Vol. CXXVIII No. 13 January 24, 2015 HARROW SCHOOL

THE HARROVIAN
Vol. CXXVIII No. 13
HARROW SCHOOL ORCHESTRA
Tour to Hong Kong,
Macau and Guangzhou, 12-18 December 2014
After many months of planning and preparation by DRW and
DNB, a group of Harrovians assembled at the end of Term
at the Cathay Pacific check-in desks at Heathrow. There was
certainly an air of excitement as all boys present had also been
working hard to prepare the music to be performed on what
promised to be an extremely exciting tour. While the group was
waiting, there were many other Harrovians gathering there as
well, since the 11.25 plane we were catching (as it turns out)
is extremely popular with Harrovians who are trying to get
back home to Hong Kong.
The journey through the airport was relatively uneventful and
there was the customary browse through duty free and, before
we knew it, we were on the plane getting ready for the ten hour
flight that lay ahead of us to Hong Kong International Airport.
For many of the UK boys, the length of the flight was not a
familiar experience and so sleep was limited for a significant
number of these boys.
Once we had touched down and made our way through
immigration and baggage reclaim, our group split as the Hong
Kong boys made their way to their own homes, and would join
us later the next day for lunch at the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Those of us for whom Hong Kong wasn’t home would stay at
the Island Shangri-la hotel in the centre of Hong Kong Island.
However, before we could go to the Hotel DNW was kind
enough to take us on a short sight-seeing tour around some
of the best tourist spots in Hong Kong. The highlight of this
was certainly the journey on the Peak tram to the top of the
Peak (Hong Kong’s highest point) and the view from the top
was absolutely stunning. While on the Peak, we also had the
opportunity to go and visit the parents of one boy in the tour
who has a house on top of the Peak. From here we were able to
relax in front of the view and enjoy the hospitality of our hosts.
After this brief detour, our hosts treated us to lunch at a
Western restaurant on the Peak. Although the food was very
pleasant, no one seemed to be in much of a state to eat since
many of us were still unsure of the date, let alone the time of
day, and as a result were feeling rather sensitive.
After the sightseeing was over for the day, we headed to the
hotel to check in and freshen up. It has to be said that all of us
felt extremely spoilt in such opulent surroundings and all of us
made full use of the hotel’s extensive facilities. After settling
into our rooms there was a casual dinner at Pizza Express where
Chris Hedges, Druries, decided to try the Peking Duck pizza,
which was certainly a novelty for the group.
January 24, 2015
On the first morning after a short walk through Hong Kong
Park, the UK boys went to join up with some of the HK boys
for a meal at the jockey club in the grounds of the Hong Kong
Racecourse. It was a a wonderful meal in a very special area,
and this made for a great prologue to the rest of the day’s
events: our first performance.
The group soon found themselves on a coach headed for the
Academy of the Performing Arts for an afternoon of rehearsals
to prepare for the concert in the evening. Rehearsals were long
and tiring but it was a pleasure to perform in such a delightful
venue. We were also given the opportunity of performing with
a very accomplished blind pianist performing a Mozart piano
concerto accompanied by Harrow’s orchestra. Aristo Sham,
Moretons, played a Bach Piano Concerto and DNB played the
Vasks Violin Concerto in what turned out to be the Hong Kong
premiere of this piece. As well as the solo performances, the
orchestra also played some pieces of its own, namely the Elgar
Seranade for Strings.
As well as being a wonderful event in its own right, all of
the people present at the concert were doing there bit to raise
money for a very special charity called the Caring for Children
foundation which helps to care for disadvantaged children in
Hong Kong. It was very touching to see the generosity of both
members of the audience and the many people who had put
aside time to come and support this effort in many different
ways whether it was in organising the event or people giving
what they could to try and raise funds.
After the concert, the whole tour party now reunited went to
have dinner at The Pawn in Wanchai. This was a very fitting
end to what had been an unforgettable performance and sadly
it marked the end of the group’s first stint in Hong Kong until
we returned at the end of the Tour.
On Monday morning, we were headed for Shun Tak ferry
terminal in order to take transfer to Macau across the water. The
journey was fairly short and the sea was calm so the journey was
very pleasant and there were no delays at immigration which
is always a welcome relief on a tour involving a significant
amount of internal travel.
On arriving at the ferry terminal in Macau we were welcomed
by our host Dr Patricia Thompson who made us feel welcome
from the start. We headed to the University of Macau where
Dr Thompson and her husband both lecture. During the coach
journey, we were able to admire the grand casinos that dominate
the skyline in Macau. Most notable of these was a brand new
casino called the Lotus, which is a very large golden building
in the shape of a lotus leaf. Macau welcomes many residents
of Hong Kong as many of them come to gamble in Macau as
they are not able to enjoy this pass time in Hong Kong as a
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result of laws that prohibit all gambling, with the exception
of the racecourse.
Once we had arrived at the University, we reassembled outside
to head over to the canteen to give a lunchtime concert to staff
and students of the university. There was no time for rehearsal
but, unflustered, we took our places and after listening to a
thought-provoking speech by one student on the meaning of
music we were able to perform.
The concert consisted of Sham performing on the piano,
the orchestra playing Edward Elgar’s serenade for strings and
Tom Moy, The Grove, and Christopher Willoughby, Elmfield,
performing a selection of English song. The concert received a
warm reception and it was a pleasure for the group to perform
in a slightly less formal venue than some of the other concerts
on the itinerary. Immediately following this concert our hosts
took us to a restaurant on the campus for our first experience
of Macanese food which consists of primarily Chinese cuisine
with a heavy Portuguese influence from the days when Macau
was a Portuguese colony.
The next event for the the group was the same evening as
we were performing in Macau’s Military Club to raise funds
to build a school for disadvantaged children in Macau. With
the concert that evening being another high profile event, the
tour group launched straight into rehearsals on arrival at the
Military Club. The concert featured Sham playing again the
Bach piano concerto. On top of this was a performance of
Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, Handel’s Concerto Grosso and a
selection of English songs and Christmas Carols from Moyand
Willoughby. Among the audience were the great and the good of
Macau, who had turned out to support this worthy cause that we
were hoping to raise money for. The CEO of the Crowne Plaza
hotel chain was working alongside the construction company
of our other host in Macau Mr Cheong to raise money and
build this school. It was extremely gratifying for all involved
to know that everyone present was committed to helping these
disadvantaged children.
The concert was well received once again and directly
afterwards we were treated to a Gala dinner. This involved the
boys being split up between the tables around the room and it
was clear that the boys from the UK were very grateful of the
linguistic skills of their colleagues. The whole event seemed to
have been a success and it was wonderful to hear the interest
that the guests had in Harrow School and in particular the music
that we perform. The boys also enjoyed hearing more about
the Macanese culture and the work that some of these people
were doing in Macau and around the world.
The next day was a welcome break in what had been up
till then a very busy few days. The day was devoted entirely
to sightseeing in Macau. It was amazing to experience the
opulence of some of the casinos in the area and really made
the group realise just how influential and powerful the casinos
in Macau really are. In particular many boys were impressed
by the fantastic works of art displayed in the lobbies of some
of the hotels inside the casinos. At the MGM casino there was
an original staue by Salvador Dalí followed by a cylindrical
aquarium in the main hall. However it has to be said that in
terms of sheer unapologetic ostentatious design, nothing came
close to the Venetian. As the name suggests it was modelled
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on the idea of Venice and once you are inside you can venture
into the huge shopping mall within complete with Canals and
singing Gondoliers.
After what had been a truly memorable stay in Macau many
of the boys were sad to leave but what lay in store did provide
some consolation as the group’s next port of call was Guangzhou
in mainland China. The four hour coach journey at this point
in the tour was certainly a challenge for everyone but once
we arrived in Guangzhou we were able to relax in our rooms
at the hotel. For this leg of the tour the group was fortunate
enough to be at the Ritz Carlton. After enjoying the buffet
lunch, the group took to the road once more as we travelled
to a Charity Mission in the countryside around Guangzhou to
perform an informal concert for the children and staff there.
This was by far the most fulfilling event of the tour for the
group as after the concert the tour party joined forces with the
children receiving care at this orphanage to create a collage to
remind them of the day.
