THE KING'S SCHOOL, WORCESTER
STAFF - 1983-1984
Headmaster — J.M Moore, M.A., Ph.D Second Master - P.G.L Curie, M.A
K.P Barnett, M.A
D Anderton, M.A
A.L Stacey, M.A
J.R Turner, B.Sc
M.J Points, M.A
T.D.R Hickson, B.A., M.Inst.P
J.L.K Bridges, B.Sc
R.C Gabriel, M.A
L.B Day, M.A
I Brown, Dip.P.E
G.N Leah, M.A , Ph.D
R Allum, B.Sc., M.I.Biol
M.W Bentley, Cert.Ed
ER Burkill, M.A
S.R Davies, Cert.Ed (Careers)
T.E Watson, M.Inst.P
P.G Diamond, B.A., M.Phil
P.C Thompson, M.A
M Young, M.A (Careers)
P.J Baseley, Dip H/craft
D.E Hope, B.Sc
M.J Roberts, B.Sc
J.M Roslington, B.Sc., M.Inst.P
"Mrs M.A Nott, B.Sc., M.I.Biol
Revd P Hammersley, B.D (Chaplain)
A L Hirst, M.A
R F Humphreys M.Sc
B Griffiths, B.fech
E Reeves, M.A
Miss S.E Rouse, B.Sc., Ph.D
D.T Naish, B.Ed
*Mrs M.J Brown, Cert.Ed
N.A Faux, B.A
M Homer, B.A
T Mason, B.Sc Econ
'Mrs C.F Roslington, B.A
M.A Stevens, M.A
'Mrs D Wake, B.A
'Mrs S Allum, B.Sc
P.J.A Eccleston,M.A
R.A Fleming, B.A
D.P Iddon, B.A
Mrs R.C.J Diamond, B.A
O.M Barton, B.Ed
A.E Clemit, M.A
J Exton, Dip A.D (Hons.), A.T.C
A.J Haigh,B.A
J Meth, B.A
S le Marchand, B.A
R.N.G Stone, M.A
MUSIC
J.M.R Drummond, M.A., Mus.B., F.R.C.O
H.R Thurlby, L.R.A.M A.F Partington, B.A., F.R.C.O and 27 Visiting Teachers
JUNIOR SCHOOL
Master - P.K Winter, Cert.Ed
Deputy Master - M Abrahams, B.Ed
Mrs A Winter, Cert.Ed
Miss S.L Lewis,B.Ed
Miss L Wellings, B.Ed
C.R Davis, B.Ed
S.A Malone, B.Ed
Miss A.H Turpin, B.Ed 'Mrs L Jackson, M.A
* = part-time
Bursar — D.J Gilligan, F.C.A
Medical Officer - Dr J.M Duncan, M.B., Ch.B
Sister - Mrs E.E Morgan, S.R.N Caterer — Mr N Witherick
Headmaster's Secretary — Mrs M Brodrick Accountant — Miss A Turvey
The Vigornian 1984
Editors: Peter Iddon
Anthony Clemit
Photographs: David Hope
Nicholas Stephens
O.V. News: Michael Craze
J.D Buston, E Chidley, R.S McClatchey, D Rosewarne,
Sarah J Anderson, R Millner, T.C Owen, S.J Bayliss, Catherine Taylor, Gabrielle J Downing, Kristina Huntingdon, S.P Lewis,
SCHOOL MONITORS 1983-1984
Head of School — M.J. Morgan
P.G Bailey
A.D Brunyee
A.J Gordon
J.D Hodgson
N Kaltsoyannis
S.P Lewis
R.J Matthews
T.C Owen
A.W Rankin
Joyce Renney
E.J.B Simpson
OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE RESULTS
Townsend Scholarship (Engineering) Scholarship (Natural Sciences) Scholarship (Economics)
United Steel Companies' Scholarship (Natural Sciences)
Exhibition (Geography)
Exhibition (Choral)
Exhibition (History)
Place (English)
Place (History)
Place (Law)
Place (Medicine)
Place (Engineering)
KING'S SCHOLARSHIPS
St John's Cambridge Pembroke College, Cambridge King's College, Cambridge
St John's, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge Trinity College, Cambridge
St Edmund Hall, Oxford Worcester College, Oxford
St Catherine's, Oxford Newnham College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge Trinity College, Cambridge
J.E.P Beale (King's School) L Matthews (King's School)
J.P Bury (Winterfold House) S.R Owen (King's School)
J.R.A Clark (King's School) S.P Ranganathan (King's School)
J.P.B Jones (Hawford Lodge) G.P Whitlock (Wells House)
QUEEN'S SCHOLARSHIPS
Clare E Hurle (Malvern Girls' College and King's School)
Catherine R Mundell (British School in the Netherlands and King's School)
EXHIBITIONS
R.P Dow (Bromsgrove Junior School) D.M Lowe (Winterfold House)
W.R Harris (Winterfold House)
MUSIC AWARDS
Scholarships: M.A Edwards (King's School) J.A Smith (King's School)
Exhibitions: J.M Davis (King's School
S.D Lea (BJackminster Middle School)
Field days were the usual mixture of flying at RAF Filton, climbing and cavingand radio-control flying On the individual scene, congratulations must go to Fit Sgt E Simpson and Sgt. D. Goodwin for gaining Flying Scholarships. Ed Simpson was able to stay on andget hisPrivate Pilot's License to round off a successful summer Jnr Cpl Wadsworth successfully gained his solo proficiency in gliding
Although mention must be made ofall the NCOs during the year for running the section smoothly and for putting in much enthusiasm over the four years they spent in the section, special mention must go to Fit Sgt E Simpson and Fit Sgt A Wright fortheir special efforts and support for us during their period of service
D.E.H.
THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH GOLD AWARD
The completion of the last school year brought about a major change for the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme at King's, as it signalled the departure ofMr. Mason. For the last several years, he has worked away, getting many people through the gold award Now he has moved on to other pastures, (I hesitate to say greener) and Mr Humphries has bravely decided to take on the task Before going on to talk briefly about the award, I think a few words about Mr Mason would be appropriate
I have no statistics upon the number of people Mr. Mason has got through theaward, orhow much work he has had to put into it,but I am sure that inboth cases the answer is a lot! Those of us doing the gold award didn't tend tosee much of Mr Mason, as after starting us off, he had the silver group to cope with and we were left to our own devices However, when any problems did come up,you could rely on him to help youout
There are in fact five sections that constitute the gold award: community service, skill, a residential course, physical activity and the good oldexpedition The expedition is probably the most difficult, butcan also be the most enjoyable This year, thirteen of us set off, on Friday the thirteenth of July believe it or not, for Edale in the Peak district of Derbyshire From there, the three groups completed the necessary fifty miles on their various routes. Mercifully, the weather was good forthis expedition, there being only one day on which it rained The hills were as steep as ever though, and rucksacks just as heavy, but despite this, the expedition wasenjoyable, thanks both to Mr Mason and Mr Humphries and also to the excellent group I was in Before we setoff, I didn't even know who the rest of the group were because I had tochange groups atthe last minute Luckily though, we got on famously, which made the expedition much more pleasant. One tip for Mr. Humphries on future expeditions, please don't smile as much as Mr Mason used towhen greeting groups at the end of a day's walking His huge grins used to convey the message, 'Well, I don't know about you, but I've had a lovely relaxing day.' When we invariably hadn't, itwas just a tiny bit annoying
The sections entitled skill and residential course are probably not self explanatory and require a word or two about them The skill section involvesstudying a particular subject for one year I chose guitar playing as I did that already Other skills included cookery, wine makingand printing The residential course requires you to spend five nights away from home with people you are notnormally with Adventure holidays are often a popular choice here
Well that about wraps up this article. It just remains for me to wish Mr Humphries the best of luck with the future, and to those lower down the school, itbeats marching round the school yard!
David Boulton
WEEKEND ACTIVITIES
Thanks to Mr. Clemit, Mr.Meth and Mr. le Marchand, the Sports Hall and Swimming Pool have been open on a regular Sunday basis this year and have been well used Another regular activity which has collected some enthusiastic followers is theSnooker Club organised by Mr Thurlby Contrary to popular rumour, boys do not have to be Chinese, or members of Hostel House to join the waiting list!
A series of films have been shown as usual, the best reception being given to 'Airplane', 'Kelly's Heroes' and 'Gregory's Girl'.
Several minibus trips have been on offer on Sundays including one carrying a contingent to the Upton-on-Severn Fun Run Several King's boys competed and helped to raise money forcharity in the process
A Whist Drive organised by Mr Points has joined Mr Stacey's Rifle Shooting as a regular feature of each term No School year would be complete without the Fifth Form Disco from Mr Mason, nor the 'Get to know Worcester' quiz trail from Mr Allum for the new boys at the beginning of the year
Each term has seen one College Hall evening In the Autumn, guest speaker Colin Garratt produced on aptly named 'Audio Visual Spectacular' recording his one man crusade to capture working steam engines on film before their final demise In theSpring, David Hope conveyed very well his passion formountaineering when hedelivered 'The Low Down onthe High Up'. He was aided by his collection of excellent slides. In the Summer, Adrian Partingtonand Tim Jones braved the acoustics of the Hall to capture the flavour of Flanders and Swan with anenjoyable selection of their songs
Folk song evenings, Theatre visits, fireworks, fencing, Alton Towers, and two days of Judo instruction from a Black Belt 1st Dan, all added to the year's activities
Thanks are due to other members of Staff whom I have not hadchance to mention here, for all their efforts.
R.A.F
THE SCIENCE SOCIETY
Having notheard from us the last two years you may have thought that we had been swallowed up by theSchool'sever increasing search forrooms, but not so —we are still thriving Since the last report four of our members: John Buston, Dave Rosewarne, Stephen Lord andTina Huntingdon have gained places at either Oxford or Cambridge, two with awards Projects last year were promising despite our lower numbers, and many old appliances were given the kiss of life bysuch stalwart 'members' as John Saunders and Jim Sawyer Without much trouble we managed to assemble the PA in time for the Fete and as usual Mr Burkhill used it with his customary flair!
With some redecorating planned and hopefully some new faces of both genders weare set for another year of scientific confusion Thanks again to Mr Day for his continued support
C. Burnham — Chairman (83-84)
A. Booth — Chairman (84-85)
H. Windsor — Secretary (84-85)
SIXTH FORM CINEMA CLUB
The 1983/4 season was particularly successful in that a record number of students from the five city sixth forms joined There was good attendance at all films — school halls were frequently overfilled.
