The Vigornian December 1997 by King's Worcester

J.L.K Bridges, B.Sc

The King's School

Worceste r

STAF F

Headmaster

Second Master

Senior Mistress

G.N Leah, M.A., Ph.D

M.W Bentley, Cert.Ed

E.R Burkill, M.A

S.R Davies, Cert.Ed

P.C Thompson, M.A

P.J Baseley, Dip.H/craft

M.J Roberts, B.Sc

J.M Roslington, B.Sc., C.Phys., M.Inst.P

Mrs M.A Nott, B.Sc,, C.Biol., M.I.Biol

B Griffiths, B.Tech

E Reeves, M.A

D.T Naish,B.Ed

Mrs. C.F. Roslington, B.A.

M.A Stevens, M.A

R.A Fleming,B.A

DP Iddon,B.A

Mrs R.C.J Diamond, B.A

S Le Marchand, B.A

R.N.G Stone, M.A

R.P. Mason,B.A.

M.R Gill, B.Sc., M.A., M.Sc

Mrs S.P Griffiths, B.A

Mrs N.R Anstey, Cert.Ed

S.M Bain, B.Sc., M.Sc

R.H Birkett, B.A

Miss M.C Greaves,B.A

M.D. Rudge, B.A.

J.T Wheeler, B.Sc., C.Chem., M.R.S.C

D.G Willmer, M.Sc., Ph.D

P.T Gwilliam, M.A., M.Phil

Mrs K Appleby,B.A

Mrs CM Cox, M.A., M.Sc

R.J Davis, B.A

Mrs L.M Ghaye, B.Ed.,M.A

F J Loveder, M.A

A.I Guest,B.Ed

M.J Gower, B.A

1996/1997

J.M Moore, J.P., M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S.A

T.D.R Hickson, B.A., C.Phys., F.Inst.P

Mrs P.A Sanger, B.A., M.A

Mrs S.C Allum, B.Sc

*Mrs J.M Kinnish, B.A

J.L Owen, B.A

*Mrs K Sanders, B.Soc.,Sci.(Econ.)

C.A GaJlantree-Smith, B.A

Mrs E.R.Hand, B.A

I Lawrence, B.Sc., C.Phys., M.Inst.P

T.R Sharp, M.A

J.P.B Martin, B.Sc

Mrs C Painter, B.A

F.P Watson, B.A

K.A.P Walsh, B.Sc., Ph.D., C.Phys., M.Inst.P

*Mrs S.H Le Marchand, B.A

*Mrs V Jenkinson, Cert.Ed

*Mrs E.S Allen,B.A

Miss F.L Jacques, B.A

M.C Poole, B.Sc., Ph.D

*Mrs J.D Saville, B.A

*Mrs L.M Atkins, B.A

Ms C Harrison-Horacek, M.A

*P.M Hibbert, B.Sc

*Miss L.A Johnson,B.A

*Mrs T.D Marskell, Cert.Ed

Mrs H.M Arthur, B.Sc., C.Phys., M.Inst.P

*Mrs S.B Barrie, B.A., M.Inst.L

*Mrs P.A Edwards, B.A., M.Sc

*Mrs J.P Maxwell-Stewart, B.A

Rev. M.R.Dorsett, B.A., M.Th., Ph.D., Cert. Theol. (Chaplain)

*Mrs M Baird, B.A

*Mrs S.R Creber, B.A

Miss N Featherstone, B.Sc

*Mrs A.M Kirton, B.Sc., Ph.D

*Miss R Mash, B.A.,M.A

R.F Matthews, M.A

M.J Prowle,B.A

J.P Whitehouse, B.Ed

R.P Geary, B.Sc., C.Chem., M.R.S.C

A.A.D Gillgrass,B.A

MUSI C

D.E Brookshaw, B.Mus., F.R.C.O

H.R Thurlby, L.R.A.M *R Johnston, M.A., F.R.C.O.

Mrs V.J Gunter, G.T.C.L., L.T.C.L and 24 Visiting Teachers

JUNIO R SCHOO L

Mrs A.D Walton, Cert.Ed

*Mrs L Jackson, M.A

Mrs R Reeves,M.Ed

Mrs G Spilsbury, Cert.Ed

L.R.A.M

Master - M.Sc

Miss G.S Crawford,M.A D Mews, B.A., B.Sc., Cert.Ed

J.A Allcott, B.Ed., Cert Ed

J.T Walton, Cert.Ed

Mrs C Woodcock, B.A

D.R Jacks, B.A

Cert.Ed

Mrs B.I Wilson, B.A., Cert.Ed

Miss S.P Willcox, B.A

*Mrs N Cain, B.A

*Mrs P Griffin, B.A., B.Ed

* = part-time

Bursar - J.G Bartholomew, M.B.A., A.I.M.B.M., P.I.LA

Medical Officers - Dr M Smith, M.B., Ch.B Dr A Georgiou, M.B., Ch.B

Sister- Mrs C.F Furber, R.G.N.Dip.N Caterer- Mr N Witherick, H.C.I.M.A

Headmaster's Secretary - Mrs M Brodrick Accountant - Miss A Turvey

SCHOO L MONITOR S

Samuel J Pearse (Ch) - Head of School

E.R Brookes (Cr)

B.J Edgell (Cr)

H.M.A Gilbert (CI)

R Gregorowski (S)

L.A Hinton (S)

R.E.S Holt (K)

L Mason (CI)

S.J McWhirter (Br)

B.D Panter (CI)

L.J.H Seymour (Os)

SCHOO L NOTE S

As usual, I shall be very selective in what I write here, leaving the pages which follow largely to speak for themselves

Looking back during the heat-wave of late August, it is difficult to remember how changeable the weather has been this year, and how much it interfered with many of our sporting activities June was particularly bad; not merely did rain decimate the cricket fixtures but I cannot remember another year when regattas were cancelled in the summer term because rivers were dangerously high Despite that, there were many successes I single out the Under I 3cricketers for a magnificent unbeaten season, and amongst the rowers the Under 16 Girls' Four who won the national championships in fine style, and the First Eights, both boys and girls, who had successful seasons and both qualified for Henley - a 'first' for the School. The First XI had a mixed season, but were not without their successes, and have recently returned from what was obviously a positive and thoroughly enjoyable tour to Barbados Perhaps we should plan another for a few years hence when the current Under 13s will be at First XI level

Earlier in the year, we had a superb Rugby season The First XV won 17 of their 19games, including a convincing win over the Royal Grammar School, the seventh in a row In the spring term, the First Seven, after a moderate season by their high standards came into their own in the National Schools at Rosslyn Park Having come through a difficult group on the first day, on the second day they defeated Wycliffe, Dulwich and Brecon in the knock-out rounds, and only lost to Canford by an injury time try in the final My congratulations to them, and to Peter Gwilliam and Steve Bain who coached them, on the best performance ever by a King's School Seven

Music, drama and other activities continue to flourish, and you will find accounts later Amongst many good School and Keys Society concerts, the magnificent School Concert at which a massed choir of pupils and parents gave a fine and spirited rendering of Fanshawe's African Sanctus stood out The high spot in the drama world was a fine production of Much Ado about Nothing at Christmas A particularlypleasing aspect of this year has been the way in which the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme has flourished We had 50 members of the School working for the Bronze Award, 17 for the Silver and 14 for the Gold; these numbers are far higher than we have ever had before Of them, 36 achieved their Bronze, 10 their Silver, and one pupil and one recent OV their Gold - a rare achievement at their age This is a very worthwhile scheme, and I trust it will continue to flourish. Equally successful has been the Sub-Aqua, where five pupils achieved their Sports Diver qualification, and Ben Panter his Dive Leader certificate; again a first

The academic side continued to go well The A levels were marginally better than last year with a pleasingly high proportion of As and Bs, and a very high 98% pass rate More importantly, it seems at the time of writing as if almost allof these pupils will have been accepted onto the courses which they want for the next stage; we continue to send well over 90% of our leavers to degree courses, a proportion which would be the envy of most schools The GCSE candidates produced some sound results without quite matching the glowing standard of last year I remind you all that it is our policy to educate our pupils, not to 'shed' them or to refuse to enter them because they might not pass Granted that, their performances at A level and at GCSE last summer were more than creditable

Last summer we changed tactics on work experience, and sent the whole of the Lower Sixth out for a week just after their examinations This was a massive task ably organised by Brian Griffiths, and was very successful In this context, Brian would be very grateful for more offers of placements; it is not easy to find a slot for over 130 pupils all in the same week Offers to him at the School, please

None of these successes, academic and extra-curricular, could have been achieved without the dedicated work of the Staff; there is a great deal to do in a school like King's, and they shoulder the burdens willingly and thus give our pupils a full, rounded and successful education - and I use the word 'education' in the deeper sense, not just with reference to the academic side

It is a pleasure to welcome as Governors the Very Rev P J Marshall, the new Dean of Worcester (ex-officio ViceChairman), the Hon Lady Morrison, the Rev Canon D G Thomas and Ms D Urwin, all of whom have joined in the last year; I hope that they will enjoy their time with us At the same time, I would like to record my thanks to the Rev Canon I M Mackenzie who recently retired as a Governorfor allthat hedid for us

I cannot let this occasion pass without a word about the abolition of the Assisted Places scheme I regret it bitterly, and am particularly sad because without these places we shall inevitably find it much harder to serve the whole City and County as we have done in the past One of the scheme's great strengths was that it enabled pupils to come to The King's School irrespective of parental means, and to benefit from the particular type of education which we offer That option will no longer be open to a lot of pupils who would like to come to us We shall make what provision we can, but since the School is without significant endowments what we shall be able to do will inevitably be limited I have been particularly irritated by the spurious arguments which have been used to support abolition Not merely has the cost of the scheme been grossly inflated in some political statements, but the claimed savings have been seriously overstated as well since they take no account of the cost of educating pupils who would have had Assisted Places in maintained schools If the real saving turns out to be £20 million - and that after seven years, not immediately - I shall be surprised The decision was a political one I respect policy decisions made on grounds of principle however much I may disagree with them; what I have no time for is bogus arguments used to support such decisions

This is a strange article for me to write since, as most ofyou will know by the time you read this, I shall be retiring in the summer of 1998. I do not intend - or presume! - to write my own 'obituary', but perhaps I may be allowed a few moments of reflection since this will be the last occasionon which I shall write for the Vigornian.