The orphanage we visited deals with providing the best
possible care for children who were orphaned by their families
as a result of mental and physical difficulties they have had
since birth. Despite the extraordinary work done by the staff
there they do not have the funding that they require to operate
at their best without support from the public on top of the
funds that they receive from the Chinese government. It was a
very difficult experience for the tour party as it is not an issue
that many had ever had to deal with before, but despite this
the boys did all they could to make the children feel special
throughout our visit.
The next day the group were treated to some sight-seeing
around Gunagzhou soaking up the culture and in particular
the extraordinary ivory carvings in a temple that we went to
visit. The visit to a local park in the morning provided some
of the best entertainment in the tour as the revolution that is
‘feather ball’ was introduced to Harrovians for the first time.
Never one to turn down an opportunity, Tarquin Strickland,
West Acre, accepted an invitation to join in a game with some
Guangzhou locals and soon after DNW followed suit and
presented a marvellous performance showing his enthusiasm
for football was not wasted on this new and unfamiliar sport.
Eager not to be left out, the rest of the group joined in with
other games like this one as we walked around the park and it
was a very pleasant morning for everyone.
After a morning of fun, games and culture, the group focused
on music once more as we arrived at the Xinhai Concert Hall
which was the venue for that night’s concert. Once again
everyone was working hard in rehearsals and there was a
renewed sense of vigour after the previous day’s visit to the
orphanage as the purpose of this concert was to raise money
for that very orphanage.
The concert itself was a fitting conclusion to the music of
the tour with DNW seemingly pleased with the performance
made by the boys and guest soloists. Once again Sham took to
the piano, and later accompanied and a blind Viola player in
a solo piece. DNB was also once again performing the Vasks
Violin Concerto and the orchestra played the Elgar Serenade
for Strings and the Handel Concerto Grosso.
The concert was once again very well received and the boys
had a wonderful time in such a wonderful venue. There was
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also the added novelty of all the performers in the concert
having a compulsory hair styling from the hair dresser that had
been hired for the event. After the concert the tour party went
for a celebratory Gala dinner at a French restaurant called La
Seine where we were treated to a delicious dinner and there
was an atmosphere of satisfaction from a good performance
in all their concerts.
The next day returned to Hong Kong by coach. That evening
after checking back into the Island Shangri-la, the group headed
to the Hong Kong country club for a barbecue meal. This was
the last supper of the tour and after dinner a number of members
of the tour party decided to sing Christmas carols around the
piano, unable to go more than a day without music.
The final day of the tour was devoted entirely to exploring
Ocean Park which is a mix between theme park and water
park which takes over two islands next to Hong Kong. This
was a fantastic way for the group to unwind after a tiring but
fulfilling tour and boy and beak alike joined in with the spirit
of things trying out all the rides and attractions.
This was a truly wonderful tour and it would not have been
possible without the support of a number of very special people.
Firstly, DNW had worked tirelessly to organise this tour and to
rehearse the music and it was thanks to his perseverance that
the tour was so wonderful in the end. DNB was also an integral
part of this tour in rehearsing the string orchestra, performing
so wonderfully in the Vasks violin concerto and chaperoning
a group of Harrovians for the duration of the tour. ARM was
also present on the tour as the Head Master’s representative
and represented the school in all our activities. Mrs Wong and
Mrs Wan must also be thanked for their hospitality in Hong
Kong, Dr Kit Thompson, Dr Patricia Thompson and Mr and
Mrs Cheong for their hospitality in Macau and finally Mr and
Mrs Lee for their support in Guangzhou. Finally the boys
must receive their share of thanks for their commitment to the
music of the tour but nevertheless I am sure that they will all
join me in expressing our abounding thanks to those names
mentioned above.
ART LECTURE SERIES
“What makes a seminal work of art?”
by LWH, 13 January
On Wednesday evening the School’s art enthusiasts met for
the first of a series of lectures exploring the History of Art.
LWH, inspired by ADT’s Cross Curricular Lecture series of
the Winter Term, initiated this new series of talks focusing
on Art History and its significance. For the first instalment
he asked “What makes a seminal work of art?” and presented
four artworks from a range of times and styles, to discern what
gives a work “aesthetic echo”.
The first piece was Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly
Delights which LWH first saw age twelve and has been fascinated
by it ever since. The piece is an ambitious triptych of Biblical
content showing a timeline of events from the creation of Adam
and Eve to the central panel showing worldly temptations, to
the final frame depicting the last judgement. It is this panel that
is perhaps the most striking with its depiction of hell. LWH
stated that whilst not much is known of Bosch’s life we are
aware that he was witness to a catastrophic fire that devastated
much of the town he lived in and it is likely that this served
as inspiration for his imagining of hell. The central panel is
captivating due to the bizarre array of activities taking place.
Human figures perch on plants and fountains in a strange world
of pinks and blues and greens. LWH stated that this section
depicts the ridiculousness of our species and contains ideas of
original sin and human folly. The work shows imagination and
could be seen as an inspiration for many surrealist artists from
René Magritte to Terry Gillingham.
January 24, 2015
LWH’s second piece was Théodore Géricault’s Raft of the
Medusa an “icon of French romanticism”. Géricault was an
accomplished painter of history with a taste for the macabre
as demonstrated through his paintings of severed limbs. LWH
explained that this painting showed the aftermath of the sinking
of French warship Méduse. Approximately 150 people were set
adrift on the raft but only fifteen survived, enduring starvation,
dehydration and cannibalism. To produce the work Géricault
read the account of one of the survivors and employed the
carpenter who made the original raft to construct a replica in
his studio. The piece has a double pyramid composition and a
narrative that travels from the bottom right hand corner of the
raft, where a man clutches the corpse of a fallen comrade, to
the top of the second pyramid where a figure musters enough
strength to signal to a passing ship on the horizon. The work
shows the gritty conflict of life, death and human struggle in
graphic detail.
For many members of the audience the third work of art
was more recognisable. LWH had selected Edouard Manet’s
Olympia produced in 1863. Whilst Manet is often seen as ‘the
godfather’ of impressionism, his work has a much more traditional
style than the controversial impressionist movement. Olympia
is his take on the traditional nude as exemplified in Titian’s
Venus of Urbino the ‘blueprint’ for reclining nudes. Titian’s
painting takes a humanist approach to the subject showing a
domesticated Venus sprawled on a couch with her lap dog – a
symbol of fidelity – curled at her feet. Inversely, Manet’s Olympia
questions the genre taking a more confrontational approach to
the traditional subject. Olympia looks, almost accusingly, at the
viewer posing in an opulent room. The symbolism of the piece
tells us that she is likely a prostitute as demonstrated by the
mismatched plethora of gifts the woman wears and the black
cat at her feet (a symbol of infidelity). Whist the piece was
seen by French society as mere effluvia, the artwork uncovers
the hypocrisy of the middle classes who would visit galleries
by day and women by night.
The final work of art was a more contemporary one that
has become an icon of the YBA movement. Damien Hirst’s
The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone
Living (a catchy title) is still a contentious piece today and is
seen by some as a “cultural obscenity”. The work consists of
a pickled shark suspended in a tank of formaldehyde that was
commissioned by Charles Saatchi in 1991. Saatchi gave Hirst
an artistic blank cheque, instructing him to create whatever he
wanted to. LWH explained that the piece has both confrontation
in the form of the shark, and safety in the form of the glass
that separates the viewer from it, thus removing any threat.
To this end the shark represents both life and death. Whilst
many raised the question of genuine authorship, asking if Hirst
can really be seen as the artist having not created any of the
work’s components, this ground-breaking artwork undeniably
triggered discussion.
Overall LWH showed that a seminal work of art is
confrontational, ground-breaking, experimental and striking,
leaving a visual impression on the viewer. We look forward
to LWH’s next talk on the YBA movement with anticipation.
JERUSALEM
Sixth Form Trip to the V&A, 13 January
WJCG took several boys to see Jerusalem at the Victoria and
Albert Museum. The original run having ended, we were treated
to the second-best thing, a nice cozy room where we were
treated to a recording of the legendary performances of Mark
Rylance as Johnny Byron and Mackenzie Crook, well-known
for his role as Ragetti in the Pirates of the Carribean series.
We were all so very transfixed by our coursework studies being
brought vividly to life, and the three hour running time passed
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by rather quickly.