The 1985 season promises to be perhaps even more enjoyable, as we hope to purchase new loud speakers to replace those damaged by constant transportation in the school bus Good quality sound is still a major objective, and
itic as a bus shelter. Following the music came the speeches of welcome, including a burst of enrapturing eloquence from our esteemed group leader Having downed the last of the apple juice and licked up the doughnut crumbs it was time to experience some lessons
Spanish was my first stop, not surprisingly I failed to understand a word of it. My arrival was greeted with questions such as:
"What do you think of Boy George?" and
"Do you really drink tea at four in England?" Boy George was considered rather weird by many, not really fitting the notion of England apparent from the second question
On returning home came my first taste of American television There were thirteen channels to choose from, seemingly screening soap operas twenty four hours a day If for any reason thirteen was felt inadequate, cable could provide about thirty, again broadcasting virtually non stop through the day — not that I had any wish to do anything after about 10.30 p.m (least of all watch T.V.)due to the early start every morning.
During the next ten days trips were arranged from the school, returning there in the afternoon to meet our hosts and return home for the evening Two visits to New York were scheduled and one to Philadelphia,otherwise most of the activities were in the Allentown area
Normally lunch was bought at the nearest Macdonald's or Wendy's, preferably the latter — Macdonald's being too slow — a minute's wait on one occasion! The actual substance of the meal was invariably a double cheeseburger, chips and coke with an ice content of eighty per cent, all printed on a receipt bearing the time of day to the second
Whilst a steady succession of such lunches might have been a little monotonous they were certainly preferable to the 'meal' consumed on a day walking up the side of a near vertical hill known as the Appalachian Trail The walk to the summit took about an hour and a half to complete, having looked at the view of the surrounding area we all trudged back down to light a fire over which we were to cook lunch. After scurrying about pulling down a few trees for firewood black smoke could soon be seen billowing all around The next stage was to find the food — was this to be some sort of survival exercise, I thought, as images flicked through my mind of us all sitting around the fire grunting and hacking away at a roasting carcass Well no, it wasn't The food was contained in a large box full of bread rolls and
sausages. By the time I'd blackened several sausages over the fire and dropped a couple in it, it was time to go, thankfully just before the rain.
Two days after arriving was our first trip to New York, a two and a half hour journey by coach or "rest room equipped Greyhound Transporter" to supply the official term Most of the sightseeing was done through the coach windows, which was probably the best way of seeing Harlem, through we did stop from time to time Stops included, over the two visits, Chinatown, the United Nations Headquarters, around which we had a guided tour, and the department store Bloomingdales Some members of the group decided to do a thorough inspection and take an aerial view as well by means of a helicopter Unfortunately the mist marred what might otherwise have been some stunning views The cage of scaffold around the Statue of Liberty and the bleakness of the day reduced her to no more than a shadow over the entrance to the harbour rather than the imposing figure which I had come to expect Most striking though was of course the formidable array of skyscrapers built on every available inch of space It was a curious feeling to let one's eyes wander up the side of the Empire State Building only to find the top lost somewhere in the mist New York, though spectacular, is not a place I would want to revisit For the most part there was little but large, dirty, unattractive buildings and the never ending bustle Certainly there was no subtlety or charm to be found here
Due to arriving back later than normal when we went to New York I missed seeing 'Charles and Diana — a Royal love story', which was being screened for a second time This I felt would have been most entertaining Interest in the Princess of Wales was still very strong, fuelled by the sort of magazine sold at supermarket checkouts Competitionfor cover space seemed to come entirely from Michael Jackson and Boy George (who in one magazine had managed to be paired off with one another) As for the inside stories there was 'Di turns Charles into Royal Wimp' with the amazing revelation that the heir to the throne has been taking ballet lessons in a black leotard
In addition to the Royal Family an English accent was greeted with considerable interest, not to mention some appalling mimicry There were times when I felt like some sort of performing exhibit such as when my host informed me, "Afriend's comingover this evening to hear you talk" I felt almost obliged to sit repeating "Jolly good show" all evening to make her visit worthwhile On another occasion
When the mood took them, for example against Wrekin, the forwards as a unit could be devastating. They supported each other well and could make a lot of ground with forward rushes Andrew Hall was a regular prop with Robert Leek the more than able hooker Matthew Crossey and James Mills variously and with some reluctance propped on the other side All gave 100% at all times and provided a sound platform Ian Jones accompanied Bryer in the second row; what he lacked in weight he made up with determination With 5 back row forwards to choose from this area provided most selection headaches The problem was often solved when 1 or 2 of them played elsewhere John Bowley was the permanent fixture; he is a flanker in the best traditions Adam Westley and Andrew Underwood always gave of their best, Crossey and Thompson being the other two who have already been mentioned.
There was strength in depth and there was little difficulty in raising a 'B' team for 5 matches They played with enthusiasm and enjoyed their rugby especially when beating R.G.S 20-18 and Bromsgrove 50-7
The strength of the squad was their enthusiasm and willingness to help and support each other which made them one of the easiest and most enjoyable teams to coach.
Long may they continue to play the game in such good spirit
T.M./S.R.D.
U14 XV
Won 15 Drawn 1 Lost 3
Points for: 566 Points against: 106
Winner of the Warwick 7's
Surely one of the most successful U14 teams in King's School rugby history What a combination!
