THE

SHIRBURNIANMICHAELMAS 2001

Editors: P. A. G. R. Hedderwick, D. C. M. Hoey, 1. N. Mieville, A. C. Morley-Smith,M. J. Patterson, N. M. Pothecary, C. Q. R. Pushman, C. J. A. C. Roberts,

H. R. L. Rushton, P. J. C. Shaw-Brown, R. H. Stone, J. P. A. Watson, E. J. C. Westropp, N. A. D. Zarb

Art Editor: T. H. Williams

Photographs by:T. I. Ahlmann: pp 45, 46

S. R. C. Bennett: p 54

G. Briere-Edney: pp 124. 125

C. E. Brock: p 91

C. Douch: p 71

E. D. I. Findlay: p 90

C. G. B. Hamon: pp9.11, 15.18.23.24.26-43.142

D. C. M. Hoey: p59

1. N. Mieville: pp 160-163

K. L. Millar: p 158

W. J. Murphy-O'Connor: p68

M. J. Patterson: p 96

C. Q. R. Pushman: pp 69.84

H. R. L. Rushton: pp 73-75.127,129,140.159

P. J. C. Shaw-Brown: pp7. 16.73-75.122.135.136,145-157.164,165

H. W. Steel: p92

P. A. L. Thom: p 97

J. A. Thompson: pp 90. 91,95-97

T. H. Wynn-Jones: p 86

Development Office: pp 49.51

Mr. Russell: pp Ill. 115

Artwork by:M. A. P. Balfour: pp 3.15.98

S. Bulsuk: p 104

G. J. W. Bunkall: pp 52. 106.107

J. D. W. Church: pp 100. 106

O. J. R. Clark: pp 37.46. 105

R. A. Dowdall: pp 56. 85

P. J. Franklin: p 102

H. ter Haar: pp 104. 105

H. N. L. B. Hunt: p 107

C. H. Hurlbatt: p 103

T. H. Williams: pp 8. 19.22.48

Typing by: Mrs. Lorraine Clarke

Printed by Shelleys The Printers

Sketches of New York contributed by:M. A. P. BalfourG. J. W. BunkallO. J. R. ClarkR. A. DowdallT. H. Williams

EditorialAfter recent world events it is difficult this year

to write an editorial dealing with school issueswithout seeming petty. The terrorist attacks inAmerica shocked us all very early in the term and,like much of the world, we were all transfixed bytelevision as the events unfolded. Several boys hadurgently to try to get hold of parents or relativeswho were living or working in New York orWashington, but luckily no one at present in theSchool was directly bereaved. It was only a fewdays later that we were to discover that an OldShirburnian, Steven Lawn, formerly of The Digby,had died in the World Trade Center at the age of28. A special service in the School Chapel washeld in his memory soon afterwards, and it wasdeeply moving for all those who attended.

Once everyone had settled back into school lifeit was good to see that despite recent events therewas no racial tension, and that we canacknowledge each other as individuals, withoutstereotyping by religion or race in this time ofworld crisis. We must always be concerned toensure that we do not fail to recogniseindividuality. In many Shirburnian editorials overthe years it has been observed that pupils of thesame nationality form their own group. This isn'tnecessarily a problem, as it is natural behaviourfor people who perhaps are not especiallyconfident with their English, or just want to talk topeople from their homeland with whom they havemuch in common. Such segregation normallybecomes much less pronounced as the years go by,as everyone becomes more mature and confident,and the friendly Shirburnian begins to emergefrom what was perhaps a slightly frightenedthirteen year old.

A concern felt by the School at the moment isthat one individuality seems in danger of beinglost nowadays: the individuality of the boardinghouses. It is its idiosyncrasies which distinguishone house from others: things such as traditions,privileges and duties. Of course it is untrue thatboys in a house have to fit a stereotype of thatparticular house, but it is obvious throughexperience that environments influence people.Parents choose a house according to whether itwould suit their son and whether it meets theirpersonal standards. This decision is made, partlyas a result of meeting with the housemaster, partlyas a result of the accounts of other parents'experiences, and by talking with the boys and oldboys.

The housemaster's role in a parent's choice ofhouse should not be underestimated, for he is tobecome a guardian to their son, and parents must

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feel able to place their son in the housemaster'shands, confident that he personally will be lookedafter. What parents want is for their son to betreated as an individual by the Housemaster, andnot as just another boy in the School. Currently,boys are dealt with at the housemaster's discretionin most matters, which works well, as thehousemaster knows what will encourage thedesired response from the boy.

However, there is increasing pressurenowadays on housemasters to homogenisepolicies and practices. When they have to decide,for example, what privileges are to be granted totheir senior boys, whereas in the pasthousemasters had slightly different policies on thepunishments which the Upper Sixth are allowed togive to younger years, they are now under pressureto regularise them. This can be an especially sorepoint because in the period of change many of theUpper Sixth who were on the receiving end ofvarious types of punishment in the Lower Schoolcannot but feel they should be allowed to use thosepunishments which are now looked uponunfavourably. It is impossible to say whether aparticular system of punishment is the best or not,but we feel there is a danger that, as a result ofthese changes, there may not be the same rapportand mutual respect that once used to exist betweenthe year groups within houses.

With such homogenisation of the houses maycome the gradual erosion of the character of thehouse and the atmosphere of the house. Houses allhave different capabilities in terms of music andsport, and by removing other small differences theroad is being paved to the removal of thesequalities. Houses will no longer attract a particulartype of parent interested in a particular type ofsocial education for their child.

There are many good reasons for making thehouses more similar. It makes it easier for parentsto choose a house if they believe that they aremostly the same. It prevents a sense of injusticearising over treatment of boys in different houses.This is amplified when parents have two sons indifferent boarding houses, and they are allowed todo different things. It is unfair on boys to betreated differently just because of the house theyare in. But, if the choice of house is wisely made,such differences can be a benefit. The Green mayhave, for example, a strong sporting tradition, andAbbey House a strong musical one. This is not tosay by any means that all musicians go to Abbeyand all sportsmen go to The Green, but it is truethat a boy with a particular talent will thrive if heis placed among others of similar talents.

Problems can arise, of course, when a boy isplaced in a house that is unsuitable, and there mayeven be times when it would be beneficial for aboy to change houses, although not before a greatdeal of serious discussion between the concernedparties.

Meanwhile things at Sherborne are lookingbright for the future, with most houses fullybooked for the next few years. We were sad to saygoodbye at Commem. to the School's retiringChairman of Governors, Mr. Michael Barnes, whohas worked so hard for us all during his time inoffice, as governor since 1977 and Chairman since1996. His regular, friendly presence at schoolevents - plays, concerts, and sporting fixtures ­has been greatly appreciated. One of his lastappointments, our new Headmaster, has nowcompleted a very successful first year, on which hereflects in his interview with us. The Lower Sixth

have had to come through the experience of thenew AS Level examinations. Though many remainsceptical about the academic value of this latesteducational experiment - and of its administrativeefficiency - boys have certainly welcomed thepresence of girls in lessons in some main subjectsfor the first time. Drama and music continue toflourish. In sport, the promise of a new all-weatherpitch, generously donated to the School, and thesuccess of our present teams, are mostencouraging. Among our many social activities,RocSoc continued its series of excellent concerts,most notably the Concert in The Courts. RocSoc isa shining example of what can be achieved by theboys for the boys with a little graft and initiative.

As is, of course, this year's Shirburnian.

Nick ZarbDavid Hoey

------~=

3

----------~

House Nameg Iver Ahlmann

f Christopher Championm Christopher Chowe Bob Dickensf James Kiersteadd Christopher Kober

b Michael Kusnetsovm Rowley Merricksg Akin Okesholag Andrew Peevorf Derek Rosewellb Christopher Vemeyf Tom Williamsb Robert Willington

4

Number ofA * grades109876

The ChronicleAcademic

Oxford and Cambridge Places

The following have gained places at Oxford and Cambridge on the basis of their A level results.

House Name College University CoursegIver Ahlmann Girton College, Cambridge Engineeringd Charles Gammell St. Catherine's College, Oxford Historyf James Kierstead Corpus Christi College, Oxford Classicsd Christopher Kober Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Physicsm Rowley Merricks New College, Oxford Classicse Andrew Peevor Magdalene College, Cambridge Natural Sciencesb Robert Willington King's College, Cambridge Medicine

Those listed below were awarded Bugbird Prizes for gaining three or more A grades at A level

A LevelsMathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Further Mathematics, German,Electronics (AS)Mathematics, Spanish, ChemistryBiology, Mathematics, Chemistry, Further Mathematics (AS)Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Further MathematicsLatin, Greek, English, SpanishMathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Further Mathematics (AS)German, SpanishMathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Further MathematicsLatin, Greek, History, FrenchMathematics, Economics, Business StudiesMathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Further MathematicsEconomics, Mathematics, ChemistryMusic, Geography, GermanEconomics, Mathematics, SpanishBiology, Mathematics, Chemistry, German

Those listed below were awarded GCSE prizes

(*These boys also recorded A * on a short GCSE course)

NameL. E. Harvey (f)C. W. Pitt Ford (m)S. J. Fox (m), 1. N. Pearson (m)D. W. Angus (d), A. R. H. Boyd (g), T. Huang (g), E. R. Posnett* (c)J. J. Bulley* (f), R. G. Coates (m), H. F. Kwong (d), A. J. Leakey (b),P. Tokiat-rung-rueng (a), R. W. Ward (e), A. 1. Woolston (e)P. R. B. Boshier (c), A. G. Cameron (a), T. P. Cracknell (m) A. D. C. Hardie (e),D. R. Poraj-Wilczynski (g), L. J. G. Truluck (d)

Lower Sixth Internal Awards

As a result of their GCSE grades, the following were awarded Exhibitions.

House Namef James Bulleyg Thomas Huangd Alexander Kwongb James Leakeym James Pearsona Palarp Tokiat-rung-rueng

4

Wingfield Digby Senior CDT

School DrawingLongmuir ArtRidout Biology Senior SeminarRidout BiologySchool Business StudiesEdwin Davis Services

Fletcher GermanAston-Binns SpanishBereny FrenchHarley Woodwind JuniorHarley Brass SeniorSchool Music TechnologyClive Carey Vocal SeniorClive Carey Vocal JuniorSchool Strings JuniorCompositionHarley Woodwind SeniorJunior PercussionSchool Keyboard JuniorHarley Brass JuniorSchool Keyboard SeniorSchool Strings Senior

Wingfield Digby Junior CDTDriver ChemistryLeweston Ancient HistoryMarson GreekWhittingdale ClassicsPalmer Ancient HistoryWildman LatinSteward Community ServicesMarsh CricketDuke of Edinburgh GoldStuart Hargreaves DramaSchool EconomicsSixth Form School ElectronicsFifth Form School ElectronicsSchool EnglishFrancis IIlesSchool GeographyGeography Fifth FormGeography ProjectAlison Blenkinsop HistorySenior Plumtre MathematicsKirby Mathematics

School Prizewinners 2000-2001

Wailer Heads of School Nicholas CookChristopher VerneyPeter FranklinTony NitiprapaHenry RushtonRobert WiIIingtonTom ProcterRobert GoslingRobert HallidayTimAckroydRichard FoxAlex DrewAngus MacdonaldSam MasonAlex DrewJason HuttSimon ArdenAndrew PeevorHenry MitcheIIJames KiersteadJames KiersteadSam MasonRowley MerricksTom ProcterGeorge BrambleAward Tom ProcterAndrew Morley-SmithChris TavenderJames MorfeeSimon ArdenJames KiersteadDavid Poraj-WiIczynskiAdam HarrisAlasdair BoydChris PeckCharles GammeIIAndrew PeevorNeil BatsonLuke HarveyRobert SworderMatthew HopeChristopher ChampionChristoper FilbeyJames LeakeyChristopher VerneyMatt WhiteTom BridegroomOliver Hankinson-ParrAIistair HardieAIistair HardieChris StrippNaresh VerlanderTom HuangNicholas ArdenEdward BallEdward Ball

5

Senior PercussionJunior GuitarSenior GuitarIGtson VocalPaddy Whelan PhysicsTuring PhysicsTom Bugbird Award for SailingMorcom Mathematics and ScienceSmithwick Shooting (5 bull)Smithwick Shooting (10 bull)Hew James Shooting Cup (outdoor)Lyon-Parsons Divinity

Harold Blair DivinityHarold Blair Runner UpDavid-Weston Missionary

Oliver ClarkSebastian FoxToni NitiprapaAndrew WestwoodEdward EarleAndrew PeevorAndrew Morley-SmithIver AhlmannFreddie LewisCharlie MaltbyCharlie MaltbyHarry BeattieJames SykesCharlie HurlbattPatrick Shaw-BrownTimothy Wynn-JonesJonathan CoBinsAfolabi OkesholaJohn PattersonGordon ScottHenry FarrisMax Vere-HodgeNicholas Zarb

Michaelmas

Lent

SportHouse Competition Winners

Senior RugbyUI6 Rugby

PlateV 14 7-a-side Rugby

V 14 Plate

Junior Leagues Hockey6-a-side HockeyUI6 Hockey

PlateVI5 Hockey

PlateSenior SoccerSenior Cross-CountryJunior Cross-CountrySenior Pairs ShootingJunior Pairs ShootingIndividual Squash(Macintosh)Senior SquashJunior SquashIndividual Fives (Richard Green)Senior FivesJunior FivesSwimming Inter-House SportsV 14 BasketballInter-House Quiz

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The GreenAbbeylandsAbbey HouseThe GreenAbbeylands

School HouseThe GreenLyon HouseHarper HouseHarper HouseAbbeylandsLyon HouseThe GreenThe GreenLyon HouseAbbey HouseAbbey House

Abbey HouseAbbey HouseAbbeylandsThe DigbyAbbey HouseAbbeylandsICSSWallace House

Trinity Senior CricketJunior CricketAthletics: Senior

IntermediateJuniorOverall Cup

Athletics RelaysSenior Individual Golf (Kemp)Tennis Senior PairsTennjs Junior PairsSailing

The DigbyAbbey HouseAbbeylandsThe GreenAbbeylandsAbbeylandsAbbeylandsThe GreenThe GreenThe GreenLyon House

7

Tony Harris

When Tony Harris arrived at Sherborne in 1972as Head of CDT there was no CDT for him tohead. He had been appointed by David Emms,himself newly appointed, to set up a CDTdepartment. The story of his appointment is, inmany ways, typical. He had applied for the post ofhead of CDT at Cranleigh, Headmaster DavidEmms. Between application and interview he hadlearned that Emms was coming to Sherborne. Heduly went for an interview and was made an offer,which he turned down, on the grounds that hedidn't wish to work under a new headmaster whowould be an unknown quantity to him! As soon asEmms came to Sherborne the whole process wasrepeated and Tony was duly appointed here. In thisway Sherborne came by one of its longest servingand most distinctive masters, under whoseenergetic and idiosyncratic leadership Craft,Design, and Technology have grown andflourished.

It is equally typical of Tony that when askedwhat he remembers most fondly about hisclassroom years he says, without pause orhesitation, 'Fifth Form, 1985: sixteen As and oneB', as though teaching were some sort of race orcompetition, the 'track' stats. which anyrespectable practitioner should have at his finger­tips.

Beyond the confines of his own departmentTony has been an extremely active examiner,coursework moderator, examining team leader,and leader of inset courses. He has kept absolutelyup to date with the latest thinking on matterseducational In his field, which has been ofimmense benefit to his department and his pupils.

Excellent teacher and head of departmentthough he has been, it is not for that that most boysor colleagues will remember him, nor is itprimarily in terms of that that Tony would want tobe remembered. First and foremost Tony is arunner. Competitive athletics has been his lifesince his late teens, back in the days when sound­wireless, powered flight, and the internalcombustion engine were in their infancy. Oncinder tracks the length and breadth of the UnitedKingdom Tony competed successfully as one ofour most talented middle-distance runners, gainingselection for Great Britain in the 800m in the 1962European Athletics Championships, and runningfor Wales in the Commonwealth Games in thesame year. His most memorable performancecame in an invitation mile at the White City in1965, when, in competition with the then Olympicgold, silver, and bronze medallists from Tokyo'64, and in a field which included the legendary

9

Peter Snell, whom he beat, he broke the four­minute barrier for the mile, becoming the firstWelshman to do so.

At Sherborne his coaching of athletics andcross-country running has been nothing short ofinspirational. Of course, he thinks of it in terms ofachievements: '1980: two finalists, Small andPocock, in the All England.' The rest of us think ofit in terms of the thousands of hours of coaching,advising, stop-watch watching, yelling,threatening, consoling, and encouraging that hehas poured into Sherborne. And, in the process ofdoing all of this, he has left an indelibleimpression on his charges, - and on one or twoastonished masters and parents from other schools,who have never experienced anything quite likeChopper in full flow.

The sound of Tony describing to somebewildered new boy the route from 'the bench'(long since removed!) round Plum Pud, down thecutting, through the iron gate, up Lovers Lane,right at 'the big tree' (in the middle of a wood!)and back down 'the diagonal' is unforgettable;likewise, Tony's capacity for remembering hisown and everyone else's time on every training

course and track he has ever been on. Hisenthusiasm has never flagged, and he takes it forgranted that everyone involved will participateand like it. In this way, in lean years and fat, he hasmanaged to produce highly motivated andsuccessful cross-country teams. With Tony'steams there is never any moaning or whining,never any foot-dragging or excuse making, nomatter how tough the going. He infuses theactivity with his own inimitable brand of optimismand determination. He is a truly splendid coach,and, if he can no longer lead from the front intraining and on race days, one can be sure that hewill be found doggedly bringing up the rear,bellowing an endless stream of advice andencouragement. In Tony's set-up everybody trainsand everybody tries, from the smallest ThirdFormer to the collection of staff cripples and grey­beards he employs on his coaching team.

T think the moment that will stick in mymemory longest occurred at the end of theKingswood Road Race some six or seven yearsago. It is an exceptionally gruelling race. The

competition that day had been fierce. We were allexhausted. The rain was coming down. Thescorers finally announced the results, readingtimes and lists of names from their sodden cLip­boards, now running in streamlets of ink. TheSherborne team had narrowly been beaten in arace we had expected to win, and which wethought we had won. The boys and I were utterlydejected. I looked around for Tony, surprised that,for once, I could not locate him by ear alone.There he was, gazing intently over the shoulder ofthe chief scorer. ' 'Ang on a minute,' he piped up.'You've added the scores wrong. Our fourthrunner finished seventeenth, not eighteenth.' Thescorers huddled round. Records were checked.Finishing tickets, now a pulpy mass in someone'swaterproof pocket, were compared with names.And, needless to say, Tony was perfectly correct.We had won. Our fourth runner had, indeed, comein seventeenth.' I didn't ask Tony what time he haddone, but he'd have known the answer.

BJ.H.

George Tatham

George joined the Music Department atSherbome in 1978 after a number of years in thebook trade. He has now decided to forsake theplectrum for the garden hoe, which may not havebeen a difficult decision for him. The colleagueshe leaves behind regret the loss of such a giftedschoolmaster.

Both his strength and his weakness were tohave been such a modest fellow. If George hadsung his own praises with the skill at which hecreated sounds from the guitar he would havedemanded more attention. He always preferred aseat at the back of the choir stalls and shunned soloperformances which searched for the spotlight. Ifever there was a worker at the chalk-face it wasGeorge.

He made other people feel good and important.He always had time. He was never rushing off tothe next appointment and yet he probablycompleted more tasks than most. His satchel wasused as a fashion accessory and provided a fund ofinformation. One sensed that it might also containsecrets similar to those in Compo's matchbox inLast of the Summer Wine. .

There was a steady flow of literaturephotocopied (usually) from The Guardian, or froman ancient copy of The Shirburnian whichappeared in the pigeon-hole of anyone to whomGeorge considered it might be of interest.Researching topics was a joy for George and he

10

was acknowledged as an unofficial walkingreference library. Goodness knows how manyarticles on cricket he produced for me. Most wererequests checking facts that were confirmedwithin hours. He rarely missed the opportunity toconvey features on activities of the opposite sex.

His distinguished work as a Council Member ofthe Devon History Society and as masterresponsible for school archives allowed free reinfor his inquisitive nature. The Beckett Room hadfor long remained unused until George spent manytedious hours sorting the items of value, and theitems of historical interest which may be all sorelevant to the School in the 21 st century.

George was a keen and able sportsman. Hecoached rugby, soccer and cricket at all levels inthe School. I enjoyed several years in partnershipwith George when he took charge of the 2nd Xlcricket team. He made sure all those in his chargeenjoyed the game and discreetly added practicesthat he had learned on coaching courses. I recallthe introduction of a tennis racket and tennis ballsto improve slip catching. Not only did it improveindividual skills but proved enormous fun andeveryone wanted to experience it.

George was a fine batsman and rarely missedthe chance to demonstrate the left-hander'spenchant for the cover-drive as one might expectof a schoolboy reared on the grounds of MiltonAbbey School. He represented many prestigious

clubs such as the Incogniti, Devon Dumplings andDorset 50+. As in all he did, he gave totalcommitment. He would drive many miles torepresent a club of which he was proud to be amember.

This commitment was forever evident in all hedid at Sherbome: teaching the guitar, spiritualtutor, games coach, organising house concerts,assisting at The Leavers' Ball until the early hours,teaching General Studies, organising teamphotographs, playing music in the Chapel and theAbbey, and supervising the school archives.George was someone you could ask a favour andknow that the response would be positive. Therewere never hesitations, excuses, or evasions inresponse to a request and he was the one whowould travel on a long away trip on a wet exeatweekend with a C or a D team.

I know that George owed much to Nicola in thesomewhat turbulent years that followed theirmarriage in 1994. They will spend more timetogether and enjoy the fellowship that will besorely missed by us all upon George's fullretirement from the staff at school. For he morethan most demonstrated the words of WilliamMorris to be so true: 'Fellowship is heaven, and alack of fellowship is hell; fellowship is life, and

11

lack of fellowship is death; and the deeds that yedo on earth, it is for fellowship's sake that ye dothem.'

M.D.N.

There were glowing tributes from a number ofboys. These are just two; the first form Oliver Eastand the second written jointly by Ed Horder andDougal Cordon. Mr. Carling also writes hisappreciation of Ceorge Tatham s contribution toWestcott House.

George Tatham has been an excellent andinspiring guitar teacher and a dedicated housetutor of Westcott. He has organised many asuccessful school and house concert mixingclassical and contempary music to a highlyenjoyable effect. In addition to this he has helpedmany boys to take part in and enjoy performing inthese concerts. As a tutor in Westcott, he was avital part of house life and for individuals hetutored. Always friendly and willing to help in anyway he could, be it musical or other aspects ofschool and house life, George was alwaysapproachable and acted as a great friend and ateacher.

Ollie East

To some students at Sherborne, music is moreimportant as a pastime than as a means ofachieving examination grades. Although Mr.Tatham offered the opportunity of both, he taughtpeople as they wanted to be taught; with patience,enthusiasm and a huge amount of skill. Studentscould either bring in their own CD's to learn 'thatriff' off The Hendrix Experience, or draw fromMr. Tatham's extensive library of classical andacoustic pieces.

Whatever music they chose he expertlyconveyed the skills necessary to perform a piece.Evidence of this is in the remarkable number ofstudents of his who have performed in classical,rock, and jazz concerts.

Mr. Tatham was a keen and accomplishedhistorian, as well as a fount of knowledge on manyother fronts, such as Portuguese, history of theguitar and especially the history of Sherborne.Lessons could never be without interest, as peoplewere introduced to new musical genres and stylessuch as blues, funk and jazz. A friend to many,George Tatham will be sorely missed by all,especially those who have had the pleasure andhonour of being taught by him. We wish him everysuccess in the future.

Dougal GordonEdward Horder

George was sought after as a tutor because hefulfilled the role of 'philosopher, friend and guide'with sensitivity and imaginative flair. He had theknack of discovering what really made his chargestick and finding ways and opportunities ofbringing an interest, passion or talent to thesurface. He would find a spot in a House concertfor a budding guitarist; he would hunt for an oldnewspaper clipping about an artist or writer forsomeone's project or he'd have scouted acricketing talent unspotted by others. Universallyreferred to as 'George' by all the boys as a mark ofrespect and indicator of approachability, he wasenormously loyal to the Westcott community. Hetook the 'dog watch' of Friday evening in theHouse, a night often grabbed by house staff for R& R before the rigours of the weekend. Yet weekafter week George managed this period of with itsfebrile anticipation with a gentleness and balancedlatitude which often defused the greater excessesof behaviour. To the end he was a Westcott manand many, both students and staff, associated withthe House owe him a debt of gratitude.

Paul Carling

Trevor Boyd

The Sherborne School Art Department hasalways been small. Prior to the Second World War,Art had a low priority both nationally andeducationally, and Sherborne was no exception:there was only one Art Master, and he was knownas the 'Drawing Master'. At the start of the warwhen a sudden vacancy occurred, Ruth Gervis, thewife of a master in the School, stepped into thebreach. She was a well-known illustrator in herown right and an artist of talent. She had greatenthusiasm for the Arts and she communicatedthis with passion. She is still remembered inSherborne and, over the years, a number of herpupils have distinguished themselves, notablyJohn Doyle who retired only recently as Presidentof the Royal Water Colour Society. Ruth wasfollowed by one of her own outstanding pupils,Bill Anstice Brown, who was a Slade-trainedpainter, understood Ruth's standards, andmaintained them. Several of his pupils have alsohad notable careers, such as Tim Clifford (who iscurrently the Director of the National Gallery ofScotland) and Peter Nahum and Rupert Maas whoare both gallery owners and much sought-afterexperts. When Bill Anstice Brown retired to

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pursue his own career, the status of the Art Schooldeclined sharply and it was at about this time thatthe Art Room itself, purpose built with space andlight, was moved away from its traditional homenear the centre of the School to make way for newlaboratories. Coincidentally this move was alsoaccompanied by some unhappy appointments ­and speedy departures! For a short period therewas no Art Master at all! It was no surprisetherefore that Robin Macnaghten, enlightened andknowledgeable about the Arts himself, wasdetermined to strengthen the Art Department.After the retirement in 1980 of Eric Baker, whohad filled the post with distinction, the field ofapplicants appeared depressingly limited until thevery last candidate arrived. This was Trevor Boyd.He was head of a large and flourishing ArtDepartment at St. Bartholomew's School,Newbury and had already come very close toappointment at Winchester. It was obvious withinminutes that the search for a new Director of Art,who would revitalise the Department, was over. Atinterview all the characteristics which we havecome to know in Trevor shone throughimmediately. Here was a larger-than-life character

with unbounded enthusiasm, exceptionalcommunication skills, and considerableknowledge of nineteenth and twentieth centurypainting. No other candidate could rival him:moreover he had not submitted any of his ownwork, as other candidates had done. Throughouthis career Trevor Boyd's artistic energy has goneinto inspiring and encouraging others: seriouspractising artists are seldom the best teachers!

Trevor Boyd made his mark almostimmediately, encouraged by a Headmaster whowas delighted by his appointment, and a wind ofchange began to blow through the Art School.Neat little pictures gave way to large colourfulexpressionist images and a wider range oftechniques and media were introduced. However,it was already clear that more accommodation andspace would be needed, together with a budget inline with visionary horizons. A degree ofpersistence was needed and initially a feweyebrows were raised! Pictures began to bedisplayed around the School, and boys, who hadhardly known where the Art School was, began totalk about, and also to smile about, the new ArtMaster!

One of Trevor Boyd's outstanding innovationsin his first year was the introduction of a LentTerm Art Tour at half term. This idea had beenformulated in his previous school and the traditionwas immediately established here at Sherborne.Few Art Masters would have devoted a whole halfterm period to taking fifty boys to Amsterdam,Paris, or finally New York: fewer still may havetrusted their powers of discipline and organisationin these cities, but Trevor Boyd's tours weredifferent: the organisation was idiosyncraticallyimpeccable and the Trevor's own infectiousenthusiasm communicated itself to everybody.Other visitors to galleries, fortunate enough to bearound at the time, would follow in the wake of theSherborne group and listen intently to this unusualguide. 'What is this party?' some would ask, and'Come again, please' was the recurring messagefrom the galleries! The half term tours came to beregarded as the central pivot of a whole year'swork, as boys recognised that there is no substitutefor seeing great pictures and sculpture at firsthand. Some boys attended two or even three suchArt Tours during their Sherborne career. Notsurprisingly, A level results soared to previouslyunknown heights. Which other candidates couldpossibly have been better prepared for questionson Monet, Van Gogh, or Mondrian? Visitingexamining adjudicators expressed their surpriseand delight at the variety and quality of workproduced.

Trevor Boyd's success has been underpinnedby two outstanding qualities which may not have

14

been universally appreciated to the full. First, hewas devoted to his subject, to his job, and also tothe School, and secondly, he understood boys.They may have smiled at him privately, as maysome of his colleagues in the Common Room, butTrevor was a true friend to the School and tomanyboys and he certainly rescued the careers ofa number of boys who found that school life wasnot entirely to their taste.

Trevor Boyd has left us, and we shall not seehis like again, but he bequeaths an Art Schoolwhich is flourishing and which will continue toflourish. In addition, it will shortly return to itsoriginal home with an enhanced ambience andunrivalled reputation. Thank you, Trevor.

w.A.c.

Paul Ryan

I am not sure whether or not it is the thought ofthe master in charge of The Shirburnian, or PaulRyan himself reading this piece that makes me feelthe more anxious. Both care deeply about theaccuracy of written English but the former is moresubtle and supportive in his correction of my splitinfinitives and incorrect use of the words 'less' and'fewer' than Paul Ryan ever was'

Paul thoroughly enjoyed his four years atSherborne but the temptation of a doubleappointment for him and his wife, Sarah, at TheOratory, Reading, proved too much when hefinally discovered that he would finally be movinginto Resident Tutor accommodation with ashower! They moved from Dorset to be closer totheir beloved Oxford, where they had met asundergraduates and where they still have manyfriends, and to the bright lights of London. Thosewho were exposed to Paul's sartorial peccadilloeswill not be surprised to hear that he has alreadytaken some boys from The Oratory on a fieldtrip ... to Saville Row and Jermyn Street. Havingacquired a 'sportsman's' - sorry that should read'musician's' - degree from Magdalen, Paul actedas a housemaster at Westminster Cathedral ChoirSchool for one year before deciding that teachingwas the career for him.

He first cast his long shadow across The Courtsin September 1997, having completed his PGCE atCambridge. Being naturally enthusiastic, andsurprisingly energetic for one so large, Paulquickly immersed himself in the life of our Schooland found that it wasn't a teacher he wanted to be,but a schoolmaster. He was first and foremost anaccomplished teacher of Mathematics, whoalways pushed his classes hard and tried to makethe material relevant to them not only in the

attempt to achieve examination success, but alsoto inspire mathematical confidence which wouldlast beyond the academic study of the subject. Hishigh expectations of his students led to hisdeveloping novel deterrents for those who wouldhave otherwise failed to meet these expectations,such as his famous 'fill in the calculator' sheetgiven as a Blue for those forgetting their realcalculators. Paul was a dedicated andconscientious teacher who often gave selflessly ofhis free time to offer extra help to those thatneeded it.

'Tall Paul' as those in School House knew him,was Resident Tutor for three years and SeniorTutor for two. He was invaluable to the newHousemaster following the Ferrario years and wasa well-respected and popular tutor with the boys.His love of music and his appreciation that publicperformance ought to be enjoyable for all of thoseassembled led to his organising four HouseConcerts of high quality, and, at times, highcomedy. Paul really believes in the positive valuesof a boarding school life and was always keen toimpress on the boys a sense of community andtolerance.

Music was another major commitment, were itorganising and accompanying boys toBournemouth to hear the Symphony Orchestra orperforming with the School's Choir and Orchestra

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both here and abroad. Perhaps it was thesuccessful re-launch of the House SingingCompetition that will prove to be his most lastingmusical legacy to the School. This proved to be anevening of great fun and invaluable communalcompetitiveness hosted in truly camp andburlesque style by Paul himself. Under his carefulstewardship The Upper Vlth Dinners and theEpicureans Society were greatly enjoyed by boysand their guests alike. He often encountered theUVIth in another of his guises - that of Proctor ­though I often felt that boys caught by him canhave offered little in response to the criticism thatthey should have seen him coming! Paul alsoserved as a vital link between the School and St.Anthony's, Leweston, so that Catholic boys couldattend Mass regularly and be prepared forConfirmation.

Apart from all of these contributions, whatmost typified his attitude to life in a boardingschool was his involvement in sport. Paul assistedwith cricket and rugby every year, not bad for aself-confessed non-sportsman whom Mike Davisonce described as a 'waste of height'. He enjoyshelping boys to achieve their potential and alwayssees through the uniformity of teams, or classes, orHouse to the individual boy underneath.

I have already consumed my allocation of type,and I know that Paul never approved of my chosenfont anyway. Needless to say, he is missed bythose boys that he taught and those colleagues whoknew him well. He, of course, had his weaknesses.He crashed cars and computer networks, and hewas a renowned gossip. And did you hear aboutthe time that he ...

P.J.w.

Henry PriceA recent graduate of New College, Oxford, and

with eighteen months' teaching experience atSydney Grammar School, Henry was ideallysuited to fill the Classics vacancy that arose in1999. A formidable sporting background wasmatched by classroom expertise andenthusiastically championed areas of academicinterest - Homer, and, importantly for Sherborne,Roman History. A self-critical and exactingapproach yielded impressive results at all levels,notably in teaching for GCSE Latin in his firstyear, and in Oxbridge preparation Henry'simpatience with those pupils who valuedthemselves too highly or traded too much onpotential was very salutary.

Henry is an accomplished sportsman and hisinvolvement ran deep, especially in cricket andrugby, wherein he shared the coaching of the 20001st XY. It was a major blow to him when asnapped Achilles tendon ruled him out ofparticipation for several terms, and his morale wasvisibly affected by crutches and the constant roundof hospital and physiotherapy appointments. Hecontinued to work unstintingly though: inparticular, he was a highly valued tutor in TheGreen. Marriage in July necessitated a move to aschool nearer London, and we send Henry andMary every good wish for their future at Rugby.

MJ.B.

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Martin BoultonA friend of the American writer Robert

Benchley once asked him 'How is it that youmanage to work so hard and still look sodissipated?' One felt the same about Martin. Hecrammed an extraordinary amount of activity intohis work at the School but always managed to findtime to have fun while he did it.

After deciding that his previous attempt at acareer in mining engineering and managementconsultancy had been a mistake, he turned hisback on the world of business class travel, expenseaccounts and huge salaries without a single regret(well, perhaps the odd one) and arrived atSherborne School in September 1997 to teachPhysics.

Lessons with Martin were a white-knuckle,roller-coaster intellectual ride which drew on avast range of interests encompassing philosophy,literature, films, modern art, photography, weirdcontemporary music and, intermittently, thePhysics syllabus. Boys were challenged, engaged,infonned, entertained and, looking at their results,better prepared for the examinations than theywere sometimes willing to give credit for.

Itinerant tutoring around the School in his firsttwo years preceded his settling down in the lavishapartments provided for the Resident Tutor in thenew Green, which then received the distinctiveBoulton touch. Austere minimalism in the large

drawing room, Jamie Oliver style anarchy in thekitchen (in which he installed a state of the artcooker, the cost of which I am still embarrassed todisclose), expensive bicycles parked dangerouslyaround every corner, a top quality stereo, valuablemodern, oriental art on every wall, and designerclothes crumpled in a heap on the floor ... Forsomeone who affected a touching concern for theenvironment whenever he was allowed to getaway with it, he had a great gift for consumerism.Boys in The Green were always welcomed into theflat, whether for tutorial advice, to join him forsupper, to borrow a CD, to use his AppleMac fortheir art projects, or just for a chat, and werealways appreciative (as indeed were the Reynoldsfamily, young and old) of his friendliness, warmthand good humour.

In partnership with Mike Davis and then HenryPrice he was soon coaching rugby to the highestlevels in the School, always expecting highstandards but with his characteristic amiability andlack of pretension. Paradoxically, despite hisinvolvement in major sport, he was always veryanxious to avoid being pigeonholed as asportsman. In fact, he rather used to enjoy creatingparadoxes: his distinctly left of centre politicalviews did not prevent him taking command of theRoyal Marines section of the c.c.F. where hisrather non-military attitudes were viewed withamused tolerance by the boys. What he lacked insoldierly bearing he more than made up for in hishighly qualified and enthusiastic leadership ofexpeditions up mountains and across moors.

We worked together in a number of culturalactivities that have produced some of my happiestmemories in School. On Art trips he inspired boyswith his interests and accomplishments inphotography, led educational tours of the red-lightdistrict of Amsterdam, unearthed obscure galleriesin the Marais, created living works of art bygetting thirty boys to form a human pyramid in thecentre of the Place du Tertre (to the bemusementof the tourists and street aJ1ists) and joined me inlong vigils at the hotel watching over stroppy sixthformers. In New York we managed to bring theMetal Exchange at the Commodities Market to ahalt and watched late at night as the building nextto the hotel burned down. (Listing these, it doesoccur to me that without him future trips may besomewhat safer). An interest which we shared incontemporary classical music produced in Martinan almost evangelical zeal to look foropportunities to share this more widely, a zealwhich was undiminished by the fact thatSherborne largely continues to placecontemporary music alongside cannibalism as afield of human endeavour; his efforts in inspiringa group of sixth formers during an evening's visit

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to the South Bank for a fascinating performance ofa Steve Reich piece in the presence of thecomposer remains for me the musical highlight ofrecent years. Finally, there was the production ofGolden Gordon as the Green House Play; Martinbrought his style and verve to the choreography ofthe football match, producing one of the mostimaginative drama pieces the School has seen.

He had a stereotypically Northern bluntness,often just put on for effect, which did not alwaysendear him to those more accustomed to theminced words of the South but this was alwaysoffset by effervescent good humour and a totallack of selfishness. Deadlines, memos, lists, formsand other administrative impedimenta of schoollife were not things merely to be ignored theywere to be trampled brutally underfoot in hisheadlong quest for the next big idea. While thismay have been inconvenient sometimes, a schooldoes need people with a greater enthusiasm forideas than syllabuses and they came from Martinin a torrent big and small, realistic or wacky,sensible or deranged, sometimes exhausting butalways energetic and innovative. (Many of themeven became translated into action.) Given hisinterests, London is in some ways his naturalenvironment and Westminster School an obviousmove for him but I don't think that I shall be alonein regretting his departure. In his four years atSherborne he gave of himself fully, both in theclassroom and beyond, educated the boys in thebroadest sense, added to the school's stock of joiede vivre, earned the respect and affection of hisfriends and enjoyed every minute of it -- whatmore could anyone want?

D.H

,",onathan RickettsJonathan Ricketts joined the staff directly from

International College, where he was responsiblefor running the Chemistry Department and wasalso Resident Tutor. He put his previousexperience to very good use in a busy anddedicated two years at Sherborne School.

Having just been involved in the upgrading ofChemistry facilities at International College, hewas ideally placed to advise on the developmentof our new laboratories. After the move, with hisproficiency in IT, Jonathan made full use of theadditional resources available. Those he taughtwere presented with expe11ly produced word­processed work sheets and experiments wheredata logging and CD ROMS became a familiarpart of lessons. Jonathan was principally,however, a traditional teacher of the best kind,

whose lessons were carefully prepared and welldelivered, reinforced by thorough notes. In hisrelationships with students, he developed areputation for firm but fair dealing. He took apersonal interest in all his pupils and a regularstream of visitors outside lessons was proof ofthat.

Outside the classroom he was very committedto the life of a boarding school. As senior tutor atLyon House, where he became an extremelypopular figure, he crammed in more than most ina very active two years. Whether it was as a patientand sympathetic counsellor, an energetic organiserand trainer of the Ten Tors team, (a traditionalLyon House specialty), or as a convenor of lateevening Chemistry seminars, his contribution wasunstinted and much appreciated.

lonathan believes in using every minute of theday to the full, and, despite all that has beenmentioned already, he also found time to make aconsiderable contribution to the CCF.. He ran theArmy Section with great enthusiasm and skill,derived from his time in the Territorial Army. Healso led the shooting team to success at Bisley. Itwas his role in this aspect of school life which ledto his affectionate nickname 'Combat Wombat'and he is sorely missed.

With all that has been said above, lonathan isfirst and foremost a family man. His wife Nickycontinued to teach Biology at InternationalCollege and supported him in all that he did. He isalso the proud father of a new one-year-olddaughter, Charlotte. A move to the East Midlandssuited all the Ricketts family, and NottinghamHigh School, an academic school of highreputation, engaged him without hesitation. Ourloss is certainly their gain and we wish them allvery well in the future.

R.CF.G.

Elizabeth NewtonElizabeth Newton served her newly qualified

teacher year with us before moving to TheReading Bluecoat School where, as the onlyfulltime RE teacher, under the oversight of theSchool Chaplain, she may probably find herselfdoing a lot of the running of the RE Department.

She had come to us from Homerton College,Cambridge where she had completed an excellentPost-Graduate Certificate in Teaching Theology.She already held an Oxford BA gained from ChristChurch and offered New Testament and Buddhismas her specialisms.

It would be true to say that someone newlyqualified taking over from an experienced, long­serving, and wide-ranging old hand has a powerful

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challenge before her. Elizabeth coped brilliantly,always well-prepared for her lessons and initiatingan AS level course on the New Testament, quiteapart from slotting into the well-establishedcourses already on offer. She also found time tohelp run the Community Service with her Head ofDepartment while fulfilling the demands of herNQT training under Mr. Elliott. Later in the year,she was involved backstage with The Wind in theWillows (she has at various times considered apossible acting career) and was Finance Officeroverseeing the considerable sums raised duringRed Nose Day. She tutored several boys in Lyonand they will no doubt feel the loss of a reallycaring and intuitive counsellor. Maybe, too, the

sudden overwhelming enticement of her TheologyAS level course to which one fifth of the yeargroup was initially drawn will never quite berepeated, nor will the sound of her sweetly sungairs filter down the formerly dark stairs of theTheology Department; but the theologians willremember being encouraged by her enthusiasmduring her pleasant, if brief, sojourn among them- not least those who gained 100% marks in herAS level New Testament, or those with A and Bgrades at A level and GCSE, for whom at leastsomething tangible is left.

D.l.D.

Mathieu Garnier

Mathieu Gamier was no run-of-the mill Frenchassistant, as he was not, like his predecessors,destined for a teaching career but for The Upperechelons of the French Civil Service. Educated atthe prestigious Paris School of Political Science,he went on to complete an officers' training coursebefore joining the Modern Languages Department,at the beginning of the Trinity Term 2000. Hestepped into the job at short notice as he waslooking for an opportunity to improve his Englishand become better acquainted with the Englishway of life. A keen sportsman, Mathieu had agenuine passion for rugby football and he was ableto discuss the niceties of the game with thetechnical precision of a professional coach and thelyrical prejudice of a die-hard supporter. His vastknowledge of French history and institutions ledhim to observe and analyse English attitudes withthe cool detachment of the well-trainedsociologist. His six months' experience ofapparently continuous rain, through last autumn,certainly helped him to understand Montesquieu'scomments on the adverse effects of the English

climate. Yet, come rain or shine, Mathieu neverlooked downhearted as he made every effort tomake new friends and pursue his conscientiousstudy of Englishness through the reading of thedaily papers and the occasional dip into populartelevision programmes.

His academic contribution to the School provedan extremely positive one as he provided his Alevel students with a unique blend of wittyenthusiasm and intellectual rigour, stretching theirminds beyond their unquestioned assumptions andchallenging them into defending their well­entrenched beliefs. He undoubtedly brought anextra dimension to learning French as he expectedstudents to show an interest in ideas as much as inthe language itself. The teaching profession mayhave lost a natural pedagogue but I know that,whatever walk of life Mathieu decides to follow,be it journalism or PR, he will always treasure hisEnglish experience and that, for our part, we willalways be delighted to have him back amongst us.

J-M.P.

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'The Prologue,' 2001by the Heads of SchoolBelieve it or not we're back at Commem.The end of the year has come once again.Perhaps the sun shines, perhaps the storm billows ­The one thing we're sure of is The Wind in the Willows,And as custom demands at this juncture in timeWe Head Boys commit a poetical crime.

We've come to the end of a wonderful era:Though we have to admit the place couldn't be dearer:The time has come round to say goodbye and scarperFrom School, Abbey, Green, Digby, Abbeylands, Wallace, Lyon, and Harper

We started the year with a brand new Headmaster.Extremely well spoken, he came from Winchester;A man whose curriculum vitae impresses:He wasn't the one who invented ASs.Their loss was our gain when you upped and you ran.We know it's the manners that makyth the man.

Enough of these terribly tedious yams:We have to be saying 'Goodbye Mr. Barnes',The soul of politeness, quite lacking in roughness,Retiring today as the Chair of the Guvnors.We wish him a happy retirement and restin'And greet his successor: 'All hail, Sir John Weston'.

There's no need for silence; there's no need for still lipsOur speaker to greet, Canon Anthony Phillips,Who was the Headmaster of King's CanterburyAnd, if I am right, married Tony to CherieAnd gardens and beachcombs in Falmouth in Devon.He has sat on the Board of Governors since 1997.

But tears fill our eyes as we think of the staffWho are leaving today - and we try not to laugh:At least when considering Boulton and RyanThere's part of us laughin', there's part of us cryin'.Mr. Ryan's a titan, of stature absurd,Who works like a Trojan and sings like a bird;Dr. Boulton's a man who enjoys a few Ginsters.The money that'll pay for them now is Westminster's.Although there will be no backs to coach,There surely will be more women to approach.

And with them goes Nottingham-wards Mr. RickettsWho's happiest when leading his men through the thickets,The wombat of combat, an expert in shootin'Goodbye Mr. Ricketts; farewell to Miss NewtonWho leaves us for Bedford after only a year -Quite soon will there still be anyone here?

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Farewell to Femando, Matthieu, and CelineGoodbye to Dr. Roberts - you've all of you beenA great inspiration - but greater than theseIs Ben who pours drinks at the Cross Keys,And Pricey, the man of the single eyebrow,Is leaving us more miserable than him now.

Of Trevor and Chopper the School's very proud ­They work very hard and they shout very loud ­But Trevor's superior to everyone else - hePlayed cricket for England and football for Chelsea,He's friends with Bill Clinton; he's 30 years old ­Enjoy your retirement - well batted, well bowled.

And Chopper's away: his departure has shocked us ­We're lost without him as the Head of the Proctors:No one can escape him; he's crafty and cunningAnd patient and practised in cross-country running.

And speaking of sport, rugby didn't go that well,The season began with a short winning spell.But later in the season, my colleague got crabby,When his thumb was bust by the almighty Abbey.Of the whole thirteen fixtures, we only won four,But we beat the South Africans, here on their tour.

The hockey team was better, but only very mildly,'Cos most of them were hitting the ball quite wildly.Henry Mitchell was pleased because everyone paid us,To send him away with his team to Barbados.

Charlie Gammell was made Captain of Cricket,And Will Fegen got the most runs and wickets.The team did well, winning four, losing three.They are playing one more. Will they win? We'll soon see.

But time's running out and at last our speech ends,So thanks to our teachers, our tutors, and friends.Thanks to the housekeepers, the matrons, and CustosThanks to the cleaners, and the proctors who bust usThe groundsmen, the sisters who work in the SanAnd the Department of Works in their little white van,The caterers who feed us and everyone here,We thank you whole-heartedly - we've had a good year.

So goodbye from us both and all those of our age,As the speech starts to close, we are a new pageIn what has become our School's history book.Goodbye from Chris Vemey and Nicholas Cook.

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Sixth Form PlayDealer's Choice

This production of Dealer's Choice by PatrickMarber was postponed to Lent from Michaelmasand dedicated to the memory of Stuart Hargreaves,who would have directed the play in itsearlier slot. The casting was Stuart's, as,characteristically, was the choice of so demandingand boldly provocative a piece. The result, underthe direction of Giles Robinson, was a memorialon which Stuart would surely have been proud toread his name.

in their failures. Failure, ultimately, is the play'stheme. Everyone, in the world it depicts, is a loser.The great and surprising virtue of the play is thehumane sympathy with which it approaches thisconclusion.

At first it seems that there is only one real loser.Mugsy's very name declares that he is the 'mug' ­the inevitable dupe - at the restaurant's weeklystaff poker games. Mugsy places great andmisplaced confidence both in his grasp of strategy

Dealer's Choice, in the first instance, is a playabout poker - a game redolent with the glamour ofhigh stakes raised in low dives. But Dealer'sChoice is in no way a glamorous play. The dive inquestion here is not especially low - not a Chicagospeakeasy but a London restaurant withunachievable pretensions, and the stakes,correspondingly, are only such as its employeesmay aspire to. This is not quite la boue, nor wouldit invite anybody's nosfalgie. Rather, the inabilityof the environment to rise either above or belowthe level of humdrum near-respectability reflectsthe inability of the characters to achieve anythingspectacular either in their successes or, more often,

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and in his 'lucky' poker shirt: in fact he is soinescapably unlucky that he can never even win thecall on the toss of a coin. His great ambition to riseabove the lowly status of a waiter is based on acomically doomed plan to open his own restaurantin a derelict public lavatory on the Mile End Road.There was true relish in Charlie Cox's performanceas Mugsy, conveying the type of doomed naivety ina manner occasionally heart-rending but more oftenproperly irritating. His battle cry of 'De-mon!',repeated ad infinitum during the third act pokergame, had clearly struck a chord with the ThirdForm on the morning after. He is a very likeableactor, and his performance was rightly enjoyed.

Contrasted with Mugsy's flighty innocence isthe affected world-weariness of his fellow waiterFrankie (Adam Harris) and the wry stolidity ofFrankie's flatmate, the chef Sweeney (HenryMitchell). Sweeney's attitude towards Mugsy,though teasing, is almost paternal, and Sweeney is,in fact, a father, divorced, and looking forward toa rare meeting next morning with his littledaughter Louise. Maturity is suggested initially byhis refusal to take part in that evening's game so asto have sufficient money to take his daughter tothe zoo, but maturity in Sweeney extends only asfar as knowledge of his own weakness. Hecapitulates all too easily in spite of himself, andloses everything. In a process articulatedsensitively by Mitchell, he is reduced to a self­pitying drunk, accompanying Mugsy's pitiful 'De­mon!' with the pathetic chorus, 'I haven't seen acard all night!' His downfall is only hastened byFrankie's weak insensitivity. Having failed even toremember little Louise's name, Frankie agrees tokeep back fifty pounds for Sweeney with aresignation which leaves the audience in littledoubt that he will hand it over as soon as Sweeneyneeds it for a stake. The hopes he entertains ofgambling professionally in Las Vegas areexploded the moment he is faced by a realprofessional.

The real professional, Ash (John Pease), isintroduced to us by Carl (James Fowle), therestaurant owner's son and another obvious dupe.

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He is, after all, Mugsy's partner in the Mile EndRoad enterprise and already a compulsive gamblerwho, following early experiences with slot­machines, has been playing for higher stakesbehind his father's back. Ash is owed by Carl atidy sum of money, which he owes in turn tofellow gamblers, and so it is arranged that Ash willjoin the evening's game in the hope of winningback his debt. Ash outclasses the restaurant staffwith ease, but in this play he too must be a loser.He reveals that what might appear a glamorousprofession pays only for the shoddiest of lifestyles.Moreover, it emerges that he is in some personaldanger as a result of his debt, and must go on to agame with his creditors as the play ends - a gamein which, he admits, even he may be the 'mug'.This was an evening of vintage Pease and a fittingculmination to his dramatic career at SherborneSchool. With relatively few lines of his own, henevertheless maintained an astonishing sense ofbrooding menace throughout the play andespecially during the final game, when Ash'sextremes of concentration were suggested only bythe movement of the match between his teeth. It israre to find this degree of conviction in a teenagedactor and a privilege to see it on the Sherbomestage.

Perhaps the most complex character in the playis Stephen (Jamie Thomas), Carl's father and theowner of the restaurant. A somewhat patriarchalfigure, he maintains his moral authority longer

almost even than Ash, but is himself revealed asnot just a compulsive theorist of poker but anaddicted gambler unable, when challenged byAsh, not to place a bet on the fall of a coin. He is,as becomes clear, merely the centre of a co­dependent network: his generosity to othersmerely enables them to continue to play the game.This is a difficult part, and Thomas did well withit. Despite some false stresses, he maintained hischaracter's dignity and achieved genuine pathos inthe scene in which he eventually lets down Mugsyover the Mile End Road. His own solidity, alongwith the impression offeckless youth conveyed byFowle contributed well to a very impressive senseamong the ensemble of the difference in agesamong the characters - a sense achieved almostentirely without the aid of make-up.