First, and most important, 1 want to thank you all for making, in your different ways, the fifteen years which I have spent here so enjoyable King's is a very good school, and more importantly it is a very friendly community inwhich to live and work. Becoming a Headmaster is always more than something of a step in the dark, and I doubt if Jill and I could have been luckier than we were in our move to Worcester 1am not going to single out individuals now, though I shall allow myself the freedom to embarrass a few on King's Day next summer; suffice it to say here that nothing which has been achieved in the period for which I have been here could have happened without the support and friendship of Governors, Staff, my Office and all the others who make this place run, usually so smoothly

Achievements I think there have been Probably the most important is the move to co-education It gives me particular pleasure that I shall this year see our first fully co-educational senior school year in the Upper Sixth The change went extraordinarily smoothly and was certainly the right move for the School The fact that there is such an enormous demand for places is proof that there was a real demand for coeducation in the area, and that what we offer is what many parents want for their daughters as well as their sons I am also pleased that the School is significantly bigger than it was fourteen years ago It is now very large - and may properly reduce in size a bit over the years to come - but it is important these days to have a larger rather than a smaller school if one is to offer a wide and attractive range of subjects and other activities

Much else has happened in the last fourteen years, and it will be for others to say what they will about that I shall just close by saying that I cannot think of a better place to have been a Headmaster, and my decision to come to Worcester was one which I have never regretted That that is so is due to the warmth, friendliness and support of the whole community

John M. Moore August, 1997

King's Scholarships

SCHOLARSHIPS -

George Austin-Cliff

Stephanie Bubb

Alexandra Cox

Emma L Feme!I

Hannah Lucas

Rachel Cowburn

Rory Ewers

Christopher Fulton

Andrew Furniss (Music)

Rebecca Gwilliam

James McCreath

Naomi Roberts

Benjamin S Pitts

Lucy J Teasdale

Russell J.L Wakeley

Ffion C Lloyd

Howard P.D Maile

Adam D Marshall

Emma L Ordidge

Oliver W Smith

Kirstie F Tew

16+ Entry Scholarships

Sixth Form Queen's Scholarships

Sixth Form King's Scholarships

Sixth Form Hon Scholarship

Katie L Belsham

Anna Cooper

Matthew J.G Painter

Lydia A Brookes

Claire L Gilbert

Amy R Donovan

Brendan L Rolle-Rowan

Thomas J.K Clarke

Ottilie Hild School

Lucy Locked Pre-Prep

Kirtlands Prep School, Broadway

Himbleton C of E First School

Hawford Lodge

The King's Junior School

Cherry Orchard Primary School

The King's Junior School

Abberley Hall

The King's School

Abbey School, Tewkesbury

The King's School

Oldswinford Hospital

Winterfold House

The King's School

Bredon Hill Middle School

The Kins's School

Nunnery Wood High School

Kimbolton School

Oldswinford School

The King's School

Common Room Notes

Bob Burkill

Bob arrived at King's from Cambridge,via Oxford where he did his teacher training, in 1964 to teach Geography and became Head of Department upon the retirement of "Basher" Bailey in 1977

On the Richter scale ofgeography teachers he will be longremembered as a major force His room was the epicentre of magnificent lessons each enriched with anecdotal evidence, infectious wit and artistic flair Hisboardwork would be carefully watched by boys and girls as he illustrated the concepts and principles involved in the subject His knowledge was immense Eastern Europe could be in turmoil, but Bobknew where everything was, had been or should be He also had a great memory when renewing acquaintance with the many students who had come under his influence at one time or another They will surely remember not only his lessons but those brilliant ties, Hugo Boss suits, each with their own breast pocket handkerchief as colourful as the undergarments of aSpanish flamenco dancer, Yves Saint Laurent shirts and Italian shoes Some may even remember him with shoulder length locks, but in my time it was the Tunisian shamal thai covered his head

He loved taking our geographers on field trips South Wales, Scotland Devon, Switzerland, the French Alps and Tunisia were popular destinations for GCSE and A level groups Hecould sit for hours drawing and sketching the landscape or, at the drop of his crayon, give a talk on the personality of the Swissor transhumance in [he Savoy Alps That both ofthesehardlysurvive didn't makeoneiota of difference as Bob could always find something to say about anything Ican also recall a fascinating translation from a partFrench and Arabic speaking farmer on a Tunisian cooperative holding We look dutiful notes which all made sense and the farm manager was delighted. This incident wasjusi one of many such examples ofBob's natural gregariousness, charm and ability to draw out the best in people He was also capable of administering a very shaip rebuke if necessary Hiswordscould be like splinters ofglass punctuating those who were inattentive or whose academic standards fell below expectation, and it is hardly surprising that many sixth formers achieved high academic success

An appointment at King's also means that one isexpected to teach more than one's subject and Bob's work indeed spread far beyond the Geography Department He thrived on stimulating discussion, on economic issues and politics and his extra curricular course, shared with BobAllum, on aSaturday morning was always a riotous assembly Health, education, transport, doctrines of ministerial responsibility, the compassionate society and unimpeachable integrity were allflung into the debating pot These lessons were never taken at a gentle canter and the asymmetry ofthe two Bobs in political persuasion added passion to the debates Iknow that 630 MPs can't get into my room but it always seemed as if they had when I entered it ona Monday morning There was always atouch ofadmiration inthe faces of the sixth formers who had attended these politics classes and they always felt as ifthey had taken part insomethingspecial

Bob has also been Careers Master at school, worked for the Oxford and Cambridge Examination Board and has been an HMC School Inspector He worked tirelessly to make our transition to a mixed school a success and never failed to extol the virtues of the school at ISIS or Monmouth Group meetings In recent years he became aware that the only predictable aspect ofthe future isitsunpredictability In response to this he sought to emphasise the skills and learning tools which sixth formers will need to excel inthis changing world He was involved from the outset with the Diploma of Achievement (designed to teach, develop and assess these skills) which was subsequently recognised in the Dearing Report He was part of the small team that set up the assessment scheme, which was subsequently adopted by the Oxford and Cambridge Schools

Examination Board, wrote some of Ihe early material and shared the group of Lower Sixth Formers which piloted the scheme at King's After that, he took on the task of running Accreditation courses for teachers set upby the Oxford and Cambridge Examination and Assessment H Council These courses were significantly flavoured by Bob's particular variety of I Yorkshire humour and his I cheerful, down-to-earth en- r l couragement, so that the teachers set off at the endof the day inspired,happy and looking forward tostarting the course He as Director of Studies, also persuaded staff throughout the school to take up this challenge He has taken on this role even further as he leaves us to become National Directorfor the Diploma which now has a place inover a thousand schools and colleges and when I last heard, he was about to visit one of our more notorious prisons to see howit was getting on down there

Bob enjoyed being in the staff pantomomimes and his performances as grotesque King in 'Jack and the Beanstalk', Broker's man in 'Cinderella' (Peter Diamond beingthe other), GiantCrunchbones in 'Puss In Boots' oras The Wise Owl in 'Winnie the Pooh' gave him an excuse to relax and us all a laugh They would have given audiences pleasure worldwide had we been able to find a rich impressario He worked flat out at each school fete inorder, so he told some people, to beclose to those hour- glass shaped celebrities,but it ishis passion for cars that remains legendary In fact, I think he has really retired to manage a forecourt in Lausanne Hecould smell the burning tyres on the other side of the world at the Melbourne Grand Prix, hear gear changing at Silverstone and would catch the popping champagne corks exploded in Le Mans He even ranked work according to the make of car An essay given a Mercedes symbol had received the highest accolade, BMW got a"B'grade and the vier Ringen of Audi a "C" Anything French was destined for the scrap heap Vorsprung durch Technik was our motto in the department and Bob did all he could to obtain the best parts, equipment and fast drivers A straight road was too dull for him. Asa passenger one needed to be boltedin as he looked for chicanes, underpasses and fast right hand bends. Each was met at great speed, yet, in perfect control The Common Room was his pit stop; a place to refuel, to talk of wonderful front spoilers, running boards and brake horse power

It has been this driving at full throttle that has ledBob to retire He was advised by his local GPto slow down and not to drive with the warning yellow light on With the invaluable support of his wife Barbara and daughters Kate and Kimberley, he will no doubt manage to fill his time purposefully, orjust renew those courtship days spent in The Cardinal's Hat He has already left his indelible mark on the hundreds who have come under his care either in Chappel House, as geographers or as colleagues Kipling puts it well : " For his work continueth, broad and deep continueth, greater than his knowing" Now, he has the opportunity to leave his mark on those pages he has been so longing to write It will not be long before we are buying a series of novels, full of politically incorrect characters, written by this multi- talented man

The Three Peaks Challenge, Yorkshire 1997

The Three Peaks Challenge' - perhaps a relatively painless phrase for the uninitiated, but for the courageous few who completed the ten hour trek, these words now possess a new, altogether more poignant, significance The task: to climb three of the highest peaks in Yorkshire, a combined height of over 1,500 metres, and travel a round trip of 35 kilometres,all within twelve hours The objective: to raise money for The Imperial Cancer Fund, The British Lung Foundation, and Hope And Homes For Children and, of course, even have some fun along the way!

It was a spirited, if sleepy-eyed, band of twenty-eight Sixth Formers and eight staff that began to gather by the coach bay in the early hours of that Saturday in May Fully equipped with enough energy bars and dried fruit to see us through a lengthy Himalayan expedition, and with a practice walk on the Malverns behind us, we knew that we were as ready as we would ever be for the day that lay ahead Glancing around the group, it was clear that our motives for being there were somewhat varied,ranging from the genuine loveof achallenge, to falling prey to Mr and Mrs Griffiths' highly perfected skills of persuasion! Indeed, although we were of varying ability and experience both the accomplished walker and the relative novice were ij united in enthusiasm In fact, there ..^v seemed no limits to the lengths that some people were prepared to go to take part, no more so than ' Seb and his frantic flight to school by bicycle, after his lift mysteriously failed to appear However, all became clear when Pete Van Zyl's car the lift in question, was spotted on the motorway twenty minutes later in hot pursuit of the coach that he had just missed, much to the amusement of those already on board

The Pen-y-ghent cafe in the heart of the Yorkshire countryside was to be our starting point, and it was here that we 'clocked in' at 9.30am. Little did we realise how welcoming this very same sight would seem to our weary bodies less than twelve hours later Eager not to lose any time, we set out straight away, the summit of Pen-y-ghent, our first ascent of the day, looming in the distance Although the smallest of the peaks, at 694 metres, it still proved a somewhat daunting sight Each person seemed to find their own pace at which to tackle this taxing climb, that culminated in a scramble up a rocky crag However, once initial exhaustion had subsided, the sense of achievement was unanimous After a brief stop for refreshments we began our descent The first peak was under our belts and it was still only 10.30in the morning!

The notoriously boggy ground that we encountered on our route to Ribblehead provided the group with an obstacle that proved somewhat difficult to negotiate Whilst many were prepared to admit defeat and avoid the particularlytroublesome areas, there were inevitably a courageous, if fool-hardy, few who felt the need to tackle the bog head on, usually with rather amusing consequences Indeed, this particular section of the walk will probably be most memorable to Seb, who, after a slight misjudgement, found himself waist deep in mud and sinking fast He had to be literally dragged out by his companions, and consequently spent the rest of the day covered in mud and soaking wet Still, help was at hand for both Seb

and the rest of the group a few miles down the road in the form of Mr and Mrs Roslington in the school minibus, who provided us with orange squash and bananas to boost our now slightly dwindling energy levels With the view of the Viaduct before us, we took this opportunity to eat our packed lunches Feeling rather settled, it was with a hint of reluctance that we left the minibus and all its comforts behind a few minutes later, and began the climb up our second peak At 736 metres Whernside was to be the highest and in all probability most difficult ascent of the day

It was now that the weather, which had until this point been relatively fine, took a definite turn for the worse Crumpled waterproof jackets and trousers were hastily pulled out from the bottom of rucksacks and donned as the skies turned to a decidedly threatening shade of grey, and the rain began to fall

Of course, a little bit of water wasn't enough to stop a determined and adventurous party like ours, and we continued to trudge steadily uphill However, the drizzle soon gave way to heavy showers, and the group was soon confronted by blinding hail Due to the exposed nature of the ridge there was no shelter to be found, and thus we had no alternative but to continue the trek With fingers numb from cold, and faces sore from the relentless onslaught of dagger-sharp hail, for many this was perhaps the most demanding and least enjoyable part of the walk, and the word challenge' certainly began to take on an entirely new light Fortunately, this spell of poor weather gradually cleared as we started our descent The realisation that we had now completed two of our three climbs was a source of fresh optimism, and having reached the Old Hill Inn, where the minibus was now stationed, we prepared for the final ascent to the 723 metre summit of Ingleborough.

After seven hours of walking morale was understandably beginning to swindle Tiredness had well and truly set in, leaving some with little enthusiasm with which to face the uphill struggle However, with our bodies now on auto-pilot it was only a matter of time before we reached the top Our lethargic elation at having conquered the final peak was short-lived, for in no time at all we were beginning the seven kilometre descent to the finishing point With energy to spare some of the more athletic members of the group decided to run the home straight, completing the challenge in a little over eight hours Within an hour most of the other participants had joined them in the warm, cosy cafe, sipping steaming mugs of tea, awaiting the arrival of the elusive group of Upper Sixth students However,the wait was not long, with the entire group easily completing the task within the twelve hour deadline

During the journey home even our weariness could not prevent the feeling of achievement. It had been an unforgettable experience inwhich we all felt glad to have taken part, and now an unmistakable sense of triumph filled the air After all, we had all successfully completed the Three Peaks Challenge,and even had the blisters to prove it!

