goal difference, the team scored fifty-seven whilst only conceding thirteen! Our most successful game was against Wilson’s, where the game finished 10-0 in our favour.

A brilliant and notable defensive performance came against ACS International School Cobham, where we won 2-0 thanks to a brilliant free kick by Rufus Lawless. All of our backline, including Dylan Love, AJ Coady, Zaki Chapman, Will Denmark, and James Earl, all put in a huge shift to stop the home side from scoring.

It would also be an oversight not to mention Haadi Hariri, who made many fantastic saves all throughout the game.

Although the team lost a close game to KCS Wimbledon, 3-2, the team did not give up; we showed a fighting spirit all the way up until the final whistle. Even with two brilliant goals from Hamza Yahie and Ruben Easter, the final whistle just came too soon – we were sure that with even one extra minute we would have been able to find the equaliser!

Ending the season on a high, we put nine goals past Reading Blue Coat, and, to top it off, kept a clean sheet. One player stood out particularly: Isaac Mistry, who was on fire, scoring four of the nine goals. Everyone involved played exceptionally in this game, with our side enjoying most of the possession as well.

Overall, the season was a very positive one with all players having a great deal of fun. Much good teamwork was shown, on and off the pitch. There were lots of highlights and memorable moments – far too many to fit into the above!

All of us are looking forward to the next season – and to see whether we are able to score even more goals. Thank you to all of the coaches and parents for their support this year as well.

Dylan Love

U14D Football

We started the autumn term with a lack of experienced defenders due to the popularity of rowing as a new Games option. But, despite the challenge, we pushed on, with former wing back Eric Paqvalén moving to centre back and Adam Webb coming in to help out.

With the help of the versatility of midfielders such as Jack Haynes, Abhideep Sunilkumar, and Max Dexter, we started the season in confidence.

We were producing some very good early results: 7-0 versus Winchester; 4-0 versus Wilsons; and a hard-fought 1-0 win against tough opponents Bradfield, thanks to goal by Salahuddin Shah.

However, we suffered a minor setback in a 2-1 loss to Epsom at the end of the half term; but, we had the chance of redemption in a rematch against them in November.

It was a tough matchup in the first two thirds. We saw ourselves trailing 2-1 once again, but Aadam Khan was able to pull it level with an excellent header that was scored from a well-delivered corner by Jack Mountney

When it looked like the game was finished, winger Alex Milicic lobbed the keeper with the final touch of the game. Thanks to our superb push in the final stages of the match, we were able to win the game 3-2.

After a successful first term, we pushed on into the spring. We hoped to continue our strong performances in the coming few fixtures, and, although we lost a key midfielder and captain, Euan Seymour, to Rugby, we knew that we still had a fantastic squad.

This could not have been more clearly demonstrated as we comfortably won 6-1 against KCS Wimbledon.

William O’Shea was particularly impressive that day, scoring a fabulous hat-trick. Alex Milicic also played very well on the wing, causing problems for the opposition’s defence. Jack Haynes was solid in defensive midfield, preventing the opposing side from getting anywhere near the back line.

We were very happy with the first game back and the victory it brought.

Our next match was, unfortunately, cancelled due to bad weather.

The following match was against Epsom College away. A 3 - 1 win! Although we were on a sloping pitch, we played some great attacking football, passing the ball around with speed.

Our first goal came from a corner delivered by Jack Mountney, which was slotted home expertly, before Ben Roman then scored from the edge of the box after he struck a loose ball. A third then came before Epsom claimed a consolation goal at the end.

Overall, this was a good ending to a great season of football. Thank you to all of the staff and parents who made this all possible with their time and efforts along the way.

Euan Seymour & Olly Phillips

U13A Football

Another amazing season of football at Hampton. Ups and downs along the way, it had everything imaginable.

We started the season looking very comfortable, really playing like a Hampton side. Our first match was a tough one, having a 2-2 draw away at Wilsons School. We scored two in the first half due to some clever and precise attacking but let our lead slip late into the second half with a couple of unfortunate goals.

From this match onward we really started growing as a team with three consecutive victories at the likes of Alleyn’s school, Greycourt School at the ESFA tournament and Forest school. Then we came to our second match of the ESFA tournament.

A challenging fixture hosting The Ashcombe school saw our departure from the competition in a very tight 2-1 loss. However, we bounced back from this with a tight 4-3 victory against Berkhamsted school, with our attack creating chances and scoring exceptionally.

Our next game was an important one: Whitgift in round three of ISFA. We started positively, securing a 1-0 lead in the first half. However, with 3 minutes left to go, Whitgift suddenly scored 3 goals and we were disappointingly knocked out of the competition.

A few more tough fixtures followed, involving matches against Dulwich College, Gordon’s School and Dr Challoner’s, which resulted in marginal defeats. Due to weather conditions, there were cancellations on a few matches, and we only had 4 matches left until the end of the season.

Drawing against Epsom college and winning against Dulwich Prep provided the confidence boost we needed to play against Whitgift School once again. Our defence was impeccable as the match resulted in a fair 2-2 draw.

The final game of the season arrived, and we easily outscored our opponents in a victory.

Overall, the results show the team improved towards the end of the season and we look forward to the seasons still ahead of us at Hampton.

Louis Spira & Dean Bennett

U13B Football

The football report I wrote for the U13A team in last year’s Lion magazine, started with the following sentence:

‘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 there is an element of truth in the initial statement.’

The point I was labouring towards was that the U13A team’s season was very much one of two halves, with a very strong start, before a slightly disappointing second half. The reason for shamelessly rehashing the same opening gambit this year round in order to make the word count, is that the U13B team’s season this year was also one that could be very clearly split into two sections.

On the 13th January 2024, the team lost 2-1 in a tight match against KCS Wimbledon. This left their season tottering a little, having won 3, drawn 3, and lost 3 matches – including being knocked out of the ESFA cup in a humbling 6-1 loss to Parmiter’s School.

At this stage, across 9 matches, the team had scored 17 goals and conceded 20. If you had tried to convince the side that the remaining 6 matches would involve 6 wins with 27 goals scored and just 2 conceded, they would have been rightfully sceptical, but that is exactly what happened.

The football the team played during this closing section of the season was outstanding and bodes very well for their future football in the School.

There were two main reasons for this turnaround. Firstly, while you never want to put too much focus on to one contributor, it would be wrong not to mention that the uptick in performance coincided with Jojo O’Shaughnessy’s first match, after moving across from the Rugby team. Jojo’s speed, strength and quality gave the side a cutting edge and focal point in attack that had possibly been a little bit lacking previously. Much of the final part of the season involved Jojo overpowering a defender in order to latch on to a through ball, before effortlessly finishing the one on one with the goalkeeper. He was a consistent threat whenever he was on the pitch and scored 12 goals in just 6 games.

The second element that led to the uptick in the performance was the defensive organisation, work-rate, and growing confidence on the ball that flooded through the squad thanks to their work with Mr Towl. The commitment on the training pitch and the improvements made by the side were remarkable and were a testament both to their ability to learn

and develop as players, as well as Mr Towl’s effective and clear coaching.

All this means that the squad should look back proudly on their second year of Hampton football. But who was in that squad?

The first 12 games of the season saw James Stott playing in goal making some sensational saves at times and growing in confidence as the year progressed. When James chose to have a go playing on pitch in the D team, Eric Rainey stepped into the breach, adapting very successfully, and offering sound technique as a keeper, along with some excellent and perceptive distribution.

In defence, captain George Scholes was at the heart of the effort. George’s awareness and vision was demonstrated time and again over the season, often in the perfect place at the perfect time to break up and opposition attack, but also with the ability to calmly beat a man and play a perfect pass, demonstrating the composure you might expect from an older footballer. Alongside him, Jay Aragon was another calm presence capable of starting an attack from the back with a slide rule pass.

Right back Shay Bhagwan brought physicality and speed to the position along with a keenness to get forward in support of the attack. Sebastian Wright was an assured presence at left back. While his overall play was strong throughout, his long throws were a real standout occasionally shocking the opposition side as they huddled close to him, only to see the ball flying over their heads for one of our forwards to chase. Alex Paton played across the back four, tidily doing his job and demonstrating a vision with his passing that allowed the team to swiftly move from defence to attack.

The midfield was anchored by Edward Richardson, who grew in confidence with the ball as the season progressed, but who also consistently made it hard for the opposition sides to play. Alongside him, Elijah Thomson worked tirelessly, offering strong defensive protection, but also the ability to beat a man and a wide range of passing. One of the highlights of the season was in the final match when, finally, one of his long-range efforts flew into the net, giving him an incredibly well deserved first goal of the season.

Stefan Backovic played across the midfield, as well as at full back, always demonstrating excellent technique and awareness. Stefan was not a fan of the cold winter months. When warming up on a frigid Dulwich pitch early one Saturday morning, Mr Green asked Stefan to take his woolly hat off before the match started. However, as the match kicked off, when Mr Green looked up from organising the footballs, he found that Stefan had interpreted ‘take your woolly hat off’ as ‘keep your woolly hat on and also put on gloves and a snood’.

In the more attacking positions, Thomas Pfanner ran hard all season, chasing every lost cause and creating problems for every full back he faced. Zidan Akhtar was another versatile player, showing an ability to play in midfield, on the wing and at full back, and was another player who really grew in confidence as the season went on, progressively imposing himself on matches, ending up with 5 goals.

Benjamin Jonas also went from strength to strength, scoring 4 goals, but creating countless others with his skill and physicality. He worked tirelessly and was comfortably the side’s best header of a ball, relishing the opportunity to defend corners by sending booming headers away from the edge of the six-yard box.

Henry Sage was a delightful player to watch, navigating the tight areas of the pitch just outside the box with his close control and strength. He also

consistently struck the ball beautifully, whether to shoot – he scored 4 goals – or to pass. Inwoo Yoo often found space where there was none in the box and was unfortunate not to score more than the 4 goals he scored. Strangely, all 4 of those goals came in one outstanding performance against Gordon’s School.

Sewon Park burst into the team a couple of games into the season, having demonstrated frightening pace in practice. While he was not always able to capitalise on the opportunities that his pace and physicality created –though he did score 8 times – every team had to work hard to cope with the threat he posed.

The boys should be proud of their season and of the bond they forged as a squad. One of the most warming moments of the season came with the hugely enthusiastic celebration of Elijah’s first goal of the season, which came in the final match.

They are an excellent bunch and should be looking forward to their third season of football together with real ambition.

U13C Football

It was a successful year for the U13Cs; we enjoyed 13 games across the season, of which we won 7, drew 3, and lost 3.

Our attack was sensational this season, having scored 58 goals – an average of 4.5 goals a game! We won 12-0 against a Gordon’s side, and came out 11-1 winners against Reading Blue Coat School. The season’s top goal scorers were Oscar Fyrdman-Orsteen, Finn Ready, and Tom Balmond; but, the goals were very much shared out across most the team, so it was a great all-round performance. Our attack consisted of Yevin Silva, Tom Balmond, Anthony Simonov and Oscar Fyrdman-Orsteen.

Tom Balmond won the ‘Woodwork Award’, hitting the post and bar on many occasions – though we were obviously all delighted when he went on to score a hat-trick in the final match!

As well as this, our defence was very solid too, conceding only 22 goals. Our back line consisted of Newt Hepburn, Tom Hunt, Leon Young, Kian Thomas, and Daniel Savage. Their reading of the game and communication skills were evident in every match as they continuously covered for each other.

In goal was Josh Button – and occasionally Oscar Fyrdman-Orsteen. They both made a number of crucial saves and were instrumental in starting our attacks. Josh’s throws were particularly memorable. We also played with a CDM, and this key position was rotated between Jiashan Li and Josh Laughton

In addition to this, our midfield was an essential aspect of our team, and its mainstays were Fraser Midgely-Carver, Finn Ready, and Zac Rashkes. This midfield trio were often key to both our attack and defence, getting on the score sheet and tracking back to help defend.

We also did some business in the transfer window and signed Inwoo Yoo from the B Team. He was a calming influence and slotted in perfectly in the midfield and the attack, showing both skill and vision.

An especially memorable game was a 2-2 draw against KCS Wimbledon, where we played exceptionally well and were unlucky not to score more and take away the victory. Kian Thomas scored a great halfway-line goal, where he lobbed the keeper – as well as producing an outstanding all-round performance.

Lastly, the team and I would like to give a massive thank to all the coaching team, Mrs Day, Mrs Havord, Mr Ritchie, and Mr Whiffin, and also to all the grounds staff for their work on the pitches, which enabled us to be able to play and train virtually every week.

Congratulations to everyone involved this season!

Daniel Savage

U13D Football

The U13Ds had a very successful season, winning 4 out of 7 matches –despite having to play up against many other schools.

The season began on a balmy day in September, against a very wellorganized Wilson’s. After being outplayed and being 1-0 down in the first half, the Ds produced a vastly improved performance in the second half; two last-minute goals from Oscar Frydman-Orsteen ensured a winning start to the campaign.

After a few weeks of training under the watchful eye of Mr Boyes, the Ds outplayed Forest School and ran out 5-0 winners. A notably highlight was a second-half hat-trick from goalkeeper-turned-striker, Eric Rainey

Fortunes were reversed in the next game, and the Ds suffered a chastening 4-0 defeat to Berkhamsted.

After Christmas, the new year started with a hard-fought and high-quality win over KCS, with new recruit Kavin Weerasinghe smashing home a late winner – much to the joy of the watching crowd.

Next followed two defeats, one to a very good U12A side from Gordon’s, and then a disappointing outcome in a 3-2 defeat by St Paul’s, despite a virtuoso midfield performance from Sam Diggins

The season, however, ended with a fine 5-0 win over Reading Bluecoat.

The Ds can be thoroughly proud of their season, and can all look forward to impressing their new coaches next year and aiming to better themselves as a team and as individuals. It was a pleasure to be their coach this year.

U13E Football

This year, the U13Es played some excellent football, enjoying two wins, one draw and three losses against higher ranking teams.

Joe Bates captained the team, and the spirit throughout the season was enormously positive and supportive.

Our first game was against Berkhamsted at home. It started off smoothly for us, going 2-0 up in the first half with two goals from our striker Navraj Dhillon. In the second half, he secured his hat-trick with another goal. But, the opposition came back strong, scoring two goals – and very nearly three! However, we emerged with a win for the first game of the season.

The next game against Ibstock place was a 1-2 loss; but, despite the defeat, it was a particularly good show from our left mid, who scored a goal late on to get us back into the game.

We then lost 0-2 to Radnor house, which was not our best performance –but there were many lessons learned.

Our next game was against KCS Wimbledon, which ended in a 0-0 draw. The defence of Ian Burguillos, Rohan Kothandapani, and Nico Watts, alongside Joe Bates, were solid throughout. Despite some excellent interlinking play through the midfield duo of Freddie Robinson and

Konrad Granberg, our attack could not get a shot into their net! Our goalkeeper for the match, Nathaniel Opiniano, who is naturally a striker, stepped up and had a brilliant performance. A clumsy handball in the box gave them a penalty, but our keeper stayed calm – and jumped around a bit – and the shot ended up well over the bar!

The highlight of the season was the 9-1 win against St Paul’s. It was an outstanding show from our attackers Nathaniel Opiniano, Neil Thakur, and Edo Cominacini – though, despite the scoreline, the first goal scored actually went in the back of the Hampton net! We came back strong, and after a poor back pass and a six-yard goal for us, we were doing well. Some excellent passes in resulted from two goals from corner set-plays – the second goal was a highlight of the season. Our goalkeeper, Fred Owen, who is naturally a midfielder, came forward for the final play of the game; he put his foot behind it and scored an absolute worldy of a volley!

Our last game was an unfortunate end, with a 0-2 loss to a strong Epsom College C team. I hope we play well next year – and hopefully our fantastic squad spirit means that we will not lose too many good players to the lure of Third Year Rowing!

Joe Bates

U12A Football

I think I speak for everyone that had a part to play in the As side this year when I say that it was a truly brilliant and enjoyable season – every training session and fixture was outstanding. Everyone had a part to play in every win and nobody would give up after any loss.

We had some amazing experiences with wins – most notably our 13-1 victory over Halliford School – and some not as enjoyable losses. Whatever the weather, we always had a chance to play and represent Hampton to our fullest extent, and we could always count on Mr Hussain being there for every step of the way.

Every single person who managed to get to at least one fixture always helped us thrive and push through each stage of a cup, play their hardest in a simple league match or a friendly, and we all strived for victories and to have the very best time on the pitch.

Some players helped the side throughout the season; worthy of mention is Neil Menon, who played in 20 of the 22 fixtures and racking up a

monstrous 11 goals and 1 MVP. Other broke through the barriers between teams and, although they racked up fewer appearances than others, still had a hugely positive and tangible impact on the side. Oscar Connell, for example, played 14 matches and still managed to get 4 goals, and Stephane Ansel played only 4 games but still scored 2 important goals for the team.

Each and every individual played a huge role in our season, whether they played nearly every match – Thomas Chivers did not miss a single one! –or they played for only half the season; they were vital in our successes of getting to the County Cup Quarter Final and the ESFA Round 3. It does not really matter how many goals they scored or how many MVPs they got, it was how hard everyone worked to make the season as enjoyable and amazing as it was.

I also speak on behalf of the whole squad when I say that I cannot wait for next year! Thanks again to all of the coaches and our parents for their invaluable support.

U12B Football

Hampton’s U12Bs had an impressive season, winning ten matches out of 17, drawing two, and losing only five. The goal difference was only fifteen, with Hampton scoring a mammoth 58, but conceding 43. The team was strong throughout; with only a slight dip in form in January, there were many fantastic highs along the way.

The season started well for Hampton, with dominant displays and four victories out of the first four matches, including three clean sheets while scoring fourteen goals. The attack was flowing nicely, and the defence was proving strong.

An early season thriller occurred against St Thomas’s, where after gaining an impressive 5-1 lead, Hampton nearly threw it all away in the last fifteen minutes, with St Thomas’s relentless attacks causing us to concede three quick goals – and they were unlucky not to get a fourth! However, the Bs remained valiant and hung on to see out another victory, even if the match should have been won a bit more comfortably.

Unfortunately, the U12B ESFA campaign never really got going; despite getting a bye in the first round, we were well beaten – for the first time all season – by Three Rivers Academy, who won 5-3.

Thomas Young

Bizarrely, this did not knock us out of the competition; it turned out that Three Rivers had accidentally put out an A team in a B team tournament. We therefore travelled to Greycourt School, who, after a close game, scored two goals in extra time. Although disappointed, we looked to move on strong.

The side bounced back after Christmas; a particular highlight was our match against KCS, one of our hardest opponents of the year. We started off well, and, when the half time whistle blew, we were 3-1 up. However, KCS scored early in the second half before dominating the next 25 minutes. Despite this, our valiant – is somewhat chaotic at times! – defence held out, including some fantastic saves by keeper Charles Brain.

We then enjoyed a 13-goal thriller against Dulwich, with Thomas Petrou scoring an absolute ‘banger’ from the halfway line – though it was not quite enough to avert a 6-7 loss. The Bs then had a difficult run of form against Wilson’s and Dulwich Prep, which were lost 6-1 and 1-0 respectively.

The end of the season saw the team playing by far their best football and against some particularly strong teams; as a result, we enjoyed an unbeaten February and March. Ultimately, we finished the season off on a high, with a dominant 3-1 win over Reading Blue Coat School.

The attack scored 58 goals, with Jasper Townley having a great season, scoring the most goals, followed by Finn Timba and then William Potter Other notable contributors to the goal-scoring total included the following: Robert Wigglesworth, Oscar Connell, Mika Rahman, Yule Choi, Noah Mearza, Wyatt Munsil, Josh Don Carolis, and Thomas Petrou.

The midfield also proved to be a fantastic attacking threat, with assists and goals coming from Rahman, Potter, and Munsil.

The defence of Noah Parry, Harry Morris, Don Carolis, Noah Mearza, and Thomas Petrou was hard to break down throughout the year, and they showed real maturity when it was needed. Throughout the year, our keepers, Ollie Scrimshaw and Charles Brain, kept Hampton in the game many times – a particular highlight being Ollie Scrimshaw’s fantastic saves and assists against Ravenswood School.

Overall, the U12Bs had a great season, which they should all be hugely proud of. Hopefully, as we face a new challenge next year – becoming a full XI aside team – we will build on our debut season, getting even more wins and progressing further in their ESFA campaign – maybe even winning it!

This team clearly has a bright Hampton future ahead of them! Thanks also to all of our coaches and the support of parents over the course of the year.

Harry Morris

U12C Football

This was a fabulous crop of players who improved substantially over the course of two terms. We lost three tight games by a single goal margin in the Autumn before embarking on a fabulous run that saw us go unbeaten from November onwards, playing some truly delightful football by the Spring.

My personal highlight – amidst many more glamourous and goal-strewn victories – was a gritty 2-0 win away against Wilson’s B team. I have stood many a time in a gale force wind on that sloping pitch and watched Hampton

teams eventually be outmuscled by a strong and fast opposition, but this group showed they had some steel and determination to go alongside their obvious attacking quality.

Wilf Waterworth was absolutely outstanding between the sticks: a flawless season in terms of shot-stopping, distribution and character. In front of him, Kailan Sivakumaran, Noriki Wang and captain Devan Shah formed a strong but composed barrier. They combined discipline and class on the ball; a fine base from which to launch our attacks.

The midfield engine-room of Aman Chatha and Harry Dixon set the tone in energy and commitment and allowed Artem Kichigan and Jayen Li to maraud forward and create chances.

As the season progressed, we finished increasingly more of these opportunities, averaging a remarkable 7.5 goals per game in the final half term. We scored from all over the pitch, notably including both Kailan and Wilf breaking their ducks in the final match.

Josh Pagnamenta pressed superbly and unsettled defences, and player of the season Toby Woods showed real quality and cutting edge to ensure we made our good play count.

