ASSEMBLYSPRING 2017 From the Headmaster As I write this piece I’m in the midst of reading through the boys’ end of term reports. It occurred to me that the standards that we work to these days in terms of the range of subjects and activities on offer, the positive attitude towards learning and hard work expected of the pupils and the commitment of the teaching staff could easily be taken for granted. We all have memories, however hazy, of our own schooling in our primary years’ education, but I wonder what one might consider appropriate for a boy attending Arnold House in 2017? Let’s take a report that I have on my desk in front of me; we
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shall say this boy’s name is Arnold. He is 7 ½ years old and in Year 2. Arnold has nine subjects to learn across his timetable of lessons. He is taught English, Maths and Science by his Form Teacher, Topic by his Head of Year and subject specialists teach him French, Art & Design, IT, Music and PE. Arnold’s House Points total, awarded for effort, courtesy, conduct in lessons and contribution to the wider life of the School, is right on the average for his year group. We are pleased with Arnold’s attitude around the School and in his lessons and he has been rewarded with an Industry badge as a mark of our approval. He has shown commitment to
various clubs and activities: Junior Chess, Junior Choir, Table Tennis, Junior Art Club, Gym, Dance and Drama and Taekwondo. He is persevering with learning to play the violin and as a consequence has been invited to join the Junior Strings. He also achieved a notable 2nd place in the House Cross-Country. The truth is that Arnold’s commitment to his education here is not out of the ordinary. Although, I would like to think that he is enjoying an extraordinary overall education which few 7 ½ year olds are lucky enough to experience. Viv Thomas
Year 7 Trip to Rome
Year 5 Skype Lesson with the Boston Tea Party Museum
Gold Leaf Presentation at The St John’s Hospice
Year 3 production of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory
Year 6 National Army Museum Workshop
Pancake Race on Shrove Tuesday
Bursary Challenge Week CHALLENGE WEEK
Year 5 Team Building Challeng
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Maths Countdown Challen
History Timeline Challenge
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The inaugural Bursary Challenge Week took place at Arnold House in mid-March bringing a burst of energy, enthusiasm and enjoyment to all the boys, staff and parents involved.
Year 1 Sponsored Silence
Keepy Uppy Challenge
During the week every boy took part in a Year Group challenge including a large variety of activities; a sponsored silence in Year 1, Mathletics in Year 2, a Sing-a-Thon in Year 6 and a day of speaking French in Year 7. Impressive results were also achieved by Year 3 who collectively completed 57 books through a ‘drop & read’ challenge, Year 4 who transported 65.5 litres of water through a chain of boys, Year 5 who completed an intricate team building challenge and Year 8 who constructed a replica of The Shard out of recyclable materials.
Year 2 Mathletics Challenge
In addition, each morning at drop off there was a Teachers v Boys challenge which included Keepy Uppies, Shakespeare Anagrams, a Maths Countdown challenge, Greek Heroes and a History Timeline. Boys of all year groups arrived each morning having done their research and impressed the teachers with their knowledge and competitive spirit. Another highlight of the week was the Parents v Teachers Bursary Football Match which took place at Hendon FC football ground. It was a tough challenge, valiantly fought by both sides and despite a home win for the Teachers, a fun and high spirited evening was had by all.
Year 4 Water Chain Challen
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Overall the event was a great success and whilst everyone enjoyed the activities it also achieved the aim of highlighting the importance of the Arnold House Bursary Scheme. In total, the event raised £28,573 for the bursary fund from sponsorship of all the challenges and the proceeds from the auction and raffle. A fantastic effort by all! Stephanie Miller Head of External Relations
Greek Myths Challenge
Year 8 Construction Challenge
Year 3 Drop & Read Challenge
Parents v Teachers Bursary
Football Match
Remembering Frederic Cloete Walker 100 Years On Crystal Palace and Chingford. In October 1916, at the latter, he had gained his Aviator’s Certificate to qualify as a pilot flying a Grahame-White biplane.