Jerusalem, set on St George’s Day, the morning of the local
county fair focuses on modern-day Pied Piper Johnny “Rooster”
Byron, who revels in the pleasures of alcohol and excess and
avoids the realistic, intelligent compromises one must make in
adulthood. Trouble is, the local council officials want to evict
him, while his son, Marky to be taken to a fair, and several
other characters are quite eager to give him a piece of their
mind. Despite the sometimes wavering nature of the play’s
plot, everything is held together brilliantly by not only the
great script, but also the use of some very impressive staging,
rather colourful and making good use of the theatrical medium
to create a very particular atmosphere for Johnny and his motley
crew. Actual animals – chickens, goldfish, tortoise – were even
used to create an even more convincing portrait of the twisted
pastoral setting. Equal parts uproarious and oddly poignant, it
was all in all, a very enjoyable day out.
SHELL ART TRIP
Tate Modern and Tate Britain, 16 January
Tate Britain
On Friday, half the Shells departed for Tate Britain the other
half to Tate Modern, the converted Battersea power station. The
purpose of the trip was to get inspiration for an upcoming art
project on which theme is to be collections of which the Tate
has so many.
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given sketching tasks as they wondered around the galleries. In
the Tate Modern there were exhibitions of wartime photography
and of the artists Alibis Sigmar Polke and Richard Tuttle. In the
Tate Britain there was a large exhibition of Turner’s paintings
as well as a lot of sculptures by contemporary artists. Boys
were encouraged to sketch their favourite paintings and think
about what it would be like to be in the painting, the warmth,
the sounds, the smells. At the Tate Britain, boys were also
given the task of identifying themes and collections of styles
that were unique to different artists.
After about three and a half hours at the galleries the boys
arrived back at School where there ideas and sketches will be
discussed in art lessons in the following weeks.
The trip was a huge success and many thanks must be passed
on to IAS and LWH.
SCIENCE SOCIETY
Lecture on Engines
Phillip Gajland, Druries, 16 January
The coaches stopped outside the office of the editor of
Financial Times. We then followed the embankment along to
the Tate Modern and congregated under the latest of the huge
instalments that are often found on the ground floor of the
Tate. This instalment, featuring slabs of wood and enormous
swathes of yellow and red material, is entitled “I Don’t Know.
The Weave of Textile Language.” And is the largest work ever
made by a famous American sculptor Richard Tuttle.
We were then sent our separate ways looking through the
four floors full of paintings, photography and cafes, following
the worksheet provided by IAS and his team which asked us
questions about collections and asked us to find pictures that
incorporated collections within them. So, after forty minutes
of wandering up and down the escalators to look at the various
exhibitions, we re-congregated. At this point we received a further
set of questions which we strove to answer in the proceeding
hours by more searching and examination of the museum.
The art on display was truly fascinating and offered an
extensive variety of art from black and white photographs
and minimalistic sculptures to colourful detailed paintings and
bright panoramas.
Tate Modern
The whole Shell year had an afternoon looking around two
of London’s famous galleries. Half of the Shell year had the
opportunity of going to the Tate Modern.
All Shells were given work packs for the afternoon containing
pencils, sketch pads, and worksheets to complete. Boys were
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Should DT students all make boxes for their A-levels? How a
about an engine? Phillip Gajland, Druries, has done just that, he
has manufactured his own working steam engine! As a result,
Phillip has decided to impart his knowledge on the engine.
There are multiple types of engines in this world; four stroke,
two stroke, Otto engines, diesel engines and so on. But what does
it all mean? A four stroke engine is one of the most complicated
engines there are at the moment and are generally used for
small machines such as cars or lawn mowers. The four stroke
engine precisely means that the piston in the engine needs four
stroke complete the cycle of intake, compression, combustion
and finally exhaust. As the piston works harder, the engine
becomes more efficient in using up its fuel and thus there is no
leakage. There are various pros and cons of every engine, and
the pros of the four strike engine are that it has more torque
(a twisting force that tends to cause rotation) and lasts longer.
Nonetheless the con is that it is very complicated and it takes
a huge amount of time and money to assemble this engine
The two stroke engine is less complex and so takes less
time to build. It is similarly used in small machines but more
based towards racing vehicles for instance motorbikes. It has
less power than that of the four stroke for the reason that
it only needs 2-stroke to complete the full cycle of intake,
compression, combustion and exhaust. It’s not very efficient as
it lets a substantial amount of fuel leak from the exhaust. The
pros of the two stroke engine is that it is simply more powerful
and cheaper to construct. However, it has less torque and less
efficient use of fuel.
This brings me onto the next engine; the diesel. The diesel is
used to power much larger objects such as lorries or cargo ships.
The diesel can be either four stroke or two stroke, it doesn’t
really matter. The difference between the diesel engine and a
normal engine is that the diesel doesn’t use a spark plug to get
the engine started but it uses a much more innovative technique,
compressed air! Yes, the diesel engine uses compressed air to get
the engine started. The pros of the diesel are that there is much
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better fuel efficiency and there are fewer parts to the engine,
making it more simple. Nevertheless, Not all fuel stations in
Britain carry diesel and regular maintenance of this engine is
needed as it tends to freeze sometimes and in turn, the car is
completely paralyzed! In my opinion, the diesel wouldn’t be
the best choice of engine…
Shortly after the newest and more advanced engines in this
commercial world, Gajland ventured back in time to the steam
engine. You might not know (I certainly didn’t), the steam
engine is all but gone. Power plants and even current trains
use them. Gajland managed to explain the very complex and
“ancient” engine with a lot of diagrams and certainly a lot of
ease! The pros of this engine involves it using any fuel and not
to mention, it started the Industrial Revolution. However, water
and fuel needs to be stored in huge amounts where ever you
go, so it makes it ideal for big transportation such as the train.
Secondly, a lot of time is required to make this engine start.
At the end of the lecture, Gajland was pelted with long
and riddle-like questions which he managed to answer with
great precision, I commend him on that front. He made a very
arduous topic sound very simple and I myself took a lot away
from this talk.
ORIENTAL SOCIETY
MLS, 15 January
The first meeting of the New Year brought us the Oriental
Society’s biggest logistical nightmare ever: how to fit one hundred
polystyrene cups of Far Eastern tea onto one beak’s desk in
MLS without some sort of spillage by one of the more clumsy
members/Shells in attendance. The subject for the evening was
tea from different parts of Eastern Asia. In an imitation of a
Japanese tea ceremony, boys were each given four cups of tea,
which they then had to try and identify as different flavours. To
make matters somewhat more competitive, any boy who got
all four correct would be rewarded an extra slice of Castella
cake, a delicacy originally brought to Japan by the Portuguese
Jesuits, courtesy of our esteemed leader J. Shimada, Newlands,
who endured the extra weight in his luggage and numerous
strange looks at airport customs to bring them to our meeting.
Everybody wanted another slice of cake, which led to numerous
underhanded methods being employed for the prize. Whilst some
preferred to go lone wolf, many joined together to work out the
answer. As I happened to be particularly hungry that evening,
I decided to join a group of boys completely confident in their
tea-identifying ability, as all of them professed to having tried
the teas before, and many of the teas came from their respective
homelands. Of course, this goes to show just how insensitive
the Harrovian taste buds are, as between the five of them they
managed to identify two teas correctly. My contributions to the
team, however, were loudly claiming how all of them tasted
like water to me, and build a tower of cups that almost reached
the ceiling. Clearly I was the most useful one.
Nonetheless, it was a truly enjoyable event, and thanks go
in particular to J. Shimada, Newlands, NM and RMT for their
hard work as always in organising the event. We look forward
to the next gathering.
MATH OLYMPIAD
November 28
The School achieved three distinctions in the Senior British
Mathematical Olympiad. Callum Mclean, Druries, scored 40
marks out of a possible 60 with Curtis Ho, Lyon’s, in second
with 33 and Callum Coghlan, The Knoll, also achieving
distinction with 28.
January 24, 2015
SHERIDAN SOCIETY
The Copse, 15 January
Henry Quilter, West Acre
The Term’s Sheridan Society lecture series began with Henry
Quilter, West Acre, delivering his lecture on ‘The Life and Work
of Francis Scott Fitzgerald.’ As with all of the Sheridan Society
lectures, it was delivered to a (surprisingly) full audience in
the Copse, allowing JKB to occupy her spot: behind her desk
in order that she might stare down the latecomers.