Throughout the season, we were indebted to excellent contributions from several other players: Emile Steinberg made some super saves, Justin Kim was energetic and skilful and Lucas Taylor was outstanding whenever he was available. Stephane Ansel and Theo Payne played with such purpose and athleticism that they did not stop long on their way up from the Ds to the As (!) and Tomo Sudo and Bruno Entenza Hueso slotted in brilliantly for the final few matches to take us up one level further.

The class of 23-24 were a delight to work with. They enjoyed their football, and it showed in their progress and performances.

I wish them well for their future football careers, and I am quietly confident that one or two of them will continue the pattern of U12C players who have ended up in the Hampton First XI – as the 2029-30 edition of The Lion will hopefully testify!

U12D Football

Prior to the season’s opening game, a strong U12D squad was picked to play the opening fixture against Alleyn’s School. We got off to the best possible start, with a staggering 16-2 win that included several goals from Theo Payne and some exceptionally solid goalkeeping from George Townley

From the word go, we had a sharp attack and a strong defence; amazingly, Wyatt Musil was so good he moved up a team halfway through the match! The other match before the October half term was away against Forest School, where we recorded another hugely pleasing victory, winning 3-2.

After half term, we had Friday/Saturday back-to-back matches, both away.

In the first match, against Sutton Grammar School, we carried on our fine form with a comfortable 7-0 win. Stephane Ansel once again showed his talents in this victory; he was to end the season playing in the U12As, along with Theo Payne.

However, our first taste of defeat came the following morning against Berkhamsted School. With the fixture taking place on Remembrance Day, we observed a minute’s silence before the match kicked off. Shortly after the whistle had blown, we were up against it; despite the side’s best efforts and resilience, we ultimately lost 5-2. Despite the defeat, a notable mention is owed to Tomo Sudo, who scored the goal of the match.

We landed after the Christmas break with a bit of a bump, losing 3-4 at home to KCS.

However, we returned to winning ways the following week, with a fantastic performance against Dulwich College. The final score of 7-3 was achieved with great goals from Justin Kim and Yousuf Hussain, whose strikes were the standout ones amongst many other excellent team goals.

The remaining two games of the half term saw us play at home against Wilson’s School U12Cs and Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School.

Against Wilson’s, we played hard, but ultimately lost 2-4; despite this setback, we recovered well to defeat CVMS 4-1 the following week, with superb contributions from Alexander Arndt, Caesar Chen and Derin Ataoglu – a defensive wall! Moment of the match had to be Bruno Entenza Hueso’s goal from near the half-way line!

The final block of U12D fixtures for season started with a match in Barnes at St Paul’s; our work-rate paid off, and we swept them aside with a superb 4-0 victory. This game was fuelled by an incredible performance from Theo Pack, who ‘took home the match ball’ with a brilliant hat-trick.

Before a nasty collision forced him from the field for a short period of time, Alex Barkus had a stunning game, stopping and repelling all shots on goal. With a half time switch of goal keepers, Emile Steimberg also kept a clean sheet and made several fine saves.

The following match at home to Ravens Wood School saw us suffer a narrow 4-5 loss – despite some incredible play from Albert Khadzhiev, who ran up and down the wing, causing trouble for their defenders all match. We did not have much luck in front of goal that day, but George Baillie deserves mention for a particularly well-place and nicely slotted finish past their keeper – albeit as consolation.

The penultimate match of the season was at home to Whitgift; the addition of Julian Micallef to the side helped us to record a resounding 9-2 victory. His silky skills and his goal direct from a free kick were particularly memorable highlights.

Our last outing of the season saw us take on Reading Blue Coat School, and we finished the season on a high with a strong 3-1 triumph.

After such a long season, the team was very familiar with one another, and our performance level was at its peak. This result confirmed and brought to a close what had been a fantastically successful season: we played 12, won 8, and lost 4.

A special thanks is due to our coaches, Mr Towl and Mr Barnes, who supported us every week and moulded the side into a consistently strong team that played wholeheartedly in the Hampton spirit.

We look forward to building on our success next season!

George Baillie

First XV Rugby

Our year began in the picturesque settings of the Dolomites, Italy, for a superb pre-season tour, which featured multiple training sessions and a closely contested match against Cheltenham College in the blistering heat of August. A draw against our opponents left us all in great sprits and with high aspirations for the year ahead, having fostered an undeniable team spirit whilst enjoying training and sightseeing in Venice.

On return from central Europe, our pre-season continued with the prestigious Esher President’s Cup, where an exciting squad looked to kick the season off on a high. A brilliant first match against Clifton College – with an exceptional team try and an even better finish from Toby Smith – set the tone for the day ahead.

A victory against a mighty Ipswich side followed, and, having enjoyed two wins, we left with an even record after the two remaining tough games. Some excellent flashes of play left us feeling optimistic and looking forward to the long stretch of games to come once we returned to school.

The season officially began against rivals Seaford College; although we had got the better of the south coast squad in our previous season, we struggled in our first game in biblically hot conditions. After scoring two penalties early on in the game, we were unable to contain the onslaught of the Seaford players at their home venue.

However, the team were reinvigorated for a return to Esher RFC and a match under the floodlights against Brighton College, where many returning Hamptonians enjoyed watching a closely contested match. The game went end-to-end for the whole 70 minutes. A try from Rory Paterson evened up the scoreline going into the final quarter of the game, but our efforts were not quite enough as our opponents managed to squeeze into a two try lead before the final whistle.

The boys travelled out to Essex to play Campion School, anticipating a highly physical and mentally challenging game against a set of familiar faces. Some elusive runs from Nick Lynagh created many problems for their defence, leading to multiple penalty decisions which created plenty of opportunities for our forwards to capitalise.

Inevitably it was a poetic lineout catch-and-shove which resulted in a sneaky corner finish for vicecaptain Frank Hall. The cushion of a 7-0 lead gave us the confidence to continue playing our trademark style of play, utilising high levels of skill to outplay our slightly more brash opposition.

Another superb link up from our backs, featuring a stylish out the back of the hand offload from captain Finlay Wiseman resulted in line break from inside our own 22. The play was finished off beautifully by Theo Tyler-Low, who had been causing major disruption throughout the game for his opposite number, earning multiple turnovers and putting us in a dominant position to finish the game.

A try from Charlie Puczyniec helped to seal victory: a convincing 28-10 win. This was certainly a moment of high confidence for the forward pack after overcoming one of the toughest matchups of

the year, in wet conditions, with true dominance over the ball and in the scrums.

The new belief within the team set up an interesting fixture away at RGS High Wycombe, who had been rumoured, nationally, to be an impressive side this season. The game was filled with Hampton flair, putting many points onto the scoreboard early on, and holding a narrow margin into the second half. The display of attacking play from both sides continued in the second half, with Tom Kilpatrick seeming untouchable, dummying his way through the defence to score with his first touch. Despite huge efforts to score in the dying minutes of the game we finished second best.

The following Wednesday we approached our first National Cup game with new desire and many lessons learned.

New Hall were not quite prepared for the rapid start to our first home game of the season. We surged forwards in the early stages of the game, playing with speed and intensity which our opposition could not match. Aran Taheri-Murphy crashed over for our first try after a quick-witted decision to quick-tap after which the remaining defenders were no match for his strength and size.

It did not take long for our second try to come, through Harry Armstrong’s pace, followed by more tries for our wingers James Abrahart and Toby Smith – who notably recorded a rare hat-trick performance. The 72-point game was certainly one to remember, although our next outing versus Cranleigh might have gone one better.

After a few defeats to the Surrey school last year, we were eager to avenge our losses. Using the gathering momentum from the past week, the game did not disappoint. An early try from Cranleigh left us on the back foot, but we dug deep and found a new gear, not yet displayed in the season.

Finlay Wiseman once again used his experience and guise to score in any given situation, and a masterful performance from hooker Will Wallace kept us in the game. After a sensational skip-pass from Tim Wright for Will’s first score, and a huge shove from the forwards for his second, we came away with a 24-19 win – one of the tensest finishes I have experienced in my Hampton playing history.

The following few – very close – games flew by: against Epsom, Wellington, and Hurstpierpoint. The three home games came with a sense of frustration, two of them within a 7-point deficit. Nonetheless, the team had the opportunity to prove a point at the well-renowned St Joseph’s College Festival in Ipswich.

The tournament is a highlight for all players every year, and over the course of matches since Italy, our team was tighter, with brilliant morale, and a wonderful comradery among players.

Our campaign began with a game against QEGS Wakefield, and, from the outset, it was going to be a competitive game. Having already scored two penalties for a lead of three points, dominance over the breakdown and some massive hits from both Sam Ho and Eddie Neiland, gave us an opportunity to score in the final minutes; a huge effort from Will Wallace and Will Wheeler got us over the whitewash for an 11-3 win.

Our second match would put us against Welsh team Whitchurch, who proved to much more of a challenge. Having gone down 7 points early on, our pack, with Harry Pritchard at the helm, cruised over to even the scoring. A try-saving interception from Hal Leman and goal-line clearance, followed by a try of his own, gave us the edge going into half time. After going down by two tries in quick succession, another magic interception ensured the game finished 19-19, setting up a showtime game against Trinity to decide who topped the group.

A huge crowed surrounded Pitch 1, and the boys did not disappoint. The tide of momentum shifted many times in the first minutes of the game, and it was Joe Cornell who took the initiative to put us ahead after a steal from fellow flanker Eddie Neiland, to win the game narrowly 8-7 – Tim Wright having taken points early in the first half.

The group was ecstatic, moving into day two top of the group. Challenging games against RGS High Wycombe and hosts St Jo’s, led us to another battle with Trinity, ending the tournament on a high. In a repeat of the day before, Joe struck once again off kickoff, and after some quick hands from Will Skinner, James Abrahart pounced at the opportunity for a trademark finish in the corner, proving too strong for any opposite number.

However, more work was needed to secure the game after falling 4 points behind. Two minutes before the final whistle, a driving maul spearheaded by Henry Hughes and Louis Spight, added the 5 points required, ending a wonderful weekend for all 25 squad members.

The half term following St Jo’s was plagued by cancellations, and injury, as we suffered a defeat to both Trinty and Cranleigh. But after the Christmas break, the team returned looking for more wins against our remaining opponents.

Tiffin came first, and our return to the ‘Lion’s Den’ was filled with anticipation. Half backs Oscar James and Tom Holland controlled the game wonderfully, and we eased through the early portions of the game, with a rollercoaster try from Tom Williams to open the scoring. Another try came through the forwards, Matt Venner and Ben Conaghan using their power to push us over the line. A hard-fought second half ended in a 19-12 win over local rivals.

After a loss to Whitgift, despite standout performances from Lucas Ravio and Adam Gwyne, the last game of the season approached: an away game against St. Benedict's. The Ealing outfit produced a unique challenge; after a rough start to the first half, we found our feet through strong carrying and defensive work from Theo Tyler-Low. Two tries from Tom Williams brought the game within arm's reach, and emphatic performances from Ollie Goodchild with a stellar corner finish, and Josh Freer inserting his physical dominance, helped finish the season with a 24-12 win.

Although riddled with injuries to key players, cancelled games, and some, exceptional challenges, the Hampton players demonstrated a superb resilience and a desire to continue playing with flair and fight – no matter the circumstance. The victorious end to the season gave those playing 7s momentum to begin a memorable series of tournaments in the spring season.

The sevens season started, as always, with our home tournament: the Hampton Founder’s Day Sevens.

Hampton started off the day with a dominant victory against John Fisher, with Toby Smith, Finlay Wiseman, and Ben Conaghan getting amongst the scorers – which would become a common theme across the sevens season.

Next up was a straightforward win against Hurstpierpoint, with Harry Armstrong scoring the pick of the tries; but, this was followed by a tough loss against rugby powerhouse Millfield. This set up a ‘winner takes it all’ encounter against St John’s, to secure a place in the plate final.

A tight encounter followed, with Joe Cornell scoring a try to take us into the lead, only for St John’s to fight back. Eventually, a last-minute penalty try to Hampton sealed a 21-19 victory and gave the side a shot at silverware.

In the plate final awaited Epsom, and two injury-ridden sides produced a cracking encounter, including a notable finish by Tim Wright to bring the sides level and take the match to Golden Try. This was the time for one man to shine: James Abrahart. James scored an outrageous finish in the corner, to secure Hampton’s first silverware of the season.

Next up came the Middlesex Sevens, and Hampton went into it with confidence after the week before’s performance. The first game was a tough and well-fought win against the ACE school Bishop Wandsworth, with Theo Tyler-Low, showing his raw pace and power to help Hampton to the win. Easy wins against Latymer and St Benedict's followed, with Hampton scoring 40 points in each – key scores coming from players such as Tom Williams and Rory Paterson.

This meant that Hampton won their group and progressed to a semifinal against the ACE school Gordon’s. Hampton expected tougher competition, but another easy 33-0 victory followed setting up a final against Wellington College. With the chance to gain a second silverware in two weeks, Hampton grasped the opportunity with both hands, with birthday boy Finlay Wiseman being pivotal in a 33-5 win.

After the success of the previous tournaments, Hampton entered the Surrey Sevens with significant momentum. The day started off with another simple group stage for the Hampton boys, scoring 104 points and conceding just 21, in wins against SEEVIC college, Shiplake College, and Berkhamsted School – with Max Cardosi and Thomas Kilpatrick showing their class in the middle of the park.

Hampton had everything going for them at this point, but a tough loss against a familiar Whitgift side in the Round of 16, brought Hampton back down to earth, giving them a lot to think about going into Rosslyn Park week.

The National Sevens at Rosslyn Park is the pinnacle of the Sevens season for all schools across the country, and Hampton went into their first game against tough opponents Millfield with a mixture of nerves and excitement.

What followed was a game which all the team, and supporting parents, will remember for a long time to come! A tactical masterclass from Mr Beattie and Mobbsy – which characterised the efforts put in across the season –meant that Hampton scored early on, notably through a resurgent Frank Hall, giving us a 19-0 lead and comfortable cushion going into the half.

But, in typical Millfield fashion, they struck back managing to edge ahead 21-19. Hampton thought they had blown a huge opportunity but, at the death, Toby Smith weaved through the defence to score under the posts and secure a memorable 27-21 victory against the eventual National champions.

After the high of the first victory, Hampton secured a strong 35-12 win against Bishop Burton College on the show pitch, with Theo Tyler Low scoring a long-range effort to help Hampton to victory, and an easy win against South Gloucestershire and Stroud College 29-12.

This set up a final game to go through top of the group, against St Joseph’s. Unfortunately, a defeat – which will haunt the Hampton boys forever –followed. In a loss peppered with mistakes and errors, Hampton had to console themselves with a place in the plate competition.

Day two started with a defeat against well-known opponents Brighton College, which put us out of contention for the plate competition. The next game was on the show pitch against Blundell’s; we put up a good fight against the national semi-finalists, drawing 12-12 in dire conditions.

The final game for the Upper Sixth, and it was against Norwich School. In typical fashion, Finlay Wiseman was amongst the scorers in a dominant 2622 victory, which was a brilliant way to finish the season – made all the sweeter by having so many Hamptonians supporting from the sidelines. The result was a fitting way to end a very solid performance at Rosslyn Park over the 2 days and proved the strength of this group when playing our characteristic sevens style of play.

We would like to thank our coaches, our parents, and our supporters for making this the season it was – your time and efforts certainly did not go unnoticed.

Tom Williams & Joe Cornell

Second XV Rugby

The Second XV enjoyed another hugely successful season, playing 13 games and winning 10.

The 2023-24 season started very well with the pre-season training camp in Italy, allowing the Upper and Lower Sixth boys to begin to gel together as a team. This enabled us to start the season in good stead for the first match of the season against Seaford college: a 27-19 away win, with a sensational performance from Adam Gwynne

Experiencing a tough home defeat the next week to Brighton college did not dishearten the spirits too much, and we bounced back with Matt Barnes scoring a brace to secure a huge 19-12 win over Campion.

Unfortunately, a stand-out performance from dangerman Guru Nadarajah, coming off the bench, was not enough to prevent an away loss to the strong team put out by RGS High Wycombe. Nevertheless, the squad bounced back from this defeat to beat Epsom college 20-12, thanks to Jacob Austin running the ball under the posts twice. With Nick ‘the prodigy’ Lewis starting, after finishing his recovery from injury, our hopes were high for Wellington college, although our good performance was not enough to beat a very strong side.

Trinity was next for the Hampton Second XV, and, for Jose Bouras Leao, this was light work, managing to score two tries in our 41-10 win.

Our last game of the autumn term was away at Cranleigh and resulted in another strong win. Hal Leman pulled the strings beautifully and controlled the game from fly-half, while Lucas Raivio secured a hat-trick with the help of Monty Nendick’s darts in the lineouts.

Our winning streak continued onto Tiffin, with Hampton recording a 55-0 win, and then onto a strong Whitgift side in which we had a performance of the season to win 20-14, thanks to a masterclass off the tee by Oscar James and the mercurial sidesteps of Polish international try-scorer Charlie Puczyniec Max Meikle helped bring the side to another win against St Benedict’s, bringing the final scoreline to 46-7.

Our last games of the season were an away and then home fixture against Gordon’s, the former of which witnessed an incredible diving finish by Will Wheeler to end 44-7, and the latter of which saw a comeback due to the work of Harry Pritchard from 14-0 to win 31-14 – which England took inspiration from in their game against Ireland in the Six Nations!

All in all, ‘Mooreball’ lead the Hampton Second XV to another season of fast-paced, enjoyable rugby and success, with Jacob Austin securing the title of top try-scorer, and Hal Leman giving us the most points.

Best wishes for the 2024-2025 season!

Third XV Rugby

The Hampton Third XV rugby season was one of both highs and lows with some impressive wins against big rugby schools.

The season started with a hard-fought draw in hot temperatures against Seaford College as the team got used to each other and the intensity of rugby after a long period off. Following this was a tough fixture against Brighton College, but a highlight must be Ewan Duncan’s hat-trick, cementing himself as a first-class winger.

The Campion game is always a highlight of the calendar, and this year was no exception. The game finished 18-12 after a brilliant team performance which solidified what the Third XV wanted to achieve for the rest of the season and how we like to play – despite the rainy conditions.

Two back-to-back victories were achieved against Cranleigh and Epsom, two giants in the school rugby calendar, with an impressive performance from Thomas Edwards in the Cranleigh game – who worked out that someone running hard and fast at 6”5’ tends to make metres. The games ended 22-14 and 45-5 respectively, two huge wins for the team.

After a painful loss against an impressive Wellington College team, ending 12-29, the first of the Third XV versus First XV fixtures was on the calendar. A Wednesday afternoon against Claremont Fan Court showed what the team could bring in defence, not just attack. Despite hard-running forwards and fast backs, the Third XV managed to keep the opposition under control, retaining our classic flair in attack and winning the game 27-19 with a try by Connor Croudace after he recovered from injury.

The week after, we then faced Trinity at home: another blockbuster fixture! The boys had to work hard for this one, but, with success in the lineout and impressive structure in attack, the game ended 22-7 – another win that the team should be hugely proud of.

Towards the end of the season, the weather took its toll on both the team’s performancesandtheplannedfixtures,withcancelledgamesagainstTiffinandrainy matches causing havoc to the fast-paced style of rugby the Third XV loves to play.

The penultimate game of the year was against Harrodian First XV which saw the team get another deserved victory, having to drop down to 13 men to retain competitiveness.

The final game saw the return of Joe Maheswaran, who demonstrated his typical direct and hard running style during a second-half cameo on the wing.

Hopefully the Lower Sixth can build on this season, continuing the classic success of the Third XV. Thank you to Mr Baker, who coached the team brilliantly all season and gave up his Saturdays to be there for our matches.

Josh Freer & HSM

Eddie Walker

U16A Rugby

The U16As had a mixed season; riddled with injuries and suffering from a lack of substitutes, the team still managed to enjoy some great highlights.

The season began well, facing a Seaford side who had proved difficult in previous years. It was an impressive display in attack, and Hampton stormed to a 25-0 victory. This included strong carries from the likes of Louis Wright and James Stanworth, and some slick handling from the backs.

Recognition has of course to go to the defence, not allowing the opposition to score a point at home.

After an ideal start came a string of challenging fixtures, including teams such as RGS High Wycombe, Cranleigh, and Epsom.

Due to significant injuries many B-team players got their well-deserved opportunity to play for the As. All stepped up and many played important roles, such as Erik Domsodi, who scored against a tough Epsom side.

Hampton found their feet again against Wellington College, where they put 50 against the hosts, with Leo Luczkiw and Thomas Deedman contributing to the impressive score line. The team were back on track.

In their final game of the season, Hampton played against St Benedict's School – in what has become something of a grudge match!

After a volatile year, the team pulled together to put one over on their local rivals, ending the season with a fantastic 36-10 win: a performance all could be proud of.

Thanks has to go to Mr Haynes and Mr Moore for coaching us this year and preparing us for success in Senior Rugby.

James Stanworth

U15A Rugby

The U15A’s season began on a sunny day down at the South Coast Kings Tournament. Fresh from several days of pre-season training, the group fought through their group, keeping their best performance of the day for the final.

Up against tournament hosts, KES, the team’s attacking rugby led to a welldeserved victory, and set the tone for the remainder of the season. Indeed, it was cup rugby that was going to prove the unequivocal highlight of the team’s season as they enjoyed an excellent run in the RFU National Cup.

Following some dominant victories against Haliford and KCS, the latter game featuring standout performances from Aiden Hughes, Fraser Kerr, and Benjamin Williams, the group progressed to a crunch match against Dulwich College. Knowing their opposition had been unbeaten for over two months, it took a phenomenal team effort to seal a 17-10 victory.

An impressive try from Jack Holden proved vital, along with a rearguard defensive set led by Will Olsen, Ollie Williams and Lucas Stynes Tres. Dulwich tried and tried to find a way through, but the Hampton line stood firm. Stanley Amor and Harry Drewry’s kicking also proved vital, pinning Dulwich back in their own half and under pressure from wingers, Fraser Kerr, Benjamin Williams and Lander Kauenhoven-Wrenn, as well as fullback Tom Boardman.

This meant they progressed to play Berkhamsted to win the regional part of the competition and progress through to the last eight.