The strongmen — McCarthy, Wood and Bird John and Graham's devastating tackling and strong running were a major asset to the team
The skilful forwards — Hubert, Haynes, Anthony, Clee, Randle, Heesom and Hill These stalwarts were ably assisted by forward replacements Caldicott and Wallis
The half backs — Ghalamkari and Bayliss Hooman is the smallest but most courageous player in the side, while Richard is the tactician and captain
The three quarters — Jelfs, Ward, Mitchell, Underwood and Butterworth Paul scored forty tries this season The regular choices were well supported by Cartwright, Vaughan, Goodall and Screen.
U13 XV
Played 23 Won 7 Drawn 3 Lost 13
Points for: 226 Points against: 351
D.T.N.
As the above record shows, this was not a particularly successful season for the under 13's
The season started well enough with 2 draws and then a win and it seemed as though the team had got over its disappointments of the previous season However our optimism was soon proved to be unfounded as we lost the next 7 matches and many of them by large margins This included the game against Whitton Middle School which we lost 23-28. All their points were scored by one boy who managed to run in 6 tries and convert 2 of them. It was a very disheartening experience for the forwards as we managed to win nearly all the ball After that match the forwards decided to take their revenge on the backs and rarely let them see the ball again
The highlight of the season was the tour to Macclesfield. We travelled up with the Under 14's on the Saturday and played Marple in the afternoon This produced an exciting match which we won 20-8 and certainly cheered up some rather apprehensive boys before they went to spend the
night with the host families in Macclesfield They arrived back the following morning for the game against King's Macclesfield with stories of the marvellous hospitality they had enjoyed and I am sure this was the reason for our defeat. I hope we can entertain them in a similar fashion in the coming season and take our revenge.
Despite the many defeats there were some good aspects of the team's play The forwards developed into a very tight and efficient ball-winning unit and rarely failed to have the measure of the opposition If the likes of Telling, Malsbury and Cowton can add more aggression to their strength and technique they will all develop into fine tight forwards This combined with the tremendous ability of Robinson at scrum-half and the skill of Evans will provide the basis for a strong side in the future if the back division can become more incisive
U12 XV
Despite the rugby experience several boys had gained in St Albans, and the presence of some competent games players in the new intake, the team's results were only moderate All too often at this age level, physique rather than skill is all-important in the winning of games, but as long as players of the calibre and energy of Tomlinson, Kwan, Higgins, Willmott, Westley and Conyers maintain their enthusiasm for the game, the masters in charge of school fifteens in the more senior years need not have too many worries
D.P.I.
The First VII 1984
Sevens in 1984 contained the traditional mixture of training, travel, rain and injuries as well as the usual fun
Beginning at Hereford, we were defeated first by Cwmtawe with a Welsh scrum-half on the field and then by the muesli bars on the bus Four days later at Solihull we struck form, winning our group, thrashing Cwmtawe and even defeating the great Cowley, before going down to the eventual winners, Aylesbury, in the semi-finals Our star was Guess, who outpaced all before a few late nights appeared to catch up with him in the semis The same late nights accounted for the rest of Graham's season, which was spent in a dog collar Solihull showed us how well we could play when blessed with a full side.
The long trip to Taunton was disturbing, not only because of Brun's singing, but because of injury and illness only two backs were aboard and additionally two members were on loan from the Boat Club We put up a spirited performance however and did not come away without some reward!
At Clifton our defeats of Wellington and Wycliffe included the try of the season by debutant Jaques and considerable effort from a weakened team Millfield then gave us our annual thrashing with the minimum of effort
Rossyln Park was as wet as usual and this time saw the pace of Preston on the wing and the beef of Blakeway at scrum-half On the field we defeated Chislehurst and Sidcup, and Magnus, came close to Ampleforth (who went on to win the Festival) but unfortunately went out in a mudbath to Nottingham High It was sad that "Yozzer" Guess could not be with us to perform as he had in previous years Off the field Dougie swopped momentoes with opposition and referees alike and George found a single bed too small for his fetching speech on his birthday
The Sevens were totally unforgettable and thanks must go to Epsom College for their generous hospitality, Douglas for looking after "our" kit and finally Mr Roberts for his driving, advice and backing vocals
Mike Morgan
v Dean Close Match Drawn
Dean Close 181 - 6 dec. (Vincent 54; Carroll 65*; Suckling 3 - 33)
King's 105 - 8 (Marsh 40; Vincent 3-9 )
v Camels C. C. Won by 3 wickets
Camels 198 - 5 dec (Poole 76; Preston 40; Suckling 3 - 66)
King's 199 - 7 (Mackie 39; Evans 55; Mees 33)
v Warwick Match Drawn
Warwick 213 (Robinson 51; Suckling 5 — 65)
King's 185 - 7 (Marsh 64; Cameron-Mitchell 38)
v King Edward's, Stourbridge Match Drawn
K.E.C 188 - 3 dec (Tolley 51; Fisher 109)
King's 95- 8 (Cutts 4 - 20)
v Bablake Match Drawn
King's 245 - 3 dec (Mackie 39; Evans 73* Marsh 100*)
Bablake 160 - 3 (Milburn 93*)
v Solihull Match Drawn
