THE CANTUARIAN
AUTUMN TERM 2000
THE CANTUARIAN )
V oL. LXV No. 1
AUTUMN TERM,
2000
CONTENTS PAGE
EDITORIAL
2
THIS AND THAT
5
OBITUARIES
12
POINTS OF VIEW
15
FOCUS
18
CORRESPONDENCE
24
EXPEDITIONS
26
IMAGINATIVE WRITING
36
REPORTS AND REVIEWS MUSIC
40
BOOKS
41
TALKS
42
DRAMA
44
SOCIETIES AND ACTIVITIES
48
SPORT
53
THE CANTUARIAN
Editor: Sachin Premnath Deputy Editor: Caroline Turner Editorial Committee: Hamish Backhouse, James Berry, Alex Fielding, J emma Leslie, Mollie Maltby, Lizzie Milligan, Vicky Parrish, Ed de Silva. THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN
2000
EDITORIAL One of my most vivid memories of the early part of the Shells at King's was of being utterly petrified as the Removes manipulated our impressionable young minds, by recounting fabricated stories involving intimidating initiation rituals at the hands of various malevolent and dastardly older pupils. Fortunately, these turned out to be untrue, in the main, though there was always a semblance of unrest in my mind, as I had taken the misguided step of reading Tom Brown's Schooldays in the week before I started at King's. It is testimony to the breaking down of public school stereotypes, that those of us at the top of the school would now rarely even dream of asserting authority unfairly on those younger than us. Independent schools have moved on significantly from the days of fagging and bullying that were so prevalent even in recent memory, though cynical Shells have often been known to complain that 'duties' are merely a poli~ically correct Blairite term for fagging. At King's, one can be sure that the numerous hierarchical structures in almost every area of school life advocated by the Headmaster, Lower Master and Senior Mistress, are in place to protect the vulnerable and to gain as much advice and information from pupils as possible. At the beginning of the year, as stories began to seep out of Purple meetings about committees being set up to examine the need for water fountains around school, and task forces investigating the deficiencies of lighting around the Green Court, many scoffed at the apparent futility of such inconsequential projects. It is this attention to detail however, which makes King's such an astonishing place to live and work. I often used to take for granted the shimmering splendour of the Cathedral and the picturesque Green Court enhanced by the faint aroma of GDW's pipe in the vicinity of Lardergate. As one gradually realises that the time to move on to University is impending, it is these minute details that one tends to appreciate most. It is the individuality of the school that in my view, pupils cherish most about King's. 'This is more than a school', I was told by a 6a on my first day, 'it is a way of life.' While that sounded deeply ominous at the time, I realise now that this is what differentiates King's from many other schools. Indeed, I was talking some weeks ago to an OKS at University who left last year about how he had found the progression from school. He remarked that he had found aspects of King's indelibly attached to him, and that certain mindsets were impossible to lose. He still found himself talking of 'jacking' lectures, and also missed SWSA's wit in Friday morning 'Congers'! Thus, it is with a sense of apprehension and nostalgia that I approach the home stretch of my five years at King's. This apprehension is mirrored in publishing this edition of The Cantuarian. It is testimony to the work of Mr. Tennick that Dr. Maltby and I have found it so difficult to complete this edition, following MJTe's decision to retire as Senior Editor of this publication. In the five years that he has been in charge, he has worked with boundless enthusiasm, and a passion that compelled him to work on the finer points of the editions he produced long into the holidays, after other teachers had hung up their canes for the holidays. Indeed, I recall coming into school after last Summer Term had ended to help MJTe get the Lent and Summer edition ready for publication. I arrived after lunch to see him immersed in reports, reviews, and pictures, scouring every piece with the kind of attention to detail that only Latin masters possess. Mrs Tennick later told me he had been at it for a week, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day. It is with this commitment that he has produced issues of The Cantuarian that have never failed to impress in their quality and style, resulting from the dedication with which he worked. It has been very hard to recreate the sort of quality (and punctuality!) that Mr Tennick has always produced, without him at the helm. The Editorial Committee would therefore like to apologise for any errors or omissions in what has been largely a pupil led edition of The Cantuarian, and would also like to take this opportunity to dedicate this issue to Mr Tennick ¡ and to wish him well in his retirement from publishing. SACHIN PREMNATH
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN
2000
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Mr. M.J. Tennick, Senior Editor ofThe Cantuarian. (Mike Waterman) 3
THE
CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN
2000
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~his & ~hal We were saddened to hear of the sudden death on October 8th of Clarence Myerscough. _Clarence had taught the violin here for some forty years and had been leader of the Symphony Orchestra for most of that time. He was still a central figure in the musical life of the School, an endlessly invigorating and entertaining colleague in the Common Room, and an inspirational influence in both music and life to generations of grateful pupils. Our condolences go to Marlese, Nadia and Lucian. A full tribute appears on page 12. A second blow to the Music Department came with the death, after a long illness, of Violet Cole, known to us and to the musical world of Canterbury and East Kent by her stage name, Violet Graham. A concert pianist herself as well as the director of innumerable local operatic and theatrical productions, she taught the piano here for over thirty years. Her patience and kindness were legendary. Our condolences go to her daughter, Sarah Williams, and to her grandchildren. There is an obituary on page 13. Requiescant
Miss Christina Astin joins us as Head of Physics. Born in Birkenhead, she went to St. Catharine's College, Cambridge, and after a spell in business in the City (whence the suits?) she taught at Baling, Sevenoaks and St. Mary's Caine. She says that she is happiest when singing (mainly in choirs), playing Schubert on the piano, travelling (recently to Uzbekhistan, Iceland and India), trekking, dining well, and zooming along country roads in the Spitfire. (That's the car, in case you're wondering.) She lives in Broad Street and is a tutor in Jervis. Mr Chris Banfield is the new Director of Drama and Head of Theatre Studies. Born in Toledo, Ohio, he was brought up in Norfolk, and worked for the British Theatre Association before completing his M.A. at Leeds, where he met his wife, Dr Vayu N aidu, who is from Madras. He was Deputy Head of Drama and Theatre Arts at Birmingham University, has directed many plays, including several by Indian authors, and has written numerous articles and a book (An Introduction to Post-colonial Theatre) on dramatic subjects. He is a member of the British Psychological Society, and might one day get round to finishing his PhD on the psychology of acting. He enjoys ¡ racket sports and is a tutor in Mitchinson's. Dr lain Bentley joins us as Steward of the Social Centre, Assistant Chaplain and occasional teacher. Formerly a lecturer in plant pathology, he taught farmers and gardeners at a residential college near York. During this time he became an ordained minister of the United Reformed Church and was college chaplain. More recently he was Common Room
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2000
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Diocesan Adviser for Greater Manchester, supporting chaplaincies in colleges and universities. Apart from his obsession with dead plants, he tells us, his local knowledge of King's comes via the Housemistress of Luxmoore, who happens to be his sister. Dr Marco Liviero comes from the University of Padua (shades of Linacre, Har.vey, and .e~en Marlow~?), University College, Cork, and the University of. Birminghan:, via Cheltenh~m College. ~IS acadennc 1.~1terests, which have allowed him to lecture in Europe, Australia and Amenca and to publish. sev~ral a~ticles on.Renaissance d~ama, go hand in hand with his passion for th~ theatre. ~e has ac~ed and directed m ~Is native Italy, In Ireland and m ~he U.K., taking many productions to the Edmburgh Fnnge F.estival. Althou~h h~ nnss~s the easy money earned dubbmg Japanese cartoons and doing voice-overs for Italian ~adio, he s~ys ~e IS still delighted to be h.ere. He has already experienced the joys of attempting to travel by train from VIctona to. Cante~bury and .getting no further than Faversham. (See Private Eye, no. 1015, p.5.) When he does get back, he IS a resident tutor In Tradescant. Mr James Outram read Theology at King's College, London, where ~e also tr~ined as a t~ache~. H~ comes to join the Religious Studies Department after three years at Warwick School. He particl;11arly enJo~s singmg, h.as been a member of several Cathedral choirs, and has already joined the Chapel Choir. He IS also addic~ed to ~eadmg bO<_:>ks on church architecture and to visiting churches and cathedrals. The view from his classroom window IS not helping him to kick the habit. He is a tutor in Harvey. Miss Amanda Scott-Kilvert has been with us for a year as a hockey coach and now joins us as a full-time member of the Physical Education staff. She grew up in Broadstairs, has played hockey for Kent up to Under 21level and for Canterbury Hockey Club, and has also coached the Kent Under 21 side to the championship title. She has "Yorked at the Royal School for Deaf Children at Margate and at Kent C?llege, ~nd recently ?omplet~d her degree m Sp.orts Science and Business Studies at Christ Church. As well as her mterest m theatre-gOing and m all sports, she enJoys travel and has already taken hockey tours to Holland and Australia. She is a tutor in Walpole. Dr Andrew Taylor, who joins the Physics Department, coached girls' rowing here from 1992 to 1994 when he was doing post-doctoral research (on inter-stellar cosmic dust) .at th~ University. of Kent at Canterbury: He returns to us after a six year interlude spent first as a lecturer at the University of Adelaide, and then ~s a .multi-purpose teach~r at Durham School, where he also ran the rowing. Originally from New Zealand, h~ did his :first degree and ?Is doctorate- on meteors- at the University of Canterbury, in Christchurch. His other Interests Include war-gannng and square-rig sailing ships, and he is a director of the '!'rireme Trus~. His .wife Fiona.' herself ~n art t~acher as ~ell as a double Blue and past President of the O.U.W.B.C., IS already actively Involved With coachmg rowing. They live (with young Rowan) in the Farrens, and Andrew is a tutor in Jervis. We do not normally single out new pupils, but we must extend an especially cordial welcome to (in alphabetical order) Esmond Brown (TR), son of Cosmo Brown (LN 197176) and Anne Naunton Davies (LN 1974-76); Poppy Mitchell (MT), daughter of Susan Mitchell nee Durrant (GL 1976-78); and Thomas Pritchard (GL), son of David Pritchard (GL/TR 1974-78) and Frances J~dd (GL 1976-78). What they have in common, of course, is that their mothers are O.K.S. Thus, all at once, we have-the first sons and the first daughter of O.K.S. ladies, and the first pupils both of whose parents are O.K.S. Co-education has definitively arrived.
Children of the Seventies
Most of the School rowing community - and many others - stayed up late on Saturday September 23rd to watch the British men's eight, wit? Fred Scarlett (LN 1988-93) at no: 7, compete in the Olympic final. They were not dis~ppomted, and the ere~ ~xcelled by leadn~g from start to finish and thus winning gold and glory. It has not been possible to conflfill that this IS the first Olympic medal ever won by an O.K.S., but we are on fairly firm ground in asserting that this is our first gold. Many
Scarlett and Gold
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2000
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congratulations, therefore, to Fred (and his crew) and to all who contributed to his (and their) success. His achievement was recognised in the New Year's Honours List with the award of the M.B.E., for which further congratulations are due. Congratulations also to Frances Houghton (LX 1993-98), who rowed in the women's double scull. Frances was the youngest competitor in the British team, and is already a World Junior Indoor champion. Although she did not make her final, she impressed enough to suggest that she will be back with a real medal chance in 2004. Fred and Frances visited the School on Tuesday October 31st. They did some coaching, spoke about the Olympic experience, and Fred named a new boat: not 'Gold' (to the disappointment of the 1st VIII cox, Sophie Gold), but 'Fred Scarlett'. Both paid tribute to their time at King's. "I spent a lot of time rowing to the detriment of my school work", said Fred. "Being here again does bring back memories of training on that incredibly windy Westbere lake", said Frances. They will no doubt be an inspiration to future Olympic hopefuls in all sports. ( We must also congratulate Sara Liddiard (JR 1998-2000) who won two bronze medals rowing for Great Britain in the Women's Junior Double Scull at the European Championships this summer. Our best wishes go to Hugh Pritchard (MT 1981-85), who is hoping to compete in the Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City in 2002. His event is the biathlon - a combination of shooting and cross-country skiing. Hugh was a very successful canoeist at School, and is taking time off from his career in the hope of qualifying. Those with a sense of history should not be too surprised that an O.K.S. has been so successful down under. After all, Fred Scarlett was virtually rowing on 'home ground'. New South Wales in its early days was almost a King's School colony: George Gipps (1802-05) was governor from 1838-46, while William Broughton (1797-1804), was Archdeacon of N.S.W. before becoming the first Bishop of Australia and founder of the King's School, Parramatta. More particularly, as a recent article in the Kentish Gazette explained, the Olympic village at Sydney was built on land formerly owned by the Blaxland brothers. John (1775 and 1780-83), whose foot is elegantly carved in the cloisters, and Gregory (1788-93), whose expedition through the Blue Mountains earned him Australian immortality, originally came from Fordwich. Having emigrated in 1806, they settled in what is now Sydney, farming a large estate below the Parramatta river. Their enterprise helped bring prosperity to the area and, eventually, the continent. It is not known whether the Blaxlands ever came in contact with John Croaker, the subject of a recent biography John Croaker, Convict Embezzler, by John Booker and Russell Craig. Croaker, who was born in Canterbury in 1788, was convicted of embezzlement in 1815, sentenced to transportation, and soon after settling in Sydney was probably responsible for introducing the system of double-entry book-keeping to the Bank of New South Wales. Croaker was not himself an O.K.S., we are disappointed to find. However, his early and dubious career in the Canterbury area brought him into close contact with John Abbott, brewer of St. Dunstan's, whose sons were at King's, and his wife was related to both the Sankey and the Wheler families, many of whom were also O.K.S. Several other figures in this colourful and educative story had K.S.C. connections. Our loss was obviously Australia's gain.
Home and Away
Several members of the School were featured in an edition of 'Bookclub', presented from Canterbury by James Naughtie, as part of Radio 4's Chaucer season, on Sunday October 22nd. The King's Week adaptation of The Miller's Tale provided the starting point for a lively and informed discussion on the author and his works. Rosamund Ashton (BR), Nicholas Cullen (MT), Simon Darroch (GL), Rebecca Frere (LX), Lucy Hovey (BR), Sarah Johnson (WL), and Lawrence White (GL) were among those involved. The results were so impressive that they were highlighted as a 'Pick of the Week' in the Spectator and elsewhere.
Naughtie but Nice
Reports of the demise of this remarkable institution are very much exaggerated. On the contrary, all concerned are eagerly looking forward to celebrating the 50th King's Week in 2001. The first King's Week proper was in 1952, although the festival had its origins in the previous year. As The Cantuarian of April 1952 explained, five performances of The Merchant of Venice had been presented in 1951 in order to fill "an awkward vacuum which occurred between the end of Advanced Level Examinations on July 5th and Speeches on July 30th~' and, of course, to supplement the Festival of Britain. This experiment proved to be such a success that it was decided "to repeat it on a rather larger scale". A programme of plays, concerts and other performances would, it was hoped, "prove a proper and worthy climax to the year's endeavours and an appropriate prelude to the ceremonial celebrations of Commemoration and Speeches." The Cantuarian concluded: "if the project is favoured with success, we will attempt to begin a "tradition" of such weeks for the future, and it would be a worthy practice for all who love the School to return every year to some part of what we hope will always be KING'S WEEK." 1952 then saw a production of Henry IV, part 1, several concerts, including a performance of the Grieg piano concerto by Ronald Smith in the dining hall (converted into the 'King's Hall'), and a performance of Messiah in the
King's Week
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2000
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THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
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Cathedral, as well as outdoor band concerts, a Brains Trust (including Gilbert Harding and Compton Mackenzie), and several exhibitions. A "tradition" was thus born fully fledged. Curriculum 2000 notwithstanding, we are all looking forward to an appropriately festive birthday party. All are invited. This year's Canterbury Festival provided us with plenty of opportunities to enjoy homeKing's Fortnight grown talent. The Festival Director, Mark Deller (SH 1952-57) was singing in the 50th anniversary concert of the Deller Consort. Michael Law (WL 1973-78) performed alongside Sheridan Morley in the show 'Law and Disorder'. Richard Strivens (G~ 1980-85) appeared as Nick Shadow in the English Touring Opera production of Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress. Robin Harvey (MR 1989-92) played lead guitar in A Band Called Sun. Paintings by Elisa Hudson (MT 1989-91) were featured in a 'Sea Life' exhibition in ¡ Sandwich as well as in the 'Passing Tales' show at the Beaney. And there was an exhibition of Ms Edwards's ceramic sculptures at the Gibbs Gallery. In addition, the Cornelius Cardew Ensemble performed electronic music on several occasions. The group takes its name from the late composer and Maoist Cornelius Cardew (GR 1950-53). Finally, the major exhibition of treasures from the Cathedral Archives included items from the cabinet of curiosities of John Bargrave (1623-26) and some photographs taken by George Austin (1831-36). In the week before half term, the School seemed to be gradually emptying, as numerous parties of pupils of all ages headed off on a variety of more or less educational expeditions. It is perhaps no surprise that there should be excursions to Cambridge (Modem Jazz) and South Wales (Biology field trip). In addition, however, there were trips to Nepal (Art), Morocco (Geography), Pompeii (Classics), Versailles (French), Sinai (Religious Studies), and Seville (Spanish). And a few of us stayed at home. Reports of most of these (ad)ventures - as well as of the summer tours to Australia (girls' hockey) and South Africa (boys' hockey) - appear elsewhere.
International Baccalaureate
In an article on the dreaded UCAS Section 10, The Daily Telegraph of October 4th wisely quoted our own Head of Careers on the importance of getting the beginning right. "Please don't start with sweeping statements such as 'Psychology is the study of the human mind'," he advised. "The people you're applying to will know that already." Trust JRP.
Personal Statement
Congratulations ... to Alexandra Fletcher (MT) who has become a member of the National Youth Orchestra, and to Adam Baker (LN) who has been awarded the Royal School of Church Music's Canterbury area Organ Scholarship for the year 2001. . . . to Penelope Cox (MT) on the award of a Choral Scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge. . . . to several hockey players who have ¡achieved representative honours. Juliet Chapman (WL) and Amy O'Sullivan (LX) have played for Kent Under 15; Kate Burrett (BR) and Georgina Rowan (MT) for Kent Under 16; and Kate Burrett (BR) and Juliet Chapman (WL) for the East of England Under 16. In addition, Juliet has been selected for England trials. Stuart Finlayson (GL) has played for Kent Under 18; John Stubbs (GL), James Alder (SH) and George Pound (GL) for Kent Under 16; and Benjamin Cryer (MR) for Kent Under 14. Stuart and John have also been selected to attend England Under 18 and Under 16 training camps respectively. . . . to the girls' Under 15 hockey team, who won the Kent Cup, and are still competing in the national competition . . . . to the fencers on their remarkable achievements at the Kent Championships. Emma Pinder (JR) in Under 18 Girls' Epee, Christopher Uhde (LN) in Under 18 Boys' Epee, Alexander Brentnall (MR) in Under 18 Boys' Sabre, and Robert Jennings (TR) in Under 16 Boys' Epee, all won their events. In addition, Catharine Barnett (LX) in Under 16 Girls' Sabre and Amanda Harrison (HH) in Under 14 Girls' Epee were victorious at the South East Regional Finals . . . . to Alex Siu (TR) who was selected to represent the South East Schools at the English Schools' Swimming Association National Championships in the Isle of Man in October. He competed in the freestyle and medley relay team events, and in the 1OOm individual breaststroke he came fifth in the final, breaking his own School record with a time of 1 min. 8.5 sees. This followed on from his victories in the Hong Kong national championships at 1OOm and 200m. . . . to both the Senior and Intermediate boys' cross country teams, who won the Canterbury Schools' District Championships. ... to Kiri Barker (LX), who won a prize in a local art competition organised by the Cathedral schools' office . Children from fourteen local schools were invited to paint pictures of the Cathedral, and four from each school were chosen and exhibited - first in the Chapter House and then in a variety of venues in the city. From these artists, two winners were chosen, and Kiri was presented with her prize by Canon Peter Brett. ... to James Berry (MR) and Lucinda Devenish (WL) who were regional winners of the Cambridge Union debating competition. James is already well practised in the art of political confrontation, having quizzed the Foreign
Congratulatory Assembly
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THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
Secretary on television's 'Question Time' and Michael Portillo at the Politics Conference at Central Hall, Westminster in November. It can only be a matter of time before he is in the firing line himself. . . . to Toby Hayes (GR) and Elizabeth Milligan (LX) who came third (out of 86) in the Schools Bridge simultaneous pairs national competition. ... to Samantha Uglow (HH), who was in the Kent Under 18 Netball squad . . .. to Toby Pentecost (GR), who has been selected for the Kent Under 16 golf training squad. ... and to Emma Hayes (WL 1995-2000) who was awarded one of the top five marks in the country in Geology in this summer's A Levels by the AQA examination board. For the second half of this term we welcomed Joe Lee Wilson, the veteran American jazz singer now based in Sussex and Paris, as our 'musician in residence'. We have had a 'composer in residence' before (some will remember Paul Patterson) but this was something else again. Joe Lee spent two days a week in the Music Department coaching individual pupils, the Choral Society and the Chapel Choir. His efforts culminated in a decidedly non-traditional first half of the Christmas Concert, where his own remarkable voice was backed by some very punchy gospel singing from the pupils. John Rutter was hardly missed. I feel a change
Our thanks (and congratulations) go to Hubert Chesshyre (GR 1954-59) who has generously presented us with a copy of The Most Noble Order of the Garter: 650 Years, a spectacularly illustrated and surely definitive volume that he has co-authored with Peter Begent. Mr Chesshyre is now Clarenceux King of Arms and Secretary of the Order. The British Library has sent us a copy of Emily Bronte by Robert Barnard, published in their 'Writers' Lives' series. On page 11, there is an illustration of one of Emily's manuscripts in the Walpole Collection. The "crude sketches of scenes of flagellation interrupt but strangely do not relate to this translation by Emily of Horace's Ars Poetica" and hence provide feminist literary critics and others with plenty of scope to speculate on the imaginative female mind in remote Yorkshire. Gifts
The entrance hall to the Library was enlivened this term by an exhibition of books written by members of staff, past and present. John Twyne (Headmaster c1530-61) with De Rebus Albionicis and Thomas Wilson (Lower Master 1586-87) with A Complete Christian Dictionary provided the earliest works on display. Their seventeenth and eighteenth century successors were surprisingly absent, but the Victorians restored the Common Room's literary reputation before a positive efflorescence of talent in the later twentieth century. About a dozen current members of staff were featured, with most departments represented. There is still time for others to add to the Archives' collection. Masterworks
A very special party was held in the Dining Hall at the end of November to mark the retirement, after over fifty years working in the kitchens, of the inimitable Ron Clout. His record of service to the School - he started in May 1950 - is unlikely to be beaten. And he will be much missed. The catering staff will have lost a supremely loyal and conscientious colleague, and those who want to be kept up to date with the score in the Test Match or at the county ground can no longer rely on a quick update by the Memorial Court. We wish Ron a long and happy retirement. Ron
One of the abiding images of the year 2000 was of a gallant young soldier helping a distinguished centenarian with a birthday card. Millions around the world watched in awe as Captain William de Rouet (BR 1985-89) of the Irish Guards used his dress sword to help open Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's 1OOth birthday greeting from the Queen. William has been her equerry for the last two years and performed this impromptu task with all the delicacy and aplomb we would expect of an old Broughtonian. He was made a Member of the Victorian Order in the Queen Mother's Birthday Honours List. The School, of course, has particularly close links with the Queen Mother. She was here for the presentation of the new School Charter in 1946; she opened the Great Hall in 1957; she attended the celebrations that marked the retirement of Canon Shirley in 1962 (when the Great Hall was re-named the Shirley Hall); and she opened the new Luxmoore House and named Mitchinson's in 1981. Perhaps it is time for another visit, Ma'am? Sword of Honour
The Governors bid farewell to the Dean in his capacity as Chairman at their November meeting, and appropriately presented him with a copy of The Antiquities of Canterbury by William Somner (c1620-22). Dr Simpson has been a Governor since 1981, and Chairman since 1986. We also congratulate him on the award of the O.B.E. for services to the Church of England in the New Year's Honours List, and we wish the Dean and Mrs Simpson all the best for their retirement in Folkestone. At the time of writing it is not known who his successor will be, but during the interregnum, Canon Roger Symon (GRILN 1948-54) will be Acting Chairman. The Chairman Dances
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
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We m~st, acknowledge. the arrival, towards the end of term, of yet another 'student magazme 路 GAMH, whi~h ~ppears to be short for God Ate My Homework (No. 7 of 'the top 9 excuses for slacking ) follows in the footsteps f th 1 路 R shorter-running Effect, Glaznost, De Vita Scholae, Th; Naked Penguin, and Wilki~son ~ S~;;;w~n!is:r: :~1. the MH
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Final lap
~I .Mich~el (~ike) Joh~son, the Sch~ol ~essenger for the past seven years, made his final
e Ivhery JUst efore Christmas. We Wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement He h as anded over the red and green bags and a wealth f kn 1 d 路 路 . .. b Initials an~ the mysteries of No. 25, to his successor, Mr Michael Scott alre~dy konwowe gte a out pigeon holes, St. Augustine's. ' n o many as a porter at
Selma Oliver (WL)
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OBITUARIES coached the strings every week and led the full orchestra with devotion and enthusiasm in rehearsals (K.S. 1959-2000) and concerts. The violin section in particular seemed to double in power when he played, not just through his Clarence Myerscough died suddenly on 8th October, own splendid .contribution but because he gave those less than a month before his 70th birthday. His behind him the confidence to play above themselves. influence on King's School music for over 40 years is King's week concerts became increasingly ambitious incalculable but as gifted soloist, inspiring orchestral and exciting but the Wright/Myerscough team brought leader and teacher, he enriched the musical lives of off with aplomb such works as Tchaikovsky's generations of pupils as well as giving immense Pathetique Symphony and Rimsky-Korsakov's pleasure to countless audiences. Sheherazade with its fine cadenzas for solo violin. He He was born in the Holloway home were he lived was equally at home leading the orchestra in Cathedral virtually all his life into a family steeped in art and performances of oratorios by Mozart, Brahms or Verdi music. His French mother and his maternal grandfather and steering the pit orchestra in a succession of Gilbert were fine painters and his father was a violinist of wide and Sullivan operettas. After Edred Wright's experience who studied at the Paris Conservatoire and retirement, Clarence who after the war ran the was able to bring twenty music for the first-class years experience of passengers on the Queen King's music to advise Mary. Clarence studied and support the new at the Royal Academy director, Paul Neville, with Frederick Grinke and they quickly and first gained public established a fruitful recognition by winning rapport. The orchestra the Festival of Britain continued to flourish Violin Competition in and gave successful 1951 and in 1952 taking performances in King's second prize in the Carl Week of symphonies by Flesch competition. In Sibelius, Shostakovitch 1953 he began studying and Vaughan Williams at the Paris Conswhilst oratorios in the ervatoire with Rene Cathedral included a Benedetti and Marcel fine account of Elgar's Devaux where he was of Gerontius. Dream awarded the highest Under both Edred diploma, Premier Wright and Paul Neville Nomme a I'Unaminite. Clarence brought extra By this time he had distinction to King's acquired the distinctive Week concerts in tone, with a rich and performing many of the warm vibrato, and the major concertos in the dazzling technique, repertoire. With his which never deserted French background he him for the rest of his derived particular life. In 1964 he was pleasure from the visits appointed professor of of the Chamber violin at the Royal Orchestra with Paul Clarence Myerscough at a Serenade Rehearsal Academy and was later (KSC Archives) Neville to Rheims, made a Fellow; he was Canterbury's twin city. head of the string faculty He remained as leader of the orchestra under Colin for a number of years and was a widely respected Metters until the end of 1996, after which he continued teacher and examiner there until his death. to give individual lessons and coach chamber music. Canon Shirley made many interesting appointments He was unfortunately prevented by a previous in his time as headmaster, but it was indeed a fortunate commitment from taking part in the very successful day for King's music when in the summer of 1959 he OKS concert in June, but there were around a dozen of invited Clarence Myserscough to be head of strings. his past pupils performing, several now full-time Under the inspired director of Edred Wright the 1960's professionals, who could testify to the impact of his and 1970's were a time of expansion and enterprise for personality and the skill with which he brought out the the school music, both choral and orchestral, to the best of their playing without imposing a particular extent that Ruth Railton, founder of the National Youth of his own. style Orchestra, proclaimed ¡ King's as the finest musical Clarence Myerscough was also an experienced school in the country. Clarence was the single most chamber musician: with his viola-playing brother important factor in the rapid development of the Henry and two other colleagues, he formed the Fidelia orchestra: he taught the leading violins and violas,
CLARENCE MYERSCOUGH
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Quartet which gave frequent concerts including a fine exhibition of playing in the Shirley Hall in the 1960's. Under the composer's direction they recorded the first three of Michael Tippet's quartets and other recordings included quartets by Britten and Arriaga. Clarence and Henry also explored the repertoire for violin and viola duo: one reci!al which they gave to King's of duos by Mozart, Martlnuou and Gordon Jacob was a revelation for many in the audience of the sheer power of projection of two unaccompanied instruments as well as their fine musicianship. On two occasions they performed the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with the school orchestra in King's Week concerts. As a soloist he had a wide repertoire ranging from the Baroque period to contemporary composers like John Kinsella and Alun Hoddinott whose violin sonata he recorded. With his Paris tradition such as Poeme by Chausson, the Ravel Tzigane and the sonatas of Faure and Cesar Franck but he could also bring great charm to slighter works such as the Medition form Thais and Kreisleer's concert pieces. One summer he gave a series of six recitals in the Chapter House of all the Bach unaccompanied sonatas in aid of the Cathedral Appeal, to hear him play the great D'minor Chaconne on the alter steps of a French monastery was a deeply moving experience. Appropriately for one who shared the same birthday - October 27th - he delighted in playing the music of Paganini on his beloved Maggini violin particularly the First Concerto and the celebrated Witches Dance which he performed on som~ 120 occasions. His interest in contemporary m_usic was enhanced by his friendship with Alan Ridout who wrote a number of works for him: these include the Aubade for violin and orchestra, written in memory of Clarence's mother and recorded by the King's School orchestra in 1982 and a Summer Serenade performed in King's Week in 1989 under Paul Neville's direction and dedicated to the conductor. A highly successful piece in which Clarence gave Alan Ridout valuable technical advice in Ferdinand the Bull for solo violin and narrator which he performed many times with people like Johnny Morris and Richard Baker and which he recently recorded with Martin Jarvis for a ~isc of the composer's music. He had a number of successful foreign tours to Switzerland and the Far East, sometimes on his own and sometimes with his daughter Nadia, a violinist of growing reputation. In twenty years he taught and gave recitals in Beijing and Warsaw and regularly coached at a summer school at El Escorial near Madrid. But he was just as ready to help out friends by leading the orchestra for oratorios in Penshurst and Brasted and partnered by Robert Scott he often gave recitals for good causes in Canterbury as well as playing most of the major concertos with the Canterbury Orchestra. He was also leader for the past seven years of Paul Neville's Kent Concert Orchestra in concerts at the Marlowe Theatre: his last public appearance was with this orchestra at a Gala Prom in September when he gave a performance of the Tchaikovsky Concerto which both in musicianship and technique brilliance showed him to be still at the height of his powers. Those who knew him well will recall his vitality and zest for life and he had a wide range of interests besides his playing. He was a skilled craftsman who
made a superb copy of his Maggini violin as well as an interest trapezoidal viola, and he saved his pupils pou~ds over t~e ~ears in setting up and doing minor repaus to theu Instruments. He had a passionate interest in both photography and astronomy and possessed. a fine collection of cameras of all ages as well as nncroscopes and telescopes. One of his great pleasures was touring the antique shops of East Kent and discussing the finer points of his latest purchase, perhaps a rare candlestick or a special camera lens. He was a warm and generous host and those privileged to share a meal and a bottle of wine with him was assured of a rewarding and entertaining evening. Many will have learned of his passing with sadness and he will be remembered with affection and gratitude for having enriched their lives. To his wife Marliese, to Nadia and to his son Lucian as well as the rest of his family, especially his brother Henry, we extend our deepest sympathy. DAVID GOODES
VIOLET GRAHAM It. is unusua~ to include an obituary for a visiting music teacher In The Cantuarian. But Violet Graham had such a profound influence on generations of boys and girls at The King's School that it is only right that we remember and pay tribute to her. Violet was a true gentlewoman and would never boast of achievements, past or present. Many of her pupils might be surprised therefore to learn how rich and varied a life Violet had. She was born in London in 1923 and was educated privately by a governess. Piano lessons began when Violet was five and she often practised for two hours a day. Her first radio broadcast was on Children's Hour with Uncle Mac when she was twelve. Violet won the prestigious Thalberg scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music and, somehow, managed to combine her musical studies with war work as an ambulance driver! Another part of her National Service was to act as pianist in various concert parties which toured the country entertaining troops and civilians alike. After the war ended Violet was able to pursue her pianistic career seriously. She appeared at the Proms and performed with conductors such as Sir Malcolm Sargent, Clarence Ringbould and Stanford Robinson. There were recitals at the Wigmore Hall and tours to France and Belgium. In the meantime Violet had married and given birth to a daughter. Her husband's health problems meant that Violet had to give up her career as a professional musician and support the family on her own. She had always loved growing things and established a nursery and floristry business in Herne Bay. After the death of her husband in 1967 Violet gradually returned to music. She began to act as musical director for amateur companies around Kent. And, as Violet put it: "I discovered the joys of teaching at the King's School." Violet Graham taught at the school for over thirty years and it was with great reluctance that she left in the Summer Term after the diagnosis of her illness. She was a wonderful and talented teacher, happy to have pupils of any age or ability. The highly gifted pupil 13
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"I never cared what 'standard' my pupils reachedmy joy is when they come back to see me- probably with a son or daughter in tow and tell me how much they enjoyed the music lessons- what a reward!" S.W.S.A.
would be worked hard and kept up to the mark. The struggling Grade 1 pianist would be encouraged and given confidence. Her pupils had great affection and respect for Violet as she had for them. We shall miss Violet Graham very much indeed but to her must go the final words
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Freddie Clough (MO)
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POINTS OF VIEW sumptu~us buffet wa~ preceded by drinks at l.OOpm, where girls currently In the House met and reminisced with the assembled company. Lunch was extremely well supported with standing room only and it was very pleasing to see so many of the OKS meet their contemporaries, some of whom they had not seen since leaving King's, more than 50 years ago. They also appeared genuinely interested in exchanging views with the current pupils and compared notes on the changes. One OKS gentleman who had not been back to School since 1946 thought at first that he was in the wrong place. He could not understand why there were so many girls at a reunion of his old House which he believed was still all boys. Once recovered from the shock, that this was no longer the case, he spent an enjoyable afternoon relaxed and charmed by his hostesses. Following lunch Mrs Watson gave her address which included a brief history of girls in Walpole and its ethos along with a vote of thanks to all those who had given their support on what was an important occasion for the House. She then proposed a toast to Walpole and everyone present was invited back to the House. Mrs Watson introduced the Head of House, Harriet Torry, who proposed a vote of thanks to the staff in Walpole, all the girls and the catering staff who had prepared the delicious feast. Then Helen Prentice, an OKS, shortly to take up her offer to read Medicine at Oxford, presented a tapestry that had been sewn by all the girls and staff in the House to celebrate the millenium and ten years of girls. The tapestry was a patchwork of pieces of individual designs depicting one view each girl had of herself. Helen had completed the onerous task of coordinating and joining all the small pieces together to produce a whole. A rival to the Bayeux tapestry that was also sewn at St Augustine's! The gathering then filtered back to Walpole where a group photograph was taken on the House lawn. Tours of the House gave the visitors a chance to see the changes and the new extension that includes a 900 year old attic which has been converted into the new wing of single bedsit rooms. Archive videos were shown in the House room and small groups stood at appropriate places in the House reminisced and tried to recall a physical feature, a prank, or an event which had taken place so many years before. The House Concert at 4.30pm was a huge success. It had been organised by Tessa Grobel, then rehearsed and practised in one week by the pupils. All members of the House took part and their wide repertoire was of the highest standard, a remarkable achievement in the light of all their other commitments at King's. Afternoon tea followed and we said goodbye to our last visitor at 9pm. Roger Mallion very kindly videoed proceedings for the school archives. The feelings of those present and the mood of the day and the sense of something special for Walpole can be summed up in these extracts from Mrs Watson's speech: "One cannot help but be impressed with the sense of history that exists in Walpole. The history of the buildings is clear with my study and a large section of
MY IMPRESSIONS OF WORK EXPERIENCE I ~a~ heard nightmare accounts of work experience consisting solely of mass photocopying and stapling sessions so, not that I expected that to be the case at Radio Times, I was pleased when I received the designated programme for the week. It gave me the chance not just to see but even contribute to the magazine. This was exactly the kind of work experience that I had been looking for because it enabled me to draw my own conclusions about my first taste of professional magazine journalism. Where possible I was involved in either writing, researching or planning for the magazine and therefore I had a good insight into what went on. In other areas, for example the production department, where I could not easily do something without professional knowledge, the function was explained to me. This was just as worthwhile, as I discovered another aspect of the magazine. As well as participating in a number of the departments I also received some valuable advice about a career in journalism. This was a bonus because the best source of advice, for anyone who has come to this stage in their education, where they have to make maj or choices, surely comes from people who are in that field_ of wor~ and know what they are talking about. It IS beconnng clearer that to pursue a career in journalism you need lots of experience and I appreciate the advice that I was given. The week was enlightening and I was impressed but not surprised by the organisation of the magazine. As the week progressed I began to understand the importance of the readers of Radio Times and how much they are thought of as the magazine is produced. This is something that I may have learnt had I already completed a journalism course but I believe that learning through experience was far more beneficial. The highlight of the week for me was when I found ou~ that my - (edited) 'Choice' article was possibly gmng to be published in a forthcoming .edition and I was pleased to discover some weeks later that it had indeed been published. CAROLINE TURNER (LX)
WALPOLE 65 YEARS OF BOYS 10 YEARS OF GIRLS ANNIVERSARY LUNCHEON ¡The year 2000 is a special one for Walpole House. For 65 years boarders had been boys but in 1990 the accommodation was taken over by girls as the first boarding house for girls from the age of 13 years. To celebrate the occasion, all 'Old Walpolians, Friends and parents were invited to a Luncheon on Sunday 17th September 2000 at St Augustine's Refrectory followed by a concert in the Shirley Hall. The 15
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Walpole House, past and present (lemma Leslie)
the House nearly 1000 years old. This sense of tradition is always interesting anywhere, but the real living history is the one that I personally find most impressive. These regular five year reunions began six years ago when three of the oldest boys from Walpole visited the House and stood with me in one of the rooms-Summit- and told me that the beds were in the exact position as they were when they were there. Everything was exactly the same. Ben Brackenbury, Tony Eyres and Patrick Russell joined the House as King's scholars in 1935. I decided that I wanted the girls in the House to appreciate this aspect of Walpole history and tradition that existed and to meet and chat with these very special gentlemen. So little had
changed. The ethos of success, trend setting, sense of community and tradition had not changed despite what seemed on the outside a major change from male to female. Walpolians still try hard, everyone takes part in House events, we are successful across the board in sport, music, drama, academic achievement, debating, creativity, originality, establishing new and successful traditions, having fun and caring for others in our own community and the society at large. None of this has changed over the years. We are no namby pamby girls House, as some OKS may assume! One of our girlsFrances Houghton was the youngest rower in the British team in the Olympics in Sydney and we currently have Juliet Chapman, an England hockey player, in the House. What is so reassuring is that these values are continuing to this day and will do so well into the future. Our human values and ethics are as important as the fabric of the building around us- if not more so. This sense of continuity of the values that are the most important in life can be encapsulated in the following quotations: 'If I had a boy to educate, I should send him to the King's School, because I would know that there his character would not be flattened out into a common denominator, as it might be at a bigger school; and that, while he would be taught all the things necessary for him to become a practical man, able to make his way in the world, he would so - almost without knowing it -draw into himself all the richer things. He would learn that history did not begin in 1914, and that the monks defending that stately warrior, Becket, were not far off the touch of his hand; that Walter l!ater wrote some of the loveliest prose in the English language because he belongs to an England very old and very faithful to the principles of beauty and courage.' SIR HUGH WALPOLE OKS (written in a Preface to the School's prospectus)
Lord Walpole and Tony Eyres. O.K.S. at the Walpole House Anniversary Luncheon. (lemma Leslie) THE CANTUARIAN,
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'I would be ready to wager', wrote Sir Hugh Walpole, 'that no boy who lives for a number of years under the protecting wing of one of the loveliest Cathedrals in the world is likely to be quite unaffected. Something of that grey stone, of those towering pinnacles, of the music and green lawns and the flowering May, will be a gift to him from his parents for all his life after.' These are noble sentiments and when we take time to reflect on them we count ourselves lucky. Many old boys who could not attend today sent some wonderful letters and I do not have the time to quote from them all, but the following selection represent the feelings of generations of Walpolians. 'I thought I should take this opportunity of reminding you and your House why Walpole in my day was considered to be the best House. We excelled in the sporting arena often winning inter-House competitions such as rowing, cross country, swimming etc and this was mainly because of the excellent turnout of everyone in the House and brilliant House spirit that we believed we had over other Houses in the school. We were the rowing House and provided nearly half the first eight in 1980. We also knew that we were the best singers in assembly sitting down the front on the right hand side making the most tuneful noise in hymns etc. This was supported by the fact that we often won the House song competition each year. Our Housemasters during this period were Robin Pitman and Martin Vye both who ran the House in a casual but ¡excellent way that somehow got the best out of all of us. I think that the location of Walpole in Palace street with its own courtyard and easy access to the city made us feel both part ft the school yet linked to the normal world outside in the city.'
unmistakable mark of the Walpole spirit, will remain with me forever. The Walpole spirit which is both generated and maintained by you and your family, is unique and I feel privileged to have been able to have been a part of it... ' SOPHIE L. CHAPMAN Walpole 1995-2000 (written in Sydney whilst on a gap year before reading modem languages at Cambridge) Walpole is centrally placed within the school environment - both geographically and ethically. Friendships exist across time and space. The spirit of Walpole will never change. I find it a great honour, as Housemistress, to be in a position to nurture these traditions and values and to play a small part in ensuring that they continue through the ages." J.A.W.
AN ENTRY TO THE JULIAN BLACKWELL PATRIOTISM ESSAY PRIZE Patriotism is a commonly used term, especially in the current climate of supposed British decline. However, the frequency of its use has led to a substantial blurring of the issue. Literally, it means 'love for one's country'. In this context 'country' stands for all that is embodied within the national identity, that is: its people, its laws, its institutions, its customs, language and its culture. 'Love' means an attachment to one's 'country', inducing a determination to defend it, even at the cost of one's life. The connotations of the 'country' to which ultimate allegiance is owed are most evidently those of territory. Thus, patriotism can be regarded as an extension of the natural and nostalgic love of one's home. It is, on one level an inexplicable emotion of piety, similar to the bond felt between parent and child. When active, this can be an authorisation, indeed an obligation, to act in the interests of the nation. Patriotism is, however on another level, enlightened in that it is not a banal blind faith in one's nation but a particular loyalty which results, at least partially from an appreciation of one's nation's, "merits and one's own gratitude for ... benefits received" (Macintyre). As a virtue, patriotism has often been revered as one of the most pronounced forms of altruism. "It calls out what is best and what is noblest in men"(Bellamy). The virtue of loyalty to the 'country', and by implication to all its members, is expounded and there is a general acknowledgement of some higher cause. The armed forces, crucial for the defence of any nation, would find it difficult to exist without a sense of patriotism. If they could not accept an order to risk their lives for the good of their country, then they might as well be armed with water pistols. People develop principally within a community. It is for them a lifeline which shapes their morals. This dependency necessitates allegiance. Thus without patriotism, there would be a moral vacuum.
ANDREW J. CIVIL
Walpole 1976-1980 (currently" living in Brisbane, Australia)
'I hope you have a splendid day. I am peifectly certain that Walpole retains the happy atmosphere that I experienced and that a good time is guaranteed! ' DR R.C.BROWN
Walpole 1957 -1961
'By a strange coincidence I met at the recent Cricket Festival in Oxford, a girl who had been in Walpole on the day your letter arrived...... .' H. JOSEPH FRAMPTON Walpole 1947-1952 ' .... my time in Walpole was some of the happiest and best times of my life. I know without a doubt, that the activities I have taken part in, friends that I have .made and the experiences that I have had over the last five years, all of which have carried the 17
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As our ideas about patriotism are having to adjust dramatically to globalisation we realise that our patriotism is not necessarily weakened but is in fact strengthened by the growing dominance of the English language through the media and the internet. Similarly the ability of the British to assimilate other cultures and customs has given new dimensions to perceptions of the patriotic ideal. In the affluent global markets there can no longer be a single national identity, but, "different levels of belonging" (Marr). Now there are threats to British patriotism from within and without. Through devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Britain has become fragmented and the whole idea of Britishness seems to be receding. In Europe Britain has floundered, showing uncharacteristic levels of caution. In the meantime the EMU has been established, and a supra national European federalism is emerging. Patriots fear that without 'blood and soil' identity, Britain will fade into a European super-anaemia. With loss of sovereignty over defence, economic and fiscal policy and law and order it feared that our sense of patriotism will be lost. I would contend that even if, in 2010 Britain were a member of a 'United States of Europe'; even if, by 2050 Britain were a member of a 'United States of the World', Britain will still be patriotic. There will always patriotism because in the end, patriotism only requires the lowest of common denominators. And to look to a patriotic future, Britain only has to glory in its patriotic past. JAMES BERRY (MR)
It is, however, as a vice that patriotism is so often denigrated. Firstly there is a clear collision course between morality and patriotism. As true devotion to one's nation is, 'the love that asks no questions' and is heavily influenced by social factors it predetermines subjectivity. Yet as moral agents we should be both questioning and objective. Furthermore, "because patriotism has to be a loyalty that is in some respects unconditional, so in just those respects rational criticism is ruled out .. .so the adherents ... have imprisoned themselves within that irrationality" (Macintyre). More severe criticisms of patriotism stem from the misconception that it is a synonym for nationalism. The essential difference is that patriotism is a love for one's country whereas nationalism is a belief that as a result of this love, one's nation is inherently superior. For a country such as Britain steeped in history and through its geographical location having enjoyed an unusual degree of independence, patriotism continues to be important. The defining symbols are not only the Monarchy, the Parliament and the flag but the shared history, experiences and values. Previously the British Empire was a stark reminder of the patriotism. Post imperial and post war exhaustion has meant that patriotism is now assumed rather than asserted, and it is probably the stronger for that. The British have shown that patriotism is not superficial but that it emerges as occurred during the Thatcher years with the Falklands war and more recently as a result of the bans on British meat.
Snake Charmers (Miranda Hurst, LX), "Scenes from Nepal" (p28) THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
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FOCUS at putting the two together. But they can be. They need to be.) It always touched on the ultimate question is whether and by whom we can flnd ourselves to be loved in order to learn how to give love. . Romantic love may not be the first thing you spotted m the Testament, though the Old makes more of it than t~e New. It is precisely because the New leaves only htnts that authors like Kazantzakis in his Last Temptation of Christ have stretched their imaginations over the issues. But since learning to identify love and all its connections is often a matter of the perceptive imagination, it is no surprise that it took our poets to throw the bridges across from revelation to our common human experience.
A SERMON PREACHED AT CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL THE 15TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 24TH SEPTEMBER 2000 BYTHEREV'D DR. GAVIN ASHENDEN, O.K.S. Introduction On May 4th a Philippine hacker brought the world's e-commerce to a standstill with a single email. It replicated itself by sending itself on to the emails contained in the address of everyone who opened it. Its rate of exponential increase was enormous. Most of us it seems have about 50 contacts listed. As the earth spun towards the dawn on Thursday May 4th, people opened emails in operations as varied as the Pentagon, the Houses of Parliament, the multinationals, as well as hundreds of thousands of private business concerns. It jammed international and corporate networks. It caused billions of pounds of damage in the loss of time and commerce. But how did Reomal Ramones, a computer analyst with a Philippine Bank manage to get everyone to open such an email, given that there is so much unwanted spam around? Simple; he proved to be as competent a human psychologist as he was an anorak hacker; he gave it the short snappy title - "I LOVE YOU". It played into everyone's fantasy who is it thatsecretly loves me that I don't know of? Is it really for me? With a . d~ft masterly stroke that was psychologically bn ll1ant, he brought the electronic systems crashing down. (There was a Lithuanian version entitled "Let's meet tonight for a coffee", but it didn't meet with the same success!) Why did the 'Lovebug' capture the world's email users? Because of this profound hunger to feel that someone really does love us, and the constant jerk of surprise in our stomach when we find that it actually may be true.
The perception of the poets Dante fell in loved with Beatrice in medieval Florence. And in his great poem, the Divine Comedy, along with Virgil, Beatrice who has died, come to be the visionary face that leads him out of hell to heaven. Falling in love with a particular woman gave Dante eyes to find his way to God. John Donne, first a playboy, and later Dean of St. Paul's, not a career move that you can so easily make nowadays, learnt to bring his erotic love poetry into his quest for God. In his first Holy Sonnet that began "Batter my heart three personed God", he ended with "Take me, imprison me, for I unless you enthral me, never shall be free; nor ever chaste except you ravish me" Charles Williams, another Anglican poet who wrote between the wars, took Dante's and Donne's ideas even further. He thought that when you fell in love you were having a profound religious experience. You suddenly saw someone as you had never seen him or her before. Idealised, adorable, compelling; utterly loveable. And Williams thought this was not so much an illusion that other people, especially members of the beloved's family failed to share, but a vision of what, in God's eyes, someone ultimately really looked like. And having seen what they could become, it became the duty of the lover so to adore and love and celebrate the beloved, that this unveiling slowly became a reality in the present. In time and space. People glow when they are in love. They radiate. They infect or infuriate others with it. Something like that happened to Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. The veil was rolled back and the disciples saw what lay underneath. Like lovers, they suddenly saw in a way they had not imagined possible. Like lovers, they wondered if they were dreaming. What they saw was not illusion but a glimpse of the ultimate reality we live from and move to. This was an insight into that radiating human face of God that underlies our universe and our experience. Look quickly and superficially and you miss it. Look¡ attentively, 'see well' as Dante challenges us, and you glimpse God firstly in Christ, but then in other people.
Nostalgia Ltd. I promised you only one piece of personal nostalgia. Here it is: when I was in the Second Eight in 1971 we used to spend the late evenings sprinting round the Green Court as part of our training. I think the First Eight did something more sophisticated even in those days. And one of my strongest memories is sitting in the shadow of the Cathedral watching it brood in the summer dusk. It always seemed to pose questions -just by being there. And for me, the question that would never go away was, what is this energy that drives us all about? Is its source God - or Girls? Girls had the advantage of being slightly, but only slightly more ~ccessible than God. Over the years the question came time and time again in different forms. In the end, like so many conundrums, the answer is, a little bit of both. (Not that the Christian tradition has been very helpful 19
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and are unlikely to be able to fight back Name any area of our globe or cities, and observe the demonisation take place amongst us; from Croatia to Belfast; from racism to politics; from sport to economics; between 'us' and 'them'. Fifty years ago Central Europe turned on the Jews, homosexuals and gypsies who were swept into the Concentration Camps. A trio well used to being on the wrong end of demonisation. The one place where the notion of forgiveness before justice, of vision before revenge seems to have been politically or publicly implemented was under Archbishop Tutu's Truth Commission in South Africa. It has worked. It has accomplished something like a miracle. Where the victims understandably and accurately saw bloody oppressors, Tutu also accurately and remedially saw the lost children of God. The 'lostloved.' There, revenge was given up, justice was given up; and enemies were offered forgiveness in exchange for truth and penitence. A different way of seeing is required, a fresh vision. Glimpsing Christ, engaging with Christ, understanding Christ in order through him, to look at other human beings through God's eyes is not luxury for the would-be holy: it is the key to avoiding our destruction. It is what the Church has dared to call 'salvation'. What the computer virus hunters called the 'Lovebug, is for Christians experienced as the Holy Spirit - the spirit of Christ. And to push the analogy, when the 'message' is opened, so far from being empty and crippling as that Lovebug proved to be, it brings a profound experience of new life, and a re-visioning of our old encounters.
Why does falling in love matter? -Because it's something that happens to most of us once, to some of us often, to a few twice a week. And though you weren't there to see Christ transfigured, when you fall in love, you see ordinary people transfigured. It is not only an erotic or a romantic experience; it is in the most profound sense spiritual and religious. And it matters because in the end this great loving and being loved that we attribute to God and us, has to be located in the lives of real people or it never becomes real. But how can you love humanity when so many people seem frankly, so unlovable? By starting with this unveiling of one person, and by an act of compassionate imagination, extending it to others. This is one of the most taxing enterprises we ever face. It is what lies behind the injunction to 'love your neighbour' . It is one small response to the 'how on earth' of loving your neighbour. If you are the kind of person who falls in love every day, then it becomes much easier. You have had the vision over three hundred times each year. But if it happens seldom, then it take much more sensitivity and imagination to see that it might be possible for this glory, this adoration, this compelling beauty, to be extended to all human beings. It is true at least in God' s eyes; the prophets tell us so, and the Christ acted it out on the stage of public history. But you and I, have to look, and 'look well' (remember Dante) around us; and to imagine; starting from the one, and like ripples from a thrown stone, extending to the many. If this seems strange, it can be because many people think of God as essentially 'power', as 'majesty', as 'justice'. But according to what we see in the incarnation he is not much like that at all. Or at least in his unfolding in Christ those elements were very low down on the self-disclosure list. He is more like a lover than a judge, aching for us to come home. Giving us the freedom to travel and mess it all up, just like the prodigal son, but giving us this magnetic ache for being loved which draws us home. No wonder so many people instantly opened the email that said "I love you". They were famished for love. Their visions had never led them back to God, only to another erotic encounter that would run out of steam, and devalue the currency. Augustine, - the wrong Augustine, Africa not Canterbury, 354 not 597, analysed this when he wrote, " You made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find rest inyou." (-Confessions)
THE CANTUARIAN INTERVIEW FRED SCARLETT OKS OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST, SYDNEY 2000, GREAT BRITAIN MENS COXED VIII Going back to when you first arrived at King's, did you always see yourself as a rower, or were you more of an all-round sportsman? I was a pretty good sportsman at school, but whenever I was playing any other sports, I was always itching to get out on the water. I rowed in the shells, but I remember in the removes, Mr White refused to let us train during the first term, and forced us to play rugby. Did you agree with that? Well, to an extent it was because co-ed was coming in around that time, so the whole system of sport was changing, and though I obviously never agreed with it at the time, I do feel now that people need to pushed in directions that they perhaps wouldn't normally head towards otherwise. What effect do you think co-education had on sport, and particularly boys sport at King's? I remember people being cynical at the time, and saying that it would be detrimental. I always thought that was slightly harsh though. I think its fair to say
Romantic vision as an antidote to demonisation. Is this just a spiritualising of romantic experience? No it is more important than that. For the opposite of this 'tracking the divinity in human beings' is demonisation. Instead of seeing throug~ God's eyes, you see threat, an enemy; someone whom you feel if you don't destroy or diminish will destroy or diminish you. Human history is constantly full of the demonising of others especially those who are physically more vulnerable THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN
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Frances Houghton, TJP, Fred Scarlett, Naming the new 1st VIII boat
it's been a bit harder. When I left we had won the Rosslyn Park Sevens, and been in the final of the Princess Elizabeth cup all very recently, and we were gen~rally. a hug~ly successful sporting school, but having said that, If those athletes had been in a co-ed school they still wo~ld have been as good as they were anyway. The thmg that suffered was strength in depth really. How successful were the eight when you were Captain of Boats? We did reasonab~y well.' though not with as good results as the years Immediately preceding us. We got the best Head of the River results that the school had had for a while though, so that was an achievement. Who coached you at King's? ~ainly Tim .Parker, Stephen Graham and Rory Reilly, who was mvolved with the eight in my last year. Mr Pa:ker was the main coach though, and we had a good time, though with the occasional huge argument. Was th~re anything that you learnt at King's that you felt partzcularly helped in your development as a sportsman? .I think that one thing that I've always believed that King's produces, is people that are individuals and are not afraid of being individuals. It's not like Old Etonians who try really hard to be individuals but in my experience tum out really affected. Rather its people who don't think twice about doing things that they feel are right, and it's that sort of freedom of th?u~ht th~t I.'ve always admired in people from King s. I thmk It stemmed from the Headmastership of Anthony Phillips, because many people came out of th~ school when he was Head feeling like that, and I think that was very important.
What were your fondest memories of King's? [After much thought!] I can think of a few but I don't think ~hey're printable! Probably getting my firsts colours m the fifths, and being appointed Captain of Boats I think. Did you find it hard to integrate academic social and sporting life at school? ' _I didn't have a problem with social and sporting things, but the academic work sort of went on the back burner: because I never found it particularly easy being dyslexic anyway. I think I definitely annoyed a few t~achers though with my attitude, and I remember Simon Anderson telling my Housemaster that either I move.d out of hi.s geography ~et ?r he would give up teaching~ To me ~t was always JUStified by rowing, and I suppose It has ~aid o~ n?w, though it was always a risk. I ~emeJ?ber Nick Phillis telling us in the 6a, that at urnversity. we would want to do three things; academic work, social events and get out on the sports field and that, we would only have ti.me for two of them. I think th~t s ~robably s?u?? a?vice for anyone going on to urnversity, and pnontisatwn does become important. What do you remember about the final at Sydney? The a?iding l!lemory during the race was trying to commumcate .":'Ith the cox and the other guys in the boat, and reahsmg that there was neither the time nor energ~ to do so. We ended up just sort of shouting and not being heard over the crowd. We did have obviously full, extensive briefings from the coaches and Roly [Men's VIII Cox] beforehand. ' What was said in the final moments before the race? Roly basically made sure that everyone knew exactly what was expected of them and when. He had to make sure that people didn't let the adrenaline and 21
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occasion get to them and go out too hard and die after 20 strokes. I've known Roly for about four years because he coxed me at Oxford Brookes, so we have a pretty strong relationship, and I think he's certainly one of the top, if not the best cox in the world at the moment. So essentially he was just going over our game plan, making sure everyone was 'in sync', telling us we had to go out like a bull at the start, rather than like sheep at the back of a pen as we had done in the heat. Did everything go to plan during the race? Well, altogether we got all the pushes pretty much in the right places, although at times we were going over what we had planned to do quite a lot, and I know that a lot of people watching the final thought that we could easily bum out towards the end. We didn't realise ourselves until after the race. I mean, I knew we were going at an exciting pace, but I didn't realise it was that much until afterwards. What was the atmosphere in the British Olympic camp like, it being the most successful Olympics for Britain in recent history? It was absolutely fantastic in the British camp. We went in quite apprehensively because obviously stories had come back from Atlanta, about what a difficult time they had had, with the media pressure and so on, but in Sydney there was a real buzz around all the teams. Some of the athletics guys were quite aloof, and some of the sprinters were quite difficult to get on with, but there were people like Donna Lewis and Kelly Holmes, who were superb and really genuinely likeable. It was a great atmosphere all round and that really helped the success of the team. Certainly Audley Harrison said to me that when he went into the super heavyweight boxing final, which was one of the last events, he felt as if he had to do it to round off the success he'd seen everyone else achieve. Jason Quealy set it off by winning cycling gold on the first day, and Audley and Steff Cooke finished it with two golds on the last day. Did Steve Redgrave act as a mentor to you or was he up there on a pedestal in Sydney and before? No, he's very approachable and a lovely guy. He's very affable although he can be very grumpy, particularly when he's just finished a race. But even though he's been THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN
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around for twenty years and won four or five Olympic golds, we could still have as much of a laugh with him as with anyone else. What he's actually achieved is absolutely phenomenal. Do you think Matthew Pinsent can do as well as him? I think he has the potential to without a doubt. Matthew's physiology is far better than that of Steve's. He's very big, very strong, and he has some of the biggest lungs British Rowing has ever seen. There's no reason why he can't equal it, though I think he'd struggle to be 41 and get a sixth gold. Steve I think wants desperately to continue, but to be honest with his. diabetes and the intense training for more than twenty years, vital organs are in danger of packing up on him, so I think stopping was a necessity. Where do you see the future of rowing in Britain going from here? I think we have got to build on our success in Sydney, and its important that we get investment from other places than the Lottery. When we were training, many of us survived on Lottery grants, and I think for development and to make it more attractive, we need to attract intensive investment from companies in order to aid publicity. For sport to raise its profile, people other than the lottery need to be involved. SACHIN PREMNATH (MO) and SOPHIA GOLD (JR)
Fred Scarlett training the 1st VIII
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N ati<:ms with a clean sweep against Southern Herms_pher~ s~des. Wit~ the Six Nations looking like a formality It IS the LIOns' tour which will be the highlight of next years' Rugby. Australia will be keen restore their reputation after the defeat at Twickenham while the Lions team which beat South Africa in thei; last overseas tour looks as strong as ever. The Sri Lankan's pathetic displays against seamers, who, apart from Pollock, come a poor second to our own, could have us going into this summer on the back of four succ~ssi;e series w.ins. Hardly as impressive as the Austr.alian~ extraordinary recent run, but this Ashes senes will be far more competitive than I could have predicted eight months ago. "W_hile it would be 'outrageously optimistic' to predict a clean sweep of victories for Britain and England in the coming year; after such a poor nineties things can only get better. Reproduced by kind permission of 'The Oxford Student'
GRAHAM WEBBER Graham Webber (TR 1995-2000) currently at College, Oxford reading Theology, and the previOus Deputy Editor of this publication, has moved on to new journalistic heights. He is currently the only Oxford undergraduate to have a weekly sports column in 'The Oxford Student.' This was an honour formerly bestowed on Jeffrey Archer, but after an education within Kin~'s "Christian ~nvironment" (The Very Rev. John A. Simpson, sometime chairman of Governors and Dean of Canterbury) we hope that his career is marked by a little more virtue. Graham has even had to tum down the offer of an internship at The Guardian owing to family commitments. Next term Graham's scoop will be an interview with the chairman of the FA Ada~ Crozier. The following is a reproduction of on~ of his recent columns, published at the start of this year. (Ed.) Trin~ty
WEBBER'S WORLD OF SPORT The start of a new year provides a natural opportunity for lazy hacks to rehash old stories rather than bothering to research new ones. So, not wanting to break with tradition, my inaugural column looks back at .la~t .Y~ar's sport and casts its 'outrageously optlrmstlc eye over what to look out for next year. The Olympics hasn't failed to provide us with great stories: Eddie 'the Eel' in the swimming and the sight of North and ~outh ~oreans marching together helped to remove an mcreasmg emphasis on commercialism and restored faith in a Games rocked by scandal in the last year. . O~viously Britain's great performance was a highlight, however one interesting oddity is that if instea~ of raJ?-king teams by medals, you rank them by awardmg pmnts to competitors finishing in positions from 1-8, we moved from 5th in Atlanta to 8th last year. Lottery funding has gone to those who excel increasing our medal tally, but has failed to provide fo; an overall increase in our athletic ability. ~his has been a disappointing year for great football ~tones, !vfan Utd and France dominating domestic and mtematl~:mal .football respectively. Perhaps the most football Important story of the year, and one which will have the most lasting repercussions is the appointment of Adam Crozier as Chairman of the FA. The Scot has already appointed a foreign manager and moved the FA Cup, Worthington Cup and Play-off finals out of England - both firsts. It seems that the FA ~as ~nally moved away from the '66-and-all-that' Jmgmsm which dominates our domestic football. The comments of dinosaurs like Harry Redknapp and Alan Ball on both issues emphasis Crozier's welcome forward thinking and fresh attitudes. The performance of England's Rugby team has been outstanding capping off an easy victory in the first Six
GCSE HISTORY VISIT TO LONDON MUSEUMS WEDNESDAYllOCTOBER ~way from war films and fantasy images, the NatiOnal army Museum gave a real insight into the events of the Second World War. The truth was uncovered as to how soldiers on the front line were chosen, in contrast to the men who worked in much safer areas of manufacture and communication ~ections .. The role of women was explained, not simply In factones but shooting bomber pilots of the heat of danger. Primary sources displayed the brutal truths as to how the British Army were made to survive while e~periencing.the most remarkable episodes in Brltain's his.tory. Feeling. the weight of the war weapons and umfor_m tore history from textbooks to reality. The gallenes gave the opportunity to view the latest military technology. Exhibits included a lamp used by Florence N~ghtingale, a skeleton of Napoleon's horse an?. portrm~s by Reynolds and Gainsborogh. The Bntlsh soldier came vividly to life through videos, photog~aphs and personal relics. Amongst models of submannes and aircraft carriers the Imperial War Museum, gave I shocking evidence of the effect of the B~itz in 1940. Walking through trenches, the fear of air rmds and gas attacks had an effect on each individual through interactive displays. Oral and visual accounts of the Second World War conveyed the vivid experiences of those involved both on the home front and the front line. MOLLIE MALTBY (MR)
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CORRESPONDENCE FASCIST METAPHORS Dear Sir, I was surprised to be informed by James Berry (The Cantuarian, Lent and Summer Term 2000, pp.120-122) that 'not all fascists are pigs.' I should think not, indeed. The pig is a charming, intelligent beast, clean too when given the chance. Its endearing qualities are long celebrated in literature and folklore - think of the Three Little Pigs outwitting the wolf's huffing and puffing, Piglet's affection for Pooh, Pigling Bland's courage and courtesy, or the Empress of Blanding's' majestic grunts, not to mention the much-loved nursery five who went to market, stayed at home, ate roast beef, etc. Even at its least attractive in life and art, the pig is no worse than greedy, dirty, and smelly. Who ever heard of pink pigs trying to exterminate their or longer-snouted darker brothers and sisters, still less of succeeding to the extent of six million corpses? The comparison is an insult to the porcine species. If a symbol of fascism is to be drawn from the non-human world, I suggest the HIV virus as a more appropriate metaphor. DR JANET MONTEFIORE.
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Archives Room The King's School Canterbury 22 November 2000 Dear Sir I was flattered that Lord Powell remembered me as one of the masters in his time at King's (Cantuarian Interview, Lent and Summer 2000 issue) but depressed that this was because I had allegedly replied, 'in silence', to a barber's enquiry, 'How would you like your hair cut, Sir?' Sir, this anecdote appears to be superglued to me but there is no truth in i~. I hope I am not too discour~eous a person; I am certainly timid and would not provoke a man about to op~r.ate with a cut-thro~t razor .n~ar my JUgular by an untimely put-down- and the put-down would not have been onginal. I have traced It to Phihp of Macedon who, in due course was murdered. Serve him right. Yours faithfully, PAUL POLLAK PS I have beep told that an even earlier King of Macedon, Archelaus, is responsible, the exchange being reported as nros a& K&zpm, f3aazAsv; azmnmv. Perhaps some of your readers will be able to confirm this. From: LORD POWELL of BAYSWATER KCMG
9 November 2000 Editor The Cantuarian The Kings School Canterbury
Dear Editor Thank you for sending me a copy of the Lent and Summer Term 2000 editi~m which contains an interview with me and some generous- perhaps overly generous- comments: Jus~ one correctiOn: I never met Mao Tse Tung, who was certainly not knee-high to a grass-hopper! It was Deng XIaoping. I was flattered to be quoted in the editorial. Yours sincerely, LORD POWELL OF BAYSWATER KCMG The Old Vicarage 10 StPeter's Road Flushing, Near Falmouth Cornwall TR11 5TP 11 November 2000 Dear Sir I am somewhat mystified by your connecting me with Trinity College, Oxford in your note Elites in This and That for The Cantuarian Lent and Summer Term 2000. While I did teach some undergraduates Old Testament theolo!?y from that College, I had nothing to do with their admission being a fellow of St !ohn's College where a certain Edinburgh public school boy was already an undergraduate when I took up my appomtment. I was though later able to marry him. May I congratulate your team on another splendid edition? ANTHONY PHILLIPS, HEADMASTER 1986-96
To the editors of the Cantuarian I was very pleased to receive a copy of the last Cantuarian. I jus~ wanted to say how very !?rateful I am to you for sending it on to me. I showed it to the ~dit?rs of our school magazines and they were vast~y ~mpr~sse? by the sh~er size, quality and content of the pubhcatwn. It really puts our s<?mewhat d~y yearl~ ~-llltomans to shame. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it brought back wonderful memones of my time at King s. Yours sincerely DANIEL SCHER HILTON COLLEGE, SOUTH AFRICA 25
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EXPEDITIONS AUSTRALIA 2000 GIRLS FIRST XI HOCKEY TOUR Played 9, Won 9, Drew 0, Lost 0. Goals for 49, Goals against 10.