On a cold afternoon in Hertfordshire, the team secured a hard-fought 19-7 victory against their opposition. Despite trailing 7-0 in the first half, perhaps a product of early nerves at this stage in the tournament, they worked their way back into the match through two fantastic team tries, scored by Hayden Elliot and Cyril Bellamy, respectively. Both were converted by captain Harry Drewry, whose composure and precision became crucial in these cup matches.

This was followed by a lengthy period of defence, as Berkhamsted tried everything to get back into the game, but the team valiantly held on. Hours of defensive training with Mr Beattie, Mr Hall, and Mr Moore paid off as Berkhamsted were kept out.

Special mention must go to Ollie Williams, Seb Habdank-Toczyski and Aiden Hughes for their defensive efforts, as well as Ollie Booth, Lucas Stynes Tres and Shivang Shukla for their work in the lineout and at scrum time. Scrum-half, Owen Parker, was composed throughout, Seb HabdankToczyski proved too much for Berkhamsted’s defence, and a late-try from fly-half Stanley Amor sealed the win in front of an extremely loyal and supportive group of Hampton parents.

Having won their region, the side drew Radley in the last eight, with the quarter-final set to be played at home in February. In front of a packed crowd of parents, Hamptonians and staff, the team put on an impressive performance with the two sides neck and neck until the closing minutes.

Tries from Stanley Amor and Hayden Elliot helped keep Hampton in the game, but unfortunately a last-minute try from the opposition saw Radley through to the semi-finals. This was a tough defeat for all involved, in what was undoubtedly one of the best U15 rugby matches in some time; but, the team should be particularly proud of their efforts and for playing such a

fantastic part in an epic contest. Radley were the eventual winners of the competition.

The leadership group of Messrs Drewry, Olsen, Habdank-Toczyski, and Amor summarised things as follows:

The U15A’s season has been an enthralling rollercoaster. On a chilly February afternoon we walked out to play the biggest game of the season against the mighty Radley – we knew they had been unbeaten for two seasons in a row now. It was a tough game, but we played some of our greatest rugby in an exhilarating game.

Unfortunately, their size and impressive attack got over our almost impenetrable defence. The loss was hard, but we are consoled by the fact they went on to win the cup.We have all had an amazing season and have loved every bit of it. Now we will move forward to next season's cup and aim to go even further than the last eight.

Following the end of the regular season, attention turned to VIIs. With two tournaments sadly cancelled due to poor weather, the squad had two opportunities to impress.

In their first tournament, the Surrey VIIs, important lessons were learnt in a tough semi-final defeat.

In the second tournament, hosted at John Fisher, the team fought through some tough group games to set-up a final against Whitgift. Having lost to them narrowly in the 15-a-side season, it was particularly rewarding to see the team play so well and win the final by over forty points. A special mention should go to Stanley Amor who ran in several tries in the final.

VIIs Captain, Aiden Hughes, was also extremely impressive along with wingers Fraser Kerr, Lander Kauenhoven-Wrenn and Euan Hamilton.

The group have been outstanding to coach – good-humoured, committed, and keen to learn. They worked exceptionally hard all season and deserved the success that came with this consistent application. My thanks to all of them for making the season such an enjoyable one, as well as to their parents for their support throughout.

Thanks should also go to Mr Hall, Mr Beattie, Mr Mobbs-Smith, and Mr Moore for all they did throughout the season to push this group onto great things, as well as Hampton School’s grounds staff for providing such brilliant playing surfaces each week.

The group have a bright future as they head into the U16s, and I look forward to seeing how they progress.

The 2023-24 rugby season started off with a well-attended preseason training in the late summer heat – in anticipation of the season opener against Seaford. Seb Woods opened the scoring, the first of his nine impressive tries throughout the season. Shivang Shukla showed impressive physicality, and a late burrowing run from Jack Youster secured a 15-5 victory.

A challenging second match against Campion came next; an impressive first-half performance, with tries from Shivang Shukla and Gabriel Williams, meant that the scores were level at half-time. However, Campion’s greater physical strength took its tool in the second half, and they ran away to a strong win.

Eager to bounce back from this loss, RSG High Wycombe proved to be one of the performances of the season. After a tight first half, Hampton ran way in the second, with the highlight being a try directly from a kick-off scored by Euan Hamilton. Final score was a 12-31 victory.

Following this, a day of trial law variations happened at St Paul’s, with losses against strong St Paul’s and Tonbridge teams. Despite this, several players stood and embraced the new law variations, with Kanishk Manjunath playing impressively.

After a stoic defeat against Epsom in the blazing heat, in which Hampton showed formidable defense on a large pitch, the half term finished on a positive note with an impressive win over Wellington College. Despite being down at half time, a great try from Alessio Carraretto, and three penalties by slotted by Harry Ellis, meant that the final scoreline was an impressive 21-14 win.

The highlight of the year was undoubtedly the match against Trinity. Having lost 41-0 the previous year, and being down 22-7 at half time, some despondency began to creep in. However, a remarkable second half ensued, with tries from Basil Graham, Euan Hamilton, and a remarkable length-of-the-pitch try scored by Philip Saint, in only his second match of rugby ever. However, as the primary three kickers were injured, it fell to Jack Youster to take the conversion. Despite no prior knowledge off how to kick off the tee, the kick scraped over the bar to seal an unlikely win – this conversion was later voted the most memorable event of the year. It ended 22-24 in our favour.

A fixture against Claremont allowed us an opportunity to trial players in different positions, and led to an impressive performance by Sam Miller at fly-half, and a first try for both Ralf Sauer and Fynn Adams in a dominant win.

A valiant performance against Cranleigh, who were widely regarded as having the best B team in the country, forced us to play probably the best rugby played all season. Joshie Huntley and Charles Halberstadt scored impressive tries from close range, before we eventually succumbed to a 19-43 defeat.

Our final game before Christmas was against St John’s Leatherhead, who were going for an unbeaten season into this match. Deeply unpleasant conditions made for an attritional game, and, despite a powerful surge by Namish Jalatheepan, and a hugely physical performance by Freddie Champion, St John’s ran out narrow winners.

Rugby after Christmas started with a strong win over Tiffin School, before a titanic battle against a strong Whitgift Team. Luca Knowles controlled the game fantastically from scrumhalf, and Thomas Farzaliyez was a revelation as a powerful flanker. Unfortunately, two length-of-the-field scores from Whitgift meant that they ultimately edged the game.

The final two matches of the season were against two A sides. Firstly, against St Benedicts, despite controlling the majority of the game, we were unable to capitalize on our dominance. St Benedicts scored a try with one minute remaining to make the match a 12-12 draw.

However, it was a lucky day for Harry Ellis who grubbered the ball through to score his first try in a good few years.

The final match was against Harrodian School. Hampton held a small lead at half-time, thanks to two close-range, burrowed over tries from Basil Graham. However, the team then managed to execute the best team phase play of the whole year, which culminated in a last-minute try by Gabriel Williams to put to bed a brilliant game. The final score read 30-21 to Hampton.

The season finished with a jovial awards presentation: Philip Saint won Most-Improved Player of the season; Jack Youster won Back of the Season, and Seb Woods won Forward of the Season; Harry Ellis own Clubman of the Year; and Shreyan Kottala secured the Coach’s Player of the Year award.

Overall, the U15B season has been one for the memory books. From chaotic rugby to a team that looked as if they could beat the All Blacks in their prime, the improvements we have made together have been really encouraging and great to see.

None of this would have been possible without the expertise, advice and ability of Mr Hall. A massive thank you goes to him for giving us such an unbelievable year. What a season this has been, and we all cannot wait for the next one!

Harry Ellis & Seb Woods

It has been an absolute pleasure to coach the U15B team this year. I have rarely worked with such a dedicated side who are always keen to take on feedback to improve their performance. Despite some tough results in the early part of the season, the team has grown to such an extent that they have proved themselves to be one of the very best sides on the circuit by the end of the season.

Myself, Mr Moore, Mr Hood, and Mr Scarratt have massively enjoyed working with this group, and we are looking forward to seeing what you can achieve in your U16 season!

U14A Rugby

We started our season with enthusiasm in September last year, with the expert coaching of Mr Hood.

After a difficult start to the campaign – competing in some tough fixtures against sidessuchasSeafordCollegeandCranleighSchool–ourfirstvictorycameafteran excellentperformancefromtheteamagainstEpsomCollege,withascoreof35-14.

Up next was a big fixture against Wellington College, where we knew we had to put on a show!

Put on a show was exactly what we did, with a terrific performance from everyone on the team. The match ended as a 26-19 victory.

However, we were swiftly put back in our place the following week by Trinity School, after a very challenging game of rugby.

An unfortunate winter period followed with a mixture of weather conditions, a few losses, and cancellations of the fixtures against St John’s School and John Fisher, which obviously frustrated the team.

Overall, this season was thoroughly enjoyable, and huge thanks go to Mr Beattie, Mr Mobbs-Smith, and Mr Hood for all the hard work they put in for us.

Despite facing formidable opponents and dealing with injuries, the team displayed sheer determination and sportsmanship throughout the season. Each match pushed us to our limits, whether we came out triumphant or not. While our victories were well-deserved, the losses taught us valuable lessons.

As we reflect on this excellent season of rugby, we aim to return stronger and more powerful next season in September.

Kian Windley

Sevens

This sevens season has been very memorable and filled with some amazing performances.

We started the season travelling a long way up to a prestigious tournament in Warwick. We had a difficult group in which we would have to come second or first to go through to the cup.

Our first match was against the hosts; they started off very strong and we were slightly underprepared, giving them a lead in the first half. Unfortunately, we were unable to overturn their first half lead, and we lost 22-7 – meaning we had to win our next two games to qualify for the cup.

Our next two games were slightly easier than the first, and we managed to win them both: 36-5 and 21-5 respectively. This really boosted our moral and we went into the cup on a high.

We found out our next match would be against RGS High Wycombe.

They raced into the game and claimed a 19-7 lead at half time, leaving us a lot of work to do if we wanted to reach the semi-finals. Fortunately, we were able to produce a brilliant comeback, scoring in the last minute to get through to the semi-finals; this would be against one of the best sides in the country: Sedbergh.

Wewereveryfocusedbeforethegameandeveryoneknewthiswastheonetowin. Unfortunately, they were just slightly too strong for us, and we lost by 9 points.

However, we were all very proud of what we had achieved and will remember it for a long time.

Our next tournament was Ibstock place, where we had a difficult time – not least because we were missing some of our key players – but we won our last game and finished on a high before the National Sevens at Rosslyn Park.

We were drawn into a very tough group with some of the best schools in our age group. Our first game was against Downsend, a well-drilled side. Despite this, we managed to win convincingly, and we were brimming with confidence as we entered our next match against Brighton College – a team in the top 10 in the country at First XV level.

We knew we would have to play extremely well to win, and the team was very fired up. Every time they scored, we scored, and we managed to just edge them out, meaning we would have to win our last game to progress to day two.

Our last match was our toughest and, unfortunately, we could not end the season on a high and lost to an extremely good Bedford side.

However, I am very proud of what we achieved in sevens this season, and another huge thanks is due to Mr Hood, Mr Mobbs-Smith, Mr Beattie, and all those who supported us through the last push in the season.

Benedict Butterfield

U14B Rugby

This season, the U14Bs have pushed their way through multiple exciting matches; whether we left victorious or narrowly lost, the team always held their heads high and gave every game all they had.

Some of our greatest moments came in our 15s games against schools such as Tiffin and one of our toughest opponents, Whitgift.

Our first of these games was against an extremely challenging team – whom we had previously found ourselves on the losing end to by a try or so as the final whistle blew: Tiffin.

However,thisyearwasdifferent;all17ofusarrivedreadytowinand,afteragreat first half, we were up by five and ready to go back out. Our second half was just as good; but, aTiffin side with more players caught up on us and our energy lack.

Some great tackles were put in by the forward pack and great passing through the hands of our back line, lead by Elliot Jones, allowed us to hold an incredibly narrow lead.

As the game ran on, Tiffin truly showed how strong they have been in previous years, with two great tries down the right wing.

In the end, we were able to walk away with a draw after a high-quality game from two very determined sides – a game the whole team deserved to be proud of.

A few weeks later, we found ourselves at an away match at Whitgift school. In the past few weeks, we had done some great training – thanks to Mr Eliot and Mr Hood – on our defence, with lots of tackle practice and communication drills.

So, we had arrived and were ready to take on what would likely be the hardest team of our rugby calendar.

One team talk later and the game had begun; instantly, we played with the perfect balancebetweenaggressionandcomposure,withlovelyoffloadsandhard,straight running. Thanks to this energy, we were able to score within the first five minutes.

This powerful play style continued through the entire first half, leaving us with a 35-15 lead at the break.

One of our best runners in the game was undoubtedly Ben Penny; his pacefilled running and constant hunger for the ball made him invaluable. His intensity in attack was matched by Sam Coupe AJ Coady in defence given their incredibly tackling efforts.

By the end of a hard-fought second half, the U14Bs emerged victorious: 55-35. This was a game the entire team was proud of – it will live long in the memory!

Overall, it was a challenging season for the U14Bs, particularly given the many postponed and cancelled matches. But, most importantly, all of this would not have been possible without the superb coaching of Mr Eliot and Mr Hood, who constantly pushed us to do our best.

In the end, the squad had a season to be proud of, with some games just slipping away – teaching us invaluable lessons – and others becoming another win under the Hampton belt.

Archie Crowhurst

U13A Rugby

We started this year’s rugby season in September, with great prospects and a thoroughly strong team.

After a tough start to the season with a difficult loss against Campion, the team picked itself up to beat RGS High Wycombe.

Throughout the season we faced many a tough team, fighting through some hard-fought losses, enjoying some excellent results at various tournaments,

before nearing the end of the season when we began to develop our defensive skills.

We won our last two matches convincingly, with great teamwork and scoring highlights from players such as Huw Chapman, with his incredible speed, alongside some excellent playmaking from Bretton Cseh and Archie Skinner at fly-half and inside-centre respectively.

Furthermore, throughout the season, the whole team improved and bonded under the incredible coaching of Mr Gray. We are hugely grateful for all of his time and energy – and we thank our parents for all of their time and effort to make all of this possible.

The forward-pack came together in a big way, with a mix of big runners, and competent break-down players, helping them to form a hugely effective scrum. This year, the scrum included Jonty Gwynne, Monty Roberts, Edison Yip, Max Coney, Eashan Back, and Ben Jago who all made amazing contributions throughout the regular season and into the sevens.

We also managed to make improvements with a fast-handling-oriented sevens style, allowing for much success in the tournaments leading up to Roslyn Park. It was at Roslyn Park where we enjoyed a great end to the season – it really proved and showcased the development of the team over the course of the year.

Throughout then sevens season, many backs demonstrated their skills, such as Johnny McMonagle, with great speed on the wing, Harry Lever as an amazing outside-centre alongside Lucas Woods. A constant in the season was Joe Lloyd’s scrum-halfing that helped to set up many of the plays that lead to our scores, and the work of Tom Staton, who was an all-round player filling in well where ever he was put.

Alex Finn

U13B Rugby

Overall, this was a hugely promising and enjoying season for the team.

Props Josh Kim and Samrith Poonia, as well as captain Josh Dunbar-Lee at hooker, worked hard on improving their body position in the scrum and posed a constant threat in the loose – particularly as the season progressed.

Ian Chen, Zac Carter, and Joshua Witty all played second row and 8 at various points in the season, carrying hard, defending well and putting in a lot of work in around the pitch.

Vice-Captain and undisputed man of iron George Halberstadt played scrum half – his fast thinking and absolutely fearless tackling will serve him well as he progresses through the age groups.

Daniel Spooner stood out for his ability to read the game; he caused opposition defences all sorts of problems with his speed and intelligent passing game. Our gasmanandtoptrycorer Julius Morris reallymadethefullbackshirthisownand repeatedly impressed with his ability to shred opposition defences in open play.

Lucas Bennell could always be relied upon to put in a huge shift around the pitch at 12 – his skills at the breakdown will be an asset in years to come.

Gabriel Knowles, Manilo Carraretto, Digby Joice and, towards the latter part of the season, Arik Kuzmis and Peter Lomizov, gained much experience playing both in the centres and on the wing.

Thanks must also go to the footballers GeorgeVincent, Josh Button, and Isaac de Quintal, whose presence, when not required for football, bolstered the side.

My highlight of the season was the 40-35 win against a strong St Benedict’s side in early February; this game was an excellent reflection of how far the boys had come as a team.

It has been great to see how the boys always tried to keep the ball alive by offloading effectively and worked hard to support each other. The strength of team spirit, refusal to give in and passion for the game demonstrated by this group of players was a pleasure to witness.

Well done on a great season!

U12A Rugby

This year the U12As have consistently demonstrated huge improvement, from start to finish. We started our journey out with a draw, though we sadly ended on a 15-5 loss against Reeds. Disappointingly – from a stats point of view – we ended our season on 6 losses and 4 wins, despite all of our talented players and some very close battles.

The team has made vast improvements this year from meeting each other on the first day and fighting through to the last second. We had Oscar Gilbert open the season as captain. We then had Ben Fulford for a strong middle, before we and closed it out with two wins and two losses under Christian Oates

We had our first win against Caterham School and our last win against Radnor House – a whooping 40-10 – and these will live long in the memory.

We are fired up and waiting for next season!

Ben Fulford, Christian Oates & Magnus O’Leary

It has been a rewarding season watching the U12 players develop immensely, both as individuals and as a team. We had numerous players who had never played before vying for spots in the A team by the end of the season meaning starting places in the U12A squad were hotly contested.

By the end of the season, over 20 players had represented the School at A Team level – showing an immense amount of talent in the squad.

In true Hampton fashion, what they lacked in size they made up for in determination and grit, never shying away from the tackle and working in pairs when necessary. By the end of the season their ability to move the ball

had improved 10-fold, and it was a shame they did not get to display this in sevens due to adverse weather conditions.

The captaincy was rotated throughout the season, allowing the boys to develop theirleadershipskills;eachoneofthemleadfromthefrontfootoneveryoccasion.

At the end of the season, the boys nominated Ahaan Shankar as their players’ player for putting his body on the line week after week. The most improved players, as nominated by the boys, were David Tang and Jaibir Gill, both very new to rugby at the beginning of the season. And, finally, the coach’s player of the season is Magnus O’Leary for his positive energy, team spirit, and excellent performances throughout the season.

I will them all the best for their U13 season, and I look forward to them updating me on their performance.

U12B Rugby

The season began with a match against RGS High Wycombe; unfortunately, this ended in a 35-5 defeat. However, this did not stop or deter us, so we kept our head high into the next game. Despite our best efforts though, we suffered another 50-10 defeat.

We continued to play some challenging opposition and experienced a few more defeats until we approached our last fixture before the October half term. This was a tri-fixture at St George’s Weybridge, meaning two shorter games against two other schools.We believed we could win this, and we were feeling confident after our numerous Friday Games sessions and the quality of our training. The whistle blew and, before we knew it, it was all over. Lead by captain, Charlie Frank, we had won both games! This put everyone in a great mood, and our earlier losses were soon forgotten.

The new year arrived, and we were determined to push on. We began with narrow defeats against Tiffin and St John’s Leatherhead before playing Radnor House on a Friday afternoon. Having seen so much improvement in our training and approach to rugby, we knew that we could find another win. This was achieved with a 45-40 win over Radnor House, with notable mentions due to Freddie Fulcher and Toby Baker, who both scored several tries between them with their strong carrying. This set us up well for the remaining games of the season. The team was led particularly well during this term by Alex Pheasant, Jamie Roblin, and Toby Baker.

In our penultimate match against Reeds, we started the game slowly and allowed them a 35-10 lead early into the second half. But, despite the slow start, we rallied well as a team, and consolation tries from Jaibir Gill and Jamie Roblin took us within touching distance. In the final few minutes, we were able to score a couple of tries from Toby Baker and Alex Pheasant to ensure that the game ended as a 35-35 draw. This was a very close and tightly contested encounter, and it represented a truly huge improvement from our first game of the season. Many boys who had just started rugby in September were now playing significant roles in the team.

We have loved being in the U12B squad this season, and many of us who have never played the sport before will almost certainly choose to do rugby next year. Thank you to Mr Fakatou, Miss Singleton, and all the rugby coaches that supported both the A team and B team this year.

Charlie Frank

First XI Cricket

The 2024 First XI began its campaign with the annual curtain-raiser against the prestigious MCC. As is tradition, the MCC batted first on a tricky wicket; this was put to good use by captain Naavya Sharma, who skittled through the MCC top order, taking 5 wickets – something which would become the norm for Naavya as the season went on.

Despite some resilient batting from the MCC middle order, we managed to bowl them out for 156 – with help from Navik Mendis taking two wickets on debut. The chase was curtailed by rain as the heavens opened, and so our task of tackling the 156 runs posted were cut short.

As the rain also took victim to our other pre-season game away at Worth, our first proper game of the season came against Merchant Taylors’, as we looked to gain revenge after our dismal display against them a year prior.

Naavya won the toss and we were bowling; the skipper and his opening partner, Leo Hartley, set the tone with the new ball, which was followed by our spinners, as we bowled out MTS for 174. Leo was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3-28.

The chase began well, with contributions of 36 from Anuj Srivastav and 35 from Naavya Sharma, leaving us close to the target. However, a flurry of middle-order wickets left it in the hands of Harry ‘the chase’ Gregory and Leo Fredanus van Gelder, who kept their cool in a thrilling chase to get us over the line – a great first win of the season against strong opposition.

Next up was Tiffin; we batted first and posted 226-4 off 40 overs due to rain that had been forecast for later on in the day. This total was largely due to a phenomenal 90* from Fifth Year James Eggleton, who announced himself on the First XI scene by carrying his bat and helping us reach a very strong total.

Naavya and Leo then took the game away from Tiffin with the new ball, taking two wickets each and leaving them reeling at 21-4. This was backed up by our other bowlers as we bowled them out for 118, Naavya finishing with four wickets.

With confidence from the wins against Tiffin and MTS, we took on Harrow – who are always exceptionally strong opposition.

