The Quad – Summer 2024

Quad The LANCING COLLEGE

In this Issue

Lancing

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T +44 (0) 1273 452 213 info@lancing.org.uk

Lancing Prep Hove

The Droveway, Hove, East Sussex BN3 6LU T 01273 503 452 hove@lancing.org.uk

Lancing Prep Worthing

Broadwater Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 8HU T 01903 201 123 worthing@lancing.org.uk

Lancing College, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 0RW T +44 (0) 1273 465 707/708 foundation@lancing.org.uk

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Welcome

The Lancing of 2024 is excelling academically and well beyond the classroom. We are cosmopolitan and outward-looking. We are rightfully recognised as outstanding by the Inspectorate.

What’s more, via our Foundationer programme, we are noted as a beacon for social engagement amongst independent schools. We have evolved over the last 175 years and Woodard’s educational mission is not only alive it is vibrant and full of joy.

Our 175th year has been packed with the fizz and crackle of rightful celebration. Let’s remember a few highlights: the portraits in the dining hall – such a popular installation that it is set to remain in situ for at least another six months; BBC broadcasts; a high-profile music première; wonderful lectures to delight, inform, and entertain; community projects from the marvellous madness of Beware the Mackerel Sky to raising just shy of £40,000 for our partners in Malawi and charities chosen by the students ... breathless stuff, and the list could go on a good deal further.

I have loved all our special events but my delight in them has been heightened because they take place amidst the quotidian matter of the routine of the school and the pumping arterial blood of the Lancing day-to-day is itself something very special indeed. With this in mind, the conclusion of the academic year also marks the first cohort of students completing the Sixth Form Diploma. The Diploma is a way in which we try to distil the spirit of Lancing, those over-arching attributes that unite all

of the many, many things that happen across the College. We seek to measure individual contributions in scholarship, physical endeavour, community, culture, and leadership throughout the course of a week, a term, a year, and indeed a whole Lancing career. I am delighted that over 40% of this year’s Upper Sixth cohort received a Gold award, an accolade given only to those whose commitment is absolutely outstanding across the piece.

I had very mixed feelings when the term began with the announcement of my move to the Headship of Oundle School in twelve months’ time. It’s an exciting opportunity but I will miss this place – it has got into my bones and the farewells, when they come, will be heartfelt. However, we are not there yet and it will be very much ‘business as usual’ over the year to come. With that in mind, I am delighted that the year has been bookended with the Chair’s announcement of Dr Scott Crawford as Lancing’s new Head from September 2025. This is an exciting appointment and I am looking forward to working with Dr Crawford over the next 12 months to ensure a smooth and happy transition.

I concluded my Founder’s Day speech with some words from the narrative historian G M Trevelyan. His dual meditations on his own life and educational optimism merit repetition:

Never tell a young person that anything cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing.

In 1848 many people told Nathaniel Woodard that this school was, if not an impossibility, the sort of fantasy project that would not last. 175 years later, the impossible project lives on. As I reflect on the joys of our anniversary I look forward to another 175 years of history and of Lancing enabling young people to do incredible things.

With my best wishes for a wonderful summer,

DOMINIC OLIVER Head Master

A Year to remember

This year has been a momentous year in the College’s history as we celebrated our 175th Birthday. An opportunity to commemorate our past and a chance to look ahead with excitement and promise

There have been a variety of gatherings, projects, events and opportunities to celebrate our founder, Nathaniel Woodard and all those that have made the College what it is today.

One of the first projects in our 175th Anniversary celebrations was the commissioning of a visual timeline, detailing the history of Lancing College, which captures the attention of all visitors as it hangs proudly on display in Reception. The timeline spans the history of Lancing College, from its founding in 1848 up to the present day. The timeline also highlights key moments in world history alongside significant events that have changed the course of the school.

The Dining Hall has played host to 28 curated 175th Anniversary portraits throughout the academic year. Each portrait holder was nominated by members of the Lancing Community who were encouraged to recommend a person who has made – or is making – a positive and major difference to the College and the world. The wide-ranging final selection includes OLs, current and former members of staff and Governors. Each portrait was taken by the acclaimed British portrait photographer Fran Monks and they hang in an ambitious installation alongside the formal portraiture of our Founder and founding benefactors.

We have been honoured to welcome a series of speakers for the 175th Anniversary Head Master’s Lectures, including Professor Mary Ann Lund, Sir Nigel Bogle OBE (Olds 1960–1964) and Pat Fry. Each speaker gave informative and inspiring insights about their profession and answered an array of questions from pupils and guests.

Music has played a significant role in celebrations this year. From the broadcast recording of Choral Evensong from the Chapel for BBC Radio 3 to Choral Vespers, Britten’s Ceremony of Carols set in the candlelit splendour of the Chapel. Lancing College Chapel played host to community folk opera Beware the Mackerel Sky, where local schools and a variety of performers (almost 400 in total) came together in three separate performances. The project was in collaboration with Sing with Strings and Bernardi Music Group, more of which can be read about in the next article.

A highlight of the musical festivities was the 175th Anniversary Concert at Southwark Cathedral. Current parents, former parents, OLs, staff and pupils gathered in celebration to the sounds of our musical talent, including the College Choir, Choral Scholars, Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, String Quartet, Wind Quintet, pianists, our saxophone quartet Honk!, visiting musicians and soloists, all led by Director of Music, Alexander Mason. The programme was devised to demonstrate the richness of music at Lancing, with 75 pupils in the school taking part. It was truly spectacular and unforgettable.

This exceptional year culminated in our magnificent 175th Anniversary Ball. You can read more about the event in this issue. It was an opportunity for us all to gather together and toast our past, celebrate the present and look forward to the future with great excitement and promise.

What a year it has been. What an amazing 175 years!

Beware the Mackerel Sky

Earlier this Summer Term, Lancing College Chapel hosted a community company of musicians and spectators for a unique musical performance project in celebration of our 175th Anniversary.

180 local Sussex school children (from primary, prep, and secondary schools) united in the Lancing College Chapel for three spectacular world première performances of dramatic local smuggling tale Beware the Mackerel Sky. The children performed alongside the Lancing College Choir, musicians from the Yehudi Menuhin School, the Bernardi Music Group String Academy and Opera soloists.

A grand total of 381 multi-generational and multi-disciplined performers filled the Chapel with the sounds which blended choral, opera, musical theatre, folk and orchestral music.

Composer and Sing with Strings Project Manager, Christopher Hussey reflects on the incredible weekend, ‘I was exceedingly proud of all the singers and instrumentalists from whom emanated such spirit, enthusiasm, and joy in bringing to life our smuggling folk opera in the glorious Chapel! It was so humbling to see such whole-hearted participation and skilful execution from each of the performing groups, from the adults’ chorus and principal singers to the children’s choir and orchestra. Their independent rehearsal and collective collaboration perfectly demonstrated the power of a cooperative community – whether smuggling on the beaches of Shoreham in the 19th century or music-making in the 21st – Huzzah!’

Lancing College Director of Music, Alexander Mason, said, ‘It has been a privilege for Lancing College to host such an inspiring project. Beware the Mackerel Sky has brought together instrumentalists and singers young and old from across the region in a truly celebratory event.

Bravo to all involved!’

Head Master, Dominic Oliver, added, ‘We were delighted to welcome participants and the local community to the Beware the Mackerel Sky performance project in our magnificent College Chapel. The event was an important celebration in our 175th Anniversary calendar. Congratulations to Sing with Strings, Bernardi Music Group String Academy, the Yehudi Menuhin School, and all performing groups on such a spectacular musical collaboration.’

The Team:

• Artistic Director – Andrew Bernardi

• Composer and Project Manager – Christopher Hussey

• Book/Stage Director – Theresa Gooda (based on an original book and lyrics by Charlie Olsen)

• Conductor – Steve Dummer

• Chorus Directors – Emily Barden, Aedan Kerney MBE and Alexander Mason

• Narrator – Sue Pollard

• Opera Singers – Daisy Bevan, Juliet Schiemann, Graham Neal and Benjamin Bevan

• Soloists – James Gardner, James Potten and Maya Sewrey

Full list of performing groups and school choirs: Yehudi Menuhin School, Farlington School, Bernardi Music Group String Academy, Lancing College Choir, College Singers, Lancing Prep Hove, Lancing Prep Worthing, Prebendal School, The Boundstone Chorus, Sir Robert Woodard Academy, Worthing Choral Society, Sompting Village Primary School, Southwater Junior Academy and The Weald School.

Party like it’s 175 ...

On Saturday 29 June our community gathered together for the 175th Anniversary Ball. OLs, former parents, Governors, current parents, staff and friends of the College reunited and celebrated the past, present and future of Lancing.

The spectacular ball began with a ‘Sussex Bubbles’ drinks reception on the Chapel lawn, accompanied by delicious canapés.

Guests then made their way to the flower-filled, sparkling marquee in the Lower Quad where they enjoyed a sumptuous summertime feast prepared by award-winning caterers Caper & Berry. Speeches were made by Head Master, Dominic Oliver, and Chair of Governors, Martin Slumbers, who also honoured the Head Master’s decade at Lancing College.

Following dinner, The Dark Blues band filled the dancefloor with classic and favourite tunes before fireworks lit up the sky in a beautiful display, illuminating the Sussex Downs. A special fire-lit ‘175’ shimmered in the shadows of Lancing College Chapel. The party then continued with guests dancing their shoes off until carriages at midnight. A party and celebration that will long be remembered!

Head Master’s Lecture Pat Fry

On Wednesday 22 May, Lancing College pupils, OLs and staff were treated to a private lecture from Chief Technical Officer at Williams Racing Formula 1 team, and Lancing College parent, Pat Fry.

Pat’s lecture inspired the audience, many of whom are looking to study engineering at university, to look for professions within motorsport. He detailed his highlights and explored the immense advancements within Formula 1 throughout his almost four-decade long career in the sport. Speaking through each of his roles at a wide variety of Formula 1 teams, including McLaren and Ferrari, Pat’s lecture illustrated the varied opportunities of a career in motorsport.

From partnering with athletes as a race engineer to leading high performing teams to develop and deliver results in high pressured environments, Pat’s career in Formula 1 has been phenomenal. It was an absolute pleasure to host Pat Fry as the final Head Master’s Lecture speaker in our special 175th Lecture series.

Evelyn Waugh Lecture

We were honoured to welcome Sir Gregory Doran as our guest for the 2024 Evelyn Waugh Lecture.

Sir Greg, the Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at the University of Oxford, was knighted in the 2024 New Year’s Honours for services to the Arts.

An outstanding Shakespearian with an illustrious career, he was Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 2012 to 2022. He was with the RSC for 36 years, starting his career as an actor before becoming a director. He became the company’s associate director in 1996 and worked closely with the RSC’s previous artistic director, the late Sir Michael Boyd.

‘Shakespeare has been a passport through my life, and I have been privileged to be able to spend so much of my career working with the very greatest company dedicated to his work, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and sharing his genius with as many as possible around the world.’

Sir Greg’s wonderfully engaging lecture took the audience behind the scenes of his challenges and successes of staging Shakespeare’s most famous plays. He also read vignettes from his new book, My Shakespeare: A Director’s Journey through the First Folio, which included stories from his 2008 production of Hamlet with David Tennant and Anthony and Cleopatra at The Swan with Patrick Stewart and Harriet Walker in 2006.

Everyone then made their way to the beautifully illuminated Dining Hall for supper, where Sir Greg graciously signed copies of his book.

The Evelyn Waugh Lecture and Dinner is an ‘invitation only’ annual event to thank our donors and volunteers who support the Lancing Foundationers Campaign.

End of an Era ...

We would like to pay tribute to the following staff who left us at the end of the Summer Term.

This year’s cohort of Sport Assistants have made a tremendous contribution to the life of the College. We wish Josh Dolan, Abi Willetts, Cory Swinfield and Phoebe Whitelam all the best in their next career steps.

Ethan McDonnell joined us as a Graduate Assistant in the Drama Department in 2022. That same year, Curtis Vetter joined us as a Music Graduate Assistant. We wish him well as he takes up a prestigious scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music.

Clara Keeble and Gabrielle Boutin joined us for one year covering maternity leaves in Classics and Biology respectively.

Megan Holmes joined us in September as a Graduate Teacher of History from the University of Cambridge and despite many blandishments, she has been lured back to Cambridge to continue her academic career.

Philip Byrne joined the Economics Department in January, initially to cover staff illness. Imperturbable, an excellent teacher, he will be much missed as he goes to take up the role of Head at St Paul’s Catholic College, Burgess Hill, in September.

Harriet Broom joined the Art and Photography Department from the University of Brighton in 2022. She now moves to a parallel role at BHASVIC.

Dr Jenny Hartley joined the Music Department as Head of Academic Music and Assistant Director of Music in 2023; in the autumn she returns to Manchester to take up a role at Chetham’s School of Music.

Richard Dolan joined Lancing from City of London Freeman’s School where he had been Assistant Head (Sixth Form). He took up the newly-created post of Assistant Head Safeguarding in September 2020 and made it his own. Kindly, measured, analytical and organised he wears his talents lightly and he can, and does, talk with anyone. In the lunch queue, visiting Houses, chatting with the Matrons or the Grounds Team, he knows everyone and is known. He has ensured that our systems are robust, that staff training is exemplary, that all invest in the safeguarding culture of the school and that he is accessible. He manages a lightness of touch with consummate professionalism and humane warmth.

He has proved a superb addition to the Economics Department, an excellent Year Group Co-Ordinator for the Lower Sixth and a much-loved tutor in School House. Mr Dolan leaves us to take up the reins as Head of the Senior School at Downsend School.

Judith Renfrew joined Lancing as Head of Art maternity cover in February 2021 – and was made permanent from February 2022. From her opening days here, it was apparent we had struck gold. Creative, visionary, an excellent communicator, she has run a happy Department, developed pupils and staff alike, relished the seriousness of her calling and enabled pupils to challenge and stretch themselves. She has been an excellent Tutor – both to individuals and in Field’s House – and a superb colleague. She will be hugely missed as she takes up a new role in the UAE.

Pat King began as Examinations Officer in August 2008, a role that has grown significantly in scope and responsibility. Her administrative skills are legendary, and she never misses a detail. Pat’s attention to detail and ability to see the big picture are unparalleled and during COVID, she not only managed the administration of centre-assessed grades but also set up and ran our COVID testing centre in the Sports Hall. She is immensely kind, principled, warm, and focused on the wellbeing of each pupil.

Mrs Qiao Liang retires this summer after 21 years as our teacher of Chinese. A kind, wise and thoughtful teacher and colleague she has also been the driving force behind the legendary Lancing celebrations of Chinese New Year.

Nigel Brookes joined Lancing College in January 1981. Across the intervening 43 years and two terms, Mr Brookes has taught Mathematics to thousands of pupils with undiminished enthusiasm. He has championed, led and inspired Cross-Country and kept the tradition of the Five Mile Race alive and thriving. He is a man of great kindness and persistence – and never abandons pupils to the clouds of unknowing.

From the early Malawi expeditions (bathing in crocodileinfested rivers; walking 20 miles a day) to numerous trips and visits, to his support of Lancing music, drama and the endeavours of his tutees, to the Maths Olympiad, Nigel is one of a kind. He is a committed and loyal House Tutor and Assistant Housemaster. If you want something doing efficiently an promptly, then give it to Nige. He has his lessons planned for the next term by the end of the previous one. He knows his students’ strengths and weaknesses well, his memory of past students (and staff) is second to none, and his store of amusing anecdotes from the past four decades is extensive. His influence and impact have been profound and the thought of his retirement hard to fathom – but his grandchildren will certainly be the beneficiaries of Lancing’s loss.

Mechthild Brookes makes up the other half of this Lancing duo. She joined Lancing in 1988 teaching German and the Brookes’ brought up a family in Hoe Court. Over the years Mechthild has taught German across the years of the school, has run conversation classes, has taught EAL and has been Assistant Housemistress in both Field’s and Sankey’s Houses. Her kindness, thoughtfulness, efficiency and support of all her pupils has characterised her time here and we will miss Mechthild and Nigel separately and as a pair who operate both within their own spheres and in complete harmony.

TO all of you – thank you and farewell.

Farewell to our Heads of School

Now that the academic year has come to an end, it is time to say farewell to our Heads of School, and our Upper Sixth. We wish them all the best for the future. We know, however, that it is only ‘bye for now’ as we look forward to welcoming them back for one of our many OL events ...

‘Just like that, five/two incredible years have come to an end. Congratulations, Upper Sixth: we did it! Thank you to every one of you who made my time at Lancing so special. I’m so lucky to have grown up with all of you. As we all set off on different paths, we share our Lancing journey together. I wish you all the best – each one of you is capable of so much! Although this is goodbye (for now) I can’t wait to hear of your achievements years from now. ‘

Rosalind Dyer

‘What an exceptional few years these have been! As a year group, your vast array of talents, passions and interests are something that cannot be taken for granted, and what we have achieved during our time together here at Lancing is remarkable. Similarly, I know that our destinations beyond Lancing are equally as varied, and I wish you all every success in your respective futures – wherever that may lead you. I will remember my time here so fondly, so for that I thank you all, and I hope our time together will serve you well.’

Alex Mawhinney

‘The past years have been ones filled with chaos, but also much laughter. Although we’ve known our time at Lancing would eventually come to end, it’s still going to be a big – if not strange – change for all. As we depart, the memories will stay strong, and through the future years I hope you all look back with as much fondness as I will. I wish everyone the best of luck wherever they are going, and thank you for all the fun that has been had over the years.’

Kayleb Meierdirk

‘The five years many of us have spent together, and for those who joined us along the way, is over. It has been a wonderful experience, and while not perfect, it has shaped us into the young adults we are today. I will miss the community that surrounds us here, all the opportunities to try new things and the moments made as a year group. We should all be incredibly proud of how far we have come as individuals. I wish us all nothing but the best in the future.’

Louisa Vershima

The Heart of Lancing College

At the heart of our support system lies the Lancing College Health Centre, a sanctuary of care that goes above and beyond to ensure that every pupil thrives in a safe, nurturing environment.

We have recently welcomed a new Health Centre Manager, Katy Crane (above left), to the Lancing College community and are excited to see the impact she will make in her role. Read on to learn about what sets our Health Centre apart and how caring for our pupils it at the heart of all we do at Lancing College.

The Lancing College Health Centre operates more as a holistic wellbeing hub than a conventional medical facility. It is open 24/7, ensuring that help is always available whenever students need it. Staffed by a dedicated team of six qualified nurses with over a century of combined experience, the centre embodies the perfect blend of professional medical care and maternal warmth.

The core of the Health Centre’s mission is to provide comprehensive medical care to both boarders and day pupils. From administering day-to-day medications to managing more serious health concerns, the Centre covers a broad spectrum of medical needs. A GP visits twice a week, ensuring pupils have regular access to a doctor, while a physiotherapist is on hand for any potential sports injuries that come with an active school life.

In addition to routine medical care, the Health Centre is equipped to handle emergencies, take blood samples, and manage repeat prescriptions, ensuring that all boarders have their medications readily available. The Centre also facilitates referrals to specialists and counsellors, ensuring students have access to the best possible care.

Lancing College recognises the unique challenges faced by students living away from home, often for the first time. The Health Centre serves as a ‘time out’ space, a safe haven where they can retreat should they ever feel overwhelmed. ‘We provide a calm environment where students can rest, recuperate, and recharge,’ Katy shared. The Centre offers more than just medical care; it provides emotional support with a side of tea and biscuits, creating a homely atmosphere that ensures pupils feel secure and cared for.

Beyond immediate medical care, the Health Centre is deeply involved in promoting long-term health and wellbeing among students. Monthly drop-in sessions focus on crucial health topics such as hydration, sun protection, sleep hygiene, and stress management. These sessions aim to equip pupils with

the knowledge and habits necessary for a healthy lifestyle, both during their time at Lancing and beyond.