Claire Wood and Lucy Thompson

''It's better to live one day as a tiger than a thousand years as a sheep." Tibetan Proverb

As a tribute to Alison Hargreaves who died on K2 in pursuit of her ambition to complete allthe world's 8000m peaks, alpine style, without oxygen, I can think of no more appropriate words Whatever one thinks about the controversy that surrounded her death, she remains and will continue to be viewed as one of the finest high altitude mountaineers of her generation She tried her best and suffered the ultimate in her pursuit of excellence

If we could achieve only a small amount of what she did,our lives would be much richer Every week on the school wall, the Gloucester wall and local crags I see pupils of the King's School Climbing Club trying to better themselves in pitting their skills against the rock face This is a sport of balance A combination of physical and mental balance which is not only an individual challenge but what I consider to be the ultimate team sport Reliance on others (with the exception of the few solo climbers) is total and if we can reach and nurture these ideals in the young I think real progress is being made The children rely on each other, and trust each other every time they put on a harness I continue to be impressed by the high quality and dedication of pupils in the club

Grant Strover brought his own particular blend of hard climbing and humour to the club - never letting us clown but often late! He climbs E4 Inspired by the Himalayas Ben Panter was also a stalwart of the club Duncan Griffiths is developing into a very good climber and is, without doubt, truly

f "oe* ^ £>uJ(k*ty to, Lc

At the end of March, a group of Lower Remove pupils accompanied by CP., K.A and K.A.P.W left for Paris We flew from Birmingham and arrived at our exchange school, Le Col lege du Cedre, in the town of Le Vesinet, about 45 minutes from the centre of Paris, in the early evening After the sorting of luggage and finding of partners, we went off with the families we would be staying with for the next six days

The next day brought everyone into school at 9am ready for a day's sightseeing in Paris We had a pleasant coach tour in the morning taking in the major sights, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees, the Arcde Triomphe etc We took our picnics to the Champs de Mars at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower and thoroughly enjoyed our first taste of French sandwiches, a huge chunk of bread with very little filling! In the afternoon we ventured up to the third floor of the lower and got some spectacular views over Paris

The next day saw us taking the Metro to the Louvre, where we were given a tour of the most famous exhibits, includingthe Mona Lisa Outside the Louvreare the TuileriesGardens where we had our lunch The afternoon was spent walking along the banks of the Seine and visiting Notre Dame and the Pompidou Centre We were going to a reception in our honour in Le Vesinet that evening and although everyone finally got there,a breakdown in communications between our three intrepid leaders meant that we were very late! It's a good job the Metro station at Les Halles has not got more than 3 entrances! The

dedicated The most improved climber was Johnson Lee, and there are some really good young climbers following in their footsteps and include Andrew Busby, Stephen Daly, Richard Kirk, Jamie Coleman and Myles McKinnon

We welcomed two girls - Claire Gilbert and Jenny Hallwho have brought their own blend of dedication, hard work and care to the club This is indeed a sport for men and women to compete on equal terms Eleanor and Tom Martin have climbed regularly and enthusiastically with the Club and there are plans afoot to extend the Club to the Junior School for the Summer term Plans also include the provisionof a new school climbing wall

This was a very happy and active year for the club and I thank everyone for their contributions

J.P.B.M

"gouler" of pain au chocolate and coca-cola (champagne for the teachers) was very welcome and we much appreciated the leaflets and souvenir pens we were given

The weekend was spent with our families and I was lucky enough to go to Eurodisney and a football match Others visited Versailles or just spent the time being part of a French family

Our last full day was spent visiting Montmartre, Place du Tertre (where several of us had caricatures of ourselves drawn) and the church of Sacre Coeur Lunch was spent under the Grande Arche in the modern business area of La Defense We had plenty of time there for shopping in the huge shopping centre and most of us returned with an array of plastic carrier bags and very little money!

The next day we said goodbye to our families with the words "Merci pour notre sejour" and made our way back to Charles tie Gaulle airport to catch our flight toBirmingham

Our French friends came back to Worcester at the end of April and during their stay they visited Worcester Porcelain, Warwick Castle, Stratford and various other places of interest in the area

Thanks to CP.,K.A and K.A.P.W for giving up their time to accompany the trip Despite the occasional lack of any sense of direction in the Metro they all worked very hard to make the trip such a success

Alex Walker

Th e Su b Aqu a Clu b

The first thing that springs to mind as I write this report is to note the great debt that the Club owes to all the members of Worcester BS-AC who have helped us with training and trips David Petersen recently stepped down as Dive Officer, but he continues to give unstintingly of his time and considerable expertise I am grateful to John Kingsley, who has taken on this arduous role in David'sstead, as well as to Robin Johnson, Alan Thirlby and numerous others for their contribution Frank Loveder's departure to Liverpool left quite a hole in our midst which I have temporarily filled with the help of Cecilia Allcott, D.G.W and latterly, Andy Furber and Louise Horrocks, who recently completed their novice training 1am sure that now I am moving on, this team will ensure that the Club continues to thrive in 97/98

We have undertaken an ambitious programme of trips this year, as well as novice training in the pool and at Hollybush Quarry and Stoney Cove in Leicestershire The best trip of the lot was to the Red Sea F.J.L.'s own report of this is published below Since then, ten pupils attended a boat handling course in West Wales, gaining their R.Y.A Powerboating Certificate as a result A shore dive at Brixham was followed by two weekends at Plymouth and one at Falmouth I have to say that the diving conditions on that second weekend at Plymouth were some of the worst I have encountered with regard to visibility; one could hardly see half a metre away and the boys did extremely well, not only to cope with these adverse conditions, but to try underwater navigation and S.M.B dives for the first time Thankfully, at Falmouth we enjoyed better weather and much better visibility At the time of writing, the summer holiday trip to Falmouth has still to take place However, to date, members of the club have notched up 265 dives this year, with an average dive time of 35 minutes each; no mean achievement!

F.J.L.'s Account of the trip to the Red Sea

I wanted to leave the Sub-Aqua Club on a high note, so 1 organised a trip to the Red Sea! I took advice, and instead of staying in an hotel, we would live for the entire week on a boat This has a number of advantages, chief of which was that the pupils cannot wander off into town and get into trouble! Additionally, the sea breeze would keep us cool, we could get to more remote dive sites, and actually have more diving (3-4 dives a day were promised)

There were 9 pupils, and 4 adults, including me We had to leave Worcester pretty early in order to get to Gatwick in time to fly at 9.00 in the morning (check in time was 7.15am ...), so we dozed for most of the flight. Those who stayed awake enjoyed the best views of any flight that I have been on - the skies were superbly clear We arrived in Luxor (Egypt), and were immediately hit by a "wave" of heat as we emerged from the airport The difference in temperature between Egypt and England was stunning After a one hour sojourn in Luxor, which we spent looking round the bazaars, we set off across the desert to Hurghada, a 300kmjourney, mostly in darkness They have to run the tourist buses in convoy, in case the Muslim fundamentalists attack the buses, but the term "convoy" was a gross overstatement - once we left the built-up area around the Nile, the accompanying army vehicles went as fast as they could, and the convoy split up completely Much good the army would have been in an ambush

We got to Hurghada at I1.00pm (over 24 hours travelling), feeling slightly tired, and found that the boat we had expected (16 berths for 13 people) was in dry dock, and could we take this, please? "This one" turned out to be designed for 10 people,

Persistent effort over the last few years has enabled a record number of divers to achieve Sports Diver qualifications These include: Jamie Daniell, Nathan Jones, Chris King, Alex Kolodotschko, Nick Mallaband, Angus Nicol, Rose Panter, Tom Schwalbe and Dan Watts Congratulations to them all! In addition, Ben Panter gained his Dive Leader qualification following the Red Sea trip, a major achievement for one so young and a testament to Ben's maturity, as well as his prowess as a diver Several others are now moving towards this level

The 96/97 group of Novices has proved extremely keen Apart from completing their pool training, they have all experienced a number of dives in Open Water and have gained their Novice II level as a result Some have even started on Sports Diver Training

To finish off the year, we recently held a "Try-a-dive" session for those qualifying for membership in September 1997 Fourteen pupils signed up to "bubble" for the first time, so next year looks as if it will continue to be busy! I should just like to add that it was great to see a few girls amongst this group I hope they will continue; indeed, perhaps the Autumn term will reveal more prospective divers amongst the new pupil intake

Diving is something that I dreamed of doing as a child, as I watched Jacques Cousteau on the television, and I am very lucky that King's has given me the opportunity to experience the wonderful richness of marine life at first hand If everybody could enter this marvellous world for themselves, I am sure that we should all take far more care to preserve its beauty I wish all the members of KSW Sub-Aqua Club safe but spectacular diving in the future

G.S.C.

leaving 3 without beds We were assured that this was the only boat available; if we did not have this boat, we would not get any boat. We accepted (under protest); naturally, I was one of the ones who ended up sleeping on deck!

Even with this difficulty, the week's diving was superb The weather was wonderful - hot sun, but with a cooling breeze; clear water (20 metres plus underwater visibility) and STACKS of BEAUTIFUL fish The Red Sea has the reputation as being one of the world's premier diving areas, and is the nearest coral sea to the UK Its reputation was triumphantly vindicated The diving was quite incredible Imagine swimming through an aquarium of large, vividly coloured fish, none of which seem afraid The corals we saw were equally spectacular, bright, almost fluorescent colours, arranged on cliffs and in gardens We stayed in as long as possible - most dives were over 50 minutes, compared to about 30 minutes which is the norm for the lads and lasses in England It was entrancing; as soon as we were out of a dive, we wanted to be back in the water, which was beautifully warm We did three dives a day for six days, and loved every moment of it The food was excellent too, and the whole party was harmonious There was no friction between staff and pupil, or between pupils Idyllic!

The end of the week brought us back to earth The journey back started at 5.30am, so we had to be up early. Arriving at Luxor airport at about 10.00 for a 16.45 flight, we were told to go away! Unfortunately, we had no transport, so we hired a coach in Luxor, and went for a tourist drive round the town, seeing the sights, before going to an hotel for an excellent lunch Back to the airport, and flying home Gatwick was COLD!

Lower Sixth Work Experience in Paris

Whilst their contemporaries were scattered around England during the work experience week in July '97, a privileged group of enthusiastic French 'A' level students jetted off to the cosmopolitan capital of France - "Gai Paris!" They spent a week as "stagiaires" in various establishments near Worcester's twin town of Le Vesinet - a chic suburb of Paris ...

We were fortunate enough to receive free accommodation in "Le Chateau ties Merlettes", a community centre in Le Vesinet Cooking for ourselves did not prove a problem: we lived in true French style, with a staple diet of "pain, vin et Boursin"! Even Mrs Appleby was impressed by Hannah's culinary talents! After a hearty breakfast at the Chateau each day, we all went off to our respective work placements

Anna was fortunate enough to be working with a friendly office furnishing company, where she was taken out for lunch every afternoon by their charming young salesman - much to the envy of her female companions! She spent most of the week travelling around to visit clients, as well as absorbing the contents of furniture catalogues

John and Claire gained an introduction to the high-flying world of broadcast journalism, by some more handsome Frenchmen, working for "Yvelines Premier", a television company in nearby St Germain-en-Laye Highlights for their week including visiting "France-Meteo", and attending a press conference in an exclusive Champs Elysees hotel

On a slightly less grand scale, Lydia - who was working with the local newspaper "Courrier des Yvelines" - had the opportunity of hearing the local council in Rueilmalmaison discussing the separation and recycling of the town's rubbish Later in the week, however, she narrowly missed brushing shoulders with Gerard Depardieu on the set of his latest film

However, Hannah spent what can only be described as an interesting clay in a sports shop, although she did not feel it was necessary to repeat the experience on subsequent days As an alternative, she took the opportunity to further her knowledge of the French fashion industry: shopping!