It was as an ensemble-piece that this play wasmost satisfying. After a somewhat slow beginning,it gained pace, and had developed a real energy bythe third act. Especially well-paced was theartfully written scene in which simultaneous andmirrored arguments arise in a fugal crescendobetween Stephen and Carl in the restaurant andSweeney and Frankie in the kitchen, ineffectivelyinterrupted by the hapless Mugsie: there wasclearly very close understanding between cast anddirector here. The final card game was convincingand riveting, even to those of us un versed in thesimplicities, let alone the intricacies, of poker.

The set, finally, deserves its own specialmention. Split between the grubby white of thekitchen - complete with sink - and the navy­painted brick of the trendy restaurant, MarkFriend's design lent this production an unusualelegance, and a visual style somewhere betweenVermeer and Hopper. All this was enhanced by thesubtle co-ordination of the costumes, the placingof the actors, and the imaginative detail of theprops. Once again, close teamwork was obvious,between the director, the designer, and Pat Harris'sproduction team.

But if this production had its beauties, theywere accompanied by horrors. It is a credit to thecast that one felt such genuine engagement with allsix characters throughout the play when there wasso much scope for revulsion at the self-obsessed,self-destructive lifestyles portrayed; also, that theyachieved this without in any way glamorising thecentral theme of addiction. Sinners were loved,sins condemned, and proof offered that the boldlyprovocative need not preclude the maturelyhumane. The final accolade must come, again,from the Third Form on the morning after:'Wouldn't it be horrible to be addicted to gamblinglike that, Sir?'

D.G.N.B.

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The Writing GameBenjie Dudgeon is known for his acting talents on

the Sherborne School stage. However, on Friday 24thNovember I was amongst the many who wereprivileged to witness his fIrSt directed piece. Hewisely chose The Writing Game by David Lodge, afarce containing innuendoes galore, and lots of fun.Benjie had clearly managed to get to grips with thistricky piece. This was demonstrated by the way inwhich the set and the pre-set of the play enhanced thestory performed to the audience. Great lighting and asuperb soundtrack machine also com-plemented thisproduction (as well as a crafty use of the smokemachine).

Leo Rafkin was played by the formidable CharlieCox, who led the cast with style, presenting thecharacter of a stubborn and chauvinistic Americanwriter extremely well. His accent never faltered onceand Charlie really allowed the audience to feel anuncertain mixture of sympathy and dislike for hischaracter.

Ollie Luard displayed great range, managing totransform his own massive and boisterous figure intothe nervous and affected stature of Jeremy Deane.Ollie had the audience in stitches with his camp andfussy gestures.

Alice Dodge, on her acting debut, played the partof the very forceful Penny Sewell. Many of the menin the audience could not help but wince as Aliceboomed around the stage portraying accuratelyPenny's temper and attitude.

Steph Myatt graced the stage as the ditheringMaude Lockett, attracting sympathy and laughs.Steph showed great control and superb timing withher entrances and speeches, in a part reminiscent ofAlice in The VIcar ofDibley.

It was fitting that Tom Walsh should play the partof St. Clair in this production. Tom really enjoyed thispart, especially as I saw him many times in the DiningHall flicking cups up and catching them behind hisback until he had it to perfection. He managed to playthis role with the suave and demure manner that itdemanded. This was Tom's last major performanceand one for which he will be remembered.

Finally, Andy Bridger, normally known for hisexploits on The Upper, had the opportunity to comeinto his prime as the telephone voice of HenryLockett. Like the rest of the cast, he made theaudience laugh spontaneously with his desperate andgrimly funny voice asking his wife over the phone tohelp him with the household chores. There isdefinitely a future there!

The play was a great success with some ofSherborne's finest actors coming together to workexcellently as an ensemble under Benjie's direction,which was his first, but hopefully not his last,production. Nick Cramp

Commemoration PlayThe Wind in the Willows

Owing to the introduction of AS levels andbecause of the existing A level and GCSEs, a castof Third and Fourth Form only performed thisyear's Commemoration Play. The other yeargroups were all involved in public examinations.Versions of the chosen play, The Wind in theWillows, have doubtless been performed countlesstimes since Kenneth Grahame wrote the story in1908, but rarely on such a grand scale. This stageadaptation by Alan Bennett was an audaciousproduction considering the age of the cast, butmany of the actors showed some considerablematurity in their performances.

Upon entering the Powell Theatre one wasstruck by the stunning set which clearly evokedthe idyllic country atmosphere of the river-bankand the dark, mysterious Wild Wood where Thirdand Fourth Formers became unruly and badlybehaved weasels, stoats and ferrets. The set wastruly spectacular with its bright and gaudy coloursand threatened even to overshadow the actors. Thecostumes and make-up were of a similar standard.The gaiety of the overall effect of the productionmust have appealed greatly to the youngerelements of the audience, as one would hope in aplay adapted from a book for children.

The play opens with the contented riversidecharacters in their natural habitat. We are soonintroduced to the ostentatious Rat and the shy yetinquisitive Mole. Meanwhile we learn that Toad'slatest obsession with motor cars has resulted in hisincarceration. With Toad Hall standing vacant, theWild Wooders soon move in and disrupt thepeaceful existence of the ri verbank creatures.Toad's bold escape from prison ends in outrage ashe discovers that his beloved home has beenoverrun by vermin. Under wise old Badger'ssupervision the heroes carry out a daring operationto liberate Toad Hall. After a brief skirmish thevermin are evicted and, to celebrate the success,Toad delights in holding a garden party at whichhe is once again the centre of attention.

With an enormous cast of thirty-seven, theproduction boded well for future dramaticventures, with several very convincing individualperfom1ances. Edward Elgood played the shy,retiring Mole and effectively captured the essenceof his character. Reuben Aitken and AlexanderRussell played Rat and Toad. Both showed theiracting prowess and carried off their roles well.However Toad was not quite the irrepressiblyenthusiastic loveable character we have come toexpect, and Rat's self-confidence at times

bordered on the arrogant. Charlie Bond as Albertthe Horse, whose dry sarcasm was highly amusingand excellently delivered, and Nicholas Francis asBadger also gave noteworthy performances.Simon Kene as Otter, and Chief Weasel FergusThompson stood out despite their relatively smallroles. I was impressed by the bravery of HarryLucas, Jack Milln, and Henry Butt, who not onlyagreed to dress in drag but also did an excellentjob. The vermin disco dance provided great

variety and first class entertainment, althoughperhaps it seemed a little out of place. MatthewHutt's contribution was what stood out for me byvirtue of the ostentation he brought to the role ofthe rather camp Stoat Cyril. It was these smalltouches throughout that made the play such adelight.

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Once again Mrs. Harris showed herextraordinary talent for working with youngsters.Here she was aided and abetted by the AssistantProducer, Andrew Morley-Smith. The productionwas the farewell show for a familiar face: BenLewis assisted his final Sherborne Schoolproduction. However, the younger Morley-Smith,Alex, led a new team of backstage crew into thefray, and this is certainly encouraging for thefuture.

It was a masterstroke to use the garden of thetheatre to stage the final scene of the play, theparty, the first time this has been done. Itsingenuity was reminiscent of the similarly unusualuse of the Theatre in the 1999 CommemorationPlay Billy Budd, in which the seats were pushedback in the theatre to make way for the executionof Billy. The garden was lavishly decorated withballoons and streamers and provided a memorableand festive end to an excellent evening'sentertainment.

Nicholas Pothecary

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School House PlayBiloxi Blues

Nick Cramp set himself quite a challenge whenhe decided to put on Biloxi Blues. Trying torecreate the humid atmosphere of the Mississippiswampland in the bitterly cold depths of Dorset inthe Michaelmas Term was ambitious. Howeverthis proved to be a very entertaining andsuccessful play, which marked Nick's secondventure in the role of director.

The play is based on Neil Simon's experiencegoing through boot camp in Biloxi, Mississippi,during World War H. It is not his experiences inthemselves which make the play stand out fromother 'basic training' stories. Most of the play'selements seem to come from a checklist. Thehero's unit contains a sadistic bully, a racist, anintellectual, and a nice guy who in the end turnsout to be gay. The loud drill sergeant is borderingon insanity. There is the mandatory scene when thehero is assaulted, a scene about Army food, ascene about rugged training marches, and, ofcourse, a scene of sexual initiation with the localprostitute, and another of love at first sight with alocal belle. But the very fact that this play is so fullof cliched characters and situations made it a goodchoice for a house play.

At the top of the play, Simon's protagonist­narrator Eugene, played by lames Mieville with afresh-faced innocence that literally glowed,announced his three goals for wartime - tobecome a writer, to stay alive, and to lose hisvirginity. The principal action is concerned withthe sensitive Eugene being shaped and mouldedinto a soldier by the slightly unbalanced drill­instructor Sgt. Merwin l. Toomey. RoryMacFarlane played Toomey in a delightfullyaggressive and intolerant manner. His mix ofignorance and violence make the scenes in whichhe appears some of the most comical of the play.The male ensemble scenes were also a sheerdelight. There was a kind of comic grace to theirclowning and the tensions and affections betweenthem sparked. Tom Edwards exuded a sour,resistant dignity as Epstein, the intellectual lewwho has become the butt of anti-Semitic pranksand Toomey's bete noire. Henry Grundy-Wheelerportrayed the bigoted Wykowski as a macho manwith little time for those around him. His scathingwitticisms and menacing physical presenceassured the other characters that Wykowski wasvery used to having things his own way. Slightand energetic, with an expressive face andexplosive comic gestures, Alex Beattie as Roy hadthe bounding physicality of an excited puppy.

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As the ever-singing Don Camey, lames Hoodbrought a laid back, easy going, and accessiblecharacter to the stage, one whom we could nothelp feeling sorry for during the 'press-ups' scene.Rounding off the barracks, Henry Farris asHennessey was a quiet enigma; the scene where hewas mustered out for a homosexual encounter waschilling. The comic scenes with Rowena theprostitute (Eleni Gransden) in a seedy brothel(where Nick Cook made a cameo appearance) arenicely contrasted with Eugene's nervous wooingof Daisy Hannigan. lames Mieville and HenriettaCumming were really superb in these scenes,effectively illustrating the tense and nai've natureof young love. Their painstaking politenesstowards one another was endearing as well asamusing.

The play's overall polished appearance owedmuch to its sharp production team. Josh Howe hada difficult task in designing a set for this play,having to provide the right setting for scenesranging from an army barracks, to a brothel, to aconservative southern ball. The set changes weresnappy and even made entertaining by theshrewdly selected John Lee Hooker rhythm andblues tracks. The lighting was also versatile andcomplemented the set in every scene, whether itwas the slightly mottled red light of Rowena'sroom, or the stark and bright illumination of theparade ground.

Neil Simon would have been pleased by thisproduction as it remained true to Simon's ownviews on the comic: 'The way I see things, life is

both sad and funny. I can't imagine a comicalsituation that isn't at the same time also painful.'This approach to humour, one that seems to beneatly borrowed from Ben Jonson, did not seem tointimidate the director or his actors. Nick Crampmanaged to take a relatively inexperienced groupof actors and mould them to fit Simon's play. Theaudience recognised the 'painful' in the racism andanti-Semitism, set against the back-drop of themost bloody war in history. Yet we were alsostrangely amused by the profane banter in whichthese ideas were expounded and the caricaturedcharacters who uttered them. It was pleasing towatch a house play that, while being amusing, alsohad a slight sardonic edge to it.

James Board

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Wallace House PlayThe Real Inspector Hound

As an evergreen and hugely entertaining play,this Wallace House production of The RealInspector Hound (postponed from the end of lastyear owing to programming difficulties) couldhardly fail to be a good evening out. A masterpieceof intricate design, Tom Stoppard's parody of thecountry-house mystery is hugely complex; theatrecritics sit on stage throughout, watching a playwithin the play. But the characters shift betweenrealities: in one reality, they are actors and criticstaking their respective roles in the theatre; but inanother, they are individuals, free of theconstraints of their careers. Directed by AndrewMorley-Smith, the actors grasped this complex

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structure with apparent ease, despite occasionaldifficulties.

As Moon (Luke Vassay), a theatre critic, sat forjust under five minutes in the closely lit 'stageaudience', reading his programme, the audiencesat in stunned silence in the darkness listening tothemselves, and observing on the stage a corpse,half hidden by a chaise longue. It was certainly adifferent (Birdboot observes later, 'You can't start[a play] with a pause!') and, I think, very effectivestart to the evening. Birdboot joins Moon, and, intrue Stoppard style, the main plot is introduced inthe space of about a minute. And even at this earlystage in the play Messrs Vassay and Male were

shining in their roles; making vivid sense of muchof Stoppard's apparently randomly writtenspeeches.

While the critics led much of this play, thecharwoman at Muldoon Manor, a certain Mrs.Drudge (Afia Addo) seemed to me to dominatemost of the rest. Her stage presence was alwaysimposing and her array of five or, perhaps, sixdifferently coloured dusters, were expertlydeployed. Her dismal stupidity was effectivelyportrayed, as she vigorously dusted corpse,furniture and audience, and covered the evidenceof the first murder with the chaise longue.

The action in the country house on the stagewithin a stage develops as Simon (Alistair Brooks)unexpectedly comes to stay. As it turns out, he hashad a relationship with one of the other guests ­the saucy Felicity Cunningham (Henrietta Corlett,dressed for much of the play in perhaps thesmallest garment ever seen on the school stage) ­but has recently ended that relationship, optinginstead for the widowed Lady Cynthia Muldoon, agreat friend of Felicity's, played powerfully byAlice Macklin. Things are complicated when thewheelchair-bound Major Magnus Muldoon(Richard Ward), a long-lost half-brother of the lateLord Muldoon now pursuing Cynthia as well,enters at quite some pace, knocking Simon over.The company settle for a game of cards. But as onemight expect (and here, at least, things turn out as

one would expect), the atmosphere becomesdistinctly frosty; death sentences are exchanged,all overheard by Mrs. Drudge and mentioned byher to the police later. Meanwhile the radio isbeing regularly switched on for news broadcasts(read, in a special guest non-appearance, byPatrick Haigh), informing those present that amadman is loose in the vicinity of Muldoon Manor- and they are cut off by fog. A fairly averagecountry-house murder mystery, it might seem.

In the intervals between the scenes of thismystery, the critics continue their apparentlyrandom discussion; and comment on theperfoffi1ance so far - this was subtly done byMessrs Vassay and Male, especially effectivelythrough some difficult quickfire one-liners.

And the mystery is solved - Inspector Hound(Ioff Dickens) makes a triumphant entry,discovers the corpse, and ... Simon is also shotdead. This is where the 'fairly average country­house mystery' collapses. Moon answers a ringingtelephone on stage, and it is for Birdboot. Moonresumes his seat, but Birdboot starts speaking tohis wife on the set. But Felicity's first entry is thenre-enacted; and it becomes apparent that likeSimon, Birdboot has recently started a newrelationship, now choosing the actress playingCynthia rather than the actress playing Felicity.The shift between realities was confusing buteffective: Birdboot is now Simon. After the

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moment of transition, everything seemed very realbut surreal at the same time, and excellentdirection and acting superbly contrasted this withthe first enactment of the scene: from Cynthia andBirdboot's passionate kiss, to Felicity's coldnessand the now intense and fevered card game, full ofpreviously mysterious suggestions, everythingwas upped a notch. Birdboot thought he couldavoid Magnus' wheelchair as it careered onto thestage; but, no, it entered from the opposite side(accompanied as before by a theatre-shakingsound effect created by stage manager lamesMorfee) knocking Birdboot over. Oiles Male'sstage fall was superb - I only hope he didn't gethurt.

And then to the moment at which Simon wasshot - and Birdboot is shot in his place; but notbefore mystifyingly telling Moon and the audiencethat the corpse on stage is, in fact, Higgs, a fellowcritic. [n a curious mixing of levels of reality, boththe character Simon and the 'actor' Birdboot arenow dead. Strange. But stranger is to come. Mooncomes on stage to see his friend, and discovers heis dead. Upon the return of the other characters,Moon now assumes the role of Inspector Hound,and tries to work out what is going on. Everyoneis accused of murder, as Mrs. Drudge recalls thedeath threats issued earlier in the play.

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But somehow Moon becomes the accused, as itturns out that the police officer that he is nowplaying in the play is an impostor. (By this timethe actors playing Simon and Inspector Houndhave assumed position in the critics' chairs and aremaking helpful comments on the play's progress.)The climax of both realities comes at the sametime: Magnus suddenly rises from his wheelchairand removes a disguise, revealing himself (in themurder-mystery) as the Real Inspector Hound andas Cynthia's long lost husband Albert. MeanwhileMoon has now recognised the actor playingMagnus as Puckeridge, a fourth critic. Magnus(Puckeridge) shoots Moon - both in his capacityas a critic, and as a player of Inspector Hound.

It turns out that Puckeridge has been using thismurder-mystery as a medium for destroying hisrival critics; he has killed Higgs, Birdboot andMoon, and now is the only one of the four rivalsremaining. Complicated? Well, yes. But thebrilliance of this play is that (as illustrated here) toenjoy the evening one does not have to understandthe plot entirely. And as the second of three boy­directed plays during the Michaelmas term, itcertainly did Wallace House proud.

Dougal Oordon

Abbey House PlayAmadeu5

The Abbey House play of Amadeus entertainedtwo full houses in the Powell Theatre a few weeksinto the Lent term. It was certainly an ambitiouschoice as a House play but this production showedit to be a highly suitable one. It has a few strongcentral character parts, a large supporting cast, andcan be managed effectively with fairly simple sets.David Hedison's production involved over twentyboys from Abbey House and four S.S.G. pupils.The play dramatises the life of Antonio Salieriand, in particular, his relationship with WolfgangAmadeus Mozart. Salieri, Court Composer of theViennese Emperor is disgusted by the newlyarrived young prodigy's personality and character.In resentment against God for giving such acreature such sublime gifts, he is determined todestroy him. The play shows how he achieves this.While Mozart's wonderful compositions fail toimpress for long the courtiers or the EmperorJoseph himself, Salieri wins recognition andacclaim for pieces, which, as he alone seems torecognize are, in comparison to those of Mozart,devoid of vitality or worth. Political in-fighting atthe Emperor's court keeps Mozart from thepatronage which composers of the period so reliedupon, and he descends to a life of genteel poverty

with his affectionate but feckless and flighty wife,Constanza. Their eventual separation leavesMozart at Salieri's mercy. He accelerates Mozart'sillness by appearing to him as the cloaked figurewhich Mozart, confiding in him as a friend, hastold Salieri that he regards as an omen of his death.

The action of the play is narrated by Salieri,whose commentary shows powerfully both theobsessive working of his own mind and thefarcical and touching demise of Mozart himself.Toby Nutley managed superbly the demandingrole of Salieri - apart from anything else, he had toremain on stage for virtually the whole play.Despite a few missed lines and an occasionaltendency to transpose the order of the scenes ­which tested even those representing the stolidityof the Austrian court - he eloquently expressed thehatred and contempt which Salieri feels for theyoung Mozart. His part dominates the play, andToby Nutley's performance from the outsetcommanded the audience's rapt attention. FreddieLewis was appropriately childish in contrast as theplay's obscenely juvenile Mozart. He gave a realsense of Mozart's decline towards the end of theplay and his relationship with Constanza, adifficult role played convincingly by Olivia

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Jacobsen, managed to be both vulgar in itsinception and moving in its decline. Mozart'scharacter, as imagined by Peter Shaffer, isunattractive, to say the least. Perhaps there was ashade too much (merciful) softness in thisproduction's treatment of him. It was crucial forthe audience to feel the force of Salieri's claims tobe considered a victim of God's gross injustice inhaving given such tremendous gifts to someonewhom Salieri regards with some justification as an'obscene child'. The causes of Salieri's jealousyand hostility towards Mozart were not conveyedentirely convincingly by the action between thetwo main characters, admirable though theirindividual performances were.

The action of the play resembles a series oftableaux which come briefly to life in each scene.This was well brought out by the attractivepicture-frame set, designed with the help of BenLewis and constructed largely by members of theHouse, and the sumptuous wigs and costumes.There were pleasing performances by many ofthose representing the secondary characters.Rupert Lane was splendidly Germanic as themusicologically challenged Emperor Joseph, whothought Mozart's operas should have fewer notes.His fawning courtiers included Harry StewartMoore as Van Swieten, Justin Gulston as Orsini,and Dougal Gordon as the marginally moreintelligent Von Strack. With the support of theminor court character parts, and the Venticelli, the

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rumour-spreading Viennese public - presentedhere, in a neat device, by a large choral group ofAbbey regulars - the casting gave expression to areal sense of the unified involvement of a largeteam. Behind the scenes, too, the work done torepresent the performance of Mozart's music bothlive on stage and from recording, principally aidedand advised by Ian Davies, was very successful inreminding us of the miraculous powers whichSalieri so resented.

In Amadeus, Abbey House gave us a stylish andchallenging production. John Patterson

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Harper House PlayThree Short Plays for Coarse Actors

Coarse acting is based on cliche. Old peoplemust limp, maids be stupid and policemen treadlike elephants in diving boots: much amateurdrama exploits these cliches to their full. MichaelGreen has written this collection (originally FourPlays for Coarse Actors) partly as parody ofamateur drama and partly as parody of differentdramatic styles.

Streuth is the classic whodunit and wasperformed with Green's parody of the style and allthe traditional detective story cliches in mind. AsHoist's Mars from The Planets drifted around theauditorium in the darkness, the cast shuffled on.The lights revealed the start of the scene; thePolice Inspector (Rupert Osborne) pointedhopefully at the floor: 'The corpse ... ' he stuttered.But there was no corpse. Hastily, the stage wasblackened once more as Mars was played, beingrewound; and the lights tried again.

Disasters befall the ultra-amateur cast fromevery direction: Majors (Nick Beattiers shirtsticking suggestively through his trousers, OliverD' Arcy (David Hoey) played incompetently fast;Hubert D' Arcy (Harry Steel) unable to rememberhis lines; lames (George Bunkall), the butler, in a

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ridiculous wig, holding the set together; aprompter (Mrs. Priscilla Horsey) dashing on-stagefrom time to time to cue actors and technicians,with the Inspector doing his best to keep the actionintelligible. The humour of the style lies in thecontrast between the grim struggle to keep the playgoing and the absurdity of the situation. But somuch of coarse acting depends on comic instinctand the realisation of what is funny and what isnot: when everyone is outrageous, nobody isfunny. Perhaps this is what had befallen the pieceby the end. To play the part of a bad actorconvincingly requires considerable acting talent;bad actors are exceptionally bad at coarse acting.George Bunkall played the butler particularlywell, with effective dimwittedness and sloth, andsupported the other roles well.

For the second of the plays, Jl Fornicazione, a'one act opera', the orchestra were unfortunatelyabsent: director Chris Hamon as conductorexcitedly led Mrs. Alison Tremewan on hertriangle through the score. As a brilliant parody ofoperatic style this was definitely the best of thethree plays. The story traces the affair of Alfonso(Charlie Brock) and the comely Countess (Claire

McEvoy), complete with trusty Maid (LucyBowditch), through the bi-tonal recitative of operaminus orchestra. The Countess poisons theCount's mushroom pie and he dies; the operaticintensity of the moment was explored by the teamof Attendants who chanted vociferously atappropriate points as an opera's Chorus might doin Verdi. But the Count somehow comes back tolife to continue his scripted part, demands to seehis widow's lover, and is thus reunited with hislong-lost son when this wish is granted. Alfonsothen kills the Countess to avenge his father'smurder, -realises he's killed his lover, and killshimself to be with them both. All in all, a normalsort of opera, really. Hearty performances allround and a good development of the parody ofopera gave this second play a quality which thefirst seemed to lack.

The third of the plays was Alls Well That EndsAs You Like It ('by Michael Green, from an idea byWilliam Shakespeare'). The director had the casttake this at a good pace which thankfully madesome of the (scripted) repetitive jokes less heart­wrenching. The plot was simple: the deposedDuke Frederigo (Oily Luard) wishes revenge onhis brother Bronchio (Will Russell) who hasusurped him. The snag is that Bronchio's daughterDelia (Henry May) is madly in love withFrederigo's son Dronio (Charlie Brock), and yetshe cannot see him for fear of execution by her

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father. But no fear: the good Friar Crucible (HarryLucas) and Nurse Dracula (Fergus Thompson, be­breasted with really quite large balloons of whichthe Nurse is exceptionally proud) hatch a plan forthe young lovers to meet in the forest. This theydo, and all looks well - but the evil BronchlOarrives with an army. A fight ensues, but the forestgod Pan (Simon Kene), attempting (and failing) tofly, dispenses forest magic on the situation and allhatreds are forgotten. And everybody lives happilyever after.

The acting was generally good and oftenexcellent, and the cast made a good attempt atparodying the elements of the fairly averageamateur company's production of a Shakespeareplay. The Shakespearian clown (George May asTesticulo, kitted out with an enormous weapon­like phallus) and the stock fight scene of amateurShakespeare both had a showing. There was eventhe unfortunate actor with five parts - and notquite enough time to change costume betweenroles (Ed Worthington as Mud, Grot, Lute Player,Bolio and Messenger).

The Three Plays made for an enjoyableevening's entertainment for a well-filled PowellTheatre. And thankfully the cast did not end upmaking a parody of their own production. Not toomuch, anyway.

Andrew Morley-Smith

Sherborne SchoolMusical Society Concert

Messiah

'Handel is the master of us all.'Joseph Haydn

Walking from the bus and rounding the corner,we were faced by one of the unique sights withwhich British Christianity has confronted Europe,the West Front of the cathedral, no dominant toweror spire, row upon row of sculpture, tactfullyfloodlit: and inside, the white splendour of Wells,brilliantly lit and containing at the east end theMus Sac chorus, spread well out and lookingreasonably comfortable, some even rejoicing inthe hope of being able to see their conductor, whenthings got started; all of this is not what a halfcentury of Mus Soc had led me to expect. Therehad been several Messiahs in that time; an incidentin one of them has remained with me as arevelation of the heroic attitude required of thechorus singers; in the Abbey, at ground level asusual and so unable to enjoy a view of the man incharge owing to the abominable number offemales in front of him, a boy had got up on achair; he was a fairly hefty boy and he really tookto Handel, especially the loud bits. When theHallelujah Chorus arrived, he hurled himself andall he had into it, soul and especially body, leapingabout on the restricted space of chair seat; butwhen the inevitable happened and he missed hisfooting and crashed to the ground, entangled withthe chair, the rigid discipline held; no one rushedto his aid, no counsellor from the Social Servicesobtruded himself, the Hallelujahs continuedunbroken and in a moment he was himself back onhis chair contributing his bit turta la forza. He isprobably a comfortable father of five now, and youmay like to guess what House he was in then.

The numbers in the choir seemed, as usual,comfortably large. And the audience were piling inin satisfactory numbers. In the eighteenth,nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries, Englandwas obsessed by Oratorio, which was to a largeextent invented by Handel. The Messiah wasgiven in 1784 in Westminster Abbey to mark the25th anniversary of his death; in his account of thisperformance Charles Burney, the musicalhistorian, wrote: 'I have long been watching theoperations of good music on the sensibility ofmankind but never remember, in any part ofEurope where I attended musical exhibitions, inthe Church, Theatre or Chamber, to have observedso much curiosity excited, attention bestowed or

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satisfaction glow in the countenances of thosepresent, as on this occasion'. And enthusiasm forthe Messiah remained undimmed throughout thenineteenth century. In 1857 a choir of 2000 and anorchestra of 500 performed it to 48,000 people inthe Crystal Palace. In 1859 an audience of morethan 81,000 attended three concerts there tocelebrate the centenary of Handel's death. Everythree years the London Handel Festival had achorus of 4000 mostly amateur singers comingfrom every part of the country to perform to87,000 people. At Wells in 2001 the chorus and theaudience were doing their modest best to fill theavailable space in the Cathedral and so keep up thetradition, but it was at once clear that the orchestrawas unaware of the need to fill all the spacebetween choir and audience. A mere twenty-threeplayers were to take the place of the 500 in 1857;and to the true music lovers among us it was soonobvious that the reason for this reduction must bemore than the need to save money, (though theneed to raise money was obvious throughout theprogramme). On the front of the programme theorchestra was described as 'Baroque', suggestinga special treat, or perhaps that in Handel's day theforces he expected would be far fewer than thoseof the nineteenth century (and sometimes later)and that we should follow this in our day.Certainly the balance between orchestra and solosingers was unstrained, allowing great clarity ineach part. The arrival of the rather morethunderous chorus produced a different effect andone that Handel might have welcomed, so that wehad the best of both worlds. But it was noticeableand especially creditable that the chorus was ableto produce subtler effects than would have beenpossible with larger orchestral sound - for instancethe quiet choral start of the huge final Amen. Onthe other hand though, the orchestral introductionto Behold the Lamb of God, with its dotted notesand the power of the choral entry, seemed weak.The chorus had trained themselves well (perhapsthat should be 'had been trained') through thewinter up to the various demands that Handelmakes of them - the dance rhythms of 0 Thou thattellest good tidings to Zion and For unto us a childis born, the thunder of Surely he hath borne ourgriefs and the triumphant rejoicing of theHallelujah.

And so to the soloists; and about time too. Theladies were on my side of the Cathedral and so

conveyed more immediacy than the gentlemen onthe other side of the conductor. Emma Kirkby isprobably the best known of the four singers; afterall she has been president of the ClassicalAssociation, the natural result of reading Classicsat Sherborne School for Girls and at Oxford and apost of great prestige. The clear, pure, bell-likesound of her voice is well-known in a huge rangeof music from Hildegard of Bingen to theeighteenth century; she is, to those of us who wentto wartime concerts in Manchester in a circus-ringsmelling of elephants, the Isobel Baillie of herday; we will not now forget Miss Baillie nor MissKirkby, we who were going to concerts then. Onthis evening she put an inspiring imaginativeexcitement into her music; this was not just themusic we all know, it was new and refreshed. Thisenthusiasm was reflected by the contralto, Louiselnnes, a most attractive voice with a true sense ofwhat she was singing about. Although the twomale soloists were further away from our part ofthe audience and so, through no fault of their own,

did not sweep us away to the same extent, theywere very much more than adequate throughoutthe evening and were never merely singing. A finequartet, much appreciated. (1 did however feel thatthe famous start of the tenor's Comfort ye mypeople seemed too loud and too confident for avoice calling on a people exhausted by war andguilt and needing sympathy.)

Do we tend to take Mr. Ellis too calmly? 1 wassorry that the music telling of the shepherds on thehillside was very much shortened; the mystery andsense of the tremendous behind the scenes is realHandel. But as us·ual when one has voiced one'slittle grievance, he was entirely reliable and farmore than that; you know that you are going to getyour money's worth when he raises his arms andsmiles. The Messiah was not the only very notablemusic which he was conducting this year;Stravinsky and Bruckner were to get his attentionin March and much more. And next year it will beGerontius again. And what else is there to ask for?

R.S.G.

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Sherborne Schools' OrchestraTour to The Czech Republic

On Sunday Ist June at lunchtime we boardedour two coaches and, amid general excitement andgood spirits, started our marathon journey toEastern Europe. For some obscure reason we hadbeen separated into a boys' coach and a girls'coach. We made an early evening crossing of theChannel and then drove, with only a few stops, tothe Czech border where we were held up for quitesome time, before being allowed to travel on toPlzen where we stopped to sample some typicalCzech cuisine at Tesco's! The boys' coach arrivedroughly on time whilst the girls' coach(typically ...) &ot hopelessly lost and arrived atUherske Hradistse well after 8.00 p.m.

After breakfast on Tuesday we embarked onour journey to Hradec, this time being allowed tochoose our coaches. Obviously Mr. Jenkins andMr. ElIis believed we could control ourselves forsuch a short journey. On the way to the venue therewas a proper opportunity to take in some of thespectacular scenery of the Czech Republic as weheaded up the mountains. The landscape is verydifferent from England's rolling green hills, withgreat swathes of forest hugging the sides of hillsand mountains in the higher areas and huge,expansive open plains in the lower regions. Wewere destined for a castle on the top of one ofthese hills which was where our concert venuewas. It also had a lot of musical associations.Whilst we were there we also visited an interestingart exhibition. Unfortunately at the concert onlyten people turned up and, owing to some boysleaving their concert dress on the coach, theconcert turned into more of a rehearsal. We thenhad supper in the castle restaurant which turnedout to be chicken and cheese. Once back at thehotel, some of us went out to try and soak in someof the local culture and atmosphere of UherskeHradistse and after some investigation found thatthe town, although quiet, had a lot to offer!

On Wednesday the weather was glorious, withplenty of sunshine and so our visit to castle atBuchlovice was very enjoyable. We were able toexplore the impressive gardens before being takenon a short tour of the castle in which we were toldabout its substantial history, as well as being ableto see some exceptionally ornate furniture andwonderful eighteenth century paintings. After thiswe then crossed the Slovak border to get to ourconcert venue in Teplice which turned out to be aspa town with lots of holidaymakers. Here theconcert was extremely well attended and theaudience were very enthusiastic, especially

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enjoying Kol Nidrei by Bruch and the Dvor.ik'sSlavonic dance. Supper was surprisingly . . .chicken and cheese again. But perhaps no oneminded after Tom Bridegroom's rendition of theAmerican National Anthem on the way back in thecoach!

On Thursday some of the orchestra went to visitthe Bishop's Palace at Kromel-iz while the reststayed behind in Uherske Hradistse due to beingso exhausted from the previous night's exertions!In the afternoon the orchestra played in anotherspa town. The concert was again very successful inwhich Schumann's Piano Concerto was playedbeautifully by Chloe Loo to a very appreciativeaudience. Once again we were greeted by a supperof ... chicken and cheese! A conspiracy?

On Friday, nearing the end of the tour, we wereuprooted from the familiarity of UherskeHradistse and set off for Brno which is the secondlargest city in the Czech Republic. Once wearrived we were given a guided tour of the town,allowing us to see some spectacular architecture.After this most people sought out the sanctuary ofMcDonalds to get some respite from the heat andchicken and cheese. The concert was held in abeautiful church but the acoustic did not lend itselfto the size and volume of the SymphonyOrchestra, although the Haydn Trumpet Concertomade a good impression on the audience. After theconcert we continued to Prague where we arrivedat about 11.30 p.m.

Saturday turned out to be the hottest day yet,with temperatures in the nineties! Nevertheless weset out in the morning to do some sightseeing.Prague has a rich architectural heritage that dates tothe Ninth Century, but by far the most impressivebuilding we visited was Prague Castle situated rightin the heart of the old part of the city. It was with thecastle as a backdrop that we played in our lastconcert, in searing temperatures, in the castlegardens. The Haydn Trumpet Concerto was againvery popular as well as the Dvohik Slavonic Dance,but the concert was shorter than the others owing tothe extremely punishing conditions we wereplaying under! Afterwards, group photos weretaken before we were free to shop and sightsee.

Some of us took the opportunity to hire apedalo to navigate the River Elbe, whilst othersdared to have boa constrictor snakes put roundtheir necks! We met again late in the evening at ariverside restaurant where once again we weregreeted by chicken and cheese! It had becomesomething of a pattern. In the first break in the

fantastic weather we'd had up to this point, our mealwas accompanied by the most almightythunderstorm. It was therefore with some reservationthat we left the relative sanctuary of the restaurantand ventured out into the driving rain scantily clad inshorts and t-shirts! We made our way (quickly!) tothe Prague metro and after a short journey wetrudged through the mire before reaching the hotel.Good spirits were revived, though, in the hotel barwith some particularly energetic dancing to BritneySpears, before most people returned to a room tosleep! No one, however, missed Tom Bridegroom'srousing and 'passionate' speeches in the early hoursof the morning!

Sunday was free for rest and recuperationbefore everyone met for an afternoon boat tripwhich was declared by the staff to be 'on thehouse' because we'd behaved so well! Then afterour last meal (which wasn't chicken and cheese)we embarked on the long journey back.

On Monday we had to make a slight deviationto Stuttgart airport to drop off Luise Breyer, before

travelling on to Calais where the boys' coach(again ....) left behind the girls. Had it not been forsome luck the coaches would have ended up ondjfferent ferries which would have been illegal!Two boys (who shall remain nameless) almostmanaged to get left at Dover as well! Althoughwhen we got back to Sherborne we were all verytired, everybody had had a fantastic time and tookaway some fond memories!

Many thanks must go to all the music staff fromall three Sherborne schools for making the tripsuch a success, and for being so tolerant andhelpful. Special thanks must go to Mr. ElIis andMr. Jenkins who did so much of the organisationfor the tour. Without their tireless efforts beforeand during the tour the trip wouldn't have gonenearly so well. Personally it was certainly one ofthe best trips I have ever been on. Culturally,musically, and socially it was superb. I very muchlook forward to the next one!

James Leakey

Commemoration Music 2001Once again there was a feast of music to be

enjoyed by those who attended Commemoration.If there was a general sense that fewer parents thanusual were visiting Sherborne, then this wasconfirmed by the audiences at concerts, whichwere noticeably smaller than in other years. Thedecision by Sherborne School for Girls also tohold their Commemoration over the final weekendshould have guaranteed a larger than usualaudjence at Friday evening's orchestral concert.How many schools, I wonder, can boast asymphony orchestra of the standard to which, inrecent years, we have all become accustomed andwhich can offer a full and wide-rangingprogramme, bringing together the combinedtalents of our three schools? What a pity, then, thatso few - no more than two hundred - heard thisyear's musical fare, predominantly of thenineteenth century, but with a twentieth centuryconcerto thrown in for good measure. The fact thatthree of the works were concertos is testament tothe depth of talent which Sherborne music can callupon. Only a few months earlier, the orchestra hadmade its third visit to St. John's, Smith Square,London, where it gave another fine performance.Much of the music which was played then wasrepeated on the Friday evening ofCommemoration.

Cloe Loo (S.S.G.) played the first movement ofthe Schumann Piano Concerto on the SteinwayGrand which she had grown to love during theweeks she visited the BSR in order to practise.

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Those familiar with the work will know of itsmany technical challenges, not least for theorchestra, and the audience's enthusiastic reactionjustified the many hours of rehearsal which hadpreceded the concert. Cloe is surely one of themost accomplished pianists to have come out ofSherborne School for Girls in recent years and herdiminutive form belied the power and strength ofcharacter which marked her convincing and

imaginative performance. While not as technicallysecure as in her previous performance at St.John's, her playing nevertheless revealed greatwarmth, particularly during the first movement'slyrical second subject.

Emily Walker, also from S.S.G., took to theplatform next and showed two very different sidesto her musical character, (one sensitive, the otherpassionate) in the beautiful Kol Nidrei by MaxBruch. From the first bars, her playingimmediately caught the music's Jewish spirit witha wonderful resonance of tone and beautiful senseof phrase. The orchestra too, under the expertguidance of John Jenkins, matched Emily's visionof this work and produced a good range ofdynamic, the strings, especially fine this year,excelling in their controlled playing.

Those in the audience who had made thejourney to London in March will have recalled thefact that Chris Verney had then been unwell andunable to perform the Gordon Jacob TromboneConcerto. Now, fully recovered and fresh from hisA levels (he achieved three A grades), thoughundoubtedly somewhat shell-shocked from thatwhole experience, he somehow found the energyto take to the stage for a performance of thecomplete work. Unlike some concertos, where theorchestra is present mainly as support to thesoloist's pyrotechnics, this concerto often throwsthe spotlight on the different sections of theorchestra itself and allows them to show off a little

themselves. The orchestration in this work isparticularly colourful and woodwind and brasswere able to come into their own, this time underthe baton of Paul Ellis. As any wind or brassplayer will testify, you need a tremendous amountof stamina and only the fully fit will survive.Perhaps Chris's prowess on the sports field mayhave played some part in helping him easily toovercome the numerous physical challengeswhich the concerto presented, for he seemed totake them in his stride, making light work of thecadenzas which intersperse the first and thirdmovements, showing a fine range of tone, andproving that brass players in fact can play quietly.

The Scherzo from Tchaikovsky's SecondSymphony, aptly nicknamed the Little Russian,and one of the more well-known Slavonic Dancesby Dvorak, finally allowed the orchestra to comeinto its own and elicited from the audience adeservedly warm reception. Less than forty-eighthours later, the orchestra set off in two coaches ona tour of the Czech Republic, the first of its kind,and long overdue.

Earlier in the day the Abbey had once againresounded to the varied sounds of the ChamberOrchestra, the Brass Ensemble and ChamberChoir, which also included soprano and alto voicesfrom St. Antony's Leweston. The fanfare whichopened the concert was written for 'a dignifiedoccasion' and the scaffolding tower, which cast itsshadow over the performers and audience alike,

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certainly added something extra this year. TheSonata pian e forte by Giovanni Gabrieli is oneof the first works to include performancedirections and the Abbey's acoustic contributedenormously to the engaging performance by thetwo contrasted groups of brass. Next, theChamber Choir, under the direction of Jane Stein,with only a week to go before her well-earnedretirement, produced a characteristically freshapproach to one of Mozart's early masses. TheSpatzen or Sparrow Mass lacks the rhythmicvitality and melodic interest of many of Haydn'ssmaller scale mass settings, though theperformance brought out some of the richerharmonic subtleties characteristic of the youthfulMozart. The accompaniment was provided, notby orchestra this year, but by the imaginativerealization on the organ by John Padley, whoplayed no small part in helping to keep a tightrein on the ensemble.

To conclude, the Chamber Orchestra,accompanying at various stages no fewer than foursoloists, presented a programme of works byTelemann, John Williams (Jaws, Star Wars, E1)and the perennial Vivaldi, whose Concerto in Gminor for two 'cellos received an interpretationwhich was suitably spirited, if, for this reviewer atleast, a little romantic in its style of performance.The theme from the film Schindler's List had beenarranged for this orchestra by Richard Kershaw,whose own experience as a 'cellist provedinvaluable, as his choice of scoring for solo violinand divided strings clearly showed. The soloistwas the orchestra's leader, Giles Male, and hismusical imagination was allowed full rein in thewonderful long-breathed melodies which revealeda warmth of tone and good intonation, save for afew lapses in the highest register. For the firstitem, the resident conductor, Ian Davies, hadallowed two of his proteges to take centre stage,one as soloist, the other as conductor, inTelemann's Concerto for viola in G minor.Acknowledged as the most prolific composer ofany age, this relatively minor figure of theBaroque era has, in recent times, benefited from ahuge resurgence of interest from scholars andperformers alike. While the concerto in questionhas relatively little to recommend it, there aremany other excellent and fascinating works whichreveal a fecundity of ideas. They have untilrecently been largely ignored, owing undoubtedlyto the rather simplistic viewpoint that someonewho has written so much cannot have producedanything other than poor and uninspired work.This criticism is certainly true of, say, Salieri,whose only claim to fame was to have been the

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person who, until recently at any rate, had beenclosely linked with the untimely death of oneWolfgang Amadeus. (Now, it turns out, it was alocal Viennese butcher who played a larger part inprocuring an early death for Mozart.

The Saturday is traditionally given over to theCommem. Service, Speeches, House Lunches andsleep-inducing hospitality - particularly if one isfortunate enough to be entertained chez Wallace.Whatever the weather, but especially when it'swarm and soporific, the Chamber Concert usuallyplays (eventually) to a large and appreciativegathering of music lovers. This year wasexceptional in that the numbers attending were(throughout) depressingly small, though theperformances were, as usual, exemplary, due in nosmall measure to the careful preparation of eachitem by Jenny Coultas. The music on offer was asvaried as ever and included music by Bach,Chopin, Schumann, Handel, Sondheim andWieniawski.

Come tea time, many had emerged and taken upresidence in the gardens adjacent to the NewMusic School, where they continued to eat anddrink, whilst being entertained by Barbershop, allmanner of percussion, trumpets, and bands ofvarious kinds. All in all, a fitting end to Commem.2001!

PC.E.

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Chapel Choir Tour to Italy

The prospect of a 4.00 a.m. start daunted mostof the party of thirty boys, staff, wives and friends,yet the now traditional BBQ, or 'How to feedthirty people as cheaply as possible', went aheadand some managed to find the energy to stayawake all night. This bravado did not last long,since it soon became apparent who had beenfoolish enough to do so as they snored on the Goflight from Bristol to Rome. We were off on ourfifth Choir Tour!

We had been booked in to Rome Youth Hostelfor three nights and everyone soon came to termswith this arrangement and the complexities of theRome transport system! One exception wasGordon Scott, who at midnight nobly ran from St.Peter's to the hostel in order to beat the curfew.The Youth Hostel was built to house the athletesfor the Rome Olympics and it still had thedistinctive smell of changing rooms. Suffering forone's sport is very honourable but we were herefor music and a few gags! Some of us almost leftthe hostel in disgust in order to find moresalubrious surroundings, especially when weawoke in the morning to find an illegal immigrantin one of the beds next to us! Needless to say,GB-E quickly summoned the Carabinieri and theday was saved.

Our first engagement, a great honour, was tosing Mass at St. Peter's Rome. We arrived half anhour before the Mass, managing to get past themafia-style security, but were not allowed torehearse and had to leap blindly in and hope for

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the best. With a little guidance from three tenors(local shopkeepers who seemed to be the St.Peter's choir), we got through it and sang in all theright places. The service went extremely well,thanks to the skill of the Choir and itsaccompanist, David Bednall, who mastered St.Peter's organ in seconds, which was all he wasallowed! Our closing anthem was Balfour­Gardner's Evening Hymn which took advantage ofthe amazing acoustics. This certainly was anoccasion that we would all remember because ofthe sheer scale of the building and being part of aservice in probably tbe most important Christianbuilding in the world.

Our next venue was San Marcello del Corsa, avery fine church quite close to the Pantheon.Again, we were fortunate in having a wonderfulacoustic, organ, and an enthusiastic audience. Ourrepertoire ranged from Byrd to Stravinsky. Mostconcerts in Italy start at 9.00p.m. (if you are lucky)so by 11.00p.m. our only recourse was to raid thelocal McDonald's in search of something'wholesome' .

After three days in Rome we were all quiterelieved to leave the heat and mosquitoes (or werethey fleas?) Yes, the hostel was that bad! Weswiftly swished north to the magical hilltop townof Cortona. We travelled in three minibuses buteven the Italians had problems keeping up withPMR and his severe lack of lane discipline on theautostrada. We had no idea that the streets ofCortona were all about as narrow as the entrance

to George Street in Sherborne. This caused someinteresting manoeuvres, and lOW felt carsick onone particularly steep and narrow hill (we wereonly doing 5 mph!) but, hopefully, the minibusclutches survived!

The views from Cortona are fantastic and thetown is beautiful. The Cathedral very kindlyallowed us to sing Mass for them and to give ashort recital. Our repertoire of Palestrina and Lottiwas absolutely right for the surroundings.Performing these composers' works in suchmagnificent buildings really does bring them alive.

From Cortona, we travelled to Assisi for aconcert in the first cathedral of Santa MariaMaggiore. The splendid sight as we drove towardsAssisi made a lasting impression on all of us. Thetown itself has recovered very quickly from thedevastating earthquake and the restoration hasbeen done extremely well and with great care. Ourconcert was again at 9.00p.m. and there was asmall but appreciative audience. One of the thingsabout touring is that the venues and organs areunknown factors and this was no exception. I hadincluded in the programme a first performance ofa work by Denis Bedard for flute and organ.Andrew Westwood played the flute part extremelywell, accompanied by myself and David Bednallin a hastily adapted duet version, as the pedals onthe organ were unfathomable!

Our last venue was a small village calledRadicondoli near Siena. We had sung here last

year and they had invited us back again.Radicondoli cannot be much bigger thanYetminster. However it manages to stage a full­blown Music and Arts Festival for two months inthe summer! A music school is also to be openedby a Swiss music foundation, to teach localchildren to play instruments, including the organin the local church. Music education at school inItaly is deficient, so this should be an enormousbonus for all involved. The church was packed forthe concert and the choir's performance wasexcellent, spurred on by the enthusiasm of theaudience. Again, we won't in a hurry forget thisconcert and also possibly some of the best pizzawe have had ever tasted!

Our final day had arrived and some of us, as'kindly' arranged by PMR, returned to thecathedral in Cortona to sing 8.00 a.m. Mass for theFeast of the Assumption. We did wonder why wehad agreed to do this at this early hour, especiallyafter having had to sit through a half-hour sermonin Italian! After this, even Paul Ryan could notcope with the compliments that he received!

Our return to the UK was tinged with somesadness, not only at leaving such wonderfulcountryside, but also because it was time to saygoodbye to many leavers, both staff and boys, asthey go on to new challenges. My thanks go to allinvolved in the tour and I look forward to the nextone.

l.P.

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Sherborne ConcertsOnce again Sherborne has been lucky enough to

welcome some of the country's finest musicians inthe 2000-2001 season of Sherborne Concerts heldin the Big School Room. Among them, we heardthe Gaudier Ensemble in February and theirpresence was most definitely appreciated from thevery opening of the concert. The evening beganwith an early work of Mozart (written when he wasonly sixteen), the Divertimento for Strings in D,K.136. The sense of ensemble was outstanding;their ftrst chord emerged as if played on a singleinstrument with perfect intonation and togetherness.The next item was indeed a great contrast: the Octetfor Wind and Strings by the French pianist andcomposer Jean Francaix, written in 1972, delightedthe audience with its characteristically jocosenature, created through a combination ofmeticulous dynamics and articulation. Of particularinterest here was the beauty of tone produced by theclarinettist Richard Hosford (an Old Shirburnian),whose technical agility and musicality were ftrst­rate. The second half began with perhaps one ofBeethoven's most popular chamber works: theSeptet in E flat, op.20. The ensemble managed tobring out the composer's intentions fully with a richand mellow quality of sound whilst retaining thelight-hearted moods more akin to Mozart'sDivertimento. The Ensemble members' vast wealthof experience across other musical genres is alwaysapparent in their playing, from their ability tointerpret the music by promoting the variety oftextures from the string quartet in the Tempo dimenuetto of the Beethoven, to the almost orchestralstyle of the Francaix. A thoroughly excellent andenjoyable recital.

The Gould Piano Trio gave the next concertheld in the Lent term. I am qualifted here to deliver

a whole new perspective on this particular concert,since on arrival I was asked to turn pages for thepianist Benjamin Frith. Sitting next to one of theperformers enabled me to gain a true picture ofjust how much effort had gone into theperformance, even though to the unsuspectingaudience it seemed almost effortless. The concertbegan with Beethoven's Variations on WenzelMuller's song [ch bin der Schneider Kakadu,(op.12l a). The instrumentalists here managed tocapture the genius of Beethoven's inventivenesswith Muller's trivial theme so that each of the tenvariations searnlessly emerged from the previous.The second item was Ravel's Trio in A minor,arguably one of his greatest and most challengingchamber compositions. The Trio conveyed all ofRavel's subtle nuances and delicate themes withthe utmost degree of dexterity - from my point ofview, every page was awash with black plus theaddition of the odd extra stave to imprison thesheer volume of notes! Beyond all this, the mostrefreshing part of their playing was the emotionthey conveyed and the enjoyment they wereevidently experiencing in performing the music.After the interval came Dvorak's Trio in E Minoror Dumky Trio, op.90. The composer's love ofCzech folk music is very much apparent here; theDumka is a form of folk music originating inRussia in which the mood alternates betweenextreme melancholy and vivacity, a feelingmasterfully portrayed in the Trio and superblyconveyed by the performers. In all it was yetanother thoroughly professional and admirablerecital (even if slightly nerve-racking for some!).

Chris Stripp

Concert in The Courts'All's well that ends well'

We started the summer term full of optimism asour band Fictoan (consisting of Kennerdeigh Scotton guitar, Simon Hayden on bass, NareshVerlander on drums, and Ben Massey on vocals),had an audition for the much anticipated Concertin The Courts. We knew this concert would be farbigger than any of us had ever experienced, withan estimated one thousand people coming fromSherborne School, the Girls' School, St. Antony'sand The International College. And there was to bea large sound system to boot!

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The previous term, we had originally missedthe 'cut' during preliminary auditions, but, aftermuch pestering, we persuaded the event organiser,Mr. Briere-Edney, to give us a second auditionslot. We all practised eagerly over the holidays inanticipation of becoming superstars for the nightand all the glory and glamour associated with suchan event.

When the beginning of the summer termarrived, we were told that our audition was thefirst Wednesday of term and that our practice slots

were already organised. We started practising assoon as we could and our chosen songs began totake shape. When the day of the audition came, weall strolled into the RocSoc room to meet ourdestiny! We tried not to show it, but we werefeeling nervous. Our chances weren't great, andwe knew we would have to play outstandingly tobe given a set on the main bill. We started with mypersonal favourite, Vietnam by RATU, which wentwell. The next songs Butterfly, House ofthe RisingSun (adapted) and Know Your Enemy all wentperfectly. We were full of hope and we now felt wehad a great chance.

It was the fact that our audition went so wellthat the news that we had not made it came as sucha shock to us. We were all devastated, but alsoangry. Why? Later we found out that Hockey Tourboys and RocSoc leavers had been given prioritybefore we started, so effectively we had littlechance even before we set foot in the auditionroom! I felt hurt and angry and a feeling ofrejection was at the core of this. How couldmonths of hard work be blown up in a minute?

