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T. Adler N.Aiam S. Barraclough J. Barrett H. Bowler H.Cade E. Campbell R. Cheetham S. Coote C. Cottrell L. Cowan L. Crawford N. Davis E. Drake L. Derrett-Smith S. Edwards J. Fawcett K. Field L. Field W. Fisher

MAGAZINE COUNCIL

Miss Gray Miss Littlewood

Mrs. Langham

Mrs. Wyles

S. Garside J. Greensmith R. Hardcastle L. Harker P. Howe N. Jelaca A. Jones S.Judge A. Kelsey S. Lowe J. Martin R. Miller K.Milne H. Moody A. Mortimer J. Nicoll L. Oddy S. Patel H.Payne R. Pearson

Mrs. Bedford Mrs. P. Williams

Cover Design: Sonya Patel V Lower: Apple

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S. Richardson K.Roberts S. Robinson S. Robshaw J. Roe F. Senior R. Senior N. Shaw 0. Smart A. Stark S. Steele J. Taylor J. Teasdale S.Todd R. Vigor A. Walkington J. Warburton S. Wycherley

S. Alien } Junior School C. Bell

FOREWORD

We begin the new school year with changes. The Charity Commission has approved amendments to the scheme of manaQement of Wakefield Girls' High School and Queen Elizabeth Grammar School which enables us to aim towards greater integration and cooperation at Sixth Form level, while retaining the individual character and traditions of each school.

Mr. Mardling, the Headmaster of the Grammar School, has been appointed as the Principal and will direct the overall education policy of the four schools while I remain the Headmistress of the High School.

This welcome development has already facilitated the prov­ision of a much wider curriculum and extended pupil choice of both Advanced level and other subjects.

Economics now enters its third year as a joint A-level optio.n, as does Design and Technology. Computer Stud1es and Home Economics remain on offer and this year we introduce English Language, Politics, German and Greek to the central pool. Also available are mixed classes in French A/S level and A/0 German and French for Business Studies, GCSE Spanish and Russian.

We live in a rapidly changing world and education app.e8:rs to be moving the fastest of all. We have already ass1m1lated and coped more than adequately with the new GCSE examination and are now faced with further developments. Although as an independent school we are exempt from the demands of the National Curriculum each initiative, report, paper, speech or Act of Parliament requires us to respond in some way, to reconsider and assess our current practices and to remain fully aware of all the inherent implications of national measures.

Yet it is in this very independence that our strength lies - we can welcome, accept, modify or even ignore current tre.nds. ' We are thus placed in the fortunate position of bemg able to defend those areas of the curriculum whic-h appear . to be under threat, the classical languages, a second modern language and the three discrete sciences while welcoming technology as a foundation subject.

We. haye alway.s prided ourselves on the quality of our teach1ng 1n the sc1ences and we now have the facilities to match this expertise. The Science Block has been extended on the first two floors and an additional storey ha~ provided further accommodation. The newly named Sc1ence and Technology Centre contains - six class­rooms, suites of specialist biology, chemistry and physics laboratorie~, each with resource and preparatory areas, a general sc1ence laboratory, lecture theatre and dark room, two inforl1)ation technology rooms with a classroom, extensive facilities for design and technology, including workshop areas, a design studio and an office, and, of course, staff rooms.

. The STC,i~ ~o~ fully opera~ional but not quite complete, m that the fm1~h1ng to~che.s especially the landscaping of the surroundmg area 1s still underway. We will publish a picture of it at its best in our next issue.

The growth of Technology within the school is more than balanced by activities of a more artistic nature. Music making goes from strength to strength, we have·a new ~rama classroom and drama workshops are on the !n~rease . These. are areas where we have traditionally JOined forces w1th QEGS. We held a joint orchestral weekend and the number of plays in the QEGS Lunchtime Theatre season pays tribute to the dedication and enthusiasm of a large group of actors and actresses and of the ~ire~tor, Mr. Howson, who was ably assisted by Mrs. G1ll. H1gh School-based drama has been thriving at several levels - a particular treat was the 'Celebration of Christmas' followed later in the year by 'The Lark'.

lt has been the practice within the school to share se:ni.or ma~agement positions and from September Mrs. M1rf1eld w111 act as the Second Mistress and Mrs. Bottomley as the Third Mistress. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Miss Gray for all her dedication and hard work during her term of office as Deputy. She is a fount of knowl~dge a~d an invaluable colleague and will naturally remam a semor member of staff while continuing as Head of English.

The w_orld at large, education and our school may be undergomg change but what remains constant is our commitment to the education of those girls in our care.

They share in the school 's bright future.

P.A. Langham

Mrs. Mir1ield, Mrs. Langham and Mrs. Bottom fey

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S.T.C. SCIENCE BLOCK to SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE

TRANSFORMED IN 6 MONTHS

GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK! from the HEAD GIRL

As we look back on seven years at Wakefield Girls' High School we can hardly believe how quickly the time has passed and yet it has been so enjoyable. In fact it will take us a while to realise that we are no longer a part of this close-knit community.

From our present perspective we can already see that the School has in one sense changed quite considerably during our life here. The facilities grow and improve, the most dramatic demonstration of this in the past year being the £1 million extension to the Science Block, now to be known as the Science and Technology Centre, which we have watched taking shape.

There can undoubtedly be no greater climax to your school career than to be chosen as Head Girl and Deputy of a school such as this by election in which fellow-pupils nominate and have the decisive proportion of votes. At the beginning of our term in office we were a little apprehensive, we admit. We had been warned: "You'll have a great year - but no time to yourselves- and you'll lose friends if you are not careful." We are glad to say we have had a very wonderful year. We have been busy but never felt too pressurized and, if anything, we have gained friends. Perhaps this reflects the caring and friendly atmosphere within school.

We started officiating at a memorable retirement party for a dear friend of the School, Mrs. Young. Then October was marked by the birthday celebrations for the Jubilee Hall, a birthday party complete with cake. The music and dramatised episodes from this period of the School's history were all enjoyed, in an informal atmosphere amidst the newly-decorated surroundings, not only by present members of the School but by a number of Old Girls who were close enough to join us on that evening.

The High School is renowned for its innovative fund­raising ideas. In March we surpassed ourselves while taking part in the national Comic Relief Day. The School was entertained by witty sketches performed by groups of VI Uppers. Or Uttley gallantly sacrificed his moustache in public and another enterprising group kidnapped the Head Boy of the Grammar School and held him to ransom.

The hard work of the Committee was rewarded by the resounding success of the May Ball and we hope that this popular event will continue annually.

Joint extra-curricular activities have increased and brought the High School and Queen Elizabeth Grammar School VI Forms closer together.

Mrs. Bottomley, who has been in charge of VI Upper and the prefects, has been very supportive to us throughout and we also wish to thank the other VI Upper Form - tutors who have helped us to bear the strain. We are sorry to lose Mrs. Robery, who was one of these, but we are proud that she will be one of the organisers of the World Student Games and we wish her the best of luck.

We give our warmest thanks to the prefects, to all the rest of VI Upper and especially the group of newly­instated sub-prefects. Anything we have achieved has been through their enthusiastic support and friendship. We are grateful for the memories of the last seven years and wish all members of the School good fortune in whatever they do.

Lastly, we congratulate Katie Pollock and Lindsey Kirby, our successors, wishing them happiness and success in 1989-90.

Damanjeet Mull hi - Head Girl Clare Foster - Deputy Head Girl

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HEAD GIRL: Damanjeet Mullhi

Sally Barraclough Jane Bunch Sarah Burt Rebecca Campin AndreaChell

Sara Cuss Nicola Davies Ruth Ellis Helen Flavell Jolsna Gopinathan Lisa Harker

SCHOOL OFFICERS (elected May 1988)

PREFECTS Susan Harrison Joanna Hastewell Hilary Heard Ch.eryl Hemingway Carolyn Hogan

Victoria Howe Moira Kent Leila Khouja Helen Killey Gina Mallinson Sophie Neary

GAMES OFFICIALS (elected September 1988)

DEPUTY: Clare Foster

Joanna Nicoll Anjali Patel Anna Patrick Rebecca Pearson Elizabeth Robinson

Helen Smith Kathryn Smith Emma Spencer Sarah Stewart Lesley Walker Farhana Wasty

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HOCKEY CAPTAIN: Carolyn Hogan TENNIS CA~!AIN : Jane Bunch DEPUTY: Julia Williams DEPUTY: G1lhan Cannon

INDOOR HOCKEY CAPTAIN: Emma Spencer DEPUTY: Julia Williams

ATHLETICS CAPTAIN: Cheryl Turner DEPUTY: Rebecca Pearson

NETBALL CAPTAIN: Moira Kent DEPUTY: Rebecca Pearson

GAMES SECRETARY: Ruth Ellis ASSISTANT: Rachel Vautrey

CRICKET CAPTAIN: Julia Williams DEPUTY: Helen North

CHAIRMAN OF MATCH REFRESHMENTS: Natalie Shaw DEPUTY: Emma Spencer

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NEWS OF STAFF At Christmas Mr. Helier left us to follow a new career outside teaching in insurance. We were grateful therefore once again that Mr. R. Smith was willing to rejoin us for two terms in the Economics Department where Mr. Finch became acting Head of Department and then took over fully in September. We were also delighted to welcome back Mrs. S. Fuller to help with the English teaching and she has stayed with us, taking on a very substantial timetable, including a new VI Form course, in September. Mrs. Young no longer comes to teach but is still a fairly frequent and very welcome.visitor to our functions.

Mrs. F. Slater has retired after teaching for over 25 years in the Science Department and besides being grateful for the service she gave there, we shall always remember how much support she constantly gave to every other side of the School's activities. We miss seeing her cycling in regularly but she will still come to see us very often, we know.

Mrs. S. Robery, who has made such a distinctive contribution to the P.E. Department and to the general life and organisation of the school, left us to take up a most prestigious post, helping to plan and supervise the organisation of the World Student Games, which will be held in Sheffield. We congratulate her on her achievement in winning this appointment against great competition. We wish her every success and know we shall hear more of her later.

Miss Gray has come to the end of her term of office as Second Mistress and, while she gives more time to the increasing demands of the English Department, Mrs. S. Mirfield takes over as Mrs Langham's Deputy with Mrs S. Bottomley as Third Mistress.

In September we welcome several new colleagues, some as replacements but some also to cover the ever­growing demands of the curriculum and examinations. Miss Yates joined the Economics Department; Mrs. Welch and Mrs. Cunliffe the Mathematics Department; Mrs. Lamb the Physical Education Department; Mrs. Morris helps part-time with Science. This year Mrs. Jackson returns to part-time teaching of Mathematics.

One of the most familiar faces at the High School to both girls and staff was Mrs. Jean Colley's. We took for granted her presence in the kitchen every day and saw her serving her special savories and cakes on all the big occasions in the High School diary. When she retired this stopped after thirty-three years. She took with her the thanks and good wishes of the whole school community.

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There were many surprise celebrations with colleagues past and present. We were glad .to be able to make t~e traditional presentations but t~e g1rls .also too~ plea~ure 1n interviewing her and producmg the1r own tnbute m the article which is printed later.

This school year has been marked by two sad events which affected the staff and some former pupils deeply.

In December 1988 Miss Margaret Spolton died of cancer after an illness lasting about a year. Colleagues who had kept in touch with her since her retirement fr<;>':l being Head of the Sc.ien~e Depa~ment w.ere able to v1s1t her regularly in hospital 1n Mansf1eld dunng the Autumn and also attended her funeral. For them the faith and dignity of Miss Spolton. and . her famil~ proved an inspiration all through th1s penod and w111 always be remembered.

On 13th January we were shocked to hear of the death in the Isle of Man of Mrs. Sally Cooke (nee Burrows) whom some readers will remember as a vibrant personality in the Home Economics Department but also active in so many other fields. She had been undergoing treatment for cancer some of the time in a London hospital. The School was represented at her funeral and we offer our deepest sympathy to her family. She leaves a son, Barnaby, 3 years old, and Emily who is aged 14 months.

GIFTS TO THE SENIOR SCHOOL

We gratefully acknowledge the following:-Books for the library - Miss Parry, C. Webster,

N. Frances, L. Perigo. A Book Award offered by Sainsbury's. A cheque to be used to buy plants and a tree for the

new Science and Technology Centre- Mrs. Slater. An A clarinet for the Music Department- the Old Girls'

Association. Two plaques with crests and the names of the school to

be placed at the entrances - the Old Girls' Association. A Multi-Gym- Parent and School Association. Prize for Geography- Mrs S. Young. Prize- Parent and School Association. Medal for Middle Distance Running- P. Cawthray. Medal for V Form Biology Fieldwork - Mr Roland-Jones. Medal for Art Research- J. Coward. Medal for work in VI Lower - F. & C. Hel!lingway.

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MRS. COLLEY- OUR COOK

Over 30 years of devoted work to the school came to an end when, in July 1989, Mrs. Colley retired from working in the kitchens. Lindsey Gilroy and I had the very enjoyable task of talking to her as she reflected

· · on those years spent here. Mrs. Colley told us how, after leaving school during the

war, she took up a post as a nursery nurse. However after the war nurseries began to close down and so she had to find another job, and this one became available. She has been here ever since and as Mrs. Colley herself said: "31 years in October- seems like a lifetime doesn't it?" '

One of Mrs. Colley's main comments was on how much things have altered during the period she has spent here. She remembers the days when everything had to be carried across from the kitchens to the hall where the dinners were then served, and she remarks how terrible it was in winter when the ladies had to cross the yard in fur boots and anoraks and, once they got across, take off these winter clothes in order to serve the meals. Every day the tables had to be put up and taken down in the hall , and although Mrs. Colley describes this situation as "very hard", she cannot recollect any occasion on which everything was not ready on time. She also remembers the days when there was no press-button electric lift, only a manual one, which meant ropes had to be hauled in order to transport the crockery upstairs and downstairs. Many times, according to Mrs. Colley, the rope came off and everyone had to stand back quickly so that they were not hit by falling plates, bowls and glasses!

One of the main alterations that has taken place has been the extension of the dining rooms. At first, there were two dining-rooms - one in the hall, and one where the upstairs dining room now is, and the only flight of stairs was the outside set. The kitchens and dining-rooms of today actually used to be stables and the entrance­door to the dining rooms used to be the stable door. The only completely new extension to the dining-block is the area where the staff now eat.

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Although the food itself has not changed over the years, there is now more choice. There used to be only one choice of dinner, whereas now there are three choices, and until the kitchens were modernised there were no chips or fried fish! Everything had to be cooked in the ovens. Cheese pudding has always been regularly served and always referred to as a "cheese slop" although Mrs. Colley comments that the kitchen staff do not take o~en~e at this name since there are a lot of girls who do enJOY 1t. Mrs. Colley also referred to what is now known as "Manchester Tart" and consists of a pastry­based jam,., ~ustard and corn!lake.s and w~s frequently known as H1gh School Special"; 1t was a firm favourite among the girls. Vegetarians now have to be catered for and over the last three years the nui]lber of girls taking vegetarian meals has increased rapidly.

When asked if the girls themselves had changed over the years, Mrs. Colley replied that they seemed to be getting taller and she also commented on how Mrs. Langham is a very different headmistress from both of her predecessors, Miss Knott and Miss Hand.

Throughout her work, Mrs. Colley has enjoyed contact with the girls at school and is certainly going to miss all the ladies with whom she has worked.

When we asked Mrs. Colley about what she plans to do in her retirement, she told us of the "added bonus" of her husband also retiring this week. "We are going to have to sort our lives out," she says, "as it is going to be great change and for once there will be no 'clock­watching'." She is planning to take up more hobbies, which may include entertaining, which she does not see only as work.

We also asked Mrs. Colley what her overall feeling was as her retirement approached. She summed it up in one word - "terrible".

"The last few weeks at school have been very awkward, as the other kitchen ladies have been planning little surprises." However, Mrs. Colley felt "very touched" at all their kindness.

Finally, on behalf of everyone, we would like to add our very best wishes to Mrs. Colley and hope' she has very many happy years of retirement ahead of her.

Rachel Payling and Lindsey Gilroy, VI Lower

FRIENDS OF WAKEFIELD GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL

President: Mrs. P.A. Langham Secretary: Mrs. M. Chatterton

Staff Representative: Mrs. S. Stansfield

On November 23rd 1988 the Friends held their Annual General Meeting. Despite the obvious pleasure members enjoyed in meeting and spending a relaxing evening together over the usual delicious refreshments,(enhanced by an interesting talk on wine-tasting, which appealed to all our palates when we were invited to sample the ~ontras.ting bouque~s) there has been a problem this year m formmg a committee, and this has forced the core of dedicated supporters to undertake a radical re-thinking of the Friends' future organisation and activities. There is no doubt about the desire to continue in existence, but few individuals could pledge themselves to take over the comr:'itment of organising regu lar events. Extraordinary meet1ngs were held on 18th April and 17th May. From this latest gathering a fresh plan emerged. In the message below Mrs. Chatterton explains the thinking:

" If you are reading this you are obviously interested in the school. The aim of the Friends is to enable its members to maintain contact with and to support the school in various ways."

"Although many members are parents of girls who have left the school, membership is quite open, all are welcome.

"This year we have changed the format of the Friends. Instead of having three sociql events per year we intend tha! .tor ~he payment of £1.00 your name will go into a ma11ing list and a newsletter will be sent to you three times ~ xe:ar with details of what is happening in school and mv1t1ng you to attend.

"Contact, not fund raising, is the aim of the Friends, and for our present 190 members and hopefully many new ones, we hope that you will find this new method both useful and pleasant.

"If you wish to be on the mailing list, please send your name and address, together with £1.00 (to cover costs) to school."

The next me~ting is arranged for Wednesday 22nd November 1989 m the Ross Gallery, when there will also be a talk on Owls.

SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES IN THE EXAMINATIONS FOR ENTRANCE TO

OXFORD IN 1989

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Left to righ~: Elizabeth Hodson - Physiological Sciences,: St Catherine 's; Susan Harrison - Mathematics, Brasenose; He/en Sm1th - Modern Languages, Christchurch; Krishanthi Gunaratnam - Mathematics, St Hilda 's.

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Kosir Ahmad Pollyanna Appleyard Sally Barraclough Susan Barraclough Rachel Bell Sarah Bentley Kirstie Black Jacqueline Blunt Philippa Boocock Amelia Booth Alison Bromley Joanna Broster Jane Bunch Eleanor Burrows Penelope Burrows Sarah Burt Nicola Bussey Rebecca Calvert Rebecca Campin Gillian Cannon Helen Charlesworth AndreaChell Julia Coward Heidi Crawford Sara Cuss Nicola Davies Susannah Donaldson Ruth Ellis Katherine Field Helen Flavell Clare Foster Rachel Galvin Andrea Gedney Kathryn Goldthorpe Jolsna Gopinathan Jennifer Greensmith Judith Greenwood Krishanthi Gunaratnam Alison Hackney Ruth Hall Lisa Harker Susan Harrison Joanna Hastewell Hilary Heard Cheryl Hemingway Elizabeth Hodson Victoria Howe Claire Jackson Samantha Judge Moira Kent Leila Khouja Helen Killey Alice Leabeater

Suzanne Lee Gina Mallinson Andrea Marshal! Clare Mountain Damanjeet Mullhi Sophie Neary Joanna Nicoll Sarah Nield Anjali Patel Anna Patrick Rebecca Pearson Katy Precious Sarah Ramoth Joanne Richardson Elizabeth Robinson Anne Rogerson Adele Rosser Rachel Sausby EmmaShaw

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COURSES OF FURTHER EDUCATION OR TRAINING of girls who left the VI Form in 1989

New College, Huddersfield. Wakefield District College, Art & Design Foundation Course. King's College, London, Engineering and Business Studies. Hull University, Nursing Studies. Newcastle University, Dentistry. Nottingham University, Nutrition. Wakefield District College, B-TEC. Durham University, St. Mary's College, Philosophy. Oxford Polytechnic, Biology. · Leicester Polytechnic, Industrial and Business Systems. Birmingham University, Psychology. University of Kent, American Studies with Literature. Imperial College of Science & Technology, London, Chemistry. University of Kent, English/French. Dewsbury College, Art & Design Foundation. Dundee University, Zoology. / Au Pair in Paris for one year. Yorkshire Riding Centre -training for British Horse Society Examinati6ns. Durham University, Collingwood College, The Physics and Chemistry of Materials. Leeds School of Physiotherapy, Diploma in Physiotherapy. Science Press, Ephrata, U.S.A. Newcastle University, French and Spanish. Halifax Technical College, Foundation Course for Art. Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education, International Business Studies with Spanish. Work in America: then Newcastle Polytechnic, Business Studies 1990. Surrey University, Linguistics and International Studies. Edinburgh University, English. King 's College, London, Management Studies and Computer Science. Sheffield Polytechnic, HND Home Economics. Leicester University, Medicine. Leicester University, Law with French. St. Andrew's University, French. University of E. Anglia, Chemistry. Aberdeen University, Chemistry. Harrogate Tutorial College, Re-take A levels. Dundee University, Arts and Social Sciences. Leeds University, Greek Civilisation and Theology. Oxford University, St. Hilda 's, Mathematics. Leeds University, Law. Ripon & York St. John College, B.Ed. Aberystwyth University, Law. Oxford University, Brasenose, Mathematics. Sunderland Polytechnic, Economics. Liverpool University, Medicine. School of Pharmacy, University of London, Pharmacy. Oxford University, St. Catherine's, Physiological Sciences. University 1990, Modern Languages. University of London, Goldsmith 's, English and German. Leeds University, Textile Management. Bristol University, Theology and Religious Studies. Royal Holloway & Bedford New College, London, Chemistry. Lancaster University, History 1990. Secretarial work over Christmas '89, Then Marlborough Secretarial College, Oxford. Early 1990 Australia and then University 1990 for History/English. Cadet Valuer, Valuation Office, Civil Service. University of Wales, Aberystwyth , History and Geography. Lancashire Polytechnic, Law. Lancaster University, Geography. Birmingham University, Medicine. . . . . One year in Republic of Honduras teachmg English. Then Umvers1ty 1990. CVS prior to Polytechnic 1990. University, English 1990. Wakefield District College, Art Foundation Course. Manchester Polytechnic, HND, Hotel, Catering and. Institutional Management. Newcastle University, Agriculture and Food Marketmg. Manchester Polytechnic, Hotel and Catering Management. Wakefield District College, A level. Newcastle Polytechnic, Applied Consumer Sciences. Leicester Polytechnic, Textile and Knitwear Technolo.gy Management. Aston University, Birmingham, Applied and Human B1ology. Humberside College of Higher Education, European Business Studies/French. Aberystwyth University, Information Science. Durham University, Natural Sciences.

Natalie Shaw Salone Singh Helen Smith Michelle Smith Kathryn Smith Emma Spencer Saffron Stanfield Lara Stapleton Sarah Stewart Claire Swallow Lisa Sykes Rikta Talukder KimTaylor Ruth Thorpe Victoria Tomlinson Cheryl Turner Claire Twaites Rosemary Tye Rachel Vautrey Teresa Waddington Lesley Walker Farhana Wasty Julia Williams Caroline Wood Jenny Wood Sarah Woodcock Philippa Woods

VI LOWER Kathryn Dickens

Nottingham University, Maths and Management Studies. Birmingham University, Chemical Engineering. Oxford University, Christ Church, Modern Languages. London University, Imperial College, Chemistry. . . Humberside College of Higher Education, European Busmess Stud1es. Leeds Polytechnic, Law. Liverpool University, Biology. Dewsbury College, Foundation Course, Art and Design. Durham University, Coll ingwood, English. University of Kent, Biological Sciences. Hull University, Chemistry. Voluntary Work, London. Sunderland Polytechnic, Economics. Reading University, Psychology. Bretton Hall College of Higher Education, Drama (Theatre Arts). Leicester Polytechnic, Environmental Sciences. Portsmouth Polytechnic, Hotel and Cateri~g Management. London University, Imperial College, Phys1cs. Birmingham University, Media, Culture and Society. Bangor University, English. Liverpool University, Law. . . University of London, Queen Mary's, Computer Sc1ence and Chem1stry. West Sussex College, Sports Studies. Sheffield University, History. Sheffield University, Biochemistry. . . . . Newcastle Polytechnic, French/Secretanal Adm1mstrat1on. London University, Westfield, French.

Wakefield District College, A levels.

SPEECH DAY- 25th NOVEMBER 1988

The afternoon began traditionally when the school sang Psalm 150. The Chairman, Dr Forrest, Spokesman to The Governors, then welcomed the Mayor and Mayoress and all our guests. In his address he stressed that all girls must be given the chance to reach the top in their chosen career and he quoted examples of women who held key positions in British Industry. In order to provide the best possible education in the 1990's the Governors were launching their plan to extend and refurbish the Science Block, starting in January 1989 w ith a completion date set for September 1989.

of the staff. The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, recently introduced, now had over 1 00 participants. The school must, in th is and other ways, be outward-looking. Mrs. Bottomley was warmly thanked for her leadership in fund-raising, resulting in £6,199.03 being given to charitable organisations during the year.

Next, Mrs. Langham gave her welcome to the Speaker and other guests and opened her report with thanks to the Governors and the Staff for their support over the past year. She was especially grateful to the Second Mistress, Miss Gray and the Head Gi rl, Helen Dawson.

The present government wished to promote parental choice in education. Therefore, Mrs. Langham set out to test whether or not Wakefield Girls' High School was a "good school". Firstly the facilities: constantly under review with several areas being refurbished over the past year. Next academic success - natu ral!~ of great importance to parents and a source of pnde to the school. The 1988 GCSE results were excellent w ith a pass-rate of 93%. The Staff's response to the new demands were worthy of praise. We were also proud to report that Miss M. Hardcastle had been appointed Vice- . Chairman of the Joint Matriculation Board. Staff in every section of the school community played their part, like Mr. Trevor Hall, Chief Groundsman, who has served the Wakefield Grammar School Foundation for 25 years, and Mrs. Jean Colley, who has worke9 in the kitchen for 30 years.

Mrs. Langham gave details of the other staffing changes and welcomed the newcomers, including Mrs. Sampson, an additional laboratory technician and Mrs. Gray, replacing Mrs. Bagnall in the school office. Extra-curricular activities were another important criterion when judging schools. These too proved the commitment

Mrs. Langham explained how she and Mr. Mardling, the Principal Designate, continued to develop co-operation between the High School and Queen Elizabeth Grammar School. Besides the shared social and cultural activities, 19 boys now studied A-level Economics at the High School and new A-level subjects on offer in September 1989 would extend opportunities for both Sixth Forms.

In sport the High School had made its mark as one of the most powerful in the north. Indoor and outdoor hockey were particularly successful. In athletics and tennis, teams and individuals had distinguished themselves in the region and several girls had represented their country - in swimming and golf, for example. Displays of dance and gymnastics gave pleasure at the Summer Fayre, parties attended national finals in London and more girls took part in ski and activity holidays abroad.

Another clear indication of the school's character was the part played by the supportive organisations; the Parent and School Association, the Old Girls' and the Friends of the School. She thanked them for their activities and generous donations.

If we considered the year's offerings in Drama and Music - a very full programme both serious and light­hearted thoughout the months - there could be no doubt of the rich opportunities there. When we saw the final products of the school experience in the examination results and future courses of VI Upper ~eavers we could judge the effectiveness of the school. While the national curriculum was being introduced our independence meant that we could defend more areas of the curriculum now under threat. In 1992 ·moreover, new openings would be created for girls in the EEC. They must be positive in their ambitions.

9

After this review of school-life Mrs. Langham returned to her opening question and delivered her verdict. Was WGHS a good school? No. lt was a very good school but it could and would be even better!

Miss Brenda Howe, OBE, BA, was formerly Head of the City of Leeds School, Educational Adviser to Leeds City Council and an Acting Deputy Director of Education before her retirement. After presenting the prizes and certificates, she offered as her contribution to the afternoon's proceedings some thoughts about values which might be useful to the girls in her audience. She advised them, as they chose their career, to look at the kinds of people attracted to that kind of work. Did they

want to be one of those? Her own studies and teaching had been much involved with history. She counselled girls to respect the past but warned against nostalgia which blinded us to the evils of earlier days.

"We must look steadfastly to the future but use knowledge and understanding of the past to guide us so that we build something worthwhile and are valuable members of the human race." She congratulated the younger generations on their courage and enthusiasm.

The Head Girl gave an apt and witty vote of thanks and Speech Day ended, as always, with the School ~ymn and the National Anthem. '

J.M.

Miss Brenda Howe with prizewinners.

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FAR AND NEAR THE KATHARINE KINGSWELL AWARDS FOR TRAVEL

In 1988/89 Awards went to Harriet Morgan a Law student trekking in the Far East; Sarah Rawlinson now reading Medicine in London who planned to work in Thailand in December 1988; Claire Mallinson who is also a Medical student and will travel to Singapore in November 1989; Hazel Johnson, reading Medicine who is still travelling in India as we go to press; Joanna Wales, going to America; and Marthie Malik, visiting Venice.

N.B. New Applicants for 1989/90 - should send for application forms when planning their programmes and should return the details to the High School.

lt gives us great pleasure to receive accounts of the experiences of those holding Katharine Kingswell Awards.

We thank Karron Milner for the vivid report of her three months in Kenya, printed below and Anna Lee who saw more of Spain than the holiday-makers do when she lived for five months in Zaragoza as part of her Modern Language Studies.

OPERATION RALEIGH - KENYA 1988 I applied for Operation Raleigh when I was still in the sixth form at the High School and attended the Selection Weekend for an expedition on 26/27 September 1987 at Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire. The weekend was very tough with only eight out of forty being chosen. Selection Weekends take place every weekend throughout the year in all parts of the country to choose the young people who will go on an Operation Raleigh Expedition.

I was informed by post that I had been chosen for an Expedition and also told that I would have to raise two thousand pounds to go towards the cost of the expedition. I could choose which expedition I would like to go on and I chose Kenya 16B. This Expedition was to take place in Autumn 1988 which would give me plenty of time to raise the funds required.

The bulk of the money was raised by a sponsored abseil down Gaping Ghyll in North Yorkshire, the deepest pothole in this country, 365 feet deep. The rest of the money came from individual companies and charities and I was also lucky enough to be awarded a Katharine Kingswell Travel Scholarship by the Governors of the High School. lt was with great relief that all the money was raised in good time for the Expedition.

The departure date was Tuesday, 6 September 1988 from London's Heathrow airport. Some ninety people gathered there to fly out to Kenya. The flight was delayed but nobody minded too much - at last we were on our

way! We arrived in Nairobi early Wednesday morning, met by some of the Expedition staff and taken by bus to the Field Headquarters of the Expedition in Nairobi. The day was spent getting to know everyone, filling out medical forms and unloading equipment from lorries.

We stayed for three days at the YMCA in Nairobi, and were joined by the International Venturers from Canada, New Zealand, USA, Australia and also the Kenyan Venturers. Once all the expedition members were present we were split into four groups of thirty two people to be taken to the our main project sites. One group would be working in the Tsavo National Park, another at the foot of Mt Kenya, a third at Lake Baringo and the fourth would be based in the far north of Kenya near Maralal. My group was to go to Maralal first and then changeover halfway through the three months with the Baringo group.

We set off at 6 am on the morning of 1 0 September for a twelve hour drive. On the way we picked up one of our staff- a Kenyan army officer called Cosmos Konchellah. Cosmos is the cousin of Billy Konchellah, the Olympic athlete, and had been on Operation Raleigh to Malaysia. He was from the Samburu Tribe whose region we would be working in.

When we arrived in Maralal we set up camp for the night and the next day we packed all our kit into our rucksacks and set off walking to our Base Camp. This was a two day hike in hilly country and none of us were used to the heat. This meant we had to be very careful that people did not collapse from heat exhaustion. We conserved our water and had many stops.

We arrived at the Barsaloi camp which was very primitive and needed a lot of work before we could live there. So the next few days were spent mending the thorny fence which surrounded the camp to keep the wild animals out, digging a new pit-latrine, putting up a permanent radio aerial , pitching tents, hanging mosquito nets and making a camp oven.

When all this work had been completed the large group of thirty two Venturers was split into four groups of eight. Two groups set off on a camel-trek to Lake Turkana in the north and the Matthews Range of Mountains in the south. The other two groups - which included my group - set off to walk to Opiroi, where we were to begin building a dispensary for the people of the village and its surrounding area.

Opiroi is a lovely little settlement of Samburu tribes­people and they were very friendly towards us because of the work we were doing for their community. We slept in their church and dug the foundations for the dispensary near their school. The children would come and watch us working and often wanted to dig with us or they would fetch water for us when we were thirsty. At night they would sing songs to us and show us their English books so they could practise the English they were learning and in turn we learnt a few words of the Samburu language. For example "Super" means "Hello", "Habari" means "How are you", "Sana" is "Friend" and "Misuri" means " lam well" .

lt was hard work digging every day but in the afternoons when the sun was too hot we explored the surrounding area and found places to wash in the river. On Harriet's birthday (a girl from North Carolina) we decided to have a day off work and the children showed us where there was a waterfall. We took a picnic and spent the day writing letters home and relaxing. The waterfall was about an hour's walk from our camp and we often visited there for a shower. Unfortunately one day we were there it started to rain and I slipped on the wet rocks and fell. I hit my face on a rock, broke one of my teeth and cut my lip very badly. I was well looked after by our Nurse, Wendy Brown, who cleaned me up and set me on a course of antibiotics in

13

C?se: the wound be<?ame inf~cted . I only had one day off d1ggmg before carrymg on w1th the work we were doing.

After we had been at Opiroi for two weeks we were told that we would be going camel-trekking and the other two groups would be workin~ at the dispensary. We packed our k1t once mo~e and sa1d goodbye to the villagers before another long dnve north to Lake Turkana. We met up with the group who had been trekking whilst we dug the foundations of the dispensary and they told us lots of horrid ·things about camels. This didn 't worry us too much because we were ready for a bit of adventure.

We stayed up at Lake Turkana for a few days so that the camels could rest before we started to trek back to Barsaloi. We sorted out all our rations for the trip and got to know the camel-handlers who would be walking with us.

Now you may think that camel-trekking is a very romantic thing to do, sitting on a camel and riding off into the sunset. This was when we got a shock and romantic ideas about camel-trekking were soon killed. We got up at 3 am and cooked breakfast in the dark, packed our ruck­sacks by torchlight and then loaded the camels who were very grumpy, smelly beasts who thought nothing of spitting at you or biting you. Then as soon as it was starting to get light we would start to walk and camels don't walk slowly! We would walk until at least 2 pm and then find a place to camp for the night. The camels were unloaded and set loose to graze for the afternoon but before we could rest we had to set up camp, light a fire, cook lunch and only after all that we could lie in the shade and rest or write letters. Of course we went to bed early but not before washing and treating the camel 's sores, caused by their saddles rubbing. Once this task was completed the camels would be hobbled for the night. This means you have to get the camels to lie down and then you tie their front legs together so they cannot escape whilst you are in bed.

Halfway through our trek we came to a village called Tum which was at the foot of Mt Nhiyru so we left the camels at the foot of the mountain and set off with our packs on our backs to climb to the summit - some 9030 feet high. We spent two days at the top of Nhiyru and then returned to our camels for the second half of our trek.

The scenery we were walking through was quite spectacular, sometimes so flat you could see for miles and sometimes we walked in high-sided valleys. The ground underfoot was thorny and very dry with not many trees but we were told that usually it was a sandy desert with not even thorn shrubs growing. The rains had been heavy that year which meant an unusual amount of vegetation.

