Old Hamptonians` Chronicle - Q-Flip Interactive Page Flip Turning

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The Lion 2013-2014
SCHOOL
pages 1-27
ARTS
pages 28-53
TRIPS
pages 54-76
SPORT
pages 77-134
THE OLD
HAMPTONIANS’
CHRONICLE
pages 135-164
DESIGN AND DTP
Jiri Musil
OUTSIDE COVER
Joel Baker
EDITOR
Paul Thomas
For team sports photos go to www.kickphoto.co.uk
The Editor wishes to thank
Martyn Payne, Jo Iredale, Sarah
Dearden and Claire Shepherd
From The Headmaster’s Study
How quickly twelve months have passed in the life of the School and it is
once again a great privilege to write some words of introduction to another
wonderful edition of The Lion magazine. Hampton School has enjoyed a
tremendous year and continues to excel across the full range of academic
and co-curricular activities, as a glance through these pages – a triumph by
Editor Paul Thomas and his team – will demonstrate fully.
Hampton provides an outstanding academic environment and examination
results in Summer 2014 again placed us in the top echelon of UK
schools, with our Upper Sixth boys achieving a best-ever A* percentage
at A Level/Pre-U and our Fifth Years securing a remarkable total of 1172
A* grades at I/GCSE between them. Twenty five Oxbridge places were
confirmed and virtually all Upper Sixth leavers secured places at a Russell
Group or equivalent university, to read for an impressively wide range of
undergraduate degrees.
Outside the classroom, the cultural life of the School has been extremely
rich and varied. We have been inspired by many superb dramatic and
musical productions, including those of Chicago and Aeschylus’ Agamemnon
(both in conjunction with The Lady Eleanor Holles School), and concerts
too numerous to list here. The School’s male voice choir, Voices of Lions,
auditioned successfully for the National Choir of the Year Competition
2014 and has reached the October category finals at the Royal Festival Hall.
We retain our reputation as one of the country’s finest sporting schools, both in terms of the high standards of play and conduct
and the variety and depth of participation. There are few finer and more uplifting sights at Hampton than our busy playing
fields on Saturday mornings or indeed the 3G pitch on a sunny lunchtime! Our 1st XI footballers collected the Trinity and
Surrey Cups, with the U13 XI also winning their version of the latter competition; the Under 12B squad reached the national
English Schools’ final and five boys played for ISFA national representative sides. The 1st XV made the quarter-finals of the
NatWest Cup and was named Rugby World Team of the Month in January. Our senior Tennis players reached the Team Tennis
Schools’ final for the second successive year. The U14 XI cricketers won the Middlesex Cup while the U16 XI secured the King’s
Cup. The Boat Club flourishes: Hampton crews won nineteen events across eight summer regattas and the 1st VIII reached the
semi-finals at Henley.
This magazine’s evocative and colourful account of the 2013-14 School year shows that Hamptonians continue to aspire
to excellence in all that they do, but with everything approached in a well-balanced, compassionate and caring way. Three
adjectives continue to be especially important to us and epitomise the School: lively, friendly and unpretentious. Each of these
words forms part of the essence of Hampton and they set us apart. Our boys are wonderfully talented and have strong personal
ambition, but they support one another in generous-spirited fashion; they treat people with respect and on their merits, inside
and outside the School gates; and I am confident that they will go on to display insight, empathy and cheerful resilience across
many fields in adult life.
Whether it is while I am observing lessons, standing on a touchline, boundary or towpath, or enjoying the many concerts and
performances, it is a humbling day-to-day experience to witness so much talent, flair and enthusiasm on display from boys and
staff alike. The School is thriving, the future seems as bright as ever and demand for places is greater than ever before. Hampton
remains the most wonderful place in which to learn and our relaxed but purposeful atmosphere is something we must all continue to cherish and uphold. Thank you for the sincere and generous support that I have received from all sections of the Hampton community. It remains
a profound honour to serve as Headmaster of our truly exceptional School.
Kevin Knibbs
Headmaster
the lion the magazine of hampton school
2013-2014
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Stephanie Kirby
I am returning to teaching part-time after a
rewarding period bringing up my two small
children. Before having children, I worked for many
years as an Art teacher. My most recent job
was in a state boarding school in Norfolk
called Wymondham College, which was
a rewarding and exciting place to work. During my time there I taught Fine Art
and also set up a course in Textiles. At the
same time, on a national level, I worked as a
principal moderator for A Level for the exam
board Edexcel. Amongst other things, this
involved writing exam papers and training
teachers how to assess art.
Andrew Blyth
I first came to Hampton School as a student,
50 years ago in 1964. I spent just over six
very happy years here getting involved in
rugby, cricket and chess teams, amongst
other things. I then studied Mathematics
at Lincoln College, Oxford and followed
this by teaching at Eton College. Boarding
school life was very interesting but was not
what I wanted to do long term and so I
moved on, eventually returning to Hampton
as a member of staff for the first six years of
the 1980s.
After that I felt a need to break from school
life and entered the world of computing,
working for British Aerospace and ICI for
a number of years. Eventually the trend of
outsourcing, downsizing and reorganisation
left me without a job shortly after the turn
of the millennium. I came back to teaching,
this time at St George’s College in Weybridge
where I have been for the last twelve years.
I have now (semi-)retired and have been
delighted to come back to Hampton on a
short-term part-time basis to cover for Mr
McBay. The School is very different from
the one I left in 1986 – in particular in its
size and the facilities now available to the
students – but in other ways it still has a
familiar feel to it. I am looking forward to
my time here, however short it may be.
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Ashley Tilling
I am now thrilled to be working at Hampton
in a friendly and high-achieving department. I have been impressed with the boys so far As a Kingston boy I was educated at a local
and look forward to helping them produce primary school, moved to Newland House
School for two years and then gained a place
some fantastic artwork.
at Tiffin School. Not only did I enjoy singing
in the school choir and being in the school
scout group, but I also started a lifelong love
of rowing, starting as a J14 cox but moving
up to row in the 1st VIII. I was awarded a
scholarship to join the Royal Navy whilst
taking O Levels (the predecessors of GCSEs)
and so went from school to naval training at
Dartmouth and then to the RN Engineering
College in Plymouth to take a degree. I
served in a variety of warships, being lucky
enough to spend time on each on patrol in
the West Indies and east coast of the USA.
I left the RN at a career break point and
became a Physics teacher. I have worked
in a number of schools at different levels of
responsibility, including KCS Wimbledon
and Sir William Perkins’s School. I still spend
time training and competing at rowing for
Weybridge RC, umpiring, coaching and
running events. I am keen on mountain
walking, including supervising and assessing
D of E expeditions, and I’m looking forward
to my family’s annual New Year trip to the
Lake District. 2013-2014
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Harriet Hansell
Although I have always loved books (a good
sign in a librarian!), I’ve spent as much time
making music as reading. In fact, I studied
Music at the University of Oxford, playing
the violin and viola in various ensembles and
singing at my college, Merton, as a choral
scholar. I also joined the college ladies’
cricket team, to which I contributed a great
deal about how cricket should be played (I
was born in Yorkshire, after all) but very
little actual playing talent!
Dom Saul
I was born in Surrey, and after completing
my A Levels, moved to the south coast to
read Geography at Southampton. Whilst at
Southampton, I seemed to spend as much
time on the river or sea as I did doing
Geography, and was heavily involved in
running the Boat Club as well as learning to
sail. I have been involved with rowing as an
athlete or as a coach for ten years since taking
up the sport as a schoolboy – I am looking
forward to carrying on this involvement
coaching the J16s here at Hampton.
After university, I spent a year at St Edward’s
School, Oxford, as a graduate assistant and
tutor in a boarding house, before moving
to the south-west to complete my PGCE at
Exeter University. I was lucky to be placed
in schools in Newquay and Truro, allowing
me to live five minutes’ walk from the beach!
My main interests outside school are
hillwalking, mountaineering and climbing,
as well as trying my hand at a variety of
watersports (with varying levels of success).
I enjoy getting out on rock and climbing
whenever possible, and I am currently
planning my first trip to climb in the
Himalayas next summer.
After leaving university, I took myself off to
Paris for a couple of months, becoming an
au pair in order to fund sight-seeing. I then
decided to return to university, embarking on
an MA in Medieval Studies at the University
of York’s Centre for Medieval Studies, a
programme that included medieval history,
literature, palaeography, art and languages
– my Old French is perhaps better than my
modern French!
While finishing my dissertation (on Religious
Drama in Medieval Castile), I began working
part-time in my local library, where I spent
most of my time singing nursery rhymes
with toddlers, reading stories to children,
running a reading group and encouraging
interest in the teenage demographic.
Working in a school library seemed an
obvious direction to pursue, and I’m very
happy to be joining the Hampton School
Library. Please feel free to come to the library
and say hello, but don’t be too surprised if
you bump into me in the Music Department
instead…
Guy Baker
I am an old Hamptonian and although some
of the same teachers remain, the reality is
that the School has changed a fair bit since
I was here – the results and sport facilities
have definitely improved! After completing
my A Levels at Hampton I went on to the
University of Oxford, where I took a Master’s
degree in Biochemistry. As well as working
relatively hard at my degree, I managed to
find time to represent my college 1st team
at numerous sports including rugby, cricket
and croquet!
On leaving university I joined a graduate
scheme called Teach First. During this
course I taught for three years at Feltham
Community College and gained my
teaching qualifications. As part of the
scheme I decided to gain some experience
outside of teaching and so joined Accenture
(an IT consultancy firm), where I worked
for five years.
Before joining Accenture I took three
months off to travel around New Zealand
and Australia, where I saw lots of wildlife
including platypuses, echidnas, wombats
and cassowaries. My other interests apart
from travelling revolve mainly around sport:
I currently play rugby and cricket for the
Old Hamptonians.
I am very much looking forward to joining
the Biology and Chemistry departments at
Hampton as well as helping out with rugby
coaching.
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James Brookes
Marc Boardman
Born in London and raised initially in
Australia, I spent most of my early years
growing up in West Sussex, a few minutes’
walk from Shelley’s boyhood home of Field
Place. In 1999 I won an academic scholarship
to Cranleigh School in Surrey, where I
became captain of the very enthusiastic but
somewhat less successful school fencing
team. I went on to read English and Creative
Writing at Warwick University and managed
to graduate with a First, but sadly failed to
get anywhere near a competitive sports team!
After university I spent some time working
in publishing, then decided on postgraduate
study at the University of Law in Guildford.
While looking for a permanent role as a
solicitor, I re-joined my old school Cranleigh
in 2011 to do some part-time teaching
of English and History. Very quickly I
realised that I much preferred teaching to
the law and was appointed full-time as the
Williams Librarian from September 2011.
In the meanwhile, I was fortunate enough
to publish two books of poetry, picking up
an Eric Gregory Award for most promising
poets under 30 from the Society of Authors
and being shortlisted for the international
Dylan Thomas Prize. New opportunities in
London began to beckon and summer 2014
brought several great changes: marriage,
moving with my wife to Wimbledon, and
starting a new full-time English role at
Hampton. I’m excited to share my passion
for writing and reading and my enthusiasm
(though perhaps not talent) for fencing.
Having spent part of my life in France
and having French family and friends, I
have always been passionate about French
language, culture and history – from La
Marseillaise to Le Parisien.
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I read French and Spanish at Oxford
University, dividing my time between
academic work and sports teams,
representing my college in hockey and
football. I specialized in Golden Age Spanish
literature, Catalan literature in exile during
the Civil War, and French 17th and 19th
Century literature.
Carin Erasmus
I was born in Rustenburg, South Africa.
After finishing school I attended the
Potchefstroom University for Christian
Higher Education, now the North West
University. My first teaching position was at
Daniel Pienaar Technical High School.
I then moved to the US where I taught
at Bartlett Yancey High School in North
Carolina. Though I loved living in the US,
my contract expired and I thought that
moving to the UK would give me the perfect
opportunity to visit Europe.
I was recently naturalised and am now the
proud owner of a British passport.
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During my degree I spent a year in Málaga,
where I taught English in a secondary
school. I also lived in France, working for
the French Ministry of Agriculture in Paris.
Upon completing my degree, I went to
Neuquén, Northern Patagonia, Argentina,
where I taught in a bilingual school and
travelled, mainly around the Andes. More
recently I have taught in the villages on the
shores of Lake Iseo, Italy.
I am passionate about Hispanic and
Francophone cultures, cuisine, history and
traditions. I believe they should be shared
and enjoyed as part of the teaching of French
and Spanish at Hampton.
school
Yi Hong Zhang
Joanne Wilberforce
I was born in Manchuria, which is beyond
the Great Wall in the northeast of China. I subsequently moved to Shanghai where I
qualified as a Mandarin Teacher, teaching
Chinese to overseas students. I left this
work to study for a Master’s degree in
Contemporary and Modern Chinese
Literature at Xiamen University, which is
one of the most prestigious universities
in China. It is often said that Xiamen
University has the most beautiful campus
in China because of its unique geographic
characteristics. After graduating I taught
IGCSE and AS in an International School
in Shanghai for three years.
In the summer before my A Levels I spent
a month in Andalucía teaching English in
a ramshackle shed that endearingly named
itself an ‘international school’ and after one
month, I was hooked. Spending the mornings
engaging with foreign students and the
afternoons gabbling away in Spanish before
putting my two left feet to work at Salsa, I
was inspired to pursue French and Spanish at
Cambridge and to teach thereafter.
I came to London in 2003 to experience
life in the West, and studied for a Master’s
degree in Education, followed by a Master’s
degree in Applied Linguistics. I worked
in Putney High School for seven years,
where I introduced Mandarin to the school
curriculum and taught the subject at
GCSE, AS, A2 and Pre-U (Short Course)
levels. Whilst at Putney I introduced
Shanghai Jin Yuan School to Putney as a
Student Exchange Partner. Aside from teaching Mandarin, I am also an
Edexcel Examiner in Mandarin at AS and
A2 levels and CIE (Cambridge International
Education) at Pre-U level. I am delighted
to have joined the Modern Languages
Department at Hampton School and look
forward to contributing to the School as a
whole. Mark Yates
Although I was born in Kingston upon
Thames and spent the first few years of my
life literally in Kew Gardens (my father was
a curator there), I went to school at RGS
Guildford. I had always been interested in
Science but developed a particular interest in
Astronomy, so it was a natural if somewhat
unusual choice to read for a BSc in
Astronomy at University College London.
After obtaining my first degree I moved to
the University of Edinburgh to work on
a PhD. I arrived in Scotland a complete
Sassenach but rapidly fell in love with the
country. My thesis was on ‘Optical and
Infrared Observations of Active Galaxies’
and involved using telescopes at many exotic
locales such as Mauna Kea in Hawaii, Chile,
Australia and the Canary Islands.
I then moved to the University of
California, Berkeley for a two year postdoctoral fellowship, followed by two years
in Heidelberg at the Max-Planck-Institut
für Astronomie where I rapidly had to learn
German, which I had foolishly abandoned at
an early stage in school.
Hailing from Stratford-upon-Avon, I have
grown up on stories of Shakespeare and my
love of literature was kindled from an early age.
My time at University was spent marvelling
at mad surrealist French writers and Golden
Age Spanish playwrights, and eager to explore
further, I embarked on my Master’s and PhD
in French literature at UCL.
Studying languages led me to Paris for two
years: the first as a student at the Sorbonne;
the second as an English teacher there. The
learning curve was fairly steep! Yet, slowly
understanding the patter of French students
– worlds apart from my students at UCL –
was incredibly rewarding. I joined a theatre
troupe and put on plays in squares across
Paris; I braved the strikes at the lefty Paris
VIII; I spent afternoons marking while
nursing a café crème. My PhD brought
me to New York to present papers, while
the long summers allowed me to gallivant
around the Basque Country in a tipi, to
discover Marquez’s Colombia, and to go
wine tasting around Argentina.
I come to teaching at Hampton full of the
vibrancy of studying languages, and I can’t
wait to share in the boys’ experiences of
encountering these thrilling cultures for
themselves.
I decided it was time to leave the nomadic
academic life and trained to become a
Physics teacher. I worked for five years at
St. Olave’s Grammar School in Orpington
and three years at Whitgift School in South
Croydon. Most recently I have been Head of
Physics at Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet.
2013-2014
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Neal Carrier
Nick Collins
I attended the University of Warwick for my
undergraduate degree, and continued taught
education at The University of Manchester.
In 2011 I returned to Warwick to start a
PhD in early modern English literature and
modern Irish literature. I’m finishing the
PhD as I start my teaching work here.
The best part of doctoral study is tutoring,
and in my time at Warwick I have been
lucky to tutor several undergraduate classes.
I take this energy into my teaching here
at Hampton, which is my first post as a
secondary-school teacher – though I did
spend one month here in the last academic
year (it’s good to be back!). My classes enjoy
(suffer?) my educating them in Latin and
French as much as in English – my students
correct my errors only a few times each week.
Though I was a keen sportsman at school
and university (sadly netball doesn’t run
here at Hampton), my skills have fallen by
the wayside. I hope to resurrect my football
prowess without suffering too many injuries
along the way.
I spent seven very happy years at Hampton
as a pupil (1997-2004) and I am absolutely
thrilled to be returning to the Religious
Studies and Philosophy Department to
take up my first teaching post. Since leaving
Hampton I have been studying. I first took
a BA in Philosophy at University College
London. I then moved to the University of
Oxford to take an MPhil in Political Theory.
Towards the end of my time at Oxford
I was appointed to a Jane Eliza Procter
Fellowship at Princeton University. After a
wonderful year in America I began a PhD in
Philosophy at the University of Cambridge.
I did another stint in America during my
doctoral studies when I was a visiting student
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
for the Fall Term of 2012, and I finished my
PhD in July 2014.
Rugby was a large part of my life when I was
a pupil at Hampton so I particularly look
forward to getting involved with Hampton
Rugby again. More broadly, engaging
with the co-curricular life of the School
is very important to me and I anticipate
contributing to a range of the many
activities that go on at Hampton. Outside
of school I enjoy travelling, hiking, keeping
fit, cooking, consuming bestselling books
and blockbuster films, watching rugby and
cricket, and walking our dog – ‘Obi-Wan’ –
in the Surrey countryside.
When I’m not tutoring, teaching or injuring
myself I spend some of my spare time
taking part in pub quizzes and running a
proofreading business. Sadly for my students,
it means that I’m very quick to correct their
use of apostrophes; they’re already coming
round to my way of thinking.
Mike Baker
I was born in Surrey and went on to
attend RGS Guildford. It was at RGS that
I developed a passion for taking part in
any and every competitive sport. Having
spent seven fantastic years in Guildford,
I travelled the relatively short distance to
Royal Holloway, University of London, to
study English Literature. It was there that
I developed a particular interest in reading
Booker Prize fiction, Austen and Keats.
Although completing both an undergraduate
and Master’s degree in my four years there,
up to seven days a week involved training
or playing hockey for the university and
various clubs across Surrey. I had the
pleasure of captaining the University 1st XI
in my second year and, during my time
at Royal Holloway, I was also able to earn
qualifications as a Level 1 Umpire and a
Level 2 Hockey coach – proudly going on to
coach the Ladies’ 2nd and 3rd teams as well as
my own beloved Men’s 1st team. Hockey is a
passion that I still pursue today, frequently
representing a London Edwardian’s side at
the weekend.
Despite not taking a Gap Year, I thoroughly
enjoy travelling. Poland remains a particular
favourite to return to as it gives me an
opportunity to visit family and exercise my
fluency in the language – certainly handy
when on holiday there! On quieter days, I
can be found walking my Cavalier King
Charles Spaniel puppy on the common, at
the theatre, fundraising for charities dear
to me (which has included doing a nighttime marathon across London) or simply
recovering from the demands of the school
week!
Having completed my PGCE, I taught
for two years at Berkhamsted School in
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Hertfordshire. I now look forward to the
prospect of teaching at Hampton School and
to conveying just a part of my enthusiasm
to the pupils both inside and outside the
classroom.
Paddy Walsh
I was born and raised in Sale, close to
Manchester. I spent many weekends going
on family walking holidays to the Lake
District, Snowdonia and the Peak District.
This sparked my interest for the outdoors
and I began a BTEC in Outdoor Education
at Reaseheath College.
I moved on to study for a Bachelor’s
degree in Outdoor Activities at UCLAN
(University of Central Lancashire). My
degree was interspersed with several jobs
working on outdoor-based summer camps
in varied locations such as the Peak District,
the Lake District and the Surrey Hills. I also
spent three summers working and travelling
around the Swiss Alps.
Upon leaving university I began an
instructor trainee scheme, putting outdoor
activity theories into practice. After a short
time shadowing other outdoor professionals
I became a freelance instructor working on
week-long residential courses for school
groups in Snowdonia, North Wales.
Tom Hill
Originally from Cheshire, and schooled
in Shropshire, I studied Combined Social
Sciences at Durham University. The Boat
Club played a central role in my life at
university and one of my proudest moments
was winning the Prince Albert Challenge
Cup at Henley Royal Regatta.
After university I worked for nearly four
years at Tesco: firstly in Bangalore, India
and subsequently for the Communications
and Events Department in Hertfordshire.
As a lifelong fan of the Olympic Games (at
the last count I have attended five!) I was
fortunate to land a job at the Organising
Committee for London 2012. I spent
two extremely fulfilling years working as
part of an ever-growing team to deliver
successful Olympic and Paralympic Games
with specific responsibility relating to the
broadcasters and partners of the Games.
Maria Stuart
Maria Stuart joins the Chemistry
Department following a PGCE at Oxford.
I come to Hampton after spending a year
in Bratislava, Slovakia, working at the
Cambridge International School. I worked
with the school’s extra-curricular programme
to deliver a series of outdoor courses and
trips. I spent many of my weekends and
holidays exploring the foothills of the
Alps in Austria and the High Tatras of the
Carpathian mountain range.
I look forward to working at Hampton to
deliver a busy schedule of outdoor learning
programmes and trips as I facilitate the
Duke of Edinburgh’s award.
Graham Nicholls
Graham Nicholls will be teaching Design
and Technology at Hampton. He has
previously taught at London Electronics
College and before this, at Dulwich College.
A long-planned change of career into
teaching has followed, and I have recently
qualified as a teacher from the Institute of
Education in Central London. I am looking
forward to joining the energetic Geography
Department and the enthusiastic team down
at the Boat House.
2013-2014
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In summer 2014 I bought a house in
the local area and am very excited about
teaching in a new school. Hampton is one of
the most welcoming, friendly, unpretentious
schools I have ever visited, and this has been
reinforced in my first few days here. The
boys and staff, not to mention the food,
have been wonderful and I’m just hoping
the former don’t start to ‘par’ my love for
cake Fridays, laminating, colour-coding
and other general quirks. I think 2014-15 is
going to be a great year!
Louise Teunissen
Verity Short
I grew up in Oxford and stayed there for
university, studying English Language and
Literature at Oxford University. Whilst
there I often got asked (and still do) why
I stayed in my home town, but in reality
student life amongst the dreaming spires is
very different to school life in sixties blocks.
Tutorials in wooden panelled rooms,
climbing up Castle Mound to watch the
sun rise and lounging in beautiful quads –
inevitably procrastinating – were certainly
not part of my sixth form existence.
Verity Short will also be joining the
Mathematics Department. She joins
Hampton from St George’s School in
Weybridge.
After university I moved to a delightfully
higgledy-piggledy little town in Essex
where I could watch boats sail past my
window. I completed teacher training
on the job in a large comprehensive and
subsequently moved to London. My last
four years were spent teaching at The
John Lyon School, where I was in charge
of Gifted and Talented provision and the
Higher Project Qualification. As well
as developing my skills in teaching the
wonder of the written word, working with
the John Lyon boys equipped me with new
vocabulary of the slang variety, including
‘allow’, ironically meaning (I think) ‘let
it go’, as in ‘Allow homework!’; ‘par’, as
in ‘haha, you got parred by Miss’; ‘peak’;
‘mirkin it’ and ‘do you even lift, bro?’ I’m
not sure if I’m hoping these will be useful
at Hampton or whether I’d rather I never
had to use them again…
Aside from teaching, my interests include
(unsurprisingly) reading – I am very much
enjoying being part of a nearby book
group – philosophy, films, walking and
art. My parents owned a delicatessen and
I am passionate about cooking and having
people round for dinner.
8
Rohit Trivedi
Rohit Trivedi joins the Mathematics
Department from Cranleigh School.
Susan Newing
Susan Newing replaces Ros Cash as our new
School Nurse. She has joined Hampton
from a similar role at St Benedict’s School
in Ealing.
Bethany Flatt
Bethany Flatt joins the Mathematics
Department from Norwich School.
2013-2014
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Ros Cash
Initially I baulked at the invitation to write something about Mrs Cash, or ‘Nursie’, for The
Lion: how does one do justice to someone once described by the Bishop of London as an ‘icon’?
The inadequacy of what follows will be abundantly clear to everyone who has ever known her.
I first met Mrs Cash at a Parents’ Evening shortly before she started working here: there were
two boys called Tom in my First Form Latin class that year, one of whom was her son. To her
initial bewilderment and then amusement, I started talking about the other one.
All three of Mrs Cash’s sons have been through the School, and in consequence she has
acquired an expert knowledge of the ‘Hampton boy’. She has, for instance, always been very
good at distinguishing between the headaches assumed to avoid a Maths test in the next
period and genuine cases of feeling unwell – when she has combined businesslike efficiency
with reassurance, sympathy and support. Some of the most stressful times of my teaching
career have been when she has been out of school and I have had to cover for her as a First-Aider. In contrast, she has always dealt with all
forms of playground casualty (these seem usually to arise in the very last few minutes of lunch break) with imperturbable calmness.