The Friday before the event, I received a phonecall from Andrew Morley-Smith, to say that wewere on stand-by to play, as 'The Company' werethreatening to pull out. It was probablydesperation more than anything that built up myhopes but I was soon to be knocked down again; acouple of hours later, 'The Company' decided they

were going to play. I was then told that CharlieGammell had damaged a finger and that his band'Touchwood', for whom he plays guitar, mighthave to pull out. Once again, my emotions wentsky high, but once again we were downcast. Thescale of the injury had been exaggerated. It wasonly a minor graze!

By now, I was feeling thoroughly annoyed,upset, and angry but, after deciding sabotagewasn't the best option, set about working out thetime arrangements to see if a free slot could befound, even if only for five minutes!

By the day of the concert, and after muchthinking, we worked out that fifteen minutes couldbe saved and so we decided to approach Mr.Briere-Edney. We sprinted to his room and askedhim about it. After a brief chat, he agreed to let usplay! We were delirious and all our hopes and joysnow met as one at the prospect of playing thatnight. A hastily arranged sound check was done. Itwent well and so it was only a matter of waitingfor the main event.

The concert itself was awesome. We had ourfifteen minute slot and managed to play threesongs; Break Stuff by Limp Bizkit, Know yourEnemy by RATU, and Dead Cell by Papa Roach.The crowd response was great, and the rejectionand despair that I had felt earlier only helped tomake the experience even more enjoyable!

Ben Massey

45

RocSocThis year, members of RocSoc have been lucky

to perform in a number of concerts which have allbeen a great success. This is thanks to capablebands, receptive audiences, and all the hard workthat comes from the members of the crew behindthe scenes.

Two talented bands leave us at the end of thisyear. The Company have played a wide range ofmusic and have been always very entertaining onstage. Red Shift have played predominantlyclassic rock and indie songs to which audienceshave responded. It is a shame that both these bandsare leaving, but, at the same time, new bands areforming and last year saw the first performance bya girl band. The range of music now being playedis steadily growing in diversity.

Thanks must go to Andrew Morley-Smith andMr. Skinner who do so much behind the scenesand without whom RocSoc concerts would not goahead.

Ed Westropp

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46

Interview with the Headmasterby James Watson

Q Headmaster, what are the main differencesbetween Sherbome and Winchester?

A Wel1, I think in many ways there are moresimilarities than there are differences. I feel Ishould mention the similarities first. Sherbomeand Winchester are both ancient towns, with anabbey in one and a cathedral in the other, andthey are both socially similar. The schools areboth primarily academic. But there are threedifferences. First, the Houses at Winchester aremuch more like little baronies on their own,mainly because of the eating arrangements, foreach House eats in its own house rather thancentrally. So that's a very important difference.And that, actually, is rather added to by the fact

49

that the school at Winchester never meetstogether. It doesn't feel like a community inquite the same way as this School does,because there's no building in which you canget the whole School together so life seemsmore disparate and diffuse at Winchester. Here,there's a bit more of a corporate spirit. And thethird difference is that at Winchester there's avery strong General Studies programmethroughout the School which is cal1ed Division,or Div, where everyone does History andEnglish and Current Affairs in general, inaddition to their other subjects, so you might bedoing four or even five AS's but you still do afull Div programme, without an exam at theend. And it's taken very seriously - in some

ways more seriously than the public exams ­and that is different and it's something that veryfew other schools are able to do. It's notsomething that we could import here, sadly. It'svery important for those who do it, but I don'tthink it's possible for many schools to do it.

Q What changes have you made to the School andwhat plans do you have for the future?

A I don't think I've made many changes. I'vebeen here only just over a year and I've spentmost of that time observing and consulting andtrying to find out how the place works and oneof the things I particularly want is, if there areto be changes - and there may well be changesmore of emphasis than anything very radical ­that everyone, particularly the staff, should bebehind me. There's no point in trying tointroduce changes for the sake of it andespecially not if people who know the Schoolmuch better than I do and have lived throughmany periods of its existence believe that thosechanges won't be for anyone's good, or not formany people's good, and so I certainly am notcoming in to change the School in a huge way.There are one or two things that no doubt weneed to change and every school has to moveforward. It can't stand still whilst the worldchanges. Certain things are unchangeable andthose things one holds on to very dearly. Thereare traditions of any school which areworthwhile, but tradition in itself isn't veryimportant if that tradition is in any wayharmful. But I perceive the balance of theSchool, say, between extra-curricular activitiesand the academic side - about the emphasis onpastoral care and so on to be about right as Ifound it. It's a tremendous school now andwhat we need to do is just make it even better.So plans for the future will depend a good dealon raising the School to an economic plateauand a position where we can afford to do someof the things that we would like to. At themoment it's quite difficult to afford to do all thethings one would like to do, without raising thefees to a level that would be unacceptable. Butthere are certain development plans which arebeing taken forward and the CarringtonBuilding is going to be very much at the centreof those with a new Art School moving in inJanuary. I hope it will be a very exciting spaceand be a sign of the value which we place onthe Arts as a school. Then there'lI be a move toenhance the School's music and its drama.Similarly, on the Sports side, the facilities willbe upgraded as we go along and can afford it.So, those are the kind of changes - but I don'twant to change the School from something

50

that's going well into something very different.[ want just to continue what's been going onand to improve it.

Q Are you still concerned about bullying?

A I think every head teacher is concerned aboutbullying, just as anybody who runs a battalionor an office should be concerned aboutbullying, because these things happen. It's aquestion of how one deals with bullying thatreally matters and to make clear the attitude ofthe School towards it. And [ hope we've donethat.

Q How do you think the boys' attitude to bullyinghas changed? How would you want to changeit?

A I suspect that Shirburnians as a wholedisapprove thoroughly of bullying and alwayshave done. But maybe the definition ofbullying has changed somewhat over the yearsand, whilst physical bullying has always beenunderstood as bullying, I think the teasing,name-calling and so on, can spill over intobullying very easily. The problem is that somepeople feel that what they are saying to anindividual, or group of individuals, issomething that they ought to be able to copewith but they are not always in the best positionto judge. And so we try to define bullyingrather more precisely and to make that clearer.And it's not new; this has been going on forsome years but we've put a particular effortinto that this year and I don't particularly wantto change anything we've done so far. I thinkthat what I've tried to say about bullying issomething that, if you talk to any thinkingindividual, he'll agree with. I believepassionately that no boy, or pupil at this School,should be in fear of another pupil or member ofstaff at any stage, and that everyone should feelsafe and secure to pursue their interests. If, insome way, their life is made unhappy then Iregard that, in a way, as the most dangerousthing of all and I don't feel that the School isdoing its job if it's not anxious at all times tomake that situation as unlikely as possible.

Q Is the School's policy still dead against co­education, and are you personally?

A ['m not sure there is a school policy on this. Asit's a single-sex school it provides somethingwhich parents want. But the great advantage ofSherborne as opposed to other single-sex boys'schools is that we have two girls' schoolsnearby with whom we co-operate in variousways. Co-education itself is one way ofeducating teenagers and there are lots of

schools which offer it. What we do issomething just slightly different and we believethat the combination of single-sex withconsiderable links with girls' schools is avaluable one and one that parents seem to like.I'm not opposed to co-education at all but Ithink' for Sherborne, certainly for the timebeing, it's not the right way forward.

Q Will the School's approach to AS levels changeafter the first year?

A AS levels are still very much under review.There has already been one government reviewof it in June which was extremely sensible. Itsays that there were problems in setting it up inthe first year, which we all acknowledge, butthat it can be made to work as a system. What Ibelieve is: a) we've got to wait for the next partof the report, which comes out in December200 I, to see what proposals the governmentmake and b) to make the most of these examsand to be positive about them rather than purelynegative. I think that if we're flexible andimaginative in our approach to public examswe can make them work for us, rather than seethem as a rod for our back. The school'sapproach will change in the sense that it willbe flexible. But it's unlikely that there willbe a great deal of change this year and it willdepend on nationwide changes in policies

51

as much as the way in which we respond to them.I think a lot of exaggerated responses werefeatured in the press during the summer. Therewere problems in this first year and we knew therewould be, but if you read the papers and believedeverything that was said in them you'd reckon thatmost schools have ground to a halt, whichcertainly they haven't. It's a matter of how we treatthe AS levels and how we make them adapt to thethings in education that we really believe in, whichis not just examining. Examining is just a part ofit.

Q How would you like to develop sport at theSchool?

A Well, I think sport is a very important part ofSherborne, as it is in many schools, but I thinkit's particularly important here alongsideeverything else - and I believe that what wewant is for people to develop themselves,physically as well as in other ways, to the bestof their ability. So there are two importantstrands to this: to make sure that everyone hasthe opportunity to take as much exercise aspossible, because that's important to them, andthat there are enough opportunities for sport foreveryone; and to pursue excellence. Noteveryone can be excellent at sport, just as theycan't necessarily be excellent at music oracademically, but everyone can try their best.

I'd like to see the development of facilitieswhich will help to improve our sport both interms of opportunity and results, and also tocontinue to employ top-quality coaches and toencourage some really good athletes to comeinto the Third Form, which will help to boostthe standing of our very top teams.

Q Do Shirburnians drink too much?

A Some no doubt do; some probably don't drinkat all. I think the problem is a much wider onethan one peculiar to Sherbome. I think it is apity that British teenage culture regardsdrinking - and very often drinking to excess ­as a normal part of teenage life. It's not true ofthe Continent. And it's not true of many othercountries. That attitude isn't a very positivedevelopment. It's occurred over the last twentyyears, I suppose, and it's something that needsto be watched very carefully. I think thatalcohol needs to be treated with care and peopleneed to be educated in its effects, including itsbenefits. But, it's something we have to be verycareful about with regard to the law, since it'squite clear that anybody under the age of 18 isin a very different category from those who areover 18. Drinking is a matter which is ofconcern to virtually every school in the country.I couldn't possibly give a general answer tothis. I think it's more a question of whetherteenagers drink too much. Some do and somedon't.

Q Do you have any plans to produce a play atSherborne?

A I'd love to produce a play, but Thonestly am notsure that I could ever find the time. Myexperience of producing plays has told me thatI have to be completely committed to it andother things inevitably get side-lined - I'm notsure that I could allow this to happen in thisjob. If there ever comes a time when Thave gotthe opportunity to do it Twill grab it with bothhands, but I fear that it may be rather difficult.

Q What do you like to do in your spare time?

A Of course, I don't have very much spare timeduring term time, but I like reading, andlistening to music. In the holidays I enjoy goingaway, particularly when we're all together as afamily. I enjoy watching sport and I do haveone particular interest (well, two perhaps),which I've had all my life. One is the theatre,both being involved in it and going to thetheatre, and secondly there is horse racing. I'veenjoyed watching and knowing peopleinvolved in it.

Q Yes, I saw you at Wincanton, Headmaster.What music do you like and what do you listento?

A I like opera very much. Pre-twentieth centuryopera I enjoy and orchestral and choral worksof various periods. I'm afraid I'm not madabout anything post-1970. I still like theRolling Stones and the Beatles, the sort of stuffT grew up with as a teenager. And I like whatthey call nostalgia; Fifties, Forties, Thirties andsome jazz. Nowadays they probably call theSixties nostalgia.

Q What sports do you enjoy?

A Well, as I've already said, I enjoy watchinghorse racing. I'm afraid that the sports that Ienjoy are those that I observe rather than takepart in. I like watching rugby, soccer, golf, andtennis. And I do play a little bit of golf, and Iswim fairly regularly during the term-time justto try to keep relatively fit, although I'm notsure I can describe that as a sport.

Q Did you have a nickname at Winchester?

A T probably had several, but I was never reallyvery aware of them and I think you wouldprobably have to ask people there. So I can'treally answer that question.

52

Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Studyfor Community Service

The Prize for Community Service this yearwent to Tom Procter for his outstandingperformance in visiting people at home andteaching/coaching in the Abbey Primary Schoolover nearly three years from the Fourth Form tothe end of the Lower Sixth and his (expected)achievement of being the first in C.S. to gain D ofE Bronze in the Fifth Form, Silver in the LowerSixth, and Gold in The Upper Sixth successively.

He writes here of his experiences:

Teaching Sport is Training PeopleHaving joined up for Community Service, it has tobe said that I really had no idea what to expect.Would I be spending an hour every week talking toan old person, followed by mowing his or herlawn? Perhaps working in Oxfam? To tell thetruth, I really wasn't fussed as long as I washelping someone. In a way, I was expecting tohave to push around town people who had lost theuse of their legs. It seemed quite appealing to learnabout these people who often have so much to saybut regrettably, as they grow older, fewer people tosay it to.

It turned out that for three weeks I would haveone of these placements in which I just sat andchatted to an old man, who was in fact fascinating.I would listen to stories of the Stalingrad siege, atwhich apparently he was a hero. He had so muchto tell me that in fact all I did was pretty muchlisten to endless stories. We felt really at ease ineach other's company and, although I said only acouple of things each week, I could tell how muchhe genuinely appreciated my company, and havingsomeone to tell his whole week's thoughts to,someone he could tell wanted to learn from him.

Unfortunately it was not long before I had beenpersuaded into another placement, teaching sportat Trent School. At first it felt a little strange beingaddressed as 'Sir', but it was nice that they showedme respect, since they had never met me. Thechildren were delightful, never rude, incrediblyappreciative, and always keen to learn.Throughout my year's placement we tackled arange of sports including hockey, basketball,netball, and football.

It was unbelievably challenging at first. Youexpect children to be capable of much more thanthey seem to be and so you push them really hardonly to receive worse results. It is all aboutrealising what they are capable of and to pushthem only to that point. As the year progressed,they noticeably improved, displaying a wide rangeof talent in different sports.

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The key to it was putting myself in their shoesand so understanding why certain activities wereperceived as too hard and why certain games werenot fun to them. It was unbelievably rewarding tosee them tackle sports in a different light, makingthe sport not just more enjoyable, but surprisinglymaking them become better at them! We evenstarted sports such as badminton, which the boysoriginally saw as a girls' sport but soon camereally to enjoy. A few of them become actuallyquite good, playing in their free time as a hobby. Afew of the children who, it has to be said, were notparticularly gifted at any sport, felt a lot moreconfident with this style of game and after a bit ofpractice proved to be much better than the others.It was great to see the smile it could bring to theirfaces to beat a better sportsman, as they felt muchbetter about themselves!

At the end of the year, we were given a newplacement. Ollie Murray and I were both asked togo and teach at the Abbey School opposite the oldWestcott. Unfortunately, it all seemed at firstsomewhat different. No longer were we 'Sir', nordid we have anything like as much respect aspreviously. But it seemed an interesting challenge.We were working alongside another teacher, as inthe case of Trent, who was extremely welcomingas well as helpful. We were told about the childrento keep our eyes on and also those to be aware of.The place certainly didn't have anywhere near asmuch charm as Trent did but instead a lot ofcharacter, which turned out at first to be quite hardto put up with. The children would often barelyrecognise our presence and could also be quiterude. And if you feel quite neglected andunappreciated you don't go out of your way to getto know people. We realised that this could wellhave been the problem. If we made an effort tohave a more personal relationship with them,would they appreciate it and respect us for doingso?

We gave it a go and before long we werebecoming increasingly popular amongst them,often being asked to come and coach them at theirmatches on Sundays. Once or twice we even didso, as they turned out to be a really great bunch ofkids. The difference in this placement was that wedidn't automatically gain respect from the childrenfor being older, but instead you had to earn it bygaining their trust.

Before long we had been teaching them everyWednesday for almost two and a half years. Thenwe found out that in fact the Abbey School was

moving location to an improved site further awayfrom our School. We realised that realistically wecould not teach them there as it would mean wewould have to be dropped off and picked up everyWednesday. We informed the School that wewould be leaving soon, and, although they seemedsad to be losing us, they were all incrediblyappreciative and we had a few more sessions with

them until we had completed the CommunityService part of the award.

It really was not only great fun but also veryrewarding. We shall both take away with us veryfond memories of the placement and hope perhapsto do further work with schools part time duringour gap years.

Tom Procter

The Old School Society

The Old School Society, or TOSS as the boyslike to call it, but perhaps the staff would rathernot, was the brainchild of four young men of theclass of 2000. Their aim was to create a debatingsociety run by the boys for the boys and to beentirely independent of staff involvement. And soit was that Rory MacFarlane (Chairman), HenryFarris (Secretary), Tom Walsh (Janitor) and JohnPease (Treasurer) took up the reins of what hasproved to be now one of the most popular andsuccessful of current school societies.

The first debate took place on Thursday 21 stSeptember 2000. The motion was 'This House

Believes that Sport is more damaging thanSmoking'. Opposing the motion were Nick Cook(Head of School, Captain of Rugby, never toucheda cigarette before) and Henry Mitchell (lst XVplayer, ditto) both fresh from a rugby match thatvery afternoon. They faced the proposers NickCramp (comedian and apparent rugby player) andMr. John Brooke, allegedly fresh from a cigarettethat very evening. After some strong argumentsfrom both sides, the debate was opened up to thefloor. Mr. Briere-Edney made the mostmemorable contribution here saying: 'Guys, guys,guys, surely it all depends on what you are in fact

54

smoking'. In the end an overwhelming majorityrejected the motion.

News of the success of the first debate filteredthrough the School and so an even bigger crowdarrived three weeks later, eagerly anticipating thenext encounter. This time the motion was 'ThisHouse Believes that Prostitution Fulfils Both aSocial and Economic Need'. Lining up for battleto propose the motion were Ross Angell and HarryBeattie. Their opposition were in the form ofDavid Poraj-Wilczynski and Alex Beattie. Itseemed to turn into a squabble of the siblings atone stage but the Beatties composed themselves todeliver first-rate arguments, so much so that whenthe debate was opened to the floor they hadmanaged to silence the entire audience. With ahouse of 88 participants the motion was narrowlyrejected by 46 votes to 42.

Having not yet done a 'serious' debate, thecommittee then decided to arouse some deeperfeelings by putting forward the motion 'ThisHouse Does Not Support the Release of JamieBulger's Killers'. Proposing the motion were JossSimson and Oliver Luard and opposing wereCharlie Pushman and Tim Wynn-Jones. Asexpected the debate brought controversy andstrong views. In fact Mr. Luard's openingstatement was that he was disgusted that weshould even be debating the treatment of thekillers. The debate served as a real eye-opener tomany and in the closest contest in the short historyof TOSS the motion was carried by 34 votes to 32.

The next meeting was in January 200 I. In thewake of Christmas drinking and New Year's pubbrawls the house put forward the motion that 'ThisHouse Believes That British Yob Culture can beDirectly Attributed to the Strictest Licensing Lawsin Europe'. Proposing this motion were Jason Huttand Mr. Peter Watts, the first member of staff tospeak and the first speaker to be over the age of l8.They faced Henry Grundy-Wheeler and PeterLangly-Smith. In what ended up being asomewhat one-sided contest the motion wasrejected by 50 votes to 14 despite Mr. Watts' bestefforts to buy votes by handing out free beers.

The next motion was 'This House BelievesThat Women Should Not be Allowed to Fight inThe Front Line'. Proposing the motion wereGeorge May and Millie Cumming. Theiropposition were Linley Lewis and Afia Addo. Thiswas the first time that females had spoken atTOSS, and Afia certainly didn't endear herself tothe Committee in literally tearing the motion apartby ripping up their poster. The highlight of theevening was certainly when George reminded allof the gentlemen in the audience what a disaster itwould be if his colleague, Millie, were to receiveany sort of injury thus ruining her looks. However,

55

this obviously wasn't enough to sway the votes ofthe majority and the motion was narrowlydefeated.

The Society reconvened three weeks later todiscuss the motion 'This House Believes ThatPolitical Correctness has Curtailed Our Freedomof Speech'. Proposing the motion were CharlieGammell and Jacob Britten, facing the oppositionof Edward Westropp and James Nicholls tocombat claims that women are unjustly treated asinferiors. lake delighted the chauvinists of thecrowd by reminding us all that 'it's calledmankind, not womankind'. After some ratherheated comments from the floor the motion wascarried by 27 votes to 23.

As the end of the year approached the timecame for the last debate to be organized by thefounding committee. They decided to choose themotion 'This House Believes That No-One TakesBritain Seriously Any More'. Proposing themotion were Monsieur Jean-Marc Pascal andCharlotte Stimpson. Opposing the motion in theirfull glory and patriotism were John Srooke andBridget Tilley-Gyado. They insisted that they tookBritain very seriously indeed and questioned Mr.Pascal's reasons for living here if he doesn't takeit as seriously as his homeland, France. Themotion was opened to the floor and in a rare showof intelligence Edward Worthington (a.k.a. Moley)questioned Mr. Pascal as to why, if Britain is sucha laughing stock, members of the EuropeanCommunity desperately want us to introduce theeuro. The votes were cast and the motion wasrejected by 40 votes to 26.

Following this debate a new committee to takeTOSS into the new academic year was announced.This honour was bestowed upon Tim Wynn-Jones,Charlie Pushman, Edward Westropp, and JohnBrooke. Our first challenge was to come up withthe next motion, which (believe me) is not easy.We eventually decided upon 'This House BelievesThat Contemporary Music is Largely Responsiblefor the Rise in Teenage Violence'. The foundingcommittee were determined to go out with a bangand so it was that our predecessors took the floorto be the house's speakers. Rory MacFarlane andTom Walsh proposed the motion leaving HenryFarris and John Pease to oppose the motion. Bothsides delivered speeches and the new best speakeraward went to Mr. MacFarlane. The motion wasdefeated by 49 votes to 17.

We look forward to what lies in store for TOSSin the course of the coming year. It is a society thatI can see carrying on for years to come and I lookforward to reading further reviews of it when Iopen The Shirburnian many years from now.

Timothy Wynn-Jones

New YorkIn October 2000, during Michaelmas half-term,

a large Sherborne contingent visited New York.Half the boys were A-level Art students and theother half were studying A-level Economics; a fewof them studied both.

We woke at seven fifteen each morning to beready for an early breakfast at one of the severaldiners near our short-stay 'hotel' on notoriousTime Square. Sbarro was Group Leader Mr.Boyd's most popular breakfast venue due to themagnificently huge portions. Payment for ourheaped plates was made by coupon, handed out tous before each meal by Mr. Boyd or one of hiscolleagues. Quite a few boys preferred to savoura slightly more Big Apple-style breakfast, andindulged in bagels filled with everything theycould think of. There was, however, somecontroversy over the word 'hotel' being used todefine the place we stayed at. Some preferred theword 'zoo' owing to the rats at play on Mr.Hedison's floor. Others believed 'water works' amore suitable term owing to the facility withwhich the taps could be removed from the wall,allowing water to shoot out in its place.

After our gargantuan breakfasts, our days weredivided between activities related to Economics,during the morning, and (after a break of a

56

couple of hours), activities related to art, when theartists within the group would be findinginspiration in some of the greatest museums andgalleries in the world.

The economists, and any boys wishing tojoin the group, admitted to the Federal Reserveafter stringent security checks. We were shownthe way gold was handled, the vault and itssecurity measures, and we watched a film abouthow money circled through the market, as well asbeing told how amazing the Reserve was. Whenwe left, we were each handed approximately twothousand dollars; however the money was in ashredded form, and so of no use, except for itsnostalgic value.

Each day the artists went to museums allaround the city, from the Guggenheim andMuseum of Modem Art, to the MetropolitanMuseum of Art, and the 'Hip-Hop' exhibition atthe Brooklyn Museum. Most of the artists foundwalking through the streets of Queens and Harlemin threes and fours a soul-searching, and prayer­inducing experience, of which even the Chaplainwould have been proud.

The Guggenheim was different from the othermuseums owing to the Armani CollectionExhibition, celebrating 25 years of Armani design.

The building itself made a large impression onseveral of the boys, with its design of a massivetowering spiral tapering to a point several floorsabove; gauging its height of it was difficult owingto the continual slope of the floor.

The Stock Exchange, Commodity Market, andthe financial district in general werearchitecturally awe-inspiring, and surpassed theother buildings of New York City. However,Economics and Art were not the only areasexplored during our visit. One cannot visit aforeign culture without investigating its people'ssports and hobbies. The World Series baseballtournament had come down to the final two teamsfrom New York, the Yankees and the Mets. Thenumber one sport in the US caused the city to turninto a passionate mass of people rooting either forone team or the other. This event put even thearrival of the President, his wife, and daughter intothe background, even though they had arrived toboost the Senate election polls, as well as tocelebrate Mrs. Clinton's birthday at the HudsonClub. The Empire State Building was also on ourlist of things to do, and so we ascended it to viewthe City that never sleeps. The contours of the citywere of simple rises and falls, except for thefinancial district, an outcrop of glittering lightsthat looked utterly surreal, looming overeverything else.

Dinners in New York were very interesting dueto the tour leaders' choice of venue. In the Harley

Davidson Cafe, several teachers swore blind thatall the people serving were bikers. Most of theboys did not care what the women serving were,and were more interested in urging others to havetheir picture taken with the waitress serving.However, only one boy succeeded, with afuriously blushing waitress, and a Har]ey.

Probably the most interesting wake-up call wason the penultimate day of being in New York,when Mr. Boyd amid fits of hysterical laughterdiscovered that the building next to the 'hotel' hadcaught fire. When the fire finally ceased to be aproblem, nothing could be heard except for themonotonous beeping of horns from Time Square,and our art teacher giggling uncontrollably.

Events of September 2001 mean that visits tothe different museums and to the Britishambassador, as well as to the UN, to the financialcentres of New York, and cafes, are likely not to beas easy as they were for us. Even more securitychecks and continuously suspicious eyes will befollowing tourists for a long time owing to theterrorist attacks on September 1I th. Our visit tothe US was made so enjoyable because of thepeople we met and talked to on the street and inthe diners. Those who went there in October 2000feel all the more sympathetic to New Yorkers'sense of loss.

Mishal Islam

57

Stavros S Niarchos - Tall Ships Race 2001

I first started thinking about going on a TallShips trip about a year ago when a friend of minesuggested it. We had met through yacht sailing andwere planning to do a trip together. She persuadedme that Tall Ships would be worth it, and I setabout raising the money. With generous donationsfrom the Sidbury Trust, the Sir John and LadyAmory Heathcoat Trust, and my parents, I wasable to reserve my place and join the rest of theparty at Dover Hoverspeed Terminal on 6th July.We duly hoversped across to Calais and finishedthe journey to Antwerp by coach, arriving onboard the good ship Stavros S Niarchos at about10p.m.

The Stavros (as she is known) is one of twonew tall ships built by the Sail TrainingAssociation to replace the Malcolm Miller and SirWinston Churchill which retired earlier this year.She is a two masted brig, 195 feet long with over11,000 square feet of sail. Each mast is 116 feettall. We were in class A. Because she was one ofthe smallest ships in the class, and had an amateurcrew, many of whom had not sailed before, we didnot have much of a chance of winning by virtue ofspeed. Our only chance of victory was by tactics.Much of the skill of long range racing lies in usingweather forecasts to position yourself to make thebest use of the winds, so our captain took .thedecision to stick to the British coast on the way upthe North Sea so that we didn't have to tack whenthe wind veered round from the west to thenorthwest later on in the fortnight. Unfortunatelythis didn't payoff as the wind changed too soon,and we ended up coming in 15th in class out of 23- the last of the finishers. However it was anexcellent experience nonetheless, and one I wouldbe eager to repeat.

There were 45 trainee crew on board, split intothree watches. I was in red watch, number 6. Wewere on watch for four or two hours at a time, ona rotating system that meant we had six hours fortwo days, and twelve hours on the third. Aguaranteed four hour watch every night alsoensured that there were a good few grumblesduring the first few days, with yawns a permanentfeature at breakfast and afternoon naps notuncommon, but everyone soon settled down. Atypical day went something like this.

At some time during the night, just beforemidnight or four, I would be roused from myslumbers by a torch-wielding figure from theprevious watch. I would hurriedly dress andharness up and then make my way to the messwhere six people would be assigned jobs on thebridge. The rest would stay for the next hour in the

58

mess, sustained by an abundance of toast and hotdrinks until summoned to swap places with others.A session on the bridge entailed being either onlookout, on the helm, acting as scribe ormessenger. This was, for the most part of thevoyage, in weather conditions of rain or drizzle,and winds of force three to six. However, it wasactually good fun, unlikely though that sounds,and it was not unusual for people to be up for thewhole four hours. Although there was no land insight, there were usually some oil rigs and astunning sunset and sunrise between two and threeo'clock. Breakfast was at either 7.30 or 8.10, andconsisted of porridge, cereals, toast and a cookedmeal - all necessary, believe me. After breakfastcame Happy Hour, when the entire ship wascleaned every day. This meant either cleaningcompanionways, cabins, or heads (toilets). Musicwas played over the tannoys to cheer us up. Afterthis came the captain's daily briefing, when wewere informed of our position and plans for thatday.

For the next few hours until lunch at 11.50 or12.30, if not on watch, there was an opportunity toget some more sleep, or go up the mast, or justchat with the other crew. We also had various tasksfor the inter-watch competition, such asconstructing a device to stop food and drinkspilling when the ship heeled over, so that kept usbusy. Also during the afternoon there weresometimes talks about seamanship for us to attendwhich were relevant to the Competent Crewcertificate, which we all received at the end of thevoyage. I would be on watch for some of theafternoon as well. Supper was quite early, about 6o'clock, and then a lot of people would go off tobed, to get some sleep before their night watch.There was a television and video on board and atsome time in the evening someone would put onone of the five (including a karaoke) videos wehad.

There were of course many memorablemoments of the voyage. The most enduringmemory of the trip for me was when a force 9wind blew up, and I went up the mast to get someof the sails down. It was dark, and two of us had totry and pack away the second topmost sail, whichproved quite a task. Surprisingly enough, itactually seemed quite quiet and calm up there, andI felt as though I was in no danger at all. Anothermemorable time was when the entire crew wasroused from their bunks at 4.15 in the morning tohelp brace the yards as we went about. This was acomplicated procedure, and lasted about twentyminutes, so just as everyone had woken up

properly it was time to go back to bed again!However, it provided the theme for our song in theinter-watch competition, Bracing in theMoonlight.

A personal milestone that I passed on board wasmy 17th birthday. It was a measure of how niceeveryone in the crew was that I had one of the bestbirthdays ever. Three friends decorated the messduring Happy Hour with balloons and streamersthey'd dug out from somewhere, whilst the resttried to keep me busy with jobs up the other end ofthe ship. It is difficult to keep secrets on a ship ofthat size for long, so when I noticed what washappening I kept well out of the way. When I wasfinally called, even though I was expecting it, Iwas still really touched. Everyone was theresinging Happy Birthday, and I even got a renditionof it on the ship's guitar. A speech was demanded,and then a cake placed in front of me that I did the

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usual things to. It was my first birthday away frommy family, and it was really special.

Other incidents that deserve a brief mentionare: the debate to decide the fate of two pigeonsthat hitched a ride from the Orkneys to Alesund;the whale sighting; the amazing experience ofbeing at the top of a mast when sailing through anoilfield; two Bath University rugby playersdressing up in drag for karaoke; and of course theperpetually blocked heads (loos) without which novoyage is complete!

I enjoyed the voyage a lot, and would like tothink that I have come out of it changed for thebetter. I have certainly made some excellentfriends and learned a lot. I would like to thank theSidbury Trust and the Sir John & Lady Amory­Heathcoat Trust for giving me the opportunity togo on such a great trip.

David Hoey

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60

Working with Children

This is the text ofa talk in the Big School Roomin March 2001 by Chris Hattam, formerly ofHarper House

I left Sherborne in 1995, with A levels inReligious Studies, English, and Geography. WhenI graduated from Edinburgh in 1999, I had to stopand gather my thoughts. I had been to school anduniversity, attaining a degree, but where did itactually leave me? What direction did I want totake? What job did I want to do? To be brutallyhonest, I had not got the foggiest idea what Iwanted to do. In the last year of uni, I had seen myfriends go to what are known as milk rounds:lectures given by well known companies to gatheryoung recruits. One by one they were wooed bythe promise of the City, big wage packets, and lifein the fast lane of London with Baines and Ernst,HSBC, Credit Suisse, to name only a few. I didn'tknow what I wanted to do but I definitely knew Idid not want to go to the City just to chase money.For me the hustle and bustle of the countryside isexciting enough - not everyone's cup of tea, butcertainly mine.

Then in September '99, I saw an advert whilst Iwas in Cumbria, for a job working for Barnardo's.

The job was concerned with the Barrows GreenProject just outside Kendal on the top of a hill. Theviews from the windows were wonderful, andwhen I saw the setting 1 was immediately takenwith the prospect of working there.

It is important to point out that Barnardo's is nolonger only dealing with orphans, but is a charityfor all disadvantaged children. The children can beabused, neglected, disabled or in situations ofpoverty.

This project was to provide a holiday centre forchildren with severe physical and mental learningdifficulties. We provided twenty-four hour care forthe children, and at the same time we did activitieswith them. These ranged from canoeing, climbing,potholing, swimming, to walks, rides on trains andboats, and playing football. When I heard that thiswas the idea of the project 1 was puzzled. How canchildren with physical and mental learningdifficulties take part or enjoy such activities? Ilater learnt that anything is possible with thoughtand planning, and that is why the Barrows Greenmotto is 'Caring, Sharing and Daring'.

The job itself had many different facets. I had towork shifts either from 7.30 to 15.00 or from14.30 to 2230. This meant that I had life awayfrom work and could do other things. This wasvery important to me. I also occasionally had to dosleep-ins. Each day would consist of getting the

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eighteen children out of bed, washed and changedfor the day, then breakfast, a morning activity,back for lunch, out for the afternoon, back for tea.Then we would watch TV, get them showered, andready for bed. I know it doesn't sound thatremarkable, in fact not too different from a dayhere at school.

The difference comes when you start talking ofDown's Syndrome, Mosaic Down's Syndrome,autism, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy,attention deficit disorder, epilepsy or non-specificbrain damage resulting from meningitis as a child.The list could go on, but I'm sure that youunderstand. I went into this job knowing that Iwould be working with children who, let's face it,90% of people, including me, have made fun of asa child, or who walk past them in the street andstare. I don't think it is wrong now. I think it'snatural, it's curiosity, and a lack of understanding.I had however grown up with a best friend whohad muscular dystrophy, so I thought I would beall right. I was wrong.

My first day at work was an education. Myinduction consisted of being beaten up on a mini­bus. The child was 16. He was severely autistic,couldn't speak, was called Big Eddie and waseighteen and a half stone. I learnt very quickly theimportance of communication. Eddie was a veryphysical guy. The only way he could communicatehow he felt was to hit out. It was some eightmonths later, having spent a great deal of timewith Eddie, that I found out why. Every time I tookhim to be showered he became very upset andphysical. Although I thought that I was privy to allthe knowledge there was about Eddie, his socialworker had neglected to tell us that Eddie had beensexually abused by a care worker in a previoushome. It was of course no wonder that he becameso upset.

Other parts of the job consisted of a lot oftraining. Health and safety, first aid, assessment ofrisk, and therapeutic crisis intervention. This is todeal with violent children in a way which keepsthem, you, all in the surrounding area, and thefabric of the surrounding area, safe. I did trainingin canoeing, climbing, minibus driving. We werealso trained to feed people. Sounds simple, butgive it a go with someone. Not in central feeding!It is amazing how uncomfortable it is to be fed.The art of getting someone's neck at the rightangle and giving them liquid so that they don'taspirate it is quite a skilled one.

Although these aspects of the work do sound,and are, undoubtedly bad, they weren't the worst.The worst came when you had a quiet moment to

reflect on what the children and their families hadto go through. The most moving conversation Ihad was with a Glaswegian 21-year-old calledChris. He suffered from muscular dystrophy. Thisis a condition which slowly wastes the muscles.Eventually the sufferer will have no movementand will start to have difficulty breathing as thebody fails to support itself. Chris had already hada steel rod inserted along the length of his spine tohelp support him. He was an extremely intelligentlad, knowing all about topics from politics toRangers Football Club. When I spoke to him, Iasked him what he wanted to do. He was verymatter of fact and suggested that he hadn't muchlonger to do anything as his life expectancy wasshort. All he wanted was a girlfriend, not for anysexual reason, but just because he wantedsomeone who he knew would truly love him forwho he was. He wanted someone who would notcare about how he looked or what he had, but whowould just enjoy his company and try tounderstand him. When I asked him what was theworst thing about it, all he said was that it was thefrustration of not being able to make peopleunderstand, and that the people who stared at himin the street were probably never going tounderstand what was wrong with him, and heknew if they spoke to him it would be in acondescending way. I don't think that Chris wasbitter about the situation he was in. He was anormal 21 year old in the body that reallyshouldn't belong to him. He had the same desires,the same dreams as a regular 21 year old. When Ilook back on this job, I think this is the saddestpoint that I experienced.

Of course there were magical days - forexample the look on a child's face when they hadjust completed their first wheelchair abseil, or theshrieks of joy when we were canoeing and decidedto have an impromptu water fight. There weremany points in this job which now looking backon them don't seem that remarkable, but for thechildren who achieved them and those of us whohelped them do so it brought a great feeling ofpride.

In January 2000, I was offered a place as aHoliday Centre Worker. This job entailedresponsibilities for medication, bookings andfinance. It also included the wellbeing of thechildren to a greater degree and the planning ofwhich activities were suitable for which children.This was very important, as obviously some couldachieve more than others, but you wanted all tohave the same feelings of achievement when theyleft.

I greatly enjoyed this job and built up a greatdeal of happy relationships with the children I met,and also with the other staff. Unfortunately, the

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project was terminated - a shame for me and thoseof us who lost our jobs, but more so for thechildren that can now no longer go there. All thechildren we looked after had been referred to us asthey required either too much personal care orbehavioural attention for other projects. BarrowsGreen was one of only two projects of its kind inthe country that could offer such a high level ofcare and offer the out door activities as well.Anyway Bamardos needed to make savings andwe were judged to be too expensive to runeffectively.

In the December of 2000 I saw a job advertisedin the local paper working as a House Tutor at aschool called Appletree. It said that the childrenwere demanding, and had emotional andbehavioral difficulties. I felt challenge andintrigue. Oddly I had never heard of it, though itwas only 400m past the gates of Barrows Green.

The School takes up to fourteen boys and girlsfrom any education authority. The children areaged between 7 and 11. The cost of keeping a childat the centre for a year is £70,000. The home isprivately run, and runs on the basis that thechildren we look after are there until they are 11.There is no exclusion policy. The children are on52 week placements which means that, althoughthey can, and do, visit family or foster carers, it isonly for a short period, and if they want they canstay at the centre every day of the year. There is aschool on the premises in which the classes are offour children and three staff. The children learn afull curriculum. The modern language which theylearn is Chinese, even though they are not up tothe standard that one would expect from their agegroup in mainstream education.

Now on to the job that I have. As a house tutor,the role of the job is different from the job of ahouse tutor here at school. I have very little to dowith the educational side of my tutees, which I'msure that Mr. Patterson and Mr. Dunning arethinking is a good thing. I deal with things as easyas buying a toothbrush and the more difficult jobsof organising home leave with social workers andparents, and dealing with the children when theyhave memories of bad experiences.

The children themselves are wonderful andabsolutely terrible. 1know that sounds strange, butit's true. I'm going to ask you to think again. Anaspect of criminology that I was interested in atuniversity was the idea of which was moreimportant, nature or nurture. Are people born witha natural instinct for crime? Is it something thatcomes from genes, and therefore can't be avoided?Or do you think that people develop in the way inwhich they are brought up? Am I who I ambecause of what my parents are and the way theybrought me up, or am I who I am because of the

genetic make up of my parents and what they gaveme biologically? Since starting this job I have anew keen interest in this topic. You willunderstand why shortly.

The reasons why the children are there arevaried, but tend to follow a certain pattern. Thechildren have been taken into care under the ChildProtection Act, and are at the school for their ownprotection. These children are under section 28 ofthe Act, which means that they are not safe in theirhome environment. They are on the whole alloweda controlled amount of contact with home. Theydon't conform to standards that society will expectthem to, and they are at the home to be given thecare they lack from their parents and to help themfit into the wide world when they have to.

The children have no regard for property,themselves, or other people. This showed itselfonly a fortnight ago. On a Sunday evening whenthe children had come back from an exeat,everything just went wrong. David, whose fatheris a convicted burglar, incited Ben, whose father isdoing time for armed robbery, to smash a window.Then he gotAdam, whose father died when he wasfour, to pick the glass up and threaten staff. Thenthe power points were pulled off the wall, and staffthreatened with electrocution, and on it went. Weeventually had to dial 999. We were all unsafe, andthe situation was out of our control. Gang-styletactics from a group of seven to eleven year oldsare scary stuff, especially when you think that theyhave yet to grow up.

So how do these children become like this?Well, you have to look at their homecircumstances. Bradley's is a good case in point,an extreme one, but by no means unusual. Bradleyis now nine and he has been in care since he wasfive. His mother is a prostitute. He has three whitebrothers and sisters, yet he is coloured. He doesn'tknow who his father is, because he was a client ofhis mother. His granny is in prison formanslaughter, and his mother is currently pregnantby his eldest stepbrother. If all this isn't badenough, Bradley lived with his aunt and uncle fora while and it has emerged that they used to lockhim in a closet for up to 16 hours a day. A sad storyindeed. As a result the product is a nine year oldwith the emotional maturity of a two year old. If hedoes not get his way he will literally drop to thefloor, kick, and scream, and yell. As much as Iwould like to, I can't hold Bradley accountable.When he is happy, he is a deeply caring,emotional, frail child; he is just a product of hissituation. Bradley has no concept of 'no'. Tocompensate for a horrible childhood, he has beenspoilt. He is incredibly materialistic andpossession-orientated, probably due to the fact thatpossessions have replaced the normal care and

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love that a child needs. So when he doesn't get hisway he yells. This behaviour comes from the factthat he has never been shown how to ask forsomething, or to show gratitude or love or indeedany emotion, in any way other than to hurt andcause pain.

Bradley has been in the system for so long thathe now knows how to play it exactly. He makes atleast three or four allegations of sexual andphysical abuse a week - something that has to bedocumented exactly to protect us as the staff.

There are the good moments, when the childrenactually open up to you for the first time and youknow you have their trust: taking them swimmingand watching them jump in the water and becomechildren with no emotional baggage just for halfan hour; seeing children with a loved one that theyhave not seen for a long time, and knowing thatyou've actually been a part of the operation to getthem together; finding something that the childrenenjoy and helping them focus - with one child ithas been painting, with another it has been helpinghim to hold a bat and hit a ball, using techniquesstraight from the Nurton hand-book.

Being realistic, I don't know if what I am doingis helping these children. Are they already too fargone? Have their minds been so corrupted that theywon't be able to get back to what we would like tothink of as normality? One or two of them may getinto mainstream education, but all they have to dois lose their cool once and they will be put in asecure unit. The others, I think, will be lockedaway for the majority' of their lives, or starring onCrime Watch in the near future. It doesn't detractfrom my job as I would like to try to help themforget what has happened, and enjoy what they canof a fractured childhood. If they do learn somethingfor the future then that would be a bonus.

I'm nearly finished now. I would just like to saythat if any of you feel like offering some time thereare many organisations that would gratefullyreceive your help. For children with disabilities oremotional problems, just to know that someone iswilling to talk to them, to give them a chance theyhave already been denied, will make a hugedifference in their lives. It might also in yours.

Lots of people I have spoken to about this worksay they admire me for doing it. To be honest, Iadmire people who sit at a desk for eight hours aday. I couldn't do it. You will never be rich in thisjob, and you won't find the fame and adulation ofa pop star, but you will make a difference tochildren's lives.

Always give people a chance, don't write themoff. Be grateful for what you have, use it as muchas possible, but most importantly enjoy everythingyou do.

Thank you for listening.

Obiter DictaMDN: 'To demonstrate this point, imagine John

Patterson on Chris Tarrant's Who Wants To BeA Millionaire programme.

Chris Tarrant: "John, you've done very well sofar. Sixty-four thousand pounds and one lifeleft, which is phone a friend. The nextquestion will give you one hundred andtwenty-five thousand pounds if you get itright, but if you get it wrong you will be outof the game and will go away with thirty-twothousand pounds. Are you ready?"

John: "Sure I am, Chris".Chris: "On the screen is a photo of a current

Manchester United player as a baby. WhichManchester United player is it? - Now thinkabout this carefully, John. It's worth onehundred and twenty-five thousand pounds,meaning that you are only three questionsaway from a million."

John: "I think I know who it is but I am not ahundred per cent sure. No I'm sure it'sBeckham, but can I phone a friend, Chris, justto check?"

Chris: "Yes John. Who do you want to phone?"John: "I'll phone Charlie Dupont."

"Hello?"Chris: "Hello Charlie. It's Chris Tarrant here from

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - I have JohnPatterson here and he's doing really well. He'salready won sixty-four thousand pounds, butneeds your help to get to one hundred andtwenty-five thousand. Charlie, are you next toa fax machine? this is a visual question I amfaxing you. The next voice you hear will beJohn's - he'll explain the question and you

have thirty seconds to answer. Fire away,John."

John: "Charlie, that photo is a picture of whichcurrent Manchester United player? I think thatit's Beckham, what do you think?"

Charlie: "It's never Beckham. It's obviously PaulScholes."

John: "You think so, Charlie?"Charlie: "I am sure."John: "Thanks, Charlie."Chris: "What a difference of opinion. Do you

want to stick on sixty-four thousand pounds,or play on for a hundred and twenty-fivethousand pounds, John?"

John: "I want to play on. I'm so sure that it'sBeckham that I'm going to ignore Charlie'sadvice and go with my first answer. I think it'sBeckham."

Chris: "Is that your final answer?"John: "It is."Chris: "John ... you had sixty-four thousand

pounds, and you said Beckham. If that is thecorrect answer you have just won a hundredand twenty-five thousand pounds. However, ifit's wrong you go away with thirty-twothousand pounds. John (drum roll) Ooh! ... itwas wrong. Sorry, John." "Here is yourcheque for thirty-two thousand pounds andyou have been a great contestant and a realgambler. Audience, please put your handstogether for John".

John: "Before I go, Chris - what was the correctanswer. It's killing me"

Chris: "Andy Cole." ,

Linley Lewis: 'I'd like to play for an Italian club,like Barcelona.'

Harry ter Haar (captain of football):'Fortunately, Charlie Cox's injury wasn't asbad as we'd hoped for.'

GDR: 'If history repeats itself, I should think wecan expect the same thing again.'

Boy: 'Can I borrow some nail-clippers?'Boy 2: 'What for?'

PJW: 'What are the dimensions of the core?'David Hitchings: 'Big'PJW: 'What d'you mean "big"?'David Hitchings: 'Large.'

DJD: 'The problem is you're arguing from thepoint of view of Miles Wright and you'regoing miles wrong.'

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Extracts from a B.S.R. Talkby M. D. Nurton

After that introduction I can hardly wait to hearmyself speak. There seem to be fewer boys today- word obviously got around that I was giving thetalk. The invitation came the day after theMichaelmas Term when I was looking forward torelaxing after my last official duty of the term. It isalways a nerve-racking experience to have theresponsibility of being Father Christmas.Physically, I was near to exhaustion and mentallytoo because you have to read out so many namesand the image of Father Christmas is ruined if heis wearing glasses. After all, who would call achild Cerys, Fennella, Miranda, Oscar, and Indea ­well, Sherborne School Staff do, I promise you.Anyway, it was after this momentous event whenI was most vulnerable that Mr. Eliot asked if Iwould do a BSR talk. I was simply not in aposition to argue.

But the topic r have been asked to speak on ismy career or rather my experiences. Perhaps Mr.Eliot wanted to use me before I popped off ­perhaps he thought I hadn't been looking too goodrecently. So I thought I would talk briefly on someof the things I have learned from experience andthat I would pass on to any young person growingup in today's world.

We all respond to praise. Don't ever denigrateanother individual. rcannot claim to be blameless,and indeed, as human beings, we are naturallyjealous people. But always try to think of others ­try to think how they might feel and make an effortto pick them up. Encourage them and try to givepeople the opportunity to succeed.

The closest relationship that you will have willalmost certainly be with your parents. Thisrelationship is followed in most cases by marriagewhich I will return to later. Value that relationshipwith your parents and respect it. And don't befrightened to tell them how much you appreciatetheir sacrifices for your wellbeing. Most of themwill have made major sacrifices to give you theopportunity of coming to Sherborne School. Mymother often said, and she meant it, that she wouldhave scrubbed floors if necessary to give mybrother and me a good education. Some mightargue even that would have proved unsuccessful.

.She didn't quite have to do that but she and myfather did work extremely hard to give us a goodstart in life. So communicate with them.Communication is so important. As a parent, I cantell you what a truly wonderful occasion it is toreceive a letter or a card from your children. Oneof my precious possessions is a good luck cardfrom my son when he was four years old and I was

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swanning off to play cricket in East Africa: 'DearDaddy, Hope you enjoy your cricket tour. Don'tget eaten by the lions. Come back safely. Love,James.'

I have a recent one which is equally special.'Dad, Can you lend me a grand. I need to pay adeposit and a month's rent. If you could pay it intomy account today, it would be great. Andy.'

Those who continually criticise and belittle anenthusiastic child can be horribly destructive toambition, while those who encourage and inspirecan have an effect that stays with us right throughto adult life and even warrants mention at majoraward ceremonies.

I really hope teachers like that are still inabundance in our schools but r have a horriblefeeling that, due to increasing work pressure andlousy pay, it is becoming less likely teachers canfind the time to give a pupil that all-importantpersonal attention.

You are luckier than most that there are teacherslike that in abundance at Sherborne - despite thelousy pay and increasing work pressure! And forthe most part they desperately want you all to dowell.

That is why the first chapter of my book is titledPraise Youth and It will Prosper taken from anIrish proverb. Probably the most important thingin my life, both as a boy and a young man, wasinvolvement in sport. When I look back I canappreciate that much of it was made possible bythe encouragement of my parents and the staffwho coached me at school.

Even more so today success/achievement onlycomes with hard work. And don't be misled by theimage people present. And here I begin to name­drop. It was my good fortune to play cricketagainst both lan Botham and Viv Richards whenthey were in their prime at Somerset. Take myword, they both practised harder than anyone elseon the staff. Peter Robinson who was the Countycoach at that time once said to me that he wishedall the young professionals were as dedicated asViv Richards. And as for lan Botham, you don'twalk from John O'Groats to Lands End and crossthe Alps on foot raising money for charity withouta desire for hard work. Botham is not everyone'sfavourite but his record is indeed testimony to thesaying' 0 great achievement is possible withoutpersistent work'. It is indeed rare to reach the topof the tree without hard work and often personalsacrifice. One recalls the words of Gary Playerwhen he was winning major golf championships ­'The more I practise - the luckier I become'.

But unfortunately work doesn't end when youleave school or university. There used to be so­called jobs for life. When I started my careerpeople would say about teaching, banking, eventhe services - at least you have the security and ajob for life providing that you don't do anythingstupid. But not any more. Very few can be sure ofstaying in the same career for the whole of theirworking life. Working hard doesn't guaranteesecurity but it will help and this conscientiousapproach to work will be an enormous advantageif you have to try something else - and the chancesare that you will have to re-train in some way inthe ever-changing world of the work place. Or youmay hit what is now being called the quarter-lifecrisis:

'But now there is a growing group ofprecocious twenty-somethings who are enduringtheir personal traumas years before they are duefor a classic mid-life crisis. They are the victims ofwhat has been tagged the quarter-life crisis.Typically they have sailed through university intoplum jobs with high salaries and would appear tohave the world at their feet. But suddenly thesemen and women decide that, despite their materialsuccess, life is not all it is cracked up to be'.

A third topic I would like to talk briefly about isthe quotation by Kahlil Gibran at the start of thesecond chapter of my book, Conjuring Runs: 'Wechoose our joys and sorrows long before weexperience them'.

I discussed this at some length with my wife.And what we both agreed upon was that marriageis a good example of what this quotation is about.Far be it to me to preach to you this morning onethics but I fear that respect for marriage andlifelong partnerships has rapidly been eroded inmy lifetime. It was still taboo to live with a femalefriend before getting married when I was a youngman - but don't get me wrong, we did have fun inthe Sixties - but certainly deciding to wed wasregarded as a lifetime commitment. I am deeplyconcerned about the hurt that has already beencaused to my younger son, and by my youngerson, in relationships that were seeminglypermanent and certainly intense until thingsstarted to go wrong. Perhaps it is these experiencesthat will serve him well in the end - I hope so.

But make no mistake, when you enter themarriage stakes, you choose your joys and sorrowbefore you experience them. Very very few peoplecan claim that a union between two people doesnot produce its joys and sorrows in abundance.There are the joys of parenthood. Nothing that Ihad ever done before, or will ever do since,provided me with as much pleasure as witnessingthe birth of my two sons.