One of the standout features of the Health Centre is its meticulous approach to personalised care. Upon joining the school, each family completes a comprehensive medical form, ensuring that the Centre is fully informed about their health history. This information is used to create individualised care plans, particularly for those with regular medication needs or allergies. These are shared with relevant staff and parents, ensuring everyone involved in the student’s life is informed and prepared while maintaining confidentiality.

The Health Centre is an integral part of Lancing College’s broader pastoral care system. It works closely with Housemasters and Housemistresses, Matrons, Tutors, and the Senior Deputy Head to monitor wellbeing. This collaborative approach ensures that any signs of stress, fatigue, or anxiety are promptly addressed, providing a seamless support network that attends to both the physical and emotional needs of students.

The team at the Health Centre brings a wealth of experience and diverse backgrounds to their roles. Their collective expertise spans various fields of nursing, and many are parents themselves, adding an extra layer of empathy and understanding to their duties. ‘We all enjoy working with adolescents and enjoy trying to solve the conundrums and puzzles with which they often present,’ Katy noted, emphasising the team’s dedication and enthusiasm.

Accessibility is a key feature of the Health Centre. It is open from 7am to 10pm, with at least one nurse on duty overnight to ensure round-the-clock care. The Centre sees between 20 and 50 pupils a day, and during peak times such as induction periods, this number can rise to as many as 130. Despite the high volume, the team remains committed to treating each student as an individual, offering tailored support and care.

Ultimately, the Lancing College Health Centre is more than just a medical facility; it is a community of care. It provides a vital service that not only addresses the physical health of pupils but also supports their emotional and psychological wellbeing.

... And ACTION!

In the penultimate week of term, the College Marketing team embarked on a new project – a promotional film to give prospective parents a glimpse into the incredible experience that is Lancing College.

We are known for being the ‘Chapel on the Hill’, but we all know that Lancing is so much more than that, and now it is time to showcase this to the world! Pupils had great fun recreating incredible scenes inside the Chapel, from hockey practice to DT and Science; even Mr Atkinson’s dog made the cast list.

Thank you for letting me participate in the school film! It has been an amazing experience filming with a professional team. There were lots of memories made and fears overcome. It’s not an everyday thing that you’ll get filmed by a drone. I cannot be more grateful to join in the making of this film.

GLADYS CHENG, FOURTH FORM

I really enjoyed the unique filming experience. Playing hockey and doing science experiments in the chapel is definitely an experience I’ll never forget. The voiceover part of the filming was also really exciting, knowing my voice will be on the film.

FIN SUTCLIFFE, LOWER SIXTH

I really enjoyed the filming. It wasn’t intimidating and the camera crew were very kind. It was great to be a part of it.

BIBI WEBB, THIRD FORM

We look forward to sharing the finished product at the end of the summer!

Annual Founder’s Day celebrates Lancing’s 175 Years

Founder’s

Day at Lancing College has always been a highlight in the

calendar, and this year was no different. The sun was shining as the Lancing community took their seats for the service of thanksgiving in the Chapel – a joyous celebration of everything that is Lancing College.

We were treated to the World Première of The Lancing Beatitudes by British composer Roxanna Panufnik, which was commissioned to celebrate the 175th Anniversary of the founding of the College. Roxanna studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music and her works for opera, ballet, choirs, orchestras and chamber music and music for film and television are performed all over the world.

Roxanna Panufnik writes: ‘When Alexander Mason, Director of Music at Lancing College, approached me with a 175th anniversary commission, he requested the Beatitudes (the solemn blessings which open the Sermon on the Mount) because of the College’s

motto Beati Mundo Corde (‘Blessed are the pure in heart’). He also requested some plainsong in the piece and having recently fallen in love with the gorgeous 9th century hymn Veni Creator Spiritus (attributed to Frankish Benedictine Monk Rabanus Maurus), I was only too happy to oblige.

The texts seem to complement each other right from the start – the plainsong opening with ‘Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,’ introducing the Beatitudes’ eight blessings. The desperation of ‘they which do hunger and thirst’ with imploring ‘To thee, the Comforter, we cry’. The Beatitudes finish with ‘for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ as the plainsong extolls ‘perfect faith for evermore’.‘

After a short refreshment break in the Dining Hall, overlooked by the image of the Founder and those who have gone before, as well as the stunning 175th portrait installation of some of the amazing Lancing College community past and present, the festivities continued.

The school community and parents of prizewinners, then headed back to the Chapel for the Prizegiving ceremony and address from the Deputy Chair of the Governing Body, Henry Lawson. Mr Lawson spoke about his time at the school and the enduring values that have defined Lancing College for the past 175 years. What resonated most with the audience were the reflections from past Heads of School, each of whom described how they were given

the space to thrive in the areas they were most passionate and made lifelong friendships. The current Heads of School also shared their individual, inspiring and memorable stories of school, knowing that they will always be welcomed and supported by the Lancing College community.

The ceremony celebrated a wide range of outstanding achievements across the College, including not just academic successes, but also triumphs in Drama, Music, the Combined Cadet Force (CCF), Dance, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. This year also saw the addition of the prestigious Professor Sir Roy Calne awards for Art and Sciences.

With the formal ceremonies complete, it was time to relax and enjoy the festivities of the day. A mini

fairground, delicious street food, and the Festival of Sports – the grand finale of Tuesday’s Sports Day – provided ample entertainment. The Music Department added to the atmosphere with live music wafting out from the balcony of the Shearwood Pavilion. The day was rounded off with a delightful Alice in Wonderland-themed afternoon tea, a nod to the fabulous promenade theatre experience performed by the Third and Fourth Form earlier in the week, before everyone headed off for Half Term.

Speaking about the event, Dominic Oliver, Head Master said, ‘This was a truly joyful day and a chance for the whole community to celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of our pupil body. Families, pupils and guests all took real delight in the chance to

be together for the festivities. In our 175th anniversary year it was a time to be especially proud of our history, to be inspired and to look forward with unbridled optimism.’

Founder’s Day at Lancing College is a cherished tradition that celebrates the school’s rich history, its vibrant present, and the bright futures of its pupils. This year’s event, with its blend of formality, celebration, and school spirit, once again captured the essence of what makes Lancing College so special.

Founder’s Day Music

Music on Founder’s Day falls into three distinct sections: choral music in the Service of Thanksgiving; ceremonial music for the Prizegiving ceremony and music for entertainment in the afternoon from the Cricket Pavilion Roof.

Roxanna Panufnik’s commission is covered earlier in this magazine, so it’s important to highlight the music making at other junctures on Founder’s Day. Honk! and the specially formed Founder’s Day Ensemble set the tone for Prizegiving with Mr Vetter directing a dynamic performance of Cyclone by Michael Oare and a Fanfare by Director of Music, Mr Mason. Chris Clay rounded off proceedings with a majestic performance of Karg-Elert’s Nun Danke alle Gott. During the afternoon the pupils played magnificently from the Cricket Pavilion roof. There’s something about performing ‘from above’ which adds an extra layer of excitement! All performers were superb, but of particular note was Hannah Ward’s singing of some of her own songs and of course Concert Band’s annual performance of Chariots of Fire went down a treat.

Below, some of our pupil musicians share their experience of Founder’s Day:

‘Founder’s Day is a highlight of the school’s calendar. Its warm weather, bumper cars and, of course, all the musical showcasing cultivates the atmosphere of a fun and friendly community. This year it was very exciting for the choir to be able to work with renowned composer, Roxanna Panufnik, on her new piece commissioned by Lancing for its première during the Thanksgiving service. As part of Big Band and Concert Band I enjoyed continuing the festivities on the Cricket Pavilion roof playing an eclectic range of repertoire. There was also an opportunity for student conductors to take up the baton and lead.’

Isaac Hussey

‘It was a wonderful experience getting to play in the Founder’s Day ensemble for the first time this year. The live performances on the Pavilion roof in combination with the sunny weather made a really enjoyable Founder’s Day. It was also an honour to be a part of the première of the Lancing Beatitudes with Roxanna Panufnik there to hear it.’

Lili Rashbrook

‘Being in both the choir and A Cappella Club it was amazing to be able to perform a variety of music in two very different spaces. The highlight of the service in the chapel was undoubtedly singing music by the renowned composer Roxanna Panufnik and having the opportunity to perform that music to her. Later on, the singing on the Pavilion roof was a great experience to enjoy the views of the exciting sports going on below, and to perform to friends and family.’

Ria Yadav

‘Founder’s Day marked my final opportunity to play and sing from the Cricket Pavilion roof. It is arguably the most mysterious performance spot in the school, since no one looks at the Pavilion from the driveway and associates it with music. I enjoyed being part of making Sports Day suitably Olympic with the Concert Band’s rendition of Chariots of Fire.’

Hannah Cleallsmith

‘I thoroughly enjoyed playing in the Founder’s Day ensemble, it was a great experience which I was glad to be a part of from playing for the procession of the Head Master, to finishing off the service. Also, playing on the Cricket Pavilion roof as part of big band was such fun. It was very relaxed; we played songs we knew quite well so we were just enjoying ourselves with the other people playing in the band on a warm summer’s day.’

Elisabeth

de Robert Hautequere

‘For me, being a part of the music for Founder’s Day was very special. I felt very included in all that was happening, although I was not participating in the sport. This was a great experience and I particularly enjoyed standing on the balcony of the Cricket Pavilion playing as a group in both Big Band and Concert Band.’

Xander Graham

‘The musical festivities began with Roxanna Panufnik’s new commission The Lancing Beatitudes which I really enjoyed. I enjoyed hearing Honk! play Arrival of the Queen of Sheba before prize-giving and an amazing rendition of Karg-Elert’s Nun Danke alle Gott played by Chris Clay on the Chapel organ. Finally, I was delighted to be asked to lead Concert Band for my final time playing on the Cricket Pavilion roof. This included Chariots of Fire, a Founder’s Day favourite. I will be sad not to experience the musical festivities of Founder’s Day again in the future, as I have enjoyed it every year.’

Theo Almond

‘Performing on the Cricket Pavilion on Founder’s Day was such a lovely experience. There was a wide variety of music that added a great atmosphere to the day.’

Hannah Ward

‘The Founder’s Day service this year was really enjoyable as, even though it was short, the school pupils and staff were present, and it was a moment of calm before the madness of the sportfilled afternoon. Playing on the Cricket Pavilion roof is always fun and I loved playing the Chariots of Fire theme with Concert Band before the runners start – everyone hears it! It gives us the opportunity to play to a very large audience with less pressure as they are also watching the games as well as listening to the live music.’

Izzy Moss

‘From performing with the A Cappella Club, to conducting Concert Band and playing in the ensemble, my first Founder’s Day was an incredibly enjoyable and musically rich experience, and I am very much looking forward to next year’s celebration.’

Enoch Lo

External Recognition

Lancing

College is delighted to have been recognised in a number of awards this term.

We have been Highly Commended in the The Debrett’s Education Award for Outstanding Pastoral Care category, in this year’s Muddy Stilettos School Awards in association with Debretts Education. Hundreds of schools were considered across the award’s 13 categories, and we are thrilled our exceptional pastoral care, highlighted as a Significant Strength in the Independent Schools Inspectorate’s 2023 report, has been acknowledged with this honour.

The College has been shortlisted for an Independent School of the Year award 2024 in the Unsung Hero of the Year category, acknowledging our exceptional Catering team, led by Head of Catering, Hannah Bond. Finalists will be announced in September and winners, chosen by an independent panel of expert judges, will be revealed at the awards ceremony in October.

Education Choices Magazine named Lancing College as winners of the Working with Local Charities accolade in the Education Choices Awards 2024. The award honours our Charities Term and is a testament to the hard work and

dedication of our pupils who planned a series of House events and fundraising activities in aid of their chosen House charities. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and delighted their endeavours have been recognised by Education Choices Magazine

The charities supported by the Houses this year include: West Sussex MND; ActionAidUK; Farm Africa; The Lily Foundation; Turning Tides; Men in Mind; JDRF; Chestnut Tree House; Action for Children; and Caritas Bhakita House.

Reasons for supporting each charity and the various activities and events were varied and took great planning and communication. In total £11,500 was raised by the pupils for their chosen charities in the Lent Term.

Senior Deputy Head, Hilary Dugdale, writes: ‘The Houses band together for a week at a time to raise money and awareness for their chosen charity in the Lent Charities’ Term. There are four weeks dedicated to fund-, fun- and awarenessraising and charitable giving.’

Biology Trip to Juniper Hall

For me, the idea that the study of Biology must have a bearing on improving the human condition raises the question of whether science research should be entirely at the service of human needs, or perhaps biologists should retain the freedom to pursue knowledge for its own sake – albeit with eventual application in mind.

Our Biology trip to Dorking was a sensory experience. It was both fulfilling and restorative for the self, as we experienced ‘being in touch’ and connected with our surroundings.

On the first day, our investigation took place in the woodlands of Lodgehill. Enveloped in the tapestry of greenery, we were able to conduct a series of random samplings to compare the species diversity of field flora in two habitats: coppiced and mature woodlands. Upon returning to our residence at Juniper Hall, we conducted a series of markrelease-recapture to estimate the population size of the pond snail Lymnaeidae.

The following day, our research was extended to a river meander. The task at hand was to identify the effects of abiotic variables on the abundance of freshwater invertebrates. Equipped with the necessary and proper tools, we conducted kick sampling to catch a variety of mayflies and shrimp. There was also great excitement when some caught sight of a large crayfish, one stemming from a deeper recognition of the intimate relationship between humanity and nature.

The third day involved an investigation of succession at Mickleham Downs. Using systematic sampling, we were able to identify a plethora of plant species along our selected transects. As dusk began to settle, we took the opportunity to observe the small mammals we had caught the night before in our ethical mouse traps.

Apart from putting our sampling techniques into practice, this trip saw fellow biologists instilled with a profound awareness of the environmental and habitual impact caused by human action. Such was foregrounded as a basis for ethical action in our future investigations.

All the data we collected throughout the course of the three days was then subject to statistical tests; these included the Spearman’s rank test, the t-test, and the x^2 test, honing our data-handling skills and drawing conclusions based on our observations and collated data.

As the expedition culminated, we gathered around the campfire to share our joys and celebrate the breakthroughs we achieved collectively.

Ultimately, this trip responded to a perception of biology as a fragmented collection of facts by building such a coherent picture in the real and natural world of ecology, reinforcing that the pursuit of biology can only flourish and, therefore, can only confer its maximum practical benefits on society when research is conducted in an atmosphere of freedom and rejuvenation (and the occasional emancipation from the trivial business of school life).

Chloe Choi, Lower Sixth

A Matter for Debate

The House Debating Competition has continued the tradition of being hard-fought, controversial and entertaining. With every House fielding a team, Thursday nights were dramatic and informative with topics such as returning cultural property residing in museums to its place of origin, abolishing the House of Lords and replacing public examinations with teacher assessments.

The House teams showed great skill and preparation, working really well together to craft precise and convincing arguments. It has been wonderful to see the enthusiasm and organisation with which the teams approached the competition. Judging this year proved a difficult task as the standard of argument was outstanding. Support from the audience was at an all-time high, with packed houses almost every Thursday, especially as we came close to the final. Sankey’s, Manor, Handford and Gibbs’ made it into the coveted Final Four where the atmosphere was similar to centre court at Wimbledon. The final motion This House believes that the film is better than the book featured Handford and Gibbs’ yet again battling out, with the Head Master, Dr Keane and Mrs Dugdale judging. After a very close debate showcasing excellent arguments and rebuttals, Gibbs’ House claimed the prize. Congratulations go to Tamilore Akinsete, Nur Leadbetter, Tise Oduwole, Sofiia Shepetiuk, Laurin Stanek and Louisa Vershima for their participation and to our audiences, judges, chairs and timekeepers for making this competition so enjoyable.

We hear from some of the participants:

‘As a keen actress and someone who is passionate about politics, current affairs and international human rights, I decided to join the wonderful Matilde and Nika in representing Sankey’s House in the Lancing College House Debating competition. The thrill of taking part in this exhilarating and fiercely competitive contest turned out to be a total revelation for me, boosting my confidence and teaching me to both persuade and think on my feet, presenting my case and responding to points of information from the opposing team with calmness and clarity under time pressure. I enjoyed it so much that I’m now seriously considering becoming a barrister one day.

I thoroughly enjoyed the intellectual rigour of researching why our House believed immigration was good for the UK and then presenting our arguments against our two very confident opponents. The euphoria of winning against the opposing House was insurmountable and all I could think about was winning at the next round. I was also pleasantly surprised

with my performance in that debate since the last time I had entered a Debating Competition was when I was in Year 6 at Lancing Prep Worthing and my team proposed the motion of banning technology for children on Sundays!

I felt slightly uneasy when I learnt that at our next debate, Sankey’s House would be tasked with opposing the broadcasting of court cases, however, I was completely intrigued at how I started my research with one point of view but by the end, I had formulated a completely different opinion. Not only did I have to research a huge pool of American court cases, such as the media circus of the OJ Simpson trial, but I was surprised to learn that certain high-profile courts in the UK have had sentencing following the trial broadcast for the last few years. Moreover, there is strong support from our current Lady Chief Justice (I was pleasantly delighted to learn we finally have a woman in this esteemed position for the first time!) extending these rights still further. However, my team argued this would be in direct contravention of the European Convention on Human Rights, and in the face of fierce competition, Sankey’s secured victory yet again, making it to the semi-finals. At that stage, I had to stand down due to a GCSE exam scheduled for the following day. However, next year I plan to be in the competition all the way to the end and hopefully Sankey’s House will reign victorious!’

Izzy Badcock, Fifth Form

‘As I reflect on the annual debating competition, I can’t help but feel a rush of exhilaration and a touch of déjà vu. Working alongside my fabulous team Louisa and Sofiia, preparing for the final motion ‘This House believes the film is better than the book’ which posed a unique challenge for me, being someone who enjoys both mediums almost equivalently. Yet, despite our valiant efforts and eloquent arguments, I found myself in familiar territory as the previous year: the dreaded position of runner-up. Ah, well, there’s always next year, right? They say the third time is the charm.’

Nur

Leadbetter, Upper Sixth

Lancing Languages

The results of the Linguistics Olympiad are in ...

The 26 strongest linguists of Lancing College participated in this year’s challenging Linguistics Olympiad, competing to solve problems based on a rich amalgam of world languages. From an endangered language of Tariana, spoken by 100 people in Brazil, to the clicky sounding language of Xhosa, the native language of Nelson Mandela, our students excelled themselves in finding answers to the problems posed to them. There was even a murder mystery to be solved!

In the Intermediate Section: Third place was awarded to Hannah Cleallsmith, second place to Ayomide Sotande-Peters and the first place to Sasha Shuravko!

In the Advanced Section: third place was awarded to Tiffany Xu, second place to Imogen Watts and the first place to Alex Mawhinney!

Sergei Drozdov, Head of MFL

... and another successful visit from Detmold

On 6 June we welcomed 14 German students from our partner school Gymnasium Leopoldinum in Detmold, North RheinWestphalia, accompanied by their teachers Frau Szczepanski and Frau Merbitz. Coming from a day grammar school Lancing seemed like a place straight out of the Harry Potter books and the students were fascinated by the uniqueness of the school. The Sussex highlights of Brighton were Brighton Pier, The Lanes, the i-360 and the sunny pebble beach. Day trips to Shoreham and London were also enjoyed by all. Lessons did not present a huge linguistic challenge and provided an insight into the British education system.

The partnership between our schools has existed for many years, with the first student exchange taking place in 1971 (!!)

and generations of Lancing students have participated in this programme over the years. It is an exciting opportunity for students from both countries to experience each other’s school life, improve their language skills, learn more about the country and establish lifelong friendships.

Well done to the following students for participating and looking after their German exchange partners so well: Sasha Shuravko, Chibi Ugochukwu, Candace Wu, Maddy Law, Xander Graham, Sam Yao, Jack Ryan, Maddi Phillips, Lucy Mason, Bryn Harman, Selena Xu, Euan Cleallsmith, Hilmi Mohammed, Jethro Steele and Thomas Mather ... Vielen Dank und gut gemacht!