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Having finished term only two days earlier, recovered from the leavers' ball even sooner and redefined the term 'last minute packing', the girls met at Heathrow Airport with parents, siblings, grannies and an incredible amount of luggage (the hairdryer and travel iron are obviously vital components of the tour kit) in tow. After a few tears at the airport (yes, I admit, those of us who were just starting our Gap Years and were to be away for several months or more suddenly weren't feeling quite so brave), some duty free shopping (the fir_st of mal!y gi~lie s~10ppin~ trips) and 24 hours in the rur we amved 1n Bnsbane 1n desperate need of (a) a sho~er and (b) a bed. Our grand visions of luxury and comfort were soon shattered ~hen on our arrival at our boarding school accommodatwn we were ushered into a huge dormitory style room wh~ch was to sleep all 18 of us (including Miss Scott- Kilv~rt a?-d Miss Reidy). Although we were used to boardmg hfe at King's this came as something o~ a culture shoe~, but as it provided the aforementwned two b~s1c commodities (and encouraged/enforced team bondmg) who were we to complain. That evening we joined all the other teams and tournament organisers at our first Ozzie BBQ, where the pouring rain and gale force winds made us instantly feel at home. Although the weather conditions were far from ideal for a BBQ, they did not manage to dampen our enthusiasm for the team of Irish rugby boys ... and a good time was had by all. Our first match in the Couran Cove Southern Skies Tournament was however played in brilliant sunshine. Not knowing quite what standard to expect from the Australians (but fearing the worst) the team set about building up from the basics, establishing ourselves and our game and were rewarde~ with an i~pressive 7-1 victory. Encouraged by our w1n, we put m an excellent performance on day two, beating Brisbane _Women's Hockey Association 7-3. After a sh~ st~ 1n the last of our games in the round robtn sectwn of the tournament we managed to gain enough control to earn a 3-1 win on day three, giving us a place in the seJ?ifinals which followed that same afternoon. Havmg 'taken some water on board' we faced Clayfield College. We played hard from the whistle, scoring _a few early goals, which gave us the upper hand: Thts gave us the opportunity to play both of our goahes on the field, where they excelled themselves i~ the forward line, and Lettsy in goal. While there 1s no question of Lettsy's prowess and skill in the c~ntre of the field, it is probably best not to mentwn her performance in goal except to say that the sco_r~ 'Yas 10-1 before she went in to the goal and a hum1hatmg 10-2 on the final whistle five minutes later! On our last day in Brisbane we faced Moret<?n Bay College in the final of the tournament. Desptte the intense heat the team was 'on fire' and produced a fast and furious game with both attack and defence THE CANTUARIAN,
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working well together. The final score was . a convincing 6-1 and the tournament drew to a close wtth the awards ceremony, during which we were proud to be presented with the hockey trophy. While our busy Brisbane schedule didn't leave us with much time for sight seeing we did get one day ?ff, which we spent at Dreamworld, a t~eme park j~st outside the city. While most people enjoyed the t~nlls and adrenalin rushes of the rollercoasters and ndes, there was something there for everyone. The tiger display provided ample photo opportunities for our budding photographers, Miss . Re~dy had a close encounter with a koala and Jess1 enjoyed the scenery (and her book). We did however compensate for this lack of sight seeing during the second week of the tour in Sydney. Having arrived late in the afternoon, we checked into our hotel, where we were to spend the next two nights, before having dinner on the har~our front in clear view of the spectacular Harbour Bndge and Opera House. The following day we were able to appreciate the same sights in the daylight, as well as many more Sydney icons, as we cruised around the harbour, finally ending up at Taronga Zoo. The zoo ~as our first chance to witness a wide range of Austrahan wildlife, including crocodiles, dingos, platypus, echidnas and Tasmanian devils, as well as some more traditional zoo animals, and also enabled Skippy (aka Virginia) to meet some of her relations. J?uri~g this action packed week we also managed to fit m gomg up Centre Point, dinner at Planet Hollywood to celebrate Jessi's birthday, a trip to the Olympic Park and tour around Stadium Australia, visiting Palm Beach (where Home and Away is filmed) and of course some shopping (during which we met and we~e photographed with David Campeze at one of hts Canterbury shops). In between all this we also played three matches. The first of these was agrunst Abbotsleigh School, with whom we 'Ye~e billeting at the time. The combined effects of a hnnted warm up (due to a lack of time) and a pitch in poor condition, resulted in a scrappy game, which was frustrating both to watch and to play. King's managed however to secure a 3-1 victory, which did at least hold our unbeaten record. Two days later we faced Ascham School in what was to be a fiercely competitive_and dynamic game. Both teams played some fine ~oc~ey, producing accurate and fast passes, exc_ellent dnbbhng and some impressive shots on goal. Thts was reflected in the 3-1 final score, which gave King's their seventh victory. Our final Sydney ~arne w~s played_ against Tara Anglican School on thetr grass pttch. Havmg been spoilt at King's by the two astro pitches most of ~s hadn't played on grass since prep school and this became quite clear as the ball bounced, bobbled and flew off our sticks, and more often than not off the pitch! ! The game was played however in good spirits, and despite our lack of control, King's eventually won 5-0, with Kate Burrett scoring her first goal for the First's. After an eventful night, during which a fire, in a nearby building to the boarding house in _whi~h we were staying, set off the fire alarm, resulting 1~ the 26
Kilvert offered to take the tour. She worked relentlessly over the course of the year, organising the trip down to the very last detail and there can be no doubt that her hard work and efforts paid off tenfold. Her consideration of the individual needs of the players was exemplary and her coaching techniques and team tactics second to none. It is to her credit that the tour was such a success. In addition, I would like to thank them both for their constant enthusiasm and sense of humour, which created the unique atmosphere amongst the group and made the whole trip such fun. The Team: Jessi Bain, Bella Brice, Kate Burrett, Isabelle Chapman, Juliet Chapman, Sophie Chapman (joint Captain), Julia Dawes, Sophie Gold, Katherine Letts (joint Captain), Virginia Mainwaring, Anna McDonald, Emma Pinder, Ellie Powll-Jackson, Georgina Rowan, Mollie Tregear, Katie Wood. SOPHIE CHAPMAN (WL)
arrival of the fire brigade and making it necessary for us to evacuate the building for about an hour, we flew to Cairns the next morning to begin the final leg of the tour. We whiled away our first afternoon at the Rihga Colonial Club, indulging ourselves in the spas, saunas and pools. However this laid back approach was not to last, as on day two we headed towards the Barron River to go white-water rafting. Having divided ourselves up into boats of six we began our wet and wild descent down the rapids (both in the rafts and swimming), trying simultaneously to concentrate on paddling properly and engaging the nearest raft in a water fight. The water theme continued into the next day, when we travelled by catamaran out onto The Great Barrier Reef. Under a clear blue sky and brilliant sunshine we marvelled at the wonders of the reef, viewed by snorkellers and scuba divers alike, soaked up the sun and enjoyed the delicious lunch that was laid on for us before watching the sunset over the reef as we caught the boat home. It was a magical day, which we topped off by going out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant that evening to celebrate Chopsy' s birthday. Our final excursion in Cairns took us out to the Kurunda Rainforest. Here we admired the impressive panoramic views from the steam train that took us into the heart of the forest, before boarding an army duck to be given a tour of both the land and aquatic life found in the area. After a quick change, we made our way to our final match of the tour against Cairns Women's Hockey Association. Played in the sweltering midday sun, this proved to be by far our toughest game, with both teams eager to win. King's pulled off our best performance yet, as we attacked, defended, tackled, passed and dribbled with a ruthless determination. The game culminated in a text-book style penalty flick from Lettsy, which was a fitting end to her impressive hockey career at King's. This was followed by one final late goal, which gave King's an emphatic victory, winning 5-0 and completed both our unbeaten record and a fantastic tour. On behalf of the whole team I would like to thank Miss Reidy and Miss ScottKilvert for all their hard work which made the tour po ssible. 'Nurse R eidy' worked tirelessly before the tour, organising fund raising events and ensured the health of all the players while we were away. She could always be relied on for some TLC, a dose of laughter and a supply of antiseptic wipes, all of which were crucial components of the trip. Despite being in the middle of her finals, Miss Scott-
SINAI EXPEDITION 2000 The charter flight from Gatwick landed in Sharm el Sheikh as the sun was setting on a runway surrounded by craggy hills and boulders. On arrival, forms were completed, pupils were introduced to guides and bags were returned after each brought the conveyor to an embarrassing standstill. The supplies were strapped to two four-wheel drives and pupils and staff were presented with the first of many bottles of water. This was followed by a short drive on and off the road, which gave our Bedouin drivers an opportunity to demonstrate their control of the seasoned Land Cruisers. Our first night's camp was in a sheltered desert valley, where, as the party discussed sleeping arrangements with the guides, the drivers made a campfire and began cooking supper. During the
Sharing a cave in Sinai
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expedition the party was maintained on a diet of cucumber and tomato salad, unleavened bread, beans and cream cheese except supper, which offered greater variety. Toilet arrangements were perplexing throughout, however, the shock of the first night caused a number of the party to take advantage of their Imodium Capsules. Areas sheltered by boulders were apportioned at each night's camp and often the only route these were through the other camp, facilities caused embarrassment and amusement throughout the expedition. After supper each evening, sleeping bags were positioned, wherever possible, far from rocks, holes, plants and trees because of the scorpions and snakes they attracted. Piers allegedly sighted scorpions but each apparently turned out to be a shrub or a stone. Sand vipers were, however, found by members of the Muzeina tribe while Camel trekking but each were flicked onto a sunbleached bush and set alight. Sleeping itself was mildly uncomfortable and seemingly unaided by regulation foam mats but each night I stared in reverie at the extremity of the brilliant night sky. On our second day we took a sun drenched desert walk along the White canyon towards the oasis of Ayn Khundra. This followed a drive north; tea with the hospitable family of Sheik Hamid and an opportunity to survey the Bedouin's beautiful headwork and a rather gaudy necklace was purchased by Piers. This area of desert was very different from that of our first camp for it was fine and white and I saw through my caftan that the midday sky was a deep majestic blue. Following Mrs. Reid's example the party slid down small canyons and scaled sandstone rocks with the aid of our patient guides. A hike through the palm laden oasis, up a rose coloured mountain to our Land Cruisers and refreshment, which served to prepare us for the breathtaking beauty of the summit of Mount Sinai. The promise of '0/n St. Catherine's Monastery guest house (small dormitory accommodation)' and the gradually emerging mountainous landscape aided the strenuous hike up the mountain paths, following Mrs. Reid and Katie Lambert on camels and endless stone stairs to the hair-raising summit. This was not a sentimentally soaked cliche, but static, rain saturated, lightning struck reality, the intensity of which cut our time on the summit short. We descended to the sound of ominous bursts of thunder, lightweight garments clinging to our shivering flesh and anticipating the glorious promise of hot showers. Reaching the summit of Mount Sinai in a thunderstorm was one of the many experiences, which made this visit to the Sinai unique, but the whole experience of sharing the desert life of the Bedouin in one of the most beautiful places one earth is in itself an epiphany. CHRISTOPHER CRAY (TR) THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN
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Elephant Safari in Nepal (Miranda Hurst)
SCENES FROM NEPAL (Art Trip October 2000)
Those who know me well know that when I explain anything that has moved me in some way, I have to tell them every last detail or I feel as though they will not fully understand. So, for reasons of being concise, I have decided to give you just a little snippet of our trip to the wonderful country that is Nepal. After hours of travelling and one night in Kathmandu we drove into the National Chitwan Park. In the jungle we were treated like queens, travelling in canoes and by elephant on our sunrise and sunset safaris. I laid awake one night in my tent listening for prowling bears and tigers. From our second camp we walked (accompanied by monkeys in the forest canopy) to a traditional Nepalese village. The children rushed out of mud huts to show us their skipping ropes. Little boys crept behind, arm in arm, while we were shown around their village, occasionally surprising us by jumping out over a straw pile. A grandmother spoke to me in a dialect our guides did not understand and handed me her grandson who immediately burst into tears. As we walked, heads peeped around doorframes as the general pattern of daily life was disrupted. The 28
school was no larger than a squash court, but with less walls and no door. A touching image was that of a young boy who stood for some time right next to Greg staring at the second hand of his watch which was at his eye level. The bus rides to and from the mountain town of pokhara I found fascinating. Not only were we in the company of 'beautiful bus boy' but we were able to catch a glimpse of rural life. Passing through small market towns we were made very aware of the recent festival that had past. Tall bamboo structures surrounded by excited children lined the streets. The higher we drove the more infrequent the villages became and often the more desperate too. I loved the randomness of the country. Cows sitting deserted by their owners on highways, a calf in a basket on the back of a man walking up a mountain and children leaning off hazardous rope bridges. The women of Nepal in general seemed to disapprove of us. Few women can be seen in the city, and those in the mountains keep very much to themselves. On our four-day trek in the foothills of the Himalayas, we were lucky enough to have a wonderful group of thirty-two guides and sherpas who entertained us in the evenings. However, the social caste system was never more obvious than within this group who slept and ate in different places. Our every need was attended to as we heaved our way up to 7000ft, each foot more beautiful than the last. It was incredible how maintained the mountains were, with discreet shrines covered in coloured dyes and ancient paving. At ¡our summit the clouds engulfed the valley below and a holy man blessed me. Religion contributes an immeasurable amount to Nepalese culture. Kathmandu City is separated into four sectors. we mainly visited the Buddhist areas as many Hindu temples are exclusive. Only when I visited and saw Buddhist monks, (some of whom were incredibly cheeky) of different orders in their contexts did I begin to appreciate the diversity of the religion. However, I was a little surprised when we visited the wonderful 'monkey temple', for in the heart of what is meant to be a holy place there were gift stalls and a lack of respect for the true purpose of the place. Another circular stupa we visited was far ¡ more spiritual. The sound of large prayer wheels and chanting was continuous, incense bellowed up and thousands upon thousands of prayer flags hung above. Some of the best times I remember from Kathmandu were our free evenings and bartering experiences. We stepped out of our 'guest house' straight into absolute mayhem. Decorative rickshaws raced passed, their drivers shouting abuse at those in their path, street sellers hampered us with 'tiger balm, rna' am, I give good price.' Bug-like vehicles swerve and beep continually at each other as though they are having conversations whilst their passengers sit unfazed inside, protected by a shabby cloth. Certain smells linger above the ceaseless hubbub and infants, glassy eyed, scuttle alongside you begging in a number of ways. Men and street children squat on the dirty roads, stitching logos onto trainers, often just watching the scene and people walking past.
Nepal was for me, a totally magical place. I found the people and their lifestyles the most fascinating of all that I have seen. It was interesting how the reciprocal interest in looking at each other and staring was acceptable. The way of life and scenery is incredibly diverse in Nepal and the culture so removed from what I am accustomed to here that I am in awe of it. MIRANDA HURST (LX)
MOROCCO 2000 Our journey began with the first rain since May. Spirits were high and we all thought we were going to die on Royal Air Maroc. We landed in Marrakech at about 11.30 at night tired but happy to be there at last. Marrakech smells like a huge stable: we thought this was bad until we got to the tannery. We also thought Canterbury smelt bad when the wind was going the wrong way, oh how very wrong we were! ! After those less than pleasant experiences we went to enjoy the luxury of the Kasbah du Toubkal. Of course we had to get there in the minibuses with no seats attached to the floor of the bus. Trekking through the Atlas Mountains was a very scenic experience, pleasant no, scenic yes. Some people became over protective of their mules but others struggled on and completed the twelve-mile hike. About twenty people started the sleep-out under the stars but in the morning only five were to be found, everyone else had retreated to their beds. The staff however got luxury rooms with Jawa-Suits, games and hi-fi systems. After the luxury of the Kasbah, we were subjected to sleeping all in one room. We were also introduced to the first swimming pool of the trip. A warning to those going in future years: take a thermal wet suit, it is freezing. We feel it is now necessary to mention the food on the trip. We have learned to love 'Laughing Cow' cheese. And we never want to see another bread roll again in our lives. The hotel in Zagora was very posh. Although, unsurprisingly, we seemed to spend all our time by the pool. This is where we caught our first glimpse of Mr. Rory in his bathers. At three thirty we went outside to be united with our designated camels. Jane's was called May Moon (Wensleydale for short) and Sarah's was called Ya-Ya (not much you can abbreviate that one to). Our two camels seemed to have been genetically modified to be eleven feet taller than the others. Mr. Rory decided to walk so as to take picturesque photos of us riding into the sunset. Camels, not being the most comfortable mode of transport, proved difficult to get used to and the majority of fellow adventurers gained a rash called 'Camel Rash' on their legs. The night in the desert was awesome. Jane and I were hoping to see our first shooing star but no such luck! We don't believe they exist. Mr. Bell insisted on wearing his 'duck-egg-blue' we're yet to be convinced it's not green) tea cosy all night. Next morning we awoke to the vocal chorus of the camels eager to get going. Dr. Pidoux proved a natural cameller, presumably from her earlier experience at muling it. Back in Zagora, a select group of people, of whom we are proudly included, braved the local Hammam 29
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following morning we visited the local sites of Pozzuoli, an impressive amphitheatre, and Solfatara. We soon realised why CTH had suggested bringing waterproofs! At Solfatara we were met by our guide who explained that the ground was very porous due to the sulphurous gases emerging from the dormant volcano. This was scientifically demonstrated by throwing a large rock onto the ground, which then seemed to vibrate like a drum. After experiencing the not-so-healing properties of the sulphurous gases in 'Purgatory' and 'Hell' we returned exhausted to the hotel accompanied by the first instalment of Leonie's cheesy 80's music! That evening James Hamway took on the role of a Budin's Red Coat showing us, (and the group of Italian OAPs sharing our hotel), how to dance the 'special'! Freddie Lewis break-danced for Britain. Visiting Pompeii itself was the focus of the trip and was an incredible experience. As you walk along the streets with the numerous bars, baths and private houses all around, it can at times be difficult to imagine the city as anything other than an archaeological site, although SAH' s guided tour of a brothel brought the place to life! However it is only when you see the plaster casts of human figures fighting for their last breaths that the full human tragedy hit you. This was a city literally destroyed overnight, as was Herculaneum, which we visited later on in the week. Whereas Pompeii was covered in layers of volcanic ash, Herculaneum was engulfed by pyroclastic flows and mud which was able to preserve the buildings virtually intact. Here there was an even greater feeling of community, perhaps because of the smaller size of the excavated area. Kitchens still contained ovens and wood had been preserved by the carbonising effect of the pyroclastic flows. That evening we had 'Happy Hour' Sorrento-style thanks to friendly Fred, and his street-side cafe/bar. Barnaby eventually managed to dry off after encountering an angry Italian woman with a hose! On the way to the Greek temples ofPaestum (two of which were covered in scaffolding) we saw the incredible views along the famous coast road to Amalfi with its jagged shoreline lit up by the early morning sun. Those feeling under the weather due to the hairpin
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(steam baths). For shampoo we had clay, for soap we had slime and we had an Arabic woman (?) scraping our skin off. After this we were supposedly clean (everyone showered afterwards!). The next day was a coach journey and not just any coach journey. We got up at four thirty and arrived in Marrakech at six in the evening. However during this coach journey we had plenty to listen to, I tell a lie we had two tapes. Thanks go to Liana and a dedication now goes to her of '500 Miles' by The Proclaimers. We got to know those songs very well. One nameless boy (Jonty East) gave us a few very good renditions of 'Baby One More Time' by Britney. That night we all either died on our beds from sheer exhaustion or as Jane and I did, we went shopping. The Souk needs a mention. So here it is: never before have we been dazzled by such a vast array of goods, animals and entertainers. Whether they were terrapins, snake charmers of just plain orange juice squeezers there were simply thousands of them. We must say that those girls who said that their henna was black were lying, it was grass mixed with sulphuric acid, and it hurt. So what advice can us veteran Moroccans give to fellow Moroccaneers? Firstly: eat no bread for six months prior to your visit. Secondly: must take tape with 'Reach' by S Club 7 on the hike. Thirdly: make friends with your camel, they know how to hurt you. And finally: only ever accept one of those scarves for twenty dirham, that's all we paid. So to the end of a wonderful trip. We thank Mr. Bell for the hundreds of hours put into organising it for us. We thank Mr. Reilly for taking so many wonderful photos but I'm sorry Mr. Reilly, but my one won the competition!! And we also thank Dr. Pidoux for her love in a general sense. Oh and one more mention to make, Olivier, our excellent guide, who certain members of the trip will never forget. JANE BERRY (MR) AND SARAH HAYNES (HH)
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At half term the Classics Department took a group of 40 students to Italy. Having been entertained by the story of Richard the Head (thanks Alfred) we arrived at The Hotel Floriana Park in the early hours. The
Some of the Pompeii party at the summit of Mt. Vesuvias. (Leonie Hamway, BR)
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Pompeii Amphitheatre with Mt. Vesuvias in the background (Les Hamway)
bends were soon cheered up by the sound of the entire bus p~rforming 'Bohemian Rhapsody' unaccompanied. Some were brave enough to swim at :\malfi. whilst others did some shopping, rapidly mcreas~ng the ~~mber of entries to PKC's tacky souvemr competitiOn. Alfred's 18th birthday brought with it a trip to Naples Museum, our first Italian pizza and a walk up Mt. V~suv!us. When we reached the top there was a fantastic VIew of- er - cloud. It did eventually clear so ~e could see the view as well as the crater. Alfred was given an array of classy souvenirs and that evening the c~efs excelle? thems~lves by producing a cake-typethmg. Then It was time to hit Sorrento once more before returning to Waltz the night away with various elderly Italians. .The villa at Oplontis was another incredible site WI~h . some richly decorated rooms and lavish wall pamtmgs which did not appreciate being touched (or even approached) by rucksacks- as we soon found out fro!ll the over~zealous custodians. The final night arrived, souv~mrs were . ~ought and prizes given out (well done VIcky for raising the testosterone level in Sorrento). Th~n it was on to the airport, stopping en route. at Ostia, the port of ancient Rome, which contamed another beautiful theatre. It was only a pity We were so rushed (by our grouchy bus driver) to catch our bus. Our final chance for 'Duty Free' and "Don't lose your tickets ... " Mr Holland called, hopefully. Oh Well, he tried! Spe~ial t~anks t~ Mr ~olland who organised this fantastic tnp, which did (though it may seem otherwise) run incredibly smoothly. Thanks also to the other accompanying staff who managed to put up with
us all for a week: Mr Heath Miss Taylor Mrs Mackenzie, Mr ¡Cordeaux, Mrs Holland: Mr Mackenzie and Miss Rusher. CHARLOTTE KNIGHT (JR)
THE KING'S SCHOOL CANTERBURY BOYS 1ST XI HOCKEY TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA, ZIMBABWE AND BOTSWANA JULY/AUGUST 2000 .A~ter a brief break from school, we returned to King s for our pre-tour training. Our Irish import Blain McGuigan and our coach for the tour Danny Laslett joined us at ~in.acr~ House. Here we st~yed for four days of hard trammg m preparation for the tough matches that we were to face out in South Africa. On the final day of this training we played an all-star Cante~bury HC elev.en and were convincingly thrashed -:- adrmt~edly they did have numerous past and present mternatwnals! It was a real privilege to play against Kwan Browne from Trinidad, probably one of the top ten players in the world. On the Sunday afternoon we assembled in Linacre with our baggage and having checked the weight (there were f~w new ~embers of the centenary club) we loaded It onto a big bus. Having arrived at Heathrow at 5.00 we promptly went to the BA group check-in desk and checked into our flight. At 8.00 our flight left England for the overnight trip to Cape Town. 31
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
across the bay. On our return we visited Hout Bay, home to the endangered Jackass penguin. The next fixture against Rondebosch High School was postponed for a day following bad weather, but when we did play them the game was most unsatisfactory. We outplayed a Rondebosch side that boasted a formidable record that season, but unfortunately our striking let us down and we were beaten by a single short comer strike. The subsequent day we sailed to Robben Island and saw the home of Nelson Mandela during his 18 years in captivity. This was another exciting and action packed experience, including a look into the showers! But the best moments were when we managed to sit alone in the cells of the guys that were imprisoned on the island. Our imagining of what they went through was helped tremendously by the biographies on the walls of those who had spent their time in the cells. It was a bright Saturday morning that we took on the third best schoolboy side in South Africa: Bishops Diocesan College. This team really could claim to be the best, having toured Britain and Spain - unbeaten. This game challenged every aspect of our game and we fully deserved our 1-1 draw, Richard Bayley securing a penalty flick in the dying stages. This performance was certainly the finest of the tour and one of the best by a King's side that Mr. Phillis had seen. The next we visited Zevenwacht wine estate for a wine tasting day - obviously Mr Phillis was unaware of the complexities of a WINE tasting day, and many of us younger members of the tour squad were treated to assorted fruit juices and cheese! This estate was set on the slopes of Ribbokrant, overlooking Table Mountain and the two local Oceans. We lunched with cheetahs at a sanctuary in nearby Stellenbosch, one of the most attractive towns in the country.
Having arrived at Cape Town airport on the Monday morning we encountered our first problem of the tour; as Stuart Rau's passport was due to expire before we left South Africa, not bad for a diplomat - this was sorted out over the following few days. We then drove to Cape Town itself and were given a tour of the main sights. The planned trip up Table Mountain had to be postponed due to the bad weather. We were then delivered to our hotel at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. We unpacked and were taken on a "light training run" around the port area. That evening we had a team dinner at 'Cantina Tequila', (don't be fooled by the name, it was a restaurant with a bubbling family atmosphere and some bubbly customers). We awoke the next day to our first hockey of the tour, training at the Bishops Diocesan College, a local school, in the shadow of Table Mountain. The afternoon was spent sightseeing on the Waterfront and buying presents for our family. The next day we visited a local black township called Langa. The School has close links with the Township. On our last Tour we raised a lot of money for them and did so again this time. This was undoubtedly the most harrowing experience of the tour, a moment when we saw the true extent of the effects of Apartheid, ¡seeing the contrast between our hosts expensive homes and this collection of shacks. It seemed to us that the squalor and poverty were inversely proportional to the joy and wealth of spirit of those we met. Following lunch at a local house, we made our way to the local stadium to play the township in our opening match. In this first encounter the 1st XI won in a frustrating game where we could only manage a single goal against unconventional opposition. The following day we travelled to Cape Point, a truly awesome spectacle, offering an incredible view
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The 1st XI in the shadow of Table Mountain. (NLP) THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
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James Mainwaring Bungee Jumping (NLP)
Rafting on the Zambezi. (NLP)
Johnny Stubbs, Sam Traill, Stuart Finlayson, George Pound, Dave Farrar. (NLP)
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back home. It was Sam Traill's, the Captain's, 18th birthday - what a way to spend it - on the wild Zambesi, and beside it in the evening with the guides and cooks giving an impromptu concert. From Victoria Falls we travelled overland to Chobe National Park in Botswana. We met our guides at the border who took us to our camp, in the middle of the National Park- it was unfenced. We were camped beside the Chobe River, over which the sun set beautifully each evening. There was a degree of apprehension as we went into our tent, that night. The noise of the bush is far from comforting the first night. With the camp toilets twenty yards from the tents, there were some full bladders by morning ~ fear got the better of us all. Woken at 5.30 we were on our morning game drive by 6.00. It was very cold. But that was soon forgotten within two hundred metres of the camp we came across two lions eating their kill, a buffalo. The decision not to relieve that filling bladder during the night seemed to be the correct one. We spent some time watching these King's of the bush feeding. What a privilege. The next day we were woken slightly earlier, our chief guide wanted to take us to another more distant part of the Park. Two hours later we came through the bush to the plain of the river. We saw a herd of buffalo. We stopped. The herd grazed their way towards us. As they surrounded us we saw a pride of lions in the long grass. They stalked the buffalo and took one right in front of us - what a sight! What a privilege to be able to see it, it was Dave Farrar's, the Vice Captain's, 18th birthday. We returned to brunch and to relax ahead of the big game - a football match against a local village in the middle of the bush. We travelled to Mbele. On a patch of earth, with rudimentary goalposts, occasionally invaded by cattle, we played in a very competitive match. We lost the match but gained another remarkable experience. The next day we were to leave - it was the end of a match in Southern Africa - it was an outstanding tour, full of fun, achievement and camaraderie. We have all returned grateful, but with wider horizons and different perspectives. We would like to thank the staff for all that they did to make it such a good tour, to Mr. Phillis, Mr. Cook, Mrs Cook and Danny Laslett.
We stayed with members of Fairmont High School over the next few days. In our match with their First Eleven we managed a 5-1 victory in very unconvincing style, leaving us slightly concerned, as our next match was a grudge match against our South African exchange school, Hilton College. The following morning we departed from Fairmont and went to the airport, where we caught our flight to Durban. Upon arrival at Durban we visited a "Cultural Zulu Village", which claimed to be "an experience never to be forgotten". Sadly it will be remembered only for the 'fantastic' dancing and random use of English expressions. That evening we arrived at Hilton College and were treated to first class accommodation in the best boarding house in the school; 25 boys in a dorm with a bare, splintered wooden floor. We did however get an enormous supper, which set us up nicely for what the next day had in store. After breakfast at 8:15, Dave Farrar decided to take the team on a 3-hour walk across the Hilton estate. After visiting waterfalls and climbing some very steep cliffs in the heat of the day we arrived back just in time for lunch and with only two hours before the first match. With some hasty preparation we were ready in time and, following the 2nd XI match, the First Eleven match began. In a game with flashes of brilliance from both sides, though with the needle one would expect from a 'local derby' neither side really got going. The 1st XI managed an early goal and they were able to restrain a daunting strike force to only two goals. With King's scoring another late in the game it ended a hardfought and well-earned draw. The following day we played Hilton's main rivals, Michaelhouse, at the Hilton astro. Wth less than 24 hours rest from the previous match and walk, we were very tired and in a poor game managed to concede two goals, with no reply. Sadly, the match was cut short by twenty minutes because of pitch bookings. Michaelhouse hosted us superbly that evening with a fine meal, interrupted by the news that one of our number had caught chicken pox. Not the thing to get several thousand miles from home and in the middle of a very exciting and full itinerary. Both Michaelhouse and Kearsney, our next host school, were brilliant in al they did for James and for us. We were absolutely shattered by the time that we played Kearsney. It was a game too far. Again we had less than 24 hours between games and although we did well to hold them in the first ¡ half to a draw the floodgates opened in the second half when we run out of legs. We had one more game against Northwood. It was good to finish on a high thought the second Eleven found it difficult playing on grass. As we said our farewells to Northwood we also said farewell to KwaZulu-Natal. We were off to Sun City for a good rest. There we were able to relax by the pool and see this amazing place built in the middle of the South African bush. Our last taste of civilisation before we headed up to Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls was a wonderful experience. A sunset cruise on the Zambesi is a very fine way to start the 'traditional' African experience. Some of us did a bungy jump off Victoria Falls Bridge, 111 meters above the Zambesi. To raft on it the following day was awesome. After the rafting, we camped beside the river on a small beach. Many of us slept under the stars which are brighter and clearer than THE CANTUARIAN,
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THE RESULTS
The Tour party consisted of 2 teams. We always played a 1st XI match, the second match was at either Under 16- a 2nd XI level depending on the School. The under 16 side went through the tour unbeaten, a very great achievement given the quality of the opposition. 1st XI 2nd XI ~ U16 XI
P 7 3 4
W 3 1 4
L 2 1 0
D 2 1 0
The Tour Party: Sam Traill (Captain) , James Alder, Henry Aldridge, Jamie Andrews, James Audsley, Richard Bayley, Greg Edmunds, James Ellis, David Farrar (Vice captain), Stuart Finlayson, Toby Hayes, Oliver Harvey, Miles Leahy, Blain McGuigan, James Mainwaring, Leo Nathan, Ian Nunn, George Pound, Stuart Rau, Tom Steibelt, John Stubbs, Ed Wacher, Henry Wacher, Richie Young, William Young STUART FINLAYSON (GL) JOHN STUBBS (GL)
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1ST XI SOCCER TOUR TO SEVILLE After the gruelling demands of the Michaelmas term, the 1st XI squad set out for Seville on 16th Decem~er. With the ~ddition of Mr Thornby to help CPN With the coachmg the squad was in a quietly confident mood. After a day of tiring travel the lads settled down in the hotel in the centre of Seville and enjoyed the picturesque surroundings of this beautiful city. The first ev~ning bonding_ s~s.sion involved causing chaos on the_nver Guadalqmvir m the pedalo boats, while the coachmg staff patrolled the waters in their speedboat. !~e sec~nd day was dedicated to some light traim~g, With CPN and MJTh ironing out some techmcal ':"eaknesses and practising our set play ploys. That evem~g we were .able to attend the Betis-Gij6n match, which was a fatrly uneventful affair with the home side running out 1-0 winners. ' After two days of relative inactivity the boys were desperate to play some real football, so we travelled to nearby Carmona for our first triangular tournament. We drew our first match against Salmarina from Cadiz with Dave 'Viduka' Arnold netting our first goal with wonderful composure; sadly this was cancelled out by a soft goal conceded shortly afterwards. Carmona then beat Salmarina 2-0 and looked really impressive. However, we had nothing to fear, for James 'Macca'Macfarlane put us in front in the first minute and we held out bravely for a 1-0 win to clinch the triangular tournament. Fred Williams was outstanding at the back. O_n Tl!esday 19th we travelled to the Vistalegre stadmm m Utrera_ to play their local side. The spirit in the camp was high, but we soon realised that the o~position were rather special. They thrashed us 7-1, With Ray Owens notching a splendid consolation goal tow_ards the end of the game. The boys never ca~Itulated a~d kept trying to play right to the final whistle, despite the quality of the opposition, who
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pas.sed and moved with great aplomb from the first whistle to t~e las~. Johnny 'Nutter' Wyand had a great match, chasmg tirelessly throughout. Simon Darroch also pull~d off the save of the week. After the game the coaches Informed us that Utrera play in the Second Division of the National Youth League! On Wednesday we had another triangular tournament against EcijaA and B teams¡ we lost 1-0 to Ecija A, but managed to draw with Ecija B after a splendid solo goal frol? young Tom Ready. Rupert Colchester was excellmg as cameraman with his repertoire of witticisms. On Thursday we made our way to Marinaleda, near Estepa, where we had won the tournament the previous y~ar. A!ter a visit to a mantecado factory we were disappomted to draw 0-0 with the hosts, who were then beaten by the regional outfit of the Peloteros de la Sierra Sur. We felt we could beat the Peloteros, especially when Macca put us ahead with a fine finish. Unfortunately, two defensive lapses saw us go down 2-1. Th~ final da_y was spent resting and Christmas shoppmg and m the evening Gabi Calderon the Arge1_1tinian international who had come over to IGng's to tram _us last ~arch_, visited us in the hotel to give us a coaching sessiOn with UEFA videos. . In the evening the party enjoyed the delights of the city, under the watchful eye of Mr T. All in all the tour was great fun and a wonderful learning curve. Many thanks to Mr Newbury and Mr Tho~by and a special thank you to Mrs Newbury for orgamsing the tour for us again. ~quad: Dave Arnold, Tom Bruce, Robbie Chapman, Fehx Colchester, Rupert Colchester, Simon Darroch, Peter Gardiner (Capt.), Richard Gordon-Williams Charlie Harrel, Ollie Humphrey, James Macfarlane: J~son Margetts, Ray Owens, Tom Ready, Paul Valente, Tim Walker, Fred Williams, John Wyand. Players' player of the tour: Fred Williams PETER GARDINER (GR)
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IMAGINATIVE WRITING Nicolo Luccini (TR, Rb}
Apocalypse
Sweat condensed on the young mans pale cheeks, trickling from the bright pink line gouged around his eyes by his standard issue all American flying goggles. He wore the standard canvas green overall speckled with pins and badges, memories of a distant childhood. His strong hands gripped the dark shabby leather that encased the tarnished steel steering shaft mass-produced in a lifeless pit. The poor voluntary ladies thinking that they were helping their young lads by banging together some tin hulk that was meant to win the war. Instead the scent of nervous sweat mixed with cheap stinking leather condensed on the glass panelling preventing the pilot from any way enjoying the thrill and great panorama available from such heights. The boy twisted and contorted his back squirming from side to side in a desperate attempt to release tension and a faint pain amongst his bones. A violent slam of his neck from side to side sent two deadening cracks in succession in through the back of the lad's brain achieving an immense release of tension. He re-arranged his buttocks on the scantily padded seat whilst trying to suppress an oncoming yawn signifying a significant loss of focus. He now peered hard ahead through the filth hazed screen at the huge imposing ridge, a carcass reaching along the breath of the horizon, huge, dry bones splintering into the sky, it's spine plumbing deep below the dark satanic fields. This bony spine was backed onto the dim evening sun barely visible to the young pilot peering downwards on to the abandoned rice paddies swirling in the wind, each wave of movement a sign to the lonely boy in that bleak manufactured cockpit. His muscles rippled along the surface of his face, a twitch he had subconsciously maintained since the start of his posting in north-eastern china. The young man turned his eyes either side watching the others within his formation swoop over the rock spattered ridge, sending gusts rumbling through the sparse vegetation. His breathing shortened into erratic gasps through his mouth, whilst his diaphragm tensed sending an uneasy pulse through his gut. The ridge was now in the immediate foreground, the malcoordinated fumbling of the engine grew to a climax, and harder and louder the cheap steel battled the grease. A maddening silence put the oil engulfed engine to a pause~ it's constant off beat thud, like an array of crippling punches to the gut by some insane criminal, his victim writhing for air through grease dribbling from the corners of his mouth. All is suspended and pilot's yearning face slouched, with closing eyes his presence at home alone on his doorstep saluting the bars and stars. A sudden feeling of weightlessness inflated his lungs driving straight through his organs whilst he took a fulfilling breath. A crippling jolt of light ripped the pilot awake, molesting his eyes until the unbearable sting sent tears plunging from the corners of them, swooping down like birds of prey. Ahead was a blanketed dark landscape illuminated by a feeble glow from the westerly horizon. The beautiful Chinese pagoda, an ornate focus mounted on an orange background marked the target. The elaborate ancient curves were placed at each corner of the tower, like feathers; delicate plumes sprung from the terracotta tiles fashioned from various precious metals for the once forbidden dynasties. To the left of this imposing turret, the once serene Chinese countryside was desecrated by numerous hangars and warehouses standing emotionless on the baked earth; these being products of the over efficient warlords who sullied the land only a number of years prior. The span of these mustangs shadowed across the barren plains in dark thin streaks, their wings like pairs of menacing iron shoulders, the engine oil dripping over the rust. This was the sign that war had grown old, something for gallant young men aspiring to be fairy-tale heroes, defeating evil and saving the weak; a thing only confined to the depths of some children's library. Protagonists were scarce and the few left rode these antiquated rust ridden caravels plodding through the sky that were said to be the pride and glory of the modern era. Death was imminent and at times even hoped for as either side was sick of the same daily routine that moulded the healthy mind to near madness. The notion that each day one faced the same grind and rasp in a race without a beginning, middle or end. The pilot, confined to his airborne cell, like a lunatic in a state penitentiary with the same musty tasting air of cold condensed human stink. The boy clenched the steering shaft with an equal amount of vigour as he had shown previously when is anxiety mounted awaiting the revelation of the valley over the ridge. This time however he apprehended the mass bloodshed he and his squadron would evoke and then fly from without taken even a glimpse of the terror in their victim's eyes. This gesture of cowardice was necessary because if he looked straight into their eyes his morals would certainly not let him drop his load as ordered. He contemplated this revelation and concluded that in not dropping his load he would achieve the highest amount of bravery and be shot on his return. His breaths quickened, and he felt a huge weight inside his lungs pulling them shut. His throat contracted and his skin became a frantic shade of pink. Like an industrial clamp his throat muscles were prised open, his head bowed forward and with a tug from a hefty tractor his meagre rations hurtled into the tin belly, sloshing, and seeping into every rusted crevice, mingling with the spilt grease. An acid gunge clogged the boy's nostrils whilst he spluttered and choked in every gasp of air through his blocked cavities. The violent taste roughened up the surfaces of his teeth, which he ground in his habitual and disquieted manner. Tears began to flood down his cheeks rinsing the remains of his vomit down his neck, sending cold shocks across his shoulders, whilst he strived to peer through his steamy goggles and sodden eyes. He could now make out the fine detail on the illustrious pagoda; it's ethnic patterns, beautiful yellows and greens, and skilled carvings, it's huge guns pointing at him, wanting him. THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
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Hideous men perched by the weapons_; sadis!ic eyes entered into the young boys head, prising him open. Down b~l~w to !he left extended rows of Impassive shacks standing on the dust that would be blown away by t~e forgiving Wind to a place less despondent as this. This was what the prisoners wished for whilst they dispersed to the alleged security of their huts; that maybe out of chance they could fly away with the wind to a better place. He didn't drop his load. A smile rose from his strained features. The mustang was hit. He died.
Access Denied
John Wyand (SH 5b}
. He rock~d back on his chair. His eyes weighing on his mind. He put his hands on his head and rub~ed up his worn tired f~ce ~nd t~rough his black matted greasy hair. He took another sip on his "Crude Oil" cake and coffee caffeine nch mix. He looked at the screen again. ~t was awash with line after line of sprawling code. Letters and numbers in a seemingly random pattern pr~nted across th~ screen. _To this naked eye, it was just a bunch of jibberish blot to those who could translate it, It was eno?gh InformatiOn to earn yourself an early retirement. In the middle of the screen a little box had fl ashed up with a short but concise message; "ACCESS DENIED". He took. his pen f~om his jacket pocket and twiddled between his fingers as he tagged a few seemingly random th1~gs !nto his keyboard, but behind every keystroke, every touch of a key was at least three hours of c~nt~mplatJng Its c~nsequ~nces. From time to time he would jot things down as he saw first from error chng1ng computer display In front of him. h. A headache was growing at the inside of his skull and his eyes were burning. His hands were shaking and Is legs felt numb, but the feeling that this end was near and he would soon be a rich man drove him on. h Already, in places, through. the screen of code, shore through parts of a picture, the translation. From what e could see, he made out a table of some sort with some numbers already visible but without knowing what they were, they were useless. ., Bit by bit ~ore and mo~e of the translation broke through its screen of code, but still he knew not what the â&#x20AC;˘ew numbers In front of him meant. 37
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Then suddenly, something happened. The picture he had entered out of the code reverted to its original form but now the numbers were changing and moving round the screen much faster than before. Slowly the code subsided leaving an S, then a Y and then a T. He knew what this meant; it was a phony SYSTEM ERROR message issued by the database; all programmes and functions would seize up. He placed a tired hand on the list in front of him to push his wiry frame out of his chair. Click- bang. Now the screen was printed red and it seemed to spell out a most clear message: ACCESS DENIED.
Cadillac of the Sky Marina Kemp (WL, Rc) Knees knocked, the brown world seen outside my giggles Cutters and pulses into action. Accompanied by the deafening hiss Of white noise.
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Sweeping like an obscene spluttering eagle, We swerve from the flak, which comes like a hundred whips From below. Hearing only my deep, desperate breathing, We descent into suffocating chaos; Ripping the tin rooves off the shacks And hearing the billowing washing-rags from their racks As children from their mother. The bodies that I thought were dead Disperse, scattering like beetles from shadow.
Selma Oliver (WL)
"Fire" - a splattering Mexican wave of explosions fears the ground beneath. We ascent into the phosphorus-ridden sky As a plane of fire and smoke, like a mushroom, Explodes beneath us. The guttering and choking of the engine matches My racing heartbeat. As we leave the sky-born battle, I can see the calm paddy fields, And I can almost hear the cool rush of wind on grass. I sit in the back of the cockpit - always moving backwards. Everything is always moving backwards.
Reconciliation
Sophie Tholstrup {WL, 5b)
The church was filled with a sweet blue mist that curled languidly fr~m tw~ ~linting ~old i_ncense burn~rs standing at either side of the altar. The clicking of rosary beads and the pious, sibilant whisperings of kneeling figures echoed upwards to fill the vast, empty darkness above me. 1 felt painfully out of place with my bare legs and bright, eye-jarring clothes am?ng the hunched, blac~ clad women who shuffled about me, thick, woollen shawls drawn tightly .about th~I~ should~rs. From their darting, beady glances - some contemptuous, some a~gry but. none, I noticed, f?rgiVI~g or piteous - I knew that they saw me for what I was. The dull sickness In the pit of my stomach Intensified and I shuddered · involuntarily. Through the gloom of the church I could see the elaborate,. gold-vaulted ceiling beyond th~ altar. Whe~ I had last come here as a child I remembered my mother saying that that was where God lived, her vmce trembling with awe. If God sat there now, immense and intangible, surveying His church I knew I would stand out as a livid blotch of sin against a backdrop of goodness. . ~
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2000
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I don't know quite what had compelled me to go back there after so many years. I think it was a combination of factors - a growing repulsion and shame at who I was and what I did, a nagging curiosity as I passed the church every evening on my way through the safe, leafy suburbs to the seedy central district and vague memories of the happy simplicity of childhood into which the church was inextricably women. At any rate it was a stupid idea now that I came to think about it. Why should God, who I had turned my back on years ago, have any time for me now, least of all welcome me into His house, after all I had done? I had always known in the back of my mind that He existed but the fact seemed to bear little relevance to me up until now. I turned to leave the church, a lump in my throat, dizzy and nauseous, but my eye was arrested by a splash of colour to the right of alter. It was a plaster figurine of Our Lady, set into a little alcove in the wall, a ring of votive candles at her feet bathing her beautiful, serene face in their rosy, flickering light. Her arms were outstretched and I gravitated towards her, drawn, as all dark things are, by the light. Not knowing quite what I did I sank to my knees before her, a pose I generally adopted for a quite secular purpose, and gazed up at her. Her body was draped in virginal blue; her sacred, mysterious, untouched body. Her huge, brown, somnolent eyes were at once knowing and utterly innocent. Her countenance was inscrutable. Was it loathing she poured down on me from her cloud of candlelight or mercy? I could hardly bear to look at her; she must bate me so completely and feel such contempt towards me ... how could she understand me? Her life had been entirely opposite from mine, she had kept sacred what I sold every night for a fistful of change, loved and obeyed what I had rejected, she had been guided by values and morals where I had been guided by hedonism .............. . . . ... And yet something in her eyes and the gentle tilt of her pretty head suggested compassion. She understood me. She forgave me. My hand shaking with strange emotion I reached in my pocket for a coin and lit a little candle, placing it at her soot covered feet. I rose and smiled, feeling strangely calm. I left the church ignoring the disapproving glances from the bitter, snarled women. I cared nothing for their approval now that God had accepted me.
Professor Thwack's Academy for Under Achievers
Daniel Scarfe {MR, Re)
Those who merely under-achieved some of the time were sent to Mr Blather's class. Mr Blather had been at the Academy for as long as anyone (including him) could remember. He had been there so long he had automatically become the senior master, which gave him certain privileges in the common room. Slumbering like a dormant volcano in the over-stuffed armchair that was his fiercely protected territory, he was an imposing presence. The heavy silence of the smoke-filled common room was broken by the occasional belch and the mysterious rumble of his stomach, which indicated to the junior members of staff, with unfailing accuracy, that luncheon was about to be served in the Great Hall, causing an immediate stampede towards the Hall for the unfortunate few who had yet to discover the delights served by Mr Sizzel. The Head chef had recently released Peckham Poisoner, and in the opposite direction for those who had. Serious underachievers, on the other hand were awarded to Mr Bellow where they stood little chance of any academic advancement. Roll calls in Bellow's class were his chance to exert his authority. His feeble whimper, drowned out by the din of his rebellious charges stood no chance, however. "Prattle?" he squeaked, but Prattle ignored him totally. "Gibber?" he enquired. "Absent" reported Gibber amusingly and Bellow marked his name with a cross. "Guzzel?" he yelped, but Guzzel had buried his head in his tuck-box and was completely oblivious to Bellows' mumbles. The rest of the class were equally unimpressed by "watch-out" Bellow (as they fondly called him). Champ, Chug and Ripple were in a corner engaged in the under 16 finals of the 3 way solitaire championships. Jingling his keys in his pocket he surveyed the swirling throng that was Shell B and with a final shimmy he scurried back to the sanctuary of the common room defeated yet again.
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REPORTS & REVIEWS MUSIC CHRISTMAS CONCERT SUNDAY 10 DECEMBER 2000 IN THE SHIRLEY HALL
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This year's Christmas concert w~s something of a departure from tradition for the music dep~rtme~t. The programme promised "a variety ..." a~d this c~mm was more than substantiated with a typical (vaned) half programme provided by the symphony o~chestra and the larger chamber ensembles; the rem~Inder of the was given over to chora~ l?erfori?ances ~Irecte~ by the school's "jazz musician In reside~ce , the internationally renowned singer Joe Lee Wilson. It was clear from the outset that Joe Lee Wilson had a far from conventional approach to handling a choral society and his relaxed, oft~n spontaneous, musicianship generated e?thusiasm a~d real engagement with the music from pupils,. and consequently, obvious enjoyment from th~ audience. All the singers involved had absorbed the Jazz/gosl?el style well and performed from memory . WI~h conviction and assurance. The choral society s contribution to the evening concluded with a reprise of "I feel a change" including a particularly fine solo guest appearance from Allissa Brookin. Next to perform, after a solo from Joe Lee. Wilson, was the chapel choir singing two complex eight part
arrangements. The sound was well blended and clear words really helped to make a stylish 12e:formanc~. The choir responded impressively to the Idwsyn~rasies of ¡ working with a real jazz musician, who~ at times, had difficulty in curbing his desire to improvise around and change rehearsed material! The whole first half was enhanced greatly by the understated yet brillia~t a~d responsive accompaniments of Joe Lee Wilson s pianist, Kirk Lightsey. After an interval that was slightly extended by a truculent oboe, the wind ensemble opened the ~econd half with a convincing performance of Richard Strauss's "Serenade for wind instruments", conducted by Kevin Abbott, the school's French ho~ teacher. There were plenty of musically in~elhgent solo passages and some tight ensemble playing, only very occasionally marred by lack of tone and p~or intonation. This was followed by some expressive Puccinni from the string orchestra under the direction of Head of Strings, Andrew Pollock. There was b~th warmth and control in this polished performance, _with some particularly good playing from the lower stnngs. The symphony orche~tra provi.ded the concert:s finale with three very different pieces: Beethoven s "Coriolanus" overture, Sibelius's "Finlandia" and Glinka's well known prelude to "Ruslan and Ludmilla". Each section of the orchestra had, at some point, the opportunity to excel itsel~: the br~ss a~d percussion were vibrant and appropnately stndent In
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the Sibelius; the woodwind fluid and expressive in the Beethoven and the strings both confident and agile in the "Russian and Ludmilla" prelude. This was competent and mature playing from the orchestra which responded to the various styles of the music and to Colin Metters' s direction. The concert overall was thoroughly enjoyable and demonstrated great breadth of ability, although the two halves of the concert might perhaps have worked even better had they been swapped over. T.D.N.
unlikely that there was enough computing power in 1970), this is an entertaining and very readable account of forty years of endeavour in space. Of course it is a 'science' book and Jonathan Allday does not shirk the mathematics and physics needed to explain what needs to be done to launch craft into space. But anyone with a training in A Level science (not necessarily Physics) would understand enough to work through (or at least skip through) the three or four chapters where the principles of space flight are discussed. It is well worth not skipping too much, though, since the author has many imaginative ways of putting across the concepts. The book is well illustrated with photographs (and the author lists the websites where the reader can find more.). It is a book about international politics: the race between the USA and the USSR during the 1950s was about prestige but also a by-product of the technology required for inter-continental ballistic missiles. The Russians launched the first satellite, Sputnik I, in 1957: for them it was 'a logical result of the free development of science and technology under socialism, a system which provides limitless scope to the talents and genius of man working for the benefit of society'. This sounds rather hollow now. In fact both countries were relying at that stage on the German rocket scientists who had been developing rocket-propelled planes and missiles during World War II. Sputnik delivered a wake-up call to the USA. (Among other results was the introduction of a new science-teaching programme.) It is also a book about the triumphs of the imagination of Man, or translating what was once the stuff of science fiction into science fact. It is a book about how those who had faith in what technology could achieve were allowed to try to put theicideas into practice, and the faith and courage of the human beings who were involved in manned flights. It is about the vision of the Earth when it was seen for the first time from the surface of the Moon - pictures shown on television programmes on Christmas Eve 1968 - 'a view of the Earth that showed no political, racial or geographical boundaries'. This at a time for Americans of civil rights protests, the Vietnam war, and the assassinations of John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King. How many people, all over the world, must have watched the TV broadcasts of the splashdown of the returning astronauts in the Pacific Ocean? The landing of men on the Moon created a similar sensation. Rather as people of a certain age can remember where they were when they heard that President Kennedy had been assassinated, people of a similar age can remember the first landing on the Moon. I can remember driving back to Canterbury from Folkestone one night and looking at the Moon and realising with wonder that for the first time there were men on it. The book deals with a lot of the interesting domestic detail of space flights: what do astronauts eat, and, additionally, how do they eat it when in free fall ? How do they move about? How do they sleep? The book does not end with Apollo. It goes on to discuss the space shuttle programme (with a good account of the drama of the countdown before launching), and likely future developments, the construction of the
REVIEW OF HARVEY/GALPINS HOUSE CONCERT SATURDAY 2ND DECEMBER IN THE SHIRLEY HALL
Organised by Caroline Jones and Alfred Williams, the Harvey and Galpin's house concert was a complete success. The audience were taken on a varied musical journey ranging from a xylophone quintet to an unaccompanied choir of twelve. Harriet Jones opened up the concert with two exquisite pieces on the xylophone. In the second piece she was joined by four others and at one point stunned us by playing with more sticks than she has hands! Charlie Harrel and Lawrence White added a comical relief from music with their well-acted performance of 'Xavier and Sebastians Amazing World of Theatre'. We were treated to many breath-taking performances such as Bach's 'Ave Maria' sung by Stephanie Hall, Etude no.3 by Chopin performed by Franklin Lancaster, and two movements from the D minor concerto by Albinoni from Tanya Hamway on the oboe. The audience were just as impressed with the lighter-hearted performances such as the well dramatised 'Don't tell Mama' by Florence Norman and the original and amusing cat duet by the Jones sisters. Two other well-received performances were another sister duo; Charlie and Amanda Harrison and Andrew Miller-Jones' slightly disturbing performance of 'I hold your hand in mine'. The concert ended splendidly with three moving songs sung unaccompanied by a Harvey and Galpin's choir led by James Outram. Most of the audience were astounded by a few unexpected musicians such as the head of Harvey, Karen Smith and the rugby playing Jack Martin! SAM UGLOW (HH)
BOOKS APOLLO IN PERSPECTIVE: SPACEFLIGHT THEN AND NOW, BY JONATHAN ALLDAY
Supposedly written in response to a student who questioned whether the landing of men on the Moon had ever taken place (since the student thought it 41
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2000
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International Space Station over the next five years - and one of the most interesting chapters is about the possibility of landing men on Mars. Colonising a planet in another solar system is also considered. Jonathan Allday writes in an engaging and flowing style and the book is never difficult to read. King's is lucky to have him on its staff!
THE LINACRE LECTURE "THE IMPACT OF SCIENCE ON ARCHAEOLOGY'' BY PROFESSOR MICHAEL TITE FRIDAY 13 OCTOBER
The annual Linacre Lecture was given this year by Professor Michael Tite of Linacre College, Oxford. It essentially involved a discussion of Archaeology and the scientific methods used in the study of Archaeology. These methods included Carbon-14 dating, which is the measurement of radioactive decay of the carbon isotope, which is not replenished after the death of an organism. Professor Tite outlined how this method has led to the dating of the agricultural spread across Europe, and indeed across the rest of the world as well. One contemporary example that Professor Tite spoke of was the dating of the Turin Shroud, said to be Christ's garment when he was crucified. The Carbon
CHRIS MILLAR
TALKS SIXTH FORM TALK ON THE USE OF ANIMALS IN THE DISCOVERY OF MEDICINE BY DR. PATRICK SINNETT-SMITH HEAD OF THE HOME OFFICE LIAISON UNIT PFIZER CENTRAL RESEARCH, TUESDAY 3 OCTOBER.
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Coaxed into going to the talk by the Biology Department, I found myself waiting for the keynote speaker, Dr. Patrick Sinnett-Smith, to set up the vast array of equipment that he would eventually use to aid him in his mission to educate the school on the advantages of 'humane' animal testing. To say that his talk was defensive would be an exaggeration. However to say that it was very balanced, well thought-out and extremely interesting would not be. The first twenty minutes of the talk consisted of an educational film, which highlighted the new techniques and procedures used by the medicine industry to make animal testing as painless and comfortable for the animals as possible. In fact the video did so well in engrossing us in his world of lab mice and computer controlled pig pens that for a large part of the documentary I was unable to do much else but feel extremely sorry for the laboratory guinea pigs, whose eyes were being squirted with puffs of air. Fortunately the audience, , who were viewing this on full-zoom television, breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief when the narrator informed us that such inhumane and cruel experiments have been consigned to the pages of the past, as they have now been replaced by computer generated simulations. In the second half, the speaker highlighted the same, citing different examples and using his career and personal experience as basis for elaborating on the improvement of medicinal science and biochemistry as a whole. He went on to explain that animal testing was an essential part of medicine without which we would not have most of the vaccines and drugs available to us today. Citing examples of the AIDS virus he said that the continuance of 'humane' animal testing was of vital importance to the development of any kind of vaccine. The audience was very much split on their views about animal testing before the talk and remained the same after, but at least they could now make an informed decision as to which side of the ethical ¡dilemma they belonged to. And they have only Dr. Patrick SinnettSmith and his talk to thank for that.
dating method proved categorically that the shroud was not old enough to have been worn by Christ at the time of crucifixion. Other forms of dating include thermoluminescence, used to date pottery, from measurements of radioactive impurities. Though not as accurate as Carbon dating this method has proved extremely useful as a means of authentification. Professor Tite was informative on the subject of DNA and dietary studies, which he said, had led to the 'out of Africa', model of the origins of man. He also highlighted the fascinating fact that as much as 10% of our genetic make-up resulted from agriculture. It has also led to the conclusion that the west did not bring tuberculosis to the Americas but that it existed in Peru 1000 years ago! Artefact studies have shown how and why tools were made, and their progression such as that of Copper from ornamental to tool use. This was a very informative talk given by Professor Tite and was certainly one of the most interesting Linacre Lectures of recent years. CHRis UHDE (LN)
AMBAR WALIA (MO)
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN
2000
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GEORGE SPENCELY"TO FOLLOW A STAR"
DR SIMON VICKERS 'ASIA AT THE MILLENNIUM' THE SCHOOLROOM
THURSDAY 2 NOVEMBER
TUESDAY14NOVEMBER
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Mr. George Spencely
This eagerly a~aite~ talk by George Spencely, the worl~-renowned mtrepid explorer, was everything it proffil~ed to be and more. Definitively spry and full of
enthusiasm, he was able to give us a taste of what life as an explorer really was like, something all of us have at some stage in our lives secretly wanted to become but th.at is at the same time very remote from our ow~ expenences.
Dr S~mon V:i~kers, currently a lecturer in politics an~ As~an po~Ittcs at Exeter University, has had a vaned, mterestm·g·and succe~sfullife revolving largely ar~:mnd the politics of Asia. Having completed a Htstory degree ~rom. Uniyersity College, Oxford, he travelled to Delhi Umverstty to further his studies and widen his cultural experiences.
The sizeable audience were kept enthralled throughout ~!th h!s tales (some· taller than others) of many ~xpedi~IOns m mountainous areas throughout the world mcludmg Antarctica and Iran as well as more traditi?~al expeditions such as Everest. Many of the expeditions were for the .purposes of surveying or s~onsored by large companies but he also often worked w~th school children, leading pioneering expeditions with smal~ . groups of surprisingly young people demon~tra~mg that such fe~ts are within our grasp if the detefffilnatwn to succeed IS there. The descriptions of week-long b~izzards, p~ecipitous drops and the desperate. tact~cs of survival were accompanied by b~eathtaJ?ng shdes ~fall ~he expeditions, demonstrating his ~onsiderable skill With the lens and bringing the exotic places and people he encountered home to the audience. One ~f the stories was particularly poignant as on o~e of his expeditions his lifelong friend and compamon was tragically killed in an accident reminding the audience of the risk and danger alway~ present on such expeditions which is not apparent from the beautiful pictures which are the result. . Few are able to claim to have achieved so much in the course of their lives to be proud of, although one sensed that the age of great explorers is sadly no more. Nonetheless he fired the audience with his enthusiasm ca~sing many of us to reconsider our long-lost childhood dreams of becoming famous explorers and treading the unknown.
~e began by telling a compact but interested audience some anecdotes from his time in India and outl~ning ho~ he graduated through the ranks of the foreign servtce and eventually into a senior position under Governor Chris Patten in a then British ruled Hong. Kong. Perhaps one of the most interesting facets o! this tal~ ~er~ Dr Vickers' views on the many differences m .varwus Asian and Western cultures and the ways in which they mirrored the deeds of those cultures throughout history. He spoke, for example of the natur~l subservi~nce .and awar~ness of bureaucr~cy of the C~mes~, and tmphed that thts perhaps explained the settlmg mto Communism of the world's most populated nation. The q~estion a~d answer session following what was a vaned, amusm~ and interesting talk, only served to c~mpound the feelmg that Dr Vickers, was not only passiOnate about his subject, but also extremely well versed in it. ~h~ audience, understandably, was ~omew~at ~pecta~Ised and many had a particular mterest m thts subject. Despite this, Dr Vickers was not the only one surprised by the likes of Rebecca Sam?rook's extraordinary depth of knowledge in certam areas of East Asian politics! It was a pleasure listening to Dr Vickers who was el~q?ent, fascinating and very amusing at times. His O~I11:10ns an? theory were well informed and highly ongmal, which leant an appealing educational value to this talk.
THOMAS HOPKINSON (MO)
SACHIN PREMNATH (MO)
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2000
image of her answering Kate's piercing questions, face smeared with bilberry juice) to heartrending misery as the stem, protective Kate shouted at her. Lucy Hovey defied shallow accusations of typecasting in her resolutely three-dimensional portrayal of Kate by never letting her guard down. Lucy once gave me some chocolate; Kate gave no ground as she ruled the house~old's fina?ci~l and emotional arrangements, strugglmg to mmntam the reputation of the sisters. For me the highlight of the play's superb array of images was the contrast between four of the warmly lit dancing sisters and Kate, primly dancing alone on the other side of the set. Lucy allowed us to empathise with her character without making her too sympathetic, and was superbly in control of each heartfelt gesture and outburst. Becca Frere and James Ellis seemed to light up the stage whenever they shared their intimate scenes: despite James' cruel side parting he displayed great charm, strong vocal projection and variation and an ability to draw a laugh without going against the tone of the play. Becca showed us what an underrated actress she has been thus far in the school by giving a flawless performance- she reacted naturally and in character to every line or movement on set and brought something of herself to the demanding role of Chris, the only sister to enjoy onstage romance in the play. She seemed to feel every subtle change of emotional distance between Chris and Gerry, and matched the rest of the cast in her precision of movement and gesture (a certain former drama teacher at King's would have approved.) Her scenes with Gerry (Ellis) were warm, nervous, funny and serious- an entirely believable portrayal of love, in other words. We all know Rebecca Hamway is a gifted comic actress, but in addition to impeccable timing for her amusing lines she gave us, as Maggie, a fully rounded
DRAMA THE SCHOOL PLAY DANCING AT LUGHNASA (KATE (TO JACK) YOU USED TO PICK BILBERRIES DO YOU REMEMBER?)
THURSDAY23-SUNDAY26NOVEMBER
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Dancing at Lughnasa seems to be a play about memory, its eight characters constantly telling stories about a happier past and struggling to come to terms with the present. Throughout the beautifully ac~ed performance in St. Mary's Hall there was a pervadmg sense of sadness, - culminating in a moving if understated speech from the play's narrator character where the tragic, ignominious fates of the sisters from County Donegal were revealed. Mark Creswell gave a charming performance as Michael, who addresses the audience before stepping into character as the son of one of the five povertystricken sisters whose simple lives were so elegantly portrayed. He did well to deliver his long spee~hes with such force, and if his body tended to be a httle rigid his face was wonderfully expressive. His character set the scene in a Brechtian fashion, belying the primarily naturalistic feel of the play. Director Chris Banfield's programme notes gave us a hint of the incredible amount of work that had gone into employing Stanislavski's methods of role-preparation, and he was rewarded by performances from each actor which showed them feeling emotions rather than 'acting' them. Ellie Short gave us perhaps the best range of emotions, her character Rose allowing her to jump from childlike coyness (there remains an enduring
Kate Snow, Rebecca Hamway, Ellie Short. (MPHD)
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN
2000
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Rebecca Frere, James Ellis. (MPHD)
character: her long speech as she recalled 'a dance in Ardstraw' was as evocative as it was moving. Dancing throughout the play stands as a metaphor for happiness, something that Chris Banfield was evidently aware of as he gave us moments of exhilarating joy when the sisters or Gerry forgot themselves for a moment. His set gave plenty of space for the actors, and that he got such detailed and controlled performances from them is a testament to his skills and personality: there was a very real sense that the actors were enjoying themselves, despite the pessimism of much of the play, and this must be attributed to Mr Banfield's personable if involved directorial style. Kate Snow proved an excellent judge of character in her performance as Agnes: she took us through a range of genuine joy and sadness while giving the other actors space to perform their more extroverted roles. Again the work on Stanislavki was evident in her convincing and natural performance, a task performed equally well under difficult circumstances by Ambar Walia as the mentally unstable Jack. His naturally quiet voice was sometimes lost to those of us in the back few rows, but in a production of great first entrances his stood out in my mind. He used his natural stage presence to change the tone of a scene entirely, silencing the other characters as he entered and spoke. His Jack was comic and tragic, softly spoken and
sympathetic as he struggled to remember his 'vocabulary'perhaps symbolic for his reintegration into the extended family where he has been replaced as the dominant figure by Kate. Clever touches were evident throughout the production, the director aided as ever by Steve Bree's seemingly unlimited technical knowhow. Particularly effective was a film explaining the 1936 setting, which faded from the projection cloth to allow a view of the actors frozen in tableau for the start of the play. It was as fresh an opening as I have ever seen. Apart from the occasional lapse in pacing, notably when cast got trapped sitting down at the table, it is hard to fault this production of a difficult but rewarding play, and I have every hope that Mr Banfield's future work will continue to match the standards of emotional impact, superlative acting and strong imagery set by his debut at King's. LAWRENCE WHITE (GL)
THE BROUGHTON AND TRADESCANT HOUSE PLAY 'CONFUSIONS' BY ALAN AYCKBOURNE SATURDAY 7TH/ SUNDAY 8TH OCTOBER 2000 IN THE ST. MARY'S HALL
Having never seen 'Confusions', and never having seen a St. Augustine's play, which are reputed to be amongst the best, I was pleased to be asked to review it. 'Confusions' is a set of five (the last of which was omitted) one act plays; situations which allow us to eavesdrop on peoples lives. These particular situations betray insecurities common to humanity; and, rather like Hamlet's 'mirror held up to nature' reflect, through comedy the tragedy of modem society. The director's note in the programme ominously proclaimed, 'This play is one of words, and one of people who do not listen'. The appropriately simple staging seemed to substantiate this claim. A couch festooned with nappies and stuffed toys stood out in the blackness aided, only by general cover lighting. 45
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
and more outrageous, yet failing to get the audience's sympathy. Indeed I doubt that I was alone considering the number of warne~ in the audience, in deriving a malicious delight in his total failure in seducing Paula (Lara Akers-Douglas). She revealed her parasitic intensions, to get as many drinks out of him as possible, slightly too early on with cold, monosyllabic answers to Harry's conversational attempts. AkersDouglas did well portray Paula's leading on of Harry, especially when he asks about her marital status and whether she 'sleeps around'. Moving in for the kill, he gives her his room number and offers her a double bed a bottle of vodka and the inevitable consequences. VVhen the professional, Bernice (Charlotte Cray) arrives on the scene Harry is defensive, stumbling off to get more drinks whilst she douses herself with perfume, almost 'putting her armour on'. Cray was certainly physically, if not so much verbally aggressive and Harry is, in a sense, conquered and it is demonstrated by his ordering them a taxi. Easily underestimated is the waiter, played with all the correct deference by Daniel Schwartz.
(lemma Leslie, WL)
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Mother figure As soon as the music and the chortling ceased, Lucy (Rebecca Hamway) burst into the set. Exuding an immediate aura and stage presence which we have come to expect from her, Hamway was anchored by ridiculous psycadelic night wear. At first one thought that she was playing the archetypal harassed mum, with three unseen children, yet her desolation soon became clear when one realised that she could only use baby-talk. The mousy neighbour, Rosemary (Aislinn Mulligan) reveals Lucy's marriage problem by asking why she answers the phone, only to replace the receiver. Hamway was careful not to play to the audience's compassion, as this would have alienated her. Rosmary's insecurities are explained by the arrival of her husband, the raucous Terry (Oliver Butler). Lucy immediately reduces him to the level of a child, and Butler gave good play to this transformation. Bickering between the couple, where Mulligan was acting at her best, culminates in Rosmary sticking her tongue out at Terry, who promptly slaps her in return. After Lucy produces 'Mr. Paddle' to calm the 'children', they depart hand in hand. After a surreptitious set change overseen by James Murden and Leonie Hamway the second scene kicked off.
Between mouthfuls In this classic theatrical cliche two unhappy couples, both of whom have one member in an affair with the other, find themselves eating in the same restaurant. The playing of Martin, the workaholic who ignores his attractive wife, by Timothy Barnes was the definite
Drinking companion Leo Nathan played the comic Harry with skill in this scene. The providence of his accent was enigmatic ... Essex, maybe, I thought. A few moments later my suspicions were confirmed, Harry proudly declared that he was from Luton. Lubricated by increasing amounts of alcohol he became more THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN
2000
(lemma Leslie, WL)
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(lemma Leslie, WL)
highlight here. I cannot remember one moment, when the audience were not in hysterics. Massive glasses with at least an inch of lens told us almost all we needed to know about him. The voice, which Barnes interpreted masterfully, and which I know is one of his specialities, was superb. His wife, Polly (Claudia Kennaugh) completely ignores his ramblings about conferences and promotions, being too concerned about the presence of his boss, with whom she is having an affair. The tension certainly came through in her adamant refusal to join the Pearce's table. Pearce (William Baldry) is the arrogant, ruthless, high handed businessman who extends no courtesy to the waiter. His wife cold and irritable wife was played well by Rossie Ashton, particularly when she made a fuss about ordering the food. The waiter, (Alexander Quayle) is pivotal in this situation because what we har ~ s what he ¡ hears and whilst understanding his Importance, Quayle resisted the temptation to steal the limelight. When all is revealed, the waiter carries on his duties as Polly storms out, furious that Martin is more concerned about his job prospects than her unfaithfulness.
Mills) is desperate for companionship, his only friends being a collection of cigarette cards. Hoping for some sympathy, he goes to talk to Beryl (Julia Hulme), who has clearly had her fair share of companionship, and certainly does not want that of the awkward and ill dressed Arthur. Yet she still sees fit to attach herself to the respectable looking Charles (Nicolo Luciani), the ultimate pessimist who claims that he doesn't 'go around boring people', which would appear to be what all the chru:acters are doing. Katie Redstone played her part of Doreen particularly well, with market imitation tiger skins and matching accent. Her 'yyynaawww's' were especially funny, both in themselves and through their repetition. Doreen is paranoid about men, yet fascinated by them. Her dog acts as a substitute male companion. Ernest (Michael Page) well expresses the shock any man would when Doreen sets upon him. He is a rebel who is dogged by his own superficiality and tempted to take the easy route out. VVhilst being very funny, hilarious in parts, 'Confusions' does provide implicitly stem comment on society. We were reminded of our own failings, especially by the last comment 'might as well talk to yourself' . It was clear that most of those on stage had got into character particularly well as they conveyed the core message whilst keeping us entertained. This was MLs first play at King's and certainly steps him off on the right footing, we look forward to more. 'Confusions' was, on reflection, all that a house play should be: it was amusing, it was light hearted and it got people involved. JAMES BERRY (MR)
A talk in the park The fourth scene is by far the most difficult to act. It is a slow scene and heralds something of a change in mood for the audience, especially after the fast pace humour of the previous scenes. However, in a way the audience didn't want to get their breath back. The mundane themes of loneliness and misunderstanding are explored through the unwanted conversations of a group of people seated on park benches. Arthur (Tom
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THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN
2000
SOCIETIES & ACTIVITIES The Tuesday evening sessions began with a flourish with considerable fresh talent, mainly from Luxmoore. This diminished as the term went on and indeed there were one or two Tuesdays when there were not enough players to furnish even one table. The highlight of the term was Lizzi Milligan and Toby Hayes coming third in the October Schools Simultaneous pairs with the impressive score of over 71%. A select group also participated in-the National Under 19 Pairs. The King's heat was won by Charles Rix and William Har~ottle .a nd this may have given them the opportunity of playing in the final at the Young Chelsea Bridge dub on Easter Monday. G.D.W. BRIDGE
"This house has no confidence in Her Majesty's Government." The first King's Parliament debate of the year began with a bang. The Labour party took on the Conservative party to prove that they were worthy of being in power. The standard of debating was high and many issues were discussed such as The Millennium Dome, Section 28, The NHS, Northern Ireland, Education as well as the legalisation of cannabis. With the speaker, Mr P. Teeton Esp. presiding over the debate, the Leader of the Conservative party, James Berry (MR), started off the speeches with an argument littered with puns which drew much laughter from the ample audience. He gave a charismatic speech that drew many cries of 'shame' and 'here, here' and towards the end, he suggested that the leader of the Labour party, Aidan Hargitt (GR), wanted to legalise cannabis for his own personal enjoyment. Her Majesty's Government argued back through their leader, with an attacking speech, which broke down a lot of the opposition's arguments and pointed out a lot of holes in the opposition's defence, with Mr. Hargitt proving that he was a sound and natural debater. The Deputy leader of the Conservative party, Sarah Johnson (WL) backed up her leader well with a concise and well delivered speech that touched on all the major relevant points which impressed the audience greatly. Alfred Williams (GL), the deputy Prime Minister tried to attack what she had said and again we were delivered a speech that was full of jibes and puns which made The Deputy leader of the Conservative party get quite riled up. At this point the speaker had to intervene to stop the personal insults from being hurled. The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Hayden Wood (MR) gave a well-rounded speech on the government's financial and economic situation. He was a confident speaker and his points made the Labour government out to be an ineffective force that spent money unwisely and gained no results. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Oliver Humphrey (MT) took the Shadow Chancellor's accusations in his stride and then touched upon the Conservative government's ineffectiveness as well as the fact that it was their idea about having a Millennium Dome in the first place. This set off a new set of arguments during 'question time' with some good points being drawn from the honourable members of the house. The Conservative party obviously had an edge as they toppled the Labour party by 84 votes to 42. It was not forgotten though, that the Labour party fought well with Mr. Hargitt proving he was an able leader with good support from Mr. Humphrey and Mr. Williams. All in all it was an excellent and interesting debate and maybe a glimpse into the future of tomorrow's politicians. RAJAA BANDA (JR) KING'S PARLIAMENT
'Going Potty'- a three week experiment with ancient technology. The aim of this term's project was to find out actually how hard it was for the Greeks to make and decorate their pottery, and whether we could be as talented as they were. We began with a talk from Miss Taylor which demonstrated the range of different sizes and shapes of pots which the ancients used and developed this into a discussion of the types of designs to be found on the pottery : surfaces were initially covered with geometric patterns but figured scenes from myth soon became popular as artists wished to show off their skill with the new techniques of the painting styles. We then had some practice at decorating curving surfaces by drawing our own designs on blown up balloons. After this, we imitated the 'black figure' style by sketching some designs on paper and covering them first with orange oil pastel and then with black. We scratched off the black pastel to reveal our designs. This was quite a painstaking process but the effects were striking; In the second session, we started to get into the technical side and learnt about the glazes which were used. We then transferred out designs onto clay tiles up in the Pottery. While it was simpler to work on a flat surface, it was still difficult to see exactly where we were 'painting' as the glazes are the same colour as the clay tile. Tqe colour changes only occur as a result of chemical reactions which take place during firing in the kiln. We also used more modem coloured glazes to act as a comparison. PATER SOCIETY
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2000
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Alfred Williams moulding his pot. (JAT)
Lottie Sterck (JAT)
. The f~llowing week, when the tiles had had a chance to dry, we made our own outdoor kiln using bricks coated with a nnxture of sawdust, sand and clay. Our tiles were placed inside, the kiln was sealed and the fire was lit. Miss Edw.ards supervised t~e firin~ ovemig~t and emptied the kiln when it had cooled. As was to be expected, a few of the tiles had been spmled dunng the finng, and all had to be cleaned up as they were coated in soot. Our efforts were not quite as perfect as the Greeks' but they were a pretty good first attempt! We also had the opportunity to try our hand at throwing pots and had a few goes on the potter's wheel. This really proved not to be as easy as it looks, and the result was a few very wobbly vases! JT- More illustrations can be seen on the Classics webpage on www.kings-school.co.uk
LOTTIE STERCK (JR)
StPeter's School SOCIAL SERVICES Social Services is an activity open to the whole school, especially those involved with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme; the activity is run by Madame Davis and Miss Reidy. Fo! those wh? are part of this activity, there is a variety of choices available, such as swimming with disabled children, helpmg at the homeless centre, at schools or at charity shops and visiting the elderly or those in hospital. On Wednesday afternoons, we help at St Peter's School with Annabelle Brice, Catherine Blanford and Hannah Hiester. We help with a variety of age groups ranging from 4 - 11. We have listened to people read, shared our artistic talents and P.E. skills and investigated the future layout of Canterbury city centre. As the term has progressed, we have w~tched .the new building grow and seen the Nativity play. It has been most rewarding experience and we hope to contmue this next term. VICTORIA 0' DOHERTY (MT) AND GEORGINA ROWAN (MT).