Arnold House’s inspirational founder and Headmistress Miss Amy Hanson had a high regard for Frederic, often referring to him in records by his ‘school’ name of Deric. Frederic was born on the 21st of April 1898. His grandfather had been a British Army soldier in the Middlesex Regiment who had served in India, rising to the rank of Major General. Frederic had joined the School in 1906, the fourteenth boy to do so and was the subject of several entries in the school scrapbook. Boxing was amongst the first popular sports at Arnold House and Frederic had won a prize for it. He enthusiastically took part in the legendary French plays of 1908 playing ‘un garçon frileux’. He won a Conduct Prize along with another for the Best Holiday Work, in December 1910. In 1911 he was awarded the Prefect Prize and the Prize for Shooting. In the Easter of 1912 Frederic went to Gresham’s School in Norfolk. Miss Hanson kept in contact with his progress and records that in the summer of 1914 he won his cricket colours, keeping wicket for Gresham’s. After leaving school he chose to follow in his father’s footsteps and joined the St James’s and Pall Mall Electric Light Company working in the field of mechanical engineering. At the time of the Great War Frederic had initially joined The Royal Naval Voluntary Reserve, transferring in June 1916 to the Royal Naval Air Service, the naval wing of the Royal Navy. Whilst this may be the subject of debate, many Great War R.N.A.S. pilots felt that they were a very special breed, who had been selected as their flying skills were above the average. An ability to land correctly was of particular importance due to the often flimsy nature of heavy clumsy aircraft with primitive undercarriages. Frederic had learnt to fly with the R.N.A.S., training at ASSEMBLY
After further training at Eastchurch and Westgate on Sea he passed his final examinations and graduated for operational work. One report classed him as, ‘a good Pilot and Officer’. He was posted to the aerodrome at Dover, situated just inland from the famous White Cliffs, in January 1917. This move was generally a prelude to crossing the Channel, which Frederic did at the beginning of February. He joined Number 6 Squadron R.N.A.S. then based at Petite Synthe, south of Dunkirk town. Frederic’s initial military life involved gaining practical flying experience locally by piloting mainly Nieuport type aircraft. On the 12th of February he flew for 20 minutes, on the 13th for three separate flights. He flew each day for the next three days, managing two ascents on the 16th. He had one last flight for the month on the 24th. In March he was airborne on the 6th, 9th and 11th for flights lasting about 35 minutes. Bad weather conditions had hampered general flying during both months. He attended training sessions in tactics with intelligence on the German air force of the day and would also have been gently schooled in the essential art of being an officer. The social side of service life on and off base would have given Frederic pleasant memories. Overall his life was gradually taking on a very serious nature, he was at war. In March 1917 Miss Hanson received news of his death, she mourned the loss of any of her boys and in particular Deric. The school scrapbook entry on him is longer than some, her thoughtful words resonate down the years. ‘He was last
with us on the 25th of July 1916 when he was one of the judges at the sports at Wembley’. ‘He was the finest athlete the school has ever seen or is, perhaps likely to see. His fearlessness, his simplicity, his passion for sport, his disregard of self and his wonderful humility made him loved wherever he went. Those of us who saw him flying over the tracks at Wembley have a memory that will last all of our lives. ‘Such a runner is born and not made’, was the comment uttered many a time by men who watched the slim figure skimming across the field. It was as though already the wind and the air claimed him for their own. With us his memory can never die. Always he must be an inspiration.’ She continued, ‘Generations will come and go - new generations of boys picking up the torch he has thrown, will win a name-place on the same cups. But always his name will be there, standing, first, time after time for six years. He it was who made a record for us in the high jump, the long jump, the hundred yards and in the hurdles, and no
Arnold House School 1907. Frederic is in the back row, second from the left. Also in the photograph are five other boys who would die in World War One.