In addition to her job as School Nurse, Mrs Cash has contributed immensely through her enthusiasm, her sense of fun and her positive
outlook on everything to the co-curricular life of the School. Many will remember her from the numerous Adventure Society trips in
which she has been involved, to Swanage, Dartmoor, Snowdonia and beyond, or will know of her passion for travel, which has led her to
accompany many trips abroad. As a colleague once observed, ‘she’s never happier than when confronted with some indescribable foodstuff
in a far-flung part of the globe or being harassed or chatted up by hawkers in the souks of the Middle East!’ We have photographs…
Another colleague once said of Mrs Cash that ‘Without her, I fear that the School might fall down.’ It is for this reason no doubt a
considerable relief to the Bursar that she will not be leaving us entirely as she will continue to accompany School trips. Therefore we will still
have the reassurance of being able to call on her good sense and expertise if things go wrong while being able to groan at her truly terrible
jokes when they do not. Nevertheless, we wish her and her long-suffering husband a very happy retirement.
TJL
David Perfect
When David said to me ‘I am retiring’, my first thought was: ‘I don’t think so David – I would describe you as quite forthright.’ But then he
said: ‘No, no, I am 65 years old, my teaching is coming to the end.’ And so it was that after ten years at Hampton, David retired last June.
And since then, the Maths Department has not been quite the same. So what is it that we have been missing about David?
Firstly, as a classroom teacher, David’s approach was absolutely exemplary. He jovially marched U6FM1 through M5 (and beyond) while
spending just as much time championing the strugglers at the lower end of the School. He sent long emails to parents when he felt the School’s
grading system was insufficiently nuanced. He often left no stone unturned in searching for the key to unlock a boy’s potential. He ran the Sixth
Form Maths clinic every Thursday since time immemorial. He was also passionate about pedagogy. He was willing, with the boys’ interests at
heart, to engage in debates about red pens, iPads or Decision Maths ad infinitum. Secondly, as a mentor to other teachers, David was extremely dedicated. He was as dedicated to his mentees as he was to the boys that he
taught. He looked out for them to the extent that, when one became unable to look after her chickens, David stepped in and chased them
(with their unclipped wings) all over the house.
Thirdly, as a moral force and guarantor of high standards, David was powerful. He never shied away from robustly chastising boys for being
hapless, spineless or work-shy. Indeed, I too have occasionally felt the force of David’s tongue but, whenever we have had disagreements, we
have always shared a common set of axioms: the good of the boys and the School. I greatly respect David’s strongly held opinions and I have
always been grateful for his willingness to share them.
Fourthly, as a Form Tutor and Head of Year, again, David was also extremely dedicated. He was a very wise and humane fatherly figure to many
boys. Fifthly, as a Chairman of Common Room, he was efficient and authoritative. He was also an excellent advocate of members’ interests.
Sixthly, as a teller of rugby/beer/submarine stories, he was prolific and highly entertaining. If ever you get the chance, it is well worth asking
him how the Daily Mail nearly cost us the Falklands war.
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Seventhly, as a rugby referee, he was characterful and uncompromising.
Sadly, having never witnessed David’s refereeing myself, I feel I am
unqualified to say more than that.
So far so good, but let’s remember that David is a straight-talking chap.
He calls a spade a spade and he does not like unfinished business. So, eighthly, as an advocate of politically correct terminology, David
continually ‘required improvement’. Many of his favourite phrases such
as ‘Good evening bonnie lass’ should not have been used in reports or
at parents’ meetings.
So there we are. We are missing David a lot. On balance, it is fair to say
that David’s service of Hampton School has been truly outstanding. He
has made the School a richer and more colourful place and he has been
much loved, as a teacher, by many boys past and present. EBB
Janis Axton
Stuart Whitwell
Janis Axton has left Hampton after working for seventeen years in the
School Library. During that time the Library saw much change, such
as major refurbishments and the introduction of new technology, but
one constant was Mrs Axton’s commitment to providing a high-quality
library service for students and staff alike.
Stuart’s first memory of Hampton is actually confused with his
first memory of Squire’s in Fulwell. He was early for the interview,
and having driven in from Newbery he needed to take his rest
before his interviews with Jeremy Sims, Ski Paraskos, Alan Stranks
and Barry Martin. But in fact, the first person he met was none
of these people. The first person he met was a world-traveller who
called herself Louise Rawstorne – the same Louise who is now
the wife of a Le Creuset-selling husband in Australia. So most of
Stuart’s earliest memories of Hampton are not about Hampton at
all, or are about people who are no longer here, or are preserved
in Stuart’s head as fragments of memory, or partial memories, or
ghosts.
Mrs Axton brought many qualities to her work. Among the most
remarkable were her hypersensitive hearing that could detect rustling
paper in any corner of the library, and the eyes in the back of her head.
She claimed that it was the CCTV system that enabled her to spot boys
who were up to no good, but when a technological hitch stopped the
cameras working for a while there was no reduction in Mrs Axton’s
ability to catch miscreants.
There were more important qualities, however. Mrs Axton has a great
love of reading, and she loved to talk about books with library users,
providing recommendations which were nearly always spot on for the
person concerned. She loves to read Anne Tyler and Jane Austen, but
also has an extensive knowledge of books written by Antony Horowitz
and Robert Muchamore – perfect for Hampton School. She was also
terrific at helping anyone from First Year to Upper Sixth to find the
right source of information for the piece of work at hand.
Now Mrs Axton has a well-deserved opportunity to devote more time
to her passions, such as travelling and art, and most importantly to her
family. I’m sure that everyone at Hampton will join with me in wishing
her a long and happy retirement.
KH
In those days – greener days, when the School days were shorter
and the holidays longer – the students were bigger, harder, and
lazier than they are today, and one of them, during one of his
classes, punched a boy on the shoulder so hard he might have
killed a student of today, but in those days only had the effect of
raising the victim’s eyebrows in surprise. The reason for the blow
was rooted in an argument over America’s role in the invasion of
Iraq or some other country in that or some other distant region of
the world, but of course the issue for Stuart, as a new teacher – and
one who had taken over the English GCSE class of someone still
indirectly connected with School, so we need to be discreet – was
not the issue of war, but the issue of discipline. As Stuart himself
is not, physically at least, a giant, or anything approaching, and as
the boys of those days were bigger and harder than the students of
today, and as, further, that blow to the shoulder would have most
certainly knocked Stuart himself hard against the wall, there was a
moment that involved some physical courage on his part. But the
issue was resolved quickly and amicably and one of those boys,
whose mother, by the way, once told Stuart she was just grateful
that her son avoided going to Feltham Prison, became a good
friend, and was tutored by him even in the last year of university
many years later.
In those days, Stuart gave yearly sermons to the whole School
in which he worked through the torments of his youth – long,
complicated sermons that demonstrated his taste for knotty
problems, personal confession and extravagant intellectualism.
In general, the School liked to hear these assembly addresses,
but only once a year, because the tortures of those sometimes
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hidden from students, or revealed only
to those over the age of 16, exposes the
difficulty of categorising Stuart as a human
being or perhaps a different species. ‘What
are we to do with you?’ Barry Martin once
asked him in the privacy of the Head’s
study. This was after Stuart had failed to get
one of the jobs he applied for. It was a good
question which, even without an answer,
perhaps explains Stuart’s life-long problem
of getting past the interview stage in a life
of failed job applications.
beautiful passages could not be endured for
more than 10 or 15 minutes in every 365
days. Barry Martin, the Headmaster whose
massive size reminded people of those
bygone times when everyone was bigger and
harder, sometimes admired these sermons
and took away copies which, he said to
Stuart in private, he sometimes shared with
his wife.
Then, smaller people arrived. Not only
did the immigration of small people
affect the profile of the staff, they affected
the students, too, who were softer, more
delicate, and cleverer than their forebears.
Stuart liked these new boys and liked
their parents, some of whom he gathered
on Monday evenings to discuss literature,
one of the most meaningful and delightful
things he did in the School. But this
mention of delicacy reminds us that it
would be wrong to give the impression that
Stuart was a tormented intellectual, though
he sometimes held classes that bewildered,
inspired and amused his students in equal
measure; in fact, as one student once put it,
‘I get it now: Dr Whitwell is the clown of
the English Department’. This side, often
In fact, the most enduring characteristic of
Stuart is his restless, unsettled nature and
his curiosity for things new. In the Autumn,
Stuart is retreating into the high mountains
of New Mexico to spend time in a Buddhist
monastery and retreat centre. Buddhism
is the religion of restless souls and hungry
ghosts trying to calm down and see into the
nature of life as it is – a religion of the selfless
self. There, over the course of next year,
Stuart will make, or begin, one last effort
to conquer himself. (As this first chapter is
likely to take, by his own estimation, about
40 years, he is retiring a little early.) And
there, meditating in the mountains, he will
recall the many good and strange things that
befell him those years at Hampton. Years
where he learnt far more than he taught.
SCAW
Jacki Deakin
Jacki Deakin (formerly Dibden) joined Hampton in September 2002, due to the rise in
number of boys studying Physics in the Sixth Form. This trend has continued and the
department has doubled in size over the last 12 years, with Oxbridge numbers on the rise
and the boys enjoying the challenge of the Pre-U Physics course.
A teacher through and through, Jacki has particularly enjoyed training a number of staff ‘on
the job’, including Mr Woods, Mr Clark, Mr Pope and Mr Armstrong, and is delighted to
see them flourishing in their current roles. However, Jacki’s favourite place to be was in the
lab with her students, whether listening to the astonished ‘Wows!’ of First Year boys mixing
coloured light to make white light for the first time, or a Sixth Form boy so passionate about
Astronomy that he asked for a telescope for his 18th birthday.
A keen sportswoman, Jacki always looked forward to J14 Games Afternoons, and is now
incredibly adept at fishing single scullers out of the water from her coaching launch. She is a
veteran of many J14 Training Camps, and took great delight in her role as ‘Matron’ on the
first Wimbleball Lake Training Camp at Easter 2014. Keen to avoid gender stereotyping,
Jacki roped the boys into in a variety of household tasks including mopping floors and
cleaning toilets. Hopefully their families are now reaping the benefit – Mums take note!
Music is another of Jacki’s great passions, and she could usually be spotted scraping away on her double bass in the Orchestra, or leading the
contralto section astray in the Choir. She claims that ‘a wrong note sung with conviction is simply interpretation’.
Jacki will miss Hampton enormously, particularly ‘Physics banter’ with boys and the department, as well as the cake that could almost always
be found in the Physics Office. ‘The best thing about Hampton,’ she says, ‘is the sense of everyone – boys and staff – working together to
achieve a common purpose.’
Jacki moves to St. Catherine’s Bramley as Director of Studies.
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Liming Barrett
Henry Hardingham
Liming joined the School in 2008 when it was decided to introduce Mandarin
Chinese to the curriculum. Some schools have had somewhat mixed success with
this venture, due in large part to the difficulty of finding high-quality teachers of
Mandarin who understand the English system.
Mr Hardingham is leaving after four years of teaching
English at Hampton. He arrived fresh from a Master’s
in Modern Literature, tempering gloomy Twentieth
Century philosophy with a cheerier support of
Cheltenham Town Football Club. After a successful
couple of years as a regular foot soldier in the English
Department, Mr Hardingham made the move up to
Second in Department. Miss Dearden would always
be a tough act to follow, and visitors to the English
Office had to get used to the somewhat less pleasant
sight of Mr Hardingham in the unofficial Second
seat. However, behind the beard, glasses and big
headphones, Mr Hardingham proved just as helpful.
This despite the fact that he seemed to be making a
strange postmodern joke by ordering the English staff
numerous pens that made all the outward displays of
being useful implements, but actually prevented any
form of writing. The book cupboard was given some
sense of order and, presumably, the other more secret
roles of Department Second were fulfilled admirably.
Hampton had no such difficulties, and Mandarin Chinese now thrives alongside the
other four languages taught here. This success is due entirely to Liming and her very
many great qualities. Enormously warm and personable, Liming was always very
popular with the boys, the importance of which is particularly great in a one-person
department – as the Mandarin Department was for the vast majority of Liming’s
time here. The boys appreciated in her someone who cared deeply about the subject
and about their well-being and success.
Liming is an exceptional classroom teacher: her lessons were always meticulously
prepared, with vivid resources. She threw herself into lessons with huge energy and
enthusiasm and always displayed genuine and apparently spontaneous pleasure
when boys answered correctly or spoke well in lessons. Each year, Liming’s efforts
were crowned with ever more spectacular GCSE results: over 60 boys sat GCSE
Mandarin during Liming’s time here and over 90% of them gained A*.
Liming also recognised the need for determination in order to get her subject off
the ground and to compete for pupils with other subjects in the School – in the
knowledge that growth in one area might imply a reduction elsewhere. Liming
managed this with excellent judgement and diplomatic skill.
All of these activities and the present success of Mandarin Chinese here are a
testament to Liming’s drive and enthusiasm. Liming leaves a huge legacy but she
will also be missed greatly on a personal level by all in the Modern Languages
Department and her friends outside. We will certainly miss the truly world-class
massages and the Chinese sweets. We thank her for her huge contribution and wish
her all the best in her new life up in Lancaster.
I could write a fair amount here about his many
useful contributions to the School. How various
boys have navigated his dense project packs, which
have left everyone passing through Third Year with
a sound knowledge of world literature and war
poetry. How Sixth Formers have benefited from his
Form Tutorship and his football coaching as Masterin-Charge of the 3rd XI. How his Lower School
cricket coaching proved helpful, as did his annual
summer trips to Sweden for the Youth World Cup.
But perhaps the greatest loss to the School will be
his role as the catalyst for some fine art produced by
a selection of relatively unartistic boys. The various
cartoon ‘Hardinghams’ have been pouring in quite
regularly and, whilst the obligatory beard and glasses
have heavily featured, more inventive depictions
have seen him transmogrified into an odd war-like
hero saving the Hampton students standing behind
him. Much hope remains that this will be how he is
remembered.
DEP
AF
Liming went many miles above and beyond in order to take the teaching of
Mandarin Chinese outside the classroom, single-handedly running an amazing
array of activities and trips. These include three trips to China; the annual trip to
Chinatown in London; three years at the national Chinese-speaking competition
– reaching the final on each occasion – and four years at the national calligraphy
competition. She also ran Mandarin Chinese taster courses for 1st Years at lunchtime,
founded the Denmead Mandarin Chinese Club, and instigated tai-chi lessons at the
School. On top of all this, Liming somehow found the time to mentor GTP and
PGCE students and was a popular and supportive Form Tutor.
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Joe Clarke
Whenever I mark an exam, I think to myself, ‘should I mark this
positively or negatively?’ That is, will it be quicker to count up all
the marks gained or all the marks lost? If the paper is likely to be a
good one, it will probably be easier to do the latter.
So onto Joe. Joe has been very close to what I would describe
as a model teacher so, to save a bit of time getting an accurate
impression of Joe, instead of describing all of Joe’s attributes and
contributions to Hampton over the last four years, let us start with
a picture of a model teacher in our minds and then take away from
that as necessary.
So here are the ‘negatives’ that we must remember about Joe:
1. He sometimes wore Dulwich College tracksuit trousers. This
was bad form, especially during rugby season.
2. He was occasionally late to lessons. Whenever a First Year boy
did something naughty, such as drop a piece of litter, as Assistant
Head of First Year and a former Police Officer, Joe would be called
in to investigate. But sometimes he would get carried away. He
would get out his magnifying glass and his deerstalker hat and
he would go into Sherlock Holmes mode. In serious cases such
as chewing gum on a school bus, Joe would also get out his lie
detector, strobe light and his waterboarding kit and he would be
out of lessons for the whole morning, having completely forgotten
about his Maths.
3. Despite liking to think of himself as a pedant, I once heard him
say the word ‘less’ when he meant ‘fewer’.
However, the fact that these really are the only ‘negatives’ is
remarkable, especially as (I should admit) point two was somewhat
exaggerated.
The fact of the matter is that Joe really has been very close indeed
to being a model Maths teacher, a model all-round schoolmaster
and a model colleague.
In the classroom, it doesn’t really need saying, Joe is a natural. He
has a gift for clear explanation and he has the perfect combination
of warmth, authority and showmanship. Regarding the results of
his classes, he has the Midas touch. Every year I would bet my
house on Joe’s classes doing extremely well. In the Maths Office,
what I have particularly appreciated is that, around Joe, potential
problems evaporate – they just seem to get solved.
In all other things school-masterly, Joe has been a consummate
professional. As First Year Assistant Head of Year he’s been very
caring, gentle and patient. In cricket, his was the only Hampton
team to beat Eton this year. In D of E I’ve heard him described by
the boys as a ‘ledge’; in Shine he always had high energy, and in
running the Christian Forums and in helping to run the assemblies,
he has worked like a Trojan.
Needless to say, we all miss Joe a huge amount here at Hampton.
However, he did not leave Hampton to go to another school, but
has left to go to Theological College where he is training to teach
the Bible. I have explained to him that teaching in a church will
be different to teaching in a school and he assures me that he won’t
attempt to set homework, give detentions or ‘interrogate’ (First
Year style) any members of his congregation.
EBB
Mike Grundmann
Mike Grundmann joined the R.S.
Department at Hampton as an experienced
teacher in 2008. Alongside his contribution
in the classroom he quickly became
involved in a wide range of extra-curricular
commitments, including School tennis and
coaching the 3rd and 4th XIs. Following a
year abroad in 2012, Mike returned to
Hampton in 2013 for what turned out to
be a valedictory year. He goes on to pursue
other options outside of teaching. His high
standards, strong commitment to sport and
intellectual curiosity will be missed by both
boys and staff alike.
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Sian Clark
To lose one Clark may be considered a misfortune; to lose two looks like
carelessness. With Mr Clarke leaving the Maths Department, it is unfortunate/
careless (depending on who handed in their notice first) that Sian Clark is
departing Chemistry. Arriving at Hampton in January 2010, Dr Clark was
promoted to the role of Head of Chemistry in September 2011. Under her
leadership, the Chemistry Department thrived, as she inspired both boys and
staff alike. It is no coincidence that the popularity of the subject at A Level
rocketed whilst Sian was in charge. However, it wasn’t just the most talented
and gifted chemists who benefited from Dr Clark’s leadership. The innumerable
lunchtime drop-in clinics and catch-up sessions run by Sian, combined with
her encouragement and positive attitude, helped many a boy gain an A* in
his GCSE. Dr Clark leaves Hampton to become Head of Chemistry at Tiffin
Girls’ School. Speculation has been rife as to why she should want to leave the
all-boy environment of Hampton to teach girls – a new challenge, the need for
a change, or was it just that the overpowering teenage-boy-smell finally became
too much? Whatever the motives, we wish Sian all the very best in her new role.
CJG
Adrian Fernandes
What is a Fernandes? For many moons (3 years = 36 moons), this is
the question that has eluded biologists, fascinated Hampton students
and tempted scores of women. I have shared the professional habitat
of the lesser-comprehended Fernandes for 24 of these moons, and
yet the light I can shed upon the Fernandes is still, at best, partial.
Place the Fernandes under your microscope and he will slide –
silently, stealthily – from beneath your lens like butter across a hot
pan. Ask him too direct a question and his eyes will flare into blue
vortices – the same exquisite shade as that produced by the open
port of a Bunsen burner – and scorch you.
Much like the post-modern literature he so deeply reveres, it is
dangerous and impossible to pin a meaning upon the Fernandes.
But here are the few things I have learnt about him:
1. The Fernandes is an immaculately put together creature. Despite
his hour and a half commute to school, each day he arrives
flawlessly coiffed and effortlessly styled. Flustered, bushy-haired
and exhausted, his fellow London-commuter colleagues board
the 111 bus with him from Hampton Station. They look on in
bafflement at the Fernandes, as he emerges from the sardinelike oppression of TfL in a maddening haze of tranquility – like
a seahorse onto an aqua-catwalk. One possible theory is that he
goes to sleep already dressed for work the next day, which might
explain the occasional wrinkle in his shirt.
2. The Fernandes is a creature of habit. Regardless of the mayhem
of the day ahead, between 8.15 and 8.35 the Fernandes can
be found in the Common Room – steadily making his
way through a bowl of luxury muesli. Of course – being a
supernatural species – the Fernandes does not really need to eat,
but he enjoys the ritual nevertheless. He will suspend ingestion
only to pass comment on last night’s Arsenal match, but only if
it was a win. Otherwise, he munches in contented silence.
3. When he deems it appropriate, the Fernandes is able to choose
a mode of existence inspired by Cartesian dualism – that is,
a separation of the mind from the body. He performs this
usually during staff INSET days, department meetings or other
mundane dialogues. His physical body remains but his mind is
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truanting elsewhere. As his colleagues discuss dreary aspects of
health and safety, new-fangled pedagogy or the disappointing
state of the photocopiers, the Fernandes delights in watching
foreign films or reruns of Mad Men – all in his mind’s eye, like
a kind of internalized optical Netflix account.
4. Ordinary humans are drawn to the Fernandes like moths to
a flame. When he visits public houses, young women have
been known to faint in giddiness at the sight of the Fernandes
sipping a pint over the latest London Review of Books. Yet he
remains humbly unaware of the seismic power of his presence.
In his final week at Hampton, scores of students – whom he
had once taught, coached in tennis or encouraged at his popular
Lower School book club – absented themselves from their
lessons to queue up outside his classroom, desperate to hug the
creature that had mesmerized them for so long. Of course it is
impossible to hug the Fernandes – it would be like trying to hug
an abstract noun – but Hampton students persisted anyway.
In truth, the Fernandes is better thought of as an intangible concept
than a biological species – a concept that is too unwieldy, too great
for human comprehension – like eternity or the Internet. And so,
though Hampton will miss him endlessly, we can only wish him well
as he embarks upon the next stage of his evolutionary journey.
LB
school
Annabel Taylor-Ross
Annabel Taylor-Ross started in the Geography Department in
2012, having recently completed a PGCE. She quickly got fully
involved in the department, bringing a real passion for the subject
and participating in the many trips, including Slapton, Sorrento and
Iceland. Annabel has used her prior United Nations career to bring
Geography alive for students as often as possible, introducing new
case studies based on real experiences: for example, from Sri Lanka,
Afghanistan, and Haiti. She initiated a new AS fieldtrip to Barton
on Sea, which was far more interesting than planned as it followed
the February storms. Over the past two years we have also enjoyed
presentations from Annabel’s former colleagues: most notably, a talk
on Conflict and Development by Professor Mats Berdal from Kings
College London. We wish Annabel and her family the very best of
luck as they follow their dream of moving to Devon, where Annabel
will be teaching at Blundell’s School. Perhaps one day soon we can
stay in their bunkhouse as an alternative fieldtrip location!
BSB
Lauren Bensted
Since joining the English Department
in September 2012, Lauren has
endeared herself to students and staff
alike with her intelligence, vivacity and
humanity.
Instantly recognisable by her
Winehousian beehive, her greatest
asset was the sheer energy that she
brought to all aspects of School life. In
the classroom, this was manifest in her typically animated and varied
lessons. Students of Miss Bensted will remember fondly her use of
such disparate material as Neanderthal studies and the life of Sixto
Rodriguez to enliven the most prosaic aspects of the IGCSE English
Language course. Such creativity was the hallmark of her teaching,
and was always underpinned by a rigorous intellectualism that served
to challenge the very brightest students in her classes.
Beyond the English Department, Lauren devoted herself to a range of
other pursuits with typical dynamism. As well as playing a number of
key roles in School drama productions, she also ran the School’s Funk
Band and Creative Writing Club with great success. Most recently, she
worked tirelessly in organising Hampton’s first Playwrights’ Festival,
which produced excellent work by writers and actors alike.
That Lauren achieved so much in such a relatively short period of
time is testament to her strong work ethic and fondness for teaching.
That she did so with characteristic humility and exuberance
underlines how professional and valued a colleague she has been.
She leaves Hampton to join the English Department at University
College School in Hampstead, where she hopes to combine teaching
with her own creative writing. Farewell Lauren – you will be sorely
missed.
HH
Stephanie Bourras
Stephanie joined Hampton in September 2012 and quickly
established herself as a popular and exceptionally hard-working
and committed member of the French Department. Highly
academic and with a passion for literature, Stephanie thoroughly
enjoyed the opportunity to teach French literature to some of
Hampton’s bright and gifted A Level French students. During
her time at Hampton Stephanie accompanied the Junior French
Exchange to Surgères on two occasions and ran French Grammar
Club during lunchtimes – a good match for her academic rigour.
Stephanie was also a conscientious and supportive Form Tutor, first
to a Third Year form and then to a Lower Sixth form. She was well
liked and respected by all in the Modern Languages Department
and especially by those with whom she shared time in Surgères.
Alongside marking and planning until all hours, Stephanie also
found time to develop her passion for drama outside School –
something that brought her a great deal of pleasure. We wish her
the very best of luck in the future.
DEP
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TALK! Lectures
This year’s Talk! programme included twelve invited speakers in a mixture of assembly,
lunchtime and evening events, and saw continued closer relations develop with LEH’s
Senior Café programme of speakers. The speakers were:
Zac Goldsmith MP
Professor Iain Stewart
Dr Stephen Davies
Tammy Hoth
Professor Anthony Grayling
Professor William Philpott (Richard Holmes Memorial Lecture)
Patrick Aryee (OH)
Madsen Pirie
Dominic Grieve MP
David Walsh
David Huse
Andrew Bennett
The programme began with an assembly visit from local MP Zac Goldsmith who made
the case against further expansion of Heathrow Airport. Professor Iain Stewart then
brought some television glamour to an event which saw the launch of Hampton School
as the new home of the Kingston Geographical Association. Students and teachers from
around the area crammed into the Main Hall to see the TV presenter and geologist in
action. Dr Stephen Davies is part of the Institute of Economic Affairs and he followed
up a previous visit from the organisation’s Director General Mark Littlewood with a
fascinating look at the problems facing the current coalition government. The next
day Tammy Hoth from Africats Namibia spoke about her ground-breaking work, an
increasingly frequent location for Adventure Society expeditions. Professor Anthony
Grayling then spoke to Oxbridge candidates about the joys of studying Philosophy in a
wide-ranging and thoroughly stimulating after-school event.
