The Cantuarian Autumn 1997 - Summer 1998 by OKS Association | The King's School, Canterbury

THE CANTUARIAN

AUTUMN TERM 1997

---

THE CANTUARIAN VoL. LXII No.1

AUTUMN TERM,

1997

CONTENTS PAGE

EDITORIAL

THIS AND THAT

SERMON

OBITUARIES

CHAPLAIN'S NOTES

VALE

POINTS OF VIEW

FOCUS

EXPEDITIONS

CORRESPONDENCE

IMAGINATIVE WRITING

REPORTS AND REVIEWS MUSIC

DRAl\tiA

ART

TALKS

BOOKS

SOCIETIES AND ACTIVITIES

SPORT

THE O.K.S. ASSOCIATION, PRESIDENT'S REPORT

104

THE CANTUARIAN

Editor: Andrew Ribbans Edito[ ial Committee: James Brilliant, Laura Cameron, Thomas Davidson, Alexandra Davies, Monica Filby, Victoria Hunt, Charlotte Inglis, William Justice, Vanessa Li, Roland Phillips (Photography), Emma Torry, Lucy Traill, Benedict Westenra, Lawrence White, Eleanor Woods Senior Editor: M.J. Tennick, B.A. THE CANTUARJAN, AUTUMN

1997

EDITORIAL 'Always look on the bright side of life,' sang Eric Idle. After all, if we are to believe the venerable Dr Pangloss, one of Voltaire's most interesting characters, this is the 'best of all possible worlds', and we can therefore do nothing apart from be optimistic. Faced with so much suffering in the world today, it is infinitely preferable to consider the wonderful aspects of this life. Where would we be without all the wonders of the twentieth century - the computer, the television, Microsoft, the sports car, home-delivered pizza and other joy-bringing essentials? Such things provide a welcome relief from the monotony and suffering of everyday life. Even true misery seems somehow sanitised, and therefore almost romantic in its awfulness, when seen through the television screen. We can change the channel anyway, if it becomes too realistic and we feel 'compassion fatigue' setting in. After all we cannot carry all the world's problems on our shoulders. Or can we? For in our pursuit of happiness through escape to 'the bright side' , there is a danger of forgetting that the other side exists, or of becoming so immune to it in our optimism that it does not matter anyway. Many of us are very privileged, and whilst it is very easy to be charitable vicariously, applauding the efforts of others to do good, it is perhaps time, after years of being told that there is no such thing as society, to acknowledge the needs of others.

Photograph by David Moreau from his Cessna 150 en route from High Wycombe toLe Touquetfor lunch . He hand-held his Nikon 801S through the open window into a slipstream of more than 100 m.p.h., using 111000 at fl1 with 400 A.S.A. film.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

What do you want from life? To leave from the same house, at the same time, to go to the same office, to do the same job every Monday to Friday, returning to the same house, at the same time .••

Variety, Challenge, Responsibility? How about this for a day: 0830 Visit your Platoon or Troop on the vehicle park carrying out First Parade maintenance on their equipment. Equipment on your charge could be worth £millions, and it's your responsibility to ensure it is fully operationally effective. 0930 On the way back to the office visit crews practising their drills on a simulator to satisfy yourself they are up to standard. 1000 Conduct interviews with three of your soldiers - a good course report (debrief and congratulate}, a discipline problem (investigate the case}, and a compassionate problem (counsel and grant leave). 1100 Go to 25m range to conduct SA80 shooting practice to ensure the weapons are properly zeroed for an Annual Personal Weapons Test the following day.

1230 Lunch in the Officers' Mess. 1400 Represent your Regiment at your favourite team sport against another unit. 1630 Chair a planning meeting to finalise plans for an adventure training expedition to Kenya that you will be leading next Spring. 1800 An hour's work on your Company's account before you: 1900 Change into formal Mess Dress for a Regimental Guest Dinner Night. 0100 Check uniform and personal equipment for an early start to the following day's different but equally varied and challenging programme.

Want to know more? Your first challenge is easy,

See your Head of Careers to make an appointment with your Schools Liaison Officer or post the coupon below to SlO (SE) 17 St. Peter's Street, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2BQ The Army welcomes applications from eligible candidates no matter what their marital status, race, ethnic origin or religious belief. The Army is committed to being an Equal Opportunities Employer and has a strict code of conduct covering racial or sexual discrimination and harassment. Meet us on the Internet- http://www.army.mod.uk.

~~ ~~~

ARMY

NAME~------------------------------------------ ADDRESS~-----------------------------------------

BE THE BEST

POSTCODE SCHOOL

D.O. B. Lifestyle

'Jhis

'Jhal

On 1st December we learnt with great sadness of the de_ath of Lady Pilkington of Oxenford. We express our deepest sympathy to Lord Pilkington and to their daughters, Celia and Sarah. Helen Pilkington was known to many O.K.S. and members of staff in her capacity as the wife of our Headmaster between 197 5 and 1986, and an appreciation of her contribution to the School appears below (p. 13). Some thirty past and present members of staff and their spouses attended the Requiem Mass for her in London. Not long before this sad event, members of the School community attended the funeral in the Cathedral Crypt of Mrs Margaret Minchin. For many years she was a King's School 'landlady', accommodating up to four Sixth Form girls on the upper floors of 5, The Precincts. She always referred to herself as 'the resident dragon' but without fail she was firm, fair, kind and caring, and those who spent their final year at King's with her held her in very great affection. She was a regular supporter of School events throughout the year and particularly during King's Week. ÂˇÂˇ She will be sadly missed. Mrs Audrey Sidebotham, who died on 13th September i_n her 85th year, belonged both by blood and by marriage to a family whose links with the King's School extend for at least six generations. Her - and her husband's grandfather was the Reverend J.S. Sidebotham (K.S. 1843), author of Memorials of The King's School, Canterbury, published in 1865 and the first extended history of the School, while her great-grandson, Angus Young, left School . , House in 1990. In her latter years Mrs Sidebotham visited the School fairly regularly, usually en route for some remote Pacific island or the Turkish hinterland. Several of these visits were marked by gifts, such as the silver tablet on which the School Graces are engraved for the instruction of posterity (see p. 45. Ed.), or the sum of money for Library purchases which would otherwise be ruled out as extravagant. Her funeral, in remotest Wales, was a family one, but the School has sent a donation in this very remarkable lady's memory to the Star and Garter Home, her chosen charity. Lieutenant-Colonel James Roberts, O.K.S., who died in November, was well known as a mountain explorer. He . was described in The Times as 'one of the greats of the golden age of Himalayan exploration, and latterly the presiding guru of Nepalese mountaineering'. Requiescant

T HE CANTUARIAN, A UTUMN

1997

The death was also announced in November of Professor Charles Kennedy, who was Professor of Economic Theory at the University of Kent in the late sixties, and who taught briefly at King's to help out in an emergency in 1975. His three sons are O.K.S. and, according to the Director of Studies, their collective academic achievements have rarely been exceeded. Professor Kennedy himself was among the foremost economic theoreticians of his generation. Michael Lund died on 1st November, at the age of 58, after a long illness borne with fortitude . Mick - as he preferred to be called, and was, by all - joined the staff of the School Shop in 1965. His cheerful and helpful manner made him a valuable team-worker there, but ill-health made it necessary for him to take early retirement in 1989, just short of his silver jubilee. Mick was a good musician, chiefly as a singer and on the guitar, and he made a great contribution to the Staff Christmas Dances in the Shirley Hall. Many friends attended his funeral, where the School was represented by Mr and Mrs Arthur Gore. Our sympathy goes to Mick's wife, Lynn, and their family. A memorial service for Dr A.L. Rowse, an old friend of King's, was held at St Austell Parish Church in Cornwall on 4th December. The School was represented by Mr Michael Brown (SH 1944-49). O.K.S. who were at Carlyon Bay during the war will remember Dr Rowse's lectures. One such former member of the School, the historian and author Norman Scarfe (WL 1936-41) has kindly contributed his memories of Dr Rowse to this edition of The Cantuarian, decribed by Dr Rowse on his visit to Canterbury in 1983 as 'the best school magazine in the country'. Professor Sir Tony Wrigley, Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, who is a School Governor, has been elected President of the British Academy. Mr Jeremy Mallinson (MO 1950-54), the director of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust, has been honoured for his work with primates by the American Society of Primatologists. He has received their 1997 Senior Biology and Conservation Award. His prize money will be donated to support the co-ordination of mountain gorilla conservation programmes in Central Africa. He likens his work on the politics of conservation to that of a bartender making survival cocktails. We congratulate Mr Tristan Garel-Jones (GR 1954-60) on his appointment as a life peer. He is to be known as Baron Garel-Jones of Watford, the constituency he represented as a Conservative M.P. He kindly found the time to visit the School in November and gave a most informative and entertaining talk on Europe, a review of which appears elsewhere in this edition (p. 73). Shortly before his visit, it was reported that he had played host at his Spanish home to John Major, Chris Patten and William Waldegrave. He told the paper that he was not conspiring to oust William Hague from the Conservative Party leadership, and insisted that he was no longer in a position to influence such matters. 'I am a footnote in political history,' he declared. Those who heard his talk may find this hard to believe. Mr William Duggan (LX 1969-74), Headmaster of Batley Grammar School, has been appointed Headmaster of the City of London School from September 1998. We are pleased to see from the magazine of the European String Teachers' Association that in January 1998 Mr Nicholas King (MR 1963-68) joins Trinity College of Music as Chief Examiner for Music. Mr King has been ViceDirector and Director of Studies at The Royal College of Music since 1988. We congratulate two O.K.S. on their promotions within the RAF, not least because they are brothers. Air ViceMarshall J .R. Day, OBE (WL 1961-64) has been appointed Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff in the rank of Air Marshal, and N.J. Day (WL 1962-66) has been promoted to the rank of Air Commodore. They are clearly bidding to equal the feat of the Blenkinsop brothers, one of whom, Major-General Sir Layton Blenkinsop (K.S.C. 1874-79), became Director of the Army Veterinary Service (and, after a few millennia, designed an improved horse-shoe), and the other, Major-General Sir Alfred Percy Blenkinsop (K.S.C. 1875-82) rose to be Assistant Director of Army Medical Services and Honorary Physician to the King (George V). Praise indeed

Several of the O.K.S. who came to Canterbury for the great ' 1400th' service on 15th November generously brought with them interesting gifts. Mr David Moreau (SH 1941-46) who had flown solo over the Precincts in his Cessna on St Augustine's Day (near enough) gave us a brilliantly clear photograph of the scene, taken by a hand-held camera. Several unusual objects could be identified on various flat roofs. We reproduce in black and white his colour photograph (p. 2). Mr James Gibb (GR 1933-39) brought copies of most of his published works, all learned and some illustrated by his own charming drawings. Sherborne Abbey, town and School are fortunate to have such a loving historian. Mr H.P. Wortham (SHand MO, 1933-39) produced an early Shirley photograph, 'Yours sincerely, F. John Shirley, Sub-Lieutenant RNVR - the Great War' . Mr A.J. Munro (Holme House 1932-36), whose health forbade a pâ&#x201A;Ź-rsonal visit, sent an MS copy of his Autohiograpy of a School Boy, covering and discovering his J.K.S. experiences. Among other gifts, this time for the Archives, was a complete set of the Order of Service associated with the death of George Thomas, Viscount Tonypandy, whose visit to the School is still remembered. They were generously presented by Mr R.B. Milford, a friend of the late and great Speaker. Dona ferentes

T HE C ANTUARIA N, A UTUM N

1997

Doyen of cricketers

Mrs Wendy White-Thomson has kindly presented to the School a picture of her late husband and family taking part in a Victorian cricket match. The picture hangs in Lattergate, with the following pendant:

The picture above was given by his family to the King's School in memory of

IAN WHITE-THOMSON 1904- 1997 Dean of Canterbury and Chairman of Governors 1963 - 197 6 and a good friend to the School at all times. The Dean's XI is taking the field for the Victorian Cricket Match, part of Goodbye Mr Dean, the School's affectionate farewell to him on 5 May 1976. The artist is his sister-in-law, Anne Stripling. Morwenna W-T

Lucy W-T

Ian W-T

John W-T

Wendy W-T

Andrew Newell

Christopher Noble

Stephen W-T

Presentation by Mrs White -Thomson. (M.P.H.D.)

It was with relief that we learned of the safe return to earth of Dr Michael Foale (SH 197074) after his eventful time on the Russian space station Mir. How fitting that he was interviewed for the BBC News by fellow O.K.S. Mr Tom Carver (GL/TR 1973-78). Mr Robert Franklin (MR 1958-63), Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, retired from teaching History at Eton in Âˇ the Summer of 1997. We reported in a recent edition of The Cantuarian a valiant and successful protest by Mr John Taylor (LN 1955-59) ag;ainst the .refusal of a train crew to .take his Exet~r-bound train beyond Salisbury. His subsequent appearance In the natwnal press concerned the likely sale of his thousand-acre estate at Cricket StThomas near Chard in Somerset. The house became famous as a result of being used by the BBC for the series To the Manor

0.K.S.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

Born, first broadcast in 1979. Whilst the animal park has been highly successful, the million per day milk bottling and distribution business has been hit by the supermarket price war, and an attempt to create Blobbyland at Cricket St Thomas was of limited success. One wonders what Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton, alias Penelope Keith, would have said about that. Let alone the prospect of redevelopment involving a retail park and a family hotel. Mr Taylor, who has run the estate with his brother Stephen (LN 1963-67) and his son Jeremy (LN 198184) was reported to be asking eight million pounds for it. His son-in-law, married to daughter Celia (LX 198284) is the agent. The Reverend Will Mowll (GL 1956-60) has spent every Monday for the last sixteen years creating a perfect scale model of H.M.S. Warrior, the first iron-hulled, ironclad warship, built in 1860. Using 120 of the original Admiralty working drawings, he was able to recreate every detail of the vessel, which has itself been restored and is open to the public in Portsmouth, where the model is displayed in an exhibition. He has also published a book describing the whole process. Camilla Pay (MR 1992-97) and James Longstaffe (TR 1992-97) were finalists (harp and tuba respectively) in the Marlowe Young Musician of the Year Competition in October. Richard Peat (MO 1992-97) won the Open Composition Prize at the Kent Piano Festival in November with a piece entitled Pipe-dream, performed by Mr Stephen Matthews. Another composition, this time for organ, Truly this was the Son of God, was performed by Mr Timothy Noon at various recitals around the country during the summer. Richard also composed a work for the Chapel Choir, Responsum Est, which was sung at School Matins on 30 November. The Latin text and the English translation thereof, evoking the history of Christian education in Canterbury from 597 to 1997, were provided by Mr Paul Pollak (seep. 26). Tobit Curteis (BR 1979-84) has been invited by the school to carry out a survey of the wall paintings in Meister Omers. Following History of Art with H.J.P. at King's, he took a postgraduate diploma in Conservation at the Courtauld Institute and now runs his own Cambridge-based firm of Conservation Consultants. He is married to fellow King's History of Art pupil, Victoria Kaye (TR 1982-84).

The following hexameters were inspired by Paul Pollak (Staff 1950-88), devised by Mr Prosodic presentation Andrew Mackintosh (Staff 1950-78) and printed by Mr Ivor 'Wilkie' Wilkinson (Staff 1955-85) for the occasion of the ninety-second birthday on 27th November 1997 of Mr Kern Gross (1945-69): A.D. V KAL. DEC. MCMXCVII OLIM CONFECTA EST ELEMENTIS TERRA DUOBUS ET NONAGINTA: VALDE BONA CUNCTA, CREATOR QUAE TUM VIDIT, ERANT. SUNT HIS NUNC ADDITA PLURA, QUOD SIT, CARE, TUIS HODIE FAUSTUM OMEN AMICIS. Mr Pollak kindly supplied the Common Room with a crib (0 temporal): 'When the Creator saw everything that He had made, it was very good: a world made of 92 elements. Now many more have been added. May this be a happy omen, on this day, for your friends who hold you dear.' Mr Pollak, referring to the insertion of Genesis 1:31, added that it was 'the devil's own job to get sight of a Latin bible in Canterbury'.

In September we welcomed four new members of staff, and we take this opportunity to wish them a happy and fruitful stay at King's. Two of them are Chemists. Dr Mohammed Afzal did his first degree at Newcastle University, his Postgraduate Certificate of Education at Cambridge, and a B.Sc. at the University of London. He has a particular interest in research into the cytotoxicity of nitric oxide and novel synthetic routes for molecules of pharmaceutical interest. He is also a qualified ski instructor and plays squash, badminton and cricket. Mr Richard Cook comes to us from the staff of Caterham School. A schoolmaster's son, he was educated at StJohn's, Leatherhead and Bristol University. He is already playing a prominent part in rugby coaching for the Shells, and is also interested in squash and swimming. Mr Neil Warnick, who had been teaching at The King's School in Rochester, has taken over from Dr Mallion as Head of Mathematics. He went from Aylesbury Grammar School to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. His passion for travelling is currently somewhat constrained by two young children, but he will certainly be able to indulge his interest in hockey and water polo locally. Our new Head of Strings, Mr Andrew Pollock, is teaching part-time for this academic year as he gradually separates himself from the London Symphony Orchestra, of which he has been a member for the last fifteen years. He attended Manchester Grammar School and Clare College, Cambridge, where he read Geography. His wife Jill works for Reuters and they have two young sons. In December we bade farewell to our Senior Mistress, Mrs Janet Pickering, who has left to take up her appointment as Head of St Bees School in Cumbria. Our profound gratitude and best wishes for the future go with her. An appreciation by Canon Anthony Phillips of her unique contribution to the School appears below . (p. 17).

Dominies

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

On 28th November the School was host to the BBC Radio programme Any Questions? The live broadcast from the Shirley Hall included a question from Mrs Maureen Behrens, Matron of Walpole House, on the subject of banning fox-hunting, one from Charles (a.k.a. Connor) Rickie (GR) challenging the notion that seventeen-year olds might be prevented by a new law from buying cigarettes when they can be called to active service at the same age, and an enquiry from our recently retired colleague Councillor Martin Vye as to what domestic animal might replace Humphrey the cat at Number Ten. The reply was a show-stopper: 'I thought they already had one - Peter Mandelson.' The Chairman, Mr Jonathan Dimbleby, was entertained to supper afterwards with three of the panellists, Messrs David Willetts and Charles Kennedy and Professor A.H. Halsey. Alas, Glenda Jackson had to return immediately to London to press on with the integrated transport system. Councillor Vye has been elected as Leader of the Liberal Democratic Group on Canterbury City Council. This means that he becomes the de facto leader of the (hung) Council. Any answers?

Any Questions?: Mr David Willetts , Mr Charles Kennedy, Prof A. H. Halsey, Mr Jonathan Dimbleby and Ms Glenda Jackson. (Roland Phillips)

Peter Lawrence (GL) gave two piano recitals in October in Hythe for Cancer Research and Age Concern. In the Kent Music Festival he won First Prizes in the Under-18 Recital Class, Under-18 Concerto Class and the Open 20th Century Class. He performed Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the South Kent Youth Orchestra in Dover Town Hall on 30th November and was Regional Finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year (October). Choral Awards have been won by Iona Coltart (Clare College, Cambridge), Anne-Christine Farstad (Corpus Christi College, Cambridge) and William Tallon (New College, Oxford). Hugo MacPherson (LN) was placed second in the Under-18 Gaelic Air and Jig section of the Scottish Piping Society of London's annual competition. In rugby, Olukayode Akindele and James Hessey are in the London and South East Under 18 XV to play the Midlands. No fewer than seven pupils (our most ever) have played for Kent Schools Under 18: Olukayode Akindele (GR), Folarin Alakija (GR), James Hessey (TR), Edward Immink (MR), Simon ~au (MO), Mathew Lister (MR) and Chike Okoli (MO). Fadel Banda (TR), Richard Bayley (TR), Oliver Collins (LN), James Hume (MO), Kofolaran Randle (GR) and lain Weir (TR) have played for Kent Schools Under 16. (The combined total of U18 and U16 is the most ever in one season.) Alastair Lewis (MR) has been selected for Scotland Under 18 Hockey Trials. Christopher Letts (MR) has played in Under 18 Trials for Kent Hockey, as have Henry Walpole (MO) and Edward Sixsmith (MO) at Under 16. Stuart Finlayson (GL) has played for Kent Hockey at Under 15.

Pupil power

In the last interview he gave before his death, Sir Georg Solti recalled how difficult it was for him to be separate from his daughters while he was in Chicago. He recalled that Gabrielle (SH 1986-88) had 'chosen to go to school in Canterbury' and reflected that he had made it a priority to give her 'the very best education' and that he was certain that he had done the right thing.

And so say all of us

Dr Mallion brought honour upon the School (and, of course, upon himself) by being the first outsider to give orte of the U.K.C. Public Mathematics Lectures. On 19th November he addressed a large audience in the Grimond Lecture Theatre, on the life and work of mathematician J.J. Sylvester. The lecture over-ran, but only by a few minutes. Dr Mallion's hearers would have welcomed much more: and not just the numerous K.S.C. contingent, who were bussed back in time for afternoon lessons.

Reciprocity

This term the Library has enthusiastically embraced the twentieth century in the form of the Internet. This has proved an invaluable aid to students' research, enabling them to access a wide variety of web sites, including the Dalai Lama's and those of various universities and colleges (useful for those forthcoming interviews!) The Reuters on-line service has also proved very popular, particularly

Bibliophilology

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

with Modern Linguists and Politics students, as it allows them to access the very latest articles from the world's media. Earlier in the autumn term, the Library celebrated that annual bout of literary in-fighting known as the Booker Prize, with a display based around the 1997 nominees, as well as previous winners. This proved pleasingly popular, with all the featured titles being taken out on loan by half term. We are very grateful to the enterprising Head of Spanish for returning from his Half Term laden with a large number of Spanish language books, covering a bewildering array of topics ranging from Spanish art and history to general subjects such as politics and racism. These have also been snapped up enthusiastically by pupils. Notable amongst the donations the Library has received this term was one from a grateful parent. Professor Anne Stevens of the University of Kent at Canterbury, mother of Mary Stevens, O.K.S. (WL 1992-97), donated a copy of her 1996 work Government and Politics of France. Items bought by the Library this term were: new books on study skills; the brand new biography of Hogarth by Canterbury-based author Jenny Uglow; How Proust can Change Your Life by trendy young writer Alain de Botton; and the magisterial Canterbury Cathedral Nave- this being just a sample of the many new books acquired this term, reflecting the eclectic interests and needs of the School. This term has seen the start of a monthly Library Newsletter, alias The Bibliophile, which aims to publicise the Library and all it has to offer in an accessible and interesting manner. Once again, we are indebted to the School's true-life bibliophile, Mr Peter Henderson, whose dogged scouring of second-hand book-shops has this term produced various academic and K.S.C.-related gems, including the new novel by O.K.S. author Warwick Collins, entitled Gents. We are always interested to hear of the literary activities of O.K.S. and are particularly grateful to Jim Gibb (GR 1933-39) for presenting (more or less) his complete works, including his latest book Sketches of Sherborne School, and to David Barr (GR 1930-33), who kindly responded to a query about his writings by sending a copy of Eighteen to One Against, on his family home. John Goudge (SH 1935-40) sent copies of his versions of Baudelaire, some of which appeared in the Penguin Baudelaire in Translation. Three of the de Waal brothers have published books this autumn, a remarkable achievement of which the family are justly proud. Alex (MR 1976-80) continued his studies of aspects of famine in Africa with Famine Crimes: Politics and the Disaster Relief Industry; Thomas (MT 1979-83) has written on Chechnya: A Small Victorious War; while Edmund (MR 1977-82) has put his practical expertise on pottery to good use with a study of Bernard Leach. Other O.K.S. whose writings have caught our attention include: David Edwards, with Christianity: the First Two Thousand Years; Warwick Collins, with Gents, shortly to be filmed; and Edward Lucie-Smith with Ars Erotica. The literary highlight of the anniversary year was probably Fred Remembered: Recollections of John Shirley, Headmaster and Canon of Canterbury. The editor is Robin Pittman, and the contributors include Janet Barlow (nee Shirley), John Batchelor, Benedict Birnberg, James Breese, John Dalrymple, Tony Eyre, John Goudge, Tristan Garel-Jones, Edward Lucie-Smith, Michael Mayne, Michael Morpurgo, James Peschek, Charles Powell, Richard Roberts, Thomas Stapleton, John Williams, Alan Wilson, Tony Wortham, Ralph Blumenau, Anthony Curry, Dick Prior and John Wilson. A review by David Shirley appears on page 74.

Moving pictures

Probably few of those who went to see Shooting Fish at the ABC cinema this term realised that the director Stefan Schwartz had spent his formative years (1976-81) in Canterbury. We are not sure how far his time at Tradescant gave him an insight into the ways of confidence tricksters.

The portrait of Richard Paynter, sometime Lower Master, which normally presides over the Common Room, was lent to the exhibition of John Ward's work mounted by the Canterbury Festival. Artist and subject retained their habitual dignity amidst the controversy over the Royal Academy's show 'Sensation'. Meanwhile, Dr Humberstone also avoided controversy by preaching in the Cathedral during the summer holidays. Lower Masterly activity

On 9th November Walpole and The Grange went swimming, and after thousands of sponsored lengthsÂˇthey raised ÂŁ1 ,300 for Canterbury Open Christmas in aid of the homeless centre in Canterbury. Later in the term, on 1Oth December, a group of 45 pupils from Walpole and The Grange were to be heard singing carols in the Kent and Canterbury Hospital. They performed in seven different wards, including oncology, paediatric, surgical and long-stay. At the time of writing our local hospital seems gravely under threat: we must hope that carols can be sung here for many years to come. Good works

We are indebted to Mr Eliot Shrimp ton (GL 1989-94) for bringing to our attention a Japanese publication advertising, it seems, school uniform for Japanese pupils. Somewhat mystifyingly it sports a half-page illustration of Meister Omers subtitled 'Traditional: cheerful tract, basic trad and tasty tract', and a fetching picture of The Grange, captioned 'Sensitive: pretty pastel and urban stylish'. The cat which regularly patrols the Cathedral decided to give School Matins a try one chilly Walking by himself November Sunday. It seemed quite animated by the congregational singing, but left just before the sermon. K.S.J.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

(Frances Armitage-Smith)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

SERMON A SERMON PREACHED BY THE REVD CANON ROGER SYMON ATA COMMEMORATIVE SERVICE FOR O.K.S. IN CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL

Benedictine life was built upon the intimate association of three elements: learning, manual work and prayer. It was above all a corporate life, with a clear structure of authority, and a day measured hour by hour by bells, summoning the monks to work,. to study or to pray. It was a disciplined and regula~ed hfe. It sowed in the minds of its members the notiOn that discipline and freedom are far from incom~atible, that discipline is not freedom's enemy but Its ally. It suggested that the nobler the ideal you follow, the greater the freedom you find. The monastery .was, as Benedict called it, 'a school of the Lord's service.' But rules by themselves cannot create a good community, or a happy school, any more tha? laws can create a moral society; something more IS needed, some deeper conviction or vision which all can share. What matters more than the law of the land is a vision of society, what matters more than school rules is ~he good sense, good feeling and mutual respect of which the Rotulus speaks what matters more than the Rule of St Benedict is the ~pirit of Christ to whom Augu.stine's community was dedicated. So how can one articulate that fundamental spirit, that basic vision and purpose which the rules are intended to support? Two attempts come to mind. The first comes from the School Prayer Book, in fact. from the prayer ~e said a moment ago. It prays m resonant Paulme phrases that 'whatever is true, pure, lovely and of good report may hereÂˇ for ever flourish and abo~nd_'. It continues in a similar grand style: 'Preserve m It an unblemished name'. But then it sounds a less lofty, more utilitarian note. It asks that it may have 'a wider usefulness', a phrase which seems to imply that King's should never become an ivory tower, where only the very clever or the very rich can find a place. It must prepare young people for the realities of the society which they are to enter. I am sure no one would want to dispute that sentiment. But of course the purpose of education is far more searching, far less functional, tha~ ~ere usefulness. It must also aim to catch the imagmat10n, to open young minds to :vhat is wo~th knowing, what is worth doing, and what IS worth bemg. It must enable its pupils not only to serve society, ~ut also to assess and evaluate it. The 1988 Education Reform Act endorses that view. It says the curriculum must promote 'the spiritual, moral, and cultural - as well. as the mental and physical - developmen~ .of pupils, preparing them not only. for the. opportumtles. but the responsibilities of adult hfe.' This comprehensive goal reaches forward to an ideal of human life far beyond what is merely useful, and reaches back to an ideal not so different from what Augustine brought to Canterbury all those years ago. Now I believe that the need for schools to be real communities which achieve these objectives is as acute now as it has eyer been. Schools like King's have the opportunity - and perhaps the obligation - to ar~iculate and demonstrate the true purpose of educatiOn, to encourage in their pupils the full development_ of their potential, of course, but in order that the Id~al of mutual service and faithfulness to the well-bemg of

15TH NOVEMBER Commemoration of St Augustine From my study window high up above the arch of Prior Sellingegate, I have a privileged view of the life of King's. Unlike a previous occupant 1 of t~at rooll_l, I do not stand there polishing my shoes, while peenng down over my glasses at life on the Green Court below, but like him I enjoy the benefits of this vantage point. I can see No. 25, the Common Room and the Undercroft - not to mention the Deanery - and, if I wanted to, I could spot who goes in, and when and with whom. I can also observe those who walk across the Green Court, some defying the rules, and those who must still walk round it. Looking back all those years we can smile at some of those rules and traditions, and not only because some had been so recently invented. But they were a necessary and useful part of life for all of us who benefited from what a friend of mine calls 'custodial education'. School rules ordered our days and framed our corporate life together, but their purpose was to express certain under~ying beliefs. about ,the School. Today's Rotulus explams that admirably: Good order is best when it results naturally from the good sense and good feeling of everybod_Y concerned: and the idea of this School is that we all hve together m respect for one another and behave accordingly.' Whatever else might surprise Augustine in the School today, he would not be surprised by what t?e Rotulus calls 'the idea of this school', or the necessity of rules to support that idea. As a monk who lived by the Rule of St Benedict, he would have recognised the importance of order in the life of the community, and he would have approved that Rotulus rationale with its strong Benedictine flavour of humanity and moderation. But Augustine would have known that rules have a secondary rather than a primary place in the creation of the common life. Augustine arrived with his 40 monks carrying a cross and an icon of Christ painted on a board, but an equally precious gift he brought. from Rome w~s ~he concept of a Christian commumty. The Benedictme life was life in community, and it had a profound effect upon European society, and indeed upon the story of European education. King's may not be able t? prove an unbroken line all the way back to Augustme, but there are some obvious parallels between a community like King's, and the kind of community Augustine brought to Canterbury, parallels it's worth spending a moment to consider. 1 Canon John Shirley (Headmaster 1935-62). My study was once his for a brief period after the war.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

others, can be better pursued. Society needs young people brought up to put human responsibilities alongside human rights, who can distinguish what is worthwhile in human values from what is ephemeral and transient, who can see the point of delaying personal reward for the sake of the common good. It's in schools like King's that such ideals can be nourished, take root and grow. Today we celebrate the School's faithfulness to that vision down the centuries, and its continued

faithfulness today. We celebrate not so much the founding of this school but the idea of this school, the spirit of King's rather than the origin of King 's, a spirit Augustine would have not only recognised but named as the same spirit who commanded his obedience fourteen centuries ago, and whose image he carried into Canterbury painted on a board. It's an image that continues to compel our attention today, Augustine's Lord and ours, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory.

(Lucinda French)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

OBITUARIES LADY PILKINGTON OF OXENFORD On 9th December 1997, a Solemn Requiem Mass, in the presence of the Bishop of London, was held at StMary's, Bourne Street Church in London for Helen Pilkington, who died on 1st December at the age of 60 following a long illness courageously borne. Members of staff and friends who knew Helen well travelled from Canterbury for the Mass. The Faure Requiem, sung liturgically, and so beautifully and inspiringly by the choir, in a moving and uplifting service, filled the overflowing church and we were all able to pay our last respects to Helen. Helen's contribution to school life here at King's as wife of our former Headmaster Canon Peter Pilkington, now Lord Pilkington of Oxenford, was inestimable. She brought to the school an elegance and dignity that commanded great respect amongst the staff and the pupils and their parents. All aspects of school life would call on and receive her unstinted support and her presence was indispensable for the success of the School throughout those years ( 197 586).

Helen was renowned for her wonderfully generous hospitality at dinner parties to which she invited Sixth Form pupils, members of staff, guests of the School and members of the local community. An invitation from No. 14 was always received and accepted with enormous pleasure. It wasn't only the cooking, at which, as a Cordon Bleu cook, she excelled, that one greatly looked forward to but the welcoming, friendly and relaxed atmosphere she always managed to create, however distinguished her guests. I particularly remember a lively and witty conversation at a dinner party given for Baroness Young, Minister for Education at the time, about the hazards of dogwalking on the University campus! After boarding-school in Yorkshire and Norfolk, Cordon Bleu cookery Âˇ qualifications and extensive travelling abroad, Helen qualified for Social Work at Strathclyde and, prior to her marriage, worked for the Council of Social Services in a deprived area of

Family on arrival at K.S. C., September 1975. (Acknowledgements to The Kentish Gazette)

Edinburgh. One of the qualities Helen possessed and one that must have been very valuable for her work there was that of willingness to listen attentively and sympathetically to people. This quality was evident in College at Eton, as it was at King's and at St Paul's School, and every environment in which she and Peter worked. She was a very obvious choice for a JP. The warmth of her personality strengthened relationships with the Cathedral Chapter and residents of the Precincts, who very much admired and respected her, and her relationships with members of the University, the City Council, the clergy and their families and the

Helen on duty: hanging on the Headmaster's words, Speech Day 1981. (We hope this photograph will not affend any of our readers - it was a great favourite with Helen, although excludedfrom the ever-tactful Cantuarian at the time.) (Acknowledgements to The Kentish Gazette)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUM N

1997

local community as a whole were of incalculable benefit to the School. After his time as High Master of St Paul's, Peter entered public life, firstly as Chairman of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission and later as a working life peer. This removed the prospect of 'yet another Cathedral close somewhere', and enabled Helen to divide her time between social London and her country home at Oxenford in Somerset. She loved her garden there, developing it with help from Penelope Hobhouse, and had more time to ride (but also to muck out) her horse, Bean. As a mother of two small girls, she endeared herself to those of us who also had small children by sharing similar problems and by appearing occasionally slightly flustered by their demands. How proud she must have been of Celia and Sarah now as adults and what strength and courage they showed at the Mass. In his Panegyric at the Solemn Mass, Canon Roger Royle said Helen had mainly lived and worked in a masculine environment. She was completely at ease with men and had 'no need of the women's lib. thing'! He said how much love Peter, Celia and Sarah had given her throughout her illness and how much love we, who have been privileged to be Peter and Helen's friends, owe to them now. Helen was buried in the utterly rural burial ground at Moolham, only a short walk from Oxenford. May she rest in peace.

Helen off Duty: on the coast, near their Somerset home. July 1991

JUDY WOODLEY.

(1944), and Poems of Deliverance (1946), and two more, were published by Faber, whose poetry arbiter, T. S. Eliot, actively encouraged Rowse's writing from 1927 (see A Cornishman Abroad). His last two books, Historians I Have Known and My View of Shakespeare, showed him at work in his nineties, with acumen and wit undimmed. To his last book he claimed to have brought only 'knowledge and commonsense along with perception'. Those were his essential ingredients always. Then, with his sight and his right hand damaged by a terminal stroke, he still insisted on making his unsteady pen write me nine words on his last title-page. They move me as much as anything else he has ever written. My first sight of Rowse's fine, clear hand was his pencilled encouragement in the margin of a prize essay I'd submitted in June 1941 on 'the churches of midCornwall': church architecture was a subject that interested me ~ven before I went to Ca11terbury. It was now a year smce the School had made its tactical withdrawal from Canterbury to Carlyon Bay, near Rowse's home at Polmear Mine, above the bay near St Austell, looking across the Channel towards Brittany. Lately, in June 1941, we'd felt better able to breathe when Hitler hurled his Panzer Divisions against the Russians (what, though, if he had knocked them out before Christmas?) The south Cornish coast had certainly see.m~d less perilous than Kent during the Battle of Bntam, but France had swiftly fallen, and several of us joined with the Cornish Local Defence Volunteers in four-hour night-patrols along the cliff edge to the little harbour of Charlestown, and in lorryborne dashes to check refugees landing from the Breton fishing-ports.

A.L. ROWSE, CH AN AFFECTIONATE TRIBUTE A. L. Rowse, the eminent historian and one of the most forthright personalities of our century, died last October in his 94th year. His recorded voice was heard clearly on the 1 o'clock news with a familiar touch of exasperation, asserting his unambivalent creed: 'I believe in achievement'. That is a creed we should all subscribe to, though most of us quail before his example. His father was a Cornish china-clay worker earning about a pound a week, and his mother went out to work, then kept a little village shop. Yet he won a Fellowship at All Souls at a time when some of its senior Fellows were elder statesmen, bishops and leading men of affairs, and he wrote - with pen, on unlined paper, and with characteristic vigour - some ninety books, several of them works of powerful scholarship. They draw us, for example, into the story of The Expansion of Elizabethan England: or re-shape our understanding of Shakespeare's life and his plays and - especially - our understanding of those widely misunderstood and most marvellous sonnets: or enable us to re-experience our own lives in our own old century through his vivid autobiographical books. The first of these, A Cornish Childhood, has sold half a million copies since 7th June 1942, when he inscribed my copy 'in friendship'. Its sequels, A Cornishman at Oxford, A Cornishman Abroad, All Souls in My Time, are very hard to put down. His poetry of course reveals the deepest feelings of his life: Poems of a Decade (1941), Poems Chiefly Cornish THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

surrounds and its own headland jutting into the Channel, in the year of Trafalgar. Its occupants thought it too near the Channel, and vacated it for the Shirleys to occupy during the war years. Rowse then succeeded them there in the place where he had longed to live since his village boyhood, and where he died. Rowse's friendship to the School declared itself very soon after we arrived. In October '40, he gave us what my boringly factual diary, with no exaggeration, recorded as 'a wonderful lecture in the morning on Cornish history'. He was a remarkable lecturer, covering for us in clear outlines the main themes of Cornwall's history, and then describing how we could set about discovering it for ourselves in walks and bike-rides to Lanteglos-by-Fowey, Restormel, and so on. The slim wartime C antuarians refer to the popularity of those very excursions - by the Somner Society and others. (Mention of William Somner reminds me of Rowse's forthright footnote that there was no satisfactory modern history of Canterbury: 'rather a reflection on all those comfortable canons there for generations'.) Before 1940 was over, Rowse arranged to be followed to the School by his hero and early patron 'Q' - Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch - whose novel, The Splendid Spur, had been Rowse's favourite book as a

Revising for the Higher Certificate that first term profited in intensity from the deceptive 'Mediterranean holiday ' blue of the sea, and the unnerving precarious calm: when would they come? We had no ammunition for our antique Hotchkiss. We seemed to do well in the exams, but the examiners may reasonably have felt indulgent. Our set-books were Bacon's Essays and Marlowe's Edward II. It's a pity Rowse hadn 't published his biography of Marlowe, but when he did, in 1964, he dedicated it to 'John Shirley. Headmaster of the King 's School, 1935-1962: Friend from Trenarren Days', and in the Preface he referred to his 'long acquaintance with Marlowe's old school and his Canterbury background'. He certainly put that to good use, contrasting Marlowe's urban walled little city with Shakespeare's open country town at Stratford, at the edge of the Forest of Arden. To uchstone. Is thy name William? William. William, sir. To uchstone. A fair name. Wast born i' the forest here? William. Ay, sir, I thank God. Rowse's reference to 'Trenarren Days' was to the house at Trenarren, a mile or two south of St Austell: it had been built, with its rusticated stone window-

Dr Rows-e during his last visit in 1983. The pupils are (l. tor.) Thomas de Waal (MR), journalist and author - most recently of 'Chechnya: a small victorious war'; Bryony Griffiths (SH) , now Lady Bethell, active in political circles at Cambridge and probably since ; Wesley Stace (MO), now in West Coast music as writer, record-publisher and performer, the last as 'John Wesley Harding', a name familiar to Bob Dylan connoisseurs; Gerald Wilson (LN), who of recent times has lived too discreetly to catch The Cantuarian's eye. All left K.S.C. in 1983. (Acknowledgements to Kentish Gazette)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

boy: 'Hardy is to Wessex as Q is to Cornwall' he wrote in the last sentence of the county scholarship paper that led him to Oxford. And here was Q, making us feel we too had known not only Hardy, but Kenneth Grahame and a lot of his other famous friends. Other speakers who came as A.L.R.'s friends included Lord David Cecil, Maurice Bowra, Sir Charles Grant Robertson (then the best biographer of Bismarck) and Sir Arthur Bryant. Rowse himself returned to talk to the School twice in 1944, and offered prizes amounting to ÂŁ10 for the three best essays on subjects relating to Cornwall or Kent, to which all exiled eyes were now beginning to turn. They were won by N.J. Flower, D.L. Edwards and John Dalrymple. I don't now remember what my prize was in 1941, though I well remember being given fresh mackerel for lunch at Polmear Mine, a delightfully designed small house with a sensational view over the bay from the upstairs study. Of course the walls were bulging with irresistible books, leaving just room in the front hall for some strikingly attractive modern oil-paintings: I still remember a William Coldstream, the Cornish painter Christopher Wood, and the fisherman 'primitive' Alfred Wallis. That first visit was prize enough. It led to a lasting friendship. I was going up to Magdalen at the end of the '41 Michaelmas Term, to begin one of those training courses at which you combined the first year of academic studies with (in my case) two days a week of gunnery-training with the S.T.C. in Manor Road. I was scarcely settled in at Magdalen when Rowse invited me to dine with him at All Souls. It was Sunday 7th December. Dinner was almost over when word came through from one of the College servants that the Japanese had attacked the Americans. They had heard it at the end of the 9 o'clock news (as the servants at Chequers had, where John Winant and Averell Harriman were dining alone with Winston Churchill). At All Souls, Sir Arthur Salter (formerly Professor of Political Theory and Institutions at Oxford, now Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Shipping and Head of the British Merchant Shipping Mission to Washington to co-ordinate an expanded shipbuilding

programme) suggested we go up into his rooms (they were later Rowse's) in the inner quad - the staircase in the left-hand of the twin Hawksmoor towers - and there, in the small further room, we heard the news confirmed. Our reaction was a mixture of relief and joy. Churchill described his thus: 'I asked for a call to the President. "It's quite true," he replied. "They have attacked us at Pearl Harbour. We are all in the same boat now." At this very moment I knew the United States was in the war, up to the neck and in to the death ... So we had won after all! ... We should emerge, however mauled and mutilated, safe and victorious '. Like the Prime Minister, and all of us on our small island, we made our way to bed that night 'and slept the sleep of the saved and thankful' . There were other dinners, and lunches, at All Souls, but nothing like that. Rowse was a firm friend and a marvellous correspondent in those war years. His letters are all now safely in the hands of Exeter University's Librarian, where the distinguished historian Richard Ollard is at work on the 'official' biography. The materials are considerable, not to say mountainous. But how eagerly we look forward to reading it. NORMAN SCARFE, O.K.S. A. L. Rowse's loyal friendship to the School continued for the rest of his life. On several occasions he was a visiting speaker, but he also sent us copies of many of his books. Indeed his continuing generosity over six decades must constitute some kind of a record. During the War, his gifts included Poems Chiefly Cornish and, appropriately, The Spirit of English History. In later years, Sir Richard Grenville, Christopher Marlowe (of course), and Points of View, among many others, gave successive generations some taste of the range of his interests. His last donation in 1993 included Sayings of Shakespeare, and his modern text version of Henry V inscribed 'Try this Experiment!' on the title page. Something of what he meant by 'achievement' is thus visible on the Library shelves. P.G.H.

CHAPLAIN'S NOTES In the Advent Carol Service at the end of term were conveyed the three themes of the hope of Advent, the faith of Christmas and the love of Epiphany. The Carol Service is indeed an experience of the numinous: not only is God worshipped in the beauty of holiness, as is enjoined in the Epiphany hymn the School most likes, but the experience of over two thousand people keeping silence and praising joyfully together in the Cathedral is a very tangible expression of the corporate nature of our community. This sense of community was very powerfully experienced in the Remembrance Day service. The vagaries of weather meant that it was held, for the first time in many years, in the Shirley Hall. Not only did

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

the Sacristan, Hugo MacPherson, provide an appropriate lament on the bagpipes, but the School in its maintenance of silence in the recession to the War Memorial and the laying of individual poppies (which inevitably took much time) provided an appropriate ambience in which the community made clear its positive response to the realities of war. It is right that we should ask ourselves anew the question: what is it that our community manifests as being central in our life? And if the answer be that we show love, then indeed not only is our past being fulfilled in the present, but our future will indeed be true. J.A.T. 16

VALE JANET PICKERING

Walpole House was a model of how a boarding House should be run, as the affection of the pupils who had 'Mrs P.' for their Housemistress testifies. Janet was now also taking a very full part in the teaching and sporting life of the School. Many did not realise her outstanding academic ability. Janet holds a First Class Degree in Biochemistry from Sheffield University and for many years demonstrated and taught at Universities and Medical School. Her teaching mattered to her, as her pupils' examination results confirmed. In sport, rowing was to give way to hockey - where again her teams met with considerable success. She had won University Colours in two sports.

(STAFF 1986-97) In my last Commemoration speech, I said ofJanet Pickering: 'If I have been the architect of coeducation, she has certainly been the implementer'. Never was the saying more true that Janet was the right person, in the right place at the right time. The start though was modest. Janet had accompanied Ron to King ' s on his appointment as Head of Biologr This . was no mean sacrifice as she was already playmg an Important part in the life of Gordonstoun and more responsibility would have come her way. Initially Janet's duties were minimal, but in my first term I arranged a meeting with our then Counsellor, Philip Boyd, out of which was born the Personal Development Course which Janet was to create and guide throughout her time at King's. Pastoral concerns were to characterise Janet's ministry.

In addition were her duties as Senior Mistress , administrative, social, pastoral and commercial - for, at the end of the day, any school has to be 'sold' . Janet saw innumerable prospective pupils and their parents. The fact the School had no difficulty in that In 1987 Lavinia Cohn-Sherbok fulfilling the terms of admission left King's to become Headmistress laid down by the Equal of West Heath. Janet was her natural Opportunities Commission in successor to become Tutor for Girls, constantly being ahead of the then all sixth-formers. The time numbers of girls required to be in involved in caring for the girls was School was due to her ability to the calculated at twelve periods a week! convince parents of the merits of When the Governors took their coeducation and to give them the decision that the School should confidence that King's would become coeducational from 1990, it deliver its benefits . Nor should one was clear that a female Deputy Head forget the endless drafting of was required and in September 1989 documents as the School sought to Janet was appointed the first Senior comply with the requirements of Mistress of King's, to act alongside the Children Act in producing its the new Lower Master, Paul 'policy' on issues from drugs to Humberstone. But from the first Here Janet's expertise as a bullying. there was no suggestion that one Ron, Janet and Moth former editor and proof reader were was for male members of staff and boys, and the other for female members of staff (of invaluable. whom there were only a handful) and girls. Indeed one As more and more girls' Houses opened and the of the marks of Janet's success has been that her advice numbers of girls in the School vastly increased, it has been sought by all sections of the King's became clear that Janet could no longer combine community regardless of sex or station within the Housemistress with what was now a full Deputy School. Everyone trusted her, recognising her Head's role. Reluctantly she resigned from Walpole integrity, discretion and wisdom. after four years. Inevitably Janet was at the centre of the preparations It was, though, as Senior Mistress that Janet was to for coeducation, whether in the design of the girls' raise the whole profile of King's nationally. As more uniform or the drawing up of School rules. In addition and more schools went coeducational, King's with its she had to plan the transition of Walpole to be the first distinctive pastoral standards and rigorous girls' boarding House, of which she had been commitment to equality for boys and girls in every appointed Housemistress. But it was not all easy, and aspect of School life became a model for other such has been the success of coeducation that people schools, Increasingly Janet was invited to other now forget how difficult those early days of schools' Common Rooms to _address their staff on preparation and implementation were. As the outward coeducation. In H.M.C. itself she became well known representative of the changes, Janet encountered as a leading member of The Senior Mistresses' Group hostility - some through conscious opposition, some and their Chair for 1995-6. She ran H.M.C. courses for new Housemasters and Housemistresses, was through thoughtlessness. Happily her dogged northern appointed an H:M.C. Inspector and Governor of two determination saw her through and her sense of Prep Schools. I sometimes wonder what she could fairness that at every level in the School coeducation have earned in consultancy fees had she charged for meant that men and women, boys and girls, were to be all the advice she gave to other schools and their treated equally became not only accepted but Heads. welcomed. 17

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

Behind all that Janet achieved lay Ron and the boys and the unhesitating support that they gave her. The contribution of the Pickerings to the life of King's at the end of the twentieth century could form a separate chapter in the next history of the School. How shall her colleagues remember Janet? Late for whatever it was; alone working in Lardergate long after all the Precincts lights were out; quietly devout;

exhaustingly energetic; and a fighter against prejudice. But, at the end of the day, it is the pupils, boys as well as girls, who have most cause to thank her, for she gave them a role model which was the best form of education anyone could have had. We wish Janet every success as another first: the first woman Head of St Bees. ANTHONY PHILLIPS.

(Pippa Bird)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

POINTS OF VIEW HILTON COLLEGE: SOUTH AFRICA IN WINTER

they owe the School something, instead of viceversa.

In mid-July 1997, I flew to Johannesburg to begin a two-month exchange at Hilton College, a prestigious boys' boarding school in Natal. As the first King's pupil to embark on this venture, I was excited about the prospect of a term in a South African school. I might have been apprehensive, had I not got to know Paul Galatis, my Hilton exchange partner who had spent the Lent term Ed Vainker. (Isaac Sibson) at King's. Having thoroughly enjoyed his time in England, Paul had assured me that I would be equally impressed with his school.

Lessons were only a small part of life at Hilton for my fellow exchange-pupils and me. School finished for all at lunch-time and there were many activities to choose from in the afternoons. I played rugby for the last three weeks of the season and found the depth of talent in a relatively small school amazing, partly because everyone was so fit. I also played football and water-polo, as well as many impromptu games of touch rugby on the grass outside the House. There were many sorties on the School's estate, which was superb- with different types of vegetation and plant-life, a beautiful series of waterfalls and fabulous wild-life. I well remember an early-morning trip to see the sun-rise, a weekend camping expedition and the crossing of the Umgeni River off the School's property to see zebra and giraffe close-up. I was proudly assured that no other school in the world had such an estate. During my last weekend there took place the annual three-day Drama Festival, distinguished from King's Week by the fact that the pupils did not themselves perform. Instead, they and thousands of others attended Hilton's theatre, the biggest in Natal, to enjoy a mixture of comedy and drama performed by the best actors and entertainers in South Africa and some from overseas. Among the plays that I enjoyed was Athol Fugard's latest piece, The Captain's Tiger.

Arriving at Hilton, I found that it was situated in an enormous estate, 1,600 hectares of unspoilt bush and farmland, 20 km from the town of Pietermaritzberg. I was put in one of the six Houses where the 500 boys live, and found all the boys to be friendly and extremely welcoming. I was not the only visitor: Hilton exchanges pupils not only with King's, but also with Harrow and Wrekin College, as well as U.S. and German schools. The first weekend of the term was also marked by the arrival of the hockey tour party from King's, who spent a couple of days in the school.

Of the many highlights to my stay in South Africa, perhaps the most memorable was the weekend that I had heard so much about throughout the term: the Hilton-Michaelhouse Weekend. This was a local derby between two schools, 30 km apart, each with a rich rugby tradition. Starting at 8 o'clock in the morning, school teams of all ages played each other in a festival of sport that was enjoyed by around 10,000 spectators who came to watch the 1st XV game, and by a substantial television audience throughout South Africa. The fact that almost all the Hilton teams won was not enough to compensate for the defeat of the 1st XV, which reduced the School to a shocked silence.

Hilton was completely different from King's in many ways. Some were obvious, such as the absence of girls and its location in a vast estate remote from any conurbation. More unexpected, however, was the boys' total commitment to the School, which inspired a spirit that was sometimes intoxicating. The best illustration of this was on the first three Saturdays of term, when the entire school supported the First XV by performing the school song and war-cries, practised on Friday lunch-times, that were incredibly effective - as the hockey tourists saw. In addition, discipline in the school was maintained chiefly by the prefects, who commanded the respect of the entire school. It seemed to me that this was because the boys were themselves allowed to vote for prefects, in a secret ballot which, although not binding on the Housemaster, was designed to help and guide him. A further difference which I noted was the way in which pupils gain entry to the School. Selection at Hilton is not by examination but by interview with senior staff, wlio decide whether a boy will make some useful contribution to the School. Consequently, I was told, pupils feel privileged to be at the School and feel that

Hilton College

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

During my stay at Hilton I was frequently asked whether I had expected to find the School surrounded by elephants and lions. In truth, I had not known what to expect either of the School or the country. I found that although the policy of apartheid has been abandoned, its influence remains: I saw black South Africans living in extreme poverty, and noted that there was very little social contact between the races. However fast the pace of change in South Africa, I felt that the changes in attitude needed will take a generation to occur. It is my intention to return before too long. Finally, I would like to thank all those who made the exchange possible, especially Mr Phillis - who spent a year teaching at Hilton. Both Paul Galatis and I were privileged to gain some insight into school life in another continent and we both found it an invaluable experience. I hope that my visit is the first of many by King's pupils and urge all those eligible to apply for the exchange, since they will not be disappointed.

actions cause the victim, and victims likewise sometimes find it hard to tell when a joke has gone too far. Research shows that there is a close link between those who have been bullied and those who go on to bully. One of the reasons for this can be lack of self-esteem. A survey found that the average child Alex 0' Donoghue. hears sixteen (Isaac Sibson) negative statements to every positive one, whilst another said that children hear about 15,000 negative statements per year. Last term a pupil-based Anti-Bullying Committee was set up. We received an amazing amount of support, and after hours of interviews a Committee was selected with Representatives and House Advisers from every House. The Committee's objective is, in parallel with the official channels, to raise awareness and present options to both the victim and the bully, as well as to offer support and advice. We hope that many issues can be dealt with within the House on a personal and discreet level through the help of House Advisers members of the Committee specially designated to do this. Nevertheless, any pupil has, of course, the choice of any member on the Committee list, quite apart from the other avenues as set out at the back of the Calendar. By having an Anti-Bullying Committee we hope to raise awareness, which to some extent should reduce and prevent cases of bullying. When Norway introduced a national anti-bullying scheme in 1983, incidents fell by over 50%. Last term the Shells had a Drama Workshop where pupils were involved in acting out bullying scenarios. They were then able to see the situation from both points of view. This has proved to be very successful in other schools in recognising situations they have witnessed or been involved in. The School already has in place a firm and active official anti-bullying policy for staff and pupils, and our initiative seeks to build on this. Realistically, we acknowledge that we cannot eradicate bullying altogether, as we are unable to eradicate it from society. Despite this we would like to minimise incidents, to help whenever and wherever we can, and to emphasise the anti-bullying ethos at King's . Any of your suggestions would be welcome.

EDWARD VAINKER.

BULLYING Contrary to popular belief, bullying is not character building, it is not a normal part of growing up, and you should not be expected to have to put up with it. It is important to realise that bullying is not found only on a pupil to pupil basis. Staff-pupil bullying, staff-staff bullying and pupil-staff bullying also occur. There is no denying that bullying is a serious issue, and each year there are at least ten deaths attributed to school bullying. The following quotations are from both victims and bullies. 'The bullying in my secondary school was so intimidating that I went around for the whole of those years with my head down, trying desperately not to antagonise the bullies. I never could understand why they hated me so much - I was so quiet and shy. If I read a story about child-bullying, it sets off my bad memories and I am overwhelmed with anger, rage and tears, as though it was happening all Charlotte Inglis. over again, even (Alex 0' Donoghue) forty -five years later.' 'I never realised I was bullying until I was told how horrible I had been. I was horrified. I looked back on what I thought was a joke and realised with disgust that I had acted like a monster.' These examples clearly illustrate that all those in a bullying scenario need help and support. Some people who bully have no idea of the pain and suffering their THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

CHARLOTTE INGLIS AND ALEX O'DONOGHUE.

The Anti-Bullying Representatives are: Lucas Ochoa (SH), Tom Bell (SH), Isabel James (JR), Lucy Thomas-Âˇ (HH), Mike Moir (GL), Tom Calvert (GR), Lottie Tydeman (WL), Camilla Jelbart (WL), Becky Potter (MT), Charlie Leigh-Pemberton (MR), Lars van den Hout (LN), Franki Langridge (LX) and Poppy Edmunds (BR). 20

REMEMBRANCE-TIDE TRIP TO YPRES AND THE WAR CEMETERIES.

man's inhumanity to man could be so total, and through no disrespect for the spectacle we had experienced; indeed, reactions to the cemeteries included 'total shock', 'I found myself crying for people I had never met', and 'sheer embarrassment on the part of the human race'. I fear Remembrance Sunday can never pass again without those images flashing past, images I can never forget. I hope that I shall remember more than just the images.

When, only a week after Remembrance Sunday, Lawrence White, Matthew Gray and I set off in Father John's car, amidst numerous, and only slightly unoriginal, Skoda jokes, we did not realise how totally destroyed the mood of frivolity would be in only a few hours. It managed to survive for a surprisingly long time, indeed right up to the car parking outside the first cemetery we visited, at Tyne Cot. Father John had said that he knew there was a cemetery there, as it had been quite an important part of the Ypres salient, but none of us had ever expected anything like the scale of the thing, especially as, in our ignorance, we had inadvertently chosen the largest of all the Allied cemeteries to visit first. Even had we known this, we still could not have been prepared for the scale of the memorial. The problem I found hard was trying to comprehend without giving over to dulled astonishment. The spectacle of rank on serried rank of headstones was so huge that I could not get my head round the figures. I tried to think of a man standing at each stone, but the crowd was too big; and that was before I saw that the rear wall of the cemetery was covered by the names of the missing. I went up to read the names, and saw a small circular indentation in the wall, also covered in names. I tried to work out what proportion of the School just this small part was, in a last, desperate effort to rationalise the figures. It worked out at around five times the number of pupils in the School. In order to see both sides of the devastation, we visited a German cemetery next. This was no less mind-numbing - and possibly more so, as the sober journey had allowed time for it all to sink in. We entered the cemetery past a small room, which we looked into. It was only three or so feet square, but the fo ur walls were thick with tiny names, and the immediate shock as the four of us realised this was tangible. The cemetery itself was in a garden, with the oak leaves dead but not yet all fallen onto the flat, dark marble slabs below. As we wandered amongst the graves, I noticed that each slab had sixteen names. Finally I could vaguely understand the numbers: under every stone was one rugby team plus a reserve. I thought of my own team suddenly wiped out in that dreadful squalor, as a thousand other rugby teams stretched away. There was also a large flower bed here with a German inscription, but a kindly old Belgian gentleman, who had noticed we were English, translated for us and confirmed what Father John's more rudimentary German had feared : a mass grave for over 24,000 unidentifiable troops. The last stop was the Menin Gate at Ypres. We had expected this to be a sort of Belgian Westgate from where the Last Post was daily sounded (too late for us to stay fQI, sadly). It was not. It was a War Memorial covered in more names. On the return journey, the silly jokes began to creep back, but through wearied and confused disbelief that

ALFRED WILLIAMS (REMOVE A) .

METROS AND MARBLES Athens is a city with three thousand years of history, not all of it continuous. It goes back to the Mycenaean, pre-classical period, hundreds of years before the Parthenon was built in 447-38 BC. It is also looking forward to 2004 when it will host the summer games of the Olympiad. Every four years during the fifth century BC athletes competed in Athens for the beautifully painted jars of olive oil - Panathenaic amphorae. In 2004 they will compete for gold, silver or bronze and, because it is Athens, for an olive wreath as well. What we call western civilisation owes to Athens the foundation of every main area of human know ledge amongst others, history, philosophy, mathematics, medicine, physics, drama, sculpture and painting. Much of this achievement belongs to just two centuries, the fifth and fourth centuries BC, and it set standards by which later effort has been measured and which has caused later effort to succeed. 1997 brings forth a huge boring machine which is working its way along University Street, fifteen metres underground. Behind Athena Chenery. it is coming the new (Isaac Sibson) Athens metro with only one major hiccup so far: the caving-in of a kiosk whose owner only just escaped! When complete, the metro will take visitors to and from the 2004 Games and also be a link between us and the society which started it all, some 2,500 years ago. Athens badly needs a metro for practical as well as sporting or romantic reasons . In 1827, when Greece freed itself from Turkey, the city was little more than a biggish village with about 5,000 inhabitants. Today it has some 5,000,000 people - half the population of Greece. It has spread out far beyond the Acropolis to link up with o!ber villages in a huge urban sprawl some thirty miles across. The favourite activity of Greeks, I think, is socialising, and for them it is important to be seen in the right places. Their evening starts no earlier than 10 21

'I)I_E CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

o'clo~k and goes on until the early hours of the mormng - and they love to dress up for the occasion. ~heir f~vourite pa~time seems to be sitting in an openair cafe and lookmg at all the people passing by. A good example of this is Kolonaki Square (which is apparently the place to be seen) where all the chairs at cafe tables are facing the street and not each other! Another thing which is very obvious is the Greek passion for smoking, much more noticeable than anywhere else I have seen. Greeks have wonderfully bubbly and friendly characters, though they often have rough edges.

There is (as is well known) bad traffic and there can be serious pollution at certain times. Thi~ has been one of the argument~ used by some people against the return of the Elgm Marbles. Pollution is however not ~eally the _main issue now. The feeling which comes ~nt.o the mmds of many visitors to the Acropolis is that It IS one of the very few places in the world which symbolises the future as much as it represents the past. ~t would be a positive sign for the next thousand years If progress could be made to bring back at least some of Elgin's 'stones of no value' to their real home. ATHENA CHENERY.

Parthenon marbles. (Athena Chenery) THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

FOCUS AN AUDIENCE WITH MRS P.

What are you most looking forward to? New challenges; taking on additional responsibility; getting to know new people (staff, pupils and people outside the school); being able to make a bigger difference, particularly in a smaller school; being back in the North in a rural environment; and being one of the first female Heads in H.M.C. Of all the time you have been at King's, what are your fondest and most amusing memories? Difficult to answer as there are so many and they are so varied, and many of them are not to be repeated on the printed page! My fondest memories definitely include the arrival of the first set of Shell girls and, five years later, their departure as young, confident, competent adults having set the scene and forged the path for full and successful integration and transition to full co-education at King's. What sort of challenges were offered when you became the first Housemistress of an all-girls House, and subsequently the first Senior Mistress? The challenges offered in any situation of being 'the first ' are to do the job and gain respect and acceptance. This applied to the first Housemistress role and the part of the first Senior Mistress. Success relies on the assistance of other people working together. Mrs Behrens, the Walpole Wonder Matron, and a succession of excellent Heads of House were instrumental in establishing Walpole as a successful girls' House. The Senior Mistress is one member of a self-supportive Senior Management Team, and she also benefits from, and survives through, the persistence of a wonderful secretary, Mrs Linda Breaden. Was it a terribly difficult decision to leave Walpole House, or had it been on the cards for a while? It was an immensely difficult decision to leave Walpole and one that almost did not happen. The role of Senior Mistress had grown to such an extent that it was not possible to sustain both jobs, and in the end the opportunity of a School-wide job won, but it was a pretty close shave. Announcing the decision to the House was one of the most difficult things that I have had to do over the last few years. My four years in Walpole will always be amongst the most significant for me, and the House will always hold a special place in my heart. Now that co-education is so successfully established at King's, would you recommend it to other schools? I would recommend co-education wholeheartedly and without reservation to any school, but only if they were prepared to introduce it in what I would regard as the 'right' way: in other words, to ensure a system which gives genuinely equal opportunities to, and has equal expectations of, both boys and girls. In which ways-do you feel the School still has the potential to improve? With the opening of the new Harvey House the boy/girl ratio will take another step towards a 50/50 situation. However, even if it remains at approximately

For the past eleven years Janet Pickering has played and fulfilled many roles at King's, not least by teaching academic subjects while also blowing a whistle on the sports field from time to time. From being a mother, a teacher, the first Housemistress and more recently the first Senior Mistress, Mrs P. has come a long way and witnessed great changes within the school. Now that her departure is so imminent, does the new Headmistress of St Bees have any wise parting words? How does it feel to be leaving King's and going up North? Although I am very excited about going up North and have extremely positive feelings about St Bees School, King's is an extremely difficult place to leave and this is becoming more and more apparent as the end of term approaches.

(Stephanie White)

What are you going to miss the most? First and foremost, the people: the staff- academic and non-academic - and the pupils, and all the friends that we have made outside School over the last thirteen years. Nafur ally I will also miss the environment, the magic of the buildings and the overpowering presence of the Cathedral which, whatever the season or time of day, never fails to inspire awe. 23

THBCANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

Extending Walpole: Mrs Jean Watson, Lord Walpole, Mr Pat Russell, Mr Tony Eyres. (T.J.J.)

45% girls this will be a situation, as at present, that already feels like 50/50 and gives good numbers of boys and girls at every level for inter-House events, sports teams, etc. On the staff side, it has taken far longer than anticipated to increase the percentage of female staff. This relies on females of the right calibre applying for each and every post that becomes available, and this has not always been the case. Hopefully the proportion of female staff will continue to grow over the next few years. There is still potential for certain facilities to improve, particularly in the areas of Music, Drama and the changing and entertaining facilities at Birley's. However, all of these have already been highlighted and will undoubtedly improve in the future. Another area that I feel could be improved is that of pupils' commitment to activities of the Social Services type that involve not just being mindful of the needs of others but actually devoting time and effort to meet those needs. Will we be likely to see you again around the School after your departure? Most certainly, particularly over the next eighteen months when some or all of the members of my family will be employed by, or be pupils in, the School. King's is a wonderful School. It has been a real privilege and a great pleasure to be so involved with it over the past eleven years and I shall always be interested in its future development. If ever any readers find themselves in Cumbria in the future, then please do make the effort to travel from the Central Lake District to the coast and call in to visit St Bees. Interview conducted by ToRI HUNT (5A). THE

CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS! Such is the demand for girls' places at King's that new accommodation has had to be found. When the upper floor of two Elizabethan shops in Palace Street, part of the former Mediaeval Palace, became available to the School, this gave the perfect opportunity for /Andrew Clague, the architect, to design a tasteful and ingenious extension to Walpole House. The transformation took place during the summer holidays and has provided six girls' studies and an additional kitchen and bathroom. On Saturday 15th November, Lord Walpole, current parent, and godson of Hugh Walpole, O.K.S., kindly came to open the new building in a ceremony attended by many parents, O.K.S. and distinguished guests. It was a very happy occasion for Mrs Watson and the members of her House. Many thanks must go to Ben Brackenbury, one of the earliest members of Walpole (1934-39) who gave a speech in which he expressed his delight that his initial misgivings over the admission of girls to King's have proved so mistaken. He also said that he hopes the tree he has given to the House will be able to flourish as successfully as the girls in Walpole! We are also very grateful for the roses from Mrs Jane Tydeman and the painting from last year's Head of House, Sam Goulden. After much careful thought, the new extension to Walpole has been named 'The Savoy', a suggestion put forward by the school archivist, Paul Pollak, O.K.S. This is because Archbishop Boniface, from the family who were the Dukes of Savoy, paid for the building of 24

Digging for Walpole: Charlotte Tydeman , Rhiannon Newman-Brown, Mr Ben Brackenbury (wielding spade), Mr Tony Eyres. (T.I.J.)

a great help towards my rehabilitation. Gradually as the years passed I came to love King's and feel privileged to have worked there. I have now left, with many happy memories and one very poignant one, which I am sure I share with many ex-pupils, that of the last walk I took round the Green Court.' Throughout his nearly six years' association with King's, John was unfailingly reliable and pleasant, and gained the respect of staff and pupils alike. Moreover he did not confine his physical exertions to walks around the Green Court and security checks around the entire School and Precincts site. He completed six City full marathons London in 1993, 1994 and 1997, New York in 1994, Paris 1995 and Boston 1996 - thereby raising approximately ÂŁ10,000 for local organisations and charities. Nor did he waste the hours spent inside the securit~ boxes, b~lt whenever possible studied for h1s

the Mediaeval Palace. As the new Walpole extension is so luxurious this seemed very appropriate! The opening of Harvey House at St Augustine's in time for September 1998 will mean that the number of girls almost equals the number of boys at King's. SASHA BALL.

John Hill on guard

English 'A' level. John left King's in October 1997 not, as most of his age would do, to retire, but to take up a place on a degree course at Christ Church College. When asked how he felt about King's as an institution John wrote: 'in my opinion its tradition and history are something to be proud to be associated with; the way it Beautifying Walpole: Rachel Hill, Samantha Goulden and Samantha develops and educates its pupils is a credit Goulden's picture. (T.J.J.) to those traditions and the staff who uphold them. I feel privileged to have been part of JOHN HILL King's for the past six years and as I take on my new venture at almost 65 years of age I know that many of John Hill joined King's as a security guard in 1992, the values which were promoted there, remain with not by choice but through circumstance, having lost his me'. business due to the recession. He himself writes that We are imm~~sely grateful to John for his ye~rs ~f 'the tran7sition from Company Chairman to security excellent service, and wish him all the very best m his guard was a traumatic experience for me and for the new future. first couple of years I felt completely lost. However, my association with staff and pupils at the School was J.D.P. 25

TBE

CANTUARJAN, AUTUMN

1997

RESPONSUM EST An anthem was composed by Richard Peat, O.K.S. (MO 1992-97) to words by Mr Paul Pollak, O.K.S., to be sung in Cathedral Matins on 7th December in honour of St Augustine's arrival in Canterbury in AD 597. The words have been selected and adapted from Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation. [See also the Chapel Choir report on p. 77. Ed.]

(Frances Armitage-Smith)

Responsum Est Responsum est, quod Angli vocarentur. Bene, nam et angelicam habent faciem Et tales angelorum in caelis decet esse coheredes. Alleluia, laudem Dei Creatoris ill is in partibus oportet cantari. In nostro litore adplicuit servus Domini Augustinus, Et socii eius, viri, ut ferunt, ferme quadraginta. Alleluia, laudem Dei Creatoris his in partibus oportet cantari. Et illi Cantuariam veniebant, crucem pro vexillo ferentes, Pulchra sunt quidem verba quae adfertis. Alleluia, laudem Dei Creatoris his in partibus oportet cantari. Sacravit Augustinus in regia civitate ecclesiam In sancti Sal vatoris nomine Et fecit autem monasterium non longe ab ipsa civitate Ad orientem. Alleluia, laudem Dei Creatoris hoc in loco oportet cantari . Praeterea misit Gregorius Augustino necessaria Nec non et codices plurimos: Mox in terra scholae institutae sunt Iuxta morem Cantuariorum. Alleluia, laudem Dei Creatoris hac in schola oportet cantari .

[Answer was made, that they were called Angles: That is well, those that have the faces of angels Shall share the angels' heavenly heritage. Alleluia, the praise of God the Creator must needs be sung in those lands. Augustine, the servant of the Lord, made landfall on our shore With his companions, about forty men as is reported. Alleluia, the praise of God the Creator will be sung in these lands. And they came to Canterbury bearing a cross as their banner: Fair indeed are the words that you bring. Alleluia, the praise of God the Creator will be sung in these lands. Augustine consecrated a church in the king's city In the name of our holy Saviour And he built a monastery not far from the city To the east. Alleluia, the praise of God the Creator is to be sung in this place. Then Gregory sent to Augustine all that was needed And, not least, many books: Soon schools were established in the land Following the way of Canterbury. Alleluia, rightly is the praise of God the Creator sung in this school.]

.........____ __ .a • l '

I) (/'

......

I' ._.

~ r: •~

\.LI

---------------~- ..•

, r ,,....

.....,~

J • I \

--~J I

I I

....

I "'

TilT

op-

,.-

\::::::

Lo....,d-~""""'

_r=\ l . 'P I I

- .. '

........

\)"'--~

..l

(_'('Q._ -

,.. I

\..

C>-

!'"";"\

I"'

'IJ

I I

lti Detail of Richard Peat's manuscript of Responsum Est. THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

FOCUS ON HORSES

CHEMISTRY WEEK DEMONSTRATIONS

Pony Club Polo This August for the first time Scotland sent two teams to compete in the Pony Club Polo Championships. Corrie Stirling-Aird was in the Loriner team ( 16 years and under). They did not reach the final but gained a lot of useful experience. Her sister Saskia Stirling-Aird, O.K.S. (LX 1991-96), who is now at Durham University, was in the Rendell team (21 years and under). They reached the finals at Cowdray Park and came sixth out of eighteen teams. It was a massive expedition, as ten players, twelve horses, feed, tack and clothes for a fortnight had to be transported down the motorway to Oxford.

On the Tuesday and Thursday evenings of National Chemistry Week, a number of exciting demonstrations were performed in Dr Afzal' s classroom for members

CORRIE STIRLING-AIRD.

Hickstead National Schools Show Jumping (Left to right) Harry Pope, Matthew Gray, Stuart Rau, Adrian Fradd. (Will Justice) In 1995 we failed to win a place in the International Arena, so we were of the school to come and enjoy. The juniors' session determined that this year the long journeys from our on Tuesday was filled with colourful and informative displays ranging from luminescent liquids to explosive flame colour experiments. Âˇ The displays were organised by Dr Afzal, although the demonstrators themselves put a great deal of work into writing out posters and practising their experiments to produce an evening much appreciated by all those who attended. Most experiments had been chosen specifically so that the chemistry behind them did not completely confuse onlookers and others simply because they were magnificently entertaining. None of the performers seemed at all intimidated by the pressure they were put under to explain just what it was they were doing and to avoid potential disaster - a credit to their style and expertise. Thursday's evening of chemical entertainment was put on by members of Dr Afzal's 6A Chemistry sets. Volcanoes, freezing solids and impressive colour changes were all part of the show, not to mention a breathalyser test - inebriation was not a requirement! Those who weren't scared away by the thought of having their photograph taken for The Cantuarian crowded around various parts of the room listening intently and waiting for the always unexpected experimental punch line. Demonstrators were put through their paces by various members of the Chemistry Department and, fortunately, questions put to them were well answered. Both chemists and non-chemists alike were intrigued by the range of displays they were shown, and many were seen (and photographed!) in front of the posters pondering in fascination over what they had just witnessed. Thanks must go to all involved in producing two very worthwhile evenings, to Lester Hovenden for his technical support and of course to Dr Afzal for making it all possible. Rohan Wijesurendra. (Will Justice)

WILL JUSTICE.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

Cordelia Stirling -Aird (centre). (Acknowledgements to Michael Chevis) Jacquetta Wheeler (Acknowledgements to Pleasure Prints) Ophelia Beer

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

Penalties

respective homes to Hickstead were going to be worthwhile. By about 6 o'clock the previous evening all three horses were installed (despite some headroom problems for Ally's), the course had been walked and Ophelia had managed to have two heated arguments. Nevertheless, the horses were exercised and we all settled down to eat as much food as possible before the next morning's nerves set in. Later that night disaster nearly struck when, as his door was being opened, Ophelia's horse charged out of the stable. However, we caught him and J managed to get to bed without further mishap. â&#x20AC;˘ The next morning the course was walked again and the Âˇ lack of any freak weather during the night meant that the ground was still perfect. Everyone was ready and warmed up on time, and after a long wait outside the arena we were allowed in before our time. Ophelia was first, while the other two waited in the start box. She had a clear round, and was followed by Jacquetta who, despite earlier nerves, also went clear. With no penalties and only one round to go, we were in with a very good chance. However, the pressure proved too much for Ally's young horse and she knocked up 24 faults . This put us out of the second round, where teams were going through to the International Arena on 0-4 faults (higher than 1995's qualifying scores of 4-16 faults). Nevertheless, Ophelia and Jacquetta were still able to parade there later to collect their rosettes. Although disappointing, our score was very reasonable, and despite earlier grumbles about. the long journey, it was yet again worth the effort. We hope that with more people coming iorward, next year's team will be even stronger.

1995 results Ophelia Beer Katie Shaw Simon Jennings

0 Eliminated 4

1997 results Ophelia Beer Jacquetta Wheeler Ally Aitken

0 0 24

(Mark Williams)

THE TEAM.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

DOWN 1 Pulverise coinage. (5) 2 Following with no emergency room aback. (3) 3 The total is a mirrored muse without start of end. (3) 4 It is belonging to it. (3) 5 City of the Iliad without origin of rain becomes object of amusement. (3) 8 Interested in spin top. (4) 10 Years are back. (3) 11 Visit watch. (3) 12 Deranged toddler is over the top. (1,1,1) 14 Angry revolutionist. (3) 15 Information is a little reflected. (4) 16 Little Raymond heard not a tea tray. (3) 17 Funeral jar might earn, I hear. (3) 18 Reverse mineral water seems innocent. (5) 19 Illuminated, he scrambled let off little. (3) 20 Thrice headless cocktail cooler. (3) 21 Canine twisted in singular theatre gallery. (3) 22 Explosive start to the new timetable. ( 1, 1, 1)

A CRYPTIC CROSSWORD A small prize will be awarded for the first correct answer from a King's School pupil received by Mr Tennick, whose decision is final. ACROSS 1 Testimony out of bizarre bound. (4) 3 Strange stain for pietist. (5) 6 Influenza took flight, they say. (3) 7 Combine without final component. (4) 9 Initially, Mr Enfield's somewhat silly yak was untidy. (5) 13 Transfer found in extra debt. (5) 16 A way is not in religious education. (5) 19 Prone to not telling the truth. (5) 22 Animal stuffer loses confused red mist to form public transport. (4) 23 Presently disturbed ones private property. (3) 24 Tendency to put an end to trunk of tree. (5) 25 Hours send out in reverse. (4)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

BENEDICT WESTENRA AND LAWRENCE WHITE (REMOVE A).

EXPEDITIONS "retail stores and eating outlets". ("Here's McDonald's" would have done: by now he was becoming something of a philosop~e~.) . Two matches in four days (not to speak of the s~ciallsn~gl meant .we were quite exhausted, and after ~ hg~t tram.mg s.esswn in the shadow of Kingston's histone Umversity we gladly made our separat~ ways to the new billets and the comfy beds that awmted us. The following day saw us playing the Kingston Panthers whom we knew to be a strong side, and in the toughest physical battle of t~~ tour thus far we triumphed 20-5. Tries fromAl~kiJa ~nd.Wyand secured the victory, and Preston - playmg his first full game of the tour - had a stormer. We then moved on to Toronto, where we spent our first of two stays at the luxurious accommodation of Victoria University. Having checked in, we ?escen~ed on downtown Toronto to shop, Okoli and Lister bemg among the biggest spenders. Thus ~o ~he fourth match, where we gained a superb 30-5 wm m t~.e face of y~t another monstrous Canadian side. Alakip was ag~m conspicuous in his try-scoring and Sweny and Immmk also had strong matches: Immink even I?ade a ~un! This run featured in the first of two fimng sessiOns which followed the match. Cheap behaviour on the part of Mackay and Williams A. was suitably punished as well as the old chestnuts- Johnson's telling silence and, inevitably, Immink's monobrow. The next match was to prove the most physical, and indeed the most testing, of the tour. There was a marked contrast between the bullock-like runs of the home forwards (of whom the Number 8 . ~as outstanding) and the creative but uncompr?mi~mg back-line play of the visitors fro~ .England, mspired by the tackling of Gareth Williams at fly~half. Although Akin dele was rested, we .cam~ through m the dying minutes with Wyand snatchmg victory from ~he jaws of what would have been a mo.rale:shatten~g defeat. It must be said though that the highlight of this stay in Sarnia was not the highly sat~sfying yictory: but the luxurious hotel and the entertamment It provided via the TV. On arriving at Orillia, our next destination,. our billets (the local women's rugby club) were.so widely dispersed and the opportunity for any meanmgful offthe-pitch activities so low. that we fo~used ?n completing our 100% Canadian record. This we ~hd, despite the temptations of th.e pool party the mght before, which most of us resisted. So after .an e~rly night we were able to put on a show of exhilaratmg, running rugby where it seemed that all_aspects o~ our play were coming together. A 58-10 wm was easily a result that we deserved, as our opponents were overwhelmed by our skill. We were able to return to Blighty with an unbroken record. The last days_were spent on shopping and spending the last few drops of cash. A day at Niagara Falls was the perfect way to end such a succ_essful tour and we hoped that the season could match It.

CANADA RUGBY TOUR SUMMER 1997 We were met on arrival at School with a gruelling bleep-test, courtesy of Mr White - merely a taster for what was to come in the next three days. La~son, inevitably, strolled in as the bleep-test w~s. drawmg. to a conclusion. These days were spent trm1:ung for fiVe hours a day in the hot August sun, testmg out .new boots and getting sunburnt enough to last_ all h~h~ay. We rounded off the preparation with a qmte delicious barbecue 'chez lmmink'. On Thursday morning after a 'light' run (lasting some fifty minutes) we made our w_ay to He~throw, extravagant haircuts and all. After a Six-?our _flight we finally arrived in Montreal and at th~ ~mversity ~here we were staying. After a day of trammg on a pn~ary school playground we came t.o the first mate~ agamst the elite Quebec State U-19 Side. We ~ne_w thiS wo~ld be a tough opening fixtu~e aga~nst a big; side 12repanng for the National ChampiOnships, but m a display of stout defence and well-taken chances we triu~ph~d in a 29-12 win. Williams G. got almost all his kicks, Wyand got a debut score and Alakij~ tri~d to prove. he could kick. After a post-match receptiOn man anythmg but spacious venue we desce_nded ~n Montreal where the curfew of midnight combmed with the fact that we had little knowledge of Montreal ensured that most found themselves celebrating their first win in Burger King. The next day we left Montreal and proceeded to our next destination, the small country town o~ Bancn:ft, but we found time to stop off in the Canadian capital of Ottawa. This brief stop enabled us to see the parliament buildings and the huge shopping ma~ls whilst Immink made good use of the tounst information office. It was clear on arriving at Bancroft that here was an environment far removed from the urban hustle of Montreal; rather, a stereotypical North American country community that can be likened to a 'little house on the prairie'. The following day saw an early start, as we were due to go white-water rafting at on~ of t_he most dangerous sites in Canada. However, .thmg.s did not go as expected. Various legal and guardians.hip pro?l~J?S meant that we spent our day enjoying vanous actiVIties at the complex. The second match against Bancroft Blac~flies. "Yas played on a very difficult pitch with Mr White giVmg debuts to Preston, Lawson, Cridge and Wharton among others. We too~ a comman~ing 47-0 lea~ at half time only for AlakiJa to be ~ubstltl.~ted at half time after grabbing a hat trick of tnes agamst a fourteenyear-old. We began to draw ~omparison_s with the Lions tour of the summer, Immmk as the Improbable Tom Smith, Alakija as Allan Tait. On leaving Bancroft, a late phone call to Mr W~ite told us tha~ Lawson had struck ag~in: he had left his passport behmd. After much complication the passport was recovered and we were on our way to Kingston. On the trip we were able to sample some of Mr Teeton's

SOLA LAWSON AND SAM PARKER.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

Coaches: Mrs Lawrence coached the girls with the help of Miss Duff, and Mr Phillis coached the boys with the help of Mr Miles. We would like to say a big thank you to all four members of staff who put themselves out tirelessly in order to make the tour such a great success. All the best to Mr Miles, who has now left King 's and gone to teach in Kenya. Heidi Lee: or was it Gertrude, Mr Phillis? Oooops: Miss Duff lost her passport, tickets and a large amount of money. Bungee: mums should be proud of Andy, Billy, C.B. and Louise. Emma and Eliana: Simon and Jamie.

Tour party: Robert Adams, Kayode Akindele, Folarin Alakija, Simon Bodey, Philip Cridge, Theo Davies, Alex Hayes, Edward Immink, Richard Johnson, Simon Lau, Segun Lawson, Mathew Lister, William Mackay, James Morrison, Chike Okoli, Samuel Parker, Mark Preston, Philip Stubbings, Mark Sweny, Henry Trew, Mark Wharton, Alistair Williams, Gareth Williams, Edward Wyand.

THE 1400TH ANNIVERSARY BOYS' AND GIRLS' HOCKEY TOUR TO SOUTH AFRICA AND ZIMBABWE

Animals (2): Billy had an unfortunate experience with an elephant. As he was relieving himself in a bush near the camp he heard a loud rustling sound: at first he thought it was a baboon, but the rustling became very loud and an elephant emerged from the other side of the bush.

Seventeen boys and sixteen girls in South Africa. Ostrich farm: Mutley and Eliana straddled a bird and then we ate it for lunch. Under canvas: one night beside the Zambezi and three in Chobe National Park, Botswana. Some spent more time than others under canvas. See diarrhoea. Township: one of the most memorable parts of the tour was our visit to the Langa township in Cape Town. It was probably their tremendous hospitality that struck us most, but the immaculate houses (pieced together from old bits of wood and corrugated iron) were incredible. Hockey was the excuse for the tour, but it soon became apparent that we were facing some very tough opposition. Needless to say, both teams played to a very high standard, with the highlights being (for the girls) against St Catharine's School, Pietermaritzburg, where we won 7-0; and the boys' match against Falcon College, Zimbabwe, where they drew l-1 with a team unbeaten in three years.

NINA's

1997

PARLOUR

AND

EscoRTING:

Zulus: the Zulu village was not authentic, but they did dance for us. Island: Robben Island Penal Colony: unfortunately a trip to see Nelson Mandela's former cell did not fit in with the boys' schedule. The girls went all the same. Munday: Charlie Munday was the boys' Captain, bringing to an end a most successful year's captaincy. And he brought his Dad along too. Baboons: they were everywhere! Nikki came back from her shower at one point to find one in her tent. After soiling the tent, it made off with Sarah's herbal remedies and Miss Duff's travel wash. Andy Miles: we love you, 'C.B.', we do! Blean Woods: pre-tour training runs at 7 a.m. were enjoyed by only one person. Wharfe: girls' Captain. Julia was fantastic throughout, especially considering that she was a fifthformer at the time. Edwin Doran: our tour operator certainly warrants a mention ... chief.

Ate (?): boreworst (traditional sausage served at a braai), biltong (you either love it or hate it). Last year's exchange student, Paul Galatis, kindly hosted a braai for us at his house near Pietermaritzburg. Falls: but the Victoria Falls were 'awesome' (according to Mr Phillis). One of the Seven Wonders of the World, and I am told it was the right time of year too. Rafting: a day's white-water rafting on the Zambezi, vocals provided by Ali Lewis who used to work in Chicago ... In transit: we did have to spend a large amount of time in coaches, but the journey from Vic. Falls was undertaken by overnight train. After arriving late for a train that would not wait, we threw all the bags in through any random window and only just got in on time. The night was not very memorable, but we were able to see some of Zimbabwe's astounding landscape in the morning. Castle lager. Animals (1): animals at Chobe included elephant, giraffe, hippo, wildebeest, warthog (to which Timmy had a bizarre attraction) and baboon. THE CANTUARIAN , A UTUMN

MASSAGE

unfortunately I do not think this can pass without a mention. Through a mix-up with the travel agent, the girls spent their night in Durban in a hotel on the infamous Point Road, opposite this establishment... Diarrhoea: a desire to visit the loo block in the middle of the night was quelled by the knowledge that lion and elephant frequently wandered through the camp!

1 one baby: thanks to Mr and Mrs Lawrence! 9 months later ... 9 Kate Shaw (whose playing shirt was Number Nine) was forced to drop out at the last minute due to a knee injury sustained during pre-tour training. We are all very sorry that you couldn't come, Kate, and the whole party missed having you there. 7 hours waiting for the train driver: the overnight train was due to arrive at Vic. Falls at 6 a.m. However, we woke up at 8 a.m. to find that we were only a few hours away from where we had set off! Apparently the driver's shift had ended and he had gone home - at three in the morning! We finally arrived at Vic. Falls at 1.00 that afternoon. EMILY PERKIN.

Ben Carey bungeeing into space

Members of the party: Julia Wharfe (Girls' Captain), Emma Hayes, Katherine Letts, Sophie Chapman, Adela Bottomley, Emily Perkin, Jenny Dutton, Nikki Murch, Eliana Katsiaouni, Timmy Akindele, Sarah Martin, Emily Hague, Nancy Colchester, Louise Squires. Charlie Munday (Boys' Captain), Dave Smith, David Ribchester, Ali Lewis, Ben Carey, Henry Walpole, Oli Harvey, Will Carleton, Ed Sixsmith, Nick Davies, Lars van den Hout, Andy Foinette, Simon Youngman, Jamie Green, Jonnie Norris, Chris O'NeilDunne.

Top to bottom: Lars van den Rout, Henry Walpole, Charlie Munday, Simon Youngman, Chris O'Neil-Dunne

THE

CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

N.L.P andfriend

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

was back we loaded all our luggage on board and moved the boat to a different berth. There we were told about the system of watches, over a large bowl of baked beans and pasty. The watch system was 6 hours on watch followed by 6 hours off watch. My watch times were 0100-0700 and 1300-1900. I would be on watch with four other people. By now it was 2000 hours and the start for our class was at 2030. (Our class was C 111, for all vessels less than 100 ft racing with spinnaker.) As the boat arrived late we were the last to leave the harbour. However despite this we managed to be first across the line. The line was between the mainmasts of starter vessel MV Fingal and HMNLS Harlingen. After we had crossed the line I went straight to bed, in the clothes that I had been wearing all day!

CUTTY SARK TALL SHIPS RACE JULY 1997 (WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO THE ROYAL NAVY SECTION) Extract from my personal log. On Saturday July 12th my father and I set off from home for a long journey that would first take me from the south coast of England to Aberdeen; then from Aberdeen 785 miles across the North Sea to Trondheim in the north of Norway. The first leg of our journey was by train. We arrived in Aberdeen about 1800 hours and were met by friends. Early the next morning we made our way down to the harbour to seek the boat in which we would be sailing to Norway. We asked at race control for the berth number of the ship Ice Maiden and were told that there was no boat bearing that name that was in the harbour or registered in the race. This came as quite a shock, so we went back to the hotel and contacted the organiser of the trip. He told us that the boat's name had been changed for the race to Puerto de la Corufia, a Spanish port that was sponsoring the boat for the race. We then went back to race control and asked about the boat under its new name. They told us that the boat was registered but had not arrived. The boat was sailing to Aberdeen from Milford Haven up the west coast and through the Caledonian Canal but had encountered problems with the lock gates. This meant that the boat would not arrive until Tuesday, the day of our departure. It finally arrived on Tuesday morning at around 0700 hours. As soon as we met the rest of the crew we were sent out into the town to find spare parts for the boat. I had to find 4 metres of plastic piping, two taps and a part for the toilet. The first two we found quickly but the last one could not be found. When everyone

Wednesday 0100 . I woke up and with great difficulty clambered out of bed, but was still very tired after the excitement of the previous day. I managed to drag myself through to the dining area and put on some waterproofs, a lifejacket and a harness. At this point I began to feel very ill, I had grim visions of my baked beans revisiting me. I climbed through the hatch, into the cockpit and clipped my safety harness on. The weather was foul and there was a large swell but the strong wind was beneficial. I was asked to helm and, despite the fact I was feeling very sick, I accepted. For my first time the skipper (Ken) had his arms either side of me guiding my movements. A few more queasy minutes followed and then I began to feel fine and gain confidence. The rest of the watch went by quickly. At the end of the watch I went straight to bed without breakfast. Wednesday 1300. I felt much better and had some salad for lunch. I went out on deck, but there were no boats in sight. The sea had calmed down but the wind was still quite strong. Already I had started to lose track of days and dates. I think this was because each watch seemed like a day.

/ /

Matthew Gray. Tall Ships Race, 1997

Thursday OJ 00. Two boats up ahead, one Dutch, one German. From the radio messages passed between the two boats we could tell that the Dutch ketch (two-masted vessel) was called Urania. As we set about catching them they fell into a spot of water without any wind. Learning from their mistakes we sailed around the windless area. Having sailed on we mostly kept the same course, putting in a few tacks when they

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

the watch there were two dolphins sighted off the port bow. There was another boat getting closer and another rig sighted. Sunday 0109. Finding it increasingly difficult to get out of bed! I d1d not get much sleep this night because the boat was on the 'wrong' tack. If the boat was on the 'wrong' tack the deck tilted so I fell out of my bunk. I stopped this happening by jamming a cushion down the side of my bed. We saw two more boats on the horizon. One of these was the Sedov, a 102-metre giant and the largest ship in the race. The sight of a squarerigger under full sail was truly amazing. Looking at tlie , chart I could see that we were nearly there. I was very . excited. Sunday 1300. Just woken up after an excellent sleep. There was a great air of excitement throughout the whole boat. It was very light and quite warm. The warmth was a great surprise because we were only 60 miles from the Arctic Circle. The sun shone very brightly in the clear sky. The wind was strong and the boat was doing a good speed of 6 knots. For supper we had pasta, tuna and salad. Monday 0100. It was very light and I was wide awake. At 0400 the wind was becoming very strono-. Everything was sheeted in hard so that we could sail close to the wind. All was going well until there was a huge bang that roused the whole crew that were sleeping below. The jib sheet that was taking all the pressure had snapped. In the moments of panic that followed we managed to tack so the other sheet was taking the pressure and this enabled us to replace the rope. We then tacked back and continued on our original course. At 0500 the wind reached a Force 6. At the end of the watch I went down below deck and had some cereal and went to bed. At 2301 I witnessed the crossing of the line. We carried on sailing deep into a beautiful fjord surrounded by towering snow-capped hills, finally reaching Trondheim at 0300 the next morning. On arrival we joined in with the many celebrations and parties, all of them supplying lots of good food. We were delighted with our result. We came 23rd out of all 87 ships in the race and 6th out of our class of 16. It had been an amazing experience from start to finish. This is just one of many trips and adventures offered through the Royal Navy Section. If you are interested join us and find out more.

were needed. At 17 50 we turned on the radio, just in time to catch The Archers before the shipping forecast. At the end of the watch the skipper cooked breakfast (scrambled eggs with garlic bread). My appetite was back to normal! Thursday 1300. This was not a very eventful watch. We were mostly sailing in a northeasterly direction. One boat was sighted on the horizon but we saw no more of him. Later in the watch I learnt how to plot points on a chart. I cooked supper (Irish stew and potatoes). After eating my cuisine I went straight to bed. Friday 0100. I was woken and was quickly out of bed. I felt full of energy. The wind was strong and the boat was heeling a lot. Because of this and the fact that I was wearing only socks I slid down the corridor and, unable to stop, hit the wall! I quickly went out on deck and sat with my legs over the side, having been told to think heavy. Later on we caught up and overtook one boat and sighted another. Later that watch we entered the Dunbar oil field and there was an oil rig in sight. We were nearing it by the end of the watch. I had breakfast on deck and stayed up to see it. When we reached it at 0800 our co-ordinates were 63:39Â° North and 01:40Â° East. It was very spectacular, towering out of the water. At this time the boat was doing a healthy 5.5 knots. After seeing the rig I went straight to bed having lost an hour's sleep. Friday 1300. During this watch we sighted two other boats: one changed course and disappeared and the other we kept in sight. I was really enjoying it now. It was becoming increasingly cold so this called for more hot chocolate and new soup rations. During this watch we managed to get through one packet of gingernut biscuits, a box of cuppa soups and many cups of hot chocolate. Now that there were no boats in sight and it was only us and the sea I felt a great feeling of loneliness. As everyone went down for breakfast I took the helm and there was only the skipper and me on deck. The other watch came up and took over and I went down below for breakfast and bed. Saturday 0100. Awake and up on deck. Land ahoy! It was an amazing feeling finally to see land for the first time in five days after being alone on the sea. My first glimpse of Norway. It was a mass of towering cliffs, a dirty brown colour with little vegetation. But during the watch we had to leave it behind. The sea was a little rougher and it became increasingly cold. It was surprisingly light. There were still a few oil rigs behind us. The boat that we had been following was now behind us. Saturday 1300. There were three lights on the horizon. It was very cold and the wind was bitter. The beginning of the watch was quite dark but it got lighter very quickly. Gradually the lights on the horizon faded into huge oil rigs. This was the Brent oil field. At one point there were fourteen rigs, three boats and one helicopter. We sailed very close to one rig and nomatter how hard we looked through the binoculars we could not see any signs of life. There was a strong wind and we were all sitting on the edge leaning against the guard rails. This is where, much to the amusement of everyone else, I fell asleep. A lot more hot chocolate and cuppa soups drunk. Near the end of THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

MATTHEW GRAY.

GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT TRIP TO MOROCCO 'OCTOBER 1997 In the first week of the October half-term, fifteen Fifths travelled to Morocco with Mr Reilly, his son Matt and Miss Kerr. This is the second time this Geography trip has been run. It was an excellent opportunity to see life from another perspective and was something many of us will never experience in quite the same way again. 36

Morocco party. (Will Gold)

The next day we headed off for the High Atlas. When 'This trip made a profound impression on me and I we got to the foothills, the coach could go no further so came away with a different perspective on life, we travelled the rest of the way in a minibus or a truck. realising how lucky I was. This total culture change Our destination was the kasbah, a large fortified house was just what everyone needed in the middle of a busy that stood out at the top of the valley we were going and demanding term.' along. On Wednesday, we went on a very long walk up a The trip was a tour round different parts of Morocco mountain pass and and we exdown the other p e rienced side, along a valley different cultures and up another as we went. pass, and then we We flew into walked back up Marrakech late on the valley to Imlil. Sunday night and There were had our first taste donkeys to aid of the Moroccan tired legs but drink, mint tea. riding them was 'I soon found sometimes out that any terrifying. The Moroccan, no paths were very matter how well narrow and had you knew them (or very steep descents didn 't) was preright next to them. pared to offer you 'Walking up some mint tea and and down the High I quickly became Atlas mountains quite sick of the was so terrifying, stuff' The main road from Cairo meets the coastal road in East Sinai - the day after the especially when In Marrakech worst storms and.flash.floods since 1949. (G.R.C.) followed the we we stayed in a path right to the hotel and spent edge. The dust and small stones were loose so I slipped Monday looking round the city. With the help of our a bit which was terrifying, and Olivier (our French guide Mohammed - it seemed as though nearly all guide) slipped over the edge once and almost fell off men there were called Mohammed - we visited areas the mountain - which made everyone very nervous.' where tourists would not normally go. These included We spent the next day travelling and we arrived in a very poor area with a market on the edge of the town. The market was built on the edge of a rubbish dump, Ouzarzat about six hours after we had left. This town and beyond the market we could see shanty towns was in a noticeably different environment and we actually built on the rubbish. We spent the rest of the experienced a magnificent sunset. The next day we visited Ait BenRaddou, a fortified village which has day around Marrakech. often been used as a film set. There were stunning 'In th~Âˇ afternoon, whilst walking in the souk [Arab views from the top. We started out for our next market], snakes were being put around our necks, destination, Zagora, but on the way something monkeys thrust upon us and people were trying to sell unexpected happened. us chameleons in cigarette packets.' 37

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

Williams, Alice Collins, Rosie Phipson and Matt Reilly. Others who went: James Hume, Claire Gilchrist, Hermione Race, Hugh Kingston, Sam Brunner, Andy Bailey, Will MacAdie and Jac Wheeler.

'About an hour into the journey, there was a loud bang and everyone was shielding their faces. A rock had shattered the windscreen and there was glass everywhere. The driver slowly came to a halt and got up scattering glass everywhere. He had been badly cut in the head, but was soon back having had it bandaged and was sweeping the glass up. He then drove us all the way to Zagora. We were amazed at the way he dealt with the situation. It was only later that we found out that it was the fourth time that it had happened to him.' From Zagora we set out into the desert on camels to stay the night in a Berber camp. This was many people's favourite part of the trip, but some would dispute the comfort of the camels. 'The best fun of all had to be riding the camels. Andy got a mad one, just like he got the psycho mule that wanted to jump off mountains. His camel started dancing when it got near cars. Will MacAdie was sitting in front of a rabid camel that kept trying to slobber all over his elbow.' This was a magnificent trip and we owe our thanks to many people in Morocco for making us so welcome. Thanks go to Mr Reilly and Miss Kerr for making the trip possible. We learnt a lot about the country and the people as well as various geographical ideas . We all became accustomed to tagine, a traditional Moroccan dish that they eat for every meal, and the apricot jam that appeared every morning. The girls became used to sleazy men yelling out amounts of camels that they would give for them. Boys in the group often took the opportunity to barter for the girls, which was a very novel experience! Moroccans summed up Britain and the Brits as 'fish and chips' and 'Manchester United'. They do like us though - so I have been told - more than the Germans and Italians, which explains why they always do 'for English, good price.' Morocco cannot be summed up in this way. This was a trip packed with far too many events to include here; a country which requires to be experienced at first hand. We have been lucky enough to experience and share the lives of many different types of Moroccan people, from friendly waiters in city hotels, and poor, towndwelling guides, to real Berber people in the mountains, and desert nomads in the south. All were so kind in a genuine way, and displayed a quality which is so rare in Europeans: they invariably have time for you - and not only when you are being sold something. This is also a simply stunning and beautiful country, some of the diversity of which we sampled on our travels. It is - from a study point of view impossible to emphasise the outstanding value of this trip, apart from to say that we learned more about Geography in these ten days than we could ever hope to learn in six months of lessons. Nobody would be able to pin-point what they had learned, though I know that we are better people for it. My final diary entry was as follows: 'This has been the most incredible experience of my life: Morocco really is a wonderful place and I have met some lovely people. One thing is for sure: this is certainly not the last visit for me.'

RELIGIOUS STUDIES SIXTH FORM SINAI TRIP OCTOBER 1997 Day 1 Surprisingly, our 4 a.m. start proved to be one of the better parts of the day! Zoe managed to lose her passport and ticket minutes before take-off, a particularly unpleasant occurrence at 4.30 a.m. On landing we found that Israel had the night before faced its worst storm for thirty years - making our trip through Israel impossible (all the roads had been washed away). However, Mr Cocksworth managed to get us places on an antique aeroplane. Mid-flight we realised that we had been deceived into thinking that the horrendous weather was over: more storms made our 50s-style plane drop hundreds of feet, leaving Anna's next-door neighbour so desperately worried that she had to clutch Anna's leg nervously throughout the flight. We eventually managed to struggle across to Egypt, and we camped that night on a beach on the Gulf of Aqaba. Day 2 The day started with an early morning swim which was savoured by all: it would be the last time we would be clean for five days! We spent the day walking through an amazing coloured canyon and running (or in some cases sliding) down sand-dunes - yes, we did regret that for the rest of the week. We met our first Bedouin when we went to have tea with them at their roadside camp. That night was spent in a different canyon, getting friendly with the camels and admiring Tom, Tom and Giles's climbing skills, and the stars. Day 3 After much strife we all managed to find a camel. Anna came off worst with a nine-footer, and lucky Freya got the baby one (not so far to fall). After several attacks of vertigo we set off on what proved to be an extremely painful day; bouncing up and down on a wooden saddle is very far from comfortable. All the agony was worth it in the end though, as we spent that night in what we all agreed was probably one of the most spectacular places any of us had ever seen. After hours of exploring we had an entertaining evening watching the Bedouin showing off their acrobatic skills, and laughing at Tom Bell's serious lack of them. Giles's fan club extended itself with the aid of his trusty guitar: together they intrigued the Bedouin and kept us amused, despite a slightly limited repertoire. Day 4 Last day of camel trekking, but this time we travelled across granite mountains. The girls enjoyed beating the boys in our camel races, although some of us got left behind for the entire day, due to our camels' unceasing appetites. We arrived at our campsite and said farewell to the Bedouin, and a surprisingly sad goodbye to our camels whom we had devotedly named after the cast of EastEnders. We camped within walking distance of the oldest surviving roofed buildings and went to visit them; our guide told us that

Zo:E JAGELMAN AND WILL GoLD

with help from Caroline Gentles, Rachel Lyons, Greg THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

Sinai party. (G.R. C.)

Day 6 If our hike up Mt Sinai had not been enough, we would have been delighted to learn that the day brought with it yet more walking. We spent the morning trekking up a neighbouring mountain to Mt Sinai, which was luckily much less steep. The scen~ry was once again fantastic, and we took the opport~mty to take even more photos. We stopped for lunch m an amazing Bedouin garden - in fact it was so nice that nothing could tempt us to leave, and we ended up spending the night there. We had a lazy aft~rnoon, sunning ourselves on enormous rocks and dmng yet more climbing. A very keen Mr Cocks worth even went on another walk. It was an incredible place to spend our last night outside. Day 7 We had an exciting morning rambling or sliding down the mountain, and even came down through a natural dam (at which point I bitterly regretted wearing a skirt). When we finally r~ac~~d the bottom we were able to do some 'shoppmg m St Catherine's village. The boys went the whole hog and bought the entire Bedouin costume, while the rest of us settled for a head-scarf and a few more pieces of jewellery. We were treated to a l~nch of soup and chips by our driver Mohammed, which made a welcome change from our fixed diet of feta cheese, salad and halva. After lunch we drove to our luxury four-star hotel on the coast, near to where we stayed the first night. The minute we arrived we. all sp~d to the beach, from which we could see Saudi Arabia. Hours were spent snorkelling on the coral reef, admiring the

they are thought to be tombs. We went o.n to have tea with a Bedouin woman and her grandchtldren, where we were persuaded to buy thousands of useless bracelets. The evening was spent talking around the fire, and meeting Dr Rabbir, the resident St Catherine's guru. Poor Mrs Reid suffered from very sore eyes, which were made worse by a dose of Tom McHugh's curious cream (maybe next time they will both remember to read the small print!) Day 5 In the morning the jeeps drove us to St Catherine's, and Dr Rabbir showed us around the stunning monastery and took us to the burning bush, which we were disappointed to discover was not still alight. After the tour the reality of our perilous journey to the top of Mt Sinai finally hit home. Our guide Amir set off at a ridiculous pace with only Anna and Sarah walking faithfully by his Âˇ side: most of us were left miles behind. After hundreds of rests and gallons of water we all eventually made it to the top, but where was Mr Cocks worth? We had lunch and a serious photo shoot there, but only when Mr Cocksworth eventually arrived. We went back down the Pilgrims' Steps via Moses' Garden to St Catherine's in record time, knowing that we were promised a shower at the bottom. Finally clean, we spent the evening in the monastery 'cafe' having competitr'ons to see how many cups of Bedouin tea we could drink before closing time. Camilla, Jessie, Tom Bell and Zoe were the sure winners. I think they managed about ten cups each. 39

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

tropical fish and relishing the water. It was such a strange contrast to the desert. After supper we all went and sat on the beach, treasuring our last few hours in Sinai, though eventually we made it to the hotel disco. The rest of the evening was spent in fits of laughter over the Egyptian taste in clubbing music. Day 8 If we thought that nightmare journeys were all in the past, how wrong we were! We were late arriving at the border, even later getting into Israel, and almost too late arriving at the airport. Luckily Mr Cocksworth managed to charm our uptight Israeli escort and she in turn charmed the people at the airport. After a series of horrendous baggage checks, we were finally on the way home, but even the flight was a drama ... triplets, airsickness and Camilla and Giles. Just before landing Tom Bell convinced us all to don our Bedouin attire, so that when we arrived at Gatwick not even our parents were able to recognise us. However, no mishap could have ever ruined the most amazing experience we have ever had: coming back home was the worst part. Many, many thanks to Mr Cocksworth and Mrs Reid.

encountered first-hand evidence of the destruction: the main coastal road, along the Gulf of Aqaba, was completely washed away in places. After the deluge, the desert looked a particularly beautiful place; rocks were washed clean from dust and plants sprang from the most unlikely-looking areas. About two to three weeks later those plants would be flowering, dying and flowering when the rains returned again - for most of them the wait would be a long one, perhaps another forty years. Another expedition is planned for next year. G.R.C. The party: Clare Bagley, Thomas Bell, Anna Hollywood, Camilla Jelbart, Freya Jonas, Sarah Martin, Thomas McHugh, Zoe Nathan, Giles Patrick, Isabella Pett, Rebecca Potter, Katherine Savage, Emma Torry, Gemma Wheeler, Jessica White, G.R.C., J.M.R.

CLASSICS DEPARTMENT TRIP TO ITALY

EMMA TORRY.

When our group arrived in Tel Aviv on October 19th, expecting to bus down through Israel, our path was blocked by flood damage to the roads - the aftermath of the worst flash -floods in southern Israel and Sinai since 1946. We took an internal flight, through the tail-end of the storms, to Eilat where the evidence of flooding was everywhere. After crossing the border, we continued our journey into the Sinai desert in four-wheel-drive vehicles. We soon

OCTOBER 1997 No slumming it for us. No charter flights and dreadful early-morning arrivals. Mr Holland had booked our party on a B.A. scheduled flight at a sensible time of the day. So we duly crammed into the minibus in Green Court, relieved to find that most of us were quite moderately sane, and arrived at Gatwick in excellent time. That was when we discovered that one

The view from the 'Mountain of the Hole' in Sinai. (G.R.C.)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

Pompeii party. (F.E.T)

went by. We looked at the main public buildings, including the two theatres and the recreation ground and amphitheatre, where Mr Holland saw off all challengers in the race from one end to the other of the arena. The weather was magnificent, we had a firstclass lunch in the site, and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves, taking plenty of notes and photographs for their C.C. projects. Perhaps it was the sheer size of the amphitheatre which made the greatest impression, but the Fiorelli 'skeletons', the Forum market and Loreius Tiburtinus' garden, with its formal water channels and fountains, all made a strong impact. Only the real cool guys (Em, Tom and Rory) braved the swimming pool when we got back: to call the pool cool would be a severe underestimate. The food's brilliant. They do excellent icecreams here. In Pompeii there was a great atmosphere of relaxation despite the tight schedule, and you really feel a sense of awe living beneath a volcano that is ready to erupt on you at any moment. The archaeological trips were very constructive for my coursework: now that I've been in Pompeii and actually seen the methods and some archaeologists at work on the site I can actually say that I am quite fascinated. I think that the atmosphere in Italy is second to none, because the people here are so nice. Monday saw us in Naples, despite warnings galore from Mr TenniCk of the perils of the big city: 'see Naples and die'. We made only one mistake on the underground before touching base in the Museo Archeologico. Here we all looked at some of the more personal items, such as silver egg-cups, bathroom

of us had left an air-ticket in Canterbury and another of us had brought a case that was bursting open as we looked at it. Just two minor problems, which were smoothly solved by Mrs Tennick; and as we settled down in the aircraft we rashly hoped that with this behind us all would now go smoothly. It did not. Naples airport officials proved distinctly unwelcoming to our Nigerian national, despite the fact that we had produced all the required bits of paper. Mr Holland and S.-J. were to be seen behind the windows of an interrogation cell, being gesticulated at and (in S.-J.'s case) being offered sweets. Higher grades of official were sought and unsmiling men in plain clothes arrived while the girls had their first sighting of 'pervy' Italian men (and those were the ones in uniform) and Mr Tennick went through the barrier to placate a coach-driver with a schedule to keep. As usual on these occasions, after the necessary arguments, protestations and waving of hands - and (Mr Holland. asserts) a statement to the effect that Britain and Italy were no longer members of the E.U. - all was resolved, and eighteen of us rode a smooth Italian coach to our Sorrento hotel. As usual in southern Italy, four or even five were squeezed into rooms built for two, but the water was hot, there was a swimming pool and the food was excellent. Ominously Dom began to complain of stomach-ache. The first day was cool. The hotel's all right, but the chief waiter really hates us. The first full day was devoted to Pompeii, which we reached by the Circumvesuviana Railway, a means of travel with which we became very familiar as the days 41

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

strigils, lady's vanity set, glassware, lamps, paintings of boiled eggs (not, alas, the real thing this time), gladiatorial helmets and Venus in a fetching gold bikini (eat your hearts out, girls!) There were also lots and

further along the railway line to Pompeii (again). Here we thought we might just have time for a visit to the Villa of the ~ysteries, and we duly toiled up the path from the statiOn - to find that we had missed the last time for admission. The guard seemed adamant, despite the best efforts of Mr H. gesticulating (if not speaking) fluently and Mary smiling valiantly. So we sat about looking dejected until the lira dropped and Mr H. realised that a little bribery (twenty grand, actually) was in order. In we went with smiles all round, fighting our way through earnest Germans to the mysterious Mysteries paintings and working out how the huge olive-press worked. Dom meanwhile was feeling very under the weather and all credit for macho man of the tour goes to Rory who carried Dom on his shoulders the best part of half a mile back to the station. David Stephens, Emily Smitham, Rory MacEwen. (FE.T) A good hot three-course meal was all it took to replace lost lots of Roman wall paintings, sadly rather too many of energy, and we all (apart from Dom) went off bowling. the rather stodgy mythological variety: where were This was the cool part of town where the Sorrento they hiding the picture of bread being sold from a young played the fruit machines. Luckily we had no Roman market-stall, or the famous illustration of the 59 AD amphitheatre riot which led to many deaths and the closing down of the amphitheatre for ten years? The mosaics were good, though, despite many of the famous ones being away on loan. Some of us discovered with relief only when we saw them on postcards in the inevitable shop what explicit images we had missed on our way round, and the teachers hoped that not too many found their way back through . the post to family members. Lunch called, and Mr H. conjured up from nowhere a little shop prepared to cook us seventeen pizzas on the spot: niftily wrapped in brown paper, they were delicious. We were only sorry Dom's stomach-ache had worsened and had kept him back at Sorrento in bed. Only for the morning, though, because we met up with Dom and Nurse T. at Torre Annunziata where is to be found the largely undiscovered jewel of the Naples archaeological scene, the villa of Oplontis. We were the only people going round, accompanied by a guard whose sole job seemed to be to keep people's bottoms off the columns. Mr H. did the guiding, and we were mightily impressed by the feeling of wandering round a substantial house (actually a mini-palace probably belonging to Nero's wife Poppaea). There were rooms of all sizes, most with ceilings and wall decoration (wonderful peacocks and bowls of fruit, one bowl even covered by something which looked just like clingfilm) and shutters preserved in plaster-cast just as they would have been at the time of the eruption. Lucy L. and Mary were overheard saying that this was just how they would be designing their own houses: given that there were inside courtyards, a private garden and an Olympic-sized swimming pool, this did not seem such Rory MacEwen carrying Dominic Furlonge at Pompeii. a bad idea. We left there late in the afternoon to go (FE.T) THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

one competing with us for the (rather splendid) ten-pin bowling facilities. Some of us (Mr and Mrs Tennick, for instance) were playing for the first time, and we did not want an outside audience on this occasion - so shortly after England had beaten Italy in the football World Cup. Everyone had their little triumphs, but Dave and Jason did particularly well. I'd like to order a kitchen floor like one of the mosaic floors at Oplontis: they're really beautiful. This place is really cool and the hotel's really good. The f ood is lovely and the waiters seem to have particularly taken to us because we 're a school. We began Tuesday with a return match in Pompeii, despite a drop or two of rain - the only time when the weather was anything less than brilliant. The group concentrated on private houses this time and were taken by the small amount of space available to slaves, and the rather prominent role taken by women (either owning properties or at least giving their names to them) - and we watched real live archaeologists at work in the House of the Vettii. Onwards then to Herculaneum (on the now familiar train) and a splendid lunch organised by Mr H. in the upstairs kitchen of a little bar next to the excavations: mamma cooked wonderful spaghetti and omelettes and assembled tomato salads, as pappa was dispatched to the local shops for more provisions, particularly industrial quantities of bread. No sooner had we entered the Herculaneum scavi when Mrs Tennick was summoned back by mobile phone to the Sorrento hotel, where the hotel management had become worried about Dom. The rest of us enjoyed the smallish scale of Herculaneum, crowding into the womens' baths, peeping into the sewers (thank you for putting the top back, Em) and generally getting a feel of the place. By the time we were ready to go, there was sadly just not enough time to make a dash up Vesuvius a reasonable proposition, and in any case the top of the mountain was wreathed in cloud. It cheered us up later to come across some intrepid vulcanologists who had made the effort - and returned dripping wet, filthy and exhausted, and with cameras spoiled by the damp! Back at the hotel a drama was unfolding as a second doctor had to be summoned for Dom: he was optimistic but suggested the local hospital for an alternative view. Once there the pace quickened, and before long a full-scale operation was in prospect. The rest of the group did some final shopping in Sorrento, and came back full of sympathy for Dom, who was by then in the operating theatre. While in Canterbury I always used to wonder why people still lived under volcanoes that t~ey thought would erupt at any time. But now I see that you just live every day as it comes. And that's what we're doing, and we're having quite a smashing time. The hotel was really nice and had great ambience. The how shall I put it? - seedy appearance of the rooms still had great atmosphere and we really enjoyed ourselves. Wednesday was our last day, and the news about Dom was good. Mr H. went off very early to the hospital -as the rest of us packed our bags, wiped a metaphorical tear or two from our eyes as we left Sorrento, and boarded a luxurious coach for Solfatara. The steamy, sulphurous landscape (actually the centre

of a semi-dormant crater) made a good substitute for Vesuvius, and we struck lucky with our guide, who piloted us to the nineteenth century saunas known as Purgatory and Hell and the boiling mud; bounced boulders on the ground to show that we were walking on a 'drum skin' over boiling steam; did the necessary tricks with burning tapers; and made us all presents of sprigs of myrtle - actually a full crown for Lucy, who chose this moment to be stung just under the eye by a wasp. Time had now evaporated, and we were all too soon at the airport (only quarter of an hour late), where Mr H. looked relieved to see us. Nothing more could go wrong at this stage, we thought, but we had not reckoned with Mary mislaying her passport for a moment or anxious two. We then delivered ourselves to the welcoming care of B.A., and were soon back at Gatwick and a crowd of welcoming parents. This trip was a great success, despite the best efforts of fate to wrongfoot us. Most thanks are due to Mr Holland for all the preparatory work and the precision planning on the ground. We all felt sorry for poor Dom, but there was no doubt that the rest of us had a most enjoyable time. (Don't worry, Mr H.: it's not normally as bad as this. Please start organising the next one!) P.S. Dom made a good recovery from what turned out to be a burst appendix, and was back in good form for the second half of term. M.J.T. AND THE PARTY. The party: Tom Dunn, Laura Eldon, Mary Fitzgerald, Dominic Furlonge, Melissa Gainsford, Lucy Lake, Toby Lewis, Rory MacEwen, Nicolas Marceau, Jan Panman, Laura Phillips, Jason Sandeman-Allen, Emily Smitham, Oluseye SoyodeJohnson, David Stephens, C.T.H., F.E.T., M.J.T.

