IfirstencounteredhisworkatTate ModerninLondonaroundsixteenyears ago Iwasimmediatelystunnedandin aweofthescaleandincredibly expressiveandbeautifulcoloursinhis works Tobeamonghisworksinperson wasawonderfulexperience
I do Road and Track cycling on the Great Britain Cycling team Olympic development squad These are two differentdisciplines:Roadcyclinginvolvesridingoutside on the road in races like the Nation Cup races and I also do time trials, whereas Track cycling involves races such asteampursuit,bunchracesandomnium.
Irecommendthatyoujoinalocalclubandattendregularly. ThisishowIgotintointosportwithmyyouthteam,Clifton CC Youhavetobe dedicated,willingtorideinwhatever weatherconditions,and,mostimportantly,enjoyit!
PhotocourtesyofMillie
PhotobyMegan
ENTERTAINMENT Film
Blitz-AppleTV(PG-13)
Set in London during the Blitz of September 1940, Rita Hanway (Saoirse Roan) sends her son, George (Elliott Heffernan), away to the countryside to evacuate him from the terrible bombings in the city. However, George is reluctant to go and with unfailing resolve, he embarks on a perilous journey back home, learning more about his heritage as a young, mixed-race boy along the way.
This tragic and poignant tale is likely to bring tears to your eyes - so have the tissues to hand! Despite being fiction, the characters and events in the film are based on well-researched historical facts. Steve McQueen truthfully illustrates how the 'Blitz Spirit’ simultaneously unified and divided the nation.
Rating: Four out of five stars
By: KingaKinYear11
Film
TheChristmasChronicles2-PG
Christmas Chronicles 2, set against an idyllic backdrop, is about two children who meet the wonderful Santa Claus and go on an amazing adventure.
On their way to give all of the presents to the kids, one of the old elves comes and steals the Christmas star. It is worth watching the whole movie to find out the whole amazing story!
This movie is a good, family-friendly watch for everyone from 8 to 80 years old. I personally recommend it for Christmas nights in front of the fireplace. It is one of the best Christmas films.
Rating: five stars
By: AadityaRinYear7
Book
LittleWomen-Louisa-MayAlcott
Little Women is a heartwarming tale set in 1960s Massachusetts during the American Civil War. It follows the March sisters, Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth through their childhood into adulthood. The story tells of how the sisters grow up, find love, and figure out their place in the world.
I think the best part of the book, aside from the delightful imagery, is the characters. Each is unique and their personalities shine, enabling readers to connect with them.
The cosy setting makes this the perfect, wholesome book to curl up with this winter holiday, and will have you laughing and crying at the same time!
Rating: Four out of five stars
Album
By: BethHinYear10
SoMuchWine-PhoebeBridgers
Our music pick for this edition is Phoebe Bridgers’ EP, “So Much Wine.”
It is a poignant collection of holiday-inspired covers, stemming from the string of annual Christmas covers Bridgers released from 2017 to 2020.
Reminiscent of her other introspective albums, the tracks are imbued with melancholia and warmth, with the familiar themes of longing, nostalgia, and resilience through tough times.
Her iconic soft vocals and minimalist instrumentals are accentuated by her collaborations with the likes of Fiona Apple on on “7 O’Clock News” and “Silent Night” creating an intimate, immersive listening experience.
Rating: Four out of five stars
By: LlmaAinYear11
THE HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS APPEALS
Christmas is a season of gifts, food, and all things wonderful and whimsical. However, not all people will feel the Christmas joy. Whether it be loneliness or financial constraints, it can be difficult for people to ensure their loved ones receive gifts at Christmas. This has and always will be a problem, only compounded by the bombardment of advertisements all competing to take our money. At Hymers College, we are fortunate enough to be able to share our Christmas joy: to give the gift of ‘giving’.
We have two Christmas ‘giving’ traditions at Hymers, and both are long-standing pillars of our Hymers community and ethos. The first is the Christmas food parcels. Every year, Hymers’ form groups come together to assemble parcels of food for families in need, the elderly, and others that may need some support at Christmas. The appeal has been standing for over forty years: ex-teacher Mr Nicholls, former Head of Lower School, said that the parcels preceded him when he started working at the school in 1982!
One collection that stood out was the efforts of the students and their parents in 1992. According to a copy of the Hymerian from that year, one hundred food hampers were made up to donate to senior citizens in the local area, but what truly stood out was the year’s other Christmas appeal. According to The Hymerian, Hymers College was invited to take part in a project that would see every Romanian orphan receive a Christmas parcel. Over the entirety of that appeal, they managed to donate four hundred and seventy eight parcels to the Romanian orphans in need.