Sergei Drozdov, Head of MFL

My Future Careers Programme reaches across all Year Groups

This year has seen further developments across the My Future Careers Programme as the College strives for continuous improvements on its current success, as acknowledged in the ISI Inspection in October 2023, and responds to the recommendation that access to careers information should be expanded to younger years.

‘Pupils access careers advice in line with nationally agreed standards through various forums including former pupils, online testing, individual support and a careers fair. This approach is effective as almost all pupils follow their chosen courses when they leave school, many of which have demanding entry requirements.’

ISI October 2023

The first development has been to extend the programme to earlier years, specifically to pupils in the Third and Fourth Forms. People often think of careers education as being about funnelling down and narrowing options; our approach is about opening minds to what is possible and encouraging pupils to explore options, and to talk to professionals.

The Third Form Careers Day brought together 17 different professionals with pupil breakout groups and seminars, including CV writing. A further seminar, called Where are they now?, involved pupils learning the education and career paths of five contrasting OLs, and discussing the skills that each would need in their day-to-day roles.

During the event, pupils completed a workbook where they were encouraged, in small groups, to think about questions to ask guests about their work, and also to reflect on their own career aspirations.

Commenting on the Careers Day, Diana Cree, Executive Director External Relations, said: ‘When we surveyed students, it was clear that this new event was something that was really relevant to them and that having a dedicated day at the end of the year was effective use of time. Over 50% were already making plans on next steps following the event. We are incredibly grateful to parents and OLs who volunteered to give up their time to attend.’

The Fourth Formers were also engaged in thinking about Careers this term through a focused Careers Week where teachers highlighted career options in subject lessons.

This is timely as at the end of next term they will be starting to think about A Level choices. Teachers chose a range of different ways to engage students, including introducing guests, designing posters, discussing how former students (OLs) have used their subject passions to follow different careers paths, through university and into employment, and looking at resources provided by professional industry bodies. Students fed back that it was useful to see how certain subjects relate to different careers and that others offer a wider range of opportunities.

The expansion has been a valuable first step, and students very much appreciated the opportunity to focus on careers. The My Future programme brings together many strands from across the College and the wider Lancing Community, all of whom recognise the importance of early guidance and support.

We aim to improve and extend this further in the coming years. If any members of the Lancing community would like to get involved to support this programme by offering expertise please do get in touch: www.surveymonkey.com/r/LCCareerssupport

pupils went on to study

/ institutions

Wherearetheynow?

All the pupils were an absolute delight. They were both engaging and inquisitive. It was a pleasure spending a day talking about my profession with such an engaging group of young people. Jane Peckham, Parent and Barrister at 1 Office Row, Brighton

It was a real pleasure to be invited to take part in the careers fair to share information about science careers in the pharmaceutical industry with current students and impressive to see such a wide variety of sectors represented. Pupils were really engaged and asked some insightful questions. I hope it’s helped them learn more about their options after GCSEs.

Sarah Blundell, Pfizer UK, STEM Ambassador

It was lovely to revisit Lancing. The Third and Fourth Formers were keen to ask questions, and their enthusiasm and curiosity for learning about the aviation industry was inspiring. I have no doubt many of them will achieve great things in their future careers.

Max Herne OL (School House 2013–2018), British Airways Pilot

The pupils were very engaged and keen to learn how to pursue a future career in media and journalism. Several had already taken the first steps on that path, and I hope I was able to offer them some advice on how to get ahead in a competitive industry. It’s vital to start early, and I’m sure events like this will certainly help in that process.

Henry Ridgewell, Parent and Europe Correspondent at Voice of America

Qui diligit Deum

Earlier this year, we posted a message on the College Facebook about the confirmations. Many messages were supportive and echoed the joy that we felt within the College Community.

One was challenging, asking us what we do to support pupils outside of the confirmation and the weekly round of liturgical worship. Below, some of the pupils who have been part of our weekly Bible and Biscuits at Breaktime talk about their experience of this pupil-led initiative. I hope it gives you a taste of the vibrant Christian life here, and some inspiration for your own faith journey.

Fr Justin Pottinger, Chaplain

‘This term the newly introduced Bible Study Group commenced. The College offers the opportunity for pupils at the school to obtain further knowledge about Christianity and grow closer to God! The successful outcome of the confirmation group this year provoked the creation of the Bible study concept. I’ve enjoyed being involved as it is something productive and beneficial. The group consists of pupils from Third Form to Upper Sixth, which is very diverse. I believe everyone there gets along and is comfortable expressing their thoughts and beliefs amongst the people there. It is very interactive, we often have the opportunities to lead prayers at the start and at the end of the sessions. I also think attending these sessions weekly was very much necessary after being confirmed. I learn something new each time I visit, it also encourages me to strengthen my relationship with God. Getting confirmed is something I’m very proud about. Being confirmed at the college, was a process that I would never forget and I am happy that I made the decision to do so.’

Joseph Ochola, Lower Sixth

‘The newly started Bible Study Group is one that has really helped to strengthen my knowledge of the scriptures and indeed helped to deepen my faith journey. Throughout this time, we have been able to explore the Book of Revelations, letter to Philemon and psalms, this has allowed us to get a better perspective of the scriptures and has helped us to understand the Bible better. I have really enjoyed the Bible Study Group and can’t wait for us to continue it next academic session.’

Tamilore Akinsete,

Lower Sixth

‘I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from a Bible Study Group as I had never been to one before. What I found was a group of people who you wouldn’t necessarily think to put in a room together to discuss the Bible and our shared faith in God, however the conversations that occurred have proven to be enlightening and insightful. I really enjoyed hearing people’s interpretations of passages and how they differ from my own. I have really enjoyed hearing about the small things that people noticed in the passages we’ve looked at and I have enjoyed having a group of people that get together to study the Bible.’

Theo Almond, Upper Sixth

‘It is always important to share thoughts about our faith, so that we can learn from each other’s strengths, this is not a journey of one person but a whole community.’

Isaac Ho, Fourth Form

Summer Scouting

The Summer Term has seen the Scouts getting out and about to make the most of the weather.

Weekly meetings have included campcraft, as the unit prepares to travel to Switzerland over the summer break to visit the International Scout Centre at Kandersteg. Sessions included fire lighting, tent pitching and watersports.

Firestarters

The Scouts learnt the art of fire lighting in preparation for camp, where they needed to light a fire to cook their dinner. The scouts did well, first collecting wood, then trying a range of different fire lighting techniques, such as wire wool and batteries and ‘flint and steel’ to get the fire going.

Outreach

The Minerva Explorer Scouts welcomed a group of young Beaver Scouts (6 to 8-year-olds) from Shoreham to the College for a ‘teddy bears’ picnic’. The Scouts planned the programme of activities which included building a zip wire for the teddy bears in the Chapel! They also did some crafts where they designed a new scout scarf for their teddy bear and played games with a giant parachute. The visit ended with a picnic with the teddy bears of course! The young visitors really enjoyed themselves and the College Scouts were able to practice their planning, organisation, and leadership skills as they took charge of the afternoon.

On the water in Shoreham

Towards the end of the summer term the Minerva Explorer Scouts walked the short distance to the 3rd Shoreham Sea Scouts HQ on the banks of the Adur. Once tents were pitched, they went out onto the water for an afternoon of kayaking and open canoeing. They learnt some basic skills and journeyed upstream, under the expert gaze of the volunteer scout leaders. Once off the water and having dried off from the splashing and (deliberate) capsizing, the Scouts lit the fire and cooked their dinner on it – hot dogs, bananas and chocolate chips! An evening wide game on the large field, and then a singsong round the campfire topped off an excellent day.

The following morning saw the group strike camp then take part in a series of team building games as well as target axe throwing! By the time the group walked back to the College ready for the afternoon of lessons they were able to reflect on a great time had by all.

From Shoreham to Switzerland

As The Quad goes to press, the Scouts are enjoying their summer camp in Switzerland, camping at the Kandersteg International Scout Centre. A cancelled flight delayed the start of camp but we have now made up for lost time!

Activities to date have included climbing in the mountains, zip wire and hiking to a beautiful mountain lake. The best part so far has been meeting all the other Scouts staying at the camp from all over the world, swapping badges and scarves with them and sharing stories. We are looking forward to the rest of the week.

Dr Richard Bustin, Scout Leader

CCF Highlights

This term has been full and fulfilling for the CCF. We said goodbye to the Fifth Form and Upper Sixth cadets before they embarked on their exams.

The adult instructors enjoyed a goodbye curry with the Upper Sixth and it was pleasing to see a number of Senior Cadets receive prizes on Founder’s Day. This also was the first time that the Sword of Honour was presented. As the Contingent Commander I would particularly like to thank the Senior Cadet NCOs for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to the CCF over the past year.

The Fourth Form and Lower Sixth have been working hard at completing their respective CCF syllabi. The focus this term has been fieldcraft with the emphasis on teamwork, problem solving, and decision making. The culmination of the syllabus was the summer overnighter – a good opportunity to put all these skills into practice.

Nerea Kries-Margaroli, Lower Sixth, writes, ‘This most recent summer overnight exercise gave us all the chance to practice our leadership skills, and work on quick decision-making under pressure. On the Wednesday evening, Mr Harper took Sonya and I to the site where we would ambush. It was a surreal moment walking through the forest with our rifles and with actual military training camps surrounding our path. After detailing everything back to our fellow NCOs, we started the patrol to the ambush. As it was dark and the forest was silent, we had to stay organised and use efficient communication

between us. Then we reached the tree line that we would lie in and wait for the enemy to pass, with all senses heightened in the pitch black. I remember using the moon’s position as a guide to instruct people where to go as we had to make the most of our resources. As the enemy passed and I opened fire, triggering the cut off groups and killing group to fire, the enemy sent up a flare. This meant that we had to quickly and calmly organise a retreat as our position had been compromised. The overall result was a very enjoyable overnighter.’

The Fourth Form learnt how to construct a simple twoperson shelter and to sleep out in it along with cooking their own food. They also learnt about camouflage and how to work in a team together.

The Lower Sixth were faced with a series of challenges that they had to solve, developing their teamwork and their communication. At the end of each stage, they were provided time to reflect with each other and to talk the scenario through with the adults.

Having all successfully completed this, the Cadets have been awarded their 1* and 3* badges accordingly and this allows them to progress onto the next level of the syllabus which they will pursue next year.

Dof E Update

On 2 and 3 May, we embarked on our Bronze DofE expedition, excited for the days ahead. The expedition involved three groups of people, hiking across the South Downs for two days, a minimum of six hours per day, and staying overnight at the Washington campsite.

Fortunately, the weather was on our side; it was relatively sunny, and we didn’t get caught in the rain. Although we had some hardships (one group got lost three times!), we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, formed close bonds with our peers and learnt how to navigate ourselves back on track.

Some highlights of the expedition were: spending time at the campsite and cooking food; enjoying the scenery; getting to know our local area; creating memories; and the feeling of relief and pride to have completed the expedition.

Walking across the hills was really pretty, and I had a great time singing songs with my friends.

Aggie Macpherson, Third Form

The DofE expedition was a great experience, and I would recommend it to everyone because it creates opportunities for navigation and making new friends.

Nico Siblesz Salamanques, Third Form

I strengthened a lot of my friendships, and I became more confident in myself.

Esme Brady-Rogerson, Third Form

I recommend DofE because it strengthens bonds and creates new ones.

Martha Masters, Third Form

Mexican Fiesta

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated around the world, and this year, for the first time, at Lancing College!

Cinco de Mayo has become a well-known global celebration of Mexico, with tacos and piñatas becoming key elements at every party, but the history behind the event is less well known. It’s a common misconception that the day celebrates Mexican independence, but this is not true.

The real cause of celebration is to commemorate the Mexican victory at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. French emperor Napoleon III attempted to claim Mexico, but, despite being greatly outnumbered, the Mexican army defeated them. This moment is recalled in the region of Puebla, where there are still re-enactments of the victory to this day, done every year in the city centre. Huge parades, bright costumes, and thousands of Mexican flags are all part of the local tradition for this event. It was in the 1960s when the celebrations began to spread outside of Mexico, especially gaining popularity in the United States of America, and for the last few decades, the day is now more widely celebrated in America than Mexico itself! It’s seen more broadly nowadays as a time to celebrate Mexican-American culture in general, where many people are able to share and enjoy this symbol of their Mexican heritage with annual parties happening around the world.

This year, the College was able to get involved with these celebrations and experience some of the culture and customs for ourselves! The party was for Fourth Form, Fifth Form and A Level students who are studying Spanish and was held in the Megarry Room, brightly decorated with papel picado banners, flowers, sombreros, and photo props. The evening started with a Mexican dinner where classic dishes were on offer, such as tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, guacamole, and churros for dinner, while a hot sauce eating competition was also happening at the tables. We played traditional Mexican bingo, called La Lotería, to win prizes and got to break piñatas to get the sweets inside. We also listened to party songs in Spanish and tried the delicious, traditional ‘tres leches’ cake.

The night was very similar to the popular Cinco de Mayo parties that are thrown across America every year, and in the same way, we also hope to use the occasion to further embrace the Hispanic culture at Lancing. Since the Mexican festival of Día de los Muertos was first celebrated at Lancing two years ago, the Spanish Department has been doing more to include these Latin American festivals in the school year. We hope that this Cinco de Mayo party can be the start of a new annual tradition and that there will be many more to come in the future so that we can continue to experience and enjoy these elements of Hispanic traditions that are celebrated within the College.

Annabel Johnston, Upper Sixth

Hot Hockey in Barcelona

Lancing’s Easter Hockey Tour to Barcelona provided an enriching and memorable experience for students, combining professional coaching and competitive fixtures to foster skill development and cultural exchange.

The tour commenced with professional coaching sessions at CD Teressa Hockey Club, where students had the opportunity to refine their skills under the guidance of top level experienced Spanish coaches. These sessions not only enhanced the players’ technical abilities but also provided valuable insights into the training methodologies of a renowned hockey club in Spain.

The boys’ team competed fiercely against Barcelona Hockey Club and Club Junior, while the girls’ team showcased their talent against CD Teressa and Barcelona Hockey Club.

Both teams demonstrated resilience and sportsmanship, contributing to the competitive spirit of the matches.

Beyond the hockey matches, the tour offered a cultural immersion experience for the students. Exploring the vibrant city of Barcelona allowed them to appreciate its rich history, architecture, and cuisine. The camaraderie forged during the trip fostered a sense of unity among the students, strengthening friendships and creating lasting memories.

The highlight of the tour was undoubtedly the competitive fixtures, which saw both the boys’ and girls’ teams facing formidable opponents. The tour not only enriched their sporting abilities but also instilled values of teamwork, perseverance, and cultural appreciation.

DAVID JANES, HEAD OF HOCKEY

Physics in CERN

Eighteen A Level Physics students have recently returned from CERN in Geneva, the world’s largest facility for the exploration of Particle Physics.

Everyone enjoyed both a cultural experience and deepened their understanding of the standard model.

Smiles all ‘round for my favourite experience in Sixth Form.

Jonathan Ingemarsson

As a starting point we learnt that CERN’s origins can be traced to the 1940s. A small number of visionary scientists in Europe and North America identified the need for Europe to have a world-class physics research facility. Their vision was both to stop the brain drain to America that had begun during the Second World War, and to provide a force for unity in post-war Europe. At Paris in December 1951, the establishment of a European Council for Nuclear Research (in French Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire) was agreed. Two months later the acronym CERN was born.

Today, our understanding of matter goes much deeper than the nucleus, and CERN’s main area of research is particle physics hence CERN is often referred to as the European Laboratory for Particle Physics.

We started with a unique tour of some of the facilities not on the usual guide map. Our guide, Nicolas, has been working at CERN for three years in the Data Centre. He took us to see CERN’s very first particle accelerator. The 600 MeV Synchrocyclotron was built in 1957 and it provided beams of electrons for

CERN’s first experiments in particle and nuclear physics. In 1964 this machine was superseded by the more powerful Proton Synchrotron. The underlying physics of using a high potential to accelerate charged particles across a gap in a vacuum chamber and then redirect them using a strong magnetic field is essentially the same for the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) working today. The original cyclotron we saw was a few meters in diameter and could accelerate particles to 80% the speed of light; the LHC has a circumference of 27km and achieves particle velocities up to 99.99% of the speed of light. We learnt that in 2012, experiments in the LHC confirmed the existence of the Higg’s boson. The Higgs field gives particles mass at a quantum level and so confirms more fully the standard model.

It was fascinating to learn how scientists had to meet in a particular country whenever they needed to share information. Recognising how inefficient this was, they worked on ways to get this information to each other in a quicker fashion. This led to the birth of the World Wide Web.

Johnson Chen and Alastair Ho

It was CERN’s ever increasing need to be able to analyse vast sets of data coming from the experiments that drove the development of the first network of computers and then the need for a protocol to share information with

scientists across the globe. Tim BernersLee, a leading researcher at CERN, wrote a paper outlining this protocol. His supervisor commented that Lee’s work was, ‘interesting but a bit vague’. The protocol became the famous HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) that now enables the World Wide Web and internet that we all rely on daily. CERN itself now has optical fibre links with every populated continent.

It was mind boggling to see the sheer scale required to store all the data collected and processed by the scientists at CERN. It became quite clear that it wasn’t a place just for physicists, it requires expertise from a multidisciplinary team including computer scientists.

Josh Pounds

Next was a visit to a building that housed the antimatter decelerator and containment chambers called ‘Elena’ (main picture, top right). This was absolutely fascinating, upon entry into the building we stood on a gantry high above the hexagonal ‘ring’. We could see the blue dipole magnets for bending the beam at each of the vertices, either side of them were the smaller quadrupole magnets, painted in orange, that refocus and bunch the beams of antiprotons. Leading into Elena was the injection pipe that carries the high energy beam of antiprotons from the main accelerator.

Elena is an experiment that has been used to make antihydrogen, and in the last few years experiments on the antihydrogen have been carried out to investigate the behaviour of antimatter in Earth’s gravitational field. It turns out that antimatter also falls at the same rate as matter, so in this respect its mass is the same, much to Nicolas’s disgruntlement! He had hoped that antihydrogen atoms would accelerate upwards and hence give us a means of infinite propulsion to reach warp speeds. It turns out scientists too can have dreams!

I found it fascinating how positronium can exist, even for a short time, despite it being made of two things that would annihilate if they touched each other.

Mejafe Abu

After lunch at the Big Bang Café we explored the display of the original bubble chambers and high voltage apparatus and then the brand new visitor centre. The interactive activities are fabulous; Mr Collins and Dr Dowell got to be reduced to electron size and then experience quantum mechanical tunnelling. Kian explained the star cycle with an interactive display, whilst others showed off their football prowess kicking protons into a detector, discovering how hard it is to ensure an interaction takes place in exactly

the correct part of an accelerator. We rounded the day off with pizza by the mile and bowling; after all what better sport is there for physicists?

It was brilliant fun playing the games at the exhibition centre. It made everything that is so complex about this topic so much more visual and interactive. It was so easy to understand.

Kian Zanjani

After visiting CERN, I now have a much better understanding of the ground-breaking research that goes on there. It was scintillating.

Sebastian Khan Hummel

Sunday morning saw a visit to the Red Cross Museum, a very moving experience in which we learnt about the foundation of the Red Cross movement and its invaluable work reconnecting families separated by warfare. We learnt how the Red Cross brings hope to prisoners all over the world, often enabling those in the world’s harshest prisons to stay connected with family. Everyone then took part in a team game that developed an understanding of how preventative measures and preparation for natural disaster can save a population. In our second attempt of the game, the second round we managed to save over 99% of the population of an

island from a tsunami. This highlighted the important aspect of teamwork and preparation. Humanity, neutrality and total confidentiality are key to the success of the Red Cross across the world, the organisation has now adopted the symbol of a red diamond to ensure their continued separation from any ideology or religious belief.

Some of the exhibitions were almost visceral. A letter written by a French soldier providing solace to his sister, left a mark on me.

Adrian Chan

The profound impact of seeing all the children impacted by war was heartbreaking for all of us.