one has touched these records since; and last July he came to offer his services as judge in the old races he often won. Six years he kept wicket for the most famous XI the school has ever produced, and the wicket-keeper who can take his place is still to come’. The ending of Miss Hanson’s eulogy must have been clouded by her tears. ‘Always his place in the school must be unique, and now he is the first of the band to lay down his life. Five weeks ago only he went to France. His last request, almost, that a promised photograph should be sent to Arnold House - one of his last thoughts spared for his old school! On Friday, March 16th, at dawn a flight of ‘birds’ started from Dunkirk for the Somme. ‘The most beautiful sight you can imagine’ said a man who saw them start. On Saturday at dawn he flew home – his last race won. He was always a hero to us, and now we know that he was counted worthy to join that glorious band of ‘The Heroes of the Greater Love’. Frederic had been 18 years of age, when he died. Gresham’s lost over 100 boys in the Great War, their records tell us that Frederic was the second of 15 airmen to die. He was the first for No. 6 Squadron and for Arnold House, there were to be three further old boys who fell like Icarus. John TowlsonMorgan was one in 1918, who had shared a love of boxing and the ring with Frederic in a 1910 boxing demonstration. Jack Taylor and George Delmar-Williamson, both skilled pilots and contemporaries of Frederic, also died. After one hundred years piecing together the details of Frederic’s last flight is not easy. There are some records available, but educated guesses need to be employed to cover the voids shrouded by the mists of time. We know that he had been flying a Nieuport type 17bis, single seater tractor bi-plane scout aircraft, marked with the registration number N 3201. This was powered by a French Clerget 9B 130 horsepower rotary engine, giving a top speed of 110 miles an hour. The aircraft was a relatively modern one, in service with several national air forces. Like any aircraft of the day it had weaknesses, but was considered as reliable by many pilots and favoured by several ‘air aces’. Number 6 Squadron had moved nearer to the Arras and Somme battlefields on the 11th of March 1917. It established a base at La Bellevue, still a small village to the south west of Arras on the road to Doullens. On Saturday the 17th of March 1917, several pilots had left Dunkirk at intervals to fly to their new aerodrome. ASSEMBLY
Frederic had taken off at 9.30.am also bound for La Bellevue. This would have tested his navigational skills, as well as given him valuable flight experience. It is likely that Frederic would have flown on a course more or less due south, well inland from the French coastline. He would have kept away from the battle lines avoiding the possibility of coming into contact with ground fire or offensive German patrols, combat would be experienced all too soon by so many. On taking off, if the day had been clear, he may just have seen the shores of England, the curvature of the earth taking a deeper view of home over the misty horizon. You can only imagine the thoughts this would have brought to him, to accompany the elation of the flight he was experiencing. Frederic had done well flying south for a distance in excess of 50 miles and was on a good course for La Bellevue. Records tell us that at least one of his comrades had become disorientated on his journey and landed at a welcoming airfield to check his exact location. Seeking directions in this manner was a sensible expedient taught to pilots who found themselves in difficulties. It also allowed planes to be refuelled and tended to if needed, as well as obtaining intelligence information. To the west of the large town of Arras Frederic would have seen Mont St Eloi, a friendly village with an airfield nearby used primarily by the Royal Flying Corps. The area is still dominated by the sight that he would have seen in the form of the ruins of an abbey on the hill. This has tall distinctive twin bell towers, which rise skyward like two jagged fingers, parallel to each other, one is slightly lower than
Memorial Plaque in St Cyprian’s Church, Baker Street
its neighbour. There were several more airfields in the area, one being sited at Savy-Berlette about 5 miles from Mont St. Eloi. Another at Camblain L’Abbe just to the north, may have been on his direct flight path. It seems likely that one of these airfields were significant to Frederic’s last few moments, he may have been making for or over flown either or actually landed, perhaps checking directions. From one account hinting at this, the latter seems highly likely and if so he may have been in the process of taking off from a field, one of the most dangerous times for any pilot. What we know is that at some point for some reason, Frederic was in the vicinity of the little village of Savy-Berlette. His plane was flying at low altitude, estimated at about 400 feet, when his engine stalled. This loss of power meant that he was in a desperate situation and losing height rapidly. Frederic would have had to think quickly, at that height he had no choice but to land which he did, but was tragically killed in the process. From records, even at the last he had done well, particularly on landing under trying circumstances. The aircraft was not, it seems, an obvious write-off and was recovered from the field. After two days it was finally assessed as un-airworthy and I suspect used for spares. Official paperwork on the accident record that Frederic was ‘killed whilst flying’, no blame was attached to him. Frederic was buried with due ceremony in the British Communal Extension Cemetery at Aubigny-en-Artois, the village next to Savy-Berlette. His commanding officer