Duke of Edinburgh Oreinteering (ARW)
Victoria Parrish, Mel Macan, Suzi Gentles (ARW)
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2000
St Anselm's I have been working at St Anselm's Catholic School for the past term. On a Wednesday afternoon year 7 (aged 11) have double maths. I sit among the children and help them when they have problems. There is another teacher who assists the main teacher so there are 3 of us for 22 children I really enjoy it and look forward to it every week ....but I don't think I will become a teacher!. It has been a really good experience and I am really glad I did it! FELICITY RUGGLES-BRICE (BR) Helping brings rewards I really look forward to Wednesday afternoons, spending time with Martin and his family. It is such an enjoyable experience that it does not seem like a service at all. Martin is three years old and has cerebral palsy, which means that he is paralysed and can barely move his arms and his legs. His parents did not accept the diagnosis given to them in Britain that Martin would never be able to do anything. They took him to the Institution Human Potential in Philadelphia where he was given an intensive physiotherapy programme to carry out every day with the aim of training his brain to creep and crawl and eventually walk. I help with onee afternoon session of Martin's ,phys\otherapy. Three people are required to pattern him, this involves on person turning his head form side to side, and the other two on the other side move his arms and legs. This is done five times for about five minutes each time. Martin is not able to talk but he is always smiling and laughing and being with him, his Mum and the other helpers is a highlight of my week. GEMMA CUNNINGHAM (MT)
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Junior Inter- House Competition 2000 Debating Society Round 1: This house believes that 'Big Brother' was an insult to humanity. In only its second year the Junior Debating season began with a battle of the sexes, Harvey and Broughton opposed the motion while Meister Omers and Tradescant were for the motion. The majority of the audience had obviously watched the relatively new programme, as the floor had their own firm opinions on the matter, illustrated by their points of information. Meister Omers, although nervous, were backed up by the strong Tradescant team, enabling the opposition to give strong and substantial arguments. Harvey however came out on top, with Broughton second. Round 2: This house believes that there is always a time to kill. In this debate we were joined not only by the teams but also by Luxmoore's friend 'Fred the Conker'. The joke ran through the debate and received many interesting questions from both the floor and the proposition, Walpole and Mitchinson's. Walpole (both being scholars and last year's winners) took no notice of this insolent behaviour, and handled the debate with skill and confidence. Both members of the team were obviously strong debaters, and had researched and planned interesting speeches. Charles Pemberton was voted best individual debater by Father John, for his captivating speech, in which he was able to keep the floor's attention and be bold in his clear speaking. It was Galpin's however, represented by the two newcomers, that won the day, exhibiting text-book debating manners. Walpole were surprised to come to second. Round 3: This house believes that science has rendered God meaningless. The dictionaries came out in full force, resulting in a ban on them in the next debate. Rupert Reid (opposition of Marlowe House), never short of an answer told Nick Bere, Linacre, of the proposition that his argument was correct because his dictionary was bigger than theirs! Linacre were able to fit everything in, with Philip Uhde's speech covering everything from dictionaries to dodos. At one point he was told to sit down as he could not contain his answer to one brief sentence or his temper ('This is the King's School Canterbury ... ' ). Linacre based much of their argument on 'If science has proved it, it must be correct' and so were nearly lost for words by Claire Moorcroft, of Marlowe House whose excellent point of information that 'A couple of hundred years ago the earth was scientifically "proved" to be flat, and that has since been disproved with further scientific knowledge' . Jervis were able to provide a casual approach, and obviously thoroughly enjoyed their newfound debating talent. Unfortunately they didn't reach the semi finals, as they were beaten by the winners, Marlowe, and the runners up Grange. Round 4: This house believes in teenage chastity. This topic was certainly a crowd puller, the Gateway Chamber was full to the brim with people eager to watch School House and Walpole battle it out with Broughton and Grange. Robin Bailey, of School House, opened the debate with a well prepared and presented speech. His colleague, Frank Paul, later in the debate, told us the benefits of being a virgin 'Only virgins can work in Virgin Megastores. And being a virgin also means you can sing Madonna's "Like A Virgin" with true emotion.' On the opposition James McDonald, of Grange, cracked a few funny ones, unfortunately none of those got past the censors. Sophie Tholstrup and Anna McDonald obviously felt quite strongly about this debate motion and provided strong arguments to illustrate this. The finest point of the whole year came from Aiden Hargitt, who, in reply to Sophie Tholstrup's opinion that all men think through their sexual organs asked why she felt she had to debate though hers! Broughton debated well and showed a lot of skill when answering points of information. Walpole in the end succeeded and moved through to the final. THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
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The final: This house believes in the survival of the fittest. The fittest debaters had survived and were all present for this, the last of the Junior House debates. Daniel Gray, of Galpin's, started the ball rolling with 'Derek the Dummy' . Derek gained much laughter from the floor but slightly more quizzical looks from the opposition, Marlowe and Walpole. Rupert Reid's skill at debating shone through, while he had the floor laughing at his quality catchphrases, such as 'I prefer the term built for comfort not for speed' speaking about himself. Harvey were able to provide on the spot answers for questions thrown at them from the floor while Walpole used the analogy of a turtle living both on the land and the sea as a perfect example of ability to adapt to different environments. In the end though, Dr. Liviero had to reach a decision of who would be this year's winners. Marlowe were the clear winners in his view, using both detailed understanding and immense wit to win their prizes. We believe it is appropriate to mention the Presidents of the King's School Debating Society; James Berry and Lucinda Devinish. Not only did they organise both the thought-provoking motions and the entertaining competitions, they also chaired the - sometimes heated debates as well. We now look forward to the Senior debates! JANE BERRY (MR) AND SARAH HAYNES (HH)
Alex Shannon and Rupert Reid (MR) Junior Debating Championships (Lydia Cordier, WL)
The Chapel Choir settled very quickly at the beginning of term and their performance of the CHAPEL CHOIR anthem Give us the wings of faith at the first Mattins was very musical and stylish. There . was certainly no sense of having had two rehearsal-free months. What is especially pleasing Is that the balance of the choir, both numerically and musically, reflects the co-educational nature of the school. The t~no~ and bass sc:ctions have ~radually expanded over the past few years and it is good to see more young men smgmg. The quahty of sound IS very good as well- we rarely experience the 'schoolboy shout'. The highlight of the term was, of course, the Carol Service. Penny Cox and Tom Hopkinson sang the solos in the Matin Responsory with great aplomb and set the tone for what was a very special service. The choir sang sensitively and musically throughout. But the highlight must have been the magically soft singing in Stille nacht. It was a very memorable evening. My thanks go to the choir for all their hard work and enthusiasm. S.W.S.A. The repertoire for the Autumn term was: 10 September Give us the wings offaith Bullock 24 September Thou visitest the earth Greene 8 October Insanae et vanae curae Haydn 19 November (Evensong) Nunc dimittis in E Murrill Hymn for St Cecilia Howells 13 December (Carol Service) Matin Responsory Palestrina There is no rose of such virtue Joubert Bethlehem Down Warlock The angel Gabriel Basque trad. arr Pettman Serenissima una noche Gonzalez Quem pastores laudavere 14th cent. German arr Rutter Stille nacht Gruber arr Cashmore During the first half of the autumn term the chamber choir gave a concert in St Nicholas's Church, Thanington - no mean feat given that half of the singers had only been in the choir for four weeks- and sang an item in the school's Advent service on December 3. The most high profile event, however, was on 4 November, when the Chamber Choir had the privilege of singing Choral Evensong in St Paul's Cathedral, at the invitation of the Organist and Director of Music, Mr John Scott. Having rehearsed carefully for most of the term, the choir was able to enjoy fully the experience of performing THE CHAMBER CHOIR
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THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
in such a wonderful space, and a "dry run" during the day helped to raise everyone's confidence. Susannah Jacques and Emma Hiddleston deserve a particular mention, as they very beautifully sang two highly exposed duets during the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis. A small choir of boys (mostly former cathedral choristers) sang some elements of the service to plainsong and the organ voluntaries before the service were stylishly performed by Alexander Shannon and Adam Baker. A loyal band of supporters consisting of friends, parents and staff all agreed that the pupils had been a great credit to the school. T.D.N. The beginning of the Autumn Term 2000 was rather more settled than the beginning of the Autumn Term 1999 as far as the Crypt Choir (and its conductor) were concerned. This year's choir consists mostly of singers who were in the Crypt Choir last year and the new intake, while important, is relatively small. This continuity is important and we were able to get down to some very good and hard work straight away. In addition to the fortnightly Eucharists the choir has done some 'missionary work in the parish' in the form of two concerts of secular music in local parish churches. We made our second appearance at 'Music and Desserts' in St Mildred's Church, Canterbury thanks to Canon Ron Diss. The choir sang three folksongs (Bobby Shaftoe, Black Sheep and Dashing away with the smoothing iron) and. two Cole Porter songs (Let's do it and Night and day). There were also two vocal duets and the Baker twins performing on accordion and trombone! The Modem Jazz group also contributed to what was a very successful concert. We gave a very similar concert, without the jazz, at Eythome Parish Church a fortnight later. Preparations are now underway for the annual Easter tour which will take us to Belgium for huge helpings of moules et frites! S.W.S.A. CRYPT CHOIR Autumn 2000
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Let all mortal flesh
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"Break time" (MPHD) Michael Stephens, CVB and Alfred Williams
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
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(Byrd) (de Severac) (Douglas Guest) (Lassus) (Plainsong) (English trad., arr Vaughan Williams) (Bairstow)
SPORT
Back row (left to right): Tristan Willis, Blain McGuigan, Alistair Wildblood, Matthew Pollock, Richard Miller, Henry Aldridge, Toby Hayes, William Davies, Alexander Ancock Front row (left to right): Thomas Morey, Paul Valente, Jason Margetts, Jack Martin, Simon Daroch (Capt.), Linden Dover, Nicholas Carty, Bruce Casalis
to beat. The reward came in the next match against KCS Wimbledon. Despite being ten points down at half-time, the pack established control and we clawed our way back through some exce1lent driving play and we snatched a deserved victory. It was, however, at a cost, for Harry Winner sustained a broken leg early in the game that was to cost him his first season in the 1st XV. We were suffering from the "London bus" syndrome. To lose another back was a huge blow. Thereafter, the season took on a clear pattern. The monsoon came, and almost every game was played on a wet and usually soft pitch, frequently in the pouring rain. When the pack began assertively, as against Felsted, Duke of Yorks and King's Rochester, we won convincingly. If we were not able to take control early on, we gave ourselves a deficit to overhaul, and although we usually won the second half, we had given ourselves too much to do, even though we often finished games well on top and much the stronger. Most disappointing were the defeats against Kent College, where we played timidly in the face of a determined and aggressive home team, yet might still have won and against Eltham, where we conceded a try in under 30 seconds, were three tries down at half time and totally dominated the second half to score three ourselves but missed crucial conversions. Each of the other games - Tonbridge, Epsom and Sevenoaks - was a close contest. In the context of the start that we had and the injury problems that plagued us throughout the season - a particular handicap when the squad lacks real depth- the players should feel very pleased with what it achieved, even if it might have been even better. Taking the first week's scores away, the rest of the season saw us outscore our opponents, both in terms of points scored and, most remarkably, by twenty-one tries to eleven! Such was the improvement in our defence. In the light of this, one statistic that hinted why we were not quite as effective as we might have been is the comparison between our opponents' rate of converting their tries- twelve out of twentysix- and ours- five out of twenty-one. Another that tells a story
The School XV The season began with pre-season training camp in Ireland, with much to be done and a journey into the unknown. It was a time for hard work, and some experimentation. The unfortunate consequence of a season as we had last year, when nearly all of the top two highly successful sides were players in 6a, is that very few start the new one with any knowledge of the demands of senior rugby. Of the side that most commonly represented the school XV this year, only two had played for the 1st XV more than a handful .o f times. Five had played most of last season in ¡ the 3rd XV, six had been in the Colts. Not only did this mean that the side was going to lack experience, but the coach was unfamiliar with the majority of his squad. As the training week went by, the direction the team had to go was clear. Less clear was how long it would take for things to come together. Luck was not with us. Alfred Williams sustained his first ever rugby injury in Limerick, but made a good job of it and was not to play for the senior side all season. In a practice game Michael Stephens sustained damage for the second time to his cruciate ligaments in the act of scoring a try which also ended his season before it had begun. This was a particuarly hard blow for him, and for us, as he was one of our few experienced threequarters. Following that, the first two proper fixtures of the season were a rather rude awakening. Our pack competed well with Eastbourne, but when we ran out of steam the extra pace of their backline cut us to shreds and we conceded an avalanche of points in the last ten minutes. Against St. John's, the absence of Richard Miller for an indiscretion the previous week added to our difficulties and a big, physical home side was able to control the game from the outset. With fifteen tries and over a hundred points conceded in the first week, the prospects looked bleak. However, the squad responded magnificently. Work continued to centre on fitness and defence - at the very least we would make ourselves hard 53
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
sort or another, but we needed him in our best combination for the balance it gave the side: his work rate was exceptional both in attack and defence and he was one of our few real lineout options. Beside him, Jack Martin was one of the most influential figures. At his most inspired he was a fearsome proposition for the opposition to tackle and he blasted many a hole: he was our top try scorer, with six. As vice-captain he complemented his captain perfectly and set a great example for others to follow. Out of necessity we tried several flankers, some of whom have already been mentioned. Once the side settled, Toby Hayes made the open side position his, to which he brought wholehearted effort and footballing skill; on the other flank Stan Willis was at his happiest charging, head down, at the opposition but learned to balance his game better with the essential defensive duties. At Number 8 was Richard Miller, voted unanimously the player of the season by the players and management, on the strength of the fact that in attack he was by far our most potent weapon. His game was pretty uncomplicated - pick up and run over anyone in his path - and such is his pace, power and athleticism that every side we played when he was on the field will remember that he was there. A combination of Miller and Martin was practically unstoppable and their ability to take us well beyond the gain line was at the heart of most of our good play. At full back, Henry Aldridge had a very good season. Conditions were not conducive to his counter-attacking style, but he often managed the odd break-out from errant kicks by the opposition and was elusive. He allowed few to pass him on the outside, pulling off several impressive tackles. A number of players were tried on the wing. Of these, Will Davies had the most attacking potential as a direct runner and scored an excellent try against Epsom. Blain McGuigan showed good ball skills and elusiveness; if he could add more power to give him confidence he could be a real threat next year. Matthew Pollock was the discovery of the season in some respects when, as we finally had all our back row forwards fit at the same time he went to the wing. Highly elusive and quite quick, he is capable of always beating the first defender, something he also demonstrated as flanker, to which position he will probably return next year. Until his injury, Harry Winner had been a powerful presence in attack and defensively was very solid indeed. Paul Valente took his place, having been previously a full back, and by the end of the season he looked quite comfortable there, a good "bits and pieces" player who made the best of bad ball and usually had the task of trying to knock over the opposition's biggest back, which he did not shirk. The other centre, as our options dwindled early on, was also a convert from the back row. Bruce Casalis took a while to find his feet but gave his all and greatly improved his defence once he understood the lines to take. Inside them, Nick Carty was a
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is that our opponents scored fourteen penalties while we scored four: not only is this suggestive that our kickers could do better, it also reveals the extent to which we conceded penalties, which plagued us all season. The forwards in their best form were a rampaging unit who played direct, effective rugby and most of our tries were scored as a direct result of sustained driving play. The scrummage was mostly secure but the lineout wavered between excellent and dire. Our losses coincided with the latter. Our rucking was generally good, though might have been even better; oddly it was worst when we were on top, as members of the pack suddenly became "seagulls". The backline may not have been the quickest, but defensively improved considerably over the season and at its best, epitomised by one sparkling try against Duke of Yorks, could cash in on the work done by the forwards and finish in style. In the front row, Jason Margetts revealed a deceptively hard edge in the tight but really enjoyed himself most when he could run with the ball. On the other head, Alex Ancock began his apprenticeship, having started in the back row, and his mobility was a useful bonus. He was capable too, of effective work close in at the maul. Alistair Wildblood also played a number of games there (as well as, somewhat improbably in the second row!), began to impose himself more on his opposite number game by game, and was an effective lifter in the lineout. At hooker, Tom Morey was utterly committed and technically very sound in the tight, registering several strikes against the head and being "in the black" by the end of . the season. His work rate around the field was outstanding and his commitment unquestioned, Behind this unit, Linden Dover was dogged by injuries of one THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
The 1st XV on the rampage (MIT)
54
solid serum half, whose service sped up and whose game expanded once he shrugged off the knee injury that restricted him for half the term. His dogged determination was an essential ingredient to team spirit. As always, I have left the captain, Simon Darroch, until last. As a player, "Gumpy" offered genuine pace and elusiveness in attack, with defensive solidity. It would have been wonderful to have been able to play him in a wide position. Pretty early on, however, it became obvious that we had to bring him nearer to the source of the ball so that we could take advantage of his cricketer's hands and raking left boot. He adapted to the fly half position and finished the seas~m w_ith a lovely solo effort against King 's Rochester. As captam h1s greatest strength was the ability to foster a positive team spirit, thanks to his sensitivity to all those in his squad. He took his job very seriously indeed, he impressed many in the school by the way he represented his sport, and I am grateful to him for all that he has done. The season, despite the awful weather which has kept us off the 1st XV pitch since half term, has been hugely enjoyable. This is due for the most part to the attitude of the squad which has been first rate. They have worked hard and their willingness to do so paid dividends. It has also helped, however, that the side has been as well supported as ever this year by pupils, colleagues and parents. The latter have been quite exceptional, with the abiding memory being the way in which on the last home game of the season, despite the driving wind and rain, tables and umbrellas were set up on Birley's in the manner of the West Car Park at Twickenham and all spectators were treated to food and drink to warm the spirits at half time and at the end of the game. It was nice too, that John Martin worked hard to arrange for the parents to join the boys in the evening in . advance of the 1st XV supper. Other thanks go to SEA for his help at the training camp in Ireland, Leon White for his assistance with coaching, Nimmo Reid, the 1st team physio and Alan Katcher, our home First Aid man, and not least the groundsman, Mark Collins, for he and his team have had the most atrocious of conditions to work in and they have had the frustration in particular of creating one of the nicest playing surfaces possible for 1st XV only for it to be rendered unplayable by the incessant rain. I should also take the opportunity to thank and congratulate the coaches of all the teams and the referees, both internal and of the London Society.
2nd XV (The Brotherhood) After the star-studded team of last year, packed as it was with 6As, this year was going to be a little more of a struggle in terms of gaining victories. The term started on a high note with a very good performance against Eastbourne. One or two easy tries towards the end of the match inflated the score line. In a frustrating game against StJohn's we went down by two tries to none. One of the very best 2nd half performances came against KCS Wimbledon. Having been down 3-10 at half time we came back to win the game, against the slope and wind, by 16-10. Heads were high has we travelled away to Felsted. In wet conditions we played out of our skins to record a very convincing victory. Over the last ten years the 2nd team has never lost to St Lawrence 1st XV. However on this occasion they travelled to Canterbury with a very powerful and wellmotivated team. Their South African at fly-half was a player of real quality and was able to assist in releasing their particularly quick wings on numerous occasions. The three matches immediately after half term were lost , the most disappointing performance being that against Epsom. The Duke ofYork's had one of their strongest teams for a while. In atrocious conditions, with gale-force winds driving monsoon-like rain across the pitch, we cobbled together a really good victory. The refereeing job was a very difficult one given that both teams were caked in mud. After being 14 points ahead against Sevenoaks at halftime, we contrived to concede 25 points in the second half. Thankfully we the concluded the season on a very high note against King's Rochester. Even though the team has had to absorb some heavy defeats, it is very much to their credit that they maintained a very positive spirit throughout. This is very much down to the individuals themselves and to the captain, Lawrence White. Pound for pound, Lawrence is one of the best players to represent the 2nd XV. If he were a little bigger he would walk into a school 1st XV. A largenu,mber of players represented the 2nd's. Many ended up representing the 1st XV. Injuries in both teams took their toll too. Games were all played in the best of spirits. Those who represented "The Brotherhood", as the team came to be known, will take away many good memories. I have enjoyed coaching this tenacious and positive-thinking group of players.
R.C.W. Team (from): Simon Darroch (Captain), Henry Aldridge, Alexander Ancock, Nicholas Carty, Bruce Casalis, William Davies, Linden Dover, Toby Hayes, Jason Margetts, Jack Martin, Blain McGuigan, Richard Miller, Thomas Morey, Matthew Pollock, Paul Valente, Alistair Wildblood, Tristan Willis. Also played: Jonathan Reeve, Charles Rist, Zachary Saitoti, Alade Wiliams¡, Harry Winner.
RESULTS
Played 11, Won 4, Lost 7. Points for 162, Points against 247 . v Eastbourne Lost 10-26. v StJohn's Lost 0-14. v KCS Wmb'don Won 16-10. v Felsted Won 51-0. v StLawrence Lost 19-51. v Eltham Lost 0-39. v Tonbridge Lost 0-48. v Epsom Lost 0-19. v Duke ofYorks Won 18-12. v Sevenoaks Lost 14-25. v King's Rochester Won 34-3. Team: Thomas Andrews; Hamish Backhouse William Baldry; George Brooke; Thomas Colvin; Alex Foster; James Ludbrook; Jonathan Reeve; Charles Rist Zachary Saitoti; Dominik; Soanes; Akinola Soyode Johnson; Alade Williams; Lawrence White (Captain); Thomas Bruce; Yuri Kovensky; James Ellis; James Wells; P.T.
RESULTS
Played 11, Won 4, Lost 7. Points for 127, Points against 196. 3-49. v Eastbourne College (H). Lost 0-51. (A). Lost v St. John's, Leatherhead v KCS Wimbledon (H). Won 15- 10. v Felsted (A). Won 22-0. v Kent College (A). Lost 8-12. 15-17. v Eltham College (A). Lost 0-12. v Tonbridge (H). Lost 10-18. v Epsom College (A). Lost (H). Won 27-5. v Duke ofYorks RMS 5-16. v Sevenoaks (H). Lost 22-6. v King's Rochester (H) Won House Competitions Simon Darroch (GL) Senior Goalkicking Competition: Senior Inter-House Sevens: Gal pins Under 16 Inter-House Sevens: Trade scant The other Inter-House competitions (Under 14 and Under 15 Sevens, Junior and Senior Tens) were abandoned due to flooded pitches.
3rdXV In the cutthroat world of 3rd XV rugby we were hung, drawn and quartered. The squad was made up of seasoned losers who, by the end of the year, were used to the humiliations of large losses. 55
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
However, most of the originally stronger team was lost to an injury prone 2nd XV, thus weakening the squad even more. So things were looking bleak. But under the close guidance of our coaches, Mr Dath and Mr Ross, a new secret weapon was unveiled in the form of two unassuming Germans: Magnus Resch and Wilde von Papen (otherwise known as V1 and V2). With their lightning pace and strong tackling, coupled with the veterans of a highly unsuccessful colts B team, things started to look better. At the end of the first half of term, we prepared ourselves, strengthened by the 2nd XV, including many of our original players, to tackle Ursuline. The match was a very closely fought one but eventually, a try by Larry White, converted by George Brooke, saw us win 7-0. After half-term, however, things were not yet going our way, with two more losses being inflicted on us. Nevertheless, each match the team got stronger and we learned from our mistakes and like all good things we "climaxed" at the end of the season. After some persuasion, Alex Perry came out of retirement and strengthened our backs along with Felix Bottomley. So the scene was set against Sidcup for an epic match. This epic match finished in a 7-7 draw, which was hard fought for against a team that usually included three Kent players ... but not that day. Morale soared and, to our surprise, Tom Pritchard volunteered to bolster a weakened squad to fight it out against Sevenoaks. Fight was definitely the operative word with a bloody match ending up Kings' winning 5-3 with an Ed Mamo try. The thirds is not about celebrated heroes but more about the unsung heroes such as: James Dickins (who nearly broke his ankle in practice before the last match), Dan O'Donoghue (who suffered many nosebleeds) and Ed Selous (who broke his nose twice), who helped make the pack weigh only 20 stone less than the England pack. Respect should also be paid to Captain Tom Brookes, James Gunn, Mark Chalmers, Max Colchester, Piers Edmondson and Stiff Wetherell. All of whom played with flair and tenacity and were not at all cantankerous. So thanks to Mr Dath and Mr Ross for everything. MAX COLCHESTER (SH) Team from: Thomas Brooks (Captain); Thomas Andrews, Felix Bottomley, Edward Bradley, Mark Chalmers, Frederick Clough, Max Colchester, Thomas Colvin, James Dickins, Hugh Daulton, Piers Edmondson, James Gunn, Stephen Handrup, Edward Marno, Daniel O'Donoghue, Andrew Pelham, Alexander Perry, Kirill Pestoun, Thomas Pritchard, Magnus Resch, Edmund Selous, Akinola Soyode-Johnson, Timothy Trillo, Wilderich von Papen, Stephen Wetherell, RESULTS Played 8, Won 2, Lost 5, Drawn 1. v Eastbourne (H). Lost v StJohn's (A). Lost v KCS Wimbledon (H). Lost v Ursuline (H). Won v Eltham (A). Lost v Tonbridge (H). Lost v Chiswell & Sidcup (H). Drawn v Sevenoaks (H). Won
tries, the first converted by Tom Ready. There were other moments of excellent play but we were unable to convert pressure into points. It was a gritty performance against St. John's. Henry Nichols making a guest appearance consistently drove into rucks and mauls and although he lacked technique and match practice provided the catalyst for an excellent forward performance. Tim Merchant was making a habit of winning line-out ball and Alex Church displayed solidity and commitment in set serums and loose play. There were numerous times when we should have driven home the advantage given our solid forward platform but there were too many loose passes, spilled ball and weak attacking alignment which contributed to sterile and frustrating back play. Scores did come, the first from Ollie Murphy, who collected the ball at the base of a ruck and dived over the line. John Wyan~, who played another solid game at 10 saw the opportunity to work the narrow side of a loose serum and threw an outrageous dummy to beat the cover defence and score. Henry Nichols converted. Alex Hill who had been 'buzzing' all game scored by 'sweeping up' in support and sprinting for the line. Pleasing elements in the game had been the team work, their ability to overcome their own mistakes and to contain the St. John's pressing attacks in the final minutes of the game. It was a dream start against KCS Wimbledon. We received the ball from the kick-off, drove, released, passed, rue ked, recycled, passed, drove, rucked, released and finally passed for John Wyand to cross the line for a try. This after 30 seconds of play. Such confidence and hope, however, were quickly dashed when KCS regrouped moved their ball quickly away from the strength of our forwards and released their 'fleet of foot' backs, all of whom could record 12.1 sees or less for the 100 metre sprint. They became more assured and produced more determined forward play as they accumulated points by superior running skills. Credit must go to Alex Binns who had not only fielded the ball and run magnificently from full-back, but was again solid in defence and recorded a huge tackle count saving a number of certain tries. The game against Felsted proved a tough contest. We played with vigour and purpose, gaining in confidence with the progression of the match. There was a determination to put matters right after the previous game as the pack appeared rejuvenated, dominating the loose play and providing recycled ball for the backs to capitalise. Unfortunately, it was slow and allowed the opposition to put us under pressure. We did manage to spend long periods of time in or near the Felsted 22 but a spilled ball or a weak pass would put us back on the defensive. Such an incident led to a Felsted score and although we crossed their line we failed to ground the ball. A further chance to equalise was lost when the vital final pass was dropped. Against a physical Kent College 2nd XV we turned on a much better performance. Skills and techniques had improved and despite KC 's early score we rallied and began to put together 2nd and 3rd phase possession. We played good quality rugby with incisive running from Robbie Chapman who added his name to the scoresheet with a try, three conversions and a penalty. Alex Church revelled in the close exchanges which won him man of the match and the back row of James Alder, Ollie Martell and Alex Hill were functioning as a unit and made great in-roads in attack, James scored twice from good support play. John Wyand at inside centre had another solid game and Toby Davies functioned well in partnership at outside centre adding two tries to his record. George Pound on his debut appearance scored with a snaking run on the wing. Perhaps a long lay-off, lack of practice and miserable weather saw a decline in our fortunes after the previous high. Against Tonbridge we underperformed particularly in the forwards, which was ironic as the backs were beginning to show skill and prowess. Tom Ready had space to use his speed on the left wing and Mike Kim was adjusting to his new position on the right. We made too many mistakes, conceded the ball in the set piece as well as the loose and lost all but one lineout throughout the game. Such percentages do not win games. The same could be reported on the encounter against Epsom where a good opposition backrow were allowed to roam free, snatch away any loose ball and launch their backline. Mark
0-39. 0-81. 5-17. 7-0. 0-39. 0-39. 7-7. 5-3.
Colts 'A' XV Not a vintage season! In our warm-up game against Cranbrook we were caught out in terms of fitness and skill level. Regarded as their best school side for some time we endeavoured to compete with solid commitment but lacked teamwork and cohesion up front and were beaten for pace and thought 'out wide'. Despite the loss we adopted a positive attitude with a determination to -rectify some of our faults in time for the next game. Unfortunately, some of the side were suffering from Eastbournitis (fear of travelling to the South Coast) but we gave a good account of ourselves by competing up front and dominating the set pieces of serum and lineout. Ian Nunn at serum-half was a thorn in the Eastbourne side, sniping and darting around the fringes of ruck and maul resulted in two THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
56
Unlike the NME, the B's success was not constructed over rocket-like girders covered in PVC. Individual players from KSC's Sporting Talent Zones, comprised the raw materials of success. Three Chief Executives- Charles Pemberton, Jonathan East and John Stubbs as Captains - supported an edifice with permanent results: played 9, won 5, lost 3, drawn 1. Points for 210, against 99. Architecture is to arty-types as game-plans are to professionals. Preparatory mid-week training sessions came from the Play Zone this season on floater-coaster grounds, at times resembling water beds rather than rugby pitches. Trying to divine the meaning of training and coaching was often like trying to wrestle with jelly. Tuesday's Learning Curve or Licensed to Skill Zone was well-down on expectations. As an inter-active game, these outings had a flexible mindset with a virtual reality all its own. Thomas Hobbes would have been proud of the B's eightstorey Body Zone with its giant heart. Edward Flower, Peter Fitzsimmons, and Callum King gave everything to front-row play. The Statue of Liberty's panoramic vision came from the combined heights of Andrew-Gordon Stewart, Edward Scurr, and William Baynham for efficient line-outs. Felix Colchester never needed to abseil or climb for the ball. Back row players, Charles Pemberton, Alasdair Birch, Valera Chobitko and latterly Oliver Martell, comprised the B 's sporting Gulliver. Sporting images of British children varied in games of pink and white knuckle varieties. The Spirit Zone marked rights of passage from failing rags to rich successes. A trouncing against Cranbrook (7-20). Against Eastbourne (12-25) the team meditated too much to the sound of falling rain which added to a tranquil defeat. The best backs in boots played for KCS Wimbledon who took a surgeon's scalpel our rugby-playing torso to carve out their 7-23 win. Heads uplifted against St.John's Leatherhead (5-5), the body's scent for success began to flood the dry oases of emptiness. Waters receded from the Living Island Zone to leave the second Cranbrook high, dry and unplayed. After half term, a Dreamscape Zone lay around the corner, as if a new British creative impulse to make 'One Amazing Day' on every Saturday for the rest of the season. The remaining five matches were all won handsomely : Felsted (80-0), Tonbridge (12-0), Epsom (27-7), RMS Dover (35-15) and Sevenoaks (257) . Energized competitors delivered their best public entertainment in these Shows of the Season ranging in effects from Bartholemew Fair fun to the lethal traditions of the Colosseum. These games yielded an extravaganza for 2000 in ways uplifting for referees and spectators: '0 tempora ! 0 mores!
Whitaker was strong in the tackle but even a dam will burst with enough pounding and our defence was sorely tested. Unfortunately, we were also tactically nai've, and as the game progressed were slow to breakdowns and slow to release the ball so that we were unable to produce any meaningful attacking play. Atrocious weather conditions also prevailed in the game against the Duke ofYork's and despite an excellent try by Alex Church, from a short penalty, converted by Robbie Chapman, we elected to run the ball too often when a kick at goal or touch may have been a better option. The restart following half-time saw an excellent passage of play which would rate alongside the first 30 seconds at KCS. From the kick-off we turned over their ball, rucked and recycled through 6 phases to threaten the Dukie's line. Unfortunately, the ball was spilled into touch at the crucial moment of touchdown and although we had other purple patches we could not repeat this surge, even though we crossed the Dukie's line three times. On two occasions the ball was judged to have been dropped and a try by Ian Nunn was disallowed. Against Sevenoaks our forward play was below par and we were unable to counter the robust runs of the Oaks backs and forwards. We could only boast a superior front row in Alex Church, James Sellars and N orihito Morioka. Tom Foster provided strength at lock and Alex Binns was again stout in defence . Our fortunes were meagre against a side who were more hungry and competitive. However, we ended on a positive note against King's Rochester with a converted try and a penalty to gain victory. A well taken try in the final quarter of the game by Mark Whitaker, judged as man of the match, was a culmination of his own positive contributions both in attack and defence. The game was a hard fought encounter on a wet and windy pitch but with spirit and resolve we absorbed the Rochester pressure in the first half and dominated the second. It was an extremely determined performance with major contributions from Captain James Alder, Mike Kim, Nori Morioka and Ian Nunn. Robbie Chapman converted Mark Whitaker's try and kicked a penalty on the final whistle. Thanks are extended to James Alder for his organisation and leadership, RMi for his help and support and Calvin Rogers for keeping together a nucleus of 'C' XV players who were always keen to play. Also to DJR for organising our referees NLP and RBMi, whose sympathy and understanding provided pleasant and enjoyable home fixtures. A.R.W. RESULTS
v Cranbrook v Eastbourne v StJohn's v KCS Wimbledon v Felsted v Kent College v Tonbridge v Epsom v Duke of York's v King's Rochester
Lost Lost Won Lost Lost Won Lost Lost Lost Won
38-0. 35-12. 8-18. 57-5. 7-0. 7-39. 17-0. 22-0. 8-7. 7-10.
Colts B XV Spectacular events of all kinds marked the millennium. The blind optimism of 'Cool Britannia,' the monumentalist 'Think Big' politics of Michael Heseltine and BSkyB were lazy responses to the need for a one-off exhibition or flair. King's Colts 'B' Rugby Xanadu captured this craving for a visionary idea. Whilst attacking the Greenwich Millennium Dome has been Britain's favourite sport, exceptional and stunning shows put on by the Colts ripped contemporary cynicism to shreds. Respecting the desire for daring and excellence, the BXV's own rugby Pleasure Dome promised a season built on a grand scale, cause for celebration spotlighted on Saturdays as the 'Best day out on Earth.'
Mr P. W. Fox, Referee (lemma Leslie, WL) 57
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
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Howard Bryant at number 8 only played 5 matches due to illness but improved his defence immensely through the season. He also proved to be a very effective runner in the loose. Matthew Humphrey at flanker, suffered many nosebleeds, but was always quick to the ball at breakdowns and often made yards when taking the short ball in the loose. If he had had more luck then we could have scored tries against Sevenoaks and Rochester, after he had charged down kicks. Nick Hinves had a very solid season and thoroughly earned his try at Rochester. If he gains confidence then he can become a very strong runner with the ball. Simon Redstone made up in speed what he does not have in height and tackled ferociously when given the chance to. Tom Mills and Nicolo Luccini played every match and gave us great options in the line out. They were totally committed and can be very pleased with their performance. When called in to play, Tim MacLehose always gave his all and played effectively in the second row. James Coleman was new to the team this year at prop. A closeted fly half, he gave everything and gave much needed stability to the serum. Rob Jennings proved to be the most effective tackler in the tight five and also hooked well at the latter end of the season. Robin Bailey came in mid -season and emerged as a strong runner with the ball in hand. Peter 'Boris' Yakovlev, our hooker, defected to cross-country after Epsom, despite making great improvements in his tackling and his throwing in. A major reason for our success this season is Mr Anderson who has worked us hard in training but also given us a sense of purpose. His contribution was undeniable and is owed many thanks. We were also lucky to have great support from parents at all matches. This has been a pleasing season and the team can look forward to next season with a lot of confidence. MATTHEW HUMPHREY (MT) AND PETER ARCHER (GR) (CAPTAINS)
Never visiOnary, at times mentally whimsical, the backs were never vainglorious in victory. As if dedicated to the advancement of human rights in sport, centres John Stubbs, Stephen Robinson, and Mark Whitaker were beacons of recommendation for King's sport. Pairing Jonathan East and Thomas Laing at half-back delivered genuinely innovative play. Wingers Christopher Mark and George Pound were rallying points in tight games, the latter's illusive side-stepping tum of speed carried sleepy-eyed punters high above imaginary clouds when tries were scored. Regular fullback Adam Backhouse provided repeated sneak previews of a future talent. A reliable troop of players helped with the B 's Pleasure Dome show. Without intending to capture the mood of a West End musical, Trinidad Camvival or soccer match, they occasionally featured centre-stage. Nicholas Bere, Alexis McCue, Edward Wacher, George Williams, William Norman, Sander Owens, Diccon Harvey, Edward Doubleday and Haukur Heimisson made up the Shared Ground Zone. At times unexpected, their loyalty cemented the B 's interpretation of planetary motion as secure as Greenwich and longtitude zero. B-team players' accolades will time-travel to senior rugby in 2001 and better times. It is worth remembering that they all laughed at Christopher Columbus when he said the world was round, and Confucius thought we should study the past to divine the future. After his Presidential re-election, Ronald Reagan said, 'You ain't seen nothing yet,' which will become true for several embryonic rugby bigwigs from the 2000 Colts B XV. An exuberant inillennial year ? Regular spectator-cum-touch line sponsorship from many loyal parents, the help and guidance from Mr A.R.Watson ('A' XV Coach), is ample testimony to a memorable little season. Thank you one and all. R.B.Mi.
There is a definite team spirit among these players, which has been a major factor in the success they achieved this season. I hope that resolve stays with them, as it was very much in evidence when defending their own line. The team relied on the consistency of the centres and second rows that, as units, played nearly every game and were instrumental in either wining ball or stopping the opposition. The qualities of the team have been described in the Captains' report, but I would like to add my own observations. In Chuko Esiri the side has a player of exceptional pace capable of scoring from his own goal line, but he will need to be put into space in future years, as he will be marked man. Peter Archer is a very talented serum half who isn't only athletic, but a good reader of the game. The calmness of decision making from Matthew Humphrey as acting Captain, along with his brother Toby at fly-half was often instrumental in gaining good field positions. As with successful year groups in the past, there are a number of players in the B 's as well as some who were injured such as Howard Bryant and Jonny Macfarlane, who could add to the strength of this squad. Finally, I would like to thank many people for the season. Firstly the players for their willingness to learn and give their all on match days, despite having to suffer some dreadful weather, as encountered at Duke of York's; the parents' who supported faithfully and with positive comments from the touch line; the ground staff for keeping the pitches playable and my team of staff; Malcolm, JAT and SAH. I wish the players enjoyable seasons to come for they have a very tough fixture list, as several of our opponents rated this age group as the strongest in their respective schools, including both Tonbridge and Epsom, who we more than matched this year. St John's are the strongest team we faced and will provide a benchmark for our boys to match themselves against in the future. There were no House competitions this term due to waterlogged pitches, but Terence Leung (SH) won the junior goal kicking competition. S.E.A. Team: Peter Archer (Captain), Robin Bailey, Howard Bryant, James Coleman, Rhodes Edwor-Thorley, Ari Esiri, Chuko Esiri, Nick Hinves, Matthew Humphrey, Toby Humphrey, Robert Jennings, Nicolo Luccini, Tim MacLehose, Tom Mills, Jack Munro, Hamish Pound, Simon Redstone, PeterYakovlev
Junior Colts 'A' XV In a season, which has seen so much rain, the side that finished the shell year was anything but diluted, as it appeared transformed by the end of this season. Not only in had players grown in size, but also the skill and spirit become more apparent after half term. Despite early losses, confidence was regained with victories over Kent College, Felsted and StLawrence, before half term. Facing a tougher second half of term, the team gained in stature and had very competitive matches with Tonbridge, Epsom and Sevenoaks. In the three corresponding matches last year, we had conceded near to 150 points, this year it was only 12, but included a fantastic victory over a very strong Epsom side. Jack Munro played at full back before moving to serum half when Peter Archer broke his arm. He was very solid under the high ball, never missed a tackle and was a great team man. Chuko Esiri was our one real matchwinner and was the leading try scorer with 5, which often started from inside our own half. He has devastating pace, whilst also being supreme in defence. Nick Gent filled the problematic left wing position before he suffered a terrible leg injury. After that Terence Leung and Ari Esiri both played there, with Ari's defence being the stronger of the two. We were lucky to have a superb pair of centres. Rhodes Edewor-Thorley often made the initial break and improved his awareness in defence as the season progressed. Hamish Pound played every match and proved to be a great foil for Rhodes. His defence was watertight and earned a man of the match performance against Sevenoaks. Toby Humphrey played at fly half and grew a great deal in stature throughout the season. He has a brilliant left foot and proved to be an alert and effective decision-maker in attack. Peter Archer captained the side before he suffered a broken arm against Epsom. His distribution at serum half was excellent, he was always one step ahead of the opposition in attack and became the leading points scorer with 44. He was rightly voted player of the season and it was a terrible loss to the side when he was injured. THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
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Also Played: Nick Gent, Richard Heywood-Waddington, Terence Leung, Jonathan MacFarlane, Barnaby Race, Tom Ransley RESULTS Played 12, Won 5, Lost 6, Drawn 1. Points for 158, Points against 139. (A). Lost v Eastboume (A). Lost v St John's Leatherhead (H). Won v Kent College (H). Lost v KCS Wimbledon (H). Won v Felsted (A). Won v St Lawrence (H). Lost v Eltham College (A). Lost v Tonbridge (H). Won v Epsom (A). v Duke of York's Match abandoned (H). Lost v Sevenoaks (A). Won v King's Rochester
Under 15 B's- Junior Colts Barnaby Race: Exciting, running fullback. Has developed his overall game and his defensive qualities are tremendously heroic. Ed Melik-Mourad: Pacey winger who has had an indifferent season. At times very good, at other times he seems distracted. If attitude improves, has great potential. Harry Smith and Jack Fox: Good centre partnerships, both very similar, with good defensive qualities. In attack, angles of running could be improved, should develop into good players though. Need to work on pace. Robbie Wetherell: Has come on massively. Kicking and passing improved. Has great pace and ability to take gaps. Has now also started to 'govern' the back division with more authority. Potential to be very good. Tom Rodwell: Would benefit from some individual tuition passing, option taking, leadership, etc. Should improve. A good enthusiastic attitude with good fitness. Alex Quayle: Strong No 8. Slightly one-dimensional for the modem game. Picks and goes very well from base of the serum. Could improve his hands. Has potential George Mawdsley: Captained the side maturely and with great enthusiasm. Very good blindside flanker with wholehearted commitment with potential to be a first team player. Good line out work also. Simon Redstone: Strong energetic open-side who was promoted to the 'A' team. Occasionally holds on to the ball a little too long. Needs to be advised on the open-side role and how to link forwards and back. Should keep improving with guidance. Tim Ransley: Good line out work and scrumaging. Listens well to advice and therefore has potential to improve. Would be nice to see him demand ball in hand a little more. Sam Nussey: Hard working team player that is willing to play front row or second row. Would benefit from some strength work. Good 2nd team player Richard Lamb: Strong, committed player who has moved from 2nd row to hooker. Good in contact both offensively and defensively. Could become an 'A' team player with good guidance. Alfred Sui: Strong, uncompromising prop. Has scrummaging techniques far beyond his years and rucks and mauls very well. Has been a great bonus and definitely could be an '/\ team player. Tim MacLehose: Somewhat indifferent season for team. At times 'A' team player with true ability then at other times a wasted talent. The boy undoubtedly has potential; it is whether his attitude will allow it to blossom. Robin Bailey: Now a regular feature in the 'A' team front row. Has good drive and enthusiasm could be better suited to a back row position to develop his already solid tackling and good hands. Ari Esiri: What to do with Ari? Great pace, solid tacking, always late! If someone could guide him and motivate him we could become a very useful player on the wing. But he does need some guidance! ! Jasper Goring: A coach's dream. Willing to play anywhere with 100% commitment. Has played front row for most of the season and has played solidly. His pace and ability to listen and learn are more suited to an open side position, where he could become a very good player. Alfred Butrous: Injured early on in the season and due to this has missed his strengths in the centre. Has come back at the end of the season to perform honestly on the wing using his strength to break the frame line. Now needs to develop his pace to finish the move. Richard Heywood-Waddington: Good strong, pacey winger who combines these skills with the ability to finish the move. A definite first team player that could score heavily on all occasions. Needs to build on his confidence. A co-operative player who is willing to learn. MALCOLM
7-12. 0-62. 25-5. 7-17. 28-0. 55-0. 12-24. 0-5. 10-0. 0-0. 0-7. 14-7.
Under 15 'B' XV This was an interesting season after which some early defeats was made more successful by the efforts of our coach Malcolm and the excellent commitment from a nucleus of players. As always several players ended up in the 'A' team but the side possessed strong runners in Richard HeywoodWaddington, Edmund Melik-Mourad, Barnaby Race and Alfred Butrous, competent half-backs in Tom Rodwell and Robbie Wetherell and a mobile pack of forwards. Losing Robin Bailey from prop to the A's and Leo White as hooker from the School saw vacancies in the front row filled by Alfred Siu., Stefan Picot and the ever willing Jasper Goring. The second row of Richard Lamb and Tom Ransley was effective in the line out and loose and was bolstered by Tim Maclehose's running in the latter part of the season. One of the strengths of this side was the back row who on occasions were heroic in their defensive work but the speed of Simon Redstone, the tenacity of Captain, George Mawdsley and the desire of Alex Quayle at No 8, gave the backs much needed ball for which to attack. Although the playing record saw more defeats than victories, the team rarely gave up and had to face several B teams who were unbeaten. The defeat away to St Augustine's 'A' was compensated by a tremendous victory against Tonbridge 'C' XV. My thanks to Malcolm, Father John and SAH plus all the parents who supported us through this season. PS I forgot to mention Jack Fox's legendary side step and Harry Smith's crunching tackles. Team from: Robin Bailey, Alfred Butrous, Ari Esiri, Jack Fox, Nick Gent, Jasper Goring, Richard Lamb, Terence Leung, Tim MacLehose, George Mawdsley (Captain), Edmund MelikMourad, Stefan Picot, Alex Quayle, Barnaby Race, Tom Ransley, Simon Redstone, Tom Rodwell, Alfred Siu, Harry Smith, Robbie Wetherell, Richard Heywood-Waddington. Also Played: Alex King, Sam Nussey, Leo White, Roland Bunge. RESULTS Played 10, Won 4, Lost 6. Points for 98, Points against 197. v Eastboume College (A). Lost v StJohn's, Leatherhead (A). Lost v KCS Wimbledon (H). Lost v Felsted (H). Won v Ursuline '/\ (A). Won v Tonbridge 'C' (A). Won v Epsom College (H). Lost v Duke of Yorks (A). Lost v Sevenoaks (H). Won
0-15. 0-34. 0-46. 20-0. 22-5. 26-7. 0-53. 0-10. 25-10. 59
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
Ul5 C's in action (SAH)
Adrenalin pumping, we stood before Sevenoaks the next Saturday. Fred powered across the line first, followed by James 'Man-o' -the-match' Hamway, who added salt to the wound of the souring opposition with a penalty goal (who says that the 'C's' aren't thinkers?). We now rest our aching muscles and bones until next season and won't we be glad never to have to sprint to the '22' again, Mr Heath! HECTOR MATTHEWS (MO) AND S.A.H.
Junior Colts C XV On paper, the start of our season did not look great. Having trained hard over the summer holidays and spent hours creating the 'super-team' that was to be the 'Ul5 C's', victory in the first match was to elude us. Eastbourne tactically chose to play on a pitch which sloped so steeply towards the middle that play rarely moved more than 10 metres from the half-way line. After two nail-biting halves, we finished with an awe-inspiring 0-0 draw. Our second match was against StJohn's and against a side who should have posed few problems. Although we were the larger side, we were let down by basic handling skills. Twice we crossed the opposition's try line, but twice forgot to touch down the ball (Theo?). Next on the list were KCS, who were the better side and proved it. Only once did we come back and did score a try, thanks to Roland's lighting pace. We knew that we were the underdogs against Tonbridge, as we always were. We stood against their DIE team, but were still outplayed and outsized. We did learn valuable lessons and our skill and fitness were improving, but we needed a win to boost our confidence. After a bit of fine-tuning, our whole team was drilled and organised. We were split into divisions: the power boys (King, Ferret and Ross!) and the fast boys (Theo, Roland and Me D!); the other dopey, but oh-so-ferocious forwards needed an extra kick start, but when they finally got going, they were unstoppable! The rest of our crew (Dan, Charles, Jon and James) all performed well when captained with such skill and commitment (except on birthdays!). We thought we were formidable, especially when we practised our complicated manoeuvres, including the infamous 'apple pie', against such vicious opposition as Will 'the Scooter' and Shin. With the benefit of Shin's (illegal?) magic potion, we believed we could win. One of our hardest matches was against Epsom, against whom we fought hard and played well, responding to the skill that they pitted against us. We got in some great tackles (Joe, Billy and, of course, the ever-reliable Nick 'knock 'em down' Brown). Fast play and fun manoeuvres were reasons enough to put into practice our 'Britney Spears' Victory Dance (taught by Ingo, cheers Britney!) and we won the game with pride (the half-time promise of tea at the Savoy seemed to do the trick). Bribery and corruption apart, we did enjoy a face-stuffing celebration down at Canterbury's very own Savoy, Pizza Hut. Nice one, Heath! THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
(SAH) Team: Tim Boarer, Nick Brown, Roland Bunge. Jon Campbell, George Coltart, James Perrett, Dan Gray, James Hamway, Harry Inglis, Ken Kam, Alex King, Billy Lau, Fred Lewis, Charles Marnham, Hector Matthews (Capt.), James McDonald, Oliver McSwiney, Ross Murray-Jones, Andrew Northern, Chris Walsh, Theo Webb, Joe Sevier. RESULTS
Played 6, Won 2, Lost 3, Drawn 1. Points for 54, against 91. v Eastboume (A). Draw v Epsom (H) Won v KCS Wimbledon (H). Lost v Sevenoaks (H) Won v St. John's Leatherhead (A). Lost v Tonbridge (H). Lost 60
0-0. 15-7. 5-26. 15-7. 19-21. 0-30.
RESULTS
Vnder 14A XV
Played 12, Won 9, Lost 2, Drawn 1. (H). Won v Eastboume (H). Won v St. John's, Leatherhead (H). Won v Kent College (A). Lost v K.C.S. Wimbledon (A). Won v Felsted (H). Won v St. Lawrence, Ramsgate (H). Lost v Eltham College Won (A). v Tonbridge (A). Drew v Epsom College Won (H). v Duke of York's (A). Won v Sevenoaks (H). Won v King's, Rochester
The Under 14 A XV had a most promising season and a very good final record in many ways only tells part of the story. They progressed tremendously well and learnt something from every game and then tried to put it into practice in the next match. By the end of the season they were a most accomplished side and ended up demoralising a King's Rochester side that was in the final of the Kent Cup. The highlight of the season was a gutsy, hard fought victory at a very wet Tonbridge when immense character and determination were shown. With the exception of the Epsom match, the team adapted very well to the awful weather conditions suffered all term and showed the intelligence to ¡ change their game accordingly, with the forwards appreciating and revelling in the extra responsibility that was placed upon them. Some of the strike running from depth was exceptional and pace and power were combined in a harmonious manner. The two props, Ed Callaway and Ed Herbert provided an extremely solid platform for all behind. They regularly disrupted opposition front rows, did a lot of tidying up work and were two of the most skilful props seen at King's for some time, both making opposition backs look foolish with a number of dummies and sidesteps. Ed Callaway's tally of five tries, including a hat trick in the first twenty minutes against St. Lawrence, was more tries than most props score in a lifetime. Tom Pritchard was a very clever and hardworking hooker, who in the best traditions of good forward play, knew how to push the laws to their limits. Despite his position, he was regularly first to the breakdown and turned over a huge amount of possession for the backs to use. James Shilston was the epitomy of a modem day second row forward. He did a lot around the pitch using his pace and fitness well and secured good lineout ball. He was supported at various times by the fast improving Richard Everall and the unlucky Farid Akoi who will no doubt be back with a vengeance next year. A back row combination of, at different times, Fred Jones, Henry Synge, Stuart Mack and Toby Lyons used their strength effectively. They put in some big tackles, drove the ball on well and their linking with the backs improved dramatically through the season. Ed Stephens led the team by example from serum half. He put in some immense tackles on people much bigger than him and was fast and tenacious whenever making a break. The unlucky Charles Teale, an A team serum half in any other year, deputised on a number of occasions and his sniping runs saw him cross the line several times. Ed linked well with fly half Tom Boucher who grew in confidence through the season and become a jinky runner as well as a skilful footballer. He amassed 48 points with the boot. A centre partnership of Luke Thome and Calvin Lau added pace, size and determination to the midfield. They both scored five tries and proved very hard to stop, nearly always crossing the gain line. Their passing improved and Luke's defence in particular was bone-shuddering. Andrew Laing and Jonathan Watler provided the pace out wide, finishing off a number of moves and both were rarely rounded. At full back, Ben Cryer took the phrase 'hitting the line at pace' to a new level. His speed led him to eight tries, he ate loose kicks for breakfast (as his sixty yard try scoring return against Tonbridge showed) and he was always reliable in defence. It was an absolute pleasure coaching the team, as they were keen to learn and act on new ideas. They are an enthusiastic bunch that really enjoys their rugby and I look forward to seeing how they develop up the school. They need fear no team next year but must beware of the dangers that being one of the strongest teams on the circuit brings. I am sure that they will rise to the challenge. R.P.C. Team from: Tom Boucher, Edward Callaway, Ben Cryer, Richard Everall, Edward Herbert, Fred Jones, Andrew Laing, Calvin Lau, Toby Lyons, Stuart Mack, Tom Pritchard, James Shilston, Edward Stephens (Capt), Henry Synge, Charles Teale, Luke Thome, Jonathan Watler. Also played: Farid Akoi, Hugh Davies, Jonathan Erridge, Daniel Gilmore, Mikiya Morioka, Thomas Pedley.
14-0. 25-3. 19-0. 15-29. 26-12. 44-5. 14-46. 19-10. 5-5. 29-10. 34-7. 20-0.
Under 14 'B' With a large number of very keen rugby players corning into the shells, this year promised to be a good one! However, we began the season disappointingly with a very close loss against Eastboume, though to the credit of the team this did not lower morale. Our next game was against St Johns, and was real 'Chariots of Fire' stuff, with King's winning with a penalty in the last minute of the game. We were brought down to earth with a resounding bump when we were thoroughly beaten by KCS Wimbledon on a rather small pitch. The loss was made up for with a resounding 52-0 victory against Felsted in the next game. The U14 B 's then embarked on a 5 match unbeaten run, including victories against the old enemy, Tonbridge, and Epsom, Duke ofYork's, Sevenoaks and King's Rochester. During these games, the boys really came together and put on some great displays of Rugby. The team has shown great spirit throughout the season with a 'never say die' motto that allowed a number of games to be won in the closing minutes of the game. During the season the captaincy of the side changed hands a number of times due to injuries and requirements of the A's. At the start of the season Charles Teale captained the side until his promotion to the A's, whereupon Christian Klapp led the side. More recently Dan Johnstone captained the side wonderfully well, leading by example. Other players deserving of a mention include Jon Erridge, who came through as a quality all round player with superb goal-kicking ability. Bernard Chiu and Dan Gilmore were always in the thick of things in the back line both being very strong runners. William Hamilton was a commanding fly-half organising the backs and thinking on his feet with some excellent tactical kicking. Up front, Mikiya Morioka came up from the C's and was strong in defence, putting in some really big hits. Every single boy put all they had into every game as the results have shown. With 10 games played, the B's won 7 and lost 3. A great season, Well Done boys! GARETH MENTON
The U14 C XV Under the joint managers of Mr Monk and Mr Bell we started well with a very close loss and a good in. After this we began to lose some very even games on a regular basis, this was mainly due to the terrible conditions. The wet ball did not suit our extremely quick backs, and slid out of our hands on regular occasions with the result that we did not feed the ball out to our wingers who are among the quickest at our level. Our forwards were consistent throughout the long season, winning the majority of serums and lineouts. This however proved to be undermined, as our forwards in the middle part of the season were not very sharp to come to the breakdown, resulting in the loss of possession at rucks. However as the season grew old our forwards began to regain possession on a regular basis after some rucking sessions with our coaches. In the last few matches we were incredibly unlucky, losing only by a couple of points each time. 61
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
There are some names I would like to mention with regards to the qualities of the team. Our forwards were a force to be reckoned with and James Harvey-Kelly, Richard Ankerson and Chris Cork coming to mind as always being first to a breakdown and being prepared to get low and take their opposite man out when needed, something that is a necessity to any good Under 14 team. Our backs were also a formidable force, each with good hands but lacking in the tackling department. At serum half William Bruce was decisive with his passing and had the ability to spot when the blind-side could be exploited and used it to great effect, especially in the Duke of York's game. Fly half and playmaker Mathew Baer was always prepared to take it in and recycle possession and at insidecentre, the ultimate tackler and the master of swerving and tricky runs, Renwick Russell. Outside of him Sebastian Shaw, the quickest player in the C XV, had the ability to run round any defence but rarely had the possession of the ball due to the atrocious conditions we were playing in. Our two wingers, William Acker and Alex Pemberton played consistently well all season and our full back, Stephan Eisenhammer was ¡an important concealed weapon when he joined the line and he coped with the high ball very well. I would like to thank everyone involved with the C team this year. We improved a great deal throughout the season due to our coaches and we were very unlucky with many of our games where we were unfortunate to be on the wrong end of close results. WILLIAM BRUCE (MT) Team from: William Acker, Matthew Baer, James Belgrave, Chris Binks, George Blessley, William Bruce (Capt), Chris Cork, Hugh Davies, James Devonshire, Stephen Eisenhammer, James Harvey-Kelly, Lawrence Kerr, Sunil Khemani, William Mawdsley, Alex Pemberton, Shaun Reardon, Renwick Russell, John Sellers, Seb Shaw, Andrew Swaffer, William Thompson.
1st XI After a very successful tour of Australia, our season started with high hopes and expectations. It was clear from the beginning that we had a big reputation to live up to, and with a major exodus of last year's team in summer, this season was always going to provide a challenge and a great opportunity for new talent. This happened right from the start, with eight players making their first XI debut in our first match against Epsom College. Probably due to the large number of new faces, we had a slightly nervous start, but our dedication and determination was very evident. Anna Vollenbroich, in her debut, scored a beautiful goal, hitting the side netting in the last few seconds. It was also Alex Fielding's first match since an injury had taken her out for almost the whole of last season. Alex has since proved herself a highly reliable player that few opposition teams have been able to get past. The Plumtree Tournament was our next event, which proved very disappointing. Although in all our matches we were clearly dominant, having most of the possession, we were unable to capatalize on this advantage. However, our game did steadily improve throughout the day. Lucy Attwood, with her determined but calm nature, has shown herself to be a skilled midfielder, and Julia Dawes played spectacularly well in the final game against Jags. In our next match against St Lawrence, despite still having areas to work on, there was a visible improvement in our game. The forwards had a much better match, moving around more and giving themselves more space and time within the D. It was a pleasing result against one of the better sides in Kent. Folkes tone, on the other hand was a less satisfying match. In the first half, we lacked shape and movement off the ball. However, after some harsh words at half time, our play noticeably improved. At Felsted we had an encouraging start. We went out feeling strong and determined. The forwards and halves began to link together well, and although we still had problems with our width, vast improvements had been made since our previous match. Isabelle Chapman proved herself to be a fearsome force on the left. With Rachael Lukehurst, who has been a source of amusement both on and off the pitch, we played some great defensive hockey saving us from some tricky situations.
RESULTS
Played 6, Won 1, Lost 5.
Hockey
Back row (left to right): Miss Scott-Kilvert, Juliet Chapman, Virginia Mainwaring, Alex Fielding, Rachael Lukehurst, Ana Vollenbroich, Molly Tregear, Suzy Wharfe, Esabelle Chapman Front row (left to right): Kate Burrett, Eleanor Powell-Jackson, Emma Pinder, Sophia Gold (Capt.), Julia Dawes (Vice-Capt.), Lucy Attwood, George Rowan
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN
2000
62
Sophia Gold on the ball Next came the Kent Schools Tournament, arguably the most important competition of our season. Our first match of the day against Sevenoaks got off to quite a good start, moving the ball around and scoring quite early on to settle our nerves. In our second match against Bromley, we began to panic quite early on, making some unnecessary mistakes. Fortunately, we did enough to win. Against Gravesend, the match was again closer than we would have liked, but thankfully short comers played a very important role. St Edmunds saw a visible improvement, although it was still evident that we lacked communication on the pitch. Once more, short comers, with Kate striking playing a crucial role. Against Sutton Valence, in my view we showed the best fifteen minutes of hockey we have played all season, against arguably the best team that we have played. Right from the whistle, there was a great sense of urgency, we were moving the ball around better, holding our shape, and were very much in control, dominating the game. It was a lovely match to play in and we came off the pitch feeling very proud. of our performance. Kate Burrett scored two lovely goals, one right from the backline, and a second a magnificent straight strike from a comer. She has had a very impressive season, holding the centre together very well, and playing a vital role in connecting all ~eas of the pitch. In the next round we were against Kent College. This was a very tough and physical match, with lots of memories attached. We were unable to recapture the form that we had produced against Sutton Valence previously, but did enough to secure a win. This was followed by a match against St Lawrence, where we some similar problems ocurred, being unable to put the ball in the back of the net, although a draw put us through to the semi-finals against Invicta. This was a horrible match, where our inability to score finally cost us dear, it went to penalty flicks. In the end, 15 strokes were taken by each side, with the majority being sudden death. Sadly, it wasn't to be our day, and in the end it went Invicta's way. We were able to recover well from this disappointment, and the Cranbrook match saw us playing some of our most aggressive hockey yet, with an early lead giving us the edge that we needed, and Virginia Mainwaring outstanding. Throughout the season she has developed an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time. Sevenoaks, in three minutes saw us achieve one of the incisive strikes that we had been lacking all season. Juliet Chapman, who has been plagued by injury all season, was on fire, playing some of the best hockey I have seen her play, and together with the rest of the forwards, they annihilated the Sevenoaks defence, scoring three goals in three minutes.
Sutton Valence was our next fixture, playing on water-based astro. It was a very different game, with both teams being very aggressive and determined, King's leading in the first half, and in the end the game could have gone either way. Although we were by far the dominant side, we did not take our chances, whereas the few opportunities they had, they took advantage of, Molly Tregear played a crucial role at right half, breaking down many of the Valence attacks. She is a very reliable player, and her play and skills have improved remarkably throughout the season. Here also our goalie, George Rowan should be congratulated on a fine season. On many occasions she has been our saviour and it should not be forgotten that for each penalty flick one of us takes, she faces five. She is a great comfort to have at the back. The John Taylor Tournament gave us an opportunity to display some of the hockey that we knew we were capable of. Winning our group in the morning, we went on to play TWIGS in the quarter finals . Here, the defence were a credit to the team. Suzy Wharfe with her constant optimism and Emma Pinder who has improved remarkably throughout the season, proved both great assets to the side. In the semi-final, once again luck was not on our side, having scored a disputed goal that was in the end disallowed, it went to penalty flicks. You would think that we would have learned .. .. The last couple of matches have been very close, proving to us that just one or two mistakes can cost us the match, and that we must use the many opportunites we create. PJ moving from the midfield line to the forwards, has been an inspiration. She is a very adaptable player, whose athleticism has improved throughout the season, scoring many of the critical goals. Overall, it has been an extremely enjoyable season. In many cases, I don't feel that our results have done justice to much of the hockey that I have been lucky enough to be part of. In several cases the matches could have gone either way, and it was just not our luck on the day. Having said this, this year's first XI is an extremely young team with huge potential for the next two years of King's Hockey. On a personal note, I would like to thank Julia Dawes, the Vice-Captain, for her continuing support throughout the season. She is a very talented forward, with a light and nimble touch that seems to mystify the oppositions' defence, and it has been a pleasure to play with her for the last five years. Finally, I would like to thank our coach, Miss Scott-Kilvert, who has combined motivation and hard training with enthusiasm. She has been an inspiration throughout the season, ensuring tremendous development both on an individual basis and within the team, helping us work together as a unified whole. SOPIDA GOLD
63
(JR) (CAPTAIN OF GIRLS' HOCKEY) THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN
2000
Team: Georgina Rowan, Sophia Gold (Captain)**, Alex Fielding*, Emma Pinder*, Suzy Wharfe, Molly Tregear, Kate Burrett*, Lucy Attwood*, Rachael Lukehurst, Virgina Mainwaring, Julia Dawes (Vice-Captain)**, Eleanor PowellJackson*, Juliet Chapman*, Isabelle Chapman, Ana Vollenbroich. Also played: Katie Perks, Suzy Gentles. *First colours awarded** First colours reawarded
2nd XI We have had a very successful and enjoyable season. We started the term with a strong team, especially in mid-field against Epsom College. The match enthused all the players, as things were looking positive for the season ahead with a 6-0 win. Shortly afterwards we were faced by the Chilean team from the Grange School, Santiago. Due to the 1st XI playing in a tournament we were left to play the unbeaten touring team that boasted a number of International players and left us seven goals down. The match was extremely beneficial to us and encouraged much movement of the ball and after the first four minutes, in which they had already scored twice, we became much more confident aiding our possession. However, just before the relief of the half-time whistle came, a short corner was called. Our four backs then found themselves faced by the entire Chilean team, including the goalie. At this point despite giving away six short comers a goal was unable to be scored. Towards half term the team became unsettled as players were promoted to the firsts and others fell ill. A very entertaining game was played against Cranbrook that resulted in a 7-0 win. The forwards played extremely well putting into practice new skills learnt in training. Tessa as centre forward demonstrated her speed and skill by supporting the runs made by the wings. Annabel, Charlie, Susie and Karen who all played on the wings on many occasions proved very adaptable and effective. Annabel was very good at timing her run with the balls being fed through the midfield. Charlie's tactics were to out run her opposition and closing in on the goal and striking hard. Karen was fantastic always willing to fill in and proved that we wanted and needed her to play and train with us every week. Susie was the star of the forwards however and we began to worry towards the end of the season as the 1st XI frequently poached both her and Rachael. In mid-field the ball always appeared to be controlled and from the centre Rachael organised them well. Rachel was excellent at both scaring and beating her opposition. Lizzie proved a steady player, adaptable and enthusiastic. Vicky and Cathy improved tremendously over the season and quickly proved they were indispensable members of the team. The skill and strength of Katie Perks was very much missed when she became ill. Katie Wood showed her skill by passing the ball around the pitch successfully and increasing the momentum of the game. The defence was often solid with Abby and Chrissy working very well on either side. They staggered their movements in order to always be quick to return to defence. Chrissy's long distance clearing was particularly noticeable and her pace on defending short comers resulted in no goals being conceded from them, throughout the season. Abby made excellent saves of some very close goals (often nearly own goals scored by myself!) Antonia's strong hits were vital especially from 16 yards, as we were made particularly aware of during the matches when she was injured. The season has been beneficial and successfully but best of all very fun. Mr Preston was an excellent coach, full of good advice and eager to teach us skills, which we were blatantly unable to grasp. His encouragement in the few matches he was able to see was greatly appreciated as well as helpful and our Christmas special practice, particularly memorable. Mr Henderson kindly umpired all our matches and generated lots of enthusiastic team talks, pointing out our strengths and of course weaknesses and on behalf of the squad I would like to thank them both. CAROLINE HOLLYWOOD (LX) (2ND XI CAPTAIN) Team: Caroline Hollywood* (Captain) Claire Moorcroft*, Chrissy Stoodley*, Suzy Gentles*, Rachael Lukehurst*, Lizzie Milligan*, Abigail Peel*, Antonia Dixey*, Annabelle Brice*, Katie Wood*, Charlotte Wheeler*, Karen Smith*, Alex Piechoczek, Cathy Blanford, Anna McDonald, Katie Perks*, Tessa Van Den Hout*. * Second colours
RESULTS Played 11, Won 7, Lost 4. Goals for 28, Goals against 13 (excluding tournaments). v Epsom (H). Won 3-0. v St.Edmunds (A). Won 4-1. v StLawrence (H). Won 4-1. v Folkestone Grammar (H). Won 4-0. v Felsted (A). Won 2-0. v Cranbrook (H). Won 1-0. v Sevenoaks (H). Won 6-1. v Sutton Valence (H). Lost 2-3. v City of London Freemans (H). Lost 1-2. v Brentwood (H). Lost 1-2. v Kent College (A). Lost 0-3. Semi-Finalists Kent Schools Tournament Semi-Finalists Sutton Valence Coach's Comments: After the success of last year we knew that the season ahead was going to be very different. After the loss of 7 from players last season we knew it would only be a matter of time before new faces would be shining through. The decisions surrounding the 1st XI were made easier by our very successful tour to Australia in the summer. This provided many of the 5th formers with the opportunity to learn from the experienced players. It is important to note that over half of this years team will still be a part of King's hockey for the next two seasons this only bodes well for the future. The commitment to training has continued this year despite some of the awful weather conditions that we have had to face. This reinforces the continued positive approach that the girls take towards both team and individual goals. I would like to point out at this stage that I appreciate all of their efforts that they put in away from the match play situation. Although this season has seen some unfortunate losses the squad should not be disheartened by this but allow themselves to learn from mistakes and build upon them. We were very unlucky to lose to Invicta in the semi-finals of the Kent Schools Tournament but to be fair to the squad a barrage of 13 penalty strokes, 8 of these being under sudden death conditions is only a credit to their sheer courage. Penalty strokes seemed to play a vital part in our downfa-1 again -at the John Taylor Tournament, I hope by next season we will score in normal play as I'm not sure that either the girls' or my nerves can go through the disappointment again! A positive part of the John Taylor was that Sophia Gold was awarded player of the tournament, which was a fitting end to her final tournament at King's- well done. Many of the team have already been mentioned in Sophia's report but I would like to highlight a few individuals. My congratulations go to Georgina Rowan, Kate Burrett and Juliet Chapman for achieving county honours. Both Kate and Juliet went on to represent the East of England at U16level, and one stage further than this Juliet has been selected to attend England Trials early next year so on behalf of the squad well done and good luck for 2001. Finally I would like to thank both Sophia Gold and Julia Dawes for all of their efforts that they have put in both on and off the pitch this season. Both Sophia and Julia have been with the 1st team for 3 years . and have played vital roles throughout. I know when I say they will be greatly missed that I am speaking on behalf of the whole team. But on a personal note they have both completed the jobs of captain and vice captain to an excellent standard and I appreciate it greatly. I wish all of the 6A's the best of luck with their exams next year and I hope that they are rewarded with the grades that they deserve, because if they were being judged by their hockey they deserve to be successful. A.J.S.K. THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
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RESULTS Played 10, won 7, drew 1, lost 2. Goals for 26, Goals against 13. v The Grange School, Santiago (H). Lost v St. Lawrence (A). Won v Felsted (A). Won v Cranbrook (H). Won v Sevenoaks (H). Won v Sutton Valence (A). Won v City of London (H). Lost v King's Rochester (H). Won v Brentwood (H). Won v King's Gloucester (H). Drew
UlSA At the beginning of this term the team were anxious to discover whether this season would be as successful as our last, due to the promotion of our two great defenders before the start of the season. However, this year has been full of high achievements and unforgettable moments. The season started well with a convincing win against Epsom College. In the following matches our forwards Emma Hiddleston, Sarah Martin, Laura Moncrieffe and Alice Frohnsdorff, as well as our midfield players, Charlotte Townsend, Sophie Leigh-Pemberton and myself, were to prove just how many goals they could score. Some of our more convincing victories included an 11-0 win at Cranbrook. Congratulations to Laura who was the top goal scorer. Of course our high levels of success would have been impossible without such a superb line of defence, this consisted of Frances Steel, Rose McLaren, Kara Kock and Lucinda Newman as sweeper, rarely failing to clear the ball to our forwards. Unfortunately for her, Jess Watson our goalkeeper, was very rarely involved in our games with the ball remaining in our attacking half for the majority of our games. However, when needed, was sure to defend with fierce determination and rarely let a ball past. We have lost only one match this term and this was played away against City of London Freemen's School. A very unfortunate goal in the first half and we didn't quite manage to come back into the game. Yet apart from that it has been an excellent season. We are currently competing in the Under 15 English Hockey Association Cup and to date have reached the 4th round. We will continue to participate in this tournament next term with the first fixture being against Langley Park on the 24th January. All round it has been a good season for everyone and we are looking forward to seeing how far we can progress in the cup. I'd like to acknowledge and thank Christie Waddington, Juliet McCredie and Georgie Emary who frequently travelled with the squad and helped out when various injuries occurred. Also a big thank you to Miss Myers and Mr Dave Matthews who have coached throughout the season. AMY O'SULLIVAN (LX) (CAPTAIN)
0-8. 4-0. 1-0. 7-0. 2-0. 1-0. 2-4. 5-0. 4-1. 0-0.