After seventeen days trekking we reached Barsaloi once more. We unloaded the camels for the last time and set off for Opiroi to see how the dispensary was going. The other groups had laid the concrete foundations and made the blocks to build the walls. We wanted to carry on working there but it was time to move on to Lake Baringo where there were other projects in action. The group that had been at Baringo would be coming up to Maralal to complete the dispensary.

Yet another long drive in the back of an army truck to the Base Camp at Lake Baringo. We arrived to find that this camp was where most of the scientific projects were carried out. We chased grasshoppers, lizards, snakes and scorpions. Also a survey was in progress about the various fish in the lake so we took the boats out and cast nets, counting and measuring the fish we caught. In the afternoon we could take the boats and go swimming in the middle of the lake avoiding the hippos and crocodiles.

After working on science projects for nearly two weeks my group was taken to the Lake Nakuru National Park, where we would be working for Rhino Rescue, building bridges over the rivers in the Park. We were working for Jock and En id Dawson - two white Kenyans - who were in charge of the funds raised by the Rhino Rescue Trust. Their main concern was for the nineteen Black Rhino in the Park but the money was used for the good of all the animals in the Park. They had installed a six foot high

14

electric fence around the perimeter, not to keep the animals in but to keep the poachers out, and also many concrete water troughs had been built.

Every day we were taken to a place at the edge of the Park where a river flowed into the Park and here we mixed concrete by hand and made culverts. The culverts were to be put in the river bed and concreted securely in place so that the rangers could drive right round the perimeter fence checking for poachers. lt was hot work but very enjoyable. On Sundays we were allowed to take a vehicle and drive around the Park to look at the animals and visit the Safari Lodge where we swam in ttie pool and wrote letters whilst sunbathing.

Whilst we were working at Nakuru one of the Rhinos was attacked by another one and the vet flew in from N~irobi to decide what was best to do for her recovery. He sa1d she would have to be tranquilised and moved to a sanctuary to convalesce. We were lucky enough to be part of the team who looked after the Rhino each day and we saw her recovery first hand. Every morning before going to the culvert site we would go, to the sanctuary and put fresh branches in for the Rhino to eat, we would feed her sugar cane - bought from the local market - and give her clean water. Gradually she became used to our visits and we could go into the pen with her and feed her by hand. This was certainly an experience I would remember for the rest of my life! When it was time for us to leave Nakuru the Rhino was much better and it would only be a matter of days before she could be released into the Park once more.

The last thing that my group did in Kenya was to go on a seven-day foot trek up a river gorge. We packed as little as possible and set off to explore the Sandai River. This was really a taste of adventure for us and we camped out by the river each night and walked in and out of the water each day. We swam in the deeper pools and sailed down the rapids on our karrimats. We climbed the valley sides and marvelled at the view. We felt just like intrepid explorers in unknown lands!

At last the three months was over and we had to return to Nairobi to fly home. However, a treat was in store for us. We were taken back to Nairobi and told we could have three days holiday to do whatever we liked before the debrief and final party. So within two hours of getting into Nairobi we were on the train to Mombasa tE> the sun, sea and sand of the Indian Ocean. There we became tourists and ate in the hotel restaurants and sunbathed on the beaches. All too soon it was time to go home but every­one was looking forward to seeing their families once more. We weren't looking forward to the British weather but Christmas was close by and that made up for it.

I enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime experience in Kenya last year and I would encourage any member of either school to apply for an Operation Raleigh Expedition so that they too can help countries like Kenya. Without the help and support of my parents and family I would never have got the chance to do any of the things you have read about and I would like to thank all my sponsors - including the school - for the fantastic help they gave to me.

Karron Milner

In the boats on Lake Baringo

The culvert site - Lake Nakuru National Park

THE REAL SPAIN A year abroad spent in two relevant countries forms the placement stage of my Modern Language degree course at .B~adf_ord and _so in February 1989 I was eagerly ant_1c1pa~mg a penod of five months to be spent at the U_n1vers1ty of Zaragoza, Spain. This large city, lying equi­distant between Madrid and Barcelona is the capital of the autonomol!s community . of Aragon; reaching out to the Pyrenees 1n the north, to the mountain ranges of the Catalonian coast to the east and to the autonomous community of Valencia to the south.

Shortly ?fter arriving, _we began our chosen university class rangmg from Art H1story to Geography and Italian to Russian - all in Spanish of course, and having moved in t~ _our. new abodes. and overcome initial language d1ff1cult1es, we settled 1n to our new lifestyles.

I found myself living with two Spanish girls at close p~oximity to the . university and within easy walking d1stance of the c1ty centre. The city of Zaragoza itself

encompasses a large area with over 700,000 inhabitants and with its sustained and successful economic and commercial development, its increasing focus on the city as a centre of tourist and congressional interest and its wide, tree-lined walks full of animation, I imagined myself to be in a mini-London. . ~~rol;Jghout the city, many marks of the passing of

c1v1hzat1ons - from the Roman domination through the Moorish occupation to the Christian conquest - have been le~ and can be seen quite clearly. The Mudejar style of architecture left by the Moors lies adjacent to Gothic churches and Renaissance buildings. When we think of the Fine Arts, Goya immediately springs to mind, having b~en born in a village just outside Zaragoza and some of h1s works are represented in one of the most celebrated sanctuaries in Europe, the Basilica del Pilar, which has been a centre of pilgrimage for centuries.

. During my stay in Spain I had the opportunity to visit fnends staymg on the Costa Blanca near Valencia and travelling down, I immediately noticed the geographic and agricultural contrasts. The rugged hills and bare landscape of South Aragon give way to the plains of Valencia with acre after acre of grape vines, almond trees, citrus fruits and coastal rice fields. What a contrast to North Aragon where I enjoyed a few days skiing in the Pyrenees, marvellin~ at the majest_ic ~ountains. and natural beauty surroundmg small, rust1c VIllages displaying traditional Spanish character. . A long pe:ri~d of. time spent in Spain should certainly 1nclude a v1s1t to 1ts two largest c1ties - Madrid and Barcelona both boast such a wealth of cultural and social ~~racti_ons. On my visit to Madrid, I stayed with a friend hvmg 1n Alcala de Henares, birthplace of the famous author Cervantes, and it afforded me the chance to view Madrilenan life - its people, food and traditional fiestas.

My time spent in Zaragoza was a very enjoyable and memorable experience, enhanced by the company of the Aragonese people who are so lively and friendly, and I was sad when it was time to leave. However 1 will certainly go back and relive the delights Spain 'has to offer, which are much more than the popular Costas and England 's dream - el sol!

Anna Lee

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DAILY TELEGRAPH YOUNG SCIENCE WRITER AWARDS 1989

We were excited in June to read the announcements of the results of the 1989 competition, for the judging panel had mentioned particularly how hard their task had been in the younger age-group of students between 16 and 21 where they said excellent entries were jostling to be short­listed. Among those discussed in this category was the entry by Rosemary Tye in VI Upper whose account of the death of a star was described as "very well written " by Sir Sam Edwards F.R.S. of Cambridge, who is President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and Sir Waiter Bodmer, F.R.S. Director of Research for the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. They selected her to include among the nine runners-up who included at least five undergraduates or research-students. The judges said that the younger finalists were more lively than the writers in the 22-28 year old class.

Rosemary will receive a certificate of merit and sub­scriptions to New Scientist and Nature.

ASCRIBE Mrs. Margaret Kendall is known to girls in school as a biologist and an intrepid member of expeditions to the wilds of Bretton, the Dales or the Shetland Isles. But, like so many members of the High School staff, she has a great diversity of interests and talents, often unsuspected.

Over three years ago she became fascinated by the history and the art of handwriting and the craft which has produced the wonderful beauty of illuminated manuscripts. She not only read about the history and studied the artefacts but she attended classes to learn more herself by doing. She has progressed rapidly in skill to reach the Advanced Section of the examinations in Calligraphy and has joined the Society of Scribes and Illuminators. Now we congratulate her on her latest success - winning a national competition in calligraphy sponsored by Osmiroid. The prize, as well as an illuminated certificate - is worth £300 in the form of a week's course at Maddingley College, Oxford at a time of her choice. She is looking forward to enjoying her treat.

BUSINESS INSIGHT PROGRAMME To anyone in VI Lower who is considering retail manage­ment as a career option I would recommend applying for a place on the Business Insight Programme run by Marks and Spencers during the summer holidays.

I have worked on Saturdays in a menswear shop for nearly two years now and since I enjoyed the experience I began seriously to consider a career in retailing. After looking around at the options, management looked attractive and the various training schemes looked even better. I read up about Marks and Spencers and dis­covered they ran a week's work experience for prospective management trainees who were in the Lower Sixth at school - so I applied.

My application was accepted, I got through a full management interview and was invited to spend the week 7-11 August at the store in Wakefield.

My first day began with a complete tour of the shop which is even larger than I had thought. There are four floors in all. I was briefed about a variety of subjects including the great problem of "theft and loss" which the company is trying to tackle.

I was attached to both the Personnel Assistant and the Personnel Manager and this gave me an insight into how much care and attention the staff need in order to keep the place going.

The next day I spent with the Commercial Manager/ Deputy Manager, Anne Drakeford who seems to be continually on the run from one department to another, checking the appearance of the store and the stocking of the shelves. This is the branch of management I would particularly like to go into. lt is where the action is. From the arrival of stock to its departure with satisfied customers

16

you watch the progress of the products, keeping an eye on the shop's displays, keeping it stocked and looking attractive. Everything depends on this vital process.

I was also able to spend time on the Customer Service Desk. lt was quite an eye-opener here to see what people dared to bring back expecting to have their money returned. Garments purchased years ago and obviously well-worn were brought back for a refund . Talk about value for money!

On the final day I got involved in some Administrative work but, though it was interesting, the week's ~xperiences had reinforced my original thoughts that Commercial Management would be the field I wished to enter.

On this last day I also had an interview with the Manager, Mr. Waddington, whom I had bumped into constantly through the week. I had been observed throughout and his conclusion was that I had been a success. I would be recommended to Head Office to be invited to attend a Selection Board. AJ( in all the time had been invaluable. I just hope I do get selected and can become a management trainee full time next year in Marks and Spencers after I have completed my A levels.

Helena Walker, VI Lower

BLACK BELT

At fourteen Anya Millican has won her black belt at Karate and must wait two years before she is allowed to attempt the next stage in proving her prowess. She must be sixteen according to the rules to attempt a further grade for it is unheard of for a girl to get so far so young.

She has won a gold medal in a national competition at Ellesmere Park and three trophies in a Yorkshire junior championship. Now she intends to keep in training.

lt all started when she thought she would like to try the sport and her father took her to the club in Wakefield. She enjoyed it so much that she now spends twenty four hours a month in practice.

EXCHANGE VISIT TO HANOVER - 1989 At last we were on a coach bound for Hanover - freedom from school, reports, examination results and parental 'blessings' , but the journey was not quite what we expected: within minutes we were in a Leeds cui-de-sac, going nowhere, with a courier shouting directions at the lost bus driver! Was this to be the first and last time we got lost? Luckily it was. The journey continued without problems.

During the fourteen hour sailing from Hull to Rotterdam and another seven hour coach journey to Hanover, we got to know the other pupils taking part in the Exchange. The group was made up of girls from both Wakefield and Leeds Girls' High Schools and boys from Leeds Grammar School. When we met our German Exchange partners (for the second time -they visited England in March) we had already established good friendships which were going to last all holiday and after.

So much for the end of term! The morning after our arrival it was back to school , starting at 7.45, getting up, therefore, at 5 am! Every day lessons in German were provided for the English pupils. The range of subjects was wide, from Politics to Drama, Geography to Tongue Twisters. Even though we were at school we still felt as if we were on holiday, because school never finished later than 12.15 pm! German schools are very different from our schools, they do not appear to be as strict - with no uniforms, murals on the walls and generally a more casual attitude all round, or so it seems.

Throughout the holiday the Sixth formers and their German 'halves' met regularly, often going swimming, to parties, or into the centre of Hanover. lt is a large modern city, with lovely shops, cafes and places where you can meet, sit and talk; such as Kropcke, a square in which there is a very old clock. Everyone meets there and you can always find young people sitting around talking.

Hanover is very lively with lots of discos, cinemas and many foreign visitors arrive daily at the large airport or train station. The transport system is very efficient - there always seemed to be a tram, bus or train to where I wanted to go! The Germans, however, like cycling , so it is lucky for them, and us, that the landscape is very flat. In fact, the only mountains we saw were those of the Harz. The visit to Gossler, a picturesque village in these mountains, was one of two organised trips, the other was to Berlin, an amazing city, surrounded by East Germany and cut in two by a high concrete wall.

During the journey home addresses and telephone numbers were exchanged, reunions planned and a return visit to Hanover was talked about, so next summer Hanover may see us again!

The Exchange has provided all those who took part with good friends, good.parties, sleepless nights and lots of fun. We even managed to learn a bit of German!

Sarah L. Robshaw, VI Lower

DIE ERINNERUNG, DIE MAUER "Guten Morgen." 5.30 am already. Confused, tired but highly excited we made our way to our German school. A crowd of people were gathered together chattering constantly, even though it was by this time only 7 am. The coach arrived and we all clambered on armed with camera and heaving rucksacks bursting with food . Before leaving the school a voice came over the intercom with the crucial question "Has everyone brought their passports." When the passports had been checked we were off. .~.

Five hours of autobahn stretch before us. Two liJours later we saw it, the East German border. We had all oeen issued with an identity number. The coach stopped and silence fell upon everyone. With passports in hand we sat and waited. Soldiers, in green uniforms with a look of seriousness and fully armed with guns, surrounded us. One of the soldiers walked towards the coach and with an air of authority climbed aboard to scrutinize our passports and check them off with the identity number. With the all-

clear we crossed the border and travelled for a further three hours through flat, rather boring countryside until we reached West Berlin, a huge, modern but attractive city.

With two hours free time the Europa Centre seemed a popular destination, a tall sky-scraper from the top of which the whole of Berlin, east and west, could be seen.

The hustle and bustle of Berlin's main shopping streets could not be missed with many cafes and restaurants along the way. The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church stood out in the city centre, a church which contrasts the old and new as half of it is like any other old church and the other half a modern building.

Having returned to the coach by 2 pm our guided tour of the city began. Our coach wound its way through many of Berlin's streets beginning with the Kurfurstendamm Strasse, the main shopping street. We were told much about how the war devastated Berlin and how as an effect of this Berlin has grown up as a very modern city.

Having a population of two million, and East Berlin a further one million, much of the city is filled with flats, the older ones having beautiful balconies of flowers. Con­tinuing our tour we came to the highlight, the ever-famous Berlin wall , covered in evocative graffiti, some of which had been written by people who have escaped from East Germany. From the view points we could see beyond the wall an area of no man 's land, a vast expanse of mine fields, then another wall followed by the grey dismal city of East Berlin. We managed to catch a glimpse of 'Check­point Charlie' the main border crossing between the East and West when we saw the Brandenburger Tor, a famous gateway into Berlin before the war.

After the war Berlin was divided between Russia, France, Britain and America. Russia took East Berlin and West Berlin was divided among the other three. The Russian memorial guarded by Russian soldiers is unusual as it is found in the British sector of West Berlin. The Reichstag building was the next sight and it used to be the parliament buildings. Heading back to the town centre we passed the victory memorial.

With one hour free time we had to visit at least one of Berlin's shops. Then at 6 pm we boarded the coach for the five hour journey home.

Berlin is such an interesting city, full of excitement and the city is made special by being virtually an island in East Germany. I would love to visit it again when I was able to explore it at my own leisure.

Joanne Abraham, V Lower

ST. GEORGE'S DAY PARADE, WINDSOR - JUNE 1989

lt is times like these that make you wonder why you complained whilst desperately trying to put up a two-man tent on the North Yorkshire Moors, in gale force winds, during a fifty mile hike.

For those of you who have completed any kind of expedition on foot, even if it was just the school sponsored walk, you will certainly know what an achieve­ment it. is. However_, it is . not often your achievements get recogn~sed , espec1ally m front of Royalty at Windsor Castle. But what makes us so different?

As members of the 15th Wakefield Venture Scout Unit we have both recently completed our Queen's Scout Awa~d . This included various activities - community serv1ce and leader training, a pursuit or interest, an expedition of fifty miles on foot over four days, and assessment and interview by the District Commissioner.

On 23 April , 1989, 1,000 Queen's Scouts from all over Great Britain were invited to parade in front of the Duke of Kent at Windsor Castle, and also attend the St. George's Day National Scout Service. The previous Sunday after­noon was spent at the Wakefield Police Training Centre learning. how to march, which is no easy task, in preparation for the apparently not so sympathetic drill­sergeants at the Windsor Army Barracks where we spent the morning of the parade.

17

After assembling in the Royal Mews at precisely 1.30 pm the band began, and we all proceeded to march past the crowds lining the streets up to the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle, where all1 ,000 of us assembled.

After various routine drills, and an inspection by the Duke of Kent and the Chief Scout, W. Garth Harrison, we proceeded to march around the square and entered St. George's Chapel via the Great West Door. As we were some of the last of the 1 ,000 Venture Scouts to enter the Chapel, there were no seats left in the naive and so we were directed towards the choir, just in front of the High Altar. We were therefore seated in beautiful individually­carved oak stalls. Above the stall of each Knight, hangs his banner, his helmet and his crest, as well as the Sword of Knighthood. The entire service is planned by Venture Scouts with guidance from the Dean of Windsor.

After the service, we were briefly addressed by the Chief Scout in the Horseshoe Cloister, and then marched back to the Royal Mews where we were dismissed.

There was then a great feeling of relief and achievement as everything that day had gone more or less according to plan. lt is then that you realise what it was all for - the expedition, the ballroom dancing, looking after thirty six cub scouts each week for two years, not forgetting all the practice drills!

We had gained the highest award in Scouting as well as learning new skills and meeting more people! We were and still are proud to be Queen 's Scouts!

Anna Patrick and Ruth Ellis, VI Upper

A HISTORIC LETIER!

Amy Bowman is seen here receiving her prize from Wakefield's head postmaster, Mr. Gordon Cooling after being placed second in the regional finals of the Young Letter Writer of the Year competition, beating 18,000 entrants.

Her entry, an imaginary letter from Banquo to his wife was written on parchment in calligraphy complete with a red seal. The judges included playwright Alan Plater.

Amy studied 'Macbeth ' for G.C.S.E. Her entry now goes forward to the national finals. ,

Amy hopes to become a screen-writer eventually.

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18

A VET'S LIFE- FOR A DAY The morning shift begins at 8.15 when all the v~ts assemble in the main office. The one I was on call w1th deals mainly with the large animals and horses. He made a list in a large red diary of two cases for the morning and three for the afternoon. I was surprised, thinking there would be more but when I questioned this I was promptly informed that unless anything 'came up' this was a fairly easy day!

The first call was to a nine month old bullock. When we arrived five very rural-looking gentlemen met us. They were dressed in tweed trousers, long barbour jackets and the traditional green hunter wellingtons. I could easily have pictured them in an episode from "All Creatures Great and Small". We were taken through a barn and shown a very poorly-looking beast lying down in a corner but when the five men attempted to catch hold of it, it was impossible to handle. They ran after it, they tried lassooing it, they even tried jumping at it and holding on to slow the poor creature down. In the end they chased it into a 'crush'. The bullock was extremely lame on the right fore. The leg was very swollen and when I felt it there was a lot of heat around the coronet and fetlock joint. There had been a previous puncture wound in the foot as I could clearly see by a star-shaped scar on the sole. The vet injected cortisone to bring the wound to a head and then advised a bran poultice. This is most useful for injuries to the foot. The procedure is as follows:-1. Heat up a small bran mash, adding a handful of Epsom

Salts. 2. Put enough mash in a white plastic bag of a size that

will contain a 6 cm layer of mash. 3. Lift the foot, put it in the bag and pack the bran around

and under it. 4. Put the foot down and fit a poultice boot. If a boot is not

available, use a sack, placing the limb in one corner of it and securing the sack by threading a string through it.

5. Bandage over the sack to keep it in place. The advice was once the swelling burst to continue

poulticing and to inject antibiotics. The bullock was to be turned out by day and given bymastat (antibiotic/Kaolin mixture). The diagnosis earlier had been camplobacter infection. Our second call took us about a quarter of an hour down

the motorway and then a very bumpy drive down a track. In fact two bottles of antibiotics burst on the way! When we got there we were told that there were ten terriers to be vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, parvo virus and leptospirosis and two horses for tetanus and equalan for worms. The dogs were all working dogs belonging to the Badsworth Hunt. When the fox goes to ground the dogs are sent down to 'flush it out'. The two horses were retired and belonged to HAPPA, the Horses and Ponies Protection Association. They are just used for hacking and the occasional Riding Club Rally. The dogs were extremely good to vaccinate and we had no mishaps.

We then drove back to the surgery where the vet printed each call and the drugs he had administered on the computer. We allowed ourselves an hour after that for dinner. The vets keep in touch by using an in-car radio. lt is tuned in to a particular wavelength and the person at base can contact any one of the five men as they travel round. The vets can also ring in if, for example, they get lost and need directions!

Our third call was to two pacer horses which were to be vaccinated and they were also to have an injection into the vein of haemo 15 and vitamin E and selenium. This prevents the breakdown of fatty material in the feed and protects cell membrane. One of the horses, a 15 hh bay filly foal was showing deficiency symptoms. She had general muscle degeneration and diarrhoea. The pace is a gait in which the horse moves his legs in lateral pairs on the same side. lt gives the impression of a rolling motion, is very fast and, I believe, very comfortable to sit on.

When racing the horses come out of the stalls very quickly. They have a small trap to pull with a man or

jockey sitting in the back to steer. They can come out of the stalls at speeds of up to seventy miles an hour and so it is a very dangerous sport. The man I spoke to had a broken wrist. He said that last year he was in hospital for four weeks with a broken arm, several broken ribs and concussion. This occurred because his horse came out quickly and then swerved to one side crushing into another couple. If you can imagine two motorcycles crashing at these speeds the results are about the same! As yearlings these fillies are being sold overseas for up to £30,000. The main market is America where pacing is more advanced than here in Britain. lt is a recognised sport over there.

The day's fourth visit was to a racing yard, approximately three quarters of an hour down the road. We were told that the horse had had heavy nose bleeds every time it had been out at the gallops. They had not even been pushing it at all and ever since had just walked it out. We drove to the top of the gallops and watched it come up. lt seemed to be going all right but I have watched them come up the gallops before. I have also ridden out on numerous occasions with racehorses and this one definitely lacked a certain sparkle. When it came to the top end it was really swaying to one side and then to the other. We had previously checked its heart and we did so again. There was a slight break after every second beat, indicating that it had a very weak heart. The jockey was told to walk it back down the gallops on a long rein and to see how it felt to him since he knew the horse well, having ridden it out every day. Back at the stables he told us that on the way down it felt as though its legs were going to give way. The 'lad' said it usually took on the bit but today it was as though it couldn't be bothered. The advice given was to have a heart scan performed and just to rest it, walking it out in hand each day. The horse's feed was also to be cut right down and to be just bulk foods with something succulent.

The last call was to another racing yard. There were approximately sixty horses on the yard altogether ranging from yearlings to experienced top-class race-horses. We were there to x-ray four horses. We do this to check that there are no underlying problems, such as thin, weak bones or bones that are not properly formed in some way. This was my big moment! I put on a big, heavy green jacket and big gloves. I had to do two plates on each horse, the main one being the navicular plate and the other just to check all the bones in the leg. I also had to do one of the foot. This was very difficult as I had to get four extremely well-bred excited thoroughbreds to place their foot on a brick! And what's more- remain very still! But in the end I managed it and was very proud of myself.

The vets sometimes do up to one· hundred and fifty miles per week and they work very long hours. lt is not a nine to five job. I got home at half-past eight in the evening and this was considered an easy day!

After all I have seen and heard it has not put me off wanting to be a vet at all, but you have to be a very determined person indeed.

Alex Brabbs, V Upper

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19

MRBORNEADVENTURES

As I hurled myself into the basket and crashed into two propane cannisters it suddenly dawned on me that may be this was not such a good idea after all. However, given the choice of an airborne adventure or an evening of physics homework, which would you choose?

The balloon trip was in aid of the Honley Heart Beat Appeal and my father and I were lucky enough to be participating. The trip was to last an hour - destination unknown!

The day had begun miserably with weather in typically British style. Earlier flights had been postponed for four hours due to the bad weather. This adjournment of four hours was usefully occupied by the ten balloonatics in the bar of the nearby hotel.

'My flight was scheduled to take off around 5 pm and after a tense maths lesson of questioning the weather, we arrived at the Coach and Horses Inn at about 4.45 pm. The balloons and baskets were parked on a trailer in front of the pub, with many people milling around trying to look really useful, but there was generally very little other activity.

The earlier mist had cleared, and the sun was shining, and I learnt that a debate was taking place between the two pilots, as the wind speed had reached seventeen knots. One of the pilots was prepared to fly, the other was unwilling to take off with a wind speed greater than fifteen knots. By 5.30 an agreement had been reached and we were going to take to the sky. The take off site in Honley High School Playing Fields about half a mile away, was soon strewn with the impedimenta of two disembowelled balloons laid out on the grass.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye a St. John's Ambulance (were they expecting some extra trade?).

Mr. David Woodhead, landlord of the Coach and Horses, and the organiser of this hairbrained scheme, had changed out of his AI Capone suit and adopted a different disguise. He then got to work organising parties to assist with the inflation of the balloons.

For those not conversant with the methods of inflating a hot-air balloon, it is really quite simple. The basket is anchored to the bumper-bar of a Land Rover and the bottom of the balloon is held open by a couple of unsuspecting bystanders, whilst cold air is blown in ~y a motor-driven fan mounted on a sack cart. Once partially inflated, the burners are lit and hot air is blasted into the canopy. The bystanders who are holding the canopy open suffer from multiple burns and singed armpits as they are only two feet from the flames. qne of th~se victims being my father started to complain of gett1ng rather warm. I put it down to a nervous sweat.

The balloon is soon in a vertical position and then everyone has to run like mad and leap into their balloons. There were two passengers in our balloon, christened 'Pegasus', and seven in the other. (We have a wonderful video of the bottom of the basket as my dad drops the camera on entering the basket.)

20

We had to wait until the large balloon was fully-inflated and during this time our balloon was caught by the wind. Our basket tipped from upright to a more horizontal position and then back again. After being thrown from left to right about six times I was very reassured to see our pilot was not at all distressed.

We were unleashed from the Land Rover and suddenly we were sailing through the clouds. I had expected the departure from 'terra firma' to be a stomach-churning, weak-kneed experience, similar to that I had felt in the Eiffel Tower lift. Surprisingly, nothing happens. There is no sensation, but the fields, trees and houses just appear to fall away. The ascent to 500 or 600ft only took a matter of seconds and yet the large 34,000 cubic ft. blue and red balloon now about 400 yards away from us had reached an even higher level.

I had been advised to wear the same type of clothing for the trip, as I would have worn on the ground and I now know why. There was no wind, no nq(se except for the sudden roar of the burners and no sensation of movement, but, looking down on the trees, I could tell there was some breeze.

The flight was not without excitement as we watched the other balloon on collision course with Emley Moor mast. I was later told by the passengers on that balloon that they could almost touch it. However, panic stricken and nerve-racking the experience was for them, to us, the onlookers, everything looked reasonably calm and under control.

As we passed over Bretton Sculpture Park we com­mented on the little black blots on the landscape, which we later found out were some Henry Moore Sculptures.

As we reached Woolley, out came the Ordnance Survey Map and the pilot reassuringly said " I don't know where we are, do you?"

My Father became the navigator and had to plan our descent, using the O.S. map and avoiding all overhead pylons.

To our right there was a steel works with a blazing furnace and to our left the M1 motorway. We had to land pretty soon. Our pilot briefed us on the landing procedure. "Hold on for dear life and hope for the best!" Well, that seemed pretty straightforward.

We picked our spot, a large open field about 400 ft below. The pilot pulled a few strings (literally) and down we went.

We landed in a stubble field just outside Hemsworth and I turned round to thank the pilot, when suddenly the wind caught our balloon and we were dragged through the manure and grass. Slowly, the basket tippled over and I ended up flat on my face being crushed by anything that was not tied to the basket, that is, the pilot and my Father. My main concern was not to get my eyes poked out by the stubble. Eventually we ground to a halt and I scrambled out as quickly as possible, being careful not to end up in any more cow-muck. lt certainly wasn't the most glamorous part of the trip.

Once out of the balloon, we were swarmed upon by a crowd of local children. "Wot thee landed 'ere for?" These children were eager to see us, but their enthusiasm did not run as far as to offer to help us pack away.

Our trailcar had gone to help the larger balloon which had disappeared behind a hedge, so we were left in the middle of the field wondering if the trailcar had actually seen us land. Eventually they arrived and we loaded the balloon on to the trailer. Unfortunately there was not enough space in the Land Rover for all passengers so the remaining three offered to travel back to Honley in the baskets. This was fine except for two things - (a) it was illegal and (b) it started to rain immediately after we had set off on the return journey. However, spirits were high and the thought of champagne at the Coach and Horses was a great incentive. We arrived back at about 8.45 pm totally exhilarated after the trip of a lifetime.

Ammabel Kelsey, V Upper

E.I.L.

Joanne Senior and Lindsay Walker

THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME _ JAPAN floor, f~od that I never want to see again, drinking green tea, usmg Japanese squat toilets and 'English ' toilets complete with heated seats and instructions on how to use them, continual politeness and perpetual smiling for three. weeks! I spent my time doing lots of sightseeing, meetmg hundreds of people and telling everyone how much I was enjoying myself.

What would you think of if I said 'Hitachi ' to you? Televisions, videos, Hi-Fi's maybe? I certainly would. However, this summer I had my ideas changed. Hitachi to me now is a sprawling town three hundred miles North East of Tokyo where I have many friends. You may have guessed by now where I spent my summer holiday -Japan. I was lucky enough to be selected to spend three and a half weeks there as part of an "Experiment in International Living" through the Girl Guide Movement. This consisted of three homestays and a few days in Tokyo.

I joined a group of nine other Rangers from all over the UK - previously unknown to each other, and we flew out together to face the unexpected. The seventeen hour long flight, with stops in Brussels and Alaska, was exhausting and this, together with a severe attack of nerves confined me to the hotel bedroom for the first two days in Tokyo. However, I recovered (as you do when there is no alternative) and we travelled two hours by train to meet our first host families. The UK group - and by then we had become very close - were separated within a radius of approximately two hundred miles. Three of us actually stayed in Hitachi which meant I saw someone I 'knew' about every three days, but the rest of the time I was on my own with a family who spoke very little English (and my Japanese is limited to Hello, Goodbye and Thank You) .

The idea of "E. I.L." is that the experimenter lives as a member of the family, learning about their ways and customs and accepting their culture. For me, this meant eating with chopsticks, continual bowing, sleeping on the

After the initial homesickness - which was really a react1on to a totally strange situation where 1 did not feel secur~ , I "settled down" and began to enjoy myself. 1

expenenced a typhoon, lots of unexpected "can you teach us an English song" invitations, the traditional Tea Ceremony and such delicacies as raw fish and fried squid!

Our group met up again for two days in the middle of the three weeks. We gave a party for all our hosts - when we had to prepare food (we had carried from England) for one hundred guests in a kitchen that couldn't even fit the ten of us in standing on each others' toes, and was only equipped with one spoon and two knives. We also spent a day at Tokyo Disneyland. That was really the only day I can say I felt like I was on "holiday" - the sun shone, we ate normal food and spoke English!

There are so many things I experienced, it would take too long to tell you everything. The hardest part of the whole trip was as we said goodbye to our hosts on the station platform knowing we would pr.obably never see them again. lt is unbelievable how attached you become to people in such a short time.

This summer was truly the trip of a lifetime. I have brought home memories a_nd friendships that will last for ever.

Lindsay Walker, VI Lower

21

BRAZIL 1989 RIO DE JANEIRO- SAO PAULO- RIO CIARO

lt all started back in January 1989. I had found out I was going to Brazil as a member of a party of ten Girl Guides from the United Kingdom. All I had to do was raise the money to go. Well, seven months later I was standing in Terminal Three at Heathrow feeling a fool in a Guiding summer uniform 'tent' dress and no one with me to sympathise. My mother told me I looked 'beautiful' and the Japanese tourists kept asking me where the British Airways check-in was. Half an hour later there were ten Girl Guides, all with 'tent' dresses. After an hour getting baggage, cameras and hand-baggage through various x­ray machines and baggage controls, we were seated on a Pan-Am jumbo jet being fed half-hourly and beginning to fall asleep.

Eventually, after flying for nineteen hours with a two­hour stop-over in New York, we landed at Rio airport very tired and jet-lagged. In Rio de Janeiro we discovered we only had half our baggage, the other half had gone to Buenos Aires. We would not be able to reclaim it for three days - so, reluctantly, we went to our hotel to wash, change and sleep.

Our hotel was really lovely. Each suite had a sleeping area and a living area with a television, safe and video. The room-service could provide a whole menu of services from Swedish massage to a 'top-gun' video! The bar in each suite was stocked with food and drinks (mainly non­alcoholic) so the whole group soon returned to their rooms to watch television and sleep again.

The next day we had a sight-seeing trip to Sugar Loaf mountain. Rio is a city built in a valley surrounded ... by hills. To go anywhere you must travel through a maze of tunnels. From Sugar Loaf Mountain most of the city's streets and houses can be seen climbing the hills into the distance. The sight is awe-inspiring. But even that is not as unforgettable as the gigantic figure of Christ the Redeemer on the summit looking out over the Favellas or shanty dwellings of the poor.

In the afternoon we decided to visit Coppacabana Beach - in search of American millionaires! The sand there was as white as snow and the sea was gorgeous, so nice that I fell into the water with all my clothes on - so we returned to the hotel to visit the health spa.

Our next day's programme involved a twelve hour bus journey to Rio Claro via Sao Paulo. The ride was not very enjoyable and we still had only half our luggage. We were met, however, at Sao Paulo by our Brazilian opposite numbers in stunning uniforms of blue mini-skirt and white football socks. lt was now that all our lines of communi­cation broke down. They did not speak any English a~d we did not know any Portuguese. At 7.30 pm we arnved m our host city of Rio Claro exhausted and frustrated from not being able to talk to one another.

The rest of our families met us at Rio Claro and even­tually after an official welcome we were taken to their homes. My accommodation was in a small thre~­bedroomed bungalow but it was beautifully decorated 1n traditional Brazilian style with exotic timbered furniture from the rainforest. Any ecologist would have disapproved.

The first week in Brazil involved us in many educational visits -to Gurger motor cars (Brazil's answer to a Robin Reliant), a tour of Rio Claro, Southern, Br~il's Eu.ca!yptus reserve, Rio Claro Country Club, ~ab1o Jumor .Pop Concert, Pira Caba, Compinas Shopp1ng Complex, fibre­glass factory in Rio Claro and finally to SKOL brewery where we were given the chance to sample as much of the final products as we wished. Our host families took us to local bars schools and cinemas and introduced us to their friends. ' we also attended the Brazilian Girl Guiding 70th Anniversary Music Festival. .

Half way through our visit we went into the cou~try~1de on a three-day camping trip. This for me was the h1ghhght of our stay. Anyone who ~nows Brazil says the: country­side is a botanist's parad1se. I am not a botam~t! Every field had at least four termite hills. We were also Informed

22

we must watch out for army ants, snakes and biting spiders. We must shake out our shoes before putting them on. I didn't see any snakes or army ants but on asking, "So, what kind of bats are there?" I got the reply: "Vampire." I hoped they were joking.