Unsurprisingly, given the title, Quilter’s lecture consisted
of a guided tour through both the life and work of the famous
American novelist, beginning with his first encounter with
Zelda Sayre, a wealthy girl Fitzgerald first met in a country
club as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. In an attempt to
better himself that he might marry her, Fitzgerald then began
to work in the city, a plot which, as Quilter later pointed out,
appears to parallel that of Jay Gatsby in Fitzgerald’s most
famous novel, The Great Gatsby. Zelda did eventually consent
to marry Fitzgerald (unlike Daisy) and they later had a daughter.
Quilter then began to take the audience through Fitzgerald’s
writing career. Despite his posthumous prominence, Fitzgerald
was never held in much regard by his contemporaries, including
his direct contemporary Earnest Hemmingway. At one time
close friends, though later bitter rivals, Hemmingway would
attack Fitzgerald work, and Fitzgerald would reply, particularly
picking on its apparent “conversational” style.
Towards the end of his life however, Fitzgerald began down
a road to alcoholism, which led to depression which in turn
caused his writer’s block, which then increased his depression,
and thus his life spiralled towards its end. After brief spells in
France and Maryland, the Fitzgeralds moved to Hollywood,
where Scott became a (relatively unsuccessful). Meanwhile
his wife was admitted to 3 separate mental institutions for
psychiatric disorders. He finally died in 1940 of a heart attack
thinking his career, and life, a failure.
His two most famous works were undoubtedly ‘The Great
Gatsby,’ as already discussed, and ‘Tender is the Night,’ the
last novel Fitzgerald completed in his lifetime, and despite a
great deal of contemporary criticism he is now considered one
of the greatest documenters of the ‘Roaring 20s.’
Thus Quilter finished his talk to appropriately lauding applause,
allowing the audience a chance to pick at his well-read mind
on a subject that he clearly deeply enjoyed. Indeed, if this fact
was not clear yet to anyone present, it soon was as Quilter was
comprehensive in his answers, ranging from a counterfactual
history to the parallels between Fitzgerald himself and his
novels (he even began quoting directly from one novel to PDH).
This was plainly a very well researched talk, and we thank
Henry Quilter for such an intriguing afternoon.
HURRICANE ‘BOUCHIER’
13 January
Well, a tornado more precisely, although who really knows
the difference. I was enjoying my lunch inside when suddenly
thunder, lightening, hail, wind, and heavy rain began to bombard
both beaks and boys. Reportedly, the gale had enough force to
level a garage to collapse in Grafton Road and caused minor
damage to homes and cars in surrounding roads. As the typhoon
whizzed through the area, some roof tiles were also blown off but
fortunately nobody was injured. And as the squall was passing
overhead, TMK was heard to say, “Not to worry, soccer will
still go ahead as planned, even in this weather.”
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T H E
January 24, 2015
RETIREMENT
Revd Tim Gosden, Vicar of St Mary’s, 18 January
On Sunday a large congregation from across the Borough of
Harrow gathered at St Mary’s for a service to mark the beginning
of the week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the retirement
of the Revd Tim Gosden as Vicar of St Mary’s at which the
preacher was His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor,
Emeritus Archbishop of Westminster. Fr Tim has been our local
vicar for the last seventeen years having been a parish priest
in Taunton and a University Chaplain at Loughborough, Kent
and Hull. The service included contributions from leaders of
other faiths in recognition of his chairing of Harrow Interfaith
Council. DNB, accompanied by Oscar Tao, Moretons, played the
Adagio and Allegro from Handel’s Sonata in G, Mary Nelson
sang Rutter’s Aaronic Blessing and the service concluded with
Colin Stone playing Schubert’s Impromptu in G flat. It was
followed by a reception in the OH Room and an invited team
of bellringers under the direction of CDO rang a peal, London
Surprise Royal, to mark the conclusion of Fr Tim’s ministry here.
Fr Tim is a well-known face on the Hill and a good friend to
the School. Many have reason to be grateful for his support and
interest and a number of families attend St Mary’s. The Parish
join us each year for Advent Carols and the Commemoration
of the Founder is marked by a joint Parish-School Choral
Evensong during which a wreath is laid by the Head of School
on John Lyon’s tomb. Fr Tim in recent years has been regular
attender at the Eucharist on Thursday mornings and he has
overseen the development of the Tuesday Lunchtime concerts
in the Church. He has also been a group leader for the Way of
Life and a Governor at the John Lyon School. We wish him
and Rosemary a fruitful and happy retirement.
The appointment of a new vicar of St Mary’s is the joint
responsibility of the Bishop of Willesden, the Archdeacon of
Northolt and the Head Master in consultation with representatives
of the parish.
WE REMEMBER
Harrovians in World War I
2nd Lieutenant C.A. Pigot-Moodie, Rifle Brigade, Church Hill
042-082, killed in action on 13 January, 1915, at Kemmel, aged 24.
Spy glass on one life:
2nd Lieutenant A. H. Lang, Grenadier Guards, Church Hill
042-092 Aged 24 Jan. 25th, 1915. He was the son the Basil
Lang, Advocate-General of Bombay, and Mrs. Lang, was Head
of his House, 1907-9, was in the Cricket XI, 1906-9, and Captain
1908-9, represented the School at both Racquets and Fives, won
the Challenge Racquet twice and the Ebrington Racquet Cup
once. Had a share in winning the Fives Shield four times, the
Racquet Cup twice, and the Torpid Fives twice. Took part in
the Cock House Match every summer he was at Harrow. He
went to Trinity College, Cambridge : represented the University
at Racquets in 1913, and the same year kept wicket at Lord’s
in the University Match.
On the outbreak of the War Lang obtained a Commission
in the Grenadier Guards, was subsequently attached to the 1st
Scots Guards and went to the Front on 29 December, 1914, and
was killed in Cuinchy, Flanders, on 25 January, 1915, whilst
helping to hold the front-line trenches against overwhelming
odds. None could know him well without a deep affection for
the loyalty of his nature, the quiet sense of humour, and above
all for his simple unquestioning obedience to duty whenever
duty called.
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H A R R O V I A N
GAFFE AND GOWN
Quips from Around the Hill
“Sir, how do you spell GM?”
“Now boys, the number of athletes at the Olympics is an
example of discrete data.” “Sir, is the number of athletes at
the Paralympics continuous or discrete?”
“I think the moment we are comparing the Aeneid Book 4 with
The Jeremy Kyle Show is when we should move on.”
“Can you tell me what this means, boy?” “No sir, can I phone
a friend?” “Do you have any?”
“Can anyone name the composer of the hymn Jerusalem?”
“Was is Jesus, sir?”
“Sir, do you have a nickname in the Master’s Room?” “They
call me Higgy The Destroyer.”
CORRESPONDENCE
Letters to the Editors of The Harrovian
Dear Sirs,
It is a great relief to see that Harrovians survived ‘The Great
Tornado’ of 2015 (13 January) and it is something that I am
sure the Geography department will be teaching for many
years to come. I believe that now may be the most opportune
time for the School to take precautions against this once in a
lifetime event with the introduction of an emergency word,
should a freak weather occurrence ever happen again. My
own personal suggestion would be “Batten down the Benedict
Cumberhatches” (slightly wordy but effective nonetheless) as it
is both memorable and honours a great former Harrovian who,
I am sure, we all wish every success in the Oscars. I encourage
anyone to make any further suggestions…
Kind regards,
ADJT
Dear Sirs,
The Beaks' XI vs Captain's XI Footer was a very enjoyable
affair and I noted with great interest the generous distances
from the site of play at which boys were willing to tackle their
beaks. This bodes well for the summer's public examinations,
as boys have shown they can put a shoulder in despite the task
being far away. On a more general note, this new beak has
witnessed an extremely high standard of sportsmanship among
Harrovians. Whereas professionals are so often seen diving
aground, throwing tantrums and flashing bling, it is spiriting
to see myriad examples of fair play, gentlemanly conduct and
good humour in the midst of events of great sporting intensity.
For coaches and supporters, outstanding sportsmanship is
equal to a display of great skill. It would be invidious to name
individuals, but know that honour on the sports field rarely goes
unnoticed - well done and thank you for your high standards.
Best wishes,
HAM
Dear Sirs,
As the vast majority of boys (and some astounded parents)
will have noticed, the post Harrow Footer arrangements have
changed, much to the great disgruntlement of all the boys. I
T H E
H A R R O V I A N
understand the reasoning for the implementation of this new
legislation to be the removal of messy kit from Houses and a
quick turnaround of the laundry. Cotton shirts take longer to
wash and therefore it is too great a strain on matrons to spend
their Wednesday/Sunday evenings loading and unloading washing
machines; thus they must be washed centrally. However, I,
and I believe most boys, think that this is wholly unnecessary.