Karan Marwaha

Everyone then enjoyed time to explore the lakeside and the beautiful old city of Geneva in the midst of a music festival with a choir in the bandstand, traditional folk music bands and musical events taking place across the town. The day finished with a traditional Swiss meal and fondue.

CERN 2024 logo (opposite, top) by May McGlone, Lower Sixth

Marrakech Express

For a week in March, Lancing College geographers ventured 1,893 miles from Lancing to Marrakech. During their brief exploration of Morocco, pupils participated in a range of activities, traditions, and tasks – all designed to deepen their understanding of the geography, both human and natural, of Morocco.

Day One – Arriving in Marrakech: We arrived in Marrakech and after checking in to our hotel we left to walk into the city. On the way we got a sense of the place and discovered how many motorcycles drive down the narrow streets with pedestrians. A stop to admire the Koutoubia Mosque was included on our walk followed by a visit to the Medina Herbal apothecary, where we were shown various spices and cosmetic products that they produce. We learnt about the importance of the argan oil production to Morocco as well as the traditional importance of some of the products such as ‘small doctor’, a bag of spices for clearing colds which we were told could be found in any household. After that we had some time to explore the souks and gained some ‘experience’ in haggling. The markets were an exciting cultural experience, as were the snake charmers in the Jemaa El-Fnaa square. We then headed back to the hotel and had our first (of many!) tagines.

Day Two – Venturing through the Atlas Mountains: The morning of 23 March, we got back into the bus and met our

tour guide Latifa, who was a big part of our trip. We drove from Marrakech through the Atlas Mountains, taking in the countryside and landscape. We stopped to see the Canal du Rocade, a key water supply to Marrakech, and Latifa explained to us the importance of water due to its scarcity, and the ways in which water is irrigated in Morocco. For lunch we stopped in Taddert for our second tagine. That afternoon we visited the Ait Benhaddou Kasbar World Heritage Site, a location which has been used for many film sets. Then we headed to Ouarzazate for our second night before going into the desert.

Day Three – Across the Desert: The next morning on our way to Zagora we stopped at a date farm. The owner showed us how he manages the water. As well as growing dates, the farm produced broad beans and carrots. He climbed a palm tree and showed us how he manually pollinates the female flowers with the stigmas from the male palm trees. We learnt that the taller palm trees were the female ones, able to grow

wonderful

the dates and that the male palm trees were the shorter ones. We then headed on to Zagora where we would meet our methods of travel for the journey, camels. After successfully getting onto the camels, we rode into the desert where we would stay in a camp for the night. Later we all climbed a dune to watch the sunset before heading back down to the camp for our fourth tagine. After eating dinner in the tent, we gathered around a campfire for traditional entertainment, involving drums, singing and dancing. The teachers particularly enjoyed this part of the trip! The night we spent in the desert was definitely a bucket list moment and not something any of us will forget soon.

Day Four – Sunrise and Dunes: We woke up early after a rather cold night to watch the sunrise from the dunes before breakfast. We then got back on the camels and reconnected with the bus. We spent the afternoon visiting Tamegroute, a subterranean village, where they handmake clay and pottery in outdoor kilns. The different shades of green and blue were

explained to us, and the process of walking to where the river is for the clay to make the pottery. We arrived back in Ouarzazate, before making our way back to Marrakech the next evening. The next day we visited a female-run argan oil factory where we could see the way they crushed the argan nut, after which we returned to Marrakech for our final night.

Day Five –Tasting Traditions: The last day was spent at the Douar Ouled Elguern village, a very rural and traditional settlement. When we arrived, we had some breakfast and traditional Moroccan mint tea, before splitting into groups to help make bread, couscous or tagine. Others helped to make bricks. After lunch we spent the afternoon with the children who lived in the village. They showed us games like hide and seek, football, and handshakes. As well as this we drew on the ground with them. We continued to the airport, before flying home. Our field trip to Morocco was unforgettable and was thoroughly enjoyed by all of us.

Holly Mason, Upper Sixth

Lancing Beatitudes

In the initial planning for the College’s 175th Anniversary it was decided that we should commission a composer of the front rank to compose a new choral work to mark this important moment. Roxanna Panufnik seemed to be the perfect choice for this project, with her impressive catalogue of works including performances at the Coronation of King Charles III and the BBC Proms.

In the past, the College has turned to composers of international repute to compose new works for significant anniversaries. Benjamin Britten’s St Nicolas for the 100th Anniversary in 1948 is still something of a watershed and Arvo Pärt’s Triodion for the 150th Anniversary in 1998 continued this tradition. Roxanna Panufnik’s Lancing Beatitudes for the 175th Anniversary is the latest contribution to this growing body of work and we can only imagine which composer will be asked to compose for the 200th Anniversary in 2048!

We are tremendously grateful to Roxanna, not only for her beautiful composition, but for her visit to hear the world première at the service on Founder’s Day, Saturday 25 May. It was very special for her to spend time with members of the choir at the rehearsal the day before and sign their copies in purple ink!

Alexander Mason, Director of Music

‘I was hugely honoured to be asked to sing the bass solo in Roxanna Panufnik’s new work, the Lancing Beatitudes. I enjoyed the experience as it challenged my sight-reading skills and my ability to stick to my part. I hope to be able to work with Roxanna again in the future on more excellent music.’

Theo Almond, Upper Sixth Bass soloist in the first performance

‘It was an absolute privilege to be part of something as special as the première of the Lancing Beatitudes. I was so excited to share the experience with the choir, and by the last rehearsal we couldn’t wait to do justice to such beautiful music. It was such a joy and pride to sing, especially in the wonderfully written solo sections.’

Kiara Njoya, Fifth Form Soprano soloist in the first performance

Junior Concert

This year’s Junior Concert took place on 13 June, with the programme headlined by the fabulous Sinfonia.

They began the evening with an energetic rendition of Eye of the Tiger, following this with an outstanding performance of Shostakovich’s Waltz from Suite for Variety Orchestra No.2, and concluding their set with a challenging medley from Bernstein’s West Side Story. This orchestra was sounding at its very best under the leadership of Miss Harlow, and we are excited about next year’s Sinfonia performances!

Bryn Harman’s Pink Panther on the flute and Tom Mather’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice on the trumpet were both expertly played and formed a fabulous opening to the solos programme. A large number of Third and Fourth Form pupils performed solos, ranging in style from Leo Moll’s crowdpleasing performance of an AC/DC song to Matthew Ling’s mesmerising marimba solo, Dance of the Butterfly. Alongside two really excellent performances of favourite string repertoire by Ollie Chia and Isaac Hussey (cello) and Christian Tang (violin) were guitar solos by Tom and Francis Ridgwell, whose

tone is simply superb. The audience was transfixed by Mollie Thomson’s song, In My Dreams, which was followed by a parade of increasingly impressive piano solos. We heard some truly virtuosic pieces from Jude Gabriel and Mika Chen, both playing Liszt, and from Samuel Bencat, playing Chopin. There was superbly neat and poised playing from Thomas Cheung and Inigo Abbott-Barrington, and exciting and committed playing from Isaac Ho and Enoch Lo. Several people played with outstanding musicality and maturity, including Xander Graham’s Reverie (by Szalit), Candace Wu’s Reverie (by Debussy), and Freddie Way’s Intermezzo by Brahms.

Overall, it was a fantastic evening, and bodes extremely well for the next few years of musical life at Lancing, as these excellent musicians continue to be part of our concerts. Well done to all players, and thank you to Miss Harlow for organising the whole event.

Dr Jen Hartley, Head of Academic Music

Founder’s Day Concert

On Tuesday 21 May the musicians participated in the term’s major concert for Arts Week featuring the Big Band, Concert Band and Symphony Orchestra as well as a variety of chamber music and vocal ensembles.

The Big Band’s opening set included a George Michael number, Careless Whisper, featuring a stylish sax solo by Marnix Harman, which was followed by Honk’s arrangement of Handel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Vocal music was provided by the Choral Scholars in the form of a folk song setting, The Turtle Dove by Vaughan Williams with a superb solo by Theo Almond and the A Cappella Club sung the everpopular songs Help (The Beatles) and Hallelujah (Cohen).

The Concert Band treated us to the famous Colonel Bogey March, conducted by Theo Almond, the Founder’s Day Ensemble performed the energetic piece Cyclone and the Bassoon Trio came together for the last time as two of its members, Felix Gautier and Theo Almond are in the Upper Sixth.

Having completed my last major concert, I could not help thinking of the significance of Great School in my musical experiences at Lancing. It was one we were finally allowed to return to after some time, owing to COVID restrictions, of performing in the Chapel. Great School has an irreplicable acoustic and that was exemplified so highly by the way in which it surrounded and amplified the Symphony Orchestra’s performance of a medley from Star Wars

Hannah Cleallsmith

The String Chamber Orchestra expertly led by Grace Shearing performed Boyce’s charming and diminutive Symphony in B flat – at six minutes long one of the shortest ‘symphonies’ in the repertoire!

The Symphony Orchestra completed the evening with a lively folk dance, featuring the harp played by Sophie Burdall and an exquisite oboe solo by Kate Pinnell, and finally The Empire Strikes Back Medley – surely one of the best film sound tracks of all time – with the whole orchestra on epic form!

Alexander Mason, Director of Music

This year’s Founder’s Day Concert was both joyful and sad as it was my final full concert at Lancing. I was honoured to have been asked to lead the Concert Band this term and conduct them in the concert. I really enjoyed this and hope that I can do it again in the future. I also really enjoyed singing an arrangement of a folk tune by Vaughan Williams with the Choral Scholars, in which I was a soloist. It has been an amazing experience playing with different ensembles in my time at Lancing and I hope that I can continue to play in ensembles in the future.

Theo Almond

Prep School Orchestral Day

On 9 May Lancing College welcomed over 70 pupils from six neighbouring prep schools to our Annual Prep Schools’ Orchestral Day.

Arriving early morning, the day started with refreshments in the Lancing College Chapel Memorial Cloister, which was closely followed by warm-ups and tune-ups. Pupils then enjoyed a full rehearsal in the spectacular setting of the Chapel.

As the six prep schools had very kindly brought the bright sunshine with them, pupils played on the grass, making new friends, in front of the Chapel’s Rose Garden during their break times and were even able to sample the delights of the brandnew Fives Café.

After devouring their packed lunches in the Dining Hall, pupils then moved onto sectional rehearsals: Strings rehearsals were run by Roland Roberts and Liz Hosford;

Wind rehearsals took place in the Crypt with Anne Hodgson and Nat Meierdirk; Olly Preece accompanied Brass players whilst the Percussionists enjoyed the space of the main Chapel.

After a quick afternoon break of squash and doughnuts, lovingly provided by our fantastic catering team, the pupils were ready for their big performance! Our very own Steve Dummer conducted the orchestra in the concert which included an extraordinary group improvisation.

We’d like to thank pupils and staff from Lancing Prep Hove, Lancing Prep Worthing, Copthorne Prep, Holmewood House, Sompting Abbotts and Westbourne House for joining us with full enthusiasm and for putting on a stellar performance!

Last Refrain ...

The sad news that both Dr Jen Hartley and Mr Curtis Vetter are leaving Lancing at the end of the academic year was displaced slightly by the news that they were to give a piano recital together. There was nowhere worthier to be on the evening of Thursday 6 June.

Dr Hartley played first, promising 21 minutes of piano playing before the interval. It was 21 minutes (to the second) filled with variety and excitement. Dr Hartley introduced us to a work by Szymanowski, before playing pieces by Schubert and Brahms. I was in awe at how well these pieces complemented other; I noted the darkness of the bass writing that was strongest in the first piece and continued to be an interwoven idea. It was reminiscent, strangely, of that moment when a passenger on the Eurostar train out of Paris is informed that they are now back in England: the depression and darkness come first (to match the dismal English weather), but as that subsides there is some liveliness — perhaps at the chance to get off the train. The second piece had much of this liveliness, as did the third with its surprising moments of delicate, exposed playing in the higher octave of the piano.

After the interval, we were treated to Mr Vetter’s programme of 10 pieces by Debussy and Bach. He explained that the two composers are connected by a quote: Debussy once called

Bach ‘a benevolent god’, believing that much could be learned from his music. I was blown away by the way in which the ten pieces went together, and — more so — by the fact that Mr Vetter was not using any sheet music. It was mesmerising to, at one moment, hear the top keys of the piano be used abruptly for a deliberate sense of urgency, but in the next to hear them be used for completely the opposite effect. Even the birds outside Great School were mesmerised, and I noted in my annotations that they began their own concert, of chirping along, at about 8.02pm.

Not often is one treated, almost, to two separate recitals in one evening; but that is how it could be easiest to remember what we heard in Great School. At the same time, it was very much one recital: Dr Hartley’s programme was the perfect prequel to Mr Vetter’s (and vice versa). I am certain that says all you need to know about the magic of what we get to hear at Lancing.

Hannah

Cleallsmith, Upper Sixth

With Good Grace

There was a buzz amongst the guests gathered outside the doors to Great School on the evening of Thursday, 20 June. And for good reason, as ahead was an evening of musical treats delivered by sensational Lower Sixth violinist, Grace Shearing.

Who better to support Grace in this monumental undertaking than her long-standing violin teacher Roland Roberts, who appeared alongside her that evening on the piano. The programme, diverse and excellently paced, began with a Schubert Sonatina. Joyful interplay in abundance as Grace and Mr Roberts passed melodies between each other. A slow movement, beautifully warm in tone, was bookended by music with bold and intricate passages, handled by Grace with agility and control, before arriving at a rousing conclusion and the first of much warm applause and appreciation from the audience. Next came music from John Williams’ iconic score to Schindler’s List. Grace performed the Main Theme with tenderness and sincerity, high notes reverberating around the space. After the richness and verve from Jewish Town, Grace played a mesmerising rendition of Remembrances, the emotional apex of her recital, an incredibly heartfelt and passionate performance that captivated the audience. It was only appropriate to round off the first half with some fireworks in the form of Scène de ballet by Bériot, and Grace marvelled as she flew up and down the instrument with ease.

The real delight of the evening came after the interval with the opportunity to hear Vivaldi’s complete Four Seasons, a pictorial masterpiece based on sonnets by the composer himself. This performance featured the orchestral parts skilfully reduced to the piano by Mr Roberts. First up was Spring, where Grace played with poise and elegance, evoking the twittering birds and dancing nymphs. Summer and Winter both had ferocious passages depicting storms in the former and harsh chill in the latter, spotlighting Grace’s virtuosity. Despite being over 200 years old, the music and performance were full of rock ‘n’ roll. Rapturous applause ensued upon completion before one final reward for the audience. As an encore, Grace played a sharp-edged rendition of Czárdás by Monti, full of freedom and charm. A most enjoyable and impressive evening – bravo!

Curtis Vetter, Graduate Music Assistant

A Magical Exploration of Lancing College

At Lancing College, the grounds have long been a source of wonder and inspiration for pupils and visitors alike. Recently, the Third and Fourth Form students took this sense of enchantment to new heights with their performance of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

and Through the Looking Glass by Adrian Mitchell.

Stepping through the metaphorical ‘looking glass’, the pupils led their audience on a spellbinding tour of the College’s historic grounds. From the serene Quads to the beautiful Outdoor Theatre, each location was transformed into a whimsical setting, where the audience was immersed in the world of Alice and her fantastical adventures.

Alice in Wonderland was a witty promenade rendition of the classic story. It came with laughs, cringes, and plenty of ‘ooos’. It started in a sun-splattered Upper Quad and quickly moved on to a drunken Caterpillar, played by Albie Tipton, before advancing up to a beautifully lit amphitheatre where a surprisingly sober guard (Björn Brinkmann) was beheading left, right and centre at the command of the Queen of Hearts (Pippa Flack). Then the audience was serenaded with a fantastic tune from yet another Tipton (Monty) as Humpty-Dumpty.

Alex Giddings, Fourth Form

The performance was a true testament to the creativity and talent of the young performers, who brought the story to life with boundless energy and enthusiasm. As they navigated the winding paths and hidden nooks of the College, the audience was captivated by the seamless integration of the setting and the narrative, creating a truly immersive experience.

I have had the most amazing time being one of the Alices in Alice in Wonderland

When my peers and I were told we would be part of a promenade style performance, we were all excited but nervous. None of us had ever taken part in such a largescale piece of outdoor theatre before. Our nerves quickly subsided when we began rehearsals, under Mrs Gerstmeyer’s calm nature and innovative ideas, the play soon transformed into a crisp, yet amusing production and my friends and I thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating style of performance. This genre allows the audience to appreciate the stunning surroundings of the College without the confines of a traditional theatre, moving effortlessly from Reception, around the College and then finishing in the Theatre. I loved the thrill of seeing the audience making their way towards our scene each evening and watching the play develop over the weeks has been interesting to watch. It feels like such an accomplishment to be a part of such a successful production and this play has certainly filled me with great anticipation and excitement for my drama studies here at Lancing, and I can’t wait to have the opportunity to perform in more of the productions here at the College.

Mollie Thomson, Third Form

I loved how everyone interpreted and developed their own characters for their roles, rather than just following the traditional tropes. For every performance and every scene, Alice was a slightly different Alice and I tried to be a slightly different Hare, as we experimented with who our characters could be. I was the Hare in the Mad Tea Party and I must say, we may have been enjoying our roles a little too much, for we remained in character even when we weren’t acting, singing nonsensical songs and having conversations in fluent gibberish because it was probably the only time it would be socially acceptable for us to act like total fools. The promenade element really helped bring the play to life, not to mention that the views from Sankey’s lawn are sublime. At the end of the final performance, I was relieved but also a bit sad because the play felt like a part of my routine, which I was really enjoying, and I also made some amazing new friends along the way. I don’t study Drama (it was one of the many subjects I betrayed while making my GCSE choices) but I wanted to have a reason to get back in the Theatre. Everyone involved fulfilled their roles with vim, vigour and verve and should all be very proud of themselves; it was definitely one of my favourite highlights of yet another fantastically busy year at Lancing. Bravissimo!

Hilmi Mohammed, Fourth Form

I enjoyed being in the production, and it was particularly challenging to be involved in both the acting side and the technical side of the play. I found it interesting being able to be taught how to program the lights in the theatre with Mr Chandler across the weeks running up to the nine performances. The nights themselves were jam-packed with three performances per night, and as I was acting as a playing card as well as helping with the lighting. The time went really quickly and I look forward to being part of another production next year.

Euan Cleallsmith, Fourth Form

Dance Show 2024

Each year, our Dance Show highlights the sensational talent of our pupil performers, and this year’s show was no different. On 24 and 25 April, our students wowed audiences with routines using a variety of styles, perfectly choreographed to music.

The annual Dance Show provides a great opportunity to take part in and enjoy a variety of dances. This year I was involved in the musical theatre piece, with a soundtrack taken from a mash-up of music from the theatrical production of Hamilton. We had been working on the piece since just before Christmas, so by the time we performed, we knew the choreography so well that we were able to thoroughly enjoy ourselves on stage. We were lucky enough to have standing ovations on the two nights that we performed, which was a gratifying response to our hard work.

Throughout the technical and dress rehearsals, I had the opportunity to enjoy the wide-ranging talent that was showcased throughout every dance. I particularly enjoyed the Traditional Chinese Dance and the Dream Girls jazz piece, as they were each unique and mesmerising in their own ways. This show is particularly profound for me, as I remember taking part in it as a pupil at Lancing Prep Worthing, so it was lovely to see three pieces performed from the prep school and to see old teachers whom I hadn’t seen since my time there four years ago.

Dance is ever-growing at Lancing, and it is exciting to be a part of that. Upon joining the school in September of 2020, I would not have declared myself a dancer; however, through the commitment made by my teachers each week to develop my technique and the countless opportunities given to us to display our hard work, I could say that I am now a dancer. This is particularly helpful with my ambitions to have a lead role in the next school musical.