King's 234 - 7 dec (Field 47; Jones 81; Mackie 38; Evans 31)
Solihull 130 - 9 (Hodgson 4 - 27)
v W.R.G.S Lost by 26 runs
W.R.G.S 208 (Woodfield 45; Jinks 46*)
King's 182 (Jones 34; J.S. Phillips 4 - 43)
v Wells Cathedral Won by 2 wickets
Wells 159 - 7 dec. (Cameron-Mitchell 3 - 29)
King's 160 - 8 (Cameron-Mitchell 36)
v K.E.S Birmingham Lost by 6 wickets
King's 142 (Field 42; Heath 5 - 16)
K.E.S 143 - 4 (Martin 56*)
v Kelvinside Academy Match Drawn
Kelvinside 173 - 5 dec (Blan 101*)
King's 147 - 7 (Sanders 40; Mackie 34)
v Bromsgrove Match Drawn
Bromsgrove 170 — 7 dec (Humphries 43)
King's 133 - 7 (Mackie 55)
v Gentlemen of Worcestershire Match Drawn Gentlemen of Worcestershire 170 — 5 dec (Emsley 50)
King's 157 - 8 (Mees 33)
v X L Club Match Drawn XL Club 213 - 7 dec. (Fox 143; Evans 3-58)
King's 208 - 9 (Jones 59; Jevons 45)
v D P Iddon's XI Won by 119 runs
King's 212 - 7 dec. (Jones 57; Mackie 30; Morgan 42*; Mason 3 - 20)
D.P.I.'s XI 93 (Wdon 26; Keegan 4 - 23)
v Old Vigornians Match Drawn
King's 127- 5 - Rain (Field 44; Jones 43) Match Abandoned
Averages
Problems of Captaincy
1984 was a season of mixed fortunes for the First XIand as captain I felt the ups and downs particularly hard There's nothing like being thrown in at the deep end when the first team I should lead was the First XI I was fortunate to study captaincy under three very different First XI captains, Stewart Preece, Scott Fleming and Duncan Rogers Stewart made a young 15 year old wicket keeper very welcome, Scott taught me how fine, fine leg should stand when I was keeping wicket and Duncan showed how easy the job could appear to be None however were on the field with me at Wrekin for the first game and I started to learn the trade the hard way
An important aspect of captaincy I feel, at least on an amateur level, has got to be enjoyment and looking back on 1984 I hope the players and the faithful spectators enjoyed the season. I set out to avoid boring draws (of which we all had our fill in 1982) and thankfully we had very few.
Home games predominated and producing results on Peter Jones' excellent pitches is always difficult Duncan Rogers' recipe for success which worked so well in 1983 with seven consecutive victories had to be implemented yet again Briefly, you win the toss, insert the opposition, bowl them out (or gain a friendly declaration) and then chase the runs, winning with five overs to spare The team as a whole lacked experience in chasing large totals and often I yearned for the return of Stewart Preston Opposition captains rarely declared too early, no doubt having heard of the replacement Preston, Nigel Marsh So our batting lacked experience, but what of the bowling?
Bowling and 'A'levels do not seem to mix as bad seasons have been encountered by Scott Fleming, Jim Hodgson and Ade Suckling to name just three The problem starts I am sure with lack of practice Rarely (if ever) were the full XI present at a practice with field trips, conferences and CCF taking their toll Poor fielding showed most obviously that practice was lacking
As captain I expected my wicketkeeping to decline with the corresponding decrease in concentration but most surprisingly I had one of my better seasons There is a case for not trying too hard
Captains must have confidence and mine slowly grew despite a battering following the loss against WRGS Mistakes were made, chances missed but in seeking to win we lost Would a boring draw have been better?
Rain robbed us of a second consecutive victory over the Gents, of Worcester In this match tempers were high but we kept our cool and most importantly remained sporting to the last Thankfully the players caused me no problems in this direction —there were no Ian Chappells in my side I am most grateful to the players for this
Gaining respect as captain is vital and I will never forget those players who backed me throughout Defeats, as any captain must expect, bring criticism and it took me some time to realise how constructive this could be — I wonder if David Gower reads the papers
So looking back on the season I can say I finished a better captain than when I started. Much went wrong but I shall never forget moving in a silly mid off for a new batsman and seeing him take an easy catch next ball. That made it all worthwhile
Mike Morgan
2nd XI
Won 2 Lost 1 Drawn 8
Although the playing record of the season would suggest otherwise, it would be unfair to say that the 2nd XI were either dull or unsuccessful Indeed, had it not been for the stubborn defence of the opposing 'nine, ten, jack,' many of the draws would have been well-deserved victories All too
often, matches ended with the opposition at eight or nine wickets down and still seventy runs adrift, yet it was our inability to dispose of the later batsmen that accounted for so many of the drawn results
There was no one outstanding player during the season; indeed the team relied on consistent, if unspectacular performances in all departments Derek Evans and Nick Sanders were a very competent opening partnership, while Robert Preston, Simon Jevons and Philip Mackie provided a solid middle order, though subject to the occasional collapse. Adam Blackmore and Dan Money usually wielded a few hefty blows at the end of the innings Chris Burnham always bowled well and thoroughly deserved all his twenty wickets Adam Blackmore and Nick Sanders took fifteen wickets between them in the last two matches of the season Matthew Norfolk kept wicket consistently well and his skill as a batsman was often extremely welcome
Our thanks go to Mr le Marchand for his support and encouragement throughout the season
Tim Owen
My thanks to Tim Owen for his good humour and the admirable way he captained the side.