The last thing that a boy wants to do after playing an hour’s
game of exhausting Footer, getting covered head-to-toe in
mud, is to strip off outside the Sports Centre (a large detour
for some Houses) in temperatures barely above freezing. With
potentially 100 or more other boys of all creeds and Houses, it's
absolute chaos, with kit moved off benches and socks drowned
in puddles of mud. You may argue that the new system prevents
mud splattering the walls of the boarding houses, yet in the
majority of houses there are specific 'wet rooms' and there are
outdoor hoses used to get most of the mud off. The new system
demands boys, having stripped off and still muddy, to return to
their houses and shower. However, it is not as simple as that.
With the removal of muddy kit, boys have to put on clean
clothing which has been brought down in advance and placed
among the hundreds of other Harrow Sports Bags. If you are
to put on new tracksuits or shorts, the mud from your legs will
fill the inside of these new clothes and simply provide more
washing for your matron. The same goes for shirts, shoes and
socks. There are few things more unpleasant than putting wet
feet into a pair of dry, fresh socks. Many boys, myself included,
opt not to ruin their only other Harrow eccer kit considering I
am obliged to wear it to all School suppers. This forces boys to
trek across the Hill, scantily clad in boxer shorts and a muddy
bluer, shivering and no doubt catching some nasty chill: a highly
dispiriting sight for any new parent who has just enrolled their
poor little darling into the Shells.
In light of this, I will now offer my suggestive plan of action:
any House that is unable to wash Footer kit in House, should
be able to arrange a collection the following morning with the
Laundry department. After all, House Harrow Football games
only take place on Wednesday and Sundays, leaving a three day
gap for kit to be washed. Some systems have been in place for
many years simply because they work. The old system is an
example of this: a system that works. I am not being obtuse,
or stubborn in accepting new rules, simply because they have
been implemented by this new management team: that would
be counter-productive. Unlike some things that have happened
lately, I don't think that this is just “change for change's sake”.
I think that it is an attempted effort to make things at this
illustrious school more efficient. However, to put it bluntly: it
just does not work. I think it would be a very popular decision
if arrangements were reversed to the way they used to be and
this trial period ended.
Yours Sincerely,
Tom Nevile, Elmfield
SKIING
Harrow School Ski Trip and the Canada Cup, 12-23
January
The School trips have been going to Canada for some 12 years
now and started by being combined with a HRC trip to Trails
End Camp Canmore where we skied in Sunshine Village and
Nakiska. It was during this time when the Head Master at the
time (BJL) asked RR to run/coach and organise a ski team,
which then consisted of four Harrovians, one of which, Dow
Travers (The Park, 20013) has become a double Winter Olympian.
As you will all be fully aware, the School ski trip now goes
to Jasper Alberta, a small town with a deceptively large Ski area
(Marmot Basin). We have for many years combined a recreational
ski trip along with a race-training trip. The recreational skiers
January 24, 2015
actually get to go all over the mountain area. Unlike European
Resorts, Marmot Basin encompasses vast off piste areas that
are not for the faint hearted.
This year we added an “edge” to the recreational side by
introducing them to a dual Slalom race. A dual slalom is two
identical courses running parallel and the racers go head to head
in a relay. As there were other schools on Marmot preparing
for the Canada Cup, I and some staff from the other schools
(Eton, Dulwich, Reeds, and Harrow International) decided to
mix up the teams so no-one raced with a member of their own
school. The event went very well and all enjoyed this slightly
different aspect of the trip.
The actual Canada Cup has been running since 2010 where
Harrow v Eton was the agenda (we won), and we also won
again in 2011 this time against Eton, Reeds and Surbiton
Schools. The Canada cup consists of two races each of two
runs: Slalom, which is very technical with what could be up
to 64 poles to negotiate, and the Giant Slalom, for those that
enjoy speed reaching in the realms of 90kph.
2014 we entered 13 racers, Tom Cherry, Druries, Hamish
Johnston, The Grove, Hein Jurgens, Newlands, Anton Jurgens,
Newlands, Max Grogan, Newlands, Benedict Moore, Moretons,
Sam Trew, The Grove, Joseph Trew, The Grove, Eduardo Monteiro
de Barros, The Park, Oscar Gairard, Druries, William Cleeve,
Lyon’s, Harold Prior-Palmer, The Grove, Patrick Monteiro de
Barros, The Park, all of which put in a superb effort for us to
win the 2014 Canada Cup.
Cherry, the team captain led by example throughout and
he himself accumulated enough points to ward off any of the
opposition and must be congratulated.
Individual Results:
Under 14’s Slalom: Grogan, 1st and Moore, 2nd
Under 16’s Slalom: H. Jurgens, 1st
Under 18’s Slalom: Cherry, 1st and Johnston, 2nd
Under 14’s Giant Slalom: Moore, 1st
Under 16’s GS: H. Jurgens, 3rd
Under 18’s GS: Cherry, 1st and Johnston, 2nd
Under 14’s Combined Slaloms: Moore, 1st and Trew, 2nd
Under 16’s Combined: H. Jurgens, 1st
Under 18’s Combined: Cherry
Team Results:
Harrow School:
38pts
Reeds School:
17pts
Dulwich:
5pts
Eton:
2pts
Harrow International:
1pt
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T H E
January 24, 2015
H A R R O V I A N
Overall our team did a fantastic job and I hope all including
those who were recreational skiing and tried the dual slalom. The
trip is a great opportunity to improve skiing give that chance of
trying out racing and having a great time making new friends.
Until next year, and the defence of the Canada Cup 2015!
JUDO
Training in Lanzarote, 13 December
At the end of last Term, 11 Harrow boys, Nikita Ponomarenko,
Lyon’s, Reuben Hembury-Stroud, Bradbys, Ciaran Jordan,
Bradbys, Harry Markham, Bradbys, Jamie Hill, The Head
Master’s, David Holland, Bradbys, Sebastian Flame, The
Grove, Oliver Tippett, The Park, Tola Fola-Alade, Rendalls,
Edward Hunter, Rendalls, and KC Bassey, West Acre, travelled
to Lanzarote, a small Spanish island off the coast of Morocco
for a winter training camp.
We all gathered at Gatwick airport in preparation for the
departure time which was at 2pm. The flight was four hours
long, landing at Arrecife airport at around 5.45pm. We had a
great first night and had a wonderful supper of an exceedingly
high standard at 7:45pm. There was a great variety of dishes
that were available for supper, ranging from traditional Spanish
dishes, such as paella, to far more familiar dishes, such as
sausages and mash.
On our first full day of the trip we had been instructed by
IAS, MTG, Mrs Glossop and Mr Ajala (our judo sensei), to be
down on the athletics track by 7:30am in the morning for some
stretching drills to prepare us for the strenuous day ahead. After
this half hour period of stretching we ate breakfast. Having
eaten, we had an hour of free time to explore the various
facilities available. In direct contrast to this free time was our
first judo session which lasted two hours and was great fun. In
this session we were taught various new judo techniques and
tricks, which although tedious was very rewarding and not too
exhausting. Having completed our formal exercise for the day
we were then allowed to do as we pleased for the rest of the
day, which mostly featured us using the gym, basketball and
tennis facilities, though some were keen on the spa.
The second day had largely the same structure as the first
except it included a one hour training session in tennis coached
by Mrs Glossop. Tennis training, it would seem, is actually
very useful for people practising Judo as it improves the speed
of movement in the feet and increases stamina greatly. It was
also completely exhausting and many of us by the end were
completely out of energy.
The third day was very painful indeed primarily due to our
experience of mountain biking. Unfortunately KC Bassey
encountered issues when his bike gained a flat tire and so had
to struggle through the rest of the day and did so with great
perseverance.
On the following day we experienced go-karting for the first
time and we all enjoyed it tremendously, though there were
some misgivings about people’s weight acting as a handicap
on some of the go-karts, much to everyone’s amusement. On
326
the fifth day everyone went surfing which was very enjoyable.
On the penultimate day there were very few activities and so
we all had a chance to enjoy the sun for one more day before we
returned to England. On the final day, having said goodbye to
the island we flew out from Lanzarote at 2pm and landed safely
in London at 6pm to be greeted with typical English weather.