The busy term’s programme continued with an impressive history lecture from Professor
William Philpott discussing his contentious ‘1916 – Year of Victory’ study, which
claims that the Battle of the Somme was crucial to the outcome of the First World War.
Next year’s lecture will be given by leading military historian Gary Sheffield as part of
the School’s programme of events to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the start
of the Great War. The Autumn Term programme was concluded by a visit from OH
Patrick Aryee, who delighted an assembly audience with clips from his current and yet
to be aired television work. He is one of the BBC’s Natural History presenters aiming to
fill the gap left by David Attenborough.
The Spring Term programme began with a third visit from the ageless Madsen Pirie of
the Adam Smith Institute who once again engaged Hampton boys with some high level
discussions on the role of free trade in political policy. We then welcomed the Attorney
General himself, Dominic Grieve MP, who gave us a fascinating insight into the various
tasks included in his remit, including being the Queen’s own legal representative wherever
necessary! Former Tunbridge School Deputy Headmaster David Walsh continued our
First World War theme discussing the impact of war on the public schools of the country,
a story which has been long untold. His book, jointly written by former Talk! guest
(twice over) and retiring Wellington Headmaster Anthony Seldon, has been positively
received. Parent David Huse gave us a memorable assembly to complete the term as
he described the impact of his role running the Volunteer programme at the London
Olympics. He made a passionate plea to the boys to volunteer at the end of their school
careers as a valuable way of building up experience and skills for later life. Andrew
Bennett, the local Artistic Director, completed our year with a fascinating insight into
the world of films. Beginning his career on the Harry Potter films he is now a regular on
Bond films and was currently working on the latest Mission Impossible set.
There will be more to come next year! Look out for a return to Talk! for Steven Moffat
of Dr Who and Sherlock fame.
RDW
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The Library Form Charity
The library continues to be well used by
Hampton’s students and staff. We aim
to provide a wide range of books for all
members of the School community, with
reading for pleasure seen as just as important
as those books that support the learning
done in lessons. It is always a pleasure to
see the reading room full of boys enjoying
books, as well as magazines ranging from the
New Scientist to the Simpsons.
More people are taking the opportunity to
request books. This is a great way of getting
hold of a book that you want, and it also
helps the library to have a better collection.
So please don’t hesitate to ask the library staff
if you would like something that we don’t
yet have in stock.
Technology is constantly changing the
library. The library catalogue can be accessed
online, inside and outside of school. Also, our
online resources are becoming much better
used. These are a great way of supporting
learning throughout the year groups.
The library was involved in various activities
throughout 2013-14. These included a
visit from the author Susan Ee; a Carnegie
Shadowing group that met up with groups
from our two neighbouring schools; and the
annual Literary Quiz where Hampton boys
again joined forces with our neighbours and
took on schools from Kingston. Our boys
represented the School wonderfully well –
even if the result was not quite what we had
hoped for.
Form Charity has continued to be hugely
successful in its fundraising over the
course of this academic year. The Lower
School kicked off the fundraising with
their highly successful cake sale at the
Open Day in September, organised by
2J and 1H. This year the Lower School
have set up their own charity committee,
putting on a series of competitions across
each term. In the Autumn Term we had
a fantastic Lower School Bake Off won
by Robert Morey in 1P and William
Nettleton in 2B. The Two Penny Race
in the Spring Term proved to be a huge
success, with 1W raising well over £100
in two penny pieces. The academic year
climaxed with victory for 1J and 2L at
the Lower School World Cup 5-a-side
tournament. Aside from competing in
inter-form competitions, the First Year
also produced a very tempting Cook
Book, which raised well over £300.
The Third Year were not to be outdone
and also contributed fully to Form Charity
through their support of RISE, a charity
which focuses on improving education
prospects for children in India. In
November, twenty-five boys embarked on
the RISE Enterprise Challenge, a scheme
designed to develop the boys’ understanding
of business and social enterprise – and the
educational issues facing many children in
India – through a series of workshops and
fundraising challenges. The boys showed
off their entrepreneurial spirit through the
organising of various fundraising events
such as a Crossbar Challenge and a FIFA
competition in our Lecture Theatre, and
then through the various business challenges
completed within the workshops. The
scheme ended with the boys heading to
Canary Wharf to present their learning
journeys to a panel of business executives.
All the money raised by the boys has
supported the great work of RISE.
Alongside the significant contributions
made by the Lower School, we also had the
notorious ‘Sixth Form Fancy Dress Day’
where teachers had the pleasure of teaching
Super Mario characters, Singing Mexicans,
Bananas and the Jamaican Bobsleigh team
– to name but a few of the many exciting
characters! The Fourth Years also put on a
delicious cake sale, which was organised
with military efficiency.
The three charities we have supported this
year have been RISE, Wooden Spoon: The
Children’s Charity of Rugby, and L’Arche.
Wooden Spoon focuses on making a
difference to disadvantaged children and
young people. RISE has been set up to
address some of the educational issues
within rural West Bengal, India. To achieve
this, the charity runs a programme within
schools in West Bengal to improve the
literacy rates and raise the aspirations of
the children. L’Arche focuses on providing
a community for people with learning
difficulties, and one of their central aims is
to instil in people a sense of belonging.
JLG, WQ and CB
At the end of the academic year Mrs Axton
retired after providing seventeen years’
excellent service to the School library. She
will be much missed at Hampton, but we
can be happy that she can have so much
well-deserved time to spend with family
and friends. The library is also very happy
to welcome a new member of staff – Miss
Harriet Hansell, who joins us from Surrey
Libraries, so please remember to say hello
to her when you visit to do some work or
borrow a book.
KH
2013-2014
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News from the Hampton Safe Haven
This year Old Hamptonians Jamie Slater, Max Roche and Rob Owens
spent several months on a Hampton-supported Gap Year in Malawi. The
following extract describes some of Jamie’s work whilst at the Hampton
Safe Haven in Senga Bay.
‘Only God knows how this has happened. May God be with you.’
As soon as we left, children were already attempting to make a path
for her to manoeuvre past plants and bamboo fencing to allow a safe
passage for her and her husband to leave the house.
On Tuesday 8th April Jack and I, two Cool Projects volunteers, were
fortunate enough to have the opportunity to deliver five wheelchairs
around the Senga Bay area. Having spent a small amount of time
constructing the wheelchairs donated by the Malawi Project and
freewheelchairmission.org, we made our way to the first wheelchair
recipient in Mukuti 2.
Later that day I happened to be walking past their house, at which
point her husband forgot his age and jumped for joy at the sight
of me, yelling ‘thank you’ at the top of his voice. He did not stop
waving until I was out of sight. The immediate impact of such a
small gift to facilitate what many consider a necessity of life could
not have been more apparent.
After greeting the husband of the patient who was overjoyed to see
us, we walked to the back of the house where we were introduced
to the patient, Elizabeth. She had been paralysed since the birth of
her seventh child. She was perched on hard concrete, facing the wall,
seemingly partially blind and immobile. She had grown quite large
due to inactivity and had swollen ankles which evidently caused her
serious pain when we lifted her into the brand new wheelchair. We
used pillows to support her legs which were rigid and stiff. Although
she remained quiet it was quite clear how much such a simple thing
as leaving her house meant to her. Her smile spoke a thousand words.
In Chichewa, which her husband translated, she explained that she
could now visit her local church to pray. To quote her husband:
I must end this account with great thanks to the Malawi Project
and freewheelchairmission.org for their respective roles in such a
worthwhile project. I have been lucky enough to experience what
a difference such a simple gesture can make to a person’s life. Thea,
a volunteer for the local Baptist clinic, who was supervising the
donation of the wheelchairs, accurately observed: ‘that is the greatest
thing about Malawi; with so little, you can do so much.’ I cannot
express my support for this project enough and I hope it prevails to
transform the lives of people in need. I know which charity I will be
donating to from now on…
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Jamie Slater
school
Debating Society
The Debating Society has continued to meet on a
weekly basis throughout the course of the year, with
the boys selecting topical and exciting motions. We
have argued whether Legal Aid should be abolished,
marijuana legalised and whether Britain should
intervene in Syria – to name but a few. The Upper
Sixth chose to end their Hampton Debating careers
by proposing the motion ‘This House believes private
school was a waste of money’; this certainly served as
a fiery final debate!
In September, Aca Delic and Jonathan Weinberg
spent a day preparing for the season at Dulwich
College, where they debated against top schools
from 10.00am to 7.30pm in the evening. Both boys
felt that the experience proved very useful for other
competitions in the year. Jonathan Weinberg and
Jonathon Oldfield put in a sterling effort at the first
round of the ESU Schools’ Mace competition. They
had to propose the motion: ‘This House believes that
football team supporters’ clubs should lobby against
the signing of players with a history of discriminatory
or violent behaviour.’ They put forward very strong
arguments, but were narrowly beaten by local rivals
from Lady Eleanor Holles School.
We were pleased to take our highest ever number
of Upper and Lower Sixth Boys to the Cambridge
School Debating Competition where they debated
the contentious motion: ‘This House believes that
the British Government should pay housewives and
househusbands a salary.’ Boys then had the difficult
task of preparing for an unseen motion in only fifteen
minutes! All Hampton teams performed admirably
against some tough opposition and we were therefore
delighted that one of the pairings – Jonathan
Weinberg and Shakeel Hashim – made it through
to the Regional Finals at Wellington College. Whilst
they were narrowly beaten in this round by Eton’s A
Team, they did a valiant job in defending the practice
of force-feeding prisoners. The Oxford Schools
Debating competition also proved very popular and
we were thrilled to be able to send three teams to the
regional round. All boys performed very well against
some excellent opposition and narrowly missed out on
a place in the finals. Interesting unprepared motions
were selected, such as: ‘This House would ban the
teaching of sex education in schools.’
Literary Lions Sixth Form
Arts Magazine
2013-2014 has proved to be another good year for the Lions. We are now in our
eleventh year and still going strong. Under the able leadership of Fergus Church,
this year’s issue took the theme of ‘Comedy and Tragedy’. The magazine explored
the light and dark sides of literature, film, poetry, video games, fairy tales and much
more. Fergus co-ordinated and organised the team, worked with a diverse range of
contributors and proofed numerous drafts. Yes – there really were a lot of proofed
drafts!
The theme provided the catalyst for a number of varied responses. Fergus
Church wrote a very interesting piece exploring the darker side to folk tales.
Designer Shakeel Hashim even secured a world-exclusive interview with Hollywood
star Cate Blanchett! He asked her about her roles in cinema, theatre and television.
Many of us associate Blanchett with famous Hollywood films, so it was interesting
to read Blanchett’s eloquent and knowledgeable comments about theatre, which
she described to Shakeel as being a ‘bastard medium’ because ‘it’s organic, and,
most importantly, it is live.’ Full marks for securing this scoop! Shakeel also proved
himself a resourceful and very accomplished designer, mastering the demanding
Adobe InDesign software, and creating pages of the highest quality. Thanks must
also go to Aca Delic, a gifted and very talented artist. His stunning illustrations of
masks – which were carefully created to fit this issue’s theme – set the tone for the
whole issue. If you place the magazine on its middle pages and look at the back
spine, a tragi-comic mask emerges, which represents the two aspects of the theme.
This issue was particularly well designed and illustrated.
We mourn the tragedy of censorship and state control in the article ‘The Tragedy
of Free Speech’, and budding poet Max Bowden describes the maudlin state of
apathy and a whole lot more in his striking verse. Perhaps the most notable piece is
Master Jacob Winskell’s satirical ‘Hampton murder mystery’ story, set in a futuristic
Hampton not unlike our own. Jacob chronicles the daredevil exploits of a vigilante
mentor and his fiendish comrade Robert Revesby, who patrol the school on their
trusty Segways. If you want to find out more about this mythical land’s ‘Mentors on
Wheels’ policy, a murder mystery, and where those missing school bags really end
up, then this is the comedy story for you!
Thanks must go to Fergus Church, Shakeel Hashim, Aca Delic, Luke Fletcher,
Aaron Glynn, Max Bowden, Dan Gibbons, Dhruva Preston and all the others who
have helped in the many hours of drafting, reading, and distribution of this year’s
issue. CMO
Junior Debaters have also impressed this year with
their enthusiasm and ability to turn their attention
to a wide range of motions. They have faced topics
from animal testing and the use of torture to the
selection of players for the English football team and
the ever popular balloon debates. Particularly strong
contributors were Alwaleed Al Doory, Adam Wood,
Rahul Desai and Paul Wilkinson. This has given
us great confidence that the future of Hampton
debating is in safe hands.
HEC and JLG
2013-2014
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A record number of Hampton boys
completed their Duke of Edinburgh
Award in 2013-14 with over two hundred
receiving awards at Bronze, Silver or Gold.
Since September 2013, Hampton Duke
of Edinburgh participants have given their
time to support local communities and
charities in a variety of service roles. They
have maintained a strong commitment
to sporting teams or personal physical
endeavours such as running, cycling and
fitness and developed new or existing skills
as part of a School club or independent
study during evening and weekends. The
fulfilment of these commitments culminated
in the undertaking of several self-sufficient,
overnight expeditions into local and more
remote areas of the British countryside, with
Bronze and Silver participants going to the
Surrey Hills and New Forest respectively
and Gold participants travelling to more
mountainous areas such as Snowdonia and
the Lake District.
On Sunday 27th October, a number of Silver
and Gold D of E participants from Hampton
were faced with the somewhat daunting
task of a 50km trek, spread over three days,
across the wild country of the Lake District.
A Lower Sixth pupil, Athi Dharmaratnam,
described his experience:
As we boarded the train early that Sunday
morning, many of us were full of anticipation
and excitement, unsure of what exactly was to
come.
Unfortunately, as soon as we stepped off the
train we were greeted by the sight of ominous
looking rainclouds, which threatened to
unleash a deluge at any moment. Bravely,
we left the train station and, pleased that
our map-reading skills had taken us this far,
soldiered on. We soon emerged from the town
into open countryside, and caught a glimpse
of a spectacular Lake District view, featuring
rolling hills, pleasant fields, winding streams
and, of course, a fair share of lakes.
And then it started to rain.
Nevertheless we braved the elements to
arrive, soaking wet but impressed at our
determination, to the first campsite. After the
long days of walking, when we reached the
campsites all we wanted to do was to flop onto
the ground and lie there for a few hours, but
we were up against the clock to get our tents
up before sunset. Having left on our D of E
expedition on the day of the ‘Great Storm’
(lucky us!), we were fortunate enough to stay in
small wooden pods for the first night, to escape
the gale force winds and rain.
Having woken up early the next morning still
intact, we soon set off for our first full day of
walking. We knew that this was not going to be
easy, with some navigational as well as physical
challenges to overcome, but the much improved
weather coupled with the group’s enthusiastic
‘singing’ of Queen numbers (or at least the
lyrics we could remember) kept us going. Before
we knew it, we had arrived at our second
campsite. Unfortunately, we didn’t receive the
same luxury as the first campsite. Things didn’t
bode well as we walked along the waterlogged,
muddy field, but we coped – mostly because we
were too tired to complain!
The next day’s journey, however, would not
be so easy. For between our final campsite
and us lay a monstrous hill, over which we
would have to climb. It did not help, of
course, that the previous night’s rain had
turned several paths into streams, making
navigation even more of a challenge. Despite
this, we managed to find our way to the foot
of the hill, from where navigation ceased to
be a problem – the only way was up!
While many of us (especially me!) found the
going very tough, it was at this point that we
came together as a group, encouraging one
another and providing moral support, as we
continued our climb, and it was this that
allowed us to reach the peak.
Although the rain did not help our descent,
and there were a few worrying slips and
stumbles, we finally managed to make our
way to the bottom of the hill, exhausted but
proud that we had managed to overcome
such a daunting challenge.
From then on, the walking seemed easy as
the ground we covered became relatively flat,
and we managed to arrive at the campsite
before it started to rain. Here, we were able
to rest, knowing that all that was left was the
2km walk to Ambleside the next day, from
where we would catch the train home.
Perhaps one of the most enjoyable aspects
of the expedition was the cooking. The
warmth from our cookers and the thought
of hot food kept the whole group huddled
around the hobs, working together, whether
it was cooking, preparing plates, or just to
cover our cookers from the rain. And what
food we served up too: burgers and soup one
night, stir fry on another and pasta and
dough balls for the final evening – thank
goodness my group was full of culinary
genii!
You would imagine that this whole
experience was filled with walking through
torrential rain, getting lost, braving through
blisters and eating meagre food, but I assure
you it was not. There was a little of that every
so often, but as I look back on it today, I
can only remember the high spirits amongst
the whole group, the evening games of cards
and the never-ending singing. On behalf of
everyone who took part, I’d like to thank all
the teachers, particularly Mr Clarke and Mr
Phillips, for not only enduring our awful
renditions of Queen, but for organising this
entire expedition. I can honestly say that this
expedition is, and will be, an experience that
I shall never forget.
DCP and Athi Dharmaratnam
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2013-2014
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It’s been another incredibly busy year for
Classics Society, including a range of trips,
lectures, plays, and films, but undoubtedly
crowned by the Easter Greece Trip, which
you can read about elsewhere in The Lion,
and the joint Hampton-LEH production
of Aeschylus’ Agamemnon in the 450 Hall,
conducted by our own Ms Carmichael.
Tremendous thanks go to Ms Carmichael
for directing this performance. Starring
Eliot Anthony as the victorious general
himself, the play depicts the return home
of the leader of the Greeks at Troy who
arrives only to be murdered by his wife
Clytemnestra, who has long since shacked
up with a new man, Agamemnon’s cousin
Aegisthus. From the excited citizens
longing for Agamemnon’s homecoming
to the tortured cries of battle-scarred
war veterans, and from Agamemnon’s
triumphant arrival to Clytemnestra’s
insidious scheming, the play was a great
success, and proved a worthy rendition
that kept true to its Classical roots while
appealing strongly to a modern audience.
In other trips, October saw Second Year
Latinists return to the vaunted halls
of Britain’s first (and most infamous?)
quisling, Fishbourne Palace, home of
Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus (né
Cogidubnus), treacherous overlord of the
Regnenses. Second Years know him as a
doddering old man who fails to run from
a bear and listens placidly to Quintus’
fantastic tales of Alexandria with no more
than the occasional look of surprised
interest. As an imperial puppet, he
profited enough from Roman rule to build
himself a lavish, Roman-style villa, whose
foundations and mosaics are still visible
today for Second Years to drop their shoes
on.
Greek tragedies, Euripides’ Medea. This
was a modern and intriguing interpretation
of the play, in which actors would often be
flying across the stage, climbing ladders or
appearing through the red cloth backdrop of
the stage as they delivered their lines. This
use of trapeze and these acrobatic stunts
made the play riveting to watch, and no
doubt this excitement culminated at the end
of the play when Medea circled high in the
air above the despondent Jason, having just
As ever, we’ve had fantastic opportunities
to see other Classical plays put on –
reviews of Aristophanes’ Clouds and the
Cambridge Greek plays can be found
close by. As a small taster, here’s what Neil
Deo and Alex Powell had to say about the
performance of Euripides’ Medea at the
Rose Theatre in Kingston:
‘Classics is well known for its impressive
history of fine drama, and so it was on
a chilly November evening that a small
group of Hampton Classicists convened at
the Rose Theatre to watch one of the great
22
2013-2014
killed their children. As well as an acrobatic
performance, the whole cast contributed to a
varied ‘a cappella’ musical score, which added
a chilling atmosphere to the gripping events
on stage, and seemed a perfect complement to
Medea’s devious scheming.’
In the Summer Term, Kingston’s Rose
Theatre, which seems to specialise in offbeat, Classicsy productions, presented
Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans. The
school
play (which used many of the trademark
pop-culture references which devotees will
recognise from the TV series, including
Celtic Masterchef and Who Wants to Be an
Emperor?), in a thinly-veiled political satire
about HS2, saw the struggles of a poor
British woman trying to stop the Romans
from building a new road on her land,
while the Romans tried to demonstrate the
(manifest) superiority of Roman culture.
Proud economic instrumentalists, the
audience seemed pretty happy about the
new road – and in fact seemed to comprise
more than a few potential Cogidubnuses
for some future invasion of the UK –
given their vehemence in demanding the
poor woman’s execution. Even so, the
night really made a splash – at no time
more evidently than when the Romans,
in a desperate attempt to make themselves
less endearing to their morally challenged
supporters, began squirting the crowd
with water pistols.
We also had the opportunity to see
Gladiator knock-off Pompeii 3D, with
a crowd of over 60 Hamptonians
taking effective possession of an Odeon
screen for one evening. The plot, which
had something to do with a volcano
exploding, was practically obscured by
the powerful and movingly-portrayed onscreen romance between Game of Thrones’
Jon Snow and positive female role-model
Aurelia, who rejects traditional gender
roles by falling in love with a rougharound-the-edges professional athlete
who’s good with horses, and then needs
him to rescue her later on in the film.
One major highlight was the culminating
gladiator fight, which Jon Snow won but
only just, and you thought he might lose
for a while, but he won instead. Everyone
went hooray.
We’ve also been privileged to attend
lectures by a wide range of speakers to
enhance our understanding of our various
GCSE and A Level courses. In March, Fifth
Year Latinists attended a series of lectures
to consolidate their understanding of the
GCSE Set Texts. Ed Buxton (5E) writes
eloquently on the experience:
‘As part of the Latin GCSE Set Texts we study
the latter part of Aeneid Book XII, in which
Aeneas, the fated founder of Rome, takes on
the heroic Turnus in a dramatic, final duel.
Dr Knight’s depth of knowledge on the text
and her ability to express herself both clearly
and concisely quickly became apparent; I also
found her references to earlier parts in the
text, as well as other works by Virgil, and her
ability to draw parallels between these extracts
with the sections we read, especially fascinating
and invaluable to a better understanding of
the poem. Indeed, it was refreshing to hear
points and explanations on the text differing
from those discussed in the classroom.
‘The second lecture was given by Dr John
Morgan of Swansea University about
Apuleius’ ‘Metamorphoses’ or ‘Golden
Ass’, and also briefly about Pliny’s story of
Regulus, a ‘legacy-hunter’ driven by greed
(someone who befriends dying people in
order to insert themselves into their wills).
Dr Morgan delivered a highly interesting
and insightful lecture on our section of the
Metamorphoses, where we learn of how a
man called Thelyphron suffers mutilation
to his face in the town of Thessaly, famous
Cambridge Greek Plays 2013
The Cambridge Greek Play Trip delivered more than it promised
(no mean feat) and was utterly captivating for the students and
teachers alike. Before the first play began, we were given an expertly
guided tour of Cambridge by Miss Jacobs and Miss Carmichael,
both former Cambridge students who know their stuff. Particularly
impressive was King’s College, an absolutely stunning place that
may have caught the attention of one or two students, rivalled
only by the beautiful grounds of St. John’s. Just before the plays, a
pre-performance talk was given on the history and background of
the two plays, by Professor Paul Cartledge, and helped to put both
into perspective and provide context.
At 2.30pm, the first play began, Prometheus. All taking place on
or below a great ladder to which the protagonist, Prometheus,
is chained by Hephaestus, it is the story of the punishment
and torture of a powerful Titan, whose only crime was giving
knowledge to us mortals. The acting was superb and convincing,
the effects subtle and effective, and the dialogue gripping. By the
for its witchcraft. Having given a context
and brief synopsis of the text as whole, he
mentioned possible reactions one should have
to reading the tale, along with discrepancies
as to who the real ‘Thelyphron’ is, giving
rise to certain philosophical questions as we
realise certain ambiguities in the novel the
second time round.’
The winner of this year’s Page Prize
translation was Tim Hardy, whose
translation (included overleaf ) of Ovid’s
first love poem impressed the judges with
its fluency and accuracy. The principal
judge, Dr Luke Pitcher of Somerville
College, Oxford, visited the school to
help elucidate Ovid’s poetic intentions a
little more clearly, and to generally cause
an astonished kerfuffle at his offhand
recollections of Latin verses to illustrate
his points, with Classical monocles firing
across the room like pistol shots every
time he drew upon his fearsome memory
of the Aeneid or the Metamorphoses.
As ever, weekly Classics meetings have
been ongoing – this year with members
of the Lower School engaged upon the
construction of an imposing Roman fort,
and older boys being introduced in Greek
club to some of the highlights of ancient
Greek tragedy and of European literature,
including Aeschylus’ Agamemnon and
Euripides’ Bacchae. All in all, another fine
year for Classics Society, and a powerful
reminder of the School’s timeless and,
one might say, eternal motto: praestat opes
sapientia.
Contributors: NAC, JWB, HMC,
Neil Deo, Alex Powell, Ed Buxton
end, I think everyone in the audience felt deep pangs of empathy
for Prometheus as he was struck down by Zeus.
After the serious, tragic content of Prometheus, we sat down after
a break to the light-hearted musical The Frogs, by Aristophanes.
The play was interactive, and while still feeling absolutely genuine
and authentic, had been modernised, making jokey references to
politicians and celebrities of our day, which is what would have
been done in the play in a contemporary setting. Following the
hunt for the greatest playwright in the Underworld by Dionysus
and his much-abused slave, Xanthias, The Frogs is as hilarious today
as it was in antiquity. I must admit, before seeing it, I thought that
Ancient Greek humour would be dry and dusty, but it is every
bit as funny as a comedy film today. The stage was abustle with
frogs sporting green trombones, inflatables and the classic comedy
‘large appendages’ typical of a Greek play. The whole experience
was really worthwhile and illuminating at the same time as being
thoroughly enjoyable.