The musical Anything Goes in 2022 saw me and ten other dancers learn how to tap dance. While this seemed like a

challenging task at first, the support of the dance team and choreographers helped us deliver a clean performance, which we all enjoyed. By contrast, The Addams Family in 2023 involved a smaller cast, resulting in more complex dances, which pushed us all to produce an incredible show. We are eagerly anticipating the challenges we will encounter in the upcoming musical. The Dance Show of 2024 also saw the developing strength of the boys’ dance group, ‘Vortex’, which was very exciting to see.

Traditionally, in society, dance has been viewed as a predominantly female industry, but the way we combat this stereotype is clear to see within the College dance community. The Addams Family saw a great cohesion of male and female dancers through the Tango de

Amor which involved us embracing our ballroom technique to create a powerful, emotional display. Similarly, the Dance Show ended with a terrific jazz number influenced by the tango and was an amazing way to encompass all that dance is at Lancing: cohesive, diverse, captivating, impressive, and most of all, thoroughly enjoyable.

Finally, if you are shy or nervous about meeting other students, the Dance Show is a great way to make new friends. Everyone is so supportive and kind, and they really make you feel welcome no matter what age or ability you are. Whether it be by student or teacher, you are instantly welcomed into the community, and I can assure you that if you try it, you will have an amazing time.

Nerea Kries-Margaroli, Lower

Sixth

‘For me, the Dance Show was fun, challenging, and an amazing experience. After completing the musical this year, I was informed of the Lancing College Dance Show. At first, to be brutally honest, I was hesitant about the idea, but, in the end, I persisted, and I have to say that this was a great decision. Being a beginner male dancer, I was worried I was going to stick out from the much more talented dancers, but as I kept going to classes, I knew this would not be the case. Obviously, I would not become a pro in a few months, but, due to the encouraging help of Abi and Rachel, the routines started coming together and began making sense. When it came to show night, I was ready and raring to go. After I had performed, I felt ecstatic and was looking forward to the next night.’

Monty Tipton, Fourth Form

Summer Exhibition 2024

Knotted ropes, a tent, a photobooth, stuffed tights, clouds raining ink, hanging balls of felt with tiny eyes: where could we find all this – and more – but at the Lancing Art School Summer Show?

This was a bumper year of highly personal Fine Art and Photography by the Fifth Form GCSE and Upper Sixth A Level students.

Yet again, the sheer range of styles and media used were perhaps the most talked about aspect of the show. Several students took advantage of the relatively new integration of photographic screen printing into the Art School repertoire of available processes. Work was presented in a variety of sizes too – from a monumental floor to ceiling charcoal self-portrait, to an intimate family portrait that would fit in the palm of a

hand. Photographers really stunned with some large format prints; a high-tech image appeared on the wall as if by magic, created by scanning a barcode on an iPad; the noisy, fish and chip, deckchair experience of Brighton and its iconic pier was joyfully recreated in an installation in the Art School foyer.

This was indeed a celebration of inventiveness and selfexpression; we thoroughly enjoyed working together to enable our artists to create such a wonderful show!

The following pages give a flavour of some of the amazing work created for GCSE and A Level this year.

Art & Photography Workshops

Our Lower Sixth Fine Art A Level students enjoyed a full day of printmaking in the Art School for their Summer Term Workshop Day.

They learnt the techniques of Mono-printing and Collotype, using our beautiful old Albion press in the Print Studio. Printmaking is a key aspect of the course, along with drawing, painting and sculpture.

The students have now moved on to learn drypoint etching, which will be followed by screen printing using photographic stencils to create some ambitious work for their portfolios.

The following week, Lower Sixth Photography students enjoyed a similarly focused whole day of Photography with their teacher Mr Hames. They used the studio and backdrops to experiment with Lifestyle Photography, then manipulated the images using Photoshop. This enabled students to develop invaluable new technical skills with expert guidance, as well as exploring a theme creatively.

Summer Term Sports

A fantastic Summer Term of sport saw record numbers participating in football, cricket, swimming, climbing, athletics, tennis and sailing.

Participation in girls’ football, with a Junior A and B team leading into the Senior 1st XI, is on the rise once more. Whilst there are still girls taking part in football for the first time, we now have a core of capable footballers across both the Junior and Senior years that understand the game and are competitive in matches. This was recently evident in excellent performances against Worth, Christ’s Hospital and Bede’s School. Looking ahead to 2024–25, we are hoping to formulate a Junior and Senior elite football squad that will train throughout the year to maximise their potential.

News from the Tennis Club: Lancing finished the final in both the girls’ 14 & under and girls’ 16 & under Sussex Schools County Championships this summer, finishing runners-up to Brighton College in both. Sussex County players Coco Mole and Esme Brady-Rogerson competed in both. The 18 & under boys won the Sussex Independent Schools Plate event at the start of the Summer Term, with the 16 & under boys co-winning the main event (tied with Bede’s). Again, great to see 16 & under Sussex County player Logan Bridgman leading the team here, as well as 18 & under county player George Harris leading the U18s team.

Our Third and Fourth Forms have also had success in the LTA Year 9 & 10 Youth Schools’ League with both boys and girls A teams finishing top of their Division 1 league, and the boys also qualifying top of their Division 2 league. All three teams now progress through to the knockout stages and then, hopefully, the regionals in October.

Lancing also hosted its first LTA Play Your Way to Wimbledon tournament this term, and has six students progressing through to area and regional finals this summer. The event was attended by over 70 students, and we look forward to hosting it again next year.

We have enjoyed a number of individual successes within athletics, with nine competing in the District Finals on 8 June at the K2 in Crawley.

The highlight of the term has certainly been our Sports Day and Founder’s Day. It was a terrific display of athleticism on track and field, making for a wonderful spectacle for family and friends to enjoy. The events included the 100m and 800m heats and finals, along with all the other track events and relays. We concluded the day with the highly anticipated tugof-war, which added to the excitement and competitive spirit.

Our Badminton Club had an undefeated season, with significant victories, while the Golf Team qualified for the ISGA National Plate Final. Squash fixtures resumed with wins against Eastbourne and Hurst. In hockey, Lancing had 135 fixtures, with the U14 girls reaching the South England semi-finals and Senior teams competing nationally, highlighted by a tour to Barcelona.

Cricket saw Alex McGuinness and Emma Saunders earn spots in Sussex County squads. The U15 team reached the County Cup quarter-finals and Blackshaw Bowl semi-finals, and the U14 squad reached the Holdsworth Cup semi-finals. Our Basketball team finished third in the Independent Schools’ League. Netball featured prominently with 94 fixtures, paving the way for a future tour to Barbados in 2025.

Our Swim Team finished sixth in the Schools’ Super League, and Bethany King will compete in the Summer Championships. Tennis achievements included the Boys’ U18 team winning the Sussex Independent Schools’ Plate. With girls’ football expanding, Field’s House won their first House Football championship. Our dance programme excelled, setting the stage for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street as our upcoming school musical.

Kelly Edwards, Director of Sport

Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.

The 5 Mile

We had a terrific 5 Mile Race around one of the great courses, in superb conditions. It was really pleasing to see as many as 60 pupils and staff complete the challenge, which remains the same as it always was. It’s the taking part that counts ...

Those up the front though are real heroes and congratulations in particular to Fifth Formers Theo Scoular-Fleming (first overall with a time of 37:45 – several minutes in front of everybody else) and Max Simpson (third overall) who were running knowing that they were guests and wouldn’t qualify for a medal. It is a long standing and excellent Lancing tradition.

Senior Boys’ Race

First

Second

Third Madeleina Weber 57:42 Saints’

2024 Sports Dinner

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success ... and success the sports teams have had!

This year the College amassed over 500 fixtures across all competitive sports. We are extremely proud of our teams and hold a dinner each year to celebrate their many successes and the range of Lancing achievements continues to grow year on year.

This year, we welcomed guest speaker Mr Adrian Hayes, an Arabic and Nepalese speaking former British Army Gurkha Officer, who also spent two years in the Special Forces. His adventuring achievements include trekking to both Poles,

The Awards Coaches’ Player Awards

This award is given to a player from each team across all our sports who has demonstrated the most growth, development, sportsmanship, leadership, punctuality and has positively contributed to building team spirit throughout the season:

Basketball – George Hockey

Equestrian Team – Rosalind Dyer

Boys’ Football

• 4th XI – Julian Liow

• 3rd XI – Pranav Anu

• 2nd XI – Oscar Reddington

• 1st XI – George Bradshaw

Girls’ Football – Nerea Kries-Margaroli

Girls’ Hockey

• 2nd XI – Holly Mason

• 1st XI – Harriet Shadbolt

Boys’ Hockey

• 2nd XI – Ben Chaloner

• 1st XI – Harry Simpson

Netball

• 3rd VII – Issy Cleeve

• 2nd VII – Pippa Shaw

• 1st VII – Amélie Turner

Badminton – Nathan Siu & Tiffany Xu

Cross–Country – Lara Nolan & Max Webb

Swimming – Jorja Sareen

Skiing – Eric Mironescu

Climbing – Matilde Ghirardi & Oscar Lovell

Gym & Fitness

Mark McDowell & Jake Plasto

Vicky Ko & Harriet Shadbolt

Cricket

• 2nd XI – Teddy Barnard

• 1st XI – George Hannington-Hodge

Girls’ 1st XI – Mia Jackson

Boys’ Tennis

• 3rd VI – Matthew Bigwood

• 2nd VI – Alex Kaye

• 1st VI – Ralph Haycock

Girls’ Tennis

• 2nd VI – Elisabeth de Robert Hautequere

• 1st VI – Costanza Denison

Dance – Issy How & Theo Almond

summiting Everest and K2, crossing the length of Greenland and the Arabian Desert, setting two Guinness World Records, writing two books, and featuring in three documentaries to date.

Sport at Lancing is more than just traditional games; it’s about diversity and inclusivity in our sports programme. We offer a wide range of activities, including climbing, golf, badminton, sailing, squash and dance, all of which are gaining rapid popularity. Our goal is to adapt and evolve to provide the best possible sports experience for everyone.

Team of the Year

The Senior Boys’ Tennis 1st team receive highly commended team of the year for their performance winning the 18 & under Sussex Independent Schools’ Plate and co-winning the 16 & under Sussex Shield.

The Boys’ Hockey 1st XI team was highlighted by remarkable victories over Bede’s, Ardingly, Hurst, and, most impressively, a win against Barcelona Hockey Club, one of the strongest European teams on the global stage.

However the Team of the Year 2024 went to the Boys’ 2nd XI Football team This squad collectively and consistently worked hard to build and protect a culture of commitment and respect focusing on ‘team’. It is based on this mutual respect and overarching humility that they were unbeaten for the final seven matches of the Advent Term, amassing a total of eight wins, with one draw and only one loss.

The Sports Personality of the Year Award ...

... is presented to the sportsman or woman who over their time at Lancing have demonstrated a good sense of sportsmanship, personal flair, humour, and enthusiasm in all aspects of their sport and the Lancing College community. This year’s Sports Personality was awarded to Tom Hall

Sporting Excellence Award

Recognised this year is Freddie Brown. He started gymnastics when he was just nine, as well as continuing to play his beloved football, he made speedy progression with Hawth Gymnastics.

Last summer, he won silver medals at the British Championships in Newcastle which then qualified his team to compete at the Mid-Euro Championships in Italy last November, where they got silver. His team will be at this year’s British Championships in July and are aiming for gold!

Freddie was selected to represent his country as part of the GB Junior Mixed team, made up of gymnasts from England, Scotland and Wales and he will be competing at the TeamGym European Championships in Azerbaijan in October.

Coach of the Year

This year’s winner was our amazing Head of Athletic Development, Mr Martin Footman. His unwavering commitment, enthusiasm, and professionalism are key to the success of our LTAD (Long-Term Athlete Development) programme. Through every aspect of his work, Mr. Footman’s dedication shines, profoundly impacting the physical fitness and well-being of our students at Lancing.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Mr Nigel Brookes has been involved with Cross-Country at Lancing for 42 years. He has run the last 42 Five Mile races (best time 36:12, best position –second) and has organised around 300 League Runs.

He managed to get a team of four students to every Hastings Half Marathon for 25 years (1991–2015) and has won the team competition lots of times.

The Richard Pithey Award for Sporting Endeavour

This award recognises students who have excelled as valued sportspeople through their dedication to sport, in this case in football, tennis, hockey, netball, and dance. Their achievements reflect their relentless hard work and effort. The two most deserving recipients of this award were William Pope and Eva Baker.

The Standing Start

Award

...

... is awarded to the student who has made the most progress in sport since their entry to Lancing. The 2024 winners were Sam Younger and Holly Mason Sports Caps

For 2024 these are awarded to Mia Jackson (for her full colours in cricket, hockey and netball) and Tom Hall (for his full colours in hockey, football and cricket).

The Miller Cup

The prestigious Miller Cup is awarded to the most outstanding sportsman of the Upper Sixth yeargroup and this year’s recipient was Tom Hall.

Tom has shown exceptional discipline, commitment and dedication in everything he has taken part in at Lancing College.

Raj Maru, Director of Cricket

His infectious enthusiasm and unwavering commitment to excellence set the tone for the entire squad, driving them to push beyond their limits and strive for success. Well done and thank you, Tom.

David Janes, Head of Hockey

I will miss his character which is everything I would look for in a footballer at Lancing. Hard-working, brave, disciplined, selfless, but with an uncompromising desire to succeed, I hope others will look up to Tom as he is an inspiration and has worked hard to become one of the best defenders ever to grace the 1st XI pitch.

Lewis Benson, Head of Football

The Taylor Salver

The Taylor Salver is awarded to the most outstanding sportswoman of the Upper Sixth yeargroup. This year Mia Jackson was our worthy recipient.

Mia’s hard work, and unwavering determination makes her an invaluable team member in any sport.

Cerys Bierton, Sports Coach

Mia’s exceptional work ethic on the pitch and calming focus off the pitch have been exemplary, setting a high standard for all.

David Janes, Head of Hockey

Mia has shown unwavering commitment to the cricket programme since joining Lancing. As a player new to the game she has picked up the technical aspects of bowling with ease and taken key wickets with her pace and accuracy.

Chris Mole, Head of Academic PE

Lancing Prep Hove

The Summer term followed its customary balance of end of year exams in hushed classrooms and lively events to celebrate the school heading towards a well-earned summer break.

In the Easter holidays, we returned to Italy for our annual ski trip. The snow was superb and the skiing wonderful. The children all enjoyed leisure time together away from mobile devices as they played board games, cards and chess or just chatted together.

The Summer Term then got under way, although the summer weather literally took a rain check until the middle of June. The sun did shine briefly for the annual Brighton Children’s Parade and our theme of Feed the World looked wonderful. Our annual Charities Day raised funds for the Sussex Cricket Foundation which makes cricket accessible to disabled players and Children with Cancer UK. The children worked with the Sussex CC coaches on fun activities using cricketing techniques along with a day’s programme including Drama, Science, Art and French. They created two fabulous large figures of disabled athletes, using different senses. The day culminated in a somewhat turbulent colour run where the children completed a course with regular sprinkling by

swirls of multicoloured paint powder. It was a joyous, and messy, highlight of the day! At the same time an intrepid band of teachers set off on a sponsored bike ride from school to Paris. It was impressive that the school raised a total approaching £7,000 for these two worthy causes.

After the exams, the older year groups set off on outdoor activity trips, with Year 5 in Hampshire and Year 6 in Dorset. Year 8 had by far the greatest journey in terms of time taken, if not distance travelled, to West Wales, as Year 7 flew to Geneva on our first post-pandemic languages visit to Morzine in the French Alps. Traditionally these trips are a combination of developing team spirit and resilience, learning to co-operate with physical tasks, problem-solving and confidence building, particularly for Year 7 as they put into practice their French language skills. They all – staff and children – had a super time and returned tired but happy from their adventures.

Meanwhile the younger children back at school enjoyed Curriculum Collapse week, with activities and

inflatables on our school field. The children were out and about too, with days out to Hove Lagoon and a spot of beach volleyball training. Years 3 and 4 visited the County Ground to watch a Sussex Vipers T20 match and a group of pupils were thrilled to be mascots for the day. Like mushrooms, a tented village sprang up over the course of the week for the Years 3 and 4 overnight camp at school. They were very excited to play games in the evening before retiring to their tents for the night. After eating a hearty breakfast at school on the Saturday morning, they returned home where we are sure they caught up on their sleep!

The creative and performing arts were high on the agenda too. The annual art exhibition displayed a wide variety of super work from all Prep year groups and our Reception classes proudly put on their very own show of their clay dragons and junk-modelled dinosaurs. Parents enjoyed a showcase evening for budding musicians in Years 3 and 4 and a drama performance evening for children in Years 5 and 6. The senior pupils in Years 7 and

8 had worked hard on Myth by Tristan Jackson-Pate, which retold the origins of the Greek gods on Olympus, amongst other stories. The show came together very fast at the end and the children were unfazed at having to rethink the staging when poor weather necessitated a move indoors from the school field, where they had been rehearsing for al fresco performances.

Sadly our Summer Fair, organised by the PTA, also fell victim to the weather and had to be postponed due to a forecast of heavy rain and high winds. It is rescheduled for September when we hope to be basking in an Indian summer!

Sports days and a swimming gala were highlights amongst summer sport and we were delighted to host our termly Mowden Cup tournament. This term it took the form of cricket for the U9s, with co-ed teams from

St Christopher’s and Shoreham College taking part alongside two teams from LPH. This was a lovely event, with eighta-side teams of four girls and four boys. It was played as ever in good spirits and it was fantastic that an LPH team won the trophy this time.

As we reached the end of term, it was time to say goodbye to Year 8, who have led the school this year with good hearts and big smiles, and who will be missed by us all. This was celebrated in our prizegiving in Lancing College Chapel and brought the school year to a close in fine style.

Our farewells are always tinged with a little sadness but we know our Year 8 leavers will continue to thrive in their chosen schools. We hope they will leave us with good memories to treasure and look back on their time at prep school with affection.

KIRSTY KEEP Head Mistress

Lancing Prep Worthing

This term, as all our terms are, has been action-packed: Numbers Day, Shakespeare Day, Careers Week, chess competitions, sports days, trips, The Bannister Mile, Third Generation Day, Orchestra Day, Bikeability, Children’s Parliament and High School Musical, plus numerous guest speakers to name but a few.

We have much to celebrate and to be proud of. Our Reception class, for example, who gained their Bronze, Silver and Gold Award in the RSPB Wild Challenge. They also raised money for the World Wildlife Fund, engaging the whole school in their efforts.

High School Musical was a great success, with the children performing on three evenings at Lancing College Theatre. The pupils embraced their roles and brought their characters to life with passion and authenticity, and their support for each other demonstrated the true spirit of teamwork. Alongside this our Drama pupils – who sat their LAMDA examinations – walked away with 65 distinctions!

Chess this year has gone from strength to strength. There have been two very busy and active clubs and we have participated, and been successful, in several competitions.

We are tremendously proud of our pupils who applied themselves in the Townsend Warner History Competition this year; they all came within the top 210 in the country which is a superb result, and one pupil came within the top 50.

Our Year 7 and 8 pupils performed in a smugglers’ folk opera Beware the Mackerel Sky at Lancing College Chapel, an event hosted by the Bernardi Music Group in association with the Yehudi Menuhin School, bringing together school choirs, community choirs, a large string orchestra and professional opera singers for this musical spectacular with nearly 400 performers.

Our scholars this year have been exceptional and to win the top Academic Scholarship to Lancing College again was simply wonderful. Many congratulations to our determined

and very highly motivated pupils. In total, pupils were awarded four Academic Scholarships (including the top Academic scholarship), five Drama Scholarships, three Sports Scholarships, one Head Master’s Award and one Ken Shearwood All-Rounder Award to Lancing College. One pupil received a Louise Humann Scholarship to Our Lady of Sion School.

Alongside the pupils, this term we celebrated our EYFS team who were awarded the status of Bronze Winner in the National Teaching Awards, and I was very flattered to receive an award from the Pearson National Teaching Awards. Our Third Generation Day this year could really have had no other theme than a big birthday party to celebrate LPW’s 10th year. The children arrived at school to find a big top on their field, filled with everything that comes along with a fun circus and a good birthday

party. Our children from Nursery to Year 8 had a very special day and one we hope that they will tell their grandchildren about (the aim of the annual day).