Between our busy work schedules we did manage to find time to sample the Parisian nightlife, sipping cocktails on the Champs Elysees, and mixing with the rich and famous in "Planet 'ollywood" Overall, we felt it was a thoroughly

worthwhile and enjoyable experience, not only improving our spoken French, but also our knowledge of the French lifestyle

A huge thanks goes to Mrs Appleby and the Twinning Committees, for having organised this invaluable opportunity

Claire Wood & Lydia Brookes

Work Experience for Lower Sixth Students

During the penultimate week of the summer term, following another very successful Industrial Conference, all but a few Lower Sixth students did a week's work experience

Previously we have always encouraged and helped Sixth Formers to organise suitable work experience for themselves during the holidays However, this was the first occasion that school time was devoted to something that is widely regarded as most valuable in helping students to make informed decisions about careers and Higher Education as well as increasing their understanding of work and industry

In nearly all cases, the students came back with very positive comments and we are anxious that the present Lower Sixth students should benefit from a similar scheme

While a significant number of last year's students arranged their own Work Experience, many placements were offered by parents of present pupils in both the Junior and Senior Schools We are most grateful to all those who gave their support last year and I am especially grateful to those of you who have pledged to help with next summer's scheme

CAN YOU HELP?

We now have a register of over a hundred possible placements and while these cover a wide range of professions and career fields, there are still many gaps and we need more! Many students are prepared, even keen, to find an attachment outside the area, and indeed many of last year's students arranged placements for themselves in London and other cities Some went as far afield as France and Spain

As a parent or an O.V you may be able to help us to provide a most valuable experience to one of our students If you can offer a placement, even if it is not local, please write or send a fax and Iwill send further details in the New Year.

Communit y Servic e

All good organisations have their ups and downs, and it is fair to say that the small Community Service group operating on Saturday mornings to help less fortunate citizens in Worcester suffered a few setbacks earlier this year There was a period when there seemed to be very few jobs - gardening or decorating - available that needed to be done, and in the summer, with a large number of our volunteers being in the Upper Sixth and involved with A Levels, our numbers dropped to just two or three gardeners. However, during this lime, a group of our girls continued to visit old people, either in a residential home or living privately

I am very grateful to the young men in the Lower Sixth who kept the outdoor work going with their thankless gardening assignment during the summer It says a lot for their perseverance and concern

With the start of the new school year, things have improved and we are glad to report an influx of new volunteers and an

increased flow of jobs, especially in gardens, which will continue until the bad weather sets in when we go indoors and do some decorating for people who need it The channels of communication with the City Social Services have also been very much better, and we look forward to a successful year

Community Service is good fun and also enables young people to give back in help and service for the benefits of being at The King's School We work for about two hours on Saturday mornings, and it doesn't need to be every Saturday, if you can't manage it It is one of the very few ways in which the School makes a direct contact with people in Worcester whom we can help We need agood number of you tojoin us to ensure that the jobs are shared and the work can continue My thanks to those who have worked with us, and my warmest thanks to my colleagues who ensure that we can share the supervision and the driving

'ksw.org' and the World Wide Web

Try as we might not to be subscribers to the William Gates III Benevolent Fund (currently running at$2 million per day*), it would be difficult these days to write something about Information Technology without mentioning Microsoft I read recently (Autumn 1997)that there was a battle going on between Microsoft and the rest of Mankind, with Microsoft having only a slight lead This might change No, really

Good Well now we've got that out of the way, I felt the time had come to record some ofthedevelopments inthe I.T world at The King's School

The changes which have taken place in this area have moved so quickly and continue to move at such a pace that anything written on the subject is out of date in about a couple of months With this in mind, one of the most significant developments ofrecent months hasbeen theway inwhich we are using theWorld Wide Web (WWW) No solong ago (one, perhaps two years) the WWW was something people thought they ought to 'take an interest in' Now, the web address (www.thingy.com) attached to adverts inthepress is perhaps regarded as odd if it is isn't there So,for the record, The King's School web address is: www.ksw.org.uk

Type this into your web browser, with orwithout the help of your benefactor, the aforementioned Mr Gates, and you will find all sorts of things about The King's School Worcester Not only has The King's School Worcester been strippedof

its capital letters, but also it is an 'org' (organisation), a charitable one at that Having our own World Wide Web server does mean, however, that wecan place information about the school and its activities allover the world in a way that has never before been possible The Notable Achievementssection of the twice-termly Bulletin is on the webnow andcontains not only the 'latest' news, butalso photographs, as well as an archive allowing users to look back at previous issues

Ln addition tothis, our Physics section issowell developed that we can now offer a range of services to pupils, parents and other teachers who have access to the web, including course details, tips, diagrams, lists of project ideas andmore Part ofour Physics and Geography sections also contain work done by undergraduates working inconjunction with the school as part of their MPhys degree courses

Finally, I'd like to mention the fact that wecanplace the work of our pupils on the web forothers to look at, such as the paintings and drawings done by members of the Junior School This gives anopportunity tosee another side to school life which is difficult to describe unless you are able to visit the school Dohave a look - I hope youfind somethingof interest

J.iVl.R. (jroslington@mail.ksw.org.uk) E-mail TheVigornian at vigornian@mail.ksw.org.uk

* The Times 8lh October 1997

Public Speaking Competitions

Subjects ranged from Guy Fawkes to road rage, and from the Internet to celibacy (a natural progression?) Our regular Birmingham fixture inthe"Midlands Debating Competition" caused more debate before theoccasion than during it: Oliver Doherty andMax Wright had to decide what to make of the motion "Britain needs a modern-day Guy Fawkes" and then to work out away of opposing it Just as last year, thewords were interpreted quite differently bytheproposers and sotheentire debate was at cross-purposes; unlike last year, the judges seemed to prefer the other side's interpretation Oh for motions that make clear sense! Despite fighting speeches, wedidnot make itto the next round The other debating competition is the long-established Observer Mace, and this time themotion was crystal clear: "celibacy for the clergy isout of date" Clear,but not perhaps a burning issue for themajority of people, even of clergy Adam Smith and Jake Brazier opposed themotion with as much passion as they could muster in a low-key debate, but again the judges gave the palm to another team from another debate

We had more success in the declamatory type of occasion The English-Speaking Union runs acompetition forteams of three pupils below the Sixth Form: one member acts as chairman, another speaks for 5 minutes on a chosen topic and answers questions on it, and the third asks the questions of another team's speaker Alex Lee,introduced by chairman Joe Watson, spoke in thefirst round about thepros and cons of euthanasia, coming down firmly on the fence andconcluding - as is his wont - with aquotation from Plato Tom Wall had toquestion a speaker on acompletely different topic, and in each roundhe showed an excellent ability - shown by very fewothers - to grasp what the speaker hadsaid and ask pertinent questions which he had not prepared earlier We wonour heat, and progressed to the Branch Final in Gloucester We won again

here, with Alex switching his attention to the Internet and deciding - no surprise! - that the question of whether tocensor it was adifficult one which we had to think carefully about The only blighton the evening was the discoverythat the next round - the Regional Final inthe Council Chamber in Birminghamwas on the same daythat Alex had to be in Amsterdamfor some rowing event Into thebreach stepped Jenny Pearce, who took over as chairman to allow Joe Watson to speak on the topic "It's better to read any newspaper than no newspaper at all" The newly reconstituted team was magnificent, asitwas bound to be after all the hours of practice! But,alas, we didn't progress from there to the London final Two of the team survive for this year's effort; sowho knows?

Finally, and closer to home, theWorcester South Rotary Club - aone-off event, in which we entered two teams of now fairly seasoned performers Among the seven local schools taking part we achieved theexcellent result ofcomingfirst and third

The old firm ofWatson, Lee and Wall (thelast coming in at a few hours' notice) came third with aspeech about "road rage" - Iseem toremember Alex was his usual ambivalent self about whether it really existed The winning team included old hands

Oliver Doherty as chairman and Adam Smith asproposer of the vote thanks, butthe speaker was novice Lucy Thompson; the hours shespent preparing andrehearsing herspeech - on the need forsecurity in schools - resulted ina confident, polished performance, followed byperfect answers totheunpredictable questions she had to take from the audience

Nine pupils took part in atotal of seven team performances, and we won theevent on three occasions - a One record, which I hope will be emulated in the coming years by even more aspiring Tony Blairs

R.N.G.S

The King's School Archives

The Archives Department was started at the end of last year in order to preserve and catalogue the scattered documents, photographs and memorabiliaof the school for posterity They had been stored in one of the garret rooms in Edgar Tower Unfortunately some suffered when the roof leaked a few years ago and it had become clear that a more permanent, accessible and perhaps less dusty, home was needed Although not so atmospheric, a room at the top of School House has proved ideal Items were transferred here to await sorting and we have been busily collecting more since Sadly, not as much as we would like seems to have survived our four hundred and fifty years of existence, but there are some treasures!

We are currently cataloguing the numerous artifacts in our growing collection which isa long and rather laborious process, although not without its rewards Of particular note among the archives are the two volumes of Nash's History of Worcestershire of 1781, a plan of 1822 showing the County prison, sited on our present playground, a sizeable bass drum from the days of the Officer Training Corps before the First World War and a cane found in Miss AnneTurvey's office, one of a number gathered after the end of official caning in the school in the 1960s We have a dinner plate from Hostel from the 1930s when boarding houses did their own catering and housemaids made beds and cleaned the boys' boots There is the almost complete and utterly invaluable collection of Vigornians, miscellaneous posters and newspaper cuttings of relevance to King's in particular and Worcester in general and much else besides Michael O'Neill, the present Secretary to the OV Club, has very recently given the records of the club to us for safekeeping and we are now in possession of an OV cricket cap of 1942, complete with the owner's original name tape!

Th e Key s Societ y

The concerts this year have been of a very high standard There were many notable solo performances and the choral items both from The Magnificent Seven and from The Keys Society Choir were particularly outstanding It has been so good to have such a talented group of people at the school at the same time The choir sung at a Christmas concert in St Paul's Church for Leukemia Research and at a wedding in Hanbury Church in the summer The final concert included a fine performance of Monteverdi's Beatus Vir in which the choir were accompanied by Alan Uren and Julia Guy, violins, Lorna Pritchard, 'cello and it was good to welcome back Tom Blunt, piano Again we say goodbye to loyal contributors and thank them for all that they have done for the Society, namely: Pauline Baseley, Jemma Bogan,Ellie Doodey,Beth Edgell, Holly Gilbert, Keira Holtham and Robert Stringer I must also thank Alastair Brookshaw for the work he has done with the Choir

J.L.K.B.

We are also accumulating group photographs from earlier this century and particularly welcome among the new arrivals are the increasing number of reminiscences we are receiving from Old Vigornians These are not only very interesting, sometimes scurrilous, in themselves, but they help to build up a far better picture of school life in the past than any other single document

Alongside the archive work itself, we are also producing a revised version ofthe 450th History of the King's School which should be available from the early months of next year Watch this space! We are creating a computerised database of all the archives to allow easier access to records which will keep us busy for some time and we will soon be on the King's School web site on the Internet, hoping to attract the passing attention of more recent OVs across the world

Thank you to the Headmaster and Bursar who have made all this possible, to present members of staff who have shown an interest and donated all sorts of goodies and the kind OVswho have contacted us and sent us their memories and photographs We are very dependent on good will and very grateful for the support we have received so far There are still large gaps in the records, so that any items, documents and photographs will be more than welcome We would particularly like any memorabilia from St Alban's and it doesn't have to be veryold!

The Archives are in operation twice a week after school by members of the Sixth Form under the guidance of Mrs Roslington

Jonathan Hartwright

Members 1996-97

Jonathan Hartwright • Thomas Wall • Thomas Brown • Rakhi Kaushal • Josie Twinning • Jonathan Turner • Daniel Fisher

Th e Charit y Wal k

On Monday 5th May over 1000 pupils, staff and parents took part in the biennial Charity Walk from Upton-upon-Severn to Worcester Less demanding, perhaps, than the Malvern Ridge Walk, it nevertheless provided a rare opportunity to walk the full distance along the river bank, and we are most grateful to the Mayor of Upton and the local landowners who willingly offered their advice and support At the same time as most were walking, several crews of the Boat Club covered the distance rather more quickly on the river

Over £14,000 was raised and the three main charities to benefit, as decided by a committee of pupils, were Hope and Homes for Children, Imperial Cancer Research Fund and The British Lung Foundation Apart from the purpose of raising money, such an occasion brings together the whole School Community and, despite the downpour late in the afternoon, it was a most enjoyable day Our thanks to the Development Committee for much needed refreshments at the end

The following weekend a group of Sixth Formers and staff undertook a Three Peaks Challenge in the Yorkshire Dales A report of this, written by two pupils who took part, appears elsewhere in this section

M.A.S.