A huge thanks must go to IAS, MTG, Mrs Glossop and Mr
Ajala, for not only accompanying us on the trip, but for all
their hard work in organising such an incredible experience.
CROSS COUNTRY
Knole Run, 10 January
Such was the lateness of the start of the Harrow term that the
first fixture of the new year was actually during the holidays!
So it was that dedicated parents drove their sons from as far
afield as Leicestershire to Sevenoaks for the Knole Run, one
of the most prestigious races of the season. This follows an
arduous 5.8 mile course through the glorious scenery of Knole
Park. Sadly Harrow was missing three of the top four runners
due to genuine injury and illness. Given this, our eighth place
finish out of a field of 36 teams was creditable and demonstrated
our strength in depth.
Team: Louis Clarke, Bradbys; George Grassly, The Knoll; Angus
Denison-Smith, Elmfield; Freddie Heffer, Elmfield; Chris Hedges,
Druries; Albie Tremlett, The Park; James Bird, West Acre
Harrow Borough Championships at Harrow School,
16 January
On Thursday, the School hosted the Harrow Borough
Championships. The first nine runners to finish in each of the
different age categories will go on to compete in the Middlesex
Schools Championships, and if successful there, they will
be chosen to represent the county in the English Schools
Championships after half term. In the Shell race, Freddie Heffer,
Elmfield, finished in third place and was joined in qualifying
for the next round by Alex Saunders, The Knoll, in fourth
place and Matthys Du Toit, Newlands, in fifth place. George
Grassly, The Knoll, won the Remove/Fifth form race and Angus
Denison-Smith, Elmfield, finished as runner-up. Albie Tremlett,
The Park, finished in third to complete the trio of qualifiers.
There were only 8 runners in the senior race and seven were
from Harrow School. All those that took part therefore qualified
for the next round by default. Lascelles Hussey, Elmfield, and
Louis Clarke, Bradbys, crossed the finish line together for joint
first. The other runners to qualify were Chris Hedges, Druries,
Max Arzt-Jones, Moretons, Louis Van Lennep, Newlands, Kit
McCrystal, The Park, and Alex Cui, The Knoll. I suspect a
tougher challenge awaits all runners at the Middlesex Schools
Championships, hosted by the school on January 29th.
T H E
H A R R O V I A N
HOCKEY
The School 1st XI v Chigwell
Drew 2-2, 17 January
“It’s snowing! It’s snowing!” These were the cries heard in
every classroom during Saturday 2c. Some Beaks produced a
mini fist-pump as there was hope that their away match in a
land far, far away would get cancelled. Obviously not SMS and
WT. That day, they were out for blood. It was the first match
of the season for a promising 1st XI, which had spent the early
days of January toning their reverse hits to perfection in Lisbon.
The fight for space on a small minibus led to some serious
tension among players. Any creases were soon ironed out by
the improvised karaoke session at the back of the bus. Captain
Dan Steward, Moretons, chose the songs, by going through
his very indie record collection. Davide Bernardi, Newlands,
complained at the absence of UKG and Craig David tracks
In typical away match fashion, the team had to be straight
off the bus and onto the pitch ready to play in ten minutes. The
famous words of wisdom from SMS were reiterated in a brief
pre-match team talk: Now is the time to switch on. It is not
the time to think about Caldo Verde or the chouriço delicacies
enjoyed a week ago. It’s all upstairs chaps, it’s all upstairs.
Early goals from Norbu Verhagen, The Knoll, and Bernardi
put Harrow in good stead for more goals on a quick AstroTurf.
Although, the huffing and puffing of some players in the first
half proved it’s not all upstairs but, an overdose of mince pies
can have detrimental effects on an athlete’s fitness. Through the
lack of ferociousness, and too much faffing about in the final
third, Harrow invited Chigwell back into the game. The final
score was 2-2. Man of the Match went to George Stanistreet,
Lyon’s. Freddie Ruffell, Rendalls, and Tom Cherry, Druries,
contended for another, more ‘notorious’ award. Through a
democratic voting system, with each participant’s vote having
equal weight; the 1st XI Squad decided the day was all about
Ruffell, and not Cherry’s nonsensical actions to receive a card. January 24, 2015
hockey tour Harrow has ever run should not count against it.
We arrived at Elmfield the Thursday before the beginning
of term, rested after a relaxing Christmas break in which
Geordie Younger, The Park, managed to consume so much
food that there now rested an oddly shaped protrusion around
his stomach area. The team set off from Heathrow expecting
a simple journey to Lisbon. This turned out not to be the case
as Alexander Ferreira, The Grove, decided to lose his passport
on the plane. Chaos ensued and as WJA stumbled about with
a panic-stricken expression on his face the team waited for
Karen, our fantastic tour guide, to help sort out the situation.
We eventually arrived at the Hotel Amazonia Jamor, situated
next to the sports complex in which we would be playing over
the next few days. At supper that evening it was decided, for
obvious reasons, that Ferreira was to become the first unwilling
volunteer to wear a flattering pink, knee-length bear outfit to
mark his opening day escapades.
The following day began with our first training session. The
delightful Portuguese sun was already beating down by the
time we arrived at the water-based pitch and for the Scottish
boys in the group, especially Sam Riddell-Webster, The Knoll,
this was a scary prospect. Following the intense session, and
because the match for the day was scheduled to take place
that evening, we were taken into central Lisbon for a walking
tour of the area known as Belam. It included the incredible
Jeronimos Monastery and a visit to Praca Imperio which is
dominated by an enormous monument to the great maritime
explorers of Portugal offering a view from the top that covered
the whole of Lisbon. That evening we got ready for our 19.30
pushback against Casa Pia Boys, a local school side. However,
moments before the match began, we were told that they did
The School 2nd XI v Chigwell, Lost 1-5
Harrow’s new-look hockey 2nd XI took on Chigwell this
Saturday. Snow fell in the morning but by 1pm sunshine filled
the skies over the capital. Harrow started brightly, scoring after
three minutes. It was an excellent team move finished superbly
by William Heywood, The Knoll. Unfortunately, Harrow
allowed Chigwell to equalise and the scores remained level at
half time. The first half was end to end hockey, neither side
showing dominance. Harrow came closest to taking the lead
again when Shailen Assani, The Grove, hit the post from a
wonderfully struck penalty corner strike. The second half was
very much one way traffic. Chigwell composed themselves
and played measured hockey, keeping the ball much more
successfully than Harrow. This high level of possession took
its toll on the 2nds and Chigwell ran in several goals. Overall,
there were some good indicators for the rest of the season, at
the same time there is much to work on in training this week
as we prepare to take on Eton on Thursday.
Unfortunately, it was a fairly inauspicious start to the hockey
season with the 3rd and 4th XIs losing 0-3 and 0-7 away to
Merchant Taylors on Thursday.
HOCKEY TOUR
Preseason Training
Lisbon, Portugal, 8-12 January
This was without question the most successful hockey tour
Harrow has ever run. However, the fact that this is the only
not have enough players and so WJA volunteered himself to
play against Harrow. This worried the team but by half time the
1st XI were up by 5 goals to 1. The second half began with an
outrageous reverse hit from Davide Bernadi, Newlands, which
was dispatched into the top right corner from an angle previously
thought impossible. After two goals from the opposition the
match ended 6-3, a great result for the first game of the tour
and an indicator of things to come. The goals were scored by
Bernadi (x2), Norbu Verhagen, The Knoll, (x2), Dan Steward,
Moretons, and Younger. That evening Man of the Match was
rightly awarded to Bernadi and Angus Holmes, The Grove, laid
claim to the notorious bear outfit for buying lip cream which,
due to translation errors, was not quite what it seemed.
Despite having played a match approximately 11 hours earlier,
training began at 8.30 the next morning. Again the weather was
sublime and we were joined by The Portuguese U21 Hockey
coach. He managed to teach the squad some important concepts
and after a bit of swearing these were applied to great effect.
The match then began at 14.30. Despite being called the Lisbon
Casuals, this team was not quite as relaxed as we might have
thought. They moved the ball with pace and efficiency but were
again outplayed by Harrow with the half time score being 2-0.
After a hard fought second half in which the Casuals scored two
extremely late goals in quick succession, the match ended 4-4.