3rdXI The team had a fair few matches in the first half of term, mostly against the first team of other schools. Having never played together as a team before, the matches played were very successful and as the side learned to know one another's tactics the standard of play dramatically improved. There was some outstanding play in the centre half by Alice Mitchell, working well with Eliza Beattie, and Alice also hit many of the victorious strikes. Charlotte Wright and Claudia Wilmot-Smith provided a strong defence, as did Elizabeth Doherty, and Emily Berry was skilful in her positioning as right wing, then being able to take any runs possible up the wing. The short comers also improved as the term progressed, with a solid performance from Charlotte Attwood, Alice Mitchell, Eliza Beattie, Georgina Herdman and Katie Redstone. Alice's strikes, once again, were a particular success. When challenged the team worked very well together producing pleasing results and showing, previously unforeseen, talents. Team: Katie Redstone (Captain), Charlotte Wright, Eliza Beattie, Alice Mitchell, Elizabeth Doherty, Claudia WilmotSmith, Samantha Brown, Emily Berry, Louise Pracey-Smith, Georgina Herdman, Charlotte Attwood, Jessica Bain. KATIE REDSTONE (BR)
Back row (left to right): Rose McClaren, Alice Frohnsdorff, Sophie Leigh-Pemberton, Frances Steel, Lucinda Newman, Sarah Martin, Kara Kock, Miss Myers Front row (left to right): Laura Moncreiffe, Jess Watson, Amy O'Sullivan, Charlotte Townsend, Emma Middlestone 65
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
Team from: Amy O'Sullivan, Jess Watson, Lucinda Newman, Kara Kock, Frances Steele, Rose McClaren, Charlotte Townsend, Sophie Leigh-Pemberton, Sarah Martin, Laura Moncrieffe, Emma Hiddleston, Alice Frohnsdorff. Also played: Georgie Emary, Juliet McCredie and Christie Waddington.
RESULTS Played 12, Won 11, Lost 1. Goals for 49, Goals against 1. v Epsom (A). Won v St.Edmunds (H). Won v StLawrence (H). Won v Felsted (H). Won v Cranbrook (H). Won v Sevenoaks (A). Won v Sutton Valence (H). Won v City of London (A). Lost v Brentwood (A). Won v Kent College (A). Won E.H.A. U15 Cup results to date:
v Brentwood
v Burgess Hill
A). (H).
Won Won
RESULTS Played 6, Won 6. Goals for 40, Goals against v St. Edmunds (A). v Duke ofYorks (H). v Ursuline College (H). v Sevenoaks (A). v City of London (H). v King's Rochester (H).
9-0. 5-0. 2-0. 5-0. 11-0. 1-0. 1-0. 0-1. 1-0. 5-0.
10-0. 4-0. 11-0. 7-0. 4-1. 4-0.
Under 14 A Girls' RESULTS Played 10, Won 5, Drew 2, Lost 3. Scored 17 (Brooks 12, Welby 2, Taylor 2, Barker 1), Conceded 11. v Epsom College (H). Won 1-0. v StLawrence College (A). Drew 0-0. v Felstead School (H). Lost 0-4. v Highworth (H). Won 4-0. v Cranbrook (H). Drew 1-1. v Sevenoaks School (H). Won 2-0. v Roger Manwood (H). Won 4-1. v Sutton Valence (H). Won 5-l. v London Freemen's (A). Lost 0-2. v Brentwood (A). Lost 0-2. v Kent College (H). Cancelled due to weather. Team from: Soy ode, Sayer, Fitzsimmons, Crosland, Webber, Barker, Tregear, Broxup, Welby, Taylor, Williams, Brooks, Helm, Botana, Fryatt, Imasekha, Middleton, Jones, Goyder, Marklew and Ramsay. . It has been a pleasur~ to work with this enthusiastic group of girl~ .who have entertamed my Saturdays this term with their exc1tmg perfo~mances on the pitch. They have always been prepared to listen and act on instructions. This has been reflected in their rousing second half performances against strong opposition when trying to chase the game. There have been bre.athtaking saves fro~ Lola Soyode, crunching tackles and s~rg1~g runs f~om Charh Crosland and Lizzy Fitzsimmons, last ditch.mterceptwns f~om Charlotte Sayer, persistent marking b~ Rosalmd Webber, midfield magic from Kiri Barker, skilful wmg-play from Katie Taylor and Megan Williams, tenacious hounding of opposition by Pippa Tregear and intelligent through-balls from Anna Broxup and Sarah Welby. Julia Brooks spearheaded the attack and marshalled the team from the front where she poached the lion's share of the goals this season: Throughout the term several players have earned appearances in the 'A' team and they have coped well when called upon. Well done to all of you and good luck for the future. I would like to thank all of the squad and league players this term. Their attitude and enthusiasm has made sport afternoons and m~tches fun to be a part of. Thanks also to S. McConnell, R. Pnce and G. Wood for their valuable support and encouragement.
4-0. 4-0.
UlSB Our second unbeaten season passed triumphantly. Of the many goals scored I am pleased to say that the total conceded was only 2. The forwards played well both as a team and ~ndividually. A~ the positions were practically kept constant, It was not l~ng before a rhythm was settled and goals began to come t!uck an~ fast. Congratulations to our top goal scorer.s, Aimee Baud and Laura Headley. Laura knocking them m from the top of the 'D' and Aimee pushing them in from the post. The right hand side of the pitch was played successfully by Juliet McCredie and Georgie Emary. Rebecca Powell- Jackson who too~ the position of centre midfield, and Suzannah Johnson m centre back, deserve credit for their amazing defending skills. The defenders seemed to clear most of the balls that came their way, of course with the obvious exception of the 2 that we let in. Susie Jacques in left back with her tactful back stick push played brilliantly, managing to successfully clear many balls out of defence to either Aimee or myself. The position of sweeper was shared by both Charlotte Reardon and Katie Yawitz, who were perfect for the position with their powerful and accurate hitting skills. Our goalkeeper, Hannah Egleton, remained almost untested throughout the seasol!, however, whenever needed was always ready to respo~d .. Right ~ack was alternatively and reliably played by Christie Waddmgton and Louise Home. Aislinn M~~ligan an~ Grace Walpole were versatile players, with the ability to switch from back to midfield and even to forward positions with ease. On the whole I would like to say that all girls played well as a team,. resulting in such a victorious and enjoyable season. I would ~Ike to thank.the e.ntire team for being superb players and for havmg a fantastic attitude throughout the entire season. And special thanks also to our coaches, Miss Myers, David Matthews and Mrs McConnell. ELIZABETH DE JUNIAC (BR) (CAPTAIN) Team from: Elizabeth de Juniac, Hannah Egleton, Suzannah Johnson, Susann~ Jacqu~s, Louise Home, Aislinnn Mulligan, Grace Walp~le, A1mee B~1rd, Rebecca Powell-Jackson, Georgie Emary, Juhet McCredie, Laura Headley, Katie Yawitz, Charlotte Reardon. Also played: Claudia Kennaugh and Christie Waddington. THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
1. Won Won Won Won Won Won
O.G.M.
U14A The Ul4A hockey squad started the season as a group of individual hockey players but as the season progressed we developed our ability to work together to make a team. The goalkeeper Lola Soyode, new to this particular aspect of the game, excelled her~elf improving rapidly helping the team's success. Our back lme ,rlay~d to a v~ry high standard working together to make a sohd umt. Charh Crosland's powerful hits enabled us t.o push f?rward at every opportunity. With Kiri Barker creatmg play m the centre and opportunities for the forwar~s enabled more attacking hockey. Also playing halves were Pippa Tregear, who worked well with Megan Williams 66
and Anna Broxup who moved the ball well between the defence and the attack. Katie Taylor our right wing created many chances at goal with her superb crosses. We played on many different surfaces including Astroturf, water-based and grass, each bringing a different challenge for the team. The match we played at Sevenoaks was on grass and we benefited from this because we had to do short, accurate passes and support each other. We played strongly against many teams but often we could have played better against weaker sides that would have produced better results. We wasted a lot of chances on short corners and more time must be spent working on these next season. We worked a lot on stopping the ball on our strong side of the stick, short passes and supporting each other. When we used these we played well and effectively. I would like to thank Mr. Moore for his excellent coaching and support especially his half-time team talks, which were always very constructive and enabled us to play better in the second half. Also Mrs. Price who helped us build on our skills and tactics which enabled us to play a higher standard of game. Mrs. McConnell has supported us in all weather conditions which was greatly appreciated. The team has really enjoyed this season maintaining a high spirit throughout the term. We all hope to continue to develop and further our skills and continue to enjoy our hockey. JULIA BROOKS (MR) (CAPTAIN)
The school has had more enthusiasm about rowing this term with two OKS at the Olympics -Frances Houghton and gold medallist Fred Scarlett. Unfortunately all the inspiration and coaching gained from their success and subsequent visit could not be used to full effect as due to the extreme weather nearly every race was cancelled. (We have also been wading into the lake to get afloat as the landing stage has not been seen since half term.) Maidstone ran a pre-flood head and as well as the beginners racing Susie Herbert and Kate Mclean won their respective events and due to the wave of 'Scarlett-fever' going about got their pictures in the Kent Gazette. Docklands small boats head also brought some good results although there was much less competition. GB trial were held at Boston and the school was represented by Henry Nicholls, (who finally made up his mind about what sport to do) and Will Everett. With so many official races cancelled it was down to friendlies - one of which at Putney saw some mixed boats competing, giving the newcomers their first Thames experience. A well organised event at Westbere against King's Rochester resulted in a fairly equal medal haul for each school and a good opportunity for some change in opposition. The Shells have been down on Wednesdays for their traditional try out, and some have shown great potential. Any of them who take it up I'm sure will be pleasantly surprised that they do not usually have to wade in bare feet in freezing water to participate in an otherwise enjoyable sport. We hope next term will bring more rowers, more competion, and our landing stage back! SUSIE HERBERT (LX) AND ZoE JAGELMAN
Under 14 B Girls'
Squash
RESULTS Played 7, Won 3, Drew 2, Lost 2. Goals for 8, Goals against 12. v Duke ofYork's (A). Lost 1-3 v Felstead School (H). Won 3-1. v Cranbrook (A). Drew 0-0. v Folkestone Grammar (A). Drew 0-0. v Sevenoaks School (A). Won 1-0. v London Freemen's (H). Won 3-0. v Wellesley House (A). Lost 0-8. Team from: Helm, Botana, Fryatt, Irnasekha, Middleton, Jones, Goyder, Marklew, Greenwood, Clapp, Bailey, Ramsay, Clayton, Jones, Tyler, Short, Bird, Dickson, Fryatt, Wells, Williams P., Williams M., Broxup and thanks to all others in the squad.
The Squash season was opened with the fiercely fought battle with the OKS. This Sunday morning fixture was visibly too much for last season's number one Jamie Winner, who failed to score more than three points, clearly struggling having not kept up the rigorous training demands of the 1st VI. By lunchtime the match was wrapped up 3-2 in Kings' favour. The next match against local rivals St Edmunds proved to be a walk-over victory for us, as we claimed all the matches. With our home tie against Brighton College cancelled due to the fuel shortage, our next match came away at St Edmunds. With the top three players arriving late, thanks to poor navigation from Tom, we found ourselves two matches down. Luckily we recovered with Ryan, Tom, and Greg winning their matches, to record a 3-2 victory. With the loss of Harry Winner mid-season the team lost significant strength at number 4, though thanks to the large pool of players trained by Martin from the start of the season, the position was soon filled. The improvements by so many players this season has made team selection very difficult. The team was chosen from: Ryan Kerrison (Captain), Tom Steibelt, Greg Edmunds, Jonny Westside, Fred Hadfield, Jonny Macfarlane and Michael Page. RYAN KERRISON (MT)
Captain Kim Bailey reports in collaboration with O.G.M.
We have played on grass and Astroturf during the campaign where we hav~ coped well in each case. There are many positives to report such as our ability to work well as a team and use our growing repertoire of skills in matches. However, the key weakness has been in converting chances up front. We have dominated games and have only come away with a goalless draws. There has been much progression of players from 'league' to U14B and up to U14A throughout the season. This has been important to maintain competition for places in the A team. The Ul4B team have defended well on occasion thanks to Greenwood, Clapp, Helm, Clayton, Jones and Botana. Botana suddenly found the goalscoring instinct and later became the main source of goals for the team following the promotion of Williams M. and Broxup. The midfield has always been strong and skilful with Bailey, Goyder, Marklew, Ramsay and Tyler being regular members. Well done to you all and thanks to everyone who has been involved in encouraging and supporting the team.
Basketball Senior Boys House The competition was held on the morning of Sunday 1st October with more than a few bodies aching after the rugby matches against KCS Wimbledon on the previous afternoon. There was however a good turnout with only Marlowe fielding less than five players. The first round results were was follows: The Grange 24 v Tradescant 19 Marlowe 4 v School House 21 Mitchinsons 2 Meister Omers 16 v Galpins 19 v Linacre 7
Boat Club The term started off unusually with a lot of new faces. Dr and Fiona Taylor along with Rowan (who is a good blade carrier but still a little small to row!) as well as a large group of remove girls and some 6A's who had caught the rowing bug at the House Regatta. 67
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
OKS, were lost resoundingly, though promising performances from Felix Bottomley and James Murden, who won their matches together, helped to provide a silver lining to the dark clouds that shrouded Canterbury Golf Club on both afternoons. The most important match of the short season came against Epsom in the first round of the HMC Foursomes. Epsom are traditionally a very strong side and have put us out of the competition in two of the last three years. Hayden Wood and Toby Pentecost, the first pair out, battled hard to win their match against talented opposition, though this was cancelled out by Murden and Bottomley losing out in their match to level the scores at 1-1. All seemed lost when Tom Bruce and Sachin Premnath got to the turn 4 down to their opponents. They battled back grittily however winning 3 holes in a row with Tom hitting majestic long iron shots and Sachin playing a wonderful short game on the back 9. The match was level until the 18th, where unfortunately the Bruce/Premnath machine slowed down allowing their opponents to win the match on the final hole, putting King's out of the competition. There was much in the season, however, to indicate that the busy summer term will be successful for the 1st VI. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Phillis for commitment this term and to congratulate Toby Pentecost on achieving a place in the County development squad. We wish him luck on his advancement. HAYDEN WOOD (MR)
The Grange versus Tradescant was a closely fought effort with James Murden and James Mainwaring scoring most of the points for Tradescant, ably captained by Ed Bosher, but the Grange matching Tradescant with baskets from Matt Pollock, Alade Williams and Toby Hayes. The Grange snuffed out the challenge from School House in the semi finals being far more accurate with their shooting, and Galpins proved to have too much height and possession for a competitive Meister Omers. In the final on a full court, the legs were beginning to tire not surprisingly and the number of mistakes far exceeded the number of baskets, with Galpins leading 5-4 at half time. However, The Grange played the better basketball in the second half when Galpins started to lose their discipline. Alade Williams ended up top scorer showing how effective he can be with his jump shot and Matt Pollock and Mark Cresswell scored from rebounds with Jack Martin getting a reply for Galpins. The eventual result was The Grange 10 v 7 Galpins, so Grange retained the trophy. My thanks to RCW and Calvin Rogers for their help in officiating and to those who came to support. S.E.A.
Junior House The Competition was held on Sunday 4th Feb and involved House teams of Shells and Removes combined. One of the favourites, Linacre, was severely tested in the first round by the competitive Galpins, but then showed their composure in the second half of the next round against a Marlowe team led courageously by Tom Ransley. In the lower half of the draw, Meister Omers had a close victory over The Grange, whereas School House eased slowly away from Tradescant when Chuko Esiri was brought on. The semi-final saw School House emerge as comfortable winners but Meister Omers has given a good account of themselves. The final matched Linacre with the holders School House and had Ari Esiri been well enough, it would have allowed the Esiri brothers to face one another. Although the final was not a high scoring game the quality of the skills had to be admired, as well as the good spirit in which it was contested. The playmaking of Rhodes Edwor-Thorley and Nick Gent allowed both Tim MacLehose and Ken Kam to score baskets for Linacre, but they were matched by a strong all-round School House side that had Robin Bailey, Peter Yakovlev and Chuko Esiri challenging the taller Linacre players under the backboard. Henry Lo added to the baskets scored by Bill Ackers and Chuko Esiri by hitting a spectacular three pointer to enable School House to win by a score of 11 - 6, thus retaining the Trophy. Well done to all the players and especially to the teams from School House and Linacre who were unfortunate that they did not have Ari Esiri fit. I would also like to thank the Rec Centre staff for preparing the Hall in double quick time and to AS-K and RCW for their assistance in officiating along with Mr. McLean and Miss Van der Merwe for scoring.
Sailing As Dr. Maltby was away on sabbatical leave this term, the Sailing team were under the guidance of Mr. Hutchings. During the first half of term we sailed at Dover and competed in two Regattas. The Kent Schools' Regatta at Dover on the first Saturday of term, 9th September, should have allowed us to build on the skills we had developed in training sessions at
RESULTS Linacre 7 School House 26 Marlowe Meister Omers 11 Linacre 20 School House 25 Linacre 6
v v w/o v v v v
Galpins 5 Tradescant 6 Mitchinsons The Grange 6 Marlowe 4 Meister Omers 9 School House 11 S.E.A.
Golf This has not been the most successful of terms for King's golf. Our results however, do not fairly represent the performances put in some by some of the players this year. The first two matches against the Prince of Wales Regiment and the THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
George Mawdsley (MO) and Peter Fitzsimmons (LN) at Itchenor (HROM)
68
On the Running Leg: King's (Sail number, GBR 47747) competing at Itchenor Schools Championship (HROM)
Frostbite series races, with positive results. This Sunday race session (after Matins) was the toughest, but reaped great rewards in terms of race awareness skills- it's amazing how quickly awareness builds up when thousands of pounds worth of boat is in your hands! We enjoyed the races and next term plan to sail regularly in the Westbere Frostbite series until March - a new development for the Sailing Club. So due thanks are given to Mr. Hutchings, who gave up his time to drive us everywhere (even when ill!), and Matt, without whom we would still be sailing at a basic level. ANTONY LEWIS (MO)
Itchenor. However, very light winds worked against our class, 420s, which really need a good force 3-4 wind to perform. On Thursday 21 September we took part in the RN Section Regatta at Upnor, River Medway, sworn in to the CCF for the day! We enjoyed sailing different boats, including Bosuns, finishing in the runner up position. After half-term we enjoyed two outings to the Westbere lakes a week, both of which under the superb instruction of Matthew Wright, our coach, under whom we improved both our boat handling and racing skills. The racing skills developed proved essential, as on Sunday mornings the team met up with Dr Matlby and competed in the Westbere
AND THE SAILING CLUB
The King's School, Canterbury The Calvin & Rose G. Hoffman Prize for a Distinguished Publication on Christopher Marlowe At the discretion of the Trustees of the Calvin & Rose G. Hoffman Prize, the twelfth Prize for
a distinguished publication on Christopher Marlowe for the year 2000 was not awarded.
Entries are now invited for the thirteenth Prize, which will be not less than ÂŁ6000 and will be awarded in December 2001. The closing date is 1 September 2001. Further details may be obtained from the Headmaster's Secretary, The King's School, Canterbury, Kent CTl 2ES. The Calvin & Rose G. Hoffman Trust is a charity dedicated to research into the life and work of Christopher Marlowe (no. 289971)
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THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN 2000
Selma Oliver (WL)
THE CANTUARIAN, AUTUMN
2000
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THE CANTUARIAN
LENT & SUMMER TERMS 2001
THE CANTUARIAN V oL. LX No.2
LENT
&
SUMMER TERM,
2001
CONTENTS PAGE
EDITORIAL
74
THIS AND THAT
75
OBITUARIES
82
CHAPEL NOTES
84
VALETE
85
POINTS OF VIEW
96
FOCUS
101
EXPEDITIONS
109
CORRESPONDENCE
116
CREATIVE WRITING
117
REPORTS AND REVIEWS
121
SOCIETIES AND ACTIVITIES
131
SPORT
137
KING'S WEEK
167
THE CANTUARIAN
Editorial committee: Alex Fielding, Owen Ross, Catherine McDonogh, Diana Francis, Elizabeth Watts, Lee Rigley
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THE CANTUARIAN, LENT
&
SUM MER
200 1
EDITORIAL Our Cathedral has stood for a thousand years. Our school has been here for 600 years. Whether one comes to the precinct as priest, teacher, pupil, pilgrim or tourist this place represents continuity: the physical continuity of the buildings, the timelessness of Christian belief and the long tradition of an English public school. Continuity implies unchanging stability and we take comfort that a long past means permanence and an unchanging future. This, however, is an illusion. Our Cathedral was built by Roman Catholics, developed by an established church of England and is now the heart of a global Anglican community. The school began as a monastery and has evolved with the many phases of educational thinking. It now has 750 pupils, half of whom are girls. The longevity of Cathedral and school is the result of successful and continuous change. This is a troubled time, when our society has been subject to vicious and dramatic attack. Called to defend our society, it is inevitable that we should examine closely the core values on which it is built. The challenge of the last century was for our institutions to evolve as the barriers of class, education and wealth were broken down. The challenge of this century is to adapt further to differences in culture and religion on a world scale. These pages describe daily life in our school over the past year. Much is the same as the year before. The rules of cricket, football and hockey are unchanged. Societies meet, visitors speak and musicians continue to delight. The people are different but the unity of ethos and purpose that is our school remains the same. However, beneath the surface King's is dynamic and this magazine is a chronicle of change - some imperceptible and evolutionary, some radical. Much is not yet chronicled and awaits future years' editions. This year's celebration of King's Week's 50th anniversary revealed the extent to which the festival has grown and developed over time; and the new A level formula, embraced by the school, represents deep changes in approach in education. Nevertheless, our community remains locked to the one core value most needed in the world today to ensure a peaceful coexistence: King's is as always fundamentally intolerant of intolerance.
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One of the School's longest-serving members of staff, Andrew Mackintosh, di~d sudden~y on Sunday May 2oth He arrived to teach Classics in 1950, and apart from a bnef break m · . ·11 · 1 · 1 d a ing the late 1970s he had worked here ever since. He wa~ sti act~ve Y mvo ve prep r students who hoped to read law at University, playing Activities bridge and at~endmg mormng asse~bly. Th~ f~neral at St Paul's Church was attended by many of Andrew's colleagues·and pupils, past and prese~: dur c~~ o ~~ces go t~ his family, and especially to his sons Robert (MR 1968-72) and James (MR 1972-6) and IS aug ers wna and Ruth. An obituary appears on page 82. R
· t equ1escan
Robert Glover who has died at the age of 83, also arrived to teach Classics in 1950. He left~ 19~~ t? be~ohm~ Headmaster of Adams Grammar School at Newport i~ Shrop~hire. From there he ~ent on to e a Is.tingms e Headmaster of Monmouth School from 1959 to his retirement m 1976. He leaves a widow, and three children, one of whom is the conductor Jane Glover. Canon Donald Eperson who taught mathematics here for a short while in the 1970s, died in May at .th~age o~96. One of his claims to fame' was having taught Alan Turing at Sherborne. He was better ~own to most m . anter ury as 'Musicus', the conscientious reviewer of numerous School concerts for The Cantuarzan and the local press. We also record with sadness that Richard Menzies of the Junior School died in !uly, a~ the age ~f 52. The funeral was held at in the Chapel of Our Lady Undercroft. We send our condolences to his family. An obituary appears on page 82. We extend a warm welcome to the new Dean and Chairman of Go~ernors,. the Very Revd Robert Willis, who was installed on the Sunday of King's Week: H~s exp~Ienc~ ~f churc3 and school proximity at Sherborne and Hereford should stand him In goo stea ere, an he has already entered into the spirit of things by going up in a balloon on the Green Court after the Jazz Concert and presenting the prizes on Speech Day. . . Dean and Chapter
We also extend rateful thanks to Canon Roger Symon (GRILN.1948-54)? who h~s bee~ a~ting Chauma~ smce b r 'R Sy~on' had appeared in the first scene of the first play In the first King s Week, and It was pa~~i~~a~ly appropriate, therefore, that he should be at the helm as the fiftieth Week opened. N
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Finally, we bid farewell - and offer our best wishes on his retirement - to Canon Peter Brett, long-serving Governor, and friend and neighbour of Marlowe, the Common Room, the Forrens and the late night workers in the EcPol office. We welcome in his place Canon Richard Marsh. We offer our heartiest congratulations to Hugh Robertson (BR 1976-81) on his election as M.P. for the neighbouring constituency of Faversham. He is at present the sole representative of the School in the House of Commons, though there are still O.K.S. and others with School connections in the reformed Upper House. It will be interesting to see whether his experience as Captain of Cricket, as Head of Broughton or as an Economics and Politics student has most influence on his developing career.
King's Parliament
Two O.K.S. candidates who did not quite make it were Prudence Dailey (MT 1981-3), who gained invaluable experience as Conservative candidate in Pontypridd, and Richard Rawlins (MR 1958-63), a senior orthopaedic surgeon at Bedford Hospital, who fought vigorously as an independent candidate in Bedford on the issue of the N.H.S. We are most grateful to Lord Garel-Jones (GR 1954-60), who has generously given us a run of bound ¡volumes of Hansard covering his time in the House of Commons. They are a remarkable political and historical resource, and may also serve to inspire others to aim forSt Stephen's. The postponement- if that is what it was' - of the General Election from May 3 to June 7 meant that the traditional School mock election took place at the height of the exam season. Campaigning was nonetheless enthusiastic, with imaginative posters very much in evidence. The result was a solid victory for the Green Party candidate, Lawrence White (GL), with 28.9% of the vote on a turnout of 72.7%. James Berry (MR), the Conservative candidate, was in second place. A full report appears on page 98.
Vote Green, Vote White
A Green Thought for a Greener Court
The observant will have seen that two new lime trees have appeared in the northwest comer of the Green Court. They were planted with an appropriate lack of drama, and there is no plaque to inform the passing tourist (or the Shell with the School History Quiz) about their origin. However, it ought to be officially recorded that they finally replace the hurricanedamaged trees and that one of them is in fact a marvellous leaving present from Mr Andrew Dobbin, whose love of gardens and dislike of ceremony are equally legendary.
This may also be a suitable place to note that the School is now officially a 'no smoking' area. All members of staff have been duly notified, and the School rules continue in force. Most of us can now breathe more freely. For the second time in four ye~rs, the School has won the United Kingdom Schools Quiz Championship. In the National Finals, held at the King's School, Worcester, the teamAlfred Williams (GL), Ronjoy Sanyal (MT), Alexander Shannon (MR) and Toby Humphrey (MT) - fought their way to the final, where they eventually defeated King Edward's School, Birmingham, by 800 to 710 in a dramatic contest of fluctuating fortunes. The School last won- the trophy in 1998, when Alfred and Ronjoy were already in the team, and Alfred, the King of Quizzes, has the distinction of having helped the team to five successive South East championships.
Alfred the Great
For the third year running, a pupil from the School has won one of the eight Weizmann Institute Science Scholarships available to British students. Monica Brennan (MT) is to be congratulated on this prestigious award, which provides the opportunity to spend a month in Israel doing research at the Weizmann Institute. She follows in the footsteps of Ellen Weavers and Rebecca Inglis.
Weizmann 3
Severe flooding in East Kent and the foot and mouth outbreak had a disruptive effect on some aspects of school life in the Lent Term. Most rowing events were cancelled-because of the floods, while the cross country se(;tson was severely restricted by both. However, it must be said that the School and Canterbury got off relatively lightly. O.K.S. author Michael Morpurgo (GL 195762) was in the thick of the foot and mouth crisis at Nethercott House in Devon, one of his Farms for City Children. He has responded in a dramatic and practical way by writing Out of the Ashes, a fictional account ofthe disaster through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old girl. From every copy sold, 50p is donated to the Supporting Farmers in ¡ Crisis Fund.
Out of the Ashes
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On Wednesday and Thursday June 6 and 7 we were delighted to welcome back our most travelled O.K.S. Michael Foale (SH 1970-4). Michael generously took time off preparing for his stint as Commander of the International Space Station to fulfil a busy schedule of visits to the Junior School, the Physics Labs and School House, talks to the Shells and Removes, and formal and informal social events. The Headmaster gave a dinner in his honour at St. Augustine's, where the guests included his housemasters, John Goddard and John Sugden, and his influential Physics and Astronomy teacher, Raymond Butt. Michael spoke eloquently about the significance of his schooldays as a launch pad for his career, and impressed everyone not only by his professionalism, but also by his modesty and accessibility. According to his sister Susan (TR/MO 1978-80), indeed, his greatest achievement has been to master the Russian language. The Cantuarian interview with Michael appears on page 103, and there is a full report of his visit on page 101.
Back to the Launch Pad
The current education debate in Brazil was given much useful ammunition when TV Global, Latin America's largest television company, visited the School in June. We were more than up to the resulting multi -lingual challenge, as reporter Emesto Paglia was able to interview several Portuguese-speaking pupils, as well as the Captain of School, Alexandra Panman (LX), who was born in Brazil. The claim that the documentary programme 'Global Reporter' would reach an audience of many millions was apparently confirmed when Mr McFall was recognised by one viewer in Canterbury High Street.
Global Reporting
(M.P.H.D.)
During King's Week we welcomed the then Shadow Education Secretary, Mrs Theresa May. As well as meeting the Headmaster and the Director of Studies, she was able to see several lessons and learn something about how things should be done. Although Mrs May was moved to Transport, Local Government and the Regions after the autumn reshuffle, she can still, we would hope, contribute some more informed and constructive opposition on educational matters.
Shadow Education
Whether as a result of our own merits or of the assiduous efforts of our Press Officer, Mr Brodie, the School has attracted some attention recently in the national newspapers - or, at least, The Daily Telegraph. An article about scholarships and other ways of paying school fees on March 20 was strikingly illustrated by a photograph of Susannah Wharfe KS (MR) and Penelope Cox KMS (MT) singing at a Crypt Choir rehearsal in the Old Synagogue. Over the page, a feature on school uniform displayed the photogenic Rebecca Hamway (BR) and James Wells (MR) in their full purple glory.
Press Cuttings
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The decision to bring the Fifth For:m back into school after GCSEs (and, less controversially, 6b after the new AS exams) also attracted considerable interest. The programme, under the avuncular guidance of Mr Reilly, included an Industrial Society conference, a trip to a Reading University open day, some cross-curricular projects, and even some lessons. The whole exercise was warmly welcomed by Cassandra Jardine in the Telegraph Weekend of June 30, and Kate Burrett (BR), Alice Cooke (BR), James Coulson (MT), Felix Colchester (SH) and Alex Church (GL), along with several pieces of wood, some string and a shoe, all looked constructively employed. The appearance of Charlotte Wheeler (LX) on the pre-election front pages, alongside her sisters Sarah (LX 19938) and Jacquetta (LX 1995-2000), was not directly connected to her own achievements and photogenic qualities. But that is only a matter of time. The Common Room was delighted to welcome back Edred Wright on February 14, to celebrate his goth birthday. A cake was cut and a toast was drunk, and many of his forn1er colleagues were also present on this most auspicious occasion.
Common Room
Congratulations to Dr Afzal, who has won the Royal Society of Chemistry's Chemical Education award for 2000. He has received a silver medal and £500 as recognition for his work on the Science Research Initiative, the magazine N-Lighten and the National Sixth Form Science Conference. Congratulations also to Mr Armstrong on the publication of his second novel, Cecilia's Vision , set in Canterbury in 1235 and successfully launched at Methven's in June. The author has obviously been taking time off from playing the keyboards for the Kamikaze Reunion Blues Band, who featured, nostalgically at the Common Room end of term 'bash'. Mr Pragnell, meanwhile, has also been busy. There was an exhibition of his work in the Nevill Gallery in the High Street, and he has followed up his Britain: a Guide to Architectural Styles with the more sharply focused Industrial Britain: An Architectural History. The forges, gasworks, railway buildings and water towers are illustrated by the author wit~ characteristic style and attention to detail. Dr Mallion, in collaboration with his former student Professor Jose Ferreira Gomes, now Vice Rector of the University of Porto, has just published a major article on 'Aromaticity and Ring Currents'. This is a subject that has intrigued chemists since the time of Faraday and has exercised Dr Mallion for most of his adult life. The article, complete with 18 figures, 22 equations, 39 diagrams and 397 footnotes can be found in the American Chemical Society's major review journal, Chemical Reviews, Volume 101, Number 5, pages 1349-83. It is in every sense, he says, his final word on the subject.
Felicidades ·to Sr. Bruna, who took over as Head of Spanish in the Summer Term. He limbered up for the job by running the London Marathon in the impressive time of 3 hours 47 minutes 35 seconds, and thus raising over £700 for the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. His efforts were romantically associated with the regular St. Valentine's Day carnation extravaganza, which was this year in aid of three cancer charities - Breast Cancer Care, Prostate Cancer Research and Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital Cancer Unit. In the Summer Term we were delighted to welcome back Elisa Hudson (MT 1989-91) as our 'artist-in-residence'. The inverted commas are there only to indicate that Elisa was, once again, a daygirl, for her commitment and enthusiasm have been total. Evidence of her own work and of her inspirational influence was apparent in the art exhibitions in King's Week, while she and Miss Edwards also put on their own show at Johnnie's Arthouse in Whitstable. We also welcomed back Clara Hitchen (BL 1991 -3), who taught in the Spanish department in the Summer Term. She replaced Mr Newbury, who took a well-earned sabbatical rest after running the Spanish Department and before 1 running Meister Omers. We wish Clara well in her new full-time appointment at Forest School. We extend a warm and sisterly welcome to The King's Breakfast, an arts magazine with "a feast of articles, poetry, photography, and drawings intended to accompany the perfect Sunday morning breakfast". It was edited and inspired by Alexandra Fielding (LX), coincidentally the new editor of The Cantuarian.
Magazines
We also welcome the School's first on-line student publication 'scinews@kings-school.co.uk', a subscription scientific journal. This is the brainchild of Alexander Shannon (MR) and Peter Walker-Smith (SH), operating under the benevolent eye of Miss Astin. Congratulations to Lawrence White (GL) on the publication (by the King's School Press and in traditional format) of his first book - a·collection of love poems, The House Where He Was. Larry joins a small but distinguished group of authors who have burst into print while still at School. We anticipate a glittering literary career. O.K.S. authors continue to be prolific, and this year we have particularly noticed the first books by three of the younger generation. South from Barbary: Along the Slave Routes ot
Books
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the Libyan Sahara, by Justin Marozzi (MR 1984 9) 0 f Th S · of Ned Cecil (SH 1984-7) A b 0 k · · W; , e. pectator, recounts a Journey by camel in the company of staff, and the publicati~n wa~ du~i~~~~~e;~~s~~~t~I~y~~~~er(~~~; a;_~ e)ll. atht~nded by ~.K.S. and members on Sunday. m IS co umn m The Independent
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short stones, has. produced a splendidly illustrated pair of books: Cat at Home and Dog a~ aHrea y ThowCnh .or er present problem Is solved. orne. e nstmas
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After several abortive attempts, the experimental demands of Physics Department coursework provided the perfect excuse to launch Mr Churcher's balloon from the Green Court on a pleasant March evening. A large crowd ~as suitably intrigued ~y ~he technicalities as well as by the colourful drama of the occasiOn. Apart from all the we1ghmg and measuring, the event was duly recorded in full colour digital detail on the School web-site (editor Mr Churcher), which is rapidly becoming a lively if ephemeral rival to 'This and That'. The occasion was also recorded in more traditional fashion by Mr Pragnell with a splendid watercolour. This was then reproduced in a signed limited edition print, sold during King's Week in support of the School's charity of the term, Sightsavers. A few copies may still be available from Mr Churcher at the School, for ÂŁ18.
Montgolfier Redivivus
No amount of national and local complaining abput the new AS level exams could prevent this landmark King's Week from being, as so often, the 'best ever'. The anniversary was particularly celebrated by a '50 Years of King's Week' show, featuring some of the most distinguished dramatic and musical talent from the previous 49 _Wee~s, an~ b~ a '50 ~ears of King's Week' exhibition in the Schoolroom, which featured many of the sa~e talents 1n therr earhe~ n~carnatwns. The magnificent show, bracketed by lunch and tea, was held under the auspices of the OKS AssociatiOn and the
50 Years of King's Week
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King's School Foundation (actively campaigning for the new Music School and a theatre). Both the show and the exhibition are reviewed elsewhere. · An appeal for King's Week memorabilia, especially from the 1950s and 1960s, to help mount the exhibition, · produced a most encouraging response. We are especially grateful to: Stephen Young (GR 1945-52) for a fascinating magazine feature on the School in the summer of 1952; Nigel Wright (GR 1949-54) for a photograph and signed programmes from 1952 and 1953; Silvester Mazzarella (GR 1950-6) and Sir Robert Horton (LN 1952-7) for photocopies of programmes; Michael Davies (W 1954-9) for some splendid photographs, including views of the 1955 Romeo and Juliet and the Shirley Hall foundations; Howard Rawlinson (LN 1955-60) for a set of photographs of the 1960 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream; Jonathan Rhind (GR 1970-4) for colour photocopies of his designs for Luther, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Pirates of Penzance; David Goodes, veteran of the first 45 Weeks, for some Serenade photographs; and Mr Milford for his comprehensive files on the junior plays of the late 19-70s. Mr Pollak, custodian of the School Archives, is always delighted to receive any such items to enhance our collections.
Knight's move
Readers of the small print in The Spectator will have noticed with interest that the winner of the Ardbeg Malt Whisky Chess Puzzle No. 74 was John Thackray of Canterbury. The winning move was Ne1+: one step sideways, two steps left, check.
Walpole house succeeded in raising £2000 in February selling carnations for Valentines day. Marcel Bruna ran in the London Marathon for the children's cancer ward at Great Ormond Street Hospital and £630 of the Carnation money. was used to sponsor him. Cancer Research Campaign received £370 for work on studying and curing breast and prostrate cancer. The final £1000 was sent to a group which help victims of torture in Rwanda. Walpole House Fundraiser
Walpole and Grange pupil's presenting a cheque to Mike Emberson, Manager of Canterbury Open Centre for the homeless. (M.PH.D.) 81
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OBITUARIES ANDREW MACKINTOSH
hand side as you look at the Cathedral), but you will need to know some Latin. For the Latinless, try this: (on a fortnightly report) - "There are gaps in his ignorance".
(K.S.C. 1954- 86)
When I was in my A level year, Andrew Mackintosh once put me onto translating from the Pro Caelio and I could not do it because I was helpless with laughter at something he had said moments before; probably a barbed remark at the expense of the boy on before me. I begin with this because my main memory of his lessons is how amusing they could be. Not that he played for laughs. On the contrary, he was severus, which does not mean severe, but rather, austere. A near-contemporary of mine once described his lessons as a cold shower: refreshing, invigorating, yes, but the water temperature could be shockingly low. He did not dish out much praise, as most teachers do nowadays. None of us felt we were much good. We learnt a sort of intellectual humility - a rare virtue.
ANDREW MAYNARD (OKS 1972-1976, Head of Classics, Eton College 1997-)
In the sixties and seventies, the sixth form teaching was done by Andrew, (ex-Winchester) and David Miller, (ex-Westminster). This meant that we boys were on the receiving end of two tremendous Classical traditions. Andrew's mastery of the languages was formidable . I still have some of his remarkable versions of prose compositions and verses. But he was not only interested in languages. He had a deep interest in, and knowledge of the ancient historians, in particular Thucidides and Tacitus. He rather resembled these two, as a matter of fact: the former with his concern for penetrating analysis and accuracy, the latter with his pessimism and bite. Accuracy and penetration: these are what he sought to inculcate, in language work, talk and essay writing. You could not get away with anything shoddy. I can remember him dwelling on Pericles's remark in Book II of Thucydides: "A man who has the knowledge but lacks the power to express it clearly is no better off than if he has no ideas at all." He was absolutely intolerant of the casual or the merely showy.
A.S.Mackintosh, Summer 1977 (The former Common Room, in the Deanery)
RICHARD MENZIES (J.K.S. 1971 -)
He inspired in us two things. First, an affection for him personally. He was not a "popular master" in the conventional sense, and some might have been scared of him at times, but it was impossible to talk about "Mackers" without grinning. We were all glad to be taught by him. Second, a feeling that we were doing something difficult and really important. His lessons were fun, at times, but we were not doing Latin and Greek for fun. They were too serious for that. Even if we were not much good, we were made to feel that the mountain was very much worth climbing. For some, that feeling persisted: I can think of at least four boys in the early seventies who went on to become schoolmasters, and the Heads of Classics at St Paul's and Eton, both former pupils of that era, were at his funeral.
The life of any person leaves its mark in some way on others; it may be a passing or temporary one or a deeper one that lasts. It is clear to me, even from the relatively short time that I knew Richard Menzies, and from the conversations that I have had with those who worked with him or benefited from his teaching, that in his own quiet and unassuming way he contributed a vast amount to the community here and helped to lay good, firm foundations in the lives of countless young people who attended the Junior King's School. Richard's funeral service was held in the Cathedral, a few short weeks later, a beautiful and uplifting occasion, in the place that had nurtured him as a boy chorister and which he looked back upon with such affection. The service, which he planned together with the school chaplain and his closest friends, reflected his own sincere and unswerving Christian faith; a faith that lay at the centre of his life and that had sustained him to the end.
Which things have been said, it is the memory of his biting wit that remains. If you want an example of it, go and look at the inscription he had written beneath one of the trees around the Green Court, (on the right
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My memories of him are as a quiet, almost shy man, who nonetheless conveyed a deep commitment to the well being of his colleagues and all the children in his care. He was, if you like, a 'Mr Chips' figure, totally dedicated as a schoolmaster, with an old fashioned insistence on standards and a passion for detail, without ever being overbearing or fussy. It was Richard who took care of the less glamorous jobs such as writing the staff meeting minutes, arranging the table seating plans, setting the timing of the bells and making sure the school flag was flying on the right days . To me he was one of the senior statesmen in the common room, able to take a long view of the progress of the school and provide a reassuring word when needed.
choice of subject and provided their essential grounding in Latin and Greek. One could list his many interests and achievements and many of us will have favourite memories. But I should like to end my appreciation of Richard Menzies, a great Junior King 's Schoolmaster by borrowing the words of one of his long serving colleagues and friends, Margaret Edmonds. In her piece for the Milner Court Chronicle she writes: "In his quiet way, always modest and self-effacing, and with utmost dedication to service, Richard made a tremendous contribution to our school. With his fine classical mind and consistently high standards he exemplified those great qualities of a Roman - virtus, pietas and stoicism during his final illness.
Richard arrived at Milner Court from Cambridge University in September 1971 and soon established himself as an outstanding teacher of Classics, achieving excellent Common Entrance and Scholarship results throughout his time here. He had a great love of his subject and as Head of Department, through his patient and inspirational teaching, gained the respect and affection of his pupils, many of whom, have themselves gone on to Oxbridge to read Classics. Ex-pupils now studying Classics at university, frequently comment that he enthused them in their
We shall all; pupils, parents and members of the Common Room, mis s him greatly, but we shall remember him fondly and with gratitude from the depths of our hearts for all that he has done and been. Thank you, Richard." PETER WELLS (HEADMASTER JUNIOR KING'S SCHOOL, EXTRACT FROM HIS SPEECH AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE OF RICHARD MENZIES.)
Drawing by Lee Rigley
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CHAPEL NOTES It is in response to a sense of vocation that the Senior Chaplain leaves at the end of the year, although he will remain chaplain at JKS until Christmas. As a secretary of the School's Chaplains' Conference and a regional convenor of the Bloxham Project, he has long said that maintained schools need chaplains; he responded to an unexpected invitation to be first chaplain of a church secondary school in Canterbury.
It is the silence and the singing that shows the school at its corporate best. The silence that is part of school worship is communal and constructive. When on Remembrance Sunday it was necessary to adjourn the service from the memorial court to the Shirley hall immediately after the first hymn the school, kept silence impressively; during the two minutes' silence and afterwards when the school recessed to the War Memorial for the laying of wreaths and individual poppies the quality of silence was testimony to the school's sense of occasion, worship and community. In the five minutes before the start of the Carol service when two and a half thousand people keep silence together in a darkened Cathedral there is something very tangible.
A Christian community is more than just the priests, although the Headmaster and Dr Bentley are a vital part of the chaplaincy. In its liturgical life the school is totally indebted to its musicians, and particularly to the fact Mr Anderson has an impressive .understanding ?f how music enhances worship and that Mr Noon is inspired accompanist of hymns. The Precenter, Vesturer and Vergers of the Cathedral have important parts to play. As do the hard working members of the' King's School Press, the Housemasters/mistresses and the Monitors and colleagues who act as stewards. Mr ¡Reid has long acted as one of the administrators at communion. Matthew Gray (Chairman of the Chapel Council and head server) and Alfred Williams have been the first pupils to be licensed to do this; they have been exemplary in this as in their other contributions in their responsibility, independence -of thought and ¡reliability. Dr Mallion, the long serving chairman of 'Choice Sunday' sixth form talks, and Mr Miles, the equally long serving pianist and conductor of the lower school service. The Headmaster's secretary and her colleagues; the matron; the list of public recognition continues. Thanks to all these and many more.
And the singing is also a reflection of the proper pride the school feels in itself, its Christian foundation and present community. To hear the school seeking to outsing the full organ in the final hymn of Evensong; to experience the joie de vivre of congregational practice; to be part of the school's self expression when singing the hymn tune (St Augustine's Abbey) written for it by Alan Ridout: this is to know that the school is not only confident and musical but that is also understands that corporate singing is a significant part of worship and community. The confirmation service taken by the Bishop of Dover in March at which some fifty members of the junior and senior schools (plus one Etonian brother) were confirmed. The commemoration service at the end of the year in which Pomp and Circumstance number 1 were found to complement well the words of the final hymn: these services were memorable for all who were part of them.
And yet the abiding memory is the silence and the singing. JAT
Worship is more than just the major set-piece occasions. That every school day starts with a celebration of the Eucharist is most important; the servers (at least, those who remembered to set their alarms) are commended for ensuring the School is represented each morning. This weekly saying of Compline has ensured that there is a very real sense of prayer in the Memorial Chapel. And being a Christian school community is more than just the worship. It is about ensuring that the Gospel is lived: in prayer and hospitality, in vulnerability and the care ofothers. That is something ongoing and which can never be fully achieved, yet which is a vital part of the school community realising more deeply its Christian vocation.
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Stephen Venner, The Bishop of Dover with the confirmation candidates 2001
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ROBERT MATHEWS
VALETE
(KSC 1970- 2001) Robert had for so long been part of the life of our
co~unity, so l~mg active night and day in the service ~Is tutees, his pupils and his colleagues that it is
o!
difficult to get used to not having him around the school. A friendly face, a busy life, a voice of reason and sanity, a c_ritical a1_1d rational voice in a politically correct and Jargon-ndden world, a linguist who thought about words and used them as a precision tool. He is a man of so many interests that it is hard to know where to start. He was one of the first nonspecialists in the school to make himself computerliter~te, wh!ch he did so _thoroughly that he ended up hel1~nn~ With IT teachmg. The logic, precision, dedicatiOn and the systematic mind which he had always applied to languages, he put to good use in exactly the same way with a computer. He is a man of many interests. One of his relatives once remarked, when he said he was interested in something, "But, Robert, you are interested in everyt~ng!", and this is true. Mechanical objects were a particular passion for him, and his well-known expertise on antique clocks was put to good use in the school, where his advice was much sought after by colleagues. What was not so well known was the fact that he was_ a photographer a~d ~ great traveller. His forays behmd the Iron Curtam, In the days when there still was an Iron Curtain, were legendary, and marked him out as somebody very unusual.
Robert Mathews (T.I.J.)
so much without ever blowing his own trumpet, and that we could all benefit so much without always being aware of how busy he was on everybody's behalf. A man of order and organisation, most appropriate to a lover of Germany and German, was the one to run the Calendar smoothly and efficiently, to run badminton as a full-scale sport for 17 years, a man who provided colle~gues and yupils with a never-ending stream of working materials of his own fertile invention to comp~nsate for the paucity of many modem teaching matenals, a man who had time for his pupils a man who kept statistics on computer and who could 'analyse marks, results and tendencies with a mathematician's understanding.
. Conversations with him reveal not only an interest m the l~n~uages he teaches but also in other languages, both living and dead. Many will remember his explanations of Old High German and Old Norse words, his vast accumulation of knowledge, and the scholarly ease with which he relates these things to modem languages. It is as a scholar that one remembers him in particular. He has a methodical mind, a scholar's brain an eye for ~etail and order, and a way of spotting the absurd, the Illogical or the politically correct a mile off; a man whose linguistic precision and logical thoughtprocesses are such that he could just as well have been a lawyer as a schoolmaster.
Many of us have fond memories of listening gob smacked as Robert explained various derivations of words from the Icelandic, Old High German and ~orse. H~s encyclopaedic know ledge of things that mterest him have been useful and instructive - in the Victorian sense, and his enthusiastic collection of facts and art~facts that ~nter~sted him, he really did have somethmg of the VIctonan man about him.
But a schoolmaster he became. The combination of ~is Welsh grammar school educated background, his first class degree from Nottingham and his modest, thoughtful personality made him into a fonnidable schoolmaster, one whose devotion to his work was equalled onl~ by ~s devotion to the well-being and progress of his pupils. When one enters his classroom on~ enters a true working atmosphere, a place wher~ senous things happen in a serious way, but a friendly place where one can linger for a chat or for help.
A computer-literate Victorian! He spent most of his time at King's as a Linacre tutor, and was always the most dedicated tutor imagina~le. Not only did he always go the extra mile to help his tutees but looked after them well outside the co~fines of the academic as well, entertaining them lavishly.
He ~ontributes in so many different things, often of a behind-the-scenes nature, and it was perhaps characteristic of his personal modesty that he could do 85
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Such was his devotion to his classes that he always took group photographs of them at the end of the year. He did so many other things in the school as well. He ran the swimming standards for many years, he jointly ran the Caxton Society, and even in our computerised world is in demand for his knowledge of fonts and printing conventions. In recent years he has applied his customary efficiency and dedication to the school calendar, and his last job here was to complete the most recent one, with its humorous cryptic flourish. (He will know what I am talking about. Robert, we did notice what you did!) It is as a devoted teacher, a scholar, a traveller, a thinker and a collector that he will remain in our minds. All pupils taught and tutored by him have been fortunate, and those who have shared his enthusiasms have been exceptionally fortunate. We all hope that some of them will model themselves on his qualities.
There have been times in the last 27 years when Judy has had to fight against adversity, but it would not be appropriate for me to dwell on these here. Instead, I will mention some of the many high spots of girls' games thus far, as Judy 's career is so inextricably linked with the history of girls at King's. • 197 6 First hockey and tennis fixtures • 1978 The first visiting team from overseas (Hotchkiss School, Connecticut) was welcomed. Frances Judd (now Pritchard, and a King's parent) was in the King's team which lost 0-3 . • 1979 With only 40 girls in the School, King's reached the finals of the Kent Schools ' Hockey Tournament. First swimming, netball and badminton fixtures. • 1982 With girl numbers now at 60, the Tennis VI reached the Southern Counties Final of the LTA's Aberdare Cup.
He is so active mentally that no-one could make better use of retirement than he. We all wish him a happy life pursuing his many interests, and look forward to hearing about his future travels.
• 1983 First squash fixtures. • 1984 First overseas trip: Interlyceale Hockey Festival in The Hague. • 1986 Lacrosse introduced. • 1988 First Girls' (only) Games Dinner.
JUDY WOODLEY
• 1989 Last year of Sixth Form girls only, 119 girls. Opening of new hockey pitch on Birleys. (7 former hockey captains played for an OKS side against the School.)
(KSC 1974-2001) For someone who has been such an integral part of King's over the last quarter of a century, or so, a few details from Judy's pre-King's biography will be of interest. A brilliant sportswoman, exceHing at tennis, Judy played at Junior Wimbledon for three years, reaching the Doubles Final in 1958. In 1959 she played singles in the French Championships and reached the qualifying rounds of Wimbledon for four successive years. Educated at Wimbledon High School and Dartford College of Education, Judy moved on to her first teaching appointment, as main PE teacher at St. Margaret's School, Hampstead, in 1962. After three years there, her career took a temporary change of direction·as her interest in skiing, another sport in which she is very talented, prompted a move to become a skiing and tourist representative, working in Austria and Yugoslavia.
• 1990 Arrival of younger girls and (at last!) fulltime help for Judy in the shape of Sarah Mills (now Lawrence). The hockey was now able to move ahead still more quickly. • 1991
• 1997 Arrival of more help (Natalie Duff) and this time it was the netball that reached new levels of achievement. • 1999 Hockey 1st XI reached the National Schools' Finals at Milton Keynes. The 1990s brought a trebling of girl numbers (to 340) and Judy was responsible for all of girls' games' arrangements (Boat Club apart) during this time.
In 1968, Judy married Stephen, and they arrived in Canterbury in September 1969, when Stephen took up his post as Head of English. The first girl to come to King's (Jane Baron in 1971) joined Stephen's tutor set, as did the next five, so Judy really was involved with co-education from the very start. In 197 4, at the invitation of the Headmaster, Canon Peter Newell, Judy accepted the part-time post of Head of Girls' Games and became the second woman on the staff. Amazingly, it was not until 1998 that the job became, officially, full-time, when Judy added PE teaching to her programme. The .early days must have been extremely tough, particularly as the number of girls grew far quicker than the hoped for proportionate increase in female staff. Amongst other things, Judy was Keep-Fit instructor, multiple games coach, fixtures' secretary and minibus driver. She taught every one of the first 700 girls to come to the School. THE CANTUARIAN, LENT
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1st VII won the Eastbourne Netball Tournament for the third time in four years.
For the period when Judy was establishing the firm foundations on which to build the framework for the girls' games' programme of the present day, Peter Pilkington, now Lord Oxenford, was her Headmaster. He writes that Judy "worked tirelessly to ensure that the girls had all the advantages afforded to the boys". She was employed part-time initially "but gave a fulltime commitment in helping girls to integrate into the School". "A friend and confidante to many of her pupils, she played a prominent part in the advance towards full co-education." He remembers her as "a lovely, enthusiastic and sympathetic personality", who also had the vision and determination to move with the times, as the number ·o f girls grew, first slowly and then rapidly. He concludes that "The King's School owes her a great debt". '
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Judy was in her el~ment on School ski trips, where her graceful parallelmg wa~ only very occasionally p~nctuate d by desce~t, agam graceful, into a total WIP_e-out.1 Her .patience and perseverance with begmners was typical of her approach in all areas and she was at the hub of the action for apres-ski events showing her ~ense of fun and her tremendous energy: Another passwn. for Judy is dancing, from rock-androll to the quickstep, and when she introduced ballroo.m dancing as an activity, her enthusiasm was transmitted to her pupils .a~d it rapidly became popular. How~ver, I am sure that It IS her coaching of tennis that has given her most pleasure over the years. Whether it has been the technical and tactical preparation of a 1st VI, or the encour~gement of a total beginner, Judy has sho~n the expertise to bring the very best out of her pupils. She has acquired the respect and affection of so many. O K~ who have left during the last fifteen years have a spe~Ial reason to thank Judy. With Bob Bee she has orgamsed the Leavers' Ball with great style and atter:ttion to detail. She has looked after the menus, seatmg plans an? much more, her feel for making a party fun ensunng that one and all have enjoyed the~selves. Bob suggests that Judy has the broadest smile that the Common Room has ever seen and few would disagree!
Judy Woodley. (T.I.J.)
a.nd supportive Housemaster's wife for much of this t?o, the min~ marvels at her energy and dedicatiOn. Roy continues, "Judy dedicated herself to the cause of girls' games at King's, often in the face of s~v~re problems, not least in undertaking the very difficult and thankless task of trying to enlist the help of colleagues. She was always thoughtful, considerate and courteous towards all those with whom she worked. She set the best of examples to .the girls in the fundamentals of sportsmanship, demanding high stan~ards in such things as dress and conduct. She provided a varied programme of sports, showing concern .for the less able and less motivated by catering for their needs, as well as those of the top sportswomen."
In her three. ye~rs in. the PE Department Judy made valuable contnbutwns m many areas. Simon Anderson reports t~at her skills in racket sports were of particular help, while Pam Murr~y, swimming coach, praises her for her hard work With the weaker swimmers who benefited greatly froJ? the encouragement she' gave them and for the confidence she instilled in them.
tim~
It took a surprisingly long time for Judy to be her, own ~utor. set, taking over Stephen's in Mit_chmson s on his retirement in 1998, and her tutees dunng the last few years will agree wholeheartedly ~hen I say that the care she showed them was of the highest order. Nothing was ever too much trouble for h~r, and her cour:tsel, whenever problems arose, was Wise"and s~ppo~tiVe. I quote Phil Fox when he says that Jud~ ha~ giv~n ~reat s~rvice to King's in general and to Mitchmson s m particular, and will be missed fo~ ?er commitment and humour, as well as for her ability to remain sober when her colleagues have attempted to make her merry and rosy-cheeked!" of~ere?
!udy becomes the second woman on the staff to retue ¡ and our very best wishes go with her and Stephen. Per~aps. 'retire~ent' is hardly the word for a penod o~ their lives which starts with an enforced red~corat10~ (co~rtesy of a central heating leak) of !heu house m Bndge, followed by a tennis tournament m Hungary and a month teaching in Siberia.
Judy will be r~membered f~r her friendly and ~houghtful personality, and she will be greatly missed m th~ ~ommon. R~om. However, it is her huge
contnbutwn to girls games that King's has most to thank he~ for. Roy White writes that "for the majority of her time as Head of Girls' Games Judy took personal ~esr,onsibility for almost all of the sports done by the ~uls .. ~ny~ne who .rur:ts a single sport in a school like Kin~ s ~Ives unstmtmgly of their time, in ter~s of o~gamsatwn, .administration, coaching and ~o~ting. ~Ith her ~assive year-round involvement, it IS ImJ?OSSible t? estimate the hours that Judy spent in ensunng consistently high standards from all her teams. When it is remembered .that she was bringing up a. family, da.ughters Lucy (another gem for the teachmg professiOn) and Minna, and being an active
CHARLES HOLLAND (KSC 1986 - 200i) . Charles Holland came to King's in 1986-and, during caree.r here, he has made a real difference to all the lives which he _has tou_ched. It would be impossible to try and orgamse a list of his many achievements because Charles has the knack of combining all his talents at once - an~ the re~son for this is that he gives so generously of himself In every situation. While MJTe and I have valued his scholarship and dedication as a committed and skilful classroom teacher, ¡ the sound of happy laughter resounding from his ~Is
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a practical joke or helping in the Shell water sports programme at Dover. He is a real action man on the one hand and a very calming presence on the other. His work with Christian Forum has been innovative. Charles was very much the motivator for the meetings with the Lent Visitors: these attracted many pupils and encouraged them to think deeply about their faith, a prime goal for Charles the committed Christian. So, to sum up, Charles has been the epitome of the 'King's player'. He has been a firm and true friend to me and many others, and a man of integrity whose help can always be relied upon at any time. He will be much missed by the community but we wish him every success on his well-deserved promotion to Head of Dep'artment at Bryanston and every happiness in Dorset with Rachael and the family. JT
TIM PARKER (KSC 1990- 2001)
The thing which characterised Tim Parker's career at King's was his total commitment to the three major roles he had; as a first class teacher of Chemistry, as rowing coach and administrator and as an assistant housemaster. Many past and present pupils have cause to be grateful for the care which Tim took over them and for the example which he set. It was Tim's attention to detail and forward planning which was the hallmark of everything he did, in the laboratory, on the river and in the house. He managed to compartmentalise these aspects of his life, so that conflicts of interest rarely arose. However, I soon discovered that if I wished to have an extra Chemistry department meeting after lunch, then this was always impossible because invariably Tim had to open the house bank!
Charles Holland (S.McC.)
classroom is a testament to something more - the excellent rapport which he always establishes with his pupils. He has been blessed with the gift of being able to make difficult things look so easy - whether this is in ¡ order to get through a lot of work with pupils without their feeling the strain, or when a lot of different demands are being made on him. Alongside his academic work, he has managed to juggle all kinds of pastoral, extra-curricular and sporting activities. Charles has been a first-rate tutor, first in Luxmoore and then in Grange with HEJA and MPHD. He has handled the concerns of his tutees with skill, kindness and genuine care, and has taken enormous trouble in preparing perceptive and helpful UCAS references. His talents as a musician have been a great asset in House concerts and, more recently, the Staff Revue where his sense of fun shone through. He has made a huge contribution as Master in charge of Cross-Country and, for many years, Athletics - a three-term commitment on top of all his teaching responsibilities. A very good middle-distance coach, Charles trained with the boys, showing them a fme tum of speed and producing notable- athletes. He did sterling work as a member of the local district committee for Athletics and really promoted running in the School.
Tim came to King's from Pangboume College, having previously studied Chemistry at Lincoln College, Oxford. After a PGCE in Exeter, his first appointment, unusually, was as a general science teacher at Woolborough Hill Prep School in South ' Devon. Perhaps it was this experience which enabled Tim to have a particular rapport with the very youngest pupils here as well as the most senior. Tim rapidly became a highly valued member of the Chemistry Department. Not just for his high quality teaching, but also for the major excellent contributions he made to the shared departmental resources of notes and practicals. Tim was the most IT literate of the department and we benefited from his expertise, as he set up spreadsheets, a shared directory system for the staff and not least, the departmental website. If there is one regret, it is that Tim rarely had the time during the term to push us even further forward in our use of IT in the classroom. Although Tim has sometimes been described as fundamentally . quiet ¡ and shy, in the classroom he could boom away like the best of us! However, he always had his eye out for the individual who might not find balancing chemical equations to be the easiest of concepts to grasp, and there were many who sought out his advice over chemical matters in the small hours of the night when he was on duty (was he ever off duty?) in the boarding house.
His leadership of many successful school visits - to Lullingstone Villa, Richborough Castle and Pompeii, here and in the Classics department exemplifies his organisational skills. He always seems relaxed and easy-going with his pupils and coped amazingly well with such diverse incidents as a bursting appendix in Sorrento and, on another occasion, insta11t lunch for fifty people in a busy Neapolitan pizzeria. Charles always displays team spirit and a sense of humour whether trying to get his own back on me in Delphi for THE CANTUARIAN, LENT
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Tim was first a tutor in Luxmoore where his integrity; patience and efficiency were invaluable as the house went through the difficult period of transition as the boys moved out of Luxmoore to Grange as the school c:ntered the era of full co-education. As livingin Assistant Housemaster in Grange, then in Tradescant, Tim was very much at the "coal face" of two large boarding houses. His good sense could defuse many a tricky situation and either alert the Housemaster to things he should know about early, or shield him from things that were better not known! On arrival at King's Tim quickly got involved with the Boat Club having previously been a coach and maste~ in charge for a ~ear at Pangbourne. Here again, the thmg that charactensed whatever Tim did was his personal dedication to those who were in his charge. It mattered not whether they were 1st VIII oarsmen who had already represented Great Britain as juniors, or Shells who had never before been in a racing shell. Neither did it matter were it oarsman or oarswoman. Indeed, RMH can still remember Tim enthusing about a .shell girl whom he had ju~t been coaching and telling him that she had the potential to be outstanding- that girl was Frances Houghton!
Through. most of the 1?90s, whatever age group in the Club T~m was coachmg, he was also responsible for overseemg those who went for GB Junior selection¡ for a full list one only has to look in the lobby to th~ Headmaster's office in Lattergate. In his last year at King's Tim assumed the role of Master ~n. charge Rowing and it was entirely charactenstic that he took painstaking care to ensure that the paperwork of the Club was absolutely shipshape, that all the safety procedures of the Club we~e over-?auled and that an effective budgetary policy was m place for his successor, Nick Bell. King's a~d ~ng's pupils have much to be grateful for the dedicatiOn and professionalism of Tim Parker. After eleven years here Tim has decided to take a break from teaching and develop his interests and skills in IT by unde.rtakin~ a MSc degree at Imperial College in Computmg Science. Thereafter, the future is unknown. However, one thing is for certain, that all who came into contact with Tim, in whatever sphere, were given a? exce~len~ foun?ation, be it in Science, in rowing or simply m life skills. Perhaps the Duke of Edinburgh had Tim in mind when they dreamt up the slogan, "No one forgets a good teacher".
For many, identifying and teaching the basics to a future Olympian might be reward enough for a whole lifetime of coaching but, even before Tim had identified Frances, he had already coached Fred Scarlett in the 1992 VIII and so, unbeknown at the time, he had coached King's one and only Olympic Gold medallist in any sport.
DMAandRMH
FATHER JOHN
(Senior Chaplain, 1992-2001) I must begin with an apology: partly because that is Father John's most characteristic mode of discourse ~hough it is rare that he be actually at fault; but mor~ Importantly, because there is no way in which this relatively brief article may do justice to the vast and varied contribution made by its subject to the life of our school over the course of nine years, nor to the complex theatricality and ironic self-awareness of a c?aracter large enough to hold its own on the pages of his be.lo_ved Wodehouse. Once we had three chaplains, the tnmty of Peters; now, again, we have three; in between, a lone figure stepped into the daunting shoes ?f Pete.r Hulla~ an~ proceeded to expand an already Impossible remit With self-doubt, self-deprecation, but absolutely unshakeable Christian commitment and integrity, working longer hours than even God has a right to expect. If this article is not to resemble FJ's study, with service sheets, maths books, theological works, coffee cups, cakes and the odd woggle inter alia .all thrown in together and exploding its narrow conf~nes, then we must pe~force break this archetypal public school story down Into chapters. But let them not be chronological, for FJ rarely does fewer than six things at once: twice the number of points in the classic clerical address.
Pro bab~y the most exciting time for Tim was early on when, m 1992, he coached the VIII with Fred in it but that VIII also had a two-times GB Junior Gold Medall.ist o~ boa:d (Nick _Prince) and a future winning Cambndge blue (Sebastian Dawson-Bowling).
Most conspicuous, but perhaps least significant, was FJ's role as public orator. A 'funny thing' had to happen to him 'on the way to the Shirley Hall' three or four times a week for nine years, and it usually did. He was at ease in front of the pupils, and clearly cared deeply about the values which he communicated so successfully in tones much parodied with affection, ~nd langua~e whic? was impeccably correct, rejoicing In recondite lexis employed to theatrical and
Tim Parker. (T.l.J.)
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marking and commenting on work, he was good at pinpointing pupils' strengths and weaknesses, and his rare Als really were Al: C3 was perfectly satisfactory ! Particularly good at helping the weaker student, FJ also took on the task of stimulating top Shell mathematicians beyond the syllabus and firmly believed in the educational value of discussion groups at all levels that allowed scholars to range widely in subject matter and knock sparks off each other. There was an interesting correlation between those who gravitated to his groups and Oxbridge interview success. It was also characteristic that he should challenge last year's Head Scholar to see who could get the highest mark at General Studies A Level, and win. For an encore, he sat a History S Level and doubtless shewed off his encyclopaedic knowledge of things Micronesian. As an old-fashioned schoolmaster, FJ believes in involvement in all that the school gets up to, and he devoted many hours to sport and activities. He coached soccer and cricket teams with particular pleasure, accompanied away rugby teams, and, in Mr White's words 'made a willing contribution in any way he could. Humble about his ability, he played a very important role in helping to look after the non-stars, encouraging their full and responsible participation, but not forgetting a sense of fun'. On activity days he would always be helping with something 'outward bound' in the woods (from fire-lighting to raftbuilding) or ferrying people around.
Father John. (Mike Waterman)
educational effect. As with DPH of yore, various elements of style (such as the subjunctive), many turns of phrase ('there is a convention .. .'; 'it wasn't a bad [Christmas]') and certain convictions (Sunday is the first day of the week) passed into school mythology. Happiest unscripted and sans microphone, he could also deliver the well-crafted essay, but either way he knew how to weave the events going on in the hinterland of some pupils' lives into the moral being drawn, and the target group and those with ears to hear picked up the message loud and clear. At his most creative under pressure, he actually enjoyed taking House. Assemblies based on the challenge to draw a coherent moral from three spontaneous, random offerings from the congregation!
FJ' s definition of School also very much included JKS, and he has played a major role in bringing these geographically distant parts of King's closer together in the last decade. As well as taking services, he made a point of going over for lunch and to be around on at least a weekly basis, and he continues his ministry there until Christmas. There are many other links that FJ forged to the wider community beyond the Precincts. Some, like the local scout troop run at Bridge, were well known, and it was good that he brought his scouts to Birley's on , several occasions to play his Ul4 C Cricket team. Others, like his national role as Secretary of the Chaplains' Conference and that as Regional Convenor of the Bloxham Project, most were unaware of.