The school’s other appeal is the Toy Appeal in support of Viking FM’s ‘Mission Christmas’ In collaboration with the charity Cash for Kids, we at Hymers gather toys and other gifts so that children across the country can receive at least one present this Christmas. This appeal has been standing for nearly twenty years starting in 2008 It has been running every year since
By: OscarWinYear11
POETRY WINNERS
THANKSANDGIVING
This year, lower school pupils were asked to write a poem about gratitude and how we can give to others out of our abundance. Year 7 triumphed in the competition and the winning entries are printed here. Ethan received first place, William was second and Zainab was third.
Gratitude
by Ethan J
Gratitude. Breathe, share this breath with me Breathe a deep breath in to then breathe out I thank my family and friends For bringing me this far. I shall live day by day, But I shall give this life for whoever needs it more, Whether they’re on the side of the road or in a mansion,
Generous
by William M
Generous are the clouds, the rivers filled by their rain. Healing are the plants, their medicines healing pain. Caring are the animals, their companionship we claim. Warming is the fire, the protection provided by its flame. Sustaining are the crops, the nourishment of their grain. Grateful are the people for nature, without which there would be no gain.
Whether they are mean or kind, I give my life for them.
The Feeling of Giving
by Zainab A
I feel thankful for those who have given me, The gift of loving and being free. I feel respect towards those who have given me, The gift of happiness and being seen.
So I give thanks to those, Who grant others affection and glee. But sometimes I cannot help, To wonder how they truly feel. Do they feel envious, angry and reluctant, or excited, joyful and pleasant?
But as I bestow this gift, Just like others have bestowed upon me. I feel touched, happy and proud, Delighted, peaceful and calm. And as their eyes sparkle, A smile spread across their face. I can finally understand How they feel, how it feels, truly.
Honourable mentions go to the following Year 7s: Zainab H for ‘Gratitude and Giving’ and Layla L for ‘Giving and Gratitude’
Photocredits-MissParker
COMING IN SPRING
HAMLET
In March 2025, the Drama department is putting on a performance of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. Hamlet, the protagonist, is played by Pablo in Year 12, and Claudius is played by Oscar also in Year 12.
The play is now set in Hull, 1995, at Christmas time. It centres around two rival nightclubs, Club Denmark and Club Fortinbras. The play is projected to be a great success, and be a showcase of the excellent talent at Hymers. Miss Witts (the director), having been asked why she chose Hamlet, replied ‘Hamlet has it all; romance, murder, ghosts, espionage, deception. It's a gritty play about uncertainty and about how, even in the trickiest of times, one should always be true to their own character.
However, directing a play is not without its challenges; in order to get the play down to a hundred minutes, much had to be cut without compromising many important aspects of the play’. Despite the challenges, Miss Witts maintains that rehearsals, ‘are and will continue to be an enthusiastic and energetic environment.’
ArticleandphotobyAmeliaDinYear11
PUZZLE - CONNECTIONS
ByStanleyBinYear13
How it works:
Re-organise the words in the table and fill them into the one below.
You should organise them by their connections.
e.g. bass, sword, gold and shark would all be kinds of fish
Answers will be printed in the next edition.
PabloandOscarasHamletandFortinbr
TEACHER’S PET
LOLA-MRSANZ-CARO’SCAT
Lola is a British Shorthair; she is a dark grey cat. Mr Sanz-Caro says that Lola is super lazy and that, like all cats, she sleeps a lot! Lola constantly jumps the fence but, due to her laziness, she doesn't have the energy to jump back over again and someone always is having to rescue her from her predicament!
Lola is a very lucky cat and gets two treats in the morning and two treats in the evening. She is accustomed to this routine and so, after a long day at work, Mr Sanz Caro can rely on coming home to find Lola waiting for her two treats!
WINTER REFLECTION
Funny story: Mr Sanz-Caro was lounging on the sofa, when Lola stalked in, showing off her impressive find: a live rat! She then decided it would be good entertainment to release the rat into the living room.
Lola (being a bit of a lazy cat) fell asleep immediately, letting the perplexed rat to roam free in the house Poor Mr Sanz-Caro had to race the rat round the house before eventually managing to shoo it away.
The twenty-first of December marks the winter solstice. It is the shortest, darkest day of the year.
The solstice is celebrated in many parts of the world, including in Scandinavia where people honour the goddess Biewe. It is believed that she and her daughter journeyed through the sky of the long night, encased in a structure of reindeer bones to bring back greenery for the animals. All over the world we continue to bring greenery into our homes: holly to represent loyalty, mistletoe for healing and yew which symbolises both death and resurrection.
Once holiday festivities are over and some of us prepare for exams in January, it’s worth remembering that the earth is still alive, creatures and trees and plants quietly wait in the certainty that spring will come again, and every day gets a little lighter and a little brighter.
Oneofmanymillionsofphotos ofLola-byMrSanz-Caro was Lola d: a live rat! After decided it would be ment to release the room.
By: LaylaLinYear7
Have your say
Lola (being a bit of a lazy cat) fell asleep immediately afterwards and let the perplexed rat roam free in the house Poor Mr SanzCaro had to race the rat round the house before eventually managing to shoo it away.
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