There have been numerous trips throughout the year groups and two residential trips: two days and a night at Lodge Hill where the pupils participated in a host of activities from sno-tubing to wall climbing to shelter building, and a trip to Sestriere, Italy, skiing for five days.

LPW is a vibrant, brilliant and special place to be. We are a strong community, a family, and as we say goodbye to our

Year 8 pupils, who are heading onto their next adventure, we know that they will keep LPW and our three school aims with them on their journey: to Love Learning, to Be Kind and to Go Out into the World and Do Good. We feel very proud of them, and all our pupils, we wish them a very happy summer break and are already looking forward to 2024–2025!

FRANCESCA MILLING Head

Little Lancing

It’s

been a busy summer for Little Lancing with lots of opportunities for outdoor learning.

It’s been an unusual summer too in some ways – the extensive works to create the fourth arm are now nearing completion and we are looking forward to the finishing touches being made to the access and a new gate to the nursery site being installed. Once ready, the new footpath to the north of the A27 will be a great way for the children to get down to the riverside safely. We are also looking forward to exploring the New Monks Farm nature reserve on the south side of the A27 which opened in July. The nursery too is undergoing a transformation – the essential groundworks being carried out on site by Lancing College are scheduled to be completed before the end of the summer. The nursery garden will be completely renovated as part of this project, so we will have a greatly improved outdoor play space at the end of the works.

We had our first-ever author visit, from Rachel May who met with PreSchool children in the garden and in Forest School to read from her

new book Aunty Planty and the Eco Warriors It was lovely that some of the Investigators children who were also out in the garden, heard the story being read and came over to join in! Rachel commented on how welcoming the children were and how well they listened.

Our baby room is busier than ever and it’s been wonderful to see the progress the children make as they explore the world around them and begin to get more mobile. They have loved watching the diggers and machinery working on the fourth arm, which we think they will miss (even if we won’t) when the project is finished! They enjoyed being taken on lots of walks in our triple buggies while the baby garden is undergoing work.

The children in Investigators have been busy working on their fine motor skills using tweezers and pipettes as well as caring for their small garden where they have grown flowers and wonderful strawberries, it’s a joy to see them finding new skills as they discover

the world around them. Some are now ready to move up to Pre-School in September and they are looking forward to starting their Forest School sessions and the other rising Reception activities. The Little Lancing kiddibus is out and about whenever possible.

The Pre-School children have been on visits to both Lancing Prep Hove and Lancing Prep Worthing. They are always excited to travel on a College minibus and enjoyed the activities at the schools too. We are planning further links with our local community and a small group will be visiting a local care home in Shoreham to play games with the residents. We hope there will be a real bond built between the nursery and Kingsland House Care Home with regular visits throughout the year. Forest School continues to go from strength to strength and the children have thrown themselves into their sessions with great enthusiasm and delight.

The older Pre-School children are now nearing the end of their time with us and although we will be a little sad to see them go, we know they are ready for life in Reception classes in their new schools. For some families it is not a final farewell, as we have younger siblings either already at nursery or joining us in the autumn!

For me, I have now completed my first year as Nursery Manager of Little Lancing and what a year it has been! We continue to be highly sought-after by families and will celebrate our fifth birthday in September 2025 with a nursery that is as near full capacity as it can be, with waiting lists for children to join us – a sure sign we are getting it right!

JOVITA OPIO Nursery Manager

Foundation Office & Lancing Society

And there it goes, our 175th year fades into the past and we look once more to the future. It has proved to be a significant year in Lancing’s history, not only with the special anniversary events but with the news of a change in leadership at the College.

It has been a privilege to work alongside Dominic Oliver over the last decade and to see his vision for Lancing develop over that time. It has been his passion for transformation, using education to alter a young person’s life, his determination to ensure the Chapel was completed during those COVID years, and his personal commitment to the whole Lancing community, which has inspired me. There will be opportunities for all of us to bid him a fond farewell in the next year and to wish him and the family every success in his new role at Oundle.

This last year gave us the opportunity to bring together large numbers of the Lancing community, many had not attended any events before and I am delighted to report that we welcomed over 4,000 guests here in that time. We wanted to ensure the 175th celebrations included treasures from Lancing’s past and present as well as create new ones for future generations and this has proved to be a winning formula.

Three events this term have stood out as being so indicative of what makes Lancing such a special place: the Malawi Reunion in May, the Evelyn Waugh

Lecture in early June and the 175th Ball winding up the celebrations at the end of term. The impact of the LancingMalawi link was seen in all its glory at an event celebrating a relationship of 43 years. Matt Smith summed up the feeling in the room with these words, ‘Kindred spirits, common humanity. Laughter and love. The memories quicken, pulse powerfully in all our lives, of this beautiful, varied country and its astonishing people – and how we have been changed. Thank you, Malawi. Zikomo Kwambili.’

This was our 14th Evelyn Waugh Lecture, an occasion to thank our OLs and parents for their support of the work of the Lancing Foundation. We have had a distinguished roll call of lecturers over the years (Evelyn Waugh Speakers) and none more so than Sir Gregory Doran, Artistic Director Emeritus at the RSC. His wonderfully engaging lecture took the audience behind the scenes of his challenges and successes of staging Shakespeare’s most famous plays.

The grand finale of the year was undoubtedly the 175th Anniversary Ball –it graces the front cover of this magazine and according to many guests was a

once-in-a-lifetime evening full of the joys of friendships made over the last seven decades and the inimitable Lancing spirit passing from one generation to another. The role of the Foundation Office to help build these relationships and to provide a legacy for the College and its community has never been more important.

Finally, a very special welcome to our 2024 leavers, who are now part of the OL community. I wish all of you every success in your life after Lancing. And don’t forget to save the 19 September in your diary for your first Young OLs event in London!

Kindest regards from all at Lancing,

CATHERINE REEVE Foundation Director

More about our Evelyn Waugh Lectures, including the recording of Sir Gregory Doran.

It was wonderful to be reunited with old school friends, Johanna Vicat-Brown and Lilian Peake at the 175th Anniversary Ball. Lilian flew in from Richmond, Virginia, with her husband Roger to be part of the celebrations.

Foundationer Focus

Declan Bransby (Gibbs’ 2018–2020) came to Lancing in the Sixth Form from a state school in Durrington. He admits that he initially found the transition difficult and thought about leaving because he struggled to balance his new life at Lancing with the rest of his life at home. But things soon changed and Declan persevered ...

‘He will leave Lancing as one of its most talismanic students, a cornerstone of our community, with friends for life, having accomplished so much in such a (relatively) short span of time. For me, he embodies the potential as well as the success and fundamental rightness of the Foundationers programme; from the most tentative beginnings he has triumphed. Across a 20year career as Housemaster I can think of few more impressive young men.’

Matt Smith, Senior Housemaster

Declan went on to study BSc Medical Biosciences at Imperial College London before starting an early careers programme at Just Eat in London. He says: ‘Starting work has been an intriguing and challenging transition from university life. Nonetheless, I am incredibly proud to have secured a job in the tech industry so soon after graduation, especially in such a competitive job market. Currently, I am engaged in multiple rotations, primarily working as a Technical Programme Manager. I am profoundly grateful to Lancing’s Foundationers programme for unlocking so many opportunities for me. The support I received has created a snowball effect since my time at the College, and I am excited about what the future holds.’

Good luck for the future to our new OL Foundationers

We are pleased to announce that due to the extraordinary generosity of those who support the Campaign, there will be 21 Foundationers experiencing the life transforming effects of a Lancing education for the 2024–25 academic year, the most in the College’s history. This includes nine entering pupils, three in the Third Form, three in the Fourth Form and three in the Lower Sixth.

Foundationers Campaign Impact Report 2023

The Lancing Foundationers Campaign – Bursaries that Change Lives is central to Lancing’s educational vision. The programme shows Lancing College’s long-term commitment to give young people a chance to change their lives, to lead and to be change makers.

The Lancing Foundationers Campaign funds 110% bursaries for young people from challenging backgrounds.

It provides them with an education that would otherwise be completely out of their reach and allows them to fully participate in all College activities.

The Foundationers Campaign started with three pupils in September 2017. This year we have 18 Foundationers, the largest amount we have ever had in the school, bringing our total so far to 34.

Our goal is to provide another 39 places over the next five years and in order to do this we aim to raise an additional £4.2 million to meet our overall target of £10.5 million. The College contributes 33% of total fundraising.

The programme has gained a remarkable reputation over the past seven years and is now being used as a model for other schools.

The Foundationers have helped us become a more dynamic and inclusive school, reflective of today’s diverse society and enriching individual lives as well as our community.

Our Foundationers have learnt key skills in leadership, communication, and mentoring. They have increased self-confidence alongside academic progress, and we have seen great improvement in their social and emotional wellbeing.

40% of our Foundationers have achieved senior leadership roles at the College. Three of our Foundationers have been Heads of School and five have been Prefects. They inspire their peers and act as role models in their home and school communities.

88% of our Alumni Foundationers have gone on to University, with the experience enhancing their future employment prospects.

To view the full Foundationers Impact Report 2023 and learn more about the campaign, please scan the QR code:

Over the last five years the positive transformation seen in the Foundationers is validation of Lancing’s work. This really works!

I hope you will join me in taking this campaign to the next level.

DONOR TO THE FOUNDATION

Malawi Expedition

A Celebration

Over 70 people gathered at the College to celebrate the 42nd anniversary of the Malawi Expedition. We had multiple generations of OLs and current and former staff, and we were also joined by the High Commissioner of Malawi, Thomas Bisika, and his wife, Mrs Chawona Bisika.

After a delightful reception in the War Memorial Cloister and a wonderful group photo, guests made their way up to the Megarry Room for a Malawian-inspired buffet lunch. There were four speakers, all travellers from different years of the expedition: Head Master, Dominic Oliver; Hon Secretary of The Friends of Lancing Chapel, Jeremy Tomlinson; Bishop John Inge (Common Room 1979–1986); and Matt Smith (Senior Housemaster, Gibbs’ House and Director of Drama and Dance). Matt remarked, ‘Today is testimony to the impact the Lancing-Malawi link – a union between two very special

places – has had on many lives, over many years: the warmth of welcome and deeply generous hospitality extended by a people of indomitable spirit; the tremendous fun had; the immersion in another culture wrought by the longevity and familiarity of a relationship nurtured and sustained; the opportunities seized and created; the directness of challenges encountered; the enrichment and reward experienced across that precious month where, as one expeditioner wrote, “time stood still at a million miles an hour”.’

Associations’ Dinner

The Associations’ Dinner took place on 14 May. This is an annual event when the College invites all committee members from The OL Club, The Lancing Parents Association, the two Prep School Associations and the Friends of Lancing Chapel Committee to thank them for their continued support and hard work on behalf of the school.

Head Master, Dominic Oliver, thanked all Lancing’s volunteers for their commitment and dedication to the school. Former parent Mark Harrison was recognised for his many years of service as a member of the Committee and Chair of the LPA.

In the last year the LPA’s efforts have funded parts for a Greenpower race car kit for the Design and Technology Department, a Popcorn Machine for the Catering Department, professional folders for our music scholars, hockey dugouts for the Sports Department, six sewing machines for Third Form extra-curricular activities, fireworks for Bonfire Night and the

Leavers’ Ball as well as a table tennis set and a variety of board games for different Houses. The total funding has amounted to over £15,000 and we are extremely grateful to the committee of parents who play an integral role in the life of the Lancing community and their hard work in providing different social events and funding such a wide range of projects for the pupils. Grateful thanks as well to The OL Club who support the Foundationers Campaign with an annual donation of £20,000 and have sponsored the drinks reception for the Leavers’ Ball and the 175th Anniversary Ball this year.

Invitation to join the Lancing Parents Association Committee

The Lancing Parents Association brings parents together for social activities and fundraising events. The LPA is run by a dynamic organising committee which is supported administratively by the Foundation Office. They are always happy to welcome volunteers for specific events or, if you wish to get involved more regularly, they are also looking for new committee members to take over as current members step down after their service.

The next LPA meeting is on Wednesday 11 September 2024 at 7.30pm in the Megarry Room. The LPA AGM will take place on Tuesday 8 October. Please mark your diary for ‘Curry and Crackers’ on 22 November and ‘Christmas Wreath Making’ on Saturday 7 December. To get in touch, please email lpa@lancing.org.uk

OL Visits

We were delighted to host visits from the following OLs this term: Peter Brice (Gibbs’ 1970–1973) visiting from Australia, Aiden de la Mare (Olds 1954–1958), Richard Elderton (Heads 1955–1960), Andy Whithouse (Sanderson’s 1990–1995), and Graham Sharman (Gibbs’ 1952–1957) as well as those pictured below. You are always weclome at your old school, so please get in touch with the Foundation Office on foundation@lancing.org.uk if you would like to return to the College for a visit.

Jack Clipsham (Head’s 1973–1978)

Padden (Olds 1976–1979) visiting from Canada

Wachtel (née Nathrath) (Handford 2000–2001)

David Lloyd OBE (Gibbs’ 1954–1959, centre) and family, including his son Ben (Gibbs’ 1985–1989, centre left) and granddaughter Amelia (Field’s 2013–2018, centre right)

Tom

Hanna-Louisa

Matt Smith: A Farewell to Gibbs’

On 16 June, Gibbs’ OLs from the past 23 years gathered in the Upper Quad to celebrate Matt Smith’s retirement as Housemaster at the end of this term.

Over 60 people enjoyed high tea in the sunshine as they reunited with old friends and shared their favourite stories. Matt has played such a pivotal role in the lives of so many young people, and all of the returning OLs relished the

opportunity to spend time with him and recognise his contribution to their life at Lancing. Luckily for the current and incoming pupils with a penchant for the Arts, Matt will be continuing as Director of Drama and Dance.

Brookes’ Bond

Nigel Brookes, Teacher of Mathematics and Assistant Housemaster of Head’s, has retired after 43 years and 2 terms at the College.

John Bullen, Head of the Maths Department, thought Nigel would appreciate a collection of written anecdotes and reminiscences from OLs he has known over the years to compile into a book, and asked the Foundation Office to send out an email to all of his former pupils.

We received so many wonderful stories about Nigel from five decades of OLs. We chose Dr Jonathan Moore’s (Field’s 1981–1986) because his first day at Lancing was also Nigel’s first day. We wish Nigel a very happy retirement.

I was astonished to hear that Nigel Brookes is still teaching at Lancing. We hold a particular bond because we both started at Lancing on the same day ... him as a teacher and me as a 13-year-old pupil. Most will have forgotten but when Nigel arrived, he was grossly overweight and totally unfit ... his main joy and reputation was drinking beer!! His first nickname was ‘the Honey Monster’. It was with true personality that Nigel decided to totally transform and lost a vast amount of weight, became a running and fitness fanatic and adopted a very healthy lifestyle ... the first of his many achievements.

Going into the Sixth Form, I faced a huge dilemma. I was from a family of medical doctors and loved the prospect of becoming a GP in a rural community like my father and grandfather. However, I was dreadful at sciences (except Biology) – and particularly Physics and Maths. My strong subjects were Literature, Economics and Geography and I would probably have been best suited as a lawyer or investment banker.

I finally made the decision to follow medicine – but needed good grades in A Level sciences. I gave up Physics but still had to get through Maths. Sadly it was quickly apparent that Nigel held out very little hope with my lack of any aptitude for Maths and I began to feel that getting good results in Literature, Economics and Geography would have been the much wiser option.

However with titanic efforts and doing my best A Level paper ever on the day, I managed a grade C in Maths – an astonishing result. Combined with several other good grades in Biology and Chemistry it was enough to get me into medical school and achieving my ambition of becoming a country GP in the Cotswolds for 20 years (1996–2016).

Nigel is reputed to have said at the time ‘If Jonathan Moore can get a grade C in Maths A Level, its got to be a doddle!’. I am eternally grateful to him for that.

I went on from these humble beginnings and did a Law degree and now have a combined career in Law and Medicine. So I have had the chance to do what I was best at. My love of Economics has come to the fore too and in the last 14 years I have used any Maths skills to develop my love of amateur (or not so amateur as very profitable) investing. So concepts of arbitrage, diversification and compounding are skills that I now use effectively with my daily investing and were definitely born from my early days with Nigel – struggling through Maths A Level.

After 43 years of very hard work, he will definitely have time on his hands. I would love to be in contact with him before he goes. There is nothing like applied rather than theoretical mathematics – especially in investing where you see the numbers rising exponentially in pounds sterling!!

Overall, Nigel was one of the big personalities and someone who patiently taught me a subject in which I had no aptitude –with great skill and patience. I will always be eternally grateful for this.

Finally, my father – who was a wise old school GP – always said ‘Teachers build people – doctors just patch people up’, and after a long and successful career any great teacher can retire never knowing the full enormity of the impact that they have had on so many countless lives over a long career.

I wish Nigel all the very best for the future.

Dr Jonathan Moore (Field’s 1981–1986)

2024 Leavers’ Ball

Bidding a fond and fun farewell to our 2024 Upper Sixth Leavers ...

West End Story

The Friends of Lancing Chapel have just published a new booklet about the construction and completion of the Chapel.

Although primarily intended as a supplement to the existing guidebook, it is far more than that. In 26 lavishly illustrated pages it outlines the dramatic tale of the construction of the Chapel from 1868 to 2022 with particular emphasis on the vexed question of how to complete the west end. The story of the construction of the final porch during the COVID lockdowns and against the background of political and financial uncertainty, is vividly told.

The book contains over 80 images drawn from the College Archives or taken while work was in progress. The text is by Jeremy Tomlinson, Steward of Lancing Chapel and Friends’ Secretary; although much of it is an ‘oft-told tale’, there are many new revelations and, at long last, the ‘story’ reaches a satisfactory conclusion. The book is a celebration of the heroic work done by so many people over 154 years and an appreciation of the generosity of the College, the Friends and OL communities who contributed to the funds.

To order your copy of the book, please use this QR code, where you will be able to purchase the book for the special price of £5 including postage and packaging. www.bit.ly/quad-offer

FOLC Annual Festival

On Saturday 28 September with guest speaker John Goodall of Country Life

Country Life recently published two beautifully illustrated articles on Lancing over Easter. The first celebrated the Chapel following its recent completion. The second explored the remarkable buildings of the College, marking its 175th anniversary.

You can read the full article by using the QR code below.

The articles were written by John Goodall, architectural editor of Country Life, who is going to be guest speaker at the Annual Festival of the Friends in the afternoon of Saturday 28 September this year. John’s most recent books are The English Castle 1066-1650 (2011), Parish Church Treasures (2015), Interior House Style (2019) and The Castle: A History (2022). John sits on the fabric advisory committees of several English cathedrals and great churches as well as the Cathedrals Fabric Committee for England. He is also an entertaining speaker and we look forward to welcoming him at the Chapel later this year.

The Friends are keen to share this special occasion with as much of the Lancing community as possible. There will also be many Festal Evensongs and an excellent tea. Attendance is free and non-members will be very welcome. Those who are already Friends will receive their invitation with the Annual Report at the end of July in the usual way and further details will appear on the website.

To become a Friend of Lancing Chapel and to read more about member’s benefits please go to: www.lancingcollege.co.uk/chapel-friend

John Goodall

Photo: Andrew Sydenham

Message from the Chair

Many thanks to all of you who participated in this year’s Club AGM or attended the Summer Party afterwards, or both. It was a splendid evening for a party.

This will be my last year as Chair of the Club as I shall be standing down at next year’s AGM. As will Neal Peckham (Field’s 1970–1975), as Secretary of the Club, who has served alongside me excellently for the past three years. We will therefore be looking for replacements for these roles in the coming months. Three years is not a particularly long term as Chair, especially in comparison with the 14 years that Graham Robinson served as Chairman of the Club. Graham, as many of you will know, sadly passed away this year and

his buoyant personality is sorely missed. By the time this edition of The Quad reaches you the 175th Anniversary Summer Ball will have been and gone but other, more regular, OL events will continue such as the next Over 60s Lunch coming up on 26 September. My grateful thanks to Chris Saunders (Sanderson’s 1953–1959) for agreeing to speak to us at the previous Over 60s Lunch. As anticipated, his was a brilliant and, often hilarious, performance. I wish you all a very pleasant and, hopefully, long-lasting summer.