During this expedition we pioneered and built rope­bridges. The Brazilian scouts could build anything out of bamboo. The food was good and the tents were warm. So, for three days I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The people of Brazil are warm, kind and generous. They seem to live for parties and 'the good life'. (They are also addicted to Dallas and Jason Donovan.) I enjoyed myself so much. They showed me their culture, their religion, their music and their feasts. We showed them a little of our culture, our country dancing, food, history and geography. When it came to the time I didn't want to leave Brazil. Many tears were shed by everyone, even the grown men, and it was hard to say goodbye at the airport. We all promised to go back sometime i?. the future.

As we flew once more across the /Atlantic I began to realise the adventure was all over. But it was well worth going - the memories and friendshfps will stay with me, treasured for ever.

Joanne Senior, VI Lower

WAKEYHIGH Reminiscences sent to us from Australia

Wakefield was at war; we had blackout and food rationing, we had air-raid drill and our dads (and some mums) were on essential war work; and at the end of my first term my report says that I am twelve years old exactly, weigh 6 st. 91/21bs and stand 5 feet 41/2 inches tall and it has been Autumn 1942.

Miss Benson says of my Gymnastics that I am much too sleepy, must concentrate and look straight ahead; Miss Labrum describes my Geography as untidy, and Mrs. Waters says my English grammar is careless. Mrs. Kingswell in her General Report tells me to carry out instructions without fuss and Miss Ross says my French is only fair.

A 'scholarship girl', I suppose I found my new school life daunting ... that is, until I was accepted into a group who cavalierly called W.G.H.S. 'Wakey High', led by a girl who was an evacuee from German bombing targets in Sunderland, County Durham.

We had our own language for most things, addressing each other as 'old horse', said with a drawl like 'hawse' .. . describing our going to the Basin.$ at Interval as 'mass evacuation', and instead of saying 'yes' we said, 'Pat, pat, Woolly Bottom' (corruption from Shakespeare's Mid­summer Night's Dream Act 3, Scene 1 ). We described ourselves as the Ranky Hags of the Middle Fourth. Ranky Hags were born from the fact that we were all suffering from colds one week, and since Kleenex tissues were not around, we all had hankies or hanky rags stuffed up our sleeves and must have looked fairly hag-ridden and rank into the bargain!

What lunatics we must have been! There were strict guidelines about whom one could have a crush on (called a G.P. for Grande Passion) and whom one just would not. The younger Music and Games staff were all right, and even the Hockey Captain, but to go kissing Mrs. Ford's bicycle saddle every lunchtime, which someone was doing, was most certainly infradig!

Going home at lunch times was a slight risk since the air raid sirens could sound at any time, warning of an air raid by German bombers (although the danger was lessening), so the school encouraged girls to stay to lunch, either bringing their own or having a cooked meal. We ate in the Jubilee Hall. I began by taking my own in a brown paper bag, the National Food Rationing system making sandwich fillings a dull affair. Then I switched to having the cooked meal with ever-generous servings of boiled potatoes and boiled beetroot and sausages (and lucky to get the sausages too!) , followed by chocolate

semolina which we called 'chocolate slop'. The menu varied a bit of course.

The compulsory carrying of our gas masks (in case of the dropping of poison gas bombs} in their little square cardboard boxes had relaxed as the risks of raids on Wakefield grew less, concentrating perhaps on London, or else the fighting seemed a long way off in Europe or the Pacific. But some girls wore identity bracelets with their National Identification Number engraved on - I had memorised my number, reckoning that I could easily inform a rescuer what my number was, if found!

Now and again our friends would come to school tearful as dad or a close relative had just had to go back to the war after home leave. The husband of one of our teachers was killed and she got the telegram during a lesson.

Summer school uniform was relaxed up to a point. Clothes were rationed too, and neither the issue of clothing coupons, nor indeed the supply of the pale blue cotton dress material could always meet uniform require­ments. Miss Benson was not only in charge of Physical Education but seemed to police uniformity as well. A summer frock may be coloured but had to be simple; hair may not touch the collar, and the Day of Doom would swallow you if your hair ribbon was any colour but navy, black or brown - whether German invasion was imminent or whether it wasn 't.

We used parts of the cellars for our classrooms and the deep bowels under the. sc~ool, where the _cent~al h~atin.g boilers were, for our a1r-ra1d shelter. Havmg a1r ra1d dnll was a welcome relief for me from such as Miss Frampton's Maths or Miss Mulligan's Science, which I couldn't do. We all had our special exits via the cloakrooms to the cellars, there to be greeted by the intoxicatingly cidery smell of apples. Hundreds of apples were stored in that dark, dry vault, no doubt to be stewed for our lunches.

I was captivated at that time by a girl who enjoyed danger. She suggested we explore the cellars by candle­light one lunch time, and have a sort through those apples. We actually did go sneaking about under Wakey

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High with naked flames, deciding we did not fancy the (wrinkled) apples after all ; snuffed our candles and 'hid' them until the next Guy Fawkesian stunt. We were not very clever little criminals, our candles and matches were found and we had been seen, and here I was in Mrs. Kingswell's office being threatened with expulsion and didn't I (we) realise that I (we) could have burnt down the school!!! I think we got detention and letters home to our parents.

Wakey High collected its share of salvage. Nothing must be wasted in wartime and we saved all our waste paper. Did the Forms compete for the heaviest salvage each week? I remember that our caretaker, Mr. Richmond had a heavy job with it all. Newly published books were often to austerity standards of repulped paper which was greyish and soon tore.

Some buses to school were fuelled by gas cylinders at the back of them (petrol being in limited supply} and were used by unscrupulous hockey-haters like myself as an excuse to be late for First Games on a Wednesday afternoon. "Late again!" Miss Benson roared . "The bus broke down in the Bull Ring again, I suppose? And if you are going to play goalkeeper this afternoon, kindly remove that hatpin you 've got sticking out of your hat!"

Because shoes were included in clothes rationing and proper hockey shoes were hard to find, Miss Benson explained that a cobbler could fix leather studs to the soles of a pair of walking shoes. That day I was goalkeeper Miss Benson shouted over the field, "And you can take that hat off as well, unless you have a sore head!"

What Miss Muir did with rationed food ingredients in Cookery Class must have been a miracle. I was convinced that scrag-end of neck of mutton was sheep's ankles, said so in an exam and failed it. I have no photographs of those years because civilians could not obtain film, but the memory of our victory celebration is etched clear. Victory against Japan happened in the middle of our August holidays 1945, but soon after the start of the new school year Wakey High assembled on the lawn and the Union Jack was hoisted up the flag pole. We thanked God, we sang a patriotic hymn, the school hymn, the National Anthem ... we cheered, I remember; and I was nearly fifteen. Then life returned to normal; a music lesson in the Long Room, Latin in one of The Huts, then home out of the side door facing the Fives Court, and I think we were given a free afternoon.

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23

EXPERIENCE AND IMAGINATION THROUGH FRESH EYES

THE GARDEN The other side of the cold, unwelcoming black gates, the school unfolds around a long, green lawn. A big, old chestnut tree with seating around the thick trunk is to one side, a shady, cool area in the heat of the summer days. There is also a cluster of benches by the Beaumont Building for people who want the sun. The whole garden is very peaceful and enclosed, guarded by the Jubil.ee Hall and the Beaumont Building on one side. The bnck colours show that the Jubilee Hall is easily older. Then there is the Georgian building, the origina~ school with its old brick and sash windows and symmetncal pattern. On the third side is Newstead, the most modern, with enormous windows and dismal appearance. Finally there is the entrance- the Benson Gates and the wall, making a very pleasant, sheltered garden.

THE ENTRANCE HALL

The entrance hall seems to be made of glass and shimmering silver. The silver medals, cups and sh!elds in the glass cases with polished wooden arches glint ~nd sparkle in the suni1ght. There ar~ all shap~s of trophies won by girls in the school and different thmgs, medals, cups, shields and some glass vases. The elega.nt glass doorway with the school crest engraved. upon 1t, leads into the hall with sepia photographs hangmg on the wall. Paint looks fresh and still wet upon the imposing archway.

Claire Jackson, IV Lower

NOVEMBER FALL A leaf fluttered to the ground, The wind howled, And my little sister laughed and danced, In the rainfall of fun . She bundled them in her arms, And thrust them up, Into the grey sea above. Merrily swirling, whirling, Turning, churning, Burning like flowers at dusk, Gold, amber, russet, Like flares on the mossy bark.

24

Katherine Norrby, V Lower

IT'S SPRING! As I opened the creaky farmhouse door, the scent of Spring hit me. lt was a scent rich with pollen and flowers.

The paint on the door had warmed with the heat of the sun and I knew that the weather was hot. The long grass had drops of dew balancing on each blade. The sound of bees buzzing and birds cheerfully singing met my ears. I crossed the back garden and passed the gate. A blue sky stretched out for miles all over Yorkshire. The odd white island interrupted the delicate shade of blue. .

Everything was peaceful, yet everything was busy doing something or other.

In the pasture the daisies wer.e opeJ<ling their petals t~ reveal their yellow centres. I dec1ded t6 go for a walk as 1t was a long time until dinner. . .

1 set off walking among the long grasses and w1ld flowers not keeping to the dusty track. Soon I reac~ed a small brook. lt was bursting with life. Pebbles rolled m the tiny currents under the surface. Water boatmen glided over the silver water with ease.

The brook looked so enticing that I had to stick my bare feet into it. Shivering tingles ran up my toes. I bore it and soon was able to walk up the stream.

The brook led to a pond. Weeds grew thick and lush. Frog spawn was stuck toget~er i!l a mass of transpa~ent jelly and black spots, each t1ny life-form suspended m a floating blob.

A fish darted past me showing a side of silver sc.ales for a split second. A family of fluffy ducks waddled mto the pond. The mother was first to jump in with a splash. The chicks followed, causing a series of little splashes. They swam unsteadily for their fi rst time. They began to chirp in jubilant happiness as they mastered the art.

1 sat down among the scented wild flowers and overgrown weeds. Cows grazed nearby, chomping up the rich green grass.

1t was very hot so I sat under a large elm tree. Its bud~ were just sprouting and sunlight shed a pale green as 11 shone through new leaves. , A Red Admiral butterfly fluttered down gracefully to land

on one of the million bright yellow dandelions. The field was a sea of yellow heads, cheerfully swaying in the breeze.

As I sat, I became aware of a plant that was not moving with the wind, but on its own it seemed. Then I saw that a tiny green caterpillar was ~aking its way up t~e plant's stalk. Small ripples ran up 1ts green body as 1t pressed awkwardly on. The plant swayed, making the journey a difficult one for the caterpillar. ·

I stood up to stretch my legs. lt was such a lazy day but I knew I must go back to the farm.

1 began to walk home. I rambled past the pond. The ducks were by now wonderful swimmers. They glided across the silver surface almost as gracefully as water boatmen.

The brook was still chattering and bubbling on its way down.· I could smell the clover as I walked closer to the farmhouse. As I neared the farm I smelt a different smell -baking, and I realised how hungry I w~s. .

I went inside for dinner but my mmd was st1ll on the fluffy ducks who would be swimming on the pond with their little legs paddling.

lmogen Hoare, IV Lower

THE NEWCOMER Velvet Shadow was a 14.1hh dark bay Arab mare. She was much loved in the Lawrence family. Everybody lent a helping hand, but she was by no means an over spoilt, undisciplined pony. She had an excellent temperament ar:~d was very well schooled. The Lawrences had put a great deal of effort into her, and had therefore given a great deal of thought to the decision they had now come to. They had decided to put her to stud. . .

A friend's friend helped out at a wealthy Arab1an stud m Holmfirth. Most of the horses there were either champions already, or had a great future. By champion.s I mean European Champions, or even World Cha~p1o~s. <?ne had another claim for fame. Its name was Wh1te L1ghtnmg. He was a stallion, and the Lawrences planned to put Velvet to him. Standing at 15.2hh, he was the horse used for the Silhouette on "White Horse Whisky" labels.

Velvet had been boxed over to Holmfirth, and put to White Lightning. Later she went to the vets for a test. The results came out positive. .

Nine months later Josie (Lawrence) started prepanng for the tenth month. She had stopped riding Velvet about three months ago, and had just been taking her for gentle walks down the road .

Josie was 15, and in the last few months she had read magazine articles about the foaling process, and by n~w she knew it back to front, inside-out, and every wh1ch way. She also knew all about the preparation and how to deal with her expectant mare. Velvet's stable was big and spacious, so she did not ne~d a special !oaling b~x . but it still needed changes. Jos1e bedded 1t up thickly for warmth and comfort, and made huge banks round the sides for extra draft exclusion.

Gradually, Velvet became irritable and lay down more than usual. Also, occasionally, she broke out in a cold sweat. Josie knew the time was nearing. She started giving her stud cubes instead of the normal pony nuts. She rang her vet, Phi! Dixon, a~d asked if there was anything special to do. He sa1d to JUSt k~ep an eye on her and ring him if she thought she was startmg. .

Josie had a four-year-old brother, and they st1ll had a "baby alarm", which you plug in one room and you can hear any noises, ie crying, in whichever room you plug t~e other end. This came in useful. She put one end m Velvet's stable and the other in her bedroom. Th is way she could hear if Velvet sounded restless. About a week went by with no changes. Then, on 2~th April, Velvet started lying down more than ever. Jos1e ~egan t~ ~et very excited, and as she lay in bed that mgh~ a v1s1~n came into her head. lt was of a tiny foal wobbling on 1ts spindly legs, gently sucking the warm, nutritious milk from its mother's teats, surrounded by lush green grass, sprinkled with daises and buttercups and finally, giving way to its instincts, collapsing in a heap into the dry but succulent grass, and sleeping deeply un~il it woke for another feed. Josie was just dropping off to sleep when she heard Velvet whining restlessly. She sat up with a start. Like a flash she was out of bed, pulling on jeans and jumper over her nightdr~ss. As she was doing so.she felt a mixture of fear, happ1ness, worry, apprehension, but most of all, intense excitement. She ran to her Mum and Dad's room, telling them the details as she di~lled Phi! Dixon 's number. Her Mum and Dad dressed qu1ckly and they all ran out to the stable. Sure enough Velvet was preparing to foal. Josie knelt by her head stroking her and reassuring her, while Mr. and Mr.s. ~awren~e stood watching anxiously over the door. Ph1l arnved qu1ckly, out of breath as he was. He strode briskly but quietly into the stable and opened his bag. He knelt down and br~ught out a pair of plastic gloves. Josie tried hard not to g1ggle as he inserted his hand.

"Yep, he's there alright - big feller, t~is 'un! Bu~ y~u should have a nice foal, seeing as th1s old gal IS 1ts Mom!", he said, taking the gloves off and patting Velvet's shoulder and grinning sheepishly at Josie. . .

A moment's silence followed, broken by Velvet ra1smg

her head and nickering. "Easy girl," said Phi!, "Here it comes." After about five minutes most of the front legs were out.

Everyone's face was filled with anticipation. Phi! looked up for a moment, l~ok~d r~und. at ~s all.an~. said, "Don't worry folks, everythmg s gomg fme, JUSt fme.

The next 15 minutes were roughly the same, each part of the body sliding out and making ev~ryone even happier, which they thought was not possible, for they were so blissful already. Finally, the last of the back legs were out. Immediately, Phi! cleared the mucus away from the newborn's nostrils and cleared his airway. Then he left Velvet to do the rest. She gently licked the transparent sticky sack around the tiny colt's body, while the nervous little figure reached out and fumbled for its mother's teats, and took his first feed.

"We'd better leave them to their own devices now. You go along and get some sleep, " said Phi!.

Reluctantly but happily Josie dragged herself away from the pair. She went back to bed, but could not sleep. Her mind was filled with names for the little colt. He was bay now, with a white sock and a blaze. His finely chisel~ed head was typical of his breed. His tail was short ~nd fme and already the high carriage of the Arab was noticeable. The tail ran on from a smooth, short back. The neck was firm and arched leading onto a long sloping shoulder and plenty of heart ' room. In other words •. his conformation was nothing if not perfect. Rumour had 1t that every foal ~f White Lightning followed his footst~ps . (or hoofsteps ~n this case) and goes fleabitten grey m h1s matunty. Jos1e decided on a name that would suit him as a grey: WHITE CASCADE. Because the fleabites look as if they are cascading on a white background.

He would be called Cassie or Cazbar for short. Josie spent the next few weeks with Velvet and Cazbar,

and then she decided it was time to take Cazbar out. She opened the door and Cazbar's e~rs prick.ed. lmme~iately Josie could see the gentle affect1on of h1s dam, mmgled with the great and proud stature of his sire.

"Hello little feller," she said softly. "C'mon, we're going walkies." Slowly she lead Velvet out of the stable (after having put her halter on) for Velvet was reluctan~ to leave her foal, and until she realised <?azbar was commg too she was very unhappy. But even 1f she had meant to lea~e Cazbar he would not have had it. For he now charged past 'Josie and trotted alongside his ~other. A warm surge of happiness flowed through Jos1e, as ~he sun beat down on her ponies' gleaming coats, makmg them sparkle even more. Suddenly. Velvet pushed her nose down into the grass at the s1de of the lane and started munching contentedly, contrary to Josie's orders to walk on. -

"Walk on, Velvet," she said again. "WALK 0 ... ," she stopped.

Cazbar had also pushed his nose down, and he took his first few bites of grass, for his teeth were n.ow strong enough to do so. He daintily nibble~ aw_ay, .h1s. left foot propped forward to support him and h1s ta1l sw1shmg aw~y the flies. Josie watched them, mother and foal, happily munching the sweet spring grass. . .

She did not want to disturb them but knew 1t was t1me to go. Reluctantly Velvet snorted and walked on, but Cazbar was not sure where to go, whether to carry on eating the grass or follow his mother. Soon, instinct got the better of him and he cantered to catch up, but instead of going straight on, he turned into a field at the s!de of the r~ad and started bucking and shying ecstat1c~lly , ~end1~g rabbits rabbiting off in all directions, the1r wh1te ta1ls bobbing up and down as they went. The~ Cazbar st~pp~d abruptly, digging up a little of t.he spnng):' turf w1th h1s forefeet, as he had only just realised that .h1s mothe~ ~as not with him. He then let out a shrill, ear-p1erc1ng wh1mng. As he did this Velvet also stopped and answered his call. She nimbly turned round and pulled away from Josie, who could not hold her. Velvet's tail swished nervously as she paused with her ears pricked forward to such an extent that they were almost straight up and down. Then she set

25

off at a canter, sending dust flying into Josie's eyes. She ran after her, but when she turned the corner, stopped. Cazbar had gone into Mr. Gill's field, which was the field Josie rented anyway. She closed the gate and then climbed up and sat on it. A gentle breeze swayed the bright spring flowers, and the grass rocked slightly from side to side. Velvet cantered to meet Cazbar, and she too started bucking and enjoying herself. Then they both went as fast as they could, until their tails disappeared over the crest of the hill.

Elizabeth Campbell, IV Lower

A VIEW OF A TOWEL Limply hanging over the radiator, Wet and discarded; How sorry you look.

Like a magnet you attract water, Absorbing every droplet, Leaving a person or place dry. Your saturated fibres lie ruffled and disordered, Unwanted but not untouched.

Your job completed, your bulk is relaxed , And the more you dry, the wetter you become!

Elizabeth Forster, IV Upper

THE SHREW lt lies there still, There is no movement At all.

The shiny grey fur Is scarred at one side, With blood.

The deep scarlet colour Of the blood Is fading. The sun is out. But why? lt gives no sympathy to the shrew.

The tail lies, A few inches behind, Joined by a burgundy line.

The skin is punctured, To the left Of its hind limb.

Its snout no longer Sniffs the air Around it.

Its pert ears No longer hear The unforgettable sound.

And its s.creech, As it tried to escape, Is heard no more:

For it is dead. Rachel Haigh, IV Upper

AEROPLANE The giant monster on the ground, Not stiring, not a sound, Its enormous arms tranquil and still , The fuel tank the workers fill.

lt grunts and groans as the engine flares, The wheels turn and a slight movement starts. Acceleration increases and excitement too. Then like the shot from a gun down the runway, it darts.

At the end of the line the nose points up, Thellthe·restof the body behind, Up it lifts a;nd up it soars, lt has a destination to find.

26

High in the air in a world of its own, A clear blue sky on a cotton-wool bed, The glossy frame of this machine, Glimmers and glows in the bright sunbeams. The time has come for the plane To leave its temporary home, So down it descends to the airport below, Where it can rest, be checked, and prepared once again

to go! Alexandra Dyson, IV Upper

SURPRISE ENCOUNTER The farmer had recently put one bull, one baby bullock, two cows and three bullocks into the field which backs onto our paddock. There were two lines of barbed wire on posts separating them from us. This partition proved to be insufficient! . /

lt was early one autumn evening wt:len I was hanging a sheet on the washing-line when thi~ baby bullock poked its head around the corner of the wall . I was terrified. Just the sight of that innocent little face sent shivers up my spine. I was even more worried when I realised I was hanging onto a large red bedsheet, which was flapping violently in the wind.

I glanced again quickly in the direction of the bullock and felt another wave of shock - because directly behind it stood the bul l. I had never been so petrified in all my life as at th~ sight of that huge, powerful, brown beast.

I thought about standing very very still and hoping it would lose interest- or running for the back door. I didn 't have to do either, for the bull was, in fact, still safely behind the barbed wire. The shock of seeing the baby bullock had caused a momentary illusion. I realised it was important to persuade the baby to go back into the field because it must be worth three to four hundred pounds.

I rang the farmer to tell him what had happened and tried to conceal my feelings of embarrassment and shame. I blocked the bullock m the paddock using bales to prevent it escaping into our garden until morning, when the farmer came.

After putting the bullock back into the field he added another line of barbed wire and I felt safe again; protected and invulnerable. I was embarrassed because as I thought about it I realised the baby bullock was probably even more scared and frightened than I had been.

Katherine Higham, V Lower

Elizabeth Drake, V Upper

27

WHAT MEMORIES? My infant years inched by with such stealth. That, before I knew it, I was eighteen And fair maidens sweetly sang of the Joys of fighting for the True Cause. Except, we were no Sir Galahads, but schoolboys Just emerging from the womb-li~e ~afety.o! home. The pacifists among us kept the1r s1lent v1g1l , Battling along in their white-feathered shame. Dreading the sniping bullet of propaganda. While we were hurled into a world racked With the joyless cacophony of gunfire. England bled for her young men Who had bled - and died -for her. Yet on the fields at Ypres Dead men spoke no treason. . . To differentiate between friend and foe became 1mposs1ble, As floundering , staggering youths Gasped away their lives in gas-filled trenches. Hardened, cynical, deranged old men Of twenty years or less, surfaced, Shell shocked, into an ignorant world . Death took all but my memory.

Katherine Mullin, V Lower

GREAT GRANDMOTHER Old is she Great Grandmother, Weary and crushed by her years. Time has not been kind to Great Grandmother, As she stands there, clasping her shears. Snipping the grass with slow, disjointed movements, What is she thinking of now? Things in the past? What lies ahead? With a frown that furrows her brow. Her face is a mesh of tiny wrinkles, Some old and deep, some new. They all crinkle up when she smiles, But her smiles are far too few.

Yet what has she got to smile at? Her friends and her loved ones are gone. She is left all alone in a strange modern world. A world where there is no sun.

Her eyes, once sparkling and bright, In the wonder and happiness of youth. Are now dull and faded and lonely, Colourless pools of despair.

Her hair, now grey and lifeless, Was once sleek, black and long. So beautiful and shiny and soft to the touch, Where has her loveliness gone?

Those people offer help to Great Grandma, To that pitiful creature in there. But when, from this world she has departed, Will anyone really care?

Sarah Whiteley, V Lower

FIFTY YEARS AS AN OSTLER-JOHN WILLIAMS

As a horse trots by the window Mr. Williams automatically looks up and shrewdly takes in the horse 's build, the pace, the rider. Looking at him now one would never guess that once he was himself one of the finest horsemen around. Yet fifty years ago he was just that. He gained his experience from worki.ng ~s an Ostle~ for a wealthy ~quire. He sta~ed work at JUSt fifteen an~ h1~ on~y qualifications were a f1rm hand .and P.l~nty of go . H1s first, rather modest salary was f1ve shillings a week. He was at first apprenticed to an older groom, Gregory Underwood, or Grundy as he was nicknamed. While

28

learning the trade John's jobs each day at the stables were very basic, even mundane tasks, done under the sharp eye of his teacher.

The squire was considered by all a hard man. John Williams explained how the animals reacted when they were with him.

"lt was funny, almost as if they could sense when he was coming. They became restless. One horse w~o had taken her fair share of beatings became particularly nervous, even reared! Yes, in that respect he was hard. " However, when I asked what Mr. Williams personally thought of his employer, he replied. ·

"He kept himself to himself- he paid my wage. That's alii knew. That's alii needed to know."

At seventeen Mr. Williams had his first salary increase to eight shillings and f~ur pence, b.ut,five shillings.of ,this went straight back to h1s home for h1s ~oard and keep .. At nineteen he moved into one of the t1ed cottages wh1ch belonged to the estate and this made tj\e. jour~ey to work much easier. Before he had had to cyde f1ve m1les.

His days at the st?-ble consist,ed . of mucking-out, cleaning horses, cleamng tack and nd1ng horses and John loved every minute of it.

"No day was the same. The horses were fine animals and every bit of tack or equipment we had was top-notch - the best. Course, the Squire couldn't exercise every_ ~ne of his horses so Grundy and myself did most of the nd1ng -that was the best part and we both had our favourites."

At this point Mr. Williams fumbled through a drawer and pulled out a battered black and white snapshot of a horse standing outside a stable-door.

"This was my favourite," he said. "She was a hunter, a strong horse. If I remember rightly she die~ with the colic- yes, that's right. Proper shook me up 1t d1d.

"There was only one vet in the village. If he couldn't get to you, you had to do what you could: Colic was the ~ost common illness. Never let the horse he down. Sometimes you were up all night walking one round the stable. "

At twenty-two he married. "The wife" was never too pleased about the strong smell he brought in from work each day but she put up with it and loved the horses herself. That was very important to him.

"She understood that I didn't do it for the money and I considered this a great sacrifice on her part."

When John was twenty-four Grundy, Ais friend and teacher retired. lt came as a great blow to John. W1thout his guidance he was very frightened of doing sorl}ething wrong, but soon he was the o~e who was to g1ve the guidance when another apprent1ce came to work under him. "I suddenly realised how much Grundy had to put up with when 1 saw the boy making the same mistakes as I had."

Mr. Williams always wanted to own a horse him?elf but that was considered impossible. However, at th1rty-two his wish came true; he spent a week of his earnings on a tired old racehorse about to go to the slaughterhouse:

The key to keeping the stables right was organ1sat1on, I was told. The squire made a nightly tour and complained bitterly if anything wasn't up to scratch. " .. · John often took part in local competitions and came home with a cup or rosette. He said this was because of the excellent breeding of the horses but look1ng at the lines of silver trophies I knew this couldn't be totally tru~ .

John retired on the doctor's advice when he was s1xty years old. Though he is no longer a gr?Of!1 he works d;:tiiY on his small alotment and he always 1ns1sts that nothing could be better than the life he has had.

Nicola Field, V Upper

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(') CD::t en CD ,..m -.c. mo .:-+= -· (')

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29

OLIVER The black of his fur, Adds mystery to the shadows he walks in, P~owling , stalking, waiting to pounce. H1s eyes once flashed yellow and bright, Now they are old, but wisdom has not yet reached them Their sharp colour, melted like butter. · His face is fat, not slim and evil, Soft, docile and gentle. His claws are sharp, Never been guilty of murder. His top lip removed, The cause ... an innocent fight. His ears are neat, unscathed, Never experienced battle. He sits content with life, Only crying for milk. He sleeps undisturbed, his thick coat Covering his large body, ' Warming him ... warming his personality. Tolerant of anything, His whiskers twitch, he smirks, knowlingly, The magic of being a cat!

Ammabel Kelsey, V Lower

SHOOT IN THE BLUE, CHAPS! lt was a cold, frosty morning on Sutton Bank in North Yorkshire. Every Saturday the beaters and the members of the shoot meet in the car-park at the top of this hill. All the shooters had arrived and were now congregating around Bill, the shoot captain. As usual he told everyone what they were going to do that day and told them to be careful, using his farmer's phrase: "Shoot in the blue, chaps!"

All of them had heard this before, except one, who was a guest for the day. When Bill had finished his talk everyone returned to their cars and drove half-way down the hill, through a gate and into the woods, which contained the pheasants. lt had been arranged that the beaters would go along the high banking first. This was a very steep hillside which changed to cliffs as you walked along it. The trees looked very beautiful at that time of year. The leaves were golden and yellow. The sun had come out and was reflected on the duck pond and the puddles. The air was cool and fresh.

The beaters walked to one side of the bank, near the road, and then spaced themselves out evenly up the hill. Their dogs were running excitedly around their owners' feet.

Meanwhile, the shooters were being numbered. The captain held out a leather wallet with small white sticks stuck into the tiny holes cut into it. Each shooter would take out a stick and on the back of it was a number. This determined the order in which they stood. They then spread themselves out along the muddy track which ran below the banking. The atmosphere was tense as the men got into position.

There were seventeen guns and the end two went with the two girls, who were 'tappers' , to the other end of the bank. The girls would tap the trees with their sticks to prevent any pheasants flying along the bank instead of down over the guns. If they failed to do this the two shooters would be allowed a shot at them.

About ten minutes later, everyone was in position, the beaters ready to set off and Bill blew his whistle. This was the signal for the men to be allowed to load. Simultaneously the guns all c licked as they were closed with the cartridges, now inside. The beaters, armed only with sticks, fought their way through the thick brambles and thorns, which tried to wrap themselves around their moving legs and tear at them. But the waxed clothing protected them.

The dogs kept their noses to the ground as they darted through the undergrowth. Their tails looked as though they would never stop wagging. The shooters were standing ready, their fingers hovering near the trigger of

30

the gun, their eyes reaching the sky for any sign of a bird. Their dogs sat rigidly next to them with noses continually twitching. Occasionally a bark could be heard from a dog eager for his owner to tell him to seek the birds.

Suddenly Gordon, the head beater shouted: "Over!" His two liver and white springer spaniels had found a pheasant. lt was gradually climbing higher and higher. Several guns were raised as it made its descent. The beaters and tappers had stopped and everything was quiet. All that could be heard was the beating of the pheasant's wings. As the bird flew over the track one of the shooters quickly pulled the trigger. The shot eclloed in his ears. The bird stopped abruptly and folded in his wings. Then it dropped to the ground. The barking dog was now told to seek. lt rushed from its master's side and fetched the bird from amongst the trees.

The beater had started moving again and the tapping of the trees could be heard once again. A few seconds later someone else shouted "Over!" And t~is time the guest thought he would be able to shoot tile bird which was heading towards him. He was inexperienced, however, and this was the first time he had ever tried to shoot live game.

Previously he had only aimed at clay pigeons. The pheasant rose slowly, the guest followed it with the tip of his barrels. Then the bird began to glide back into the trees. Stupidly the man continued to aim at the bird and then fired. There was a sudden loud shriek of pain. One of the beaters had been shot. He fell and slid a little way down the bank. The shoot captain came running to him as fast as he cou ld. Gordon had been standing next to the beater and, when he saw what had happened, ran over to his landrover. His mother's farm was quite nearby and he drove there to phone for an ambulance. Everyone was very confused about what had happened. Bill told them that luckily the shot was only in the leg: it could have been much more serious.

The beater was carried carefully to the cars. The ambulance soon arrived and he was taken away. Only a few pellets had hit him and they could easily be taken out, leaving his leg bruised. But this incident was a grim warning that you should always, "Shoot in the blue."

Penelope Bubb, V Lower

THEGRANDMOTHERCLOtK The old grandmother clock, Still hangs on the wall, Motionless. A whisper of cogs, In the whirring workings, Tick. The dark brown wood shows no scratches, The clock is as good as new. A German movement, Hitler's hammer rises, Ping, another hour begins. Time waits for no-one. But the clock has kept up the pace, Without moving. Monotonous minutes tick away, The quarter strike is unheard, As the clock becomes a relative, Unnoticed by the dwellers. A family heirloom of sentimental value, Never to be destroyed, Immortal. The carved wood, the bevelled glass, An apple in the eye of the maker, The queen of its age. This pet timepiece needs no food, Just wind her' once a week, The results show, An hour of fifty minutes, Racing Father Time, Never slow.

Rebecca Banas, V Lower

THE PIANO The piano squa~s in the corner of the room, large and black. Pearly wh1te keys break up the darkness like teeth in a dark face. The smooth surface holds ma~y secrets · the strings, long and elegant, masters of sound. ' . Three square legs extend to the floor, pushing their feet mto the carpet which relents, leaving ugly faded marks. Three gold pedals balance the picture, slim and compact next to the chasm of the central body. They merge into tiny p~les, angling up towards the keys.

lns1de the Ol?en bo~y of the piano the pale strings can be seen travelling honzontally like a harp on its side. Felt cubes plug each string into its own key like a mother to her child. The strings become smaller a~d smaller as the sound recedes to a squeak. A decorative music stand completes the picture.

Helen Moody, V Lower

MY SPAIN ... ITS ESSENCE I was only ten years old when my family and I travelled to Calella de Palafrugel on the 'wild coast' of Spain. The Pyrenees mountains give much of their grandeur to the Costa ~rava and the headlands, covered with pines, twist ~oun~ 1nt~ ~andy bays. Here, the coast retains a strong 1dent1ty w1th 1ts o~n ~u~toms, folklore and special language, Catalan. Cataloma 1s fiercely independent from the rest of Spain and regards itself as a separate country.

Despite the fact that this holiday was seven years ago, the me~ory of th~ ~otally unspoi lt fishing village is as vivid ~ow a? 1f I had v1s~ted there only a few weeks ago. This tmy, picturesque VIllage is the perfect place for viewing Spain 's charm and its unique character. English was not Widely spoken and there were no English style bars or restaurants. The sweltering heat added to the lazy, relaxed atmosphere and the local people seemed so car~free and unhurried. Here, people spent their time havmg long conservations with friends and neighbours. lt was the sort of place where everybody knew everybody else and no-one appeared to worry about anything. Any hard work or jobs that had to be done were always left till the inevitable 'manana'.

The afternoons were particularly silent as the locals retired for siesta. The shops shut down, house-shutters were closed and the whole village became silent and peaceful.

On the Sunday before we left, we attended a church s.ervice. I felt out of place in my T-shirt and shorts as I saw all the Spanish women entering the church wearing black veils over their faces. Although I didn't understand exactly what the priest was saying it was nevertheless an interesting experience and I particularly enjoyed listening to the beautiful Spanish hymns.

Whilst staying here, we visited the spectacular monastery of Mont~errat. To ~each it we had to drive up through the mounta1ns to a he1ght of 3000 feet and the view from the top was breathtaking. This was a superb place impaired however, to some extent, by· the masses of tourists with the inevitable tinge of commercialism. We found a pew at t~e back of the basilica from where we had a fairly clear v1ew of the Black Madonna. (lt is said that if you kiss its hand you will be blessed with children) and at the same ti~e. we thoroughly ~njoyed listening to the angelic s1ng1ng of the Escoma Boys' Choir. We also looked around one of Spain's most elegant cities- Barcelona­where we saw the famous Avinguda Diagonal, said to be the longest avenue in Europe, and the Football Stadium.