As a High Churchman the proper ordering of the school's public worship was something that he took very seriously, and for all the pre-performance fluster, the big services always ran smoothly. He took particular pleasure in the Compline group, and in many extra services such as the Candlemas evening Sung Eucharist, Mass in the ruins at St Augustine's, and so forth. Somehow he managed to be responsible for three simultaneous services on 'choice' Sundays, even personally putting chairs out in the Schoolroom after the early Communion, and going on from the Eucharist to a Junior School Service, too. His role in sustaining the breadth of repertoire in school hymnody and psalmody has been crucial, and his voice was invaluable on the committee revising the hymn book, even if a tad shaky on the Responses.
FJ spoke at least once a year on the theme of hospitality, for it is crucial to his understanding of the Christian life. His door at No.1 Mint Yard was quite literally always open, and pupils were always going in and out. Great groups would gather both for elevated discourse and to enjoy the sheer fun of such Radio 4 entertainment as I'm sorry I haven't a clue. Tired colleagues were refreshed, visitors made welcome, and time given to all and sundry as if there were no tomorrow 8.35 am. Good port was never in short , supply when needed. On Mondays he arranged to bring together at Common Room Supper each week members of staff and members of the Cathedral family, with Derek Ingram Hill as regular guest of honour after the sad loss of his wife. FJ also practises what he , preaches with local down and outs, and can never walk by on the other side, even at risk to his own safety. Charitable giving is, for him, a moral imperative a~d
As a teacher, FJ was a considerable all-rounder, operating primarily within the RS, Maths and PSHE Departments and tending to the 'enlightened traditional' end of the market. Conscientious in his
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PAT YOUNG
personal gain an irrelevance. As Dr Muller, a school counsellor, puts it: 'no pulpit ministry was this one! Rather he seemed to be saying: Here I am; I live alone by the gate; my role is to be there for everyone'.
Matron of Meister Omers ( 1992 - 200 1) When I first saw Pat Young's c.v. I could not believe my good fortune: here was a highly intelligent and capable lady who had not only brought up her own sons and run inter alia a contract cleaning agency, but who was also a well-qualified erstwhile teacher of A Level Biology, with experience in a Boarding School, albeit one for girls. There had to be a catch! There wasn't. By the time that we had had a wide-ranging exchange of views and she had taken tea with my Head of House and some 5th Formers, I was sure and they were sure, and my only fear was that I or they might have put her off. Perhaps the only implicit question mark over her otherwise shrewd common sense lies in the fact that we had not, and she duly moved in in April 1992.
As a House Tutor he was superbly conscientious, and always willing to come in or do duty at a moment's notice. Duty meant treading the beat, not sitting in the study, of course. Mr Dath has written glowingly of FJ's year stepping in as Resident Tutor in The Grange, and he was crucial to the good atmosphere and smooth running of MO. Almost everyone wanted to be in his Tutor Set, despite its meeting for at least the full half hour every week, and he always had extra time for a tutee in difficulty, academic or pastoral, but equally for ones who just wanted adult contact. He could perhaps have been more exacting in his academic demands on them, but his greatest concern was educating the whole person. His ex-curate's instincts led him to do a lot of home visits in the holidays, too, even reaching the South of France, on one occasion! With deep insight into boys' psychology, he was an excellent sounding board for me as Housemaster, and he was there for every pupil and Housemaster or Mistress to turri to in a crisis. If some trauma broke, he would appear in the right house as if by divine inspiration, calming and explaining. His greatest asset of all was that every pupil knew that he or she could trust the Chaplain and tell him anything in complete confidence. Many were they who availed themselves of this opportunity, and that included staff as well as teenagers. Dr Muller recalls 'one atheistic student in counselling calling Father John the church man at school with whom he could vociferously argue his point of view, but still come out feeling loved and respected'.
There was a new warmth in the House that Summer Term that had nothing to do with the weather, and for many years Pat maintained little touches like baking for all the birthday boys herself and tying balloons to their door handles hours before they eventually surfaced. There was never anything that the boys could not take to her at any time if they really needed to, and she would always go the extra mile on the genuine case, whilst having a shrewd eye for the conartist and the one who merely needed jollying along. Caring, down-to-earth, no-nonsense, experienced maternal common sense, well informed by the biology degree course at Aberystwyth, was the hallmark of her pastoral style, and it was ideal. Understated, but outstanding efficiency and attention to detail marked her dealings as housekeeper and organiser. She was full of ideas and suggestions for what needed doing, but slipped them in quietly at the right moment, just like the beautifully arranged flowers which would appear un-cued just when needed. She always allowed me to feel in charge,
Asked by pupils or staff - and his definition of the latter went far beyond the Common Room, to include everyone from the Bursary to the Works and the Domestic Staff -to act as their 'friend' in a difficult or disciplinary situation, FJ would always oblige without fear or favour, showing his total personal integrity however unpopular the cause. Visiting the sick or distressed was a matter of course. Some have expressed surprise at his moving sideway ~ not upward from King's, but FJ's is a voca~ion not a career, and he is, as he would put it, 'a man under authority': in this case, that of God. His only rarely abandoning his cassock for a blazer and boater is a clear public statement of his calling. Whilst revering religious icons he is, so to speak, totemoclastic, having no time for the sacred cows of the modern orthodoxies of the self or the latest bandwagons of correctness. Faith, Hope and Charity are his guidelines, and insofar as he has done it unto one of the least of God's children he knows that he has served a higher purpose. So, to use the words of another who went from being a King's man to living in the Archbishop 's Palace, 'we both mourn and rejoice at once' at his moving on where the Spirit leads. Father John would view himself first and foremost as the pupils' Chaplain, so it is fitting to leave the last words to a pupil who, having shewn round a potential (unsuccessful) applicant for FJ's job, simply remarked: 'he's not a proper Chaplain: he's not a bit like FJ'. MJM
Pat Young. (Mike Waterman)
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keeping her powder dry for the moment when she really did need to stop me making a mistake. Little notes would appear to remind me if something important had slipped too far down my over-flowing in-tray, or, just occasionally, to wonder whether I had noticed a particularly daring poster that might cause embarrassment - albeit rarely to her personally. Pat's ability to live unperturbed for a decade as the only woman amidst fifty-five odd males was itself a testament to remarkable strength of character. With a keen eye for detail, and exacting, but fair expectations of the domestic ladies, Pat kept a wonderful, but crumbly part of the national heritage which is permanently polluted by adolescence, in a state of cleanliness and repair which drew many admiring comments frmn parents and even the school works staff. An unsung part of the technique involved many appreciated hours spent as agony aunt to the aforementioned ladies, and the Senior Matron also pays tribute to her sense of humour and gift for friendship: ' steady as a rock' . Nowhere was this to be seen more clearly than in her steadfast and very practical support for Judy White (former Linacre Matron) in her long terminal illness.
Timothy Noon. (T.I.J.)
Pat devoted many hours to what others might have viewed as not strictly her job, from playing the role of Housemaster's wife at House functions, to making large quantities of delightful Christmas decorations and individually wrapping some sixty little bags of sweets every year. Though battered over time by the impossible restrictions, enforced trivia and general thanklessness of a Matron's lifestyle, she never let it limit her vision or interests, and she kept permanently active on her own account too with a vast range of projects from bee-keeping, via mobiles and crosswords to rambling and gardening. The new house and garden in Bridge became her latest delight, and she has made them a wonderful place to which to retire, though 'retirement' for Pat means projects like helping out at the local village school!
From a young age Tim knew that he wanted to be a cathedral organist and his education prepared him for it brilliantly: chorister at Hereford Cathedral; organ scholar for a year in Canterbury, before going up to Oxford to read Music and be organ scholar at Christ Church. After graduating, Tim and Sarah moved to Dublin where Tim was Assistant Organist of St Patrick's Cathedral. Canterbury proved to be a return home but also presented new challenges. In addition to the joys of parenthood, Tim took on the demanding dual job at the Cathedral and School. While not often, (but occasionally!) having to be in two places at the same time, Tim was certainly kept very busy. This is not the place to comment on his cathedral work-suffice to say that he did his job there superbly.
Perhaps her biggest challenge of all was to work with a bachelor Housemaster loath to delegate and unrepentantly idiosyncratic. Pat passed this ultimate test, too, with flying colours, and I only wish that I had had more time simply to enjoy her excellent company over that glass of malt which always seemed to meet with expert approval. I miss Pat, and the boys and myself owe much of the .success and calm stability of the last decade to her tactful and unfailing help and support. She was the unsung heroine who selflessly allowed me the limelight, and I am eternally grateful to her for everything.
TIMOTHY NOON
Tim entered into life in the Music Department with great energy and enthusiasm. His A level harmony and aural classes were relaxed and fun, without sacrificing high standards. He did more than his fair share of Shell class teaching, which can at times be an 'interesting' experience! Tim's accompaniment of the choirs at services, concerts and on tour was always sensitive, appropriate and utterly reliable. His compositions and arrangements for the choirs at King's were very professional. There were many other ways, both great and small, in which Tim contributed to music at King's but he will be best remembered for establishing the very successful Chamber Choir. This group of approximately 30 Shell and Remove girls was Tim's creation and the quality of the choir was evident from the beginning. Their repertoire was wide. Everything from ancient plainsong sung at Sunday Complines in the Quire of the Cathedral, to Lloyd Webber show tunes (not sung in the Cathedral!). The choir travelled to parish. churches in Canterbury and beyond, sang Evensong at St Paul's Cathedral and even Christma~
MJM
(KSC 1997 - 2001)
Tim, his wife Sarah, and their n~wborn son Tom, arrived in Canterbury in January 1997 fresh from the delights of Dublin. Canterbury was not new to Timhe had been organ scholar at the Cathedral several years earlier. But he was now returning as Assistant Organist of Canterbury Cathedral and Organist of The King's School.
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Carols in Riceman's. While it would be true to say that the decibel level on coach journeys was sometimes higher than usual, it was indicative of the enjoyment and enthusiasm the girls felt.
through. He loved this aspect of the job and will be sorely missed by many. If I were asked to pick one thing that summed him up, it would be his wonderful, infectious laughter. If only we, in the Biology Department, could have bottled it ...
Inevitably the time came to move on. Tim was offered a cathedral of his own, making him the youngest cathedral organist in England and Wales. Unfortunately for those of us in Canterbury, St David's is about as far west as it could be. But it will provide a wonderful opportunity for Tim. Our thanks to him for everything he did during his time at King's and we wish him, Sarah, Tom and Molly every happiness and success in the future.
Oliver became a victim of his own success. He worked hard to thoroughly understand the intricacies of the seashore in preparation for the 6a biology field course and it fired his imagination such that he left us to undertake an M.Sc. in Marine Ecology at the University of Wales. The correct move for him and a terrible loss for us. We wish him every success and hope he will make his way back here from time to time, with or without bicycle clips.
SWSA
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
SW-C
OLIVER MOORE
HEAD OF BIOLOGY
(1999- 2001)
Oliver Moore arrived from .. . well ... it was a relief that he arrived at all as we received a message in the summer holidays informing us that he had the fatal form of malaria. Later in the holiday, we were told that he was recovering nicely having been taken to the local witch doctor in some remote part of Kenya. Once at King's, he worked tirelessly in the classroom to encourage all to achieve their best and to enjoy the subject of Biology. Needless to say, he was very popular amongst the pupils and had much success. His commitment was total and he contributed to the Biology Department in many spheres outside lessons such as the biology field course, Oxbridge preparation and helping with mock interviews. On first acquaintance, Oliver seemed quiet, but very quickly one became aware of a superb and sometimes wicked sense of humour to which nobody was immune. For example, when it became common knowledge that he was leaving, certain members of the Bursary became rathe;r agitated as it was rumoured (spread by Oliver) that he was going to sell the 'Big Issue' on Green Court. A number of other people became ¡ very impressed at his entrepreneurial skills when he made it known he was going to start a vegan abattoir in the area. This, however, brings me onto a serious point. Oliver was passionate about all aspects of the natural world. He would travel everywhere by public transport by bicycle or by foot due to the impact of cars on the environment. In the latter case he always wore vegan shoes which were, to quote, 'a treat for the feet without the meat' ! Oliver is a strict vegan in diet as well, eating such items as Scheese which 'looks like cheese, grates like cheese and tastes like nothing on earth'.
Oliver Moore. (T.I.J.)
AMANDA SCOTT-KILVERT (2000-2001)
Amanda Scott-Kilvert bore no resemblance to the terrier with which she shared her nickname. She projected a very easy manner and was quick witted maintaining a lively sense of humour. She was also able to produce a rapport with colleagues and pupils alike, from whom she gained a great deal of respect.
He willingly became involved in a wide variety of areas of school life. He was a major contributor to the staff review, was involved in sports throughout the year and ran the AlB girls hockey teams and the B team in cricket. He ran a cycling activity, though most of his time seems to have been taken up mending punctures. Oliver was also a tutor in Harvey House and his attitude, care and compassion for all shone
Scottie joined King's from Kent College as a hockey coach in 1999. Her contract expanded to take. in P.E, girls' games and assistant Housemistress in Walpole House. It is difficult to believe that Scottie was with us for two years, such was her impact. 93
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A dedicated and successful coach, she maintained the high standards of hockey at King's and supported and encouraged girls of all age groups; some of whom were invited for County representation. She has also acted as a mentor for those selected to play at the highest level. The 1st XI hockey team enjoyed considerable success as a result of her management, coaching and guidance and players have received much enjoyment from the sport despite her tough fitness and training regimes. Scottie has always been helpful and supportive in other sports such as tennis, netball and athletics.
Scottie continues to coach the 1st XI hockey team at senior Kings whilst teaching P.E., geography and running the girls ' boarding at JKS. She will I am certain, provide an excellent role model for the girls in her care, as they will benefit from her wide ranging skills, energy, commitment and fun.
She has been selfless in terms of time. Offering the extra hours demanded of PE and games as well as instigating and organising sports tours during the holidays. A major hockey tour to Eastern Australia in July 2000 (where they won every match), a girls' cricket tour to Barbados in July 2001 and a 1st XI hockey training camp in Barcelona, in August 2001 not a bad achievement for six terms work.
(KSC 2000 - 2001)
We wish her well for the future. JAWa
.M ARCO LIVIERO Marco Liviero's reputation went before him in the form of a variety of anecdotes. He was supposed to be ravishingly good-looking in a sun-kissed Mediterranean way (this would have made him roar with laughter), self-assured and ineffably continental of dress and manner (this would have pleased him rather). He was supposed to be flamboyant, terrifyingly intellectual, assertive and witty. Then I was told by an outraged colleague that this continental answer to Bertie Woo~ter had visited his prospective house, Tradescant, over a weekend in the Summer Term preceding his arrival at the school. Apparently, he had been taken into the television room to meet some of the Sixth Formers who were relaxing after a hard afternoon's grind on the rugby pitch. Said new Italian teacher, on being politely introduced, had declared himself disgusted and disappointed by the lowly nature of these youths' Saturday night recreation. Had they nothing more inspired and inspiring to do with their time? He was disappointed and bewildered. Did pupils at the King's School indulge in such popularist activities? Would they not be better employed reading good books or forming philosophical societies? We shook our heads in disbelief and waited with a mixture of idle curiosity and mischievous anticipation.
As assistant Housemistress in Walpole during the past year, she was outstanding. With her pastoral and administrative duties she was thorough and efficient, enthusiastic and popular with the House. She also showed herself to be capable in a crisis. Scottie had a genuine interest for and an understanding of teenage girls that is unique. Fair and disciplined she was able to control difficult situations, allowing her sense of humour and banter to carry her through. Her support for every House event, and her constant presence were major factors in the smooth running of the House. Her tutor and year group teas in town are legendary, along with the confiscation of mobile phones, eating mars bars and organising trips to the pantomime.
Whether this last anecdote was true or apocryphal, no doubt Marco had expressed himself with an absolutely straight face which admitted of no humour and no hint of self-irony. He was often believed for the face value of what he said when, quite frequently, he was taking the rise out of his audience, expertly and, for the most part, without malice. He had an artist's compulsion to process the world before him, to harvest opportunities on which he could practise his keen observation and sharp, sometimes acerbic, wit. We were all, from time to time, grist to his mill. However, he saved himself from serious condemnation by readily presenting himself in self-ironising situations: who can forget Dr Liviero and Mr Teeton at last year's Regatta on the lakes, frozen but unconquered in bow ties and blazers? Mr Milford and I decided that they were engaged in a double-act in imitation of Charles Hawtry and Kenneth Williams: which was which, I leave to your imagination. But to observe the man only on this level would be to do him a disservice, amusing as he was. Marco Liviero was much loved and admired by his pupils, from the most able, who appreciated his extraordinary breadth of knowledge, to the less gifted, for whom he never showed anything but patience and a desire t~
Amanda Scott-Kilvert (TI.J.)
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Due to the various demands within the science depar~ment Carme.l found herself teaching both Chemistry and Physics. For a period of time that meant that th.ere were two 'Kiwis' in the same space. As with ~hemistry, the Phy~ics department were very soon Impressed by her attitude and willingness to go out of her way to support the pupils. Her tutorshiJ? in ~0 was also very warmly received as .she stepped m while CPN was on sabbatical. Martin ~Il~s told me how . impressed he was by her willmgness to help out m any way and how efficiently she set about the business of being on duty. MO was also. very grateful for her help organising the brass sectwn for the house concert. The same thanks was extended from the music department for the way that she u~ed her New Zealand charm and drive to galvamse the trombone section of the orchestra.
Marco Liviero. (TI.J.)
assist them into a higher state of understanding and self-.awaren~ss .. He was particularly good in extracurricular Sit~atwns, like the truly impromptu King's Week recordmg of 'Just a Minute' and in chairing pupi~ deb~tes. His great love was Drama and he had a spectal gift for working intensively on productions With both staff and pupils, producing hours of fun but also moments of moving intensity during both rehearsals and performances. . Dr Liviero caused something of a stir by passing with su~h speed from a transient life at the King's School mto the. ete:nal b1iss of Eton College. The Common Room IS slightly less hysterical, and certainly less colourful, without him.
CARMEL SPENCER
On a ~o~e personal note, . Carmel and her family came to VISit my swarm on a couple of occasions. I remember .those days out walking for her energy and the bubblmg good humour of her children. Her husband, Mu~ay, was also a delightful person and I am s~rry that I did not get to know him better in their time with us. I was in cofoltact w.ith Carmel a few weeks ago and
eve~yone at Kings Will be horrified to hear of the car
acc_Ident that the family was involved in at the end of their French holiday over the summer. Fortunately I can report that all are well, but the car was written off. Equally I c~n say that Carmel is settling into her new sc~ool as easily and effectively as she did here. We mis~ ~er and _would be delighted to see her teaching agam Il! th~ science department, should the opportunity ever anse m the future.
CEP
(2000-2001) Carmel Spencer was only a member of the science ?epartment for a couple of terms, but in that time she Impre~sed us all with her care, dedication and sheer commitment to the craft of being a science teacher. She and. her family arrived at an opportune moment as vanous responsibility moves within the science department had meant that several members of staff were severely over-stretched. ' It is nev~r an easy th!ng t~ pas.s over a set that you have established a relatiOnship with, but ¡within a few days Carmel had convinced us that everyone was in good hands. Within the chemistry department David Amott commented on how impressed he was with the level of co~mitment and individual care that she showed to the pup~ls that she taught. Nothing was ever too much for her m te~ms of devoting time within,and outside of the norJ:?al tlm~table. In the end she had quite a series of pupils commg to her for extra help. She also managed to tell some very good earthquake stories
Carmel Spencer. (Mike Waterman) 95
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·POINTS OF VIEW FOUR YEARS IN LABOUR
Day), exceeding its visitor numbers and providing a beautiful addition to the London skyline.
Another general election is looming. Despite the efforts of the Tories to have it postponed, owing to foot and mouth, Labour wish to go ahead. So it now seems appropriate to look back after four years of Labour government, and decide whether we want another four. "Things can only get better" was Labour's theme tune in 1997. This was not, I imagine, what the Petrograd workers were singing under a hail of Tsarist bullets; but as New Labour had distanced itself from socialism anyway, it made the point quite nicely. Labour was elected with a staggering majority, which should have enabled them to do anything they wanted in the coming Parliament. They were free to tum Britain into Labour's dreamland (Newtopia?). The Conservatives were reduced to a humiliated fragment of what they had been, a fact they compounded by electing a leader with less public appeal than the Dome. Labour should have been on Easy Street, and for a while, they were. They had a long honeymoon, during which time, Tony's popularity could only rise. There were, however, clouds beginning to appear on this glowing horizon. Robin Cook was found by two press photographers to be having an affair with his secretary, Gaynor Regan. The Tory backbenchers howled with righteous outrage: affairs with secretaries were their job, and a job they did with pride. While the public asked the big question: with Robin Cook? How could she?- the clamours for his resignation grew. However, he divorced his wife and Gaynor Regan is now Mrs Cook. Sleaze averted.
Labour, as we were informed, was going to be the party with an ethical foreign policy. One of the first tests of this was Sierra Leone. The British government helped the legitimate government in Sierra Leone to survive assaults by the murderous RUF rebels, who mutilated thousands of innocent people. They then denied all knowledge of having done so, which rather mystified some of us (apparently they broke a U.N. arms embargo). Still, they have honoured their commitments to helping this war tom country, with British troops now training government forces to take the offensive against the rebels. Labour also acted in Kosovo, pledging British troops and planes to help KFOR stop the Serbs' ethnic cleansing, which they managed to do · so well that they are now there protecting the Serbs from the Albanians. Still, you can't please everyone.
1ohn Prescott has been charming commuters and environmentalists: a minister for the environment who drives everywhere in his two Jags; a minister for transport who knows as much about buses and trains as the Royal family, Mr Prescott has managed to privatise the blame for the state of the railways, in addition to the rolling stock and signals. His handling of the railways has led to a spectacular series of problems, with hours of delays for all (plus the increased appearance of Mr. Prescott on T.V., pleading his innocence). I am sure the commuters collapsing with heat stroke on the Central Line, or standing on freezing platforms for hours will be comforted to know that Mr. Prescott sympathises and is doing everything he can, as he speeds from crash site to crash site in his air conditioned, chauffeur-driven luxury cars. Lord Chancellor, Derry Irvine hit the headlines when he redecorated his already lavish private apartments at huge cost to the taxpayer, spending thousands of pounds on wallpaper alone. The money did help to renovate some beautiful sections of Parliament for the public not to see, and the public will remember this generosity when government grants to restore churches and community centres are rejected.
The Blair baby story gave the whole country the chance to coo. When the news appeared, Tony said he did not know how the leak had happened (of the story, obviously). Euan's antics gave the country the chance to laugh, though rather cruelly, I thought. We' ve all been there after all. Still, he had superb timing, being caught the night after Mr. Blair had announced a crackdown on drunken yobs. The Millennium Dome has become the symbol of everything New Labourish of the last four years. A brilliant hospital pass by the Tories, the Dome has been a constant thorn in the government's side. From day one, the Dome has had the worst press coverage of just about anything, ever. I do not think there has ever been a project which the media has attacked so ruthlessly, and this has contributed to its downfall. The fact remains however, that the Dome is as interesting as John Major's private life. Starting with huge budget over runs, it reached the point where it was too expensive to close, and money was then poured into it like water into a sieve, to keep it open. The exhibition was barely worth seeing. The Body Zone was especially disappointing, mechanical pubic lice not withstanding. The Dome saga marks the point where New Labour began to decline in the public eye, and the longer it continues, with scandals over preferred bidders who are also Labour donors, the worse it looks. On the positive side, the Millennium Wheel has been a huge success (apart from not opening on Millennium
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Geoffrey Robinson (Paymaster General), shortly after announcing his views on increased taxes for middle earners, was discovered to have his own enormous fortune stashed away in a tax haven. It is hard to make the government of a banana republic look honest, but Mr Robinson has managed to do it. Mr Robinson is also known for his generous donations to the Government, though it seems he would be more useful if he paid tax. Mr Robinson also became involved in the scandal of the loan to Peter Mandelson. It seems he lent Mr. Mandelson £300,000 to buy a large house in Notting Hill, and told no one. about it. Mr Mandelson was forced to resign, but he would return. Labour also became involved in the Bernie Ecclestone affair. Mr Ecclestone, as boss of Formula One, pointed out to Mr. Blair that plans to abolish tobacco sponsorship would ruin his sport. He then
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made a £1 million donation to the Labour party, and lo, Formula One was exempt from the ban. Of course, the fact . that Mr Ecclestone got what he wanted after making the donation is pure coincidence (just in case any parents are libel lawyers). Labour agreed to return Mr. Ecclestone's money, which seems very fortunate for him. Which brings us to ~he f~nal, m?st recent example of Labour sleaze: The HmduJa Affmr. The poor Minister for Eur?pe, Kei~h Vaz, has apparently been the target of~ racially ~otlvated smear campaign. He claims that ra~Is~s ,are trymg. to hound him out of his position as Bntam s only Asian cabinet minister. Some facts. Over 4 years Mr Vaz has built for himself a £1 million property por:folio on a ministerial salary of around £50,000. This mea~s that a) Mr Vaz is the greatest prop_e~y market gem us of recent years, b) Mr Vaz is a ma~1c1an to rival Paul Daniels, or c) Mr Vaz has been get~mg a lo~ of money in addition to his salary, and not tellmg Parliament where from. If this did not look bad enough, now enter the Hinduja brothers. Mr. Vaz and ~r. Mandelson have been accused of using their mfluen~e to ~ns_ure th~t the Hinduja brothers, who are under fmanc1al Investigation in this country and India, got passports. Presumably, they did this to help these desperate billionaire refugees, and not at all because there was anything in it for them. Peter Mandelson was sacked as a scapegoat, then found innocent. Mr Vaz has. soldi~red o~ her?ically, fighting the racist tirade agamst him. We re with him all the way. Labour has, however, managed something rare for a government. A second extinction of the Dinosaurs ensued when Britain's hereditary peers were removed ~rom t~e House of Lords. For some of us, it was an mterestmg mome~t, during the Queen's speech, to watch Betty proclmm an end to hereditary government. Many more people would have respected the removal of Hereditaries though, if the government had had a clue what to ~eplace_ them with, not just appointing more of Tony s cro~Ies. We have also had the epic st:uggle over bannmg fox hunting. Many of us Witnessed sc~nes of sportsmen pursuing dumb defenceless ammals when the Countryside Alliance marched on_ Parli~ment. In spite of this, the bill to outlaw huntmg w1th hounds was passed, but it now seems that due to a mistake in timing, it will never reach the statute books. This makes Yes Prime Minister seem a picture of competence. Labour ~as _accomplished some good things too. The Is m g~:>ad shape, money is now being direct~d at _educatiOn and health, and Britain is now engagm~ WI~h her European partners, not just sneering and making Jokes about the war. Whatever incidences of Labour sleaze there have been, we must remember the rec?rd of the Conser_vatives. If a Tory backbencher kept his trousers on, It was worthy of a note in Hansard. The Tories do not have much more honesty and integrity than Labour, nor for that matter, are they any more competent. Would they be any better? Probably not; they are politicians after all. e~onomy
JAMES BERRY
(M.P.H:D,) 97
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Plato's ideal state would have scientists making scientific decisions, et cetera. In essence, it is a state governed by experts, an expert specifically being someone with love and knowledge or understanding in a particular field. What is the difference between these 'experts' and today's politicians? It is the word, which comes after 'love of'. Politicians may be experts in the everyday sense of the word, in that they are talented sociologists and economists, but their love is not of knowledge or understanding. It is rather of power, reputation and importance. This is Plato's point about philosophers: only someone who loves their field of expertise can be a true expert, and only a true expert is fit to govern a nation's policy in his field. It seems to me that party politics, so infected with the political 'values' mentioned above, is ripe for reform, reform which will bring in government which takes proper notice for the real philosophers of our time; for without such a change, the public can never again hope to be part of a nation which they perceive as truly successful.
SHOULD WE REALLY BE GOVERNED BY POLITICIANS? An alarming number of people now seem to have a tainted view of scientists (people trust their opinions as much as those of politicians). As a result, when the solution of a crisis requires controversial actions based on scientific advice, the politicians are left with a public opposed to whatever solution the scientists propose, but remain adamant that the problem should be made to go away. Indeed, after delaying vaccinations against foot-and-mouth disease at the height of the epidemic because of stubborn opinions that this would delay the resumption of exports, the government is now left, months later, trying desperately to stamp out the glowing embers of the fire. Naturally, the public then forget that the scientists were right, and still rest the blame on the governments and their supposed 'advisers'. Before the days of food scares, blame rested on the statisticians, a fact encapsulated in the widespread use of the phrase 'lies, ... lies and statistics!' Why should this have been? It was because, of course, politicians used statistics (or rather 'statistics'). These 'statistics' had an uncanny habit of showing exactly what the government wanted, thus honest mathematicians were awarded some of the blame for political number fudging.
Roll on the scientific state! ALEXANDER SHANNON,
THE KING'S SCHOOL MOCK ELECTION
However, more bizarre is the outcome of this situation. The public have stood firmly in the way of progress over GM food trials, speaking openly of mistrust towards scientific research on their safety. However, the notoriety of politicians for lying does not stand in the way of people voting to let them govern us. Or does it? The most recent general election seems to suggest otherwise; what more obvious explanation is th.ere for a low election turnout than the possibility that the large p(oportion of the nation feels that the politicians should not be in charge? This view certainly seems to prevail in the constituency in which an independent candidate defeated the representatives of the major parties, simply by promising to oppose the closure of a hospital.
6 June 2001 Following the successful mock election in 1997, the Politics Department was keen to organise something similar this year. The objective, as before, was primarily educational though with the added interest of assessing any changes in the political climate of the school. However, the (presumed) postponement of the General Election from 3 May to 7 June made it impossible to organise something on the same scale, owing to the clash with public exams. It was decided, therefore, to have a single school-wide constituency (rather than the four in 1997), so reducing the number of candidates required, and to allow greater opportunities for proxy voting to accommodate those away from school, or preoccupied with exams on mock election day.
Plato, in the fourth century B.C., presented his view of the 'ideal state' in his book, The Republic. As paraphrased by }ostein Gaarder in Sophie's World, 'Plato believed the state should be governed by philosophers'. My opinion is as follows: Philosopher 1 Politician (If I were being more provocative _I might say philosopher> Politician!) Of course many people regard the absence of any form of democracy in this essentially totalitarian system as an anathema, and it is doubtful whether such a system would work in anything short of an idealised world. However, it suggests the idea that politicians wishing to govern well, rather than simply to grab power, should change their attitude to those more like philosophers' and possible thereby win back the respect, which they seem to have lost.
With some misgivings, the date was fixed (as in 1997) for the day before the real election, i.e. 6 June. This was on the grounds that floating voters might be swayed up to the last minute by events on the national scene. However, in retrospect, it might have been better to wrap things up by half term, as was done in most schools, as it proved difficult for the candidates to sustain momentum and interest over the break and immediately afterwards. The - much-reduced turnout was probably largely a consequence of this decision, which, once taken, could not be altered. James Berry (MR I Conservative), Aidan Hargitt (GR I Labour), Lawrence White (GL I Green) and Alfred Williams (GL I Liberal Democrat), all in 6a, who had already come forward, were all quickly confirmed as candidates and Rupert Reid (MR) soon emerged as UKIP candidate. The rules stated that only those parties likely to be widely represented nationally could stand, but this was interpreted broadly enough to allow Valera Chobitko (GR) to stand as Socialist
The role of the philosopher must now be defined. Stemming from the Ancient Greek Sophos - The word itself means to love. Here I return to the group mentioned earlier - the scientists, who reside as a subset of philosophers: the 'natural philosophers' or those who love knowledge of nature. It seems that THE CANTUAR1AN,
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Labour candidate, his request to stand as a Communist having been denied. Both the additional candidates were Fifth Formers, but disappointingly in a coeducational school, no girl candidates came forward, though a number of girls were active in the teams of helpers, which the candidates were encouraged to form.
overall result before the official declaration; which was given after lunch from the Shirley Hall steps with all candidates or their representatives present. DJR commended all the candidates, who deservedly received warm applause from the sizeable crowd present. The result, which is printed separately, offers much food for thought. Bearing in mind that the overall result in 1997 was Conservative 38.5% vote, LD 33.7%, Referendum 15.4 %, Green 7.4 % and Labour 5.0 %, most observers expected another comfortable Conservative victory, though perhaps strongly challenged again by LD. In the absence this time of a successor to the uncannily accurate 1997 "EMAC" opinion poll, there was no prior indication of the unexpectedly strong support for Lawrence White, the Green victor overall and in 7 I 13 Houses. He owed his success to strong personal support and a very effective campaign, but also perhaps to increasing concern among the pupils about green issues. Interestingly, the UKIP vote was almost identical to that of the Referendums in 1997, though this time it was probably more of a personal than a political vote. The Labour share of the vote almost doubled, thanks in part to a formidable candidate, and might have been even higher but for the SLP intervention and respectable vote. The decline of the Conservative vote (with a 19.3% swing to Green) and especially that of the LD vote was most surprising, given that each had strong candidates. Even allowing for distorting factors such as House allegiances and the probably higher turnout among younger pupils, these were exceptional declines and perhaps do reflect real changes in political attitudes among .KSC pupils. Finally, the fact that the winner achieved only 28.9% of the total vote says something about the peculiarities of Britain's electoral system.
Though disqualified from standing officially, the Monster Raving Loony Party, based in Linacre, insisted on mounting a lively and clever, if largely fruitless campaign. Their uninvited intervention and persuasive "write in" campaign was probably the cause of a number of spoiled ballot papers (none in 1997), especially in Linacre. One or two other unofficial "parties", such as the "Banana Republic Party" made fleeting, though spirited appearances. Campaigning was allowed from 21 May until5 June and all candidates conducted poster campaigns varying in effectiveness. Some, especially the UKIP and Green, were very funny and attracted much interest. However, only these two, plus the Conservatives to a lesser extent, were able to sustain their effort after Half Term, albeit in a reduced way. Posters were most prominent in the Undercroft and Dining Hall areas, though also in some Houses. There is no evidence of much personal canvassing of voters, but the Green Party did hold after half term an ingenious "green party" on the Green Court, complete with green lemonade, (delicious) green cake and green apples. Although not attracting much "passing trade", this event did help to publicise their cause very well. Finally, the UKIP candidate organised a successful proxy vote drive, recognising its importance in his (Day) House. A very successful hustings was held, immediately before half term. Chaired by PT and using the Shirley Hall steps, candidates (except for the SLP, who chose Alexis McCue to speak instead) spoke in alphabetical order for a maximum of three minutes to a crowd of about eighty people. After this, they took questions from the spectators. All the candidates were excellent, some exceptionally so. Especially striking were the debating skills of Alfred Williams and Rupert Reid, the latter draped in a union flag, as well as the green painted face of Lawrence White. A mixture of serious points, good humour and quick wittedness, together with lively heckling from the crowd, contributed to a memorable occasion.
Needless to say, as in 1997, the results bore no resemblance whatever to what happened in the real election the next day, except for the collapse of the LD vote in Kent! In the context of the 59% national figure on 7 June, the turnout of 72.7% was very good. However, even though nothing like the 90.6% of 1997 was expected, given the difficult circumstances, there was some disappointment that it was not higher. Turnout in Boarding Houses ranged from over 90% (four Houses) to a very disappointing below 50% (two Houses). Turnout in the Day Houses, with many away from school, was very reasonable, though even greater use might have been made of the opportunity to vote by proxy.
Housemasters and Housemistresses kindly took responsibility for the conduct of the poll in their Houses at the agreed time of c. 8.30 to 8.50 a.m., to coincide with House Meetings. Voters arrived at their Polling Station to find everything arranged as much as possible like the real thing and under the control of a Presiding Officer, usually the Housemaster or Housemistress, but ;sometimes another responsible person. In most areas the conduct of the poll was observed by members of the Politics Department and found to be running smoothly, one or two minor irregularities apart.
From an educational perspective, it was a valuable and successful exercise, helping pupils to understand better the democratic process. From a political viewpoint, the results obviously have limited significance, but the election did give the candidates and their helpers invaluable and very realistic "political" experience. Some demonstrated political skills of a high order and perhaps one or two may eventually follow Hugh Robertson OKS into Parliament! It is very much hoped that in ?2005 another such mock election will be held.
The result from each count, conducted in Houses, was communicated to DJR as Returning Officer in plenty of time for him to collate and calculate the
DJR 99
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FOCUS VISIT OF MICHAEL FOALE AND FAMILY TO KING'S I was slightly nervous about collecting Mike and his family- Rhonda and the children Ian and Jemmafrom Heathrow. I need not have worried. Mike appeared and broke into a broad grin. That set the tone for the rest of the visit. I had planned the first day would be one of relaxation for them and delivered them to a hotel in Canterbury. Within two hours of having left them there, they were spotted wandering about taking photographs in Green Court and generally behaving in a relaxed and friendly manner. Clearly whatever we thought about them as celebrities, they had very different ideas. I knew that the visit was going to be an outstanding success when a colleague came up to me in the common room on that first day and said, "I've just met an astronaut on Green Court taking photographs". Later that afternoon I had the opportunity to do my first climb up Bell Harry, accompanied by the Foales and under the expert direction of Rev Thackary. Mike had greeted this idea with enthusiasm "That will get me nearer to God" had been his comment. I did point out that he had been closer than any of us, and after a little thought Mike replied (in a rather conciliatory tone of voice): "no, that's probably higher". We spent about an hour on top of the Cathedral chatting about school life, Canterbury and pointing landmarks out to the kids. On the way down I had the chance to talk to Rhonda for a few moments. Rhonda Foale has worked as a Space Scientist, and is now training to be a teacher. I asked her if she ever wished that she could share any
of the experiences that Mike had gone through as an astronaut. This was obviously something that she had thought about in the past, as her reply was immediate and to the effect that she would not be able to put up with all the discomfort, boredom and stress that goes along with the training. This gelled with something that Mike had said earlier, about how small a fraction of his time was actually spent in space compared to that spent training, or carrying out a (relatively) ordinary desk job. The first active day of the visit was spent down at JKS. The morning and early afternoon was filled with visits to the classroom, judging pupils work that had been done on the subject of Mars and having lunch. However, I thought that the highlights were the talks that Mike and Rhonda gave to the pupils. You only had to look around to see how the imagination had been caught and the spark lit in some minds. I think we will all remember the ¡pupil who, when asked by Mike about the dangers of space travel had suggested that one of the major things that Mike might be worried about was an attack by aliens! After lunch, Mike gave a talk to the Removes in the Cathedral Education Centre. His theme was the exploration of space, although he did spend some time discussing life on the Mir space station and the crisis that followed when a robot space probe bringing vital supplies crashed into the station sending it into a spin and depriving it of electrical power. Mike was instrumental in bringing the station back under control, but as an American on a Russian station he had to work hard to persuade his two colleagues that his ideas were correct. The school had also booked the Chapter House for a drinks reception in the early evening. Unfortunately with the new Dean due to be installed not that long after Mike's visit, there was a large scaffold in the corner of the room that was being used in cleaning. The Headmaster made reference to this in his welcoming speech by likening it to a launch pad. Mike picked this theme up and deeply impressed everyone with a measured and deeply felt 'off the cuff' speech referring to the school as a successful launch pad for the dreams and aspirations of our pupils. He later echoed the same ideas in replying to a toast given in his honour. From the Chapter House we moved on to St Augustine's where a magnificent meal had been set out for Governors, staff and friends of the school. We were delighted to be able to invite Raymond Butt back to sit on the high table with Mike and Rhonda as he had taught Mike
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general public and local schools. I was very disappointed in the response, especially that from schools, many of whom did not reply to my invitation. However, the talk that Mike gave was a great success. We were able to squeeze the Shell year group into the centre, and they were treated to a much more impromptu speech as the AV equipment broke down part way through. Mike was forced to improvise for about 20 minutes while the engineer was sent for. Those lucky enough to hear him on both occasions agreed that his extemporised description of the Mir accident was a privilege to hear. One final engagement remained for the visit, which was an evening drinks reception hosted by Bill Browning in School House. This was an opportunity for some members of the sixth form to meet Mike who revelled in the chance to talk in a relaxed and open atmosphere. A horrendously early departure time the next morning smoothly dealt with and everyone involved was genuinely sorry to see the Foales depart. I am sure that they enjoyed their visit and that Mike's promise to return was genuine - but we will leave him alone until after his next flight in 2003. However, I am determined that the school will be represented at the launch.
Physics in his time at the school. By this stage we had also been joined by Mike's parents, his sister and her husband - the school was truly being en -foalded. The next morning started with a tour of Walpole house and a visit back to the Physics department. Shortly after, Mike presented a magnificent montage of pictures from one of his flights to the Headmaster in the-common room. A similar representation was later given to Bill Browning to be kept in School House. The tour continued after break with the party making their way over to the Ceramics department. Here they were able to see the commemorative display ceramic being constructed by Fiona Taylor and Mollie Edwards. This will shortly be hung outside the Physics department. It depicts some important aspects of Mike's career grouped round a spiral representing progress. In our corner is an image of the boot print left in the lunar surface by the Apollo astronauts. We managed to persuade Mike to take his shoes and socks off so that we could have an imprint of his foot to balance the image on the ceramic. Lunch was followed by the descent of the press including our own group who interviewed Mike (the interview follows). Local TV, newspapers and radio all showed a great deal of interest and Mike was kept busy for over an hour fending questions. As always this was done calmly, considerately and sometimes firmly. One can understand exactly why Mike has been one of NASA's main liaisons with the Russians.
Thanks to all who helped with the organisation of the visit, especially Dave Manning for his discrete presence.
For the late afternoon the School had again booked the Education Centre and made tickets available to the THE CANTUARIAN, LENT
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JON ATHAN ALLDAY
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INTERVIEW WITH DR MICHAEL FOALE
What other ways did your time at King's and University, your education in general, prepare you for your time in Space, and did your technical background in physics come into use a lot when you were up there?
Have you got any particular memories of your time at King's?
Dr. Foale: My technical background in physics actually in two ways helped me stand out during my Mir flight. One was because I had developed as a hobbyist, here at King's, programming skills, programming initially on a calculator which was a great big thing in those days and in BASIC and that was a foundation for an interest which I carried on and developed at Cambridge, and then in my research in physics and used actually to improve greatly the amount of time spent by cosmonauts-printing out their orders daily while they were on Mir. The other area that certainly was sparked here was my interest, and my discipline in thinking about physical problems as a physicist and that started with basically two teachers; Mr Painter, who has since died and who was head of the mathematics department at the time and Chris Millar, who was head of Physics and my teacher of physics - I've always respected him and he always understood my interest and my goals and I think he and Raymond Butt understood that I wanted very seriously to become an astronaut.
Dr. Foale: Yes, there are a number of images and feelings. I think I have mentioned one already and that was when I was first brought to Canterbury. My mother had brought me to Canterbury East Station and then to Latimer House, which was then the waiting House. It was very cold and wet. I had to put on the uniform that you are wearing now. I found it very difficult and uncomfortable and I was extremely self-conscious about it. We then went off to see a play, 'Becket, Murder in the Cathedral'. It was Son et Lumiere and it was done outside and there were extraordinarily miserable cold weather conditions for both the actors and the spectators. There were only a few of us as spectators and we endured the night and this fixed itself in my memory as maybe the hardest moment of my time at King's, getting through that, and then being brave enough to go back to the house and going up to bed in the dormitory here. Since then, I had an enormous number of friends and I really enjoyed the rowing here. I remember falling over a number of times on a frozen rugby pitch and getting blood off my knees and thinking this isn't really much fun, so I settled on the boat club eventually and made that my chosen sport which I enjoyed until the end.
Are NASA really keen in having women up in Space? If you go to their website you see lots of women in NASA. Dr. Foale: It's certainly improved the selection of women as astronauts, and not only that, it's improved the attitude and breadth of skills that the men traditionally test pilots and military-trained, hav~ brought to the astronaut programme. That transition started with Sally Ride in the USA almost 15 years ago and has developed into a new culture, an international culture, that doesn't just cross gender lines, it crosses cultural and international lines and it means that we as a crew function better, and are more likely to succeed in space because of this ... I guess it's pluralism, it's where we incorporate everybody and we don't have any artificial boundaries as to who can participate.
Did that teamwork in the boat club help you in the Space Station when you only had a number of people to work with? Dr. Foale: No, the boat club is actually a group team sport and you have to work together, but always there are far more people to talk to and there is more variety in choosing who you talk to even in a rowing eight and a cox as number nine, so that does not compare as an accurate model of only three people, especially if they are foreigners relative to each other on the international space station. If there are social tensions in space, are you trained to deal with them?
Are you planning on going up into space with your wife?
Dr. Foale: No, we were not trained. I have been training astronauts to do that and in fact, when I was brought back, the director of the Johnston Space Station in Houston who is responsible for all human space programmes, asked me specifically to create a programme to solve that very problem, to address the leadership and fellowship issues within a multinational crew and to address those times when the crew don't get on with each other. A dormitory actually, when you are living, three boys or girls to a room, will have the same effect. If you are stuck with each other, you sometimes have to put up with each other.
Dr. Foale: We celebrated our 1oth Wedding anniversary when I was on the Mir and I was always conscious that I was up there for 5 months which was pretty close to the time it would take to fly to Mars. When I was asked if I would like to fly to Mars, I felt that if I was to do this, that I would only do it once Rhonda and I had set the children up with a good future. When the risks of going to Mars and the time spent away from the earth are so great, I think you should take your partner with you.
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Alex Shannon and Anthony Lewis
Would you leave the children behind?
to be able to speak with English speaking flight controllers and so have to learn English. The Japanese have a double problem. Japanese is their natural language and they are coming into a programme that is dominated by English and Russian speaking entities and so they have to learn English and use English as their main language. To then go and ask the Japanese to learn Russian as well becomes an additional burden. So we have a conglomerate of languages that we use on the international space station and we have to define very carefully which activities will be in which language. If there are emergency procedures we have agreed they will be in English.
Dr. Foale: The children would be grown up by then. Did you have to do very strenuous physical training? As astronauts, we have being encouraging them to reduce the training time to a year and a half. It's strenuous training in that it's thirty three hours a week of technical training and that does not include the physical training. Out of those thirty three hours of technical training, there are about six hours of language.
What happens when you get up in space? Are there social tensions? Dr. Foale: We have not often had tensions in space in crews. We, with the Russians have recognised that this could be a big issue one day, where the crew will get on so badly that they will do something stupid and someone might actually die. We work very hard on the ground to expose potential crew mates to each other and put them on exercises in the desert or in the Arctic for short periods of time, but we make it a little bit miserable, just hard enough so that that they show their true colours under stress. Having seen how that happens they will understand that they don't get on with X really well and it would be a mistake to put
Are you all fluent in the languages? Dr. Foale: Language is an interesting point in this whole international endeavour. The Americans imagine that this space station will only speak English and they say that everyone will learn English, but that doesn't happen in real life. If I want to make friends and gain the respect of Russian colleagues working with me I have to speak at least some of their language. I have to be friends with them and with their families who do not speak English and have not had the training that the cosmonauts have had. The Russians also have
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them together in the same crew. We have only just started that process, we are not very far down the road. 1 believe as a commander of a mission I can deal with personal conflicts as I have had training from outside groups. The crew themselves are so motivated to get through this flight successfully, they are also tolerant and willing to express what is bothering them and let it out in the open so that so we can deal with it quickly.
batteries are fresh and you go through a check list. These are more technical aspects and then you have to familiarise yourself with the task you are going to do outside during the space walk. Maybe a box has failed that controls the solar rays to point towards the sun that gives you energy. This is a problem that is coming up on the International Space Station right now. One solar array is having problems rotating and pointing towards the sun to get energy so we will have to send the crew out to go and change the motor in the boxes that control that solar ray. Now they are out there, they didn't have time to train on that we'll have¡to tell them about the problem and send a video of people on the earth doing that same task in a swimming pool in space suits. All t~at, preparation can take up a lot of your time and then you actually carry it out and that's rather fast. It takes six or eight hours to do the space walk and with luck you are successful and you come back inside and can relax and the tempo dies down.
Is the high risk an aspect which drew you to the job in the first place? Dr. Foale: Risk is something I do not like. I do not like exposing myself to danger. My friend, one of the most senior astronauts on the International Space Station is a navy test pilot. We have flown together in small planes and one time he and I had engine failure in my private plane. I was just doing an approach to an airfield in Texas over water and we ended up having to land in the water. Ken saw how I handled it and although he had more professional qualifications, he was confident in what I was doing and I landed in the water and we were unharmed. We had the aircraft taken out with a crane - it was written off by the insurance company. The point I'm making is that risk was truly unpleasant for me and I do not want to repeat it. There is so much to be said for prudent risk taking, not just for astronauts, but for people in any walk of life. Certainly in this school, people are being asked to stand up and say something. They haven't done this before, there is a risk to their self-esteem, to their self confidence, but if they do it successfully they are extremely pleased and become better people in their walks of life. Risk taking is something that doesn't have to be threatening to your life. Moving on now to the detail of what you do space, what are the daily tasks when you are up the space station, what you have to do in terms exercise and the technical things that you have attend to? ¡
What do you do to relax with the rest of the crew? Do you play cards? Dr. Foale: I have only played cards to relax in any kind of expedition scenario when I was diving on the Mary Rose. In space we haven't developed that tradition, more often we quietly, but slowly eat a meal and enjoy a conversation. On the Mir Space Station and on the International Space Station they have installed speakers and they play loud music. It could be anything, from good hard Russian rock music to The Four Seasons. In space you listen to anybody's music because you're willing for the change, you want the differences so I was exposed to different tastes of music, to different tastes of food, entertainment, conversations, you make up your own entertainment. Cards would not stay down, they would need Velcro on them, we haven't got there yet.
in in of to
What sort of Science was going on on Mir, and what will be going on on the ISS that justifies us having these opportunities in Space. What use are we making specifically of these opportunities to further research?
Dr. Foale: In fact, a lot of what you remember from your own flight is dealing with your own stuff, washing, sleeping eating, preparing food. These are the things that take up time. Toiletry takes longer in space as you don't have gravity to keep things in place. We don't have a shower so you then have to manipulate towels. We have a dry towel, a wet towel and you have to get the sequences right with soaps, with body baths. We can't practise this. This is something you just have to learn, there is not much on earth to show you. Then there are basic functions like communications with the earth - we have to do that every day. You get those done very quickly and then you get down to the more unique things and those only happen in bursts, like a space walk and then you spend a week getting your space suit ready. You start getting it out of the closet, you get all the pieces together. You check the systems are working well, the suit inflates, it doesn't have leaks, check the radio still works,
Dr. Foale: The research is not the real and only reason why the USA government for example puts 0.1% of its budget into its space programme. It is multi faceted and I should say that right up front before I describe the research that we do. It is partly to do with inspiration. You can't stop people looking up into the sky, and wondering what the sky is about. You can't stop people wondering about and going to the next country and being interested in what it's like in that country. Curiosity exploration is one reason why a country decides to spend a small fraction of its budget in going into space. That's a good reason. Another reason is it projects political power. It projects political esteem of that country to other countries so when you are negotiating a completely unrelated field for example, oil fields in Siberia, if the USA has 105
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is no flattening out as there is no gravity, and so organs literally are being attempted to be grown in space. We could envisage the day - if you knew that you would need a liver transplant, you would provide a small amount of cells from your body and it would be sent up to the ISS and they would grow your liver and send it back and put it back into you. This would have enormous economic effects on the medical industry.
already formed a partnership with Russia in space, all the oil business men feel confident that our countries must be friends. We shouldn't underestimate the value research has and that is indeed the longterm pay back that you get from doing this. What we are putting into space today in the way of research will give us enormous payback in five I ten years. Experiments on the International Space Station are now being carried out on colloids. Jellies and liquids can form suspension of particles, bigger than atoms and molecules, but smaller than grit or dirt that would fall to the bottom of a glass. These colloids can form the basis of new materials, new displays for computers, maybe new structures in super conductors. We don't know, this is pure science, we just know that if you form them in space, where gravity can't disturb the mixture by convection as there is zero gravity we can research them far better. The other area of research I think is enormously beneficial is in the medical area. It has been discovered that you can grow cancerous tissue in space just as we can on earth, but on earth when we grow tissues, because of gravity on the petri dish they all go flat. You can't grow a heartif you try, by turning on the right genes for a heart it would just flatten out into a mess. It wouldn't be differentiated cell material. If you do it in space, there
Another area that is being developed today is an experiment that is having some difficulty, but will be re-attempted and that is developing new antibiotics. Many bact.eria have become resistant to antibiotics because they have been overused and incorrectly used and as such, we are running out of defences against bacteria. It's a health crisis in the world today. In space we are able to take antibiotics and develop new ones faster, not only utilising the radiation and increasing the mutation rate but also in the development of the tissues and the structures that combat the diseases that we are targeting. That is also being done quite effectively on the space station and that again is pure rer~earch.
INTERVIEW BY ALEX FIELDING, ALEX SHANNON, ANTHONY LEWIS
Photo of Michael.Foale displayed in the School Room. (M.P.H.D.)
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CELEBRATING THE NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK Meeting of Minds ..... . @
from one of the most prominent figures in human gen~tics, Prof. Patricia Jacobs. She pointed out the detnmental effects of trinucleotide expansion, tracts of three nucleotides that are repeated a small number of times in the genetic material of normal individuals. Expansion of these sequences can lead to some 14 diseases. She also outlined another phenomenon; genetic imprinting, the differential expression of gene, that has b~en shown to be responsible for a growing number of human genetic abnormalities. Structural biochemistry was discussed by Prof. Janet Thornton who left everyone in no doubt that the future triumph for !llole~ular biology lies in understanding the relatiOnship between the sequence of amino acids in a protein and its three-dimensional structure, and how the latter determines the biological activity of such a molecule.
Frontiers of Science
The King's School, Canterbury Friday 23 March, 2001 One of the highlights of this year's Science Week was a national one day sixth form conference, Frontiers of Science, hosted by the King's School in Canterbury. In a unique partnership between five independent and state schools of the city, the organising committee of teachers and students from both sectors, brought to life the wonder and excitement of contemporary science and technology for preuniversity students and their teachers. The day's programme consisted of a series of lectures by eminent speakers, verbal and poster presentations by students on cutting-edge research and interactive displays from academia and industry.
With a guest list that included the Directors of Research and Chief scientists from Pfizer PLC Novartis UK Ltd, AstraZeneca, Merck Sharp & Doh~ and Quest International and representatives from the Research Councils and Scientific Bodies, there was no shortage of the presence of the High and Mighty from the world of science. It was an occasion that offered an unrivalled opportunity for the representatives from all
The_ ~uest pr~senters, some of the world's leading authont1es, outlmed the groundbreaking work in their respective fields. Thus, Prof. Sir Roger Penrose, in his own inimitable style, detailed the curious quantum effects that are associated with fundamental components of matter such as that of instantaneous teleportation over several kilometres of particles of light. Despite Sir Roger's best efforts to explain the mathematics underlying the process, the vast majority of the audience felt rather more at home with the 'explanation' offered by the great Albert Einstein for this fascinating phenomenon in which he referred to it as the 'spooky action at a distance'! Prof. Sir Martin Rees had the delegates spellbound with the story of the birth of our Universe and the culmination of events that will ultimately lead to its death.
The role of chemistry in the Prof Sir Martin Rees FRS giving his keynote lecture production of medicines increasingly important in th~ to the audience at the conference ~o dern health care systems, ¡ was graphically sections to exchange views and to develop Illustrated by Professors Anthony Barrett and Gerry collaborations in the hope that this forum will prove to Pattenden. The former, with the aid of gruesome be a catalyst for establishing similar ventures between yisual images of the symptoms of some fungal different sectors of education in other regions. mfe~tious diseases, highlighted the alarm amongst the medical profession for manifold increase irt such While the students and other guests marvelled at the interactive displays on e-classrooms, an internet based conditions on a global scale. The participants were told about the agents currently being trailed for learning package in science (Novartis UK Ltd.), combating these infections. The latter gave a Diagnosis and Treatment of Disease (Dept. of Biosciences, University of Kent), New Horizons presentation on the use of free radicals in the synthesis (Science Research Initiative, King's School, Canterbury) of biologically important molecules such as steroids in and Mind 2 Matter (King's School, Canterbury), the multi -step reactions often called the 'domino' reactions. judges had an unenviable task of selecting the winners for poster (30 invited entries) and verbal (8 invited . The future biologists amongst the audience were entries) presentations given by students. mtrigued to hear of two recently discovered processes 107
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accQmmodated. What was in it for the students and their teachers? I can think of no better way of communicating this than to give two short extracts from a large number of letters received from both the students, teachers and industrialists following their experience of the conference. Kristina Humphries, a chemistry teacher at the King Edward VI School, Stafford, brought a group of twelve first year sixth form students and this what she had to say, 'The pupils were almost overwhelmed to be part of such a major event. They said quite honestly that they had never seen anything like it, both from a scientific perspective and also a ~ultural one. They started by being a little overawed, but progressed to we could do that which was precisely the effect wanted'. Chris Conheeney, a biology teacher at Tapton School, Sheffield wrote 'Thank you for giving my students the opportunity to be part of such an auspicious event. It was a wonderful occasion and we talked about it all the way home and I'm sure we will continue to do so for a long time to come. I'm going to put the Conference Handbook to good use next week. We've got a couple of assessors coming to the school to decide if we are good enough to / become a Lead Department in science in the neighbourhood (a new government intiative). I am convinced that these people will be impressed to see our students' work published alongside so many eminent scientists at the conference'. M.A.
Winners of the Pfizer Sponsored Awards at the Frontiers of Science 2001 Verbal Presentations Winner: Inga Deakin; A study of Thunderstorm Charging Processes (Withington Girls School) Runners-up: Daniel Bianco and Jonathan Lau; The Photohydrogen Fuel Cell (Bedford School) Poster Presentations Applied Sciences Winners: Katherine Brown, Madeleine Long, Georgia Smith and Michelle Woolls; The Diesel Dilemma (Simon Langton's Grammar School for Girls) Biological Sciences Winners: Julie Shenton, Ruth Kane and Victoria Colclough; Pheromones (Walton High School) Chemical Sciences Winners: Jonathan Crisp and Peter Glenday; A Softer Way to Complex (Winchester College) Physical Sciences Winners: Andrew Lea-Cox and Max Marsden; Dark Matter (Harrow School) Altogether, 36 schools/colleges were present at the event at which there were 500 delegates, students and guests from industry and academic institutions. Such was the enthusiasm for the conference that 1100 applications were received from all around the country for only 450 student places that were available. Under the circumstances, 42 schools/colleges could not be
For further information about the Science Research Initiative and to receive a free copy of the CD-ROM with all of the keynote presentations given at the Frontiers of Science conference, please contact: Dr. Mo Afzal; ma@kings-school.co.uk
Prof. Sir Roger Penrose FRS delivering his keynote address to the audience at the conference THE CANTUARIAN, LENT & SUMMER
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EXPEDITIONS SHELL VISIT TO THE YPRES SALIENT
"At Tyne Cot, the rows upon rows of white crosses all stand neatly to attention like the soldiers would have done who they now represent. It made you realize just how horrific the war had been, how many men had died and how many families had been devastated as a result. The peaceful quietness of the cemetery was almost unnerving when you thought of what it must have been like with the never ending gunfire, the exploding bombs and the crying of the wounded all those years ago. It was a very moving experience passing by the graves and reading the names of those who died and the inscriptions: W.E. Thompson Private 47 Australian Regiment died 12th October 1917 .... 'War hath destroyed but loving memory lives on.' Even more moving were the many tombstones inscribed 'Known unto God', men whose families never knew where their loved ones had been laid to rest." Catrin Tyler BR
On a rare, sunny, early Spring day, the whole of the Shell year set off to undertake cross-curricular field work in the Ypres Salient, with emphasis on History, English and Religious Studies. We were able to visit the graves of two O.K.S. who are buried there; B.G.H. Maclear at Essex Farm and W.J. Rowan-Robinson at Sanctuary Wood. Wreaths were laid at each on behalf of the school as well as at the German cemetery at Langemarck. The following is a compilation of comments on the experience by members of the Shell year. "As we entered Sanctuary Wood, a labyrinth of muddy trenches spread out in front of us. Tree stumps and debris were scattered over the site. The trenches were not as deep as we had expected. The sides were dammed with wood and rusty metal and occasionally there were corrugated iron arches to provide shelter. Small, dark tunnels led off the trenches. Next to the trenches there were large, muddy shell craters, giving us an idea of how tough life must have been for the soldiers living in the trenches. The conditions were very cramped and open to the elements." Anna Green HH
"The ironic peacefulness of Langemarck Cemetery is one of the first impressions you get as you approach the quiet German graveyard. The small stone building, through which you enter, seems insignificant, but you can see a small plaque above the gateway which says: 'Germany must live, even though we must die'. That, for me, was a very touching phrase.
(A.L.G.)
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VISIT TO THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE EU AT BRUSSELS, MARCH 6TH 2001
(A.L.G.)
In front of the graves stands a memorial .to all t~e German soldiers who died in that area. On It are laid wreaths of all shapes, sizes and colours, some old, some fresh. 44,061; I was shocked to find out that w~s the number of men buried in communal graves m Langemarck alone and this is a comparatively sm~ll cemetery. It makes you think how awful war really IS. Instead of conventional headstones, Langemarck has slabs of granite, laid in a symmetry that gives ~t a strange regularity, quite unexpected. Langemarck IS a very thought provoking place. We seem to dwell upon the fact that England lost so many men, and forget that Britain was not the only country fighting in the war and that war leaves behind a wraith-like presence of death even in enemy countries."
The Black Heart of Europe? On March 6th, a small but elite group of Politics students set off in company with Sixth-formers from three other schools for Brussels, city of bureaucracy and the media's black heart of Europe. I feel obliged to mention that we departed at 5.45am, which simply cannot be natural and clearly reflects our unendmg devotion in the quest for know ledge and greater political enlightenment. The trip, sponsored by Euro tunnel was organised by the East Kent branch of the European Movement and in particular by Mr. Alan Forrest, who arranged the visit to the ins~itutio!ls .and sponsorship in the hope that we would g~m an msight into the 'true' workings of the much-maligned EU. On arrival in Brussels, after several arbitrary checks for i,hfected pack lunches (foot and mouth), we were greeled by an MEP for the South-East, Mr Mark Watts. He told us about the work of the European Parliament and what is expected of it. He also talked aboll:t the life of an MEP, what is required of him and the evils of the British media. The media, according to Mr Watts, perform a great disservice to the people of Britain because popular newspapers disconnect. them from what is happening. If they were better mformed of what occurs in Brussels they would have more rea~on to become involved (e.g. lobbying), and after spendmg a day in Brussels I am inclined to agree.
CAROLINE RICKETTS BR
"Essex Farm was very different to Tyne Cot beca~se it did not seem to be so orderly and starkly white. Being smaller made it feel ~?ore welcomi!lg as if you could go in there and look with ease. The nver so close created a calm atmosphere. The dugout where John McCrae wrote his famous poem 'In Flanders Field' helped us to picture exactly ho~ har~ it mus~ h~ve been to treat sick and wounded soldiers m the limited, wet and dirty conditions. Approaching the dll:gout. ~ou could feel the darkness and dampness and Imagimng the images of the soldiers was quite disturbing." JULIA BROOKES MR
"As I was walking past the graves at Essex Farm, one in particular caught my attention; it read A. Nightingale. I was stunned: I stoo~ th.ere for a long time, just staring at it. I read on and It said th~t he c~me from West Yorkshire. That is where my family denved from¡ this man could well have been related to me. I felt ~ deep sense of remors~. This :vas the m~st significant moment for me dunng my tnp to Ypres. KATHARINE NIGHTINGALE BR
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Neil Kinnock speaks to students outside his offices in Brussels. (H.R.O.M.)
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Following this talk, we went off for a flying visit to Neil Kinnock, who is now vice-President of the European Commission. Fortunately, after much posing for photographs at the Commission building, we had time to ask a few questions. Surprisingly Mr Kinnock claimed that cleaning up the Commission was more difficult than organising the Labour Party, at least he claimed that in the Labour Party, after some disruption, people could be shuffled out of the way. He emphasised the need to cut back on incompetence, which would highlight corruption in the EU. His talk of streamlining was probably also a result of the general impression that a large amomit of EU money is wasted on bureaucracy and other unnecessary elements, certainly an image the Commission could do well to avoid. After lunch back in the EU Parliament building, which was a definite improvement on school fare, we set off on a brief sight-seeing tour. Under' the joint guidance of Tom Colvin (son of the former UK ambassador to Brussels), and Dr Maltby we successfully made our way to the Grand-Place without hitch. The older part of Brussels certainly seemed very impressive, particularly the old Town Hall. After waiting for Nayla to purchase a small shop's worth of chocolates with her credit card, we started making our way back to the KCC Brussels office. Unfortunately, Chris Cray stayed on the metro while we disembarked. However, while Chris was recovered by HROM, we returned to our base with Tom as guide and we all arrived with time to spare.
Unfortunately, within minutes of leaving, our coach was in collision with a car, causing no real damage to the coach, but an hour's delay and a missed shuttle. Returning to school at 11.40 pm. was something of an experience, particularly if like me you were kept awake by Messrs Cray and Everett for the duration of both journeys. In conclusion this trip has been extremely informative and worthwhile, despite the arduous journey. I would like to thank everyone who helped make it what it was, from HROM to Eurotunnel and Mr Watts. I would particularly like to thank Mr Forrest for all the work he put into the trip for the benefit of the schools concerned. I certainly gained a clearer perspective of how the EU is run. Instead of vague theoretical institutions, they became places with names and people. I would recommend to anyone studying the EU to visit Brussels as it helps clarify one's understanding and gives a real idea of the workings of EU government. Perhaps, (in my case) the speakers were preaching to the converted, but if one perspective comes out of the whole visit, it is a proEuropean one and a small, but infinitely important phrase that may have the editors quaking in their boots; on to federation. OwEN Ross
CRYPT CHOIR TOUR TO BELGIUM The Crypt Choir continued its good work during the Lent and Summer terms, singing at the schools' Eucharists with its usual dedication and professionalism. There has been more flexibility this year as to which of the school's three choirs sing on any given Sunday. Occasionally the Crypt Choir, rather than Chapel Choir, has sung at Matins. And the girls' Chamber Choir, run by Timothy Noon, has occasionally given the Crypt Choir (and the Director of Music!) a Sunday off by singing at the Eucharist. Secular music has also featured in the choir's repertoire when we have given concerts in local parish churches. The annual tour to Belgium was interesting and we sang in some superb churches. Panis angelicus (Franck was a Belgian) and Cantique de Jean Racine were particularly well-received. And the choir's singing of the Tavener piece was spine tingling!!!! My special thanks to this year's 6a leavers. My apologies for not being able to conduct at their last Eucharistmy broken ankle put paid to any conducting or rehearsing for the last four weeks of term. But they sang magnificently under the direction of Timothy Noon. I wish them all well in their future careers and hope that they will all continue to sing. S.W.S.A.
The first speaker in the afternoon session was Luis Teixera da Costa, a senior administrator of the Council of Ministers, who works closely with the SecretaryGeneral. Mr da Costa, himself Portuguese, provided an interesting alternative perspective on the nature of Brussels, he also pointed out how difficult it is to get legislation through, given the checks and balances of this uniquely democratic system. There was also much talk about the structure of Europe and, contrary to popular opinion, its inherently democratic nature. Certainly it appears that there are so many potential blocking measures and vetoes available to the major countries that no measure can be passed without their support. However, perhaps the media and general British public's opinion is not entirely unjustified as the entire trip was organised by pro European bodies. There was also much talk about "our political masters in their infinite wisdom", perhaps suggesting that the bureaucracy in Brussels have an agenda which the national politicians are not entirely sympathetic with. Certainly one former EU official stood up and recalled the 'good old days' when he just told the minister where to sign, (he is now retired).
The repertoire for the tour to Belgium was:
Andrew Ing, who works in the KCC Brussels office spoke to us about the possibilities of finding a job in Brussels and talking about the satisfaction of taking part in work in the EU. Two other speakers, a Kent university student holding a one year 'stagiare' post in Brussels and a law graduate whD is now an assistant to Liz Lynne, MEP, spoke about the Dpportunities available to young people at Brussels and the interest of working at the centre ofthe EU; -After having tea, we departed from the ·KcC office. · · · ·
Ascendit Deus Teach me, 0 Lord Nolo mortem peccatoris Te Deum for the Empress Marie Therese Panis angelicus Cantique de Jean Racine Like as ·the :Jzart Hymn for St Cecilia So.ng for Ath<jne Tomorrow shall be my dancing day 111
Philips Byrd Morley Haydn Franck Faure .Howells Howells Taveuer Gardner
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6B CHEMISTRY TRIP TO THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN 29TH JANUARY, 2001
The repertoire for the Lent and Summer terms was: Sacerdotes Domini Byrd Words and Music for Lent Byrd Teach me, 0 Lord Nolo mortem peccatoris Morley Panis angelicus Franck Cantique de Jean RacineFaure Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace 29 April S.S. Wesley .. 24 May (Ascension) Ascendit Deus Philips 1 July Alleluia! I heard a voice Weelkes
4 February 23 March
The 6b trip to the Royal Institution of Great Britain comprised of two long bus journeys, three breaks and four talks. The frrst of these was given by Professor Sir Harry Kroto, of the University of Sussex, winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. He has more recently been involv~d with the production of videos of key moments in science and during the course of the talk, showed some extracts of these programmes. His presentation addressed the structure and uses ?f the third allotrophic form of carbon: C60 Buckminsterfullerene (the other forms being diamond and graphite). At first a scientific curiosity, it now has the potential to be used to deliver drugs an~ as a component of semiconductors, among other things.
CHEMISTRY VISITCHEMISTRY AT WORK This highly interesting event at the University of Kent in Canterbury was characterised by a wide variety of chemical presentations brought ~rom the people who discover and develop the chermcals that we use every day. The range of chemistry presented was extremely impressive, from the polymer structure of 'viscous goo', to the ingredients of fragrances and cosmetics, to the processes of combustion that are so vital in the fire services.
T)le second talk was given by Professor David Phillips of Imperial College, and entitled 'A Little Relief'. Not only very amusing, it was also very interesting, discussing the effects of light on the skin, particularly its therapeutic effects. It is surprising to learn that cancers caused by sunlight can be removed in a very short time but for all you sunbathers, it will not always cure you, but can in the most severe cases make your dying days more 'liveable' - as is the case with one smoker's lung cancer. Using not only the laser, but also infrared or UV sensitive materials various skin disorders can be located and cured. These include psoriasis, neo-natal jaundice, and photoinactivation of viral, bacterial and fungal infections.
This is how the day began: we observed that explosive mixtures of gases such as carbon monoxide could pose an invisible risk for frre-fighters, as they can ignite almost without warning, turning a s~all frre into a roaring inferno within minutes. After this was a chance to see the pigments used in the making of coloured cosmetics. Some of the girls tried out the various colours, including a supposedly white powder, which turned their skin a shiny pink or blue. In the final presentation before lunch, we were shown some of the chemical ingredients that make up the fragrances in familiar brands of perfumes and deodorants, which can often contain over thirty separate scents (some of which smelled distinctly noxious!).
After lunch, Dr John Brown of the University of Oxford addressed the ways in which very specific molecules can bind to enzymes to prevent disease, whilst their mirror images are potentially harmful enough to kill a person. The fourth and last talk, given by Dr. Anne Hubbard, the Salter's Chemistry Teacher of the Year, was captivating while remaining both amusing and wide ranging. She addressed the detrimental effects on the worldwide environment of bottling and transporting mineral water and a clear message was communicated; tap water is not only cleaner and therefore healthier than mineral water, but it is also more environmentally friendly. She also discussed the uses of crude oil for items including clothing and toys. Her presentation was animated by experiments, exothermic reactions and irregular explosions!
