Top-left: ‘Noah’s Ark’, the first Boathouse, on the River Severn, 1914
Top-right: Boathouse on Hylton Road, pictured in 1948
Bottom-left: The opening of the Boathouse on Kleeve Walk, 1960
Bottom-right: The new ‘Michael Baker Boathouse’, opening Spring 2012.
Front cover: Charli Wilson and Peter Raybone as Miss Adelaide and Nathan Detroit in the school production of ‘Guys and Dolls’.
School Notes
It was forty years ago in 1971 that the first four girls (one has to commend their bravery) entered the Sixth Form at King’s. The Headmaster of the time, David Annett, commented that the pressure for this first tentative move towards coeducation came from parents of boys who wanted their daughters to attend the school as well. Whatever the reasons, we salute him for a move that has led, after forty years of evolution, to a school, now substantially larger with 940 pupils, of whom 46% are girls. I have not met any former pupil who feels that this development has changed the school irrevocably for the worse, but am, rather, greatly encouraged by the feeling of all OVs that I meet of all generations that, in this day and age, it is unthinkable that we should now be anything other than a school whose gender balance roughly mirrors the world of which our pupils will be part as adults. Those early generations of girls were true pioneers! I imagine that the school, teachers perhaps more than the boys (whom one of the early girls described as being “rather bemused”), took time to adapt to the new state of affairs. The reputation of a school takes to change. In my early years as Headmaster I had to work hard to counter a widespread view in the local area that we were still a boys’ boarding school!
A group of budding King’s student journalists, back in 1971, took a tape recorder out on the High Street and asked people what they knew about King’s and what they thought about the school. It was not an entirely reassuring message! Most people seemed to know nothing about us (except that it was a boys’ school), and of those who did, a number thought that King’s pupils were a bit snobbish and that the school was cut off from the local community. One shopkeeper longed for a return to the pre-war days when the boys would take off their caps when entering his shop and say “Good afternoon”! When I talk to families looking at King’s these days, I emphasise with a degree of passion that we are now fully integrated with the city, as befits our central location, and are always looking for new ways of engaging with the community for the benefit both of our pupils and of the city. Indeed, extending the range and number of opportunities for our boys and girls to be involved in community activity in Worcester is a particular aim for the year ahead. Reciprocally, we benefit hugely from the expertise of the many professionals, including representatives of local firms, businesses, charities, schools, sporting clubs, cultural institutions, churches and the university who come into school to give advice, insight and encouragement.
My third reference to 1971 relates to sport. It is now forty years since our first sports hall was built, and, with regular modifications, it has continued to serve us very well. It was in that year, too, that the school playing fields were extended all the way to the river. We have done a great deal in the last twelve years or so to improve the facilities of the school in all areas (and particularly in support of its academic activities). The last year, however, has been one of particular commitment to sport. A new astroturf pitch, a new pavilion on the playing fields, major improvements to the swimming pool and the near completion of a boathouse of breathtaking design and exciting flexibility in terms of its range of potential uses, represent the strongest possible expression that we uphold the classical principle of “mens sana in corpore sano”. And now, as most of you know, we are putting the finishing touches to plans for a new sports and performing arts centre that will be much the biggest project that the school has ever undertaken. We have always been a strong sporting school but these developments have a particular emphasis on ensuring that we can meet the aspirations and interests of the majority of our pupils, enthusiasts as well as experts, as well as catering for those with particular talents.
These are three areas in which I am proud to report that the school is flourishing. On the academic front, the last year has been one in which we outstripped all other schools in the county at GCSE and maintained our now long-held status as the best performing school in the city at A level. In the pages that follow, you will read of a multitude of activities and achievements which have made this, for all of us, a most fulfilling and rewarding year.
T.H.K.
Common Room Notes
EVENTS
Four successful and well attended staff socials were held during the year. In the Autumn term there was a party to welcome new staff, a skittles evening just before half term and an end of term Christmas party. The highlight of the Summer term was the barbecue at the end of term which followed ‘farewells’ to leaving members of the Common Room. Many members of staff also took part in the Staff Dance at the Dance Showcase, this year to Michael Jackson’s Thriller, which was at least as much fun for those taking part as for the audience.
Congratulations to the members of the Common Room who got married last year!
Josh Gardiner (to Claire), Lynda Ghaye (to Jerry Solven), Elaine Gittings (to Jon Friend), Alan Deichen (to Liz), Catherine White (to Julien Cantin) and John Wheeler to Liz Allen-Back. Catherine and Julien married in France and celebrated with a blessing in the St. Alban’s Chapel; John and Liz married while on holiday in the USA, and had a blessing in the Cathedral on their return.
DEPARTURES
SUE HINCKS
Congratulations also go to Chris and Fleur Atkinson on the birth of their son, Aiden James.
A-M.S.
Sue joined the senior team in 2004 and then in due course, when Alistair Macnaughton moved on to be Head of King’s Gloucester, became the first woman to hold the role of what used to be called (but for obvious reasons could no longer be) Second Master, and is now called Senior Deputy. She has left in the year in which we celebrate 40 years of girls in the Sixth Form at King’s and 20 years of full coeducation. She has herself been instrumental in ensuring that we are a balanced coeducational establishment.
She was acting Head for a term in 2009 when I was on sabbatical. Heads can often be nervous of being outshone in their absence by an ambitious deputy and I know that my colleagues will look back on Sue’s term in charge as dynamic and refreshing and will have seen it at the time as evidence that she was more than ready to run her own school. Sue will be remembered by her colleagues for her intelligence, meticulous organisation, extraordinary capacity for hard work, generosity with her time and patience in assisting with a whole range of personal and professional concerns, not to mention her readiness to sing, dance or put on black leather in a staff panto. She will be remembered by those whom she has taught as a dynamic, unconventional and caring teacher and by the school as a whole as someone who could express her displeasure in no uncertain terms from the stage in College Hall at one moment and at another spend hours trying to find the best way round a pastoral difficulty. She worked tirelessly for the well-being of pupils of all ages, boys and girls, as the person overall in charge of the pastoral system. She would not have seen running Saturday morning detentions as being one of the most rewarding parts of her role, but she used even those to try to get to know pupils better. She was clear in her expectations to staff and pupils alike – you knew where you stood with Miss Hincks, and that was reassuring.
The bit that most pupils did not see was that she is a superb administrator and improved many systems and policies in the school. That eye for, and interest in detail is rare in someone who is also so adept at seeing the
bigger picture. Sue is also a very creative thinker and has brought in many good new initiatives, not least as the Chairman of the staff Strategy Group. She enlivened Senior Management meetings with a rich combination of gossip and passionate but irrefutable logic on many an occasion, often as not winning the argument before it began by a shrewd understanding that men are easily bought by plentiful provision of cake.
Those to whom she taught French and German, or who were in her highly successful Quiz teams, will know her sense of fun and determination to make time spent at school as positive as possible. Her end of term parties with her different classes were legendary. When a trip, home or abroad or a language exchange was short of a member of staff, she would frequently and without fuss offer to fill the gap. She also led trips of her own, including one to our partner school in Magdeburg where (and she will always consider it my fault for not warning her) she and her group of students found that they had to provide traditional English food and entertainment at a grand celebratory event with minimal warning. She was a great supporter of activities of all sorts in school, regularly supported girls sporting fixtures in particular both home and away and even made good progress in understanding the rules of rugby and cricket.
She richly deserves her promotion to be Head of the Girls’ Division of Bolton School and will have just the right combination of energy, determination, wisdom, vision, and compassion to take that school forward. We send our warmest wishes for her future success.
T.H.K.
Catherine and Julien Cantin
Alan and Liz Deichen
John and Liz Wheeler
LYNDA SOLVEN
Lynda was appointed part time to the Geography Department by John Moore in 1988 and became full time soon afterwards. Over the last 23 years, Lynda has not only seen, but been very much part of the changes at King’s. Both her daughters Charlotte and Rowena went through the school and Lynda has played a huge role in both the academic and pastoral sides of the school. Countless pupils will be grateful for her exacting standards in the classroom which yielded outstanding results. Lynda was a truly professional teacher and her charges not only learnt their stuff but also how to learn and develop a love for the subject. Lynda made a great contribution to fieldwork, not least with the Tunisian trip she used to organise so well.
Lynda also ran Oswald House with distinction for ten years and for several of those served as Senior Tutor, adding her wisdom and guidance to senior colleagues. In the House as in the classroom, Lynda had the best interest of each and every pupil at heart and stuck to her principles when superfluous distractions were mooted. She did not measure success by victories in the House competitions but by the development, happiness and wider achievements of her charges. She was rightly described as “one of the most supportive colleagues one could wish for when defending pupil or staff welfare.”
We wish her all the very best health and happiness in her retirement. Typically, there are no plans to slow down, but simply to change course and with Jerry plans are in place to share their love of the outdoors, sports and dancing and camper vanning! Lynda made an outstanding contribution to teaching and pastoral care at King’s and she was a highly regarded colleague and friend. We shall miss her greatly and look forward to hearing of the next stage of her journey.
A.W.L.
DAN ORR
Dan leaves King’s after five years of service as a highly committed teacher of geography, Fourth Form Master, games coach and CCF officer. He arrived as an NQT and very quickly established a reputation amongst staff and pupils for his enthusiasm and passion for teaching. He brought a fresh approach to the classroom and has always been keen to develop new ideas in the department. Learning through mysteries, using modern resources and showing a keen interest in current affairs ensured his lessons were dynamic and always well received.
His contribution to King’s extended much further than his classroom, though. Fieldwork to the Gower coast, Devon, Northern Ireland and the Alps helped establish an excellent rapport with his pupils, and throughout his time at King’s he was a fully committed rugby coach and became Head of the RAF Section. The touching farewell he received in final assembly illustrated how highly he was thought of as an Upper Fourth Form master. Without doubt all the pupils Dan has worked with have been very fortunate.
The Geography Department has hugely valued his support, genuine friendship, and good humour. He leaves us with his wife for Singapore, a brave but hugely exciting prospect which he has planned for over a year. He is ready for this change and I am sure he will have a terrific time. He is a very talented, deeply committed and caring teacher. We wish him and Libby the best of luck in this new adventure and look forward to seeing them when they visit the UK.
S.C.C.
LAUREN LAWSON-PRATT
Having been among the very first cohort of girls to join the Lower Fourth at King’s in 1991, Lauren joined King’s for the second time in 2007, this time as part of the Biology department. Her experiences and successes as a pupil clearly left her uniquely qualified to contribute to the current life of the school in so many ways, and there is barely a part of the school which has not been affected by the passion, energy and infectious enthusiasm that she brings to everything she does. In the classroom she has made Biology come alive, even inspiring other members of the department with her infamous visual aids and innovative use of IT. As a former Head of Chappel House, it was fitting that Lauren should return there as an assistant tutor, offering support and guidance and encouragement to both her tutees and various successful (and unsuccessful) House teams. She was an active and energetic member of the Charity Committee, kickstarting various fundraising initiatives and helping to organise traditional events like the Fort Royal party and the old folk’s Christmas Party. Her fundraising skills were also put to good use when she joined the Australia netball tour in 2009, and the Himalayas trek in 2010. She has been an energetic and sociable member of the Common Room, playing a key part in staff sports teams, staff songs and helping to organise a number of Common Room events. But perhaps the area where her contribution has been most felt is at the Boat Club. As a former Captain of Boats at King’s and later a successful Oxford rower, there was already a boat named after her when she arrived, and she has worked tirelessly in her four years here to open up the same opportunities for a new generation of rowers. She has coached the senior girls’ squads to successes at Henley and National Schools regattas, coaxed parents onto the river with her summer ‘learn to row’ sessions, and played a key role with the Friends of the Boat Club in organising sponsorship, fundraising and social events, most notably the annual Boat Club dinner. These efforts were recognised before she left by the naming of a second boat in her honour, which will soon be housed in the new Michael Baker Boathouse. Practically irreplaceable, Lauren will be missed in so many ways by pupils and staff alike, and we wish her every success in her new role at Merchant Taylor’s School in Northwood, London.
KATIE ADAM
Katie joined King’s seven years ago and has, in the time that she has been with us, made a most varied and valuable contribution to many aspects of the school. When she arrived from the intellectual hothouse of Cheltenham Ladies College, the idea was that she should be part-time, to give her time away from school to write; as anyone will know who has heard or read her work, she has a prodigious talent as a creative writer. But her contribution was always very much full-time, for we are very grateful.
Four ‘I’s sum Katie up in the various roles which she has played in the school, including a teacher of English and then Second in the English Department, a tutor with special responsibility for scholars and then with particular responsibility for the choristers. The first ‘I’ is for Innovation: introducing new texts, particularly in the Sixth Form and for coursework, selflessly sharing her ideas, her time and her resources with colleagues; introducing new activities, such as trips to the Arvon writing courses in Clun, visits to the Globe Theatre in London and bringing visiting writers into the school as part of the “Words Alive” festivals. The second ‘I’ is for
J.C.M./J.K.W.
Intellectual, setting high standards and bringing out the best in pupils and colleagues; her previous experience as a teacher at CLC and, before that, at her own old school at Dauntsey’s certainly stood her in good stead. The third ‘I’ is for inspiring: not just academically and creatively but also in her own spiritual life and contribution to that essential aspect of the school. And the final ‘I’ is for Individuals: she is someone who always has the utmost concern for the welfare of others, pupils and staff, and not just those for whom she had specific responsibility, such as the choristers and scholars, but for many others. This could be seen in her work with Amnesty, in her care of many individual pupils and other colleagues and particularly for the support staff of the school, many of whom seemed to want to leave with her when they heard she was going!
King’s will miss her innovation, intellect, inspiration and care for individuals, her friendship, self-deprecating humour, creative talent, personal faith and support. As she moves to Malvern College, we wish her every blessing and happiness, over the hills but not that far away.
Let me finish in verse, just to show that, despite the most imaginative creative writing courses, you can’t turn everyone into a writer:
There was a young woman from Cradley, Whom King’s had to lose, very sadly.
Her talents are legion
And that is the reason
That Malvern employed her so gladly.
DANIEL JONES
Daniel left King’s to take up the post of Chaplain at St. Peter’s, York. He taught Religious Studies at all levels of the school and was, more recently, Head of PSHE. He was also responsible for running the Fencing Club, encouraging pupils of all levels of ability, and inspiring some to compete in national competitions. He was a well respected and diligent Assistant House Tutor in Creighton, known for thoroughness and good judgement.
After reading Theology at St. Andrew’s Daniel went on to complete a PGCE at Durham University. King’s was, therefore, his first teaching post. He soon established a reputation for calm and competence and his teaching was marked by careful planning and meticulous attention to detail. He was not afraid to innovate, and pupils (studying religion, arts and media) could occasionally be heard singing along to Robbie Williams’ “Angels”.
Though he stayed in his first post for longer than is perhaps usual these days, he did a number of significant things whilst here. The bachelor Mr Jones who arrived in 2002 left as Reverend Jones, a married man and father of two young children. Indeed, at the very moment Jonny Wilkinson’s drop goal was winning the Rugby World Cup for England, Daniel and Jo were exchanging wedding vows in Worcester Cathedral! Training for ordination at the Queen’s College, Birmingham, Daniel was appointed Curate at St. Stephen’s in Barbourne. He is fondly remembered by the people there and a parish post gave him invaluable pastoral experience.
We wish him well in the challenging but profoundly rewarding task on which he is now set.
M.R.D.
From the outset, Richard was a driven teacher who was determined to get the very best from his pupils. To this effect, he devised work schemes for individuals and worked closely with house staff when pupils failed to come up to scratch. This enabled some very surprising characters to find confidence through art and to achieve some remarkable results. Richard joined us on the annual GCSE trips to St. Ives and organised and led his own trip to London. The Sixth Form participants gained immeasurably through his tutored guidance, particularly when looking at challenging, cutting edge art, as well as the plain weird. They also had fun. Just how many art students can you fit into a phone box?
Known with affection by students as ‘Mr G’; the King’s Art School will be a quieter place without him, but his memory will live on, not least amongst those pupils he inspired to take art beyond school, some of whom are now studying at prestigious London art colleges. He was a superb teacher of life drawing and we are grateful for this and for the many other skills that he taught his pupils. He took part in several staff exhibitions at KSW and we enjoyed, not only the excellence of his work, but also the wry and intelligent humour that often accompanied it. We certainly wish him well as he takes up a post as Head of Art ‘down the road’.
E.R.H.
RICHARD GILBERT
Richard joined the Art Department from Cheltenham College, where he taught fine-art and history of art, in 2007. We had been looking for someone who was not only capable of teaching to a high standard at examination level but also in doing so with ambition and flair. It was obvious that Richard was the man for the job. He was an excellent artist in his own right and he held impressive subject knowledge gained through years of study at top art schools, both in this country and abroad, and from teaching in a number of good art departments.
M EG C RANE
If one were to ask what was required in a teacher to provide one year’s maternity cover in a busy English Department, it would be someone with the experience and resilience to step straight into a variety of classes, including a Fifth Form part way through their GCSE course. They would need wisdom, flexibility of mind and great personal enthusiasm for the subject. All of this is certainly true of Meg Crane, who we were fortunate to welcome to cover LAW’s maternity leave.
Meg is a highly experienced teacher, a senior examiner in the subject and a key committee member of two national literary societies: those promoting interest and scholarship into Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. She certainly faced a punishing schedule at King’s, teaching two classes in Lower Fourth, Upper Fourth and Lower Remove as well as a Fifth Form and a Lower Sixth. But Meg was up to the challenge and brought her classes on through the year. She also helped in a variety of contexts in the department and the school as a whole, won difficult pupils around and showed great care for individual colleagues and pupils.
It is not possible in one year for everyone in a school to get to know a newcomer and that is a great shame, because it meant that not everyone could come to know and appreciate Meg’s quiet wit and calm, knowledgeable and supportive approach to everything she undertook. We thank her for all she contributed to the school and wish her well.
MEL LEWIS
Mel first joined the Drama Department to cover for Ben Humphrey when he was appearing in Worcester Live’s professional pantomimes at the Swan Theatre. For the last few years she has been Artistic Director of her own youth theatre company ‘Tremor’ based at Bishop Perowne and one of the youth theatre leaders at the Swan Theatre. She has directed many productions during this time and has also written a large number of plays, one of which, Murder in the Million Dollar Lounge, she directed as an Upper Fourth production here at King’s in 2010.
She was subsequently appointed to succeed Ben permanently, but later decided that teaching long-term was not for her, and that instead she wanted to start a new theatre company with an emphasis on the visual elements of theatre. She planned to stay with us until Christmas 2010, but was struck down with an M.E.-related illness early in the Autumn term and sadly did not recover in time to resume her teaching. I am pleased to say that Mel has managed to get her new theatre company ‘Visual Attic’ up and running.
Mel helped us hugely during what was quite a difficult time in the department and I am very grateful for all she did during her all too brief time teaching Drama at King’s. We wish her every success with Visual Attic and with her many other interests and ventures in the future.
S.M.A.
A.J.M.M.
The School Archive and the School Library
ARRIVALS
ALICE BRIGGS
Tempted by the prospect of being involved in planning the new school library I came to King’s in 2002 as School Librarian. Pauline Wright was already working full-time in the library which was then in Edgar Tower. Following a hectic summer planning and executing the move (including 15,000 books) into a new library not quite completed, the Library in School House officially opened in October 2006, and has been popular with the pupils ever since. I am proud to have been involved in its development and loved working there, but I felt ready for a change, and succeeded Caroline Roslington as Archivist in September 2011. Instead of keeping things as current as possible, I now throw nothing away! Pauline retired in July but now she assists me very ably for one day each week - so we are both back where we started in Edgar Tower! I love every minute of it although there is a lot to do. Contact with OVs is daily and I am constantly impressed by the affection, loyalty and generosity that is felt towards this school. One thing I do miss is the regular daily contact with lots of current pupils, but we’re working on ways of involving pupils and encouraging them in – after all, they are the future archive. We have two Archivist clubs and I’m hoping to persuade some pupils to become roving reporters who will report back for me on school events. King’s does so much; it’s hard to keep track of everything that goes on!
Annabel Jeffery is the new librarian, and Abi Haywood the new assistant librarian. It’s difficult to explain what a huge job running a library is as so much goes on behind the scenes. Like a plate-spinning act, you start new plates spinning but the ones already spinning have to be kept going. These are exciting times with the explosion of digital information; imagine carrying all your school textbooks round on a Kindle – no more heavy bags! We did what we could to make the hand-over as seamless as possible, and Annabel and Abi are doing marvellously, initially with a steer here and there from Pauline and me.
Alice has joined King’s as second in the English department.
Educated at The Alice Ottley School, Alice studied for a BA in American Studies and English at Birmingham University where she attended as a Sports Scholar. She is in semi ‘retirement’ from lacrosse having stopped playing for England last year but she currently captains Birmingham Lacrosse Club and spends much of her spare time playing sport.
She took her PGCE at Worcester University and completed her NQT year and one further year of teaching at Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls before coming to King’s. When she gets the opportunity she enjoys horse-riding, skiing and mountain-biking.
JAMES EAVES
James has joined the Geography department. He studied Geography at the University of Nottingham, graduating in 2010, and completed his PGCE at the University of Exeter. A keen sportsman with particular interests in cricket, hockey and rugby, James enjoys being outside as much as possible, whether it’s going running/cycling or walking up/ skiing down mountains. Also in his spare time he is an Officer in the Territorial Army.
ELISABETH FULLER
Lissie started her career at Bromsgrove School as a boarding house tutor and Biology teacher and, now in her third year of teaching, has joined the Biology and Classics departments. After graduating from Bristol University, Lissie went straight into her PGCE at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford where she was alto choral scholar and coxed the women’s 1st VIII. During her PGCE she also started studying for an MPhil in Education and is hoping to complete this over the next few years. She was also Captain of Sailing. In her spare time Lissie enjoys camping, power kiting, baking, sailing, singing and coxing for Worcester Rowing Club.
Caroline and John Roslington retired from a thriving Archive and spent the start of their retirement sailing their beloved boat round the Aegean. Cara’s enc yclopaedic k nowledge of the school’s history is a hard act to follow but she is always happy to help, and she is currently updating her history of the school. In my thoughts is the opening of the new boathouse next spring, an OV Reunion, and the research and planning of the associated displays. The door is always open when I am here, so please pop in and say hello. You will be made very welcome.
Pauline Baum
RONAN HEAD
Ronan joins us from Loughborough Grammar School as Head of RS and PSHE. Having grown up in Malvern, and with his father a proud OV, Ronan decided to move back to Worcestershire. He studied History and Biblical Studies at Birmingham, Oxford and Johns Hopkins (USA) and continues to publish on topics relating to Old Testament law and ethics. When not involved in life at King›s, he can be found mountain biking on the Malverns, surfing in Pembrokeshire, climbing in Austria, or supporting Everton at Goodison Park.
GEMMA HOLDEN
Gemma is a new member of the Art department. She spent an enjoyable four years teaching Art and Photography at Baines School in Lancashire, and then moved with her partner to Warwick in the summer. Having a father in the Armed forces, she spent a lot of her education at schools in both Germany and England. Having returned to England in 1996 she completed her studies in the north-west and went on to study Fine Art at Lancaster University, staying on at St. Martin’s College to complete her teacher training. She loves to travel and when not keeping up with her own art practice her outdoor interests include skiing, mountain biking, fishing and clay pigeon shooting.
CAROLYN MELLOR
Carolyn is the school’s new Second Deputy Head. After completing a degree in French Carolyn spent a year working as a medical receptionist in London before beginning her PGCE at the University of Birmingham. Her first teaching post was at a school in the Black Country and ever since she has lived and worked in or around Birmingham, most recently at Edgbaston High School for Girls as Head of Sixth Form and Head of MFL. Along with cookery, her interests include music, cinema and theatre and she enjoys reading – anything and everything. When at school she used to play hockey and squash but she claims she’s not a particularly sporty person these days, although she does go to the gym out of a sense of self-preservation rather than enjoyment. One sport which she does still love though is skiing.
JONATHAN RICKETTS
Jonathan is our new Academic Deputy Head. He grew up in rural Somerset and by the time he was doing his A-levels he found chemistry interesting because of all of its implications. After university Jonathan went almost immediately into teaching, a career choice that he hasn’t regretted! He really enjoys all aspects of his subject and has been fortunate to teach it in both boarding schools (Sherborne) and day schools (Nottingham High School and Exeter School) before his arrival at King’s. In his spare time, he likes to get outside if the weather allows and he enjoys walking and cycling in an effort to keep fit. He also likes reading a good book during the holidays and doesn’t mind the occasional trip to the cinema.
EMMA WATTS
Emma is another new member of the Geography department. Graduating with a degree in Geography from the University of Nottingham in 2007, Emma then spent three years working with ex-military surveillance operators in Hereford, in the field of personal injury fraud. Before returning to Nottingham to complete a PGCE in 2010, she spent time travelling in South East Asia. Born in Worcester, Emma includes horse riding, running and skiing amongst her hobbies.
STAFF ‘ACTIVITIES’
Clubs & Activities
B ELL R INGING
We continue to have a small but committed band of school ringers who come across to the Cathedral on Friday lunchtimes. There are now about fifteen in the band, all of whom are competent ringing rounds and called changes. Many have also been offered the opportunity to ring the cathedral bells as well as the simulators in the teaching centre. One of the big highlights of the year was that the band got their photograph into the 100th anniversary edition of The Ringing World – Worcester Cathedral’s teaching centre is the leading light in teaching the art to the next generation and, nationally, lots of ringers have been very interested to see what we’re doing. Our ringers also now enjoy ringing on the chimes
COMBINE D C ADE T F ORCE
What a year! This year saw King’s School Worcester CCF taking part and winning both the Brigade and National CCF Competitions they entered. The autumn term started with the Military Skills squad completing a weekend’s training to prepare for the Brigade Military Skills Competition, with team selection taking place at the end of it. Two weekends later a very experienced team led by CWO Tom Mills took part in the Brigade Military Skills Competition, followed by the Brigade March and Shoot Competition. The team performed well on the stands all day Saturday, but woke to torrential rain on the Sunday. Despite the appalling conditions their spirits weren’t dampened as they set off on the march –we knew their time was quick, but not quite how quick! The SSI snaffled a nice dry bunker to camp out in to get dry, changed and fed, before the award ceremony. All the units taking part in the competition paraded together as the names were read out – we were disappointed not to have come second or third in the CCF competition, so it was both a shock and delight to be told we’d won! In fact we were only five points behind the ACF winning team! As the excitement faded we were told we’d won the CCF March and Shoot Competition too – what a white-wash! It is the first time that I have ever driven home and everyone has remained awake in the minibus. This was closely followed by the first overnight exercise for our new recruits, Ex Basic Basha, where over seventy cadets experienced life ‘in the field’ on Swynnerton Training Area. Much of the fieldcraft was covered on the exercise, and the recruits took part in a night navigation whilst the more experienced cadets practised their ambush skills. Once again the Contingent was successful in the Brigade CCF Orienteering Championships – taking the Gold medals in the CCF girls’ and boys’ events, and the teams repeated this performance at the CCF National Orienteering Championships four weeks later.
This year the Adventure Training took place at the Outdoor Education Centre at Upton Warren during the Spring half-term – there were a selection of activities including Climbing, Kayaking, Canoeing, Rafting, High Ropes/Low Ropes and Archery, as well as the SSI running the BCU 2 Star award.
Early in March Ex Cadre Chaos took place at Nesscliff Training, which gave the senior cadets the chance to use their leadership skills running Section Attacks, ambushes and conducting lessons in the field in a bid to be promoted.
During the Easter Holidays Sqn Ldr Essenhigh, Flt Lt Orr and Ellie Nicholls took thirteen cadets to RAF Cranwell for Easter Camp. As ever our cadets performed particularly well, especially Sgt Katie Davies who shouldered the responsibility of being the Senior Cadet for the whole camp. In addition some very smart camp haircuts were acquired by a number of the cadets, and Cpl Jonny Morgan even got a special mention for being the smartest cadet on camp.
During the Summer Term all the cadets took their exams, and they passed with very good marks. The RAF Section had two Air Experience Flying Days at RAF Cosford, as well as two trips to Little Rissington for gliding; however yet again the weather was not kind so a number of other opportunities were lost. Several of our senior cadets successfully completed their cadet leadership courses and a number of RAF cadets completed their Gliding Scholarships, which meant that they were able to spend some time flying solo.
in the teaching centre which were dedicated by the Dean at the end of the summer term and some also attended the Cathedral Guild’s barbeque at the Commandery.
D.A.J.
Thanks to Cpl Becky Whitehouse the CCF held a formal military Dinner Night at the Fownes Hotel on the 28th April. Becky organised the whole event single-handed, and seventy cadets, officers and the SSI enjoyed the fruits of her labours.
The CCF Central Camp was held at Crowborough, East Sussex; again we took forty three cadets on Camp and quickly proved ourselves to be well up to the challenges set us. The training culminated in a competition day which involved a number of arduous activities, requiring the cadets to call upon their experience, physical determination and competitive streaks. Although physically we didn’t have the biggest team we proved to be more than a match for the other eleven CCFs as we acquitted ourselves extraordinarily well. It was a proud moment to have the contingent win the drill competition, and come runners-up in the leadership, map reading and first aid competitions.
Sadly at the end of the year it was time to say farewell to the senior cadets, and we would like to wish them well for the future and hope to see them soon – I can honestly say that their hard work and commitment has been exemplary. We were also sorry to wish ‘bon voyage’ to Flt Lt Dan Orr who has jetted off to sunnier climes. He has worked tirelessly for the CCF, and his enthusiasm and quiet sense of humour have been appreciated by all. I shall certainly miss his ability to run a PT session by including all his favourite drinking games (minus the actual drink!). It was also time to wish Major Jim Featherstone all the best as he finally hung up his beret and boots for the last time – he has worked tirelessly for the Contingent over the last eight years, and he has been instrumental in the many successes that have come the way of KSW CCF. He has always derived great pleasure from seeing the cadets in the Contingent develop and succeed in so many ways. He will be much missed by cadets and staff alike. I would like to finish by thanking on behalf of all the cadets, the officers and the SSI without whom the CCF wouldn’t be the same: you’ve all been great!
N.E.
C HRISTIAN U NION
Christian Union meetings have featured talks, study, prayer and chat. We were pleased to welcome visitors from a church in Malawi; we heard that it is difficult to fund pastors because there is no spare money when people live by subsistence farming. We would like to pursue some links with young Christians in Malawi.
Our senior members, with Mr Gardiner, ran a very popular Alpha Course, attended by a large number of Fifth and Sixth Formers interested in finding out more about the Christian faith. Fourteen members of the Christian Union, of all ages, spent a weekend at the Gaines Christian Centre near Bromyard. Good food, challenging study, enthusiastic worship and silly games were all elements of a very enjoyable break.
M.A.K.
C LASSICS
There have been plenty of events within the Classics Department this year to appeal to pupils beyond their experience in the classroom. Renowned children’s author Caroline Lawrence came to speak to the entire Fourth Form in September about her series of books set in the ancient world. Many of the pupils were avid fans already, so enjoyed the opportunity to meet her, get an autograph and buy a few more books. The Classics Society, led by Katie Davis, organised three visits from guest speakers, Dr Karen Radner lecturing on Communication in the Assyrian Empire, Dr Toni Badnall on My Big Fat Ancient Greek Wedding and Dr Llewellyn Morgan on Greek Gods. They were well received by both our own pupils and those from visiting schools. The Fourth Forms took part in a Latin reading competition in December where they were judged by the Headmaster on their ability to read aloud in Latin, and their delivery of the dialogue with dramatic impact. All twelve forms put forward an excellent team but the overall winners were judged to be L4D and U4C. In May nine members of the Sixth Form entered the ‘Ciceroconcordia’ competition. This is a yearly, national event, where schools in the UK, across Europe and further afield, translate both a passage of Latin and/or take part in a test on a cultural topic; this year Jason and the Argonauts, under examination conditions. Particular congratulations went to Hannah Wynn and Helen Rowland for a highly commended and commended performance respectively, in the cultural paper.
S.C.B.
CLIMBING
Climbing has been available for all year groups and regular sessions took place throughout the year during the fine weather. Many pupils enjoyed a few taster sessions and the more dedicated have made real progress with their climbing skills. Safe rope work techniques and new techniques have been learnt.
S.C.C.
COMMUNIT Y S ERVICE
This was been the first year when two groups of our pupils went to different local Primary Schools to provide Learning Support. We were regular visitors to both Nunnery Wood and St Clement›s Schools on a Friday lunchtime. A number of our pupils also helped out at St Alban›s. The help we provide at all three schools is very useful to the pupils at these schools who look forward to our visits each week. A number of our pupils have also been active, helping in Charity shops in Worcester as part of their D of E or Sixth Form Certificate. On a Tuesday afternoon the Upper Sixth Key Skills groups visited St. Clement›s to assist with Literacy and pupils from Stanley Rd School came to King›s Art Department where Upper Sixth pupils helped to develop the artistic skills of our young visitors. A number of our pupils have found the experience fulfilling and enriching to their normal school experience. Indeed, some have expressed an interest in carrying on for a second year, should there be a place. I would encourage as many pupils as possible to participate in some form of Community Service, not just as a means to complete their D fo E or Sixth Form Certificate but as a means to widen their horizons and to gain an insight into the real meaning of helping others for the sake of selfless encouragement. My thanks go to ERH, RPM, JM, RPG, SS, IR, RCB, CH, DH, SLEM, AMS and SC.
C.A.G.-S.
COMENIUS P ROJECT
King’s is engaged in a two-year educational project in partnership with five other EU schools (in Spain, the Czech Republic, Germany, France and Holland) as part of the ‘Comenius’ Lifelong Learning Programme which is promoted by the European Parliament.
Our six schools submitted a successful proposal a year ago for funding (over €20,000 for each school) for a project in which students and teachers would meet once each term for two years, taking it in turns to host a conference.
In the first year of the project, the students made presentations to each other about sports in their own countries and then co-operated in inventing a new sport, which we have called Comball. It is played on a basketball court and has some elements in common with Handball and Netball but is also distinctive in its own right. Points are scored by throwing a ball through one of three hoops (with different score values) in the goal area at each end. The sport is played with mixed teams of boys and girls.
The sport was trialed in Germany in March. In the recent Worcester conference at King’s, we held a Comball tournament at the University of Worcester, with multi-national teams, and then agreed a final version of the rules and a logo for the game. We also agreed a Pentathlon of sports, including Comball, which will be played competitively on a league basis in all the six schools during the course of next year in the run-up to the London Olympics. The project is also aimed at encouraging our students to embrace all aspects of a healthy lifestyle in terms of diet and exercise.
F.L.S.
D
UKE OF E DINBURGH’S AWARD S CHEME
This year has seen many more participants completing their awards than ever before. Fifty-eight gained the Bronze Award, twenty-seven completed the Silver Award and four were presented with Gold Awards; this is an increase of over 25% on 2009-10. Recent leavers Victoria Howarth and Alice Wickham completed the requirements of the Gold Award along with Lewis Chung and Stephanie Rosoman, OVs who left in 2008. All four will have been invited to St. James’ Palace to receive their certificates. Congratulations to all of these individuals!
Participants at all three levels of the Award have completed the Volunteering, Skills and Physical sections, each of which requires a sustained commitment over a number of months. Gold Award participants also spent five days living with a group of people who they did not know before carrying out shared activities.
The part of the Award which many of the participants find the most challenging is the Expedition section, which has seen Bronze participants orienteering in Worcester Woods, enjoying a day walk in the Bransford area and going to the Bromsgrove area, where they put all their acquired skills to successful use, on their practice expedition. The Silver participants built on their experiences at Bronze level to complete a more challenging practice expedition in the Black Mountains. Gold participants stepped up to the increased demands of this level. They attended a training camp based at the Old Chapel at Autumn half-term and went to Snowdonia for their practice expedition during the Easter break. The expedition programme culminated with one hundred and eleven participants over the three levels of the Award undertaking qualifying expeditions in the Peak District for Bronze, the Yorkshire Dales for Silver and the Lake District for Gold.
A.-M.S.
Below participants reflect on their experiences at each of the levels of the Award.
Bronze Award
When the day of the Qualifying Expedition finally dawned, we were all slightly concerned. Had we got our distance right? Had we packed everything we needed? What if my ginger nut biscuits had fallen out of my rucksack? All these questions buzzing around my mind were soon forgotten after the first kilometre of the route and the rain began to pour. It may have been for this reason that one member of our group managed to slide downhill to lie face down in the mud; however, we did manage to complete our expedition more or less on schedule and were told that we should be proud of our performance.
Silver Award
Aaron Pardoe-Davies
Having done Bronze Award, it was a simple decision for me to choose to do Silver - especially as the meetings are less frequent and I’d continued with my Volunteering work over the summer - an aspect of DofE which I really, really enjoyed! Originally, I had fluctuated between feeling excited and then nervous about being put in charge of teaching a bunch of ten year old swimmers; however, it was extremely rewarding to see them improve and it is definitely something I will continue to do.
After a hard day’s walking with many a hill, it is pure heaven to be able to sit down, take off your walking boots, cook yourself a warming bowl of pasta and talk about insignificant things with your group. Despite the pain of seemingly every muscle in your body and the dull ache in your feet which becomes the norm over the few days, sweating our way up the steep hills of the Yorkshire Dales was another part I strangely found.… not fun, but satisfying in some way. Reaching the top of Buckden Pike and being able to take a rest whilst admiring a beautiful view under clear blue skies and sunshine along with another group made the all the pain worth it.
Working in a team in the environment of DofE is sometimes extremely testing - when we’re all tired, hungry and grumpy, listening to other people can be difficult, albeit necessary, and learning to be able to do this is a very valuable life skill. I’ve made friends with so many people who I never really spoke to prior to DofE, and strengthened friendships that already existed. I am now looking forward to the challenges of the Gold Award.
Emily Holland
Gold Award
The DofE experience becomes progressively more of a challenge. I have now reached the top of the scheme, preparing to set off on my final Gold expedition in August. It is not just about a small gold coloured pin badge, but about friendships, team-working skills and the rounding of yourself through the experiences.
