ASSEMBLYWINTER 2009 From the Headmaster
W
e are always delighted when old boys come back to visit Arnold House, especially if they have something interesting to say to the boys. This term Eddie Villiers (1968-76), father of Freddie and Jamie in Year 7, gave a perfectly judged presentation to the boys in assembly.
His topic was The Homestead charity in Cape Town, South Africa, which does wonders to help young boys get off the streets into schools and meaningful employment. To date, the boys, with the help of the Arnold House Parents’ Association, have raised £5,500 in support of The Homestead, our international charity for the year.
It was also a pleasure for Year 6 boys to meet Richard Hunter-Coddington (194548) and hear about life at Arnold House in the forties, as well as his exploits as a long-standing member of the Serpentine Swimming Club in Regent’s Park. In a similar vein, current parents regularly accompany school trips and come in to talk to the boys about an interest of theirs which complements a topic of study on
the curriculum. On 4th November we took this one stage further by holding an ‘Open House’ to enable parents to see the School in action on a normal working day. The event was very well received and has encouraged us to look towards doing something similar for grandparents in the not too distant future.
Vivian Thomas Headmaster
What a Drama!
T
he Shakespeare Schools Festival is the largest youth drama festival in the UK. This Autumn, 10,000 young people performed half-hour versions of some of Shakespeare’s greatest plays in 67 professional theatres across the UK; among them were our current Year 8 boys along with other state, grammar and independent schools and youth theatre groups. Returning from their summer holidays in September, the Year 8 boys were eager to prepare for their performance of “Macbeth” at the Unicorn Theatre. The boys had precious little time to ready themselves: a week spent in Burgundy, academic deadlines and the usual mix of extracurricular activities made rehearsal time more pressured than ever. November 5th crept ever closer. The night itself was a thrilling one with our boys acting alongside three other schools, from Kingston, Stepney Green and Pimlico. The boys exceeded all expectations, setting Bonfire Night ablaze with some powerful performances belying their
ASSEMBLY
tender years. They certainly looked the part with their hessian tabards and gold lame cloaks produced specially for the event by Veronica Faulks. After the performance, the Arnold House boys changed clothes and joined the audience to watch further renditions of “Henry V” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Finally, all the performers were commended by the Festival organisers who fed back to each cast in turn – Arnold House’s “Macbeth” was lauded for its ‘filmic’ look and for its ensemble production.
The boys found the experience exhilarating, as their hard work over the previous two months reached a climax on a professional stage in front of a full-house of 275 people at the Unicorn Theatre. For Mr Marks and Mr Maddocks directing was a stimulating challenge; a valuable experience that the School hopes to repeat and make a regular fixture in the Arnold House calendar.
David Marks Head of Drama