TANZANIA 1997 SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP WORLDWIDE The seats were unforgiving and narrow, the air was humid and stifling, the progress was painfully slow and I had a sneaking suspicion that the stranger who had come to collect 25 disorientated SPW s from the airport was determined not to tell us the truth about how long this gruelling journey would take. Fortunately, being in the mythical African countryside for my first time, I was quite happy to sit and gaze in wonder as the scenery rolled past. No matter how many times I had seen it all on TV, to be there alongside the grass-roofed mud-huts, the banana plantations, the mighty and ancient baobab trees and the vast, burnt-red plains interspersed by ranges of mountains and hills was incredible. I was transfixed. Then it got dark. Once my aching limbs had recovered, the first fortnight in Tanzania was spent at the Marangue Teacher Training College enjoying the beautiful surroundings in the foothills of Kilimanjaro. In the mornings we were taught Kiswahili-and were lectured on all the problems we could expect in the coming months of teaching (though the solutions were left up to us), and in the afternoons we threw ourselves off the cliffs above the plunge-pool of a nearby waterfall. I was sorry to leave 43

THE

CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

this balmy, English-summer atmosphere and travel down into the scorching, dusty heat of Moshi to meet our Headmasters, but at the same time I was anxious to start teaching. At the meeting, our Headmaster failed to tum up, but no one seemed unduly concerned by this neglect and the next day we went up into the Pare Mountains with an ex-SPW to find the school. The lush beauty of the mountain as we drove up the winding dirt track was marred by the appalling stench of our overloaded minibus. The other occupants (including the freshly severed cow's head sitting comfortably in a bucket above my head) appeared set on choking on their own, award-winning, body odour before passing out from the heat, and kept all the windows tightly shut as if paranoid that one whiff should escape. When we reached the school we were surprised to find that the Headmaster entirely lacked the goodwill so typical of Tanzanians. He could not find us accommodation (one of the requirements which must be met before SPW will place their teachers) and we soon left, very disappointed and wondering where we could go from here. As so often happened in Tanzania, the worst of circumstances unexpectedly turned out for the best when we travelled south to Soni Secondary School in th~ U sambara Mountains, Tang a, to try again. As we climbed up from the plains into the angular valleys, passing between the imposing peaks we could sometimes catch a glimpse of a succession of superb cataracts far below as the top-heavy bus leaned out dangerously round the corners. I watched with interest but, still uncertain whether this school would give us any better reception than the first, we were expecting the worst. Soni is a large village of two distinct halves and, arriving in the wrong half, we struggled with our bags up to the school past wary-looking people who simply stood and stared at us. Reaching the school, our bags were suddenly lifted from our shoulders by a group of students who staggered away under the weight and we straightened up to be greeted and most warmly welcomed into the school by the Deputy Head. We learnt that the school was less than a year old and that it had originally been the site of a German construction company which had given the buildings to the village community. There were 140 students and 12 teachers but it badly needed Science and English teachers. Books were in very short supply and science equipment was absolutely non-existent, but there were sufficient desks and the classrooms were large and pleasant, except when flocks of ravens landed on the tin roof to drown my lessons with the noise of their claws scratching the metal. The scale of poverty is inconceivable until you experience it firsthand: the average teacher's salary is just over ÂŁ40 per month. But despite this the people were incredibly generous and we were welcomed into many houses. We had a few customs to master: not eating with your left hand was one of the first stumbling blocks though we were forgiven when they saw our ample supply of Rosy (Tanzanian Andrex) - but we soon progressed with both our Swahili and THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

table manners. The ÂŁ2,500 sponsorship which we had brought with us, thanks to the huge efforts of Galpin's, represented an enormous amount of wealth and we were able to use it to great effect. The most significant projects we managed were constructing two new classrooms within the existing buildings by moving the staff-room, and planting 2,500 trees on the badly eroded hillside above the school. School was cancelled for the day, and everyone, students and teachers alike, went out to plant trees. The teaching was exciting but sometimes very frustrating. The girls in particular had no shame when it came to cheating. I once found that I had no fewer than eight identical copies of the same essay for one piece of homework. The students' understanding of English was poor and there were often confusions: I remember asking one boy what job his father did and he replied, 'My father is a toilet' - which was confusing until I realised he meant 'tailor'. One of the highlights was taking a small group of students to climb Kilimanjaro. After losing a day because our pass was stolen, we climbed one of the most difficult routes in just five days. On the fourth day we started at 2 a.m. to scale the treacherous Arro_w Glacier to the peak and, after making a detour to gaze m absolute awe down into the ash pit in the centre (a sight I will remember for ever), we reached the highest point in Africa by midday. My lungs ached an? each heaving breath seemed to be empty at such altitude. I felt as though I had been sprinting, yet we had been walking with a pause after every step. Our students were immensely proud to be the first Tanzanian pupils to ascend via the Machame route and there was an incredible sense of achievement to reach the top after such efforts. But there wasn't much time to stand around in the cold, thin air: we still had a long climb down from the crater. In the end we walked for a total of sixteen hours that day with no food and minimal water. I have never been so exhausted in my life but I had five incredibly fine days. All too soon it was time to step back into reality and come home, and after many sad farewells and a quick, goodbye visit to Zanzibar, eight months of fantastic living came to an end. It only remains now to decide when I can go back. NIGEL FIELD ACCOMPANIED BY JAMES HARVEY (BOTH O.K.S., BOTH GL 1991-96). (Miranda MacLaren)

CORRESPONDENCE Finch Green, Chiddingstone Roath, EDENBRIDGE, Kent. TN8 7DJ 8th September, 1997.

To the Editor, The Cantuarian, The King's School, CANTERBURY. CTl 2ES

Dear Sir, I am indebted to you for the information (caption to photograph, The Cantuarian, Autumn Term 1996, p. 35) that the 'wrought iron railings' outside Hodgson's Hall 'were taken away during World War Two to make aluminium Spitfires'. During my time at King's there were rumours that some form of alchemy had once been taught at the School, and I am glad that this has now been confirmed so authoritatively. Yours faithfully, MARTIN THORP, O.K.S. (GR 1955-59) [We are grateful to Mr Thorp for spotting this. The railings in question were, of course, of cast iron, not wrought. Ed]

85 Cranbrook Road, Redland, BRISTOL. BS67BZ 26th November, 1997

To the Editor, The Cantuarian, The King's School, CANTERBURY. CTl 2ES

Dear Sir, I was horrified to hear that grace was no longer said at normal meals. But, had I thought, I would have realised it would be so; first the Book of Common Prayer now The Ten Commandments, so obviously such trivia as mere graces before meals would have gone too. All the more reason, surely, for printing them! But that is now why I am writing. I have just read Fred Remembered and noted that some people have poor memories. However, it set me thinking that Ralph Juckes Remembered would make even better reading. As an extraordinary headmaster of J.K.S. for so many years there must be many people still alive with interesting stories. Yours sincere! y, DR GEORGES WARE, O.K.S. (GR 1939-43) [We are pleased to reprint below the Latin graces as suggested by Dr Ware. More than that, we are able for good measure to print Greek versions of these graces made by Mr Andrew Mackintosh (Staff 1950-78) this November in response to a request from Mr Richard Bream (SH 1950-53). As for Ralph Juckes Remembered, we would urge anyone wishing to lend support to this project to be in touch with Dr Ware. Ed.]

Gratiae

paKap{r;ot rypas 0 8EOS navro7<:parwp, Kat 8ropa rfj xaptn avrov vvv 8s~ops8a, 'Ir]aov ' ~ ' ' 'A11 ' Xp tarov f1J1Srspov ruptov. £¥-Lsv.

quas et ante et post prandium Deo dicere solet Schola Regia Cantuariensis · Ante prandium: Benedicat nobis omnipotens Deus et donis quae de eius largitate sumus percepturi, per Jesum Christum dominum nostrum. Amen.

6J Kvpts E>sos, Karaxsi, airoupsv, r~v m}v xapzv sis ras rypsrepas 8zavo{as, Yva XPWJ1EVOl op8ws Kal1CpOS r~V mJV Do~av rourOlS rozs (JOlS 8mpozs, 8o8szmv V1CO rov {3amA.iws ~Evp{KOV Kat rwv aAAWV svspyerwv rypwv, psra rrov marwv rs8Vf1Korwv npos rov ovpavzov {3{ov avamWJlSV, 8za 'b]aov Xp{mov rypsrepov KVp{ov. 'AJ-Lev.

Post prandium: Infunde, quaesumus, domine Deus, gratiam tuam in mentes nostras, ut hisce tuis donis, datis ab Henrico rege cet&isque benefactoribus nostris, recte et in tuam gloriam utentes, una cum fidelibus defunctis in vitam caelestem resurgamus, per Jesum Christum dominum nostrum. Amen. 45

THE

CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

Wolverley Cottage, Church Lane, Sturry, CANTERBURY CT2 OBB 14th January, 1998.

To the Editor, The Cantuarian, The King's School, CANTERBURY CT12ES Dear Sir,

You may remember that about a year ago I wrote a letter to you in which I mentioned that I had the idea of trying to put together a video tracing the history of the school at Milner Court. The idea is to create a visual history on video tape involving cine film, video, still pictures and commentary of life at Milner Court from 1928 to 1978. I have been sent a little very interesting film, including some taken around 1937, but as yet the response has been rather disappointing. I would ask once again that those parents, or former pupils, who know that they have film, video or photographs that they could contribute to this enterprise should contact me at the above address. To be effective it is essential that there is coverage of the whole of that period of the School's history. It is not possible to have too much material. Should you wish to send me 9.5, 16 or 8 mm film, I will be able to have it transferred onto a video master tape before returning the film to you. Any video material can be copied onto a master tape and returned. Please remember to include the name and address to which the film or video is to he returned. Initially you might wish to let me know what you have. In which case I will reply and if necessary negotiate arrangements for sending or collecting the material. The success of this venture must depend upon your response to this letter. In any event I expect creating the video will probably take a little time and do not expect a video on sale in the immediate future. Once again my thanks to you all in anticipation. Yours faithfully, ROBIN Q. EDMONDS .

• TFit ·~RTFI~D~NTIC ·FRACTICt • 51 CANTtRBUit?Y CT1 2L) •• • C?NVENIENTLY CL?)E T? TME )CI1??L • AND MANY • • NEW CLIENT) ARt RtftRRAL • BY fAMILY DtNTI5T • • • TELtFM?Nt/rAX 01227 • • •• • • • BR~AD 5TR~tT,

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

B~ARDING M~U)E)

WtLC~Mt Uf~N

Y~UR

15252~

www.broadst.demon .co.uk

R~BtRT F1UTCF115~N BD5, rD5RCP5, M5C, M~RTMRC5CtNG) •

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

•

• • •• • • • • • • • • • • • •

(Jean Richardson)

~HE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

IMAGINATIVE WRITING [Readers of the Correspondence in our last issue (Vol. LXI, No.2, Lent and Summer Terms 1997, p. 158) may remember a challenge by Alan Baker to include 'a fairly long poem in a traditional verse form that rhymes and scans'. We are pleased to print below what we judge, bearing in mind the age of the poet, to be the best contender for the title - 24 rhyming lines in sprung rhythm. We are most grateful to those who supplied entries. Ed.]

Friends For Life

Lawrence White {Remove a)

Shall I compare you to a winter's morn? Distant, cold as the ethereal mist: When this life's darkest dawn Some neon angel kissed. We lay on dew-burdened grass forever, In cadaverous piercing morning air And lived, so that even I could never Dream of dancing with despair. You remained as diamond, fools would touch. We talked for hours, but I could not speak Of joy, for I had never felt so much. These days happiness is purely weak. And through the chill I felt quite warm, For once I was not dead alone. For a stolen moment we cleared the storm; Revealed a friendship cast in stone. Failing love was a mirror broken, And I stumbled on the glass, bled and fell. In a cathedral of rain it went unspoken That ours was a story we should wait to tell. When words lost meaning, we gazed so long At shifting trees, where I could not see. Doubtless another vagrant's song Will speak, and the memories return to me.

(Frances Armitage-Smith)

Homeless

Caroline Ritchie {A6b)

Grey. Grey sky. Grey buildings. Grey people. All one indeterminate, indescribably similar shade of grey. Movement. Bustle. Low hum of voices. Shiny office shoes splashed brown-grey from muddy puddles; puddles that were now freezing into little pockets of danger for the late walkers or early joggers who saw such a different picture of this place. Joggers were an odd breed - granted, the odd enthusiast did pass effortlessly with a look of beautiful pleasure on the face he raised to the clear morning sky, but most of them, in their illfitting luminous track suits and shiningly white trainers, just seemed intent on torturing themselves. He was there himself, sometimes, on those nights which seemed too endless to bear, and he hated seeing that gasping for breath, those round, sweating faces, those gasping mouths expelling frantic puffs of cold air. Images like those recurred frequently in his nightmares, along with others, far worse. Still greyness. Swishing office coats, the muffled curse and muttered apology as one hurried businessman bangs the calf of another with his cheap plastic briefcase. Hideous Christmas songs, sung by breathless choirs of children, escaping from the shop behind him. It was only halfway through November. Why couldn't this world wait? Why were these people always hurrying - a]ways seeing ahead - always punishing themselves by not resting for a moment? Except, perhaps, to collapse after their morning jog. In half an hour, this street if you could call it that ('street' conjured up such an image of a pretty country town) - would be empty save for the odd executive not all that desperate to get back to an indifferent wi~e; and, of course, people like him. Nearly dark now. Lowering black clouds pushing their way over the office blocks. Any natural light that had appeared in this dark day swiftly fading, the dusk broken only by pools of fluorescent gold from shop windows. With dark comes cold: he had long known that, but what was the alternative? Fitful gusts of wind blew crumpled leaves into corners, from which they would no doubt be swept up by some thickset ex-offender in overalls. What a life! No, how could he even think that, when he had to live in his own existence, day after day, year after year. He shivered, pulling the old grey coat tighter around himself. Now the shop lights were being turned off. It seemed unfair that buildings could sleep without interruption for so long. Animals could too. Humans seemed the only things in existence that lay awake at night. Night is THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

falling, he thought. When night falls, this street is no longer a safe place. What was safety anyway? He had begun not to care whether he was safe or not. If safety meant an existence like his, every day the same, all grey, grey, grey and unbearably dull, then perhaps being unsafe would be better. He glanced downÂˇ at his watch. The luminous hands, which he had thought so clever when he bought it, pointed to just before six o'clock. Three and a half hours before he could legitimately make the pretence of going to sleep. Three and a half hours of futility. Society demands of me that I should be safe, he thought. With despairing resignation, the man picked up his briefcase, stood up and made his way slowly, almost forlornly, back.

Gecko. (Ewan Cameron)

Daniel O'Donoghue {Shell b)

The woodpecker

The punk of the skies, Roots for bugs in the trashcan trees Knocking with his staccato beak 'Let me in! Let me in!' But no one hears his mournful shout. He lifts his mohawk proudly As he be-bops his way through a tree With his built-in percussion set. 'Let me in! Let me in!' He beats it in Morse Code, again. Or sits on a branch, motionless Except for the twitch of a restless head. He surveys the wicked landscape With his soft toy eyes Rolling and rolling in their cage of feathers. 49

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

Nothing to say

Lawrence White (Remove a)

Another's simple words to stir these emotions, to seize the angst, and a love to get rid of the same. A soft rain, laughter in midnight's breeze. A needless whine, because you all know about pain. Tears falling slowly, the pastel walls hearing alone the cry of the voice, which cannot choose the words, sadden as it calls. A net result, Romeo's end, a choice: A view onto a lonely fall seize it and be gone.

Iguana. (Ewan Cameron )

But no, I linger. These fields of shapeless grey, I dreamed of filling with corpses, death's ugly kiss For me, a chance to live, a kind of peace Too late, it is buried with morality caressed as once I was by cold rivals more eloquent, I am futility. But like you, with you, I may win, just because. I will smile when I see your ashen plastic face, But now I'm feeling pitifully small Is it so much worse to have fallen from grace than never to have been there at all?

The Dangers of Addiction

Nicholas Cullen (Remove d)

Paul shuffled his feet along the baking concrete. His laces dragged along behind him, the rest of his filthy trainers obscured from vision by the baggy folds of his Levi jeans. He hunched his back like a stretching cat, his head forced forward, his face set in a moody frown. Above him towered a dauntingly huge advertising billboard, depicting the squinting, weatherbeaten faces of the Marlboro cowboys. Underneath, in small white writing there was a warning about pregnant women smoking, which Paul ignored. Feeling in his pocket for some butt-ends; he found a small, soggy scrap of paper with an address and telephone number on it. Scrumpling it up he cast it aside; it was the number of the smoking counsellor, with whom the school had made him spend a tedious hour. Paul reckoned that if, as a smoker he was going to be dead by the time he was fifty-five, he shouldn't have to waste his time with people like the counsellor. Paul was fifteen, white and smart. He had everything going for him. He was in line for nine GCSEs, his parents having urged him on from an early age; he was their great hope. Of course, they didn't know about his problem; at least, they hadn't until those prying so-and-so's from school had sent them a letter, which matter-of-factly stated that Paul had been caught smoking with some of his friends. At first his mum had refused to believe that their little boy could have 'got involved with that sort of thing'; then she and his dad had turned nasty on him, ranting and raving on about wasting his chances in life. When Paul had, perfectly justly, pointed out that one little cigarette was not going to make a huge difference they had just grown even more hysterical. After some time they had calmed down and become seemingly sympathetic and sorry. He had allowed his mum to pander to him and make him comfortable; and some feeling of togetherness had come back into the family. But deep down, Paul had known that he was no longer Mummy's little baby, that something fundamental had changed. Paul roused himself from his reflections on life as he approached the old crumbling rec. centre; a playing field with a rusty yellow climbing-frame and some swings. It was enclosed by a ten-foot high graffiti-strewn wall, and it was upon this that he espied the familiar figure of his mate and smoking partner Jesse. Jesse was a diminutive figure, described by his mum as the dirtiest child she had ever seen. His black hair reached down to his shoulders, which supported a T-shirt bearing the unintentionally misspelt epitaph 'Exercise the Demons!' He was not at Paul's school, attending an inner-city comprehensive and having got into trouble with the police several times. Needless to say, Paul's parents intensely disapproved of him. Wordlessly, Jesse handed Paul a packet of Embassies and offered him a light. Paul greedily accepted and they puffed contentedly in silence for a few minutes. Paul eventually broke the silence. 'Got a real slating a couple of days ago,' he murmured. 'What for?' came the reply. 'Bloody smoking!' 'That why you weren't here yesterday?' THE

CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

'Yeah; they all had hysterics and spouted their usual stuff about lung cancer.' 'So stupid, aren't they!' said Jesse. 'Yeah.' They quickly got though the remnants of the packet and then got bored; prowling around the sports-field on their own until some seven-year olds arrived with a football which they kicked around for another half an hour. Then they left and walked slowly down the road. 'I'd kill for a fag,' said Paul. 'Me too,' agreed Jesse. 'Got any money?' 'No, but we can easily nick fags from this Paki shop up here.' Jesse indicated a small newsagent's which they were approaching. 'What?' Paul was genuinely shocked. 'Sure we can nick some!' Jesse urged him. 'Just walk in, shove the bloke out of the way and grab a packet. Then leg it!' 'I really don't think...' Paul began. 'Ah, shut up! You're such a chicken!' Jesse cut in, and he marched into the shop. After the court hearing, Paul was expelled from his school and sent to a remand centre. He failed his GCSEs and got involved with drugs. After repeated prison sentences he committed suicide aged only twentyone. At the funeral, his mother made a beautifully moving speech about his life. It was called: 'The dangers of addiction'.

Katie Redstone (Shell b)

A morning on the beach

Apart from the steady, roaring, hum of the sea and the clink of pebbles as I trudged down towards the water, everything was silent. A sudden gust of wind carried to me the fishy smell of the nets and cages further down the beach. As I curiously wandered on, the black squat silhouettes of the fish storehouses began to take shape and I was soon able to see the dilapidated doors and windows. They were small, wooden cubes painted black. Most of them had a dark archway instead of a door, but a few had stray pieces of wood dangling mournfully from the hinges. The glass that was left in the windows was grimy, and showed nothing of the dark interior. Stacked up beside the buildings, like a block of flats made of wire, were lobster cages. A few still had a solitary claw or a limb dangling from the wire. Below this was a pile of ragged fishing nets that had been deployed. As I bent down to study the small, consumptive animals that had become tangled in the net, I suddenly became aware of the putrid smell that I had been oblivious of for so long. My stomach lurched and I quickly hurried out into the open, spacious area speckled with wooden boats and nets. Looking back I could see the small path leading through the conglomeration of shacks. Behind the slums towered the cliffs, grey and forbidding. Above these hung macabre clouds, full of foreboding. A sudden choking roar brought me sharply out of my reverie. Swinging round, I saw one of the yellow bulldozers start off slowly towards the sea, ready to collect the boats that were just coming in with their early morning catch. Purposefully I began to work my way down through the old fishing boats and nets that were stranded forlornly on the shore. The further I walked, the sharper the wind became and soon I could smell nothing of the slums and nets, but only the fresh smell of the bitterly cold wind that made my eyes water and my nose drip. Then I noticed that I was no longer on the pebbles, but that I was on the wet sand covered in rivers. Among the rivers were vestiges of tiny animals, withered and desiccated, beaten by the tide. Looking up at the sea once again, I saw that the first boat was now being dragged up the beach while more were on their way in. Nervously I made my way over to one of the fishermen who was plodding up behind the boat. He was a tall, iron-like man with a ring of brindle-coloured hair mixed with intermittent clumps of grey. Half a cigarette hung from his mouth which, added to his hair, gave him a melancholy but menacing look. 'Good morning,' I said politely. Slowly his gaze turned from the boat to me. He murmured something that I couldn't quite catch and turned back to the boat. 'Excuse me for asking, but, er, what time do you start work?' I falter~d. 'Five -a' clock,' was the mumbled, short, sharp reply. I could see that he was trying to palm me off. 'Always?' I persisted. 'Summer it's four, winter it's five. Now 'scuse me,' he replied testily as he marched up to the yellow machine at the front. 51

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

I wandered down towards the water once more and stopped at the line of rubbish brought up by the sea. A few pieces of seaweed, a mussel, a shell with a rather opulent design, a bone and a large dead crab. As a gentle breeze brushed my cheek with its cold fingers I heard a group of people strolling down the beach with a number of dogs eddying around them. Behind them one watery ray of sunshine filtered through the thick, evil clouds. Slowly I rose and wandered back up the beach. Behind me the noise slowly grew as more people arrived. The intimidating fisherman was busy with his boat and his fish, while others were using the bulldozers to drag their boats from the water. They had no time for me; they had their fish to work and worry about. The seagulls scattered about on the shore regarded the fishermen with calm familiarity; for them the normal ritual had begun again.

(Nick Cullen)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

REPORTS AND REVIEWS MUSIC

with Stephen Matthews at the piano. Showing excellent ensemble, they produced a warm sound with good variation in dynamics and musical phrasing: the technically difficult Rondo in particular was sparkling and well controlled. This polished performance was undoubtedly the highlight of the evening and deserves a further hearing later on in the season. For anyone of the vintage - now probably corked of your reviewer, Purcell's Music for a While is indelibly linked to the matchless sound of the great counter-tenor, Alfred Deller. That said, however, Emma Lewis has a good, clear voice and secure intonation, and she shaped the phrases musically. If she can learn to project her words more clearly and aim for greater dynamic variation, there is every prospect of her fulfilling the promise which is undoubtedly there. Jennifer Dutton and Timothy Noon were her able partners. Two instrumental groups followed presenting a strong contrast in texture and musical content. First four cellos - Jennifer Dutton, Caroline Ritchie, Nancy Colchester and Christina Barton - played Ave Maria, Opus 41, by the nineteenth century composer Wilhelm Fitzenhagen. This is a warm and attractive piece, undemanding of the listener, though not without difficulties of ensemble and balance for the performers. This performance had been carefully prepared and with fine tone from the first cello in particular the overall effect was pleasing. In contrast a witty Hornpipe by Geoffrey Hartley was played on three bassoons by Alastair Laing, Jonathan Reeve and Mark Wharton with commendable technical assurance and vitality. This was especially appropriate in the week in which a photograph of the late and much loved Charles Cracknell who taught bassoon here until 1992 had been presented to the Music School. William Tallon then sang the fine aria Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieden from Bach's St Matthew Passion together with Laura Derain (violin), Caroline Ritchie (cello) and Timothy Noon (harpsichord). This began a, little too fast and somewhat unsteadily but settled down to a good tempo for the entry of the voice. William produced a strong sound and confidently projected the words which express man's horror at the betrayal of Christ for thirty pieces of silver. Laura Derain managed the difficult violin part quite accurately but she needed to produce a much fuller tone for the Shirley Hall acoustic. Two further contrasting instrumental items concluded the concert. Caroline Scott and Rachel Hill returned, this time with oboe and clarinet together with yet another bassoonist, Alfred Williams, to play three of !bert's Cinq Pieces en trio. This witty and slightly quirky music is difficult to bring off and not all the problems were solved on this occasion, but the performance conveyed the right sense of lightheartedness. Shostakovitch's Three Duets for violin were an attractive choice to end the concert: Laura Derain and Iona Coltart could perhaps have produced a fuller sound but intonation and ensemble were good and their performance was warmly received.

CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT lOTH OCTOBER, IN THE SHIRLEY HALL It is much to the credit of the Music Department and the pupils that they were able to put on a concert of this standard so early on in the school year, and the modest-sized audience was treated to a varied and interesting programme which had been conscientiously prepared. The opening item was a Trio in F major by Telemann for two recorders, played by Caroline Scott and Rachel Hill with continuo from Emma Lewis (cello) and Timothy Noon (harpsichord). Apart from a false start to the first allegro, the ensemble was good with attractive phrasing and tone from the recorders and secure support from the continuo players. They were followed by two younger violinists, Michelle Workman and Julia Wharfe, who tackled Bartok's Three Duos for unaccompanied violins which reflect his life-long interest in folk music. Although there was some shaky intonation, especially in the slow second duo, this was a brave effort in which they managed the awkward cross-rhythms commendably. Doppler's Andante and Rondo for two flutes received a superb account fom William Tallon and Cressida Trew

(Caroline Bagley)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

One wonders whether some of the better pianists in the school could be encouraged to gain experience in accompanying at these concerts, but the performers on this occasion were fortunate to have Stephen Matthews and Timothy Noon to give their reliable support. D.S.G.

and the tone was rather thin; however, the choir's confidence was much improved in the second and subsequent choruses, and they displayed a wide dynamic range. John Rutter is a composer who seems to get more of an airing than most in Canterbury, and two arrangements of his concluded the choral half of the concert, The Nativity Carol and The Twelve Days of Christmas. The first of these was sensitively sung, although some members of the chorus were clearly not watching the conductor, for there were one or two

THE CHRISTMAS CONCERT 7TH DECEMBER, IN THE SHIRLEY HALL The annual Christmas Concert serves two functions. Firstly, it sets the mood for the Christmas holiday; and secondly, it provides a platform for what is in many respects a new Choir, Choral Society and Orchestra. This year, the first offering out of Santa's sack of goodies was Stravinsky's Fanfare for a New Theatre, played by Emily Hague and Charles Miller-Jones from the gallery behind the audience. Fearing that many of the audience may not be too familiar with Stravinsky's music, Santa, alias Stefan Anderson, explained that the performance did actually sound as Stravinsky intended. The remainder of the first half of the concert was devoted to Choral music, starting with the Crypt Choir singing three traditional songs, one each from India, Africa and Russia, and all sung from memory. The first of these, Dravidian Dithyramb was sung without words, and enabled the Crypt Choir to exhibit a fine degree of balance between the parts. This piece is rhythmically quite demanding, and the choir coped well. Next came Siya Hamba!, a typically ethnic Zulu African song, which included some clapping towards the end, thereby proving that if one is in the Crypt Choir one can do two things simultaneously. Finally in this section of the concert, the Crypt Choir sang Kalinka, a Russian folk-song. Having sung the African piece in dialect, I felt it was a pity the choir sang this piece in English, as so much metre is often lost in translation. The diction was splendid and the choir managed the key changes with aplomb. The Crypt Choir was then joined by the Choral Society for the remainder of the first half. After a long procession through the Hall to the stage, which gave one a temporary vision of infinity, the front row of the choir, as has by now become customary, had to be rearranged to the positions its members had previously rehearsed. Clearly, The Rearrangement of the Front Row of the Choral Society at the Christmas Concert has entered the annals of the Traditions of The King's School Canterbury. The first piece to be sung by the Choral Society, and the first with a Nativity flavour, was Finzi's In terra pax. This comprises verses by Robert Bridges, sung by baritone solo, alternating with the Nativity text from the Gospel of St Luke sung by the choir, with the voice of the angel sung by a soprano. In this performance, the soloists were Emma Lewis and William Tallon. Both have improved technically since the Summer. Lewis is much more confident and has developed a much more rounded voice and better diction, whilst Tallon projects his voice to a greater extent than heretofore, and uses the long, sustained notes as a vehicle for the text rather than just being something to be counted out. The first chorus seemed a little insecure, perhaps because it is much more difficult to sing quietly than to sing loudly, THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

(Caroline Bagley)

slightly ragged entries, and at one point an irritating sequence of sibilants when there should have been only one. However, the diction was good; and, where the sense required it, the line endings were nicely elided. In comparison, the second piece required a degree of pianistic acrobatics from Mr Stephen Matthews, and provided the chorus with an opportunity to let their hair down. The second half enabled the School's Symphony Orchestra to illustrate its versatility with a wideranging programme requiring several different styles and techniques, under the baton of Mr Colin Metters; there was, therefore, no particular theme to the programme. The opening item was the Overture The Creatures of Prometheus by Beethoven. There was a hint of insecurity at the beginning - and this, after all, was the first appearance in public of the orchestra as 54

currently constituted - but it quickly warmed to its task and the audience; and confidence grew as the piece progressed. This was followed by a piece which enabled the brass section to show off its talents, Verdi's Imperial March from the Finale of Arda Act II. This is a well-known, popular piece and the orchestra clearly felt very much at home with it. The playing was confident and assured, the brass in particular giving a rousing exposition of the Fanfare theme. Next, the strings section was able to display its prowess with two Elegiac Melodies for Strings by Grieg, Hjertesar ('Heart-wounds') and Varen ('Last Spring'). Overall, the strings gave a good account of themselves, playing sensitively and demonstrating their technical versatility; there were a few moments when the intonation strayed a little off the note (often a problem with young, new string ensembles when there are no other instruments to provide a reference for intonation), but such instances were very small in number and quickly corrected themselves. The last item out of Santa's sack was Strauss's Overture Die Fledermaus, another well-known piece and technically demanding as it changes tempo from section to section - almost, at times, from bar to bar. The members of the orchestra clearly enjoyed playing this piece, and the overall impression was of a very alert and responsive ensemble, rhythmically punchy, but responding readily to the flexibility of the baton, and the pauses which punctuate the piece from time to time. To sum up, a concert which showed that there is a great deal of potential, and, indeed, that a lot has already been achieved, which augurs well for that demanding ritual that King's Week makes on the Music Department in the Summer. Thanks are due to a technically varied programme put together by maestri Stefan Anderson and Colin Metters, and, as is so often the case, the unobtrusive Mr Stephen Matthews, whose accompaniment, not only in the concert itself, but also in rehearsal, has been vital for the Choral Society. R.V.J.B .

an African traditional song of which the High Commissioner of Uganda commented he could not believe an English Choir could sing perfect Swahili! After the Adzido Pan African Dance Ensemble had performed Kumpo, we sang Dravidian Dithyramb an Indian traditional song, were followed by Keer Tanam the Indian dance group, and then performed a Russian song, Kalinka. Students from the Royal Northem College of Music, The Royal Academy of Music and the Yehudi Menuhin School accompanied the next three dances. The finale, One Heart, went really well and when we went to get the guests to join in the last chorus at their tables they were all very willing and enjoyed it immensely. Another guest was the Mayoress of Kensington and Chelsea, O.K.S. Elizabeth Hess (nee Bannan, GR 1979-81) who later said, 'Although the choir appeared to be everything you would expect from the most ancient of English schools, they proved themselves to be highly accomplished in dealing with a variety of different texts, languages and musical styles. I was extremely proud to be able to associate myself with them that evening'. We ended up leaving an hour and a half later than expected but in good spirits and with just enough voice left to sing Happy Birthday! to Will Tallon at midnight. It was good for all of us to experience a concert where the attention was not always on us, and all in all the whole evening was greatly enjoyed by the choir and the guests. Thanks to Mr Anderson and Mrs Facey for taking us. BRIAR HITCHEN.

WALPOLE AND THE GRANGE HOUSE CONCERT 5TH OCTOBER, IN THE SHIRLEY HALL House Concerts are a marvellous institution. I can go to one on a Sunday evening and for once leave my work with a clear conscience. I certainly did not regret doing so on attending the Walpole/Grange concert, expertly organised and stage-managed by Larry Ridges and Rachel Hill. The evening commenced with the so-called Walpole, Enzo and Holland Orchestra playing Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance. Larry, a man for whom the word aplomb could well have been invented, conducted - and the result was extremely successful. Keeping an orchestra of thirty or so players in time and in tune is no mean feat, and both Larry and the musicians should be congratulated on what was an excellent performance. The organisers were obviously keen to get things off to a good start since Rachel made an appeara!lce in the second item. Starring on recorder alongside Anne Davies, the two played an Allegro by Telemann. Recorders are infamous among musicians for their tuning, but credit must go to the girls for ensuring .that this was definitely not a problem. Indeed, the piece was sensitively played and well-handled, with good attention to detail, especially regarding the light and shade of the dynamics. The next piece was an old piano favourite: a gutsy rendition, by Kanmi Lawson, of Mozart's Turkish March, better known as Turkish Rondo. Despite a few

THE AGA KHAN FOUNDATION CHARITY BALL 4TH OCTOBER On October 4th The Crypt Choir performed as part of the entertainment for an Aga Khan Foundation charity ball at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London. On arrival we rehearsed our three songs and One Heart where we were joined by other students and soloist David Hitchen. We were told we had to perform this song by clapping, dancing and holding hands which proved quite difficult for some people - nothing like Matins! At 7.30 the thousand guests started arriving including the Guest of Honour, Paddy Ashdown, MP. After talking about it all night, Charlie Rice finally took his opportunity in the Gents to ask about some political matter. Apparently he was very charming. Not surprisingly the evening did not run to schedule and at ÂĽ0.30 we were still waiting, but finally the speeches were over. The first item was Romanza Andaluza by Sarasate, performed by a pupil at the Yehudi Menuhin School. We then sang Siya Hamba!, 55

l'BE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

La Forza del Destino by Verdi was not a piece of which I had heard, but Dan' s musical and well-controlled performance was enough to make me want to hear it, and indeed him, again. He should get out more - to play, that is. Imagine by John Lennon might be considered a daunting task for two large Houses, but the conductor Delia Williams took it, as she does the rest of life, in her stride. With the support of a fine accompaniment by Ophelia Beer, Delia ensured that the Houses did stay in time and, what's more, that they were expressive. A nice touch was the use of just the girls in the second verse, allowing them to demonstrate their delicacy without the earthiness of the Grange boys. Delibes' Flower Duet, played by Jemma Leslie and Suzanne Gentles on flutes was simple but effective. It was well-controlled and expressive, and provided a contrast with the sheer volume and mood of the previous piece. More exceptional young talent was on display in Helen Prentice's performance of a Nocturne by Chopin. Showing an obvious command of the instrument - one for which the learning curve is particularly steep - Helen poured emotion into this piece, which is exactly what is needed for a composer such as Chopin. I would expect her to go far on the strength of this rendition, and I hope she will. I don't know if the same could be said for the Tutors. They will go far, on the strength of their G.D.W. -adapted version of These Foolish Things , hopefully as far as possible! No, I jest: their laid-back catalogue of complaints concerning the all-too recognisable foibles of their protege(e)s was wellreceived, despite being a little barbed. Fortunately, Emma Van Allan, playing violin, brought us back to reality with a lively and courageous rendition of Polchinelle by Fritz Kreisler. It is not easy to stand up and play solo at any age, especially when younger, and she really should be commended. The Walpole singing group were next to appear, with a Britten song Balulalow. Without a conductor, they were very good at keeping in time and managed an expressive and sensitive interpretation. I was especially impressed with the solo from Laura Graham-Harrison. Frances Houghton has managed to get to 6a with her musical abilities woefully underexposed. Her performance of Hindemith's Flute Sonata was a joy to hear. Her superb breath control, vital for a wind player, led to a beautiful performance, and I can only say that I regret that she has not played more and to a wider audience, as she really deserves recognition for her talent.

(Caroline Bagley)

false starts, Kanmi did very well, reaching the end in a determined yet still musical manner. Next to play was one of the more well-known Walpole music scholars, Jenny Dutton. Saint-Saens' Allegro Appassionato for cello was certainly appassionato, with a warm, rich sound which was deftly handled. The colourful nature of the piece was extremely well conveyed and Jenny's control over the instrument, combined with a very definite musical awareness, produced a wonderful performance. Harriet Torry and Sarah Johnson's enjoyment of the rhythmical nature of Howard Harrison's Canarios for clarinet was obvious. I know from personal experience that syncopated cross-rhythms are never easy to handle, and the two put in a fine effort to pull off a very respectable performance. Larry 'Just Call Me Cool' Ridges took the stage again, this time with instrument. His involvement in the Jazz Orchestra has had obvious effect, as his arrangement for saxophone of I'm in a Sentimental Mood showed. In a truly lyrical mood, he gave a fine rendition, warm and expressive, showing off the full extent of the capabilities of both player and instrument. Charlie Parker the second? Possibly... A Fantasia for piano by Bach, played by Selma Oliver was the next offering; and this was yet another little gem. The quick fingering required obviously presented her with no difficulties, and around the technical capabilities was woven an understanding of the music, with the dynamics particularly well-observed. If Poppy Savage and Rhiannon Newman-Brown do not choose singing as a career, or at least as a major amateur interest, then two fine voices will be lost to the world. Their rendition of We, the Spirits of the Air by Purcell was exquisite. Their soigne appreciation of the style, the expression and dynamics involved led to a very beautiful performance indeed, and I look forward to hearing more of them in the future. Closing the second half was a music scholar of whom much more should be heard, Daniel Brookes. THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

The penultimate piece was another piano solo, courtesy of Alex McDonald, playing Lloyd-Webber's Phantom of the Opera. Though this was to many in the audience familiar, it was a perfectly sound and exciting working of the piece, which retained a certain dramatic je ne sais quoi. Rachel Hill on solo clarinet then provided a fitting end to the concert. Accompanied by that bright spark Helen Prentice on piano, she played Fantasy by Nielson, a piece which is unknown to me. She was fluent, well-controlled, and showed a lyrical, emotional side which could only have been expressed by a true musician. The applause was deservedly warm, both for her performance and for all her help in organising the concert. For this, much appreciation must go to her and Larry, as well as to M. Dath and Mrs Watson. Of course, I must mention Mr Matthews for accompanying many of the solo pieces with his usual style and flair, and I would just conclude by adding that Walpole and The Grange provided a superb evening's entertainment, with a mixed programme and some outstanding personal and group achievements. For which, congratulations!

was better because she did not use the excessive vibrato that most opera singers use. It sounded as if Joel Marshall had a problem with the tuning of his instrument as he played Handel's Air. However, his polished performance of the Rondo sounded like a different person. The next piece, The Two Imps, is the bane of all xylophone players, but the two Arnolds (Rebecca and David) seemed to express enjoyment at playing the piece and it was warmly received. Robert Van Allan and Alex Reeve played Making Waves by Gillian Lubach. Robert Van Allan was like a rock on second cello, while Alex Reeve was a pebble skimming across the bass line. The next piece was the Broughton and Tradescant String Ensemble's excerpt from Eine kleine Nachtmusik. I was probably the only one in the audience inclined to don wig and breeches but it was testimony to the quality of the playing that I was! Polly Redman then performed another solo, this time on flute, the composer being the excellent John McCabe and the piece being Scherzo. It was a sprightly piece and typical of the composer's style. The quality just got better and better as Susanna Oliver performed Sonatine by Ravel which she played without music and with a great deal of passion. She obviously loved the lush harmonies of the piece. Richard Bayley then played Liebesfreund and I was in Vienna. Richard really knows how to scrape and he put in some lovely personal touches that made this piece wholly memorable. The reviewer performed in the next two items, Someone to Watch Over Me and Lullaby of Birdland so

ANDREW RIBBANS.

TRADESCANT AND BROUGHTON HOUSE CONCERT 9TH NOVEMBER, IN THE ST AUGUSTINE'S REFECTORY After an introduction by comperes Poppy Edmunds and Chris Smith, more than 110 performers assembled on the stage to give a tasteful rendition of Every Breath You Take by The Police. The overall sound quality was good, especially the guitar playing of Chris Cray, although the conducting was too minimalist for my liking. Allegro Brillante was the next item, performed by Hettie Pound on the violin. Unfortunately her music stand obscured her features but did not detract from our enjoyment of a sparkling piece which she played lyrically and with a good sense of rubato. The doublestopping was al so extremely effective although at times the tuning was suspect. Rebecca Hamway then provided Clarinet Marmalade with her trumpet, accompanied by Jonathan Cox at the piano. The piece was light hearted and Rebecca played with it the right feel although it was occasionally clouded by the piano accompaniment. Marc Nunn followed this with the second movement of Saint-Saens' clarinet sonata. He had a tone to die for but did not project his sound well enough. However, this piece had many leggiero passages which Marc executed in an exemplary fashion and, bar a few hiccups with the triplet quaver passages, he ended on a high note. In Allegro Vivace, Amy Marshall displayed good control of her viola and played the piece with authority and aplomb. Unfortunately she wanted to end the piece with a tierce de Picardie , but Mr Matthews was not like-min/jed and it ended with a lovely dissonance. My Heart is Like a Singing Bird was an exquisite vocal solo by Polly Redman which moved me very much. It was as if I was listening to a pro, although it

(Caroline Bagley)

THE CANTUARJAN, AUTUMN 1997

all he can say is that the quality of the rest of the band (Rebecca Arnold, Briar Hitchen and Jon Cox) was superb. Jon Cox then performed the final solo item in continuing jazz vein. He played Prelude No. 1 by Gershwin at a frightening tempo that got out of hand at times but ended extremely well with a scale in fourths. Finally, the Choral Group's Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Teddy Bears' Picnic conducted by Rebecca Arnold were exquisite. They were accompanied by Mr Stephen Matthews at the piano, as were all the solo items, and he received the applause he deserved for being such a good accompanist. My major complaint was that the atmosphere was far too formal. An informal atmosphere gives confidence to the younger performers and makes it appear as if they chose to perform rather than just being roped in. However, it was a fitting end to Remembrance Sunday and amply demonstrated the diversity of talent within just two Houses. Ivo NEAME.

We then returned to the Clavinova for a rendition by Ivo Neame and Ben Westenra of America from West Side Story. Both played confidently and competently. From here we moved to the well known standard Danny Boy, and the chorus of Jervis voices proved a lovely blend over a piano accompaniment fully laden with typical Ivo Neame riffs and motifs. The second half kicked off with the well known ballad My Funny Valentine followed by the Klenner and Lewis classic Just Friends. Will's fiery passion and Ivo's inventive accompanying and soloing provided a great deal of entertainment. Ivo then moved to his sax and Will went to piano, joined by the Mukhi brothers who left their metal world behind to move into the world of jazz. First up was a lively rendition of Miles Davis's All Blues, followed by Cantaloupe Island by Herbie Hancock - a very impressive performance, although Will's piano playing was drummed out. James Barker then crept into the limelight, acoustic in hand, to join Will Tallon singing a Radiohead song. Next a drum battle between Ivo Neame and Pritam Mukhi who launched into an initial rhythm before building to a series of cross rhythms and impressive solos. The concert ended with Mark Westlake, James Edmondson and Pritam performing an acoustic version of Stand by Me. After an audience sing-along the group retired. All in all the concert was a success and very enjoyable although dominated by a few highly talented individuals where I would have liked to have seen a JoN Cox. wider variety of performers.

SCHOOL HOUSE AND JERVIS MUSICAL EVENING 16TH NOVEMBER, IN THE PUPILS' SOCIAL CENTRE The concert began well as Temitayo Akindele's friendly introduction was followed by Mark Westlake's spontaneous wit. To the delight of the audience Will Tallon, Ivo N eame and Jonathan Reeve, the Wind Trio, stepped forth to perform three trios by Mozart. Will and Ivo played beautifully together on flute and clarinet respectively whilst Jonathan provided a musical bass line. Next followed an arrangement of a Mozart sonata for piano duet played by Oriana Fox and Jane Ho. Unfortunately the Clavinova hid some of the emotion in the Andante but the Jervis duo provided a lively and vigorous interpretation of the Allegro. We were then introduced to a competent string group: Caroline Jones, Jane Ho and Yorick Moes who played a very heartfelt Trio Sonata by Boyce. Although the tuning was slightly suspect, the general musicianship and perfect ending more than carried the piece through. On now to the harp with Rebecca Sambrook playing an anonymous Pavane and Variations. It was a pleasure to hear such a beautiful piece performed so well. Will Tallon and Jane Ho, this time on violin, took to the stage once more with the of Caroline assistance Ritchie - a reliable import from Luxmoore. They gave a very impressive performance of the Largo and Vivace from a Telemann Trio Sonata. THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

HARVEY AND GALPIN'S HOUSE CONCERT 7TH DECEMBER, IN THE SHIRLEY HALL The Harvey and Galpin's House concert marked the last House concert for Mrs Pickering. How fitting it was therefore, that it was a concert of such a high standard and diversity.

(Caroline Bagley)

After Mr Brodie's warm introduction, the audience, who were seated facing the gallery, sat back to appreciate a swing jazz trumpet - Invention played by Charles Miller-Jones and Emma Butler. They managed to keep the strict rhythm required very tight and yet still kept the feeling of something very casual which is essential for a piece like this to work. Laura Derain took the stage next with Meditation by Massenet. This for me was one of the highlights of the concert; it was a performance played with amazing tone quality and dynamic tenderness and technical finesse. The audience certainly appreciated such talent, particularly since the leader of the orchestra led by example. From sweet song to Tuff Stuff by James Rae played on the sax by Beatrice Read and Will Justice. Despite the odd blip here and there this was on the whole very good - a tight ensemble. The allegro movement from a Sonata for oboe and bassoon by Heinichen was played with good fluid movement by Caroline Scott and Alfred Williams. The intonation was generally sound and they mastered a tricky Baroque piece very well. Peter Lawrence took to the stage next and I waited for the start of Schubert's Second Impromptu (Op. 90) fully aware of the talent in front of me. He did not fail to impress with an extremely musical performance of a technically demanding piece. With excellent phrasing and light touch he gave it the 'impromptu' feel that it needs. With slight bitterness from last year's no doubt biased or bribed proceedings (just joking!) I come to the Galpin's House Song. A hearty rendition of The Two Grenadiers (Schumann), accompanied by Peter Lawrence and conducted by Henry Williams, left me singing (hand on heart - no less) the French National Anthem. They had been well rehearsed, and had the advantage that everyone could see the conductor. With such quality as Matt Br0oks and Simon Gomersall leading the rabble, they will be somewhere in the running next year.

L~.Âˇ0\ ::,~~~~ t,Âˇ~~ p~~ . ~~~1\ \ \0

(Peter Prince)

The Delibes Flower Duet played on the flute gave a contrasting peaceful air. A good performance with sensitively played rises and falls. Rag Doll (James Power), played on the tenor sax by Will Justice, left me (a rag-time despiser) admitting that it does at least have its moments. Oli Lumley sang Simple by Maury Yeston with a very nice tone and very expressively, although the Shirley Hall did somewhat muffle her softer voice. Henry Williams came back on stage, this time with his tuba, to play Swing Rag by Andrew Jackman. The piece was played with great humour that made the lower register of the tuba a good ending point to the piece. Caroline Jones then sang Domine Deus by Vivaldi. She has a very beautiful voice when it comes to the front of her mouth. She tackled very well a piece from which it is hard to create a clean sound. The second movement from a clarinet concerto by Frantisek Kramar Krommer showed good technique in Simon Gomersall's clarinet playing. He played with good style and intonation - another highlight of the concert. Luka by Suzanne Vega saw the return onto stage of Oli Lumley accompanied by Giles Patrick on the guitar. I only hope the song is not a reflection of how they feel about one another! Then came what was for me the highlight of the evening: The Galpin's Overture, composed by Stephen Matthews. Written especially for the Galpin's orchestra as a tribute to Mrs Pickering, the piece was a ~leverly mastered, exciting ending to the concert. It started with a Bernsteinesque opening, going through into a variation of his hymn tune 'Lardergate' . The orchestra coped well with the piece as Peter Lawrence once again showed flair on the piano. It was a good note on which to end the evening. This only leaves me to congratulate Mrs Wharfe and Mr Brodie, Henry Williams and Caroline Scott, for organising the evening. Congratulations to all involved: a most enjoyable evening. CHARLIE RICE.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

Andrew Dobbin's production wore these demands lightly: the early scenes drew the audience into the play's concerns through a deft attention to the play's dramatic and historical origins. From the swaying of the convicts at the foot of the stage to the rhythm of the sea and the flogging of Robert Sideway on an easel (by way of instruction) to the placing of Harry Brewer behind and below the Governor's shooting party or Duckling Smith sitting at right angles to Harry as he rows her across the bay, blocking and preciseness of gesture played an important part in communicating the precariousness of people's lives in the early days of the colony. Only in the freedom of the rehearsals for the play could Sideway enjoy the flamboyance of gestures copied from Garrick, or Ralph Clark discard the red jacket in which he rarely looked comfortable. It was a terrible moment when Ross, reminding the actors that they have forfeited their rights to modesty, forces Dab by Bryant to position herself like a dog on all fours at his feet, depriving her of dignity, speech and movement at once. The metatheatricality of this part of the plot was brought horne by the vivid contrast with the tableau scenes involving the officers, who wore their attitudes stiffly and self-consciously, striking verbal and physical poses which impressed but possessed little warmth or generosity. Campbell typifies the officers' self-absorbed lack of communication in his incoherent mutterings, whose inadequacy is exposed by Liz Morden's authoritative commitment to the Governor's cause: 'Your Excellency, I will endeavour to speak Mr Farquhar's lines with the eloquence and clarity their own worth commands.'

DRAMA TIMBERLAKE WERTENBAKER, OUR COUNTRY'S GOOD 27TH TO 30TH NOVEMBER, IN STMARY'S HALL Timberlake Wertenbaker's play, like many of the citizens of Australia, has interesting antecedents. The plot comes from two sources, Robert Hughes' history of transportation The Fatal Shore and Thomas Keneally's novel The Playmaker, while its dramatic origins lie in a series of workshops at the Royal Court Theatre in 1988 which ran concurrently with a production of George Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer, which did indeed enjoy its first Antipodean performance to celebrate the King's birthday in 1789, as the play dramatises. This detail is important because it sheds some light on the way the play is constructed. Instead of a single unified dramatic structure there is a series of scenes - some behaving like tableaux formally to illustrate social or political positions, others working in a dramatically more intimate way to build up our understanding of the convicts' experience in the new colony. The play's roots in theatre workshop are particularly apparent in the number of monologues Wertenbaker uses to flesh out the characters, which of course preadditional sents challenges Âˇfor the production by requiring the actors sustain the to dramatic intensity without much action or interaction to leaven the lump.

Whether thi s awkwardness was a operating at The play opens conscious or unwith a series of lowconscious level key scenes esamong the officers I tablishing the main am not sure, but in dramatic centres of the Merits of the the play: the conTheatre scene in victs' experience, particular, a vision the Governor's of the frozen poses liberalism, the of the officer and aboriginal perIndian s~rvant on the spective, and the Camp Coffee bottle of the project merged in my mind production of The with the camp Recruiting Officer. Mike Moir and Charlie Rice. (Tl.J.) mentality (in both Each of these senses of the phrase) involves only two or that seemed to haye beset these officers and actors three characters at a time, and it is not until the sixth alike, creating an even sharper distinction between the scene that the tension is broken with the flooding of shared humanity of the convicts and the utilitarian, the stage with loud redcoats and the noisy discussion reactionary attitudes of Ross and Tench. Matthew about the merits of the theatre; the same structural Brooks clearly enjoyed his cameo as the Reverend pattern is then repeated, a number of intimate and Johnson, and while on the subject of individual closely-worked scenes finally opening up to the first performances, Charlie Westenra as the spiderish, rehearsal of the play, with a stage full of actors at the snake-like Ketch communicated the sense of a restless end of Act One. This, for the most part, is also the form soul in purgatory; George Taylor was in his element of Act Two. THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

OUR COUNTRY'S GOOD (Photography by M.PH.D.)

THE

CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

turning his favourite words from the first half of Dr Johnson's dictionary to express his unreturned affection for Mary Brenham; Elspeth McGregor had worked hard through the smallest movements of her head and mouth to become the stubborn, unlovely Liz ~orden; Charles Rice projected a sense of the f~ustrations and irritations that drove him on to prove himself to the Governor and his fellow officersÂˇ and Charlie Hunt was in fine form as the irrepre;sible Dabby Bryant (who incidentally did escape back to Devon).

One subtle aspect of this careful production was the way in which as the action developed there was a gradual shift in the convicts' relationships with one another, often communicated through no more than facial gestures and positioning on stage, but which showed an increasing respect and emotional support for one another through their shared experience. And most subtly of all, by the time they were ready to perform The Recruiting Officer at the end of the action it really felt as if the actors had themselves fully explored the roles they had been playing and were now themselves ready to take on the characters of the convicts acting their roles, and the two levels of the drama had become one. P.A.L.-B .

As I have suggested, this is a play concerned with the basics of life, of survival and of art. Humble blocks made of a soft, light wood supplied the set; characters not involved in the action became part of the surrounding 'Surely we don 't environment; the have to hang an colours and sounds eighty-two year old of the new continent woman?' were beautifully evoked with a 'That will be simple cyclorama unnecessary. She and home-grown hanged herself this musical inmorning.' struments. The It's the end of the lighting was third scene and stunning, affording Alex Marden, George Taylor, Ed Wattis, Charlie Rice (T.l.J.) already the mould of some wonderfully society in Botany statuesque effects: Bay has been cast; ~i~ Morden on trial, her face like a carved figurehead the flogged convicts, the abused aborigines (embodied m lts _uncompromising dignity; the warm glow of the throughout by the dignified but confused native woman shootmg scene and the muskets raised against the played by ?li':'ia Price) and the consistently misjudging beautiful birdlife of the bush; Mary Brenham looking but authontanan officers. The challenge facing both like a latter-day Magdalene as she crosses the Ralph Clark within the play, and the cast performing boundary between text and truth, between being no The Recruiting Officer, was to break down these one and being someone; the ghosts of Handy Baker precon~eived notions of segregation. What was perhaps and Thomas Barrett swaying gently as they haunt more difficult for the actors, outside the play, was to Harry Baker's conscience - these were all moments to achieve this in one sense, but also to leave an air of treasure in a play which is more lyrical, more forgiving uncertainty for the future. It was no coincidence that the than perhaps the programme note suggested. Like its last piece of acting advice John Arscott gave before predeces~or at the Royal Court, Sergeant Musgrave's going on stage was in the fmm of an explicit threat of D~r:c_e, It has room not only for sharply directed violence: 'If you stumble once, you know what will cnticism of the establishment but also for the romance happen later?' While Ralph Clark may have brushed in the relationship between the institution and its asid_e for a li~ted pe~iod_ the foundations of physical servants, as illustrated by the affirmative and pumshment which mm_ntam order within Botany Bay, consciously theatrical conclusion. The individual there was never a sentimental moment to suggest this romances were well drawn, too, though the on-off would continue. affair of Duckling and Harry Brewer gave Joe RandallCharlie Rice managed to create a Ralph Clark of Cutler and Rebecca Arnold little to go on, partly outward nervousness and restraint, and yet furnish him because of the mono logic nature of these scenes. There with the inward quality of immense belief in the w~s room for straight, unabashed comedy too, though benefits of what he was doing. To vary a character still preoccupied with the nature of acting and the convincingly between his response to the exuberant t~eatre, and the hilarious exchanges between Clark and 'Shitty' 1\Jeg, played in attacking mode by Cressida Sideway about the appropriateness of his extravagant T:ew ('A pr~ssy . cove, a girl!') and the indignant gestures provided one such moment as did the Lieutenant f1ghtmg the forceful if unarticulated irruption of Caesar into the action with' his comment protests of his other officers, requires a significant on the stereotyping of roles: 'There's always a black n~tural tale?-t. Charlie clearly succeeded in preserving servant in a play.' this dynamic, constantly altering character throughout THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

such distinct episodes as his confident seduction of between his fervent support for Ralph and his theatre Mary, and his awkward conversation with Ketch scheme, and his playing the politician when 'the Freeman in Act I Scene 9. Authorities discuss the merits of a Theatre' (Act I Scene 6) was as convincing as it was complex. Scene Mary Brenham, played by Alex Marden, was faced 6 provided the pacy and passionate debate which with a similar examination of her acting range. In this exposed the acting qualities of the officers to the full. case she had to create a sense of withdrawn ability and The almost consistently angry Major Ross, played intelligence, hidden behind the outward appearance of superbly by Will Mackay, confronted the more her timidity. The scenes she shared with her brilliant composed but clinical Ed Vainker as Captain David foil Charlie Hunt (playing Dabby Bryant) were Collins. This scene also gave the audience Reverend remarkable in that they served to expose the most Johnson (Matt Brooks), the somewhat underused but cloistered dimensions of their characters. After being wonderfully authentic, morally orientated priest, who shown these respective elements of Mary and Dabby, managed to temper the more violent outbursts of such their inherent ability and dreams of Devon and comic figures as Captain Jeremy Camppell (Charles freedom, the audience were in a position to scrutinise Leigh-Pemberton). Dan Kelly as Captain Tench and the way in which the two women chose systematically Tom Pickering as Second Lieutenant Faddy ably to expose their previously hidden complexities. They completed the pro-discipline party. Kate Emary were not disappointed. Both Alex and Charlie played provided the astronomically distracted Will Dawes. out this transformation in such a manner as to create two undeniably complete people. Some of the actors in the play within the play (Mary If the 'perfect couple' of the play were Ralph and Brenham, Dabby Bryant and Duckling Smith) have Mary, mimicking no doubt the 'happy' couple of already been mentioned. Of the others, John Arscott Sylvia and Plume in The Recruiting Officer, then (Ed Wattis), Robert Sideway (Nick Davies), Liz Harry Brewer and Duckling Smith (Joe Randall-Cutler Morden (Elspeth McGregor) and John Wisehammer and Rebecca Arnold) were the dysfunctional one. Joe (George Taylor) played with much verve. John Arscott played an uncomfortably real Harry Brewer, suffering was an awkward character to present; deluded enough fatally from a divergent personality, and Rebecca had to believe that a piece of paper with 'North' written on the responsibility of creating his apparently implacable it was a compass, yet strong enough to typify the but genuinely affectionate convict lover. Their dogged resistance and community loyalty of the convicts as a whole. Ed Wattis was clearly aware of conversation in the rowing boat provided arguably the these variations in his personality and managed to finest moment of the play: the vibrant tension surrounding Harry's desperate create a misguided but attempts to be noticed by exceptionally fierce and physical Duckling was just as much a John Arscott. Nick Davies was a product of his careful delivery of figure of comedy and ambition in a challenging monologue as it his version of Robert Sideway, was created by her fixed the constantly reminiscing expression of resistance and Londoner, who mixed the depression. humorous with the shocking: he made an invaluable contribution If Harry and Duckling to the second rehearsal scene. Liz illustrated the difficulty of the Morden was a devastating female relationship between convict and who swung from the alienated officer, then Charlie Westenra and offensive in 'An Audition' to (playing Ketch) had to repeat the the comforted figure of the final task in her personification of the scene, another close comparison outcast from both societies. with Melinda, her role in The Hissed on every entry, Ketch (the Recruiting Officer. Yet her hangman) was too transformation was not a collaborationist to be a convict, comfortable one; she was almost and too untouchable to be an officer. Charlie played this hanged for a crime she refused to passionate Irishman with on the deny and then had to break the one hand enormous vitality, and unwritten code of silence in her on the other a genuine sense of meeting with the officers to Joe Randall-Cutler. (T.l.J.) self-dissatisfaction. The two demonstrate her innocence. The of her character's sides frustration Elspeth managed to personality, the rage of Liz Morden and the crumbling arouse in both Ralph Clark and the entire audience is a sanity of Harry Brewer (not to mention the apparition tribute to her considerable talent, the feelings of Liz of Giles Patrick and Nick Pope as ghosts) made 'The often only transmitted by contorted facial expressions. Science of Hanging' (Act II Scene 6) one of the most John Wisehammer (George Taylor) completed the uncomfortable moments in the production. quartet with his remarkable literacy: his proposed prologue to The Recruiting Officer is the most The officers were led by Michael Moir, playing poignant expression of the rejection of the convicts Arthur l>hillip, the enlightened and benevolent from Britain. Himself a Jew, he is perhaps only Governor. He had to combine his belief in the humanity possible in colonisation, with the authority welcomed into society due to its extraneous needed to maintain order in the camp. The variation circumstances. George managed to create a personality 63

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

Perhaps the general plot does seem a bit tame with constrained talents, keen to let them manifest nowadays: a band of women don beards (and, girls, themselves; he played the part of the most dignified they looked uncannily natural...) and infiltrate the and unconvict-like deportee with great awareness of Athenian, male-dominated Assembly. If that doesn 't his hidden eloquence. Tom McHugh, as Black Caesar, sound New Labour enough, they soon set about was the personification of the tight bonds within the feminizing society's view of politics, sex and ... well, convict community, forcing himself into the play anyway, it's scary (and incidentally a model for Joe where no part exists. He, like Ketch, was another Orton's Up Against It, originally scripted for the uncomfortable character caught between his native Beatles). But of course this scenario was far more culture of Madagascar and the remarkable unthinkable, even abhorrent, in Aristophanes' day (the circumstances and values of Botany Bay. Energy and late 390s B.C.); the play was, after all, written to be a loyalty, perhaps the words which sum up the acting troupe, were embodied in yet another fantastic performance. Our Country's Good is a challenging play; not only does it present almost every character with their own inner debate, but it is comprised of short sharp episodes, a result of its compilation from workshops. The ambitious use of a small, but versatile, wooden stage and the visually effective gauze managed to retain the intensity of a workshop production. The tension and fragility of life as a whole had to be maintained at all costs, yet the need to vacate the stage and rearrange it after most scenes could have broken the concentration and momentum of the play. It is a great testament to Andrew Dobbin that he instilled in the actors such confidence and awareness of the play's complex theme to make the performance as Sophie Dain, Zoe Byron, Aletta von Lindeiner, Laura Graham-Harrison, Morag Gunson, Jenny absorbing and poignant as it Dutton and Poppy Savage. (M.J. T. ). most emphatically was. SAM KNIGHT.

fantastic comedy, a horror story with a 'touch wood' undertone. To replicate this risque dimension (presumably) a lot of nice touches were added in this production: the woman whose husband can't even get her faulty umbrella up, the very '90s sultry sirens, the boy described in the programme as 'mad with lust'. Not forgetting, naturally, the lusty -rendition of Wannabe at the end, without which the play would not have been complete. Performed unnervingly more as a party manifesto than light evening entertainment, the play was well supported by a superb cast, a feisty bunch who knew what they wanted '(what they really really wanted), and who under the leadership of Praxagora (Sasha Ball) were never going to let the male likes of Blepyrus (Camilla Jelbart), _Chremes (Emily Perkin) or the 'passing stranger' (Rhiannon Newman-Brown) get in their way. So all in all, an enjoyable night out at the Shirley.. . but please, ladies, get back into the kitchen.

ARISTOPHANES, WOMEN IN POWER WALPOLE HOUSE PLAY: 21ST SEPTEMBER, IN THE SHIRLEY HALL This rather funky production of Aristophanes' Ecclesiazusae might easily have been seen as little more than a very thinly-veiled cog in the feminist, post-feminist, neo-feminist or whatever genderequality machine that is in vogue at the moment. Suspicions aroused by the title are confirmed by the play itself (adapted and directed by F.G.P.), where it is revealed that Aristophanes was, in fact, the handbagwielding manager of the Spice Girls, Germaine Greer's press officer and Miss Phillips's chief lady-inwaiting all at the same time. Ecclesiazusae a la Walpole is a slap in the face with a sharpened stiletto for any self-respecting bloke. THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

JAMES BRILLIANT.

ANDREW KESSON (GL), LOSING HAIRS

Knight, Becca Arnold and Tom Pickering as they tried to sneak up on a note dropped by the absentminded Eillean. Losing Hairs kept us fascinated all the way through with its plot, and while the plot turned gently rather than twisted we were always entertained by memorable lines and comic situations. Andy Kesson (not his Andrew Kesson in Losing Hairs. original intention) (M.J.T.) took the main role as George, an amateur psychiatrist for whom we felt very sorry as he was troubled by Diana, an overbearing friend - played brilliantly by Laura Graham-Harrison - and a lawsuit brought against him by his own secretary (Nick Davies). The first scene saw George deal with his wife in the first of the many amusing phone calls between the two which got progressively more terse as the play went on. Diana 'helped' George to deal with two patients (Camilla Jelbart and Sam Knight) before he made the psychological discovery which led into Act 2. The courtroom scene was the evening's best entertainment, and when Matt Brooks (impressively insane as the judge) turned to ask the defence lawyer (Giles Patrick) 'Where were you at the time of the murder?' the house dissolved into laughter. Charlie Hunt put in a wellsustained performance as the secretary, and Alex Marden was good as George's friend. Charlie Westenra captured the role of the incisive prosecution lawyer very well, before the theatre scene with Tom Pickering and Nick Pope sniggering behind Diana's back as she set up one of the play's many running jokes in her poetry recital.

KING'S YOUTH DRAMA 28TH SEPTEMBER 1997, IN STMARY'S HALL, The act of writing, directing and starring in a play should be achievement enough for Andrew Kesson. To produce something of the quality we saw in StMary's is truly remarkable. The play consisted of three sketches followed by the main play, Losing Hairs. The first was entitled The Dead and was completely different from the others. In total darkness we heard surreal cries from the still figures on the stage, as they moaned and yelled about death and the dead. We were left confused, worried and perhaps a little scared as it closed with a piercing scream, ending the collage of voices which had created such an eerie atmosphere.

Alex Elliott, Hugo MacPherson and Poppy Edmunds in Waves Go Up and Down. (Will Justice)

The next sketch was perhaps reassuring since it was what we were expecting, but that is not to say that it was any less effective. Alex Elliot was cheerfully stupid as Sam, trying to start various conversations with her cynical friends Eggie (Hugo MacPherson) and Rumples (Poppy Edmunds). This sketch saw some of the best dialogue of the evening, including the discussion which gave rise to the title, Waves go up and down. Poppy and Hugo were very effective in letting the audience share the joke that was Sam, and even if we all saw the innuendo coming after the long run of words ending in '-ion' it brought a healthy laugh. Now where on earth did the butler go? saw some almost 'Carry on' type confusion as the long opening scene saw a long and convoluted debate as to why the butler had been sacked. We felt very sorry for the exasperated Mrs Brown, played by Sasha Ball. Poppy returned as Eillean Elks, who failed to understand that the butlei' failed to wake her because he had been sacked and he had not been sacked because he was going to fail to wake her. The rest of the Elks family were played with skill by William Burgess, Sam

Camilla Jelbart, Laura Graham-Harrison and Andrew Kesson in Losing Hairs (M.J.T.)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

The final act saw Diana return to George to beg him not to 'abandon' her, before a twist ending was sprung on us as it was revealed that most of the play had been a joke at George's expense. The ending was described by one member of the audience as a little too 'Roald Dahl' but great acting by Laura and Andy carried the play all the way through. I do not have room here to mention all the others who helped the play into production, but it only remains for me to congratulate Andy for a production which has been his from start to finish. One of the strengths of the evening was that each time a new character came on I thought to myself 'I'll be able to spend the whole review waffling about him/her', but in the end it was a team effort which brought us such an entertaining evening. LAWRENCE WHITE (REMOVE A).

Andrew Kesson, Tom Pickering, Nick Pope and Laura Graham-Harrison in Losing Hairs. (William Justice)

skill is required, however, to capture the heartfelt sentimentality of the original novel and, in staging this production, Mitchinson's ran the risk of leaving the audience rather cold and unmoved by the rural scenes played out before them. The end result therefore deserves much praise, for not only was Cider with Rosie very entertaining, but the incessant passing of time, so lamented in the novel, was well communicated. From the outset it was clear that this was a Dr Maltby production. I was initially rather sceptical about a Housemaster producing, directing and taking a leading role in a House play meant to showcase the talents of his pupils but, as the adult Laurie, he provided the sense of perspective and distance required from the narrator. By explaining the contents of each scene before the action took place, the elder Laurie is able to establish the nature of the characters before they appear, thus leading the audience through his 'life in the .village' and providing subjective comment on the various events. The changes to village life in the years between the two world wars form the central theme of the play, and we follow Laurie (played throughout his childhood years by a versatile and convincing Nick Davies) through this period as he matures from a bewildered toddler to a confident adolescent. The cast for this production was large, with several people playing more than one role, and the stage movements and scene changes were therefore fairly complex. They were handled well, however, and the play was full of clever dramatic touches and innovative solutions to potential staging problems. A sense of community between the cast was also particularly

LAURIE LEE, CIDER WITH ROSIE MITCHINSON'S HOUSE PLAY 4TH AND 5TH OCTOBER, IN STMARY'S HALL It could be argued that tackling Laurie Lee's famous recollections of a Cotswold childhood is a good choice for a House production: there is a good range of characters (from energetic teenagers to elderly pensioners) and plenty of scope for humour. Some

Andrew Hickman and Stuart Rowan in Cider with Rosie. (Greg Williams)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

evident, and this became apparent from the outset as the Lee family burst onstage in the very first scene. Dominated by a matriarchal Lindsay Sharp, the life of this large, noisy family was well-portrayed. Whilst family existence provides one focus for the narrative, the other is supplied by the life of the rural community. A series of scenes depicting community events describe the insular and sheltered ' nature of this existence, and it is left to the audience to recognise the implied social commentary. A bus trip to Weston-superMare, carol singing and a parish concert were all wellchoreographed, and the latter gave us a very humorous glimpse of the hidden musical talents of Caroline Bagley, Nick Cullen and Penny Cox. A darker side to the agricultural idyll is added by the constant presence of death, however, which seems to haunt the life of the villagers. The first character to die is Granny Trill (Nick Cullen again- in drag this time!), a geriatric neighbour of the Lee family; and her death is followed by the reported drowning of Miss Flynn (Lizzy Lamb). Indeed, the play ends with another reported death, this time that of Laurie's father, 'cranking his car in a Morden suburb'. The schooldays of the young Laurie (or 'Loll', as he's known) are combined with a description of childhood illness, and it soon becomes apparent that he was a sickly child. This is quickly overcome, however, and Loll grows into a boisterous teenager, a process accompanied by the inevitable sexual awakening. Loll's 'first bite at the apple' comes in the form of an encounter with Rosie Burdock (Alex Higgins), drunk on cider and eager to learn. This pivotal scene was handled well, and there seemed to be genuine affection between Alex and Nick as they lounged onstage amongst bales of hay. The 'cider with Rosie' of the title is therefore an important part of Laurie's childhood: described by the narrator as 'never to be forgotten' and associated with powerful memories.

Oliver Humphrey in Cider with Rosie. (Isaac Sibson)

agricultural way of life. Whilst the narrator remains outside the action for the most part, the elder and younger Lauries finally come together at the very end, when we learn of the death of their father. This event represents a tragedy for Mrs Lee, who was living in hope of his eventual return, and provides a rather abrupt conclusion to the proceedings. The tragedy was The play traces the passage of time, the eventual perhaps a little lost on the audience, but this did not dissolution of the Lee family and the end to a truly harm the overall impact of the play: Mitchinson's staged a very atmospheric and entertaining production, and succeeded in converting St Mary's Hall into the rural setting required. The cast managed to maintain their (initially incongruous) Cotswold accents throughout, and every one of them contributed to the success of the performance. Particular mention should go to Clare Bagley and Lucinda French, however, who assisted Dr Maltby in the direction. Tristan Byrnes, Nick Davies and Will Mackay in Cider with Rosie. (Greg Williams)

EDWARD COTTON.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

SENIOR INTER-HOUSE DRAMA COMPETITION FINALS 14TH OCTOBER, IN STMARY'S HALL This was the best House Drama Competition of the four I have seen so far at King's. The judge, Dr Ken Pickering, was as impressed as I was, praising all who took part.

Poppy Edmunds and Rebecca Arnold: BR. (Roland Phillips)

George Taylor: GL. (Roland Phillips)

The evening started with Temitayo Akindele's own play for Jervis: Lights Out 203. Slightly derivative it may have been, but as well acted as any play of its kind. Next was a two-man sketch, an extract from The Interview by J.P. Donleavy, acted by Andrew Ribbans and Joe Randall-Cutler of Meister Omers. The contrast between Joe's cool and collected interviewing technique and Andrew's nervousness as interviewee made for a very funny ten minutes. Other highlights were Broughton's Val de Re by Victoria Wood and Galpin's The Hothouse by Harold Pinter - the latter being another two-man effort, by Matt Brooks and George Taylor.

The winners were the girls of Walpole. Charlie Hunt, Delia Williams, Zoe Nathan and Harriet Usher presented a brilliant performance of a scene from John

\' Andrew Ribhans and Joe Randall-Cutler: MO. (Roland Phillips)

Godber's Shakers. Containing both hilarious and disturbing scenes, and painting a depressing picture of life as a northern barmaid, it was a clear winner in the judge's eyes (and mine).

Zoe Nathan and Charlie Hunt: WL. (Roland Phillips)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

ROLAND PHILLIPS.

THE GRANGE AND WALPOLE JUNIOR PLAYS 23RD NOVEMBER, IN THE SCHOOLROOM Once again the junior members of the Houses contrived to cross-dress and commit murder on a grand scale, all under the guise of a series of 'Dramatic

William Everett (on the ground), William Barratt and Harry Winner. (M.PH.D.)

Has the Grange developed a cut-price system unknown to the Bursar? The ladies in the lift deftly combined cross-dressing with power-dressing, ideal for the liberated nineties. I did enjoy the mime of the stopping and starting elevator, orchestrated by the patient dogsbody Miss Hird. The Wages of Sin included many forms of causing death, which may have been further developed by the Housemaster following the remarks about 'backward , natives across the Channel' l The programme was calmed and held together by a series of poems performed by Helen Prentice, Anne Davies and Tori Hunt - all very well done. Long may these wonderful evenings continue! To quote from The Wages of Sin, 'This is a noble vintage' - so that we have a great deal to look forward to as they all mature. W.R.P.

Matthew Pollock. (M.PH.D.)

Interludes' l Whether the audience laughs at the performers or the performance matters not a bit: everyone laughs - and doctors tell us it is good for the soul. Appropriately, The Drunkard 's Dilemma which began the evening was linked to the closing piece: anyone drinking a 1Op bottle of gin will require a pissoir at the very leastl The young Mr Barratt was a sweet Georgina, and Harry Winner the perfect gentleman (although we never did see his birthmark). Peter Gardiner was 'the pupil from hell' who made Ade Rosiji bemoan his fate, as a teacher, to be confined to School until the age of 65 . Perhaps he should have taken a lead from the escape artists incarcerated in Stalag Luft 112B? In these days of falling il.. school rolls it was interesting to note that there were more prisoners than actually appeared on the programme list.

David Ellis, Mark Cresswell and Ed Ellis. (M.PH.D.)

TBE

CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

recollection; and the idea of a seven-foot long, fourfeet high slice of chocolate cake is certainly memorable. The comical diversity of this room shows the artists translating the commercial commodities of their societies into these highly ambivalent 'objects of desire'. These objects, however bizarre or confusing, take us hand in hand through a major development in our Art History that conveys the evolving cultural issues of our time.

ART OBJECTS OF DESIRE: THE MODERN STILL LIFE EXHIBITION AT THE HAYWARD GALLERY, LONDON 'The still life, as an academic genre like the portrait or the landscape, was introduced in Western Art around 1600. Devoted to the familiar inanimate object, it has flourished since then in a wide diversity of forms. Objects of Desire, in nine chronological and thematic sections, investigates the still life as artists in the twentieth century have re-explored its conventions and expanded its definition.' The traditional painting of the bowl of fruit on the table labelled the arrival of the still life - but the development of reasoning behind the work of twentieth century artists has led to an array of complicated compositions or surreal sculpting and painting. The re-invention of the still life by such artists has developed into in-depth exploration of the imagination, to create a still life that reflects the society of the day. Alternatively the artists display a vision depicting the connections between people and the world in which they live, shown through the objects around them. Space, identification, distorted scale, perspective and symbolism join together in the artist's attempt to materialise 'an ideal vision, or many visions of the modern world.' The exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, London, displays a range of art from Paul Cezanne to Claes Oldenburg and the development through from the late nineteenth century to the present. Each room is given its own name, and the paintings displayed in The world as a perceptual field and Anatomies of structure show the meticulous precision of Jean Dubuffet in The Rich Meal, 1950 and close observation of the objects; combined with the use of composition and the colours of the piece to identify the relationships between the objects. This is clearly shown in Still Life with a Ginger Jar and Eggplants, 1890-94 by Cezanne. As one moves into the realm of the Real fictions, the extraordinary 'art' of the Dadaists shows the total rejection of conformist painting, and pulls us, with new eyes, into the sphere of Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray. Their works display the transformation from reality into fiction and the coupling of the idea with life in the twentieth century. Marcel Duchamp's Bicycle Wheel, 1951 illustrates a utilitarian object being made into an art form, and is taken a step further by the art in Room V, Forms of new objectivity. PostWorld War I mass production of objects that one would now consider everyday reflected the change in society, and the artists of the day formed radical compositions with a style that is so precisely 'real' that it releases disturbing composition that is the essence of works such as Giorgio de Chirico by Salvador Dali and of those by his contemporaries. The most impressive room, to my mind, is the room labelled The mechanisms of the consumer culture, which shows Pop Art and the Nouveau Realist movement. Arman's Household Trashcan and Claes Oldenburg's Floor Cake feature prominently in my THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

CLARE BOLTON.

TALKS THE LINACRE LECTURE: DR PAUL SLACK, FBA REACTIONS TO PLAGUE IN SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ENGLAND 23RD SEPTEMBER, IN THE SCHOOLROOM Dr Paul Slack, Principal of Linacre College, Oxford, came to talk to Linacre House and the rest of the School on the grim topic of reactions to the Plague. Grim, however, this lecture was not. Dr Slack started off by talking about the different 'bouts' of the Plague, between the 14th and 16th centuries, and gave us just the right amount of figures so as to really emphasise the enormity of the problem: one example which he gave was that one quarter of London's 170,000 population was killed off in the first bout. Dr Slack also made sure early on that there was no confusion between the Plague and the Black Death around the time of Chaucer, which killed between one third and one half of the country's population in 1348 and 1349. The Plague, however, lasted for centuries. The talk continued in this detailed and captivating manner as Dr Slack began to focus on a few individual areas amongst which, we were all pleased to learn, was Canterbury - affected between 1564 and 1625. Then came the most interesting part, the actual reactions - which ranged from extreme fear to malice, in the throwing of deliberately infected articles through the windows of those you disliked. Dr Slack then talked for a while o_n scapegoats, and showed that some things never change when he told us that Dutch immigrants were blamed for an outbreak of Plague in Norwich in 1570. Formal social control of people during the epidemic, made necessary bY. the panic caused by the Plague and including many amusing examples of cowardice, made up a considerable amount of the talk. That is not to say that he did not reflect on the bravery of some: a parish priest at Shrewsbury preached to a congregation of paupers at the height of an epidemic 'to his own great danger'. Acts such as the Policy of Public Health in 1620 and a royal proclamation in 1518 were among his examples. 70

time at King's. The school records describe him as 'decent, well-bred and intelligent' and, above all, 'fit to be recommended' Mr Dobbin must be thanked for unearthing these comments - and, having attended his talk, these sentiments can certainly be echoed. After King's he won a place at St Peter's College, Oxford, where he became involved in various dramatic The Headmaster, Dr Paul Slack and PT. (William Justice) productions and took part in the formative Edinburgh Fringe Festivals with a series of Dr Slack also talked about general social attitudes performing groups. Work as the first circulation and a gradual change from fatalist to pragmatic manager on Private Eye led to a career in advertising, approaches. He talked about religion, and the fact that during which time he began to write 'amusing pieces' the providence of God was often all that was left for for the Sunday Times. He has since written for Punch the poor to trust in. One of his examples was a and appeared in Vogue as the resident restaurant critic, Manchester woman who sat next to an infected man in which seems ironic when he 'doesn't like eating out'. church because of her great faith. Dr Slack then His humorous novels include The Junket Man, How to continued about methods of enforcement of antiSurvive Middle Age and The Crisp Diaries, and the plague legislation. evening was peppered with quotations from these books When the time came for questions, the sheer volume which fitted neatly into the framework of his talk. and quality of them all is testament enough to the A varied career, then, and my initial question interesting, thought-provoking nature of this Linacre answered. My interest grew as Mr Matthew Lecture. SIMON GOMERSALL.

SIXTH FORM TALK: CHRISTOPHER MATTHEW, O.K.S. DOING THE PAPERWORKTHE LIFE OF A HUMORIST 2ND OCTOBER, IN THE OLD SYNAGOGUE 'What has Christopher Matthew actually done to merit his appearance here this evening?' I wondered as I took my place in the Old Synagogue. Th~ title of his talk had given some indication, but at the beginning of the evening one could have been forgiven for thinking that he had returned to King's because of his O.K.S. status alone: the talk began with an impromptu round of handshakes and the exchange of pleasantries as Mr Matthew recognised familiar faces in the sizeable audience. Indeed, he admitted himself that he was 'astonished to be here', and from the outset his modesty was evident - little did we know that a very amusingievening of stories and anecdotes was in store. Currently a presenter of The Fourth Column on BBC Radio 4, a journalist and an author, Christopher Matthew was a member of School House during his

Mr Christopher Matthew. (Andrew Ribbans)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

having left school - a heartening thought for all of us in 6a who are still in the dark about what we will be doing next year, let alone as a career! From Gilbert and Sullivan to La Traviata, singing was portrayed as being a demanding but extremely rewarding career. Many of those present who hoped to find employment in the musical world were glad to hear that professional musicians were not as backstabbing a lot as they had once thought - a 'very reasonable bunch', said Mr Van Allan. For a performing artist, thinking quickly on one's feet was as important as the music itself: no doubt that rules many of us out! He had given Pavarotti and, it would seem, almost all of those struggling tenors out there a helping hand, as well as making an impressive career for himself. He has been busy; and we were all very grateful that he could take the time to give what was an extremely entertaining talk to an audience that was quite obviously full of admiring fans.

successfully attempted to place this description of his 'career crazy paving' within the context of his inspiration and interests. The definition of the term 'humorist' as a writer of witty, amusing articles soon became apparent, and it would seem that the nature of Christopher Matthew's work is best encapsulated by this word. His ability to 'see the funny side' of everyday occurrences and his good memory for the absurd details of daily life form the basis of his writing, which contains no 'jokes' as such. His talent for translating these observations into humorous prose was demonstrated by an excellent Raymond Chandleresque pastiche of Rebecca. The humour in this particular piece, read with a faultlessly sleazy American accent, stemmed from the use of unexpected similes linking two apparently unconnected objects. Needless to say, the audience was transfixed, not only by this, but also by a list of such similes read out at random: the laughter demonstrated our appreciation. 'Laughter is intoxicating!' Mr Matthew declared, citing this as the reason for his love of his work. The very British quality of his particular brand of caustic wit and a pervading sense of individuality were perhaps the two most lasting impressions created by his talk, and he was careful to emphasise the need for a humorous style in his writing. This is something which he has worked hard to develop, and it was evident in the numerous quotations from his books. One passage, taken from The Crisp Diaries, described an old boy returning to his former school. Mr Matthew's talent for self-parody soon became clear, and this carefully-selected excerpt provided a fitting comment on a selection of the more pompous and downright ridiculous traditions adopted by some of this country's leading public schools. The quirks of the 'old boy network' also fell prey to his sharp satire, and this section of his talk could be interpreted as a critique, albeit jovial, on the dangers of elitism - somehow particularly relevant in the circumstances. This talk was characterised by a relaxed, flowing and unpretentious delivery aided by impeccable comic timing, and provided a welcome break from the 'paperwork' of writing essays and filling in UCAS forms. Christopher Matthew may well wish that he had paid more attention to the sixth form talks that he attended at King's, but he can be safe in the knowledge that this audience listened attentively to his every word. His talk was interesting, very amusing and highly entertaining.

ANNE-CHRISTINE FARSTAD.

TALK BY MR RICHARD ORMOND JOHN SINGER SARGENT: PORTRAITIST OF EDWARDIAN SOCIETY 14TH NOVEMBER, IN THE OLD SYNAGOGUE Richard Ormond was visiting King's for the second time: he had been here in 1992 to talk on the painter Lord Leighton, whose exhibition in the Royal Academy he had helped to organise. Mr Ormond instantly impressed an initially somewhat doubtful audience with the brilliance of Sargent; at the same time revealing himself to be one of Britain's great experts on Victorian portraiture (particularly in the light of his participation in the study of the huge frieze in the Boston Metropolitan Museum). H.J.P. in his introduction gave a summary of Mr Ormond's career. Prior to his current post as Director of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, he has been Assistant Keeper at Birmingham City Art Gallery and the Deputy Director of the National Portrait Gallery, as well as having played a crucial role in mounting the Sargent exhibition this year at the Edinburgh Festival. Mr Ormond concentrated on Sargent's main preoccupation - painting the faces of those around him - although he did include a few landscapes to illustrate Sargent's diversity of subjects. In the hour and a quarter of his talk Mr Ormond showed a fascinated audience the progressive style of Sargent, with his impressionist period during his time in France (lingering particularly on Paul Helleu Sketching with his Wife [1889], with much amused emphasis on the expression of the slumped, abysmally bored young wife); through England, where he had a very tough time getting recognition until he lit upon that traditionally English soft spot- picturesque children in white located in flower gardens (such as The Acheson

EDWARD COTTON.

SIXTH FORM TALK: MR RICHARD VAN ALLAN A LIFE IN THE OPERA 7TH NOVEMBER, IN THE OLD SYNAGOGUE Mr Van Allan did not start singing professionally until late in life, indeed not until he returned to University after having been a policeman. His talk was as inspiring as it was witty, teaching us that one doesn't need to know one's vocation immediately after THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

Sisters [1902] or Garden Study of the Vickers Children [c. 1884]). Once he had gained the approval of English society, Sargent clearly moved in the highest circles, as shown by the terribly poignant charcoal entitled Edward the Seventh on his Death Bed. Mr Ormond also touched on Sargent's 'Spanish' style, showing inspiration from Velazquez with paintings such as The Daughters of Edward D. Bait [1882], La Carmencita [1890] and A Spanish Interior [c. 1903]. Mr Ormond added a personal touch by talking with relish about his own favourites - the now celebrated but then scandalous portrait of Madame X (known to be Madame Pierre Gautreau); the portrait of her onetime lover, Doctor Pozzi; the slumbering nieces of Sargent that appear so frequently in his work; and in particular The Misses Vickers [1884], where he gave a tender description of the beautifully positioned hands of two of the sisters. Jodie Cameron perfectly summed up Mr Ormond's talk when she thanked him for his exceptionally informative, understandable and engaging talk.

are nothing more than an amusing talking piece'. He went on to say that change had been particularly radical since his time at School, especially during and after the Suez crisis. After this succinct and amusing overview, the 'nitty gritty' was got down to. One of the first and, to my mind, most interesting points made was that of just how privileged Britain's situation still is. With seats on all the major global committees thanks to her prestigious past, and our country's position in time, so to speak, meaning that it can trade stock directly with all other important bourses (coinciding with the closing of Tokyo and the opening of New York), Britain's European position is very strong indeed. Another very important point, which I had not previously considered, was the EU's role in validating democracy. He pointed out that, while Britain sees the EU in terms of merit and demerit, Germany is so proEuropean because of a wish to validate its democracy and to shy away from its recent past; and France reacts similarly, dogged by memories of collaboration. Britain, on the other hand, Garel-Jones said, has always had 'decent and democratic values', and thus does not wish to shy away from its past and to seek protection in the form of collective security, which the EU represents. This is a dimension which Britain lacks. Garel-Jones, however, then went on to argue that if Britain wishes to pursue its 'values', then the EU is the best way to do it. Despite his very strong pro-European stance, Lord Garel-Jones was willing to criticise aspects of Europe - and Tory policy towards Europe, such as Maastricht. The EU, he said, is 'riddled with faults'. Talking about them, he argued and indeed convinced us (me, at least) that they can nonetheless be rectified. The talk ended suddenly, and my reaction was that it was disappointingly short, as here was a man who obviously had so much to say. What I had not allowed for was the questions: although slow to get started, they soon started coming thick and fast, and were answered with the most incredible detail - and each time his answers did not fail to convince. Answers were sought to complex and challenging questions, such as the first - about the Tory party now being interested more by 'common culture than common currency'. His answer to this centred around the new leadership, and as with all the other questions, he left us with a very convincing, albeit proEuropean and pro-Tory view. From this perspective, the talk was immensely interesting, open, and raised many issues that I had never heard raised before.

ALEXANDRA DAVIES .

SIXTH FORM TALK: LORD GAREL-JONES EUROPE 19TH NOVEMBER, IN THE OLD SYNAGOGUE The nature of the evening was informal, and was intended to provide us with a general overview of the personal ideas on Europe of one of our most prestigious O.K.S. That it did; and, of course, much more. Lord Garel-Jones, former Minister for Europe started off with illustrations of how Britain's European and global prestige and strength have altered from the end of the last century by telling us of Queen Victoria's literal striking off of Bolivia from the map in 1870, an important political gesture then, 'but these maps now

Hilary Myska, Lord Garel-Jones, Eleanor Woods. (William Justice)

SIMON GOMERSALL.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

overseas. So my experience of father is subtly different from that of his pupils and colleagues. This fascinating publication, entitled Fred Remembered, provides a kaleidoscope of John Shirley. It also reveals something about those who remember the prescribed subject matter of their recollections. All the contributions have value and interest. Some are brief (and none the worse for that) and one is long, partly because its author liberally cites passages from letters to him from the Headmaster. Other contributors also quote from his letters. These are specially valuable and interesting as they provide contemporary evidence of the Headmaster' s concerns, his objects, what he was seeking to achieve and the methods he employed. Drawing together as best one may the threads from all the recollections, whether one liked John Shirley or not (and there are a few who fall into the latter category), most if not all recognise that his overriding ambition was to put the school, Worksop as well as King's, on the map. To that end he devoted his very considerable nervous energy, to the substantial exclusion of all else, and that included, so far as I perceived it, his own family. That ambition was one which any person may have who sets himself high standards: there is a job to do and it must be done well. The tasks were formidable, particularly at King's, which was on the verge of financial failure in 1935. There are contributors who suggest that the ambition was personal to himself - he was promoting the school (Worksop or King's) in order to promote himself. I doubt this. It may well be that his success gave him some satisfaction - he would hardly be human if it did not. There is overt evidence here and there in the King's School buildings which might lend support to the idea that he had some vanity in having achieved so much. However it is one thing to have personal satisfaction in achievement (and provide evidence of it); it is quite another to suggest that building up Worksop or King's was a means to promote the man. One interesting aspect of the Headmaster which emerges from at least ten of the contributions is his capacity or ability or achievement in nurturing confidence in boys themselves, not only whilst they were at school but also in following them up with encouragement after they had left. As Sir Charles Powell puts it, 'He had a uniqu e personality skilled in bringing out the very best from those in whom he believed'. Boy s individually were his paramount concern. If a Housemaster wanted to see him about a boy, he would drop everything and give the Housemaster his undivided attention (Dick Prior). In later years , after the war, I well remember thinking that father ran the school in some fashion as if the boys, particularly the more senior boys, were attending a university or perhaps a college at a university. It was an air that I detected on the occasions I was at home during term time in the early 1950s. That there was this 'university air' as I remembered it, is reflected in comments about the Headmaster that he talked to one as an adult (Sir

BOOKS FRED REMEMBERED: RECOLLECTIONS OF JOHN SHIRLEY, HEADMASTER AND CANON OF CANTERBURY (WITH A FOREWORD BY CARDINAL BASIL HUME) JOHN CATT EDUCATIONAL LTD., SUFFOLK ISBN: 0 901577 09 X ÂŁ13.95 It is a daunting task to review a book devoted to my father which is compiled by so many distinguished O.K.S. that I am reminded of the telegram sent to father by my sister Janet in order to defuse a potential explosion on hearing that she was not awarded a First in her finals at Oxford: 'Like father and brother Second Class'. Such are my qualifications. There are twenty-six memoirs. They make enthralling reading. They span father's magisterial career from the age of 29 (by Tom Saul, Framlingham, 1919) to the age of 72 years when he retired as Headmaster of the King's School, Canterbury. Prior to that period he had been at St Edmund Hall, Oxford (1910 to 1912), where he obtained a Second Class Honours degree in modern history; had taught at Elm House, a school in Surbiton, 1912-1913; and then at the medium-size Elstow School, Bedford, from 1913 until December 1915. His war service then commenced (aged 25) and concluded in February 1919. In that period he studied law, was called to the Bar by Lincoln's Inn and read in common law chambers. He went to Framlingham College in 1919. He was ordained deacon in 1920 and was priested in 1921. He was appointed Headmaster of Worksop College in December 1924. He attained the age of 35 on 24th February 1925. I rehearse these facts (taken from The Very Revd D.L. Edwards' memoir F.J. Shirley: An Extraordinary Headmaster) as they were the prelude to his distinguished career as a headmaster. Father appears to have been a fairly late starter. Nevertheless he managed to turn two public schools of doubtful viability into vigorous going concerns within less than thirty years (say 1925 to 1955). This would have been no mean achievement even in a time of uninterrupted peace. It is all the greater if you take into account the disruption and destruction caused by the 1939-45 war and the continued privations endured in the succeeding five years or so. Being father's elder son, I knew him for a longer period than anyone else, but I cannot claim to have known him as others knew him, such as , preeminently The Yen. Alec Sargent, O.K.S., sometime Archdeacon of Canterbury. My own experience of him in childhood provides no comparison with the experience of others, being older boys growing into young men at Worksop or King's, except to say that I did not escape - rare - chastisement. During my formative years I was educated in another place. Immediately after that I was in the army for nearly four years, of which more than half was spent THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

Charles Powell) and he never talked down to us (John Goudge, and others to like effect). That atmosphere struck me, with little experience, as being unusual, refreshing - it contrasted with the cloistered atmosphere that might be found elsewhere. In a sense, this air is implicit in a postcard sent to Tony Eyre from the Headmaster in Naples. 'Been to Pompeii today - you ought to have been with me good for your education'. John Goudge records that he took an English period spending most of the time reading them the poems of Thomas Hood. 'It was as if, the evening before, he had happened to take down the book from a shelf in his study, enjoyed reading it and wanted to share the pleasure with us. As a teacher the verdict is rather open. Few He commented on that aspect of the Headmaster. was not an intellectual according to one contributor (though that is no necessary condemnation of his ability to teach). One says positively that he was not good. Another writes that his method of teaching - a mixture of threats and cajolements was very effective. But his own Latin primer 'designed to put dunces through exams' (John Goudge) 'would not be acceptable today' (Roy Purnell). Nevertheless, his classes were stimulating at the very least. John Shirley encouraged the performance of plays from the outset when he was Headmaster ofWorksop. Again, how good an actor he was may be another open question. Joseph Dobbs thought he could have made a great impresario. But, as he points out, in taking part in school productions, the boys were unconsciously learning the practical use of the English language, getting the feel of the language. I certainly remember the occasion at Worksop when father acted the part of the king in Hamlet. I was forewarned that he would seem to die on the stage, but, I was told, that would only be make-believe. However, I was so convinced by the seeming reality that I had to be removed in tears from the theatre. John Goudge saw father act the part of the gardener in the short scene ('Go, bind thou up yon dangling apricocks') in Richard II, which he dominated. I remember the performance myself, reflecting that in life the actor was no great gardener. John Goudge also refers to Sir Thomas More, a play reputedly written in part by Shakespeare. The headmasterproducer published his own acting edition of the play, two copies of which are now in Lincoln's Inn library, one containing annotations by the editor. It was a happy coincidence that More and Shirley, if not Will Shakespeare, were both members of that Inn. He delighted in acting or producing plays (John Wilson), though he was described by one contributor as a 'ham actor'. As a priest, John Shirley was not pious. He had a broad vision of God the Creator. The Logos was 'the ultimate rationality' (Tony Eyre). Dick Prior records his apophthegm, 'If it is not true that Christ came to this earth and died for us, then it doesn't matter. But if it is true, then nothing else matters'. The Headmaster's sermons to some were, severally, electrifying, powerful, from the heart. To others they were unmemorable or had little fervour or spiritual conviction. I suspect that this is an example of

different individuals reacting in different ways. The few sermons I read or heard were good, especially the sermon on 17th June 1962 at the Magna Carta Service in Canterbury Cathedral. Father's administrative abilities to my mind are highlighted when he had to remove the School to Cornwall in 1940. James Peschek describes the event in some detail. The ingenuity displayed by the Headmaster and the Steward (Curtis) in keeping the boys fed and taught was remarkable. His legal talent came into play as well, since he secured that the 'fair wear and tear' clause in the lease of the Carlyon Bay Hotel was qualified by the insertion of the words 'according to the nature of the user thereof'. This saved the School thousands of pounds in dilapidations when it vacated the premises at the end of the war. The wartime evacuation must have been immensely trying for John Shirley. He was then 50 years of age (1940). He had been Headmaster for five years in his endeavour to turn the School round. The Feast Society had been relaunched with distinguished patronage. During the war School buildings, existing or newly built or acquired, had been destroyed or damaged by bombs. In 1945 he had to start again, by that time being aged 55. It would have daunted many a younger man. His task from 1935 had been difficult enough, but to overcome in addition the setbacks occasioned by the war to my mind required a man of outstanding strength, spiritually, physically and mentally. His daemon took charge, fuelled by his imagination, e.g. King's Week. On any view, John Shirley was a remarkable man (remarkable too, let me add, in her own totally different way, was his wife, who was his sheet anchor). He is variously described. A great headmaster; he had a touch of genius. He was brilliant. He was a monster, but a great leader. He was a tyrant for one who had no respect for him but recognised his great achievements at the School. He was a benevolent despot. He was ruthless, electrifying, volcanic, savage, sadistical. At home he could be moody and surly. He was an idealist. He had compassion, generosity, humility. At home he could be good company. He was indiscreet (alas!). Above all he had charisma, which is defined in the fourth edition of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary: '2. A capacity to inspire devotion and enthusiasm'. John Wilson uses the word, saying that it 'is a name for nothing clear; but I saw him exercise a magnetic influence time and again over people of both sexes and all ages and backgrounds'. He was a clerical chameleon. I commend this volume to all O.K.S. and others whatever their own personal feelings might be with regard to their Headmaster 1925-1935 and 19351962. With prejudice I direct the reader's attention to Janet Barlow's contribution since she knew John Shirley better than anyone, being his daughter, who lived a good deal at home and was educated for some three years at the School both in exile in Cornwall and at home in Canterbury. D.A. 75

SHIRLEY,

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

EsQ. 1997

PREPARATORY SCHOOLS' SCIENCE OPEN DAY THURSDAY, 6TH NOVEMBER (William Justice)

(Thomas Davidson)

lona Coltart (rt.) keeps a watchful eye. (Thomas Davidson)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

SOCIETIES AND ACTIVITIES The Chapel Choir continues to go from strength to strength. Competition for places was very high this year which is an encouraging sign, but it is a shame that we have to turn many good singers away. There were fewer Matins services this term than usual but the choir has worked hard and given some very polished performances. Perhaps the most challenging and interesting anthem sung this term was a piece written specially for the Chapel Choir by Richard Peat, O.K.S. The text was compiled by Paul Pollak (O.K.S. and School Archivist) and consisted of various passages from Bede relating to St Augustine's arrival in Canterbury. Plainsonglike passages, sung by a small group of tenors and basses from the organ loft, were interspersed with repetitive Alleluias from the upper voices. The concluding section for full choir and organ provided an exciting climax to a very effective composition. [For the words and a taste of the music, seep. 26. Ed.] As ever the end of term Carol Service was atmospheric and moving and included a very beautiful carol written by Rebecca Arnold, MS (BR). My thanks and congratulations go to the Choir and to Timothy Noon for their hard work and support over the past term. S.W.S.A. The term's repertoire has been: Locus iste Bruckner 7 September 21 September Insanae et vanae curae Haydn 5 October Let all the world in every corner sing Leighton 23 November The heavens are telling (Creation) Haydn Richard Peat, 0 .K. S. Responsum est 7 December CHAPEL CHOIR

11 December Carol Service Matin Responsory Adam lay ybounden Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child The Angel Mary's Magnificat The Three Kings The Holly and the Ivy

Palestrina Ord Leighton Rebecca Arnold, MS Andrew Carter Cornelius arr. John Dexter

The 'Three Tenors' (i.e. the entire section) left the Crypt Choir and School at the end of last term. How was one to fill the gaping hole, especially given that tenors are a rare breed at the best of times? The future looked grim, but in fact the new recruits have been a real success. Singing at Sunday Eucharists remains the principal function of the Choir but there have been various other events and occasions over the past term. Our trip to London to sing at a banquet in the Grosvenor House Hotel is reported elsewhere in this issue (p. 55). On November 9th we gave a choral and chamber music concert in StMartin's Church, Canterbury, as part of their celebrations of the l400th anniversary of St Augustine's arrival. The church has a lovely acoustic and the audience gave us a very warm reception. It was a delight to sing there. A rather sadder occasion was the funeral , on 30th September in the Crypt, of Lt Col. David Eustace, MBE O.K.S ., who was killed in the Paddington train crash. He was a former member of the school choir, and the Crypt Choir sang music asked for by the Eustace family: Ave verum corpus (Elgar), God be in my head (Walford Davies) and Nunc dimittis in G (Stanford). The choir was on top form for the Christmas concert. The three folk-songs were sung from memory and the performance was electric. It was a fitting and rewarding end to a very busy term. S.W.S.A. The term's repertoire has been: Ave verum corpus Mozart 14 September Anerio 28 September Christus factus est Elgar 12 October Ave verum corpus 9 November For the fallen Guest (Remembrance) Jesu, dulcis memoria Victoria 16 November Locus iste Bruckner 30 November (A request by the departing Senior Mistress, Janet Pickering) CRYPT CHOIR

7 Decerilber (Christmas Concert)

Indian trad. African trad. Russian trad.

Dravidian Dithyramb Siya Hamba! Kalinka 77

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

We were pleased to welcome back on 12th November Dr Nigel Saul, this time as the DURNFORD president of the Monumental Brass Society, to talk on 'Family pride and sorrow: the SOCIETY Cobhams and their brasses'. His subject was the extraordinary brasses in Cobham church, of which there are 22 in all. A brief history of the Cobham family started with Henry Cobham's beginnings as a peasant farmer in the 12th century and traced the growth of his family and its power in the royal court with the building of a show castle at Cooling in the 1380s, by which time the Cobhams owned the lordship of the manor of that village as well as several others. Once John Cobham had failed to produce a male heir, the titles passed through a series of ladies called Joan, the second of whom was so desperate for an heir that she married five times - and three of those husbands have brasses in Cobham church. As Dr Saul explained, this period represented the sorrow of the family, which was finally taken over by the Brookes. In answer to the question of why there are so many brasses in the church, Dr Saul said that it was due to the large number of Cobhams, and the fact that many branches of the family from all over the country were buried there. A small collection of slides showed us the remains of Cooling castle and the brasses themselves. It was a very enjoyable and informative talk for all of us there. WILLIAM PROUDFOOT.

This term the Harvey Society has enjoyed six talks. We started off with 'Particle Physics For Pedestrians' by Dr S. Bosworth. In this, we learnt that matter is made up of fundamental particles known as quarks and six leptons. Dr Bosworth also talked about CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, where, using an extremely large particle accelerator, they send particles crashing into each other at 99.99% of the speed of light in a massive tunnel27 km in circumference. Next we had Dr. K. Jones on the subject of 'Folk medicine, magic, drugs and chemistry'. This covered the history of medicine from tribal origins, and also focused in on some well known drugs (e.g. aspirin and L.S.D.), explaining how the structure of a molecule could be changed only slightly to give a drug having very different properties from the original. He was widely felt to be a particularly enjoyable speaker. After half-term, Mr M. Smith, O.K.S., presented video evidence of several features on Mars, most notably the face; and invited the audience to decide if they might have been created by humans, or were mere accidents of nature. Mr D. Alker of Pfizers told of the scientific and commercial steps involved during the time between a drug's conception and its marketing. The term was rounded off by our very own Dr J. Allday who presented a talk about Turing machines, eventually coming to the conclusion that there were some statements which could never be proved to be true or false - a mind-boggling conclusion to a successful term for the Harvey Society! HARVEY SOCIETY

Caroline Scott taking part in the jewellery-making activity. (William Justice)

PETER WALKER-SMITH (SHELL G) .

Once a week during activity time we all made our way over to Canterbury Day Centre for the Homeless, opposite the Kingsmead Leisure Centre. We spent about two hours there doing various tasks. At first we weren't quite sure how to help since we were slightly intimidated by the often drunk people taking refuge there. However, after we had been there to help the often plentiful volunteers to wash up, clean up and other useful things, the homeless began to build up trust in us. The organiser, Alan (who gave a talk at King's this term), and the volunteers were always friendly, and when the ice had broken we got to know a few of the homeless quite well. HELPING THE HOMELESS

~ne week we were stacking and tidying all the food, clothes and gifts donated to the Centre for Canterbury Open Chnstmas and Rachel Hill and others came in to give the King's donation of old clothes, etc. W,e found this experience a real eye-opener even though it can be depressing to see people fall into a spiral of declme due to drugs and/or alcohol addiction, or just simply the rough street life. We did find out that these seemingly intimidating people are actually really lovely individuals. NANCY CoLCHESTER, JESSIE GULLAND, 'MEGAN MoRRis AND NIKKI MuRcH.

This year started well with a very pleasing turn-out for the auditions. There was a great deal of talent to sift through in order to pick out the best of what King's can give. The resulting band is as follows. The alto saxophones are led by Carl Margetts and Ivo Neame, with Louise Robertson and Rachel Hill on second alto. Joel Marshall brings up the base on the baritone sax. The sax section is led by Larry Ridges on first tenor, and then there is Henry Chamberlain on second tenor. Trumpets are led by Andy Ribbans and Charles Miller-Jones. Emily Hague is there on second trumpet followed by Harry Pope and

JAZZ CLUB

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

Rebecca Hamway. Trombones are strong this year led by Simon Bodey on first trombone backed up by Rupert Colchester on second. Henry Williams brings out the bass on his tuba. The rhythm section comprises of Jon Cox groovin' on his mighty bass guitar, Tom Morey on drums and Alastair Laing on pian?. The jazz band fee~s to be an awesome power house of jazz under the control of Larry Ridges and Ivo Neame which may well result m the best year of jazz this school has ever seen. I vo leads his Modern Jazz group towards the next century, warming up this term with taking the Canter~ury Festival by storm in a lunchtime concert on Tuesday 14th October. Dr Mallion has informed me that the total rmsed by the Concert held on Saturday 16th March 1996 was ÂŁ195 for The Marie Curie Cancer Care Fund and the Concert given on Saturday 8th March this year made ÂŁ1,000 for The Meningitis Trust. The ~raditio?al Gro~p h~s suffered the loss of two of its original players, so the process of reforming it is under way and Its new mcarnatwn I~ expect~d at the Charity Concert - predicted to be a massive success on Saturday 28th February 1998 at 7.30 p.m. Tickets will go quickly, so don't be slow to place your orders. Final thanks go to Dr Mallion for his support. LARRY RIDGES.

The Jazz Society had an evening of jazz appreciation which proved to be a huge success organised by Poppy Savage and Rhiannon Newman-Brown. Well done! Larry managed t.o organise a trip to the Royal Festival Hall to see Chick Corea and Gary Burton strut t.heir stuff with some fantastic piano and vibraphone playing - a truly brilliant evening. Many thanks go to the Browmngs for their help in organising these trips and gigs.

JAZZ SOCIETY

LARRY RIDGES .

The theory is that you take an ageing Ford Fiesta and a new chassis/body kit, insert a KIT CAR ACTIVITY modest degree of physical labour and mechanical expertise, and at the end of the day there stands a new sports car. The reality is that there is an enormous input of physical labour, mainly involving attempts to unscrew rusted, filthy suspension components, and the mechanical expertise tends to include physical malpractice involving a hammer and chisel. But it is good fun! The Ford Fiesta was obtained one dark night from an untraceable Faversham address, and dismantled over a period of two months. The parts were cleaned, renovated and painted- then put aside in places where none of us could find them later. Doc. P. drove up to wildest Lincolnshire to collect the chassis/body kit from the Sylva factory. With the aid of an intensive effort during King's Week the chassis was rubbed down, primed and painted. During the ~ichael~as term we have slowly but surely put together a rolling chassis: i.e. the 'car' now has wheels, .suspensiOn, ~ngme and gearbox, and I think that most of these components are in the right place. The next task mvolves sortmg out the wiring - it seems that my suggestion that each wiring element be labelled on its removal has fallen upon dea~ ears, and we are faced with several hundred metres of variously coloured wire which somehow must be crammed mto a car measuring about 3m by 2m. More fun ahead. We hope to have the car completed in time for K~ng ' s Week, when. excit~d stu~ents will c~amour for the chance to buy a raffle ticket (much better odds than the NatiOnal Lottery) which might gam ownership of a red, two-seater sports car. It somehow seems appropriate that the 'trade' name of this particular kit is the 'Jester' ! W.R.P.

Will Gold. (Thomas Davidson)

(William Justice)

James Barker. (Thomas Davidson)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

In attending the talk on 6th November by Ms Stephanie Redsell on 'William Butler Yeats and History' most of us hoped to learn more about the poet so as to help us with the writing of our English 'long essays', but it turned out that the evening was beneficial in more ways than one. A detailed analysis of 'Meditations in Time of Civil War', one of Yeats's greatest poems, provided us with a deeper understanding of the poet's ideology, as well as placing him in the perspective of history alongside the likes of James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and Bernard Shaw. One of the aspects which interested me most is how, as an Irishman at heart, Yeats saw his role as an artist to transform the culture of Ireland, at times constructing beauty out of its violence: Some violent bitter man, some powerful man Called architect and artist in that they, Bitter and violent men, might rear in stone The sweetness that all longed for night and day, The gentleness none there had ever known. Yeats fully exercises the power of literature, which he likens to 'a changeless sword', and strives to make his own mark in cyclical history through literature's immutability, as he claims: 'It may moralize my days out of their aimlessness.' His invitation to 'come build in the empty house of the stare' is a recognition of the ability of his poems to influence others - he portrays a scene where 'soul's beauty being most adored, men and their business took the soul's unchanging look'. However, by far the most rewarding Âˇ result of the talk was the effect of the speaker's enthusiasm on the development of our own thoughts. It was a talk where audience participation became essential, and the sharing of ideas introduced an element of personal involvement so that we were able to explore areas where our own interests lay. For this memorable evening we would all like to thank Miss Redsell for infecting us with her own warmth for the poet, and of course Miss Potts and Mr Browning without whom the talk would not have been possible at all. JANE Ho.

MARLOWE SOCIETY

Every afternoon at 2.45, the computer room becomes a hubbub of activity. People sit at terminals writing informative and interesting articles. Boys and girls run to and fro, eagerly working to accomplish their joint goal - to get the King's School Internet site working. The newspaper, however, is a different matter. At about 3 p.m. I arrive. At about three-fifteen Mark 'Bobo' Williams turns up, and at about 3.45 Head Honcho and Editor-in-Chief Dee Williams arrives, looking out of breath (every other leap year on Friday 13th if there's been a full moon the previous night and the runes look promising)*. There are three of us. Last term there were thirteen. I think this was an omen. Anyway, once we've all arrived we sit down and sort out what golden nuggets of entertainment and cultural chit-chat we are going to provide you with this week. This however is pointless. Owing to an 'interesting' production schedule, it is a rare half-term when we manage to get out an issue. This means that anything written has to avoid dates, major seasonal events, and any other points of reference along with anticipating any major natural disasters. If the world ends, I guarantee you we'll realise what's going on well in advance. It's just that we won't have got around to writing about it by the time the four horsemen of the apocalypse come knocking on the Mint Yard Gate. We do sometimes get an issue finished, but owing to our current staffing problem (no staff) we have decided to opt for a more sort of spreadsheety format in future. This means that there will be less in it, but that we can actually get it out on time. If, by the way, anyone wants to join, they're more than welcome. We need writers! Thank you.

NAKED PENGUIN

HENRY WILLIAMS.

Naked Penguin: Mark Williams, Delia Williams and Henry Williams. (Thomas Davidson)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

*We do actually stay behind afterwards for quite a while in order to get things done, just in case you thought we were slacking off.

This term has seen the Pater Society active once again. Forty-five senior pupils went to see Zoe Wa~amaker in Sophocles' Electra at the Donmar Warehouse in London. A compelling PATER SOCIETY prod~ctwn, all passed off. smoothl~ while we were there and was greatly appreciated by . the audience, so we were surpnsed to see accounts m the natwnal newspapers ('Zoe's Electra shock') reporting the leadi~g lady's frustrati<;m with the audience. The production had been very well reviewed: 'a fine piece of work, with a seanng performance m the central role' (The Sunday Telegraph) and it increased enthusiasm for a post-examination visit to see Aristophanes' Birds. A thoroughly hilarious and professional production, this brought the comedy and satire of fifth-century Athens right up to date. So much for the theatricals then. C.T.H. organised a visit to Lullingstone Roman Villa with re-vamped worksheets and 'mystery object' for the Shells to ponder. The eagle-eyed and inventive came up with some good suggestions, winning themselves tasty prizes from the tuck shop! Sixty fifth- and sixth-form pupils of Latin enjoyed an evening lecture at King's School, Rochester. Dr Peter Jones, until recently Head of the Classics Department at Newcastle University but perhaps more widely known as the author of Learn .Latin in .The Daily. Telegraph, gave a fascinating talk on linguistics. Our pupils later pursued him remorselessly with questwns and sixth-formers felt that they had benefited greatly from conversation with a 'real academic' just before their Oxbridge interviews. The l~st event t.hi.s term was held in the Gateway Chamber- a lecture given by sixth-formers studying Euripides' Medea m the ongmal Greek to fifth-form Classical Civilisation pupils studying the play in translation. The importance of children in the play was the topic under discussion. 6a handled the session well and took questions afterwards. Then a revision quiz was held on Medea and Electra, pupils being duly rewarded for their efforts with slices of pizza. The Pompeii expedition is reported elsewhere in this edition. Pupils gathered in P5 after half term to see the video and slides, and some of the photographs. Once again, I would like to thank Miss Phillips, Mr Holland and Mr Tennick for their help this term and, of course, yourselves for continuing to show your interest in and enthusiasm for the subjects. There's more to look forward to next term. J.T. This has been an active term and, in addition to the events mentioned below, there have SCIENCE MATTERS been some regular Sixth Form 'After Hours' sessions. More detailed reports of some of the items will be found elsewhere. The Harvey Society, under the guidance of Stephen Bosworth and a student committee, has enjoyed a range of lectures. Dr D. Alker, from Pfizer Pharmaceuticals at Sandwich, spoke about 'The Role of Chemists in Drug Discovery', while Dr Keith Jones, King's College, London, explored the links between 'Folk Medicine, Magic, Drugs and Chemistry'. Mr M. Smith, O.K.S., investigated 'The Riddle of Mars', Dr Bosworth spoke on the topic 'Particle Physics for Pedestrians' and Dr Jonathan Allday's title was 'On Turing Machines'. For the second year running the Biology Department was successful in the national Willmot Pertwee Conservation Trust's conservation competition, gaining second prize and a substantial cheque for use in the Department. National Chemistry Week was celebrated in style by two evenings of exothermic and colourful demonstrations. Our thanks to Dr Mo Afzal and his teams of 6a and Fifth Form chemists for these memorable occasions. Mo finished off the week with a lecture on 'Nitric Oxide- Molecule of the Decade' in which he outlined the many roles of the NO molecule in the body and described his own findings about the mechanism for the cytotoxic action of this remarkable molecule. With the help of six members of 6b and the backing of The Royal Society, U.K.C. and Glaxo-Welcome, Dr Afzal will be continuing his research and this is bound to be a most valuable experience for everyone involved. In the Physics Olympiad Trial Paper, eleven students reached the qualifying standard for the real thing, with the efforts of the four 6bs being particularly praiseworthy. Parties attended the Christmas Science Lectures at U.K.C. A portrayal of the life and work of Sir Isaac Newton (possibly the greatest of all physical scientists) was followed by 'The Magic of Soap Films and Soap Bubbles 1 , a now famous lecture/demonstration given by Dr Cyril Isenberg which climaxed in a volunteer being momentarily gift wrapped in a huge bubble. A team consisting of Rohan Wijesurendra, Alex Skilton, Ronjoy Sanyal and James Ellis came second in the Kent Final of The Royal Society of Chemistry's Top of the Bench Quiz competition, being narrowly beaten by an exceptional team from StLawrence, Ramsgate. The Science Department held its second Open Day for prep schools. The hands-on afternoon for pupils was a great success and a big thank youÂˇ goes to Judith Kerr, Richard Cook and Stephen Bosworth for arranging it all so efficiently, and for surviving the exuberant enthusiasm of the participants! C.J.R.J. Canoeing activity. (Thomas Davidson) 81

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

C.C.F. NOTES NAVY SECTION Over the Summer holidays some of the cadets attended courses on Naval Bases around the country. Matthew Gray managed to obtain a place in the Tall Ships' race (seep. 35) and James Berry visited HMS Illustrious, our affiliated ship, as it sailed from Malta to Gibraltar. Chris Elworthy spent some time at HMS Raleigh near Plymouth as a sailing instructor. Much of the first half of the term was spent sailing on Westbere Lake. Everybody without exception learned a great deal, especially Georgina Zucchini-Watts who went from never having sailed before to a very competent award of an RYA Level 1. For all the sailing this term a very special 'thank you!' must go to Mr David James, a local sailor who has been willing to pass on his wealth of experience to the Section. Once again we entered the CCF RN National Regatta, held in Portsmouth. Addie Bottomley and Matthew Gray crewed the Bosun, and Chris Elworthy helmed the Topper. Matt and Addie did extremely well in their class against some very experienced sailors. The team as a whole was well placed. They were awarded the Seamanship Cup for excellent sailing throughout the regatta. Next was the termly excitement of RN trips, of which we had two this term. The first was a Sunday spent on the 54-foot yacht Christine that we chartered for the day from Brighton. It was much enjoyed; fun and informative both for ourselves and for the Shells whom we invited. Our field day was a trip to the Sea Survival School in Portsmouth. As far as I could tell everyone enjoyed themselves. For the Shells (see Charlie White's article) the experience was a true taster of the Royal Naval section and for us veterans it was an experience. The rest of the time was spent presenting the C.C.F. to the Shells and preparing Claire Gilchrist and Hugh Kingston to take charge of the Section at the end of the academic year. Lastly, nothing would happen in the section without the leadership and generosity of Lt McConnell, our commanding officer. Times may be hard in the C.C.F. but the Naval section is going strong! CHRISTOPHER ELWORTHY.

A Shell's View of HMS Bristol. We arrived on HMS Bristol, a destroyer that had seen active service during the Falklands War. It is now bolted to the dock with no engine and is used as accommodation and a training ground for cadets and school visitors. At five thirty we attempted to march to dinner and found that it was a lot harder than it seemed. In fact I think that the vast majority of the Shells found it bordering on impossible to walk in time with the cadets. Once we had eaten we changed into our games kit and marched (or jogged) to a big shed where we performed PLTs, the funniest of which was trying to get a car off the ground without lifting or driving it. Not surprisingly we failed, but we might have managed the task if we had taken the car out of gear before attempting the exercise. Afterwards we played silly cricket with a Scottish school, which was great fun. THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

(S.McC.)

When we finally returned to our mess at ten o'clock for inspection we had to make our beds. This was anything but easy because first of all we had to take the mattress out of something which bore a scary resemblance to a potato sack and was just as itchy, and then put on two blankets and a sheet. This proved an extremely hard task on the top bunk. I was woken in the morning at the horrifyingly early time of six o'clock and realised that I didn't have the option of sleeping in until seven forty-five as I do at school. At six thirty, after unmaking my bed, I returned my sheets and joined the others outside on the dark deck. At seven thirty we managed to march to breakfast far more successfully and afterwards left for the Sea Survival School where we were immediately briefed and then given huge green baby-grows to change into. There were several jokes about us all looking like the teletubbies but they were soon forgotten when we were handed bright orange waterproof aU-in-ones to put on top of our Dipsy suits. We were shown how to put them on correctly and then were given two and a half minutes to do so. We all waddled to the jumping tower wearing these ridiculous orange suits and life jackets, visors flapping behind us. As we approached the tower I heard my friend moan something about not wanting to swallow any jelly fish and sure enough, when I looked over the side, undulating under the waves were lots of jelly fish. Once I was in the water I swam to the life raft where I somersaulted in and caught my breath. Just to make the entire exercise even more real they threw water at us, rocked the life raft and before they brought us in they spun the boat around. After all this excitement we were shown round an old submarine and then went on to a museum where we were shown lots of old relics found in submarines and medals that were and are still awarded. Then we left for home. The trip was great and I advise any other Shells to take the chance to go on one of these trips. It's definitely an experience you won't forget in a hurry. CHARLIE WHITE (SHELL E).