For the qualifying expedition we headed to the Lake District to undertake a very challenging journey. Day 1 started with a long and winding track through the valleys, a gentle way to ease into the expedition. We made fast pace through the undulating foothills before reaching a 3km track following the contour, this meant we made much faster than predicted time; so much so that we had time for a soup break at the base of our first large climb of the trip. It was at the top of this climb that we met our assessor for the first time en route. He had climbed up what was to be our descent and warned us of the joys that were to come. Sure enough we were not disappointed. The three and a half hour descent down a twisting river valley was not only monotonous but took its toll on our joints. Unfortunately that was not the end to the day, we simply had a gentle amble of 6km to the campsite along a lake, or so we thought. As we were not used to walking the efforts of the day had soon taken effect and we were exhausted. Eventually, battered and disgruntled, we reached camp, a promising start, only three days to go!
There was an apprehensive mood in camp on day 2, purely because we knew what the day had in store. We set off in murky weather and began our 1440m climb. The first major climb was over 8km into the day and as we began our descent into the boggy valley the clouds rolled in and the rain started to fall. Waterproofs offered little protection as we walked through the clouds and began our second, and thankfully, smaller climb of the day. As is well known, what goes up must come down. To get to camp we had to descend for just over 2km through an abandoned quarry, which after the rain was more than challenging; however, finally we made it through the worst day and spirits were up.
After the climbs of day 2, day 3 seemed like nothing on paper; but an 800m climb over 2.5km is still pretty tough going, especially in the warmer weather that we were blessed with for the third day. At this later stage in the trip my feet were becoming very sore, fortunately this was little problem uphill; however, the long, steep trudge downhill to camp was a different affair. My pace was severely slowed, a taster of what was too come. We did though make it to camp, for the last night.
Finally the last day arrived, we got up earlier than normal to set off quickly. We made short work of the of the gentle first leg of over 2km, before beginning our last climb of the expedition, some 800m over 6km. The climb was steep and was not aided by the increasingly hot weather. Finally, moist with sweat we reached the summit to be met with a beautiful panorama of the lakes, making the effort all the more worthwhile. As with the past few days the second part of the day was made up of gentle uphills and long, steep descents but soon Bampton was in sight and spirits were lifted. We had one final descent along the road into Bampton and with tired feet and heads the decided method of travel was a gentle bounding jog. We reached Bampton slightly earlier than expected, giving us time to reminisce on what we had achieved over the last four days.
Rupert Monkhouse
DEBATING SOCIETY
The success of the society this year was largely down to the fantastic efforts of two individuals. Anthony Harding and Sam Greenwood fanned the fires of enthusiasm in the weekly meetings of the large number of attendees, coming up with an interesting variety of topics and offering excellent, constructive advice to those in the junior years. They were terrific mentors. The pair also found time to hone their own skills and once again made it to the Oxford Union Schools’ Competition Finals Day, where they scored very highly as a team and individually, a great achievement at such a prestigious event. Georgie Taylor, Helen Rowland and Leo Atkinson entered the Rotary Public Speaking Competition and gave excellent speeches on their chosen topics, being very unlucky not to win (in my impartial view!).
Anthony does deserve special mention for the time and effort that he gave to the society; it will be the poorer for his departure and those who take part speak with fondness of the guidance that he gave them.
R.J.D.
ELECTRONICS C LUB
This new club has met during Thursday lunchtimes since September. We have a regular group of electronics enthusiasts. Having learnt the skills needed to solder by building small ornamental objects using scrap components they have moved onto soldering circuits on stripboard and printed circuit boards. Projects have included battery testers, sound generators (squeals of delight from the pupils) ‘does your plant need watering indicators’ and egg timers.
K. Lawrence
E NGINEERING IN E DUCATION S CHEME
From October until April four students from the Lower Sixth worked with Spirax Sarco from Cheltenham to solve a tricky engineering problem.
John Adeney, Vlad Djuric, Rob Battrum and Matt Stobbs were taking part in this year’s Engineering Education Scheme, the aim of which is to give Year 12 students a good idea of how engineers plan and carry out a project.
Their task was to simplify a float valve which is used to exclude air from their high temperature water systems. What sounded easy in theory proved to be difficult in practice but after many hours of thought and deed, including a three day residential workshop at Birmingham University, they produced a working prototype of their new design. They wrote up their project in a report which was judged by a panel of five engineers from companies based in the West Midlands then presented their solution at this year’s EES celebration and assessment day held in May.
It proved to be a valuable engineering experience for all four students as well as giving them some relevant things to discuss on their university applications.
I.C.R.
FANTASY F OOTBALL
Forty-four teams battled it out to become winners of The King’s School Fantasy Football League this season. In a hotly contested contest, Alan Frost (Upper Sixth) took the honours of School Champion with his team ‘Frosty’s Stars’. Alan’s team finished in the top 1% in the country where over 100,000 teams took part. The league runner-up and staff champion was Mr Fry and his team ‘The Small Frys’, whilst third place was claimed by ‘Cloughie F.C.’ managed by Finlay Maides. Finlay was also the Lower Fourth winner. The other year group winners, where there were at least four teams, were Harry Noakes’s ‘lepricorns united’ in Year 5; Cameron Mathewson’s ‘Cam’s United FC’ in Year 6; Nick Hammond’s ‘Hammondeys wondersxx’ in the Upper Fourth and Philip Hadley’s ‘Castle Albion’ in the Lower Remove. The FA Cup competition was won by Gus Rendle (Year 5) and his team ‘Wilson Wanderers’
G REEK C LUB
Greek Club met twice a week and both beginners and those continuing with Greek, from Lower Fourth to Upper Sixth, did very well and made good progress. Several older members did excellent work in helping the beginners, reinforcing their own learning as they helped and enthused others. Eight members of the group sat the short course GCSE and achieved brilliant results. They coped very well with the difficult literature they covered, the first Greek literature they had looked at, and brought some interesting ideas and angles to the text. F.S.M.
H ISTORY C LUB
History Club has met weekly throughout the year to ‘bring History to life’ for the Fourth Forms. We have spent the year looking at the ‘History Around Us’ on the school site as well as investigating a selection of other periods or themes of History. The gruesome deaths of a number of monarchs was one such project.
The highlight of the year was a trip to Kenilworth Castle on a Saturday in early May. The pupils had great fun investigating how the castle had developed over time from its Norman fortified origins to a palace fit for Queen Elizabeth I, courtesy of Robert Dudley’s grand building scheme.
K AYAK C LUB
This year yet again saw a steady interest in the after school kayak sessions in the pool and the coaching given by the senior members to the juniors was also a great success. Six of the senior club members went on to gain their British Canoe Union Awards.
Success went to James Allen, Tom Clarke, Oliver Hunt, Henry Watson and Fred Watts who were awarded their Two Star Award and Cameron Walker who gained his One star award. The assessment took place at Upton Warren, in both Kayak and Canoe. Appreciation must also go to Eliot Jones who assisted me as an instructor on the awards course.
L.K.W.
D. Grinnell
LO WER R EMOVE C AMPS
Lower Remove Camps went ahead as usual in the second part of the summer term, despite some unfortunate weather. Pupils spent two days camping at the Old Chapel in House groups with their newly appointed Heads of House from the Lower Sixth and a team of staff. A busy programme of outdoor activities included climbing at Llangorse, cooking using camping stoves and a day canoeing a nine mile stretch of the River Wye. Time was also spent playing in the woods and singing around the camp fire.
S.C.C.
M ATHEMATICS
Science Alive! Week saw all year groups involved with different Maths activities. All Sixth Form mathematicians took part in an Autograph Challenge, where they had to work out the equations of various curves using the Autograph software. The Fifth Form and Upper Remove pupils both had talks from outside speakers, the Fifth Form on Crop Circles and the Upper Remove had a particularly enjoyable interactive session on ‘How to Choose a Husband’! The Lower Removes all took part in a Maths version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire with RAC taking on Chris Tarrant’s role. Lower Fourth pupils were treated to a code breaking session and the Upper Fourth had the annual Inter-Form Maths Team Challenge, where the winners were U4B, who narrowly beat U4E by just one point. As well as all these year based activities, there was a ‘Puzzle of the Day’ for different age groups, as well as a number quiz, where pupils had to match the questions to the member of staff wearing badge with the correct answer.
The Lower Fourth Inter-Form Maths Team Challenge was held in the Spring term, with two guest teams from Bishop Perowne also taking part. The competition was, as always, hotly contested with the winning team leading (just) from start to finish, where L4D beat off a very strong challenge from one of the Bishop Perowne teams. They were the clear winners of the King’s teams with a closely fought contest for the next three places; the winning team members were George Blinman-Wilson, Lewi Hobbs-Jeffery, Maha Munir and Charlie Wong.
A couple of weeks later it was the turn of the Removes in the Inter-House Maths Team Challenge, with Oswald House triumphant, with their team of David Hui, Will Davies, Emma Butterworth and Ella Pike.
All these competitions at King’s are loosely based on the National Maths Team Challenge, where a team of two Year 8 and two Year 9 pupils take part in four rounds of Maths problems. For the sixth time in the last seven years, the King’s team (Toby Hill, Will Palmer, Theo Beever and Kathryn Smith) won their Regional Final at Wycliffe College to reach the National Finals held in London in June. The top four placed teams were: first King’s (206 points); second Cheltenham Ladies’ College (204 points); third Pate’s (198 points); and fourth RGS Worcester (194 points).
Pupils of all ages again took part in the three Mathematical Challenges, organised by the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust. King’s pupils performed well in these gaining numerous gold, silver and bronze certificates. Certificates for ‘Best in School’ in each challenge went to Imogen Jury (Junior), David Hui (Intermediate) and David Jubb (Senior). At Intermediate level, Jack Evans, Toby Hill and Luke Johnson were awarded merits in the Intermediate Olympiad, with David Hui getting a distinction in the same competition. At Junior level Theo Beever, Thomas Briggs and Imogen Jury qualified for the Junior Olympiad – we are awaiting results.
Finally, A-MS entered some pi mnemonics, devised by her Upper Fourth pupils, in a national competition, with Daniel Austin’s contribution being selected as the winner:
‘How I wish I hadn’t swallowed pi. Hunger drove the silly decision radically causing diarrhoea.’
(The number of letters of each word gives the digits of pi –3.14159265358979…….)
QUIZZING
Who stuck in his thumb and pulled out a plum? Who created the character Heathcliff? In which ocean are the Falklands? Which of the Hindu gods is depicted with an elephant’s head? These are questions which our quiz club and members of our quiz teams have been tackling over the past year. The quiz format is the same as that of ‘University Challenge’- a starter round on the buzzers and then three follow-up bonus questions. In the Removes Inter-house competition, Creighton came top (540 points) with Chappel a close second (460 points). Creighton also won the ‘audience prize’. In the Seniors competition, Bright beat Chappel. We have also been involved in matches against other schools. Our two Senior teams played successfully in a ‘triad’ against teams from WRGS and St Mary’s. In each triad, the King’s teams won their two matches very convincingly which meant that our teams met each other in the Regional Final. One King’s team beat the other and became the West Midlands Regional Champions! We then went straight into the Interregional competition and played KES Birmingham, the South Midlands Finalists. We lost to them, due to their amazing speed on the buzzer. Our Junior teams both beat teams from WRGS, St Mary’s and Malvern St James and also met each other in the Regional Final, with one team beating the other to become Regional Champions. They then went on to play KES Birmingham, winning convincingly against this strong team by 800 to 270. The next victory, against Magdalen College School, Oxford, took us into the National Finals at Winchester. Here, we won through to the Semi Finals but were narrowly beaten (610 to 560) by the ultimate National Champions, the Perse School in Cambridge. Many congratulations to the Fourth Form squad- the majority of whom can go on and fight another day next year!
Junior Squad: Rachel Bruno, Ivan Campbell-Ferguson, Aaron Daniels, Ruth Furber , Edward Peckston, Hannah Shearburn , Alex Stevens and Sarah Thickett.
Senior Squad: Ben Allsopp , Katie Davis, Lizzie Fry, Jack Guy, David Hui, David Jubb, Ruby Matthews, Lambros Pardale, Peter Preston, Peter Shepherd, Matt Shore and Kate Shore, (supported by Christian Sitch).
R OBOTICS C LUB
A.H.
S.E.H.
After many years of being enthusiastic amateurs the Robotics Club finally hit the big time this year. Each year we enter the regional heat of the First Lego League Competition and just once before we have won through to the National Final. This year though we won the largest regional event in Bristol by beating over 30 teams and were runners up at the National Final. This meant that ‘Brickbrains’ were one of the UK sides who qualified for the Open European Championship. The three day competition, which was held in Delft, Holland over half term, was attended by teams from all over the world including from as far away as Singapore, South Africa, Peru, Saudi Arabia and Australia. The competition requires teams to build a robot out of Lego and then programme it to complete a series of different tasks. They also had to prepare a presentation on their chosen use of robots in medicine. The King’s team, led by David Hui, and sponsored by Malvern Instruments chose Capsule Endoscopy as their use and finished in the top half of the overall table as well as being the highest placed UK team. This was fine reward for all their hard work since September, particularly as they were competing with many older students. The overall winners of the competition were a German team, with the robot performance award going to a team from Taiwan.
I.C.R.
Science Club meet on a weekly basis, with more members this year than ever. During Science Alive! Week, we were visited by a representative from West Midlands Safari Park who brought in a variety of creepy crawlies ranging from a tarantula, giant millipedes, hissing cockroaches and a tenrec (native to Madagascar), all of which pupils were allowed to handle.
R.A.W.
STEPPING FOURTH
After some delays whilst we tried to find out how it had been done last year, Stepping Fourth got under way during the Easter Term. About fifteen or twenty Fourth Formers turned up to the initial meeting, and – considering that all we could manage was twenty-five minutes a week – a great deal of work was done for the rest of that term and the first few weeks of the summer. After that the number of workers shrank rather alarmingly, but most of the original volunteers completed, or collaborated in, something finished, and we ended up with a vigorous mix of articles, interviews, reviews, jokes, a short story and an agony column. The only major casualty was Girls’ Sport, the report on which never reached the Editor’s file! Perhaps that can be a priority for the next issue, under a different Editor, next year.
During the last two weeks, Editor Aaron Daniels and Editorial Assistant MEC put the paper “to bed”, as they say in the industry, by their own unaided efforts. Aaron did an heroic job: he provided a considerable amount of the printed material, and did all the ambitious computerlayout stuff; MEC supplied some spelling and punctuation!
Good luck to next year’s Editor and Committee!
T ERM T IME M AGAZINE
M.E.C.
Editor-in-Chief, Rosie Pugh took control of Term Time Magazine and gathered her team together for a ‘Magazine Day’ in September, the aim being to produce an issue of the magazine in one day. Refreshments were ordered (priority number one in team building), assignments allocated and the fevered activity of writing to a deadline began. Pictures Editor, Katie Baum, was charged with supplying suitable images for the stories and Ethan Sugden, DTP Editor, began designing the layout. By the end of the school day the team achieved its target and produced an excellent 12 page magazine, packed with high quality writing including, amongst many other topics, arts reviews, a discussion about the Pope’s visit to the UK, comment on the General Election as well as more light-hearted topics such as ‘Uncle Tony’s Agony Column’. It proved to be an excellent grounding for the two then Deputy Editors, Sam Maitland and Livi Wilkinson who have gone on to become Joint Editors of the Magazine.
WRAITH
The WRAITH (Writing, Reading and Imaginative Thinking) group met six times this year. We have around 30 members, though not everyone was able to attend every meeting. We debated, argued, shouted and laughed about the titles we read; consumed cakes and cookies, and all were influenced to read authors they would not previously have considered. My thanks to Sixth Formers Lara Bienkowska, Katie Davis, Helen Rowland, and Jonathan Swallow, and MEC, for their assistance and input.
P. Baum
YOUNG E NTERPRISE
Five companies, sixty Lower Sixth students and eight months to start up a business, appoint directors, raise finance, come up with a product idea, make it, market it, sell it, make a profit and then liquidate. Oh, and enter some competitions along the way! Yes, the Young Enterprise year really is that busy.
Each of the five companies, Ricochet, Viridian, Nova, Lucky 13 and Board Silly, had a Link Teacher from King’s and one or two Business Advisers from local companies, and they have produced a diverse range of products.
The Worcester Christmas Fayre in the Cathedral was the first official selling opportunity and all of the King’s companies made good sales that day. For the first time the Young Enterprise Spring Fair was held in Cathedral Plaza and although there was more passing trade and therefore better sales, these did come at a price as it was a bitterly cold and windy day. All of our companies have done very well this year and have all made a profit as well as learning a tremendous amount along the way.
We had our first Young Enterprise Celebration Evening in May and we were delighted that Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy (OV) attended as our keynote speaker and the pupils and parents listened very attentively to the words of wisdom from one of this country’s most respected business leaders. We were also very pleased that John May, Chief Executive of Young Enterprise attended the event and even more so when he surprised all of us by declaring King’s as the UK’s first Centre of Excellence for Young Enterprise and presented me with a Young Enterprise Gold Award for Services to Young Enterprise.
J.C.V.
and Dolls - the cast revealed Cookery Corner
comesBenedict to town!
S UB - AQUA
4x4 C HALLENGE
Another year of dive training has passed! Huge congratulations to Olivia Wiles and Antony Harding who have both qualified as British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) Ocean Divers. Liam Jessup has completed the majority of the BSAC course and hopefully will pass in the forthcoming year. Theory lessons and pool sessions were completed on a Tuesday after school and when all theory was learned and tests passed Anthony, Olivia and Liam headed for open water. Initially their open water diving experiences began at Cromhall Quarry which is an old limestone quarry that is filled naturally with a maximum depth of seventeen metres. When confidence and proficiency had been attained in this controlled area we all then moved to BrixhamOn-Sea for further open water diving. During some very successful dives there Olivia and Anthony demonstrated the required confidence and skill to pass the course. Also present during our trips were former pupils Quentin Elmhirst and Katie Share. David Bath, who qualified last year, and Liam Jessup also enjoyed the diving trips where some great sea life was observed. I must end by saying a special thank you also to Trevor Rees, Tristram Elmhirst and Bill Bath for their help and assistance on these dive trips. Without their support these trips would be extremely difficult to run.
J. Bailey
S I x TH F ORM C HARITY COMMIT TEE
The Sixth Form Charity Committee has been enthusiastically active throughout the year running a number of fund-raising and community based projects, including some initiatives which have been very successful.
The Autumn term saw us raising money for the Pakistan Flood Appeal, Breast Cancer Research on Pink Day, collecting clothing and other items for the homeless at the Maggs Day Centre and organising a very happy Christmas entertainment and tea for local elderly people at the end of term. We were able to contribute to the charity Merlin, supporting relief efforts in Haiti, through cakes sales, raffles and a hat-wearing day.
We ran a Green Day during the Spring term to support environmental charities, which included buying an area of rainforest and sponsoring a jaguar, and the Fourth Form Disco was great fun for all and raised money for Acorn’s Children’s Hospice. The Summer term’s main focus has been the Garden Party for the children and staff of Fort Royal School, at which the whole of the Lower Sixth entertain the children from this special school with a variety of activities. Once again the Committee has been impressive in its motivation, hard work and compassion for others.
H. Isaacs
Two teams of Upper Remove pupils began the challenge to design and build a radio controlled 4-wheel-drive (4x4) vehicle, to set specifications, that can successfully negotiate a specially designed test track emulating real life and what a full scale 4x4 vehicle can do. This not only requires the design and building of the chassis and body but also a number of electronic sensors. Each team is provided with an e-mentor who will help them overcome technical problems. Before construction could begin sponsorship money had to be raised to buy the components and materials and this has meant providing regular feedback to their sponsors. One team (Rascal AT Racing) has received financial support from Amada (machinery manufacturers) who have a factory in Kidderminster. They were treated to a visit to the factory during the Easter holiday and saw one of the new high power laser cutting machines in operation. The other (Rock Runners) managed to find backing from Dudley coaches. There is a limit of £175 per vehicle so producing as many parts as possible in-house was key to staying under this amount.
The final part of the challenge is to produce an eight minute presentation and a display of their development work of the vehicle for the heat at the end of June at the JCB Academy near Stafford. After a number of closely competed rounds only two points separated the King’s teams enabling Rock Runners to win the Best Engineered Vehicle prize and a golden ticket to the National Final. They also won the Innovative Thinking award with the range of experimental tilt sensors that had to be calibrated to exactly twenty five degrees.
The National Final was staged at the Transport Museum in Coventry in the middle of July and Rock Runners (Tom Gorner, Bill Thomas and Greg Bunker) did themselves proud, being only one of the six teams to win an award, out of twelve teams competing, again with the tilt sensors and the upgraded suspension system. On a personal note I was delighted to hear the team being complimented by both judges and guests on the very high standard of pit stand presentation and technical proficiency in manufacturing the vehicle.
M AY DAY WA LK
On May 2nd, the King’s community put its collective best foot forward, enjoyed the early Spring sunshine and walked from Upton-upon-Severn back to King’s in aid of some worthy causes.
More than 40 nominations for charities were considered by the Sixth Form Charity Committee and it was decided to make major donations to Cancer Research UK, Changing Faces and the Alzheimers’ Society and smaller donations to the remaining causes. Talks in assemblies from the major charities were thought-provoking and helped us realise why we were to undertake such a huge event and physical challenge.
The walk was very well-attended as pupils, parents, staff and friends walked the 11 mile route. Special mention should go to 60 Upper Sixth students who marshalled the route with authority and good humour. The ice-cream van at the half-way point did a roaring trade and the atmosphere in the school gardens, where everyone enjoyed a pig roast, a drink and a sit down, was special. The walk raised nearly £19,000 and thoughts now turn to the steeper ‘Malverns’ walk in 2013!
R.A.C.
LO WER S I x TH CHALLENGE WALK
In July, SJO, RJS and I took a group of intrepid Lower Sixth students on a walk to complete the Challenge Section of their Sixth Form Certificates. Starting at Hailes Abbey, near Winchombe, the group merrily strolled off at a brisk pace, with only Oliver Pitts going for the trainers and holdall clown-like look. The group were stunned at his resilience and he did not utter a word of complaint! Following the Cotswold Way over three large hills and for over sixteen miles the group encountered horses, cows, a very large bull and a flock (?) of tups (male sheep) barricading us into a field. RJS’s firm presence soon created a large enough gap for the team to run through before vaulting the fence in a military fashion. Ice creams in Broadway gave us enough energy for the climb to the Tower, before heading to the rendezvous point. Very well done to all involved – stiff legs all round for several days!
J.O.H.
C AREERS D EPARTMENT
The Careers Department hit the ground running with the November Healthcare Conference to which nine other schools were invited. More than 140 students attended, with 25 advisers kindly providing workshops which included midwifery, mental health and cardiology. Temporarily, the Bolland Room became a suturing unit, with a life size model of a child in a computer room whilst blood pressure cuffs and
a model of a lump of fat could be found elsewhere. There was even a ‘Holby-esque’ moment in the John Moore Theatre with the dramatic (unstaged) fainting of a student.
Not to be outdone, the engineers had their moment in February with our first Engineering Conference. Almost 60 King’s students attended an entertaining range of workshops – one involving the tasting of chocolate and another the construction of bridges made from spaghetti. Very definitely not just hard hats and scaffolding. Thanks go to all advisors who made the day so lively and enjoyable.
Several speakers have pitched up gamely at 8.30 am., talking to very good audiences about careers in law, medicine, housing and Formula One engineering, as well as the Year in Industry and Headstart programmes.
A Dragon’s Den element was incorporated into the annual Business Conference, enjoyed by all Lower Sixth students, who tackled various challenges including the Co-optition Game (rules too complex to explain here). Many thanks to all advisors for providing such enthusiastic mentoring.
Lower Sixth students on Work Experience bravely grappled with various commutes to their placements, the closest of which was in Edgar Street, the furthest in London and Liverpool. Astronomy and Astro-Physics, earth sciences and breweries, Sir Mark Scott’s racing yard, PR at the Guards Club Windsor, law, medicine and journalism were all on offer. Courtesy of the MFL Department, who arranged a variety of placements, several students improved their languages enormously by spending two weeks in Germany, Spain or France. As always, we are helped enormously by parents and OVs who provide placements, enabling us over the years to accommodate even the more unusual requests from aspiring astronauts and herpetologists.
H. Isaacs
Travel
S KI T RIPS
Seniors
Thirty five students and four staff made the small resort of St Michael in Austria their destination for the pre-Christmas ski trip this year. Whilst the village where we were based was small and steeped in Austrian charm, the skiing, which was centred over three mountains, was far less tame. There was plenty of skiing appropriate to all levels of ability and everyone developed new skills and confidence in a variety of snow conditions during the week. The weather was kind in terms of the snow and sun it provided, however it was, at times, bitterly cold, resulting in plenty of stops for hot chocolate. It was a thoroughly enjoyable week and there was a great atmosphere amongst the group. For a few, it was a final King’s Ski trip, after being on each one since joining the School in the Fourth Forms. We will miss their company but hope to bump into them on the slopes somewhere in the future.
Juniors
Our junior skiers spent February half term on the slopes of the beautiful Italian resort of Prato Nevoso. Conditions were perfect; there was lots of snow, plenty of warmth (without being a threat to the white stuff) and the sun was out for all but one day. All skiers improved tremendously under the guidance of the Italian Ski School and the group enjoyed an evening of extensive night skiing. With much achieved during the days, the party was kept entertained in the evenings with a range of activities. This was a thoroughly enjoyable trip.
C.W.S.W.
B ATTLEFIELDS T RIP
With enthusiasm reminiscent of autumn 1914, Lower Remove volunteers rushed to return their deposits to join the latest King’s School expedition to the sites of the First World War in France and Belgium. So no conscription was necessary to provide the full complement of forty pupils and five staff which set off at the end of June for a three-night stay in Béthune, allowing a full day to visit the Somme and another to explore the Ypres salient.
As ever, our programme was full and varied, taking in cemeteries, museums and monuments, and covering a number of aspects of the war. Such is the wealth of material on view in the many locations we visit, that even after many years, there are still items that catch the attention for the first time. One member of the department, LKW, unable to travel with us this year owing to Duke of Edinburgh commitments, would surely have been interested in an ingenious and very ornate travelling tea set in Ypres, at the ‘In Flanders Fields’ museum. Protected by a leather case, a silver vessel stood on top of its own miniature stove, the set being completed by a strainer and fine porcelain cups and saucers. It was hard to reconcile the promise that the set offered its user to practise the civilized ritual of tea-drinking, and the conflict that raged on the Western Front, destroying life and civilization in many of its forms. Such is part of the fascination of the First World War for a modern observer. Whilst unleashing the most devastating technologies of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries on an industrial scale, in the hope of destroying enemy armies of millions of men, its combatants adhered to a set of manners and beliefs which appear to belong to an age of altogether more gentle conduct. Of course, the manners of our group left nothing to be desired either. Although they ate their chicken and chips according to more modern standards of etiquette, pupils headed out into the garden of the hotel for another English institution, a game of cricket, albeit in its ‘quick’ format under the direction of David Lloyd George’s fellow-countryman, PTG. It was, as ever, gratifying to see the level of curiosity amongst the group; many greatly enjoyed this year’s novel challenge of locating specified objects within the ‘In Flanders Fields’ Museum. They were at times frustrated by the lack of fuller information accompanying each artefact,
which did not help. The sharp-eyed might have noticed the initials ‘D.H.’ inscribed in the leather case of the tea set though: those of Sir Douglas Haig. Such observations require the museum-goer to proceed at a more measured pace than some pupils might otherwise adopt, but there were certainly many in the group who could easily have used more time in some of the places visited.
As ever, thanks are due to the staff who accompanied the trip, and particularly to SCB who joined us on secondment from the Classics department. PTG provided extensive printed material to maintain pupils’ attention at the various sites visited, while JCM and AJF were always on hand to provide enthusiasm and refreshing comment, to add to what the more experienced members of the department offered. Even so, next year I think that those directing operations would appreciate it if a portable tea set could be added to the leader’s kit list.
T.R.S.
L ANGUAGES T RIPS AND ExCHANGES
French Exchange to Lille
At Easter a group of pupils from the Upper and Lower Remove travelled to Lille, in northern France, in order to experience French culture, improve our speaking and listening skills, and see how learning a language can actually be very useful in everyday life as well as just in the classroom. We gained much experience in our language skills but perhaps more importantly gained confidence in talking and getting along with new people.
After a long, slightly tiring but extremely funny eight hour journey we arrived at a very French town called Cysoing where we were greeted by a mass of people, waving their arms frantically with big grins across their faces. Shrieks of horror and excitement ran up and down the bus as it suddenly dawned on us that we were about to get off this safe home and venture out into a whole new world with people who possibly only spoke as much English as we spoke French. The fact that we were not going to see one another for over thirty six hours was a very daunting prospect. Having found our partners we headed off to our new homes to settle in and meet our new families.
The weekend offered different activities for all of us including shopping, bowling, cinema, walks, bike rides, trips to different towns, relaxing and talking in the French homes, and even adventure adrenaline courses. All in all I think we enjoyed fun-packed weekends which were however quite tiring as we couldn’t relax, having to constantly think on our feet about how we could get across important messages. Some of us met or bumped into each other as this was not difficult since one thing that struck me was how close all the students lived to each other. There seemed to be a very close, friendly atmosphere to the area.
During the week we explored different towns and attractions on day trips whilst the exchanges were at school. Although we had enjoyed spending some time with our exchanges over the weekend I think it is fair to say there was a great sense of relief for everyone when we got back onto the bus. Everyday we enjoyed our merry bus journeys gossiping, joking and sharing Tristram Quiney’s enormous bag of junk food between us.
Our first day trip saw us visiting Ghent, the city and municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. We explored the city’s medieval architecture which is amazingly still intact, paying a visit to Gravensteen castle and the Saint Bavo cathedral. In the afternoon we were let loose to explore the shops (including the delicious chocolate delicatessens) and cafes. Unfortunately some of us become slightly afraid after annoying a Flemish woman who got a little touchy because we forgot that speaking French in Ghent can offend the Flemish people – oops…
On Tuesday we went to a modern art gallery in Villeneuve d’Asq which was full of some rather bizarre yet nonetheless interesting pieces of artwork. These ranged from the masterpieces of Picasso’s cubism to sculptures we could manipulate ourselves by moving around tubes of plastic which popped in and out of hooks on the wall. It was a fascinating place. We continued on to the town of Lille, the principal city of the Lille metropolis, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country. Lille was a very pretty city with an extraordinary diversity in architectural styles including red and brown brick and Flemish influence. We were given
Fourth Form Trip to ‘Parc Asterix’
On Friday 10th June, forty four Fourth Formers went to France to visit Parc Asterix, near Paris. We travelled by coach and the Channel Tunnel. The journey was fine and the pupils really enjoyed the experience of travelling under the sea bed, a journey which lasted about thirtyt minutes. The last part of the journey seemed the longest, so we were glad when we finally arrived at our accommodation, where a lovely meal had been prepared for us.
On Saturday morning we went to Parc Asterix which is a theme park based on the characters from a famous story about the ancient French tribes and their fight against the Romans. The pupils were divided into friendship groups and spent the day in the park, visiting the various
a questionnaire to complete as we toured the city which allowed us to see the key sites such as the Lille chamber of commerce, train station, Hospital founded by Joan of Arc, opera house and we were forced to question the French locals when we struggled. After that we had free time us girls to get the allimportant activity of shopping started.
Wednesday morning proved challenging as we were thrown in to French classes where we attempted to understand what was going on. Personally, I found trying to learn Spanish in French extremely difficult. The afternoon was spent back with our exchanges as they do not have school on Wednesday (an idea I feel quite keen on introducing here in England.) Later we all got ready for a party which was fun and brought the two countries together. It was particularly funny watching the French dance to our English music.
We travelled to Boulogne the next morning. Despite a long journey, the day was great. First we visited the beachfront aquarium Nausicaa where we saw an array of fish, sharks, penguins and sea lions. Next we ventured down onto the beach to soak up the sun, eat a picnic and chat. There was an exciting game of rugby, a slightly less exciting game of rounders and a large game of footie to finish it all off. Before returning to the school we took a scenic walk to try and spot our homeland in the distance.
On Friday we travelled to Canada. Well not geographically, but technically in the memorial site which commemorates the battle of Vimy Ridge we were on Canadian soil. It was interesting to experience and learn about the trenches and history as well as entering the cold and dark yet wonderful tunnels underneath the ground. Later we went to the pretty town of Arras before going deep down underground into the amazing quarries where we found out what it would have felt like for a soldier staying down there before been sent out onto the battlefield. It was a most fascinating experience. That evening some of us attended another party at one of the exchanges which was an exhilarating end to a great week.
Overall our exchange was a great experience which encouraged us to develop our language skills, but most importantly we had an exciting, fun-filled week.
Livvy Deehan
amusing rides. The most interesting part was the dolphin show, with eight dolphins performing various acrobatics.
On Saturday evening we went into the centre of Paris where we saw the Arc de Triomphe, after travelling up the Champs Elysees. We enjoyed a delightful meal in a restaurant nearby before going up the Eiffel Tower. Fortunately, the weather was fine and clear, so we had a clear view of the city.
On the Sunday we returned to Worcester via Calais. The children enjoyed their visit, learnt a lot of information about Paris and were a credit to their school. My thanks go to EIL, CFF, CJW and JW.
German Exchange to Cologne
When we arrived in Cologne, there was a certain air of nervousness as we walked to meet our exchange partners and for the first few hours spent with them we kept mostly to saying ‘yes’ and ‘no’ in reply to their questions and tried not to ask too many in return. The host families’ hospitality never failed and their patience never tired, even when we had to resort to sign language to communicate our ideas.
On the Monday after we arrived, we were greeted by the headmaster of the school with which the exchange programme was happening, Heinrich-Heine Gymnasium, and were then shown briefly around Cologne and the cathedral. In the afternoon, we went home with our partners and, at the risk of sounding cliché, this was definitely the ‘icebreaker’ for us.
This was a real help for the next day because we were to spend the day in lessons with our partners. I find Chemistry hard at the best of times and I thought it would be near impossible to understand in German. However, I was in for a surprise. I understood a lot of what was being said and this really gave me confidence for the rest of the upcoming week. Today we also went on a trip to local radio and television station WDR, which was an interesting insight into how radio programmes are made.
On Wednesday we went on a trip to Bonn, a town close to Cologne and which was known as the capital of West Germany for many years. We started off our trip with a walk up the Drachenfels, a hill next to the Rhine. We could then either take a look around the natural history museum or go into the centre of town and wherever people went, they enjoyed it.
When Thursday arrived, most of us were tired because of the amount of thinking in German we ended up doing. And another day of lessons did nothing to improve this outlook. However, we enjoyed them nonetheless, especially those of us who had an English lesson, being the centre of attention and much confusion, because of our accents and complicated vocabulary we used. At the end of the trip the sense of nervousness that had been so prominent at the start of the trip had vanished and we were a lot more comfortable using German with our host families. Despite this we were glad to return home, knowing we would miss our partners but would be seeing them in July. Despite cancelled flights and unscheduled trips to Manchester we all thoroughly enjoyed our exchange to Germany.
Matthew Shore
Work Experience in Germany
Kleve is a delightful city, as I discovered in the three weeks that I spent there. Initially I was nervous at the prospect of spending three weeks alone, but Karl-Heinz and Gisela were wonderful hosts and I soon felt at home. On the weekends, we visited small pockets of Germany which were beautiful. My favourite place that we visited was the Eifel region, where we spent three nights. Furthermore we visited the world’s highest cold water geyser in Andernach and also the beautiful (yet tourist-packed) Cochem, among other small, intricate villages.
However the purpose of my visit was work experience, in which I spent a week with Herr Kerschka, where I learnt about the hard work that goes into each individual case at a solicitors’ firm. Furthermore the other two weeks I spent at the Courts of Kleve highlighted the differences between English and German law, as well as being given an insight into what happens behind the scenes for a case to appear in court.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Kleve and I have every intention to return again in the future. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has helped to make my experience in Germany an unforgettable one.
Spanish Exchange
Zaragoza was once again the destination for twenty seven Upper Remove pupils in April, guests of pupils at our partner school, Nuestra Señora del Carmen, accompanied by three members of staff. Flying in and out of Barcelona airport, we experienced an action-packed week of activities both in Zaragoza - where we visited the many Roman ruins (baths, river port, theatre) and two cathedrals - as well as a day trip to Barcelona. In Barcelona we visited the model village (El Pueblo Español) and saw some of the beautiful art work and buildings by the Catalan modernist architect Antoni Gaudí (el parque Güell, Sagrada Familia cathedral, La Pedrera apartment block). On another day trip to La Muela, a village just outside Zaragoza, we learnt about the production of olive oil and also generation of wind power. During our days in Zaragoza students had opportunities to go to the local theme park, to eat the traditional breakfast chocolate con churros (which should come with a health warning), and to experience typical daily routines for themselves. We had some fantastic experiences and are grateful to our hosts for their hospitality and care during our visit.
R.J.S.
Rebecca Lane
During the autumn half term, ten A-level historians and three students of French travelled to Paris for our biennial four-day study trip. There is certainly something glamorous and exciting about travelling on board a sleek, ultra-fast Eurostar; it makes one feel a cosmopolitan member of the European community. For some reason, the same could not really be said of the first leg of our journey from Foregate Street station, involving a bus replacement service between Oxford and Didcot.