Will Comboni
2013-2014
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Clouds Review
After I had been very impressed by the UCL’s
production of Euripides’ The Trojan Women
last year, I simply had to see Aristophanes’
Clouds on February 11th.
Before going to see the play, we had the
opportunity to attend a lecture by the highly
knowledgeable Dr Rosa Andujar, who gave
us an insight into the context of the play.
She explained to us the history of Greek
plays at the time of its production and how
Clouds had previously been considered a
failure. Thanks to Dr Andujar’s brilliant
explanations, we were able to understand
the play with a strong grasp of the plot.
Clouds is an ancient Greek comedy about
Strepsiades who tries to send Pheidippides, his
horse-loving son, to Socrates’ ‘Thinkstitute’
in the hope that he will be able to resolve
the family’s debts through flashy rhetoric.
Pheidippides refuses to go, so Strepsiades
goes instead, where he is tricked by Socrates
into thinking that there are no Gods, but
only Clouds (the chorus of the play). The
plot then unfolds with Pheidippides studying
with Socrates instead of Strepsiades, and then
turning the clever arguments he has learned
against his own father.
The whole audience could not stop laughing
throughout the entire performance thanks
to clever modernisation of the old Greek
jokes with a combination of slapstick
comedy and rude but hilarious sexual
innuendos. There was even an involvement
of a certain ‘John’ from the audience who
was embarrassed but thankfully did not
disrupt the play. Every single character had
certain qualities that made them stand out
and made us laugh. Socrates had a great
melodramatic voice that kept the audience
entertained while Pheidippides was found
to be fairly dislikeable by some due to his
whiny voice. But the star of the play had to
be Felix Medd, a Classics student playing the
role of Strepsiades, who never failed to stand
out. I highly commend all of the actors and
actresses involved in the play as they put on
a fantastic performance that I won’t forget.
Chris Khoory
Tim Hardy –
Page Prize
Translation
2013-14
Ovid declines to write ‘important’ poetry, and explains
why he’s going to write ‘unimportant’ love poetry, which
loses one metrical ‘foot’ in every couplet, instead…
The passage:
Translation:
arma gravi numero violentaque bella parabam
edere, materia conveniente modis.
par erat inferior versus; risisse Cupido
dicitur atque unum surripuisse pedem.
‘quis tibi, saeve puer, dedit hoc in carmine iuris?
Pieridum vates, non tua, turba sumus.
sunt tibi magna, puer, nimiumque potentia regna:
cur opus adfectas ambitiose novum?
an, quod ubique, tuum est? tua sunt Heliconia tempe?
vix etiam Phoebo iam lyra tuta sua est?
cum bene surrexit versu nova pagina primo,
attenuat nervos proximus ille meos.
nec mihi materia est numeris levioribus apta,
aut puer aut longas compta puella comas.’
questus eram, pharetra cum protinus ille soluta
legit in exitium spicula facta meum
lunavitque genu sinuosum fortiter arcum
‘quod’que ‘canas, vates, accipe’ dixit ‘opus’.
Ovid Amores. 1.1.1 ff. (with omissions)
24
2013-2014
I was preparing to write about arms and violent wars in heavy meter,
with the subject matter suiting the rhythm.
The second line was equal in length; but Cupid is said to have laughed
and then stolen away one foot.
‘Who, savage boy, gave you this right over songs?
We poets are the crowd of Muses, not your own.
Great and excessively powerful kingdoms belong to you, boy:
why do you ambitiously strive for a new accomplishment?
Or is everything everywhere yours? Are the valleys of Helicon yours?
Is even Apollo’s lyre now barely his assured own?
When a new page has been favourably started with a first line,
that next one diminishes my strength.
Nor do I possess material suitable for lighter meters,
neither a boy nor a girl with long, combed hair.’
I had complained, when he immediately chose an arrow
devised for my ruin from his open quiver,
and bent his sinuous bow with his knee, and said,
‘Receive this, poet, as subject matter, so that you may sing!’
The Archives
As in past years, the Archives have not been
idle. Routine filing and administration has
continued, and there have been a good
many requests for information from Old
Hamptonians, family researchers, local
historians and also members of the present
School community, both boys and staff. The
loss of Mrs Axton will be greatly felt since
her help over the years as Archives Assistant
has contributed greatly to our efficiency. We
wish her well in her hard-earned retirement.
An innovation this year has been the First
Form School History Quiz, which has
required entrants to look around the School
(on plaques, in the Library and so on) to
find the answers. This quiz is an heir to
the First Form General Knowledge Quiz
of some years ago, which was killed off by
the appearance of the various internet search
engines. The first winner of the quiz was Ben
Cheeseman of 1J.
Several requests for information have
come from abroad – for instance from the
descendants (now living in Western Australia)
of Revd G.F. Heather, Headmaster 1866-97.
from the scheme of Chancery [i.e. the
scheme under which the School was
run], viz. (a) the non-imposition of
fees; (b) the non-requirement of an
admission examination, which caused
the Latin [i.e. senior] school to be filled
with ill-taught boys of the lowest orders
so that the middle classes all withdrew;
(c) the bad method of electing trustees
and masters: (ii.) those arising from
the defective character of the buildings
and premises: (iii.) those arising from
the great age and infirmities of the
head master. The defects of the scheme
of Chancery are indeed glaring; and
it seems to me educationally one of the
worst of the schemes in this district.
Heather’s Headship began when the
School was located on the site of the old tithe
barn next to St Mary’s Church in Hampton
but he presided over its move to the Upper
Sunbury Road.
The School Buildings in about 1834
The Revd G.F. Heather, Headmaster
1866-97
When Heather first took over the School
it was in poor shape, as the following extract
from an inspector’s report on the School
under his predecessor reveals (Schools Inquiry
(Taunton) Commission, South Midland
Division, vol. XII (1868), pages 29-30):
The grammar school is … evidently
an entire failure. The reasons for this
failure alleged by the trustees [i.e. the
Governors] were – (i.) those arising
The School Buildings in the Upper
Sunbury Road
He did a great deal to place it in a
position to develop into the school we know
today, albeit now in the Hanworth Road.
Since lessons began here in September 1939,
the School has been on its current site for
75 years, and the black mulberry tree in
the Cloisters, which was transplanted from
the Headmaster’s garden at the Sunbury
Road School, is therefore of great symbolic
importance. It must be about 85 years old.
school
The mulberry tree in the Cloisters, about
1939
The Taunton report also mentions an
annexe to Hampton School in Hampton
Wick ‘for the instruction of male children
of all persons resident in the elementary
branches of English education and the
Church Catechism’ (p. 28). The inspector
continues ‘The school at Hampton Wick is
open, and said to be full and efficient. As,
however, I understood that it was a merely
elementary English School, I did not visit it’
(p. 29). The school still exists, as St John the
Baptist Church of England Junior School,
Hampton Wick, but it is no longer in any
way connected to Hampton School.
The foundation of a school annexe at
Hampton Wick was the result of a concerted
campaign by the residents of Hampton
Wick, then part of the Hampton Parish, for
an elementary school nearby since Hampton
School was too far away for the small
children of Hampton Wick residents to
travel there alone. The campaign was resisted
by the Hampton School Trustees, and a
copy of the judgement made against them
survives in the Hampton School Archives.
Extracts from two sections of the document
are quoted below. The first set comes from
the deposition of one of those arguing for
the foundation of the annexe, who notes
that:
… it is the general complaint of [those]
parishioners [living in Hampton Wick]
that the distance [sc. between Hampton
and Hampton Wick] prevents their
[sending their children to School in
Hampton],
that, if their children are sent there,
these parishioners cannot ensure their
going
as children are apt to loiter and play
upon the road thither and elsewhere
instead of going to school, and that the
… distance, more especially in the heat
2013-2014
25
school
The 1839 Judgement leading to the
foundation of the Hampton Wick School
of summer and in inclement seasons of
the year, renders it impossible for them
to send their children of tender age
and delicate constitution to travel such
distance without danger to their health,
that, since there was insufficient time
for boys to return home for lunch, they
are
therefore compelled to carry [their
lunches] with them and are exposed to
the temptations and idle and bad habits
engendered by resorting to the streets
during such hours,
that, in view of the distance between
Hampton and Hampton Wick, many
children
are not sent to … school at all, but
are brought up without education and
many of them in ignorance of their
duties to both God and man, and that
the streets and highways are constantly
annoyed by numbers of the male children
… playing and hollowing and running
about therein, the nuisance arising
from which is frequently remarked and
complained of,
and, finally, that
the road from … Hampton Wick to
Hampton is a bleak and cold road and
part thereof by the side of and exposed
to the River Thames … and … in his,
the Deponent’s, judgement and belief,
… providing and maintaining a school
at Hampton Wick for educating boys in
reading, writing, arithmetic, Catechism
26
Extract from the 1839 Judgement
showing the ‘School Rules’
and elementary learning would be
extremely beneficial and advantageous.
The second extract comes from the
regulations laid down for the operation
of both Hampton School and the
Hampton Wick annexe:
… if the children attending such schools
shall not be in their seats by nine o’clock
in the morning or two o’clock in the
afternoon during the time between
Easter and Michaelmas Day and by
half past one o’clock in the afternoon
between the time between Michaelmas
Day and Easter ready to commence
their studies, or shall come to the said
schools with their faces or hands dirty
or with their hair uncombed or their
person uncleanly or with any disease,
they shall be subject to dismissal from
the School by the … Trustees, and if any
of such children or any of the inmates
of their respective dwellings or places
of abode shall, to the knowledge of the
Master, be afflicted with any contagious
complaint, or if any of such children
shall come dirty or with their hair
uncombed or their faces unwashed, it
shall be in the power of the Master to
refuse them admission.
There is a link from the Archives page of
the School website to a full transcription of
the document.
Hampton School was by no means the
only school operating in the Hampton area.
There were several others, although none of
these lasted as long. Some, like Hampton
School, catered for boys only. For instance,
2013-2014
Pages of the 1788 fee book
there was Mr Jackson’s School, which
operated in Hampton from about 17701810. Others focused on girls, although
they occasionally admitted very young boys
too. The Archives possesses a fee book dated
1788 (latest date: 1805) from the elementary
school run by Mrs Ansell and Mrs Truelove.
It is not known how the book came to be
in our possession, but it is a useful resource
for local and social historians. Not only does
it contain the prices charged for things like
pens, slates and cyphering books, but it
records the names and addresses of many
local inhabitants. A link to an index of the
names in this book has also been placed on
the Archives page of the School website.
Another item in the Archives is the
writing book of a little girl called Sarah
Miles, who was learning to form her letters.
A page from Sarah Miles’ writing book
school
General view of cases in the School Museum
Again, we do not know how this came
to the School, but it was possibly also from
Mrs Ansell’s. Since it is dated 1775, it is too
early for Sarah’s name to be recorded in the
fee book.
Hampton School Archives is mostly
concerned with Hampton School, but,
unlike many other schools (such as LEH,
which was founded in Cripplegate in
London), the School has always been sited
in the same geographical area. It even
remained in Hampton during WWII,
when many other schools were evacuated
to other parts of the country. Over the
years the School has played a significant
part in the history of the local community,
particularly through its associations with St
Mary’s Church and as a local landlord. This
long-standing community involvement has
influenced the Archives’ Mission Statement
and Aims, which have long been available
from the School Office and on the School
website, but it is worth reproducing the
latter here:
The Archives aim to preserve and
develop, to the best possible professional
standards, a collection of material
relating to the history of Hampton
School both as a separate institution
and in relation to Education generally,
and to the School’s position within
the local community. Their aim in
so doing is to support the School’s
immediate educational, cultural and
charitable objects and increasingly to
become a repository of evidence and
information valuable to professional
and private researchers alike.
These aims were formulated with such
documents as the fee book and writing
book very much in mind. However they
came to the School, it is very good to be
able to make them readily available now.
Several other items of educational or
’educational’ significance, which relate
specifically to Hampton School but are
paralleled by other collections, can be
seen in the School Museum. These include
items of school uniform and sporting gear.
We also have things like a collection of
canes, a book of 1940s detention slips and
a punishment essay, blackboard rubbers,
A 1940s detention slip
A 1940s punishment essay
chalk, a computer punch card, 5 inch
floppy discs, an electric typewriter and an
overhead projector: such things were once
(and not very long ago) standard features of
the classroom and school administration.
No doubt, in years to come, museum pieces
will include things like iPad minis and 4G
phones – and look very dated when future
Old Boys return with their grandchildren
to look round the School on one of our
open days.
TJL
2013-2014
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28
2013-2014
As a self-confessed lover of the musical
Chicago, I must confess that when I heard
Dr Tait – director of Drama at the Lady
Eleanor Holles School – had chosen this
for our joint musical, I was both incredibly
excited and rather anxious… Could a school
tackle this racy and criminal world with the
necessary gusto and bravado?
The plot of Chicago follows Roxie Hart
(played by Poppy Gilbert), an ambitious
chorus girl who murders her lover. Initially,
she manages to convince her gullible
husband, Amos (Max Thomas), that her
lover was in fact a burglar. Amos agrees to
take the rap until the police convince him
that the burglar was, in fact, Roxie’s lover.
Thus, Roxie goes to jail and joins another
infamous stage performer and murderess,
Velma Kelly (Martha Cook). Both Roxie
and Velma are headline hunters seeking to
capitalize on pre-trial publicity for the sake
of acquittal and stage careers with the help
of a suave, manipulative lawyer, Billy Flynn
(George Kounoupias).
From the off, Ben Tait’s production conveyed
a grandiosity worthy of the West End itself.
The performance managed to maintain the
musical’s dark humour – often in reference
to the murder of men – whilst also
providing some lighter comic moments in
their own unique interpretation. The crossgender casting of ‘Mama’ – the matron of
the Cook County Jail – was a case in point,
played and sung unbelievably convincingly
by Jacob Winskell of Hampton School. The
cast delivered an intensely-paced piece and
managed to sustain a fluidity in the multiple
locations remarkably well, with impressive
dancing pieces – led by Olivia Charley –
and musical numbers being performed one
after the other.
The music itself was played expertly by a
live orchestra nestled in front of the stage,
conducted by Miranda Ashe, which gave
the whole experience a very professional
feel. The staging appeared clearly set out,
yet managed to include several levels, with
ladders on stage for the characters to climb
up and down. It was beautifully decorated,
with the backdrop swathed in several hues of
purple and red that visually augmented the
scandalous themes of the piece.
Poppy Gilbert put in a brilliant theatrical
performance as Roxie, conveying both
her childish ignorance and sinister,
manipulative nature, whilst also excelling
vocally. Solo songs such as ‘Funny Honey’
were performed powerfully, yet with
seeming ease. Alongside Poppy, George
Kounoupias embodied the confident and
smooth characteristics of the sly Billy
Flynn almost worryingly well – again
backing this up with a brilliant singing
talent. However, when put together, the
pair pulled off a magnificent feat in the
musical number ‘We Both Reached for
the Gun’ which involves Billy using Roxie
as a puppet to mouth the words that he
is singing. Despite the song having a very
quick tempo, the pair performed flawlessly
in conjunction with the reporters – and
it honestly gave me chills. Martha Cook
responded to the character of Velma with
remarkable maturity, effectively conveying
the character’s transition from stardom, to
bitterness and then to dependence; and Max
Thomas managed to elicit more sympathy
from me than any professional performance
of Amos has done before. These mature,
professional performances were only a
few of the numerous, equally incredible
performances from the rest of the cast.
Overall, the cast and crew of Chicago
put together a performance that was of a
standard worthy of any professional stages
and should be proud of themselves.
Bora Aygun
2013-2014
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Agamemnon
‘Would you like to compose and perform
the music for Agamemnon?’ was a seemingly
daunting question from Mr Donald.
However, Harry Baker, Hugh Beckwith and
I found ourselves accepting all the same.
Aeschylus’ Agamemnon is a dark Greek
Tragedy based on a curse within Greek
royalty, which causes characters to kill
members of their own family. Agamemnon
(brilliantly performed by Eliot Anthony)
sacrifices his daughter to the Gods in order
to win the war against Troy. His grieving
yet fiery wife Clytemnestra (superbly
characterised by Hetty Blundell) later kills
him when seeking revenge for his crimes.
As you can probably tell, it’s not a play
for the light-hearted. Ms Carmichael did
a phenomenal job directing the play with
valuable help along the way from Miss
Buse.
Harry, Hugh and I identified key themes
within the plot and tried to recognise
recurring ideas or motifs with the support
of Mr Donald. We then faced the extensive
and strenuous task of trying to turn these
ideas into a musical form. Further difficulty
arrived with the fact that the music had
to perfectly match the mood of the scenes
but not be intrusive to the content of
the play. We came to the conclusion that
the music should not be traditional but
predominantly atonal and percussive.
We also decided to use some unorthodox
instruments; for example, a Tibetan bowl, a
thunder shaker and a metal ‘wobble’ board
courtesy of the Design and Technology
Department. After many gruelling hours
spent coming up with ideas we eventually
had a complete score of music to match the
plot of the play.
We performed the music with indispensable
help from David Mynors, Joe Papworth and
Louis Watkins (Joe and Louis also managing
to act during the play as well). To the
pleasure of all who took part, the play was
very well received with extremely positive
feedback from the audience regarding both
the acting and the music. We all had a great
time rehearsing and performing in the play
and felt honoured to write music for such a
talented cast.
Max Thomas
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Outward Bound
Students ranging from the First Year to the Fourth Year took part in
an originally written piece, Outward Bound, which was performed in
the 450 Hall on the 11th of December.
Outward Bound tells the story of a group of young boys forced to
attend an adventure holiday camp. In the play, contrasting groups of
boys are forced to work together, creating various comic conflicts. The
end of the play reveals a group of boys trapped in a cave after being
separated from their leader on a night hike. The play was exciting to
act in as it had an excellent blend of comedy, pathos and mystery.
The boys really enjoyed the experience, as it was our first opportunity
to perform mime to recorded music; a new skill that developed well
throughout the experience. We were also fortunate that Mrs Duda
managed to write characters tailored towards our acting strengths.
Each boy in the cast had his own distinct and engaging character to
portray, creating a great sense of inclusion for all involved.
On the night of the performance we were nervous due to the fact that
we had only one chance to do the play and ourselves justice. However,
as we became aware of the warm reaction from the audience in the
first few scenes we grew into the evening and thoroughly enjoyed the
experience. A special thank you goes to Mr Duda for his committed
direction and Mrs Duda for producing a play that allowed us to be
involved in such an original project.
Fabio Rossi
34
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Great Expectations
In June 2014 a group of Third Years from Hampton and
Waldegrave performed Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations in
the 450 Hall. The group of young actors and actresses started the
rehearsal process just before February half-term and, four months
later, performed it in front of a packed audience. Directed by
Mr Duda, the play used multiple theatrical techniques such as
slow motion, flashbacks and miming to great effect, marking
the significant dramatic moments. We worked in detail on the
text, communicating the interesting subtext whilst refining
our characterisation, with most cast members feeling they had
developed their acting skills by the end of the process.
The play is about a young orphan called Pip (Charlie Marcus)
who, after helping a convict on the run named Magwitch
(Edward Wills), begins to receive handsome sums of money
from a mysterious benefactor and starts his journey to become
a gentleman in order to gain the love of Estella (Erin Hyland)
who has been brought up by the lonely, eccentric Mrs Havisham
(Catrin Ody). After leaving his dear friend Joe (James Bartley),
Joe’s cruel wife Mrs Joe (Lilly Roberts) and his old life behind, the
past eventually catches up with an older Pip (Sam Ernest) and
some traumatic experiences help him to realise where his place
is in the world.
On the performance night there was a great sense of nerves and
excitement as we realised we only had one night to get it perfect.
Once we had performed our first scene we relaxed and really
began to enjoy the experience.
The combination of superb acting, staging and lighting and lots
of hard work ultimately paid off, as Great Expectations was very
well received by the audience.
Also in the cast: Henry Bunney, Oliver Ross, Patrick Ardill,
Emily Sizeland, Ambrin McBrinn and Francesca Power.
Sam Ernest
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At the end of the Summer Term, 2013, a group of Hampton pupils joined forces with girls from Waldegrave School to produce an abridged
30 minute production of Romeo and Juliet for the Shakespeare Schools Festival. We gathered every week on Fridays after school and under
the skilled direction of Miss Fischer the project soon began to take shape.
The concept was to look at the dispute between Montagues and Capulets in terms of a gender divide, examining the relationship between
the two. This meant some female students adopted male roles and vice versa.
After a long break over the holidays we came back ready and raring to go again – we had one half term to get the production up to
performance level!
The staging was minimalist and suggested the context of education with traits of rebellion, thanks to the live graffiti on the ‘old-school’ style
blackboard. The divide and obligatory loyalty between the two families was simply yet boldly illustrated through the approach to costume –
a blue tie for the Montagues and a pink tie for the Capulets. This was very much an ensemble performance, with the whole cast physically
expressing the emotion of the ‘star-crossed lovers’ alongside the conflict it created.
When it came to the day of the performance we were all a bit nervous but we pulled it out of the bag for the dress rehearsal and performance
and delivered a superb show! Special thanks should go to all the teachers at Waldegrave who helped and directed us, especially Miss Fischer,
Miss Whin and Ms Tomasso.
George Mundy (The Nurse!)
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Stanley
A Hippie Education
Stanley’s not a cat; he’s an old ball of fur
One eye doesn’t work, his purr’s not a purr
He’s not just one colour; black and white like cattle
He’s old and he’s battered; one ear lost from battle.
I wake fresh for breakfast and wail and weep,
A canvas to paint on, with tiny soft feet.
They brush on the canvas, red yellow and blue,
They cut it and shape it and then call it ‘you’.
We should run to the forest with fairies as friends,
Not sit in a schoolroom with pencils and pens.
Lunchtime arrives and a waiter comes in
With textbooks as presents: ‘Eat these to be king’.
I taste them and savour, but where’s the reward?
We’re the same as each other – there must be a flaw.
Teach me my physics and teach me to fly,
If not, I won’t make it – as dinner is nigh.
Universe City, where you force-feed your mind
With knives and forks until you go blind.
An expert on Shakespeare: that’s great, I admit,
Study the past, if it’s As You Like It.
Years of learning how to pass tests,
At the end – ‘Have a number!’ – where ‘1’ is the best.
Pudding is here and I’ve still got the space
For a thought to do with the crazed human race.
The root of knowledge is not 3.14,
Genius and talent are sometimes abhorred.
But best be a sponge and not be a sieve,
I just wish they would teach us – how should we live?
Back in the day, he was big, bold and sleek
As strong as an ox – he was top of his peak
He scrapped like a lion – feared by all
While the rest followed rules, he never played ball.
King of the street he was called – but no more
More like king of the rug, in his spot by the door
Drawing warmth from the fire – heating his core
No more conflict for him; his legs are too sore.
Stanley’s the old one – he always knows best
But he can’t run or leap – he’d much rather rest.
Blotches and patches from wear and tear
He’s not long for this world – old Stan doesn’t care.
Stanley’s face is shrunken back into his skull
Like a grandfather clock – every moment is dull.
Asleep, awake, asleep once more
It’s been years and years since he broke the law.
He feasts upon mountains of strawbs and whipped cream
The days are endless – like years they seem.
One eye doesn’t work; his purr’s not a purr.
Max Thomas
He was once top cat – emperor of back streets
His name once feared – ruler of all he meets.
Now he’s not quite the same – he rarely speaks
No longer is it power and wealth that he seeks.
Stanley’s a scrounger – he steals and scraps
But the more food he eats, the more he naps.
One of these days, old Stan shall not wake
A fine life he’s led – such memories he’ll take.
One eye doesn’t work – his purr’s not a purr.
Joseph Helm
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Ariadne
On lonely earth and washed up shore, the wretched woman stands
Midst crashing wave and bubbling foam.
Alone and bared to thorny vines, she shakes
And fills her palm with tears.
When, woken from deceitful sleep, she saw the deserting ships
Before her eyes, and trusting only disbelief,
The witch of Naxos cries.
Her head of twisted golden threads cascades down to her sodden feet.
Folded fabric joins the sea she saturated
With her own tears, her head aching as after a night of wine,
She is wildly petrified as a Bacchant. That hanging nymph,
Mistress of the labyrinthine pleats: lost,
Sacrificed to the monster herself.
Fergus Church
The Forgotten
Chee, chee, chee.
She jolts at the sound. Shifting her gaze up to the branches above her, the girl notices the bundle of feathers
and twigs that hold the source of the noise. She laughs at herself. Fancy being frightened at such a thing, she
thinks, and tucking her dark hair behind a dark ear, she presses on.
Although the flowers grow wildly, she follows them as though they form a single constructed path, occasionally
bending down to admire the soft lines stretching across the petals. Then, grasping the fresh stem firmly between
her grass-stained finger and thumb, she gives a slight tug. The stalks snap neatly every time, dripping sweet dew
that she delights in sucking off her grubby palms. It is a hot day. Now she is a flower girl at a wedding. She
pulls the white petals from their source and scatters them into the air. She dances beneath the falling confetti,
singing. Now she is a forest nymph. And a mermaid. At the same time.
She swirls and twirls and whirls. She spins out of the blossom cloud. She spins through the woods. She spins
into the clearing. She trips. Though she is finally still, the world continues spinning. It couldn’t match her speed
before, now it’s catching up. She lies still on the grass waiting for it, brushing the stray petals off her clothes;
white when her mother sent her out to play with a warm biscuit and a warmer kiss, now stained with all the
colours of nature. Mother will be most pleased, she thought, to see how pretty I have made my dress. Now she
is a city lady, fashionable and stern. Now she is a simple farm girl. She’d decided never to live in a city a few
years ago when she’d visited one for the first time. Too cold and too hot. Clean and dirty. Safe and dangerous.