Chance of a lifetime 'Ocean Wave' was the name given to the round-the-world operation that affiliated sections of HMS Illustrious were invited to join in its final leg. It had been the flagship of a 20-vessel strong task group, the largest since the Falklands. Since January the task group had visited 33 countries and completed 24 exercises involving vessels from 20 other navies. At 1000 on Thursday 18th August HMS Illustrious arrived at Valletta Grand Harbour (Malta). From the Citadels the sight was spectacular. After meeting Cdr (D) Culwick who was co-ordinating our visit, the cadets and officers of the visiting CCF Royal Naval sections (affiliated) boarded. We met the DPMO (Deputy Principal Medical Officer) and LMA 'Daz' Hemmings who showed us to our mess. '6 Echo 2 Mess', with accommodation for 30 men, was the show mess of the ship. It had mock Tudor walls with mahogany beams, and was equipped with TV, VCR, hi-fi with synchronised disco lights, Play Stations and more. We slept on the ship for the next two nights, and trips were arranged for us during the day. The first night there was an 'official reception' for important persons working in Malta. We went up to 02 deck and watched the Royal Marines band beat the retreat at sunset, spectacular to both eyes and ears. On the 21st our programme started. We were given a grand tour by Lt Rispertis. I was surprised to find that the ship not only had a Chapel but also a TV studio for the CCTV (some Sky channels are also broadcast) and its own Met. Office. The sheer size of the ship is amazing and somewhat daunting. At 1030 it was time to leave Malta. We all went to the 'graveyard' (where damaged planes go to wait for repair) for procedure alpha (this is when the deck is lined with the ship's company for entrance and exit of ports). In the blistering heat the ship was then played out of harbour by the band. After stand-easy we had a talk on life-saving apparatus and damage control by the NBCDO (Nuclear Biological Chemical Defence Officer). Next was a tour of the Bridge by Lt Lees (N2). I was fascinated by the hi-tech machinery; the three gyro compasses, the GPS (PECO), the thousands of charts, also on CD-ROM- I knew that I must return. On to the 'foredeck' for some fire fighting: with much excitement we learnt to use the waterwall, fire-fighter and foam-gun applications and how to support the hose-bearers. After that, soaked to the skin, we walked over to the 'Alaskan Highway' for a talk and tour by the 1st Lieutenant of the 'Seamanship' section. We were told about the rigging and arrangements for the RAS (Replenishment At Sea) which is where diesel and aviation fuel are pumped into the ship from a fleet reple~ishment ship; and the Back-RAS where weapons are passed by lines or lifted by helicopter. This has to happen because ships are not allowed into port with ammunition. Next we made our way to the flight deck for some PE, which although exhausting was well worthwhile. In the evening I decided to go to the bridge, and, after arranging it with Cdr (D) Culwick, I was told that I could be taught some items from my task book, though I would have to wait. 'But we can do this now,' said the Bosun. Who would imagine that 'Wheel and Engine orders' would entail actually steering an HM craft? With a little (maybe a lot) of help from the Quarter Master and the Bosun's Mate I was steering the 22,000 ton aircraft carrier through the Mediterranean. It was a truly fantastic and exhilarating experience; coincidentally the Captain came onto the bridge during the time I was steering. I was hoping that he didn't get too much of a shock. After a visit to the NAAFI and a film in the mess I turned in. 'Call the Hands' came as a shock the next morning. I leapt up all of 20 cm; tb find myself back on my pillow with a very sdi'e head. The day's agenda started with an introduction to the 'stokers' (Marine Engineers and Mechanics) section. We first went to the SCC, which is effectively the engine control room. From this room, which is covered on all walls by machinery, the necessities of the ship are controlled. The air conditioning, water, electricity, propellers, gearboxes and so on are all controlled from here. We then visited one of the engine rooms in which the 83

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

reasonable reflection of the difference between the teams, but we had allowed the home side far too much too easily. The same could be said of StJohn's. We gave away two tries to a couple of very quick wingers in the first ten minutes, but thereafter were on top. Unfortunately, the opposition defence had more resolution than ours, and we could not overhaul them. We found some rhythm against Kent College, who made us work for our victory, but in the end we played some fluent rugby, with forwards and backs combining to score a couple of good tries at the end. This continued the following match against K.C.S. Wimbledon, but mindful of the game to follow the next day, we tried to coast, and although playing very good rugby, the margin did not reflect our superiority as we kept allowing a very enthusiastic home side the chance to stay within reach. The performance of the season was on the Sunday against a Kent XV based almost exclusively on the side that had been very successful as the county Under 16 side last year. The match, to celebrate our 125th year in membership of the R.F.U. , began ominously as they scored a delightful try in the corner having stretched our defence from the opening seconds. However, we showed great endeavour and gradually hauled ourselves back into game, Lau first charging over on the short side of a ruck, and then, after Kent had responded, strolling in on the wing for a second after Lister had won a clean lineout, the ball travelling via Sweny, Preston, Akindele coming in from

SPORT Rugby Football THE SCHOOL XV 1997 The season started with hopes high. We had had a very successful tour of Canada, even without our captain, James Hessey, who had been in Australia sharpening his game in the Parramatta G.P.S. winning side. We had developed a fluent and pacy style of play, which we carried onto our first game against Duke ofYork's. In fine weather, and on a firm pitch, we ran in eight tries, with the handling and support work outstanding at times, and Akindele, Alakija and Hessey in particular showing blistering pace. Our confidence was dented somewhat by the defeat at Eastbourne. We started well, but though the front five were overwhelmingly superior to the opposition, we struggled to use the ample possession we had, and were put under huge pressure in midfield. We failed to make important tackles, conceded tries at bad times, and simply did not do ourselves justice. Had we come away beaten by a handful of points it might have been a

The School XV Back row, left to right: Edward Wyand, Simon Lau, Andrew Stokes, Henry Chamberlain, Mathew Lister, Chike Okoli, Samuel Parker, William Mackay, Alexander Hayes. Front row, left to right: Mark Preston, Robert Adams, Mark Sweny, James Hessey (Captain), Edward Immink, Folarin Alakija, Olukayode Akindele.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

1st XV. (Roland Phillips.)

'Aki 'Akindele and Andy Stokes

Will Mackay

Andy Stokes (foreground); Sam Parker, Will Mackay, Mark Sweny and Mark Preston (left to right behind)

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

as a spectacle of open rugby, which was a pity because the intent to run the ball was evident on both sides. We tailored our game better to the conditions in the second half, but despite pummelling their line for most of it, failed to convince the referee that we had scored either close in or wide out, despite corning extremely close. Sadly the effort involved in playing eight games in eighteen days took its toll against a strong (also unbeaten) Bryanston side. We were shadows of ourselves in a poor game, but the visitors did enough to win in the end as we tired. After Dulwich (see below), we got stuck in an unhappy groove. We began very brightly against Tonbridge, posing all sorts of problems to their defence, and doing anything but score. Then the heavens opened, and the Tonbridge captain and fly-half played the perfect wet-weather game, judging his positional kicks such that time and again our wingers had no option but to put the ball into touch for an opposition lineout. Playing for the most part out of our own half, we were punished badly for our errors, especially since we had to play 'catch-up'. At Epsom, history repeated itself. We started at great pace down the slope, with forwards and backs combining to devastating effect. Hessey, playing his first game at full back, twice sliced through the home defence to give tries for Akindele, and we came close on a couple of other occasions. A half-time lead of 15-3 however was quickly reduced by an Epsom score from close range; nonetheless we managed to push up the slope but could not convert pressure into points, spurning kicks at goal for tries which we obviously thought would come. In truth we paid for not giving the ball more width when the line was begging. Nonetheless, Epsom were confined to a long range penalty, and as the match went into injury time we were still on top. Suddenly quickly-taken tapped penalties by the home side took them into our twenty-two, and in the muddle that ensued their winger dived in at the corner. This is the fourth 1st XV that has lost this way after dominating the game. History also repeated itself in the Cranleigh defeat to follow. We began in such an attacking vein that we could have scored three tries in the first ten minutes - Hessey tackled at the corner flag, Sweny and Akindele a couple of metres from the line. Although the Cranleigh defence held firm it seemed inconceivable that we should not score from the wealth of possession and territory that we had throughout the match; that they should score a try from a rare visit into our twenty-two was almost ridiculous. Late runs by Sweny and attempts to drive over by the forwards failed, and so for the second week running I had the dubious consolation of being told by my opposite number that we had been robbed. Thankfully in the final game we managed to hang on. We began with a staggering try: Sevenoaks kicked to us, Lister took it and stormed forward ten metres, the pack rucked over, Sweny passed to Preston, Akindele (again from the blind side) took a short pass on his outside, sliced through to the

'Aki'. (Andrew Ribbans) the blindside wing, and after a quick ruck, Sweny again and Mackay. Wyand stretched the two point lead after the break seizing on a penalty effort from Preston which rebounded near the corner. Our final score started almost accidentally when an overlap just inside our own ten-metre line was wasted, but the errant chip ahead landed in Aki 's hands and he sidestepped his way past several defenders before feeding Hessey, who outsprinted the defence from 40 metres to score under the posts. Despite a late rally by the Kent side, we tackled heroically to hang on for a magnificent victory. Bishop's Stortford visited us in good form, unbeaten and determined to make a positive impression in an experimental fixture. It was on the only Saturday before half term that the rains came down, and they did so with a vengeance. It totally ruined the game

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

The spectators. (Roland Phillips)

twenty-two, fed Wyand, who gave Hessey the scoring pass - a magnificent try after 24 seconds! Thereafter we were in the ascendant, but could never quite seal the game. Even when we were leading 19-5, Sevenoaks came back determinedly, to 1912. A very composed penalty from Preston took us further away again, though still they scored with the final movement of the game, fortunately too late. It is not pleasant to contemplate the second 'losing' season in a row, especially since the majority of the players in the side have been in it for both. One excuse would have to be the strength of the opposition; in many other seasons I can remember, this XV would have won nearly all its games, but the standard of rugby generally has been extremely high, and in our fixture list we seem to have landed most of the form teams. Dulwich, Eastbourne and Bryanston were all unbeaten at the end of the season; Bishop's Stortford lost only one game; Kent College, StJohn's and Sevenoaks lost only two in their seasons. Simon Lau. (Andrew Ribbans) Essentially, however, we had some outstanding talent (Messrs Akindele, Alakija, Hessey, Lau, Lister and Okoli played for Kent), but we but we did not see enough of his pace and elusiveness as a failed to really meet expectations. Some faults are easy to runner; alongside him Rob Adams was an astute reader of the identify: we were poor starters (the opposition scored first in game, and lived as close as he could to the offside line in nearly every game, usually a try, and often when we had had defence, but he too was rarely seen as an attacking force; so too early pressure); we allowed our opponents to score relatively was the fly half, Mark Preston, who nonetheless showed great easily at times (we only rarely defended with true intensity hands, and an ability to direct his tactical kicking well; he also throughout the game); we gave away too many penalties, tackled manfully whatever came his way. At serum half, Mark yielding possession and Sweny was a thorn in his position; we failed to kick ours, opponents' flesh at every consistently, in pressure opportunity when they had the situations. At the heart of our ball, and showed great fighting difficulties lay the fact that we spirit, although perhaps he was had strong players, but not in too content merely to ship the the most influential positions in ball on, and in particular the team, the so called 'spine' . neglected the strength of his Above all, our attacking threats running game, which could were limited, and easily unlock defences; his passing countered by good sides. nonetheless improved Having said all that we were immensely from the previous emphatically not a bad side, season. The front five of the and played some excellent, serum provided a solid basis controlled, patterned, fast, throughout the year, and were 'integrated' rugby in nearly never beaten. Simon Lau was a every game. rock in the set serum, but made his impact with his devastating Our full back for most of the pace and power with the ball in season was Andy Stokes. He hand in open play, and ended the brought a certain Antipodean season as top try-scorer. We straightforward physicality to missed him against Epsom and the game, and was very secure Cranleigh. On the tight head, Ed under the high ball. When he Immink for the second season in entered the line he could beat a a row was the model of man, was strong on his feet and consistency, and performed retained the ball well, though every aspect of his trade without his type of running was suited fuss but with maximum effect; more to entry near the serum he has a shrewd rugbyrather than wide out. Our two footballing brain. Two shared wingers, Folarin Alakija and the hooking duties; Alex Hayes Kayode Akindele possessed the was another to have improved a ability to unlock any defence. basic skill enormously, and his Both had pace, in contrasting throwing in brought a great deal ways. Flo ducked, dived, Mathew Lister. (Roland Phillips) of possession from our lineout; checked and blasted bigger his work rate in the loose was opponents out of the way; Aki high, as would be ~xpected of a former flanker. The same could danced an~ weaved patterns through defences. We simply did be said of Will Mackay, who made a greater impact over the not give th~m enough ball, although Aki in particular tried hard season as a whole because of his extra strength and fitness. He to go and find it when it was in short supply. Both made big tackles in defence to snuff out overlaps, and were never beaten worked tirelessly, was physically resilient, and his throwing too on the outside. In the centre, Ed Wyand had a solid first season, was as accurate as one would wish. In the second row,

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

My thanks to Aerwyn Watson and Paul Teeton for their invaluable help before and during the tour, and Dave Bowers and Leon White for their help in coaching. Whilst writing, I should like to thank all the coaches in the Rugby Club who have worked so hard this term, as well as the referees, ably coordinated by D.J.R., the groundstaff and school catering staff. R.C.W. Team: James Bessey (Captain)*, Robert Adams*, Kay ode Akindele*, Folarin Alakij a*, Henry Chamberlain* , Alex Hayes, Edward Immink* , Simon Lau *, Mathew Lister* , William Mackay*, Chike Okoli* , Samuel Parker*, Mark Preston, Andrew Stokes, Mark Sweny* , Edward Wyand. Also played: Philip Cridge, Richard Johnson, Philip Stubbings, Henry Trew, Alistair Williams, Gareth Williams, (as replacements) James Morrison, Christian Smith. Ed Wyand. (Roland Phillips)

* First Colours

newcomer Mathew Lister showed his pedigree in the lineout, and his skill in the air under pressure enabled us to benefit from the best possible possession from this phase of the game. He scrummaged hard too, and when he started to appear later in the season with the ball in hand suggested that he might cause defences one or two problems in the future. His lineout work was helped considerably by his colleague in the second row of the serum, Chike Okoli, who supported him. Besides this important role, Chike had a great season, working hard, often making crucial tackles, and when he was moved to Number 8 at the end of the season, reminding us of his potential as a forceful and dynamic runner. Henry Chamberlain played his second season on the blind side in the same uncomplicated way he had the first, doing much of the quiet work tackling and grovelling for the ball not always seen by those on the touchline; what was obvious, however, was his ability to take clean ball at the front of the lineout, which was a pleasing revelation to all concerned! Meanwhile Sam Parker played with energy and commitment in every game, another who was prepared to take on the less glamorous aspects. It is a pity that his running skills were not used more, but he perhaps lacks those few vital pounds needed to make an impact round the fringes. The captain, James Bessey, was simply immense throughout the season. Possessed of the sort of pace most wingers would like to have, as open-side flanker his tracking of opponents and the ball was exceptional, his tackling totally secure, his awareness outstanding, his support work first class. He met bigger opponents, but few could live with him. In the final three games, in an effort to find extra penetration, we tried him at full back, where he showed an instinctive awareness of timing in coming into the line, where his pace split open defences; his speed and confidence in the tackle meant that no one passed, and he would make conclusive tackles; most surprisingly of all, he revealed a talent for spiralling the ball forty metres or more down the touchline. I hope he goes further up the representative ladder in the back row this season, but when he leaves school, he will make a considerable impact in one of the 'back three' positions. As captain he was respected by opponents and team mates alike; he was voted overwhelmingly as player of the season by his team mates. Thanks to all for an enjoyable, if frustrating, season. Everyone worked hard and, remarkably, stayed fit. We look forward to the Sevens season to redress the balance, as we did so successfully last year.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

v v v

v v v v v v

RESULTS Played 12, Won 5, Drawn 1, Lost 6. Points for 210, against 198. Duke ofYork's R.M.S. (A). Won Eastbourne (A). Lost StJohn's, Leatherhead (H). Lost Kent College (H). Won K.C.S., Wimbledon (A). Won Kent Schools (H). Won Bishop's Stortford H.S. (H). Drawn Bryanston (H). Lost Tonbridge (A). Lost Epsom (A). Lost Cranleigh (H) . Lost Sevenoaks (H). Won

56-6. 7-37. 19-25. 27-6. 27-14 24-17. 7-7. 3-17. 3-29. 15-16. 0-7. 22-17.

The Dulwich XV

It seems quite inappropriate on two counts to leave reference to this side hidden as a statistic in the body of the report- firstly because it would not do them justice, and secondly because it would not really be fair to our XV for future generations simply to read that we lost a game to them by 0-71. We are no strangers to high scoring ourselves in the not too recent past- our record score is higher - and we topped fifty ourselves this year, but such scores are usually an occasional event only in 1st XV matches. This Dulwich XV, however, in winning all its games, averaged over sixty points. It scored over seventy on four more occasions, against other good rugby schools; it scored 56 against Wellington, and 65 against Tonbridge. It had six players who have played rugby at England level at Under 16 or Under 18. It has fourteen county players. The size of its pack matched that of any decent club side. In our game we pl{lyed very well indeed, and hardly missed any tackles, making dozens. We made them work hard for every score; meanwhile we did win some ball and used it well, coming close on a couple of occasions to a rare try against them. As every other side found, however, the pace, power and technique was relentless. It has been literally phenomenal, since in particular it is not the product of enlisting talent from other places. The side is almost exclusively based around a year group who have never been beaten, and who have been chalking up such large wins

for seven years. It certainly has to be the best side that I have ever seen in over twenty years of coaching 1st XV s, and I doubt if there has ever been anything to compare, anywhere. It is appropriate to pay tribute to the uniqueness of the team and their amazing standards of play. The whole of the South East of England will now be breathing a huge sigh of relief as we can return to normality!

Canada Tour v Quebec Under 19. Bancroft Under 19. Kingston Under 19. Balmy Beach Under 19. Sarnia Under 19. Orillia Under 19.

Won Won Won Won Won Won

v v v v v

29-12. 52-14. 20-5 . 35-5. 24-19. 56-10.

House Competitions Senior Sevens Under 16 Sevens Under 15 Sevens Under 14 Sevens

Tradescant Tradescant Galpin's Tradescant

Senior Tens Junior Tens

Tradescant Galpin's

Junior Goalkicking Competition Senior Goalkicking Competition

The 2nd XV (Andrew Ribbans)

Peter Gardiner (GR) Alistair Williams (TR)

King's School Prep Schools' Competition Final:

Danes Hill 22

St Bede 's 7

2nd XV A mark of a successful season, apart from results, is to see hew many players are able to progress to the 1st XV. I am happy to report that a large number were able to do so and not just on a temporary basis eit~er. Mark Preston for. example established his fly-half place m the 1st XV after JUSt three matches. The captain, Henry Trew, left us on account of his tremendously proficient line-out jumping skills. His presence was greatly missed. The downside of all this is that the 2nds were forced increasingly to field different combinations from week to week. This phenomenon increased in frequency after half-term just at the time when we were facing our toughest fixtures. The season commenced with the annual victory versus the Duke of York's. The only criticism that could be levelled against the team was that everyone tried to get their name on the score-sheet, hence squandering many scoring opportunities. The victory against Eastbourne away was a superb achievement. Good ball retention and backs running from deep and hitting ball at pace meant that the opposition were swept aside in the second half. The StJohn's match was an iffy affair. StJohn's levelled the score in the last few seconds of the game with a penalty goal. A spate of second-half injuries allowed Dover College 1st XV to run in three late scores in a wellfought encounter. They went on to have a very successful season. In the light of this our performance was an extremely credible one. K.C.S. Wimbledon proved to be a tougher fixture than anticipated. In a rather ill-tempered game we sneaked to victory by a single point through a Gareth Williams penalty. On a day when the heavens opened for the full duration of the aame, we overcame a physically much heavier Bishop's Stortford side. I suspect that in dry conditions our backs would have reall~ come into their own. However, we did play some good wet-weather rugby. After conceding an early try against St Lawrence 1st XV, forwards and backs combined beautifully to produce some sparkling play. On the following Saturday we were brought down to earth in the game against Dulwich. This

James Squires, Simon Bodey, Phil Cridge. (Andrew Ribbans)

Thea Davies (with ball), Gareth Williams (background). (Andrew Ribbans)

unbeaten team was in a class of its own. However, I suspect that our boys arrived at Dulwich intent merely on. producing a containing and face-saving performance after havmg read press reports of the opposition. Hence we were overawed and discovered too late in the day .that if we ran at them, holes in the defence would appear - and duly did in the last quarter of the game. The fixture versus the Ursuline College proved to be a breather, a lull b~fore the storm in the form of Tonbridge. A lapse in concentration at key moments put ~he Tonbridge g~me out of reach, especially in the last three mmutes. We certamly dominated the line-out and much of the loose play, but failed to police the blind side adequately. A depl~ted te~m produce~ a dismal performance against an Epsom s1de wh1ch had earlier

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

gone down heavily to the likes of Eastbourne and St John's. Explanations are difficult to find other than to say that our tackling was woeful. A well-earned 8-nillead against Cranleigh by the break, including the try of the season, was going to be difficult to defend playing up the hill and against a physically larger team. The result was in doubt until the final whistle, with King's putting the Cranleigh line under severe pressure. Illness meant that we took just 15 players to play Sevenoaks. With Philip Stubbings at full-back (usually in the lock position) and Chris Smith at centre (usually blind-side flanker), familiarity with regard to positional play was not going to be our strength. However the boys played gallantly and the result was in doubt up until the final three minutes. Real passion and spirit meant that the score was a very respectable one. This has been a most satisfying season. We will be relying on the 6b members of this team to provide the nucleus of next year's 2nd XV. P.T. Team: Simon Bodey, Tony Burton, Thomas Byford, James Caney, Philip Cridge, Nicholas Davies, Thomas Davidson, Timothy Hamlin, Richard Johnson, Sola Lawson, James Morrison, Andrew Ribbans, Christopher Smith, James Squires, Philip Stubbings, Henry Trew (Captain), Gareth Williams. Also played: Christopher Elworthy, Theo Davies, Roland Phillips, Mark Preston, Alistair Williams. RESULTS Played 13, Won 6, Lost 6, Drawn 1. Points for 250, against 213. v Duke ofYork's (H). 43-0. Won v Eastbourne (A). 32-10. Won v StJohn's, Leatherhead (H). Drawn 10-10. v Dover College 1st XV (H). 21-35. Lost v K.C.S., Wimbledon (A). Won 17-16. v Bishop's Stortford H.S. (H). 15-3. Won v StLawrence 1st XV (A). 43-0. Won v Dulwich (A). 5-39. Lost v Ursuline College 1st XV (H). 53-3. Won v Ton bridge (H). 19-29. Lost v Epsom (A). 5-43. Lost v Cranleigh (H). 8-12. Lost v Sevenoaks (A). 15-27. Lost

v v v

v v v v v v v v

36-7. 5-15. 5-33. 32-0. 17-17. 73-3. 22-5. 7-22. 7-27. 31-19. 10-15.

4th XV The season started well with a win over Duke of York' s led by Dave Ribchester. John Ellis, that notorious prop, had his usual rundown with the referee but it was all light hearted stuff! After winning the first game of the season, we felt like champions until the kick-off at Eastbourne where the sheer force of their pack took us by surprise and their pacy back line soon woke us up. With firm support from Father John on the touch-line, we stepped up our game giving as good as we got. Our solid serum just didn't move, a brave performance considering. Then, on our 22-yard line, Enzo caught the blind side slacking, took the ball with lightning pace, weaving in and out, surely the try of the season. We fought back with two tries but were overcome by the pace of their backs. Our next match was at home against St Johns, Leatherhead. A tight match! Again the serum proved strong with our awesome strength showing through. StJohn's scored a good try against the flow of play and then seemed to sit on the score not pushing forward but with great defensive play. We scored a try late in the second half with creative play from the backs led by Enzo Labrosciano. We used Dan Holdstock, our fly-half, as our battering ram to open the way for Henry Hardy who eventually got through. The scores were level at 5-5. With ten minutes to go, Dan Holdstock converted the try which turned out to be the match-winning kick. Dover College were our next victims. After last year's result, we were very confident in our approach to this match. Refereed by our coach, M.P.H.D., we were deprived of our full 30 minutes each way so we carried out our business in 25 each half. Due to their novice six-Russian pack, we played uncontested serum. King's Rochester, at home on the 1st XV pitch, proved to be a momentous occasion. Led by Larry Ridges, we were not going to be beaten. The referee, Mr Fox, had a baffling time distinguishing the shirts (both of which were striped): a good performance indeed. The first try came early in the first half, won by a line-out and scored by the skipper. Powerful runs by Henry Hardy and slick serum-half ball-handling by Dave W.W. proved more than a match for the King's Rochester XV. A bit of arrogance in the side-steps and handling-skills led to a dynamic try from T.-C. This was a brilliant team performance which finished with a deserved result on such a wonderful pitch. Our return match against StJohn's Leatherhead, on their territory, was a bit of a disaster. It was to be a close match, we thought, but, with us short of Tony Keeling and Fraser Hewett (they managed to get lost on the way to the pitch), StJohn's did not hesitate to score three tries while our two players were investigating the surroundings of the school. When they reappeared for the second half, the match became much more even. In fact, no points were scored on either side after half time. We should try to lose some of our opposition's players in future: it worked for them! After luckily getting out of the Dulwich fixture, our eyes turned to the might of Tonbridge. Following a relatively short journey, we warmed up our secret weapon, the mighty Chaz Hickie, strapped up to his ears in red tape. Larry led the team

3rdXV A successful but above all enjoyable season was had by all. The side was ably led by Chris Elworthy, and in his absence Fergus Reynolds and Tristan Byrnes also did well. The highlight of the season for me was the victory over Dulwich where an all-round solid performance and some astute tactical kicking won us the day. Quite a number of players represented the thirds this year and all showed a good deal of skill and motivation. In particular the tackling of Roland Phillips and Aliocha Delmotte, the running skills of Tim Hamlin and James Caney and the dynamism of Tom MacAdie and Jon Ellis stood out. The season's top points-scorer was James Mitchell with 37 points. The top try-scorer was Tom Davidson with 7, closely followed by Enzo Labrosciano with 5. However, despite these performances, the player of the season in my view was Ed Vainker, who made an excellent fly-half gifted with good hands, an able boot, but (particularly) very good vision for the game. DOMINIC SPURRIER. Team from: Andrew Foinette, Mark Hill, Nicholas Clinch, Jonathan Ellis, Roland Phillips, Edward Vainker, James Mitchell, Matthew Knight, Aliocha Delmotte, Enzo Labrosciano, David Ribchester, James Caney, Tristan Byrnes, Christopher Elworthy (Captain), Fergus Reynolds, Jonathan Warren, Benjamin Carey, Oliver Henderson, Miles Brice, Thomas Davidson, Thomas MacAdie, William Justice. Also played: Leo Siu, Thomas Bell, Edward Reed, Alastair Lewis, Edward Sixsmith, Daniel Holdstock.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

RESULTS Played 11, Won 5, Drawn 1, Lost 5. Points for 245, against 163. Duke of York's (H). Won Eastbourne (A). Lost StJohn's, Leatherhead (H). Lost Kent College, 2nd XV (H). Won K.C.S., Wimbledon (A). Drawn (H). Bishop's Stortford H.S. Won Dulwich (H). Won Tonbridge (A). Lost Epsom (A). Lost Cranleigh (H). Won Sevenoaks (A). Lost

pass and tackle. Weaknesses in defence and poor decisionmaking also needed improvement and this was achieved by hard work and practice. After drawing the game with the Duke of York's we won our second match against Eastbourne and this, it seemed, proved to be the catalyst for greater determination, commitment and vigour. They had asked questions of our playing standards even though we had shown spirit and endeavour, offered strong competition, and produced a number of individual performances (notably those of Fadel Banda, Oliver Baker and Gbenga Odimayo) to carry the day. The team showed real character to come from behind to win but next on the learning curve was teamwork itself as we were still adopting the individual battering-ram approach to reach the line, which left players isolated and without support. Confidence grew with the mastering of these techniques and simple patterns of play, which were put to good effect against StJohn's. 'Let battle commence', or so it seemed. We endured a torrid encounter but were resolute in defence and drove our opponents back in ruck and maul. The game will be notable for the heroic try-saving tackles by Dave Burrows playing his first game at full-back, the contribution by James Hume cleaning up loose ball in broken play, the excellent outside break by Richard Bayley, the scores by Gbenga Odimayo and Peter Davidson, Tim Dysterre-Clark's strikes against the head and Kofsi Randle's try by sheer strength and power to end a game played with a high level of commitment. Against a Dover College 2nd XV the pressure was off and we were allowed to run more freely. A converted try from the kick-off should have been a dream start but although other scores followed we did not quite play to our full potential. Three-quarter movements lacked discipline at times and overeagerness meant that a number of opportunities were wasted. Our pack was clinical and workmanlike, providing good ball for the backs to exploit; but sluggish passing, flat alignment and poor decision-making were evident. However, there were purple patches when the machine seemed well oiled and individual players shone. Henry Walpole displayed determination and control and Fadel Banda showed that he could run from depth putting real pace on the ball. Ollie Baker continued to accumulate points with his kicking. Unfortunately, the tables were turned against us versus K.C.S. Wimbledon, a side that were unbeaten at U14 and U15. Unperturbed by reputation, we dominated the first quarter of the game but could not convert the advantage into points or absorb the pressure from their backs; and later suffered the affliction of failing to finish. A late try from Kofsi Randle was not enough to add to a valiant effort, and we were left to lick our wounds and learn from the experience. In pouring rain we took on Bishop's Stortford High School: all credit must be given to the team for a disciplined performance, and in particular to serum-half Ollie Collins who harried and hassled his opposite number all afternoon, was the general to his forward troops, made the right decisions in the conditions and created opportunities for the players around him. Two weeks of inactivity and relaxation manifested itself in a weak performance against Dulwich. Lack of cohesion in the pack, the absence of significant support play and lack of numbers to the breakdown provided little ball for the backs, but we did show some sparks of enterprise which was enough to run out winners by a score. Tonbridge away is always a tall order but combined with a laissezfaire approach we gave our opponents three easy scores without any real resistance. Our tactic of trying to move the ball wide in the wet conditions was clearly the wrong option but when we attacked through the back-row and kicked for position it paid dividends. Unfortunately, this simple ploy was better executed by Tonbridge. Good combining between backs and forwards, support play and determined running yielded two excellent tries by Fadel Banda and Ollie Baker. We bounced back against Epsom, producing the match of the season. The employment of back-row moves, good linking between backs and forwards and a high skill level produced a number of tries. Forward play was cohesive and dominant through Dorian Soanes, Tom Dunn, James Edmondson, Ollie Robinson and lain Weir, and when the ball was released the

into battle. The game was one sided: Tonbridge had brilliant pace, awesome power and were an excellent side. To be faced by Chaz and still win deserves praise: they will go far. All in all: a brave performance on our part. Returning to Epsom, we were somewhat hesitant after their track record, but times had changed: they played well and hard. Our team was somewhat lacking in confidence after Tonbridge and the mid-season injury list started to lengthen. Fraser Hewett led the forward charge relentlessly supported by a disheartened pack. The solid boots of Marc Nunn and Dave Wellesley-Wesley eased the pressure enormously: a disappointing result but a good team effort. Cranleigh: now here's a story... We started this match with probably the best back line of the season. This consisted of a brand new full-back, whom we had been saving for such an occasion, and (how could we forget them?) two extravagant centres who had come down to show us a thing or two. The onslaught that started showed the opposition that they were going to have to work hard if they wanted a result. A try came early on for King's with superior strength in their pack and good pace in the line. Cranleigh then came back with a surprise try. However, they then endured some good play from King's who scored their second try, brilliantly converted by Dave W.W. A penalty try and conversion gave Cranleigh the victory despite the amount of pressure exerted by us towards the end. Unfortunately, Larry Ridges had to go off with a nasty arm injury. A thoroughly brilliant performance by King's who were definitely the better team despite the result. For our last match of the season, against Sevenoaks, our usual captain, Larry, was still off-games with his injury from the previous week. A team weakened by injuries, both from our team and higher teams, faced Sevenoaks and put up a brave fight with Ed Kiernan as Captain. Sevenoaks had good pace and forward play. A hearty and brave performance by our frustrated team. Many thanks go to our coaches, Mr Oath and Mr Rob Kidman, for helping us. Many thanks to our home referee Mr P.W. Fox. A cracking season. LARRY RIDGES. Team from: Miles Brice, Joshua Collis, Henry Coltart, Jonathan Ellis, Fraser Hewett, Charles Hickie, Daniel Holdstock, Charles Irvine, Anthony Keeling, Edward Kiernan, Enzo Labrosciano, Marc Nunn, William Pritchard, Edward Reed, Christian Resch, David Ribchester, Laurence Ridges (Captain), Benjamin Steinkri.iger, Olaotan Towry-Coker, Christopher Uibeleisen, David Wellesley-Wesley, Charles Wells. Also played: David Greengrass, Henry Hardy, Matthew Hill, James Mitchell, Robert Van Allan, Samuel Young. RESULTS Played 10, Won 4, Lost 6. Points for 112, against 189. (H). Won 19-7. v Duke ofYork's (A). Lost 10-36. v Eastbourne (H). Won 7-5. v StJohn's, Leatherhead (H). Won 37-0. v Dover College (H). Won 27-5. v King's Rochester (A). Lost 0-15. v StJohn's, Leatherhead (A). Lost 0-57. v Ton bridge (A). Lost' 0-38. v Epsom (H). Lost 12-14. v Cranleigh (H). Lost 0-12. v Seven oaks

Colts 'A' XV A season of change, development and trial. In the limited time available before our first match we had trained, organised, worked out moves and selected our squad of players. In the early garrtes new season rustiness led to numerous unforced errors, loss of territorial advantage and play lacking control as we failed to capitalise on hard won possession. We also tried too hard to expunge the ghosts of previous years, were overeager and sometimes lost our composure by spilling the ball in

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

Colts 'B' XV

backs handled crisply and ran with purpose. Fadel Banda was stout in the tackle and although absent from the score sheet was impressive with his work-rate. The back row were working splendidly as a unit, had combined to put 'Brooky' across the line for his second try and were involved again for his third. Gbenga Odimayo scored a hat-trick of tries on the wing, and Ollie Baker kicked three conversions and a penalty. For the spectator the game was a delight to watch, competent, entertaining rugby. On a sticky pitch at Cranleigh we experienced another tough encounter. We were soon to realise that 'we were in a game' but our rucking and mauling often forced Cranleigh onto the back foot or to make last gasp tackles. An individual score came from Kofsi Randle, and an excellent try where forwards and backs combined to seal a hard fought victory. The final game against Sevenoaks produced a high score in our favour and although we aimed to play attractive rugby it only came in short bursts. James Edmondson completed the season as he started, with an early try; Fadel Banda fed Joel Marshall to add more points; and Ollie Baker scored two tries to add to his kicking points. Fadel, as if making a point, added another try after an excellent passing movement between forwards and backs.

A great season. This year's set of results are even more successful than last year's - which seemed an almost impossible task, since last year's team lost only three games. This year the side had a completely new look to it. Players swapped teams and positions, with no fewer than seven players making the step up to 'A' rugby throughout the season. As usual the opener was against Duke of York's. We were lucky enough for one game to have a player of real quality in our midst. The presence of Gbenga Odimayo gave the whole team a boost even before the game started. His electric pace bemused a startled Duke of York's. The four tries he scored later that afternoon simply underlined what we already knew. He is now top try-scorer for the 'A' XV Further tries from Adekanmi Lawson and Mat Fyjis-Walker made for a comfortable win. The next game posed no real problems for a side now bristling with confidence. Although Gbenga had gone, a 53-0 win against Eastbourne was a fair reflection of our dominance that afternoon. Tries came from Tom Dunn (2), Martin Graham, Kanmi Lawson (2) and Dan Cartwright (3). Ravaged by injuries, an extremely weakened side made the trip to StJohn's, Leatherhead. A back line consisting mainly of 'C's players tried hard but eventually went down 12-35. For the next game we were almost back to full strength. In the tightest of matches King's showed they had the necessary sprit to hold off a stronger K.C .S. Wimbledon side. A late try scored by diminutive serum-half Will Gould was enough to seal an exciting and tense game. However it took a try-saving tackle from full-back Lawson to ensure that we won the spoils that day. Winger Cartwright pounced to score his fourth of the season in this game. Martin also scored to round off a good move, and skipper Fyjis-Walker popped up to score when all seemed lost. Our next game was abandoned due to our growing injury list. This gave the side the necessary rest needed to come back after half-term and do battle with Dulwich. Whilst all eyes were on the amazing Dulwich 1st XV, our side battled well considering we had lost one of our main forwards, Dorian Soanes, to the 'A's. We lacked his aggressive presence up front and had to thank the impressive Simon Bolshaw for scoring our only points that day. His try atoned for the dreadful error Ed Eccles had made earlier in the first half. He was supported by the ever present Andy Hickman, who on that day had his best game of the season. His play in the tight often goes unseen, but on this day it was apparent to everybody that we had a forward who would work tirelessly all day for the team. Joel Marshall made a heroic effort to keep out the Dulwich No. 8 when he seemed certain to score. This ensured a 5-5 draw, which King's seemed lucky to come away with. The next game was our biggest. We travelled to face the old enemy Tonbridge. With the rain pouring down, it made our usually impeccable handling difficult to maintain and the side slipped to a 5-35 defeat. It was difficult to start with anyway as Ed Eccles was lost to the 'A's earlier that week. Also during the game we lost Tim Dysterre-Clark to the 'A's due to an injury to James Hume. This left us with only 14 men for the whole of the second half. However, we battled hard with Joel scoring our try, and numerous try-saving tackles kept the score down. Many of these came from Dave Stephens who put in tackle after tackle that day. His season was dogged by nagging injuries but still he remained one of our best players. His versatility was his best asset and his pace around the field was invaluable, as was his work in the loose play. After not playing Epsom for several years we were urged to give a good account of ourselves. This we certainly did with two tries coming from Jon Wood, both results of some strong running. Andy Bailey chipped in with a try as an understrength side romped to a 37- 12 win. Cranleigh are always hard to beat, so the team went there keen to make up for last year's poor performance. At last we had Ollie Harvey back in the centres, and he confirmed his return with a well-taken try. Two more from No.8 Tom Evans sealed the win and put the memories of '96 behind us. An unfortunate injury left us without Tom

It is true to state that a number of players came of age this season and some showed true potential. Individual skill levels certainly improved, and we went a long way in working together as a team. Unit skills made a great leap forward and it was rewarding for the coach to witness the growth of confidence and self-belief, the close affinity between 'A' and 'B' squads and the ease with which a number of players filled vacant positions due to injury or illness. Ollie Baker played on the flank, in the centre and on the wing, and scored the highest number of points. Henry Walpole played at full -back, fly-half and centre, James Hume played at both prop and hooker. And David Burrows converted from centre to full-back after a game at serum-half. For the coach it was sometimes frustrating to have to field a different team each match but also rewarding to work with players who were eager to learn, develop and extend their rugby experience. Special congratulations must go to Richard Bayley, Fadel Banda, Kofolaran Randle and Oliver Collins for gaining full County honours and to lain Weir and James Hume for selection to the Kent 'A' XV. I would like to extend my grateful thanks to Mr D.J. Reid for organising our referees; to the captain Fadel Banda for his excellent organisation and leadership; to Mr R.B. Milford for his support, acting as the 'B' team manager and referee; to Brett Simon for organising, motivating, coaching and keeping up the morale of the 'C' team squad and providing the teams with the replacements; and to Leon White for his calm, humorous approach, his counsel and expertise. A.R.WATSON. Team from: David Burrows, Gbenga Odimayo, Fadel Banda (Captain), Oliver Baker, Joel Marshall, Thomas Caney, Edward Eccles, Oliver Collins, Dorian Soanes, Thomas Dunn, James Hume, Timothy Dysterre-Clark, Kofolaran Randle, lain Weir, Robert Pracey-Smith, Oliver Robinson, James Edmondson, Anthony Brooke, Richard Bayley, Peter Davidson, Henry Walpole. RESULTS Played 11, Won 8, Lost 2, Drawn 1. Points for 280, against 142. v Duke ofYork's (A). Drawn 15-15. v Eastbourne (H). 29-22. Won 17-8. v StJohn's (A). Won 62-0. v Dover College (H). Won 8-22. v K.C.S. Wimbledon (H). Lost 21 -10. v Bishop's Stortford H.S. (A). Won v Dulwich (H). 7-0. Won v Tonbridge (A). 10-24. Lost 42-12. v Epsom (H). Won v Cranleigh (A). 21-14. Won 48-15. v Sevenoaks (H). Won

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

Colts 'C ' XV The Colts 'C' team had a thoroughly enjoyable season. The results show more wins than losses, but more importantly we played positive rugby. Everyone was encouraged to 'have a go ' and the team spirit within the side was a reflection of how much we enjoyed our rugby. One of the strengths of our side was the depth. We regularly lost players to the 'B' side yet could still field a competitive team, with many players adapting to new positions . Our pack was not huge, but always totally committed with aggressive tackling being a main weapon - a key reason for this being that almost every forward had played in the back row at some stage. Rucking and mauling may not have been our strength but speed around the field was second to none, with pack leader Rob Pracey-Smith (jumping for ball), James Hume, Simon Bolshaw, Timothy DysterreJon Pollock and hit-man Toby Lewis never Clark, David Stephens, Alistair Russell. (Andrew Ribbans) far from the action. The handling skills of the forwards were outstanding with many Caney, probably our quickest and most elusive player, for part miracle passes being made from seemingly of the game. His creativity and quick thinking often got the impossible positions. Key exponents of this were Rory team out of tricky situations, and set up a number of memorable MacEwen (our star No.8) and prop Matt Chataway. tries. We were also without Kanmi who was making his first The back line was led by fly-half captain Mark Hill who was appearance for the 'A's in this game. In the end it was always decisive and positive with the ball, and his immaterial as the side came home with a 26-10 win. determination and dedication earned him the respect of the Sevenoaks were our next opponents. Last year's thrashing entire team. was repeated as we dominated from start to finish, winning 69Duncan McGregor started the season as second choice 8. Every member of the side scored except four players. Dave serum-half, but after a storming performance at St John's Farrar, our outside centre who had been solid all season, helped became a key man in the side and earned the title 'most himself to his two tries of the season. An amazing solo effort improved player'. from utility back Alex Harborne was the highlight of the game. Our main centres were Yorick Moes and Jamie Martin, who The run started inside his half, took him around three hardly ever let a player through their solid defence. despairing tackles, and ended with a touchdown in the far corner. Other notable performances came from Al Russell, who Wing was a position hotly contested for, with ten players in h1mself scored, and Tim Dysterre-Clark who put in another fine this side getting a run out wide and never the same combination display. His powerful rucking and mauling were his strong used in any two games. Graham Webber mastered the 'chip and points, but some of the tackles he made throughout the season charge', Chris Quayle's dummy and step could fool most were a joy to behold, with the one at Cranleigh surely the most people, and Andrew Bailey's genuine pace made these three the memorable. most dynamic. The season has been enjoyable and extremely successful. A special mention must be made of Alistair Russell, Ric Although we never fielded the same team two games in a row, Woods and Andrew Bailey, who at some stage during the we still managed some excellent results. Thanks must go to Mr season all played flanker, No. 8 wing and full back, with Ric Watson and Leon for training and team selection. Their help playing hooker in the last game. All three were outstanding in over the season has been invaluable. attack and defence wherever they played and were the most ED ECCLES. likely to trouble the opposition. Team from: Simon Bolshaw, Tom Caney, Dan Cartwright, Thanks must go to Jan Panman, Tim J ackling, Peter Tom Dunn, Tim Dysterre-Clark, Ed Eccles, Tom Evans, Dave Lawrence and Jamie Winner for filling in at vital times and all Farrar, Matt Fyjis-Walker, Will Gould, Martin Graham, Alex making valuable contributions. Harborne, Oliver Harvey, Andy Hickman, James Hume, Kanmi Special moments during the season have to be: Ben Lawson, Joel Marshall, Dorian Soanes, Dave Stephens, Jon Wood. Lethbridge's big tackle on the largest opposition player, Josh Pollen's wide conversion to win the first StJohn's game, and Also played: Andy Bailey, Dave Burrows, Mark Hill, Will Will MacAdie and Rory MacEwen getting a run for the 'A' MacAdie, Rory MacEwen, Jamie Martin, Duncan McGregor, side. Yorick Moes, Gbenga Odimayo, Oliver Robinson, Alistair Russell, Richard Woods. Congratulations to twelve of the side who managed to play for the 'B' team during the season, and a big thank you to Brett RESULTS who has been an inspirational coach and has put up with us all Played 9, Won 6, Lost 2, Drawn 1. season. Points for 273, against 127. MARK HILL, GRAHAM WEBBER AND MR B. SIMON. v Duke ofYork's (H). Won 39-5. Team from: Mark Hill (Captain), Andrew Bailey, Matthew v Eastbourne (H). Won 53-0. Chataway, Fabio Diu, Will Heddle, Ben Lethbridge, Toby v St. John's, Leatherhead (A). Lost 12-35. Lewis, Will MacAdie, Jamie Martin, Rory MacEwen, Duncan v K.C.S. Wimbledon (H). Won 19-15. McGregor, Yorick Moes, Josh Pollen, Jon Pollock, Chris v Dulwich (H). Drawn 5-5. Quayle, Alistair Russell, Oluseye Soyode-Johnson, Graham v TonbriJge (A). Lost 12-37. Webber, Ric Woods. v Epsom (H). Won 35-12. v Cranleigh (A). Won 26-10. Also played: Peter Lawrence, Tim Jackling, Jan Panman, v Sevenoaks (H). Won 72-8 . James Winner.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

v v

v v v

RESULTS Played 5, Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 2. Points for 56, against 61 . Duke ofYork' s (A). Won StJohn's (A). Won StJohn's (H). Lost Dulwich (H). Won Tonbridge Colts 'D' (A). Lost

Junior Colts 'B' XV This season, much like the last, has been dominated by hard work and frustrating results. A very large number of different players have represented the Junior Colts 'B', as the list below shows. This is partly due to improving skills from a few players taking them onward and upward to the 'A's and partly the result of the usual rush of injury just before long away trips to Eastbourne and the like. It has been very rewarding to see the progress some have made. Will Davies, who started as Captain of the side, soon made his inevitable move across the pitch. Tom Bruce, likewise, who was a lynch-pin in our centres came back from an enforced three-week holiday for concussion (great tackle, incidentally) to take up a place in the 'A's which he never surrendered. James Ludbrook took over the captaincy and, despite a few disagreements with opposition serum-halves and referees, did a good job through to the close of the season. To sum up the season without going into great detail: we met many teams who negated our improved tactics and spirit with superior power and/or skill; we met a handful of very well matched sides with whom we had great games of rugby; and we met one or two sides who are at the moment in a totally different league from ours. The season provided many reasons for encouragement. Many sides who thrashed us last year could no longer do so, which gave us a psychological advantage on the day. Many of our players learned the art of tackling to the extent that it made their rugby much more aggressive. Perhaps most encouraging, though, was the fact that our players began actually to enjoy their rugby, and showed signs of wanting to improve their game for themselves and not just because I wanted them to. I wish them the best of luck next year when they will come under the watchful eye of Leon. I will be watching them from afar and enjoying their future progress. N.J.M. Team From: Henry Aldridge, David Arnold, Hamish Backhouse, Max Blain, Tom Bruce, Mark Cresswell, Nick Cullen, Will Davies, Richard Gordon-Williams, Alex Foster, Tom Garrod, Charlie Harrel, Oli Humphrey, James Ludbrook, Ed Marno, James Mainwaring, Chris Mattingly, James Murden, Michael Page, Harry Pope, Sachin Premnath, Jonathan Reeve, Stuart Rowan, Alex Shipman, Leo Silver, Michael Stephens, James Wells, Hayden Wood, Marcus Yorke. RESULTS Played 11, Won 2, Lost 9. Points for 44, against 304. 8-7. v Duke ofYork's (H). Won 7-21. v Eastbourne (A) . Lost v StJohn's, Leatherhead (H). 0-24. Lost 0-53. v K.C.S. Wimbledon (A). Lost 29- 17. v Bishop's Stortford H.S. (H). Won v Dulwich (A). 0-56. Lost 0-36. v Tonbridge (H). Lost v Epsom College (A). 0-25. Lost 0-5. v Cranleigh (H). Lost 0-60. v Sevenoaks (A). Lost

20-10. 12-10. 14-19. 10-7. 0-15 .

Junior Colts 'A' XV I would like to thank all those who played for the 'A' XV this season and the commitment and spirit that they managed to create by the end of the term was encouraging. It is unusual to have three Scholars in the front row, but it was their resilience and reliability that was more in evidence, and along with Jack Martin and Richard Miller, they played in every game. A special mention goes to Beaudry Kock, who was a reliable and efficient Captain and who led by example both on and off the pitch: unfortunately, he had his fair share of injuries, partly caused by his bravery to tackle anything that moves. And in Michael Stephens there is a player who has bounced back not only from injury last season, but also from a broken collar bone this year. I hope he remains intact for the Colts' season next year. The team has the potential to do better than the results suggest if they can continue to work as a team and build up some confidence. There are many players with skill and strength but every player must be more prepared to tackle if they are to achieve more success next year. Team From: Henry Aldridge, Tom Bruce, Nick Carty, Simon Darrock, Will Davies, Alex Foster, Peter Gardiner, Beaudry Kock (Captain), James Macfarlane, James Mainwaring, Jack Martin, Richard Miller, Luke Montgomery, Tom Morey, Zachary Saitoti, Lawrence White, Alfred Williams. Also Played: Andrew Bailey, Mark Cresswell, Tom Garrod, Charlie Harrel, Joel Marshall, Jonathan Reeve, Michael Stephens, James Wells, Marcus Yorke. RESULTS Played 12, Won 5, Drawn 0, Lost 7. Points for 163, against 225. v Duke ofYork's H. Won 31 -12. v Eastbourne A. Lost 6-30. v StJohn's, Leatherhead H. Lost 3-65. v K.C.S.Wimbledon A. Lost 0-43. v Kent College A. Lost 5-24. v Bishops Stortford H.S. H. Lost 0- 15. v St Lawrence H. Won 49-7. v Dulwich A. Lost 0-25. v Tonbridge (B) H. Won 32-5. v Epsom A. Won 22-5. v Cranleigh H. Won 10-7. v Seven oaks A. Lost 5- 17. Junior Goal Kicking Competition saw Peter Gardiner (GR) beat James Mainwaring (TR) 13-11 in the final. Junior House Sevens was won by Galpin's, beating School House 26-0 in the final. Junior House Tens was also won by Galpin's, beating Tradescant 24-0 in the final. The Players' Player of the Season was Luke Montgomery, who was competitive in every match and as well as tackling effectively also scored the most tries (6 in total). As far as 'most improved player' is concerned it is very difficult to judge, for so many players have had to adapt to difficult positions or cover for injuries; but James Macfarlane has been a sound full-back in his tackling and counter-attacking and Alfred Williams has been outstanding in the loose play using his strength and speed to be at every breakdown quickly. Finally, thank you to my helpers in N.J.M., J.A.T., Scott and Paul the coaches, R.B.Mi., R. McDuff for refereeing and to the Ground Staff and the Catering Department, and all the parents who loyally supported on the touch-line every week. S.E.A.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

Under 14 'A' XV The Under 14 'A' rugby team had a successful term, overcoming numerovs injury problems to record a winning season. The team was built around a powerful pack but, as the weeks progressed, the backs too made a significant contribution, particularly with their much improved defence. Hard-fought victories over Cranleigh and K.C.S. Wimbledon were the highlights in a tough season. The side was captained intelligently by Toby Hayes whose strong running and general hunger for the game were valuable assets. He was joined in the back row by Alex Perry and Will Young, who learnt a lot and came more and more into games.

Under 14 'B' XV The season got under way with a match which we thought would be very hard. With a team that had not played together before, we knew there would be a lot of mistakes. The wind was behind us to start with and we piled on the pressure. We got the break-through when a line-out on the Duke of York's try-line enabled one of our forwards to dive over. We should have scored at least one more try, but at the break we were leading by only 7 points to 0. We came back on the pitch with a desire to win the game, and we did just that. We scored five more tries to seal it. In our next match, the team's morale was high. But we let in five tries, the team got disheartened, and communication, handling and tackling were very poor. We worked hard on these aspects in the following games, without much success. In particular, the team was still not communicating well on the pitch. When we went to Dulwich, however, our game was much improved. With a try in the first minute things were looking good, and three more tries followed. Against Epsom we played well in the first half but not quite well enough. We were losing 0-14. But we came back in the second half. With the wind behind us and playing downhill, we scored two converted tries in two minutes to give us a very big boost and bring us level. We were playing well, but we conceded a try in the last minute to lose 14-19. Although we lost heavily to a good Cranleigh side, our final match, a good victory against Sevenoaks, was very encouraging. The team would like to thank Mr Cook for helping the backs with moves and handling, Mr Smallman who worked hard and well to improve our forwards, Mr Wood for coaching the first part of the season, and especially Mr Cameron Mitchell who took over in the second half of the season, for giving a lot of allround support and making us want to win. Looking back on the season, although we played a fair number of our games very well, we feel we could have done better and hope to do so next year. PAUL VALENTE AND THOMAS BROOKS. Those who played most regularly for the team were: Kirill Pestoun, Thomas Andrews, Thomas Brooks, Dominik Soanes, Matthew Pollock, Akinola Soyode-Johnson, William Everett, Anthony Teale, Timothy Walker, Christopher Cray, Paul Valente, Conrad Baker, Alexis Gibbs, George Brooke (Captain), Harry Twigg, James Audsley, Jonathan Lynes. RESULTS Played 10, Won 3, Drawn 0, Lost 7. Points for 106, points against 280. v Duke ofYork's (A). Won 38-0. v Eastbourne (H). Lost 0-33 . v StJohn 's, Leatherhead (A). Lost 14-51. v K.C.S., Wimbledon (H). Lost 0-54. v Bishop's Stortford H.S. (A). Lost 0-19. v Dulwich (A) . Won 20-16. v Tonbridge (H). Lost 0-24. v Epsom (H). Lost 14-19. v Cranleigh (A). Lost 0-52. v Sevenoaks (H). Won 20-12.

Tristan Willis (with ball), Will Young, Tom Steibelt, Freddie Clough. (Vanessa Li.)

In the second row Torn Steibelt and Freddie Clough worked well around the field and both made telling contributions. An awesome front row of Tristan Willis, Leo Nathan and Alexander Ancock represented the modem face of rugby. All three were totally involved both in attack and defence and Alexander proved to be very hard to put down, scoring in every game he played. Chris Mullens also added some grit to the pack when free from injury. A half-back pairing of Harry Wellesley-Wesley and Stuart Finlayson grew in confidence and started to control games competently, linking with the strong running and hard tackling Harry Winner who the opposition found very difficult to pin down. James Ellis proved to be another competent centre when available, but repeated injuries left the team wondering if he had taken a particular liking to one of the san nurses. Felix Bottomley improved hugely on the wing and stifled many opposition attacks, as did Tom Colvin; whilst Stuart Rau, Alade Williams and Quincy Allan all ran powerfully with ball in hand. In many ways the team's attitude was ideal. They were keen to win and bitterly disappointed to lose, but between them there was a good sense of humour and they learnt a great deal about many aspects of the game which can only improve their future performances. They will undoubtedly get better and should develop into a strong side. TOBY HAYES AND R.P.C. Team from: Alexander Ancock, Leo Nathan, Tristan Willis, Tom Steibelt, Freddie Clough, Will Young, Alex Perry, Chris Mullens, Toby Hayes (Captain) , Harry Wellesley-Wesley, Stuart Finlayson, Harry Winner, James Ellis, Quincy Allan, Stuart Rau, Felix Bottomley, Tom Colvin, Alade Williams.

v v

v v v v

v v

v v v v

RESULTS Played 12, Won 7, Lost 5. Points for 231, against 200. Duke ofYork's (A). Won Eastbourne (H). Lost StJohn's, Leatherhead (A). Lost K.C.S., Wimbledon (H). Won Kent College (H). Won Bishop's Stortford H.S. (A). Won St Lawrence, Ramsgate (H). Won Dulwiclt (A). Lost Tonbridge (H). Lost Epsom (H). Lost Cranleigh (A). Won Sevenoaks (H). Won

Under 14 'C' XV 32-14. 17-20. 12-26. 22-7. 13-7. 29-7. 55-12. 5-54. 0-29. 0-19. 7-5. 39-0.

To go through a season without winning a match can be a fairly depressing achievement, though it must be said that, owing to illness and injury, here and higher up, at no time was the team at anything like full strength. This meant, of course, that a number of players who might not have played were given opportunities and the experience will have done them no harm. It must also be said that in each case we were beaten by a better team, that much fine rugby was played and that morale remained high. The records of the first half of the season have, owing to a change at managerial level, been lost; so suffice it to say that

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

speed proved invaluable up front. Emily continued to amaze us with her nifty moves and intelligent play, and she should be congratulated for her well-deserved player of the season award. On the left, Sophie Jones used her reverse side well and created many opportunities.

hard grounds and inability of us and/or opposition to raise a side meant only one game was played. Thereafter we had a jolly good game against Whitgift, were massacred by Tonbridge, were actually leading at one point against Epsom until ten minutes' lunacy put us too far behind, and lasted the course against Sevenoaks, ending the season with a spell of three or four minutes' inventive and resourceful rugby that resulted in everything but a score. We were generally beaten by pace, strength and stamina; so all we need to do next year is speed up, get stronger and get fitter. Many players became versatile at changing position from match to match, or even during the course of a game. Mark Bacon always looked a threat on the wing, if he ever got the ball, and scored several super tries. Rupert Colchester had a lot of fun, George Symonds tackled superbly, Will Barratt urged his forwards forward and eventually developed a very serviceable pass and Tom Pritchard proved quite a satisfactory fly-half until injury put him out for the rest of the season. Of the forwards David Ellis, Dan O'Donoghue, Edward Bradley and Stephen Wetherell looked the best, and it is significant that the only time all four played together was the closest we got to winning. Mr Reid's ability in arranging referees meant that the manager never had to display his knees on a Saturday, which meant he was able to indulge himself in many a cheerful conversation with our large and loyal band of supporters. Winning is nice, but if you can't do that you might as well have fun . G.D.W. Team from: Tom Andrews, Mark Bacon, Will Barratt (Captain) , Edward Bradley, Alex Brentna11, James Bushell, Rupert Colchester, Max Colchester, Harry Devenish, James Dickins, Piers Edmondson, David Ellis, William Harbottle, Tom Lyons, Dan O'Donoghue, Tom Pritchard (Captain), Charles Rix, Matthew Spurway, George Symonds, Tim Trillo, Stephen Wetherell, Chris White. RESULTS Played 5, Lost 5. Points for 34, against 208. 5-22. Lost v St. John's, Leatherhead (A). 17-32. v Whitgift (A). Lost 0-52. v Tonbridge (A). Lost 12-51. v Epsom (H). Lost 0-51. v Sevenoaks (H). Lost

In midfield, Louise proved a key player, distributing balls well to the forwards and toying with her opponents as she dodged past them time and time again. Sophie Chapman supported well and was always in the right place to see each cross into the back of the goal. Such a goal came in the last thirteen seconds of the final of the John Taylor Tournament to take us into penalty flicks. What perfect timing! As a newcomer, Daisy slotted well into the team and proved flexible in her positioning. She was always willing to get stuck in and came up with some brilliant shots from the edge of the D. Addie also switched around the midfield line-up and produced some well-aimed crosses when necessary. Katherine (alias M.G.) formed the centre of our defence. Her tackling was always cleanly done and well timed, and her hard hit often got us out of trouble. When needed, however, she pushed up and caused havoc amongst the opposition's defence. All in all, she left me (as sweeper) very little to do, but when taxed we worked well together. The rest of the defence consisted of Nancy, Ellie, Nikki and Emily Hague in goal. Nancy's unending determination and enthusiasm continued to impress us all , whilst Ellie proved a strong defender as well as enjoying playing midfield on occasions. Nikki switched in when necessary and caused many problems for the opposition's attackers. In goal, Emily saved us on many occasions and she soon started to perfect her dives . She proved herself invaluable in the John Taylor Tournament by saving the last penalty flick that resulted in us taking home the well-deserved trophy. Our best hockey was definitely played in this tournament. We had a tough draw, but played some brilliant hockey, especially in the quarterfinal against Kent College and the semi-final against Simon Langton - a very rewarding win. In a nerve-wracking final versus Sevenoaks we eventually won on penalty flicks. This wasn't the only tournament that we won, however. Earlier in the term, the team proved that they didn't need their captain after all and won the Plumptre Tournament in my absence. Congratulations should also go to those who played in the Under 16s Kent tournament, which they convincingly won before going on to do well in the East Section. Our success at penalty corners has always come just when needed. With Sophie Chapman pushing out, Louise stopping and Katherine striking, many a ball hit the backboard. Emma provided both the 'dummy' and on occasions a more complex 'slip' sequence. In fact, it was only Brentwood that prevented us from being unbeaten. Although we played well, they were a very good team, and played like a club squad rather than a school one. In the end we lacked the aggression to defeat them ... but there's always next year!

Girls' Hockey 1st XI

I have thoroughly enjoyed being the Captain of such a determined and all-round great team, and look forward to next season. It is only left to say a huge thank you to Mrs Lawrence who has, as always, been an inspiration to us all. We are incredibly grateful for her time, commitment and coaching throughout the tour and the season, and wish both her and Mr Lawrence the best of luck with the forthcoming addition to their family. JULIA WHARFE.

Having tremendously enjoyed the tour to South Africa and Zimbabwe over the summer, we were keen to start the season as we meant to go on. Everyone's hockey had improved enormously during the tour and pre-tour training, and this improvement continued as the season progressed. In the meantime we made some sort of history in girls' hockey at King's, by coming very close to an unbeaten season as well as winning two tournaments. The season started well with a convincing win against St Lawrence. In the following few matches our forwards and midfield were to show us just how many goals they could score in one match with scores reaching 13-0 against Sir Roger Manwood's. The 'high' forwards generally consisted of Emma, Timmy, Emily Perkin and Sophie Jones. As time went by, they managed to 'hit that back line' more and more. Emma remained as reliable as ever and continued to do her 'fiddly stuff' around any defender that dared to challenge her. She also scored and set up some impressive goals and worked well with everyone she played with. Timmy's skills continued to improve and her

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

Team from: Temitayo Akindele, Adela Bottomley, Sophie Chapman, Nancy Colchester*, Jennifer Dutton, Emily Hague, Emma Hayes*, Sophie Jones , Eliana Katsiaouni , Katherine Letts*, Daisy Lloyd-Smith, Nicola Murch, Emily Perkin*, Louise Squires (Vice-Captain)*, Julia Wharfe (Captain)*.

* Denotes first colours. Also played: Julia Dawes, Sarah Martin. County Honours: Nicola Murch (Kent Under 17), Emma Hayes (Kent Under 16).

Girls Hockey 1st XI Daisy LloydSmith. (M.J. T)

Sophie Jones and Sophie Chapman. (M.J.T)

Louise Squires, Adela Bottomley and Sophie Chapman. (M..J. T)

Emma Hayes and Daisy Lloyd-Smith. (M..J.T)

Sophie Chapman, Sophie Jones and Nancy Colchester. (M..J. T)

Adela Bottomley and Louise Squires. (M.J. T)

RESULTS (including tournaments) Played 29, Won 18, Lost 1, Drawn 10. Goals for 90, against 19. v St Lawrence (A). Won Â· v Ashford (H). Won Plumptre Tournament v Brentwood v Sevenoaks v Tonbridge G.S. v Epsom v Q.E. Faversham v High worth

v Sir Roger Manwood's v Dover Gollege

(H). (H).

K. WH.A. Under 18 Tournament v Holy Trinity v Invicta

v Sutton Valence v Tonbridge G.S. v Cranbrook v Cranbrook v Bryanston v Sutton Valence v City of London Freemen's

4-1. 11-1.

Winners Drawn Drawn Won Won Won Won Won Won

0-0. 1-1. 1-0. 3-0. 10-0. 8-2. 13-0. 8-0.

Won Won

6-0. 2-0.

(H). (H).

(A). (A).

John Taylor Tournament v Invicta v Croydon H.S . v Tunbridge Wells G.G.S. v Christ's Hospital v Sutton Valence v Kent College v Simon Langton G.G.S. v Sevenoaks v Brentwood v Kent College

(H). (H).

Drawn Drawn Drawn

0-0. 2-2. 0-0.

Drawn Drawn Drawn Won

2-2. 1-1. 1-1. 3-1.

Winners Won Drawn Won Won Won Won Won Won

1-0. 0-0. 1-0. 2-0. 1-0. 2-0. 1-0. 3-2.

Lost Drawn

2-4. 1-1.

THE-CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

Thank you to all the players for keeping sp1nts up throughout the season and making it an interesting one. Special thanks go to Mrs Pickering who always had faith in us even if we were 4-0 down. Thank you. FLEUR MOES.

2nd XI Another unbeaten season for the sensational 2nd XI! The backs pushed well from behind - Mills with her stunning straight-down-the-line hits and Lucy and Kate with their quick and effective free-hits, leaving the opposition dazed and confused. The halves were the strength of the 2nds, especially Alice (the player of the season). Regardless of our lack of a secure right-midfield, Sarah Hubbard-Ford, Jessie and Mills all managed to fill the gap effectively. Lucy, Kate and Meg formed the dynamic trio down the left wing and always guaranteed Toro, Sarah Hubbard-Ford or Sarah Clarke an attempt at goal. Special mention should go to George, who made some brilliant saves and proved to be invaluable. SARAH CLARKE.

Team from: Ophelia Beer, Tessa Dain, Alex Elliott, Caroline Gentles, Camilla Jelbart, Fleur Moes (Captain), Megan Morris, Rhiannon Newman-Brown, Vicky Perry, Laura Phillips, Jean Richardson (Vice-Captain), Lindsay Sharp, Philippa Townsend, Lottie Tydeman, Jessica White. RESULTS Played 6, Won 0, Lost 6. Goals for 2, against 14. (A). v Epsom Lost 0- 1. v King's, Rochester (H). 1-2. Lost (H). v Sevenoaks 0-4. Lost (H). 0-1. v Westgate Ladies Lost (A). v Duke ofYork's 1-2. Lost (A). v Brentwood 0-4. Lost Coach's footnote: This was the last team I have had the pleasure of being associated with at King's and a real pleasure it has been. 'Coach' is a misnomer this season as I was able to take training sessions less frequently than once a week and was not able to umpire all the team's games. The spirit of the team was exemplified in the very last match of the season. They played their hearts out right up to the very last whistle, disregarding the mounting score against them and, moreover, they really did look as if they were enjoying themselves. Most improved player of the season was Jean, who stepped into the goalie's position in the absence of other takers and, in spite of constant problems of getting the right protective equipment together, improved (literally) in leaps and bounds. Player of the season was Fleur, and my special thanks go to her for captaining with such sense and sensitivity, and for leading by example on the field. Very many thanks to all the squad and the very best of luck to them for their future. J.D.P.

Team from: Sarah Clarke*, Anne Davies, Katherine Emary*, Jessica Gulland*, Sarah Hubbard-Ford*, Camilla Jackson*, Adetoro Ogundoyin, Danielle Rowe, Lucy Traill*, Madeleine Tyler*, Alice Walker*, Georgina Zucchini-Watts*. Also played: Sarah Martin, Nicola Murch.

v v v v v

v v

* Denotes second RESULTS Played 9, Won 7 , Lost 0, Drawn 2. Goals for 40, against 6. St Lawrence (H). Won Sevenoaks Drawn (H). Ashford Won (A). Won Sir Roger Manwood's (H). Cranbrook Won (H). St Edmund's Won (H). City of London Freemen's (A). Drawn Eastbourne Won (H). (A). Kent College Won

colours.

4-1. 1-1. 3- 1. 5-0. 5- 1. 4-2. 0-0. 11-0. 7-0.

Under 15 'A' XI After an unbeaten season last year we were determined to keep our record, and we got the season off to a good start by beating St Lawrence 5-0. Caroline Hollywood justified her promotion from the 'B's by some strong midfield play in the Highworth match, and we breezed through the fixtures in the first half of term, with the other midfielders (Laura Elliott, Clemmie Wellesley-Wesley, Rachel Heslop and Amy Mansell) showing some excellent skill in the Cranbrook match, which we won 3-1. We came back from half-term unfit, but Julia Dawes pulled us through the St Edmund's match, scoring three of our four goals. The first real challenge came in the Under 16 County Champions Sutton Valence match, where Remi Sijuwade Left foreground: Temitayo Akindele (Captain) and Antonia Dixey saved the day in the back Front row: Emma Hayes, Katherine Letts, Sophie Chapman line, but Harriet Torry was always ready when Second row: Julia Dawes, Adela Bottomley, Anne Davies the ball did get through. In appalling weather Third row: Adetoro Ogundoyin, Tessa van den Hout, Georgina Zucchini-Watts conditions - thick low cloud which reduced Fourth row: Sophia Gold, Amy Mansell, Olulamisola Akindele visibility to half a pitch - we managed to hold (with acknowledgements to The Kentish Gazette) them to a 0-0 draw, though we did our best up front, with Karen Smith and Lami Akindele swapping wings in order to create confusion among their backs. 3rd XI In all our games Sophia Gold had unlimited energy, turning up in attack or defence as the flow of the game demanded, and it In traditional thirds style we had an enjoyable season full of was a fitting climax to her efforts that she scored in the Kent fun. Unfortunately, we did not actually win any of our six College match on the last Saturday of term. Tessa van den Hout matches, but we did play exceptionally well - especially paired with Julia Dawes in the central attack, and she proved considering that four out of the six games were played against unstoppable in game after game with her powerful strike. The first team opposition. A very strong team was built up over the end result was that we kept our unbeaten record at the end of season, skills were acquired and good theory put into practice.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

100

Footnote I should like to add my congratulations to both teams. Mrs Fox and I actively enjoyed the coaching this term and the tremendous success of the team was largely due to the positive and extremely co-operative work of everyone during training. Everyone's skills improved markedly in the course of the term, and although at times we were stretched by illness and the surrender of our best players to the Under 16 Cup team, those in the team always rose to the challenge and played with enthusiasm and confidence. For the record, the team which lost against T.W.G.G.S. consisted of four 'A' team players, the remainder being 'B' team and Under 14 players, and can therefore I think be legitimately considered an anomaly. This game aside, every result was well deserved, and the versatility and stamina of the players stood them in good stead. The Under 15 Cup team remains unbeaten, and we play Eastboume in the fourth round of the competition at the start of the Lent term. All three U14 players in this team have made their contribution felt, and the result against Brentwood in particular was excellent: we were I think the only King's team to win against them that day. Well done, and thank you all, 'A's and 'B 's alike, for a satisfying and successful season. P.A.L.-B.

the season - a real achievement. We had a great season, and special thanks must go to Mr Lee-Browne and Mrs Fox for their help and coaching. REMI SIJUWADE AND SOPHIA GOLD. Team: Karen Smith, Julia Dawes, Tessa van den Hout, Lami Akindele, Clemmie Wellesley-Wesley, Caroline Hollywood, Laura Elliott, Amy Mansell, Sophia Gold, Rachel Heslop, Remi Sijuwade, Harriet Torry. Also played: Antonia Dixey, Talia Radford, Abigail Peel, Chrissy Stoodley. RESULTS Played 12, Won 10, Lost 1, Drawn 1. Goals for 41, against 7. v StLawrence (A). Won 5-0. v Highworth (H). Won 4-2. v Croydon H.S. Won 2-0. v Q. E. Faversham Won 5-0. v Sir Roger Manwood's (A). Won 5-1. v Dover College (H). Won 13- 1. v Cranbrook (H). Won 3-1. v St Edmund's (A). Won 4-0 . v Sutton Valence (A). Drawn 0-0. v Tunbridge Wells G.G.S. Lost 0-2. v City of London Freemen's (H). Won 2-0. v Kent College (A). Won 8-0.

Under 14 'A' XI

All England Hockey Association Women's Under 15 Cup: v Weald of Kent G.S. Won 10-0. v Q. E. Faversham Won 7-0. v Brentwood Won 2-0. Team: Tessa van den Hout, Lami Akindele, Caroline Hollywood, Amy Mansell, Sophia Gold, Rachel Heslop, Remi Sijuwade, Vicki Sully, Antonia Dixey, Talia Radford, Isabelle Chapman, Suzy Gentles, Alex Fielding.

Early on in the term the Shell hockey squad impressively took an attacking stance with four consecutive wins, totting up nine goals in only three weeks. Even dreadful weather at Cranbrook did not put the girls off: instead singing was heard in the bushes by the pitch! Captained by Kent under-14 forward Isabelle Chapman, the team had a battle on their hands at Brentwood, their toughest opposition this term. Some of the squad's best hockey was witnessed on that night - superb distribution from Alex Fielding and mid-field support by Lottie Sterck, and again the pouring rain did not dampen the team spirit. During this match Claudia Wilmot-Smith suffered concussion and has been unable to play since. Unfortunately the 'A's lost their final match of the season to local rivals Kent College, who capitalised on our weakened, exam-exhausted team, beating us 3-1; Ellie Powell-Jackson converting a penalty stroke in the last minute. N .R.D.

County Honours: Olulamisola Akindele (Kent Under 15).

-- under 15 'B' XI This term the Under 15 'B's had a successful season, winning the majority of their matches. Altogether we played nine matches, drawing two, winning three and losing three, and scored a healthy total of 15 goals in the course of the season, thanks mainly to the efforts of the forwards: Emma Van Allan, Daisy Greenwell, Annabel Martin and Emily Gomersall. We played together as a team very well, and once we got possession we were often able to make the most of our opportunities and take the ball into the opponents' D and have a shot at goal. Perhaps the most memorable match was the 70 win against Cranbrook. On this occasion our left winger, Annabel Martin scored four goals in a row in practically no time at all. We also owe a lot to the goalkeeper, Vicki Sully, who let in only nine goals in the entire season. So, much praise due all round, and many thanks for an enjoyable term 's hockey. EMILY GOMERSALL. Team: Annabel Martin, Daisy Greenwell, Emma Van Allan, Emily Gomersall, Talia Radford, Abigail Peel, Chrissy Stoodley, Antonia Dixey, Sarah Johnson, Victoria Lloyd, Vicki Sully. RESULTS Played 8, Won 3, Lost 3, Drawn 2. Goals for 17, against 9. v Epsom (H). Drawn 0-0. v Ashford (H). Lost 0-2. v King's Rochester (H). Won 4-0. v Ursu~~e College (A). Won 4-0. v Cranorook (H). Won 7-0. v Duke ofYork's (H). Lost 1-2. Drawn 0-0. v City of London Freemen's (H). v Eastbourne (H). Lost 1-5.

Team from: Isabelle Chapman (Captain), Suzanne Gentles, Victoria Parrish, Eleanor Powell-Jackson, Alex Fielding, Lottie Sterck, Elizabeth Milligan, Anna Baldwin, Claudia WilmotSmith, Serena Perkins, Annabel James, Samantha Brown, Jessica Bain.

Isabelle Chapman. (M.J.T.)

101

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

v v v

v v

v v v

RESULTS Played 8, Won 4, Lost 4, Drawn 1. Goals for 11, against 9. Top goal-scorer: Isabelle Chapman 5. Q.E. Faversham (H). Won Tunbridge Wells G.G.S. (H). Won Sir Roger Manwood's (A). Won Cranbrook (A). Won Brentwood (A). Lost Sutton Valence (H). Lost City of London (H). Drawn Kent College (H). Lost

place (much to Alex Reeve's annoyance). Alex came twelfth overall, third in S3 and 118, hotly followed by Dave Sprakewho came fourth in S3 and fifth in 118. Jonny Burr, Ed Everett, James Graham and Jack Kelly came third, fifth, sixth and ninth respectively in novice singles; whilst congratulations go to Rebecca Snow who won both Women's S3 and 118 categories, followed by Claire Baldwin in second position. Finally Corrie Stirling-Aird, the only 116 brave enough to face her singles race, came a very respectable third in Women's 118. We were all very disappointed by Mr Brookin who, having sworn to us that he would continue the King's tradition of falling in at Maidstone, returned completely dry, in eighteenth position. Unfortunately, we lost James Shattock at this point in term. His back has been bothering him for some months now and it was finally decided that continued rowing would result in serious and permanent damage to the man's back. The next event was Kingston Junior Fours' Head. The coxed four had an extremely good race, beating an Eton four and coming second to St Edward's, The women's quad had an equally good race, stomling the course and claiming a resounding victory over their counterparts. It was the first race of the season for the girls' 115 coxed quad who had a good race but couldn't quite match the tediously good L.E.H. Meanwhile, Frances Houghton raced in The Pairs' Head of the River in a double. Before half-term we had Weighbridge Silver Sculls. The Houghton/Martin double had an impressive row, coming first, followed by Baldwin/Snow in second place. Frances also competed in Women's Open Singles and came third by 5 seconds. In Junior Men's Doubles Alex and Dave came second, followed by Everett and Kelly who came a respectable sixth. The Graham and Burr combination came third in Novice Doubles. Men's Singles saw a range of results from Dave Sprake in seventh to Jonny Burr in twentieth place, whilst in Women's Singles, Becca came second and Claire came 3rd. Zoe Jagelman achieved her first win in Women's 116 Singles, for which she was duly congratulated. At about this point in the term we lost Ken to Cross Country. His resignation was made public by an eloquent and really quite entertaining note which was signed Âˇanonymously. The half-term also saw the birth of the of Boat Club Website at <http:\\www.users.dircon.co.uk\~ekelly\k:scbc> which we hope will soon provide useful information to parents. Paralleling the site is a small booklet containing maps, a guide to rowing and other such useful articles, which will (we hope) be published by Spring 1998. After a refreshing break, the quad was ready to race in the Fours' Head of the River. They were racing against senior quads, yet achieved a more than respectable seventh place. This was followed by Kingston Small Boats, where Sarah Martin and Frances Houghton won their double - which was nice. Next on the roller-coaster ride that is the rowing calendar was Pangbourne. The men's quad came sixth, whilst the women's quad came a frustrating second (which is a first!) to stiff competition from Headington. The women's 116 quad had a cracker of a race, finishing in second place. In singles, Frances had an impressive race against her World's counterpart, Miss Stewart. The glorious end of the season arrived in the form of Hampton. The synergetic Houghton/Martin combination proved yet again to be rather good, beating the rest of their category (Women's Junior 17 Doubles) by 41 seconds, which is not to be sniffed at. Frances also came first in Women's Junior Singles. Snow and Baldwin came second in Women's Junior Doubles. Zoe Jagelman and Katarina Weir came fourth in their double. Zoe also raced in a single, finishing sixth. The boys raced in a mixture of s~ngles and doubles. Finally, thanks must go the Mr Lawrence (Head of Boats), Mr Parker and Mr Reilly for their unending support and encouragement. Thanks also go to Mr Churcher for his backup, and to the Boat Club engineer I pioneer/ genius/ everythingand-anything, marvellous Mr Willis. DANIEL KELLY. [Correction. Unfortunately, Dorian Soanes was omitted in our last issue from the list of those who represented the School in the 1997 115 eight. Ed.]

2-0. 4-0. 2-0. 1-0. 1-2. 0-4. 0-0. 1-3.

Under 14 'B' XI A number of the girls that played for the U14 'B' side this season began with little or no previous hockey experience. It was therefore fantastic to see the improvement in individual skills during the season, and the enjoyment the 'B' side has had playing. Particularly in the last few games, especially versus Sevenoaks, the 'B' team showed tremendous unity and an increasing degree of team work which was great to see. Congratulations to all the forwards who scored a goal each in the 4-0 win against Cranbrook. Amy Marshall as our top goal-scorer was invaluable on the left wing, and Mishka Adams a very consistent player in the mid-field. Thank you to Victoria Anderson our Captain, who plays with 100 per cent effort at all times. N.R.D. Team from: Amy Marshall, Emily Berry, Victoria Symington, Monica Mark, Mishka Adams, Melissa Macan, Katie Redstone, Louise Pracey-Smith, Georgina Herdman, Victoria Anderson (Captain), Orlanda Elliott, Anna Holmes, Karen Siu, Elizabeth Hurst, Emma-Louise Edmondson, Alessandra Russell. RESULTS Played 10, Won 5, Lost 4, Drawn 1. Goals for 13, against 10. Top goal-scorer: Amy Marshall 7. Won 2-0. v Barton Court (H). v Ashford (A). Lost 1-3. v Cranbrook (A). Won 4-0. v Highworth (A). Won 2-0. v Brentwood (A). Lost 0-1. v Duke ofYork's (A). Lost 0-1. v Sevenoaks (A). Won 3-0. v Kent College (A). Won 2-0. v City of London (H). Drawn 0-0. v Wellesley (H). Lost 0-5.

The Boat Club It has been an unusual term for the Boat Club. Our rowing performance has varied schizophrenically and life off the water has echoed this. Within days of our return from the heady experiences of Summer there were already rumours that half the Club were to give the sport up. These quickly faded into the adrenalin-fuelled work programme on and off water, and by the first regatta everyone looked set to stay with the sport. The christening regatta just mentioned was Maidstone Sculls. By this point we had already lost Pete Sharp, who had developed tendonitis. Everyone, including Pete's physiotherapist, was confident that the problem would only last a few days, but unfortunately the poor man spent the vast majority of the season out of a boat: we can only hope that he will be back to full effect by next season. At Maidstone we were rejoined by Ed Sterck, who raced a single at Senior 3 in Pete's place and secured a satisfying second

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

102

London, whose control and shooting dominated the game, and scored a comfortable victory margip. of 23-8: My. thanks to R.C.W., Brett Cameron and Claire Reed for the1r ass1stance and refereeing. PaolA TR 25 SH v 15 MT MO v w/o MT 6 TR v 16 SH 24 v MO 21 MT v SH w/o TR 22 v MO 13

Basketball Girls: A regular squad of players have been training during Thursday lunch-time under the guidance of S.K.L. and Claire Reed (Recreation Centre Manager). Their skills and awareness have improved greatly, along with the accuracy of shooting. It is hoped that they will have an inter-school fixture soon. There will be an Open Competition between the girls' Houses next term along with the junior boys' inter-House competition.

Boys: The Senior Competition followed last year's format of two pools of four Houses, each House then playing each other. Unfortunately, on three occasions Houses failed to raise a team which causes inconvenience. Nevertheless, Tradescant as winner of Group A lost to The Grange, runners up of B, and Marlowe overcame School House to the other semi-final. The final was notable for the absence of several players due to clashes with other events and Marlowe certainly missed the towering presence of Mathew Lister while Grange had Sam

MR LN GR MR GR GL

20 7 30 12 19 16

Pool B v v v v v v

8 10 0 7 20 21

GL GR GL LN MR LN

TR SH

13 9

Semi- Finals v v

21 13

GR MR

Final v

MR S.E.A.

QUEEN

London . Cambridge

BUSINESS SKILLS TRAINING FOR SCHOOL LEA VERS & GAP YEAR STUDENTS

* * *

Text & Word Processing Shorthand Internet

* * * *

Computer Applications Business Administration Career Development Marketing, PR & Advertising

* * *

Keyboarding E-mail Mailmerge

23% VOCATIONAL TAX RELIEF Queen's Marlborough College Bateman Street CAMBRIDGE CB21LU 01223 367016

Queen's Business & Secretarial College 24 Queensberry Place LONDON SW72DS 0171 589 8583

103

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 1997

THE O.K.S. ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT'S REPORT What a year! Much has happened in the twelve months since I last wrote some notes for The Cantuarian. During this time there have been two main themes to O.K.S. activity. The first was to celebrate 1997. A year ago our plans were being fine tuned - now they are a reality of the past. The Banquet at the Banqueting House in Whitehall at the end of March was notable for its splendour, the attendance of the Dean, Mrs Newell, Peter Pilkington, Anthony Phillips and the President of the King's Parramatta Old Boys' Union, and the first appearance of Keith Wilkinson at an O.K.S. function- and what an impression he made. The Ball at St Augustine's followed in early July, a most appropriate location for the first such function organised by the O.K.S. for many years. And finally, in November, the Service in the Cathedral followed by Lunch in the Shirley Hall, perhaps the highlight of the year's celebrations. The Quire was crammed to overflowing for a service by the Dean with much of the music composed and conducted and all of it performed by O.K.S. of all generations; that was a truly memorable sermon [seep. 11] preached by Canon Roger Symon, my first Head Boy - as it was in those days! Thereafter, the Headmaster hosted lunch and the fact that the last O.K.S. left the Hall at 5.00 p.m. says it all! It was very encouraging that the celebrations were supported throughout by so many O.K.S. - young and not so young- and a particular pleasure that, in one way or another, O.K.S. music contributed so much to all of them. And they were a great opportunity for the O.K.S. to get to know Keith Wilkinson, who delighted us all with his wit and humo!}r. By their nature and location the 1997 events helped us further our second theme, that of developing ever closer relations with the School. (This may sound a surprising theme, but relations have not always been close, and much of the early impetus for the recent changes is due to Anthony Phillips.) O.K.S. activity in Canterbury has long included Careers Day, Gaudies, and sports fixtures against the School. More recently, the O.K.S. King's Week Cocktail Party, February Committee Meetings in Lattergate and September Sports Day on Blores have been added to the list. This year, rather than hold our Annual General Meeting and Dinner in London, we propose to hold both in Canterbury on Saturday 21st March, with lunch rather than dinner following the A.G.M. We hope that all of these developments will be to the benefit of both the School and Association. As to the future, we now need to build on the participation of the O.K.S. Community in the events of the past year, and improve communications further with both O.K.S. and School. The new O.K.S. Calendar will, in future, be produced and updated three times a year, and include a number of School as well as O.K.S. events. The O.K.S. Annual Review will be widely distributed among the School Community. A database is being developed jointly with the School, and full advantage will be taken of the involvement in O.K.S. affairs of both the Bursar and O.K.S. Common Room representative Nick Phillis. Much of the responsibility for implementing the communications will fall on the shoulders of the new O.K.S. Administrator Pat Hopkins, who takes up her post in No. 25 The Precincts officially on lst April. With her long involvement with events in the School, as well as her skills and loyalty, she will be able to play a key role in the O.K.S. team- and we are very fortunate to have her on it. I have said before, but it needs repeating, that the future of any organisation rests with new blood. There is, in particular, always a place and warm welcome for any young O.K.S. who would like to help in the Association. If the idea of becoming involved with the O.K.S. strikes a chord, particularly with those of you due to leave this summer, do please get in touch with me or Pat Hopkins, or any of those already involved. Finally, a word on Peter Stone who becomes a Governor of the School at the end of 1997. I knew Peter when we were in Walpole, and I am not surprised in the slightest that the Governing Body have opted to use his considerable talents for the future benefit of the School. Many congratulations from the O.K.S. to an O.K.S. PETER VENN, O.K.S. PRESIDENT.

THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN

1997

104

THE CANTUARIAN

LENT AND SUMMER TERMS 1998

THE CANTUARIAN VOL. LXII No.2

LENT AND SUMMER TERMS, 1998

CONTENTS PAGE

EDITORIAL

106

THIS AND THAT

lOB

SERMONS

117

OBITUARIES

120

VALETE

122

POINTS OF VIEW

129

FOCUS

136

EXPEDITIONS

142

CORRESPONDENCE

151

IMAGINATIVE WRITING

152

REPORTS AND REVIEWS MUSIC

160

DRAMA

164

TALKS

169

SOCIETIES AND ACTIVITIES

175

SPORT

188

SPEECH DAY

232

KING'S WEEK

241

THE CANTUARIAN

Editor: Alexandra Davies Deputy Editor: Roland Phillips Editorial Commillee: James Brilliant, Laura Cameron, Thomas Davidson, Monica Filby, Victoria Hunt, Charlotte Inglis, Zhi Hao Oon (Photography), Caroline Page. Senior Editor: M. J. Tennick, B.A. 105

THE CANTUARIAN, LENT

SUl\l\lER 1998

EDITORIAL Isn't it bizarre the way eavesdropping can provide such marvellous insights into life? Walking recently behind esteemed members of stail (who shall, of course, remain anonymous), I was amused and mildly irritated to hear one give a satisfied sigh, thoughtfully scratch his chin, and remark 'Yes, it docs always amaze me the way each

1\\10

generation thinks they're new and original. They can't know that

\VC

sec exactly the same things year after year.'

These two paragons of dignity and \visdol11 were, onc can only presume, speaking of LIS, the illustrious, industrious and brilliantly innovative members of the King's School, Canterbury. At first I was self-righteously olltraged at the \vorld-\veary tone with which we were disparaged, How could any previous year possibly have suffered the stress that we have suffered oh-so-nobly, with half such finesse') De'pite uninformed allegations in the papers, exams most certainly have not been getting easier, and no previous year can have endured slich terrors over irnminent exams with an iota of our grace, It was then that I realised that those veritable spouts of exam-trouncing knowledge really hm'f! 'seen it all' (if you'll excuse the shocking cliche). This year the School celebrates its fourteen hundred and first anniversary; during which time inestimable satchel-fuls of masters and pupils have pottered through these buildings. While \ve all might roll our eyes when our parents enthuse over how lucky we are to work in such a beautiful, historical environment how could they say that about the Classics block') - they are, of course, right. We are terribly fortunate to go to 'such a quaint school' (an eave dropped by an American tourist), to have the Cathedral for our chapel, and such history about us. So v.,.'hile each year \ve swear that the French tourists have become even more inane. the exams even more horrendous, and the Powers That Be even more unjust, there is, of course, very little difference from (wenty, ninety, even one thousand four hundred and one years ago. Each year, 160 or so members of 6a leave the school. splendidly garbed in the Court Dress worn (in the case of the boys) for decades, each reacly to make their own, highly exotic and enviable mark on the \lv'orld that has seen four hundred thousand years' worth of Humans blaze through. It has been said that there is no longer such a thing as Originality: this was disproved by those leavers a fev-,! years ago \vho pinned a bed sheet inscribed 'For Sale' on the Cathedral. and more positively by the original achievements of so many of the 1998 leaven; and the plans hatched for their gap-year. I hereby challenge you all to be original. Go on, make your own blaze on the record!

Bria1l/111: King's IVeek cyc!enwlI, (Ro/alld Phillips)

THE C\NTUARlr\N. Lb\'T

SU!\I!\IER 1998

106

Recruiting now for the Next Century The Army wants to attract only the best people. So every year ,J' we offer some powerful incentives to consider an Army 'I, career. As an Officer you'll be trained in a wide variety of skills - some technical, some management

- but all require team leadership which will be invaluable whether you decide to stay in the Army or eventually follow a civilian career. Now have a look at what the Army can do for you - if you start early.

At 15-16 (before the sixth form)

At 17-18 (before University)

Compete for an Army Scholarship and earn £350

Apply for an Army Cadetship or Bursary to finance

per term while studying for your 'N levels. £500

you through University, and guarantee yourself a

per term at University, and guarantee yourself a

challenging career. Every year, 30 Cadets are

great career.

awarded sponsorship which totals up to £25,000 each during their degree course. Bursars are awarded £1,500 per year.

Or For Your Gap Year Find out how exciting an Army Career can really be by joining us for your Gap Year before University with no commitment. We'll pay you while you travel and face challenges both mental and physical. You'll learn as much about yourself as you do about us.

TO BE THE BEST, START EARLY --------------------------------------------~ For full details of Army Sponsorship schemes see your Head of Careers to make an appointment with your Army Careers Adviser or post this coupon to ACA (0), 17 Sf. Peter's Street, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2BO The Army welcomes applications from eligible candidates no matter what their marital status, race, ethnic origin or religious belief. The Army is committed to being an Equal Opportunities Employer and has a strict code of conduct covering racial or sexual discrimination and harassment. Meet us on the Internet - hltp://www.army.mod.uk.

NAME.________________________________________

BE THE BEST

ADDRESS.______________________________________

POSTCODE SCHOOL

D.O.B. SPONS

./ '--

~-~l'~~~~~~::~= -~:=-----L----'.-'~--

'Jhis

'Jhat

Mr Frank Stanger, who taught at King's from 1936 to 1969, died last April at the age of 84. We send our condolences to his widow Peggy and his sons Tim (MR 1955-(0) and Michael (MR 1964-69) and his daughter Sarah. Frank Stanger was the first teacher appointed at

Requiescant

King's to teach Physics who \vas properly qualified to do so. His extraordinary gift for design, together with his practical skills, created much of the existing Physics Department. A full obituary appears later in this edition. We were sad to learn in April of the death of Violet Hill, wife of Canon Derek Ingram Hili. after a long illness. Past and present members of staff attended the Solemn Requiem in the Chapel of Our Lady Undercroft on April 22nd. Major-General Arthur Brocklehurst (SH 1919-25) died in January at the agc of 92. Soon after leaving school he was commissioned into the Royal Artillery. He made his name commanding the 30th Field Regiment of the 4th Divisional Artillery during the Italian Campaign in 1944. He later became the last Chief of Staff of Malaya Command, with responsibility for the transfer of operational responsibilities to the Malayan armed forces when the country became independent. His final posting was as deputy commander-in-chief of the British Army of the Rhine. Ronald Ashby (SH 1920-28) followed a distinguished career in the Royal Navy with a spell of some forty years promoting the Norfolk Broads as a holiday region. Throughout this period he lived there on a houseboat which had

been meant to be a temporary home. He died at the age of 87 in March. After leaving school he \vent to work for the family brewery, Benskins, but this clearly did not satisfy him. He set off for the Far East, and was serving in the

R.N.Y.R. in Hong Kong when war broke out. A series of extraordinary adventures took hirn to Rangoon and Calcutta, and he then served in the Coastal Forces, caught up in a hectic series of night actions off the coast of occupied France, and thereafter in the Mediterranean and in India. Small wonder that after the war he decided to settle down in Norfolk, where he bought a boatyard. The houseboat on which he eventually lived for 41 years was

bought from the Navy. One of three generations of O.K.S., Mr Cecil Paris (SH 1925-30) died in April. He was Captain of Cricket at

King's in 1928 and 1929. After leaving school he went into an old-established legal finn in Southampton, where he TilE C,\NTUARIAN. LENT

SUJ\li>.lER

1998

108

remained. He played J 00 first-class matches for Hampshire over seven seasons and eventually became President of Hampshire In 1968 he was appointed as the first chairman of the newly formed Test and County Cricket Board. He was nominated by the Duke of Edinburgh to succeed him as President of the M.C.C. in 1975-76. He became one of the first Life Vice-Presidents when that office was instituted in the early 1980s. Mr Thomas Iremonger (SH 1930-34), colonial officer and politician, died in May, aged 82. When he joined the Colonial Administrative Service after graduating from Oxford, he was posted to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in the Western Pacific. While away in Fi.1i with his wife, who needed medical treatment. he escaped an invasion as a result of which a number of Europeans were beheaded by the Japanese. After the war he became Conservative M.P. for lifOI'd North. He adopted increasingly xenophobic views, but these did not extend to animals: his pet hare was Belgian, and frequently to be seen on a lead with him walking in the West End of London. He sponsored the 1968 OX.S. London Dinner in the House of Commons. In the event, the 186 members who attended had dinner in the !-ÂˇIouse of Lords, as there was no function room in the Commons capable of accommodating such a large number. The death was announced in January of the distinguished diplomat Sir Donald Murray, K.C.VO., C.M.O. (OR 1938-42). From King's he went to serve as a commando in the Royal i\1arines. He was seriously wounded in Holland, and had most of his right leg amputated. After the war he went to read 11istory at Worcester College, Oxford. His first post in the Diplomatie Service was in Warsaw. He went on to serve in the Middle East at the time of the Suez crisis, in Saigon and Teheran in the sixties, and then became Ambassador to Libya and finally to Sweden. In retirement, he came back to live in Kent. A lay reader, he preached many tirnes at Wittersham, where he lived from 1971 until shortly before his death. We reprint on p. 120 the obituary from The Il1depel1del1l by Asa Briggs. Mr Bernard Sindall (SH 1939-40) s]lent only a short time at King's, during which he ran away at lcast twice. After the war he joined Brighton School of Art, and won the Prix de Rome in 1950. After two years studying in Rome, he returned to England and set up as a sculptor. He is responsible for the lettering (though not the text) on the 'Shirley Trees' inscription on the wall by the Oodmersham arch. I-Ie died in March, aged 72. Dr Richard Morris Butler (LX 1942-47) also died in March. He was a King's Scholar, Captain of Rugby, Captain of Athletics and Captain or SchooL After National Service he trained for the medical profession. He became Casualty Officer and Resident Pathologist at St Thomas's Hospital for three years and then went into private practice. In 1972 he became Medical Administrator to the British Heart Foundation. Thereafter he set up a treatment centre for people with alcohol and drug-related problems, and the final words of the address given at his funeral refer to him as a friend and a champion of the sick, the lonely, the disadvantaged and the troubled.

c.c.c.

On February 7th a memorable occasion in the Schoolroom marked the launch of the Ian White-Thomson Memorial Fund which benefits the Choristers of Canterbury Cathedral. A recital in aid of this fund \vas given by the tenor William Kendall (WL 196570) and pianist Roger Job (OR 195155). The latter, himself a former Canterbury Chorister, sought ordination while at Oxford, and after many years' service in the Church he became Precentor at Winchester Cathedral. Here he met William Kendall. who continues to serve as a Lay Clerk despite being much in demand as a freelance tenor. The main work in their recital Was a splendid account of Schumann', DichlerlieiJe, followed by an attractive variety of other songs, including Lieder by Brahms and Schubert and F::dred Hlrighl, Rogel' Jo/), ROllald .Smirh, H/il/iwl1 Kenc/al/. folk-song arrangements by Britten and Grainger. The performance of both artists \vas immaculate, and their sensitive musicianship and complete rapport drew vvarm applause from a large audience, \vhich included some formative influences from the performers' past sLlch as Edred Wright, Ronald Smith and Robert SeotL Three generations of White-Thomsons were on hand to dispense generous hospitality afterwards_

White-Thomson Memorial

109

THE CN-.lTUAR1AN, LI-:NT

SU)'vl:-'lER

! 998

On Sunday 28th June the Headmaster hosted a reception in the Cellarer's

The Cellarer's Garden

Garden behind Tra(Iescant and \vithin

sight of the recently roofed new Harvey House. The occ,.\sioll marked the formal handing over of the garden following its purchase by the School from the St Augustine's Foundation. The garden is the second oldest in continuolls lise in England. Following an address by the President of the O,K,S, Association, Mr Peter Venn, a commemorative plaque was unveiled by the President of the King's School Parramatta O,B,U" Mr Mark Webeclc The lettering on the plaque \vas designed by Mrs Heather Newton and Mr Paul Ellis, both stonemasons on the Cathedral stafl, and cut by the latteL The Latin text translates as follows: 'The alumni of Canterbury and the alumni of Parramatta gave and dedicated this Cellarer's Garden to the benign mother, the King's School, to commemorate the coming of St Augustine to Canterbury: to be tended once more, in this place dear to their founders, as is fitting,' The letters thar incorporate a dot, for example the M in ALUMNI and the C in CANTUARIENSIS, taken in order together f{)rm the date MCMXCVII. In the year 1997 was celebrated the 1400th anniversary of St Augustine's arrival,

C('/fal'('/' s Garden opening: Mark We/J('('k. a/ld {he Ifeadmasfer. (MJ.T)

PC{('/"

\'el/I/

('ellarer's Gardell il/sai/uioll. (M..I.TJ

The conductor Christopher Seaman (MR 1955-60) has been appointed music director of the Rochester (USA, not Medway) Philharmonic Orchestra. He is currently cOllductor-inresidence of'the Baltimore Symphony and music director of' the Naples (Florida, not Italy) Philharmonic. MrWarwick Collins (MR 1960-66) wrote in 1991 a novel entitled Compilier (Jilt, At that time nobody had heard of the Internet, and the book did not surface until this year. Set a generation from no\\-', the book depicts a world in which computers have taken over: Computer One has decided to wipe out the human race, and unleashes a hideous virLls. But Professor Yakuda, the ageing, caiTeine-fixated hero, uses his deductive powers and a box of Grade A computer viruses to fight back. Mr Collins's last novel. Gellts, set in a male urinal, is soon to be made into a film. Two distinguished O,K's' have added to their list of' published works, James Hamilton Paterson (WL 1955-61), who has been described as 'the best novelist writing in English', has written an account of the search for two vessels sunk off the west coast of Africa during the Second World War. Each was carrying large consignments of gold. The book, entitled Three Miles DowlI, charts the search for these wrecks, witnessed by the author who was on board the Russian research ship f'rom which the divers worked, He descended to the sea-bed in one of the submersibles, and of this experience he writes. 'Where I have jllst returned from is wonderful beyond anything 1 have seen before, and partly because it is so spectacularly un-godcled. too remote (0 be anthropomorphized.' Michael Morpurgo (GL 1957-62) has published a rather dillerent work: Esml'e(i'Olll S/wl/gri-Lu concerns an elderly man who is consigned to a residential home because of incipient Alzheimer's. but is rescued from both his memory loss and the old people's home by his grand-daughter, who heJps him to recover control of his mind. Mr David Chisholm (MR 1974-79), Dave, the cartoonist, has undertaken a joint project with our former colleague Stewart Ross. They have a contract with Th(> Daily Telegraph to do a \vcekly strip in The Young Telegraph each Saturday for the best part of' two years, The cartoons, with text supplied by J's'R" appear under the heading 'Gibbo's Countdown to the Millennium',

O.K.S,

,,,b,,

TIÂˇn: CANTU/\RIX'<, LENT

SU:"1MI]{

199R

110

Mr Hugh Edeleanu (LX 1969-73) has broken his own speed record for the journey between John O'Groats and Land's End driving a mechanically propelled digger. The JCB covereci the 878 miles in 11.28 hours. 1'.1r Thomas de Waal (MT 1976-79) has won a James Cameron award for his reporting on Chcehnya for The lll11es. to which he continues to contribute articles on matters Russian. A recent piece, headed 'The president \vho pawned his people', reponed the abduction and murder of a female journalist who was the most prominent critic of the President of Kalmykia. the only Buddhist region in Europe. She had made allegations about financial dealings involving the President. As head of the International Chess Federation, President I1yumzhinov brought the world title match bet ween Anatoly Karpov and Gata Kamsky to his tiny capital of Elitsa. While he indulges his obsession with chess, his people suller deprivation and their children allend special chess schools. Mr de Waal visited the office of the murdered journalist, and \vas subsequently refused an interview with the President. Any O.K.S. intending to visit Kalmykia arc advised to proceed with caution. After heming on a television programme that Antony Worrall-Thompson (GR 1964-(9) was the only chef to have swum the English Channel. and that he did so at the age of sixteen, Mr David Reid wrote to him asking for 'clarification'. The celebrated chef \vas happy to volunteer the information. ignored by the media as it conflicts ,,Âˇ,Iith the l11yth~l11aking process. that he had not: but he had s\vum the Channel six times in a relay with five other people. in three-mile stints, which amounts to the same distance. As DJ.R. points out in his reply to Mr Worrall-Thompson. \ve are nmv in a position to correct the record for anyone else \vho hears the incorrect version on TV and \vho may get in touch with the School for clarification. The correspondence has been placed in the Arehives. On April 9th, at Sandhurst. four O.K.S. cadets completing their commissioning course took part in the Sovereign'S Parade. This was the highest number from any school (except Wei beck College. the Army's own sixth-form institution, which had five). They were: James Cecil (SI-I 1987-88), Grenadier Guards: Timothy Davies (GL 198792), Royal Artillery; Philip Grove (SH 1986-91), Royal Engineers; Philip Rogerson (GL 1986-90), Royal Logistics Corps. Mr Ttlby Ward (MR/MT 1979-83) was commissioned by The Foundation for Art to sketch each stage of the restoration of Chastleton IÂˇ,louse, a magnificent Jacobean hOllse in Oxfordshire.

The School has acquired an important new facility in the form of the Maurice Milner Hall, barely more than a lunge from the Mint Yard gate in Northgate. It has a Gransprung floor. and is large enough for four fencing pistcs, of \vhich {'\VO are full length. It also comprises an office/v/orkroom and a store for fencing equipment. general storage space. lavatories and a kitchen. It is being llsed for fencing and dance. and has, rather reluctantly, also been pressed into service for public exami nations. The Hall is named after Maurice Milner who was Head of Physical Education at King's from 1955 to 1984. and \vas particularly involved in raising standards in School fencing to the highestlcve!. The opening \vas performed by Mrs Maureen Milner, his \vidow. on Saturday 27th June and this is commemorated by a stone memorial tablet inside the building.

The Maurice Milner Hall

A1rs

i\1(/lIrCeli . Hillier.

Inferior (?(rlle AI/auriC(' klilncr /-Iall. (MJ.T)

(Illi 11(/0 (Jon)

III

THE

CANTUAR!A:\. LE:\T

SL~L\!ER

1998

It seems that counting spanning trees by va rious nlethods prov ides an inexhaustible source o f delight for Dr ÂˇRoger Mallion a nd hi s international team of fell ow counte rs. Hi s latest paper, with the catchy titl e An Algorithmjor COl/llling the Spanning h ees in Labeled (sic) Molecl/lar Graphs Homeomorphic to Caw -Condensed Systems was produced in associati on with scho lars from Germany and Serbia, and appeared in the l Ol/ mal oj Chemical Information and Compl/ter Sciences, Volume 38, Number 2. Hi s co-author in the producti on of a cha pter contributecl to Concepts In Chemistry: A Contemporary Challenge is a Pro fessor at the Uni ve rsity of Porto in Portugal. The two editors are in New York and Taunton. But

Common Room

Videohead: RB .Ma. (H .WB.)

can there be another school which is re presented in two consecuti ve issues of the American Chemical Society's publicatio n? We doubt it. At all events, a paper writte n jointly by Mr Paul Pollak and Dr E.C. Kirby of the Resource Use Institute in Pitlochry appeared in anothe r 1998 issue. Needl ess to say, it refe rs to previous papers written with Dr Malli on. By way of a more fri volous footnote than the type to which he is usuall y devoted, he confessed to taking a breather duri ng the Easter holidays at Reid 's Hotel in Funchal, presumabl y a Fulle rene-free zone, and indulg ing in afternoon tea over The Daily Telegraph onl y to be confronted by a sixth-for mer from K. S.c. working as a model. T HE CANTUARIAN, L ENT

SU~'Ii\1 ER 1998

112

Dr Jonathan Allday has published a book described as 'a self-contained introduction to particle physics and related areas of cosmology', and entitled Quarks, Leptons and The B;g Ballg,

Alall Dyel: (MIT)

Mr Manin Tennick, the Senior Editor of The Call/llariall, only just recognised the leHer he wrote to PC-Pro Magazine, after a sub-editor had sub-edited it. He wished to drm.v attention to the activity of a teacher in a drawing on a Greek vase by Douris, a 5th century BC painter. It depicts a school during a music lesson, but the teacher appears to be v.,Iorking 011 a palmtop computer. IÂˇlis suggestion that this was a prototype of the Psion 5, complete with stylus, is eountered by the sub-editor, who points out that the angle of the screen indicates that it is a CE machine or the Geof'ox, Mr Alan Dyer has completed his l\venty-fifth season as master-in-charge of cricket, and has decided to stand down. He was an Oxf'ord Cricket Blue in 1965 and 1966, achieving 36 dismissals as wicket-keeper in 25 matches. and scoring '-765 first-class runs. In his first match playing for the King's School Staff against St Edmund's, he scored 1 13 not out, winning the game vÂˇ/ith a 'six'. During the last 25 years - surely a record in itself - he has presided over only 26 defeats in around 350 matches.

On Speech Day, July 2nd, The Dean, addressing us in his capacity as Chairman or Governors. paid tribute 10 Canon Derek Ingram Hill (GR 1925-31) and unveiled a portrait of him, painted by the distinguished anist John Ward, The portrait will be hung in the Shirley Hall, Canon Ingram Hill"s review or the Opera Gala Concert performed on April 25th appears elsewhere in this edition of The Callfllariall, He has decided that he should now relinquish the task of providing sllch rcvic\vs, and rccalls that his first must have been \vriHen in about 1928. We can only admit our helpless inadequacy when it comes to finding words to thank him for all his contributions over many years.

Canon Derek Ingram Hill

Virtual surfers may care to know that there is now an ofi'icial School website, which can be accessed on <http:// wwvv'.kinQ.s-schooLco.uk>. It is comforting to know th,;t there is only one King's Sehoo(that counts. Please visit.

Arachnophobia'?

The Deoll IIIll'ei/s the portmit

(~lC(/II(}1I /)('/'(,/.:./II,'-;/'{/II/

Hi/I. (M..I.TJ

Ellen Weavers, K,S, (MT), was awarded first prize in a eompetition run by Glaxo, the \vorld's largest pharmaceutical company, in conjunction v-lith University College, I... ondon. Her essay (reprinted in our 'Points of View' section) deals with the depletion of energy resources and increasing ellvirol1l11ental pollution and puts fonvard somc innovative suggestions for long-term solutions to thcse problems, At the time of writing, she has also reached the final stages of the D(/ily 7i'legml'h / BASF Young Science Vlhiters' Award, a compctition for which there are thousands of entries, including many from university students, Her anicle is entitled A ,1'11/(/11 II/olcmle wifh (/ BIG FUTURF:', and discusses the chemical and biochemical properties of nitric oxide. The work has been undertaken in conjunction with scientists from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Kent. In the same competition, certificates of merit \vere awarded to Adrian Cheong, ](,S. (GL) and Thomas Holliday (GL), In April, King's became National Champions in the Schools' Challenge Quiz Competition, The team consisted of' j,)ur King's Scholars: Andrew Ribbans (MO) (Captain), James Brilliant (LN), Alfred Williams (GL) and ROlljny Sanyal (1\1'1'), About 240 schools enter the senior section of' the competition and this was our third appearnnce at the Pupil power

113

THE CANTUARL-\N. LE0:T

SU:>.!;-'-WR 1998

national finals. The team won all three of its games, and in the final against Bedford School, which took place in Nottingham, records were broken for the number of questions covered and the highest scores achieved. Ronjoy Sanyal has also been in Birmingham, taking part in the prestigiolls National Mathematics Summer School. Only fifty pupils of Shell, Remove and Fifth-form age are selected for this. Ronjoy was awarded his place as a result of an outstanding performance in the British Invitational Mathematical Challenge. As a consequence, he was unable to be present on Speech Day to collect his eleven Shell prizes. Four members of the School are now members of the National Youth Theatre: Nicholas Davies CMT), Olivia Lumley, K.S. CHH), Cressida Trew (LX) and Harriet Usher (WL). We also congratulate Leonon; Dawson-Bowling, K.S., who has become a member ,)f the National Youth Choir. Tw(' pupils have ohtained the Associated Board's Advanced Performance Certificate: cellist Caroline Ritchie (LX) and baritone William Tallon (SH). Christie's in New York held a sale in June of the Haskell F. Norman library. The top price of £323,476 was paid for William Harvey's 1628 treatise The DiscO\'ery 0/ the Circularion of the Blood. The School Archivist has expressed his deep regret that Harvey did not present a copy of his book to the School Lihrary, and wonders why even these days O.K.S. authors forego their chance to make this elegant gesture occasionally.

Blood money

Connor on Copts

Charles (a.k.a. Connor) Hiekie (GR) wrote to The Daily Telegraph in April to upbraid the Prime Minister for h\iling to visit a Coptic church or to speak on the Copts' behalf during a visit to Egypt. We await developments.

All Greek to me

Instructions to candidates taking A-level Chinese in 1998: 'Answers must be written in Chinese. Candidates are reminded of the necessity for good English.'

Punctuality Satis has varying degrees of effectiveness, but the record for positive response has been set by Richard Woods (GR), who arrived for afternoon lessons two hours early.

Politeness of King's

•

The weekend magazine section of The Independent on May 16th contained a cartoon labelled 'A more charismatic Canterbury Cathedral' under the heading 'Monuments for the millennium - a series of Public Building Projects to celebrate the year 2000'. It features, among other extraordinary fantasies, the King's F.E.T. (lnd JR.? ({uctioning trollsers (infer alia) to mise £175/0,. School Speaking in Tongues Choir contributing Starche School, Kenya. (M.J.T) (by singing 'Flubalubalub .. .') to the spirit of the slogan hung from the timeless stone columns: 'Sing'n' swoon with New C. of E.' Amidst the swooning worshippers, a clergyman dressed in a conventional cassock is saying 'Really, Mrs Parker, I do think things have gone a bit too far.' Mrs Parker, who looks remarkably like one of the characters in the television adaptation of Joanna Trollope's The Choir, replies: 'They have indeed, Reverend. But some of us arc planning to fight back.' Readers are asked to note that this item is being written before the Lambeth Conferenc~.

Charismatic Canterbury

A fascinating letter, now in the possession of The Hon. Mrs Charles Kitchener (whose husband once taught at lK.S.), has come to our notice. Mr Allen Whitworth, of St Martin's, Guernsey, its transcriber, has kindly allowed us to guote his summary of this 23-page proof of paternal concern: 'I have recently been transcribing a letter of March 29th 1742 from a Henry Mauger here in Guernsey to his son, unnamed, who was just starting at The King's School. It is a long letter in English of 23 pages, giving detailed instructions as to his behaviour, his religious attitudes and so forth, which I summarise as: There is lengthy advice on religious matters, then about the Soul, then on over-eating and the evils of drink. About lying and Lyars, of stealing which leads to the Gallows and on Sin and Temptation. Of Dukes' ancl Noblemen's sons at the school.

The Guernsey Connection

THE

CANTUARJAN, LENT

SU1..,lMER

1998

114

Of Chastity and obscenity and impure thoughts. Of being even Tempered and behaving suitably on all occasions. Of having a peaceable disposition, with civility and the ability to forgive and of being a Christian. He must make himself perfect in the English Tongue. Of fighting and not being a coward, of pocket money and of looking after his clothes and possessions. Of his behaviour and attitude at school with reference to Mr Monins. Henry mentions that his public station in the Island is honourable and that he has a 'Post of Distinction' in which he 'discountenances Vice and brings offenders to Justice'; and he sends his son to school so that the boy may take over his father's position.' ,', Young Mauger was not a King's Scholar and, in the ordinary way, his name would not be on record here: commoners were not regularly listed until 1750. However, a stray School list of July 1742 has survived and Mauger appears on it, sixth from the bottom, i.e. very junior. His father was also at King's, a schoolfellow of Richard Monins (K.S. 1706), later 'Mr Monins', Headmaster. The reference to fighting is in the context of being called 'Froggie, as I was'; he is to laugh it off if the name-callers are big but otherwise take action, It is interesting to note that French, of a kind, was the first language of Guernseymcn at that period. The Moninses are an ancient East Kent family (from Ringwould near Dover) and while Dukes' sons were probably I~lirly rare at King's, Mauger would have had the opportunity of honing his social skills very effectively in their circle. By contrast, the Revd D.F. Durand, writing to his son in 1816, also from Guernsey, hopes that, if the boy makes it to King's, he will learn not only Greek and Latin there but also French. The Durands were a most distinguished Huguenot family and Durand phc was at the School from 1756 to 1763, "" ~ ) ....' .. ,. ,.~ . .s.'su;;>l\\m\l '" ~,>t""""~iÂŤ(i \vhile his father was pastor of the Canterbury congregation. Havilland Durand, the addressee of the letter, was being tutored by a Mr Thornton at Horsham, and, reading between the lines, "" .. one can detect a hint to them both to get their act together - or else. This happened, and Havilland went on to Oxford without passing Canterbury. We are indebted to Mr Harold Gough of Herne Bay for bringing this letter to our attention. "

(Reprinted with thunKs to Messrs Sorlieby's.)

Last December a most interesting MS fragment was offered by Sotheby's in the sale of Western Manuscripts and Miniatures. Although the Cathedral Library was not successful in its bid, \ve have obtained a photograph of the item through the kindness of the auction house and Lord Pilkington. Described as most probably originating from Christ Church, Canterbury, in the late 10th or early 11 th century, the single velllllll leaf contains, among other matters, a number of Latin riddles, with coded answers alongside, and somewhat later, when it had become scrap, a record of books loaned to the Archbishop (probably Anselm) and to Robert, the schoolmaster: 'Rodbert(u)s magist(er) pueri (sic)'. There were, of course, more boys than one and, 'in a childish hand', the names of four appear low on the right: 'Gregor(iu)s, Rannulfus, Vill(el)mus and Ascherill(u)s - iuvenes'. William seems to have the number 'Ill' or the letter 'm' after his name. It was clearly a popular name and it is not so long ago that the various ]oneses of the Rotulus were numbered or called minor or major. Rotulus Supplement

In May the School acquired a fiue marble bust of Lord Thurlow (K.S.C. 1746). It is the work of John Edward Carew and was made by him when he was under the patronage of Lord Egremont, at Petworth, in 1830. Lord Thurlow was Lord Chancellor in several administrations, including that of William Pitt. Dr Johnson confessed that for Thurlow. and for him only, he would prepare his conversatioll beforehand - no mean tribute. Thurlow's son, Edward, also came to King's. His mother Kitty, nee - ancl possibly permanently - Lynch, was the daughter of Dean Lynch (K.S.c. 1707). We are indebted to Mr Lennox Cato for the accompanying photograph. Lord Thurlow

115

Lord Thw!oll', K.S.C. 1746.

THE CANTUARIAN, LENT

SUivll\ÂˇlER J 998

The works of three O.K.S. writers have come to the School in reccnt months. The first is the diary kept by Douglas Tassell, who arrived in the senior school in 1885. It comes through the kindness of his daughter-in-Imv, Mrs M.E. Tassell. The diary was kept for only one term and almost all entries state laconically 'school as usual'. However, as OLlr illustration shows, there appears to have been an excellent custom of masters occasionally treating pupils to dessert after Cathedral on Sundays. Even the terrifying Mr Mason obliged. (He appears, ferociously, as JANUARY 25th. Tar Turner, in Somerset Maugham's Of HUlllan BOlldage: Maugham and Tassell \vere schoolfellows). Tassell \vent on to become Captain of School and a Scholar of Christ Church, Oxford . Mr A.l Munro (Holme House, 1932-36), now in his eightieth year. has sent us Part I of his The Auto/Jiography 0( a School Boy, covering his five lK.S. years, initially in what is now Walpole and later at Milner Court, and the briefer, or to be completed, Part [], dealing with life at the senior school. Having been brought up in Egypt, by a sLlccession of JANUARY 26th. governesses none of whom was English, he arrived in ~~ru Canterbury rather shaky in his native tongue. The problem of i his weekly !etters home was solved by his having them written by the old boot-cleaner. operating in Thomas i\ ,................... i Becket's kitchen (and possibly a survivor from tbat time). Mr l\1unro's reminiscences are delightfully and idiosyncratically written and constitute a valuable social document. A complete MS autobiography, All Ore/inary Englishman, came I'rom Mr W.A.c. Baker (SH 1930-35). It is much to be '3 hoped that it will find a publisher, for it is a very readable and acute account of the enormous changes from Empire to TtISSel/"S diary. Blair's Britain entirely conveyed through the life-story of a far from ordinary Englishman. It will perhaps be possible to publish extracts from it in forthcoming issues. M0l1lll11cnta acre pcrcnniora

~'1~:'1 . ~/ntJ~

. . . M.<.w.L...................... . .

Tim Amos (SH 1977-81) is hoping to compile j{)r family usc a collection of memoirs of his late brother, Simon Amos (who died in 1987 at the age of 31), and would be very interested to hear from any O.K.S., staff Of others who have reminiscences of Simon to contribute. Contact address: Tim Amos, 23 Elfindale Road, London SE24 9NN (Te1.lFax 0171 2746678).

Simon Amos (SH 1969-73)

TI-!t: C\NTUARIAN. LI')";T

SU1Ij,\lER

! 998

116

SERMONS A SERMON PREACHED BY THE ARCHDEACON OF CANTERBURY, THE VEN. JOHN PRITCHARD

predictable - and intensely boring - way. The fifth ace has gone. Lose that ace, that extra. the resurrection, and life becomes really pretty pedestrian. As that well-known theologian Woody Allen once said: '80% of life is just turning up'. And then what are we left with? Everything, in a sense, except the one thing that really makes this life special - the presence of the living Christ in the midst of it all. The resurrection ace, There's a story of a games afternoon at a minor public school. The rugby dropouts, those with two left feet and a hangover, arc down on the bottom field out of everyone's vie\v: doing nothing, chatting. lounging around, watched over by a monitor. Tomkins. Then the Headmaster hoves into view from the top field, and suddenly it's all action - line-outs, serums, mauls, it's all exciting stuff. The headmaster stands there \vatching tl~is for a \vhile, and then he turns to the monitor'-anci says, 'Tomkins, \vhere's the ball'?' Or rather, where's the fifth ace') The point of it aiL The big picture, God, the living Christ, whatever you call it. Have \\le got everything sussed except the big one - what's it all for'? The second thillg thefifth uce mc((ns is this: it mea/lS H'C h((l'e (/ hope in he/I. I have a friend \vho went to hell and back. His name was Ron. The first time I met him his second child had just been killed that morning in a car accident, going to school with his mother - aged six, Their first child had died of brain damage two years before - ,wed four. Not a good basis for someone to feel kindly ~lisposed towal~ls God. But Ron, an atheist, gradually battled his way towards faith. A lot was at stake. If he was going to believe, he was going to give it everything, so he had a lot riding on it. He came to v,,'hat he called a 'fingernail faith': al\vays hanging on by his fingernails. but that VIlas enough. And he and his wife rebuilt their lives, and found a hope in hell. And Ron used his many skills to run our sound system, to put on brilliant sound and light shows in church: and he ran a group called No Holds Barred for other people on the edge of faith - there \vas good discussion and good whiskey at those sessions. But he'd found a hope in that fifth ace -- the hope any of us can find, \vhatever dark corner we sometimes drop into. Because nothing is beyond the reach of the living Christ - not disaster. not loneliness, not cven the exam room. (Though he doesn't answer the questions for you' ) And a third thing from the resurrection: /hisfifih (Ice gil'es lire aJl intensity I\'e qjien easily mi5;s. This is an age \vhich says - hang loose, stay cool, chill Ollt, don't get committed, keep your options open, It's Cool Britannia nm\l. Look at the magazine titles in Smith's: Cosmopolitan. NeH' ~Vomal1. More, Loaded. OptiOIlS, Pig Farmers \Veekly (sorry, ignore that!) But it's not an age of commitment. It's a culture in \vhich many of us are so laid back we're almost horizontal. But is that enough') When people fall in love or receive incredible news, they clon't sit slumped in front of the TV, or peel potatoes or clean the bathroom: they sing and dance and go slightly mad. That's \vllat

IN THE NAVE, 1ST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER

Gods's fifth ace It couldn't happen here of course, but imagine

you're playing a game of poker, late at night in your room. The lights arc 10\\1, but the stakes are high, and YOll're concentrating like mad. Your opponent looks pretty focused too. You put down a straight flush; that should bc enough. Hc lays down four aces, But then, with a final flourish, he produces a fifth ace from nowhere and claims victory! Hey, \vhat's going on here'? Is this bizarre or what? What we'vejust been celebrating in the Church and around the world at Easter. is God's fifth ace - the resurrection. When it looked as if the game \vas over and lost, Christ appeared again and trumped the lot. That's cheating, you might say: unfair. But who said it should be fair'? Nothing about the story of the cross is fair. It was a barbaric stitch-up. a monstrous injustice. And Christ took it all. But just when he seemed to be all signed. sealed and delivered to oblivion, he broke out. God played the fifth ace. So \vllat do we do with that? How does that rank in terms of significance with things like Spurs avoiding relegation, or hopes of the Spice Girls coming to a very bad end, or this term's highlight - a blind date with the examiner. Life's going to go on at a pretty high speed this term, So did~\IlytTling'speeial happen last Sunday - or \vas it a chocolate binge and a bit more football than usual') A famous philosopher, Professor load, was once asked, of all history's figures who would he like to meet most and what \volild he most like to ask him. His answer v,,Ias Jesus Christ, and the question - 'the most important one in the world,' said Professor load: 'Did you, or did you not, rise from the dead')' Because if he did, this fifth ace of the resurrection is really something' 105 on the Richter scale. It's the Lottery jackpot every week. It's a goal in the last minute of extra time, every time. It's 'ajoy beyond the walls of the world', as Tolkien once called it. But still - how? why? what for? What sense can \ve make of the resulTeclion '! Let's spell it out a bit. Firs/I)', Chris/ialls say /he resllrrecrioll is the trump ('urd !hut Ive're ull supposed !o hu\'e, hut somehow losl. Once upon a time, all packs of cards had five aces. Not many people know this, But it made card gan1cs much more interesting in those days. There was an edge of unpredictability about it all. More laughter: more fun. But then some people started to say: 'We shouldn't have any extras in our Jives, any oddities. You've got to have evcrything the same, so that you know where you are and you can control it all, make it safe. You can't have any vvild cards, nothing different or fantastic; nothing really ace,' So they began to collect all those fifth aces. and put them in plastic bags. and bury them. And ever since, people have played cards in a solid, safe, 117

happened to the first disciples after the resurrection

is here. That's the reason I'm here. It may not be the reason you're here, on a Sunday morning when you could be asleep' But maybe this resurrection is a critical element in living a fulfilled life. Maybe the game of life needs the fifth ace. Because firstly the resurrection is the trump card we're all supposed to have, but somehow lost. Because secondly the resurrection means we have a hope in hell, a living Christ in \vhatever black hole we're in. And because thirdly, the resurrection life, with Christ, gives life an intensity we often easily miss. What a day it would be if we all picked up our fifth ace and played it afresh and confidently with the risen Christ. What a day in the halls of heaven if we claimed our birthright! What a day!

when the living Christ burst into their lives. It might even happen to the Dean and Chapter, who may yet be

seen dancing and somersaulting in the vicinity of the high altar. Because this resurrection, this crazy fact, this wild tiger of an event, can't be tamed and domesticated or filed away under 'R'. If the

resurrection is true, the implication is that Christ is alive anellct loose in the world, and our task is to catch the tiger's tail and go with him. Life has all kinds of potential in the light of the resurrection, if Christ is

alive. So, four aces - good. Five aces - brilliant! Vlhcn Jesus got to the point of no return, he did return. God played the fifth ace. And that's the reason this building

The ArchhishojJ qj"Callter/)/{ry condllcted (/ COI!/lmwtioll Oil 8th Monk (MPH.D.)