Since our historians were exclusively from the Upper Sixth this year, the main focus of the trip was on exploring topics relevant to their paper on the history of warfare from 1792 to 1945. Unfortunately for Paris, it found itself on, or near, the frontline of several major conflicts during that period, so the only real difficulty in devising a suitable itinerary was selecting what could be reasonably covered in the time available. The Musée de l’Armée gave the opportunity for a detailed study of the development of the French Army in the revolutionary period and
throughout the nineteenth century, with some particularly interesting exhibits on the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71. Later that same evening, after dining in Montmartre, we visited the church of Sacré-Coeur, built as an act of national penitence following that defeat. The night-time view of the capital captivated the group, as did the charm of the winding streets and buskers, all making for a very memorable second evening. We were also able to spend some time in the Louvre, concentrating upon the large exhibits of nineteenth-century French painters, looking in part at Napoleon’s portrayal by Jacques-Louis David and AntoineJean Gros, as well as the work of later French, Romantic painters. It was a chance for the leader of our party to present himself in the novel guise of art history lecturer. In addition, visits were made to the Jean Moulin museum, dedicated to a hero of resistance to German occupation during the Second World War, and to the moving Mémorial de la Shoah in Paris’s Jewish quarter. A further theme explored during our stay was the development of Paris as a city, particularly during and after the time of the First Empire, culminating in a second, popular view of the night skyline, this time from the Arc de Triomphe. For most of the time, our students of French were happy to spend their time being entertained and educated along with the historians, but did divert at one point to take advantage of the Monet exhibition then on display at the Grand Palais, accompanied by the ever-energetic SEH.
The whole group was a pleasure to take away, showing a real enthusiasm for the trip from the moment it was offered to them, and responding with great interest to everything we saw. They also enjoyed the chance of eating together in various cafes and restaurants and spending one afternoon exploring the city in more independent groups. Most ended the trip competent users of the Métro.
After so many years taking large-scale trips of pupils from the middle of the school, I confess I shall have little hesitation in offering to organize a repeat of this highly civilized, relaxed and cultural trip. The students who came made it a pleasure from start to finish. Thanks are also due to SEH for her encouragement, assistance with planning and company throughout.
T.R.S.
H IMALAYAN C LUB TRIP TO INDIA
Nineteen Lower Sixth students and five adults went to India for a month to trek the Himalayas, developing an understanding and involvement with the local communities, in particular their schools.
After spending time working with a local school, helping rebuilding some of the devastation from a previous flooding, we spent fifteen days trekking over the Ladhak mountains, often reaching passes which were over 4000m above sea level. The height produced some spectacular views of the Himalayas and lakes.
Once we completed our trek, we visited Delhi, travelling on rickshaws to the central Mosque. Then we night trained to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and to view the production of the marble used to complete the beautiful Palace. We also took a trip to Varanasi, with a boat ride on the Holy Mother Gunga (River Ganges).
The trip was a resounding success and the students were a truly remarkable group to travel with, showing great care and compassion for everybody on the trip.
F IELDWORK TO THE G OWER P ENINSULAR
An important and highly enjoyable aspect of A-Level Geography involves studying real places in the field. In preparation for a fieldwork techniques exam, two trips to the Gower peninsular took place in early October based at the very comfortable Oxwich Bay Hotel. This ideal venue gave us easy access to a wide variety of coastal and fluvial fieldwork sites. A full day was spent measuring and analysing stream characteristics and a further two days allowed us to investigate the geomorphology of the coastline. Landforms were explained by reference to both present day processes as well as events that took place some 120,000 years ago when sea levels were much higher than today. Pupils were good company and hard working both in the field and during the evening workshops which followed up the day’s fieldwork. S.C.C.
H.M.H.
Rugby Tour to the USA and Canada
In July we took forty one rugby players from the Fifth Form and Lower Sixth on a two week tour of America and Canada. The squad trained hard in the build-up to the tour leaving with good fitness levels.
We played our first matches in Seattle on a 3G pitch and had two very physical games but came out on top in both, scoring a number of well-worked team tries.
We then stayed in Vancouver sight-seeing and to a man completing the Grouse Mountain “Grind”. This turned out to be a bit more of a challenge than the squad was led to believe!!
We then travelled to Kamloops where we were looked after by excellent hosts and were successful in our second round of matches.
Over the next few days we relaxed while travelling through the spectacular National Park of Banff. The highlight for the squad was seeing a wild bear and white water rafting. Some of the more hardy members of the squad also went for a swim in a cold Lake Louise.
Our final destination was Calgary where we won our remaining four games and had the opportunity to visit the Olympic park where the boys either went down the Olympic bobsleigh run, reaching speeds of 96kmh, or the biggest zip line in North America which ran the length of the Olympic ski jump.
Overall it was a fantastic tour and put the senior squad in a strong position leading into the 2011 season (played 8 won 8). I would like to thank AADG, SMB, CWSW and AJF for all their efforts before and during the tour.
J.J.M.
Netball and Hockey Tour to South Africa
We arrived on the 10th of July at the playground filled with excitement for the hockey and netball tour to South Africa. After a few emotional goodbyes and a wave-off from the parents all thirty four of us we were off to Heathrow in our extremely smart matching kit. The twelve hour long flight was slept through by those not being entertained by the huge variety of films and games on our plane. On arrival to Johannesburg, although shattered from the journey, our itinerary was full-on and we immediately travelled to our first destination ‘Lesedi village’. This village was a tribute to the South Africans tribal culture and we experienced traditional dancing, singing, and their way of life as we toured different areas in the complex, and there were of course ‘different’ foods to try consisting of crocodile, ostrich and many other dishes which all the girls took to in various ways! We knew from then on how different South Africa was to our own home and how much of an experience this was going to be.
Walking with cheetahs and elephants had to be a highlight; or whale watching and being lucky enough to see dolphins that amazed us all (even if some of us spent that trip at the back of the boat feeling sick!). But I think all of us would agree that the most amazing experience was the safari where we were able to watch and observe elephants, lions, rhinos, giraffes (the list goes on!) in the wild. It was truly amazing and something we will never forget I’m sure, as we were able to get so up ‘close and personal’ with the animals, thanks to our amazing park rangers. During the last week and a half of tour, after we left Johannesburg, we travelled on the green route from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town which had completely contrasting scenery but was still beautiful.
As well as everything we did and everywhere we visited there was of course the sports side of the tour! It involved both hockey and netball (something that not everyone was keen on to start with), but anyone who hadn’t played for a while picked up a hockey stick and the same with netball as we all had to be involved in both sports. There were four netball teams, 1sts, 2nds, 3rds and Under 16s and two hockey, the 1sts and 2nds. We had a total of seven netball games and four hockey which were sometimes played one after another, taking all our energy to play to our best ability in both. Our support for each other on and off the pitch was impressive and even with the varying age groups from fourteen to seventeen everyone came together and contrasting personalities really came out when everyone got to know each other. It was fair to say the South Africans played a different style of netball, somewhat more physical! Even though this was the case, it meant everyone experienced a different type of play and it was something we all had to adapt to which we did very well. The township team from Langa which we had previously toured earlier that day gave us an insight into their lives and their way of living. There were some wins and losses. Our hockey was probably the biggest shock to us, all playing regional champions and very strong sides. Everyone put up a fantastic fight though and played their best, but unfortunately we never managed to get a win!
The last night reflected the tour’s fun side after we all dressed up in South African themed clothing (and got some funny looks as we walked through the waterfront of Cape Town!) and we had some prizes and presents to both girls and teachers. The trip was truly amazing and I’d like to say a huge thank you to Miss Beveridge, Miss Lea, Miss Mosley, and Mrs Longley who looked after all the girls and made our trip so enjoyable.
Grace Caldicott
Sport
The First XV went through the season with a very young side, ten of whom will be with us this coming campaign. Several Fifth Form players stepped up and progressed extremely well as the season went on.
Despite the lack of experience through the team we played some very positive rugby and were unlucky not to have won more matches with some strong performances against Old Swinford and Bristol GS. We came up against some very big and physical teams with predominantly Upper Sixth players and struggled on occasions to deal with the physicality that an older and more experienced side can have. Close games against Solihull and Warwick were lost through lapses in concentration at crucial times.
The lineout was a consistent source of good ball with Adam Johns having an excellent season at hooker and Dan Brooks and Zac Bailey proving to be good targets. The back line as a whole also played with great consistency. James Doorbar at 10 distributed the ball with pace and accuracy, often opening up teams with his wide passes. The strong running lines from the likes of George Kitching and Ross Attwood were supported well by backs and forwards alike.
For the second year King’s produced an England Under 16 player in George Jeavons- Fellows who played at number 8 throughout the season, showing the ability to turn a game through his strong running and handling ability.
Harry Nuttall captained the side as a Lower Sixth boy extremely well and was effectively assisted by James Doorbar as vice-captain.
Unfortunately the season was cut short in mid November due to the weather and a number of games including the WRGS match were cancelled. This was obviously disappointing for all of the players.
My thanks go to CA and SMB for their hard work and support throughout the season. I would also like to thank AF and AADG for their efforts at pre-season and the ground staff who produced fantastic playing surfaces for all of the age groups. Stuart Conyers also deserves a mention for providing the shirts for the team for a second season.
Preston Shield
Most improved player – Lewis Giles
Surman Cup
Services to the Rugby Club – Mike Serafini
Played 12: Won 7, Lost 5
KES Birmingham A Won 20-17
Solihull H Lost 12-20
Warwick H Lost 6-17
KES Stratford A Won 24-20
Monmouth A Lost 23-32
Hereford C.S. (Daily Mail) A Won 15-9
KES Aston H Won 17-7
Chase H Won 38-5
Old Swinford Hospital A Lost 27-7
Chase (Daily Mail) H Won 14-12
Hereford C.S. H Won 21-7
Bristol Grammar A Lost 18-12
Bablake H Cancelled
Bishop Vesey’s H Cancelled
RGS Worcester SW Cancelled
The season got off to a positive start at Brecon. We had some good wins in the group beating Abingdon, Bristol GS and Monmouth. The squad then put in a strong performance to beat St Joseph’s Ipswich 28-7 in the first knock-out round. In the quarter final we met the eventual winners Ellesmere and lost a close game 26-17.
At Solihull we reached our second quarter-final and although we had good wins against Bedford Modern and Solihull we were a bit heavylegged playing only three days after Brecon.
At the North of England Tournament we won the group comfortably scoring 121 points and conceding 10. We played particularly well against Kirkham GS. In the quarter final we played a strong Denstone College coming out on top 36-21. Unfortunately despite playing some excellent rugby at one of the strongest tournaments in the country we lost in the semi-final.
We continued our good form into Mount St Mary’s, where we were in a tough group, getting off to a good start beating Ampleforth, Mount St Mary’s and Nottingham HS. We lost to Sedburgh before frustratingly drawing with Durham which put us in the plate competition. In the semifinal we beat a strong Barnard Castle side 24-14 which put us in our first final of the season. We got off to a slow start against Yarm, going behind before scoring a number of impressive tries to come out 45-21 on top. With confidence high our own tournament came next at Droitwich RFC. We comfortably progressed through the group beating Bablake, Colstons (31-7) and Prince Henry’s Coventry. In the quarter-final we played Hereford CS, scoring 58 unanswered points. We then came up against Ellesmere College who were Brecon and North of England champions. Some solid defence and clinical finishing gave us the win in a tight game 19-17. In the final we faced a strong Warwick side and went up by two scores. They came back at us and again some great defence and control of the ball saw us through to win a thrilling final.
At the National Schools we were very unlucky with the pitches we played on and in the key game of the pool were drawn on a very junior sized pitch. Unfortunately this meant we were drawn into a more contact based game and we struggled to adjust from the game we had been playing in the other tournaments and did not progress to the knock out stages.
It was a very strong season for Sevens at King’s and with the majority of the squad being with us next season it bodes well. Particular mention should go to Dave Serafini who scored twenty nine tries across the tournaments. I would like to thank Steve Perera for his support of the First Team in providing the shirts for a second season.
J.J.M.
First xV Results
1st xV
Captain: Harry Nuttall
1st VII
For the second year, pre-season training at Mount St Mary’s went well. A number of returning Upper Sixth who had played for the 2nds the year before were competing for the few places available in what looked be going to be a strong 1st XV. There was therefore some disappointment from these players and from those of the new Lower Sixth who had always found themselves in the A team for their year group. Early injuries in the Firsts meant that a number of key positions did not become established in the early matches. So losses to KES Birmingham, Solihull, and Warwick saw a further drop in confidence. A 50-0 thrashing at Monmouth was a particular low point in what had looked to be going to be 50% wins in the season. With a ‘clear the air’ session things did improve dramatically and the performances of Ed Harris at fly half, Tom Bird in the centre and Alex Osborn on the wing made sure that the backs had the potency to trouble opposition defences and a number of high scoring wins were recorded to balance the for and against try tally. The team was on a good run around half term and was looking to consolidate its win percentage in the run in. A 27-7 defeat at Oldswinford was a setback but the team was now playing good rugby with both backs and forwards competing well. Very good wins against Hereford C S and the Chase improved the morale further and the win to loss tally, now at 5:6. What turned out to be our final game at Bristol GS saw the team working hard against much bigger opposition on a very heavy pitch and often driving rain. We were unable to secure enough of the ball to enable our backs to wreak the havoc that they looked capable of achieving and the game was ground out by a dogged opposition. Substitutes to the First team meant that a much depleted side completed the season. However confidence was high and so training was sustained for the best part of three weeks without a game being played. The spirit that was seen at the end of the season needs to be prevalent at the start of next year. It is time we won some/all of the first three Saturday matches!
S.M.B
a good account of themselves against the old enemy King’s narrowly lost by two points. The weekend was a great success and helped build on the already strong team spirit in the squad.
The second half of the season was excellent and the team put together a series of wins against local opposition before taken on rivals WRGS in the last games of the season. Having not beaten their closest rivals since joining King’s the satisfaction was clear to see on the faces of players and supporters alike as Joe Taylor crossed for the winning score just before the final whistle. This was a satisfying end to a good fifteen a side season.
The Sevens season was a bit of a mixed bag. With early success winning the Plate in a wet Wellington tournament, the team failed to reach the same heights in the competitions that followed. Brandon Wain and Stuart Kirby were both impressive performers throughout the season and often led by example. The final tournament was a success where the team captured the plate at the Worcestershire Sevens.
Under 16 xV
Training for the new season began in earnest at the end of August in preparation for the first match of the year against a tough KES Birmingham side, which ended in a ten-nil win. Then followed another win; this time against Solihull School who went down seventeen-five to a King’s team full of energy and willing. The following week saw our first loss against a typically large Warwick side; despite a really solid performance and some excellent passages of play, we suffered a narrow defeat. KES Stratford the next week saw our fortunes change again as we came out on top in a twelve-ten tussle. Monmouth proved a little too strong despite us crossing their line twice to record converted tries, whilst the KES Aston battle ended honours even at seven-all. The OSH match saw us find our winning ways again with a twenty seven-seven rout. Bristol GS caused an upset by distracting us from our game and engaging us in their sparring but the season ended on a real high with a closely fought win of fifteen-ten over our WRGS. It was a very pleasing season and the boys worked very hard on the training field to ensure good fun at the weekends.
C.W.S.W.
The B team had a very good year in a season that would be the last for DNO after five years at the helm. They played a positive brand of rugby and players like Charlie Lamb gave them a hard edge. They achieved some good results throughout the season including a surprise victory over Old Swinford at home. Ben Doughty was solid in the second row and Liam Jessup marshalled the troops well from the number 10 jersey. The team always tried to attack and the way in which they played the game was pleasing on the eye. There is plenty of potential in this squad and expect many of them to be knocking on the A team door in their Under 16 season.
Under 15 xV
The Under 15 team had a good season, finishing the year with wins outnumbering defeats. It was a difficult start in terms of injuries but the side quickly developed a direct playing style and a good team spirit. They started the season with a fantastic fifty point win against KES Birmingham and put in an excellent combative performance away at Solihull, probably not getting the result they deserved. Early stand –out performances came from Martyn Bowles at inside centre and Will Elt who was very impressive with the ball in hand.
The team continued to work hard in training and posted some impressive results in the early round of the Daily Mail Cup. Half term saw the team go away on tour to sunny Wales and enjoy the capital city, Cardiff. After watching the Cardiff Blues on the Friday night they headed deep into the South Wales valleys to take on a Bryn – Celynog, just outside Pontypridd. Battling against both the elements and a Welsh team determined to give
The team had a positive season and should be pleased with the progress made. Some clever close-season transfer activity saw a return to King’s of the Sears twins and the recruitment of the athletic Chris Weston. These three, when added to the home-grown talent, ensured the team had a strong core throughout. The boys responded very well in training, were fit and made real improvement in their defensive patterns and decisionmaking skills. The overall record – won 5, drawn 2 and lost 4 - is perhaps a little below what the team could have achieved; they will wish to add a killer instinct to their play next year as both draws and one loss should have been wins.
The team was very well led by the impressive Harry Bassett; his dedication and commitment were an example to all and his skill-set as scrum-half is developing well. Ryan Kerley continued to improve and made some telling contributions in both defence and attack whilst the speed of Sam Khogali, the technique and work-rate of Michael Hines and the tenacity of Alfie Sears were regularly in evidence. Highlights were comprehensive victories over Solihull School and WRGS and an outstanding victory in the Dean Close sevens tournament. Here King’s showed patience, made mature decisions and were ruthless in converting possession to tries, and the win, in a tournament of sixteen teams, was a significant achievement.
R.A.C.
Under 14 xV
The season started with exceptional numbers at pre-season and this trend continued for the rest of term with nearly fifty boys turning up to after school practices. It enabled us to put a C team out on regular occasions and in virtually any other year group the vast majority of the team would have been B team players. This depth of quality made the coaching of the boys both easy and very satisfying.
The A team matches got off to a scrappy start and an away win at KES Birmingham was followed by a 10 – 8 defeat away to Solihull. This was disappointing as for long stretches of the game it looked as though we would break them down, but this set-back helped to refocus the boys in preparation for an away trip to Warwick, regularly the most difficult fixture on our circuit, and one that we had lost the previous year as Under 12s. In a highly entertaining and committed game we won 24 – 19, the desire in the boys being amply demonstrated by Tom Bassett who broke his hand before half time, but didn’t say so until they had finished!
Highlights from the middle part of the season included heavy victories over Monmouth, Stratford, Aston, Old Swinford and Bristol GS, which brought us nicely to the Grammar School game, unbeaten since the second weekend of term and all players back from injury. Although the final score was only 22- 0, the opposition only ventured into our half on a couple of occasions, we were away from home and WRGS tackled valiantly. An excellent end to a highly enjoyable term. Although this was an outstanding team effort, we would like to pay tribute to the incredibly mature way in which Jacob Ham captained this side; he always led from the front, expecting the highest standards from both himself and those around him.
The B team had an exceptional season. Not only were they the only unbeaten team in the school but they never looked like being beaten and only conceded a handful of tries against them whilst many games had to be curtailed because the gap in class and the score line was just too great.
The foundation of every good team is the pack and this was no exception. Tom McGrory, Dan Alcock, Connor Harding, Stuart Lanigan and in particular Charlie Maymon were very strong all season and they were ably supported by Ben Shimwell and Rory Bateson who played most of the year in the second row. Tom Harrison, Ali Palmer and Rory Atkins were outstanding in the back row and were more than a thorn in the side of the opposition. Elliot Coley at scrum-half was alert, brave and quick to exploit any weaknesses and the back line of Alex CampbellShore, Bradley Bates, George Russell, and wingers Theo Beever and Jacob Blasdale was quick and managed to score a great number of tries throughout the season. All boys were willing to play and the fact that quite a few of them played with distinction in the A XV when required is testament to their commitment, enthusiasm and skill. It will be very interesting to see how they develop in the future; a number of them are likely to play at First XV level eventually.
A.A.D.G.
/ J.L.O.
FOOTBALL
More than 30 boys attended pre-season practices and it was clear from the outset that competition for places in the first team would be fiercely contested. We had more fixtures than ever this year and the games were eagerly anticipated by a very enthusiastic and talented group of players whose commitment remained high throughout the season. One thing that we did lack from previous years was an abundance of rugby players. Only having two players who featured for the 1st XV meant that we were without the height and physical presence of previous years, but we felt perhaps we had a little more skill and football know-how; only time would tell.
12 xV
The Under 12s enjoyed a challenging first season with some very tough games early in the term. The A XV got off to a strong start with narrow victories over Bromsgrove and Solihull. Further victories against Tewkesbury, KES Aston, Chase HS and Oldswinford resulted in a reasonably strong win-loss ratio. In the forwards Jonathan Hunt and James Smalley carried the ball strongly, with Ivan Campbell-Ferguson picking up on the finer aspects of open side play remarkably quickly. The backs were well marshalled by Harry Guy and Alfie Pritchard, and Dylan Moss and Angus Guthrie proved themselves to be strong runners in broken play. James Arnold developed at astonishing speed and proved himself to be an aggressive tackler and potent try scorer. The B XV had a difficult season but certainly made some tangible improvements. It will be crucial for all players to continue working on their contact skills in the years ahead. Most pleasing was the number of boys who trained hard in all weather conditions and who were committed to improving their understanding of the game. Well done to all and we are sure they will continue to enjoy rugby through their time at the school.
J.O.H. / R.J.J.
Tom Cluett was the obvious choice for captain, and he carried out this responsibility superbly throughout the season, proving to be a most reliable and dedicated leader, both on and off the pitch. He started the season in the centre of defence, playing alongside Fifth Former Ali Hunt who had a very impressive season. Always strong in the tackle and composed when in possession of the ball, his cool head enabled us to retain possession when under pressure. Full backs rotated between Alan Frost, undoubtedly the most skilful defender I can remember for the first team, his control and calmness were always most impressive, and Will Newton who was the fittest of all our players, his endless running and last ditch tackles denied the opposition on numerous occasions, particularly in the mud and rain in our first game against Tewksbury, a performance that earned him man of the match. Our final defender was also our most improved player of the season, Michael Hedges. Few could match his pace and he provided us with important attacking options when going forward. He was particularly impressive in the second half of the season and was often one of the most influential players, earning himself a goal and man of the match award against Monmouth. Backing up our defence we had Adam Loader in goal who rarely put a foot wrong, a fact that earned him manager’s ‘Player of the season’. Some of his fine stops undoubtedly gained us victories, particularly a point blank save against Wolverhampton, a brave stop at the feet of the on rushing striker against St. Edward’s and two penalty saves. At the beginning of the season we always felt we had a lot of midfield options and we were lucky to be able to rotate a number of players. Our muscle was provided by Lambros Pardale, who was also vice captain, and, like many of our players improved as the season went on. His tireless work and organisation often kept our midfield together and prevented us from being overrun. He might have left it late, but the wait for his only goal of the year was worth it, with only minutes of the season remaining he hit a first time twenty five yard shot (thirty five if you ask him), that was still rising when it hit the back of the net. Jack Ellis was perhaps our most complete midfielder, providing power, pace and skill that was improving game by game until his season was cut short as a result of a broken collar bone received as he made one of his typical bursting runs through midfield, only to be brought down by two of the opposition. Tom Wilde and Charlie Silk provided the creative spark in midfield, and when given time and space could dictate
1st xI
Captain: Tom Cluett
Under
the game. Up front, our main threat came from the impressive George Hodgetts, who scored an average of a goal a game and received the cup for the player of the season. At one point he looked on course to break the record for goals scored but narrowly missed out in the end. As he will be with us again next year, I’m sure this will be one of his targets. His control and composure on the ball were a challenge for all defences, as was his powerful right foot. Eliot Duffy provided our other main threat, scoring some well taken goals, particularly towards the end of the season; the fact that our two leading goal scorers are both in the Lower Sixth certainly bodes well for next year. Ross Attwood and Joe Grisdale were important attacking options, although their commitments to rugby sevens did limit their contributions after half term, the gap that these two left was ably filled by Tom Bird who was most versatile and provided us with a strong physical presence and motivation. When compared to previous years, our record for the season is rather modest and there were certainly a couple of games that we really should have won. Victory in our final game meant that we ended up winning more games than we lost; six wins to five defeats and one draw. This statistic doesn’t really tell the whole story, one of the most notable features was the improvements made through the season, without doubt some of the tough games played in the second half of the term would have been lost if we had played the same fixture at the beginning of term. Most notable performances came against Wolverhampton, one of our most fluent games for years, in which we dominated against a very good footballing side. The final 2-0 scoreline could have been a lot more. A hard earned 2-2 draw away to a tough and physical Monmouth team and an end of season 6-1 defeat of King Edward’s Five Ways was a very satisfying way to end the term, as was the fact that we remained undefeated during the second half of term. The scoreline against King Edward’s certainly didn’t look on the cards after the opposition scored within minutes of the kick off and totally dominated the first ten minutes and it was to our credit that we responded so well and raised our game; the victory was certainly not as easy as the final score suggests. This was one of our best victories for years against a team that could easily have beaten us by the same score.
Although this was not the most successful season on record for the 1st XI, it was certainly one of the most enjoyable to coach, thanks to the commitment and enthusiasm of the players. They love the game and simply want to play as much, and as often, as possible and they always approach games with right attitude. There is never a hint of the cynical side of the game that often blights Premiership football, and, although, at times, they might be a little naive in footballing terms, they are always a credit to the school.
C.T.H.
The Second XI had an enjoyable and successful season winning nine out of their twelve games and only losing the one match, to a physical Chase HS side. The team played an attractive brand of football, scoring at 3.5 goals per game, with centre forward Stuart Whitehouse notching twelve goals and versatile Tom Bradley scoring nine. Tom Mills proved to be a brave and effective goal keeper who made many crucial saves. Player of the Year was Reuben Carey, who showed considerable skill and poise at full back. The side’s best performance of the year was against WRGS when they overturned a half time deficit to triumph 4-1. Goal of the Season was awarded to Anthony Fahy for his “wonder strike” from the half way line against Tewkesbury School. The side consisted mainly of Lower Sixth and Fifth Form players, a number of whom should feature in the first team squad next season.
This highly talented and committed bunch of footballers had a very successful season with only one loss against a Bishop Perowne team, half of whom play regularly for Worcester City. Just as impressive as their win/loss record was their constant desire to play slick passing football. A creative, mobile and attack minded midfield produced numerous openings which the nineteen goal pairing of skipper Max Farthing and pace merchant Chris Colenso gleefully accepted. Louis Richardson and Tom Dunn-Massey were very consistent performers in midfield, where the presence of Jack Farr added composure and nous. The squad was fortunate to have two excellent keepers in Ed Weston and Alex Parker and hard fought victories against physical Monmouth and Bristol Grammar Schools towards the end-of-the season highlighted how well the back four had gelled. Player of the season was captain Farthing who set a fine example in terms of work-rate and commitment, and whose positional sense and reading of the game were outstanding throughout. He also possesses a decent left foot! I expect to see a good proportion of these players featuring in the First XI in the not so distant future.
Both A and B teams’ results over the season make for gloomy reading. The B XI didn’t win a game and the A team was only victorious twice. However there was much improvement in individual skills and team play and practices were extremely well attended.
After disappointing displays in a 2-1 defeat by Wycliffe and a thrashing by Chase HS, some positional and personnel changes were made to the A team and some far more positive performances ensued, particularly in a storming comeback against Malvern College and a well deserved win over Monmouth. It was in this game that the long–range effort from Tom Deehan (on loan from the Under 13s) became a candidate for my all-time goal of the season – I was right behind the line and the second he kicked it I knew it was in. So did their goalkeeper.
Charlie Norton, a ‘box to box’ player, was consistently our best player, David Allsopp, a frustrated centre forward, worked hard on the flanks and Jack Furber and Hamish Campbell-Shore showed some nice touches but, like the majority of the squad, lacked the necessary pace and tenacity to trouble good teams.
M.C.P.
Under 15 xI
G.L.W.
2nd xI
Under 14 xI
Girls’ Football XI
The unusually late timing of Easter meant that our first game of the season was on Easter Saturday, before we had even started back at school. Preseason during the run up to the weekend had been excellently attended, with a squad of boys looking forward to a challenging season. There were a number of positions which were still not cast iron certainties, leading to focused and disciplined practice. Our greater preparation and skill were quickly evident in the opening game against Solihull, whom we defeated by 220 runs. This match was memorable not just for the huge margin of victory, but for an outstanding batting display from Tom Mills who carried his bat, making 153 and then having to go out and keep wicket for a further 50 overs. It was an excellent start that really set the tone for what was going to follow in the next few games; in fact we made it to half term with nine wins from nine games, certainly a first in my time at King’s.
Comprehensive victories over Wolverhampton and Hereford, the former including an excellent century from James Doorbar, were followed by a very tense one wicket victory over Bromsgrove, always a pleasing occurrence, but made more so by the fact that this was probably our weakest performance of the first half term. Tom Wilde, always a man for a crisis, saw us home with a calm and authoritative knock. There were midweek wins over Old Swinford and Chase HS in a 20/20 game, with the final match before the onset of exams being against KES Birmingham.
We batted poorly early on before Ben O’Hickey showed the value of occupying the crease and Ali Hunt made his first real runs for the 1st X1, something he was going to do with increasing frequency as the season progressed. This enabled us to put a competitive total of 230 on the board, giving our bowlers something to play with. The task was made more difficult as Tom Bird had dislocated a finger on his bowling hand dropping a simple catch in practice the preceding Thursday and was unable to bowl! Despite this obvious setback all of the bowlers performed admirably and were backed up by some excellent fielding, allowing us to restrict KES to 195.
We had beaten Hereford Cathedral in the first round of the Chesterton Cup which meant that we had to play Malvern College away in the semifinal, something that was arranged for the second Sunday of half term. Malvern had a talented and well subsidised team with a heavy weighting of overseas stars, but we had them in a very difficult position on a disappointingly slow and low surface when rain came. In the re-arranged game we had our chances, but unfortunately dropping their best player early on, who then went on to score an unbeaten century, meant we always going to be up against it. Joe Fowles, Jack Ellis and Ali Hunt had the opposition worried for a while, but with the departure of the latter our hopes faded and we recorded our first loss of the campaign. Saturday fixtures continued to deliver success after half term with the ten wicket demolition of Bristol Grammar School and a 120 run victory over King’s Gloucester, the latter again featuring a Tom Mills century. The match against a very strong and young MCC went against us despite a solid bowling performance and we also came out second best versus
St Peter’s Adelaide, whom we hosted for the third time. The WRGS fixture proved disappointing as we allowed them to score 290, despite only being 110 after 25, and ended up 45 short. There were some solid performances, but no match winning effort, something we had managed to accomplish in the vast majority of our other matches.
Apart from Tom Bird, Tom Mills and Jack Ellis this was a fairly inexperienced team, so the success that we managed was especially pleasing. Tom Mills fell just short of 900 runs for the season and his excellent keeping will be very difficult to replace. Tom Bird, captaining the side for the second year, once again won the Bowling Cup, and led the team with great tactical skill. Since making his debut in the Lower Remove he will have played nearly one hundred games for the 1st X1, a tremendous achievement and commitment to school cricket. The coming season will see a young side, but one not lacking experience. Josh Tongue, in his second full season, was joined by fellow Upper Fourth Nick Hammond for the latter stages of the season, and Ali Hunt and Jack Park will have learned much from their experiences this summer. The team will be captained by Joe Fowles who I’m sure will want to leave his mark after many years of fine service, and he should have a talented bunch of players at his disposal. A.A.D.G./D.P.I.
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2011 proved to be a memorable season for the Second XI with five good wins and some notable individual performances including two centuries. For once availability was not a problem and it was a pity that three of the matches on the fixture list fell to a combination of weather and exam pressures.
The season started with a fine win at Wolverhampton. The platform was laid with an opening stand of 122 between Jake Wells and Tom Evans before Tom went on to complete the first century scored by this team for over a decade. The eventual target of 237 proved to be beyond the home team and a four wicket spell by Jonathan Bywater hastened victory. Next came another away match against a traditionally strong Bromsgrove outfit. Fortunately we were able to avenge last year’s defeat after Alex Spring’s 80 and Peter Preston’s impressive 47 dug us out of a bit of a hole and enabled a decent score of 209 to be posted. Bromsgrove’s reply was made all the more difficult for them after Dave Haddock, making a rare appearance for the Seconds this year took a wicket in each of his first three overs on his way to finishing with 4 for 29. Despite a decent stand in the middle of their innings and a worrying moment when the heavens opened victory by 63 runs was assured before the rains came again for good.
A horrible game at KES Birmingham came next. The team was confident at tea having bowled the home team out for 119 with spinners Dom Lee (4 for 26) and Ben Allsopp (3 for 16) doing the damage. It was a poor pitch on a re-laid square though and soon we were in trouble with noone able to cope with the variable bounce. We were skittled for 57 with only captain George Hodgetts making double figures.
With games against Solihull and Warwick coming next this could have been the turning point for the season but remarkable efforts in the field against these strong schools (Zac Pemberton - Whitely 4 for and Peter Preston 3 for 19) ensured that only modest victory targets were set and each game was won by 5 wickets. So we went into the big match against WRGS on a roll. Spirits were even higher when knocks of 67 by Alex Spring and 35 from Antony Fahy allowed King’s to post a fine score of 193 from their 35 overs. As is often the case though our local rivals proved to be just too strong and they completed their target with just one over to go.
The final school match of the year proved to be another memorable one for a King’s batsman when Jake Wells carried his bat for a fine innings of 105 not out. The total of 212 should have proved to be well out of range for our visitors for King’s Gloucester and when Stuart Whitehouse’s 4 for 24 had helped to reduce them to 88 for 8 we were waiting for the fat lady to start singing. A spirited innings by their injured captain gave us a few nervous moments though before Zac finally bowled a fast and straight one to finish things off.
The season finished with the match against the OV 2nd XI and after such a good season it was a pity that it had an end of term feel about it. The Upper Sixth took over the batting order but without much success and in the end we had to grind out a modest total of 146. The old boys were then cruising to a comfortable victory with Nic Sproson anchoring the innings but when he fell on 65 a flurry of 5 wickets in ten balls made the match very interesting before Phil Mackie and Fred Hickey nursed them home and secured a two wicket win.
So overall it was a good season with nearly all who played making a significant contribution at some stage. It also bodes well for the future too as all but a couple of regular players will be around next year.
I.C.R.
Under the enthusiastic and committed captaincy of Will Dovey this team had a pretty successful season despite losing several very close games. Whilst the skipper didn’t reach his batting heights of the previous year (his brilliantly paced 84 against KES Birmingham apart) Miten Patel, Stuart Kirby and Brandon Wain all became reliable run-getters. The return of Joe Taylor further stiffened the batting; in his first four games he scored two fifties and a composed and crucial undefeated 43 not out against WRGS. Given the chance to bat at 3 in the final Saturday game of the season, Ed Rowley scored a fine 58 not out, illustrating well the depth of our batting talent. When we lost games it was usually down to inconsistent or wayward bowling. This was quite frustrating because when we got our lines right we looked an impressive side; excellent victories against strong KES Birmingham and WRGS sides were good examples of this. Having said this Chris Colenso and Will Elt bowled much better in the second half of the season, and Alex Parker was always a potential match-winner with his left-arm spin. The team reached the final of the county 20/20 cup but were unable to defend a decent score of 153 which was achieved through sensible application from the upper order then a blistering innings of 53 from Patel.
Most improved player of the season was Wain whose keeping was superb, especially for someone with such limited experience, and whose aggressive stroke-play at number five often provided the mid-innings momentum needed. Patel was not far behind, showing much more precise footwork and shot selectivity in the second half of the season.
Under 14 xI
The team had a good season, with particularly convincing wins against Wolverhampton Grammar, Bristol Grammar, Warwick, King’s Gloucester, and KES Stratford. Charlie Norton was the most consistent batsman, probably because his was the best technique and he refused to give his wicket away. Good contributions with the bat also came from Michael Hines, Will Davies and Barney and Alfie Sears. Jack Salter, a leg spinner, was leading wicket-taker, his 6-13 against Warwick the outstanding performance, closely followed by his 5-9 against Stratford. Barney Sears struggled to take wickets early in the season but they came eventually, his 5-26 against King’s Gloucester coming in very handy when they had reached 118 without loss. Will Palmer took 3-4 to knock over Wolverhampton’s top order. Michael Hines was a useful off spinner, particularly when he gave it some flight. Norton could bowl seam and leg spin, and Dave Allsopp bowled leggies, too, taking 3-14 at Wolverhampton. How many teams have three leg spinners? Alfie Sears was excellent behind the stumps, and other useful contributions were made by Hamish Campbell-Shore, Nick Hansen, Toby Wells and Matt George.
M.C.P. / J.J.M.
S.LeM. / D.P.I.
Under 13 XI
The highlight of a good season was winning the County Cup with a 152 run victory over Stourport High School in a 20 over game. On the way to the County Cup final the team defeated WRGS by 10 wickets in a onesided semi-final. The team had a good run in the national Bunbury Cup, defeating some strong cricketing schools and reaching the Midlands Final/National Quarter Finals. Disappointingly the side lost by 34 runs to King’s School Grantham, when seemingly they had the game in the bag. Many of the side had excellent individual seasons. Skipper Nick Hammond captained the side expertly and scored 560 runs at an average of 93 with two centuries against KES Stratford and Stourport High School. Josh Tongue averaged 74 with the bat and was a powerful addition to the team when on release from the 1st XI. Jacob Ham and Henry Wilde were very reliable performers with the ball, taking 21 and 23 wickets respectively. The side was a pleasure to coach and should continue to perform well in future years, despite the likelihood of losing more players to the 1st XI as the group matures.
The B XI proved to be an enthusiastic and strong outfit and was well captained by Ben Shimwell.
G.L.W.
JLO and I were often overwhelmed by the numbers of cricketers attending practices (an encouraging sign) and the boys certainly gave us plenty to think about when it came to selections. The best twenty two boys in the year group soon became apparent but it took a little longer for an A XI to surface. Results overall were rather mixed; we struggled against some of the stronger schools on the circuit but a notable win over RGS Worcester was a highlight and getting to the County Cup final and the B team defeat of Bromsgrove each stick in the memory. Several players proved useful with either bat or ball, often getting into the twenties and thirties (Will Burgoyne, Richard Johnson, Jonathan Hunt, George Blinman-Wilson, Angus Guthrie, Harry Annable, Ivan CampbellFerguson) or taking three and four wickets in a match (Sam Hopkins, Alfie Pritchard, Stanley-Blakey, Burgoyne) but found it tough to go that bit further to reach fifty or take five wickets. I am sure that their time will come. The teams were very well captained throughout by Annable and Alfie Pritchard.
R.J.D.