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And that is the next stage. Most of you willchoose to accept the responsibilities of fatherhood.There are incredible joys but there may be sorrowstoo. You will want the very best for your children;you will share every moment of their successesand their disappointments. I wish that I could passon a foolproof method of rearing children but Ican't. All I can say is that what I found works bestis to always encourage; always be fair; allow themtheir independence and offer advice but don'tdictate; above all, don't let them think that they arethe best at everything (even though you would likethem to be). I have listened to too many parentswho mistakenly think that their son, or evendaughter, is the best thing since sliced bread. Anddon't give your son a mobile phone if he is in thecricket team so that he can ring you to tell you theapproximate time that he is likely to bat' Anddon't then immediately leave the game when he isout. It doesn't send the right signals to the boy andcertainly not to the other participants in the game.

'A consistent man believes in destiny, acapricious man in chance'. It is interesting thatmany of my friends and acquaintances wouldprobably put me in the first category but I wouldlike to think I am more akin to the secondcategory. Don't be afraid to take a chance ­speculate to accumulate, as an economist wouldsay. But of course don't be reckless. My only realregret is that I didn't take the opportunity ofplaying regular first class cricket. All the advice atthe time I left school was 'Don't take the risk ofplaying cricket for a living. What will you do ifyou get injured? What can you fall back on whenyou retire and remember it is a short career? Youmay not be good enough!' Well I will never knowand that is why I look back and wonder eventhough I eventually had the best of both worlds ­an opportunity to play against some of the bestcricketers in the world and a good career inteaching. So it was sensible advice by those whoprobably knew better than me. But I shall alwayswonder whether it was an opportunity missed.

A few years ago I decided to train as a LayReader. This is a new challenge and one that willkeep me busy for a few more years yet. And ifthere is one message to leave you with, I supposea poem by John Wesley may be something toremember

Do all the good you canBy all the means you canIn all the places you canAt all the times you canTo all the people you canAs long as ever you can

NOW THERE'S A CHALLENGE!

Hargreaves Drama Prize Tripto Edinburgh and London

Fringe theatre is the lifeblood of British theatretoday; the fringe is where names are made,playwrights are tested, and designers are born. TheLondon fringe is always throbbing - all one needsto do is buy Time Out to see pages of fringe showsin addition to West End and the quaintly half-way'Off-West End' performances. But for one monthevery year the city of Edinburgh is overtaken byfestivals, the largest of which is the EdinburghFringe Festival. Started in 1947 as a culturalmanifestation of peace in Europe, the FringeFestival can now claim to be the largest festival oflive performing arts in the world. Where better tosee the fringe than here, with over 1500 shows inhundreds of different venues all over the city?

The £250 of my Hargreaves Drama Prize wasnot enough to cover more than a few days at theEdinburgh Fringe so in the spirit of saving moneyI went to Edinburgh on the coach. Overnight. Foreight and a half hours. And at 6.30 a.m. there isnothing happening in Edinburgh. As I walkedtowards the Castle, silence was broken only by thepassing of an occasional bus, morning birdsong,and the stray drunken howl of an over-whiskyedScotsman. The hostel where I was staying wasabout a hundred metres from the Castle at the topof the Royal Mile, and with Scots, Americans,Germans, Austrians, New Zealanders, Russians,French, Englanders, Slovenians . . . and manymore, this was a seriously internationalcommunity with a great atmosphere.

The Edinburgh Fringe keeps L.A. hours and asa result nothing really starts to happen until 10a.m. at the earliest, but more often not untilmidday. But when this time comes it is almostimpossible to decide what to see. Browsingthrough The Guide, the free daily guide to theFringe, there are lists and lists of shows starting atevery minute of the afternoon. Walking anywhere,you cannot avoid having flyers forced into yourhand by enthusiastic thespians whose show isstarting shortly, or seeing snippets of musicals onthe street. This, accompanied by dozens of streetacts, from singing to bagpipes, and from jugglingmachetes on a unicycle to stand-up comedy on thestreet, provides a fantastic atmosphere whereveryou are in the city.

It is almost impossible to tell if a show is goingto be any good before you've seen it. Hearing inthe hostel that a particular show was brilliant, Iwent to it and found either that this was in factapractical joke, or that I needed to have read aspecific collection of poetry to understand it. I sawfive or six shows a day for four days. Some of

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these were complete turkeys: a spectacularlyunfunny lames Bond take-off is one case in point. Alot of the comedy was disastrous. Some supposedlypowerful shows were laughable. But others weremasterpieces of theatre. One of these was setintricately on a tiny stage in the corner of a seedydownstairs pub on a dirty backstreet; costumes orprops for the twelve-strong cast could not have beensimpler. But this was the most powerful theatre Ihave ever seen. Another was a brilliant performanceof Equus by Peter Shaffer that started at 11.30 p.m.Few shows could have kept me awake for over twohours until near 2 a.m.; but the originality andvitality of the production was intense.

Four days in Edinburgh left me exhausted but fullof theatre; the range of venues, companies, shows,and entertainment was amazing. The coach back toLondon brought me to another world entirely. Istayed with Mark Friend, who designs sets for theSchool, and who is presently working with world­famous designer Alison Chitty in the Royal NationalTheatre. Mark took me to Alison's studio in EastLondon, where I saw designs for current shows inthe National, and where some of the complicateddesign process was explained to me.

And what of the London fringe? It was bankholiday weekend - and I hadn't realized that theLondon fringe shuts down for this. So no fringetheatre came my way in London. In recompense,Mark took me backstage at the RNT, into the mazeof design and costume workshops, rehearsalrooms, offices and scenery stores (bumping intostars of stage and screen in the corridors). Andthen we saw in the Olivier RNT Trevor Nunn'sproduction of the Restoration comedy The Relapseby lohn Vanbrugh (with OS lames Purefoy, (d '77­,80)): this could not have been a starker contrastwith the theatre at the Fringe. Elaborate periodcostumes, vast stage space, huge lighting rig,arrays of big theatre names, complicated but slickscenery changes on the enormous set, stagepyrotechnics and special effects - these are but afew of the obvious contrasts between this andEdinburgh. And both types of theatre have theircharm; but the Fringe was wonderful for itspowerful simplicity and this I really appreciated.

In just under a week, I saw the two extremes ofmodern British theatre, neither of which I hadreally experienced before, but both of which Ienjoyed. And I returned home with theatre in myblood, bad jokes in my head, and with less moneythat I started with - but impressively, not too farover-budget.

Andrew Morley-Smith

A Cardinal in the Family

To visit Rome at any time of the year and forany reason is one of the great pleasures of travel:to visit it in early spring to see your uncle elevatedas one of the new cardinals of the Roman CatholicChurch is an experience my wife and I will neverforget.

It was in February 2000 that Cormac wasappointed the newArchbishop ofWestminster and,almost a year to theday, the Pope chosehim to join theband of men whowill form the nextconclave to electthe future Pope. Weexperienced anoverwhelmingsense of pride thatone of the familyhad been givensuch a greathonour, particularlyas we are a veryclose family andbecause we werebrought upsurrounded by menand women whohave served theChurch; Corrnac isone of my father'sthree brothers whotook Holy Orders,and three of theiruncles had done sobefore them.

The weather inRome was blissfulfor the three dayswe were there ­beautiful sunshineand not a cloud inthe sky. The week was full of events, but we werethere for two essential services, the Red HatCeremony and the Ring Mass which were held onconsecutive days. The first service was held in St.Peter's Square before forty four thousand people.Fortunately Cormac had secured good seats for usat the front, so we had excellent views. It was quitean occasion - forty-four new cardinals receivedtheir red hats from the Pope. Each cardinal hadbrought his own group of family and friends tosupport him in Rome so there was a wonderful

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atmosphere of singing, rejoicing and thanksgiving- and, as these men came from every corner of theglobe, there was a true sense of the universality ofthe church.

The second service took place also in theSquare on the next day. During the mass, whichthe new cardinals concelebrated, the Holy Father

gave each of them aring ('the ring of St.Peter') as a symbolof their new officeand duties. Part of

the reason whycardinals wear red is

to symbolize theblood which they

must be prepared toshed in the name of

God. When onereads the stories ofwhat some of these

men had done on theway to receiving

their red hats, it wasclear that such

sacrifices were sti 11being made today ­

for example, the newCardinal of Vietnam

had spent twentyyears in solitary

confinement for notgiving up his faith.

The mood at thisservice was deeply

prayerful andreflective.

Throughout the twoservices, Pope John

Paul himself cameacross as strong of

mind and not as thefrail figure we

sometimes see ontelevision. These services are, it seems, hisfavourite duties.

Alison and I were especially privileged to havebeen a part of that week - and, although we missedout on a private audience with the Pope as we hadto get back to our own children and the reality ofAbbey House, we flew home with a sense ofwonder and pride.

WJ.M-O'C.

Fashion ShowThe fashion show was a charity event

organised by the girls of East (S.S.G.). The themeof the fashion show was 'clothes throughout theyear'. With ever increasing links between theSchool and S.S.G., East provided the femalemodels and several Sherbome School houses wererepresented. In fact, every year group had acatwalk representative, meaning that everyone inthe crowd had a good chance to laugh at one oftheir friends as they pranced up and down.

The show was held in S.S.G. Sports Hall,which proved a very suitable location. Theproceedings were opened by Ms. HennyBrakewell and Mr. Rossiter Angell. Henny'sbroadcasting skills were clearly apparent as sheled the models down the catwalk and Rossiter'ssense of humour was once again brought underquestion.

One highlight of the show was undoubtedly theappearance of Benjie Dudgeon as a ratherattractive woman, a role that, disturbingly, suitedhim.

The fashion show was held as a charity event,raising £1000 pounds for the Ann Douglas­Pennant Fund. The charity supports researchtowards combating cystic fibrosis.

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Library ReportWhen asked to write this report I was not quite

sure where to start, as I haven't written an articleabout the Library since 1998, so I decided to readthe first article I wrote three years ago. As I read,a smile spread across my face.

In the first article I had set down my ideas forthe development of the new School Library. Mymain aim was to exploit the Library to its fullpotential, and one of my main aims 'to transfer thecatalogue on to computer, which would enablestaff to print off subject lists, establish how manybooks are issued and pinpoint areas of stock inneed of improvement' .

Well, the past few years have been chaotic,hectic and exhausting, but above all extremelyrewarding. The journey has been a long andarduous one, but finally this September welaunched the new computer system, for which wehave received a generous donation from theFoundation, and at last we can step back andbreath a sigh of relief. We can hardly believe wehave achieved our goal after all this time.

Looking back, it's not only the new computersystem which has brought change to the building.The arrangement of the stock has been altereddramatically, which has led to a vast improvementin the stock representation in the Library. TheHistory Department no longer dominates the shelfspace; other departments have sent books to theLibrary so that all subjects have adequate shelving.

All computers on the Intranet now have accessto the Library catalogue allowing pupils and staffto browse the Library's collections from thecomfort of their houses or departments. They arealso able to reserve a book online and thisinformation is down loaded by the Library staffseveral times a day. There are also two new onlinepublic access catalogues situated in the Undercroftand housed in specially designed desks. These arepurely for catalogue searches, and pupils maysearch for items using an author's name, a title, ora keyword. They can obtain printouts from thesecatalogues, read a short synopsis of the book, andsee a map showing where the book is actuallysitting on the shelf. We will also be able tocatalogue useful web sites related to specifictopics and even catalogue course notes, which atsome point in the future will allow a boy accessduring holiday periods.

This year has also seen the arrival of a new atlasstand, new display stands, and a CD spinner tohouse the new collection of music COs we have inthe Library. We also received a kind donation of adisplay cabinet from Petronella MacNaghten inmemory of her husband Robin, Headmaster ofSherborne from 1974 until 1988.

However despite the fact that we have beenworking flat out during the last twelve months wedid find time for several events this year. Thelargest and most successful of these was the BookFair held last February in the BSR. Eightpublishers sent stock and representatives to theevent but the biggest supplier and supporter wasWH Smith. Book sales were enormous andreached the grand total of £7500. It was a goodopportunity for the boys simply to browse and taketheir time selecting something to read.

The English Department in conjunction withthe Library organised a well-attended SonnetEvening. Staff and boys gathered to enjoy a glassof wine and read Shakespearean sonnets. Jean­Marc Pascal, a member of the Library Committee,organised a Lyrics Evening on behalf of theLibrary. Boys gathered in the Westcott room toread out some of their favourite lyrics. It gaveeveryone who attended a real insight into whatmade certain boys tick. The staff attending weredragged screaming and kicking into the world ofhip-hop and rave. A most enlightening event.

The staff in the Library have worked tirelesslythis year. Several new faces have appeared on thescene. Mrs. Helen Foot was employed on a fulltime basis to help with the cataloguing and has

70

brought with her a wealth of library knowledgefrom her previous post at Yeovil College Library.Helen succeeded Mrs. Amanda Barker who hadalso helped with the cataloguing for two terms,before leaving to prepare for the birth of her firstchild. The latest acquisition to our Library team isMrs. Nikki Cornell who has been employed toassist with staff cover during Library openinghours. Mrs. Douch, the longest serving LibraryAssistant, is also in the process of studying for herCity and Guilds Library and InformationAssistants Certificate.

This strong new team has enabled myself tofocus on professional duties, as I know the day-to­day running of the Library is now in good hands.This has also proved invaluable with my new roleelsewhere as officer in-charge of the new recruitsin the CCF., all 105 of them.

We are at last achieving the aims and objectivesI set out over three years ago. This year has been avery rewarding time. The next steps in the grandscheme are to get more pupils in the Library and toget them using the facilities and resources to thefull extent, to promote services to teaching staff,encouraging them to bring classes in to doresearch and project work. We can move onlyonward and upward from here and the Librarystaff are ready to face new challenges as theycome along. These are exciting times and we areenjoying every minute of them.

VAC

Operation 'Sneaky Beaky'Operation 'Sneaky Beaky' was my most

exciting experience at Sherborne School.The mission started at 2300 when we met Mr.

Ricketts for a briefing. Nine of us, comprising fourmembers of the Army section and five members ofthe Royal Marines section, listened as we weretold the outlines of the situation and our objective.We were informed that an ammunition box hadbeen dropped from a plane at a farm in closeproximity to our present location. The box wasnext to a burnt out car about two miles away. Ourobjective was to obtain the box without cominginto contact with the enemy. If we came underenemy fire, we would abort the mission andtactically withdraw, returning to a designatedrendezvous point.

We were given two minutes to 'cam up' and'bomb up'. 'Camming up' is making yourselfcamouflaged, and involves breaking up your bodyoutlines by attaching pieces of vegetation to yourclothing, and getting rid of any light colouredareas easily visible to the enemy, such as your face

71

and hands, which is done by applying brown andgreen camouflage cream. 'Bombing up' is simplyloading a magazine with rounds. For this missionwe were each supplied with 30 blank rounds.

We drove one mile to a position a mile from thefarm. Here we left the bus and advanced silently,with Mr. Ricketts spearheading our arrowheadformation. We had to negotiate various fences andhedges before the farm came into view. Moonlightallowed us to see the farm which was about 500maway. We continued forward to a gap in a hedgewhich would be our rendezvous point. Here theMarines split from the Army. The Army wouldremain at the rendezvous and would providecovering fire if the Marines came under attackfrom the enemy.

Sound travels a long way at night, so a silentapproach was essential. The next 500m to the farmwas to take forty-five minutes to cover. Themajority of the distance was covered crawling.Voices from the farm made us aware that people

were awake and any noise from us would alertthem to our presence. We eventually arrived at thefarm in two groups. One group of two peoplelocated the car and began to search for theammunition box. The other group of three movedinto a barn. Fingers were on triggers and we wereready to fire as we were aware that someone couldappear at any moment. We were between twominibuses, parked in the barn, when a dog beganto growl. We pressed our backs against theminibus. Mr. Thompson had woken and walkedoutside, two metres to our right. We woulddefinitely be seen when he walked back in so wehad to move quickly. A noise from someone wokeMr. Wade who was asleep in the minibus. He sawus and hit the horn. We started to fire andwithdrew from the barn to find the other twoMarines, who had been searching the car.Covering fire poured down from the Army whohad been waiting at the rendezvous point. We

retreated in two groups, each taking turns to givecovering fire and to move back ten metres at atime. We returned to the Army in four minuteshaving taken forty-five minutes on the approach.We retreated to a point out of sight of the farmwhere we informed Mr. Ricketts of the situation.We returned to the minibus and drove back to ourcamp exhausted.

We had not managed to obtain the ammunitionbox, but that did not spoil an incredibleexperience. Thanks must go to Mr. Ricketts fororganising Operation Sneaky Beaky - it wasbrilliant.

Those involved were: (Royal Marines), RichardFox, Robert Halliday, Sam Mason, EdwardWestropp, (Army), Charlie Roberts, WilliamRussell, Matthew Paulson-Ellis, Patrick Shaw­Brown.

Edward Westropp

A Medieval Feast

The Old School Room provided a perfect venuefor the medieval feast, its antique interiorproviding the event with an atmosphere andauthentic feel that would have been difficult toproduce elsewhere. The feast took place on the 3rdof May and was a collaboration between ourHistory department and that of Sherborne Schoolfor Girls, with Sixth Form students from bothschools invited. At the back of the magnificent hallwas an exhibition of students' work which hadbeen inspired by reading Chaucer's TheCanterbury Tales and a display of precious latemedieval books, which provided an insight intoSherborne's own early history.

An amusing lecture given by Dr. DavidCarpenter on 'The English Aristocracy from 1066to 1400' proved extremely enjoyable, as well asinstructive to all. Dr. Carpenter discussed, withsome graphic illustrations, how people managed tobe killed, or to avoid being killed, in medievalbattles.

The feast was the kind of food that one wouldexpect to eat in King Richard Il's court, and hadbeen prepared to medieval recipes. Eaten were'brestes of capoun in mylke and hony (chickenbreasts cooked with honey, herbs and milk) with'white bred', all washed down with a glass of'rede wyn'. No vegetables were served as thenobility dismissed them as commoners' food, but

72

at the time red wine was the health food of choice;'It doth quycken a mannes wyttes and dothcomfort the herte'. This ironically meant that thepeasants ate healthier food than the aristocracydid, and it was rare for a member of the nobility tohave clear skin and more than a few teeth ...

Fruit however was eaten, but only in pies orpreserved in honey, as it was believed to be bad foryou raw, and we were presented with 'frutours', afruit pie which was suitable for Lent as it containsno meat. After this 'marchepane roseye' (rose andviolet coloured marzipan balls) was served, adelicacy available to England in those times oncetrade routes from Arab countries had been openedup.

After our meal the evening was infused with atouch of medieval Spain when we listened to someSpanish medieval songs skilfully sung byGeraldine Hazzleton with guitarist GeorgeTatham. The Spanish theme was continued withreading from the medieval Spanish El Poema deMio Cid, and readings from Chaucer as well asother Middle English poets took place.

In true medieval fashion the evening endedwith everybody singing together Sumer is lcumenIn (summer has arrived). The event was a hugesuccess and will no doubt be repeated next year.

Nick Zarb and lames Watson

Pringle Trophy 2000

SQUAD! Squad . .. SHUN! Right, listen in. TheSir Stewart Pringle Trophy Competition is anannual competition for Royal Marine c.c.F.detachments from all over the country, of whichthere are seventeen. It takes place at the RoyalMarine Training Base at Lympstone and is a veryarduous competition.

As captain of the team, I was very nervousabout the competition but an excellent drillpractice immediately upon arrival on Friday nightset me at my ease. Having ironed our lovats andstone shirts and polished our boots till we couldsee our faces in them, we were ready for Saturday,the main day of the competition. We were rudelyawakened at 5.00 a.m. by another team departingfor their breakfast, and so we got up and preparedourselves for the day. At 6.30 we marched down tothe drill shed to be examined on our drill.Everything went smoothly and we went on out toWoodbury Common for a round robin of stances.

Mr. Ricketts and Ed Westropp kept us in highspirits with their bantering while Rob Halliday andRich Fox maintained the seriousness required. Theteam performed reasonably on most stances. EdPosnett did very well on camouflage andconcealment. Rory Bulger's technical expertisewas essential in the leadership task, until hemanaged to throw a piece of equipment, vital tocompleting the task, straight into the water we

were attempting to traverse. Charlie Pitt-Ford'swork rate was incredible and he performed wellthroughout. The section attack was particularlysuccessful but very painful, since I managed to fallheadlong into the gorse half way through. We hada slight setback during our first aid whileremoving the casualties to safety, when SamMason dropped the stretcher and then accidentallyclubbed the casualty over the head with his rifle!By late afternoon we were returning to Lympstonefor more of the phenomenal food served up thereand then some well-deserved sleep.

The final day of the competition dawned andwe prepared ourselves mentally for the ordeal thatfaced us, the endurance course. Sam Mason ledhalf the team on the orienteering course, whileRich Fox, Ed Westropp, Matt Hopkins, and Inegotiated the tunnels, marshes, hills, and lakeswhich made up the endurance course. This isundoubtedly the hardest part of the competitionand is very exhausting. However, the feeling oftriumph when you have finished is quiteexhilarating. The result of the competition wasthat we had finished 12th overall but, to ouramazement, we had won the drill trophy. Wereturned to Sherborne, tired but contented.SQUAD . .. To your duties . .. Fall OUT!

Nicholas Pothecary

Ski Trip

In the Easter holidays sixteen boys were luckyenough to go skiing. Our destination was to be ValThrones, France. It was the first skiing trip I haveever been on but it was one of a very rare nature.Sixteen boys, three teachers, and not a single limbbroken! Remarkable! So, except for my stolensnowboard, it was a complete success.

The journey seemed to take years: a coach tothe airport at some ridiculous time in the morning,a normal flight with its normal complimentarymeals, and then another coach journey from theairport to the resort. On the coach from the airportto the resort the noise levels seemed to dropfurther and further as the hours passed. A smallmurmur sounded at the first sight of snow, whichsoon quietened, and then, as we finally came to ahalt outside the hotel, an eruption of noisebellowed from the coach. After checking in andfinding our rooms, we walked outside to the snowslopes and realized we were finally there.

76

The skiing was excellent most days, with anumber of challenging slopes. The progress of thebeginners was, remarkably, faster than I thought itwould be. By the end of the first day, most of uswere skiing or boarding comfortably, except forTom, who seemed to take a little longer inmastering the technique. By the end of the secondday those snowboarders who hadn't mastered theright turn did so while the others continued togrow in confidence. And by the end of the thirdday, most had enjoyed being knee-deep in powdersnow. The lower years obviously had an extremelygood time, as I never actually saw them, except atmeals.

The advanced skiing group opted out of the skischool and instead tried to do all the runs possible.Some of these were mapped, some not. All theadvanced group had their minds set on findinghuge jumps to launch themselves into the snow­covered views with steep slopes to conquer, and

moguls to test our skills. Their days required a lot ofspeed and agility. Most of the group finished withsnow-filled jackets from losing balance, or achesbecause of all the muscles used to try and stopthemselves falling over. The teachers whoaccompanied them (trying just as hard as the boys)ended each day aching all over from trying to keepup with them or having wiped out. When we finallyreturned to our hotel at the end of the day, there wereonly two things we had in mind: first, a shower and,secondly, a drink in the pub across the road. SadlyMr. Warren could not partake in much skiing orapres-ski because he fell ill for most of the trip.

As for the apres-ski: we already knew about themetre of beer (also known as a 'giraffe'). This is

exactly what it sounds like, a metre high tube fullof beer (normally) with a tap at the bottom, andfour glasses. One of these, after a good day'sskiing, was hard to beat. The club wasdisappointing, except when the live band played.It was like a sauna jammed with a mass of bodiesaround a small stage where a band, who wereactually quite talented, played.

I had great fun on the ski trip and wouldrecommend it to anyone. Also on behalf of allmembers of the party I would like to thank Dr.Hamon and Mr. Warren for a fantastic trip, whichwas thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

Pix Hedderwick

International Law and Diplomacy Course2001

Towards the end of their Lower Sixth year,boys have the opportunity to go on an ISCOcourse aimed at helping them choose a career or asubject to study at university. Some courses areover subscribed and hard to get into. We werelucky enough to be able to go to The Hague withtwenty-six other European students for four jam­packed days to learn an incredible amount aboutthe lives of lawyers and diplomats.

Day 1, WednesdayWe arrived at Heathrow to join the other

students along with our ISCO guides for the trip.After checking into the hotel, and dinner, we had awalk down to the sea front. We enjoyed a quickdrink at a bar, then headed back to the hotel to geta decent night's sleep for the day ahead.

Day 2, ThursdayThe day started with breakfast at the hotel,

followed by a short bus journey to our firstdestination, the European Patent Office. As wearrived we were greeted by a very strange Belgianman, who had obviously been well versed inEnglish culture as he announced, , When I heardyou were English, I had to rush and get somecoffee as I know the English must have coffeebefore a meeting!' In the lecture which followed,we learnt how patents were made and the lawsgoverning them. I don't think lingerie was ourhost's specialty but it was definitely his main areaof interest as he kept the group for thi11y minutesover the scheduled time to show us his favourites.

Next was Europol's main headquarters. Herewe were given name-tags, in exchange for ourpassports, to get through security and led into anextremely modern-looking and sophisticated

77

meeting room. All twenty-six members of thegroup sat around a huge square table and wereoffered a drink. Our lecturer turned on hismicrophone and proceeded to tell us, from thehead of the table, what exactly Europol does. Thiswas the first half of the lecture. In the second half,a large German man attacked the subject of drugsin Amsterdam in a very stern tone and declared'Cannabis is not legal here, only tolerated.' Afterthis enlightening introduction he filled our headswith facts and figures about drugs in the UK andthe Netherlands, some of which were verydisturbing.

It was now time to go for a lunch at ShellInternational which had everything frombeautifully cooked beef to salmon and caviar. Wealso ate what we were told was a national delicacywhich the pony riders of the group did not findamusing later as we were told it was made withhorsemeat. So, there we were, lunching in aprivate function room, courtesy of Shell, talking totwo of Shell's top lawyers and learning about whatkind of things they do every day.

After this refuelling at Shell, we headed for ourlast destination of the day, the British Embassy.This was a standard hour of 'This is what we do'lectures but nevertheless quite interesting. Wewere presented at the end with a goodie bag,including a book entitled: '100 questionsanswered about the United Kingdom.' Thisincludes the answers to questions such as 'What isBritish humour?'

Supper was hardly needed after lunch, so nowit was time to hit the town. We found a fantasticlittle bar with a very friendly atmosphere, whichwe couldn't leave. Back to the hotel to sleep.

Day 3, FridayToday we visited the World Peace Palace. This

consisted of a tour of the building and a lectureabout what the World Peace Palace was, and whyit was created. The American speaker didn't makethe lecture and talk the most exciting experience inthe world. However we all gained a little moreknowledge.

Our next stop was the Organisation for thePrevention of Chemical Weapons, another placewhere passports had to be exchanged for name­tags to pass security. We were led into a hugesemi-circular conference room. Here we listenedto what the organisation does. What followed wasa film pretty much summing up all that he hadsaid. We left the OPCW building and took a briskwalk to a business hotel where we stopped to havelunch.

After lunch the group crossed the road to theWar Crimes Tribunal. We passed through the x­rays and sat behind the bullet-proof glassprotecting the courtroom. A few days laterMilosovich's trial started in that very room. Againwe listened to another lecture about whathappened in the building. To finish off the day, wehad a tour of a prison in the town centre, whichwas a kind of change from law and diplomacy.

The lectures for the day finished, all that wasleft was to get ready for the ball at the end of thepier to which the whole group had been invited. It

just so happened that at the end of the pier therewas also a slingshot ride, which shot two peopleinto the night sky with bungies. Of course this hadto be done, twice! We raced back inside for a lastcouple of dances, until finally going back to thehotel, via the pizza shop, to finish off the party inour rooms.

Day 4, SaturdayWe had only one lecture today. A lawyer from

one of the top five London law firms told us moreabout the life of a lawyer, with special attention tothe Internet and LT. sector of law: which was veryinteresting because it was part of a fast developingsector of law.

The rest of the day was free for shopping intown and seeing the sights of The Hague. In theevening, our little group of friends visited the littlebar for the last time before returning to Englandthe next day. At the airport we said our goodbyesto our new-found friends and returned to school.

All in all the trip was fascinating and we wouldboth recommend it to anyone who is interested inlaw, diplomacy, or both as it is a fantastic trip tolearn a lot about the E. U. and international affairs,and meet lots of weird and wonderful people.

Pix HedderwickWill Yates

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78

Extracts fromThe Shirburnian

of 100 years ago

No. CCVIII, March 1901, Vol. XX

February 1st and 2nd 19011st

Forth from her Palace gateDown to the wintry shoreBear her with Royal stateWho comes no more.

Within her swift ship's sideLay her down solemnly;Thus when the Vikings diedThey sought the sea.

Glide phantom-like, glide slow,Down the long line and farWhere range in dreadful rowHer fleets of war.

Glide solemnly, glide byOh silent ship, and threadHer ironclads, where they lie;Bearing the dead.

For this was she their QueenWho three-score perilous yearsFronted whate' er has been;Hopes, sorrows, fears ----

Whom they, four brief years since,Acclaimed with thunders loud;Mute now the shouts, the cheers,The applauding crowd.

Guard her, strong ironclads, wellSafe to her further shore,For hark the tolling bellShe comes no more!

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2ndSpeed her with all her trainOf Kingly potentatesTo where once more againHer London waits.

And let the unnumbered throngIn this sad pageant seeAs slow it sweeps alongHer Jubilee.

A Jubilee of lifeLived well, and therefore blest;Care, then, at times and strife,Now peace and rest.

Let her loved soldiers brave,As when a soldier dies,Make for their leader's graveDue obsequies.

The flags, the muffled drum;The dead, where lay the gun;Not here her feet shall come;Her service done.

Lay her beneath the shadeOf Windsor's royal towersWhere in sad widowed hoursHer tomb she made.

Lay her beside her dear!Oh faithful lovers twain!In Heaven above, as here,Re-knit again!

Lewis Morris

In memoriamQUEEN VICTORIA

Quae te tarn laeta tuleruntSaecula? qui tanti talem genuere parentes?

Aeneid 1.605-6

Lay her to rest. 0 hour of grief and awe!We say not England's happier days are done;But who with that magnetic touch shall drawAnd weld our world-spread Empire into one?­May He, who gave the mother, grace the son!

So simply noble that almost she madeOf earth-born sovereignty a thing divine.Love was her law, by purity she swayed,A power nor grief nor age could undermine ­Her throne an altar, and her hearth a shrine.

Queen, wife and mother peerless: even soAnd this shall be her fame in after years:Or alien or akin, or friend or foe,Old jealousies forgot, old feuds and fears,The whole earth wrote her epitaph in tears.

Lay her to rest. Her memory shall be blownLike pure sweet air upon a tortured clime.She made for peace, and passes to her ownWith those who reign - 0 recompense sublime! ­Beyond the folding gates of space and time.

JOllies Rhoades

SCHOOL NEWS

On Saturday, February 2nd, a Memorial Service for the late Queen was held in the Abbey, the Schoolattending. The Corps joined with the Yeomanry and Volunteers.

The following was the order of the service:­

Funeral March in C minorOpening Sentences in the Burial Service

Psalm xc.Lesson, I Cor. xv. 20

AnthemAddress by the Head Master

HymnSentences, Lord's Prayer, and Collects from the Burial Service

Thanksgiving and Prayer for His Majesty the KingThe Grace of Our Lord

Funeral MarchHymn

BenedictionMarch in E minor

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Chopin

H. W Chuter

Beethoven

Mendelssohn

CORRESPONDENCE

To the Editor of The Shirburnian

Dear Mr. Editor,May I enquire through your columns whether any scheme has been started for perpetuating the

memory of the late Queen? I am sure that any such proposal would meet with a ready response in theSchool, in which loyalty to the throne has always been most sincere and marked.

Yours sincerely,LOYALIST.

Dear Mr. Editor,I was astonished to find early in the term, that the School had actually no intention of sending a wreath

to the funeral of Queen Victoria. How can we expect to get on if we don't even show our loyalty?Yours in surprised indignation,

CORONA.

No. CC/X, April 1901, Vol. Xx.

EDITORIAL

Since we last took up our parable, events have taken place that have stirred the empire, and indeed thewhole world, and ourselves as part of that empire; and also others that have been of interest to a narrowercircle. We thought that such poor phrases as we could indite would be better left unsaid, while the firstgreat grief for that Queen who was more of a Mother to each one among us was strong in our hearts, andtherefore forbore, leaving the beautiful lines by Mr. Rhoades and Sir Lewis Morris to be our only overt- as they are the beautiful - expressions of mourning. The death of Canon Young too was noticed by anabler pen. We would, though somewhat late, express our loyal wishes for the long life and prosperity ofKing Edward VII.

JULY 1901

On the evening of Friday, July 5th, Mr. A. Capper gave us a very enjoyable Entertainment.Beginning with some very clever tricks of freeing his hands when tied together with knots, he wenton to the more important item of 'Thought Reading' which was truly very wonderful.

O.S. NEWS

Mrs. Rawes writes from Bradford Rectory, Brandis Corner, N. Devon, sending an extract from herson's letter, which she received on July 6th, containing the following: -

'The Boers used a lot of explosive bullets; you could hear them going "zap-zap" all round. We hadone of our officers and a sergeant murdered in cold blood. Lieutenant Spring was wounded in the thumb,and Sergeant Finlay was binding up his wound when a Boer came up and shot the one through the eyeand the other through the throat.'

J.E. StevensP. EglingtonP. EglingtonJ.E. StevensC. Headlam

J.A. LushJ.E. Stevens scored 148

The following have been playing cricket: -For M.C.C

Oxford AuthenticsSurbitonWiltsGentlemen of M.C.C.Dorset

For Wilts v L.c.c.,

H.R. Dean represented Oxford in the Water-polo and team races.

81

CORRESPONDENCE

Dear Sir,May I call attention to the dangerous condition of the School Bath? Besides the fact that one can

hardly move a step on the boards without being lacerated by numerous splinters, the stones, especiallyat the edges, are always chipping, with the result that they are strewn with needle-like fragments, onwhich a step is fatal. Could this not be remedied before next year?

Yours, etc.,SPLINTER.

Dear Mr Editor,I was surprised a few days ago, to find what a mournful state the Library Photograph Album is in.

Surely it was originally meant to contain more than three photographs. Some energetic member of theSchool might devote himself to gathering photographs of all O.S.S. who had distinguished themselveshere in any way. Then the album would be of interest to all, instead of a disappointment and eyesore towhoever opens it.

Yours truly,FO-TO.

Dear Sir,Why cannot some enterprising soul get up a society for the purposes of psychical research in this

School? I have it on good authority that the country is literally swarming with ghosts, whose hearts areyearning - if ghosts have hearts, and are capable of yearning - to be investigated. We know ourselvesthat

'Dark cowled BenedictinesHaunt the pillared shade.'These might with advantage be laid; a serious danger would then be removed from those who roam

the Courts at night. Hoping this will catch the subliminal eye of some psychically minded person.I remain,

Yours mysteriously,KOOPS.

To the Editor of The Shirburnian.

Dear Sir,Might I support the suggestion of Decani, which appeared in a former issue, relative to a surpliced

chapel choir? Even if they wore the surplices only on Sundays, it would be a great improvement. I haveheard many visitors who have come here say that they consider surplices would add greatly to thebrightness of our services, and express their surprise when told that there is no surpliced choir. I haveenquired, and find that a good many of our public schools have surpliced choirs. Is there any other reasoneither in the way of ritual or otherwise which prevents us following their example? Hoping this will catchthe eye of the authorities.

I remain, yours,"VESTIS LINTEA RELIGIOSAQUE."

Dear Mr Editor,Seeing that King Alfred the Great was an O.S. and that we claim to be founded by him, doesn't it seem

to be our duty to send in a subscription, in the name of the School, for the King Alfred Memorial? Hopingthat Shirburnians will be loyal,

I remain,Yours, etc.,

MEADY RONEY.

82

Dear Mr Editor,May I enquire through your columns, why in so fairly managed a body as the Cadet Corps of

Sherborne School, one section should be allowed to keep its rifles in its own House, and so be enabledto drill at any time, whether the Armoury be open or not, whilst the rest can only drill when the Armourychances to be open? Surely this is hardly fair. Also I am under the impression that the rifles, beinggovernment property, may not legally be kept away from the Armoury at all.

Yours very truly,"A DISINTERESTED NON-MEMBER."

Dear Mr Editor,Might I be allowed to trespass on your columns to make a brief, but perhaps useful, suggestion that

all members of the School might have a blazer for going down to football, as the ordinary black coat lefton the wet grass or a muddy ground does not come up looking the better for it. A plain black flannel (orthe apology for it) would be most suitable. House caps might have trimming with ribbon of their Housecolour; members of teams winning Leagues could also have the league badge put on the pocket. Hopingthis may catch the eye of the authorities,

Yours truly,PRAETEXTA.

Dear Mr Editor,Why has the good old custom of boxing matches been given up of late years? Some time ago there

was great keenness shown over these competitions, both among the competitors and also in the Schoolin general. Could not some really serious effort be made to re-organize the School boxing? As we havenot now been represented at Aldershot for two years, or are we become too effeminate to have ourcomplexions spoilt by another's fist?

Yours,PUX.

No. CCXIL, November 1901, Vol. XX

EDITORIAL

It is hard to find anything new to say in an Editorial, for the very simple reason that hardly anythingever occurs worth mentioning. As usual, football is practically the only thing which will interest ourreaders, and this season, owing to the happy readiness of the weather to rain when it ought to, footballwas started on the first Saturday of term, and we were not forced to resort to the somewhat tameamusement of hockey. The match card is a well-filled one as usual, and, though the Honiton match hasbeen abandoned, important additions have been made in the shape of matches with L1andovery andWadham College, Oxford. By meeting L1andovery at Cardiff, four schools will be met this year, anunprecedented number, we believe. The XV have started in a manner which augurs well for the Schoolmatches. Adamson has adopted the unwonted place of inside three-quarter, and though his absence in thegrovel must be severely felt, he strengthens the three-quarter line so greatly that the change hasundoubtedly been for the better. On the right wing Greville and Ross work splendidly together, and thethree-quarters are strong throughout. As usual the grovel is light, but dash and neatness in the opencompensate for this in some degree. As has been said above, the XV have done well so far and have wonthree out of four matches played, their easy win over Wadham College being particularly creditable.During the next fortnight or three weeks they have a full list of matches.

Except for football, there is nothing to record. However, we must really mention some most excellentarticles which have lately appeared in the Public School Magazine about the School. A description ofSherborne, sixty years ago, is extremely interesting to all, and it shows what vast changes have takenplace since then in the shape of the School, while it also records many ancient customs, some of whichhave died out, but which for the most part leave behind traces in our present customs, the origin of whichare known by practically none of us.

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Then again, we must congratulate Sir Godfrey Lagden, one of the most distinguished O.S.'s alive, onbeing appointed Native Commissioner of the Transvaal.

Lastly, we have to welcome both Mr. Phillips and Mr. Costley-White, who fill the places of Mc.Crosthwaite and Mr. Portman. Mr. Phillips has already proved a great acquisition by kindly refereeing inschool games and matches, while Mc. Costley-White has been most kind in his assistance to the SchoolLiterary Societies.

DECEMBER 1901: PENNY READING.

These Institutions are in many ways excellent, and we were glad to see their revival in a goodperformance given after the Eastbourne match. Ley opened the proceedings with a pianoforte piece,which showed good execution, while Northey's violin solo was also a good performance. Next came anIrish song by Fletcher, which went with a good swing, though at times the words were hard to catch.Hodges favoured us with The Vicar of Bray, and he sang very clearly and correctly, and this song wasmuch appreciated, it being encored. Wilson followed with a very good recitation called The PhantomActress, which was extremely amusing. The reciter was quite audible everywhere in the room, andbetrayed no signs of nervousness. He gave a short and amusing recitation as an encore. Down among thedead men, was next rendered by the powerful voice of Holmes, after which Mr. Costley-White gave avery good recitation, How Bill Adams won the battle of Waterloo, which was quite the feature of theevening. The entertainment was concluded by a banjo duet by Horsfall and Horton.

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Lower Sixth Study Visit to Marly-Ie-RoiThere can hardly be a boy in the School who

remembers a time when the Marly exchange didnot take place. Every year the Lent term ispunctuated by the arrival of a mixed group fromthe Lycee Louis de Broglie. Their ten day visit tous ends, and all goes quiet for another year. Agrave misconception, of course, but by no meansan uncommon one, for only the happy few - thosewho study French in the Lower Sixth - are luckyenough to take part in the return visit.

Barely has the Lent term ended when we arewhisked to Paris in high-speed, air-conditionedsplendour on the Eurostar. A short bus journey andwe are soon taking the local train to Marly in thewestern suburbs, which is our base for the next tendays.

Time is spent in lessons at the School and oncoursework preparation. By now our contacts in

Marly are quite used to the research interests ofShirburnians and are eager to help by arranginginterviews, providing documents and - purely inthe quest for academic excellence, you understand- offering a chance to test the bed in the cells at thegendarmerie. ('Better than school' is the verdict).

Our day visit to Paris is a similar treat for theinitiated only. Who but this year's group knowswhere to find a Jewish delicatessen with bulletholes in the window? Or the best ice creams inParis? Or a restaurant in a mosque? My thanks asever to JAT, for his understated skill at wieldingthe video camera, and to all those who took part,for the zeal with which they widened theirknowledge of French civilization.

AKa.

-"'"C - --

A Week in BarcelonaIt was a pleasant summer evening and we, the

three arnigos, embarked on what promised to be aweek of cultural delights and revelations.Eventually arriving at Bristol International Airportafter a bumpy car ride in which Tim just aboutmanaged to overtake a cyclist, we set off on ourGo flight, destination Barca!

Everything was going to plan. The flight wason time; we picked up our bags with minimal fussand even managed to get a taxi to get us to ourhostel for the first night. During the taxi ride Coosassured us that he had booked the hostelpersonally, and that even his dad had checked thebooking. Exhausted, and safe in this knowledge,we looked forward to reaching the hostel andcrashing out.

However, upon our arrival at the hostel, a ratherbewildered manager greeted us by saying thatthere was no room and that he had no record of our

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booking. The fact that this man spoke not a wordof English, together with George and Tim'slimited grasp of Spanish, made communicationsomewhat difficult. After at least an hour ofarguing in Spanish, he eventually let us have aroom for the night, on the condition that if thepeople whose room it was turned up, we wouldmove out. Thankfully, they never showed up, andwe crashed out in a room that felt like a sauna,with George sleeping on the floor.

The next day we found we were miles from thecentre of Barcelona, and promptly checkedstraight out of our hostel in the hope of findingsomewhere better. Our first experience of LaRambla was lugging our rucksacks down the streettrying to find a bed for the night. After inquiringin about five hostels, who all said they were eitherfull or that we were to come back later, we founda hostel with a room for three, with en-suite

bathroom, TV, and the all important air­conditioning, for about £14 a night each.Although this was a little more than we wanted topay, it was a pleasant hostel with friendly peopleand good facilities, so we booked into the HostelParis for the rest of the week. After this veryexhausting hostel-hunting trip, we treatedoursel ves to the rest of the day on the beach'

On Friday, we decided to get on with somesightseeing. Looking like the typical Brits abroad,we headed off firstly to the Catedral, which wasabsolutely magnificent. Despite only having totravel a few hundred metres from our hostel to theCatedral, we still somehow managed to getcompletely lost, but did eventually find it and itwas well worth the visit. We then jumped backonto the Metro and travelled to the Nou Camp, thehome of Barcelona Fe. The sheer size of the120,OOO-seat stadium was truly amazing, and onecould imagine the atmosphere during a matchwould be unbelievable. Still with time left in theday, we went to the Sagrada Familia, which wasand still remains today one of Gaudi's mostimpressive feats of architecture. And (despitebeing momentarily distracted by Pizza Hut) allthree of us were astounded by its sheer size andmagnificence. It is still under construction, sothere is lots of machinery everywhere, but itdoesn't prevent you from seeing what an amazingconstruction it is.

In the evening, we walked up and down LaRambla and paid some well-earned visits to thebars! We discovered that La Rambla is equallypacked with people regardless of what time of day

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It IS. There were plenty of small sideshows on thestreet to keep us entertained.

The next day, we embarked on a journey on theMetro, trains, trams, and a funicular railway, totake us up to the top of the Tibidabo, which givesan amazing view of the whole of Barcelona and itssurroundings. At the summit of this glorioushillside there stood an enormous statue of Christwhich, after waiting for about half an hour for thelift attendant to actually do anything, we ascendedto enjoy some amazing views over theMediterranean and the city. Upon our descent wefound a spot to enjoy the scenery where we wrotepostcards and experienced some more Spanishbeer.

After a late Saturday night, it was a slow starton Sunday morning. After grabbing some pain­au-chocolat for breakfast, we decided to go andvisit the Olympic Village. After taking anotherfunicular railway, we then walked completely inthe wrong direction, and found ourselves at amilitary museum, so we stayed there for a whileand looked at the castle and the superb views allaround it. This time consulting a map, we headedoff for the Olympic Village, which we foundwithout too much trouble. We were not allowedinto the actual main stadium, so we went to look atall the other buildings. We entered what wethought was the swimming pool, only to find acrowded arena, with people attending the AnnualAssembly of Jehovah's Witnesses. Eventuallyrealising what we had accidentally stumbledacross, we made a quick exit, escaping a manbeckoning us to 'join him', and tried to find the

swimming pool. There were two Olympic-sizepools, one of which had a major competition goingon within it, so after staying to watch a few raceswe set off on the return voyage back to our hostelfor an early night.

On Monday we got up early in order to get to awater park, which we had read about. We startedwhat we thought would be about a half hour'sjourney, and three hours later we arrived at thewater park, after a chaotic journey through theoutskirts of Barcelona. We then had a brilliantday, spent zooming down slides and relaxing inthe surrounding restaurants.

On our return from the water park, we spottedfrom the train some lovely beaches - far lesscrowded than Barcelona beach itself. So, Tuesdaysaw us get back on the train out of the city, andvisit one of the quieter beaches, which was farmore relaxing than being with the swarms ofpeople on the Barcelona beach.

By Wednesday, we were all getting very tired,and were thinking about getting home, but had thewhole day to spend waiting for the plane. Wedidn't have to leave for the airport until about

8.00 p.m., so spent the day around the centre ofBarcelona. We looked at lots of the tourist shops,and took time to find small gifts to bring home.After eventually sorting the best route to theairport we left our hostel for the final time, andspent the short train journey listening to Chris'sprotests that we were travelling in completely thewrong direction. George and Tim were too tired toargue, so stayed quiet, and sure enough we arrivedat the airport in plenty of time for our plane home.

All three of us would recommend Barcelona toanyone and everyone. It is a unique city, with somuch atmosphere and so many friendly people.Overall, our trip to Barcelona was a huge success.During our stay there, we experienced theatmosphere of the bustling city, and managed agood balance of relaxation and sightseeing. We allenjoyed ourselves immensely, and are verygrateful to the School's Travel Grant Committeefor giving us this opportunity.

George Dalton, Chris Hartand Tim Wynn-Jones

The Old VicarageSherborne Road, Milborne Port, Dorset DT9 5AT

The Old Vicaragesituated at the edge of the village of Milborne Port,

two miles from Sherborne,offers accommodation with breakfast during the week

and dinner, bed and breakfast at weekends

Both accommodation and food are of the highest standardand are recommended by

The Good Hotel Guide and The Good Food Guide, among others.

For more information please look at our web site www.milborneport.freeserve.co.ukor ask for a brochure on telephone (01963) 251117 or facsimile (01963) 251515

Moorish Travel Grant in AndalusiaWe were awarded a travel grant to enable us to

explore the remains of the Moorish civilisation inSpain, the highlights of which were the wonderfulMezquita in Cordoba and the proud Alhambra inGranada. After the Arab invasion of 711,Andalusia became the centre of the Saracen andMoorish civilization. The cities of Granada,Cordoba, Seville, and Jaen were seats of Islamicculture, industry, and commerce. Students from allparts of Europe attended the great Muslimuniversities. Andalusia, established as a Moorishemirate in 756, later developed into the caliphate

IOur Route>

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of Cordoba. Lower Andalusia was recaptured fromthe Moors in 1212 but Upper Andalusia survivedas the kingdom of Granada until 1492, when it wasconquered by Ferdinand V and Isabella, thesovereigns of Castile and Aragon.

The plan for our travelling was to begin inSouthern Andalusia and work up through Cordobaand Granada to sample the cultural remains of theMoors before seeing the July festival in thesprawling city of Valencia. This involved a fairamount of travelling by bus and train, which was asteep learning curve for us and inevitably sappedour energy reserves. The Rough Guide served usvery well in parts, and was often invaluable givenour low level of collective independent travelexperience and our admittedly poor grasp of theSpanish language. Our packs were unbearable tocarry in the humidity of what were often pollutedcities, so as a rule we hurried to our hostels beforecontinuing.

On our arrival in Malaga, we were faced by thethirty degree centigrade heat that would continuefor the whole of the two weeks. The Costa Del Solstretched before us in its full high-rise-apartmentglory so we escaped to the Moorish Alcazabarwhich stood proudly above the port and beach ofthe city. The bus journey the next morning allowedus to speed hastily through the beach resorts ofTorremolinos and Fuengirola until we reached themore upmarket Marbella with its characteristic oldtown and a roaming Mercedes at every turn. Aswim in the crashing waves at the beach and anevening spent in the local bars sampling tapas(fishy snacks to accompany our San Miguels)provided us with refreshment after our sweatytravels.

A train journey later and we were in Ronda,which was set in undoubtedly the most dramaticsituation for a town that we had ever seen. It sitssurrounded by mountains and is itself split in halfby a gaping river gorge which drops for over 100feet on three sides. We spent much of our timethere wandering around this culture-rich town, thehighlight of which was the Casa de Mondragon,the real palace of Moorish Kings. Ronda is a placeof pilgrimage for lovers of bullfighting, for itsbull-ring is one of the oldest in Spain, butunfortunately it was not staging any action on thatday.

Cordoba was the most exciting place wevisited. The awesome Mezquita gripped ourimagination, although the recent restoration hadperhaps been too quickly conceived with rathertoo bright colours being painted on themagnificent arches. It bore the indelible marks of

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the Christian conquerors, with a cathedral plonkedin the centre and gaudy chapels arrangedhaphazardly around its perimeter. The calmness ofthis building could not contrast more sharply withour adventure the next day. We decided to visitpalace ruins called the Medina Azahara, sevenkilometres out of the city - an easy walk, wethought. It turned out to be a very tough walk, withthe breezeless air allowing the beating sun toreflect the tarmac on to our burning faces quiteeffortlessly. Our stay among the ruins thereforeproved to be short before we collapsed back at ourhostel after a welcome bus ride back.

The Alhambra was as impressive as it waspacked with hordes of camera-flashing Japanesetourists. It thoroughly deserves its reputation asthe most sensual building in Europe, and boastsbrilliant use of light and space in the PalaciosNazaries, with the relaxing sound of the watertrickling and spurting from the fountains and poolsas evidence of the Moors' prized irrigationtechniques. The city itself was ratheruninteresting, and pretty heavily polluted towardsthe lower parts where we were staying, and so wedeparted on a ten-hour bus journey to Valencia,keen to experience staying in 'the city that neversleeps'.

The cooler and overcast mornings in Valenciaallowed us to explore the attractions of this majorSpanish city, necessitating lots of bus journeyseverywhere we went. The cathedral was moreinteresting for its exterior, as was the Palacio delMarques de Dos Aguas, designed by HipolitoRovira, who died insane soon afterwards. TheMuseu de Belles Artes allowed us to see the worksof Goya, El Greco, and Ribera with the largestpark in the city opposite providing a perfect picnicspot. The Festival exploded, quite literally, on oursecond night with firework displays and crowds ofpartying Spaniards pulling and pushing useverywhere. We sampled the local paella quiteextensively, although enjoyment of the taste ofSpanish lager was beginning to wane!

Our flight back home left us thinking back onthe enduring memories of the two weeks we hadspent immersed in Spanish culture and meetingvery interesting and different people on the way.Our experience was worth the effort we had madeapplying for a travel grant and organising our planof action before departure, and I wouldrecommend anyone at the School to give it a go.

John Patterson, Pat Le Flufyand Danny Torrens-Spence

Peaceful Praha

We were dropped at 1.00 a.m. at Stansted, onwhat later turned out to be a rather overcastmorning, for what was about to be the mostilluminating eight days of our lives so far. We hadquite vague expectations of our adventure; weassumed it would be enjoyable and that we wouldgain invaluable insight into a culture very differentfrom our own.