Despite the fact it was a draw the team could take away a few
positives and Jack Firoozan, Rendalls, was happy to have scored
what could quite easily have been called a wondergoal. The
laid-back Firoozan simply stepped up to a moving rebound at
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T H E
January 24, 2015
the top of the D and blasted it into the top corner for what might
already be the goal of the season. Also on the scoresheet were
Laing, Druries, Felix Hall, Moretons, and Bernadi with Firoozan
being awarded MotM. After the game the team scrambled into
the bus to make it just in time to watch the beginning of the
Benfica match vs Guimaraes. This was great fun and despite
being hockey players everyone enjoyed the match immensely.
Sunday was our third and final day of hockey. Again we
began early with a training session but it was more subdued as
the whole squad was beginning to feel the effects of such an
intense schedule. The match was our last chance to show off the
hockey we had been playing and so having a relaxed training
session allowed the team to put in a full performance for the
game. This time it was against the Lisbon Select. Potentially
the best of the three teams we were to play and including some
national players in their side this was to be an interesting match.
Harrow had shown they could play up to a very high standard
but the hot sun and fatigue had the potential to cause problems.
However, the match finished 5-2 to Harrow. A tour de force of
striking ability was shown in the team with five separate players
scoring in the match against a strong opposition. Michael Glerum,
Druries, played exceptionally well in goal to keep their goals
to a minimum and was rewarded with Man of the Match for
his efforts. The happiness was evident within the squad that we
had managed to finish on such a high. That evening we were
rewarded with a trip to the Cervejaria Trindade restaurant, a
converted church with fantastic murals on the walls. SMS made
sure that WJA was not the only Beak to have worn ‘the outfit’
courtesy of some earlier antics involving his room, the lock
and very broken Portuguese as he tried to explain himself to
the hotel manager and resident locksmith.
The final day of the trip aimed to show us a bit more of Lisbon
and to allow us to relax. First, we visited the Benfica stadium
for a tour of the ground. This included visiting the away team
dressing room and a look at the famous eagles which roam
the ground before games. This was thoroughly enjoyable and
emerging from the player’s tunnel was a highlight for some.
We then travelled to the Colombia Shopping Mall where the
squad was allowed to roam for a few hours and purchase some
souvenirs before we headed to the coach for the journey back
to the Hill.
Overall, the tour was a fantastic success with the team scoring
15 goals in three matches, something that is unheard of for a
Harrow 1st XI. Davide Bernadi’s ruthless fitness, tireless offense
and clinical eye for goal meant he was nominated as Player of
the Tour. Every single member of the squad played extremely
well and the wealth of talent in the younger years bodes well
for the future. Thank you to SMS and WJA for organising the
trip and well done to the team!
RACKETS
The School v Winchester, home, 15 January
1st Pair: F. Ruffell, Rendalls, and A. Rath, Lyon’s
Won 4-2
2nd Pair: E.Monteiro de Barros, The Park, and A. Huo. The Head
Master’s. Won 3-1
3rd Pair: A. Maxwell, Elmfield and A. Temple, The Head Master’s
Won 3-1
Junior Colts: H. Scott-Lyon, Newlands, and A. Ferreira, The Grove
Won 3-1
Yearlings A: B.Sodi, West Acre, and C.Mahal, The Grove
Won 3-1
Yearlings B: O. Stroyan, The Grove and T.Santini, The Park
Won 3-0
The First Pair underlined the improvements they have made
in a strong performance.
328
H A R R O V I A N
FIVES
The School v Shrewsbury, 15 January
Junior
1st Pair: Q. Q. Gaba, Lyon’s and B.J. Mennel, West Acre
Won 2-1
2nd Pair: M.A.P. Tonkins, Moretons, and W.T. Downes, Elmfield
Won 2-1
3rd Pair: A. Nazir and A.Armon, both The Head Master’s
Lost 0-3
4th Pair: A. Rahman, The Grove and J. Holmes, Elmfield
Lost 0-3
5th Pair: M. Clark, West Acre and P.J. Gallagher, The Head
Master’s
Lost 0-3
6th Pair: C. Amaan and S. Flame, The Grove
Won 3-0
7th Pair: T.C. Santini, The Park and J.A. Marsh, The Park
Lost 1-2
8th Pair: D.D. Shortt, Newlands and A.L. Kenda, Newlands
Won 2-1
A closely contested fixture with many encouraging performances.
Perhaps unfair to pick out individuals but Max Tonkins and
Will Downes did particularly well to overcome a talented
Salopian pair.
Fives
The School v St Olave’s, 15 January
Senior
1st Pair: T.M. Nevile, Elmfield, and T.M.Skinner, Elmfield
Won 3-0
2nd Pair: A.R.Huo, and R.S. Wijeratne, both The Head Master’s
Lost 0-3
3rd Pair: O.J. Denby, The Park and H.M.C Collins, Rendalls
Lost 0-3
4th Pair: J. Ayoub, The Head Master’s and A.J. Taylor, Bradbys
Won 3-1
5th Pair: G. Reid, Moretons and A. Neville, Bradbys
Lost 0-2
Junior
1st Pair Q.Q.Gaba, Lyon’s and B.J. Mennel West Acre
Drew 2-2
2nd Pair: M. Tonkins, Moretons and W. Downes, Elmfield
Lost 0-3
3rd Pair: A. Nazir, The Head Master’s and N. Shankar Elmfield
Lost 1-2
4th Pair: H.J. Rowse, Newlands and J.J.Cullimore, Rendalls
Lost 0-3
5th Pair: A. Armon and P. Gallagher, both The Head Master’s
Lost 0-3
6th Pair: O.R. Wiggin, Bradbys and A.G. Shirazi, Rendalls
Lost 0-3
A very tough fixture for the first Thursday of term but the quality
of Fives played by both schools was of an impressive standard.
Worthy of special mention were the comfortable victory by the
first Senior pair and the close win for 4th Pair but the game of
the day was the titanic battle at U15 first pair with Gaba and
Menell producing their best performance to date.
RUGBY
The School v The Harrodian School
Won 37-0, 17 January
The Development XV put in an excellent performance to defeat
the Harrodian School 1st XV 37-0. The Development XV is
made up from boys in 5th form, L6th and U6th. It was therefore
T H E
H A R R O V I A N
excellent to see boys who did not play together last term come
together so positively to score seven unanswered tries. This is
testament to the leadership skills of the senior boys and of the
effort put in by all to play a positive, attacking brand of rugby.
A great start to rugby this term.
Tries: S. Miller, Newlands, C. Gallagher, The Head Master’s,
Leung, C. Sirker, The Knoll, Chritchley x2, J. Steele, Newlands
Cons: O. James, Newlands, x1
HARROW FOOTBALL
The School XI v J.C. Stephenson XI, 17 January
Drew 1-1
J.C. Stephenson’s XI: W.O. Stephenson Esq (Elmfield, 1998³),
L.G. Callander Esq (Moretons, 2003³), T.C.A. Lloyd Esq (The
Head Master’s, 2003³), T.G. Spencer Esq (Moretons, 2003³),
J.C. Stephenson Esq (Elmfield, 2003³) Capt., M.J. Williams
Esq (The Head Master’s, 2003³), E.M Keith Esq (The Knoll,
2004³), M.J. Hastings (The Knoll, 2007³)
The school Footer XI faced a youthful and a, for the most part,
high spirited Stephenson XI. The pre-game chat was lengthy
due to some bleary eyed driving causing some from the OH
side to be late. In this time several confident assertions were
made, many by CEB, who was a last minute but crucial addition
to the OH side. The XI, with fresh memories from a defeat on
tour in Exeter, were fairly fired up and so began the game with
several collisions from the team’s wrecking ball, Alex McGrath,
West Acre. The Old Boys, however, were not to be knocked
backwards as they, using the downhill advantage made constant
advances down towards the School’s base. Celebrations would
have been rife if it hadn’t been for the School’s backstop and
fearless defender, Tom Neville, Elmfield.
Despite the efforts of Harry Mingay, The Park and Will Minashi,
Bradbys, the school conceded in the beginning stages of the
second half. However with the downhill advantage the School
began to play a much more attacking game. After a gruelling
second half, all were tired. Some perhaps were already thinking
about the length of the shower they would have. Some about
that cup of tea. Ollie Mason, The Head Master’s, let no such
though cross his mind and, in the dying stages of the game
scored a fine base to bring the score level. The School’s Man
of the match went to Mason. Overall it was a great day for
Footer. The game was played with aggression and tact whilst
also never forgetting the most basic of Footer rules – to play
as a Gentleman.