First XI

The season was characterised by two things: a lack of sunshine and a lack of runs Although the former was outside of our control, the latter was certainly not Far too often during the season our top order batsmen gave their wickets away cheaply and without a real fight This was profoundly highlighted against Warwick School On a good wicket, chasing a lowly 134 in over 3 hours, we were bowled out for 116 by a poor attack Though the runs began to flow at the term of term, it was too late to rescue a disappointing season

The top six contained players with plenty of attacking talent, but the experience of when to play shots and when to 'graft' was slow to surface They will all be back next year with the exception of Leigh Hinton, who filled the problem opening spot with much determination and some success, notably against the Old Vigornians in scoring arapid 83 Dan Cullen scored 623 runs at an average of 44.5 Althoughthis was by far the highest run aggregate for the side, it was slightly disappointing for a player with so much talent Dan must have his sights clearly set on reaching 1000 runs next season

Whilst the batting was disappointing, the bowling was of a consistently high standard The attack was led by Toby Heyes (36 wickets at 18.4) and Adam Phillips (32 wickets at 18.6) Toby bowled a number of very quick spells, especially against Bromsgrove in a highly charged match He was not helped, however, by the pitches which were consistently slow and low due to the amount of rainfall At the other end Adam very rarely strayed from an excellent line and length, giving the ball plenty of time to swing As the season progressed there was a notable increase in his pace, which will be very much to the side's benefit next year The off-spin of Dan Harris was the 'find' of the season He has the ability to bowl with the variety that gives his captain numerous options Tight and negative when the runs are flowing too freely, with flight and changes of pace when wickets are necessary Daniel Kendrick bowled a large number of overs, taking 16 wickets with his leg-spin, and returning best figures of 4-20 Dan will become increasingly effective if he can deliver the ball flatter and quicker, thus preventing the batsmen using their feet to him

The fielding was the area in which we impressed Very few catches were spilled, particularly as the season progressed James Keegan kept the side well motivated in the field, and Richard

Major took 13 catches, including some outstanding ones close to the bat

Far too often during the season the team allowed other sides to get back into the match Very rarely did we dominate a session from start to finish We lacked the necessary desire to finish off a side when they were down However, the defeat by Bromsgrove, who were a very confident, vocal and competitive side seemed to influence the team for the better From then on we gave the impression that we were confident we were going to win, even when things were not going well It is this attitude and determination that 1 hope the boys will take forward into next season, and with nine of them returning I am confident of a successful season

A.G.G

Second XI

Thank heaven for Bristol Grammar School! Until we visited them for the last match of the season, it seemed that we would emerge from the rain-soaked summer without a single victory The highlight was the affair at Wrekin College The cricket itself lasted nine overs, but the interval between the fifth and sixth saw a hailstorm followed by something I've never seen beforeplayers and scorers sweeping the white carpet from the pitch with brooms; after the second storm, we had tea and went home Five other matches were calledoff (more sensibly) before they began, and the Bromsgrove game had to be abandoned before the scheduled end - which was useful, as Bromsgrove were on 1 125 chasing our 133. Of the seven games which went the distance - that at Brecon in continuous light rain - we lost five, won one and drew one: not the most successful season, especially as we managed to lose - unprecedentedly, 1 think - to K.E.C Stourbridge and to

K.E.S Camp Hill Yet several players showed that, on their day, they were perfectly competent

The most successful bowler was Oliver du Sautoy who, releasing the ball from way above the level of any sightscreen, took the grand total of 8 wickets for a mere 68 runs Just about all the bowlers were medium-pacers: Alex Garwood-Gowers put in many steady long spells, finishing the season with 6 wickets at 21.67, and Charles Daniellalso with 6 wickets - had his moments, too It was Tom Pitts who helped to win the final match, first with 38 runs and then 3 wickets for 14 Among the batsmen, no one scored consistently or reliably, but there were heroic innings from James Parry (63, to save us from ignominy in the first match against King Henry VIII, Coventry),Jon Bourne (33 at a similar time against K.E.C Stourbridge), and Lorin Arnold, who played twice and scored 50 on both occasions Ben Winter, Stephen Callow and Lloyd Cox made some useful scores, too, and James Daniell - captaining the side with quiet, unostentatious authorityplayed two captain's innings, one of 65 in the defeat against K.E.S Camp Hill, and another of 40 to help set up the victoryin the final game

The reason for our rather mediocre record was that only one, or at most two, of these potentially good batsmen came off in the same match The fielding was spirited, but often not sharp enough to put real pressure on the opposing batsmenthough Michael Honan was an outstanding exception and James Parry was a thoroughly reliable wicket-keeper At least they played in the right spirit, didn't sledge the opposition, and never argued with my (always correct) decisions H.M.C would be proud of them!

R.N.G.S.

St Mary's Convent After a battle the score was 2-1 with goals from Lizzie Hickson and Kirstie Tew

The season ended with the county tournament where the team did not perform its best and finished fourth in its section

After defeats early in the season, the team worked hard to achieve a good standard of play and managed to continue improving throughout the year Well done to Isla Robertson who captained the team and also to the top goal scorer Lizzie Hickson

F.L.J.

Under 12

The team had an excellent season They played with great enthusiasm and determination from beginning to end Of their total of nine matches played, they won six, drew one and lost only two

The team was chosen from a large squad of girls, practising regularly every week on both grass and the astroturf pitch at Worcester College of Higher Education

Helen Walker proved to be a dedicated goalkeeper and she was selected to play for the Worcestershire Under 12 County hockey team

V.J

Inter House Hockey

With nine houses this year incompetition lor the inter house shield, numbers soared lo a record of over one hundred girls taking part (Some playing hockey for the first time for a year or two!) Searching out nine sets of goal keeper equipment and eight different sets of coloured bibs proved to be no mean task

School House won through to the final but in the other matches, Chappel v Creighton and Oswald v Bright, penalty strokes had to decide the result as they both ended in a draw After a tense twenty minutes of penalty strokes Creighton came through to play School in the final After an exciting match of equal standards both teams were eventually beaten by the light and it was decided that they should share the trophy

School House was captained by Zoe Skellern and Creighton was captained by Rebecca Jones

Many thanks to S.R.C., F.L.J, and especially to M.J.G who did a marvellous job running a section in the far distance beyond the hedge - and it ran likeclockwork

V.J

Tennis

Under 18

This season there have been four girls' matches, and two mixed The squad worked very hard, and began to form partnerships, as all the matches were in doubles formation The opposition was very tough, and our teams were unable to match the consistency and winning shots they faced, with only HanleyCastle being beaten by our girls' team The greatest fun was to be had in the mixed matches, which both our boys and girls enjoyed thoroughly

Team players were: Victoria Williamson, Keira Holtham, Amy Donovan, Will Lea, Becky Jones, Alex Symondson, Tim Larnder Louis Lau, Judith Evans, Lucy Thompson, Jonathan Foulds, Jamie Whitmore, N.R.A

Under 16

The team only played two matches before leaving for exams The two matches were against St Mary's Convent and Hanley Castle, King's winning both

The match against Hanley Castle was particularly enjoyable, with long hard rallies in all games, all four players, Jo Brown, Karina Tipton, Jenny Pearce and Jenny Howlelt, showing a good standard of tennis

T.D.M.

Under 15

Six players trained regularly and formed the basis of the squad Four players played in the Midland Bank Tournament and won two of the six matches and only narrowly losing the others Spectators enjoyed some Wimbledon style nail biting tie breaks! Rosie Tustin and Jodie Guest were the number one couple and responded well to stiff opposition The players attended Poynder Coaching which helped their games enormously Good technique and sportsmanship was the order of all our matches and the girls were a credit to the school

F.L.J

Under 14

The team was plagued by the weather, which caused cancellation of matches However, the fact that they lost all three of their matches does not reflect the standard of tennis played

During the match against Hereford, couples 3 and 4 gained the most games for the team, retaining 9 out of a possible 12 games They were; Lorna Pritchard,

Julia Guy, Anna Haigh and Elizabeth Lewis

The first couple had a particular hard match against Alice Ottley, but were able to retain 7 out of 12 games; the players were; Sara Lewis, Jenny Elderkin, Katie Jones and Lorna Pritchard

T.D.M.

Under 13

We had a very small squad of only eight players this year but on the whole they showed a lot of commitment to the team In the Midland Bank Friendly League the 'A' team were undefeated and emerged as the overall winners The 'B' team played with determination and lost twoof their games We did not have quite as much success in inter-school matches losing to both Bromsgrove Lower School and Dean Close, both of whom put out very strong teams Everyone played well but special mention should go to Tillie Fredericks who won all her singles matches and to the pairing of Fiona Meere and Tillie Fredericks who won all but one of their doubles matches

K.A.

Under 12

This team had much more luck with the weather, and managed to play six matches, although one had to be abandoned half way through, and continued on another day. There was a committed group of girls attending Under 12 Tennis Training, some of whom did not represent the school, but still deserve great credit for persevering with their tennis, and showing considerable progress over the term Our team players have also worked hard and were delighted to win 4 of their 6 matches, beating St Mary's Convent, Dean Close, Hanley Castle and Hillstone Particular credit should go to Lyndsay Miller, Frances Gwilliam, Emily Freeman, Rachael Miller and Stephanie Crowe

N.R.A

Rounders

Under 18

Once again many fun packed hours were spent practising rounders skills with useful opposition being provided by those boys who often found that waiting their turn in cricket nets was far more enjoyable spent warming up by delivering exciting hits against the girls Many of these hits, provided super practice for our deep fielders although no-one managed to get the ball into New Road "Only once around the posts" I'd hear them say

Fun aside, we tried to maintain our usual fixtures, only to come up against inclement weather until at last we managed to play Hereford Cathedral School With Rebecca Birtwhistle as captain, this proved to be a great match Almost everyone scored at least one rounder, Rebecca and Anna Daniell scoring many more Superb bowling from Kathryn Williams and deep fielding kept the match closely fought to the end, and we just lost by 21 rounder to 17

The three mainstays from the Upper Sixth, were Anna Daniell, Belinda Lowe and Tania Koehler

Under 15

At the beginning of the season a squad of ten girls met for training, full of enthusiasm after their successes of last year The team showed good potential with impressive fielding skills, particularly from Olivia Borastero at 2nd deep Disappointingly the wet weather resulted in all but one of the fixtures being cancelled However the team did have a successful match against St Mary's Convent with Rosie Tustin scoring an exceptional six rounders in the one game

S.R.C.

Under 14

This is an enthusiastic and dedicated group of girls, who practiced with full commitment to ensure that matches would be won Unfortunately, when the time came to prove just how good they were, the weather seemed to beat them Many matches had to be cancelled due to the inclement weather, but they kept their spirits high and eventually a match was played against St Mary's Convent It was closely fought, with King's losing by just one rounder Superb hitting came from Kate Jones (captain), Jenny Elderkin, Julia Guy and Sarah Lewis Claire Welsh as backstop was always reliable and managed to make every pass or catch seem fun Such enthusiasm became quite contagious at times As bowler, Jenny Elderkin was quick, sharp and quite outstanding

Under 13

Considering the weather was so dreadful, we had a very worthwhile and happy term! There were only enough gids attending training for one team, but they were "quality people" They attended regularly, and improved their skills greatly Most of their matches were abandoned due to rain, but they did play two matches In the first they just lost to St Mary's Convent, by half a Rounder, but in the second, they overcame Hillstone

with a massive 16/: Rounders to 6'A. Outtop scorer was Lizzie Hickson with 6 Rounders, followed by Sam Doughty with 4

N.R.A

Under 12

The team enjoyed a successful season, winning convincingly every match they played All the training sessions were well attended and everyone had the opportunity to play in at least one game As the season went on, some great teamwork developed, especially between Anna Brookes as back stop and Frances Gwilliam, who took the catches superbly at first post This special partnership often fooled the opposition who had barely set off from base, only to find they were out Excellent and consistent bowling from Lyndsay Miller who kept her cool throughout, created a lot of catches for our fielders and Emily Freeman and Helen Walker positioned themselves to great effect We had sufficient members to create a 'B' team (captained by Pippa Candlish) who won their only match against St Mary's Convent, 8'A rounders to their 8 The 'B' team regularly provided great opposition for the 'A' team and some promotions were mere, namely Aimee Shaw and Elizabeth Rushton who proved to be excellent 'A' team players

The Under 12 squad is an outstanding group of committed players and we look forward to even bigger and better results in the future

V.J.