By the first evening we approved our choice ofcity. We were casually sitting by the banks on theVtlava, dumbstruck by the beauty of thewonderful city of Prague. To the left of us was thesplendour of the Gothic Charles Bridge, whilstacross the river were architectural masterpiecessuch as the breathtakingly ornate NationalTheatre. We roamed around the streets and founda charming little restaurant where we enjoyed agood meal and were restored after all the hustleand bustle of term time as we chatted to thewaitresses and were absorbed by the strangenessof the music being played - the Czechinterpretation of The Bonzo Dog DoDah Band.

Our mission to find our accommodation hadbeen fairly amusing. After a confusingconversation of sign language and blankexpressions we found the room. The apartmentwas perfectly situated near to a tramline but in adistrict where, as we found, it was very easy to getlost. We became attached to our surroundings: thelocal cafe, the sight of some crazy guy franticallydancing to irritatingly loud 'techno' music, and theweird sound on the tram of the announcement thatwe were now in Namesti Miru. But this was Prahaand we became accustomed to not being surprisedby the slightly bizarre goings-on. We highlyrecommend any visitors to Prague to stay in Stop­City. For an apartment for ten pounds a night onthe edge of the city centre, it was a very good deal.

Food (or, at least, getting food) in Praha wasalways interesting. Each morning we took it inturns to jump out of the window (we were on theground floor) and go and fetch our customarybreakfast in bed. Our morning delights includednut yoghurt, cereal without milk, and croissantscontaining raw sausage. On the whole, mostrestaurants had been westernised so we ate muchpizza and pasta. Eating out was amazingly cheap;we had a two course meal with wine every nightand never paid more that three pounds a head.

Most of our time was spent roaming around thecity. By the second day we seemed to be goingeverywhere with a strange local named David. Hewas one of the most unusual people you can everhope to meet. He was a medic for their CivilService and so had to walk everywhere in his

white lab coat. Dave was an eccentric and wasnever afraid to show his fondness of us which hedemonstrated by walking up and down the tramssinging love songs to us in Czech. But, anyway,we had a guide.

Prague is the world capital of busking and welistened to some fantastic jazz, but after the fifthday we were feeling a little broke, and just in needof an adventure. Benjie and Harry had recentlybeen studying A Midsummer Night's Dream anddecided to perform Pyramus and Thisbe onCharles Bridge - the city's capital site for tourists.As the thespians strode up on the side of thebridge, George disarmed them by disappearing butthey soon attracted a rather large crowd. Anamusing spectacle.

We may be giving the impression that we didnothing much in the way of sightseeing or that wedid not learn anything. This was far from the truth.We spent one day at Prague Castle, or at leastBenjie and George did; Harry forgot to climbaboard the tram. This fortress occupies a large areaof the city and is historically and architecturally ofhuge interest. We had a wonderful time walkingaround and looking at such splendours as St.

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Vitus' Cathedral. We walked into a side buildingof one of the many churches there, and werefortunate enough to happen upon a rehearsal ofone of Prague's finest choirs, so we could walkaround exploring the church as the same time aslistening to astonishingly beautiful singing.

In Praha one is always surrounded by breath­taking architecture and by walking the streets wepicked up a good sense of the culture. Throughoutthe week we saw some amazing sights, such as theDancing House - the height of modernarchitecture. We also found many small modernart galleries which were all full of cutting-edge art.

When our eight days in Praha came to an end, Idon't think any of us really wanted to go back toEngland. Praha had overwhelmed anyexpectations, we had met some wonderful peopleand became attached to this special city. We highlyrecommend that Shirburnians pay it a visit. Wewould like to thank Mr. Eliot and the Travel GrantCommittee for giving us such a great opportunity.

Benjie Dudgeon, George Bunkalland Harry Steel

Munich, Vienna and PragueQuestions were asked during the course of our

interview with the Travel Grant Committee as towhy we thought visiting all three cities, Munich,Vienna, and Prague was a good idea. Indeed, wewere aware that there was a risk of not fullyappreciating the diverse art and architecture,which was to form the focus of our trip, that thesecities had to offer. The response to this questionwas that our destinations formed a neatgeographical triangle thus making it veryconvenient, both in cost and time, to visit thesecities by train. Another advantage was that thesecities had very different historical backgroundsand would therefore provide an interestingcomparison in terms of art and architecture.

Having arrived in Munich in driving rain, andwith nowhere to stay, we made our way to the citywhere Mozart once lived. Salzburg was a lateaddition to our itinerary. We felt this was a citythat required no more than a day's stay. We spentalmost two days there, which perhaps explainswhy we left feeling less than inspired, althoughadmittedly the terrible weather did not help.Having said that, St. Peter's Abbey and the otherchurches including the Franciscan Kirche that wesaw provided classic examples of Gothicarchitecture.

Making our way east we moved on to Viennafor two nights. After the quietness of Salzburg,Vienna provided a pleasantly busy atmosphere. Inaddition to the famous palaces of the Habsburgfamily, we were able to visit the Museum ofApplied Arts, the highlight of our stay in Vienna.It contained countless objects of interest stretchingfrom the Romanesque period to the twentiethcentury. It gave a useful insight into the way thecity had developed both in terms of art andarchitecture. On the two nights that we spent there,we visited what is called a 'Heurigeur' a winecellar where the locals go to taste the year's wine;

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traditional food, comprising mainly of cold meatsand cheeses was also served there. The Heurigeurthat we visited was situated in the suburb ofNubdorf and we were welcome guests, probablybecause we were the first people under the age ofsixty that they had seen in there in a long time. Onthe second evening we were shown the vast cellarbeneath and given a bottle to take with us.

Prague was the next stop. Arriving in this city isnot a pleasant experience; it seemed that the dregsof Europe collected in this one station. Despitethese first impressions, we discovered that Praguewas an exceptionally beautiful city offering a vastrange in architecture. Unfortunately we could findno accommodation since it was Easter weekendand so were forced to spend only one night there.In order to occupy ourselves during the long nightahead we went to the state opera to watch KarolVeis's The Polish Jew the first opera that we hadever seen; we couldn't have asked for a betterintroduction and as a result [ have become veryinterested in opera. The rest of the night was spentin a jazz bar, a rather seedy club, and a 24 hourcafe. We were able to cover a lot of the city byfoot, visiting all the sites of notable interestincluding the old town dating from the thirteenthCentury and Tyn cathedral. Dominating the citywas the Hradcany Castle, formerly home to theBohemian Kings and at present to the president ofthe Czech Republic.

The next day, suffering from lack of sleep, wemade our way back towards Munich. However,not willing to risk having no accommodation thereeither, we decided to stop in a small town north ofNuremberg called Marktredwitz - a sort ofGerman equivalent of Crewkeme. We were thefirst people to have stayed in the youth hostel thatyear and I wouldn't be surprised if we were thelast, but we were extremely grateful to wash andget some sleep.

We completed our journey to Munich whichwas certainly the most industrial of the cities thatwe visited and there was a real sense of purpose tothe place. We visited the Alte and NeuePinakothek which were conveniently oppositeeach other. The Alte housed a series of historicalpaintings collected by Wilhelm IV in 1530, andincluded works by Van Dyck and Rubens. Thebuilding of the Neue Pinakothek was impressivein itself, combining neo-renaissance and post­modem influences typified by rows of archedwindows and inset walls. We also visited theBMW museum and at the same time saw the

famous headquarters which, for me, was thehighlight of our time spent in Munich. Next to thiswas the Olympic Stadium, home ground of BayernMunich. Bayern in fact had a local derby that dayagainst neighbouring city Stuttgart; perhaps one ofthe most memorable and impressive moments ofour trip was seeing Bayem and Stuttgart fans alikehaving good humoured post match analysis,despite countless beers having been consumed inthe vast beer halls we visited. Bayern had lost 3-1.

James Sykesand Henry Rushton

Madrid 2000

In half-term of the Michaelmas Term, a groupof intrepid fourth and fifth formers set off for aweek in Madrid, under the guidance of Dr Such,Mr. Thompson, and Miss Hazleton. Little did weknow what we were were letting ourselves in for.

We stayed in pairs with Spanish families,dotted around the Madrid suburb of Alcobendas.The families were welcoming, but the deficienciesof our Spanish soon became clear. From these flatsit was only a short walk to 'La Gran Manzana',where we not only caught the bus each morning,but also entertained ourselves in the evening.

Each day held a new experience for the group,from eating suckling pig in Segovia to admiringthe art of Dalf and Mira in the Reina SofIa Art

Gallery. For most, the awe-inspiring visit to theValle de 10s Caidos was the real highlight of thetrip, but other experiences which stick in the mindinclude the endless shops selling medieval knivesin Toledo, and the grandeur of El Escorial.

Eating through the course of the trip became arisky affair. Boys were treated to such delicacies astripe, pigs' ears, and sopa castellona, a garlic soupwhose ingredients we are still not entirely sure of.

It is best to describe this trip as an adventureinto the weird and wonderful culture of Spain andits people, but one which was thoroughly enjoyedby all.

Robert BougheyAlasdair Boyd

Leon 2001

The first question we asked ourselves was howwe managed to be on a bus surrounded by boysheading for Luton. We still haven't answered this!Several hours later our plane landed in Madrid.Our first experience of Spain was trying toorganise taxis to the hotel and surviving Spanishdriving! Even at eleven o'clock, the temperaturewas in the high thirties which was a welcomechange from England. After eventually finding ourrooms and dumping our bags, we met everyone inthe bar next door for traditional Spanish food,burgers and chips. The next morning we were upearly for another coach journey, this time to Lean.We missed the introductory lecture (which DrSuch said was not too much of a loss), but luckilywe were in time for the welcoming drinks! Havingarranged to meet later, we were introduced to ourhosts before traipsing across the city of Lean, but,being girls, we had packed far too much and ourhost grudgingly found a taxi. After a large meal(five courses, including lasagne to start with), Mr.Oates gave us a tour of the city. At eight 0' clock

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we met up with everyone in the Plaza San Martinfor drinks and tapas. For Dr Such and Mr. Oates,this was their first exposure to us after we had hadajug of sangria. (They didn't see us later ...) Wereturned to our hosts before hitting the BarrioHumedo.

Dragging ourselves out of bed for lessons thenext morning was not easy. When we got to theuniversity we were greeted by a 'test' so that wecould be put into groups for the next two weeks oflessons. Trying to fit in with the Spanish lifestyle,we had our much needed siesta before visiting SanIsidoro. This is a Romanesque church which hasbeautiful paintings on the ceiling and whichhouses the tombs of many of the earlier monarchsof Spain.

Over the next few days, we had lessons onspoken and written Spanish. The boys weredelighted to find out that both our teachers werefemale and all seemed to find at least one of them'fit'! We think everyone in the group came backwith a better understanding of certain grammatical

points. During this week, we also visited SanMarcos which has been converted from a pilgrimhostel to a luxury hotel. Dr Such took us into amuseum where he showed us a favourite work ofart, an intricately carved ivory crucifix.

One morning after lessons, while Christo andDougal were impressing us with their singingtalent, a journalist and a photographer approachedChristo for an interview about the course at theuniversity. When the article appeared in print, weall noticed the sudden improvement in hisgrammar!

One afternoon we went on the university trip toa reservoir. On the bus, the Sherborne boysmanaged to impress the Russians on the course bysinging their school song! The scenery wasstunning. We also visited a hydro-electric powerstation in the mountains before being taken to abar for drinks and tapas.

On Saturday, there was the opportunity to go toAstorga, where there is an impressive building, theBishop's Palace, designed by Gaudi, which isopen to the public. This was also a chance to lookaround the first chocolate factory in Europe, themain attraction being the tasting at the end!Another highlight of the day was seeing Dr Suchrunning down the bus to stop the driver for thebenefit of certain people who had been held up!

Dr Such had arranged for us all to have lunchtogether on the Sunday in Plaza San Martin. Thewaiters kept bringing out more plates of traditionalSpanish food which were delicious. It was a nicechance to eat as a group.

With lessons continuing in the mornings, theboys spent most of the afternoons in the swimmingpool but on Tuesday we looked around the Leancathedral. It is a beautiful Gothic building whichhas some of the best stained glass in Spain and thesun to shine through it.

On our last night, after dragging our bags on tothe bus that would take us back to Madrid, wewent back to the centre of the city to be typicaltourists and have a group photo on the Lean sign!We met Dr Such and the head of the course for anamazing feast. Certainly from our point of view, itwas the best meal we had had in Spain, and one ofthe most enjoyable evenings.

During the two weeks we had the chance tointerview experts on our coursework topics whichwas a great help.

Thank you to Mr. Oates for the few days that hewas with us and especially to Dr Such for anamazing two weeks that we shall never forget.

Gilly ForwardStephanie Hebblethwaite

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Watching the TrafficTraffic puts the current debate in Britain over

the legislation against cannabis into a widerperspective by giving an insight into the drugsproblem experienced by our neighbours across thepond. This fast moving film presents the world ofnarcotics in an honest, refreshing, and hard-hittingmanner not unlike the nineties cult filmTrainspotting. The film was shot entirely bycamcorder with inventive photography using ablue mist for the action in the streets ofWashington and a hot orange and yellow forMexico. The three plots present contrasting storiesand experiences of those caught up in the world ofcocaine and heroin with its falling prices andsteady demand. Individuals are powerless tocontrol their own fate or impose their authority onthe situation, the power of the drug cartels exertingthe forces that really matter. This is certainly whatSenator Hudson (Michael Douglas) discovers ashe is appointed the position of the new Americandrugs tsar with the task of 'winning the war ondrugs'. But while he struggles at this impossibletask he comes to realise that his own daughter, aleader of her class at private school, is usingcocaine and heroin with her friends. The focalpoint of the whole film is the imposing statisticwhich he faces - that twenty-five percent of highschool seniors habitually use drugs. If he wereeven to halve that number, which would be initself a remarkable achievement, there would stillbe a massive number of kids on the streets,looking for their next score of drugs. All the talk ofprotecting children from drugs is rendered ratherfutile by the fact that they have no wish to beprotected from the pleasures of drugs, but want totry them.

A few startling facts came from watching thisfilm. The prices of cocaine and heroin havedropped, but purity has increased, so all that lawenforcement has achieved in America is thatchildren are now getting better stuff, for less. Thecartels can achieve a higher level of intelligenceand easily out-budget a country even like Americasimply because they make astronomical sums ofmoney. On a more psychological level, this film isparticularly interesting. The drugs in cities comealmost invariably from black suburbs, mostlybecause thousands of white people walk aroundthem asking 'Do you know where [ could scoresome drugs?'. Someone asks Senator Hudson to'just think of the effect that has on the psyche of ablack person' and whether he thinks that so manywhite kids would still be going to law school ifevery day a hundred thousand black childrenwalked among their tidily mown lawns asking fordrugs. The drugs business has created the

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economist's dream market, with three hundredpercent profits from sales. [n a couple of minutes ablack person can make five hundred dollars, and dowhatever he or she wants with the rest of their day.

Catherine Zeta Jones plays a pregnant womanwhose husband Carl is suddenly arrested forselling drugs on a grand scale. The key witnessagainst her husband is his friend Edward Ruiz,who is caught doing a deal involving him. TwoAmerican police officers protect Edward. They aredoing their job but because Carl's capture was infact engineered by a rival drugs dealer wishing toeliminate him. The police force are in effectworking for a drugs dealer too. This kind ofcomplicated situation, which makes a goodpoliceman act professionally as an aid to acriminal, is typical of the kind of irony whichmakes up Traffic. The world of drugs changespeople into untrusting and ultimately money­centred individuals. Nothing is ever clear-cut,mostly because the war on drugs is a war foughtagainst your own people, a war against your ownfamily.

John Patterson

Creative WritingWaiting

The door closed quietly behind me. I surveyedthe room: a hon'id, wretched place. I was in painbut I firmly believed that overnight the swellingwould go down; in the end, it did.

Before fully realising the utter triviality of myinjury, I was directed to sit in a chair at the back ofthe room. From here it was possible to view allthose people already sitting and waiting. Therewere two or three elderly persons who, itappeared, had suffered falls of some sort.Awkward parts of their frail bodies were cut andbruised. One old woman's forehead was markedby a large, dark red gash. She was in great pain.She sat, pressing ice to her forehead, rocking backand forth. Her stick-thin, wrinkled legs trembledviolently beneath her thin dress. It rerllinded me ofthe time my granddad fell whilst dusting thebookshelves; but we were there to comfort him.This old lady rocking on the pale green plasticchair in the cold, sombre room seemed to have no­one.

Had the weather not been so bad, I would havechosen to wait outside. The room had anextremely low ceiling, held up by thin concretepillars. As little expense as possible had obviouslybeen expended in the construction of the room.The walls were covered in a coat of white paint,which intensified the monotonous glare of thestrip lighting. Archaic, yellowing 'health' postershung from the walls. They were laminated and theplastic coverings reflected the nauseating glow ofthe strip lighting.

The chaotic scenes unfolding in front of mesoon became too much: babies crying, phonesringing, receptionists thumping the keys on theircomputers. The whirr of the coffee machinepenetrated deep into my mind. I could stand it nolonger. I made a swift dash for the door. As Ireached the car park a breeze cooled my sweatingface; it had come too late. I proceeded to be sickon the pavement, to the disgust of new patientsarriving.

When I re-entered the waiting room I was againdirected to sit on one of the seats, mere pieces ofpale plastic positioned on a thin metal pole. Thebruise around my eye was just starting to surface.I was not in much pain but I decided it prudent toplay up a little and give the impression of greatdiscomfort. A group of youths had just enteredwith sliced faces and cut hands. Images of a pubbrawl flooded my mind. They took the seatssurrounding mine. I became very anxious. They

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cursed one another for not helping in the fight.Their wounds dripped on to the sordid, heavilymarked floor; and there I was, a young boy injuredin a game of rugby, my only obvious discomfort aslight bruise forming below the left eye. Myanxiety intensified as I noticed one or two of themstaring at me. I lifted my hand to adjust my tie, andthen I remembered. I was still in my suit. A waveof panic gripped me. What would they think?

I must have looked out of place among the restof the patients; I knew I looked out of place! I wastrying to kid myself that the other patients werepaying little attention to me, but I could ~eel theIricy stares and sense them pondenng mybackground. I stayed calm... with some difficulty.

In an audience or gathering, there are oftenunpredictable moments of near total silence. Theseseem almost always to coincide with an action ofmine, which draws attention to me. That eventful,overcast October day was no exception.

As my name was read over the loud speaker,total silence settled around the room. Whetherowing to the mispronunciation of my long andcomplex surname, or to a general lull inconversation, silence had prevailed. I walked thetwenty metres to the consultation room withsweaty palms and fearful steps. Then, as I reachedthe halfway point of my treacherous journey, myworst fear became reality. With each connection tothe hard tiled floor, the steel heeled shoes mygrandfather had given me that c;hristn:asresounded with a loud and embarrassmg nOisearound the room. My pause in the journey furtheremphasised this sound. It was, to them, the soundof a young snob, in a tailored suit, walking withhis nose pointing skyward. I could feel theIrcontempt and spite. I clutched my face as I enteredthe room, not only to draw their attention to mywound but also to hide away from their intrusivestares.

I found myself standing in a small square­shaped room with two chairs and a computer. Amiddle-aged nurse greeted me. This was the onlypleasantry she would bestow on me in our short,inane encounter. She sat me down and proceededto tamper with my face. Her objectives seemedunclear. I told her I was in a lot of pain but Ibelieve she thought it best to see for herself. Aseries of very disagreeable prods followed. Iyelped and squealed with the last few drops ofenergy I could muster. After a brief consultation Iwas again sent back to the daunting waiting room,this time in twice as much pain as I was in beforebut at least with the promise of an x-ray. In sheeragony I sat, my worries about those around me

dispelled. My thoughts were now on my injuryand the possibility of a six week recovery period.

By this point it had been nearly two hours sincethe match had ended. My body was stiff and manyparts ached. Wave after wave of cramp added tomy misery. I screamed as each onslaught becameworse. This seemed either to annoy or amuse thosearound me. Unfortunately, as I moved to straightenthe part of my body in pain, I developed a rathercareless habit of knocking against those in theseats immediately to the side of me. These, as Ihave mentioned, were very badly hurt and stillseemed to be in a lot of pain. The smell of stalealcohol crept from their mouths as they eitherlaughed at those in contact with me or displayedtheir discomfort at being touched. Luckily, withinmoments of this, I was called for an x-ray. As I leftthe waiting room again, I muttered to them that Iwas sorry. They made no reply.

The separate waiting area for the x-raydepartment was practically empty. Within minutesI was being seen and before I knew it I was backin the main waiting area again. Much to mydelight, my seat near the youths had been taken. Ifound a quiet corner of the now teeming room.Here I sat drifting in and out of sleep until I wassummoned for what would be my final journeyinto the depths of the hospital.

Cubicle Nine's door was difficult to open.Whether it was due to my lack of energy or tosheer incompetence I am not sure, but nonethelessthe person behind me had to assist me. I did notbother to look up in acknowledgement, I merelyfell into the chair and waited to be told that mycheek was fractured. As the person in front of mepeered at my x-rays I surveyed Cubicle Nine. Itwas not so much a cubicle as one section of a largeroom that had been cordoned off into nine'cubicles' by the use of strategically placedcurtains, many of which were not drawn, givingme an insight into real suffering. I looked out on toold people hooked up to machines that kept thembreathing. They stared vacantly into space. Theywere near death and their eyes showed it.Relatives wept at bedsides and nurses comfortedthose there without family. I felt real admirationfor the nurses. Their jobs were dreadful. As I satthere miserably, I heard sounds of panic comingfrom witl)in cubicle seven. Luckily curtainsenclosed this; the events inside were disturbing.Nurses darted in and out with drugs and needles.There was a calm after about three minutes ofpandemonium. The trolley bed was rushed out.Was the man in it dead, or was he beingtransported to another part of the hospital? I wouldnever know.

The person looking at my x-rays drew thecurtains, shutting me off from the rest of the room

and all its misery. It was now that I got my firstlook at the nurse. The only word to describe her isangelic. She had a broad smile, blond hair, and anaffectionate air. She was not particularly attractivebut she seemed warm and caring. Mystified by thesoft, kind tone of her words, I did not take in whatshe had said. She told me again and it registered. Iwould be fine. I was in such relief. She checkedme over for concussion, which was, in the end,only mild, and told me I could go.

I left Cubicle Nine with great joy. As I reachedthe waiting room door, the happiness andcontentment did not leave my face; the unwiseidea of playing up my injury was not in mythoughts, my steel-heeled shoes were still firmlyon my feet. Oblivious of the effect of my jauntygait and cheerful grin, I entered the waitingroom ...

David Poraj-Wilczynski

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The Point of No ReturnA thousand sets of eyes surrounded the tiny

Vietnamese stronghold, every eye fixed upon oneobjective and one objective only: the destructionof every living organism in sight. The menacinglylow drone of the nearby Apache helicopters, or'Hornets' as they were better known, theanticipation of destruction and the pointlessness ofthis whole war were weighing on the conscienceof every apparently war-hardened and bloodthirstyAmerican paratrooper who was waiting for theorder to advance onto the enemy position.

Among them was one of the most experiencedand best natural-born leaders the American armyhad ever seen. Sergeant Charlie Osmond, FifthRegiment, Paratroop Division, was an exceptionalsoldier and had fought more wars for his countrythan any other in the entire Eastern platoon. Afterreceiving the Medal of Honour for his courageousefforts earlier in the Vietnamese war, where he hadsingle-handedly managed to drag to safety sevenof his injured section after a night-time ambush,Osmond had decided to go back to Vietnam tofinish what he had started. Osmond was a racistthrough and through, and the thought of beingcaptured by the Viet Cong made his teeth ache andhis blood boil with fury. No yellow-skinned half­breed was going to take his freedom away.

The toothpick hanging out of Osmond's mouthsnapped as a sudden voice crackled over the radiofrom the platoon commander to prepare for a fullair strike. A faint smile came over his face as herealised that the time for justice to be imposed wasdrawing nearer. The torrential rain lashed downonto the camouflaged and exhausted Americanbodies lying on the sodden forest floor as themessage was passed down the lines. The lowdrone of the Apache helicopters became louderand louder until it was almost unbearable. Withina second the horizon was obscured by a swarm ofHornets darkening the sky. Showers of napalm fellon to the primitive straw and wood huts in thesmall villages which had been founded inclearings in the forest. Osmond's eye did notflicker as he saw innocent civilians running indesperation from their burning homes. Almost asquickly as the low hum of the swarm arrived in hisears, it left. Still with his gaze transfixed upon theburning population Osmond eagerly lifted thetransmitter to his ear, but the silence was toounbearable to withstand. He knew what the nextorder was going to be from the air, and no one wasgoing to delay his moment of glory.

Osmond placed the radio on the ground andgave the order to his lieutenant to lead the advanceinto the camp. The soldiers approached theburning village, sprinting with military precision

to their objectives and at the same time showeringthe entire area with an avalanche of lead. Osmondwas at the forefront of the attack, but when hearrived none of his vast military experience couldhave prepared him for what he discovered. Therewas nothing left of the village. Burning heapswere the only memorial to those innocent familieswho were butchered in the name of war. As thesoldiers traipsed through the desecrated landscape,not a single voice could be heard save those of theunlucky few who were not killed instantly by theair strike. The trigger-happy soldiers who wereexpecting challenging opposition soonextinguished the groans of overriding despair andpain that reverberated from every obliteratedhome. Every corpse was checked for enemyintelligence or ammunition and every hut leftstanding was searched thoroughly, then burned tothe ground.

Osmond's deeply rooted racial hatred for theVietnamese people suddenly became forgotten ashe lifted up a fallen palm leaf from the floor toreveal a small girl, little older than his owndaughter, trying to revive her dead mother. Thegirl's look of utter desperation pierced intoOsmond's mind and triggered a feeling deep in hisconscience that he never even knew he had: that ofimmense pity. He knelt down next to the mother'sbreathless body and knew that it was too late forboth her and him. There was never going to be anyway he could forget what he had done to theseinnocent civilians, and the recurring image ofmurder would haunt him for the rest of his days.

As he tried to comfort the distraught child,Osmond suddenly became aware that the familiarshuffling of c1umpy army boots had completelyceased and that the only noise to be heardthroughout the whole village was the loud rustlingof trees within the surrounding forest. Osmondturned slowly around and looked up to .thewatershed at the top of the valley. A throng ofyellow faces stared piercingly down towards thethirty or so men at the bottom. Osmond froze onthe spot and his usually steady left arm startedshaking violently. From his initial vantage pointon the top of the hill Osmond could hear the lowcrackle of the radio he left there, with only oneword standing tall above the rest, 'AMBUSH!'

There was no delay this time. A singleVietnamese bullet whistled across the valley floor,maiming an American Para loading his rifle. Awave of gunftre ensued and within a few minutes,the majority of the American resistance had beeneliminated. A seemingly endless wave of guerrillaspoured down the hill into the burning encampmentand proceeded, just as the Americans had, tosearch the village thoroughly. Osmond could hearthe gut-wrenching screams of his counterparts,

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and held the girl tight in his arms protecting herfrom the noise as his men were discovered andbrutally slaughtered. After several minutes ofsilence, Osmond was convinced there was no oneelse left and he knew deep down what he must do.The heavy breathing of an approachingVietnamese militia alerted him to the fact that anysound or further movement would trigger offanother cluster of bullets, no matter who it wasfrom. Covering the frail and tearful body of theyoung girl, he lay on the ground and placed hisdirty, bloodstained hands over her ears and eyes,protecting her from any more torment. The loudscuff of military boots against the ground grewcloser and closer, and Osmond, with a solitary tearrolling down his cheek, at least was safe in theknowledge that his moment of glory had givensomeone else the opportunity to live. As the bulletblast rang out and reverberated around the valley,a small flock of birds dispersed and flew high intothe skies above the treetops. Osmond gave hisfinal breath and slumped onto the girl for whom hehad just given his life.

Gervase Cox

The First Chapter ofmy Autobiography

I was born on the 15th February 1985 at St.Mary's Hospital in London. This event doesn'tseem important to me as I cannot remember anydetails at all, although my mother had an awfultime, so she tells me, as, rather than come out headfirst, I decided to try and come out leg first whichwas very unsuccessful. Eventually, my motherunder local anaesthetic, I was born by CaesareanSection. My mother since then has said to me itwas the worst experience of her life!

In early life I feel I just drifted along with theflow of life not really being inspired by anything,but moving wherever the army took my father,whether it was Cyprus or Germany. I felt lifehadn't really fully launched me.

Then, when I was six years old, we moved toYorkshire, which I thought, from what I had heard,was just full of lots of farms and a few sleepyvillages. How wrong I was. Yorkshire for somereason really opened my eyes to the world; thistime was one of the best parts of my life.

I first began to appreciate the beauty of thecountryside, which I still love now. We used to goon long walks, walking on the moors for hours onend, with me picking up the different-colouredused shot-gun cartridges, of which I still have ahuge collection at home. In the woods aroundwhere we lived, in Catterick, there were brilliantbike rides and lots of secret 'dens' my father, mylittle brother and I made on long weekends playingin the woods. Indeed, although my brother Edwardcould be annoying at times, most of the time wegot on really well together. Twice on specialoccasions my father took me to the tank ranges towatch the tanks firing, which I always foundexciting. Once I even got a ride on one of thesetanks, which was very enjoyable but which at thesame time also terrified me' One thing I'll alwaysremember from my time in Yorkshire was that Iwas, and still am, immensely proud of what myfather did. After all, it could get me tank rides!

The school I went to in the nearby town ofRichmond was a Catholic school, St. Mary's. Iremember having a great time there and I foundmaking friends was easy. However, there is oneday that will always stick in my mind. Because theschool was Catholic, they used to have a mass inthe school occasionally, and although I wasn't aCatholic I had to go, which I didn't mind at all.However it turned out to be quite an embarrassingexperience. r was told that when I went with theothers to take communion I must cross my armsover my chest to show that r wasn't confirmed,and the priest would give me a blessing. Of course

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when r went up to the priest I forgot, and it wasonly when he was just about to give me the breadthat I remembered. As if I was warding off somedemon I suddenly crossed my arms. The priestbeing quite an old man was so shocked that hedropped the rest of the bread on the floor! Onreflection it seems an amusing incident, but at thetime [ was very upset and had to be carried away,crying, by one of the teachers who triedunsuccessfully to calm me down. I was then, and Isuppose now too, very sensitive and quite easy toannoy or upset.

Whilst on the subject of being sensitive, I wasvery attached to my parents, and in Yorkshire thethought of not seeing them for more than a dayterrified me. Indeed on one occasion I had beeninvited over to my best friend's house, and it tookalmost a week of persuasion from my parents tomake me go, but 'only as long as I can take myLego ship along with me'.

I think it was also in Yorkshire that I startedappreciating history, which was mainly inspiredby the local Yorkshire legends and the spectacularcastles, such as Richmond, in Yorkshire. Indeed ona school trip we went to Richmond Castle and thenwalked the route of a legendary secret passagewaythat was said to run underground from RichmondCastle to Fountains Abbey. This was based on thelegend of 'The Drummer Boy', which was a talethat really captured my imagination. So, at sixyears old, r found my time in Yorkshire for themost part happy. It was there that many of myinterests sprang up and where my life seemed tohave awakened.

I would call the time I spent in Yorkshire'carefree days' where nothing very important orsignificant mattered to me. This all changed when,at seven years old, I went to prep. school.

When my father got his new posting, it was toGermany, and I was told that I was old enough togo to prep. school in Sussex, just outsideChichester near where Pop and Peg (mygrandparents) lived. Although they explained thesituation to me quite carefully, I don't think Ireally took it all on board.

The full magnitude of the situation only struckme when I finished unpacking all my things atschool and my mother said that she had to go now.I asked her where and she said 'To Germany'. Ifsomeone had shot .me I don't think that it wouldhave hurt me as those two words did. I broke downcompletely and my mother had to carry me intothe matron's room. There, with my duvet in myarms, my mother said to me through tears of herown, 'I've got to go now. I love you so much. I'llsee you at the end of term.' And she was gone.That scene will always remain in my memory. For

me, who had only been away from my parents fortwo days ever, this was the most agonising andupsetting point of my life.

To start with, I made no friends as I became avery upset, confused, and solitary person. Ithought life couldn't be worse. Luckily two thingshelped me to come to temlS with my situation.One was the only friend I seemed to have,Barnaby Large. His support helped me becomemore confident, and he often persuaded me to playwith the rest of the year group. Then I got theopportunity to start an instrument, the flute, andmusic proved to be inspirational. It helped merestore confidence in myself as well as helping methink over my situation.

So after a fairly unhappy and depressing start toprep. school things looked up. I made friends,started playing squash more seriously, and musicwas fast becoming very important. I felt after sixweeks of misery, I was finally starting to enjoywhat I realised was an opportunity, and that I wasmore lively and happy. After the first term, on theplane back to Germany, I realised that I hadgenuinely enjoyed Westbourne House. Lookingback, I feel that Yorkshire and the change to prep.school and the prep. school itself were some of themost important parts of my life. They enriched anddeveloped me as a person and built my character,though at the time, I may not have appreciatedtheir significance. Then I was more concernedwith what the holidays and the next term had instore for me.

lames Leakey

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The Thomas of SwynnertonHistory Prize Competition 2001

The following essay, written under timedconditions, won first prize in the Thomas ofSwynnerton History Prize Competition 200 I.

Have the major wars of the 20th centuryachieved anything?

The First World War achieved a lot of things inmany areas. Firstly, technology boomed duringand after the Great War. This was because moreresearch needed to be done into certain areas tocreate weapons to win the war. New inventionsincluded the machine gun, the plane, and the tank.Planes are today the quickest way of travellinglong distances and are very widely used. Ifintensive research had not been done in this areawe might now still be a long way behind in thistechnology and would not be benefiting from it somuch. Planes are only one of the countlessexamples of technological advancements.

The First World War was the first step forwardin women's rights. As all of the men were awayfighting in the war, there was no one left to do jobssuch as farming and working in factories. Thismeant that women did those jobs, so womenearned a salary enabling them to becomefinancially independent, giving them a muchhigher role in society so they were recognised fortheir skills and usefulness. Nowadays, women cando virtually anything apart from fight on the frontline. Without the war, women would have beenfighting for their rights till much later. And wewould not have the more equal society that weenjoy today.

The Great War also achieved the defeat of anaggressor who tried to make other nationsconform to its wishes by force. If the aggressor,Germany, had not been defeated war would havebeen thought a good, efficient way to sort thingsout and this would be the first step to tyranny andoccupation of nations against their wishes - inshort, to imperialism. Empires can be beneficial. Ifa country, for example, Lithuania as ruled by theRussian Empire and the thirteen countries ruled bythe British Empire, is technologically and sociallyless developed than the nation which rules it, itsbeing ruled can be a good thing, if it is granted itsindependence at its own wish. But if, as was the

case with the Germans in 19 I4, imperial powersare occupying countries already developed, andoccupying them against their wishes, it is a badthing.

The Second World War also achieved a lottechnologically, probably more than the First. Itbrought about jet engines, again improvingcommercial airlines nowadays. But it broughtabout much more accurate and deadly weapons.This may seem bad but it is actually good. If acountry wanted to start a war thereafter, the threatof an intercontinental ballistic nuclear missilelanding on its capital would have deterred them.Since the Cold War, most countries whichpossessed weapons of mass destruction haveagreed to only use them defensively or as adeterrent, so it was safe to live in this world.

The Second World War crushed Nazism andtyranny. It would have been very bad if the Naziswon because, just to take one example, they wouldhave murdered a whole race of European Jews.They nearly did.

The two wars helped to bring about a sense ofinternational responsibility so now organisationssuch as NATO and the UN exist to keep worldpeace and stop tyranny, acting against, forexample, the Serbs' ethnic cleansing of Kosovo.

One counter-argument is not to deny that thewars achieved anything but to ask the question ­was it worth it? It seems that millions of peopledied and almost all concerned lost someone theyknew during the two wars. And all the warsachieved was the increase of weapons. The goodthat comes out of a war seems not to outweigh thebad.

But I disagree. Even if the wars had notproduced any technological or socialadvancement, the fact is that justice was done tothe country or countries concerned who started allof the bloodshed. If they had been allowed to getaway with what they did, people would be livingin fear of tyrannical world dictators and life wouldnot be happy as it is for many people now and no­one would be there to help the NATO and the UN.I am certain that the majority of allied soldierswho died in the two great wars would believe thatthey lost their lives for a worthy cause.

James Dutton

106

The Bowen History Essay Competition 2001

The following essay, written under timedconditions, won first prize in the Bowen HistoryEssay Competition 2001.

Ideas, not wars, are the truelocomotive of history

I agree with this statement to a certain extent,but I think that wars themselves come about as aresult of ideas, as well as simply being conductedto gain land. Ideas and opinions clash, and lead towars, and actually probably cause the moresignificant wars. There are many examples ofideas which have resulted in war, such as thebattles over ideology in the Russian Civil War andthe Japanese campaigns in World War 11.However, ideas can be more subtly influential incausing war. Religion, I think, is one of the bestexamples of this. Religion is an idea, perhaps oneof the strongest, an ideology, and of course aphilosophy.

Ideas force people into action if they trulybelieve in them. Wars happen for a reason, andreasons are often ideas. Take, for example, theAmerican War of Independence. The idea behindthis war was that the American colonists had rightsand should be treated as they saw fit, not ruled bya seemingly foreign king from the other side of theAtlantic. The British fought because of theunderlying idea that the colonies were British:they fought because of their feeling of ownershipand monarchical control.

Ideas change society, and change the waypeople think. The Ancient Greeks believed in aform of democracy but also in an oligarchy. TheRomans favoured Republicanism andImperialism. Western Europe moved on tomonarchy and religious imperialism during theMiddle Ages. Gradually parliaments such asSimon de Montfort's began to spring up, followingevents such as the signing of the Magna Carta.Power changed its form, with many kinds ofgovernment, left and right - dictators or today'sfederalist presidents.

Ideas do not necessarily need to be consolidatedin positions of power, as can be seen from manyfamous philosophical writings that have changedthe way people think. Plato's Republic, the worksof Aristotle and other ancient philosophers haveshaped opinions, even though never put intopractice. Thomas Aquinas has had a greatinfluence on religious thinking, and More's Utopiaheralded a new style of thinking that was not to befurthered until Karl Marx and Engels came along300 years later. Das Kapital and The CommunistManifesto have never been properly realised (I

regard Lenin's Russia as wholly incompetent) yetthe subsequent problems they have caused havebeen huge.

Yet above all these ideas that have had greatimplications, there are two great 'ideas' that havemade the world what it is today, and these are theideas recorded in the Christian Bible and theMuslim Koran. The effect which these two workshave had on people, society, kingdoms, states, and,importantly, wars has been immense. The last twothousand years have shown this. The spread ofChristianity throughout Europe has altered humanhistory, reshaping the Roman Empire and acting asa fundamental influence upon the development ofWestern Europe, with the rise of Charlemagne andin the Crusades. Other formative phases inreligious thought followed: the impact of Luther,the Spanish Inquisition, Protestantism and theforming of the Anglican Church. Splits such asthat between the Russian and Greek Orthodoxchurches have resulted in upheavals, wars, anddiscontent. Islam has been almost equallyinfluential, from the Moors' conquests of NorthernAfrica and Spain, to the events today in Iran andAfghanistan.

Each idea, as it comes along, twists and turnshistory, more so than wars. The wars that usher inone historical period and close another, the bestexample being the Second World War, arethemselves the result of ideas. The last fifty yearshave been completely unrecognisable bycomparison with any other period in history.Never before has Europe passed so long withoutsome sort of war involving its states. Oddly, thisitself can be related back to Adolf Hitler and hisideas set out in Mein Kampf

Wars, especially in Europe, are recurrent. Somehave argued, as a case against entering monetaryunion with 'Euroland' that the natural state ofEurope is to be at war. Yet I believe that ideas canchange this, and ideas have changed historybefore. Today 'Europe' is the big idea. It is hard tosee why people are not ready to embrace such newideas. lt is impossible to try and control history bypreventing or ignoring ideas. Even if this werepossible, war wiIl take over and force anotherchange.

Ideas will always result in changes. Historycannot be made without argument over ideas.Wars can result in change, but do not always: theycan be pointless and stupid and not changeanything. The situation in the Balkans is the bestexample of this, both in the past and today.

Seb Bennett

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Rugby

1st XV

The 2000 season began and ended with stylishvictories in front of a large crowd on The Upper.These do not disguise a disappointing season inwhich the 1st XV won just three regular schools'fixtures including a run of eight straight defeats,but there were good days amidst the gloom.Indeed the XV started the season very strongly,building on a successful trip to the south coastwhere we won warm-up games against BrightonCollege and Eastbourne College. The fact thatEastbourne went on to enjoy a very successfulseason on their circuit serves as a reminder that itwas often not a lack of quality on our part, but thestrength of the opposition, which led to ourundoing.

Our three victories came in the first fourfixtures. The results against Canford (38-3) andKing's Taunton (29-5) were comprehensive andthe performances a pleasure to watch. The matchagainst Bishop Wordsworth's (24-14) was a fartougher encounter against a motivated side, whichwe were lucky to win. Amongst these wins was aloss to Downside (16-23) that said much about ourseason. Having conceded an early score, weplayed our best rugby of the season in the first half

and should have been two scores up at half time.Just before the whistle, however, we conceded apenalty and, expecting Downside to kick for goal,we watched as their hooker ran in a try,unopposed. This naivety cost us the game as weplayed into a fierce wind in the second half againsta kicker who pinned us down and never missed aplace kick.

Playing away to Wellington (6-37) andMillfield (6-50), on successive weekends, is adaunting prospect for any school side and itproved the watershed in our season, from whichwe never truly recovered. At Wellington, ourforwards were magnificent and could fairly saythat they had matched their counterparts, but anopposition back line of real class cruelly exposedour lack of pace and experience in the backs. Theless said about the trip to Millfield the better,other than that they were the best side we faced allterm.

These losses set in motion an unwelcome stringof defeats that was finally ended on the finalSaturday of term against the touring Kloof HighSchool from South Africa (46-5). It is worthmentioning how impressed Kloof were by therugby we produced that day and it was smallconsolation to be told by the Blundell's coaches

109

MAB. and H.P.

of them developed into quite talented players;Lawrence Edlmann in particular shows thepromise of becoming a very exciting back rowforward and should play a crucial role in nextyear's side. Nick Cook, Henry Mitchell, MaxVere-Hodge, Nick Cramp and lason Hutt canleave, having played against good qualityopposition up a fantastically steep learning curve;this can be only of benefit to their game in thefuture. Another pleasing but unpublicised successof last season was Max Vere-Hodge captaining theCounty A-side. Success is also measured by whathappens next and Sherbome can approach the2001 season with confidence. The experience ofthe Lower Sixth will be crucial, with eight regularsreturning and several others with 1st XVappearances. Amongst these, lake Britton,Lawrence Edlmann, Oliver Luard, and RossAngell should prove particularly effective.

The important aspect of school rugby that isonly seen by the players and coaches is thetraining sessions on four afternoons of each week.The experience was thoroughly enjoyable andextremely rewarding. We have both now movedon to pastures new and will greatly miss Sherbornerugby. The promise of next year's team willhopefully be realised, with the wealth ofexperience that AMD and DAS have to offer.

Finally thank you to all the parents and staffwho supported both the boys and us over theseason as well as to Mike Davis and Mike Nurtonfor their invaluable advice and experience. Theboys were a pleasure to coach and we would liketo wish them all every success in the future.

that many on our circuit felt we were unlucky notto win more games. So why was this the case?

We lacked strike runners and a strong kickinggame, and as a result had to work very hard forterritory. Against Clifton, we managed aremarkable twelve phases of possession, yet couldnot cross the line. A lack of confidence alsobecame a factor: at Bryanston (8-27), wecomfortably won the second half, but our earliernervousness had already cost us the game. Finally,when things are going badly they can always getworse. After a long break for an injury atCheltenham, leading 10-8 with two minutes to go,all we needed to do was not give away a penalty.We lost 11-10.

Those who did not watch the XV play may askwhy the 2000/2001 season was not moresuccessful.

This Upper Sixth year, who had had littlesuccess in their time through the School, wereteamed up with a Lower Sixth with a good deal ofpromise but lacking the experience of seniorrugby; probably the most important factor was thatthe side came up against some extremely strongopposition; Wellington, Millfield, Bryanston andKing's Bruton were fielding some of their bestsides for many years.

In fairness, a successful season for aninexperienced side, the majority of whom were intheir first full season, would have been sixvictories. The losses to Cheltenham and Downsidewere particularly disappointing, having doneenough to win the games. It is, however, a tributeto the boys that as the results and weatherdeteriorated, morale and commitment at trainingand on match days remained admirably high. Forthis, Nick Cook should be singled out for specialpraise. Not only did he lead the side on the pitchwith skill and pride, but he also consistently set thehighest standards at practice. It was a great shamethat he was on the sideline for the final game of theseason.

However, to concentrate on the number of winsand losses is rather missing the point. Theexperience gained in playing against qualityopposition taught our players more about rugbythan they could ever have learned in an unbeatenseason against weak opposition. This was the realsuccess of the season. The Lower Sixth playerswill go into their final year of the School with agreat deal of experience of tough rugby. A number

Results: Played 13, Won 4, Lost 9.

Canford WBishop Wordsworth's WDownside LKing's Taunton WWellington LMillfield LKing's Bruton LRadley LBryanston LClifton LCheltenham LBlundell's LKloof High (Australia) W

38 - 324 - 1416 - 2329 - 5

6 - 376 - 50

10 - 418 - 188 - 270-17

10 - 1112 - 3746 - 0

110

2nd XV

This season started as promisingly as a seasoncan ever start, when we won the first four games.Mr. Nurton even described the forwards' play afterthe first match as the best rucking that he had everseen. This complimentary remark came after apromising beating of Canford, where, although weonly won 19-5, our potential as a side wascertainly evident. The highlights of the match werethe forwards' capability and two immaculatelytaken tries by James Mieville, who after thisdisplay was fast-tracked into the 1st XY.

This winning streak, which included victoriesover Bishop Wordsworth's, Downside and King'sTaunton, was, however, halted by a powerfulWellington side, who were actually to win thegame by the narrow margin of 12-20, whichflattered them somewhat, and started the chain ofirritating narrow defeats. Millfield were anextremely strong side, with several representativeplayers. They were probably the only side whooutplayed us. Their quality showed the pros andcons of offering scholarships: while it obviouslystrengthens a side, it must frustrate manyindividuals who feel they deserve a place in thehigher sides, but are forced to play in lower teamsand perhaps give up. The next set of games provedto be extremely frustrating. We went on to lose allfive of them, but each game could have gone eitherway, as most of the scores suggest. The teammorale and confidence were dented after asuccession of defeats, and sadly this was to ourdetriment in the matches. We usually conceded thefirst score, which again was not good forconfidence, because it usually took us until aboutthe last ten minutes when we actually realised thatwe could win the game, and by then it was too late.Our losing streak was, however, put behind usagainst Cheltenham, our last game on The Upper.We went out realising that we could win right fromthe start, and the performance was reminiscent ofthe beginning of the season, and perhaps made usrealise how good the season could have been.During this game there was real magic. RoryMacfarlane ran the whole length of the pitch withblinding pace that even Farris would have beenproud of. Unfortunately he was not carrying theball, and had run to join the fracas that wasbuilding up in the far corner of the pitch. Thisshowed the great character of the man, and if hehad run like that all season then it would havesorted out many problems for us. The season couldnot sadly finish on this high, and again we cameoff worse in a hard fought battle with Blundell's.

During the season twenty-four differentindividuals all played at least one game. Probablythe biggest success story was that of Fred

Corlett, who had been kept out of the side at thebeginning of the season owing to the fiercecoml?etition for back row places with Franklin,Mcklllop, and Hood who all made their placesseem secure. He, however, took his chance when itcame and claimed a secure place in the back rowand eventually even in the 1st XY. There was hi oh

.. . . bcompetition III the front row, Nicholls, Hope andBrock all being very able, with the positionsometimes being contested by Grundy-Wheeler,who, when he played, added extra strength andpower. Matt Balfour offered the consistencyneeded from a hooker, and some of the mostamazing wriggling skills ever seen. He would justslip into the ruck with the ball at one end and thenglide out of the other with the ball still attached.The strong pack was however weakened afterRupert Lane broke his thumb. Chris Hart, whosemassiveness managed to terrify even the stronoestof oppositions, took his place. Hart and B;ardformed a strong partnership in the locks withBoard occasionally being needed to fill in for the1st XY.

The backs had all the potential to score a lot oftries. Scott claimed the no. 9 shirt, but, owing to aniggling knee injury, did not play as many gamesas he or we would have liked. Dupont did well tohold his position at fly-half, forcing Gammell intothe centres. Gammell, when we were !ITaced with

. 0

his presence, played superbly, adding an extra biteinto the centres, and scored and created many tries.However, it was not long before he was called tothe Ist XV, and his place was filled by a fiery JossSimson, who, like Gammell, carried the ability toslip through defences with ease. Sage, Bramble,and Wynn-Jones played a lot of games, had theability to adapt to other positions with relativeease, and between them played every position inthe backs. The pace of Farris and the agility ofHedderwick on the wings were magnificent, withHedderwick being able to find a gap in the smallestof spaces and Farris being able to elude any manput opposite him. Macfarlane added strength andvoice to the team. The team often responded to theway Rory played, with so many of his crunchingtackles uplifting the spirit of the team.

I would also like to thank Mr. Nurton forcoaching the side, and for sharing with us his goodhumour, which came consistently through theseason irrespective of the results. While his jokescame thick and fast, laughs were fewer and furtherbetween. r would suggest that Mrs. Nurton buys anew joke book for him this Christmas. The seasonsadly turned out to be a mass of 'if only' games,which was a real shame because it could have beenso different with the talent that it contained, but itwas, truly, a pleasure to be captain.

Linley Lewis

III

The Captain of the 2nd XV has to be a specialperson. He has to lead his troops in school matchesand motivate his team to provide opposition forthe Ist XV each Tuesday and Thursday. He alsohas to be selector, nanny, counsellor, humorist,arbitrator and a good player himself. Linley Lewiswas excellent playing all these roles. I shall recallhis contribution to the 2nd XV with respect andremember him as a person with great affection.

M.D.N.

3rd XV

A strong squad was a solid foundation that wasto be edified by the coaching capabilities of theChaplain. This ensured that despite variousinjuries and the regrettable loss of players tohigher teams, the side remained potent in attackand unshakable in defence.

The team relied on natural talent and zealnurtured unwaveringly by the Chaplain. He wasable to combine the bulldog breed of the forwardswith the wizardly skills of the gazelle-like backs.The team gelled quickly and the morale increasedafter every victory.

Having unmercifully dispatched our first fewopponents, we arrived in confident spirits to takeon the Gillingham I st xv. We commenced ourpre-match rituals featuring the Rev's tradem.arkape manoeuvre in the absence of the adversanes.Confidence plummeted when a convoy of C-RegFord Escorts roared into the carpark and wasvacated by a horde of beasts complete with facialhair' Our hopes of maintaining our unbeaten statusand leaving with our bodies intact reached theirnadir when they scored in the first ten seconds.The turning point came minutes later at the firstscrum when, much to the team's disbelief, MattPaulson-Ell is hooked against the head aided by ahuge surge from the pack, driven by the bear-likeCharlie Roberts. There was no turning back fromthis point and with the help of two masterful triesfrom Patrick Shaw-Brown we romped home WItha respectable score.

Our next opponents were Milton Abbey's 1stXV, a team whose competence we were unsure of.We started poorly, having been rather perturbed bythe raucous shouting that greeted us as they cameon to the pitch. Eventually we managed to levelour heads and the score at the break. The first halfperformance warranted a couple of changesincluding the arrival of the impact player, HenryRushton. The defence was exemplary led by thephysical presence of Oli East in the centres.. Ournarrow victory was celebrated generously with achilled Grolsch awarded to us by our oppositeman.

Next came Wellington, the final test before halfterm. Like us, they went into the match defendingan unbeaten track record. However the absence ofvarious key players, who had other irons in thefire, put us on the back foot. We had felt that thiswould be counterbalanced by the driving rain andbitter wind, which would disrupt their tenacioushandling and would allow our more mobile packto run them off the park. We led 6-0 at half timecourtesy of two strikes from the golden boot ofCharlie Pushman (who went on to score] 51 pointsin the season, making him the top scorer in theSchool). Within a minute of the restart they scoredan unconverted try in the corner. It was a game inboth 22s, long passages of which were dominatedby the dogged elan of George May. Despitevictory dangling from a particularly thin threaddangerously close to the snapping jaws of defeat,a penalty kick unleashed from near to the half wayline crept over the bar and strengthened the thread,drawing the victory securely into our grasp. Thisepic feat was like sweet apple pie to the playerswho rejoiced for the full two-and-a-half-hourjourney home.