Harrow won the toss and chose to bat – a decision which was responded to well by our bowling. We had Harrow 83-5, including two wickets from Harry Gregory, who bowled fantastically, along with wickets each for the seam attack of Naavya, Leo and Navik.

However, Harrow’s number 5 batted exceptionally and took the game away from us, leaving them on 295-6. We then never quite got going in the chase as we fell to 168 all out.

Looking to bounce back from the loss against Harrow, we headed to Dulwich College. We were put in to bat first on a tricky wicket; the top order was removed fairly quickly, leaving us vulnerable at 31-3.

However, a strong and composed partnership under pressure from Naavya Sharma (67) and Thomas Tabor (29) provided us with a steady platform; this was then capitalised on by Will Wallace, who was returning to the side, with an impressive and stroke-filled 48 (43), taking us to 243 off our 50 overs.

Another dominant display with the new ball from Naavya and Leo left Dulwich 17-3, further backed up by Natty Taylor, taking 2-31 off his 10 overs, and a debut wicket for Ollie Gellately

This relentless bowling display was also aided again by another captain’s performance from Naavya, adding 4-34 to his 67, to bring home another resounding win as Dulwich were bowled out for 174.

Following Dulwich was a trip to Reeds, where we dominated once again with the ball. Naavya took 6-16 and was backed up by some excellent bowling; Hugo Knowles bowled particularly well at first change, picking up two wickets, and Leo Hartley went for only five runs in his 7 overs with the new ball.

Reeds were ultimately bowled out for 103. The chase never looked in doubt as we were steered home by composed knocks from Thomas Tabor and Hugo Knowles with 23* and 26* respectively, adding another win to the tally.

With some of the Upper Sixth boys understandably prioritising their studies, an entirely U17 side took on Brighton College. After a slow start to our batting innings, Hugo Knowles stepped up, striking 57* off 68 balls, leading to 174.

Sadly, Brighton looked comfortable throughout the chase as they knocked off the runs. Despite this, towards the end of their innings, the highlight of the day came as Fifth Year Zaid Ahmed took a hat-trick on debut for the First XI, ripping through the Brighton middle order.

Despite his best efforts, taking 4-21, it was not enough to stop their captain and number 3 playing a composed knock to inflict our second loss of the season.

Following half term, a very similar and entirely U17 side went away to Eton for another notoriously tough fixture. Stand-in captain Anuj Srivastav won the toss and chose to bat, enabling Hugo Knowles to step up once again.

Batting with confidence and skill, he scored an incredible 116*, registering the first century of the last two years, helping us post a formidable 216 off our 50 overs.

Having suitably enjoyed the teas available at Eton, we began the bowling innings well; Ollie Gellately took two wickets at the top of the order, and he was supported by Ollie Hamilton at the other end.

This provided a strong platform that was then capitalised upon on by Natty Taylor, who took 5-28 – getting back on the honours board for a second year – and Will Youster who took 2-2, leading to Hampton winning by over 100 runs.

Back at home, our match against St Paul’s saw the return of the Upper Sixth, and we were put in to bat. This proved tricky, and we lost a few top-order wickets fairly quickly.

Our innings was steadied by Natty, who scored a measured 35 and batted through to the 8th wicket, enabling others – such as Wallace, who scored a counter-attacking 33 – to work around him. We ultimately posted 169 and knew we would have to bowl well to win the game.

Once again, we rose to the challenge; the new-ball spells from Leo and Naavya took the game away from the opposition, leaving St Paul’s on 21-4 – with two wickets from Naavya, one from Leo and an emphatic run-out by Josh Vergunst, our very own Jonty Rhodes!

The job was completed with help from Hugo Knowles and Naavya, who both picked up two wickets, as St Paul’s found themselves all out for 99.

Next up was a trip over to KCS Wimbledon, which we knew would be a good test for us. KCS made a solid start and found themselves 44-0 off 9 overs before we went off for rain.

Following the rain delay, Leo broke their opening partnership; this opened the door for us to put in a good shift, with the bowling restricting KCS to 151-8 in their 30 overs. The standout performer was Hugo Knowles, who took 3-26.

However, the chase never materialised as the heavens opened once again and the match was abandoned.

Just days after the trip to Wimbledon, we were back at home against the Canterbury academy. After Leo lost the toss – with an absolute moonball of a coin flip, much to the amusement of the team – we found ourselves bowling first.

After an uncharacteristically tricky start with the new ball, the spinners made their mark on the game. It was a masterclass in spin bowling by Natty Taylor, taking 3-15 (10), and Anuj Srivastav 6-24 (9), making his first appearance on the honours board thanks to an incredible catch from Will Wallace at long on to give Anuj his 5-fer.

From one honours board to another, the batting innings gave the opportunity for Fifth Year James Stanworth to also announce himself onto the First XI scene and to show everyone what he is capable of with an astonishing knock of 106 (56).

This innings was one of the greats of recent times, with Mr Banerjee describing it as ‘like watching Virat Kohli bat against schoolboys’. James smashed 9 fours and 9 sixes sending the Canterbury bowlers all around the Hampton fields, taking us home with a remarkable 30 overs to spare.

Looking to continue our good form, we headed down to RGS Guilford the following Saturday. RGS won the toss, and we were inserted to bat first.

The batting innings was frustrating; many batsmen made starts, but no one managed to kick on. At 190-9, which we knew would require a good bowling effort to defend such a total. However, a late tail-wag from Ollie Gellately and Leo Hartley, who rolled back the years to his days as a number 4 bat, put on 37 together for the last wicket, leaving us with a respectable 225 to defend.

This total never looked in danger after what can only be described as ‘The Naavya Sharma Show’ at Guilford. Having broken a tile of their pavilion whilst batting, he continued the same destructive vein as he took 8-27; he truly showed how he is a cut above once again – it was an absolutely scintillating display with the ball.

Following RGS, the boys were away at Winchester college – sadly without Naavya – meaning that Leo got to continue his 100% losing toss-rate, and we were put in to bowl first against Winchester.

Despite tidy spells from the seamers, we were struggling to make breakthroughs; however, the leggies Will Youster and Anuj Srivastav each bowled admirably for their two wickets each. Our efforts meant that we were chasing 253 to win.

We struggled early on, and we were 18-3 at one point; we never really got going until a strong 70 partnership between Will Wallace and Leo Fredanus Van Gelder, which helped Leo on his way to a season-best 48 (52). Despite this admirable rear-guard action, we came up short in the chase.

Next up was the annual Old Hamptonians match. After controversially choosing to bat first, we struggled against the new-ball spell from the Simmonds-Gooding brothers. This meant that the side was once again reliant upon the middle order to put up a defensible total of 204.

Leo Fredanus Van Gelder continued his form by smashing his maiden First XI 50 against the OH attack, ably supported by Harry Gregory with a runa-ball 36, and a late flourish from Leo Hartley with 22 (11).

However, it was not to be; the left-handed opening pairing of Toby Godfray (OH 2016) and Max Vyvyan (OH 2017) both hit 50s and steered the OH home with five wickets in hand.

The final Saturday of the season saw us take on Whitgift in what is always a competitive match – one which we were desperate to win.

With Naavya back it meant we won the toss again, and he chose to bat on a belter at Whitgift. Naavya backed up his decision to bat first by hitting 71 (61), ably supported by James Eggleton’s 60; this put us in a commanding position, posting 238 for Whitgift to chase.

Following a good start from Whitgift, Fifth Year Zaid Ahmed came on to bowl and – once again – he changed the game with a truly phenomenal spell of bowling, taking 4-32 (10). Backed up by other bowlers, Whitgift were all out for 185, and Hampton completed a remarkable record in the block fixtures – with only one loss on a Saturday against Brighton with a depleted team of only Lower Sixth and Fifth Year boys.

The penultimate game of the season saw us take on Mumbai CC U19, a regular in our cricket week fixtures, always a tough test, and a great experience for both sides.

Given the grey skies, it became obvious bowling first would be the right call. Leo Hartley immediately showed why, producing an absolute seed to remove their Ranji trophy and India U19 opener.

However, the Mumbai batsmen applied themselves well, battling through a disciplined bowling display, ultimately declaring on 256.

Time was always going to be an issue, with 31 overs not enough to chase the total or to be bowled out. Ultimately, we reached 121-4 and the game was drawn.

After overcoming the challenge of waking up the morning after the end of season social, the boys were ready for the last game of the season against Melbourne GS, and the farewell game for our Upper Sixth.

After being put in to bat in challenging conditions, the top-order batted with resilience – the highlight of which was a typically mature and technically faultless 99 from Natty Taylor, who was agonisingly short of a well-deserved hundred.

This laid the platform for the middle and lower order to play with freedom, with the newly named ‘Navball’ able to flourish; it was 59 for the skipper in his final game, including some vicious striking of the ball to all parts of the school fields.

With a comfortable total of 249 to bowl at, Naavya beckoned the boys in from the balcony for the first – and last – time. Our bowlers bowled with their typical discipline and never let the chase get going, as Melbourne reached 185-8 and the game was again drawn.

The final wicket was taken by Leo Fredanus Van Gelder, who abandoned his keeping gloves to turn the arm over and – remarkably – picked up a wicket in the only over he had ever bowled representing the School.

This fantastic season meant that team finished with an impressive record of 9 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses.

The runs of the season came from Naavya, who finished with 359, Natty with 314, Hugo with 293 – including the top-scoring 116* away at Eton –whilst there must also be a mention of both James Eggleton, for his 275 runs, and James Stanworth, who scored 150 runs in five innings – including the magical 106.

The bowling was largely dominated by Naavya Sharma as well; he took a sensational 37 wickets at an average of 7.16 and posted best figures of 8-27. Anuj Srivastav also impressed in the bowling department, picking up 19 wickets and best figures of 6-24. Natty Taylor also took 15 wickets, including a hugely impressive best figures of 5-28.

Finally, on behalf of all the cricketers, we would like to thank Mr Banerjee and Mr Parrish for their incredible dedication and support throughout the season; they provided each of us with excellent cricketing advice and enabled us all to have the most enjoyable and successful experience.

Leo Hartley & Naavya Sharma

Second XI Cricket

TheSecondXIenjoyedanexcellent,unbeaten,andtrulymemorable2024season: from matches 11 played, we won 9, lost 0, and had 2 abandoned due to rain.

The team was captained by Upper Sixth Maneesh Patel. He led the team magnificently, with both maturity and sensitivity. A win rate of 100% from the team’s nine completed matches bears testimony to a highly successful season under his leadership.

Maneesh’s bowling changes often resulted – magically – in wickets being immediately taken, and, when he could, he tried to ensure every player was given the opportunity to contribute with bat or ball. His field placings also improved as the season progressed, and he led from the front with the bat on more than one occasion.

Our visit to MTS Northwood – for our opening match of the 2024 season – did not begin well! At one stage, batting first, we were 24 for 5, staring defeat in the face.

However, an excellent ‘Braveheart’ innings by William Wallace (53), and a stylish knock of 67 not out by Alexander Trevers, re-built the innings so that Second XI finished with a total of 168 for 8 off their allocated 40 overs.

We bowled and fielded superbly to dismiss our hosts for 145. William Youster took three wickets for 14 runs off eight miserly overs in a devastating spell of spin bowling. He received excellent support from fellow spin bowler Sam Gale – two wickets for 25 runs – and opening bowler Ollie Davies – two wickets for 32 runs.

One week later, at home to Tiffin School, we were cruelly denied an almost certain victory when rain intervened with the side stranded on 115 for three with 60 runs required off the remaining 20 overs.

Both William Wallace (56 not out) and Alexander Trevers (34 not out) were – once again – in full flow. Earlier, Ollie Gellatley – four wickets for 29 runs – and Sam Gale – three for 27 – had helped skittle Tiffin’s Second XI for a total of 174, with support from Maneesh Patel – two for 28.

The match away at Harrow School, against strong opposition, followed a few days later.

On a damp pitch, an excellent all-round bowling performance restricted Harrow’s Second XI to a total of 113 for six off 30 overs. Oscar James’s spell of three wickets for 20 runs off six overs broke the back of the home team’s innings. A clean-hitting innings of 59 not out by James Stanworth, supported by Oscar’s 27 not out, guided us home to a seven-wicket victory.

Three consecutive wins – at home versus Dulwich College and Reed’s School, followed by the long trip away to Brighton College – completed an excellent month of May.

In the nine-wicket rout of Dulwich, Zaid Ahmed took three wickets, without conceding a run and on his Second XI debut, to help skittle the opposition for a total of 57. James Page – 24 not out – supported by Maddox Dakin’s 22 not out, then saw us safely home. It should be mentioned that Maddox also kept wicket superbly throughout the whole season.

Reed’s Second XI visit to Hampton will long be remembered when their Number 8 batsman – Stott – hit a six over the John Perry Room roof in a blistering innings of 50 not out, containing seven 6s and one four. Reed’s School ended up with a total of 175 for 7 from their 40 overs.

In reply, two excellent innings – one by Maddox Dakin (71) and the other by skipper Maneesh Patel (64 not out) – ensured a comfortable eight-wicket victory.

Several last-minute changes had to be made to team selection for the away match against Brighton College’s Second XI, played on a slow pitch with an even slower outfield! This fixture gave several pupils the opportunity to make their debuts.

In a stand-out performance, Edward Reilly held the Hampton innings together with a brilliant 48, made out of a team total of 131 runs. The bowling attack – led by Ben Moffatt, Asa Jennings and William Youster –bowled Brighton out for 108, to ensure a 23-run victory.

Immediately after half-term, a visit to St Paul’s resulted in yet another narrow win.

Batting first, our innings was held together by Hal Leman’s measured 72run contribution, ably supported by Edward Reilly’s excellent innings of 21. The team’s total of 154 proved sufficient to secure a 13-run win, with Upper Sixth pupil Navik Mendis taking five wickets for 23 runs in his devastating seven-over spell.

As ever, William Youster delivered with the ball to snare three St Paul’s wickets for 19 off six overs. Rain unfortunately caused the abandonment of the KCS Wimbledon match at home in mid-June, but two decisive victories followed – against RGS Guildford and Eton College, respectively.

In the RGS Guildford match played at home, an excellent all-round bowling performance restricted the visitors to a total of 141, with Ollie Hamilton, Zaid Ahmed, Sam Gale and Maneesh Patel taking two wickets each.

Josh Vergunst (36) and captain Maneesh Patel (35 not out) led the charge to victory, with valuable support from Thomas Tabor (20), Oscar James (23) and Hal Leman (19 not out).

Five days later, Eton College’s Second XI were resoundingly beaten in a fivewicket win. Eton batted first, but thanks to another excellent spell of bowling by William Youster – four wickets for 25 runs – supported by team mates Hamilton, Davies, Patel, Gale and Ahmed, Eton were bowled out for a total of 98. This total was eclipsed in just 10 overs, with all the batters contributing to ensure a win by five wickets.

The last match of the season was a fitting climax.

Before the game, both the Hampton Second XI and the visitors, Whitgift School’s Second XI, were unbeaten.

Against my advice (!), Maneesh decided to field first on winning the toss on a blazing hot day, despite there being a good Hampton pitch on which to bat first. However, spinners William Youster – two wickets – and Maneesh Patel – three wickets – bowled superbly to restrict the visitors to a total of 175 from 35 overs.

Josh Vergunst, with a quick-fire 35 runs, and James Page, with an excellent score of 44 runs, batted very well at the start of the Hampton reply.

Worryingly, though, wickets then fell at regular intervals and, at 117 for seven, the Whitgift total of 175 looked a long way off.

As things turned out, however, a magnificent innings of 65 not out by Oliver Hamilton secured victory by the narrowest of margins: a one-wicket win, with four deliveries to spare! ‘Hammy’ batted with great maturity and

cricketing common-sense to guide the team home to a remarkable win in the late-afternoon sunshine.

The side’s undefeated campaign will undoubtedly, as the years pass, be among the fondest memories of all the pupils who played for the team in 2024. Each and every one of the players who represented the Second XI can be justifiably be proud of their success.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Trivedi and Mr Harrison for their unfailing support. Furthermore, we are always glad to see the loyal band of parents who adorn the boundary edge during our matches, whether home or away.

U16A Cricket

It was brief season for the U16As this year – as it was interrupted by allimportant exams – but it still had plenty of action. With the boys mainly around to simply enjoy some cricket and time off revision, there were definitely some fun memories made.

The season kicked off early with a game against Ibstock Place First XI. The strong opening partnership of Richard Page and Ram Kolanu set the tone straight away, with a flurry of boundaries – including a four by Richard off the first ball of the season.

The innings saw no decline in run-rate, thanks also to the efforts of Rohan Paul Muktieh, who also came on later in the game to showcase his raw pace to clean up the Ibstock tail.

Edward Reilly and Aaryan Desai started off the bowling innings with very tight lines and brisk pace, allowing very little for the batsmen to work with. Daniel Mills also showed his solid leg-spin with some good turn, causing the batsmen to second-guess themselves when attempting the big shot.

An impeccable performance from Hampton resulted in a victory by 72 runs.

The boys moved onto Merchant Taylors’ later in the week. Bowling first, the highlight of the game was certainly an outstanding catch by Nicholas Avetoom, jumping full stretch at mid-on to take a one-handed stunner.

Zaid Ahmed went on to take 4 quick wickets in 2 overs, and Aryan Sharma took a wicket on his U16A debut; MTS were bowled out for 61.

With a fairly simple task for the batsmen, the runs were knocked off in rapid time, finished off nicely by Adi Shanbhag with a couple of glorious boundaries. Hampton won by 8 wickets.

The season came to a halt with the boys focusing on completing their exams, but things were then topped off nicely with a great day out at St Paul’s for a T20 tournament.

The boys took on KCS first, and James Stanworth – having recently hit an incredible century for the School’s First XI – continued his fine form early in the innings, dispatching any balls in his hitting zone.

Unfortunately, there was not much else, and the boys succumbed to a tough pitch and excellent bowling from KCS, getting bowled out for 84.

With a small total to defend, the boys showed amazing character and fight in the field,andwithrelentlessenergyalongwithtightbowling,KCSwerepushedhard.

Overall, the highlight of this match would most definitely be the unbelievable spell from Raphael Taylor, who provided a masterclass for consistency and accuracy, bowling two maidens in his first two overs.

Despite a commendable effort from Hampton, KCS managed to get over the line in around 17 overs.

Dulwich were the second game of the day. Knowing that it was a tough deck for batting, we got stuck in and ground through to 139 – including a very impressive partnership of smart batting between Raphael Cawthra and Joseph Turton, both scoring around 30 not out each.

It was now over to the bowlers, who once again put on a strong performance. Alfred Bancroft, in particular, bowled four very tight overs, with excellent consistency, helping to restrict Dulwich to 103. Hampton won by 36 runs.

This was a fitting end to a short but enjoyable season for the U16As, who played as a team for the last time before moving fully into Senior cricket next year.

Thank you also to all of the coaches and parents for their time and efforts throughout the season!

Zaid Ahmed

U15A Cricket

It appeared that the U15A season was going to be defined by two remarkably similar and devastating defeats in the week before half term. Having posted two very good scores then controlling the first 15 overs of the reply, two opposition batters decided to have the best day of their cricketing lives against us.

In both matches, the opposition needed 3 off the last ball and hit huge 6s to win the game. Lots of teams would have never recovered, but this U15A team were not going to allow this to be the case. They returned after half term and went on highly impressive unbeaten run against some excellent opposition.

The final tally of 6 wins (out of 11) could – and should – have been 8, which is highly impressive on such a strong circuit.

The 2024 U15As are a very talented group who improved immeasurably as the season progressed; therefore, they should be hugely proud of their

efforts. They were a pleasure to coach, and I look forward to seeing their progress as they graduate into Senior Cricket.

The class of 2023-24:

Aadi Khera

Aadi had an outstanding year as captain, opening batsman, and wicketkeeper. As a captain, he learnt the importance of energising team mates so that they feel settled and confident to perform. After a winter of hard work, he then reaped the benefit in the summer with a very consistent level of performance with the bat.

His consistency meant the batting order was always able to score enough runs to be competitive in each and every match. His keeping was also excellent all season, with every vital catch and stumping taken. A highly impressive season from Aadi.

Highlight of the season: there were many innings to choose from, but his match-winning 46 in a very low scoring game versus Reeds was a true test of skill and concentration.

Akshat Nigam

After a winter of discontent – no practice – due to injury, Akshat must have worried 2024 might be a season to forget; it was far from that. His batting at the top of the order was usually a highlight of each match. His stroke play was effortless and explosive in equal measure.

His fast-scoring opening partnership with Aadi meant the team were often ahead of the rate in the first 10 overs and the opposition had to turn to plan B. With a winter to work on his fitness and actually being able to practice, I am highly optimistic about Akshat as he enters Senior Cricket.

Highlight of the season: a run-out against St Paul’s to break the opening partnership which changed the game – and which was certainly the matchwinning moment.

Rohan Veraitch

After a slow start to the season, Rohan’s batting gained huge confidence around half term. After that, Rohan made the number 3 slot his own and played many good innings against strong bowling attacks when setting and chasing scores.

Due to the need to ensure everyone contributed to each and every match, Rohan did not bowl as much as he deserved to; but, when asked and called upon, he was excellent. Rohan is a genuine allrounder and should be very happy with his contribution to the 2024 season.

Highlight of the season: a classy contribution in the run-chase against St Paul’s, allowing the team to make a difficult chase look very comfortable.

Adhrit Pande

Adhrit made excellent progress with both bat and ball this season. He started slowly with the bat but everything clicked after half term and he became very consistent. He has the ability to score immediately without the need to take excessive risks which makes him ideal for the middle order as he plays equally well against spin and pace. Adhrit’s bowling was used whenever the oppositions best player was in or the team needed him most. This was a perfect learning environment for Adhrit and in the main he performed impressively throughout the season.

Highlight of the season: watching him patiently competing with the opposition’s best players was always a thoroughly enjoyable to watch.

Will Kirk

Will impressed during the winter – with an excellent attitude – and he became more and more confident when batting. This meant he spent the whole year in the A team – and he certainly did not look out of place.