Major MacLaren wrote to Frederic's father personally, “ We all thought very highly of him indeed and he was certainly one of my most promising pilots. He was a good officer and very keen on his work. Men like him are exceedingly difficult to replace”. A brother officer wrote, “It appears, that, having just taken off from the ground, his engine suddenly stopped at a fair height. The machine stalled and got into a spinning nose – dive, and, as he had not sufficient height in which to gain control, it dived straight into the ground at an enormous speed and he was killed immediately. I am sure we all feel his loss very deeply, as he was certainly one of the most popular officers of the squadron and a very good and steady pilot”. The commendations must have been a comfort to Frederic's family. Frederic's life had ended abruptly 35 days short of his nineteenth birthday. Along with so many of his generation the world will never know what contribution he would have made to it. Had he survived the world would truly have been at his feet, bursting with opportunity in so many fields. Frederic had already reached the heights in so many ways in his brief life. In describing himself he may have initially mentioned R.N.A.S. service for King,
Country and family. In hindsight you can pay no greater tribute to Frederic than by commenting that for all his assigned epithets in life, he was at his foundation an Arnold House Boy. Conquer We Shall, Remembering Never to Forget. Post Script On the old battlefields and close by them there is sometimes an atmosphere, which is quite unique. It cannot adequately be recorded in words, but is tangible and touches people in different ways. Allied to these feelings sometimes coincidences occur, which also cannot adequately be explained away in words, they are just coincidences and need to be accepted as such. I have always had a special remembrance and regard for Frederic, as his was the first memory of an Arnold House Old Boy that we visited with a school group in June 2003. Then, when we saw his grave the ground around it seemed scoured, bare, due mainly to the overhanging beech hedge behind it making it a rather overcast place. The hedge now has been lowered in height and is well trimmed, the garden in front well-tended and stocked with colourful plants. In 2003 there was an atmosphere, a sad solemnity at Frederic’s grave, which
caused independent comment from several there. We wondered if anyone had ever visited his last resting place before and sadly felt, perhaps not. At that first visit the atmosphere was entirely changed by the questions of intelligent young people and a rendition of the School Prayer as only Arnold House boys can deliver it. Nick Fear Year 8 Battlefields Tour Guide
Headboys Seth Dunford and Sam Sether place a wreath at Frederic’s grave on a school visit in 2011.
Interview with AH old boy James Hyman (AH 1975-1983) What have you done since leaving Arnold House? I attended St Paul’s followed by London Guildhall University, graduating with a First Class Honours in Film & Media whilst simultaneously working for the then fledgling MTV Europe. I moved quickly from Press Officer to Senior Producer/Director on all MTV dance & club culture programming, broadcasting shows to a potential audience of 60 million households. These transmissions featured over 500 in-depth interviews with music-makers such as Kylie Minogue, The Prodigy, Goldie, Paul Oakenfold and Aphex Twin - capturing many at early or pivotal moments in their careers. After MTV, I presented Xfm radio shows ‘The Rinse’ and Sony-nominated ‘The Remix’ which popularized key music trends such as ‘mash-ups’ and I DJ-ed internationally and exclusively for the likes of Britney Spears, James Brown, Madonna and Will Smith as well as events such as the Cannes Film Festival and Glastonbury. James Hyman with his son Max, Year 1
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Other broadcast work included BBC Radio 2’s ‘My Way’ documentary which included interviews with Donald Trump and David Bowie and now as a Music Supervisor, I source and licence tracks for film, TV and commercials and I’ve also edited and produced over 200 pop videos for leading artists including Fatboy Slim, Moby, New Order and Prince. An offshoot - which has developed into my raison d’être - is becoming a collectorextraordinaire of popular culture in print, holding the Guinness Record for owning ‘The Largest Collection of Magazines in the World’. Twenty-five enthusiastic years in the media industries - from broadcast (both presenting and producing on MTV, Xfm, Channel 4, Channel 5 and the BBC) to music, and from film to print - have helped me amass what has been referred to as ‘a walk in Google’. The Hyman Archive (HA) is curated for pop culture, currently holds over 100,000+ individual issues dating from 1850 to present day and is growing at 30% per annum (mainly through