Swimmin

Swimming has gained a higher profile in recent years with increased fixtures, training nights and an 'external' coach. Training has mainly been attended by pupils from the junior end of the school so the fixtures have involved primarily St Alban's and the Fourth Forms

We have had some very good individual performances but have been lacking slightly in depth The first gala of the season was against Hereford Cathedral School This was an extremely good coeducational sporting event which we narrowly lost by a mere eight points The noise was deafening on the poolside We may have lost the gala but we certainly won the shouting!

The girls enjoyed a victory over St Mary's Convent but lost to Malvern Girls' College and the Alice Ottley

A dedicated core of

swimmers performed well in our matches but greater numbers are required to train more regularly in order to improve the standard of swimming at King's.

Dance

Dance has been a great success this year, lt started off with a member of the Rambert Dance Company coming into school to take a Master Class with girls from all years We then went to the Oxford 'Apollo' Theatre to see this company perform Here the ideas were born for the senior dance, based on the Rolling Stones song, 'Paint It Black'

The senior girls went on to add their own ideas, showing rhythm and flair within the dance and showing effective use of red feather boas Their performance on King's Day was a tribute to the talents of this group

Upper Removes

For the first time this year dance was taught on the PE Curriculum This led to enthusiastic Upper Removes wanting more! So they formed a group and rehearsed regularly with a great sense of fun They certainly made their rehearsals an enjoyable time for me Their enjoyment and vitality was seen in the performance to the song from 'Grease' Their costumes (made by themselves) added to their brilliant performance on King's Day

Fourth Form Dance

This year we decided to go for something a little different, with the use of ribbons and saris to use as stimuli within the dance All the girls realised how difficult it can be to dance using props at the same time However with a great deal of practice they overcame the problem

The music chosen from 'Riverdance' was our stimulus, providing the main theme of the dance We aimed to show different moods within the dance, starting with a calm misty morning with clans coming together to join in a day of celebration The mood slowly builds with the use of rhythm and colour,finally building to a crescendo of music, movement and colour

V.J.

V.J

O.V. Notes

Reunion Weekend

20t h - 21st Septembe r 1997

Once again the reunion followed closely on the lines of previous reunions

The AGM preceded the dinner and thanks are due to the Common Room who allowed the Club to entertain guests of OVs attending the AGM, for which we are always grateful

With the President in the Chair there were 19 other members present

The meeting began with the President reading the names of the members who had died in the past year and all present stood in silence

Apologies were received from 13 members.

The audited accounts for 1996 were presented by Ray Franklin showing the Club to be in a very healthy financial position Ray gave a thorough explanation of the figures after which they were passed with a vote of thanks to both Ray and the auditor, John Wagstaff.

Roy Padden proposed Ray Franklin as his successor and this proposal was seconded and passed with acclamation

Donald Leonard (47-52) was elected as Vice President for 1997-2000, Patricia Sanger and Andrew Underwood were re-elected to the Committee for a further three years and Caroline Horrigan (85-87) was elected to fill the one vacancy

The Dinner

The dinner in College Hall was an unqualified success with well over 100 members and guests

The President and his wife attended with guests the Headmaster, Lady Garden, the President of the O.E. Association Jim Thompson and his wife, the Chairman of Governors Donald Howell and his wife, Ann Turvey, Mrs Maureen Kings and her husband, the Reverend John Wright and his wife, and Head of School Adam Smith and a Senior Girl, Lauren Lawson-Pratt

Bill Jones, Vice President, proposed the Health and Prosperity of the School and in his reply the Headmaster gave a glimpse of the School's progress in the past year both on the academic and sporting fronts

The President proposed the Health of all guests, welcoming the Head in what would be his final year at the School, and thanking Donald Howell for his continued leadership of the Governors. He said he was also pleased to see the Head of School and a Senior Girl representing the pupils. There was always a healthy and friendly rivalry with the 'other' schools and it was a special pleasure to see the other half of the Thompson twins representing the O.E Association He paid special tribute to Ann (Topsy) Turvey for her long association with the School and the tremendous help and support she had given to the Club over that period and also welcomed Maureen Kings who had put in such hard work in improving the School Library over many years He wished them both a long and happy retirement.

Finally, he thanked Lady Garden for her presence and for agreeing to respond.

Lady Garden thanked the President and other OVs for the invitation to attend the dinner even though her husband Tim was abroad and unable to attend A very interesting and entertaining response was listened to attentively and loudly applauded.

To the organiser of the dinner, Richard Underwood, the greatest thanks are due.

The preacher at the I1.00 am Sunday Eucharist was the Reverend A.J.Wright and the new President, Ray Franklin, read the Epistle Finally, Dr Moore was at home afterwards at 9, College Green to OVs and their partners.

O.V. Golf Day

This has now become an established part of the reunion weekend and there is now a base of well over 50 members confessing an interest. This year 27 players tackled the Worcester Golf and Country Club course at Boughton Park in reasonably good weather The golf was of a very good standard with handicaps ranging from 9 up to the maximum of 28 Ages, too, varied with younger members in their early twenties to Norman Hackwood aged 77. A stableford competition over eighteen holes in the afternoon was followed by an evening meal attended by our President who presented prizes as follows:

Winner with 36 points

Runner up with 35 points

Best front nine holes

Best back nine holes

Longest drive

Nearest the pin

Robert O'Neill

Frank Barlow

Michael O'Neill

Tony Phillips

Tom Shervington

Mike Stokes

Next year's golf day will be Friday 18th September at Droitwich Golf Club. Further details will be contained in the mid-year circular in 1998.

O.V. Cricket Club

The O.V. Cricket Club now runs three teams, two on Sundays playing friendly matches and for the first time this year a Saturday XI, playing competitive league cricket, very successfully, as they won their league.

The Club also tours each year although this year was a washout. 1998 is the 50th Anniversary of the Cricket Club and a number of events are being planned Hopefully further details will be announced well in advance The club also operates a web site on the internet at:

http://www.btinternet.com/~ovcc/ and anyone can E-mail the club at: ovcc@btinternet.com

The Club is in excellent shape and new members are always welcome.

For further information you may contact Charles Annable, Hon. Secretary, Tel: 01905 611732.

O.V. Committee 1997-98

President

Chairman

Headmaster

Vice-Presidents

Hon Secretary

Hon. Treasurer

Hon. Auditor

Hon Social Secretary

Members Emeritus

Elected 1995

Elected 1996

Elected 1997

R.A Franklin (43-49)

R.T Padden (46-52)

J.M Moore (Hon O.V.)

P.C Thompson (Hon O.V.)

W.F. Jones (44-50)

D. Leonard (47-52)

M.J. Page (60-65)

R.A. Franklin (43-49)

J Wagstaff (52-61)

R.F Underwood (68-79)

J.P Pimley (35-39)

M.R Craze (19-25)

M.J Page (60-65)

D.A Ogle (76-86)

G.J O'Hara (81-84)

Heather Morgan (83-85)

R.F. Underwood (68-79)

Nicole Featherstone (84-86)

Patricia Sanger (Hon. O.V.)

A.W. Underwood (77-88)

Caroline Horrigan (85-87)

University Distinctions

We have knowledge of five firsts this year.

Philip Turner - Architectural Studies at the University of Newcastle

Jonathan Jansen - Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College

Stephen Cox - Mathematics at Exeter College, Oxford

Angus Hastie - Business Studies at the University of Edinburgh

Karolyjuhasz - Mathematics and Astronomy at UCL

Matthew Fitzjohn, who gained a first in Geography two years ago from Liverpool University, is joining St John's College, Cambridge to do an M.Phil, in Archaeology and Geography.

The following Scholarships have been awarded:

James Kelly - in Chemistry at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford

Andrew Cox - in Mathematics at Exeter College, Oxford.

Congratulations also go to Kathryn Pugh who has been awarded a Senior Exhibition in English at Emmanuel College, Cambridge and to Lucy Brookshaw who has won the Sir Henry Thomas Prize at Birmingham University.

Engagements

J.R Churc h (H 88-94) andSabine Koehler (Os 92-94) April 1997.

Jennifer Cle e (Os. 88-90) to Captain Ian O'Bryan, late of The Light Infantry, from Quedgley, Gloucestershire

C.N Jaques (Ch. 75-85) Christopher to Christine Smith, daughter of Mr Garry Smith of Annapolis, Maryland and Mrs Eleanor Smith of Oakville, Ontario

Apri l Mackiso n (Co. 86-88) to Carl Barrow on 9th November 1996

J.R.I. Mills (S. 80-87) to Kathryn Stratton of Plymouth, Devon, in December 1996

J.R Oul d (K 76-86) to Deanhouse, Holmfirth, November 1996

I.D Wrigh t (Cr 81-91) to Sarah Billington of Wootton, Bedfordshire.

Sara h H Wrigh t (E 90-92) to Alastair D.C Thomson of York. Colette Hepworth of West Yorkshire, in

Marriages

R.T. Bade r (Os. 82-89) to Sherene Hannon of Lincoln Park, New Jersey at the Community Church in Manhattan, New York.

P. Burgoyn e (Cr. 72-77) to Katherine Jane Wood, at Powick Church, October 1997

M.J Daine s (H. 78-84) to Debbie Felixson, on I Ith April 1997 in Cozumel, Mexican Caribbean, where they now live and own a diving business

A.P Fo x (K. 80-87) to Julia David, at St Peter's, Portishead, on 7th August 1997

Sara h Hughe s (Co 81-83) to MrPaul Mart, on 25th October 1997, in Southampton.

Morve n Leggot t (Co 84-86) to Dr Simon Barnes on 27th June 1997 at the Church of St John the Baptist, Eastnor. Morven has now taken up a specialist registrar post in Obstetrics andGynaecology for the West Midlands region.

Kat e Lumsdo n (Co./E. 85-87) to Andrew WilsonSmith, at Temple Church, London, on 17th May 1997

I.P McAndre w (W 74-81) to Dr Aurelia Condello on 16th December 1996. Also present at the wedding was Jonathon Nott, son of Mrs M.A Nott, Biology teacher at the School

D.R O'Donnel l (Br. 84-91) to Nicole Bowery on 23rd August 1997 at St Kenelm's Church, Romsley, Halesowen Richard Small (Br 84-91) was best man and Christopher O'Donnell (Br. 88-95) an usher.

T Sherringto n (CI 75-85) to Sarah McDonald, at Cradley, Malvern, in August 1996. His brother John (Ch. 73-83) was best man and the ushers included James Mackie (Os 75-85), Gareth Wilding (Cr 7885) and Rick Ormerod (Ch. 77-85)

P.R Thomso n (Os. 81-90) to Melanie McGrady, on 23rd August 1997

P.K Twinberro w (Br. 66-74) to Irene Godfrey at St Margaret's Episcopal Church, New Galloway, on 24th May 1997

Aliso n Weeke s (Co 84-86) to Nicholas James Campbell, on 3I st May 1997, at St Andrew's Church, Ombersley Her sister Sandie (Co 79-81) was the reader and brother Peter (Br. 74-79) was an usher.

A.K . Wightma n (Ch. 74-79) to Miss Ernie Tonooka in Honolulu, Hawaii on 7th March 1997 Ex-flatmates J.A. Grey (CI. 74-79), P.D.C. Wells (Ch.74-79) and R.F. Underwood (Cr. 68-79) were ushers.

Births

Dr Sara h Andrews , Mrs Woolley (Co 84-85) and Jonathon a son, Robert Jonathon Frederick on Ist August 1996

Rachel Bell, Mrs Grant (Co. 86-88) to Rachel and Steven a son, Joseph William on 20th February 1996 at Tynemouth.