A busy match schedule including a highlyphysical mid-week fixture against Clayesmore onThe Upper allowed time for recovery before thesecond major away match against Radley. Thepressure was on, since both teams wereunconquered and as a result preparations weretense and there was quibbling amongst the ranks.Heads dropped as uncharacteristic sloppy play I~d

to a Radley interception resulting in a try. PotentIalwas not fulfilled and we became more and morebogged down by relentless attack by theopposition, compounded by a particularly zippywinger, which was the final bolt from the blue. AsOli East crashed over for a try, some dIgnIty wasrestored as we lost by three tries to one.

In the King's Taunton game that displayed thetrue colours of this mighty 3rd XV side, we provedthat our confidence had not been dented. Acrobaticplay from Oli Clark complemented by savageforce from Chris Tavender and the omnipresenceof Sam Mason ensured that our winning streakwas revived. The highlight of the game wasprovided by a textbook drop goal from WillRussell.

The success throughout the season wasreflected off the pitch and a 3rd XV player couldbe easily identified because he had a smile fromear to ear and a skip in his stride. Much credit forthis should go to Mr. Aitken who ensured that ourintensive training was not only exhilarating butalso bore fruit. Thanks must also go to the loyalsupporters who seemed prepared to travel anydistance to watch the team despite tempestuousweather conditions on various occasions. We were

112

lucky to have the top two try scorers in the Schoolpresent in the side; on one wing the odd butextremely effective gallop of Chris Filbey, on theother the very excitable but extremely prolificfinisher, Andy Westwood. The 3rd XV were luckyto be guided by the superb captaincy of EdWestropp under whom the team blossomed into atriumphant and entertaining side who relishedevery challenge. Thank you to everyone involvedfor a most enjoyable season and one that will behard to match.

Results: Played 14, Won 13, Lost I. Points for 421,Points against 87.

Henry Rushton, Patrick Shaw-Brownand Ed Westropp

4th XV

It was a season of three thirds. The side that hadrun in twenty-two tries in its first two games, andplayed particularly well to defeat a strongGryphon team, began to lose impetus as long-terminjuries claimed several players, and the rain madethe favoured running and handling game lesseffective. The spirit was never in danger of beingextinguished, though, and when the Pringle

Trophy and the demands of other teams madeselection a complex and lengthy procedure, thereplacements for the testing phase of the seasonwere of a high calibre. We were never short ofable, willing players to step up, and that is a tributeto the depth of talent in the School, and the way itis nurtured by Messrs Cameron and Patterson.

Three consecutive matches were lost - atWellington, where the opposition was formidable,as is customary (I think we gave them a goodgame); against a powerful Sexey's XV with someoutstanding individuals; and at Radley, where weonly began to play properly in the second half, bywhich time we were already 36-0 behind.

The remaining four games were a triumphantvindication of the side's faith in its own principles:in often unpromising conditions and situationsthey showed that they were determined, comewhat may, to enjoy their game. They kept it fluidand supported each other, with never a hint ofselfishness or cynicism.

Not the least heartening aspect of the seasonwas the abundance of vibrant talent on offer in theLower Sixth, and it was an excellent blend thatalso made use of the more mature enthusiasms ofthe senior players.

My thanks to Charlie Cox, Will Goodhew andRowley Merricks, who shared the captaincy, andto everyone who contributed in so many ways to ahappy term.

113

Colours were awarded to: Charlie Cox, WillYates, Will Goodhew, Christo Albor, JamieThomas, Hugo Dodge, Ben Berraondo, Ed Horder,Richard Fox, Mickey Bickford-Smith, RowleyMerricks, Nick Beattie, Frank Drew, Rory Bulger,Sam Lockhart-Smith, Henry Rushton, TimMargetson, John Patterson, Dominic O'Connor.

Results: Played 8, Won 5, Lost 3.

Canford WGryphon I st XV WWellington LSexey's 1st XV LRadley LBryanston WClifton WCheltenham W

104 - 044 - 190-285 - 53

10 - 4855 - 045 - 1258 - 0

W.A.M.B.

Of course, it would be easier to retain interestand maintain momentum were we to have morematches. For the most part, other schools appear tohave fewer boys playing rugby in the Sixth Formthan we do, so despite AMD's sterling efforts, wehad only three fixtures, one of which wascancelled by the opposition, much to our chagrin.We played well in our two matches against Cliftonand Wellington, losing narrowly in one andwinning handsomely in the other. Work out foryourselves which result was against which school.

What of the future? I can imagine us playingagainst some schools' higher sides if our 4th XVbeats them easily, and I can envisage us playingboth home and away against good localopposition. However, we will always have manysessions where we are not really training for afixture, but just playing for the love/fun of it. RGPand r enjoyed ourselves immensely and the boys'enjoyment and appreciation were constantlyevident. That is why we will be there next season.

5th XV

The tlmIng of the appearance of TheShirburnian could not be worse as far as I amconcerned. Everyone about whom I am going towrite has now finished playing rugby atSherborne. Those in the Upper Sixth left in June,and those in the Lower Sixth played their lastmatches as Upper Sixth last week. Obviously, allthe coaches of sixth form teams are in a similarposition, but mine is more acute, since ram taskedwith resuscitating and sustaining interest in rugbyas a fun social activity at a stage when boys don'thave to play it if they really don't want to. r am notso idealistic as to think that all of my targetaudience in the present Fifth Form will read whatI have to say and then eagerly await trials inSeptember. However, if any of those who haveplayed on pitch 8 on games days in the rugby termwere to have a word with their juniors andpersuade them to come along, I'd be most grateful.

The composition of this term's Lower II wasmainly Lower Sixth, but r was pleased to see someUpper Sixth returning for a second year, anddelighted that some other Upper Sixth took uprugby again for the first time since the Fourth orFifth Form and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.Comments such as 'we don't have to play if it'sraining, do we, sir?' didn't fool me into thinkingthat they weren't committed. One disappointmentwas a couple of Lower Sixth who came along totwo or three practices and then went off to othersports when they didn't receive instant promotionto higher teams. Some others who perseveredbecame stalwarts of the 4th XV by mid-season.

Team: 1. Chiu, P. Tingay, T. Mackay-James,J. Brooke, T. Williams, J. Sykes, H. Schreier,L. Vassay, G. Dalton, N. Pothecary, 1. Patterson,A. Gore, R. Hoogewerf, A. Harris, G. Male,R. Brook, P. Le Flufy, D. Torrens-Spence, 1. Pease,H. Poraj-Wilczynski, R. Jordan

D.B.C.

Colts A XV

This was a side that enjoyed each other'scompany and wanted to improve. They wanted toattack throughout the whole team, so they had tomake decisions to make sure that they had a finebalance in attack. Their decisions became mostmature as the season progressed, but this was notsurprising, as they had an impressive captain inDavid Poraj-Wilczynski and a pair of half-backs,Will Dawson and Tom Cracknell, who controlledthe game. Piers Boshier, Matt Hurst and Alex Goldwere elusive runners and Andy Windle and TomMaber had the ability to set up these runners.Jarries Robinson and Charlie Quick were mostdirect and became more subtle as time went on.

Apart from being a born leader, David Poraj­Wilczynski was an outstanding No. 8, and theback row was most potent as a unit with therugged skills of Kevin Hazell and the support playof Mike Clapp making sure that the back rowmade an impression in attack and defence.Malcolm Scott, Ed Scott-Clarke, and CharlieWilliams thrived on this foundation and James

114

much enthusiasm and advice to the C and D teamplayers. Many boys from this Fifth Form year areambitious about their rugby. There has been somuch enjoyment this season.

Team: D.R. Poraj-Wilczynski (captain), P.R.B.Boshier, MJ. Clapp, TP. Cracknell, W.R.B.Dawson, TS. Edwards, A.L.F. Gold, l.A.L.Harding, K.M. Hazell, M.l.H. Hurst, MJ.E. Lyne,TJ. Maber, C.W.H. Quick, M.l.O. Robinson,K.M. Scott, M.TD Scott, EJ.S. Scott-Clarke,c.F.P. Williams, AC.G. Windle

After coaching with the Mini-Colts for sevenyears the prospect of moving up two year groupsto work with a Colts side prompted somecontemplation on my part. Memories of workingwith this year group in the Third Form served todispel any apprehension I may have felt. I was notto be disappointed.

There was a great deal of competition to getinto the side, though there were individuals whofailed to realise this and had an approach totraining that was not what we were aiming for.After some discussion and a good example set byothers in the team, we quickly settled into a sidewith an attitude to training, practice, and gamesthat made for a enjoyable season. Our one problemwas the lack of an obvious captain for the side.After one or two experiments we settled for RobBoughey, who proved to be a great success.

The first game was against a big Canford sidewho forced us to do a great deal of defending. Thiswe did well, conceding the decisive tries only inthe last quarter, to lose 5-19. Our next game wasa 52-20 home win against a poorly organisedBishop Wordsworth's side in which the score

Harding, Malcolm Lyne, Tom Edwards, andKennerdeigh Scott grafted throughout, so therewas plenty of possession gained throughout eachgame.

Apart from attacking in a variety of excitingways, this team prided themselves on their welldisciplined defence. This frustrated the opposition,forcing them into errors, which the school teamgratefully turned to their advantage. Games werelost, but only Radley took the school team apart.There were many tight matches against goodteams, and this Sherborne team always gave agood account of themselves.

The season started well with comfortable winsagainst Canford and Bishop Wordsworth's, but theschool team found conditions at Downsidedifficult to cope with.

Dogged defence allowed the school team tohang on to a 3-0 lead against King's Taunton untila disputed try in the last two minutes took awaythe lead and the match. Wellington and Millfieldhad both inflicted heavy losses on the School theprevious year. Both matches could have been wonthis season. Wellington were rattled, being worriedthat they could be beaten by, as they put it 'a loadof farmers'! A straightforward penalty in the lastminute would have drawn the Millfield game,which the school team deserved to win.

The school team bounced back well againstKing's Bruton and they had to bounce back againagainst Bryanston after the pounding that theytook against Radley. Weather conditions atBryanston were unpleasant: driving rain on analready muddy pitch meant that the school teamhad to play sensible, disciplined rugby. Theyresponded magnificently.

A comfortable win against Clifton gave theboys confidence before playing their last twofixtures against formidable opponents. The schoolteam attacked Cheltenham throughout the firsthalf but could not break down their defence. Athree points to nil lead had to be clung to asCheltenham tried to win the game in the secondhalf. Again, great control of the ball anddisciplined defence made sure that the Schoolcame away with a victory. The same was wantedfor the Blundell's game. The School raced into anineteen points lead, only to be pegged back to19-12. Character and maturity won the day for theSchool.

As individuals, these boys have realised thatthey have skills to make them good players on TheUpper next season. Mr. Reynolds has worked hardwith the threequarters, with great success, givingthem all-round skills. Mr. Thompson gave the Bteam an identity and pride, so practices inpreparation for the games were always purposeful.We were also grateful to Mr. Willows for giving so

Results: Played 12, Won 7, Lost 5.

Canford WBishop Wordsworth's WDownside LKing's Taunton LWellington LMillfield LKing's Bruton WRadley LBryanston WClifton WCheltenham WBlundell's W

Colts B XV

35 - 1430 - 0

5 - 153 - 75 - 17

IQ - 1319 - 07 - 36

12 - 048 - 7

3 - 019 - 12

A.M.D.

115

flattered our performance. The twenty pointsscored against us were an indicator of poordefending. The next three games were to beagainst school Colts first teams. Unfortunately thetwo easier games were to be cancelled. This left usto play a strong Milton Abbey side. Though wegave a very credible performance, we lost to abetter side. The next game, versus King's Taunton,was our first away game and resulted in a narrowdefeat 5-7.

October brought some big games at scenes ofsome big defeats for last year's Junior Colts. Ourfirst game against a very competent Wellingtonside proved to be no change from the previousyear, a 0-48 defeat. However, we played well andwe came away convinced that we had animproving side and there was better to come atMillfield with a massive turn around from a bigdefeat in '99 to a 17-10 win. A very good CorfeHills side brought us down to earth. Though weplayed well, the team went down 20-22. TheThomas Hardye side that came next proved to betoo good. Our performance was heartening and weremained confident about our potential, though wewent down 0-29. Another big defeat in '99 wasagainst Radley. This year we had to travel and oneor two anticipated a thrashing. Good disciplineand determination ensured a very convincing winby 19-15 against a good Radley side, who spoilttheir chances by trying to intimidate us. We playedaway to Bryanston and earned a satisfying winagainst a side that tried to beat us into submission.Clifton were not a good side and gave us the roomwe needed to express ourselves. There were somevery good examples of excellent open rugby fromthe team but Henry Goldschmidt was man of thematch in a 60-0 win. Cheltenham arrived with apoor record, but proved very good opposition. Wereally did have to work hard for a well-deserved22-7 win. Our last game of the season was away toBlundells's again. Sherborne played well and a31-0 win to us was well-deserved.

I would like to think that it was a successfulseason and due to a great deal of effort from theteam and excellent coaching from AMD and GDRto whom I would like to express my thanks.

Team: Richard Ward, James Bailey, AlexanderGold, Tristram Marchinton, Gavin Thow, ChiHang Hung, Andrew Windle, Tom Edwards, RobBoughey, Simon Arden, Charley Maltby, GeorgeStratton, Alexander Johnston, Sholto Thompson,James Pearson, Ed Scot-Clarke, Freddy Lewis,Henry Tinne, Henry Goldschmidt, AlexanderCrutcher, Tom Fox-Davies, A1asdair Boyd andJack Richards.

Results: Played 13, Won 7, Lost 6.PT.

Colts C XVWhen you realise that the team that you are

coaching are talented, it is disappointing to findout that they will play only five matches.

Our first game was against a Downside 'B'Team. The energy levels and determination meantwe secured an 18-0 victory. A good start to ourcampaign.

Wellington College presented us with differentproblems. Over two hours on a coach and areputation to play against, resulted in a fewinjuries cropping up and flu victims coming to thefore. With no replacements and Pearson trying tofind his mouthguard, we were forced to start thematch with 14 men. Tremendous back-to-the-wallrugby followed and we lost the match 42-0.

Our third game was against Clayesmore ColtsA Team. A huge test for the team after the previoustesting match, this challenge turned out to be aclose tussle as reflected in the 29 all result.Considering that we were trailing 22-10 at halftime, it was a tremendous fightback. In the lastmovement of the match, Clayesmore managed aconverted try to share the spoils.

Some commentators wonder why we play thegame of rugby. Having seen the commitment anddesire in this game, I felt that very few playerswould experience such a satisfying matchthroughout their sports career.

Travelling to Radley is always difficult becausethey seem to obtain good results even whenfielding average teams. Not many teams comeaway from Radley with victory. We managed topass this severe test by running out 22-17 winners.It was very exciting, with Radley camped on ourline for the last few minutes of the match but weheld out for a thoroughly deserved victory.

Our last match was against a weak CheltenhamCollege team. From the kick-off we scored animpressive try and continued to dominatethroughout the match and ran out comfortablewinners.

To sum up our season, we had so much to bethankful for. With Mr. Davis, Mr. Reynolds andMr. Thompson, we were blessed with finecoaching talent. It is a pleasure to witness thecoaching ability of someone like Mike Davis. Iwould like to thank Messrs Watts and Reynoldsfor taking the time to referee.

Well done to Ben Massey for leading the sidewith style (a mixture of Vinnie Jones and MartinJohnson springs to mind!) The pack were excellentthroughout, maintaining possession withimpeccable defence. Arden and Peel-Yates playedevery game while Church and Pearson exchangedroles in the front row. The towering Reif­Delguidici played well in the second row

116

Team: S. 1. R. Dawson, O. K. S. Hankinson-Parr,P. J. T. Houghton, A. C. F. Simon, M. D. Barber,P. B. Foster, J. M. Milln, 1. W. Weterings,R. 1. R. Blake, O. W. Gargrave, S. D. O'Dwyer­Russell, A. B. Reid, J. T. Holdoway,E. M. Radcliffe, M. E. Snudden, E. J. Ward,S. D. Golden, D. S. E. Holborow, C. G. Minter,N. Thanapoomikul, H. T. A. Gabbey,R. H. D. Yates, A. Walford, J. E. Butler,M. T. B. Pope.

Results: Played 16, Won 5, Lost 11.

a whole made considerable progress and we aresure that they started to enjoy their rugby as theterm progressed. We would particularly like todraw attention to the development of both AlexSimon and Simon Dawson throughout the season.The reason they were selected may have been theirphysical size at the start of the term; at the end, itwas their skill and dedication.

The quotation at the start of this report alludesto the adverse effects that an unwise or poorlytimed word can have and there were times thisseason when disagreements between players and alack of belief in others' talents threatenedcompletely to fragment the team. Muchpsychological intervention was employed by thetwo captains, Jamie Holdoway and Adam Reid,and the coaches to prevent this from happening.Mrs Clayton's hot dogs helped considerably too!The victories against Kings' Bruton and Blundell'sshowed that when confidence and trust wasworking, and only words of encouragement wereexchanged between team-mates, we were capableof playing fast and attractive rugby. By Decemberwe hoped that, with another eight months ofgrowth spurts to come, this team can continue theprogress that they made this year and enjoy a moresuccessful season as Colts.

and also took the kicks at goal. Boyd was solidin the second row while Southwell, Masseyand Pearson were outstanding as back rowplayers.

When called upon, Crutcher and Posnett alsomade their contributions felt in the loose trio.Wood and Lamb were a very good halfbackpairing. The silky skills of Mead and toughtackling by Fox gave us penetration in midfieldwith Harvey standing by as a good replacement.Fox-Davies and Tottenham scored vital tries fromthe wing and Hung was always enthusiastic aboutplaying when given the chance. Irby was ourfullback - and who could ever forget that tackleagainst Wellington?

My only wish is that most of the Colts C teamwill play rugby again next year. Maybe it won't betoo long before we see some members of this teamrunning out on The Upper for the Ist Xv.

A.W.

Junior Colts A XV

'If A is success in life,then A =x + y + zwhere x =worky =playand z =keeping your mouth shut'

Albert Einstein, 1950

Sporting success seems to breed success. Whena team is playing well and has confidence, 'luck'always seems to fall on their side. We are notsuggesting that the large number of defeatssuffered by the Junior Colts A side this season wasdue to bad luck but the close fixtures againstBishop Wordsworth's, Milton Abbey and King'sTaunton could easily have been our victories. Thefact that these winnable games were lost had aprofound effect on the already fairly low self­esteem of a team who had won only two fixturesas Mini-Colts. Much time was spent duringtraining trying to lift morale and to convince theboys that, when they played to their strengths andweren't prepared to let the team down by missingtackles, they were a reasonable side. This processwas not aided by the back-to-back routs byWellington and Millfield, who were really in adifferent league in terms of ability and size. As aparticularly small year group, both in numbers andstature, tackling was the key to whether this was tobe a successful side or not. It is pleasing that manyboys learned to tackle, and even to enjoy it, overthe course of this Michaelmas Term. The team as

CanfordBishop Wordsworth'sMilton AbbeyGillinghamKing's TauntonWellingtonMillfieldCorfe HillsKing's BrutonClayesmoreRadleyDownsideBryanstonCliftonCheltenhamBlundell's

L 53 - 10L 25 - 10L 0 - 5W 17 - 7L 14 - 19L 0 - 80L 0 - 42W 31 - 24W 26 - 12W 29 - 17L 34 - 0L 47 - 10L 42 - 0L 31 - 0L 47 - 0W 27 - 10

S.J.c./P.J.w.

117

Junior Colts B XV

As the results show, this was a disappointingseason. In many of the matches the team wassmaller, slower, and less talented than theopposition and was saved from total annihilationonly by the shortening of matches. Despite thisrather gloomy picture, the team did possess manypositive attributes. They tackled ferociously,regardless of the size of the opposition; theyplayed with total commitment until the finalwhistle irrespective of the score; they worked hard(and successfully) at improving their skillsthroughout the season. They were also a cheerfuland amiable group, and were a pleasure to coach.

The forwards in particular developedconsiderably over the season but were almostalways dwarfed by the opposition. Alec Russell,the hooker, epitomised the problem; determined,brave, and technically sound but not big enough.Michael Hutton-Ashkenny, the tight-head prop,scrummaged quite well and Reuben Aitken atloose head made up for his lack of power in thescrum by being effective and determined in openplay. Both locks, James Titley and JoostWeterings, developed into good 'B' team players.Tltley ran powerfully and tackled well (if ratherhigh) and Weterings won the team a lot of line-outball.

In the back-row, Nick Thanapoomikul was afast and elusive runner and made a number ofgood breaks from the back of the scrum. He wasless effective in rucks and mauls and may play onthe wing next season. Tom Elanthorne was also aneffective runner and summed up the spirit of theteam when he insisted on playing against Clifton,despite being clearly unwell. Robert Blake playedeffectively in the loose and reached the break­down quicker than most. Ollie Gargrave was thebest player in the forwards and deserved hispromotion to the As at the end of the season. Hetackled ferociously, was often in a position tosupport the ball carrier, and cajoled the others toraise their game.

The backs were (with two notable exceptions)fairly strong defensively but, James Butler apart,lacked pace and were rarely able to exploit thelittle ball that the forwards won for them. MatthewHutt was a tenacious and fiery scrum-half but wasinjured frustratingly often. Edward Radcliffe wasa skilful fly-half who kicked well and was an~Iusiv~ runner. Given his skill and innate ability, itIS a pity that he had such a marked aversion totackling.

Four boys played at centre over the season. Thebest but most frustrating was James Butler who isa powerful runner but comes from the shirt-pullingschool of tackling. Of the others, Andrew

Ostroumoff made some good breaks but lacked thepace to exploit them, James Jenkins was very solidand did not miss a tackle all season and finallyGuy Stebbings played with great determinationand bravery despite his often expressed desire tospend his games afternoons on the golf course.

Hugo Blott at full-back had a thankless task buthe tackled bravely. His best match of the seasonwas against Blundell's when he scored three triesrunning through most of the opposition in th~process. Ollie Jennings on the wing was in theunfortunate position of continually being upagamst boys who were at least twice as big. Henever shirked a tackle but did tend to be brushedaside. Charlie Minter on the other wing wasperhaps the best tackler in the side and made anumber of heroic crash tackles on large oppositionforwards.

Team: R. A. K. Aitken, A. J. Russell, S. J. A.Kennon, M. D. D. Hutton-Ashkenny, O. K. S.Hankinson-Parr, N. 1. Francis, E. R. A. Selfe, N.Thanapoomikul, R. J. R. Blake, T. C. Blanthorne,O. W. Gargrave, R. J. R. Blake, J. F. Titley, J. W.Weterings, E. J. Ward, M. S. Hutt, E. M. Radcliffe,1. M. A. Jenkins, J. E. Butler, G. C. Stebbings, A.B. D. Ostroumoff, O. 1. Jennins, H. G. R. Elott, C.G. Minter, C. W. Habershon, F. A. H. Thompson.

Results: Played 12, Won 3, Lost 9.R.W.B.

Mini-Colts A XV

It is fair to say that this team was not one of thelargest on the circuit; however this did not deterthem in the least from playing a brand of footballwhich illustrated to all who watched howschoolboy rugby can be the most entertainingform of the game. The ball was won quickly fromboth set and loose play and was then fed on to a setof backs who were prepared to move the ballefficiently and effectively, as shown by thenumber of tries scored by the wings.

The first fixture, a win over Canford, showedthe style to be adopted, with Seamus Crawfordcaptaining the side and directing operations frominside centre. He set up two tries just through hisability to time a pass to a player in space.Unfortunately his term was cut short by injury.This certainly was a big loss to the side, thouah totheir credit they coped without him extre~elywell. Alex Willis filled Crawford's place and histackling and ball carrying were out of the top

118

Team: 1. M. Little, A. A. Mackay-James, 1. R. H.Brennan, E. R. P. Heath, D. M. Park, G. R. F. Fry,M. P. Erskine, R. A. Howland-Jackson, D. O.Nicholls, M. H. Saunders, T. R. N. Tollast, S. A.Crawford, N. J. T. Howe, K. Doherty, A. M. d' A.Willis, G. A. Maber, P. F. 1. Hames, A. T. A.Seymour, C. J. Nott.

though in the end it was the opposition's pace,especially that of the scrum half, which beat us.

With the loss of both the captain and GilesMaber not always at peak fitness, Nick Howe hadto play most of his rugby at outside centre. Withhis pace and strength in the tackle, he shouldcertainly have a bright future. Radley was anotherof those tight matches when Michael Saundersscored and converted to get us back a level onlyfor their scrum half to get over in the last minute.Generally, the half back combination of DavidNicholls and Michael Saunders proved to be notonly sound, but also inventive. A quick passingscrum half is a great attribute to an outside half.Saunders proved to have the ability to do theunexpected and quite often to succeed. With hisacceleration and vision he has the ability to bemore than just a competent number ten.

Without doubt the best performances of theterm were away wins at Clifton and at Blundell's.At both venues the interaction of both backs andforwards was of the highest quality, and thehandling was slick, with contact being kept to aminimum. U14 level, team performances often donot blossom until late in the term. It is very mucha learning and developing year for both a team andthe individuals. None of this team's skills was seenin the defeat at Cheltenham where the(waterlogged) pitch was certainly the worst I haveever come across. Rugby was very much the loser.

A most enjoyable season to be involved in,primarily thanks must go to all those who playedand to JMOC for all his help and wise counsel.

drawer. Although his future may not be at numbertwelve, he certainly will be a feared opponentwherever he plays. To score six tries in youropening fixture, especially when playing awayfrom home, certainly did bode well for the future.Excellent victories against Bishop Wordsworth'sand away to King's Taunton showed us at ourbest. Tim Tollast was scoring tries on the leftwing and the ever smiling Kolatomi Doherty wasalso running at the opposition on the other side.The former was always happy to take the longroute past an opponent, whereas the lattermanaged to score via the long route or just bysheer strength. They will be a formidablecombination in future years, especially whenthey learn the technical side of defence.

Good backs always need a set of forwards toprovide the ball. Two solid scrummaging props inRhys Brennan and Jack Little allowed ArchieMackay-James at hooker to gain more of thelimelight as he popped up all over the pitch,usually to good effect, though, I must say, not asa scrum half. Behind the front row David Parkand Rupert Howland-Jackson played the majorityof the season at lock. David proved to be a veryeffective ball winner at the front of the line outand also extremely athletic around the pitch.Rupert's difficulty was his height which affectedhis ball retention. When he masters a lowposition at rucks and mauls he will improveimmeasurably. At number eight or lock, EricHeath showed up well both with ball in hand andwhen defending. A very capable and athleticforward, he made a considerable contribution tothe season. There is always room for a small NeilBack type forward and Harry Fry definitely fittedthat role. He was inevitably to be found at thebottom of rucks and mauls, his ability to latch onto the loose ball was often the reason why thebacks received such quick ball. To say he wasfearless would be an understatement. MarkErskine, although not the quickest of players,certainly made up for this with his strength on theball and his ability to wrestle the ball away froman opponent. Possibly he is more suited tonumber six where his attributes will be seen attheir best.

The match against Wellington showed howwell a side can defend even when under thegreatest of pressure. The greatest problem in thistype of match is to ensure that, when you exertpressure, you come away with some points.Although we had our chances we were unable tomaintain attacks and score. Wellington probablyhad fewer chances, but made the best of what theyhad. I must say defensively this was a match of thehighest quality. The loss of Seamus Crawford atMillfield certainly had an effect on the team,

Results: Played 12, Won 7, Lost 5.

Canford WBishop Wordsworth's WGillingham WKing's Taunton WWellington College LMillfield LKing's Bruton WRadley LBryanston LClifton WCheltenham LBlundell's W

119

34 - 041 - 1250 - 528 - 70- 125 - 19

41 - 017 - 243 - 18

22 - 150- 19

49 - 5

D.A.S.

Mini-Colts B XV

After a promising start to the season, whenvictories were recorded over Canford, MiltonAbbey 'A' and King's Taunton, the side ran intosome very hard fixtures and never really recoveredfrom the loss of confidence which these defeatsinflicted.

They were quite a talented year group but needto work collectively and with more grit when facedwith difficult situations. I am quite sure that theirrecord will improve over their time at Sherborne.

Team: E. J. Harris, O. J. Madley, P. F. J. Hames,P. T. Kennard, H. J. Butt, D. P. Combes,B. J. A. Leach, A. T. A. Seymour,C. J. Wilyman, E. G. F. Gold, S. J. L. Kene,T. C. Stamford, C. J. Nott, T. H. Speller,T. E. de Souza, E. C. J. Sweet, E. J. O. Wicks,P. E. H. CoBins, T. E. Piu Ford.

Results: Played 11, Won 5, Lost 6.

G.T.w.R.

120

Hockey

Tour to Barbados4.00 a.m. - this was the last time at which we

would see rain for the next two weeks. We were toleave for Barbados after a two-hour delay atGatwick, but we felt the delay would inevitablyprove worth it. And so it proved. Eight hours laterwe were in the Caribbean with sun, beaches,cocktails and our hockey sticks. Having said good­bye at the airport to Gary Lineker, who was thereto play in a pro-am golf tournament, we left for thehotel with George Bramble whinging in the backof the minibus, complaining about the heat.

Ten metres from the beach and thirty from theliveliest street, the hotel appeared to be in the ideallocation. All that was needed to confiml the factthat we were on a hockey tour was an Astroturf.The next morning we were rudely awakened bythe captain's alam1 clock. The catch was that itwas still set on English time (four hours behind).This however enabled us to catch the sunrise overthe island, which in itself was a spectacular sight.

Our first Barbadian hockey experiencecommenced at 3.00 p.m. We found the much­discussed astro, and, yes, it lived up to itsreputation - extremely bouncy. We playedCombermere School and came out with arespectable 0-0 draw. We had two opposing forces,a hockey team and the blazing sun. This was theonly game in which we had the excuse that weneeded to adapt to conditions. We could not affordto spend the whole tour blaming the weather foraverage performances.

The second game the following day againstGrantley Adams School brought a formationchange, and with it a victory of 3-0. They werearguably a weaker team than the previousopposition, but nevertheless there was a noticeableimprovement in the team's performance. We hadmore competence, structure, and increasedconfidence. We returned to the hotel for a post­match analysis and swim and went out to samplethe local beer ... Banks'.

What people did at night varied, but on thewhole we went out together. The usual routinewould be to buy some local cuisine at one of themany restaurants along St. Lawrence Gap,followed by visits to various bars including CafeSol, The Reggae Lounge, Harbour Lights, TheShip Inn, The Boat Yard, The Bacardi Inn, Oistin'sand others.

The next day we toured the island with noneother than ShaIton, the most enthusiastic andcharismatic man on the island. Sadly, Guycouldn't make it. (He had obviously had a bit toomuch to drink the night before.) We were drivenround the whole island viewing some spectacularsights, including the most northerly point on theisland imaginatively called North Point; weviewed the area of ocean with the highestconcentration of sharks around Barbados twentymetres below the impressive cliffs on which wewere standing. The tour ended on Miami Beach,with many pretty beach-goers strutting their stuff,which was an aesthetically pleasing way to end thetrip.

Shelleys The Printers3 Priestlands Lane, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4HL

815364 Fax: 01935812868'li1@$h~lleysOl.hdo.

121

Following a day of solid relaxation, where mostof the squad spent their day on Acra Beachfollowing some American girls, we went on acatamaran trip. We spent the time over lunchswimming with turtles and soaking up the sunbefore we had to return to the hotel. The followingday we went to the Royal Westmoreland GolfCourse to watch the tournament in which Garywas involved. He was amongst friends such asVinnie Jones and Jasper Carrot. When asked onthe II th hole whether Vinnie ever used to playhockey, he replied, 'No, but I used to have ahockey stick to bash people with.'

On the same day as the golf, our third match,against Combermere Old Boys, brought a 3-0defeat. Fegen captained the side against this, thetop men's side on the island, and it was noticeable[ha[ [hey had both higher skills and greaterexperience. The touring side lost the game in thefirst half, with lack of communication and ballpace, but thanks to a fantastic performance by thedefence who had been solid yet unlucky throughthe whole game, no goals were scored in thesecond half.

Friday brought a visit to the Kensington Oval:West Indies against South Africa, the second dayof the Third Test. With South Africa resuming playon 240-5, they were in the driving seat andsteamed ahead to reach a total of 452 all out, withPollock scoring a brilliant century. There wassome compelling play, and it was great to bepresent within the local crowd. This was the lastTest in which Courtney Walsh would play, andthere was a ceremony to celebrate hisachievements and talent.

That night we visited Oisten's, the local fishmarket, where we ate local food and experiencedthe carnival atmosphere that Barbadians seemedso good at providing.

The next day brought our fourth match againstFuturama Hockey Academy. With Bishop incharge, the team played with patience, vision andstructure against a team that weren't as strong asthe men's side. Towards the end it turned out to bea bit of fun as Bramble and Angell swapped roles,along with Walsh appearing at right half. A 6-0victory was thoroughly deserved with goals fromFegen (3), Simson and Angell (2).

Garrison and Harrison College provided littleto stop the rampant squad the following day,Britten in charge this time. With the fourth formersWalford and Holdoway growing in confidence, theplan to develop the squad for future yearsappeared to be working successfully. Another 6-0victory was possibly a bit flattering, but we didn'tcomplain.

The last match of the tour the following daywas the best display of the tour. Against

Combermere School once again, whom we playedin our first match, we showed as a team how muchof a dramatic improvement we had made. Insweltering conditions, a deserved 2-0 victory wassecured with goals from Mitchell and Bramble.The feeling on the way back to the hotel waselated and joyful. We had come to Barbadosamongst other things to play good hockey, todevelop the squad for future years, and to have afantastic time, and that had all been donesuccessfully.

On our last night we were left to celebrate whathad been a marvellous trip for all twenty membersof the tour. The final meal was held in Boomer's(the local burger bar). After twenty boomer­burgers and beers the awards ceremony tookplace. Jake Britten, voted as player's player of thetour, received a Barbados cap; Gavin Thow wasthe most improved player of the tour and GeorgeBramble ugliest player on tour. Mahoney, Hatchy,Guy and Nog (the coaching staff) received localnecklaces and shandies for taking such good careof the squad. We spent the rest of the night in thecompany of Pollock, Boucher, Gibbs, and othermembers of the South African cricket team, whohappened to be on our dance floor.

We would like to take this opportunity to thankthe coaches for all the time and effort they put intoorganising the tour. It was a memorableexperience.

Will FegenJake Britten

1st XI

I consider that my first priority as a coach is toinstruct my team in how to play hockey well. Inthis respect the season has been it huge success. Asthe Pilgrims discovered, this team is able to playsome devastating hockey. My second priority is towin matches. Well, one out of two is not bad andresults have been a considerable improvement onlast year.

After two years of .trying, I managed toconvince Rob Hill to help me coach the 1st team.It was clear at pre-season training that he wasgoing to have a large impact. He has been hugelyenthusiastic and the players have responded tohim well. The first week of training was excitingand I was very optimistic about our chancesagainst King's Bruton. However, the team did notperform up to the potential they had been showingall week and King's Bruton were able to squeezea victory. The Occidentals turned up with a good

124

side including Rob himself, and the eleven raisedtheir game to compete at the appropriate standard.They followed this up with an encouraging drawagainst Dean Close, a side we lost 9-0 to last year.This game provided a clear indication of how farwe had come in one year. We were tenacious indefence, where Harry Steel came of age. In thefirst half he was totally outplayed by a quick andskilful right winger, but by the second half he hadlearnt from his mistakes and his opposite numbernever made a break. The draw was secured by asuperb poacher's goal by Will Hayler and TomWalsh pulled off probably the best save 1have everseen from a Sherborne School goalkeeper.

They were unable to maintain their momentumagainst Exeter and, for the second time, lost to ateam they should have beaten. They startedstrongly, loss Simson hitting the post from a well­worked move within the first five minutes. But fora couple of inches the game could have followed adifferent path. There then followed a sequence ofgames in which poor umpiring decisions byappointed umpires affected the outcome. Weshould have gone 3-0 up inside the first halfagainst Taunton, but had a goal incorrectlydisallowed; we had two questionable flicksawarded against us against Bryanston at theCounty Cup and a questionable goal awarded toBryanston in the school fixture. Although therewas a morale-boosting 5-0 victory against

Clayesmore at the County Cup, this did notcompensate for the failure to gain the scalp ofBryanston. A good performance agamstWellington College resulted in a narrow loss,meaning that half term was reached with only onevictory but with much learnt and morale high.

The next few games would be a steep learningcurve. King's Taunton were blown away by a WillFegen hat trick, including the goal of the season.lake Britten gained large amounts of possessionfrom in front of the defence. When the ball did getbehind him, the defence looked well organisedaround George Bramble, who hit sixteens withremarkable accuracy. This set up a toughencounter with Canford on their water-basedpitch. They proved to be a better side than us,although we still competed for much of the game.Yeovil and Sherborne produced a team consistingmostly of their Ist team, including two ex­internationals. They were impressed by thestandard of hockey played by the School and theonly real difference between the two sides was thefinishing. Millfield were again in a class of theirown and the best team we played by aconsiderable margin. Sherborne worked hard forthe full seventy minutes and competed for longperiods, but leaked goals at regular intervals.

The final two games saw some flowing hockeybeing played. The victory against Wells waseventually comfortable, although for much of the

125

first half the game was even. The turning pointw.as ~ remarkable solo goal by Ross Angel!. ThePilgnms made the error of giving us too muchtIme on the ball, which we duly exploited withdev~stating consequences. George Bunkall, inpartIcul~r, found h!mself in a great deal of spaceon the nght hand SIde where he was able to bringTom Bishop into the game. Tom mountednumerous attacks, as he had done all seasonwith a combination of speed and evasive skills:With more clinical finishing this could havebeen a cricket score. As it was, some gloriousgoals were scored.

The hocke~ tour to Barbados was the icing onthe cake, whIch has helped make this seasonsuch a memorable one. The squad was onewhere the emphasis was very much on thefuture, with only four from the Upper Sixth andtwo outstanding Fourth Formers. Despite hightemperatures, a bouncy pitch and constantsubstitutions the results were good and thestandard of hockey was high. At times nextyear's potential 1st XI were on the pitch and agood outfit they look too.

In summary, it has been a year of building.We have pla~ed some excellent hockey andfaced many hIgh quality oppositions. We havecompeted with the best and everyone hasthoroughly enjoyed themselves. I have beenth?roughly impressed by the captaincy of HenryMltchell, who has been largely responsible forthe excellent attitude and work ethic of theplayers. I had the feeling that the players wouldhave Jumped off a cliff if Henry had asked themto. With seven out of the twelve returning next~ear, ~ good crop of Colts, a couple ofmnovatlOns that I hope to implement and RobHi~1 already committed to coaching, the team isgOIng to be outstanding next year. I cannotguarantee victory against the likes of Millfield,but anyone else is fair game.

Many thanks to Rob Hill and Ali Hatch fortheir constant encouragement and supportthr~ughout the season. Finally, to all thosededIcated parents who have supported their sonswhate.ver the weather, I hope you enjoyedwatchIng them as much as I did.

Team: H. Mitchell (Captain)*, G. Bramble*,T. Walsh*, T. Bishop*, W. Hayler*, 1.Simson*W. Fegen*, H. Steel*, 1. Britten, R. Angell:G. Bunkall

Also played: C. Gammell, P. Langly-Smith,A. Bartlett, R. MacFarlane, L. Edlmann, T. Wynn­Jones, D. Poraj-Wilczynski, H. Lamb, M. Clapp

* = Colours

Results: Played 15, Won 4, Lost 9, Drawn 2.

King's Bruton L I - 2Occidentals L 2 - 5Dean Close D 2 - 2Exeter L I - 3Taunton L 2 - 3Bryanston (County Cup) L I - 2Clayesmore (County Cup) W 5 - 0Bryanston D 2 - 2Wellington L I - 2King's Taunton W 5 - 2Canford L 2 - 4Yeovil & Sherborne L 1 - 4Millfield L 0 - 7Wells Cathedral W 4 - 1Pilgrims W 6 - 0

U.B.w.

2nd XI

Talent is innate, skill achieved through hardgraft, and luck - well, Lady Luck always seems tohave her own agenda. You need to have all three ofthese ele~ents to be a success and the degree towhIch thIS team possessed them is perhapsdebatable. But what defines a successful 2nd XIseason? Is it the won - lost ratio, the manner andstyl.e .of play adopted, the progress made by bothmdlVlduals and the team, or is it simply the levelof enjoyment had by players, coaches andsupporters alike? Whichever of these criteria istaken, this season's 2nd XI had a good go atsucceeding at all of them and for that they can notbe faulted. T~e only side to win against WellingtonCollege certaInly deserves some credit.

In goal, Lawrence Edlmann produced someoutstanding saves based on very good footwork. Iam sure tha~ his technique and ever-growingconfld~nce WIll serve him well as he challengesfor a fIrst team place once again next season. Atthe back, five players challenged for the fourplaces on offer, an~ in the first half of term theyformed the foundatIOn rock on which the resultswere built - that is, once we had got over thecustomary shaky first few minutes (for exampleagamst Taunton and King's Taunton, where earlygoals cost us dearly). Lack of pace did ultimatelystart to tell agamst the better, more athletic sides,such as Millfield and Canford, and thisunfortunately knocked our confidence and led usto committing suicidal dive tackles rather thanrelying on defence as a unit to stifle an attack.Goals were leaked when no real danger wasapparent; but then, top sides don't need a second

126

invitation to make a clean finish. Nonetheless, thework put in on the training ground will hopefullysee the steel defence of Matt Paulson-Ellis, EdWestropp, Rupert Lane, Nick Cramp, and HenryHunt become a little more galvanised in the future.

Finding the right combination of midfieldproved to be a little problematic. Alec Bartlett andCharlie Gamrnell, both on loan from the I st XI,provided that extra bit of skill necessary to unlockdefences as they ran at them. It is a credit toCharlie that when he played well, controlling theplay and spreading the ball swiftly around theflanks, the team played well. On either side ofthese two, Tim Wynn-Jones, AI Beattie, and AlexBudge worked hard to offer width and optionsboth in defence and attack. Each had theirstrengths and played big games, but unfortunatelythe collective unit never fully emerged and rarelydid they all perform on the same occasion.

The forward line certainly had the potential tostrike, with Rory MacFarlane, Tim Ackroyd,Andrew Westwood, and captain Pete Langly­Smith possessing the size and presence to worryany back line. Unfortunately the good movementand build-up was all too often wasted by poorfinishing, especially in the big games whenchances inevitably were few. If one of these had

emerged as an eight goal a season performer, thenresults would have been very different. As it was,their total contribution was 10. Tim's exquisitelytaken goal against Wellington just showed whatmight have been.

So has the season been a success? Certainly thetenor of this report is a little gloomy, but I am surethat a lot of this comes from the disappointment ofthe won - lost ratio. Expectations were high,perhaps too high at times, but the desire to succeedremained to the end. Even against strong sidessuch as Canford and Millfield, the opportunitieswere there for some excellent results. Skill andhard training can reduce the role of luck, and thisteam did not have the best of luck, but then neitherdid it possess an abundance of innate talent.Despite this, the commitment to trying to playgood, attractive hockey was excellent, as indeedwas their spirit and effort. For this their CaptainPete Langly-Smith can take a lot of credit.

To close, I can safely say that at the end of myfirst term at Sherbome I have thoroughly enjoyedthe company and good humour of this team, andfor that I thank them all. As for the return journeysin the minibus, we ought to leave our MC Rory toexplain!

A.M.H.

127

3rd XI

This was a truly great side, unbeaten against 3rdXIs but more importantly offering fast and skilfulhockey in every game, whatever the surface,whatever the conditions. Team spirit and selflesscommitment were always in evidence, and credit isdue to everyone who played, but I would single outthe astute captaincy of Max Vere-Hodge as adecisive element. Imposing stature and strengthmade him a formidable defender, but his stick workand intelligent distribution also caught the eye anddrew compliments from at least one former 1st XIcoach. A moment of unappreciated importance inhockey is the opening ritual, with handshakesbetween umpires and captains, and the throw of acoin to determine ends. As Max strode purposefullytowards the centre circle [ would watch themounting alarm in the eyes of the opposition, a goaldown, mentally, before the game even began.

Not that the rest of the defence and midfieldwas exactly fragile or waif-like. Matt Hope, aveteran of three seasons at this level, and HenryGrundy Wheeler completed a muscular and feistyback line, and together with the magnificentgoalkeeping of Alex Drew, ensured that goalsagainst were spectacularly rare. Chris Cook wasleft half, unflinching in the tackle and a perceptivepasser of the ball, while at centre-half JimmyMcKillop was a dynamic presence, ubiquitous inlinking attack and defence and, this season, evenscoring goals. Matt Balfour also combined tirelesseffort and real flair, mostly at right half, though, ashe occasionally reminded me, his one outing atcentre-forward saw him scoring a hat trick. HowAlex Budge missed out on a permanent place in ahigher team is a mystery, but to every game heplayed he brought vision, superb stick skills and amatchless eye for goal.

Like Matt Hope, the right wing Coos Filbey wascompleting his third season in the team. Over theyears so many goals have resulted from his paceand close control, and his determination never tomiss a tackle. There are wingers in higher XIs whonever seemed to do half as much work for the team.For the rest, youth was to the fore. Charlie Dupontand Henry Rushton were a speedy and skilful pairof forwards, scoring freely, while Gordon Scottaccepted the unfamiliar role of left wing with goodgrace, initiating attacks but, equally importantly,stifling the opposition right side.

Injuries and absence are inevitable, and thefinal component in an outstanding season was thereadiness of squad members such as Peter Tingay,Nick Lee, Ed Harper, and Sebastian Bennett to fitin where required. Anna and I are most grateful.

M.J.B.

4th XI

This was the most successful season on record.Not everyone - Chris Tavender and Charlie Brockcome to mind - had a thoroughbred hockeypedigree, but, as any discerning coach knows, TheLower is the cradle of heroes. And so it proved.Two games approach legendary status. In a 3-0demolition of a strong Bryanston team, it fell toCharlie Brock to open the scoring against the runof play, but opposition hearts were broken by EdWorthington's first goal of the season, a shotunerringly placed and derisively slow. Thecharacteristically modest and understatedcelebration that followed kindled new spirit, andNick Lee produced a run and shot of tumultuouspower to round off the proceedings. A futurearchivist might catalogue the result againstClayesmore under cricket, so high was theeventual score, but on a bleak March afternoon itwas plain to see that Oliver Luard's goalkeepingkit had for many years concealed a forward ofpertinacity and flair.

Ivan Chiu in goal defied the coaching manualbut was an outstanding shot-stopper, ablyprotected by ally Gosling, Charles Hoare and theexcellent Peter Tingay. Midfield featured theaggression of Chris Tavender, the calm assuranceof Nick Lee, and the untiring energy of NickBeattie, with Seb Bennett and Charlie Hurlbattpatrolling the flanks and contributing vital goals.Eddie Harper was a class act at right wing, smallof stature but committed to every tackle, while EdWorthington's talismanic presence at centre­forward and Charlie Brock as a second, deep-lyingattacker were enough to generate many finevictories. I am grateful to ally Luard and EdFindlay for filling in, often at exceptionally shortnotice. My thanks also to IRE and RCFG for alltheir help with coaching and umpiring somehighly memorable matches.

M.J.B.

Colts A XI

The results throughout the term do not give atrue picture of all that took place. The boys whorepresented this age group certainly proved thatpride, hard work, and pure cussedness can achievea great deal. Under the captaincy of David Poraj­Wilczynski, who really did lead from the front,they proved to be a team with whom it was apleasure to work.

An early win over King's Bruton was followedclosely by a fixture against a Bryanston side who

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found defending to be very hard work againstpersistent attackers. The introduction of JamieHoldoway from the Junior Colts had certainlyadded to both the skill and pace of the frontrunners. To have someone who can score goals isworth its wejght in gold. (This is not meant to bea pun on the name of the other attacker.)Regardless of what you may offer in attack, thespine of any team has to be strong. NickSouthwell in goal and Gavin Thow at the backgave confidence to the rest of the team. I think itwould be fajr to say that they were the mostimproved players over the course of the season.The conversion of Sholto Thompson from amidfield to a defending role proved to be asuccess. Although not the fastest player over theground, he made up for this by his anticipation andimproved tackling. The hardest thing to learn inhockey is not to be drawn into a tackle whilst theattacker is completely on balance. It is surprisinghow often a ball is given away without an actualtackle being made.

The away game at Taunton proved to be ratherfrustrating. Chances went begging while theopposition popped in their opportunities. This wasfollowed by the County Cup tournament atBryanston; a comfortable victory over the hostsand Corfe Hills led us into the final againstCanford. Before we settled down, they attackedthree times and came away with three goals, allexcellently taken, although we did rather watchthem advance into the circle and then leave Nickfairly exposed. Two further goals were leakedprior to half time. Credit then must go to thecaptain who inspired us into a superb second halffight back, unfortunately all rather late.

The performance in our away trip to Wellingtonwas difficult to explain. We played extremely wellin a high pace game, but ended up two goals down.As I said to the team immediately afterwards, theirdefeat certainly did not do them justice. HenryLamb on the right of the defence was in excellentform, tackling well, always available for a passand showing his distribution skills. From this pointin the term, he showed a consistency ofperformance which really was very pleasing. MikeClapp was also showing up well, though he didhave the tendency to give the ball away with hisfavourite sweep pass. To his credit, he did scorethe goal of the season at Bryanston with a reversehit which rocketed into the top corner.

The highlight of the season was the home winagainst Canford which not only reversed theCounty Cup defeat, but also showed this side attheir best. Even a penalty stroke late in the gamecould not deny them a win which was certainlyfull of character.

The last game of the season at Millfield saw ourbacks to the wall for most of the first half.Millfield scored in the first minute and thenexpected us to crumble. In the end they were veryfortunate to win. As the game progressed, webecame stronger and stronger, but just could notconvert our chances. Disappointed as we were, wedid show how to frustrate a very skilful unit andthen begin to dominate. Excellent contributionswere made by Henry Goldschmidt, Shane Daniel,and Richard Dowdall, who should certainly allbenefit from the experience.

This was a most enjoyable season and a verypleasant group to work with. Thanks to all theplayers but especially the captain; David P-W. Mythanks also to GDR for his help and wonderfuldemonstrations of stick skills.

Team: Richard Dowdall, Henry Goldschmidt,Mike Clapp, Henry Lamb, Ed Posnett, NickSouthwell, Andy Windle, Alex Gold, SholtoThompson, Jamie Holdoway, Shane Daniel, GavinThow, David Poraj-Wilczynski

Results: Played 9, Won 5, Lost 4.

King's Bruton W 3 - 0Bryanston W 3 - IDean Close L 0 - 3Taunton L 0 - 3Bryanston W 4 - 0Wellington College L 0 - 3King's Taunton W I - 0Canford W I - 0Millfield L 0 - I

D.A.S.

Colts B XI

This was a rather truncated season that did notstart until 27th January and ended on 3rd March asMillfield were unable to field a Colts B team thenext week. In those five weeks we showed that ourchoice of opponents was spot on. With one minuteof the season left, we had a penalty flick that couldhave made the season's results Won 2, Drew 3,Lost 2. We missed it and lost 4-3 to Canford in asplendid game that showed Colts B hockey at itsbest. Another game against Bryanston wassimilarly thrilling. They scored with a minute anda half to go to make it 3-2 to them; we ambledback to the centre spot and scored with thirtyseconds to go to level it.

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G.D.R.

Team: C. Williams, C. Maltby, F. Lewis, S. Arden,R. Dowdall, G. Stratton, S. Daniel, M. Scott,1. Bulley, E. Posnett, A. Johnston, W. Dawson,A. Windle, G. Smallwood, H. Clifton, M. Sudlow,R. Coates, C. Grazebrook, R. Grazebrook,F. Mead.

We played three U 19 teams - a challenge aswe contained a few players who were certainlyunderweight even for U6, but our skill levelenabled us to compete. A 4-4 draw against MiltonAbbey 3rd team was disappointing and wewere outmuscled on grass by Sexey's I st XI,always a good fixture. Our two wins wereagainst Dauntsey's 3-0 and King's Taunton4-2, an excellent performance. We held Wellingtonto 3-1 over there - all in all, it was a gutsyseason.

The great joy of this year group was the numberof boys keen to play as the team list at the end willshow. There were some who ended in the A teamlike Richie Dowdall, Shane Daniel and AndyWindle, but others like George Stratton andMalcolm Scott, who both played outstandingly,were of similar standard. Harry Clifton was theleading scorer with nine goals: Freddie Meadmade a great impact in the second half of theseason. The other backs, Charlie Maltby andFreddie Lewis gave their all, the midfield wassolid and would have been more so if it hadcontained James Bulley, Ed Posnett, Will Dawson,Andy Windle and AIi Johnston on the same day.Giles Smallwood and Richard Coates contributedgoals up front and the others who played allshowed that they had plenty to offer. CharlieWilliams showed that when he put his foot downhe was an outstanding keeper.