The forest was kind in its median consistency.
She notices the well.
In the absolute centre of the clearing. A well. No fence or wall surrounding it other than the wet grass. No
shelter to divert rain. A hole in the soft ground. A hole and a bucket tied to a rope, nailed into the ground.
Now she is a worm, inching closer to the edge on her stomach, the grass underneath painting itself onto her
38
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skin. She pokes a finger over the edge of the hole, gripping the cool side. Then another. Then a few more. Both
hands gripping the edge of the hole, she drags herself forward until her eyes can peep over the edge. Black, black,
black. Down, down, down. She gleefully shouts a hello down into the darkness. It is returned within seconds,
echoing off the muddy walls. She shouts another, delighting at the sound. It returns, mingled with another voice.
Another hello.
Another.
And another.
A cacophony of greetings. Tenfold more than she provided herself. These voices were not her own. They were sad
voices. She had never heard such sad voices. Now she is a knight. Or a doctor. Both. She wants to help the voices.
Shouting down a warning, she throws the rope and bucket down into the depths. She listens to a splash as it hits
the water’s surface. Nothing.
Now she is a circus gymnast. She hoists herself round over the edge of the hole and begins shimmying down the
rope, humming to herself as the last crescent of the sun vanishes behind the well’s dark edge. The air is cold. The
girl is cold. But she is a mountaineer now. She is used to the chill.
She descends further into the depths. Mother will be so proud of me after she hears about my adventure, she
imagines. The voices grow louder as the light diminishes. Then, silence and pitch black. She has reached the end
of the rope, which trails on the ground. The remains of the bucket can be loosely discerned surrounding the
rope, which is still tied to the metal handle. The rusty pail, however, did not survive the fall. She nimbly skips
over the metal shards (she is a firewalker now) and gazes at her surroundings. The silence is sliced by an uproar of
whispers.
The whispers are sad. The whispers are dead.
The whisperers are sad and dead.
Midday. The sun pauses in the sky directly above the well, stretching its bright arms down into the darkness. Not
to help the girl; it wants to see for itself. Regardless, the hazy light illuminates the cavern below the well. The floor
is littered with bones. Smoky figures fill the room, whispering. They whisper to each other and to her. They were
left alone. They were children yesterday. Today they are the dead.
She remembers her mother’s words. Gentle, kind words. Everyone needs someone to care for them. These are the
forgotten ones. No one ever cared for them and no one cares now. But someone will care, she thinks. And now
she is her mother. She will care for them.
The girl spies a pile of bones in the corner. A broken pile. Cold and hot. Clean and dirty. Safe and dangerous. The
forest does not reach this place. It is the city of the forgotten. She could break her vow for these people.
Mother would be so proud, she thinks, crouching low over a skeleton at the base of the mound and snapping off
a long, white femur. She grips it tightly. How I’ll miss her. A broken piece of skull for a crown. She ascends the
pile. The forgotten ones all gazing after her. The whispers augment. The girl turns to face them.
And now she is not a girl.
She is a queen.
Fergus Church
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An extract from Luther & Severus by Aca Delic and Ollie
Cook, performed at the Playwrights’ Festival 2014.
The play depicts a world in which the only surviving remnants
of our society are the Harry Potter novels …
Lights come up on stage. A family composed of a man and two
sons appears to be attempting to light a fire. They are speaking in
hushed tones and they hunch over the kindling like tribal people.
Enter ALBUS, a young man intent on discovering the truth about
The Great Potter. Upon spotting the SLYTHERENES he hides,
watching on. The SLYTHERENES appear to have built the fire
and begin a ritualistic chant, growing in intensity and volume as
they say it.
SLYTHERENES: Draco! Draco! Draco! Snape! Snape! Snape!
ALBUS builds courage to confront the chanting
SLYTHERENES. He jumps out and stops them.
ALBUS: Silence foul heathens! Repent from your sinful ways
and beg for the great Potter to forgive you!
Pause
FATHER: Well howdy stranger. What brings you to this part
of the…. Outside?
ALBUS: Silence! Who are you?
Pause
ALBUS: Well?
SON 1: Did you want us to be silent or to tell you who we are?
ALBUS: Alright wise guy, who are you people?
FATHER: Well, we’re just honest, run-of-the-mill pointy-hatted workers. Sure times are hard, and the dark season makes us
sad, but Slytherenes like us always have the loving Draco looking down on us, showering us with the love of Snape.
The sons nod at each other in agreement
ALBUS: I am here to help you turn your back on your sinful ways, see the true way of Potter!
SON 2: What are we doing that’s sinful?
ALBUS: You’re rejecting the unconditional love of Potter, of course.
SON 1: If it’s unconditional, then won’t he love us anyway? We ain’t doing any harm.
ALBUS: No, you must love him back. That’s the agreement the original Gryffreaelites made with the Great Wizard.
SON 2: Why?
SON 1: Sounds like they got a bum deal.
ALBUS: Blasphemy!
FATHER: Now boys, you be nice to our guest. I’m sorry about them mister, they’ve gone and got themselves all excited
about the great meal we are about to have. You’re more than welcome to join us and tell us about your Potter.
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ALBUS: I don’t know if I should…
FATHER: Oh come now, I insist. Who knows – you might convince us after all! And you must be awful hungry with that
empty looking pack of yours…
ALBUS: Well… alright then.
FATHER: That’s terrific! Alright boys – you know what to do.
SON 1 sits down on the floor while SON 2 clubs him around the back of the head with a stick. SON 1 falls to the floor, dead. SON
2 begins to drag him to the fire. ALBUS is shocked
FATHER: I hope you’re hungry; he had an aunt last week. Kids these days.
ALBUS jumps up in disgust
ALBUS: Why… why that’s barbaric! You eat your relatives? Why, Potter would never stand for this.
SON 2: You don’t eat your relatives?
ALBUS: No! That’s evil! That’s wrong! You people are disgusting! You shouldn’t eat your dead; you should put them in the
ground!
FATHER: Bury your dead?! Allow their sacred and tasty bodies to be eaten by the hell worms, the lowest of creatures?! Why
THAT, my friend, is barbaric. You just tell me right here why we eating our boy would be evil? It is the highest honour he
could do for us! He died so we could live.
ALBUS: Because you killed him.
FATHER: He was happy to die! ALBUS: Potter wouldn’t allow it! His stomach would turn to see your Potterless ways.
FATHER: Really? Did he say that?
ALBUS: Well, he both did and he didn’t, because it has always been said that...well, you see, yes, he did. Anyway. You must
stop.
FATHER: That’s just what we do here. That’s OK for us. The wise and prudent Draco has always looked kindly on us even
while we have done this supposedly evil deed. Anyway, come on, be culturally respectful.
SON 2: Yeah, stop being racist.
FATHER: What you think is OK and what I think is OK are different things. You’ve got to respect that when you’re on our
land.
ALBUS: Well… it doesn’t feel right
FATHER: Come on friend. Come have some food. Tell me, have you ever heard the works of the ancient composer… Barry
Manilow?
FATHER puts his hand over ALBUS’s shoulder in a friendly manner. There is a blackout as ‘Mandy’ by Barry Manilow plays.
Everyone exits stage. The song stops and ALBUS runs on stage, visibly concerned, obviously just escaped from the SLYTHERENES
ALBUS: What was that foul noise? They surely are the spawn of Voldermort.
FATHER (OFFSTAGE): I say, who’s going to help me finish this leg?
ALBUS quickens pace and leaves stage, completing his escape.
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St Cecilia’s Concert
At the annual St Cecilia’s Dinner the boys
of Hampton showed once again how richly
musically gifted they are. Guests were
welcomed to the 450 Hall by the Junior
Barbershop, and their bubbly charisma
matched well the champagne we enjoyed
before the concert. The evening was well
attended by parents and staff, and the
atmosphere in the 450 Hall was jovial and
expectant as the first half began. Dylan
Evans-Hutchison launched the programme
with an impressive performance of Corelli’s
‘Folia’ variations, playing from memory.
Ed Butler followed this with another set of
variations on tuba – this time on a Venetian
melody – and the contrasts continued with
JJ Huang’s accomplished rendition of a
movement from Beethoven’s ‘Pathetique’
Sonata. After more Classical music from
Arthur Eley, who gave us cadenza and
all of the first movement of Mozart’s
G Major Violin Concerto, Thomas Hopper
showed virtuosity of a different kind in
the twists and turns of James Rae’s ‘Off to
the Nelson’. An affecting performance of
a Chopin Nocturne from Yaz Ötzen was
paired with an equally moving ‘Deep Blue’
from the flute of Thomas Bithell. More
virtuosic variations followed from Alfie
Evans-Hutchison on the cello, and the first
Christmas Concert
The first Christmas Concert is one of the
School’s most varied musical occasions,
providing the debut performance for some
of the School’s new musicians (and the First
Year Choir makes musicians of all the First
Year boys) as well as demonstrating some of
the rich musical ability of the School’s most
seasoned musicians.
The Brass Ensemble opened with an
entertaining performance of Souza’s
‘Washington Post’, which they were playing
as they marched onto the stage, followed
by an appropriately bemused Dr Ward.
An arrangement of ‘Hey Jude’ provided a
change in mood.
This was followed by the Concert Orchestra
with a festive ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed
Reindeer’, a first time on stage for many
of the players. The Wind Band then played
an arrangement of Gershwin’s Prelude Suite
– this entertaining piece demonstrated
the Wind Band’s command of ensemble
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half closed with a convincing account of the
finale of Brahms’ E-flat clarinet sonata. In
this piece James Cai was ably accompanied
by Alan Jones, who worked hard to prepare
many of the evening’s performances and as
usual showed chameleon-like adaptability
in accompanying the many different styles
and instruments on show.
After the dinner interval, consisting of a
fine repast catered by Mrs Sally Paterson,
the second half began in style as the
Senior Barbershop performed ‘Georgia
on my Mind’. After a lively and rhythmic
performance of Piazzolla’s ‘Kicho’ by
Josh Rowley on double bass, the talented
members of the Barbershop reappeared
in various configurations to entertain us
further: Harry Baker dazzled at the piano
in Debussy, and he was again joined
onstage by Hugh Beckwith, who with
Robert Fearn gave a splendid performance
of Ireland’s ‘Full Fathom Five’ accompanied
by Harry. Max Thomas engaged us all with
two astonishing performances of unusual
solo cello works from America: with
Minsky’s ‘Trucking Through the South’
and Summers’ ‘Julie-O’, Max showed us
the wide range of effects and sounds of
which the solo cello is capable, and kept
our toes tapping to boot. Hugh Beckwith
and Robert Fearn returned in solo outings
during the later parts of the second half,
playing including an unusually melodic
line for the bass clarinet.
The Guitar Ensemble made their entrance
in waistcoats and colourful socks. Their
two gentle pieces, ‘Camino del Molino’ and
‘Ines’, provided a quiet interlude before
three short fun pieces by Tommy Pederson
for two trombones and euphonium from
the Trombone Ensemble. We were then
treated to a small slice of a Viennese New
Year’s Day with the String Orchestra’s
performance of Johann Strauss I’s ‘Radetzky
March’.
After the interval the tinsel began to appear,
festooning the drum kit which, with bass
guitar and piano, accompanied the First
Year Choir’s performance of ‘Patience’ by
Take That and a joyful rendition of ‘Let it
Snow’.
More tinsel appeared along with the
Symphony Orchestra and for more
Gershwin, this time ‘Rhapsody in
Blue’. James Cai’s magical clarinet
glissando heralded a wonderfully spirited
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both showing maturity and range in their
performances of ‘The lark in clear air’ and
‘Sure on this shining night’ respectively.
Two Hampton violinists showed what their
instrument is capable of with solo Bach
from Hiro Shimazaki and solo Telemann
from Naoto Nishimura, and the line-up of
string solos was completed by Dylan Grey,
who in a signature startling waistcoat lulled
us with a guitar ‘Vals’ by Ferrer. George
Kounoupias was the final vocalist of the
evening; his was a dramatic performance of
‘Di provenza il mar’ from Verdi’s Traviata.
Jack Burgess gave us two movements of the
Rimsky-Korsakov trombone concerto – a
rarely-heard treat – and the evening closed
with Kurran Tailor at the piano and an
intimate Chopin Waltz in C# minor.
At the interval, the head of Steinway, a
guest at the concert, presented Mr Knibbs
with a plaque – now on display in the
450 lobby – celebrating the School’s new
relationship with the company and our
new stock of top-of-the-range pianos.
This marvellous concert confirmed that
the musical life of Hampton continues
to flourish, and the ongoing relationship
with Steinway can only bolster the boys’
progress and spur them on to even greater
things!
MW
performance. Harry Baker’s outstanding
performance demonstrated not only
complete
technical
command
of
the challenging piano part, but also
communicated an impressive personal
interpretation of the music during the solo
passages. The strings were very ably led by
Louis Watkins and navigated the changes
in tempo with confidence. They were
complemented by some spirited woodwind
and brass solos.
The concert finished with the first
movement of Schumann’s Symphony No.2 –
the intensity and passion of this piece was
sustained throughout with some colourful
dynamic playing, and a series of wonderful
dramatic clean tutti chords at the end.
As always, the first Christmas Concert
provided an inspiring introduction for
the families of First Year performers to the
School’s musical life.
Katie Knollys
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Spring Concert I
The first Spring Concert was marked by the arrival of the triennial
exchange with the Heinrich-Suso Gymnasium School from
Konstanz, Germany. This meant that this year’s Spring Concert was
to be quite different from the past two years. With such a varied
programme of music, it was no surprise that the 450 Hall was
packed out.
The orchestras played to a very high standard, treating the audience
to a wide and varied programme. The Chamber Orchestra, led by Liz
van Ments, opened the evening with a rousing performance of the
Capriol Suite. Hampton’s Symphony Orchestra followed with ‘The
Thieving Magpie’ by Rossini, which was conducted by Iain Donald.
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The Konstanz Orchestra, conducted by Michael Auer, then took to
the stage and played Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, with
Simeon Ohlsen playing the solo part, which was very well received.
When the second half of the concert began the audience heard
another performance from the Konstanz Orchestra; a medley from
The Phantom of the Opera, whose music is a guilty pleasure of many.
The Hampton Symphony Orchestra then joined forces with their
Konstanz partners for the passionate finale with over 100 musicians
on the stage. The two orchestras played the last two movements (of
four) from Schumann’s Symphony in C, melding perfectly to give a
stellar performance under the expert direction of Dr Matthew Ward.
Srinand Sundaram
arts
Spring Concert II
Following on from Spring Concert I, the second instalment had high
standards to live up to, and the evening certainly did not disappoint!
The audience was enraptured from the opening notes of the second
movement of ‘Three Brass Cats’, played with aplomb by the Brass
Ensemble. This was followed by an extremely moving performance
of the ‘Adagio Sostenuto’ from Haydn’s Op. 76 String Quartet, in
which all four members of the ensemble displayed great technical
and musical flair.
We were then treated to two uplifting renditions from the Clarinet
Ensemble: ‘Ragtime Dance’ by Joplin was a particular hit with
many members of the audience, who were still humming this
catchy tune as they left later that evening. Next came a rousing
performance by the Trombone Ensemble, with their rendition
of two well-known film music classics: the theme from Mission
Impossible and ‘Raiders’ March’ from Indiana Jones. These were
played with great enthusiasm and finesse that was matched by the
Wind Quintet, who performed two movements from ‘Trois Pièces
Brèves’ by Jacques Ibert. All members of the quintet effectively
brought out the subtle contrasts of emotions in these varied and
colourful pieces. One of the highlights of the evening was certainly
the rendition of the finale from Dvorák’s ‘The American’ String
Quartet, conjuring vivid images of the vibrancy of nineteenth
century America.
Thinking that this had brought the first half of the concert to a close,
we began to rise from our seats only to be stopped in our tracks by the
Percussion Ensemble striding down into the auditorium to enthral us
with their dynamic, semi-improvised drumming extravaganza. It was
wonderful to see students and teachers performing together in this
ensemble, which was definitely a contrast from the predominantly
classical groups that made up the first half of the concert.
Next came another string quartet, this time the Quartet in C K157
by Mozart played by the String Orchestra, maintaining the high
standard established by the quartets of the first half of the concert.
This preceded the performance of two pieces played by the Wind
Band. Both ‘Axel F’ and ‘Creed’ were performed with impressive
confidence and musicality.
The Chamber Orchestra provided a fitting finale to this outstanding
show of talent with a refined performance of the ‘Arrival of the Queen
of Sheba’ by Handel. The string players provided an accomplished
accompaniment for the two oboe soloists, Andrew Orr and Hugh
Beckwith, who dazzled us with their display of musical finesse and
expertise.
As we left the auditorium that evening, having enjoyed a spectacle of
engaging and varied performances, we knew that this would be the
start of a very productive and entertaining term of music-making at
Hampton.
Srinand Sundaram
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Song Writing Workshop
On 24th January 2014 several Hampton musicians assembled
in the 450 Hall for a crash course in song writing from talented
performer and loop pedal expert, Johnny Lucas. The session
began with a fantastic performance by Johnny who played his
original piece ‘It Keeps Me Alive’ in order to demonstrate his
writing talent, stage presence and impressive singing voice, but
then it was the time for the students to take to the stage.
To get the ball rolling, Johnny sent the boys off in their
individual groups with one simple challenge: to come up with
a four chord song pattern (which, as we know, forms the basis
of the majority of popular music these days). As the groups
separated, a whole variety of genres from a cappella to punk
were explored, and it was abundantly clear that Johnny was
more than impressed with the song writing talent that he had
in front of him.
After the chord patterns had been created, Johnny introduced
the slightly more difficult task of adding a melody and lyrics.
However, the help that Johnny gave made the task much less
daunting. His honest opinion and constructive comments
helped the boys to finalise their song ideas before it was show
time! We all returned to the auditorium and enjoyed ourselves as
we listened to some entertaining and impressive performances
of the newly written masterpieces. Although lyrics can often be
politically provocative, there were interesting choices of subject
matter in the boys’ new material, tackling pressing issues such as
salmon, doughnuts, and not wanting to ‘go out’ in the evenings
(with some impressive lyrical improvisation from Joe Jenkins)!
I think that I can speak on the behalf of all the students
involved when I say that Johnny’s visit to the School was greatly
appreciated, as he offered us all great musical advice and was
an absolute pleasure to work with. Thanks to Miss Lucas for
arranging the workshop for us!
Joe Papworth
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Jazz Café
Annually, the School’s most edgy and hipster ensembles
convene for the Jazz Café. In turn, they enthral the diners with
exceptional music and adequate nosh. The performers had a
tough act to follow after the return of some Old Hamptonians
the previous year, but they did so with all the energy and class
that any devotee could have wished for.
The night started explosively with Jazz Band belting out ‘Sing
Sing Sing’ (with excellent drumming from Jake Quinn) and
‘Birdland’ – a personal favourite. ‘Sway’ was sung beautifully
by Hugh Beckwith after an arrangement of ‘Tijuana Taxi’.
The Sax Quartet played an entertaining set before Swing
Band took to the stage and amazed us with their polished
performance, including a solo from Jacob Riddleston in a
performance of the James Bond theme. Jazz Band hurried
back on stage to complete their second set with – once again
– a bewitching solo from Hugh, and a truly memorable
performance of ‘My Funny Valentine’ from Edward Owens.
I haven’t heard this piece played so flawlessly since Nathan
Klein left some years ago.
The interval is always a welcome break for the performers.
Appetites are sated, and minds made duller by the readily
available beverages – woefully not for the musicians. Sadly, there
wasn’t much time to relax for the Barbershop who were bustled
onto stage in an attempt to keep the evening on schedule (a task
which to my memory has never been achieved). They charmed
the audience with Armstrong’s ‘Sweet Adeline’ and an amusing
concoction of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ and ‘Come Fly with Me’.
The Barbershop lost all but one member last year and there
have been concerns regarding the future of the group amongst
some students. However, all disquiet has been hushed after this
performance and any lingering doubts put to bed.
Most would agree that the highlight of the evening was the
Jazz Trio. They played with great confidence and aptitude and
entranced the audience with their musical prowess and lively
improvisation. The group was initiated by Harry Baker only
two years ago and has come on leaps and bounds since then.
Much to the onlookers’ surprise their second piece, ‘Pfrancing’,
contained a sketch. This was truly a novelty for Jazz Café and
perhaps gives us a taste of the direction it will be taking in the
future.
Jazz Band then returned to the stage with Thomas Knollys
playing exceptionally in ‘Stardust’, and the evening was
concluded with Jazz Band’s signature piece, ‘The Chicken’,
containing an immense round of solos, including one of
particular note from Felix Murray – a very keen and able
trumpeter. The evening would have also finished on time if the
audience had not insisted on an encore!
This Jazz Café was very much like all the others I have attended
– great music to accompany a dynamic atmosphere. Particular
thanks go to all the staff and parents who organise the event
every year, especially Kay Ford who endures more than flesh
and blood can stand, and Iain Donald for his ever-witty remarks
whilst announcing raffle prizewinners. It saddens me that it was
my last Jazz Café, but I’ll treasure the memories.
Dylan Grey
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Friday 2nd May saw the arrival of Hampton’s
annual Rock Concert, an evening the Music
Department looks forward to all year. After
hours of preparation from the sound and
lighting team, Mr Alvarez took to the stage
alongside his co-host Joe Papworth to introduce
the entertainment.
The evening began in spectacular style with a
rousing DJ set from Andrew Orr, accompanied
by an impressive display of lasers and smoke
machines, getting the audience quickly into
the spirit of things. Following this came a new
Lower School band named ‘Work in Progress’
who began with a stripped-back version of
Scouting for Girls’ ‘Millionaire’, followed by a
full band performance of the Snow Patrol hit
‘Chasing Cars’. Next up came Hugh Dollery
who, accompanying himself on the piano,
took to the stage to perform his ‘soon to be’
hit single ‘Point Blank’. Joe Papworth followed
this with his first performance of the night:
two solo performances of ‘I for You’ by The
All American Rejects, and ‘The Past Six Years’
by Death Havana. Adam Khan then took
to the stage, exciting the audience with his
rendition of the Bruno Mars pop hit ‘Treasure’,
followed shortly by the first of the in-School
rock bands comprising boys in the Lower
School who performed three rock classics:
‘Sunshine of your Love’, ‘Back in Black’ and
‘Valerie’. The final act before the interval was
the School Percussion Group who wowed the
audience with a booming samba performance,
successfully wrapping up the first half.
The second act opened with the School’s senior
rock band who performed a wide range of
songs including ‘In Bloom’ by Nirvana and
‘Gravity’ by John Mayer, before Joe Palmer
entertained the audience with his acoustic
covers of ‘Freefallin’’ and ‘Counting Stars’.
Mr Alvarez, Miss Lucas and Miss Bensted
then showed the boys how to rock with an
exciting rendition of ‘Mr Magic’, followed by
Max Thomas, who performed his own original
composition ‘A-Travelling’ – dubbed by other
boys ‘the modulation song.’ The evening was
rounded off by the Funk Band with ‘Another
Day’ and ‘Just The Way You Are’, which saw the
audience on their feet. Shortly after, the whole
auditorium was dancing!
Many thanks go to Miss Lucas and the
instrumental teachers, along with the sound
and lighting team, who with their hard work
ensured that this was a very successful Rock
Concert for which much of the audience will
surely return next year.
Joe Palmer
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Symphony Orchestra Exchange
to Konstanz, July 2014
On Friday 4th July 2014, over forty members of the Symphony
Orchestra accompanied by four teachers assembled in front of
the Garrick Building, ready for the long voyage to Konstanz, in
Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This exchange visit is a triennial
affair that has been running for many years between the orchestras
of Hampton and Heinrich-Suso Gymnasium. Having hosted our
German exchange partners in March, we were eagerly anticipating
this return visit.
We were not quite so excited, however, by the prospect of a seventeenhour coach journey through Europe! We were told that we would
catch some sleep on the journey, and having never undertaken such
a long trip before, I was hoping that this would be the case. I was
proven wrong…
But despite arriving bedraggled and tired at our partners’ school
the following afternoon, we soldiered on through a quick rehearsal
before meeting our exchanges and heading home. Our repertoire
for the trip included a medley of well-known songs from Bernstein’s
‘West Side Story’, a lesser-known but catchy suite for jazz trio
accompanied by orchestra (with Harry Baker, Joe Papworth and
David Mynors ably taking the solo parts), and three traditional
English pieces by Elgar to finish off our concert.
We performed our first concert on the Sunday morning in the
‘Stadtgarten’ (an open-air stage) to our exchanges and their families,
as well as any passers-by who stopped to listen. This was certainly the
most idyllic concert venue I have ever performed in, overlooking the
famous Lake Constance, with the majestic Swiss mountains in the
distance. And I can safely say that we did our venue justice.
Over the next few days we were able to relax with our exchanges,
enjoying two ‘friendly’ Hampton vs. Heinrich-Suso football matches,
an afternoon of swimming in the lake, and a communal viewing of
Germany’s thrashing of Brazil in the World Cup semi-final, sitting in
a local restaurant. It was thrilling to be in Germany on that evening,
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as the whole town came alive to celebrate the national team’s victory.
It was a shame we weren’t there to see Germany win the World Cup
the following week!