After lunch, we had fun playing with polymers, watching a huge lump of foam form from a small liquid mixture within minutes. As we heard about the chemistry behind the strengthening of polymers, we observed a water-soluble one turn into a slimy gel, which the researcher described as 'viscous goo'! This was probably one of the most informative talks of the day, ending with a mention of new plastics, which can conduct electricity and even emit light. There followed a talk on the highly important business of drug manufacturing and we were shown the stages in the building of a new chemical plant which was to make anaesthetics. The day came to an end with a bang as we watched explosive materials being tested by the research division of the Ministry of Defence, hearing about their important n~w developments in the safe destruction of land mines. Certainly we felt that we had seen a wide variety of important work that goes on in the chemical industry, having been presented with some very unexpected applications of the subject, as well as having fun playing with ... you guessed it viscous goo!
CHRIS UHDE
BARBADOS CRICKET TOUR (BOYS) 2001 After a successful summer with some great wins, the frrst King's cricket tour for 21 years came at a perfect time, with the whole squad confident, in great spirit, and playing the kind of cricket characterised by our exciting win over Epsom in King's Week. The
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Balance and rhythm in bowling as demonstrated by John Humphrey
opportunity to play against the local schools in Barbados was an awe-inspiring prospect for us all, and one we had been looking forward to throughout the busy summer.
Leaving Alexandra shaken up by their first defeat by an English team, we travelled to Combermere School the following day, and found conditions similarly scorching. This time we were put into bat, which suited us again, since another day fielding in the midday sun could have left us literally cooked for the rest of the tour. Against an inexperienced attack, we batted positively and to great effect. The openers blasted 80 in 14 overs, then with the opposition wilting, Johnny and James Ellis set about their attack with the sort of flair and determination we had seen only the day before in the West Indian batsmen of Alexandra. James broke his duck of repeatedly making 40's to score a characteristically gritty, well-crafted half century, whilst Johnny preferred to pepper the boundaries with majestic shots all round the wicket to save himself from exhaustion. His exciting and devastating 95 at more than a run a ball, combined with a cameo knock from George Brook, took us to an unassailable 250/4. George has come on leaps and bounds with both his batting and bowling this summer and will do very well next year. Combermere were never in the game, and we bowled and fielded tightly to restrict them to 148/6. Felix Bottomley was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets.
Our first couple of days were spent acclimatising to the Bajan weather, be it during our training at 'The Wanderers' ground nearby, or on the perfect beach just outside our hotel. So it was at full strength and great enthusiasm that we approached our first game against Alexandra School, a side never beaten by an English touring school's 1st XI. Throughout the tour we would play 35 over limited overs games (a style very different to our normal declaration matches), so it was useful to lose the toss and field first, to allow ourselves to assess what sort of total suited the hard, baked pitches and rough outfields. But it was this _game that saw our quick opening bowlers rise to the challenge admirably. Both Tom Morey and Simon Darroch bowled very tight opening spells and picked up wickets at vital times throughout Alexandra's innings. Well supported by our medium pacers, we restricted them to 164/4 off their 35, on a great batting wicket with shortish boundaries. After a rapid start, during which their quick bowler was aptly punished for any poor deliveries, Michael Page and Johnny Stubbs showed their class in a clinical run chase, which saw us home to 165/3 with about 5 overs to spare. Mike's perfectly paced 70* included three huge sixes. Johnny for once played the supporting role, manoeuvring the ball about with ease to allow his partner the strike.
Although our third match in as many days against Louis-Lynch was bizarrely interrupted by a hailstorm, we managed to .play a 30 over game at the Texaco ground, which became our favourite place to play. Deciding to bat, our innings of 163/7 was built around a solid 68 from Tom Bruce, with the lower order 113
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chipping in as they relished their rare opportunity to bat. We knew this score was well within their reach however, and after they got off to a characteristically Caribbean start we were under pressure as one or two chances were put down. But a spell of 14 overs of tight spin bowling by the Bruce brothers ripped out the heart of their batting, and allowed us to take the upper hand in a close game. Will made his 3rd appearance for the XI at fourteen, and bowled with maturity to pick up two vital wkts. Their batting collapsed under the pressure of a rising run rate and we won comfortably as they ended on 140/8.
of 93/8 wasn't enough after a brisk start in which Roshan showed his destructive potential. Pete Archer and Tom then milked their attack on a rapidly wearing pitch, as we cruised home to 94/2 off 17 overs. Pete fully justified claiming the number 3 spot at fifteen, and has made it his own for the next few years. Without a doubt, the performance of the tour was against Foundation School, who arrived with the knowledge that we were unbeaten, and seemed determined to end our run of victories. We fielded and bowled magnificently, with the ever-reliable Oily Humphrey particularly outstanding behind the stumps. In the last game for most of the 6A's, it was fitting that the performances of senior players dominated the scorecard on the day. The turning point to the whole game was Tom Morey's two wickets in a one over burst that made inroads into their middle order. His contribution was then completed with an excellent catch under pressure in the deep. His commitment and determination have been only matched these last three seasons by that of his opening partner, Simon Darroch. It was fitting that 'Gumpy' should finish his school career with a wicket in his last over. He has bowled v ry quickly with utter dedication and has been unlucky on countless occasions. His cameo batting has also been a pleasure to watch. Foundation finished on 132 all out, and our batting then matched our fielding. Two large partnerships between Tom and James, then Tom and Pete led us to a much deserved victory, Tom finishing on 59* as we cruised to 133/2.
Fortunately, the next few days allowed us some much-needed rest as the wet season arrived with a vengeance. The Island Safari was interesting and entertaining. Evening visits to The Ship Inn, The Boat Club and the famous Harbour Lights were both a welcome change from the Chefette, and a fantastic opportunity to relax and enjoy the delights of the Bajan (or Banks!) way of life. But there was no doubt the chance to go on a catamaran cruise was something not to be missed. This amazing day included swimming with giant turtles and snorkelling over wonderful coral, and was the perfect final excursion of the two weeks. Our trip to admire the impressive Kensington Oval was also one of the highlights of the tour, and this preceded our fourth fixture against Ellerslie School, for which the side was rotated, with a couple of players feeling slightly the worse for wear. After a little confusion over our ground, we played a 20 over game on a difficult pitch, and there was little hesitation over deciding to chase. Backed up by some brilliant fielding (one catch on the boundary by Toby Humphrey being particularly impressive), our bowlers were ruthless. Toby and Mike bowled with the accuracy that had allowed us to control the run rate of many sides all season, proving the depth of our bowling attack. Toby has been more than useful (even at half pace) in every game, and if his back mends, he will run through sides in the years to come. Their total
Our final game was against Coleridge and Parry School, and we fielded a young side to provide them with experience for next season. We were put into bat, but after a good start their two useful spinners tied us down, and we reached 157 all out. Tom with 41 together with some lusty hitting from Felix Bottomley late on were the main contributors. The game was always going to be tight, and despite two wickets in two balls late on by Toby to get rid of their most talented player, we paid for missed chances and they reached 158/7 with an over to spare. There has been a great spirit amongst the squad all season and it has been a real pleasure to be a part of such an enthusiastic and committed team. There has never been a dull moment; indeed many have been 'absolutely outrageous!' A big thank you to Dr. Afzal and Alan Ealham for organising a tour that turned out to be such a success, and for their dedication and coaching, without which we would not have achieved these results. I wish next season's team the very best of luck. TOM BRUCE
Smiles all round - despite having fielded for 35 overs in sweltering heat
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TENNIS TRAINING CAMP: PORTUGAL.
(Girls) 2001
The trepidation that we felt when we faced the Bajan national team for the first time was justified: they soundly beat us five times. However, despite the defeats, those matches were thoroughly enjoyable. We fielded well, especially considering the adaptation from hard ball cricket to softball cricket, and we took pleasure in working as a team and supporting one another. That was the highlight of the tour: we worked well together, at the crease and on the field. Even as our wickets fell, we always seemed to be smiling. Partly because we realised what an opportunity it was to be there, a true once in a lifetime experience. It was also partly because how can you help but smile when you are in Barbados?
All members of the trip had a thoroughly worthwhile time. Their skills and consistency improved considerably. They would all like to say thank you and goodbye to Mr and Mrs Woodley who they say, were determined to let them have a fabulous time.
We were graciously received and had a wonderful time. When we weren't playing cricket, being coached by Mr Thornby or watching the boys play, there was a glorious beach, pool, Bridgetown, local clubs and a plethora of stalls. We had a marvellous time, both on and off the cricket field. On behalf of the team, I would like to say thank you to all the staff involved, for the huge amount of organisation a tour like that takes and for the coaching we received when we were out there. SARAH JOHNSON (CAPTAIN GIRLS CRICKET, 2001)
Tennis team supper
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CORRESPONDENCE The Editor, The Cantuarian, The King's School, Canterbury, 29th May 2001 Sir, I was interested to read in the review of Jonathan Allday's book Apollo in Perspective: Spaceflight Then and Now ' (Cantuarian, Autumn 2000) of the students who doubted whether there was enough computing power available at the time to have achieved the moon landing. By coincidence, I recently lunched with Ben Lynch (MA 83-87) and a colleague of his who was on the JPL ~esign team for the Apollo navigation system, and he said that they had to use the second most powerful computer m the world (the most powerful being in the Pentagon), and even then they were forced to split various calculations. Today, he said he could have done everything on his laptop, and still have much spare capacity. I remain undecided whether to cut Paul Pollak's extra tutorial on using the slide rule. Yours Faithfully, John Bembry (MO 49-54)
The Editor, The Cantuarian, The King's School, Canterbury, 1oth September 2001 Dear Sir, I have just returned from a short stay at The Carlyon Bay Hotel, with my brother, for the first time since leaving school. I found that the extensions to the lockup garages that had formed our classrooms were gone. There was no sign of the great wooden sheds that were our physics, chemistry and biology labs. The corrugated roofed old garage workshop that was our chapel, and in which I was confirmed, is now an inaccessible ruin. But I was particularly sad to find that Crinnis House, the home of Walpole House, had been demolished "about twelve years ago". I believe the core of it had dated back to the seventeenth century. However, Blue Cottage still stands, though the name is unchanged. The strange thing was that after a couple of days there, the intervening fifty six years seemed all but to have melted away. Yours Faithfully, John A. Flower ( 1939-41-45)
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CREATIVE WRITING Apple Tree
Lola Soyode - Shell c
Lighted windows: Cut outs of home in the night, Camouflage silently, Through the vacuum of darkness. Red clouds, Dotted on a green sky, Supported by a brown gravity. The wind Tickles them, As they sway to an uncertain beat. They are waxed earrings, Placed on a thousand ears, With short, irregular fingers. The cores of sweetness And secrets of summer, Whispering news of winter.
Different The changing of the distant Big Ben turned heads towards the screen. A flush of excitement hissed through the sitting room. The bitter aroma drifted like gas from Dr William's teacup, consuming the people present. Dr Williams, his wife and daughter and his Oxford-bound son all sat rigid in their leather furniture. Both Mr and Mrs James Macfarlane in front of his own work. (M.P.H.D.) Williams were surgeons and Jane, their daughter was a lawyer, whilst Nick was on a gap year after cruising his way through Oxford. The fifth mem~er of the family was Susan, Jane's twin sister who at this moment was about to make a speech on the BBC news. The room was filled with pictures of the successful family, from playschool to prep school to public school, the twins could hardly be told apart. Also, resting on the mantelpiece there were certificates for work and sport. The final clang echoed round the awaiting room. Images of drought and war flicked across the wide screen TV, before fixing on a dull-looking newsreader. More music sounded as the camera moved in closer. The man cleared his throat and the water in his quarter pint glass folded backwards. Starting with "and on tonight's news," he began to read off bullet points about what was going to be shown from a cleverly concealed screen. He then, after mentioning Susan Williams once, began to drone on in more detail whilst a large square above his left shoulder kept on changing images. Fuel prices, operations, Europe, Bill Clinton all stole the screen at one point. At last, after ten minutes of flat entertainment, the Williams family hushed one another and turned up the volume. There was Dr William's daughter, not in a designer jacket, but in a dyed pink and green blocked T -shirt, not with taylor-made pin stripe trousers, but with baggy torn cargo trousers and not with clean tied-up hair, but with uneven braided plaits. Small studded earrings were over-shadowed by nose-rings, tongue rings, lip rings and so on. She was standing in her mansion style trench, and on her right her version of a BMW, a cart. Not a lawyer, but a rebel. Dr Williams muttered, "That's my girl". 117
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Remember? Charlotte Greenwood - Shell c Do you remember the dawn halls? The eyes of brightly lit stars Shrouded by an eager mist. The fantasies of sleeping out More clouded than a phantom dream. Do you remember the deep pools of water? A reflection of a greater day, A distant hope and forlorn glory. The crater holes transformed again To mirrors of a fitter end. Could you remember that terrible sight? Or was it just a discarded dream?
Zac Saitoti
Summer Holidays Lola Soyode - SJ1ell c A sky blue turtle shell Covered in undefined dabs of white. Bright yellow rays sup through The glossy amber of a tree, Making it twinkle in the sunshine. A pray of cool breeze Carves my hair Into a vague mass, A dash of the Caribbean Makes it concrete. These are what true Summer holidays are made of.
The Owl
Poppy Mitchell, Shell b
Revolving thoughts and movements occupy his interest, Capturing his intentions as well as motives. Eyes like black suns radiate and pierce darkness, Little escapes them as they control his territory. Radar-like ears collect rapid clutters of clumsiness. Immediate ripples from prey bustle into his watch-tower head, They rustle in, stealing the concentration from his ears. Silk plumage tenders the owl as he floats Smoothly through secluded trees. Talons wrench prey and clutch it safely between An iron grip. There is nothing that this precise individual does not notice.
Hermione Nevill
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The Sacrifice
Charlotte Greenwood - Shell c
1 entered the war as a private, and left it as a lieutenant. I was one of the fortunate few who survived until it was over. I turned sixteen on 15th June 1915 and I joined up with a group of my friends in September, once we were all sixteen. None of us thought much of this, as it just seemed like it would be one long camping trip. Almost as soon as we were officially soldiers, we were shipped out to Calais, but with no training. The battalion that I was a part of were marched towards the battlefields almost immediately. As I said, we all had a 'holiday' mentality about us, with the feeling that nothing could possibly go wrong. None of us were prepared in any way for the kind of horrors that we were about to face. We were still miles from the back lines of the trenches, but what drove past us every day was enough to put anybody off going to war. Even though we had no training, it couldn't have possibly helped us. We often saw trucks of injured, maimed or dead soldiers driving past us, and even though the full extent of their injuries couldn't be seen, the terror showed in the eyes of those that were alive and could still see. This was meant to be a )Var of bravery, sacrifice and valour, not a war of idiotic mistakes leading to the severe injures that we had seen, and what was inevitably going to happen to most of us. Even though we had received no weapons training, we had received an emotional hardening that no talks or group exercises could provide. As we neared the back row of trenches, the pounding of distant guns had already become like a familiar and continuous wind that was a comfort. If the guns had stopped then, I would have felt lonely. We were trained when we got to the maze of trenches, and once we were able to handle a gun and dig trenches our battalion was sent into the reserve trenches. From there, we were sent onto the front line, and to the fate of heavy artillery fire and machine guns. Our battalion became famous for having the longest life expectancy of all the other battalions from the south-east area. I was raised in the ranks to lieutenant after two years, and my mother was happy to know that I wasn't only alive, but had managed to become an officer. By the end of the war I had seen too many atrocities to remember anything in particular, which was probably lucky. Out of the 14 people who joined up at the same time, three came out of the war without serious injury, and four with crippling injuries. The other seven had been sacrifices to the greed of a country and its King, the proof that few who enter leave where war is concerned.
Katie Wood 119
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The Star
Jagruti Dave
A perfect blue sky looks down on me, Unblemished and pure. It is a constant sea of beauty and hope So deep that I could drown for an eternity Safe in its soft embrace. I see nothing beyond its ubiquitous canopy But suddenly, in the centre there is a whirlpool Of aquamarine. A fingerprint of light That floods me with warmth And I am humbled by it. Slowly the sea starts to swirl as well, Mingling navy, sapphire and turquoise. I feel a tremor and ripples of colour echo In the furthest silence; I see a star. Pulsating brightly it pulls me towards it Until I can see nothing else and I realise, It is perfect
Hermione Nevill
A Trip to "Wipers" (MR) Shell c
Sam Rudgard
To Flanders Field where bullets fell, For thousands of soldiers, once a daily living hell, Constantly wet and cold from rain, snow sleet, Night and day with never enough sleep, Waterlogged trenches still remain Sleeping soldiers sank in the mud, never to be seen again. The noise, the stench, the constant feat Waiting enemy snipers near, Crouched down low, out of line of bullet fire, Deathly dangers lurched in the mire. Soldiers sacrificed their lives And now in Flanders Field they lie, So many lost sons sleep forever there, Memorials "lest we forget" the horrors of this warfare. The Menin Gate commemorates the dead. Pause to reflect the terrible bloodshed. The slaughter at Passchendaele, shocks, Tyne Cot Cemetery marks the cost. The landscape of war graves makes you shiver Crosses row on row bring sorrow for ever.
Lucinda Bolton
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REPORTS & REVIEWS TRIAL BY JURY (PHOTOGRAPHS BY M.J.TE.)
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MITCHINSON'S HOUSE CONCERT
LINACRE HOUSE CONCERT
The Mitchinson's annual house concert has been of a very high quality in recent years, and this year was no exception, featuring an impressively wide range of music, and including the last outing of the band, the Fatty Acids.
17118 MARCH 2001 In the setting of the Linacre front hall, the house concert directed by Conrad Baker was a carefully put together and well executed evening of music and poetry. Harnish Pound, Thomas Rodwell, Nick Bere, Tom Colvin, Chris Uhde, Farid Akoi and Linden Dover read poems with good artistic expression, and provided a reflective intermission between the pieces.
The concert opened with the well-known song Here with Me by Dido, with Penny sounding very authentic, and nicely accompanied by the Fatty Acids. It was only spoiled slightly by a technical problem with the balance.
The first two pieces - Chariots of Fire and Star Wars were played by the house orchestra and conducted by Conrad. The orchestra blended well and a strong feeling of pulse remained throughout. Star Wars consisted of a strong melody line and confident accompaniment.
There were a few chamber groups, such as an oboe quartet, a string quartet, and a close harmony group, whose pieces ranged from Locus iste by Bruckner to an arrangement of Yesterday by the Beatles. The ensemble in the groups was overall very good, but in a couple of places they sounded a bit tentative. However, the quality of playing and singing was on the whole very good indeed. The two main songs by the Fatty Acids were popular with the audience, with Nicholas Cullen singing very well within a very polished group, which also included a very enthusiastic Roshan Ariyaratnam on the drums, Oli Humphrey on the electric guitar and Tom Hopkinson having a guest role with the bass guitar. Their own composition was of a particularly high standard.
After the poem Character of a Happy Life, Tom Laing played Memorial Blues by Gabriel Jackson. The opening phrases created a sullen setting and the melodic and harmoniC lines were sustained and expressed well. Then came Conrad (violin), Adam (piano) and Gerard Baker (cello), playing Antoinette by Scott Joplin. The piece was carried out with a lively feel and Conrad held the melody over a very tight backing group. Jack Standen's version of Rolling through the Keys by W.Keyte showed that he was a competent interpreter of jazz piano style. The introduction was interesting to the ear and Jack made use of diminished and major sevenths to good effect. Beaudry Kock played the melody with confidence and expression, completing the overall feel of the song.
There were a number of very good solos in the concert, which highlighted the number of talented musicians in the house. Hark the echoing air, sung by Penny Cox, and the first movement of Elgar's cello concerto played with great style and quality of sound (despite the unfortunate mistake of leaving the snare on, which caused a nasty buzz) by Xandra Fletcher, spring to mind as particularly special solos, as do the numerous jazz style pieces played variously by Barnaby Race on the sax, Michael Newton on the trumpet, and Hannah Heister on the piano, amongst others. The quality was altogether very good.
Following the poem "The Tyger", Souvenir de Cirque Renz was played by Adam Baker, who handled the awkward fingering of his accordion very well and kept the piece moving at a busy tempo. C Jam Blues by Duke Ellington and Moose the Mooche were then played by Beaudry Kock and accompanied by Mr.
The most impressive aspect of the concert was the large number of people taking part in it. At the end of the first half, the whole house joined together for a rendition of Old Abram Brown by Britten, which had a particularly good higher voice sound. At the end of the concert, a large proportion of the house again joined together, this time for the house orchestra, which performed Tambourin by Gossec. There was an impressive ensemble in the playing, as well as good dynamics and phrasing, and the brass section was particularly noteworthy. Overall the concert was a huge success, with a nice lively atmosphere, quick changes between items, and polished performances of a high standard. It was a most enjoyable evening. CONRAD BAKER
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Matthews. You have to wonder why Mr. Matthews doubted his blues piano playing as his input into both songs swung well and Beaudry's sax "sung" over the melody line.
LUXMOORE and MEISTER OMERS CONCERT
Dubbed the "Closeish Harmony Group", Jack Standen, Ed Flower, TIJ, Gerard Baker and Max Lamb were a lot closer than "ish". The blend and communication with the audience made California and In the Shade of the old Apple Tree (poems which straddled "The Daffodils" by Wordsworth) involving and engaged the listener with interesting chords. "Upon Westminster Bridge" preceded Passacaglia by Raimondi, performed by Gerard Baker and Andrew Laing. After a brief tune up, the two players were passing the contrapuntal lines to each other with ease and despite the occasional dubiously pitched note, finished on a conclusive and satisfying chord.
THE SHIRLEY HALL
SUNDAY 4TH MARCH IN The first part of the concert consisted of a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan-'s Trial by Jury. How easily the stage of the Shirley Hall was transformed into the Court of the Exchequer in which the Defendant (Edmund Melik-Mourad) is abouLto be tried by the Judge (Tim Jackson) for breach of promise of marriage to the Plaintiff (Allissa Brookin) as the opening chorus joyfully proclaim. The Usher (Will Davies) -gives the Jury his ironic advice in stentorian tones and the Defendant's fine tenor voice gives us his side of the story. The Judge is welcomed by the Jury and Public Gallery with gusto and he then proceeds to tell (beautifully clearly) how he became a judge by overthrowing a rich attorney's elderly, ugly daughter. At this point the audience began to realise that they were allowed to laugh. Enter Counsel for the Plaintiff (Hamish Backhouse) to instruct (in another-fine voice) thti Jury to be sworn and the Plaintiff to be summoned. The ladies in the Public Gallery are now transformed into bridesmaids by a slick change of headgear and the Plaintiff makes it quite clear she is no unhappy maid. The Judge is clearly impressed. Counsel sonorously puts his client'_s case and the latter is overcome with emotion. Things are looking bad for the Defendant until he offers a compromise: he'll marry the Plaintiff today and another tomorrow. This produces a nice dilemma resolved by his suggestion that, as he smokes like a furnace and is always in liquor, he should be put to the test and thrash and kick the Plaintiff. She, not unnaturally, objects and in desperation the Judge offers to marry her himself, an offer which she accepts with alacrity.
Following The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson came one of the highlights of the evening I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor. This popular seventies disco tune wa~ played by Tom E~don on guitar, Andrew and Tom Lamg on bass and p1ano respectively, Ed Flower on vocals (sporting righteous shades) and Pete Ross on drums. The rhythm section of the band held together seamlessly and kept tempo well whilst melodic solos from Tom Eldon and Tom Laing gave Ed Flower a firm base to his vocals, whic? remained committed throughout. It was almost as 1f he, indeed, wanted to survive. A heartfelt rendition of 0 Captain my Captain by Walt Whitman gave way to Serenata performed by Conrad Baker and Mr. Matthews accompanying. Although some of the notes of the melody were not pitched exactly perfectly, Conrad made up for it with a very good sense of dynamic range and poignant use .of rubato. Following Serenata came Gerard Baker w1th his performance of I got Plenty 'o Nothin' by George Gershwin. Gerard managed to make his trombone sound light, while at the same time full toned.
This was an impressive performance with the fine voices of the soloists working well with each other and with the spirited chorus all superbly supported by the orchestra controlled by conductor Martin Miles and skilfully produced by Fiona Tennick. An ambitious enterprise which was an outstanding success.
"If' by Rudyard Kipling was read and Those Magnificent Men was played with vigour and a certain amount of comic licence as glissandi were used to amusing effect. The finale to the concert - the Soviet Anthem was carried out by a small group of singers after the reading of Sea Fever. The first chorus was hummed in a haunting style and then a very well controlled and expressive solo by Max Lamb prompted a powerful and authentic sounding chorus to come in. The song ended in a loud and rousing cadence finishing off the evening with grandeur.
The second part began with the first performance of Fanfare for a House III by Stephen Matthews a_nd played effectively by a brass septet (Toby Dav1es (trumpet), Sarah Welby (horn), and Mrs. C.R. Spencer, Rupert Colchester, Jacob Colligan and Tims Trillo and Boarer (trombones)). This was followed by a moving and toneful cello performance by Julie Peat of Bach's Sarabande from Suite No.3 and a delightful version of the first movement of Stamitz's Flute Concerto in D Major by Kathryn McClean accompanied by Tom Ready on the piano. Next came an arrangement of the Romance from Mozart's clarinet quintet, the clarinettists being Joanna Brilliant, Hannah Fryatt and Hannah Redman who blended well with subtle changes of tempo and dynamics. Sanderson's piece proved a suitable vehicle for the whole of Meister Omers, conducted by Will Davies and accompanied again by Tom Ready. A rousing chorus with particularly good diction.
Many thanks must be given to the organiser of the concert, Conrad Baker, who clearly worked hard to make the concert the success it was. Also to Richard Gordon-Williams for his compering during the proceedings and Mr. Teeton must also be ~banked as his input into the concert was very well received by the audience. Finally, Mr. Matthews deserves praise from around the school as his sterling work in accompanying not only Linacre, but also every other house often goes amiss. TOBY DAVIES
(TR)
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A change of mood next, with Alex Fielding, backed by Will Davies (piano), Tom Hopkinson (bass) and Greg Ford (drums) singing Gershwin's But not for me and Mishka Adams and Rebecca Frere deciding to call the whole thing off. Two charming numbers, the balance of the second being rather better than the first. It was now Luxmoore's turn to show their mass vocal prowess with a gently harmonised version of Lennon and McCartney's Yesterday conducted by Miranda Hurst and accompanied by Rebecca Frere (piano) and Julie Peat (cello). Dulcet tones and such good diction that one phrase stood out as being singularly inappropriate. MO retaliated with No Surprises (Tom Hopkinson (vocals/guitar), Sachin Premnath (guitar), Edmund Melik-Mourad (keyboard) Greg Ford (drums) and Johannes Bolton-Vermunt (bass)). Competently executed, but the balance could have been improved. And finally the two houses combined in the form of a Concert Orchestra playing a selection from Mary Poppins arranged by, and under the baton of Martin. A fitting end to a fine musical evening and to Martin's musical directorship of MO. I am sure the near capacity audience enjoyed it as much as I did.
Hannah Fryatt (Clarinet) opened this spectacular showcase of talent with a moving performance of the Andante from Concerto in B flat by Crusell. Second on stage was Jack Standen (Voice) who, in singing Gia il sole dal Gange by Scarlatti, demonstrated concl~sively, by way of his dulcet tones, that boys should continue singing soon after their voice has broken. Harriet Jones, the other vocalist in this concert, provided tessitural contrast and demonstrated excellent type-casting in choosing to sing "Nons( pi( cosa son, cosafaccio" (I no longer know what I am or what I'm doing) from Le Nozze di Figaro - her voice matched the character perfectly. Edward Chuck was the first of the pianists to take the stage. He played Prelude No. 2 by Delius very stylistically, though maybe the anguished face-pulling stunts were an unnecessary addition to an otherwise convincing performance. The Romantic idiom was maintained when Sarah Welby (Hom) seduced the audience with her velvety tone in Mozart's Romance from Concerto in E flat. The next two pianists maintained a Spanish theme: Poppy Mitchell played the Allegro from Sonata in C minor, K84 by Scarlatti and Flora Cooke executed "Pajaro Triste" (Sad bird) by Frederico Mompou in a most appropriate manner.
SHELL MUSIC SCHOLARS' CONCERT
Atmospheric music for the evening hours was provided by Fenella Fletcher and Alicia Swanell in the form of Chopin's Nocturne in E, Op.62 No 2 and Drigo's "Serenade" from Harlequin's Millions respectively - both performers captured the night-time mood superbly. The remainder of the music heard in this concert was the work of French composers. Andrew Laing was the first to set the trend: He played "The Elephant" from Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Sans. Playing pieces musically and lyrically is a considerable challenge on instruments as large as the double bass; however, Andrew's elephant was not at all cumbersome.
10 JUNE IN THE OLD SYNAGOGUE This year's shell music scholars' concert consisted of four pianists, two singers, two violinists, one double bass player, one flautist; one clarinettist and a horn player. Together they would have made a highly unusual consort, but individually they provided a marvellous afternoon's entertainment.
The concert was rounded off by Megan Williams and Elena Ruthven who played three of Bartok's fortyfour Violin Duos: "Dance fromMarandros", "Sorrow" and "Ruthenian Kobrnegra" with great virtuosity. The concert was entertainingly compered by Mr A. Pollock and the accompanist was the ever-present and never waning Mr S. J. Matthews. T. J.
UGLOW
Back row l - r: Andrew Laing, Harriet Jones, Flora Cooke, Nellie Fietcher, Jack Standen Front row l- r: Edward Chuck, Megan Williams, Hannah Fryatt, Sarah Welby, Alicia Swanell Foreground l- r: Ellie Ruthven, Poppy M_itchell
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CHORAL CONCERT
A wonderful evening. I find in my notes that I had written (early on) 'has Stefan got away with murder?' No he hadn't. He had clearly inspired a cohort of relatively inexperienced singers to give of their all and produce a really super performance. Likewise, Colin with the orchestra. Perhaps we should have homegrown soloists in future? I am sure Violet and Clarrie loved it: not to mention Henry Yevele.
SATURDAY 5TH MAY IN THE CATHEDRAL ¡ This year's choral concert was dedicated to the memory of Violet Graham, and Clarence Myerscough and what better way of remembering them than by performing a selection of Choruses, Arias and Recitatives from Handel's Messiah. The combined choirs of Barton Court Grammar School, both Boys and Girls Simon Langton Schools and King's, accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra under the excellent leadership of Tessa Grobel and the vibrant baton of Colin Metters with solo contributions from Mary Nelson (soprano), Julianne Young (alto), Colin Lee (tenor) and Adrian Powter (baritone) gathered together in the Nave to give what the audience anticipated would be a memorable evening.
GDW
THE KING'S SCHOOL CANTERBURY STJOHN'S, SMITH SQUARE TUESDAY 13 MARCH 2001
The Messiah is so well known and everyone has their own built-in prejudices as to how it should be performed. But I was very excited: thanks to the cricket fixture list this was the first choral concert that I had been able to attend in twelve years at King's. I first learnt Part Two as a treble in 1960 (though appendicitis prevented me from performing) and I can still feel the thrill of discovering Handel in the freezing Chapel of Emanuel School. One has little or no idea what the first performance in Dublin sounded like, but surely Henry Yevele's Nave would prove a sympathetic setting for this performance. Would one's prejudices be allayed?
Some might think it a foolhardy venture to try and transport a considerable number of pupils, instruments and music to the centre of London, and then within a single day expect them to rehearse and then perform to an.extremely high level in a major concert venue. Yet sut h is the nature of the biannual visit of the King's School to St. John's, Smith Square. This concert hall is one that has, on occasion, reduced even the most hardened of professionals to bad attacks of nerves, yet the pupils seemed total unfazed by the venue, and the large audience that had gathered to support them. The programme was split into two halves. Before the interval, the Chapel Choir, under the direction of Stefan Anderson performed a setting of the Te Deum by Charpentier. This work is a great example of French Baroque writing, and as such demands much care and attention to detail to emphasise the elegant and gallant aspects for which Charpentier is known. The singing from The Chapel Choir was always tight rhythmically, and clean and clear in the faster sections. This is an impressive feat when one considers that the work was originally intended for fewer performers than were on the stage at StJohn's. Good support was given by the players in The Baroque Ensemble who were always sensitive in the accompaniment of the singers. Solos were well executed, confirming the high level of vocal discipline already apparent in the chorus.
The opening Sinfonia was a little on the muddy side and after a shaky start Colin Lee eventually managed to comfort his people. The Glory of the Lord brought us the first contact with fresh young voices and the following bass and alto recitatives were exciting if not entirely accurate. For unto us a son is born was a bit jerky (I see coitus interruptus in my notes which is, perhaps, not entirely appropriate) and we were then informed by a siren that shepherds were abiding in the fields. Glory to God proved a jolly conclusion to what is essentially a fairly trivial first part. Not so the second. From the opening notes of Behold the Lamb of God one was aware of the fact that here was something completely different. This was a really moving performance by a choir, now in top gear. He was despised was sung by Julianne Young exactly as I wanted to hear it and Surely was magnificent: here choir and orchestra were working together for the first time. Coliri Lee saw us successfully through a couple of recitatives and an aria and a lusty Adrian Powter asked Why do the nations so furiously rage together amazingly without consonants. Hallelujah was its usual uplifting self: we were left gasping for breath.
The second half of the concert consisted of three orchestral items played by The Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Colin Metters. The tragedy of Beethoven's Coriolan Overture was well captured, with some sonorous and rich string playing, and good propulsive drive. This was followed in complete contrast by the Pelleas and Melisande Suite by Sibelius; music that was originally intended as a series of interludes in Maeterlinck's play. Each of the five movements, so evocatively titled, was given good characterisation by the players of the orchestra, and there were some beautifully crafted woodwind solos. The final work of the programme, Glinka's Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture, and the encore, the famous Light Cavalry Overture by von Suppe gave the orchestra the chance to shine, and to display a high level of technical ability, without letting any technical difficulties dominate the musicality of the ensemble. This was a well prepared and polished performance.
I found I know that my Redeemer liveth strident, not like my 78 rpm recording of Isobel Baillie, but when the trumpet sounded it did so majestically. Powter responded to Toby Davies's playing in a competitive manner and one must declare the result a dead-heat. And so to Worthy is the Lamb and Amen. Now the Chorus runs, which earlier on had sometimes been a little shaky, were much more assured. I felt the choir had matured several years during the performance and their diction, always very good, reached perfection in the final chorus: I could hear every word. THE CANTUARIAN, LENT & SUMMER
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Once again, the King's School has demonstrated that school music making does not have to consist of P?or music or arr~ngements performed badly. When giv~n t~e. opportumty, these pupils have demonstrated their ab~hty to cre~te a performance utterly devoid of amateunshness or Immaturity. This remarkable feat in itself must surely justify the enormous amount of time spent organising such an 'away fixture'.
THE KING'S SCHOOL RECITAL PRIZE Sunday 20 May 2001 Thi_s year's Recital Prize was an all-female event! The SIX competitors were 6a and 6b Music Scholars and the adjudicator was the distinguished musician, ~elen Crayfor?. The playing _and singing was to a very high standard mdeed. The wmner was Jane Wisely. The programme was as follows: Sonatine-Movements 1 &2
Emma Hamilton-piano 0 rest in the Lord
Mendelssohn Schumann
Der Nussbaum
Warlock
Lullaby
Rodgers and Hart Leonie Hamway-voice
The lady is a tramp
Sonata-Movements 1 &2
Eccles
Sonata, Op. 119-Movement 2
Prokofiev
Fantasiestiick, Op. 73, No. 3
Schumann
28TH AND 29TH APRIL, ST. MARY'S HALL A year ago, a group of 5th formers and Removes met an? decided to s~t up a production company, Vice Versa, m or~er t~ w~It,e and s.tar in their own play. The c~ncept of SchizOid was mfluenced by looking at farry tales from a wide variety of cultures and at whose co~e lay the classic tale of good versus evil. However, U!!Iquely, each performance was fundamentally different, as the ending of the play was the result of somewhat chaotic improvisation and as such differed between performances. As befitted such a fluid structure there was no 'stand out' director and we all played a part in the direction of the play. Even with the relatively simple script, we wer~ f~ced with the difficult task of successfully pul.hng It off, but ~he new, to most, Brechtian style of a~tmg, was fantastically executed by all, leading to two different and amazing performances. !he story ce!ltred on two families, one good one eviL They consisted of a queen, king and child and the st~ry followed the journey of the child into a land and exis~ence where she would be loved, as love was not re~eived bY_ her before. She gives herself to two guides, th~ JOke~s ~ho were both evil, who guide the u~suspectmg child mto a land of evil, to which she is blmd. Two angels that constantly try to intervene in her co~uption were throughout, put down and quelled by the JOkers. Eventually the child realises what she ~as become and, controversially, asks the audience to !n~e~vene. . This led to an unknown ending scenario ansing, which eventually turned out to be different on each night, depending on the involvement of the
Ravel Gershwin
The man I love
SCHIZOID
Kristina Barton-cello Prelude and Fugue VI in D minor Nocturne in E major, Op. 62, No. 2 Toccata from Trois Pieces
Bach Chopin Poulenc
Tessa Grobel-piano Hark! The echoing air
Purcell
Porgi amor
Mozart
Russalka 's Song to the Moon
Dvorak
The saga of Jenny
Weill
Penelope Cox-voice Liszt
Waldesrauschen Sonata, Op. 13, No. 8- Movement 2 Etude, Op. 10, No. 11
Beethoven Chopin
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Though not entirely subtle in its message, the manner of the folk tale itself tells us something of the culture of the Mexicans, preserved through stories such as these. The natural world plays an important part in the culture and we can all learn from seemingly inanimate objects around us, after all "when the sleeping rocks awake they have the power to shake the earth".
audience. The first performance, evil won over good and the second, good won over evil. The very end repeated the beginning, showing a cycle of events. Everyone involved would like to thank Irene, our stage manager and tech crew combined, who along with Matt Grey, brought to life the music and lighting of Schiz. A big thank you must also go to Steve Bree, who ripped out St. Mary's for us and rebuilt the amazing set which allowed our play to happen, and, of course, Dr. Pidoux, without whom this would not have happened. Ever supportive of our ideas, her help and direction were vital throughout.
It was the energy of the performance, which made it so compelling to watch. The actor was one minute standing on a stool with his head touching the ceiling and the next he was running through the audience scattering confetti everywhere. The audience was moved from laughter to tense silence in seconds, watching transfixed as Mario sang, danced, shouted and whispered, whilst always remaining in character.
However, the biggest congratulations and thanks must go to the nineteen cast members for their hard work and commitment, and above all for making such a unique play so enjoyable. It was great. Well done & Thank You!!
After the performance, we had the unique opportunity of speaking with a Mexican film actor first hand whilst enjoying some "tapas" in the Green Room. For those of us planning to visit Mexico in our Gap years he gave us a personal insight into his country and some informative tips for travelling. The afternoon was a great success and our thanks go to the Spanish department for arranging such an unusual visit.
SUSANNAH WHARFE
MEXICAN FILM STAR VISIT SUNDAY 1 JULY 2001 It was a typical feat of the King's Spanish Department that they should be able to entice a Mexican film star to do a presentation during King's Week. Mario Ivan Martinez, the nominated best actor in the famous film "Como agua para chocolate" (Like water for chocolate) gave a dynamic performance of a traditional Mexican folk tale and his range of acting skills were demonstrated through the one-man show. Using the backdrop of the tuck shop decorated only with a few sparse props (a cardboard plant, a volcanic looking rock and some paper flowers) we awaited the performance with interest. A brief introduction in English revealed the title of the story, "La flor sin rafz" (The rootless flower), and its theme: the Mexican identity.
CHARLOTIE KNIGHT
Mario Ivan Martinez used puppets combined with his own body movements to evoke all the characters necessary to tell the story. He openly spoke for the characters so that the emotions that he revealed were transposed convincingly onto the character currently speaking. A paper butterfly on a stick for example came alive through Mario's speech and emotions and the presentation of a green puppet rabbit conversing with an orange paper flower with Mario in the middle doing both voices and temperaments was completely credible. _The story itsef alluded to the struggle for Mexicans to find their own identity, and their own voice throughout their history. Having been constantly tempted to conform and adapt to other cultures, either by choice or compulsion the story finally reminds us that the Mexicans, like the flower, in fact have their own roots and identity which must be upheld. Where one flower dies, another will shoot up every spring. The flower wants to be carried away by the butterfly, wants to dance with the north wind and wants to be taken in the flow of the river, all in the search for a life more interesting and dynamic. All these adventures lead only to disaster and the flower finally realises that she has the important role of standing still and being "la luz del mundo" (the light of the world). THE CANTUARIAN, LENT
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Cinderella - Walpole/Grange play Toby Hayes and Max Thompson (M.P.H.D.) 128
ABIGAIL'S PARTY
C.E.P. and Katie Redstone.
Gail Marsh, Dr Taylor, Katie Redstone, Dr Pidoux, Dr Liviero. 129
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KING'S UK QUIZ CHAMPIONS AGAIN
national champions in 1998, when two of the current team, Captain Alfred Williams and Ronjoy Sanyal, were junior members. The other current team members are Alex Shannon and Toby Humphrey.
For the second time in four years, The King's School Quiz Team are United Kingdom Quiz Champions. In the gripping National Finals held at The King's School, Worcester they beat schools from across the UK, including Northern Ireland. Their final victory was a heart stopping game against King Edward's School, Birmingham in which the lead switched dramatically, King's eventually pulling ahead to win 800-710.
In the national final the games are tremendously exciting because all depends ¡on lightning reactions on the buzzers. At this top level of competition you need more than one star, and this King's team was exceptionally strong all round. Between them they covered most areas of knowledge, and they worked very well together. They are also a really good-natured bunch and great fun to be with. I suspect it won't be long before we see them on 'University Challenge' , following in the footsteps of recent former King's team members.
The Schools' Challenge National Quiz Competition is the schools' equivalent of 'University Challenge'. It attracts entries from several hundred secondary schools across the country, both state-controlled and independent, and standards are exceptionally high. The King's team have been South-East champions five years running - every year that the remarkable Alfred Williams has been in the team - and they were last
In the King's inter-house competition, Galpin's won the Senior trophy for the second year running, beating Mitchinson's 410-180; in the Junior section, Marlowe beat Tradescant 170-150 in an excitingly close game. P.J.B.
National Champions in the UK Schools Challenge Quiz Competition 2001 Alexander Shannon, Ronjoy Sanyal, Alfred Williams, Toby Humphrey
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SOCIETIES AND ACTIVITIES Following Lizzi Milligan and Toby Hayes' success in the October School's Simultaneous Pairs, four pairs entered the March competition in which Charlie Rix and Will Harbottle were the top King's pair coming 32nd out of97 closely followed by Xaxa Panman and Susie Herbert who came equal 33rd. Lizzi and Toby and Andrew Miller-Jones and Pete Walker-Smith also played and came 54th and 64th respectively. BRIDGE
The National School's Bridge competition, unfortunately, was held on the first day of the Easter holidays in Loughborough. Despite this, we managed to take two teams, which Mr Wood eventually assembled on a 'luxury' coach very early on Saturday morning. The day was a success, with the first team; Charlie and Will, Lizzi and Toby, coming 18th, and the second team; Susie and Katie, Matt Hall and Andrew, 20th out of 27 entries, valuable experience being gained. Charlie and Will also had a trip to the Young Chelsea Bridge Club after winning the heat of the Under 19 pairs competition and are yet to find out their result. The house bridge competition was entered by three teams: Luxmoore, Galpin's and Walpole. Mitchinson's made a valiant effort, but luckily for the winners, Luxmoore, Charlie and Will could not find another competent pair. About eight different people played in the Walpole team throughout the afternoon and they drove Galpin's into third place. Apart from those who have played in the house competitions, many others have come to the weekly Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon sessions. Everybody who has played is grateful to Mr Wood for organising these sessions and the competitions, and for making them so enjoyable and interesting as well as for his technical advice. Sadly, in the future, we will be without Mr Mackintosh, an appreciation of whom appears elsewhere in this edition. SUSIE HERBERT
CHRISTIAN FORUM The focus of the visiting speakers' talks in the Lent term was upon Old Testament characters from Abraham, Joseph and David, through to some of the prophets like Isaiah and Daniel. It proved very instructive to learn from the experiences of these old heroes of faith, especially as hazy memories of Sunday school need updating periodically! We enjoyed an excellent range of speakers, to whom we are very grateful, each of them leaving busy working lives to come down to us -Richard Simpkin as Director of Music at St Helen's, Bishopsgate, Mark Edwards and Charlie Allison teaching at Stowe and Eastbourne respectively, and from nearer to home, our venerable neighbour John Pritchard, who brought alive the challenge of Jeremiah so vividly. We also enjoyed a visit from Jennie Barbour, OKS, who showed slides of Iwerne Holidays, the Christian holiday parties for Independent schools, for which she works, and upon which at least 10 King's pupils are booked this summer. Our summer term programme moved into more familiar ground by looking at Paul's epistle to the Philippians, with its timely exam season advice of how to find joy and peace in all circumstances. We welcomed back as speakers some old friends, like Rupert Demery (Lent visitor in 2000), Mike Cawthorne OKS and Rachel Hill OKS (at King's in the '40s and '90s respectively!), and Simon Guillebaud, on furlough from his extraordinary experiences in civil war torn Burundi. It was sad to say goodbye to several long-standing regulars of Christian Forum, among them Penny Cox (tea-maker extraordinaire), Lucinda Devenish, Vicky Lamb, Georgina Pound and Chrissy Stoodley. They have given a great deal to the group over the years, and will be greatly missed. We owe Father John great thanks for all his support and his generous loan of his sitting room each week, which has enhanced the warm, informal atmosphere so much. Thank you too Mr Franks, for your rare combination of humour and wisdom, which we have all appreciated. I myself leave with many happy memories and lasting friendships through this group, and I hope that the lovely pear tree you all kindly gave me will be as fruitful as you yourselves have been, and will be in the future! CTH LIFESAVING
To be able to act effectively in an emergency situation is a vital skill to have. Bronze Medallion Lifesaving is becoming an increasingly popular activity among all years, though it was initially exclusive to the Removes, and is run by Mr Warnick. "The Bronze" is a basic lifesaving qualification. It teaches everything you may need to know, should you find someone wallowing in a canal or even suffering from a heart attack. Everything from basic first aid to emergency rescue tows is covered by the award. The "Land Based Rescues" test involved the rescue of a casualty in deep water between two and ten metres from the shore, using supplied aids. It was also necessary to provide after care, incorporating general First Aid skills. The "Water-Based Rescues" tests were more physically demanding. A casualty was positioned in deep water, twenty metres from the shore, and the candidate had to apply rescue knowledge to bring them to safety. The Bronze Award also involved a "Non-Contact Rescue" test, which was even more challenging, particularly as procedures were to be performed under the added pressure of a time limit of three minutes and fifty seconds. A casualty was 131
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again positioned in deep water, this time fifty metres from the shore. The candidate had to wear light clothing for this rescue, and a tow of five metres was used to save the victim without any direct contact being made. When the casualty had been brought to shore, the candidate's aftercare was monitored. Perhaps the most challenging of the tests was the "Resuscitation Rescue", which had to be completed in a time of one minute and fifteen seconds. The candidate had to swim to the casualty who was unconscious, fifty metres from the shore. A brick then had to be retrieved from the bottom of the pool and the victim had to be brought back to land. At this point the casualty's condition was assessed and the candidate performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. There were a series of other minor assessments involved, including a written theory test. A large proportion of the candidates were successful in gaining this qualification, a decidedly impressive achievement. The dreaded 'Foot and Mouth' as we all know had its knock-on effects particularly restrictions to the use of the Countryside, some of which are currently still in effect. There was no Snowdonia Challenge this year so we lost an event that provided valuable experiences and insight into the requirements of the expedition section of the Award. At School, activities for the Removes were rich and varied, some to act as taster activities and others for the participants engaged in trying to fulfil the different sections of Service, Physical Recreation, Skills and Expedition Training. The menu of Life Saving, Scuba Diving, Cycling, First Aid, Initiative Exercises, Expedition Planning and Physical Recreation provided something which everyone enjoyed. 12 pupils gained a Life Saving Award and 85 a First Aid Certificate and thus completed their Service Section. DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD
Shake away the cobwebs! Felicity and Annabel
A number of pupils took part in practice expeditions with the overnight camps at Birleys. It came as a surprise to ¡c huko Asiri that he would in fact sleep on the athletics track as well as run on it. Walking and navigating took place along the Stour Way, Fordwich, Broadoak and the University of Kent. The weather was kind, morale was high and despite the restrictions imposed by 'Foot and Mouth' they were good exercises in teamwork and expedition skills. MJF again provided your correspondent with bacon and eggs for breakfast whilst it was interesting to observe the culinary delights of other budding chefs at work. For some, sleeping 'under canvas' for the first time was an experience, but a pleasant one.
Scrambled Eggs? Daniel Gray
In the Fifth form ...... have successfully completed their Bronze Awards - having started in the Removes - and a high proportion are already in the planning stage for the Gold. Next year Scuba Diving, Seamanship, Orienteering and Drama will be added to the list of choices for Fifth and Sixth Form.;
This year we have also reached some sort of milestone as Hermione Neville and Laura Howe have completed the Gold Award, an excellent achievement which in time will be recognised by Buckingham Palace. Grateful thanks must be extended to all members of Common Room who helped to deliver the Remove programme this year, RNW with Life Saving, RJC Scuba Diving, MJF and JH with Leadership and Initiative Training, SHand OM with cycling, DMF and GS with Expedition Training, JC and AMcF with Initiative Tasks and Self Defence and Gap Student A McC who took over from MT with Physical Recreation. I am also grateful to our Scuba Instructor Garrod and his helpers, and to Carol Saunders and Alan Katcher for the First Aid Instruction. DF kindly oversaw the Gold Programme and RM's help was invaluable with administration. To all, my grateful thanks. ARW THE CANTUARIAN, LENT
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Where are we? Juliet Chapman, Jessica Watson, Theo Webb
The 6b Latin and Classical Civilisation classes got together for a themed dinner party. Given the success of the Ridley Scott film, everyone had to come dressed as a character from Gladiator. The full range of photos are on display in the Classics corridor in Priory. Everyone was ingenious in their costume making - but, Mr Holland, I ~idn't realise that there were medieval knights in those times! In the end, we had soldiers and gladiators, lions and tigers, Charon and Christians, Commodus and Lucilla, as well as the ubiquitous senators. PATER SOCIETY
The meal had a gladiatorial theme, of course, so it was lucky that we were not vegetarian or of a delicate constitution. There was a starter of 'gore' soup (tomato, actually), followed by 'tiger' steaks and finally, a chocolate pudding with a raspberry 'blood' sauce. Then the games began. We played our own version of 'Who wants to be a freed man?' Mr Heath was the question master who had an amazing variety of testing Classical questions and Alex Fielding was the very worthy prize winner. Then followed our own entertainments. The CC class did their own brilliant performance of 'The¡ Odyssey' and then Alex and Victoria read out a poem, which they wrote about Miss Taylor and Mr Tennick. Finally there were a couple of rounds of Classics 'Pictionary' in which the two teams had to illustrate Classical characters or stories, without cheating, of course! The evening was all rounded off with the presentation of a prize for the best costume to Edmund Selous, who came as the barbarian from the beginning of 'Gladiator'. It was a very enjoyable evening for everyone involved.
Ed Selous as "Thor" God ofThunder
Greg Edmunds, Owen Ross, Elizabeth Milligan - escaped from the Gladiatorial Arena
LOTTIE STERCK,
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This was a marvellous opportunity to see a modem reworking of the classical Greek tragedy. Our high expectations, heightened by the reviews and the praise of the critics, were more than fulfilled. ¡
CLASSICS THEATRE VISIT
One of Euripides' (480/85-406BC) most renowned works, 'Medea' instilled suspense, dread and fear in our hearts as undoubtedly it did in its Greek audiences in the fifth century BC. It also succeeded in making us jump, the more motherly-minded girls squirming in their seats! This highly emotionally charged drama was brought to life again by an inspired display of acting. The undisputed star of the show, Fiona Shaw, as Medea herself, was outstanding. She was truly convincing in her fits of anger and tears interspersed with remorse and helplessness. The enraged passion of a strong woman madly in love was expertly portrayed on the stage as she plotted her unspeakable revenge on her faithless husband, Jason, ably performed by Jonathan Cake. Two young boys played the unfortunate children of the couple and especially excelled at playing dead for a long period of time onstage. The Chorus of women was intere.sting and effective. The set was intriguing and echoed the simple scenery in an ancient drama. The back part of the stage, made up of glass panelling with a central door, divided the inside and outside of the palace. Although violent action in an ancient play was usually reported by a Messenger, the modern staging was used to great effect to show the slaying of the children: the shouts and yells of the children, who had been rounded up by Medea, were accompanied by a loud crash on the cymbals and a burst of light as fake blood splattered onto the glass. Riveting stuff and highly memorable. An unusual feature in front of the partition was a pond. This symbolically contained many wooden boats. Its significance probably lies in the fact that Medea has come from overseas and is therefore in a foreign country, and it also reminded us of Jason's reputation as a sailor, the hero who led the Argonauts. The play held us all captivated, riding the intense tides of ¢motions which Euripides orchestrated. As Jason jumped about and screamed his frustrations against womankind, or Medea clung to King Creon, played by Struan Roger, and begged him in desperation to postpone her exile, there was no moment in the play when the audience was not absorbed by the gripping drama or the characters' passionate outpourings. There was the occasional moment of relief with some fleeting humour, such as when Medea briefly produced a plastic stethoscope, though apart from this, it was pretty heavy-hearted stuff. Costumes for the leading characters were stylishly modern. Some members of the chorus wore more unusual attire, for example a bright orange dress. The closing scene had Medea moping rather miserably around in the water with Jason, covered in the blood of their children. This departure from the Greek original, where a flying chariot provides the escape route to Athens, took little away from an enthralling production and emphasised the futility of Medea's revenge. The widely acclaimed and talented writers Kenneth McLeish and Frederic Raphael pulled off a great feat of entertainment, in modern accessible English. JAMES NORTHERN
Social services has had an SOCIAL SERVICES extremely successful year, REPORT with large numbers of volunteers and a broadening of . general targets. Of particular interest are the correspondence and pictures we received from our orphanages in the Ukraine. Clothes and toys were collected by the social services volunteers and then sent off in time for Christmas. The pictures you see in this article were sent back to us by the orphanage with letters of thanks. Thank you to anyone who has helped with social services over the last two terms especially the volunteers and the teachers who have given up so much of their time to help. During the past year a number of us have been helping at St. Peter's Primary school for one afternoon each week. We help out with the lessons in a variety of ways, depending on what the children are learning: we may listen to them read, help them decide what to write and how to write it, give them spellings, work on the computer and then, of course the inevitable game of 'it' at break time (which is remarkably tiring when the rules suddenly change, so that they are all chasing you)! The pupils require attention constantly and expect us to know the answers to all their questions. They have vast
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amount~ of energy all the way to 3.15 (when school ends), so the afternoons are active. It has been interesting to work With the same class for a year, as I have got to know the pupils. I have learnt how they work individually, how the class works as a whole, and I have also seen them progress. This has allowed me to be aware of who will need more help, who will feign a tummy ache to try to get out of writing, who needs that extra bit of encouragement to start work etc. Helping at St. Peter's has been an enjoyable and challenging experience. HANNAH HIESTER
So~ial services at St Nicholas' . school, .f~r children wit~ learning disabilities, has proven an enlightening expenence. The task has been emotiOnally difficult. The suffenng that many of the children endure on a daily basis is, t~ say the least, distressing. The existence of schools, like St Nicholas', that offer the best quality of life and care possible for these ~hildren t? hav~, provi~es room for optimism. T~e children are nurtured and cared for; this gives them the opportumty to fulfil their potentials. The fact that I contnbute to this (in a small way) does make the task very worthwhile. I have enjoyed reading and playing with the children. The staff at St Nicholas' are very friendly and helpful and work very hard to give the children every opportunity to learn, succeed and have fun. The school is quite small; this makes it easier for the staff to give the children the attention they need. St Nicholas' is a very caring school where the staff work together to improve life for their pupils. MAX
R
FROHNSDORFF
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Many spectators commented that there is normally no shortage of 'hot air' around the Green Court where, on 14 March 2001, a hot air balloon was inflated as a physics experiment as part of the AS coursework.
SCIENCE MATTERS
The team of 6b students were interested to know how quickly the balloon cooled. Temperature sensors were attached to various points inside the balloon's envelope and the results were analysed afterwards. They also investigated how much fuel was needed to achieve buoyancy. Balancing the basket on four sets of scales with the weight frantically read by the students as Dr Taylor shouted out synchronised timings did this. Finally, they studied the efficiency of the two burners by looking at the percentage of propane burned . The event _managed to draw considerable interest from other pupils, staff and visitors, which resulted in some beautiful photographs as the sun set and the balloon lit up the night sky in front of the cathedral. Thanks to Mr Pragnell for his wonderful watercolour, later reproduced and sold during King' s Week in aid of Sightsavers. Thanks also must go to the Dean and Chapter for their permission to carry out the experiment and, not forgetting Mr Churcher for his montgolfier expertise. CMA 30/9/01
Up, up, but not away in R. C. 's hot air balloon ll;~aJ1J
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Michael Cox demonstrating the Tessla coil he made. (M.P.H.D.)
The Water Polo activity involves all school years as well as some of the staff from the Rec. Centre. Ball skills are taught to those at a novice and expert level, providing a competitive yet soc~al and relaxed atmosphere. Participating in water polo is an excellent way of using up the remaining Monday adrenaline and relieving school stress. WATER POLO
Just as the popularity of the sport is growing at King's, it appears to be doing so on an international level. Water polo, a gruelling aquatic activity, was first contested in the 1900 Olympic Games and has continued to be on the program ever since. Along with soccer, water polo was the first team sport to be included in the Olympics and is now played by over a hundred countries, worldwide. Structured games fill the duration of the hour and teach rules and technique, taking advantage of the school's pool and equipment. This extra activity, run by Mr Warnick, is an ideal way of introducing oneself to water-based activities and builds up individual levels of strength, skill and fitness. Although this activity has always been male dominated, it is good to see that more and more girls are now contributing to the games at great strength and competing with vigour against the boys. It undoubtedly differs from other school games and is great to be involved in.
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SPORT
such that one wondered whether we were locked in a battle of much longer duration. We bowled our 55 overs tidily and the real bonus was the emergence of Toby Humphrey as a left arm opening bowler of the highest calibre. He ended up with excellent figures of 4 for 18. Tom Bruce supported him well with his left arm spin (3 for 40). On paper this total should have been attainable but apart from a polished innings of 40 by Tom Bruce, the rest of our batting succumbed to a seemingly ordinary attack and we were lucky to survive at 118 for 9 and earn ourselves a draw. Another 55 over stint in the field against Eastbourne College at least helped blow away the cobwebs suffered during a long early morning coach journey but it did nothing to alleviate the poor form of our batsmen. In reply to our hosts' total of 170 (Bruce 4 for 49 and Tom Morey 3 for 39) for 8 declared, only Tom Bruce (52) produced any kind of resistance and we were fortunate to draw the match at 137 for 9. We dispelled the batting demons in some style in the game against Band of Brothers who batted first and set us a challenging target of 170 runs. After a steady start to the innings (James Ellis 36), Michael Page (43 not out) and Peter Archer (30 not out) romped home with several overs to spare. This club team consisted of several experienced players who could not stem the flow of glorious strokes from the bats of these two stylish batsmen- a truly memorable win that was to inject the much needed confidence into the relatively young school team. Two consecutive wins were to
Boys' Cricket 1st XI Played 17 won 5 Drawn 12 Abandoned 1 As a general rule the school's cricketing fraternity tends to be a bunch of positive individuals. Having endured the indoor nets during a thoroughly wet winter and the Easter revision a distant memory, the players arrived at the school for the start of the season in a buoyant mood - after all, the weather pundits had promised them an Indian Summer. The fact that the outfield at Birley's, normally in pristine condition, resembled a paddy field didn't dampen the spirits of our hardy souls who took the field against Haileybury College in the first encounter of the season. The match was as much of a painful experience for the players as it was for the early season regulars on the boundary line. In the face of some accurate bowling, our opponents meandered along to a shade over two runs an over and declared their innings closed at 96 for 2. In a weak batting display we managed to escape with a draw (27 for 8) from a game in which we performed well below our true potential. In the next match, Colfe's School batted first and posted a total of 156 all out. Once again, the tempo of our visitors' batting was
Standing (from left): Mr Alan Ealham, Ed Wacher, Matthew Humphrey, Tom Laing, Toby Humphrey, George Brooke, Johnny Stubbs, Peter Archer, James McDonald (Scorer) and MA Sitting (from left): Mike Page, . Simon Darroch, Tom Bruce (Captain), Tom Morey and Olly Humphrey 137
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opening attack of Simon Darroch and Tom Morey (4 wickets each). Our reply stood at 63 for 2 when heavy rain prevented any further play. A sound all-round batting performance against St. Lawrence College saw us to a healthy score of 193 for 7. In reply, our opponents had no answer to the flight and guile of Tom Bruce (4 for 23) who bowled them out for 98 runs in registering our easiest win of the season. The cricket week started with one of the hottest days of the Summer. After an uncomfortable journey to KCS, Wimbledon, the skipper was unfortunate enough to lose the toss. The opposition batsmen plundered their way to a total of 251 for 7 as our bowlers wi1ted under the sweltering heat. A graceful innings by Peter Archer (62) and a more circumspect one from Matthew Humphrey (45) added respectability to our reply that closed at 176 for 3. In response to Whitgift School's 212 for 5 dec, we were
Johnny Stubbs getting into his stride against Cranbrook
follow this, in games against Highgate School and Sevenoaks School. Against the Londoners, Simon Darroch discovered his fluency (3 for 44) and so helped restrict them to a modest 119 all out. Tom Bruce (59 not out) and James Ellis (27) then ensured that we recorded an emphatic victory by 8 wickets. Having elected to bat first on a hard surface at Sevenoaks, we made a cautious start and accelerated to post one of our highest totals of the season (214 for 5 dec.). Tom Bruce played brilliantly for his 95 runs and Johnny Stubbs was at his aggressive best during a commanding knock of 79. Toby Humphrey (4 for 16) combined with Tom Bruce (3 for 39) to skittle out the opposition for 142 runs. St. Edmund's School required 45 overs to score 150 for 3 and all three wickets falling to Tom Bruce. Despite a bold effort by Johnny Stubbs (38 not out) and George Brooke (21 not out) we didn't have enough time to score the required runs and so the match ended in a tame draw. On one of the best batting pitches, Dulwich College scored freely to end their innings at 187 for 9. George Brooke was our outstanding bowler (5 for 38) and the everreliable Tom Morey (3 for 43) kept things under control with his medium pace. A superb display of batting by James Ellis (43) and Johnny Stubbs (43) put us on course for a successful run-chase. However, their departure from the crease in quick succession, surrendered the initiative and we settled for a draw with the score at 156 for 6. The weather intervened and robbed us of a win against Trinity School who batted first and were bowled out for 128 runs by the
Leaping into action - Simon Darroch
bowled out for 124. Tom Bruce claimed 3 for 50 in another well controlled spell of bowling. Inevitably, the dampness returned for the match against Cranbrook School and with it disappeared the free scoring batsmen. We accumulated 146 runs for loss of 8 wickets. Cranbrook also found it difficult to force the pace after loss of early wickets and they managed to play out for a draw at 98 for 8. Tom Bruce was yet again the mainstay of our bowling with figures of 4 for 34. In a thrilling match against Epsom College we recorded our last win of the season. The man of the match in this game was Johnny Stubbs who scored his maiden unbeaten hundred in an innings which rates as the best I have seen at Birley's since my association with King's cricket. In a drawn match against the MCC and the OKS, he maintained his superb form with the bat (85 not out and 48 respectively) while Tom Bruce contributed anotherrfifty.
Aggression at the bowling crease - Tom Morey
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I would like to thank Alan Ealham for helping me with the first eleven and for his energetic coaching at all levels - the main benefits of which are to be seen in the real enthusiasm for the game amongst the players as a result of their high level of attainment on the field of play. Many thanks also go to Mark Collins, the head groundsman, for his tireless work in preparing excellent surfaces for cricket and for the cheerful manner in which he goes about his business. I congratulate Mitchinson' s for winning the senior House knock-out competition and Galpin's for being the worthy winners of the junior event.
The draw against Dulwich was one in which we had to fight hard and although always against the odds, we emerged with credit. The two losses were avoidable, in different ways. Against Eastbourne, the bowlers had toiled with a solitary early success, but the declaration was generous and the target attainable. At 64 for 1 in reply at the beginning of the last twenty overs, victory was certainly not out of the question, but after the loss of a couple of wickets, this possibility receded. Sadly there was a collapse of major proportions and a match which should have been easily saved was lost. 1 At Epsom on the last Saturday of term we took a very weak and depleted side indeed and found ourselves facing one of our strongest opponents of the season. We tried hard but again collapsed from 86 for 2 and could not help but feel frustrated that it would have been a good match if we had been at full strength.
M.A. Team: Peter Archer, George Brooke*, Tom Bruce* (Captain), Simon Darroch*, James Ellis*, Oily Humphrey*, Toby Humphrey, Tom Laing, Tom Morey*, Michael Page* and Johnny Stubbs*
The team was well led by Larry White, who should take a great deal of credit, above all for the spirit he engendered in the team. Our bow ling resources were limited, especially once injury had taken its toll of some of them, but Tim Traill did the lion's share and emerged with sixteen wickets. The bowlers were well supported by the fielders; catches in the slips were missed - as they usually are at this level - but elsewhere some very good ones were taken. Of the batsmen, Hugh Daulton was the most consistent, with three scores over fifty, but our strength was that everyone was capable of contributing runs and usually at a good rate without being suicidal, while the running between the wickets was usually positive. Congratulations to all concerned and particular thanks to the members of 6a who committed themselves for the season.
Also Played: Roshan Ariyatanam, Felix Bottomley,
Hugh Daulton, Matthew Humphrey and Ed Wacher * First colours awarded or re-awarded 1st XI BATTING AND BOWLING AVERAGES Batting
Stubbs Bruce Page Ellis Archer
Innings Not out Runs Highest Average Score
16 17 13 9 13
4 1 2 1 2
479 535 223 153 172
*104 95 43 43 62
39.92 33.44 20.27 19.13 15.64
Also batted: Matthew Humphrey 7-2-133; Ariyatanam 3-0-13; Wacher 2-0-2; Bottomley 3-0-17;
Olly Humphrey 6-0-74; Laing 4-0-22; Darroch 110-82; Morey 7-0-14; Toby Humphrey 3-0-26 and Daulton 2-0-85 Bowling
RCW Team: (from) Larry White (Capt.), Simon Arnold, Dave Arnold, Roshan Aryaratnam, Alex Binns, Toby Davies, Stuart Finlayson, Andrew Gordon-Stewart, Ed Mama, Bill Norman, Sachin Premnath, Tim Traill, Ed Wacher, Tim Walker, Jon Wyand
Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Average
Toby Humphrey 77 Bruce 193 Darroch 155 Brooke 78 Morey 180
22 33 21 8 33
201 701 470 282 563
13 44 22 12 22
15.46 15.93 21.36 23.50 25.59
Also played: Felix Bottomley, George Brooke, Simon Darroch, James Ellis, Olly Humphrey, Khartije Jhalani, James Ludbrook, Michael Page
2nd XI
RESULTS
Played 10, Won 7, Drawn 1, Lost 2
This was again a most enjoyable season. One remarkable feature was that with the exception of the first game, we won every toss, and having established that we were actually quite good at chasing, the pattern was the same each week. The exception, the first game, was noteworthy for the amazing spell of bowling by Andrew Gordon-Stewart, who took 6 wickets for 8 runs in 4 overs, all but one of his victims being bowled. In all of our other victories we paced our run chases extremely well. Against Highgate, Tom Laing and Stuart Finlayson provided the impetus at a stage when we needed ten an over, against Sevenoaks everyone chipped in, against St. Edmund's, Hugh Daulton accelerated at the right moment. The match against Trinity was a nail-biter, but we scraped home with one ball and one wicket to spare, Dave Arnold doing the spade work. The following match against Duke of York saw us make light work of a challenging target.
King's* 150 for 9 (Finlayson 32); Colfe's 44 (GordonStewart 6-8, Daulton 3-20) King's won by 106 runs
Eastboume 177 for 2; King's* 109 (Ellis 38) King's lost by 68 runs
Highgate* 145 for 9 (Davies 4 -24, White 3-21); King's 146 for 7 (Aryaratnam 39, Laing 30) King's won by 3 wkts
Sevenoaks 138 (Daulton 4-20); King's* 140 for 5 (Binns 35 not) King's won by 5 wkts
St. Edmund's 120 (Daulton 5-22); King's* 124 for 6 (Daulton 51) Kings won by 4 wkts 139
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only cricket as a game can boast, and from the best advice recommended in the last four paragraphs of Chapter 27 : A Place for Games in Jonathan Smith's lovely autobiography : The Learning Game (A Teacher's Inspirational Story).
Dulwich 201 for 1; King's* 137 for 5 (Daulton 59 not) Match Drawn Trinity 159 for 9 (Traill 5-25, Bottomley 3-41); King's* 160 for 9 (Arnold 54, Davies 33) King's won by 1 wkt Duke of Yorks 1st XI 190 for 8; King's* 191 for 4 (Daulton 66, Brooke 38) King's won by 6 wkts KCS Wimbledon 44 (Traill 3-15); King's* 48 for 2 King's won by 8 wkts Epsom* 205 for 9 (Traill 4 for 49); King's 95 King's lost by 110 runs
Statements expressed in the past tense become unstable because the range of evidence available to us is continually changing. Nevertheless, some indisputable facts about the 3rd XI go beyond habitmemory. An able Nicholas Cullen (Captain) was supported by many talented ex-2nd XI batsmen : Edward Marno, John Wyand, Simon Arnold and William Norman. 3rd XI batsmen and loyal regulars, Matthew Spurway, and Edmund Selous were complemented by other genial all-rounders like James Gunn and Harry Twigg. The combined efforts of Tony Sze, Alexander Church, Gordon Ho, and Edward de Silva fleshed-out an a priori statement of commitment as a matter of necessity. Understandably elated with their victories, the 3rd XI were always cheerful and found consolation in the success of others.
3rdXI The start and end of the season came with all the promises and dangers of the Internet. Like the ubiquitous net surfer with a disdain for face-to-face reality, E.M.Forster's words from The Machine Stops:
H-.is often said that of all positions in the field that of keeper is the most important and the most exacting. Stephen Robinson maintained vigilant concentration and sustained activity all season and faced firing bowling. Timothy Walker's real pace against Highgate demanded rhythm, timing and the right harnessing of every part of the body throughout his action. James Gunn and Harry Twigg bowled straight enough to make opposing batsmen play, in addition to helping secure two wins.
'I hear something like you through this phone, but I do not hear you,' foreshadowed the last-minute cancellation of the opening fixture. Colfe's soggy wicket and rain-affected outfield confirmed the remoteness of the real as did the imponderables of the weather. Latterly, the Dulwich and Epsom matches miscued, when it appeared - according to Law 1 of the 1884 code - our London opponents were unable to raise teams. These season's extremes felt a bit like Descartes' man with a phantom limb, whose reports were capable of calling into question the seemingly direct experiences of his own body.
wi~et
William Norman's spin bowling was a welcome alternative to an imperative merely to restrict scoring rather than take wickets in limited-overs cricket.
Embodied sporting interactivity materialised in three thrilling games for King's at the heart of season, offering much room for sound defensive and expansive stroke play, accurate bowling, and flexible fielding. A defeat against Eastbourne College (A) was hard to pad away since the 3rd XI's best players were singing Handel's Messiah in Canterbury. The following Saturday (12th May), King's followed-through with a proud win against Highgate (A) in the best game of the season. Simon Arnold's, Matthew Spurway's and Harry Twigg's 23 runs a-piece more than echoed James Love's poem, Cricket : An Heroic Poem. 1746 : Awakened echo speaks the innings o'er I And sixty notches deep indent the score. In a very competitive home game against Sevenoaks (19th May), William Norman's masterly 70 won the game in a singlehanded demonstration of good timing and match temperament, in an unfolding psychological winning war of expensive stroke play from the moment he took guard. So ended the short season of this communal team: Played 3, Won 2 and Lost 1, and more on the front rather than the back-foot. (Cancelled : 3.)