BASKETBALL
The Senior team had to cope with the loss of a number of last year’s Upper Sixth, with captain Tom Mills coping admirably to fill the gap, supported by David Haddock and Peter Preston. They were accompanied by Andreas Neophytou and Vlad Djuric, as well as two players from the Upper Remove, playing well above their age group to great effect. Chris Colenso was given the Most Improved Player award as a result of his excellent play making skills, and Carl Beardmore made good use of his height on the rebounds. Early in the season at the Bromsgrove tournament they recorded good wins against Warwick
A very full fixture list was planned for the First XI again for the season. Unfortunately, the snow saw five of these fixtures cancelled but we still managed to play nine fixtures against other schools and entered the county tournament. Out of the nine fixtures we beat St Peter’s, Worcester University, King’s Gloucester, KEHS and The Chase. In a very tight battle we were disappointed to be beaten by Bromsgrove whom we beat earlier in the term in the county tournament.
The highlight of the season was winning the county tournament and qualifying for the Midlands regional finals. We played these in November in Rugby. We had a very strong group and we played Solihull, Rugby and Oundle and although we played some of our best hockey on the day and there was little to separate us from the other teams, we were not to go through on the day.
The team was captained by Jess Meikle and Lucy Scales who together kept the team well motivated and encouraged all the new members of the team to perform. We will be sad to see our Upper Sixth leave us, some of them have been involved in First XI for a number of years. Sarah Conway, Lucy Robinson, Amy Hiles and Amber Richardson all played well in defence and will be hard to replace. Jess Meikle and Lucy Mattock will no longer be in the midfield with Lucy Scales to run until they drop and Lydia Harper, who has been in the First XI longer than any, will not be that target player up front which is a position she has played so effectively over the years, scoring many goals for us.
In what should have been a busy season for the Seconds, the team made excellent progress in their skills and their teamwork, and really hit top form just as the weather closed in and the final games of the season had to be abandoned. An early loss against a very strong Warwick side was followed by a frustrating series of 0-0 draws in which we dominated the play but could not convert this into goals. A very solid defence marshalled by Charlie Alexander and Cesca Claridge formed the basis of this dominance, while the rest of the team showed excellent positional play and worked incredibly well as a unit. The breakthrough came in a thrilling game against Chase HS, in which outstanding build up by Amy Bateson and Claire Hickey allowed both Aliza Dee and captain Amie Stilliard to hit the backboard to secure a narrow 2-1 win. This was followed up with a convincing 3-0 victory over Pate’s in what turned out to the final game of the season. Top scorer was Aliza Dee with two goals, followed by Amie Stilliard, Claire Hickey and Issy Brand with one apiece.
J.C.M.
School and Abbey College before losing to the hosts who went on to win the tournament. In their final game of the season, the team was supplemented by coaches Aleks Racic and Julien Catin as they took on local club side Orillo in a very closely fought match. Despite losing by 73 points to 63 in the end, to their credit their opponents needed to keep most of their starting five on court to secure a win. The Senior side has come a long way under the coaching eye of Aleks and Julien, and the School would like to thank them and wish them luck as they move on.
The younger age group was characterised by its usual commitment to training and enthusiasm of its players. From the Lower Remove Sam Khogali was given the Most Valuable player award, and George Bullock the Improved Player award. Philip Hadley was given a special award for his 100% attendance at the coaching sessions, which saw him emerge as a force to reckoned with as the year went on. From the Fourth Forms Sophie Richards and George Caldicott were given Most Improved Player awards, and Rory Atkins and Ollie Wild were given Most Valuable Player awards. All players are congratulated on the level of dedication to the sport.
J.D.C.
Captain: Jess Meikle and Lucy Scales
2nd xI
Under 12 xI
R.P.G.
Under 16 xI
A squad comprising some of the younger Second XI and Under 15 players was moulded together to play as an Under 16 side. The side was superb and had a great run with draws against WRGS and Bromsgrove. As WRGS lost 3-0 to Bromsgrove, we joined the latter at the County Finals. Once again we did not lose a match but ended up going out on penalty flicks after extra time to Malvern College. The girls played brilliantly and managed to keep working hard even after the unsettling injury to Aliza Dee when she received a blow to the mouth. They were certainly a force to be reckoned within the county!
F.L.S.
Under 15 xI
Nineteen girls attended training on a regular basis and benefitted from training alongside the seniors and First XI. They started the season with promise, winning comfortably 1-0 over Wycliffe College with a great goal by Flo Hershman. They managed to contain a very lively Warwick side who were Midlands finalists last year and Franny Taylor in goal had a busy game and kept the score to a 2-0 defeat. This proved to be exceedingly good practice for Franny as we travelled to Wellingborough to face a team from national finals last year. They were incredible and would have given most First XI teams a run for their money. We suffered a heavy loss but we learned some valuable lessons and were much stronger in the second half. Flo scored to keep us in the game against Malvern College but they had a couple of lucky breaks and we ended up going down 3-1 despite Franny making some excellent saves and Charlotte Collins and Hannah Jeavons defending valiantly. They did not play well against Pates but got it together to draw with a strong Hereford side and were unlucky as a goal was disallowed. We had a most exciting 3-3 draw against KEHS and this was probably our best performance with all players linking up well. Flo scored a hat trick to make her the top scorer of the season. Snow and frost cancelled a number of matches but we ended with a 2-2 against WRGS. This was a most exciting game and we were extremely unlucky not to take victory despite the girls’ best efforts. Franny Taylor has continued with her hockey, training at Midlands level and is hopefully awaiting selection for the England Futures Cup.
F.L.S.
approached the Wycliffe match positively. King’s took the early lead with a cracking goal by Meg Shine but the opposition came back strongly to take the game 3-1. Solihull was another confidence boost and the team linked up well to play some good fluid hockey. Meg scored again along with Niamh Vincent to seal the victory. Pate’s were stronger and more eager to win the ball and as a consequence we suffered a heavy loss but this was rectified away at Hereford where Niamh scored a hat trick. They played well at the county tournament with a great win over Prince Henry’s and narrow defeats to WRGS and Bromsgrove. The winter curtailed the season somewhat but we did manage a good win over St Mary’s with Meg scoring both goals and it helped to make up for a very close defeat against KEHS, 2-1. We were very unlucky after Midge Bradley put us in the lead not to keep it and a draw would have been a fairer result.
After Christmas the U14s ended the season well with strong wins over King Edward’s Five ways and Malvern St James. Lucy Tolladay gained county GK selection and is currently progressing through the ranks to Midlands level.
Under 13 xI
This squad had an active and successful season, winning five and drawing three of its eight fixtures. The benefit of the new astro was clear to see. In total, sixty five goals were scored and only six conceded. In the seven a side tournament at Bromsgrove they played some fantastic hockey against some of the strongest hockey schools and were successful at getting through to the semi-finals of the tournament in which they played a tough game against Bromsgrove and unfortunately lost 1- 0.
For the second year in a row we went to the Stourport mini hockey tournament and qualified to go to the regional finals at Cannock hockey club. On the finals day we started off slowly and let ourselves down in the first couple of matches but we went from strength to strength in the final games and played some excellent hockey but left it too late to qualify for the finals.
Under 14 xI
Twenty six girls attended training on a regular basis and numbers remained high despite a very harsh winter and some very inclement weather on numerous training sessions. Warwick was a tough initial fixture and a wake-up call for the squad. Lessons were learned and they
It was great to have so many girls interested in this year group and to have two very keen goal keepers in Freya Melling and Sally Clive. Congratulations to Aimee Hopkins, Daisy Nichols, Bea Howarth, Catherine Neilson, Georgiana Malin and Freya Melling for their success in the county hockey set up. This number of girls involved in the county shows how strong this age group is and we will watch them with interest as they progress through the school.
Under 12 xI
A group of twenty girls met regularly for training throughout the season, showing good skills from the onset. The A squad were unbeaten and one of the strongest year groups I have seen in a while.
The season started off well with a convincing 8-0 win against Solihull. We then went onto beat Hereford Cathedral School 10-0, but the B team went down 8-0 on their first outing. We had to work hard to prepare for our first tournament at Cheltenham Ladies College. The team were outstanding, playing excellent hockey against some very well drilled sides. We got to the final by beating WRGS 4-0, Cheltenham 2-0 and St Hughes 3-0 but unfortunately we lost in the final to very strong Clifton College side. Later in the season we beat St. Mary’s Convent 3-0 and the B team drew 1-1. The season rounded off with a 5-2 win against WRGS and there was an 8-0 victory against Malvern Chase in the first full eleven-aside game.
Charlotte Fox and Kate Dunn-Massey were the two top scorers and led the way with exceptional skills throughout whilst Josie Cameron was always keen to give 100%.
Sophie Guest grew into the role of goalkeeper and Molly Francis and Sophie Doughty were superb in defence. Amalie Coleman and Bea Wilson were both major players in attack.
Well done to all girls who contributed to an outstanding season.
T.D.M.
J.D.C. / C.M.L.
F.L.S.
NETBALL
King’s Netball continued to excel with two teams earning a spot at the Regional Finals in January again. All age groups started training early in the Autumn term to prepare for the District and County tournaments. They began to play a few arranged matches in the Autumn term before the season went into full swing in the Spring. The Under 19 and Under 16 girls had success in their County tournaments, again earning spots at the Regional Finals in January. The Under 12 A and B girls also achieved at District level by winning both their tournaments and becoming District champions. We have also had out of school success with Hannah Jeavons selected in the Under 17 England Excel and NTL Bath squads, Charlotte Collins was selected for the Midlands Excel Program and Frances Taylor was asked to go to trial for the Regional squad.
1st VII Captain: Beth Jeavons
The girls got straight into the season with the annual Senior Tournament. They played last year’s national winners and finalists – Barking Abbey and Hartpury College and came fifth overall. With Beth Jeavons (captain), Katie Wreghitt, Jessie Meikle and Rachel Brand returning from the previous year’s team there were eight places that were filled with eager and committed Lower Sixth and Fifth Form who didn’t let the girls down (Cath Dawson, Daisy Elt, Bea Dee, Tash Linley, Hannah Ray, Lucy Mattocks, Grace Caldicott and Lucy Butterworth). The Autumn terms focus was the Under 19 County Tournament at Bromsgrove in October. The girls prepared with two training sessions a week and a positive and committed attitude to working hard to achieve the top two spots. They won all the matches in the rounds and this gave them a semi-final game against Worcester Sixth Form College. They won this and a place in the final against WRGS, who played strong netball throughout the whole 14 minutes and won by eight goals. This still gave us a spot at the Regional Finals in January. We continued to play our heavy fixture list and gained wins against Cheltenham Ladies College and Royal Bath before Christmas. With West Midlands Regionals not long into January the girls were excited and ready to play against the best in their region. They played six games in the rounds, winning against Bablake 7-4, Walton High School 6-3, Shrewsbury High School 11-4 and Wolverhampton Grammar 8-7. With the way the other matches went and our close score lines we achieved third place by 0.03% and were unlucky not to make the semi-finals.
The Spring term was a little longer than usual so we could play a few more matches. During this term we played stronger netball and gained more success, winning ten out of twelve, against Worcester Sixth Form, King’s High, Warwick, Bablake, KES Bath, Malvern College, Pate’s Grammar, Cheltenham Ladies, WRGS, Hereford Cathedral and narrowly losing to Dean Close and Wolverhampton Grammar. Overall the girls won twelve out of twenty one matches.
Full Colours were re-awarded to Beth Jeavons, Jessie Meikle and Katie Wreghitt and awarded to Bea Dee, Tash Linley, Daisy Elt, Lucy Mattocks, Hannah Ray and Rachel Brand. Half Colours were awarded to Lucy Butterworth, Grace Caldicott, Martha Hershman, Olivia Parson, Josie Mann, Jess Forsyth, Amie Stilliard and Georgia Duddy.
O.K.B.
The Second VII had a very successful season, winning eleven of their nineteen games with a further three draws.
Their success can be attributed to the large squad of dedicated and talented players. With thirteen girls training regularly and a range of ages from Fifth Form to Upper Sixth, they worked hard to form a strong and closely knit team.
The defence put in solid performances all year with Claire Hickey winning most improved player of the season and the determination and physicality of Livi Parson and Katie Collins helping to secure many victories. Livi was an excellent captain, leading by example both in training and in matches.
In attack we had the benefit of height and long range shooting ability in Elise Bue, whilst the return of Martha Hershman gave us the experience we needed. Our centre court players were both agile and pacey. Charlotte Houlbrooke played in all nineteen matches, whilst Player’s Player of the season, Imogen Atkins, made countless interceptions to help us to dominate possession.
Victories against KES Bath, Cheltenham Ladies College and Bablake School were extremely well earned with a hard fought draw against Bromsgrove also ranking as one of our best results.
Many thanks to Jess Forsyth, Georgia Duddy, Josie Mann, Livi Parson, Amie Stilliard and Martha Hershman who will be leaving us this year but whose contributions this season were invaluable.
Louise Gwilliam
3rd VII and 4th VII
With a lot of extracurricular choice in the Sixth Form we still managed to train and play Third and Fourth VII matches. With a few injuries we still had twenty four girls who wanted to continue playing and be involved.
The girls played various schools through the Autumn and Spring terms.
The Third VII was captained by Charlie Wain; they played ten matches, winning against Dean Close, Cheltenham Ladies, KES Bath, Nunnery Wood, Hereford Cathedral and Bromsgrove. Well done to Olivia Clayton, Laura Harrington, Amy Bateson, Lucy Fellows and Juliette Webb who were consistent members of the team. The Fourth VII was captained by Amelia Quiney who led by example and worked well with her team mates, Meg Vincent, Jeannie Gibson, Eli Radley, Harriet Duddy, Tegan Parsons, Charlie Dunn and Rebecca Linfoot, to win two of their six matches.
The season opened with the King’s Senior Tournament in September where our Under 16s were entered to play against Under 19 teams from around the country. Being the youngest team in the competition we played a fast and free flowing game with great confidence beating Hartpury and Barking Abbey and went on to win the tournament. The next big test was the County competition where we met Bromsgrove in the group stage and beat them 8 - 5.This laid to rest the idea that they were an unbeatable opposition and we went on to take the County title. This winning streak continued until the Regional Championships in January. Despite scoring over a hundred goals in the tournament it came down to extra time in the semi-finals against Bablake and the one goal we needed to win eluded us. We went out of the tournament by one goal and our disappointment was immense. That was the only game the Under 16s lost all season but it was the one the team will always remember. Two weeks later it was little consolation to beat Bablake in a home fixture of forty minutes by 49 goals to 21. We had a large squad of girls from both Under 15 and Under 16 level. Becky Brunt grew in confidence and worked well with Hannah Jeavons in the shooting circle and Corah Lewis and Flo Hershman were valuable support throughout the year. The centre court worked like clockwork with the speedy Grace Bradley, the agile George Ormandy and the composed Jess Longley; I always thought these three could pass the ball to each other with their eyes closed! In defence Charlotte Collins was superb in her timing, Jo
O.K.B.
Under 16
Stormonth Darling made life very difficult for the shooters and Hilary Brown continued to improve throughout the year. Molly Farmiloe and Esther Roberts worked hard to raise their game and were valuable players in their training and matches. Holly Hudson and Charlotte Sidaway were solid centre court players and I knew that wherever they were put on court they would perform well. Congratulations must go to Hannah for her England selection and to Charlotte Collins for being selected for the NTL programme. I have thoroughly enjoyed taking this talented group of girls and I wish all of them success as they move in to the senior teams next year.
M.M.L.
Under 15
The U15A and B teams had another victorious season, winning twenty two of their twenty five matches. Both teams adjusted to change throughout the season with Ellen Mackie, Amy Painter and Cleo England making an appearance on many occasions in both the A and B team. The girls played Cheltenham Ladies, Royal Bath, Bromsgrove, Wrekin, WRGS, Shrewsbury, Malvern College, Pate’s, Dean Close and Hereford Cathedral. The A team was led by Corah Lewis who was very reliable in maintaining a great cohesion amongst her team and continuing their winning streak through the season, finishing undefeated. The toughest game was definitely against KES Bath. The game was close throughout, with Flo Hershman going down with injury. She was replaced by Charlotte Collins from defence, but she didn’t let the side down and was shooting the ball from all angles. With the help of Holly Hudson’s and her determination both in defence and centre the level of the game was increased and the rest of the team didn’t let each other down to reach a final score of 32-23. Wrekin and Dean Close also gave us a run for our money - two narrow wins by two goals. The B team also put in some strong performances in the season winning quite convincingly against WRGS, KES Bath, Cheltenham, Pate’s and Malvern College. With Emma Jarvis injured in the Spring term, Emily Goodman stepped up to lead in the shooting circle and with help from Alice Collier Smith at the end of the season, they worked hard for the team. Other great performances were from Ellen Mackie and Amy Painter who both led their team well through the mid-court in every match.
O.K.B.
It was encouraging to have almost forty girls attend netball club training on Tuesdays after games this year. With so many girls, extra help from Louise Gwilliam was much appreciated and gave the opportunity for more individual coaching. We fielded A, B and C teams throughout the season. A and B teams were often closely matched in ability making for healthy competition with girls moving between squads. Matches in the Autumn term were unfortunately cancelled due to snowbound courts but the first fixture in the Spring term against Pate’s Grammar saw comfortable wins for both A and B teams. The A team’s next outing away to Wrekin College gave the girls a boost in confidence with an impressive 20-6 win. Improving skills and positional play together with determination made for a closely fought game against the strong opposition of Bablake but unfortunately they lost by one goal. Matches against King Edward’s Bath, WRGS and Shrewsbury were keenly contested but were lost by close margins. At the District Tournament only one goal was conceded in the round but the team lost to strong Blessed Edward opposition in the semi-final. In the positional play-off they beat St Mary’s Convent 10-1 to finish third. The season ended with convincing wins at Hereford Cathedral School 16-9 and at Dean Close 26-9. The squad, captained by Harriette Bradley, consisted of Nikita Clark, Aimee Hopkins, Ella Raybone, Ellie Faulkner, Georgie Grant, Georgiana Malin, Harriet Duffy, and Daisy Nichols. The B team, captained by Helen Jubb, were stronger than any other opposition they met. The girls were undefeated in seven matches. Shooters Catherine Neilson and Ellie Spencer scored a combined 217 goals, whilst centre court players Lydia Burrows, Helen Jubb, Bea Howath, Laura Holden, and Frances Thomas used their skills to outwit the opposition. The defence, Indy Nuttall and Jess Powell, worked well together to limit the opposition to only 76 goals. The C team, captained by Sally Clive, were also unbeaten with good wins against King Edward’s Bath, WRGS, Cheltenham Ladies College and Dodderhill.
K.
Armitage / C.M.L.
Under 14
The girls had a tough season but as they progressed they become more determined to change their style of play. We had sixteen girls coming to training regularly and with a few interchanging with rowing we could put out an A Team and a B team. We played our regular opposition, Bromsgrove, WRGS, Pate’s, Wrekin, Bablake, Cheltenham Ladies, Dodderhill, Hereford Cathedral and Dean Close. The A team progressed and persevered and by the end of the season they were coming together well. Sarah Graham captained the team at Centre and led with strong passing and good speed though the mid-court. They managed to win three of their twelve games, against Hereford Cathedral, Bromsgrove B and KES Bath. The defensive unit of Hannah Robinson, Anna Warburton and Katy De Cothi should be mentioned for their pure gutsy performances to stop the opposition’s attack; they really come along as a unit as the season came to an end. The girls also played in the local District competition but came third and therefore didn’t progress to the County rounds.
The B team was led by Alex Styles who was very loyal and worked by example in the centre court. They adjusted to the changes of girls coming in and going out but they found the right balance in their team. The girls won three matches - Hereford Cathedral, KES Bath and Bromsgrove C, and lost seven. The final match against Hereford Cathedral was great to watch. Zoe Graham’s hard work in the goal circle shooting from different angles and Lucy Tolladay’s confidence through the mid-court helped the girls to a 34-11 victory. I hope that with a continued belief in themselves and further knowledge of the game these girls will be able to build on this year’s experiences.
O.K.B.
Under 12
The A team had a very successful season winning ten games and losing only one. Bea Wilson and Freya Weston worked well together in the shooting circle and both had good averages for their efforts. In the centre court we had some very good runners who could maintain a fast pace throughout the game; Amelia Emmerson, Charlotte Fox, Kate Dunn Massey and Sophie Richards kept the ball moving at speeds that most opposition couldn’t deal with. We had the feistiness of Adria Kisten, Sophie Doughty and Olivia Meredith in defence and their confidence by the end of the season was a joy to see. The blip of the year was the match against St Mary’s when the team decided before the match that it wasn’t good enough to win and went on to lose by one goal. Two weeks later the same girls took to the court against KES Bath, who had never lost a match, and played a storming game to win 22 – 19. This was their closest encounter and most impressive team performance of the season. The remaining matches went according to plan, as did the District tournament where we beat WRGS in the District Finals.
The B team looked more like an A team for most of the season. Taylor Brady and Lucy Weaver improved their shooting averages as the year went on, with Amalie Coleman and Josie Cameron bringing the ball at speed up the court. Megan Stigant and Anna Taylor were steady in attack and in defence Caitlin Sharpe, Emily Weaver and Iona Davies were reliable and worked hard in turning over possession of the ball. They had eight wins out of ten and the score margins were, in most games, greater than the A team. Their best performance was against RGS Bath with a win by three goals and every player fully stretched all game. In the ‘B’ District tournament confidence was high which resulted in a 6 – 1 win over WRGS in the final. With these girls pushing for A team places next year I wish good luck to their new coaches! The C and D teams had wins over Bath, Chase HS, WRGS and Cheltenham Ladies College with Olivia Minor, Sophie Lynch and Molly Francis showing most promise for the year ahead. My thanks to all the girls who were so committed to both practices and matches and to SCB and Louise Gwilliam for all their efforts throughout the season.
M.M.L.
Under 15
In a short season which was disrupted by Bank Holidays, Sports Days and GCSE exams, the Under 15s opened their matches with very little training at all. They put up an impressive performance in their first match against Bromsgrove and were unlucky to lose by a single rounder, but the quality told in the following fixtures against Hereford Cathedral School and Pate’s Grammar, whose superior batting made all the difference. These experiences resulted in a distinct improvement in our fielding however, as the girls become more familiar with the new ‘off post’ positions and our own big hitters really reached their peak towards the end of the season, with impressive tallies in our final two matches against WRGS and Cheltenham Ladies College. The trio of Holly Hudson, Flo Hershman and Laura Bennett at bowler, backstop and first post really started to work well together, and highest scorers were Amy Painter and Poppy Doorbar.
J.C.M.
An extremely enthusiastic group of girls attended training weekly throughout the summer term. They had little time to gel as a team with fixtures from the start of the season on Saturdays and after school in the weekly local Rounders League. The girls were heavily defeated in their first match against Hereford Cathedral School. Our outing to Pate’s Grammar resulted in a further loss but by a much narrower margin of 4 rounders. Two days later the girls played local rivals WRGS in the league. Despite determination, increased focus, strong batting and sound fielding we lost by 1 rounder. From then on we just couldn’t seem to find our form and lost the remaining matches to St. Mary’s, Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Wycliffe. Thanks go to CJW for helping with energy and enthusiasm at training and matches.
K. Armitage / C.J.W.
Confidence was then restored with a 19.5 – 16.5 win over WRGS and 9.5 to 5.5 win over Pate’s. With the trio of Aimee Hopkins at bowler, Ellie Faulkner at Back stop and Georgie Grant at 1st Post the opposition have struggled to get to first post . With Helen Jubb in Deep and Harriet Bradley or Daisy Nichols at 2nd post the girls made a good impression with their catching and fielding skills
The B team had a very exciting 9-9 draw with Dodderhill in a limited ball game. Fielding was tight and King’s took several catches.
The penultimate game was a Saturday fixture against WRGS when they had a chance to get back at us after their defeat in the mid week league. They won both matches, 16.5 – 7 and 14.5 to 10.5 in the B team. In this game, Sophie Cox managed to catch and field three RGS girls out and Laura Holden scored two rounders.
In the final match of the season against Cheltenham Ladies’ King’s determined spirit could be seen and was typical of how the girls had attacked their matches all season. The A team won 20.5 – 7.5 and the B team won 14.5 to 11.5.
The A team played 7, won 5 and lost 2 and the B team played 4,won 2, lost 1 and drew 1.
Under 12
Both the A and B Squads had a successful season, with the A squad winning their league, with convincing wins over Chase HS, St Mary’s Convent, Dodderhill and WRGS. This was a particularly talented group of girls and they also went on to beat Pate’s Grammar School and Hereford Cathedral in friendly matches.
Bea Wilson was superb and grew in confidence as Bowler, working at pace with Josie Cameron and Charlotte Fox as Backstop and First post. Sophie Richards and Kate Dunn-Massey were the key Deep fielders and performed with accuracy at all times. Amalie Coleman and Molly Francis were the key players at Second and Third post, with Amelia Emmerson and Taylor Southall, always placed well in support fielding. Top scorers were Charlotte Fox, Sophie Richards, Kate Dunn-Massey and Taylor Southall. Freya Weston stepped in as support Bowler and soon became our most improved player.
The B Squad had wins against WRGS, St Mary’s Convent and Malvern Chase and there was a superb victory over Pate’s Under 13 team.
FENCING
Under 13
The season started off very well with both the A and B team winning against Chase HS. Both games were very close with one rounder difference in the A and one and half in the B.
The A team went on to put on a show of batting in the match against St Mary’s winning 26.5 – 12 with Ellie Faulkner excelling both with the bat and in the field. However the tables were turned and King’s were on the receiving end when they played Hereford Cathedral School. Most of the opposition could hit the ball a very long way and the girls were over powered 21 – 13.5.
This year we have continued to develop as a fully three weapon club. Many of our Fifth and Sixth Form fencers have now chosen to specialise in the epee, while beginners are still introduced to the sport using the foil. Alex Humfress has largely taken charge of working with the Sabreurs and I am pleased that his devotion to coaching the sport has led him to work through his level 3 sabre coaching award. This is a great effort for someone of his age; his expertise will be sorely missed by the club when he moves on to university at the end of the year. As has become our custom in previous years, a small but dedicated band of fencers headed off to the Public Schools Championships in March. We had mixed success this year with Alex Humfress coming sixth in the sabre and Eliot Jones and Natalie Cameron also being respectably placed in their age groups too.
T.D.M.
Under 14
D.A.J.
The Seniors had a very successful season. There were some impressive wins, in particular 14 – 2 against Malvern St. James and 5 – 4 for the Senior B team against a very strong Cheltenham Ladies College. Sarah Conway and Jessie Meikle played particularly well as a pair, producing superb displays of teamwork, fluency and initiative. The Senior mixed A team also prospered, winning very convincingly against Malvern College, 6 – 3. Sarah Conway teamed up with Stuart Whitehouse and both showed some excellent standards of mixed tennis. Congratulations also go to Stuart in reaching the final of the Scott Cup.
S.D.
Under 15
Unfortunately the team didn’t have many matches due to cancellations, and faced some tough competition in the matches they have played, losing against Malvern St. James and Cheltenham Ladies College. However, the draw of 4 – 4 against Bromsgrove was very well deserved.
S.D.
Under 14
There was a good 5-4 victory against Malvern St. James which started the team’s season off well, with particularly impressive play and teamwork from Niamh Vincent and Scarlett Payne. Although they suffered a defeat against Cheltenham Ladies College, Meg Shine, Maddy Shackley, Anna Holder and Hannah Robinson should also be mentioned for their contribution to this season. Scarlett and Niamh also paired up to enter the County Doubles tournament, alongside Charlie Norton and Will Davies. They faced fierce competition but played some superb tennis, particularly Scarlett who worked hard for her injured partner!
S.D.
Under 13
This was the first year that the astro has been available for tennis and the Under 13s trained regularly on it. With nine courts available it allowed for larger numbers and although the girls found the surface difficult to start with they adapted well to the conditions.
We only played three matches which was disappointing but the term was very short and busy with so many other sports taking place. The results were pleasing. There was a convincing win over Malvern St James and a tough battle against Solihull ended in a close win for us.
Many girls participated but our first pair of Daisy Nichols and Bea Howarth was a new pairing for the season and they won a total of six of their eight sets.
J.D.C../C.M.L.
Under 12
We had more than thirty girls attending tennis club on Friday afternoons, all keen to progress and enjoy both the doubles and singles games.
We had a secret weapon, as our very talented Charlotte Fox is already a County Player and gained an outing for the Under 18 squad against Cheltenham Ladies College. No doubt she will be called upon to play for the seniors on a more regular basis next year.
Our top three couples were Charlotte Fox and Amalie Coleman, Bea Wilson and Lucy Weaver, Amelia Emmerson and Georgia Thatcher and reserve Anna Taylor
The squad went had convincing wins over both Malvern St. James and Solihull School, but came up against fierce opposition at Cheltenham Ladies College.
Unsurprisingly, Charlotte Fox was the school singles champion with Georgia Thatcher as runner-up and the Plate competition winner was Sophie Richards and runner–up Emily Weaver.
T.D.M.
The shortened term, various Bank Holidays and other activities have somewhat disrupted Athletics Club training this term. Nonetheless participants have acquitted themselves well at District level again this year. Many were District Champions, and as such, qualified for the County Championships, along with others who placed second in their respective events. In all over twenty pupils were selected to represent the Worcester City team at the County Championships.
County Champions
Helen Jubb Junior Girls
Alice Wright Inter Girls
Elise Bue Inter Girls
Alex Bradnick Senior Boys
Sports Days
Congratulations to Creighton House who won the Removes Event and Choir who took the senior title this year.
Best all-round athletes
Fifth Form Victor Ludorum David Serafini
Senior Victrix Ludorum Lorna Phillips / Alice Wright
Senior Victor Ludorum Alex Bradnick / Joe Grisdale
Lower Remove Victor Ludorum Ryan Kerley
Lower Remove Victrix Ludorum Sian Thompson / Lulu Smith
Upper Remove Victor Ludorum Martin Bowles
Upper Remove Victrix Ludorum Florence Hershman
New Records
Alice Wright set a new Intermediate Girls 1500m record at sports day4min 48s
Alice has had a very busy and successful year. She was crowned McCain Cross Challenge women’s under 17s champion after wins in Liverpool and Cardiff and a second in Birmingham. She also took silver in the English Schools’ Cross-Country Championships and in the 3000m at the Home Internationals.
She made a winning international debut for England at the International Juan Muguerza under 20 women’s race in Spain. Despite being the youngest competitor in the race, which included the national teams of France and Belgium as well as many Spanish and other international runners, she won the race.
She also finished second in a field of thirty two international Girls’ 4,500 metres race at the Schools and Home Countries Cross Country International in Northern Ireland.
English Schools Championships
Alice Wright finished second in the Intermediate Girls 3000m
Alex Bradnick finished fifth in the Senior Boys 200m and he also broke the school record, which has stood for 41years!
Fourth Form Athletics
County Champions
Jacob Ham Minor Boys Javelin (throwing a County Record)
Helen Jubb Junior Girls 1500m
Harriet Duffy Minor Girls Javelin
Jacob Blasdale Minor Boys 800m
Helen Jubb Minor/Junior Girls 1500m
Sports Day
Congratulations to Lower 4B and Upper 4D, who won their respective Sports Day Competitions.
Upper Fourth Victrix Ludorum Helen Jubb / Harriet Duffy
New Records
Upper Fourth Boys Jacob Ham Javelin 40.25m
KSW BOAT CLUB
Captain of Boats: Oliver Scholes
A winter of freezing river conditions, which saw ice sheets the size of landing stages and cancelled head races by the dozen, ushered in a new chapter in the history of rowing at King’s. There was none of the usual flooding, which allowed us to make the most of the early weeks of the new year, but the old boathouse was on borrowed time. When it was time to finally call it a day on the old boathouse, people soon seemed to kick into gear; the transition from boathouse to Boat Yard was one comparable to that of rats fleeing a sinking ship, or at least a damp and dreary ship. The only casualty of the move seemed to be Tom’s mobile phone which came to a crushing end beneath a ton of shelving units. Much of the old boathouse was transplanted to the temporary site, whether in its previous form or not. The old mid-boathouse blade racks were flipped to make oar racks and along with the help of Ed Hardy a new “Blade Storage Management System” (BSMS) was engineered to allow for hundreds of sculling blades in the same amount of space it would take to fit around twenty Lower Remove children. The younger years would frequently be seen entering the container and before leaving with a sheepish facial expression, the odd bang could be heard as they re-arranged the BSMS. Ultimately the new Boat Yard allowed for a far larger footprint for boat storage than has possibly ever been seen at King’s. Saying that, the younger years seemed to have little trouble in making their own alterations to the racing fleet, the addition of speed stripes from passing trees and hydro-dynamic hull modifications seemed as popular as ever.
As if in the blink of an eye the winter had passed and it was Spring. One boathouse destroyed and over a hundred children transporting boats from a Boat Yard over fifty metres away from the river seemed almost
routine after only a few weeks. During a brief moment of calm it was an opportunity for reflection on the past winter’s racing. Fifth Form student Wil Taylor was able to produce the best result of the winter months, with a win at Wallingford Sculling Head. He went on to record a second place at Worcester Head by a narrow margin, after crashing into a narrow boat. Thankfully the WJ17 double and WJ16 quad were able to perform to their usual high standards and bring home the silverware.
The National Sculling Head saw most of the junior members of the club travel to Dorney Lake, the 2012 Olympic Rowing venue. Some exciting racing took place for all competitors, with our Lower Remove girls getting our most outstanding result of the day, gaining tenth place in the coxed quad sculls event. The National Schools’ Head, in London on the River Thames, was held in uncharacteristically mild and calm conditions. The Fifth Form Girls Four performed very well and the Boys’ First Quad was outstanding in recording eighth place.
The gap between long distance “Head” season and regatta season was bridged with the annual Easter rowing camps at Shrewsbury School. The chance to get up to five sessions a day didn’t go by without being seized upon by the coaches. The facilities of the school were put to great use with not only rowing on the water, but ergometer work and use of the rowing tank. The evenings allowed for extra sporting pursuits with swimming, weights and indoor football. The junior camp provided a terrific opportunity for the young athletes to spend some valuable time in single sculls and indeed out of single sculls in the River Severn and the evenings provided opportunities for the social aspects of the Boat Club to flourish. The Lower Remove boys managed to provide plenty of entertainment on the last evening, putting on a show with some alternative evening attire!
The Shrewsbury Regatta was a supreme opportunity for athletes to show how they had built upon the solid base of winter training and how they had improved over Easter. Ten magnificent wins for King’s over the course of the day, provided great excitement for the large following we had on the bank. It was the J16 boys double who won the J16 and J17 event and also the senior girls, who won all of their events, who gained the highest praise.
At the National Schools’ Regatta the club achieved four top ten results. The Lower Remove girls’ quad came tenth. The Fifth Form girls’ double of Emily Holland and Hilary Brown came seventh. Wil Taylor came seventh in his J16 single, as did the senior girls coxed four. The closest King’s crew to the gold medal time was that of the Fifth Form girls’ four, who were up against a very strong field as they came eleventh. The annual dinner and presentation evening, held again at the Worcestershire County Ground, was a magnificent night celebrating the sport of rowing at King’s. We had the opportunity to say farewell to Lauren Lawson, who has been a fantastic supporter of the KSWBC, since her years rowing for the School. Her involvement in all aspects will be missed and we look forward to seeing her again soon. As we look to the future it is with great anticipation as the Michael Baker Boathouse will be an incredible addition to the rowing programme and will serve many more thousands of students who enjoy the opportunity and challenge of rowing at King’s.
Tom Harris
Creative & Performing Arts
ART
During the Autumn half term, the Art Department took the bold step of taking all seventy-two of its Fifth Form GCSE pupils to St. Ives together. This potentially barmy idea was made possible by a new hotel which was able to cater for large groups and which boasted sizeable function rooms, sea views and extensive grounds in which to let off steam. The week was a triumph with pupils visiting a vibrant Peter Lanyon exhibition at Tate St. Ives and a plethora of smaller galleries. Visits to artists’ studios were enjoyed and many insights gained through practical workshops with leading artists. Pupils demonstrated how much they had benefitted through the creation of ambitious work on return to school.
During February half term, RSG and JRH organised a residential gallery visiting trip to London for Sixth Form students. Visits included Tate Britain, Tate Modern, the National Gallery, Somerset House, the Royal Academy and the Saatchi Gallery, as well as Cork Street and various museums. The students worked in their gallery visiting sketch books, debated the merits of each exhibition and very much enjoyed the variety and business of the London art scene. It was an action-packed trip which made very good use of the time available.
The Art School hosted three professional exhibitions by visiting artists in the Sir Terry Frost Gallery. Artist Ione Parkin RWA, explored creation, infinity and space through her painting and printmaking during the autumn term. This was a fitting choice since ‘Science Alive!’ week ran concurrently with the exhibition. The exhibition was accompanied by a series of evening printmaking workshops for Sixth Formers led by Ione. A story teller also made use of the exhibition; its theme providing a catalyst for discussion and performance with the Lower Remove pupils.
Art staff members RSG and CH entered paintings and sculpture to the ‘Way of all Flesh’ exhibition, mounted in the Spring term. The exhibition also contained large photo-realistic oil paintings of nudes by our former artist-in-residence, Esther Nightingale. Esther followed her residency at King’s by working in the education team at the IKON Gallery in Birmingham and is now enjoying combining motherhood with painting.
The final exhibition, mounted during the early part of the Summer term, was by Herefordshire artist Peter Horrocks. His work is characterised by a concern for abstraction, carefully-constructed structures and a sensual handling of forms. Those pupils who were preparing for their GCSE exam found this a particularly inspiring and useful exhibition, which steered them down new paths. We are grateful to all the artists for sharing their work and for generating much inspiration and interest amongst pupils and visitors of all ages.
We were pleased to continue Key Skills sessions in which our Upper Sixth Form students worked in the Art School with Year 1 and 2 pupils from Stanley Road Primary School. The visitors enjoyed our facilities and the Sixth Formers the social interaction with some wonderfully engaging youngsters from a wide cultural background.
Life Drawing on Monday evenings was led by RSG. His expertise enabled a group of dedicated, but initially terrified Sixth Form students and adults, to gain skills and confidence. The studios were open four evenings a week for examination pupils and CRH ran a popular Art Club for Fourth Formers. There is always a buzz in the Art School and it is usually full of young people engaged in vibrant, creative work into the early evening.