One particularly memorable day was a journey we made to Tarragona by ordinary Spanish service bus. This was a beautiful, mainly coastal ride, with superb views of the Mediterranean. We were using minor roads and at times clouds of dust filled the bus from the unmade surface. I felt that I was in Mexico rather than in Spain. In fact, the bus itself was very primitive in style as the seats were wooden, causing not a little discomfort on the uneven roads. At Tarragona we were enthralled by the

Roman Ampitheatre in its excellent state of preservation but unfortunately on that day the Cathedral was closed and we therefore could not see inside it.

On anc;>t~er occasion only four years ago, our family once agam JOurneyed into Spain, this time to the Costa de Almeria. This beautiful coast, with its long sweeping beaches and small secluded coves, seemed to be one of ~ndalucia's lb~st-kept 'secrets'. We actually stayed in the c1ty ~f Almena. ~a charming place with many stately bu1ld1ngs) but v1s1ted numerous little villages in the area and also. saw some wilder landscapes which have been the location of many Western movies. After each visit to Spain it becomes harder to leave this enchanting country brimming with interest, for even the most seasoned traveller.

Lisa Cowan

LIKE SHEEP The t.raffic in Huddersfield town-centre is always bad. The even1ngs are .worst ~hough, wit~ cars and buses rewing up and honk1ng, dnvers shout1ng at other drivers and pedestrians and using the foulest language as well. Those drivers don 't care whom they insult or intimidate, I'll say that for them. They make no distinction between a mi.ni, a Volvo or a Mercedes. As for pedestrians, the dnve~s don 't ca.re. if it's a b~sinessman , an old age pens1oner or a k1d 1n school umform, they still roar past missing them by an inch or honk and make some poor old lady jump a foot in the air.

I cannot stand it when the pedestrian-crossing has broken down and you have to make a dash for it. Sometimes when it's me they hoot at, I get an urge to turn ro.und and jump on the car bonnet, just to make them th1nk. I never have actually done it, yet. But 1 hate it. T~at's what ,the t~wn centre is like; a big, smokey, noisy, pnson. I can t wa1t to move out permanently to the country and never have to see it again.

One ev~~ing I was standing at the bus-stop in a long queue, wa1tmg to get home. Two children behind me were mess!ng about and their mother kept smacking them and scoldmg them. I felt sorry for those kids. They were thin and grubby. The mother looked worn. "Old before her time," is the usual phrase to describe a face like hers· thin, careworn and sad. '

I was just looking at my watch for the fifteenth time and wishing the wretched bus would come, when an ambulance, siren blaring, came around the street corner. lt must have been going at sixty miles an hour. lt was flying along wh~n it reached the back of a long line of cars, and there 1t had to stop. lt was terrible. There it was obviously on its way to a serious eme'rgency and it was trapped. lt couldn 't go back, it couldn't go forward and all aro~nd w~re ca.rs. The ambulance driver obviously realised h1s predicament. What could he do? He tried steering sideways but none of the other drivers would move an inch to let him through. I couldn't believe it. They actually had the nerve to honk back at him.

He must have been at boiling point for he leant out of his window and, reaching down, he banged on top of one of the cars blocking his way and shouted: "Oy! You! I've got an emergency call, there 's lives at risk, let me through!" The man in the car just stared at him. He shouted again: "Hey, can't you understand English? Get out of the bloody way, will. you? Someone could be in serious danger!" Then, miracle of miracles one man moved his car a couple of feet to the left, just enough to let the ambulance break through and move a few yards further along the line of cars. Slowly, the other drivers parted to make way for him. lt took a solid ten minutes to break through completely and all the time the siren blared and lights flashed blue.

At last the ambulance roared through the red light and away. The last I saw of it was a white speck in the distance and a blue flashing light. I wondered if it did get to wherever it was going in time.

31

Everyone else in the bus queue stopped staring after it and, deprived of their entertainment, got back to the serious business of smacking their kids, chain-smoking their cigarettes and biting their nails.

I stood in silence and felt sickened by the blank, unseeing looks of the motorists. Like sheep. How could they sit there like that? lt was a wonder they finally moved at all. How conceited ·to think mankind is a caring, intellig.ent and level-headed race!

Lucy Frank, V Upper

THE BALLAD OF A CABBAGE For many years when I was small, My mother, seeming very tall, Would take me into town, Where I, Would gaze at shelves, so very high.

And on these shelves were goods which we, Would purchase and take home for tea.

I never worried or was sad, Indeed I never thought it bad. it 's only now I'm fourteen years, That I've begun to have these fears.

One day, with plastic bag in hand, Just like that bird, with head in sand, I counted out my pence and pound, For apples, rosy, red and round.

And wandering through the glowing shop, Not thinking , never paused to stop, And realise that lettuce green, Or raw potatoes, oh so clean, Had from their soft brown beds been torn, Away from family, friends that morn.

When of a sudden came a cry! "Why are we all condemned to die? Why are we hurled in pan and pot, For soups and goulash, so very hot?"

I turned around but couldn 't see, Who had addressed himself to me. Amazing! No-one here to spy, Except the cabbage, peas and I.

The hidden voice came once again: "You cannot know our hurt and pain! I'm here behind the sprouts and swede, Come nearer! Do I have to plead?"

I moved obediently and saw, A glorious cabbage green and raw, Which quivered in the neon light, A truly wondrous, awesome sight.

"I'm just a spokesman for my kind, The voice for all, we're of one mind. We need someone to see our plight, And help us to put matters right. "

So many men won't eat meat red, Or feast upon the flesh that's dead. But turn to fruit or leaf or veg, From tree and bush or earth and hedge.

Cholesterol-free and fresh and light, We 're plucked from home without a fight. And eaten hungrily by men, Afraid of cow and sheep and hen.

Alright for them, who gambol free, But tragic for the likes of me. My carrot friends, spinach and neeps, Are piled upon the ground in heaps. Lemons and mangoes, sold as slaves, And bound in crates o 'er stormy waves. The coconuts smiling in the heat, Are captured for pale men to eat. While lambs and calves and turkey red, Lie safe, protected in their bed, Quite safe to frolic in the sun. Not so us! Our day is done.

32

And from all round him came the wail, From peppers red, and parsnips pale, "Release us! Save us if you can! Spare us from pain in pot and pan. We don 't deserve to be murdered when, You could eat well off cow and hen."

I turned and ran , my face was white, But from behind me, mocking flight, There came the ghostly, sad refrain: "Please tell the world, please stop our pain! Why won 't you eat red meat once more, And leave us happy, fresh and raw, To flourish in the sun and rain , And laugh in showers once again."

No more will I eat peach or fig, . But dine quite well on lamb and pig.

Lisa Graham, V Upper

(This piece was awarded the magazine.frize)

PERSONAL HORROR This story starts on a hot evening in Mohammedia, my father's ancestral village in India. I was sitting with my cousins, aunt and mother in the ladies' part of the house, separated from the rest of the main house by a small field.

I was feeling very hot and thirsty so I went out to the water-pump with my cousin. While we were there I glanced up and saw an object being dragged across the edge of the roof of the main building. We decided that someone was airing or cleaning the rugs.

Four or five minutes later we heard lots of shouting and hysterical screaming. Curious, we jumped up and made our way towards the main house again. When we approached we saw a huge crowd of villagers gathered there. My brother, who was on the edge of the throng, started telling us what had happened.

Apparently a boy had been teasing his cousin and had gone up on to the roof to hide. The older and much stronger boy went after him and in a fit of anger threw him down and banged him repeatedly on the concrete. He had then started to lower him over the edge of the roof and would have dropped him if my brothers and cousins had not heard the screams and gone to the young boy's rescue. '

By the time we had heard the story the women in the younger boy's family had started to chant prayers to Allah to save him. The glaring lights, the huge number of people and the eerie chanting scared me and as I edged into the centre of the crowd it seemed as if the chanting was getting louder as children 's voices do when they taunt a helper's arrival.

When I got to the centre I saw the mangled flesh, blood and bones of the poor boy. His features were indistinguish­able. There was blood everywhere. The sight was sickening. I recoiled in horror and yet I shared the intense anger against the other boy who had locked himself in a room in the house.

By this time my father had arrived and was issuing orders for the jeep to be filled with hay so that the boy could travel the dirt road that led to Purnea, the nearest town, ten miles away.

When he was on his way the father and his uncle (who was father to the other boy) were having a heated argument. This was ended to avoid more harsh words and bloodshed.

When I awoke next morning the whole village was in uproar once again. At the other end a wedding was to take place that day and at our end a distant relative was dead.

We children were all carted off to the wedding to keep us from under everybody's feet. When we arrived we heard the bride's uncle had been involved in a serious. accident and my heart went out to her; a huge black shadow hung over what should have been the most important day of her life.

..

Then to crown all the bizarre happenings of that twenty­four .~ours, just as we ~ettled down, my three-year old cous1n, playmg near the 1ron bars of a window touched a live wire which had been left hanging near them. All at once she started to scream and her whole body shook violently. I wrenched her away and thrust her on a wooden door to stop the conduction of the current. Luckily, although she was shaken she recovered fairly soon.

The whole day was like something in a horror film. 1 will remember for the rest of my life the fear I felt and the apprehension about what else could happen next.

Zeenat Salam, V Upper

NIGHT OF FIRE The community slept. From the tiniest child to the oldest "!la~ . all sl~pt. A. cold nor_th wind blew, chasing leaves, t1ckling their bellies, mak1ng them jump and swill and giggle. In a nest in a beech tree a mother clutched her c~ildren to her breast and warmed their fragile frames w1th downy feathers. The charcoal in the fireplace glowed goo~~humouredly and chuckled at the gusts of wind.

Hllin~r had been asleep, as were his family, but something, probably the cold, had reached him in the cave. He felt Sishad stir beside him and placed a hand on her back.

Then i! was heard. Quite softly at first, but still distinctive, the howling of a she-wolf, a mournful, begging cry for the loss of her cubs; an echoing, reverberating cry which reach~d the ears of the no~ alert Hilinar. Slowly he rose and climbed the overhang1ng rock which half-disguised the entranc~ to the subterranean metropolis. He put his back to the jagged walls of the cave and stealthily crept forward.

He could feel the sharp wicked edges of the rock even through the skins he wore. As he approached the mouth of the cave he slowed to a pace where movement was almost undetectable. There she was, four man-widths of W<?lf from top to tail, angry and wounded, and dangerous. W1th the same measured and exact movements Hilinar withdrew into the cave, back along those jagg~d walls and .~wung down over that rocky over-hang.

H1lmar ~ould h~~r movement within the community. The sle~l?mg fam11ies awoke and sat alert, waiting for news. Hllinar appeared to be in no hurry as he walked over to the place he shared with Sishal and removed some dry, brittle wood from a goatskin bundle tied with goat-hair rope. Hilinar began to rub the two pieces of wood together. The inhabitants of the cave sat ears pricked an~ eye~ . wide, through in the pitch black they could see little. H11inar could feel the heat at his finger tips but still no spark came. He could hear the expectant breathing of the people around him and could hear other men with their tinder. . No:one spoke. lt w~s unimportant. They all knew the

s1tuat1~n. }hey. had tn~d almost everything to keep the guard1ng f1re bnght all n1ght but to no avail. . A spark. A . catch. A sudden blaze of dazzling light,

flick~nng . aQamst the gaunt stone and showing the gap1ng, bhnk1ng faces of the people. A torch was lit by one of the men and, from this, another torch. Together, the men set off back up the cave, each so precisely the same as Hilinar's movements previously that it was hard to tell them apart. ·

When the mouth of the cave was reached the wolf was in plain sight as she stalked around the entrance sniffing the air. '

"You go Gargon, " said one man. "Go yourself, you old coward, " was the reply. The men

began to argue 1n soft, urgent whispers. All except Hilinar. Hilinar was not afraid. He did not know why but the thought of the women and children back inside seemed to make him strong. His silence became conspicuous and slowly each man turned to look at him. Tilral placed his arm on Hilinar's and looked him in the eyes. Hilinar turned and left the cave.

. '!'he wolf was inst~ntly wary of the torch carried by H1hnar - and they Circled the embers of the fire. The scene was desolate, tense, and yet Hilinar found it strangely exhilarating. Then his foot hit something. He ~taggered, fell, and the she-wolf sprang. Over the fireplace. she sprang. an~ d~wn onto Hilinar. Quickly he moved h1s torch, hold1ng 1t st1ffly above his chest. The wolf hit the flames with a woman-like scream and a smell of singeing fur and flesh.

Hilinar leapt up, forcing the impaled wolf back onto the embers of the fire. lt twitched and convulsed over the ashes.- and then ~11 ~as still. Hilinar's shoulders dropped, and w1th blood dnpp1ng from his torch he turned to the entrance of the cave. They would eat well tomorrow.

Rachel Hargrave, V Upper

ANOTHER WORLD The intention had been for me to work with my dad in the Barnsl.ey branch of Norwich Union. He manages the shopping centre there and the construction of a new s~opping complex had been due to begin in June. But smce the date had been put back nothing had yet begun and we came to the conclusion it would be more use to m~ if I did something else independently. So I applied for a JOb at Macdonald's to get some real job experience.

On the Monday after my examinations finished I started wo~k there. Debbie was assigned to train me - on the tills at f1rst. lt was enormously confusing, not half so easy as it looks. lt doesn't just involve taking money, you have to ~.ssemble an~ prese':lt the order as well. Assembling Involves cook1ng, salt1ng and bagging the fries (making sur~ there are al":"ays some ready or you are in trouble); box1ng and pack1ng all burgers; pulling the milkshakes cokes etc a.nd. adding ice; pouring tea or coffee; shouting over and pnnt1ng out orders if there are none ready on the shelf; and not forgetting to ask if the customer wants sauce, milk, sugar, cream, salt.

As well as all this, when you take the order you are trained to "sell-up". For example, if someone asks for fries, you ask if that is a large fries. If someone wants a hamburger you ask if they want a drink with that and so on. All this seems~ lot to remember at first but after only two hours on the t1ll I was left on my own to cope with it. Oh, and don't forget, "lt's Macdonald's Cola. "

If you have ever been in a Macdonald's you will notice they always say this (or they should!) lt can be very embarrassing if the customer is foreign or they did not hear you the first time and cannot understand why you say it anyway. lt must be said because we can be sued if a customer complains to the "Coke" company when it was our cola and not their coke that was wrong.

Some people think it is easy if you have labelled buttons for each product on the till. But there are about 1 o.o differe~t ones and when someone wants a plain (w1th no re.hsh) bur~er you hav~ to press many different buttons, pnnt and p1ck up a rece1pt to send across the grill and all these have to be done separately. You also get some very nasty looks from customers if their order takes more than a few minutes to come through.

At the end of the day you have to balance your till. 1 was 4p up, which wasn't bad really. Saturday dinner was the worst time. By the end I was exhausted.

Yet, though it was so tiring, I really enjoyed working there. I shall go back between holidays because it is not too badly paid for sixteen year olds (£1.68 per hour) and that money will come in handy.

Emma Knight, V Upper

33

FEAR OF BEING ALONE (Hospital at Gap, February 1988)

As I awake the starkness of the walls hits me, An unfamiliar room, an unfamiliar language. My head spins, my eyes blurred with disbelief, Mouth and body paralysed with fear.

As my senses begin to join me in this prison, I smell the artificial cleanness, Touch the crisp white sheets around me, And taste the bitter tears that begin to fall.

The physical pain slowly disappears, But the mental torture goes on and on, Endless days and nights of loneliness; A solitude that haunts me, And remains with me even now.

Katherine Field, VI Upper

FEAR OF SPIDERS The eight-legged creature appears, Shoots out of oblivion in a flash, And there I stand, perched on a chair, Laughing- hysterical with fear.

The black hairy ball stops; Fear begins to subside, Then off it goes again. Faster than the speed of light, My heart skips a beat, Mouth calls for urgent assistance, My face cringes as the tiny monster Is tenderly removed from sight.

I descend from my throne, And the web of life continues, Until next time!

Katherine Field, VI Upper

MY TREES Pines at the end of the garden, Hid me in many a game in a stuffy scent of secrecy, Needles touching, irritating, surrounding.

A fire burning those fragile fronds! Now brown and dead?

Then felled branches, violated stumps, Limp needles decaying.

They were always growing taller- and taller- with me.

Forgotten now- except where they live precious in my memory.

Moira Kent, VI Upper

SLEEP Creasing frowns unfolded smooth, Scornful eyes lidded close, Which hidden from the gaze of others, Hold no frosty sentiment. Unrelenting lips hard pursed, . Discomforting contortions of a nose embittered, Resolve to their natural form ; A beauty of expressionless content, . And regenerated innocence floods the sleep1ng face.

Sub-conscious mind unhindered now by Painful self-awareness; intervenes, And conjures up a flow of thought to frame The perfect dream. Oh, a sweet and wondrous world this is! Until the morrow.

Rikta Talukder, VI Upper

34

FRUIT-BOWL WAR Oppressed was she, and suffered sunken dignity. Once firm, taut, and warm yellow-green; Now vanity is but a sad reflection. Curled she lies in listless agony, Gone is her youthful lustrousness; Mottled, bespeckled, repulsive to touch, Blackened and scarred, ageing begun. Downtrodden fruit rendered and bruised, Nurses her pride, and severed joints. Sweet 'banane' , befriended in plight by grapes forlorn; Free-roaming pair, but huddled couple Strayed to shelter in her caring cove. Ethereal perfection but for brown-tinged blemishes, Embodiment of approaching youthlessness; Unsprightly survivors of the fruit-bowl war.

Prolonged plucking sacrifice of the vine family-tree. Diminished to two the fraternity. / Lone olive-grapes, ashen and even, Seep a sweet sap from gaping wounds; A sensitive tear fQr their wilting mate. Humble beauties, lower in timidity, In awesome shadow of a towering apple; A proud descendant of Grandmother Smith. Brazen, uncaring, boldly aloof, Grinning cheeks polished to a glimmering sheen, A spray of white freckles in a sea of deep green; A luscious enticement to tempted eyes. Untainted apple, basks in limelight. Unaware of a fate, soon to befall; A degrading destruction to a Discarded core.

Rikta Talukder, VI Upper

Belinda Solomon, IV Upper

THE ACCIDENT The Harley's black body was razor cold. As the sun rose above the council-house roof, light struck the immaculate paintwork and sent a devilish shadow scuttering across the concrete path.

Forceful fingers gripped the bars as a worn leather boot pushed down on the starter aggressively and the sudden roar of the engine opened up the morning silence.

The hot flash was almost burning Johnny's chest and the sandwiches bulged out of his jacket. He hadn 't had an extra two hundred pounds for the panniers.

The motor purred smoothly as the speed increased along the stretch of tarmacked road through the mass of lifeless buildings. He pulled up beside the club and stood his bike next to the others. He was reluctant to take his eyes off the gleaming machine but the familiar voices drew him in.

He listened to the clink of the jukebox as he dropped in the coin and psychedelic Pink Floyd blared out. He pulled a chair to the table and watched the slickness of the card­dealing. He felt uneasy and nervous.

"How you doing, mate? Haven't seen you round here the past few days. "

"Just had a bit of trouble that's all. " "I've seen your bike. Must've cost a bob or two." "Year's wages." "Didn 't think you saved it." "I don't. " "Like that was it?" Their brief conversation ended as abruptly as it had

begun. There was little need for words here, they understood.

A black band had been pinned above the door and it flapped as it was caught in the flurry of air. They were still mourning Tipper's death. Johnny finished his beer. The scraping noise of the chair startled him.

Outside litter was swirling unceremoniously along the pavement. The street was empty but for a group of children playing with a metal dustbin lid. The Harley rose like a phoenix above the drab surroundings, but even this couldn't calm him.

He pulled up his zip purposefully and sped past the children. He crossed the gravel track apprehensively, the pit looming up in the distance. He could feel the air, heavy with soot, closing in on him. He shook the hair out of his eyes. He turned right sharply and slowed down to stop outside a terrace house. He remembered the red-brick from being a child, but the window-boxes were no longer there.

A woman from down the road came out. "Oh, she will be pleased to see you; been ill all week.

I've propped her up in bed." Johnny hung his coat up in the passage, warming his

hands on the flask. He remembered the musky smell and ran his finger along the sill. A line was left.

The frail bannister shook as he leant on it; he looked round the bedroom door.

"Johnny! Oh, this is a surprise! Are you alright? How's the plot getting along? Anything growing yet?"

Johnny had never felt so ashamed. He twisted his little finger. He would have to tell her at some point. She just looked so weak and trusting.

He poured some tea from the flask and gave it to her. "Grandma?" "Yes, love?" "You know the money- well, I didn 't buy the land or the

seeds. I bought a bike, a Harley Davidson. lt's all I ever wanted."

He stopped. The pressure seemed to pound against his skin. Her savings, it was all her savings. He never wanted to be in this situation again.

"Just like your grandad," she said, smiling. "I remember when I first met him as a teenager, obsessed with beautiful machinery he was. Never spent that much time with me. Ay - even built his own bike once, you know, but I loved him for it. "

"I've been worrying for weeks. Didn't know what to say. I'm sorry."

"Come off it, you're only young once. Just be careful is all I'll say. You should wear a helmet, you know. Right, what you got in your sandwiches?" .

The time slipped away unnoticed, and runn1ng down the stairs Johnny promised to visit the next day.

He woke late, the blustering world flooding in through the open window. He followed the line of his tatoo in the mirror, then turning, he plunged his head into the clear water. lt was a fresh day, alive with busy people, the wind had subsided a bit and the black dustbin bags lay crumpled in the corner of the yard.

His fingers clenched round the milk bottle but as he lifted his head his eyes met those of Mrs Greaves from the newsagent's.

"Hello, love. I am sorry to hear the news. Is there anything I can do?"

"News?" "Perhaps I shouldn 't have mentioned it. You must still

be in shock. " "Shock? What are you talking about?" He was aggressive and it was late. "Well, your grandma, of course! Aren't you even upset

that she's died?" The woman rushed away, hurt and embarassed.

Johnny couldn't move. His eyes fixed to the milk bottle. She couldn 't be dead. He was there only yesterday. She was alright then. The large torso caved in as he kicked the bike.

He sped down the road, his life a confused mass in his mind. Her voice haunted him.

"Just be careful is all I'll say. Just like your grandad .. . obsessed . . . obsessed."

His body jerked and then was still. The street was deserted and nobody came. Johnny was just another name in a column which nobody reads.

Amy Bowman, V Upper

SNAPSHOTS OF THE FAIR Monday evening was my introduction to an

unfamiliar scene, A scene where punters hunt and win for the kill , My snapshots captured the savage crudeness of colour; Prizes, dumb animals, swinging, a noose

around their necks. I saw war-like wooden horses, spiked through the

heart with a silver twisted spear, Music was their master, grinding their joints,

up and down, out of time with sound. I had not seen their keeper, But now his glare shouts abuse with a silent tongue. Only the small boy on the motorbike dreams,

his mind unleashing fantasies. Smiling, I continued along my way to be affronted by An airborne parrot floating suddenly up to my face. Now it is caught, red and voluminous, forever. People appear, dull, fixed in poses ugly and obscene. A man watched, his mouth wide open, as a lout fires The rifle towards painted evils unseen in the dark. Now I see empty chairs and empty swings. Their chairs swaying eerily; once they were full ; Speed caused terror and was safely strapped in. Invisible apparitions fill the motionless wheel. Holding captive one single couple, sitting together within.

Penelope Burrows, VI Upper

35

MY BED lt just stands there . Alone. In a corner, Long and low, Warm in purple hues.

lt stands. Solitary. Unnoticed. But to me means more As I slide into its mouth With implicit trust.

The covers delicately lip at my neck, Enfolding me in. Their familiar cave As I drift towards sleep.

Firm and steadfast it has held me, Howling into its stillness Till the suffocating pillow, damp and hot, Was thrown into the darkness.

The cool sheet quells my rage. Childhood illusions disappear As safe bedtime tuck-you-ups Constrict when they used to content.

My retreat remains still With pink rags of toy rabbit, Giving me now comfort and repose.

Penelope Burrows, VI Upper

ON THE DEATH OF HERBERT He left early in the morning, With his brother in pursuit, But being young and inexperienced He soon turned back on his route.

Nobody saw old Herbert, Although we shouted until hoarse; We thought his stomach would bring him back­No sign at five o'clock.

He'd found a girlfriend soon became clear As Thursday came and went and he still didn 't appear.

Sunday morning we heard -lt happened at eight o'clock, Friday. Snowgate Head was the fateful site, As the day was rapidly dawning.

Police records said "black long-haired dog", But it was his red Christmas collar that confirmed.

Susannah Donaldson, VI Upper

"JUST A SMALL OP" Nil by mouth, pre-med pills, A white gown which is revealing ; But only for the bare-faced terror and inadequacy of its occupant.

On the trolley, watching the passing ceiling lights from a horizontal position , recalls a memory of lying on the back seat of a car, gazing up at yellow streetlights when embarking on a long, through-the-night journey.

In a moment green nurses congeal in a swarming, invading buzz. Now my life becomes the experience of some other person, but for me comes to a dead end.

As consciousness returns, What may be 'wasteful , weak, propitiatory

flowers' for some, are well appreciated by me, in the stark, white walls of my recovery.

Susannah Donaldson, VI Upper

36

THE THESAURUS Thought inspired, I search the thesaurus For the informative, Experienced-sounding phrase.

Pen to paper, Thumb to page, And the essay is under way.

An hour later, With numbed fingers, I sit back in satisfaction To read from page to page.

My smug smile disappears as the phrase: 'Monologic ramblings with no linear direction' Appears in red, at the bottom of the page.

Susannah Donadson, VI Upper

/

GRANDMA Her soft downy skin, fluffy woollens and cotton aprons

ooze warmth and protection, . Her fragrance- a soapy musk'ness blurs my tension

and eases me into tranquility. Velvety hands that smooth away fraught lines

and beads of tears from my face, Their steadiness, threads a needle with precision,

her soft eyes peering through Oval spectacles propped on the end of her nose;

creases appear at the bridge as she twitches. She dam pens her thumb (bent backwards with

repetitious movement) with her lips. She lifts her brows as she raises the needle,

aims, and through -a clear shot.

With artist 's hands she caresses the keys of the piano, touching a melody

So softly, as the blind read Braille - folding , yellowy skin, loose over her fingers and

Brown woody fingernails, short and clean- • the hands of a teacher

Takes mine within hers and shows me how to roll the pastry, how to knead the bread.

And when the oven-bell rings, putting on oven gloves, she takes out my cake,

Her eyebrows arch with pleasure, her eyes grow wide- fluid brown orbs

Curtained with frays of long lashes, and when I laugh she laughs too.

Her head begins to nod as bubbles of laughter rise to the surface and burst,

Her face screws up, as though the pleasure is painful, and streams of salty tears

Push their way through the tiny caves at the corners of her eyes, down in rushing torrents .

Through the valleys and meanders of her landscape, following the pathway of that first tear.

Her finger guides her eyes across the page as she reads to me, shaping every word with pink fleshy lips.

Slowly she drags one foot in front of the other, then rests, then walks.

A clean apron every morning. Tea and scones at eleven. On Sundays the brown furry hat with the gold pin.

Teresa Waddington, VI Upper

•

•

PORTRAIT OF A WOMEN ON A BUS Sitting at the rear of the bus The yellow murky smoke hangs thick Around her huddled silhouette, A murky mantle shrou<;ling her In a fusty world of her own.

She sways slightly- backwards and forwards Her shaking hands rub together; The burning fag-end held between As she fingers the skirt. The vapour trail circles her face Again and again within the pallid smog.

She smiles - empty and cold The teeth yellow in the black hole Black eyes stare She knows what you 're thinking She can open your defences In madness In demonic mania.

She has been there in your dreams She sits - waiting To tell you your secrets Her crooked smile is disfigured by Twisted time

I hate her I could beat her I fear her so much I could scream in terror I pity her so much I could cry

Teresa Waddington, VI Upper

DANCE OF THE STREET CHILD The sun goes down on the city 's dirt track, A silhouette forms of the paper-brick shacks. By serene light of moon, peace seems to prevail , The indigence masked by the ubiquitous veil.

There is a woman who cries in her sleep. Scars on her body that cut so deep, And she bleeds.

As darkness descends, her face becomes tense, Hope is a false and pathetic pretence. She's caught in a circle , spiralling down, Towards the gutters in this makeshift town.

This is the woman who cries in her sleep. Scars on her body that cut so deep, Still she bleeds.

All that she has she holds in her hands, Born from a struggle in an indifferent land. The pain of his hunger, her burden to bear, Will he survive, but who really cares?

Who is this woman who cries in her sleep? Scars on her body that cut so deep, Why she bleeds?

Bruises and scars, her pitiful inheritance, Outward signs of a shameful adulterance. What progress she's made, from abusive danger? Her adulterer is now a nameless stranger.

Still this woman cries herself to sleep, The scars on her mind cutting so deep, Forever she bleeds.

Her heart beats out like a wild frenzied drum, The sweet soul music of the ghetto's sham slums. The dance of the devil is performed in the streets, Baring her soul - it's a regular beat.

Tonight the woman will cry in her sleep. The scars on her heart inflicted so deep, Again she'll bleed.

A big man may come in a big limousine, As much use to you as cheap nicotine. Escapists believe, it 's etched in their eyes, But truth is a virtue, so the government lies.

lt lied to her who cries in her sleep, Enforcing again the scars so deep, Making her bleed.

Bring forth a light to splinter this darkness, Tame this wild flame that burns in my chest. Bring down the rains to soak this desert, Give me the strength to heal my own heart.

Damanjeet Mullhi, VI Upper

Q)

Jane Barrett, V Lower

37

WAKEFIELD GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL

PARENT AND SCHOOL ASSOCIATION OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL 1988/89

President: Mrs. P.A. Langham, B.A., M.Ed.,

Chairman: Mr. R. Grey

Treasurer: Mrs. E.F. Robshaw

Council Members Appointed 1987: Mrs. S. Boulton, Mrs. J. Cornwell, Mrs. D. M. Woodhouse, Mr. R. Grey, Mr. P. Sharples, Mr. A. Pollock. Council Members Appointed 1988: Mrs. P. Hartas, Mrs. H. Hobson, Dr. M. Bartle, Mr. S. Burville, Mr. J. Lawson. Co-opted Members: Mrs. V. Michie, Mrs. D. Moss, Mrs. K. Mullhi (Mother of Head Girl), Mrs. K. Hudson, Mr. D.J. Taylor, Mr. P. Cumberworth. Staff Representatives: Mrs. A. Bedford, Mrs. P. Jennings, Mrs. J. Millican, Mrs. J. Reynolds, Miss E.A. Gray, Mr. H. Helier (till Christmas) replaced by Mrs. V. West. This report with its many references to amounts raised may further the impression that the P.A.S.A. is purely a fund-raising organization, but it is, hopefully, more than that. A function of the P.A.S.A. is to further communications ~etween sc.hool an~ parents, facilitating the exchange of 1deas and Information. The barriers between "us" and "them" are more easily lowered in an informal atmosphere. Getting lost together on a Treasure Hunt and enjoying a sunny Sunday barbecue are just two of the pleasant ways of meeting staff, parents and friends of the school, whilst raising funds that help to put a little icing on the already good cake. Sunday 25th September 1988 found everyone involved in the organization of the ever popular Sunday Lunch very busy. There was a hectic behind-the-scenes programme not apparent to everyone who enjoyed this magnificent l~nch .. This popular family occasion was socially and fmanc1ally as successful as ever, £408 being raised by this event.

The Junior disco held in school on the 20th October 1988 allowed the younger members of school to let their hair down and enjoy a disco evening complete with disc jockey and disco music. Fun was had by all and £192 was raised on this occasion. The P.A.S.A. A.G.M. was held on 8th November, new members and officers were appointed and thanks and farewells to outgoing members were given. The Flower Demonstration held on 24th November was a huge success. The Jubilee Hall was full, the wine and mince pies, baked and served by council members, added to the jovial Christmas atmosphere. Mr Brian ~alliday was an excellent raconteur who kept us all mterested and amused whilst displaying his considerable flower-arranging ski lls. Even the less talented amongst us found new and interesting ways of improving our festive floral decorations. This happy Christmas Event raised £434.64. The disco evening at Casanova's, Wakefield, held on 14th December, was enjoyed by young people of IV Upper and upwards.

38

Secretary: Mrs. C. Meyer

Auditor: Mr. P.V. Sampson

/ ~gain this was a well-attended event; loud music, flashing lights, and fashionably-dressed young people all added to the happy end of term atmosphere. Council members on duty on this evening made a note to purchase ear-plugs for the next Casanova's event. "When can we have a~other disco evening?" was a question asked by many g1rls. Proof of success? Funds raised amounted to £123.50. The annual curriculum evening held in the Jubilee Hall on 23rd February wa~ extremely well attended, parents eager for more mformation on GCSE were not disappoint.ed. Mrs ~angha~ and a panel of staff gave very detailed and 1nformat1ve talks on their areas of responsibility. There was no shortage of participants in the question-time which followed the talks, and Mr Rhodi Grey did a fine job of chairing the discussions. There was a second Junior Disco held in school on 21st March and once again the attendance figures showed how popular the disco evenings are. £166 was raised. The family Treasure Hunt which took place on Sunday 1 ~th May ~av~ our budding ralley drivers a chance to d1splay the1r sk1lls. Dr. Mike Bartle did an excellent job of organising the route and scripting the clues. We were despatched throughout the countryside around Wakefield. Great fun was had discovering the route, though some ~mong us took one .or two .hours. more than the anticipated t1me. The day culmmated 1n a d1sco and buffet evening at Walton Hall Country Club. Winners were announced and prizes were presented in a jovial, relaxed disco atmosphere. This event raised £144. Thi~ yea,r a Sunday Funday Barbecue and Sports Day (Gnlls n Games) was held as an alternative to the Summer Fayre. lt was held at the Sports Field on Sunday 18th June, and we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day. There was much laughter at the antics of the participants in the sack, three-legged and obstacle races but the main sports event of the day was, I feel, th~ parent~. st~ff and pupils hockey match. There was great determmat1on shown by all the players but it appeared that many of us were not as fit as we believed ourselves to be. Though not a member of the winning team, Mrs Langham was surely the star of the match, and great fun was had by all. The barbecue, hot baked potatoes and salad followed by strawberries and cream went down well and the organisation of the food kept the council members busy. The day was a huge success and the possibility of adding sideshows and stalls (as in the summer fayre) will be explored next year. As always this association in indebted to many; parents, staff and girls, the caretaker and his staff, the secretarial support in school , and the stalwart coffee ladies for their coffee duties at the many "At Homes".

Carol A. Myer Secretary

GRILLS N' GAMES- Sunday 18th June 1989

39

ACTIVITIES MUSIC FOR ALL

This year's musical events began in September with an orchestral weekend. conducted by David Angus. Everyone involved benefited greatly from the experience. Helen Dawson and I, in particular, are grateful for the chance of being able to perform as soloists with an orchestra. Such was the success of this weekend that a similar event was organised in June. Philip Priestley,from Bretton College, conducted an orchestral workshop and concert which included a Wind Band to give as many people as possible a chance to take part. The programme included a Vivaldi Double Violin Concerto played by Louise Farrar and me . . In October Mr. Doolan arranged some 1920's dance

music (Blues, Ragtime, Charleston, Foxtrot etc.) for a small band to play at an Old Girls' Reunion to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Jubilee Hall. Our music provided an authentic atmosphere for a dramatised version of school events during the 1920's.