He bats with a purpose from ball one, which means the innings never loses momentum. Will did not bowl as much as he would have liked, or deserved, but he is certainly capable when required. All in all, it was a progressive season for Will.

Highlight of the season: his timely comeback in the final game of the season after managing to break his hand in the final game before half term.

Freddie Thwaite

Freddie formed part of a middle order, which ensured all the good foundations laid by the top 4 were capitalised on. His no-nonsense approach to sport meant he never wasted any time getting into his innings. The odd outing of his bowling proved he should keep working at this part of his game as he still has the potential to be an effective all-rounder. He could also be an excellent fielder.

Highlight of the season: when he stopped using a size 5 bat and started to clear the inner ring of fielders.

Youvraj Sahota

A winter of injuries meant Youvraj was late joining the A team, but he instantly looked at home the minute he did. He is a powerful middle-order player with the ability and calmness to bat for long periods. The team’s bowling depth meant he never got much bowling, but his bounce and pace mean he should keep working at this part of his game.

Highlight of the season: an excellent run-a-ball innings in the final game of the season to help the team post a winning score versus Whitgift.

Joe Perry

It was an outstanding season of pace-bowling from Joe. He opened the bowling with great control and would often be competing with the opposition’s best players. Not many were able to cope with his pace, control and movement. He also showed the desire and ability to bowl the tough overs at the end of an innings.

His batting role was to finish off the innings or complete a run-chase, and he batted selflessly on all occasions. Whilst he never got the chance, he certainly showed signs of a future captain in the way he helped others and his 100% commitment to the team throughout the year. An excellent season.

Highlight of the season: any time he took the wicket of a top-order player with a big reputation – it happened a few times.

Tom Boardman

Tom is a great addition to any team with his personable and positive manner. He bowled at various times of the innings, but he was most effective when the ball was swinging back into the right handers. He also has the ability to move the ball both ways and slower balls when bowling at the end of an innings. He clearly enjoys his batting and has

a Moeen Ali-style cover drive to please the crowds. He always batted for the team.

Highlight of the season: a brilliant opening spell at Merchant Taylors’ where he was unplayable.

Aarush Jain

Aarush was arguably the most improved player this season. He started fairly, but he was not able to keep full control due to one or perhaps two loose balls an over. He is always keen to bowl and hates being taken off – which is a sign of a player who wants to contribute.

As the season progressed, he was then able to bowl six balls in the right place, and he bowled some fantastic spells against high-quality batters. Aarush has an excellent attitude to his cricket, so I am sure he will keep making progress.

Highlight of the season: every spell after half term which contributed to the team’s unbeaten run.

Dawood Alam

Dawood made some excellent progress with his bowling this season. Leg spin is such a difficult skill – but the rewards are great. He has the ability to deliver a ball that ShaneWarne would be proud of – as a few batsmen learnt to their cost.

Dawood’s next stage is to learn the art of acting confident and making the batsman feel like he is your next victim; this will come with time. He loves his cricket, and he was a valuable member of the team.

Highlight of the season: a few perfect leg spinners which left some good opposition players bowled and looking thoroughly confused!

Ollie Williams

Ollie had an excellent year and really cemented his place in the A team. He bowled with great control and pace throughout the season. This allowed him to contain and dismiss top-order players and also bowl bravely at the end of an innings. He had a brilliant attitude to sport and became a valuable member of the team.

Highlight of the season: every time he walked into bat – he smiled all the way in, responded to every comment, and then put on a show.

Steffan Hilmy

Steffan made a couple of appearances for the team and regularly trained with the group. Given the bowling and batting strength of the A team, he was far better gettingabatandbowlintheBsforhisowndevelopment;but,Iamsurehewould have done well with more opportunities. He always has an excellent attitude.

Mr Harrison

U15B Cricket

The U15Bs enjoyed another very successful season, this time with Mr Haynes as coach.

Our first game was away at Merchant Taylors’; however, this game did not go exactly to plan, and we lost by just 8 runs. There was no respite in quality

of opposition for our second game, and, despite being in an unusually commanding position against Harrow School, we somehow managed to throw it away – albeit not entirely, as the game ended in a draw.

From here, the season would only get better as we went on an 8 game unbeaten run – including notable wins against St Paul’s, Reeds and Dulwich.

Special mentions must go to Aditya Kumar and Aditya Kirthivasan for their sensational 205 opening partnership in the game against KCS. Aditya Kirthivasan topped the batting averages with multiple high scores.

On the bowling front, Jack Youster and Ameya Mathur bowled consistently in this unbeaten run and throughout the season, with Ameya ending as our leading wicket-taker with 22.

Finally, Stanley Amor deserves a mention for scoring a brilliant 79 runs in our game against RGS.

Overall, we had a great season, enjoying our cricket and developing as cricketers and team players. Our only real blip was in the final Saturday against Whitgift – the less said about this the better!

Thank you to our coaches and parents for all of their time and effort and for making all of this possible.

Charlie Moffatt

U15C Cricket

The final stats for this year’s side reads as follows: played 10, won 4, and lost 6.

The U15Cs saw a large squad of twenty players contributing in a positive manner to a very enjoyable season. It was encouraging to see so many boys want to play at this level, and they accepted a policy of rotated selection –indeed, they worked well together to ensure everyone had opportunities to bat and bowl across the different fixtures.

There were four victories in total – an improvement on their 2023 efforts –against Tiffin, Dulwich, Brighton, and KCS Wimbledon, with the losses coming against Merchant Taylors’, Reeds, St Paul’s, Whitgift, Harrow, and RGS Guildford.

The batting saw a number of individual highlights. Four players hit fifties: Pranavan Panchakumar against Tiffin, Max Trevers against Harrow,

Joshua Chapman against Dulwich, and Alex Watson against KCS – his one match while usually playing for the Bs.

Other notable scores saw Hayden Elliott hit 40 and Chapman score 45* against KCS, and Aaditya Tendulkar score 31 against Reeds.

Many other batsmen chipped in with useful scores at one point or another, including Gianluca Cohen, as an opener, Sebastian Habdank-Toczyski, Faris Salman, Isa Haba-Saibo and Rio Felonov-Tzanev in the middle order, while TedVittery provided some entertaining hard-hitting wherever he batted.

The bowling was shared around, but the main seam bowlers included Ben Bates and Max Mudge, who between them usually shared the new ball. Excellent spells were also enjoyed by Namish Jalatheepan – with four wickets against Whitgift – Fraser Kerr – three wickets against Dulwich –and Tendulkar – 3-12 against Brighton.

Trevers’ off-spin frequently took wickets, with a best of 3-6 against Tiffin, while Ollie Druett’s flighted leg-spin looked like it might bring victory against RGS with 3-25.

Max Trevers, alongside his batting and bowling contributions, captained the team thoughtfully, as did Max Chapman when given the opportunity. Chapman was the main wicket-keeper, whilst, in the field, Tendulkar showed that he was capable of taking spectacular catches.

The whole team should be commended for their positive and cheerful approach in both victory and defeat, and we hope they continue to have fun playing cricket for Hampton in the future.

JOM & Mr Fryer

U14A Cricket

In total, the U14A team played 14 games, won 6, lost 7, and had one abandoned.However, on another day, many of those results could have gone our way.

One such instance was the season opener against Merchant Taylors’. On a good pitch to bat on, Merchant Taylors’ scored 170 off 25 overs. Yet, even as wickets fell and the required run rate climbed, unorthodox and clever hitting from Xavier Knowles kept us in the hunt.

From needing 55 off 5 overs, we needed 9 off 4 balls. Yet, with victory in sight, we stumbled at the last hurdle: a narrow defeat – of only 6 runs – that would later epitomise our season.

Even against Dulwich, where we could only manage 99, we fought hard to claw ourselves back into the game. Spin was the main weapon for us, as we bowled 13 overs of it and got 5 wickets between myself, Sanjit Baber, Xavier and Max Pagnamenta.

Yet, having dismissed seven of their batsmen for single-digit scores, we, once again, had a victory snatched from us by their 9th wicket partnership.

A repeat of this was seen against Reeds, when a spirited bowling performance was once again thwarted. This time, the margin was 3 wickets.

All of these losses would feel agonising for any team, yet, for us, they were all overshadowed by our second game of the season against Tiffin.

Spurred on by our loss to Merchant Taylors’, our bowling attack showed no mercy, with myself, Rufus Laewon, and Jatin Chandra chipping in for combined figures of 8 wickets for 14 runs off 8.5 overs, restricting them to 67.

We started well enough with a second wicket partnership of 34. Our number 4 then scored 4. The next seven batters could only manage 1 between them. From 59-1 we collapsed – quite unbelievably – to 63 all out.

Upon reflection, we suffered due to a mixture of arrogance, poor shot selection and, towards the end, pure panic; it was the perfect recipe for disaster. No one imagined we would start the season like this. Yet, naturally, these are all things we will learn from and make us a stronger side – and stronger individuals – down the line.

But, clearly, four losses on the trot was a bitter pill to swallow – even more so if you add the fact that the combined margin of defeat was 10 runs and 5 wickets. Something had to change.

Just before the Reeds game, we had the first round of the cup. Boosted by our encouraging cup run last year, we approached the game with confidence –but also with a huge feeling of nervousness and caution after the Tiffin game.

Everyone felt relieved when we secured an emphatic victory after bowling our opponents – Sir Richard Reynolds –out for 23.

Still yet to secure a ‘friendly’ victory, we played Brighton college at home. Batting first, we scored a respectable 168 off 30 overs, with a run-a-ball 34 from George Eggleton and two steady innings From Will Bush and Oliver Khaksar. This was then followed by Fireworks from Rufus at the end to raise our score.

Once again, our reliable bowling attack took wickets at regular intervals, stemming the flow of runs. A spirited counterattack from their number 11 was not enough as we claimed a much-needed win.

A similar victory was achieved after the half term break against St Paul’s in a high-scoring affair, with runs coming from myself and Will and wickets from Xavier and Isaac Mistry.

Having enjoyed two excellent victories in the cup, our next opponents in the competition would be Harrow; they would be our sternest test yet.

Batting first, we started brightly; but, we found ourselves in trouble after losing quick wickets. However, quick running and clean hitting from Aarav Dasai and Xavier dragged us back into the game and into a position of strength.

Unfortunately, once again we lost wickets and were restricted to 124, when we had our sights on 150.

Despite, an economical start from our bowlers, no wicket fell and soon the batters were set. 17 Overs later they cruised over the finish line.

Disappointment immediately washed over us as we realised our cup run was over. Our batting and inability to make the breakthrough had cost us.

Another close defeat to RGS – despite an excellent three wickets for Jack Hayns – soon followed; but, we stayed focused and we outplayed Eton less than a week later.

Next came the most anticipated fixture of the summer: away against Whitgift.

A strong performance in a defeat last year gave us confidence and even more desire to go one better this time. On a hot day, our bowlers toiled on a batting pitch, and they finished the first innings with 224.

Despite these batter-friendly conditions, George managed to claim three wickets, two of them being batters who had scored over 50.

We could not have asked for a better start when Ashton Crossley came flying out the blocks with a rapid-fire 76. Thanks largely to this, the team reached a hundred runs in only 8 overs. This was our best chance to beat Whitgift – and we knew it!

But, yet again, one wicket brought more wickets which lead to a collapse. Despite falling 30 short, we were proud with how well we had played to get ourselves into such an excellent position.

Overall, this season did not become the one we all hoped for or anticipated; but, there were many positives and lessons we can take into the rest of the summer and next year.

One significant positive we can take from our season is our threatening bowling attack. With the new ball, Isaac and George have been incredibly consistent with their lengths, and Jack, who often comes on first change, has been a batter’s nightmare all season with his movement.

Another encouraging sign is the number of spin options we have. In addition to Xavier and myself, Aarav has always been reliable with his legspin, and Max’s bowling has caused more problems for the batsmen ever since he switched from fast bowling to off-spin.

Furthermore, our batting depth is another positive; Mr Hooper described our lower order as ‘the best in the country’. This was showcased by Jatin, when he was promoted to open the batting against Eton and scored a masterful 30, including 7 fours – which included a number of cover-drives that an opener would be proud of.

Another revelationhas been Rufus, who, after his boundary-packed innings against St Paul’s, has become our designated death-hitter. Pressure innings from Will and Guradaes should not be overlooked, while Xavier continued to bowl deadly off-spin – and, in doing so, was our leading wicket-taker –and score valuable runs in the middle order.

Ashton – ably supported by Aarav – has been consistently good at giving us rapid starts and making everyone else’s job easier; his efforts are also reflected in the fact that he ends the season as our leading run-scorer.

The key lessons we can take away are mainly on the batting front. These include not being overconfident and realising when a batting collapse is happening – and, more importantly, how to stop it!

Finally, I would like to thank Mr Hooper for coaching us this year and for giving us valuable advice that we can apply to any form of cricket we play and for helping us to become better cricketers.

Sanjit Baber

U14B Cricket

It was a mixed season for the U14Bs, with two wins, one no result and five losses.

There were some excellent performances for the team during the 2024 season. Most notably an excellent 67 from Benedict Butterfield against St Paul’s School and Manraj Grewal taking 3 wickets for just 2 runs in a win against Tiffin.

Ishaan Arora also took 3 for 19 in another victory against Dulwich College, Ambrose Butterfield raced to 46 from 31 balls against KCS, and Benedict Butterfieldshowedhisqualityasanall-rounderwithfiguresof3for15againstReed’s.

As always, the team camaraderie was fantastic, set by a number of boys who took on the captaincy at various points during the season.

It was a pleasure to coach such an enthusiastic group of players, who approached all games in the right spirit and were a credit to the School throughout the season.

U13A Cricket

Overall, the stats for this year read as follows: played 10, won 7, lost 3.

The U13As took huge strides forward this season and were an absolute pleasure to coach. All players were willing to work hard in training to develop their skills throughout the winter and during the season itself. There was also a fantastic sense of teamwork and enjoyment, which carried the team on to several impressive victories.

OGR

The season was bookended by defeats to a very strong Merchant Taylors’ XI and the always tough opponents of Whitgift School. In between, the side went on a run of seven wins out of eight completed fixtures.

Taking the chance to bat first whenever we won the toss, the boys showed great composure at the crease and applied important principles of batting to build partnerships and post competitive totals.

Siddhant Shetty set a good tempo for the innings as an opening batsman. Our leading run-scorers at the top of the order were Sebastian Wright – who scored a breathtaking unbeaten century against Dulwich College – and Manav Krishna KallamvelliVasanth – who also captained the side with great maturity.

Whilst both played some memorable innings as we posted what became winning totals, it was equally gratifying to watch our middle-order batsman contribute crucial runs when early wickets fell. Fred Owen, Rajvir Sahota, Vayun Jain, and Monty Roberts all played important knocks when needed in tight games. Nico Watts made an excellent half-century from a difficult position in our cup match against Emanuel School, setting the foundation for victory against an opposition that boasted a superstar all-rounder.

The collective determination and character that the players showed with the bat, as well as improvements in skill, really epitomised our season and set a course for success.

Bowling with plenty of pace and bounce, Nico found an able opening bowling partner in the shape of Louis Spira, who took some key wickets, especially when he bowled a slightly fuller length. They were ably supported in the middle overs by the swing duo of Neil Thakur and Ishaaq Alam

As is so often the case in U13 cricket, it was the leg spinners who often did the most damage. Vayun Jain bowled with lovely flight and courage, whilst Monty Roberts delivered with a little more fizz and brought a competitive edge to our attack – which often made the difference during tight finishes.

Sebastian and Manav would often return as our secret weapon for the death overs, showing their dual skill as quick-bowling all-rounders, keeping things tight and taking key wickets.

This group of players have learned a lot and have a lot still to learn to become the cricketers they should aspire to be – this applies to their fielding, as well as their batting and bowling.

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.

U13B Cricket

The 23-24 season was a slightly frustrating season for the Bs as we did not get any victories; but, there were still a great number of positives: we enjoyed some good moments and the team spirit was great.

We played almost all our games – apart from the one against Tiffin’s which got called off due to rain – but, other than that, every game had perfect conditions for cricket.

A particular highlight was an outstanding batting display by Sam Diggins against St Paul’s, earning him a score of 55 – which was met with a round of applause and a well-deserved, resounding cheer for Sam.

Other highlights included when we almost chased down Dulwich’s total and nearly bowled out Whitgift. Devan Dhariwal put on a great bowling performance against Dulwich, with an economy of 0.5 and getting 3 wickets. Against Whitgift, Sam again put in a good performance, scoring 24 from 18.

Our top wicket-taker was Devan Dhariwal, who got better with every game of the season and took 8 wickets. Neev Gangwani took 6 wickets and his off spin was consistently good throughout the season. Ollie Syers put up some consistent pace-bowling performances alongside Samrith Poonia, who also bowled extremely well throughout the season.

Towards the end of the season, Joe Bates came into our team specifically as a batter; he announced himself by scoring 35 not out – which was very impressive and gave us a big morale boost.

Although we may not have won a game, the team battled in every match, trying their hardest to win. We always came into every game with a positive mindset and attitude.

Thank you to our coach, Mr Hood, and all the staff that taught us in training for helping us have a memorable season.

U13C Cricket

This season has been a mixed bag for the U13Cs, but by the end of the season, we have shown great improvement throughout.

Henry Sage

We had a few disappointing results; but, what stood out was the way the team supported each other on and off the pitch. Our star batsman, Joe Bates, performed brilliantly throughout the season and was promoted to the Bs towards the end – which was a well-deserved recognition of his talent.

As captain, it is always hard trying to balance the batting order and keep everyone happy with their positions. However, it has been very enjoyable to captain this team, and everyone has stepped up when needed.

Whilst our catching could have been better on a few occasions, our fielding was generally strong. Our two stand-out fielders were Daniel Spooner – for his brilliant fielding on the boundary – and Finn Readey – as he took some incredible catches this season.

With the ball, Charlie McNeil was our best bowler; he consistently delivered fast and accurate spells, keeping the batsmen on their toes.

Finally, a big thank you to Mr Beattie for his guidance and support which was crucial to the growth of the team.

Alex Gancz

U12A Cricket

This was an excellent season for an excellent group of young cricketers.

There was a level of expectation set for these boys from a very early stage –as winter gripped the staff room in December 2023, there were already rumours of the quality of players that were coming through. Of course, that level of expectation can then be difficult to live up to, but the group did an excellent job of doing so.

It was not all plain sailing, as the side lost 3 of their 12 matches. This included comprehensive defeats to strong sides from Merchant Taylors’ and Dulwich, as well as a nail-biting last ball defeat to KCS Wimbledon, where Wilf Waterworth learned the brutality of the sport, taking a great, potentially match-winning, catch in the final over, before then overcooking an attempted run out on the final ball, leading to overthrows that lost the match.

Of course, what this losing leads to is learning, and this felt like a team who added experience, quality, teamwork, composure and a little bit of steel to their cricket as the season progressed, culminating in two marvellous victories against very strong opposition in their last two matches of the year,

holding their nerve in a run chase to beat Whitgift with just one wicket to spare and winning the Middlesex Cup final against QEGS, with an excellent bowling performance followed up by a nervy, but ultimately successful, chase.

One of the biggest challenges for the team was ensuring that everyone got a chance to demonstrate their ability, whether as a batsman or a bowler. Five different players scored fifties for the team and there were eight bowlers who bowled more than twenty overs through the season. Beyond this, there were three strong wicketkeepers.

This is truly a team with great depth.

It was this depth that enabled the victory in Middlesex Cup final, with Josh Pagnamenta starring with the ball – taking 3-10 off 5 overs – even though he had barely been used as a bowler all year.

On the batting side, it was only through still having batsmen of the quality of Ridhaan Gala and Dushyant Parthiban deep in the batting order that the team were able to drag themselves over the line. It was a win, and a season, to be proud of.

In terms of the batting for the year, there were nine players who scored over 95 runs for the season.

Rey Jaiswal led the way with 191 runs at 27.29, despite barely scoring a run in the first month of the season – apart from when he scored 40 not out for the Second Year side in a cup fixture! At times, he was utterly dominant and he was often the foundation for a good score.

Devan Shah (146 @ 18.25) spent much of the season opening the batting, looking composed and solid against even the strongest bowling.

Ruaan Vamadevan (125 @ 17.86) constructed several impressive innings, hitting gaps, running hard and demonstrating a strong understanding of the game, something that also came through in his excellent captaincy throughout the year.

Josh Pagnamenta (129 @ 25.8), spent some time on the sidelines due to injury, but played a couple of very destructive innings, completely dismantling some opposition spinners – he also top scored in the Middlesex Cup final, delivering when it most mattered.

Ruhaan Vinod (108 @ 15.43) sparkled at times, and played some exquisite attacking shots.

Theo Payne (94 @ 31.33) and William Potter (90 @ 18) showed real talent, often coming in and taking an innings away from the opposition with fast scoring partnerships.

Dushyant Parthiban (86 @ 21.5), like many players in the team, was often asked to come in towards the end of the innings at a lower batting spot than he might sometimes be used to, but his combination solid defence and aggressive intent allowed him to play a key role in the winning chases against QEGS Barnet and Whitgift.

In both those matches, the other key man in the final stages of these chases was Ridhaan Gala (150 @ 37.5), who was the second highest run-scorer and topped the averages. Beyond those impressive numbers, his composure and determination in guiding his side over the line in those two matches promises much for the future.

The bowling was excellent throughout the year, offering a relentless challenge for opposition batsmen. Magnus O’Leary took over

twice as many wickets as anyone else in the side – 26 wickets at an average of 6.8 – with his wily off-spin, befuddling batsmen all year. This was a truly excellent effort, with his stand-out performance being a ludicrous 6-10 off fewer than 3 overs against RGS Guildford.

But, while Magnus often took the most wickets, it would be a fallacy to suggest that he was head and shoulders above the rest of this outstanding bowling attack. In terms of pace bowling, Kailen Sivakumaran (12 @ 9.8), Dushyant Parthiban (6 @ 19), and Theo Payne (3 @ 28.3) made things incredibly difficult for opening batsmen all year. They all bowled with genuine pace and moved the ball laterally, often not taking the wickets they might have deserved. Theo, in particular may have only taken 3 wickets all year, but he also had the lowest economy rate (3.14), demonstrating how difficult the opposition batsmen found it to score runs off him.