2nd XI Averages
"The Tigers" (3rd XI)
Embarking on the second season in the history of the "Tigers", presented one or two player problems, as the team last season consisted of rugby playing Middle Sixth Having lost such excellent players as Tony "spear-chucker" Morel, and John "latent-pace" Shervington, Mr Roberts had to begin a fresh search for players of "suitable" ability; he got off to a good start by persuading Grahame Guess to do a second Middle Sixth year, in order to Captain the "Tigers". A notice was put up hoping to trap the Ian Botham of K.S.W. and talents were offered ranging from "brilliant all rounder" to "a safe pair of hands".
Having "scraped" a team together, we set off to our first match, away, at Warwick; we managed a victory, aided by some good-natured personality hassle towards the opposition, and kit ranging from the finest 50's "Whites" to a pair of hospital porter's trousers
Only one other match was won during the season, against Bromsgrove where Chris Jaques took 5 wickets and also put up a respectable score
The match against WRGS produced the highest opening partnership of the season, Shervington and Simpson, 113; the highest individual score, Shervington 67; and the highest total score of well over 200 The most amusing match played was against the "OldTigers", retaining many of the original "Tigers" as well as a few "suitable" recruits
The O.T.'s elected to field second, and proceeded to do so with nine slips, a wicket keeper and a bowler. The first ball was pushed past the bowler by 5 metres, and 6 runs were "ran" After scoring about 30 off the first over, the Gods
decided to stop this carnage torrential rain stopped play
The "Tigers" would all like to thank Mr Roberts for arranging the fixtures and escorting us safely to them
Many of us are looking forward to a third successful season "The Tigers"
U16 XI
Played 8 Won 5 Lost 3
The U16 team again participated in the evening league organised by the S.W.C.A and finished in fourth position The emphasis of the cricket is on enjoyment and the games can provide welcome relaxation for those involved with '0' levels.
The first game, the only one to be affected by rain, was won at Pershore There, Jevons, particularly in his batting, and Badsey in his bowling, gave an indication of what was to come in the following games Jevons played several substantial innings during the term and seldom looked in difficulty He was well backed up at different times by Evans, Tim Brown, Blakeway, Norfolk, Fawbert and Richard Brown
Badsey proved to be the most successful bowler, making good use of his height and troubling most batsmen Blackmore also bowled well and, with more control, could be very effective Jevons, Tim Brown and Richard Brown also bowled well at times and gave good support
The fielding of the side was always keen and it was certainly helped by the presence of two efficient wicket-keepers in Norfolk and Blakeway Blakeway's catch at Newland Swan and that of Badsey at Upton were two highlights of the term
Cooper, Mills, Preston and Rogers from the Under Fifteen side also made useful contributions; in particular, Cooper scored a good fifty against Colwall as well as taking a fine catch (for the opposition) at Evesham
Finally, thanks are due to Evans for captaining the side and also for helping with the organisation Thanks are also due to those who scored during the term: Underwood, Jessop and Flower-Ellis
Also played: Anslow, Davidson, Dodd, Goodwin, Underwood.
U15 XI
The performance of the U15 team was rather patchy — a few good wins, some disasters, and one extraordinary and controversial 'victory' over Dean Close One of the most pleasing aspects of the season was the large number of boys who regularly attended practice sessions even if their skills were rather modest Inevitably most of the good cricket was played by only three or four players, and this lack of depth in the side was very obvious at times when the 'front four' failed, as against The Royal Grammar (yet again) However, some excellent innings were played by James Mills and Tom Preston, both of whom ought to be scoring a lot of runs for the Firsts in the next few years; James Cooper scored a century against Kelvinside Academy and little else; Stuart Duncan kept wickets very tidily by the end of the season; Simon Thompson bowled his left-arm spinners accurately and also slogged to good effect on one or two occasions; Simon Mees played some very powerful innings, including 20 off one over against Solihull which virtually won the match His bowling was a little inconsistent, and indeed against Bablake was as wayward as I have ever seen (Was it 15 wides in 4 overs?) However, he led the team well and his fielding was quite outstanding
The contributions of the other 'unnamed' players must not be ignored Their support and interest were essential, and I hope they have learnt one of the lessons of cricket,
Staff Cricket 1984
In his last season the captain achieved his well publicised aim of remaining unbeaten and, no thanks to his tactical skill, selections or even his ability with the bat or ball, all seven matches were won
The season started in mid-May with a match against Bredon Schoolmasters Stevens moaned a lot but the match started with the out field wet and the sky grey The first opposition wicket fell to the first slip catch to be held since Homer's first match at Himbleton in 1980 Bredon struggled against Roberts' flight and Allum's accurate bowling. Stevens was particularly dangerous; on no fewer than two occasions he inspired run outs as the batsmen desperately avoided the strike Le Marchand showed early promise with two wickets as did Mason Homer, following on from the previous Sunday's marvels (0 —38 off 2 overs) took a wicket with his first ball and looked particularly good: one of the opposition was heard to remark after the match, "Blimey, that short, fat chap moves it a mile!" Bredon ended on 59 runs which were knocked off easily for the loss of three wickets
For the second year running the only entertainment on King's Day was a match between a leavers' team selected by M Morgan and the Common Room XI In 25 overs the boys reached 140 — 9 thanks to a generous last over by the staff captain At a rate of more than 5 an over the target was not an easy one but some loose bowling and 50's from both Iddon and Mason saw the older team home.