In December we had the 'Yuletide Horns'. a lunchtime concert in the Jubilee Hall by Mr. Doolan's 6-piece Rock Group playing jazz versions of Christmas carols.

"A Celebration of Christmas" featured Helen Moody's carol "Christmas Crime", a Bach "Christmas Concerto" for the String Ensemble, and the Senior Choir which provided carols. "The Miracle Squad", a musical nativity play, rounded off a most enjoyable occasion.

Following last year's success in the Chamber Music Competition for Schools the High School was again represented. Three groups took part - Trio of recorders (under 13}, Piano/mixed quintet (under 15) and Piano trio (under 19}. Despite not being selected to go forward to the next qualifying round, all who took part worked hard and are to be congratulated on achieving a high standard of performance. All the girls involved gained valuable experience in the art of performing chamber music.

Some members of the School Choir took part in the British Federation of Young Choirs Singing Day in Huddersfield Town Hall. They sang "King David" by Honegger with Willi Ghohl as conductor and Robert Hardy as narrator. lt was a very exciting experience singing with professionals and with musicians from Chetham's School. Its success should encourage other girls to take part next year.

Mozart's Requiem provided one of the musical highlights of the year for choir and orchestra. lt was a joint performance by W.G.H.S. and Q.E.G.S., assisted by parents and friends of the two schools, professional soloists and conducted by Mr. Green. A difficult prog­ramme was well·.executed and much appreciated by the audience.

This year's summer concert was exceptionally good with girls from each year taking part. lt opened with a splendid "Adam in Eden" sung by IV Middle and Junior Choir to a lively jazz accompaniment from the band.

Finally, on behalf of all the girls, I wish to thank the music staff - Miss Ewan, Miss Mason, Mr. Doolan and Mrs. Asquith, for their hardwork, dedication and perseverance throughout the year. I, personally, would like to thank them for the many opportunities they have given me to play and enjoy music during my seven years at school.

Elizabeth Hodson, VI Upper

THE 1989 SINGING DA V IN HUDDERSFIELD Despite the unexpected fall of snow, which kept some people at home on St. George's Day, 23rd April, 1989, our choir arrived in good spirits at Huddersfield Town Hall, ready to take part in the latest B.F.Y.C. Singing Day. The B.F.Y.C. or British Federation of Young Choirs, is a modern organisation which holds a number of singing events each year, both in this country and abroad, to

40

"extend the practice of choral singing and develop choral skills". We had attended a similar event during the previous year and had enjoyed ourselves so much that we had come back for more! This time, though, the occasion was a particularly special one. We were to sing a symphonic Psalm - "King David" by the Swiss composer Arthur Honegger. lt was to be condt:icted by Willi Ghohl, also Swiss, who is internationally renowned for his Presidency of the Swiss Music Council , for his skill as·a conductor of choirs and orchestras and the encourage­ment given in many radio broadcasts and performaflces to amateur choirs. Not only were we to work with a famous conductor, have accompaniment from Chetham's Chamber Orchestra and sing with soloist~ from the Royal Northern College of Music but, best of CJfl, the part of the Psalm's narrator was to be read by 'none other than Robert Hardy, the successful and popular actor whose most widely-known role is that of Siegfried Farnon in BBC Television 's "All Creatures Great and Small" .

The school's senior choir, though popular among its members, has a fairly small level of attendance and. its performances are generally limited to appearances in carol services and school summer concerts. Therefore this Singing Day offered a great chance to join with other amateur choirs from as far afield as Leicestershire to form a choir of hundreds capable of producing an enormous sound. Imagine the awe we felt on entering the huge and majestic concert hall to be confronted by row upon row of seats rising from the stage at the far end of the building to a height of about ten metres above the audience. This was where we were to stand and sing for nearly an hour! There was more than one comment made under the breath about the absence of a safety net!

lt took all of half an hour to organise the seating arrangements of this immense choir but eventually the rehearsal began, though in rather an unusual way. Mr. Ghohl did not introduce himself in the conventional manner, nor did we proceed to climb up and down octaves of scales in a desperate attempt to warm up our voices. Instead, our conductor gave a slight, nod to the pianist, signifying that they both knew something that we did not, and a slow, steady "oom-pah, oom-pah" began. We were all taken aback, not knowing what to think to this radical introduction, and when the gentleman took up a slow bending of the knees in time to the piano, followed by a raising of the heels, shrugging of the shoulders and wiggling of the hips, at the same time indicating to all of us to do the same, you can imagine the hysteria which soon ensued! This was, in fact, a fool-proof method of establishing a relaxed, friendly atmosphere and was more successful than a whole hour's scales could ever have been.

We later discovered that such an atmosphere was absolutely essential for tackling what was a very difficult work for such an amateur choir .. We found the timing almost impossible in some places and were forced to sing a large number of very loud, sometimes painfully high notes - whether they were in tune or not was another matter!

I am very glad that Mr. Hardy was not present at our morning rehearsal. Being such a professional, he would have been horrified at some of the sounds coming from a choir with which, in a few hours, he was expected to perform. However, by the time he arrived at our afternoon session, thankfully our singing had begun to bear a distinct resemblance to the notes written in our copies.

Rehearsing with a professional actor, soloists and orchestra made alrthe difference to our standards. lt was electrifying to work on such .a modern and dramatic oratorio with such skilled people and after the final concert, which took place later that afternoon, we were all left with a tremendous sense of pleasure, satisfaction and

achievement. lt still has not ceased to amaze me that such a large group of people, which had never met together before that morning, could unite to produce, in the space of just a few hours, a complete work so worthy

w G H s

·of performance. The day was certainly not an opportunity to be missed! Let us hope that the B.F.Y.C. continues to organise similar events for many years to come.

Anna Clarkin, VI Lower

COSTUME OLLECTION

1989

41

'

42

From Friday, June 23rd, 1989 for ten days the Jubilee Hall was given over to the triennial exhibition of the School's unique collection of historical costumes which has grown over the years under the care of Mrs. Wyles, Head of the Art Department, to such proportions that storage and display are almost insoluble problems. Its value is difficult to calculate but Mr. Richard Robson, curator of the Castle Howard Museum and Mr. Geoffrey Squire who worked at the Victoria and Albert Museum and Sotheby's before becoming a freelance writer and lecturer, leave no doubt in their comments about their high regard for its size and quality- and their envy of certain items. Mr. Robson says 'My colleagues and I have never failed to be impressed by these exhibitions. They are supported by a great deal of hard work and enthusiasm and also by the tremendous knowledge and expertise of Mrs. Barbara Wyles who is responsible for the care of the collection.'

Fortunately the continuous fine weather allowed us to hold Prayers on the lawn each day while examinations continued in the gymnasium. The enormous job of unpacking, pressing, sorting and arranging hundreds of items also involved over a year's planning beforehand to produce settings of shops, stands and scenes which can do justice to the pieces and produce an effect rivalling that in displays at Castle Howard and Killerton. There was not space for everything to come out but the show featured complete dresses and outfits throughout the decades

from 1850 to the 1980's - crinolines, dresses with bustles, beaded frocks of the 1920's, wartime austerity clothes, mini-dresses, hot-pants, ra-ra skirts and ethnic fashions from the 1970's, babywear, underwear, hats, gloves, bags and shoes for both men and women, which told an amazing story and set visitors inevitably reminiscing.

Mrs. Wyles who is honorary secretary of the Northern Society of Costume and Textiles, has five pupils who act as costume curators. They have to be knowledgeable to handle the exhibits so these girls and some former pupils who have continued their interest in Art and Design have made up the hard-working team who helped to mount and dismantle the exhibition.

A programme of events throughout the week created great public interest. Local radio and television reports brought people to view even after the exhibition had closed and audiences earlier were entertained by Mr. Leon Cooper's Antiques Roadshow on Wednesday evening, and Mr. Robson's talk about Castle Howard on Thursday. On Tuesday afternoon Mrs. Lesley Edwards gave a demonstration and talk to the girls entitled 'Mrs. Beaton 's Dressing' and finally on Saturday the Northern Society of Costume and Textiles held its summer meeting at the High School which included luncheon, an official viewing and a talk by Mr. Squire entitled 'Aesthetic Dress - Alternative to Fashion or Fashionable Alternative'.

lt was an exhausting but triumphant end to the year for Mrs. Wyles - a proud week for the school.

A SPRING PRODUCTION - FEBRUARY 1989

The Lark Few of those who saw any of the performances of this play will easily forget the beauty, the simplicity and the intensity which Mrs. Smart inspired her young cast to produce. The colourful costumes were magnificent, the trappings were deliberately otherwise austere; but the careful perfecting of every movement and the depth of understanding with which this group of girls, ranging from third years to VI Uppers spoke the lines made us realise we were seeing work of rare quality. The themes are complex, much of the dialogue is very abstract and there

is only inward, intellectual conflict and emotion in the drama until the action at the end. Yet the cast held us spell-bound, challenging our min~s ~ith the sophisticat!on of the wit, the mature charactensat1on and the growmg loneliness above all of Joan whose faith is tested so far and yet triumphs amid pain in a climax that was restrained yet deeply moving.

Every one of the cast deserves our congratulations but it would surely not be invidious to mention as outstanding Katie Pollock as Warwick, Catherine Cottrell as the Dauphin and Elizabeth Menezes who. must have found the experience of playing Joan as she d~d, so thoughtfully, inspiring but quite disturbing.

43

Remembering "The Lark" November came and the hard work and tight-scheduled rehearsals began. Hours of time after school and Sundays were willingly given up to learn lines and gradually fit the play together. March drew nearer and nearer all too fast. Prop~ were. still to be made, costumes still to be acquired

. and lines st1ll to be learnt. Mrs. Smart successfully guided us through hours of desperation and Mrs. Millican disciplined the stage crew into fetching and carrying promptly.

The music began, the tension rose. The first perform­ance had begun. The show was finally 'on the road '. As the performance got underway, the tension subsided and the actresses began to live the parts of their characters. Back stage in the Beaumont Common-room it was pandemonium: with shouts of "Has anyone seen my hat?" and "Good luck, you're on next!"

"The Lark" written by Jean Anouilh is the tragic story of Joan of Arc who struggled all her life to gain victory for the Dauphin of France.

She followed the guidance of her voices who told her to leave the secluded, sheltered life she had led and to seek out Robert de Beaudricourt and Charles the Dauphin of France.

Our story ended with the coronation of Charles and the burning of Joan.

The first night's performance had drawn to an end. The c~rtains closed on a sophisticated lighting system and s1mple props and stage furniture. We had created an effective and professional setting for the story. There was tremendous applause, greatly appreciated by the cast and there was a feeling of relief in the air as all had run smoothly.

The second night was much the same, but lacked the anticipatio~ of the first, but the third and final performance was the climax. The exhilaration was alive within us and everyone p~rformed to the very limits of their ability. The m~od ":'as light. and back stage there was a contagious ep1dem1c of boisterousness, frenzy and hysterics. The unknown juvenile side of most of the cast dared to explode within them after weeks of repression.

The curtain closed for the last time. The entire cast rushed upstairs to the common room to present the many bouquets showing our gratitude to the directors and the stage crew and to begin a lively party.

Tears were shed, hugs and compliments were passed ~nd the reality struck each one of us that the play was finally over. The hard work, dedication and frustration of acting had eventually paid off.

44

The celebrations began! Jo Walker and Alison Hull, IV Upper Brother Ladvenu and the Inquisitor

TIMESCAPE MATHS COMPETITION

V Lowers Take 1st Prize

Timescape was a national mathematical competition for schools organised by Casio Electronics which members of V Lower entered in November 1988.

The school was provided with a tape telling the adventures of two children, Martin and Debbie. They were transported through time by Dr. Oisac who had converted his calculator into a time machine. Seven different years · were visited, and the competition objective was to identify the years from clues in the story, and to solve the mathematical problems posed at each stage. Finally, a maximum power level had to be calculated ; using the numbers of the years visited, to enable the children to return to their own time.

In January, approximately thirty entries were sent to Casio. A lot of time, effort and thought had gone into all the entries which had been incorporated into illustrated projects. Two months later, Mrs. Jackson called the V Lower year together and read out a letter she had received; it was good news! Our entri,9s had collectively won the £2,500 first prize for the best/school's entry, and no less than twelve out of the fifty jndividual prizes had been awarded to girls in our school.

One Monday, soon after, a photographer from the Daily Express newspaper came to the school and took photo­graphs. Then the next day, March 22, all the V Lower year gathered together in the Ross Gallery to witness the presentation of the money and the prizes. A large hardboard cheque of £2,500 and an engraved cut glass trophy were handed to Mrs. Langham as head of the school. Mrs. Jackson and Dr. Willington were presented with a Casio Digital Diary each for organising the pupils' entries, and the twelve individual winners were given a Filofax.

Lastly, all the girls who had entered had their photo­graphs taken with the cheque and trophy for various local papers.

Timescape was an enjoyable yet testing competition, and everyone was delighted to have won a national prize.

Sarah Cornforth, V Lower Some of the money has now been used to buy a television , a video recorder and a computer for use in the mathematics department. We would like to add our congratulations to all who took part . . We were very impressed by the standard of the work produced, and the amount of care, effort and enthusiasm put in was in most cases over and above the call of duty. Well done, and on behalf of the school, many thanks to V Lowers.

A. Jackson and S. Willington

\ FORUM There have been three meetings of Forum this year, all of which have been well attended. The first meeting was an "Open to Question" in which pupils asked Mrs. Armitage, Mrs. Hotham, Mrs. Jones and Dr. Slingsby their opinions on both controversial and light-hearted subjects.

The second meeting was led by Dr. Slingsby who spoke on "Does it matter what church you go to?" This was a very informative talk during which Dr. Slingsby discussed various· aspects of worship and the ways in which they differed.

Finally, Mr. Malcolm Loveday came to speak about Crusaders. This is a Christian youth fellowship organ­isation for children and teenagers. lt was a very entertain­ing meeting with several games to aid understanding.

On behalf of everyone who has attended, I would like to thank Mrs. Bedford for all her help and enthusiasm throughout the year.

M. Kent, VI Upper

CHARITIES ACCOUNTS 1988-89 Autumn Term 1988 Collection Oct. 11th, 12th, 13th S th S

1 £127·97

Raffle ave e ea s "Funny Money" Collection of Foreign Coins:

39 notes, 3826 coins Collection of used stamps Poppy Appeal Christmas Charity Fair (Senior School -

Wakefield Hospice+ Aids Research) Junior School NSPCC

£106-46 £1523·75

"Horn Jazz" Collection (Mayor's Charity Fund) Carol Concert Collection (Wakefield Hospice) Sponsored Silence (Children in Need) Carol Singing in the Ridings (Children 's Society) Sponsored Carol Sing

£ 87·00 £ 21 ·10 £285·85 £114·00 £ 91·63 £1 08·91

Spring Term 1989 UNICEF National Non-Uniform Day Red Noses Comic Relief (Lunch-time production) Kidnapping QEGS Head Boy Sponsored Spell Sponsored Swim Sponsored Dressing-up Dr. Ultley's Moustache

Summer Term 1989 Hillsborough Disaster Appeal Collection Sponsored Walk - Martin House Hospice Great Jelly Race - Rape Crisis Leeds Sponsored Silence - NSPCC Collection in Wakefield for RNIB

Total for the year

£2466·67

£340·15 £550·00 £153·00 £ 61-48 £284·01 £ 15·12 £ 25·56 £ 60·35

£1490·37

£ 265·39 £2607·31 £ 29·31 £ 20·00 £ 13·62

£6,892.88

Miss Collingwood opens the Christmas Fair

BARNARDO'S HELPERS' LEAGUE 1988-89 has again been a very good year for the League. The total collected from boxes by July 1989 was £293.47 which is a splendid effort. I would particularly like to thank the many older girls who have supported the work of Barnardo's for several years. Girls sometimes forget to bring their boxes for emptying on a regular basis and by the time they are handed in when the girls leav~ sc~ool they are veritable treasure chests! Several contnbut1ons this year arrived in two boxes plus sellotape, rubber bands, plastic bags e~c. Carryi.ng the . boxes to s.chool must be a weighty bus1ness as 1ndeed 1s. the count1ng ~f their contents which nonetheless clearly Illustrates that 1f you look after the pennies, the. pounds really do look a~er themselves. Girls collect in different ways ovE3r d1ffenng

periods of time but I would like to stress that all amounts, large or small, build up to the final total. Many thanks to all our collectors. Keep up the good work!

The majority of our collectors are as usual from the junior forms. In October Mr. M. Verity the local Barnardo's representative once again gave an illustrated talk to the IV Lower forms on the work of the children's charity. This was in fact his last visit to the school as he has since been awarded promotion and moved from the area. We thank him for his commitment and cheerful hard work over the years and wish him success in his new post. We welcome in his place Mrs. J. Steadman and we look forward to meeting her in the Autumn of 1989 when she helps launch another year of work for the Barnardo's Helpers' League.

J.M. Caswell

LATIN STUDENTS LAUNCHED INTO STARDOM

Entering the Latin Play Festival was the brainchild of Miss Littlewood and Mrs. Woods. lt was obviously an attempt at relieving our boredom during the Latin lessons, and we have to admit it worked. The Festival was to be held at Leeds Grammar School on 24th February and would involve Leeds Girls ' High as well as Leeds Grammar School and us.

Auditions were soon in progress. Mrs. Woods carefully assessed weight, height, build , features, voices and even acting ability until, after much deliberation, she had filled the parts. Unfortunately, a few non-Latinites had to be used as we were short of willing actresses, but we managed to train them up to our standards. By this time rehearsals had begun with a vengeance and were occupying at least two lunch times a week. Waistlines became smaller as the staff gallantly sacrificed school dinners to provide coaching for us.

Costumes were imaginatively produced by the more artistic members of the year, perhaps the most outstanding being Medusa's head-dress, made by Roya Vaziri. The god Hermes (Helen Moody) was reprimanded a number of times for practising flying (on roller boots) outside Room 11 , and eventually the roller boots had to be abandoned as Hermes could not stand still for long enough to deliver his lines.

The story of the play is that Perseus (Oiivia Smart), a young man, decides he wants to kill monsters and save beautiful maidens so he sets out into the world. He is presented with three gifts from three gods - a pure Bacofoil shield, a magic helmet and a pair of white plastic winged sandals. Using these he travels into the wilderness and finds three witches who wear false green fingernails and share between them a tooth and a real bull's eye from the Biology department. Perseus steals a special sword from the witches. Mrs. Woods kindly supplied us with a wonderful plastic sword which shone in various different colours and, although aimed at 5-7 year olds, kept most of the cast intrigued for some time. Perseus then cuts off the head of Medusa, a woman with hundreds of snakes growing out of her head. Everyone who looks at her is turned to stone, so Perseus attacks her using his mirrored (Bacofoil) shield and his new sword. In case there is any speculation as to how we managed to cut off Medusa's head, Perseus simply slid off the false head, wrenching out a good deal of Medusa's (Sarah Mirfield's) real hair, as Medusa subtly pulled her cloak over her second head, screaming both in agony and for effect. Next he turns a monster into stone using Medusa's head. We would like to congratulate the monster (Rebecca Barras) on some superb wailing at this point. Finally Perseus saves Andromeda (Penny Bubb) , a beautiful young maiden, from the monster's clutches. The play is all in Latin .

On the 24th February the coach arrived to take us to Leeds. Immediately members of the cast were hustled to the make-up studio at the back of the coach, where Patricia Hall and Joanne Smith did a wonderful job, deftly transforming us into monsters, heroes or mere

45

gods. The Grammar School owns a small theatre which is equipped with dressing rooms, make-up studios, lighting sets - the lot. We were very impressed and agreed we would not mind having one ourselves.

After a quick rehearsal we settled down to watch the other play~. Leeds Grammar performed a play written by one of the1r teachers, and Leeds Girls' High did Pyamus and Thisbe very successfully although we were shocked to see that they were cheating - they had their lines scribbled on the back of their pieces of wall. As we voted unanimously ourselves, our play was by far the best, and our ~oman accents improved a great deal from the expenence.

On 6th March we performed the play again in the Ross Gallery as part of a Classics Society evening. A few small alterations had to be made - Hermes flew in from the audience, having been disguised in a large school coat. I am su~e nob<?dY suspected anything as he sat amongst the aud1ence 1n winged sandals with silver hair and a nylon tights headband. The play went very well, in spite of half the cast going down with food poisoning from the Roman sausages provided. Mrs. Langham, in a desperate attempt to see it, asked us to perform it again to some of the QEGS and WGHS Junior Schools, which we did on ~Oth March in the Hall. We·are not quite sure how much of 1t they understood as none of them knew a word of Latin but the visual effect probably made up for it, especially when one of Medusa's plastic snakes snapped in half.

The play definitely improved our Latin and we would like to thank Miss Littlewood and Mrs. Woods for much dedication and hard work.

Helen Moody and Ammabel Kelsey, V Lower

46

THESMOPHORIAZOUSAI by ARISTOPHANES

at the London Festival of Greek Drama - March 11th, 1989

The VI Lower Classical Stud ies group had read this play in the Pen~uin translation "The Poet and the Women", as part of the1r study of Greek and Roman Comedy.

For three days each year, in the time of the playwright Aristophanes, a mass of Athenian women would meet to celebrate the festival Thesmophoria and no man was ever supposed to know what went on. Of course the men always speculated about the events of the festival and, naturally, tried to find out for certain. Euripides, writer of tragedies, expected the women to condemn him for the slander of women and did not wish to be condemned without a chance to plead his cause. He arranged, therefore, for two other men to infiltrate the ceremonies and save his skin. After many amazing 'adventures' and farcical scenes, like those in his own plays, Euripides escaped punishment.

We enjoyed this production of the play with the clever costumes and fine set and we congratulate the students of University College on their efforts.

CHEDWORTH ROMAN VILLA March 18th, 1989

A small number of girls and members of staff joined the Classical Association excursion to Cirencester and Chedworth in Gloucestershire. lt was a hard day, with tl:le large amount of travelling and the rain , but the visits proved both informative and enjoyable.

19th Sept. 22nd Nov. 5th Dec. 13th Feb. 17th Feb. 24th Feb.

CLASSICAL EVENTS 1988-89 Lecture with sl ides on 'The Olympics' by Mr. B. Hamill (Joint meeting with Q.E.G.S.) 'Homer and Virgil: creating a vision of the hero. ' Lecture by Mr. J.G. Randall at Leeds University. 'Producing a Greek Play'. Lecture by Professor W.G. Arnott (Joint meeting with Q.E.G.S.) Lecture by Professor F. Cairns on 'Propertius'. (Leeds University)· Lecture by Dr. R.O.A.M. Lyne on 'The Personality of Horace'. V Lower Latin divisions took part in an afternoon of Latin plays in the new theatre at Leeds Grammar School and presented 'Perseus and the Monsters '. The producer was Mrs. Woods. Ammabel Kelsey and Helen Moody have written in detail about this production elsewhere in this magazine.

25th Feb. Classicists in VI Lower and VI Upper saw a performance of Sophocles' 'Ph iloctetes ' in English at the Swan Theatre, Stratford.

4th March Visit to Cambridge to a performance in Greek of Euripides' 'Bacchae' by the University Classical Society at the Arts Theatre.

6th March Classical Evening in Ross Gallery. Supper and a second performance of 'Perseus ' by V Lower. The combined audience from Q.E.G.S. and W.G.H.S. filled Ross to capacity.

9th March Third performance of 'Perseus ' in the Jubilee Hall to members of our own Junior School and that of Q.E.G.S. 1Oth March Lecture by Dr. A.J. Parker on 'Underwater Archaeology'. 11th March Day in London. VI Upper and VI Lower Classical Studies groups worked on sculpture and architecture

in the British Museum. Everyone watched a highly indecent performance in English of Aristophanes' 'Thesmophoriazousai ' at the Bloomsbury Theatre.

15th March Greek pupils from W.G.H.S. and Q.E.G.S. accompanied Miss Underwood to London to see a performance of Sophocles' 'Electra' in Greek at King's College.

18th March Some girls joined the Leeds and District Schools Classical Association outing to Chedworth Roman Villa. 20th April VI Upper and Lower Latin A Level students attended the annual conference on the set texts at

Manchester University. 25th April Classical Studies Day School for sixth-formers at Sheffield University. 28th April The annual Latin and Greek Reading Competition at Leeds University. We entered candidates for the four

usual classes (Senior Latin and Greek, Junior Latin and Greek) and were successful in the following:

8th May

Josie Holmes (V Upper) was placed first in the Junior Greek, Olivia Smart (V Lower) and Helen King (IV Upper) were joint Second in Junior Latin. This year there was a new class for beginners in Latin. IV Middle were keen, and it was difficult choosing a reasonable number to enter. Three out of our six candidates were chosen as finalists and the eventual winner in a very large fie ld was Anouska Semp of IV Middle K. Well done, all our winners! The Annual Quiz against Q.E.G.S. Our team were Louise Street (IV Upper), Josie Holmes (V Upper), Nina Banerjee and Siobhan Coote (VI Lower). They performed with credit in certain branches of knowledge, looked set to win at one point, but finally suffered an honourable defeat.

17th Aug. VI Lower Classical Studies group spent an archaeological day with Mrs. Killey on Hadrian's Wall, with study-halts at Vindolanda, Housesteads and Chesters.

Dixon, Coles & Gill Solicitors & Notaries

Property Service

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47

THE GEOGRAPHY SOCIETY Officials 1988-89

Chairman - Claire Twaites Secretary/Treasurer - Gina Mallinson Vice Chairman- Teresa Waddington

Posters - Samantha Judge General Committee: Susan Baraclough, Philippa Boocock, Gillian Cannon, Helen Charlesworth, Vicky Howe,

Helen Killey, Suzanne Lee, Clare Mountain, Rebecca Pearson, Kathryn Smith, Ruth Thorpe, Julia Williams

Unfortunately time has been a limiting factor for the Society, with only two meetings being arranged during the year. .

Firstly, in the Autumn Term there was a competition aimed at junior forms - The Cake Location Competition. Members of the Committee baked various regional cakes which had to be matched up to the appropriate region on a map of the British Isles, and afterwards those who wanted (i.e. most of the participants!) could taste some of the cakes and a good time was had by all.

The Spring Term meeting was for sixth formers only and members of Q.E.G.S. were also invited. Our outside speaker was Mr. J. Sheppard, who has been involved with external examining and made many helpful comments concerning examination questions - a very valuable meeting.

The Committee pass on their best wishes to next year's officials, and their thanks to the Geography staff for their continuing help and support.

Gina Mallinson, Secretary

ON ILKLA MOOR BAHT 'AT

Field Work for VI Lower Geographers

On Tuesday, May 9th, a group of twenty eight devoted A-Level Geographers finally got the chance to put some techniques studied in the classroom into practice in the 'field '. Comfortably seated in a large minibus (deciding which parts of our lunch we could safely consume at such an hour in the morning) , on a warm, sunny day, we could think of nothing better than sunbathing on llkley Moor. These visions were soon discarded on arrival!

At Coldstone Beck, our place of work, we divided into three groups. Three studies were carried out during the day, involving long and cross profiles of the river and its

48

valley, and a prismatic compass survey, an examination of the river - sediment, transportation, velocity, .calibre of the load and wetted perimeter measurements, and a survey of the soil, vegetation and climate. All this involved climbing to the top of the 'mountain' and back, about three times - a physical feat not to be frowned upon!

Data having been gathered we headed for home, with rather more optimistic views of a pleasant stroll around llkley town centre the following day, or so we thought.

The second day was urban field worlsl day. Armed with field work notebooks and the inevitable' packed lunch the group eagerly set off. At least in the ,town centre we did not need waterproofs and wellingtons as a safeguard against falling in a stream, or indeed to get blown away by the prevailing winds at the top of Coldstone Beck!

En route, we stopped to survey the extent of llkley from the famous Cow and Calf rocks. Location maps in hand we surveyed and moved on.

On arrival at the car park we began to parade the streets in search of boutiques, hairdressers, tourist shops and every other establishment to be found, in order to carry out a classification index - in laymen's terms, a shop count. Following this we counted pedestrians and vehicles - then proceeded eagerly to the river for lunch. Having devoured endless quantities of battered sandwiches, flattened crisps and broken biscuits we 'entertained' ourselves on a roundabout. The Geography staff, unfairly assuming our intrepid group was becoming restless, decided it was back to work.

We thus continued to gather information. from wherever we desired - specifically the Manor House Museum, Information Office, Estate Agents and in some cases Betty's Cafe! until it was time to bid farewell to the famous Yorkshire town and return to our arduous studies.

Lucyanne Smith, VI Lower .

EXPEDITIONS DA V - July 4th, 1989 lt was Independence Day and it lived up to its name, for every girl in the High School - in one way or another. IV Lowers set off early with the Geography Department to pursue their field study with visits to Brimham Rocks, Pateley Bridge and the caverns at Stump Cross. IV Middle had a glorious day on the moors above Haworth, picnicking at the waterfall and visiting the Bronte Museum as a follow-up to reading 'Jane Eyre ' . During the day they were busily searching for answers to a quiz for which the winner turned out to be Nina Gunson. IV Upper spent the day at the University of Bradford following specially arranged lectures - by a Brazilian research student and study-sessions on the Amazonian rain forests. ·

V Lower and VI Lower were hard put to it to choose between a trip on the Settle-Carlisle railway in a specially chartered train with time to see the rich historical remains in Carlisle itself, a visit to the Cathedral, the Castle and the Museum of Oriental Art in Durham, or the challenge of an attempt at the Three Peaks Walk, a twenty four mile circular trek passing over lngleborough, Whernside and Penyghent offered by the organisers of our Duke of Edinburgh programme. All these alternatives were well­supported. For those who chose to remain in Wakefield an even more unexpected mystery challenge awaited them at 9 am - and they took it up with admirable energy and initiative. They were formed into four teams of mixed ages whose members often did not know one another.

They opened a sealed packet containing their assignment, spent the day hastily researching all over Wakefield and returned to mount a display and presentation at 3.15 pm in which they were competing for an award for initiative and achievement. The results astonished the judges and reflected great credit on team members young and old who had worked so well together often discovering new

and unexpected talents. Their job had been made all the harder because this was a day of N.U.P.E. action and many Information Offices were closed. A small band of VI Lowers were also working indefatigably during the day, clearing and cleaning in Sotterley - and their reward was an exotic lunch cooked under Mrs. Moffat's supervision.

Moments from the Three Peaks Walk

15 girls , 3 staff and the 2 parents all completed the course and qualified for badges.

All walkers completed % of the walk.

YOUR FAMILY CRAFTSMAN JEWELLER

Fellow of the Gemmological Association

Fellow ofthe British Horolog ica llnstitute City and Guilds of London Institute

2 MARYGATE WAKEFIELD

Telephone 372475

49

CHALLENGE OF INDUSTRY CONFERENCE

This is a two day conference held annually in June for students in the lower sixth of QEGS and WGHS. The two schools host it alternately and this year the onus fell on us.

. our prospective busi~ess entrepreneurs were split into m1xed groups ~f about fifteen, each under the supervision of a group adv1ser, all of .whom were from industry.

The· programme consisted of various talks discussions and exercises designed to illuminate the 'problems in

50

~ndustry and some of their solutions. The talks were very mtere~ting, the di~cussion very heated, the practical exerc1ses very enjoyable and the conference a huge success .

We are extremely grateful to Mrs. Williams for all the hard work she put into the conference and also for coping with last minut~ problems. Our thanks also go to the conference cha1rman, the group advisers, the kitchen staff and to everyone else who contributed in any way.

Caroline Settle, VI Lower

Nicola Birtwistle, V Upper

A TASTE OF UNIVERSITY- AT THIRTEEN Two members of IV Upper were chosen to go on a course for enthusiastic twelve to fourteen year old mathematicians run by the Department of Mathematics at Leeds University and sponsored by Yorkshire Television.

At times Maths can be enjoyable!?! Although being forced out of bed on a Saturday morning in order to arrive at Leeds University at 9.45 am can put a slight damper on this!

We arrived at the university, nervous and daunted by the unknown, but relieved to see each other's friendly face.

We were shown into the classroom and five minutes later we began the first of eight lectures. There were four different lecturers who were to cover eight Saturday mornings.

For the first two Saturdays Dr. R.B. Allenby talked to us on 'Numbers'. The first covered rational , irrational, decimal and fractional numbers, theorems, proofs and definitions. Such as "What is a number?" and "What is 'one'?" The second covered two aspects of number theory - primes and congruences.

For the next two Saturdays Mr. T. Raper lectured us on mechanics, covering such topics as projectiles, forces and their laws, motions in a circle and addendum.

The third lecturer Dr. D.L. Salinger taught us about peculiar and space-filling curves, geometric progression and special relativity.

The last lecturer was a real live professor (without the spiky white hair and large forehead), Professor J.C. Robson. In his first lecture he brought a set of hand bells with him and we learnt all about ringing and shuffling and permutations. We each had a turn at ringing the bells and following set patterns such as 'Plain Hunt' and 'Plain Bob Minimus'. The final lecture was on 'graphs and paths ' where we learnt about graphs and bells, circuits, trees, planar graphs and Euler's formula.

After an hour of lecturing each week we had a quarter of an hour break when everyone could have a drink qnd : some biscuits - compliments of Yorkshire Television (we also received paper and a free red biro!)

As a follow-up from these lectures the thirty or so "budding mathematicians" were invited to the Royal Institution in London, again compliments of Yorkshire Television.

Despite bus and rail strikes we arrived in London an hour early so we went to see Buckingham Palace and then sunbathed in Green Park among the pigeons.

The lecture here was "A scientist talks about music" and was given by Professor Charles Taylor. We learnt about sound waves with the help of an oscilloscope and how sounds are made and their patterns. Then we saw a short fi lm all about Sir Humphrey Davy and Michael Faraday (a 'good old' Yorkshire lad). Finally Dr. Bryson Gore (the assistant at the Christmas Lectures) took us on a tour of the ' Institution ', when we learnt about many famous scientists and inventors.

At a quarter past four we were taken to have tea - a drink of orange or tea (or both) and some biscuits and cake. We then returned to the coach with a few souvenirs and many reflections on a pleasant day out in the 'Big City'.

Alison Hull and Stephanie Whitfield, IV Upper

SAFETY IN THE HOME

Jill Woodall (right) receiving her award for designing a leaflet in the Wakefield Met. Competition.

Nicola Birtwistle, V Upper

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ALL THE YEAR ROUND SPORT AND OUTDOOR PURSUITS

1989 U18 NATIONAL SCHOOL INDOOR HOCKEY CHAMPIONS

THETOURNAMENT-CRYSTALPALACE Friday, February 1Oth, in the school yard , the indoor hockey squad were ready to go. Miss Applewhite was hugging everyone in sight and friends gathered to wish us luck on our way. Four hours and a nailbiting journey later we were there. At 'the' place to play indoor hockey, Crystal Palace. The excitement of having an 'official pass' and 'residents' card was too much for some so we were sent to our rooms where Miss Fraser could bite her nails in privacy. Four hours later, nine trembling bodies walked into the stadium, clad in shiny new kit, dragging the physio and coach behind.

The posing antics of our indoor squad was evident as we filed into the tunnel and onto the pitch, matching Monarch sticks, stickbags, tracksuits and trainers.

Match One was soon underway. This was to be the hardest. We had to prove that we had the skill and nerve to beat last year 's champions, Newlands. After the first few minutes Newlands broke our defence and put the first goal in the back of the net. This awakened the Wakefield side and the tables were turned on the now retreating Newlands. The final score of Wakefield 3 : Newlands 1, was a very creditable result and a good start to the tournament.