donations). 55%+ of these publications are not held by the British Library. The business is aiming to build a digital content platform with sophisticated search and analytics tools - a “Bloomberg for Creatives”. What are your overriding memories of Arnold House? As I said in Nigel Watson’s book, ‘Our History, Our House’, my memories are nothing but happy; ‘I genuinely had such a lovely time. I never felt under any pressure. I never noticed any bullying at the School. I can’t recall anything bad about the School. All my memories are good’. The diary I kept shows how for small boys little events loomed large, revealing ‘these tiny little moments that mattered so much’. March 1980 was typical - early in the month, ‘we had lots of adventures on the tube coming back from boxing’; on 10 March I recorded that lunch had consisted of chicken and the hated rice pudding; on 11 March it was noteworthy that 'Mr Williams had chalk on his trousers.' What are the main changes you have noticed since coming back as a parent? What struck me initially was the incredible renovations, additional facilities and acceleration in the variety of academic and creative study on offer. In my day, one Apple II computer was shared throughout the whole school, primarily used for sneaky video game playing of ‘CannonballBlitz’ and ‘Decathalon’! Now pupils seem to be effortlessly coding apps and websites in their break time; that is progress! Is anything exactly as you remember? The building’s foundation and soul remains the same but as I’ve mentioned, the ‘fix-up, look sharp’ overhaul of classrooms and facilities often makes me pause and remember what is was like before, as I call it, the remix. How has being an Arnold House pupil impacted your life? It definitely affected my waistline! I recall frequently visiting after I left mainly to savour those amazing lunchtime meals! I gather from my son that things coming out of the kitchen are just as good! Obviously, too, my Arnold House education encouraged me to try new and off-the-wall projects; nothing scares me.
What was your favourite subject at School and why? I don’t recall an absolute favourite. Possibly French as for some reason, I kept getting near perfect scores in the exams - was it luck, education or pure good luck?! I enjoyed tennis at Canons Park too; finding the sport that most suits you with the possibly of excelling was certainly important to the teaching staff but additionally, not winning wasn’t frowned upon. It was the taking part that was important. Have you stayed in touch with any of your fellow pupils? Yes indeed. Many: Edward Brett, Jonathan Naggar, Jonathan Moss, Julian Segal, Charles Falk, and now, as a fellow parent, it’s been great to rekindle relationships with fellow pupils I’d lost touch with such as George Richmond and Robert Nelson who I loved seeing again at a ‘42 Club Dinner. Social Media like Facebook also connects other fellow pupils with regular banter
What advice would you give someone who would like to follow in your footsteps and pursue a career in music and media? Clichéd perhaps but sincerely heartfelt enjoy what you do with relentless passion as no career will be smooth sailing; mistakes can be blessings and weakness can be strength. Humility not arrogance. Be heard but listen to others, never stop learning - you can never learn enough. Do your research before that interview or business meeting. Be inspired, think laterally and positively - just like the story of the teacher who asked his students to write about what they saw on a white sheet of A4 with a single black dot in the middle; most limited themselves by focusing on the black dot, what about the whole white part of the paper? I was recently inspired by seeing David Copperfield in Las Vegas who magically and magnificently advocated that we “Live the impossible.”; he’s right.
What has been your greatest achievement? If I let my ego superficially surface, I would say it’s 25-plus enthusiastic years in the media - from broadcast (on both sides of the camera; presenting and producing on MTV, Xfm, Channel 4, Channel 5 and the BBC) to behind-the-scenes work in music, film and print; mixing with all manner of celebrities and working and learning from the media top-dogs. Far more important must be continuing to thank God and be thankful for everything in life, taught to me by both my parents and Arnold House. The absolute determination and confidence to try new projects - and always with an enthusiastic edge. Describe an average day in the media business? Lots of reading - magazines, online feeds and staying on top of social media and of course as a result of running my own business, many emails! Specifically on The Hyman Archive it’s processing numerous enquiries for research, physical loans (for exhibitions, TV / Film etc.), donations, image rights / clearance, meetings and PR requests.
The Arnold House
’42 Club Reunion Dinner 22nd May 2017 The Cumberland Hotel
Arnold House School 1 Loudoun Road, St. John’s Wood, London NW8 0LH Telephone: 020 7266 4840 Email: office@arnoldhouse.co.uk Website: www.arnoldhouse.co.uk Arnold House School Ltd (Limited by Guarantee). Registered in London Number 889424. Educational Charitable Trust Number 312725
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