There is no reason to suppose that Wordsworth had any interest in cricket because his two nephews were advocates of the game in universities. Nevertheless, I appreciated watching three fine matches in close-up as umpire, by listening to knowledgeable cricketers who could discuss tactics, and work out the mental and emotional progress of a game far better than me. I hope most felt my own detached involvement allowed for. free expression of players' expertise, the outcome never predictably computer-like or dull, despite my novice's knowledge which at times might have appeared to border on cyberspace. Thank you all for an effortlessly sympathetic time on the green, and ¡thank you .Alexis McCue for your arresting conversations in the sunshine. RBMi.
Under 15 It was always going to be a tough season, mainly due to the strength .,o f the year group . . Tpe all conquering team of last year had lost the heart of its batting and bowling line-up with the promotion of 3 county players to the 1st XI squad for the entire season. This had the effect of leaving key departments somewhat fragile. However as always this brought out a lot more from certain individuals and on the whole we enjoyed a most positive season.
The character of the 2001 3rd XI practised the advice found The MCC Cricket Coaching Book (1952 edition) for all true cricketers who remember to keep a modest mind as well as a straight bat. All players contributed equally in positive mid-week net practices which were collaborate and productive. Selected players earned and kept their places in the side through enthusiasm and a civilised observation of the etiquette THE CANTUARIAN, LENT
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The season began at home against Colfe's on a high note with an 82 run triumph. This victory was mainly built around an excellent 50+ from Matt Humphrey and some very tidy bowling; Wilson and M. Humphrey with 3 wickets each. This success was followed by the long trip to Eastboume and with the usual depleted ¡ team sheet. On the day, we were woefully light of top order batsmen and bow ling optiOns and - were humiliated by 10 wickets in under an hour and a half. Moving on; next came a home fixture against Highgate, a game that we really should have won but ended up losing by 3 wickets. Next followed one of the high points of the season away at Sevenoaks. Bowling first, we were exceptionally sharp and skittled Sevenoaks for 120 on a flat pitch. Wilson and M. Humphrey were again in the wickets with H. Smith finishing off the tail with 3 for 5. After a patient reply in the first 10 overs, J. Fox was dismissed for 22 and in strode Tom Wilson to play one of the most explosive innings of the season. His 69 not out included boundaries all round the wicket and 22 runs plundered in one over. A nine wicket triumph was due reward for an entire day of top class cricket.
laugh. A special vote of thanks must go to Terence Zengerink for all of his help coaching and umpiring. RESULTS
Played 11 Won 4 Drew 2 Lost 5 Team: T. Wilson (Capt), J. Fox, M. Humphrey, T. Humphrey, T. MacLehose, H. Bryant, H. Smith, D. Gray, K. Kam, J. Perrett, M. Chapman, P. Archer, R. Bunge, R. Murray-Jones, R. Lamb. MJTh.
Under 14 'A' XI There was a tangible sense of elation when the final fixture against Epsom reached its tame conclusion and the players celebrated an unbeaten season. Over eleven matches, five of which were won convincingly, the twelve regulars, all of whom had made important contributions to the team's success, had bonded into a fine unit. In the nets, Alan Ealham's expert fine-tuning (and, in some cases, his ability to strip down and totally reassemble) helped bowlers and batsmen improve in their techniques. Strength in depth, with both bat and ball, was at all times vitally on display, while, at the helm, Will Bruce was a committed and sensitive captain, who laid out his game plans sensibly and through continual encouragement in the field, at the crease and on the boundary. Good fortune played a supporting role, too: the season was virtually injuryfree, and the captain's spinning finger exercised an uncanny control over metal as well as leather. Luck was not always a lady, however: key catches went down, and we were more regularly the victims than the beneficiaries of debatable umpiring decisions. Incredibly, despite the post-Easter deluge, no games were lost to the weather, and this was a long and full season. It all began with a victory over Colfe's on the reactive all-weather surface of the Sturry Road end. The visitors made slow but tenacious ,progress (a third of the 39 overs faced were maidens) before their tail capitulated to Thome's second spell. Kaushal carried his bat as the low total was exceeded in quick time. Away at Eastboume, Bruce played arguably his finest innings of the season, supported by Thome. His twohour stint began watchfully, amidst tumbling wickets, and ended majestically, with subtle and irresistible stroke-play. Three run-outs blighted our progress towards a defensible total. Eastbourne lost early wickets, but rallied and, at 127-6, needed 32 from the last six overs. Erridge then removed their defiant opener with the eleventh delivery of his seventh over, and, with two more quick wickets claimed, Erridge and Bruce bowled twelve unavailing deliveries at the last pair to bring down the curtain on an engrossing and dramatic afternoon of cricket.
Next followed the most disappointing result of the season, a 4-wicket loss to an average Dulwich side. Sloppy batting in the middle order gave rise to a total that was always going to be 30 runs light, this was further compounded by wayward bowling that let Dulwich score at 6 an over from start to finish. Then came a run feast at St. Edmunds where King's batted first and accrued 240+ with Tom Wilson playing brilliantly for his 86 off 62 balls. Wry were then frustrated in the field and could not break through the St. Edmund's middle order. Credit must go to their opening bat for carrying his bat scoring a superb 106 not out. Bad weather intervened at Trinity, Croydon and robbed King's of a deserved victory, a special mention to Jack Fox for his first 50. Then followed a couple of complete mismatches; we beat Duke of York's by 6 wickets whilst reversing the batting order and then beat a St. Lawrence U14A team by 185 runs. As the end of the term neared and the amount of senior players sitting exams increased, the Humphrey twins were cemented in the 1st XI team and as a result we were a little short of quality when facing the likes of KCS Wimbledon and Epsom College. The first of those matches was a decent contest that we looked like clawing back after chasing the game for long periods. However, the last game was not a contest at all as we were comprehensively beaten by the best team we had seen all year by the margin of 8 wickets. This was a most enjoyable season for me personally working with a group of lads that made training fun. Certain members of the squad have got huge potential and will go on to do the school great credit in years to come. Special congratulations go to Tom Wilson for captaining the side all year and scoring well in excess of 250 runs. Also to Matt Humphrey for achieving a similar landmark whilst also playing for the 1st XI on numerous occasions. Well done to the fast bowling combination of H. Bryant and T. MacLehose who steamed in all year and caused lots of problems and finally many thanks to Kenneth Kam for making us all
Excitement was at a premium at Highgate in a match where our batsmen succumbed tamely having apparently played themselves in, and our bowling and fielding failed to exploit the advantage of reducing the opposition to 38-4. It was impressive to see the change in approach when Sevenoaks visited Birley's the following week. A late start and a thirty-over allocation encouraged our batsmen to play their shots, 141
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impetuous streak admjrably, ~laying three key inni?-gs late in the season (his 88-mmute occupancy agamst Epsom will live long in the memory); Kaushal sought a reliable defensive technique; Teale was a powerful hitter who has yet to control his cavalier attitude; ~nd Callaway was an impressive defender of threatem.ng bowling. Russell's frustrating season ~eld the promise of great things: he was a dependable ~Icket-keeper - a role he shared with Callaway - but IS yet to blossom with the bat. The front-line bowling of Thorne and Erridge was highly impressive. B_oth ha_d g~i~e and control and varied length well while mamtammg an accurate line, and both developed in their craft ov~r the season. On their day, they were also accomplished batsmen. Mukherjee and Johnston were accurate and probing with the ball, and sound with .th~ bat. Th~ lefthand medium pace of Brown holds distmct prormse.
no-one more productively than Boucher. Two unsung heroes - Brown and Teale - claimed half the Sevenoaks wickets between them as accuracy with the ball and tenacity in the field combined to winning effect. Dulwich were¡ impressive opponents in the. first match after Half Term, their opener, Roy, reachmg a century in 67 minutes, and only 30 overs being used in amassing over 200 runs. To~ Boucher saved the game, scoring an undefeated 60 m 3.5. overs, although vital assistance came from Khemam m the top order and the combined forces of the tail. The weather, too, played its part, with an insist~nt . drizzl~ making bowling slightly trickier than battmg m the fmal hour. Three days later, our batsmen were in no mood ,to repeat such a rearguard action at .st Edm~nd s, especially Bruce, whose unbeate~ ~9 m 108 mmutes was finely judged and clinically executed. Importantly, the a~king-rate of si~ an ov~r was always maintained and vtctory was achieved with two overs to spare. ' Holders of the cup, this year's Under Fourteens were buoyant as they began their defenc~ of the North East Kent Six-a-Side Cup. However, havmg made heavy weather of beating Montgomery School, they failed to reach Chaucer's total, a!ld were consigned to the. also-rans; second best agau~st Ke~t College, they salvaged pride with a concludmg Win over St Anselm's, finishing the twelve-tea~ competition in seventh place. On the same day, Suml Khemani led a representative team to Wellesley House, who stormed to a conclusive victory.
PWF provided sterling support, and I thank him for his efforts. Team: Will Bruce (captain), Luke Thome, Tom Boucher, Ed Callaway, Jonathan Errid~e, Char.les Teare, Daniel Johnston, Sunil Khemam, Renwick RuS.sell, Amit Kaushal, Rahul Mukherjee, Esmond Brown. Also played: Daniel Gilmore, Jonathan Wader, Jacob Colligan RESULTS
v Colfe' s School Colfe's 75 v Eastboume College KSC 158 v Highgate KSC 131-8 v Sevenoaks KSC 161-9 v Dulwich College Dulwich 224-4 v St Edmund's School St Edmund's 185-6 v Trinity School, Croydon Trinity 172-9 v Duke of York's KSC 134-9 v StLawrence U15A St Lawrence 116 v KCS, Wimbledon KCS 160-8 v Epsom College Epsom 207-9
The acid test was faced with the visit of Trinity on the first of three sweltering June Saturdays. At 35-4, Trinity looked frail, but slowly wrested the advantage. In reply, Bruce was in excellent form, and for as long . as he occupied the crease, victory was a real prospect; following his dismissal, the middle order opte~ f~r survival but it needed Johnston and MukherJee s staunch 'defence to see the team through the final five overs. A catastrophic collapse at Duke of ~ork's (~06) was turned round by the defiantly aggressive .battmg of Thorne and Erridge, who helped achieve a respectable total; Thome then pr<?ved i~e.sistible in his second spell, the final wicket falhng withm a f~w balls of the close of play. An administrative error pitted the U14s against St Lawrence U15s at Newlands. Erridge's 4-20 was deserved reward. for his .P~ce, variety and accuracy, and Teale apphed electnfyu~g hitting to drive home the ~dvantage after sohd contributions from Khemam, Boucher and the immovable Bruce. An evenly balanced contest with KCS Wimbledon produced a draw, but n'?t without the vital rearguard action executed by Erridge and Thome, who ca~e together at 93-6 with eleven overs left. . Epsom s impressive total used up 39 overs and 140 mmutes, and the game was dead long before Khemani and Thome . were separated in the twenty-fifth over. If catches had stuck - at least six went down before tea - the story would have been different.
Under 14 'C' XI It is regrettable but understandable that few schools nowadays run to three cricket elevens in the Shells. Certainly such a positive squad merite~ more than four games (we won two and lost two); this was the. most successful U14C team bowling that I have seen m my nine years at King's. All opponents were dismissed !or less than 82, and it was only the lack of match practice that caused frailty in our batting.
Of the batsmen Bruce and Boucher showed brilliance and will' ¡with luck, make many telling contributions in the future; Khemani tamed his
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(H) won by 9 wickets KSC 76-1 (A) match drawn Eastboume 145-9 (A) match drawn Highgate 109-4 (H) won by 53 runs Sevenoaks 108 (H) match drawn KSC 158-8 (A) won by 5 wickets KSC 187-5 (H) match drawn KSC 142-8 (A) won by 48 runs DYRMS 86 (A) won by 7 wickets KSC 117-3 (H) match drawn KSC 145-7 (H) match drawn KSC 107-5
142
Perhaps the most memorable moment of the season was at Eastbourne where the last batsman, Jonathan Stockwell, stood manfully while the bowlers kindly bowled the four wides to see us to victory. Patrick Hold, the captain, not only carried his bat for 27 but had bowling figures of 5 for 27 off 15 overs. Richard Wildish throughout the season was admirably reliable and Christopher Binks, with no previous experience, showed what can be achieved with a good eye and a stout heart with a mammoth six in the home match against Eastbourne. Commitment and perseverance were typified by William Thompson, Tom Carter and Max Thompson, and are to be commended for the most improved bowling action over the season. Under 14C cricket is cricket at its most enjoyable; over the seasons there have been some memorable moments - not least when meeting the Master gamesman Dr. Parker of Eastbourne - and it will be one of the parts of King's life I miss most.
Girls' Cricket This year promised much as we had our own coach, three games sessions a week and, of course, unlimited enthusiasm. However, due to the lack of opposition (over half of them failed to turn up) we only had three matches. We lost our first match against the Boys' U14 C's but at least everyone in the team had an opportunity to bowl and bat, and it was good practice. We were daunted at the beginning of our match versus MCC women but it turned out to be brilliant fun. The game was played to a declaration and we drew, thanks to a resilient innings by Anna Broxup with Sam Brown valiantly batting out the last over with all the MCC fielders round the bat. The game against a weakened Sevenoaks side enabled everyone who wanted to have a bowl after the fine batting of Rachel Heslop, Elly Powell-Jackson and Liz Graves and given us a fine total' to defend. Our victory was a great way to end an enjoyable season. On behalf of the team I would like to thank Dr. Afzal for his constant support and Alan Ealham for his coaching during both summer and winter. Of course, a special thanks go to Mr. Wood who has provided us with motivation and helped our ability to become respected as the Girls' 1st XI.
Team: Patrick Holt (captain); Chris Binks and Richard Wildish (vice-captains); Richard Ankerson, Bernard Chiu, Edward Edmondson, Giles Leonard, Rory MacWatt, William Mawdsley, Sean Riordan, Jonathan Stockwell, Max Thompson, William Thompson. William Hamilton and Ben Reed also played.
SARAH JOHNSON
Girls' Cricket Squad 2001 from back left to front right: GDW, Holly Clapp, Imogen Lewis, Melissa Macan, Jane Berry, Emily Berry, Elizabeth Graves, Anna Broxup, Rachel Heslop, Sarah Johnson, Victoria Lamb, Eleanor Powell-Jackson¡
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With so many players being used, it is hard to mention everyone. Nick Hinves had a superb season at sweeper. He timed his tackling perfectly and hit many strong balls up field. Howard Bryant kept the defence together and often proved successful up the field. Tom Wilson proved to be our most dangerous player up front with his pace and dribbling ability. Johny Macfarlane and Rhodes Edewor-Thorley added flair and skill when they played. Dan Gray topped the scoring charts for a second season, although most of them came in the first quarter of the term. James Perrett proved to be a reliable and capable goalkeeper who made many important saves. Kenneth Kam and Henry Lo quickly established themselves into the side and played a vital defensive role. In a team which found it difficult to find cohesion, Matthew Humphrey was a tower of strength in midfield, with a super workrate and irrepressible commitment. He hard a tough job as skipper of this side, but carried out his duties with efficiency and led by the quality of his example.
Modesty has prevented Sarah from mentioning the vital part she played in the side as batsman, bowler, fielder and, of course, Captain. Our thanks and best wishes to her. GDW TEAM FROM:- Sarah Johnson (Capt), Emily Berry, Jane Berry, Sam Brown, Anna Broxup, Liz Graves, Liana Henchman, Rachel Heslop, Vicky Lamb, Imogen Lewis, Mel Macan, Tali Pollock-Hill, Elly Powell-Jackson, Katherine Torry. RESULTS
v. U14C XI
U14Cs 45-6 (12 Overs) Graves 2-3, Powell-Jackson 2-7 Girls XI 26-8 (12 Overs) LOST BY 10 RUNS
v. MCC
MCC 135-4 dec Girls XI 96-9 (Broxup 27 not out, Johnson 23) MATCH DRAWN
v. Sevenoaks
It is sad that many of the team will choose soccer as an option next year rather than hockey. The team cert~inly proved they had ability and could play good hockey, but lacked the consistency to maintain their form and concentration over the course of a game. Nonetheless, it has been an enjoyable season and Mr Warnick is to be thanked for his encouragement and help in running the team. Thanks too must go to Mr Preston and Mr Dave Walker for their enthusiasm in training sessions and the skills that they helped us develop.
Girls XI 145-2 (25 Overs) Heslop 51, Graves 44 not out, Powell-Jackson 26 Sevenoaks 61 Johnson 3-2, Macan 2-5 WON BY 84 RUNS
Boys' Hockey
MATTHEW HUMPHREY &
Under 15 'A' XI
Team From: Matthew Humphrey (Captain), Howard Bryant, Roland Bungee, Rhodes EdeworThorley, James Perrett, Dan Gray, Nick Hinves, Ken Kam, Henry Lo, Jonny Macfarlane, Tim Maclehose, Oli McSwiney, Tom Wilson.
The results show this to be a disappointing season. Having made good progress in the shell year, the side failed to maximize it's potential and only won two matches. With three of last year's main players unavailable, the side had lost the stability of the previous year and team selection was never simple. A successful side has to have a settled side; we were not and only the captain played every match.
Also Played: Peter Archer, Chuko Esiri, Patrick Loughman, Andrew Northern, Shin Ogura. RESULTS
Early matches gave us confidence but then we faced some very talented teams who have played together for two or three years. Trinity Croydon and Kent College both had England players and the ease with which they passed the ball was a harsh lesson to us. Sadly our goalkeeper, James Ferret, missed the games against Cranbrook and Duke of York's and unfortunately the two results did not reflect the matches as a whole. The match against Dulwich College showed some of the talent in the side. We competed excellently and the 42 score line flattered the opposition. Our first half display against Tonbridge was, in my opinion, as well as we played all season. Sadly missed chances cost us dear and the final score line was very disappointing. From 2-1 with ten minutes left, we had a chance but defensive frailties were exposed as we pushed forward for an equaliser. We dominated the first half against St. Lawrence and should have scored many, but a late goal by the opposition put a close on a frustrating season. In the Kent tournament, we started well but could only finish third in our group. This left us in the lower reaches of the final placing.
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RNW
Played 11, Won 2, Drawn 1, Lost 8. Goals for 15, Goals against 40 Sutton Valence Dover College Chatham House Trinity Kent College Dulwich College Cranbrook Duke of York's v Felsted v Tonbridge v StLawrence v v v v v v v v
(H). (H). (A). (A). (A). (H). (H). (H). (A). (H). (A).
Lost Won Won Lost Lost Lost Lost Lost Lost Lost Draw
1-4. 7-0. 4 - 0. 0-6. 0 - 4. 2 - 4. 0-4. 0-6. 0-4. 1 - 6. 2 - 2.
.Junior Coltยง 'B' XI The B squad were characterised by an enthusiasm to play hockey. Training was deemed to be just a warm up for a game where the skills could be put into practice and honed properly. What the team lacked in finesse, they more than made up for in enthusiasm. 144
Standing (left to right): Mr N. L. Phillis, 1. Ellis, 1. Stubbs, B. McGuigan, W Young, J. Alder, S. Rau, S. Handrup, G. Edmunds, 1. Andrews Seated (left to right): M. Leahy, H. Aldridge, J. Mainwaring (Vice-capt.), S. Finlayson (Capt.), K. Shroeder, L. Nathan
__
Kevin Schroeder, Leo Nathan and James Mainwaring .__
_...
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Under 14
At the start of the term it seemed as if this would be a long hard season. Both of the first two matches involved long journeys, bleak conditions and quality opposition. However, the team remained undaunted and started to show that they had some potential of their own in the third and fourth matches. The game at Felsted involved a match on grass, a surface that did not suit our game, and although we were soundly beaten, it did provide an event which was to give the season its first real boost- a goal! We were unfortunate to face a quality Tonbridge side next with our own team severely depleted by illness, and it would be unwise to dwell on the result. The final game however was a different matter and provided a suitable climax to the season with our first win, achieved emphatically and with some style.
In a year in which the weather was unpleasant, illness was particularly severe, and the standard of Under 14 hockey in Kent seemed to be higher than ever, this was not an easy season for the many boys in the squad new to the game. The A team quickly got over the defeat against an outstanding Sutton Valence eleven, and showed at Dulwich that they had the makings of a good side. However after a demoralising capitulation after a good start at Kent College, and the ravages of the 'flu, things never quite got back on track, at least as far as results were concerned. Nevertheless, much progress was made, and the individual ¡coaching from David Matthews should prove beneficial in the long run. In a disappointing season for the team, Ben Cryer, the captain, was an outstanding player. However strong the opposition and however dominant they were, we were always likely to score a goal or two because of his lethal combination of speed and skill. Thus, even when we were outclassed at Kent College, he was able to cause their defence problems, and to set up two superb goals, while at Felsted we were under constant pressure in Jhe first half, and yet turned round a goal up thanks to"a brilliant individual run. He rounded off the season by deservedly winning the Junior Skills competition.
With the squad of eighteen listed below, it is difficult to pick out individuals for comment. As mentioned above, the team was characterised by its raw enthusiasm with Jack Fox and James Hamway remaining insuppressible throughout the season. When this was backed up by the gung-ho commitment of Harry Smith, Jon Campbell, Hector Matthews and Joe Sevier, it is difficult to understand why the team did not score more goals. Shin Ogura showed himself adept at finer skills and by the end of the season he had been poached by the A team. The solid defensive skills of James MacDonald and the hard hitting of Patrick Loughman helped initiate counter-attacks where the speed of Tom Tyler and the deft skills of Fred Lewis linked well to taunt the oppositions' defences. Special mention must go to Andrew Northern in goal - his ability to pull off a spectacular save when a routine one would be expected brightened many a dull afternoon and kept everyone on their toes, guessing what might happen next. This clearly is a team with a great deal of potential for the future. The stickwork does need some polish and the skills some refinement, but overall there is a great sense of enjoyment of the game. As they mature, tactical awareness will improve and hopefully many of these players will go on to hold their own in the senior teams next year. RNW.
Edward Herbert was a very competent goalkeeper, and was inspired in the first half at Felsted. The defence proved problematic, but Alex Pemberton and Will Bruce improved steadily over the season, Luke Thorne, once he had acquired the basics of the game, used his games-playing nous to good effect, and Renwick Russell as sweeper was a player of real quality, who coped well with an inordinate amount of pressure. In midfield, Charles Teale was dynamic going forward, Tom Pritchard was endlessly enthusiastic, and Tom Boucher emerged as the calmly assured influence that was needed. The forward line was the most settled part of the team, with Jon Erridge on the left elusive, aggressive and unpredictable, Jonathan Watler in the centre skilful and orthodox, and Ben Cryer on the right electric. Tom Pedley, a sound and solid defender, William Hamilton, a promising utility player, and Sebastian Shaw, a dangerously quick forward, were the most used reserves. The 'B' team was unsettled in terms of personnel, but united in spirit and thus difficult to beat. 25 different players were used, with only William Acker, a chirpily eccentric goalkeeper, Sunil Khemani, a calmly sensible defender, Stephen Eisenhammer, a determinedly constructive midfielder, and Andrew Laing, a fast and direct forward, appearing in all the matches. Esmond Brown, tenacious in defence, Richard Wildish, skilful and imaginative in midfield, John Hamway, neat and elusive at centre forward, Henry Synge, turning up everywhere, and Sebastian Shaw, whose speed and sense of purpose earned him a chance in the A team, were the other regulars.
Team from: Timothy Boarer, Nicholas Brown,
Jonathan Campbell, Jack Fox, James Hamway, Freddie Lewis, Patrick Loughman, Hector Matthews, James McDonald, Edmund Melik-Mourad, Andrew MillerJones, Andrew Northern, Shin Ogura, Daniel Scarfe, Joseph Sevier, Faiz Shivji, Harry Smith, Tom Tyler RESULTS
Played 7, Won 1, Drawn 1, Lost 5. Goals for 5, Goals against 23 v v v v v v v
Trinity Dulwich College Cranbrook Duke of York's Felsted Tonbridge St Lawrence College
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Lost Lost Lost Draw Lost Lost Won
0-4. 0-5. 0- 1. 0-0. 1-5. 0-8. 4-0.
The 'C' team suffered most from cancellations, but perhaps improved most as a squad. When called into action, they acquitted themselves with honour, under the assured leadership of Amit Kaushal. The 'B' team that lost a close game against Duke of York's consisted largely of 'C' players. P.G.H., P.T. 146
'A' Team: Benjamin Cryer (Captain), Thomas Boucher, William Bruce, Jonathan Erridge, Edward Herbert, Thomas Pedley, Alexander Pemberton, Thomas Pritchard, Renwick Russell, Sebastian Shaw, Charles Teale, Luke Thome, Jonathan Watler.
Kim, Alasdair Birch, Gordon Ho, Tim Traill, PierreEdwin Greenway and Rama Monk were often solid as a defensive unit comprising different combinations of these players according to the tactics required to conquer the opponents. Guest appearances from the likes of Quincey Allan, John K-Patel, Tom Garrod, Chris Ryan and Conrad Baker provided the team with direction and gusto - such was their enthusiasm. Andrew Gordon-Stewart and Reece Wood worked their wizardry all over the pitch and Hugh Daulton was a tricky customer when pushing forward. Alexis McCue was reliable throughout the term and helped the team prepare for the match situations with his ability to find space on the training ground.
Also played: Stephen Eisenhammer, William Hamilton, John Hamway, Richard Wildish. 'B' Team: William Acker, Esmond Brown, Stephen Eisenhammer, William Hamilton, John Hamway, Sunil Khemani, Andrew Laing, Thomas Pedley, Benjamin Reed, Sebastian Shaw, Henry Synge, Richard Wildish. Also played: Christopher Binks, Thomas Boucher, Christopher Cork, James Devonshire, Amit Kaushal, Giles Leonard, Daniel Lyttleton, Mikiya Morioka, Sean Reardon, Samuel Rudgard, David Shield, William Thompson, Luke Thome.
It remains for me to thank all the team members for their enthusiasm and determination to fight even when the going got tough against much stronger teams. I also wish to thank JMH and NLP for their support and encouragement. In addition I wish to thank the coaches that have contributed so much (especially Lehane).
'C' Team: Amit Kaushal (Captain), Christopher Binks, Christopher Cork, James Devonshire, Edward Edmondson, Patrick Holt, Giles Leonard, Daniel Lyttleton, Rory MacWatt, Mikiya Morioka, Atowari Peterside, Zain Rahimtula, Sean Reardon, Benjamin Reed, Samuel Rudgard, William Thompson.
O.G.M. RESULTS
Played 8 Won 1 Drew 0 Lost 7 Scored 5 (Spurway 2, Daulton, Gordon-Stewart, Perry) Conceded 32.
RESULTS
AXI Played 9, Won 2, Drawn 1, Lost 6. v v v v v v v v v
Sutton Valence Chatham House Dulwich Kent College Cranbrook Duke of York's Felsted Tonbridge St. Lawrence
(H) (H) (A) (A) (H) (H) (A) (A) (H)
Lost " Drawn Lost Lost Won Lost Lost Lost Won
v v v v v v v v
1-7. 2-2. 0-3. 2-10. 3-0. 1-9. 1-4. 1-5. 2-0.
Dulwich Cranbrook Duke of York's Felsted Tonbridge
(A) (H) (H) (H) (A)
Lost Drew Lost Lost Lost
(A) (A) (H) (H) (H) (H) (A) (H)
Lost Lost Lost Won Lost Lost Lost Lost
2-5 0-10 0-7 1-0 1-2 1-3 0-4 0-1
U14A The U14A hockey squad started the season as a group of individual hockey players but as the season progressed we developed our ability to work together to make a team. The goalkeeper Lola Soyode, new to this particular aspect of the game, excelled herself improving rapidly helping the team's success. Our back line played to a very high standard working together to make a solid unit. Charli Crosland's powerful hits enabled us to push forward at every opportunity. With Kiri Barker creating play in the centre and opportunities for the forwards enabled more attacking hockey. Also playing halves were Pippa Tregear, who worked well with left Megan Williams, and Anna Broxup who moved the ball well between the defence and the attack. Katie Taylor our right wing created many chances at goal with her superb crosses.
B XI Played 5, Drawn 1, Lost 4.
v v v v v
Sutton Valence Chatham House U 16 Trinity School U16 Dulwich College Cranbrook Felsted School Tonbridge School St Lawrence College
0-2. 1-1. 1-3. 0-1. 0-3.
3rdXI Team from: Church, Reilly, Spurway, Perry, Daulton, Saitoti, K-Patel, Baker, Allan, GordonStewart, Wood R., Fryatt, Birch, Monk, Ho, Traill, Kim, Greenway, Garrod, Ryan, Harman, McCue. After a difficult start to the campaign against much stronger opposition (U16A teams) the 3rd XI put a good run together and managed to thrash Dulwich College. The team were then unlucky not to get anything out of their next few games after some good approach play. Alex Perry led the team by example with his skilful and surging runs, Matthew Spurway was ever-present and finished the season as top-scorer (always a threat up front), Alex Church was phenomenal in goal with Reilly filling in admirably when called upon, Zak Saitoti, James Fryatt, Mike
We played on many different surfaces including astro-turf, water-based and grass, each bringing a different challenge for the team. The match we played at Sevenoaks was on grass and we benefited from this because we had to do short, accurate passes and support each other. We played strongly against many teams but often we could have played better against weaker sides that would have produced better results. We wasted a lot of chances on short corners and more time must be spent working on these next season. We 147
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The defending players added much to the team. We had a superb Goalkeeper. Lola Soyode-Johnson was excellent and always put a lot of pressure on the opposition. Nicola Kent was an aggressive but very skilful player and worked with the rest of the team very well. Rosalind Webber was there to back everyone up and worked well with the defence and was able to use her height to intercept when necessary. Charli Crosland made an excellent reserve and played brilliantly whenever asked to. On behalf of all the team, I would like to thank Mr. Fox for all the help we have had.
worked a lot on stopping the ball on our strong side of the stick, short passes and supporting each other. When we used these we played well and effectively. I would like to thank Mr. Moore for his excellent coaching and support especially his half-time team talks which were always very constructive and enabled us to play better in the second half. Also Mrs. Price who helped us build on our skills and tactics which enabled us to play a higher standard of game. Mrs. McConnell has supported us in all weather conditions which was greatly appreciated.
ROSALIND WEBBER
The team has really enjoyed this season maintaining a high spirit throughout the term. We all hope to continue to develop and improve our skills and enjoy the game.
The team was: Rosalind Webber (captain), Josceline Clayton, Charli Crosland, Harriet Jones, Nicola Kent, Catriona Ramsay, Lola Soyode-Johnson, Philippa Tregear.
BY JULIA BROOKS
RESULTS
Netball
v Epsom Lost 12-22 v Sutton Valence (abandoned half way through the match because of rain) 15 -1 Won v ;St. Edmund's v ~ enenden 11-11 Drew Won 15-10 v Cranbrook 14-18 Lost v Invicta 16-6 Won v Sevenoaks 21-17 Won v SLGS 21-6 Won v Kent College Drew 5-5 v JKS Won 19-15 v Duke of York's
U14A VII The team had a very good season, winning all but two matches. Our attacking game was very strong. We developed skill, speed and team work particularly in the circle where shooters Catriona Ramsay and Pippa Tregear scored many goals, helped by Josie Clayton's ability at Wing Attack to get the ball into the circle. Her height was very useful and she was always there when needed; they made a brilliant trio. The centre was dominated by Harriet Jones who would always appear out of nowhere at exactly the right moment. She was a much-valued player.
The District tournament was abandoned because of snow.
Girls' Lacrosse team.
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2nd VII
who worked well with her at Wing Attack, played excellently and kept the opposition on their toes. Kiri Barker was a very skilful Wing Defence and she was always there to receive the ball from our defence. Kim Bailey, at Goal Keeper, played exceptionally well, especially as most of the Goal Shooters were giants.
I have been privileged to have captained the seconds this year and have enjoyed seeing the team steadily improve. It was a tough start to the season as we were playing competitive netball against challenging sides, and as a team we had only just started playing together. However, after team training sessions with England coach Mrs. Holland, and with Mrs. and Miss Widdows, we improved our tactics and had much greater success, greatly helped by the excellent shooting of Rachel Heslop and Lottie Sterck; their compatability and flair inside the circle proved too much for many teams. In the centre court, Laura Jane Howe brought cunning, determination and aggressiveness to the game, often catching out her opponent and winning the ball back. Lizzie Milligan's observations and awareness worked well with our 'balancing' tactic, slowing down the game and keeping it under our control. Aimee Au surprised many a good shooter by her amazing marking, even though her relatively short height was against her, yet she put the opposition to shame, often astonishing our own team with her jumping skills and quick anticipation. Hannah-Hiester's long limbs on the other hand, meant she rarely needed to move from under the post. Katie Perks, with her enthusiasm and talent, was another great asset to the team"'
I am very pleased with our results. I played Goal Defence in the team and I am very proud to have been captain of the Under 14B netball team. AMENA IMASEKHA
The team was: Amena Imasekha (captain), Claudia Alder, Kim Bailey, Kiri Barker, Claire Rumbellow, Katy Taylor, Philippa Williams, Arabella Willing. RESULTS
v v v v v v v
All in all, a great season, and I'd like to thank Mrs. Widdows, Miss Widdows and Mrs. Holland for teaching us so much both individually and as a team. Also, thanks to Mrs Woodley for the constant encouragement and dedication to our team. It's been great fun! P.S . Thanks very much also to our guest players!
25-25 14-16 24-5 23-11 25-7 33-7 19-17
The team this season has been great. We have been practically unbeaten; our only lost match was against Kent College when the weather was appalling (which made the ground incredibly slippery). In spite of this we played brilliantly and only lost by 2 goals. Every other match we have played stormingly and have won by miles!
TALIA RADFORD
Julia Dickson and Ellie Ruthven have been our Shooters and have performed outstandingly. Vicky Botana, often swapped at half-time, also turned out to be an invaluable shooter. Our defenders, Katherine Harvey-Kelly and Flora Cooke, have been a solid wall against the opposition.
RESULTS
Epsom Sutton Valence King's Rochester 1st VI1 St. Edmunds 1st VII Cranbrook Sevenoaks Benenden Kent College Dover GS 1st VII Invicta GS
Drew Lost Won Won Won Won Won
Under 14C VII
The team was: Talia Radford (captain), Aimee Au, Rachel Heslop, Hannah Hiester, Laura Jane Howe, Elizabeth Milligan, Katie Perks, Lottie Sterck. Also played: Selma Oliver and Anna Holmes.
v v v v v v v v v v
St. Lawrence Benenden Cranbrook King's Rochester Sevenoaks SLGS Duke of Yorks
Charlotte Sayer, Harriet Marklew and Elizabeth Fitzsimmons have been our secret weapon in the centre court; they worked well together and left opponents staring at their amazing standard of play.
Lost 17-23 Cancelled Lost 23-25 Lost 18-26 Won 41-14 Won 34-25 Won 32-3 Won 61-6 Lost 19-22 Won 22-20
Our hardest match was predicted to be against Simon Langton GS but we ended up winning decisively. We have played well together since our very first match and the credit for that has to go to Miss Reidy, who has been a pillar of strength. We are all grateful for her support. HARRIET MARKLEW
Under 14B VII
Coach's comment:
The Under 14B netball team has had a good season. We have won all our matches except our match against Benenden. We had an extremely close and exciting game with St. Lawrence and finally drew 25- 25.
I have really enjoyed coaching the team and was extremely impressed with their hunger for victory. Their unbeaten record was unfortunately broken in the final match of the season against Kent College. All girls played outstandingly well and they should all be very proud of an excellent season.
Our Shooters, Claire Rumbellow, Philippa Williams and Arabella Willing have had a superb season, scoring numerous goals in every match. Claudia Alder was a brilliant centre court player and she and Katy Taylor,
KMR 149
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The team was: Harriet Marklew (captain), Victoria Botana, Flora Cooke, Julia Dickson, Elizabeth Fitzsimmons, Ellie Ruthven, Charlotte Sayer.
The squad's thanks go to Andy Turner and Andy MacLean for their help with coaching.
RESULTS
The following represented the school: Matthew Baer, George Blessley, Jo Brilliant, Julia Brooks, Victoria Chenery, Christopher Cork, Angus Davidson, Hugh Davies, Richard Everall, Charlotte Greenwood, James Harvey -Kelly, Nicholas Kemball, Lawrence Kerr, Stuart Mack, Francesca Merton, Daniel Schwarz, John Sellers, Jack Standen, Timothy Swift, Rosalind We~ber and Megan Williams.
v v v v v
Won Won Won Lost Won
King's Rochester Sevenoaks SLGS Kent College JKS
TJP
16-10 8-3 22-7 11-13 18-15
The Boat Club Shell
Boy's 1st ei~:ht
Rowin~:
After a very gruelling but highly effective training camp at Aiguebelette in France, a new look and very rapid first eight emerged. A crew we hoped would see King's again competing at the highest level, not paddling in the backwaters.
This year's squad faced a number of unusual challenges, the first of which was to put their boats on the water. In the Lent term the lake was so full that everyone had to wade out knee deep (and, for some of the shells, rather deeper than that) in order to go afloat at all. Characteristically for this group, most simply got on with the job enthusiastically and ended up enjoying their introduction to the sport; even if it was even more aquatic than usual.
Our aspirations were proved at the season's first regaJta which was staged at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham. For many of us this venue harboured disappointing memories, but this was not to be. On an uncharacteristically sunny, calm day we surprised the field by beating Bedford and coming very close to last year's hottest crew, Canford. It was one of the high points of the season with raw boat speed in abundance and a very willing crew. We were set for big things.
Another problem was the lack of available training time - the shells rowed on a maximum of only three days a week during the Lent term. This meant that despite the squad's talent, they really weren't technically ready to compete at the Schools' Head and so were not entered; a good thing too because the rest of the rowers travelled to London... and then directly back ... following the Head's cancellation (more floods).
After our stunning performance in Nottingham, Ghent was our next conquest and we entered three events over the weekend. The first race was a junior coxless four and the first outing for the "ED STIRK", our speedy new boat. With an untested crew (Alex Ancock, Richard Miller, Max Lamb and Adam Coates) we went into the event with a relaxed attitude and even had a small 'joke' on the line with Eton. After 250m we were out in front which came as a bit of a shock. We continued to push away from Eton taking a length and cruising with some pace. It was such a shame that we threw it away in the last 100 metres and were overtaken on the line by Abingdon. This set our weekend off with hope of success in the two eights events. Unfortunately after a swift change into the eight and our new great looking white all in ones, we had what for us can only be described as a shocker. We had a poor race and morale was low, but we still had Sunday to prove ourselves. The fresh day brought a new sense of determination and we had possibly the best school start we have ever seen. We had clear water at the 250 metre mark and the boat was going like a dream, but slowly the local crew of internationals pulled through us to take gold. We held off the challenges from Eton and Abingdon to take silver. This was the best King's eight performance at Ghent for some years and the talk around school was of medals at the National Schools.
The Summer Term brought variable weather and the temptations of other sports. Sensibly very few actually decided to sample other options (another sign, I think of this group's praiseworthy tenacity) and some of those who did migrate subsequently returned! By now, those who had fallen in most often in their singles were keeping them afloat reliably and we were able to enter three quads and a number of singles for Wallingford Regatta. This is where we made the discovery that 114 sculling events seem to be customarily scheduled at a time requiring a 5.30 am departure from Canterbury. For a first regatta, the squad acquitted themselves. well with the boy's first quad reaching the final of the A event. Fortunately Thames Valley Park provided more familiar Regatta conditions - blazing sunshine, the barbecue going and parental support out in force (thank you!). I hope the shells realise that rowing does usually provide rather more enjoyment than they've experienced so far - this was certainly a taste of it. And that day had some successes, most particularly for the boys' "C" quad who managed to beat three other schools "A" or "B" quads. Yes, both the girls and boys do have potential. This has not been an easy year for the shells but they have achieved a great deal through their perseverance and constructive approach. Many of them are talented rowers and I hope they will continue to take up the challenge of this demanding but rewarding sport. There will be better times ahead and they have the potential to be very successful. THE CANTUARIAN, LENT & SUMMER
2001
I spent the week before the nationals living at the physiotherapist's (as a result of an injury) and I was not allowed back into a boat until Friday, when our race was on Saturday. We overcame this problem and there were only three rounds between us and what we saw as our right to a medal. Our first round contained some poor 150
crews so we did the minimum to qualify and ensure we were fresh for the semi final. After a rest in the hotel we arrived for our race. We had another blinding start and led the field, which was now not a new experience. The most annoying habit in the world repeated itself and we threw it away in the last 1000 metres.
Girls' Tennis 1st VI The phrase "practice makes perfect" is especially true for skilled sports like tennis which requires agility and experience. Therefore this year we organised a tennis trip to Portugal during Easter to benefit from professional coaching and not least some beautiful sunshine. In the summer term, weekly matches and frequent practices also provided us with lots of opportunities to improve our skills, strategies and playing techniques. There has evidently been much improvement, better focus and greater consistency on court, which are essential qualities in tennis.
After our disappointment at the Nationals there was only Henley to focus on, but qualifying for this would require more effort. We hit training hard, the whole boat had ergo times of well under 7 minutes and I dropped the school record to 6:20.17. Marlow, now raced at Eton' s Dorney Lake, was the chance to prove ourselves. Our draw included Isis, Reading University and Exeter University with only one boat to go through to the final. Isis proved too strong for us and beat us by a canvass. It was a very impressive result for a school crew against a top university and enough to qualify for Henley. Isis went on to win and annoyingly we recorded the second best time of the day.
This year our first team made a number of victories in inter-school matches, but was less successful in the Aberdare Cup and Kent County matches compared to last year. We managed to beat Sutton Valence, our old rival without too much difficulty even though we played the best of five sets. Fortunately, Majen Immink, our Great Britain tennis player, willingly played for us in that game thus reversing the whole match to our side. Everyone played her best so it was very enjoyable to watch us play that day. Our defeats against St. Edmund's School were however rather disappointing, since we only lost on games. Nevertheless, the lessons that we learn from these match experiences were more important. Good sportsmanship, patience, skill and courage effectively outweigh the mere desire to win.
Before Henley we had a morale boosting outing at Thames Valley Park, picking over 20 trnphies with the eight fours and pairs. Now we had to wait for the Henley draw and fit in the required revision for GCSEs, ASs and A levels. With the news that we had drawn Shiplake, the feeling was more than optimistic. On the day, we were told that 85% of all crews that were winning after the Island go on to win the race. Unfortunately, after leading by a length after the Island and then stretching our lead to 1lz a length of clear water, we became the 15% exception to the rule, which was devastating. We wanted to progress further, but it was great so see The King's School Parramatta win the Princess Elizabeth Cup.
The first six players were Majen, myself, Sam Uglow, Jemma and Alexa Leslie and Tessa Grobel. Our team had a mixture of talents and strengths so on the whole it was a relatively strong and consistent team. It was also impressive that everyone was very keen and active so there was no problem in uniting the team.
We can review our season in two lights. The first being from a crew that promised so much, we failed to deliver when it counted. The second (the one I prefer) is that we had a dedicated group of people pushing King's rowing forward and setting up a very solid base in the Boat Club for future eights. With only four of the crew leaving this year there is tremendous potential for next season. Sophie, Max, Linden and I wish next year's crew -the success they so very much deserve
Last of all, the whole team and I express our deepest gratitude and best wishes to Mrs. Woodley who will be leaving us this year. May she enjoy her years of retirement from King's with her family; she will be missed! I am very happy to have had the honour of leading such a nice team. Best of luck to the tennis team next year, particularly Jemma who will be captain, and also to the new teacher from Sutton Valence who will take the place of Mrs. Woodley to lead the team.
We all wish to thank Mr. Bell for his guidance, coaching and giving us the opportunity to achieve such great things. Thanks also go to Fred Scarlet for giving us a push in the right direction and for motivating some of the less motivated members of the club.
SYLVIA KEUNG
It has been a wonderful term for me to have finished with and I have been very privileged to have been supported by such a marvellous group of girls. The whole team has been very positive throughout the term and great fun to work with; I have been especially grateful to Sylvia for all her support and her unfailing interest and commitment to the team and its performance. As Sylvia has already mentioned, our pre-season tennis training in Vale do Lobo in Portugal was a great success and hugely enjoyable. Everyone benefited by some excellent coaching and the girls' hard work on the tennis court was followed by some well-earned relaxation by the villa's pool. It was such fun and I have much to thank Jemma for. She was instrumental in getting the group together and her enthusiasm and energy will stand her in good stead for
In conclusion, we would also like to thank the parents for being on the riverbank come rain or shine, win or lose. We never lacked for food and refreshment to fuel the next race and it was like a season of garden parties. The First eight was Bow: Alex Ancock*, 2: Steven Wetherell, 3: Tom Foster, 4: Henry Nicholls, 5: Max Lamb*, 6: Cpt Richard Miller**, 7: Linden Dover*; Stroke: Adam Coates*, Cox: Sophie Gold**, Coach: NJBe. *Colours awarded. **Colours re-a warded.
RICHARD MILLER
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1st VI Standing: Majen Immink, ]emma Leslie, Alexa Leslie Seated: Tessa Grobe!, Sylvia Keung, Judy Woodley, Sam Uglow
Kent Schools' Senior Competition
next year; I wish her well as captain. Certainly one of my happiest memories will be of the evening out with the tennis players at the end of the summer term.
v Dane Court v St. Edmund's School
I am also very grateful to John Gotke for all his help with the coaching during the term; his quiet but encouraging personality has helped to improve the standard of all the teams right across the board. I also owe Diana Francis many thanks for all her help and support with the Under 14 teams over the years; the future of girls' tennis bodes well.
The following girls played: Anna & Maren Burtoft, Julia Dawes, Alex Fielding, Emily Gomersall, Xaxa Panman, Victoria Parrish, Dominique Picot, Isabella Steel, Clemmy Wellesley-Wesley, Rachael Lukehurst. Also played: Lucy Attwood, Selma Oliver, Jemima Reynolds, Ana Vollenbroich.
2nd VI v v v v v
The team was: Sylvia Keung (captain), Tessa Grabel, Majen Immink, Alexa and Jemma Leslie, Sam Uglow. Benenden Sutton Valence Cranbrook Sevenoaks
RESULTS
Lost Won Won Won
4-5 2-1 7-2 6-3
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RESULTS
Benenden Cranbrook Sutton Valence Sevenoaks SLGS
Won Won Won Won Won
5-4 8-1 3-0 5-4 2-1
Won Won Won
5-4 9-0 4-0
Won Lost
5-1 0-4
3rd VI v Benenden v Sevenoaks v Dover College
Aberdare Cup: 1st IV v Benenden School 'B' v St. Edmunds School
4-0 23-25 (games)
2nd and 3rd VIs
Lastly, my thanks go to Sue McConnell who has spent many years coaching groups of girls. I have very much appreciated her willingness to coach a variety of sports and I thank her for her contribution to the running of girls' games. JAW
v v v v
Won Lost
Aberdare Cup: 2nd IV
7-4 24-27 (games)
v Sutton Valence 'A' v Bromley High School 152
Vl 6VI The team was: Annabelle Brice (captain), Anna McDonald, Leo Oldfield, Katherine Torry, Molly Tregear, Felicity Ruggles-Brise, Susannah Wharfe. Members of the Under 16 team also played in the senior matches. Also played: Alice Cooke & Flora Hussey. RESULTS
v Benenden v SLGS
Won Won
6-3 3-0
U15A VI Many thanks to Mrs. Woodley for coaching the under 15 tennis teams and to Miss. Van der Merwe who also gave great support and help to everybody during games and practice sessions. The teams have had a very successful season, winning many of the matches played. The 'A' team reached the quarter-final round of15oth the Midland Bank and the Kent Schools tournaments. Unfortunately, Sevenoaks proved to be too strong but playing such tough opposition definitely enhanced the team's standard of tennis and we hope to meet them again next season. Some of the players need to be more confident at net play and attack slightly ~ore. A~l ?f th~ ground strokes are very reliable and servmg definitely Improved as the practices continued. All in all, it was a strong team.
Majen Immink, Judy Woodley, Sylvia Keung
U15B VI
There was a good competitive spirit throughout the season and during games of doubles, each of the pairs trusted one another and worked well together. It was an excellent and enjoyable term of tennis that I hope will be repeated next year.
The following girls played: Alexandra Brewis, Venetia Clark, Lily Collins, Georgina Darroch, Alexandra Demper, Laura Headley, Laura Moncreiffe, Lucinda Newman, Charlotte Reardon,
U15A VI
The U15 team was~¡ Frances Steel, Charlotte Townsend, Anna Bridel, Sophie Leigh-Pemberton, Becky Powell-Jackson, Suzie Johnson.
v Benenden v Sutton Valence v Cranbrook
FRANCES STEEL
Lost Won Won
4-5 2-0 8-1
Won Lost Won
33-32 0-6 6-0
Won Won Won Won Won
7-2 9-9 5-4 8-1 9-0
Lost Won
25-26 5-1
Won Won Lost
6-0 4-0 0-4
HSBC tournament v Tonbridge 'A: v Sevenoaks v Kent College
Ul5B VI v v v v v
Benenden Cranbrook Sevenoaks St. Edmund's Dover College
HSBC tournament v Folkestone GS v Dover GS
Kent Cup
U14 'A' Team Amanda Harrison, Clare Rumbellow, Rosanna Tennant, Josceline Clayton, Katherine Harv.ey-Kelly, Pippa Tregear
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Bedgebury tournament
Poppy Mitchell, Katy Taylor, Claudia Alder Arabella Willing, Catherine Crossland, Victori~ Botana, Carina King, Nicola Kent, Lucy Wells, Isobel Short, Diana Goyder and Elizabeth Fitzsimmons played for the 'B' and 'C' teams. Many of them made fine shots and they all enjoyed their matches. The U1 4 girls are all to be commended on their efforts this term. There is great promise for the future.
1st pair: Frances Steel & Anna Bridel 2nd pair: Sophie Leigh-Pemberton & Susannah Johnson The first pair achieved third position out of 12 schools: their results were: v v v v v
Dunottar 1 St. Leonard's 1 Benenden 2 Walthamstow Hall 2 KC Pembury
Won
Won Won Won Won 6-0
4-1 3-2 4-1 4-1
RESULTS
v v v v v v v v v
They lost to St. Leonards and Benendenl in the finals .
U14 'A' 'B' and 'C' teams. This has been another most enjoyable and successful season for Shell girls at King's. The girls have played tennis to a high standard and have developed a range of impressive skills. The girls showed great commitment and a good competitive spirit. The weather was mostly favourable.
Ashford Sutton Valence Tonbridge GS ¡ KC Pem:bury Benenden St Edmunds Sevenoaks Cranbrook Folkestone
Won Won Won Lost Lost Won Lost Won Lost
5-1 4-0 4-2 1-5 0-9 9-0 4-5 6-3 2-4 D.M.F.
.Junior Inter-House Competition Witmer: Walpole House. Runner-up: Luxmoore House.
The first couple in the 'A' . team were Amanda Harrison and Pippa Tregear, who demonstrated repea~edly g~od tactics and accurate strokes. They were Impressive players and are certainly a couple to look out for in the future. Josceline Clayton and Clare Rum~ellow were the second couple. They played very effectively. Rosanna Tennant and Katherine HarveyKelly were the third couple. They also played with considerable panache. All the girls in the 'A' team gave pleasure to those who watched them.
Football A chilly Birley's was the site where we needed to build on the progress made in sunny Seville. There was no time for reflection or to prepare as it was straight in at the deep end against Brentwood on the first day of term. A 7-0 defeat was a true reflection of their supe:iority and even with the three players we were m~s s~ng there w~s a huge gulf in quality. Actually Withm the 80 mmutes there was huge improvement, after going 3-0 down in 7 minutes we held our own for long periods of the game. Next came an away trip to an average Westminster side, a game we ended up losing 2-0 but could have gone either way if we had taken a couple of our second half chances. This was a positive result as we defended as a team in an impressive fashion. . With progress being made, the weather cruelly mtervened and caused every patch of green grass in the South East to be under water for about a month. This led to t?e cancellation of fixtures against Dulwich, KCS Wimbledon, Ursuline and the O.K.S. When the sun did shine our first fixture was against Ursuline College, a rearran~ed fixture from the previous month, we won 11-0. This would suggest a huge gulf in the quality of players on show, I would prefer to remember this as a superb exhibition of pass and move football and clinical f~nishing. Special congratulations go to Tom Ready with 4 goals and Mike Page with 3. Next followed the most enjoyable game of the season, a 3-1 loss at home to Sevenoaks. In the 2 years I have been coaching the 2nd XI this is the best a team has performed. Missing several key players due to the Geography field trip I had no right to expect anything. Every player was quick to the ball and 100% committed, the passing was superb and we created chances from the first minute to the last. By his own
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teams - especially when exams took most of the Seniors out of circulation. All the same, we made some v ~liant full team ~fforts at Sevenoaks (leading in the Jumor boys and girls, the Inter boys and Senior girls, and second in Inter girls - before a deluge caused the match to be abandoned. Lucky for Sevenoaks and Ardin~ly . .. ), - and at the toughest fixture for boys, Tonbndge, (6th out of 8 in Juniors and Inters 7th in Seniors). '
admission George Brooke will not remember this day too fondly as he had the misfortune to miss 6 one on hit the bar and felt truly cursed for one sit~ations, the entue 90 mmutes. The game was 2- 1 until the last kick of the game and the Sevenoaks players left the pitch without celebrating, as they knew they had been outplayed.
?e
N e~t followed a .disappointing 4-0 loss away to Tonbndge, who agam were first to every 50-50 ball and were far more physical, and committed on the day. We next travelled to Maidstone Grammar School to play the Kent 2nd XI champions from the previous ye~r. We acqu~tted .ourselves superbly, defending as a umt, but creatmg httle. Still a 2-0 loss represented a huge stride forward against such quality.
The . best. was still to come at the County ChampiOnships and the District athletics circuit for Removes and Shells. Chuko Esiri cannot go unm~ntio~ed, as he has continued to amaze opponents by his skill, speed and professionalism - in fact one sprinter for the South of England asked whether he had t~ought about trying for England! His scorching 1OOm time of 11.6 at the County Championships won him a Bronze medal. . Ben Cryer emerged as our single County ChampiOn at 1OOm, a fantastic achievement, and hi~ commitment to the team has been especially appreciat~d. Anoth.er young star is Andrew Laing, who can JUmp amazmgly far - 11.45m for Jun. Triple Jump at the County Championships won him a Silver medal, and County representation later on. It has been excellent t~ see ~~ many Juniors and Inters improving ~ugely: Ane Esin and Rhodes Edewor-Thorley High JUmped 1.75m and 1.60m respectively, to add to their relay and horizontal jumping skills ; Seb Shaw and James Shilston turned their hand to anything from throws to sprinting and jumping, and both competed in the County Championships. Specialist throwers Fred Jones (Shot) and Ed Stephens (Javelin) did very well. Fred threw 10.24m at the County Champs, and Ed threw 39.12m at Sevenoaks, enabling him to make a guest appearance in an Inter-County competition later on. Our Middle Distance Juniors were ably led by Tom Tyler, who won virtually all the District events he entered (until he broke his arm doing some other silly sport ... ), while Barnaby did well (when he was there ... ) and Freddie Maltby gave 150% to all his races, even if his pacing of himself seems a little unorthodox at times! Stephen Eisenhammer, Toby Lyons and Anthony Agbaje all made improvements after early injuries. The relay skills of this group were excell~nt with . the District Relay Championship crowmn!? the season as the boys' team took the trophy on the fmal medley relay event, with Arie (lOOm). Terry Leung (lOOm) Ben Cryer (200m) and Chuko (400m)- the latter finishing in Johnson-esque style.
Then came an away trip to Bethany School, which I will always remember as the most farcical game of football I have ever been involved in. To say there was not a blade of grass on the bog of a pitch was to do the playing fields great justice. It took us a while to adapt to the run of the ball, or lack thereof, but when ahead we started to play some commanding stuff. A 3-1 win with George Brooke netting for the first time in a frustrating season. Our last trip was to Colfe's, not an easy place to go and get a result. However we were determined to finish the season on a high note and so it proved. George Brooke gave us the lead with a superb solo effort and we contributed much to a very entertaining yet physical game. Colfe's deservedly equalised in the second half, but we defended superbly to record a most pleasing draw. I must thank all of the lads that worked with me this year for their time and great effort. Training was al:vay? fun. and there is nothing better than working wit~ mtelhgent lads .that can put into practice the tactics or knowledge that is imparted on them. RESULTS
Played 8, Won 2, Drew 1, Lost 5 Goals for 16, Goals against 20 Team: 0. Humphrey, C. Mullens, T. Walker, T. Ready, J. Wyand, M. Page, A. Foster, J. Reeve, G. Brooke, A. Binns, W. Von Papen, F. Colchester. Also played: S. Robinson, M.Colchester, C. Pemberton, J. East and D. Arnold. MJTh
The Younger girls proved to be strong and keen to do Although Claudia Kennaugh, one of our top had trouble with an injury earlier on, she kept turmng out, and continued to train admirably. By the end of the season she was back on form contributing to our girls' 2nd team place in the District Relay Championships. Aislinn Mulligan must be one of our most versatile athletes, becoming District High Jump champion with 1.40m, but equally keen to run 800m or join the sprint relay. Sarah Martin and Kiri Barker also combined diverse events, since both were useful middle distance runners, while also representing the District at the County Champs, at Discus and Javelin respectively. Anna and Kate Ross were another versatile duo together covering Middle Distance, Hurdles and High
Athletics
we~l, too. spru~ters,
This season really was different to last year: listening to Mike Stephen's 'enthusiastic' speech at the start of term might have made some people rather anxious - but in the event, training this year has been fun, and very worthwhile. Everyone will agree that the coaching we received from our now quite extensive coaching staff has been superb - Steve Jones on the jumps, Mark Croll on throws, James Ross on sprints, together with, SJS-K, CTH, SAH & JMC, and even DJR in a consultancy role for Triple Jump ! The Seniors this season have been low on numbers and rather outdone by the efforts and results of the J~nior 155
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improving - she reached the Kent County Champs for 200rn and was the lynch-pin of th~ Achilles Relays sprint teams. Karen Smith showed her usual commitment to Discus training and competition - she has been a loyal and valuable addition to the team throughout her time here. Monica Mark, our Senior Sprinter/Jumper, has made numerous attempts to get us all running on early morning jogs 5 times a week, but we have successfully stayed in bed! Quincy Allan's enthusiasm for warm-ups and training has been noted many times, but he always seems to make others do the work ... hence these two are the obvious choice for Captains next year. Quincy showed huge improvement over the season at the throws, particularly Shot and Discus, and his Bronze medal at the County Champs Matthew Jenkins, Winner of Kent Messenger Cup for 1500 mat Duke of York's Cup with 11.37m for Shot was very well deserved. He will be an Jump very effectively. Amena and Lola headed up the inspirational (and humorous) Captain next year. We sprinting team, while Amena also threw the Discus hope that the seniors left next year - Conrad Baker, well; Susie Jacques, Kara Kock, Anna Green, Katie Alade Williams, Aki Soyode-Johnson, Andy Pelham, Steibelt, and Charlotte Cray were also Sprinter/jumpers Jolyon Marsh, and Zack Saitoti, boosted by the strong who made this whole team very strong. In the Middle Middle Distance 5th Formers coming up, will keep Distance events, Maia Gibbs perhaps showed greatest persevering and really fulfil their exciting potential. improvement, while Alice showed talent, but has yet to The Juniors and Inters in the club look extremely train fully and maximise it! strong, in terms of ability and depth, so that a lot is At 5th and 6th Form level, the club can boast real expected of them for future years: good luck! strength in Middle Distance, again, led by Beau Kock MICHAEL STEVENS, CHRISSY STOODLEY AND CTH. and James Wells (who sadly had to pull up at Sevenoaks through injury), not to mention Ed 'water-wings' Ellis with his freestyle bid at the Steeplechase. 5th Formers coming through are Olly Butler and Matt Jenkins - Olly getting his 800m time down to 2min14secs, and Matt going from strength to strength (aided, no doubt by extra training with lnvicta A.C.), and ending well by winning the Kent Messenger Cup for 1500m at the Duke of York's Cup competition - his 'PB' is now 4min-32secs. His County Championships appearance in the middle of GCSEs saw an impressive 1Omin-05secs for 3000m. On the girls' side, Sophie Tholstrup and Lucy Goodman trained with impressive effort and regularity, and with more competition next year at senior level should do very well. Likewise, Kate Capt. Mike Stevens, Chuko Esiri, Capt. Elect Quincy Allan.and Zack Saitoti Burrett ideally needed a few (at Duke of York's Cup) more competitions to keep . THE CANTUARIAN, LENT
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NB. CTH: It has been a real pleasure working with such energetic and diligent Captains this year, since a lot of the spirit and confidence growing in the club is due to their infectious enthusiasm. I would like to thank them for their leadership over the year (starting early with the planning of the excellent new shirts), and also for their leaving present to me of one of these coveted shirts emblazoned 'Chucky 1' - I shall wear it with pride! I would also like to thank all our excellent coaches, mentioned above, but in particular Amanda Scott-Kilvert, who has taken charge of the day-to-day running of the club so brilliantly this term, and has honed her time-keeping skills to perfection. Mark and his grounds-staff team have done a fantastic job preparing the track for training and competitions this term, to the extent that it really is the envy of the schools who have visited- short of a 'Tartan' artificial surface, it couldn't be better! I am very sad to be leaving just as the Athletics club is seeing a resurgence of talent and commitment, but I shall follow its future successes with nostalgic interest!
Cross-Country This term has been quite extraordinary. In the past Cross-Country has continued in all weathers, often when other sports have been forced to cancel fixtures, but this term saw a reverse to this trend due to the flooding and then the Foot and Mouth crisis. Two school fixtures and our own Inter-House competition had to be cancelled in the first half of term due to incessant rain making the courses dangerous, while after Half Term, when all foot paths and Army training areas had to be closed, it put an effective stop to competitive Cross-Country. This was a sorry state of affairs, particularly with some teams poised to fare extremely well in our Kent League fixtures: there were more girls keen (and able) to run in matches than ever before, while the combination of last year's excellent Junior boys with the formidable 5th Form spearhead of Matt Jenkins and Oliver Butler seemed set for a successful season. Newcomers Isaac Strang and Jolyon Marsh had also turned the small Senior boys' squad into a viable unit.
CTH
Early promise of this had been seen at the District Schools' Championships in November, where both Senior and Intermediate boys won their trophies, the latter against some tough opposition. James Audsley, Ed Ellis and Beau Kock led the Seniors home, while Oliver Butler and Matt Jenkins were supported well by Tom Tyler and Freddie Maltby. In the Intermediate girls Maia Gibbs emerged as something of a dark horse to come 4th, and went on to achieve a creditable 30th place in the Kent Schools' Championships in January, being part of a Silver medal winning District team. Matt and Olly also won Bronze medals with their District team, and Matt was unlucky to be just outside the squad selected to represent Kent Schools.
Results highlights: County Championships, Bexley, 9th June 13 King's Athletes selected to represent the Canterbury District. Medalists: Ben Cryer, 1st Jun lOOm, 12.1 Andrew Laing, 2nd Jun Triple Jump, 11.45m Chuko Esiri, 3rd Inter lOOm, 11.6 Quincey Allan, 3rd Inter Shot, 1137m District Team Championships (Removes and Shells combined, 15 local schools) 13th June. Boys 2nd, Girls 3rd.
The Lent term started, as ever, with the most testing event of the term, the 5.9 mile Knole Run for Open boys, and a shorter course for girls. Our boys' team finished several places higher up the rankings than the previous year, and would have done considerably better had not Captain Wells unfortunately missed the start (a preferable option to ending the race in an ambulance, as had happened last year!). Matt Jenkins did incredibly well to finish 41st (out of 266), as a 5th Former, particularly as he received some nasty spike gashes to his leg early in the race - those scars will doubtless prompt many a (lengthy) anecdote in years to come! Olly Butler (113th) and James Audsley (118th) also fared very well, and will have further chances in future to better their positions. The girls' team was led by veterans Charlie Marnham and Mel Macan, with some talented newcomers, Alice Frohnsdorff, Fay Stranf and Phoebe Rose: after this first outing, however, it became clear that more training was needed! ¡
District Relay Championships, 26th June: Boys 1st, Girls 2nd. Boys' Teams from: Anthony Agbaje, Quincy Allan*, Conrad Baker#, Oliver Butler#, Ben Cryer, Rhodes Edewor-Thorley, Stephen Eisenhammer, Ed Ellis#, Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri, Matt Jenkins#, Fred Jones, Beau Kock*, Andrew Laing, Terence Leung, Guy Longley, Toby Lyons, Freddie Maltby, Chris Mark, Jolyon Marsh, Matt Pollock, Alex Quayle, Barnaby Race, Zack Saitoti, Sebastian Shaw, James Shilston, Edward Stephens, Mike Stephens (Captain)*, Tom Tyler, James Wells*, Alade Williams#. Girls' Teams from: Kim Bailey, Kiri Barker, Kate Burrett#, Charlotte Cray, Alice Frohnsdorff, Maia Gibbs, Lucy Goodman#, Anna Green, Jasmina Hostert, Amena Imasekha, Susie Jacques, Claudia Kenna ugh, Kara Kock, Monica Mark*, Harriet Marklew, Charlotte Marnham, Sarah Martin, Sophie Middleton, Aislinn Mulligan, Anna Ross, Kate Ross, Karen Smith*, Damilola Soyode, Katie Steibelt, Chrissy Stoodley (Captain)*, Sophie Tholstrup#, Claudia Wilmot-Smith#.
While some were away covering themselves with mud and glory at the Kent Schools' Championships, a League fixture at King's Rochester gave others a chance to excel, particular! y Alice Frohnsdorff and Barnaby Race, who won their races in style, backed up by Lucy Goodman (3rd) and Sophie Tholstrup (4th), with Freddie Maltby (2nd), and Robbie Wetherell
* = First Colours # = First Team Colours
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Open Girls' Team for Knole Run, Sevenoaks, 2001 Left to right: Ksenia Doudareva, Mel Macan, Charlotte Marnham (Capt.), Phoebe Rose, Alice Frohnsdorff, Fay Strang
Olly Butler and James Audsley (Knole Run)
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(7th), respectively. These runners then went on to excel again at what proved to be the final fixture of term at Duke of York's, Dover, where the Intermediate boys, in particular, achieved a resounding victory (including the first four finishers, in fact!), and showed themselves to be the team most likely to win the term trophy. It is such a shame that this was prevented by circumstances beyond everyone's control, but nevertheless, the large group of Remove runners in this team will still be Intermediates next year, and are sure to continue this season's successes. The Dover races also proved to be the high point for the Senior boys, who won the team competition that day, led ably, as usual, by James Wells, who came an impressive 2nd in what was to be his final race as Captain. Beau Kock (5th), James Audsley (6th), and Ed Ellis (8th) had good runs too, and proved themselves to be highly dependable team runners. I would also like to thank Charlotte Marnham for her loyal and determined leadership as girls' Captain, and Alex McDonald for an equally determined contribution over many years to club and team. Thanks, too, to all the runners listed below for their contributions over the two terms, and for their usually good-humoured and determined attitudes to training: even at that bleak moment when I plunged through 200m of knee deep, icy water on the Golden Hill run did not (quite) provoke a mutiny. They make a most pleasant group, which also explains why so many members of staff are keen to help: we are all indebted to Mrs Cook, Mr Felton, Snr Bruna and Mr Rooke for their many contributions and encouragements. I have enjoyed my 15 years of CrossCountry at King's immensely, and take away many stirring memories of individual and team successes not just victories, but triumphs of individuals working hard to overcome the testing physical challenges presented by this sport. As I h~nd over to Mr Felton and the team, I am confident that the club has an exciting future in the hands of such committed and talented staff!
RESULTS HIGHLIGHTS:
District Schools' Championships, Canterbury: Senior
boys 1st, Inter boys 1st.
The Knole Run, Sevenoaks: Open boys 24th out of 35
schools. (Jenkins 41st, Butler 113th, Audsley Ellis 202nd, Strang 240th, McDonald 251 st, out of 266 finishers). Kent Schools' Championships, Hythe: Senior boys:
Audsley 8th, Wells 1Oth, Ellis 14th.
Intermediate boys: Jenkins 23rd, Butler 41st. Intermediate girls: Gibbs 30th. Kent Schools' League: Open boys: 1st once (Duke of York's), 2nd once
(Sevenoaks)
Open girls: 1st once (King's Rochester), 2nd once
(Duke of York's), 3rd once (Sevenoaks).
Intermediate boys: 1st twice (King's Rochester and
Duke of York's).
Fencing This has been another excellent season with outstanding results in interschool matches, regional and national competitions. We had much success throughout the different age groups. This was thanks, in no small part to Alex Brentnall, our school captain and to Emma Pinder, the girls captain. In particular I would like to thank Professor Romang for all his hard work. It is primarily due to him that our success is so considerable. Without his coaching and self sacrifice King's fencing would definitely not be the way it is. I would also like to thank Mr Winnrow Cambell for his untiring help and advice, but not the bruising. Particularly pleasing results were gained in the National Schools' Team Championships, where we gained more gold and silver medals than any other schools. We also had a number of very encouraging results in the Public Schools' Fencing Championships, held in the Easter holidays.
CTH Teams from:
Senior boys: James Audsley, Edward Ellist, Richard Gordon-Williams, Beaudry Kock, Jolyon Marsh, Chris Mattingly, Alex McDonaldt, Isaac Strang, James Wells (Captain)*.
All team members fenced hard and with commitment through the season, but the club always remained a happy one.
Open girls: Anna Bridel, Penny Cox, Ksenia Doudareva, Alice Frohnsdorff, Maia Gibbs, Lucy Goodman, Mel Macan, Charlotte Manl.ham (Captain)t, Phoebe Rose, Fay Strang, Sophie Tholstrup. Intermediate boys: William Ackers, Adam Baker, Oliver Butler, Alfred Butrous, Edward Doubleday, Matthew Jenkins, Freddie Maltby, Barnaby Race, Thomas Tyler, Robbie Wetherell, Peter Yakovlev. Junior boys: Anthony Agbaje, Bernard Chiu.
* First Colours t First Team Colours/2nd Colours 159
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THE RESULTS:
Sailing
National Schools' Team Championships: Gold medals- U 18 girls' foil - U18 girls' epee Silver medals- U18 boys' foil U 18 boys' epee U 18 boys' sabre U16 boys' foil U16 boys' epee .