COMMEMORATION OF BENEFACTORS

it emanated a sense of silent holiness, which we all felt. We learned, from a booklet in the Chapel, that, according to legend, this was the burial place of St Mae1rubha, monk-disciple of St Patrick. The odd thing was that we did not need to be told that a saint \vas buried there. We just knew. The stones told us - not by means of anything written on them, but by their mysterious jJO\ver to hold and (0 communicate long memories. In the Book of Joshua, Joshua himself repeatedly harnesses this power as he prepares his people to build holy places in the holy land. Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel on Mount Ebal, .. 'an altar of undressed stone that no iron tool has ever \vorked' ... He wrote 011 the stones a copy of the Law. (Josh. 8: 30-32) Later, at Shechem, 'Joshua took a great stone and set it up there, under the oak in the sanctuary of the

A SERMON PREACHED BY :FATHER DOMINIC MILROY O.S.H. OF AMPLEFORTH ABBEY 2ND JULY 1998 'What do these stones mean for you'>' (Josh. 4: 6) Some years ago, I was on holiday in Scotland with some friends. One evening, after a day's fishing, we were on the way to the local inn. We noticed, near the roadside, a chapel with what appeared to be an old cemetery. We stopped to have a look. Our motives were more archaeological than spiritual, but, as \Ne passed through the gate into the cemetery, we fell strangely silent. The place had an aura. Near the gate stood a large Celtic Cross, and at the far end there was a huge and very old stone slab. From

THE CANTUA/HAN,

LI~NT

& SU:",lI\lER 1998

118

Which is already His service in creating.

Lord, ,,, and said "See I This stone shall be a witness against us because it has heard all the words that the Lord has spoken to us"," '(Josh. 24: 25-27) At the crossing of the Jordan, Joshua ordered that twelve stones should be carried acroSs the river and set up, 'to make a memorial of this in your midst; for when in days to come your children ask you, "What do these stones mean for you')", you will tell them: "The waters of the Jordan separated in front of the Ark of the Covenant ... These stones arc an everlasting reminder of this." , (Josh, 4: 6-7) What do these stones mean for you') The stones of this Cathedral have many memories, and stand as a witness to many events, some of them public, most of them quiet and interior. I should like to speak for a moment of what these stones mean for me, an English Benedictine monk of the late twentieth century. Or rather, I should like to focus on just one aspect of the long and complex history which links me, and my own abbey in North Yorkshire, with the early monks of Canterbury, It is the link between prayer and beauty. My own abbey has just sent out half-a-dozen monks to start a monastery in Zimbabwe. At the moment they arc praying in a borrowed hOllse, and planning hO\v and where to build a monastery. We don't know how it will end up, but of one thing we are sure - it will be beautiful, and the praise of God that will be sung there will be beautiful. Most monasteries start with the reel aiming of desolate places. First, a chapel, a garden and a song. Later on, a library, a farm, a cloister, a school. Finally, perhaps a great abbey like this one, and great songs to be sung in it. All is rooted in the practice of praise, The monastic tradition needs to express itself in forms of beauty, and I can tell you, personally, that the daily search to make prayer beautiful is both a burden - what St Benedict called 'the work of God' and a mysterious joy, In an age which is so concerned with the creation of wealth, it is good to be reminded hom time to time about the deep things which lead to the creation of beauty. The deepest of all is that urge to build a bridge from the visible to the invisible world. That is what these stones mean. It \vas beautifully expressed by T.S. Eliot in his Choruses from The Rock: LORD shall we not bring these gifts to Your service''] Shall we not bring to Your service all our powers] For life, for dignity, grace and orcier, And intellectual pleasures of the senses"] The LORD who created us must wish us to create] And employ our creation again in His service]

For man is joined spirit and body, And therefore must serve as spirit and body.

Visihle and invisible, two worlels meet in Man; Visible and invisible must meet in His Temple. For most of you, Canterbury Cathedral is, like Mount Everest, simply 'there', a fact of life. Don't take it for granted. Rather, think with wonder of the

centuries of loving toil that went into the creation of this space and that still go into its maintenance. May the beauty of it challenge you towards its meaning, which is what it always was - the praise of God in spirit and in truth. This place needs us if its purpose is to be completed,

Eliot goes on: Now you shall see the Temple completed: After much striving, after many obstacles;

For the work of creation is never without travail; The formed stone, the visible crucifix, The dressed altar, the lifting light, Light Light The visible reminder of Invisible Light.

Alc.wl/dm ;\ifkell

119

THE CANTUARJAN, LENT

SU;"ÂˇjI\ÂˇjER J 998

OBITUARIES Worcester College, Oxford, where J was his tutor, and look up his first ~diplomatic post as Third Secretary in ravaged Wnrsav\.'. Thereafter he came to know both Eastern and Western Europe and, equally basic to his 0\1.,111 map, Baltic and Mediterranean. As First Secretary, Political Office, Middle East Forces, in 1956, he was not far from Suez and vcry ncar to Nicosia. As ambassador to Libya, which \vas one of the places he came to love, between 1974 and 1976 he had enough leisure to allow him - and his family··· . to pick llJ) Roman coins frol11 lonely shores. While there he knew diplomats from every geographical and ideological clime and was \vel! informed about every 'terrorist organisation'. Yet he felt perfectly secure. 1n retrospect, as at the time, this was a testing experience, for Murray only frustrated \",'hen he was inactive. Sv·,1cden provided tests of a different kind. He had to persuade the Swedes that for Thatcher's Britain if not for all Britons - the Falkland Islands, miles lJ\vay, vv'ere not peripheral.

SIR DONALD MURRAY (GR 1938-42) Donald Frederick Murray, diplomat: born London 14 June 1924; Head of Chancery, Saigon 1962; Counsellor, Tehran 1969-72; CMC 1973; ambassador to Libya 1974-76; Assistant UnderSecretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1977-80; ambassador to Sweden 1980-84; KCVO 1983; Assessor Chairman, Civil Service Selection Board 1984-86; Channel Tunnel Complaints Commissioner 1987-95; married 1949 Marjorie Culverwell (three sons, one daughter); died Rye, East Sussex 8 January 1998_ Last Shrove Tuesday Sir Donald and Lady I\1urray moved hOllse from the Romney marshes, which they loved, to Rye, which by the

was

autumn they were learning to

love. Murray's stay there was all too short. He had a serious heart attack in October. and althoue:h \\lith characteristic dctcrn~inati()n he made a remarkable recoverv he onlv just saw the Nc\\! Year in. .

Donald Murray \vas a man of great courage, indomitable will and undauntable spirit, and there \:vcrC lllany places in the world which he and his wife Marjorie, whom he had married in 1949, had come to love before they returned to Britain in 1984

Given the fact that Murray always elrcv,.' his own map oLltside as well as inside Europe. it \vas valuable for hin1 to have studied international relations at Oxford at a lime \vhen the subject \vas not fashionable. and it \vas H tribute to his commitment from his last diplomatic that he secured an unusual post, the clnbassy III distinction in his shortened Stockholm. war degree. He kne,,\,' both ho,,\1 \0 work and hovv to Their map of the world play. One place not for long identified among other Oil his map was pre-Thurn, places Saigon. Tehran and pre-Snnler Luxembourg. I Tripoli. While living in saw it with him \\!hen our them Murray was keenly llHHn preoccupation, an aware not onlv of their ur£ent one, was to win troubled present but of the en~)Ugh money at bridge to tangle of rich historical and move on to Maastricht and literary associations of each to Amsterdam where an of them. Another place, American friend. blessed Vienna. where he was Donaid MlIl"m\' he(()}'(' he W(/S lI'oul/tied. \vas with dollars. Second Secretary in 1953, (Wilh Ih(/nks in I~oger Bml\'I/, O.K.S.) (theoretically) \vaiting for had once been at the centre us. I had no intimation - nor of other people's maps and l\1urray, while there. enjoyed discussing and arguing did he - of how Maastricht would one day be \vith equal fervour about both Metternich and Orson established on every European and anti-European map. Welles. BeJ(lre Oxj(lt'(1. Murray had already proved all his qualities, serving as a commando v,,Iith the Royal The year 1984, when he retired from the Foreign Marines from 1943 to 1946. He was severely Service, was the year \vhich Orwell forced into history, and Murray would doubtless have been more willing wounded, but he never allowed this to be a handicap. It seemed almost natural when, as Head of Chancery in and able to argue VI,Iith Orwell than with Rye's Henry Saigon in 1962, he {Dok home a Christmas present for James. 1n the Orwellian base year, 1948, he left 120

one of his children with shrapnel in il. The Post Office had been blown up. It was even more natural that aftcr he left the Foreign Office one of the jobs which he lOok up was that of Channel Tunnel Complaints Commissioner. The complaints he had to handle related to the digging of the tunnel. One of them came from a model aeroplane flying club whose members complained that what was happening below the ground was destroying their freedom in the air. Murray, \vho knew everything about sacrifice - he had loved athletics - was not the kind

Commissioner

\vhn

depended

Oil

Frank was onc of several bright and energetic young men recruited straight from university by Canon Shirley soon after he became headmaster. Everything at King's was to be shaken up, re-formed and made to excel. Frank, with his Oxford B.Sc. (an advanced degree, earned by investigation of 'The electrical properties of krypton'), was the first physics specialist at King's since Sf Augustine. T'here was. initially, only one laboratory for the entire teaching of the subject: but enthusiasm and trlarvels of improvisation had begun to transform the scene when the \var broke out in 1939. In 1941, having in that year also married Peggy, Frank was recruited to one of the hush-hush degaussing teams. This work, concerned with llwking ships immune to magnetic mine attack, \vas comparable in importance to the development of radar. After the war, when the School returned from Cornwall to bombed-out Canterbury, the development of the science side, of which Frank was now head. \-vas hampered by every kind of shortage and a labyrinthine system oj' 'priorities'. Nonetheless, Frank, now with some colleagues, restored c1Tective facilities by dint of ingenuity and hard work, often far into the night. The big break came in 1959 \vhen finance from the Industrial Fund for Sciencc and the liquidated Somerset Maughul11 Scholarship scheme made possible the building and equipping of the core oj' the present Physics Block. Frank planned the whole project, from overall design to the shape of drav,,Ierhandles. It is doubtful ij' the work could have been undertaken, and certainly not on its eventual scale, without him. He saved the School untold thousands or pounds in professional fees alone and his informed enthusiasm animated the \vhoic enterprise. Sf

sophisticated eost-benefit analysis. In the beginning of his life he had been at school at King's, Canterbury, not far from the place where he died. The county mattered to him as well as the

country or the town. From 1985 to 1990 he was Kent County Chairman of the Soldiers', Sailors', and Airmen's Families Association (SSAFA). In parallel he was a trustee of the World Resource I~'oundation. In thinking and acting locally and globally his wife and family were his own greatest resource. As,\ BRIGGS. IReprinted by permission from The Independen!, Obituaries, 15th January 199R.] Roger Brown (SH 1937-43) writes: We met as boys of 13 at adjoining desks, even though in difl'erent Houses. Donald came from Coll'c's, on a scholarship - he was ever a competitor, at Canterbury, at Carlyon Bay and later in thc Commandos. With an American friend wc harried the Cathedral vergers by materialising in the triforium; in Cornwall Donald distinguished himself by being caught by Miss :MiJl\vard having tea out of bounds, and then standing up to an irate Fred Shirley - which at least required a display of nerve. In all this his quizzical humour and determination made light of both success and misfortune. The same qualities \verc certainly needed when he lost a leg at Wa!cheren Island and endured a painful year in hospital. His lellers at this time were full of wry comments on life in the ward as he progressed through endless operations. But it was typical of Donald that \vhen recovered he should learn to swim, as vlell as to ski. on one leg. He was determined to enjoy life. leg or no leg. His subsequent marriage, career as a diplomat and service to his countrymen demonstrated that he did just thal.

mOlllflJlel/lIlJll reqlfil';,\' ...

Frank was not only a great builder but also a kind and encouraging instructor, possibly most of all by the example or his own intellectual curiosity. I well remember being in Marks and Spencer v'lith him \vhcn he suddenly stopped. A problem with relativity theo!'y had arisen in his mind and he was enlisting my interest and help with remarkable animation. Even had I been intellectually up to it, I was not able to defend Einstein coolly among the \velter of' intimate ladies' garments, and their prospective wcarers, where Doubt had assailed Frank as we \\Iere passing through Lingerie eIl route for Food. Frank vÂˇ,Ias a sympathetic and understanding Tutor to generations or Marlowe boys, but no push-over. Defaulters would be put right by ncar ultrasonic rebukes and either because of this experience or, more likely, because they liked and respected Frank. would mend their ways, for a bit. Frank was also a kind and tactful mentor to junior masters. On the non-academic side, Frank's Yorkshire background had made him a keen cricketer. Later he took up golf and rose to captain O.K.S. golfers. The debt that King's owes to Frank in material terms is very great. Greater still is his example of a devoted and ullselfseeking life. To his wife Peggy and children Tim, Michael (both O.K.S.) and Sarah we offer our sympathy. P. POLLAK.

FRANK STANGER (K.S.C. 1936 - 1969) Frank Staoger, who died on 8th April 1998 in his gSth year, spent his \vhole \vorking life at King's. apart from absence on war service. And one could say that he expended it on King's; it is a statement not about protracted immobility but about life-long devotion. lndeed. when a collapse in his health impelled him to retire a few years early, the phrase 'the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up' came powerfully to mind. 121

Tr-IE CANTU;\R!,\N, LENT & SU)\'l\!ER 199B

VALETE notable successes. Departmental meetings were sometimes serious, sometimes hilarious, but always

STEPHEN WOODLEY (K.S.C. 1969 - 1998)

purposeful and characterised by Stephen's ability to

In a career of twenty-nine years at King's, ten of them

articulate so clearly what was required. He was always

as Head of English (1969-79) and twelve as Housemaster of The Grange (1979-91), King's has been exceptionally fortunate in the service of a teacher of such gifts, cleclication and integrity as Stephen Woodley. An inspirational teacher of English, an enormously

scrupulously fair and unselfish in sharing out the work

of the Department and was particularly understanding of those colleagues who had heavy sporting commitments.' He himself taught a heavy timetable,

took games all three terms of the year (travelling with teams in two of them and coaching the school tennis

appreciated Housemaster, a fine sportsman - playing tcnnis at County level for Oxfordshire and Kent for

team from 1969 to 1980, including the team that won the P.S.L.T.A.'s You II Cup in 1969, and the semi-finalist team of 1978), producing one or two House plays each year (for Marlowe and Galpin's Houses), while also, for four years (1971-75), editing Thf Calill/arian. Stephen, however, never allowed himself to be separated from the main body of education, partly

seventeen years - Stephen has always combined a lovely sense of consideration for others, not least for his

pupils, with an eloquent and convincing concern for his educational principles. He has epitomised the sense of

vocation, no less than professional excellence, on which Public Schools depend and, without which, no school

could possibly make such remarkable advance as King's

through his own children attending local maintained

has done in his time here.

schools, but also, through the extension of his sense of

vocation to the needs of the vast majority of the

From the outset of his career Stephen was distinguished by both his intellectual qualities and his

population unable to afford the fees of an independent school. It was in the context of the mid 1970s,

athleticism. Educated at Abingdon

School,

which he won a direct grant scholarship and \vhcrc he also became

with Tracie Unions rampant, Labour drmvn

Captain of cricket, Stephen

and good schools within

\von

the

Exhibition

ever further to the Left,

English to Jesus College, Cambridge, and. as

Captain

theoreticians, that he felt impelled to become active in educational politics. He

the

University

went on to serve on a number of educational bodies, at national, county

Lawn Tennis Club. while

also gaining a Half Blue in badminton.

sector

progressivism of left wing

exchanging cricket for tennis, gained a full Blue Cambridge

maintaineci

threatened by the extreme

There

and local level, with a

followed eight years as an assistant master at Eltham

distinction surpassing any serving teacher, including

College and K.C.S .. Wimbledon. where Stephen impressed with

Head

his talents as a teacher. sports coach and producer S'/ephell, .Il1dy. Liley (/1/(/ /vlilllw. (MJI) of plays, while doing just about everything that a young master was expected to National Advisory do. From the outset Stephen envisaged no career other King's in September 1969 fulfilled an ideal of teaching

the

member

the

Conservative Party's Committee on Education,

emphasis on educational standards. His most prestigiolls appointment, ho\vever, was to the

in a distinguished school, situated in a wonderful environment, within a Christian heritage, to which he

Executive Committee of the National Council for Educational Standards (1975-85), where he exercised considerable influence nationally as Editor of the highly authoritative N.C.E.S. Bulletin, besides serving as Chairman of a number of N.C.E.S. Conferences in London. He was moreover, in 1982, appointed by the

has always been deeply attached. As Head of English in the 1970s, Stephen was able to build on the solid foundations of his predecessor and

he ran a Department which was consistently successful in '0' and 'A' level work and which gained a considerable reputation for imaginative writing,

Secretary of State for a four-year term as member on

producing most of the school's plays. Mr D.S. Goodes writes, 'Inspired by the ideals and methods of his distinguished head of department at K.C.S., Wimbledon, he brought a new sense of direction to Ox bridge entrance work which was rewarded by some

& SUl>HvlER 1998

contributing in the late '70s to the so-called 'Black Papers', which were attacked by the Left for their

than teaching. His appointment as Head of English at

Ti-IE CANTUARIAN. LENT

Masters.

independent sector. At national level Stephen became an active

the Consultative Committee to the D.E.S.'s Assessment of Performance Unit. All of this. while

continuing to take on so much within King's, not least as HouseI~ulster of The Grange from 197 C J, must have involved considerable personal strain. He worked 122

tirelessly to counteract the forces that threatened to destroy excellence in education, and which ultimately menaced the existence of schools like King's.

Abigail Willis and Tim Briggs in Lattergate still show, The Grange produced the leading players of the school musical, GIIYs and Dolls. It is also not surprising that Stephen was the founder of the School's Amnesty International group, which began from a Grange House Assembly in 1985, and has flourished ever since. In his final year as Housemaster of The Grange, Stephen did much to pioneer the role of Senior Housemaster (1990,91) and, subsequently, was the obvious choice to be Chairman of the Appraisal Committee (1991,92), which he steered through some potentially thorny issues to establish a f~\ir and efrective system of Staff Review. How was all tbis done? Stephen himself gives the credit to the hours of care, concern and dedication that Judy gave to the boarding House, besides her being in charge of girls' games. But that is just part, albeit an essential part, of the answer. The openness and sensitivity, with which Stephen and Judy treated Grange pupils, and the generosity which they showed to so many people, owed everything to their partnership, Stephen is very much a family man and with the Woodley daughters, Lucy and Minna, also growing up through their teenage years, The Grange, as King's moved towards full education, was already an extended co,ed family community. Since 1992, Stephen has referred to himself as 'finding a niche on the back benches' of King's, but again this understates his achievements. He has taught English with renewed zest, continued to coach tennis and hockey (taking a hockey team until within three years of retirement), while masterminding most of the English department theatre visits and being a Mitchinson's tutor - where his contribution has been much appreciated by both Housemaster and tutees. Moreover, Stephen's contribution to the King's Budget Committee (1979,1997) and as (formerly AMMA) now ATL representative have involved him in complex malters, which have required his sensitive handling. Having spoken at most of the AMMAI ATL assemblies that he has attended, he was a natural choice to become Chairman of the ATL's Independent School's Committee (1992,96), thereby representing about 16,000 teachers in this sector, and, in his public capacity, continuing to engage considerable media interest. With research assisted by the Frank Fisher Memorial Award, his long awaited thesis, entitled f~ducal;on: The I.,ale J~-'ollgh{ War,' Cotlser\'(lfh'('s and the Comprehensive /ssne, was eompleted in 1996 and part of it has already been published in German. Even when relaxing Stephen is incredibly active, for he is currently in his fourth year as Captain of Canterbury LTC. and continues to play in British Over SOs or International Club tennis championships. Retirement is hardly an appropriate eoncept for such a vigorous man about to launch the publication of his thesis and determined to win his second tennis championship within five years. Fortunately, with Judy continuing on the staff, he will still be very much in contact with King's. Indeed, the only thing that Stephen himself has actually asked me to say, is that none of his achievements, at King's or outside it, would have been possible without Judy's warmth of support. H.R.O.M.

Al County leveL while already a governor of two

local, maintained schools, besides being a member of the Council of Ashford School, Stephen was invited to become, in October 1976, a member of the Kent Education Committee, eo, opted as an 'added member having special educational knowledge and experience'. At a time when the LEA was by no means sure of its way when confronted by the Labour government's demands for comprehensivisation in

Kent, Stephen doubtless helped to instil clarity of vision in the County's resistance, until, with the turn of the political tide by the 1980s, Kent Grammar Schools were safe.

Astonishingly, nor was this all' At the same time that Stephen was making such an impressive mark at KCC and national levels, he was aiso elected onto Canterbury City Council (1976,79). It is a fact of life that King's needs good relations with the Planning Committee of Canterbury City Council if building plans are to succeed. To this end, Stephen's long hours of \,Âˇ,Iork on the Planning Committee (alongside Gerald Hattee) must have been not without influence on the

acceptance of the two or three imporUlllt developments for King's within the Precincts. He \vas a popular and suecessful ambassador for the School in the local community. The planning developments, especially the disposal of the old Luxmoore site up the New Dover Road, the building of the new Luxmoore and the opening of a second (lay House in Mitchinson's, marked not only considerable gains for the School at the time, but also, ten years later, were to help facilitate the transition to full co,education. I am indebted to the Revd Canon Lord Pilkington, Headmaster of King's from 1975 to 1986, who writes with regard to Stephen's services to education: 'Stephen had a deeper understanding than most of us as to developments in education from 1965 to the present. He smv at an early stage the acute problems that emerged from comprehensivisation and progressive teaching. He deplored the amalgamation of CSE with GCSE and prophesied that it would in the end menace excellence in the sixth form. All his prophecies have been proved true and it was sad that his warnings were not heeded. Stephen never gave up the fight and his determination was an example to us all. His services to the community of both the school and the city was an amazing achievement in view of the many activities which occupied his life. Stephen and Judy deserve the thanks of the King's School. Canterbury, as well as many in the educational world and the County of Kent.' Meanwhile as Stephen took over as Housemaster of The Grange in 1979, he found himself running a Jarge boarding House taking additional boys instead of a resident tutor. In seven years he brought The Grange to a point where in 1985,86 ten Oxbridge places (eight boys and two girls) were gained in one year - an amazing achievement for a single House; The Grange won inter-House rugby and swimming: in Piers McCleery and Tim Briggs, the House contributed two of the three Captains of School from January 1985 to July 1987; and, in 1986, as the wonderful posters of 123

THE C\NTUAR1AN, LENT

SU;V1MER

1998

phenomenal and the number of pupils who have gone on to Oxbridge to study biological or related subjects has also been most impressive. He has literally brought the Department to life, with a wealth of chipmunh, rosellas ef (/1. happily multiplying in the giant cages that he has generally constructed himself. Ron has a deep concern about conservation isslles and is the author of a publication COllsen'a/ioll in Britaill. The School's entries for the national conservation competition run by the Willmot Perl wee Trust have won major prizes in each of the last three years. He has also been a front runner in 'After Hours' initiatives. and has provided a massive amount of help to pupils outside the classroom as they prepare for interviews and examinations. Ron is a perfectionist who has set very high standards for himself and his Department. and first class results have been the prociuct at all levels. Not everything has been plain sailing for him. but he is always outwardly calm and has approached problems \vith complete professionalism, fighting his corner strongly, but being prepared to compromise where necessary. He has championed the cause of the Head of Department most effectively and has managed the vast increase in paperwork vlith an efi'iciency that many will envy. When Janet. then the Tutor for Girls. took over Walpole in 1990, and soon aftcr became Senior Mistress. Ron became the perfect foil, tirelessly helping in \vhatever way that was needed. I know th(lt Janet realises that she just could not have made her tremendous contributions to the success of the School without his unfailing support. With his Illtees Ron has been unsparing of his time and has al\:vays been genuinely concerned about their welfare. He is thought of very much as a friend and I knov,/ that his present tutor set are very sad that he is leaving. House parties will not be the sanlC without his v'lilt)' sketches and 'The Full Monty' was a great way (0 sign off! Ron's sporting feats are legendary, as arc his injuries sustained in achieving them. He has been an outstanding squash play~r and runner and has been a stalwart of Haymakers and Harvesters cricket teams. once taking an incredible (certainly for those of LIS who have seen his wicket-keeping!) seven victims behind the stumps. He has passed on his expertise in the game by coaching School teams at various levels. His goalkeeping exploits belong mainly to an existence before King's, but he coached the football 3rd XI with his typical enthusiasm. before concentrating on crosscountry and athletics. Here his contributions on all matters physiological and tactical have been invaluable. The sight of Doc P, as he is oftell affectionately know~l. slogging through the mud in garish fluorescent leggings will be much missed. although his leaving may give someone else the chance of a top ten finish in the Inter-House Cross-Country. a feat that he has achieved every time that he has run in it. He is a \vholehcarted competitor ill everything that he does and this approach has been encouraged successfully in his charges. Energy, enthusiasm and versatility are three words that come to mind when I think of Ron. He is a vcry successful vvTiter of Biology and Biochemistry textbooks. from GCSE to university level, and his talent as an illustrator make these publications stand

RON PICKERING (K.S.C 1985 - 1998)

ROil Pickerillg. (lJ.J.)

When Ron came clOV,lJl from Gordonstoun for interview during a period here of Siberian cold and snow (it made me fcel less of a sOLlthern softie) I \vas impressed by his knowledge of football, mountaineering and ornithologv and] \varmecl to him immediately. Having established that he knew a bit abollt tcaching and science too and despite his proud admission of being an Everton supporter (fair enough in those days I suppose), I had no hesitation in making my recommendation that he should be appointed. It has proved one 01' the best decisions I have made and Vv'C have been extremely lucky to have had such a talented acaden1ic, teacher. sportsman and many other things besides on

OLlr

staff (or so long.

Right from the outset Ron proved himself to be an exceptional teacher of Biology. an excellent organiser of his department and a toudly reliable and dedicated colleague. He has been instrumental in increasing the popu!;:lrity of the subject from a 100v number bH~e in the Sixth Form, so that it is now compcting with the traditionally popular subjects such as English. The move to allmv Biology as a pupil's sole science A-level has been an excellent one and the substitution of lÂˇIuman Biology for this group is a brave move which \vill hopefully prove equally succcssful. Ron manages to blend a mcticulous approach. closely structured to helping pupils towards examination success. with all inspirational love of his subject. His success in helping potential mcdics to realise their aspirations hus been THE CANTUARIAN. Li:\'T & Sl!,\j)l.lER 1998

!24

out from others on the market. It is likely that one of his books will soon be translated into Braille, a siQ:nificant seal of approval for any author. Ron's di~tin~llishccl career in Biology has just been given the unllsl~t1 rccoimition or eJection to the prestigious Linnaean Society, of which there arc only 600 members world-\vide. He has also found time for actinQ: (in variolls staff productions), German conv~rsation classes and most recently for the construction of kit cars, an activity he has shared with Jlupils. Although he is, perhaps, at h.is happiest with outdoor pursuits. hiS suggestion, on hrst an."lVl,ng',that his only cultural interest was Buddy Holly lS lar from the truth. With a laboratory directly beneath his, I can vouch for the fact that he has an extremely \\lider,lll£!ing interest in mllsic. He has a young outlook on life7 tYIJified by spending a substantial amount of his fiftieth birthday at the go-kart trael" The last six months, v,,'jth so much time aVI/ay from JaneL mllst have been very tough for Ron, but he has, of course, coped with the increased domestic load with thc minimum of fuss and has looked after Chris and Tom with the care expected of a fond and supportive father. Ron v'lill be doing some teaching at St Bees. has nev·'! book contracts safely secured and will still find time to overhaul the Science Departmcnt of a non-fcepaying school in Nairobi. We wish him: and .JaneL Chris and Tom, every success and happlI1ess 1I1 the future. and look forvl"ard to his visits as a parent over the next vear. He will be all extremely hard act to follow an(1 will be much missed as a true friend and colleague. CJ.RJ.

someone who \vas going to sort things. And sorlthings she did. Lueky new Galpin's. Mrs B, we all agree. is Galpin·s. She has cared wonderfully for the boys' medical and domestic wellbein~, wicldin~ the soluble Panadol, the hot lemon and the honey, the hammer anci the pliers, with equal vigour. She has spent hours in Casualty: and st!'uck a superb balance between affectionate concern lor the sick or troubled. and firmness with those vv'ilO need to be encouraged to cope. In the \vords of the current Removes. 'Mrs B kllo\VS boys better than boys know themselves. She may come in \\'ith "What are YOll doin~? When is this going to be tidied up'? The estat;lishment's a disgJ'(~'e!"~'But she al\vays chuckles and turns out the light with a laugh: It's Sheila's variety one marvels at. Dr Johnson's mind. a friend once remarkcd. could only be compared \0 an elephant's trunk: strong to buffet even the tiger: pliant to pick up even the pin, That's our Mrs 13: a real Dr Johnson of a matron, Sheila has been many tlungs in her pre-King's time: a member of the Na~ional Youth Orchestra. a teacher. a caterer - and. let·s not forget, an outstanding mother. But there wcr~ ju.st as many things that Sheila could have been: a Oonst, a gardener, a calligraphcr. a repairer of Headmaster's shirts, a costume cupboard keeper. a needlcworker and. tapestry maker, a putter out of lights and controller of cleaning ladies and ejector 01 young lmlies I'r~)Jll staircases they should not ever have been draping themselves around so \vinsomeiy. Fcv\,' matrons have so many talents. Even fe\ver have developed them so liberally for the benefit of others. And that leaves verv fe\\' matrons indeed V,111O, !11 fulfilling themselves: have allowed, in quite so equal

SHEILA BENNETT (K.SC. 1987 - 1998) And then there was Sheila. Scmi-creation"l it sounds, and scmi-crcational it certainly was, Berore Mrs 13, Galpin's had had no pCnrlal1enl matron. Housemasters' \:vives, and day matrons, and non-overnighting matrons. and San sisters, and nurses, and mothers - all these had had a crack at the Galpin's problem. But in 1987, with pastoral care coming up the agenda. a decree went out that full provision. everyvv'here. must be made. Whisper it not ncar the Triangle. but Sheila. intervicvv'ed for simultaneous vacancies in Galpin's and MO, is thought actually to have prefcrred the latter. But delicate and fastidious nostrils Vlere those of the then MO Housemaster, and Sheila's penchant for an after-lunch cigarillo was thought liable to lead to a potential decree n.isi. So Galpin's i: \va.s .. And Galpin's it has been ever Sll1ce. Lucky old CJalpll1 s. That, immediately, was the verdict. Sheila came, and vou couldn't miss her. She wore a large cloak. and a V,!;:ltch on a chain. just at the top or the rib cage, the bit vou ahvays felt a bit vulnerable about if you v.,'ere in the U 14C xv and about to prop against 'ronbridge. She strode round the Creen Court purposefully, a sort of cross bet\veen a non-singing non-dancing nonflying Mary Poppins, and a benevolent member of 2. Para just fresh out on patrol. She had the look 01

S)/ci/u Bellllf(f. (/VI.P.I!./J ..J

125

and harmonious a measure, pupils in turn to fulfil themselves. Sheila came as a piece of history; she leaves as one also. She has been the first of a ne\:v generation of livein matron, and she has developed into the first of a new style of Senior Matron. This has not only been because of the force of her advocacy, her reasonableness and fearlessness in pursuit of justice. It's also, more fundamentally, because of the perceptible historical fact that with the advent of Sheila one's way of looking at a matron changed. And so, for example, it was, that in 1990 Sheila became the llrst Matron to sit on the Housemasters' and Housemistresses' committee: and in 1992 that matrons were welcomcd as mcmbers of the Common Room. Those who know their K.S.C. topography know that where Mrs B nmv sits there once sat, in his splendid double study, the Headmaster. Temporally and topographically, dynasties have met; and that's somehow rather nicely appropriate. For Sheila, a friend to all, has always been a great leveller. Tutors, parents, visiting speakers, have all immediately respected her. Before her, even grown members of Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service have been known to quail. A medical coda. No one. has met more germs and accepted rev·ler. Three Housemasters have found Sheila's constitution unshakeable, her opinions sturdy, her wisdom indispensable, her reliability absolute. Generations of Galpinites have O\vcd much happiness, foclls, decency and Sllccess to her. Yes, Sheila has been a great matron. Anyone \vho has visited her, and heard her laugh, and heard her discourse, and seen her narrow her eyes on the garden outside, looking for the lobelia head decapitated by an over-confident Remove with an unmade bed just in advance of Commem Day, will not easily forget it. And anyone who has seen that stare knows that the soils of Norfolk have at last met their match. So thank you, Sheila, thank you; a very heart-felt thank you. The toast is history. PJ.B., T.R.H .. 1.]).1'.

was moved three times - as varioLls plans came into implementation and were then abandoned. There were few people who could have coped with this, and taken 011 a new Housemistress! r have been extremely fortunate to 'inherit' Ruth. She is alltha! one could ask of a Matron: kind, warm, approachable and completely at ease in all those HOllse crises. As everyone knows, the matron is extremely important in the House, and Ruth has managed to balance us all - the girls, the staff and the problems of a decaying building. When a flight of stairs collapsed, there was no great drama - except that it was a weekend, so \:ve spent the time with the stairs taped! She will be greatly missed by us all. I shall miss our conversations and endless cups of tea. The girls \vill miss her; her kind words and potions. I hope that she enjoys her retirement in the Isle of Wight and remembers that she will always be welcome in Harvey. J.H.w.

OLIVE CREISSEN (K.S.C. 1990 - 1998) After a year's apprenticeship as Matron in what was then called Lattergate, looking after small boys waiting to enter School House. Olive kit herself ready to take on the challenge on a larger scale, and joined L.,uxmoore from its inception as a girls' House in 1991 until her retriemcnt this sumnler. this tiny Unciaunted, O/il'(, Crcissel1. figure took on sixty girls, (;\c/.:II01ricdgelllellfs fo many of them twice her Mike Walermall.) size but rarely the match for her quick mind and strong personality. Always an individualist. she encouraged the girls to stand on their own two feeL and quickly became a central force in the House. There was only one aspect of the job she disliked, and that was its title; she hated being called Matron 'because it sounds like a stuffed sofa' I Irish by birth, Olive's real strengths were in talking and listening. She v·,1as always there for the girls when life became difficult, and could be relied upon to give sound, kind, but firm advice based on the experience of bringing up her own six children. She is a great debater, and was often to be found surrounded by the sixth form in the middle corridor after prep discussing the latest political issues with passion and insight. Fiercely individual, she gave the girls space and encouraged them to be themselves; some token of their esteem emerged as she prepared to retire, and they begged her to stay on. Olive involved herself fully in the wider life of the House, and she loved helping to direct all the House plays. She has an instinctive stage-sense, teaching girls (and boys) to act, sing and dance with her own verve. Olive loves a

RUTH BELLAIRS (K.S.c. 1990- 1998) Ruth started as a Matron in Bailey when it was a girls' sixth form House. She then progressed to Jervis where she was instrumental in the establishment of a new boarding I-louse. As Jervis expanded and encompassed Broad Street cottages, Ruth moved 'down the road' and then finally to Harvey. It really was a baptism of fire - no Rllfh l3ellairs. house, no flat and no showers - but at all times Ruth managed to smile. This was an extremely trying time for Ruth, as in the space of a few short weeks she

TilE C,\NTUAIUAN, I.. EN'1' &

SUi\·I~IER

998

126

challenge and has spent her final term coming to grips with her new computer and the delights of the Internet. She has made her way down to her lovely home in the sunny south-west of France, there to be surrounded by an extraordinary collection of antique jugs and plates and a forest of terracotta pots. We hope she will enjoy her new life and find time to sit on her garden chair under the lemon tree - her leaving gift~. Always a Europhile and an adventurous globe-trotter, Olive departs with our affectionate thanks and good wishes for the future.

Fiona has also made a splendid contribution to School drama, whether in King's Week with her own productions -- such as The I/a/ian Straw Ha/, Iphigenia and The Insect Play ~ or assisting at rehearsals for the main plays. Such a reputation did she gain that she has regularly been in demand as a producer of IÂˇlouse plays - such as Dogg's Hamlet (LN) and Women in Power (WL). It is to her credit that she has been accessible to such a lot of pupils throughout the School and was so well respected by them. Fiona has been greatly supported by her husband Giles. to whom she was married in the Cathedral in 1995. We sec them as a team, and are very grateful that Giles has become so involved in the School. He has worked most recently in the School Library and the Raven Library, contributing valuable expertise from his experiencc in Canterbury Public Library, ancI his efforts on our behalf are most appreciated. Giles previously worked as a freelance \vriter and assistant editor, and he has offered a creative writing activity, ellectively developing the skills of King's pupils. He has also \vorked hard behind the scenes adapting several of the plays which Fiona has produced. Giles has enjoyed doing this as his m,~jor interest lies in literature. We wish him every success as a full-time \vriter. As she slips through the sliding doors to exciting opportunities at Westminster, we \vill miss Fiona, OLlr own 'ray of light', a truly moclern woman in a Classical world, who constantly delights us with her stylish sense of fashion. her up-to-the-minute nail colours and shoes simply to elie for' We hope that both Fiona and Giles enjoy a wonderful life together in London and we send them our very best wishes for their future careers.

FF.T.

FIONA PHILLIPS (K.S.C. 1993 - 1998) Everyone \:vho knmvs Fiona Phillips will have their own special memories, such has been her wide-ranging contribution to life at King's. She joined the Classics Departmcnt in 1993, hesh from her research at Oxford University and immediately made her mark vl/ith her innovative teaching style, stimulating pupils across all three Fiona Phillips. (M..!.T) Classical disciplines and comllHinicating her enthusiasm for the subjects to all who came i7110 contact with her. She is a thoroughly professional classroom teacher. guiding her students skilfully to\vards examination success and personal achievement, and requiring their best efforts at all timcs. r-<~iona has a wonderful sense of humour, charmingly deployed to maintain discipline, and much appreciated by pupils and colleagues alike. She is extremely intelligent, though she vI/ears this lightly; has contributed much or her scholarship in a variety or ways beyond the classroom; and, like all good teachers, she has always been receptive to new ideas. Fiona has been a very popular member of the Common Room, always ready to meet new challenges and tackling everything with typical zest. A keen exerciser herself. she has committed herself each term to taking Keep Fit classes three times a \veek with large numbers of Fifth and Sixth Form girls. She has handled these pupils with great patience and skill, and always in a friendly manner. Her positive approach to this activity makes it interesting to a broad crosssection of pupils through the choice of music and movement. They will miss her enormollsly. The Meister Omers boys have also benefited from Fiona's blend of genuine care and perceptive insight. She has managed superbly as a young female tutor in a boys' HOllse and has been fully involved on the pastoral side. It will seem strangc when she is not to be found ncxt term, curled up with her shoes off in some corner of the House, marking-pen in hand, mobile phone at her side, chatting to a group of tutees while she keeps an car out for boisterous Shells.

J.T

ALISON POTTS (K.S.C. 1995 - 98) Alison Potts came to King's to teach English throllghout the School in September 1995, anel left in July 1998 for Wolverhampton Grammar School to continue teaching the subject she loves. Valedictions on individuals in professional life are, too often, factstating accounts from sundry sources describing what others should /\/;SOI1 POliS. (TI..!.) already know about. Therefore, \vriting about Alison's time at King's has to be personal if it is to be original and neVi to the reader. Alison's youth appealed to all her pupils and tutees. Gregarious by nature, she easily dovetailed her professional responsibilities in Jervis House with the kindness expected of a sensitive tutor in tune with young minds. An onlooker could detect the 127

THE C;\NTUARJAN, LENT

& SL:l\l\lER J 998

to Alison's outdoor instincts, and may well have inspired the adventurous ascent towards drama and production during the second half of her career here. Particularly memorable was this year's The Chrysalids, which ranked among the best junior plays in many years of King's Weeks. Irrespective of context - team teaching, coproduction, games coaching or by being just another teacher of English - Alison always made collaboration effortless. Her style was direct and real. Moreover, Alison Potts is the sort of person who could never \valk past anyone she recognised \vithout acknowledging their presence or saying hello. Good fortune and mnch happiness. H..13.M!.

unpretentious rapport Alison and adolescents felt for one another. Her authority and popular success as a teacher came from a skilful balance between \vhat she impaned as knowledge along with a ncar-zealot's conviction for the necessity of impartial and independent critical judgement from her pupils. Alison Potts cut a clash in a Common Room much older than her years and won a wide and friendly audience that stuck with her. Undiminished enthusiasm for those she taught, plus a non-discriminatory commitment to the English Department and its staff, were internal characteristics \vhich made Alison lick. The sixth form literati \vere favoured by the hidden-hand influence she held over the Marlowe Society. Loudon's theatre-land appealed

King's lVeek

THE C\NTUARIAi'''' L1:\T

& SU:--'l"IEI{ J 998

/Jal/lleF Oil

rhe LO!/('}"gole o/'ch. (M.J.T)

128

POINTS OF VIEW AN ADDRESS GIVEN AT THE KING'S SCHOLARS' DINNER BY STEPHEN WOODLEY, ESQ.

Suffice it for me to recall that the Abbey Church here was consecrated in 613, the first Abbot, Peter, having been Jrmvned off Boulogne in 607 - perhaps an early example of EU 'subsidiarity'.

19TH APRIL 1998 IN THE DINING HALL AT ST AUGUSTINE'S

In my personal retrospect - lengthy to you, tiny in this context - ] recall ten years as Head of English, the 1970s, then twelve as Grange Housemaster, the 1980s. I havc never lost either my sense of my good fortune in teaching you - the Special VIths of twenty-five years ago, from which even the Chemists won Open Scholarships in History; those Scholars and non, Scholars bold enough over the years to ask, amidst a Romeo Clnd Juliet or Shakespeare sonnets period, whether I'd actually wooed Mrs Woodley thus (the reality was: 'You lllust cut ofT those backhands dO\vn the line'); to GCSE orals latterly, which I could now only replace by reading the NeH' .)'dentist. And at intervals you have given me the lllost flattering and exciting reward a teacher can have, which is \vhen a set of ideas comes back more inwardly thought through, more articulately expressed than anything one has said oneself'.

A Retrospect, and then two Prospects. A retrospect firstly, as ] ncar the end of' thirty,seven years' school mastering, the first eight in L.ondon day schools, the last twenty-nine here. I came for five years; but these things happen, and the bringing down of the Heath Government in 1974 following the flying pickets' victory at the Battle of' Saltley Wood Coke Depot is part of' the reason] am still here. Fortunately for us alL Mrs Thatcher \vas better prepared to \vin this last eivil war fought on our soil in 1984. Like Patrick Leigh Fermor, one of the first Grange pupils in 1928, ] have never lost my sense of' the wonder of this place: 'the dizzily intoxicating

antiquity, the huge elms, the ruined arches and the Cloisters', founded when 'fragments of' Thor and Woden had hardly stopped smouldering in the Kentish Woods' - there arc East Kent hamlets that feel almost

As for Housemastering, I did it the traditional way, trying to sustain academic momentum; four or five evening duties a week, and games several afternoons a week: with some match travel on Saturdays. All of it possible only through bachelor status or with an utterly supportive spouse; always trying to do tvventy-seven things per day and managing, by midnight, nineteen or them. I recall wryly the young man \vho, VI/hen I had to admit at the start of a period, that, no, I hadn't. .. but on the other hand I had done this, that and the other ... replied laconically, 'For someone \\:ho's so lazy, Sir, you arc vcry efficient'. It is not a world that can be sustained by EU talk of a thirty,eight hour world ng week.

as remote still - which Leigh I':"crmor describes in that

marvellous book, A 'li'l7It of' Gifls. And] hope you will never lose your sense of wonder here either. And it has been useful to me too. We vv'ere touring East Coast USA with a British tennis party a few years ago and reached Nevv'j)ort, Rhode Island, where the last grass court tournament in the USA is still played. A rich, Old Money area, where the Vanderbilts had their summer palaces ..- 'Cottages' they called them, coyly -_. and after dinner, on a promontory \vith the Atlantic on three sides of us, our host helel forth expansively on the wealth and history of Newport. Invited to respond for the visitors, J \vas able to begin: 'The School where I teach is 1400 years old' - and of course, in every sense, \ve'd Vv'O!1 the match. Less easy will be my task at a similar function in Brussels this July, when I shall have again to excuse my monoglot condition by explaining that when I grew up in the 1950s what mattered more was the capacity to speak the same language as Pakistan, India, Trinidad and Nevv' Zealand, which \vas the language of cricket: English. And not without some reason, since it was the countries of the British Commonwealth whose servicemen came so crucially to our assistance in large numbers \vhen Europe lay under Occupation and the mother country stood alone, with no certainty that the USA would come to our aid again, let alone that the Soviet Union \vould be compelled to resist invasion. But that I shan't be saying. To Leigh Fermor's 'hoarier Precincts' - and] hope you will read both A Time 0(' Gifis and Be/wall l/ie l'\foods and the lVater - were added, by the strategic speed and skill of Canon (now Lord) Pilkington just over twenty years ago, and out of the jaws of U.K.C. and c.c.c., this historic site, to which Mr Pollak did more justice than I can at the re-inaugural King's Scholars' Dinner, and about which I can only say 'Read Boggis: HislOl), "ll/ie MOllasrcry, 190 I'.

I shall not forget being the only Housemaster to have run The Grange for twelve full years without a resident or semi,resident tutor; indeed, I think ]'m the only one \\;ho has done so for more than t\VO, my wife acting in lieu. At this point] find it timely to say, as one of the very rev,! members of the Common ROOin to have spoken up for the entry of girls to the Sixth form, that the first girl here (in 1971) and then the next five (in 1972) were all assigncd to my tutor set: they must nov.! be in their forties. Since 1974 my wife has run Girls' Games here: she taught all the first 700 girls to come through King's, every single one of them until girls' nW,Iing becamc a separate entity, creating the whole of girls' hockey, netball, lacrosse, tennis and Keep Fit. It is a matter of great delight to me - and with warm thanks to the Headmaster - that I see her now becoming fulltime at this School. ' So much for Retrospect, and now Prospect: mine first, and then yours. 1 am constantly being asked what I shall do in retirement. Apart from hoping soon to have an indoor tennis centre to run at Polo Farm, I feel urged to quote Yeats at his most bardic:

129

THE CANTUARIAN. LENT

SUM;-"'lER J 998

An aged man is but a paltry thing,

Shakespeare's first seventeen sonnets: 'nullTY and

A tattered coat upon a stick, unless

breed': for

Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress. Yeats was only my age when he wrote those lines,

Nothing' gainst Time's scythe can make defence Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence. Close to 60, I am glad to have children, and though I know it's not l:eally my business, and I know it's impertinent of me to say so, but one has spent an awful lot of time with some of them - it saddens me (and it's bad for society) when O.K.S. whom I know to

and I don't feel an aged man, but I doubt if I shall

manage to write great poetry in my sixties as he did; luckily, I've not had Maud Gonne as a Muse - it must

have been like trying to pursue Vanessa Redgrave. Nor am I likely to write a best-seller about rabbits, as the author of Walersl1l1) Down did, on collecting his Civil

be in Shakespeare's words 'richly possessed' haven't

Service Pension.

married and don't have children, When I do count the clock that tells the time,

But I shall return to the issue that has dogged my career for all except its 11rst four and last six years (I knew that I personally was safe once Mr Major was elected in 1992) which is monopoly comprehensivisation. It is the topic of my sabbatical thesis, ii'om six years ago, and I have never had any doubt that thc aim of the Left - supported at least implicitly by the Liberal Party, and with the Conservatives uncertainly led in this area in the 1960s

So have children: one, two, or three .. , My second wish for you is not unconnected with my sabbatical topic. It was in part despair at Britain's industrial performance in the early 1980s that led Mrs Thatcher to force deregulation on the City of London in 1986, Those of you who heard an answer Lord Tristan Garel-Jones, O.K.S., gave in November will

And see the brave day sunk in hideous night.,.

know the significance of that: more money, he said,

and therefore ambivalent and divided - was that every

crosses the City of London's computer screens by Monday lunch-time than does so in the rest of Europe's financial centres in the five days of the working week. We know the mixed effects of that: they include the progressive loss of Green Belt land in the South East, and simultaneously the greater prosperity

school-pupil in this country should attend the comprehensive the Local Education Authority dcsignated for it. Indeed, this is and always has been the whole logic and rationale of the comprehensive school movement.

of King's School in recent years. It is a culture of - for some - phellornenaJ earnings at an early age, and stress, and potential burn-out. It is in some ways a doubtfully creative and in many \vays a ruthless culture, capitalism with fewer restraints than before. And it does not take a great imagination to connect that with the fashionable growth of drugs, designer drugs, hard drugs used that way. You will not.

On a Time\1'(f/ch programme this past week, I was glad to hear Will Hutton, Editor of The O/)sen'"r, say that what the 1945-51 Government should have done was abolish the public schools and build a truly tripartite system, with strong technical schools. He was partly wrong of course: in the late 1940s Britain was effectively bankrupt, and technical schools are expensive; moreover we would not then

of course, 'do drugs': you are all too sensible. But you

have been willing to emulate the Germans, who have

will, at least, know someone who knows someone

had successful technical schools back into the last century, and these contributed significantly to thc formidable expertise of the NCOs in the German Army. We could have had technical schools in the I 960s; that was the one decade when money was available, but the will wasn't there, the new Social Science faculties were capturing the Labour Party, and

who ... This dire legacy of sixties libertarianism could now

threaten Ollr civil institutions as it does

being laundered, much of which must be coming - and some women - \vho were trained in surveillance and intimidation (the cleverer ones also in electronics and languages) in the service of their socialist states. I belong to the generation that never thought

Those of you studying Britain's industrial decline, in Economics or History, could not do better than borrow from the School Library Michael Sanderson's outstanding book, The Missing Slmlllll1: 'Would that we could go back to the cold night on 24th February 1943 when that honourable man (and Labour Minister) James Chuter Ede altered the original Clause 7(c) of the draft 1944 Education Act. By deleting the specific reference to junior technical schools .. (he made) f~lteful

Communism would just collapse - as it did in 1989, thanks to the bravery of the Catholic Church in Poland and the Protestants in East Germany, thanks to the Polish Pope, thanks to Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago and thanks also to the attractions of

Western-style consumerism. And now we know what societies

that

have

lacked

legitimate

political

institutions for decades, even centuries, do when they implode: they breed organised crime, existing gangsters combining with ex-KGB, ex-Stasi. Even as I am speaking, there is very possibly another consignment of hard drugs - heroin for Surrey, perhaps - making its way through Dover and along the

decisions influencing Britain's

post-war experience. (Without them we were liable to)

remain a third-rate economy moving in the slow lane of a two-speed Europe on its inexorable path of

relative decline'. Which brings me (after some time, I realise) to your Prospeci. I hope you won't mind if as the flrst of my three wishes for you loiTer the urgent advice of

THE CANTUAR1AN, LENT & SUMMER J 998

banking

through London and those willing to turn a blind eye there. Be warned! All over East Europe there were men

complete egalitarianism - sometimes though not ahvays combined with complete libertarianism - was the goal.

among the most

aUf

system. There is an estimated ÂŁ300bn of drugs money

Canterbury

bypass,

feeding

the

mega-profits

(capitalism without any restraints or decency whatever) of Russian or other Mafia, 130

Anyone who's been to East Europe in recent years will know what I mean. The thrcat is real: don't ever assist them, directly or indirectly. Nor is it just East Europeans. 'The Kurds run everything in Hackney' we were told at a recent teachers' conference: meaning that a Kurdish guerrilla group called the P.K.K. partly finances its weaponry by controlling a flourishing drugs trade there. There is a terrifying sentence that one hears, with implications for us all: 'We are in danger of losing the war with organised crime'. And my Jinal 1I'ish for you: it can, of coursc, only be that you will be happy, and ful1illed. and useful, and responsible: that you will serve society well in your time. Not "Don't make money' - J can't wish that, or in the next generation there'll be no King's School - but acknowledge that life makes complex and sometimes contradictory demands, and that if YOll can fulfil nineteen

Finding a replacemcnt for fossil fuels will affect society as a whole, If we are left with no alternative when fuel prices rocket, our economy will be severely damaged. Money needs to be invested into research so that this situation never arises. This will bccome one of the main areas of scientilic study in the future. By increasing the tax on vehicle fuels, and using this money to subsidise public transport, we can encourage the installation of hlel cells, and make public services more affordable for the people. This will lead to a reduction of vehiclcs on the road, and a reduction in oil consllmption. With the increasing damage to our environment from pollutants arising from excessive use of fossil fuels, legislation aimed at reducing their use is the only way forward. Strict tines must also be placed on companies which contaminate water reservoirs with heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, lead and aluminium. We are becoming increasingly aware that these metals are causing many health problems, as they act as biological and neurological toxins. Alliminilln1 is the third most abundant element in the earth's crust and so it is to be expected that our drinking water will contain some dissolved aluminium compOlliKis. This is increased by the use of aluminium sulphate in the treatment of water. For a long lime. these compollnds were thought to be harmless, until it was noted that a build up of aluminium caused acute

out of twenty-seven of them you'll have done \\lc11, even

if you don't satisfy everyone. And lastly if you can - and if you're not averse to the whole idea ~ keep going to Church. I(lr at the Millennium we should have in mind the centuries that have shaped us, and especially when V'ie have been privileged to be inheritors here. I \vish you all vcry \ve11.

S.c.w. PRIZE-WINNING ESSAY BY ELLEN WEAVERS (6H) THE GLAXO WELLCOME AND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON 'WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING' COMPETITION You ore 0 senior gOl'ernmcn! minisler in the yeoI'

2020. What glolwl isslles ill the Fe/cis

or sciellce.

cngineering, mOllogemell1 or enF;ronmenl w;/I YOll need 10 address ({!ld hOH' will YOIf go aboll! thi.";?

One or the major issues racing our world is the need to find ncw cnergy sources, Even \vith maximum devclopment of renewable fucls, oil will still bc relied upon to provide 25.7'* of the world's energy in 2020, but there will only be sixtcen years' worth of oil still accessible to us. The threat is not so great concerning natural gas and coal, as reserves should last 40 and 200 years re~"pectively, but this is still a problem. Nuclear energy also looks doubtful for the future - even with recycling of uranium, supplies will only last 74 years,111 Alternatives to uranium are being investigated, the most promising being thoriulll. Biofucls (alcohols, ethers. etc .. from biomass) look set to head the market as the highest contributors to replacing fossil fuels. Solar and hydroelectric energy generators will also playa major part. Extensive research is being directed towards the developmcnt of fuel cells. Molten carbonate and solid oxide cells are already in use in countrics such as Japan and the USA. In thc future, these may provide 10-20% of \vorld energy21, and this will also reduce the problem of transmitting high voltages. as they can be placed loudly. Hydrogen may also playa part in reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, but a transport network needs to be developed before this can becomc fully effectivc.

ÂŁ.)/CII Wcal'('/'s. (Zhi

131

H(w (Jon.)

THE C\NTUiI..RIAN, LENT & SU)I.ÂˇlivWR J 998

symptoms such as weakening of bones, mental disturbances and anaemia in patients undergoing dialysis due to kidney failure. High levels of aluminium have also been detected in '-the brains of people suiTering from Alzheimer's disease, although there is no evidence that this causes the condition. Lead is released into the environment in many forms, such as car exhausts, lead paint, and lead pipes contaminating water supplies, Recent \vork has shown that lead is extremely toxic within living systems, In the blood stream. it affects the synthesis of haemoglobin, causing anaemia and often kidney failure as it accumulates in the body. Lead has shown a tendency to disrupt bone growth and mental development in young children. Experiments also suggest that low levels of exposure to lead in industry could be linked to male impotence. This is obviously an area which needs increased research, and government policies should reflect this. as the health problems caused by these xenobiotics are adding to the need to revolutionise our health care system. As a whole, people are living longer, with the implication that more people requil~ long term medical assistance. In the future, health care budgets need to be increased, as hospitals are already understaffed and under-equipped. The most obvious way of finding this money is to increase taxes on cigarettes and alcohol. This will not increase party popularity, but it will hopefully reduce the number of cases for hospitals to deal with from abuse of these substances. and generate sufficient funds to be invested into health services. Around 40'}(' of the health care budget is actually spent on hospital management 1i ) and s. .o the government needs to have more authority in the allocation of capital in order to reduce wastage. The government will also need to make the health care system equitable so that there is equal access to treatment, for everyone, This can only be achieved if decisions are made through a central body. Decentralisation of medical services is, again, a key strategy. By funding local clinics to provide a wider range of services, including minor surgery, pressure can be removed from the main hospitals. The government will need to encourage collaboration between the private and public sectors of the health service, as this should enable researchers from the two areas to share experiences which may enhance our potential to combat some of the diseases that arc causing so many problems today. Times are changing. Professor Peter Bruce, Head of the School of Chemistry at the University of St Andrews has the following comments: 'There is an urgent need for establishing links with European scientists if we arc to succeed in developing fuels of the future'. He believes that the technology ~,eeded is not available in Britain alone. Clearly, levels of toxins \Vitllin the environment need to be reduced, and Professor John Timbrell from the Department of Pharmacy at King's College, London, says: 'The government must invest in detailed scientific research into techniques such as reclamation of metals from sewage, if we arc to prevent this catastrophe'. The age of science has arrived, and those in charge of policy development must support this. We need to prepare for the future. before it becomes the present.

THE CANTUAR!AN, LENT

& SUlvlivlER J998

References: ", Microsoft'Âˇ, En('({rld 97 Encyclopedia Energv SlIpply, World contributed by M. Jcflerson NalionalHeallh Sen'ice contributed by D. Watson I:") Telephone interview with Professor Peter Bruce, Head of the School of Chemistry. University of St Andrews Telephone interview with Professor John Timbrell from the Department of Pharmacy at King's College, London Internet sites: h It 1': Ilwww.esd.ol.l1l.gov/bfdp/doeofd/stratpla/ crossrod. h tml http://zebu.uoregon.edu!l996/phI62/11.html http://www. fue Icell s. orglfc faq s. sht ml http://www.nrel.gov/pv/howworksbody.html A. Holmes. Holmes Prin('lj)(tis o(Physi('(f1 Geography. published in 1978 . A. Lewis, 'The Green Goal'. in Diesel Car. April 1990, page 27 FG.H. Blyth and M.H. de Freitas. A Geology./l!r Engineers. published in 1988 1'. Brown. 'Pals of the Planet - or Drivers of Doom')'. in Diesel Car. April 1994. page S9 ELLEN WEWI'RS.

THE REDEVELOPMENT OF WHITEFRIARS recently arranged to meet Mr Kim Bennett, Canterbury City Council Planning Officer and Team Leader in the Planning Department, to find out more about the approaching redevelopment of a large section of the city. Whitefriars. that has been a City Council objective for a decade. This is the area where we see buildings such as Ricemans and the multistorey car park. Thirty years ago these buildings took the place of the ruins left by World War Two. and were intended to bring some modern development into the medieval city. The spirit of the post-war world was one which favoured a new start, yet there was outcry, even in the Canwarian of the time, as the plans went ahead. The result is a rather unattractive and inappropriate group of buildings that has failed to age gracefully or to blend into Canterbury's style. Now the council see the mistake and are planning to redevelop this entire area more attractively and in character with the city. The School as a community knows Canterbury very well; probably better than most other people. for we daily experience firsthand its nooks and crannies from the High Street to the Precincts and the innermost parts of the Cathedral. We take for granted what pilgrims and now tourists have travelled miles to see. However, in approximately seven years a large section of the city within the walls will have changed beyond our recognition. It is undoubtedly in the School's interests to know what disruption this will calise and for what result. There are two main shopping facilities which will be changed. The 1970s Whitefriars extension hOllsing

132

such as the Internet, and arts j~lCilities, The current building may become a museum or another art gallery. The St Andrew's United Reformed church by the Watling Street car park is to he re-located to a more appropriate position, It will overlook Dane John Gardcns and is of an unusually flamboyant design, with a domed roof This will be one of the first constructions and is sure to be very impressive. Canterbury is Oil the national cycle route from Dover to Scotland, and so the Council will continue to develop eycle routes through the city, There is to be a facility provided in the Whitefriars scheme, controlled by an operator, where approximately one hundred and fifty bicycles can be stored in Canterbury, One day visitors to the city will he able here to buy, store, or repair a bicycle, People who leave their bicycles here as they go to \vork will even be able to usc the new showering and changing facilities! The council is keen to encourage alternative transport to cars. Although there are to be fewer car-parking spaces in the actual city centre, tbe Park and Ride scheme is likely to be expanded to a second location on the Ncw Dover Road. This, v,lith more emphasis on bicycles and walking, will help to decrease the present rush-hour congestion and, of course, pollution. The disabled will have access to a 'shop-mobility centre', enabling them to park their motorised buggies in car parks, or onto a lift for direct access to the scheme,

Kim Bellllc/{, C(f/ll('}"iJlIl'Y Cify COl/llcil Plalllling /)('jJ({rfl!lellf. (11/e.\ Dm'ies.)

Ricemans is to be demolished: the o\vners have agreed to rationalise and extend the existing building, ~ince the current trading format is inefficient. There is enthusiasm on the part of the Council that the resulting store will be fully integrated within the development, much improved in appearance and better for shopping. It will also take a nevI" name: Fenwick's, Tn minimise the disruption, a substantial part of the building will remain open while the rest is constructed, Marks and Spencer's \vill be expanded. and two more large buildings arc to be built: the first will be opposite the bus station, while a second (smaller) store will be on Rose Lane - both to house Boots. Various smaller stores are to be demolished and replaced, while carefully integrated with the development's other elements, There are to be sixteen residential units on second floor leveL These Whitefriars nats will have rooftop gardens \vith views of Bell Harry tower. Some \vill be occupied by members of the public, while others on the frontage are proposed either for a hotel, or for students who do not need gardens and will not find the situation as uncomfortable as open market buyers may, The Beaney Institute building in the High Street is not actually appropriate for a city library in situation or size, Instead a library is to be built probably on Watling Street's northern frontage, Here it \vOllld have the accessibility that such a~l importanr feature deserves, .Money is now being raised for a modern communication centre to be incorporated in this library, which ",,Iill include access to high-tech features

The style of the Whitefriars buildings was one of the main mistakes that architects and city planners made thirty years ago. It gives no sense of personal identity, This time the redevelopment of the city will be more in its own style and character, so it should link more effectively the old Canterbury with the nc\v, This matter of style is a divisive isslie the second time round, People have different opinions on how the design should be, so it \Iv'ill be more of a halfway compro711ise, The architects want you feel as though you arc in Canterbury and not possibly anywhere else, \vhile at the sa111e time being contemporary, To achieve this they have suggested the use of traditional materials, steep-pitched roofs, gables and other Canterbury features, It will fit neatly with the old city, yet the modern design will make it obviously a new development. People have made it clear that it mllst not be pretentiolls. Canterbury is made Lip of a series of individual building blocks, so nO\\I the architects, rather than creating an enclosed shopping-centre design, are making a \vhole array of the shops with open backs and fronts. In the Planning Officer'S opinion, this is to be a 1110st pleasing aspect. Green and open spaces have been considered, though we have to remember that Canterbury is a medieval city and was never supposed to have more than a fev.,! squares, There arc already pleasant grassy areas around the Cathedral and in Dane John and \A/cstgate gardens, In the new squares created at Whitcfriars there will certainly be new artistic features. Widely varying suggestions have been made; from statues of Rupert Bear to Canterbury Councillors' heads! There may be fountains, details on buildings and stained glass v.'indows, The many ideas will be taken through a consultation process.

THE CANTUARIAN. LE:"T

& SU\J!\lER J 998

Jobs are to be created by the project for the long term, though more especially in the shorter term. Construction jobs may number up to 1,500 as the scheme goes ahead. Up to 750 retail jobs will eventually also be created. There will be an enormOus and complicated archaeological dig, as Canterbury sits on a vast amount of history. Much of the city's ground has been examined

was made for. Most people thought it was excellent, and they are not wrong. There are many, however, who have questioned the validity of spending $200 million on one film (or movie if you must) when there are many better ways in which the cash could be sJlent. In a sense this is ground which has been covered many times before, but the situation is at its most obviolls nOw and those who have given the subject no thought should do so.

already; some has even had its archaeological secrets spoiled - but not all. The Gravel Walk is to undergo investigation in much the same way that J saw the Longnulrket being dug about seven years ago. The public will be able to look through peepholes and occasionally venture in to enjoy a closer viewing. Archaeologists, under the supervision of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust, are excited at possible discovery prospects. Our School Classics and History Departments will undoubtedly llnd this immediate and direct aspect of the development a fortunate bonus. The City Council and Land Securities, the developers, hope to obtain planning permission this summer, and this will act as the trigger for more direct proceedings. There will be disruption in order to achieve the eventual SLIccess. Roads will have to be closed and shops will be temporarily out of action including ollr all-important :McDonaJd's restaurant! The phasing is complicated, so local radio stations and newspapers will give regular explanations on how to get into the city, park and find shops without difficulty. Negative feedback from some is inevitable in the short term. Retailers have been concerned not only about the disadvantages to their businesses, but also about the loss of parking. Environmentalists on the other hand, insist that there should be no parking in the city centre. There are people who wish the proposed style to be more modern as we approach the millennium, yet there are others who wish it to be toUdly traditional in appearance despite the falseness of such an approach. S0I11C have simply been unhappy about the confusion and disruption which the development will cause as it progresses. Our school is lucky to be at a safe distance from the main scene of demolition, though close enough to see the project happen from its beginning to its end. It is probable that the process will not be finished even when the present Shells leave the School. But one clay, in the not too distant future, pupils and locals alikc will enjoy the redevelopment - as \VC ourselves may \vhen we return as O.K.S. to a partly diilerent Canterbury. It is a complicated and expensive process, but also \vell planned and in the long term sure to be a successful ne\v amenity for Canterbury.

The first problem with the debate is that if a conclusion is reached little can be done, as the money is in the hands of L(/I\'/"ellce H:hirc sll/I/g. ridiculously rich (M..I.T.j producers and not weJlmeaning PllPils. They \vould argue that they are just earning a living and, sadly, they have a point. The making of a filn~ requires hundreds, even thollsands, of people and thus generates many short-term jobs for technicians, stunt men and even the dreaded ak-tors. A conversation with my dear mother on the subject ran thus: Mum: 'You almost feel that you should not go and see it. as you're pandering to the people who made it by sLlppol~ting their industry' Me: 'I know. They spent $200 million on it. But you could just take the view ... ' J\1um: 'Let's just go and see it.' '0/e did, anel left the cinema feeling satisfied and ,11 peace with the world. if a little sobered by the sight of the devastation as the ship sank. Why pick on Titanic, v·,Ihich at least had the decency to be good, unlike the recent S200 million abomination that is Speed 2. Which also had a crashing boat in it, only not a famous one. And not a corset in sight. My point is that it is hard to drmv a boundary, a guideline which says: 'This movie (sic) cost too much'. The recent surprise-hit S'll'illgers was made for under £1 million, yet it outperformed many films madc for 60 times that amount, because it \vaS better and funnv and not a sequel. This is clearly a reasonable total "for a film, but wilat about one made for £20 million') £100 million')

CAROLl\:E PACJE.

(With thanks to Mr Kim Bennett, Planning Officer. Canterbury City CounciL)

Lots of questions, and no answers so far. The affair is a matter of opinion, and I will not force mine upon you in the way certain television personalities. I simply wish you to think over the facts before you rush out to sec !-10m" A/one f\! -- Lost III Bogno!'. (More likely than you hope, although Culkin will decline. Thank heaven for small mercies.)

A HORROR AWAITS US! Ah. Got your attention, did 1" As I write. crowds nOV.,! from the nation's cinemas, one half of the species lamenting the icy death of Leonardo and the other half smiling in remembrance of the legendary 'sketching scene'. Titanic has so far grossed over $720 million, roughly three times what it

THE CANTlL\R1J\i\, LENT

Sl.7:-'1:\lIJ<

J 998

The critics applauded 7i'tallic and had to scrap the cunning 'Titanic is a s(t)inker' style headlines they had planned for reviews. Is it simply the cost of a 1110tion picture (ahem) which must be taken into account, or does the quality of the entertainment justify the

134

exorbitant fee? No one has reall y moaned abo ut Titanic beca use o f its excell ence, but with th e

Perhaps the viable so lution is to go and see onl y those expensive fi lms which are good, nay excellent. T he flaw in this plan is that it is difficult to know their inherent goodness unt il yo u see them, but adva nce word from magazines, friends or newspapers (even the dreaded .net) can usua ll y be trusted.

increasing amounts of money coming into studios I

fear it is not long before we wi ll be swamped by hordes of $300 million blockbuster movies of low, low quality. Anyone who has seen Batman and Robin ('coo l' - Mr Freeze; 'aw ful' - everyone else) will know the horror whi ch awaits us.

L AW RENCE WHITE.

King's Week parade: rile '-{ear/masTer il/spects. (M.P.I-ID .)

135

THE

CANTUARIAN, L ENT

SUMMER

1998

FOCUS THE KING'S SCHOOL SCIENCE RESEARCH INITIATIVE

will be invited to prese11l (both in verbal and poster forms) their research-related activities anti/or revievlls of scientific topics being researched at institutions of higher education. In addition, scientists from industry an~l academia will be invited to give key-note lectures. If sufficient funds can be raised, it is hoped that prizes \:vill be mvarded for both the oral and wrillen presentations. The new biannual reviews journal, N-Lighten, will initially be produced and wrinen by the sixth-f(l1'Ill pupils at the King's School. It will be circulatecl nationally without charge and will include articles of topical interest, ranging from materials science at one end of (he spectrulll '-to ~ledicinal/biological sciences at the other. There will be an 'in house' editorial board consisting of a panel of teachers and sixth-form pupils dra\:vn from the three traditional scientific subjects. In addition, an 'external' advisory editorial board includes some prominent scientists covering an extensive breadth of interests, The major role or this body will be to inform the teaching: members or the editorial board of areas of active work in their specialist helds, so thar they can then guide pupils in the appropriate directions. It is anticipated that students on A-level or equivalent courses, from both state and independent sectors, \vill submit material for publication. 'fhe magazine will be printed in September and February.

The King's School, Canterbury, in association with the University of KCnl and the Nufficld fOoundation, has launched an exciting new programme, S'cienc(' Resellrch /nililllil'c, for sixth-form scientists both at this school and elsewhere, The project aims to cultivate an interest in and knmvledge of the wider aspects of science among A-

level students. The initiative has three components: 1 2

research work;

hosting of the inauQ.ural biennial conference entjtlc~1 Chllilenge,,~ in Science; 3 production of a biannual reviews journal called N-Lighlen, The research work, in collaboration \vith the Univcrsitv of Kent, involves a team of sixth-form chcmistr); students investigating the potential of nitric oxide to act (a) as a synthetic reagent and (b) as a

mutagen, The pupils learn advanced laboratory skills along with benefiting fro111 industrial placement during the Summer. The biennial one-day conference will be organised initially by sixth-formers at the King's School. The inaugural conference will be held at the Schoo1 on Friday 19th March 1999: pupils from other schools

Memhers

(~lthe

King's ,School rescarch I('all/ presenfing (/ posler al fhe Royal Sociely: Ellen Wem'ers, Whartoll. MA., Tong YCllng, Kingyin Lee, Charles Miller-Jones

THE CANTUARIAN, LEt-,rr

& SU1\'lMEH J 998

136

J('nll~ler

DII!!on, Mark

)loon Ti Chi. (\Villi(//1/ Jusricc.)

Mark WhaJ"!()I/. (Willialll Jlls/icC'.)

The School has made an initial contribution towards the project. Sponsors so far include: The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, Wellcome Trust, Salters' Institute for Industrial Chemistry, The Royal Society, The Royal Society of Chemistry and Pfizer Central Research. Ltd. There is currently no school in the country which publishes either a regular journal or hosts a conference as a means of creating a greater understanding of and enthusiasm for science 011 a national basis. The commercial publications in science aimed at the 16-18 age range are written by scientists and teachers. The uniquen'ess of this project lies in the fact that the scientjjlc information will be disseminated entirely by sixth-formers for their own peer group nation-wide. For further information about submitting articles and for copies of application forms for attendance at the conference, please contact: Mo Afzal at the School (Tel.: 01227 595693 or 595676; Fax: 01227 595676: e-mail: ma@kings-school.co.uk).

\:vas 1ll particular demand during the Lent Term, as Modern Linguists boned up for their oral exams. Topics such as ETA and 'Unemployment in Germany' were particular favourites. This term, the Internet has proved popular for both Caravaggio and Chesil Beach: unlikely bedfellows perhaps, but indicative or the wide-ranging enquiries dealt with on a daily basis in the School Library. Some of the developmellls in the Library this year have been, we hope, easy to spot. Thanks to our new Store housed in the cellar. we have cleared the overflow of older and perhaps more obscure volumes that had been evicted from the bookshelves by newer, more tempting acquisitions. Visitors to the Library will now no longer be forced to navigate their way through piles of old tomes on the floor. As ever, our number of issues has increased this year; more and more pupils seem to be making it through the Quenin Gate to use the Library. Their academic interests are proving pleasingJy eclectic. The Library Suggestions book has this year included pleas for books on everything from beagling and Rasputin to cyberpunk novels and Northrop Frye. World Book Day was celebrated on 23rd April, with every pupil receiving a ÂŁ I book voucher. Pupils at the Junior King's School marked the day bye-mailing their reviews of favourite books to pupils at a school in Dallas, who then responded in kind with their OW11 reviews.

THE LIBRARY 1998 has seen the Library building on its strengths and looking to the future. The nevÂˇ/ technology introduced last year, Reuters and the Internet, has been met with an ever more enthusiastic welcome. Reuters

137

THE CANTUARIAN. LENT

SU;>,jI\lER 1998

Titles new to the Library this year have included the literary sensation Birthday Lellers by Ted Hughes and the innovative Molecules at an Exhibition by John Elsmley. We were also happy to acquire the new hi storical novel by Philippa Gregory, Earthly Delights, which tell s the story of the Tradescants. The Librarian would particularly like to thank Mary Berg, Governor of the King's School , Canterbury, for her donation of two very useful books, Understanding Economics by Vicky Allsopp (a perennial favourite), and Determinants of Economic Growth by Robert J. Barro. 1998 has seen the introduction of many more CDROM s including The National Gallery Complete Catalogue, The Finan cial Tim es and The Deluxe Multim edia Bible. The ever-enterpri sing Head of Spani sh has provided us with some Spani sh-language CD-ROMs, including the Spanish Encctrla" 98, for which we are very grateful. The Library also has its own page on the School website, complete with a Book and Enquiry of the Month. ' It is interesting to note that the 29th of June thi s year marked the 150th anniversary of the opening of the School Library building, which was built by William Butterfield in 1848 as the library of St Augustine's Theologica l College . It 's a striking thought that pupils are now able to research 'on-line', surf the Net and consult our own customised database, all under the one venerable ISO-year old roo f. GILES SM ART.

James Ludbrook at fhe Grange jfJte. (Zhi /-fao 0011. )

THE WALPOLE/GRANGE FETE The Grange and Walpole buzzed with acti vity on Sunday 19th Apri l as the annual fete took place. As usua l, it was a huge success - with everyone from grandparents to Mr and Mrs Oath 's two- month old twins thoroughl y enjoying themselves, Thi s yea r saw the expansion of our famou s fete into the tuckshop, which housed such attractions as Mr Wood 's 'White Elephant' stall and the ' Doughnut Eating Challenge',

BUZZER KING'S King 's are thi s year's National Champions in the Schools Challenge Qui z Competition, the schools' equ ivale nt of Un iversi ty Challenge. Around 240 schools from Nort hern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales enter the Senior section of the competiti on and for Kin g's thi s was the second year runnin g and third

and drew so large a crowd that many were at a loss as

time in seven years at the National Finals. King's

to what to do next - cake and a cup of tea, or 'Splat the Rat '?

became Southern champions by beating Westmin ster School 870-540 after storming through a seri es of

Stall s were unusually imaginative, inventi ve and an

South-Eastern games. The Nationa l Final at Nottingham was an exceptionall y exc iting game

incredibl e way to spend a Sunday afternoon. The entertainments

in cluded

water-bo mbing

John

against Bedford Sc hoo l, wh ich at 950-850 produced the competition 's highest-ever score, Andy Ribbans captained superbl y, Alfred William s was such hot stuff that the organisers fou nd it hard to believe that he was

Know les (which proved surpri singly popu lar, raising more than £50), ' Beat the Keeper', pancake-mak ing and the food-tou ching challenge (very messy). Tables laden with delicious food proved too much of a temptation for most, with the Walpole cake-stall

onl y our junior member, and James Brilliant and Ronjoy Sanyal did an excellent job in suppl ying the answers the others could no!. Andy and James leave us

making over £40.

thi s year and carry my warmest thanks for being such tremendous ambassadors for the school and such great

A brilliant afternoon was rounded off with the raffl e prize draw, which boasted a wide va riety of pri zes - and made Sarah Fran se lla ve ry happy, as she wo n an aeroplane ride kindly donated by Mr Lyons. Many thanks to all those who organised , contributed and attended the fete, rai sing a g rand total of £3 11 for the Canterbury Open Chri stmas Charity for the homeless.

fun. In the Inter-House Qui z Competition, Galpin 's beat Tradescant to win the Juni or trophy for the second yea r

running and in a gripping tinal Linacre just snatched the Senior troph y from last year's win ners Meister Omers. PJ,B.

JESSICA WHITE.

TH E CANTUAR IAN, LENT & SUMMER 1998

138

The amblilallcefor Uganda lVith (/llostly) Walp ole girls alld Andy Hart , O.K.S. (M.J.T. )

Malf Haydock (If fhe Grange fite. (Zhi !-lao 0011.)

Winn ers of the Schools Challenge Quiz Competition: Ronjoy Sanyal, Alldrew Ribbans, Alfred William s James Brilliant. (With acknowledgements to The Kent Messenger Group .) j

139

THE

C ANTUAR I AN, L ENT

& SUMMER 1998

AMBULANCE FOR UGANDA

cardiovascular and respiratory systems v·,icrc the strongest the team had seen in a junior girl. In her single scull she continued to improve and while she remained a 1i((le clumsy·" the finer skills, that make the sport sllch a contradiction between power and finesse, \vere beginning to develop. 1996 saw her selected, again in a quadruple scull, for her first Junior World Championships" helel Ihal year in Slralhclyde Parle Scotland. The crew rinished rounh, the highest ever achieved by a British \vomcn's quad. The following year, while domestic pri/,es continued to be won \I-.iith ever increasing re!2,ularit\" she \vas paired up with a previous junior ~.'or!~1 lllcd:tl \vinner to train in a pair. \vhich meant that she needed to learn the skil!s or rowing as opposed 10 sculling. As the year progressed, the connict between training and racing in the Schoo] quad. and preparing ror the \Vorld Championships in the GJ3 pair led her, arler considerable anguish, to withdraw from the School boa!. The pair cvel)(ually camc 1()L1I'lh in thc World Championships or 1997 (helel in lIazewinkle, Belgium) ancr a poor rmv in the rinal. perhaps the biggest disappointment for {he tcam which had expecled al leasl a medal. Returninu ror her A-level vear. Frances has continued I()'train, harder than c\'el~ Back in the School boat. she has led it to rour successive wins at the Schools' l'lead and Regatta and continued to inspire ever~incrcasi!lQ levels or sculling abililv in the Club. She has traine:1 lllorc this year in her si;)glc and yet il \vil! remain a ureat irony that, havinu showll such ability ror so 17mg, she has failed eve,r to \vin the Championship single event at National Schools' Regatta. One bronze medal and t\\-'O silver \vil! 1'01' ever rcn~ain her haul for the event. twice being pipped by scullers able to generate great speed in the first 250m which she was unable 10 malch and Ihen who sa! ahead of her as she railed 10 overhaul Ihem. This vear's winner looks highly likely 10 be selecled wilh F,:ances to represent CircaI' Britain in a double scull in this year's World Championships in O((ensheim. Auslria. Fittingly. of all Frances' international boats, after her winning performances at the Munich Junior International Re.gatta in May, this bont appears to carry her besl chance of World Gold. Next year holds for her the challenge of breaking into senior rowing, which we expect her to tackle delerminedly and successfully (she did win an under23 Irial Ihis year). For Ihis she will need to rurnish herself wilh Ihe sponsorship 10 supply a lop-class racing single and funds for the training and travelling she must do. This lask is under way bUI nol complelcd. lIer goal for the medium term is a place in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Team and il would be a fool who backed against her achieving it As we say goodbye to Frances, the Boat Club loses far more than an exceptional athlete. She has always given the squad with which she is training added impetus as \veil as confidence. She has always brought a tremendous sense of justice about sharing equipment and coaching time. Recently she has been the perfccI model for young boys and girls in the Club, showing how serioLls sport can sliccessfully be combined with higJl academic stttndards - if we ever worried about her work,

Picture the scene: a tillY village in rural Africa where there is no ready Vllater supply; the nearest hospital is hundreds of miles away and there is no transportation anyway; sanitation is non-existent. and most people around are dying and suffering horribly from the AIDS virus. Stretch your imagination further and consider the fatal odds against you as a heavily pregnant woman. The baby has severe problems prior to birth yet YOll don '1 even have access to soap and water: you arc bolh likely 10 die. This situation can regularly occur in villages like Rukungiri in Uganda. The first major health programme in this region was sct up in 19X6, but desperately needs a nc\v Land Rover to act as an ambulance in order to continue its vital v/ork, carrying emergency health care, inlmunisation programmes and clean v/atcr to even the most rural areas. This yeaI'. Walpole House raised over {2()()() 10 help Andy Hart, O.K.S" convert a Land Rover inln a fully equipped ambulance which woulel cos I £2(),000 in total. Monev was raised bv Ihe sellinQ of over 2,S00 Valentine ~'arnati()ns, organised b)~- the Walpole memhers of 6<1. Durino. Kino.'s Week, before its Ion!! journey to Uganda, the aml~ulance \vas displayed o~i the Green COllrt. and on 2f;th June Archbishop Carey gave it his blessing. .l1:~~Y DLTT()~ ,VND LOTTI: 'rY[)DtA~.

FRANCES HOUGHTON Rarely docs or has the Boal Club, or indeed Ihe SchooL 'launched an individuul wilh such lalenl and potential into senior international representative sport as we do nmv with Frances Houghton. Frances joined Ihe School in September 1993 wilh a small amount of sculling experience gained rrom the Dragon Prep. School. Two years laler, at Ihe end of her Remove year, she had won a Championship Bronze medal in her single scull al Nalional Schools' RegalIa und had represented Great Britain, bOlh al under- I 8 level. Such Vlas her potentia! at that stage that she lost all anonymity in junior rowing circles and a long and glittering career at junior international level was universally forecast. That first year saw her selected in a quadruple scull which raced al Ihe COlll'f <if Iii Jelll1eSSe in Bourges, France. The crev.,; \von on both days of the eventand Frances, still only 14, returned home with two international gold medals. Returning for her Fifth form year. it was time for her to begin to convert some of the potential she possessed into real ability \vith the graft of countless heavy weight training sessions and miles and miles of quality paddling on the lake at Westbere. It is hard to imagine a young athlete so sensible about handling the longterm goals \vhich lay ahead of them. Frances progressed steadily and modestly, training at a level many of the senior boys envied. Her involvement with the Great Britain set-up meant that she was being regularly physiologically tested to ascertain the true gains in performance capacity made in training. These tesls revealed thaI nol only did she possess Ihe ideal rO\ving frame (being a lean 6' 5"); but that her TilE CM'i'Tt',\R!;\N. LENT & SU~ll\IEJ< 1998

140

it was usually that she was doing too much of it. On top

For

all

her

qualities,

shall

miss

her

i ml11casllrabl y.

of this. Frances has always avoided overconfidence or

arrogance. remaining as modest about her O\vn ability as lVl.C.L.

she is generous about that of others.

King's IVeek !)(/}'(/de: Clwrles Leigh-Pell/halon. (lvl.P.lI.D.j

141

THE C:\i\'TU:\R!:\~, LEI'\"!"

& St::-'I;\lER 1991;;

EXPEDITIONS 6A ECONOMICS CONFERENCE TO PARIS JANUARY 1998 On 22nd January sixteen 6a Economics students went to Paris for a conference on Europe. After an eight-hour journey we arrived in the freezing cold at Hotel. Belta, to be greeted by the concierge (a.k.a. Hitler). Absolutely exhausted but raring to go, some of the group sampled the local McO's while the more

adventurous visited a French restaurant and then went on to other Parisian delights. We set off to 'do some

culture' in the morning, stopping first althe impressive Musee D'Orsay where Bry gave us all art lectures and then (aftcr a juvenile adventure on the caroLisel and trampolines - Kajsa l) on to L'Orangerie where we soaked up more culture in the form of Monet's Walerli/ies. Feeling culturally saturated, we decided to s~ip the bafCmHJ10Ilche, UIUlI)imously opting for a spot 01 shopping at the Champs Elysees and some nosh in Les Hailes. Then back to the Place de la Rcpublique to

socialise with the local Parisians, while Henry and Jon made silly bets. The day of the conference finally arrived, and we

were packed into a massive centre along with about 2000 other British students. We had 'some really informative and inspirational talks about the future of Europe and Britain's role in it, as well as morc scholarly lectures about the progression of EMU and EU enlargement, and an overview of the history of the BU. This was followed by a highly amusing man who taught us how to solve our problems by comparing the Pope to a mug of hot chocolate, a video of Eddie Izzard and an account from personal experience of working in Europe by a student whose 'Yah, hi everybodyl' Emma fell in love with. Another ham and cheese sandwich later (yes, we did eat other things in Paris, I think ... ) and we all felt revived and ready for another night on the town. A girlie dinner near Notre Dame, where QuasinlOcio and Esmeralda were the guests of honour, ended badly when Emma assured our resident veggies that tripe was a type of French fish. Oli, Hil and the girls didn't get their kicking night out as planned, but the Place de la Republique was really bUlzing that night. Up at the crack for the journey back to Canterbury, and poor Sadie felt sea,sick before we even got on the ferry. Regretful good byes were said to the ~oncierge, though l'm sure Alyssa kept her room key on purpose so that she would have to write to him! Tim, Theo and the rest were saying other good byes, while the girls wrote up their notes on the conference. Back to school feeling exhausted after a really enjoyable and useful trip. .

Faris ('.\'/J('C/iliol1,

presl//JIe. (L.A.H.)

SPANISH TRIP TO MADRID AND SALAMANCA FEBRUARY 1998 On Thursday 12th February around thirty members of the fifth and sixth form gathered at the Magistrates' COllrts, waiting for the coach to transport us to Heathrow. Suddenly there was an interesting diversion with the arrival of the SI Valentine carnations! There was a mad rush at the fortunate bearers of the flowers, who had been on the receiving end of a lot of envious stares in school. But before we knew it we were on the coach with our luggage - some of us looking as if we were moving to Spain rather than just visiting for a week - and there then ensued a relatively smooth journey; the only mishap being when Franklyn almost lost his passport. We arrived in Madrid that evening, and went straight to Hotel Carlton, which provided 't,S with extremely comfortable four-star accommodation - althouo-h we . b did not see a great deal of it, so full was our itinerary. After slipper that very evening we went out en masse to check out the Madrid night,life, and, to cut a lon o story short, after lots.of traipsing around, Franklyn yours truly became officially lost for a whole ten ~ninutes! And do you think we were allowed to forget It? Oooooh no ' My sister disinherited me while Mr Newbury regressed into scary teacher mode. Anyway, moving swiftly on, the next day began with an early eight o'clock-ish start that was to become

and

OLIVIA PRICE.

On Ihe Paris thp weI'e: L.A.H., OJ.R., Bryony Bullard, Henry Chamberlain, Sadie Chave, Theo Davies, David Greengrass, Jane Ho, Vanessa Li, Hilary Myska, Sola Lawson, Kajsa McLaren, Alyssa Nihon, Kufta, Oli pjÂˇicc, Tim Rainbird, Emma Stubbs, Jonathan WalTen.

TnI': CANTUAR!AN. LJ:':NT & SUi'\'I"'IL~R 1998

H'C

142

high disco. We were in teenage paradise, and it was certainly a night to remember, particularly for Dave and Melisa ... but that's another story, although Mr Newbury was quoted as saying, 'She couldn't have picked a nicer guy'. And as for Poppy E. and her American friend and the rest - you know who you all arc - good one, guys! One of the highlights of the evening involved most of the group dancing llP on the podiums: typically, King's pupils steal the limelight yet again. On Sunday morning we were all instructed to take very good care of our respective wallets, bags, etc., as we were heading ofT to the notorious EI Rastro flea market where there was many a good bargain to be had, or at least so we thought. Who knows if the storekeepers were laughing all the \vay to the bank but who cares'? After lunch the energetic people went to the Real Madrid Football Stadium to watch, obviously, a football match; while the rest of us collapsed in the hotel for a much needed rest. The football party returned several hours later minus one person, John Knowles, who later claimed to have been misled by a Miss Reidy look-alike. He eventually returned, having made several detours on the Metro. After supper we returned to the place we visited on Day One - unfairly christened as 'The Place where Franklyn and Tori Got Lost'. (Thanks, Miss Reidyl) Monday was our final day in Madrid before we moved on to Salamanca. We had a guided tour of the Royal Palace, EI Palacio del Oriente, which was full of exuberant decor but no longer inhabited by the Royal Family. That afternoon was filled with doing what we liked to do best ~ shopping. 1 now have a new, eagerlylearned word in my vocabulary, \vhich is r(!b(~jas (= 'reductions'). After supper we went to the cinema. where lots of people went to sec Sf 10 '1l1e hieisleis eI II/limo F(rano or a dubbed version of 1 knol1' ldwl YOll

typical over the next week. After a good breakfast we went out and saw the sights, walking round the old quarter of Madrid through the Plaza Mayor, La Puerta del Sol and Plaza de Espana. This included standing on a plaque which, we were told, was geometrically the very centre of Spain. After peeling off in groups for a leisurely lunch, we then toured EI Prado, the prestigious art museum, where we were introduced to the works of masters such as Goya, Veliizquez, and EI Greco. Qur absorptioil of information was slightly limited due to having a Spanish guide: our comprehension skills were certainly tested in this respect. We then returned to the hotel for supper, tentatively assuming that that might be it for the day. But no! Next on the agenda was icc-skating to which we were duly whisked off via the Metro system. Emerging slightly the worse for wear we were then treated to yet more night-life - which ended more happily than the night before. On Saturday, it being officially St Valentine's Day, a trip to EI Retiro park and boating lake was called for, where couples traditionally gather on that day of the year. After rowing around the lake splashing everyone and being chattcd up by some Spanish blokes, we retired in groups for some more Spanish tortilla - or in some cases McDonald's. There's simply no accounting for taste. In the afternoon we had another informative guided tour round Spain's modern art museum, La Reina Sofia, which hOllses paintings by Salvador DaIf, Picasso and many more. We then travelled to an amusements park where we all thre\v ourselves into being like kids again, not that it took much effort of course. Needless to say we had a brilliant time: it was another great way of mingling educational outings with those of pnre candy floss and chupa-chup pleasure. The fun continued all through the evening when we were transported to an incredible, five-storey

5-;panish frip. (it)ri lillI/f.)

143

THI:: CANTUARIAN. LENT

SU!>.lMER 1998

did los! sllmmer. The reccption was dcfinitely mixed: Charlie H. and Franccs M. screamed as soon as the opening credits began: some of liS. like me. quaked with fear al! the \vav throllQh: while thc other sensible people savl" it ror wlla! it rc7111y was: complete rubbish. To be fair. some of thc, er, charm was diminished bv not understanding half of what was said. hut for me that only heightened the terror. Early 011 Tucsday morning we hade a sad farewell to the city \vhere we'd had so llluch fun. and boarded the coach to Salamanca. En route we visited the somewhat disturbing Valley or the Fallen. \\-'here there was a huge mOllumcnt supposed to be dedicated 10 Âˇthe Civil \Var victims but also Franco's tomb. I found the alllazinf2 structure hoth incredible and sad. as \\TIJ as horribl\! ironic when we realiscd that many prisoners of \V,I], had been killed in the construction process. In the afternoon \\/e had a Quided tour of L;;I Escorial monastery. which was also interesting, Later that clay' we eventually arrived in Salamanca at the slightly

you do liS <I favoul'.,:. 'chocolate (Oil clilfl'l'os' at any given opportunity, and quality Spanish TV. Those ll'/zO It'tll! 011 fhe trip H'C/'(,: Lucy Blair. Tommy Byford. Camilla Cook. Jon Cox, Nick Davies. Poppy Edmunds. Kim and Dave Farrar, Franklyn (Jave, Will Could, Alex l-larborne. Briar Hitci1cn, Cll:,rlie and 'T()ri Hunt. Denise Kesson, Alex Kin~, Mall Knicbt. John Knowles, Linie Lamb, Julien rVladjar, F!~allces Marden. Elsie and J)ullcan McCJrcgor. Sarah Mellers, Ian Mever, Melisa Newburv and bel'

friend MCf2Hn. Rcbcl'c,i Ol!erearnshaw. Roh PraccvSmith. 10(1 Pritchard, Danni Ro\\'e. Poppy Savai~. Henry Walpole.

ART HISTORY TRIP TO ROME FEBRUARY Il)l)~ Valentinc's Day 'l)g: how did you spend it') Well, six

more spartan Hotel 1:::1 ']()boso. After checking in (ami

an-historians travelled to Rome accompanied by Mr <Ind Mrs Pra~nelL Miss Francis and Nick, Ollr e.uidc, who became '--our guru o\'er the hoI idav. He secn;ed (0 know cvervthine. '-from architecture t{) icc-cream and everyone fi:olll l11e homeless drunk outside our hotel to street philosophers. Vic arrived in olle of the world's most romantic cities in darkness and were briefed on how to cope with randy Italians and the Ilumerous gypsies that would accost us, who could be scared off by either the presence or (\ man (so we had to become buddies with Lars for our own sat"eti) or barking.

doing our idea of unpacking. vv'hich \Vas opening the suitcase) we went out and explored the streets o( the city. The Pla!.a Mayor was extremely pretty. and

almost quaint compared to Madrid. although still fairly big. On our final full day in Spain. Wedncsday, we had a

city tour where we revisited La Plaz.a Mayor. and sav,\,' the Casa de las Conchas (House of Shells). the Plala

de las Escuclas and Salamanca's two cathedrals thl~ old and the new, which inspired some of us to play an imaginary game of Indiana Jones, Don't ask why~ Next was the Old University which was actually a sort of museum. Having exhausted the sights, we were given a free afterno~)J1, in \vhich we sl;cnt the rest of our money on presents, icc crcams and yet more

Don't ask, but we found it very crfective. We piled into

taxis ours happened to be a stretched limo _.- and made our way to the Piazza della Rotonda, our tcmporary home. We not only experienced Italian drivinc for the first time, but were thrilled to find that

hZ)tc! \\'as in the centre of town, opposite the Pantheon and next to McDonald's. That night we went 011 a continental-stvle walk and sa\\~ Bernini's

clothes. Most of the fifths experienced an interesting

Ollr

lunch at a cafe that did not seem to realise \ve actually expected to be served the food, after we had ordered it

in our, by that stage near perfect, Spanish, After about an hour it eventually materialised, with dubiously accurate results. That evening, as it was the last night, we presented

triumphant 'Fountain' of the Four Rivers' set in the middle of tilc Piazza Navona, which had in the past

been llsed as a stadium for chariot racing and is now a social centre. Sophie decided she'd t{'eat us all to dinner with the 10,000 lire (0.50) she'd brought. Money-converting problems grew easier. hut it ~till seemed odd having a budget of 30,000 a day. The

thank-you gifts to all the members of staff: Mr and Mrs Newbury, Sr Bruna and Miss Reidy. They all tolerated

us amazingly, and made sure we all had a great time, and most importantly ensured that we truly

highlight of the evening was our visit to one of Romc's best ice-crean1 parlours, selling every conceivable flavour including Kit-Kat and Starfruit!

experienced the wonderfully relaxed atmosphere that Spain has to offer for everyone. The next day we

travelled non-stop, arriving safely back to cold

After a well-deserved sleep, we went j,)r a quick

England that afternoon. The main highlights for me

brioche and glass of freshly-squeezed blood-orange

during the trip included touring the Royal Palace, experiencing the excellent dis('oteca, and, memorably, being in a carriage-load of King's pupils on the Metro breaking out into a spontaneous round of singing

juice, and departed at 9.30 sharp, armed with

notebooks and cameras (and in Alex's case her trusty Dictaphone), eager to learn. Before the visit the

'Jerusalem'. The look on the face of the lone

majority of LIS were largely ignorant of the finer points of architecture, but thanks to Nick's numerous

defenceless Spaniard who was stuck in there with us was a sight to behold. What a patriotic bunch we are. iAdids l

second nature to us. We arc now pros at recognising Borromini's usage of concave and convex surfaces as

TORI HUNT.

seen in the baroque church of Sl Ivo, and will never

P.S. from my siSler Charlie. Memorable moments: sunbathing in the Plaza Mayor in Madrid, having caricatures done for extortionate prices, raiding the mini-bar, hair accessories galore, 'What, what, what?', ÂŁ/ li/)//I'('" Y La F/aca at Camelot, 'DAAAAIVID, will

forget the bar-ba/'-ba/'he/'ini bees as well as the other iconography of the various families - such as jelly moulds, stars, twigs and doves. That first morning we saw Sant' Andrea alia Valle which is where Puccini set the first act of his Opera Tosca, It also contains work

THE CANTUARJAN, LENT

& SUM\lER 1998

drawings on tablecloths and billboards it soon became

144

AI'! His/orions ill tile Pia:o:;a (/el/a Rotonda,

to row into the Pantheon, which is said to have inspired some of his work. We saw two Jesuit churches, a Catholic order begun during the Counter-Reformation. Each had impressive architectural structures and contained some stunning \vorks of art. Unfortunately a lot of these were hidden under scaffolding in preparation for the year 2000, a Holy Year. Our next major excitement was visiting the Doria Pamphili gallery, containing many great works set up as they were originally meant to be seen. It was in this gallery that Miss Francis revealed the criminal streak within her and was busted taking a photograph by one of the ferocious guards, who led her out at gun point (slight exaggeration) much to the amusement of the rest of the group. A lot of the paintings we have studied were housed in this gallery, so it was interesting to see them in reality. The weather during our brief trip proved extraordinarily varied. We would pile on layers in the morning, preparing ourselves for the bitter cold, yet by lunch-time it was usually a perfect temperature for sunbathing. We took advantage of this and often had proper Italian picnics with delicious breads, cheeses and meats. That afternoon we were transported back a few more centuries to the Roman Forum. There we saw the ancient law courts and stock markets; with copper coins still welded to the floor; as well as the place at which the famous 'Friends, Romans, countrymen, Jend me your ears .. .' speech was supposedly given. Unfortunately we were unable to enter the Colosseum but found the church of San Clemente fascinating. It had three layers to it, the bottom chapel was used as a secret place of worship before the legalisation of Christianity. The present day church has a spectacular mosaic above the altar and a highly ornate baroque ceiling. That evening we travelled on one of the city's trams, which was a complete novelty to us all - as were the

of the aeadenlY artist Domeniehino. After seeing the spot where Julius Caesar \vas assassinated in the Theatre of Pompey, we lunched in the Piazza Farnese and strolled back past the river Tiber and Mr Pragnell's favourite spot: the square of the cats. We spent the rest of the day studying works by Caravaggio and finally visiting the Spanish Steps. The fountain there is rumoured to contain the sweetest water in Rome, so we were all eager to try some. Little did we know it was a skilled art: we eneled up drenched' Monday proved to be one of the highlights of our trip, as we visited among other places the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's, both within the Vatican City. In the museums we saw a mixture of the world's most famous paintings anel sculptures including the Belvedere Torso and the Laocoon. We were so enthralled by the sheer brilliance of the Raphael rooms that we didn't have long enough in the Sistine Chapel; but the greatness of Michaelangelo's frescoes touched us all. We were awestruck by the magnitude of St Peter's, and all but one of us climbed to the top of its dome, which was certainly worth the stamina and fears of vertigo and claustrophobia that were all part of the experience. The Basilica was intricately designed in the finest eletail mainly by Bramante, Michelangelo and Bernini, being completed by the Borghese family. The whole area is breathtakingly set in a magnificent colonnade centred around some smaller churches, each one completely individual. Lars and Sophie became obsessed with the miniature cars: 'Chill yer beans, guys!' Having spent three nights brushing our teeth looking over the Pantheon, we finally went inside on Tuesday morning. It was surprising to find that Raphael is buried there, and that the spectacular 'Temple of the Gods' has an oculus or large central hole in the roof, and an ingenious drainage system on the rIoor. During one of Rome's floods Byron was able 145

THE CANTUARIAN, LENT & SUMJ\'lER 1998

ten-person electronic milk-float-like buses. Laura G.H.'s road safety procedures were a continual source of amusement throughout the tripl A night walk to the 'Irevi Fountain, portraying Neptune and {\\l0 Tritons, saw Lars being dared to swim in the fountain naked by some Italians, who then proceeded to challenge Mr Pragnell: both declined' Probably the most shocking sight (hat we saw was the Capuchin shrine decorated entirely with bones from human bodies and an occasional skeleton in its entirety. On the wall 'vvas a small placard which read: 'You arc what we used to be, we arc what you will be'. This seemed profound and brought life to its bare essentials. It was fitting that outside we met a street philosopher (wearing flowers, a bizarre radio headpiece and a pair of spectacles with no glass in them). He told us in virtually incomprehensible English: 'If you want to see beauty, open your eyes and look around you!' We spent our final evening walking to the Forum and admiring it in all its beauty; lit up and empty of tourists. Much excitement remained for our last morning, mainly due to incompetent taxi drivers delivering us to the wrong destinations: and on Thursday we had to be ready to leave at the ungodly hour of 8 a.m. to get around the Villa Borghese before it became too croweleel. There we ilHtrvelled over Bernini's sc u I pt u re s, paintings by Caravaggio and Titian. ~ls well as the frescoes at /-/..I.P /)(ji"iel/(/illg rhe /?O/JWII ll'i/dlij(>. the Villa Farncse by Raphael and Peruzzi. After a quick lunch in the Piazza di Fiori, we had just enough time for a final photo session and icecream before taking the plane to the airport. As we arrived, we were told that if we left feeling we v,i,mted to return, then the trip had been a succesS. By the time we had landed at Gatwick we had all planned our personal return visits to Rome, the city that we'd fallen in love with. Without the superb organisation of Mr Pragnell the trip would not have been possible, so we should like to take this opportunity to thank him, Miss Francis and Mrs Pragn.ell for giving us such an enjoyable and unique experience.

They're packing into a school minibus at ten a.I11., ready to be taken to Gatwick. Such dedication. On arrival at Gatwick, everything went surprisingly smoothly. No bomb scares or lost baggage. The flight \vas pleasant and we were soon in sunny Geneva. Oh .did I say there was no lost baggage? Well, actually. the good old airport baggage control people managed to misplace Crissy's suitcase with all her clothes in, which was troublesome. The four days in CERN were packed with trips into CERN itself and looking round Geneva. On the first day, we were given some introductory lectures 011 particle physics by Dr Allday and Dr Bosworth. These proved to be quite thought-provoking and took far longer than expected. Which was nice. We then trundled off to CERN to look inside the particle accelerator, which consisted of a long tunnel with as much gleaming aluminium (with faded cables snaking over it) as the eye could sec. Every night we went out for dinner in Geneva, which Dr Bosworth kindly paid for. These occasions were also quite interesting. The topics of conversation twisted and turned 1'1'0111 The Teletubbies to Sexual Ethics to Quantum Theory to Computer Science to Staff Room Politics and back to Sexual Ethics (again). The fooel was, it has to be said, quite stunningly and consistently good; although the highlight of our culinary experiences had to be the cheese fondue. Which made everyone feel ill from over-indulgence. We saw two projects at CERN in some detail. There are not just projects based around the accelerator, but a whole mass of experiments going on throughout the CERN campus. These all have two obvious parts to them: data collection and data analysing, both of which guzzle cash and human resources like anything. The actual experiments we visited vÂˇ/cre breathtaking in terms of their huge and bizarrely futuristic appearance. We also visited the CERN computer department, which was equally impressive. It's called the computer 'department', but a closer approximation would be computer 'collective' as there are computers literally everywhere. For starters, CERN are particularly proud of the fact that the Internet protocol evolved in their own scientists' creative minds. They show this off by placing terminals all over the place through which you can access the Internet, for free. The nerve centre for all this technology and for the data analysis and number crunching was situated in a vast 1'00111. They did away with a mainframe years ago and now they have hundreds of computers lying around in a huge room; from 486 Elonex PCs to Silicon Graphics supercomputers; all busily scratching their silicon chins, pondering the essence of matter. And vvho knows, we may be doing something very similar in two years. The trip was extremely mind-opening to the world of physics. It is so easy to get trapped into your own little world, fully believing that academia consists only of syllabuses, grades and jockers' detention: so it \vas very satisfying to be reminded that there is material to be learnt outside standard-issuc text books. All in aiL it was a \vorthwhile trip and a very enjoyable one at that. <-

LAURA TRELFORD AND LAURA GRA!-lAi'\'1-HARRISON.

0" the trip were: Laura Graham-Harrison, Sophie Jones, Rhiannon Newman-Brown, Alex C)'Donoghue, Laura Trelfonl, Lars-Eric van den Hout. ~

CERN, GENEVA PHYSICS TRIP MARCH 1998 Saturday, 21st March. It's a \varm spring mornmg and the majority of the School are enjoying their first lie-in for over a month. But the Physics boys and girls? THE CANTUAR1AN, LENT

& SU\1i\IER 1998

DAN!EL KELLY.

146

THE PRAGUE TRIP

MARCH 1998 8 a.m. on Friday morning saw the beginning of what

communist regime. Our week consisted of a series of forays into the

cultural morass that Prague encompassed. Naturally ollr political craving led llS to the Anglo-American University, where Eddy Vainker, the demagogue in our midst, debated furiously with the incumbent lecturer over the possibility of the Czech Republic joining the EU. Our other expeditions led LIS to the overpowering St Vitus's Cathedral, the Charles 'Mission Impossible' Bridge, the awesome Karl stein Castle, to observe the

(~rPrag/{e,

reason

fuelling

our desire

moderation' pealing in our ears that we set forth and familiarised ourselves with the thirsty Czech nightlife. One naturally felt obliged to acquaint oneself with every single beer Prague had to offer, knowing of course little of just how many different types they had. Our soon well-trained skills led us to the 'heady,' Staropramen Brewery where we proceeded to learn the economics of such a finn. Our other local hangouts were the UITleku Beer Hall and the Reduta Jazz Club. However, as all good things do, our trip came to an end. One does not remember the trip by individual days, rather a storm of images, some bad, mostly good, yet all memorable. Such were: staring up at the Old Town Hall in the dark when it was snowing, the breathtaking view from the castle over the rest of the

was to be a 2 I -hour coach odyssey through Europe, which was to end with the spectacle of Prague. We were there, ostensibly, to study the economic and political arena emerging from the shadow of a

Praglle group ill the Castle area

secondary

experience the culture of Prague was rumours of the economically priced beer. Thus it was with 'only in

wilh Sf \lillIS'S Cathedra! ill hackg/"Oltl1d. TC'II1]JerafltrC' a/Joul -JOÂ°c. (11.R.O.M.)

famed Astronomical Clock, and of course the infamous Skoda factory museum.

city, the interesting taste in food and the walking through the cobbled streets of Prague. Inevitably the time came: 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. It was time to re-embark on what turned out to be a movie-fest of ajourney through the Czech Rep., Germany, Belgium, France and eventually England. We reluctantly had to leave behind our lovely tour guide and our four-star hotel. However the trip would not have been the same without the much appreciated time and effort contributed by Mrs Horn, Mr Turner, Dr Maltby, Jcz

However, our trips were not merely restricted to the edifices. We also sampled the delights of simply wandering through the heart of Prague, be it the Jewish quarteL the Old Town Square or Weneeslas Square. We were generally aided by our most comprehensible guide, the Czech lady with the green nag. Yet who needs an introduction \vhen your eyes are being feasted with the splendour and artistic beauty of Prague.

147

THE CANTUAR1AN, LENT

SUtv!;-"'lER 1998

M ore

awaken ings

' unsavoury ' hou rs fo r the three concert days fol lowed - even earl ier th an we get

up at schoo l, I might add. Our fi rst concert was at the abbey church of Saint Pierre-sur-Di ves. where the

choir sung Faure's Requiem and hi s C({II{ique de Jeall Radne (which mos t agree is so beautiful that we want it at our fun eral s) and a of chora l arra nge ment Cesar Franck 's ?elllis Allgelicus. Thi s was

co mple me nted by several instrum ent al

and

vocal

so los and e nsembles. The sa me parl of our repertoire

was offered in Caen on the Some of Ihe Praglle party (all a river boat) wilh Ihe Charles bridge ill Ihe background. (flR.O.M.)

next eveni ng , but fo r logisti cal reasons involving so me (i nferi or, Mr

Ande rso n and Damon (the coach dri vers). Thank you all very much fo r a fantast ic trip l

ass ures

me)

Frenc h choir, we were unable to sing the Requiem at ou r fina l concert in Fa lai se.

L ARS-ER IC VAN DEN H OUT.

Whi lst not rehearsing or performin g, we visited th e

Pup ils who were members of the expedition: James Barnes, Ke n Brookin , Will iam Burgess, Tony Burton, Tom Calvert, A liocha De lmotte, Laura Derain, Poppy Edmu nds, Kate Emary, Camilla Jelbart, Ed Ki ernan, Tom MacAdie, Laurent Mather, Alex O'Donoghue, Zh i Hao Oo n, Caro line Page, Roland Phi lli ps, Beatrice Read, Ed Reed , Alex Reeve, Laura Trelford, Cressida Trew, Alice Trillo , Chri s Uibe le isen, Katharina Upmeyer, Harriet Us he r, Ed Vainker, Lars va n den Hout, Leonides Virata, Jess ica White.

Bayeux Tapestry in all its diml y lit g lo ry, along with the cast le at Falai se and its charming 1980s reinforced concrete exte nsion. The guide did his best to convince LI S that it rea ll y was a very sensitive piece of arch itec ture, but I am still somewhat unconvinced. The castle was however most interest ing. In add ition, we

vis ited the market in Caen, even viewi ng the typicall y French spectacle of a live animal market, to the di smay o f our resident ani ma l-lovers, who in their anxiety took it upon themselves to purchase, and subsequcntly release to freedom , a life in the form of a rabbit. Good luck to it, anyhow! T he. return journey was as unin spirin 0o as the . outgomg one, agam complemented by the predictably unamusing jokes about ti res in the tunnel. Ca nterbury

CRYPT CHOIR TOUR TO NORMANDY

and our parents were wa iti ng to welcome an ex uberant and rath er exhausted state.

MARCH/APRIL 1998 We, the Crypt Choir of the Kin g's School, set out at some unsavo ury hour of the morni ng from Canterbury to No rmand y o n what was to be a thoro ughly enjoyable few days - fo r all the correct and imaginabl e reasons - sampli ng some of the most stunning ly beautiful churches in northern Europe. had

earli er

jested

abo ut

how

SHELLS AND REMOVES VISIT TO YPRES, BELGIUM SUNDAY 26TH APRIL 1998 T he town of Ypres (or ' Wipers' as the Tommies called it) was at the cent re of the lo ngest, fiercest and most murderous fight ing of the e ntire Fi rst World War. Whe n the German advance was stemmed by the first bail ie of Ypres in 19 14, the sa li ent East of Ypres, a pi ece of Briti sh-held land jUlli ng into e nemy territo ry, became the foca l point of what fo r four years sell led into the Western Front. Under bombardment fro m three sides, Ypres beca me a symbol of Bri tish and Belgian defiance. By the e nd of 1914 100,000 had died and the centre of Ypres had been blasted to ru in . Four

our

accommodation was to be an exquisite chateau, just

behind the Canad ian ' Gold ' landing-beach of 1945. "Just behi nd the Canad ian ' Gold ' land ing-beach of 1945" it was, but "exq uisite chateau" is not the description I wo uld use, nor I suspect with hindsiolll wo uld the Director of Music; at least it was clean' The views out to sea cert ainl y made up for any ' inadequacies' in our simple rooms, w ith th e

spectacu lar Mu lberry Harbo ur still intact, even after the passage of the tides for more than tift y yea rs ' they don' t make them like that any more '. THE CANTUAR IAN, L ENT & SUf'.-H\;IER 1998

home in

W ILLIAM GOLD.

tn his usual li ght-hearted manner, the Director of

Mu sic

LI S

148

yea rs a nd three terribl e battles late r over 700,000 Briti sh, Commonwealth a nd Ge rm an so ldiers had been killed. It is a clic he, but true: Western Civilisati on came to an end at Ypres. Today, onl y fl eetingly, in thi s prosperous town where no bui ldings are olde r tha n 80 years o ld - for the hi storic C loth Ha ll , Cat hedral a nd Town Hall have been co mpl e te ly re bui lt - is it poss ible to imag ine the scale and horror o f the First World Wa r. Just o ne hou r's drive on the motorway from Ca lais, our tour went in searc h of the batt lefi elds, ide ntifiab le by the man y Co mmonwea lth War Graves Cemeteri es that are to be see n in the Fla nde rs Group at Arllleflfieres Cemetery. (/'IR .O.M.) countrys ide a ro und Ypres. The thirt y-n ine pupil s and staff - Mrs Hopkins, Mr and Mrs McFall , H.J .P., grave stones . For a few moments we pau sed at the G.D.W. and !-I .R.O. M., were accompanied by a guide. g rave of Captain N.G. Cha vasse of the Roya l A rm y Medi ca l Corps, who was awa rded th e VC and bar. The Revd Matthew Forrester also kindl y joined the party as o ur Chaplain fo r the day. What inc redibl e bravery he mu st have shown in Our first stop was the Bland Hoe k ceme te ry, a tte ndi ng to wo unded and dying me n unde r fi re: w he re we we re g reeted by a pa ren t, Mr Colvi n, the 'Greater love hath no man than thi s that a man lay down hi s li fe for hi s fr ie nds' . Br itish ambassado r to Belg iu m. Blan d Hoek, on the From Bland Hoek ,.... -'.' we moved N E to .;':!' ~' fo ll ow th e line o f the sa lie nt. At "~ ."'''' .

Langemark , where

the ' Flower of German Youth ' was shot dow n, we could not find th e cemetery. Our guide put the proble m down to Be lg ian people remov ing the signs to 1... :/

â&#x20AC;˘

German

'-'

Ty l/i' COl

war

ce meteri es!

Ccmelcry (near Pas.w:lil'lIdae/lÂť). (NR .O.M. )

Near

he re Hitl e r had fo ught as a young Germ an soldier and, in 19 15, the Briti sh fi rst used gas. The re are still 27 ,000 gas shells in the vicin ity, a nd everyw here tons of ammunition still li e ju st unde r the surface of the field s. The ' iron ha rves t' is dug up every day.

A few kil o me tres to the Ea st we came to the vill age o f Passc he ndaele, s itu a ted o n a ridge a t the ve ry limit of the Yp res sali e nt, w he re the 3rd Batt le of Ypres ( 19 17) fin all y came to an end or, accordin g to General Sir Doug las

ap proac h road to Ypres, was , fo r muc h of the 19 14- 18 Wa r, a lmost out of range of e ne my guns an d was the site o f a Brit ish fi e ld hospital. We tr ied to ide nti fy the d iffe re nt reg im e nt al sy mbo ls on the 149

T HE CANTUARIAN. L ENT

Sur\II ~ IER 1998

with only Mr McFall's jokes to keep us going. Eventually we found a main road, which took us to Armcnticres, south of the border, not far from the planned itinerary. At Armenticres, a town that was captured and recaptured by both sides between 1914 and 1918, both British and German soldiers killed in the fighting are buried in the same cemetery. Here we gathered for an open air service. Mr Forrester. who had himself seen active service in a more recent war, the Korean War, spoke of the Christian message of reconciliation in Christ. The service consisted of two readings from the Bible, prayers and the singing of the hymn 'Abide with me'. At the going dmvn of the sun and in the Illorning

Haig, the Commander-in-Chief. 'had served its purpose'. In three months of fighting, British forces, trying to break through the German Jines to reach the Belgian ports to the North, lost over 300,000 men for the gain of just eleven kilometres of land. It was, the historian AJ .1'. Taylor wrote, 'the blindest slaughter of a blind war'. In the Tyne Cot cemetery nearby \ve stood at the tip of the British advance. Looking back, towards Ypres across the fiat, open countryside, we surveyed the killing fields where in the Autumn of 1917 two million shells were fired in the first two weeks of the battle. and men were machine-gunned to pieces or drowned in the mud. We spent a quiet hour among the 11,956 perfectly spaced, individual graves, as well as the monument to the thousands lost in the attack who never

We will I'ell/"lI//)el'/lIelll.

By nOw it was becoming cool and we took the quickest route back to Ypres, passing near Messines Ridge, where in 1917 British arm)1 sappers had detonated a million pounds of explosives Via nineteen mines to destroy German defences _. an explosion heard in London. We had an hour to look around the town, although most of the shops were closed and it waS too late to go to the new Flanders Field Museum. We gathered again, just before 8 p,m" at the Menin Gate. This structure, erected 'to the armies of the British Empire who stood here from 1914 to 1918 and those of their dead \vho have no known e:rave', is covered with the na~les of 70,000 lost soldiers, Its style, on a vast scale, and the depth of tragedy it touches on, is overwhelming. It was also ANZAC D,(y, an official Victoria /lnderson {/nd Rachel Benton wilh {he /)lIg/cr.\Âˇ Australian government (j{ {he Mellin G(/le, YPl"cs. (H.R.O.kf.) delegation was present, and six buglers, rather than the customary one, played the last post and then the received a proper burial. We saw something of the reveille. For ten minutes everything, including the German defences. These were not trenches. as traJTic, stopped, The buglers allowed some or the generally existed on the Western Front, but concrete pupils to take advantage of the photo opportunity pillboxes, still intact, massively solid, with tiny slits before marching smartly away. through which machine guns fired. The Passchendaele Ridge was lined with these pillboxes, The 22.15 ferry from Calais provided a calm and our guide explained. Waves of British and relaxing return crossing. Getting best value from the Commonwealth soldiers ordered to charge the ridge ÂŁ5 l11eal allowance became a key exercise of the day never stood a chance. and, gaining an hour on French time, we were back in Canterbury by II 1',111. For almost everyone this was From Passchendaele the plan was to turn south to the first lime we had been to Ypres, Although we did 'Sanctuary Wood', a place where trenches have been not see everything, it is a place that everybody should preserved and the site of an impressive museum. go to at least once. It is what the twentieth century is Unfortunately we never made it. The coach \vas all about. barred from an access road by a width restriction, and then, after a wrong turning, we meandered H.R.O.M, WITH THE HELP OF VICTORIA ANDloRSON around the flatlands of the Belgium-France border, AND CONRAD BAKER (BOTH SHELL A).