Ridhaan Gala (6 @ 17.83) and Wilf Waterworth (9 @ 12.78) both swung the ball appreciably at good pace and ensured that there was no let up for any batsmen who made it through the first couple of overs.

While this pace barrage could easily be too much for an opposition side, the spin attack was just as potent. As referenced earlier, Magnus was the leading

wicket taker, but leg spinners William Potter (10 @ 13.5) and Ruaan Vamadevan (5 @14.6) bowled with great skill and intent, often beating the opposition’s bat by feet rather than inches.

Finally, despite being criminally under used – thanks to Mr Green’s questionable bowling rotations – Josh Pagnamenta’s (7 @ 6) quick off spin proved itself to be very useful in key moments in the season.

Overall, this was a season to be proud of and one that bodes very well for the years ahead. Beyond the individual performances with bat and ball, the team worked hard for each other, as demonstrated by the spirit and intensity shown in their fielding, including some remarkable slip catches – Rey and Ruhaan both taking absolute screamers!

Often, you can judge a cricket team by the way they approach their fielding and, if you were to use that as a measuring stick, they are a team that went from strength to strength through the season and are well placed to head into their second year at Hampton with huge ambition.

Here’s to a very promising future!

U12B Cricket

With such a large talent pool to choose from in this year’s U12 cohort, there was outstanding depth with both bat and ball. Every player chipped in with valuable runs and wickets at different points in the season – a genuine team effort.

Captain Theo Pack led exceptionally well, helping to foster a superb team spirit and winning mentality.

Our bowling attack had everything: Oscar Connell and Dillon Gurupuran provided genuine pace, Ilakian Dhandapani and Tomo Sudo were relentlessly accurate, Josh Don Carolis gave us a different – left arm over –angle of attack, and our spin trio of Ted Abell, Krrish Anand, and Magnus Findlay bowled with flight and guile.

And, as if that was not enough, Theo and Harry Morris also chipped in with some big wickets. Equally, Thomas Young, who kept wicket brilliantly, was outstanding when given a chance to bowl.

Ted and Harry were particularly reliable with the bat, but contributions came from absolutely everyone.

Oscar got us out of a few holes down the order, and Dillon had a remarkable ability to score boundaries immediately. Thomas was particularly dangerous, and Ilakian scored a sublime 62 against Tiffin.

A special mention to William Booth who blasted two of the fastest halfcenturies I have ever seen at this level, against SPS and Whitgift; the combined hundred – unbeaten – coming in just 61 balls!

All twelve of the side were a delight to work with – as was the excellent Nirvan Bal,who slotted in seamlessly when required – and played the game with good humour and great spirit throughout.

I look forward to watching their progress through the school.

U12C Cricket

Our first game of the season was against Merchant Taylors’, and – despite it being a pairs game – we started the season with a comprehensive win.

Our first traditional game of cricket was played against Tiffin School. In this game – as captain – I decided that we should bowl first; this turned out to be a good decision as we bowled them out for a low total that the openers were able to chase down fairly quickly.

Our third game against Dulwich was, unfortunately, cancelled due to poor weather conditions.

Despite this frustrating hiatus, in our next game – where we faced Reeds School – we managed to restrict them to a reasonable total. Despite our shaky start, we were able to eventually chase the total down with five wickets in hand.

Our next game against St George’s did not go as well as we would have hoped; at the start, the opposition were making use of the short boundaries and scoring quickly. After a collapse in our top order, and despite the best efforts of the middle order, we just fell short of the total.

In our next game against St Paul’s, we managed to bowl them out for 70 runs; again, the openers were able to chase this down within only 9 overs –an excellent result.

In our next game there was some outstanding bowling, including a 5-fer, which allowed us to bowl them out for 55 runs. However, after some good bowling, we found ourselves down quite a few wickets. Despite this challenge, we were still able to manage the total and knock off the runs.

In our next game, against RGS Guildford, we ended up batting first for the first time this season. After some great instances of fielding by the opposition, we managed a meagre total of just over 100. Despite plenty of good spells of bowling by us, the opposition batted very aggressively and ultimately ended up chasing down our total.

In our final game of the season, we faced up against Whitgift. After some good catches, we were able to restrict our opponents to only 120 runs. Again, thanks to some solid batting performances, we were able to chase it down and end on another excellent victory.

Thank you to all of the staff and parents who supported the team this year!

Nirvaan Bal

Senior First VIII Rowing

Last season was an exciting one for the Boat Club. The introduction of our new Senior Head Coach, Mr Butler, heralded great things for the entire rowing squad, beginning with a fantastic training camp in Seville. This camp helped infuse the team with the enthusiasm needed to push through the challenging winter months.

Despite severe weather and poor river conditions, which led to the cancellation of many races throughout the winter, we started strong at Hampton Head, winning gold in both the eight and the pair. This success put us in a good position for the School’s Head of the River.

However, as temperatures dropped and training intensified, illness and injury affected the squad. We were forced to field a weaker eight than we had originally hoped for the race, yet the boys still managed a thoroughly impressive 9th place in the country.

With the head racing season concluded, it was time for the Easter training camp in the south of France in early April. This camp was one of the year’s highlights, offering the opportunity to row on a 4km lake each morning with no other clubs present, leaving us with glassy water and beautiful sunrises all to ourselves.

After a tough but successful week in France and some great racing in Ghent, Belgium, we set our sights on the National Schools’ Regatta. When the day finally arrived in May, the First VIII progressed to the A final and placed 8th in the Championship Eights category – our best result since 2017!

The final event of the year was the Henley Royal Regatta in early July – the most prestigious and historic regatta in the world.

Hampton had a challenging draw against Radley College, who were silver medallists at the National Schools’ Regatta. We went out hard from the start blocks and led for much of the race, all the crew working at their limit; but, the stronger Radley crew pushed to get through in the last quarter of the race, meaning that the First VIII was knocked out in the head-to-head race earlier than desired.

However, the crew includes seven returning Hamptonians and our cox, Ben Knight, who has been deservedly nominated as Vice Captain of Boats this year. This means the upcoming season will certainly be a thrilling one to watch. Three of the returning rowers also represented Great Britain over the summer of 2024 at either the Coupe de la Jeunesse in the Czech Republic – Harry Bernard and George Buckingham – or the U19 World Rowing Championships in Canada – Harry Oliver

As the sun sets on a season marked by triumphs and teamwork, the energy within the rowing squad remains as vibrant as ever. The success of the past year has not only brought achievements and accolades but has also fostered a renewed sense of community and camaraderie among the team.

With a successful year under our belts, the squad is more motivated than ever to dive into the challenges and opportunities the new season will bring.

Thank you to all of the coaches and staff who have supported and helped us this year.

Harry Oliver

Senior Second VIII

Rowing

The 2023-24 season started off strong for members of our Second VIII, with an intense training camp in sunny Seville during the October half term. After a week of blistered hands and some outrageous sunburns, we had completed a massive chunk of training in preparation for the head racing season to begin.

However, all this excitement was soon cut short with a horrendous streak of weather along with the river nearly coming up to our very own Millenium Boathouse. During this period, we became very familiar with our favourite ergo sessions and the infamous Bewl Bridge, where we enjoyed many water sessions away from the flooded Thames.

Once the river calmed down in the new year, head racing could finally begin for our Second VIII, who opened their account with a strong 2nd place finish at Hammersmith head whilst many of the First VIII were away at GB trials.

After this, came School’s head of the river; with a rapid stream and strong winds, it looked like a fast day of racing was ahead of us. Coxed superbly by Luke Almedia-Bridges, our Second VIII came 4th in their category in the country as one of four crews to break the course record for Second VIIIs.

After a very successful SHORR and training camp in Soustons, the Second VIII turned their attention to Gent International Regatta: competing in a series of intense racing over two days towards the end of the easter break in the 8 and a mix of 4s and pairs.

Medals were won in all categories, with a particularly hard-fought gold in the U23 8s for our Second VIII, this time coxed by an energetic Zach Amiji and stroked by Tristan Thorpe.

Then came the National Schools Regatta, the most important of schoolboy events in rowing. With such a lightweight crew, the strong headwinds did not favour us; despite this, we pushed through and placed 9th overall. Whilst this was a somewhat disappointing result the season was far from over.

After a long selection process, the Henley campaign began with Marlow Regatta, where the Second VIII pulled off a generational performance, coming 3rd in the open 8s category with a time of 5:56 – the fastest by a Hampton Second VIII over 2000m ever!

After reworking personnel and changing up the order in the boat, Met Regatta came around; it was another huge performance from our beloved Second VIII, pulling an outstanding time of 5:42.

With all this confidence and hard work, the Second VIII was ready for Henley, absolutely smashing through the trials to qualify for the Temple. Unfortunately, they drew rowing giants Oxford Brookes University. Despite another gutsy race, they sadly came up short, losing to the best rowing university in the country.

Overall, this was a season the Hampton Second VIII will never forget; a huge thank you goes out to all the coaches that helped make this season possible. On to 2024-25!

Flynn Hinchcliffe

J16 FirstVIII Rowing

After a season of many setbacks due to weather and illness, the J16 First VIII came out with a rewarding set of results at the National Schools’ Regatta.

Our season began with high aspirations as we set out for the Sponsored Charity Row, developing both skills and camaraderie whilst raising £85 000 for an incredible charity – Shooting Star Children’s Hospice.

Our technical base was first developed in the first term during the long winter months in an array of small boats; however, it was refreshing for the squad to get some tanning and sunshine done during our period of time in Seville, Spain.

With the Head season creeping in, we learnt that weather would become a strong opposition to the potential races lined up for the crews. With many races cancelled, it was good to see a pleasing set of results from both the A and B crews, with the A crew receiving gold medals from Hampton Head.

After a set of solid results under our belt, preparation for Schools Head of the River (SHORR) began.

We proceeded to spend a week on the tideway, developing the necessary skills needed to combat other strong crews along the iconic stretch of the

Thames. Friendly fixtures against both St Paul’s and Latymer saw some overwhelming wins, supporting the drive for a podium position at SHORR.

A week at Bewl Water, which saw starting times of 6am consistently throughout the week, pushed the mental limits of the crew due to the driving distances and waves close to that of the North Sea.

However, despite these issues and the illness which arose amongst the squad, the J16 A crew, managed to produce an incredible result of 3rd at SHORR in the J16 championship eights category. It was nice to end the head season on a high to bring confidence ahead of the regatta season.

To kickstart the Regatta season, the J16s underwent a rigorous Easter camp in Soustons, France. This allowed us to develop the regatta style of rowing, building higher speeds over the shorter 2km distance.

This camp was followed by a pleasant weekend in Ghent, Belgium, racing at Ghent International Spring Regatta where the J16 4- picked up a gold international medal, and the J16 4+ receiving a set of silver medals.

We also sent out an eight, as well as two pairs into much older age categories. The 16s performed exceptionally well, despite the small turn around between 2km races, with some boys doing multiple races in only a few hours.

Our home regatta season began with Wallingford Regatta, where the crew gained important experience at Eton Dorney Lake, the location for the important National School’s Regatta (NSR) later that term. This was followed by some races against Kings College School, one of our closest rivals for a medal position at NSR. With months of preparation for NSR, we produced a promising time-trial before squeezing out an impressive 4th place finish in the country, seconds behind a podium position.

After this strong result, our focus now turns to the famous Henley Royal Regatta, with the squad members slotting into the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup and Temple Eight crews. As well as this, seven members of the crew will be considered for Great Britain representation in the upcoming GB France match held in Paris.

We look forward to seeing what we can achieve in the weeks ahead and the following season!

Freddie Mundell

J16SecondVIIIRowing

To say the least, the past year has been monumental for the J16 second VIII, who are commonly known throughout the boat club as the Gill Bailey fan club – named after our boat.

Certainly, one of the many highlights – not only for our boat but for the whole boat club – was the 80 mile row down the river Thames, where an astonishing £85,000 was raised for Children’s Shooting Star charity. Rowers endured various locks, early starts and appalling weather over the weekend of early September; despite this, many great memories were made along the way.

The trip to Seville came around in the October half term, which included much endurance training in small boats along the picturesque river running through the city centre.

After countless hours on the rowing machines and a lack of races through the winter given the river conditions, we finally had a chance to show ourselves at Hampton Head, the first head race of the season. The J16 Second VIII braved the 3 kilometres course on their home stretch, placing an impressive 3rd in their category.

Not long after followed Hammersmith Head, which – with a scratched crew and illness running through the group – saw the eight placed 9th in the open eight category.

The last, and by far the most important head race, School’s Head, took place in March. Racing along the 4.2 mile course was certainly challenging; however, members of the Second VIII rose up to the challenge, placing 8th in their category – an impressive result given it was a national race!

Next came the regatta season, which began promptly with a trip to Soustons, in France. The calm and empty lake offered a fantastic 2-kilometre course, where the Second VIII were able to train well in preparation for all the regattas, in particular for the National School’s regatta.

Soon after, a few members of the second eight went on to race in Ghent International Regatta, lasting a full weekend which included multiple races. A coxless four made up of Alex Rust, Lewis Warms, Thomas TatnellSchreve and George Boyd came 3rd in their category, and 4th in the coxed four category, with Zach Amiji coxing.

Even through GCSEs the Second VIII kept training regularly, reflected in their rowing and boat speed. Whilst most of the crew were at BASHER –an invitational regatta – working on getting more racing experience, Rohan Ladva achieved a phenomenal 1st place in the junior inter-regional regatta in the para-single scull event.

Other races leading up to National Schools Regatta included Thames Ditton regatta, where the eight placed 2nd, and Chiswick regatta, where a four from our crew placed 3rd

Leading up to National School’s regatta, the crew had set an aim to qualify for the A final, meaning they would have to place top six in the time trial. The Second VIII did a fantastic time trial at Dorney Lake, placing 4th in their category, qualifying for the A final!

During the A final race, the crew put in a similarly incredible effort, placing 6th overall, only 0.25 seconds behind 4th place – a very impressive result in a national event nonetheless.

Later, came multiple other regattas, including Star regatta, and most recently, BASHER 2.

Credit to all those part of Second VIII, including Arun Datta (cox), Alex Rust, Lewis Warms, Thomas Tatnell-Schreve, Johnny Hart, Thomas WrayMiller, Daniel Metzgen, Jin-Ho Bae, George Boyd, Rohan Ladva, and Charlie Childs

George Boyd

J15FirstVIIIRowing

The 2023-24 season of rowing at Hampton has been an unusual one for reasons both expected and unexpected. The transition from sculling – two oars each – to sweep – just one – is always difficult but we had the extra challenge of frequent and long periods of flooding drastically curtailing river time.

The coaches worked hard to get us on the water, arranging sessions at Dorney and at various schools on the Tideway. And, despite racing only twice before the Schools Head of the River in March – a one-two finish at Eton invitational and wins in both J15 8+ categories at the Hampton Head – we finished 2nd in the country.

The race itself was rearranged at the last minute to Dorney Lake – the river being deemed too strong for J15s – and, despite the team suffering from a last-minute illness, the result was excellent.

In doing so, we beat KCS – who came third by two seconds, a tantalisingly close margin over nearly 4k! We were 30 seconds behind St Paul’s School still, but the challenge was well within our reach.

After an intense weeklong training camp in Soustons France, which included three sessions a day and multiple rounds of seat racing, we were ready to go for the shorter course regatta season.

This started off with the first of the BASHER events – a race between the traditionally big rowing schools of Bedford, Abingdon, St Pauls, Hampton, Eton and Radley – an event where there are no age or boat categories and where only times matter to ensure tight races for those of all abilities.

The top 12 would go through to semi-finals and then the A and B final; this was a particularly difficult challenge given we were competing against school J18 Second VIIIs and J16 First VIIIs. We nonetheless rose to it, with only two J15 First VIIIs qualifying: ourselves and St Paul’s.

Unsurprisingly, we were eventually outclassed by older and more experienced crews despite our best efforts, to finish 6th in a highly competitive B final; pleasingly, it was still a very tight race going into the final 500m.

We took this momentum on, winning the Co-Operative Funeralcare trophy for J15 8+ at Wallingford Regatta, beating crews such as Radley, Abingdon, Westminster and KCS. An excellent result!

After mixed results in a fixture against KCS, we went into the final regatta before National Schools, Poplar Regatta, knowing it was our last chance to race against St Paul’s in a day of racing where we would compete in both J15 8+ and J16 8+ categories.

We enjoyed a convincing win in J15 8+ against St Pauls Second VIII – with their First VIII prioritising racing in the J16 eights event.

We knew we had plenty of speed going into National Schools Regatta, having posted a time within a second of the Hampton J15 VIII record and within seven seconds of the National Schools record!

DespitebeingwithinasecondofthattimeintheJ168+heats,itprovedtoomuch to repeat for a fourth time with a rested St Paul’s crew breaking clear to finish second as we finished fourth ahead of St George’s and Dulwich’s Second crew.

But, despite the setback, all of this could be rewritten instantly at National Schools. No records would fall that day though, with a strong head wind meaning slow times and big gaps. The very opposite would happen though;

after the time trial, we finished three hundredths of a second – 0.03 seconds! – ahead of a resurgent KCS to come second. This proved pivotal as we got the more sheltered lane from the wind in a nail biting final.

Unexpectedly, off the start, Abingdon – who had qualified last to the final –found themselves with the most favoured lane, due to a change of wind direction, took an early lead. But. 750m into the race, St Paul’s took control with a 2/3 length advantage, with Abingdon ¼ length ahead of us in second and KCS ½ a length behind infourth.

500m later St Paul’s had begun to establish their lead; but, the gap between us and Abingdon had reduced to a canvas entering the closing stages and having escaped to clear water over KCS and the rest of the field.

With 1500m it was bowball to bowball, and the roar of the Hampton crowd along with the long winter miles on the rowing machine and work in the gym began to pay off as in the final 100m pure brute strength allowed us to take it on the line by an almost comfortable 0.2 seconds and ¼ length to clinch the silver – a well-deserved upgrade from the Bronze won last year!

All of this was inspired by the Second VIII, who had, just moments earlier, also rowed back through crews to take them from fourth to second to win a matching silver medal.

All of this demonstrated that, despite this year’s challenges, every member of the J15 squad putting out their best in training to try to get the best out of each other resulted in strong results across the board.

This success was then followed up by late season rewards at BASHER II, with the Second VIII coming second to Eton’s J15 First VIII and success as the highest finishing coxed fours from the members of the First VIII.

The season ended with a visit to next year’s National Schools venue, the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham, for the British Junior Championships; this was a great experience and what was unfortunately only the second event of the season were we where we finished outside the silverware. Despite this, we still were the fastest J15 crews competing in the J18 8+ and J16 4+ events.

As ever, enormous thanks must go to Mr Double, Mr Nugent, Mr Hope, Mr Perry, Mr Jones, and all the coaches at the boat club for the energy, effort, and time they put in to enable us to train through a particularly difficult season.

We will of course be inspired to add to the enormous collection of silverware gained this season by the eight members – seven of whom are returning – of Hampton’s Senior squad who represented GB or England at various levels over the summer as we join them at Senior Games afternoon training sessions.

Patrick Moroneyl

J14Rowing

In the Third Year, Hamptonians are able to join the rowing club fully – after a summer of learning the basics. Many have the dedication, focus and camaraderie that rowing needs for success.

The J14 squad this year was made up of over 80 boys who share these traits, many of whom were complete novices to the sport. From the coaching perspective, it is incredibly heartwarming to see so many boys take to the

water and become firm friends through a shared enjoyment of sport; the hard work that the rowers put in throughout the year was rewarded with four national titles, course records, and an unbeaten season in the J14 Octuple Scull.

The boys began their rowing journey in September, taking their first strokes of the year tentatively and with great care. Many had already seen the photos of past success around the school and were keen to jump into a boat immediately.

The jargon specific to rowing picked up quickly, as did fitness levels due to the rigorous schedule. Being an off-site sport, the jog to the boathouse was an escape from the rigmarole of schoolbooks and homework, to be able to escape to the river for a few hours is always something that boys look forward to.

Following October half term, the river came up to a point where rowing was not an option; as a consequence, the boys honed their gym skills, and many went to row on the Olympic lake at Dorney.

Following the new year, our sights were set on Hampton Head, at the beginning of February. With the river still in flood the boys visited varying venues close by to get some practise on the water.

Ben Penny recounts his first race in the J14A boat:

Before we knew it, we were at race pace flying towards the start line and then we were off. There was an obvious difference in speed between this and how we had trained. The scenery racing past and the turning heads of our opponents in the corners of our eyes, we were pushing faster and faster – it felt like we would never get to full speed.

We were past the first bend and properly into the race. Zack Amiji guided us expertly down the river as we tried to keep a hold of our technique through the grittier stages of the race. Daniel McCahearty had almost mechanical accuracy in holding us in time, keeping the crew together. The rhythm of the boat was constant, and spirits were high.

The Hampton J14As of the previous year had won the event so we were the first in our category scheduled to start. Although this left us a nice open river to work with, it also meant we had no way to know how we were doing because we could not be sure how long afterwards the next boat was released.Regardless, we rowed on.

Soon we were far enough down river that we started seeing crowds of parents. There was the odd sideways glance, but we kept our composure, not rocking the boat that had stayed level so far.

In what felt like 30 seconds we had made it to the last island on the course, signalling to us that the finish line was closing in. Collectively, we heaved harder, reached further and pulled faster. This was it. Our race on our part of the river.

Almost at the end, the boat felt faster than ever. The fatigue had started to show in our form. A few big splashes here and there and one crab was caught, but we recovered quickly, never relenting our efforts. Then there it was. The finish line.

Our race was over, and our time was in. It was out of our hands now. The race had left us absolutely exhausted, but we still paddled on without incident to an official who helped us spin and head back towards the boathouse.