Sailing at King's has continued to grow, both in the fields of success and enthusiasm. During the Summer Term there have been a total number of seven regattas where the team has performed creditably under the encouragement of Dr Maltby and club captain Antony Lewis. On Thursday 26th April a rare King's sailing regatta was held at Westbere, which proved to be a great success. While Tonbridge won four races, leaving only one win for King's, the final race was exceedingly close and the new team racing techniques learnt by the home team proved beneficial. The second regatta was held at Bough Beech Reservoir, near Sevenoaks, a sailing hotspot for the British Schools Dinghy Racing Association, and took the form of team racing in 420s. While the team failed to reach the semi-finals we performed credibly in a tough league. The third of the seven regattas was held at Dover Harbour, which, thanks to our links with the Water Sports Centre, serves as an alternative sailing club for the school. King's comfortably won this 'friendly' against Dover College which provided an opportunity to race the smaller topper class rather than the two person 420s. On Tuesday 15th May the Inter-House Regatta at Dover was held. Antony Lewis won not only the deciding race of the day leaving Meister Omers with 8
Public Schools' Championships: Foil Results: Alex Brentnall 7th Senior foil Chris Uhde 14th Senior foil Simon Arnold 12th Intermediate foil Jonathan Stockwell 32nd Junior foil Epee results: Alex Brentnall 1Oth Senior epee Chris Uhde 26th Senior epee Sabre results: Alex Brentnall 11th Senior sabre SJW-C and Alex Brentnall
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points ahead of Galpin's, but also the best Individual I-Ielm prize. The Best Ladies' Team cup was awarded to Harvey House due to a very good performance by Annabel Martin and Laura-Jane Howe, with Jervis close behind. King's now has a good record in the Kent Schools Sailing Association topper team racing regatta at the Redoubt Sailing Club, Hythe. This year we entered two teams: the 'A' team, comprising Antony Lewis, Tom Hopkinson and Elizabeth Watts, came a close fourth, while the 'B' team, comprising Lottie Knight, George Mawdsley and Peter Fitzsimmons, gaine.d 8th place, in the flight of 11 teams - a creditable performance by all. In accordance to their previously busy schedule, the team partook in another 'friendly' on the 19th June versus Dover College where King's secured the top three places. The King's I Dover College fixtures were enjoyed by both schools and we hope to arrange more of these local matches in the future. To finalise the busy term, we entered three boats in the demanding National School's Championships in 420s at the picturesque Itchenor Sailing club in Chichester Harbour. Mr and Mrs Stone, who have strong connections with the school, kindly allowed the team of six to stay in their house for the three nights. The days of sailing proved very beneficial to the team, especially due to the Force 5/6
On a broad reach: Charlotte Knight (JR) and Matthew Gray (GL) sailing a 420 at Westbere Lake
May I add my thanks to my colleagues, ~r. Jon Hutchings and Mr Aerwyn Watson, for. theu gre~t support in running the Sailing Club and with whom It has been an absolute pleasure to work. A great deal of thanks is also due to Mr David James of the Westbere Sailing Club and to Mr John Hope and Matthew Wright of the Dover Water Sports Centre. By. ~ur location in East Kent, King's has superb opportumtles for sailing and we are very fortunate in having such ideal facilities on our home waters at Westbere and at the coast. Finally, our thanks to Nigel Pattison, the coordinator of the Schools Sailing Championship at Itchenor, and especially to Mr and Mrs Peter Stone, who very kindly put us up in their ltchenor home, during this fantastic event. HROM
420s team racing training (three boats to a team) at ¡ Westbere lake
winds and the training day. Congratulations to Tom Brooks and Ben Cryer, who, sailing Tom's own boat, achieved a cr~ditable 24th position out of 45. They were followed by Peter Fitzsimmons and George Mawdsley in 25th position, 'while Elizabeth Watts and Julia Brooks, contending with a rather old school boat and having to make numerous repairs, struggled on to achieve a creditable placing, despite their boat sinking in the adverse conditions of the final day. Completing the event was a fantastic achievement for the team; however, we do need a new boat for next year. Thus all in all sailing has really blossomed within King's during the past year and in order to recognise the sport, Duncan Irvine of Tradescant House h~s awarded a trophy to the school in remembrance of his late father's encouragement of Sailing at King's. The Malcolm Campbell-Irvine trophy was awarded at Honours Assembly for the first time to Antony Lewis.
Members of the King's Sailing Team at Redoubt Sailing Club, Hythe. Left to right: Antony Lewis (MO) (Capt.), Charlotte Knight (JR), Thomas Hopkinson (MO), Elizabeth Watts (JR), George Mawdsley (MO)
ELIZABETH WATTS (JR)
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Papen was promoted to accompany James Mainwaring as the 1st pair, while Magnus Resch and Jon Kavanagh-Patel formed a steady 2nd pair. These pairings were to remain throughout the season. This match saw our first victory and showed that this newly formed team could have a successful season. These players got us to the semi-finals, but not for the first year running, exams prevented us from being at full strength. With the aid of our new acquisition, Stuart Rau we saw off Langley Park on the way to reaching the final, but again Sevenoaks were too strong. It must be mentioned that to reach two finals in one season is a significant achievement.
Boys' Tennis 1st V Having lost five members of last years 1st VI, the feeling was that it might be difficult to raise a team of sufficient quality. Last year we relied upon two 'German imports', but we didn't think that it was possible to see two leave and then have two more arrive; fortunately they weren't twins! At the end of the Lent term we played the final of the Kent Schools' Winter Competition, but having only played one match to get there our players were out of practice and were beaten convincingly by Sevenoaks.
In the Glanvill Cup, a tournament King's seem to underachieve in, we met Tonbridge for the second time. The conditions were appalling, driving rain and gale force winds, and with Magnus feeling unwell, it was thus the combination of bad luck and the weather prevented a victory. However Tonbridge went onto the next round, only to be dispatched by Sevenoaks!
By the beginning of the Summer Term the basis for a 1st VI had been found, but there were questions over the pairings. Our first match was at home to Tonbridge, where we decided upon a team with consistent strength among the pairings. Unfortunately our first pair underperformed and in truth, cost our team a deserving victory. However, we did see that the youth of the team including one Remove, Jonny Macfarlane, was able to play at 1st VI standard, plus it was good to see solid German tennis from the pairing of Will and Magnus, who won all their sets.
One of the matches of the season was away to Brentwood, where King's defeated a strong outfit. A sp~ial mention should go to James and Will who conquered their previously undefeated 1st pair, as well as Jonny Macfarlane and Jonathan Kavanagh-Patel's success, in both singles and doubles. The two Macfarlane brothers paired up against St. Lawrence, starting with a convincing 6-1 win over the opposition's second pair, but then the understanding was put to the test in a tie break against the third
For most of the term our tennis was to be directed towards the Kent and Glanvill Cups. Our first match of the Kent Cup was against our neighbours, Kent College. This match saw the first opportunity to test both singles and doubles. After the first match Will von
King's v Bishop 's College, Cape Town, South Africa Tennis teams on the Library steps before the Tour Party dinner King's players are (left to right): J. Macfarlane, H. Pound, J. Kavanagh-Patel and Magnus Resch
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pairing . James Mainwaring and Will von Papen confirmed what a strong pair they make when they completed the afternoon's work dispatching all three St. Lawrence pairs while conceding only three games. The last match of the season was against a visiting South African school, from Cape Town, namely Bishops. On a glorious summer's day we were well matched throughout with many games going to tie break deciders. The competetiveness of our visitors was evident in their mental toughness especially in the key points, but it finished with an 11 set each draw. Hence our season both started and finished with a draw. This season has been one of surprising achievement, and it has been nice to see that the commitment to the team has never wavered. Unfortunately next season sees another task of reconstruction, as Will von Papen and possibly Magnus Resch may not be returning for their 6a year. We thank them for their contribution to the tennis and wish them well for their future. On a personal note I must thank Mr. Anderson for his time that he has spent organizing tennis throughout the year for the 1sts and all the other teams. I wish him and Jon the best in the season to come.
Stuart Rau
Team: Jonathan Kavanagh-Patel, Jonny Macfarlane, James Mainwaring (Capt.)*, Magnus Resch, Will von Papen* . Also played: James Audsley. James Bushell, James Macfarlane, Nori Morioka, Stuart Rau.
JAMES MAINWARING, CAPTAIN.
What began as a frustrating term, due to the changeable weather finished with some ¡sunshine and success. I would like to thank James in his role as Captain, who being the sole survivor from last year's 1st meant had to be flexible in the combinations of pairings. His own game depended upon his first serve and playing at number one meant he was often faced with the toughest task. It was most commendable that James fulfilled his playing commitments through the exams and it was a shame for him that one of his last exams clashed with the Kent schools' finals, as he would have strengthened our team and given us the edge over Sevenoaks in the final. A special tribute needs to go to James, Magnus and Will for forgoing the opportunity to go on the school trip to Wimbledon in order to play and host our visitors from South Africa.
* denotes first colours
RESULTS
Played 11 won 7 drawn 2 lost 2 Friendlies:
v v v v
Tonbridge (H) Brentwood (A) St. Lawrence (H) Bishop's S.A (H)
Senior Kent Cup;
v Kent College (A) v Simon Langton B.S. (H)
Thanks t.o the other players, PT for his support, along with the parents, groundsmen and the caterers for their efforts throughout the term. SEA
Semi-final:
v Langley Park Final:
v Sevenoaks Glanvill Cup;
v Simon Langton (H) v Tonbridge (A)
drawn won won drew
6-6 5-3 7-2 11-11
5-1 won 3-3 won (28-26 games) won
5-1
lost
0-4
won lost
4-2 2-4
The senior inter-house competitiOn was won by Tradescant, where the very strong pairing of James Mainwaring and Jonathan Kavanagh-Patel put paid to the chance of Galpins relying on their second pair winning, without dropping a game.
3rdiV Although there were only two matches it was pleasing to see that there was never a shortage of -players willing to represent the school. In fact it was difficult not to disappoint players, but every effort was made to give everyone an opportunity of a game. However, it is almost impossible without a member of
Runners up in the KCSLTA Senior Boys summer competition at Benenden School (from left to right): Stuart Rau, Will von Papen, Magnus Resch and Jonathan Kavanagh -Patel
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well in his first season in the team and with the experience of this season should be able to develop into a useful player. There are a number of strong and enthusiastic players pushing for places, who had opportunities to also play in the HSBC competitions as a "B" team. Here the strength of forehand and serve of both Russell Webber and Franklin Lancaster were impressive as was the improving play of Andrew Northern. The competitiveness of Will Hill allied to the serving of Shin Ogura led this team through to the knock out phase where they were beaten by an "A" team from Sir Joseph Williamson's School who were the eventual winners.
staff to run practices and matches and this will have to be addressed in the future. There is also the problem of the three senior year groups all having exams, and making the first three weeks of term even more congested. The results highlight the problem of arranging suitable opposition, as Ton bridge have much greater strength in depth, whereas we prove too strong for local school's second teams. RESULTS
Played 2 won 1 lost 1 v Tonbridge (H) v St. Edmund's 2nds
lost won ¡
1-11 8-1
Team from; Tim Barnes, Billy Barratt, Nick Carty (Capt.) Ludwig Enstaller, Stefan Handrup, Chris Mattingly, Blain McGuigan, Anthony Teale, Chris White.
Our "A" team had a good run in the main draw, recording convincing victories against Simon Langton, Kent College, St. Gregory's, before losing in the final away to Eltham College by a very close margin.
Under lS's
My thanks to the parents who lent their support and to Terrence Zengerink for accompanying the teams when I was double booked!
There are a number of talented players in this age group who could provide the basis of future successful senior teams as well as combining with other ¡sports. This year there has been a move towards more competitions for this age group as few are involved with public exams. However, we could not be involved with them all, due to clashes with our own internal exams and also King's week. Some of the friendly matches were cancelled due to the weather, as well as needing to play the cup competitions as a priority.
The inter-house competition was won by Linacre beat Galpins in a well contested final.
wh~ ft
RESULTS
Played 11 won 8 lost 2 Abandoned 1 v Sevenoaks (H) abandoned winning 4-2 (A) Won 5-4 v Tonbridge v Brentwood (H) cancelled by opposition
The first pair of Jonny Macfarlane and Hamish Pound continued from last year, with Hamish's consistency on the groundstrokes complementing lonny's excellent technique, but with Jonny playing in the 1st IV they combined only in cup games. Nick Gent managed to fit in Swimming alongside his Tennis and formed strong pairings with Hamish as in the interhouse, with Robbie Reid, in the HSBC and with Russell Webber in the Kent Cup. Robbie has done very
Kent Schools intermediate Cup (A) v Dane Court (H) v Simon Langton (H) v Queen Elizabeth's HSBC
won w/o lost
2-4
(A) (A)
won won
5-1 6-0
v St. Gregory's
(A)
won
5-1
Final v Eltham College
(A)
lost
2-4
"B"Team v Simon Langton B v Kent College B
(A) (A)
won won
5-1 5-1
"A" Team v Simon Langton v Kent College
6-0
Semi-final
Semi-Final v Sir Joseph Williamson lost 2-4 "A"Team; Nick Gent, lonny Macfarlane, Hamish Pound, Robbie Reid, Russell Webber.
"B" Team; Will Hill, Franklin Lancaster, Andrew Northern, Shin Ogura. Also played; Jonathan Campbell, Ed Chuck. Under 14 Report The school policy is for all shell boys to attend cricket trials and then, if they are not required for a team and do not want to play cricket, can then opt for Tennis. This means that the numbers have to be small and there are not the courts or staff available to run a full program for just this year group. Therefore they join in coaching
Jonathan Kavanagh-Patel representing King's 1st IV in the final of the Kent Schools Summer Senior Boys' Competition at Benenden
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years lOOm breaststroke. He represented Division 11 (Kent and Surrey) in the English Schools National Championships held in the Isle of Man coming fifth and now has national qualifying times to compete in the Great Britain National Championships. This summer he competes in the Asian Games representing Hong Kong and thereafter in the Hong Kong long course nationals. In the Kent County ASA and East Invicta ASA championships this year Alex won four gold medals (two in new record times), two silver and one bronze medal. Not to be outdone, brother Alfred, who himself is no mean performer, won one gold, one silver and one bronze at the same championships and also has a bronze in the U 15 1OOm breaststroke from the Hong Kong nationals. In the Summer term Alex won two silver medals at the Southern Counties Championships. Another high point of the year was the Public Schools National Relay Championships held at Crystal Palace in May. Here the boys medley team (Alex Siu, Nicholas Gent, Haukur Heimisson, Richard Heywood Waddington) came first (dead heat with Lancing College) in . the small schools final, less than one second off the record, and were fifth overall. The freestyle team (Alex Siu, Alfred Siu, James Shilston, Owen Lee) came a very close second, roll on next year we can do even better - watch this space.
Will von Papen (6b in SH) representing King's 1st IV in the final of the Kent Schools Summer Senior Boys' Competition at Benenden
and matches with the Under 15's. We did manage three friendly fixtures, which showed that there is some ability among this group, but their understanding of doubles play and court positioning needs some work. My thanks to Danny Wynne and Terence Zengerink for helping to coach these younger players. SEA.
So it certainly was a second successive excellent year with additionally fourteen school records broken; Alex Siu (eight), Harriet Jones (three) and Katherine Harvey Kelly. The final two going to the Tradescant Ul5 freestyle and medley relay teams in the Inter House Swimming Gala.
RESULTS
Played 3 won 1 lost 2
Those who represented the school in swimming:
(A) lost 1-8 v Tonbridge "A" King's B v Tonbridge "B" (A) lost 2-7 v Brentwood (A) won 5-4 Team from: William Acker, Ed Chuck, Jamie Devonshire, Bill Hamilton, Daniel Lyttleton, Miki Norioka, Alex Pemberton, Sam Rudgard.
Hamish Backhouse, Isabelle Chapman, Juliet Chapman, Sabrina Chapman, James Coulson, Georgina Emary, Julia Fairbairn, Elizabeth Fitzsimmons, Nicholas Gent, Elizabeth Graves, Katherine Harvey Kelly, Haukur Heimisson, Liana Henchman, Georgina Herdman, Richard Heywood Waddington, Caroline Hollywood, Harriet Jones, Richard Lamb, Billy Lau, Calvin Lau, Owen Lee*, Mollie Maltby, Charles Marnham, Charlotte Marnham*, Oliver Martell, Jack Munro, Leonora Oldfield, Max Pearson, Katie Redstone, Simon Redstone, Owen Ross, Claire Rumbellow, James Shilston, Alex Siu *, Alfred Siu, Emma Strong, Anthony Teale, Sophie Tholstrup, Pippa Tregear, Beth Walker, Philippa Williams
Swimming This has been another excellent year for swimming with many outstanding performances in both individual and relay events. Starting the year with hard training, under the guidance of Mrs Pam Murray, many swimmers have improved their technique and personal best times and more than usual have represented school, always performing to the best of their abilities for the team against some very tough opposition.
* awarded First Colours
OWEN LEE
In the Lent term at the Kent Schools' Championships the junior boys (Alfred Siu, James Shilston, Calvin Lau, Joshua Malley (JKS)) won gold medals in new championship record times in both the freestyle and medley relays. The intermediate boys (Alex Siu, Nicholas Gent, Haukur Heimisson, Richard Heywood Waddington) won silver medals in both the freestyle and medley relays.
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Lent Term v Benenden (A) Girls Lost 138.5 - 143.5 v St Bede's v King's Rochester (H) Mixed Won 192 - 175 - 46 v St Edmund's (H) Mixed Won 140 - 68 Summer Term v St Bede's v King's Rochester v Tonbridge v Eastbourne v Epsom
Alex Siu has had an outstanding individual year, winning a gold medal in the Ul7 lOOm breaststroke at the Hong Kong National Championships and being ranked fourth in the English national rankings in the 15 165
(A) Mixed Won 119 - 114 (A) Mixed Won 160 - 111 (H) Boys Won 135 - 79 (A) Mixed Lost 152 - 156.5 - 129.5
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SPORTS DAY (Photographs by M.PH.D.)
R.C.
students
Charles Holland presenting 'The Holland Trophy' for the first time to Toby Hayes
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KING'S WEEK
Pauline Button
'Much Ado'
Florence McHugh and Alexis Gibbs in 'The Government Inspector'
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FIFTY YEARS OF KING'S WEEK
rather confused headmaster who lamented the infiltration of the school by girls though eventually revealed as not as unsusceptible as he thought he was. This character, not a million miles from the headmaster in Alan Bennett's Forty Years On, was brilliantly presented by Oliver Ford Davies 1952-57, who wisely resisted any temptation to parody the mannerisms of the headmaster who created King 's Week, Canon Shirley. Indeed, he was touched by pathos when he muttered his thanks to us for the letters of condolence we had sent him on his being passed over yet again for the promotion to the vacant Deanery, and he suggested we all boycott the Precincts uritil 5pm- actually the time when the reallife new Dean would have finished the large inaugural tea-party he was holding on the Green Court at that moment. Christopher Snell 1970-7 4 played the harassed master trying to direct the chaotic play within a play with Helena Mennell, Susie Madigan 1992-4, Jordan Frieda 1993-4 and Luke Toulson 1993-5 in As You Like It, Jeremy Paul 195358 and Jonathan Wheatley 1964-69 in Twelfth Night and ,Eliot Shrimpton 1989-94 in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Jeremy Paul's terrifying Malvolio was at on~ point ordered to play a tree, an indignity beyond even Shakespeare's brutal treatment of him. David Bond rounded things off with the song from the end of Twelfth Night ('But that's all one, our play is done, And we'll strive to please you every day.'), after which the whole audience joined pantomime fashion in the refrain of a version of 'It was a lover and his lass'. A great time was had by all, for which credit is also due to the management ultimately responsible for getting the whole show together and keeping it in one piece, Sophie Hussey, Anne-Marie Baker and Steve Bree.
THE PROGRAMME The programme presented on the afternoon of Sunday 1 July in a marquee at St. Augustine's gave a taste of many traditional aspects of King's Week music and drama performed by OKS from the whole fifty year history under the general direction of Sophie Paul (1987-1989), Matthew Townshend 19741979, James Lawrence 1983-1988 and Andrew Lyle 1965-1970. 'The Singing' proved to be a barber-shop quartet containing (with apologies) six members, since David Bond 1984-1989, Stefan Brown 1965-70, Sebastian Dawson Bowling 1987-92, James Lawrence and Andrew Lyle needed assistance with the high tenor parts from Helena Mennell 1991-96 and Jessica Stephens 1994-96. The six gave highly competent renditions of a group of traditional American barbershop songs, followed by an arrangement of Cole Porter's 'Let's do it, let's fall in love' and a couple of Negro spirituals. This inevitably slightly saccharine introduction was abruptly counterbalanced by 'The Comedy' a wildly sick sketch entitled 'Pelmet Master', in which Robin Hunter's (1979-83) manic advertising man continued to brush aside successively more awful revelations about his private life by his sidekick Lucy Sullivan, until the only way she could stop him advertising was to shoot him dead. Then James Lawrence (trombone in hand) brought on 'The Jazz', a traditional band starring Damian Simpson 1985-90 (trumpet), Graeme Parkin 1990-95 (clarinet), David Bond (piano at very short notice) and Ivo Neame 1994-99, who had been ordered to put away his tenor sax and get out his drumkit. They gave solid performances of 'Satanic Blues', 'Basin Street Blues' and 'Royal Garden Blues'. Damian Simpson deserves a special mention for continuing to lead so strongly on trumpet while needing one hand to prevent his music blowing away.
SILVESTER MAZZARELLA (1950-1956)
KING HENRY THE FIFTH 0, for a Muse offire that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention.
The full warm soprano of Tessa Spong 1986-88, ably accompanied on the piano by Robert Scott (staff), provided 'The Classical Music'; a real class act (once Robert had got his spectacles sorted out). Tessa followed Jerome Kern's 'Can't Help Lovin' That Man' from Showboat with the tragic aria 'Morro ma prima in grazia' from Verdi's Un ballo in maschera before the versatile James Lawrence came on as a Mozart baritone to sing Don Giovanni's Serenade and share the duet from the same opera 'La ci darem la mano' with Tessa, who ended the set as Gershwin's ruthless Lorelei: 'I'm lecherous, I'm treacherous, I'm going to bite my initials on Mr Pollak's neck' - and so she all but did.
There was much invention in this stirring and zestful production, and one that has inspired me to re-read the Shakespeare historical plays. From the excellent music to which the choir sang the prologues at the beginning ¡ of each act, music written by Mr. Young for this performance, to the fights choreographed by Mr. Romang, Mrs Bree's vivacious production showed that truly the game's afoot. There were many felicitous moments. Memory effortlessly brings to mind Sophie Roper and Victoria Clark as KatHerine and Alice making the most of the "franglais" scene or Alex Sanne and Rachel Tang as a very effective Pistol and Boy. Craig Sawyer and Thomas de Silva were great fun as Nym and Bardolph. Harry Lancaster (the king's uncle) and Stephan Wasserman-Fry (the Dauphin, with a convincing French accent) showed admirable understanding of the underlying tensions. Ritchie Gardiner, as the King of France, spoke with real authority; the love-suit in the final scene, which many prep schools might have
Last, but far from least came 'The Drama', a play within a play written and directed by Sophie Paul and Matthew Townshend under the appropriate title 'Fifty Years On'. Letters falling into the hands of the wrong people, neatly, if unexpectedly linked scenes from different Shakespeare plays in unlikely ways. All this was supposed to be a rehearsal for King's Week, presided over by a hidebound and autocratic, but THE CANTUARIAN, LENT
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found difficult, was executed sensitively with good understanding. Some of the minor characters were not fully sustained with conviction (it can be difficult to maintain a part with only two or three lines), which meant that on occasion, some of the court scenes lacked full authenticity, but overall the ensemble work was good with the major characters more than adequately supported.
By an unpredicted, yet explosive procession the children began to assemble on the stage. Streamers flowed across the stage held by the dancing children, creating a great contrast against the shadows of the background. Each year was distinguished by the bold colours of their costuming, ranging from pink to black, reflecting on the time of the year of their particular focus. As the lights intensified upon the children having assembled in unison the opening song 'Time is a Thing' was sung with flamboyant confidence.
To William Jennings fell the title role, which is demanding not least in its length and complexity. Henry is required to be a statesman, diplomat, soldier, cheerleader, suitor, philosopher and even simply human. Not only did William portray very effectively the many faceted nature of the king, with admirable composure and thoughtful maturity, he did so despite (or perhaps even because of?) a summer cold, which left him in the sick bay during the days of the play's production. Even the once more unto the breach speech, which is so well known that it could easily be risible, was rendered with appropriate verve and not too much rhetoric - a notable achievement. And the exhortation on the eve of Crispin's day from the king to his jaded men had a genuine electricity to it inspiring in both content and delivery.
The 'Owls' maintained the lively atmosphere in the rhythmic piece 'Ticking Clocks', which involved specific concentration on rhythmic beats, emphasised by clapping. Throughout this entertaining item various clock images were technically projected onto a back screen. 'Sun Rise', a dance presented by the 'Kingfishers' marked a sudden contrast, as the action appeared to emigrate from the stage to Australia and the songs of Rolf Harris. Red masks masked the performers' faces as they danced except for three soloists who sung above the Aboriginal styled music. Summer arrived, bringing the action back to England with the Wrens' dance to 'We're all going on a summer holiday' with a particular emphasis on ice cream. This was indeed a "celebration of the sun for the day just begun" wearing orange costumes concluding with a Congo procession.
It was very good to view a JKS play as part of King's week - not just an afterthought, but proudly standing confident of its own merits as a significant part of the week. Long may this new tradition continue! Initially, being Chaplain, I was aware that I was watching, say, Philip or Sarah or CO or Leo. But the power of the production soon helped me forget that and enter into the spirit of the play: truly now all the youth of King's School are on fire.
"Each day is different and every day is new" was sung by the Kingfishers and the Wrens in their item of "Days of the Week". Following this highly entertaining presentation the Swallows proceeded to dance to Vivaldi's 'Autumn' in order to convey the life of a plant with abundant energy.
But we in it shall be remembered
"Leaves grow dry and old,
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers
But turn to red, brown and gold"
¡or
The Robins and Swallows sang 'Days of the months' with great quality and clarity. During the following item the volume increased considerably for "Poetry and Percussion" by the Robins. The winter tree projected upon the back screen introduced a deep atmosphere of "Shiver and freeze".
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot But they'll remember with advantages what feats they did that play
FJ
"Round, Round, Round, Spring has Sprung" marked the end of the year, as the children sung in unison a song with great reflection upon "circles changing time".
THE PASSING OF TIME Through the summer round to the spring, "The Passing of Time" proved to be a dramatic show cast with each year of the pre-prep department, marking the first day of King's week.
Presentations intercepted before the finale. Mrs Mary Berg presented prizes to all pre-prep leavers. Special prizes were awarded to three individuals -
"To everything there is a season and a time for every person under heaven to love, hate, be at war or at peace".
Music Prize - George Edmundson
Music Prize- Elizabeth Hawkin The Judy Seymore- Ure Prize- Anna Hislop.
This was the opening presentation of metronome piece based on the words of "Ecclesiastes 3". Year 2 portrayed a dramatic build-up of suspense as low whispers swept through the audience of parents and reverends, who sat in almost complete darkness, but for the mellow stage lights within the superb venue of Canterbury Cathedral's Education Centre.
Photographs of around the preparatory department were shown on the screen, as the children concluded their performance singing "God Be With You". As the JKS Headmaster said, they had, "risen to the occasion with a magnificent performance". MOLLIE MALTBY 169
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Serenade in the Cloisters, under the baton of Tim Noon
THE SERENADE IN THE CLOISTERS
Mr Abott, who performed Rondino in E flat by Beethoven. The second instrumental item was a feast of imitative counterpoint selected from Purcell's Sixth Sonata played by Miranda Hurst, Claudia Wilmot-Smith and Alexander Shannon on recorders of assorted sizes. Calculated risk taker, Emma Hamilton provided the first item of the third instrumental interlude, whilst perfectly positioned between two symmetrical stone arches. With nerves of steel, she dared to play Bourees I and II from Bach's unaccompanied cello Suite No 3 in C, BWV 1009. Bach's intricate web of compound-melody was followed by The Flower Duet by Delibes. The soloists were Penelope Cox and Allissa Brookin who filled the cloisters with their perfectly blended and beautiful voices. The third instrumental section was concluded with a decorous performance of Tea for '4' arranged by Martin and performed by Kristina Barton, Emma Hamilton, Selma Oliver and Julie Peat. Thomas Hopkinson, Henrietta Pound, Amy Marshall and Emma Hamilton provided the final instrumental item, Satin Doll by Ellington (arr. Long), which they swung merrily.
FRIDAY 29 JUNE 2001 Mr Anderson, Director of Music, had two surprises for the audience this year: Firstly he was not able to conduct since he had recently broken his ankle. Secondly, it was formally announced at the beginning of the concert that he would be leaving King's at the end of the following year, in order to take up the post of Principal of the Arts Educational School, Tring. As a consequence of Mr Anderson's freak accident and his understandable lack of desire to use a crutch instead of a baton, it was Mr Noon, the School's Organist, who acted as Maestro to the choir for this event. The difficulties of alfresco performance can easily be imagined even if they have not been experienced first hand. However, the Serenade Choir, which only performs in the open air at this particular annual event, rose to the challenge admirably under the guidance of their guest conductor. Their performances were both, exciting and rhythmic in Mother I will have a husband by Thomas Vautor, and soft and sensitive in We.ep, 0 mine eyes by John Bennet. Furthermore, they d1d not allow their projection of the emotion contained within the music to detract from their diction, whether singing in English or French.
The finale of the concert was naturally performed by the Serenade Choir, who sang the American Spiritual Steal Away to Jesus. However, it was not the version arranged by Tippett that was performed on this occasion, but a more harmonically decadent version by Bob Chilcott. This served as a superb preparation for those that attended the meditation in the Memorial Chapel, which directly followed this event.
Interspersed between the various madrigals, chansons and arrangements were a number of instrumental items. The first of these was a Wind Ensemble, conducted by THE CANTUARIAN, LENT
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KING'S WEEK LUNCHTIME CONCERTS
My selections are admittedly subjective and many other performances deserve much praise. For the sake of archival completeness, a full list of the performers is provide below:
THE OLD SYNAGOGUE
Adam Baker, Conrad Baker, Gerard Baker, Kristina Barton, Pauline Button, Jonathan Campbell, Juliet Chapman, Penelope Cox, Hannah Fryatt, Alexand~a Fletcher, Fenella Fletcher, Lucy Goodman, Stephame Hall, Emma Hamilton, Leoni Hamway, Rebecca Hamway, Thomas Hopkinson, Emma Hiddleston, Tessa Grabel, Suzannah Johnson, Caroline Jones, Franklin Lancaster, Alexa Leslie, Imogen Lewis, HeeJ ay Lim, Kathryn MacLean, Charlotte Marnham, Edmund Melik-Mourad, Claire Moorcroft, Talitha Pollock-Hill, Muffy Prentice, Hannah Redman, Rupert Reid, Phoebe Rose, Elena Ruthven, Alexander Shannon, Frances Steel, Sophie Tholstrup, Timothy Traill, Susannah Warfe, Jessica Watson, Megan Williams
There were four Lunchtime Concerts during King's Week this year, all of which were held in The Old Synagogue at 1.30 p.m. These occasions were well supported and are a wonderful demonstration of the work pupils had done throughout the year, both as soloists and in ensembles. Since there is not enough space in the Cantuarian to write about all the performances, I have selected four that I considered to have been in some way notable. I particularly enjoyed Kristina Barton and Emma Hamilton's performance of Variations on a Theme from Don Giovanni for two reasons: Firstly, I thought the arrangement for two cellos was especially fine. Each part had been cleverly devised so that the interweaving cello parts produced implied harmony of great complexity for the genre. Secondly, this music was performed very sensitively and with careful consideration to articulation and phrasing, so that the two cellists sounded like one.
T. J. UGLOW
ROUND MIDNIGHT FRIDAY 29 JUNE 2001
Thomas Hopkinson is by far the youngest person I have ever heard singing Schumann's song cycle, Dichterliebe. Whilst his voice did not have the power (which comes with age) that is required for these exquisite songs to be heard at their best, his interpretation was particularly musical and w~ll communicated. He did not perform the whole cycle m a lunchtime concert, but selected for us movements 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7.
Producer- Will Davies (MO) Reviewer - Dr lain Bentley Review Will Davies and his talented sidekicks entertained a packed and appreciative audience in The Pupil Social Centre for their 'Round Midnight' performance on Friday evening. The weather was hot and so was the music. A less experienced outfit might have been fazed by an unwanted improvisation at the end of the otherwise excellent 'Periscope', or the disappearance of some sheet music following Charly Harrison's excellent vocals (including Paper Moon), but Will & Co re-grouped and continued in style. I enjoyed 'Perdido' and 'Sandu' especially. A varied repertoire allowed enthusiastic vocalists Mishka Adams & Laure Stockley to forcefully suggest, 'Let's call the whole thing off'.
Another set of songs, Vaughan Williams' Songs of Travel (Nos 1, 5, 6, 8 & 9) were performed by Rupert Reid and Edmund Melik-Mourad who alternated between movements. Both performers seemed entirely at ease with their 'new' voices and consequently they performed with great confidence and flair. The String Quartet No 1 in D major, Op 11 by Tchaikovsky was performed by Conrad Baker, Alexa Leslie, Imogen Lewis and Phoebe Rose. This is an exuberant movement and these players projected the playful nature of the music very effectively ~hrough their precise rhythms. If I was to offer a qmbble, I might suggest that the Trio might have bee~ made slightly mellower; nevertheless a very enJoyable performance.
All the instrumentalists were given ample opportunities to impress with their solo skills, including trumpets, (Toby Davies & Harry Pope), saxophones, (Miranda Hur~t & J am~s Wells~' electnc bass, (Oli Humphrey), p1ano, (Will Davies), and percussion, (Tom More~ & Chris Ryan?. Before the interval, we even witnessed the bizarre vocal combination of Charlie Harrel's 'Let's get it on' accompanied by big Jack Martin. After a necessary refreshments interlude for a ploughman's and drinks, the second half continued with a broad range of instrumentals and vocals, including Claudia 'the voice' Kennaugh's dynamic interpretation of 'Love me or leave me', Mishka Adams' cool rendition of 'It don't mean a thing if it aint got swing' and Alexa Leslie's 'Am I losing my mind'. We might well expect excellence from the 6a leavers including Will Davies, Oli Humphrey, James Wells & Tom Morey, but perhaps one of the highlights was the excellent performance of the younger band
Music at Lunchtime Four left to right: Hee-Jae Lim, Elena Ruthven, Megan Williams 171
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of this event fifty years ago who had heard about our production and read the programme notes I had w:itten for it. Mr B.J.M. Simpson gained a scholarship to study French and German at Queen's College, Oxford, immediately after the end of the Second World War. Being an able linguist, he subsequently took up Russian. Proper provision for the teaching of this new subject at the time was limited and Mr Simpson had to undertake a good deal of independent study. It obviously served him well as his talents were very much welcomed at King's. As he raises so many interesting points in his letter, I thought it important to bring it to a wider audience. I am grateful to him for giving permission to reproduce it here. CHRIS BANFIELD DIRECTOR OF DRAMA
Dear Mr Banfield When I started the Russian class at King's in 1951, Roger Symon was, I believe, Captain of the School. My friends on the staff were Ralph Blunman (later Head of History at Malvern who lectured to the Sixth For}P last year); Tom Neales (later a don at Melbourne University) who sent me the news of The Inspector General and whose granddaughter Penny has just left King's; Andrew Mackintosh and Paul Pollak; and Paul Wenley whom we used to visit when he was housemaster of Meister Omers. 'Extraordinary tapestry', as you say. Was it Lowes Dickinson who minted the wonderful phrase 'the hooks and eyes of memory' , in writing of Coleridge?
Toby Davies in 'Round Midnight' members who will return next year - Miranda Hurst, Andrew Laing, Toby Davies, Tom Ready, Nikki Mukki & Chris Ryan. The versions of Watermelon Man, Misty, and Mercy, Mercy , Mercy were particularly tight and tuneful. We could have even imagined we were all at Ronnie Scotts, and all the musicians are to be congratulated on a memorable performance and an excellent atmosphere. The sound balance was acoustically fine, and reflected the long hours of rehearsal and preparation, although with time, some of the musicians may learn to play with more finesse rather than sheer volume. I also confess my disappointment at the absence of the clarinet. As one who has been brought up to appreciate the jazz from Bessie Smith through Humphrey Lyttleton, to Ball Barber & Bilk, I have learned something about boundaries. For instance, the King's 'Traditional' group doesn't exactly play 'Trad' jazz, so I assume that 'traditional' infers popular, standard 20th century songs as compared to the free-form 'Modern' Jazz Group. You live and learn. Thanks to Will & Co for 'Round Midnight'.
In connection with the first King's Week, it was, I believe, a member of my Russian class who asked if I could suggest a Russian piece to perform. I selected the short scene where Hlestakov fools and is fooled by Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky. H. J. Frampton played Hlestakov. We rehearsed it in the garden of The Grange where I was lodged ÂŁ400 a year in my first job); no props or costumes. The cast read the play in a good translation by D. J. Campbell (Sylvan Press 1947) and learned their parts which I wrote out for them from the Russian text which I had purchased at Blackwells. I expect I wrote a synopsis for the programme. Does it still exist in the archives? I am now 74 and the actors will be near the formal state pension age. I have not heard of them since I left King's in 1954 to take up a post at Harrow. In 1956 I left teaching and joined BP. I have never been to Russia. The Inspector General is a fine choice for a school play. I hope you directed it as satirical comedy not farce. Belinsky wrote of the play that it 'constructed a self-sufficient world of its own' and Gogol wrote at the end of his life: 'In The Government Inspector I tried to gather in one heap all that was bad in Russia. I wished to turn it all into ridicule. The real impression produced was that offear.'
JIB INTRODUCTION TO THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR The Government Inspector (alternatively known as The Inspector General) was my first production for King's Week and coincided with the 50th year of this annual summer festival organised by the school. While preparing the production, I made the serendipitous discovery that extracts from Gogol 's play had been performed- in Russian - at the very first King's Week in 1952. During the ¡e.nsuing summer holidays I received a remarkable letter from the master in charge THE CANTUARIAN, LENT
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In rereading the great classics of Russian 19th century literature - albeit now in English translation especially Gogol and Chekhov, I hear the sound of distant thunder, or is it gunfire? BERNARD SIMPSON
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'The Government Inspector' - Alexis Gibbs and Tim Trillo 173
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THE ARCHDEACON'S GARDEN CONCERT
THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR The afternoon was hot, the programmes as fans fluttered and the audience were treated to one of the funniest plays ever staged as part of King's Week. The Government Inspector by Gogol sets up a tremendous farcical situation of mistaken identity and shows us just how ridiculous and self seeking we can all become. Mr Banfield's use of stark physical movement to enhance the comedy was outstanding. Every moment punctuated with a sudden reaction towards the audience and exchanges between characters turned into fox trots and tangos.
SATURDAY 30 JUNE 2001 One of the great delights of King's Week is the Archdeacon's Garden Concert. Archdeacon and Mrs Pritchard kindly agree to the invasion of their beautiful garden every year and provide us with a music venue which is surely one of the most stunning in Britain. The concert is largely a compilation of the unusual, sometimes quirky items that do not fit into any other concert but. find a perfect niche here, and for 2001 King's cello teacher Jane Hyland volunteered to assemble twelve pupils for the first musical item.
All this hilarious action was punctuated by musical interruptions brilliantly performed by the brass ensemble under the direction of Carmel Spencer. - What is it about a trombone that makes comedy funnier? There were plenty of memorable performances, particularly Rebecca Frere as the postmistress and the comedy duo of Annabelle Brice and Kate Wood as Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky. I felt a touch of Victoria Wood in the mother and daughter partnership played by Elizabeth Mercer and Eleanor Short. And the whole would not be complete without the unmistakable presence of Bob Milford and John Parker as the two keystone Cop style policemen. Shades of their 1996 King's Week performance in The Pirates of Penzance! Lastly, Alexsis Gibbs as the redoubtable Government Inspector and Tim Trillo as his sidekick Osip made my afternoon complete. Sometimes the hardest thing to achieve on stage is the correct reactions of those not speaking. Not so in this production. Every reaction and move was choreographed and carefully assembled. The final party scene in particular built to an outrageously funny conclusion. In this his first King's Week production, Mr Banfield has certainly carved out his rightful place in the festival's history.
Recorders - Archdeacons Garden Concert left to right: Alexander Shannon, Claudia Wilmot-Smith, Miranda Hurst
After much shuffling about with music, chairs and clothes pegs - the weather was sunny but windy - the very mellow sound of thirteen cellos grow led out. Led by Jane Hyland who played, nodded- people in and occasionally conducted with flourishes of her bow, the group played Impromptu by Klengel, a medley of Beatles' songs and finished with Cellophant Boogie by Le Feive which painted a very good musical picture of a large but lively pachyderm.
BRIDGET BREE
The twelve cellists were: Gerard Baker, Kristina Barton, Nicola Carey, George Coltart, Emma Hamilton, Katharine Hunter-Johnson, Susannah Jacques, Andrew Laing, Anna McDonald, Edmund Melik-Mourad, Selma Oliver, Julie Peat, Phoebe Rose and Annabel Trew. The Jones sisters, Caroline and Harriet, sang When lo, by break of morning, and Sweet nymph, come to thy lover and were followed by the recorder trio who previously captivated us with Renaissance recorders during the Serenade. This time Miranda Hurst, Claudia Wilmot -Smith and Alexander Shannon played The Great Pumpkin by Beutler and Badinerie by Bach on regular bass and treble recorders. Henrietta Pound, who has a haunting and clear voice, then sang The Singer by Head. Wonderfully quirky was Geographical Fugue by Ernst Toch. Best described as a Beckett (Samuel, not
Archdeacon's Garden A rare sighting of Ed Melik-Mourad playing the cello
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audience adroit and mature. There were wonderful moments of tension between them which threatened to spill out into open argument but which were subsumed by an East-coast-like finesse (so near our British 'stiff upper lip'). Compatible with this was the almost condescending pleasure with which they introduced the 'simple' provincial folk of Grover's Comer.
Thomas a) inspired rhythmic vocal chant of place names by Megan Williams, Alexandra Cocksworth, Alfred Williams and Alexander Shannon. You had to be there to believe the variety of shade and meaning Alfred Williams put into the one word Trinidad. Masterly. We have lost the bassoon ensemble, but Adam Baker, his new, larger accordion and various combinations of his brothers seem set to take its place. Adam, Conrad - violin, and Gerard - cello, started with an arrangement by Adam of the Rodrigues tango that everyone can hum, which is actually called La Cumparsita. Next we had solo accordion as Adam played (a Gaze by Marceau. Then, appropriately as the family are now based in Vienna, he finished with the Theme from 'The Third Man' accompanied by senior Baker, Conrad on mandolin.
Every character was there to fulfil the overall purpose of building up the essentially historical existence of Grover's Corner: we saw the busy pride of papermen, the policeman and milkman (played with an infinite care for detail by Tim J agdelman, Diccon Harvey, Faiz Shivji and Alexander Quayle respectively). There were superbly crafted cameo roles: the understated drunkenness of Oliver Butler's Simon Stimson, the self-destructive desolately lonely town musician; the outsider returned to remember at the gravesides of his former friends and neighbours, so well interpreted by Niccolo Luccini; the dessicated knowledge given with such intrinsic love and care by the resident power-brain Professor Willard (alias, Alex Shannon - a bit of seeping into reality there!). Additionally, we enjoyed the happy gossiping enthusiasm of Charlotte Cray's Mrs Soames and Alex Cocksworth's severe yet essentially kind drug store owner, Mrs Morgan.
Another perfect King's Week afternoon ended with Tim Noon's Close Harmony Group swinging along in fine style. Regrettably, a lengthy Ordination Service in the Cathedral meant that they swung along without Tim Noon, but Penny Cox, Leonie and Rebecca Hamway, Selma Oliver, Tom Hopkinson, Jack Standen, and Will Davies never missed a beat. JF
OUR TOWN
The two families around which the fortunes of the play were built, the Gibbs and the Webbs, were impressively created. There were the brisk family intimacies of breakfasts taken before the outside world was faced. Thornton Wilder's habit of arranging simultaneous family events, weaving two separate conversations together to show us how similarly people function and how their lives are inextricably entwined, is a strategy so naturally done that we forget the absence of walls, as we forget the leaps into the past or the barriers broken down between the living and the dead, later in the play. Interior tensions, between parent and child, between siblings, and the growing intimacies between the two young people played by Richard Haywood-Waddington and Emma Scott; these were all portrayed with sensitivity and feeling, as were the varying needs and hopes of the younger children, Laura Moncrieffe and Muffy Prentice.
(Thornton Wilder)
This was a brave choice for this year's junior play: the intimate venue of StMary's Hall was perfect for a play which requires giant leaps of credibility of an audience, but the play also asks of its young actors a wealth of life experience and a cultural assimilation which they could not at this age have acquired. However, Marco Liviero's skilled and sensitive direction, together with the untold hours he spent with his cast discussing the social contexts and the emotional challenges of this very intense play, resulted in performances of quite astonishing intensity. In a sense, the opening of the play deliberately wrong-footed us: the two stage managers, a splitting of Wilder's original single character into two competitive performers 'Yhose mutual dislike was barely covered by busy efficiencies, began the play with a waspish disagreement about the set. Francesca Kozul-Wright and Talitha Pollock Hill split this character between them admirably: their stage presences were impressively controlled and relaxed; their relationships with the
Overall, this was an impressive array of performances. Even more searching, however, was what was required of Suzannah Wharfe, Serena Gosden-Hood, Ed Flower and Robin Bailey because: they had to deliver credible characters whose life experiences were way beyond their years. To play four middle-aged adults, reconciled to the disappointments of life, living pleasures and pains through their children, experience the acute grief of the loss of a child: these were no mean feats. The final scene, in which the bereaved and the dead came face to face, was difficult to watch for all the best reasons. Many of the audience wept. It would not be right to record only the tragic aspects of this wonderful production. There were moments of subtle comedy too: Thornton Wilder's intrinsic affection for humanity was never far away, especially in the moments of misunderstanding between parents and children or in the wry comments passed between spouses who knew each other better than they knew themselves.
Emma Scott and Richard Heywood- Waddington in 'Our Town' 175
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Traditional Japanese melody, was unusual and intriguing, and the finale, 'Macavity' and 'Mr Mistofelees' from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats, was accomplished with theatrical panache and obvious enjoyment from the choir.
The production was well supported by Miss Janet Taylor's and Hannah Hiester's choice of costumes, with their finely tuned attention to period detail and their eye for subtle colour, was just right. Rupert Reid's technical expertise was, as always quietly efficient and appropriate. This was a fine farewell from Dr Liviero: the fourth play he had directed in the short time he was with us. We wish him well for his future at Eton. Meanwhile, the best tribute we can give him is to see these very talented actors again in this academic year's productions. Well done to all.
This exciting concert was especially significant since it was Timothy Noon's final appearance with the choir that he founded in 1998. The concert concluded with a speech by Frances Steel, on behalf of the choir, in thanks of Mr Noon's hard work and encouragement over the last 3 years.
CEP
MYFANWY WALTERS
CHAMBER CHOIR CONCERT
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
SUNDAY 1 JULY 2001
It is not easy to direct a Shakespeare play. The expectations of audiences and actors alike are very high indeed, and these days all the more so, after cinemagoers have been subjected to endless filmic versions of the Bard's work- some of them extremely convincing - in a welcome attempt to show how his "coqf' verse can be "relevant" and "awesome" alike. Maqy recent R.S.C. productions have indeed tried very hard to make the audience forget they were in the theatre by using all manners of techno-tricks and cinematic devices.
The Sunday of King's Week coincided with the Installation of the new Dean, and it was the unexpected duration of this grand occasion that was responsible for the Assistant Cathedral Organist, Timothy Noon, and Organ Scholar, Timothy Uglow, missing their next engagement; the charriber choir 'dress rehearsal' . Mr Noon and Mr Uglow adroitly negotiated the crowds of guests who were leisurely leaving the service in the direction of tea in Green Court. Meanwhile, at the Shirley Hall the girls of the chamber choir took control as they coolly organised themselves for the impending concert, ready for the last minute arrival of their conductor and accompanist. The girls' confident ¡performance appeared completely undisturbed by the less than ideal circumstances. This is a great credit to their hard work and increasing experience of performance.
This production of Ado was utterly, simply and unashamedly theatrical. Elizabeth Pidoux' s direction perfectly conveyed not just the effete beauty of Shakespeare's language, but also its muscularity and sexiness. The audience's eyes and ears were treated, overwhelmed and taken over as they partook in this banquet of language, passion, rich velvet, codpieces and banana skins. It is all too easy to speak Shakespeare beautifully, yet all the actors understood the substance behind the polished surface of his language, ¡and when used creatively language can flatter, caress, hurt and threaten to kill, sometimes within the same sentence.
The Chamber Choir presented a varied and exciting concert of music ranging from emotive to flamboyant. The programme began with short pieces by Holman, Willcocks, Lindley and Rutter, to which choir's bright and steady tone was well suited. Couperin's Christo Resurgenti was executed stylishly, and the beautifully phrased Laudate Dominum by Mozart ended with a soaring cadenza-like solo by Susannah Jacques. Pie Jesu from Faure's Requiem was moving, and contrasted well with the ebullient All Things Bright and Beautiful by Rutter.
Eighteenth century productions of this play preferred the title Benedick and Beatrice, as they clearly felt attracted by those ingredients in the tale which focus on two of the most popular characters Shakespeare ever created. It is also possible that Love's Labour's Won, a "lost" play mentioned in Palladis Tamia was indeed the original title for this piece. It would make sense. After all, this is a comedy which centres on the battle of the sexes, youthful hopes of love, the frustrations of unrequited affection and the sentimental skirmishes which most of us have had to face. Charlie Harrel and Katie Redstone could not have better shown the subtle chemistry of two proud people in love. From the very beginning they were able to display the sexual tension of two old lovers, their merry war - of words - being the natural expression of two deeply hurt hearts. Their performance showed Shakespeare at his best: subtle, funny, biting, moving and poignant. Beatrice's exploding passion and Benedick's protestations of love will remain with us for a long time. Harrel's Benedick was a triumph of comic timing and understanding, his slightly scruffy exterior a reminder to the audience of his status as an outsider, which is just as well, as Messina can be a very
The programme also included instrumental and vocal solo items by members of the choir. Poppy Mitchell and Pippa Tregear gave a sprightly rendition of Albinoni's Oboe duo Concerto a Cinque Op. 9 no. 3 in F major, and the Allegro con brio from Schubert's String Quartet in G minor, played by Fenella Fletcher, Megan Williams (violins), Charlotte Greenwood (viola), and Flora Cooke (Cello), contained some wonderful moments. Harriet Jones, in 'Non so piu cos a son, cos a faccio ', treated the audience to a confident performance of a piece well suited to her voice. As the choir's final chord of Lole's The Father's Love died away, the sound of the compline bell drifted through the open door of the Shirley Hall, summoning accompanist Timothy Uglow back to the Cathedral. The remainder of the concert was thus directed with great flair by Timothy Noon from the piano. Sakura, a
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James Ellis
Charlotte Wheeler
Victoria Lamb
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unpleasant place to inhabit. Redstone's comic heroine displayed a range of emotions which is rarely found in amateur drama. Beatrice is, after all, the lady who at the same time claims to "sit in the corner and cry heigh-ho for a husband", whilst holding on to the driving seat, in charge as she is of her destiny; the one who can ask the person she has always loved to kill his best friend, yet show the soul of a true poet. I was in turn delighted, baffled, amused and moved to tears by their superb performances.
easily be handled by pandering to cliches. It is after all, a tale about young people in love who will eventually get together as it is to this end that Shakespeare begins to "spin so fine a story". The conclusion is indeed happy. Jack shall have Jill, Benedick shall have Beatrice, the labours of love shall be won and all shall be well, if at a price. Yet this is not the whole story, and this production allowed us to probe into the most dark and unpleasant aspects of this story whilst maintaining its comic power and the elegant harmony of its verse. This sunny comedy of amorous matters and human evil will never be forgotten.
What was exceptionally interesting in this particular production was the care with which director and actors concentrated in portraying the relationship between Claudio and Don Pedro. Mark Cresswell's Pedro was slimingly camp, presumptuously self-assured and arrogant to the utmost, a perfect foil to James Ellis's Claudio, whose smarmy manners and matinee idol looks betrayed his real nature: a calculating fortune seeker, who does not regret or understand the enormity of his mistake in falsely accusing Hero - played with tenderness and sensitivity by Vick Lamb - and who is only too happy to trade trust, friendship and honour for the sake of personal gain. His last embrace with Benedick, far from satisfying anyone that "all shall be well" poignantly reminded us that if life is not, usually, a smoothly constructed fairytale in which everyone lives happy ever after, neither are the best Shakespearean comedies. Nicholas Cullen was a moving and convincing Leonato, perfectly matched by Jagruti Dave, who masterfully turned Antonio's manlike threats on behalf of his maligned niece into exquisite feminine fury. Jack Martin's sinister Don John embodied a mixture of frustration, disgust and hatred for the world around him as did his partners in crime, Henry Aldridge and Charlie Wheeler, whose machinations and misdirected love for their master were a treat to watch. Sophie Tholstrup and Lucinda Hird's fine performances as Margaret and Ursula further defined the fascinatingly matriarchal environment of Leonato's Sicilian household, a place where men like to think they can rule, only to find out that women do it more effectively and wisely. Kate Snow and James Berry brought Dogberry and Verges's earthy comedy and malapropisms to the fore - with the help of the occasional vegetable - as did Tom Andrews and Marcus Yorke in their wonderfully surreal portrait of the Watchmen, freshly landed in Messina from the planet of the apes. Ambar Walia, Annabel Trew, Matthew Spurway, John Standen and John Hamway together with the Ladies of the court completed the portrait with impeccable timing as they danced with nimble feet, and Shakespeare's verse. Finally, special mention should be made of Tom Hopkinson, whose rendition of Sigh no more, ladies created a moment of rare and simple theatrical beauty. The marvellous costumes and the set masterfully conceived by Liana Henchman, Sarah Haynes, Claire Moorcroft, Muffie Prentice, Connie Pidoux, Annabel Trew and Irene Leung put the final touches to this rich tapestry of a play.
MARCO LIVIERO
BACKSTAGE CREWS . There have always been individuals who quietly and without fuss fulfil the tasks necessary to the completion of a production. Most notably, Matthew Gray has toiled away tirelessly for the five years that he was with us, helping to build sets, rig and operate lighting and sound, and make props (I can remember himlturning up at my classroom door quite casually witti a two-tier wedding cake of papier mache, as if making one of these in a lunchtime were the most natural thing in the world). Beyond the help of individual pupils, we have enjoyed the invaluable help and advice of some matrons (Mrs Gill Smith, Mrs Marianne Whittingdale and Mrs Maudie Behrens, most notably) who have given of their precious free time to make, collect and maintain costumes and props: their help has been absolutely invaluable.
'Technical consultation'
A new group of backstage workers formed just over a year ago. It is growing in number and deserves recognition. This is the group of pupils, overwhelmingly from the 5th form, who have quietly developed sewing skills to the point where they can make costumes from scratch or renovate professional ones. This group formed in the Summer Term of King's Week 2000, when budget limitations required that if we wanted to produce two period melodramas ('Poison, Passion and Petrification' and 'The Crimson Cocoanut'), and our vision was to present a strong visual effect involving specific colour schemes, then we would have to design and make some of the major costumes ourselves. The original large group worked with Tom Ellis, our then artist in residence, on concepts for the abstract set, and then the group split;
This was a production which showed extraordinary understanding and sensitivity; for Shakespeare 's comedies, for an audience's expectations, and theatre in general. Much Ado is a comedy which can only too
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Drama is all about in schools: that we work side by side with the pupils, and that pupils find their own niches and develop their skills so that we can work together to build up teams of specialists. Drama in all its forms is developing fast at this school. Let's keep it going now. My sincere thanks go to our Director of Drama, Mr Chris Banfield and to Mr Steve Bree for encouraging us all in this expanding venture of extracurricular Drama. CEP
some assisting Tom on the construction and design of the sets; some coming my way to design and construct costumes. Prototypes were sewn in cheesecloth, materials were painstakingly selected and then the long process of making began. We worked without patterns. Such a project, the creation of three fe_male costumes, one Art Nouveau and two Art Deco took many weeks, not only was there the basic sewing to execute, by hand and by machine, but the costumes must be trimmed with sequins, bugle beads and feathers, all attached by hand. Such an undertaking requires hundreds of hours of work, much of it completed in anti-social hours.
THE JAZZ CONCERT 'Nobody has ever been able to define Jazz satisfactorily. This is probably because anyone who was capable of doing so never really wanted to. '(Miles Kington)
This year, we hired superbly beautiful costumes for 'Much Ado About Nothing', all impressive in their way but sadly damaged and aged. Accordingly, the team reformed to renovate the costumes, darning holes with silks, rethreading hooks, sewing up loose hems, embellishing damaged decorations on bodices and sleeves. The results were impressive and I sent the costumes back to the RSC confident that they were returning to the Stratford warehouse in better condition than they were in when they arrived.
I shall not, as I am not in any position to try, despite a yearning desire to pin down exactly what kind of ghost can arouse such pleasure and excitement from mellow men with pointy beards and otherwise superbly calm dispositions. However, there was a distinct lack of this breed in the Shirley Hall this evening yet the reaction from the packed audience of somewhat more refined personnel was fantastic.
This group is dominated by pupils whose efforts have been recognised on programmes, along with some, gentlemen included, who have passed quietly in and out of F3 to sew on buttons and sequins and whose names have not been recorded. This is surely what
After the slick compere introduction by Fred Williams, in strolled the two leaders, Will Davies and Tom Morey, in startling white jacket, bow tie, shirt and
Jessica Watson, Miranda Hurst, Barnaby Race and Hamish Backhouse in the Jazz Concert 179
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melange of voices required an incredible feel for the syncopation and when this was accompanied by the quality of tone that the nine singers possessed the effect was enchanting. 'Skylark' saw excellent soprano and tenor voices added to by stunning contributions in the following two pieces from Leonie Hamway, Alto, and Tom Hopkinson, Tenor. This style of singing requires huge amounts of confidence and purity of sound from each member of the group; thus the impressive nature of the final product is a tribute to Tim Noon and makes it all the more sad that he is leaving.
trousers, and the more traditional white jacket, black bow and trousers respectively. The full sound of the ensemble Jazz Orchestra soon projected out the 'curvaceous' tones of the Montooth arrangement of Cole Porter's 'Anything Goes'. The solo from Becca Hamway's trumpet picked up the audience's enthusiasm. The bold discharge from the brass section intermingled beautifully with the smoother mellow saxophones. The next piece, 'Round Midnight', saw a subtle prelude to Harry Pope's cool, calm, collected trumpet solo swiftly followed by Leonie Hamway on horn. This was illustrated with some changes of pace and style that blended into the balmy melody to swell out over the audience.
The Modern Jazz Group responded with some high quality performances from the two trumpeters, Harry Pope and Toby Davies, with some delicious sax from Miranda and yet another supreme triumph from the piano as Will Davies worked his magic. (Perhaps a slightly larger audience than in the Pizza Express Jazz club?) Toby then exuded an interesting Iberian style to finish the piece. Will Davies' own creation followed, Slam Dunk ... the Funk. With essences of the eighties and inspired improvisation from the Davies duo and Miranda Hurst as well as an amazing solo from Chris Ryan to justify Tom Morey's earlier comment that he is ' l¡ .. exceptionally good'. The audience lit up as the cheese was brought out in the form of Charlie Harrel, a veritable Marvin Gaye with 'Let's Get It On' assisted by sensual backing vocals from Jack Martin. Si Ribchester sponsored some fabulous image with extraordinary cuffs, pink guitar and purple velvet jacket as well as producing some great accompaniment. Leonie Hamway gave a very potent performance that conjured a huge reaction from the audience.
The trad-jazz group ensued as Toby Davies and James Wells were invited to the front of the stage. Both the blue and white bow ties and the tenor sax, trumpet concoction created a tasty contrast as this piece was the first to get all those people who really deep down wanted to be a man with a pointy beard to start nodding their heads to the beat. Harry Pope emerged from the bank of brass to perform a fruity cocktail of a solo followed by Will's elegant attack on the pii:mo and the mature tone of Toby Davies' trumpet and gravel from James Wells. 'Witchcraft' exhibited that groovy Jazz feel of growth and withdrawal underpinned by easy brushes from Tom Morey on the drums. After a brief sally from the stage, James returned, hiding behind his monstrous baritone sax. Miranda Hurst came alongside to match the growling antics of James in a harmonious duo, followed by sensitive solos from each. Enter the Modern Jazz Group with 'Moment's Notice', an up beat climbing number that gave Will the opportunity to swing himself around the keyboard, creating a simply awesome improvisation; Harry Pope followed in similar vain through to Toby Davies, all of which were received with rapturous applause as Tom Morey instilled some exciting rhythms towards the end. Some of that lusty blues feel succeeded in 'Night Train' helped by specific individual performances from The Davies brothers, Mr. Wells, Miss. Hurst and Tom Morey with his first solo of the evening. Charly Harrison floated out her vocal piece gracefully across the hall with her characteristic involvement with her lyrics. Not an easy act to follow, yet Claudia Kennaugh managed it in excellent style with great maturity of tone ... I'm sorry, did someone actually pay her to come to this?
The Orchestra joined together once more to wish the audience a parting farewell with a superb rendition of 'It's only a Paper Moon'.
KID ACO THE KING'S DANCE COMPANY Ignoring the fact that the entirety of this interpretation of Romeo and Juliet was organised solely by a group of fifteen year old pupils, it is possible to praise this production to the highest extent, for this mixture of dance, song and Shakespeare was displayed with such style, and was so well composed that certain aspects of it were simply stunning.
The Orchestra united once more to witness Toby Davies lead away from the pack with a creamy solo the likes of which James Wells is known for, so he duly obliged so as not to feel left out. Will went out once more to round up the first half. At this point I feel as though I ought to mention the important steady role that Oli Humphrey played with solid electric and double bass. 'Lester Leaps In' brought us back in again after the interval, with a robust saxophone entry from the Big Band; Miranda Hurst's cascading solo flowed above the brass, and Toby Davies ~allowed with considerable panache and life. 'Misty~ the cool cucumber of resistance allowed Barnaby Race to carry the exquisite tune across the audience.
It would have been so easy to concentrate merely on the performing, and this alone would have ¡been impressive. Yet the technical side of this production was extremely well organised and rehearsed, so that the production was greatly enhanced due to the gratified back-drops, the use of the microphones, the efficient and effective organisation of both music and lighting, and the costumes, all of which maintained the style and atmosphere established by the performers. Therefore, special praise must go to the technical crew whose professional nature, greatly exceeded that seen in most amateur productions.
The performers themselves were magnetic, immediately gripping the audience with the confidence that they exuded. The performance opened with the
The Close Harmony group then congregated at the front for 'I got Rhythm'. As the title suggests, this
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One of the earlier scenes saw little Rose Mclaren, in a green dancing dress and ballet shoes, being thrown about in an elegant dance by Mike Stevens, playing Tybalt. This encouraged the audience to warm to the performance, to which Mike responded with enthusiasm, enhancing his MCing and also the impressively stylised fight between Chuko, Nick, Patrick and himself. Nicola Carey, also being one of the choreographers, consistently danced with noticeable style and considerable talent; herself and Charlotte Townsend being especially noted for their tap dancing, which increased the huge range of styles of dancing within the show. All the singing was outstanding, special mention going to the unaccompanied group of singers, who established the unusually sobre mood in the wedding scene with their lulling harmonies. Finally, it is necessary to praise the directors, choreographers and performers - Claudia Kennaugh and Aislinn Mulligan. Both were outstanding within the performance, as they reacted to the audience ~nd performed with so much style. However, I would hke to particularly praise Claudia's unforgettable voice and Aislinn's gymnastic talents, which ensured that they were admired both for their performance on stage and also for their incredible feat of organising an hour long production, using pupils within their year or above.
KiDaCo production of 'Romeo and Juliet'
entrance of the Capulets and the Montagues, two groups of girls dressed in order to illustrate to which group they belonged. The conflict between these two groups was portrayed by, not only the aggressive dances with which they began, as each group battled for supremacy, but by the facial expression and body language of every single performer, traits which added the final touch to the performance. This first dance, as with the following dances, was extremely well choreographed and rehearsed, with both music and dance establishing the mood of the scene. Yet the most admirable factor was the style and confidence with which every girl danced, thus gaining instant respect from the audience. This remained constant throughout the performance, meaning that any mistakes were overlooked. Following this was the first of many brief interludes of dialogue. These were delivered with sufficient understanding and expression to allow the audience to follow the plot, which was otherwise expressed by the dances and such like. Particularly impressive were Florence Norman's and Emma Hiddleston's delivery of these lines, being Juliet and a servant, respectively.
The entire performance was so unforgettable that it is hard to believe that it is only pupils who can claim credit for what was an enormous success. KATIE REDSTONE
ORGAN RECITAL WEDNESDAY 4 JULY IN THE CATHEDRAL This year's organ recital was shared by three talented organists and their teacher. Adam Baker was first to take his place at the console. He began his contribution by playing Psalm Prelude set 2 no 1 De profundis by Herbert Howells. This piece begins ve~y softly on the swell strings and, unfortunately, th1s delicate start was almost completely obliterated by the noise of inconsiderate tourists. However, eventually 'from the depths' of heathen utterances the beautifully phrased music of Howells emerged and grew to a volume against which, not even a school-party of French tourists could compete. The second piece Adam offered was Komm Heiliger Geist (BuxWV 199) by Dietrich Buxtehude. Buxtehude's choral preludes are notoriously difficu~t .to perfo_rm convincingly. .For my taste, Adam s mterpretatwn lacked momentum at times, which probably resulted from a cautious tempo. Joie et clarte des corps glorieux (from Les Corps Glorieux) by Olivier Messiaen was next on the menu. This contrasted well with the previous pieces and immediately engaged the audience. The opening chords of this work are particularly difficult to play accurately, but there were
From Chuko Esiri's first entrance, as Romeo, it was clear why he was chosen for the part. With enviable and expressive dance movements, which clearly established the respect that this Romeo commanded, and an equally impressive talent at MCing, he complimented Florence Norman's confidently performed songs and ease of movement as she danced, seducing her Romeo. Both performers had . an impressive affinity with the audience, Florence bemg unafraid to make eye contact with them as she sang, and Chuko responding to their enjoyment of the performance, with various appreciated comments, directed mainly towards the highly amusing comedy duo of a beat-box - Nick Gent and Patrick Loughman. It is clearly not possible to describe every scene and give it the praise it deserves, nor is it possible to give every performer the credit that they deserve and, thus, I will merely select some of the most memorable moments, and state simply that every performer, piece of music and style of dance, perfectly conformed to the plot and the mood that needed to be established. 181
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no splashes in Adams rendition and, in fact, his whole performance was remarkably accurate.
King's week 2001 will surely go down in history as a vintage experience; never in recent years has so much sunshine, so much Pimms and so many strawberries been enjoyed by so many in and around the Green Court. The Gala Symphony, which promised to round off in style a week of concerts of quite exceptional quality, packed the Shirley Hall, although the audience did have to be persuaded to come in from the evening sun by the Front of House team!
Molly Tregear continued the French theme, but played music that was two hundred years older than that of Messiaen. Offertoire sur les grands jeux (from La messe des couvents) was quite a substantial work in its time, and is still an impressive-sounding piece to the modern listener. Molly's performance had a good three-time lilt to it and yet it retained the grandeur necessary in an Offertoire. Furthermore, in organs of the period, the action of the Great manual would have been so stiff as to prohibit a frivolous interpretation.
It was certainly a concert worth going inside for. Colin Metters had rightly chosen to use the evening to showcase the talents of three of the music department's 6a leavers: Kristina Barton, Jane Wisely and Tessa Grobel. However, the orchestra was allowed to shine in its own right, framing the concerti with two very different types of 'orchestral blockbuster'.
Alexander Shannon was the last of the student organists. He played Toccata inC (BWV 564) by J.S. Bach and Piece Heroi'que by Cesar Franck. Alex chose an exceptionally fast pace for the beginning of the Bach, which would have been highly impressive, even by professional standards, if he had been able to maintain it. However, he soon settled to a more realistic speed in which he was able to play most of it stylishly. In the Franck, Alexander's ¡musical intent was abundantly clear, but he was hindered by a number of inaccuracies for which he might be forgiven due to his omnipresence in King's Week musical events.
The evening opened with Franz von Suppe's 'Light Cavalry' Overture, a piece of music whose main melody is famous even if its title is not instantly recognisable. There was some tight brass playing here, espe¡b ally in the exposed unison passages, and lots of exuberant playing from the percussionists who really made the most of their opportunities to enjoy the programme. Next came KrisJina Barton's performance of the little known Faure Elegie for solo 'cello and orchestra. Although not perhaps Faure's most imposing piece, Kristina played with real sensitivity, an attractive tone and excellent intonation, especially in the high register of the instrument, and the orchestral
Timothy Noon provided the finale to this recital, Henri Mulet's Tu es Petra, and in doing so, supplied an excellent exemplar in precision, excitement and musical entertainment. T.J.
UGLOW
Jane Wisely in The Gala Symphony Concert
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accompaniment included some lovely woodwind soli in particular. Jane Wisely brought the first half to a close with a commanding rendition of the second and third movements of Shostakovich's piano concerto no. 2 in F major, written for the composer's son when he was the same age as Jane. The solo piano part was wonderfully expressive and Jane took control of the whole performance in a professional way, setting the pace and the pulse with great clarity and clear execution. Supported by some crisp violin playing and an especially fine display from the 'cello section, the whole concerto demonstrated virtuosity and flair. After champagne and a chance for the audience to cool down a little outside, there was a treat in store in the second half in the form of movement's two and three of Mozart's piano concerto no 14 in E flat major played by Tessa Grobel. She performed exquisitely with poise, and without music, which was impressive, , and the concerto was full of virtuosic highlights. In climaxes, the orchestral sound was exciting and the rich tone produced was once again enhanced by the strong lower strings. The concert concluded with, as Colin Metters put it, "some Movie tunes" in a tribute to the film composer John Williams. The orchestra clearly relished moving from the supporting rOle and in places could have passed for the BBC Concert orchestra, having noticeably moved up a gear! Brass players and percussionists returned to the forefront and showed off their abilities with atmospheric and characteristic performances that contained stunning special effects. In total contrast to this, the seven violinists who played the haunting solo theme from Schindler's List were no less impressive and captured perfectly the spirit of the score. The Gala Symphony Concert's programme was varied and attractive and, as always, all the instrumentalists involved demonstrated, under the inspirational direction of Colin Metters, all that is best about music at King's.
THE KING'S WEEK LECTURE The King's Week Lecture was held in the Old Synagogue, and was delivered to a surprisingly small audience. The shortage of spectators, instead of marring the atmosphere, merely presented an ideal opportunity for Vayu Banfield to speak intimately and to be on a personal level with her listeners. She opened the lecture by making conversation with the audience, and discussing ideas about music and the arts, and then proceeded to introduce the lecture title, 'Old hand, New heart.' Her aim, she told us, was to share some of her op1n1ons and offer some ideas about multiculturalism in Great Britain in relation to the performing arts.
East', which in fact began as a small theatre production in a subsidised arts area, but which then went on to become the hugely successful film that was viewed by many in cinemas across the country. This came from her not as a criticism of the popular arts, but served merely to show that it is possible to become sidetracked from regarding art purely as a form of expression. This raw expression of feeling that is so vital to sustaining the arts, and which is often lacking, is easily visible in areas where there is a tendency towards social conflict, for example in some of the regions in the north, where inter-racial conflict is a common and growing problem. In places such as this, the discomfort of the people is expressed through performance, and as a result the performing arts in fact benefit and become more fertile because of it. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the main issues in society were religion and science. However, more recently these have been replaced by the politics of religion, and the science of culture. What is really being developed and highlighted, along with how we express ourselves, is the art of living together, of coexisting with people who we often find to be very different to ourselves. Emphasis in our society, Vayu explained, is now being placed on the centrality and importance of manifestation of gut feelings, with regard to how we perceive the changing world around us . Art can serve to show the state of a society at any given time. Through art, it is easy to express s~ch things as a sense of dismemberment, or fragmentat~on in a society within which there is unresolved conflict. To prove her point, she made reference to a S~uth African art exhibition that had caught her attentiOn. Included in the collection of paintings and sculptures was a set of models of a group of Afrikaaner security guards - but these models were in fragments. Upon completion, the security guards upon whom they were modelled had expressed a dislike of the way in which they were represented, and emphasised this by smashing the models, leaving the artists themselves unharmed. The fragments displayed, then, served as a reminder of the conflict that had gone before. We were told emphatically that art is often used as part of a healing process, that identifying pain is crucial to the making of art. Vayu Banfield's main point was that it is essential to the development of art, to be open-minded, and confident enough of our own identity to allow it to be combined with that of others, in order to create the fullest and richest possible result. She made her presentation with great confidence and humour, and was entirely at ease in front of her audience. She formed her arguments clearly, bringing them all to their logical conclusion. This, combined with her liveliness and obvious interest in her subject, made listening to her an enlightening and highly enjoyable experience.
She began by speaking about subsidised arts areas that exist in regions where funds are provided by councils and regional boards, in order to aid the development and shaping of new forms of art which reflect the contemporary culture of Great Britain. She pointed out the disappointing fact that the resulting forms of art tend merely to be further means of entertaining people. She used as her example, 'East is 183
THE CANTUARIAN, LENT
&
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2001
Karen Smith and Jemima Reynolds
Miles Leahy and James Mainwaring
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2001
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