The year culminated with our GCSE, AS and A2 Assessment Exhibitions mounted throughout the Art School. The A Level Exhibition was one of our most interesting yet, with work in video and installation as well as painting, drawing, textiles, sculpture and critical and contextual studies. The exhibition was warmly received; students exhibiting ambitious and highly individual work of great variety.
E.R.H.
D ESIGN AND T ECHNOLOGY
The Design and Technology Department has seen its students make some impressive journeys this year. As always, the pressure is to complete coursework tasks or Controlled Assessment (as it is now known at GCSE level) in time to allow for good preparation for the exams in the summer. Coursework is often the focus of those following Design and Technology courses in the Fifth and Sixth form and it is what parents (and many others) often consider makes up the bulk of the subject. This is not the case. Theory is an important aspect of the course and leads to an exam at the end of each year worth 40% of the final grade; only one third of the remaining 60% is awarded for manufacture. Moreover, the content of the theory work is regularly, to the casual observer, understood as being closely related to the old woodwork/metalwork courses of 2twenty five years ago. This is most certainly not the case. Of course designers need to know all about materials (including new and smart materials and composites) and processes (including material processing and forming techniques, manufacturing techniques for mass production, joining techniques, material removal and heat treatment) if they are to be able to design effectively. They also need to know the latest applications for ICT in industry, the uses of biotechnology in design and manufacture, advances in manufacturing systems and computer integrated manufacture and artificial intelligence. They also need the ability to recognise design in context; the effect of technological changes on society and influences of design history, be conversant with the ‘form follows function’ debate and have a clear understanding sustainability and the responsibility of the designer. It is an easy mistake to make (to consider Design and Technology to be woodwork/metalwork of today) since we frequently see the fruits of the students’ labour in the form of cleverly conceived and beautifully finished three-dimensional work and rarely get an insight into the (even more challenging) theoretical content. Whilst we want more awareness of the challenging and technical nature of the courses we run, we don’t want to miss any opportunity to champion the practical work of our students (you only have to visit the end of year DT Show to see this), so alongside are a few examples of some of this work.
We have had enjoyed a good level of success over recent years with our students’ applications for prestigious Arkwright Scholarships. This year is no exception. Patrick Mason was selected to receive a scholarship following a rigorous selection process comprising an application,
Arkwright Aptitude Paper and interview. During the interview he presented his GCSE project work (from last year) to a panel of interviewers and discussed his commitment to design, engineering and technology. Interviews were hosted across the country by universities and Interviewees participated in team activities and toured the engineering / design departments. An award ceremony was held in London (at the Institute of Engineering and Technology, Savoy Place) in October to make the presentation for his outstanding work in Design and Technology. The Arkwright trust was founded in 1990 and supports young people during their A’ Levels by awarding £250 a year to assist with the purchase of materials and books. Patrick will also carry the status of ‘Arkwright Scholar’ into university. The School’s Design and Technology department receives £200 per year for the next two years. Scholarships are supported by individuals, companies, institutions and the services. There were in the region of 800 applicants, of whom approximately 380 were interviewed with 250 awards being made.
This is by no means the only success achieved by the Department on a national scale. We entered two teams into the 4 x 4 in Schools Technology Challenge. It is an enhancement and enrichment initiative that gives young people an insight of what it takes to become an engineer. The project hopes to raise awareness, interest, enjoyment and enthusiasm in science, technology, engineering and maths through a practical ‘hands on’ experience. Team members work together to design and build a radio controlled 4-wheel-drive (4x4) vehicle to set specifications, that can successfully negotiate a specially designed test track that emulates that of real life and what a full scale 4x4 vehicle can do. Under the care and direction of EIL and with an awful lot of time and effort, two teams entered the regional competition before going on to bigger and better things. I hope you have a chance to read his report but I will take this opportunity to congratulate the teams and thank him for his effort and energy to help them with their success.
A Level Design and Technology project work
C.W.S.W.
DANCE SHOWCASE
Once again the Dance Showcase was a tremendous success, with over 90 pupils and twenty staff participating.
The evening was a chance for pupils to show off their talents and give a glimpse of what goes on during the year in both clubs and class work. All years were represented, from Lower Fourth to Upper Sixth. Unfortunately Peter Raybone, one of our Senior Dancers, was unable to perform due to an injury sustained in the dress rehearsal. But TDM and Martha Hershman tried to fill the void with an impromptu comedy piece; we think it worked!
The Senior Company performed two superb pieces; one choreographed by Martha Hershman, based on the film, ‘Gladiator’. Martha has been a superb senior dancer this year and we wish her well as she goes on to study Dance in London. There were many wonderful moments and many diverse pieces, from Street dance to Irish dance and both group and solo pieces, which were slick and professional.
We have a strong nucleus of very talented dancers in both the Senior Company and lower down the school and we hope to see them perform more adventurous pieces in the future, and make the most of developing their own particular styles. It was great to see so many boys in the Street dance group and hopefully they will continue to dance as they progress through the school.
The final piece was the Staff dance, this year a tribute to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’. It was a great spectacle and with very imaginative costumes and make up it was very difficult to recognise the twenty strong cast, but it was obvious to see the fun they were having and the pleasure it gave the whole audience.
All in all a great night’s entertainment and around £400 went to both of our chosen Charities, The Alzheimer’s Society and The Japan Tsunami Appeal.
T.D.M.
DRAMA
The theatrical highlight of the year was the Fifth and Sixth Form’s production of the classic musical ‘Guys and Dolls’ in December. The Fourth Form Drama Club presented an ambitious large-cast stage version of ‘Oliver Twist’, followed closely by a production of the classic Victorian melodrama ‘The Murder of Maria Marten’ presented by the Removes Drama Club at the end of June.
The standard achieved in the LAMDA Speech and Drama exams just before Christmas was again very impressive and, for the fifth year running, King’s pupils achieved a high level of success in the Speech and Drama categories of the Worcester Competitive Arts Festival, held at the Royal Grammar School at the end of the Spring term. Once again many of our pupils were placed first or second in their particular class. Another group of candidates took LAMDA examinations at the very end of the academic year.
During the October half-term there was a residential drama trip to London for Sixth Form students. During a busy three days they saw four excellent London productions (‘A Number’, ‘Onassis’, ‘Educating Rita’ and ‘Legally Blonde’) and had guided tours of the National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe. At the beginning of February Fifth Form Drama students had a highly enjoyable trip to London. Staying overnight in a West End hotel, they saw ‘The Woman in Black’ and ‘Blood Brothers’, participated in a stage combat workshop as well as a workshop with a leading member of the ‘Blood Brothers’ cast at Pineapple Studios and had a tour of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, supposedly London’s most haunted theatre. Over the course of the year there were also trips to see ‘Journey’s End’ at Malvern Theatres and to Bristol to see the Old Vic Theatre School’s productions of ‘Bouncers and Shakers’
S.M.A.
Speech and Drama
Examination results this year were outstanding with the highest proportion of distinctions being awarded to a most hardworking and deserving team. Congratulations go out to Rob Cowburn, Josh Wickens, and Russell Whitehouse who have successfully reached the end of their LAMDA journey by obtaining their prestigious Gold Medal Awards. King’s students were extremely impressive at the Worcester Competitive Arts Festival in March, winning every Drama section entered and Rob Cowburn was awarded the overall Festival prize. Many of our students were invited back to perform at the Winners’ Concert. This year we are offering musical theatre as well as acting examinations, both of which are accredited. This means that the achievement of a Pass or above would make a valuable contribution to UCAS points.
We said goodbye at Christmas to one of our dedicated Speech and Drama teachers, Robert Huguenin, and we wish him well for the future.
Leanne Stephens
Noyes Fludde
Early in the Autumn term the music, dance, drama and art departments worked collaboratively to create and stage two performances of Benjamin Britten’s opera, ‘Noyes Fludde’ in College Hall.
‘Noye’s Fludde’, based on a fifteenth century mystery play from the Chester Mystery Cycle, tells the well-known biblical story of Noah and his ark of animals. The work is Benjamin Britten’s most extended and elaborate work for children and its genius lies in the pairing of professional and amateur musicians. Britten was able to tailor his writing to take account of the abilities of less accomplished players and singers, but without any sense of compromise or writing down. Most of the main vocal parts are written for children, the exception being Noah himself, Noah’s wife and the Voice of God. A chorus of children play the animals which board the ark, their entry being heralded by bugles and a triumphant marching cry of Kyrie. The orchestra calls for both amateur and professional musicians, who play alongside each other. The percussion section includes home-made effects such as slung mugs, on which the dripping of water is tapped out. Even the audience is involved, joining in the singing of three hymns.
The idea of performing ‘Noye’s Fludde’ at King’s had been ‘cooking’ for some time. Perhaps this is not surprising since a performance is a huge undertaking, requiring the marshalling of large forces and the rehearsing of many different groups. The chorus of singing animals included all 134 members of the Upper Fourth. They sported handmade headdresses and streamed through College Hall in pairs, onto the stage and into the ark. The various members of Noah’s family were most ably played by senior school musicians, Will, Fry, Maddy Shaw Roberts, Greg Bunker, Charlotte Collins, Dominic Lee and Katie Baum. The superb trio of excitable gossips was very convincing. The parts of Mr and Mrs Noah were taken by professional musicians, William Coleman and Claire Prewer-Jenkins who worked with the children with both patience and admirable skill. This proved an inspiration to the young musicians. The voice of God was, fittingly, performed by the Headmaster.
Traditionally set in distant biblical lands, our performance took a more modern stance. Inspired by the film -maker and artist Derek Jarman, the production was set amongst the shingle wilderness of Dungeness on the Kent coast, with the nuclear power station as an omnipresent background. Jarman, during the latter part of his life, famously lived in a black wooden shack set amid the shingle. Here he created works of art and a now famous garden which flourished in this most inhospitable and unpromising of landscapes. Jarman’s garden is, perhaps, an analogy for hope and regeneration and seemed an appropriate place to set the story of the ark. The set was brilliantly devised and made by Chris Crosswell; DEB musical director, AJMM director and ERH producer. Jonathan Nicholls OV did an excellent job with sound and lighting. Perhaps the biggest thank you must go the members of the Upper Fourth, however, who learnt some tricky words and music and who (eventually) learnt to keep quiet in the ark. Quite a challenge!
E.R.H.
Directed by Sarah and Stephan Le Marchand, this year’s major production was the ever-popular Broadway classic, set in colourful 1950s New York, was performed to full houses in December. Designed by Chris Crosswell, with Musical Director David Brookshaw and choreography by Paul Jones, this show featured great ensemble and solo performances, with Charli Wilson playing the role of Miss Adelaide, the long-suffering financee of gambler Nathan Detroit, portrayed by Peter Raybone.
The other principal cast members are listed below, supported by a chorus of 35, and accompanied by a band, expertly led by DEB.
Nicely-Nicely Johnson
Benny Southstreet
Rusty Charlie
Sam Greenwood
Mike Hedges
Dom Lee
Sarah Brown Maddy Shaw Roberts
Arvide Abernathy
General Cartwright
Harry The Horse
Lieutenant Brannigan
Sky Masterson
Joey Biltmore
Big Jule
Alex Hirons
Lucy Robinson
Will James
Charlie Silk
Robert Cowburn
Elliot Duffy
David Haddock
The Murder of Maria Marten or The Red Barn
This year the Removes’ Drama Club once again presented a full length play. The Red Barn Murder was a notorious murder committed in Polstead, Suffolk, in 1827. A young woman, Maria Marten, was shot dead by her lover, William Corder. The story provoked numerous articles in the newspapers, and songs and plays which remained popular throughout the next century and continue to be performed today. This version of the play with simple songs and atmospheric musical underscoring for piano accompaniment is by local playwright Brian J. Burton and has been performed all over the world.
The idea of doing ‘Maria Marten’ as a production sprang from the work done in Drama in the Upper Fourth year which begins with a Melodrama module. The style requires a distinctive and very theatrical form of overplaying which some of the cast took a while to get to grips with. Melodrama can and should be quite gripping, even frightening. It is certainly highly atmospheric if played properly, and yet the “over-the-top” style, apparently readily accepted by Victorian theatregoers, and which has to be played very earnestly, is usually hilarious to modern audiences. The central roles of Maria Marten herself and of the villain William Corder were played very effectively and competently by Felicity Holehouse and Connor Haines. Felicity sang and acted with great charm and won
the audience’s sympathy totally, whilst Connor relished playing this evil character with great confidence and had the audience booing and hissing him with great enthusiasm. Ben Reeley and Abigail Lister were outstanding in the two comedy roles of simpleton Tim Bobbin and the love of his life, Anne Marten, Maria’s younger sister. Both Ben and Abi proved themselves to be natural comedians and worked very well together in their comic songs and routines. More strong performances came from the rest of the cast, which included Cameron Walker, Richard Fullerton, Kerstin Smith Cooper, Jenny Bayliss, Caitlin Powell and Katie Share (whose roles included that of a tree!) A special mention should go to Ben Topham-Taylor, Elliot Hudson and Nick Jones who were hilarious as the three grief-stricken gypsy women, spitting in unison as they called for revenge on Corder for the murder of their leader Nell Hatfield (Caitlin Powell).
Finally, thanks must go to DEB for his support throughout rehearsals, teaching and directing the singing, and for being our pianist for the two performances; and as always to Chris Crosswell for taking charge of the design and production elements, ably assisted by his excellent technical crew in the guise of Emma Claridge, Veronica Hayes, Freddie Watts, Luke Stevens and Axel Taylor. Thanks lastly to Jack Furber for the dramatic drumming that accompanied Corder’s hanging at the end of the play.
S.M.A.
Oliver Twist
Performing a play from a novel - and particularly a nineteenth century novelis fraught with difficulty, but the Fourth Form Drama Club’s talent and pace turned the show into an on-stage thrilling page-turner. Based on Charles Dickens’ 1838 novel, ‘Oliver Twist’ which has been adapted and re-adapted almost too many times to count, this production vividly brought to life the story of a homeless orphan without control over his own fate. It addressed issues of hunger, neglect, abuse, and loneliness, all through the eyes of a young boy.
With a cast of seventy immensely talented actors and rehearsals beginning in a snowy January for our performance in June it was certainly hard work, but was more than worth it. The play was dark, full of melodrama, laced with menace and ended with the murder of Nancy and the death of Bill Sykes. At times it was also laugh-out-loud comedy, but the compelling Oli Wilde as Fagin drew the audience into his descent from greed and villainy into madness. The immeasurably talented Beth Allen, as Nancy, skilfully portrayed the innate cunning and guile necessary of a thief in Victorian London. She made Nancy both wild and vulnerable in a vivid performance that will long endure in the memories of those that saw it. Alex Stevens was simply outstanding as the psychotic Bill Sikes; his cruelty was shockingly believable and struck fear into the hearts of Fagin and the orphans - the audience was completely convinced.
From the workhouse, to the abusive Sowerberrys (Reece Kerly, Rosie Cant and Meg Baxter), to Fagin’s band of thieves, and finally to the safe haven of Mr. Brownlow (Ben Foster) it was Hayden Lewis (Oliver Twist) that carried the piece, remaining true to the persona of his fragile character with an innocence that touched the hearts of the audience deeply. Stellar performances from the immensely charismatic Marcus Letori as the charming Artful Dodger (who stole the spotlight numerous times) and his faithful side kick Charley Bates (Harry Guy) kept the tempo and tension high throughout. Stand-out cameo roles from Angus Guthrie (the magistrate) and John Ireland (Noah) held the audience with their forceful performances. The chorus was a captivating and highly entertaining group of professional pick-pockets and scheming street urchins who filled the stage (and the wings!) with Tim Partington memorably playing Ruth Furber’s long suffering henpecked husband to perfection.
The lighting and set transported the players and the audience straight into the mean dirty dangerous back streets of old London town perfectly. In addition to creating the moody city, the blackouts and dimming facilitated seamlessly smooth scene changes by the faultless backstage crew - all consummately managed by Axel Taylor. Chris Crosswell’s astonishing staging, complete with trapdoors and secret exits was, as ever, breathtaking - London Bridge was particularly memorable. Most think of ‘Oliver Twist – the musical’, but our version remained true to the gritty novel. It was a bravura performance from a cast of young actors of considerable ability who transported the audience to a place of breathless drama. They left them gasping as the tension crackled – and even elicited shrieks throughout the theatre at the highest moments of anxiety.
The audience ached for more having seen this classic tale of hope and I would encourage these youngsters to return to the stage in the future.
L.L.G.
MUSIC
A packed musical year began impressively with staged performances of Britten’s ‘Noyes Fludde’ in College Hall just three weeks after the return to school. (See review on page 38).
It was a great pleasure to welcome back Jonathan Kingston, Director of Music at Bromsgrove School to adjudicate the 2010 House Music Competition. Winner of the Junior Solo Competition was Luiz de Campos, playing the first movement of Reizenstein’s First Oboe Sonata. Rebecca Linfoot gave a mesmerising performance of Avenue Q’s ‘Special’ to win the Senior Solo Competition. Making a return to the winner’s podium after a gap of several years was Chappel House with their great performance of ‘Have a Nice Day’. All these and some of the other highly ranked performances were much enjoyed in the ensuing Winners’ Concert.
The Autumn School Concert provided a first opportunity for the school’s major ensembles to perform. Second Orchestra opened the concert with a March from Mozart’s Magic Flute. Opposite ends of the musical spectrum were provided by Vanessa Gunter’s Brass Group and Wind Band; the crisp performances of Susato renaissance dances were balanced by the tightly controlled and sparkling film classics, ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Chicken Run’. Holst’s atmospheric ‘Brook Green Suite’ was given a beautiful performance by Chamber Orchestra while First Orchestra thrilled with Rimsky-Korsakov’s ‘Dance of the Tumblers’ and Rossini’s ‘Thieving Magpie Overture’. The concert ended with a large and assured School Choir singing modern classics by Tippett, Mancini, Kander and Porter.
In February GMG organized and directed the annual Orchestral Workshop for young musicians from King’s St Alban’s, King’s Hawford and King’s Worcester. Soloists Ed Dorsett, Henry James, Ellie Weaver, Helena Gunter and Alastair Smith joined the Workshop’s Wind Band, String Orchestra and Orchestra for the evening concert enjoyed by a most receptive audience in the theatre.
The annual concert at St. Clement’s Church, Worcester, held shortly before the February half-term, provided the perfect opportunity to preview music for the Nice Concert Tour. Highlights included Katie Baum’s effortless solos in Richard Marlow’s ‘Advent Responsary’, Dominic Lee and Edoardo Toso’s impassioned ‘Pearlfishers Duet’, Mozart’s ‘Missa Brevis’, ‘K 194’ and Chamber Orchestra’s performance of a Suite by William Boyce.
During the February half term a group of forty six pupils and six staff undertook a concert tour on the Côte d’Azur. After many tours using air travel we decided to return to coach travel with its door-to-door facility and freedom from airport instrument check-in. These benefits were perhaps outweighed by our arriving at Nice’s Notre Dame Basilica, after a twenty seven hour journey, just in time to give our first concert in our travelling clothes! In spite of this the tour was a tremendous success, both musically and socially. The next day we were very warmly welcomed by the members of the Anglican Church in Nice where we sang Mozart’s D major ‘Missa Brevis’ at their Eucharist, which was followed by a concert for the congregation. We gave our final concert in the church St. Michel, La Turbie, a beautiful medieval church perched high above Monaco. Highlights of our sightseeing were the Picasso Museum in Antibes, the Fête du Citron in Menton and the Fragonard perfume house in Eze where one of the soap makers bore an uncanny resemblance to RCB who had supported us so splendidly at the beginning of the tour as a liaison in Nice as we raced to the first concert!
The Spring term School Concert began with lively and enjoyable performances by Second Orchestra of extracts from Handel’s ‘Water Music’. Brass Group were in fine form with Colin Asher’s arrangements of ‘Three Sea Shanties’. Memorable and stunningly played were Wind Band’s performances of the ‘Mission Impossible’ theme and Dave Brubeck’s ‘It’s About Time’. Chamber Orchestra reprised its performances of ‘Boyce’ while First Orchestra provided a sensitive accompaniment to Amy Hiles’ superb performance of Haydn’s ‘Trumpet Concerto’. This was Amy’s magnificent swansong in her Upper Sixth year; we shall miss her leadership of the school’s brass section greatly in the future. Besides giving another performance of Mozart’s D major ‘Missa Brevis’, the full School Choir and vocal soloists gave an exhilarating performance of Mac
Huff’s skillful arrangement of ‘Rodgers and Hammerstein on Broadway’; this fifteen minute showcase, ably accompanied by CJA, provided the perfect finish to what was really an amalgamation of the Spring and Summer term School Concerts.
Easter marked the end of an era with the final departure of HRT from the Music Department. It was a calculated and inspired move that saw former headmaster, Andrew Milne, appoint Robin to the newly created post of Head of Strings thirty years ago. Since that time Robin has nurtured generations of fine string players from early ages through to conservatoire entrance, founded the school’s Chamber Orchestra and instituted training and performing opportunities for young players such as the KSA’s Violin Experience and Informal Concerts along with KSW’s Young Performers’ Concerts and the Foundation’s annual Orchestral Workshop. Since his retirement from the Head of Strings post seven years ago, Robin has continued to teach violin in the King’s Schools and we wish him and his wife, Anne, every happiness in the future. Public exams were to take College Hall out of action so early in the Summer term that it proved impossible to stage the usual May School Concert. Instead VJG organized an extravaganza of a Foundation Charity Concert in Worcester Cathedral, held just two days after our return from the Easter holidays! All three King’s Schools came together to play and sing highlights from their concert performances of the previous year. The concert was a tremendous success and culminated with a massed choral performance Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. Nicola Bouckley, Deputy Director of Music at Loughborough Endowed Schools, was our excellent adjudicator for the 2011 Fourth Form Music Competition. Violinist Matthew Kelley (L4E) won the Lower Fourth Instrumental and Vocal section with a beautiful performance of Fauré’s ‘Berceuse’. In second place was Charlie Bijl (L4C) who is to be congratulated for his stamina and musicianship in his performance of the Andante from Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto. Flautist Ellen Kelly (U4B) repeated her success of last year by winning the Upper Fourth Instrumental and Vocal section with her performance of Ian Clarke’s ‘Sunstreams’. Second place was awarded to classical guitarist Sam
Brookes (U4E) for his assured playing of ‘Asturias’ by Albeniz, having only taken up the instrument during the past year! In the afternoon all Fourth Formers came to the John Moore Theatre to compete in the Form Song Competition. U4C and L4C won this section with their performances of Heather Small’s ‘Proud’ and the theme song of ‘Shrek 3’, ‘Accidentally in Love’. These and other highly placed performances were to be heard again two days later in the annual Winners’ Concert.
Audience and participant numbers for the year’s six Keys Society Concerts and five Young Performers’ Concerts were reassuringly large, all the more gratifying when one considers that all performers had made their own choice to take part. The standard of performance in the Keys Concerts was uniformly high and it was a pleasure to hear the tuba for the first time in these concerts, both in solos by Clare Jakeman and duets from Clare and John Sansome. Both of these performers were new to the school and part of a very strong and exciting contingent of new and old Lower Sixth musicians. The Christmas Keys Concert, held in the main Hall of the new Pre Prep department, was one of two that also featured performances by members of the Dada Society; this and the final Keys Concert of the year reminded us of what a wealth of talent King’s possesses in Dance and Music Theatre. After a year of sterling Upper Sixth support from, amongst others, Jonny Barnett, Lily Charters, Georgie Taylor, Sarah Conway and Sam Greenwood, it was a great shame that none of was available to perform in the final Keys Concert because of a clash with the Leavers Ball. Nevertheless this was a splendid, if rather long concert that ended with a fine performance of Parry’s ‘Blest Pair of Sirens’ from the Keys Choir.
In a very busy year musically many school musicians also took part in the December production of ‘Guys and Dolls’ and the June Removes’ production of ‘The Murder of Maria Martin’ in the John Moore Theatre. Many congratulations to Sam Harris (OV) who left us last year. In the face of strong competition Sam has won an Instrumental Music Scholarship for his bassoon playing at St. Hugh’s College, Oxford.
D.E.B.
King’s Hawford
King’s Hawford has enjoyed another very busy and exciting year that has seen further developments in Early Years, notable achievements within the classroom and on the sport fields and continued success in Art, Music and Performance. A wide range of opportunities is always available to both pupils and staff and this often leads to new challenges. Our Deputy Head, Andrew Hymer, left at the end of the Autumn Term to take up the Headship of Wolverhampton Grammar Junior School. A highly valued colleague and talented teacher, Andrew gave tirelessly of his time and contributed a great deal to the school during his nine and a half years with us. He led the English Department and as a keen cricketer played an important role in developing the boys’ skills as well as coaching rugby and football. His performances in the staff pantomime were legendary whilst the PA quiz night brought out his competitive nature! Although Andrew will be greatly missed by everyone at King’s Hawford, his sense of fair play, approachable manner and commitment to teaching will be much appreciated by his new staff at WGJS. Arnold Drenth also left at Christmas to take up a new post in South America whilst Jason Broderick returned to New Zealand in the summer to resume his teaching career there. Michael Sturrock, who completed both his GTP and NQT training with us, is now teaching at Shrewsbury High School. At the end of the school year we said goodbye to two very special ladies, Sue Roscoe and June Tune. Both had been at the school since its time as Hawford Lodge, taking French and Science respectively through to Common Entrance and contributing to the success of many pupils. Sue was also the inspiration behind International Week and most recently French Day, whilst June organised a series of very exciting Science Festivals. Sue and June enriched the lives of many children over the years; we thank them both for all their hard work and enthusiasm and wish them long and happy retirements.
In January we were very pleased to welcome Ian Percival back into Year 4 and Celia Rawnsley returned at the end of the summer term from maternity leave. Dan Peters took on the role of Deputy Head from January and we were pleased to see Anna Parkes join the teaching staff at the end of the summer term. We congratulate her family on the safe arrival of Anya and also Richard Cook and his family on the birth of Florence.
Congratulations go to all the children in Year 6 for their hard work and determination to succeed both in the classroom and beyond. This was an especially friendly and enthusiastic group who gave their all to school life. Special mention goes to Henry James and Peter Cotton who gained Music Awards to the senior school, Georgina Cupper who was awarded a Sports Scholarship to MSJ and Marcus Kartal who achieved an Art Scholarship to Bredon School.
We have continued to work closely with the senior school. This is especially important for Year 6 as it eases their transition. We are very grateful to Mr Keyes for the time he spends with the children and also to Mr Longley for arranging the Junior Schools Activity Afternoon. This year the children also benefitted from an exciting morning in the Chemistry Department whilst the Shakespeare Workshop was a chance to meet and work with the children from St. Alban’s.
Our chosen charities this year were ‘St. Richard’s Hospice’, ‘Cancer Research’, ‘Concern Universal’ and the ‘Blue Cross’, with the School Council playing a prominent role in the organisation of fund raising events. These included the sale of toffee apples on Bonfire Night, Gingerbread Men at the Christmas Fayre, a Charity Week, a disco and a home clothes day.
All in all their activities made more than £1,400. Finally, as the summer holiday drew to a close, staff attended a tea party raising a further £285 which was shared equally between St. Richard’s Hospice and the Worcestershire Breast Unit Campaign.
In addition groceries and the proceeds from the Harvest Festival Sale were donated to the Salvation Army, the Poppy Appeal raised almost £100 and over two hundred thoughtfully prepared boxes were donated to the Christmas Shoebox Appeal.
We are most fortunate at King’s Hawford to have a very supportive PA. Their programme of activities began with the ever popular Bonfire Night and culminated in the fabulous Bollywood themed Summer Ball. As well as bringing parents and pupils together for social events the PA also helps to raise money for school projects. The current appeal is for a narrow boat and £2,500 has already been raised through a canal walk. Early Years have been busy and held a Forest School Day which raised more than £420 for new equipment. Staff have also been looking at ways to enhance the children’s creativity which has helped to further develop self-motivation and confidence; both important life skills. They have established ‘Creative Areas’ where children can explore their ideas, select from a wide range of materials and make choices about the methods they use. Musical instruments are available for composing and performing whilst role play areas constantly change to provide opportunities for imaginative play. Natural resources are readily available for creative activities in Forest School and construction skills are challenged in block play areas.
The school held several special events during the year including a Christmas Fayre, Pancake Day Races and the Royal Wedding Street Party. As well as being enormous fun these occasions provided opportunities for the whole school community to come together. A range of interhouse competitions was also held and the addition of Recorder Playing and Handwriting proved very popular. Year 4 continued to celebrate reading in their annual competition, won this year by Keeley Sentance and Emma McGrory, whilst Jack Kenneally-Perrin’s fascinating debate on the Red Fox and Lucy Stratton’s informative talk on Sea Shells proved to be winning formulae in the Year 6 Presentations. Meanwhile Victoria Bartlett won the Poetry Competition.
Well known for our success on the sports field, sporting highlights during the past year included the Under 9 Girls winning the Hallfield Cross Country and the Year 4 Boys qualifying for the finals of the National Schools Rugby Competition. We also had two highly enjoyable and successful sports tours to Stoke (Year 5 Football and Netball) and York (Year 6 Hockey and Rugby). The theme of this year’s Dance Showcase was “Names” and all classes in the junior school performed to a song with a name in the title. The show ended with a staff dance to Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean. Prep Sports Day saw the introduction of the Shot Putt this year for Years 5 and 6. Athletics is going from strength to strength and an amazing eight school records were broken on the day. Finally, with the re-opening of the canal and our own pontoon junior pupils have experienced regular sessions in katakanus as a prelude to rowing later on at the senior school.
Music and Performance continues to play a central role in school life. The Junior Choir performed on recorders for the first time in this year’s Carol Service whilst the Senior Choir sang both their pieces in two-part harmony. We were also joined by the King’s School Brass Group – a real treat. We returned to a Christmas Production this year for Years 3 and 4, and their performance of ‘Aladdin’ raised the roof whilst year’s Easter production, Annie was by far our most successful yet. Both the Music and LAMDA departments scaled new heights in the Worcester Festival. In addition more children than ever were entered for ABRSM examinations and over 70% of entrants gained distinctions in their LAMDA exams. The Summer Concert was the musical finale of the year, taking the theme ‘Sounds from the Small Screen’. The superb performance of Karl Jenkins’ Palladio by the school orchestra, followed by a rousing rendition of Queen’s Somebody to Love brought another wonderful school year to a close.
L.B.
S.R. J.T.
A.H.
King’s St. Alban’s
All the children in Year Six passed the Entrance Examination into the Senior School again this year. Special congratulations are due to Bill Bishop, Emily Brewis, Daisy-Mae Ellis, Hannelore Elsden, Alice Evans and William Hodgetts who all gained academic scholarships. Imogen Gunter joined her sister Helena in achieving the rare distinction of being awarded a dual academic and music scholarship and Will Woof was awarded a music scholarship. This makes a total of thirty nine King’s St. Alban’s pupils who have gained academic or music awards at 11+ over the last five years.
We are proud of the high standard of work all the children produce consistently throughout the year. It is always satisfying to see their hard work, and all the staff’s, being rewarded in Year Six.
Staff news this year includes the maternity leave of Fleur Atkinson from Year 3 and Helen Haggarty the music teacher. They will be temporarily replaced by Liz Lewis and Lisa Kilbey respectively. Liz’s half of her job share in Year 6 was taken up by Jo Swinson-Davis. Scott Williams returned for a second year as a games teacher.
Also, three members of staff have left. After over twenty years of service, firstly as school secretary, then as the school’s technician, Anne Thurlby has retired. Anne’s calm efficiency, sense of perspective and sense of humour will be keenly missed by all those who came in contact with her. Her artistic talent was evident in the countless programmes for concerts and plays which she produced and her I.T. prowess was second to none.
Val Martin worked at King’s St. Alban’s for twenty four years as a learning support teacher with particular skills in working with the academically able children who gain entry to the school, but who require some form of support. Val’s accurate assessments and unerring skill in getting children to relax in her lessons and achieve their best, characterised her work. As a staff we will miss her quiet, dry humour and thoughtfulness, but wish her a very happy retirement.
Bill Toleman left to take up the headship at Yarm Preparatory School in Yorkshire. Bill’s boundless energy, dedication to the children in his care and his genuine warmth were felt by children, staff and parents alike. His talents ranged from coaching rugby and cricket teams, to nursing children with all range of ailments; he was once even found assisting in an art lesson, furiously ironing textiles. He will be sorely missed by us all; our loss is Yarm’s gain.
Bill has been replaced as Deputy Head by Rachel Duke. Rachel has been at King’s since 2003 and has taught at both King’s Hawford and King’s St. Alban’s. This insight into the Foundation coupled with her enthusiasm, integrity and sound judgement will serve her well in her new position.
The still relatively new Pre-Prep is thriving at King’s St. Alban’s. The Royal Wedding tea party was a huge success and the enthusiasm of the youngest members of the school community at their sports day was contagious. The Pre-Prep garden is now providing vegetables on a regular basis which the kitchen staff are incorporating into the lunches. The outdoor area’s newest development is a series of living willow structures built to enhance further the children’s opportunities for imaginative play. Having younger children in school has really captured the imagination of the older pupils in the Junior School and there has been a clamour at every opportunity to interact with Pre-Prep pupils through help at assemblies, in games lessons and at sports day. The highlight of the sporting calendar this year was the qualification of the Under 11 Netball team for the National Finals held at Roedean School
in Brighton. Accompanied by Mrs Hind, Mrs Wilson and Mr Toleman, the netball squad headed down on a Friday afternoon for a series of games throughout the day on the Saturday. The girls had a slow start, but finished strongly winning their last two games comfortably and ended up finishing seventh out of nine in their group. The whole weekend was a terrific experience for the girls, staff and supporting parents. Feedback from the children on the highlights, aside from the Netball, suggested the cooked breakfast, fish and chips on the beach and paddling in the icy March sea.
The other major change in an already very busy and varied sporting calendar was the introduction of a sports tour, this time to London. Children from Year 5 along with Mrs Jackson, Miss Hadfield, Mr Fry and Mr Williams spent a weekend enjoying Football and Netball fixtures against strong opposition and sightseeing in the capital, rounded off by an unscheduled visit to Downing Street.
From an individual point of view, the highlights came from Hannah Stock winning the Crowle Cross Country Under 16 event as a ten year old and Amelia Kite representing Worcestershire Under 10 girls in cricket. Informal concerts were organised by Lisa Kilbey, Vanessa Gunter and Graham Gunter on Friday afternoons in the chapel and as usual provided that invaluable first time in front of an audience experience. This year 5T performed Pass Time with Good Company with all class members contributing on an eclectic range of instruments.
In the Spring term the whole of the Junior School extended their musical experience by performing with the children in King’s Hawford’s orchestra, the Senior School choir, orchestra and brass group in the Cathedral for the inaugural Foundation Charity Concert. In total there were over three hundred pupils involved. This was a magnificent opportunity for the King’s St. Alban’s pupils to sing and play with more experienced musicians and produce truly impressive repertoire including work by Rogers and Hammerstein and Haydn. This was appreciated by an audience of more than four hundred, including a full turn out of King’s St. Alban’s staff, and raised over £1000 for Youth Music.
Success at the Worcester Competitive Arts Festival continued, with Hannah Stock, George Foster-Morison and Jacob Newby all winning individual awards and the Flute Choir winning their category once again. Charitable fundraising continues to be a main focus for the school community at King’s St. Alban’s and we are immensely proud of the imagination and effort that enables the children to contribute so significantly to so many worthy charities.
The total raised during the school year was over £10,000, including £515 at Sports Day for ‘Riding for the Disabled’ and £500 at the Leavers’ Rounders evening for ‘Concern Universal’. In addition to the money raised, 3D provided ten kits for villages in Africa to be able to access their own clean water. This was done through sacrificing their Christmas present from Mrs Duke!
The Readathon this year raised a staggering £2,980, which brings the grand total over the last four years to over £10,000. This money goes to ‘CLIC Sargent’ which supports young people with cancer and ‘The Roald Dahl Foundation’ which offers practical assistance to children and young people with neurological and haematological problems.
The charity walk on the May Bank Holiday enjoyed fabulous sunshine interrupted only by the irrigation system of former Parents’ Committee chairman and local farmer Stephen Watkins, which provided a welcome opportunity to cool down in the unseasonably warm weather! The charities chosen by King’s St. Alban’s were the ‘Scott Rennie Foundation’ and ‘CRY’. Scott was a former pupil of King’s and an Olympic rowing hopeful for 2012 who died suddenly in 2009. He suffered from an undiagnosed heart condition and collapsed while training with Molesey Boat Club. CRY raises awareness and researches into Young Sudden Cardiac Death (YSCD). The charity also provides screening and counselling services. With unprecedented generosity, the King’s St. Alban’s community raised £4,000.
W.T. / R.D.
W.T.
Old Vigornians
OV EVENTS
108th Annual OV Reunion Weekend - 23rd to 25th September 2011
This year’s OV Golf Day, organised by Russ Mason (Hon OV), saw more than 40 players take part in what was once again a tremendous day’s golf. Played in glorious weather at Upper Sapey GC, the team event was won by the team of Russ Mason, Andrew Longley, Ian Smith and Andy Townsend. The individual trophy went to Gabriel Moores (Cl 87-95) with a score of 39 points.
OVs and guests met in the Dining Hall on Saturday for lunch, with the company of several retired members of staff, including Donald Anderton. Many year groups were represented, some celebrating their first reunion in many years, and all taking the opportunity to renew old friendships. Archive displays prompted memories and discussion. Tours of the school offered OVs young and old the chance to see all that had changed since their last visit, and the improvements in progress. The structure of the new Michael Baker Boathouse could be seen emerging from the scaffolding, with the promise of a secure and state-of-the-art facility for rowing activities, and much more, in the years to come. Lunch ended with Tim Keyes inviting all those OVs celebrating70th or 80th birthdays this year to step forward and witness the slicing (by John Eaton (H 43-46) of the cake specially made and bearing the School’s Coat of Arms.