The fun that the team had extended to practices;for that DAS is to be thanked for trying to makethe whole Colts squad better, rather than just theAs. Thanks too to all the parents who braved thetraditionally chilly weather to see their sons inaction.

Results: Played 7, Won 2, Lost 3, Drawn 2.

Dauntsey's WSexey's LBryanston DWellington LKing's Taunton WMilton Abbey 3rd XI DCanford L

3 - 01-33 - 3I - 34 - 24 - 43 - 4

Junior Colts A XI

As ever, the hockey season started full ofoptimism about what lay ahead and the JuniorColts were keen to show what they were made of.Whilst results indicate that our season was notsuccessful, it is fair to say that all of the boys whorepresented the A team showed promise andenthusiasm for the game.

The first game of our season against our localrivals, King's Bruton, was typical of Junior Coltshockey. It was fast and furious with the ballmoving from end to end and no one quite goodenough to get the final touch into the goal.However, with one late breakaway, we conceded agoal and managed to lose 1-0. Ability to fashion astring of passes which ended with the ball beatingthe goalkeeper for a goal eluded us throughout theseason and it is fair to say that the written recordwould be somewhat different if we had taken moreof our chances.

To lose our first six games was disappointing,especially considering that we were outplayedonly in two of them - by Wellington and Canford.Against Exeter, Taunton, and King's Taunton wehad good passages of play and again failed toconvert opportunities. Combining this with ourgranting the opposition freedom in the 'D' meantthat our scorelines often failed to do us justice.

Our match against Taunton School was avaliant effort and to lose 2-1 having lost thegoalkeeper in the opening three minutes to injuryreflected the spirit of the team. However, we couldand should have won the game outright and weredenied only by their 'keeper and the woodwork!

The game with Bryanston was one of the lowestpoints of the term and everyone was rightlydisappointed with the final scoreline. At one stagein the second half, we were leading 2-1 and wereeasily the more determined side. However, havinghad their captain sent off with five minutes to go,Bryanston rallied while we went to sleep,conceding not one but three late goals. This clearlyproves the adage that it is much harder to playagainst ten men. Ironically, after an earlier injury,the 1st XI were due on the astro immediately afterus and we had considered cutting five minutes offthe game. If only we had'

Canford came and conquered and we were lefthaving played seven and lost seven. The Team ofthe Month award was certainly not coming ourway.

After these defeats we all travelled to Millfieldknowing that the only way that our season couldbe saved was by beating this most illustrious ofsporting schools. An hour later, with a score of1-0 to us, even after having missed a penaltystroke, we were triumphant. Millfield may claim

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that they were resting players for the ColtsDivisional team, but all of their 'stars' come onwhen it looked as if they might lose. In the end,there was going to be only one winner and it wasthe highlight of the season to see the boys' reactionafter such a momentous victory.

This result transfonned us and we went on tobeat both Clayesmore and Wells Cathedral School.Unfortunately we were still shy in front of goaland both of these victories should have been bywider margins but, having lost many games earlierin the term, we did not care - a win was a win.

It was amazing to see how confidence grewonce we started to win. I hope that the boys alllearned from this and I would like to give mythanks to them all, particularly Alec Russell thecaptain, for all of the hard work that they put in.

My thanks must also go to Chris Palmer, ourgap year student, who helped with the A team andran the B team.

Results: Played to, Won 3, Lost 7.

King's, Bruton L 0 - IExeter L I - 4Taunton L I - 2Bryanston L 2 - 4Wellington L I - 5King's, Taunton L I - 5Canford L 0 - 4Millfield W I - 0Clayesmore W I - 0Wells Cathedral W 1 - 0

MAP.

Mini-Colts A XI

Much has been said in recent months about thestate of sport in the School and there is no doubtthat things can be done to improve matters after aperiod of decline. As far as numbers areconcerned, things certainly appear healthier. Afterlast year's small intake, the Mini-Colts had aseeming embarrassment of riches with 110 boys,including many self-proclaimed hockey players.In reality this allowed B, C and D teams ofroughly equal ability to be fielded but only ahandful of boys of genuine A team quality. Thatsaid, all those who represented the School did sowith detennination, good grace, and exemplarytemperament, all qualities we are trying toencourage from the outset in school hockey.

As always with the Minis, it takes time for theboys to gel and for many II-a-side is a newconcept in this sport. That said, if we want to have

victories, we need to think carefully about how weapproach the season. It is easy to gloss over factsbut the devil lies in the detail. The Mini-Colts Ateam exemplifies this wonderfully as a number offactors helped turn an excellent season on the pitchinto a mediocre one on the scorecard.

For example, the opening fixture versus King'sBruton took place after two hours' practice on theastro. Two hours is not long enough to select threeteams from 110 boys. Bruton and others ­Millfield most notably - are given time with theboys in the'Michaelmas term if only to assess theirability and pencil in possible teams. As aconsequence, in the first week I selected the wrongteams and it was thanks only to heroics from TomHillard in goal that we snatched a 0-0 draw from ateam we could have whipped. With applicationand consistency there is no doubt that Tom couldbecome a superb player. At his best, he proved tobe an awesome and inspirational last line ofdefence.

The very low level of personal fitnessdemonstrated by the boys well into the term wasapparent not only in their uncompetitiveness intheir early matches but also in the recurrent themeof muscle injuries - often sustained whilst not onthe hockey pitch. In consequence we never fieldeda full strength team and three or four key playerswere injured for over half the season. Currently,the Michaelmas term has no time allocated tofitness for hockey, and rugby training is apparentlyentirely skills-orientated. This may be satisfactoryfor a sport demanding stamina and occasionalbursts of speed from sporadically used backs.When hockey starts, boys are woefully ill preparedfor the demands placed upon them, as sustainedspeed of movement, particularly off the ball, isessential throughout a seventy minute period.Talking to opposition coaches leads me to believethat we will rarely compete at this level unless wecan level the playing field in a way that otherschools already consider the norm. AgainstCanford we were run off the park losing 9-0 in theCounty Cup, but a month later and fitter wecompeted effectively, going down 4-1 in a closelyfought contest.

Of course, from time to time one comes upagainst superior opposition and this yearClayesmore had gathered a good number ofcounty players and deserved their 5-0 victory inthe Cup early on in the season. However, thisproved a useful benchmark as we met them againin the final fixture of the season. Fielding all butone first choice player we showed the level of skillthat this year's boys were capable of. The firsttime Clayesmore touched the ball was for theirkeeper to pick it out of the net - six minutes intothe game. This was excellent hockey played by

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G.B-E.

confident young men who know they can do it. Ina fascinating struggle against excellent opposition(who had beaten Canford in the Cup) we earnedour 2-1 win thanks to guts, determination and thewill to win. This was the highlight of my season!

Oddly enough, our season started to improve atMillfi.eld, of all places. But once again weconspIred to shoot ourselves in the foot. On thisoccasion our coach was late and in consequenceth~ oppo.sition had forty minutes to warm up anddnll whilst we were given none. No surprisetherefore to find ourselves 3-0 down after sevenminutes as they worked the short corners from thebench. Working on the principle of 'What is saucefor the goose ... ' I used a brief injury to explainthe numbering system of their bench calls. Fromthen on they had a fight on their hands and it tooka few strange decisions, the post, and a suspectfoot to allow them a 5-0 win. After the game it wasthe opposition coach raving about Sherborne'sindividual players that told me all I needed toknow. Millfield's 'professionalism' had won thematch but they'll be in trouble at Junior Coltslevel, next year - and they know it.

Elsewhere, boys injured playing Rugby 7s,others excused matches by their housemasters ­particularly on exeat weekends - and some highquality opposition conspired to ensure that thefinal tally of results was very disappointing. Butthis team was a good outfit with some talentedplayers. Alex Willis is a natural leader who, with alittle more speed, can become a solid man inmidfield. Zeddy Seymour has masses of flair,which must be converted into winning andretaining possession. Alex Webb is one of thehardest grafters on any pitch, who needs merely tolearn that he is always worthy of his place. NedKelly can only get better as he adds size to hisundoubted skills, and Eric Heath has pace that canbe exploited as his stick work improves. PaddyHorsington needs more pace but also has the skilland vision to go far if his distribution improves,whilst Archie Mackay-James needs to channel thatexcellent strike into putting the ball exactly wherehe wants it. Ed Wicks also has fire power, butneeds to keep his positional play tight at left back,and James Grundon must learn the art of shieldinothe goal at right back. Giles Maber will do weUwhen the strikers give more support and finally thepromising Michael Saunders needs to sort out hisinjury prone body and use his excellent sportingand goal scoring instinct to become a top centreforward.

There is a lot to be done, but these boys and theothers who made their contribution can and willsee the glory days of first class hockey return t~Sherborne when they play for the I st XI - but theyhave to work for it and believe it will happen. I do.

Results: Played 9, Won 2, Lost 4, Drawn 3.

Cup Competition: Played 3, Lost 3.

Mini-Colts B XI

The Mini-Colts B played eleven games thisseason, unfortunately only winning three games,drawing one and losing seven. But I don't believethis really reflects the improvement which tookplace this year. The beginning of the year saw theformation of a team who had only really playednine-a-side half-field hockey. By the end of theseason the boys were playing an open style of fullfield hockey that any coach would have beenproud of.

One of the weaknesses of this team was aninability to put together consistent performances.After playing a good game they would come outand play an average game the following week. ButI do believe this also improved as the season wenton, as the boys realised that the result from theprevious week really didn't affect the result forthis week.

There were two very memorable performances.The first was my first game as coach, after takingover from Dr. Wade. The game was at home onThe Upper against King's Taunton. The boysplayed above themselves against a good King'sSide. Olh~ Madley played an outstanding game ingoal, making a number of good saves. The rest ofthe team played an impressive passing game,marking well to shut the King's side down. Theother memorable game was aoainst a veryimpressive Millfield side. This wa~ our last gameof the season. The boys started with a hiss and aroar, dominating the opposition. They againpassed well, especially up front with Toby Evans,Sam Cooke, John Barber, and Ed Sweet. DanCombes played solidly in the middle of the field asPete Hames marshalled the team well from theback. Ollie Madley had another good game ingoal. After haVIng played so well in this game, wewere unfortunate not to have the result go our way.

Other players who impressed me this year wereHenry Butt, with his ability to hold up the rightside, Jack Little, Rob Gore, and Chris Ball, whowere always reliable in defence, while MarkErskine was always dominant on the left hand sideof the field.

These boys were a pleasure to coach this yearand 1 am very grateful for the way they played andbehaved throughout the season. I will take manyfond memories of the team back home to NewZealand.

Callum Walker

132

Football

1st XI

The soccer fixture list has become stronger overthe past few years, as the majority of schools thatwe play now are footballing schools. Our resultsthis season are a clear indication too all thatSherborne is developing a strong footballing unit.At present we may not be able to beat strong sidessuch as Millfield but I'm sure that in the nearfuture we will be a force to be reckoned with.

We started the season unsure about what toexpect as we had only three players who hadplayed first team football before. These fears soondisappeared after we beat Downside 5-0. Thisvictory was followed by a disappointing 3-3 drawagainst Bristol Grammar School, when we clearlydeserved more. We then surpassed our ownexpectations in taking an early lead, before losingnarrowly to an impressive Clifton side.

With half our team missing we completelyoutplayed King's Taunton and they were verylucky to equalise with their only shot of the gamein the closing minutes.

We then played Millfield in what was our firstever fixture against them. They are a team whogenerally don't play schools but clubs and

academies. Only midway through the second halfdid they take control and win comfortably.

A hard fought encounter against a strong andaggressive Gryphon side was the mostdisappointing game of the season. Sherborne hadthe better chances but failed to take them andeventually a defensive error cost us the game.

Warminster came to Sherborne with areputation of being a strong football school: weput five goals past them in the first half. The gamefinished 7-0 which was an outstanding result,reflecting how far we've come this season.

Charlie Cox has been an outstanding player forthe School over the last two years and has excelledthis season, scoring ten goals. Linley Lewis'sstriking ability proved to be far more impressivethan his present haircut! His strength opened updefences and he too scored ten goals. Thispartnership of pace and power was invaluable tothe whole team and caused havoc among even thestrongest of defences. The midfield pairing ofJason HUll and Hugh Poraj-Wilczynskicontributed to the success of the team not only increating numerous chances but when defending aswell. The pace of David Bridger and CharliePushman down the flanks provided a useful

133

service to the front men. Their ability to cross theball and beat their opponents gave the strikersmany opportunities to score. With three penaltiesand one own goal conceded, a lesser man mightnot have recovered from a catastrophic game at thestart of the season, but to Tom Traves this wassimply a minor setback. Since this, he has come along way this season hardly ever faltering, exceptfrom scoring just one more own goal againstMilfield. He is our most experienced and reliabledefender and has performed superbly over thecourse of the season controlling the defence andproviding an excellent service from free kicks.Finally, Tom Chamberlain's commitment andability to read the game in combination with hisshot stopping forms a great asset to the team.

Despite a mixture of success and failure inrather unexpected forms this season, it has been anenjoyable one.

Mr. Willows has been a terrific coachmoti vating, teaching and developing football atSherborne School. Mr. Nurton has organised allthe fixtures and has been very encouragingthroughout the season. I would like to thank bothof them on behalf of all of us.

Harry ter Haar

2nd XI

This season's 2nd XI football team encounteredmany successes, both in terms of results andexcellent performances by all players. We facedmany strong teams who play football all throughthe year; these successes were all the more sweet.

We lost only one match (away to Millfield)throughout the whole season, a record which is animprovement on last season, showing that footballat Sherborne is growing in reputation andpopularity.

Our strengths as a team were solidarity indefence, a dynamic attack, and a great team spirit.Our last match against Warminster showed all ofthese qualities, coming back from 2-0 down at halftime, to win 3-2 in a spirited performance.

On behalf of the whole team, I'd like to thank Mr.Cameron, the manager, for his steely half-time talks,and to Mr. Willows, for his excellent coaching.

Team: D. P. Rosewell (Captain), C. J. S. Hart,A. Fatayer, J. R. Hood, J. N. Mi6ville,G. T. W. May, A. D. Wood, S.Gad, R. W. Jordan,N. M. Pothecary, J. F. Helliar, O. J. C. Murray.

Results: Played 9, Won 5, Lost 2, Drawn 2.

Derek Rosewell

134

Rugby Sevens

SeniorsUnfortunately, owing to the foot and mouth

crisis, the seniors did not have their usual warm-upat the Blundell's tournament, so it was straight intothe prestigious Christ College Brecon tournamentwith teams invited from far-ranging places.

The School put up a spirited performanceagainst good opposition. ~fter beating Harrow,both St. Joseph's and Wellmgton College had todig deep to overcome Sherborne's aggressivedefence. Llandovery and Millfield had too muchpace.

As holders of the West of England trophy, theSchool were treated with respect and efficientlybeat Wellington School and Richard Huish.However the muddy conditions did not suit ourstyle of play and Monmouth won in the decidinggroup match. This meant that.. the Schoolcompleted in the plate competItIOn, beatingDownside in the semi-final but losing to a verygood Blundell's team in the final.

The Surrey Sevens at Richmond was the lowpoint of the season. The School played the sevensthat they were capable of only in their final gameagainst Worth, but they had squandered chancesbefore, and did not progress further than the groupmatches.

The National Sevens was a different story. TheSchool simply outclassed their opponents in thegroup matches. Patience in attack and defencewith a hunger for any loose ball made sure thatthere was plenty of possession for the school team.Only Mill Hill inconvenienced the School withtheir physical play. Barnard Castle, Worth and St.Pauls were left chasing shadows as the supportplay of the School changed the focal point of theplay so quickly. The first round of the knockoutstaoes of this competition drew Christ CollegebC'Brecon as our opponents. Christ ollege s system

of using a sweeper left gaps in their defence whichthe School eagerly exploited. However, theSchool's pressure defence, stopping theiropponents' talented runners working overlaps leftthem exposed to the kick ahead and chase. In theend, Christ Brecon had too much pace, but it wasa cracking game, and supporters from both teamshad witnessed a skilful and passionate encounter.

The School left the National Sevens with theirreputation intact.

Senior Squad: N. K. Cook (Captain), J. C. Britten,N. J. E. Cramp, L. R. R. Edlmann, H. W. Farris, C.P. W. Gammell, H. N. L. B. Hunt, J. D. Hutt, O. W.Luard, H. T. Mitchell, D. R. Poraj-Wilczynski.Seniors

Results: Christ College, Breconbeat Harrowlost to Llandoverylost to St. Joseph's Ipswichlost to Wellington College.lost to Millfield (quarter-final)

West of Englandbeat Wellington School Abeat Wellington School Bbeat Richard Huishlost to Monmouthbeat Downside (plate semi-final).lost to Blundell's (plate final).

Surrey Sevensbeat Worthlost to Tiffin, Cranleigh

National Sevensbeat Barnard Castlebeat Worthbeat Mill Hillbeat St. Paul'slost to Christ College, Brecon (last 24)

JuniorsThis year's group showed that they had talent, butthey also showed poor decision making and a lackof vision. In attack, one more pass would have putsomebody in space and stretched the defence. Indefence, certain individuals were not confidentand this put pressure on others. However, therewere those who tackled everything in sight andthey were the players who ended up playing in thefinal games. It was then that the character typicalof Sherborne sides came out.

At the West of England Sevens, the Schoollooked impressi ve against the less talentedQueen's Taunton and Devizes teams, but cameunstuck against the hustle and bustle of Bryanstonwho just knocked the School out of their stride. Soit was the plate competition for the School. Havmgwatched the seniors give a most inspiring exampleon how to play competitive sevens as they beatDownside comprehensively, at last the U 16srealised what was necessary to win matches, andthey played a most disciplined and aggressiv.egame overcoming Blundell's in the plate semI­final.

In the plate final, they played well, but wastedchances, narrowly losing to the Welsh SIdeBirchgrove.

It was a tough draw in the National Sevens, butbad decision-making in the first game wasted threescoring opportunities in the first half. Wallingtonjust hung in there until the School became

135

desperate and frustrated and Wallington eventuallytook advantage of the School's mistakes. For thenext game against a talented Campion side, theSchool selected a team of triers who nearly pulledoff a glorious win. The final game was against lastyear's winners of the Ul6 competition,Manchester Grammar School. The same team ofworkers were pitted against M.G.S. and the Schoolwon by five tries, playing attractive and sensiblerugby.

It was felt that this squad had learnt a lot thisseason, doing most of the learning the hard way.

U16 Squad: P. R. B. Boshier (Captain),M. J. Clapp, W. R. B. Dawson, R. A. Dowdall,K. M. Hazell, M. 1. H. Hurst, M. J. E. Lyne,T. J. Maber, C. W. H. Quick, M. 1. O. Robinson,M. J. D. Scott, A. 1. Waring, A. C. G. Windle.

U/6 Results: West of Englandbeat Queen's Taunton Abeat Queens's Taunton Bbeat Devizeslost to Bryanstonbeat Blundell's (plate semi-final).lost to Birchgrove (plate final)

National Sevensbeat Manchester Grammar Schoollost to Campion, Wallington.

U 15 Results: Blundell'slost to Millfieldlost to Glantaflost to Tauntonlost to Plymouth

A.M.D.

Cross-Country

The season was full of promise. We knew fromtheir performances last year that we had a Coltsteam that would take some beating, and our Seniorteam, bolstered by the presence of Piers Boshier,looked a competitive outfit. Early successesconfirmed expectations. At Downside we wonhandsomely in both age groups. New corners inthe Third Form, David Nicholas in particular,acquitted themselves very well. The Senior teamwas far stronger than we had thought it would be.

At Milton Abbey, a fixture we always lookforward to for the friendliness of the welcome andthe keenness of the racing over difficult andinteresting ground, we did well, the Seniorswinning, and the Colts losing by only one point. Itseemed that nothing could prevent our having anexceptional season.

The House Cross-Country Competition was themost sllccessful in recent years. There was anexcellent turn-out of Senior and Lower School

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runners. The general standard of competition washigh. Walking was down to a minimum, and onlythose at their last gasp up the hill resorted to it.Everyone made an honest effort. The Colts racewas a thriller, Alex Crutcher using his pace overthe last couple of hundred metres to narrowly beatJames Bailey. The 2002 race will be worthwatching: Piers Boshier will doubtless be seekingrevenge, and Charlie Piu Ford is already intraining!

And then came Foot and Mouth. All fixtureswere cancelled, including the Sherborne Trophy,the Terraces were closed, and the seasoneffectively ended. Training continued on Carey's,but it wasn't the same. Running round a grasstrack is a poor substitute for Lover's Lane, theCastle Run, or hill reps. We tried to arrange a few

competitive meetings to take place on the playingfields, but schools were understandably reluctantto travel in the face of advice to cut journeying toa minimum. We resigned ourselves to 'tickingover' and have set our sights on Lent term 2002.

The best piece of news is that Tony Harris, whoretired from teaching in July, will return to coachand manage cross-country running next Lent term,thereby completing thirty glorious years. Rumourhad it that he was about to replace Thora Hird inthe stair-lift advertising campaign. We assume thatthat commitment has given way to the more urgentbusiness of seeing Sherborne triumphantlythrough next season.

BJ.H.

Basketball

SJ.c.

45 - 1742 - 2761 - 3577 - 57

U16 Basketball

U19 Results: Played 4, Won 3, Lost I.All Stars WonWarminster WonKing's Bruton WonMarlborough Lost

With what must surely be a record for anySherborne sports team, the Ul6s enjoyed a thirdsuccessive undefeated season.

This is a very good group of players, with threeof them regularly playing for the Firsts, but whatdelighted me was not their considerable personalskills but their sense of teamwork, theircommunication, and their resilience in defence.These attributes were particularly evident in theenthralling fixture at Marlborough against anotherundefeated side. After a first half dominated bytwo players, our own Tinne and Hughes ofMarlborough, who both seemed unhindered byeither man-to-man or zone defences, Sherborne led24-14 at the break. But, at what cost? Both playersand Golden, our other main scorer, had picked upfour out of the five permissible personal fouls. Theumpiring was firm but fair and it was indicative ofthe sense of shared responsibility within this teamthat Tinne and Golden lasted the match whereasHughes did not. With our main shooters rested forperiods in the second half, it became imperativethat the rest of the team started to shoot and scoreand Tokiat-rung-rueng, Hung, and Okano won us awell-deserved victory.

As the other results suggest, none of the otherfixtures came close to the Marlborough match in

66 - 57(aet)

80 - 43

85 - 3761 - 3574 - 3342 - 4099 - 45

43 - 2445 - 42

W

W

WWWWW

WW

Huish Episcopi

U16 Results: Played 5, Won 5.Stanbridge Earls'King's BrutonHuish EpiscopiMarlboroughShaftesbury

Basketball at Sherborne is still one of the mostsuccessful sports played here and the School lostonly one match during the season. However, lastyear the season was severely cut short owing to thefoot and mouth crisis and as a result our usuallyextensive fixture list was cut to only eighteenfixtures.

It is very rare that the senior teams lose but theycame across a slightly stronger team atMarlborough this year and unfortunately wentdown 77-57. This was to be the only defeat for theSchool but there were many highlights during theseason such as the demolition of King's Brutonand the cliffhanger against Stanbridge.

Whilst the U 17s were notching up their thirdunbeaten season, the Ul5s were marking up theirfirst (of many) unbeaten seasons and the U14s,still learning the game, managed to win all four oftheir games.

The senior team next year should be one of thestrongest that we have seen, for some time andhopefully we will be able to revive some of thefixtures that were cancelled last year.

UJ4 Results: Played 2, Won 2.WarminsterStanbridge

U15 Results: Played 2, Won 2.King Arthur's

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PJ.w.

terms of excitement but they did allow us to play amore expansive game with a full-court pressdefence being employed to great effect for the firstfive minutes of each match. With the f1eet­footedness and quick reactions of the first five,opposing teams were often shocked to have theball stolen repeatedly and to find themselves witha large deficit to redress after only a few minutes.This method of defence relies on the fitness of thewhole team as they constantly rotate positionaround the court and the movement of players offthe ball was the aspect of the team's performancethat showed most progress this season. One area inwhich there is still a weakness is rebounding and itwas frustrating at times for such a talented teamnot to regain more possession. Tokiat-rung-ruenghad just started imposing himself within the key atboth ends as the season drew to a close. It is ashame that Golden has subsequently returned tothe United States as his partnership with Tinne wasdelightful to watch and often mesmerised defencesand spectators alike.

I would like to thank David Poraj-Wilczynskiand Henry Tinne for their captaincy of the teamand all of the players for their dedication andattention during our short training sessions. Thereis much more pressure for team places in the SixthForm and I hope that all of the players continuewith basketball as their Lent Term option.

Team: H. Tinne, S. Golden, D. Poraj-Wilczynski,P. Tokiat-rung-rueng, E. Okano, C-H. H. Hung,C. Quick, S. Bulsuk, G. Inomata, D. Angus,A. Kwong.

U14 Basketball

As ever, the initial show of interest was fargreater than the number of players whoconsistently arrived for practices - perhaps theloss of Friday afternoon free time was too great asacrifice!

There were always ten men to call on, though.Despite a wide range of ability, which is often thecase in the Third Form, all were keen and usuallyaggressive players who, more often than not,passed to each other and mostly in the rightdirection! Much progress was made during theterm; we remained unbeaten, even against adepleted Shaftesbury team. This match is one Ishall remember well since 1 had to time-keep andscore after the clock, scoreboard, and scoresheetsremained locked in the cupboard to which no onehad a key (apart from SlC who was with the U 19squad, playing away).

Talent spotters might like in future to keep aneye on Kolatomi Doherty: a predatory player ifever there was one who would rebound repeatedlyuntil he scored. If only we could get him tounderstand the three second rule ...

Team: 1. Homer (Captain), F. Curry, P. Collins,K. Doherty, A. Williams, S. McEvoy, H. Butt,S. Crawford, R. Howland-lackson

1.S.

Squash

This was an encouraging season. Not only wasit fairly successful, with the 1st V winning five ofits six games and the Colts V four of its fivegames, but the boys who played were enthusiasticand dedicated. It was particularly encouraging thatthere were many keen Third Formers as it bodeswell for the next few years.

The two outstanding players of the season werelustin Gulston and lames Leakey. Seeded one andtwo, they both won all their matches againstschool opposition, which is no mean achievement.Gulston hits the ball with tremendous power and isdeceptively quick around the court. He willbecome an extremely good player if he canimprove his short game. Leakey's game is thecomplete opposite of Gulston's: he has lovelytouch and possesses an excellent lob but at presentlacks power. It is reassuring to know that Gulstonstill has a year left at the School and Leakey twoyears.

Freddie Corlett was the most improved playerof the season and deserved his colours. He made aparticularly important contribution against Cliftonwhere he won the deciding match 9-7 in the fifthgame. Charlie Hoare, unfortunately, startedplaying squash regularly only after half-term andso did not progress as much as he might havedone. He does however have excellent timing anda sound technique, and will be an invaluablemember of the team next season. Finally, WillMackrell played quite well in most of his matches,but was never fit enough and struggled towards theend of the contests.

lames Harding played as first seed for the Coltsand won all but one of his matches. He is atalented player who will improve considerablyover the next two years if he can work hard onimproving his technique which is fairlyunorthodox at present. Richard Round-Turner wasthe number two seed. He is a third former and

138

unsurprisingly was overpowered in some of thegames. He does however have excellent touch anda sound tactical awareness and will improverapidly over the next couple of seasons. CrispinVollers also improved considerably over theseason which was a just reward for his enthusiasmand dedication. Seamus Crawford had not playedbefore coming to the School but by the end of the

season was giving the others in the team a closegame. Finally Nick Howe played with a bustlingcompetitive style which brought him a number ofconvincing wins.

Colours were awarded to Justin Gulston andFreddie Corlett.

KW.B.

FencingSurprise, surprise. It was another unbeaten

season for the First and Second fencing teams. Inthe Michaelmas Term we crushed Bryanston'sFirst and Second teams. A similar fate awaitedKing's Bruton, though this time the victory was aperfect 9-0 for our first team, consisting of RobWillington, the pacy and unconventional JonnyCollins, and younger member James Jenkins,whose good use of compound attacks often gavehim the advantage. The second team, captained byChris Chow, and combining the talents of RobertSymondson and James Titley also won. Theseperformances were repeated in the return matchesin the Lent Term.

There is nothing extraordinary for the clubabout the above: this is the seventh unbeatenseason for the Firsts, an impressive record.

However, there are two achievements of which weshould be especially proud this year.

Firstly, this is the first year in my memory inwhich we have been able to field a Third teamconsisting entirely of Third Formers. They werecaptained by Jason Barnes, and consisted of OwenSkinner and Jon Tremewan. This team performedadmirably, especially since they always playedagainst opposing schools' seconds, as no otherschool in the area can put up a third team. Ofspecial note was our first match against King'sBruton, in which the third team, with only a fewweeks' experience of the game, beat Bruton'ssecond team.

Secondly, this was the first year in which theclub has been able to send two fencers to thenational finals. These were Rob Willington and

139

Jonny Collins. This was a tough competItiOn,where we were in competition against the bestfencers in the country, so it was with great pridethat we both finished in the top 30, with Jonnyachieving 18th place. This is truly impressive, andhe also has one more year at school in which toimprove in this.

On a personal note, 1 was proud to be asked torepresent the South West as part of a team of threein the inter-section championships. I was able to

compete only on one of the two days, but this wasa successful day, with the South West foil teambeating all other teams except the South East.

In short, this has been yet another good year forthe Club, and I am pleased to hand over thecaptaincy to Jonny Collins. Thanks also go toFratilein Dedek once again for all her timeorganising the matches and budget of the Club.

Rob Willington

GolfThe past year has been a most enjoyable and

successful one for the School. Numbers joiningthe Society have been as good as in previousyears, with over forty members playing in theTrinity Term, the majority of them from the juniorpart of the School. The weather this year has beenvery good with very few days being cancelledbecause of the course being closed.

Once again Sherbome Golf Club has been mostaccommodating, providing us with a fine course,excellent catering, and a very friendly welcome. Imust stress again that it is vital that all members ofthe School Society observe the dress code andgolfing etiquette and maintain a good relationshipwith the Club.

In the Michaelmas Term matches were playedagainst Milton Abbey, Canford, Bristol GrammarSchool and the OSGS. Unfortunately we werenever able to field our strongest side because ofrugby commitments and injuries and so we weredefeated in all these contests. When it came to theHMC Foursomes (the team was at full strength!),two excellent victories against Cheltenham andQEH Bristol advanced us into the semi-finals ofthe SW Midlands Division to play against KingEdward's Bath in the Trinity Term. For the firsttime ever, the West of England SchoolsCompetition at Bumham and Berrow Golf Clubwas called off at the end of March because thecourse was flooded.

The Tlinity term fixtures all have to be playedin the first three weeks of term because of the early

start of examinations and the impossibility ofplaying any school matches on Saturdays. Thematches against Canford and Milton Abbey wereboth lost, King's Bruton were defeated, halvesagainst the OSGS and the Staff were cunninglypieced together! The semi-final of the HMCFoursomes was lost 21/2 - 112, but special mentionmust be made of Nick Lee and Leo Thorn whohalved with the King Edward's Bath first pair, oneof whom played off a handicap of two. The parentsonce again just pipped their sons 5 1/2 - 4 112. Theparental handicaps will have to be even toughernext year!

I must give my sincere thanks to TomWilliams for his enthusiastic captaincy anddedication to golf over the past five years, and tothe stalwarts Nick Lee and Leo Thorn. It ispleasing to note that only two members of theUpper Sixth were in the team, so next year shouldbe successful. Thanks must go to all mycolleagues who have helped with matches, drivenminibuses to Sherborne Golf Club, and allowedboys to miss their lessons.

Team from: T. C. B. Williams, N. H. A. Lee,P. A. L. Thorn, L. W. Vassay, A. C. Drew,E. M. Radcliffe, C. O. M. Mullineux,W. P. D. Yates, G. W. Ball, F. C. Berthon,1. R. G. Barber, E. J. Ward.

M.J.C.

140

FivesThis has not been an easy year because only

three courts have been operational. In spite of thisdifficulty, it has been a most successful season inmany ways.

In November the British Universities'Championships were held at the School with lastyear's captain Michael Taylor playing for DurhamUniversity. In early January Ben Wood reached thesemi-final of the West of England Open Schools'Colts Singles, losing in three games to a strongplayer from Bradfield. The Lent Term sawvictories over King's Bruton and Marlborough forthe Ist IV Blundell's should have been defeated,but too many unforced errors cost us the match.Clifton, The Pilgrims, The Old Tonbridgians andThe RFA Club were too strong for us, but topquality singles play from Ben Wood kept theSchool in touch on many occasions.

Ed Horder is a very good captain, leading byexample and showing concern for all members ofthe squad. His own play is rapidly improving,showing power and guile. More consistency is stillneeded. Ben Wood is one of the best players in hisage group in the country, as his results in TheNational Championships show. He reads the gameso well, places the ball where he wants and makesvery few unforced errors. Sam Mason has one ofthe hardest left hand shots of any schoolboy, but isinclined to rely on that power rather than bothhands. James Sykes has continued to improveshowing great determination in all aspects of thegame. Varun Singh also played for the 1st IV butshoulder problems limited his appearances. Wehope that he will be fully fit for next season.

There is great depth in the junior part of theSchool with the Third and Fourth Forms providingsome exciting prospects in David Kirk, DavidPark, and John Barber. It is very pleasing to seethat on Friday afternoons throughout the TrinityTerm The Courts have been busy with both staffand boys playing.

In April, Sherborne again went to the NationalChampionships at St. Paul's, with high hopesespecially for Ben Wood in the Colts Singles. Benprogressed easily through the group stages andeventually reached the final after hard fought,three game matches in both the quarter and semi­finals. In the final he came up against anexceptional player from St. Paul's, whose powerwas too great, and he went down 11-5,11-6 but notwithout steadfast resistance. Ben's potential isenormous and, once the Championships are held ata different venue, who knows what may happen?Ed Horder and Ben Wood lost in the plate final ofthe Senior Doubles, while John Barber defeatedDavid Kirk in the U14 plate final and then teamedup with him in the doubles final which theynarrowly lost. A most successful four days werespent in London.

Finally my thanks go to all those involved incoaching Fives at Sherborne - Paul Carling,Richard Bool, and Rick Brewer for helpingplayers of all standards to improve their skills,tactics and all round performance. Thank you to allparents who have followed us round the country inall weather conditions!

1st lV Squad: E. J. Horder, B. J. Wood,S. A. Mason, J. R. W. Sykes.Also played: V Singh

2nd IV Squad: V Singh, M. D. Barber,A. J. Brooks, G. A. N. Dudley.

Colts IV Squad from: M. D. Barber, A. J. Brooks,G. A. N. Dudley, D. N. Kirk, D. M. Park,J. R. G. Barber, J. R. Barnes.

House Senior Cup: The DigbyHouse Junior Cup: AbbeyThe Richard Green Trophy: Ben Wood, Abbeylands

M.J.C.

Sailing

RacingUnder the captaincy of Robert Gosling this

season's sailing teams had mixed success: thesenior team enjoyed victories over Bryanston,Millfield, and Clayesmore. However, the team'sarch-rivals at Canford had several lucky venturesand one clear one over us. The Sherborne 1st VIhas greater depth than Canford, but Canford hasseveral very experienced helms who race regularlyin Poole Harbour at weekends.

The Dorset Cup Senior Competition team wasunfortunately weakened owing to examinationpressures, but the team finished third. The DorsetCup Junior Competition team was more successfuland finished second. The team's performance at theB.S.D.R.A. (British Schools' Dinghy RacingAssociation) area finals in May was excellent in theopening stages and the team finished top of theirgroup. We were then beaten by Canford and endedas plate finalist - fourth of the nine teams entered.

141

The School's entry to the National Schools'Competition at Itchenor proved to be verysuccessful. Iver Ahlmann and Jamie Seymourfinished njnth out of forty three. This was a superbachievement as they were competing in an oldboat and they easily won the prize for the 'bestolder boat'. One race was sailed in a Force Eightand some new boats fell apart while the Sherborneboat kept going. After one capsize and feelingexhausted, our crew turned to see two girls planjngpast them. Perhaps it was this which gave them thedetermjnation to right the boat and continue therace.

It was good of Iver's parents from Germany tostay in Chichester to see the racing before tabnghim on to the Commemoration Ball. Iver andJamie stayed in ltchenor with Murray and Liz Fox,parents of Chris Fox (f, 83-88). Chris is a formerCaptilln of Sailing and with lan Walker he won theWorld International 14 Championships.

Much of the success of the team must beattributed to the coaching of Simon Sbnner andDavid Thomson on Sutton Bingham Reservoir.This has often been in wild, wet, and windyconditions when Simon must have wished to beback in the Music School and David must havewished he was teaching ills Yacht Masters Theoryclasses in the warm.

The teams are very grateful to them for theirhard work and fortitude.

Cruising and TrainingThe Michaelmas term 2000 was spent at Sutton

Bingham Reservoir, willch fortunately remainedfull. This was hardly surprising after the poorsummer weather and the wettest sailing camp onrecord!

We try to involve as many third formers aspossible in their first weeks in the School.

Bob Macdonald organized another splendidboys' weekend in the Solent. Dinner as usual wasat Gins Farm on the Beaulieu River. It was good tosee Angus Cater with his new boat 'St. Just'.

The Lent term is only for the determjned all­weather sailors and activities were largelyrestricted to team training, until the foot-and­mouth crisis closed the reservoir.

As the summer term approached, it seemed thesailing would really suffer because of foot-and­mouth restrictions. English China Clay did notrenew our licence to sail at Arne because we haveto travel over farmland to reach our beach.Fortunately the Sutton Bingham Club opened inmid-April because Dorset, and most of Somerset,had escaped.

We are extremely grateful to John Heppell ofRockley Boat Park for allowing us to keep six470s and the 'James Auckland' safety boat in hisenclosure for May and June. We can launch fromthere at any state of tide and the boats are safe in alocked compound at night. Tacbng out through

142

the moored boats at Rockley Point presented ourhelms with a real challenge and there were someoccasions when the masters-in-charge were gladthat no-one was aboard their boats as they becametargets for out-of-control 470s. We received helpfrom Rockley Point Sailing School and Bryanston

School while we were there. The number of boyssailing was very good with all six 470s out onmany occasions and with Sutton Bingham openor racing and training it proved to be a far moresuccessful term than expected.

The boys missed the camping at Arne and itwas not possible to hold a Sailing Club Camp.Next summer, with the pressure of GCSEs, ASLevels and A Levels affecting the boys in theirfinal three summers in the School, it remains to beseen whether Ame can return to its full use ­sailing late on Saturdays, camping overnight andfull days sailing on Sundays with cruises toStudland and Shell Bay.

The future is very encouraging. We are buyingsix new 470s and the insurers have bought us abrand new Hobie 16, on a 'new for old' basis,when the old one was destroyed by a powerboat inPoole Harbour. Could this be something to do withthe fact that one of the partners in the brokers is akeen Hobie sailor? Our next purchase will beaR.I.B. to increase our safety boat cover. This willcost about £10,000. A rigid inflatable is the idealboat for coming alongside capsized dinghies.

Two new members of staff, Andrew Millingtonand Peter Chillingworth, are both keen on sailingand now that lohn Mitchell's family is older, hehas kindly offered to help next summer at Arne.Chris Hamon continues to run the Sailing Cluband Simon Skinner the racing. David Thomson ofSutton Bingham S.c. helps on Thursdays withtraining and Andrew Yorke assists with drivingand maintenance. We are hoping to run courseswith Sutton Bingham S.c., which is a recognizedR.Y.A. teaching establishment. The future looksbright.

Andrew Yorke

Swimming

The start of the 200 I swimming season lookedto be rather problematic in terms of findingenough team members. Many of our experiencedsenior team had left school in 2000, and our juniorteam was severely reduced as many membersmoved up to swim at the senior level. This alsobrought the problem of our new senior teamhaving to swim further distances than at juniorlevel, testing both their speed and stamina.

All my worries eventually proved to beunfounded. The senior team worked hard underthe captaincy of Anton Borozdin and went on towin all but one of their fixtures. Notableperformances were contributed by TomBridegroom in backstroke and individual medley,Will Goodhew in breaststroke, Mish Islam andAnton Borozdin in freestyle and Ollie Luard and

Pix Hedderwick in butterfly. Pix narrowly missedout on breaking the senior butterfly record.

The junior team was less successful in terms ofresults, but gained much in terms of experience.With only one experienced team member, MetHeangtrakul, it was important to find newmembers from the Lower School. Three thirdformers came into the squad to fill the gaps: BenLeach, who will be a strong force within the teamfor the future, Owen Skinner, who swam butterfly,and lames Grundon, who came into the squad forthe last match.

There is much talent and commitment withinthe squad, and I look forward to the 2002 seasonunder the captaincy of lames Hood.

K.L.M.

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Cricket1st XI

'A sportsman is a man who does n?t boast;.norquit; nor make excuses when he faIls. He IS .acheerful loser, and a quiet winner. He plays falrand as well as he can. He enjoys the pleasure ofrisk. He gives his opponent the benefit of thedoubt and he values the game itself more highlythan the resuIt.'

Anonymous

'Just as businessmen get ulcers through business,so sportsmen must expect to suffer the strain oftheir work in sport.'

Ken Barrington

If the 2001 cricket season is judged by thesecriteria then it can be considered a success. It maywell have produced a few ulcers and it hascertainly created a deal of stress. I spe~ frompersonal experience. I am aware that t~e Issue ofsport at Sherborne is being discussed Widely. HereI simply raise a few questions and suggest someanswers.

The standard of cricket at the schools we playhas changed considerably over recent years ..The~ewas a time when we were the biggest school In thiSarea and automatically attracted the most talentedboys. The former is still the case (but not by asmuch); the latter is certainly not the ca~e. .

On the cricket field this season, playing agalllstKing's Taunton and Millfield was l!ke playingacrainst a Test team, whereas playing agalllstKing's Bruton was akin to playing the Junior ColtsB team.

One Colt player was chosen for the Ist XI. Heis a competitive and talented young man but hadnot produced outstanding performances 1ll thejunior school. His left arm unorthodox .sPInbowling suggested that he was an eXCltlllgprospect rather than the finished article. T~e .mosttalented cricketer of the Colts was Injuredthroughout the term. There was very little obvioustalent, as opposed to rather enthUSiasm andcommitment, for the game in the Lower SIxthyear. Hence the bulk of the XI was chosen .fromthe Upper Sixth. This particular year had enjoyedsome success on the cricket field at junior level butwere not considered a strong year.

And here I pose my first questions. Do wecategorise too early? DO,we make assumptions onindividuals and year groups before most have hadtime to develop? Do we as teachers and coaches,give up too soon on raw materiaJ? Do we onlyexpect to work with the most talented boys on thegames field? Are we living in the past? When

Sherbome was a larger school in terms of numbersand with some boys staying on for an extra termafter their Upper Sixth year and we were recruitingthe most talented boys in the area, successfulteams were inevitable. Maybe some reputations asgames coaches were enhanced. A goodcoach/teacher gets the best out of the abilityavailable. This applies as much to the classroomas the games field. Do we ~Iways

appreciate/recognise this? I have always said thatthe C team boy in the Mini-Colts who progressesto play 1st XI cricket is a success story and reflectswell on the system. Perhaps we should be satisfiedthat this is not uncommon in most major games inthe School.

The Duke of Edinburgh once said 'We takesport much too seriously and for all the wronlSreasons'. What is our objective at Sherborne? Is It

to simply produce a talented 1st XI (which, onehopes, is successful) and allow the game to. sufferin the lower reaches? Or IS It to proVide anopportunity for all to experience the benefitsassociated with team games and endeavour asindividuals towards the common goal?

'Some local education authorities actually thinkcompetitive sport is bad for children. They'd betelling us next that water doesn't suit goldfish' . Asa school I think all would agree that we stand forexcellence. But do we offer excellentopportunities for all the boys? Only tw.o boys inthe Ist XI this year claimed to have had indiVidualtuition at battin cr before this season. Cricket is agame where individual coaching is essential. ~sthe England one-day side have discovered, there ISno substitute for genuine class but there aretechniques that should be learnt at county level.These skills should more readily be transferred tothe international stage. Likewise at school basictechniques should be taught lower down theschool and cricket at senior levels should be anopportunity to hone those skills and gainexperience. . .

We lack facilities to coach or practIce dunngthe winter months. There is too great a demand onthe indoor facilities for it to be possible easily toorcranise cricket coaching sessions and those staffable to help are already committed to other sports.We lose out to other schools who run regularindoor sessions but it is difficult to quantify theeffect this has on performances in the summer. Asuggestion that an indoor cricket area could beincorporated into the refurbishment of the UpperPavilion immediately evaporated because of lackof funds.

Should we offer incentives for talented gamesplayers to choose Sherborne? But at which

144

particular sport? It is interesting to note that one ofthe very few games won by both the hockey andrugby teams was against King's Taunton. Atcricket they were in a different class from us,largely due to the performances of two players ­one who already has a contract at Somerset CCCand another who left at half term to join the MCCYoung Professionals. Conversely, we were beatenby King's Bruton at rugby (by over 30 points) andat hockey and yet they struggled to compete withus on the cricket field.

School cricket is competitive and judging bythe behaviour of some individuals at the cricketfestival (from members of the opposition teams, Imay add) some might say it is too competitive. Allschool matches at the festival were played astimed games. During the term we play matches ona limited avers basis. Arguably against muchstronger opposition, we drew two of the threegames at the festival but lost to weaker schools inthe traditional term time fixtures. This is reflectedin the results where there are fewer drawn gamesthan in the past.

Maybe we must acknowledge, 'Sport has longsince passed the stage when it was only a pastime'.

I record my sincere thanks to all those whohave helped with cricket this term. I hope that Ihave conveyed my gratitude in a personal way. Asportsman 'enjoys the pleasure of risk'. Most ofthis term was either lived in the fast lane ortottering on a knife's edge.

Results: Played 15, Won 5, Lost 7, Drawn 3.

1st XI 126 Lost by 4 wickets(L. Lewis 19)Sherborne CC 127 for 6

Ist Xl ] 52 for 6 (55 avers) Won by 10 runs(W. Fegen 41, L. Lewis 33 not out)Canford 142 (50 avers)

Ist XI 192 for 7 wickets Won by 6 wickets(G. Bramble 48, L. Lewis 24,W. Hayler 24 not out)Free Foresters 193 for 4

King's Bruton 65 (33 avers)(W. Hayler 3 for 11, C. Dupont 3 for 15)Ist XI 66 for 0 Won by 10 wickets(P. Langly-Smith 30 not out,G. Bramble 28 not out)

King's Taunton 203 for 4 (45 avers)(W. Dawson 2 for 27)]st XI 70 (30 avers) Lost by 133 runs(P. Langly-Smith 35)

1st XI 184 for 7 (55 avers) Lost by 5 wickets(W. Fegen 51 not out)PiIgri ms 186 for 5 (46 avers)(W. Fegen 3 for 28)

Clifton 245 for 3 (55 avers)Ist XI 244 for 7 Lost by 1 run(W. Fegen 56, J. McKillop 42,M. Hope 46 not out)

1st XI 68 (37 avers) Lost by 9 wicketsMillfield 70 for I (14.3 avers)

Ist XI 24 Lost by 8 wicketsTaunton 26 for 2 (6 avers)

1st XI 148 (54 avers) Won by 89 runs(C. Gammell 31)Blundell's 59 (19.3 avers)(A. Westwood 3 for 19, W. Fegen 3 for 5)

MCC 177 for 9 declaredIst XI 178 for 9 Won by 1 wicket(P. Langly-Smith 86)

Pilgrims 187 for 7 declaredIst XI 181 for 8 Match Drawn

Haileybury 260 for 5 declaredI st XI 113 Lost by 147 runs

Sherborne 204 for 7 declaredMarlborough 184 for 6 Match Drawn

Cheltenham 189 for 9 declaredSherborne 123 for 7 Match Drawn

M.D.N.

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3rd XI

It has been a pleasure to coach these boys thisyear. This team was made up of a bunch of guyswho are talented cricketers and brilliant people.

The year started off with our first team practicecut short by snow. All did not look well forcompleting our quota of games for the seasons butto my surptise we managed to play all of ourfixtures.

The first game of the season did not go our way.After a disappointing innings with the bat, onlymanaging 54, we were easily beaten by ninewickets. Our second game, however, saw the teambowl extremely well to bowl Canford out for 64.Adam Harris managed to pick up four wickets forjust nine runs. In reply we made the runs whileonly losing six wickets. In the third game of theseason the opposition batted first and scored 182before the boys managed to bowl them out. Thetask of scoring so many runs was always going tobe hard, but it was made harder by a steady loss ofwickets. Alex Drew batted well to make 31 beforebeing bowled, but unfortunately we recorded oursecond loss of the season, stumbling to 119 all out.

The final game of the season was againstClifton. For this game we could not field a fullstrength team and the result was predictable. Onthe other hand this was our most promising battingperformance, Nick Foster scored a very solid 40,making it possible for us to make 128. Al Beattiebowled very well to have only 10 hit off his sevenovers. Nick Foster took one wicket and concededonly 10 runs. Despite these bowling figures wehad to rely on part-timers to carry us home and itwas too much to ask. Clifton reached the 129needed in the final over to complete adisappointing season for the 3rd XI.

Despite the lack of success on the field, I thinkthe boys enjoyed their season and I do hope theycarry on their cricket into the future. They have allbeen a great bunch of lads, a pleasure to havecoached.

Callum Walker

4th XI

Another year and another crop of willing andable young men joined Callum Walker and me inthe nets for senior cricket. As luck would have it,the boys divided themselves quite naturally intothe Upper 6th who represented the School at 3rdXl level and the Lower 6th who happily settledinto the 4ths.

After last season's unbeaten fixture card,careful notes had been made from the outset as tothe 'likely lads' who would achieve further gloryfor the School. In the end, some 16 boys were used(with varying degrees of success) and theopposition hardly troubled such a professionaloutfit.

It would be invidious to single outperformances - so here goes! With the bat, G.Scott, B. Dudgeon, C. Pushman and 1. Hood allmade notable innings, whilst with the ball, R.Brook, A. Bartlett, R. Hoogewerf, G. Bunkall, andB. Dudgeon all chipped in wickets at crucialmoments. Fielding was crisp, catching consistent,and team spirit second to none.

Most satisfying was seeing off Millfield despitetheir need to promote a couple of West of EnglandColts players. Who says sport is on the wane atSherborne? My thanks to all the boys for theircontribution and for making coaching a majorsport such a pleasure. Also special thanks toCharlie Pushman for undertaking the thanklesstask of being captain. Roll on next year!

Results: Played 4, Won 4.G.B-E.

Colts A XI

After a gruelling Easter holidays of intenserevision in preparation for our forthcoming exams,cricket was by no means at the forefront of theteam's minds. This was evident in our first match,a home fixture against an average Marlboroughside. A lack of practice also contributed to ourbelow-par performance, particularly in ourbatting. With the loss of Tom Cracknell throughinjury and the promotion of Will Dawson to the Xlwe had lost, in Tom, one of our strike bowlers andbatsmen, and, in Will, one of our few spin bowlers.From our defeat by Marlborough it was obviousthese roles had to be filled. The next week'straining was crucial; especially as our next matchwas against Canford, the only team to whom wehad lost the previous season. Sherborne openedthe game with a fantastic display of batting,despite Henry Goldschmidt's early departure.lames Harding scored a half century and Dave P­W got forty-nine. The team therefore had a largetotal to play with. Canford couldn't match ourtotal. The game was therefore won and specialmention should be made of Andy Windle who tooka magnificent catch deep on the boundary.

Then the Bruton match. Having hadcomfortable victories over them in the past, theteam needed this to boost morale and confidence.With a strong start from Henry Lamb scoring a

146

half century, we had a strong total to defend. Theteam bowled well enough to earn anothercomfortable win.

King's Taunton followed on The Upper.Despite our injury-stricken team lookingdiminished, we went on to complete anothernecessary victory. Then we went on to confrontClayesmore First XI, who elected to bat and builta strong total. The team's morale was low. A slowstart meant the middle order had to perform. Bythe end we were a mere 16 runs short.

The might of Millfield meant that the matchagainst them was a tough game. Sherborne battedfirst. Again, after a slow start from the openers,Harry Cl ifton and David P-W put on a hundredpartnership, Harry scoring 70 not out. This gavethe team a hefty total to defend. The bowlingmade a good start but the opposition size andstrength was overwhelming. Many a delivery washoisted over the rope to the next field-28 off Meadin one over. It was a bitter defeat.

The next game was against Canford. It seemedthey wanted another go at us but their effort was tobe in vain. Sherbome's batting matched thesplendour of The Upper. Clifton was to score asuccessive half century but the late order alsocontributed to the show with Mead and Maberproving the tail could wag. The rain constantlythreatened but Sherbome managed to grab thevictory, bowling the opposition out.