Fives at Lancing College

The rear Fives courts behind the Fives Café have been refurbished and are now looking and playing fantastically!

The renovation of the courts was part of the Café project led by Estates Bursar, Kim Fisher; the project team included Miller Bourne Architects, structural engineers McCarey Simmons and main contractor Hawes Construction Group.

There are many examples of poorly refurbished or maintained Fives courts across the country, which drastically impacts on how the game can be played. To avoid this the project team took soundings from OL Matthew Beard (Sanderson’s 1976–1980), who, as well as a keen Fives player, is a Chartered Building Surveyor.

Several meetings on site were held to discuss important technical details, with a collaborative team approach being adopted.

The end result is magnificent: instantaneously recognisable Lancing Fives courts, which are a credit to Kim and her team. The walls have been painted Lancing blue to aid seeing the ball during play and make the courts more visually appealing.

Hopefully the refurbished courts will encourage more pupils to take up the game of Eton Fives, which is often described as the best court game in the world!

Matthew Beard (Sanderson’s 1976–1980)

NIGEL BENNETT Chair, The OL Club Olds 1972–1977

The OL Club AGM and Summer Party

The OL Club AGM and Summer Party was held at the Royal Thames Yacht Club in Knightsbridge on Thursday 6 June.

Following the AGM, OLs gathered in the beautiful Britannia Bar and were even able to take advantage of the delightful weather and enjoy the Deck, bordering Hyde Park. Eight decades of OLs were in attendance, which highlighted the extraordinary, multi-generational camaraderie of the Club.

The Head Master, Dominic Oliver, gave an informal speech, bringing Club members up-to-date on the success of the 175th Anniversary celebrations, and said he was looking forward to celebrating with the whole Lancing community at the grand finale Ball, the night after the traditional Leavers’ Ball. He also reflected on our stellar exam results from 2023, and his similar confidence in this year’s group of leavers.

The OL Club hosts a variety of events throughout the year. The College is extremely grateful for the hard work and support of the Club Committee: President, Nigel Wheeler (Olds 1963–1968), Nigel Bennett (Olds 1972–1977), Neal Peckham (Field’s 1970–1975), Rosie Scott (Manor 2002–2007), Luke Davies (Gibbs’ 2011–2016), Matthew Butti (Head’s 2006–2008), Paige Taylor (Handford 2015–2017), Frankie Tudball (School 2013–2018), and Michael Brainerd (Head’s 2008–2010).

Over 60s Spring Lunch

OLs gathered on 24 April for the Over 60s Spring Lunch at the beautiful Athenaeum Club in London.

After a drinks reception and a delicious meal in The Garden Room, guests were delighted to hear from fellow OL and former Head Master, Chris Saunders (Sanderson’s 1953–1959). Chris shared reminiscences of days at Lancing, of Ken Shearwood, including when Ken was Housemaster of Sanderson’s and Chris was his first Head of House as well as his early days at Eastbourne. He also congratulated Dominic Oliver on his new appointment and lauded his many accomplishments as the 20th Head Master of the College. Chris concluded by reflecting on the lasting friendships and fellowships from his days at Lancing, many of whom were happily in attendance.

The first Over 60s Lunch was held in 2006 and continues to take place twice a year at a London club. OLs are sent a complimentary invitation to attend their first lunch once they have reached this milestone birthday. It is always a convivial gathering where old friends can catch up and share their current news and favourite reminiscences. The Lancing College Foundation Office was the first to create such a unique event which has subsequently been replicated at schools across the country.

The OL Club Review

News from OLs

Michael Windross (Second’s 1957–1961)

Michael Windross has written an engaging and original autobiography which will appeal particularly to those of his (our!) generation, whether they were at Lancing or not.

In fact, the Lancing chapter is relatively brief and closely focused on his own specialities of music, art and history. In recent years, however, Michael has returned to live for part of each year in Shoreham by Sea and he is very interesting on the history and geography of that area and how it has changed. He spent most of his professional career as an academic linguist in Antwerp and has a holiday home in Abruzzo and these feed his delight in international links and traditions. The influence of Lancing is felt throughout the book and Michael is a very good advertisement for the cultural and educational influence of the College and the opportunities it has always offered.

The distinctive structure of the book is that it starts with some immediate family background and speculation about antecedents and then follows his own life chronologically until it comes full circle at the end. The triple horrors of aging, Brexit and COVID got him going. In retirement he has researched his family in more detail and particularly traced the service of his two grandfathers in the First World War and his father in the Second. ‘The sense that the past is present in the landscape –that there is another world hovering just out of sight’ puts the whole book in a wider context as well as being of great value to his own immediate family. The tone of the book is personal, chatty, whimsical and informal, delighting in digression, anecdote and background detail. The prose is crisp and very

readable. He avoids being too personal and does not include much emotional or potentially embarrassing revelation. It is more for his family than about them. He also manages to recount his own distinguished academic career in modern languages and his remarkable range of other talents in a modest, matter of fact, almost self-effacing way.

It is those other talents and interests which give the book its fascination for the general reader and reflect so well on his education at Lancing in John Dancy’s days and, indeed, as a chorister at St Paul’s. There, under the direction of Sir John Dykes Bower (brother coincidentally of our Stephen), he had the good fortune to sing at the late Queen’s coronation in 1953, along with three other trebles who also went on to Lancing. St Paul’s stimulated his artistic talent and interest in cultural and political history. He was the kind of pupil for whom Lancing was founded. He pays tribute to his housemaster, Donald Parsons, though without much enthusiasm for single-sex boarding. To begin with ‘Lancing was probably not the best place to have an identity crisis,’ but as a Sixth Former he thrived. Among

Tara Slade (Manor 2010–2015)

Tara (right, centre) coxed the women’s Oxford Blue Boat last year (2023), in a gutsy race which saw them miss out on making contact with the Cambridge crew by inches, after they cut in front of them between Harrods and Hammersmith Bridge. Although the Cambridge crew went on to win the race, the team were extremely proud of their performance, and the work they put in to the season. This year (2024) Tara raced in Oxford women’s second boat, Osiris, taking over a length out of their Cambridge counterparts by the Mile Post. This is Oxford women’s first win since 2015, and prevented the Tabs from securing a second ‘clean sweep’ of wins. Tara and her team mates are excited to have started what they hope is the turn of the tide in favour of the Dark Blues, taking that winning momentum into next year.

the masters, John Alston, Graham Collier, Roger Lockyer and Sam Frere are acknowledged for their real quality and he developed extra-curricular enthusiasms for archaeology, geology, astronomy, atlases and international politics. Proceeding as a choral scholar to St John’s, Cambridge, he is not alone in having found it hard to adjust. Michael has a tirelessly inquiring mind and the book is an erudite treasure-trove of intriguing research, informed opinion and period detail. He has a strong visual memory and sense of occasion. He sees links and consequences and relates to figures from the past, bringing them alive in his narrative.

Unsurprisingly, Samuel Pepys is a favourite: another meticulous recorder and ‘snapper up of unconsidered trifles’ who enjoyed every moment of life and just couldn’t let it go without comment. One cannot read Pepys without wondering what motivated him to write but also being very glad that he did. And the same is true of this book: a civilized and stimulating read. An historical novel next perhaps?

Jeremy Tomlinson

Martin Slumbers (Field’s House 1973–1978)

Martin Slumbers, Chair of Lancing College and the Chief Executive of The R&A and Secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, has been awarded an OBE in HM The King’s Birthday Honours List for his services to golf.

Martin joined the Governing Body in 2008 and was appointed Chair in 2019. Formerly a pupil at the College (Field’s House 1973–1978), he held leadership roles as Head of House and Prefect during his time as a pupil. He represented Lancing in Athletics, Cross Country and Squash, before reading Mathematics at Birmingham University.

Currently, as well as Chair of Governors at Lancing, Martin is CEO of The Royal & Ancient since 2015 and has brought his extensive global business experience and a passion for golf to the organisation. He has led The R&A as the global governing body of golf around the world (outside the US and Mexico) and, as Secretary of the iconic golf club, which dates from 1754, he has supported its committees in serving its international membership.

‘Golf has been a huge part of my life and has been extremely good to me over many years,’ he said. ‘When I took up the role at The R&A in 2015 I was motivated to give something back to the game I love. I discovered a real passion for our sport and a desire to increase its popularity and appeal. To be recognised in this way for that is truly humbling and I would like to record my appreciation for the hugely talented and professional team of colleagues at The R&A who have supported me over the last decade. It really has been a wonderful experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life.’

Commenting on this appointment, Dominic Oliver, Head Master, said, ‘Martin is celebrated in one of the photographs (above) hanging with 27 others to recognise leadership in our 175th Anniversary Portraits exhibition in the Dining Hall. He is highly regarded across the College and we are all hugely proud that he has been publicly acknowledged through this award. The entire community of staff, pupils, OLs and parents joins me in sending our congratulations.’

Amelia Lloyd (Field’s 2013–2018)

This July will be quite a celebration for Amelia as she receives her MbChb in Medicine and Surgery after five years of university at Sheffield.

Amelia writes ‘It has been a whirlwind of an experience, but I was determined to make it to the finish line. Becoming a doctor only became a possibility due to the friends, opportunities and everything Lancing College gave me. I left Lancing in 2018 and it has become a weird realisation that I have now been gone longer than I was there for. I still remember arriving up the drive back in September 2013 like it was yesterday, but I stop and think about where I am now and how far away that really was. I am excited to start my new job as an FY1 in the Sheffield area, but no matter the time or distance that comes between Lancing, the connections will always be there and I will cherish the life it built me up for.

Michael S Forrow (Heads 1951–1955)

We were delighted to hear news from Michael S Forrow (Heads 1951–1955) and his wife, Ellen. Upon recently finding this photograph, Ellen recalls the request to Michael to smile for the picture (taken in Alaska, mid 1990s on a P&O Cruise).

‘The proverbial ask, to “Say Cheese,” seemed inappropriate given the majestic surroundings of the Alaskan landscape. In a flash, an image of the grandeur of Lancing Chapel came to me and inspired me to request that Michael, “Say Lancing College.” Voila! Henceforth, a dream response from my favourite photographic subject.’

News from OLs

Neil Cox’s Requiem Canticles

Nick Parker (Head’s 1974–1979) visited Gloucester Cathedral to see the first performance of former Director of Chapel Music, Neil Cox’s (Common Room 1977–2018) Requiem Canticles. Nick attended with The Rt Revd Dr John Inge (Common Room 1979–1986).

On Friday 22 March I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the first performance of Neil Cox’s Requiem Canticles in Gloucester Cathedral, and with great anticipation took my seat in the Nave, with its soaring arches, its huge Romanesque pillars and its stunning acoustic. The audience was large, the tension almost palpable, and after the concert had opened with Byrd’s incomparable Ave verum the Canticles began. At this point I simply quote from the full and generous review of the concert in the highly respected Seen and Heard International:

‘The work, which in this performance played for 36 minutes, is cast in eight sections. Cox explained in a programme note that the commission “gave me the opportunity to revisit some of my work from the past, to incorporate it into a

bigger work alongside new movements, and to build the structure anew”. I am not in a position to say which parts of Requiem Canticles are recycled from past music but if the composer’s remark suggests a patchwork score, I can only say that, though the movements were differentiated from each other, I found on a first hearing that the score had a cohesive unity. Furthermore, an important structural device was the revisitation in the last movement of material heard at the very opening of the work.

Requiem Canticles is scored for solo countertenor, SATB choir and a small ensemble. The ensemble consists of horn, harp, percussion (two players), keyboard and organ. There is one additional and important element. In the first and last movements Cox has included the sound of recorded church bells and, moreover, the bells of a very specific church. He explained in his note that in 2016 he visited the

German city of Speyer. There, the immense Romanesque Cathedral has a peal of bells which Cox described as “all-encompassing”; so much so that he recorded them on his iPad and it is that recording which he incorporated into Requiem Canticles. I think it is worth saying about Cox’s use of a fairly small instrumental ensemble – though only a small group of instruments is involved, the range of colours and textures is in no way inhibited; rather, Cox seems to find unerringly the appropriate – and exciting – instrumental timbres at every point in the score.

The first two movements, Requiescant – Kyrie and Dies irae set Latin words from the Mass for the Dead. A tense atmosphere was distilled right at the start in the instrumental introduction, but once the choir began to sing, I thought there was warmth in the harmonies. Cox sets only the first four stanzas of the Dies irae (reaching as far as Mors stupebit). The music is very dramatic

and intense, and this led without a break into a setting of the poem Imagined Voices by the Greek poet, Constantine Cavafy (1863–1933). This provided much-needed contrast with the tumult of the Dies irae, not only in terms of the sentiments expressed but also in the music itself. The movement is for the solo counter tenor, whose music is very lightly accompanied. There was a paredback simplicity to this movement which appealed strongly. The next movement, again lightly scored, is a setting for the choir of Psalm 23. This is a radiant piece. The melodic invention is lovely and the harmonies beautifully imagined – it is a fine response to the words of the psalm. In the Sanctus which followed, initially, the choir provided a backdrop to the countertenor line; hereabouts the instrumental accompaniment to the soloist was gamelan-like. At Pleni sunt cæli the choir’s music had much greater intensity and energy; I was put in mind of the same passage in Britten’s War Requiem. There follows a hymn-like setting of Psalm 121 (‘I to the hills lift up

mine eyes’). The source for the words is the New England Bay Psalter (1640), the first book printed in British North America (so I learned from Neil Cox’s note). The music is treated differently in each of the four verses; I thought it was a very effective setting, mirroring well both the Psalm itself and the 17th century English.

The Psalm was followed attacca by a setting of famous lines from St Paul’s Epistle to the Corinthians (‘Though I speak with the voice of angels and mortals but have not love…’). Initially, the words are sung by the soloist, with a delicate instrumental accompaniment and the choir gently in the background. The choir moved to the fore at Love is the voice of patience and kindness; here, the words were set to a winning, warm melody. The music built to a strong affirmation before the soloist had the last word (literally), thrice singing very quietly the word Love. By way of a lovely organ transition, the final movement followed without a break. Here, Cox draws the whole work together.

The choir sings The Resurrection Prayer of St Augustine of Hippo (‘We shall rest and we shall see…’) The choir’s music is homophonic, very beautiful and has an unquestionable sincerity. St Augustine’s prayer ends with Amen, Alleluia which Cox makes into a warm and impressive climax. Then, he revisits the material of the work’s opening, including the Speyer bells, before Requiem Canticles achieves a hushed and very satisfying conclusion. A silence followed, indicating how the music had resonated with the audience; we needed a little time to digest it.

Neil Cox has composed a most impressive and moving work. An inspired selection of texts and inventive, attractive music exerted a powerful appeal to the audience who accorded both composer and work an enthusiastic ovation. I am sure everyone felt, as I did, that we had been present at the unveiling of an important composition.”

John Quinn

The OL Club Review

Talking Heads

In May, three OLs – all of whom were former Heads of School –spoke at our Founder’s Day Prizegiving Ceremony.

David Andrew Lloyd OBE

Gibbs’ 1954–1959

David was born in Hankow, China –an area that is now Wuhan – on 24 December 1940, to parents John and Ellen and later, brother to Deborah. John was serving abroad with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). As the Sino-Japanese War/ WWII escalated, David and family were evacuated, leaving for the UK in July 1942 and eventually arriving in Liverpool, April 1943.

David started at Heath Mount Prep School, Hertford in 1947 before moving to Lancing College as a scholar in 1954. He had an enjoyable and successful time at Lancing where he excelled at modern languages while also finishing as Head of Gibbs’ House and Head of School. In 1959, he went up to Clare College, Cambridge, where he studied Arabic. Upon graduation and with a mastery of European modern languages and Arabic he followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the FCO. His successful career took him initially to Lebanon to further hone his Arabic skills at the Middle East Centre for Arabic Studies (MECAS) and followed with postings to Kuwait, Colombia, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Ivory Coast and finally as HM British Ambassador to Slovenia.

He married Janet in 1964, with whom he had his first two children Victoria and Ben. He married Katie in 1985, with whom he had three more daughters, Mia, Rosellen and Felicia.

Following his retirement from the FCO he spent the next 10 years consulting for the Middle East Association using his long-term connections and linguistic skills to facilitate private UK investment into the region. He also maintained very close ties to Slovenia where he returned as a frequent guest for numerous personal and professional engagements.

His latter years have been spent doting on his nine grandchildren and spending time with his partner Elizabeth with whom he has continued to travel widely.

John Trotter

Olds 1964–1969

John was at Lancing from 1964 to 1969. He was Head of Olds House and Head of School. As well as achieving the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award, he was a member of the Tennis First VI and the Athletics Team, and played in the Third XI for football and cricket. He was Editor of the College Magazine, wrote and directed a satirical review for the House Play Competition, and represented the College in a quiz programme on BBC2.

John won an Open Exhibition in Classics to Worcester College, Oxford, where he read Law and then English. In 1973 he joined Lovell, White & King (now Hogan Lovells) – the leading international law firm – where he spent the entirety of his career. He specialised in Commercial Disputes, including Professional Negligence, and in the Insurance and Media industries. He was involved in some of the leading media and insurance cases and defended many professional firms in negligence claims.

John spent two years in the firm’s New York office, and much of his work involved the United States. He was Managing Partner of the Dispute Resolution Department and was a member of the Management Committee. He was Recruitment Partner for three years and later the Training Principal, responsible for 150 trainee solicitors. He qualified as a Solicitor-Advocate, was a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and Chair of the Insurance Section of the International Bar Association.

After he retired, John volunteered for the Royal British Legion, representing injured servicemen before the War Pensions Tribunal. His interests include gardening, tennis, birdwatching, golf, watching football, travel and theatre. He is married with three adult children and six grandchildren. He lives in London and spends part of the year on the Suffolk coast.

Emma Brünjes Manor 1998–2000

Emma is a theatre and comedy producer based in the West End. She left Lancing in 2000 for LSE reading Government and History. Following summers performing at the American Academy in New York and RADA, Emma hung up her tap shoes and produced, with her brother Harry (Head’s 1996–2001), Pinter’s The Hothouse at University College London. On graduation Emma joined Avalon Entertainment, producing comedy tours. Emma was Producer for the inaugural Old Vic New Voices Company in 2005, transferring her first commissioned play, Artefacts by Mike Bartlett from the Bush Theatre to 59E59 Street Theatre, off Broadway.

In 2010 Emma was invited to join Nica Burns, the owner of Nimax Theatres, as General Manager. producing multiple productions including When we are Married starring Maureen Lipman and Roy Hudd and Long Day’s Journey Into Night starring David Suchet.

In 2013 Emma founded her own company, Emma Brünjes Productions (ebp). ebp is a live entertainment company specialising in Production and General Management. With ebp, Emma has produced more than 100 productions in the West End, UK Tours, the Edinburgh Festival and internationally, working alongside brother Ralph (Gibbs’ 2001–2006).

In 2016 Emma produced the groundbreaking production of Alice’s Adventures Underground, a fully immersive and interactive recreation of Alice in Wonderland, which was nominated for an Olivier Award, The Stage Innovation Award and transferred to Shangahi.

Emma’s forthcoming productions are CBeebies Rainbow Adventure, the first immersive theatrical experience for preschool children, and Taskmaster: The Live Experience, the interactive event created with fellow OL, Alex Horne (Field’s 1991–1996).

Continuing our series of biographies of OLs and staff who were chosen by the Lancing College community to be part of the 175th Anniversary Portraits ...

Catherine Reeve (Sanderson’s 1976–1978)

Foundation Director 2005–, Lancing College

Catherine arrived at Lancing in 1962, aged two, with her parents and younger sister when her father was appointed Head of History. She spent her childhood here then teenage years in the Sixth Form and returned, in her 40s, as Foundation Director.