An OV Netball team played against the school First Netball squad. The younger, fitter and well-practiced opponents were too much for the former district champions to conquer and the final score was 17-42.
The OV Club AGM took place in the Chappel Memorial Room, chaired by President Phil Mackie, who started the meeting with a few moments of silence as the names of 22 deceased OVs were read out. Fifteen members were present, with one apology for absence. The Minutes of the 2010 AGM, circulated to all present, were accepted with no Matters Arising. John Potter gave the Hon Treasurer’s report for the year, highlighting the cost of the Vigornian, and a one-off purchase of tables for the Reunion Dinner. Reserve funds had increased by nearly £7,000; the annual review of the subscription had shown there was no need for an increase. Phil Mackie was re-elected as President. James Bader (O 8494) was elected to the Committee. Lou Wadley (Cr 53-61) was elected to be Vice-President. A discussion took place regarding a change in Club Rules, which will be brought to the next AGM, which will be held in May 2012. Hugh Scurfield told the meeting he would be stepping down as Chairman of the Development Trust soon, and was pleased to report nearly £7,000,000 had been raised during the last ten years; he thanked the Club for its support. The meeting ended with the OV Club Charity Draw being made; the winner was Geoffrey Watkins (Ch 52-59). College Hall was the setting for the Dinner, at which Peter Siviter (S 01-08) provided jazz entertainment. MC Marc Roberts introduced the President, who welcomed OVs and guests. The Rt Revd Alistair Magowan (OV) to call upon a group of former Choristers to sing Grace. Guests of the President were Hugh Carslake (Chairman of the Board of Governors) and Mrs Helen Carslake, David Leatherdale (CEO of Worcestershire CCC) and Mrs Vanessa Leatherdale, the Rt Revd Alistair Magowan, OV (Bishop of Ludlow) and Mrs Louise Magowan, and representing the School, Joe Fowles and Jean Gibson. After the meal, Tim Keyes replied to the Toast to the School with much to report: results at GCSE and A Level had been excellent - proof of the School’s academic strength; the range of extracurricular opportunities, and the Bursary Fund, supported by generous gifts from OVs. The formal part of the evening drew to a close with Neville Bulman (Cl 44-51) signing the Chappel Award book, recognising him as the most senior OV present.
Many OVs and their guests joined the regular congregation for the Sunday Eucharist at the Cathedral. The New Testament Reading was given by Roy Padden, standing in for President, Phil Mackie. The Service was led by Peter Atkinson, Dean of Worcester and the preacher was the Bishop of Ludlow, Alistair Magowan, OV. After the Service, Alistair and the Dean joined others in the Common Room for drinks with the Headmaster, before another enjoyable reunion weekend drew to a close.
Mike Page (Cr 58-65), Hon Sec OV Club
London Reunion Dinner - 20th May, Inner Temple
The 11th London Reunion Dinner, was held at one of the four Inns of Court in the heart of London’s legal district. The 195 OVs – whose leaving years ranged from1950 to 2008 - and their guests mingled over drinks in the Parliament Chamber and Luncheon Room, enjoying the views over the Inn’s gardens to the Thames, before sitting down for dinner in the Hall. Our host was Sir Julian Flaux (Cl 63-72), a High Court Judge and a Master of the Bench of Inner Temple. Having been well fed and watered the OVs were addressed by the Headmaster, before Andrew Reekes (Ch 64–69) gave the vote of thanks. His reminiscences of the school in the1960s were enjoyed just as much by those with direct experience of it as by those of us of more recent vintage with memories of a very different King’s!
After dinner there was a further opportunity to mix with other OVs –whether to catch up with contemporaries and former teachers or to get to know OVs from different eras. A number of OVs, of all ages, went on to the bar of the nearby hotel where much of the contingent down from Worcester were staying.
It was both a pleasure and a privilege to enjoy the company of so many OVs at what was a fantastic venue. Thanks must go to Sir Julian for so kindly arranging the Hall and hosting the evening, to Andrew Reekes, to the Headmaster for his amusing and informative address, and above all to those at the Foundation Development Office.
James McCreath (W 94-04) Barrister, Inner Temple
Undergraduate Reunions
OV Undergraduate Reunions have taken place this year at Leeds, Newcastle and Durham. Friendships are often the most rewarding part of the whole university experience and through our university reunion programme, we encourage OVs to meet up, help Freshers settle in and give students from different years an opportunity to extend their friendships with other OVs.
“Everyone had a fantastic time and it was great to catch up with everyone” Annie Duffy (Br 01-08) Leeds University Reunion.
Contact the Foundation Development Office if you would like sponsorship of an Undergraduate Reunion at your university.
OLD VIGORNIAN CLUB COMMITTEE
President: Phil Mackie (Cl 73-84)
Chairman: Roy Padden (Cl 45-52)
Headmaster: Tim Keyes (Hon OV)
Hon Secretary: Mike Page (Cr 60-65)
Hon Treasurer: John Potter (Cl 55-62)
Hon Social Secretary: Richard Underwood (Cl 68-79)
Member Emeritus: Alec Mackie (Cl 47-56)
Hon Accounts Examiner: Rob Richards (Cr 79-84)
OV Sports Representative: Richard Wilkes (W 76-86)
Ordinary Members: James Mills (Cr 80-87)
David Rosewarne (Cl 76-83)
Suzie Gilhooly (E 90-92)
Will Kerton (O 82-92)
Danny [Hankins] Andrews (S 92-99)
Jon Marchant (O 85-92)
THE BARNABAS GROUP
The Barnabas Group was set up in 2008 by the Headmaster to recognize OVs who have excelled in their chosen profession. OVs in Banking and Investment, Law, Defence, Sport and the charity sector have returned to the school to share their experiences with current pupils.
The Barnabas speaker Autumn term 2010, as part of Science Week, was Dr William Baker (W 75-80), Head of Palm Research at the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew.
He gave an inspirational talk to pupils in College Hall about his career path from King’s to Kew via Oxford, recalling the encouragement he received at King’s from “the Bobs” (Burkill, Fleming and Allum) and offered pupils three pieces of advice:
“Firstly, follow your passions – don’t chicken out for an easy life – you risk lifelong regret if you do. Secondly, go the extra mile – there are lots of clever people out there competing for scarce opportunities – what can you do to make yourself standout? And finally, please do not squander the privilege of a King’s education – you are experiencing an education here that the majority can only dream of – it is morally inexcusable not to make the most of it – it’s as simple as that.”
He also invited pupils to think about the environment and social problems the world faces in the future asking them to consider whether they would be part of the problem or part of the solution.
The Spring Term 2011 Barnabas Speaker was Jackie [Mills] Stevenson (Co 84-86) who is one of the founding partners of a creative agency, The Brooklyn Brothers. She features in Campaign’s ‘A’ list and is a member of WACL, the UK’s top 100 women in media. She sits on The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Women in Business Committee and is working with Theresa May’s team to set up a cross-party Professional Women’s Network to encourage more senior women in business to participate in politics.
During her address to pupils in College Hall, Jackie recalled how she had assumed that school was a place to learn how to pass exams but had realised in hindsight that King’s had taught her about life. She particularly valued her History lessons with Alan Stacey (Hon OV 58-91): “I’m here not just to teach you about history” he said “I’m here to teach you to think”.
Her advice to current pupils was to be brave and be yourself; be positive and work hard to create a positive environment around you; and finally in the words of Padre Pio “pray, hope and do not worry”.
After addressing pupils in College Hall, Jackie recorded her memories of the school for the oral archive and took part in a Duke of Edinburgh Award Meeting and Key Skills lesson. She also met her former Biology teacher, Bob Allum (Hon OV 69-96).
The 9th Barnabas speaker was David Edwards (Ca 63-73) on 29th April 2011. David is the Weston Professor of Neonatal Medicine, whose aim is to reduce the number of newborn infants who grow up with problems caused by brain injury in the newborn period, and head of the Neonatal Medicine Group in the Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre at Hammersmith.
David recalled how he had a less than auspicious start at King’s. He had been the bottom of class and described himself as the worst chorister. However he had discovered an interest in reading and History which he went on to study at Oxford and then Medicine. He realised from experience how suffering as a child had a long lasting impact usually totally unobserved by adults and wanted to alleviate that suffering by improving medicine for children. He warned pupils of the severe challenges facing the world and the problems they could try to resolve if they were interested in doing so.
Later that day a boat was named in David’s honour in recognition of his being in the winning crew of the 1975 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.
The full text of these talks and archive recordings are available at ksw.org.uk via The Old Vigornian and Barnabas Group pages.
OV CRICKET CLUB
OV Cricket Club
President’s Match
The Old Vigornians unveiled some welcome improvements to the King’s School pavilion on Bank Holiday Sunday, May 29th, during the annual President’s Day match. The two surviving founding members of the club from the 1948 season, Max Nicholls and Wally Cullis officiated as a new clock, flagpole, honours boards recording the 1st XI captains since 1881 and OVCC captains, and other renovations were officially unveiled. The improvement work was paid for thanks to a legacy from Ray Godsall, a stalwart of the club in the ‘50s and ‘60s, who passed away several years ago. Around one hundred people turned up to participate in the event, including the OVs’ all-time batting and bowling record holders, Dave Mendham and Brian Brain. Sixteen current and former captains of the OV cricket club, and King’s School Worcester were present, including eight who participated in the match. One former captain, John Wadley, even flew in from Australia. Other luminaries present were stalwarts of the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies, David Cook, Brian Howarth, Mike O’Neill, Lou Wadley and John Potter. A number of former King’s school captains also made the trip, and several played in the match.
James Doorbar, Tom Wilde and Tom Cluett, members of the class of ‘11, joined in the fun.
As president I was pleased to welcome three players of my era along to the game too. Richard ‘Max’ Jones, ‘Tall’ Mike Morgan and ‘Big’ Jim Hodgson. The Headmaster, Tim Keyes and his wife Mary Anne were present, as well as Ian and Maureen Brown, the former housemaster and housemistress of Choir. Russ Mason and Pete Iddon turned out to see some of their former charges from the dim and distant past take to the field. Some of their current charges were present too - as
In a topsy-turvy season for Old Vigornians FC, the side reached the semi-final of the cup competition but finished in the bottom three of its division.
The cup defeat was particularly disappointing. The team led for most of the first half thanks to a strike from Player of the Season Julius Baghdadi (Br 95-06) - and if they’d held on it would have meant a cup final game at St George’s Lane (home of the mighty Worcester City). However two scrappy goals conceded meant OVFC crashed out 2-1.
Striker Luke Turner (Br 00-02) topped the OV scoring chartsalongside Baghdadi - whilst the evergreen Richard Wilkes (W 76-86) also chipped in with some important efforts.
Other key players over the course of the season included ‘keeper Alex Cross (Br 96-03), Tom Squire (Ch 93-03), skipper Dan Kendrick (Os 93-08), Joe O’Connor (W 00-07), Alex Hale (Cl 98-07) and James Priddey (Cl 95-06). In a first for the club - at one stage we even featured a defence made up of three brothers – Ben (Br 03-10) Tom (S 03-10) and Robbie Fardon (Os 90-00).
The side play in the Worcester League Sunday Division Three. The school kindly allows us to play our home fixtures at Slingpool Walk. Most games kick off at 10.30 on Sunday mornings and the season runs between September and May.
The match was a hard fought, 40-over-a-side affair. The OVs batted first and posted a formidable 249-9, despite four wickets from the President himself, and three for Charlie Annable. Paul Judge fell for 97, Osman Fiaz made 57 and Hiten Patel also made 50. In reply the President’s XI struggled to keep up with the required rate and lost wickets at important times. Hiten Patel caught Nick Firth for 50 and then picked up three wickets to cap an excellent all round performance. Tom Cluett and Tom Wilde bowled well at the death and although Phil O’Neill made 43 and Richard Jones scored 42, the President’s XI was all out for 213, 36 runs short.
We are always on the lookout for new players. Anybody over the age of 16 who is interested in playing should contact Tom Guest (S 90-97) on 07827 668 940 or Tim Race (Os 88-93) on 07828 145 265.
Phil Mackie
OV FOOTBALL CLUB
Julia Roberts (Hon OV) was elected to the National Board of the Women’s’ Institute in 2011. For the past 15 years she has been developing skills in archiving, working in Records Management for Worcestershire County Council. In her current position, she works alongside a team of assistants as a Senior Archives Assistant. On top of working full-time, Julia spent nine years as a housemaster’s wife (Marc Roberts) and ‘mother’ to 45 boys in School House between 1980 and 1989, before having children of her own – Naomi (Cl 93-04) and Joey (Ch 96-07)
Peter Watson (S 38-41) so enjoys any and all the news he gets from the FDO publications. So often he tells his partner “ Oh yes, I remember that” or “what a wonderful improvement since the 1940’s” When he reads of all the activities and trips the young students embark on he realises the “Power of Youth” and wishes he was 75 years younger.
Robin Wharmby (S 37-41) recently returned to Criccieth where the school was based during the war.
Geoffrey Paterson (Ca 44-46) is now fully retired from his Architectural practice that he had in Honolulu for nearly forty years. His only former Castle House friend that he is in touch with is Dr. David Frape (Ca 4446) who he visited a couple of years ago at his home in Mildenhall, Suffolk. He does plan to visit Britain again next year. Although officially retired he spends much of his time fighting the proposed overhead high capacity rail line planned for Honolulu. He also volunteers at the local library and is fortunate to still be going strong aged eighty four.
David Frape (Ca 44-47) Although he is a pathophysiologist, having carried out much of the last 15 or so years of his professional work in hospital, he was asked to be Editor of a new Journal, World Agriculture (WA) (www.world-agriculture.net) in a voluntary retirement role. WA is a peer-reviewed, completely independent, non-profit, journal, exploring scientific, economic and social evidence concerning agriculture and its interaction with forestry, climate change, population growth, migration, disease, ecology, etc. David would welcome Letters to the Editor (editor@ world-agriculture.net) making relevant points for publication.
Anthony Mitchell (S 43-47) became a great grandfather of a boy named Jacob Anthony, which makes him feel very old. He is still volunteering in the local visitors’ bureau and enjoys meeting the public.
Herbert Barrs (Cl 42-48) has had an active retirement with frequent visits to Spain. Ireland and Scotland and the USA. He has had enough flying lessons to enjoy being in control of a plane and the scenery from lower altitudes than commercial flying but now as he nears his 80th birthday he has decided that there is something to be said for “been there; done it” and is content at home.
James Clayton (Ch/Ca 41-48) has begun a new career, writing plays for children and young people to perform. He has teamed up with singer songwriter Catherine Howe who writes the music for the songs the young performers sing during the plays. James wrote features and leading articles for The Birmingham Post and later became head of public relations for the former West Midlands Regional Health Authority. For interest, visit www.claytonhowe.co.uk and www.catherinehowe.co.uk.
Richard Rayson (S 43-48) and his wife, Nina, continue to live in a tiny village just outside Witney in Oxfordshire. He takes an active part in the local branch of the University of the Third Age (U3A), running a playreading group and also an opera group. In addition, he participates in the quintessentially English sport of croquet! There’s a club five miles away, and he plays two or three times a week. It’s good for the grey matter (tactics and strategy) and also very mildly for the body, since in the course of an afternoon’s play he reckon he walks the equivalent of about two miles.
Clifford Rose (S 43-48) will be appearing in the new film about Margaret Thatcher, “The Iron Lady”, which stars Meryl Streep and Jim Broadbent, due for release in December. He has also been contributing to various one-off events to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
David R P Bushby (Ca 46-52) is now fully retired from General Practice having soldiered on until aged 76. He found this to be a most worthwhile profession until the end but would not now work in it. Reasons not divulged but quite willing to discuss over a pint. He continues to sail the seas with his new boat which is lying on the Pacific Mexican coast. He very much enjoyed meeting old school friends last year having not seen them for more than 50 years except Phillip Sheppy (known to him as “Charles”). Charles keeps him well informed and his gift of recall of past times is truly amazing. When not on the high seas he is to be found in rural Perthshire walking the hills and tending the garden while his wife plays golf. Should he not being doing either of these things he pesters politicians to start running the country properly.
Richard Griffiths (S 44-53) retired in 1996 and is living in rural Norfolk not far from the coast. He reads the OV news with great interest and a degree of nostalgia. He can get to London for ex-School House lunches but not, unfortunately, to Worcester for a whole weekend.
Derek Taylor (Cr 46-54), having passed the Law Society finals for Solicitors in Worcester, at the tender age of 22, sold his Redditch practice in 2009 at age 72. In that year he received the plaque presentation from the Birmingham & West Midlands Law Society for 50 years practice. A year later he succumbed to the requests of Karen Lumley, his local M.P. and others, and was elected a Redditch Borough Councillor, for Crabbs Cross Ward, in May 2010.
This year he was asked to take on the Portfolio for Leisure, Tourism & Sport for the Borough which he has accepted. Whilst time consuming, he thoroughly enjoys the challenges. He still keeps fit and put his ability to carry out these responsibilities to the education, regimes and disciplines at The King’s School.
Michael Claxton (Cl 48-56) returned to King’s from Tasmania, in July. He was visiting the UK for his fiftieth anniversary reunion of Liverpool Medical School. He recalled an assembly taken by Kittermaster who arrived late, perhaps having overslept, because he was wearing his slippers and was without his false teeth!
David Blundell (Ch 48-57) spent more than 30 years working in Financial Services, retiring for the first time in 1989, but returning to the workplace twice more culminating in final retirement during 1996. Thereafter he has been involved in various personal business interests and a large amount of voluntary work, for example non exec director of Cooper Clarke Plc, chairman of the United Kingdom Shareholders’ Association, currently chairman of the Bradford & Bingley Shareholders’ Action Group [BBAG] www.bbactiongroup.org and director of Sharesoc www.sharesoc.org. He and his wife Irene celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary with hundreds of other couples at Ripon Cathedral on the 12th June 2011. They have two sons, Mark, married to Sally, a senior nurse at St James University hospital, and John, married to Tina, an ordained priest in the Church of England, who works on a voluntary basis; and five grandchildren including triplets, ages ranging from eleven to twenty one years of age.
Michael Boddington (S 55-58) went on to study agriculture and agricultural economics after leaving King’s. After a period lecturing at Wye College, London University, he got involved in consultancy work, establishing Michael Boddington Associates, which he sold out to a large engineering practice called Travers Morgan, joining several of its Boards of Directors. He left in 1991 to start another organisation, Greensmiths. Working with the Cambodia Trust in 1991, on a project to try and boost rural incomes as a bulwark against the return of Pol Pot, they were asked by the Prime Minister (Hun) to help put legs on people who had had an
accident with landmines. This led to him setting up POWER International (www.powerinternational.org) to try and bring assistance to victims of landmines and other unexploded remnants of war, going first to Mozambique and Laos. In 2006, he was invited to become the Technical Advisor on Victim Assistance to a joint Lao government United Nations organisation, the Lao Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) National Regulatory Authority (www.nra.gov.la) In 2011 he was appointed Chairman of POWER International. Michael now lives in Laos with his wife Dr Xoukiet Panyanouvong who is the Lao Project Coordinator for the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking. They have created a wonderful garden with a beautiful house and visitors to Lao PDR are very welcome to stay (They are currently building a two-bedroomed house in the garden, especially for guests). Michael has been honoured with an MBE for ‘assistance to the victims of unexploded ordnance in the Lao PDR’
David Head (Cl 53-58) was encouraged last year by his son Ronan, who was teaching at Loughborough Grammar School, to reconnect with other OVs because as he said “they need your support.” The next time he was in Worcester he returned to King’s, visiting the archive in Edgar Tower, which was a very enlightening experience especially when Caroline Roslington, School Archivist, pointed to his name in a punishment book on display in one of the glass cases. A few months later he was to get a big shock when Ronan, phoned to say that he had been appointed Head of Religious Education at King’s from September 2011 - and further, that his grandson, Jacob, would be starting at Kings in September, too. He admits to not having been an academic star at King’s but does recall representing the school in the Shooting 8 at Bisley. During a long and happy career in sales management at The Wellcome Foundation, he had several occasions when recognition of his being an ex-King’s boy stood him in good stead. He now looks forward to having a greater involvement with King’s, through his son and grandson.
Sam Holden (S 50-58) is still living in Masterton, New Zealand, and keeping fit with yoga, gymnastics, discus and shot put. He had a visit from David Gregory (S 50-58) in November 2009. In September 2010 he went on an interesting Odyssey in Western Australia from Perth to Darwin (Northern Territory) - three weeks and 7000 km altogether. He plans to visit this area again in August to include some of the places he missed out on last time.
Guy Neave (H 55-60), now Professor Emeritus of Twente University, (Netherlands), is living in the Far West of the Paris Basin at St Germain-enLaye. He is currently Director of Research at the Centro de Investigaçao de Politicas de Ensino Superior, Porto, Portugal, part time, of course. 2011 will see two of his books off the press: one with Aberto Amaral on Portuguese Higher Education Policy since 1974 (Springer Verlag, Dordrecht) the other on the Evaluative State (Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke).
Christopher Allen (Cr 53-61) retired from full-time work in legal education, but has continued with some teaching at UCL where he still contributes to London University’s International Programme. In his spare time he is ‘doing what he probably should have done nearly fifty years ago’ - reading for a degree in English. He lives near London and would be glad to make contact with any contemporaries.
David Bryer (H 61-62) is currently a trustee of several charities including WWF and Home-Start Worldwide and nearer to home on the finance committee of Worcester Cathedral. Last winter he worked on a group chaired by Paddy Ashdown looking at how the British Government could better respond to the growing number of natural disasters worldwide.
Marcus Ferrar (Cr 53-63) has moved back to Oxford after 20 years in Geneva, Switzerland. He has been coordinating a successful campaign to save Oxford’s Summertown Public Library from closure. He is the author of Slovenia 1945, and has further books on recent history in Germany and Hungary in preparation. He is also a communication consultantwww.marcusferrar.org.uk.
Peter Preece (S 55-63) retired in 1999 after 30 years in the Diplomatic Service. Since then, with his wife Jennie, he has spent six months of each year in Australia. While in Sydney from 1999 to 2004 he was on the national board of Habitat for Humanity, a Christian self-help organisation which builds affordable housing in some 85 countries. He and Jennie moved to Perth,Western Australia, in 2005 to set up a new State Affiliate of Habitat. This took longer than expected but the first house in WA was completed in time for the new owners, who had invested several hundred hours of their own “sweat equity” into the house, to move in by Christmas 2010. Two more houses are to be started in Perth this year and another in the mining town of Kalgoorlie. The photo shows Peter and the Habitat for Humanity WA tool trailer, with some newly delivered tools from one of Habitat’s many sponsors in the building industry.
Michael Coley (Ch 57-64) continues to live in the rural New South Wales village of Gunning on the main highway between Sydney and Melbourne, 70 km from Canberra. Mike retired from the Australian Public Service in 1998 and now divides his time between various voluntary and semivoluntary activities and slowly restoring his mid-19th century home. He is a local government councillor, president of the local health service and runs the local arts council. Mike attended his second Worcester Reunion in 2010 and took the opportunity to visit Tony Andrews (Ch 58-64) while in Britain. His e-mail address is michael.coley@bigpond.com. His brother John Coley (Ch 60-64) is also semi-retired and lives in Perth, WA (john.coley@iinet.net.au).
Bernard Leeman (Ca 59-64) has been in Ethiopia working on an archaeological site at Ad Kaweh, Wukro near Mekele that has Sabaean inscriptions which state that 2,800 years ago there were three queens of Sheba ruing over a mixed population of Hebrew and Sabaeans/Shebans. The priests had painted the incense burner inscriptions white but Bernard got permission to clean them and gave the priests a translation of what the inscriptions said (picture). This is the earliest mention of any Biblical figure and the Hebrew themselves. It is also the alleged burial site of the last Hebrew Queen - Yodit/Gudit , a dreaded cavalry commander, died ca 970 A.D. Bernard is currently in South Korea writing a book about the Koreas. Graham Jackman (W 60-65) has retired from his work at the University of Melbourne, but is asked to go back occasionally by his Professor to take on particular projects. This state of ‘semi-retirement’ gives him the best of both worlds – an income stream and time to pursue his other interests, including travelling. Earlier this year he was briefly in the UK visiting family, and took the opportunity to meet up with some old friends, all Class of 65: Clockwise in the photo, John Horton, Tony Cook, Peter McIntosh, Elis Jones, Graham Jackman, Nora Jackman, Ali Cook, Faye Page, Mike Page, Mike Robinson.
Rob Payne (Cl 61-65) has lived and taught in New Zealand for over thirty years. He reports: ‘In preparation for retirement this year I have gone part time. All the responsibilities I have picked up over the years have been discarded - head of physics, time table supremo, teacher i/c of soccer - and heaven knows what else, are all in the past. Not that I have not enjoyed doing all these jobs over the years. I now just teach and nothing else. The most weird thing is that I have developed an interest in advanced mathematics, and using computers to solve awkward problems - at least my brain won’t go to waste. I hope to get over to the UK and meet OVs when eventually I close the classroom door for the last time.’
Stephen Cleobury (Ch 58-67) was delighted to welcome a number of OVs to King’s College, Cambridge in July where they attended a concert given by the Chapel Choir and the Philharmonia Orchestra. On the following Monday the Choir began a tour in the Far East which saw its second visits to Seoul and Beijing, and a debut in Shanghai. The Choir has just recorded Mozart’s Requiem with the Academy of Ancient Music, a performance which is due for release in 2012.
Mark Young (Ca 57-67) studied Biological Sciences and then for a PhD studying parasite populations in freshwater snails, at the University of Birmingham, after which he married Jenny, whom he met in class during his first year as an undergraduate. They moved to Aberdeen, where he took up a lectureship in the Zoology Department of the university. He then worked there for his 38 year career, taking early retirement at the end of June 2011, stepping down as Director of Teaching in the School of Biological Sciences. He worked mostly on the conservation ecology of rare moths and freshwater mussels and has been active in conservation circles in Scotland. They are staying in Aberdeenshire in retirement, not wanting to move away from the glorious mountains and coast.
Nicholas Cleobury (Ch 58-68) continues a busy conducting schedule, having recently made his debut in Hong Kong, to be followed by future visits. Following his successful tour of Verdi’s Falstaff with MidWales Opera (where he is Artistic Director) from August to November he will tour the UK with Puccini’s Madam Butterfly. In July he will make his annual conducting trip to South Africa. He is developing his conducting teaching, and, as well as working at the Royal Academy of Music, he will teach at the Music Faculty at Oxford University from next year. He is planning a major celebration of the life and work of Benjamin Britten for the composer’s centenary in 2013. As President of the Steeple Aston Cricket Club he welcomed the Lord’s Taverners (of which he is Chairman of the Music Committee) to the village for a dinner and cricket match, involving other OVs - George Dailey, Richard Gibbs (Ch 73-78) and ex-Taverner’s President Chris Tarrant (Ch 61-64) alongside Graeme Hick.
Peter Dane (Ch 64-68) has moved deeper into the depths of Dorset to Fiddleford, near Sturminster Newton, into a typical Dorset thatched cottage dating back to 1580. The property includes a separate three bedroom holiday letting unit and there are lovely walks and it is a perfect place from which to explore the delights of the Jurassic Coast, Stourhead and other National Trust properties, as well as a number of unspoilt hostelries! OVs will be given a warm welcome and a 15% discount!
Keith Robinson (S 62-68) has enjoyed reading the history of the CCF - it reminded him that he still has his old Gliding Certificate from when he was in the CCF RAF Section, which in itself brought back some memories of how he nearly crashed twice when doing his Solo runs to gain it. In the past two years he has undergone some major surgery - two operations some 15 months apart. He has, however, been able to resume his outdoor Bowling for Ashford (Middx) Bowling Club and has been given his County Badge. He took this up when he retired from Cricket and Squash - he regretted not being able to make the OV Cricket Reunion. Keith is still working for ‘H & K Fire Engineering’ based in Windsor as a Credit Control/ Admin Manager and looks after the Company’s Portsmouth, Ware and Windsor offices. The company is part of ‘UTC Fire Security of America’. Two of their current major projects are at the athletics villages of the Olympic Park and the re-vamp of Terminal 3 at Heathrow.
Andrew Reekes (Ch 64-69; Trustee) has been Acting Warden at Radley during 2010-11.
Sean Kearon (Ca 64-69) dropped out of Trinity, Dublin and met a recruiter who shared his birthday and found him a job running a Rolls Royce aero engine overall line. He then spent 30 years at IBM and was lucky enough to have ten very different lives there. He then started spending his pension as early as he could, ten years ago and now lives in Oxted, married with two daughters, one son and two grand daughters. A number of his rowing and rugby friends from Worcester meet periodically.
Martin Ward FCA (Ch 65-70) is launching a new business, Corinthian Asset Protection (Spain) Ltd, which will be a web-based information service to UK accountants, lawyers and independent financial advisers
on the subject of Spanish taxation as it affects UK tax resident (and nondom) owners of property in Spain, particularly Spanish Succession Tax. Martin would be pleased to hear from any OV involved in tax planning for clients, or indeed from any OV who owns, or inherits, a Spanish property and who would like an independent UK tax adviser to consider their Spanish tax situation. You can contact Martin at mmtw@cap-spain. com.
Nick Gascoigne (Cl 63-73) now has two grandchildren: Hannah Rose Gascoigne, born to Alex and Beccy February 2010 and Charlotte Louise Rutter, born to Isabelle and Andy April 2011.
Alistair Magowan (Cl 66-73) writes ‘It is now nearly two years since I began ministry as Bishop of Ludlow. South Shropshire and Herefordshire form some of the most rural areas of England. They also embrace an incredibly beautiful and varied landscape. It remains a thrill to be paid to drive around this area and serve its people. Having grown up on the Malverns, some of the countryside is familiar while other parts are a new acquaintance. Part of the joy of being a bishop is that you belong to the people you serve. They rightly see you as theirs. Simply by getting out and about I meet many different people and communities and am always touched by their welcome and warmth. No two weeks are the same and the variety is both interesting and stimulating. Church ser vices, confirmations, ordinations and sharing the faith from a central core. Important to my ministry is connecting faith to everyday life. In seeking to do so the list of possible duties is almost endless as people invite you to come and be among them and where appropriate bring a blessing. Visiting churches both people and buildings, opening school extensions, taking school assemblies, speaking at civic and mayoral functions, attending special concerts and the preview evening to the opening of the Ludlow Food festival provide some examples. Recently it was a great pleasure to be part of the farewell for the retiring Chief Constable of the West Mercia Police Paul West. Other highlights of the year include opening the Hereford May Fair, presiding over the High Sheriff of Shropshire’s Judges Service and being guests of the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire at a charitable function in aid of Severn Hospice. Episcopal ministry involves engagement with the communities, understanding their needs and seeking to provide a voice and influence for social justice and general wellbeing. The counties of Hereford and Shropshire while beautiful are not without their needs and challenges. The financial climate with the cuts in public sector jobs affects many in this area. Rural deprivation is often more hidden and in some instances is more severe than urban with the additional lack of easy access to a range of public services. Part of my ministry involves working with and alongside others within our diocese and in the wider community to provide a voice and necessary help. Being a bishop enables me to share in the joys, sorrows, celebrations and challenges of many people and communities. It is an enormous privilege to share in peoples’ and communities’ lives in this way. When in my early stages of ministry as a priest the person training me said ‘it’s a great life if you don’t weaken.’ That is certainly true as Bishop of Ludlow. ‘
James Ross (Ch 67-74) is now retired from Barclays and lives in Norwich where he works as a non-executive director with the NHS. His wife Sarah works for a local animal charity. His older son, Tommy, has just graduated with a geography degree from Birmingham and is shortly to start on a training programme in the car industry. James’ youngest son, Angus, has just finished his GCSEs but spends some of his spare time campaigning for the Liberal Democrats.
Graham Wallis (B 64-74) is Professor in Genetics at the University of Otago.(NZ) He writes: ‘My basic grounding in Genetics came at an early age from Fred Logan, who taught us things that we wouldn’t even try to teach university students now (e.g. crossing over in peri/paracentric inversion heterozygotes!). Fred always made us think for ourselves, taught me how to think evolutionarily, and was important in promoting my interest in the subject. My other Biology teacher was Bob Allum, who started off most lessons talking politics, but sparked my interest in Biochemistry. Bob viewed us as a bunch of Tories from privileged backgrounds, and made it his job to challenge us a bit, which was great. Jack Bridges gave me a wonderful grounding in Chemistry, which has never left me. The other teacher at Kings who had a big impact was Paul Cattermole (U4B Form master). So much more than a Maths teacher, he took us boating on the Norfolk Broads, walking on the Black Mountains, and cleaning the Worcester bell towers of one-metre stacks of bird guano, and even gave us our first ever French lesson in St Albans one day our form teacher was sick. Paul taught me how to row and sail a boat, how to get rid of a wasps’ nest, how to tell where farm buildings used to stand and the etymology of English place names. There still isn’t a week that goes by where I don’t think of his nurturing goodwill, his polymath knowledge, or just his wonderful sense of humour. I was lucky enough to email him in 2006 and get a chance to voice appreciation for all that he had done, usually in his own time. A teacher affects eternity.’ Having brought up three children in New Zealand, he is just about to move onto a lifestyle block on the picturesque Otago Peninsula where he plans to breed Labradors and start ‘the good life’. They will have their own endemic geckos and native bush, in close proximity to penguins and albatross.
Nigel R. Gregory (W 70-75) is now living in Maputo, Mozambique where he is Director General of SGS MCNet Mozambique Ltd, where he implemented and operated the Mozambique customs national IT systems. This is his ninth posting within the Swiss group, SGS. He has already lived in Hong Kong, Jakarta, Nairobi, Accra, Johannesburg and Geneva. He married Yoke Lin (Ellerslie School, Malvern) in Hong Kong in 1985, having met at a school dance in 1974. They have two sons, William in his last year at Imperial College, London, and Giles who is in his last year at Malvern College. They have spent most of the last 15 years living in Africa and would love to meet any OVs passing through Maputo. His e- mail is nigel_gregory@sgs.com.
Ken Magowan (Cl 66-75) has moved to Hewlett-Packard after nearly 17 years at QinetiQ (formerly DERA) in Malvern. His title is ‘Master Enterprise Architect’ in the Strategic Sales Centre. The Head Office is in Bracknell but he is based locally at Tewkesbury. His time in the RAF section of the CCF (under Mr Aldridge) gave him an ambition to learn to fly, which finally came to fruition last October when he gained his Private Pilots Licence.
Julian Brand (B 70-77) has worked for IMG, based in London – the world largest sports marketing company - for the last 28 years. IMG manages the business affairs of many of the world leading sports stars primarily in the sports of golf and tennis (eg Nadal, Federer, Donald) - and at the same time promotes and markets a multitude of sports events around the world (eg Wimbledon and the Open Golf Championship).Julian personally oversees and manages IMG’s Global Event business (outside of Golf and Tennis) which included this year’s Rugby World Cup tournament in New Zealand. He is married to Julia (nee Bouldstridge) (Co 77-79) and lives in Surrey with two teenage children. He recently attended his younger brother’s, Simon Brand (Cl 72-79), fiftieth birthday party with Richard (W 74-79) and Wendy [Newman] Dean (Co 77-79) Stephen Robinson (Cl 72-77) is now in his seventh year in Abuja, Nigeria, where he is Headmaster of a British-curriculum primary school of 540 pupils. The school has grown considerably and has now established its own secondary school. Stephen is married to Roz, who also works in the school. They have a house in Worcester and enjoy escaping to the tranquil island of Menorca for holidays. Any OVs who find themselves in Abuja are welcome to make contact - stephenandroz@hotmail.com.
Sean Ryan (Cl 70-77) is foreign editor of The Sunday Times. He and Carmel, a former Convent girl, have three children and live in Berkshire.
R P “Bill” Booth (Cr 71-78) lives in Paris and works for EUROCONTROL, but is currently seconded to work in Rome for the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, where he is working on many air traffic operational issues associated with the Mediterranean Functional Airspace Block with a consortium of States including Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Albania and the north African States.
Piers Letcher (S 73-78) is working full-time as senior speechwriter for the Secretary-General of the United Nations’ specialized agency for communications, ITU. His guidebook to Croatia (Brat Travel Guides) is now in its fourth edition and has been published in Italian and Polish. He and Sarah (Chief of Media at ITU) divide their spare time between bringing up Piers’s sons and cycling in the mountains.
Richard Williams (W 68-78) became Pro Vice Chancellor at the University of Birmingham and Head of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences in September. In the last year he has been engaged in developing strategic collaborations in manufacturing and energy storage technology between UK and corporations in Asia. He was appointed a professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in February 2010 and is also a visiting professor at UNSW, Sydney. He is always interested to contact with OVs in Asia.
Tim Bridges (W 69-79) currently has two part time posts; Conservation Adviser for the Victorian Society covering Birmingham and the West Midlands, and Church Buildings Support Officer for Hereford Diocese covering principally Herefordshire & South Shropshire.
Capt Simon Brand RN (Cl 72-79) will become Chief of Plans and Integration within the International Stabilisation Assistance Force Headquarters (Afghanistan) with effect from January 2012.
Neil Alexander (H 70-79) and his wife Sara (nee Parker) announce the birth of their daughter, Samantha Jane Alexander in Canada in June. Samantha joins older sisters Charlotte and Emma, at home in Oakville Ontario, where Neil is managing a career in the Canadian nuclear industry and coping with a house full of women!
Andrew Hobson (H 76-80) lives in Coates near Cirencester and is a solicitor advocate for Hine Solicitors in Cheltenham. He has been married to Luci for 22 years and has two children; Matthew,18, and Laura,16. He was interested to see the photograph of District Judge Andrew Jones (Cr 66-71) in a recent issue of King’s Connect and remembers appearing before him when he was Senior Magistrate in the Falkland Islands in the late nineties. He looks back on his time at King’s with great happiness and he is glad to see that the school continues to go from strength to strength. He enjoys sailing in his spare time and very much looks forward to the opening of the new Michael Baker Boathouse which he is sure will be a great facility.
Eric Jelinek (Ch 78-80) is currently living in Sydney with his wife Phyl. Their daughter, Gemma, is starring in Neighbours playing the character of Jade Mitchell. They keep in contact with Craig Preston (Ch 75-80), and his son Charlie, who is to visit them later this year.