THE C\NTUARIAN, LENT

SUdi\fER 1998

150

CORRESPONDENCE 'White Stacks'. 37, Ormond Avenue, HAMPTON TW 12 2RY 5th May. 1998.

The Editor. The Call/llarian. Broughton HOLise.

Dcar Madam, Fred Remem/JerC!d Having read this delightful book, I feel compelled to add a couple of stories of my 0\\'11, for vvhat they're worth! I was a contemporary of Mike Morpurgo, whose reminiscence finished the book and who reminded me of the '\vhitc belly' rule of Fred's. I v/cll remember frequently tllrning my back briefly to his approaching figure to do lip a button supposedly SUITcptitioLlS]Y.

My first particular recollection is of the occasion \vhcn I requested a \vcckcncl at home to attend my parents' Silver Wedding Anniversary in 196!. In those days, there \vas no half-term break and, I think, only two Sunday exeats per term, so this was something special. I had recently had a pair or pinstripes made \vhich were modelled on <l pair or jeans with twelve-inch bottoms (,drainpipes'). I wore these to see Fred but also ensured that my shoes gleamed. His rirst reaction to my request was: 'Are YOll sure it's their Silver \Vedding Anniversary'?' I assured him that it \vas. He rollowed this up \vith: 'What large feet you have, m'dear!' 'Yes, sir, but my shoes arc very clean.' 'Arc you going to come back by day'?' 'Yes. sir.' 'AII right then.' IntervievÂˇ/ over. The second story rclkcted Fred's admiration for a bjt or spirit. At the first Assembly of a nev\"~ term, Fred signalled to us to sit down at the point when he normally left without another word. For those who were there in Fred's day, it will be remembered that he very rarely addressed the School at Assembly, so whenever he did, his words \vere awaited with some trepidation. On this particular occasion he said that he had received a complaint from a passenger on a train taking King's boys home at the end of the previoLls term. A group or boys had been drinking beer and causing a little bit of a disturbance (to use a police euphemism). The passenger complained to them and received, I believe. a cheeky response from a boy who was drinking brown ale and who told the passenger that his name was '13ro\1I/11Âˇ. There was no Brown in the School. 'Would Brown please stand on his chair'?' said Fre(l I turned around at the rustle of a chair behind mc to sec a boy in my HOllse complying with this request. 'What's the difference betwcen bro\-vn ale and bitter'?' asked Fred, to which the boy replied 'Tuppence, sir.' Fred said not another word. He slov/ly left the Hall named after him \vhile the boy rcmained standing on his chair. It was perfect! Yours faithfully. D. W. (1311.1.) J. SW,\NSON. OX.S. (GR 1958-(3) To the Editor.

MarlO\ve HOLlse, The King's SchooL CANTERBURY.

The CUllfll(/riul1,

Broughton HOllse.

Kent.

Tel.: 01227 595:i08 8th July. 1998. Dear Madam.

I wonder if readers of The Callflwricfllmight be able to help in the search for the missing photographs from the Birley's pavilion collection for rugby and cricket'? Cricket: The follovv'ing years (dates inclusive) arc currently unrepresented: 1876-1880. 1882-1886. 1909-191 I. 1923-1938. 1940-41. 1943-1952. 1954, 1957, 1972. The following arc in the pavilion, but arc poor photocopy reproductions from the school magazine, not the actual photos: 1964-66.

The following arc in very poor condition: 1891. 1897. 1982. 1983. 1988. Rugby:

The following years (dates inclusive) are currently unrepresented: 1883-1886. 1890. 1894-96. 1908. 1910. 1911. 1922-53. 1980. 1981. 1982. 1983.

The following are in very poor condition: 1893.1906.1909.1913.1916.

If any readers have any of these. 1 would be delighted to hear from them. Donation of the originals would not be necessary, oj" course, as photographed copies could be taken. Names of those ill the photoes) \vould be desirable. Yours sincerely, Roy WIlITE (DIRITTOR 01' SPORT)

151

IMAGINATIVE WRITING Brenda

Amy Mansell (Remove h)

It had been two weeks since Brenda's death. The news had really shaken me and it hadn't qnite sunk in

that she wouldn't be popping over every Saturday morning for our ritual coffee and chat, or that the photo stuck on my fridge would be the last of the two of us together. I kept asking myself why she had to go: she didn't deserve to die so early. I was only thankful that I'd managed to go and see her in hospital when her condition really started to deteriorate; although she was strongly drugged with morphine, I'm glad that I got to say goodbye. I told myself that Brenda wouldn't want me moping around; instead I could picture her saying, 'Come on, get over it, pick yourself up and get on with your life.' So, I gathet'ed my strength and started thinking of all the practicalities; Brenda's house needed to be sorted out, and I figured the sooner I did it the better. The gate slammed shut as I walked up the path to the house. A collection of milk bottles had built up on the front step and as I opened the front door, I carefully tiptoed around the sea of letters that had accumulated in the hall. I picked up the mail and carried it into the kitchen where I dropped it on the table along with my cal' keys. I decided to start in her bedroom with her clothes. I climbed up the narrow, greencarpeted staircase and turned right into Brenda's bedroom, but stopped in the doorway. Lying on the neatlymade bed was Brenda's work uniform along with matching handbag and shoes, Frollces delicately placed at the end of the bed. The sight really touched me and has stuck in A 1"11/ i{age-Sllli! II my mind ever since. It reminded me of when we shared a room at school and how Brenda always used to layout her clothes neatly before going out, whereas I just threw on anything from the depths of my totally unorganised wardrobe. We were different in so many ways, but perhaps that's why we got on so well; it was always refreshing being in her company and she never let things get her down. She was tough, a real lighter, up until the end. I walked over to her wardrobe; the clothes were as I had predicted, in perfect order; all dresses on one side and the odd one with a dry-cleaning covel' on it. A long yellow smnmer dress caught my attentiot\; Brenda had bought it with the intention of wearing it on her honeymoon, a sailing holiday in the Canaries, but the trip had been cancelled due to the chemotherapy timetable. A palette of bright eye-shadow lay on the wooden dressing table and the shades reminded me of when the two of us had sat in her conservatory, only two weeks beforehand, eating chocolate digestives and dunking them in our tea. It had been the day after her wedding and she was busy making plans for the reception that was to follow later; she didn't make it that long. I picked up a bottle of perfume and removed the lid; the sweet aroma filled the room and it was just as though Brenda was standing next to me. My mind went back to when we were in the ladies room at the theatre and ... I snapped back into reality. It was then that I realised that I couldn't gather all of Brenda's clothes and lug them off' to some charity shop. It would kill me to do that, so I decided to leave the clothes for the time being and then I'd decide what to do with them later. I went downstairs, feeling peckish, searched the cupboards and came across a pack of chocolate digestives. I took one and opened the fridge door. An open bottle of wine stood in the door and a half-eaten melon caught my eye. What shook me most was that it just seemed like she'd popped out fhr an hour or so, not that she'd gone for ever: that was too much to accept. The sun shone in through the wide kitchen windows, causing me to squint. It reminded me of the garden and so I unlocked the door to the conservatory and garden. The sweltering heat in the glasshouse was suffocating and the plants, which had started to wilt, were in desperate need of watering. It was a gorgeous day and the sun beat down hard on me as I hosed the flowers and mowed the drastically overgrown lawn. The garden had been Brenda's pride and joy and I wanted to keep it in the good condition she had left it in. Later, having packed up all the garden tools as I had watched Brenda do so frequently, I returned to the house, and catching sight of.the kitchen clock, I put away the washing up that had been on the draining board since Brenda had left, headed Ihr the hospital. I collected my car keys and made my way towards the door. On my way, I saw the wedding card that I'd sent her and Craig, sitting on the mantelpiece: it was made of white card, with a painting of a bride on the front. Brenda had loved it and touched me by the way she'd put it in 'centre position' on the mantelpiece. Driving home, I was glad that I'd gone around. It was comforting to see the house the way it was the last time Brenda had been there, and lots of memories had come back to me. I wanted to keep the house and leave it just the way it was, as a kind of shrine in memory of Brenda. But in reality I realised that the house would be sold, a new family would move in and that I wouldn't be seeing Brenda coming up my drive again; although my greatest comfort is that she's with me in spirit. THE C!\i'\TUAR!AN, LENT

SUM1>ÂˇlER

998

152

Tom Steibelt (Shell b)

Loneliness

It was a cold winter's night, and I tearfully said my good-byes to my parents. I slowly trudged my way up to the door of my boarding House, dragging my bags behind. The house was teeming with people, but nobody seemed to want to talk to me. They all had their own friends and lives, and went around minding their own business. Nobody knew how upset I was, nobody knew how much I needed to talk to someone. I made my way up the stairs, and came to the door of my dormitory. Already I could hear the shrieks of excited teenage girls on the first night back after a separation of three weeks. A huge lump had formed in my throat, but I cautiously pushed open the door. Two girls were talking quietly in one corner of the room. The other two were screaming hysterically at some joke. I glanced round and saw my bed, tucked away in a corner, separated from the others by a half-wall. It seeIued bare, and very uninviting. I muttered a small and quiet 'Hi', to which there was a mere mumbling of communication from the two quiet girlS. I sat down on my bcd, with tears in my eyes. So far nobody had even recognised the fact that I had arrived back. I didn't want to be here, I wanted to be at home with my parents. By now tears were streaming down my face. The others had gone out somewhere. Nobody cared about me. I was all alone. Evervbodv else had gone to supper, and when they came back I had unpacked and was sitting on my bed reading. One girl gave me a look of sympathy, but carried on talking to her friends. The next morning I woke np to find everyone else had already gone to breakfast and I was left to go on my own. They were all sitting on a table with 'popular' people. I went and sat on my own, silently digesting a bowl of cornflakes, and turning things over in my mind. I got back to the House and started to get my stuff ready for lessons. I had a long walk to the Recreation Centre, to which I filUnd myself walking on my own. I got back to the House in break-time and burst into tears. I needed somebody to talk to, to tell them how I felt. Suddenly I felt a warm ann on my shoulder, I gently comforting me. I looked up. There was the .(~ small kind face of one of the girls in my House. She V asked me what was wrong, and I told her everything from the homesickness to the fact that I was so incredibly lonely. She said that she had noticed me, but had been busy talking to her friend, and hadn't noticed how upset I was. We talked fill' ages. I loved the feeling of being wanted, and I began to learn about all kinds of things that people thought about me, and I decided to become a bit more involved, and talkative. This term has been much better, and I have actually found a friend. We talk and I feel so different now that I'm not always on my own. Loneliness is awful, and I hope that no one else ever has to suffer as badly as I have.

Daniel O'Donoghue (Shell b)

Over the hill

As soon as he saw the figure rise ovel' the crest of the hill, the man trudging steadily up sighed inwardly. The approaching man looked about thirty-something and he set off a small niggling alarm in the back of his brain saying, 'Oil You know him from somewhere!' He racked his brain trying to think who it was - a fl'iend fl'om school all those years ago, or someone he had a brief conversation with at one of those cocktail parties where no one knows who is the host or anyone else in it for that mattel'. He always related those 'parties' to the image of a plate of tortilla chips that were totally tasteless, or to a selection of equally unappealing dips, most of which seemed to involve more disgusting vegetables than a vegan's Chl'istmas party. It was just one of those things he assumed everybody thought, and he always wondered why people looked at him stl'angely whenever he brought it up in conversation. He sighed again. The figm'e was closer now and some facial features could be made out. His mental alarm Fnlll('eS Arm ifoge-S/J/i {II went up an octave: this was really going to annoy him, 153

THE CANTUMU,\N, LE~T

SUl\EV1ER 1998

the same way that some cameo part in a film always looked (but rarely actually was) like some famous person. He was always determined to find out who it was before the end and, more often than not, it ruined the entire film for him. He had never seen the point in cameos: all they did was annoy him when he didn't know who they were. Naturally assuming everyone else in the world agreed with him, he got even more strange looks when he told people his grand schemes to liquidate all cameos. People's eyes always burned right through him. He couldn't even hold a stare against some seven-year old who sat next to him on a train ride. He had this overpowering feeling that this mysterious person who was now less than a hundred yards in front of him, was going to give him a terrible look. He would tilt his head to one side like an inquisitive dog, squint his eyes to tiny slits in his face and just look at him. Just look at him, like a teacher at a child who he knows has done something wrong - he just doesn't know what. He would give him a look of pure vindictive hatred which would reduce him to a pair of eyes floating in a puddle of self pity. He had never been quite capable of hate. He had always tried, and sometimes he did actually have a grudge against someone for longer than a pound coin lasts in a room full of kleptomaniacs, but after a day or so he ran out of gas. He gave in to himself and acted like nothing had ever happened. He never knew how people could manage hatred for prolonged periods of time. He looked up again. His train of thought pulled out of daydreanl street and came down deja-vu avenue without stopping. He knew this person. He was sure of it now. The square jaw, dubious personal hygiene, even the dress sense seemed familial'. The person passed him by, without, to his immense relief, the dreaded stare, and carried along his way. Perhaps he didn't know the man after all. He tried to run back his train of thought but got lost. He shrugged, then wondered what in the hell he was going up the hill for in the tirst place.

Party talk

Toby Hayes (Shell b)

An overwhelming hubbub tilled the house, servants darted to and fro to prepare the dining table, cleaners swept the floor and a quiet murmuring came from the kitchen. The hosts, my parents, waited in anticipation of the approaching evening. I detached myself from these occupations and instead pondered what monotonous conversation would arise over dinner. At eight o'clock exactly the doorbell chimed its warning to the house. A man dressed in a crisp suit came in over the threshold. The man in question had a square wall of a forehead, which had his eyebrows t()!Âˇ its base, while his eyes found commodious cellerage in two dark caves, overshadowed by the wall. I had no interest in this man nor the other twenty guests that arrived in due course. While they discussed their health and the weather, I sat pondering the monotony of my existence. It was during this deep thought that dinner was served and was greeted with much enthusiasm. The ladies of the house sat themselves down and the gentlemen then did likewise. Following tradition, a soup was served - a green, steaming liquid. The guests smiled, showing false appreciation, for to my mind it emitted a stench

IVla!"k IVi/lial/ls

THE CANTUAR!AN. LENT

& SUi\,IMER 1998

154

that filled the room with its foul odours. The meal improved, though, when the main course was served and the atmosphere lifted. To my surprise a rather loud man with a metallic laugh turned to make conversation with me. While we wcre talking he posed me this question: 'Now this dining-room is a nation. And in this nation, there is fifty million pounds. Isn't this a prosperous nation'? Are you in a thriving state?' I hesitated in my response: 'I could not know whether I am in a thriving state 01' not, unless I knew who had got the money, and whether any of it was minc.' This was not the answer of figures that he was looking for at all, so he tried me again. 'This dining-hall is an immense town and in it there are fifty million inhabitants, and only twenty-five starve to death on the streets in the course of a year. What is your remark on that proportion?' Unfortunately this was, again, not met with the right reply, as I told him that it must be just as hard upon thnse who starved, whether the nthers were a million or a million million. That I cnuld not anSwer his two relatively easy questions 'correctly' was met with consternation. I was soon sent to bed after dinner had finished, and recorded these proceedings in my diary. Reading through the entry again, recollecting the memory, I came to realise that this man was ignorant and stupid.

Sarah Johnson (Remove f)

Essay Mv brain is muddled, brhnful nf thoughts. Every new idea is a discovery, something to be cherished, to be pruned carefully. I shut everything out. My mind has one track, my ideas are spilling over, I can't write quickly enough. If I am nnt careful it will trickle away. I have a constraint, a confining title tn 1\)lIow. It won't allow mv brain to run its own course. I structure the ai'guments, like my life, tn make the essay get a decent mark. Every word must be neat, the title underlined in red, a sharp contrast to the black ink. Is perfectionism a fault? I dread being told my mistakes.

Emilia Edmondsoll (Shell c)

lain Weir (5g)

Gbenga

One of tbe dressing room doors opened and a green-eyed goddess appeared. She came out backwards in order to negotiate the awkwardly shaped basket through tbe door which had a strong return spring on it. As she turned her head Gbenga was mesmeriscd by her hail', which brushed softly across the caramel-coloured skin of her shoulder wherc it was exposed by the wide neck of her white T-shirt. He wanted to brush his lips against the same patch of skin and bury his nose in her hail, Gbenga was in love with the beautiful stranger who stood in front of him. As she saw him she giggled, and her eyes shimmered playfully. Her chuckling lips drew back over her porcelain white teeth and Gbenga could see her moist, pink tongue glistening behind. 'Hi!' she giggled. Her Tennessee accent sent a tingling sensation through Gbenga's body - he could feel the wind whipping the sand off the dunes and stinging his eyes, he could feel the Jack Daniel's whiskey warming his throat as the banshees whistled round the chimney stack. He placed a hand against the door behind her so that his face came to within a thot of hers and drank in the smell of her, the honey aroma of her hair, the light perfume of her body, the scent of Tommy Girl mixed with the crispness of the freshly pressed linen in her basket. He looked deep intn her eyes. 155

THE CANTUARIAN, LE:-"'T

& SU~flvlER 1998

'I want to luarry you,' he said. Jenny could do nothing but stand, silent and motionless in front of Gbenga's longing eyes. She had never received a marriage proposal, let alone one this sudden or unexpected. Jenny reacted in the best way she could by giving a light giggle and smiling. She then walked away wondering what had brought that man to propose to her. As she walked away she suddenly felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Knowingly she turned round, to be met by gazing, deep blue eyes. She too gazed at Gbenga, and only then did she realise how attractive her admirer was. He took her in his arms and she could feel his built chest against hers. Gbenga kissed her softly. Soon they fell into a passionate kiss.

Fi"(/!!C<'s

Anll if age-')'11/ if II

He became aware he was lying on the floor, rolled up in a carpet. He was bilious; acid griped his stomach, came up into his throat and he felt like vomiting. He did not dare to open his eyes: he heard nothing, but putting his mind to it he could hear whistling and singings in his ears. He lay still. The slightest motion, and he knew he would be sick. He didn't dare move enough to put his hand to his forehead, but he knew it was bathed in sweat. TilE C\,Y]"l:ARJAN, LEt..:"]"

SU\L\lER

998

156

If only I dared open my eyes, one of them at least, he ventured, but opened neither. Even the thought seemed rash. He ought to try and go back to sleep: oh, to sleep, to sleep till he was dead. But perhaps he was dead already'! The thought made him want to laugh, though the mirth died instantly. He made an em)!Âˇt to grasp where he was in his life at the moment. He couldn't grasp anything specific: possibilities, images flashed across his mind. Nothing stuck. Gbenga tried to concentrate but failed. Everything was slipping out of mind. 'Vithout realising it, he opened his eyes. His uninterrupted attempt at concentration had done what he'd been guarding against, and no particular hann seemed to have occurred. Ghenga's gungy eyes focused on the wall. There was a window with eight panes, fimr small ones at the bottom, two larger ones in the middle and two round-topped ones higher up. Nausea rushed back. He barricaded the fluid behind his teeth, burst out of the carpet, saw two other sleepers on the floor, realised that the lavatory door was straight in front of him and rushed in. The contents of his stomach filled the toilet bowl. Suddenly the nausea was over. He raised a red face to the mirror and stood looking at his reflection. He washed the sweat 01'1' his face, bared his upper body and washed undcr his armpits with a cold flannel. He filUnd a comb in his pocket and ran it through his thick, matted hair. When he opened the bathroom door and returned to the room, he remembered with astonishing clarity who he was, remembered it must be Christmas, but f(mnd recent happcnings a complete haze. The two other people in the room had woken and had begun to pile up the sofa cushions they had used as beds. One of them was a young woman and the other one a middle-aged man. Gbenga greeted them. Both seemed familiar, yet so unfamiliar. He couldn't bring himself to ask where he was or who the other two were. He supposed time would clear these mysteries up. The young woman, fi)r she was more than a girl, was saying a farewell to the middle-aged man who she called Markus. Gbenga politely also shook his haml. 'Goodbye, then,' the man said as he left. 'Quite a time of it we had. Cheers!' 'Take these,' the woman said, handing Gbenga two red vitamin pills from hel' handbag. 'They'll do you good . .Just swallow them whole.' 'Is it before Christmas or aftcr Christmas'?' It slipped out. The woman gave him a puzzling look. 'It's after Christmas. Don't you remember'?' 'I've got a bit vague about things. I must have been drinking a bit.' 'A bit more than a bit,' she said matter-of-factly. 'It feels like that. Who arc you'!' '.Jenny. You could at least remember that!' Gbenga began to recall the name .Jenny ... Of course, this woman was .Jenny. But what .Jenny'? That he didn't dat'e ask then, but said: "Veil, it is coming back. Don't be anglÂˇ),. But I've got this fcarfiIl hangovelo It's affecting my memory, it seems. I must have been drinking for days. It's not my way, you know.' 'Alcohol poisoning. You've got to put the stopper on it.' Gbenga was horribly ashamed. He avoided her look, which was only too frank and honest. He glanced down at the floor, letting his eyes wander, and then a completely new thought struck him: 'Could we go somewhere and have a cold glass of heel', perhaps'?' .Jenny nodded and they left. .Jenny led Ghenga across town. He observed the houses, the cars, trying to figure out where he was. Boston, was it? N.Y.C.'? Washington'? He couldn't tell. They turned a cornel' and the Capitol came into view. He was in Washington, D.C. He knew it quite well. They stopped at a quiet Italian cafe on the corner of Wisconsin and M. Ghenga glanced dully through the menu: he didn't dare think of eating . .Jenny ordered a frosted Bud for him and a glass of fresh fruit-juice for herself. He cautiously sipped the cold beer; its smell was sickening, but on the other hand it was stimulating. Gbenga took a glance at Jenny. She was certainly attractive, no question. But she was apparently engaged, he observed. A ring glinted on her finger: cheap and nasty, a sort he personally wouldn't want to buy for any WOIllan, let alone a wmuan of this quality. 'You're engaged, I see, and I can't help saying I don't think much of the ring.' He sighed deeply. "Guess who 1'111 engaged to,' she said, looking hinl gravely in the eye.

'Oh, some high-flying young accountant, I suppose. Forgive me, but it doesn't interest me.' '\Vrong. Guess again.'

'You could try and guess who I'm engaged to instead,' he retorted. "I know already,' she said. 'You have 10 guess who 1'111 engaged to.' "I don't have the energy at the 1110l11cnt,' he said. '],H give ~V()U the answer, then,' she said. 'You're engaged to BIC.' 157

Wendy Nichols (Shell e)

Seascape

The sun shone down onto the back of my neck. I could hear the sound of the waves, lapping against the cliff edge in the distance, the seagulls squalling above the calm, smooth and peaceful sea. As I walked along the familiar lane, funnelled with trees, the odd bird !lew gracefully through the creamy, blue sky, with swirls of cloud in front of me. The path became uneven now, the worn-away stone slabs were cracked from the thousands of feet, which had trampled down them with excitement. The slabs were warm from the beating sun and scorched my feet. The light beamed through the trees and dappled the ground. Through the opening of the enclosure the light dazzled me, splashing my face. The path which had led me down a gentle slope of boulders and rocl,s, transf()I"Il1ed into a mixture of sand and shingle. I sprinted with alacrity across the open beach, across the steep ridge of stones and pebhles, to escape the excruciating pain of shells with jagged edges and stones with rough sides. Soon, at last, I reached the fine, glistening sand crystals, which were glowing with heat. The heat haze across the shore-line made the sand ripple across like water and form a castle wall. I smoothed off the sand, filled to the rim of the bucket. I banged the bucket down on the water's edge where it was frothed up with bubbles, and released the sand from the bucket. It slid out smoothly like a sweet coming out of its wrappel: The turrets were tall and towered upwards into the sky. A relief, as I trampled onto the wet sand and dragged my toes through it, as I began to write. I'd write all sorts of things: my thoughts or just a word I liked. I'd built the battlements by now and the moat was just coming into shape. The spade had a smooth and rounded edge, to help any digging. I slid my hand down through the dryer sand and each of the thousands of crystals shifted through my fingers and my hand glided through the whole stroke. After rinsing off the spade, I paddled in the water and mn and floundered in the water, sending sprinkles and droplets of water everywhere, just like a watering-can sprinkles. Glass water, so perfeet and round, like crystal tears. Mv feet were buried and shuftlcd down deep" into the sand; I scooped up the sand and drenched myself in it, till at last I had the thrill of jumping out of a skin, like a jacket potato and throwing sand up into the sky and it raining back down. The soggy sand squelching through my toes like a volcanic eruption as it oozes through. My feet sank down, into the depths of the sand. F,"ullces Fmllces AnJl ;{age-SIII il h A}"IJI i la;.!,e-Slllifh At last I lav back and waited for the" water to fall all around me. The waves fell together and crossed each other's path, brushing past and swish and swash, wondering what it would be like to live in the deep blue sea, an everlasting lonely place, silent, still, all alone. I watched the sun as it gently dropped down and down and it was gone.

Venom!

Charlotte White (Shell e)

As the snn sank down below the horizon, the water !lowed lazily over the precipice edge of the waterfall and fell to the river below, catching the last fragments of light and turning them to an array of colonrs. The smells of approaching night crept through the air and cradled the drowsy setting, water lapped the silver rocks and drifted towards the falling crimson sun. Flowers drooped their heads, petals laden with dewy sleep, as if worshipping the setting sun as the ancient Egyptians had once done, and in the diminishing light the leaves let out a silky moan. TH!; CAN']"LARIAN. LI':NT

SUiv!MIJ{ 1998

158

The terracotta sand shifted silently and sliding through the valley it had created was a shadowed I'orm. Its skin was moist and shone like diamonds as the last light bounced from the ground. The scaly, armourplated back glistened in its magnificent yellows, reds, and blacks and a rattle-shaped tail swayed in the air. There was a light shifting noise as the viper's tail hit the leaves, and as they swayed the snake let out a hiss; its fill'ked tongue flickering from out of its mouth, ricocheting off the fangs that sparkled with poisonous breath. Its wet nostrils flared and its eyes pierced the air; it raised its head and, with such grace that its deadliness was almost fill'gotten, it rose from the ground, swaying from side to side. The serpent surveyed the land, its nose held high with pride and then it sank to the ground. Now in darlmess, it slithered on until suddenly in one compulsive action it pulled back and propelled its body forward. With squawks and cries a swarm of birds flocked to the sky, their wings flapping wildly in feat: The snake's head sprang back and in its jaw was a perfect egg, its brittle, pearly shell clutched between the nlenace's fangs. With swift sleekness the snake dislocated its jaw, swallowed its prize and took once more to the ground as the oval bulge slid down inside its body. The snake swayed away, a faint rattle the only trace of its presence, that and the birds that loitered in the sky, their screeches mourning the loss of one of their kind.

159

T!-IE CANTUMUAN. Lr:NT

SL~;"'l:-'lER 1998

REPORTS AND REVIEWS MUSIC

Stefan Anderson. This was lllusic perfectly suited to the resonance or the building and even the organ seemed happier to be on 'home ground', It \vas follO\ved by Franck's Pallis angeliclls. The main work of the evening was Faure's Reqllielll and this proved to be the hi~hlight. T'his \vork is best sung with simplicity and witho~lt over-dramatisation, In this way the intimacy of the work and its spirituality can shine through. I\1r Anderson judged the mood perfectly and the Choir responded sensitively to his direction to give a profoundly moving performance of this beautiful work. That's serendipity~ Our congratulations to (he Crypt Choir or the King's SchooL Canterbury. Wc hope they enjoyed their tour as much as v/e \vere to enjoy ours a few weeks later. A.H. DIAMOND.

A CAEN SURPRISE \Ve ore gf'u/(fit! to Mr (Il1d l\1rs GA. Gordon

(Graililil/ Gordol/, MO J940-45) ilild to Mr Arlilllr Diilil/Olld, COlldllclor orlhe Asillmd Choral Sociclr,/i)r

this ({(,COllll! (~r (Ill 1fI!/,ol'csctn ellcounter, Serendipity is the faculty of making happy discoveries by accident. So to find on a reconnoitring visit to Cacn in preparation (or a visit by our O\vn Choir, the Ashtead Choral Society, that the King's School Canterbury Crypt Choir was giving a concert in the same church sent liS hurrying on Tuesday evening, March 31 st, to the church of St Pierre in the centre of the city. Our keenness was to be \vell rewarded. The concert opened appropriately with Emma Lc\vis singing Purcell's Mlfsic for ({ \\'lIile, her pure soprano voice filling this large gothic building with a fresh youthful sound. We settled dmvn to \lv'hat \vas to prove H dcl!g!1tf'ul concert given by a talented group of young musIcIans. This was j()llowed by a Telemann Trio Sonata for two recorders (Rachel Hill and Caroline Scotl) and continuo (Emma Lewis, cello), 'rhc players were wcllmatched, weaving the music skilful!v and confidently between their re~pectivc parts. The organ. a rather ancient, obstinate and unpredictable beast, \vas not always prepared to cooperate with the recorders. preferring its 0\1\"11 more leisurely pace despite the best efforts of organist Nicholas Shaw.

CHARITY OPERA GALA CONCERT 25TH APRIL 1998, IN THE SHIRLEY HALL The charity opera gala in the Shirley Hall on April 25th \vas an unusual venture into (he realms of operatic music after many years of oratorio and cantata by great composers such as Handel and i\1cndelssohn. Perhaps the great Sllccess of Verdi's Requielll several years ago may have suggested this programme in vl"hich Verdi \vas \v"ell represented along with Puccini, Bizet and Johann Strauss. The orchestra got off to a flying start with the overture to Verdi's opera La For::a del Des!in(), which was admirably played and follov\,'ed by a selection frOin Bizet's best known composition Carmen. This lively selection of four numbers included the ever popular 'Habanera' delivered with much spirit by the chorus and the mel.zo~soprano soloist. Catrin Johnsson. The choirs of King's, the Simon Langton Boys' and Girls' Schools and Barton Court Grammar School had plenty of opportunity for resounding singing in the splendid 'Triulllphal Scene' from Verdi's Aidil. After an interval the second part began in a lighter vein \vith the. Overture to Die Fledernwus by Johann Strauss the Younger, a spirited piece for the orchestra to let off steam, followed by the well known 'Brindisi' from Verdi's La TUI\Âˇia/a. Two of the soloists joined with the chorus in this sparkling number, the tenor Alfred Boe giving the audience a chance to hear him before he sang his big solo later in the programme. ...' <Two solos from Puccini introduced the soloists on their {)V-/I1, '0 mio babbino caro' from Gianni S'clii('clii was admirably sung by I\1agdalena Hedman and thell INessun donna' from Turando! revealed Alfred Boe to be an exceptionally fine tcnor who V-,I(1S enthusiastically applauded. We can expect to hear much more of him on the operatic stage if his performance at King's \vas anything to go by. An unusual number in a largely Italian programme \\!as the deeply moving solo, IWhcn I am laid in earth'

Alis/(Iir \VildhloOiI

William Tallon gave an assured account of the Bass aria Mache dich, mein Her::e, rein from Bach's St Matthevv' Passion, executing the difficult runs vl/ith apparent case. The aria \vas accompanied sympathetically on violin and cello by Laura Dentin and Caroline Ritchie, though the organ again proved somewhat tcnlpcramentaL We were to encounter similar problems on our own tour. At one stage I feared it \vould not survive the experience, it groaned so loudly in protest' The Choir now took their places and began their programme \vith the Call/iqlfe de Jean Racine by Faure. One was immediately impressed by the control of this group, with their attention to detail of dynamics, articulation, tone and ensemble, under the direction of TIlE CAi'\TUARI:\!\:. LENT

SU\1!111J<'

! 998

160

from Henry Purcell's opera Dido olld AellN/s, beautifully rendered by the mezzo-soprano Catrin

A concert in aid of the Leukaemia Research Fund revealed a mass of young talent, with the Modern Jazz Quintet being absolutely spot on in its treatment of classics such as

lohnsson, with the choirs rounding it ofT with the touching chorus, 'With drooping wings you Cupids

come' which concludes the opera. The 'Pilgrims' Chorus' from Wagner's Tallllhiiuser led the chorus to the concluding numbers, 'Chorus of the Hebrew slaves' from Na/Juc('o and, for a grand finale, the resounding strains of the 'Easter Hymn' from Mascagni's Cm'al/eria Rusticolla, in which the orchestra let itself go and the three soloists joined in

/' 111

a Fool

10 WOIII

YOIl,

Maiden Voyage and A/one

with the massed choirs to end the evening in style. An enthusiastic audience refused to go hOll1C until

Together.

they had secured an encore. Truly a splendid evening, carefully planned and firmly directed by Colin Metters

The versatile and talented I vo Neame (piano, saxophone, clarinet and timpani) led The King's Jazz Orchestra and trad band and kept the evening together, giving it pace and .. momentum and really throwing himself into every aspect of the Charles We!!s performance. In facL it was hard to tell who was enjoying the event more, the audience or the performers. A well-chosen programme of jazz standards, such as 0" rhe SUliny Side of rhe SO'eer, Georgia Oil My Mind and Caravan was interspersed with some Thelonius Monk (arranged by Ivo Neame), the theme from Balman and a selection of barbershop songs. It gave plenty of opportunity for the young musicians to shine with solos, especially in the modern jazz section which, for me, was the best in an excellent evelllng, The applause at the end was more than deserved. Roll on King's Week when we call hear some more of these talented musicians.

to whom the greatest credit is due for the high standard of orchestral playing one has come to expect on these occasions. In all this he is well supported by the work done in the individual schools by the respective choir masters and mistresses and of course, the leaders of the orchestra, Iona Coltarl and Laura Dentin. CANON DEREK INGRAM HILL.

CHARITY JAZZ AND BIG BAND CONCERT 28TH FEBRUARY, IN THE SHIRLEY HALL All-round groove al ja2z ,<.;h01I-' Jazz - both modern and trad - is thriving at the King's School.

SiAN NAPIER.

(Reprinted with acknowledgements to The Kenrish

Gazelle.)

MARLOWE HOUSE CONCERT 31 ST JANUARY, IN THE SHIRLEY HALL On Saturday 31 st January Marlowe House put on their annual Concert in the Shirley Hall. The Marlowe String Orchestra began the concert in impressive style playing Britten's Sentimental Sarabande from his Simple SYlllphollY. The ensemble was excellent and the use of dynamics echoed the words of the title. lona CoItart and Leonora Dawson-Bowling gave a superb rendition of the first movement from Pergolesi's Slabaf Maler, the intonation being especially good. Next, Edwarcl Cotton and Nancy Colchester played Boismortier's Sonata in D for two

L({rry Ridges. (Roland Phillips.)

161

THE CANTUARJAN, LENT

SUI\Âˇ!l"vlER 1998

cellos. This was performed with great panache and was MITCHINSON'S HOUSE CONCERT technically very impressive. Alastair Lewis played the 1ST MARCH 1998 IN THE PUPILS' SOCIAL first movement from Haydn's Oboe Concerto in C CENTRE major, which was a difficult choice. There were a few The concert opened with the wind and brass band tuning problems but some beautiful phrasing. playing 'When the Saints', \vhich was competently The mood of the concert now chan ged as Mr Peter conducted by Lindsay Sharp, playing at the same time. Morgan stepped up to join daughter Maddy, The start was slightly insecure but soon settled dO\vn 10na Coltan, Caroline Bagley and Mr into a bouncy and constant tempo which continued Stephen Matthews in Cole Porter's 'I throughout the piece to its lively ending. It was an get a kick out of you'. This was great efTective way to open the concert and good to sec so fun, with the two violins playing many wind and brass players. together very \vell. Maddy's The second item on the programme was a lovely arrangement of the piece was very rondo for string quartet written by Emma Lewis effective. which came across very well despite one Emily Hague's trumpet or two tuning problems. Ernma picce, COl1cerl SllIdy by '1.171~..... provided a good steady bass 011 Goedicke, was excellent the cello and the ensemble both technically playing was impressive. musically. Next was Oliver Humphrey \vho Leonora Oawsonplayed the second movement of Bowling sang, Mozart's Horn Concerto No.4, 'Can't Help Apart from the occasional split Lovin' Oat Man' note, Oliver displayed good by Jerome Kern. ~~ยง~;;:::;~~ breath control and a smooth, Unfortunately she ~ full tone on the horn which had a bad cold, but contributed to a glowing coped admirably peri()J'Jllance. I thoroughly enjoyed under the the rare privilege of hearing a solo circumstances. horn. A select string 'l Simon CJeobury gave a group then played r' / / I vcry professional rendering some Bach and Bauermann very ;/, / / of the second movement of \vell considering its limited amount of tJf"1a l:dIlWlIt/\()11 Handel's Sonata in F major. He rehearsal. Sarah Wyall, flute, and ::: / / //;:Y/ (Sh,,/1 () accomplished tricky runs on Suzannah Gunn, clarinet, \vho stepped his violin and used dynamics in at the last minute and did a very good and phrasll1g to make the piece a pleasure to hear. job, played S;c;l;cl1l1c by Faure. Next Kingyin Lee on the piano played Polonaise in Isabella Pell accompanied herself C sharp major by Chopin, Kingyin captured the mood singing 'Misty' by Temperton. This was skilfully of the piece very well by contrasting dramatic playing performed and evoked a jazz-club atmosphere, Alex with beautifully timed triplets and delicate playing. Carty and Leonora Dawson-Bowling accomplished Overall a very stylish performance. another change of mood with the first movement from Simon Cleobury and Caroline Bagley then played a Vivaldi's Concerto in A minor which they played with Bartok violin duct: they started skilfully with a lively energy and sensitivity. tempo and aggressive playing which contrasted well The concert was given a stirring end by \vhat must with the legato middle section - which showed a good be one of the most impressive House Orchestras ever. use of dynamics and phrasing. Under the direction of Bill McConnell they played the Alex I-riggins than sang a commendable Allegro from Handel's Waler Mus;c, which was lively arrangement of 'Songbird' by Fleetwood Mac, and with good ensemble. Emily Hague demonstrated her talent again as soloist in Jeremiah Clarke's accompanied by Frances Armitage-Smith on the piano. humpc! Till1e alld Ay}'c. The finale was the last Alex appeared to bc really enjoying herself and her performance was attractive and easy to listen to. movement from Sonatina 3 by Ignaz Pleyel. In all three pieces the orchestra played with energy, creating The following item was a complete surprise. House a great sound, and most of the time they played with Matron Miss Gail Marsh played a lovely guitar good ensemble. introduction and thcn sang 'The Green Leaves of Finally, one must not forget the comperes, Tom Summer', She has a really good, delicate voice which captured the mood of the song perfectly. It was a Pickering and Ben Reid, who kept the concert upbeat fantastic performance which was much appreciated by and lively, even if some of their jokes left a lillie to be desired! There was also a magnificent art exhibition of the audience. Marlowe pupils' work masterminded by Jodie Caroline Bagley on the violin and Emma Lewis on Cameron and Megan Morris. All in all this wa,,, a very cello then performed a moving duet by Adam Carse in enjoyable evening of which the whole House should be waltz style. There were a couple of odd tuning very proud, moments but the generally good ensemble caught the SIMON CLEOBURY. romantic mood well.

THE CANTUARIAN. LENT & SUMMER 1998

/;' /

;Jf- /'

4" '

162

The Mitchinson's rock band The Fatty Acids then took over. Oliver Humphrey outshone Oasis with his strong rendition of 'Wonderwall' but was drowned

Leonora Dawson-Bowling - soprano Recitative Nlfn wird mel}] liehster Briiutigam 1.S. Bach Aria: Bereile dich, Zion (Christmas Oratorio) 1.S. Bach La 10111anan:a Donizetti Er, der Herrlichsle von "lien (Frauenliebe und -leben) Schumann Call'l help Im'in' dal man (Showboat) Jerome Kern

slightly when Roshan Ariyaratnam came in on the drums. The tempo was unsteady in places but the piece was very different frorn what had gone before. The concert was polished off by Nebular, the Mitchinson's jazz band, comprising Alex Higgins and Louise Robertson on sax, Frances Armitage-Smith on piano, Will Mackay on drums and Caroline Bagley on double bass. The first piece was an impressive one written by Frances, followed by 'Cantaloupe Island'. It was interesting to hear a different version of a tune we had heard played at the lazz Concert the night before.

Laura Derain - violin Panita NO.3: Gigue 1.S. Bach Debussy La pillS 'I"I' lell/ Sonafensatz Brahms

The band wound up the concert with an enthusiastic and rOllsing rendition of 'Square Dance'. which the audience really enjoyed.

Emily Hague - trumpet Trumpet Concerto (second movement) Haydn Sarabande Hubeau Konzert-Etlide Goedicke

POLLY REDMAN.

William TaIIon - baritone

THE HOUSE SONG COMPETITION

Gebt mir mcinen JeslIlJI wieder

16TH MARCH IN THE SHIRLEY HALL

(St Matthew Passion) Adiell (Poeme d'un jour) Is my leam plollghing? (A Shropshire Lad) La w!lldetta (Le nozzc di Figaro)

The programme consisted of the following songs: Galpin's Die heiden Grenadiere Harvey The Shoop Shoop SOllg Linacre Wilh (/ lillie hcll'fi'olJl my./i'iends Luxl1100rc Pass if along Tradescant Barhara Ann School House Alahoma Song Mitchinson's Bohemian Rhapsodr Broughton LOI'e is in the air Walpole Cali/iJrnio Dreomin' Marlowe Under Ihl' hoardwolk The Grange Can YOlfIeel the lo\'{) tonight Jervis ! kllOlI' him so l1'ell Meister Omers Del'{}f/sl!irc cr('(l17/ (ll/d cider The adjudicator was Mr David Hitchen, who IS a principal in the current West End production of the musical Blood Brothers and a visiting teacher of singing at The King's School. The winni!;'g House was Walpole.

1.S. Bach Faure Butterworth Mozart

Cressida Trew - flute Conceno in G minor (third movement) Quantz Dunsc de Ia chevre Honegger Passacaille Rhene-Baton Caroline Ritchie - cello Sonata in G major (fIrst movement) Ballista Rachmaninov Vocalise Sonata in D minor (second movement) Shostakovich The adjudicator was the distinguished violinist, Marcia Crayford. The winner of the competition \vas Leonora, Dawson-Bowling,

S.W.SA

THE KING'S SCHOOL RECITAL PRIZE COMPETITION 10TH MAY IN THE OLD SYNAGOGUE The programme was as follows: ,Iennifer Dutton - cello Sonata No.2 (first and second movements) Marcello 1~legie Faure Romanian Folk Dances Ban6k I. Joc CII Bdla 2. Brdlll POaJsa, ROJl1fin('asC'a 5. M ([J"/{)}{ eI 6.

Leol1o}'(f f)(l\\'SOI1-BOH'fillg

163

((lndlatlie}".'). (MJ,'/'.)

THE CANTUMdAN, LENT

SUl\1;V1!]{

! 998

THE WALPOLE REVUE, THE MEN IN OUR LIVES.

DRAMA THORNTON WILDER, OUR TOWN JERVIS AND SCHOOL HOUSE PLAY

31ST JANUARY AND 1ST FEBRUARY IN ST MARY'S HALL After the usual precautionary advice as to \vhat to do in case of fire, our compere, Harriet Usher, introduced the first piece by Jane Austen - beautifully interpreted by Rachel Hill. The tone of the evening was set: marriage was to depend on the colour of a carriage! The audience's imagination Vi/as then quickly put to the test when it was asked to imagine itself in the South Paciilc with the help of the lighting crew. Anne Davies, Bella Hird, Catherine James, Helen Prentice and Harriet Usher (again) \vere trying to 'Wash that man right out of their hair'. Back in England Dr Pickerin~, the token male in the revue, was welcomed onto the \tage \vith a scream to play Mr Bennett in a second piece by Jane Austen. Poor chap' Talked to death by his wife (played by Morag Gunson). Naturally marriage was, once again, on the ladies' minds but dancing and partying seemed to be the name of the game. 'Chicks \vere born to give you fever' was not a sad statement on the recent spate of chicken flu hitting Hong Kong but a line from the electrifying rendition of 'Fever' by Poppy Savage. with its haunting beat and finger-clicking. Spell-binding stuff! Jenny Dutton's talent on the cello was undoubtedly a major contributory factor to this excellent performance. Cards and fortune-telling by Tori Hunt and girlie magazine questionnaires seemed to play an important role in the lives of teacher-fanciers Katharine Hunter Johnston and Talia Radford. Lucky Mr Short: he was getting married. but not to either ... Anyway, what has Linacre got that other boys' Houses do not have'? Or is it: who has Linacre got. .. ? Well, Victoria Wood, alias Bella Hird, was to put thing.s right in t\VO very funny sketches: video dating for Vicki Sully and three boyfriends for Anne Davies. Definitely a 'Big spender' this T(my according to most of the Walpole girls! But don't \vorry, Rhiannon. we also 'Got a kick out of you', just in case Laura GrahamHarrison. Camilla Jelbart and Charlie v\/hite were thinking 'What's the use of wond'rin"". Four blackleather-Jacket clad young ladies, Jessica White, Niveen Mahmoud, Mel Macan and Lucinda Devenish. \vere prompt to show their T-shirts while pondering on men and how to behave like them ... The problem with the men YOLI live with is how wonderful they v,Iould be if they were different' Ask Poppy and Harriet: they'd 'Marry the man today' to make sure they'd have time to change his ways tomorrow. Mind YOll, not everyone wants to marry: in the 'Bet\veen ourselves' letters. a career takes up enough time without your getting involved in a relationship, according to Anne Davies, and Emma Hayes wonders why signing a piece of paper is necessary if commitment alone is enough. No flesh was on show in the excerpt from 'Steaming' in which Lottie Tydeman, Camilla Jelbart, Laura Graham-Harrison and Sasha Ball came to the conclusion that men are all the same: in the end, they all leave home. It was the wonderful imitation of a Northern accent that enabled Bella Hird to carry the weight of Shirley Valentine's philosophical monologue vÂˇ,1hich was on a par with her excellent rendition of Victoria Wood. What talent' With an audience still

24TH AND 25TH JANUARY IN ST MARY'S HALL

On Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th January, Jervis and School House presented Thornton Wilder's

0111'

which is both a recreation of small-town American life and 'an attempt to find a value above all

TOH'I?

price for the smallest events of our daily life'. The play deals with the Jives of the folk from Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, at the beginning of the twentieth century, \vith the story centring around two main families, the household of Dr Gibbs (played by Pete Sharp) and his wife (played impressively by Charlotte Knight), and that of Mr Webb, who was

given a charming representation by Jonathan Burr, with Emily Smitham playing his dutiful wife. The main characters of the play arc the two eldest children from each ]'"11ily, George Gibbs and Emily Webb, played by Daniel Kelly and Oriana Fox respectively. The two actors should be congratulated on their sensitive portrayal of the characters, most notably captured in the touching scene on the discussion of love and friendship. They also portrayed well the way they mature from high-school s\vccthcarts to adults, as the t wo j~lll in love and the simple chi Idhoo<.l romance develops into a more complex examination of the virtues and downsides to life and love and (eventually) marnage. One of the most commendable aspects of the production was the simplicity of the style. The set was elementary, and the audience \:vere invited to usc their imagination as the two Stage Managers. Kate Wratten and Adela Bottomley. organised the scenes convincingly describing the many locations in the town and introducin~ the characters, reflectin~ elements of the Brcchtian theatrical technique. Th~ many parts were adopted well by their players, and there were some entertaining performances, including Matt Chataway as the milkman, and the three yobbish baseball players (Sophia Gold, Remi Sijuwade and Luke Montgomery). Hovvever, despite tbe amusing cameos, the play also holds a reflective tone, with comments such as 'The whole world's wrong, that's what's the matter' adding a poignancy to the seemingly content sleepy 1'OV/11 life. A character of significant importance in this context is that of Simon Stimson, the alcoholic choirmaster, played intelligently and movingly by Tom McHugh, who portrayed carefully the desperation of this lonely man.

Our TOlVI1, in general terms, is all about human aspirations, young and old; and the members of School HOllse and Jervis certainly presented these in a perceptive way, resulting in an enjoyable evening's entertainment. CHIIRLGlTE HUNT.

THE CANTUARIAN, LENT & SU:-"!MER 1998

164

THE WALPOLE REVUE (PHOTOGRAPHS BY MJ.T.)

WR.P.

(/1/(/

Sarah Johl/soll.

Poppy SOI'age.

165

THE CANTU;\I{! .. \N. LE:,\,T & SU,\L\lER

J 998

actresses changed between the huge variety of characters was highly impressive as they ranged from loutish men not so much aftcr the cocktails as aftcr the girls, to jet-setting TV presenters and also four supermarket checkout girls preparing for a 21 st party. We are taken through their party preparation scenes which throw up highly recognisable situations. A highlight of the play was undoubtedly the Miss Selfridges changing-room scene, which was cleverly staged and acted very truly, although you have to be female fully to appreciate the reality of the portrayaL The play was very much up to date. It was humorously and well written, and the clever directing by NJ,M, and Emma Palmer, with wonderful stage choreography and swiftly contrasting scene changes with suitable music and lighting, kept the pace of the play exciting. Some amazing acting by the cast, who compensated for small numbers by their great ability, ensured that there was not a boring moment and that it was truly a successful production,

laughing, Anne Davies and Helen Prentice plucked at our heart strings with 'I know him so well' before Helen and Harriet drove the message home with wonderfully recited poems. What seemed like the whole cast gathered to reassure us that all was well in the best of 'Worlds: 'don't worry, we do love you' but diamonds are indeed any girl's best friend. Throughout the revue, the songs werc excellently accompanied by Ophelia Beer and Sclma Oliver on the piano, Jenny Dutton on the cello and the piano, Frances Houghton, Aletta von Lindeiner and Emily Perkin on flutes, Sarah Johnson on the clarinet and Rachel Hill on the saxophone. The sharp humour and sometimes acidity of the pieces was extremely well transferred to the stage by the girls, under the watchful eye of Maudie Bchrens. All in all, this was an amusing and ironic selection of women's attitudes towards the men in their lives. M.PRD.

XAXA PANMAN (REMOVE G) ANI) SUSIE BEIZIlERT (REMOVE Il).

JOHN GODBER AND JANE THORNTON, SHAKERS BROUGHTON HOUSE PLAY

ME AND MY GIRL, THE LlNACRE, LUXMOORE AND MEISTER OMERS MUSICAL

7TH AND 8TH FEBRUARY IN ST MARY'S HALL

7TH AND 8TH MARCH IN THE SHIRLEY HALL

This year it was just Broughton and, in fact, just Alex Elliott, Madeleine Tyler, Rebecca Hamway and Poppy Edmunds as the four dissatisfied young womcn working in the cocktail bar called Shakers. As the play proceeds we learn about the background of each character as they, one by one, come forward into the spotlight prompted by their highly amusing caricatures of the customers. Rebecca Hamway is convincingly transformed into Mel who was worried that she had become pregnant by her married boyfriend, and the girls decide for her that he is using her and that she should leave him. This is the cue for one of the amusing scenes of their shared female experiences. The scene about the trauma of pregnancy tcsts leads to Adele's confession (Alex Elliott). She shares her secret of a teenage pregnancy and concealed abortion, She had decided not to tell her boyfriend, who she was looking forward to marrying and on whose behalf she was pleased to havc found a ring for ÂŁ80 in the Argos cataloguc. This is a clel~onstration of the cleve~iy built up 7mc.i strongly put across characters who dominate the play. Carole (Madeleine Tyler) is cynical about this happiness. She is the girl who stayed on at school, went to (he polytechnic and got a degree so she could get a good job. She has ended up in Shakers working long hours wearing the attractive red silk blouse, black miniskirt and stilettos. Her dissatisfaction clashes \vith the ambitious Poppy Edmunds, energetically playing Nicki, the aspiring actress. She doesn't know why she wants to act because she finds plays boring. These characters were extremely realistically and completely believably portrayed. The accents \vere convincing and never slipped. The ease with which the TI IE C:\\TU:\RIAN. LI~\'T

SU~'lJ\11J(

J 998

This was a wonderfully entertaining production, and an excellent choice of musical to involve so many over a hundred on stage and in the orchestra pit, with over thirty more on the production side. Me ({lid My Girl is a classic musical of the 1950s, combining a vl/itty, agile script with some memorable and surprisingly familiar tunes (notably 'The sun has got his hat on' ancl 'The Lambeth walk', but also 'Love makes the world go rOllnd' and 'Leaning on a lamppost at the corner of the street'), The plot is essentially a satire on class division and snobbery, as the Cockney Bill Snibson (Edward Wattis) inherits the title 01' Lord Harefonl mllch to the consternation of his ne\v-found family and its 'socicty' friends. The redoubtable Duchess (Kate Emary), Bill's Aunt, selS about educating him to fulfil his new role, \vhile the decrepit and blundering Sir John (Charlie Rice) secretly educates Bill's Lambeth girlfriend, Sally (Cressicia Tre\:v), in an attempt to stop Bill giving his nc\v status up and returning to LaInbeth. Naturally it all ends happily with no fewer than three marriages in prospect. One could not fail to be impressed by thc sheer scale of the spectacle: splencliclthirties costumes for the high society opening, with a flurry of activity from the large chorus \vho were busying themselves with croquet, tennis and drinking, quite apart from singing confidently. Spectacular crowd scenes dominated at key points - the entire cast doing the Lambeth \:valk to end the first Act, and further dancing from an effective group as 'The Sun has got his hat on' started the second Act. Wc were later treateci to a Scottish reel during a reprise of this jaullty number in the 'HUllt Ball' scene, while a Can-Can provided a backdrop for Bill's charming solo Ilumber ILeaning 011 a lamppost'.

166

to the soli d singi ng of the Ancestors' semi chorus. Anot her me morable scene was when Bil l and Sir John were gettin g progress ively more

dru nk and unsteady, e nhanced by the slap-stic k antics of the A ncestors. T hey ma naged to combine some of the most effective singing of the whole performance wit h their lively acti ng. Both Bi ll and S ir John were highly successful in maintaining their characters, especially by voice and accents, and in Si r John's case, physical

decrepit ude as well , th ro ughout the perfo rmance. S ir Jo hn 's scene, with an overly zealou s po li ce ma n (James Bril liant) a nd the loudmo uthed Cockney ' fishwife ' (A lex O ' Donoghue), was an amu sing interlude - he

was taken for Sa ll y's 'furry godfathe r' in between repelling the ad va nces of some ladies of the ni ght. For me the mu sica l highli ght was

undoubtedl y the fin e lyrical a nd wistful line achieved by Cressida Trew in her solo ' Once you lose your heart' . S he commu nicated a melancholy tone very well , backed by sensitive acco mpaniment from saxophone (Carl Margetts) and violi n (Tom Hopki nson). T he small , select Me and My Girl: Allile-Christine Farstad and James Mclrvine. (With band was partic ularly effective in such quieter acknoll'ledgllll'lIfs to Mike Waterlllall.) numbers as thi s - for instance, the fl ute (Kat hryn McLean) came through well in the subtle ' You T he lead ro les susta ined the pace and ti ming of the wo uld , if yo u cou ld ', whereas in the fuller tutti sc ri pt's repartee extre mely well . The aco ustics of the nu mbe rs it was ma inl y the trumpet (Andrew Ribbans) Shirl ey Hall did not cater adequa tely for all sectors of which te nded to proj ect clearl y. T he prod uction clearly the audience, apparentl y, but there were many gems benefited from the crisp piano playing and link ing there for those lucky e nough to hear them. Both Bill improvisation of SJ.R.M., a nd the precise, efficient and Sa ll y had some memorable gaffes, as when musical direction of MJ.M. J udging by the cast's Charles, the measured and dignified butle r (Lars van cheers at the end as they gave their thanks to the de n Hout) offers: 'Aperitif, my Lord ?' Bil l: 'No thanks. I've go t my own.' T he ex te nded scene where Bill talks Sally through his fami ly history is paCked with c ringewort hy lines like ' Everyone knows that Joa n of A rc was married to Noah' , whil e Bill 's blunders at the party, as he tries to pract ise the Duchess's lesson in etiquette were entertaining, and

delive red in fine style. T he pu ns came thi ck and fast Bil l, to Lady Bri ghto n: ' Oh , I know yo ur husband. T he pier. ' - and are, of course, less effective when taken out

of context ' T here were some excell e nt scenes, with actors excelling in ro les bot h large and small . T he predatory Jaq uie (A.-C. Farstad), intent on securing Bill as her husband, performed her two sensual songs , 'Thin kin g

of no one but me' and ' You wo ul d if yo u could ', wit h assurance and deft movement. H er devoted lover,

Gerald (James McIrv ine), onl y requi ted at the eleventh hour, main ta ined a wonderfull y bemused and inj ured air, and led a sui tably boi sterou s 'The sun has got hi s hat on ' . Parchester, the fa mi ly solicitor, was played by A ndrew Ribbans with the required gravita s combined amusingly with incongruous clow ning and fa lsetto singing (not to mention hi s hecti c doubl ing as lead

tru mpet in the band - he certainl y had hi s work c ut out). Ka te Ema ry 's Duc hess was ma rvell ous ly domineering and striden t, the put-down line to Si r John being a fi ne example - Sir John: ' It crossed my mind .. .' Duchess: 'Not a long jo urney.' She had a striki ng stage pre sence, and came through we ll in her

vocal counte rpoint, backed by the Ladies Battersby

Me and MV Girl : Cressida TrelV alld Edward Wa"is. (With (u:knowledgments to Mike Wat erman .)

and Brighton (Franki Langri dge and Caroli ne Ritchi e),

167

TH E CANTUA RI AN, LENT

S Uf..H..'lER 1998

consequences of Dr Petypon's l,rst visit to a night-club, T\1axim's, was highly

entertaining and imaginatively done. Andrew Kesson played the perfectly neurotic Dr PetYP0!1, giving the play pace and charisma as he rushed around the stage in a humorolls attempt to

resolve the precarious situations vÂˇ,Iith which he was faced. 'The Shrimp', played by Oily Lumley. provided dramatic contrast

and light relief

1'1'0111

the frantic Dr

Petypc;;1. Her apparent calm and selfcontrol were superbly matched \vith her provocative and daring costUlllC,

culminating

unforgettable

performance. Lucy Blair, in her role as the uptight and proper I\1adamc Petypon, provided an amusing foil to 'The Me und My Girl: AlIlIc-Christine {((rslad. JO/J/es Mc/rl'iIlC, Kale ElI1ar)', Francesco Shrimp', as well as adding to the plot's Langridge, AlIdrc\l' Rihhal1s. (MJ.T.) . increasing farce, Lucy's portrayal of this protagonist appropriately fitted with the play's overall design. production (cam, it \vas a happy production under FE.T's expert stage direction, with highly appreciated Adrian Cheong and Henry Williams, as (~tjcnlle and help from Mrs 0.13. ereissen with the coslUmes. The the General, epitomised the play's hilarity, executing audience derived as much pleasure, I am sure, from their parts with gusto and ease - definitely t\VO \vhat \vas a hugely enjoyable and stimulating evening. characters not easily forgotten. \\'hen they were on stage, the audience found themselves crippled with C.T.H. laughter and longing for In~)fe. The ingenuity of the play pivoted on the comic use oj' doors, effective lighting and sound, anc! the added t wist oj' 'The Chair oj' Oblivion'. However, to top it all, GEORGES FEYDEAU, Giles provided a little something extra in his addition THE LADY FROM MAXIM'S oj' the dance to 'The Macarena' during the GALPIN'S AND HARVEY denouement. All the characters \vere brought together HOUSE PLAY in style in this original episode - how ca~l we i'OJoget Beatrice Read') 14TH AND 15TH MARCH IN ST MARY'S HALL The Lady from Maxim's generated a collective feeling of delight in its audience, making for an Giles Patrick's witty and colourful production oj' enjoyable evening all round. Georges Feydeau's play left not a dry eye in the house. This hilarious performance about the farcical EMMA TORRY AN]) ZoE NAJ'HAN.

The LadY.limJ/ Maxi}}] '.J": Andrelt' K essoll alld William BlIFgess. (Ro/alld Phi/lips.)

THE CANTUARIAN, LENT & SWvHv]l]{ 1998

168

The Lad)' /1"0111 Maxim's: Ofi LUlJde), alld Helin' Wi/Iiams. . . (Roland Phillip:\Âˇ.) .

SIXTH FORM TALK: MICHAEL DAVIS, NATO

TALKS SIXTH FORM TALK: MRS JENNY UGLOW POLITE AND IMPOLITE ART

30TH JANUARY. IN THE OLD SYNAGOGUE

13TH JANUARY, IN ST MARY'S HALL

Beforc attcnding this talk I knew very little about the body that makes up the North Atlantic Trcaty Organisation. Nor did J know anything of. its history I don't study either History or Politics _. so I decided to

JellllY Ug!Ol\'. (Ro/ulld Phillips),

Mrs Uglow's most recent book, Hogarth,' a liff and

a world, was published in September 1997 to very good reviews indeed. The Sunday Times journalist, John Carey, vÂˇ,:rote: 'This is a biography to rush out and buy'. Mr Dobbin assured us that the school had done so - and it is now in our library. I managed to catch Mrs Uglow at the end of her talk, where she told me a little about her career. After studying at Oxford, she went into publishing: '1 began writing for fun, and it just seemed to go on from there ... It \lo,Ias more a hobby than ajob to begin with.' She has since published two biographies: on George Eliot and on Mrs Gaskell. This was not the speaker's first visit to King's, Canterbury: on September 27th, I 99(), she had spoken on women's biographies. On the present occasion she spoke on Hogarth with much humour and enthusiasm, quickly convincing the audience that Hogarth's work is still fascinating with its layers of moral criticism and contemporary references; she gave us insights that cnabled us to appreciate this just as those in thc eighteenth century would have done. As well as explaining the more obscure of Hogarth's meanings, Mrs Uglow managed to show us a side of him not commonly known; that he \vas a respected petitioner for poor artists, particularly in the West End; that he loved children; and that hc hclpcd the Foundling Hospitals to be seen scattered around the London streets. Hogarth, we were told, was also a strong nationalist, keen to preserve England's status as a world power. Mrs Uglow entertaincd us all with such choice little snippets ~f information as the fact that Hogarth was very keen to have a tough reputation; even going so hlr as to thrust his wig far back onto his forehead in order to enable people Cia notice his scar. She pointed out with great relish how Hogarth took care to emphasise the scar in his self-portraits. After a highly informative and enjoyable talk, Mrs U glow answered questions from the audience with much knowledge and astuteness, and the applause continued for a good many minutes - a strong indication of the impact her talk made on people.

go out of curiosity llH)re than anything else. The speaker, Mr Davis, works for NATO in Brussels and prior to this was employed by the Ministry of Defence. Splitting the talk into three main parts, he took us through a \vide variety of slides showing various aspects of NATO sLlch as the magnificent buildings in which the Assembly is based and the Assembly in action, as well as a few of the more important figures having their say. Mr Davis covered the historical background of NATO including Article 5, the defensive pact and the additions of variolls new member nations to the point when the organisation became what it is today. It was pcrhaps this section that I found most interesting as it showed how the organisation had started and grown throughout the twentieth century and the effect that it had had on world affairs. He went on to explain how NATO functions, giving details of its internal structure and the sixteen ambassadors on the North Atlantic Council that represent the sixteen member nations. He ciemonstrated how the power NA:fO has is divided among the different countries and councils within the building itself and how the various countries arc represented. The talk was well structured and extremely informative, making it very \vorthwhile for the sixth form Politics students who attended. The questions put to him at the end raised particular issues concerning the current work of NATO. All were well answered and J came away having learnt much and understood a great deal more about NATO than I had an hour before.

ALEXANDHA DAVIES.

WILL JUSTICE.

Michoel f)(Il'is. (Rolalld Phillips.)

169

THE CANTUAR1AN, LENT & SU1\!:v!ER 1998

SIXTH FORM TALK: MRS TESSA BROOKS, THE NATIONAL HEALTH

SIXTH FORM TALK: TIBOR FISCHER 4TH FEBRUARY, IN THE OLD SYNAGOGUE

24TH FEBRUARY, IN THE OLD SYNAGOGUE

Mr Fischer has written three books commonly described as 'cult' - Under the Frog, The Thollght Gillig and The Col/ector Col/ector, For just under an hour Mr Fischer read aloud extracts from his three best-sellers in a characteristically deadpan yet

For all the wealth of political, economic and scientific talks that we have had during my school career here, there had never been anything addressing the 46.2 billion pound question, the NHS, so 1 felt that this talk was essential for both aspiring doctors and politicians.

animated way, greatly entertaining the room with his deceptively laid-back jokes, After the readings, Mr Fischer answered the

Mrs Brooks v,iorked miracles creating a relaxed atmosphere at the talk - which 1 suppose is an essential skill, considering the friction between the decisionmakers and the end-users in the NHS. But inevitably the gaping wound - oozing th,: prote.sts of I~)cal residents against current plans for radIcal scallngdown of' the services of the Kent and Call1erbury Hospital - had to be dealt with. In her own words, Mrs Brooks said she knew she'd be 'lynched' should she mention the K, and C, but she dealt in a novel way with impassioned pleas from Dr Maltby. Decisions, of' course, have to be made - irrespective of any emotional attachmeIll by local people to their local hospital - vÂˇ,ihen budgets arc limited, and they arc usually to the benefit of the most needy. Mrs Brooks talked about the administrative structure oj the NHS, and gave us a very good overview of the functioning of the organisation, which is changed every five years. From \vhat I learnt in the 'careers talk' - as she preferred to classify it - those of us wanting to get into healthcare management will certainly have to be top performers in everything from public speaking to economics.

questions from the floor, providing a vcry informative insight into the life of a cult writer. Charlie LcighPemberton asked the question that everybody wanted to know: was it really true that his first book, Ullde!" the Frog had been rejected by fifty-six of the fifty-eight publishers in the UK') With astonishin~ cain: Mr Fischer told us that he had decIded III a tIl oj melodrama, that he might as well be rejected by every

single publisher in the UK before giving up: and was finally accepted by the penultimate firm, 'And,' he said with ominous relish, 'I have saved all the letters of rejection ... for future lise.' When asked if he objected to being termed a 'cult writer', Mr Fischer said that, while not minding being called most things, he did prefer 'best-seller', which, quite clearly, he is, 'Although,' he said, 'I still haven't got a swimming pool'. ALX::XANDRA DAVIES.

We never got on to playing the budgeting game she had prepared, but the question and answer session which took its place certainly provided everyone vvith a lot to think about. Immediately aftervv'ards, I felt that the gaping \voLlnd \vas not sO very big after al L

SIXTH FORM TALK: DR JAMES CARLETON-PAGET, THE QUEST FOR THE HISTORICAL JESUS. A TALE OF PROGRESS?

ADRIAN CIIE01\G.

10TH FEBRUARY, IN THE OLD SYNAGOGUE Dr Jamcs Carleton-Pagct has enjoyed a distinguished and prolific academic career. From Etol1 he we~lt on to Queens', Cambridge, soon becoming a research fellow. He is now a don at Peterhousc, Among his several works published are Alexandrian Erfgesis of 'he Old Testament, The Epistle of !3ar/w!Jas: Ollt/ool: alld Background, and Anfi-Jlldai!';171 ({nd Ear/y Christian Idellfit)'.

SIXTH FORM TALK: ANTHONY WOODS, ESQ. PRIVATISATION AND PRACTICE 10TH MARCH IN THE OLD SYNAGOGUE Anthony Woods, who spoke to a privileged number of students of Economics, started the

Dr Carleton-Paget spoke powerfully and enthusiastically, engaging the ,mdicnce with quips, and rude translations of German scholars' names. Although chiefly used to speaking to Cambridge undergraduates, Dr Carleton-Paget made his talk cOJl1pI~ehensiblc to those of us not well versed in theological discussions - a welcome concession. He spoke ~Iynamically and with great eloquence, making a highly complex topic interesting and understandable.

evening off by referring to his connections with the School, being a father of two pupils and a school friend of' Dr Humberstone, From the start it was patent that Mr Woods was well versed il.l his sybjcct: and the subject mattcr that he \vas dealIng \vnh was extremcly specific, being concerned, from the point. of vievv' of a solicitor, v,Iith the privatisation of Medway ports.

ALEXANDRA DAVIES.

THE C\NTUARIAN. LENT & SU1,,1!'vO-:!{

J 998

170

So, 10 his subjeci mailer. Mr Woods was fonhrighl and wholehearted in his views, vÂˇ,Ii1ich were extremely supportive of privatisation. He gave examples of companies \~Ihich had been privatiscd, with the benefits greatly exceeding the disadvantages after privatisation. It was interesting to note that his example of an unsuccessful privatisec1 company \vas Conncx South Eastern, because the revic\vcrs greatlv value this service 111 their excursions aro'ilJld ~ the Kent cOl1ntrvsidc~

expecting an inlellectuallalk about the pathways illio show biz, however I believe we were all pleasantly surprised. For once Mr Snow found himself in Ihe black scat under the spoilighl, bUI of course, like any celebrity, he spoke wilh ease on his chosen subject, 'The luck of television'. TV journalism was his first lopic. He shared \vith us a delightful talc of luck and chance \vhcn his companion Michael Nicholson was in Cyprus, reponing for lTV. He happened to get wind of a scoop to the effect that Turkey would be invading Cyprus early the next morning. As a good reporter does, Michael Nicholson headed oUi early to Ihe lown where the Turkish were supposedly landing. Of course, half way Ihere and, bang, the lyre blew. Did Ihey have a spare? No, they \vere in Cyprus, no offence intended. Most of his audience was already writhing in their seats as Mr Snow let out bursts or low, rolling but unfortunately contagious chuckles. He continued to tell how, as in a Hollywood movie, a dust cloud could be seell coming down the road. The lTV crew erected their thumbs in a vain attempt to nag down their approaching rescuers, only to be answered by an alternative finger from the BBC news crew. They had no choice but to trek back to the last village a couple of miles back. They unloaded Ihe gear and headed off across Ihe held when suddenly the sky went dark. Two thousand parachutes were descending all around them until the peaceful meadO\v \vas turned into a preparing balilefieid. Michael Nicholson approached a nearby soldier. got the cameras rolling and 'Hello, Michael Nicholson \vith News at Ten, can you tell us what you are doing here'?' If this was not lucky enough, the Turkish soldier, who had been aI Sandhurst, replied in perfect English that they were liberating the country from the terrible Greeks. It was the scoop of Ihe decade. The nev"/s is not ahvays lucky hov,,Iever. as Peter Snow found OUI in 1994 when Ihe local by-ciccI ions gave a twenty-nine per cent swing to L.abour. The famous swingometer only \vent up to twenty per cent. so as Mr Snow waited to explain and announce the results he \vatched his hi-tech toy swing off the SUlleS. An apology and the problem was in thc past, bUI whal would Ille Houses of Parliamenllook like if this swing was reflected in a general election'? The familiar doors to the HOllse started to opcn and then, blank - Ihe program had crashed. Ii could nol cope vÂˇ,Iith there being not a single Tory scat filled. It must have bccn a tcn~b!e cvenil~g, bm with the air of a true presenter Peter Snov,! ad-libbed his way through the night. In the course of his career Peter Snow has given LIS Newsnight, Mastermind, election coverage and of course Tomorrow's World. He seems to have emerged unscarred from this life of j~lIne and even has gained some scientific knO\vledge, sllch as the function of an enzyme - about which 11c some\vhat embarrassingly asked a top scientist on a feature for Tomorrow's World. He is as funny and vl/itty in real life as he is on Ihe box. And he finished our season of Sixlh Form Talks with style and hUlllour that made every member oj' the audience laugh out loud.

Mr \\:'oods also went into detail aboLit the

soO-p,ige ponfolios Ihal waler companies have had to produce before privatisation, and it made the reviewers shudder at the thought of the long hOllrs that the poor employees have to put into their work. He concluded by saying that greater profits, cheaper prices in real terms, better services Hnd an increase in corporation tax revenues \\'crc a direct result of privatisation - ancr which the members of the audience grilled him with burning questions. Mr \\!()ods dealt extremely ('ITectivel), with questions from J.A.T., D.J.R. and Olukayode Akindclc, dcmonslraling Ihe sheer knowledge of his subjec!. The ralk was immcnsely interesting and open. and clarified many issues for members of the audience. Iv() NEAME ilN!) RICHAIW SITU.E.

SIXTH FORM TALK: PETER SNOW, ANNOUNCING THE NEWS 12TH JUNE, IN THE OLD SYNAGOGUE

Pet('/"

.)"1/0\",

(Ro/alld Phil/il)S.)

It was the last talk of the term and the murnwr in the audience re-echoed impressions of past elections. This talk \vas, of course, being given by f\1r Peter Snow and Ihe prospeci of a celebrilY had allracted a large crowd. The Headmaster entereel, followed by the man himself \vearing an alarming (but also engaging) red shin. Al'icr Mr Dobbin's inlroduclion, the floor was handed ovcr to the speaker. Some were

CiIARLLS WEI.I.S. 171

ART HISTORY TALK: JOHN DOYLE, MBE, RWS, FROM THE GREEN COURT CANTERBURY TO ST PETER'S, ROME - A PILGRIMAGE WITH PALETTE AND PAINTBRUSH

POLITICS TALK: MR PETER TORRY, AMBASSADOR DESIGNATE TO SPAIN, HAS THE CIVIL SERVICE BEEN POLITIc/SED? 29TH APRIL, IN THE SCHOOLROOM

27TH FEBRUARY. IN THE SCHOOLROOM John Doyle, President of the Royal Watercolour Society, began his talk by explaining how he was asked by the Dean of Canterbury seven years ago if he would put an exhibition of paintings in the Chapter House to mark the fourteen hundredth anniversary of St Augustine's mission to Kent in AD 597, Eventually Mr Doyle suggested that he should walk to Rome from Canterbury, painting along the way. This resulted in some three hundred beautiful watercolours \vhich many were lucky to see in his exhibition last summer. We were privileged to sec slides of seventy-five of these, with commentary from the artist The first painting \VC saw \Va5 a familiar sight to us all and marked the beginning of Mr Doyle's remarkable journey, It was Canterbury Cathedral from

the Green Court in early morning light and gave us our first taste of Mr Doyle's cheerful and charming style, Many of his paintings capture such moments full of the sort of sunshine that one feels to be so quick-moving that a minute later the sun will have moved and the scene changed. At the end of his walk, Mr Doyle presented this painting to the Pope in Rome. The talk was filled with such personal anecdotes as how, when the artist \valked from Canterbury, he was soon lost and when a local asked him where he was going, not able to resist the joke, Mr Doyle replied honestly: 'Rome' I Not all of his stories, however, were intended to amuse. At one stage of his journey Mr Doyle was painting when some distraught schoolchildren approached him in tears to explain that their teacher had just died ncar to where he was painting - the man had suffered a heart attack yet there was nothing Mr Doyle could do to help the paramedics, so he can'jed on painting. The atmosphere of the talk was relaxed, owing to such informal detail as well as the artist's enthusiasm, which was partly responsible for his talk being the School's longest in living memory at one hundred and five minutes! Time passed most easily, however, as one painting led swiftly on to another. Many were especially memorable for the lovely reflections where there was water, such as in his painting of the Cathedral of Auxerre, where the cathedral and town shimmered perfectly on the water's surface. The audience also enjoyed the fact that Mr Doyle's paintings depicted less well-known parts of France and Italy, mvay from the usual tourist attractions in quieter rural areas. It was a shame that the talk came to an end before we were able to see more paintings of Italy. Along with a viewing of his unique paintings, we enjoyed the artist's humour and interesting narrative style. The Schoolroom was full for the talk and we all felt we had travelled from King's to Rome in under two hours thanks to the enthralling nature of John Doyle's talk.

P('fer Torry. (Zhi Hao

Mr Torry commented correctly at the start of his talk that the question he had been asked to address was a particularly 'heavy' one and that he would therefore refrain from going into too much factual detail. Nonetheless, he thought it important to emphasise the sheer scale of the Civil Service, which controls over ÂŁ300 billion of public expenditure. In his vicw, it was not unreasonable, therefore, that sllccessive governments, especially Conservative, had attempted to 'reform' it, in the sense of making it more efficient, through a process of identification of core activities and a form of contracting out of others. This bad been very successful, enormollsly increasing productivity and thus achieving better value for the taxpayer. The Civil Service had badly needed a shake-up of this kind and Mrs Thatcher had been right to wish to inculcate a fundamental change of attitude among bureaucrats. But none of this, the speaker asserted, has amounted to politicisation. It was true that Mrs Thatcher had taken a close personal interest in senior Civil Service appointments and that there was concern about the growing number of outside political advisers, especially press spokesmen, brought into government departments. From his own experience, however, not least as the outgoing Director of Personnel at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, he had secn absolutely no evidence of political partiality in appointments. To the contrary, he quoted a number of recent high-profile appointments which were selfevidently non-political. He believed, therefore, that the Civil Service remains loyal to its traditional NorthcoteTrevelyan characteristics, especially that of political neutrality, and that its standards of integrity remain exceptionally high. As to whether 'Yes, Minister' is truc, the answer is 'yes' and 'no', according to circumstances. OfTicials may be neutral, but they arc

CAROUNE PAGE.

THE C\NTUARJAN, LENT

& SU:\Hvll::R J 998

(JOI1.)

172

SIXTH FORM TALK: THE REVD NICHOLAS STACEY, CARING FOR THE UNLOVED AND THE UNLOVABLE

not neutered and can, at the very least, simply wait until an uncooperative minister moves on. Turning to the work of the I:'~CO, Mr Torry first gave a fascinating account of his career as a diplomat, beginning in Cuba and moving on through posts in Indonesia. Germany and Washington. His account of working in Cuba, in effect for the Americans and reportillg direct to Washington, \vas a particularly interesting insight into the Cold War era. He explained that only'a mi710rity of diplomatic work is political, with much more being commercial or consular. Though life in missions abroad can be very comfortable, even luxurious. more often it is not and may involve hardship and danger, especially for accompanying families. His posts at home had included some responsibility for implementing political control of thc security services. For obvious reasons he could not go into detail about this v'Ilork, but he remarked on how only recently he would not have been able even to mention it. So far as careers are concerned, the FCO rcmains extremely competitive, with 2,000 applications annually for 20 places in the fast stream. Not surprisingly, therefore, it continlles to attract the very best brains. But the myth (as he called it) continues that it is elitist, male. white and Oxbridge. and he ackno\vledged that it has failed to attract enough \VOmell and recruits from ethnic minorities, though every effort is being made to correct this, with some success. However, he assured an anxious male questioner. this is not being done through any form of positive discrimination. The talk ended with an outline of changes \vhich !\1r Torry believes might make sllch a career less rewarding in the future, sllch as Britain's declining role in w~rld affairs (even though we continue 'to punch above our weigh!'), inadequate funding and a variety of social factors. Undeterred, however, a number of pupils stayed behind after the talk to ask further questions about careers and were grateful to Mr Torry for the advice \vhich he gave. In ans\ver to other questions, he s,tid that he saw no real difficulty in separating policy from operations (with reference to the Howard Am,ir) and also that fixed-term contracts are not ne\\!, in the sense that it has aJv/ays been possible to sack civil servants. He agreed that oHicials now have a higher protile, for example with their appearances before Select Committees, but saw no problem with this. He approved of the Foreign Secretary's 'mission statement', which he had personally pushed for. Finally, he camc back to the extremely high standards of Ollr Civil Service, \vhich is the envy of most other countries and which is in direct contrast to the corruption and ineiliciency in many of them. Although it was a pity that the audience did not challenge more vigorously Mr Torry's robust denial of politicisation, as it \VOlild have been quite possible to do, his argument was convincing: and reassuring. '';''le were privDeged to hear a very dear exposition on the subject from somcone extremely well placed to talk about it ancl are most grateful to Mr Torry for taking the trouble to prepare such an interesting address. \\le came away with the firm impression that Britain is going to be extremely well reprcsented in Madrid for the next few years, D.J.R.

1ST MAY, IN THE OLD SYNAGOGUE

Nicho/as Stuccy. (Ro/(/nd Phi/!/l's.)

,It will be well \vorth your going to hear the talk by Nick Stacey, a controversial priest', my t~lther \Vl'ote to me. So 1 went along to the Old Synagogue that rather grey Friday evening, somewhat half-heartedly, \vonclering what it was going to be like. From the first word to the last, the speaker transfixed the whole audience with his powerful talk. He set himself an indisputably difficult task, seeking ansv..;ers to the hardest social problems governments have to face. This distinguished clergyman. who had written an article on the subject in Th" Times two clays before, encouraged liS to be understanding and show compassion for those who arc marginalised by society. He explained how he wished the clergy particularly would have a wider vic\v of the world as 'we can be so bloody narrow-minded at times'. He looked at four major problem areas: battered babies. teenage delinquents, paedophiles and killers who arc mentally ill; how they are cared for and how they should be cared for. How on earth is it possible for a revie\v to do just icc 10 one of the most thought-provoking hours and one of the best talks there has been at King's') A tough task, especially as the most discllssion was focused on the contentiolls isslle of paedophilia. The speaker roused the interest of the audience and made some striking statements, with which perhaps not everybody \Vas in total agreement. He, although exprcssing his concerns about the seriousness of the problem, could not understand why there is at present sllch a hysteria about paedophilia, and encouraged us not simply to condemn \vith a label everyone \vhose dominant and natural sexual drive is towards children. Some interesting points were raised at the end of the talk shO\ving he had caught everybody's attention. The

173

vote of thanks slimmed lip the natllre of the talk exactly: 'It was absolutely ohvious that nobody \vas daydreaming.' Unfortunately, dare I say it, this is quite a rare occurrence. Not only a brilliant talk on the gloomy aspects of OLlr society, but something positive might come out of it if anybody is to take LIp the opportunity (in their gap year) of v/orking with juvenile delinquents, acting as a mentor and friend to these kids \vl1o lead startlingly different lives from ours here at King's. We thank Mr Staeev so mlleh for his excellent talk. This has definitelv m;ldc us think radicallv aboLlt Ollr current altitudes, \vhich may inadvertcntly~ be making 1l1,Htcrs \vorsc.

Sir CllrislOjJ/ier Cfl%ll'a.\' gm'('

iHuy

SASIM 13;\1 L

ill

tlie Old

The Clw)"!cs" 8)"i(/gc, Praglle'. (Rolalld Phi//i/)s.)

174

,\YlIlI/-!,{/gll(,.

.\i.rllr Forlll '/(111-' Oil 11//1

rRo/{//I(1 Fhillij)s.j

SOCIETIES AND ACTIVITIES The King's School Branch of Amnesty International has seen a revival this year after a dormant period. The lise of Mr Woocl!c.y's classroom for Canterbury branch meetings, and the existence of' sLlch a large and youthful population from which to draw a significantly sized and dedicated group, has offered an incentive to start it up once more. GROUP Amnesty is not a governmental organisation, but relies solely on donations to investigate world-wide violations of I-iumall Rights and 10 give information to individuals and groups, sllch as ours. on whom we can write to in order to combat these violations. The School's meetings have been vcry productive this year: we have managed-to send off aboLlt ten to fifteen letters a week to MPs. foreign ambassadors and Prime Ministers all around the world from the comfort of Walpole's Sixth Form Common Room: pen in one hand, cake in the other (thanks to Emily Perkin and Pete Sharp), The movement of meetings into After Hours means that we can charge paper. envelopes and cake ingredients to the Aner Hours budget, and ÂŁSO out of the ÂŁ734 raised by the non-uniform day in April has gone towards stamps, \vhich has made things a lot easier for LIS - the rest was donated to the Charity. Thanks to everyone who took part. May the ink flow on,

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

TOM HOLLIDAY,

I:'~or many years this elite club has been lying dormant under the \:\iatchful eye of S.1. Graham. Esq, Now, with nev,! enthusiasm in the School, the club once more ventures out into the Kent countryside. I\1r Graham's long-standing and county-renowned country image is living up to its reputation. although it should be pointed out that a few essential parts of his country character have been lost in his many dormant years - for example hc no longer wears his Hunter wellington boots and his trusty Staffordshire terrier, Sam, is no longer at his side and (what's more) his brown leather shoes no longer squeak in the correct fashion, Bei'ore I go any further perhaps I should explain to those not in the know what beagling is. For this I will quote from the article by Guy Hindley, 0,1(,5, (I3R 1974-79), now one of the Masters of the Biean, writing in The Call1l{{friall of December 1977: 'There are various misconceptions that people have about beagling, Broadly speaking, it should be defined as the art or hUllting the hare with a pack of small hounds - beagles - which. being s!ov/er than the hare. rely ~)J1 their scenting ability to follow it. The harc must be found and hunted in its natural surroundinQs and no RehccUi O//creamS/UIlI' {II/(I Lil/dsuy S//(/I'j} Oil (/ Biology (I'il' to 1/00d('/fS Zoo, (1.111 j-j(/() Oon.) hare \vhich has been in any form of captivity or any way handled may be hunted. Hares are hunted because their inherited cunning makes thcm at once the mosl difficult and most interesting of animals to pursue with sllutll hounds. 'rile hounds are thus subjected to the most severe test or their ellicieney that it is possible to devise: The club hUllted every Wednesday, I\1ark Gilchrist being extremely keen and in need of serious exercise (says Caroline Scott), hunted on Saturday as welL gaining a lift from Geoffrey Neame, O,I<,S, (MO 1974-79), also a Mastel', The Blean is hunted by Stewart Sillars, 0,l(,S, (WL 1973-77), and in his absence by Mike Bax, O,K,S, ILN 196972) also a Master, Although I only introduced Mark Gilchrist to beagling this season, he has already become quite involved, It was no! long into the season before he decided that he needed some brilliant \vhite breeches and, 10 be fair. he did wear them all season despite some pretty rude comments from the likes of Mr Graham. his sister and of COLlrse myself. It only became apparent to r..1ark one afternoon, \vhen he and I had been neck deep in ditch water. that white when wet became transparent. Fortunately he only flashed himself to half the county with his 'Bart Simpson' boxer shorts. I must point out also that it was quite common to fine! Mark in the ditch v-,Iater, as his ability to jump them was not 100 hot - llluch like his sister's. I must add.

BEAGLING

175

TllE C;\\TU,.\RJ,.\1\, LE:\T & SI'td'\lER 1998

Hovv'ever. not everybody went around the countryside at quite the same pace as myself and Marie Will Proudfoot made huge efforts to keep up, and was spotted ahead of Mark on many occasions but more often or not he made for the highest hill to get the best vie\v. Next there was Katherine Rouse and Claire Gilchrist who ran occasionally, but wcre eithcr at thc back somewhere or cxtrcmely lost, pcrhaps with Geoffrcy Neame') Lastly thcre is, of course, Mr SJ. Graham. Pre-season I read many of the old Cal1f/wr;all beagling reports, and had never really believed the much stated fact that Mr Graham never actually travelled further than one hundred metres in the afternoon and never exceeded the speed of one mile an hour. Having nmv completed this season I am pleased to report that these reports arc not entirely true. For instance in one afternoon he had to \valk for a complete five minutes to get back to the bus at a specd of at least three m.p,h, But- wait for it -that is not all: it was reportcd to me by onc mcmber of the School that Mr Graham was indeed seen breaking into a trot for up to thirty seconds. This however I believe to be myth as there is unfortunately no photographic evidence to prove it. Next season, though, J am sure he will return to his usual ways and he might even remember to 'holler' when he vie\vs a hare: earlier in the season y\1r Graham and chums v.,.'ere reclining on the Graveney sea wall watching this graceful 'Sally' (hare) make her exit. The hounds, huntsman and whips were trying to re~find the scent of the Sally and proceeded to go in the wrong direction. But Mr Graham, not wishing to embarrass himself', made no gesture to the huntsman and as far as I know vÂˇ,Ie didn't sec another hare all afternoon. I hope he fecls guilty' (I won't mention the minibus wing mirror.) Apart from thc beagling, the club (minus Mr Graham) made an appearance in London at the 'Countryside March'. Much hollering and shouting was done, mainly by Alex Davies during the march itself. A fe\\1 of us carried placardS along the way and by the end we all felt that we had made our point well known along with the rest of the countryside. On a serious note, though, I would firstly like to thank all thc members of the Blean for putting up with Mark, and the rest of LIS, through the season. For me it has been the most enjoyable season for a long time, if not ever, and I hope that now I have introduced a few members of the School to the Blean they will continue to hunt next season in my absence. Lastly I would like to thank Mr Graham for coming out of retirement this season. Without him the club would not have been able to be reborn, which only leaves me to wish you good hunting next season with Mark G. and the likes who have promised me that they will re-tcach you how to crack a Whip, CHRIS ELWORTHY,

Bridge has continued to be played in f~lirly friendly fashion in Activities time and on Tuesday evenings, with Sunday afternoons being reserved for the more seriolls stuff. Players have tv/ice participated in a National Simultaneous Pairs Competition and on the second occasion San) London and Tom Lloyd-Smith came a very creditable 11 th out of over two hundred entrants. The HOLlse Bridge Competition was \von by Linacre with Galpin's a close second. MO and Marlowe also entered, as did two teams from Walpole. Illness and birthdays meant that we entereci only two teams in the English Schools' Cup. but that doubleclthe entry in the MaidslOne heat. As fifty pcr ccnt of the field qualified for the next round. wc wcre able to have our third successive year at the Young Chelsea Bridge Club, though this year with only one team. They (Theo Davies, Olivia Arthur, Charlcs Miller-Joncs and Mark Hill) did well enough to qualify for thc National Plate Final: unfortunatelY a clash of engagements meant we were unable to go to Sheffield to do our worst. Still, it is the first time v-,Ie have got that far and, vV'ith the wealth of young talent available, who knov-,1s what might happen next year? G,D,W,

BRIDGE

With the arrival of Charles Wacher and Edmond Grech this year the society has gained a most promising pair of young printers. As yet they arc cutting their teeth on the staple diet of letterheads, invitations, visiting cards, etc., but in time they could well be producing more imaginative and complex work to rival the BPS National Printer of the Year A\vard winning work of three of their recent predecessors. With a stable and able workforce again, it has been a particular pleasure to take on a sizeablc order from Andrew Horn, O,K.S" a director of Loxleys Print. Even thc bestequipped modern firms find occasions when their state-of-the-art technology cannot do what good old-fashioned letterpress can! MJ,M,

THE CAXTON SOCIETY

The L,enl and Summer Terms this year contained a combination of the familiar and the new. The principal function of the choir is to provide music for the services of Matins in the Cathedral and this it has continued to do with great dedication and to an ever higher standard. One innovation in the Lent Term was to have, on one Sunday, a full School Evensong instead of Matins. The NlIlIc dimif!is \vas sung by the congregation to chant and the choir sang the Magn/flcot to Herbert Howells's glorious Collegium Regale setting. The anthem was Balfour Gardiner's 'Evening Hymn' U<' lueis (Jute tamil/ulll), Although the service took place in the middle of a school f'iu epidemic the choir filled the building with a rich and warm sound.

THE CHAPEL CHOIR

THE CANTUAR1Ai\', LENT

SU)l.l)1.11:!<'

199K

176

The Lenten Devotion took place in the Shirley Hall this year. Although the atmosphere of the building cannot match

that oj' the Cathedral. the choir sang from the gallery and pcrfc)rmcd ])lost movingly. The Chapel Choir and Crypt Choir shared the anthems and motets bet v.,.'ccn them and William Tallon sang (he bass aria 1\1({clle dich. Il/cin t-Ier:e, rein from the SI Matthew Passion. The Summer Term saw the Chapel Choir participating in the specially commissioned musical for King's \Vcck. 1n Smrc/i of' BI'r'kds BOllI's by

Peter Churchill. There was a great deal of hard \I\,'ork to be Zlol1c ill preparation for this and the choir rose admirablv 10 the challenge. Many of the ;llllsical stvlcs l~scd in -the \vork \vcre 11(){ those normally associated YOllng FlltNjJrisc: JelillY /)II{/Oll. Fml/ki Lungridge. Kate r:/I/(/ry. Clwl'/cs Mi/IN-Jollcs. /\/icc \vith the choir at King's hut the Trillo (lilt! Ill'''ry /]mc(' j)({illfillg ho.\'('s./()/' f/ieir COil/POllY. (kIIT) experience was llscf~l and fun for the singers. In addition to the services mentioned above. highlights of the past two terms have included The Three Kings \lv'ith \\/illiam Tallon as soloist- and an exciting performance of Vaughan Williams's Anliphon. One performance I shall never forQ.ct was the choir's sinQ.inQ. of BairstO\v's B/essed eil'" he(/)'efl/\' S'U/tlll at this vear's Commcmoration s~rvicc.ln spite oj'coming'-'at the end ora long and very bus'y King's Week the pupils sonlchovv' found the energy and stamina to sing this fine piece. r do not think I can remember the choir singing better. I thank thelll for their hard work over the year and in particular that very special group of' 6a singers who leave us this year. S.W.S.A. The repertoire for the Lelll and Summer Terms has been: I I January The flirt!' Kings Corneli us 25 Janu;]r)! Monteverdi Canlale Domino 8 F'chruary (F:\'cnsong) Howells !l1agm/ical (Collegium Regale) Balfour Gardiner I(' i//cis (ll/Ie lerm;nlltll 8 March (Confirmation) Communion Service in E (Collegium Regale) Darke He(/r Illy prayer Purcell 15 March 20 March (Lenten Devotion) Plainsong A Lent Prose Mache dich. mcin Her:e, rein (St Matthew Passion): William Tallon (ba" soloist) J.S. Bach John of Portugal Cl'll.rfidl'lis Heal' my prayer Purcell Lei a/l Ihe world (Antiphon) Vaughan Williams -' May 17 May Chichesler Psalms (3rd movement) Bernstein Grayston lves 14 June Lislell sweet clore Bairstow 2 July (Commemoration) Blessed cill', heal'(IlI.\' Salem S.W.S.A. The opportunity to educate ourselves in the impressive art of chocolate cookery \vas, of course, a primary motivational faclor in every chocolate chef's choice of activily - with the chance to indulge in endless supplies oj' chocolate in the homely eomj'ort oj' Miss Stayte's kitchen being an added bonus. As a now accomplished chocolate meller. baker and eater, I can conlidently state on behalf of all chocolate pros that. while having a wonderfully relaxing tin1e, we have all learnt a truly vital life-skill and have definitely become aware of the dangers of addiction.

CHOCOLATE COOKERY

RACHEl. WILKINSON.

177

Tl-IE CANTUAR1AN, LJ:NT

Sl;1\l\lEl~

1998

This year has seen a steady influx of newcomers from 11 number of Houses and years, to the extent that the majority at the weekly meetings which Walpole House has enjoyed for a while is now being challenged! We have been fortunate this term to be able to draw upon local reSOLlrces for our speakers, Adrian Milward and Martin Podmorc being Youth Group leaders in their churches in Whitstable and St Mary Bredin, Canterbury, respectively. Martin and some of his group came to take the Lower School service on one Sunday, then returned to Christian l:"'orum where there was a chance for our pupils to listen to and question pupils from other Canterbury schools about their faith. Martin also returned with his team to address the question, 'Hov\! do I cope with exam pressures?' This was an excellent session, vl/ith questions ranging further afield. but it was ironic that exam pressures kept quite a few of our regulars away! Continuity of visiting speakers returning has been a feature of recent terms, as Simon Guillebaud came back to give n Sixth Form talk, Grange and Walpole assembly, and two other Christian Forum sessions, mainly centred on his experiences as a Christian Aid worker in Central Africa and Thailand. These were striking talks from someone vÂˇ/ho has seen immense suffering, and yet has also seen the difference that a Christian faith makes in the midst of it. Sarah Mullen, O.K.S. (LX 1990-95), continued the international flavour with an excellent slide show and talk about her Gap year in Bolivia working with a school for the deaf and a community building project. Richard Hagan, O.K.S. (LN 1989-9 J), also returned (0 give a talk on 'facing the future' as a send-off for our 6a leavers. I am immensely grateful to Rachel Hill, Tom Holliday, Avis Ngan, Jessie Gulland and others for all their help over their years here, and for the fine and sensitive lead they have given to others: we wish them well for the future, and hope to sec them again before long. C.T.H.

CHRISTIAN FORUM

This year's Crypt Choir has been, without doubt, one of the most rewarding choirs I have conducted. They have been hard-working, loyal and great fUll. The results of this can be heard in their singing. The fact that the choir has worked well together shows in their wcllblended sound, disciplinecl attack, phrasing and a host of other things. There is no doubt that a tour focuses a choir, both musically and socially, and our trip to Normandy at the end of March was a great Sllccess. The churches of that part of France arc magnifkent, both architecturally and acollstically, and the choir gave memorable performances. We also took several instrumental groups. Emma Lev,lis, Thomas Hopkinson, Polly Redman and William Tallon were our vocal soloists and sang very beautifully. It was sad when the tour came to an end and 1 know that we all have very happy memories of those five days. The standard of singing continued to improve over the SLImmer Term, in spite of exams, and the last Crypt Eucharist of the year showed the choir at its best. LocliS iSle was sling as an introit and what has become this year's 'signature tune', Cantique de Jean Racine, was the motet. The choir was simply superb. One parent commented after the service that it must be very depressing to get a choir to that level of excellence and then have to start all over again in September. In one sense that is true but at the same time the constant regeneration stops the job from becoming boring. Nevertheless this year's leavers will be particularly missed and I thank Emma, lana, Delia, A.-C., Andrew, Avis, and Henry for all their hard work and dedication. I must end \vith a special mention in despatches to the 'Captain' of the Crypt Choir, Will Tallon, whose advice (which includes a remarkable ability to know when I am wrong and tell me why) and support have been invaluable.

THE CRYPT CHOIR

S.w.SA The repertoire for the Lent and Summer Terms has been: o j()}' (/ closer walk with God 18 January I February Adora!Jlus Ie I March Nolo mortem peccaloris 20 March (Lenten Devotion) Nolo nlOrtenl peccatoris

A Litml)' Ubem ine (from Requiem) Lon) bade me welcome Panis angelic{.{s Ave maris stella Al'e rerum corpus Ave Marh,

19 April (Matins) 26 April 10 May 7 June 21 June 28 June

LoclIs iSle>

Cantique de Jean Racine

Stanford Lassus Morley Morley Walton Faure Tavener Franck Grieg Mozart Arcadelt Bruckner Faure

The repertoire for the tour to Normandy was as follows: Requiem Faure (Thomas Hopkinson, treble: William Tallon, bass) Calltique de Jean Rucine Faure Fallis angelicf(s Franck Lon) bade! me lvelcome l11vener A Litan), Walton Let all ille world (Antiphon) Vaughan Williams

THI.: CANTUARlI\N, LE:>:T

SUi\'l!V1ER 1998

178

Mllsic!(}}' a while Tell me Jvhv MachI' dici!, meil1 Herze, reill (St Malthew Passion) Ave Maria Chaconne for two recorders Trio Sonata in F major for two recorders

Purcell (Emma Lewis, soprano) Purcell (Emma Lewis, soprano; William Tallon, bass) J .S. Bach (William Tallon, bass) Gounod (Polly Redman, soprano) Purccll

Telemann S.W.S.A.

This has been a busy year for the Award at King\. In the Autumn term two teams completed DUKE OF EDINBURGH

their Bronze level expedition in the North Downs ncar Rochester. The wcather was ideal

AWARD

in fruit. Rhiannon Newman-Brown, Charlolte Tydeman, Jenny Dutton, and Emily Perkin

and the scenery beautiful. The trees were turnipg and sloe bushes and wayfaring-trees were

made up one team, and Athena Chenery, Francesea Langridge, Alice Trillo and Laura Cameron made up the other. Their trip involved walking for fifteen miles through the countryside, camping overnight and cooking in the open air. All these things were done to a high standard. In March two other teams went on their expeditions. The weather was also good, although a little chilly at four in the morning! Rebecca Inglis, Hannah Gibbs, Katherine Adams, Caroline Gentles and Stephanie White made up one

team, and Yorick Moes, Peter Lawrence, Andrew Bailey, William Gold, Kenwrick-Piercy,

Nicholas and Paul

Fairbairn made up the other. Several pupils in 6b, including Ruth

Halpin,

Oliver

Henderson, Avis Ngan and Oliver Fraser, also joined the expedition. They were all enthusiastic, worked well in

groups and followed

their

routes effectively, with only a

few minor detours! During the Summer term a team of Removes have been training for their expeditions, which will take place in September. Tim Jackson, Edward Ellis. Simon Darroch. Louise Ollerearnshaw, Susie

Herbert,

Lizzie

Chenery,

Gem/Jla Wheeler ({lid Cam/ille Gel1l!es.

Georgina Pound, Charlotte White and Sophie Gold will be joined by Monica Filby, Charlotte Inglis and Duncan McGregor, as they walk and camp on the North Downs. The Duke of Edinburgh Award has four elements. In addition to the expedition section these pupils have been

doing all sorts of interesting things. They have been developing skills, including cookery, art and music, and sports such as badminton, hockey and swimming. Also they have been doing a variety of Social Services including Cued Speech for the Deaf, Riding with the Disabled and helping to teach primary school children to read. This year twenty Sixth Formers have been attracted to do the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, which is excellent.

Eight of those who have not done the Bronze Award went camping and walking in Blean Woods recently to give them practice locally. All those who have not done the Silver Award will be camping in the Ashdown Forest in the Autumn and all twenty will be doing their final Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Expedition in the Summer in mountainous country, in Wales or Scotland. These pupils are also pursing an excellent rangc of skills, like driving, playing the trumpet and setting up a company under the Young Enterprise Scheme. They are also developing their abilities on the rugby field, the cross-country and golf courses and badminton courts. For their social services a

number of pupils are doing a First Aid Course. one is working as a ward volunteer in a local Hospital and several will be helping me run the Bronze award next year. All those who are doing the Gold Award help on a residential

course, Here the pupils have become involved in a wonderful range of activities. One is going to help in a Russian orphanage on a trip organised by Mr Butt, another is helping on a marine biology course in Hong Kong, a third is helping on the charity yacht Arerhlls(J and a fourth is doing a week's diving cOlll'se at Plymouth. I have been pleased with all the pupils currently involvecl in the scheme for the interest enthusiasm and initiative they have shown. It has been a pleasure to work with them. D.M.F. 179

THE CI\NTUI\R!AN. LEi'i'T

SUj\Âˇ1\1ER

1998

Pllpils (,lIrrenlls inl'O/l'ed in Ihe Dllke EdiniJllrgh Gold Ih1'llul incillde: Marc Nunn, Miles Brice, Edward Kiernan, Tim Adams, Charlie Irvine, Simon Middleton, Enzo Labrosciano, Tom Calven, Aliocha Delmotte, James Morrison, Ewan Cameron, Alice Trillo, Athena Chenery, Harriet Usher, Laura Graham-Harris, Elizabeth Rix, Ellen \\leavers, Kingyin 1...,cc. L.aura Trclford, Emma Butler. .

Since Christmas, the Harvey Society has been less active, but three quite varied talks have HARVEY SOCIETY been enjoyed. Professor Richard Wayne, oi' Christ Church, Oxi'ord, whose visit was organised by YUCIl Tong Yeung of School HOllse. spoke 011 'The Evolution or the Atmosphere' in the School Room. His subject matter ranged from Cosmology to Chemistry to Genetics (and back again) in a most clltcr(aining lecture. Dr Rob Stephen, of Marks and Clark Patent Agents, gave a two-sided talk, i'oeusing I'irst on his work in research, and then on thc nature of patents as applied to scientific inventions, specifically drugs. The audience also learned of one or two of the more quirky inventions to receive patents. including a swimsuit which folded into a kangaroo-like pOlich. and a ladder \vhich enabled spiders to climb out of a hath. Dr Martin Castell, of Wolfson College, Oxford, rounded oil the tcrm by introducing to the audience the technique of tunnelling microscopy, \vhich allmvs individual atoms (Ic.ss than one ten-thousandth the diameter of a single human hair) to be seen. Physics Department activities this term have included a four-day visit to CERN, the r:":uropean Centre for Particle and Nuclear Physics in Geneva. and, closer to home, an afternoon trip to the Nuclear Power Station at Dungeness. I::"ollowing the closure of the Observatory at St Mary's, the telescope is currently h0l11Clcss: Dr Bosworth and a small group of students have becn exploring the possibilities regarding its relocation, but as yet no details have been finalised. S.B Thc Jazz Club's main activity during the L.cnt Tcnn has been preparing for the Charity Jazz and Big Band Concert that took place in the Shirley Hall at 7.30 p.m. on Saturday February 28th. This vear, the event was in aid of the Leukaemia Research Fund. The Concert \vas reviewed by Ms Sian Napier or T!,,; /(el1lish Giloelle. The Big Band was directed by Ivo Neame and Larry Ridges and consisted or Ivo Neame (1 st alto saxophone/leader): Carl Margetts and Louise Robertson (2nd alto saxophones): Larry Ridges (I st tenor saxophone): Henry Chamberlain and Rachel Hill (2nd tenor saxophones): Alex I-liggins (baritone saxophone); Lindsay Sharp (French horn); Simon Bodey and Rupert Colchester (trombones): Henry Williams (tuba); Andrew Ribbans, Charles Miller-Jones, Emily Hague, Rebecca Hamway and Harry Pope (trumpets): Alastair Laing (piano): James Barker (guitar): Jon Cox (bass) and Tom Morey (drums). The vocalist with the Big Band was Will 'nil Ion. The Traditional Band was Ivo Neame (clarinet/leader), Emily Hague (trumpet). Larry Ridges (tenor saxophone), Simon Bodey (trombone), Jon Cox (banjo), Henry Williams (tuba) and Tom Morey (drums), The Modern Jazz Quintet comprised Jon Cox (bass/leader), Charles Miller-Jones (trumpet), Ivo Neame (saxophones Ivariousi), Peter La\Io,TenCC (piano) and Tom Morey (drums). There v.,.'as also participation from the BarbershOp Group: Will Tallon and Charlie Rice (basses) and Delia Williams and AnneChristine Farstad (tenors). Other engagements that the .Iazz Club have played this Term have included a performance in the Pupils' Social Centre on Friday March 6th, and a Concert by the Traditional Group (minus Henry Williams) and the Modern Jazz Group (that also included Poppy Edmunds and Will 'rallon as vocalists) at St Vincent's Church, Littlebourne, on Saturday March 14th, under the auspices of the Vicar, The Revd John Allan, and Mrs Jean Coates and Mr Richard I"-looper. As with a Concert given in the same vcnue last year, this v"/as in aid of the Church's Roof Appeal. I am very gratcl'ul to Mrs Coates, the Friends of St Vincent's, and [v1r I-looper for their kindness in arranging transport of both instruments and players. 1m Neoll/c. (Roil/lid Phi/lips.) JAZZ CLUB

IXO

The Jau Club's mall1 activity during the Summer term has been preparing for the King's Week Concert that took place in the Shirley I-Iall at X.OO p.m. on !VIonday, June 29th, 199X. It is reviewed clscvvhcrc in this Caliwariull by Professor J. S. R. (hisholm, to whom I am most grateful. The King's Jazz brchcstra was again'-- directed by Larry Ridges and lvo Ncamc and the personnel vv'as as for the Lent Concert. The vocalist with the King's Jazi Orchestra \vas Poppy '--Savage. Buster Virala vv'as a guest guitarist in olle llumbcr.'- The Modern J,IZZ Group comprised Jon Cox (bass/leader), Charles !VIiller-Jones and Andy Ribbans (trumpet), Iyo Neame (saxophones Iyarious i), Peter Lawrence (piano). Julien Jon Co.\". (No/(/Ild Philli/lS.) Madjar (guitar) and Tom !VIorey (drums), Oli Lumley V·las vocalist in the splendid Buck On Bas'£'. Once again. there was also participation from thc Barbershop Group: Will Tallon and Charlie Rice (basses) and Delia Williams and Anne-Christine Farstad (tenors), As ever. I alll very grateful for the invaluable contributions of Messrs Tim JacksOiL O.K.S .. Owen Buckingham, OX.S" Paul Tsergas, O.K.S" and 1111' Steve I3ree in the l(m11 of Sound and Lighting expertise, ably assisted by George Williams. ivlatthew (irav, .lames Shattock and Benedict Reid. These members of the 'lechnicallTC\V' do not 2.C{ the applause and the h()l1qLl~ts that the performers receivc and yet. v\,'ithollt them. the King's Week Concert. and th~e Lent Term one before iLjust could not be staged. I should like to say a speeialthanks to the O.K.S, helpers, who have been back year after year. Those who attend these concerts little realise \vhat hours and vd)rk thc technical crew put in, but I can vouch (because I was there with them) that the O.K.S. members of it were present until 1.30 a.m. after the King's Week Concert. getting the Hall into shape for Prayers at 8.30 a.m. the next day. 1 should also like to thank most \varmly Mrs Victoria Brmvning, Mrs Pat Wakeham. and Miss Judith Kerr and t!leir tcam for }::"I'OI11 of l·lousc activity, Miss Catherine .iones of No. 25 for 'ricket Sales, and !VII' 1(1111 Drake for managing the Hall so cheerfully and ellicientl), and for always anticipating likcly problems. As usual. rvlr George Neeve and 1111' Lee Riglcy of the Kin2.'s Schoo] Press cheerful!v proallced the prog.ramnH?-S from some vcry late copy provicied by the unciersigned! I should also like to express thanks here for the very \vc]col11e support from the Director of Music who in the Lent term organised expensive repairs to the baritone saxophone in time (or its usc in the Concert but also very kindly arranged, oncc more. for iVlr James Rae to hold a Master Class with the Big Band in the run-up to the Concert (on Wednesday February 11th): and during the Summcr term has for mc heen a shoulder to cry on at any times of crisis, as has Mr Bill Brmvninu, Kin~'s Week rVlanagcr. Charles iHill('/"~J()II(,s. (Uol({lId Phillips.) L

<.-

IgI

Other engagements that the Jazz Club have played in the SUlnmer term have included a performance by the Modern Jazz Group in a Tralls-Manche Festival called 'Music and Remparts' at the Chateau Musee, Boulogne, on Saturday, May 16th, organised under the auspices of the Director of Music and Mr and Mrs Jack BornofL Both Mr J,R. Parker (who kindly drove the School minibus) and I had a very pleasant day with Ivo Neame, Jon Cox, Carl Margetts, Charles Miller-Jones, Peter Lawrence, Julien Madjar and Tom Morey. They played to a modest but appreciative audience and, at one stage, they even changed a number just announced to one (On the S'IfI1I1Y Side q/ Ihe Slreer) rather boldly requested by an individual member of the audience. The group were not at all phased by this, and they continued with aplomb even when the said member of the audience took the microphone (from floor level, not 011 the stage) when the chorus came, and proceeded to make an uninvited vocal contribution - and they even managed to adjust to him when he got out of time' (All this was hlithfully documented by me on film for the Club's Archives ') Another major event this Term has been the informal King's Week jazz event in the Pupils' Social Centre (this year entitled A Nighl in 7imisi(/ and taking place on Friday, June 26th) organised by Mr Bill Browning, to \vhom I am most grateful. An engagement in prospect for next terrn, by invitation of the Director of Music and Mr Mark Deller, O.K.S., organiseI' of The Canterbury Festival, is to give a Lunchtime Concert in the 1998 Festival (on Tuesday, October 13th), similar to the very successful one that the Modern Jazz Quartet gave last year. Now I have the annual, sad task of saying goodbye and thanks to the leavers. James Barker has been a loyal, 10'0.'profile member of the rhythm section who has been content to make his vital contribution without, for most of the time, getting the limelight. I thank him very much for all that he has quietly and efficiently done. I was especially pleased to see that Ivo and Larry were able to incorporate the skills of Henry Williams and his tuba into the Jazz Club's activities this year - into the Big, Band and (although, this year, it featured only in the Lent Term concert) into the Traditional Band, Trombonists arc like gold-dust at present, and so I am especially sad to be losing 'Si' Bodey who (invariably with a cheerful smile') has been an admirable member of that section, In addition to Larry Ridges (about whom more, later) the saxophone section is losing Rachel Hill, Henry Chamberlain and (stalwart of the baritone) Alex Higgins. They have all been loyal and dependable and have made vital contributions even though they have not alvÂˇ/aYs had the spotlight turned on them. Andy Ribbans has somehow managed to fit in, amongst his myriad other activities, being a vigorous and expressive member of the trumpet department since his Removes days. He has always been immensely dependable and has seldom let down any Musical Director of the Jazz Club - and hc is a veteran who has served/e){{r - \vhen it comes to attendance at rehearsals. He will be especially missed. I thank him very much for all that he has done. The Barbershop Group is losing 75% of its personnel, and I thank 'A.-C' Farstad and Delia Williams for adding style and c/iic to the proceedings, and Will Tallon for all that he has done in the vocal department of many a Jazz Concert, over the years. The 'torch' of the Barbershop now falls to the rCllHtining member, Charlie Rice. It remains to be seen whether he can carryon that task in addition to the major and high-profile responsibilities that he is now about to assume. Finally, concerning the leavers, I come to Larry Ridges. I have really enjoyed working with him this year; he has invariably been cheerful, whatever the circumstances, and has been wonderfully patient with my inefficiencies abollt ordering ll"lUsic! He really communicated warmth to the audiences at the two concerts that we have had this year, and I know from the feedback I have had from 'the punters' that this is greatly appreciated; it does, furthermore, set the audiences at their ease. But, in addition to being grateful for what might be called 'adJ11in.' (vital as this is), I have also much enjoyed Larry's musical contributions, the high spot of \:vhich, for me, was his solo in one of the final pieces of the King's Week Concert, Since I Fellfc)!' YOII. I can assure him that this is well preserved in the Jazz Club's Archives, by virtue of my film and Tim Jackson's recording of the event, and I can say that I have already viewed the former, and enjoyed it, several times since the King's Week concert. I wish Larry all the very best as he leaves. The two consolations at these losses are that Ivo will be here to give the lead next year, and that the Modern Jazz Group survives entirely intact, all its members being (in 1997-1998 terms) VIb (the majority), Fifth Form (Peter Lawrence) and Removes (Tom Morey). So, there is one bit of constancy in all this change ... R,B,MA,

The imaginatively named Monday Debating Club's debut year was a huge success, with attendance rising throughout. Topics were as varied as the quality of debate, ranging from the absurd - 'OAPs should be put down' - to the pretentious - 'The means docs justify the end' - and the cliched -- 'Money can buy you love.' The debates were always entertaining, often scintillating and never boring. Only the promise of biscuits and wine, or Coca-Cola for those not in the sixth form, breaking our concentration as we pondered the meaning of life or the merits of the continued existence of those over sixty, While the meetings were often rowdy with rather loud discussion, they were admirably controlled by the founding member Alex Davies. She kept the discussions on the right paths and managed to shock us all (even Enzo) into silence by declaring, one session, that she was a pregnant lesbian. This illustrates perfectly the unorthodox yet riveting approach that she has leant to the Monday Club. She has had the strength of mind to start and keep it going, organising the titles, the biscuits and everything else (including this report). Thanks mllst go to Father John and Alex Davies for organising everything and keeping tbe more heated debates under control. Those wanting more information on the phenomenon that is the Monday Club should speak to Alex Davies.

MONDAY CLUB

THE CANTUAR1AN, LE~T

& SU:-'Hl'lER J 998

182

GCOIgc Toy/or

(/1/(/

(Jm/will Wc/J/Jn poltillg. (l()/}) O(/\'i(/soll.)

GRAHAM WEBBER.

Pottery remains highly popular and draws people back term after term, unlike some the POTTERY newer activities which spring up every so often. Given a chance to Ict one's artislic flair emerge with the help of some clay, instruments and the wise help of Mr Kenny, many wellmade and interesting pieces of work are produced by all those involved. And if it goes \vrong, YOll can always call it modem art! THOMAS DAVIDSON.

A love of ROUND-THEcoo kin" WORLD COOKERY oftcn start~ at an early age. and for those that want to sha;-pen their cooking skills and enjoy themselves, this activity gives the opportLInity to break away from having food served to them three times a day and enables them to create their own culinary masterpieces. Those doing the activity pick the recipe that they would like to usc, go off to Sainsbury's for the necessary ingredients. and return to Mr Brodie's kitchen and get to work. The end result (usually mouthwatering) IS then consumed. ROllnd-tlle-world cooks: .Iallles Bri//ia/1!. Jailles Barnes ({lid Ale.\" l/iggins. leaving only the washing-up for (Tom OmÂˇie/soll.) those that piek the short straw. Recent recipes have been: Chicken Korma, Turkish Kebabs, Salmon Jardiniere, Brownies and Gazpacho soup. TH01'vlAS D;\V1DSON.

183

THE CN-iTUI\RI,\N, LEN"!'

8: SU:\!:\!ER 1998

\Vhat J'o!!ov·,is is a brief summary of some or the cvents, achievements and activities or thc last two terms. Some of these \vil! be described in more detail in other parts oj' the magazine. The annual trip to CERN \vas just as succcssful as cvcr: thanks to Steve Bosworth for his exccllcnt organisation, Groups of students have allended CHEMSIX and iVIEDSIX conferences. designed to give them H f'lavour oj' the courses at university and the careers beyond. Kent Astronomy rVlastcrclasses h~\ve bee~ enjoyed by a regular group of Sixth Form (>hysicists. Various tl1Clllhcrs of the Sixth Form entered for The Doily Ttlcgr(/pil Young Science \Vriter A\vards. vV'ith notahle SLlccess. Congratulations to Tom Holliday and Adrian Cheong \vho received Certificates of Merit and Ellen \Vcavcrs who has reached the final 20 out or a total of nearly six thousand entries. Fingers arc crossed for her t\vo-\:veek trip to The States and the additional [SOO prize' Ellen has also won the top priz,e in the national WOlllen into Science and Engineering Essav Competition. This is a superb achievement. as again there \vere a largl~ numher of entries from !l1~)st of th'-e top ~chools in the coulltry. Harvey Socicty lectures ha~e altracted interesteZl audiences. It was a particularly great pleasure to welcome Profcssor Peter Sherv. .'ood. O.K.S .. Head or Department or Chemistry at Kansas State University, who re,lated his experiences since leaving King's and survcyed his current research work in the rield of Surl'ace Science. Dr Rob Stephen. from Marks and Clark Patent Agents, spoke about the development of Gene Therapy under the title of 'DNA Makes RNA Makes Protein (Makes Money") - 'rhe New Biology', Professor Richard Wayne of Christ Church, Oxford, talked about 'The E",lution of the' Atillosphere', keeping an audience of varying specialities up to date with the modern thoughts 011 this most complex subject. A fascinating presentation by Dr Martin Castel! oj' Oxford University. 'Seeing Atoms \\,'ith a Scanning. Tunnelling Microscope'. described how scientists can 110\\.' <lctually move atoms round on surl'aces, to enhance important properties of solids. The Science Research Initiati\·e. organised with tremendous enthusiasm hy Mo Arza!. is progressing weI!. The practical chemical researchers arc now trained and han:, started to carr)/ out gelluine research. hopeful or achieving.. significant advances within their remaining time at School. The first edition or the pupil-writtcn journal iV-Lightell is just about to go to prcss and will be distributed nationally. in March ncxt year King's will be hosting a conference ror pupils rrom other schools to present their rcscarch-related activities and/or reviews of scienti/'ic topics. C.J,RJ

SCIENCE MATTERS

The sumlllcr tcrlll Illarked the end of Mr Warnick's first veal' at KinQ's <ImL havin!l settled in as J--Icad of Matlls and as <l hockey and water-polo coal~h. he had o~lly one chaJ!e'llge Jeft: to run an activity. Being a IrLlI~,; odd person he decided to choose the oldest board game in existence. Wei-Chi·- more commonly knov,.'n as GO --, which according to legend originated in China more than fOllr thousand year~ ago. According In tl1{~se pupils pl<ll'ing (well. Mr Warnick reallv) it's <I brilliant, intellectually challenging, spatia! game with a blend of te!Titorial and ag!lressive manoeuvres, amj"'it also comes with nice stones. In reality it's a great chance to relax and chat whilst moving the pieces around a sheet of paper. under the pretence that you understand the rules. If you want a stress-frec activity, this is the one to go for - but be warned: ~tcer clear of the competitive types (e.g. R,N,W,).

WEI-CHI

TO\,l DWIDSOl' AIDI-]) BY

IUV.W ((lid So}'({iI /1l1hh(fl'd-Frml Go-Ing. (ToIII f)(/\'idsoll.j

R.N.W,

ANIl

S,IRNI HUBB,IIW-FORI),

YOGA

An opportunity to relax and take time out of the busy routine at King.'s. A chance to learn techniques to help 'vvith insomnia, coping \vith exams. to slow dovvn and have fun. All yeargroups (Removes and above) arc welcome.