During the daytime, meanwhile, we were lucky enough to go on
exciting trips to nearby places of interest, including the island of
Reichneau (where Dr Ward showed his extensive knowledge of
medieval architecture as he gave us a tour of the local churches),
the awe-inspiring Rhinefall waterfalls in nearby Switzerland, and
the historic hilltop town of Meersburg. For me, however, the most
memorable visits were our trips to the quaint centre of Konstanz
itself (where we had the privilege of an official greeting from the
mayor), and to a nature reserve in Affenburg where we were able
to feed popcorn to freely roaming monkeys (that is, if they didn’t
snatch it from us first!).
Of course, we did manage to slip in some time for more music as
well. For our visit to Konstanz culminated with an extraordinary
concert in which we joined forces with the orchestra of HeinrichSuso to perform in the beautiful Lutherkirche. Our Elgar marches
were particularly well received by our large German audience, as was
our joint performance of music for ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
by Mendelssohn. Everyone involved felt that it was a fittingly
spectacular end to our time in Germany.
Disappointed though we were to say goodbye to our hosts, our spirits
were lightened by a stop at Europapark (one of the biggest theme
parks in Europe) before the long journey home. For the ‘adrenaline
junkies’ among us (which included many of the teachers), this was
a great way to spend our last day together. What’s more, it left us
exhausted enough to enjoy a bit more sleep than we had had on our
outward journey.
All in all, everyone involved in this trip had a fabulous time, thanks
to both our wonderful German hosts and the efforts of Mr Donald,
Miss Lucas, Mr Roland and Dr Ward. I for one had an amazing
week – in fact I was very disappointed that I won’t be able to enjoy
the next visit in three years’ time!
Srinand Sundaram
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Voices of Lions –
Edinburgh Fringe 2014
Voices of Lions returned to the Edinburgh Fringe
Festival this summer to make their contribution to the
biggest Fringe on record. Accompanied by Miss Lucas,
Mr Roland and Miss Mackin, Mr Donald led the trip
north of the border after months of rehearsals, many of
which fell in the summer holidays prior to leaving for
Edinburgh.
But the plentiful rehearsals did not go to waste. The
choir, made up of the Gents’ Choir plus a handful of
OHs, performed eight concerts at St Cuthbert’s Church,
in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. Staying in the city for
a longer period than their successful week in 2013, Voices
of Lions also performed extracts from the concert on the
Royal Mile multiple times to draw in a crowd for their
full performances.
Offering audiences a varied programme, stretching
from ‘What shall we do with the Drunken Sailor?’,
through barbershop arrangements, all the way to the
likes of Queen, ELO and the Bee Gees, the hour-long
show managed to please audience members of all ages.
After being put through to the Category Finals of BBC
Choir of the Year in July as one of four youth choirs,
the choir coupled their five star reviews of 2013 with
impressive audience reviews this year, being branded: ‘A
must-see in Edinburgh’ and ‘The best show I saw by far
in Edinburgh’.
To add to their already hectic schedule of performances,
the boys spent hours upon end handing out flyers, talking
to passers-by, and even being interviewed for radio in
order to pitch their show to potential audiences. Despite
stiff competition from other male choirs such as Britain’s
Got Talent participants ‘Out of the Blue’ of Oxford
University, the hard work paid off. Voices of Lions
attracted hundreds of audience members, including
selling 100 tickets for their final performance.
When not publicising or performing their concerts,
the members of the trip (staff included) found the time
to sample some of the 3,192 other shows being put
on across the Scottish capital, while also taking in the
exhilaratingly chaotic atmosphere created by the Fringe.
As the trip wore on and many people’s enthusiasm for
the Festival refused to be extinguished, the more sensible
among the choir decided perhaps a decent night’s sleep
wouldn’t go amiss.
Even though the Voices of Lions’ attention now turns to
competing in the BBC Choir of the Year at the Royal
Festival Hall in October, the whole choir can use the
successes and enjoyment of August’s exploits to spur
them on to further successful concerts. Many of the boys,
and this year’s audiences for that matter, will hope it
could encourage yet another stint entertaining the people
of Scotland next year.
Tom Nunan
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The Art Department 2013/14
The Art Department has enjoyed another busy year with a
range of varied visits to galleries and exhibitions, as well as
success in London-wide and national school art competitions.
Successes were enjoyed during the Spring Term when Art
Club members entered work for the David Shepherd Wildlife
Art Competition and had their work displayed in the Natural
History Museum.
As 2014 was the Anniversary of the First World War, Third
Year pupils created a series of works inspired by the John
Singer Sargeant painting ‘Gassed’. Sargeant’s painting depicts
a troop of men who have been blinded by mustard gas,
walking towards the Hospital Tent. It is a very moving image,
although it is just possible to see a game of football in progress
in the distance as the sun goes down over them. Boys created
some striking images using lino-printing techniques.
Third Year pupil Santiago Giampaoli was the Richmond
Borough winner in the Mayor of London’s ‘Fourth Plinth’
Schools Awards. Santiago was invited to City Hall to be
awarded his prize and see his work on display there. The
winners were chosen by British artist Jeremy Deller, who
is quoted as saying: ‘The Schools Awards have proven that
Picasso was right when he said: “Every child is an artist –the
problem is to remain an artist once we grow up.”’
Hampton Court Palace gave Fourth Year GCSE Art students
a great start to their studies. They used their time there to
make sketches of the interior and exterior spaces, exploring
the diverse styles of architecture and the ornate gardens.
Third Years once again enjoyed their visit to see sculptures by
contemporary British artists at Roche Court New Art Centre,
near Salisbury, in November. Boys were able to experience
some awe-inspiring artworks at close hand in an unusual
setting. They went on to produce their own sculptural pieces
inspired by this visit.
5th Years enjoyed a great trip to Tate Britain, exploring the
gallery both inside and out with their guide for the day. Works
by Edward Burra, Christopher Nevinson and Henry Moore
were later used to inspire work for the theme ‘Cityscape’ as
part of their GCSE portfolios.
Sixth Form AS and A2 students visited the Natural History
and the Victoria & Albert Museums for research into their
examination themes ‘Earth, Air, Fire, Water’ and ‘Growth &
Evolution’ respectively. Students were able to make drawings
from the collection and to visit the giant squid that is on
display in the basement of the museum. They went on to
create their own squid-ink drawings and paintings inspired
by this exhibit. The Victoria & Albert Museum Collection of
Drawings and Prints also inspired some impressive responses
from the students and brought them into contact with a
diverse range of unusual artworks from contemporary and
past-masters.
KAW
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54
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NAMIBIA
Hampton School
Adventure Society
Expedition to Namibia
Africat North
During the summer holidays of 2014
a cohort of 28 students and staff from
Hampton School spent three and a half
weeks voyaging around Namibia, witnessing
some of the many wonders that the country
has to offer. In the latter stages of our
visit we spent some time with the AfriCat
Foundation which, despite the numerous
incredible experiences we had already had in
Namibia, proved to be the highlight of most
people’s trips. Our AfriCat adventure was
broken into two; we stayed first at Africat
North before heading south to the home of
the foundation in Okonjima.
We arrived at Africat North on the 14th of
July after a day of travelling. Our camp was
a wild one, which during the day could be
appreciated for its beautiful surroundings,
and at night the stars were revealed with a
clarity only seen in places as isolated from
artificial light as we were. We were equipped
with a bush toilet, a shower and not much
else, but reassuringly we were in the company
of a team with unprecedented expertise in
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the field of carnivore conservation. This made sleeping at night in the
lions’ back garden just that little bit easier!
On the 15th, we started the building of two cattle kraals at sites around
10km apart. The kraals are a new design to the area which aims to prevent
lions from attempting to kill the cattle contained within, thus protecting
the lions from the wrath of the local farmers. The kraals are composed of
a perimeter of poles with cables suspended between them, from which a
high tech PVC white screen/curtain is hung. This curtain is UV resistant
and to prevent tearing it unhooks automatically if the cattle charge at it.
The concept is that if the lions cannot see the cattle, then they will not
jump in to make a kill. We started by digging 90cm deep holes measuring
50x50cm. This was at times extremely hard work, particularly when
digging in rocky ground, of which there was plenty at one of the sites.
The next morning we suspended and tensioned the wires, leaving only the
attaching of the PVC curtain. Unfortunately, this is very expensive, and
was not ready for use whilst we were helping out – we were assured that it
would be in place shortly, once the funding was raised.
That afternoon we drove with Tammy and her team, including the
Lion Guardians – a team of three locals who acted as bridges between
AfriCat and the local communities – to visit a permanent kraal. It was
immediately evident why this type of kraal wasn’t ideal. Around the kraal
there was a zone where all vegetation had been grazed, meaning that
the livestock would have to travel further and further each day to find
food. The temporary kraals mean that the farmer can move his livestock,
and the PVC curtains, from one site to the other once his animals have
finished grazing. The success of this new design will become apparent in
the near future.
Having visited the permanent kraal we made a journey to the Hobatere
Wildlife Concession, where we spent the next two nights. On our first
night there we went on a short night drive to a nearby watering hole
to try and catch a glimpse of a pack of three lions which Francois had
seen just a few minutes earlier whilst driving past. Unfortunately, they
had finished drinking and scarpered by the time we got there. Our first
sighting of a big cat came when some of the group were sitting looking
over the watering hole near our lodge at sunset and a leopard wandered
by in the distance.
The next day we went lion tracking with German, one of the Lion
Guardians, as our guide and look-out. We were again unsuccessful in
our search, but did see a wide variety of other species. Whilst stopping
for lunch at a nearby lodge under construction we had an astonishing
view of a watering hole with vast numbers of impala, oryx, springbok
and zebra surrounding it. We visited a baiting station with camera traps
focused on it to see how bait was set up to attract predators without
letting them run off with the bait. The purpose of the baiting station was
to try and get big cats into the habit of passing by to check for food so
that they could be darted to be collared at some point if necessary. We
also collected the recordings from a few other camera traps. That night
we had a discussion of our experiences and the problems facing big cats
in Namibia, and indeed the rest of Africa. This was a thought-provoking
talk which repeatedly identified the cause of all the pressure on wildlife
in Africa – humans. This discussion was followed by a viewing of camera
trap footage. Despite not seeing anything in the day, there turned out to
be plenty of carnivores in the area. The footage showed a majestic lion up
close, a brown hyena attempting to loot the baiting station and a leopard
at the baiting station in the early hours of the day we visited.
With a growing desire to see some big cats we headed to Etosha National
Park, before re-joining Africat in Okonjima.
Huw Churchman
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Okonjima
After leaving Etosha, we travelled down to Okonjima, a 55,000 acre
reserve for Namibia’s large carnivores. At the campsite we were given
a quick talk on dos and don’ts before we went out to spend the
evening tracking cheetahs. We travelled in a couple of land cruisers
to see if we could catch a glimpse of the newly reintroduced cheetah
siblings Koko, Spud and Bones. Using a radio tracking device we
worked out that the cheetahs were in the middle of some thick bush
which we couldn’t drive into and so to continue tracking them we
got out and went on foot. We were told that a leopard was in the
area and so should follow our guides in single file with another guide
bringing up the rear. We soon found the cheetahs and were able
to get some stunning photographs as the siblings half slept in the
evening sun. We were then told we could get even closer to these
amazing cats. Under the expert eye of our guides we got as close as
5m to three semi-wild cheetahs. It was a really fantastic experience.
We watched them as the sun set behind us and eventually started
back to camp convinced that this experience would definitely be
the highlight of our three weeks in Namibia, only to be told on our
return that there was so much more to come.
The next day we got up extra early to climb up one of the mountains
that overlook the Okonjima valley in order to watch the sun rise.
It was an absolutely remarkable experience and we genuinely got
the feeling of being on top of the world as we looked down over
the plains. On our return our guide took us out on the Bushman
Trail to teach us about the ancient Bushmen and how they lived and
hunted. It was incredible to learn quite how resourceful these people
were and we were shown everything from typical Bushman jewellery
made of seeds to a Bushman water bottle – an empty ostrich shell.
We later went out in search of wild dogs and leopards and managed
to get a brilliant sighting of Ashanti – a young female leopard – with
a kill in a riverbed. The raw power of the animal was evident despite
Ashanti being quite small in comparison to other leopards. Only a
few minutes later we found Rex and his two sisters – Okonjima’s
three-dog strong wild dog pack – sunning themselves by a waterhole.
I was fortunate enough to be in the first land cruiser to find them as
before the others could arrive they disappeared into the bush.
After lunch Helen took us around AfriCat’s clinic and education
centre where we were taught about AfriCat’s aims as a charity and
we were shown some of the horrific traps and snares poachers set
up to catch large carnivores. Next we were allowed to watch the
feeding of Wahu, a leopard that had been hand reared and so
would be too tame to release into the reserve. It was extraordinary
to see such a powerful animal so close, even from the safety of the
observation hut! We were then shown five cheetah siblings whose
mother had been shot in the wild and they had been rescued
from her womb. Again, because these cats had been hand reared,
they could never be returned completely to the wild for their
own safety as they were just too comfortable around humans.
The cheetahs were perfectly comfortable eating whilst no more
than a few feet from where we were standing on the other side of
a mesh fence.
That night we slept in a wild camp in a riverbed under the stars,
about 500m from a hyena den. Because we were sleeping in the
open we set a watch throughout the night although – fortunately
– they were only required to keep the fires alight! The next
morning we went in search of Pooh, one of the three hyenas
in the Okonjima reserve – all named after bears – but he had
gone too far from base camp for us to be able to follow him.
Helen later showed us some termite mounds up close, and as
well as making us realise the size of the mound above ground, she
explained to us the impressive magnitude of the underground
system that extends underneath the mound.
Before we stopped for lunch we helped clear an acre of encroaching
bush to help return Okonjima to an open plains landscape. This
is very important as the acacia bushes that we were clearing
prevent the antelope from grazing, meaning they would struggle
to survive – and without the antelope the carnivores could not
survive either. After lunch we visited another leopard – Lewa –
who again had been hand reared and so could not be released. On
our last evening in Africa we went down to a watering hole in the
middle of the reserve to watch the sunset and swim – a peaceful
end to our whole adventure.
Rahul Jaitly
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Classics Department trip to Greece, Easter 2014
After a pleasant flight, we arrived in Athens. Despite a missing
bag (the airline’s fault, not ours) everything went without a hitch
and we soon arrived at our first hotel – the Atrium, a nominal
home from home – and tucked in to a tasty Greek buffet. This
would be a trip of many hotels (a new one every night!) and
delicious, plentiful food (uncanny on a school trip).
Next morning, after a superb breakfast, we packed our stuff
for the first of many occasions and boarded our coach. This
would also be a trip of many early mornings and very little
unpacking. Maria, our loquacious and extremely knowledgeable
guide (perhaps too eager to spin a story at times) met us in
the lobby and took us to see the modern(ish) Olympic stadium
in Athens (built in 1896), before one of the many highlights
of the trip, the Acropolis. Here we marvelled at the inviting
Propylaia, the majestic view over Athens (like a carpet spreading
in all directions below), the resplendent ruins of the Parthenon
and the higgledy-piggledy Erechtheion. The plateau of this fortcum-shrine did not disappoint.
After a spot of lunch we were on our way to Delphi – cue the
first of many inter-site sleeps on the coach. After a pleasant
evening meal and orientation/ice-cream stroll we put to bed a
busy first day. Oh, and we bumped into our compatriots from
LEH for the first time in the quaint little village that feeds off
the ancient site.
Day three began with a site-seeing visit around Delphi. The
weather managed to hold as we walked the Sacred Way, admired
the theatre with its magnificent views down into the valley,
climbed to the top of the site and attempted to calculate the
capacity of the ancient running track. Delphi was one of the
most important sites in the Ancient world – part-museum, partpilgrimage, part-HQ of the country’s governing body.
Next: we coached, travelled, slept, lunched, coached,
travelled, slept. We briefly awoke to see the coach cross into
the Peloponnese via the new(ish) bridge erected when Greece
last held the Olympics in 2004. Then slept. Then woke while
travelling through Elis, and finally arrived at Olympia – like
Delphi, another Panhellenic shrine. We arrived at midday,
allowing us the opportunity to do some tat-shopping in the
small town before our evening meal at Hotel Number 3.
Morning packing opened day four and then we headed off to
Olympia. Mostly escaping the rain, we were shown around
the sacred area of Altis where the ruins of Zeus’ temple are a
reminder of one of the seven ancient wonders of the world that
was once housed there – the famous chryselephantine statue
of seated Zeus. We saw the workshop of Pheidias, its sculptor,
its dimensions the same as the interior of the original temple
to facilitate the creation of the monumental statue. Rain
threatened as young legs raced a stadion (approx. 200 metres)
in the stadium, and finally broke as we passed the Philippeion, a
small circular building that once housed a statue of King Philip
of Macedon and his rather more famous son, Alexander (the
Great). The hubristic arrogance of this secular edifice within the
limits of the divine temenos (shrine) did not pass us by.
Next – you guessed it – we coached, travelled, slept. Day four
broke the cycle slightly in that we awoke for lunch just outside
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our second site of the day, Mycenae. This indomitable fortress town
set above the plains of Argos might have been named by Perseus,
who lost his cap (myces) there after slaying the Gorgon Medusa,
or after a mushroom he plucked there! Like so many before us, we
admired the Lion Gate (or should that be ‘Griffin Gate’? – the eroded
heads make it impossible to say either way). A few intrepid explorers
also found their way down, via a Hadean katabasis, into the depths
of the citadel’s well with only trusty smartphones to light the way.
The beehive shaped tombs just beyond the site housed – would you
believe it – swarms of bees. Their treasures have long been looted by
thieves and archaeologists alike.
A relatively short hop on the coach took us to our penultimate hotel
in Tolon, a seaside resort just south of Corinth. The evening meal
here was perhaps the best of the whole trip – though the breakfast in
Athens was a close second. An opportunity for paddling was passed
up in favour of a game of beach football by one group and burying a
(willing) fellow member in the sand by another group.
Day five saw us visit Epidaurus first up. We looked around the ruins
of the Asclepeion where pilgrims seeking cures for various ailments
were encouraged to incubate (sleep and dream of Asclepius) before
relating their dreams to interpreting priests – a bit like an ancient visit
to the doctor but perhaps more hit and miss. As part of the proceeds
of this enterprise a huge theatre was built. We almost got to sample
an extract from Ms Carmichael’s production of Agamemnon here
through the person of Eliot Anthony so that we might appreciate the
venue’s excellent acoustics, but the over-zealous site-keepers limited
him to just ten words. Alas! Or, rather, oimoi!
Corinth was up next, and its famous canal. What a view! What a
feat of engineering! And what a lovely psarotaverna (fish restaurant)
nearby!
The coach beckoned and before long we were on our way back to
Athens. Here we parted from our guide and driver. Left to our own
devices, buoyed by the weather, and eager to repeat the previous
beach visit, we (or, rather, I) decided to give the local overground
a blast and head to one of Athens’ local beaches. This was a huge
mistake. The rain which began even before we got on the metro
became almost torrential. We, again I, seemed to have angered Zeus.
Even the eating of ice-creams did not cool his bad temper.
Next day, dry again, we packed up our stuff for the last time and
ventured into Athens. A student-led walk around the beautiful
and boho Plaka – think Camden on an incline – brought us to the
ancient Agora, where we took in the temple of Hephaestos and
what remained of the Kerameikos (where the ancient black and
red figure pottery was made and from where the root of our word
‘ceramic’ comes). Afterwards all that remained was a visit to the new
‘Acropolis’ museum. The only things missing from this incredible
building were the centrepiece statues which were sold/taken/are
being looked after/stored in the British Museum currently. The boys
engaged in a lively debate about the merits of returning them to
their ancestral hearth. Whatever you do, if you do get a chance to
visit this amazing museum, and you definitely should, don’t even
whisper the name Elgin. Shush! It doesn’t go down so well there…
JWB
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Future Problem Solvers take it Across the Pond
From ‘pavements’ to ‘sidewalks’; from ‘trainers’ to ‘sneakers’; the
many differences between American and British English were not the
only problems that we had to face after travelling across the Atlantic
to compete in the annual Future Problem Solving International
Conference based in the state of Iowa. It seemed so long ago that we
had grouped up into different age categories to compete at a national
level against schools from across the UK but after a successful overall
win, twelve of us were given the opportunity to represent the United
Kingdom on the Future Problem Solving front at an international
level in the US. At midday on Wednesday the 11th of June six boys from the First
year, two boys from the Third year and four Fourth year boys
including myself met at Heathrow’s Terminal 4, accompanied by Ms
Garrido and Ms Conway: our spirits were high and we were raring
to go. After the usual hustle and bustle of customs and checking
in, we finally arrived at Des Moines International Airport where a
shuttle bus came to pick us up and took us to Iowa State University,
where we would be competing, eating and sleeping for the next four
days.
The university had a vast campus with a range of departments, living
quarters and sports facilities, all of which we could access during
our stay. After a restful night in our shared dormitories, we woke early on
Thursday morning to find a huge selection of food provided by the
university, ranging from doughnuts and blueberry pancakes to ice
cream sandwiches and extremely sugary cereals. After a nutritious
breakfast of pancakes and maple syrup we made our way to the
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outdoor seating area where we would begin preparation for the
finals.
After all the strenuous studying, the highlight of Thursday was the
opening ceremony, where I was chosen to carry the Union Jack
representing the UK, accompanied by Cameron Bhasin. That was
the moment, as I looked around the densely packed auditorium/
full-size basketball court, which opened my eyes and I truly
realised how big a thing we had just joined. Thousands of teachers,
students and coaches cheered on as competitors raised the flags of
their hometowns/countries, some patriotically wailing out national
anthems. As expected, Hampton’s celebrations were at a minimum,
as our minds were set on the competition the next day.
The opening ceremony was followed by a huge exchange of gifts,
in which representatives of different countries set up stalls to trade
small tokens representing the culture of their home. We prided
ourselves on our Poundland-sourced Union Jack car fresheners and
the mini flags spread like wildfire!
Friday was when the thinking caps had to be glued on in preparation
for the hard work ahead! Although we probably should have, we
hadn’t got as much sleep as we had hoped. Before making our way
into the competition hall, Ms Garrido gave us a last-minute pep
talk. After huddling and chanting words of support we made our
way to the room where we would be competing against hundreds of
students the same age as us, all hoping to win the same prize. And so it began. The start of the test booklet was hardly The Hunger
Games, but too soon did the clock read 10:30, by which point we
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were sprinting to the finish line. Our pens were writing miles past
the speed limit, and we finished just on the dot of 11 o’clock! Although our hopes were high, we now had another task at hand.
We had to present our action plan to the rest of the competitors.
We spent roughly four hours ‘preparing’ the presentation, and it
ultimately went rather smoothly.
Saturday was the day on which we had time to simply relax and
enjoy ourselves under baking American sunshine. We made our
way by bus into Ames, a small town roughly an hour and a half
away from Des Moines. One might say that Ames was not the most
densely populated of areas, but it certainly boasted three cafes, two
‘gas’ stations, a Kentucky Fried Chicken shop, an American Legion
and a small gentlemen’s club just opposite the Bank of Iowa.
After catching a quick Frappuccino at the local cafe with Angus
Adair and Michael Chen, we quickly became tired of the déjà vutriggering town, and so decided to make our way to the university
campus to play some good old-fashioned football (the British
kind). After displaying flawless team-cooperation and scoring some
incredible goals, it was time to get dressed into our ‘formal clothes’
for the variety show.
We saw some amazing performances by teams from Malaysia,
Australia, New Zealand and all over the world! The show included
rapping, singing, dancing, story-telling and so much more. After
being awe-struck by the striking talents that our fellow-Future
Problem Solvers exhibited, we were now ready to make our way to
the enjoyable ‘Social’.
Early on Sunday morning we had some breakfast and made our
way to the auditorium to watch the Award Ceremony. Although
we had worked our hardest to be the best ambassadors possible
for the UK, we did not manage to win a prize this time round.
Successful teams included those of Texas, Florida and Kentucky.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself and believe I can say the same for all
my teammates. It was an unforgettable event and I look forward to
competing in the Future Problem Solving competition next year.
I would like to thank Ms Garrido-Soriano for coaching us
throughout the year and for keeping her promise to get us to the
USA as the GB team!
Isaiah Coco-Bassey
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Washington DC 2014
In the Easter holiday, a group of Sixth and Fifth formers travelled
to the USA on the History and Politics trip to Washington DC.
We arrived in a sunny yet surprisingly cold airport, and were
immediately taken to our hotel. After a quick walk around the
National Mall, we collapsed, semi-comatose, into the hotel
restaurant, where we were treated to a traditional American heart
attack – sorry, meal – which involved a steak the size of a small
elephant and unlimited refills of soda.
After a restless night for some, we arrived at breakfast, only to
realize that we were in bacon heaven. What followed was a whistlestop tour of just about every significant place in Washington, from
the Old Post Office Tower to the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln
Memorial, the FDR Memorial, and, of course, the White House.
In typical Hampton style we had decided a competition should
take place – selfies with strangers – and this was the best day for
it, whether they be mass yoga classes, end-of-the-world preachers,
self-proclaimed messiahs (who managed to go to the moon), or a
man with one of the most outrageous ponytails I have seen in my
life. The day was also marked by the disappearance of an integral
member of our group, Mr Grossel. Whilst many theories were put
forward about where he had gone, they all proved false – he had, in
fact, gone to play chess with the President! That night we went to
one of Mr Obama’s favourite restaurants, Ben’s Chilli Bowl where
we sampled the famous ‘half-smoke chilli dog’, along with some
African American muscle, in a mistaken case of queue barging.
Needless to say, once we explained we were English it was all fine.
This concluded a day on which the majority of the squad were
sunburnt horribly, and the laughs that accompanied us the next
morning were not welcome.