Angela Lloyd-James (Co 78-80) has completed a project working with the graphics and fashion students at Worcester College of Technology in liaison with the RSPCA Worcester and Mid-Worcestershire Branch. Her daughter Ellie Nicholls (O 02-09) is studying Aerospace Engineering at Swansea University and has been awarded a second flying scholarship. Nick Ratcliffe (Cr 73-80) is currently on secondment to the Performance and Reform Unit at HM Treasury, advising on Government policies in education. He follows with interest the work of Richard Bacon MP (B 73-80) who is proving an effective member of the Public Accounts Committee. They were in the same class for Economics A level and clearly this has done them no harm.
Sean Willis (W 70-80) has recently completed an ascent of Kilimanjaro – an expedition he found exhausting and exhilarating. His full account of the adventure can be read via the OV website.
James Larkin (S 74-81) is the Director of the Radiation and Health Physics Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He has completed his MSc in Radiation Protection and has started a PhD looking at radiation in acid mine drainage. He will be visiting the Lawrence Livermore Laboratories in San Francisco, to develop a joint Masters programme in nuclear forensics and nuclear security for Wits University. Last year he was part of a Department of Energy team responsible for the nuclear safety at the Fifa Soccer World Cup, running security teams at Johannesburg International Airport and Ellis Park Stadium.
Philip Skevington (Cr 76-81) has been living in Asia for the last 24 years – in South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand and is now based in Hong Kong. He started off as a banker and he is now a partner in a hedge fund.
Rupert Parsons (B/S 72-82) recently joined the King’s School Himalayan Club to complete the Manaslu Walk in Nepal. The expedition was led by John Walton (Hon OV); Steve Crowcroft (W 62-69) and Dave Kirrage (H 71-77) also took part. Rupert’s account of the expedition is available on the OV section of the school website.
Eric Kemp (H 74-83) is Director of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). He has edited the King James Bible for the National Theatre and he is under commission to the Royal Shakespeare Company. He lives in London with his partner Jane Heather and their two children.
Jeremy Jones (B 82-84) emigrated to New Zealand in June 2010 and now lives and works in Tauranga on the North Island. He is actively involved in local theatre, although happy to Stage Manage rather than appear on stage. He is trying to get back into cricket but his legs are older than his mind! He plays golf regularly but is not sure that he does more than finding golf balls in deep rough! If anyone is coming over to NZ and remembers him then drop him a line.
Nigel Salmon (H 78-84) is married and lives in rural Wales with an 18 year old son and 16 year old daughter. After a ten year stint as a Senior Manager with Halifax PLC in Berkshire, he moved to Wales in 2001, buying an old farm with an additional Barn Conversion which has been used as a holiday business until 2010. Professionally, in 2004 moved into the world of overseas property, working with a Spanish company and set up a large distribution network across Wales and parts of England. In 2006 Nigel started www.girasolhomes.co.uk which now looks after over 100 companies as property brokers dealing with more than 14,000 overseas investment properties in Spain, Portugal, Turkey and the USA, and also selling directly to the public. He enjoys walking, travel, golf and is the first English Cricket Captain of the local side Tregaron CC.
Guy Stallard (B 77-84) is married with three children and lives in Buckinghamshire. He works for KPMG where he is Head of Facilities for Europe. This means he manages the acquisition, disposal and refurbishment of properties, and the operations of the buildings within the portfolio. Work and child commitments leave little time for hobbies although he has finally started running again. He completed the London Marathon for the first time in ten years in just over four hours.
Nigel Marsh (W 83-85) owns an event hospitality company called Eclipse - www.eclipseworldwide.com. The UK office is in Taunton where they ran some screenings around the Rugby World Cup. If anyone is interested they can contact Nigel.
Rick Phillips (Cr 76-83) and Kate [North] Phillips (Co 81-83) are living in Cairo, Egypt with their three children Anna,16, Joe, 14, and Sam, 12. Rick continues to work with a private equity firm, and Kate enjoys her work with the many orphanages of Cairo. This year has been an interesting one for the Phillips family, having lived through the revolution in January and been lucky enough to join thousands of Egyptians in Tahrir Square the day Hosni Mubarak resigned. After nearly twenty years abroad they are considering coming back to live in England next year and they say it would be great to catch up with any of their friends from King’s.
Guy Salter (Cr 76-83) is a partner at March & Edwards, which merged with John Stallard & Co on 1/1/11 creating Stallard March & Edwards LLP.
Jane [Kinnersley] Cilia (Co 82-84) writes “My 16 year old son, Ben, returned to Oxfordshire from his silver Duke of Edinburgh expedition having trekked past the Old Chapel. When he told his mates ‘My mum has stayed there and we have a picture of the chapel at home painted by Rachel Birtwhistle’ (which I bought as a KSW fund raiser for Nepal) they did not believe him.....why would they? So where have those 30 years gone since I went there, with the other seven girls, as a fresh faced 16 year old new College House boarder on a ‘get to know you weekend’? I can still clearly remember that buzz of excitement at being so remote, somewhere so very dark and swinging over the stream on a rope (having washed our plates in the very same stream). I will also never forget the fuss Ali [Blackburn] Howie (Co 82-84) made about the spiders...she got Sue Pinnick (Co 82-84) and I to check absolutely everywhere for them - there was a lot of squealing which I’m sure the Roslingtons would remember!”
Giorgio Subiotto (Ca 80-85) currently a partner at Ogier, based in the Cayman Islands, where he has been since 2002 following stints at large international law firms in London, Paris, Sao Paulo, and New York. He is married to Claudia and has three children, Augusto, 9, Chiara, 7, and Enzo, 3. Giorgio recently met up with Peter Faulstroh (Ca 80-85) in the South of France.
Peter Faulstroh (Ca 80-85) studied Engineering at Birmingham and Southampton Universities, then worked until 2002 at the Ford Motor Company. Relocating to Avignon in 2003 , he wishes he had paid more attention during French lessons at King’s. He has organised several expeditions to the Sahara and the Arctic circle. He is married to Sarah, with two boys Jacob, 5, and Benjamin, 2.
Sean Weaver (B 80-85) and his wife Jennifer have a son, Elliot, born in 2010. Sean is senior consultant with Towers Watson, actuaries in London.
Dr Sarah [Andrew] Woolley (Co 84-85) is currently working for the University of Bristol, teaching medicine law and ethics to dental students. She is currently in the process of changing career to law and is hoping to do mental health law.
Paul Statham (O 77-86) has recently moved with his family to Nairobi to take up a role as Managing Director of Altech Swift Global, Kenya, after two years in Dar es Salaam. He still loves Africa and its many delights.
David Broadbent (K 80-87) is pleased to have supported the senior Rugby tour to Canada and North America; his eldest son Noah, Chappel House Lower Sixth, persuaded his father to sponsor his team’s kit. Unlike his son, David wasn’t much of a rugby player during his time at King’s, but had to admire Noah’s creativity when putting a case forward for his company, The Broad Group, to sponsor the tour. David is the managing director of The Broad Group Ltd which provides residential care and support services to deaf adults with learning disabilities. David has been married to Kirsty since 1989 and has three other sons; Jonah (Lower Remove at King’s), Elijah (Year 1 at King’s Hawford) and Micah, aged 2.
Rowan Kitt (Ch 77-87) is now living in a farmhouse just outside Cambridge and is running the Development Office at Clare College, sandwiched between two OVs in neighbouring Colleges: Stephen Cleobury (Ch 58-58) at King’s and Geoffrey Webber (Ch 72-77) at Caius. His first child, Emily Rose, arrived in July, curtailing his refereeing of national rugby - local rugby and fewer fitness tests beckon! Ramin Nakisa (Ca 78-87) left King’s with his mind buzzing with Physics, and after completing a degree and doctorate in Physics went to Oxford as a postdoc to study neural networks in the Experimental Psychology department. His team was interested in modelling how humans effortlessly and rapidly acquire language. The best thing to come out of Oxford was that he met his wife who was experimenting with babies - they soon produced two new experimental subjects of their own, Clara, 10, and Daniel, 8. Ramin decided to cash in his degree and move into banking. He now works as a strategist in research at UBS, a Swiss investment bank. He was aware that people had an appetite to learn about what an investment bank does, so he has written an introductory finance book, ‘A Financial Bestiary’. In his career he has met several OVs; one of them, Lindsey Matthews (Cl 81-88), works about 20 yards away. He set up the Old Vigornians group on LinkedIn which gives OVs a chance to network even though they are spread all across the globe.
Michael Pearce (B 80-87) has finally finished his History MPhil, and continues his work on Scotland’s heritage, with projects at Dumfries House and Stirling Palace.
Matt Smith (O 80-87) and his wife Vickie have moved to Banbury, a necessary move after he secured a new role as Risk Director for the Mortgages Division of Aldermore Bank plc. Life is busy but enjoyable and he occasionally catches up with Andrew Underwood (S 77-87) at school events at Abberley Hall where Matt’s son, Toby, and Andrew’s daughter, Poppy, are in the same year.
Simon Haynes (S 81-88) has had an addition to their family – Isabelle Ava Haynes born in May 2011.
Sarah [Edwards] Flowers (Co 87-89) resigned from her job in August 2010 in order to set up her own consultancy company in Tanzania and concentrate on forestry and environmental issues. By design, the business has remained rather quiet during the interim months, allowing Sarah to pursue the art of becoming a lady of leisure! The time has done little to improve her culinary skills or domestic management abilities, but at least the horse and dogs are slightly better behaved than a year ago. It is with some sadness that Chris and Sarah have decided to accept a job offer in Kenya and thus move on from what has been home for the last five years. However, the new role presents an exciting challenge for Chris and a greater potential for Sarah to develop her forestry interests. The transfer itself involved some interesting logistics –including the transport of two dogs and a horse the best part of 2,000 km across Africa. Susanne Guy (E 87-89) finished her radiology training in 2004 in Cambridge and since then she has lived in Perth, Western Australia, and became a partner in large private radiology company in 2006. She rows regularly and was captain of West Australian Rowing Club in 2007. She married Peter McKay and son Elliott was born in May 2009, followed by Clara in December 2010. She bumped into Aukelle Taylor (E 87-89) recently, who is now living in Melbourne.
Lindsey Matthews (Cl 81-88) works at UBS as Managing Director, Securities Distribution, having joined on graduating from St John’s College, Cambridge in 1992. He is also a visiting fellow at the ICMA Centre, University of Reading, teaching finance and risk, and he chairs the International Capital Markets Association education committee. He retains a strong interest in mathematics, and presents on the use of maths in the finance industry to many maths teaching groups (including MEI whose maths syllabus he studied at King’s), sits on the advisory panel of the FMSP (Further Maths Support Programme), and has worked on and with a new maths specialist Academy in Hackney. He is married with three young children and lives in Islington and the Kent/Sussex Weald. Lindsey stays in contact with many OVs including Howard Marsh (Cl 79-88), Julian Marsh (Cl 81-91), Charles (Cl 78-88) and Julia [Simcock] Annable (Co 85-87), Elizabeth Guest (Co 86-88), Philippa Tinsley (Co 86-88), Ramin Nakisa (Ca 78-87), Robert Matthews (father) (Cl 52-29) and Tony Matthews (uncle) (Cl 49-56)
Adam Thompson (W 79-88) and his family have moved to Comox on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada where he is working as a GP. If any OVs are passing Vancouver Island please get in touch - adamt24@shaw.ca.
Jason Gorman (Cl 82-89) has become a patron of the Bletchley Park Trust, having raised about £60,000 for them. He’s a sort of spokesperson/ evangelist for them in the software industry. Also, he is organising a pilot scheme to connect teachers who want to learn how to program a computer with experienced software developers who can coach them, and a couple of OVs have signed up to be guinea pigs. If the teacherpractitioner exchange scheme is of any interest, there are a few details on his blog: codemanship.co.uk/parlezuml/blog/?postid=1046
Philip Kwan (Ch 82-90) was invited to be part of the school’s first Engineering Conference in February, to attract young people into the sector. He gave a short presentation on the limitless possibilities of engineering followed by a selection of projects including a demountable log cabin, a sculptural footbridge and a prefabricated timber house built in a day. In the afternoon, he led a workshop, building bridges from spaghetti. He enjoyed seeing his old teachers ‘who continue to do what they do best, teaching and inspiring children as they had done with me 20 years ago’. John Adeney (then Lower Sixth) subsequently joined Philip in his London office for a week’s work experience, where he saw the restoration of a seventeenth century barn, the refurbishment of a church, redevelopment of St Barth’s Hospital, an exclusive art gallery in Mayfair and a luxury flat in Knightsbridge.
Nigel Roughton (Cr 85-90) is currently living in Marlow, Bucks and working at Air Command, RAF High Wycombe as Chief of Staff of the UK’s Ground Based Air Defence Headquarters. Two boys (4 and 1), a Labrador and a baby on the way ensure that life is busier, noisier and more chaotic than ever. That said, he wouldn’t change it for the world!
Damian Warburton (Cr 85-90) has been appointed Lecturer in Law at the University of Buckingham, following Call to the Bar in October 2010. Stephan Cluzel (Ch 90-91) is currently senior hospital pharmacist and risk manager for the general hospital in Reunion Island’s eastern région. (St Benoit). He is married and the father of a son, Tiary, 3. Janice [Bradshaw] Jones (Hon OV 85–91) left King’s to marry Gareth Jones 20 years ago. Since then she has held a number of teaching posts, sometimes concurrently. She was very honoured to be awarded an Institute of Physics Primary Science Teacher of the Year Award and was then asked to become Head of a small independent school in Brecon, which was struggling financially, though it was a good school in other respects, in what turned out to be a futile attempt to save it. They moved to London where she took a job as Head of Science, first at Kensington Prep School and then at Durstan House (the main feeder for St. Paul’s Boys School). They also wrote a series of story books for 4 -6 year-olds with a Science Theme. Meanwhile she had moved to Godolphin and Latymer School for Girls and continued there until retirement in 2005. After retiring, they decided to live in their ‘holiday home’ in Spain. Retirement gave them the opportunity to travel more widely, visiting the Galapagos Islands, Egypt and Italy. They still see a lot of their family, despite the distance – Gareth’s boys Glyn, Gerwyn and Gethin and their wives, and five grandchildren, who are scattered from Reading to Pembrokeshire, and, of course, Tim Bradshaw (Ch 84-94)
and Steve. A lot has happened in their lives too, with Tim travelling the world delivering boats before spending time as a Fireman in London and racing F1 sidecars. Janice and Gareth enjoy riding, walking, swimming, playing golf, reading and doing lots of activities with the University of the Third Age. Janice has learnt to dance Flamenco and her Spanish is still improving.
Toby Moody (K 80-91) is a motor sports TV broadcaster commentating on MotoGP for the 16th year in 2011 for British Eurosport TV. He has also worked for RedBull.com and Autosport.com as their leading columnist on the sport and commentated on the new RallyCross series in the USA for ESPN at the X-Games in LA. He is still a single seater class record holder at Shelsley Walsh and other venues and lives near Himbleton in a freshly rebuilt house which he has done up over the past two years.
Howard Stanton (S 84-91) has opened a restaurant and a backpackers resort at the tip of Borneo , Sabah, East Malaysia - 20 % discount for OVs who can give a full rendition of the Cathedral bells striking two o’clock and answer a simple question about the school! www.tampatdoaman. com He has also got engaged to a lovely young lady called Lorina Konsiong, who hails from the indigenous Rungus tribe. Last year saw more Kabaddi as a referee at the Asian beach games in Oman. Any gap year students who wish to do a bit of volunteering in the Borneo jungle should let him know.
Oliver [Lerna] Birch (O 82-92) recently moved to Vancouver, Canada to continue his career in video games development and publishing at award winning studio, Hothead Games who make games for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Mac, PC, iPhone and iPad.
Peter Diamond (Hon OV 70-92) writes about his recent production of ‘Mystery and Merriment’...
‘In 1984, Mike Stevens, one of my close colleagues and friends, wrote that ‘Mystery and Merriment’ deserved to be revived. And so it was –this year. The people of our village in Herefordshire were kind enough to let me lead them into a new version of the play in June 2011, new because the 1984 script was lost yet, I fancy, close in spirit, language and presentation to the original. I was surprised, when I sat down to rewrite it, just how much I could recall more than 25 years later. St James’s Church in Cradley, even without its pews, doesn’t enjoy the dimensions of Worcester Cathedral and our company here comprises people of very different experience, ages and backgrounds; we commissioned an entirely new musical score and choreography. But it felt much the same; it was a moving experience, a unique combination of drama, music, poetry and architecture. It was a very special opportunity to be able to join the audience which included OVs, some of whom I hadn’t met since 1984.’
Rev’d Dr Robert Gilbert (O 85-92) was Deaconed at Christchurch, Oxford in July 2011. As well as continuing his full time work as Tutor in Biochemistry at Magdalen College and as an Oxford University Research Lecturer, he will serve as Assistant Curate in the Parish of St Peter’s Wolvercote and All Saints’ Wytham. Proudly celebrating with him on the day were Rev’d Canon Barry Gilbert, Roger Bowles (O 87-92), Toby Gilbert (O 89-94) with son Noah on his shoulders, Helen [Keron] Gilbert (B 92-94) holding daughter Sanna, Holly Gilbert (Cl 92-97), Poppy Gilbert (O/Ch 92-99) and Patricia Gilbert, pictured. Also present were Tom Carslake (W 82-92), Ralph Williams (W 85-92) and Rich Jones (K 88-93). Unable to be there on the day, but supporting from afar were Anna [Wilson] Hughes (Co 90-92) and Rebecca [Healey] Lowans (Co/Cr 91-93).
Suzanne [Gilhooly] Newman (E 90-92) married Matthew Newman in October 2010 at St Andrew’s Church, Ombersley. The wedding was attended by a number of OVs: Andrew Whittaker (W 89-91), Daniel Whittaker (W 91-93), William Whittaker (W 93-97), Zach Crompton (O 8393), Zoe Crompton (S 92-94), Philip Turner (O 84-94), Matthew Ward (O 89-94) and Matthew Keegan (Cl 87- 94)
Paul Hardwick (B 85-92) and his wife, Sam, had a beautiful baby boy called Leo on 8th December 2010. They are thoroughly enjoying this new chapter in their lives as proud parents. Jonathan Hulme (Cr 85-92) and his wife, Lorna, have just had a little boy, Owen, who is proving to be a source of much excitement and affection for his big sister, Isobel. Life has become filled with nappy sacks, cotton wool and a slightly more jaded look than usual, once again, but they are all thoroughly enjoying their new and enlarged family. Jonathan continues to work as a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine in Birmingham. He is very involved with undergraduate teaching and an honorary senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham. In addition to this, he is still very engaged in pre-hospital immediate care as one of the senior clinicians responsible for running a large fast response medical team in the Midlands (www. wmcareteam.co.uk) and a flight doctor with the Midlands Air Ambulance. Sam Moseley (W 84-92) has taken up the position of Commercial Director with Melville Exhibitions and Events, Coventry. A service based business that works for both organisers and exhibitors ensuring that everything is taken care of from Carpet fitting, electrics and shell scheme all the way through to customer built stands. He continues to live in Derbyshire with his wife Ally and three year old twins Effie and Freddie.
Mark Peters (W 85-92) and his wife are expecting another baby boy in November. He finished up a project at The Walt Disney Company in North Hollywood and moved back from LA to New York. In January he started a new project in Sydney designing Australia’s new generation broadcast television networks (so is commuting 22 hours to work every two - three weeks!).
Tim Summers (B 87-92) recently established his own commercial solicitors firm in Bristol with two partners. Temple Bright is an innovative practice employing virtual technology, and has already grown to eight partners since being set up in 2010. Its clients include a number of Old Vigornians.
Bart Borchardt (Cl 83-93) and his family have now returned to the UK following almost four years working in Luxembourg and most recently as Head of Supply Chain Management in Ghana. Bart continues to work for Vodafone based in Newbury and is living in Highworth, Wiltshire. He would love to hear from any OVs - Bart.Borchardt@gmail.com
Richard Jones (K 88-93) and Roger Bowles (O 87-92) have completed their first independent short film. Directed by Richard and photographed by Roger, ‘A Nice Touch’ boasts performances from Dougray Scott, Paloma Faith (who has also contributed to the soundtrack), Dan Crow (Cl 92-94) and Holly Gilbert (Cl 92-97), and features an exquisite original score by jazz musician Guy Barker. With a beautiful wardrobe styled by Esquire magazine, the project was showcased in their March issue.
If you would like to read more about the film or see a trailer have a look at www.nicetouchmovie.com
Matt Hayward (Ch 87-94) married Hannah Scott, a helicopter pilot also in the army, at home in the South of France in September 2011. Amongst the ushers were Robert Honan (Cr 90-94) and Timothy Bradshaw (Ch 84-94)
Richard Evans (W 84-94) went to Harper Adams Agricultural College for four years after leaving King’s and left there with a BSc (Hons) Rural Enterprise and Land Management. He started work with National Grid and carried on studying and in 2001 became a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. He is still with National Grid today as a land surveyor dealing with landowners/occupiers in accessing and gaining agreements across their land for maintenance or construction of high pressure gas pipelines and high voltage electricity cables. Richard lives in Worcestershire and is married to Kathryn [Pound] (Cr 99-01). He enjoys the country life - shooting, fishing and working their three gundogs during the winter. He enjoys watching a good game of rugby with a pint of beer. Richard helps out on his father’s and neighbours’ farms during the harvest season, and loves driving tractors whenever he gets the opportunity! He regularly sees Steven Ballard (S 88-94), Sophie [Kyte] Ballard (Cl 94-96) and Adam Winter (Cl 84-94)
Jonathan Parker (O 85-94) has co-authored ‘UK Merger Control’. The book is a fully up-to-date, comprehensive guide to the law, economics and practice of UK merger control law, including a review of the recently revised guidelines of the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission.
Thomas Blunt (K 85-95) has conducted concerts with the English Chamber Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra and will work at La Monnaie (Brussels), before conducting concerts with the LPO in Brazil. Kristy [Laurence] Clark (Ch 93-95) is living in Newcastle with her husband of seven years Ben and their son Archie, aged 3. She works parttime teaching English and Drama in a high school in Chester-le-Street. Her recent big news was her sister, Dominique’s (Cl 92-99) wedding to Dan Farmer, which was a wonderful weekend with all the family and many friends. Kristy’s brother, Jordan Jackson - another OV, is living in St. Ives, Cornwall, working at the Arts Club where he is currently exhibiting a collection of his own work.
Christian Dale (W 88-98) married Tara Davis at Selwyn College Chapel in July. Best men were Jake Brazier (S 88-96) and Julian Dale (B 89-99) Also present were Nick Jones (W 87-98), Robert Poole (H 93-98), Adam Smith (Cl 93-98) and Gareth Young (O 89-98). The best men nailed the speech with anecdotes dating back to St. Alban’s years.
Peter Lau (H 92-98) was promoted to Inspector of Police in November 2010 through the Potential Officers’ Scheme, after 6 years of serving as a Police Constable with the Hong Kong Police Force.
Robert Poole (H 93-98) married Nicky in June 2011.
OVs attending included Charles Foulkes (Cl 88-98), Ruth Robinson (W 96-00), Jon (W 87-98) and Clare [Wood] Turner (O 91-98), Nick Jones (W 87-98), Gareth Young (O 89-98), Tory [Williamson] Hagger (S 96-98), Adam Smith (Cl 93-98), Oliver Doherty (K 8898), Chris Dale (W 88-98), Rich Lewis (S 88-98) and Jake Brazier (S 88-96)
Jonathan Wheal (O 91-98) and his wife Kirsten are now proud parents of Nicholas James Wheal, born in July 2011 at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh.
Gordon Leah (Hon OV 68-99) had four textbooks in German published during his teaching career.
In 2003, four years after he retired, he started on a new career pattern, writing articles on matters of faith/doubt/etc. with reference to literature, and to date, has had nine published in national Christian journals over a range of denominations. He has also written two books of Meditations based on contemporary stained glass. He is continuing to write and has several themes on the go!
Jeannie [Needham] Trevena (K 92-99) moved to St. Ives, Cornwall, after leaving Kings, where she gained experience of hospitality and catering and then set up a property management business for second-home owners. After a fair bit of travelling, including sailing with her parents across the Atlantic, she married Adam Trevena, an experienced chef. Having moved to South Devon, they set about converting an old building whilst Adam worked full-time and she had their daughter, Lowenna. They have just opened the nine-bedroom Chillington House Bed and Breakfast Hotel, on the Kingsbridge to Dartmouth road.
Thomas Wall (Cr 89-99) completed his PhD in experimental atomic physics at Imperial College London, in October 2010. He has stayed at Imperial as a Research Associate, building two new laser cooling experiments. He married Pj Lewis in August 2011.
Daniel White (W 92-99) is a practising barrister specialising in sports law and criminal matters and was recently appointed to sit on the Rugby Football Union Disciplinary Committee.
Matthew Bond (W 93-00) has taken up a track and field scholarship at Adams State College in Alamosa, Southern Colorado. He is studying for an MBA at the same time as training consistently at altitude. At the start of 2012 he will begin marathon training with a view to getting on the Olympic team. It will be a tough challenge but he is looking forward to it.
Shulah Oliver (K 96-00) is leading a very busy freelance career as a professional violinist around the UK and Europe, having recently returned from a concert tour of Corfu. One of her highlights of the year was the new and exciting ‘Chamber Music @ Worcester’ festival, with the Astaria String Quartet which she leads. This will become an annual event, showcasing high quality chamber music. For more information visit the festival website www.chambermusicatworcester.com.
Stuart Vivian (S 9800) married Gaëlle Lisambert at Old Milverton, Warwick in August 2010. Simon Renshaw (Cr 95-04) was best man and Joe Watson (K 95-00) also attended.
Jack Hampson (Cr 01-03) has built up his own company/ brand in Europe, www.adapt-mobile. com, which he sold in August 2010 to an American stock listed company, for whom he is now working for and will be moving to Hong Kong to manage the China office.
Amy Whitehouse (Cr 95-02) married Jonathan Walker at Holy Trinity Church, Wordsely in April 2011. It was a fantastic celebration with several OVs in attendance. Andrew Whitehouse (S 93-99) was an usher and Samantha Doughty (K 95-02), Eleanor Whitehouse (Ch 99-10), Jessica Oakley (Cr 9502) and Lucy Davies (Cr 96-02) were bridesmaids. Jade Wallis (Cr 95-02) also attended. The happy couple honeymooned in Cuba. Amy teaches while Jonathan is a fireman with the London Fire Brigade.
William Westwood (Ch 95-03) married Gemma Strutt, a primary school teacher from Sheffield, in April 2011 at The Curradine Barns in Worcester. OVs in attendance included the groom’s father Tim Westwood (B 71-76), the groom’s sister and bridesmaid Bethany Westwood (B 96-07), usher
David Heslip (W 97-04), David Richardson (Ch 93-04) and Dan Kimberley (S 97-02)
Mary Cox (stage name Mary Fox) (Cl 01-06) graduated from Guildford School of Acting in July 2011 and has just started rehearsals in London for the Cameron Mackintosh UK tour of Oliver. The tour starts in Cardiff in mid-December and plays in 11 of the large theatres around the country for about 5 weeks at a time finishing in Bristol in early March 2013. Oliver also visits Birmingham in midMarch 2012. Further details are on the website www.oliverthemusical.com
Guy Potter (Cl 97-04) has been living and working in Dubai for just over two years, recruiting lawyers into law firms and in-house positions with a company called Taylor Root. He finds the ex-pat lifestyle to be incredible and can’t see himself coming back soon! He has been playing rugby for the Dubai Hurricanes, who won an historic treble last year of the UAE Premiership, Gulf Top 6 and the West Asian Championship. There are a couple of other OVs out there – he’s bumped into Richard Paul (B 95-00) a few times, and a chap at the gym recently recognised his kitbag because his nephew is currently at King’s - small world!
Nicholas Tsang (B 99-04) has pursued a career as a musician and has been working as a guitarist with many commercial artists including the Backstreet Boys, The Saturdays, Chipmunk, Beverley Knight and Mr Hudson. For the last year he has been touring with international pop band The Ting Tings. www.nicktsang.co.uk. He has recently committed to a new Rock/Dubstep band called Modestep signed to Universal.
David White (O 93-04) is working for a spread betting firm based in St. Albans called Spreadex. The company has been trading since 1999 and was listed in the Sunday Times Price Waterhouse Coopers Profit Track 100 for three years in succession. David’s role is based around trading derivatives, the underlying securities to which those derivatives relate, and a bit of ‘sales’, namely managing clients’ accounts and their positions. He has occasionally written market comments for Spreadex two of which have been quoted in the Financial Times. He very much enjoys his job; it’s fastpaced, challenging and, importantly, very rewarding.
Harrison Gallantree-Smith (Cr 03-05) has embarked on a PhD at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB). His PhD research will cover fatty acids and terpene synthesis for medical testing. He just finished a year in industry in Toronto, Canada (2009-2010) synthesising many different compounds.
Claire Gott (Cl 97-06) set up a charity engineering organisation called Cameroon Catalyst, whilst studying her MEng in Civil Engineering and Architecture at Southampton University. Cameroon Catalyst aims to provide better quality of life through further education, micro-businesses, improved health and safety and better waste and energy solutions, for hundreds of villagers in rural Cameroon. Last year the team designed, fundraised (£55,000) and built a water tower, rainwater harvesting, working toilets and showers, medical and educational facilities and an incinerator for the village of Bambouti (near Bertoua). The project received ‘The Best Led Student Project’ at the University of Southampton 2010 ‘Excellence in Volunteering Awards’, an award from The Cameroon Government and recently had coverage in New Civil Engineer Magazine. Although Claire has now graduated and is working for WSP as a Structural Engineer, she maintains a key role within Cameroon Catalyst as a Trustee of the adjoining charity (Mosame Trust) orchestrating the 5 year plan for Bambouti.
Ralph Jay (K 99-06) has recently graduated from the University of Birmingham with a 2:2 in Mathematics.
Alexandra Lyons (K 00-06) has been undertaking an internship at a creative brand agency based in Cheltenham, following her return from travelling. In February she was offered a place on the BSkyB Marketing and Communications Graduate Scheme - she accepted their offer and moved to London to start the two year development programme.
Jeremy Owen (Cr 99-06) is engaged and due to be married in January 2012 to Emma Joy Newman at Denham Parish Church in Gerrards Cross by Rev Daniel Jones (Hon OV 02-11) his former GCSE and A-level RS teacher.
Charlie Cameron (O 03-07) is now a qualified ski instructor, having spent a season teaching in Austria in her gap year, and as of July, a graduate of the University of Birmingham with a 2:1 in Drama and Theatre Arts.
George Clarke (O 97-07) attained 2:1 BA Hons Classics University College London.
Thomas Cox (Cr 97-07) has been awarded his Master of Pharmacy with First Class Honours from Aston University and secured a position as a pre-registration pharmacist at Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley from August 2011.
Henry Iles (O 05-07) has graduated with a First Class BSc (Hons) in Marketing from the University of Aston, Birmingham and was invited to become a member of Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS), an international honour society for students, graduates and faculty of business schools accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International.
Josh Thomas (Ch 00-07) has graduated from Oxford Brookes where he was awarded First Class BA (Hons) in Architecture. He won the ‘Tom Lethbridge Memorial Travel Award’ - for students who have taken interest in architecture abroad and travelled abroad with their studies. He is now seeking an internship, preferably in the Netherlands, before returning to university to study for his Masters in Architecture - hopefully by the end of 2015 he will be fully qualified!
Nicky Wilson (formerly Anstey) (Hon OV 86-07) writes:
‘The first thing which happened to me after leaving school was to become a grandmother, which was the most exciting and emotional process imaginable. I love being a Grannie, and am proud to announce that two more grandchildren followed soon after. These precious little ones are two boys and a girl, aged 3 ½, 1 ½, and 1. The oldest one is already holding a tennis racket properly and hits the ball miles! Perhaps the next Wimbledon Champion? I was given a wonderful gift on retirement of a term of watercolour lessons, which turned out to be an amazing experience; it has been a revelation, and a delight to learn a completely new skill. Roger and I have been travelling, making the most of the freedom from the restriction of school holidays. One of our trips took us to Canada in the ‘fall’, travelling in a motor home round the Eastern region, covering 3,000 miles in three weeks; our next trip will be to Bulgaria. We play lots of tennis, and are busy members of Worcester Lawn Tennis Club, helping out with the organisation of the club. Tennis has really taken the place of my beloved netball, as my playing days have sadly had to come to an end this season. I decided to hang up my netball shoes as Premier Division netball has begun to have too much of an impact on my knees. I was gutted to have to manage without that wonderful buzz and feeling of unity you get from such a competitive team game, but it was a case of needs must. I am not entirely without my netball though, as King’s St. Alban’s has kindly kept me on their books, inviting me to take an Under 11 Netball Club and it is an absolute joy! My enthusiasm for the sport has not diminished one bit, and I was thrilled to help get this year’s Under 11 team through the West of England round of the IAPS to the Nationals, held in Brighton. My most recent venture has been another revelation to me – singing! Both Roger
and I have joined a contemporary choir called Voices Unlimited, and have discovered a whole new world of singing and performing which I would never have believed possible. Tina Turner I am not, but I am not far off!‘
Hannah Button (Ch 01-08) graduated from the University of Worcester this year with a BSc (Hons) degree in Horticulture with Garden History. She achieved a 2:1. She is hoping to either work for the National Trust as a gardener or go on to do a masters degree in garden history
Thomas Byrne (K 01-08) who was house captain for Kittermaster graduated from Royal Holloway University of London in July. He studied Geography and obtained a 2.1 BSc. Tom has started a career at the Energy Savings Trust in Westminster - his parents are extremely proud.
Lucy Clayton-Smith (Cr 06-08) is studying Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL).
Helen Currie (W 04-08) has just completed Year 2 of her Medical Degree at Birmingham University. She has three more years of study there before graduating as a Doctor of Medicine.
Ryan Finnigan (Cl 06-08) went into a year in industry after King’s. He worked as a design engineer at MAHLE automotive in Telford and then carried on in this position for a second year before starting his degree at Loughborough University, studying Industrial Design and Technology.
David Hedges (Cl 03-08) has graduated in Photography, with a BA(Hons) from the University of Plymouth, and is now a staff photographer for SWNS, a national picture agency covering news and features.
Eleanor Keehan (Cr 01-08) took a gap year and hopes to complete her degree in July 2012. She is studying law (LLB) at Bristol University
Holly Mitchell (Cl 01-08) has graduated from Durham with BSc (Hons) in Mathematics. She is now looking for a graduate trainee position to work towards qualifying as a chartered accountant.
Sam Pearman (Cl 01-08) has achieved a 2.1 BSc(Hons) in Environmental
Science at the University of Nottingham and will spend the next year doing work experience and looking for a job. His interests lie in the financial and energy sectors and the RAF.
Peter Siviter (S 01-08) has been studying Veterinary Medicine in London for three years, but between lectures has turned his hand to playing jazz professionally. Having received his first musical inspiration at King’s, it seems appropriate to have played recently at the Inner Temple Treasurer’s Reception (hosted by HRH The Princess Royal), coincidentally the venue of this year’s London OV Reunion Dinner. Available for light, live music at dinners or functions, Peter can be contacted by email - pjsiviter.jazzpiano@yahoo.co.uk.
Sophie Watkins (Cl 01-08) has just graduated from the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, and is looking for her fourth year placement in an architecture practice. She is hoping she can find a placement in Australia (Sydney or Melbourne in particular). Her email address is sophiewatkins_241@hotmail.co.uk.
Sean Robinson (W 02-09) represented Durham University in the Middlesex Sevens at Twickenham in July. They played Brazil, losing narrowly 17-14.
Hayley Turner (Cr 03-10) arrived at the University of Maryland last August and was delighted to find that the work on and off the sports field is intense and highly rewarding. Hayley’s team ended up as National Field Hockey Champions following 23 wins and just one loss in the season. The hockey season was absolutely fantastic and to win the championship in her first year was very satisfying. Away games have been as far as Michigan, to which they flew, all the others involved travel by luxury coach. Hayley was home from May until July, when she returned for pre-season training and the start of her ‘sophomore’ year.
The following deaths have been reported to the Club since the 2010 AGM.
Harold [Bill] Lock (DB 26-32)
Denys Jones (H 34-40)
Anthony Phillips (Cr 41-47)
Frederick James (Cl 46-52)
Ivor Wiley (Cr 48-53)
David Gillard (Ca 47-54)
Stewart Evans (DB 44-55)
RF [Bobby] Haynes (Cr 49-59)
Robin Vincent (Cr 52-62)
Christopher Sinfield (W 56-64)
Clive Landsborough (Cl 59-65)
David Franklin (B 58-66)
Frank Phillips (B 62-66)
Stephen Wetherbee (Cr 65-70)
Nigel Abbott (Ch 70-77)
Christopher Hughes (B 70-77)
Harold [Bill] Lock (DB 26-32)
Gary Webb (W 71-77)
Hyder Ali Manir (K 01-06)
Christopher Pite (Staff 64-67)
Colin Cunningham (Staff 66-70)
Michael Young (Hon OV 77-91)
Revd Peter Hammersley (Hon OV 77-84) Freda Anderton
Harold Lock, known to nearly all as Bill, continued playing rugby after King’s, and at the time of his death on 30th April 2011 at the age of 96, he was the last surviving founder member of the Malvern Rugby Club, which he joined shortly after leaving school. He became Hon Secretary in 1936 until activities were suspended due to the outbreak of the war in 1939. He joined the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC), ending his career as Captain and having been mentioned in dispatches, which entitled him to wear the oak leaves on any medal ribbons; he had seen service in the Middle East, North Africa and Italy. After the war, he qualified as an accountant, working for local firms until he joined the Gas Board (later British Gas) until his retirement. At the Club, he acted as Treasurer from 1972 to 1984 and as President for two spells, 1978-80 and 1984-86. Bill was made an Honorary Life member in 1985, and he opened the new clubhouse in 2000 along with the late Cliff Willis, fellow Life Member and team-mate from the 1930s. Bill was a regular attendee at club social functions until failing health precluded this.