Tllr: C!\\iTC . \Rt:\I\, U:;\T &

SU,\l",lt':R

1998

184

C.C.F. NOTES THE ROYAL NAVY SECTION Lent Term Another term in the Royal Navy Section and as usual an extremely busy one. We are unable to go sailing on the lakes because of the stronger winds and cold water, so instead v-/c have spent the term studying the Naval syllabus - which is important since it helps the cadets to understand what to do on a Naval base when we arc on one of our many field days. I am ending my three-year period as Head of Section and it has been extremely satisfying seeing some of the more experienced cadets in the Section beginning to be more confident in leading and tcaching, etc. In particular, the newly-promoted Able Seamen have learnt an awful lot when it comes to making a presentation: this was apparent when they gave talks to the Shells helping them to understand the syllabus. Secondly, Claire Gilchrist (\vhel1 not in hospital) has been a great help to me in funning the Section as I have increased commitments to my A-levels. Claire will be Head of Section after I leave and it is a post that she is beginning to fill already, especially recently sinee she has been promoted to Petty OITicer, a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer. Her white hat seems to give her every confidence that she will need when leading the Section in the future. Next term is our busiest term in the Section as we spend most of our time sailing on the lakes in Sturry. Lt McConnell and I are now both qualified instructors in sailing, and so hopefully if the cadets' level of sailing is up to it we will be able to help them acquire some sailing qualifications. Lastly I have many people to thank for the general smooth running of the Section. Firstly I must thank CPO Buttriss, our area instructor. He spends a lot of time teaching everything a cadet should know and a bit more, and has generally made our afternoons even more enjoyable. Secondly I would like to thank Mr McConnell for introducing the younger members of the Section to the finer arts of drill and hopefully they will carry on improving as they did so much that day. Thirdly I would like to thank Mr David James who has no connection with the School or the CCF but every Thursday comes to hclpus with everything nautical. He has been extremely generous with his time and has shared his wealth of knowledge and experience with us and for that we arc all extremely grateful. Lastly I would like to thank our Officer Commanding, Lt McConnell for all the work she has put into the Section. It takes a lot of hard work to run a CCF Section and it is even harder to run it as a part-time member of stall, and without Lt McConnell the Section would not be at the standard that is today: thank you. UO CHRIS ELWORTHY. The highlight of our term was our Field Day - 11th to 121h March. We arrived at Portsmouth at around 1630, and immediately had tea at the main Dining Hall. Then we boarded HMS Bristol once again and got ready for some Practical Leadership Tasks (PLTs). They took place at HMS Nelson's Gym for an hour, and everyone got a turn to lead their team in doing a specific task (AlB practice for those of us who are considering a Naval future). Onee that had finished, we got back to the ship and it was our free time until 2220. We got up at 0600, had breakfast and at around 1000. we found our boats that would take us over to Cowes and back. I was in the yaeht, luckily, and the Captain of our ship was well trained, and knew a lot (.tboul navigation, which was handy as it was a navigation exercise. Having had a bearing exercise, we arrived at CovÂˇ,1es, after a pleasant trip over thankfully calm waters, at about 1200, the other boat having beaten us there half an hour earlier. An uneventful time in Cowes came to an end, apart from Matthew who had bought quite a few chocolates, and it was time to return to Portsmouth. We had another bearing exercise on the way back, and many of us went onto the deck of the yacht to relax. It was interesting and useful to learn about tides and buoys and how to usc GPS. We \vent over Ryde I\1iddle and were met coming back into Portsn1outh \vith a large current coming out of the harbour. When arriving back at HMS Bristol, we left the yacht and got ready to depart from our Field Day. Clackett Lane Services were called at again, and we came back thoroughly pleased with ourselves, after an extremely exciting Field Day. Our thanks go to the Captains of both boalS, and our Parent Establishment Liaison Officer, Lt Clucas who arranged the PLTs. The Adliliml: Chris E'/ll'orthy. (f)({\'id .lames. Esq.)

AB ALEX McDONALD.

]85

TI-IE CANTUARI,\N, LENT

& SC"l:>'lER J 998

The other half of the Section travelled to Cowes on a Mk. I () Fleet Motor Launch. The Sea was 'Jumpy' and there \vas lots of spray. Everyone had a turn at navigating, piloting, watch-keeping and securing the craft. The expedition was highly successfuL as we had a chance to put the theory into practice and \vere always doing something. AB JAMES BERRY.

S'ummer Term: The Royal Naval Section Summer Term has been as enjoyable, interesting and productive this term as ever. All but two Wednesdays have been spent on the \vater at Westbcrc. Rain and \vind is one thing.

but thunder and lightning quite another - a metal mast reaching upwards is asking for trouble! The classroom sessions enabled

LIS

revise our navigation skills. Many of our number have gained RYA Sailing and Powerboating qualifications: everyone now holds an RYA qualificalion - the Admiral holds every available cenificate' Race techniques have been developed as has sailing rudderless, capsize drill and rescue operations in the pmvcrboat. Many have volunteered to help teach and provide safety cover on Sundays for Northbourne Park Preparatory School's sailing group. Our Field Day \vas a trip from Ramsgatc to SancJ\vich on Champs (although we only got to the Stollr Estuary due to zero oil pressure). The shape of the deep water channel outside Ramsgate harbour creates incredible turbulence, especially for small craft in novice hands. This excursion was added experience for some, IVII('/'(' did Ihol mhhil go? JOllies Berry ami /'Ope. but an introduction for others in helming a displacement craft on the (D({I'ill Jalllfs, Fsq.) open sca. It was enjoyed all round, and all Cadets passed their Preparation for Sea Training Qualification. The CCF RN annual dinner was enjoyed by all, and gave us a chance to thank Chris and Mr James (our adopted mentor). I am not sure \vho \von the stone skimming session on the beach afterwards. Chtl'CI'IOIl

Most recently \ve entered the South East Area Regatta at Bough Beech Sailing Club. Malt and Claire enjoyed the introduction to a 420. Second pair, Alex and George, and third, James and Mel. felt more at home in Bosuns. Maintaining a steady fourth, and accepting all advice from our Area Instructor, CPO Buttriss, we once again came home with some silver. this time the 'Pharos Cup' for the most improved crew.

It has also been pleasing to see many of the Section participating in CCF activities such as the Night Navigation Exercise and the King's Week Guard. We must thank Lt McConnell for all that she has done and docs for the Section week in. \~eek out vÂˇ,Iith dedication. I also take this opportunity to thank Mr David James, Membership Secretary at Westbere Frostbite Sailing Association for his very kind and consistent sailing tuition and help. His crowning achievement is illustrated by Georgina Zucchini- \Vatts, who has riscn from a newcomcr to one of the Section's better sailors in one term, under his instruction. Finally. \ve O\ve many thanks to Act. P.O. Gilchrist and in particular U.O. Chris Elworthy who leaves the School this term. For the past three years Chris's astute but subtle leadership has sleered the Section and more recently the Corps in a good direction: his place will be hard to fill - but we are all trying' We Field Day, RWI/sga{e I-Iar/Jolil'. (f)m'leI Jall/es. Esq.) all \vish him \vell in his forthcoming career in The Royal Engineers. \Ve are a small but energetic Section and by September, be(vÂˇ,reen us, we will have attended courses on Navigation, Sailing, General Seamanship, Naval Warfare, F'irst Aid, Leadership. acted as instructors, and taken part in the Joint RN, RM Cadet Adventure in the Faroe Islands. AB JAMES BERRY.

THE C;\NTUARIAN. LENT

& Sl))I.])I.]I::R 1998

186

ARMY SECTION C.c:.F EASTER CAMP 1998 1998 sav.,' yet another thrilling and perilous adventure into the rugged wilderness of the Lake District. Lovv' Gillcrthwaite Field Study Centre, Ennerdale, was our home for the week. Basic, but comfortable. I would like to slart by saying thank you. First on the list in everybody's mind, 1'm sure, must be Carol Booth, without whom \VC v,rould have starved or perhaps worse still might have had to venture into the unknown and tried to cat Mr franks' cooking. For this. CaroL \VC arc for ever indebted. Then we must thank the Major, for his wealth of experience and for organising the proceeciings, M7Âˇs Saun"ders, and the RS"M - who for the first time showed us another more relaxed side to himself, to be hidden m:vay on return don't worry, Sir, we v,/on'l tell anybody that you're actually a nice guy. We must also thank that random group which for some reason felt it was their right to tag along (we liked to call them 'staff' just to humour them): this consisted of Gary, Pete, Mike, Mark and Nev. Thanks also to Col. Morrison and Mr Wenley j\)r their support and assistance during the week (Chris Ehl'o/"l/lr.)

Over the \veek many activities were enjoyed: abseiling, canoeing, indoor and outdoor rock climbin'2., mountain walking. strolling, yomping, shopping, drinking. singing, nigh! navigation, well just about anything \\ie could get away with really. I think that t\VO nights in particular will not be forgol!en. The first was when \ve canoed across the lake at midnight by torchlight, only to find that once we had all arrived at the campsite all \ve had \vas a roll of plastic sheeting and the canoes to make a shelter from. In principle this was fine and for some strange reason a (Chri.~ fhl"Orlliy.j good time was had by all, but the slight dravl,!back was that during the night it decided to rain. or rather pour. It \vas so heavy that some of us - mainly myselL \vhich is why I show resentment - were trapped by the weight of the water and could not move until somebody came to engineer an escape for me and the frog who had cuddled up for warmth. The second night to remember was the escape and evasion, \vhen we \vere dropped some distance from the 'safe house' and had to navigate back without being caught by the defending forces (the staif). Everybody has their own little stories to tell about this one. but my personal j~lvourite was watching Mr Franks attempt to inject pace into his run. L... astly I would like to thank the pupils \vho came and also enjoyed themselves so much, and I would advise anybody with doubts about the CCF that they should give Easter Camp a go: they won't be disappointed. We all had a great time. EN7.0 LAilROSC1AN{}

t87

TIIF: CANTUARI,\\:.

LI::tr &

S\':i"I!:"IER

998

season th ough, and in the Cricket Week the X I wo n four mat c hes and had two fa vo urabl e draw s. Again st Trinit y, Croydon, the X I (i n 20 fewe r overs) were unable to match their total of 17917 declared ; K.C.S ., Wi mbledon, were bowled out for [29 and we re we ll be aten: Sutton Vale nce's total of I II proved hard to beat, but du e to exce ll e nt battin g by Simon Cleobury and Ali sta ir Wi ll iams again st the ir Wes t Ind ian fast bowler, the X I won with 2 ove rs to spare; the O. K.S. were beaten wit h the X I scoring 20 run s off the last 2 ove rs and A listair scoring the 2 ru ns needed fo r victory off the la st ba ll of the match; the M.C.C. game was in te rrupted by rai n and nit hough the X I ca me c lose to their target of 152, the M.C.C. always had the bow le rs needed 10 c lose th e game down for a draw ; and in the fin al matc h of the season, on a sli ghtly worn w icke t, Ol lie w ith 5 wi c kets reduced the Stragg le rs of As ia to 70 a ll OLlt, whic h the X I passed for a comfort abl e victory. Gare th Wi lli ams and Simon Youngman we re the leadin g run- scorers, w ith 3 and 4 scores over fi rt y respec ti ve ly. Si mon Youngman a lso had the di stinc tion o f tw ice keepin g wi cke t and then batting throughout the X l' s inn in gs. Ali stair Wi ll ia ms

SPORT Cricket 1st XI T his has bee n a season of sharp contrasts. Firstl y, the we a th e r we nt from be ing so we t that eve rythi ng wa s waterlogged for the fi rst two weeks, to beauti fu l hot sunny wcather in M ay and then back 10 a very wet end to the season ; secondl y in the first half of the season the X I rarel y played to the ir full potential , and it was on ly whe n the hurdl e of the Aleve l exa ms had bee n overcome that they played as well as everyone knew they could. Fo llow ing the ca nce llation o f the Highga te match, the season began at Dulwi ch, where two evenl y matc hed sides, both very short of square practice, settl ed for a high-scoring draw. In the X l's on ly hom e matc h of lhe first

Cricket 1st XI 1998. Slanding: Alexander Forrest, Ed lVard Wyand, Henry Hardy, Mathew Lisler, Timothy Ha mlin . Th ea Davies. Si(fing: Sil1lOl1 Cleobllry, Alistair Williams, Gareth William s, Simoll YOllllgman , Olivel' Fra ser. ha lf of te rm, O lli e Frase r, wit h six w ickets, was large ly respon sible for bowlin g out Eastbourn e for 138, but poor batti ng res ulted in the X I los ing by 28 runs. T he follow ing week on one o f the few good fast w ic kets o f the season, Cra nle igh 's tota l of 228/9 declared wa s always li ke ly to prove too much in th e ti me and a lt houg h fl eeting ly the ta rge t came with in range, in the end the matc h petered out to a draw. A rt er ha lf-t erm , another poor battin g display cost the X I the match by 9 wickets again st Sevenoak s, but thi s was fo ll owed by a far mo re convinc ing inn ings, of 197/9 decl ared , against the Band of Brot he rs - in whi ch S imon Youngman led the way wi th 83 . However, any thou ght s of victory were dashed whe n rain forced the game to be abandoned. Th is was the turning point of the

TH E C ANT UA RI AN,

L ENT

S UM MER

1998

pl ayed se ve ra l very im porta nt inn in gs, but never we nt on to make the bi g scores o f w hich he is capable; and Simon C leobury pl ayed a matc h-win ning innin gs again st Su tt on Val ence, but ge ne ra ll y that so important e le ment of luc k did not run wit h hi m. The midd le and lower order batsmen had few changes to bu ild an innin gs, but both T heo Davies and Ed Wyand pl ayed some va luable innings and showed that th ey could have don e grea ter things give n the cha nce. He nry Hardy and Ol lie Fraser spe arheaded the bow ling attack and especiall y in the latter hal f of the season bot h ll sed the ir experience to bowl a good line a nd le ngt h, con cede under 3 runs a n over and betwee n the m take 4 or more w ickets in an inn ings on 5 occas ions. They had the support of Ali sta ir who showed what a

188

potentia ll y good bow ler he coul d be unti l inj ury forced hi m to stop; Gareth who as Ca pt ain under-bow led himse lf; Matt Li ster who had a promi sing fi rst season and who wi ll surel y take many w ic ke ts nex t year; and Tim Ham lin who had seve ra l use ful spell s, bu t was unlucky not to get more bow li ng. Alex Forrest, as initially the on ly sp in bow ler, agai n needed more and longe r spe ll s o f bowling on th e sq uare to success full y maste r the di ffi c ult art o f leg-spin bow ling, but he had so me good spe ll s . Unfort unately, it was only at the very end of the season that Thea changed from sw ing to off-sp in , as he had the knack of taking w ickets as soon as he came on to bowl hi s offspi nn e rs . Th e XI pl ayed well as a te am and were e nth usiasticall y led by Ga reth . Some of the catchi ng was bril liant , but the XI a lso dropped some that should have been caught. Sim ilarl y, some of the ground fie lding was exce ll e nt , but some not so. A spec ia l mention mu st be made of Sam. who has done so mu ch 10 improve the quali ty or the squares and the nets over the las t few years a nd who had 10 re tire a few month s earl y soo n a h er the beginning of term - a rea ll y big thank you, Sa m, and our best w ishes for your retire me nt. To Mark and hi s coll eag ues a vote o f th anks for carrying on Sam 's good work in often diffic ult weathe r conditions. Co ngratulati on s go to the Under 14 tea m for w inning the East Ke nt 6-a-s ide com pe ti ti on; 10 Marlowe a nd Linacre for respec ti ve ly winning th e Senior and Ju nior House com pet ition s, and to S imon Youn gman and Tom Bruce for w in nin g the Barnes cric ket prizes. Finally, I would like to thank most wa rml y Ala n Eal ham for his c hee rful and expe rt coac hin g and a ll those co lleagues who ha ve spent so Illll ch time over so many years help ing so will ingly to run the mallY School tea ms - my time in c harge wou ld not have been so e njoyable if it had not bee n for thei r warm and generalis support. A.W.D.

RESULTS Pl ayed II , Won 4, Drm:vn 5, Lost 2, Aband oned 2 . Dulwieh, 20617 dec.; K. S.C., 16 117 (G . Will iams 67). Draw n. Eastbourne, 138 (Fraser 11 .5-2-30-6); K. S.C., 110. Lost. Cranleigh, 228/9 dec. (Hardy 12.2-2-39-4); K. S.C., 169/6 (Youngman 52). Draw ll. K. S.C., 124; Seve noaks, 125/ 1. Lost. K. S.C., 197/9 dec. (Youngman 83); Band of Brothers 39/1 . Ra in: abando ned. Trinit y, Croydon, 17917 dec.; K.S .C., 141 /5 (Youngman 68*) . Drawn. K.C.S ., Wimbl edo n, 129 (Davies 4-0-7-4); K.S.C. , 130/5. Won. Su tt on Vale nce, III (Hardy 12.2-3-28-4); K.S .C. , 11 2/4 . Won. O.K.S. , 162/8 dec. (Hardy 15-3-49-4); K. S.C., 16312 (G. William s 60, S. Youngman 70:~). Won. M.C.C., 151/5 dec.; K.S.C .. 148/4 (G. Will iams 88*). Draw n. Straggle rs of As ia , 70 (Fraser 10-2 -1 6-5); K.S .C., 7 1/5. Won. 1ST XI BAITING AND BOW LI NG AVERAGES Bafting Innings Not Olll RII IlS /-lighest Average Score Youn gm an II 2 325 83 36. 11 Wi ll iams, G. 349 88* II I 34.9 Willia ms, A. II 2 230 41 25.56 Wyand 32 10 3 138 19.71 II C leobury 48" 15.7 I 157 112 Dav ies 19 12.44 0 9 Haml in 10 8 5 27 9.0 Forrest 24 5 I 35 8.75 Also balled: Fraser 3- 1- 15 - 11-7.5; Ha rdy 2-2 - 14- 13*- - , Liste r 3-1-7-4-3 .5 ; Carey 1-0-0-0-0 ; Hill ier 1-0-0-0-0. Bowling Overs Maidens Davi es 25 I Hardy 107.4 31 Fraser 133.5 27 Williams, G. 37 8 Ha ml in 54.2 8 Wil liams, A. 20 3 Li ste r 17 75 Forres t 44 5 Also bowled: Carey 14 -1- 35- 1-35 .

Team: Simon Cleobury*, Th ea Davies*, A lexa nder Forres t, Oliver Fraser*, Ti mothy Ha mlin, He nry Hardy*, Mathew Li ster, A listair Williams*, Gareth Willi ams* (CaplOil/), EdwmÂˇd Wyand, Simon Youngman *. Also played: Be njamin Carey, Matthew Chataway, John Hillier. :::Fi rst co lours awarded or re- awarded.

lSI

RUlIs 94 266 345 115 18 1 66 223 157

Wickets Average 10 9.4 19 14.0 21 16.43 5 23.0 30.1 7 6 2 33 6 37.1 7 3 52.33

XI v ÂŁa.Hboume . (M..!.T. )

189

THE

CANTUARIAN,

LENT

& SUMMER 1998

Palll !3ro.wp ({lid LaITY Ridges hurting. (M.J.T)

2nd XI

stop him asking for a bowl between every over) and both took some good catches. even if they were never flawless. The team was captained by D,wid Grcengrass who showed with an excellent innings at Eastbourne \vhat he \vas capable or. thus making his poor batting form all the more disappointing, though he had a good deal of success with his deceptive medium pacc. However, his captaincy tended to bc rigid and sccmcd to follow the same COlH"se whatever the situation. The last word must undoubtedly go to Johnny Hillier, the se!r~styled 'spirit' of the team, who ended the season with an average 58, and carried the balling. While he never suggested per!ll'~llcnce -" he had a tendency to miss the bal! by a good six inches and played one defensive shot in the season. i.ll Eastbourne when he was bowled - he hit the ball cleanly, hard and straight and scored allH\/jngly quickly without e\'er resorting to slogging. Suffice to say that when he wcnt out to bat the team sat c!O\vn to watch - something always happened when Johnny balted, including, notably. when he ran OUI three teal1Hnatcs in the last match against Duke or York's. I-lis seemingly innocuous bowling also posed problems. An abiding memory or the season is his 50 against St Lawrence scored in .iust 21 balls. full of superb straight drives.

This proved to be a difficult season in which thc team had the capacity to win games but did so on only two occasions due to a lack of consistency in our batting performances. or depth and variety in our bO\vling. and a mixture of bad luck and poor play, notably at Eastbourne where six catches were dropped as the bowlers performed manfully defending a small target. We wcre capablc of posting a challenging target but did so in only one Saturday match at Trinity. Croydon, courtcsy of Matthew Chataway, a Colts player, and only once batted with resob路c with our backs to the wall -. and without senior players -- at Sevenoaks, when Nico Berry, in his one match of" the season. Nick Davies and .lames Mitchell all batted well for the draw. Henry Chamberlain, Andrew Foinettc and Ed Vainker occupied the top order positions but never really inspired confidence, and. apart frolll Henry's innings at St Lawrence, neither threatened <1 big score nor got the team oIl to a good start with a big opening stand. Other batsmen in the side were equally erratic and middle order collapses w路erc cOn1lllonplace: Nick Davies looking the most teChnically proficient batsman in the side while nevcr 'getting in'. John Knowlcs and Daniel Holdstock nevcr had the opportunity to bat up the order and so nevcr made any meaningful contributions. Ben Carey carried the bowling with! 7 wickets in the season and bowled some riery spells, particularly a match-winning one against Cranleigh, although he could work on his fitness before next summer because he could not sustain longer spells nor return effectively after his first. James Mitchell was his opening partller and despite threatening a Jl1i:ltch-winning display, never produced one _.. perhaps he tried to '?owl too quickl~/. Daniel i-IoJdstock bowled some decent medium pace and picked up some good wickets, and Andrcw Foinelle might have henefited from ~llore exposure. The lack of" halance was a probleill. exemplified by three players frying to bov/I spin, r.:d, John and Anthony Burton --. doomed to failure because we rarely had cnough'runs to play with. Nick and John shared the wicketkecping duties (though the lallcr was giw,n the gloves mainly to

TI路I!~ C.路\i\TU ..\RIAi\" LF)":T

SUMiI'!EI~ 1998

ED V\I:-':KI:lt

Al lcas! we played more cricket this season than las!. but the lack of technique in balting, or understanding of some of the basics of the game. such as how to call, undermined our performances. There is no time in our schedule to correct much of (his. and the hard work needs to be done in the winter nets. Anyone in the XI aspiring to 1st XI Cricket next SC,\SOIl will have 10 think seriously ahout that. On the other hall{!. 2nd XI cricket is lIsually unpredictable, and should be fun. Despite the frustrations. this season has met those criterii.L I would like to thank the team for their commitment, by and large, to matches during the exam period, and I look forward to a numher of thelll forming the nucleus of a more successful XI next year. R.C.W.

190

Rr.suLrs Played 9, WOIl 2. Drawn 2, Lost 5. K.S.C., 175 for 3 dec. (Hillier 82:::. Vainker 35): Sulton Valence. 90 for 7 (Care\' ]~ 10. Hillier 3-5). r'vlatch Drawn. K.S.C'.. 1061f1i1lier 46): Dulwich. 110 I()r 5. Los\. 1<..S.c., 105 (Cireengrass 35): I.:astbourne, 106 for 6 (Hillier 338). Lost. K.S.C., 196 (Chamberltlin 81. Hillier StY', Foinette 36): St Lawrence, 42 (Care\' 6-19). Won. Crallicigh, 57 (Care») 4-26. Hillier 3-2): K.S.C. 58 for 7. \\/on. K.S.C .. 154 (Hillier (4): Do)er I sl XI, 155 for 3. Los\. Se\"(~J1oaks, 203 for 4 dec.: K.S.C., 00 for 5. Match Drawl1. K.S.C.. 160 for 7 dec. (Chataway (8): Trinity, 161 for 2. Lost. K.S.C.. 170 (I--lillier 44, Chamberlain 37): Duke of York's 1st XL 172 for 4. Lost. Top !5({{S/lIUII: Hillier, averag.e 58.00. Top BOII'/a: Carey, 17 wickets.

ii/so

p/(fyed:

James

I-iume,

Oli\'er

Martin.

Rolwll

Wijesurendra. RESL'LTS Played 5. Won 1, Lost 2. Drawn I. Abandoned I. Dulwich. 183 (Robinson 5-36): K.S.C .. 169-0 (Bavlc\' 6(V. Robinson 37, Chatawa\' 32). Drawn. • . Eastbourne, 192-6 dec:: K.S.C., 62. Lost. K.S.C .. 200-4 dec. (Bayley 51"', J-brhorne 43, Chataway 3 I): Cnlnlci£h. 120. Won. K.S.C.,'--I02 (Chataway :H): Tonbridge, 103-5. Lost. K.S.C., 139 (Bayley 35. Woods 32): Kent Schools 10-0. Abandoned.

Junior Colts 'A' XI

Anthony Burton. Ben Carey. Henry Chamberlain, Nick Dayies. Andrew Foinctte, David Greengrass rC({p{(!ill), John Hillier. Daniel Holdstock, John Knowles. James ivlitchc!L Edward Vllinker. ;,\/so plt/yet/: Nico Berry, Paul Bro.\up. Tristan 13Y]'l1es. Matthew Ch,ltaway, Edward Eccles. i'vl<ltthew Fyjis- Walker. j"vlatthe\\' Knight. Charles ivliller-Jones. Tom Morey . .lOll Sckui'l. Richmd Steele. 1"('({II/:

Unfortunately. I ha"e a relati\'e!~ short space in which to laud what has been. in essence, an extremel" sliccessful season. The record alone speaks {or itself -- a sole loss for seven ,·ietories. four of which came consecuti\'cly after half-term. Certainly our form has improved over the'course of the season. culminating with sllch ,1ccomplished performances as those against Trinity. Croydon, and K.C.S., Wimbledon. The squad is as detailed below, but inevitably certain individuals have shonc in one or morc of the fixtures. Firstl\' we can only praise the inf!ueillial figure of our Captain, TOll1 Bruce, who has scored consistently highly in the openers' spot. including an epic century and half-century. as weI! as rulfilling the role oC the team's only spin howler. Tom Morey proved himself a county-class p,1Ce bowler in taking the lion's share of the wickets, tota!iin!2. 21 in onl\' se\,enillatches _. most notably 5-17 against Trinity. CrO)ldOIl, and 5-24 against St La\vrence. David Arnold has shot up the order from number 9 to !lumber 4. and has contributed to some of the season's more <lIlHISin£ moments with his c,l\'alier batting and running cOllllllenwry.~ Michael Page excelled at point: :1 choice selection of' reflex catches ;Ind his rapier-like throw helped relllO\'e many crucial wickcts, and also proved a loyal unders!Udy to Bruce in contributing \'alliable runs in the Ilumber 3 spot. With the departure oj' our other opener from last season, Olivcr Humphrey rose to the occasion and displayed the sort of solidity and consistency visible in only the best oj" test-match batting, and his presence behind the stumps was crucial to the team's succcss. There were man\, important contributions from Hellry Aldridge (fine leg extraordinaire). Roshan Arivaratnam (Invaluable), whose entrance to the team coineid'ed with our winning matches. and Miles Leahy, as well as a few early-season cil~lleos from the enigmatic Lawrence White.

3rd XI !No report received. Ed·1

Colts XI This season began ilnd ended ill vcry heavy rain. Indeed the weather meant that there "'as e\'cn less practice possible than usual. It is to the tea III 's credit. therefore, that they played with such enthusiasm. and cvell with some success. The matches formed a regular pattern. ;\ well-contested draw \\'ith Dulwich was followed by a reeble collapse at Eastbounlc: a good win O\'Cr Cranleigh was followed by a disappointing defeat ag:,linst Tonbridge: and the rain had the final say in the Kent Schools game. Matthew C1wt<.l\vay \\',lS the one batsman with a reliable technique and the concentration to playa big innings. and the side was heavily dependent OJ) him to give them a good :-;lart. Richard Bayley started the terlll as an athlete. but joined the team (without his boot::,) and IOp~scored in three of the four matches in which he played. Richard Woods stepped into the opening slot and batted very e!Tecti\'ely in the last two games. The middle order was the main problem. Some good shots were played . and one or too useful individual innings. but in Illost matches the rlllrr), of runs 'lIH.l wickets left scorers and spectators entertai!ied but bemused. The bowling was full of \·'Hiet\'. Oliver Robinson was the most accurate: Henry V/<llpole tile fieriest: Josh Pollen the steadiest: Will Gould the most acrobatic: and Dave Farrar the wilies!. Matthew Fyjis-Wa!ker \,'<lS given a torrid time behind the stumps in the first few matches, but imp]"()\'ed over the season. ThL' fielding was uenerallv enthusiastic, and could be supcrb at tinlCs. a71d the" Cap!aill, \vith his endless chatting. kept everyonc (even. sometimes, the opposition) on their toes. The ;lnilllated ,l!!llosphere was also helped by the presence of <l particular!y loyal group of parents in support.

As already mentioned, the highlights of the season appeared ncar the end. against very accomplishcd sides. The K.C.S .. Wimbledon, match dcserves special mention: arter a dismal baiting display. rescucd at the death by Arnold. the opposition were Jeft with! 27 runs (0 make to secure \'ictor\'. Howe\'cr, a fearsome display of fast bowling from Darroch and i'vlorey decimated their upper order, before Ludbrook single-handedly took control and limited them to a nailbitin!2. 120 1'01' ~ after tea. With the game so delicately poised, M(;rey and Ludbrook competently removed the last two batsmen without troubling the scorers, g.iving. us the Illost dramatic win recorded this se'lson. So congratulations to the captain and team. and nur immeasurable thanks to Mr Coeks\\'orth for coaching us. SI~"iO\' j)J\RROCJ!.

PG.l-I.

Tetllil (played

TC({Il!: iV'l<.tuhew C!wUlway (Ca/JlOill), Richard Bayley, Edward Eccles. David Farrar. iVlatthew Fyjis-Walker, William. Gould. Alexander Harborlle, Joshua Pollen. O!i\'er Robinson. Henry Walpole. Richard Woods.

/110Ft'

lium

011('

gome): Roshan Ariyaratnam.

Henry Aldridge. David Arnold. TOI11 Bruce (C(//Naill). Silllon Darroch. William Da\'ies, Oliver Humphrey. Miles Leahy, Jamc.s Ludbrook. Christopher Matlingly, Tom Morey, Michael Page, Sachin Prenlilath. Lawrence While.

191

James Northern was the pick of the bowlers, showing an excellent blend of pace and accuracy. He excelled against Trinity and figures of 5-18 against Cranleigh effectively won the match. With Simon Ribchestcr, Edward Marno and Nick Cullen he made up the pace allack and Sachin Prellln<lth provided the subtle foil with his oIT-spin. \Ve were a difricult side to score runs against and some excellent fielding, particularly the catching, helped to keep opposition totals low. Harry Pope also contributed well with some solid wicket keeping. I n each game at least one member of the team shone. A swift SO from James Murden g,lVC liS thc upper hand against Cranleigh. Simon Ribchester and Lawrence White shared a 57 partnership against Trinity, Lawrence finishing on 47. l-;'ine performances, both with the bat and in the field, from Roshan Ariyaratnam and Henry Aldridge saw them promoted to the 'A's. Richard Gordon-Williams. Jonathan Reeve and Nicholas Cany <111 looked to be competent batsmen when free from injury. Hamish Backhouse. Alistair Wildblood and James Berry all made llseful contributions with their own brands of humour adding to team morale. The team's progress through the season was both noticeable and encouraging and they ended the season on a high, wanting more matches. Mr Cook is to be thanked for his time and helpful advice, and the hope is thm all the playcrs \\'i1l continue to enjoy their criCKet whilst developing their considerable skills further.

RFSUITS

Dulwich

Played 10. Won 7, Drawn 3, Lost I. H. Lost by 9 wickets.

Eastbournc

St Edmund's

Cranlcigh H. Dover College H. St Lawrence A.

SCVCIlO<lks

Trinily, Croydon I-I.

A. A.

Drmvn. Won by 93 rLlns (Page 60"

Darroch 3-6, Morey 3-9). I'

Drawn (Amold 58, Brice 55). \Von lw 6 wickets. Won b)1 127 runs (Bruce! 06:: Humphrey 42. Morey 5-24. Ludbronk 3·8). Won by 5 wickets (Bruce 42,

Darroch 4-39). \' Kent Schools Under 14 I'

Won by 30 rllllS (Morey 5-17, Page 4-17).

Match abandoned as drawn.

Won by 8 runs (Arnold 44. Morey 3·16, Bruce 3·23). \\1011 by 88 runs (Bruce 5-43, Page 3-24).

K.C.S., \Vimblcdoll

\' Duke of York's H.

Junior Colts 'H' XI Overall, the Under 15 'W Xl enjoyed a successful season

S:\CHI\' PRE;-"lNXlll, NICI-JOL\S CUl.I.U~ !\Nn R.Pe.

with some fille individual talents compounding into a cohesive working unit. The scason began with an exccllent team cffort away ((; a strong Dulwich sic!c. A solid 28 from Haydcn Wood and a stylish, rapid 21 from Roshan Ariyaratn<tlll helped to sct a challenging total. In the end Dulwich manau.ed to evade dcreat, blocking out an accurate last over from N~ick Cullcn in a very tense finish. Sachin Premnath took on the role or captaincy after Henry Aldridge. and proved to be an equally astute and intelligent leadcr. as well as a competent batsman and wicket-laking 01'1'spinner. Miles Leahy was the most consistent batsman. distinguishing hilllselr against Eastbolll"!le and Scvcnoaks when those . . around~ him wcrc~ struggling. Eastbourne and a Simon Langton 'A'j'B' team both proved too strong early in the season but thc team responded to these defeats in a vcry positive manncr.

Temllji"Olll: Henry Aldridge, Roshan Ariyaratn<llll. Hamish

Backhollse, James Berry. Nicholas Carty, Nicholas CU1!CIl. Richard (Jordon-Williams. Miles Leahy, Edward Marno, James Murden, James Northern, Harry Pope, Sachin Prcmnath, Simon Ribchester. Lawrence White, Alistair \Vildblood, Hayden Wood. RESUlTS

Played 6. \Von 3. Drawn J. Lost 2. \' Dulwich Coilcoc (A). Match drawn. l' Eastbol1nlC Co (I.f). Lost by 8 wickets. \' Cran1cigh (A). Won by 35 runs. l' Simon Langton 'A'/"]3' (H). Lost by 8 wiCKets. l' Scycnoaks (H). \Von bv 6 wickets. r Trinity, Croydon (A). \Von b)! 22 runs.

Miles Le(/hy halling. (M.J.T)

THE CX\TU:\R1AN, LEI'\T & SU(>.j)I,!ER 1998

192

Under Fourteen 'A' XI

The following played regularly: James Audsley, Felix Bottomley, George Brooke, James Ellis (Vite-captain), Toby Hayes, Chris Mullens, Leo Nathan, Stuart Rau, Timothy Trillo, Tim Walker, Harry Winner (Captain), William Young. Quincy Allan played three times, but often scored ~ and so carns all our thanks.

The main impression left from this season is one of considerable confidence in the flllurc. There is a strong pool of" good cricketers in this year group, not all of whom got a chance in the 'A' XI. At least six of the 'A' XI are very promising indeed. Bowlers win matches and this was a fine bowling team. Pace was in the hands of Felix Bottomley, Leo Nathan, Chris Mullens and Harry Winner. Tim Walker made progress as an off-spinner. The brightest prospect was George Brooke something of an all-rounder, but a splendid wrist-spinner. He deserved far more wickets and any team lucky enough to have such a player must make sure they score enough runs to give George something to bowl against, and that they catch and take stulllpings. It was a wonderful sight to sec George and Felix bowling in tandem. There arc a few things still needed to turn this into a top class side: for example one more class batsman and a continued improvcment in all dep<lrlmcnts of fielding including field placing. There was no natural choice as wicket keeper, and James Ellis made <I splendid effort in the Alex Stewart role of opener, keeper and Captain in the first three games. The Eastbourne game was in fact very close and our bowling. was outstanding. James found three roles too demanding anci, while remaining Vice-captain, he handed over captaincy to Harry Winner when the latter at last came on games. Apart from one horrible week when the score book turned to pulp in the driving rain and we succumbed in Arctic conditions to the Kent Schools' XI all the other games were won in some style. A very strong squad of Harry V\'inner, James Ellis, Leo Nathan, George Brooke, Felix Bottomley, Chris Mullens and Toby Hayes entered the East Kent U14 six-a-side tOllrnament on Birley's and won through to the final against the Chaucer School, two of' \vhose batsmen had scored the runs for the Kent Schools against us earlier in the term and they proceeded again to bat beautifully to set liS 95 in our eight overs. Leo batted superbly to keep LIS in touch aftcr Harry was out cheaply, but tcn runs were needed off the last two balls. Amid tremendoLls tension Felix Bottomley despatched them for 6 and 4 to win the trophy.

RESULTS Dulwich College, 183-3 dec.; K.S.c., 96-9 (Ellis 32). Drawn. St Edmund's, 129·7 dec.; K.S.C., 104·6 (Nathan 24). Drawn. K.S.C., 88; Eastbourne, 93-4. Lost. Simon Langton G.S., 82 (Bottomley 3-8, Brooke 4-16); K.S.c., 83·3. Won. Cranleigh, 129-7 dec. (Bottomley 4-30); K.S,C., 130-3 (Winner (7). Won. K.S.C., 112 (Ellis 26, Winner 26); St Lawrence 105 (Bottomley 4-4 I, Brooke 3·38). Won. SeveJloaks, 72 (Winner 4-13); K.S.c., 73-3 (Winner 43 :::).

Won. K.S.c. 98 (V\linner 28, Nathan 22); Kent Schools 99-4 (Brooke 3· 15). Lost. Trinity, Croydon, 67 (Brooke 6· 16, Bottomley 3·8); K.S.C., 68·

2 (Hayes 37, Young 21).Won. K.S.C., 112 (Winner 29, Nathan 20); Duke of York's, 84. Won.

Winners of' East Kent U 14 six-a-side tournament.

Under 14 'B' XI A season initially short of' matches was abbreviated still further by the weather and cancellations so that only fOllr were actually played, hardly a basis on which to build what was a very promising side. Once the 'A' team had eventually decided who they wanted, we had a couple of good games in sllccessive weeks but then a gap of five weeks meant that cohesion was lost as was the final match. The b<ltting was always a little shaky but Grcg Edmunds, Harry Welles!ey- Wesley, Stuart Finlayson, Toby Hayes, Will Young, '1'0111 Steibelt and Quincy Allan all made significant contributions on at least one occasion. the latter helping llS to respectability from the dire straits of ten for six against Trinity, Croydon, aided and abetted by some rustic thwacks by Anthony Teale. Greg also had a splendid spell with the ball against Cranleigh, clean bowling five of their batsmen to win a match that looked hopelessly lost. His tendency to bowl straight has a great deal to be said for it. Tom had somc purple patches with his very slow leg-breaks and his figures of six for fifteen olT sixteen overs at Eastbourne were quite cxtraordinary: he subsequently suffered on pitchcs with shorter boundaries. James Mawdsley. Harry Twigg and Anthony Teale also had their moments with the ball as did Matthew Reilly: it was a pity there was not more opportunity for Will BarraH's slO\v left arm. Behind the stumps Rupert Colchester was never at a loss for words and despite his unusual technique let through very few byes and brought off the occasional excellellt catch or stumping, most of which were acknowledged by the umpire. Stuart Finlayson fielded spectacularly in the gully. Indeed, in the field. {his looked a team of cricketers. imaginatively led by Mallhew Reilly who usually knew what ought to be happening

.lames F-'llis h(lffing. (M.J.T)

An invitation ';\.'/'B· XI played a game against Wellesley I-Iollse, fielding in increasingly unpleasant rain while some very talented batsmen helped themselves to runs. The gamc was abandoned at tea. 1 am very grateful to Vic O·Connell. Martin Ballands. Mark Benson. P.V\'.F. and M.A. for their help with U 14 cricket and thc umpiring or matches. H.EJ.A.

193

CANTERBURY HARVESTERS

even if he couldn't actually make it happen. A run season: a pity there wasn't more of it, but if these players persevere some of them could turn into rine cricketers. G.D.W. Team li'ow: Quinc\' Allan. Willinm Barratt, Edward Bnldle\', Rupert (:o!chester, circgory r::dmunds, Stuart Finlayson, To!)y l-layes, Jonathan Lynes, James Mawdsley, Daniel 0' Donoghue, Matthew Reilly (CajJlain), Thomas Steibclt. Anthony Teale, Harry Twigg, I-iarry Wellesley- Wesley. William Young.

TWENTY-NINTH TOUR This was a tour of landmarks, that began at Sandrovd where we deployed our I(lOth player. At 7 for 3. disaster 10()lllecL but 1.S.H. (73) was at his IllOSt magisterial, and with good support from dcbutants R.Pe. and .I.C.H. and a final flurry from P.G.H. (sweeping to his 2.000 runs) and P.T.. a respectable target W,IS set. J.S.H. thcn took the two v,'ickets he needed to become the second Harvester to do the double. but early optimism about containment gradually subsided as Paul Fowler (75"'), in.iured and batting with a runner. decided to hit sixes. and defeat canle in the final over. At Monkton Combe the rain relented in time to permit another early collapse. This time we reached 9 for 3 before a rescuc mission by J.S.H. (62), assisted by lC.I-l., P.C:;.H. and another burst from PT., enabled a declaration at a modest 144 for 8. .l.S.H and H.M.R. bowled tightly hut with liltle luck, and Norman Botton was in fine fOrl11 ,IS the hosts cruised to a comfortable victory. At Compton House I\.M.M. (45) and PT. (29) got us off to a solid start. and although H.M.R. was dismissed for a duck bv an II-year old. J.S.H. and D.M.1--l. made sure that ,1 useful [ot;\I was p()sted. D.M.H. look two wickets in his first over. but Peter Baker and Clive Saunders acldecl97 in good time before a superb c,\tch by R.Ve. broke the partnership. Not even tile slogging of the team manager. gLlesting for the oppositioll, could preveJ1l another narrow victory - our 50th in ail .- on this idyllic ground. Sherborne Town was R.PB:s fimll bow. He opened the bowling with a very lidy spell, and with lS.H. (3-52 in 15 overs) at his mcanest at the other end. the opening stand oj" 91 took a long time. H.E.J.A. (5-61) then induced a collapse, and it was only Clive Saunders' long handle. again, that helped the Town to a large total. In the tea intervaL the gnmd old man presentcd tile Town with a clock and madc a moving specch. The early batsmen struggled to chase the tan!ct, but pel.H. and P.T added 70 to sec th'C~leam 10 safety and ~ihus enable H..PH. to take the field for one final time. to Iludge a couple of singles and to play oUl the draw. He returned to the pavilion to ,1 hero's welcome. At Salisbury, our makeshift bowling attack performed wonders on a tiny field, helped by some brilliant fielding from A.M.M. and f).M.H. to keep the (i'cnts to 191 in their 30 ovcrS. Our reply was very slow and almost embarrassingly inept until at 28 for 5 A.M.M. (53) joined P.T. A record centurY partnership followed, and although victory was never i;l prospect, honour was at least salvaged and PT. completed an astonishing batting sequence of 22. 23, 29 and 34 with a careerbest 6(),!" thus scoring more runs in 1998 than in his previous eight tours put together. We arc !l10st grateful to Mike and Christine Hatch "t Sandroyd and Mike Weslon (ill uhSellfi({) ,l! Abbeylands for their hospitality. And we look forw,lrc1 with mixed feelings \0 next year. In the course of the week it was decided to make 1999 the Fil1<l1 TOllr. The ageing process is taking its loll on so mallY regular tourists that it is . .time 10 declare the Harvestcrs' innings closed. Vic hope to end on the Terrace, with a party afterwards. and to have a celebratory dinner, probably in Canterbury, in the autumn. P.G.I-1. 7(iII}' ['ar/,l': M.1.Ho .. P.G.I-I .. R.P.B .. M.J.Hn .. I-I.E.J.A., G.C.A .. 1.S.H., H.M.R .. D.1.R., D.M.I-I., P.T.. RAM .. A.M.M .. R.Pe.. T.G.M.E.A., .I.e. Horn, T. Granl, A. Teeton, SJ. Ellis.

RI'.SIJI.TS

Dulwich. 101 (Young 5-26, Hayes 4-29): K.S.e., 85 (Young 36, Hayes 20). Lost. K.S.C., 137 (Edmunds 4 J, Wellesle\'- Wesley 21): Eastbourne. 82-9 (Steibelt 6-15). Drawn. . K.S.C.. 160-7 dec. (Sleibelt 33, Finlayson 28, Wellesley-Wesley 24): CranJeigh, 155 (Edmunds 6-42. Mawdsley 2-24). WOll. K.S.C., 81 (Allan 25"'): Trinity. Croydon. 83-5 (Twigg 2-14, Steihelt 2-34). Lost.

Under 14 'C' XI By the end of the season, the batting order was right and the final match was exemplary. If only more schools possessed Under 14 'C' teams. for this was a good squad in both ability and approach and deserved more matches. Lack of experience. told against us in the first match - Dulwich always seem stronger at home -- and although we batted second in most of our matches, we failed to realise until we batted first in the !ast match that it is not necessary to score all our runs at a fast nHe. From 10-5 after 5 overs ag<:linst J.K.S. we were never going to recover, although this m~atch proved the vallie oj" ':proper' cricket. Had it been limited overs, the match would have been effectively over. But one of the best memories of the season is o/" Alex Stevens resolutelv facilH! out the last five overS to achieve an unlikely dra;v. It i~ good that twenty pl:pils represented the 'C' XI -.. and this was an authentic 'C' team (the number of willes bowled being the only blemish in an otherwise pleasing season). The corc or the team was: Alex Brentnall, always wryly selfdeprecatory and an effective bowler: iVI,ilthew Spurway, an crfective scorer of fast rUlls: Max Colchester, whose wicketkeeping improved throughout the season: Conrad Baker, ever persistent and keen to do well: Tom Colvin, an extraordinarily reliable and courteous vice-captain with a text-book batting defence. and a pleasingly accurate opening bowler (he was the only bO\v!cr to cost less than three an over): Tom Andrc\vs, who led from the front as Captain, being leading run-scorer and wicket-taker. and who was always positive. Thanks abo to Martyn Bailands for his coaching throughout the season. .lAT. RESUIJ"S

Played 6, Won 2, Drawn 1, Lost 2. Abandoned 1. Dulwich, 247-9 dec.: K.S.C. 46 (Colvin 25). Lost. Eastbourne, 121: K.S.C. J 23-5 (Williams 46, Pritchard 28. Spurway 28). Won. Cranleigh, 121 (BrentnaJl3-16); K.S.C. 42. Lost. 1.K.S. 2nd XL 138-9 dec. (Colvin 3-16): K.S.C. 60-9. Drawn. Cranleigh. abandoned - rain. K.S.C., 152-5 dec. (Andrews 50. Colvin 25"'): Dulwich, 55 Uhalani 4-9: Brentnali 3-3). Won. Tealll li"Oll1: Thomas Andrnvs, Edward I3nldley, Conrad Baker, Alexander BreJ1tJ1llii, Frederick Clough. Max Colchester, Thomas Colvin, Kartikave lhalani, Thomas Pritchard, Akinola Soyode-lohnson, Matthew Spurway, Alexander Stevens, Ivan Veretennikov, Christopher White. Alack Williams. The fo//(})t"ill,!!, a/so played: Eric Chan. lames Dickins, Daniel O'Donoghue, Kirii1 Pestoun. Charles Rix.

THE

CANTUARJAN, LENT

SU~J"ÂˇlER

1998

RESIJI.lS

Harvesters, 169-7 dec. (.I .S.I-I. 73): Sandpipers, 170-6. Lost. Harvesters. 144-8 dec. (.I.S.I-I. (2); Monkton Combe Cavaliers, 147-3. Lost. Harvesters, 129-4 (A.M.M. 45. P.T. 29): Compton HOllse, 1214.110 overs] \\1on. Sherborne Town, 194-8 dec. (H.E.J.A. 5-(1): Harvesters, 1507 IP.G.H. 34. P.T. 34. G.CA. 25). Drawn. Salisbury Gentlemen of the Closc, 192-3: Harvesters. J67-9 11'.'1'. 61Y'. A.M.M. 53).130 overs 1 Lost.

194

tllrcmcndollS sense of team spirit [hat had an important impact on tile pitch. And they were a singing side: often singing

Boys' Hockey

S({\'ageiy from a

MOlllltaill

Top about the Pel/ce! Day or

CAII/he/JI de Ie Bcret Bleil! 'Now that's what I call a 1st Xl,

1st XI

1998.'

In the age oClhe cynically motivated political sound bile <lnd the manufacture or greatness and primacy by statistical and historical manipulation, this 1st XI can take comfort froJll the j~lCl that no

It seems strange in sllch an historic season to be saying that I have coached sides at King's with a larger number of more able players than this team. But hockey is a team sport and unless the tcam can \vork well together and for each other they will not overcomc unless there is a large dilTerence between them and the opposition. This Xl's tean~ skills were splendid. Three matches spring to mind. In the first half against Trinity. Croydon. we demolished an able side with some spectacular passing and movement olT the ball. For a twenty minute period we could have scored at will. Nor did Trinity create very Illllch:

sllch manipulation or cynicism is needed when

\\'Titing or their achievements. QUill' simply they were a great side. have achieved great things and have rightly earned a pre-

eminent place in King's sporting history. A IO(Yk record .- played! 2, WOIl 12. tile first King's side 10 They arc COUllty Champions achieve Ihis.

!3o\'s' Hocker /SI Xl1998. Back

lVL.P. ,')'{I((/l'1 Finlayson, /3ell Carey. Sill/(J!/ Jenniligs, He/1ry Walpole, Lo/'s-I:'l'i( \'(til dell HOI(I. Willialll Car/e/oll, /3('11 Sleil/krllger. F(I\1'ard Si.\'.\'I11IIII. '-;('ofed: Ross Haillcs. /\11 Le\1'is (\'iCc-Copfaill). ,')'illlOIl YOllllgmall (Cap!({ill). f)m'id RiiJchesfer. Chris Lefts.

/'0\\':

The\' caille third Chaillp-iollships.

the

SOllth

East

or England

our team defellce snuffed out most attacks. In the quarter

final of the Kent Cup agaillst Chatham House OLlr attacks were beautifully holistic, involving players in every third of the pilch (forward. midfield and defence). Moving up together in attack meant that Chatham House found it difficult to counter. and we were on top for a vast majority of the gamc. In the final or tile Kent Cup we were under the cosh for the fJrst ten minutcs because we did not defend as a team. We knew that Cranbrook could attack very well by moving the ball right, so \\le developed a defensive system to thwart this ill the previolls week. We did not do it for the first ten minutes. But after that initial hitch the team's defcnsive skills were awesome. Cranbrook found them very difficult to penetrate. The score line. 5-1. suggests that it was Ollr attacking that was our strength (it certainly was olltstanding and good enough to overwhelm a good opposition) but just as much credit mLlst be given 10 the def'cnsive work. The record of conceding just onc goal per

Thev scored at an average or over 4 goals a game and ~ conccded JUS! over I. And all this achieved after nine of last year's hugely successful side had left: there were only two players with 1st colours at the start of this season. To have done so well with so jiull' experience is splendid. \\/11)' did things go so well? There arc mall\' reasons. There is mLlch about this team tila! J shaH remember but there is one quality they had in greater measure than any of the previous nine J st XIs 1 have coached. and olle lhal \ViiS a vital factor in determining the teamÂˇs Sllccess. Laughter was ever present. Tile warill-ups. training, tnlvelling to n1<l(chcs and post-match analyses were all punctuated by ~i~!!!Cs. quips and well-intentioncd. humorous razor-like wil. l'I;~ abililY 10 laugh. be laughed at and laugh with others buill

195

THE

CANTUAR!/\N, Li::--;T

SUI\lM!~R

1998

game s uggests that it was consistently good throug hollt the sea so n. A COLI pie of other stati stics spea k vo lumes fo r the team 's performance as a team - an average winning margin of over three goal s pe r ga me, and fi ve players scori ng more than five goa ls to make up ove r 70% of the seaso n's goal tally.

not 10 play more often - but when they did ... For two important matches we were severely depleted. The first, agai nst Tonbri dge, was very significa nt for us after last year's defeat aga inst the run of play. The matc h was played in the middle of ou r flu epidem ic. Four of o ur first cho ice side were not fit (a fifth we nt down in the ga me). The replacement s were splendid. T hey perform ed very we ll , in some cases better than some of the reg ulars. They won that game for us. T he sched uled game aga inst Kent College was a lso to be played as the Kent C up se mi-final. Th is is an intense local derby at the best of times. The prize of a place ill the final o nly inc reased that te nsion. But we were w ithout severa l key players and o the rs were we ll below par. Those who replaced them and those left played q uite superbly. Th is was eas ily the tightest ga me of the season and to have co me out victors is a huge fea ther in the berets of th is team. In the final that followed we convi ncingly beat Cranbrook in a repeat of last year's fi nal. Sadly, within fOit y-e ight hours we had to represent Kenl in the South East of England Cham pionsh ip. It was too soon, especia ll y when the others taking patt had had well over a week to prepare. It was also one of those days. T he coach broke down on the way there , we had no time to warm up and none of our many chances in the first game were cOllVelted. Having been favourites at the statt of the tournament we were left chasing the game and on ly managed third. We were all very disappoin ted. In itse lf it is a great achievement, but we know that we could have done velY much better. Compet ing at the top level and being successful in th is very stron g hoc key-playing co un ty requires ded icat ion and determination. Thi s X I lacked neither. They gave up time to trai n and worked very hard when at the pitch. Those involved in short comers showed a g reat deal of dedication and with splendid results. Our routines were the slickest on the circuit, often praised hi ghly, patti cularly by umpi res. The determi nation of this side was huge . Against C hatham House and Ke nt College there was a pass io n; agai nst Cranbrook a degree of focus I have rarely seen in a King 's side. T hose remaining mllst remember this. But alt hollgh determined, they did not possess the killer instinct. Several

Cllris Lells. (N LP.)

Our pre-season pre parat ions were crucial to our sllccess. It began in Africa in the summer of 1997 with the 1400th An niversary Tour. It was here that team spirit began to develop. Play ing, billeting, raftin g the Zambes i and camping in the bush in Botswana in a n unfenced camp in the midd le of a game park wi th 12 out of 18 dealing with dysentery and the fear of meeting a lion or elephant in the middle of the ni ght as illness called causes a degree of 'ge ll ing'. The young players (W ill , Lars, He nry, Be n and Oil y) gained tre me ndou sly from playing some of the best teams in Southe rn Africa and the others' skills were improved yet fut1he r. In France at New Year, L' Equ ipe de les Berets Bleu blossom ed. Agains t a Normandy represe ntat ive side our metal was tested for the firs t time and was not found walH ing. We beat a ve ry ta lented, well -organ ised side 2-1. At that moment I thought that this si de co uld do re markable th ings . We demoli shed a weaker side the following day. News of our Sruart Finlayson. (Roland Phillips.) ab ili ty had obviously spread around Paris, fo r the Pari s Select side did not appear - was it the torrential rain that matches shou ld have ended with m uch larger winning margi ns. frighte ned them off? Instead of that game this dedicated band of They had enough opportu ni ties d uring the season 10 break all goalGarcons de Roi played a six -a-side game amongst themselves in scoring records set by any side. They need to leam not to take the ir one of the heaviest downpours of the win ter. They had spirit. foot off the accelerator. And thi s spiri t was con tagious. W hen o thers came into the team they were caugh t up in it. Th is year we had more stre ngth in depth than for many years and several players were un luc ky

TH E CANTUAR IAN,

L ENT

SUMMER

1998

The players that m ade up this team lVere able and talen te d. To achieve what they ac hieved is not poss ib le un less they are skilled. The cast in thi s histo ric season were:

196

Dave 'Blonde' Ribchester's job was not easy. Mark ing ce nt re-forwards, the so called na ir players of tea ms, is a difficult task; and to have contained so many, so well , all seaso n is a job very well don e. The strik ing at short corners was form id<lbly hard. Chri s 'Lettuce' Lett s has had a superb season. County Under 19 ca p, Man of the Match in the Kent Cup Fi na l and voted player of the season by his peers. He made countless stun ning goal· saving tackles. His att acks from deep, sabre-like, coul d open up a defence. He has played a vital role in our success this season, despi te not wa rmi ng up - ever! In the fi rst ga me of the seaso n he scored all four goals, in the last ga me he sco red fi ve. Alastair ' All Rel'vir ' Lewis has tremendous skill and has show n grea t commitment to the side thi s seaso n. On the pitch he has worked exceptionall y hard, consistent ly mak ing ru ns up front and often tackli ng back. He can make mes merizing runs and score incredi ble individua l goa ls. This side woul d have been the poorer in eve ry way if he had not played in it or led some of the singing on the buses. I greatly ap precia ted his support an d adv ice as Vice·Captain. He possesses an understand ing of the ga me that I was pleased he shared. Simon 'pi pi ' Youn gman has led an ex traord inary side in an exemplary fashi on. And it is fill ing that it shoul d be him to lead this hi storic team . His moth er told me that eve r since he arrived at Ki ng's he wa nted to captai n the 1st XI: his ambition has been the School's gain. He has a treme ndous heart and worked it full y in every ga me, ru nning down opposition, tac kling back and kee ping up pressure in the circle. He scored one of the best goals of the season , dribb li ng from beyo nd the 25 and roo fin g the ball in to the top left-hand corn er of the goal. I have greatly valu ed hi s support and wisdom over this year. Thi ngs would not have go ne so we ll without it. My than ks to the ground smen and the caterers (who do not always have an easy job); and to the other coac hes espec iall y N.J. M., who pu t li p with a lot of moveme nt fro m an d to th e 2nd XI. I wou ld also like to reco rd th e ac hi eveme nts of those coac hing th e Under 14s, who fi nished seco nd in the East Kent Tourn ament , and the Junior Coits, who finished fourth in the Co unty Und er 15 Tourn ament. Bu t above all my thanks go to thi s yea r' s team. It has bee n a hugely enjoyable term . There is much that I sha ll remember. 'Thi s is my beret, thi s is my hat.. .'

Ed Sixsmith. (Ro/and Phillips.)

Ri chard Bay ley and Dave 'N ice Boy' Farrar ca me into the side in the second half of the season. They played in several positions ve ry we ll an d as fifth· formers are a tremendous prospect for the future. Oll ie 'Chuckle I , Barry' Harvey was cru cial lO our success. A ve ry ab le kee per, he was unl ucky not to play more games. Th roughout the seaso n he main tained a chirpy di sposition an d sense of fun which was crucial fo r tea m spirit, and for the coach's morale - even if getting in to a driver's seat was potenti all y haza rdous. Andrew 'Fonz' Foinette and To mm y ' Byf' Byford bot h had some good ga mes bu t lacked pace to main tain a se ttl ed place in the team. Si mon 'Moa n' Jen nings and Ben Steinkruger beca me reg ul ars as the season went on, Simon scoring the critical goals aga inst Tonbridge. Ben, in defence, had a tremendous eye for a ba ll and was ve ry kee n, wa ntin g to play des pite pain in his right leg. Stu art 'Tache' Fin layson is th e youngest playe r lO score for the 15t X I: he was 13 when he firs t scored. It is not easy play ing in the I st X I as a Shell , eve n tougher as a centre or right half. Yet he di d it very we ll . He has time on the ball an d an eye for a defence·b rea king pass. He must lea rn not to di ve in when tack ling, th ough. Henry 'C hu ckle 2, Paul' Walpole has improved great ly. He reads a game splend idly and is like a steam train when go ing forwa rd. His best game by far was agai nst Chatham House. He was in total co mmand defensive ly and made so me exceptionall y telli ng runs in attack. There is much potential here. Ben ' Fro' Carey has been exceptional in goaL Tech nicall y he is not one of the greatest, but he knows how to keep a ball out of the net. He was in contention fo r Man of the Match in the Kent Cup Final and the low nu mber of goals conceded must in part be due to him . Ross ' Brucie' Haines played righ t half and right wing, better in the latter position. He ran with the ball ve ry we ll indeed and all wou ld do we ll to copy his body position - if not his reve rse stick shots at goal. Lars 'dIl grand velll ' van den Hout was a crucial member of the team. His enthusiasm was in fectiolls and his decision to improve and ge t it right laudable. And he did get it ri ght. He is a versatile player, equ ally at home on the left wi ng or at right back. Is sllch versatili ty a sign of great ness? Edd ie 'III II! Sixs mith was a grand supporter of our de fence when we were attac ki ng, bu t grew out of that habit as the season continued. It was he who made the best pass of the seaso n (i n the Kent Cup Fi nal), a lovely st raight through·ball into space to Will 'Co Co' Carleton who went on to open our accou nt. Will played on the left wing and developed into a player who could safely carry the ball into the opposition's 25. He played a crucial role in short corners. His pushing out was fast, consistent <l nd acc urme. One of the best in the coullty.

N. L.P.

Ross Hailles. (Roland Phillips.)

197

TH E CANTUARIAN,

L ENT

& SU~ I ME R 1998

The Firs! Flel'('!/: Richard Bayley, Bcn Carcy'!', William Carleton"', Dave Farrar, Stuart Finlayson, Ross Haincs, Olivcr Harvey, Simon Jennings, Chris Lells';', Alastair Lc\vis'i' (ViccCajJ!aill), Dave Ribchcster~:, Edward Sixsmith':', Ben Stcinkruger, Lars-Eric van den Hour", Henry Walpolc, Simon Youngman':: (Cap/ain). '" Awarded First Colours Also played: Tom Byford, Andrew Foinetle.

HOllse 11I(((ches,'

Marlowe won the Senior Sixes. With lllany of this year's lSI

XI they dominatcd the finaL forcing a very spirited performance from Tracicscant. Tradcscant won the Junior Sixes, In a year with so mallY good players in the Under 14s, this was a good competition. i'vhn)' matches were very tightly fought.

REsul:rs

Played 11. Won 12. Goals for 53, against IS, " I' I' I' I' I' I' I' I'

\' I' I'

Chath,lJ)l House King's, Rochcster Trinity, Croydon Duke of York's Chatham House (Kent Cup Quarter-Final) Kent College (Kent Cup Semi-Final) Tonbrid!!c Cranbw()k St 1,<I\vrcncc Sir Roger Manwood's Dover College O.K.S.

(II), (H)

Won

(A). (H),

Volon Vv'on

5, I. 4,1. 4, I, 4,0.

(B)

\\/on

6-2.

(B). (B).

WOIl

4-3, 'i, I. 5, I.

\Von

(II),

\\/on Won

(H)

Won

(II)

\Von

(H), (H),

Won Won

2nd XI This was a testing year for the Second XI, not least because they never played two matches with the same starting line~l1p, As any second team knows. some of their number will be promoted to the first team during the course ora normal seaSOll, and this was no exception. The usual comings and goings made it difficult for an)' of the players who represented the side regularly to predict the game that their team mates were going to play around thelll, This made for somc surprising games of hockey, At times, they were brilliall1, At others, they we.re terrible. At the end of the season the good performances outweighed the bad,

4,0, 3,0, 6, I. 6-4.

'vVe started the season with a potelltially formidable side. Several of the teal11 had been with N.LP., Sil11ol1 Triggs and mvself in France ,H~J had pe-rformed creditably against representative opposition, We had a goalkeeper who regularly played for the higher team and several old hands from previous Second XI campaigns who were keen to enjoy their hockey. \\lC were con!ldent, The results wcre \'aried and surprising at limes. We

Kent Clip \I'illllillg side, ({t(apncll. Goo/ scorers: Alastair Lewis (17). Simon YOll!l!!man (8), William Carleton (6), Stuart Finlayson (5), Lars-Eric van dcn Hout (4), Ross Haines 0), Simon Jennings (3), David Ribchester (3). Ed Sixsmith (1), He.my Walpole (3). ()1I('~d(/y

had somc marvellous \'ictories and SOI11C disastrous defeats. Some of these victorics wcre aQainst good opposition and SO~llC of the defeats ,u.!.ains{ weak ones, All lllen;bers of the team deserve credit for their ~ efforts this season and I would not like to sinQ1c OLlI any individuals for !)faise. but the overall team spirit was quite remarkable throughollt the tcrm and they h,\\'e been <l real pleasure to be associated with. N.lM.

(O/fI"l/(flllell(S:

T('(//iI./i'Olil: David Grccngrass (Cup{(lin), Tom Byford. (11)' Harvey, Tom Evans, Andy Hickman, Daniel Floldstock. Bell Steinkruger, Simon Jennings. George Gossage. Mark Nunl1, Andy Foinette, David Farrar, Richard Bayley. Simon Bolshaw, Tony Burton, Lars van den 1..lout.

South of England Championships 0,1. )' Dr Challoner's Lost 4,7. \' Eastbourne Lost V</Oll 4-2. I' AN Other The Frank Masoll By this stage of the season the players were physically <lnd emotionally drained. Having won the group in the morning they went on to play Tonbridge in the semi-final. Tonbridge wanted to <1VelH!,e the earlier de !Cat lllore thall we wanted to confirm it. We rin<11ly nnishcd third. beating St Lawrcilce in the play-orrs,

RESUlTS

Represelllatil'e hOl/ou}'s:

Alastair Lewis Chris Letts Stuart Finlayson

TIlE C\NTUARJAN, LENT

\' \'

Kent Uncler 19 Kent Under 19 SOllth East Under 14 (C((pf(/in): Kenl Under 15: Kent Under 14

& SU;VEdER 1998

\' \. \'

198

Played 7, Won 3, Lost 3, Drawn I. (;oals for J 6, goals against 12. (H) King's, Rochester Drawn (H), Lost Trinity, Croydon (H), Duke of York's Won (B) Lost Kent C:ollcf!e CranlciQh '(A). Lost St Law;encc (II). \Von (II). Dover College Won

I, I. ! -2, 4, I. 0-2. 1,3. 3~2,

(), I.

3rd XI

RESUIJ'S

Played 7. Won I, Drawn I, Lost Goals for 3, goals against 19. l' Chatham HOLlse (H), l' King's. Rochester (A). r Trinity. Croydon (H) l' Duke ofYork's (A), l' Kent College (II) l' St Lawrence (A) l' Cranleigh (II),

So the internationally renowned lrd Xl returned to the field, having vowed never 10 compete again. Tcams across the county started to \vel their collective beds and cry for their mummies as the news spread. Doctors were warned to expect a glut of

minor injuries that were just enough 10 render the patient ofTgames on the days immediately prior to playing the mighty King's lrd XI. The giants of the 'l-chosc-hockcy-bccallsc-Idon't-like-footbalJ' scene were back in action.

Having heard reports other [cams contemplating mass suicide, \VC came 10 the team decision Ihal in order avoid !ega I action by distraught parents. i1 would be better to lower our siandard of play '-Inc! thereby save lives. Consequently, we had to start the season with ,1 skilfullv engineered

Lost Lost Lost Lost Won Lost Drawn

0-7, OA. 0-2. 0-1, 2-1. 1-4. O-(),

Junior Colts' A' XI

thrashing, and gradually reveal the true depth ·01' taTent that resides in the Thirds. Likewise, .11 the end of the season we would haye 10 finish with a couple of mediocre results in order to preyent mass hysteria a1 the start of next year's hockey season. /\ quick glance al the results sheet will show you ~hat this policy was executed with awesome and unernng accuracy. Charles 'The Killer' ivliller-Jones formed olle quarter of the brick wall lCchnically known ,1S the defence. On some occasions his controversial and inllovati\'C tackling technique caused players on both sides to wince. but \Vas highly clTeclive as long as the ref was looking the other way. Christopher 'jvlad Boris' Uibcleisen causcd opposing players to suITer toW I panic just at the sight or his hair. He quickly learnt when [0 tackle in the cOllventional style, and when to deploy advanced techniques such as the single-handed spinning reyerse hack. Having purchased a piece of space-age technology developed for the last twellty years in a top secret gOYCrHlllCnl laboratory. and claiming il W<.IS a hockey stick, Tim 'Ailll-at-li1eir-Shins' Adams hit the ball very hard from our goal area towards their legs. Luckily' no :-;erious injury ensued. The Defence line-up was completed by Charlie 'If we adopt <.I l-I-R formation ... ' Wells. Charlie's scholasticallv sized brain was clearlv not being occupied by the hlllllblc- game of hockey, so he t(;ok to philosophising on the great questions oj" the world mid-game, such as '\Vhv do trains alwavs run late when vou're on time. but on tillle "when you're latc?' It is nol knO\~'n whether <l!1Y answers were reaclied during the course of the term's hocke)' practiccs. The remainder or the tcam wcre a much morc nebulolls entity. Ed 'Gcon:e Weah' Pritchard regularl\' dribbled throu!!h cntire oppositiOl) tcams to release the . . ball to someone else ~{o miss the shot or charitably give it back to the opposition. Roland 'The Rocket' Phillips played on the wings where he could be spot!cd tearing after the ball as if it were a bundle of £50 notes. On several occasions he almost caused serious damage to himself on impact with the fence .surrounding the pitch. Cicorgc Gossage played centre forward as if he knew wJ1<It he was doing. This almost laid waste to OLlr carefully laid plans for the season (as described earlier) when he came within incilcs or lll<llly glorious goals. The team was almost completcd by Hugh 'Man with the Plan' Kingston. Henry 'He Came out of Nowhere' Cockburn. and Robert 'rvlr Skills' Pracey-Smith, who filled the remaining spots with aplomb. I tendcd to hang around the midfield and get in the way of cveryone else. Final mention must go to Simon 'The Gatekeeper' 130lshaw, goalie for [he season. Goal mOllth heroics were on display in almost evcry match. as \vel! as a gripping display of llovcluses of the English I<l!lguagc. He also scared the opposition forw'1I"(Is. Thanks go to those \\'ho played in matches who arc not mentioned above. PA.L.-B. who told us what to do and drove us 'll"Ound. and the people who cut up the haIr-time oranges .." they do <.1 great job. and no onc c\'er thanks them for i1. To~! PERKI:\. 1'e(l/l/ inc/uded: Tom Perkin, Tim Adal1ls, Robert PracevSmith, Charles Miller-Jones. Charlie Wells. Christopher Uibc!eisen. Roland Phillips. Georgc Gossage, Henry Cockburn. Hugh Kingston. [:d Pritchard and Simon Bolslww.

By hall' term the prospects for this team seemcd bleak and it looked as if the high point of the season might have to he a draw in the opening match against an impressive Chatham I-louse side. More !"rustratin!.; was that in trainitl!.; the team showcd touches o/" real class~ In matches, 110\\"e"c7·. althout!h they showed that they had the potential to score goals, they conceded far too mallY sort ones when defending. It would be wise not to elwell on the first half of the season apart from mentioning what a quality side Trinity were and that we Jearnt a great deal about how clinically the game could be played ,ll this level.

Bv half term it became clearer that Dan Las!ctt was doing a supei· job coaching this tealll and the skills of" individual play;rs were coming on very well: all they lacked was a lillie sci/'belief. On the Saturday afternoon when thev 1lll't St Lmvrence everything seemed to -fall into place. St Lil\\TeIKC had a few talented players who demanded carc!"ul l1l<lrking, hut our backs pn)\'ed themselves to be cqual to the task and our forwards, cspecially James Macfarlane and Captain James Mainwaring. shO\ved real class. That was undoubtedly the turning point of the season and thereafter rcsults went in our fa\'our. The Illidfield trio of Henry Aldridge. Ray Owens and Miles Leahv started to function far more cfrccti,;elv and have a greater iJlnllcnee on each game. The matches against Sir Ro~el' M,ln\\'ood\, and Dover CZ)lleg.e wcre both rairlv one-sided. although on]>.,; one or the scorelines reflects this. L _

In the last week of terlll the team took part in the Peter Firminger Kent U 15 trophy. In a closely contcsted pool or five teams in the morning session. King's went through as group winners. For thc afternoon. the opposition in the finals was too strong. To obtain fourth place though. from the twenty schools taking P,irl, was a major achievement and a benchmark of jllst how much this team have come on over the course or" the season. R.N.W. TC(llII

./i"O/l/: Henry Aldridge, Alex Foster. Tom (imrod.

Oliver Humphrey, Miles Leahy. James Ludbrook, James Macfarlane. James Mainwaring (CojJ/aill), Jack Martin. Luke MOlltgomery. Tom Morey, Ray Owens. Simon Ribchcster. ;\lex Shipman, Hayden Wood, Richie Young. /I/so p/(/yed: Tom Bruce, Charlie Harrel. James Murden.

l' l'

J' l' l' \'

l' l' l'

199

RI,:sL:I.TS Played 9. Won 3, Drawn!. Lost Goals for 22. against 32. Chatham House (II), (A). King's. Rochester Trinity, Croydon (H) Duke of York's (A), (iI) Tonbridge Crall brook IA). St Lawrence (11), Sir Roger Manwood's (II), Dover College (II)

THE

C\i\TU ..\RI;\N,

Drawn Lost Lost Lost Lost Lost Won Won Won

U::\T &

I-I,

1-), 0-12. 3-4.

0-), lA, 5-2.

Snl~IER

HI,

10-0,

199R

Junior Colts '13' XI

All the boys ShOlild be proud of their performances this year and I wish them all the best for next season. ANDREW HIRST. Team /imn: Roshan Ariyaratnam, David Arnold, James Berry, Edward Bosher, Nick Carty, Nick Cullen, Justin Davies, William Davies, Richard Gordon~Wil1iallls, I'-;'rederick Hadfield, Edward Marno, James Northern, Harry Pope, Sachin Prcmnath, Jonathan Reeve, Stuart RO\van, Lawrence White, Alistair \Vilclblood.

The 'A' and 'B' tcams trained together as squads and the competition for 'A' team places was vcry close. In practice matches 'A' v '13', thc '8' tcam were often able to teach the 'A's a trick or two. Their ability to play simple effective hockey with accurate passing was particularly pleasing. It was unfortunate that their fixture list was so limited as there arc some vcry tidy players here who only lack match practice. The Trinity 'B' side, like their 'A's, was an accomplished one and although this match was vcry keenly conic-sled, Trinity kept the upper hand throughout. In the match against Duke of York's, there was some clinical finishing from the forwards with James Murden being in particul<1'rly fine form. The finishing against Cranleigh was rathcr less impressive and it was disappointing to lose this game. There are a number of players here who read the game very well, can distribute the ball accurately and clTicielltly and a goal. Many of thcm number who have good skill in front have played matches for the 'A' team this season and should secure places in senior (cams next year. R.N.W '/(;(I/JI .I1'01n: Hamish Backhousc, Tom Bruce, Tom Garrod, Charlie Harrel, Oliver Humphrey, Ryan Kenison, Miles Leahy, Jack Martin. Chris Mattingly, Jamcs Murden, James Northern, Michael Page. Zaeh Saitoti, Alex Shipman. Hayden Wood.

RESUlTS

Played 2, Won 0, Lost 2. Goals for 3, against 7. \' Trinity, Croydon \' Cranleigh

RI~SUI:rS

Trinity, Croydon Duke of York's Cranleigh

(H). (A).

(A).

Lost \Von Lost

1-3. 2-4.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable and successful season. The start was hectic as there was less than a week to produce an 'A' team from a large squad, lllallY of whom had not played before, Nonetheless, fine \ve<lther and some enthusiasm meant that there were soon more than enough capable players competing for places in the teams. The 'A's began with an impressivc victory over Chatham House. They went behind in the first minute against King's, Rochester, but three goals in ten minutes tow,lrds the end of the match wcre just reward for much pressurc. They were also behind against Trinity, Croydon, but two goals in two minutes in the second half produced an impressive win. The unbeaten record camc to an end against Duke or York's. Having started well but failed to score, and then gone behind, they proceeded to let in three identical 'soft' go,11s. It was unfortunate that injuries and illness - a persistent problem: twenty-one players played during the season - then seriollsly disruptcd the side. and against Tonbricige only hall' the tealll were available: the performance was thus very creditable in the circumstances. The Cranbrook game saw thc most impressivc hockey of the term, though the absence or any regular centre forward meant that pressure could not be converted into go'lis. The defeat against

Played 3, Won I, I,ost 2. Goals for 8. against 9. l'

Lost Lost

Under 14 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'D' XIs

(II). (A).

2-6. 5-1. 1-2.

Junior Colts 'C' XI

The Junior Colts 'C' team had a rather quiet season as the team ended up playing only two of the three schedulcd games. Arter weeks of strict diet control and rigorous training at Polo Farm. Mr Cook and 1 fel! cOllfidcnt that the team was ready to handle anything that Trinity could throw at us, V/ith JOIl Reeve as Captain for the first time. before the match the team barely spOKe with nervous excitement. Trinity were a class oUlfit and for the first fifteen minutes King's played like a team with something to prove and the score remained !eve!. With a few spectacular saves by the goalkeeper Lawrence WhilC, King's stayed in thc gamc. Just before half-time, Trinity finally broke throurdl our solid defence and were the rirst to strike the hack of the Ill'\. In the second hall' King's camc back with a fantastic goal by the captain Jon Recve. and the scores were even. Unfortunately towards the end of the match whcn our fitness Jet us down, Trinity scored two easy goals but the Junior Colts had played above thcmselves and should be proud or their errort. After picking ourselves up from this deCca\' thc tcam had 10 look toward to the next game Cranleigh. Lawrencc White had hung LIp his goal keeping gloves and James Berry proudly stepped in with bi!:! shoes to Jill. We entered the match with a few ncw l~lOVCS undcr our belt and spoke about them Gregory F:'dl1lllllds, Wi/liwi/ YOllng. Christoph('/' Mllliells. his/ull Willis. only in secrccy or in coded messages. Again our /\/e.\' /\lIcock. (NL.P) opposition was tough bUl King's held their own 011 a cold, windy pilCh, David Arnold surprised us all with his St Lawrence \vas disappointing, as their outstanding individual blistering pace. scoring a magni/iceDt goal which raised the spirits was allowed to dictate play. of the team. King's scored their second thanks once <t!!ain to the The highlight of the term was the East Kent Tournament at powerful stick David Arnold, who slogged one past the St Lawrcnce. Playing on grass was a novel experience and Cranleigh keeper late in the game. Cranleigh however werc just called for a new formation and dirferent tactics, hut the players too tough for us and we went down 4-2. adapted quickly and sailed through the group matches

THE CA\:TL.':\RI;\N, LE.'\T & SU!\I1\WR 1998

200

and Rupert Colchester earned his place for his watchfulness and tackling, The main strength or the team was in midfield where Will Young and Lco Nathan were energetic and dominant. and they werc well supported by .lames Audsley. Up frollt. Toby Hayes proved an c!fccliw right wing: Alcx Perry (rcplacing the injurcd Jalllcs Ellis) h<.\d thc knack or scorin!?. !?.oals: and Chris RV(ln had enviable slickw~)rk" Oil the Icl"!, ConnlJ Baker provl~d <In exeelle!H all-purpose substitute, The '13' Xl's scason starled inauspiciously <I!?.ainst a stronQ Kin!?. 's, Rochcster, Under 11 'A' Xl o~l grass. Then~ at Trinity, Croydon, lhc team played SOlllC supcrb hockey, much illlpressing Ihe watchini! lllasters-in-char!?.e, and after l!oin!?. behind with three minutcs to g.o equalised iml11edi:ltely for a wcll-carned draw. They thcn dominated IllLlch of thc match a!?.ainst Duke of York's, but failed to scorc and p:lid the penalty: played tcnaciously against a \"cry successful Crankigh side and only lost bv the n<l1"1"o\\'est of mar!!ins: and scored in Ihe dying" seconds _.. after spurni 'l'g numerous chances· 10 rceord a dcserved vil,tory at St Lawrencc. Thc team underwent many changes ovcr lhc term. Will Harral! crartdy on the left, Felix BOllOmley calmlv in tilc middle, Gcor!?.e Brooke llla/.ily at ccntre I'ol"\\:ard, SlLlart Rau ell(T!?.etically e~'ervwhcre, Ant!l(;ny Teale skilfully anYWhere, Tim ~rrillo swiftly- on the right wing, and Tim \Valker calmly in midCield or sweeping were the regular players. Conrad Baker and Rupert Colchester deserved promotion to the 'A's: Harry Winner starred when he returned aftcr illness: and O]i\'CT Lyons, Owen Lee and Harry Wcllesley-\Vcsley calllC up from the 'Cs. Thc 'C's and ',Ys improvcd thcir skill and positional scnse over the terlll, and probably deservcd more opportunities to display their taicnts - preferably on astro. Some had thc chance of promotion to thc 'J3's: lllore will dn so ncxt year. Our thanks go to Stuart Humphreys, who orfered somc den coaching before he was called up to the England squad: and to Mrs Fox who provided expcrtise, wisdom and encouragclllent througholltlhe terlll. \Ve arc also grateful 10 Andrew Hirs!. \\ihn ul1lpi~cd the 'Cs and 'D's, ~ P,CJ,H, and P.T. '/\' Tm/J/: QuinC').' Allan, Alexander Ancock, James Audslev, Conrad Baker. Ru])ert Colchestcr, Gregory F.dlll11llds, .lames E!lis, Toby Hayes, Christopher Mullens (C(fl)!({in), Lco Nathan, Alexander Perry, Christopher Ryan, Tristan \\lillis, William Young (Caplain). A!so played: Georgc Brooke, Stuart Rall, Thomas SLeibcl1. Anthony Teale, Timothy Trillo, Christopher WhiLe, Harry Winner.

\Vi//i(/Ii/ )lollI/g. (NL.P.)

undefeated. The scmi-final (now on astro) found us lip against the hOSh. \\lc soon wcnt behind and wcre on the dcfensive for most of the game. All ulu,lliser in the dying seconds brought extra tillll~ .... and a swif'l victory in this 'sudden dcath' situation. A heroic effort in the final. against a vcry skilful Kent College side, wa~ not ljuite enough, and they deservedly won, but by ol1ly a single goal. The defensive line··up WilS constantly changing, but Tristan Willis illlprm'cd rapidly as a dashing goalkeeper: Chris ivlullens was a strong and rcliable central defendcr: Cjreg Edmunds was Lhe swceper and 'defensive co-ordinator': Aicx Allcock struck free hilS with <\Wl'SOn1L' power: Quincy Allan was tcnaciolls:

" " " \' " \" " "

RES[lI.TS Plavcc! g Won 4 Lost 4. (ioals ~ror 18, goals 'against 15. Won Chatham HOllse (1-1). Won Kill!?. 's, Rochester (J.t). Won Trin'lt\"", Croydon (H). Duke 'ofYoJ:k's 0-1). Lost Lost Tonbridne (I-Il. Crallbro~k (H). !.ost SI Lawrcnce U\). '"OSI Vv'OIl Dover College (Ill. F({st Kcnl

(jllill!'Y A/I(/II.

"/()III"11({I1ICIIl:

2-1. 3-1, 2-1.

0·4. 0·3. )··2. 2-~,

8·0.

gmlljJ /Jwlc/ies:

Won 2, Drawn 3, Scmi-final \' St Lawrcncc, WOII 2-1 (al~l). Final v K~nt College, Lost 0-1. '8' 1'(,(1111: Thomas Andrews, Vv'illialll Barralt. Felix B01Lomlc\', Cicorge Brookc, Oliver LVOIlS, Stuart Rau, Thomas Stcibelt, 'Anthollv Tc,lie, Timothy" Trillo, Timothy \Valker (C({pf({ill j, Harry \Vinller.' , i\/SO /)!({.\"('(/: Conrad Baker, Rup~rt Colchester, Jamcs Dickins, Owen Lec, '··larry \Nelleslcy-V''!esley, Tristan Willis,

(N.I~.F.)

201

THE C;\NTlHRJ . \i'\, LI::,\"I" & SU\L\IER 1998

Eastboul11e Hoc key Club, which was the hardest competi tion by far. They made an ead y breakthrough and kept the advantage throughout the game, never all owi ng us to make the break that we needed to get back into the game. Tessa scored an excellen t goal from the edge of the D, wh ich improved morale, and the second half in panicular showed the team off very we ll indeed. They won the game 4- \ , whi ch knoc ked us out of the com pet ition. but we fe lt extremely proud at hav ing got so fa r, reach ing the last 16 teams in the country before meeting o ur match. Thanks IllU St go to all our coaches - Mr Lee-Browne, Mrs Fox and Mrs Lawre nce - for all their help and SUpPOl1 throughout the season. S~P til E GOLD. Team: Lami Aki nde le , Isabe ll e C hapma n, A nt oni a Dixey, A lex Fie ld ing, Suzy Gellll es, Soph ie Go ld (Captaill ), Rachel Hes lop, Caroline Hollywood, A my Manse ll , Tal ia Radrord. Re mi Sijuwade, Vicki Sull y, Tessa va n den Hou t (Capraill).

R ESULTS

Played 5, Won I, Lost 3, Draw n I. Goals fo r 2, goals again st 12. \' King's, Rocheste r (A). Lost 0-8, \' Tri nity. Croydon (A). Drawn 1-1. I ' Du ke of York 's (H). Lost 0-2. I ' C ra nle igh (H). Lost 0-1. II St Lawrence (A). Won 1-0. ;C and 'D' Teams : Martin A u, Ja mes Bushell, Eric Chan, Frederi ck Clough, Max Colc hester, Harry Devenish, James D icki ns, Kartikaye Jhalani, Owen Lee, Jo natha n Lynes, Jolyon Ma rsh, Thoma s Pritc hard, Cha rl es Ri x, Akinola SoyodeJo hn so n, Matthew S purway, Alexander Steve ns, Har ry Wellesley-Wes ley, Christophe r White , Alade Williams. RESULTS

Pl ayed 3, Won I, Los t 2. Goa ls for 3, goals against 8. Won Duke o f York 's (A). Tri nity, C roydo n (A), Lost Lost C ran le igh (A).

3-0.

Netball

0-2.

0-6.

1st VII

Girls' Hockey

With a Duff coach leading the way, we were SCI for a stormin g season. Ha vin g come fi ft h out of 35 sc hoo ls in Kent. we knew we we re in for a fun and success ful term. Behind the innocent face of our Captain, Mill s, lu rked a so mewhat viciolls att itu de. He r six-foot ann s and legs in furiated and tripped up many of he r op po nen ts and her shooting ski ll s never fa iled li S. The o ther ha lf of th e ' Dy namit e Du o' was Lowri, 'The Fox '. After learn ing how to split he r legs, she managed to ge t c loser to the goal, not that she needed to as a ll he r lo ng di stance shots wenI in too.

Hockey Association All England Women 's Hockey Under 15 Cup Competition

In the course of the Au tu mn term we had re ma ined un beaten and we were determi ned to keep it like that for as long as possible. Our first Clip matc h was agai nst the Wea ld of Kent Grammar School; this proved to be a walkove r, wit h Tessa van den Hout scoring a lovely goal earl y in the l11a1ch to set the pattern, and Cle mmie We ll esley- Wesley and Talia Rad fo rd prov iding good SUppOI1 in midfie ld. We sett led dow n to play an excell ent matc h, and having set our sights on double figures we ended 10up. The nex t malc h against Q ueen Eli zabeth's G ramma r Sc hoo l, Favers ha m, also proved to be an easy victory, wit h Isabe lle Cha pm an selling up several goa ls on the left w in g and Rache l Hes lop. Amy Mansell, Ca roline Holl ywood and Alex Fi elding keep ing the ball well up in the o ppos ition half fo r most of the matc h. We won th is ga me 7-0. The first test came in the next round, in which we had been drawn agai nst Bre ntwood. At Under 141evci the previoll s year we had d raw n against the m, having WO Il all the ot her matches, so we went into the game wit h muc h appre he nsio n. However after a rocky stm1 Lami Ak in delc scored a su pe rb goal coming in from the right wing. Brent wood rought back and eq ual ised soo n afte r that, but from the push back Isabe lle C hap man went stra ig ht up the left wing and scored again. T hi s really took the wind out of their sa ils, and they never recovered from the setback, allowing LI S to ho ld the score at 2- 1. Anton ia Di xey and Rem i Sij uwade prov id ed exce lle nt Neiballisl 11/1 1998. de fensive work in this game. Standing: Theresa Boyce. Katherine Emary, N.R.D ., LOlI'ri Fox, Julia IVluflfe. The nex t round, early in the Lent Seated: Louise Sqllires. Alice Walker, Camilla Jackson (Captain). Sarah Hu bbard-Ford. te rm , found us d raw n again st (Wilh ackflowledgemel11s to Mike Wmerm all.)

TH E CANTUA RtAN, LENT & SUMfl- IER 1998

202

Th{'}'('sa 8oycc. (M.J.T)

;\/icc I-hllker. (M.J.T)

Alice in the centre eoun perl'ccted her bowling skills into tile circle. and improved remarkably on her pirOlletleS ~ it must have been those extra ballet lessons! She competed closely with l\llills Oil the six-foOl arm front, her interceptions and one-arm p;lsses sometimes proving useful. As for Sarah .- .iust remember, Sarah, netball is a nOll-contact sport, though we couldn't have asked for more in terms of speed. agility and deterillinmion. Our most versatile playL'l'. Julia. calm and controlled whether a de!Cnce, shoote.r or centre-court, always kept the tcam together. She had great connection down the court, and a wonderful ability to just 'be there'. Louise doing her star impression (! 2 f"cet away, not 3 feet) was never more satisfied than when she kept the GA out of the circle, which she managed to do with relative casco Though sillall, her ability to jump was frustrating for the other team. as their W/\ \Vas often denied the ball. Theresa wal11ed the ball and normally got it. She stllck like glue to her opposition, and completed her job with a great flamingo impression. Her stamina and speed left her opponents stranded. Theresa's running p'lrlner. K;llC .- you'd think as a scholar shc'd kno\\' her len from her right. but atlcast she could COUlltto 'four'. Although small for a GK. her distraction of the

shooter and jumping for the rebounds prevented the oppositio.n from doing too mueh damage. As a partncrshlp, thell' persistcnce in defence paid off. but please. guys, just stop running everywhere. Last, but bv no means least. Miss Dufl and her never ending bursts of energy, bouncing around the COllrt. shooting and joining in with our warm-ups. will she ever tire out? Although 'we hated it, her fitness sessions paid ofl ~ with most of liS managing to reach Level 12 in the bleep test; shock, horror! We were not sure how she would take our boxer shorts, but as she sl.lid, 'I'm used to sceing boxer shorts. so don'! worry'! Seriously, though, we want to say a massive thank you for making this season so enjoyable, and we wish all the best to next year's team. C,\:--lll.L,\ l\CKSON.

Theresa Boyce"" Kate r:mary":, Lowri Fox'" Sarah I-iubbard-FonF, Camilla Jackson (Caprain),,::'" Louise Squires:::, Alice Walker:", Julia Wharrc": First Colours '~:::First Colours re-awarded TC({II/ ji'OIiI:

LOllise S'qllires. (M.J.T.)

,S'arah HlIbbard-Ford. (MJT.)

203

THE CANTUARIAN, LENT

SU1\."ji\lER 1998

played three matches in total this season, there has been a de!lnite improvement in our game. Altogether it has been a mixed season results-wise. but evcryone seems [0 have learned a grc<lt deal. and enjoyed themselves. Thanks go to Mrs McConnell and Miss Dufr for their handy tips and advice when it was most necded, and of course to Laura fOf beill~ such a wonderful captain. '-

RI:SUITS

Plaved I i. Won 9. Lost 2. Poirlts for 442. against 247. \' Benenden

(A).

Won

r Dover G,S. r St Edmund's

(J-I).

WOIl Won

(;\). \' HiQl1worLh (I-I). (i-I). \' Cr~!1lbrook l' Sevcnoaks (I-I). \. Maidstollc G.S. (;\). \' Ashford (H). \' Kin~'s, Rochester (A). \. Sim~)J1 Langton Girls' G.S. (I-I). \. Kent College (I-I).

Won

Won Lost Won Won

Won Lost Won

32-2X. 49-10. 61-17. 28-20. 34-28. 34-37. 35-28. 43-7. 53-6. 28-31. 44-35.

L.V:RA TRELHWD AND

\' 1"

\' \' \'

RI,:sUI.TS

Played 3, Won !. Lost 2. \' 5( Edmund's (A). Lost Won \' Cranbrook (II). Lost \. King's. Rochester (A).

8-0. 11-0. I I-I. 11-0.

Under the guidance and captaincy of Sophie Chapman, the under-16 team have had a fun season. Owing to 111<111y injuries the team has changed orten. even weekly _. perhaps disrupting the f1nw of play, particularly up front, but nevertheless giving an opportunity ror the girls to play in some new positions. Tom Ogundoyin. despite her ever-growing nails. was allowed on court <It times to prove her shooting skills and superiorjull1ping heights, whilst Bella Hird and Lucy Bridge - between broken wrists and sprained anklcs -- shot valiantly. Sophie Chapman (Captain) provided a good degree of stability at WA along with Emily Smitham in C to delivcr some productivc feeds into the circle. Their speed and agility in mid-court certainly had a positive impact on some oftllc tC<.lm"s more sLlccessful games this season. Laura Eldon and Louise Robertson were a super partnership at the rear, blocking out Illany attacking moves with case. The team's most successful day was ,iust before the. Easter holiday, when they were runners lip in the Canterbury District U 16 'TI)urnamcnl. beating local school teams .- especially arch-rivals Simon Langton, and coming second only to Kent College.

This has been a J~lirly cven season for the 2nd VII. losing flvc but winning the other live. Due to various cirCLlms1<l1lccs our tcam has changed members on a regular basis. but there have been a few con~istcilt players. Lucy T~'ai!! and Rebecca Sealh (C) made up the attacking team with Jean Richardson and Nikki Murch defending at the other end. The team was completed by Alex Carty, Alex Elliott and Sophie Jones in centre court. "Ve would like to thank those that played in reserve Lotte Tydeman (GS), Athena Chenery (WA), Charlotte Inglis (GD), Monica Filby (GK) and Lucy Thomas (CjK). \Ve should also likc 10 thank Miss Duff. our coach and al! thc other starr who helped us. BECKY SE,\TIl. Despite some lost lll<Hches this year. the 2nds have shown a consistent standard, playing in lllany cases ,'!gainst opposing schools' ! sl teams. This has provided tough opposition throughout (he season. and whilst team mcmbers did change midcollrt, the circle players did their very best to uphold their standards both in defence and attack. N.R.D. Team .Iimll: Alex Carty. Athena Chellery, Alex ElIio(t. Monica Filby, Charlo!Le Inglis, Sophie Jones, Nikki Murch, .Jcan Richardson, Rebecca Seath (Captaill), Lucy Thomas. Lucy Traill, Lotte Tycleman.

SOPIlIE CII.Âˇ\P~JAN.

Team.ll"Olll: Lucy Bridge, Sophie Chapman (Caplaill). LUira

Eldon, Bella Bird, Catherine James. Adetoro Ogundoyin, Laura Phillips, Louise Robertson. Emily Smitham. Jacquetta Wheeler. Stephanie White. RI:StlITS

RI:suLrs

\' BCllendcn \' Cranbrook \' Sevcnoaks l' Maidstone

24-15. 1:1-25. 19-9. I 1-21. 26-14. 29-15. 23-29. 15-24. 02-15. 00-40.

SU;>,l;>,IER J 998

11-14. 13-39. 25- J 9. 20-29.

The team this season has been fantastic. We have been practically unbeaten: our only lost match was against Maidstone Grammar School whcn the weather was appalling and we had twO players missing. Even with these handicaps we played brilliantly and only lost by a couple of goals. Every other match \ve have played stonningly and have won by miles. Tessa van den HOLlt and Mini Hollywood have been our shooters and have been outstanding. Some matches I have been amazed at their skills. Mini starte<lout as a defence and turned out to be an olltstanding shooter. Our defenders. Laura Elliot! ;md Penny Cox. have been a solid wall against the opposition. and all their opponents have got frustrated to the point of shollting bccause they Iwve been so good. Lami Akindele, Amy Mansell and Chrissy Stood Icy have been our secret weapon on the centre court; they worked well together and left opponents staring at their amazing standard or play.

This season has seen a variety of players, with different people coming to prominence in each lllatch. Although the lineup altered every week, this did no! disrupt team spirit and enthusiasm. We came <.lcross quite hefty opposition, but this did nol prevent us from coming together as a team and remaining. positive throughout. Play was always fast-moving around the court, and I think we call safely say, thanks to the coaching: of Mrs McConnelL that we have mastered the basic and some or the more complex skills of the sport ~ Although we have only

LENT &

Played 4, Won I, Losl 3. (A). Losl Lost (H). (1-1) Won G.S. (A). Lost

Under 15 'A'

3rd VII

THI: C\NTU;\RIAN,

14-2,\. 15-14. 1,\-24.

Under 16 VII

8-5.

2nd VII

Played 10, \Von 5. Lost 5. I' Benenden (A). Won Los( \' Dover G.S. (ll). (A) Won I' Duke of York's I' Bethany I (A). Lost I' Highwor(h I (I-I). \\1on (II). V/Oll I' Cranbrook I' 5evcnoaks (I-I). Lost \. Ashford (II). Lost I' Dover Col lege I (1-1). Won I' Kent College (II) Lost

']"YÂˇDDJ..\N.

Filby, i"'iorag GUllson, Charlie Inglis, Freya Jonas. Lucy Thomas, Laura Trelrord (Captain), Lotte Tydcman. Ellie Wharton.

Dislricf Tournament:

Played 5. Won 5, Lost O. Q.E.S .. Faversham \VOI1 Barton Court G.S. Won 5t Edmund's Won Kent Collene Won Simon Langton Girls' G.S. Won

Lorr!:

Tellllljlwll: Emma Butler. Laura Cameron, Tess,\ Dain. ivlonica

204

Our hardest match was predicted to be against Cranbrook but we ended up winning decisively. We have played well tOl!,cther since our vcrv first match and the credit for that h,;s to go to Mrs Woodley, who has beell ou7Âˇ pillar or strength: in every match slle has been com!l1entcd on as one the bcst umpires, We are all grateful for her support,

C1lRISSY STOODLEY,

Co(/ch's

COIll/)/CI/fS:

And I have been vcry grateful for Capulin Chrissy Stood ley's support. She has been a very crfective captain and has undertaken her duties with commitment and responsibility. This (eal11 has certainly been a very lively team whose skill and control have progressed well throughout the tcnn. Quick o!lthc. mark at all times. thev have chased frolll onc end or the CO~lrt to the other with lightning speed, A storming season. that's for sure!

JAW.

The tealll

Olulamisola Akindelc, Penelope Cox, Laura EHiott, Caroline Hollvwood. Amv Mansell. Christabel StoO(.lley (CujJh/'ill j. Tessalce van den I-lout. I\'(/S:

Nerh(/I/ Under 15 'II' V/I S'tulldillg: Carolinc j-{o/h'll'()or/, OIIl/(/lI1iso/a Akillde/e, LOI//'(/ Flliof!, }('ssa/c(' 1'(//1 tim HOII!, S'(,,,tcd: ;1 Illy 'Mul/sell, Christuhe/ Slootl/ey (Captain), PCllc/ope Cox, (IVitll (/CkIlOl!'/cilgclllclIls to Mike Ifatel'lI/al/,)

RI;SULrs

Played 10. Won 9, Lost I, I'

\' \' I'

\' \' I' I' I'

BCllcntien Ursuline Colle(le St 'Edmund's ~ Crallbrook Sevenoaks Dover G,S. Ashford M,lidstone G,S, Dover College Kent College

Under 14 'A'

24-14.

Won Won Won Won Won Won Won Lost Won Won

36-7. Results initially were quite good even though the team was cllanl.!ed each match, Overall the results \\'cre fine. even though \\~c los! gallles that we should have won, As the season progressed we started to play more as a team and !c.ss as individuals. It appeared though that \ve only reached our potentia! for two of the rour quarters (and then olltscored the opposition), Unfortunately the game consists or another two quaners and our concentration tended to waver. This, however. is wl1at team sport is about and lessons have been learnt. We enjoyed the matches and are very grateful for the support received, irrespective of the weather conditions,

19- 8. 34-8. 24-19. 26- 2 I. 16-15. 15-20. 40-6. 31-19.

Under 15 'B' On the whole we have had an extremclv succes~rul season, with (\ good, strong team in all aspects, ()u~' wins have al! been vcry convincing, with the exception of King's, Rochester, which was abandoned due to hC,lV), rain <\fler the first quarter, Our onlv loss could also be blamed on bad weather - that and the fact that we were playing Duke orYork's Under 16 'X team,

The coaches would like to thank Miranda for her enthusiasm, play and duties undertaken as Captain, The team arc very grateful for the support. cilcouragement and coaching from Mr Fox and Miss Reidy, even when our altitude \vas not corrcct~

We haw picked up many new skills this term and look forward to gatherin!! CVClllllore ncxt vear. Our thanks go to ivlrs Woodley o~r brilli,~lt coach, ~ '-

rVIIRA:\]):\

Team: Aimee Au . .lemma Leslie. Melissa Macan. Miranda Meyer (CojJl(/ill), Elizabeth Milligan, Selma Oliver. Lottie Sierck,

ROS:\;-'IU;,\!) ASllTON,

Teallljimll: Rosamund Ashton (Cuptain), Emily Gomcrsal!, Rachel Heslop, Victoria Lloyd. Christina Nihon-Kufta. Tali<l Radford. Karen Smith, Also played: Julia Dawes. Antonia Dixe)" Marnham, Aderemi Sijuwade.

/\Is() e/ayed: Anna Baldwin, Alexandra Fielding. Alexa Leslie, Monica Mark. Tatiana Sanglade,

Charlotte RI:SUITS

Played 9. \Von 4. LOSl (;\), I' Se\'enoaks (A). I' I3cnenden I' Ursuline College IA). \' S( Edmund's "(A). (A), I' Cranbrook I' Ashford (H). I' Maidstone (i,S, IA). \' Dover Cl,S, (II). (A), I' Kent College

RESl!l:rs

Played 7. Won 6, Lost I, \' Bellenclcn Duke of York's I' Bethanv I' Cranbrl)()k I' Sevenoaks I' King's. Rochester I' Kent College I'

U\), (A). (;\).

III). III) (H). (;\l.

Won Lost Won Won Won Won Won

MEYER.

20-7. 9-14. 12-9. 37-4.

13-13. 2-1.

40-6.

205

S. Drawn 0,

Lost Lost WOIl Won Lost Won Lost WOIl Lost

TJ-JE C,\NTl!;\RIt\1\.

12-23, 12-28,

31-1. 25-1.'. 19-21.

41-15. 17-27.

56-6. 20-23,

LE:"\T & SU\J,\IER 1998

Under 14 'B' The vcry first match of the season was againSl Scvclloaks. Everyone \vas nerVOllS, !lc}\vc\,cr the team ~ot 0'1'1' to a !.wod slart, playing wel! ag<lins\ quill' ~ a strong opposition. Al this point VicLoria Parrish was centre but !aIel' unfortunately had 10 drop out because of a knee problem. However she played wel! ill this firsl malch. The coaches now had a rOll~h idea

who played well with who111.'" and how everyone played in match conditions. III practice and through lhe next few matches the teams remained I1winiv the same. allholl!.!h a few changes were' made. There were l;lt1ny strong shZ)otcrs 10 choose from:

Annabel James was a strong player and ended up being the permanent goal shooter for the team. Amy Marshall was also another possibility :lIld worked well with Annabel. She plaved in the lasl few matches. after reco\'ering from <I sprained ankle and made a valuable contribution to the team. Talllsin Long.ley also played as goal shooter having. been proilloted from the league. She played ill various matches and was a reliable player. Susan (lentlcs was also another possibility for goal attack and was a strong wing defencc. She was a reliable player and would play any position weI! if needed. E1izabcth r'vlilligan played goal attack L1llti! she was promoted to the 'As.

;\IIIY Mal/sell. (M.J.T)

The Boat Club

Alexa Leslie and Emilv Berr\' fought thrOlll!hout the term for wing auaek and whe;l they' got tIle chanc~ to play they played well. Wing defence was shared between Orlanda EHiolL and Anna Baldwin. Each put in a lot of effort ,md were strong meillbers of the team. Elizabeth Hurst also competed for thi's position and was a strong reserve to fall back on if needed. Katie Redstone played as centre throughout the term and also captained the team.

The Lent tenn started with the usual Illurmurs of" 'Is there going to be an eight'?' though this time they Il1rncd OUI to be alilllc Illore pronounced as the Fifths took their time pOll(kring o\'er their games options. But sure enough they turned up in force~ with a squad of twelve it was decided to run the eight as well <IS some pairs and fours. The season started with Hampton regat1a. Despite only two outings in the eight before the race, and the loss of the rudder during the race, the eight came 12th out of the eights. after a tussle with a fast Bedford Modern crcw. This result was resplx'tablc, though there was <l lot of progress that needed to be made - building up to Schools' Head. the main evcnl of the Head season. The key areas in the following weeks were improving our strength and endurance as a creVI! and concentrating on len~th and <Icce!eration in our stroke. 1n the weights 1"0011,"1\1r Parker and Mr I-looper had concocted an evil new \Vei~hts circuit designed to improve Ollr strength and leg drive~ and Wednesday had become a three-kilometre tillled run to improve our endurance. As often is the case, the weather at Sturn' did no! help our cause. A very blustery week left us in the h,111ds or the dreaded ergos, though this was good for both endurance and strength as well as giving us an opportunity to concentrate on personal technical improvements.

Samantha Brown and MOllica Mark played as goal defence <l good pair. l'vlonica especially was a reliable playcr and put in a lot of effort throughout the term. 11ltiana Sang lade also played goal defence /"or thc first coup!c of matches but was then promoted to the 'As. and goalkeeper and were

The first matches weren't played as we-II as could be as the team had to get used to playing together. but gradually they improved and towards the end of the term played with great skill. The team were perceptive at picking up others' mistakes and c01llmcnting on them, laking heed <lIthe sarne time of people's advice to thclll. We played many strong teams and learnt froJll each match how we could improve and cope with each team's different methods. Overall it was a very successful term especially as it was the first year and the first time the team had played netball together. An enormOllS amount or elTon was put in throughout the terlll and the results definitely showed this. KArlE REl)STO\'E. Team .II"O/n: Annabel James, Amy Marshall, Alexa Leslie, Katie Redstone (Cuptain), Anna Baldwin, Samantha Brown, Monica Mark. Also }Jlaycd: Emily' Berry, Tamsin Longley, Susan Gentles, Elizabcth Hurst, Tatiana Sanglade, Orlanda Elliott, Elizabeth !'"I'lilligan.

Just before half term was Henley Schools' Head. where we entered a four of Dave, Alex, Olli. Ed and Kajsa. Unfortunately due (0 poor marshalling our competition was nowhere ncar us, nevertheless we had a good race and came 6th. Alex ,mel Dave were then whipped ofT to Kingston. where thc following day they would compete in their pair at the Junior ("Jrcat Britain trials, a gruelling race over eight kilometres of river. Despite underrating and \vinding down before the finish they came an olltstanding 16th oul of 27. Competing against the lOp junior oarsmen. in England this result was both exciting and encouraging. After half term it was the two-week cOllntdown to the Schools' Head. After a change or coaches as Mr Parker decided to tackle the Shells it was Miss Kerr and Mr Lawrence who took us through ratioed race rate training and

RI:::suns Played 5, Won 4, Lost 1, Drawn O. Scvenoaks BCHenden 1Âˇ Duke of York's r Cranbrook l' Kellt College l' l'

(A). (A). (A).

Won

20-10.

Lost \Von

IA)

\Von

12-18. 10-8. 24-12.

(A).

VI/on

22-0.

THE C\NTUAR1A\:, LxxI' & SCi\Âˇ!i\lER 1998

206

hand speeds . Th e da y o f the Sc hool s' Head arrived: alt ho ug h we made th e sta rt , we had a d isa ppo int in g race. Howe ver our resu lt indicated tha t un do ubted ly a mo re cO lllmitt ed ap proach wa s nced ed , as well as Illore e ffe c t ive and e ffi ci e nt tra ini ng. Fi na ll y we m ust t ha nk Mi ss Ke rr. Mr Parker an d Mr La w re nce fo r the ir va illabl e coac hi ng, guid an ce and e nco urageme nt. A II -in -a ll the Le nt term, as ever, had it s fa ir share of u ps and do wns for the fi rst e ig ht. W ith the term ':,> experie nce be hind us we look fo rward to a nd pre pa re for o ur tra ini ng ca mp in S wit ze rla nd and an e njoyabl e rega li a season. K t\JS i\ Mc LAREN. Tile sq uad was: Dav id BolI'/ou/' of ,',e l SI VII' I,eadillg fo/' all Ullder 18 siil'er medal ill S prake *. A lex Reeve* , Ed Gill'''' IlIlemm iollal Rega ffrt. (S ..I.C .) Eve re tt *. James Graham *, J o n E ll is" . O il y Bake r* , l ai n We ir *. Do rian Soan es*. Joe l Mars ha ll, Davi d S tephen s, Pe ter Dnv id so n, Kajsa Mc Laren (cox )* . '~ T h o se who rowed in the 1st VIII at the School s' Head .

'"l' Coxed / Vs.

Senior Girls' Squad, Lent 1988 T he lirst eve nt o f the season, Hampto n Head, ca me a ll too soon. but the senio r g irl s managed to pu t thei r main o ppos iti o n in the ir place, beating Head ing to n by li ve seco nds. hav ing los t to the m by two seco nd s at Pang bo llrne before C hri stm as. Th e hi g hli g ht o f th e te rm had 10 be win nin g th e Sc hoo ls' He ad , a s des p it e va ri o us ill nesscs we succeeded in ho ld ing off any inte rn at iona ll y- ridden c rews who thought they m ig ht beat us! T he J 16s q uad , a lso su ffe rin g la s t m in ut e illn ess. had a res h uffl e of th e ir c rew a nd sti ll produ ced a good pe rfo n na nce. Frances co ntin ued he r im press ive reco rd at the nat ional level. w in ni ng the G reat Bri tain trial :'> at hal l' term by a hu ge ma rg in. Finall y, loo king forwa rd to nex t te rm, we will a ll mi s.s Becca but ho pe to be ab le to pu t lip a go od fi ght aga ill . We would a ll like 10 thank Mr Hooper, M r Re il ly, Mr Lawre nce an d Mr W ill is ro r a ll their suppo rt an d e nco urage mc nt thro ughout the IeI'm <\tld hope we ca n repay them wit h good result s. F RANCES

HOUGHTON AND SARAH M A RTI N .

Firsl qlfad: Rebecc a S now, Fran ce s Ho ughton , Sarah Martin and C laire Ba ldw in.

J 16 q uad: Zoe Jage lm<l n, Katar ina We ir, Rac he l Lyon s, Corrie Stirli ng-A iI'd and Ali ce Co llins .

Silldent and teac" er: To/' Anderson alld Kajsa McLarell. (Wit" acknowledgemenls to IH ike Wmc,."wlI. )

207

TH E CANTUA RI AN . LENT & S Uf'.H\I ER t 998

Senior Girls' Squad, Summer 1998

Junior IS

After a successful Easler training camp, the lOp quad wenl

B()~

It must he said that ilt the start oj" the season. after a fairly poor performance last year in the J 14s. the expectations 1\)r this year's crew were not \'ery high. After all. ho\\' could we compare to last year's gigantic .I 15 crew who did the School proud by getting into the final or the National Schools' relZa!la? Well. right from the word QO things seemed 10 be sh~lping up vcry ~vC!1. \Ve had the <\((vantagc this year of not having to wait for the icc to tlla\\' and thus not waste "aluable trainil;g lime on the water. The cre\\" learnt the rowing action surprisingly quickly and thus we could spend i\ bit nH;re time on l"itllC.<';."; training. This p,lid off in our first e"ent or the season. Ihe 3000m Hampton Head in which \\"c excecdcd all expeetatiolls to come 7th nUL or 17. beating Illany renowned crews who had beaten us the previous year. A1"1er a few changes of position in the cre\\' we began training for tile main event of the term. Ihe Schools' 1··lead. This look a bit or it knock at first as we were nol able to enter the preparation racc. the Henley Schools' I·-lead, duc to illness alld travel arrallgelllcnts.

Oil 10 win Poplar, despite Claire's illness. This gave Kalarina and Zoe more experience and proved \0 be vita! preparation for

Ghenl. At Ihis poinl Frances !ert us for rVlunich, rowing once <l!!aill ror Great Bri1ain, where she won two !!.old Illedals in her S~lp..lc <Ind double. <llle! <1 bronze medal i~l the quad. Even

Frances couldn't disguise how pleased she was! Back in Ghent. howeYC!', her absence was rcallv felt when the res1 or LIS were lip againsl the "Hairy Maries" of tile world! Some pleasing results include the performance in the double by Sarah tlnd Kalarina, winning their heal convincingly.

With Frances back, fierce competitioll was stirred up among (he rest or llS to sec who would nlee in the lOp qllad at National Schools'. Sadly Ihis was determined hy injury; /'00\ knee gavc her more problems and Claire, Sarah and Katarina found pbees in thc quad. A lot of hard work went inlo bOlh the J 18 and J 16 quad in Ihe huild lip to National Schools'. Everyone represented the School in finals, and as a squad we won two silver mcdals - Frances in championship singles. and Zoe <lIld Katarina in .116 doubles -- and a gold medal in the JIX championship quads. Finallv, Henlev the 'luck or the draw' was certainly not Ours, and desp"ite valja;l\ c!fnrts we were all knocked oul b)! eventual linaJists. On 111<\t same weekend, the.J 16s attended Thamcs Valley Park where they all put in impressive performances. Vie all wish Frances the best of luck in hcr 'final trials' <Ind will ccrtainly Illiss her and Claire \"ery Illuch. Perh,l])s most importantly. we lllUSt thank 1\'11" Reilly (Gramps) and ivlr Hooper (Trooper). Without them this enjoyable and slicecssfulterill would not havl' been possible. Top Quad: U,lire Baldwin Frances HouQhton Sarah :vJarlill~ Katarina Weir 7.oe Jagdman also rowcd in the Top Quad. J /6 QI/ad: Alicc Collins Zoe Jagelillan Rachel Lvons Corrie St;rling-Aird S:\J{. .'\lI i'vL\RTt\.

However. aftcr half term it \vilS back to Iraillill~ with the informal Kin!..!ston rClZall,l, which we won. <Ind th~ gruellin!.!. Putney practi~e in wl)ich the crew rowed 24,OOOm ill~one da)J on the unpredictable tide\\·ay. This practice especially the 5.000m pieces (thanks for IhaL Jamie) was nOl to the liking or most of the crew. Artcr another tcn davs the cre\\" relurned ror the 1.500111 Schools" Head wilh high h()pcs of a good position. Unfortunately we under-performed a hit on the day and cnded up 13th out of 22 crews. E\'ell so this was by no means a disastrous result. Expectations arc stil! quitc high Cor the sum Iller: e\'ell lhol1lZh \\-'c will loose Charlie Rist and Simon Darroch. we 11<1\'e three new rowers to replace them and we should find that shoner nlces arc more to our liking. Finally I would like to thank our cO<ll"hl~s Dr Bosworth, :'.Ar ivlclcan ,llld occasion,llly Ivlr Ciraham for pUlling up with us al! last term <llld giving lI·~ IiI'\..., 10 the lakes. 1v11('f1:\I:I. STI:I'III::\S.

,\"C/100/S' I/ead ("n'lt' \1"({.\': Anton\ Lewis (coxj. ivlichacl Stephen .., l.I"f}"O/.;('j, Rieh,lrd Miller (7). Alfred Vv'illiam., (()). Simon Darroch (5), rVlax Lamb (4), Charlie Rist (3), Beaudry Kock (:i). J:lnK:" Burret\ (hOlt').

\l'illllillg.l 15 Fighf al Ihe Thollles \ (I/ley Fark Rega{f(/ . .'-,'I({lIilillg: O!i\'('/" /3(/k('l", .lac/.: .'Hurtill, ;\(Ii'cd IVil/i(/}/is. RicJw/"{! iHi//N. Sill/Oil j)arroch. K!lcelillg: Jallics BllrrCf/, /\IIlIJIIY L('ll·is. Michae/ SI(lJJhclIS, Mw."ll"cll Lalllh. rM,. (/lld Mrs /)(/l'it! Mil/cr.)

208

Thames Dillon was one reg<llla lhal OLlr squad, including .Jalllie, would like 10 forget. The crew returned with and crusheZI spirits and sunburn Jamie with ",ix stitches '-mel tile English hospil<d experience, due to his la:k or co-ordination 011 <l bike', K,-ltl' and Susic won their firsl heaL but were \'cr\" well beaten in the Jinai bv lhl~ KingstOll doubk who had knockc(1 out Ellll;W and LOllie in their heat. The quad was equall~ \>,,'cll lk',llell by Kingston: fortunatei\' lllllie did nOI se'e Ihis '!'acl~ as Ill' was ,II ready in hospital. \Ve \\'ere delerillined iloilo kl this happcn again the' IWX! weekL'IHI al National Schnols'. The i'irst dav was the doubles cOlllpelition, L()lli~' (11)(1 (il'on!.l' m.:re knockl'd oul in their fasl he;ll 'bul K,lk and Susie lll,m;lged 10 gel Ihrou(\h tn the sCllli-J·inals. ~l1couraged;:-h) a myslery supporter in the COIllI11('nlalors' Rangc R()\'l'r who we laler found OUI to h~ the Clptain or Boals ;It King's in 1901. They tl1en Winni!l.'.!. .115 CO,ln/ FOIIl' ul IIII' Filll/lICS \ 'ul/('r P({I'k N('g,ol!u: NicJwnl ,Hi//el'. /\//in/ 11,lrro\\'iy l\lis~ed the fin<ll. pUlling. in \\'illi({III.\. ;\11/(111." 1.(,I!'is, .Iod ;Hul"lill. J1i('/r(/('/ Sflp/i(,IIS, .\.13. I,M,. ({lid ,"-irs f)u\,id /Hiller, 1 their best race or tile season. 11ll' forillidable Kingston liouble healing Ihel11 hy only a I~'nglh, ' On Sunday it \\'as I l111na· . . . turn to !2e1 up carly to dn lll~r .junior 1§(;irls single. I.ater on she could sil b,ll'k <lnd relax as the quad, with Sophie l'()\in~~ after she had ('sl'aped j"ml11 the San. put in all \\'itl1 a "'l]u<\d oj' six for a bO,l! ur fOllr. the Lluad changed their cfrort to win tlleir heal con\'incill~k be;nil111 J<in~ston around a lo\. though it W,ls nl'\'cl,thek" sun·essrul. Our rirst ,dtl1oug.il \\'e could nut repeal this pc;:r('))"JllanCe Lin the semi· l'\'cnt was Kinllsto~l. where Wl' l'ame scC(md by !\U) "ccontis: final. Wl', \:'erl' plca",~'d by the result bCl'dUSC \\'l' had PUI a jO! into Our rinal regatta was Thames Valley Park. starling with the' doubles wilere Lottie and Gcorlle werl' knOCKed out vel \Vc h;ld pre\'i{)II'ily pncli,\cd at PUlney. nUl' second I {c,$i. S() again by King,slon. Kate and Susie "got through to the fillal. \\'t' knew where \\'l' \\'l'rl'. At the School.....' j"kad there Wt'l"l' more only 10 also hl~ beatl'n by Kingston and Headingtoll. The quad (OlllPl'lilO)"s . . . 0 il \\'<\s Jnurt' challenging, \Ve rO\\'cd a gond racc Ins! their heal to Henicy, but managed to be,lt Kingston, and \\'e'I\' oni\ passed by onc lTt'\\'; and \\,'c managed 10 gct a Emilia was Yerv successful in her singic. sl'lling a new course faster timl' than the l'l\'\\' in front. rl'coni in llL'r h~'at. althOll!lh it was hr~)ken all'li~l in ,I \'erv faSI fi nal. ' , . \Vc 11$1)(.' to )2,l't )2,o()(i re.\ul\s al1\'alion;d Schools' Rt'gal1;1 and !lOW tr:lil1 tnwards Iha! gO;lI, Wc would like In sa\' 'thank VOl!' Thanks to Dr Bosworth for hi", support and entilusi,lSI11 It!])r Bosw()rlh ,Hld J<ln~ie I'or tileir helpful cO<lchi;lg Ihrou gllOut tilrollgl1t)Ul the SC,ISOIl and 10 Jamie for always Iwin,ll tlK tl'rnl. optilllislic ,lilt! giving us conri(kncc. Also thanK.', lO Caroline the (Ti'l\' lWS: Sophic (;old (unl. Susie HlTbert. Carolinc Jones for always stepping in when SOllleone did nol turn up . .lone...;. Clwriolll' Knight. Fmma r illal'l"l'. Kate !\ikl..ean. (il'orp.i 11;1 l)ound. Hl'llic Pound, The Crew\,: L

Schools" ! lead and South East Quad: Susal1l1<l1l Herbert. Kathryn tvlcLcan, Charlotte Knighl. Eml11a i-inacre. Sophia Gold (Co.\),

Under 15 Scullin" ..,.... .. _.,_ .... Girls' ___ .______ .. _._ ..