Bromsgrove were next on our hit list. The match went all our way in the' first half. However, Bromsgrove defend~d ~ell and in the second half showed tough determ1nat1on, as they made full use of their large squad. With two minutes to go, the score being Wakefield 4 : Bromsgrove 3, Wakefield had to defend for both a penalty flick and the tip of a stick pushing a forwards shot just wide of the goal. We panicked but held out for a 4:3 win at the final whistle .

Feeling rather pleased with ourselves, but still a little dis­believing 'Mummy Fraser', as she was now affectionately known, took her little brood to the Pizza Hut for a treat. The place was livened up immediately with an instant atmosphere. After a feast of pizza, salad and chocolate fudge cake, we went back to the complex. Once there, we were tucked into bed by Mummy Fraser and Aunty Anthea, where ... ·upon we fell swiftly to sleep. The next morning we were dragged up, breakfast was tempting but nobody could eat anything, not even 'Mummy Fraser' .

Auntie Anthea led us through our paces: perfect synchronisation and total concentration needed: nearly as tiring as a full match. Now spirits were high as the onslaught of the second day began. A hard-fought match

against Maynard was first on the agenda. We slipped down a goal in the first half but determination reigned in the second half and we showed we were not beaten yet. We showed a vengeance that brought a quick free hit at the top of the 'D' , Julia Williams saw the chance for a shot and netted the equalizer we deserved: There were to be no more goals scored by either of the fighting teams, which left the score card at 4 goals all.

With a place in the semi-finals already secured, we could afford to relax against our next opponents, Hayes. This was a chance for the youngsters to show their skill , and after a gruelling first half we were even with the favourites at 2 goals all. The second half showed goals from both sides, Julia Williams scoring her hat-trick. The scores were once again even at 3:3, but with only a minute to go, Hayes were on the attack and found the space to leave the score at a creditable 3:4. The score of this match did not matter now, it was to be forgotten as we were in the semi-finals. We were rather disbelieving at first, but as it sank in, the nervousness began.

The semi-final promised to be a tough match against the winners of the second section. However, we were not about to give up now and we played with our greatest determination yet. With the score of Wakefield 3 : Highstead 0 at half time, we could only afford to take a quick breath, before Highstead were back pressuring us . once again, using their large squad to tire our markers. They could not crack our defence, leaving a final score of Wakefield 4 : Highstead 0. We were in the final.

By this time, Mummy Fraser had bitten off all she could chew of her hands. Anthea was the fighting spirit of us all and everyone kept reminding us, as we had come this far we could not go and lose now. THE FINAL Spirits were high as we met Gordano, both sides constantly on the attack. A foul by a Gordano foot on the top of the 'D' gave opportunity for a quick ball and Helen North put it in the back of the net. We had the lead until half time but an early Gordano break in the second half caught us on the hop. The score was now 1 each. With the larger squad of Gordano, we were hammered with fresh players, but our fitness held out and at the final whistle the score was still even.

Penalty flicks were now the order of toe day, with five being awarded to each team. We won the toss (thank goodness) and opted to flick first. Julia Williams confi­dently hit the top corner. Gordano's low corner shot defeated Emma Spencer, so the scores still remained even. Helen North then found the top corner to defeat the goalie, but another low corner flick once again left the scores equal. After the rest of the flicks and some inspired saves from Emma, the score was still 3 all. Sudden death penalty flicks were now called for. While the rest of us were shaking, Emma produced an excellent diving save to stop another low corner shot. This gave Julia Williams a chance to take the match. One shot away from victory, Julia, a little off colour, responded with an unsavable top corner flick that made us the 1989 U 18 National School Indoor Hockey Champions.

Tears were shed all round, even by the toughest players, and emotions were high as we received our trophy and posed for photographs. Grins and laughter could not be wiped from our faces. The presentation went quickly, Emma was just about able to give the speech, fairly coherently, considering the occasion. She just thanked everybody, several times. But for those who were going skiing it was always one eye on the Clock, the ordeal was not over yet for those poor souls, but the others could, for once, sit back and enjoy the rest of the day.

53

After a harrassing journey those who were ski_irig had an experience not to be missed. Looking sad and dejected we told the expectant skiing party how we had fared. Miss Applewhite, in full ski-attire (inCluding boots and skis) leapt off the edge of an icy ravine, fell down the steps and hurled herself on to the three jubilant players and coach. Champagne corks popped once again.

OUTDOOR HOCKEY The 1988-89 hockey season turned out to be the most triumphant in the School's history. lt was a very good season for all our teams from the U 13 level upwards.

The success began with twenty two girls representing Wakefield District in Area teams and then five girls went on to represent the West Yorkshire County at U1 8 level and Yorkshire at U21 level.

W. Collins, R. Parkin, R. Wright, J. Broadhead, S. Wood, P. Howe and C. Brandwood gained a place in the Area U16 A team and Y. lsmail and J. Edmonds in the Area U16 B team. C. Foster, C. Twaites, E. Spencer, C. Hogan, L. Calder, L. Farrar and H. North gained a place in the Area U1 8 A team and S. Lee, R. Ellis, E. Jones, C. Toulson and S. O'Carroll in the U1 8 B team. H. North and L. Calder went on to represent the West Yorkshire area in the U18 A XI and C. Hogan and L. Farrar to places in the U1 8 B XI. Julia Williams represented Yorkshire at the U21 level being too old for U18 level. Julia was presented with a special award at the Wakefield Sports Federation- Presentation Evening for having represented the Area in Hockey for over three years, for gaining a County place and a Territorial place in the Indoor Squad.

The School's 1st XI won the West Yorkshire round of the Barclays Bank National School Championships for the first time ever, beating their old rival Bradford, Huddersfield New College and drawing with Mirfield. They then went on to wfn the North East round at Manchester beating Chester High and Altrincham to gain their place in the North of England round in which they were runners-up to Queen Mary's who went on to win the title.

The U13, U14, U1 5 and U1 6 teams all won their respective Area Tournaments held throughout the season. The U1 5 A team won their tournament and the U15 B

54

team were runners-up. Full Outdoor Colours are already held by C. Hogan,

J. Williams and H. North. New colours were awarded this season to C. Twaites, C. Foster, L. Calder and L. Farrar.

The Celia Abbot Trophy for the best U15 player was awarded to Penny Howe. The Junior Hockey Cup for the best U14 player was shared by Joanne Patrick and Charlotte Hobson. The Deborah Wilford Cup for the top goal scorer went to Louise Meyer with seventeen goals.

On behalf of all the teams Julia and I would like to thank the Games staff for all their hard work and dedication this season. I would like to say a special thank you to Mrs. Robery and wish her every success in her new job with the Student Games in Sheffield. We wish the teams continuing success in the future too. We are all extremely grateful to the Groundsmen whose hard work kept our pitches in such excellent condition for our games this season. '

Caroti n Hogan, Captain

NETBALL

This season has been our most successful for many years. Most of the teams have been very enthusiastic and have improved considerably. The Senior team entered the Dewsbury League and gained much experience from playing older teams. The teams have also played in the District and West Yorkshire Tournaments. The U1 2's managed to reach the semi-final which was a great achievement. The results of the matches are shown below:-

p w L D 1st VII 42 19 21 2 U16 10 4 6 U1 5 11 6 5 U1 4 29 17 11 1 U1 3 17 7 8 2 U1 2 15 5 8 2

The Joanna Garthwaite Trophy for the most improved junior player was awarded to Helen Cade for her outstanding work in the U14 team. The Ann Winter­botham and Catherine Young Cup for the best senior player was awarded to Alison Barraclough. Colours were awarded to Moira Kent, Alison Barraclough and Kate Stimpson.

I would like to thank all the team members for their commitment throughout the season and wish them all the best for the next season. Above all, on behalf of all the players, I thank Mrs. Ellis-Braithwaite for her hard work and enthusiasm.

M. Kent, Captain

THE DANCE EVENING Approximately 1 00 people turned up to watch the dance evening which was held in the Jubilee Hall on Thursday, 15th June. lt lasted about one and a half hours during which there was an interval of fifteen minutes. The prog­ramme contained fourteen performances by girls of all ages. The dances were choreographed during lesson and Dance Club time. The talent was very varied but all the dances turned out well. A team of four VI formers provided the lighting for the evening and did a very good job. Different coloured spotlights were used to bring out the mood of each dance. All the girls wore costumes suited to the type of dance they were doing.

Two of the fourteen dances were performed by soloists - 'Starlight Express' by Frances Robinson and 'Variations' by Sally Whitehead. Two duets were also performed -'Cry Little Sister' Vicky Henry and Sonya Patel and 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?' with Frances Robertson and Kimberley Mann. Other titles were - 'Big Girls Don't Cry', 'Thriller' , 'Flash Dance ' and the 'Locomotion', performed by various groups.

£42 was raised to fund the Dance Department to buy new leotards, props etc. Mrs. Ellis-Braithwaite, who organised the evening, was presented with some flowers

at the end. The dance evening was a very successful event.

Vicki Moss, Caroline Morley, Janine Teasdale and Susan Robinson, IV Lower

CRICKET . This season many of the girls playing regularly have tasted cricket for the first time and have acquitted themselves very well indeed. All new players to the senior team have been from VI Lower and it is hoped that n·ext year some younger talent will appear.

All matches that hc:we been played this season have been keenly contested against adult teams whose members had far greater experience. However, this enabled all the players to develop their skills. J. Williams has been in excellent form throughout, scoring 39 runs at llkley, where the team played The Olicanians and then at llkley later in the season, she took 3 wickets for 6 runs. There have been other notable performances, T. Moore and S. Parker both scoring well in their maiden innings.

In place of the usual Staff versus School match, the senior team thought that it would perhaps be more fun to mix the teams. Although this ended a long-standing tradition, we found that the match was just as keenly contested and perhaps more enjoyable.

This year the cup for the most improved player went to S. Parker, the cup for the best performance went to J. Williams and colours were gained by C. Brandwood and L. Kirbv.

Finally I would like to thank my Vice-Captain, Helen North for her support, the groundsmen for preparing the wicket and Miss Applewhite and Miss Fraser for all their time and the encouragement that they have given us.

Lindsey Kirby, Captain TENNIS

Because of this summer's unusually consistent weather only four matches were interrupted. Practices held after school and during lunch times were always well attended and these provided valuable experience throughout our schedule of matches.

The Jubilee League fixture was held at Bradford Girls' Grammar School on one of the hottest days of the year. The first couple, Suzanne O'Carroll and Sally Whitworth, reached the semi-final but lost to strong opponents from Bradford. The second couple, Jane Bunch and Charlotte Toulson also reached the semi-final and were also beaten by Bradford. The U15 couple, Rachel Burton and Sally Barrell won one of their matches.

The staff couple, Mrs. McGregor and Miss Applewhite, reached the semi-final where they beat Brighouse but in the final they lost to Fulneck in a closely fought match.

In the Aberdare Cup the 1st VI lost to Hall Cross, Doncaster, in the first round. In the Midland Bank competition they were al~o defeated by Bradford. The 2nd VI had more success by beating Woodkirk in the first round but they then lost to Leeds in the second round.

The overall results were as follows:-The 1st VI only played three matches out of which they

won one. The 2nd VI played six and won three. The U15 VI played four and lost four though these were

hard-fought enco~nters. The U14 VI played one match, a convincing win. The U1 3 VI played two and won both. Colours were awarded this year to Jane Bunch,

Gillian Cannon, Charlotte Toulson and Suzanne O'Carroll.

The Susannah Yates Prize was awarded to Charlotte Toulson.

All the players wish to thank Mrs. McGregor for her enthusiastic support throughout this season.

Charlotte Toulson, Captain

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD Again this year we have had over fifty girls enrol on the Bronze Award scheme. All these girls have already been

on a weekend's course on hill-walking and navigation, and many of last year's enrolled pupils have already completed their award and are now working on their Silver Award scheme.

A small group have already started work on their Gold Award and hopefully we shall get our first successful holder by the end of this year.

ATHLETICS SEASON'S RESULTS 1989

IV LOWER Beat: Brighouse, Ripon, Bradford, Ossett, Outwood, St. Wilfrids, Woodkirk, Sheffield Girls & Harrogate Ladies College Lost: Flanshaw, Sherburn IV MIDDLE Beat: Brighouse, Flanshaw, Ripon, Bradford, Outwood, Ossett, St. Wilfrid 's , Woodkirk, Sherburn, Harrogate, Sheffield Lost:-IV UPPER Beat: Harrogate Ladies ' College, Sheffield High, Sherburn, Woodkirk, Ackworth, Shelley Lost: Worksop College, Ripon, Bradford V LOWER Beat: Ripon, Ackworth , Shelley Lost: Worksop College SENIORS Beat: Ackworth

ENGLISH SCHOOLS CUP Juniors 1st W. Yorks Round 295 pts 7th Regional A Final321 pts. Inters 2nd W. Yorks Round 262 pts 7th Regional B Final 270 pts

RECORDS BROKEN L. Farrar Sn. High Jump from 1.56 m to 1.58 m A. Dyson 3rd yr High Jump from 1.45 m to 1.47 m Colours to : R. Wright, M. Mehrotra, R. Heptinstall, E. Jones, J. Marsden, A. Wright

ATHLETICS Most Improved Athlete - Kirsty Welsh 100 Metres Cup - Kirsty Welsh Long Jump - Monisha Mehrotra High Jump- Alex Dyson/Louise Farrar Hurdles - Alex Dyson 800 Metres - Sophie Jones Relay Cup - IV Middle Relay Team Sue Robery Awards - Amanda Wardell - IV Lower Anouska Semp - IV Middle

SWIMMING The swimming team were in good form last year beating Ackworth, Bradford and Harrogate Ladi_es' College. Our only defeat was when a weakened team visited Harrogate Ladies' College on a second occasion and we were beaten by 4 points.

In the Wakefield Relay Championships our 'A' team retained the title and in the Wakefield Championships the Senior and Intermediate squads retained their trophies.

The school managed to get eleven girls into the Area squads which finished second in the County Championships.

Well done to all the swimmers.

INDIVIDUAL SUCCESSES Nicola Buxton represented England in the Home Counties Golf Championships and has been selected for the Intermediate National Training squad who will be training in Majorca in 1990. Ruth Cairns is a member of the Yorkshire U14 Tennis squad, member of the North of England U 14 squad and represented the North of England in matches against Scotland and Wales. Winner of the Bradford Volkswagen Rating Tournament. Lynsey Jenkins is Wakefield Schools U1 3 Table­Tennis Champion, runner-up in the West Yorkshire U1 3 Championships and winner of the Yorkshire Ratings Tournament and so qualifies for the Lilleshall Championships.

55

ST JOHN'S HOUSE THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

FOREWORD

The Junior School looked especially welcoming to the children as they entered the building for the start of a new school year. During the summer holidays the entrance hall, corridors and stairs had been painted, pin-boarded and carpeted. Even the younger children appreciated the carpets as it meant that in the afternoons they were able to expand their activities, building towers and playing with trains and cars in the corridor. Other work done in the holidays consisted of a totally refurbished staff room, a new secretary's room (made from two walk-in cupboards) and a medical room (formerly the secretary's rooms). We were also able to welcome 'The Moles' for their last year in the Junior School, and although at first they were rather sorry to lose their imaginative classroom in the Senior School, they enjoyed for the first time working in the same building as the rest of the school.

The Autumn Term began with a number of visits -Upper Transition went to Bradford to the Colour Museum and the National Museum of Photography as part of their science project on colour; the two Form Ill's spent a morning at the Mining Museum at Overton, experiencing at first hand what it was like to be a miner as they crawled on hands and knees through the underground passages, relying only on the lamps from their helmets for illumination. With the exception of two classes, the whole school visited the Kirklees Primary Science Fair. This visit was very much enjoyed by even the youngest as there were many experiments that they were able to do themselves. The final visit of the term was to Leeds Playhouse to see 'The Gingerbread Man'. The highlight of the Autumn Term for Forms I Upper and 11 was the production of two of Malcolm Williamson's cassations, 'The Snow Wolf' and 'The Winter Star' , The enjoyment for the children was the last two days of researsal, when Malcolm Williamson came up to rehearse with them. The interest in the visit of the Master of the Queen 's Music to a junior School, prompted both BBC Television and ITV to fil~ the children in rehearsal as an item of interest for the1r local evening news programme. There was also great excite­ment in the Preparatory Department as they prepared for their own concert in which even the four year olds took part.

We said goodbye with very mixed feelings to Mrs. Angela Wimbush at the end of November - sorry that such an excellent teacher was leaving, but delighted at the reason for her departure, namely to await the arrival of her triplets. Great was the excitement of teachers and pupils alike when her husband ranQ with th~ ~ew~ that she had given birth to three healthy g1rls - Felicity N1cole, Heather Catherine and Antonia Helen. All three are now enrolled at the Junior School and we look forward to welcoming them in Kindergarten in September, 1993.

On the second day of the Spring Term, the two Form Ill's took their Entrance Examination to the Senior School. Again the results were excellent - all the girls w~o. had been in the school from the age of four or seven gammg.a place, while fifteen of the eighteen girls who had been 1n school for only four terms were also successful.

At the end of January we welcomed a Nigerian teacher from the Commonwealth Institute into school at the beginning of our multi-cultural project on Africa. The week was very successful with every class in . th~ school participating in at least three workshops, wh1ch 1nclu~ed African music, dance and drama, art and craft, cookmg, history and the trying on of African garments. We were all

56

impressed by the extremely high standard of work produced by the children after their week of workshops. Needless to say, we all sampled Nigerian food , enjoying on three occasions a Nigerian lunch. The older girls also studied other countries in Africa and we were very fortunate to attract a number of visitors into the school who had worked in Africa. The culmination of the project was our Open Day, when we op~ned our doors to Governors, parents, friends and other schools.

The other important event of the term was a two-day Inspection of the school by a retired H.M.I.. and two Head.s of Independent Junior Schools to see 1f we were still suitable to be members of lAPS. They were very interested to see every aspect of the school and approved of what we were doing.

Visits in the Summer Term began earlier than usual with I Lower spending a day at Oakwell Hall, dressed in authentic costume. They engaged in 17th century pursuits, practising writing with quill pens, preparing lunch, making corn dollies and pomanders from oranges and cloves and playing with 17th century toys.

The two I Uppers spent a day at Granada Television in Manchester. Suspense mounted when the children were held at gunpoint at Checkpoint Charlie. After they had recovered they wandered round the sets of Coronation Street, visited Sherlock Holmes' rooms in Baker Street and went into a giant's living room. Other visits included a day for Form Ill M and Form 11 at the Piece f:iall , ln~ustrial Museum and Working Horse Museum m Halifax; a morning at a farm to link with project work on diary farming and an afternoon at Bretton Sculpture Park to enrich Form IllS's art appreciation lesson; and a pond dip at Stanley Marsh for Upper Transition. . .

Possibly the biggest event of . c;tll was th~ v1s1t by ~he Kindergarten and Lower Trans1t1on to Ke1ghley, Cliffe Museum and the Worth Valley Railway. For most of the children in Kindergarten this day was the first time they had been on an important outing without their parents and they could hardly contain their excitement as they left school clutching sandwiches.

Our Summer Open Day was held on June 27th when we welcomed Governors, Parents, relatives and friends of the school. I am always impressed by the way the older girls conduct. themselves o~ these. oc.c?sions, ~elcomin~ our many vis1tors before act1ng as md1v1dual gUides. Th~1r happy and confident personalities, ~s they expand ~n conversation on work they have particularly enJoyed m the year, are, I feel sur~ . the best advertisement of the success of the school.

In September, for the first time since I have been a~ .st John's House, the children will all be greeted by familiar teachers, the only new member of staff, Mrs. Anne Sutcliffe, having joined us in November when Mrs. Wimbush took maternity leave. This year, howev~r. sh.e will be teaching I Lower S. We hope Mrs. Sutcliff~ Will enjoy being with us and we wish her every success m the Junior School.

Marian Mynard, Headmistress

THE BISHOP'S VISIT

The Bishop of Wakefield, the Right Reverend David Hope, at Prayers in St John's House receiving a cheque for £200 to help to build a school in Tanzania.

GIFTS TO THE JUNIOR SCHOOL We acknowledge with pleasure and gratitude:-Books from Harriet Binks, Rachel Collinson and Lucy Mitchell. Also Lynne Perigo.

A book token from Zoe Denison. A cheque for library books from Alison Furness. A metronome from Ruth Cairns. Bird boxes from Louise O'Shea. A generous gift of money from Mrs. Webster.

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JUNIOR SCHOOL CHARITIES The Junior School children and their parents have given very generously to charity this year.

In the Autumn Term we had a harvest festival after which the produce was sold, to raise £274 for Save the Children Fund. .

At the end of October, Barnardo Boxes were emptied. These contained £354.33, the largest amount we have ever collected.

Malcolm Williamson, Master of the Queen 's Music came to work with the children at Christmas. After the concert given to parents, a cheque for £220 was sent to The British Society of Music Therapy.

Our largest effort for charity was in the Spring Term when we raised money to provide water supplies for African villages. We had a tuck shop, various sponsored events, a Lent denial box, competitions, a disco, a continental breakfast and a cake stall. Mr." John Scadding visited school to collect a cheque for £600 for Africa. Now, enough to supply four villages with fresh water. The Bishop of Wakefield the Right Reverend David Hope was also presented with a cheque for £200 to help to build a school in Tanzania.

At the Gymkhana, in July, four girls from I Upper ran a stall of homemade goods and made £61.50 for the World Wide Fund for Nature.

K.M.M.

57

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REPORTS ON HOME GROUND - AND FURTHER AFIELD AUTUMN 1988 : THE ARRIVAL OF THE HUTS

(by Elizabeth Mathews, Tajileena Islam, Sarah Dennis, Jane Mehta, Ruth Donnelly, Sara Henein, Georgina Warnett and Rebecca Cumberworth.)

(This event was the source of much amazement, excite­ment and some indignation as we can see from the comments recorded by I Upper, I Lower and Upper Transition.)

A funny thing happened in our playground this term. In the holidays some workmen came and when we came back we went into the yard and there were big square holes all over the grass. Mummy, Carrie and I didn't know what was going on. We asked a few people but they didn't know either. When we went out to play Francesca and I asked one of the older girls and she said she thought it was the adventure playground but we did not think she was right, so we went to ask Mrs. Milner. She said something about mobile class rooms. This time we thought we were getting somewhere but we still thought it was a bit strange. We wondered what they wanted mobile classrooms for. lt certainly looked a bit of a mess.

In a couple of days they had filled the holes with water and put hose-pipes in them. Then the men put concrete in them. Then we saw a big tractor driving up and down. Francesca and I started to feel very angry with whoever thought of it but we did not feel so angry when we made up a song which went like this:-

AII they do is drive up and down, Drive up and down, Drive up and down,

All they do is drive up and down Drive, drive, drive.

And we also made up another one like this:

All they do is dig holes, Dig holes, Dig holes,

All they do is dig holes, Dig, dig, dig.

We won't be able to play with the barrels and play on the grass in the Summer or play in the snow and build snowmen in the Winter.

The next day a lorry came into the playground. Then more lorries brought mobile classrooms. Paving slabs were put on top of the dry cement. This took two whole days. I thought they will have to cut the mulberry bush. A few days later there was a big crane and it looked terrifying. lt was lifting the portable cabins into the places where the architect thought they should go. Mrs. Redhead took some photographs of them in the air being held by the crane. lt looked as though they were flying. The big crane came on to the playground so we all had to stand back and I didn't like it at all.

The houses appeared like magic one by one every day. The senior girls are going to go into the classrooms when they are finished.

But our mulberry bush is not going to be knocked down, luckily, after all.

I Upper find out more:-Everyone was wondering what the men were doing. One person thought they were going to dig our underground adventure playground. The next day they were at it again banging and hammering. That afternoon I saw a man putting in two pipes. Miss Woodhead told me that the yellow pipe was for gas and the blue pipe for electricity. Then she told us what the cabins were really for. They were for the Senior School's Science. They do look fun but I wish we could have our grass back.

Katherine Smith and Becky Cholewa

Upper Transition Visit the Site­and Interview Men on the Job! Yesterday we went to see Peter and Michael on the Quarmby Building site. Peter was the site manager and Michael was a builder. Peter has been with Quarmby for seventeen years. Michael has been a builder for six years. While we were talking a man was lifting planks and putting them through a window. They had red on the end of them. You can make mortar with five shovels of sand and lime, one shovel of cement and half a bucket of water. Peter's trowel is 28 ems. Michael has a lunch­break of half an hour but they'd rather carry on. Both of their jobs are very hard. They start work at 8.00 am and finish at 5.00 pm. Up, and round the back there was a chute where the men put their rubbish down. lt almost looked like 5 yellow dustbins with no bottoms stacked on top of each other.

If it is raining the workmen have something to do inside. Peter, Michael and their friends always carry a tape­measure in their pocket. I saw a man climbing on the girder. He must have been very strong. Today someone saw a pulley carrying up planks of wood. One man mixes all the mortar. When workmen are building there is 10 mm of mortar in between each layer of bricks. A hod can carry twelve bricks at a time. I saw and felt a breeze block, but then it was time to say goodbye.

- Thomas Donohue On the right-hand side of the building there is some

green netting to stop people who aren't builders getting hurt.

We saw from our classroom a crane lifting a great big blue cuboid. The crane put it in mid-air just above the girders and then Peter took hold of it and moved it into position and then it was lowered down. We were curious so we went to investigate. We found that the cuboid is made up of fifteen to twenty sandwiches of polystyrene and aluminium. A hy-ab lorry delivered some coping stones. The crane was there for lifting the stone from the lorry. The coping goes round the edge of the building. When all the sandwiches are on they put the coil sheet on the top.

Margaret White

Claire Keer says: "Up and up the ladders they go. I like watching builders". And Richard Padley says, "If I was older, I would like to be a builder."

(The children later watched the completion of the new Science and Technology Centre, built on to the existing Science Building. They will use part of this building them­selves for some of their lessons and will also be able to spread into one or two of the porta-cabins which have been retained for later use when the rest have been removed and the site re-landscaped.)

59

INVADERS IN THE PLAYGROUND

/

60

MAKING MUSIC WITH THE MAESTRO

Malcolm Williamson, Master of the Queen's Music, came to our school. I wondered if he liked us as much as we like him. He did not say things like "you do that and you go over there" if you had done anything wrong, he just suggested that you do something different. He liked to have a joke and he wasn't stern either so he was jolly and never looked down in the dumps. He was really good at movements because when he did the movements with the wolves the play was set in Siberia and the snow was blowing about in the wind. lt was brill iant at the perform­ance. He got down on his hands and knees and crawled around the piano.

Katie Scargill

When I saw Malcolm Williamson I was very surprised when he had a cigarette. I liked rehearsing. I thought it was a great opportunity for me to meet him. He changed quite a lot of things but it looked better. On Tuesday the team from Calendar came. I have never been on television before so I was excited. They filmed "The Snow Wolf" and we were on television. On Wednesday we were on "Look North" and we did "The Winter Star". I thought that Malcolm Williamson was funny. When we had finished in front of the mums I wished I could do it all over again. I hope I can meet another famous writer.

Amber Burton

61

THE CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Malcolm Williamson was born in Australia in 1931. At the age of 11 he went to Sydney Conservatorium where he learnt the piano, violin and French horn and later composition with Sir Bernard Heinz and Sir Eugene Goosens. In 1950 he came to London to continue his studies with Elisabeth Lutyens and Edwin Stein. His first compositions, published with the help of Benjamin Britten and Sir Adrian Boult, were published while Mr. Williamson was still in his early twenties.

Deeply religious and humanitarian convictions motivate Mr. Williamson's music and partly explain the wide range of his compositions: he has written symphonic music, ballet, opera and music for piano and organ as well as vocal and choral works.

In contrast to large scale works he has composed several 'cassations' or mini-operas, two of which were heard tonight. These were "Snow Wolf" and "Winter Star", His two most recent ones are The Valley and the Hill' which was commissioned for the Queen's Silver Jubilee visit to the City of Liverpool and The Devil's Bridge' written for French primary school children. These cassations have been used as basic materials for work with mentally handicapped children. He has received three research fellowships to assist him to codify his work in this area.

Malcolm Williamson was appointed Master of the Queen's Music in 1975. He was created Commander of the British Empire in 1976 and in 1987 Her Majesty the Queen invested him with the Insignia of the Order of Australia. For his contribution to music and for his work for the mentally handicapped, Mr. Williamson has been awarded four Honorary Doctorates from universities in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Australia. Mr. Williamson is also the President of the British Society for Music Therapy.

62

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PARABLE PUPPETS A man from the Scripture Union came and showed us some plays. He used puppets. The first play was "The Adventures of lvan the Slug" (a man not a real slug). The same parable told by Jesus was called "The parable of the Unforgiving Servant". lt was about a king who forgives lvan the Slug because he was in debt for a lot of money but lvan was not prepared to let somebody off in a little debt.

~~of~ to\nt\u&:

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0\~1aljs ~CD~ ana~,

A VISIT TO NIGERIA My plane left Heathrow at 9 a.m. Six hours later I felt very excited as we approached Lagos Airport. When I got off the plane my first impression was of heat. lt was really hot. Then I noticed the colourful clothes. We hired a car to get to the city. In the city it was very noisy. Some of the people had cars but they were very old. Others had bikes. We decided to go to the villages next. When we arrived I was very glad because the roads were like dirt tracks and we had a bumpy ride. There were small markets on the side of the road selling yams, coconuts and fruit. The houses were big huts where all the family lived together. There were a lot of children because a lot of children means wealth. If someone in the family dies they bury them in the house. Most of the children were playing with toys that they had made themselves. I enjoyed myself very much in Africa.

Ruth Herbert, I Upper W

The second one was called "The Further Adventures of lvan the Slug" known as The Good Samaritan in the Bible where a man was willing to take lvan the Slug home until he got better, even though lvan had always been nasty to him. The parable of the first one was forgiveness and the second parable was about helping someone even if you don't like them.

Clare Griffiths, I Upper W

Junior School, Girls' High School,

Wakefield. Mrs. M.ynard, the Staff and Children have much pleasure in inviting you to their African Open Day to be held in St John's House on Friday 3rd March between 9.45 a.m. and 11.45 a. m. and 1.30 p.m. and 3.00 p.m.

R.S.V.P.

63

HALIFAX On Friday June 9th Form Ill M an.d Form 11 visited

Halifax.As the coach drew up we could JUSt see the wall of the Piece Hall glaring down at us. After a brisk walk we were there. At first I was not impressed. To me it was a stone building with an ordinary market in the ll)iddle. lt was not like a hall for the centre was open to the a1r.

We divided into twos and threes and then set off to invade the hall. The shopkeepers and stallholders were pleasant. One man must have noticed the puzzled lo~k on our faces and asked if he could help. We accepted h1s offer and found out what Luddites were.

I found the Piece Hall a bit boring compared to the Industrial museum. The shops in the Industrial museum were very well put together and I did like the smells.

The weaving was exciting. I enjoyed !he way the machines were put on to help us to 1mag1ne what the noise was like.

The coal mine was very disappointing: all it was was a wooden tunnel five metres long.

Later on in the day we went to the Working Horse museum where we had lunch which was enjoyed by all. Then we had a tour around. I found that interesting but when we came to the horses the real fun began. I was standing with Kate and on~ h~rse just ~ou.ld not go in the stable but insisted on push1ng 1ts backside mto our faces.

On the way home I began to reflect back on the day. Altogether it had been an enjoyable one.

Rebecca Greenfield, Form 11

A DAY IN THE PAST

We knocked at the back door of the Hall to seek work.

We arrived at Oakwell Hall at long last. There standing before us was the great old house with its old stone walls. We walked up to the back door and knocked on it. Mistress Elizabeth opened it "Good morrow, Mam", we said. "Come in", said Mistress Eliza~eth . She told ~s everything we should do and everything we shoul~n t. Then we got on with our work. Mistress Hurst took us mto a room to make corn dollies. She gave us three pieces of corn to plait. When we had finished we tied a bit oJ raffia on the end of it. Then Mistress Siddall and M1stress Natalie took us into a room to make pot pourri bags. 1 chose to make pomanders first. You did it by putting cloves into an orange. lt had a ribbon round too. My fingers hurt sticking cloves into the orange but at last 1t was ready. Then I went to a tablet~ make potpourri bags with Mistress Siddall. We got a p1ece of muslin and put some lavender and rose petals in and tied a ribbon at the top. We also made a good luck charm out of corn without ears. We flattened them and then put them like a star with eight points and wove a thread under an~ over the star.

Suddenly Mistress Redhead came runmng up to say that Lady Batt was coming and it was time for lunch. We all

64

went down to the Great Hall. The food was brought and Lady Batt came in. We had home-made bread, vegetable broth, chicken and cheese. My favourite was the chicken. Afterwards we had almond biscuits. Lady Batt was dressed in a long green dress with a lace collar. After lunch we went outside to play with old toys: I played with stilts but I didn't get to walk on them.

Then I was told to go to the kitchen. I had to wash up all the dishes and I had to sweep the Great Hall. lt took quite a long time because the broom was quite heavy. lt was made of twigs. When I had finished sweeping the floor I could go into the garden to look at all the pretty flowers. Then we went inside to practise our letters. I wrote a poem with a quill pen. The pen was a feather from a goose which Lady Batt killed and had for their Christmas dinner. We curved the letters very carefully by copying some and I did some patterns at the bottom.

Then we went into the kitchen to make marchpane with Mistress Margaret and we all had a pie9e.

We said Thank-you then to the Mist ress, the Lady and the Housekeeper and set off back to ~akefield .

Ruth Donnelly and Georgina Warnett, I Lower

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EXPERIENCE AND IMAGINATION

THE SNOW WOLF A snarling, slinking shape walks sneakily; Against the white dazzling blanket of snow Trees with crisp, white snow and icicles hanging; A nippy frost, an icy wind creeps up on me and knocks me over into the cold, shimmering snow The teeth are like daggers, The arched back slowly walks towards me. lt howls, lt spitefully looks at me, Against silvery plains and crisp white snow.

FIRE SPEAKS I am let loose like a lion from a cage. The scorching sun, the dry grass are too much for me.

I am hell's terror! As the wind blows I am forced on to a creeper. I burn it to ashes, Then I drop to the ground.

I spread through the forest licking at branches. The animals dash. Fear enters their hearts. Fire! The word travels fast.

Animals flee from my reach, I'm eager to kill, I consume everything, I am fire, hungry for food.

Those who survive my flickering arms, will never forget my visit. I am fire, Fear me, or die!

Kirsty Ellis, Form 11

Rebecca Greenfield, Form 11

HARVEST SEASONS The dormouse sits on an ear of corn, And preens her whiskers in early morn. The sun is pale in the autumn sky, She watches the leaves as they flutter by, The corn has turned a golden brown, And is ripe and ready to be cut down.

Sweet chestnuts hang ready to fall, No more we hear the swallows call. The trees are laden with delicious fare, Apple, orange and juicy pear. The fruit is gathered by the ton Going home when the day's work's done.

Potatoes, carrots, onions too Are dug from the ground for me and you ; Savoury dishes to be made, Bread and jam on the table laid, Pumpkin pie and turnip stew, apple-sauce and berries too.

66

We thank thee Lord for all we grow For crops each year from seeds we sow And also for the sun and rain To help our harvest grow again ; For fish that swim within the sea Our thanks dear Lord we give to thee.

Sally Preston, Form Ills

DAD / My Dad has dark brown hair, which- is a bit thin at the fr<?nt, brown eyes and he is an average height. He is quite thm and has small shoulders but says he is "as strong as a little bullock".