Christopher Horne
Professor Stewart Evans (DB 44-55)
Stewart gained an honours degree in Zoology at Bristol University, and a PhD in 1966. He was appointed a lecturer in the Department of Zoology at Newcastle University in 1970. As Professor Evans he became head of the Zoology Department. He also founded and became head of the Department of Marine Sciences and Coastal Management. As Director of the Dove Marine Laboratory at Cullercoats, North Tyneside, he established the community education programme ‘The North Sea: Our Joint Responsibility’, involving local people in scientific projects. His appointment as Professor of Research and Outreach in Biological Sciences was thus earned several times over. Professor Evans was widely travelled and helped to establish biology departments in universities within Indonesia and Ghana. Awarded a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship, he visited many marine institutions abroad, which provided the basis for his inspiring ‘Marine Biology / Zoology Overseas’ study module, enjoyed by many final year students at Newcastle. His works on animal behaviour and ecology were published widely in book form; he also published many research papers in international scientific journals. Following his retirement, Stewart worked with Epinay School for children with learning difficulties as a part time teacher and governor.
David Gillard (Ca 47-54)
Born in Loughborough David spent most of his early life in Leicester and became a Chorister at Worcester in 1947 singing under Sir Ivor Atkins and Sir David Willcocks. Apart from singing he was a very strong runner and one of the few people able to compete and sometimes win against Roger Thorne, Kings athletic champion supreme in the mid 1950’s. David married Sue in 1967, and they moved to Worthing in 1972 where David became head of marketing for the Alliance & Leicester Building Society in Brighton. After taking early retirement in 1992 David was able to follow his other interests; mainly travel and of course singing. He and Sue enjoyed visiting relatives all over the world – even spending two weeks going to a wedding in Costa Rica!
David never gave up singing and in 2006 gained a RSCM Gold Award following which he joined the RSCM Voices and sang in many of this country’s Cathedrals. He never forgot his roots, maintaining his contact with King’s and Castle House and serving as Secretary of the Old Choristers Association for many years. David died on the 13th July 2011 at Worthing following a short illness. He leaves a wife Sue, 3 children Heather, Richard and Holly, 5 grandchildren and 2 step grandchildren. He will be missed.
Ivor Wiley (Cr 48-53)
John Gaston
Ivor joined British Railways and spent his entire working life with British Rail, being promoted to various senior executive positions at Head office, York. His work included the Automatic Barrier programme.
Christopher Sinfield (W 56-64)
Geoff Bennet
Chris Sinfield died in 1997, but news of this did not reach us until 2011.
Stewart and his wife Pat were also passionate supporters of Newcastle University Rugby Football Club (NURFC) and he wrote a definitive history of the Club, published in 2007. Typical of Stewart is that all proceeds from the book go towards the development of the NURFC. In May 2010, Professor Evans was honoured for his outstanding contribution to University Sport through his work in support of university rugby since 1974, and an annual sports scholarship is now awarded in his name by the Centre of Physical Recreation and Sport. Director of Sport, Colin Blackburn said: ‘He was an integral part of NURFC for over 35 years and it is a fitting tribute to Stewart that his name will live on through this scholarship.’ Dr David Golding, visiting fellow in Marine Science and Technology and Honorary Chaplain at Newcastle University, said: ‘As a university teacher and postgraduate supervisor, Stewart had truly exceptional gifts and he inspired countless young people with his love of the natural world and his commanding yet engaging presence and superb voice. He was also unstinting in making himself available to students for help and wise counsel.’
Colin Blackburn, Director of Sport, Newcastle University
Howard Wyer-Roberts (Cl 56-63)
Howard, whose death was reported in last year’s Vigornian, joined King’s in 1956 and left Chappel House in 1963. At King’s he excelled at Rugby, and continued to play, in later life taking an interest in the game as a spectator. Although he died at a relatively young age, he lived long enough to see his eldest grandson taking to the game he loved. Not only did Howard learn skills on the sports field at school but he was aware of the doors and opportunities that were opened to him by a King’s education. After several career moves across the UK, working for Cadbury-Schweppes and Grand Metropolitan Hotels he became an interim manager (a senior manager who stay with a company until a project is concluded) with the charity Motability to help with a strategic review of their operations. He was nominated by Motability for the National Interim Manager of the Year Awards 2003, and went on to reach the finals. Eventually he set up a management consultancy, Manor House Consulting, based in Feckenham. He had married Judith, who shared in the running of the consultancy, and they enjoyed 43 years of happy family life, but his life was cut short by cancer and Howard did not live to enjoy the birth of his 8th, 9th and 10th grandchildren in 2011. He died on 16th March 2010. He retained an interest in King’s and attended Reunions, keeping up friendships that had started 50 years before as young boys.
Judith Wyer-Roberts, widow
Robin Vincent (Cr 52-62)
Robin was born in Worcester in 1944 and lived his early years on a council estate. In later life, he would often reflect on his modest background and on his parents’ dedication to his gaining a place at King’s, which he achieved when he entered St Alban’s as an 8 year-old. A member of Creighton House, he progressed though the senior school and left in 1962. Despite modest GCE results, he would frequently express his appreciation of his time at King’s and the benefits he derived there. When he left school, Robin joined the local court service in Worcester as a junior clerk eventually progressing to Chief Clerk. In 1982, his considerable experience there enabled him to move to a senior position in Manchester and his next move 4 years later took him to the headquarters of the Lord Chancellor’s Department in London. He returned to Manchester in 1993 where he was appointed Regional Director for the north-west circuit and where he completed his career in the court service 7 years later. In recognition of his outstanding service, he was honoured with a CBE in 2001. Having established a formidable reputation in legal administration, Robin was invited by the United Nations to undertake a number of assignments around the world including a period of 3 years in Sierra Leone where he set up a war crimes court; for his services as Registrar, he was awarded a CMG in 2006. Subsequently he became a consultant and was engaged in several international justice issues in various parts of the world; this included a heavily guarded flight to Baghdad on a Blackhawk helicopter to advise on the trial of Saddam Hussein. The key to Robin’s success had always been his special managerial skill with his ability to achieve operational efficiency and to direct and handle people, even those in the highest ranks of his profession, with both firmness and sensitivity.
Although Robin and I were in the same year at school, our friendship really developed in the post-school period when we played football for teams in local leagues and especially when we were playing cricket for the OVs. He was well known for being a very good, all-round sportsman. In the late 1960s and more so in the 1970s, Sunday cricket was as much enjoyed by all the families as by the men out on the field; the wives chatted and made the teas and the children played together. Away from the cricket field, our two families became very close and we shared many enjoyable times together over many years. Following Robin’s move from Worcester, our contacts inevitably became less frequent. However, we never forgot each other’s birthday and we continued to send cards, which always included some leg-pulling and unflattering comments. In March 2010, Robin gave a very interesting talk about his career to members of the Upper Sixth, which was followed by a question and answer session. More recently, he had accepted an invitation to succeed Phil Mackie as President of the Old Vigornian Club. After a short illness, Robin died in June leaving his wife, Hazel, and two sons. At his funeral, Mark and Steven gave a very amusing tribute to their father when they affectionately recalled many incidents and confrontations with him in both their childhood and adulthood – ‘they told it as it was’. With Robin, humour was never far from the surface and he would have thoroughly enjoyed it. Robin was down-to-earth, always positive, amiable and good fun and throughout his very successful career, he remained modest and unpretentious. He was, as Alec Mackie said in a recent tribute, ‘quite simply one of the nicest people you could wish to meet.’
A biography, which is to be published in 2012, is being written by Terry Jackson, a colleague who assisted Robin in setting up the court in Sierra Leone and who became a close friend.
John Potter
David Franklin (B 58-66)
David’s great interest in life was bell ringing, to which he had been introduced by his Housemaster (Hugh Neill – Hon OV) in 1963, continuing under Paul Cattermole (Hon OV). David died unexpectedly on November 20th 2010 due to a pulmonary embolism; a memorial service was held at All Saints, Worcester, on December 13th, the church where David had first rung in 1963 and where he had been Ringing Master since 1994. From his first experience he went on to ring 551 peals, his last being at All Saints in 2008. Of that total he rang in 127 at All Saints, many of them on the 10th with good friend David Beacham next to him on the 9th. David was an excellent striker of his bell on any number; he was also very reliable and did not often make mistakes. He could also conduct, and David’s ear for good striking made him very useful as a judge for ringing competitions. Within the Worcestershire Association and its Western Branch he had held offices for most of his time: he had been Peal Secretary, Branch Master, Branch Chairman (always conducting meetings with his usual good humour) and a member of the Association’s Central Committee. He was also a member of the Ancient Society of College Youths, which is a national bellringing society founded in 1637, and had been a regular ringer at Worcester Cathedral.
David was one of the ‘gang of five’ who carried out the rehanging of the bells in the tower of All Saints in the 1970s. He also helped with similar work at other churches, notably Upton Snodsbury. He had many other interests besides ringing; he was also a reader for ‘The Talking Newspaper for the Blind’, a monthly task that he did for many years. As a person, David was one of the most friendly people you could meet, and rarely judgmental or critical; as a friend put it, he was without malice.
Unfortunately David’s success at King’s (he was Head of the Fiction Library in his final year), and in the world of bell ringing, was not mirrored in his working life: after taking a computer course at the North Gloucestershire Technical College he had early jobs with Metal Box and Kay’s, but did not settle and found it difficult to progress his career. Those who knew him best felt that he was searching for a more creative outlet for his talentsan outlet he never found; but these difficulties did not diminish his basic enthusiasm for life and willingness to help and mentor others.
David Beacham, Chris Pickford and Mike Robinson
Nigel Abbott (Ch 70-77)
Nigel sadly died in April 2011 at the relatively young age of 52, following a brave battle with cancer. He spoke often of his school days at King’s (which had also been his father’s school), where as well as his academic studies he enjoyed making and paddling canoes, caving and climbing. He spent some of his childhood in Guyana, South America, where, during one school holiday, aged 12, he took part in an expedition through the rainforest, which culminated in a visit to the spectacular Kaieteur Falls. And on the same trip he swam in piranha infested waters, but thankfully emerged unscathed! After leaving school Nigel went on to work for the BBC, first in London, later in Scotland, then Bristol, working as a sound engineer on the TV programme ‘Casualty’ for several years. He always retained his sense of humour and loved his dogs, including his 3 golden retreivers Ben, Sam and Max. He also enjoyed gardening and music (he tried to teach himself to play the piano and the saxophone) and remained active for much of his adulthood, enjoying climbing when younger and later on long walks with his dogs. He loved working for the BBC and found it hard being made redundant, but in later life this gave him the time to help others, including driving a mini bus for a youth group. Everyone remarked on his kindness, humour and sensitivity. He leaves behind his two children from his marriage to Jan, Matthew aged 18 and Sarah, 14.
Lesley Bowman, sister
Frank Phillips (B 62-66)
After leaving King’s Frank went up in 1967 to Keble College, Oxford, to read History. While there he became increasingly interested in left-wing politics, joining the Communist Party: one friend remembers fondly their mutual involvement in the ‘Bicycles for the Viet Cong’ campaign. After leaving Oxford, Frank moved to Birmingham and at first worked as a teacher in an inner-city comprehensive; later, he left to work in a foundry. Following a series of political disagreements, and increasingly disillusioned with the prospects for socialist revolution, Frank left Leeds where he was living at the time and moved to Maidstone in Kent.
During this period and while working as a lecturer in a further education college, he met and married Madeleine Graham, a student at the University of Kent. After their wedding in 1979, Frank and Madeleine moved to Reading in Berkshire, where they lived for the rest of their lives. They had two children, Harriet (b. 1985) and Angus (b. 1990). In 1980 Frank joined the Civil Service, working first for the Capital Taxes Office, then for Oftel and finally for Ofcom. Following Madeleine’s death from cancer in 2008, Frank was diagnosed with leukemia in 2009 and died from complications following a bone marrow transplant. Frank’s main love was jazz, about which he was enormously enthusiastic and knowledgeable: his favourite room at home was filled, floor to ceiling, with LPs, tapes and records going back to the early 1960s. He loved travelling, particularly in Italy where his mother was from, and was happiest on holiday with his family. He was a devoted husband who was devastated by his wife’s death, and an affectionate and indulgent father.
Harriet Phillips, daughter
needless to say he was a crack shot! He also was a good golfer if not a bit random at times but that was the nature of the beast. Fly fishing and an interest in birds were also part of his life - a true ‘Countryman’. Steve married Sally in 1984 at Salwarpe Church and they lived in Dilwyn; they had two sons, Matthew and Jack. Steve was very happy with his life and made everyone with whom he had contact feel better about themselves, with his particular brand of humour and people skills - a much loved unique individual, tragically taken from us on 19th January 2011, after a four year courageous battle with a rare cancer. We feel privileged to have been part of his life, a wonderful husband and fantastic father.
Sally Wetherbee, widow
Christopher Hughes (B 70-77)
Stephen Hugh Wetherbee (Cr 65-70)
Steve left King’s to study Agriculture at Walford College then followed his love of the countryside and spent time working in the industry, graduating to Farm Management at Brinsop in Herefordshire. In 1985 he moved to grain trading for West Midland Farmers, progressing to Dalgety Agriculture and was then approached in 2003 by Banks Cargill. Steve was based in the Ross on Wye office, now known as Frontier Agriculture, as a farm trader; he always considered himself to be very lucky that he loved his job so much. A quote from the Eulogy at his Service of Celebration sums him up perfectly: “I don’t know how much so called work time we took up with our banter, but of course for Steve the banter was work. That is why he was so astoundingly good at his job - because he could have this personal relationship with an increasingly large number of people. Here was a man who could speak to an untold number of farmers in a day with each and every one of us telling him that his fertiliser prices were too high and his grain prices too low, and yet he still managed to make us feel better for making the call. Such was the consummate skill of the man that he made us all feel better about ourselves while being a living master class in integrity. Steve understood that integrity has no rules.” Steve loved shooting and over the years graced many of the shooting fields in the country, in the early days working his beloved black labrador,
After reading Physics with Accoustics at the University of Surrey, Chris started his career at EMI, then went on to design loudspeakers for Bang & Olufsen. He followed with a spell at Reddiplex in Droitwich as General Manager, then moved to Teledyne in Gloucester, working in the highly specialised field of sonar trails, used in deep sea geophysical surveying; in 2005 he was promoted, moving to their head office in Texas. Chris was a man of pride, passion and determination; also caring considerate and professional, and he carried a great warmth about him, with his humour and willingness to hug - that is providing friends and colleagues could handle his laser sharp dry wit. Once described as jokes by Exocet! At the time Chris and his wife Helen moved to the US the Iraqi war was in full flight, and national pride, tensions and passions were high. Not known for a great appreciation or understanding of sarcasm, his new American work colleagues had struggled to understand that not everything he said should be taken quite so literally. At one early meeting the US team were discussing problems they were having in a particular region: local politics was giving them issues, and they were frustrated with the speed of progress; things weren’t getting done, and the US ‘can do’ pride was being damaged. Chris quiet until then simply stated, “well never mind, you could always bomb them!” - apparently the silence in the meeting lasted for some time! However, it was a true reflection on his ability to manage people that they came to appreciate and love his humour and respect him as a person. He was appointed General Manager and Vice President and at Teledyne Geophysical Instruments, and the business went on to achieve great success. But Chris was killed in an automobile accident in the US on 9th January 2011; he is survived by his wife Helen and daughters Hannah & Beth.
At his memorial service Bob Cartwright said: “Chris and I shared many things through life: our formative school years, our teenage social life, reunions, family events, holidays, Christmas and watching our children grow and many, many beers, meals and bottles of wine. When I organised a reunion at the Old Chapel in the 90’s, he volunteered to give me a hand and from that date onwards we spent many happy hours walking in the mountains, talking about the ups and downs of our life, but sharing our love and passion for our families and friends. There have been times in my life when the chips were down and without asking he did a lot for me, but such was his generosity of spirit that he did this for many people when it was within his power to support friends and help ‘get it sorted’, all without compensation: his reward was knowing he had helped, nothing more, and nothing less.”
Bob Cartwright and Simon Oldroyd
Hyder Ali Manir (K 01-06)
The body of a climber was retrieved from Ben Nevis on 6th February 2011, and identified as that of Ali Manir, who had been reported missing a week earlier by his cousin. Ali had failed to return from climbing Ben Nevis with his cousin who had turned back in worsening conditions while Ali continued. Over 900 man hours and eight Mountain Rescue Teams from Lochaber, RAF Kinloss and RAF Valley, Cairngorm, Torridon, Dundonnell, Assynt and Ochils, were involved in the search. Assistance in searching was also provided by SARDA and Northern Constabulary Dog Section, along with Rescue 177 from Gannet and Rescue 137 from Lossiemouth. Searches were carried out over a period of five days and during this time rescue teams had to endure extremely poor weather conditions and reduced visibility. Obviously everything possible was done to bring about a rescue, but to no avail.
[Press release]
Christopher Pite (Staff 64-67)
Revd Peter Hammersley (Hon OV 77-84)
Christopher taught Maths and Economics at Kings from 1964 to 1967. He was educated at Westminster School and Trinity College Cambridge. His first career was in government service as a statistician in Lagos Nigeria. When he returned to the UK he taught at King’s for three years and then returned to government service, first in the Central Statistics Office until 1975 and then at the MOD until he retired in 1981. In retirement Chris worked for the Citizens Advice Bureau for 25 years till 2008; the commitment to public service and to his Christian beliefs guided him throughout his life. He died at the age of 85 and is survived by his wife Jill and by Alison, Sheila and Ralph [Cl 72 – 79].
Colin Cunningham (Staff, 66-70)
Colin Cunningham, who taught Latin at King’s in the late 1960s, died in Cambridge from an unsuspected cancer, after a short illness; he was aged 69. He had coped bravely for some years with dystonia, necessitating the use of a neck brace, but he was energetic and active almost to the end, having only recently stepped down from the chairmanship of the Victorian Society. The son of the Rector of Hanbury, he came to King’s from Oxford, living in the rooms in the Edgar Tower. At Worcester he met and married Alisoun, the daughter of Canon William Purcell. As a member of staff at King’s, Colin was a popular and well-liked teacher, friendly and approachable, actively involved in a range of unusual pursuits. In particular, he ran a school printing club and established the Climbing Club. He was the driving force behind the construction of the school’s first climbing wall, which he designed. Colin taught us not to be afraid of pursuing our individual interests: passionate about so much of what he did, he was a born teacher and communicator; able to share his enthusiasms with others. At this time he printed a little booklet by fellow teacher Paul Cattermole about the church bells at Bale, Norfolk, which Paul had restored with boys from his previous school, Gresham’s. Printed on a hand printing press, it’s a lovely little production illustrated with lino-cuts by Colin himself. At the back it says ‘Printed… at the Pitchfork Press at the Rectory at Hanbury & in the Edgar Tower in the City of Worcester by C.J.K. Cunningham and his friends and finished on April 17th 1969. Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam’.
Well-known as a writer and broadcaster, Colin will be chiefly remembered for his work as an architectural historian and teacher. He was the author of several major studies. From 1973 until his retirement in 1999 he was on the staff of the History of Art & Architecture Department at the Open University. There he was responsible for producing and presenting some excellent BBC OU television programmes on great C19 buildings, the Victorian countryside and on religion. His programme on the Acropolis was the 1989 winner of Council for British Archaeology award for best educative television programme on an archaeological subject. On meeting with Colin in later years, our paths crossing from time-to-time on historical or architectural matters, I was always aware of the seeds of friendship from our shared times at King’s. I’m sure others will remember him with similar affection and gratitude, for the influence on our lives of an endearing and very likeable man.
Chris Pickford
Freda, wife of Donald Anderton (Hon OV, 58 -88) Housemaster of Bright 1964 -88] and mother of Rupert [Cl 75 – 86] died in 2011 at the age of 84. After teaching at Streatham High School and Headington School she taught Geography at the Alice Ottley until she retired to become a full time wife and mother. Perhaps relatively unknown, she was nevertheless an important influence on many through her strong support of Donald. She was always present at the House suppers and helped organise the Bright House stall at the Fetes.
Peter and his family arrived in Worcester, by way of Jamaica, in 1977, to live in College Precincts. King’s was a different kind of place from how it is now: boarding was still strong representing about one third of the school population and girls, day and boarding, had been admitted into the sixth form since 1971. Peter was appointed Chaplain and Head of Religious Studies and became a minor Canon of Worcester Cathedral. In those days staff, if not on duty formally, could generally enjoy a short rest in both morning and lunch breaks. He would always be there to mix with staff and to address any concerns one might have. He smiled often and was very approachable - a genial yet modest man. He hailed from a modest part of the world; a village in north Staffordshire which also spawned RJ Mitchell, designer of the Spitfire.
Morning break would see a largish group of staff attempting to solve that day’s Times Crossword and Peter would contribute as best he could - sometimes even filling in the wrong answers much to everyone’s amusement. Peter Curle, then Second Master, aptly described Peter as being a sympathetic, warm human being with a strong sense of humour. Those who knew him will, of course, have their own fond memories. He blended in so very well yet, with his Holbein looks, could stand out in a crowd. He was there to help and certainly did. He was supported by his wife Diane who also helped with General Studies. Away from school, they often played music together; he the French horn and she the cor anglais. They had two children, Jane and John, now an OV. He left King’s in 1984 to take up the position of Vicar of Holy Innocents’, Kidderminster. He then became diocesan Warden of Readers and Vice-Principal of the Aston Training Scheme and this was the time when he completed his PhD at Birmingham. Subsequently, at the instigation of Dr Peter Selby, then Bishop of Worcester, he became attached to the three local prisons and was involved with Cruse Bereavement Care. Peter died in June 2011, and the service, at St Mary’s, Hanbury, which celebrated his life and ministry was very moving. It was led by the Revd Canon John Green and was attended by a good number of people representing a wide cross-section of his ministry. The Address was given by John Hull, retired Professor of Theology at the University of Birmingham. Diane continues to live in Droitwich to where they moved after he finished at Kidderminster. Edward Reeves - Hon OV
Michael Young (Hon OV 77-91)
I first met Michael in 1984 when he interviewed me for a post at King’s. From the very outset I was struck by his warmth and professionalism although, in replacing another Mason, Tim, many would later comment that Michael only appointed me to save the trouble of changing the nameplates in the department! I worked with him for years and in that time I cannot remember a bad word about him. He was held in high regard by pupils and colleagues alike.
Michael was born in 1925 in Dore, Sheffield, the youngest of three sons. His childhood was spent in Dore and he later boarded at Wycliffe School, before going up to St John’s College, Cambridge, where, interrupted by the War, he read Economics. When called up for service, he trained as a pilot in Florida and was still in training when the war ended. After demobilisation, Michael worked initially at Cadbury’s in the marketing department, but did not really enjoy the work and eventually moved into teaching, primarily Economics, after a conversion course, again at Cambridge. He first taught at Ilford County High School in Essex, moving later to King Edwards Five Ways in Birmingham (briefly), before finally alighting at King’s in 1971. He remained here until his retirement in 1990. Michael met Winifred Darby in the mid 1950s and they were married on 28th December 1959, and had been married just over 50 years when Winifred sadly died in 2009. They lived initially in Chipping Ongar, Essex, moving to Worcester from 1970 until death.
Michael was a regular attender and administrator of chalice at Worcester Cathedral, singing for many years in the Worcester Festival Choral Society and an active member of the Friends’ Committee.
Michael died suddenly and unexpectedly in February 2011, aged 85, following a brain haemorrhage. He is survived by three sons, all of whom attended King’s and eight grandchildren, ranging in age from four to 24.
Russ Mason - Hon OV
John Turner – Hon OV
Freda Anderton
Development
The All Weather Pitch was completed and officially opened in December 2010. This vital addition to The King’s School facilities also breaks new ground as a project which has been completed in partnership between a local state school and an independent school. The facility is located at Bishop Perowne Church of England College on land owned by the County Council and is shared equally between the two schools. The investment has resulted in a valuable amenity being made available to the city as well as providing a facility that is used every day by King’s pupils as part of the Games programme.
The refurbished Games Field Pavilion opened in January 2011 providing increased accommodation for changing and improved hospitality facilities and in May, improvements were completed to the Cricket Pavilion thanks to a generous legacy bequest received from Ray Godsall (42-50)
The access to the school via Castle Place was redesigned to create a sweeping entrance to this side of the school with much needed gates. This was complemented by the addition of detailed signage around the site and at the entrance of the School.
Work was officially started on the Michael Baker Boathouse complex in early December 2010 and good progress has been made throughout the year. Boats have been stored temporarily in the SPACE car park and training facilities have been set up off-site for rowers. The development has inevitably caused some challenges for the Boat Club and staff but the new complex will transform the opportunities we are able to give our rowers and provide an additional function space and training area on the upper floor for use by the whole school community. The facility will be officially opened in March 2012 but it is hoped that it will be completed by the end of 2011.
The Parents’ Annual Fund raised over £10,000 towards new equipment for the boathouse and dance department, shelters and equipment storage at the new all-weather pitch, and for travel and tour bursaries.
The provision of means tested bursaries remains a long term strategic objective for the Trust and Development Office and this year the Trust was able to secure funding for 13.45 full fee bursaries from charitable donations and has been able to help 25 pupils benefit from a King’s Education in the academic year of 2010-11.
£2,972,285
Mike Stevens, Robert Harley and Annual Funds
A lunch was held at Madresfield Court in November for members of the King’s Community who have been major supporters of the Trust and a number of sixth form students joined the guests for this event. Members of the 1541 society (those who have made a legacy pledge to the school) met at the inner temple in May for a presentation by the Headmaster and tour and tea at the Inns of Court.
Sophie Whitworth Foundation Development Director
T HE SPACE CAMPAIGN
The next major development will be the Sports and Performing Arts Centre (SPACE) and plans for this were unveiled to staff, pupils and parents through a series of presentations and a film made about the project.
Events were held for parents thanks to the kind hospitality of Linton and Denise Connell and John and Diana Crabtree. OVs were invited to a series of receptions, including the City of London drinks at the Tower of London attended by OVs working in Finance and Law in March, and a concert conducted by Nicholas Cleobury at King’s College Cambridge. Former parents were also invited back to the school for an open day and tea with the Headmaster.
The Governors plan to start work on the development in the school year 2013/14. 85-90% of the total project costs will be funded through a combination of borrowing and accumulated surplus. The balance will come from a fund-raising campaign.
The planning stage for this campaign has been completed and a Leadership group appointed with a view to launching a future fundraising campaign to help finance this ambitious and transformational project.
The SPACE will include:
• A four-court, multi-use Sports Hall with Gym
• Two Dance and Drama Studios
• A four-storey climbing wall
• New teaching and seminar rooms
• Expansion of Modern Foreign Languages
• A Sixth Form Centre
• An entrance and reception foyer linking the SPACE to the John Moore Theatre
• A new greenroom for the John Moore Theatre
• An underground car park.
The SPACE Leadership Group
Paul Bassett (Ch 76-86) Keith Duddy (Current Parent)
Sophy Bassett (Current Parent) Richard Jones (Ch 76-83)
Denise Connell (Former Parent) Robert McClatchey (H 78-83)
Diana Crabtree (Current Parent) Romano Subiotto (Ca 74-79)
John Crabtree (Current Parent) John Weston (S 62-69)
Linda Crow (Co 88-90)
Parents
The King’s School Parents’ Committee (KSPC) has had a busy and successful year. Under the chairmanship of Rob Richards (OV, Cr 79-84), a number of events have taken place and the school and several charities have benefited from them.
The KSPC numbers 15-20 people. Most of them are parents (with children at all three of the King’s schools) but senior members of staff (the Head, the Bursar, the Second Deputy of the Senior School, and the Deputy Head of King’s St.Alban’s) are also on the committee and are actively engaged in its decisions and events.
KSPC meetings are held regularly throughout the year with the talking and planning followed by frantic ‘roll up your sleeves’ bursts of energy in the days leading up to each event !
The KSPC has three main purposes :
• To organize an annual programme of social events for the enjoyment of parents and children
• To raise money for the benefit of all children in the King’s Foundation, from the very youngest up to the Sixth Formers
• To raise money for charities, most of which are local, and to contribute to the wider Worcester community.
Social Events
There are a number of events that ‘anchor’ our biennial calendar. Every Christmas, there is the Annual Ball. In May, we alternate between the May Day Bank Holiday Fete one year and the Sponsored Walk the next year. Other events are organized at other times of the year.
During the 2010-11 school year, the main events were : our Annual Quiz in October, the Blitz Ball in late November, and the May Day Sponsored Walk.
More than 100 of Worcester’s finest minds gathered in the Dining Hall for the Annual Quiz. Over a number of rounds, it was a closely-fought contest. Those who were not battling it out at the top of the leader board were able to win spot prizes and the fish & chip supper and the bar helped feed and lubricate the over-worked mind ! Finally a successful raffle helped the fund-raising where we raised over £1,200 from the event.
Fully decorated in a 40s theme, College Hall was packed out for the annual parents’ ball. This year’s Blitz theme brought out a large number of fantastic war time costumes that really took us 70 years back in time. The Chapter House was ‘evacuated’ after pre-dinner drinks to the sound of an air raid siren and, following a three course dinner, parents and guests danced the night away to live music provided by “Blind Lemon”. The May Day Sponsored Walk was blessed with nearperfect weather. Warm and dry with a refreshing (if strong) wind. This year’s walk took older pupils from Uptonupon-Severn where Mr. Keyes metaphorically fired the starting pistol, before the massed ranks (and their animals!) followed the River Severn on its course back into Worcester and into the school grounds where many lingered long into the afternoon refuelled by a pig roast, hot and cold drinks and a bar creating a fantastic party atmosphere in the School Gardens.
Fund-raising
Over the last two years, more than £32,000 has been raised directly by KSPC events.
Some of this is spent directly on projects that benefit all pupils. Recent examples are :
On wet days, King’s St. Alban’s and Senior School pupils can now queue outside the dining room and stay dry thanks to the glass-roofed shelter that runs the length of the building and was (partly) financed by KSPC fund-raising.
KSPC funds have recently been spent on the refurbishment of and new equipment for the kitchen at the Old Chapel near Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons. This facility is used extensively by pupils young and old across all the 3 schools and the new kitchen will benefit the entire school community for many years to come.
We have now turned our attention to our next major fund-raising project. We will contribute towards the furnishing and decoration of the Sixth Form Centre within the school’s ambitious SPACE development.
As well as these projects we support and fund other smaller projects across the schools.
Though a significant proportion of our funds are spent within the King’s schools, we take our wider responsibility equally seriously.
Over the last two years sizeable donations have been given to Maggs Day Centre, Noah’s Ark Trust and the Worcester Breast Unit Appeal with smaller donations to other local organisations.
Also, we shouldn’t under-estimate the enjoyment that many people from Worcester (with no direct connection with the school) get from the May Bank Holiday fete.
The KSPC are immensely grateful to the many parents who support and attend our events and help us to make a social and financial contribution to the life of the school and the city.
King’s Hawford is supported by a lively and active Parents’ Association; a report on the PA’s activities is included in the King’s Hawford section on page 51.
R.P. Mason, B.A. Head of Economics/Business St. Marketing Director
S.M. Bain, B.Sc., M.Sc. Biology, Games
M.D. Rudge, B.A. MFL
J.T. Wheeler, B.Sc., C.Chem., M.R.S.C. Chemistry
P.T. Gwilliam, B.A., M.Phil. Head of History Head of Politics
D.E. Brookshaw, B.Mus., F.R.C.O. Director of Music
R.J. Davis, B.A. English
L.M. Solven, B.Ed., M.A. Geography
J.L. Owen, B.A. MFL (Head of French)
C.A. Gallantree-Smith, B.A. MFL
E.R. Hand, B.A. Head of Art
T.R. Sharp, M.A. History, LR Co-ordinator
V.J. Gunter, G.T.C.L., L.T.C.L. Music
S.H. Le Marchand, B.A. English, Drama Head of Sixth Form
F.L. Short, B.A. Head of Girls’ Games
M.C. Poole, B.Sc., PhD. Chemistry
T.D. Marskell, Cert.Ed. Head of Dance, Games
M.R. Dorsett, B.A., M.Th., PhD., Cert.Theol. Chaplain Head of Religious Studies
N.Essenhigh, B.Sc. Biology
R.P. Geary, B.Sc., C.Chem., M.R.S.C. Head of Chemistry
A.A.D. Gillgrass, B.A. Head of Boys’ Games Politics
S.C. Cuthbertson, B.A. Head of Geography
C.T. Haywood, B.A. Art
A.W. Longley, B.A. Head of Fourth Forms Geography
KING’S HAWFORD
Head J. M. Turner, B.Ed., Dip.Ed., ACP Deputy Head A. C. Hymer, M.A., DPSE Assistant Head C. Rawnsley, B.A.
Junior School
Second Deputy R.A. Chapman, B.Sc.
S.M. Atkins, B.A
Head of Drama
J.D. Clark, B.Ed. Games, Geography
M.M. Longley, B.Ed. Mathematics, Games
J.C. Vivian, M.A. Head of ICT
I.C. Robinson, B.Sc. Physics
C.E. Battrum, B.A. Chemistry
D.J. Haddock, M.A., D.Phil. Physics
A.J.M. Maund, M.A. Head of English
C.W.S. Wilson, B.A. Head of Design and Technology
R.A. Ball, M.A. Head of MFL
G.M. Gunter, G.T.C.L., L.T.C.L. Music
A. Hines, B.Sc. Head of Mathematics
D.A. Jones, M.Th. Religious St., Head of PSHE
J.J. Mason, B.Sc. Director of Sport
C. Atkinson, B.Sc. Sports
L.L. Guy, B.A. English
R.J. James, B.Sc., PhD. Chemistry
R.A. Worth, B.Sc. Biology
E.I. Lummas, B.A. Design and Technology, ICT
M.D. Parkin, M.A., PhD. Head of Biology
R.M. Rutter, B.A. MFL
K.G. Adam, B.A. English
A-M. Simpson, B.Sc. Mathematics, Religious St.
S.K. Stone, B.Eng. Physics
E. Allen-Back, M.A. Head of Key Skills, English
L.E. Haddock, B.Sc. Physics
D.J. Salkeld, B.Sc. Mathematics
S.C. Bradley, B.A. Head of Classics
L.M. Brighton, B.Ed. Mathematics, Careers
E. Gittings, B.A. Economics and Business St.
M.J. Newby, B.Ed. Biology
D.N.M. Orr, B.A. Geography
C.J.B. Allsop, M.A., F.R.C.O. Music
O.K. Beveridge, B.Ed. Sports (Head of Netball)
J. Bayliss, B.Sc. M. Sturrock, B.A.QTS.
L. Baxter, B.Sc. K . Turk, B.A., M.A. J. Broderick, B.Ed. D. Peters, B.Mus. R.B. Cook, B.Sc. J. Redman, B.Ed., I.Med., A. Drenth, B.A. M.A. Appl Linguistics
D. Goodayle, B.Ed.QTS. S. Roscoe, Cert.Ed., LUIE
A. Marshall-Walker, B.A. J.M. Tune, B.Sc.
Pre-Prep P. M. Bradley, B.Ed. Head of Pre-Prep and Kindergarten J. N. Willis, B.A. Head of Early Years
D. Atkinson NVQ3 A. Kingston, B.A.
J. Farmer, B.Ed. C. Knight, B.Ed., OCR Cert. M. Farmer R. Pearman, B.A.
H. Fowler, B.A., OCR Cert. S. Powell, B.A.
C.A. Griffin, B.A. G. Riley, B.Sc.
S.A. Gwilliam, B.A. J. Simons
A.L. Jeavons, B.A. N. Thomas
E. Jennings
S. Watts, Cert.Ed.
K. Jones J. Wilson, B.Ed.
Director of Studies R.C. Baum, M.A.
J.H. Chalmers, B.Appl.Sc. Biology Games (Head of Rowing)
A.G. Deichen, B.A. Design and Technology, ICT
R.S. Gilbert, M.A. Art
L. Lawson-Pratt, M.A. Biology, Games
C.M. Lea, B.Sc. Geography
J.C. Mosley, B.A. History, Politics
L.A. Walmsley, B.A. English
J. Knipe, B.A. Learning Skills
J. Lucas, B.A. Head of Learning Skills
R.J. Shearburn, B.A. MFL (Head of Spanish)
G.L. Williams, B.A. Economics and Business St.
A.J. Ford, B.A. History
H.M. Holden, B.A. Design and Technology
A.A. Kerley, B.Eng. Mathematics
S.J. Osmond, M.A. Physics
C.J. White, B.A. MFL
L.K. Woodruff, B.A. History, Classics
J.K. Wootton, B.A. Classics
K.H. Beever, M.A., C.Eng. Mathematics
S.L. Capewell, B.Sc. Chemistry
S. Davison, B.Sc. Mathematics
J.N. Gardiner, B.A. Mathematics
J.O.S. Hand, B.A. Mathematics
J.R. Hewitt, B.A. Art
C.R. Horacèk, B.A. Art
F.S. MacSwiney, M.A. Classics
R.J. Stanley, M.A. MFL
C.N. Wright, B.A. MFL
KING’S ST. ALBAN’S
Head R. T. Bellfield, B.Ed. Deputy Head W. Toleman, B.A. Director of Studies D. Braithwaite, B.Ed.
Junior School F. Atkinson, B.Sc. M.A. Keyes, M.A. J. Bailey, B.Ed. J. Leach, B.Ed., D.P.S.E. N. Cain, B.A. E. Lewis, B.Ed. R. Duke, B.A. V. Martin, Dip.RSA., Sp.LD. I. Fry, M.A. J. Pitts, B.Ed. H. Haggarty, B.A. S. Williams (Games) A. Hind, B.Sc. C. Woodcock, B.A. L. Jackson, M.A. E. Wyatt, B.Sc. K . Kear-Wood, B.Sc.
Pre-Prep A. Roberts, B.A. Head of Pre-Prep K . Forster, B.A. E. Monkhouse J. Hadfield, B.A. N. Mountjoy N. Hobson