And so to Pershore to the still redoubtable Syd Fudger (see 'Vigornian' for the last two years) and his Plums This is the most gentlemanly of the fixtures, where there are none of the recent unwholesome tendencies of the game like limited overs The Plums batted first and declared at 130 for 5 after 70 minutes batting The bowling was reasonably tight, the fielding less so The staff were soon in trouble at 33 for 4, but Mason running himself out not only occasioned great mirth amongst his supporters but proved the turning point of the game, for it brought to the wicket someone who really could bat, le Marchand Together with J Mackie (making his debut for the staff) he shared in a partnership of 86 runs and the game was won with 10 minutes to spare
The story of the match against KES masters is that KSW scored 114 — 5, based mainly on Iddon's 42, le Marchand's 33 not out and Homer's 1 not out — he deserves a mention just for driving the minibus and restricting his drinking to two pints of orange squash — to which the "Kestrels" replied with 100 all out, an innings which was going well at 63 —3 but was then shattered by a double wicket maiden from Iddon and soon collapsed to 65 —8
But such a summary fails to reveal the many acts of heroism, generosity and tactical cunning which make up the rich fabric of any cricket match The tone was set by Mason's splendidly generous gesture to his opponents in sending in Stevens to open the batting; one minute later, with the score still at 0, he was run out for 1 (that's what the score-book says!) — the third run out in four KSW dismissals But today's "in" method of getting out was not run outs but stumpings: three batsmen, including both Mackie brothers, were lured fatally out of their respective creases by a leg-spinner One of the delights of the match, in fact, was the sight of le Marchand, face growing redder and redder with frustration, making Stirling efforts to hit the spinner for six and failing utterly to time — or even to connect with —the ball On the rare occasions when a batsman did get hold of a hit, the ball landed the far side of a line of spiked railings, and the more athletic players — plus Stevens —took it in turns to climb over to retrieve it, while the rest of us held our breath and winced
When KSW fielded, Abraham,who had practised his slow bowling for half an hour in the nets, was ordered by the
captain to bowl his quickies — and from the end where the legside boundary was a minuscule distance from the pitch. He nevertheless bowled an admirable spell of 2 — 25 in his five overs, before Iddon took over with the aforementioned double wicket maiden; Iddon was immediately taken off — an astute tactical move by Mason, who, true to his generous spirit, put himself on to bowl just when it seemed that the Kestrels' innings might fold embarrassingly early
Wickets continued to fall, however, even after Iddon's removal Mackie P almost got one of them when Phillips skied the ball in the general direction of mid-off (Stone), who didn't quite manage to pull off what would have been — for him, at least —a brilliant catch, but did succeed in picking the ball up on the bounce and, with the help of the bowler, running out the other batsman Homer, who seemed to think this kind of ruse ungentlemanly, later made amends to the opposition by stepping over the boundary while fielding a ball off the bowling of the hitherto economical Humphreys, thus giving away a four (though, it must be said, the "amends making" explanation of this action is not helped by the fact that it needed Stevens, a man brought up in the best colonial traditions, to point out the fielder's mistake to the umpire); in case the point had not been made forcefully enough, Homer made quite sure the next ball went for four by not touching it at all.
Having "psyched" themselves up after the captain's team talk warning that Worcester Crusaders were a particularly strong side, the staff side took to the field, anxious that their unbeaten record might have been in danger However after the opening overs it was painfully obvious that the captain had over estimated the strength of the opposition Homer was brought on to bowl the "hand-grenades" by an embarrassed Mason in the hope that their batsmen couldn't possibly fail to hit his well-meaning but gentle lobs a long way. Homer proceeded to ruin the game completely (a feat usually achieved by Stevens, absent on this occasion) by taking four wickets in three overs and giving away very few runs The lasting memories of the KSW innings on the way to an easy win were the first ball dismissal of Humphries which caused a temporary panic in the home dressing room, the rustic batting of Homer (which claimed him the unofficial Man of the Match award), the extremely late cuts of Stone and Thompson's refusal to give the score to anyone as they had no business to know it
The last two matches of the season against the 'Lamb and Flag' and Pershore RFC were both captained by Roberts As already indicated, both games were won but records of these matches seem to have got washed away with the after match activities at which, it is reported, the staff team lost However, Stone was reported to be seen to bowl in a suitably classical manner.
Davies and Griffiths appeared once in other people's flannels and Winter again escaped on occasions from St Albans Fewer boys were required to make up numbers — a tribute to the commitment of the staff — but thanks to those that did Thanks also to P Thompson and S Rouse for scoring and supporting, to Peter Jones for preparing the pitches and playing, and to Nick Witherick for the sandwiches
Now the captain departs to pastures new, but is the grass really greener on the other side of the fence? And has he got any chance of playing for the RGSstaff anyway?
