Dunbar

By Dr Ian Hart, Housemaster, Dunbar

As I write, the sunlight is streaming through the window, and whilst the memory of the final events of the last week of term are still strong - the Year 8 Dinner, the paddle-boarding trip to Beale Park, some memorable musical performances and the glorious culmination that is Founders’ Day - my thoughts are now turning to our new intake and preparing Dunbar for the pupils who will be filling it full of noise and life once again in September.

Looking back to the start of the year, there could not be a greater contrast between life in Dunbar in September 2021 and life in the Summer of 2022. It is also hard to

believe how much we have managed to pack into this strange year, after such a slow start. Everything began

with tremendous promise in September as we readied ourselves to welcome the new pupils into Dunbar, but my positive Covid test result two hours before the arrival of the new boarders was not the way I planned things!

Fortunately, the dedicated and resourceful Dunbar

staff rallied round and despite spending the first 10

days of term waving at bemused pupils through my office window, we began at a sprint. As always the

incoming Year 7 pupils have a full day of induction into life in Pangbourne College before their older and wiser Year 8 compatriots join them the following day. This

gives the new starters a chance to find out how things

work, where everything is, and who all these people are, before the rollercoaster ride begins proper.

An early highlight of the year is always the pupils versus parents football match which took place this year on Saturday 11 September. We knew we had a strong

returning Year 8 team, and this was bolstered by some

fresh talent in Year 7 and we had the closest match for some years. The guile and experience (and size!) of the

parents’ team went up against the skill and pace of the pupils, who for the first time in my tenure finished up

4-3 winners in a thrilling match.

One of the most memorable evenings was certainly ‘Come Dine With Me’ on Friday 3 December. Having

drawn ‘canapes’ as our course to prepare, and then explained to most of the Dunbar pupils what a canape was, we set about planning and producing four gastronomic treats - avocado and quail’s egg, salmon and cream cheese, bruschetta, and cheddar and kimchi spirals were our attempt to woo the judges - and

whilst we didn’t win, the Dunbar junior chefs were

magnificent as they boiled, baked and assembled. We

were also serenaded beautifully by Stella Evans who

provided the musical accompaniment to our meal.

Perhaps the most important aspect of life in Dunbar for pupils and parents alike is the sense of community, and therefore we were delighted when we were able (albeit delayed to the Summer Term) to host our

family quiz. More than 100 members of the Dunbar

extended family gathered in the Mess Hall for a series of questions themed (appropriately enough) on

‘comebacks’. With rounds on famous witty ripostes, sporting comebacks and epic return journeys, the

evening was a welcome return for us all.

On Thursday 9 June in the morning, 34 Year 8 pupils

set off for what would be the first full camping trip

for three years. Having breakfasted together in Mess Hall, and then packed the trailer to the gunwales with tents, sleeping bags and roll-mats, it was time to set off. Departing in small groups with a member of staff each, the first part of the route would see them travel down

the hill into Pangbourne Village, then over the

toll bridge and through Whitchurch, before turning a sharp left just after the start of Whitchurch Hill to

walk along the banks of the river, through the woods towards Goring.

Some two and a half hours later the first group arrived

at Goring where they had lunch, and were then shuttled in a minibus to Ashampstead Church to begin the second leg of the walk. This would see them go cross-country through Ashampstead Common and on towards Rushall Manor Farm. Whilst some groups took

a straighter route than others, by 6pm or thereabouts, all the groups had arrived safely at the Rushall Farm

campsite, to see the welcome site of the kettle already on the stove.

A lesson in tent-building followed, and then began an epic cricket match. After a BBQ supper we adjourned

to the campfire, and began the process of collecting

and sawing the firewood. Karaoke was the order of

the evening, with each group presenting a carefully

choreographed performance, resulting in a 3-way tie for first place! After the entertainment we had toasted

marshmallows and hot chocolate before returning to the tents to (eventually) get some sleep.

Next morning we awoke to the smell of bacon baps, and after eating and repacking the trailer we headed off before 9am. The route took us through the fields along

to Bradfield and then past Bere Court Farm to

the woods behind Hesperus. All back in time for an early night.

The other big rite of passage for the outgoing Dunbar pupils is the Year 8 Dinner which by tradition takes

place on the penultimate Friday of the year. The

theme this year was ‘American Diner’ and whilst the menu was nachos and chicken wings, burgers and ice cream, the dress code was far more formal, and the boys and girls looked resplendent in their dinner jackets

and ball gowns. The beautiful Old Library was bedecked with US flags

and American paraphernalia, and each course was interspersed with speeches from our Head Boys and

Head Girls from each of the three terms this year. Spilling out onto the Devitt Terrace at the end of the evening, the proud parents were invited to collect their children and to photograph the moment, and the photos from this event now take pride of place on the wall in Dunbar.

As the year now draws to an end, I watch with pride as the current Year 8 pupils move up into their Senior

Divisions, and with anticipation as we plan for the new Year 7 pupils in September. These children will have come a long way in their two years in Dunbar and they leave us ready for the next exciting stage in their journey through the College.