We watched and cheered for our boats as they came down past the island one by one. The B boat had managed to overtake another school during the race. Once we made it to the landing stage, it became painfully apparent that there was still a lot to do. J15 crews were warming up and helping us out of our boat. Once our B, C, D, E, and F boats – who had all had excellent races – were back, we headed upstairs and out of the way of the other crews.

By that evening the scores were finally in. It was an amazing result for the J14s. Us, the A crew had won the event and 2nd place was our own B boat. Our C crew had managed to come 5th, our Ds 7th, Es 8th, and F crew 10th

Bearing in mind that this was an A, B, and C crew event with 13 different boats, this was a truly outstanding result. Furthermore, because there were medals for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd A B and C crews, it worked out in the end that every

single one of our crews had won a medal. 2 Golds, 3 silvers and 1 bronze medal had been earned across the day – an amazing achievement!

It was a brilliant outing; this was a long-awaited race and the first for our Year. It was a good experience to learn from for our new and inexperienced rowers.

Following on from this success, the boys attended a private fixture against St Paul’s, in the J14s first outing on the tideway. The results were promising, and attention turned to the first national event of the year: the Junior Sculling Head, where the A crew, despite snapping an oar halfway through the 4000m race, won by 4 seconds. The B crew also snapped an oar and came second in their category.

With the close of the spring term, racing moved from the time-trial format to side-by-side racing, with a full programme of events in the summer term, including the National Schools’ Regatta.

To prepare for this, the squad spent a week at the National Training Centre at Hazewinkle in Belgium, all learning valuable skills both in and out of the boat.

Upon their return from Belgium, four of the top rowers, and their coxswain, were informed that they had been selected to represent London in the Junior Inter Regional Regatta, and came away from the race in Nottingham with a hard-fought silver against Henley Rowing Club – who would go on to win at National Schools’ in the quad.

Now the races were coming thick and fast, the whole squad raced at Dorney, those who had been selected for top crews raced at Bedford, and despite a few mishaps with walls, the A crew narrowly beat out St Paul’s, who appeared to be our biggest rivals coming into the National Schools’ Regatta. Below are reports from the J14 B and J14 A crews at the National Schools’ Regatta

J14B

On the Friday before half term, the A,B and C crews travelled to Dorney Lake to compete in the National Schools’ Regatta, arguably the largest rowing race our year compete in.

After setting up our gazebo, the crews readied their boats for their upcoming time-trial. The time-trial would determine which final each crew would get in to, so it was of upmost priority to win. The first race was the B time-trial.

We took our boat out onto the pontoon, and after some warm-up paddling – and definitely not nearly crashing into the bank – we were ready. As we passed through the start line, we accelerated off, the rhythmic click of the blades turning all we could hear.

At the end, we anxiously waited for our results, constantly refreshing our phones to see if the times were up. Finally, someone shouted they had the times. We had won, and we would be in the best lane for our A final.

After the other crews had completed their time-trials, our final was called up. As we paddled to our start line, we were surrounded by crews from Radley, St Paul’s, King’s, and more.

As the bell marked our start, we powered off, the shouting of the coxes drowning out everything else. The last 500m would decide the race, as we pushed a final burst, coming out in first by 0.7s.

We had won!

J14A

On the last day of the half term and of exam week, our J14 rowers had the chance to get out of a day of exams and win a national medal. We would be racing in day one of the National Schools’ Regatta at Dorney Lake.

The lake was familiar to us, but arriving at school before 7 o’clock was not! Regardless, we were all into mini-buses incident free and arrived at the lake with plenty of time to relax before ramping up to our races.

Dorney was filled with its typical extensive rows of boat racks and the somewhat ominous queue of crews wrapping around the back of the Eton Boat Club.

By 10am, the B and C crews had warmed up, stretched, and had hands on their boats, with the A boat following not far behind. After few small loops in the warm-up lane and what felt like a week’s worth of overthinking, we were at the top of the lake with blades in the water and about to race.

Both our A and B crew came away with a gold medal after a hard-fought struggle against St Paul’s, who have always been our most intense opponents.

It was a great day out, and thanks are due to the Hampton and Holles Boat Club association who so kindly supplied us with a serving of tomato pasta and a much appreciated cookie.

I also cannot finish without thanking Mr Perry, Miss Ziegler, and Mr Jones –mostly for putting up with us and driving us around! – for giving us the chance and the training from all the way back in September to go out and win a medal.

We will see if we can do it again next year!

Following a well-deserved break over the may half term, the J14 Squad attended a few more races, with another trip to Bedford which ended in ice cream for the whole squad – and Mr Perry’s wallet becoming significantly lighter!

One of the highlights was the BASHER Regatta, where our J14s fielded over 65 athletes in one event – all enjoying competitive racing at a state-of-theart venue.

It is difficult to cram a whole year of rowing into such a short report – there were so many highlights that some have inevitably had to be cut out or skipped over, but the memories will last for many years to come.

Overall, if you ask any of the J14 rowers from this year if it was enjoyable, the answer will be a resounding ‘Of course!’

Kai Wyers

Ben Penny

Mr Perry

Tennis

It has been a brilliant summer for Hampton Tennis, with more boys than ever out on court during lunchtime and Games sessions and a busy schedule of competition for the team players.

We started the season with a friendly between the Seniors and a mixed U14 and U15 side. The Seniors had been warned and the Juniors – Juan-Leonardo Solari, Dario Puljic, Brennan Coletta, and Daniel O’Sullivan Sanz – showed no mercy in some wonderful doubles games.

A sign of great things to come!

Surrey League and Festival

As the Surrey League kicked off, the U12s enjoyed their first competitive matches for the School against KGS, Tiffin and Reed’s. Well done to Justin Kim, Ollie Scrimshaw, Hal Hardman, Josh Don Carolis, and Derin Ataoglu for their dedication to both practice and matches this term.

The U13s also had a busy season with players including Anthony Simonov, Alex Andre, Zidan Akhtar, Max Grierson and Aiden Farrugia regularly showing impressive grit and determination on court.

The U14 and U15 sides progressed steadily through the box stages to the Finals Day where the strength in both sides shone through. The U14s returned with the trophy in hand after some fantastic doubles games played by Brennan Coletta, Zachary Verret, Oliver Scott, and Alex Milicic

Congratulations Surrey League champs – the Cadbury’s Freddos surely helped!

The U15s very nearly took home the trophy at the Surrey League Finals too, losing only to a strong Ewell Castle team in the final. Well done to all boys involved in the box stages of the competition and the Finals Day team: Juan-Leonardo Solari, Dario Puljic, Harrison Chalmers, and Daniel O’Sullivan Sanz

The Surrey Festival was certainly a highlight of the season – pairs from all age groups travelled to St George’s Weybridge where they enjoyed games on the grass courts and braved queues for the pizza van.

All boys showed great camaraderie and the Sixth Form were regaled by Justin Kim’s wit and team spirit!

Eton Junior Pairs

On to the Eton Junior Pairs competition where Hampton was victorious against some tough teams, including Whitgift, Dulwich, and the hosts Eton College, who they beat 9-6 in the final.

The team – consisting of Juan-Leonardo Solari Hernandez, Brennan Coletta, Harrison Chalmers, and Jamie Giffin – should be very proud of this fantastic achievement.

ISL Junior Finals

A sunny Saturday at the Independent Schools League Finals brought with it more success – Hampton finished 2nd out of 16 schools, with impressive performances from players in the U14, U15, and U16 age groups.

Second Year player Anthony Simonov put in a particularly mature performance playing up for the U14s.

ISTA Championships

We rounded off the tennis year with the ISTA Championships – a festival of tennis taking place over four days with Hampton boys across the age groups competing.

Here, a special shout out must go to Upper Sixth player Rohan Crowe, who finished his tennis career at Hampton on a high, captaining a somewhat rotating team to the semi-finals of the plate competition.

Thanks must go to Arun Crowe – Fourth Year – for his last-minute substitution alongside his brother, as well as Caleb Weinstein, Alecs Lorenc, and Henry Jackson who enjoyed a sunny day of tennis postexams.

Wimbledon Trip

On 3rd July, some of Hampton’s tennis players were lucky enough to enjoy a trip to Wimbledon, including tickets to Court 1.

Whilst watching World Number 3 Carlos Alcaraz on Court 1 and being court-side for some incredible matches throughout the day were certainly highlights, our favourite part of the day was queuing to get resale tickets for Centre Court.

On Centre Court we were able to watchthe last two sets of a fascinating match between World Number 1 Jannik Sinner and former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini. Not only this, but we were also able to visit the practice courts and see how professionals train and warm up for their matches – which was an invaluable experience!

Lastly, we were able to have Wimbledon’s iconic strawberries and cream by waiting in a long queue of people eagerly awaiting the tournaments sweetest tradition.

All in all, it was a fantastic experience and one which I hope we can have again!

Many thanks to Miss Todd and Mr Langton for organising the trip.

Dario Puljic & Juan-Leonardo Solari

Many of our team players are training hard outside of School and I am sure have continued a busy and successful summer of tournaments. It has been wonderful to see all players out on court this summer and I look forward to watching their tennis progress as they move up the school.

AthleticsReportSummer2024

We arranged an open pre-season training session during the end of Easter break, which allowed our athletes to prepare for the busy and exciting summer season ahead.

Harrow – Sat 20 April

With only a couple of days into the new Summer Term, we took a small team of 25 Third to Upper Sixth Year athletes to compete against seven other schools in our early season fixture at Harrow. It was a great way to start the Schools Athletics season, giving many of our athletes their first opportunity to compete.

There were some notable wins and some personal bests to get the season underway. Junior Joe Timba performed very well, winning the Hurdles in a personal best time.

Our Inters also had a very promising start, with wins for Daniel Mills in the 100m (breaking the school record) and 200m, Sam Moylan-Jones also in his 100m race and Rio Felonov Tzanev in the Shot Put.

The Seniors impressed both on the track and in the field with Aaron Mills wining both the 100m and 400m and Keiran Bouwmeester-Reid wining the High Jump, Long Jump, and Discus.

Achilles Relays

The Hampton Athletics Team performed outstandingly well, achieving some of our best results at the 60th Anniversary Achilles Relays, Oxford on the Sir Roger Bannister Track.

• Senior 4x100m – Winners (new school record) – awarded The Harold Abrahams Trophy (Finlay Wiseman, Theo Tyler-Low, James Queen, Zain Sutterwalla)

• Senior 4x200m – Second

• Senior 4x400m – Winners (new school record) – awarded The Jack Lovelock Trophy (Keiran Bouwmeester-Reid, Sam Bond, Harry Armstrong, Aaron Mills)

• U17 4x200m – Third

• U17 4x400m – Fourth

• U15 4x100m – Third

• U15 4x200m – Third

22 schools competing, all teams were required to run a heat and a final for each race.

The team was made up of 35 athletes, including Juniors, Inters, and Seniors. It was a very impressive performance, especially from our Seniors, and equally encouraging from our Inters and Juniors.

There were some pulsating races all-round; however, the most outstanding performances must go to our Senior sprinters in the 4x100m and 4x400m who won both in School-record times.

ES Track & Field Cup Round 1

It was an early meet time of 7.30am to get our 28 strong U13 & U15 athletes around to the Lee Valley Athletics Centre in time for a 9.30am start. We travelled up with our neighbours LEH and we were both responsible for running this event.

The teams were a mix of First and Second Years (U13) and Third and Fourth Years (U15); it was lovely to observe all the Year Groups collaborating and supporting each other.

Notable U13 performances:

• Sewan Park & Johnny McMonagle both sprinting well in the 100m (12.9 & 13.0 secs)

• Jojo O’Shaughnessy 300m and High Jump (43.7secs & 1.44m)

• Rafi Berry & Reuban Nicholson both ran the 800m very well in 2min 32 secs.

• Sebastian Wright ran the 1500m in 4min 59 secs.

Notable U15 performances:

• Joe Timba 80m Hurdles (11.3 secs – School Record)

• Ethan Monk 100m (11.8 secs)

• Oliver Maisuria-Hull 300m (38.3 secs) and Javelin (41.39 –School Record)

• Marcus Solomon 1500m in 4min 24 secs.

• Fraser Kerr 200m (24.5 secs)

Note: all track events were hand-timed

Hampton and LEH ran this event on behalf of Middlesex Athletics, hosting 13 schools involving over 250 athletes. 11 staff (7 Hampton & 4 LEH) travelled up to help at Lee Valley; the event went extremely well, and I am very grateful to LEH and our PE & Sport department for making it such a successful event.

• Joe Timba winning both the 80m Hurdles (11.59 secs –qualifying time for English Schools) and High Jump (1.65m)

• Oscar Leonard won the B string High Jump (1.50m) in his first athletics meet for Hampton.

• Daniel Mills broke the School Record for the 200m again with a run of 22.92secs.

• Marcus Solomon ran 1500m in a new School-record time of 4min 16.37secs.

• Jayden Oni ran a PB in the 100m Inter Hurdles winning in 14.67secs.

• James Queen won the Senior 100m in 11.20secs.

• Aaron Mills won the Senior 400m in 50.31secs, equally his school record.

• Kieran Bouwmeester-Reid won the Senior 200m in 22.80secs and competed in 5 different events.

• Once again, the event finished with our very impressive Senior 400m Relay Team Kieran Bouwmeester-Reid, Sam Bond, Harry Armstong, and Aaron Mills winning in style.

Note: all track events were timed using electronic timing and photo finish

A special mention must go to Kieran and Aaron for their final school performances in a Hampton vest. Both have county and regional events coming up aiming to qualify for the ESAA Track & Field Champs at Birmingham in the late summer – and we wish them the best of luck!

Middlesex Schools Track & Field Championships

Eight Hampton athletes competed yesterday at Lee Valley as part of the Richmond Schools Team.

All accounted themselves very well.

Notable performances:

• Jayden Oni – won gold medal the Inter (U17) 100m Hurdles

• Joe Timba – won gold medal the Junior (U15) 80m Hurdles –Championship and School Record

Qualified for the Nationals

• Daniel Mills- won silver medal Inter (U17) 200m PB time, achieving entry standard

Qualified for the Nationals

• Marcus Solomon – won silver medal Inter (U17) 1500m PB time, very close to entry standard

• Oliver Maisuria-Hull- won silver medal Junior (U15) Javelin PB distance, very close to entry standard

Qualified for the Nationals

The eight competing schools were blessed with a lovely sunny day, which Oliver Maisuria-Hull won the Javelin throwing 40.13 and came

• Tolu Idowu – won bronze medal Junior (U15) 200m.

• Ethan Monk – won bronze medal Junior (U15) Long Jump PB distance.

Y7 & Y8 Middlesex Schools’Track & Field Championships

Sixteen Hampton First and Second year athletes travelled together with LEH to StoneX Stadium for the annual Championships.

This gives a great opportunity for our junior athletes to compete for Richmond Schools against some strong competitors. Both Hampton and LEH athletes all performed extremely well while gaining some valuable experience.

Richmond Schools Athletics Championships at St Mary’s University Track

Once again, Hampton, with the help of LEH, managed this event for the Richmond Borough Secondary schools (over 500 athletes).

A huge thank you to Matt Sims and Harry Hooper for leading the event so well and the many Hampton staff who helped to make this a very successful occasion in what was a the hottest day of the year.

Hampton athletes performed very well overall. Our Fourth and Fifth Year team were a little hampered by the clash with DofE, but still competed very well.

Our Third Year team were fantastic, performing brilliantly, setting some School Records in the process.

The Second Year team are developing well and I’m delighted with how our First Year Team came together to finish with a brilliant First Place.

Notable Performances:

It has been an exhilarating Athletics seasons, with some incredible performances, and many boys set fantastic new Personal Bests – I have had to update the Athletics School Records regularly this term!

Very soon we say goodbye to our Senior Athlete; they have given so much to the programme over the years and they certainly raised the bar while inspiring our younger athletes.

English Schools Track & Field Championships

Aaron Mills (400m - Senior), Daniel Mills (200m - Inter), Joe Timba (80m - Hurdles) and Oliver Maisuria-Hull (Javelin - Junior) travelled up with the Middlesex Schools Team to the 93rd English Schools Track & Field Championships in Birmingham.

It was very exciting to be able to perform at the Commonwealth Stadium with over 2000 athletes competing over the weekend with and against each other in what is one of the largest track and field events in Europe.

It was an amazing achievement for Hampton School to have four athletes qualify across the age categories competing and representing Middlesex Schools in such a prestigious event.

All athletes perform well and should be hugely proud.

Well done Joe Timba also for being part of the Junior 4 x 100m Relay team, winning the gold medal in a thrilling race. Also, congratulations to Aaron Mills for his second time competing at the English Schools; he now prepares to join the Middlesex Schools Combined Events Team for the Senior Decathlon Event with Keiran Bouwmeester-Reid at Stoke on Trent.

English Schools’Athletic Association, 36th Combined Events Championships

Once again, Hampton School had athletes representing Middlesex Schools in another National Athletics event; we have not known a season like it before, with such high standards being achieved consistently.

Joe Timba, continued to have the most outstanding athletics season by qualifying for Junior Boys Pentathlon, competing in five events on one day: 80m Hurdles, Shot, Long Jump, High Jump, and 800m.

This was an incredible achievement: going to two National Athletics Events, performing against the best young athletes in the country – what an accomplishment and experience!

Pride of place must go to our Senior Decathletes, Keiran BouwmeesterReid and Aaron Mills, who made up two-thirds of the Middlesex Senior Boys Combined Events Team. They performed extremely well in the most difficult conditions: thunderstorms, rain and high wind over the two days. They won the gold medal for the team event and a special mention for Keiran for winning the individual event, scoring the most points over the two days, achieving many Personal Bests and being crowned the Champion Decathlete 2024.

Well done to all our athletes in what has been an outstanding summer; a particular mention is due to our Senior athletes who are leaving Hampton and to those hopefully going on to perform in National athletic events of the future.

Finally, another special mention is appropriate for both Keiran and Aaron who have now set School Records in many of the events and raised the bar for our younger athletes to try and match.

Cross-Country

There were some wonderful performances in Cross Country running this year, across all age groups.

Back in January, in glorious sunshine and near perfect running conditions, 34 Hampton School runners from all age groups competed in the Richmond Schools Cross Country races over a sharply undulating, gnarly but thankfully mud-free Richmond Park course.

In the Year 7 race, Rafi Berry achieved a silver medal, closely followed by Reuben Nicholson. The Year 8 and 9 race saw Oscar Midgley-Carver gain 8th place in a very competitive field.

Marcus Solomon won the year 10 and 11 race, leading from the start and running the 4.4 kilometres in a jaw-dropping 15 minutes. Owen Parker and Euan McVey also finished in the top 10. All three runners helped win their age group by some margin.

Not to be outdone, our Senior team also managed to place three runners in the top 10 of their division: Theo Webb – wearing a cast on his arm – achieving a bronze medal with Sam Bond and Daniel Sleeman in close support.

Moving from the Richmond Schools to the significantly more competitive Middlesex Cross Country Championships at Harrow, Rafi Berry, finish in 7th place, with an excellent performance against an exceptionally strong field.

Oscar Midgley-Carver from the Third Year, finished in the top half out of 60 plus runners. Marcus Solomon finished in 9th place in a strong field of Y10 & Y11 runners.

Once again, our Senior runners Theo Webb, Daniel Sleeman, and Sam Bond all finished in the top 20 in a very competitive race, with Theo coming home in 12th place followed by Daniel in 14th and Sam – who played in the 2nd XI ESFA QF the day before – came 18th .

Our Senior runners also ran well in the King’s Trophy meeting on Wimbledon Common – where Theo Webb and Ethan Flack placed well, with close support from Kieran and Ruben BouwmeesterReid

In our Hampton Paarlauf in early December, involving teams from nine schools, our U19 and U17 teams both finished in 3rd position, while our U15 team put in a spirited performance.

Overall, it was a good year of Cross Country running, and the team ought to be proud of their efforts. We look forward to what they can achieve next year!

Golf

Our senior golf team this year was expertly captained by James Page, who leaves us to study in the US as a recruited golfer. I am certain that his new teammates will appreciate his organisation and determination just as much as we have!

In the Swifts – formerly HMC – Foursomes tournament, we played four exciting matches against Reigate, Dulwich, Epsom, and Whitgift.

Thanks to James Page, Alex Trevers, Raphael Cawthra, Robbie Ker, Hugo Knowles, Ruaan Vamadevan, Josh Vergunst, and Will Brown for all their efforts in what was a really close-fought group.

Particular highlights for me were seeing our first ever First Year competitor, Ruaan, fit so well into the team, watching Robbie’s awesome drive on the par-four 4th hole at Fulwell – very nearly a hole in one! – and watching Alex and Raphael tackle a play-off hole at Fulwell with nerves of steel: a great drive from Raphael, and later a superb high-pressure putt from Alex, which sealed the win for Hampton against Reigate on that occasion.

Having won 2-1 against Dulwich and lost 2-1 to Epsom, everything was riding on our final roundrobin match against Whitgift, which required a 3-0 victory to progress out of the group. Our final pair – Robbie and Raphael – were up against very tough opposition but fought hard throughout, finally winning on the 18th green and qualifying us for the next stage: a knock-out against Reed’s School.

This gave us a lovely opportunity to play at Foxhills GC. The boys put up a great fight against very strong competition, but, this time, it was Reed’s who progressed to the national finals.

We did, however, manage to progress all the way to the ISGA Plate national finals at Brampton Park, Huntingdon. We had a strong team –James, Alex, Raphael and Robbie – who always drive well and use distance to their advantage –but, at Brampton Park, which is full of doglegs and water hazards, they had to learn to keep their drivers in their bags and to concentrate on accurate iron play.

The winners on the day had had the advantage of a practice round…Hampton were not far behind, and felt that a few practice holes would have made all the difference. Here’s hoping for another chance, and a similar course, next year!

The annual Richmond Schools competition, hosted by Hampton at Fulwell and David Lloyd

Golf Clubs, was better attended than ever, with almost 60 players from eight schools in the borough taking part in a 9-hole Stableford tournament.