Outcast XI vs James Virgin’s XI,
The School Won 6 – 3, 17 January
C.J.A. Virgin’s XI: G.J.D. Hurley Esq (The Knoll, 1978²), S.A.
Maurin Esq (Elmfield, 1978³), C.H. Wells Esq MBE (Newlands,
1979³), Colonel S.J. Cartwright OBE (West Acre, 1981³), J.E.
de Broë-Ferguson Esq (The Grove, 1981³), T.J. Gibbons Esq
(Elmfield, 1981³), J.R.P.H. Holmes Esq (Bradbys, 1981³),
A.Y. Fallon-Khan Esq (The Park, 1982¹), G.B. Hughes Esq
(West Acre, 1982³), L.A. Kunzig Esq IV (Druries, 1983³), N.A.
Lambourne Esq (The Head Master’s, 1983³), J.N. Wright Esq
(Bradbys, 1984¹), C.J.A. Virgin Esq (Elmfield, 1984³) Capt.,
K.M. Wilkins Esq (The Knoll, 1984³)
January 24, 2015
On Saturday the Outcast XI faced James Virgin’s somewhat
‘mature’ side XI in its first game of the season. The pitch,
already resembling a Turkish mud bath despite merely a
week’s worth of play, had received a dusting of snow during
the morning’s powdering, which gave the mud a satisfactory
crunch underfoot. In spite of some of the OHs fears that the
next crunch might come from their hip rather than the ground,
the game was played in high spirits and with the utmost regard
to gentlemanly conduct.
The School began by playing up the hill, and thanks to their
better fitness (albeit relative to the Old Boys) were quick to
press into the attacking third, and although a little slower to
give yards, were still able to put themselves on the scoreboard
within the first five minutes of the game. In order that the
game might not become too aggressive the game was played
in a very open manner, with the OHs only ever requiring two
or three players to follow up, allowing them to spread the ball
out wide and give yards when they had a little more time, this
tactic was effectively used by them to retaliate with a base just
before half time. However this had a downside in so far as it
allowed the school to press the OHs thinned lines, meaning
they scored three more before the first 25 minutes were up.
In the second half, the School, going uphill (again) began
to tire slightly, allowing the OHs to take advantage of their
wide playing style more thoroughly. This, combined with their
‘heavy’ momentum meant that the Old Boys were able to score
two bases (including an outstanding yards kick from half way
up the pitch) in quick succession.
However the School were quick to reply, and after some
confusion over Tarquin Strickland’s, West Acre, parentage, the
School was able to take back the two bases it had just conceded.
In the end the OHs were proud to accept that they drew the
second half of the match, and the irritation of those other few
bases was soon forgotten. Man of the match goes to Alex Wade,
The Grove, for his brace of bases and the commitment shown
in both taking and blocking yards.
Beaks v Boys, 18 January
Beaks 4 v Boys 2
Beaks: CEGB, CWE, GLO, JPBH, CMC, WJA, DMM,
THH, JLM, NGJ, HAM, SJJH, JAA, BTM, DF, TPRL, JDBM
Boys: Peter March, The Park, Henry Petch, The Head Master’s,
Hugh Rowan, The Park, Edward Steward, The Park, Freddie
Copestick, The Park, Alex McGrath, West Acre, Angus Edwards,
The Park, Harry Mingay, The Park, Alexis Rambosson, Newlands,
Ben Greenberg, The Grove, Theo Seely, The Head Master’s,
Felix Reding-Reuter, Newlands, Rupert Stonehill, Elmfield,
Joshua Clay, The Head Master’s, James Little, Elmfield, Tom
Nevile, Elmfield, Harry Young, Newlands, Ollie Mason, The
Head Master’s, James Lane, The Park
This Sunday Harrow’s faculty became that little bit less shiny
as they trekked in impressive number down to Hempstalls
One to play the Captain’s XI at Footer. The pitch had made
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T H E
January 24, 2015
its quick transition from grass to mud despite the ‘dusting’ of
snow it had been given on Friday night, as rather poetically
described by Rowan.
Both teams were handicapped. The boys had already played
House matches that afternoon and so were looking rather red
in the face whilst the majority of the Beaks’ team had enjoyed
a merry Burn’s night the evening before. Nonetheless, after
some muttered intent of gentle revenge for past spatters of
rouge double, the teams took their place and the game began.
The Beaks, taught and captained by CEGB, were quick to seize
the downhill advantage and soon were putting pressure on the
anchor that is Neville. JLM was quick to show his hand, making
impressive runs into the Boys’ half. However, with delayed
following up, the boys were able to defend for a while against
such intrusions. Unfortunately for the boys, CEGB had taught
his team well and so called ‘Follow Up’ and himself showed
the way deep into the Boys’ half with faithful support from
WJA, HAM and (insert a new beaks initials). Soon yards were
well given, well taken and well kicked, and the boys found
themselves 2-0 down.
The boys were not, despite their fatigue, going to give up
that easily. Trump cards Stewart, Mason and Lane (aka – the
Grapehawk) were played and the Beaks found themselves
licking their wounds at 2-2.
The next part of the game was a blur of mud and exhaustion
with highlights being Stonehill toppling face first into the mud,
BTM seeing red and rugby tackling Copestick to the ground,
and (whilst not exactly a highlight, for I believe it was a soccer
base), the Beaks scoring again. The boys were soon allowed
to score again when NGJ took CEGB’s new mud goatee as a
challenge to his more-than-a-month-long-lasting Movember
and got distracted.
There was still time for a hero to emerge, for one man to
take the stage and cement his name in Footer history – this
responsibility fell to JDBM. Showing no confusion, this Sheldon
scored the winning base with great style and skill.
The game was played in great spirit and was a pleasure to
take part in – thank you to both sides for their enthusiasm for
the game. Thanks also go to CDLM for umpiring the game and
to BJDS for having us all for tea afterwards.
H A R R O V I A N
the St John’s striker. Harrow countered and continued to create
chances, dominating possession for the middle twenty minutes
of the first half. After that, the game became stretched again
and a St John’s free-kick wasn’t fully cleared and St John’s
took their opportunity to double their lead at the end of the half.
The introduction of Coilin Flynn, Moretons, after half-time
helped to give Harrow a greater control in the second half.
Good link up play between Flynn, Sam Shashoua, Rendalls,
and George Gould, Lyon’s, helped to create several chances,
although they were met with some stoic defending and superb
goalkeeping from St John’s.
Harrow hit the woodwork four times in the second half, the
highlight being Shashoua’s free-kick which was excellent tipped
on to the cross bar. Just as it looked like it wouldn’t be Harrow’s
day, a great through-ball from Mark Freeman, Bradbys, was
seized upon by Alfa who sent the goalkeeper the wrong way
to bring Harrow back into the game.
Harrow almost suffered a set-back as a St John’s substitute
nearly restored their two-goal advantage, but continued to
apply the pressure. The last five minutes were played almost
totally in St John’s defensive third, but Harrow just couldn’t
find the equalising goal.
2nd XI v St John’s 3rd XI v St John’s
4th XI v St John’s (Away)
5th XI v St John’s
Colts A v St John’s
Colts B v St John’s
Colts C v St John’s
Junior Colts A v St John’s Junior Colts B v St John’s
Junior Colts C v St John’s
Junior Colts D v St John’s
Yearlings A v St John’s
Yearlings B v St John’s
Yearlings C v St John’s
Yearlings E v St John’s
Won
Won
Lost
Won
Won
Won
Won
Drew
Won
Won
Won
Won
Won
Drew
Won
SOCCER
The School 1st XI v St John’s
17 January (Away), Lost 2-1
Scorer: O. Alfa, The Knoll
Harrow began their first game of the season coming off
an unbeaten Autumn. The opening moments showed that it
was going to be an even, counter-attacking game with Archie
Lloyd’s glancing header cannoning off the post – something
which would come to typify the 1st XI’s unfortunate afternoon.
Shortly after, indecisive defending led to an easy crossing
opportunity which was skilfully headed into the far corner by
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330
2-1
1-4
4-2
4-1
2-1
2-0
6-1
1-1
2-1
5-0
6-0
2-1
3-0
1-1
8-0