To conclude, what was to be the last of theteam's three successful years as a unit stood theplayers in good stead for competitive Sixth Fonncricket. Henry Lamb captained positively andsuccessfully, scoring many runs and providing astrong base for the team. Henry Goldschmidt alsowas an admirable opening batsman and excellentfielder. James Harding, whose bowling andbatting has grown in confidence, took manywickets at vital times. Harry Clifton was strongwith the bat and contributed two half centuries.He was also renowned for his fielding in the slips.Dave P-W, although possessing an unorthodoxstyle showed the team how to run between thewickets. He also added much with the ball.Charlie Williams inspired the team with muchspirit and voice. Rich Dowdall was not only askilful wicket-keeper but was useful with the batand this was shown at Blundell's in a senior teamat the end of term when he scored a strong half­century. Ben Massey was unorthodox but veryeffective and made several useful contributions.Andy Windle, a talented batsman, had fewopportunities to shine but still provided stability inthe middle order, and was also a trusty fielder.Freddy Mead, undoubtedly a very talented pacebowler, was hampered by injury but, despite this,still put his heart into the team. He also showed

talent with the bat in the late order. Tom Maberwas not only efficient with his scoring and hisfielding. His batting was, as suspected, not amatter of grace and finesse but based on brutestrength. Other credit should go to Malcolm Scottwho featured on several occasions and NickSouthwell who appeared once, to everyone'sdelight and amusement.

Special thanks go to Mr. Bool who providedenergy and zeal to our fielding practice. He is alsowidely renowned now for his demon bowling inthe nets. We all wish to extend him our greatestthanks for a most pleasurable season.

Team: H. P. Lamb (Captain),H. M. G. Goldschmidt, J. A. L. Harding,D. R. Poraj-Wilczynski, H. D. 1. Clifton,B. Massey, R. A. Dowdall, C. F. P. Williams,A. C. G. Windle, T. J. Maber, F. J. Mead,J. Hamilton, N. W. V. Southwell, M. G. Sudlow.

Harry CliftonDavid Poraj-Wilczynski

147

Won by 2 runs

Match abandoned

Lost by 9 wickets

Won by 9 wickets

Lost by 100 runs

Lost by 9 wickets

Lost by 7 wickets

Lost by 126 runs

Lost by 3 wickets

Junior Colts B XI

MAP.

Our greatest disappointment was our defeat inthe last over against Clifton. We batted well, butdid not set ourselves high enough standards withour bowling and fielding. To be fair, Clifton tooktheir chances well, but they would be the first toadmit that these opportunities were given to themrather freely.

Some individuals need to be mentioned fortheir contribution over the course of the term.Paddy Houghton was a revelation with the bat. Hecombined natural stroke play with determinationand I am sure that he will continue to improve nextyear. Edward Radcliffe bowled tenaciously allseason; he set himself high standards and was alsoa very useful 'pinch hitter' when batting at numbersix. Alec Russell managed the Alec Stewart role ofbatting in the top four, keeping wicket, andcaptaining the team. He did all three of these well,even though he had to combine them with havinga major part in the Commemoration Play.

However, it is the team as a whole whichdeserves the credit. They learned a lot this yearand I hope that they all continue to enjoy theircricket as Colts next year.

Results: Played 8, Won 2, Lost 6.

Marlborough 194 for 5Sherborne 94 for 7

Sherborne 98 for 6Canford 99 for I

Sherborne 159 for 6King's Bruton 157 for 9

King's Taunton 224 for 3Sherborne 98

Sherborne 150Clifton 152 for 7

Sherborne 98 for 8Canford 99 for 1Sherborne 128 for 8Millfield 129 for 3

Sherborne 1 for 0

Blundell's 50Sherborne 51 for I

Viewed in terms of results alone, this wouldseem to have been a mediocre season; and yet asthe short term reached its close we were left withthe impression that this team had progressed mostencouragingly, had started to play very welltogether, and, if it had been given more time andopportunity, could have learned to test ourtoughest opposition.

Junior Colts A XI

Despite the fact that many practice sessions werelost to the weather in the early weeks of term, it ispleasing to note that every game this season exceptone was completed. However, there wereoccasions, particularly early in the term, when allassociated with the Junior Colts A would have beenglad of the April showers that often last well intoJune.

There are two ways to judge a season: the first isto look at results, the other is to monitor theprogress made by both the team and individuals.Here the results were not overly impressive but theimprovement made in all aspects of the game wasmarked in every game. Never, in my time in chargeof the Junior Colts, has a team practised so hard andas diligently and I am sure that this will bear fruitlater on.

To look at individual games would not do theteam justice, and perspective may only be attainedby recognising that, this year, Millfield wereprobably our fourth strongest opposition behindKing's Taunton, Marlborough, and Canford (whomwe played twice!). This does not mean thatMillfield were particularly weak but goes some wayto showing the strength of the opposition we nowplay against.

Our opening two games - against Marlboroughand Canford - exposed our bowling and this was tobe a recurring theme throughout the term. Too manyruns were conceded for our batsmen to have chanceand boys had to bat knowing that the run rate ~as

always increasing. Cricket can often be a one-sidedgame and it was a true test of character to recoverfrom two heavy defeats.

Everyone continued to try and performancesimproved as we started to see potential beingrealised. A nail-biting game at Bruton, where wetried our hardest to lose, eventually gave us our firstwin and showed the boys the true excitement oflimited overs cricket. We then managed to performwell against a well-drilled King's Taunton team butwere never in the chase against a high total.

After a first half of term where we played againstthree highly competitive schools our record did notlook very impressive. Despite this, lessons had beenlearnt and it was a credit to the team that they alltried their hardest to put things right.

The second half of term saw us playing muchmore competitive cricket. We lost again to Canford,this time in the Dorset Cup, but performed wellagainst Millfleld, where a battling half-centuryfrom Paddy Houghton was undoubtedly the inningsof the season. We comfortably beat Blundell's andwere able to experience the pleasures of winning aswell as those of taking part.

148

Won by 3 wickets

Lost by 8 wickets

Won by 6 wickets

Lost by 65 runs

Lost by 7 wickets

Mini-Colts A XI

R.c.F.G./P.T.S.

It is in many ways true to say that this was aperfect season. The first game of the seasonagainst Marlborough illustrated the fact that timedcricket does not work well at this level. The sidebatting second always has the option of settling fora draw at any stage. From that point on we playedlimited over cricket. The team won ten matches,but lost to Millfield, so the feeling of complacencythat an unbeaten season breeds did not develop.There were obviously some one-sided games,especially in the Dorset Cup against schools forwhom cricket is practised one lunchtime a week,but it enabled us to give some of the players downthe order some opportunity. On the other handthere were also some really close games, whichmade the team show its character. Finally the sunshone a lot and it rained at the right time (when weweren't playing).

The period before half term presented us withthree easy wins against Canford, Bruton andKing's Taunton and a Dorset Cup win over theGryphon. After half term other easy wins againstClifton, and in the Cup over Poole Grammar andSturminster Newton followed. Two excellentvictories were secured. We recovered from 42-4 tooverhaul Taunton's 141 and we defeated apreviously unbeaten Blundell's team by 7 wickets.The Dorset Cup Final against Ferndown showedus at our best. We scored at nearly nine an over topost 313-2. Archie Mackay-James hit a chanceless176 not out and put on 190 with Seamus Crawfordfor the first wicket, both certainly records at thislevel in my memory. Alex Willis and FreddieBerthon then bowled them out for 70 withMackay-James completing a fairly satisfactoryday by taking four catches and winning £15million on the Lottery.

King's Bruton 80Sherborne 81 for 4(Snudden 60*)

Sherborne I04King's Taunton 105 for 2

Clifton 138(Gabbey 4 for 20)Sherborne 139 for 7

Milton Abbey 134 for 7Sherborne 69

Sherborne 93Millfield 94 for 3

Poole Grammar School 21 for IMatch Abandoned

This was a group which took its practiceseriously and benefited accordingly. Somebatsmen who in April seemed unlikely ever toreach double figures went on to play someimportant innings and some whose inclination wasto heave indiscriminately across the line showedthat they could play straight and wait for the badball. The attack developed well and by the end ofthe season had gained considerably in consistencyand looked likely to threaten good batsmen. Thearrival from the A team of Oily Gargrave and TomGabbey in mid-season did much to strengthen theteam. If our full strength side had played againstCanford, for example, there is little doubt that aheavy defeat could have been reversed.

There were good early wins againstMarlborough and King's Bruton, the second ofthese owing much to an exhilarating innings byMatt Snudden. We were outplayed by MiltonAbbey and by a strong King's Taunton side, butagainst Clifton a splendid batting performancethroughout the order brought us a heartening win.We were soundly beaten by Millfield, but this wasnot a result which left a bad taste; we appliedourselves well after the loss of early wickets and,had we not dropped both openers in the first twoovers, the outcome could well have been verydifferent.

Catching, indeed, was not our strength - inspite of the time spent on practice. Statistics arenot usually kept for such things, but we believethat this side missed more chances (not least thosewhich found outfielders leaden-footed) than anythat we have known. We also suffered from theabsence of a confident wicket-keeper and of anaccurate spinner. As captain, Richard Perowneunderstands the game very well and has a lot oftalent, but he was perhaps rather too self-effacing.

It would be wrong for us to carp at the lesssuccessful aspects of the season. There are severalgood cricketers here who will go on to play to avery good standard both at Sherborne and beyond.We greatly enjoyed working with this team andwish them much enjoyment of the game in thefuture.

Team (from): R. H. Perowne (Captain),T. C. Blanthorne, A. 1. Brooks, G. A. N. Dudley,C. J. D. S. Emmett, G. D. T. Findlay,H. T. A. Gabbey, O. W, Gargrave, C. P. Goldman,F. H. S. Isles, J. M. Milln, S. D. O'Dwyer-Russell,A. B. Reid, M. E. Snudden, J. W. Weterings.

Results: Played 8, Won 3, Lost 4, Abandoned 1.

Sherborne 102 Won by 19 runsMarlborough 83

Sherborne 55 Lost by 6 wicketsCanford 56 for 4

149

The only defeat was at home against Millfield,in a match that we should have won. They were66-1 off 14, before a combination of great bowling(George Jerram 7-1-15-1) and tight fieldingrestricted them to 131 off their 35 overs. We werecruising at 60-1 off 14, in trouble at 65-4, back init at 115-7 and all out for 116, with four preciousovers still unused. It was a great game and onefrom which we learned much, above all about theneed to stay calm in tense games.

The statistics tell something of the season butthey fail to capture the excellent spirit in the team.In the main the team delighted in doing thingstogether and worked well as a unit. Obviouslythere was much individual talent but credit mustgo to Seamus Crawford for leading quietly but byexample, showing that success cannot occurwithout hard work. He batted with great technicalaccomplishment throughout the season scoringfive half-centuries and also bowled very quicklyon occasions, including a hat trick at Blundell's.Alex Willis was the other leading all-rounderwhose command of line and length was highlyimpressive at this level and who was capable ofsome explosive batting, saving us at Taunton.Charlie Clifton sometimes made the batting gamelook effortless and bowled with control. He coulddo even better next year. Michael Saunders,despite a slightly unorthodox technique producedsome stunning innings, including 45* in the cupsemi-final off less than seven overs. ArchieMackay-James reserved his best for the final butalways gave the innings a positive and quick start.The team was always looking for runs, and scoredat five and a half an over over the course of thewhole season. The other bowlers included FreddieBerthon who secured a team place at half-term anddid us proud, and Ned Kelly who took eighteenwickets with his leg spin, batted through theinnings against King's Taunton, and will turn intoa super cricketer if he can become more of a teamplayer. George Jerram took four wickets againstBruton with his chinamen, and turns the ball along way.

Inevitably there were going to be players whodid not get as much of a chance as others, but theattitude of Ben Trepess said much about the team- excellent in the field and always in the action.John Barber and Patrick Horsington'sopportunities were limited to Mini-Colts games,both being senior citizens, but they, in theircontrasting ways, contributed well when called on.Giles Maber will be a key bowler in years to comeif he can tighten his line and length. The fieldingwas sharp and physical development should addpace and strength to it next year.

It was a happy team, always keen to learn andwith a healthy competitive spirit. Much credit

must go to Mr. Hatch for his expertise andenthusiasm in his first year with the team and toMr. Willows for his high volume technicalknowhow and invaluable coaching. It was apleasure to see so many parents at so many games.Their sons certainly appreciated it, althoughequally certainly would not have told the parentsso. The team moves next year into the nationalsection of the Lords' Tavemers Competition and Iwill be watching its progress with interest.

Results: Played 12, Won 10, Lost I, Drawn I.

Runs for 1799 (av 40.89/rpo 5.59), Runs against1061 (av 9.911rpo 3.38).

Sherborne 147 for 5 Match Drawn(Clifton 46, Saunders 41 *)Marlborough 135 for 5(Willis 4 for 23)

Canford 74(Kelly 5 for 15)Sherborne 78 for 0 Won(Mackay-James 40*, Kelly 30*)

Sherborne 194 for 3 Won(Crawford 89*)Bruton 51(Jerram 4 for 26, Willis 3 for 3)

Sherborne 189 for 3 Won(Crawford 79, Kelly 61 *)King'sTaunton 70(Kelly 3 for 4)

Gryphon 25(Clifton 4 for 5, Kelly 3 for 0, Willis 3 for 9)Sherborne 29 for 0 Won

Sherborne 217 for 7 Won(Saunders 64, Clifton 52, Willis 27*)Clifton 80(Willis 5 for 18, Crawford 3 for 14)

Poole Grammar School 81(Crawford 4 for 9)Sherborne 85 for 3 Won

Millfield 131 for 7(Crawford 38)Sherborne 116 Lost

Taunton 141 for 5Sherborne 143 for 6 Won(Willis 40*, Kelly 33)

Sherborne 168 for 2 Won(Crawford 59*, Saunders 45, Clifton 34)Sturminster 87(Berthon 3 for 7, Willis 3 for 23)

Sherborne 313 for 2 Won(Mackay-James 176*, Crawford 75)Femdown 70(Wi 11 is 4 for 12, Berthon 3 for 9)

150

Blundell's 116(Crawford 5 for 11, Clifton 3 forI 6)Sherborne 120 for 3(Crawford 55)

G.D.R.

Mini-Colts C XI

How we wished we could have returned toMarlborough to show what we could really do! Wehad looked so promising and stylish in the netsbut, on a pitch the consistency of a bread andbutter pudding, every batsman surrendered tamely.Marlborough were not much better and only 20more runs on our total might have been enough towin. From then on, there was only one way to go- up!

Our visit to Warminster was a mirror image ofthe Marlborough match. A woefully weakWarminster side capitulated just as we had donethe week before, and our confidence was restoredfor the more testing times to come.

The match against King's, Taunton, on abeautiful afternoon, epitomised all that was bestand worst about Sherborne cricket. Tom Spellerand Jack Torrens-Spence got us off to a solid start,and after a brief but lusty innings from TomStanford, during which I feared for the safety of a

nearby greenhouse, we were treated to a display Mquality batting by David Park. His 50 was well­deserved and our total looked impressive. In littleover an hour we reduced King's to 93-9 and thenshowed the killer instinct of a mouse. Their finalpair got within just two scoring shots of our figure,and the last wicket fell by accident when onebatsman forgot that Rory Wilson was a leg-spinnerand was bowled behind his legs without offering astroke. He stranded a crestfallen number I I whohad been the butt of his colleagues' humour butwho was left wondering why having made secondhighest score, he had been let down by histormentors.

Wells Cathedral, having asked to play a timedmatch, then announced that they had to returnhome by 6.30, leaving far too little time to get afinish. Rhys Brennan was this time the starbatsman, but defensive play from the start of theirinnings ensured that Wells secured a draw whichthey didn't really deserve. Perhaps in thecircumstances we should have gambled andfielded first, contrary to my usual strictures.

Park and Brennan again batted well againstMillfield, and an unbroken partnership betweenWilson and Felix Curry, in his only innings for theside, took us to a total which we hoped wouldsuffice. This turned out to be one of Millfield's'Dr. Jekyll' sides and Eric Heath played thestarring role in dismissing them cheaply.

151

Another 50 from Park assured us of victoryagainst Taunton School, with lames Batchelor andWilson doing the business with the ball.

The final match saw us in Marlborough modeagain, and we were fortunate that only Blundell'sfifth wicket partnership looked threatening. Wehad learned from our experiences at King's,however, and kept the pressure on to round theseason off with a well-deserved victory.

Park was easily the pick of the batting, withToby Ovens's enthusiasm and Heath, Brennan,and Wilson's explosiveness lending support whenneeded. Speller, the captain, and Torrens-Spence,the reliable wicket-keeper, opened the batting, andif they did not do themselves justice numerically,they helped to see off the most fearsome elementsof our opponents' attack. Batchelor and DanielLee, our pace bowlers, both swung the ball, thedifference being that Batchelor was phlegmaticand Lee mercurial. Rupert Howland-lackson, arefugee from the B team, was stalwart. Heathcould do damage on occasions, but our classiestbowler was Wilson, whose leg breaks alwaysbamboozled. He has a flipper as well, but nogoogly, which he tells me he lost after breaking hisarm snowboarding. Criminal! Thanks also toEdward Elgood, lames Grundon and ourenthusiastic resident Spaniard, laime Borrero.This was a great side to manage, and I lookforward with interest to reading about their futureexploits.

Results: Played 7, Won 5, Lost 1, Drawn I.

Sherborne 39 Lost by 5 wicketsMarlborough 40 for 5

Warminster 22(Wilson 3 for 2, Batchelor 3 for 3)Sherborne 26 for 2 Won by 8 wickets

Sherborne 161 for 7 Won by 7 runs(Park 51, Torrens-Spence 28)King's Taunton 154(Wilson 5 for 21)

Sherborne 135 Match Drawn(Brennan 26)Wells Cathedral 40 for 5

Sherborne 186 for 7 Won by 133 runs(Park 41, Wilson 23*,Brennan 23, Curry 20*)Millfield 53(Heath 5 for 11, Howland-lackson 3 for 17)

Sherborne 142 for 4 Won by 95 runs(Park 61, Torrens-Spence 2l)Taunton 47(Wilson 3 for 3, Batchelor 3 for 6

Sherborne 99 Won by 8 runs(Heath 23)Blundell's 91(Heath 3 for 24)

lAT.

Tennis

1st VI

The season offered much, with threeexperienced members of last year's teamremaining and Steve Evans returning for one finaltime to the grass courts of Sherborne, to coach theIst VI. The staggered return of schools in the areafrom the Easter vacation posed problems, as it didlast year and in a very busy season, the matchagainst Downside had to be cancelled. Next yearthe beginnings of the Trinity terms coincide andthe fixture should provide a useful warm-up to theseason.

Motivation was high, but the Downsidecancellation meant that Millfield were the firstschool opposition for the VI. Muaculously, thefine weather held throughout the early practicesessions to allow for pairings to be finalised andtactics to be polished.

Last year's Millfield School side had provedtoo daunting an opposition, but this year, under thestrong captaincy of T. Matthews, the pairings

gelled more effectively. O. Murray and T.Matthews showed their worth as tactically-mindedand accurate fust players. A. Harris proved that, asa doubles player, he was second to none. Fineground strokes and smashes paved the way for himand P. Shaw-Brown, a new-comer to theIst VI, towin their rounds comfortably. M. Clapp and E.Posnett came into the squad in their Fifth Formyear. Though facing older, larger and moreexperienced players, they were able to stand theirground and help the side to a very comfortablefirst match win.

Aspirations for the season were high andCan ford, the next opposition, went the way ofMillfield. O. Murray and T. Matthews producedconsistent, intelligent and creative play to givefirm grounding for the rest of the team. A. Harrisand P. Shaw-Brown were promoted to secondpair where they were better suited to theiropposition and were able to gain an all-importantsecond round two set victory to make the matchsafe.

152

Results: Played 8, Won 2, Lost 4, Drawn I,Cancelled I.

The doubles strategy was paying dividends.Commanding net play appeared to be successful,but against Bryanston, playing away on astro-turfin appalling weather conditions, the psychology ofthe team was undermined. The game had run awayfrom them as the heavens opened and third roundwins could not bring back the score line to equalterms.

From here on in the season began to be morevariable. Whilst the first pairing's play continuedto be gritty and tenacious, consistency in thesecond and third pairings was harder to find. Theage difference between the third pair and theopposition also became more of a contributingfactor to the first team's lack of success, especiallyat Marlborough where all the players were UpperSixth.

In light of the physical advantage and matchplay experience gap, it was not altogetherunexpected that Marlborough performed so wellthis year. There is much about the youngShirburnian side, however, to look forward to. M.Clapp and E. Posnett have gained tremendousexperience and should be at the core of futuresides. New talent is evident. T. Wynn-Jones (c)improved his own play to become a regular 1st VIplayer in the matches towards the end of term, and.had an integral part to play in earning the side adraw against what was, as always, a strong King'sTaunton squad.

The match against the Pilgrims at Commemwas a thoroughly enjoyable end to the year. It ispleasing that so many old boys wish to return totheir tennis roots and that so many are recentgraduates of Sherborne tennis.

Many thanks, as always, go to the groundsmenfor providing an impeccable grass surface, courtsthat are envied still by most schools on thecircuit.

Thanks also must go to Steve Evans, our localtennis professional, who directed the abilities ofindividual and team play so enthusiastically. Hereturns to full-time education in October and willbe missed greatly on the tennis circuit.

DownsideMillfieldCanfordBryanstonMarlboroughCliftonKing's TauntonPilgrims

CancelledW 7'12 -1'12W 6 - 3L 4 - 5L 0 - 9L 3 - 6D 4112 -4 112L 4-5

DJ.R.

153

2nd VI

The abiding memory of this year will be theattitude of the players. Everyone desperatelywanted to play in the team and most remainedkeen to train even during the depths of exams. Thiswas a team in which it really was the taking partthat counted, not necessarily the winning. Weemployed a Manchester United style rotationalselection policy, which ensured that everyone hada go and resulted in fifteen different peopleplaying for the team. This did not make for awonderful set of results but everyone enjoyedplaying tennis and improved their game.

The season got off to a flying start with a winagainst Millfield. Although we do not play theirstrongest tennis players, a victory against Millfieldis always prized. The first pair of John Lax andHarry Stewart-Moore played particularly solidly.Our next opponents, Canford, turned up with onlytwo pairs and were quickly dispatched by oursecond and third pair. The big serving ChrisTavender and the unorthodox Will Mackrell werein outstanding form, losing only three games. Theentire match against Bryanston was played in verycold conditions and persistent rain. The playersmaintained their level of concentration remarkablywell and the game went to the last two sets.

R.G.P.

CanfordBryanstonMarlboroughCliftonKing's Taunton

Unfortunately, these were both lost and with themthe match.

Marlborough produced an outstanding team,which would have given our 1st VI a good game.A member of their second pair had the fastestserve you will ever see from a schoolboy playerand it also went in more often than not. The scoreof 0 - 9 was inevitable after the first round, despitehard battling by Harry Steel and Charlie Hurlbatt.Milton Abbey 1st VI provided much moreappropriate opposition and we should have beenbeaten comfortably. The third pair of SamLockhart-Smith and Rupert Lane managed tosecure two points. However, the fact that thesecond pair gained no points resulted in the matchbeing drawn.

It was with trepidation that we undertook thematch against Clifton, as they had beaten us 9 - 0the previous year. This year was a much more evencontest and, as with the Bryanston match, turnedon the last two sets. Unfortunately, the result wasalso the same as the Bryanston match. Our finalmatch, against King's Taunton, was another closeencounter. It was a familiar story, as the last twosets were lost, meaning that we were unable todraw the match.

It has been a most enjoyable season. All ourmatches were competitive, except for the oneagainst Marlborough. Many thanks to Steve Evansfor his informative coaching. He managed to keepthe players interested and playing plenty of tennis,as well as instructing them in some of the moreintricate tactics of doubles.

Team: F. Drew, W. Mackrell, C. Hoare, R. Lane, J.Lax, H. Steel, C. Tavender, T. Wynn-Jones,C. Cox, F. Crowther, 1. Gulston, C. Hurlbatt,S. Lockhart-Smith, C. Kober, H. Stewart-Moore.

Results: Played 7, Won 2, Lost 4, Drawn l.Millfield W 5 - 4Canford W 6 - 2Bryanston L 3112 - 5 112Marlborough L 0 - 9Milton Abbey D 4 112 - 4 112Clifton L 3 6King's Taunton L 2112 - 6 112

].J.B.W.

Junior Colts VI

Our prospects for the season were strengthenedby the appearance of several new faces at the well­supported trials at the start of term. Last year'sMini-Colts team was supplemented by threeplayers of much aptitude and potential.

The first match, away to Millfield, threatened tobe a stem test. But though it started unpromisingly,in steady rain, and on one court fewer than we hadplayers for, it ended in triumph. The boys weredelighted that the weather necessitated anadjournment to the splendid indoor courts(generously provided by the LTA), where theysecured a narrow victory over steady opponents.Injury deprived us of the services of Holdoway inthe home fixture against Canford, but our failureto get more than a draw had more to do with theloss of all three tie-break sets. Our visit toBryanston took place on one of the more wretchedafternoons of the British summer, and the teamplayed commendably in enduring the continuousrain, losing to strong opposition 3-6. Marlboroughwere stronger still, though we might have madethings closer if we had adjusted our game to theslowness of the surface. Though we managed tolose all three tie-break sets once again in the matchat home to Clifton, we squeaked a victory whichshould never have been in doubt. The resoundingwin over King's Taunton pleasantly rounded offthe season.

The first pair, Jamie Holdoway and FredrikHallgren, should develop into a very strong pair.They have excellent shots, but their temperament,in rather contrasting styles, underminedperformances. Henry May and Robert Eglingtonhave less impressive techniques, and adopt tacticswhich will get them into difficulty against a strongpair, but no coach could wish for grittiercompetitors. Robert Bain and Charlie Minter willbecome better players in the next few years, withstronger physique, and when the opposition willforce them into a quicker style of play which suitsthem. Matthew Hutt missed a lot of play becauseof injury. Reuben Aitken was being Ratty, butplayed steadily in practice and did well in thematch sets which he took part in.

Team: R. Aitken, R. Bain, R. Eglington,F. Hallgren, J. Holdoway, M. Hutt, H. May,C. Minter.

Results: Played 6, Won 3, Lost 2, Drawn I.

Millfield W 5 - 3(one set unfinished)

D 412-4 112L 3 - 6L 2-7W 5 -4W 9 -0

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has a well coached technique, but should not be sopolite about being hurried into error. NicholasHowe played with spirit, and with the right partnershould be a solid performer in the Junior Colts.Tom Fineman, Jack Little, and Tom Hillardcompeted for a place in the team, all showingdifferent measures of accuracy and aggression. Ilook forward to seeing their progress, with a fullerfixture card next season.

Team: S. Cooke, T. Fineman, J. Foster, T. Hillard,N. Howe, J. Little, R. Round-Turner, C. Wilyman.

Results: Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1.

Mini-Colts VI

The standard of play at this year's trials washigh, and those chosen looked promising. And soit proved in the first match at Millfield, wheredespite the weather, we were never in difficultyagainst rather disappointing opposition.Marlborough were much stronger, but we couldhave done rather better than the 3-6 result. Thefinal match against Clifton ended in a fairlystraightforward 7-2 win.

The team all practised steadily despite thefewness of our fixtures. Richard Round-Turnershows considerable potential, but he needs todevelop a partnership which is more consistentlyaggressive if he is to use his shots moreeffectively. Charles Wilyman was steady, butneeds to be more mobile and anticipatory. SamCooke was keen to play his shots, and will learn intime to be more selective with them. Jim Foster

Millfield

MarlboroughClifton

W 6 - 2(one set unfinished)

L 3 - 6W 7 - 2

R.G.P.

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Athletics

This has been one of our best seasons for anumber of years and many boys achievedrepresentative honours. The senior boys' team,although predominantly Lower Sixth, had anunbeaten season ... except against Millfield whoonce again, for the tenth year running, beat us inour own competition at Yeovil in the Lutra Shield.Indeed, the event has become such a foregoneconclusion that Millfield have this year provided a'runners up' trophy - very magnanimous, and Ihope that they will enjoy placing it in their trophycabinet next year! This renewed optimism comeslargely from the boys who realise that next year asthe Upper Sixth they will be stronger and fitterand, remember, they have never lost to Millfieldwithin their own age group. Additionally thepresent Ul7 team was unbeaten this season andshould make powerful allies for next year's UpperSixth. The U15 boys were a little under-poweredin terms of depth but have some real quality inTollast and Doherty. They won most of theirmatches, notably the eight schools meeting atMillfield which included beating all our topcompetition by quite a margin.

Athletics, though, is very much an individualsport and as such one cannot merely base one'ssuccess on team performances. Sherborne boysusually perform collectively with much grit anddetermination and achieve much together but wehave had fewer individual champions over recentyears. We must continue to strive for nationalchampionship honours and try to ensure that boysappreciate and fulfil their potential. With this inmind we are now training team athletes twice a

week at Yeovil and all home meetings are at theYeovil Arena. Without an enthusiastic andcommitted staff this simply wouldn't be possibleand I would very much like to pay tribute to themand in particular to AlH who has given much ofhis time and energy to the sport. We wish him wellin his retirement. Chris Verney has captained theside well and has been instrumental in motivatingthe boys to excel, as well as producing one or twoexcellent performances himself. Faces change butwe look forward to the new season and hope thatit will be our most successful ever.

Boys chosen to represent North Dorset: MickyBickford Smith, Henry Farris, lames Mi€ville,lames Sykes, Ed Horder, Chris Vemey, PiersBoshier, Tom Fox-Davies, Sam Golden, Ed Gold,Ross Angell, George Armstrong, Mat Hurst,Henry Rushton, Will More, Hugh Yates, lamesBailey, Lawrence Edlmann, Adam Reid, HugoBlott, Ashley Walford, Dom O'Connor, JamesPearson, Nick Pothecary, Gavin Thow, JohnPatterson, Alex Crutcher, Ed Harris, KolatomiDoherty.

The following boys were chosen to represent theCounty at the South West championships(including Somerset, Devon, Gloucs, Avon, Wiltsand Cornwall): Henry Farris - winner of lOOmand 200m, Hugh Yates - winner of triple jump(achieving national qualifying standard), ChrisVerney, Sam Golden, Will More, KolatomiDoherty.

S.J.C.

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Stonar Schools' One Day Event

On Saturday 22nd September my brother,George and I represented Sherborne School in theBritish Schools' One Day Event Championship.Having arranged for quite some while to go to thisevent, we were both looking forward to it.

Neither of us had too early a start. Both ourdressages were at around 11.30am. My dressagewas first. [ was riding a six-year old whom I havebrought on myself called Kiwi Lily. It was not thebest dressage test we had ever done, as she wasquite excited and managed to gallop a circleinstead of cantering it.

George, however, performed very well and gota very respectable score. He was riding Monty, aseven-year old Connemara pony whom he had justbegun to ride in the spring.

Bearing in mind we had different judges, afterdressage, George's score was 45 and mine was 41.The lower your score the better.

Between the dressage and show jumping weboth had a gap of an hour which gave us enoughtime to walk the cross-country course.

In the show jumping [ got a clear round, eventhough it was not terribly pretty. George, however,had one run out and a couple of poles down. Theeffects of not having been able to ride for threeweeks because of school were definitely showing.

In the cross-country George absolutely flewaround having brilliant fun and getting a clearround. His pony, Monty, is a cross-countryspecialist and he made up for his average showjumping performance.

My cross-country went a bit pear-shaped! Itstarted off really well but when we came to thewater jump, my horse saw the water and stoppeddead in her tracks, throwing me over her head.Luckily I just fell short of the water. Kiwi Lily isstill fairly inexperienced when it comes to water.Meanwhile the horse behind me had caught up bythe time I was back on board and so I managed toget a lead through the water. Although this personhelped me at the water she was now a completenuisance because my horse now thought it was arace and tried to catch up with her. So we werenow going at about a hundred miles per hour overthe fences and when it came to the corner fence,another incident occurred. I was going the longer,safer route but the person in front did the shorter,faster route. This meant that my horse tried to cutinside a fence that was not part of our course, butbecause she couldn't make it she scrambled overthe fence instead. This jolted me out of the saddleand on to the ground again. I did get on again but,in accordance with the strict rules, I had to retire.

As you can probably guess we both finished outof the prize money but we thoroughly enjoyedourselves and cannot wait to go back next yearwhere we will, hopefully, be in the prize money.

I'd like to say thank you to Miss Millar fororganising such a fun day and to the School forallowing us to compete in the event.

Harry Fry

157

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158

SchoolHouseThe past twelve months have been a very busy, eventful, and most of all enjoyable time for School

House. We have enjoyed sporting, academic, and cultural success in every activity in school, and beyond.Our influence in sport was notable. Robert Gosling captained the school sailing team to many an

inspired win. Anton Borozdin was appointed Captain of Swimming where, together with James Hood,he led the senior team in a great season which saw them lose only one match. Our very own Nick Cookwas appointed HOSCOR (Head of School; Captain of Rugby). He was joined by Nick Cramp (whoreceived his rugby colours), Henry Grundy-Wheeler and James Mi6ville who all represented the I st Xv.Alex Beattie also represented the House in the I st XI cricket while James Hood claimed a spot in the 1stXI soccer team. Captained by Freddie Mead, we once again won the Junior Leagues hockey, and werenarrowly defeated by The Green on penalty flicks in the final of the Senior hockey competition. Whileour house football team was packed with footballing aces such as Ed Dudley, we were again denied thetrophy through penalties. House cricket saw a memorable game against a much stronger team from TheGreen. Rhydian Hoogewerf came in on the last ball of the match to hit the winning four. We then wenton to lose to the eventual winners of the competition. The crowning moment of the house's sportingprowess came in the spectacular first place achieved by John Brooke in the Inter-house Cross-Country.

Academically, the House have once again achieved high standards and results. All the leavers of 200 Iperformed well in their A levels and as a result were accepted to the university of their choice. PalarpTokiat-rung-rueng received an internal Exhibition to the Sixth Form as a result of his excellent GCSEs.Along with this, the first set of AS examinations was impressive.

Culturally, the House has had a particularly memorable year. Under Nick Cramp's direction, theHouse play, Biloxi Blues, set standards for plays throughout the School. James Mi6ville stunnedaudiences with his charm and good looks as the lead role, Eugene M. Jerome, while Rory MacFarlaneamazed the cast with his inability to learn lines and the audience with his powerful performance as Sgt.

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Toomey. This year's House Concert was yet another entertaining event. A duet from Sherif Gad (guitar)and David Kirk (violin) along with the House Band featuring Rory MacFarlane, Nick Cramp, SimonHaydon, Kennerdeigh Scott, James Hood, and Sherif Gad made the event special once again, despite ourloss of so many talented musicians last year. In the same vein, boys in the house continue to contributeto the highly successful events put on by ROCSOC. The past year has seen Simon Haydon, KennerdeighScott, Ben Massey, Tom Edwards, Oli East, Harry Beattie, and Serif Gad all perform in these concertsincluding the Concert in The Courts.

The past twelve months has also seen two members of the House, Rory MacFarlane and Henry Farris,help to found the school debating forum, T.O.S.S. (The Old School Society). This responsibility was thenpassed on to our own 'Janitor' John Brooke and our own 'Singing Peach' Tom Edwards. James Hoodwas also awarded an Army Scholarship for the Sixth Form and university, while Oliver East passed theRegular Commissions Board and as a result has a guaranteed place at Sandhurst.

Along with all these achievements, the House has seen a large re-shuffle in personnel. Our dearest Patleft us after fifteen loyal years in the House hygiene/engineering team. The tall Paul Ryan left the Houseto teach at the Reading Oratory and has been replaced as head tutor by Ms Sue Melvin. Big DaveEdwards has stepped in and out as resident tutor and we are now delighted to have the cheery presenceof Rupert, and of course his owner, Mr. Padley, as the current resident tutor. We have also acquired a newmatron in Mrs. Jenny Mason, who always seems to have a smile on her face.

In a house with two sets of three brothers, the Popes and the Goslings, and three non-relatedWilliamses there is never a dull moment. Many thanks to all the house, Henry Grundy-Wheeler, AlBeattie, and of course Mr. and Mrs. Watts for making last year such a memorable one for all involved.

James Hood

160

Abbey House2000-2001 was, for Abbey House, a resounding success, with individual achievements combining

with an extremely eventful year for the House in general. There were new arrivals in the varied shapesof a new Third Form, in addition to Sophie Murphy-O'Connor's entrance into the world and aconsequently slightly grumpier housemaster adjusting to sleepless nights! The atmosphere was relaxed,yet determined, as three year groups faced the onslaught of public exams, with the new AS coursewreaking particular havoc with the Lower Sixth, as they tried to recover from celebrating generally goodGCSE results, and getting down to work. The Upper Sixth set a good overall tone for the House withtheir approachability being particularly appreciated by the younger boys and something for future sixthformers to live up to.

It was a strong year for sport generally in the house. Although in some inter-house competitions wewere outnumbered in terms of school team representation, we made up for it with determination and asurprising amount of concealed talent. The Inter-House Football Competition was a good example ofthis, as, despite having few committed footballers, we won the bronze, shocking several teams perhapsover-confident of their chances. Strong performances and enthusiasm were also abundant in rugby, fives,tennis, and squash competitions. We won the squash convincingly, led by lustin Gulston, repeating hissuccesses in the last two tournaments.

Away from sport, Abbey flourished once again, with consistently high numbers in the Choir andOrchestra, as well as RocSoc. The remarkable amount of musical talent was revealed at the HouseConcert at the end of the year. It was a truly memorable event with performances worthy of a schoolconcert, delighting boys and parents with its fusion of classical and modem music. Special mentionshould be made of Ken Shiozowa and Jason Bames, who gave completely different but equallymemorable performances.

The high point of the year for Abbey, however, was the House's production of Amadeus. The decisionto take on such a demanding and challenging play was not taken lightly, but there can be no doubt thatthe gamble paid off. David Hedison put together a fine spectacle, managing to extract every ounce oftalent out of all involved. Freddie Lewis was remarkable in the title role, displaying the arrogance, geniusand vulnerability of his character with-the flair and intelligence that we have come to expect from thisfine young actor. Toby Nutley followed up his success in The Illusion with a performance whichbeautifully maintained the flow of the play. Barely leaving the stage once during his whole performance,he surpassed any expectations we could have possibly had, and brought Salieri to life in the PowellTheatre.

The second half of the school year brought us a Head of School in the form of Chris Verney, whopassed on his position as Head of House to Rupert Lane. In turn, both were hugely successful Heads ofHouse, supported well by the prefects and Upper Sixth, making decisions with consideration, and actingas a good link between housemaster and boys. Chris captained the athletics team and was in the 1st XV,while Rupert was in the 1st XI for cricket and hockey; they were both founts of enthusiasm that thewhole house soon felt, creating perhaps the best house spirit in recent years.

There are too many individual achievements of Abbey House boys to put into writing here, but mutualpride was taken by all as we ended the year in high spirits, leaving with anticipation of what the nextyear may hold.

Dougal Gordon

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The GreenHaving said goodbye to the first Upper Sixth of the New Green, we looked forward to a year without

'Rebel Army Warnings'. The year went very quickly and was exceptionally successful for the boys ofThe Green. Benjie Dudgeon directed the Sixth Form play, The Writing Game, which was very wellreceived. Charlie Cox performed in both this play and the school play, Dealer's Choice, in which he wasthe star of the show. Charlie then went on for an audition at RADA, where, despite his youth, he reachedthe final 150. Congratulations to him.

Our cultural life didn't stop here. The House Concert was seen by all as a success, with a delightfulperformance of Three Little Maids and Matty White's (aptly named?) Armadillo Invasion.

For the third year in a row the boys competed fiercely for the honour of wooden spoon in the HouseSinging Competition. We performed You've Lost That Loving Feeling, and a glamorous Eddie Tuckettjoined us on stage to get the pulses of the audience racing. The boys were thoroughly delighted todiscover that we had won a hat trick of wooden spoons, although our thanks must go to Abbeylands forgiving us such a close run contest.

The year was extremely successful for The Green on the games field. Despite having had five boysrepresent the XV, injuries made us underdogs in the Senior Rugby Competition. However, in awfulconditions, the ten boys (including George 'The Pitbull' Dalton) managed to pull out all the stops,beating Lyon 8-5 in an epic final, thanks to the late try from Linley Lewis and the 'Golden Boot'. TheGreen also won other competitions: the Junior Rugby, Senior Hockey (with Tim W-J the goal savinghero), Senior and Junior Cross-Country, Intermediate Athletics, Senior Golf, Senior and Junior Tennisand of course the globally recognised 'Best Designed Spaceship Award'. Although it appears that wewere the most successful sporting House this year (in fact we were), the boys were dejected not to havewon the House Fives Competition!

Congratulations are also due to Harry ter Haar who was Captain of Football.Once again soccer in 'The Gash' was of the highest quality, with James Nicholls being proud that he

had done so many terrible toe-punts during the season that his toenail did in fact fall off.Thanks must of course go to Pete Langly-Smith and Tom Procter, the two Heads of House. I think

everyone will miss this year's Upper Sixth and our departing House tutors Mr. Bool, Dr. Boulton, andMr. Price, who served the House with great enthusiasm. We all hope that next year will be as successfuland enjoyable.

Charlie Pushman and Patrick Shaw-Brown

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Harper House

Impressively unimpressive, owing to certain circumstances (the weather and the referees) not underour control, we were prevented from seemingly inevitable success in major cup competitions. Howeverwith the ceaseless efforts of the School's favourite furry animal (Ed Worthington) the morale of theHouse was kept exceedingly high.

Proof of this was the most horrific cross-dressing (apart from the fabled G.c.A. exploits) episode thishouse has ever had the misfortune to see. This was made legal only on the pretext of The House SingingCompetition, in which we came third!

The individual sporting talents of the House were displayed throughout the year in many differentforms. In rugby the House managed to get five players (Max Vere-Hodge, Henry Mitchell, Oli Luard,Charlie Gammell and Joss Simson) into the Ist Xv. Of these Max Vere-Hodge displayed such talent thathe captained the Dorset U 19 rugby team, which also featured Oli Luard. In hockey, we dominated theIst team with six out of eleven from Harper, including Henry Mitchell captaining the side, and four outof the six getting their colours. However, in the House competition we were eliminated after penaltyflicks. We were well-represented in the school cricket XI, with Charlie Gammell captaining Sherborne.Harpoons could also be seen in school teams sports such as football, fencing, tennis, swimming andsailing. All in all, we were ashamed that even though we were such a sporty house we couldn't get ourhands on any silverware.

Harper House didn't excel itself just in sport. With the new AS levels we now had three year groupsout of five taking exams in the summer and we produced results that we are proud of. Duncan Angus,Laurie Truluck and Alex Kwong produced a fair few A*s on their GSCE results certificates. Two of theLower Sixth gathered 4 A grades. However the best results came from The Upper Sixth, with ChristopherKober and Charlie Gammell going to Oxbridge and great results from Henry Mitchell, Matt Hope, andEd Worthington (who came back after getting his results to apply to more demanding universities).

This year we also produced Three Short Plays for the Coarse Actor in which most of the house couldbe seen on stage. Many have remarked the comical feast that had all the Powell Theatre laughing on allthe nights. The production featured many actors who will in time replace the fine actors leaving at theend of this year, including Adam Harris and Henry Mitchell who starred in the school play, Dealer sChoice, and Tom Walsh in the Sixth Form play, The Writing Game.

The House had an excellent year, and was more than ably led by Joss Simson and the house prefects.The Upper Sixth will be a hard year to follow. But that is what Harper will have to do, with Charlie Brockleading us into the next year.

Charlie Roberts.

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AbbeylandsIf the community of the House were described in terms of ecology it would be as follows: the

population (House members) is made up of all different species (year groups) of organisms that live (andwork) in the same place at the same time and interact with each other. Communities may remain fairlystable, or they may be in the process of change. The latter can be seen in the House's present state ofmetamorphosis. Like the caterpillar in its cocoon, the ecological unit (the building) is taking its new formby means of systematic renewal (a slow process involving planning, builders and much noise at earlyhours). Once finished, however, the community can really show its true colours.

As in any community, our inhabitants are interdependent and complex interactions (we were winnersof the Inter-House Quiz competition) are often achieved. Although a close-knit dependence can bemaintained, this does not in any way quash the variety and individuality of species such as, for example,the Canadian pond weed. (lames Kierstead gained a place at Chorpus Christi, Oxford to read Classics.)The advantages of variation within an ecosystem are numerous. One such advantage is that it is in turnable to support a greater niche. (The Upper Sixth A-level results were particularly impressive). What isperhaps so remarkable about this particular ecosystem is that such variety through all species is retainedwithin an entirely inclusive community.

The food web of the community requires firm links between various trophic levels and in thisparticular case, team work has proved to be very successful. (We won the Inter-House U16 Rugby, Juniorand Senior Athletics, Swimming, and Relays!). There are however many trophic levels to any advancedecosystem and in order to function to its full potential, the system must receive input at every level. (Twoboys played in the national championships in Fives.) Other trophic levels also play an important role inmaintaining a variant culture. (The House Concert was a display of the House's most talented musiciansand in addition raised over £400 for charity.)

Competition between communities is essential and this can take many forms. For example,sparrowhawks establish territory through hideous noise signals. (We didn't come last in the Inter-HouseSinging Competition this year.) Communication is another essential process of ecological development.This can often be very advanced, so much so that it occasionally cannot be utilised. (Naresh Verlanderand James Bulley created the house web site, but it has yet to be integrated into the school network.)

Finally, scientists often decide to investigate particular characteristics of community interaction,deploying various sampling techniques. (The House underwent its annual check by the Social Services.)There are certain disadvantages in these sampling techniques in that they are not entirely representative.Nevertheless, this particular community provided sufficient data to prove that there was a positivecorrelation between energy input and output. (A lot goes into the running of the house and a lot comesout of it.) Scientists are able to draw firm conclusions from data collected. (They left satisfied anddescribed it as a very happy place.) As with all surveys of communities (particularly the more advanced),certain organisms escape discovery but continue to play an active part in their community.

Henry Rushton

164

WallaceThe last year has been an eventful one for the small community in Wallace. We have had the House

Play, won the House Singing Competition, and put on another exceptional House Concert and stillmanaged to squeeze out some remarkable examination results from the School's finest pupils.

After the regulation mourning period for last years' Upper Sixth, the House Play was the talk of thetown, as Andrew Morley-Srruth went out on a limb in directing our production of The Real InspectorHound on his own. Luke Vassay, Giles Male, Rich Ward, Joff Dickens, and Ali Brooks all gave superbperformances and confused and amused a full house on each night in one of the best plays put on by theSchool this year.

After the stunning reviews of the play, Wallace took on the rest of the School in showing off ourmusical talent in the House Singing Competition and won, even though we are by far the smallest house(and did only two days' practice) Giles Male led us to victory with a colourful rendition of The Cross­Dressing Lumberjack Song (no questions asked, Giles). The large silver trophy stands proudly on a shelfin Mr. Haigh's study. Now all we need is a trophy cabinet.

And the House's sporting achievements must not be overlooked: Wallace has contributed exceptionalplayers to school teams across the School. Tom Stanford played in the Mini-Colts B rugby, and Ed Wardand Oliver Hanbnson-Parr played Junior Colts A rugby while our head of House, James Board, evenplayed for the First XV at one point.

Cricket in the House has also thrived, with countless games of bargeyard cricket helping Piers Fosterand Ed Ward get into the Junior Colts A team. Varun Singh also played Second XI cricket and we havegreat hopes that he will represent us next summer in the First XI.

Hockey is played at house level and in School teams but the House tends to opt for things likefootball, swimming, shooting, Cross Country, fives, and squash. This goes to show the great number ofour sportsmen all doing different sports.

There have, of course, been countless members of the house in B teams across the board, but the listis just too long. The beloved patch has also seen many moments of sporting excellence but then not inany official school team and so overlooked in this report.

The cold harsh winter which brings with it the hockey season was a time of quiet within Wallace. TheFifth and Sixth Forms studied laboriously while the new Third Form (who have proven to be our mostexciting and colourful for many years) kept the atmosphere light in House with their constant scraps andhigh pitched giggling.

We had another splendid House Concert, with notable performances from third formers HughWorskett, Tristan De Souza, Alex Morley-Smith, and Hajime Perry, with some of the older moreexperienced house musicians such as Ali Hardie and Richard Perowne. And Mr. Haigh even joined inthe House ensemble by playing the piano.

The public exam results for the House were also good: Nick Foster and Bobby Dickens should besingled out for mention for their A level results, and Rich Ward, Adam Woolston and Ali Hardie all didexceeding well at GCSE.

On the whole the House had a quiet year but also a successful one and as the School adjusts itself tonew exam procedures and a new Headmaster. I have no doubt that this next year will be even moreproductive and fruitful for Wallace.

Stuart Kennon et al

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Lyon HouseWith the success of the previous year, Lyon House had much to prove and they did this admirably.

The Lyon family is close-knit. This provides a spirit which perpetually allows the House to performbeyond expectations in sport, plays, music, and in academic pursuits. The year started with a trophycabinet any House would have been jealous of. The Michaelmas Term yielded no trophies. However, asthe year progressed the contents of our cabinet grew. The defences of our titles in both sailing andshooting were successful. The U 16 hockey players reached the final of that competition where they faceda side containing eight members of the As. Against the odds, they were victorious and another trophywas retained. A number of keen football players who normally get an opportunity to express their talentonly in the Sports Hall, used the House football competition to show their true colours. We reached thefinal. It was goalless and penalties were taken to decide the winners. It went down to the last penalty and,in a nail-biting finale, we were once again victorious.

The cancellation of Ten Tors meant that Lyon's record of continuous participation since 1980 hasunfortunately been broken. Let's hope we can compete next year and maintain the tradition of beatingthe c.c.F. team!

We entered the House Singing Competition with very high hopes. We had not only chosen acontagious song Build Me Up Buttercup which the whole School was now constantly singing but Mrs.Francis has also carefully choreographed the piece - how could we lose? We were disappointed not towin, but devastated not even to come in the top three, especially after Mr. Padley had been socomplimentary. Cheers, Mr. Ryan!

The biennial Red Nose Day saw us on Carey's for the 'Space Ship Race'. We had a title to defendonce again, but bedlam on the start line meant we were last out of the starting blocks and, despite rapidlymaking up territory, we were narrowly defeated.

The House concert showed off Lyon's musical talent, the pinnacle of which must have been MattBalfour's solo vocals, closely followed by Rob Jordan on the tenor horn. Warmth radiated until, at theclose, the atmosphere was an inferno!

There was no House Play this year, but Lyon were respectably represented in school productions.There is obviously talent and we look forward to the House Play next year.

Thanks must go to George Bramble and Angus MacDonald for running the House with panache andwe are sad to see the rest of The Upper Sixth leave. Thank you also to Mr. Francis who gives Lyon itsindividuality and is behind all the aforementioned successes of the House.

Ed Westropp

166

The DigbyAs we emerge from our bunkers and don our protective suits, The Digby looks back on a terrible year

for Mr. Morgan. It was annus horribilis, the Year of Second Places: second in both age groups in CrossCountry, second in Athletics, second in Junior Shooting and second in Swimming and - dare I say it,even whispering? - second in the House Singing Competition, despite the now usual excellence of ourown House Concert. There were some who escaped the general fallout. Alex Crutcher ran to glory in theJunior Cross Country. The Senior Cricket Cup, if ~ little radioactive, is still ours, and sitting alongsidethis relic is the Senior Tennis Cup and Senior Fives Cup. Jamie Thomas and James Fowle had run off toHollywood to star in Dealer's Choice, the school play, after rising to fame in The Digby play (ELtonJohn's Glasses) last year (and it has been reported by our spies that they received Oscars for theirperformance). Unfortunately we also lost some of our other members. Having been mutated by theradiation, there was truly no prospect of saving them but their final appearance at least deserves amention. The boys, last seen as woodland creatures starring in The Wind in the WiLLows, are, (or were),Thomas Patterson, Alex Webb, Matthew Hutt, Jonathan Homer, Owen Skinner, Hugo Blott, TheoCrutcher, Edward Baker and Simon Dawson. More optimistically, tills definitely shows there may bemuch to look forward to in future school and house productions of Animal Farm and Watership Down.

Inside our bunkers the absence of electricity has led to an unprecedented phenomenon: work. TheFifth Form worked their way to success in GCSE. Charles Pitt Ford attained 9A*'s and I A, and bothSebastian Fox and James Pearson achieved 8A*s and 2As. The (apparently) much disputed AS levelswent ahead with similar accomplishments to those gained in GCSE: Patrick Le Flufy, David Hitchingsand Nick Pothecary all gained straight As. The departing Upper Sixth all secured the grades needed totake them on to the next chosen stage of their education. We wish them well.

Richard Coates

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