Best net and gross prizes were won by a range of schools – Grey Court, Kew House, Harrodian, Turing House, and Orleans Park – not forgetting Hampton in the Year 10 category. Congratulations to Joe Perry for his excellent score of 19 points. Well done to all 17 Hamptonians who took part; I hope to see you again in future competitions.

Sadly, we were unable to retain the trophy in our Old Hamptonians match this year – the OH side beat The School convincingly, with 213 points to 187 – total Stableford points of the best six of eight players.

The day was, however, as big a success as ever, with the OH players complimenting the pupils for conducting themselves impeccably and being allround good company. Very well done to the team – Alex Trevers, Jack Shephard, James Queen, Sam Bond, Theo Lloyd, Ruben BouwmeesterReid – and especially to Hal Leman, who had the highest pupil score, and of course to our captain James, who won the ‘nearest the pin’ prize for a superb approach to the 9th green.

Mr Kershaw returned the best teacher score, while Mr Worrall was very proud of his ‘longest drive’ prize! Thanks to Mr Worrall for organising this competition and for all his help throughout the year. Thanks also to Mr Mills and Mr Schurch for supporting Hampton golf, and of course to all the pupils who have been involved this year.

I look forward to what is sure to be another excellent season in 24-25.

Basketball

This year we entered U18, U15, U13 and U12 teams into the Surrey School’s Basketball League and an U16 team into the Surrey Cup.

With lots of close games across the season, including four that were decided by 5 points or less, both the U13 and U15 squads made it to the play-offs, whilst the U12 squad only missed out on points difference. Unfortunately, both teams lost at the semifinal stage; however, like all the age groups, they can be extremely proud of how they performed this season against schools who have Basketball as a major sport.

Positively, the programme continues to grow with 10 more fixtures than last year, over 70 boys representing the school and countless more taking the opportunity to attend Basketball club on a Tuesday or Wednesday lunchtime.

A huge thanks to Mr Hurst for running the basketball programme and Mr Page for his expert coaching.

Senior Basketball

Hampton Basketball has seen another year of growth; games can always be found on the outdoor courts and in Basketball clubs. As for the games in the Sports Hall, in three fixtures this season, Hampton saw a range of results, with two losses preceding an emphatic 40-point victory.

Whilst the number of basketball players is everincreasing, there will be some notable losses as Matt Lyons, Joe Earle, and captain Leo Fredanus van Gelder, among others, will be leaving the school for university.

The year saw the foundations being laid for an exciting season ahead as the team, spread across the Senior Year Groups, grew closer together and developed their skills over bi-weekly training sessions, for which we must thank Mr Page, Miss Peck, Mr Hurst and Mr Crook.

There has been lots of talk about the current crop of Hampton Basketball players being the most exciting and promising yet, and the squad eagerly awaits the season ahead.

Rishi Vijayan

HPH

sport Badminton

Badminton continues to be a popular sport here at Hampton with some good players progressing across all year groups.

Our U16 and U14 teams progressed through their regional groups in the national knockout competitions, and our U16 team represented the school in the U18 London Schools Badminton League, improving on last year’s U18 team’s performance.

They have gained great experience that should put them in a good position to challenge going forward in this league.

The U15 and U13 teams won their Richmond Borough tournaments and showed the strength coming up through the school.

We look forward to what the sides can achieve in the coming season!

HPH

Table Tennis

Whilst the U16s were not able to reproduce their successes of last year winning the South London Schools League, the team performed commendably and came third in the league securing good results along the way.

Individually, Shane Karunakaran and Oliver Dugaric were the stand-out players; these two represented Hampton at the individual South of England tournament, gaining great experience and progressing through the early rounds before losing to seeded opposition – a fantastic effort!

Table tennis continues to be a popular sport amongst the younger year groups in the school and there were good performances in the Richmond borough tournaments with the U13s and U14s finishing 3rd in their tournaments.

The number of players across the year groups – particularly First, Second and Third Years –is high, and we thank the players for the continued devotion to the sport and the coaches to their expert advice and coaching.

Pickleball

This year we have introduced Pickleball to the school with great success. This appears to be a popular sport across all abilities, and we are looking forward to hosting the inaugural Richmond Borough Pickleball tournaments as well as some fixtures during the next school year.

Watch this space!

HPH

HPH

Keeping in Touch

To contact us, please get in touch via alumni@hamptonschool.org.uk and we will direct your enquiry to the most relevant person.

If you change email or telephone number, or move house, please remember to let the alumni office know your new contact details by emailing: alumni@hamptonschool.org.uk.

We will always be mindful of how often we communicate with you, but you can update your contact preferences at any time via alumni.hamptonschool.org.uk/contactus/communication-preferences

Staying Connected

Add Hampton School to your education on your LinkedIn profile Visit the alumni microsite on the School website: alumni.hamptonschool.org.uk

From The Alumni Office

The purpose of a school’s development function is to help the school community support current pupils. In 2023-24, 106 boys attended the School on free places, in large part thanks to those who give back to Hampton.

Adriana Williams, incoming Development Director, has big ambitions for this refreshed department at Hampton. ‘Schools’ fundraising was not the dream when I was 18 – I always wanted to be a teacher,’ explains Adriana when asked about why she fundraises for education.

‘I was fortunate enough to have a choice in where I went to school, and I loved my challenging, fast-paced educational career. The teachers saw the potential in each pupil and encouraged us to push ourselves. I wanted to be that for someone else.’

So, what changed her mind? ‘For my masters, I wrote my thesis on giving to education and I was hooked. I could see the impact of free places on children’s lives, and the ripple effect on their families. I could not ask for better job satisfaction than opening doors to opportunity. Almost 15 years on, I still think this is the best job in the world.’

‘My aim is to make our team the hub that brings together families, staff, alumni, and friends of the School and shows the difference they can make collectively and individually, on each other and the school. Reunions, professional events, sporting occasions, and celebrations are opportunities to grow the network and to give back. We will be a very busy team creating opportunities for those connected to Hampton to come together and keep in touch.’

Besides fundraising and community, what motivates Adriana? ‘I enjoy being outside. I walk my dog, kayak, ski, hike, garden, anything to be in

nature, when the fickle UK weather allows. Inside, it is all about food –I am Italian, so I love cooking and singing. Hopefully my colleagues will enjoy more of the former and less of the latter in the office.’

Adriana Williams

The Fitzwygram Foundation

The Fitzwygram Foundation is the next step beyond bursaries. The Foundation supports talented boys, nurturing them and their families through Hampton all the way to university entrance.

Gifts to the Foundation cover the whole cost of a Fitzwygram scholar’s education – from fees through to uniform, trips and even the bus fare. Hampton’s incredible pastoral support is there to support not only pupils

Aadam’s Story

Aadam Shahzad is currently studying Politics, Philosophy & Economics (PPE) at the University of Oxford. He says that Hampton changed his life and wants as many other young people as possible to benefit from the opportunities that he received.

When reflecting on his time at Hampton, Aadam says, ‘every day was like an adventure. The opportunities are almost endless. I would consider myself to be someone who engaged with a lot of different clubs, sports, and activities, and I still don’t think I even did anywhere near the number of things that I could have done…I still regret not attending beekeeping club at least once whilst I was there. I made so many friends who I will value for the rest of my life.’

Going to the University of Oxford was a dream for Aadam. ‘I often pinch myself when I realise ”Wow, I am actually really here now!” When I was an 11-year-old boy, I never would have thought this would be possible. Hampton was the catalyst to apply and achieve this goal. I think that little boy would be very proud.’

The New Chair of Trustees of the FoundationFitzwygram

Raghav Ghai OH (2007) has been appointed as Chair of Trustees of the Fitzwygram Foundation, whose purpose is to increase the number of Free Places at Hampton School.

Today, Raghav is a successful Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) lawyer with a passion for his local community and social mobility through education. Growing up in Hounslow, he credits his strong foundation to the schools that nurtured his potential.

Whilst at Hampton, Raghav took part in a variety of sports and clubs, including Second XV rugby, cricket and Duke of Edinburgh, and excelled academically, eventually graduating with a first class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford.

Now a partner at Simmons & Simmons, Raghav has spent over 10 years honing his legal expertise in M&A. He advises companies and investors across various sectors often with a particular focus on transactions relating to energy transition and digital transformation.

but parents, too. This is not simply a free places scheme, but a lifechanging social mobility programme for each boy and his family.

In 2023-24, an impressive 106 boys came to Hampton on Free Places, and we don’t want to stop there. We need your support to offer more Free Places to boys like Aadam, whose award helped him follow his interests, try out new activities, and reach further than he thought possible.

It has never been easier to support the Foundation that gives back to our community; follow the QR code or go to https://hamptonschool.org.uk/ about/the-fitzwygram-foundation/ to support the next generation of Hamptonians.

Driven by a desire to give back to the communities that shaped and opened doors for him, Raghav volunteers both as a Governor for Springwell School, a state primary school in Heston, and as Chair of Trustees for the Fitzwygram Foundation at Hampton. He passionately believes in opening the doors to Hampton School to all boys who would benefit from a Hampton education.

‘The Fitzwygram Foundation does not mean just covering fees – it also helps support scholars in sports, activities, trips, even down to uniform and the bus fare to school. It is all about making the Hampton experience accessible to all.’

alumni OH News

Lucca Froud OH (2021)

Lucca completed Arch to Arc – a challenge that saw him run seven marathons in seven days, from Marble Arch to Arc de Triomphe. His motivation to run this distance was to raise money for the charity WildFish.

Commenting on the challenge, Lucas said:

‘Every single day of the trip there were issues – whether that be the support bike breaking, battling knee and calf injuries, and charging wild boars! But I got through it in the end with the support of my amazing family and girlfriend, and, of course, all the generous donations streaming in!’

Louis Lynagh OH (2019)

Louis performed exquisitely in what turned out to be a dream Six Nations debut for the Italy-born superstar.

His first international try in the 44th minute was the indicator of an Italian resurgence, as the hosts turned it round with an extraordinary second-half display to secure just their second Six Nations win since their first victory over Scotland, in 2015.

Speaking to ITV after the game, Lynagh said that ‘I don’t think I have any words right now. One try, one win – I might retire!’

Lynagh, who captained Hampton’s First XV side in the 2018-19 season, will inevitably be in dreamland right now. His impact cannot be understated: a debut try, and a first home victory for Italy for 11 years.

Josh King OH (2025)

Josh has seen his footballing career go from strength to strength, after he received a professional contract from Fulham Football Club Academy in 2023.

The promising young midfielder has been developing well at Fulham Academy; as well as being a key member of the U18 Youth squad, Josh scored on his U21s debut back in October in a 4-0 win against Leicester City in the Premier League Cup.

In 2023, he was named one of the top youngsters in the Premier League by The Guardian, and this year was selected for the England U17 Men’s team who took part in the UEFA European U17 Championship this summer.

In June, Josh was awarded Fulham’s ‘Scholar of the Year’ prize for 2023-24, recognising his determination and hard work on and off the pitch. Hamptonians will remember that the talented footballer played a key role in the 2023 U18 English Schools’ Football Association final, scoring a fantastic goal in the 3-2 victory, which saw the Hampton School First XI team lift the coveted trophy in front of 700 travelling boys, parents and staff.

Rowzambique 2024: On Water…For Water

Francis Highton OH (2009)

In September 2019, I joined Hampton as a Geography teacher. Between my pupil and professional tenures here, I was heavily involved in rowing, competing for Great Britain at Junior and U23 level, and racing for Leander Club for many years.

After formally stepping back from the sport, I had to find something else to pursue. Adventure.

My most exciting adventure started back in 2018. I took part in a 900km expedition row through Zambia – itself the third in a series of quests to row the full length of the Zambezi River.

First covering a stretch of the upper Zambezi from Angola to Victoria Falls, the second a nonstop crossing of Lake Kariba, our 18-day sculling exploration saw us traverse the wilds of the third largest tributary of the Kafue River.

We dodged hippos and crocodiles and marvelled at the wildlife in the savannahs around the river and embedded ourselves at every opportunity into the local customs and cultures.

This summer, I will be returning to Africa for the fourth and final stage of this challenge. We will row another 900km along the Zambezi River, this time through Mozambique as well as Zambia.

Our diverse, multi-national team includes Olympic rowers from Team GB and several African countries, Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race winners, and other elite rowers from all around the world.

The expedition will take us across the greatest stretch of the mighty Zambezi, and consists of:

A 600km row from Tete in northern Mozambique heading downstream towards the Indian Ocean. We will be navigating waterways that are home to crocodiles, hippos, and, in the final 250km, sharks!

We will be rowing across Africa’s fourth largest artificial lake, Cahora Bassa. We will be launching from the dam at the lake’s eastern end and rowing 350km back ‘upstream’ towards the border with Zambia, where the Luangwa River tributary meets the Zambezi.

Each previous expedition partnered with Village Water; On Water, For Water. This organisation installs wells in villages throughout Mozambique and Zambia.

In the areas they are active, only half the population has access to safe water, with just one in three people having a safe place to go to the toilet. Safe water, sanitation and hygiene are the building blocks of community development, the basic ingredients that help all other changes to happen.

Since 2004, Village Water has reached over 1.7 million people across both countries, and 97% of the installed water pumps are still working. Thanks to their tireless efforts, there has been a 92% drop in diarrhoea, a 90% decrease in girls’ school absenteeism, and a 77% decrease in eye infections.

Alongside Village Water, we will also fundraise for learn-to-row courses across Zambia, bringing community sport to the forefront. One of our team members is Bartholemew Mukuta, who benefited from these educational courses in the past. This led him to try to qualify for the Olympics in the African Olympic Qualification Regatta.

If you want to know more or to support me and the team in this, get in touch on f.highton@hamptonschool.org.uk.

Tim Sayer OH (1963) – Art Collector

Hampton History of Art pupils were given the wonderful opportunity to visit and explore the art collection of Tim Sayer (OH 1963) – the extended report of which can be found in the Arts Section of the magazine on pages 94-96. We thank Tim for opening up his home to our pupils and for sharing the joy of his superb collection with us.

Halloween night of London’s Raindance Festival 2023 saw the European Premiere of The Portrait written and produced by David Griffiths OH (1970).

Two other Old Hamptonians were involved in the making of this mystery/ suspense movie. Peter Griffiths OH (1968), was an associate producer, and John Chadwick OH (1970), was an investor.

Murray Head OH (1962) interviewed by Michael Abecassis

On Friday 8 March, a frisson of excitement ran through Radcliffe Square, Oxford. Brasenose College provided the stage on which Michael Abecassis, an academic specialising in French popular culture, interviewed Old Hamptonian Murray Head OH (1962) as one of the series of French popular showbiz personalities hosted at the college by Professor Carole BourneTaylor. Carole, who teaches French literature at the College, is the wife of Geoffrey Bourne-Taylor OH (1957), who managed to ‘gatecrash’ the event.

Murray spoke amusingly – in fluent French – about his appearance in films, including the BAFTA award winning and Oscar-nominated film Sunday Bloody Sunday

As a musician he is most recognised for his hit song, Superstar from the 1970 opera Jesus Christ Superstar. Frequently running ‘off-script’ – to the great amusement of his audience – Murray darted from one thing to another, giving some very frank answers at times, often breaking into his native tongue when the French phrase eluded him.

He completed the interview by singing three of his old favourites – to rousing applause from a particularly large audience of fans of all ages

Our picture shows Geoffrey Bourne-Taylor taking advantage of a photo-opportunity, when they compared notes on the strict regime that they both experienced at Hampton in those days.

OH Events

Walter Bailey and Alex Green Memorial Football Matches

We were delighted to welcome over 50 Hampton alumni back for the annual Walter Bailey and Alex Green Cup memorial football fixtures in March. This annual event sees Old Hamptonians take on the School First and Second XIs. Thanks to popular demand, a third match was played against the School’s Third XI.

The Walter Bailey Cup is played in memory of former member of staff, and referee, Water Bailey, who died in 2007. It is always a hotly contested match between the School First XI and the Old Hamptonians.

The Alex Green Cup is named after Alex Green OH (2014), who passed away in 2017. To remember him, the School’s Second XI play against the Old Hamptonians.

Both games are held every year and are closely fought. The results of the afternoon’s fixtures saw both cups returned to the School’s trophy cabinet for the year, with the honours firmly the School’s this time around.

Walter Bailey Cup: 6-3 to the School First XI

Alex Green Cup: 4-1 to the School Second XI

The Third XI Match: 5-2 to the School Third XI

Henley Royal Regatta

On Saturday 6 July 2024, under driving rain, Hamptonians gathered for the annual paella at Henley Royal Regatta.

In attendance was Matt Hamilton OH (2018), who is pulling together alumni rowers across the generations to keep in touch with one another and get out on the river. If you would like to be added to their mailing list, please contact Matt and his team on lionsboatclub@gmail.com.

Alumni Art Exhibition 2023

In December, the Art department was delighted to welcome back a host of OHs to a very special exhibition of creative arts. It was great to see you all and we look forward to your next visit.

Old Hamptonians’ Association

Old Hamptonians’ Cricket Club

The Old Hamptonians’ Cricket Club have just passed the halfway point in our season, another very successful one both on and off the field.

Following promotions to Surrey’s second tiers in their respective structures both the First and Second XIs have found life somewhat harder than in previous years. Having said that, the Firsts, captained by Rob Bentley OH (2015), have recently secured their first ever Division 1 victory over local rivals Walton, and the 2s have responded to their tough start with a five game unbeaten streak and are now into the top half – a great platform to build on into the second half of the season.

The Thirds and Fourths are sitting pretty at the top of their leagues.

The Thirds have their noses just in front of the chasing pack, whereas the Fourths are nine from nine – the only team in all the Surrey Championships’ 23 Divisions to boast this record.

Our Fifth XI have played a record number of games for this point in the season and are looking forward to more as the summer progresses. We have already seen our Sixth XI have a run out and will keep our fingers crossed for a few more games for them into the height of the summer.

Alongside the Saturday league cricket, the Old Hamptonians’ entered the prodigious Cricketer’s Cup for the first time this season; a very talented squad, fielding some of the best recent Hampton School leavers, beat both Stowe and Felsted Old Boys to reach a thrilling clash with Old Wellingtonians – a side featuring several first class cricketers.

Old Hamptonians’ Golf Club

June saw the kick-off of the inaugural OHAGC versus OHACC golf match, which brought together 18 Old Hamptonians for a better-ball Matchplay game at Burhill Golf Club.

Our side sadly fell just short in this game, but we have announced our arrival in this competition with style and look forward to going again next year!

Our U21s side is now in Tier 1 of the Surrey leagues and are on fire#, with both current and recently departed Hamptonians contributing massively to their success; wins against Walton and Sunbury so far showing the progress and talent within this side.

Finally, our midweek Surrey Slam side are about to venture down to Oxshott for their Round of 32 clash with a Finals Day at the Kia Oval ‘only’ four wins away.

A notable recent fixture has been the match against the School First XI, which took place in June. The School, winning the toss, posted a competitive 204 off their 50 over allocation with the wickets spread across the Old Hamptonians’ bowling unit. This was, however, chased down in an accomplished batting performance with Toby Godfray OH (2016) scoring 57 and Max Vyvyan OH (2017) 65 to see the Old Boys home in the 38th over.

There is ample opportunity for current pupils and recent leavers alike to get involved at Old Hamptonians Cricket Club, one of the fastest growing in Surrey and an amazing opportunity to continue playing with fellow Hamptonians and external recruits alike!

Please do get in touch with the club by email through: ohacricket@gmail. com if you would like to join the journey!

The day produced some strong competitive golf, including Kavi Bhasin OH (2015) scoring a 4-under-par back nine, and all four matches going close to the wire; but, ultimately, the OHAGC ran out eventual winners with 2.51.5 points.

We look forward to continuing this fixture and expanding our golf fixtures, and thanks goes out to Bob Hudson OH (1974) & Harry Mayes OH (2015) for organising.

James Osborne (OH 2017)

Old Hamptonians’ Football Club

OHAFC go into the 24-25 season looking extremely well placed after the First XI secured promotion at the end of last season; they will be playing in the top league going forward. No doubt they will be looking to keep playing their football and to take down some much bigger clubs this season.

Notable News

The Old Hamptonians Association is delighted to introduce The Mick Savage Award for Service to the Hampton Community.

Mick Savage OH (1949) is a Hamptonian who embodies the best of the school’s ethos and values. He has been closely associated with the OHA for over 60 years and has represented every playing section during that time. He has been a stalwart supporter, a leading figure throughout this time, and an invaluable asset to the Committee, the School and the wider community.

The award will be presented to a Hampton leaver who has demonstrated commitment, humility and respect through their school career, and who will honour Mick’s legacy in their future endeavours; it is our pleasure to recognise Mick in this small way, and we hope his remarkable contribution to Hampton will continue through future generations.

The Second XI are under the new stewardship of Owen Searle, and they will be looking to push on from last year and secure promotion.

It is a hugely exciting time to be a part of the football club, and, if you would like to join, please get in touch with George Gregory OH (2017) on 07500967004 or george.gregory1@aol.com.

From the Archive

Thank you to Ken Coton OH (1957) who generously donated some impressive action shots from his time at Hampton. Can you identify any of the pupils and masters in these pictures? These would have been taken in 1957.

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.

Norman Rowe OH (1952) June 2024

Bryan D Smith OH (1954) June 2024

Terry Bygraves OH (1958) May 2024

Ed Ratcliffe OH (2012)

May 2024

Stephen Carleton OH (1974) April 2024

Sir Geoffrey Tantum OH (1959) 22 February 2024

Claude Honey OH (1945) 12 February 2024

Ma�hew Amor OH (1995) February 2024

Michael Stockbridge OH (1958) 19 January 2024

John Swannell OH (1957) 17 January 2024

Peter Mitchell OH (1949) 14 January 2024

Jeffrey Sporton OH (1947) 12 January 2024

Evan Jones OH (1948) no�fied January 2024

Brian Broad OH (1945) no�fied January 2024

Gabriel Ellingham OH (1947) 5 January 2024

Frank Page OH (1957) December 2023

Ma�hew Chapman OH (1993) 10 November 2023

Jim Voller OH (1948) June 2023