~.,_

_.~

_",~,~b

Last term ended \\'ilh the Sl'hools' Head at Putney. where the quad. cn<lciled hy Dr Bos\\'()I"th. surprised Ihcmselves with their third place. Although they wcre Illore [11<\11 hall' a minute behind the fir:'.l two. they he,,\! L.E.H. Al the beginninll or tlK SUIlll11er tertn. we swapped coaches wilh the b()v~ and ;\'l~re cO;1Ched by Jaillie McLean (no rel<llion 10 !(;lle~) fijI' the rest orlhe lerlll, . At Poplar. our firs! reg,llta or the sUlllmer lenn, \\'l' were prepared i'or a hard day wilh lots of races. HO\\'l',ver. our first doubles heal !Kcamc a straight finaL thank:-> to wilhdrawals, and Kate and Susie \\'Oll a brunze IllCd'-ll. Vv'c thell discovered abOln an hour and half before tile race that due tu our success a[ Putlley. we were meant to be reprL'sl'llling [he South Easl in a quad. so we quiCKly changed inlo our lovely bright red T-shirts. Due to the fact lhat we h,ld no idea of !he race order and the huge queue to get on tilL'. water. wc \\"\:~re rowing up 10 the start as our raCl' rowcd back Ihe other \Va\'. Delerl11incd not to mise-; our proper quad race we bomed \'er)~ early In be told. al'ler 20 minute.\· waitin!l on the w,llcr, tilat our race had been eancclk'd dUl' 10 the deler'lorating weather conditions.

Nu/iol/o/ Schoo/.\· 011(/(/: Susannah Herbert. Kathrvn 1VlcLeall. Charlolte Knight. Cieorgin<l Pound. Sophia Gold . .' iV(//jolla/ S·c//()o/.\' DOIlh/es: ']3' Cieorgin<l Pound.

ivlcLean:

'A' St!.""nnah Herbert. Kathn'J1 Charlolle Knight. •

IV({liol/(/1 Scliools' .\illg/(': Emma Linacre. K.,\TE ]\1cL1::\\' :\~'j)

Junior 14

Sl :SIE

HEHIlIXr.

Boy~

The lell-lllcl11ber Junior [4 hoys' squad has had a vcry sllecessful !"irst season. Consisling or two quads. though the second quad only wenl 10 olle event during the term, they have Ilcvertheless improved imlllensely and their cOlllmitmcnl is admirable. \\\~ look forward to seeing the 111 storming down the regalia courses. The J 14 coxcd 'J\' quad has had a vcry sllccce-;sf"ullirsttcnn. Thl' season started with a 'friendly' Head al Kingston. In both

209

THE C\NTUARI;\!\:. LE\T

Sl·~l~!F.R 1998

divisions the quad came first. We were al! very excited and encouraged by this result at our first event. Building up to Schools' Head. two weeks after half term and our biggest and largest event so far. we focused on timing and balance as our strength improved. We had a really good race. having overtaken three crews. and we came off the water hardly able to spin the boat. However our efforts had been worth it: we came third behind two King's. Chester, boats. a placing never before achieved by a JI4 crew at King's.

start, to maintain its cruising pace over 1500 Ill. They did however manage to qualify for their finaL which didn't happen. In the ditficult conditions it was clear that that Victoria Anderson ('Tor') was (and is) a very capable cox. The girls' events were not under way \:vhcn the cancellations began and so they were denied the chance of even going afloat. The boys' quad was selected to race for the Southeast Division in the Inter-Regional Championships and were resplendent in their red T-shirts for the rest of the season apparently untroubled by Persi!.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our first term and would a!llike to say 'thank you' to Mr Lawrence, Mr Parker and Mr Willis for their coaching and support. We look forward to an exciting regatta season with further progress.

Thames Ditton Regatta brought mixed fortunes for the bovs'

Hnd girls' crews. The girls' quat! was disqualified for a collision with their opposition off' the stMt, after having shown considerable speed off the blocks. The boys' 'A' qllad qualified through their heats for the final in which they came a creditable second. The sight of King's J 14 scullers in singles was a very pleasing one and all showed a considerable competence ill their races which yielded wildly different fortunes - from Paul Valente. who qualified through to the semi-final. to Georgie Herdman, who, leading her opponent convincingly, managed to fall in.

The en'\\' \!'os:

J 14.r+ 'A' Victoria Anderson (cox), Tom Brooks. Matt Pol!ock. Dominik Soanes, Paul Valente.

JuniOl- 14 Girls

At Thames Valley Park Regatta, the J 14 entry was large with 20 different crews racinu. Auain the scullcrs were doubled _.. and in some cases treb!C~1 - ~lJ) with nine entries in the single sculls entries. All raced well. but the highlights of the dav were our three event winners. The boys' 'B''"qlla~1 (Dominik SÂˇoanes. Alex Allcock, Chris eray, Mark Bacon and Martin Au) won their way through a heat and a semi to their !Ina!. which they won vV'ith some very powerfuL if not particularly clean. sculling. Alex and Dominik also won in their double scul! and in a gripping final they fought oil their rivals. when under considerable pressure, to win by a small margin. Georgie Herdman, who had such a disappointing Thamcs Dillon. sculled beautifullv to win the girls' singles event. At J 14 level it is often the case that untie!y, but j)O\.verful. scuHing wins through. but Georgie was certainlv the best sculler as well as beinÂŁ"'the fastest in'"her event. She !l'as considerable talent for the sport and should think long-tenn about her prospects and potential. Also well deserving of a mention is Wil! Evcrett who won his way to the J 14 I x final. only to be beaten at the final hurdle.

The Junior 14 girls' squad also had a very encouraging first tel'ln. The squad of cleven girls split into two quads. The 'B' quad, though they only competed at Kingston carlyon in the season, where they came fifth, have made great improvements - especially their balance and their ability to drive the boat together. They all look forward to the regattas in the summer terlll. The ';\' crew's first event was also Kingston. Being our first even! we weren't sure or what to expe:'! and were'-all a little nervous. Even so we managed to come t!lird and second in our t\\'o races out oj' the seven boats competing. We were pleased with this result, and began training for the Schools' Head. This was a much bigger event, and it was very nerve~racking as there were a 10! more boats 1'1'0111 different age groups. We came seventh out of fourteen crews, which was'" a 7'espectable result. During the term our speed and stamina improved, as weI! as our balance and style and wc seem to have made good progress. We look forward to many more regan as in the summer tel'ln. We should all, bOlh 'A' and '13' ljuads. like to thank Mr Lawrence. Mr P,1rker and Mr Wil!is for all they have done for LIS throughout the term.

This group of boys and girls has responded well to the small boat chal!cnge set to them this year and. as a group, Ihey sho\\' considerable potential for the years to comc. They should realise, however. that they have had but an introduction to the sport and their potential has yet to be fully realised. It \vil! only be so with further improvement and training ill the cominp. years.

The crews w('re: IV./ N.r+ 'Il': Mishka Adams, Georgina Herdman_ Anna Holmes. Miranda Hurst. Venetia Twigg (COX). 1V.f14.r+ '8': Jessica Bain, Emma Kenwrick-Piercy. Wendy Nichols, Serena Perkins, Matt Reilly (('ox), (Sarah Warwick).

Well done everybody!

M,C.L. P.S. The squad was considerably reduced by King's Week commitments on the last Saturday of term but a boys' quad and double travelled North hopefully to the Petcrborough Under14s Regatta. A monster tail-wind and torrential showers greeted us all but failed to dampen anyone's spirits. The quad coped ,Ilimirably \vith the conditions and went on to win their J3-evellt with case but the double found things more of a challenge. Against high-class opposition the double were not hopeful of a medal in their final. but they proved themselves wrong hy winning the bronze ... and it was only lack of experience of a tight finish that prcvented them holding onto second place in the lasltwo hundred metrcs. As the medals were handed out we were all suddenly bathed in brilliant sUllshine - a fitting end to a good season.

.Junior 14 Sculling The aim in the Summer term with the group of scullers was to begin to increase the individual small boat skills, with the aim of evelltua!ly increasing the watermanship of the senior groups once pupils arrive at this level. Consequently, the ability to scull in a single scull was conccntnHed on: and the larger boats were reserved for the events. and preparing for them only. Indeed, the squad did not form any octupic sculls at all in the Summer Term. This need for ability in the small boats will continue for this group as they move up, whell trials for thc larger boats will. at least in pari be comp!eted in singles. The first regatta of the season was the Poplar. Blackwnll and District Regatta held on the Royal Albert Docks in East London. The event is the second largest in the coullIry in terms of entries (behind National Schools') and so it was particularly disappointing when a nasty wind made the course unsafe and the majority of the events had to be cance!led on the grounds of safety. Our' A' quad was able to race but struggled. after a good

TilE CANTUARIAi'<. LENT & SUl\J!\!ER J 998

erell's were chos(,11 Jimn: Mishka Adams, Alexander Ancock, Victoria Anderson, Martin Au, Mark Bacon. Thomas Brooks, Christopher Cray, William Everett, William Harbottle. Jonathan Harman. Georgina Herdman, Anna Holmes, Miranda Hurst, Emma Kenwrick-Piercv, IVlichael MOtTOS. Wendv Nichols, Serena Perkins. Alexallder Perry. Matthew Pollock. Hannah Redman, Dominik Soanes. Lottie Sterck, C:;eorue Symonds. Venetia Twigg. Paul Valente, Ambar Walia. Steph;n Wetherell.

210

Kate McLeal/.

THE HOUSE REGATTA (PHOTOGR A PH S BY MJ .T. ) Elllllla Kel/\\Tick-Pierc)'. Hannah Redman , Serena Perkins. Miml/da fllll'st. Venetia'/itÂ·igg. .

-The Headmaslel:

T011l Garrod. Max Lalll/}. Alex Allcock. Beaudry Kock. wilh Fmllces Hougliloll ill fhe hackgrolflld.

21 1

T HE CANTUARIAN, L ENT

& SUf\'I:"'IER 1998

Girls' Tennis 1st VI The Summer term is always the

olle people look forwarZI to, although il is also the shortest in lerms of sporting fixtures and perhaps the most arduolls -- with public and internal exams looming ovcrhead,

The 1sl VI \ennis team was filled with extremely able players, and I would sav 111m one of its 1ll~\l11 slrcl1~.uh; was thai

remarkable ~ adaptability

when

faced with losing players through injury or to an exam. III terms of malch results we have had a season dilliclIlt 10 follow: winnillQ all oLir 1ll,1Icilcs bar one - (0 Sc\"cnoaks ~

and includin!2 a Ii!!!)! and \\'cllfOll!lhl win (5-4) o~,'cr 13cncndcll. We ~playcd Scvl..'lloaks carlyon ill the season. and although \VC 10s\ we WL']"C given another opportunity In take Oil tllis 'QianL' of a tennis [cam in the se;ni-filuls of thc Ahcrdare Cup. All those who look Slondillg: .JoanI/o IHanill. kh~i(,11 IIIIII/ink. O!il'ia LIIII//('Y. Kim F(/rmr. part pl;lyed extrclllcly \\'cll in the Scaled: /\/('/((11'011 Lifl(/eint'r, Theres(/ Noyc(' (C(/pwill) , LO/lise ,)'qllires, earlier rounds and indeed in the nliilll (/CkIlOll'/ec/gc/J/cl/Is!O . .Hike l\i(/!('/'/J/{/Il.j scmi-finals. despite eventually RESl:U'S losin~ 2--4. It was a closc match, and we were fortunate enough 10 have iVlajen Immink (National U 1-1- Clay Court Played 6, Won 5, Lost I. Cancelled 2. Champion) to play for us as well as in several other l' Scvcnoaks. Lost lll;ttciles when her busy tcnnis schcdule allmved. ivlajen is \. Kellt College. V/OI1 now in Italy playing for CJB. so good luck and thank you, \' Ashford. ~ Won rViajen! \' Benendell. Won \' Cranbrook. \. Dover College. \" Sutton Valel~(e. l' St Edmund路s.

The Love\wnd tourlwmcnl ,It I-.':ton was thc culillinmioll of a splendid season. The tournalllcnt, which we had never entered before. was a grc;l! success .. although not perhaps in tcrllls of the overall result. but simply because we enjoyed oursel\"es and were given the 0pP0rlLlllity to play schools in a dilTcren! setting from usual. It was a good experience, and I hope that we have set a trend for future years.

Kim. a fully qualified coach, armed with her many 'spccialities' and .10. with her left-handed winners. made lip our third pair - and laiclthe foundations ror the tea III to go a long way. as indeed \vas the. case. Finally, I'd like to say a big thank you to l"vlrs \Voodley. our coach, who has been a tremendous SUPP0rl throughout our matches, thc Aberdare Cup and the Lovehand tournament and good luck to Oli, who is to captain the team next year. TI !i:RESA 130'{CE. The I('Ol/i II'OS: Theresa Boyce (Cap/(lin), Kim Farrar, jvL~jen 1I1lmink, Olivia Lumley . .Ioanna Manin. Louise Squires, Alella von Lindeine.r.

SU;-"'l~ll]~ 1998

5-4. 7-2. 3-0.

2nd round v Kent Collegc. Pelllbury. Won )-1. 3rt! round v I-lighwonh,'Ashford. \)\10n 6-0. Semi-final round v Sevcl1oaks. Lost 2-4. PS路L.TA.'s LOl'e/)w/(/ Trophy (/1 FtOIl lSI pail" 211d pui}" \. Cheltenham. Won 6-2. l' Epsom. V/on 6-0. \' Marlborough. Won 6-4. l' Reigate G.S. Won ()-5. \' Bradfield. Lost 4-6, \. The Levs. Won 6-2. \' Sevenoaks. Lost 0-6. l' Millficid. Lost 0-6. l' Bristol G.S, Lost 2-6. All my tennis capl<lins over many years have been outstanding, but Theresa has probably been the most outstanding of all. Throughout the term, ,111 her efforts have been for the benefit of the~ team - not an easy thing to do whcn tennis C;lIl orten be seen as a game for indivi(.!ual players - and she has been highly respected by all members of the team. I have admired her particularly for her fair-mindedness. her total l"l',liability and abo\'e al! for her quiet leadership qwllitie.s which ha\'e helped to make this (erm sllch an exciting one. Her enthusiasm for the game and her wish to practise ,~ld improve her own game has been highly infectious and it has been most rewarding for Ille to watch the progress of her play <lnd that of Louise and Kim and .10, the other 6a members who have played their way lip through the teams and whosc play has improved so Illuch during thcir school career hcrc and whose support 1 have \'aILlcd greatly. \Vc have had sllch an excellent team this tenn. Sadly there is always a limit to how much tennis wc can play路,路 iron!y there \\iCrcll't cxams:. l.A-W.

Louise and I formed the second pair, the former my tennis partner 1'01' the last rive years. This fact is perhaps one or the reasons why \ve work so well together. She is a phenomenal sportswoman, and I am only sorry that her injuries resulted in her absence from a few matches.

6-0.

;\/)ert/a}"(' ClI})

That we \>,'on so man\, fixtures merits a closer look ,ll the players themselves. OUI: first pHiI' consisted of <l partnership between Olivia Lumlcv and Alella von Lindeiner. Oli. a tellnis natural. aided by' our own German tennis St<lr. far [00 modest aboul her own ability, proved to be a force to be. reckoned with.

THE CN':TlL\j{!;\N. LE0:'I'

V':on Cancclied. Cancelled. Won

3-6. ')-0.

212

2nd and 3rd VIs The Senior ~qu<ld has consisted oj' 22 dedicated and cnthll"i~\SIIc

tellllis playcr..;" ,III or whom have practised and

pl;\ycd \\'ell \og.l'lhcr throughout till' lcl"ln. IL has heen ,t thoroughly cnjoy,lbk [crill despite the unfriendly SU III Ille I'

weather. 11 \,'as (,\'ident frolll the start or the seaSOll who the 1st VI players (plus Majcll when she \,'ilS free 10 play) wen.' going

nc\. Thcrl' will be llluch more or thai when I look forward [0 sceing them in the senior squad ilext year. in the meantime. J hope they will all continue to play' and to practise in the sumiller holid,IYS. L\,\V The /('((11/ I\'(/S: Katherine Bode\', Camilla Cook. Emma 1-I,lyes (C({/)fuil/j, Nicole Kwtln. Katlierine Lells. Daisy LloydSmith. ivliranda M'lCLarell. Kathryn Peel.

to he. hut the rest of the squad were easily inlcrci1angl'ahk and

their hiQh o\'crilll slillllbrd allowed for it generOLIs flexibilitv when k~vin!! 10 consider A-levels <lnd ll1(}dl~lcs before choosing [C<JIllS.

rVluch credit should IlL' giv(,11 10 our reliable and rC!lubr 6<1 players. Alice Walkl'r (wll() ()ccasioll;llly substituted rO~'lhc Is! VI). Sophie Jon('s. i'daddy iVlorg'lJ). j'vJclanie Siddons. Anna Shadholl and Jes,\ie G\l!land ,~. who formed lhe hulk or our 2nd and 3rt! teallls ,lilt! who continlled \0 a!lcnd all practices. play in matches and support thc tcaills unlil their :\-levels. Sincc coeducation at the School. f can'l remember a ve,lr \\'hen so lllallY 6<1 girls m.'rl' pan or the squad and I congratulate thel11 all onlheir perrormance: they willlca\'e ,I big gap in Ihe squad next year and I shall miss lhcl11. I"m sure their success with till' lennis will be renectcd \\'ell in Iheir exam rcsults: Other pannerships \',lried throughout the term. and lasl Yl~ar's Under 16 players (Nikki l\!lurch. Julia Whar!"c. LOllic Tvdelll<lll and Beckv POller) joined the rest or the 6b !!irls (Alex (art\,. LliCY Tholll:IS. Elllllla Butler and kllny \'01; Evnern). !ndi~'idual ~trokes impn)\'ed. p,lr!icuJarly the \'()Ileyillg, :md the o\"('I"all m,ltch practice, \\'hid) is so important in huilding confidence. secured a \'ery creditable set of results .. a pity about the rain! .I,A,W,

RI:SLlJ"S

\. Seyenoaks. \. Ursuline Collc!le. \. Benenticn. '

Won Won \Von

5- L 7-2. 6-3.

Under 15 'A' VI and Under 15 'B' VI The Undc]" 15

tl~ams

haw played

lot of tcnnis this terlll and

I am gr,llcfulto Dan Rotx,rts from the U.K.C. who has coached lhe girls and to Miss Hannah Reid who has helped them during

Tlieji)II()l\"illg :.:.irls !)/uyed: Emma Butler. Alex Carty, .Jessie Gullalld. Sophic Jones. M,lddy !'vlorgan. !\'!ikki ;Vlurch, Rebecca Potter. Anna Shadboll. 1\/lclanie Siddons, LlIcv Thomas. Lottie Tvdem,lI). Jenny \'on Eynern. Alice \\'alker'ref/)/uil/i. Julia V';lh;lrJC. RI;S('!.TS

Played 7. \\lon ..1-. Lost 2, Drawn I. Clilcelled 3. 3-3, Drawn Sc\'cnO<lks. Won X- 1. Kent Colle~e. Cancelled. \' Ashford. 6-1, \' Ursuline Colle\'!'l'. \Von 0-9, \' Benemlel1 (:2m!V!). Lost \' Benendcn nrc! VI). Lost I-X. Cl-3. \' Cranhl"(){)k. Won \' Do\'er College. Cancclled. Cancelled. \' Sutton Valence, \Von 3-0. r St [:;dlllundÂˇs. r r

Under 16 VI The Under 16 tea III has shown gre,l1 promise this term <lnd I have heen very impressed hy thcir prog.ress in what has been. cspecially ["or these (Jest: girls, a very short season with few I1ltltches. The matches they playcd howcvcr. were or a high standard and their convincing willS o\'el" Scvenoaks and Bellendcll, two of our big!!cst rivals, bodc vcr\' well for future SUllllller terms. First pail~ ~!ieolc and r:mtna played with grc,lt maturity and displayed SUllle excellent positi\'e play with some varied ndlies. They did not lose a sel throughout the tcrlll! Second pair Daisy and Camilla also combincd well. with Camilla's stroll!! (but occasiona!lv erratic) forehand drive and Daisy lllore u;nsistcnt on ~rol;nd strokes. The teal1l was cOIllJ)!ete with Kathcrine alld kathryn at third pair and, like the other pairs. both !la\'e progressed well. Katherine Bodey ~l1ld Miranda 0.JlacLarcn also contributed well. Jt has been difficult to maintain regular full team practiccs as the (JeSE:: exams seem to start carlier and earlier. but I am grateful to Mrs McConnell for her hclp with this team. Shc has cncouraged them to \'olley and to play allacking tennis from the

Xt/.ru

P!fI!IIWfI

o/l(i Clemmie \\'e/les/ey-IVes/ey (/()I'egl"OlII)(/).

(Mfr.)

their games practice sessions. It has been ,\ plc,ISlHC for me to cover IllOSI of their ll1atchl's and to folio\\' their progress and I lu\'e enjoyed their cheerful company. The 'X team musl be congratulated 011 winning their league in the ivlidland Bank competition: thcy did well at a local le\'el bUI Bcnl'lldcn proved to be too strong for them in the semi-final round. The girls played with a good competitivc spirit and they all improved throughout lilc term. They a!lneed (0 pn1ctisc their ground stroke lechnique in order to play good consistent rallies tInd 10 Iwvc 11l0re courage to play volleys <l! the net: their positioning on coun wil! also then improve. The Under J5 'I)' team ha\'c been a !!oo(\, loval team and they h,l\'e been keen 10 play thcir matZhes. Alt'hough not a highly successful scason in tcrills of results, these girls ha\'c

Under 14 'A' a nd ' 8 ' VIs

Under 15 'A' Tennis \/1. Standing: Emily SheardolVn, Alexandra Panmall, Allnabel Martin. Seated:Emily Gomersall. Jlflia Dmves (Capraill ), Clemenrille Wellesley-Wesley. (With acklloll'ledgemeJ1ls 10 Mike Wat erman.)

D.M.F.

tri ed hard agai nst some tough opposition, and large sc hools like Benenden are able to produce a greater depth of standard. The girls' standard of play wi ll improve with more practice; I hope they will conti nu e to play in the summer holidays.

R ESULTS

Under 14 'A' I' Sevenoaks. \. Kent College. \' Cranbrook. I' Dover College. I' Ashford. \' St EdmundÂˇs.

JAW The UIS 'A' team was: Julia Dawes (CaplCIill ), Emily Gomersall , Annabel Martin , Xaxa Panm an, Tessa va n den Hout, Clemmie Wellesley-Wesley. The V IS 'B' team was: Ros Ashton, Clara Govinden, Vicky Lloyd, Hetty Pou nd, Emily Sheardown (Caprain), Emma Van Allan. Harriet Torry and Lizzie Chene!'y also played.

I' \!

VI5 'A'

Sevenoaks. I' Benenden. I' Cra nbrook. v Dover College.

Lost Los t Won Won

Won Won Won Won Won Won

6-3. 7-2. 6-3. 8- 1. 3-0. 3-0.

Lost Won Lost Draw n Won

3-6. 6-3. 3-6.

Vllder 14 '8' II

R ESULTS I'

The Under 14 gi rl s' tenn is team had a mos t success ful season , win ni ng six ou t of eigh t of the ir mat ches. The quality of th e tenni s played was excellent. All of those in volved have been ve ry posit ive and com mitted. The girls showed a good co mpetiti ve spiri t in all their mat ches. The wea th er was rather mixed, but it did not dampe n their en thu sias m. The first cou ple in th e 'A' tea m we re Alexa ancl Jemma Les lie who demon strat ed repeatedly excellent serv ing, good tac ti cs and powerful ground strokes. Vic toria Parri sh, Miranda Meyer, Alexa ndra Fielding, Dominiqu e Pico t played for the 'A' team and all performed to a very hi gh sta ndard , giving pleasure 10 those who wa tched Ihem. Elcanor Powell -Jac kso n, Em ily Berry, Mel issa Macan and Annabe l James pl ayed both for the 'A' and 'B' teams with considerable panac he and skill. These players we re supported ably by a number of oth er pl aye rs includ in g Imoge n Lewis, Kat ie Red ston e, Emm a-Lo ui se Edm ondson , Vick y Symi ngton, She lley Coll ins, and Aimee Au. All th e girls are 10 be co mme nded on th eir efforts this lel'ln. There is grea t promi se for the fut ure.

Sevenoaks. Kent College. Sutt on Va lence. Cra nbrook. Ursuline College.

4-4.

3-0.

2-5. 2-7. 7-2. 7-1.

Midland Bank \' Dover G.S. v Kent College.

Won Won

v Ursuline College. St Edmund 's. v Benenden in the Semi-finals.

Won Drawn

5-1. 5- 1. 6-0. 3-3.

LOSl

0-6.

Los t Draw n Los t

3-6. 2-2. 3-6. 3-6.

VI5 '8 ' I' \! l!

Sevenoaks. Kent College. Benenden. Cranb rook.

Midlalld Balik I' St Edmund's. I' Sutt on Va lence. I'

Ashford.

Ursuline College.

THE

L OSl

Lost Lost Lost Won

CANTUAR tAN, LENT & SUMMER 1998

22-24 games.

0-6. 1-5. 5-2.

Under 14 'A' Tennis \/1: D.M .F. , Dominiqlle Picot, Miranda Meyer, Alexa Leslie, Victoria ParriS/I, Alexandra Fielding. lemma Leslie. (Willi acknowledgemeJlfs to Mike Waferman.)

214

Association Football

After a draw w it h S r Bruna's old tcam, Maidstollc G rammar, w ith Lond o n scorin g an abso lute corker, we trave ll ed to K. C.S. Wimbledo n. Thi s was a highly comme nd abl e w in aga in st a

1st XI

ve ry competent side. Man y chances wen t begging but three mi nutes frolll time Akinde lc produced some magi c weav ing th roug h two defen ders an d

slotted the ball into the net. Thi s game wa s followed by

Reigate Grammar, where we should have scored many goa ls more

Hillier sco red a hat-tri c k. The last

matc h befo re hal f term was the O .K. S .. w hic h was pl ayed in ve ry good spiri ts and

was

ve ry

enjoyable day. With hi s repeated 'Th is is the one, boys!'. we always knew that Westmin ster was

the

ga me

New bury rea ll y wa nted to win . He s plas he d o ut the roaly bud get 011 an ex- professio n a l refe ree a nd two lines me n. A ft e r we took th e lead w ith an Akinde le goa l. lSI XI Soccer 1998. th ey c am e back Standing. Sofa Lawson. Salll London. Sam Park('/'..!tll/U' S Nt'ss('y. James Calley. Fergus ReYllolds . Ed WW/Ild. C. PN. nnd sco red two Seared: Carelli WiffiCtllls, Olukayode Akilldele, .101111 Hiffin (Captaill ), ,Wark SI1'(>II.\', ,Hark Prestoll. Ati Williams. qui c k re pl ies . We see med to be headi ng for a defe at , bu t len minutes from the e nd Sweny We ha ve had an excell ent season for the seco nd yea r in succession. We always knew that it would be diffi c ult to e mulate produced a crac ker of a c ross o nto th e s k ippe r's head and he last seaso n 's s uccesses bu t iI substant ialllulllber of the team were co uld on ly score. The n Ak in de le ra n onto a fli ck on from Caney st ill toge the r from last year. Our open ing fi xt ure. aga ins t and in the las t m inute s lotted ho me. We co ntinued our ri ch ve in Bethany, was not as easy as the score line wou ld sugges t. We o f form a nd won o ur following matches aga ins t Ursu line p layed o n a very wet p itch which meant fitn ess had to be at its Co ll ege an d Sevenoaks. We drew aga in s t To nbri dge w ith a peak. Howeve r, the team gelled ex tremely we ll for the firs t game Ca ney goa l. but lost our s ubsequ ent match to Co lfe's. Once and won comfortab ly overall. The next l1li.lIch saw us tt'<lvc llin g again it was our co mposu re in front of goal w hi c h hi nde red o ur performance. The last match o f th e seaso n saw us play Ursulin e to Bre nt wood: it was an excellent match bot h for the people 011 the fi e ld a nd fo r the spectators. Ha vin g beaten the o pposit io n for Co ll ege again and w ith A kin de le's two goal s he broke the goa lthe first ti me in ou r hi s tory the year before at home. we we re sco ring record w hi ch has s tood for some years. nervous but in good spirits as the matc h commenced . It was a Specinl than ks are owed to Mr Smi th and the k itchen s ta ff closely foug ht co ntest in the first half and the fi rst goa l was no t for s uppl y ing the all- im porta lll bananas and s pec ials ; to T im scored until the 44th m inute - a volley frol11 the s kipper - <Ind thi s and the ground s taff for prepa ring the pitches: to Mrs Newbu ry gave us added confiden ce. A ft er a teHln talk we converted o ur fo r havin g to look afte r our k it for the w ho le season; to Mr cha nces and e nded up deserving victo rs. Newbury himse lf fo r giv ing us two (a nd fo r so me of us three) great seasons of h ig hl y me morab le tota l footbal l. The nex t day we tra ve ll ed to Reading for the Doua i Six-asi de Com pe titi on. Hav in g beaten the w inne rs of the la st two JOtÂˇtN H ILLIER. years in the opening Illat ch, we fail ed to qua li fy fo r the sem iIndivid"al Players fi nals, bei ng pipped o n goa l differe nce by Hai leyb ury. We John H ill ier (Capl({ill): needed on ly a po int in th e fin a l matc h agains t Oak hallllO sec ure Te nacious m idfie lder w ho always gave eve ry th ing in every a p lace in the las t fo ur. but a cont rove rsia l inc ide nt mea nt that matc h. He had a tremendou s pass ion fo r the ga me. led the side we had to sec ou t the rema inde r o f the matc h wit h li ve me n. we ll. and c lea rl y e nj oyed be ing moved up 10 midfield fro m last Our mid week ga me was agains t Sta lTord Ho use. The re is 110t year' s positi o n at full -bac k. He proved thi s was the rig ht move much 10 say abou t a mi s matc h like th is. except that the g<lll1e by scoring 11 vi la l goa ls. boosted Ollr goa l diffe rence cons id erab ly and that Fe rg us pi c ked up the easiest four goa ls he w ill ever score ! The nex t C.P.N . game saw us pi tched again s t our ri val s Dul wic h. This game w as Gare th W illi ams: a major d isa ppoin tmc nt to o ur hopes o r an unbeate n season. A ft er a seaso n away from fir st-team foo tba ll , Gaz re turned Unfo rt unate ly we we re wi thout IwO influ e nti a l players Aki nde lc a nd Hessey - the spine of the team. Nothin g seemed and s howed exce ll e nt form . Alt houg h he dicln't have many save s to make, the ones he did ke pt us in the ga mes and saved to go for us. with Swe ny hitting the pos t aft er sO llle del ig htful us from a defeat. Thi s may ha ve been due 10 the fact that Mr skill.

2 15

TH E CANTUAR1AN, L ENT & S Ur-.Âˇtr-. IER 1998

Ncwbury ill\'cstcd in a l1lagnificcnt pair of glm'es where the h,ll1 iust seem cd to stick to his hands,

Sam London: Player of the scason: and formed <Ill l'xquisite partllership with Sparky in the centre of till' park, l'vlmle Kcnt U-16 - our rirstl'wr county cap. His quality shone through in C\'cry nwtc!L and he al\>,'(\vs worked hard for [he team. \VilJ haw to work e\'CIl hardcr" nexi .,>ea ...,OJ1 whcn (here \\'ill he <l m,lssi\'e rebuilding or the team.

A I i Wi II lams:

Mr Reliable ill (he defence, He played superbly all season, was al\\'avs in conlrol or thc ball <lnd showed !.!reat confidcnce, \Vhcn he -pushcd forward, his crosscs wcrc hiihly clTcClivc and clocked up many ,lssists, Ho\\'c\'er, he and his brother did hm'c a kw hairy momcnts where il scemed thcy lackcd somc genctic ,~ comp,llibility. Sam Parker: AI\\'ays reminded liS or his ~oal against Rcigate the previous \'C'lr. and could onlv l~l1llllale this a!.!ainst Starford I-juusl'. He io\'(~d lhe hall and cl\joYl'd drihbling 'out or the defcnce, c\'en iC il did cost us a goal. \VI..'nlto play lert wing in his lastll1alch. He was the rock of the dckncc and PUI in some he,nuiflillackks c\'en if thc\' wcrc Il"lalicious . .lames! !esse)': Ilis pace ill thc hack was exceptional and gOI us OUI or 111,\11) stich- situations, !\lthoullh he didn't SCorl' this se,ISOIl he al\\-;\)'S looked for onl'. h~lgillg hy his finishing ill practices it \\',IS he.'>l if hl' s\;lYI..'d and marshalled tile troops al the heart or thl'deCellcc. !:ddy \Vyal1d: C0111inul..'d hi" ~!()od form frolll laSI season and SCHiel! illto the kfl side or tlh,Ldl'fcllCI' l'.\trl'111l~1\' \\'1..'11. Likl'd to h,l\"\'" races ,wainst !-!esse\' at the b;tl'k \\-l1l'l1 Il()thin,~.' was g,)ing OIL Always g:)od in tIll' a(r I..'slk'l'iall~ a~(lilht ti1l' 1)ul\\'il'h !lllmber II. J\ lark SWl'Il)": Battkd away on tile right 11m]..: <I~;lil1s1 oppnsitiol1 dckllcl's and alway" seemed to skin hi.., man. Producl'd S0111l' scintillatill~ crosses and definitel\- i!,O\ IIll' 1l1Ost a...,sisls ill tIl\' season. Th~ Ollly thin!..: tilat his ~'\l111..' lacked \\'<1S that 1..'llIsi\\' first goal: lllllslilaw h~en thl' llu;llhcr 1-1. S\\'Cl'IlS. i

./11/111'.\ COlIl'y.

(:H..I.FJ

.Iamcs Caney: .'\lti1ou~h he got stressed c\'cry lil11e he WilS suhbed 01'( tll<...' fll'ld. he l.'1\allnl'lred his anger il1\() scoring !l0als. I k \\,,1.'" a ~rl'(\t fini"Ih'I' of i!,\wls and sCOI'l'd n1<\nv beauties 'H.!;liIlSt \',Irinlls \l';lllh. \\'as;\ ~()()d 'big Ill<lll' up-J'n)nl and alw<l:'~s had chances \\'i1b l1l'adcrs,

()/lfkoyode Akilldde. (/H..I.T) i\t!ark S\\'('/lY (I/ld !\1urk Prcstoll. (,-HIT)

Oluk,lyode Akindcle: Aki W,lS (\\\'esomc with the ball and produced magnificent skill e\'cry gamc, All Ill' llcl..'ded to do was producc 0111..' minute or skill and he could will LIS the game. He was the top scorer with I:) goals, but we will never let him forget his l11iss against Sevcllo'lks. Always spoutcd sOlllething about 'black magic' during practices.

Mark Preston: Superb l11idfidd player --- tile tackling qualities of Paul Ince and the \'isio11 or David IkcklwllL Alw<\\'s 100'ed to slot {he ball hOllle in a Illatch and if he missed, his c-ritic (his father) would always be therc to \;lke the rip. Has finished his third SC,Nlll no\\' and has got hetter evcry year.

216

Fergus Reynolds and Sola Lawson: Although they only gOI a full game on a few occasions they wcre happy to bc our ~l1bstitutes for every gamc. Fergus scored six goals. Sola always fought for the tcam and was <I\\,'CSOIllC as a lincsman.

2nd XI i-laving miraculously kept their jobs after last season, Mr Coc).;sworth kept his 'director's role' with Signor Bruner bringing his foreign ll1ethods oncc more inw our training, The first thin!.! a coach needs to do or course is to ~ct c\'crvbodv's names c~mplctcly \\Tong (for the majority o( the sc,\son)-in order to kcep training li\'cly. Howl'vcr this did begin 10 prove problematic when people could not understand who was supposed to be playing in next Saturday's match. The COCSWUrlhe/Bruna partnership was inspired. The squad was as follows: Henry Hardy (C,loalkc.epcr), Made somc sublimc, s<lves. notablv his Gordon Banks stvle save H!!ainst Westminster. I-Ie wasn'l quite Grobelaar. in fa~t he ne\"el~ left his line ~~ because it was 'too far 10 wall(,'

.1011:-'; HILLIER. RI:Sl!lTS

Pbvl'd 14. Vion 10. Lost 2. Drawn 2. - Cio,lls for 50, against 10. This was the first school tcamlO win! 0 ma(chcs in a seaSOIl, scorin!2. the hi~hes( number or ~oals and cOl1cedin!! the fcwl'Sl. (Thcir~record ~oycr the past tWt; se,ISOI):-' i... the be~t the Schoo) h<ls cver had: Playcd 27. Won 18, Lost 3. Dr<l\\'Il 6: (ioals for 84. against 28.) Bethall\' Won 7-0. (AI. J3rl'!1t\\:~)()d (;\ I. WOIl 3-0. Stallord House \\1on I(,-O. (HI. ])uiwici1 Collegl' (II I. Lost 0-3. Maids!ol1e C:i.S. (II). Drawn I-I . K.C.S .. \Villlbledon (A). Won 1-0. Rei!.!,lte C,l.S. (ll). Won 3-1. (II). O.I<.S. V'/on 5-0. Westminster Won (HI. 3-2. Ursulinc C'nllcgc (II). WOI1 5-0. (Ii). Sc\"clloa).;s Won 1-0. ']()nbridgc (ii). Drawn I-I . Colre'~ (H). i.ost 0-1. Ursulilll' College (II). \\101l 4-1. TCI/IJlji'()III: Olu).;ayode Akindelc';', James Caney':"" James Hesse),路;-. Johnny Hi'llier-;- (C(//l/lIill), Sola '.<lwson:::, Salll l.ol1don:: :':, Sall1 'P;\rkel ::::::, M ark Preston';', Fer),'.lIs Reynolds::: rVlark Swell\,"':" Ali Williams" :::, Gareth Williams'::;' Ed \Vyand':;" '

,. , , ,. ,. ,.

Charlie Rice (Captain). Ciave away a horrific go;)l against the O.K.S. tealll. I-Ie was a grl'at help ofr the pitch to players in need (not,)bl\' a striker unable to score one on one) hut it was a shame that Ilc C\\_'I' got on it.

, ,.

Ed Eccles. He took the ambitious role of Ccntre Back in his IiI'S! year in tile side. He certainly proved his worth in defence and scored a couple of horrible headers at the far post. Should be a grcat asset in the future as long as he call turn jogging into sprinting. Dickie Jones (ali,!s Johnson).;\ solid dcfender with the pacc to cover for anyonl~ (although he never lIsed it). Enjoyed telling peoplc how inept they werc and was never slow to find an exampk. He will be hadly missed ncxt year. Tristan Burns (alias Bvrnes). J\ ~rl'at tactical decision was made ill pu!!ing Tristan '~l\ Left 13:\(k since he \\',IS actually missing a right foot altogl'ther. He always played hard - a bit too hard'! Nicholas Davies. Nick wa~ a JatL' arri\'al in tll(' season but won his deserved phlce at Left Back. NC\'cr did anything fancy: but [hen hl' wasll't, \Vas he'? Henry Hardy (alias Trew). ;\ good player. who amongst others had an excellent game against Brentwood. III fact this was olle of the !CW games lhat he did play. Ed Vo'lnker (alias Vainker). A player with great composure on the ball and great distributioll. Although hl' was a complete poser he still got the job done. He rail in and oul or rorm. but 011 his day was L1seful. rVlallhew Walton (Mark V/harton). He has an abundance or pace, and was thus 1l10!'e or a 'chaser' than a 'dribbler' Tom Bell. A very strong player, who although lacking ill personal skill still managed to gC! past peoplc time and timl' again, He would like to see himself as the 'hard man' of the side after gelling shown the 'red' al Sevcnoaks. James Bride!. He has immense personal skill when he wallts to usc it. Scored a cracker and had one raOIe the crosshar shame he could not tap a ball in from one ymd OUI! Alex Hayes. Alex was reallv the kcv to tile Second EIc\'CIl. He had greil1 skill on the ball (11)d coul~l put fear into the heart of any dcfellcc, He was a Qood striker of the ball but never seemed too intcrested in 'tra'Cking back'. Simon Bodey. Enjoyed the ),'.<lll1es he played for the Seconds filling in at Left Midfield or in his preferred Striker's role. Tim Hamlin. Another late arrival to the squad, who stole it hat-trick against Sevenoaks. Tom Caney. Scored the goal of the season (a volley from the halfway line) against Se"CnO<lKs. Gbenga Odimayo. One of {he most Important things about a striker is the ability to score, and when C;henga was one on olle with the keeper he simply couldn't, Well they say it's the taking part th;lt COllnts, and Ghcnga cerla'lllly tried to. Th,Hlk vou verv much to Seiior Bruna <lnd ivIr Coc).;swOI'th and the tc<.im for \~!Iwt was a very successful season ~ Cll:\RUE RI("!:.

, ,. , , , ,.

/\Is() jllilyell: Alex Hayes, Ghellga Odimayu. :i'a\\-;II'(kd i'irst team til': <l\\'ardcd Firs! Colours.

<Jwankd First Colours ..;. re"

Ilumld IVil1i1l1ll \\'(I/'I/('}' ClIl' II))' PI(/.\'('}'.\路 Flayer Salll 1,(lI1doll.

I~{

1/1('

SCIISIJ//:

S路u)!'('I'.1'.' Akindelc 15, !-lillier ! I, Cane\' 7, Reviloids 6, I.ondoll .:.I, Preston ~. HaYl'~ I, Oelimayo I, f>arker I, -Wyand I. /II! (' 1'-//1 JIISI' ('lIlIlfil'! i! j()II,\:

The Shell indoor cup was won hv Tradcscanl. who dc!'eilled ' The Cirange p!'l'\'ellted Tradescant from securing tile double by beating them )-3 in the Relllo\'l' indoor CLIp final. Lux!lloore took the girls' trophy, coming bad from 2-0 down to he<lt rvtitcl1inson\ "1-2. iv!<my {h,mb (0 Sr Bruna for helping tn referee thl.'sc matches. The Sl'nior I J ",\-side knod"oLlt Clip was won by Tradeseant, who ran out easy winlll'rs against School HOllse: James Cane\, , scored ,1 ill a 7-() vil路tory. ~ C.P.N. l\/1.0. in the final.

Johll I lilliI'/'. (kl..lJ.)

217

THE

C,v";TUARIA\\ LE:-<T &

StTi\'li\lEJ~

1998

TCOI11.!lwlI: Tom Bell, James Bride!' Simon Bodey, Tristan Byrnes, Tom Caney, Nicholas Davies, Ed Eccles, Tim Hamlin, Henry Hardy, Alex Hayes, Richard Johnson, Gbenga Odimayo, Henry Trew, Ed Vainker. Mark Wharton.

Tea/JI ./i'O!II.' James Barker. Tristan Byrnes, Oliver Collins, Matteo Colombo. Matt Chataway, Alex Forrest (Capwil1), Matt Fyjis-Walker. Mall Hill, Ian Meyer, Oliver Robinson, Leo Siu, Tong Yeung.

RESUlTS

/1lso played.' Josh Collis, Nick Davies, Tim Hamlin, Mark Hill, Tony Keeling, Kanmi Lawson, Alastair Laing, Henry

\. I'

). \' \' I' I'

\' \' I'

Trew, Ed Vainker.

Played 13, Won 7, Lost 5, Drawn I. Goals for 30, against 32. Bethany (H) Drawn 3-3. Dulwich (H) Lost 0-1. (I.!). Maidstone C).S. Lost 0-3. O.K.S. (i-I). Lost 4-0. Trinity, Croydon (H). Won 4-0. Sevelloaks (ll). Won . 4-3. (i-I). Ken! College Lost 0-7. Brentwood (H). Won 2-0. K.C.S., Wimbledon (A). Lost 1-4. Reigatc G.S. (ll). Won 4-1. Westminster (A). Drawn 3-3. Colfe's (ll) Won 2-0. (1.1). Tonbridgc Won 3-1.

Results Played 12. Won 4. Lost 6, Drawn 2. Goals for 20, against 30. )' )'

\' ).

\' )' )' )'

I' )'

Bethany Brentwood Dulwich Maidstone G.S. K.C.S" v.,rimbledon Epsom Colfe's Westminster Ursuline College Seven oaks Tonbridge Ursuline College

(H). (II). (H). (H). (A). (Al (H). (H). (ll). (H). (II). (H)

Won Lost Lost Lost Lost Lost Won Won Drawn Drawn Lost Won

5-1. 1-4. 2-5.

0-4. 1-5.

0-1. 2-1. 5-3.

I-I. 0-0. 1-5. 2-0.

3rd XI 4th XI

Well, here we are at the end of another King's football season, and what an exciting one it has been~

As 4th XI seasons go this one was very good. We couldn't have started beller. as we beat Brentwood by a goal to nil. For the captain, and everyone else, this was a rare event. As if beating Brentwood wasn't enough, we then took on Dulwich and WOll convincingly. Team spirit couldn't have been higher; we had a solid defence; and, <l rarity for previoLls 4th XIs. we were scoring goals.

We kicked off the season with a 5-1 win over Bethany, which seemed lo promise a good start to the term - and our coach C..I.R..I. certainly seemed pleased. Unfortunately we failed to maintain our .u;:vutation through the next five consecutive losses. However we stili had plenty of tillle to unleash our undoubted potential: we had pace on the right (,The Q.P.R. Star' Matt Chataway), skills on the left (Fyjis). 'The Italian Stallion' in the centre CDi Matteo' Colombo), and discipline always maintained at the back by Sergeant Malt Hill. The many swaps and changes upset the consistency of our game at first - for example we lost 'Ging' (Tim Hamlin) our bright light up front, deservedly, to the Second XL and our striker Oily Collins through injury - but we soon had a settled side.

Unfortunately the good start didn't last, with two bad home defeats against Wimbledon and Wcstminster. In both games we put up a spirited first half performance: in the game against Westminster it was I-J at the break. We were back to winning ways in the next match, but it must be said that we were playing a side three or four years younger than ours. The Ursuline captain can take SOllle comfort from scoring a great goal against his opposite number! Tony Keeling. deciding he liked us better than the 3rds. got a hat-trick and En!.o Labrosciano scored the goal of the season.

Arter an unlucky Joss to a goal in the final minutes against Epsom, our luck changed with a marvellous win over Col fe's (our supposedly hardest match), after <1 brilliant game from the back four and an unforgettable performance from the striking force. This was followed, despite losses to the Geography trip, by another emphatic win brimming with class 5-3 over Westminster. where our left midfielderlstriker Ian Meyer was happily rewarded \vith two goals for his dedication to the side. Two fighting performances gained us two well-earned draws and I~n M~' Jackson certain that the defence was now settled. Corporal Hill then decided to take the midfield role on the left, covered by Tristan Byrnes, and surprised us all with a mind-blowing debut in the position. Unfortunately, in horrendous conditions, the team was crushed by Tonbridge in the second half after an early goal to us and some dedicated defending. The best match was still to come, and it was the finale carrying with it an emotional ending for those in 6a. Passion and dedication was shown by alL Skill and communication were shown up front by Josh Collis. Henry Trew was a head above the rest, providing the dominant factor in midfield and scoring twice (at last), connecting well with Di Matteo who taped his knees together for the last time. The performance was capped by a ncar faultless display by the defence, with Tristan showing us how to Byrne up the pitch in style. Leo too showed great technique down the right.

The game at Seyel10aks is one we would like to forget: the pitch was simply not fit for football. which meant that the team gave lip rather too early. The result against Tonhridgc was very disappointing. They scored at the end of the first half, but we dominated the second, scoring carlyon. We then conceded with two minutes to go and the game was lost. The last game of the season will be remembered for who was in goal that man Keeling again. The fact that he got a clean sheet was not a reflection of his new-found skills! Ursuline had a penalty. and the ball hit both posts before dribbling oul. The overall season saw improvements in many areas. We had a solid defence, with Dave Wellesley-Wesley and James Mitchell superb in the centre, James Harborne, Richard Woods and Kanmi Lawson sharing the duties either side of them. Simon Middleton, Alastair Laing, Sam Knight and Matt FyjisWalker (who shared captaincy duties with me) were strong in mid-field. Brown, Keeling and Labrosciano were up front. Many thanks to Mr Oath for pUlling up with us for another year. SllI'ION CLEOBUR'{, Teal1lji'om: James Brown, Simon Cleobury (Captain), Phil Cridge, Nick Davies, Jamcs Edmondson, Matthew FyjisWalker, Alex Forrest. Olly Fraser. Alex Harborne, Mark Hill, Tony Keeling, Sam Knight, John Knowles, Enzo Labrosciano, Alastair Laing, Kanmi Lawson. T0111 MacA die, Simon Middleton, James Mitchell, Alexis Murray-Jones, Ed Wallis, Dave WeJleslcy- Wesley, Richard Woods.

\Ve owe many thanks to C..I.R.J. for a great season. Your presence was always there (in spirit anyway). and your tolerance was appreciated during our spree of losses. JA:-"ll::S BARKER AND ALEX FORREST.

THE

CANTUARlI\N,

LENT & SUM1'vJER 1998

218

RI~su:rs

T(,((III from: Andrew Bailey, Miles Brice. Paul Broxup, Timothy Dysterre-Clark, \I\' ilJiam Gould, Alexander Harborne, William Hecklle, Charles Irvine, \Villiam MacAdic. Thomas Pickering, Alistair Russell, Thomas Shelford. William Tallon (Captaill), Graham Vvebbcr, Samuel Young. ;\Iso played: Oliver Baker. James Brilliant, MaUhe\v Hill, Edward Kiernan, Toby Lewis, Thomas McHugh, Simon Middleton, Yorick Moes, Alexis Murray-Jones, Christopher Quayle, Richard Woods.

Played 8, Won 4, Lost 4. Goals for 20. goals against 18. \' \' \. \' \' \.

Brentwood Dulwicl1 K.C.S. Wimbledon vVestminstcr Ursuline College Sevelloaks I' Tonbridge \' Ursuline College

(II). (H).

(i-I). (ii). (iI). (A). (H). (H)

Won Won Lost Lost Won Lost Lost Won

I -0. 4-1. 0-3. 1-5. 10-2. 0-5. 1-2. 3-0.

RI~suJ;rs

Played 6. \I\'on 4, Lost 2. Goals for 15, against 9.

5th XI

\. Bethany Brentwood l' K. C. S. \Vimblcdon l' CoJfc's l' Ursuline College \' Scvclloaks '-' I'

In a team composed mninly of 5th formers and a few 6b the standard reached was impressive. However the deciding factor in our matches was, without doubt, confidence. When playing older (and stronger) sides, the younger members of the 1eam round it ll<lrd to compete in the tackle. and confidence was lost. Hovl/cver, when wc were collectively on top of the game. we produced some quite attractive football, for example our victory over Ursuline College. Sam Young's pace, \Vill Gould's skill and 'rom Broxup's power combined to give us a goalscoring combination up ffOllt. All too frequently the midfield drifted out of the game, but with Graham Vo/ebber's control on the left, Charlie Irvine's darting runs. and Will Hcddle's passing, we often had a firm grip on the game. Althougl1 the defence was mostly tight. a lack of organisation often led to problems dealing with counter-attackÂˇ- this lllay have been due to a difficulty fielding the same back fOllr. Tom 'Grandpa' Shelford was inspirational, as was Tim Dystcrre-Clark with his promising tackling and passing skills. Alistair Russell, when not injured, was a larger than life presence betwcen the sticks. and whcn Alex I-larbornc was not dominating the defence, he could serve equally well in goal. Lastly, succe~'s this season was entirely due to our expert manager, the guv'nor himself, Dr Mallby.

(li). (I-I) (A). (H). (H) (A).

Won

3-2.

Won

4-1.

Lost Lost Won Won

2-3. 4-0. 1-0.

1-3.

Athletics Sports Day 1998: Prizes Girls' Shuttle Boys' Shuttle

Relays Shicld Relays Cup

Jervis Tradcscant

WILL T,\LLON,

Fadel Ballda. (Ro/alld Phillips';

.lack Martill. (Zhi Hao 0011.)

219

THE CANTUARJAN, LENT

SUi\Âˇj:-'lER

! 998

Nn\' /?('('[Jr(/ Cerriji'cules

Senior Girls' Triple Jump Telllil<iYo Akindc!e (.IR) l)1ll 49cl11 Junior Bovs' Javelin Harry \Vinner (C;R) ..J.Om l)5cl11 Inler Ciir]s; 80-ivlclre Hurdles C'hristahel Stoodlcy (JR) 14,45 scc. Lqualled rccord. Victrix LudorUlll TClllil<lYU Akindc!e (JR) 1st in 100m. 4001ll. T.I. 1..1. Victor Ludorum James Hesse)' CrR} I st in LJ, Jm'clin, 100m. Ul61-ligh Jump Tankard Simon Darroch (lL) Tradesc;llli In\'icta Open 4x400111 Relay C:;irls' Sports Day Rose \30\\'1 Jervis Boys' Sporls Day Cup The Grallf!e

Badminton II's high time thai the School sat up ;lIld look another I()ok at what has becn going on in the Sports J-Iallmost aftcrnoons for Ihe last two terms. Badminton is booming! The tremcndous rise in numbers playing this season tl1rc\\.' cvell our cool and 'o\'(~r-p()pUlall'd court' unruffled 1\111' ivlathews into moments turmoil. Even renowned jockers seemed to be pitching llP faithfully, adding to the highly social and relaxed atmosphere that is typical of this classy spor\. That is .. unless the ~qu;Hl wcre in training. The energy and enthusiaslll of our two 11l<l~l1ificcn[ coaches, Mr Rice and Dr Arl.aL eyell had regular WeiQhts RoonH.!oers worried. Yes, the Badminton playe~'s \\'erc r71pidly beco'lllin~ riller Ihan the rowers! Shuttle running aftcr t\\'O hours or play became the order or the dnv. as did continual work on stnllei.!y, tactics and teamwork. And, despitc all this strenuous ac!ivit\i, Ihc IC;11ll still showed ullwavl'rinll commitment. as did ollr palien! coaches, to whom \\'c arc \'~ry grateful. The start of the year also saw many new faces (and rackets, Zhi Hao!) in 6b who, as well as rendcrilli.! 111e the sole English player in the team, put a fresh sOllll,tiling into the side. One has only to duck out of the \\'av of I.hi Han's snushcs, to become f;imiliar with Oon ,md Kil~!.!'S brute force (and skill at provoking their captain), 10 admire the stylish strokes of Christine and to suITer the 'engry' Isicl play of Aletta in order to sec this. Combine these skills with those or last year's players thc subtle net-pl,lY of Susanna, the experienced drop-shots and serves of Avis and the dangerous. inter-i-louse winning p<lrtncrship of Rohan and ('ireg ilnd one has a talented and lethal team. It was just a pity thaI D,\\'id Grccngrass and Sam London wcre stolen by othcr sports. \Ve didn't realh' lose llluch this season, our onlv re;lIl'neJ11Y beinÂŁ! the infalllOlls Cravcsend: do bcat them next veal', ~Uys! SuccLess culminated in achieving sccond place in the EastLkcnl Schools' ']'ournament - Cravesend's county players calllc first, of course! M;l\c!Jes were fierce. fun and (often) hilarious. Thank you, everybody, ror sllch a satisfying season. I've felt really proud to have had such a supportivc tcam and I'd especially like to thank Mr Mathews for all of his lime and help. I wish the team all the best for next year.

1:'1\'(/1/

CUli/eroll, (/?otulld Pfiiffips.j

RN.'IWL HILI .. RI:SI:LTS

St Lawrence (H 1. Won 6-0, \Von I X-O. St Lawrence (A). Won 13-1, Won 7.. 1. Dover College (H), Lost 4-). Bethany (1-1). Won 9- I. Bethan\i (A). \Von 9-6. SevelH)aks (1--1). \Von J 1--1 Scvenoaks (;\), Won 10-6. Ciravcscnd (H). Won! 1-5, Lost J-7. (iravesend (AJ. Vv'on 6-0, Lost :\-5. T('(/II/: Yoon-Tae Chae:~, Christine He.t!cv':: Rachel 1-liW' KinÂŁ!yin Lee"" Avis Ngan'::' Susanna ()Ii\'el~, Ihi Hao ()on" Alelt~1 von Lindeincl ::', h.ohan Wijcsurendra. Greg \Vi!liams. I'

\' \. ,. ,. ,. \' " "

A//(/I"(,\\' Hihhulls. (Rolund Phi/lips.)

220

silentlv determined, in ract) in the senior [cam. or the 6b contingcnt -- cnollgh or them to provide a '13' tcalll 1110st weeks Henry Collar! illlprO\'ed most dramatically, which \\'as surprising since he \\'<lsn'l exaclly keen 011 training, while Aliocha ])ell1lo!\e and TOIll Calvert laid SOllle solid foundalions for their final season of glory next year. Declllil i'vlarrioll proved 10 be Ihe d,lrk horse, a late <\niva!. hut finishing in the rirst team by till' cnd or tile season. The Qirls wcre fairl\' consistelltly 2nd iii their races. hehind a forllliLlablc Sewno<lk:" squad. th,"1ks in the main to the dctermined rUllning or 1011<1. Caroline, Polly and 1-3ri;lr. The laller two barely missed a trainillQ session, and were a tremendous addition to the teHm (Polly's e~xel1lplary keenness is hard to beat gelling a ta.\i to an c.\tra league race 011 her own, and coming ..hll, is as far lip the spectruill as most of the !ntermediate bovs arc dOWIl it. In/liei)' case il was rare for sOille ofthell1to 1l1i1I1,ige thc walk to the coach each week ... ) We shall miss Jona ;md ell. 11L'.\1 year, after lwo years' or loyal <Ind consistent efrort: they both set an excellent e.\ample. Having sewn up the Kent Leaguc, the senior boys \>"L'1ll rurther arield to Harrow 10 contest {he South-East Schools' Championships. Chris and E\\'an \\'ere superb, winning weighly gold and hroll/C medals in ,I field of 132. As a tcam we he<ll nine schools, and werc in no W<lV disc.raced in l'olllill~ 5th behind Ihe likes or Winchester and J-Iarl~o\\" 'Specldi longldlLti,lllons haYl~ to go 10 [wan. who finally d!tel thll'e \ (',11 s 01 \\hlllC.IIlQ dbolll h,l\IIlQ d (old m,lIl<ll!ed t~) run properl)' atlhe Kent 'f'rials and secure 11illlselJ a place'-inthc Kenl Team. He was unluckv 1l0tiO be sl~lecte-d I'm the National Championships. while Cilris Pickering benefited rrom his prc\'ious season's fOl'ln in being selected despite illnl'ss during the Kent Schools' Championships. E\\'an rail excellcntly at an inter-collnt\' fi.\lure 10 win his first Kent vest and ended the SC,lsOIl ranked tenth in Kent. Chris ll1anaged to cOllle )91h (It the National Schools' ,1Ild pl'()\'cd hill1self as the second ranked rUlll1er in Kent in the process. \Ve arc glad to ;1Il1l01lilCe that Ewan Camcron and Polly Redman will be Captains or cross-coulltry next seasoll and we hO]JL' tilal they \\'ill he abk to develop a good working relationship. Ne.\1 season \\'ill be a tesling one 1'01' the club, without such a strong 6a year. The elrorls or all the younger l11embers of the club, all the 6bs mentiolled above, (IS well as .lonny Burr, Jim Morrison. Emilv I-lague ,\11(1 Lindsay Sharp: plus ']);t\'id 13UITO\\-'"" James Vv'cfls and Tom Kingston in thc Inters lwve been noticed and ;lppreciatcd. V·/C hope that they rise to Ihe challelll!e of fillinQ the vacuUIll and living lip to this 'year's successes! 'I would like to end by thanking the amazing ])ickcring double acl. Chris has hcen a trcillendous asset 10 lhe cluh. and a considerable credit to the SchooL o\'er the lasl fiVC' years. It has heen \\-'onderful to watch his talent (kvelop. fuelled by real determination and .'.iJlgk~llllndcdll(,ss. I look forward to hearing of his fUlllre successes at Oxford. \V.R.P. has been ;111 indispensable support and inspiration, ilnd 1 dOIl't know quite how we shall do witllOut him. Despite his otiler responsibilities he has heen incredihlv Qenerous with his tillle ,ll1d el1erc.v, and his suc.c.e",tions ;tnd cZ)Il;mitmclll have influenced the W,\\) both club ;Ind individuals have dewloped. 'vVe- shall Illis~ him imillenseiv ._. bUI it is c.ood to kllow lilat ivloth, if IlO olle else. will keep him rUllning! OWlS PICKt·:t(J;\(i ,\:'iD c.T.J--I.

Basketball Junior Housc Compctition Schonl House (,1llcrged winlll'rs

or this competition, having

heaten tvlarlowc ;l1ld then C/alpin's in the earlier rounds and then in tile final overcoming The Cirangc 19 points 10 7. School HOllse not only had the hci!.!ht ;!tl\"lI)l<1!2.C but also the hall skills of Ale.\ 1·;·os[('I: and Alex Shipman. allh~)ugh it W,IS their captain Charlie Ris\ who contributed 10 points to swing it in their r,\\'Olll' after <I vcrv (,WI) firsl hair. Thl' C1nIlH!C will lake some encouragemellt rr~)!ll [Iw performance or thei;' Shells (hal madc lip tile majority of their team. i'v'ly lhanKs go to all \\'110 came (0 support. but especially to the rcrcn:cs R.C.W" Claire Reed and Andrew I-first. S.l·:.;\.

Cross-Country Three Illollths. J)1,lIlY hundreds ofllliics ,l!1d sc\'cralthousand packed lunches (eateli courlesy of John Knowles and Rihbo) after ollr intrepid group of unsung heroes firsl stepped oul onlo the rn)fen wastes tilal we would bIer learn to lo\'e and c,1I1 our homl'. we C,\Il finally relax and have a well deserved res!. This has once a~ain becn a hic.hlv succe.'..,;I"ul scason under the 1c~ldcrship ,;( c.T.J-I. (who ,~t 011(' point was rUllloured aClually to be rUllnill~ lilese \-icious and unfounded rumours being latl~r dispelled as he turned up to another training scssion in his school shoes). or course. wc illuSI not rorget the evcr-present Doc. P.. who always round tilllc to \\'ear Ihe clothes that \Yould calise the maxillllilll clllh,lITaSSI11Cnt to his ollspring although he more than oftcn fOllnd himself being takL'n for a \\'<llk by his dog.

So the .'.ca.'.on hc~ins. At a Illuddv Knole Park in Sevenoaks. full senior hO\-s' ;111(1 c.irls·teallls st{)~)d 011 tile slarllinc wilh that ilir of anticip;'llioll ;!Il~1 an excited look in their eyes. By the end of the race se\'cral peoplL' wcre nying and no one l'xcept Chris was lookinc. forward to the rest of the season. The boys' team was led hO~lll' hv Chris Pickerinc. (3rd out of ~ 15) ;uld E\\,;1I1 Cailleron {!-1-til).·'They were fol!o~\'l'd hOI11(, by Chris El\\'orthy. Ed E\'L'rCll, Rihho. Neil Thomas. I-knrv Coltar! (who looked slightlv slower \\'Ill~n nol behind a s!el~ril1g \\'heel) and Tom CliVl'J:1. The team finished a slightly disappointing I ~th hut betllT things \\'en.' to cOllle as thl' season weill on. The girls' leam consistcd of Caroline 13;lile),' (Caplain). lema Coltar!. Polly Redman. Briar Hi!chell, Lindsay Sharp and Emily Ilague. Jona (18Ih) and h)lly 1'1 I sl in her rirst major competition) did pdrticulilrly \\'cll. The Kent Leac.uc was a sllccess slory for the seninr bovs and girls (as the rL'sldts sho\\' at the l~l1d ~)f this report). Nc)[ably C'hris PicklTinc. finished firs! in every Kent Le;u.!lll' race he ra;l in, and E\\"<ln (Illisiled just hehind hilil, The hoy,~' leam WOI1 the league. ulf.:ing back Ihe trophy which Tonbridge were lucky to depri\'l' us of ]a.'.l year. They also managed to win the Kent College Relay despite the absence or Chris. Ewan look the Captain's armband and jumped sll';lighl in at Ihe deep end (which i:·m't aCllIally allowed when you're wearing armbands). wilh a rantastic rinal Icc. 10 come fronl behind and win, The team also performed \\~~Il ill the Tortoise- Rehys in Oxford where we Illilnaged to e-atch lip to sen'l1th place nncr Ribbo had decided to run his leg as slowly as possible (due to ,\11 Unrortlllwte. and possibly contagious, Illedicalcondilion). The Icac.ue races at dirkrent venlles each \\'eck provi(kd some \'arie~lterraills Uht orchards at Sulton Valence to \'ertical clilTs al Dowr \'ia the channing undulations or our very own Scotland Hills course). The\' al;o c.a\'C individuals a cha~lCc to build up fitness, and \\'011 'tileir \\~ay up the wcekly rankings, Chris r-]\\,orthv soon eswblis!led himself as our No.3 finisher, after sc\'eral dose tliSSIeS with Ribho. Will Pritchard improved steadily arter a slow stan 10 become a key figure (lean. 1<111 and

'/'C(/I/IS ji'olll: ,"lcllioJ' !Jo\'s: Chris Pickcrinc. (CujJtaill)"":: Jonalhan Burr. TOIl1 Calvert:;·, 1-.:\,\-,,111 Call1('ron~'. I--lenrv Cohan';', Ed COIlOIl, Aliocha Delillolld. Chris Elworthy:::, I~d\\'ard b·erell. Charlie l.eiQh-Pemherton, Declan Marrioll';', James ivlorrisol1. Willi,lI11 Prit~'hard:::. Andy Ribbans';:":, Peler Sharp. Neil Tholll,IS':' SCllior girls: Caroline Bailey (CojJ/aillJ::: 10lla eoltan"'" Emily HaQud, Briar Hi!cilell ::, Hilary rVlyska, Polly Redman:': Lindsay S~harp·;·. II/Iel'll/ciliolc hon': David Burrows, William Ciold, Tom Kingston, John KIH)wlcs, ltmes \Vells. :::First Colours, "": rc-aw;lrded ·i·First Team Colours

221

RI:sul;rs

j-jIGJ!],IGllTS

Dis/rief C/wlllpioIlSliips, C(/II/almry: Scnior boys Isl. Senior

girls I s1. The Knofl' RUII, S(,l'ellOuks: Opcn boys 12th oul of 30: Open

girls 8th out of 12 schools. (Pickering 3rd. Cameron 141h out of 204: Coltan 18th, Redman 21 st out of (0). Tor/oises :-;choo/s' Re/(/y, O-\l()f"(/ Unil'('fsi/y: Open IV 7th. B IV

17th out of 24 schools . .<;owh-EoSf S'c/loo/s' ClwlI/piol1s/lIjJS. Ilurm\\,: Senior boys 5th OUl of J 5. (Pickering I st, Cameron 3rd). Kent College Re/ay: Open boys' VI I st out of 10 schools: girls'

IV 2nd out of 3 schools. Im'il'fa ;\.c. ,,;('hoofs' In\'i/afioll ChalllPionships, CUl/fa/JIIl'y:

Senior hoys and girls 1st. Kellf Schools' Leagllc:

OJ)()11 !Joys: 1st four times. 2nd twice. Overall team placings: I K.S.C.. 2 Tonbridge. 3 Se\'elloaks out of 10 schools.

Individual rankings: I~')t Pickering. 2nd Cameron.

Open girls: 2nd I~;ur times, 3rd ()nce.

Overall team placings: I Sevenoaks, 2 Dover College, 3 K.S.C

KCI/! Schools' Cha/JIpionships. Be.r/e)': Cameron 6th. Ribbans 19th, out of 30 Senior boys. Collar! 15th out of 18 Senior girls. Ewan Cameron represented KenL aL a SouLhern Counties fixture. coming 21 sL. Ellglish .)'choo/sÂˇ ClwlI1piollsilips. Che//('IIhulI/: Chris Pickcring came 39th out of 360 Senior boys, 2nd in the Kent team.

Inter-House Cl'Oss-Country, 1998. Following last year's precedent the University playing fields and woods were the venue this year. providing some varied terrain. and plenty of mud at a ford over a strealll for any sticklers for real Cross-CoullIry. There were some stunning winninl! scores. as the results below show. while lower down the teal~l orders there were some ti!.!,ht results, showin!! as ever that every placc gained throughout ~the field could \vellmake a difference overall. Broughton's meteoric rise to prominence in the team results is strikin!!. and reminds me of the extraordinarily high results of 13roLighlon as a boys' HOllse in the '80s ..- a Ilne precedent 10 follow! The Grange did well to increase its haul of cups this ye,IL but Tradescililt remains strong. and will doubtless keep on challenging in future. Congratulations arc due to some familia!" names in the top five places _. Chris Pickering and lona Coltan winning for the second year rUllning. but also Andy Ribbans, Ewan Cameron. Caroline Bailey and Louisc Squires all within the top five for their second year. For the record. Dr Pickering finished 6th among the Scnior Boys: he has finished in the (OP (en whenever he has run over the past 14 years at King's, and we \vish him all the best as he takes on rather hil!ier terrain in Cumbria in future! This event could not happen without the goodhUl110ured help of many starf. and the more or less wi!ling approach of so many runners: many thanks to one and all! CT.H.

Chris Pickerillg. (Z/ii !lao 0011.)

Senior girls: Broul!l1toll :2 Walp7)lc 3 Har\,cv 4 Marlo~\'e 5 Luxmoore 6 Jervis 7 Mi{chinson's

2 3 4

" 6 7

Intermediates: Tradesc<1!1t Lincacre The Grange ivleisLcr Omcrs Galpin's Marlowe 1'vl iLchinson 's (SH did not have 6 finishersÂˇ)

Individuals 23

37 54 55 56

107 151

104 122

130 !85 199 203

I. Cohan 2 R. Snow 3 F. Houghton 4 C Ilailey 5 L. Squires 6 13. l-I iLchen 7 S. Chave 8 M.-T. Boyce 9 K. Weir 10 A. Walker J. Mainwaring 2 S. London 3 E. Sixsmith 4 L. Montgomcry 5 S. Darroch 6 R.Owcns

7 H. Walpole

8 R. Bayley 9 1'. Lewis 10 J. Pollock

MR IlR WL HB LX HR IlR ilR IlR WL

TR GR MO SI! GL

LN MO TR LN GR

RESlJITS

2 3 4

5 6

Senior hoys: The Grange Tradescant iv1cistcr Omcrs Marlowe Linacrc Galpin's (MT & SI! did not have 6 finishers)

TilE

Individuals 65

99 102 117 173 212

CANTU;\RJAN. LEr-.:T &

C Pickering 2 E. Camcron 3 A. Ribbans 4 C. E:lwonhy 5 J. Hesse\' 6 E. Evc.rc-u 7 C LeHs 8 M. Sweny 9 O. Akinclele 10 S. Parker

SU,\l:vll~J{

1998

MO MO GR TR GR MR TR GR MR

2 3 4 5 6 7

222

Junior boys: The Grange Marlowe Tradcseant Galpin's Linaere Meister Omcrs Mitehinson's School HOllse

24 50 62 65

75 100 114 119

Individuals M. Pollock 2 T. Hayes

3 C. Baker 4 C. Mullens 5 1. Ellis 6 A. Ancock 7 W. Barratt 8 J. Audsley 9 J" Nathan 10 1 Lynes

GR GR LN MO GL LN

GR MT TR MR

2 3 4 5 6

2 3 4 5

Junior girls: Broughton LuxJl~oorc Harvey Jervis Walpole Marlowe Mitchinson's

Overall boys: The Grange Tradcscant Meister Omers Linacre Marlowe Galpin's (MT& SH did not have 6 finishers)

44 66

67 75 77

8'.,

211

243 332 352 366 462

Individuals K. Redstone

2 K. Sill 3 V. Anderson 4 F. Shere 5 L Stockley 6 K. Smith 7 V. Lloyd 8 R. Ashton 9 E. Milligan 10 D. Picot Overall girls: Broughton Luxmoore Walpole Harvey Marlowe Jervis Mitchinson's

Mark Gilchrist. (Lhi

IlR

llR MT

HH HH IlR IlR

JR 42 100 112 120

132 174 234

Fencing We have progressed ever forward and I hope to see the team maintaining its status as one of'the leading teams in Britain. On the personal level, James Rowe went off to the world championships in the Southern Hemisphere where he came 25th in the world. losing IO~J5 to the person \vl1o won it. Well done, James! Our three Shells, Peter Walker-Smith. Alex Brentnall and Chris Uhde, have continued to show a whole-hearted and helpful approach to the sport. I am very pleased that they arc able to train together. and rind it reassuring that they renew each other's enthusiasm. I was pleased to be with the team when we went out to Hungary to join up with the Hungarian fencers. This is because the Hungarians, and for that matter !Cncers from any of' the onetime satellite countries, are very good. This has something to do with the fact that the country used to be Communist and the only way to get out \A/as to be good at sport and represent the country. That areil of Europe has long had a strong reputation for exceptional athletes. Being at the top in Brit,lin rar less demanding than what is asked from these boys and girls. The mornings we spent out there were spent doing runs and reflex training. Evcry person received a half an hour lesson from a coach who is qualified to train athletes of an Olympic standmd. The coach who taught me was third in the Barcelona Olympics! The trip basically consisted of people who wanted to be good fencers and or those who wanted a holiday, dropped out and went homc. The Kin!!'s contingent was in the first part ,md I had lile pleasure of\vatching~lhem become vcry. very talented indeed. I mllst credit allI/ost everyone's behaviour: it made my time out there easier. Apart from being a fencing trip, this was to be /'or most oj' us a cultural experience.. For example, the food in Hungary as I know rrom previous experience there in a competition, is excellent: a very good three-course i1leal costs about five pounds. a good Hungarian wine threc pounds and beer was around 30p. The season started vcrv well for some and badlv 1'01' me. Caroline Scott excelled in a major Hung~lrian international. finishing in the top sixtccn.1!'she could have built on this. she could have been ranked in the top fifteen in Britain. I came into the competition after having Illy appendix out, and made the lOp sixty~four though later J managed to come I J til in the York Open. Then we had our matches, all oj' which we won. Amon!! those that were thrashed were Charlerhouse, J-Iailcybur)~. Rochester, Eton and Worth. In the sumlller term we had the fortune to feature on Blue Peter, where .lames and I had the comfort of our own dressing-rooms and were blessed with as much food for lunch as we wanted. James Rowe produced LIS a stream or good results and has been interviewed by the press. He has earned his first colours many times over. lowe him much more than anyone would think, since he is full of good ideas and helps others in the team 10 get better a quality I as Captain appreciate and admire. I hope that he will continue to be <IS helpful. He is also a very useful person to have around. as he is a fountain of all knO\vlcdge about the sport. Thanks, James! I also gave colours to Caroline Scot(, as she has given long-term ~~Llpport to fencing ,tnt! gets very good results by thinking about what she docs while competing. She has always been on my side, and I could not have hoped for anyone else better to bat on my team. We arc lucky that this year wc have found a home, the Maurice Milner Memorial Hall. I am not going to usc the 'last tribe of Israel' slory, because it is not very funny. but we have come home to a very good location. The hall was opened by Mrs Maurice ivlilner on the Saturday of Kin!!'s Week, after which we went OJ) to beat the O.K.S:comfort<lbly. M!\RK GILCHRIST.

!-I(/O (JOII.)

THE

CANTUARJAN, LENT

SUl\jl\IER

1998

Rugby Football

Go(! INo report rccci\'cd. Ed. J

This compctition is the brainchild of Geoff Wappet!' the England Schools' coach. I--lis idea \vas to invitc top rugby playing schools to a louriwIHent o\'Cr two days in a forillat unique to schools' competition (although we have had a House (ens tournament for Ihe lastlwo seasons!). The elllplwsis is on the quality of the field invited and its geographical spread, sllch tilalte<llllS could Illeet who might not normally do so (hence the prescnce or Scottish and i-"elsh schools): The eyent W,!S sponsored by '{lie '/i'IIICS and the Army. The gal1le i.\ played with five forwards and fi\'c backs, in two twelve-minute halves. Normal laws of the game apply, except that in the fivc-man scrummage. none of thl~ forwards Illay pick up the ball ('rom the SCI"UIll. and the defending sCl"ull1-half cannot go rurther fonvard than the line of the put-in until the ball has emerged, This produces a hybrid forll1 of the game which blends thc best of the se\'cn and fiftcen-a-side versions, With cxtra roOIll on the pitch and no back I"O\\"S. cmphasis is 011 running and Iwndling: \\'ith more players on the field than with scvens, there arc mini-rucks and mauls and a pattern to tlw g,lllll' more akin to the full !!:ll11e. There were one or t\,'() :'i1:1nges from the sides ti};!t pl~lyed in the inaugural e"ent i(!st year and the qu,tiity of the field assell1hled was e\'('r), bit ,IS good. Teams arc organised into four groups or rour teams. On tile first day, each team plays l~ach of the others in its group. Artcr that. thc lOp two teams in each group progress into the main competition. forming two groups of four. The top tcaills in thc t\\'o !.!l"OUpS contest the final. Those finishinL'. ill the bottom t\\'o 'places in their group Oil the first day entcr the consolmion plate competition. Our group looked tough. though of c:ourse nOlll' in this cOlllpetition is casy. \Ve had the misfortune to race the might of till' likely strongest te<lm in the competition. Millfield. in our (irsl !!,lnll', TIK\, were fresh from <I win in the Oxford Snclls and t~he rinal at the Open Competition at Rosslyn Park, and be!lan in confident Cashion, We WCI\' very slow imo thl' !!:!Ille illllecd. and not recognising the way to pla'y .... whcther <1\ sewn\ or ril'tl:cn" were caup.ht comprehensi\'c!Y between two stools. We H'crl' easil" beaten, but not dis~raced, and indeed the tl"\" or thl' Illatch \\,«'s ours \\'ilen ;\ki ol~tpaeed their winger oll'the olltsidl' and left the fullback on his knees wondcrin!! where he had gone nluch 10 the crowd's pleasure! We paitl particul,lr alienI ion to how we phycd the tackle situatioll for the Ilext maleh. in terills or the winning of hall we had not beclI quick enoll~h to sei/.l' it when it was on the floor and the shape or our defence. because til11e and again in our first matc]) \\'e had l'olllillitted too lIlan\, llIen at the bre,lkdowil !caving huge O\·erlap.\. We hegan p()orl~' however. hy cOl1cedin)2 a try. but things hegan gradually to improve, and an al11a/.il\& II')' by \\/ill Mackay turned the tide when he set off aCl"oss the Ilcld in our ownt\\'el1l\,,-two wa\'in!! ti1c ball around to I1lcslllerise tile opposition who 'let hilll rUIl ~thl' length or til(' field to score. Three more tries followed quickly and we secured ,I comfortabk win. Bradford's winning try Ilurgin against Lou~hhoroLlgh in their first Qamc had been identical to ollrs and thev"'lwd Ihe;1 made Millfield work vel'\' much harder for their victory. Against thelll we once again let Ihe opposition score firs!' but fortunatcly we continued our improvement. 11\0st noticeably in the way in which wc took ball from the opponents when they took it into our tackles. We also scrunlllla!!ed \>"ell and took hall <.wainst the head. <.Ind so we dOlllinated ll~e ball to sllch an extent Lila! we scored four tries and sllr!led into a 2X-7 lead. Though we relaxed a little 10 le\ thcm score two late tries, the game \~'as not in doubt. As runllers-up in Group 2, OLlr second (by group opponents were to be: Ille winners of (iroup 3, Kirkham G.S. (];!st year's Daily Mail finalists): the winllers of Ci-roup 4, St J{);'cph'~ lpswich (winllcrs of the Sedbergh Super Tens l<lst year): and King Ecl\vard's Bath, rUllllers up ill a very strong (.iroup I. In the first gaille we faced Kirkham. who had prowd 10 he \'el'y resilient in coming frolll ortell considentbly behind to win tileir

Lacrosse 1st XII This season started oIl earlier than usu,lI with <l sixth-forlll tournament a1 \Vcybridgc. This turned out 10 be full surprises: 1101 only did we win a Ina1ch ag,lins\ Sl Cicorgc's, hut we hold the record of the oilly team ill the tOllrnament's

history 10 be all gj\'l~1l Yellow Ca;'ds! QUiLl' impressive all in a day's work. girlies? It was a great day oul and Squiffy Illay have been 'lIllqualifcd' but he made lip for il wilh enthusiasm.

Our first Illalch of the scason was against Cranbrook 1sl XII. Although there was an exciting illitial spur! of" 3 goals in the first 2 minutes. we were llllabk 10 slistain this. and afkr a vcry close (alld long) match we unfortunately IUSI 9-3. Then (,<line Millon Keynes, our 'l1llluallOl"IllClltor. It was the windiest and rainiest d;!\, for a Ion!! lillle and absolutely fre,el.ing. Neyertheless, after lhe slighl h1ccup or almost missing two of the games, \"l' battled through the day playing five matches <H!ainst the likes or Dost(}ll. Roede<ln and Chel!enhalll Ladies' C(;llc!!e ~ need I say am IlH)I\:'? The end rcsult was thaI we lost 4 ,UHr I was dn!\\'I). Perhaps 110t quite the result \,"e '(I h,l\'c liked, bUI it was a g.rl~at day OliL Our nexl Illatch was against thc ])urples. and this dcfinill'l) deserves a l11ention. It was a 'seriously wicked' !!,lIne alld ~rcat fUll. though what Ihe Japancse tourists 11111stll<!v~- thought \',,'hl~n they stumbled upon Ihe sight of ollr boys flying across Ihc pitch wearing skirts and purple gOWIlS, I wouldn't hanml a guess. J-Jowl'ver. the result was inconclllSiYl~: a draw at 2-1. i\ great (and violclll!) lilllc was had by alL Our final match or the season was against our coach':, university mixed team. This was our chance to sho\\' off OUI" skills. <lIld with somc excellent play the final score was 6-(). Very illlpressi\'C! Thanks to e\'eryolle for playing and for all your dedication. and of course to Miss Fnlllsella for accompanying liS and bravill!! the En!!lish weather extr~lllcs. Thanks also to i'drs Woodley for all ~hcr help. S.-\])II: 01,-WI·:.

Sadie Chavc has run the lacrosse almost single-handedly since she has been al Kin!!'s and J am ,'(TV grateful indeed to her for haYing done so. SI;L' has more than' r'l!lfilled her duties as Captain for these past two years and withollt her help the game of lacrosse at the School might well have declined. A junior Kent player of great talent. she has motivated and encouraged Ihe rest of the group of twcllty girls and with the help of Coach Dan Roberts, Clj)tain of Lacrosse at the Univcrsity of Kent. they have had tin enjoyable season, culillinatinp. in the National Lacrosse Championships at 1\11ilton Kevnes and a match against thc U,K.C. Thank you, ' Sadie, for :dlthat you hm'c dOlle, .lAW. T('({/I/: Caroline Bailey. Sadie C1wve rCo/Huill), Camilla

CooK. Poppy EdlllUIHls. Alex Elliot! (soilletimes!), Nicok K\\,'tIn. I)aisy IJoyd-Slllith, ElspL'lh iVlcGregor, .10 Martin. Rhial1non Newman-Brown, Anlla Shadholl. iv1c1 Siddon", Hannah Vaines, Cieorp.ina Zucchini-Watts. RI:St:1TS rVlatches: Lost 1. V'/Oll I. Tournament games: Won I, Drawn!, Lost 7.

THI': Cj\~TU:\I{I"\\" Ll:;\T

& SU\I\ll:l{ 199R

224

group Illatches. It was a very close-run alTair as the lead c:-.:chan!.!ccl hands, but when we converted OUl" third trv from Aki and t()()~k a 19-12 lead, there remained onlY enough seconds on tile clock for the kick-ofT. Unfortunately ihis Ill~ssa(!,e did not gct through to our playcrs, who simply had to kick thc h,111 off as soon as they caught it. Wc tried instcad to rlln the ball. and turned it ovcr. Kirkham gratcf"ully seized the opportunity to score in the corner, and then rubbed salt into our wounds by convcrting from the tOllchlinc -- though perhaps since our final convcrsion had gone over off both posts this might have been divinc justicc! St Joscph's, Ollr next opponents, had becn thc favourites for the group when play began, but had lost their first match. Their only chance of gelling to the final was of coursc to win their remaining games and hope for other results to fa!! their way. The patlern of the match was alillost idcnticalto our gamc against Kirkhalll: Will iVLlckay hnd managed anothcr lungbursting cf"fort. and Aki had produced a couple of specials, but when St Joseph's came back with a try at the vcry end. thc conversion from wide-out would have tied the game, Fortune smiled on us this tillle, and thc \\'in WilS ours. I(ing Edward's, Il1c,\!1\>"ililc, had WOI1 their second game; they cOlild afford to draw with us in the final group game and progress to the fil),l1Our only hope was to \vin: the motivation to do so was evident. and this wc did in grand style, coming back from <.In carly scorc to run in four tries without reply and finishing conridently.

\\ll1olc that was the epitome or a team effort and a marvel to behold, drawing praise from al! those who watched. It was a pity that it happen cd so far from home, and wa~ 110t witnessed by anyone supporting ollr cause·~ although such was the naturc of our performance we gained all the neutral support in [he final! 1 would like to thank all the players for giving such pleasure, and Mr Anderson ("or his invaluable assistancc o\'er the threc days. R.C.W.

Olukayode Akindele, Fadel Banda, Hellry Chamberlain, James Hessey (C{{jJlaill), John Hillicr, Edward Immink, Simon Lau, Mathew Lister, Willialll Mackay, Chike Okoli, Samuel Parker, Kofobran Randle, Simon Shererr. Edward Wyand. Tealll:

CO/lljJeting Te{/I/Is:

Group J Durhalll School Trent Colle!lc R,G.S., Lan~caster King Edward VI. Bath Group 2 Millfield School Loughborough G.S. King's Schoo!, Canterbury Bradford G.S. Group 3 Scdber!lh School Kirkha~ll G.S. Bristol (i.S. Haberdasher's Aske's School Group 4 Edinburgh Academy St Joseph's College, Ipswich Monmouth School Kirby Lonsdale (replaccd Cumbria Schools)

At thc cnd of two days' play things (or us had gone full circle. Our initial group in fact provided three of the four finalists ,,- Bradford reached thc final of the Platl..' competition. and in the Trophy final we were to facc Millficld again. Thcy staned as dear f<lvouriles, not only because they were very talentcd. but also because they had the luxury or a strong squad of twenty, so that players could be rested. '';'/e nn thc other hand had thirteen initially, \,,,'hich was reduced [0 twclve by an injury to Mat Lister, and went back up to a mcre thirteen when thc CoIl. Kofsi Randle arrived as a reinforcemcnt on the Saturday night. Six players had to play in all scvcn games, and of the others, 1ll0~t had had lillie chance to rest. The final, refereed bv Stevc Llildcr, resultcd in <I Illargin similar to that in the fir;t encounter, but it \Vas an altogether difTercnt alTair. We bcgan stron!.!l\, and nearl\' scorcd on two occa~ions in thc first five minutes. Okoli an(f Hessey heing stopped literally inches fro III the linc. 1·lowe\'er fatigue took its toll: Millfield callle into the game. and uscd their possession well; although wc tackled m,lnfully and neve!" gave up, thcy alw,lys had one more ll1an in SLlpPOrllhan we had cover dcf"cnders. They had to work hard for their scores but wcrc worthy winners.

Kil/g's Resll/I.\

Dav 1 \. Millfield. \' Lou!.!hborou!.!h. \. BrmTrord (i.S. Dav 2 \' !(irkham G.S. \' SI Joseph's, Ipswich \. Kin!.! Edward's. B,l1h ,. Millfield (Final)

Althou!!h ultimatelv we did not win. the achicvcment in reaching tIle final hrOllght more satisfaction in some ways than any performancc since our victory at Ros~lyn Park, for it wa~ achicvcd with a small squad, 110wl1l..'re Ileal' full strength, and over half of them nowhere Ilear full fitness, in tiring conditioll~ against very strong opponents, some of who111 are two-tcrm rugby schools, and the character shO\vll by the boys, who had given up lime in their holidays to participatc, was immense. We concedcd the first score in every !.!alllc (!lot something to be proud or in onc rcspect!) but wc 'lh~'i1Ys came hack. Vic had our ~lars - Hessey and AkindcJe must have been close to being the players of the tournament .- and 1 ~hall particularly remcmber I'less's cxncet-style demolition or a Bradford opponcnt who thought he was flying to the linc (onc or many) and the audiblc anticipation oj' the watching spectators as Akindcle's twinkling fcet set him on the route to yct another try. However. even to mention this risks undervaluing the importance of each mcmber of the squad. and every player had his spccial momcnts, many of which comc to Illind in addition to thosc mcntioned already - the hugc tackles hy Lall and Banda (tile latter against the biggcst player on tile field), Wyand's chip and chase, IIl1!llink's deft pass, Okoli's interccption. Lister's dominant lineout, Parker's kick off receipts, Hillicr's scampering try, Randle's steal ,\Ild racc for the line, Chamberlain's winning of the ball on the noo!". the dummy of guest Simon SherefT (10 whom we were !.!rateful for answering a last minute SOS whcn Mark SWC1l\~ had to cry ofT win) water on the knee). Abovc all, howe\!er. it was tlic sheer hard work done by everyone and the usc of their different gifts and qualities for (hc good of thc

J~ost

Won Won

12-42. 28-10. 28-2 I.

Drawn Won WOI1 Los!

19-19. 19-17. 29-5. 0-29.

Senior Sevens Because of <I combination of factors, this sevens season was by far thc worst in terms or preparation that wc have had for i.\ very long time, and it showed in our early performances. At Maidstonc we suffered our first de!Cat in six years. Thc 'A'side fell three tries bchind a good, but not superior, Judd sidc through carelessness. and although we came back and looked capablc oj' snatching the gamc, time ran ouL Against the other sidcs we were allowed to keep our rhythm and looked very impressive, and the 'W team enjoyed itsclfas usual, with olle or two unlikely people rUllning great distanccs to score, and some sparkling individual Illomcnts. 'vVe ncarly had a shock in the Kent tournament in the first match against Dar(ford (i.S. \Ve scored strai!.!ht from thl..' kickoIl. but ~vcre lulled into a false scnse of sccu~'ity, and a tigerish opposition forced LIS into mistakes. With seconds to go, wc were behind and under pressure in ollr twenty-two. Fortunately a well ,iudged long kick out of defence bounced obligingly into the hands of" Ed \Vyand for the try, and John Hillier converted for thc winnin!.! scorc, with which the whistlc broll~ht the cnd of the game. '-the other group match was straightforward. In thc quarter-finals. we had the worst of starts to bOih halves as

225

THE

C.·\NTUARJAN, IXNT

& SU)\.l:'llER 1999

Scvel10aks scored straight from the kick-off. Having j~lllen behind we kept coming i)ack, and were leading at the SUll·t of the second half, but injuries to Hessey and Hayes disrupted us badly, and Seven oaks took advantage of Ollr indecision. They went on to reach the final. but had only six men Ilt to play, and lost to the Judd seven. Our second seven, meanwhile, had performed with immense heart against others schools' first teams, though the quality of their play is not reflected in the scores. Still without these two players, we performed well in our group ,!\ Richmond in the SUlTey Sevens, beating all three opponents comfortably in the group stages. and improving all the time. \Alhen it came to the first of" the knockout stages. however, a well organised St Edward's side put us under pressure to take the game in the second half as fundamental errors were punished. Despite the Ltct that three of our stars were not available for Rosslyn Park, we were still optimistic of our chances of making some sort of impact in the tournament. There was a west-coUl1!ry flavour to our group. and we won our first two games in impressive style against Portsmouth and Torquay. but then paid the penalty for thinking that the next game would be easy against Prior Park, who had lost their first game. We scored first, but then were hustled into defeat. Our only~opportunity to progress to the knockout stages was to beat Windsor in our last gamc and to make sure that wc stayed ahead on try count of the other two who would be level on points. This we did in an excellent aggressive performance against a side which had won all three of its games thus far. Our try count (! 5 in four games) was much superior to the others and we went through. Unfortunately we were in one of the groups that had to play an extra game to qualify for the second day, and it was only forty minutes after we had finished the last. "Ve found ourselves hounded and could not settle against Ellesmere, who beat us convincingly in the end. It was nonetheless a good display by a very under-strength side. This was by no means a bad season. As had been suspected, however. we lacked one or two ingredients vital to collecting silverware in tournament play. We IWd pace in abundance, blrt lacked in physical presence. We tackled, for the most part, very well. particularly v·,1hen opponents tried to go around us. If they came through us, we often chased thelll down. Where we really came unstuck was in not having the physical resilience to stand up in tackles when under pressure. Every side that beat us hustled us physically so that we. simply could not get into our rhythm. and so that we found ourselves sucked into a losing battle of strength. In truth we probably lacked a real playmaker, and some players lacked fitness. All those who played contributed fully, of course - sevens is very much a team, and now a squad, game - but special mentioll must go to Aki and Flo who showed finishing of the highest class, Fadel Banda, who settled in very quickly and l~ld a remarkable impact (literally) for a fifth-fonner and Ed Wyand, who chased back to make try-saving tackles, ancl chased kicks upficld for try after try. Perhaps our player of the tournaments, however, was Mark Sweny, who is very much in his element in the reduced game. Nimble, alert and elusive, he scored a Ilumber of cheeky long distance tries and also defended with an aggression and a certainty as good as anyone's. R.C.W RESULTS Maids/one Sel'(,l1s: 'A'VII I' Maidstone G.S. Won 37·7. I' Judd Lost 12·19. l' Oakwood Park G.S. Won 39·0. l' Rochester Maths. Won 29·5. S'quad: Olukayode Akindele, Folarin Abkija, Fadel Banda, J,lmes Hessey, Chike Okoli, Samuel Parker, Mark SwellY. Edward Wyand. 'B'VII I' MaidslOl1e G.S. II. Won 22·14. \' Judd II. Won 21·7. I' Maidstone U I 6. Won 33·0. \. Rochester Maths. II. 29-7. Won

THE

CANTUARIAN, LENT & SUMMER J 998

Squad: Henry Chamberlain, John Hillier. Edward lmmink. Simon Lau, Mathew Lister. Gbenga Odimayo. Chike Okoli. Roland Phillips

Kcn! S'e\'('lIs:

1SI VII \' Dartford G.S. Won 2X-26. \' Maidstonc (;.S. Won 49-5. \' Sevenoaks. Lost 14-27. S'ClI/(/d: Olukayode Akindele, Folarin Alakija, Fadel Banda. Alexander I-Ia\'es, James I-Jesse\', John Hill1cr, Simon Lau. Samuel Parker~ Mark Sweny. Ed\~!<ml Wyand. 2nd VII \' Ilelhany (I). Lost 17·26. \' Colfc's (I). Lost 0·36. l' Duke of York's (l). Lost 10·21. Sql/ad: Oliver Collins, Edward Immink, Mathew Lister, William Mackay, Gbenga Odimayo, Chike Okoli. Roland Phillips, Kofolaran Randle, Mark Westlake. S'/lrrev S'Cl'ens: \\/on \' En;allllei. 35·5. \' Gunnersbury. Won 45·7. \' R.(;.S., High Wycombe. Won 26·14. \' St Edmund's, Oxford. Lost 19·36. Squad: Olukayodc Akindele, Folarin Alakija. Fadel Banda, John Hillier, Simon Lau, William Mackav, Chike Okoli, Samuel Parker, Mark Sweny. Edward Wyand.~ ROSS/VII Park SeI'ells: \" P01:tsmouth G.S. 3.1·7. Won \' Torquay Boys' (;.S. Won 35·0. \' Prior Park. 7·24. Lost \' Windsor. Won 28·10 (King's Group Winners) l' Ellesmere. Lost 7-33. S(jllud: Olukayode Akindele. Fadel Banda. Alexander Hayes, John Hillier. Simon Lau. William Mackay. Chike Okoli, Samuel Parker, Mark SwellY. Edward Wyanel.

Under 16 Sevens This has been a very successful season in which the standards set in the Colts' fifteens season have been maintained. The team has uniquely done the double of \vinning the King's and Duke of Yorkfs tournaments. in some style. We opened the Dover tournament with a pleasing victory against Colfc's, where the team played with composure and <1 fair degree of skill. In the second game it was clcar that the forwards could dominate in the sCI~lln when needed, and the backs had pace, but we were still tending to take the bal! too far. We WOll against Cranbrook, but missed tackles and poor decision making \vere in evidence. In the next game the home side were Sllpp(;ned by a very vocal crowd whicll were quickly silenced. King's were quick to \vin bal! and distribute, and had the pace to go around the opposition. As group winners we faced Campion, a side with an excellent sevens pedigree, in the final. It was a tough cOlltest, but we worked hard for a deserved victory. The confidence gained from this tournament win was ill evidence two weeks later in our own tournament. Playing Duke of York's again in the first game provided an ideal warm up. Judd in the next provided sterner opposition simply by using the unllsu;:11 tactic of kicking the ball behind LIS every time they had it. It made for a tiring and untidy game, but fortunately after a slow starl we came good in the second half 10 run out easy winners. A very small but extremely fast Chis & Sid team were allmved to score the only points against liS all afternoon. but both scores were after the match had been well won. It did teach us hmvever not to relax. In the final game we played our best rugby of the afternoon and of the two tournaments. Skinners' were physically strong, but were no match for a King's seven showing power, pace and vision. The squad is to be commended on t\\'o excellent performances. A great deal was learnt and absorbed for the

226

future, The power of Banda and the pace of Odilllayo were obviolls match-winners. but it takes more than a talented individual or two to win tournaments, and congratulations to all on their c;\cellenl work,

Sailing colours were re-awarded to Chris Elwortily and awarded to Hugh Kingston, Charles Wells and Jamie Martin. The Inter-House Regatta. held on 18th June, again attracted

a large entry - with nine House te;:llllS entering three or four

A.R.W'/R.C.W.

helms pCI' House. Three races were sailed, with Meister Omers the well-deserved winners and Linacre, cup-hOlders from 1997. still very good in second position.

Sql/ad: IÂˇ-:ade! Banda, Oliver Baker, Anthony Brooke, David Burrows. Thomas Dunn. James Hume. Jack Martin, Luke Montgomery. (ibcnga Odilllayo. Kol'olanln Randle. Dorian Soanes, lain Weir,

r would especially like to thank H.R.O.M, and Mr Watson for their timc and support. They both give up about threc hOllrs of their time for each Sailing session, three limes a week. I wish the Club every success ror the future.

RESUJ :rs DlIke (?/Tor/.:'s SCI'C'I/.',.: I' ('olfe's, I' R.H.S .. Ipswich. \' Cranbrook. I' Duke of York's. \' Campion. Killg's S(,l'{,IIS' \. Duke of York'.". \. Judd, \' Chislehurst and Sidcu]) (i.S. \' Skinners',

CJml;)TOPI!ER EI.WORTIIY.

Won Won Won Won Won

25-0.

SOli/ii East S'c/lOols' Sailillg Association al \1/('.\"1 I1yt/le: 'A' tcam: Christopher Elworthy (Captain), Hugh Kingston.

21-12, 24-5.

Jamie Marlin. 'W Team: Matthew (iray, Alexander McDonald. James Mcirvine. Charles Wells, Kent Schools' Rcgaf{a: Christopher Elworlhy, Matlhew Gray, Hugh Kingston, Jamie Martin, Alexander McDonald. William Proudfoot. Ellen Weavers, Charles Wells. Richard Young, Georgina Zucchini-Watts.

17-5.

Won WOIl

29-0. 26-0.

WOIl Won

26-14. 36-0.

~ Sailing

24-5.

The Sailing Club continues to grow. thanks to the Sel~o()],s closer involvel11cnt with Dovcr \)../atcr Sports Centre and with Killg.'s increasing participation in Sailing Regattas. On Saturda\' 16th May. King's entcred the South East Schoolsl Cluhs Regalla at West Hvthe. This was a te,11ll racing T{)pper event. A number ()~r opposition teams \>,'ere extremely good, but King 's, e!llerrn~ both an 'A' '- and a '13' (eal11. performed well. In the 'A' team contest Chris Elworlhy ,mel Hugh Kingston secured a first place in two or the six races and we achieved an overall position or 5th out or 14. Charl.es Wells, Jamie Martin and Mallhcw Gray also showed promise.

(HIIOM) \' Calais Yacht Club: Christopher Elworlhy. Matthew Gray, Hugh Kingston, Alexander McDonald. Charles Wells. /-louse S'oiiing Regaf{a:

Water .S-porrs Centre, DOl'e!' !-Iarbollr.

The Dover Schools' Regal!a was on 'home' waters and King's again had more helms in action than the five other scht;ols t~king part, competing in all three classes or Toppers, Lasers and Wayfarers. In a contest which proved much closer than thc previolls year's, King's finished second in Topper and Laser divisions to St Edmund's and J sl:::: in the \)..l ay farcrs. St Edmund's vvcre adjudged the worthy winners overall.

RESULrs

GR WL

MO MR LX GL

Our third Regatta was as part of the Dover Invicta Sailing Club team against Calais Yacht Club. Last year the Dover/King's team sullered a heavy defeat. but wilh home advantage this year, and King's providing most of the home side in the Topper division, a narrow victory was secured. At one point the wind dropped and a fog bank rolling across Dover Harbour reduced visibility to zero. but everyone tried hard and emerged fully intact.

Race!

Race 2

Race 3

Points

12+14 14+14 2+14 8+ 13 3+7 10+11

7+8 14+14

2+13 14+14 4+5 9+11 8+14 '/,+6 3+14 6+14 I()+ 14

56 84

'/I! 4

5+9 6+14

'/,+2

8+14 I()+ 14 5+14 4+14 6+14 3+14

27'/,

63 56 46'/, 39'/.1

54 59

Position 5~

9 1 8 5~

2 4 7

":(Mixed tcam from a group or Houses) Winners of the King's Sailing Cup !998: Meister Omcrs.

227

THE CANTUARJAN. LENT

& SUt\ÂˇllvlER 1998

Thanks go to Dr Allday and ivlartin 13allands for all their support throughout the season.

Squash

I-L\:\NMI VAI:><ES. Thi~

was nOl a bad season, compared with some recent ones.

Nicholas Berry, Anthonv Brooke. Alex Dawes. Adrian Fradd, Alex King, I'-i<mn,!h' Vaines (CajJtain). Harry Walker, Jamie Winner. ~ Te(/III:

Once again this was down 10 Martin's nc\'cr-cndinl! enthusiasm and determination for liS to sllcceed. He has alwa)!s pushed liS 10 Ollr maximulll potential ill tnlinlng sessions (and sometimes further where I was concerned!). I know that I for olle occasionally seemed less than apprccimivc of all the tillle and persona! sacrifice that Marlin puts in. but I am sure that the whole learn arc grateful. I hope that one day I will be able to repay this by a tournament victory.

Swimming

Team spirit was extremely good Ihis year. The. players showed a great deal commitment and enthusiasm as well as a will 10 \~'jn thai has been absellt in the recent past. We must

These last two (erms have seen swimming squad members working really hard, training for a long list of" fixtures. Many schools have improved the quality of their swimming immensely from what I've seen in my five years here bUI I'm

have been doilH! sOlllething right. since we ended the season with rour victories _. St L\~'rel;-ce. Kent College, St Edmund's and Sevenoaks. Vv'c had an excellent match with Sevcnoaks in the I"irst half of the season, narrowly losing 3-2. Nico phlyed sOllle very good squash and won his match convincingly a1 first string. Sevclloaks challenged us again, looking ror a victor\' over Nico, but again he played al Ihe lOP of his l"orl11 and the second time we \\'on thc wholc match. Anothcr great victorv \vas against SI Edmund's (5-0), \\'hicl~ madc alllcÂˇntls for ~()ur mishap against thelll last season. Despite the fact that I"larry plays me every day, he was horrified at the prospect of playing a girl in Ihis match. I-larry has been a tremendous asset to the team lilis season at Number ) hardly cver dropping a game. He has a good talent (when he 1ll0\'es) and must continue to play once he has left the school. Adrian played eithcr 3rd or 4th string this season. He is another talCnled player who necds to believe in his own ability more and push himself" harder in lllaLches. IÂˇk has improved rcmarkably this season and C,\ll onlv have bellcritcd frOllllaking a gaille from Nico in the 'fi nal of the schoo] knockout c()mpctition. Incidentally. the !lnal was an cxcellent oCC<lsion played in froll! of the Headmaster ,lilt! I'dI' \~'/hite. It is a shame that more people did not cOllle alon!.!. to watch both ivl,!rtin's exhibition match and Ihe final. Squash 1;layed at this level is something to sec. Jamie also played at 3rd/4th string. He is a committed player with great potcntial and wil! he a very valuable player next season. Lastly I Illllst say something about Nico. He was a great (raining partner and always Ilunagcd !O cheer Ille up. He is a very talented player who is quite c,lpable or ~{)ing to the very top. I wish him all the best as Captain next year.

Till/W(//kc)". (\\'i//illIIl.llfstio'.)

extremelv pleased lhat we've managed to remain unbeaten on overall score in ever\, match, with iust one drawn against Tonbridge. E:\'eryolle has'pulled their fui'l weight and Illan)~ have shown spec(acular improvement in speed: .lonny White set new U 16 records of 27.26 s for 50111 front crawl and 13.12 s for 25m butterfly (also bealing the selliOi" record) ,llld Sarah Cbrke set a new senior girls record of I' 27.69 for 100m breast slroke. The National PuIJlic Schools' Relays were rather disappointing with olle or Iwo errors and miscalculations, but the girls' freestyle team achieved a place in the finals, which was very impressive. Next vear will he tough, due to <l shortagc or dedicated fast . swimmers, but there arc several \isillQ stars among thc juniors. Thanks to lViI'S Sellers. \\~e are looking forward (0 a possible new fixture next year against Eton. ! would like to take this opportunity 10 thank Dr Bridge for doing all the organisational work and or course Mrs ivlurrHY, our sharp-eyed coach, who has been COJlsl<ll1tly on the look-out 1'01' new lalent and has kept us all righting fit. To next year's caplains, Nick Collins and Chrissie Helley, good hU!lling! i\!)RJA:-< CIII:():\(J.

;\1/(/1'(')\'

THE C\NTUAI<IAN. LENT

Squad Boys (/16: ])aul Fairbairn, i"vlark Hill. Sieve Ho. Nick' Kcnwrick-Picrc\', Owen Lee. Joel ivlarshalL Jonathan White. Trisuln Willis. Boys Senio}"s: Adrian Cheong (Captain). Nick Collins, Henry Coltart, Tom Holliday (I-ice-copraill). Enl:o Labrosciano, Malt LiSleI', TOil) Pickerillg, Ben ~ Reid, Mark Westlake. Girls U 15: Rachel Benton, Lucinda Dcvcnish, Susie (ientles, Caroline Hollywood. Llicy ]-Jovey.

RihhclI1s. (Wi/limll Jllstice.)

SU!\I!\lER 1998

228

I would like to wish next year's teams good luck, especially Sam and Adrian who had a very good season: nexI year will be Iheir third season in the I st VI. I would al~o like to thank Mr Anderson for all his hard work in orga!li~jng the ~eason and for helping illl those who play tellnis at the School.

Li!:;:ie Hurs\. Ch,Hlic iV1 arnil<-l III , Amy Marshall, Minlilda Meyer, Jessa l'vlOrLOIl, Girls SClliors: Caroline Bagley, Bryon)' Bullard, Sarah Clarke, Chrisline Helley, Camilla Jackson, Alyssa Nihon-Kufla (l-'ice-c{/jJ{(/ill), Eleanor Wharton, Gemma Wheeler, Rachael While (Coe{ain), Kate Wnllten.

ED IM\II;\;](,

Iron/: Anil Abraham"", Adrian FradcL Ed Immink (('optailln, Sam London"', Mark Preston'! Fergus Reynolds, Ben Steinkruger. Harry Walkcr. '!'denotes First Colours awarded. ';'denotes First Colours re-awarded. T(,({III

FIXTL'RI:S LCII{ {crill

SI Edmund's School (i--I). SenG Won, SenB Los\. \' Ursuline College (I-n U J 5G \Von, U 1613 Won. I' St Lawrence C:)IJcgc (J-n. Sen Won, U I 5 Won. \' King's Rochester (A). OpenCj \VOIl. OpenB \Von, I'

RI:sUIJ'S .';lIl1l11/cr {crill

Played 6, Won 2, Lost J, Drawn I, Postponed I, (A). Won 9-0. \' SI Edmund's (A). Postponed. \' Tonbridge (A), 0-9, \' Se"enoaks Lo~t (II). 2-7. \' Maidstolle G,S, (Cilanville Cup) Lo~t (I-I), \' Bren[\\'ood Drawn 6-6. (H), 9-0, \' SUl10n Valence Won (AI. 4-5, \' St Lawrence Lost

\' Benenden Schoo! (;\). U 14(; Lost, U 15Ci \VOI1. Senej Won. I' St Dunstan's College (A). UISB Won. ScnB \VOI1,

I' Brentwood School~(j-n U ISCj \Von. Sene; Won, U 16B \\1011, SenB WOIl, I' Tonbrid0,c School (Al. UI5B \Von. Ul6B Won, SenB Lost. \' Sl Edm~lIld's and Bethanv School (j-I), U 15G Won, Sene; Lost (10 Bcthal1v), U I613 W{)Il, SenB Won. I' King's, Rocliestcr. and SU\lOIl Valence (H). UI.'1G \Von, SenCl \Von, U 1613 \\-'011, Sen13 Won, \. Cnlllbrook and St Lawrence (H), U 16C3 WOIl, SenC..! Won, UI613 \1.,1011, SenB \Von, I' Eastbourne and Epsom College (1\). U 15C~ \Von, Sene) Won, U 1613 Los!. ScnB Lost (both to Ep~om),

2nd & 3rd VIs This season ~aw "Ollle fine pcrformances as there wcrc at least IWO pair~ wl10 were of silllibr standard and were challenging for places in the 1st VI. The combinations of I-larry

Boys' Tennis 1st VI The slart oj" the season promised Illuch with four players remaining frol11 lasl year and strong competition 1'01' the third pairing, Mark Preston and Ed Illlmink played as Ist pair. while Sam London and Adrian h'add, in 6b and 5th form rcspccti\"Cly, played as 2nd pair. Compctition for Jrd pair was strong, much due tn the surprising ernerQcnce or !-Iarrv W,dker and FCH!LlS Reynolds who !)I,lyed with il great deal of ellthusias'Jl1 and tenacity, Anil Abrahalll also surprised hy manilging to suppress his 'John iv1cEnrDe' style talllrUIllS; l110st or the timc he was partnered by Ben StcinknH!er who took a lillie \\'hile to familiarise hil;lself with doubles play after an ;tb~ellee of two years rrom !t~nnis, The "cason ",tlrled well \\'ith a 9-0 \'ictorv O\'er St Edmund's, \\'ho had a voung side and wc're 1101 of the same ",tandard as Illeir ";st year's tC<tlll. The match ag,lins! Sevenoaks prO\:ided \'cry stilT opposition <lnd despite the score the teillll aequilled themselves well on ,Ill nlien court surface. In the C;lallvilie Cup we unfortunately came lip against some strong and experienced sillgle~ players in the first round, Our lack of singles practicc gave Maidstone Grammar the upper hand in a very enjoyable match, with ivlark Preston being thc only one to win his sinl.!les, Our next match was i\ rathcr ~)nc-side('l affair. hence the 9-{) victory over Sullon Valence, \Vith the Tonhritige fixture postponed due to the weather Ihe next c\'enly matched opponents \vere Brentwood, \Vith Harry Walker and Fergus Reynolds chosen as third pair for their competitiveness, the match was drawn 6 sets all ;lrtcr sOllle very close ",ets against equal pairs. Brentwood had a \'Cry young tealll and will provide stern opposition for thc nexl couple of seasolls as Iheir first pair was very strong,. After a long, break wc played ollr final match away at St Lawrence in heavy rain, on thcir COllrts which wcre made out or recvcJcd rubher tvres, The match was closelv conlcsted bUI St La;vrcnce callle (}ut victorious by 5 sets \0 ~(

/I111'r,\' \\,'(11/;.1'/'.

(:H.,I.T.i

Walker and Fergus Reynolds,joint Capwins wilh matching hats and sweat bands, with Simon .Jenning" and Ian Meyer meant Ihat opponents werc always faced wilh players who were prepared to work 1'01' olle another <llld baltic for every point. With Alex I--byes, Christian Resch, Ben Steinkruger and Philip Stubbings, we were able 10 draw Oil reliable players for the third pairing. An unbeaten season including a win ovcr Dover Collegc I st VI was a most S'llisrY'ing. and lllemorable achieyel1lent. In the few matches played by tile Jrt! VI the more social aspect of the game was in evidence: the opposition was strugg,ling. for players as we onen \\'erl.':, and this led to Mr P. Teetoll h<l\'ing to partller a Brentwood girl to make up a pairing. Similarly, Miranda MacLaren and Eli KatsiaoLlni stcpped in 10 play against Sulton Valence when wc were short ofplaycrs, and Nicole Kwan partnered Simon Lau ap,ainsl Dover. I! was

229

Under 16 VI I am indebted to Mr P. Teeton for so kindly stepping in at short notice to cover C..l ,R..l , for the first half of the term. Under his guidance there was a keen squad of players who competed \vel! and showed ~rcat character ill the close games. The combination of Alastair Laing and Oliver Collins '-as first pair proved \0 be a formidable competitive pairing, as shown against Sevenoaks, but they \villneed to be more consistent to make the I st VI in the future. It is hoped lhat tile injuries Oliver Iws sustained with his ankles will not prcvent him frolll playing next season. Anthony Brooke proved to be a worthy replacemcnt in the match against Brcntwood, providing both power and a physical presence at the net. Andrew Bailey and Jamie Winner were asked to play for the U l::is as they arc a year younger and combined well together, but they prefern:d where possible to be with their year group. Pra\'ill Mukhi and Rory MacEwen developcd a good Llildersl<lnding, as did Prilam and either Oliver Martin or Anthony Brooke. When exam comillitments or injuries occurred it was refreshing to see Jamie Briggs ilnd Alexis Murray-Jones ha\'ing opportunities to sho\\' ofT their improving talents. I hope they will both continuc [0 play in teams next year.

S.E.A. T('(lIlI.!/mll: Anthony Brooke. Jamie Briggs, Alastair Laing (Co/)/aill), Rory MacE'\vcn, Ollie l'vlartin, Pravin i'vlukhi. Pritam Mukhi, Alexis Murray-Jones.

The Ul6 (cam had a good run in the Kent ('up hut finally were beaten in a close match a1 Kent College Oil the llllf"amili,II' grass courts. U/(j Kell! CllfJ: Da\'id Farrar, Adrian Fradd, Sam London. Jalnes Mainwaring,

lUll

M('ycl: fM../.Tj

billerly disappointing to see players who had opted for Tennis in the Sixth Forlll, and had played lower down the SchooL not consider representing the School in the 3rd VI. Luckily, Alastair Lewis and Simon Ribchester were always to be relied upon and along with Christopher Uibeleisen and Y-T. Chae we had at least two dependable pairs. Thank you to all those \\'"110 played this term.

S.E.A. 2nd VI.limn: Alex Hayes, Simon Jennings, Ian Meyer. Christian Resch, Fergus RC\'IlOlds, Ben SteinkruQer, Philip Stuhbings. Christophe~' Uibelcisen, Harry Walker. ~ RES!!!TS Played 5, Won 5. Postponed I. I'

\. \. \' \' \'

St Edmund's Tonbridge Scyenoaks Eastbourne Brentwood Dover College Is!

\\/on 8-1. Postponed, \\/011 5-4.

(A). (A). (A). (A). (H)

Won Won

(II)

Won

9-0. 9-0, 6-3.

Ilo}"ry We//es/ey-1Ves/ey. (M..I.T)

3rd VI liml/: Yoon-Tae Chac, Simon Lau. Alastair Lewis, David Ribchcster, Christopher Uibelcisen.

RESULtÂˇS

RES!.'l:rS Played 4, Won 4, Postponed I.

Played 5, \VOIl 3, LOSl 2. (H)

Tonbridge \" Eastbourne \' Brentwood \' Dover College 2nd I' Sulton Valcl)cc I'

(Postponed). (A). Won (I-I). Vo./Oll (1-1), Won (1-1). Won

\' Tonbridoc Sevello<.&s \. Easlbollrllc \' Brentwood I'

8-1. 4-2. 7-2.

Kellf CliP \' Dover Boys' (3,5. I' Kellt College

4-2,

The Sellior No lise COIll/JClflioll was won by Traclcscan! beating Linacre in the final.

THE

CANTUARIAN, LI~NT

& SUMil'lER 1998

230

Postponed.

(A)

Won

(AI.

Lost \\1011

(A).

(II). (A).

5-4. 3-6. 7-5.

Won 6-0. Lost 3-3 (27-31 games).

Under 15 VI vVith Andrew Bailey <llld Jamie Winner playing as first pair

Midlalld BUllk '/3' I' St Edmund's

(H).

Won

(A).

Won

2-4,

3-3 games),

3-3

(29-28 games),

Played: Andrew Bailey, Timothy Barnes, Daniel Brookes, Alexander Foster, Thomas Garrod, Frederick Hadfield, Charlie Harrel, Ryan Kenison, James Macfarlane. James Mainwaring, Raymond Owens, Alexander Shipman. James Winner.

Under 14 VI

real potential he has ..- <lnd was instrumental i71 securing victory by the narrowest or margins over 5t Lawrence 2nd VI. winning the final set 6~4, In the Midland Bank 'B' section the perseverance or Ryan Kcrrison, Tim Barnes, Tom Garrod, and Alex Shipman won them a place in the final. which is against King's, Rochcster: but unfortunately the term ran out before it could be played,

Due to the delay in cricket trials after two weeks of wet weather, the lJ 14 matches were cancelled and after half-term fOllr boys not required for the U 14 'C' cricket team attended coaching:, They had just one fixture as the olles against Kent College and SI Edmund's \vere rained off on three occasions! II is hOj)cd thal there will be le,tst two more players available to make an Under 15 team next year. provided that there is adequatc stalling,

S.E.A. RESUlTS

Played 10, \VOll 7. Lost 3, Postponed L

Brentwood (H), Lost 1'1:-'21/" Team: James Bushell, Alexis (Jibbs, Harry Dcvenish, Chris White. . I'

'/1 '

"if \' Brentwood lVlid/(ilId Balik A' I' Kent College I' St Edmund's

Lost

\' Simon Langton Cl.S,

experience ..li.Imcs ivlai!l\varing, once he made his mind up to concentrate on tellnis r.llhcr than athletics or golf. showed wh<lt

\' Tonbridoe Seveno;::ks I' Brentwood I' St Lawrence 2nd VI I' Brentwood

(II).

(28~25

and James Mainwaring and James Macfarlane as second pair. there was a sOLlnd foundation of a good team: and against Brentwood thev showed some tactical awareness to win both (It home and <lwa;'. There arc enough good phlycrs 10 form a squad next year if they would improve their reliability: this season (here was oneil a lack oj" commitment (0 practice. which proved vcry disruptive Cor Danny Wynlle. the co<lcl1. Nevenheless. ill the Midland Bank there were some vcry close and exciting matches which provided some invaluable match singles

\' Simon Langton G,S.

(A) IA). (A). IA) (II).

Postponed, Lost 3-6. 10-2. Won 5-4. Won Won 5-4.

(Al.

Lost

4-8,

(i-I ). (i-I) .

Won Won

4-2,

The Junior //OIlS( Competitiol/ was won by Tradescant. who bcat The Grange in the final. My thanks to Danny Wynne for his coaching and to several staff thilt have helped in the following ways: R,B,Mi, and M.B, for supervising the Senior League 0)) Blmes: MJ.T. for filling in whe)) needed: CJ.RJ. and P.T. for their help in taking te(lms: RC. for his re-stringing scrvice: and the ground-sIan and Catering Department f()r~iheir help witl1 the fi~lUres.

3-3 (24-23 games),

S.E.A.