VIGORNIA
Chess Club 1983/4
Last year's season for the Chess Club was friendly and socially enjoyable rather than distinguished: however, of the fourteen matches played we won seven, drew three and lost four; so our standard can't be all that bad! In the Sunday Times National Competition we reached the third
School Magazine music reviews are nearly always catalogues of names and events, with brief comments appended They are congratulatory or mildly censorious, according to the prejudices of the chosen commentator This one will be only partly an exception, since, at present, the "Vigornian" is the only public forum available for felicitation or stricture of school events
This review will be mostly one of approbation, since it is estimable for any schoolboy or schoolgirl to take part in a musical performance of any kind. Serious music has always been what would now be called a "minority interest" This is because it lacks the cogency to give instant gratification, (unlike sport or "pop" music for example), and it needs a great deal of application both to perform and to enjoy The obvious corollary to these things is that serious music is ultimately more rewarding than more instant pleasures However it is often difficult to convince pupils that this is the case
Thus congratulations must be offered not only to those very musical children who easily enjoy music and perform in public regularly, but also to those less musical children who turn up week in and week out for rehearsals In particular, attention must be drawn to the members of the Fourth Form Choir whose attendance at lunchtime choir practices has been punctual and regular throughout the year, despite the counterclaims on their time of playground football and the tuck shop These boys produced a strong and reliable treble line, first in Stanford's "Songs of the Fleet" and subsequently in Bach's "St John Passion" They also provided the choir parts in Mr Anthony Clemit's excellent production of "Joseph"
As far as individual performances are concerned the acme of the year occurred early in November This was A Lawson's mature rendering of a movement from a Rachmaninov Piano Concerto with sensitive accompaniment by the School Orchestra. The Orchestra played well throughout the year; another very impressive occasion was their interpretation of Sebelius's "Karelia" Suite in March. Other notable contributions in the field of solo work during the year came from C Dyer (a Vivaldi 'Cello Concerto), Susan Cole and Joyce Renney (Bach; Brandenburg Concerto No.4), and M Mui (Beethoven "Spring Sonata" and Vivaldi "The Seasons")
Two major events remain to be mentioned; Mr Malcolm Drummond conducted a performance of Bach's St John Passion in May The School Choir sang the vigorous choruses with aplomb and were accompanied by an able orchestral group All the soloists acquitted themselves well, especially the minor characters (In many ways it is more difficult to sing three notes well in an evening than it is to sing 300 If you were to get 2 wrong out of 3 you would feel rather silly.)
The other event was the School Music Competition The overall competition was deservedly won by College House The ensemble competition was won by Wulstan House, whose vigorous rendering of the "Banana Boat Loaders Song" was greatly appreciated I was not convinced that it was the best item, but at least the members of the ensemble gave it everything they had, and that is the main thing.
Keys Society
A.F.P
Unlike School concerts, Keys Society concerts are arranged and performed entirely by pupils. Perhaps the main aim of these concerts is to produce an evening of varied music which everyone, audience and performers alike, can enjoy Keys Concerts give pupils working towards their Associated Board examinations a chance to share with an audience that would otherwise be shared merely with one
examiner An audience is a remarkable stimulus for enlivening an "exam, piece", and a terrific confidencebooster when it comes round to that all-important exam. Of course, not all the pieces performed come from the Associated Board list. Some performers dig deeper into their repertoire to give new life to an old favourite, or choose to rehearse something from scratch just for the sheer hell of it I have mentioned this to try to show why there is such a range of music at a Keys Concert It is because the items are chosen by several different individuals, whose musical tastes are so diverse that the end result is a concert of contrasts The soloists, duetists and ensembles play or sing what they like This is not always considered "good music" but it's usually a lot of fun Anyone who heard the choir's cheerful rendering of "The Drunken Sailor" will know exactly what I mean Compare this with such classics as Beethoven's 'Spring' Sonata, Bach's Prelude and Fugue in F minor, and Schubert's Trout Quintet which have all been performed at one stage in one Keys Concert or another throughout the past school year, and you have the makings of an enjoyable evening This enjoyment and the standard of the performance reached has resulted in five highly successful Keys Concerts this year.
Keys Society is an important part of the musical life here at King's Mr Bridges must be thanked for his interest and support
Susan Bedwell
Drama
The reviews of individual performances which follow are testimony to the very considerable health of drama in the school, spanning, as they do, a complete range of productions from the large to the small scale and from the more senior, even veteran, cast of Cinderella to the comparative youth of the middle school contribution to Joseph. To the familiar venues of the Old Library, College Hall and the Sports Hall we added this year the magnificence and inspiration of the Cathedral as our stage Stephan le Marchand's choice of Black Comedy for his directing debut was as daring as it was successful; a strong cast mastered the intricacies of fully illuminated 'black out' with considerable disciplineand tact; the humour was subtle rather than brash, the most difficult of tones for young actors to catch and the result was generally pleasing; the timing of comedy presents formidable problems, too, and there were occasions when the pause held just too long or regarded too little upset what must be a pace which accumulates as the performance proceeds This was a uniformly talented group and it would be invidious to mention particular contributions other than those of Marc Plesse, admirably taking part in his first term at an English school and of the director, Stephan le Marchand, similarly new, who proved that he can inspire others to perform not only by telling but also by showing. Knuckle, which Jonathan Meth chose as both his hail and farewell to the King's School stage, was a very different sort of play, a tense and often bemusing thriller which was best appreciated through its mood rather than its narrative The play's idiom was just right for the understated way in which Jonathan wisely chose to play it The sleezy world of the white mackintosh, speakeasy and the word forced through unwilling teeth and statutory cigarette were often wittily endorsed by deft lighting effects and a judicious choice of background music I can't say that I altogether understood it — especially as I was able to see it only at a Dress Rehearsal when 2 scenes were completely omitted to the almost uncontrollable anguish of Marcus Davidson whose big moments were callously scythed down but I hugely enjoyed it; I know the cast did and they, too, enjoyed working under Jonathan's deceptively laconic directing style; it paid great dividends