He is usually very grumpy on mornings because he has to get up early to go to work and take me and my sister to sc~ool, but on Sundays he is always the last one up, but he IS always the last one to go to bed.

My Dad works as an Operations Director for a frozen food company.

lt is a business which he and my uncle started in 1969 which originated from a market stall in South Elmsall and in turn the market stall was started by my Great Grandma who died last year. lt was a family business but in in 1986 it was taken over by a supermarket firm so my Dad now works for them.

Sometimes he says he misses working on the market, even on the really cold days of Winter.

An important part of my Dad's life is his animals. lt all started when he was a boy and he used to go for a lot of holidays to his uncle who lived on a farm. lt was a pleasant change for him because he lived in the Suburbs of Doncastor.

Uncle Fred let my dad have a pet cow. lt was a Jersey cow and he called it Elizabeth. She lived tt> a good old age, so from being very young he loved animals.

We used to live in Wakefield but Dad wanted to farm"as a hobby and there was no land in the area so we had to move further away.

He has five cows and two calves at the moment. He sometimes gets very worried about them. When the cows have calved he makes them porridge and adds a little bit of ginger and some whisky to warm their insides.

Dad's great love is Bonny, our dog. No matter how late he is from work he always feeds the cows and then walks Bonny all over the dark fields. He gets very angry when Bonny goes chasing rabbits and will not come back and he has to walk home by himself. When he gets home Bonny is usually sitting outside the back door.

He is the same with the pony. He always has time to go and pat him and give him a carrot.

Somewhere amongst all the animals there is a space for the rest of the family. He is the kind of person who will always do the best for each of us.

For work he wears a suit, but as soon as he gets home he changes into his old trousers and jumper and his flat cap and wellingtons. You would not believe he was the same person.

My Dad is quite a character but unless you know him he comes over as someone who is very serious and quiet.

The one thing I admire in Dad is that he can be very kind and thoughtful and also strong in a situation, but is not the type to be over-fussy about something.

When Dad relaxes he can be quite silly but he usually gets very tired with his job.

Catherine Wallis, Form Ill M

ON THE LAKE I start to row the boat. I hold my head back and let the cool breeze blow through my hair. The sun shines down in to the boat. I hear the trickling of the water falling from the oars each time they come up above the surface. I look down into the sparkling bluey-green water of the lake. I cannot see much further down than a metre of water. The cool wet water bobs up and down just like the waves of the sea.

The sandy shores gleam. The grass banks surround the lake. The ruins of Sandal Castle are seen in the distance. The only loud noise is the cars zooming past. The trees all huddle together round parts of the lake. A big gust of wind every now and again blows me back and makes me lose control.

In the middle of the lake my friend, Rachel, who has come with me takes over and starts rowing. I put my arms over the edge of the shiny brown rowing boat and let them trail behind in the water. I close my eyes and sit with my back leaning against the side of the boat with no worries at all.

I feel very happy and relaxed. I imagine myself sun­bathing on a cruise boat. I want just to stay as I am all night with someone doing all the rowing for me. I lean over the boat and get the cold, refreshing water on my face and arms. When I open my eyes again, the first thing I see are the brightly-coloured flowers swaying about in the breeze. I look around and notice that it is becoming a little dark so I think it is time to be going back to the shore. I have had a lovely ride in the rowing boat.

Nicola Anderson , Form Ill M

HOW TO KILL A DRAGON If ever you would like to kill a dragon whom you do not like, this is what you should make:

Sticky Cake Ingredients: 13 jars of honey 1 ostrich egg 2 pints of vodka 1 litre of dog 's milk 19 jars of pitch 2 mars bars 1/2 litre of water 5kg of sweetener 7 aerosols of hairgel (CFC free only) 1 Okg of sugar 2 goose eggs 1 pint of palm wine 20 jars of resin 5 packets of toffee 9kg of flour 30oz of margarine 4 bags of liquorice allsorts

Method: 1. Mix half the flour, margarine, sugar and half the water

in a bowl (mixture 1 ). 2. Gently fold in the sweetener. 3. Put the mixture in a pan and slowly boil the ingredients

at Gas Mark 1 . 4. Beat the honey, eggs, hair gel, remaining flour and all

remaining liquid in a bowl. This is to be the filling and the topping (mixture 2).

5. Now take the pan off the heat and slowly mix in the resin, pitch, toffee, mars bars and liquorice allsorts.

6. Leave both mixtures for 1 hour. -:. 7 . Grease 2 very, very large cake tins and put grease

proof paper round the sides. 8 . Put half the mixture 1 in a cake tine and the other

half in the other cake tin.

9. Cook for 4 hours at Gas Mark 10. 10. Leave to cool for 5 hours. 11. Spread mixture 2 between the pieces and on top of it. 12. Now you can feed the cake to a dragon.

Helen Slinger, Form Ill M

THE BLACK CAT The night falls and the black cat approaches, Green glass eyes glow up in the dark, Her pupils large. One flash of her tail and off she goes to find

her night feast

In the field the corn rustles The cat proudly stalks without a sound. One pounce .. ..... She has caught something, A mouse? .........

Daylight comes The cat runs out of the field And disappears like a flash of lightning into a shadow

of a nearby tree. Alison Furness, Form Ill M

COCOA BEANS In Africa far away, I went for a walk on a hot, hot day, I spied a yellow fruit so high, Hanging very near the sky. A man climbed up the high, high tree, And brought it straight back down to me, I followed him to where they cut, The fruit in half and take the nuts, They dry and roast them in the sun, And when all the work is done, The beans are taken to market and sold, Some people complain as they say they're old They are taken from the cocoa plantations, Made into chocolate and sold to all nations.

Eve Cowan, Form Ill S

MY ORDEAL I wasn't frightened until I held out my hand. My hand looked just like the skin that a space creature had had on the television, all brown, shrivelled up ancf wrinkly.

I had been left on my own while my mother had popped next door to borrow something. I was trying to get into her good books after pulling the eat's tail. So I started to try and do her ironing, though I hadn't done it before. I plugged in the iron, it started to get hot, then my hand accidentally touched the scorching hot iron. I screamed and screamed and screamed until my mother came back and that was the last thing I remembered, I fell unconscious.

The next thing I remembered was that I was in hospital with lots of nurses fussing round me. lt was now that I looked at my hand. I started crying because I thought that I was going to have to stay in hospital for ages and my hand felt numb. I tried to sit up and tell my mother that I was only trying to be helpful but my throat didn 't respond and I fell into a deep sleep.

When I awoke I felt much better and I was told that my burns were healing so well that I would be allowed to go home in a week's time. I was taken down to the children 's department and had great fun. But I hadn't realised before what life would be like for children who were seriously injured, who couldn 't leave hospital because they were so ill. In a week's time I was allowed out of hospital. lt was then that I realised how lucky I was to be fit and well and able to even go to school!

Caroline Bell , Form IllS

67

NARNIA There is a lamp-post that lies Between the Wild Wood of the West And Careparivel in the East. There lives the White Witch Queen Jadis She rules by power of her wand. ' Those who disobey She turns to stone But she should oot reign!

Two Sons of Adam, Two Daughters of Eve, Enter the world Through the spectacular wardrobe. Four thrones in Careparivel, The Queen was distressed When she heard the news . There is a black magic But there is a Deep magic From when first daylight dawned. The Queen must die AND HAPPINESS MUST REIGN!

Jay Heavisides, Form IllS

SEALS Wet oily skin glistens like a pin ; They are as quiet as can be living in water - ' that's where they ought to be in the sea. '

But now they are dying, while people are crying, trying to find a cure; dying so fast How will they last? Nobody knows once more.

Deborah Sykes, Form IllS

MR GIRAFFE'S LONG NECK Mr Giraffe, while out for a stroll, Suddenly fancied a sausage roll , Mr Gira~e smelt something tasty, Somethmg lovely made of pastry, He followed the smell to a window sill And devoured the roll till he had his tili. The next day he wanted another treat, So he set off walking down the street, ~e smelt so m~ good but my, oh my, 1t was on the wmdow another storey high, He stretched his neck till he could reach, A big soft fresh juicy peach.

The very next day, with food on his mind, He set off to see what he could find, This tim~ on the third storey high, w_as a mce, freshly-baked apple-pie, H1s long neck grew and grew, Until at last the pie he could chew.

This is how Mr Giraffe has a neck so tall -Although it started off very small.

Emma Conley, Form IllS

BESIDE THE SEA As we were searching for shells on the beach, Sarah suddenly stopped. Bending down she picked up a small bottle. She ran to show me the tiny glass, object. The top was lost, and the neck of it had cracked ' off during

68

thrashings and lashes of time at sea. Due to this it was also of a misty, peppery texture which felt very rough when I touched it. . We had been searching for an hour now, and it was

t1me to have lunch. I sat down on an outcrop of rock in a ~ave, f~rmed where the sea had cut its way through the lime cliffs, from thousands of years of tides turning and waves upon waves crashing on these rocks. I looked at the sea's handiwork, formations of lime which curved in all directions.

Sar?h just stood and leaned against the smooth wall watch1r:tg the ~ulls sing their laughter song to the sea: !h.ey c1rcled , d1ved, whooped, swung, and glided around 1t, m the hope of catching fish for their lunch. Some birds sat resting their wings on the water letting the waves toss them about.

. So peaceful, I thought, and such a shame to l·eave. 1 Wished we could come back someday. Water can just be so beautiful sometimes. '

Rachel ~ollinson , Form Ill M

MY GRANDFATHER I always think of my Grandfather as a tall happy person. He alw~ys plays bowls and when I was little 1 used to send h1~ hom~made birthday cards with a big smiling man holdmg a b1g black ball! H~ lives in Ireland with my Grandmother. Their nearest

relat1~ns are my Uncle Norman, Auntie Paula and my cous1n _Laura. Th~y journey to see us about once a year. He spoils. us and IS always teasing me. He likes gardening and readmg the paper. He has a sweet tooth and loves fudge. They have recently moved house and seem quite happy. MV brother and 1. haye taken it in turns to go and see them m Ireland, but 1t w1ll probably be my sister's turn next.

My Grandfather loves bowls and goes out quite often to play. He has won lots of trophies and although 1 was only five wt:l~n I went last. I can still remember cupboards full of troph.1es, cups and other different prizes. 1 make the most of 1t when I see him. I love him dearly.

Sarah Taylor, Form Ill M

DOVE SQUARE "When 1. was young I used to come to this church with all rr:'Y. fam1ly. lt was a wonderful and fulfilling feeling just s1tt1ng there m the church with all the families from Dove Square, really it was as if we all were one big family the way we shared our problems and happiness. In this old church there: used to be a plate and on this platB were gold sovere1gns and half crowns. lt was amazing the amount of money people would place on this collection plate."

"If I was ill I would watch from the landing window and see who went to church that day. I also liked to see what people were wearing. The gentlemen always wore a blac~ top-~at a~d a suit; sometimes they would have a w~lkmg-st1ck With them and it would be made of wood w1th gold bands round and the top would be an ivory knob."

"The ladie~ would wear a blue, pink or white dress with a boned pett1coat underneath. They would wear a white sh~wl ~nd have a li~le satin purse hanging down from the1r wnst. The last th1ng would be a small hat with a small net veil. "

"This square wasn't like this in my time. There were lots of ~are-houses and factories, coal-mines and power­stations but now there are hardly any. The brick and stone on the hC?uses were dirty and some of the environment was ?POIIt because of this. The landscapes weren't beautiful and green and you couldn't see for miles as you c~n now. All the smoke from the factories covered the v1ew."

"Also people were very rich then and had beautiful eloquent clothes whereas now people wear mini-skirts

-and dye the:ir hair purple. They don 't have any respect towards the1r elders. That is one thing I miss young lad Another thing is that everyone used to go to church whereas now f!lOSt people stay at home in bed, wash their car or walk the1r dogs."

"I ~ay not go to church anymore, children, but 1 still haven t .lost my respect. There is a perfectly good explanation. You see I don 't think there should have been a new church built. They should have restored the old one. They haven't even bothered clearing it away so 1 do_n 't see why I should go to the new church. So yo~ see, children. ,.Anyway, you should be going now." They shouted, Thank-you, Mr. Harrison", and then they left.

Louise Jackson, Form IllS

THE ENDLESS JOURNEY (Noah's Ark With a Difference)

Looking back over the years I suppose I wasn 't over­wh~lmed ~t the ~hought of going to sea. Though 1 did begm to thmk senously <;tbout it when he agreed to do all the: work, b.ut when he tned to coax me into collecting his an1mals, I f1rmly put my foot down. No way was 1 going to h.u~t for spi?ers, ~nts and snakes, for the sake of a stupid VISIOn of h1s. lt JUSt wasn 't fair. Why did God always appear to men and boys? Why not women? We are just as important!

When we set off, the boat was terribly overloaded. My husband became a dreadful worrier. For the first week he ~at up and worried that we would all drown, though he did Improve as was progressed through our forty endless d~y~. At least then he lay down and worried, even if he d1dn t sleep. Soon as I had predicted the novelty wore off and guess who was lumbered with the care of the beasts? ~~! I was working myself into the ground for him and his v1s1on. After all they had nothing to do with me.

.In a word, when we had landed I was overjoyed. lt was bliss to walk about without the movement of the boat under me, or the churning water splashing endlessly on the bare walls. And when we had drunk in the air, we glanced up and saw ~od - mingled colours in a lovely curve, a splash of bnghtness, showing up against the deep blue of the sky. God's promise, the only reminder of the Great Flood.

Rebecca Dew, Form IllS

THE ABANDONED SCHOOL A few days ago while I was going on a walk, I came to an old rusty gate. I opened it and it creaked. Inside I saw a concrete yard with dandelions pushing up between the cracks. In front of me I could see a building towering up above my head. I walked up to it and saw some letters engraved in the stone wall. lt spelt out "St. Peter's School". I stared at the door in front of me. After a moment's thinking I decided to go inside. As the ·door ~p~ned a shower of dust rained on my head. I stepped ms1de. On my left was a long corr(dor and in front of me was another door. l . de~ided to go through the door which led to <;~- _classroom. 1ns1de _I saw broken wire hanging from the ce1lmg, a smashed wmdow opposite me and broken de~ks and chairs littered on the floor. There was scruffy wntmg on the board and a musty smell hung in the air. ~he plaster on the walls and ceiling was peeling. 1 did not like .that room so I walked out. I was walking along the corndor w~en I came across some stairs. I stepped down them and mto a hall. I almost choked with all the dust. I s~w . a gran~ piano with strings, hammers and keys m1ssmg. I qu1ckly ran out and up two flights of stairs. I was on the first floor. I explored the classrooms. They were all much the same as the first though one had a broken bookcase in it. I walked into another room. it was the toilets an.d smelt awful. I turned on a tap, some cold water slowly dnpped out, and stopped.

After going out of the building I wondered who used to go to school there. Was it my Mum or Dad? Or even an ancient ancestor!

Emily Steinitz, Form Ill M

I walked on to the ice, I tried to stand up,

SKATING

My boots felt itchy and rough. I clung onto the wall, My legs were like jelly. The feeling of being on blades Made my spine tingle with fear. I held hands with Mrs. Milner And she told me to take walking steps. These became faster and faster And soon I was by myself. For I knew I could let go of the wall , ltwas easy! I skated round a few times Dodging the one who fell over. Half an hour soon passed, Mrs. Sutcliffe came on. By now I could just twist round And push back from the wall. Then my time was finished I'd thoroughly enjoyed that And I never fell over!

Kirstie Alexander, Form 11

(Written after the whole school had tried a portable ice­rink put down in the hall for a day).

INFERNO IN THE FOREST Cr~c~ling, hissing, forest burning, Tw1rhng, twisting, smoke is rising, Sc<;~-mp.ering, sq~ealing, creatures fleeing, Tw1tte~mg, twee~mg , birds are leaving, Cras~mg, pl~ng1ng , trees are falling, Roan~g. rag!n~. flames are leaping, Showm~. sp1tt1ng, sparks are flying, Splutt~nngJ steami~g. hoses spurting, Smok1ng, smouldenng, embers dying.

Kate Walton, Form 11

THE SEA The sea is a lion so noisy and rough, He roars and clashes his teeth, He plays on the beach In the burning heat All day.

The lion is now asleep, And he rocks gently around, The sea like a lion is so calm He does not make a sound All night.

Christina Marsh, Form 11

GOLLUM The floor opened, Green mist came floating out of the ground, Suddenly out crawled a creature, Thin and slimy, With long, bendy fingers, Each word had an "S" on the end

to ll)aJ<El it last for a long time The creature kept on saying "my preciousssss,

my preciousssss" referring to his ring Which was magic and would make

the wearer turn invisible. Caroline Dunphy, Form 11

This was written after the Junior Forms saw 'The Hobbit ' at the Alhambra, Bradford.

69

THE KING OF THE BLUE SEAS ~he waters parted, and out of the lake stepped the mighty f1gu~~ of the great King of the Blue Seas! Sadko was petnf1ed as the ~reat king puffed .out his blue-green chest a~d roared a m1ghty roar. The mmstrel , trembling, placed h1s maplew_ood gusly on the smooth sand, and, trying to so~n~. conf19ent but .not su~ceeding , he whispered a soft qwet hello .. The m1ghty kmg heard this and pointed his pure gold tndent at Sadko. He too said in a loud and low VOICe "hello". Sad~o was amazed. He had thought the king would

duck h1m under the lake and drown him or pull his arms off (f~:>r the king was as tall and as strong as a giant). Then h~ p1cked Sadko .up gently and placed him in the palm of h1s hand. The mmstrel was not frightened any more for h~d r~alis~d the giant meant no harm. He sat down on the g1ant ~ wnnkled hand. He looked up at the giant's soothmg bro~n. eyes. which ten minutes ago had seemed the most ternfy1ng thmg on earth. The king's face looked lonely and hurt.

The King of the Seas plunged into the water with Sadko grasped comfortably in his hand. Somehow he could breathe under water like the king.

Sadko had never seen anything so astonishing and marvello~s. There were tropical fish , large ones, small ones, thm ones, fat ones, short ones. They were both colourful, and dull but all beautiful. Mermen rode sea­ho~ses . Mermaids sat o~ painted rocks combing their silk ha1r. The sand was spnnkled with glittering pebbles and deep green .Plants swayed in the breeze. The two friends swam happily to a paradise forest with water flowers and sea bees buzzing around them. lt was heavenly.

. As they walked through the paradise forest the Sea Kmg told Sadko it was time for him to swim back to Norgorod. So saying goodbye Sadko swamto his home through the forest, past the trees and bees past the mermen and mermaids. '

.He. eventuai!Y reach~d the golden sand with water dnppmg from h1s torn sh1rt. Sadko picked up his gusly and walked slowly home. Next day lots of merchants awoke Sadko ~ith .loud knockings on the door. Sleepily he opened 1t to fm9 them all offerir:'g a job! Within days Sadko b~come very nch and he believed the great king made h1m wealthy.

Michelle Walker, Form 11

THE HANDSHAKE I hadn't been really frightened .......... Until .. ...... .. The ghost held out its hand to me A feeling of terror struck me, ' I dare not put my hand out But I dare not run away. Quaking and shaking I stood there Petrified. ' After a few seconds I raised my hand, The ghost's hand passed right through mine. I stood, frozen ........ .. I tried to move ...... but.. ...... .. I was stuck ...... with fear ........ .. I tried to shout.. .... but.. ...... .. My lips were glued together Then .......... I fainted.

70

Sarah Walker, Form 11

THE FIRE Blazing factory, high on the hill, Tow~speople flocking to see if they can help, Seanng flames shooting to the sky Can be seen for miles and miles. C.latterin.g, screeching all around, F1re eng1nes racing, sirens screaming, Dense black smok~ enveloping the building, Ch~rre~ . sm~uldenng roof timbers crashing down; lns1de tiny, smged, furry bodies

scattering desperately underneath the floorboards· Flames lick and dart, '

The choking smoke chases the frightened mice and they run in blind fear to eventual safety through gaping holes or tiny gaps;

Tong.ues of flames, licking the cracked window paries, try1ng desperately to escape.

People stand in complete silence gazing at the blazing inferno. /

The fire~me~ shoot gulps of water out' of the fire hose Wondenng 1f ever the fire will die down. Suddenly a fireball erupts through the roof The flames have escaped and they shoot into the air.

Pippa Ashton , Form 11

INDIA For my Christmas holidays I visited India. The experiences I underwent were fantastic.

First, we flew to Delhi for the night then we drove to Meerut tc:> stay with my grandma, two' uncles, two aunts and cous1ns.

At the time there was an el~ction . Posters were pasted everyv_~her~ . One busy mornmg, we were riding down a street m a nck-shaw (a small seat-cart pulled by a bicycle) when we h.eard P.eople singing and we saw a huge elephant pa1nted w1th flowers, one of the election party's symbols. On top ~at lots of people and one at the head. We stopped to let 1t pass, then continued.

When we drove back to Delhi, for a short while, we saw t~e grave of Gandhi, a wonderful man, who fought for his nghts. . We saw the Gate of 1n9ia where a flame is kept burning m memory of al.l the sold1ers who have died in past wars. T~e absolutely 1mmense stone gate-way has their names pnnted on the walls.

Soon we flew to Bombay to visit a friend of ours ~olonel Sa.iya. He makes ~ilms .. His eldest daughter is a film-star, h1s next one a f1lm d1rector married to a film produce_r .and his youngest is in medical school. We had t~e exc1tmg e~perie~ce of going to see a two-minute p1ece from a f1 lm bemg produced. When we arrived we 1ust sat down and talked. Then we saw the fi lm piece. The scenery (props) was very good. At the back Bombay had b~en created. lt looked most lifelike and beautiful. The p1ece started and t~e actor moved very slowly. While a man shouted out h1s beats to the music a camera-man wa~ pushed along a tai l whilst videoing. They did th is lots of t1mes. N~xt we visited another video centre. The scene was in

a pr.1son. Two ~ctors were acting here. While we were wa1tmg for the p1ece to begin, one of the actors beckoned to Jane, ~Y little sister. and me. He began talking to us, told ~s h1s name and Informed us that his mother was Turk1sh. He asked some questions about us and 1 noticed he had a kind of American accent. His face looked red because he had make-up on. We watched the film piece and outside we met the actress. She was very pretty and had long eyelashes. Then we departed.

One evening we decided to go on a boat-ride and to the beach. Th.e boat~r~de was a little scary because the boat kept swaymg as 1f 1t was being rocked to sleep by the sea.

Afterwards we strolled to a little shop where we watched some men chopping off the tops of coco-nuts (the hard, brown shell had already been taken off) and

they gave us the shells full of coco-nut milk. Then the man scraped the soft coco-nut out and we ate it. lt was delicious! next we drove to Jewel Beach, on which we were entertained with a camel-ride!! Bumpety-bump! Daddy had his video camera running. The camels were so funny! They chewed with their mouths to one side! When they sat down they sat with back legs crossed and up in the air. They make a lovely sound like someone trying to blow a trumpet without enough air to make a note! Ummm! We also went shopping and bought lots of things. lt was great ! I chose some things to take back to my friends. When we were on the 'plane to England I felt both happy and sad, sad to be leaving India but happy to be going back home again. I like India but there's nothing better than "Home Sweet Home!"

Clare Mehta, Form 11

MY TREE HOUSE In my front garden is a twisty apple-tree where my dad has built a tree-house. lt is varnished and has three shiny windows. One overlooks the street so I can see all the cars passing by, and sometimes I try to see how many red, blue, white and black cars I can spot.

The other window at the left I can open and often in the late summer and early autumn I open it and pick the fresh crisp apples on the tree,

The other window on the right has a black blind which has two peeping holes in the middle. Often, (when they are out on the lawn), I peep at the neighbours and see what they are doing.

I draw pictures and decorate the walls of it with them. Sometimes my mum lets me eat my dinner there and when I am playing outside and it becomes too hot I can easily retreat to it.

Inside is a table, with cushions I can sit down on comfortably and rest on, and a rack of books to read. There is a ladder going down it and sometimes I fall but onto a soft mossy patch of grass. it is accurately made and has a slanted roof which the rain can trickle down. lt has a door attached to it with a lock on it too . lt also has two swings at the sides attached to the tree painted blue and green and they shine gracefully in the sunlight.

Thin Zar Thaung, Form 11

SECRETS Inside my head I have a secret. In fact I have more than just one in there. Some of them are weird but wonderful, which excite me and create magical pictures in my head. Other secrets I keep to myself because they are special . Some I keep to myself because a friend has told me. Others I like to share with one or two people who I hope will not tell. Other secrets are so special that they have to be tucked away, in my heart. This one I will share with you. I own a horse a palomino stallion. He is very special because he is mine and we play together in the cool night air, on the beach. He comes for me when I am asleep, and we ride to a place beyond the horizon where the sun shines. We have a special place there, where we play and race with each other.

The sea is blue and calm, the sand is a cremello white and very soft. I plait my horse's mane and fasten it with seaweed. I have an under-water cave. We have to swim ten metres under water before we can enter it. In the cave it is wonderful. Its walls are rock and chalk decorated with all kinds of sea plants. The horse shakes himself, leaving a puddle of sea water on the cave's floor. The sea trickles through my toes and over my horse 's hooves. The water is always luke-warm. The more I dream the more fantastic it becomes. The horse becomes reality, the beach becomes real, School days do not exist. Holidays become longer. So now you know my secret and I am wondering if I should have told you. So shhh! lt's between me and you! Okay!

Natalie Cumberworth, Form 11

BANGKOK When I visited Bangkok, the capital of Thailand the

roads were full of duk-duks. These are a form of transport. They are called duk-duks because of the noise they make. In Bangkok there are too many cars because instead of buying a house people buy a car.

The people are kind and willing to help. This is one of the things I like about it. When I am in a coach or just walking along people wave to me because of my fair skin .

Last year the King celebrated his sixtieth birthday. When I saw the Emerald Buddha I also watched a film about him.

The Emerald Buddha has two different cloaks. He wears one in Summer and the other in Winter. He was in his Winter cloak when I saw him.

To change his cloaks the King has to be raised to the Buddha's level. This happens every six months.

At the palace are many rules. If men pass a certain point they have their heads chopped off, if women do this they belong to the King. If you just stand in certain places you are fined.

The whole palace is made of jewels, mainly gold and silver. At first it is hard to believe.

On one day I saw the floating market. lt seemed strange that all the boats were stalls with Thai people selling fruit, vegetables and hats. Some were cooking food like banana and pineapple fritters all sprinkled with sugar bought from the man cutting sugar cane.

I then passed a stall selling small bananas in bunches which they called "hands". I bought a hand which I could give to the elephants at the Rose gardens.

I then walked back towards the coach. After ten minutes of travel ling we arrived and I watched an elephant display. Then fed them the bananas. One of the calves did not know how to peel it so he stood on the banana which was crushed and even after that he did not eat it!

You have to see Bangkok before you realise how wonderful it is. Once you have been you will most definitely want to return.

Emily Wickham, Form 11

A BIRD'S EYE VIEW I am a weather-cock on St. John's Church. I am going to tell you some of the interesting things I see. I like to sit and listen to the singing on a Sunday. Sometimes on a Saturday a lady wears a white dress and a man wears a black suit and people throw pieces of paper at them. Everyone looks happy but I can never guess why they throw pieces of paper. When I look in front at half eight lots of noisy humans come. Then at quarter to nine a bell goes ding-a-ling and all the noise stops and I think "peace at last". Sometimes the wind blows me round the opposite way and I am facing the hospital. Lots of people come in an ambulance because they are badly hurt. Others come by car. Some people come out with a plastic pot on their leg or arm. I like facing the train station and the sound of the trains. The place I like best is facing the cathedral because my cousin is on top of it. Sometimes the people are crying while they are singing because of a box that men are carrying. I don't know why. I always keep my claws crossed that they will open it but they never do. I always wonder whether my cousin the weather-cock would have one where he is on top of the cathedral because he would probably know. Sometimes I can see a petrol station. The people there either put petrol in their cars or they go in a car-wash. I like to look at the prison because the cars have big flashing lights and the lights make a terrific sound. So do the ambulances at the hospital.

Andrea Dryland, I Upper W

71

GRANNIE, GRANDMA AND ME At last we were off in our old, battf:)red W registered Austin Rover. We were going to a horse sale at Kextr:ough. "We" includes Grannie, Grandpa and me, Camilia, my parents having been killed in a car crash on the way back from a holiday in Grand Canaria.

So at last, through all the family pleading, Gran had given in, and I was to have a horse.

Naturally" I was excited, for not everyone is so lucky as to owh a horse. I bounced up and down on the seat, and shouted at regular intervals "How far now Gran?'' and "How long now Grandpa?", most annoyingly.

At last we got there. We all went immediately towards the higher horses, for it would be silly to buy me an 11 .2 grocer's cart pony, wouldn't it?"

I was hoping for something about 14.2, a willing jumper, easy to shoe and box, and quiet in traffic.

There was only one horse which attracted our attention. She was a gorgeous 15.2 palomino, and when walked out, she moved beautifully. I fell in love with her when I first saw her, so we asked the price. She was £255.

We had £300 to spend so all we needed to do now was to buy her. After asking her number, we rushed to the ring.

According to the catalogue there were three more horses to go before her. Time went slowly before she came on.

First bid was £55. Higher and higher the bids went until only us and another lady were left in. The price was £250. She bid another tenner, and dropped out, so Rosebud 's Delight, as she was called, was ours for £270.

We paid for her and with our hired trailer, took her home.

Now I am far too big for her, and having won over a hundred rosettes with me, she is happily retired in our orchard.

Sophie Alexander, I Upper W

SHRUNK! One morning, when I woke up, I found I was only 1 Ocm tall! First I thought I was in Big Ben bell tower when the bells are ringing. But it was my alarm clock. I couldn't reach my alarm clock but then it suddenly switched off. Now I got myself into more trouble, I thought I was in a jungle because my duvet has got plants all over the place. I eventually found the end of my bed with my foot, but when I looked down I fell down the edge of my bed, I shouted "HELP!". But nobody came. I suddenly bounced onto my Garfield and back on to my bed, I got really annoyed. Luckily Garfield rolled over from when I bounced on him so when "I" rolled over I could stay down and not go up again. When I got out of my bedroom, I heard my little brother had started crying, so, forgetting I had shrunk, I went to comfort him. I climbed up the cot-leg and he suddenly grabbed me and he nearly put me in his mouth but I managed to wriggle out. Then I remembered that I had shrunk. When I went downstairs into the kitchen I found that everybody had finished their breakfast. There were still a few crumbs on the floor, so I ate them. I climbed up to the kitchen sink and Mummy was doing the washing up. I waved my hand but she did not see me and pushed me into the sink.

Jenny Alexander, I Upper W

IF I COULD BE DANIEL FOR THE DAY If I could be Daniel , my brother, and Daniel could be me for the day I could boss him around for a change. I could go and play in a rugby match at Ashville College. We would go in the mini-bus in our games lesson. The team would all wear their green shirts and blue shorts not forgetting their green socks and rugby boots. I would enjoy running up and down the playing field with the rugby ball. I would like to tackle one of the Ashville players and get the ball off him and run to the touch line and score a

72

try. After the game we would all get changed and then go for tea. Ashville usually provides a nice tea. Then it would be time to go back to school. We would all get back into the mini-bus and one of the teachers would check that we were all there and ready to go. When I got back to my school my mum and dad would be waiting for me in the car park. My pesky little sister would be there too and we would argue all the way home and mum and dad would get very cross with us. Somethings I would not like about being Daniel for day are having to leave an untidy bedroom. I would not like being told off for not getting washed and not cleaning my teeth in the mornihg. If I was Daniel I would also be able to go to bed later than I usually do but I would be glad to wake up as Rebecca again.

Rebecca Wood, I Upper W

COMPUTER TALES -VARIATIONS ON A THEME

One day I was playing on my compyter and something very strange happened while I was playing Paperboy. I pressed fast and I went into the computer and 1 appeared on my bike throwing each paper at the open windows and the spiders' webs. Then I came to a man digging a hole in the pavement and I crashed into him and lost one of my three lives. Back on my bike I carried on delivering newspapers. Further along the road I met my next problem "The racing car". I managed to miss the car as it backed out of the drive and scored some more points. As I moved down the road I came to the next obstacle whi,ch was at the cross-roads. There I got knocked off my bike and lost another life. As I tried to get back on my bike I got a funny feeling in my head and the next thing I knew I was back in the classroom.

Lyndsay Crampton, I Upper W

One day I was playing on my computer when there was a flash and a funny noise and I found myself inside the computer. I looked carefully around and found that I was standing on top of a wall. When I looked down I could see a little man with a gun climbing up after me. I ran along the top of the wall jumping over small bonfires. At the end of the wall there was a rope and I jumped up, grabbed the rope and moved onto level two. The little man was still following me so I moved along the wall until I came to a large hole with a rope swinging over it. I jumped onto the rope and swung over the hole, grabbed another rope and moved up to level three. I was very frightened . The little man was still chasing me and in front of me were pits full of men with spears that I had to jump over to escape. I set off running and jumping over one pit after another. As I approached the last hole I was very tired . When I jumped I knew that i would not make it to the other side. I closed my eyes as I fell and woke with a thump to find myself.back in my bedroom sitting on the floor. I had fallen off my chair.

Helena Larder, I Upper W

I LOWER'S FAVOURITE PEOPLE My favourite person is my grandfather. He was born on July 21st 1920 so he is 69 years old now and is going to be 70 this year. His full name is Anthony Stephen Bridgeman Nesbitt. He went to boarding school at the age of seven and only came home three times a year. He wanted an outdoor life so he became a horticulturalist which means he grows fruit, vegetables and flowers. He has a brown face and rosy cheeks. he always gets up very early. Every day he prays. he is always funny and he makes me laugh. He says he will come and sit beside me at school and sometimes he wears my school beret! And every night when he stays with us he goes to the Three Houses for a pint of Guiness.

I went to my Grandfather's and I was on my own. He lives in Lincolnshire. He has a Iabrador dog and his name is Ross. Mummy, Clare and I went on a Tuesday, stayed for- the night and on the Wednesday morning the others

went home and Grandfather and I were left alone. Staying at Grandfather's is great because it is how I think the olden days were. lt is very homely ahd cosy. Sometimes he talks to me and sometimes he talks to his dog, Ross. I went everywhere with Grandfather/ We went to the butcher's, the bank, to collect the eggs from his friend and to help Margaret in her greenhouse.

When we went to Margaret's she got out a lovely dollshouse for me to play with. At Grandfather's we had tea and supper on the trolley in the sitting room with the television on. He let me watch "Neighbours" but he doesn't watch it himself. He reads the paper instead. Grandfather was very good at cooking and the tea and supper were lovely. I had an electric blanket on my bed and everynight he turned it off before I got in. We had lots of walks in the countryside, just Grandfather, Ross and I. I will go again to Grandfather's.

Jane Mehta, I Lower

My favourite person is my Uncle Charles. My Uncle Charles is a fireman and when I was in Mrs. Townsend's he gave us lots and lots of stickers because we were doing a project on Fire. He plays with me and when I am upset he makes me laugh. His wife is called Auntie Liz and they have a little boy called James and he is only one.

Uncle Charles gives me lots and lots of presents and he is a very, very nice man. I like him because he doesn 't get mad at people and he doesn't shout. Once he took me to Lightwater Valley. He is 31 and he is the youngest in my Mum's family.