231

Till:: CANTUARIAN, LENT & SUi\l\lER 1998

SPEECH DAY 1998 HEADMASTER'S SPEECH We have come to the end of an extremely busy year. the first term of \vhich saw the final events commemorating the 1400th Anniversary, We were also glad to see that Michael Foale, O.K.S., returned safely to earth after his difficult sJlel1 in Space Station Mir. At this time last year he \vas facing one problem after another but, thank Qoocincss, his sterling King's qualities - above . . all his positive Sl)~rit a~ld determination - saw him through. He \vrolc to me after he returned to Planet Earth to say that he held King's in great affection and il was true that the school experience had taught him how to cope in adversity, and it wasn't just that the food V·las bad and the conditions cramped, with no women or privaci It \vas, he wrote, that memorable spirit of mulual support. of friendship and oj' the spiritual beauty of the place. How appropriate that in King's Week this year the theme was centred round Michael Foalc's experience -focussing on the spirit that lives on which, as the roreword to the KinQ's Week brochure declared, made his exploration pos~ibk. Some have wondered what this means and hO\\' it relates to this past week's activities. I shall come back to this theme anon. Whether we make sense of the King's Week theme or not, there is no doubting th'C phenomenal achievements of this festival oj' Music, Drama, Art and Recreation. It has been, again, a splendid SLlccesS -excellent plays, a world-premiere (the sJleciallycommissioned musical: Tile 5'(>(/1'cll (or Becket's BOlles), brilliant jazz, leclUres, dance, recitals, and the most ambitious programme yet of musIC. The Serenade was marvellous: vI,]1at more could I have asked for on my half century') The lunch-time concerts, the Archdeacon's Qarden concert, the composers' concert and leavc~'s' concert \vere all highly successful, as ever. What left me fair amazed was the incredibly high standard achieved in the Chamber Music Concert and the magnificent Gala Symphony Concert last night. They we,:;' splendid and memorable occasions. I do not know of another school in the country who eould put on what has happened here at King's over the last seven days (and 110 olle else seerns to knov,! one either). The Arts, the wellspring of creativity, flourish. Congratulations and thanks go to all those involved ~ to the pupils of course, and especially to those members of Common Room, the teaching staff, who are the mauicians who make it all happel1~Hov'l fortunate we arc to have the services or a play producer/director of the calibre oj' Andrew Dobbin: a director of orchestral studies of international standing in the person of Colin Metters: a quietly brilliant Head of Strings, Andrev,.' Pollack: the composing genius of Stel;hen Matthews; and Stefan Anderson, the Director of Music who is able to conjure up the seeming impossible time after time, week in. Vlleek out, as well as durinQ the King's Week Festival. It is a stunning achievement. f\1y tha~ks go to everyone on stage, the players. the supporters, the technicians, the set builders: to Steve Bree, who is a genius at making things work; to Vicki Browning fo~: dealing

with the Box Office; to Bill Browning, the everbalanced and wise. co-ordinator of the Week ... and to all those \I./ho have worked so hard and who have supported. Very well done, indeed' My thanks go to the Common Room generally for making life at King's so full of opportunities. To work here is not just a matter of teaching, setting prep and marking. The cOlllmitment required is enormous and demanding. To be at King's is to adopt a v·/ay of life \/.,lhere it is absolutely essential to belong to the community and to be involved. It works because the stall here arc prepared to (and do) givc of themselvcs unstintingly. Last September, I \vas telephoned by a journalist who wanted to knew'! \vhy King's had been described as a school with such an outstandingly successful record in so many spheres: -You must be doing something right: she said. The truth is that it is all abOUt" con1mitn1ent to our pupils and parents. to doing our very best in diverse VV'ays to develop talents or body, mind and spirit, and to encourage and challenge one another to seek and enjoy that potential which lies within each membcr of the school community. But it cannot be done without elTective example and leadership by the stall'. So, thank you to mv colle.agues -- tcachers, matrons. secretaries, (l((ministrat~rs, caterers, carpenters, and all the one hundred and one others who, in their own crucial way enable King's to v·/ork in what is a highly c1Tecti\'e \vay. Miss Hannah ReicL O.K.S" came here for two terms to teach biology before, as she will no\\' do, taking up her doctoral research at the. University of Kent, though much of her time will be spent in Africa. She is a natural tcachcr and she has quickly shown hcr potential in the tcaching proCession. I \".'mIld have no hesitation in hoping that one day. as Dr Reid. she may possibly return and rejoin the School. Miss Alison Potts has been a much-loved Tutor in Jervis I-louse and a highl\' valued member of the English department. She <·ha~ been involved in so many aspects of School life ~ Marlowe Society, theatre visits and play production. She will be joining \Volverhampton Grammer School, where we wish hcr every success. Ms F'iona Phillips is going to join the Classics department at Westminster SchooL Here, Fiona has not only been (\ key figure in Classics, hut she has been a Tutor, play-producer, keep-filler, expedition member ~ as well as being an icon of fashion and style. Her husband Giles, who is assistant librarian, will also be leaving (aspiring v·/ives are now followed by their husbands - note!). We \vish Giles \vell with his writing career. Dr Ron Pickering has been Head of Biology and has run a highly efTective and cfllcient department. He has turned his talents to a range of activities - sports and other things which have been so appreciated by so many. Ron goes to join Janet his wife in that wonderful Lake District location at St Bees School. I am sllre we shall see a major production of biological texts and other writing under his name, and he has begun to develop ideas (or one or two educational projects overseas.

THE Ci\:-":TlJARI,\N,

1..I:::'>'"r &

SU:-'j:-'lER J 998

T!-IE CANTUARIAN, LENT

& SU,\]MER J 998

234

Finally, we bid farewell to a schoolmaster who has given distinguished service not only at King's but in the wider world of education. Mr Stephen Woodley arrived here 29 years ago: he has been Head of English, Housemaster of The Grange, a Tutor of \vide experience, a sportsman of real breadth and distinction, a play-producer, theatre visits organizer, editor of The Cantl{(lr;an, guardian of the Amnesty International group in the School, and far more. He is a brilliant teacher, and his dedication to the profession is legendary. He has also played his part in taking on wider responsibilities: in his time he has served as a councillor for the City, he has been a member of Kent County Council Education Committee, a governor of several schools and he has served at national level on bodies concerned with education. He is a writer and speaker with a fine eye for detail and with a knowledge which enables him to sweep the wider scenc. His contribution to King's has been immense and r thank him, and wish him ;:1 very happy next stage - for I have no doubt that his cnergy and dedication will be put to good use and that his championing of causcs will continue in the educational arena. At the samc time I am sure he will relish more limc and opportunity on the tennis courts for competition and pleasure. To all our leavers, grateful thanks, good memories and, to those leaving Canterbury or Kcnt, God speed! This year's 6a lcaven; arc quite an advcnturous crew. I am delighted that an increasing number of leavers. yet again, are opting to gain wider experience before going to university. It is good to see so many undertaking voluntary service. going off to distant places to teach or work in hospitals or with the disadvantaged through schemcs sllch as GAP or Schools' Partncrship Worldwidc. (Wc shall again bc the School sending the largest number of volunteers through S.P.W.) Others arc going for all-out adventure with Operation Raleigh - a marvellous organisation. It is important that young people do go, because building bridges. metaphorically, across the world's cultures, races, creeds and colours is an important task as the world bccomes ever more a global village. We need beller understanding; and those who go will benefit immeasurably in terms of personal growth and satisfaction. Equally, (here are many who will have opted to take on volunteer work in challenging places nearer home - and that too will be invaluable experience. Good luck to those who are going, nearly forty I sec on the list: Tom Davidson to plant trees in the Ecuadorean Rain Forest, Lucy BUller to teach in Tanzania, Alex Forrest 011 an expedition to the Philippines. Elspeth McGregor and Jean Richardson to the inner cities here at home, Rachcl Hill to Swaziland, to mention but a few. One of last year's leavers and volunteers recently wrote to describe her experiences as a member of an S.P.W. team in Uganda. The JeUer is a hlscinaling account: there is a group of twelve volunteers - half are British and half Ugandans - and Sophie is the only femalc on the staff in the School where she teaches (although the I-lead is a nun, she seems not to count). Shc has found that some of the pupils have brains like sieves and shc has found herself dealing with AIDS awareness, health and hygiene, tcaching netball, helping 1'0 produce a play; she is about to start a

carpentry project and there is Sports Day to organise. With a group of friends she has c1imbcd Mount Eigon at over 4,300 metres. It has all bccn wonderful. She closes: 'Thc Headmaster of our neighbouring school, Namamali Boarding, was murdered a couple of months ago. Apparently somebody did not like the changes he was making - so they bumped him off! Well, everything is great. .. I don't want to return to the mundane ... Love, Sophie.' Well, whatever they do and wherever they go, I hope that our leavers also will find something that will be 'great' for them. Sophie's experience and that of countless others who have the time and opportunity to go to a challenging situation, highlight the fact that inner personal qualities - determination, courage, judgement, self-sacrifice, perseverance, openness, patience, generosity, a \villingness to listen and rethink, ingenuity and self-discipline - all arc vitally important to making the most of things. But those qualities of the spirit arc necessary for everyone too. If I wished anything for pupils here, especially the leavers, it would not be, first and foremost, top grades at A-level, though of course I am delighted \vhen that does happen and results arc gained that justify ability and rcward hard work. Results are important, yes, but I would wish first and foremost for you to have a sense of purpose, self-knowledge, compassion, a sense of service and responsibility, and the courage to be the very pcrson you arc - with those other inner qualities that I mentioned earlier. I think that this is what Michael Foalc, our O.K.S. astronaut, meant when he spoke about what his schooldays here had given him. It was this 'spirit' to which the foreword to the King's Week programme refers, and I am surc that at the heart of this great School it is that spirit which forms the highly creative community which it is. Yes, the academic and public examinations ore impressive - rightly so - but there is a higher calling for us. We live in a world where the hunt is on for the clever, the numerate, the classifiable and measurable. The bottom line is all. But what will be the quality of life if these targets become God') What kind of society, what kind of people will we create? The utilitarian way will, and docs, foster the belief that everything can be reduced to the technically solvable. But one only has to survey the calamities and catastrophes of our own century - Auschwitz, the Gulag, Hiroshima, Pol Pot, Rwanda, and so on - to realise that these have not been failures in technical skills or efficicncy, but iililures in humanity, in the human heart, mind and vision. And it is true on the personal level too. I believe it is imperative that as we all look to the future, we nourish and develop those things of the spirit. We need sensitivity to now into rationality, to infuse into knov.,1ledge, imagination and critical judgement. Creativity and ingenuity will transform the mundane, the poetic spirit will raise common language to new heights. We must not allO\v human endeavour to be merely rneasured in terms of the gross national product, or in As, Bs and Cs, but by maturity, wisdom, faith and noble degrees of caring. The education of the human spirit extends to all parts of the curriculum and all those vitally enriching activities of body and mind, 235

THE CANTUARI,\N. LEi\"T

SUl\!~vlER 1998

of mutual support, encouragement, of corporate and

technology, demography, ideology and patterns of living which lie ahead. We need individuals and communities \\'ho are prepared 10 risk escaping from narrow individualism and permissiveness into a shared acknowledgement that we are all accountable for what

individual responsibility which lie at the heart of our

life together here as a community of faith. The ul1\vritten curriculum of relationships is crucial and yet inlmeasurable in statistics.

happens next in the Brave New World that beckons.

In all the inevitable changes that the present and future will bring, I believe that all of us - teachers,

That task is far greater and far more important than anything which recent educational reform has undertaken so far, but it is, I believe, a major concern and priorityÂ·- and what education and our life together at King's are ultimately about.

governors, pare~1ts and pupils - have the task of 'working hard and thinking well', for this is, as Pascal said, 'the basis of all moral action'. Our responsibility is to form a generation which will make it its business to 'think well' about our values, our country, Europe, the World and all those challenges of science and

SCHOLARS ELECTED 1998

May we go on into the future in that spirit!

DISTINCTIONS 1997-98

KING'S SCHOLARSHIPS ANNA MCDONALD OLIVER BUTLER CLAIRE MOORCROFT KATHARINE HERBERT SOPHIE THOLSTRUP JOHN STUBBS RICHARD OLLER EARNSHAW ANNABEL TREW TAMSIN ASHWORTH FRANK PAUL SUSANNAH WHARFE

Holmewood House School Vinehall School Junior King's School The Dragon School Wimbledon High School St Ronan', School Windlesham House School Vinehall School Junior King's School St John's College School, Cambridge Wellesley House

EXHIBITIONS ISABEL RIDLEY MATTHEW HALL CLEMENTINE NEVILLE VICTORIA O'DOHERTY GEORGINA ROWAN NINA BELL SEBNEM KAMALVAND PHILIP UHDE

Vinehall School Hazelwood School Copthorne School Junior King's School Junior King's School Holmewood House School Wimbledon High School Chicago City School

SIXTH FORM SCHOLARSHIPS LYNDSEY CARBINE OLIVIA GWYNN ANYA TOPIWALA

Pi per's Corner School St Leonard's School, Mayfield

Tonbridge Grammar School for Girls

HONORARY KING'S SCHOLARSHIPS KATEEMARY ISABEL JAMES CHI-LAP KWOK OLIVIA LUMLEY SARAH MARTIN CHARLES MILLER-JONES ASLAN MIRZA BENEDICT REID CHARLES WELLS SAMUEL YOUNG

The The The The The The The The The The

King's King's King's King's King's King's King's King's King's King's

School, School, School, School, School, School, School, School, School, School,

Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury

ART SCHOLARSHIPS LUCINDA BOLTON FRANK PAUL KATHERINE WOOD

Wellesley House St John's College School, Cambridge Junior King's School

CLEARY ART SCHOLARSHIPS LOUISE ROBERTSON STEPHANIE WHITE HENRY COCKBURN THOMAS DUNN OLIVIA LUMLEY CLARE BOLTON MONICA FILBY

THE CANTUAR!AN. LENT

The The The The The The The

SUlvlMER 1998

236

King's King's King's King's King's King's King's

School, School, School, School, School, School, School,

Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury

ART EXHIBITIONS SOPHIE MORGAN PETER ROSS

Cum nor House

Brambletye

MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS WILLIAM BAYNHAM TOBY DAVIES ALEXANDRA FLETCHER LUCY GOODMAN MATTHEW HALL CHARLOTTE HARRISON RAMAMONK JULIE PEAT ALESSANDRA PRENTICE TIMOTHY TRAILL ANNABEL TREW

King's College Junior School, Wimbledon St John's College School, Cambridge Buckingham Brown Nichols Middle School, USA St John's College School, Cambridge Hazelwood School Woldingham School Northbourne Park School Northbourne Park School Music School in Hungary St Edmund's Junior School Vinehall School

.JOHN CORNER SCHOLARSHIP TOBY DAVIES

St John's College School, Cambridge

SIXTH FORM MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP CLARE FERNYHOUGH

Brighton and Hove Girls' High School

HONORARY MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS JONATHAN COX LEONORA DAWSON-BOWLING CHARLES MILLER-JONES NICHOLAS POPE JULIA WHARFE

The The The The The

MUSIC AWARDS ALEX LISTER RACHEL HILL JANE HO MADELEINE MORGAN HENRIETTA POUND REBECCA ARNOLD JENNIFER DUTTON RACHEL HILL EMMA LEWIS CHARLES MILLER-JONES CRESS IDA TREW WILLIAM TALLON CAROLINE RITCHIE

King's King's King's King's King's

School, School, School, School, School,

Passed Associated Board Grade VIII Passed Associated Board Grade V III Passed Associated Board Grade VIII Passed Associated Board Grade VIII Passed Associated Board Grade VIII Passed Associated Board Grade VIII Passed Associated Board Grade VIII Passed Associated Board Grade VIII Passed Associatcd Board Grade VIII Passed Associated Board Grade VIII Passed Associated Board Grade VIII Associated Board Advanced Certificate Associated Board Advanced Certificate

Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury Recorder Clarinet Piano

Merit Pass Pass

Violin Recorder

Pass Pass

Sing:ins:

Distinction Distinction

Ce!lo ' Saxophone

Distinction

Singing

Distinction

TrumJlet Flute Flute Cello

Pass

Distinction Pass Pass

1997 LEAVERS ENTERING FURTHER EDUCATION RADl ABDULLAH Edinburgh Politics and M, Eastern SL SUNIL ABRAHAM London tSE Economics London UCL BABAJIDE ADESANYA Law MATTHEW APPLEYARD London Royal Free Medicine FRANCES ARMSTRONG-JONES Oxford Brookes History oj' Art and French ZOE ARTHUR Trinity Hall, Cambridge Enaineerin G PAUL BAINBRIDGE London UCL Bu~iness Sltldies/ltalian RACHEL BARR London RHBNC Musie WILLIAM BAX Durham Natural Science HANNAH BEATSON Southampton Spanish MATTHEW BERRY London LSE Politics/Government ANGUS BLACKBURN Newcastle Spanish ELIZABETH BLACKIE London KCL Classics ALEXANDER BLAND Bristol Mechanical Engineering FELIX BOON Glasgow English HELEN BRAY Mansfield College, Oxford PPE ADAM BROWN Jesus College, Oxj(ml Mod LangJClassics THOMAS BROXUP London LSE Economics OWEN BUCKINGHAM London UCL Physics KIRSTIN BUSH Manchester English STEPHEN BUSHNELL Newcastle Biology EDWARD BUTLER St Andrews Politics DOMINIC BYERS Southampton IHE Maritime Studies 237

THE CANTUARIAN. LENT

& SU:-'l!\lER 1998

PETER CAPEL CATARINA CARDOSO KATE CARROLL NAOMI CHAMBERLIN JAMES CLARKE PIERS CLOUGH RICHARD COLLINS SOPHIE COLYER MARNI CRAZE JENNA CROUCH PENELOPE DAIN EDWARD DALE JONES ESTELLE DAVIES ZOE DAVIES JAMES DAY KATHERINE DOVER HENRY ECCLES THOMAS EDMUNDS THOMAS EVERETT CLYM EVERNDEN DOMINIC FENDIUS KATIE FISH MEID FORD CHARLES FORDHAM LEO FRANSELLA CHRISTOPHER FRENCH JUSTIN GARDNER RANJITH GEORGE SAMANTHA GOULDEN JAMIE GREEN LUCY GREENWELL NAOMI GURNEY CHRISTOPHER GUTH CLEMENS GUTH KATHERINE HAMILTON THOMAS HARREL BETH HICKLIN DAVID HIGGINS JOHN HILL (Security Stam BIANCA HOFFMAN JAMES HOLLAWAY JANE HOLLYWOOD RICHARD HOMEWOOD FLEUR HOWARD CHRISTOPHER HOWARD PETER HUNT FRANCESCA !BBOTT AMY JOYNSON-HICKS EMMA KETTELEY JORG KRAEMER CONRAD KRAWCZYK OLUSEGUN LAWSON OLIVIA LEE RICHARD LEGGE JAMES LONGSTAFFE HANNAI-! LUDBROOK KIRSTEN LUTHER NICHOLAS LYNCH JAMES MACADlE HANNAH MACKENZIE ELIZABETH MACPHEE JAMES MARTELL THOMAS MARTIN PETER MAYBERRY JUSTINE McCONNELL JAMES MILLER-JONES

Oxford London Manchester Liverpool Warwick London KCL Salford Manchester

London KCL London KCL Merton College, Oxford Newcastle St Andrews Edinburgh Durham London UCL Bristol St Hugh's College, Oxford Bristol Exeter UMIST

Birmingham Warwick Newcastle Balliol College, Oxford MPW Robinson College, Cambridge London QMW Aberystwyth Southampton Newcastle Aberdeen London LSE London Imperial Nottingham Newcastle Manchester Downing College, Cambriclge Canterbury Cll. Ch. Germany Warwick Bristol Wye Oxford Brookes London UCL

History Sciences English Medicine Economics Phi losophy/Theology Engineering/video Audio HND History Religious Studies Classical Studies/German Classics English Biology Biology

Geography Medicine Physiology Classics Medicine Art/English GermanlBusiness Studies English English/Latin Architecture Physics and Philosophy Economics Classics Law

Drama Economics English and Philosophy English

Maths/Economics Medicine Russian Geography History of Modern Art Theology Business and American Studies

Law

Edinburgh Northumbria

Politics Geography Agriculture/Business Management Gcrman + Anthropology Physics Politics History of Art, Design, Film

Nottingham Durham

Combined Arts

Biology

Switzerland

Camberwell Modes Manchester London UCL Christ Church. Oxford Newcastle Leeds Coventry

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Glasgow Abcl~leen Westminster Durham

Art Foundation Year Social Policy English Music Russian/French Engineering Maths Theatre Studies International Relations

La\v

Newcastle

Biology Marine Engineering

Somerville College. Oxford St John's College, Oxford

Classics Physics

23B

TIMOTHY MITCHELL ARISTIDE MUGANDA CHARLES MUNDAY OLIVIA NEAME LUCY NEWTON MERLIN NICHOLAS JONATHAN NORRIS ALEXANDRA NUTTING CHRISTOPHER O'NEIL-DUNNE THOMAS O'SULLIVAN JAMES PATRICK CAMILLA PAY ALEXANDER PEARSON RICHARD PEAT SIMON PEEL LAURA PERRIN SOPHIE PlOTT PETER PHIPSON CHARLOTTE PRINCE JOANNA PRINGLE WILLIAM READ ALEXANDER REYNOLDS JAMES ROCK THOMAS SAVAGE JESSICA SHAW WILLIAM SHEARDOWN KATHERINE SHORT ROBERT SIXSMITH ROSE SKELTON DAVID SMITH MICHAEL SMITH SOPHIE SMITH KAfHRYN SPALL PAfRICK SPILLER TRISTRAM STANDEN JAMES STAZICKER ELiZABE'rI-I STEPHENSON EDWARD STERCK MARY STEVENS DAMIAN STEWART TIMOTHY STRANGE LUCIA SYDNEY MALCOLM TODD PAUL TSERGAS MAXIMILIAN VON HURTER MATTHEW WALL FELICITY WACHER SAM WEBSTER MICHAEL WHARFE ANNABEL WHIBLEY BENJAMIN WHITE PHILIPP WICHTER ADAM WITl-lRINGTON JONAH WYN PUGH MICHAEL ZIEGLER

Nev./castle London LSE Edinburgh Edinburgh Liverpool St Andrews Bristol

Biology Anthropology and Law Politics Biology

Hispanic Studies Medicine Geography French and European SlLldies Geology Hispanic SlLldies History Music

Edinburgh Bristol ~ London QMW Leeds Royal Academy Aberystwyth Drama City Music Selwyn College. Cambridge Natural Science English/French Reading Me~dicine Sheffield Nc\vcastlc Hispanic Studies Cambcrwell Art Foundation Year Reading Geography Newcastle English Newcastle Gc~)graphy London UCL History Edinburgh Business Studies Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge French/Spanish London LSE Economics Christ Church, Oxford English Edinburgh PoDtics/Sociology Glasgow English Oxford Brookes French and Politics Biology

Newcastle London UCL York

Speech Science

LOllghboroLlgh

Engineering '-

English Edinburgh Ge~)graphy and Geology Southan;pton IHE Engineering - Yacht Design New College, Oxford Classics and Pililosophy Biology Exeter Geology London Imperial French/Historv Hertford College, Oxford Spanish . Newcastle Newcastle Marine Biology London Court auld History of Art Art I::"oLlndatioll Year Camberwell Newcastle Marine Engineering Newcastle Politics ~ c Newcastle L,atin American Studies Downing College, Cambridge Natural Sciences Nc\vcastle English Christ's College, Cambridge Natural Science Magdalen College, Oxforcl Natural Sciences Selwyn College, Cambridge Theology GonvilJc & Caius College, CamhridgePhilosophy Manchester History Oxford Brookes Estate Management

PRESENT HOLDERS OF EXHIBITIONS McCURDY EXHII3ITION

William Tallon, Kajsa McLaren, Olukayode Akindele, Mark Williams, Edward Cotton, James Brilliant, Jane Ho, Maria-Theresa Boyce, Sophie Macfarlane

SIDEBOTHAM EXHII3ITION

Andrew Ribbans, Samuel Knight

GENERAL EXHIBITION

Jean Richardson, Rachel Hill, Simon Cleobury, Thomas Shelford

BUNCE

William Justice, Catherine Lester, Raehael White

CRAWFORD

Iona Coltarl, Megan Morris. Nancy Colchester

239

THE

C\NTUARL\N, LI:~T

SUJ\l~lER

998

GIFTS GILBERT AND SHEPHERD

Sadie Chave. Matteo Colombo

ANDERSON

Christopher Elworthy. Charles Leigh-Pemberton

ROSE

Christopher Pickering, Rupert Jagclman

WADDINGTON

Matthew Hill

OKS.

David Sprake. Frances Houghton. Robert Adams

STANHOPE

Caroline Scott

OLIVER JOHNSON

Declan Marriott

240

KING'S WEEK THE SERENADE

Robert Pearsall 's ri chl y textured eight-part Lay a garlalld . The 35-strong Serenade Choir, directed by Stefan A nderson, was rather muted in the pl ayfull y n irtatious Farmer and could have al lowed themselves to be ra ther more passionate in the Bennet; but one sensed that they had got into their collecti ve stride in the Morl ey, before their more expansive rendition of Pearsa ll's long-breathed phrase structures w hi ch are clearly Class ical rather than Renai ssance in their inspiration . Now ca me one of the IÂˇi nal opportunities to hear two of the vocal stars of 6a. Emma Lewi s performed the chall engin g, beca use fami li ar, unacco mpani ed Somerset folksong 0 Waly Waly in an appropri ately eleg iac lo ne. W i II iam Tallon sa ng Geo rge Butterworth 's accompanied selling of the full tex t of Housman 's Is Illy leall/ plollghillg?, carefully rendering

25TH JUNE IN THE CLOISTERS The Serenade in the Cloi sters - whi ch re tu rn ed to its ri ghtfu l home, cat hedral bells and all , after its forced retreat into the ca thed ral nave last year - has, deservedl y, become a King's Week institution. So Illllch of a tradition has it become that mu sical directors are constantl y looki ng for varied pieces, both vocal and instrumental , to include in thi s formal. Th is year's Serenade amp ly demonstrated that the event has a dynamic present and an assured future. Th e deci sion to launch the programme w ith two contrasting movements from the first of Bach's justl y famous suites for solo cell o was a bold one indeed: the audience sense that something is afoot, but it is onl y when those first sonorous notes rin g out that they

The Serellade. (Rolalld Phillips.)

rea li se that the concert has indeed begun. Caroli ne Ritchi e, always so much in command of her chosen in strument, gave a superbl y mu sical rendition of the slow, state ly A llemande and showed a suit ably deft touch in the lighter mood of the spri ghtl y Courante. Thi s was fo ll owed by a group of three sixteenthcentury madrigals - John Farmer's Fair Phyllis, John Bennet's Weep, 0 //Iille eyes and Thomas M orl ey's five-part I love , alas. I lol'e Ihee - to whi ch was added a ninetee nth-ce nt ury represen tati ve of the genre:

the difference in tone and mood in the dramati c dialogue between the an xioll sly questioning ghost and the reassuring, li ving lad. The sheer mu sicality of both these performances was a tribute to the commitment of bot h singers to thi s demanding art. The SIring Ensemb le (Lau ra Derain and Madeleine Morga n, violins; Susanna Oliver and Po ll y Redman , vio las; and Jennifer Dutton and Carol ine Ritch ie. cell os) now played the int rod uctory Sextet from Capriccio, Richard Strauss's fifteenth and final opera

24 t

THE CANTUARIAN, LENT & S U ~[MER 1998

of 1942. This difficult piece bears the composer's own individual stamp, but it has fleeting rClnindcrs or the string vVTiting of Mozart. Haydn and Brahms. The ensemble had clearly worked thoughtfully at its one seamless movement in rehearsals, and their sterling performance \vas all the more admirable since pages {~. their scores \vert constantly tugged at by the s\virling Cloisters breeze. The Serenade Choir then moved on a few centuries for their selection of contrasting partsongs and folksol1£s: Vaughan Williams' haunting arrangement of Ihe 1"11'111' 1501'<'. with William Tall(~l singi~g solo in two of the verses; John Ruller's characteristically buoyant reworking of the traditional Doshillg ({way H'ilh the slJIoOlhing iron: and Erb's arrangen1cnt of the traditional American shanty S'hcl1(ll1do(fh, with its alternation of female and male voices. These pieces were a showcase for the singers' secure pitch, dynamic control and rhythmic co-ordination. In Jacques Ibert's Pih'e 1'0111'.1"1/1' .1'1'1111' of 1936 we heard to the rull that outstanding characteristic of the flute when it is well played: its astonishing agility. with scintillating cascades of scales and arabesques. William Tallon fully exploited the lyrical range of this piece. giving us a generoLlS foretaste of what was to come in his (Jala Concert performance of Cham ina de's Concerti no for flute and orchestra. The concert ended with a selection of vocal pieces that was rightly entitled 'Something Different'. First came a lush arrangement by our own Timothy Noon of the 1940 MaschwitziSherwin/Strachey classic A nighlingale song in Berkeley ,)'qllare: then an arrangement of Glenn Miller's ! 939 standard A100Jllight Serenode: and a lively arrangement of some of the refrains of Cole Porter'S audacious Let's do il from the 1928 comedy with musie, P"I'is. The choir carried off all these songs with great style and a surefooted sense of rhythmic detail. The memorable Finale V-las a fascinating rendition of the ]995 now-classic AdicJl1l1s, with those intriguing 'words' which, according to composer Karl Jenkins, arc 'viewed as instrumental sound, the idea being to maximise ... the expressive vocal phrase by removing the distraction .. _ of \:vords' . So ended this fcast of music, which left one wondering what treats next year's menu might offer. In the meantime, congratulations must go to the indct~ltigable Stefan Anderson and his players and singers on a fine evening's music-n1aking. T.T.

feature or two viola parts. Directed by the first violin. Laura Dentin. there were some good individual performances in the opening Allegro: although one or two missed entries occasionally threatened the ensemble. The central Larghetto in which the rour soloists play similar notes but each with dirrerent styles of' b()\:ving achieved a magical effect, and there vI/as a fine rhythmic drive and much better ensemble ill the final Allegro. The lower strings and harpsichord gave admirable support throughout. This was rollowed by Purcell's Chaconnc Three P"rls "1'011 II Grolllld ror three recorders - Rachel Hill, Caroline Scott and f'..1iranda Hurst - with cOlltinuo support from Caroline Ritchie and Timothy Noon. The three soloists vv'ere \\.'cl!-matched both in tone quality and secure intonation and their good sense of pulse ensured excellent ensemble. Some of the variations with their complex rhythmical patterns vv'crc technically demanding, but these dilficullies we!'e surmounted with apparent case. There \vas somc lovely phrasing and as with the Vivaldi the performance was underpinned by a finely-etched continuo. Two extracts rrolll Mozart operas \\'ere an c.xcellent contrast to the instrumental items. In La ci dU/'('J1l la m(fJlO (fron) DOli Gio\'(llIlli) the strong bass and excellent diction or Charles Rice splendidly characterised the incorrigible Don in his attempt to woo the peasant-girl, Zerlina. Both in diction and intonation he was well-matched by the soprano or Polly Redman, who clearly showed thal her initi,tl reluctance would not be difficult to overcome. The facI that the singers sang from memory added to the sense of drama and to the audiencc's enjoyment. Thl~ serene and beautiful trio SO(l)'C si(/ il l'('llto (from Cosl./illl IlIlfe) was sung by lona Collar! and Emma L·ewis as the two sisters and William Tallon as the cvnical Don Alfonso. Out of context incvitablv one lost the ironv or the appeal for a fair v·,Iind for theVtwo 'heroes' \-vhoT'are only pretending to go off to vv'ar, but this is not to detract from the quality of the singing which \vas clear and most musically phrased. The first movement of' Mendelssohn's Piano Trio, performed by Richard Bayley (violin), Edward COllon (cello) and Peter Lawrence (piano), concluded the first half of the programme. They set a good tempo, fast enough to give the right sense of urgency to Mendelssohn's soaring melodies hut without any feeling of having to scramble for the notes. The intonation of both string-players was first-class with fine tone from the violin, and the pianist negotiated with considerable aplomb the handfuls of notes which Mendelssohn so often demands of pianists. Perhaps if the piano-lid had been on the short stick it would have given his part clearer articulation, but general balance and ensemble were good and this was a well-conceived and committed performance. After the interval the first two movements of Dmitri Shostakovich's 8th string quartet were performed by L·(lura Derain and Briar Hitchen (violins). Polly Redman (viola) and Emma Lewis (cello). Wrillen in 1960 amid the ruins of Dresden, it is dedicated to the memory of the victims of fascism and war. The composer's deep personal commitment is revealed by the opening four notes on the cello - DSCH in

CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT 28TH JUNE IN THE SHIRLEY HALL The Chamber Music Concert is now an established feature of the Sunday evening of King's Week and this year's varied and well-executed programme v-,Ias by general consent the best yet. Vivaldi's Concerto for four violins, No. 10 of L' E.\;tro /1rmoni('o, was an excellent choice to open the programme; it is one of the most inventive of the set, exploring novel V-lays of combining the instruments and it has the unusual THE

CANTUARIAN.

LE:-\']' &

SU!'Ilj\·lER

]998

242

German notation ~ a lllusical representation of his own name which is llsed as a 'motto' throughout the quartel. In the Largo the players conveyed vv'ell the reeling of bleakness and inconsolable grief bv sustaining their tone and maintaining a good\ense ()1' line in the long and slm:v passages. There was an exciting two-bar crescendo into the second movement. a violent and explosive Allegro moho vÂˇ/ith fierce chromatic writing punctuated by angry chords and constant LIse of the personal Âˇmotto'. The incessant four-square rhythms never faltered and the quartet maintained ncar-perfect ensemble throughout. For four young players to give stich a stunning performance \\.'as a tribute to the hard vl/ork clear!\' done in preparation and for your reviewer this was the highlight of the evening. Cressida Trew and William 'Till Ion with Stephen Matthe\\s rirst delighted us last aUlllmn with Doppler's /\ndullf(' ulld Rondo. and they gave an equally polished account Oil this occasion. The Andante was played with great charm combining a \>.,iarm sound with excellent phrasing. and they "vere more than equal to the technical demancis or the Rondo whilst still displaying rine overall lllusicianship. A feature of chamber concerts in recent years has been music for cello ensembles. allowin!.!. lesser-known music (0 be gi\'en a \velcol11c airi~g. Emma Lewis. Nancy Colchester, Jellllifl~r Dutton and Caroline Ritchie arc nov\" all cxperiellced players and they gave a confident account of Three ')'JwlIish Picccs by the contemporary I.:ng!ish composer. Bryan Kelly. These arc \vell \vritten (or the cello. with inlercstill!.!. rhythms and colourful harmonics. There was gmxr haiance and ensemble between the performers \vith secure intonation: the lyrical passages were presented \vith \v'ann tone and the difficult cross-rhythms of the ollter movements \vere clearly articulated. The concluding item \vas the first movement of Schubert's C majo~ Quintet givcn by Laura Derain and Madeleine Morgan (violins). Susanna Oliver (viola) and Jennifer Dutton and Caroline Ritchie (cellos). This !.!.rcal \\'ork is the composer's s\vansong in chamber ~11usic. being. vvritten within a (c\v J11ontl~s of his early death. and it shm-vs him exploring Ilew sOllorities by the addition of a second ccllo rather than a second viola to the basic SIring quartet. There are constant shifts bctvÂˇ/ec.n Jm~jor and minor keys and, although the sunshine docs break through, there is a tragic undertone to the whole \vol"k. The quintet on this occasioll tackled its manifold difCiculties \vith a commendable measure of success. The more forceful passages near the opening and in the developmellt section needed a stronger rhythmic sense and there v/erc times \Vhell one \vould have liked more second violin and viola. But the general ensemble v'/as good and there was some fine playing by the leader and the first cello. the gentle second subject being especially well played, This \vas a splendid evening reflecting great credit on all the perrormers, and Stefan Anderson in his closing remarks rightly gave thanks to Messrs Pollock and Myerscough and all the other music teachers for their devotion in nurturing such varied talent for our enjoymcllt. DS(,.

GALA SYMPHONY CONCERT I ST JULY IN THE SHIRLEY HALL This predominantly Classical concert. given to a packed Shirley Hall. provided a fitting conclusion to a superb musical King's Week. The decision to devotc the second half of the programme to a substantial work, Beethoven's statuesque seventh symphony. was masterly: the orchestra clearly appreciated the challenge of tackling such a monumental piece. The firs! half offered an elegant balance in the form of three shorter compositions: the Overture to the opera The j\l/urrioge q( Figaro K492. Chaminade's COllcel"fillo .Iin'fillte a"d Orchestra op. 107 and Mozart's Em/tate J"hi/ate K 165, tile latter two of which offered the audience an opportunity to hear two of the leaving Music Scllolars perrorm brilliantly as soioists, flautist William Tallon and sopral1o Elnma Le\vis. The members or the orchestra, directed by the Head or Orchestral Studies Colin Metters, displayed enormous professionalism and poise throughout the evening and responded equally v,/ell to their roles as accompanists in the first half and as symphony orchestra in the second. This versatility is surely testament to Metterss clear leadership and encouragement of his players, both at the rehearsal stage and 011 performance night itself. The various sections of the orchestra had obviously perfected the art of listening to one another and. on the whole, they gelled togcther very impressively. The first half or the concert began with a well executed performance of Mozar! 's e_ver-popular Overture. Rhythmicllily tight. each section or the orchestra acquitted itself in tllrn with some fine articulation and intonation. The overall sound v'/as rich and rull or character, the texture peppered with polished vv'oodwind interpolations. with the oboes and fiutes on particularly good form. Cecile Chaminadc's Concerti no that followed, a quirky and melodic showpiece, V,iHS performed with much musical sensitivity by William Tallon who explored the full technical potcntial of the flute in his rendition. Relaxed lyrical passages \vcre juxtaposed \vith cascading cadenzas to give a colourful vvhole that was greatly appreciated by the audience. The orchestral accompaniment. so clearly influenced by Ravel';.; String Quartet with its harmonic piquancy and characteristic pizzicato passages, was mostly good (if occasionally over-exuberant) and exhibited some fine cello - playing. Emma Lewis. V,IllOse performance of Mozart's Em/tatt Jubi/ate brought the first half to a close. was remarkable for her incredible coolness. If there \vere any nerves there, the audience \vas 110t aware of them as the vocal line began as unwaveringly as it continued. The string sOLlnd here was lovely, but did occasionally drown the soloist in her lower register. In her upper register, however, Emma was confident and assured and the high notes in the cadenza passages seemed effortles~; it was only a shame that she chose not to go for the top C at the end of the final Alleluia. Beethoven's seventh symphony, written in 18 I 3, was greeted with criticism at the lime of its composition by many who were pUl.zled by its eccentricity and a diversity of timbre and dynamic c

243

TI-!E Ci\i\TUARJA;-":. LEI\'T

SU\Plll]~

998

force that was unprecedented in the classical balance of the works of his contemporaries, The orchestra had worked hard to bring out these elements and the result \vas a rhythmic and sonorous interpretation. full of vigour and contrast. The /'inal climax in the Allegro COli brio produced a thrilling end to a memorable evening that was a credit to all involved. TD,N,

movement, but in the third movement the ending, on a high pianissimo note was superb, .. Susanna Oliver next played the second movement of Ravel's ,)'ollatille from memory, giving a very expressive and musical performance, illustrating perfectly the advantage of not having to read the notes off the score in performance, She was followed by Larry Ridges, accompanied by Mr Stephen Matthews, playing his own arrangement of j'11I in a S'entimclIwl Mood. It seemed a lillic unfortunate that he played more towards the accompanist than to the audience in what was otherwise a fine performance. Next, tbe finaJ vocal piece, Come, S'illg ([lid Dunce by Howells, sung by Rebecca Arnold and accompanied by Mr Stephen Matthews. She communicated well \1-,Iith the audience. her tone slightly breathy, but with sensitivity in this piece which conveys the message of the nativity. Finally, from Cillq D({nses Exotiques by Franqaix, Rachel Hill on the alto saxophone accompanied by Mr Timothy Noon, played three movements: P(//lIiJichc, /3(1i(lo and M(lmiJo, In the first of these, the accompanist certainly draws the short straw with lots of notes in the score, whilst the saxophonist has to deal with a strong, punchy rhythm. The second movement is more contemplative in style. \vhilst the third is more lyrical. So ended a fine concert, \vith a lot of reallv ÂŁood music performed to a high standard. The per(or~ncrs leave with our best \vishes, and our thanks for their commitment over a number of years, of hours spent practising. one knows not quite where, and our thanks to their teachers for bringing out the talents their pupils possess.

LEAVERS' CONCERT 30TH JUNE IN THE SHIRLEY HALL Parting is such sweet sorrow. Nowhere is this sentiment more clcarly expressed than at this concert when the School's finest musicians perform their swansong. Pupils whom we have seen and heard improving year by year for three, four, or maybe five years suddenly are no more. But sLlch is life, and new talent is always a\vaiting its turn in the wings. The first item \".Ias that well-knO\vl1 war-horse, Handel's Arril'(f/ qf'the Q[(een (~rSheb({, arranged as an oboe duct played by Ophelia Beer and Caroline SCOII, accompanied by Mr Stephen Mallhews, Their performance \vas well-balanced, rich and sonorous, as was the next item. 10na Cohart singing Purcell's If' Mllsic Be Ihe Fi)()d Lore, accompanied by AnneChristine F:arstad. Her diction \vas excellcnt. and her phrasing was a delight to hear. Next, it was back to Handel: and this til~le two cellos played by Nancy Colchester and Emma Lewis, accompanied by Mr Stephen Matthews, They performed the first movement of the Sonata in G minor. Being in a minor key, it is a rather doleful piece and somel~ow befitted the occasion. They played with a rich tone and complemented each other well. Next a piano duct, in the form of Anne-Christine Farstacl and Mr Frank Wibaut, her teacher. Miss Farstad took the upper end of the keyboard, nearest the audience, as they played the Fantasia in J:::" minor by Schubert. This is a large-scale work, requiring real stamina, and they. pupil and teacher, gave a truly impressive and well-matched performance, The quieter passages were played with great sensitivity, and there was good dynamic control throughollt, and particularly towards the end of the piece. Playing (ron"'! the score, it was noticeable that Mr Wibaut \vas much more demonstrative than Miss Farstad, and tended to take the lead in changes of mood or style; this ability to not let the score take over is doubtless something that comes from experience. The concert continued with two vocal items; firstly, Schubert again amI Emma Lewis singing An die MIISik, accompanied by Susanna Oliver: sung v\le11, accurately and just as the composer intended, but not really with any contact with the audience. Miss L.ewis was followed by William Tallon, accompanied by Mr Stephen Matthews, singing Faure's PohJlc d'llll .lOllI', consisting of three n;ovcments entitled RCIl('ol1fre, TO/~jolll's~tnd Adieu. Tallon is probably the best singer in the School at present, and he gave a fine performance of the work; he could, perhaps, have covered a wider dynamic range in the second

THE CX\TUARIAN, LE;\T

& SU:-'I!\IEI< 1998

R.Y.lB,

ARCHDEACON'S GARDEN CONCERT SATURDAY 27TH JUNE The Archdeacon's Garden provides one of the loveliest settings in the land in which a school could stage a concert. The walled garden, with Bell Harry as a backdrop, is incomparable, and it seemed to matter lillic that the wind provided a constant rustic in the leaves of the trees. The concert opened with a recorder trio. the Preilldio and Aria No, 3 from Sonata No, 3 by Telemann, played by Rachel Hill, Caroline $eoll and Miranda Hurst. They gave a very musical performance, sensitively played, and they were v,,Ieli together in the more rapid passages. Polly Redman followed this vl/ith an unaccompanied performance of the well-known traditional Welsh song The Ash Grol'e, sling from memory. She developed a nice, rich tone and her phrasing was good, but she didn't give herself time between the first and second verses; silence is sometimes no less important than the music itself if one is to avoid an impression of undue haste. The saxophone quartet, comprising Carl Margells and Louise Robertson (alto saxophones), Rachel Hill (tenor) and Alexandra Higgins (baritone), played three

244

Archdeacon"s Carden cOllcen. (Noland Phillips .)

arra ngeme nts by Stephen Cottrell - I II a Selllilllellwi M ood be ing the fi rst. The ir playing was not quite together at the beginning, bu t they q ui ck ly settled

Anot her solo voca l piece then fo llowed. The Singer, by Head, was sun g by Carol ine Jones unacco mpanied

a nd fro m me mory. She gave an impress ively poli shed

dow n and gave a performance w hi ch increased in

performan ce: in contac t w ith the audience throughout , she gave th e impression she rea ll y had somethi ng to commu nicate. Th e voc al Oavour continued w ith th e

confidence - until the w ind blew the music away. O rder ha ving been restored , they moved o n to the seco nd ite m, elIDa-elIDa, a well -syncopated im itation of, well , things that go, or rat her went, 'choo choo ' !

Fina ll y, in thi s grou p o f pieces, came Satill D o!! whi ch requ ires careful atten tion to note values.

Wi lli am Ta ll on the n treated us to a nu te solo, Dallse de la Chepre by Honegger, giving us a very assured and rh ythmi ca lly sound performance, exp ress ively played. In a very different vein was the bassoon quartet of Mark Wharton , A lastair L aing, Jonath an Reeve and

A lfrcd W illiam s, w ho playcd threc va ried compositi ons, starting with I vaI' the Ellgille by Elliott, an amu sing pi ece duri ng w hich th e w ind again

cont rived to blow the mu sic away. Eq uili briu m hav ing been restore d , Pigs by A lan R idout was nex t pe rform ed , and then, the piece de resiswnce, Godfrey 's Lllcy LOllg , for which A lfred W illi am s fo llowed the fa mi ly tradi tio n of play ing the b iggest, most c um bersome, and the re fore the lowes t-pitched

Alfred William s . (Rolalld Phillips.)

instrument in th e particu lar group in ques ti on; thu s he rea ppeared with a contra-bassoon which obscured hi s sight of th e mu sic and our sight of him and of th e

C rypt C hoi r sin gin g three very disparate items, beg innin g w ith the we ll-k nown Au stralia n song

e nsemble. Lllcy LOllg is so me th ing of a fu n p iece, the

piece, My Sweetheart is Like \lenlls, and end ing with

Waltzillg Matilda, fo ll owed by a trad iti ona l We lsh

low, so lo notes on th e contra-ba ssoon evoking a degree

the Neg ro Spiritua l Lillie Da vid, Play all Your Harp.

of mirth in the audie nce, but it is, in truth , a d illic ult p iece to play convinc ingly, part icularl y as the me lod y

The choir, selec ted fr0111 amongst the best singers in the Schoo l, gave a co mmand ing performa nce of each

tra nsfers from one instrum ent to another, yet has to

piece, a lthough the bass line seemed a little thin in the higher register in Waltzillg Mati/do. The di ctio n was

sound seamless; th is the e nsemb le d id w ith skil l. 245

TH E CANTUA R1 AN, L ENT

S U~H\"l E R 1998

commenced V,,lith a piece for string quartet by Emma Lew路is. Rondo QII((rtet. performed by Laura Dcrain. Polly Redman, Briar Hitchin and the composer. Nothing outrageously modern. it is a pleasant. melislllatic piece. in rondo form. as its !lame su!.!.!.!.csts. II \vas followed b.y Lo/Jsfcr fAJ\'C Rain f)({tlce, '~]liecc (or pianoforte composed by Robiera Crouch and played hy Mr Stephen Matthews. It paints a realistic sound picture. opening with a chromatic sequence suggesting the sCllttling about or the lobster, followed by"- <~ som~what angula~ sequence evocative of the sort o/" thing a lobster might gel up to if it meets <l chum. A vocal piece followed, Maddy Morgan's Thro/fgh lv/ollll/oil! Posses. This is the kind of song Olle might find in an.y rairly traditional compendium or anthology of English songs, beautifully performed here hy Emilla Le\vis. accompanied by Mr Stephen fvlauhe\\'s路 \\-'ho then took a brief' rest whilst \ io/ill /)11('/ hy Richard Bayley wa, performed. played hy ilir Andrew Pollock and the composer. The parts are sOllletimes together and sometimes ill canon: sometimes one part is the inversion of the other. In all. quite a delighlrul and clever little composition. His sojourn in the audicnce over. Ivtr Stephen Matthe\vs took his place at the pianoforte yet again to play /\1on/wf/afi Bellini, by Alastair Laing. a piece clearly inspired by mid-20th century America \vith its strongly-syncopated supporting bass part. FollO\\'ing which, another rest 1'01' Mr Stephen Matthews whiU Fillll' DlIl'l by Rohiera Crouch was performed by Hcnnione Race and (hl~ composer. A charming piece it is. btlt J"o1!O\路ved by sOlllething (olally different. i'vi r Stephen Matthews now transmogri /"ied iI1to a l"l'l'ording cngineer, hut not unti! he had explained the provenance of the ncxt piece, or, morc l'o!Tcctl):. group or rOll!" related pieces by Rebccca Arnold: !\1ffSic/o}" a /)o("lflll('lIlary. 'rhis was a suhmission hy the l:ompOSl'r for tile A-le\"cl Music examination. one clement of \vhich was to write music for a dOculllcntarv. !"caturin!! the life and work of a harbour. Four cXl~erpts wcr~~ played from a recording of" the picce ... (i) Throngs of holidaymakers: (ii) Storm: (iii) Fishing boat and (iv) Smugglers' haunt in years gone by. 'The !'irst excerpt conceptualised rillY coke guggling down parched throats, candyfioss and dod!.!.cllls. and holidavmakers thronging alliusement arcades; the second !<linted a sound portrait oj" the rising wind and the threat a storm Jloses to people and Jlroperty: thirdly. a tranquil. almo,t pastel-like picture of a fishing vessel on a popply sea: finally. a jaunty extract portraying pirates jumping about (0 a hompipe. Resuming his more familiar role at the pianoforte. 1\11' Stephen Matthews played '{Iil' lIilchmd Citlnenl by Leo Dawson-Bowl ing, another very pictorial composition. conveying an clement of mystery right through the piece until the penultimate bar. when all seems to be resolved - or nearly so - until there is a final {wist which leaves one wonderinQ whether "anything has been solved a[ all. Three Poems hy Ogden Nash. set to Illusic by Alfred Williams, were next perj'ormed by William Davies at the pianoforte and the composer. intriguingly described in the programme as 路voice'. The poellls set were R(/7('e/ ions Oil fce-hreaking. Tomato f(UChlfjJ and Parsley.

Cor/ Morgef!s ({lid ;\/e.\" Higgins. (Ro/alld Phil/il)S.)

particularly good in Lilf/c /)(l1'id, in \vhich the shorter notes, sung quickly, present the singers \vith something of a challenge. The Saxophone Quartet brought the concert to an end with two more of Stephen Cottrell', arrangements: \V/W/ (ll"e YOll f)oillg .Ie}r rhe Rest (~f" YOIII' LiV' and In Ihe Mood. The first is a dolei'll!' rather c'ontelllplativc piece -- just the sort of music /'or those leavers for whom time seems to have passed thcm by and v. .'ho don '( quile know \vhere they're going or whatthev're doin!.!. in a vv'eek's time. II! llie M(}(}~j is a well-knovl"'Jl pi~ce in which, like tlley LOllg, the melody passes frnl1l one instrulllent to another: the saxophone quartet gave a lively. accomplished performance, sending everyone home happy if SOI1lC\vhal windswept. R.V..I.B.

\\/illi(1II1 nil/oil olld /\/II/e-CI/ris{ill(, Fo/"s{ot!. (Ro/ul/d Phil/il)s.j

COMPOSERS' CONCERT MONDAY 29TH JUNE IN THE OLD SYNAGOGUE The Composers' Concert is ahvays an eye-opencr. for it is indicative of the creative talent of those \vho have an interest in music. but arc not necessarily instrumentally proficient. The v.,.'ell-attended concert THE C:\l\TUARL\N. IY\"T & Sl.':--'PdElI: 1998

246

The music \vas, like its rcvie\v, minimalist. Julien Madjar then seated himself at the pianoforte to play his own Cm:r Miln Billes. which he did ['rom memory. This is a very /'!uid and relentless composition, \\lith a vcry str{)]lg beat in blues rhythm. It was followed by Beetle :rhing hy Peter Lawrence. who accompanied \Villiam Tallon. Not surprisingly, having been composed by a pianist of no mean ability, there v,:cre lots or notes for the pianist and not very many for the singer who, incidentally, wore some kind of headpiece that transformed him into a stag beetle. The COllcert concluded with a number of' pianoforte compositions. and Mr Stephen Mallhews started the sequence by playing \l(lriotioIlS Oil ({ J({/WI/CSt TlIlle by Allissa Brookin. a composition comprising an exposition or the theme and Cour \'ariatiol1s, \vith an interesting modulation bct\veen the third and fourth variations, This was follmÂˇved by S/wce Theme by F'rances Armitage-Smith. performed by the composer from memory. This was yet another realistic portrayal, in music of (\ concept in the composer's mind. It has an ethereal quality, and gave one a vision, if not of infinity, then certainly of the inf'inite. In the meantime, Mr Stephen Matthews had been warming lip his fingers ready to play Toccotu by Benedict Westenn.1. a fast-moving, relentless piece. as all /o('c({/i should be, with racy octaves and heavy chordal sequences. Finally. Mr Stephen Mallhews turned the tables on the composers, for the last piece \:vas his o\Vn S'OIl(f/O J(H Piuno /)/1('/ (for five hands, actually), played by Rebecca Arnold and Nancy Colchester. with the composer providing. the fifth hand for thc four bars that require it. The !'irst movement has an almost sinister fee! about it in the opening section, but moves on to a much more jolly second movement, and a bright section brings the \vork to a conclusion. This concert shows \vhat a depth of compositional talent there is in the School, and it also demonstrated that much of that talent would not have seen the light of day had it not been for Mr Stephen Mallhews. ,;;j)O probably performs more individual pieces during King's Week than anyone else. R'y'J.B.

the first enselllble on the programme, <llld the perfonnallce of this trio was a little lacking in warmth and spontaneity; the piano part being rather expressionless and the stri!H.:.s takint!: a little'-time to '--oct the intonation right. More positively, though, the le!2ato and phrasillg in the strings improved as the piece progressed. Next. a solo nute played by Cressida Tre\v: CI'('ssido Tn'l!'. (M..IJ) DUllse de 1(/ C/,,'rre by Honegger. Miss Trew's playing was well controlled in the fast passages, her phrasing was good and she displayed a wide dynamic range. The contrast between the slow, smooth passages and thc almost jaunty runs in the fast phrases \,-vas excellent. Altogether, a most accolnplished pcrf'ormallce. The /'irst vocal item was a duct sung by Rhiannon Newman-Brown (soprano) and Poppy Savage (mcz/.osoprano), vVe the spirits by Purccll. They sang, interestingly, from memory and were accompanied at the piano by Mr Timothy Noon. There \vas a good balance between the voices in the opening duct, but thc canon which follows did not seem quite as assured. The piece was somewhat expressionless, and I felt the audience \vas being sung at rather than being in communication with the performers through the medium of song. The accuracy of the notcs was almost noteworthy, but there was no spirit. Susanna Oliver then played Granados' Orientale for cello. accolllpanied at the piano by Mr Stephen Matthc\vs. Her phrasing was good and the Iberian roots of the piece were very evident. more so perhaps in the accompaniment than in the cello part. Like many young musicians, it seemed she wasn't always listening sufficiently carefully to the sound her instrument \:vas making, resulting in some poor intonation at the begin~ling. Fol1()wing this, from strings to brass as Emily Hague played KOIl:cr/-E'/lfc/e f{)r trumpel by Goedicke. also accompanied by Mr Stephen Matthews. She gave LIS a crisp, lively performance. fully in character for the piece. She sometimes lost the long sustained notes at the ends of phrases, but \tvas much, much better where long notes occurred in the middle of phrases. Susanna Oliver then moved to the piano, accompanying Selma Oliver on the cello, playing Saint-Saens' Allegro apP(lssiOJw/a. Selma Oliver played from memory and \'-vith remarkable confidence and intonation, until just a few bars from the end when ~

MUSIC AT LUNCHTIME I: 26TH JUNE LADIES' DAY AT THE OLD SYNAGOGUE The ['irst of the four lunchtime concerrs in the Old Synagogue comprised vocal and instrumental music performed by girls from the School. Somewhat innovatively, the Director of Music, Mr Stefan Anderson, acted as scene-shifter betwcen the itel11s, rearranginu the music stands and chairs for the perforn~e['s~ rather than relying on a brigade of ]eeves look-alikes to perform this task. The concert began ",,lith the /'irst movement of Haydn's Piano Trio Sonata in E minor. played by Helen Prentice (violin). Jennifer Dullon (cello) and Nancy Colchester (pianoforte). It is never easy being: 247

TJ-lJ:

CANTUARL\N, L,E,\'T

& SU:vL\!ER J 998

her concentration seemed to waver slightly. We were then treated to a performance of the second movement of Sonaline by Ravel. played by Henrietta Pound, who gave us an expressive performance although her usc of the sostelllfto pedal resulted in a slight fuzziness of some of the chords towards the end of the piece. Mr Stephen MaUhews then resumed his place on the piano stool to accompany the !'inal instrumental piece. Rachel Hill playing the clarinet in a performance of the first movement of' the Sonata in E rIat major, Opus 120, No. 1 by Brahms. Miss Hill gave an expressive interpretation, with a \vide dynamic range and some nice phrasing, showing good musicality. The last item, another vocal pIece, also accompanied by Mr Stephen Matthews, was Slade's The lilll(, oj'IIIY lile' from S%d Doys, sung by Rachel Wilkinson, and, like her vocal predecessors, from memory. She gave a very polished performance, very musical, very expressive, and looking every bar of the piece as i r she had a message to convey. She was deservedly given a big round of applause, bringing the concert to an end.

regards its correctness, but the execlltion was rather eXl)ressionlcss; one felt that she \v(lsn't really enjoying the piece. and she would have benefited by having someone to turn the pages for her, rather than stopping in mid-piece. Mr Stephen Mauhews then resumed his appointed place on the piano stool to accompany Emma Van Allan, violin, in a performance of Czardas by Monti. This piece is full or contrasts - alternating slow and florid passages, low and high pitched variations. In the first, slow, variation, Miss Van Allan's lack of confidence showed through, but the second, sprightly movement \,Âˇ'as much better and one felt that her confidence was complete by the third movement. The fourth variation requires harmonic stopping of the strings. never a very easy thing to do whilst maintaining the tOlle, and this was consequently something or a v\,'cakness, but the piece cndcd in a very confident and spirited manncr. At last, the entry of the boys, or at least one of them. in the Lunchtime Concerts. Mr Stephen l\1atthews relinquished his occupation of the piano stool for Alastair Laing, who played two Preludes by Gershwin: /\ndallte ('on Il/oto e poco rll/Ja!o and /\/legl'o !Jell ri!mico e deciso.

The first was played \vith expression, and one felt that Laing really got into the pice; and had something to say about it to ~~ the audience: the second piece relies heavily on exactitude In the execution or the syncopated score whieh he performed admirably and with a wide dynamic range.

Jlliio W//(II:1('. Ltl/{m Oemill. S.. I.1LH ..

,)"IIS(lIIII(I

II: 27TH JUNE ANOTHER LADIES' DAY - BUT THE CHAPS GET THEIR TOE IN THE DOOR Mr Stefan Anderson. scene-shifter, was joined in this concert by Mr Andrew Pollock whose usual role is J-Iead of Strings, to help rearrange the platform bct\VCell items. The. second lunchtime. concert opened with Laura Dentin and Julia Wharrc, violins, accompanied by Mr Stephen Mallhews at the pianoforte, playing the second movement of the Suite in G minor, Opus 71. by l\1oszkowski. Their phrasing and pilch were good. and the ensemble was well balanced and the playing confident. Especially noteworthy \vas the timing in the pizzicato section at the end of the piece. Emily Hague then played lS. Bach's Fantasia in C minor, BWV 906. Her performance \vas sound as

Recorder ensembles have enjoyed wide popularity at King's for O/il'(,/,. (kl..l.T) several veal'S now, and the conÂˇcert continued with a performance of the first movement of the Concerto in C major by Vivaldi, played by Henrietta Pound and Anne Davies (treble recorders), Polly Redman (tenor) and Caroline Ritchie (bass). There was a great deal that v"/as good about their playing -the balance between the instruments in the ensemble, keeping the tempo under control in the faster passages, and actually playing the. correct notes: but the playing was rather mechanical and soulless. We. were thell treated to a very spiritcd performance of the.. second movement or the Sonata in D minor by Shostakovich, played hy Caroline Ritchie on the ccllo, accompanied by the inciefatigable Mr Stephen Malthc\vs. Her playing was robust and confident. the notes spot on, and \vith a lovely rich tone that made the instrulllent sing.

248

Mr Stephen Matthews

then accompanied Charles Rice singing the coat aria from Puccini's opera La /3ohhn(l. Rice has a very good voice.

and his control, phrasing and placing of the notes \verc excellent but, apart from the occasional ~:dallcc at the audience. l)resllmab!y to see whether it \vas still

a\vakc,

or even

still

present. he sang to his copy of the sC()re. The

concert ended with a soprano/trumpct Polly Redman

Emily

Hague

duct, and

re-

spectively, accompanied by - yes, you've guessed . Mr Stephen Matthews, Caroline Ritchic, S'J,/?,M., SIISallntl Oli\"('/". (M..J.T) performing Let lhe Bright Seraphim from Handel's oratorio Samson. They At last a hoy appeared on stage. Conrad Baker gave a bright, lively performance, and it was a little chanced his luck vl/ith Emily Gomcrsall, Imogen Lewis surprising that the voice and the trumpet were so \vell and Caroline Jones in the first movemcnt of Mozart's balanced. Miss Redman's tone was a little breathy, but Quartet in G major, K 156. This was a quartet young she sang accurately and with conviction. performers, drawn from the Shell and Remove forms.

and the instruments were \:vell integrated within the cnsemble, although the violins' inton~tion was at times a littlc awry; ne~crtheless, there v/as a great deal of potential evident, and their performance bodes well for the future. During this item, the f~lct that the School's left hand doesn't kno\:v what the right hand is doing

III: 29TH JUNE THE BOYS GET THEIR FOOT IN THE DOOR

AT LAST

became evident, as the parks department decided to

either mow the grass or hoover up the leaves somewhere in the vicinity of the Synagogue, so we were treated to a background drone of some kind of appliance in G flat - all very reminiscent or a Hoffnung !lll{si/~lesl. However intrusive it may have been to your reviewer, it didn't unnerve Polly Redman \:vho. accompanied by Mr Stephen Matthev,/s, gave a

It's lunchtime again, and by now conditioned, as it were like Pavlov's dogs. thc little band of pilgrims

makes its \vay to the Old Synagogue again, the pavements of Canterbury becoming worn away by the hooves of the faithful. For this concert, Messrs

Anderson and Pollock, furniture removers. had become Mr Pollock ollly.

The concen opened with two harpists performing upon an instrument \vhose popularity has been

splendidly musical performance of the first movement of Hindemith's Sonata for Ilute. This was followed by

increased by the exploits of Camilla Pay, O.K.S. Allissa Brookin started the proceedings with a performance of Megan's Daughler. arranged by Dussek. She played with a lovely sOllorous and rich tone. but a little too mechanically for my liking. Neverthcless, she is only in the Remove year, and there is clearly much potential for the ycars that lie ahead. She was succeeded by Hermione Race, who played Lull,,"y by Schubert and Rondo by Passier. Her

the first movement of Mozart's Trio in E flat major (Kegcls/a/I), K 498, played by Rachel Hill (clarinet) and Susanna Oliver (viola) with Peter Lawrence at the piano, who gave a very accomplished and wellbalanced performance of this well-known work. The Mozart theme continued in tbe next piece, the second movement of his Sonata in C major, K 330, played by Caroline Jones. Although playing from the score, she

didn't let this prevent her from giving an expressive performance - all too often when playing or singing from a score, the music becomes mechanical and uninteresting, however correct it may be; this was not

playing was very sensitive, particularly in the legato pianissimo passages of the Lullahy. As a kind of Hoffnungesque 1011/,.' ae/e, the audience was then entertained to an impromptu Concerto for Piano Castors as the pianoforte was pushed into place

the case with Miss Jones, and one felt that she was

really getting into the music and communicating with her audience,

for the next item. The girls' input to these Lunchtime

Concerts continued with Francesca Langridge, Caroline Ritchie and Cressida Trew singing the trio Here in Saras/",'" Hallowed Bo,.der from Mozart's opera The Magic Fiu/e, accompanied by Mr Stephen Matthews. They gave a well-balanced and expressive performance,

Next, William Tallon, accompanied by Mr Stephen Matthews at the pianoforte, sang Bella Sic cone 1111 Angelo from Don Pasqllale by Donizelli. Tallon has

one of the best voices in the SchooL and he made a 249

THE CANTUARI;\N, LENT

SU1\'l!'l'!ER

J 998

Chopin's Prelude in D flat major (The Raindrop). The first and last sections are quiet and relaxing -- indeed, so much so that, in my notes on the performance I see I have invented a new Italian superlative, tranquillitatissil7lo - whilst the middle section is much more florid and requires great dynamic changes. Although he played from the score, Pope didn't lose sight of either the music or the need to convey the composer's intentions to the audience. 'A string quartet has four people and they all sit,' proclaimed the Director of Music, espying three music stands and one chair arnllH!ed for the next item .-" (Well, you can't get the statf these days!) -, Mozart's Divertimento in F major, K 138, played by Michelle Workman and Thomas Hopkinson, violins, William Davies, viola, and Christina Barton, cello. The first and last movements are lively, sandwiching a slow second movement, and the quartet gave a very polished and musical account, well together and with good phrasing and emphasis. This was followed by the only vocal item in this concert, L"udamus TI', words taken from the liturgical Gloria in a setting by Vivaldi, sung by Caroline Jones and Rachel Wilkinson, accompanied as usual by Mr Stephen Matthews. This was a fine performance, with good tone, and the girls complemented each other, both individually and together. The suspensions were particularly spinetingling. They were followed by Goldell Nocturne by Stephen Matthews, played by Laura Denlin and Caroline Ritchie, together with the composer at the pianoforte. After a protracted tuning-up session, the piece got under way. The balance het\:veen the instruments was good, and towards the end of the piece - which, as its title suggests, is mainly quiet, but which rises to a climax, subsides, and then reaches a second climax - the pizzicato playing was well together, always a difficult thing to get right. The concert cnded with three pieces played by the bassoon trio, but with Alastair Laing repJacing Mark Wharton on this occasion. This time they showed uS that they can play 'serious' music, starting with an anonymous 14th century piece Alleluia Psallal in the form of a round, such as often used to be played on that weird and wonderful instrument, the hurdy-gurdy. Then followed Scher:o, Opus 17 No. 3 by Cast i1Blaze, a vigorous and seriously musical piece. Finally, Hartley's March was played, not quite as together as the preceding pieces in places, but a very competent all-round performance nevertheless. So, what are one's overall impressions of these long-established lunchtime concerts O They indicate a depth of talent at all levels, which, generally speaking, improves, as one would expect, as the pupils get older. They show that, again speaking generally, solo performers who can play or sing from memory lend to communicate more successfully with their audience, and give a musical, as well as accurate, performance. They show that girls are Ilwch more willing (and able?) to perform before an audience than are boys. And, perhaps most of all, they show that without Mr Stephen Matthews, almost everything would have to be unaccompanied; once again, he has taken part in more items than anyone else in King's Week.

polished performance look, and sound, so easy, Mr Stephen Mallhews stayed on the piano stool to

accompany lona Coltart and Leonora DawsonBowling in two duets; firstly, ,,\veel ol1d Low by Barnby, a well-known piece which was beautifully balanced and charmingly executed; and secondly, f know a b(lnk by Horn. The bank in question is not of the Barclays variety, but a bank where wild flowers grow, and one could not help but wonder at just how much the young of today miss with the growth of tarmac and the encroachment of virtual reality into ollr homes, as the performers gave a very mllsical performance of this delightful song. If everything up to now had been serious, despite the machinations of the parks department and the squeaky castors LInder the piano's legs, a more light-

hearted item concluded the concert. A bassoon trio in the form of Mark Wharton, Alfred Williams and Jonathan Recve played, firstly, Round Ihe Mulberry Bush by Hartley. This consists of a set of variations on the well-known nursery rhyme, which they played with aplomb. To finish, they played Ja:: Tchoilw\'sky, an arrangement by Stubbs of three popular themes from the works of Tchaikovsky, entitled Sugar Plum Siring Ollt, Dallce (~r the Knock-kneed Fairy; Tango I')r Douhle-reed Pipes. This was well received by the audiencc. which gave well-deserved prolonged applause at the end.

IV; 30th June

THE GIRLS HOLD THEIR LINE Lunchtime, Music at, FOllr. So off we go again along the well-beaten path to the Synagogue. The sceneshifting agency has done its work properly and the part 01' Jeeves was being played out by William Gold and Yorick Moes. Their first task \vas to get a quart into a half-pint pot, as the first items in today's concert required twelve (yes, TWELVE) cellos. The Twelve Cello Ensemble comprised nine pupils - all girls -two cello teachers - both ladies - and the indefatigable Mr Stephcn Matthews flying the flag for the male sex. The Ensemble set the ball rolling, or at least, the rafters reverberating, with Klengel'; Hymnus, a piece which exploits the whole range of the instrument in a set of variations on a hymn tune. The cello, played well, is a particularly sonorous instrument, and the sound of twelve of them was rich with harmonies. The Ensemble then played, by way of a complete contrast, Cellophai11 by Lefevre. This piece sounds like a lumbering elephant, and was played with great gusto by the ensemble, with a syncopation tilat amused the audience. Next, Jennifer Dutton and her cello were joined by two violinists, Nicholas Pope and Charlotte Tydemann, together with Mr Stephen Matthews accompanying on the harpsichord, to play the second movement of the Sonata in G minor by Handel. The initial entry for the first violin is very exposed, and there was just a hint of nervousness at the beginning, but confidence rapidly grew as the piece progressed and the balance between the instruments made for a delightful performance. Harry Pope then performed

THE CANTUARIAN. LENT

SU!'Vlj\'lER 1998

R.Y.lB. 250

ORGAN RECITAL

many organists, almost verging on boring, but in Mr Noon's hands it was full of interest, tile judicious usc of the swell box and meticulous attention to the registration combining with the increasingly insistent motif to bring the listener to attention. Lastly, Mr Noon played the third movement, entitled Tran,lports de JOif d'lIne fime dewlIl/ 10 gloire du Christ qrd est la Sielllll!. (Col. I: 12; Eph. 2:6). This is a truly thrilling piece, toccata-like, brilliantly textured and rhythmically demanding, and performed here in a manner that I imagine the composer himself \\'oulcl have been unable to emulate. The feature I found particularly impressive were the way in which the rapidly-descending runs diminished not to piano, nor to pianissimo, nor even to 1'1'1', but to nothing, yet they still had an audible presence; a truly memorable performance. From the doyen of twentieth century France to the doyen of eighteenth century Germany, indeed of all composers for organ, the great Johann Sebastian Bach himself. Mr Timothy Noon played BWV 572, described in the programme as Piece d' orgt.te, but probably better known as the Fantasia in G major. It consists of a 28-bal' toccata, leading to a slov,! section in 5 parts, followed by another toccata of 17 bars. I felt that Mr Noon's interpretation of the slow middle section was a little heavy in texture, but the piece as a \vhole \vas played with precision, and the tempo remained steady throughout. Finally, back tojin-de-si()c/f France, with Alexandre Guilmanl's Sonata No. I in D minor. The three movements are designated Introduction et Allegro, Pas/orale and Final. The first movement opens in a robust manner, leading into a smooth lyrical section and ending in much the same vein as the beginning; the pas/orale, as one would expect from the designation, is rather conternplative, and, in typical nineteenth century French style, has the motif picked out on quiet reeds, which, in Mr Noon's performance, was spoilt by the noise of tourists. The pnal, however, is pure brilliance, and here Mr Timothy Noon got his own back on the noisome visitors to Canterbury. Not only is the score filled with semiquavers played at relentless speed, but there are frequent changes of registration and a demanding pedal part too; once started it is something of a roller-coaster ride to the climactic ending. This was a splendid recital, and it is a great pity that so few people were present. It is, without doubt, one of the most memorable recitals I have been to during the past forty years! R.V.J.B.

I ST JULY IN THE CATHEDRAL QUIRE Mr Timothy Noon this year gave his second King's

Week Organ Recital. The programme notes revealed that whilst in his first appointment, in Dublin, he was the youngest Assistant Cathedral Organist in the British Isles. It became abundantly clear in his recital why this was so, for the clarity of his playing, even in the most rapid and fully registered passages was sllch that I - and, I suspect, many others too - heard notes that we had probably not realised existed in the scores. Last year, I wrote that it was such a pity that so few members of the School had turned up to hear their Organist play. It is evident that few had read that review, for the numbers this year wefe even smaller. He opened his recital with a twentieth century British composition - the only one to come from these islands - in the form of AllcllIY"s by Simon Preston. There seems to be no obviollsly 'British' style of organ composition, and this piece begins in a bright, lively manner, follo\ved by a rather rambling middle section, building to a climax on the full organ. The changes of registration were well executed, and the performance was rhythmically exact, with remarkable clarity in the fOl'tissinlo sections. From twentieth century Britain, Mr Timothy Noon moved to seventeenth century Germany and the music of Dietrich Buxtehude. He played the Chorale Prelude KOlllm lIfilign Geist, lifrr Got!, BuxWV 199. Buxtehude's setting comprises the chorale theme, richly ornamented, overlying a three-part accompaniment, the whole only 60 bars in length, played here \vith wonderful clarity and sensitivity. Back to the twentieth century, but to France and the work of the doyen of twentieth century French composers, Olivier Messiaen. Messiaen is well-known for his innovative use of birdsong and Hindu rhythms in many of his works, but L'AsccIISioll, the work chosen by Mr Noon and wrillen in 1932/3, and the first of the great cycles of pieces composed by Messiaen, is based more on piainchanl. Mr Noon played three of the four movements, starting with M(~jl!stcS du Christ demane/ant sa gloil'e a son P('re. As is evident from the title, both of the collection of pieces and the piece itself, the inspiration for this (and much other of his output) is spiritual, and not merely that, but more specifically Roman Catholic spirituality. This first piece in the collection was inspired by St John's Gospel (John 17: I). Messiaen leaves relatively lillie to the imagination of the performer; not only the notes (obviously') but also the tempo and, more importantly in compositions for organ, the registration is strictly laid clown. Really, therefore, all that is left to the performer to decide upon is how best to achieve clarity given the acoustic of the building and the siting of the organ within it, h1r Timothy Noon gave a thrilling account of this opening movement ofL'Ascellsion, and in this, as in the other t\\'o movements, I heard notes that I had not heard before, so precise was his playing. The second movement to be played was actually the fourth movement in the score: Prihe dll Chrisl mol1/al1/ WI'S son Perf (John 17:6,11). In complete contrast to the loud, rapid passages of the opening movement, this is slow and serene and, in the hands of

JAZZ CONCERT JUNE 29TH, IN THE SHIRLEY HALL This year, we wefe again treated to another feast of excellent and enthusiastic musicianship. While each jazz cancer! depends crucially on the ability of every young musician, each reflects the view and interests of those who direct the whole operation. This year, it was clear that the enormously talented Ivo Neame, aided and abetted by Larry Ridges and, no doubt, one or two

251

THE CANTUAR1AN, LI:NT

& SUl\ÂˇlMER 1998

Here (with splendid solo by Charles Miller-Jones) making it abundantly clear that he is a musician of outstanding talent. The Orchestra pi<lyed each of these numhers \\lith formidable force. appropriate for Gregory's

presence, but questionable for C(/r(fl'(lII .~ instead of the ghostly stealth of Ellington's son-footed camel-train. almost soundless apart (rom the tinkling of meta! jugs and the creak of ropes and \\,ie heard straps, something more rCI11inisccllt of an army

corps in a desert \var! But treat. a musical nevertheless. In the fourth set. the Orchestra played three highly rhythmical pieces. Sillce 11',,/1 Fi!l' YOII. a slow fox-trot with lovely dreamy solos by L,arry Ridges and 1\10 Ncamc, again demanded a dance-floor. ,)'clIill Doll \vas sung in a rc.laxcd and entertaining style by Miss Poppy Savage; the microphone did not do justice to her voice and. in places, the accompaniment was too loud. The final item, another beautiful arral1~emCl1t bv Neamc oj' W(l!eJ~me/(}!l !v!an~(involvi!1~ some excellent solos by Larry Ridges. Charles Miller-Jones and Carl Marge(\s), was played with great accuracy and drive bv the Orchestra. giving the imp~'cssion of some invisible giant hand thrusting the traffic throu~h the streets 7)j' New York. The high talent oj' Carl Margetts especiany shmved to great advantage in this last number, and all four sections were littered with splendid contributions from a number or other individual players including those now departing, such as Andrew Ribbans. Henry Williams. Simon Bodey. Rachel Hill. Henry Chamberlain and James Barker - and the rhythm section \vas superb throughout the (Rotal/d Pllillips.) \vhole performance. The Modern Jazz Group contributed to both halves of the concert. Their programme was very demanding musically, and every member of the Group needed to be very talented to participate - indeed. for the whole thing not to fall apart. But their performance was lively and full of interest. In this sty Ie of music. with dissonances, elaborate runs and broken rhythms. the 1110St difficult thing to achieve is to bring out the underlying musical structure. This was not ahvays evident, for example in

/\l/dy Nihh(/l/s. Charles }\I1i/la-./o//es. C(/rl Marge!!s. 1m /Vcali/e. (Nolalld Phillips.)

others. leaned tov,lards modern jazz, \vith a strong lacing of Latin-American rhythms. Several of the numbers for the King's JaI.l. Orchestra were arranged hy Ivo Ncame hin~self; they v,rcre very coml~ex musically, presenting technical challenges which the Orchestra met \vith accuracy and abundant energy. The King's Jazz Orchestra provided half of the entertainment. in four separate sections. As so orten happens, the timing or entries was not perfect in the rirst item, but this did not spoil rine guitar playing by Buster Vi rata. But. for the rest of the evening, the Orchestra remained ~()Iidly tOQcther. In 13111(' A10nk \ve heard a biQ-band sound reminiscent or Gi"enn Miller; Emily Hague took a rine trumpet solo and we were treated to the first of manv fluid and sensitive saxophone s()los by Ivo Ncamc. Just before the interval. the Orchestra gave us unusual but delicate arrangements of three old favourites. It started with the souncl of an old steam train chugging across through the Rockies. but suddenly relaxing into the haunting theme of AlltlllJlll /\'0 Nc(//)/e. LcCll'(!s -" a very effective musical idea. Neame's arrangement of E'm/Jr(!('(!(!/Jlc You was a complex and beautifully balanced interweaving of sound from different individuals and groups in the Orchestra; it \vas followed by a secluctive version of If's Only A Poper Moon. for which a dance-floor should have been provided. The third of the King's Jazz Orchestra's contributions contained t\VO further arrangements by Ivo Neame. the complex mixtures of sound in CO/'(I\'{111 and Gregory Is

THE CANTUARIAN, LENT

SUMtIÂˇ1ER 1998

252

J(JIII

/V/orey . .lOll Co.\'.

good Barbershop. One of these songs. SII,,// / COllljJare

the very complex So Hi/wI. but \vhcncvcr

Thee to a .)'Ifl)lmer· .. ,· Day'?, \\Ias specially written by Mr

S. J. R. Matthews, the Resident Composer. and equally deli!2htful were the old f~lVourites IWr EI'crline and the nost~llgic \VhU/(JllpoqrSOl/g. . The promised numbers from the Trad Band did not materialise. but we had some excel!cnt llHlSic instead from a rhythm section consisting of Jon Cox on bass. Tom Morey on drums - t\VO who provided immaculate backing to the whole evening's music - and I\'o Neame. now showing his virluosity on piano. Their \vho!e performance \vas intricate, relaxed and inventive; they completely transformed the old favourite Oil Ihe SIIIIIl\' Side of'llie Sireer and added their own distinctive creativeness to the EllinQton classic Take the '/\' Train. '""

Ivo

Ncamc took the lead. the structure \vas quietly but firmly spelt out. Many things wcre memorable about

the Modern JalJ performances: Charles MillerJones' expressive and compelling playing in [he uorQCOllS

I;,)}"

.)'(}Jl~

M\' Falhe,'·. Carl 'Margctts'

vcrv invZ;lvcd soh; in (he rumba C01lle' e{/Ju/e/u, the solid rhythm Ch({rles . Hilla-Jolles and expressive (Rolulld PllillijJs.) piano playing by Peter Lav,'Tcncc In COllie C({lItie/a and l\!lerc\', klere\', /v!ern', which also included some excclle];t trumpet fron; Charles Miller-Jones and fine bass and sax playing by Jon Cox and Ivo Ncamc, respectively. This latter piece \vas completely absorbing, but the I~\vouritc item \vas Bu('k Oil Bose, featuring a vocal by Oli Lumley, dressed to kill and extremelv seductive of voice. figure and movement. Who is" the lucky Bass player? 'We \verc entertained by an unusual Barbershop Quartet in ",.;hich two young ladies. Delia Williams and Anne-Cbristine Farstad. combined with Will Tallon and Charlie Rice. They did not lind a proper balance in the first two numbers, but after that produced the delicate harmonics and precise timing that is the hallmark of

Carl k/argells. (No/and Phi/lips.)

To conclude. I offer one or t\\'o constructive criticisms. Announcing was frequently extremely poor; where we were sittin2.. the words were often inaudible, Perhaps in future ye(\"j·s, the announcers should be told to practise their announcements, as they practise their music. Also, no \veak jokes and 'comedy paHcr'. please -the players arc musically easily good enough without having to resort to that! Finally. while it would be totally unreasonable to complain about the change in the 'rraditional Jazz section of the programme, it would have been nice to gO back to the roots and hear some old-style, not ncce;';arily traditional, jazz. Appealing to tradition is often a mistake, but today's talented performers may (or may not!) like to knO\v that in the early days of the King's \\leek Jazz Concert - before they were born - it was regarded as the deepest heresy to omit Yellow Dog BllIcs. Perhaps a gourmet analogy is a better argument: it is wise to moderate a rich diet of caviar. Scotch \voodcock and venison with some good "old Tibetan poi! Roy CillS]]OLM.

POPI).\' ,r.;(/\'(/ge. (Ro/alld Phil/ips.)

253

TlI!.: C.·\NTUARL\N, LL\T &

Sl!"L\ll.~R

1998

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? ROCK CONCERT 27TH JUNE IN THE GREEN COURT MARQUEE Nearly two hundred people packed into the Green COllrt Marquee to be cnlcrlaineu by two Lip ,md

fro Newllt. (Rolalld Phi/lies.)

coming School bands. Some erratic weather had caused a late change of vcnue and it was a credit to both the musicians and their technical support that, under extreme pressures of time, they managed to put the concert on. The talented Cosmos kicked 011' proceedings with seven quality songs. Giles Patrick acted as a convincing and confident front man showing poise and talent. His voice battled \vell against a wind-buffeted and acoustically challenging marquee and he also managed to play lead guitar with vitality and accuracy. This musical-vocal double act is one of the most challenging in rock music and Giles certainly showed that he had the ability to deal with it. The ultra-cool Julien Madjar on bass and electric guitars was ably assisted by the unflappable 1'0111 Morey on drums. The band communicated well with each other throughout the set and formed a most competent unit. They l;:sed a mixture of their O\vn compositions and covers to good efrect. Hypocrite and PIWf K gave an indication of their song-writing prowess; 5'0\'(' file H1JJpies was performed with some heartfelt emotion; Teenage LOl'e proved to be a particular crowd-pleaseI'; and tV!JCII ! COlllf Arolilld rounded ojl an excellent set well. A selrconscious audience warmed to the band and the end of each song was received with rapturolls applause. If the band manage to stick together and find the time to practise and develop, they have the credentials to go far. Prolapse then had a short time to express their talents. The impassioned Adrian Kowal Jed the band

THE CANTU:\R1AN, LENT

& SU\L\lER 1998

with an in-your-face style, which was rather at odds with a quiet Saturday afternoon in King's Week. His support, in the form of 11'0 Neame on drums, 'Buster' on lead guitar and Jon Cox on bass, held things together well and overcame technical problems throughout the set. Their own Young M.e. started the set and was followed by an energetic cover of The Police's Message ill (I Bortle. The band's enthusiasm did not quite manage to gel the crowd jumping around in the manner that Adrian was imploring them to and he did appear somewhat frustrated by this. Given the limited amount of time, it was a musically accomplished performance and the audience \vas keen to show its appreciation at the end. Many thanks mllst go to the sound crew ~Iho did a \vollderful job III overcoming nUI11crous problcms in a very short space of time. R.P.C.

Giles Patrick. (Zhi

254

/-/CIO (JOII.)

but effete and defensively aristocratic. They were captivating both individually and as an ensemble. veering from the sublime to the supercilious, to the bureaucratic. In their quest for a good person, they light, at last on Shen Te, a prostitute. As recompense for her hospitality they give her some money with which she buys a small tobacco shop. One soon recognised in Charlotte Hunt's p()rtl~tyaJ of Shen Te a genuine warmth v,Ihich convinced us that she might indeed be the good person they have been looking for. However, falling prey to hosts of scroungers, she adopts the alternative persona of an invented male cousin in order to defend herselL This requires a tour dc force from an actress. to be the kind, gentle and thoughtful Shcn Tc in some scenes, and th. en . the hard-bitten. suit-and-bowler-hat-wearing businessman thc nex!' Charlotte Hunt acted both characters very \vell, conveying with great clarity and humour tile essential punic of the play: the extent to which it is possible for an individual to be good, She was even (pace Brecht) quite moving at times. particularly in early scenes vvith Yang Sun, the unemployed airman, \\1110111 she truly loves, but who lets her down out of weakness, Nick Davies handled this role well, again guiding the audience through appropriate stages of sympathy, revulsion and critical reflection, Charlotte Hunt's ability to sustain her long and difficult double role was extremely impressive, Shcn Te's foil is Mrs Shin, a widow, played as a hard-bitten but essentially kindly person by Charlottc Westenra with considerable force and gusto. She encourages her to marry Shu Fu, the barber, for his money, despite the fact that she docs not love him. Jonathan Burr handled this cameo part very well, conveying the character's essential goodness and his superficial unpleasantness in a way which made Shen Te's dilemma perlcctly plausible, The various spongers who prey on Shen Te, played by Kate Emary, Tom Pickering, Tom McHugh, Zoe Nathan, Dan Kelly, Lucy Blair and Kirill Pestoun, came across as an excellent team. moving menacingly together, yet maintaining just enough individuality to be plausible, Clare Bolton, dressed as a male policcman (an exwl1pie of alienation as stark as the cry of cock-a-doodie-doo to signify morning, and the blues sung by the watcrsellcr) provided a good counterpart to these characters. By vÂˇ/ay of contrast, a good example of non-Brechtian practice was the appearance of the young Hannah Bree as a beggar. Her cameo scene with Charlotte Hunt produced a Dickensian tugging at the heart-strings. The set was minimalist in best Brechtian traditions. consisting of a few boxes, ingenious wooden squares for walls and window frames, tables and chairs in front of a Rothko-like square backdrop, The lighting was very effective, particularly in the scenes with the gods.

BERTOLT BRECHT, THE GOOD PERSON OF SZECHWAN (IN A VERSION BY MICHAEL HOFFMANN) ST MARY'S HALL This year saw {\vo major King's Week productions. In style they could not have been more different, It was a major triumph that both were such a success. Brecht is not an casy playwright to cope with for a modern producer, or for a modern audience. The first problem is the intellectual baggage, Some audience members come, critical antennae \vaving, anxious to

see just how much or how little alienation technique there will be. Some are blissfully ignorant of what Brecht wrote about the theatre. Most. however. are somewhere bet ween the two, aware that there is something clever or 'heavy' about Brecht: such people

arrive nervous about being instructed for two hours, rather than entertained, The second problem is that the strength of Brecht's plays often lics more in their

dramatic story line than in the complex didactic strategies to \vhich Brecht attached so much importance. It was a relief then, when the play began, to rncet the engaging and sympathetic character of the watcrseller, played with a plausible South East accent by Joe Randall-Cutle!"' He is on the lookout for the gods, who duly appear to him, and his bewildered re'jationship with them is a thread that runs through the play; he acts as an intermedi(:lry between audience and actors. One ahvays \vclcomed Joe's return to the stage and he deserves high praise for the positive quality of the relationship he cstablished with the audience, which was sO good that one a! most took it for granted. The gods themselves, dressed in Chinese robes, with eXIlertly wielded sunshades, statuesque makcup and aloof, ethereal expressions, were a high point of the production. There \vas just the right contrast in their personalities: Josephine Sundt, slightly world-weary, detached and feminine, Sam Knight

aloof and cynical, and George Taylor. good-natured 255

T!-!E CANTU;\RIAN. LENT & Sl':-"ll'llEt{ 1998

Criticisms? Well, on the first night there were some tiny hesitations in the dialogue, '"scarcely enough to notice but perhaps just enough to break the csscntial rhythm. This \vould soon have been ironed out in an ideal world \vhere the cast could stage the production the dozen or so times it deserved. More generally, perhaps one or tvvo scenes were rather too short in content and duration to merit waiting for the scenechange either side. Also, perhaps one. . missed at times the 'hamming up' which creates alienation in the best sense Brecht intended, for his theatre \vas supposed to be anything but flat. The gods \vert the best 'hams' on stage, and their return at the end \"Ias welcome as they passed their detached and muddled judgment on the proceedings. All these arc small criticisms, however. and should not detract from the fact that this ambitious production was not only justified, but thoroughly enjoyable. Perhaps not everyone left the theatre asking deep questions about the degeneracy of capitalism and the need for joint action to overthrow i(. but everyone I spoke to very much enjoyed the acting and the story, and felt there was certainly enough of a challenge there to have lifted the experience above the level of mere elltertai nment. TJ.A.

changing, in (he School Library no less. I was glad to sec the L. . ibrarian playing a ccntral role here. Bella Pet! was extremely entertaining in this role, giving a nicely judged comic performance, as she attempted to impress the importance of hard work on 'the Clique'. The Clique were hilariolls, plainly enjoyi.ng themselves, but working together as an impreSSive ensemblc. Among others, Michael Moir and Harriet Usher stood out 11ere. This \vas shaping up to be good, old-fashioned Musical fun. Stressed-out A-Ievcl students burst into song in the Library (don't they know that's against the rules?), all bluster and confident S\I.,'a!.!!.!er, like a cross between some sinrrinu St Trinian's g~l~ls and refurrees from WI'S! Side s!7!1Y~ The book, decvised by the Zast, threw some much needed light on thc current state of the murky inner lives oj''-King's School students. Parents, exams, social privilerrc, having fun and life beyond school loomed large il~ the Iyric\, which were laced with a spirited - and healthy - irony. 'We've been travelling l'irst class.' the Clique admitted, before surrendering to the anxiety that Dad would go stark raving mad if those pesky exams weren't passed with J'iying colours. Charles Rice was excellent as Richard. a kind of adolescent 1.1', .â&#x20AC;˘ the man we loved to hate, brimming with Darwinian confidence in the inevitable pre-eminence of blue blood. His performance. both energetic and stylish, was vocally very strong. Ed Wattis was Theo, the bookish loner pitted against the Clique, although perhaps a little too sensitive for his own good, as we shall see. Edv.rard gave a subtle and perfectly judged performance. Highly impressive too was Olivia Lumley, our perfect picture-book heroine, by turns sassy and vulnerable, undergoing what amounted to no less than a spiritual awakening as she learned to love the bookish loner. Olivia is an adminlbly lnature and focussed performer. singing and dancing with real clan and confidence. Her big solo number was not only technically assured, but also delightfully touching. Giles Patrick was great as the hapless Curate: his well-sung solo, as he sang of his own spiritual odyssey, was one of the evening's highlights. I must also mention Rebecca Arnold - a vetera~ of King's School drama and music - for her delicious portr<lyaJ of the bad-tempered but Bohemian director. complete with Isadora Duncan scarf. With all the key ingredients for a classic musical in place, the plot unfolded at breakneck pace. Although somc clements of the plot were not followed through as fully as they might have been, the songs came thick and fast, the tonc and style of the show somehow managing to combine the charm and quirkiness of something like Sa/ad Days with the bold 1990s funkiness of Relll. The number in which the Clique dolled themselves up for a night out in a Canterbury nitespot, was another real stand-out. Energetically performed and wittily choreographed, all the cast were at their best here. Flashy pyrotechnics and a nasty brush with the occult ensucd, via a bit of Marlowe, O.K.S., but St Augustine (naturally) saved the day. This was a truc ensemble piece, born out of pupil-led improvisation and workshops. Some individual names, however, cannot go unmentioned. The importance or Peter

THE SEARCH FOR BECKET'S BONES MUSIC AND LYRICS BY PETER CHURCHILL BOOK BY THE CAST IN THE MINT YARD I like musicals. I'm a Slicker for sentiment and homespun philosophising, particularly if it rhymes. I

can't get enough of high-kicking heroines, boulevards where people casually burst into song at the drop of an artfully Sally Bowles-ish hat. Convents full of singing nUlls. Alleyways full of dancing cats. I fall for it every time. In fact, I love musicals; their sheer optimism and silliness, their escapism, their weird logic. There have been musicals about chess, the rape of the Sabine women, the wife of a South American dictator, even Jesus, so a musical about St Augustine and the King's School. Canterbury, seemed absolutely fair enough. And not a bit unintriguing. The very first chords of the overture set the tone for the evening: jazzy, warm, relaxed and incredibly catchy. Peter Churchill's score was highly enjoyable, full of light and shade. and played with aplomb by four talented professionals. The cast, in varying degrees of Canterbury Dress, filed on stage, a Luniliar yet solemn sight; yet another example of Andrew Dobbin's unerring ability to make the everyday striking. They stood, chorus-like, at the back of the slage, somewhat bat-like in their school uniforms. a sober foil to $t Augustine himself, played with undeniable authority and physical presence by Henry Williams. This choir or chorus were in fine vocal form throughout, and it was fun spotting the odd 'old hand' in amongst the crowd. After some beautifully arranged plainsong, we were suddenly, thanks to some smooth sceneTHE C'-\NTlJ'-\RIAN.

LENT &

SUillil11:J{

1998

256

Joe Nalldall,Cllr/er as Wallg. a warerseller.

CI/(fr/ofle /-II/Ill as Shell Te . rite prostilllre.

THE GOOD PERSON OF SZECHWAN (PHOTOGRAPHS BY M.P.H .D.)

Char/olt(' WestelllYl as Mrs Shill. a lI 'idoll': alld Char/aile /-IU IIf as SllIIi Ta . a ntrhfe.\Â·s husinessmall .

257

GeOlge Tay/or as Firsl God.

THE C ,\NTUARIAN, L ENT & SUr-HillER 1998

Giles Patrick as The Curare and O/i"ia Lilli/ley as Â£111111(1 . ./

/-Iellry Wifliallls as 51 Augustine.

THE SEARCH FOR BECKET'S BONES (PHOTOGR A PHS BY TI.J. AND M.P.H.D.) Li;;ie Calder. Poppy St/\'{Ige, /-Ionie' Usher, /?himlllOll Nell'l1IC1l1-iJroll'lI. Olivia LlIlI/le)I, Cressida hell' (Is/email's afThe Clique.

~ Ed Wallis as Thea.

TH E CANTUAR I AN, L ENT

Charies Rice as Richard.

& SUt>.It>.IER 1998

258

Churchill's artistic input and sheer hard work cannot be underestimated. Steve Bree, as ever, came lip trumps with an impressive yet elegant steel set that fittingly, considering this was a musical located in the School, actually allowed the architecture of the Mint Yard to frame the main action. Lighting (Philip Gladwell, Rupert Jagelman and Henry Bruce) was of the highest order, and particularly effective in the occult scenes. Stage Manager Benedict Reid and his crew arc also to be congratulated on the s\viftest and smoothest scene changes imaginable. Costume and make-up (Jean Coates) were, as uswli, impeccable. In my relatively brief stretch at King's, I have seen so much drama of an unusually high standard that it's easy to forget that these arc not actually professional productions. Given that the highlight of my aeling career was playing a talking carpet in a University revue, I realise that r m probably not qualified to make SLich judgements. I remain convinced that the extraordinarily high standards aimed at. and always achieved, by Andrew Dobbin were behind the energy, polish and humour of The SMl'ch/i)1' Becke(s BOlles. King's School actors a]"e admirably lacking in the selfconsciousness that can often mar school plays, and this, I am sure, is all due to the artistic ambition and excellence of drama within the School. The show ended in a burst of energy and song. 'If you work hareL you've got to play hard!' Slightly poignant, perhaps forgivably self-indulgent, but finally great fun. A lot of hard work and playfulness made for a fantastic summer cvening's entertainment. And the moral or the story? Too much reading and hanging around in Libraries can lead to demonic possession. Don't say you weren't warned.

;\migolle: Nay/a Gh(l//lOlIs as /\lIfi,!!,ollc alld Jessic{/ HIhite La ,1\IolIl"ricC'. (M.J.T.)

(IS

Eteocles be buried according to the rites of state, but that Polynices' corpse be left unburied without the \".'alls, a symbolic threat of power to subjugate the people. To reject this means death. Antigone buries the body and surfers her tragic destiny as a direct result of this act of defiance of state power. However, the F'rench Antigone does not act for a moral or political principle. She is a Illuch more modern figure - and played so well by Nayla Ghantolls, a rebellious girl. an adolesccnt refusenik. Nayla brought out to the full the rejection of life, the unwillingness of adolescence to grow old, the

GILES S"IIIRT.

JEAN ANOUILH, ANTIGONE IN ST MARY'S HALL As the start to KinQ's Week it \vas fitting that things should h~tve begun in such cosmopolitan way. Here we have a French tragedy based on a Greek one, performed by our O\:vn multinational cast, English, French, German and American, a resounding affirmation of international understanding in the midst of a World Cup season in which so many countries prefer to look inwards. The play was a striking Sllccess, especially when one considers the long speeches by the relatively small number of main characters, who had to prepare themselves for a one-off performance. The action, in its original form, is well known from Sophocles: the Delphic oracle has been fulfilled, Oedipus is dead ancl his two sons Polyniees and Eteocles have died quarrelling over their respective claims to the Theban throne. Creon has assumed control of the state and has ordered that the body of

/\lIfigolle: CrCOII (Louren! Malher) Iws ;\n!igont ({/Tes/cd hy Les Gardes (l::(I\\'(/rd Kiemul/. /)(llIic/ Holt/slock and AlIIhollY BllrIOIl). (MJ.T.)

259

TIn: CANTUARIAN. LENT & Sl;".,.J~IER 1998

occupation in France, and a visual allusion to the hypocrisy and compromise of adult life - which made her such a successful Antigone and the play such a inhuman lengths to which pmver politics can go to achieve its aims. happy choice for young actors. Her great gesture of refusal, her wavering when almost persuaded by Creon Julien Madjar, speaking the prologuc and epilogue, \vho offered her a legitimate chance of conventional framed and set thc atmosphere for the whole play, with happiness. Yet she still, in the end, says 110, exhibiting his studied casualness: assured, relaxed, at ease, a stubbornness of charactcr which is part and parccl or speaking with his hands as well as his mouth, fast, youth. All these things she portrayed in a masterly clear and deliberately noncommittal enough not to fashion. not only in her speeches but also in her dominate, but nevcrtheless (0 n1akc clear to llS the silences. nature of tragedy in general, and of this tragedy in Creon, played by L",aurent Mather, was a grim and particular. overbearing king, a reasoner, a man of experience and All in all this was an excellent production. a age, embo~lying all that Antigone rejected, a tired, sophisticated start to KingÂˇs Week. cynical practitioner of Realpolitik. Laurent looked the T.I.J . part and spoke il fast and persuasively. Ismene. the only character in the play to smile most of the time, was played vivaciously by Isabel James, her positive, uncaring attitude to life underlined by her brightly coloured costume. which stood out so THE CHRYSALIDS effectively against the shades of black and grey of the (ADAPTED BY DAVID HARROWER FROM other principal characters. THE SHORT STORY BY JOHN WYNDHAM) Mark Cresswell and Jessica White were convincing IN ST MARY'S HALL in their roles of Jover and nurse and the guards were a realistic crowd of louts, threatening both in their menOn a warm Thursday afternoon which marked the behaving-badly anarchy and in their unquestioning beginning of King's Week 1998 I \vas privileged to subjugation to state control, with Ed Kiernan in witness a double-bill of junior plays. It fell to me to particular a convincing mixture of U.S. and French in review the second of these, The Chr\"S(//ids. his casual gestures and speech, a comic relief character performed by the Removes. A Jarge cast \\~'as kept and a serious foil to the great-and-not-so-good, a busy and involved throughout the slick production as dramatic rallentando for mon1ents when the tension the perspective shifted from that of a family living in threatens to overheat. post-nuclear Waknuk to the secret world inhabited by only a few telepathic members of thcir There was a great concentration on the bare bones of community. the action on stage, if one can talk of action, for every determining action actually takes place off stage and is I \vas impressed by the strength of the reported back, as befits a play in which we arc told performance by all the characters. Although there right at the beginning that the spring unwinds with were obviously a few first-night nerves, and the tragic inevitability and \:ve have nothing to do but timing was not quite as precise as it might havc been, \VeHch. Appropriately, the set was minimalist in the lines wcre delivered with real conviction, helping conception. as befits the simplicity and concentration of Greek tragedy and goes hanc.l-inhand with the sombre costumes. As members of the chorus moved in and out of the spotlight to recite their lines this intensity was heightened, and the combination of emotional intensity and the sparseness of the stage drew attention to the one colourful patch, a black red and white symbol of state which alluded to of every symbol international fascism the world has ever known, in shape, colour and conception. This masterful touch, the work of Rhiannon NewmanBrown, gave a continual historical context to a play The Chrysalids: Rehecc(f ,)'({m/)j'()ok, Ahigail Peel. Marclls rorke. Leo ,)'ill'c/'. Eli:a DIIIIII. (Rolalld Phillips.) \vritten under the Nazi THE C\:,\TU:\RL'\~, LU\'T & SU"E\'lER 1998

260

TIMOTHY KRAEMER AND RAOUL SOHEL, TIMBER Kino's Week 1998 beoan for me wif'h the first pCrf01~l1anCe 01' Timber. It seemed very fitting lhal whilsl the lheme of the week \vas the celebration of man's exploration of S]XICC, lhe Shell casl should call lheir audience to remember that there is still lllllch to achieve in

the way the earth is treated. Timber takes us from London to BnlliL from the science of global \~:arl1ling to the myth of indigenous peoples and suggests that the survival of the earn) depends on lhe realisation that these worlds are imerdependenl. A play \lv'ith this kind of message can easily take on a mor~lising tone, but Frances Press's direction avoided this hy the lise of minimal scenery and 1'11e Chrysalids: Marclls Yorke,

Dill/COli

1/'1';//(', UI::.a Oil/III. (Rolalld Phi/lij)s.)

vcry few props, relying 011 the intensity of the acfors to convey

the significance of the theme, to portray the brutal and eerie nature of life in Waknuk, Leo Silver was commanding and authoritative in the role of the evangelical rather, pcrfectly complemented by the innocence and na"ivcty of daughter Petra, played by Eliza Dunn. The different strands of the play were woven together by Marcus Yorke, in the lead role of David. His chance meeling wilh mUlanl Sophie (Rebecca Frere), possessed of six loes and lhus condemned lO The Fringe by thc authorities, revealed initially a suspicion and mistrust on her part at his offcr of help. His dilemma was added lO by the confines of lhe lelepalhic pielUre world of which he is an inhabitant, the psychological frustration conveyed skilfully al inlervals in the play by shorl, elhereal monologues from all its members in turn. Where else for David lO lUrn bUl lO The Fringe') The fragmentation of the picture world seemed inevitable, and signs of the persecution they \\lould suffer at the hands of friends and family began to emerge, Uilimalely, they arc hunled relenllessly inlo lhe darkness ofThc Fringe in an exciting conclusion to the play, Charlie Risl, as Inspeclor, was impressively sinister behind dark glasses; so too would have been Harry Pope if he had managed to keep a straight face. The final scene in The Fringe hinled al the peace lhal mighl be possible for the children j(lliowing their persecution. It \vas a thought-provoking end to an enjoyable and well-rehearsed play, which showed whal 11 bright future these actors will enjoy. Congratulations to the entire cast and backstage crew, and to Alison PollS, who will surely remember lhis one l(lIldly as she leaves us this year. S,B,

Atmospheric lighting and ethnic music took the audience lo the hearl of the rain foresl and the silenl arrival of the r':"orest people on stage set a sober tone. From this point 011, the cast was constantly moving, giving the impression of a tribal. narrative dance. The entry of the doom-monger Man with a Sandwich Board ('The End is Nigh') anel the Businessman (,Beef11urgers Equals Profil') prompleellhe narralor lo recall the ancienl slory of the Flood in ils Brazilian fonn: a good brother and a bad brother fight after the bad brother has destroyed an encmy, and the rcsult is a catastrophe which \vipes out all but the 1\\10 families. The story was told in mime and song: 'It's all your faull, we'll be lucky if we survive.' Then the focus fell once more on the Businessman and the modern dispute which is leading to the destruction of rain forest at an alarming rate. TI1e final sonQ. called for us to remember the wisdom of the Foresl People and our links wilh lhem before lheir way of life is lOlally deslroyed, The cast of twelve warmed into a spirited rendition of the repealing refrains and should be parlicularly commended for the clarity of the words of the songs, which were vital for the message to come across. The major characters were played as caricatures as befitted the stylised presentation of ancient and modern myth, but the {lctors achieved this with sensitivity, never over-acting. Piers Edmondson and Peter \Valker-Smith werc convincing as fcuding brothers and Quincy Allan brought a deft touch of humour as a heartless businessman. Miranda Meyer's solos became increasingly confident and her strong voice Jed the cast ell'eclively, The chorus undoubledly benefiled from unobtrusive direction 1'1'0111 the accompanist, Roderick Spencer, 261

THE CANTUAR!A1\, Ll":NT

& SUl\l:-'lEH 1998

Timber: Mirallda Meyer. (Rolalld Phillips. )

Timber: C(ffriOlla Spiller. AmICI Holmes, Peter Walker-Smith , Ambar Walia. Tom Pritchard, Piers Edmolldsoll . (Rolalld Phillips. )

interpretati on o f the Seven Deadl y Sins and Will Mackay a triptych of the good and ev il side o f human beings. Even though the ex hibiti on was otherwise exclusive ly for GCS E and A- level wo rk, also on display was the painting by Oli Luml ey which won the Margaret Minchi n Pri ze: thi s portra yed a figure in the

The actors had take n part in drama workshops during the year and Frances Press has clearl y e nabled them to enjoy performing and to be e nthusiasti c abollt the issues rai sed by thi s play. I hope that we wi ll see many of them developing their talents as they progress through the School. S.M.S.

di stance of a dramati c landscape.

The exh ibiti on was thoroughly enjoyable and we can only hope next yea r's show will mai ntain such high standards. We ll done to everybody, espec iall y those whose work we were unable to me ntio n.

THE ART EXHIBITION CLEARY GALLERY, BLACKFRlARS

CHARUJITE I NG LI S AND M ONtCA F ILB Y.

Thi s yea r the ex hibited wo rk was of an extremely high standard, a standard whic h seems to improve year by year. The arti sts ha ve a firm grounding in the skill s of painting, sculpting and drawing (to name just a few)

and are given the freedom to explore and develop their ow n ideas, going on to improve these techniques by putting them into practi ce. What was particularl y

noti ceable in thi s yea r's di sp lay was the intellectuall y stimulating side of the ir art. The work had not onl y had much thought put into it but also provoked thought in those who saw it; the di scussion wh ich arose was akin to that in a professional art gallery. Within the GCSE work on di splay, a huge vari ety of media, material s and

tech niques were ex plored - ranging from pottery pieces, suc h as Caroline Bagley's dog inspired by Giacometti ; textil e work, for in stance the bl ue and silver silk dress by Stephani e White and a wax painting by Henry Cockburn ; to water-colour, notably Rosie Phipson's distortion of Debu ssy's La M er. A lso worth mentioning was th e increasingly strong

influe nce of the contemporary (world , issues, art) in a lot of the A- leve l work - for exa mpl e, Soph ie Jones's pieces (a pple, cooker and cigarette) influenced by Claes Olde nburg, and Ally Aitken's sculpture of a pregnant woman. Different material s were al so used

(as they were in the GCSE work) but on a much wider scale. Alex Marden contributed an eroded costume, and from pottery Larry Ridges produced monumental urns and a table top. A lthough there was some degree of the conventio nal , the A-level work was dominated by the controversial. Rebecca Snow put forward her

T HE CANTUARIAN, LENT

& SUMMER 1998

POI by Larry Ridges. (M.J.T.)

262

Dress by Alex Mardell,

Jean Richardson.

Detail of Hands by Alex Marden. Frances ArmitageÂ·Sl1Iifll.

263

TH E CANTUARJAN, LENT

& SUMM ER 1998

KIDACO (PHOTOGRAPHS BY M.P.H.D .)

Saralil-Ilfbbarc/-Ford alld Sophie Chapman.

Rachel Anderson. Sarah ' -llIbbard-Ford and

Sophie Chapman.

Top: Victoria Anderson, Middle: Mishka Adams and Vicki Symington. G/"Ol/lId: Miranda /-1111".'1/, Sarah Hubbard-Fore/, Sophie Chapman, Carolille Bailey. Sealed: Alex Fielding (flld Rachel Anderson.

Samh Wyall, Hermione Race, Abigail Peel, Victoria LWJ/h, Stephanie Whife. (M.J. 7~)

Jessica Whil e alld Hermiollc Race.

T HE CANTUA RIAN, L ENT & SUrl'l fo,'IER 1998

264

KIDACO

involvement of the very sv路'!cet Rachel Anderson. Group \vork was bold and visually stunning, aided by thc variety of themes and imaginative costumes. The gymnasts in NOllght. and Crosses provided an act with plenty or pace and notable flexibility from Victoria Anderson, In Alice in Wonderlond the cards moved about like the shurning or a deck as they jived to the music of the 1960s, and it was clearly as much fun to perform as it was to watch. The final group act, Nightmare, provided a dramatic ending and \vas an excellent representation of the fear evoked by a terrible dream,

ST MARY'S HALL The theme of this year's KiDaCo was dreams, but v路/ithin this simple notion was containecl sllch a varied programme performed by sLlch a talented group of dancers and gymnasts, that it \vas a danger (() blink for fear of missing one of the many moves or balances that came thick and fast throughout the show. Performances \vere polished and. .路 stylish, due to an

enormous amount of work from not only the dancers

and choreographers, blltthe director Miss Dull and the helpers behind the scenes. The costumes in particular \verc innovative and visually effective, not to mention the imaginative makeup and hairstyles \\lorn by the performers,

To conclude, all participants in this year's KiDaCo should be commended for putting so much time and effort into staging sLlch an entertaining and impressive show. Perhaps in the future, a few boys may like to join KiDaCo and take up the challenge of having their talents in dance and gymnastics displayed alongside those of the girls.

The classical dancers, Victoria Lamb, Abigail Peel, Hermione Race, Stephanie White and SanJl Wyatt, performed an elegant and sleek opening dance working. v,lell together in a ~eries of flowing movements invoking the magical qualities of a child's dream. Sequences in the Coren! Gorden dream foll()\ved one another in a manner as rhythmic and \ve!! timed as the dancers and ~vmnasts themselves. All the Covent Garden perr,;,:mers showed great enthusiasm, but of particular note were the ribbon dancers who Llsed their ribbons with grace and fluidity to the Irish music provided,' Serenity provided a return to elegant classicism, \II/jth Hermione Race showing great balance and poise on points as v,lell as illustrating her choreographic abilities. Of all the acts, however, the gymnastic duo or Sarah IIubbard-I"ord ilnd Sophie Chapman IVas perhaps the most impressive. The two gymnasts showed precision, strength, and suppleness in the execution of their \vcll-choreographed routines, but also a certain elegance and delicacy in their movements which was particularly apparent when their routine included the careful support and

King's Wed j)(//'(/de:

;

H,K,R,

CONVERSAZIONI PRESENTATIONS OF TWENTIETH CENTURY HISTORY BY THE SHELL FORMS IN THE SCHOOLROOM

We all have OLir own memories of school history lessons v路/hich vary according to our age or generation. Were they no more than learning a boring list of dates and trivial events from the lives of medieval kings and queens, or the minor clauses of the Reform Acts') Perhaps history was a long sequence of disasters or 'other men's rnistakes' set out in dull text books relieved \vith the occasional map: no such thing as coloured pictures then, Did history end in 1870 or 1914, or were you taught about post Second World War life under 'new Labour', the Attlee version I mean? But I bet you did not hear abollt Buddy Holly or the Beatles, Whatever our own ideas may be of what we would like to have been taught. it \vas refreshing and instructive to hear our Shell forms' interpretation of the historical events of a chosen year. Back III the 1940s and 50s the \ 'fcfOria Anderson heiJlg inspected hy Ch({r/e.\' Leigil-PelllheJ'fOn (/Ild Chris E!\\'orlhy. (Greg l\ii/!i({lIIs.) BBC Home Service 265

TJ-IE CANTUARI.-\N, LENT

SCi\];"lJ-:R 1998

- Radio 4 to you younger ones - used to broadcast hour-long documentary'-reviews called Scrapbook in which a particular year was brought lO life using the resources of the sound archives. In 1965 lB. Priestley produced a magnificent review of the year 1940 for television, two hours of what must rank as the most dramatic year this century, at least for Great Britain. If the older generation was stirred by Churchill's speeches, our Shell forms were moved by other priorities which certainly proved entertaining and stirred thc mcmory. Was it that long ago that Mary Quant and Twiggy were leading the fashion revolution, and did the mini-skirt really come in as long ago as 1962') To our Shells the I 960s arc as much history as the Munich Crisis is to us, or should I say The Savoy Orpheans? It \vas very interesting to see how each Shell set presented what it saw as the key event or happenings of their chosen year. For Shell c, 1967 was the year Sandy Shaw won the Eurovision Song Contest with Puppet 011 a String and the year the giant oil tanker Ii)}'}'e), Can),on hit the rocks off the Cornish coast. The VietnaIll war which made frequent front page headlines was pushed right into the background and events from other years were compressed together. Shell l' chose 1970, with a heavy introduction of pop music played on tapes and short extracts of video f'ilm of events and personalities, perhaps a little too short as we glimpsed Harold Wilson leaving office, and a smiling Mr Heath about to enter No. 10. Scientific events of the year got a short mention with the Apollo 13 moon mission and the first flight of a jumbo jet. Fashion had caught their attention: flairs and maxicoats were in, and indeed worn by some of the pupils. Strange hairstyles the young wore in those days! The music of Jethro Tull was also in; surely he had something to do with the eighteenth-century agricultural revolution'? It was quite obvious that all Shell history sets had enjoyed researching and putting together their milterial, with their teachers keeping well in the background apart from the loan of a tape or two. One lesson that could be learned from this first year was the need to concentrate on presentation. Pupils sometimes spoke or read too fast, or were inclined to mumble so that it was hard to hear from the back rows. The situation was not helped when the Schoolroom bell chimed, accompanied by the noise of its antique machinery. But these are minor criticisms. It was fun to take a trip down memory lane or should I say Penny Lane and I hope the Shell History Conversazioni will become an established event of King's Week. H.J.P.

The SillÂˇa Branch: Mark Williall1s. (Zhi Hao

Prize, to our school, where she was to give a lecture for 'intellioent sixth j'ormers' about her winning dissertirtion. The Ho1Tman Prize is a sum of money left to the School to be awarded each year to the person who can best further the knowledge of both Marlowe and Shakespeare; especially with regard to proving that Marlowe wrote some or all of Shakespeare's plays. Dr Lunney is in fact the winner from 1996, but had pencilled King's in at the first opportunity she could on leaving N.S.\\!. It \vas in the Old Synagogue that Dr Lunney spoke about her latest opus. However, due to the extensive nature of her work, she had decided to excerpt the chapter on 'character' to best summarise her argument. Dr Lunney stated from the outset that she would not give irrefutable evidence that Marlowe did write some or all of the Bard of Avon's plays. Her main theme was the evidence of continuity as playwrights developed from the old Morality Plays to the later plays of Marlowe and 'Sweet Will'. Before Dr FiIllSIIIS, we were told, the characters in these plays were simple vehicles for 'moral dilemmas' where the interest lay in the 'should he' debate, illustrated succinctly by the good and bad angels in the same. In this environment characters are shallow and two dimensionaL a direct contrast to the later plays like Macberh and Ha/1/ler where the onus of the questions raised is upon the motive, bringing about the first 'debatable characters'. Dr Faustus and Marlowe bridge this gap between l7th century Shakespearean stories and pre-17th century morality plays. They also bring a degree of interiority, subjectivity and complexity to the characters on the stage - best portrayed by the Shakespearean soliloquy and the 'why')' debate: 'To be or not to be, that is the qnestion' - whereas before it had all been visually simple and very external in its portrayal oj' the 'struggle for the soul'.

ROVING REPORT Impossible as it is to give a complete picture of all that happens in King's Week, our roving reporters nonc the less tried to catch the flavour oj' one or two events not more fully reviewed above. On the Saturday of King's Week we welcomed Dr Ruth Lunney, the Australian winner of the Hollman

THE Ci\NTUARJi\N, LE1'iT

SU:-'!I'\lER 1998

(JOII.)

266

A Nigh! in Tllllisi(l: h'(} l\I ealll (" Carl 1\1(//'g('I(')", C/wrle.,,' lvIiller-Jones, JOII Co.\". (Zhi Hoo (JO!/.)

At the end of this talk we had all been left with a superb insight into the 'play worlds' of the 1590s, We all vÂˇ,I,mned to her persuasive argument, and even though Marlowe may not have vvTiaen Shakespeare's plays he was certainly a massive influence on the dramatic tradition at the time and no doubt influenced Shakespeare a great deal. I myself still tend to agree v'lith Mr Browning: 'You only have to read MarlO\ve and Shakespeare to knO\v that they are \vritten by two dillerent people'. I would like to take this opportunity 10 thank Dr Lunney for taking time to speak to us on the subject of her expertise, and hope that she enjoyed her visit to the home of Marlowe as much as we enjoyed entertaining her. In the first of a series of four KinQ\ Week lectures, Mark Williams addressed his audiellce on the subject of 'The Silver Branch: our Knowledge of Ccltic Pagan Religion'. By drawing on both historical aspects of the religion and the values \ve can associate viith the subject in today's society Mark provided us with an enlightening viev.,fpoint about this relatively unknown religion. The 'silver branch' in the title refers to the branch of the silver tree of the other world, on which birds of one of the principal goddesses sit and sing: it is said that they do so 10 this day. This talc, along with other traditional Celtic stories that Mark related to us meant that not only were vÂˇ,Ie given an interesting insight into Celtic Pagan Religion, but often a very humorous one as well. Another aspect of this talk that was particularly interesting for the audience was when Mark disputed traditional theories for the occurrence of specific events in Celtic Pagan Religion and instead offered the auelience his own idea of what had happened, or how things had come about. This background knO\vledge that we \vere supplied with also helped us to understand the basis behind certain

beliefs that Celtic Pagans hold in the present day. The talk was clearly enhanced by Mark's obvious personal interest in the topic that he was discussing. This was particularly apparent in the way that he fielded questions at the end of his talk by using both his personal and scholarly knowledge of the subject in order to satisfy the curiosity that he had sparked off in the audience in his lecture. Two other King's Scholars, Adrian Cheong and colleague, gave a quite superb lecture on the science of love, explaining the chemical changes which happen from first attraction up to sex itself. They suggested that \ve subconsciously search for a partner with the best immune system and the most symmetrical features. It was also explained how pheromones also help in attraction. Adrian \varned us that love should not be reduced by scientists to a mere combination of chemical imbalances and that unless the mystique remained love could become unromantic. Andrew Ribbans, Head Scholar and Omaniser of the King's Week Lectures, gave an interesti~lg lecture on our fascination with children's stories. He went in depth into the common themes of children'S stories and how these are rather more adult than they at first seem. Andrew also discussed the way that these stories form a vital part of our educational upbringing and help to shape us into the adults we become. To finish he read some fascinating extracts from The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff, demonstrating the teachings of Taoism through the stories of Winnie the Pooh. Dr .Mallion gave a fascinating one-hour showing of the Video Archives on the Thursday, Sunday and Wednesday of King's Week. The theme this year was interviews, but to start with we \vere shown a clip of 1vo Neame, Jon Cox and Tom Morey playing at a lunch-time concert during the 1997 Canterbury Festival. The hrst interview was with the late Leslie

267

THE CANTUARJAN, LENT & Sl.l;-'L\lER 1998

The next intervie\vs concentrated on Headmaster Canon Shirley and his wellordered and well-run school. Arthur Gore (1985), 51 years in the School's employ, and Mr Geoffrey Willsdon (under Shirley at Worksop, Canterbury and Cornwall) spoke about the organisation of the dining hall in the 1930s and how all the pupils were impeccably dressed. The late William Dunbar, O,K.S., an Ypres veteran and the oldest person evcr interviewed (in 1984) for the Video Archives, well and truly released the skeletons from the closet when he revealed that L. Bailey, who founded the Canadian town of Green Court, Alberta, in about 1908, took some school pupils with him. In an emotional interview conducted in 1994, David Young, O.K.S" spoke about John Shirley and \vent through 011 the Memorial plaque the names of all his old school friends who had died in the Second World War. The late John Corner, speaking in 19R7, gave an insight into 1930s Precincts lif'c. An interview with Alexander Rcdman in 1986 revealed KinQ's liJ'c in the 1980s and shed light upon t1~e \\iay in which it had altered over the years. An interview in 1988 with Fiona Chaffin and Camilla Derollet, the first female members of Ollr CC1-:", also underlined the j'ascinatill~ changes the School has undergonc. '- The whole of the video archives \vas interspersed vl/ith musical interludes from the current year, including Poppy Savage singing at thc Walpole Revue, and the production or Me und My Girl by thc Triangle HOllses. Peter Lawrcnce also featured, performing one of the picces whieh he played in the B13C Young Musician of the Year Competition for 1997. Overall, the Video Archives prescilled a valuable insight into the many facets of King's, and the changing face of education in our seh(lo!.

j\ Nigh! ill '/III/isia: /1'0 !v'e(/}ile. (Llii /Jan OOIl.j

Mitchell, O.K.S., who was at King's just before the First World War. Hc dre\\! an enthralling picture of his Headmaster at the time. Canon Derek Ingram Hill shared Leslie Mitchell's sentiments about L{ller in the interview which followed, conducted in 1987.

THE CANTU:\Rl:\N. LE:\T

SU1\1:'1ER

! 998

POppy EDMUNDS, SAM YOUNG, GRM[,\M WEBBER AND OTHER ROV[N(; R['PORTERS.

268

Prmted by Martel! Press Limile(l, Rarnsgate. Kent