At Lancing Catherine explored her love of literature and theatre. She has vivid memories of reading Paradise Lost with Donald Bancroft and performing in the Greek Theatre. At Westfield College, London University, she read English and German, was on the magazine editorial team, Honorary Secretary of the Student Union, and led event management for the summer ball – a role she reprised 40 years later at Lancing.

The pioneer experience of being one of a handful of girls at Lancing set Catherine up for the rest of her life. After university, determined to become a food writer and to study her subject first hand, she wrote to Albert Roux asking to be a trainee chef at Le Gavroche, his three-star restaurant. Incredibly, he took her on – the only female in the kitchen. This led to an extraordinary five years cooking in kitchens all over London and in France. Her next move was to the burgeoning M&S food empire where she created its first crispy duck and Thai green curry and her own food retail consultancy followed for 12 years.

2024 finds her, suddenly, in her 19th year at Lancing (and with grandchildren). The experience has been a privilege. The Foundationers programme is an important focus of her work, alongside nurturing the warmth of the Lancing community. She has yet to write about food but that will come in retirement when she begins to catalogue her library of cookery books.

This portrait is taken in the Reeve Art School, named after her father for his service to the College as Chair of Lancing’s Governing Body.

Jeremy Tomlinson (Common Room 1971–2021)

Fellow of Lancing College, Steward of Lancing Chapel

The son of a country parson, Jeremy Tomlinson was brought up to have an interest in church architecture, history, literature and the theatre. He was educated at an old Sussex prep school, Gresham’s School in Norfolk and Selwyn College Cambridge, which turned out to be the ideal preparation for working at Lancing.

After working in antiques and archives, Jeremy was appointed to teach here in April 1971 and apart from one year doing the Certificate of Education at University College Cardiff, taught English in the same classroom next to Alan Black for 35 years.

He succeeded Donald Bancroft as Head of Drama, initially using the old stage in Great School, and later introducing GCSE Drama. He devised and, with Rob Bailey, managed the conversion of the old swimming pool into a studio theatre which was opened by Sir Tim Rice in 1984. He feels this is his most important educational contribution to the College and is delighted to have had his portrait taken in the auditorium. Several actors, singers and members of his stage teams are now in the professional theatre and broadcasting.

Jeremy served in the CCF, led five Italian tours for Sixth Formers, ran the Public Speaking (winning the Observer Mace), edited the College Magazine and published A Portrait of Lancing College for the 150th anniversary. He was House Tutor of Head’s, Manor and Field’s and for 15 years Housemaster of Head’s House. In 12 years as Admissions Registrar, he encouraged coeducation and diversity.

As Hon Secretary of the Friends and Chapel Steward, Jeremy has overseen the conservation of Lancing Chapel for over 40 years and written the guidebooks. During lockdown he pushed through the completion of the West Porch which was dedicated in 2022: a defining moment in the school’s 175 year history.

The OL Club Sports

Cricket

The Rovers season is up and running, albeit with a losing start in the first round of the Cricketer Cup at Old Merchant Taylors’ on 9 June. A strong side headed to Middlesex to take on a side we hadn’t played for 20 odd years in our quest for that elusive first Cricketer Cup tournament triumph. Asked to take the field having lost the toss, Nick and Lewis opened the bowling in overcast blustery conditions conceding 50 runs in their opening half a dozen overs, a run rate that was to set the tone for the remainder of the innings. We only took six wickets, five of which scored half centuries. Nick was the most successful bowler finishing with 2-66, Lewis also took a couple of wickets, but we did manage to slow down the run rate thanks to James’ 10 overs for 48, Jeff’s 1-56 and Barney’s 1-17, the OMTs finishing up on 351-6!

In reply we were always up with the run rate, but lost wickets at regular intervals, as you tend to do when chasing a daunting target. AJ was the first to go, then Ryan who briefly threatened with one massive six followed by Nick, Ollie, George and the rest of the bowlers with only the captain Hector making any kind of dent in their total, finishing with a fine 68 off 71 balls including three maximums. 152 all out. The OMTs are a decent outfit so no disgrace losing to them, and their ‘reward’ is a trip to last year’s winners the Old Malvernians, so good luck with that.

At time of press the Rovers were set to play the College 1st XI on 27 June for the Peter Robinson Trophy.

After that, all we have left is Rovers Week, three matches down at Lancing against the Old Cranleighans, Brighton Brunswick and the Sussex Martlets on 10–12 July.

Fives

OL Fives has been punching above its weight (again). Despite being a relative minnow in the Eton Fives world, where other clubs emanate from schools where Fives is a major sport, the OLs have flown the flag vigorously for Lancing College over the summer.

George Linfield (School 2008–2013) resurrected a squad for the Summer Super leagues played at Westway Sport Centre West London. A wide range of ages and abilities have taken part and Lancing is currently in the upper half of the table with one round to go.

The squad includes George Linfield, Alex Abrahams (Head’s 2011–2014), Ed Habershon (School 2012–2017), Ashley Lumbard (Manor 2002–2007), Matt Davis (School 2011–2016), JB Garway-Templeman (School 2008–2013) and Matthew Beard. A special mention must go to Matt Davis who travelled up from Ferring on the south coast to play these evening games, which is truly heroic.

Earlier in the year Ashley Lumbard won through to the final of the Ladies Championships, losing out to a pair that recorded their 12th title.

In April Brian (Field’s 1981–1986) and Henry Steele (Head’s 2012–2017) took part in the Father and Son Aberconwy Cup and creditably won one of the plate competitions, after a long and tiring day at Highgate.

Anyone interested in coming back to the game or taking it up for the first time who lives in Sussex or Surrey, please contact Matthew Beard at matthew.beardsehls1962@gmail.com Those hoping to play in London should contact George Linfield at glinfield.171@gmail.com. You will be made very welcome by the Fives community.

Matthew Beard (Sanderson’s 1976–1980)

**See page 78 for an exciting update about the rejuvenated Fives courts at Lancing College**

(Back row l–r): Hector Loughton (Gibbs’ 2007–2012), AJ Wood (Head’s 2009–2014), George Nott (Gibbs’ 2011–2014), Ryan Maskell (Teme 2011–2014), Nick Ballamy (Head’s 2009–2014), Steven Crosby (School 2006–2009). (Front row l-r): Lewis Franklin (School 2014–2019), Jeffrey Kerr-Dineen (Head’s 2015–2020), Barney Hall (Gibbs’ 2016–2021), James Scade (Gibbs’ 2018–2023), Oliver John (Second’s 2013–2018).

Elsewhere Mason Crane has been tearing it up at Glamorgan this season with a couple of five-fors and a career best 61 with the bat, and Alice Capsey, who we hope to get in Rovers colours one day, has been doing what Alice does with England, including a player of the match performance against Pakistan scoring 31 off 36 and taking 2-4 in their recent ODI series win.

We hope to see some of you down at ‘HQ’ over the coming weeks. Up the Rovers!

Tim Mackenzie (Olds 1981–1986)

Tennis

The OL Tennis Club had a fantastic Founder’s Day on 25 May 2024. The courts looked beautiful, and the backdrop was amazing. The school has once again begun to turn out some very strong players beating the OLs in the first three pairings, 6-3, but in the second three pairings the OLs won 2-7. The games were played with great spirit and good to see that the school is so friendly, that true Lancing legacy.

Thank you to the school for organising, especially to Siobhan Airey, Catherine Mole, Kirsten Barratt and the grounds team. The Catering team were also fantastic with lashings of Pimms provided, thank you.

Richard Blackburn is stepping down after 10 or so years at the helm and is very pleased to introduce fresh impetus in George Naunton (Second’s 2017–2022) who will hopefully revitalise some old fixtures (Charterhouse etc), we wish him the very best for the future. Please do contact George via the school if you would like to play.

Richard Blackburn (Field’s 1989–1994)

Rifle Shooting

In this issue we focus on Thomas Craig-Fleming (Second’s 2016–2021) – who recently represented Great Britain U21 in the 2024 World Long Range Championships in Bloemfontein South Africa with support and sponsorship from the OL Club. Here is Thomas’s account of the competition and his incredible experience: ‘After selection to the squad in 2022, I was delighted to be confirmed in the final Great Britain Under 21 team to travel to South Africa in March 2024 to compete in the World Long Range Championships (alongside the GB Palma, GB Veterans and GB U25) To read more about the team please visit: https://gbrt.org.uk/tours/palma24/the-u21s/

The GB U21s flew out to Johannesburg on 1 March and had a few days acclimatising. As part of this we were lucky enough to be invited to stay on a farm owned by South African competitors, known to our team manager. We spent a couple of days in the bush and helped with management of the wildlife.

We then travelled further south and checked into the team hotel in Bloemfontein. This was about 40 minutes’ drive away from the range. Always an interesting, daily opportunity to spot (and dodge) more of the local wildlife (giraffe, kudu, wildebeest, springbok and ostrich to name but a few).

The competitions ran over 16 days from 8–23 March. The age-limited competitions ran first as part of the South African Target Rifle Open Championships.

The distances and targets are different from those we use in the UK and the championships were shot over distances from 300–900m. We generally shot 3–4 distances in a day.

This range is at high altitude (approx. 5,000 feet above sea level) and this, the high temperatures (30–46ºC), mirage, ever changeable winds and often blustery conditions provided significant challenge for the firers. Competitions such as this are a real test of consistency of excellence and stamina.

GB had notable successes. With regard to the U21 teams this included individual world medals with three of the GBU21 Team (6th, 9th and 10th) and two other U21 members of the GBU25 Team in the top 10.

The U21s were undefeated in both their international matches. Additional, national flavour was added as they were piped onto the range by their team-mate Hayden for the Protea Match.

On conclusion of the individual world championships were two days of the Palma Match, the most senior competition in full-bore shooting where teams of 16 firers (with four coaches) shoot three distances on each of the two days of competition. The winds were unusually quiet, if not fickle. Over the two days records tumbled and the winning team, Australia, dropped only 28 shots out of 7,200 with GB only four more than that!

This was an amazing tour. I am grateful for all who helped us get there (including sponsorship from The OL Club), to our managers and my team mates. I feel most privileged to have represented my country.‘

Congratulations to Thomas and his team mates for their outstanding efforts and results.

The OL Club Review In Memoriam

It was with great sadness that the College had to announce back in March the loss of one of its most loyal and respected OLs.

Captain Graham Robinson (Gibbs’

1958–1962)

Graham Robinson passed away peacefully on Saturday 23 March 2024 at St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester, after a short illness.

Graham had a long and distinguished association with the College; at school he was a Prefect and Head of House, and a keen sportsman playing football for the 1st XI.

After Lancing, he joined the Royal Navy in September 1963 and served there for 35 years. His sea service in 10 ships included two in command: HMS ARLINGHAM, based in Gibraltar, and HMS GALATEA at the time of the Falklands War. Among his shore appointments were four years in the Ministry of Defence, three years as Commander of Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth and four years as the Director of Naval Physical Training and Sport. He was also Chairman of Royal Navy Football.

On retiring from the Navy in 1998 he took up a new position of Combined Services Sports Secretary, coordinating sports throughout the tri services. In 2008, the Army & Navy cricket associations were due to celebrate the centenary of their interservice contest, a match that had been played at Lord’s until the 1970s. Graham was instrumental in persuading the MCC that this match should return to Lord’s, where it is still played now. Such was the importance of his role that at this year’s event in May the MCC held a minute’s silence in his honour ahead of the final match and asked his sons, Giles and Angus, to ring the pre-match five minute bell.

Graham’s support of Lancing continued when he sent his two sons to school here –Giles (Gibbs’ 1989–1994) and Angus (Gibbs’ 1991–1996) and it was during this time that he was able to reacquaint himself with the school that had such a huge place in his heart.

Graham was Chairman of The Old Lancing Club for 13 years from 2001–2014, and his leadership and sense of humour were always in evidence at meetings and events. His dedicated service to the Club was recognised when he was made a Vice-President after his retirement from the committee. Graham was also a member of the Foundation Council and supported both the Foundationers Campaign and the completion of the Chapel in his seven years on the Council. He was awarded the honour of Fellow of the College in 2015 by Dr Harry Brünjes, who was then Chair of the Governing Body.

Michael Power who has died in Cornwall, surrounded by his family, at the age of 97, taught modern languages and English at Lancing from 1958 to 1985.

Michael was part of a distinguished and long-serving cohort of John Dancy’s appointments and served Lancing in the prime of his life. In fact, however, those 27 years were less than one third of his remarkable career (the rest of which others will recount), but he left an indelible impression here and forged friendships which lasted to the end. Michael was a kind, loyal, charismatic and loveable individual who is greatly missed, not least by Jane, Dominic, Alice, Adam and Caroline.

Educated at Clifton College, Bristol, and Caius College, Cambridge, Michael was an effective classroom teacher and seemingly a conventional, even establishment figure. He was, however, an outspoken champion of employees’ rights and the need for progress and not one to suffer folly or hypocrisy in himself or others. He declined a Housemastership but his vivid personality and rare natural talents made him indispensable to ‘extra-curricular activities.’ Compact and wiry, he was physically strong and nimble, with mental agility and resources to match. His enthusiasm, energy, intelligence and infectious good humour inspired colleagues and students alike. He told endearing, self-deprecating anecdotes about his own mishaps – the copper-bottomed boat, the false teeth, the effects of aging – and excelled in mischievous lateral thinking. He was an entertaining companion and not only witty in himself, but ‘the cause that wit is in other men.’

Michael made an important contribution to Lancing drama, directing several major productions: a memorable ‘punkthemed’ Measure for Measure and Frayn’s Donkeys’ Years for the Common Room, and he made several stage performances. Most notably, he devised and directed a series of satirical, even subversive Founder’s Day revues, writing fluent and

witty sketches on contemporary issues at high speed, and adapting characters and situations to be performed in the Open-Air Theatre by pupils and colleagues. Their style and ethos were perfectly in tune with the 1960s and 70s. He was also a dab hand at light verse and quotable aphorisms. It was Michael who saw the potential of the old swimming pool to become a studio/courtyard theatre and even suggested the ‘do it yourself’ approach. This was one of Lancing’s ad hoc temporary solutions which has become an enduring benefit to generations of actors and stage teams.

Michael’s sporting proclivities were for individual challenges: sailing, rock climbing, mountaineering and exploring. Although not obviously a ‘military’ type, he was gifted with self-discipline and natural qualities of leadership. Thus, he was a stalwart of the CCF, especially at summer camps and ‘adventurous training.’ Indeed, adventure was his raison d’etre: he somehow managed to turn any activity or journey into a voyage of discovery and derring-do. So, on the first Malawi expedition, which was partly his brainchild, he was entirely in his element. It was an activity which would turn a health and safety official of today to jelly in his hi-viz jacket. But it was a triumph, and established a tradition which remains to this day one of Lancing’s most life-enhancing and distinctive enterprises. Michael wrote a whimsical, insouciant and almost surreal account of it for the College magazine, and he died only a few days before the celebration of its 42nd anniversary at which he was remembered with admiration and affection. We really shall not see his like again.

Jeremy Tomlinson

Michael Power (Common Room 1958–1985)

The OL Club Review

Dr Robin John Birts (Head’s 1955–1959)

Born in Norwich in 1930, Robin’s early years were slightly itinerant, being dragged around the country by his mother to follow his father’s navy postings.

It was when he joined Lancing in 1943 that he began to thrive. It was the College that gave him his foundations for life. He joined the school at Ludlow, when it was in wartime evacuation, and he would often say how much he loved those days. In terms of important men in his life, Robin would say that there were three, Mozart, Beethoven, and his House Master E B Gordon. Gordo, as he was known, left an indelible impression on Robin and helped him establish his lifelong love of music.

After Lancing he joined the army. Commissioned in 1950 and retiring in January 1989, the Army and in particular the world of port and maritime operations based out of Marchwood Military Port, were his bedrock. He would say himself, that his 5 minutes of fame came when he led his Marchwood based Port Squadron in running the British military evacuation out of Tobruk in 1970, for which he received the MBE. Robin, a much-loved father, grandfather and great grandfather, was a regular guest at the Over 60s Lunches and was always with a group of his old friends from Second’s, he was a very special Lancing gentlemen who will be sorely missed. He died peacefully on 15 December at the New Forest Nursing Home, aged 93. John Barton

Born on 19 August 1941, Robin passed away peacefully on 26 January 2024 aged 82 at his home in Todenham, Gloucestershire where he had lived for over 50 years.

He came to Lancing, in Head’s House under Housemasters Sam Jagger and Terry Kermode. Telford Shute and I were his contemporaries. Our combined recollection of him is that he was a man of many parts who enjoyed music, the theatre, painting and sport, particularly football, tennis and fives. He designed and painted the sets for the Head’s House play Charley’s Aunt. We shared that stage with him when he came up with the idea of dressing up as ladies and dancing the Charleston with other Head’s House Captains at the Rag Concert in 1958. Although a modern linguist at Lancing, he went on to Guy’s Hospital in London and practised as a GP in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire for his whole professional life.

He is survived by his wife Deanne, their children Nicholas, Charles and Henry, six grandchildren, and brother Peter Birts KC, Chairman of the Friends of Lancing Chapel. Robin was always a faithful supporter of Lancing who according to Catherine Reeve was often ‘encouraging us to do better’! He was delighted at the completion of The Chapel. Robin’s father John was an OL, as is his brother, Peter, as were several cousins and a nephew Edward Coltart, a joint Captain of the School who sadly died in 2016 at the age of 42.

Richard Rawlings (Head’s 1955–1959)

Roger Davies (Teme 1952–1956)

Roger Davies was born in Briton Ferry, South Wales in 1938. He was one of four brothers to attend Lancing, and under the tutelage of Graham Collier he found his passion for art. After art school, he returned to South Wales finding patronage, winning prizes and establishing himself as one of the leading young contemporary artists of his generation.

He leveraged his artistic background to become an industrial designer, building an engineering company in Neath. Together with his engineers, they built Hotspur Armoured Products, introducing the first armoured Land Rovers into the Northern Irish Troubles, the company name ‘Hotspur’ becoming eponymous with all armoured vehicles in the province.

From an artistic perspective, he was a polymath: painter, draughtsman, sculptor, silversmith, writer, poet, illustrator. His true legacy is his creative output – a body of work that will be passed down through generations of the family he leaves behind.

When Roger was diagnosed with cancer, he was still an unstoppable creative force. In his final weeks, he was counting down not in days, but in the number of paintings he needed to complete before his time was up. Married to Elizabeth in 1966, he was a truly dedicated and devoted husband, caring for his wife right up to his final days. They shared their 57th wedding anniversary in September 2023 before Roger passed away, aged 85, in November 2023, leaving behind two sons and seven grandchildren.

Robin Davies (Roger’s son)

Robin H Barton MBE (Second’s 1943–1947)

Sarah Woodhouse (wife of former Head Master, Jim Woodhouse) 4 July 2024

Roger Fox

Roger ‘Nick’ Benge

Revd John Hunwick

Second’s 1945–1950 9 June 2024

Gibbs’ 1952–1957 27 May 2024

Common Room 30 April 2024

John Clarkson Gibbs’ 1943–1948 9 April 2024

Philip Morgan-Smith

Second’s 1955–1958 17 March 2024

Timothy Hutton Olds 1954–1958 1 February 2024

Malcolm Hord

Hugh Anthony ‘Tony’ Valentine

Our Congratulations and Best Wishes to ...

Lauren Gardner (Sankey’s 2011–2016) and George Greenacre (Second’s 2012–2017), who became friends at Lancing College in 2016 whilst doing a play together. They reconnected whilst at university after bumping into each other in Lewes. Lauren and George are delighted to have got engaged on Saturday 22 June.

Field’s 1952–1956 November 2023

Head’s 1948–1952 March 2022

Forthcoming Events for OLs and Parents 2024

We are looking forward to welcoming OLs, parents and guests to our programme of events over the next few

The most up-to-date event information can be found on the website.

For further information about any of these events, please contact the Foundation Office: foundation@lancing.org.uk

Be inspired Be brilliant Be you