B K.W Boot h (S. 68-75) to Octavia and Ben a daughter, Eleanor Rachael on 23rd October 1996 at University College Hospital

A Brooker-Care y (Ch. 65-75) to Andrew and Dr Sally Anne Hulton a daughter, Tess Carey Hulton on 2nd August 1996.

N.C Bulloc k (W. 72-79) to Nicholas and Alison a daughter, Sophie Elizabeth at Ronkswood Hospital on 12th September 1997

S.H Cawdel l (S 78-83) to Simon and Sarah a son, James Charles Peter on 3rd October 1996 at Kingston Hospital, Surrey

D L Evans (Cr 78-86) to Derek and Vicky (sister of Steve Reeve, Cr. 81-90) a daughter, Harriet Victoria on 3rd April 1997, a sister for Thomas born Ist October 1994

Dr A.R Gree n (W. 78-85) to Susan and Andrew a son, Jack Andrew on 24th October 1995 at Birmingham Maternity Hospital, and a daughter, Bethany India Rebecca on 4th April 1997 at Cheltenham General Hospital.

P.F Hewit t (Ch. 64-69) to Peter and Sally a son, Charles Alden Fraser on 19th August 1997 at Bedford Hospital (weighed in at 7lbs l5ozs)

M Holme s (Br 71-78) to Liz and Martin a son, Matthew John on 27th February 1997 at the John Ratcliffe Hospital, Oxford

P.H.C Hulla h (Br.69-76) to Peter and Jacqui on 12th August 1997 at Fontainbleau a son, Edward William Alisdair, a brother for James.

J.M La w (Br 79-84) to Sue and John a daughter, Sarah Jane on 7th December 1996 at Princess Margaret Hospital, Swindon, a sister for Emma Louise

N Ratcliffe (Cr 73-80) to Nick and Lynn a son, Michael David born at home 26th March 1997, a brother for Alison

E A Reeves (K. 80-90) to Katherine andAlex a daughter, Charlotte Eleanor on 12th May 1997 at Leeds General Infirmary. A first grandchild for ER and RR.

D.St.J. Richards F (Cr. 75-82) and Jennifer (nee Ellis, Co 80-82) a son, Rhodri Alexander, a brother for Charlotte.

J.G Sha w (H 71-80) to John and Annette a daughter, Katie Angela on 27th August 1997.

C G Sitch (W 76-86) to Carlton and Hayley a son, Owen Michael Brian on 18th June 1996)

Cath y Taylor , Mrs Randall (Co 81-83) to Cathy and Steve a daughter, Kate Eleanor on 6th October 1996 at St George's Hospital, Tooting, London.

M.J Taylo r (CI. 66-73) to Michael and Julie a son, Alexander James on Nth May 1997 at Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading

T.P.S Wilso n (Br. 69-77) to Timothy and Melanie on Palm Sunday, 31st March 1996 twin sons, James Benedict and Edward Alexander at Horton Hospital, Banbury, brothers for Eleanor Clare.

Belind a Worlock , Mrs Bulsing (Co 77-79) to Belinda and Mark a son, Giles Edward Alexander on 18th April 1997

Deaths

Brigadie r H.H Blanchard , CB E (DB 19-20) died 13th June at the age of 94 [See below.]

W.W Brye r (CI. 30-36) died 12th February 1997 aged 76.

M.V.H Dows e (Cr 35-40)

C H.C Hambli n (S 51-62) died 2 Ist June 1997 [See below.]

D. K. Kenned y (S. 46-51) died 1997.

N Leemin g (Cr. 60-67) died in March 1997 after a two year illness with a brain tumour. From King's he went to the University of Sussex and from there to Manchester University. He spent almost all his working life in Somerset as a theoreticaUl physicist in future systems for GEC/Marconi and for Royal Ordnance.

J.G Lyo n (S. 44-47) died on 29th July 1997 from a coronary thrombosis John was brother in law of W.M.P.H. (Michael) Child (S. 44-48)

J.H Nicholl s (DB. 21-27) died Friday 15th August 1997 aged 88. [See below.]

H Raymond , MC,OB E (1897 -1905) died in 1975 [See below.]

M.F Southal l (W. 54-62) died 1997.

O.T Storrs , MB E (S. 21-23) died 6th January 1997. [See below.]

D.E.G Thoma s (Ca 56-66) died 1997

D.A Web b (Cr 44-47) died June l997.[See below.]

L.F.H Woodcoc k (S. 17-19) died on Ist May 1996 after a short illness at Poole, Dorset aged 93 years. An enthusiastic old boy of King's he attended many reunion dinners up to recent years.

A.E Yor k (Ca. 52-59) died in 1996 and at the time of his death was Chairman of the Worcester Cathedral Old Choristers' Association.

Brigadier H.H. Blanchard

Brigadier H.H. Blanchard (DB. 19-20) left school early upon the death of his father and went to London to work as a journalist. He played rugby for Blackheath when it was a most successful club with several English internationals Harry joined the Pioneer Corps at the outset of the Second World War in France with the British Expeditionary Force and subsequently through the North African Campaign,Sicily and Italy before going to India, Burma, Malaya, Ceylon, Java, Sumatra and Mauritius as Dinrector of Labour at H.Q. Allied Forces South East Asia, in command of a labour force of 527,000 men In 1949, he became the head of the Corps when he was appointed Director of Labour and Inspector of the Royal Pioneer Corps and was affectionately known as 'Father of the Corps'. He was subsequently awarded the CBE for services to the Corps, and retired from the active army in 1952 but remained on the Regular Army Reserve until 1960. He remained in very close touch with the activities of the Corps and was an active and enthusiastic member of the Corps Association, supporting numerous functions throughout the U.K

C.H.C. Hamblin

(s. 51-62)

Clive was Head of School House under Dan McTurk and represented the School at rugby, fives, athletics and boxing. He was also a fine actor and many will remember his excellent performance as Jimmy Porter in Look Back in Anger, staged in conjunction with the Girls' Grammar School and The Alice Ottley in 1962. He read Law at Bristol University and then joined the Probation Service At the time of his death he was Assistant Chief Probation Officer of Surrey. He loved his time at King's and only a week before he died, he and Bruce Cunningham (Cr. 52-62) stopped off in Worcester to walk round College Green and the School Gardens Clive leaves a widow, Fiona, and two children, Daniel and Olivia

Bruc e Cunningha m

John Houlton Nicholls

John Houlton Nicholls was a day boy from 1921-1927 following a period at Tredennyke Prep School John was one of Bromsgrove's most active public servants and a former owner of the town's button factory, B Sanders and Sons, which became Europe's biggest manufacturer of buttons and badges. He was also second-in-command of the 164-man Bromsgrove Company of the Worcestershire Regiment during World War Two He was taken prisoner in 1940 at Dunkirk, returning home in 1945. He was chairman of the Bromsgrove Hospital League of Friends between 1965 and 1990 and was a Bromsgrove Urban District Councilor for nine years and chaired the town's branch of the Citizens' Advice Bureau John leaves his wife, Rosemary, and three sons, Noel. Clifford and David.

Harold Raymond (1897-1905)

Harold Raymond died in 1975 although we only received advice of his death this year. His son bought a copy of the 'History' at his church fete (for 25p) and found that his father was mentioned on two occasions Harold was awarded a Meeke Scholarship and went to Pembroke College After graduating he became a master at Oundle before joining the army in 1914, leaving in I 91 9 as a Staff Major with the MC and an OBE. He joined the Publicity House of Chatto and Windus becoming senior partner in the '30s until his retirement in 1958. He published works of Lytton Strachey, Aldous Huxley and William Faulkner amongst others but will be best remembered as the inventor of the Book Token His great passions were travel, early European painting and church architecture and loved laying out gardens, making paths and walks.

O.T. Storrs

O.T. Storrs (S. 21-23) was born in 1907 leaving the School at the age of 16 when offered the chance to join the mining industry in which he served all his working life. He worked at many pits and his final position was Area Safety Engineer with the National Coal Board He received an MBE for services to the mining industry 'Binnie' Storrs had many other interests in life, becoming Staff Officer for Cadets and Area Commissioner for the St John Ambulance Brigade and holding membership in several Lodges of Freemasons. He had a deep involvement in the life of the Church of England, holding a number of offices in the Church and being a member of the new Synod He was married for 60 years, his wife Frances dying in 1996 He loved his short stay at the School and was a staunch supporter and sometime President of the OV Club, and attended many reunion weekends including the one last year.

Bruc e Cunningha m

D.A. Webb (Cr

44-47)

On leaving school he joined Heenan's where he became a draughtsman and moved to a position with the Defence Research Agency in Malvern and eventually retired in 1990. His interests were mainly musical, being a member of Malvern Light Opera for 40 years. He was a founder member and first secretary of the Malvern Priory Old Choristers' Association and also joined the Cathedral Voluntary Choir He enjoyed a game of bowls and was a keen supporter of Worcestershire CCC. He was also a Governor of Pitmaston Primary School. Donald leaves a widow, Heather, two sons and five grandchildren.

Bruc e Cunningha m

H.D Watso n (Ch. 48-58) still enjoys running the History Department at the Dragon School where Rob Dow (CI 84-89) has joined the Classics Staff and is making a considerable impact in the classroom and on the playing field. David is building up a connection as an itinerant organist - the highlight of which was playing for Sylvester Stallone's wedding at Blenheim Palace Last year a trip to North Yorkshire made it possible to visit Frank Sutcliffe (Staff 53-68)

Melani e Watso n (E. 85-87) lives in Oxford and works in publishing She now manages a list of English Language Teaching books for Spain. Anyone who would like to contact her via e-mail is very welcome - address: melaniewatson @ repp.co.uk

Revd Cano n M Weave r (Cr. 48-56) after 20 years as Vicar of Arundel in West Sussex Michael has moved to Hampshire to become Vicar of Lymington He continues to wave the flag for Worcs CCC

Aliso n Week s (Co 84-86) is a Chartered Surveyor working in Leicester

P.R Week s (Br. 75-79) Peter is on the family farm near Ombersley.

Sandi e Week s (Co. 79-81) is a Vet practising at Bromyard for the past six years

R.J. Wilke s (W. 76-86) having completed a short service commission in the Army has now qualified as a Solicitor and is practising with Hallmarks in Worcester.

J.D William s (Cr 44-48) has lived in Shropshire for forty years - now retired from being a Chartered Surveyor - Fine Arts and Antiques Salesrooms A racing enthusiast, being a member of Cheltenham, but all other sporting activities now restricted to jumping up and down before the television

O.T Woolle y (S. 90-94) graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a 2:1 in Landscape Architecture. Is taking a year out before starting a post-graduate Masters degree.

Early in the Spring Term of 1996, Jim Doughty, OV and past member of Kittermaster, was tragically killed in a road traffic accident It seemed oddly inappropriate that someone who restored old sports cars and drove them fast but skilfully, should be killed in an accident which was none of his making. He was not many days away from his 21st birthday. The words that follow were part of what was said by The Second Master, in College Hall, soon after his death. Jim was not an academic; he needed the special skills of Gill Roskowska to pass GCSE Maths. But he persevered and in the end he successfully tackled an Engineering course at Thame College. He rowed and he played rugby but most of all he shared his father's enthusiasm for classic cars which they would spend hours working on together. They had become great companions and enjoyed one another's company with all the leg pulling that went with it - they were both quick-witted. He was like so many sons with his mother, long-suffering when she needed him todo tasks which he thought were unnecessary, but kind and always gently teasing.

Aliso n Wrigh t (Co. 85-87) is now working as PA to the chairman of a management consultancy in central London The highlight of her year was organising the visit of St Peter's, Streatham, Church Choir to Worcester in August, where the Choir sang the services in the Cathedral for a week. During their visit the choir sang at the wedding of ex-Queen's Scholar, Fiona Lord (Co 84-86) on Saturday 30th August

A.J.W . Wynn e (W. 90-92) has completed his degree at Peterhouse, Cambridge and has begun a first degree in Law at UCL His new address is I4B Farlands Road, Stourbridge, DY8 2DD

from The King's School Archives

We would like to thank the following OVs for their kind contributions over the last year.