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The following morning was spent looking through various
Smithsonian museums, before going to a baseball game to watch
The Washington Nationals beat The Atlanta Braves. Though this
was a strangely unatmospheric experience, in true Hampton style
we bravely decided to create a little atmosphere by chanting,
singing, and generally dominating proceedings with all the classic
(footballing) chants. We also enthusiastically adopted the only
chant that the Washington fans seemed to have: ‘Go Nats!!!’ That
evening we went to Georgetown and tried in vain to look for a
Nandos. We settled instead for a 50s style diner where a cheerful
waiter who, despite knowing nothing about football, managed to
tell us who was going to win the Premier League (Man. United….).
Our penultimate day was most definitely a ‘politics geek’ day. We
spent the morning in the Supreme Court before a visit to The US
Capitol, in the political heart of Washington. We had a surprisingly
interesting tour of the Library of Congress from a very enthusiastic
guide, and then got a tour of the upper floor of The Capitol and
sat in on a Senate debate. This being our last full day, we then
went out and celebrated with style in a posh Washington steak
house – ordering a grand total of nineteen T-bone steaks. One last
tour of the National Mall followed and we returned to the hotel
for our last night. The last day was spent at The Pentagon, where
cameras were most certainly not allowed, but that didn’t stop Tom
Berry, who took photos as soon as the tour started. A final trip
to Arlington Cemetery followed, before we headed back to the
airport, and home.
Thanks from all of us go to Miss Field for organising the trip and
to Mr Cook, Miss Glasson, and Mr Grossel for accompanying us
with such style and quality.
Edmund Collett
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Fourth Year German
Exchange Trip to
Konstanz
When I was first asked to go on the Konstanz
exchange trip, I was a bit wary as there were
some moments I wanted to forget from my
previous exchange experience and I had
only been learning German for two years.
However, after some convincing by teachers,
friends and my parents, I gave in and put
myself forward. Of course, when my exchange
came over here I was embarrassed by how
impressive his English was, putting me and
everyone else under even more pressure to do
well on the second leg of the exchange.
Our final whole day in Konstanz was spent at Lochmühle, a park with 300m zip lines, a
rodeo bull (not a real one) and quad-biking, which was all great fun. On the second Friday,
we were given a final look around Konstanz and we had a formal reception with a member
of the town council at the town hall.
The entire week was possibly one of the best of my life and I couldn’t recommend it more
strongly; the confidence gained in speaking the language, the independence given to discover
a new city and the friendships made between both Hampton and LEH pupils were all
particularly valuable experiences.
Ned McGarrity
So on we went, meeting at Heathrow at a
ridiculously early hour on the last day of
the school year. At this point, there was the
expected Hampton-LEH divide which didn’t
appear to be about to be broken anytime
soon. After staggering our way through
check-in and security, we found ourselves
on the plane and then in Zurich, looking
forward to another couple of hours on the
coach before finally getting to Konstanz.
As it was a Friday, we had the first few days
on the exchange just with the families. Some
people went out on pedalos on the lake
while others went to Switzerland and up the
mountains. My exchange and I, however,
decided to go and play football at a youth
hostel with some big, burly Ukrainians,
which was something I could confidently
say I had never done before. Any concerns I
had about my German were silenced by the
friendly and supportive families.
On the Monday, we were reunited with our
friends and we attended the first two lessons
of the day at the German school with our
partners. We then did a treasure hunt around
the town in order to help us get our bearings.
On Tuesday, via various forms of public
transport, we were taken to very impressive
waterfall (Rheinfall) near Schaffhausen in
Switzerland and were again given a couple
of hours of free time to unwind and explore
the local town. It was a shame that we just
happened to be there for the coldest, wettest
day of the summer.
Wednesday was my favourite day of the
exchange, a one-day trip to Stuttgart and the
Mercedes museum. The whole day we were
by ourselves with little teacher involvement,
giving us a chance to practise our German
and allowing us to do things like getting a
garish haircut or buying a woman’s German
football shirt.
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Berlin Trip 2013
On the last day of the first half of the Autumn Term, a
group of 16 boys from 2P, along with two Third Years and
Frau Schroder, Herr Peel and Herr Studt flew to Berlin
for the annual Junior German trip. The programme was
a potpourri of activities – on Friday, the boys settled into
the youth hostel and then went to see a performance of
the world famous Blue Man Group. Saturday started off
with a visit to a very hands-on Berlin museum (or in the
case of two boys, sit-down, as they happily took a break
on the sofa in a typical 1960s East German living room),
a visit to a Cold War era nuclear bunker, a tour through
Berlin and its sights, such as the Brandenburger Tor and
Checkpoint Charlie, as well as a guided tour through
Germany’s parliament and the Reichstag dome.
On Sunday, the boys visited the Olympiastadion, venue
of the 1936 Olympics, and got a feel for life in German
Premier League football when visiting Hertha BSC’s
changing rooms. They also managed to set foot on the
turf where Usain Bolt broke the 100 and 200m record
at the World Championships in 2009. An impromptu
football game outside the stadium was followed by
watching the second half of Hertha BSC U14 vs Union
Berlin U14 before setting off for the Berlin Zoo. A fierce
competition then took place in a black light indoor
minigolf arena in the evening.
On Monday, amongst other remaining sights such as
the Fernsehturm, the boys saw a piece of the remaining
Berlin Wall, left exactly as it was before it came down,
complete with death strip, guard towers and escape
tunnel entry / exit points, before making the trip back to
London. Throughout the trip, only public transport was
used and the boys handled that challenge extremely well.
They also succeeded in sampling as many local specialties
as possible during the lunch breaks, Currywurst being a
firm favourite. It was a highly successful trip enjoyed by
both boys and staff – a lot of German was spoken and
the interest in the vibrant culture of Berlin and its rich
history was evident throughout. Well done the boys!
PST
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Munich Exchange
The exchange to Munich started with our visitors from the
Ottobrunn Gymnasium arriving in London in rainy January. We
enjoyed their company and were looking forward to our return trip
in April together with a group from LEH.
On April 1st, a few days prior to our scheduled departure to Munich,
rumours began to circulate that due to a Lufthansa Pilots’ Strike
our original flight was cancelled and re-scheduled to leave from
Heathrow at 5 o’clock in the morning! Despite much speculation
this turned out not to be an April fool. After spending 2 hours in
Brussels airport instead of flying direct, as was originally planned,
we eventually arrived in Munich to spend the weekend with our
exchange families.
After a lie in on Saturday to recover, I headed off with my exchange
Dominik and his family to the Konigsee, a beautiful lake in the
shadow of the Alps where we met up with some other Hampton
and LEH friends. On Sunday we visited the Bavarian Film Studios
where I saw models used in the making of the German submarine
thriller, ‘Das Boot’.
During the weekdays, our exchanges were still studying at school
and we joined them for some lessons. However, most of the time
during the week was spent on trips into Munich and the surrounding
area. Among the highlights were the famous Beer Gardens, the
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Frauenkirche, the Town Hall, a tour through ‘Die Residenz’ which
served as the seat of government and residence of the Bavarian
royalty, a walk through the picturesque ‘English Gardens’ to visit
Munich University and the ‘White Rose Memorial’ dedicated to the
hero of Anti-Hitler resistance, Sophie Scholl.
On Wednesday evening, tensions ran high in our exchange
households as Manchester United challenged Bayern Munich,
with some disappointment for us and elation for our German
hosts. On the final day, still on speaking terms (mostly) with our
exchanges, they accompanied us down to Salzburg in Austria.
We visited the famous ‘Mirabell Gardens’, Mozart’s birthplace,
Salzburg Cathedral, and Hohensalzburg Castle, one of the largest
in Europe. Later everyone was allowed some free time to enjoy
souvenir shopping, a stroll through the town, and a tasty Austrian/
German lunch.
During the week, most of us attempted to speak as much German as
possible in preparation for our speaking exams, or at least to say “Ich
bin satt, danke” to our generous hosts. Many thanks to Ms Dubova
and her colleague from LEH, Mrs Johnson, who accompanied us.
Staying in Germany gave me much more of an experience of the
culture than can be gained from textbooks or television, and I hope
to return there someday.
Andrew Boardman
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A group of 6th formers, along with Miss Byrne, Mr Chaveneau, Mr
Timbs and Mr Turner, ventured off to Paris for an educational trip,
with the main focus being the Villa Savoye – a modernistic edifice
built in 1931 by the legendary architect Le Corbusier. However, the
trip was not purely educational, as the remainder of the weekend was
spent visiting some of the major tourist attractions in the capital.
Having arrived at the Gare du Nord in the early hours of Saturday
morning, the first and most important destination was the Villa
Savoye, located in Poissy, a few kilometres outside of Paris. It was an
opportunity for some of the 6th formers to visit a building which was
an integral part of the A Level cultural syllabus.
The Villa Savoye is principally known as the most famous work of
Le Corbusier for a number of reasons. A manifesto of Le Corbusier’s
“five points” of new architecture, the villa is representative of the
basic concepts of modern architecture, and is one of the most
easily recognizable and renowned examples of the International
style. Visiting this villa gave the boys the chance to appreciate more
fully Le Corbusier’s ideas and they had the chance to walk upon
the famous toit-terrasse (flat-roof terrace) and take pictures of the
beautiful landscape surrounding the house.
Upon seeing the building in real life, it was agreed that the edifice
resembled a space ship, with its ribbon windows and its pilotis that
both were part of Le Corbusier’s five points of architecture. After the
visit to the Villa Savoye, we decided to take the train back to the Arc
de Triomphe and commenced on a stroll down the Champs Elysees
and through the picturesque Jardins des Tuileries. Sightseeing did
not finish there, as the stroll carried on through the Louvre and on
to Notre Dame Cathedral.
Having walked around a hot and humid Paris for over two hours it
was decided that we would stop at Ile St Louis for some of the muchloved and well-known Berthillon ice cream. However, some of the
more sweet-toothed students chose the chocolate crêpes instead.
The sightseeing continued with a visit to the Pompidou Centre,
another futuristic and unorthodox building which houses modern
art. Unfortunately, the students did not have the opportunity to
go into the Pompidou but used the building as the meeting point
for a well-earned break. After seeing the Pompidou Centre, we
made our way to a traditional French restaurant called Bouillon
Chartier.
After a delicious meal, we enjoyed the magnificent spectacle that was
Le Placard (The Closet) – a very enjoyable comedy with some very
famous French actors in it such as Élie Semoun, Laurent Gamelon
and Philippe Magnan. We then headed to the Hotel l’Amiral for a
peaceful night’s sleep.
We set off the next day and saw the Eiffel Tower and then we went
on a trip on a ‘Bateau Mouche’ for sightseeing along the Seine. We
made sure to enjoy the sun on the boat and on our last visit to the
Pompidou Centre before heading back home to rainy London via
the Eurostar.
All in all, it was an enlightening and successful weekend, during
which the students and teachers thoroughly enjoyed themselves
whilst gaining a valuable insight into French architecture for their
upcoming French exams.
Aidan Purtill-Lassalle and Craig Mathias
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Work Experience Week to Armentieres 6-12 April 2014
Another successful work experience trip to Northern France!
14 boys (12 Lower Sixth and 2 Upper Sixth) took part this year.
Work placements as per usual ranged from bakeries, schools, school
canteen (for the second year running) and – for the first time this
year – a garden centre.
They all came back exhausted but delighted about the week and
already realising the benefits of such a trip. They all commented on
how their understanding of the language had improved and I did
notice when speaking French to them that they were more fluent.
Six boys started their placements on Tuesday – shops are closed on
Mondays – so we took them to Lille where they were able to discover
the sights and sample some local food.
On Wednesday, we took seven boys to Bruges – schools are closed
on Wednesdays in France. They had a lovely day going round the
picturesque town, going in and out of the various chocolate shops.
We also did a tour of the town by bus.
On Friday evening, we all met up at the local ‘crêperie’ for the last
meal and we made our way back to England the following morning.
The host families were again very impressed with the boys’ behaviour
and commented on their abilities to fit in so quickly and easily. Most
of these families host a Hampton boy every year and they are always
very satisfied with the standard of behaviour.
SCY
Rapport de stage d’Anaëlle et de Marine
Après une arrivée triomphante à la gare d’Armentières, nous saluâmes
la « populasse ». Notre hôte, Dame Marie, était une personne
délicieuse, donnant corps et âme pour nous concocter de fins mets.
Puis, ce fut la découverte de Lille : incontournable cité mêlant art et
mendicité. La Chicorée nous accueillait alors, prenant dans ses bras
quatre fanfarons désireux de se restaurer.
Le vent du Nord nous porta jusqu’à nos amis les Belges et nous
découvrîmes la somptueuse ville de Bruges. Ô Bruges ! Ô Bruges,
petite Venise au parfum chocolaté, Ô Bruges où moules et bières
s’entremêlent dans une valse effrénée. Ô Bruges ma bien-aimée !
Voyageons vers d’autres cieux, nous partîmes à la rencontre de jeunes
travailleurs éphémères. La campagne nous ouvrit alors ses bras, et
nous roulâmes en 208 de ce pas. Vient alors le temps du désespoir !
Auchelles, ville déchue, se refusant à offrir des serres, nous poignarda
en plein cœur. Et, double trahison, le Musée de la vie rurale nous
fit faux bond. La rancune nous prit au corps et nous partîmes vers
d’autres horizons.
Vendredi soir, le temps des adieux ! Ô galettes au sarrasin, Ô crêpes
sucrées, nous noyions notre chagrin dans un verre de rosé.
Le récit que voici ne saurait résumer le plaisir ressenti à visiter cette
humble contrée.
I worked in a bakery for one week. I laughed at M. Gille when he
asked if I had an alarm to set for 3am but he was serious! My working
days were normally 3am to midday, leaving me with the afternoon
off to catch up on sleep. It was genuinely interesting to see the
techniques used to make the bread and patisserie products, which I
have always enjoyed eating. My French benefited enormously: I was
almost thinking in French by Friday evening.
Each day I would get up early and help with the ‘fabrication du pain’
before leaving for the ‘tournée’ at about 8.30am. This entailed driving
round Armentières delivering bread to locals, and lasted until about
midday. This was also quality time with Arnaud; he would teach me
local slang and try to explain ‘Ch’ti’ – the local dialect.
Overall it was an enjoyable week which was of huge linguistic
benefit. I would recommend it to anyone, especially seeing as it’s
basically my French revision sorted.
Alex Clegg
Boulangerie
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We took the Eurostar from St Pancras to Lille on Sunday and my
host family were there to greet me. This was the 12th year that they
had hosted a student from Hampton and so they were very helpful
in easing me into speaking French constantly. This was very useful as
come Tuesday, I started working in a shop called ‘I.D. Stock’, where
I had to talk in French all the time, not just with the other workers,
but also to help out customers. However, it ended up not being as
daunting as I had imagined – the other workers were very nice and
gave clear instructions as to what I had to do. The work was tough,
and keeping up with speaking French was strenuous at times, but it
was a very helpful experience altogether, and by the end of the week
I felt much more comfortable speaking French, both at work and
with my host family. The fact that I was able to improve my French
enormously, along with a day trip to Lille on the Monday to see the
landmarks of the town, made the work experience a vastly enjoyable
one.
Harry Baker
Magasin I.D. Stock
Initially I was daunted by the prospect of completing a week of work
experience in a foreign country, especially since I was placed in a
garden centre: an area I would struggle to discuss even in English!
However, these doubts were quickly banished when my host family
told me that the previous Englishman to work in the store was from
Newcastle! On top of this I was able to sleep until 8.45am every
day, and would be given a 2 hour lunch break. With the day off
on Monday, I was able to ease into the week with a trip to Lille
accompanied by some other members of the trip. Returning home
to a lovely dinner and bed, I arose to the prospect of work at last.
I spent the first 10 minutes standing awkwardly in the middle of
the shop not knowing what to do or who to talk to! But things
progressed smoothly over the days as I built up a good relationship
with my boss and was promoted to flower arrangements. On the
final day we were treated to some lovely ‘crêpes and galettes’.
Josh Walker
Magasin Gamm Vert
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Junior French Exchange to Surgères
A very early start enabled us to make it across the Channel just
before the forecasted February storm arrived and kept the ferries in
port for much of the rest of the day.
On arrival in Surgères after a long coach journey we were quickly billeted
with our hosts and there started a weekend with a French family. Each
pupil’s experience was different: some were treated to long family meals
with exotic seafood, others were taken to the science park at Futuroscope
or out to îles Ré and Oleron, while several others – including myself –
were taken to see the rugby top-of-the-table clash between La Rochelle
and Pau. Promised a very physical contest after a mass brawl in last
season’s play-off, we were treated instead to running rugby and a narrow
win to please the local faithful. Most importantly, however, the weather
was splendid all week long and the beaches were empty.
Our first excursion took us via one of the few operating
transporter bridges in the world to the renowned Zoo de la
Palmyre. Afterwards we tasted oysters at a local farm and walked
around the walls of Brouage, which was once under Richelieu’s
command and the biggest fortification in France. That evening,
we were invited to an official reception at the mairie and were
given the full civic hospitality.
The following day we visited Cognac and were given a tour,
and a chemistry lesson, at the Martell distillery. Many availed
themselves of the opportunity to buy their parents a cheap
bottle of superior produce. On the return journey we visited the
impressive Roman amphitheatre at Saintes.
Our final day took us on a walking tour of La Rochelle, the major
town of the Poitou-Charente region and thence to the aquarium
to look sharks in the eye. In the afternoon, boys enjoyed some
free time and a chance to practise their language skills in the
shops.
After a full week of activities, boys returned to School tired but
satisfied at having coped on their own within a French family,
practised their French, eaten delicious local food and enjoyed the
company of their classmates.
Our thanks to Miss Bourras and Mrs Croucher for their help and
good humour during the week.
PGT
First Year Day Trip to Le Touquet
This year our annual first year trip to Le Touquet took place on
Monday 23 June and 49 boys from 1B and 1H were involved. This
trip is a nice end of year treat and also gives the boys the opportunity
to put into practice their spoken French while carrying out little role
plays at the local market and various shops.
After a very early start (we left school at 5am), we arrived at Le
Touquet just before midday and the boys were able to have a look
around the market and buy some of the local products – as well as
colourful sunglasses and caps!
We then walked the boys down to the beach and, once a few rules
were established, the boys sat down on the lovely sandy beach to
enjoy their lunch and the various delicacies they had bought at the
market.
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A couple of hours later, we boarded the ‘Petit Train Touristique’ for
a guided tour of the town – this is the fourth time we have done
this tour, and the owner of the train always comments on how well
behaved the boys are. This was followed by a couple of rounds of
crazy golf. Again, this is the fourth consecutive time we have booked
it and once again the owner was delighted to see us back.
We eventually left Le Touquet at around 5pm and headed back to
the shuttle for our return journey and got back to School around
8.30pm.
We were very fortunate with the weather and once again the boys
were extremely well behaved and great company.
SCY
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The 26th annual pilgrimage to Ronda took
place over the Easter holidays – the right of
passage for any boy taking Spanish at GCSE.
Señores Passey, McBay, Peel and Kothakota
and Señoritas Byrne and Oliphant were
accompanied by 40 boys.
The weather was magnificent throughout
and for the first time in years sun cream was
required on a daily basis. Even the locals
were in shorts.
The annual football match was played in
C.D. Ronda’s magnificent new stadium with
crowds of groupies looking on admiringly as
Hampton’s motley crew of rugby players and
confident bad players played the opposition
off the park.
The football match is traditionally followed
on the Saturday morning by Mr McBay’s
great walk. We take a train to the next
town – Benaoján – and we hike back across
country to Ronda. Some people have been
known to hitchhike in previous years (not
I…) but due to the stunning weather we all
took the opportunity to get rid of our white
bits.
A feature of recent years has been the
cultural day trip to Granada and this year,
we managed to secure tickets to the aweinspiring Alhambra. It was a beautiful clear
day and the sight of the Alhambra with the
snow-capped Sierra Nevada as its backdrop
is one of the world’s great views. An amazing
day was had by all in this most wonderful
of cities.
Plans are already being made for 2015’s
Ronda experience, and there are another
40 Hampton boys who will follow in the
footsteps of Hemingway, Welles, Alexander,
Maclean and over 1000 Hamptonians for
whom Ronda will always be a special place.
MJP
2013-2014
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Salamanca Work Experience
The prospect of completing work experience – for any independent
school 17 year-old – is a fairly daunting task. Many barely lift a finger
at home, have no need to work a 9-5 shift and can’t make a decent
cup of coffee to save their life; however, for seven Upper 6th Spanish
students, this prospect became only too real in October half-term when
they were faced with the challenge of completing said work experience
in Spain. This meant another language, another culture and another
thing to mention on UCAS.
After a week of hard work, a week of hard play, and a week of perfecting
a level of sign-language communication only a British tourist could
aspire to achieve, the same seven students found that spending a week
of their half-term in Salamanca (working harder than they ever had
done before) was as enriching as it was daunting – and was worth far
more than a stray sentence on their personal statement.
The nature of the work varied: with most waiting in cafes and bars –
coping with the seasonal rush of tourists, students and visitors – others
found themselves working at business institutions and local charities
and primary schools, helping in lessons and philanthropic programmes
for Spaniards. Regardless of the type of work, not one student left
Salamanca without having advanced himself linguistically. Far from
the comforting surroundings of Room 11 and the Language Lab., it
was necessary to adapt to a very foreign situation and (quite literally)
learn on the job. This was a task all students managed to conquer.
To say the week was all work, of course, would do no justice to the
ability of Upper 6th students to make the most of a very ‘culturally
liberal’ Spain. There can be no denying there were some memorable
evenings in Salamanca, most of which were spent ‘unwinding’ after
hard days’ work and taking advantage of Salamanca’s diverse and
vibrant social environment. This certainly kept Señorita Garrido on
her toes and made for some tough early morning shifts.
The experience, though, above all, did an incredible amount to further
the linguistic confidence of boys who were perhaps more tentative in
their verbal approach. With no place to hide in Spain, the developing,
enhancing and tightening of our linguistic grasp on Spanish was
inevitable. This made the week spent in Salamanca truly one of the
most valuable October half-terms in memory.
Thanks must go to Señora Garrido and Halsbury Travel for this.
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RAF Parachuting
In the RAF Section of Hampton’s CCF contingent, flying,
gliding and field days are a regular occurrence, but it isn’t
often that we get to exit aircraft mid-flight. During the
Summer Term we were given the chance to do just that,
and it wasn’t surprising to see many of the older cadets seize
this chance. We were soon heading for Wiltshire, to the
Army Parachute Association at Netheravon.
On the Saturday we were taught the basics and practised
drills in rigs firmly on the ground. Spending the night at
Bulford Army Base, we were all up early the next morning
and eager to jump. The weather unfortunately was less
enthusiastic, with wind speeds well above the limits safe
for us to jump. Waiting all day in the comfort of the
Netheravon facilities we were finally forced to return home
without a jump. The all-day Saturday training did however
mean we were still safe to jump within the following six
months with only a short refresher. During the remaining
weeks of term we all tried to arrange alternate dates to
jump, some of the group succeeding but the final group
including myself not managing to arrange a date until
during the last week of term.
This time the weather was in our favour. We were soon
kitted up and hurtling down the runway in the rear of a
Cessna Caravan turbo prop. With the roll-up hatch door
opened, and the need to come to terms with exiting the
plane at over 3000 ft, the last thing you feel is comfortable.
Static line means that your parachute is linked to the
strongpoint on the airframe by a long cord, which pulls
taut once clear of the plane and deploys your chute. You
then feel the sensation of suddenly being jerked upwards
out of free fall. You’re taught how to detach your main
canopy mid-flight if there is a malfunction, and then to
deploy the reserve chute, though we all hoped we wouldn’t
have to put that aspect of our training to the test.
The five seconds you spend falling before your chute
deploys is by far the best moment of the jump. Those
brief seconds feel far longer than they actually are. Time
seems to pass incredibly slowly as you plummet towards a
patchwork of English countryside. Once your parachute
opens you are brought back to real time, though the hard
part is not over, as you now have to manoeuvre yourself
safely 2500 ft to the ground, preferably without any
broken bones.
With our first jump completed and the opportunity for
more jumps, leading to cordless free-falls from higher
altitudes, there is little chance we won’t return in the future.
I would like to thank Fg. Off. Tresserras and Lt. McKee for
their help with organisation and transportation, and Cpl.
Anil Gupta for originally requesting and organising this
incredible experience.
Sgt John Allden
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RAF Summer Camp
RAF Wyton
Our first impressions of RAF Wyton proved to be lasting ones: it was
an up-to-date intelligence base with multiple activities to partake
in over the course of our stay. We were prepared for the week of
work and had a good idea of what that would involve. Coping with
the weather was a different matter, with intense heat during the day
and the extreme cold of nights in tents. Thankfully this didn’t bring
down the mood of everyone in camp and morale remained high,
with the two teams of cadets working competitively to win the prize
at the end of the week.
To gain points we had to win the different tasks set out for us, both
individually and as a team. These involved archery with a variety of
bows, tests of balance, shooting in an indoor range and ensuring
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that our tents, kit and uniforms were tidy and up to the standards
expected. Throughout the week we bonded in our teams and as a
group overall, despite coming from different schools and from
different parts of the country.
We were also able to visit air museums with fascinating exhibits
and to see numerous examples of the planes which took part in the
Second World War. We learnt about the history of the base we were
staying at and the significant part it played during the war. Although
the weather denied us the opportunity to go flying, we developed
new friendships and new skills and altogether it was a great trip.