Lucy Whelan, I Lower

Uncle Edwin is my favourite person. He lives in Birstall very near to Oakwell Hall. He is my daddy's brother-in­law. He is really loveable and kind. He always has bluetits in the nest-box and he lets me inside it.

JOHN DUDDING

FOR BEST IN FRUIT, VEGETABLES, ETC

Wholesale &

Retail

New Wholesale Market, Jacob's Well Lane, Wakefield.

Telephone: 373521/2

The best thing I have done with him is when we all went to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. He played with me in the swimming pool but I pricked my finger on the cactus. Uncle Edwin is the best person in the world and there is no doubt about that.

Frances Hepworth, I Lower

Mrs. Race lives in Church Warsop. She has grey curly hair and she is quite old. Mr. Race teases me. He is very funny. She bakes lots of cakes.

I like her because she bakes lovely buns, cakes and biscuits. Her kitchen is warm and cosy. The other rooms are nice and cosy too. When I go round she is always cooking. Mrs. Race was a very good friend .

The best treat for all is eating the buns or cakes. They taste very nice! Sometimes I ask if I can have another one - which would be my second cake, biscuit or bun.

Since we moved we have all missed her. She would often come round in the evenings to babysit and while she way there she like to do jobs to help Mummy.

As you can see- she was a good friend. Laura Siddall, I Lower

My favourite person is my grandad. he lives in Manchester and he has a very big house and I feel cosy and warm in it. In only see him about five times a year.

I like my grand ad because he take me out for walks and things like that. When I stay for a night sometimes he lets me sleep in the caravan. '

The best thing I ever did with him was to go to Camelot. I went on the roller-coaster with him and his face turned white when we went down. Next we went on the roundabout and grandad gave a big sigh of relief.

My grandad is a very nice person. His glasses may be old and his hair is plain grey but I love my grandfather and I think you would too.

Rebecca Cumberworth, I Lower

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73

FRIENDS OF ST. JOHN'S HOUSE

President Mrs. M. Mynad Chairman Mr. J. Herbert Treasurer Mr. C. Taylor

Deputy Chairman Mr. P. Cumberworth Secretary Mr. A. Ogg

Fanfare Mrs. M. Waugh

Staff Representatives: Miss K. Malham, Mrs. J. Townsend

Gymkhana : Dr. E.O'Daly

COMMITTEE MEMBERS Mrs. E. Anderson, Mrs. G. Hawkesworth, Mrs. P. Brown, Ms. J. Sarsfield

Mrs. D. Clay, Mrs. E. Stoner, Mr. A. Ellis, Mr. A. Vasis /

Friends of St. John's is the supporting parents' organisa­tion of the Wakefield Girls' High School Junior Scho~l. Our programme begins in June of each year followmg an Annual General Meeting and we got off to a lively start with a well attended Summer Barbecue, at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Brown at Calder Grove. A lovely summer's evening on the lawn saw the consumption of a consider­able quantity of food (and drink) ably prepared as ever by Mr. Fred Silverwood.

instruments and computer equipment to complement the school's own provision. A significant part of our funds is now held against a major project for the coming year for the purchase of new recreational equipment for the school playground.

The Autumn Term saw a new event in the FOSJ calendar - A Halloween Fireworks Party - to which all children were invited with their parents to see a gran_d fireworks display coordinated by Mr. Hawksworth. lt 1s hoped that next year's event will be even more spectacular and, not failing to learn from experience, we will endeavour to read the instructions in the daylight next year!

In the run-up to Christmas, our now-traditional Wine Tasting Evening took place in the candle-lit dining room of the Junior School. No, it was not a power- cut, but a delightful and social evening, less formal t~an on previous occasions and in the company of Mr. M1ke Hazelhurst, our MC for the evening.

Our major fund-raising event of the year in suppo~ of the school is the Gymkhana. We returned to our prev1ous venue of Horbury Park where a combination of horses, pet classes, children's dancing, stalls and games saw a colourful occasion which raised for the first time, in excess of £2,000. Special thanks to Dr. O'Daly for his great help in once again organising the event.

Through the year we have contributed to the_ ~.rrange­ments of the visit to the school of Malcolm W1lhamson, Master of the Queen's Music, a visit by children to a Christmas Pantomime and the purchase of musical

74

Many thanks to all parents and committee members and also the school staff for their support during the year.

Andrew Ogg, Secretary

--- -u Lisa Graham, V Upper

WAKEFIELD GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL OLD GIRLS' ASSOCIATION

President Vice President

Secretary Magazine and Membership Secretary

Treasurer Magazine Treasurer

Committee Members to retire 1989

Committee Members to retire 1990 Committee Members to retire 1991

New Old Girls' Representative Staff Representatives

School Magazine Editor

Thank you, everyone, for your continued support and news for our Magazine Section. We have had an interesting year, with good support for our activities. My thanks, too, to Mrs. Langham and Miss Gray for all their help.

Muriel Boothroyd, Rest Harrow, Stoney Lane,

East Ardsley, Wakefield WF32HW

Address Lists of Members can still be obtained from Miss Boothroyd at the above address. Please enclose an envelope 9 x 6 with stamps to the value of 25p.

EVENTS FOR 1988-89 The Vice-President's Review I greatly enjoyed my first year in office and I hope our programme of events brought similar pleasure to members.

The 1988 Summer Meeting was a new venture involving a joint committee with supporting organisations of the Grammar School. A barbecue was held on 11th June in a marquee erected on the playing ~i~lds whilst a bar a~d disco were housed in the new pav111on. Further entertain­ment wa provided by the School Swing Band which gave a polished performance hardly indicative of the youthful­ness of the musicians involved. I understand that comments received after this event were very favourable and I for one would like to see the evening repeated in the not too distant future . The 1988 Craft Fair was again a great success with more. ski lls than ever before. lt seems that the Fair's reputation is now established in the district and I have already received several new applications from craftsmen wishing to join us next time.

We were grateful to the Wakefield Express for printing an article advertising the Fair which served as excellent publicity enabling people unconnected with s~hool to patronise what is becoming such a popular occas1on. The standard of goods is high, the atmosphere very pleasant, the weather usually beautiful at the beginnirl'g of October and a visit makes a nice change from sweeping up the leaves! This year's A.G.M. was held in the Ross Gallery which !s becoming a favourite setting for our events. The room IS far removed from the starker areas of school, and we can sit in a comfort seldom experienced in my days as a pupil. The accounts revealed a healthy balance so we looked to Mrs. Langham for suggestions for appropriate gifts t~ ~he school. Two alternatives were put forward, one benef1t1ng the fabric of the school , the other education. Happily we were in a position to fund both. The first donation purchased a plaque bearing the school crest to be placed over· each entrance - solving the problem of our anonymity! Our second gift, to the Music _Dep_artment, provided an 'A' clarinet for the orchestra. Th1s w1ll not be

Mrs. P.A. Langham Miss H. Bainbridge Miss AWay Miss M. Boothroyd Mrs. E. Hall Mrs. H. Way Mrs. R. Barber Mrs. J. Reynolds Mrs. E. Hall Mrs. P. Pickard

Mrs. G. Lancaster Mrs. S. Slack Miss A Hirst Mrs. J. Hardwick

Miss Karen Oldroyd Mrs. S. Mirfield Miss H. Vero Miss E.A. Gray

used by only one girl but by anyone who needs it for a particular work or occasion.

The A.G.M. was followed by an entertaining and illuminating talk by Mrs. Eileen Crubbe, our Past Pr~sident who amused us in her own inimitable style with p1ctures and tales from her recent World Cruise.

We held the usual two meetings in the Spring Term. The proposed theatre trip was postponed to the Summer because we had not bargained for the domination of pantomimes locally in the_ early pa~ of the year. lns~ead we held a Favourite Rec1pes Even1ng when Committee Members and friends prepared their favourite dishes and the audience consumed them! I would like to thank all who took part and particularly Mrs. Langham who managed to find time for a qui~k burst of "~elia Smith­ing" in between her exacting dut1es as Headm1stre~s.

This was followed in March by a Health Evemng (on National No-Smoking Day) which we all needed after the previous event. The evening started with Tracy Luck~~n ·s talk and demonstration of aromatherapy. Mrs. M1rfleld was a reluctant volunteer for a massage but she soon warmed to the idea and it proved difficult later to persuade her to return to her seat. Next came a talk by Jeanette Pickles who owns the Health Shop on Northgate; and lastly an informative but thought-provoking lecture by Beauty Without Cruelty. The Summer theatre trip was to Agatha Christie's 'A~d Then There Were None' at the Alhambra, Bradford w1th supper together after the show.

And so we ·look forward to our next year's plans:-Craft Fair - 8th October, 1989 London Meeting - 14th October, 1989 A.G.M. -14th November, 1989 Cookery Demonstration -7th February, 1990 Fashion Show - Easter 1990

We have a busy year ahead with much to enjoy. We are always eager to welcome new and returning members and are on the look-out for new faces to join the Committee. If anyone would like to take a more active p~rt in planning and organising our calendar she should get 1n touch. But for those who cannot commit themselves so far, we are glad of your support_ a_nd can offer you much of interest even from occasional v1s1ts.

1 send best wishes to all Old Girls near at hand and far away.

Helen Bainbridge, VicePresident

75

LONDON GROUP REUNION, 1988 The 47th Reunion of the London Group was held at Soroptim.ist Headquarters on Saturday, 8th October, 1988. Th1s year we did not have another 'Great Storm' but instead experienced difficulties because of a postal strike. However, there were twenty three members present at the luncheon and four more Old Girls joined us in the afternoon. We were particularly happy to welcome Mrs. Langham who took the chair at the Business Meeting.

Mrs. Langham gave her eagerly awaited report on the news from Wakefield and members were happy to learn that the school was going from strength to strength. lt was generally acknowledged that W.G.H.S. was one of the best, if not the best, and successes had been gained on all fronts - academic, sporting and outside activities. lt was most interesting to hear about the 'cosmetic changes' that had been made within the buildings and the cele­br~ti<~>ns planned ~o mark the 60th Anniversary of the b.w.ld~ng of !he Jubilee Hall. For qld Girls who can rarely v1s1t Wakef1eld and the school th1s news is of particular importance. We were all happy to learn that the future of the school was ensured and there was to be no takeover by Q.E.G.S. but rather a merger.

The 1989 Reunion will be held on Saturday, 14th October. Winterton Cottage, Waterloo Road, Felpham, Bognor Regis P022 7EH. Tel: 0243 866257

WALES 1989

Shirley Hewitt (nee Carpenter),

Secretary, London Group.

A fourth reunion of 1940 friends was held at the end of June, again at the invitation of Margaret Lightowler and her sister, Kathleen. As usual it was a delightful occasion. Everyone enjoyed the great hospitality and good company. Margaret put her new video camera to use and produced a film of the weekend 's events which included walks in the vicinity. As on previous occasions there was much reminiscing and discussion of many topics. Prowess with croquet mallets would surely have pleased Miss Brown.

Present were Elizabeth Hall (Dyke), Muriel MacGillivray (Greenwood), Nancy Francis (Mann), Margaret Rutherford (Lodge), Edith Nickson (Dixon), Muriel Cockburn (Jenkinson) , Pamela Brown (Ford) and Mary Stevenson (Dobson).

Kathleen Pickford (Ford) was unable to attend this year.

1979 LEAVERS Claire Ward (ne~ Hanson) was able to contact many of her contemporanes and to organise a reunion lunch in the sc~ool library on a glorious Saturday in June. She was delighted by the support for the plan and the sizeable woup who met enjoyed a very relaxed and pleasurable t1me together. They had not intended to make a profit but, when they found they had managed their catering very well, they generously donated £70 to school which was put into the Magazine fund since this is an important link between past members of the High School. '

1963 LEAVERS (or pupils 1955-63) In November .1988 Elizabeth Wheeler (nee Wainwright) ~as able to.wnt~ to Mrs. Langha~ enclosing a copy of the Year Book wh1ch she had compiled for girls who left in or

about 1963, as a commemoration of the passing of a quarter of a century since they left t~e school. lt was accompanied by a list of current names and addresses obtained for the group so far. She off,ered this copy of the Year Book for the School Archives or the Old Girls' Association records .. We are delighted to receive her gift and are enormously Impressed by the energy she put into the proj~ct ~nd the interest it has already generated. This copy Will, Indeed, be a valuable acquisition to our archives.

In her introduction she says "Having started with only a handful! of addresses in February (1988) I am delighted to say that I have so far managed to find 57 of the 80 people who were at one time in our year at W.G.H.S. I suspect that th~ list m~y .be incomplete and expect to obtain further 1nformat1on 1n the future, but I felt that in fairness to those people who replied to my original enquiry before ~aster l.sh~~ld make a start to sending out some of the 1nformat1on. The addresses are not included in the Year Book in case it has wider circulation for which the members had not given permission. Elizabeth herself or O.G.A. have the full list and know whether consent has been given for details to be released.

She mentions the possibility of a reunion and would be glad to hear from anyone else.

Miss Knott, Miss Hand and Mrs. Nurse have all been involved with or written for the booklet.

Elizabeth Wheeler can be contacted at 21' Cardiff Rod Llandaff, Cardiff CF? 2DP. Tel : 0222 569108 '

SCHOOL YEAR 1989 - 1990 Autumn Term 1989

Spring Term 1990

Summer Term 1990

Autumn Term 1990

76

Wednesday, 6th September to Wednesday, 20th December (Half-term: Monday to Friday, 23rd to 27th October)

Monday, 8th January to Tuesday, 3rd April (Half-term: Monday to Friday, 19th to 23rd February)

Thursday, 19th April to Friday, 6th July (Half-term: Monday to Friday, 28th May to 1st June)

Term begins Wednesday, 5th September

SUCCESSES OF OLD GIRLS SusanAtack Kathryn Ball Jlll Barrow Andrea Battye Lisa Broomhead

Kathryn Buckle Katherine Cuthbert

(nee Hattersley) Sarah Cuthbert Anne Cuthlll (nee Hunt) Nicola Cutts Elizabeth Dunbar Morwenn Evans Kate Exley (nee Steel) Jane Fisher (nee Harrison) Elaine Fitzgerald RacheiFox

Karen Gale Rosemary George

Joanne Goldthorpe Louise Haigh Elizabeth Heald Caroline Heath Catherine Hodson Elizabeth Johnson

Gillian Kent

Helen Kilburn Sarah Lawrence Karen Lennox

Amanda Lyony Marthie Malik Katherine McCann

(nee Glaves) Sarah Mann Rebecca Melior Kathryn Mirfin

KateMoody

Sarah Moorhouse Noelle Morgan Samantha Morris Claire Newberry

(nee Reynolds) Elizabeth Noble Jayne Pringle Alexis Rayner Jessica Redfearn Victoria Reilly (nee Hawcroft) Katherine Richards Clare Stead Carol Stevenson Helen Talbot Angie Taylor Gillian Telwick (nee Carr) Kay Thomlinson Annabel Waddington

Anne-Marie Walker Jacqueline Watson Jillian Weightman

SusanWhite

B.Sc., Birmingham, Geography Class 11 (i) CIPFA Accountant, January 1989 B.Sc., London, Geology, Class 11 (ii) B.Soc.Sc., Birmingham, Economic and Social History, Class 11 (ii) B.A., Manchester Polytechnic, Humanities and Social Studies,

Class 11 (ii) M.B., Ch.B., Liverpool

Ph.D., Strathclyde, Geography B.D.S., London Dip. History of Art and Architecture, London H.N.D., Lancashire Polytechnic, Business and Finance B.A., Bath College of Higher Education, Music, Class I B.Sc., Southampton, Psychology and Sociology, Class 11 (ii) Ph.D., Liverpool, Genetics B.Sc., Cardiff, Physiology, P.G.C.E., Durham B.Sc., East Anglia, Environmental Studies, Class 11 (i) B.A. , Manchester Polytechnic, Humanities and Social Studies, Class 11 B.A., Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Combined Studies, Class 11 (ii) Elected by Somerville College, Oxford to a Pope Exhibition after gaining a Distinction in Italian in the Preliminary Examination and good work in two languages in her first year B.Sc. , Birmingham, Physics with Astrophysics, Class I Diploma of College of Radiographers, London B.Sc., Manchester, Speech Pathology, Class 11 (i) M.B., B.S., Newcastle-upon-Tyne Cambridge Natural Sciences Tripos, Part I B, Class 11 (i) Society of Chemical Industry Book Prize after gaining a 1st in Part I examination in her second year at Newcastle University Promoted to a scholarship at the end of her third year at Brasenose College, Oxford B.Eng., London, Civil Engineering, Class Ill B.Sc., Loughborough, Chemical Engineering, Class I B.A. , City University, London, Bal!lking.and International Finance, Class 11 (i) LLB. Class 11 (ii) B.A., Warwick, History, Class 11 (ii)

B.Ed., Edge Hill College of Higher Education, Class 11 (i) B.A., Chester College, Music and Sports Studies B.D.S. (Hons.) Newcastle-upon-Tyne B.TEC., Gloucestershire College of Arts and Technology, Hotel Catering and Institutional Management Part I B Music Tripos 11 (i) Cambridge. Won Williamson Prize for Musical Performance B.Sc., U.M.I.S.T., Materials Science, Class Ill B.Sc., Manchester Polytechnic, Psychology, Class 11 (ii) B.A., Leicester, Sociology, Class 11 (i)

LLB., Sheffield, Class 11 (ii) B.Sc., London, Environmental Biology, Class 11 (2) B.A., Liverpool Polytechnic, Accounting and Finance, Class 11 (ii) B.D.S. , Dundee B.A., London, Psychology, Class 11 (ii) M.A., Edinburgh, French and Spanish, Class 11 (ii) LLB., Trent Polytechnic, Class 11 (ii) B.A., Lancashire Polytechnic, French with Linguistics, Class 11 (i) B.Ed. , Bretton Hall College, Class 11 (ii) B.Sc., Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Zoology, Class 11 (ii) B.A. , Salford, Modern Languages, Class 11 (i) Ph.D., Sheffield B.A. , London, Economics, Class 11 (i) B.A. , Lancashire Polytechnic, Office Communications and Languages, Class 11 (ii) B.Ed., Homeston College, Cambridge, Class 11 (i) B.A., Oxford, English Language and Literature, Class 11 (i) B.A. , Bedford College of Higher Education, Sports Studies, Class 11 (ii) Cambridge Mathematical Tripos, Class Ill

77

NEWS ITEMS Sarah Acton is joining British Airways as a stewardess. Barbara Atack (Fox 1958-65) has returned to England after several years in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Andrea Auty (1970-84) is now working as a diagnostic radiographer at James Padgett Hospital, Great Yarmouth. Helen Ayres (Eastwood 1958-65} is employed as Chairman's Assistant with a company in Chesham, Bucks. Kathryn Ball (1977-82) is now working for Peat, Marwick, Mclintock in Birmingham. Jill Barr~w has been offered employment as a Graduate Trainee G.I.S. Surveyor with Mason Land Surveys Ltd. in Dunfermh~e .from September. Her .work entails the creation of digital mapping databases, compilation of graphic and n<;m-graphlc 1nformat1on and establishment of Geographical Information Systems. Nma Bha~reshwar completed one year of her course in Psychology and Physiology at Birmingham but then decided that sh~ w1shed for a car~er in writing and journalism. After a variety of jobs affording her valuable office experience, she ga1ned a place a~ ~1ng 's C~llege , London to read English where she is thoroughly enjoying her studies and, w~eneverposs1ble, garn1ng .expenence ~n loc~l.newspap~rs to help her qualify as a trainee reporter eventually. N~cola Bnggs has. been do1ng a sandw1ch tra1n1ng year w1th Essex County Council as part of her degree studies. Lrsa Broomhead IS now starting a P.G.C.E. course at Leicester University after completing her degree in Humanities and Social Studies at Manchester Polytechnic. Karen Brown is enjoying work at the Dewsbury Reporter and gained the Young Journalist of the Year award. She is now doing a course in Darlington. She has started reviewing plays and writing feature articles some of which win support for deserving local individuals and groups. I Kathryn Buckle has started a house-job at Ormskirk and District General Hospital and hopes1to enter General Practice Vocational Training next year. Pamela Cawthray reading Medicine at Manchester has been awarded the Norman Ray Scholarship for students resident in Batley. Jayne Chambers (1975-82) after three years in the Caribbean, is now working in the British Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal. Elizabeth Chappell (1975-80) is now a sister at Leeds General Infirmary. Frances Chetter is reading Languages at Nottingham University. Judith Daly has W?rked f~r a ye<l:r at Kodak in the Research Depa~ment as part of her degree course. Sarah Doncastle IS now 1n the f1nal year of her Honours course 1n Pharmacy at Sunderland Polytechn ic after being allowed to change to her first choice of study. Elizabeth Dunbar is taking a year off after getting her degree in Music but she is staying in Bath where she hopes to take her L.R.A.M. before travelling abroad. Morwenn Evans is now working in Human Resourcing Management for Giro Bank, Bootle after completing her degree in Southampton. Kate Exley (Steel} is now lecturing in Genetics at Nottingham University. Barbara Fielding (1936-43) still rehearses with local singers. Helen Fielding was one again part of the team which visited Mozambique to fi lm the documentary material showing the serious side of Comic Relief for the B. B. C. Jane Fisher (Harrison 1980-82} is teaching Biology at Barnsley Sixth Form College. Elaine Fitzgerald is now looking for employment in Countryside Management after gaining her degree at East Anglia. She may return to University later to do an M.Sc. or Ph.D. Penny Fletcher (Potts 1950-60) is now working as Assistant Education Officer (special services) for Kirklees. Rachel Fox began a P.G.C.E. course in General Primary Education at Manchester University in September. Florence Geoghegan (Seed 1919-25) is an active 83 year old living on the Isle of Man. She still knits, sews, gardens and remembers Dame Marjorie Sykes as Head Girl. Karen Gale went to work for two months in San Francisco in the summer after gaining her degree at Newcastle. In December she hopes to go to Australia at the start of a journey working her way round the world. Elizabeth George (1981-88) is now teaching at Catterick Garrison as a Tele. Op. Data. Joanne Goldthorpe will be working in medical physics and studying for an M.Sc. at Leeds after gaining a 1st at Birmingham. Louise Haigh (1979-86) is now working at Leeds General Infirmary as a radiographer. . Mary Hampshire (1953-60) unfortunately suffering from multiple sclerosis and unable to write, would like to hear from, or see, any of her contemporaries. She is in Ashcroft Nursing Home, Church Street, Cleckheaton. Celia Harrison was commissioned as a Cadetship Officer in the Royal Army Medical Corps in September 1987 and holds the rank of Second Lieutenant. On passing her finals she will be promoted to full Lieutenant and to Captain after completing her house-jobs. She will then serve for six years before making the next decision about her future. She has been led into all kinds of exploits with the Army including free-fall parachuting from 12,000 feet and she is now a proud and fully qualified Category 8 Sky Diver. Elizabeth Heald took a locum post as a Speech Therapist for six months after her four year degree course in Manchester. After this she plans to find work in Australia for a while. Caroline Heath is doing her house year at Newcastle General Hospital and then at Ashington General Hospital. She will then go into General Practice. Catherine Hodson took Part I of her Natural Tripos examinations this year and spent her summer vacation working as a Laboratory Assistant for Goda Chemicals Ltd. engaged in projects to develop anti-rust bases acceptable to the E.E.C.Severine Hodson has passed the first part of her degree course at Bristol for Veterinary Science. Evelyn Hustwit (Fulton 1948-55) played for Canada in the Bueno Veterans Cup Tournament at Bournemouth this year. She is now a grandmother. Nancy lnman is doing research this year with the Oxford Hyperbaric Group to complete Part 11 of her Chemistry Course at Oxford. Debbie Kamal obtained a Grainger Prize in Anatomy at the end of her pre-clinical course and she is now studying at St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School. Helen Kilburn has a job as a Graduate Site Engineer with Costa in Construction and expects to be based in London. Sarah Lawrence spent a thoroughly enjoyable year making the most of the Lake District while working for GlaxoChem in Ulverston as part of her four year degree course. In September, after gaining her 1st at Loughborough she started work at Beechams Pharmaceuticals in lrvine. Her fiancee who graduated from Loughborough also works for Beechams and they plan to marry in the autumn.

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Karen Lennox has now graduated and begun a journalism traineeship with the Financial Times Group in London. Dr. Susan Lister (1970-76) is now Senior Registrar at University Hospital, Nottingham. Katherine McCann (nee Glaves) has a post in a primary school in St. Helens, Lancashire. Amanda Mackenzie (1968-82) is now Account Manager with an Advertising Agency in London. Sarah Mann is working for Formula Sport International in Stratford and will shortly become Marketing Co-ordinator. Kathryn Mirfin is now working as a duty manageress after qualifying in Hotel Catering and Institutional Management. Jane Moody is beginning her postgraduate studies in Oxford. Kate Moody (1980-87) has been elected President of Cambridge University Music Club. Sarah Moorhouse (1984-86) has joined Rolls Royce in Derby as a Graduate Engineering Trainee. Helen Nash (Lindley 1972-82) is now Territory Sales Manager for Shell UK Oil in the north of England. Kathryn Newsome (1971-78} has become a Partner in a city firm of Solicitors in London. Elizabeth Noble after graduating in London has started her P.G.C.E. course in Biology at York. She was elected President of her Hall and of the Biology Society. She also sang a newly-commissioned work when the Queen opened the new library at Queen Mary College. Susan Norton (1968-75) is teaching Radiography at Hull Royal Infirmary. Joanne Oughtibridge has been in Italy as part of her degree course in Production Engineering at Lanchester Polytechnic. . . . . . . . . . Zoe Perkin is hoping eventually to take respons1b1hty for the development of sc1ence 1n a JUnior schools c':'rnculum. During her college years she continued her work with the British Diabetic Association on thei.r childre!l 's hohd~ys and she has been attending classes in British Sign language. She has now taken up her first teaching post rn Red~~1dge. Jayne Pringle spent some time touring in Europe in the summer before beginning her search for a pos1t1on as a trainee Accountant. Jessica Redfearn is now at Goldsmith's College, London doing her P.G.C.E. course for Primary Teaching. Katherine Richards is at Chester Law College studying for her Law Society Finals and in August 1990 will start work at Simon Alexander & Co. in Leeds as an artical clerk. Elizabeth Robertson (1978-85} completed her Staff Nurse training at Guy's Hospital and is now near the end of a years management development course there. . . . Sally Roe (Petts who left in 1974) has moved to Ohver House, 53A Strand-on-the-Green, Ch1sw1ck, London W4 3PD. Dr. Sarah Rowland Jones (1970-77) has been working as Registrar in Infectious Diseases in Churchill Hospital, Oxford. In October she took up an M.R.C. Training Fellowship in the Institute of Molecular Medicine in Oxford. Mary Russell (Moxon 1939-44) is an active School Governor in three schools with an age range from Play Group to Adult Education. Kirstie Shaw has given up her course a~ Bedf~rd College for teacher trainig. an~ b~~n accepted to be!;Jin a degree course in Nursing at Sheffield Polytechnic. Dunng the summer she worked 1n V1rg1nra for Camp Amerrca for three months. Sarah Skaggs (Watkin 1974-81} is now working at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. Sq. Leader Susan Smith (Barstead 1963-74) is. Staff Officer t<:> the Chief of Air St<;1ff and wor~s at M.O.D. London. Rev. Elsie Starks (Smith 1942-49) was ordained Deacon 1n February 1989 1n St. . ~aul s Cathedral, Melbo':'rne, Australia and is working as assistant curate in Werribee, Victoria. She sent us her rem1n1scences of W.G.H.S. prrnted as an article in the 'Far and Near' section. Clare Stead (1978-85} is doing a P.G.C.E. course at St. Martin 's College, Lancaster, major su~ject, French. Carol Stevenson Frost (1961-67) is teaching at Rolls Royce Nuclear in Derby as head of Do~rmetry . . Marjorie Sykes has been staying with Miss Knott and will be able to attend the London Old G1rls ' Reunron. Helen Talbot is doing her P.G.C.E. this year at Newcastle. Sara Turton is working for a Travel Agency in the Canaries. Annabel Waddington is now working for Marks and Spencer PLC in Administration Management. Jacqueline Watson is now doing a P.G.C.E. course in English at Oxford. . . . . Josephine Webb (Wrigley 1953-60) is worki~g at th~ Roya~ Sout~ Hant~ Hosp1t~l 1~ South<;impton 1n two part-t1.me posts- as research secretary in the Professonal Surg1cal Un1t and rn Surg1cal Adm1ss1ons Off1ce 1n the same hospital, dealing primarily with admissions for the same Professorial Unit. . . Gillian Weightman began a three year course in September at Pinderfield's School of Physiotherapy after wh1ch she hopes to work in a Sports lnjurie.s .Clinic or as a physiotherapist with pr.ofessi~nal a.thletes. Susan White has begun her trarnrng as a Chartered Accountant for D1xon W1lson 1n London. Victoria Whiteley has become head of school at Giggleswick. Ann Winterbotham (1971-79) is now Advisory Mathematics Teacher for Bradford First Schools. Sarah Mynard has passed her final solicitor's examination. Kathryn Pickup has been made a Leaske Scholar for service to her college in Music.

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ENGAGEMENTS Andrea J. Auty (1970-84) to Dr. Richard Kurpisz. Deborah E. Davies (1979-84) to Mr. Peter Carbutt. Morwenn Evans to Mr. Phi lip Dunn of Halesowen. Helen Glaves (1976-83) to Mr. Richard J .. Briggs. Gina Mallinson (1982-89) to Mr. William John Barker. Caroline K.C. Morgan (1980-87) to Mr. Neil R. Jones. Kathryn E. Newsonie (1971-78) to Mr. R.A. Light.

MARRIAGES Gillian Adams {1913-80} married Pierre A. Bargni. Elaine P. Andrassy {1962-68} to Mr. James W. Armitage in April1989. Sq. Leader Susan Barstead to Wing Commander Ronald G. Smith in December 1988. Melanie Blythe {1973-80) to Mr. James Gatecliff in October 1988. Gillian E. Carr (1974-79) to Dr. M. Tenwick in September 1987. Caroline M. Chappell LLB. {1972-79) to Mr. Andrew J. Dalziel M.A. in May 1989. Alison Cuthbert {1966-80) to Mr. Andrew Quinlan in May 1987. Helen Eastwood (1959-65) to Mr. Max Ayres in Septem­ber 1988. R. Louise Haigh (1979-86) to Mr. Andrew C. Breare in March 1989. Karen L. Hall (1963-78) to Mr. Atherton in July 1989. Jane M.E. Harrison (1980-82) to Mr. Paul K. Fisher in August 1987. Victoria Hawcroft (1977-84) to Mr. Joseph Reilly in August 1988. Sarah Jane Hellewell to Mr. Matthew Pennington in July 1989. Helen L. lbbotson {1970-84} to Flying Officer Carl D. Jepson in July 1989. Marthie Malik to Mr. Michael Turner in October 1989. Christine Miller {1964-72) to Capt. David Kelly B.A., R.C.T., in August 1989. Cathryn Pendlebury (1973-81) to Mr. Christopher Clarke in April1989. Claire Reynolds (1974-91) to Mr. Michael Newberry in 1985. Dr. Sarah Rowland Jones {1970-77) to Dr. Robert T. Walton in March 1988. Karen L. Thompson {1974-81} to Mr. Martyn Roberts in March 1989. C. Anne Thorpe {1970-77) to Mr. David Quarrell in August 1988. Sarah L. Watson (1974-81) to Mr. Richard Skaggs in September 1987.

BIRTHS Helen Allred (Howcroft 1960-74) has a son, Philip Simon, born March 1989. Jennifer Bagley (Lister 1969-75) has a daughter, Alexandra Sarah, born July 1989. Gillian Borgni (Adams 1973-80) has a son, Raphael, born November 1986. Suzanne Bradshaw (Walton 1969-74) has a daughter, Sophie Marie, born November 1988. Jane Fisher (Harrisoh 1980-82) has a son, William Thomas James, born May 1989. Alison Quinlan (Cuthbert 1966-80} has a daughter, Florence, born November 1988. Lesley Smith (Moore 1973-80} has a son, Joseph Edward, born May 1989. Angela Wimbush (Nay/er 1970-77) has three daughters, Felicity Nicole, Heather Catherine and Antonia Helen, born January 1989. Anne Oakley (Keith 1962-73) a son, Charles Nicholas George in June 1989 in Switzerland.

DEATHS With regret we record the following:­Armitage, Edna (Carr) died August 1988. Cooke, Sally (Burrows) , former member of Home Economics Department, died January 1989. Jex-Biake, Frances L. (ex staff) died January 1989. Jones, Edith (Aveyard) died May 1989. Keene, Winifred (Taylor) died February 1989. Laybourn, L. Mary (Cook) died May 1989. Shaw, Barbara (Hutchinson) died June 1988. Spolton, Margaret, former Head of Science, died December 1988. t Topol, Gwenda (Noble) died December 1988. Bain, Miss C. McF. died October 1989 in Edinburgh. She taught Mathematics until 1947 when she left the High School to become Headmistress of Camborne County School for Girls. Rushworth, Judith Ann (nee Fisher) in Wakefield on 6th November 1989. /

NEW MEMBERS I

BARRACLOUGH, S. High Warren, Stocks Bank Road, Mirfield. BELL, Amanda, Hollycroft, Bone Lane, Campsall, Doncaster. BHARTIA, Julie, 21 Wharfedale Road, Pogmoor, Barnsley. BUNCH, Elizabeth J., 8 Cedar Avenue, Edgerton, Huddersfield. BURROWS, Eleanor, Robin Hill, 5 Buckden Road, Edgerton, Huddersfield. BUSSEY, Nicola, 14 Eastfield Drive, Highburton, Huddersfield. CAMPIN, Rebecca, 20 Hindburn Close, Bessacarr, Doncaster. CHELL, Andrea, 21 Belle Isle Avenue, Sandal, Wakefield. COWARD, Julia J., 144 Aberford Road, Stanley, Wakefield. CRAWFORD, Heidi , 6 Whin Hill Road, Bessacarr, Doncaster. ELLIS, Ruth H., 17 Smydale Road, Normanton. FIELD, Kate, Abbey Farm, Shepley, Huddersfield. HARRISON, Susan, 15 Kingsley Avenue, Sandall, Wakefield. HEARD, Hilary, 9 Nixon Close, Thornhill, Dewsbury. HODSON, Elizabeth, 2 Tudor Close, Pontefract. MOUNTAIN, Clare, 7 Spa Croft Road, Ossett. NEWELL, Claire (Precious), 23 Dovecote Close, Horbury. PATRICK, Anna, 2 Pledwick Grove, Sandal, Wakefield. PRECIOUS, Katy, 1 OA Stanndardwell Lane, Horbury. RICHARDSON, Joanne L. , 3 Bradley Quarry Close, Bradley, Huddersfield. SHAW, Natalie, 46 Cottenham Drive, Wimbledon, London. THORPE, Ruth, 60 Branksome Avenue, Barnsley. TOMLINSON, Victoria, Jockey Hall, Dog Kennel Bank, Almondbury, Huddersfield. TYE, Rosemary, Lion Cottage, 6 Taylor Hill , Cawthorne. WALKER, Lesley, 91 Mountbatten Avenue, Sandal , Wakefield. WAY, Adele, 10 Lennox Drive, Lupset Park, Wakefield. WILKINSON, Vanessa, 13 Knightsway, Sandal , Wakefield. WOODCOCK, Sarah, 16 St. Wilfred's Road, Bessacarr, Doncaster. BROSTER, Joanne, 52 Limes Avenue, Staincross, Barnsley.

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