M.P.C Dowty (Ca 43-46)

G.W Lindner (S 43-46)

M.J. O'Neill (DB 44-49)

R Parkes (CI 60-68)

A.F. Partington (S 66-76)

N.W Richards (S 33-38)

N. Richardson (S 34-41)

C.R. Sampson (S 37-42)

Catherine R Taylor (Co 81-83)

R.G.W. Weight (Ca 26-28)

J.W.T Wilson (S 38-42)

R. Wright (Ca 53-57)

V.J. Wrigley (Master 38-40)

We would be delighted to hear from more of you, OVs, parents, staff, with material - photographs, documents, stories, anything! And it doesn't have to be very old either!

To his much younger sister, he was something of a hero who would always be there when she needed him. When she had friends to stay,Jim was ready to help build dens or to teach the girls how to drive go-carts. At past Fetes, Jim's parents have come to King's and helped. This year I see that stall number 83 (Skittle Alley/Coconut Bowling) is down to Samantha Doughty - L4D. Jim would have been here - helping.

For me, he was someone whom I looked forward to seeing and who always left me feeling glad that we had met again. I admired him for his kindness, for his integrity and for the way in which he set about enjoying life by being positive, by contributing and making things happen. He was going to have a successful life. Everyone liked him and I am desperately sad that I have lost a friend I valued highly.

There is a post-script. Stuart and Penny Doughty, and their daughter Sam, have kept Jim's memory alive in the School by, very generously, presenting the Boat Club with a fine single sculling boat named after him.

Class of '77 reunion

It started five years ago with an idea Bob Cartwright and I were sitting in a pub, quaffing ale, when suddenly he said, "Wouldn't it be a good idea if ".

Two years later, eight o'clock on a beautifully sunny Saturday morning, Bob and I are pootling down the river on Bob's boat, having survived a 'social' in a number of hostelries in Upton the night before Bob is in the galley making bacon butties and says, "You know that idea we talked about ".

Three years after that, the idea of getting the 'old gang' back together again for a 20 year reunion at the Old Chapel became a reality.

It was a dull Friday afternoon in late May when, having lost my way only once, Itrundled into the familiar grass area in front of the Old Chapel

Bob and Chris Hughes had arrived earlier that afternoon to take over from the Junior School, and Paul Wiffen was there just before me. Within minutes, other cars began to roll up and the familiar faces of Fraser Robertson, Mark Phipps, Mark Aldridge, Andy Boyle, Mike Croome and Guy Jenkins swarmed towards each other and met in front of the Chapel with much back slapping and laughter.

It was interesting to note however, that each person, went through the same routine, checking out the other's (a) hairline, (b) waist line and (c) facial lines All in all we hadn't fared too badly, much to the disappointment of some.

The sports cars we had all talked of owning twenty years ago had been replaced with 'people carriers' - a sure sign of the onset of family life The odd exception to this included Luke's (Mark Lennard's) trusty jeep complete with Belgian SLR, GPMG and sniper's rifle racks.

Surprisingly, everyone looked incredibly familiar, apart from myself and 'Wiff who had both lost a lot of weight since we last met(!), and of course Andrew Winscom who had grown another seven foot and developed a shock of startling white hair!

The weather during the first night was dark and torrential. Amid this storm a rather distraught Kevin Mannion appeared at the end of a terrible seven hour trip. The stress he obviously felt as he held his knife and fork like some deranged steering wheel, reminded us all just how much we 'needed' this break The night could only be summarised in three words - Wine, Beer and Song.

Anyone passing the Chapel would have heard 'Wiff, Fraser and 'Aff on guitar, with the rest of us on vocals, singing bang-up-to-date songs such as 'Wish you were here', 'Bad Company', 'Shooting Star', 'Wishing Well', etc., etc.

In my short period of time on rhythm guitar, I managed to break a total of five strings, leaving 'Wiffs' twelve string with only eight and Fraser's six string with only five.

I was rather surprised and hurt that 'Wiff wouldn't let me anywhere near his state-of-the-art electric guitar.

The first breakfast commenced with the familiar sight

of Bob in the kitchen, making the bacon sandwiches and 'organising' us (bossing us about) By this stage he had acquired the affectionate name of Aunty Roberta.

Julian Snow then appeared on the horizon just in time for the Pilgrimage on foot past the 'Hermitage', over the 'Packhorse Bridge' and up onto the 'Horseshoe'

By the time we reached the Packhorse for a group photo, a quick glance around confirmed the 20 years had gradually fallen away with every step. The old rivalry, digs and humour were there for all to see and enjoy

Although a variety of paths were taken by different Pilgrims, excellent map reading and compass skills taught by King's came flooding back and somehow we all managed to make it to the Red Lion totally unscathed!

The Pilgrims found they were joined by Mark Picken, Paul Roberts and Dave Nicholls who started the long ago forgotten 'kitty'. The afternoon was spent exchanging stories old and new, whilst quaffing ale and munching pork scratchings. By early evening, the barbecue beckoned

At this stage Bob set the challenge for the 'Firemanship' badge. Three groups who had studied 'three separate sciences' embarked on lighting the barbecue without paraffin blocks, aided only by a light drizzle I feel it's safe to say the Forestry Commission can sleep well at night, knowing they are in no danger from us !

However, when lit, supper was excellent Aunty had excelled herself - marinaded chops, drumsticks, sausages, salad and home made garlic bread - all washed down with red wine, white wine, Caffrey's, Fosters

The stream has always been a source of fascination for Chapel visitors, who usually make it a prime objective to fall in, within the first ten minutes of arrival Thankfully we all remembered just how cold it was and so the Oxbridge Candidates summoned up their extensive intelligence and turned it into an excellent wine/beer cooler. This I suppose would have made an excellent catch for any passing fishermen, but of course they wouldn't have lived to tell the tale.

The second night could be summed up in five words - numb bums around the fire!

More songs were sung making the best of 'Wiffs' eight string and Fraser's five string

Iwas not invited to play.

'Aff, however, had found Mark Picken's keyboard and enhanced the melodies no end as it had all the keys left on it!

Meanwhile, inside the Chapel, there was talk of old times around the log burner whilst the dim pleasures of 'Liar Dice' were rediscovered and played with enthusiasm at the other end of the hall.

Sunday morning we arose to the sight of 'JJ' skinny dipping in the stream (we were all very impressed) and yes, Bob cooking the bacon sandwiches, whilst 'Wiff proved that he lives life on a culinary knife edge by producing copious amounts of scrambled eggs.

Before the second Pilgrimage commenced on other well remembered walks to Crug Mawr, there were fond memories exchanged of bobbing down the stream in the

Placesin Higher Education

Zariena Zainul Abideen

Pauline Baseley

Medicine

Psychology

Richard Bennett Geology & Geophysics

Benjamin Blundell

Jemma Bogan

Georgina Borastero

Emily Brookes

Kate Burkill

Thomas Church

Edward Cox

Anthony Cross

Jordon Crowle

Anna Daniell

Thomas Davies

Eleanor Doodey

Beth Edgell

Kate Edwards

Judith Evans

Automotive Engineering

Music

Travel & Tourism

Medicine

English

Business Studies

German

Archaeology

Animal Behaviour

Speech/Language Therapy

PPE

Music/Theatre Studies

Music & French

Executive PA Diploma

French & Spanish

Catherine Fardon Medicine

Fiona Fincher

Mark Foster

Jonathan Foulds

Claire Freeman

Holly Gilbert

Robert Gregorowski

Richard Griffiths

Ian Grime

Thomas Guest

Occupational Therapy

Building Surveying

General Science

Law & French

Veterinary Medicine

Geography

Chemistry

European Studies

Ha, Pak Tung Thomas Pharmacy

Edward Haddock

Anna Harris

Mark Harris

Christopher Hawthorne

Justin Hayes

Michael Hearnshaw

Toby Heyes

Daniel Hickling

Alistair Hill

Annabel Hingston

Leigh Hinton

Jane Holehouse

Biology

Business Studies

Law

Computer Info Systems Design

Computer Science

Aeronautical Engineering

Business Economics

Civil Engineering

Quantity Surveying

Politics

Management Science

Business Studies

Roland Holt Geology

Keira Holtham

Jennifer Hopkins

David Hyett

James Jeffs

Hannah Jones

Music

English

Business Administration

Medicine

Sociology

Matthew Jones Chemistry

Luke Kan

Richard King

Tania Koehler

Peter Kolodotschko

Art Foundation Course

English

Tourism/Hotel Management

Foods Science

Glasgow

Warwick

Liverpool

Bath

Welsh College of Music/Drama

Luton

Bristol

Leeds [ 1998]

University of West of England

St Catherine's, Oxford

King Alfred's Winchester

Anglia Polytechnic University

University of Wales Institute [1998]

Magdalen, Oxford

Huddersfield

Exeter

St Aldgate's College

Exeter

University College, London [1998]

Oxford Brookes

Nottingham Trent

Glasgow

Leeds

Bristol [1998]

Exeter [1998]

Durham

Leicester

Portsmouth [1998]

King's College, London

Royal Holloway, London

Leeds Metropolitan [1998]

Cardiff

Kingston University

Loughborough

Swansea

Nottingham

Loughborough [1998]

University of West of England [1998]

Swansea

University of Wales Institute

Durham

Sheffield [1998]

Royal Holloway, London

Anglia Polytechnic University [1998]

St George's, London

University of West of England [1998]

Birmingham [1998]

University of West of England

University College, London

University of Wales Institute

Leeds

Timothy Larnder

Lau, Chun Yin

Lau, Wai Shing

Robert Lomas

David Longstaff

Anna Loynes

Christopher Lyons

Lorna Mason

Kaizen Matsumoto

Edward McDonald

Samuel McWhirter

Dougal Meese

Matthew Michael

Richard Milne

Ruhaiza Mohamad

Scott Moorhead

Thomas Murphy

Celine Nelen

Alasdair Nicol

Daniel Ott

Benjamin Panter

Nicholas Pawsey

Samuel Pearse

Jonathan Perera

Matthew Pincott

Benjamin Plank

Naomi Potts

Ryan Powell

William Powell

Andrew Pykett

Joanna Raine

Andrew Rankin

David Rawsthorn

Victoria Richards

Timothy Roberts

Jeremy Robertson

Clare Roslington

William Schwalbe

Laura Seymour

Zoe Skellern

Peter Starr

Robert Stringer

David Suddock

Adam Summers

Rebecca Symondson

Colin Thompson

Alan Trainer

Edward Underwood-Webb

Natalie Westwood

William Whittaker

Oliver Williams

Geoffrey Wise

Thomas Woodward

Julian Wright

Business Administration

Civil Engineering/Architecture

Genetics

Human Psychology

Microbiology & Genetics

Information Systems/Art History

Mechanical Engineering

Biology & Geography

Biochemistry

Business Studies

Engineering

Geography

History

Law & French Law

Medicine

Politics/East European Studies

Building Surveying

Mechanical Engineering

Electronic Engineering

Law & Business Studies

Physics

Media Arts

Law

Business Studies

Physics

Geography

Biochemistry

Economics & Accounting

Music Technology

Mathematics/Computer Science

Social Science

Business Economics

Law

Countryside Management

Law with Politics

Textile Management

German & Italian

Biological Sciences

Chemical Engineering

Physiotheraphy

Computer Engineering

Music

Politics & History

Law

History

Modern History

Sport/Movement Studies

English & Drama

Occupational Therapy

International Transport

Biomedical Sciences

Chemistry

French & Spanish

Combined Arts

Cardiff

Leeds

Queen Mary & Westfield

Aston

Aberdeen

Oxford Brookes

University of West of England [I998J

Exeter [1998]

Imperial, London

University of West of England [1998]

Durham

University College, London

Leeds

King's College, London

Southampton

Nottingham

De Montfort

Southampton

Swansea

Nottingham

Royal Holloway, London

Manchester

University of West of England

Birmingham

Reading

Royal Holloway, London

Newcastle

Leeds Metropolitan

Aston

Durham

Aberystwyth [1998]

Newcastle

Durham

Leeds

Warwick

UMIST

Cardiff

Southampton

Liverpool

Durham

Cardiff [1998]

University College, London

Oxford

University of Wales Institute

Aberystwyth

Northumbria

Cardiff

Manchester

Birmingham

Leeds

Durham