Ryan Welby
2013-2014
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sport
1st XI Football
Having had a very successful pre-season camp at Colchester’s Five Lakes Resort, we were
able to establish the beginnings of a new squad. Rather unusually, we lost most of the team
as we had 11 leavers in the previous year’s 1st XI. Subsequently, many Fifth Years were
immediately involved from the start and got a well-deserved opportunity. These players
included Matt Wisdom, Toby Godfray, Jeremiah Chong, Ollie Brightman, Connor
Selwood, and Cory Mears. Other players who got chances from the 2nd XI were Charlie
Seth, Charlie Parmiter, Aidan Purtil Lasselle, Matt Nolan and Jack Scott-Gatty. It
was very clear there was plenty of work to be done on the training pitch and it took time
for the squad to get used to each other, the style of play, the pace required at 1st team
level and different patterns and defensive positioning. This, perhaps, was the main reason
for our early exit from ISFA Cup which was away to Manchester Grammar in Round 2.
Nevertheless, there was still plenty of optimism in the young squad who produced some
exciting performances early on in the term, particularly against Ardingly and – always a
difficult team to play against – Dr Challoner’s.
Three consecutive losses at the end of the Autumn Term marked the turning point of the
season. Losing to Wilson’s, Latymer and Bradfield was a real low point for the whole squad
but also a big wake-up call. The 5-1 defeat to Bradfield gave us a target of where we wanted
to be and a determination to improve. The team was wounded, and the Christmas break
came at the right time, allowing time to recover and return fresh for the challenge ahead
in the New Year.
The response in the New Year was great: the team worked even harder in training and
things started to click. Our new 3G pitch enabled training and matches to go ahead while
many schools and teams struggled to get matches on due to the extremely wet winter.
The team went on a magnificent run, playing 18 matches against other 1st XI teams and
winning 18 – a tremendous 2014!
While on this formidable run, the 1st XI retained the Trinity Cup and won the Surrey Cup
for the second time in three years. This was a great response from the squad and evidence
of the hard work they had put in to achieve such high standards. We also had the chance
to replay Wilson’s in the Surrey Cup Final and came out on top after a nail-biting penalty
shoot-out. The boys deserved their success and it has been great to witness their highs and
lows whilst seeing the dynamic character of the team develop.
Boys who deserve a mention are: George Roberts, our goal keeper, who was outstanding
and consistently saved the team – he also deservedly shared the Player of the Season award
with Tom Phillipson. Toby Godfray, Cory Mears and James Parrott’s work ethic and
determination rubbed off on everyone. Matt Wisdom and Harry Heywood’s centre-back
partnership was crucial to the team’s confidence. Ollie Brightman’s goals, either from wide
or up the middle, were all of a quality that stands him in good stead for the future: he
finished top scorer with 30 goals. The team’s talisman was Tom Phillipson, scoring 29
goals from all angles and distances, and who on many occasions got the team in front
just at the right time. Tom has the ability to have you on the edge of your seat. It was also
pleasing to witness Alex Zubaidi enjoy an injury-free end to the season, leading the team
in two cup finals. His presence and performances in centre midfield always added quality.
He was joined in his return by the enigmatic and talented winger Theo Walcott. It was
like getting two new signings with ten games to go, and it was a real pleasure to watch
both in free flow!
Congratulations go to Matt Wisdom, Connor Selwood and Tom Phillipson for
representing U16 & U18 ISFA teams respectively. Thank you also to Alex Zubaidi for
captaining the side and to Matt Nolan, who was Vice Captain and had to step in on a
number of occasions. A further thank you must go to all the football staff, particularly Mr
Hardingham who leaves Hampton after five years of being 3rd XI coach (and an English
teacher) and to David Rouse (goalkeeper coach) for his expertise and advice. A huge
thanks to Mr Sims for his hard work, advice and support throughout the season. But most
of all to the whole team for their determination and desire to learn. The 2014-15 season
should be an exciting one!
CTM
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Senior Football Pre-Season
Training Camp – Colchester
25th August 2014. Forty seven boys from the Fifth Year to the Upper
Sixth returned to Hampton ready to embark on the Senior Football
tour at the Five Lakes, Crowne Plaza Resort in Colchester.
The tour always marks a significant point at the start of the new
season. Places in squads are still to be decided and it is the perfect
opportunity for boys to regain important match fitness and shake off
any rustiness after the lengthy summer break. Although the majority
of the senior squads had a strong core from the 2013/14 season,
the Fifth Years had a good chance to prove to the coaches why they
should be considered for selection.
After the coach ride to the training ground, Reading Festival and
the Greek islands seemed a distant memory for many boys as we
launched straight into a training session that demanded high
intensity and good levels of concentration. It was the ideal return to
playing football the Hampton way.
The tour always serves as a barometer for the expectations of the
season ahead. Sessions are physically and mentally challenging to
help the boys prepare for a strenuous senior football calendar. Food
also features heavily. Three course meals seem to be just as important
as cool-downs in maintaining match fitness.
The early morning runs were as unpopular as ever, with many of the
boys still half asleep. However, the lack of latecomers compared to
the previous year suggested that many had learnt the simple lesson –
the earlier the start, the fewer the penalty press-ups.
The training session in the morning was designed to prepare us for
the two games in the evening, both physical tests against reputable
local sides.
An U17s side, with a mix of age groups, kicked off the tour matches
on Tuesday afternoon in a predictably tough and competitive
fixture against Braintree F.C. Both sides enjoyed sizeable periods of
possession in the game, but the Hampton side was far more clinical
when chances presented themselves in front of goal. After the halftime break, they really began to hit their stride and goals from Ali
Dalton, Ollie Holland and George Gregory ensured an impressive
3-1 victory for the Hampton side.
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The U18 game followed against an older Braintree side. The
match was played at a ferocious tempo, an ideal preparation for
the season ahead. As the game progressed, Hampton began to
enjoy more and more of the possession and established a vital
foothold in the game. Ollie Brightman broke the deadlock with
a calm finish and Hampton went into the break with a deserved
lead. After that, they never looked back as they dictated the play
for the rest of the game and Tom Phillipson buried a penalty to
cap off a strong Hampton performance.
Wednesday followed the same routine, but with only a single
game against Colchester United in the afternoon for those who
had not played the previous day. It was another testing match with
both sides creating opportunities. Colchester ran out victorious,
but there were many positives to be taken from Hampton’s style
of play.
Thursday’s training was aimed at enhancing the attacking side
to our game with a lot of shooting and pattern play, useful for
killing teams off in the final third. The U17s played against a
Cambridge representative side which favoured a more direct style
of football and they adapted well. Despite a mix of age groups
in the side, they began to work well as a unit and put together
a very respectable performance that saw them emerge as worthy
victors in the end.
Playing the final match of the tour were the U18s, who sought to
continue their perfect record. As they faced a very physical side it
was key that they adapted and adapt they did, playing some nice
football that which really stretched the opposition on the counter
attack with pace up front. The scoresheet had a now familiar feel
to it with Ollie Brightman and Tom Phillipson’s names appearing
once again, but just as importantly, our strength in defence was
rewarded with a clean sheet against an impressive side.
The final day of the tour ended with a lighter training session,
designed to provide some welcome respite from an intense and
very productive five days.
Our thanks go to Mr. Sims for organising another great trip
and to Messrs Mills, Bolton, Chaveneau, Duda and Murphy for
putting on training sessions that stretched and challenged us and
have set us up very well for the season ahead.
Cory Mears
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1st XI
2nd XI
3rd XI
4th XI
U16A
U16B
U15A
U15B
U15C
U14A
U14B
U14C
U13A
U13B
U13C
U12A
U12B
U12C
U12D
TOTAL
Team
CTM/MKS
BR
HH
MRG
FCC
TNP
PDB
EBB
RDW
AS
TA/AWK
AF
MJW/BCM
JRP
JOS/MS
WDP
PDT
PDH
DW
Staff
28
20
17
8
15
9
14
10
9
21
12
7
18
13
7
19
17
9
3
256
3
3
1
2
3
2
1
3
1
1
2
1
2
2
2
1
1
2
1
34
Played Won Drawn
37
29
23
16
23
18
21
16
12
31
20
14
22
18
11
24
24
14
9
382
Lost
6
6
5
6
5
7
6
3
2
7
6
6
3
3
2
4
6
3
5
91
53
38
22
33
37
41
28
27
10
49
32
45
47
28
16
35
36
17
36
630
Goals F Goals A
119
63
74
55
65
48
56
63
36
102
64
47
115
76
53
110
101
81
27
1355
Captain
Brightman & Phillipson
Top Goal Scorer
Conor Schmidt
George Gregory
Joe Reed
Gian Hobbs
Kai Hanley
Oli Holland
Alex Zubaidi
David O'Brien
Richard Benett
Ali Huse/Alex Glennon
Dan Sparks
James Sweeney
Calogero Scanella
Ali Dalton
Rian Larkin
Joel Banerjee
Finlay Hamilton/Torin Umrigar
Joe Helm
Fred Spence
Isaac McGarity
Joe John
James Hunter-Young
Charlie Finch
Louis Rhodes
Alex Dewar
Will Stoner
Louis Rhodes
Faisal Jumaily
Nick Stoner
Ben Lawson
Nick Stoner
2013-2014
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2nd XI Football
A number of players played their part in a long but ultimately
successful season for the 2nd XI.
In goal Charlie Bloomer and Ali Huse each made crucial saves in a
number of matches to help the team to victory.
The defence was often outstanding, with various combinations
used. Cameron Marsh showed his ability both going forwards
and defensively when played at full-back. On the other side, Matt
Woodall made the step up to senior football by putting in a string
of fine performances. Ben Isaacson was similarly superb at full-back.
Captain David O’Brien was a fantastic leader, playing at both left-back
and left wing and scoring a number of important goals. Meanwhile,
Oscar Mayhew and Harry Heywood were both solid at centre-back
before they deservedly moved up to the 1st XI. Also at centre-back,
Richard Bennet, Jack Scott-Gatty, Alex Green and Toby Whittaker
all showed a combination of defensive ability and composure on the
ball, allowing the team to build attacks from the back with confidence.
In midfield, Tom Capsey protected the back four brilliantly, whilst
also showing his wide range of passing. Guy Harper and Max
3rd XI Football
The 3rd XI enjoyed another fine season in 2013-14. The squad
constituted a core of talented Lower Sixth players who never
looked out of place alongside the older veterans of the team. In
goal was stalwart Henry Milton, who enjoyed another excellent
season in the face of strong competition from Ali Huse. His shotstopping remained impeccable and, alongside improved kicking
and communication, marked him out as one of the most valuable
members of the squad – he will be sorely missed. He was helped
by an impressively mean defensive unit of captain Toby Whitaker,
Afolarin Otunla, Jake Leonard, Ben Isaacson and Louis Isaacson.
Their strong organisation made for a number of clean sheets, while
Foster supplied the team with flair and creativity in attack. Jonny
Oldfield provided boundless energy out wide, and Finlay Slater’s
direct running and skill caused problems for many opposition fullbacks. Similarly, Jamie Campbell’s pace was crucial in creating
chances for the team throughout the season, and Jamie Williams
was a constant threat from out wide or in the middle. James
Ingram also fitted adeptly into the team, performing very well
when called upon.
Up front, Toby Fuller was clinical in front of goal, whilst Kai MinorsDodd provided the team with another dimension, combining
powerful running with skill and awareness. Aidan Purtill-Lassalle
was a strong presence up front, scoring brilliant individual goals and
driving the team forward.
The end of the season was a glorious one, with victory over Brentwood
(who had beaten us earlier in the season) in the London ISFA Cup
Final. The team held their nerve to win 4-1 on penalties following a
tight 2-2 draw.
Finally, we would all like to thank Mr Ruse for his commitment and
support throughout the season.
Charlie Bloomer
their technical ability allowed for attacking moves to begin from
within their own half.
Ahead of them was the ever-reliable industry of Theo Hooke,
Luke Smith and Sam Hall. Their intelligence and strength – on
and off the ball – was one of the team’s greatest assets and will
surely be rewarded with promotion to the 2nd XI next season. In
the wider areas, Jamie Williams’ passing, Jamie Campbell’s pace
and Cameron Brown’s shooting were key components of the side’s
attacking threat, while Andy Brown’s skill and endeavour through
the middle made for a number of goals and assists. Mention also
goes to Ethan Ijaz, whose cameo performances were often up to
man-of-the match standard.
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Up front, Jack Everett led the line with commendable energy. His
prolific scoring record in the first half of the season turned a number
of draws into wins – no mean feat given the lack of a supporting
striker.
The season was not without its disappointments – losses to
Eton and Charterhouse were particularly hard to take – and
many of the L6th players will need to improve their level of
performance if they want honours at a higher level. But the
unbeaten run that ended the season suggests that this was very
much a team on the up. The standout results were victories
against Brentwood, KCS and the Old Hamptonians, as well as
4th XI Football
The 4th XI had a very challenging season both on and off the
field. However, with the persistent hard work of manager Mr.
Grundmann, captain Alex Glennon and vice-captain Max
Lancaster, we managed to assemble
a team on every occasion (albeit
sometimes barely). Dylan Hakof,
Henry Long, Marco Barnfield and
Ali Dalton were to become key
members of the 4th XI throughout the
season, despite having commitments
elsewhere – a much appreciated effort
on their part. We were also blessed
with one of only two Upper Sixth
players to play for the 4th XI, Nick
Yeates, whose strong tackling and
powerful running were instrumental
to our season.
The season started well with a
thumping home win against Sutton
Grammar, 6-1, although we had to
borrow a few players from the U16Bs.
The season then took a dip with a hard84
2013-2014
a gutsy draw away to Bradfield, thereby ending the opposition’s
100% record.
Special mention must go to captain, Toby Whitaker and Player of
the Season Theo Hooke. Words must also be said of Adam Stanley,
whose excellent season was cut short by a broken leg. Adam began
the year as captain and would certainly have gone on to represent the
2nd XI had injury not intervened. His characteristic skill, hard work
and sense of camaraderie underline what the 3rd XI has always been
about – future generations take note.
HH
fought 2-1 defeat in the pouring rain to Alleyn’s, despite some much
needed assistance from Jack Osmond and Oliver Lockett. We then
embarked on a streak of wins against St. Bede’s, Wilson’s and Royal
Russell School. This run was to abruptly end with a disappointing
5-1 loss to Eton (a team I have never had the pleasure of beating),
although the match witnessed an inspired performance from Fifth
sport
Year keeper Alex Coutts, who would prove to be an invaluable
player throughout the rest of the season.
We were without the leadership and authority of Mr. Grundmann
for our next match against a very stiff opposition in the form of
Charterhouse. Instead, we recruited the fine managerial skills of the
former 4th XI coach Mr. Wakefield. Even with his generic phrases
like ‘run harder!’ we were unable to claim victory, despite a valiant
performance and a lovely goal by Alex Glennon set up by our own
RWB/RB/CB/RM/RW Josh Walker. Josh maintained throughout
the season that he was faster than I was and that RB was a promotion
from CB, although the rest of us knew the truth. A comical game
followed at Glyn, where their keeper managed to slice a goal-kick
(backwards I might add – a feat none of us have any idea how he
managed) and we were able to fight back to a 2-2 draw, with a Matt
Thomas double announcing his return from injury with a bang.
Another match lost came at King’s Wimbledon, where the only
consolation of a 5-1 defeat was the tough-tackling (and free-kick
concession) of Jack Gascoigne and Tom Chisholm. We then
suffered a severe bout of classic British winter weather, and so the
grounds staff – quite rightly – cancelled three games on the bounce
to save the pitches. When we did finally play again, we got off to
a convincing win against Claremont with a four minute hat-trick
from the typically languid Jake Spencer, assisted by a productive
performance from Ben Lonergan in midfield. Despite a return
to winning ways, we ended the season with an unfortunate loss at
home to Sutton Grammar. Having beaten them earlier in the season,
we played up a team and lost 1-0.
This was a tricky season, but one that I wouldn’t have traded for
anything. I have enjoyed the year intensely and I hope everyone else
has too. One thank-you must go to Ali Huse who began the season
as captain and is now playing 2nd XI football. Thank you also to Mr
Grundmann, our captain Alex Glennon and to all the team members
mentioned above. My apologies to anyone that I have missed. Max Lancaster
U16A Football
Although the 2013/14 U16A season was not a success in terms of
silverware, it was certainly a triumph in the experience gained by
all members of the team against tough opposition, home and away.
In many ways it was a strange season, with much chopping and
changing of the team when it came to playing the ESFA matches as
some of the boys from the 1st XI in the 5th year came back to help the
squad. Their contribution was invaluable in our progress through
the competition.
Our first real test as a team came against Desborough College in the
ESFA 1st round match, with the squad still gelling and getting to
know each other. It certainly showed in a poor first half display, and
we went into the break 1-0 down. However, Jeremiah Chong and
Cory Mears both played brilliantly to drag the team to a 2-1 win,
and our ESFA journey had begun.
After successfully negotiating the ESFA 2nd round match vs.
Walthamstow Academy – with James Ingram catching the eye in
his first stint in midfield – we were given a sharp reality check on
a Saturday afternoon away at Eton. A shocking display all round
resulted in a comprehensive 3-0 defeat, and if it had not been for
the heroics of Dominic Nolan in goal the score would have been
considerably more embarrassing.
However, we were given a chance to bounce back immediately when
we travelled to Charterhouse. Josh Tompkins and Sam Tapper
dominated the midfield, and with Ben Dowse’s clinical finishing
we came away with a deserved 2-1 win that kick-started our season
again after the Eton game.
By this time, our squad was beginning to form some chemistry,
with myself and Aaron Jones’s partnership at centre-back starting to
flourish and Will Hagger producing some battling displays in both
full-back positions. It came as no surprise to see him starting on the
teamsheet every Saturday. Dylan Jones and Joe Harraghy’s skills
were really coming to the fore, with both of them producing some
outstanding performances at left wing and right wing respectively.
After putting behind us a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the hands of
Wimbledon College in the Surrey Cup we were drawn to play away
again in the ESFA 4th round against Harefield Academy. We had
heard before the match of a certain striker by the name of Ogo Obi,
who had been scouted by Arsenal and Liverpool playing up front
for the school, so we knew we all had to be at the top of our game.
Luckily Ogo didn’t seem particularly interested, which certainly
helped us as we romped to a 7-1 victory, with Connor Selwood
catching the eye as the holding midfielder and Matt Wisdom
marshalling the back four superbly.
We came through a bruising physical encounter against Glyn 3-1
in the 5th round of ESFA, with Matt Woodall notably showing his
defensive skills against hard opposition, before playing Finchley
Catholic School in the 6th. We produced a virtuoso display, roared
on by a passionate home crowd and won 5-2, with Ollie Brightman
hitting a hat-trick and not giving the opposition defenders a
moment’s peace. Our final Saturday game of the term came against
Bradfield where the usual squad won a thrilling game 2-1, with
Lawrence Courtney playing an absolute blinder on his debut for
the U16As in goal, which rounded off a successful term for the team.
Although the Spring Term fixtures were severely affected by the
weather the squad managed to rack up some impressive wins, notably
against Harrow away on their immaculate 1st XI pitch with a 2-1
win. A 4-2 home win against Bedford School once again reinforced
Olly McLarty’s presence in the attacking midfield role – he proved
invaluable throughout the season.
However, the most disappointing game of the season came in our 7th
round ESFA match against Winston Churchill. We had real hopes
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that we could make the quarter-finals of the competition but it was
not to be as we succumbed to a 3-2 defeat. Despite some questionable
refereeing we only had ourselves to blame as we went 2-0 down in
the first 10 minutes and never really recovered. However, the attitude
of the team was superb and we could commend ourselves on a
brilliant cup run. Finlay Slater and Toby Godfray’s understanding
at left wing and left-back respectively was a major factor for our
progress through the competition and Charlie Bloomer was always
dependable as our goalkeeper for these matches.
Our final game of the season was, I believe, the most impressive
when we came up against a Canadian touring school by the name of
St Francis Xavier who were two years older than most of our squad.
Despite going 2-0 down we battled back to draw 2-2, with Ollie
Holland demonstrating his goal-scoring prowess with a last-minute
equaliser to secure a deserved result. Cameron Marsh was superb at
left-back after a lengthy period out with an injury and Kai MinorsDodd changed the game when he came on in the 2nd half.
Despite the ESFA cup heartbreak, there is no question that this
season every single member of the squad made vital contributions in
key matches and everyone developed their game. This season will no
doubt stand the boys in good stead for the rigours and challenges of
Senior Football next year. I would like to thank Mr Chaveneau for
the time and effort he put into training and into matches. We can all
be proud of our achievements for the 2013/2014 season – I was very
proud to captain this Hampton team.
Daniel Sparks
U16B Football
The U16Bs endured an enjoyable yet mixed season. Led by the
tactical mastermind Mr. Passmore, whose commitment and
enthusiasm was second to none, the U16Bs played 18 games,
winning 9, drawing 2 and losing 7. The season was full of
eventful games, most notably a 7-0 thrashing of Royal Russell
with Charlie John poaching his first goal. A rock solid defence
saw three clean sheets as Matt Hassenien and Dylan Hakof took
on strikers in all shapes and sizes. The incredible work rate of
Henry Long, Harry Blackwell, Josh Myers and Harry Hutton
was as impressive as it was effective. Top goal scorer Max Frost
and tricky winger Josh Strauss enjoyed great seasons but still
sparked controversy with the occasional questionable flop in the
penalty area. The tiki-taka style used by the U16Bs was highlighted best in a move
involving Captain Ali Dalton and super-sub Dylan Sahota, who
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2013-2014
combined to score the best team goal of the season. This came as the
pivotal moment in a mouth-watering 6-5 win against Latymer, with
top saves from the commanding Alex Haswell between the posts.
A massive thank you also has to be given to stand-in keeper Rahul
Jaitly, who not only kept a clean sheet but saved a penalty with the
last kick of the game in a 1-0 victory over Reading Oratory. Kiyan
Kalifa often provided audacious touches and skills to the enjoyment
of our many fans. Late additions to the squad included Callum Purtill-Lassalle,
Marco Barnfield and Dom Nolan who provided important
cameos at the end of the season. The squad improved with every
game and the season culminated with a 6-0 demolition of new
opponents Bedford Modern. The U16Bs were not just known for
their attractive attacking flair, but also for their gritty backs-to-thewall defensive displays. This was shown best in hard-fought wins and
draws at the back end of the season which led to the Bs finishing on
a five game winning streak, a feat that any team would be proud of.
An incredibly enjoyable season and all the squad can look forward to
successful seasons in senior football.
Ali Dalton
U15A Football
After an exciting season last year we all had high hopes for the year
ahead and our final season as junior footballers. Our first game was
against Sutton Grammar and we started off the pace, going 1-0
down from a corner. We came back well in the second half, with
great strikes from Matt Walker and then Mason Worsfold-Gregg
from the edge of the box. Mason and Christian Kerton-Johnson
put together a fine move to finish the match and we left the initial
fixture with a sense of relief.
The boys then travelled to Ardingly in good spirits, knowing
the Sussex side would be a bigger test. Ardingly played fantastic
passing football at a higher tempo, resulting in an early goal.
Chris Searle scored his first goal for the As after an incredible
solo run and a wonderful chip over the keeper. However, it was
all in vain, ending in the rarity of a Hampton side being taught
a footballing lesson: a 5-1 defeat. The following fixture was a trip
to St. Bede’s, where we were hoping to improve on the previous
performance. Another bad start, however, saw us go 1-0 down in
the first 5 minutes for the third time in consecutive matches! It
was clear we needed to spend some time working on defending.
Although we managed to take a grip of the game later in the
match, scoring two goals, we ended up losing 3-2.
The following fixture saw the start of our ISFA cup campaign.
Having enjoyed success in the two cup competitions last season,
we hoped to replicate this success. Although another early goal
meant starting from a 1-0 deficit yet again, we managed to get
a goal back in the second half to take the match to extra time.
Here we played superbly with a George Gregory strike giving
Hampton a 2-1 lead, and Christian then grabbing a follow-up
to secure the victory. The cup win was followed by a pleasing
5-0 victory against Dr. Challoner’s, with some excellent football
played and fine goals. In the first round of the Surrey Cup we
fielded a mixed team from the A and B squads. While our
finishing left a bit to be desired, our overall play was good, with
Jack Wilson managing to finish the game late in the second half.
sport
U15B Football
This was a very enjoyable and successful season for the U15Bs.
A total of 16 games were played, of which 10 were won, 3 lost
and 3 drawn. The top scorer was Gian Hobbs with nine goals
with Conor Schmidt just behind on eight. Mr Bowles coached
the side and applied his extensive maths knowledge to the job.
He stressed the importance of good sportsmanship whilst still
competing hard – a philosophy we implemented throughout the
season.
We had a fantastic fixture against Eton last season and the U15s
were looking forward to our next meeting. We started very well,
albeit going behind again to a nice strike from Eton. We managed
turn the scoreline around and finished the game with a very well
deserved victory. Max Matchett and Josh Thompson put in
impressive performances at the back whilst Harry Fuller had a
great game, assisting our winning goal and putting in a terrific
shift all over the field for the team. This was followed by another
very physical encounter against Brentwood, where we put in a
strong performance to win 2-1 against tough opposition reduced
to 10 men after a foul on Adam Lee.
In the ISFA second round against City Of London we
unfortunately lost 2-0. After dominating possession, we conceded
two breakaway goals, meaning an early exit from a tournament
in which we were hoping to be very successful. We then came
up against Charterhouse. On a very wet pitch we managed a
2-1 victory with Kai Hanley demonstrating the abilities of his
left foot, scoring with a sublime strike. Josh Thompson and
Harry Fuller were both standout performers during the match.
In the Surrey Cup Round 2 we faced Tomlinscote on a pitch
that was not in the best condition. We dominated most of the
game, with Will Christophers coming close on a few occasions.
Unfortunately we just couldn’t find a finish and the tie went down
to penalties. Despite a very good effort from Charlie Etheridge
in goal the Tomlinscote penalties were well taken and we went
out of another cup.
We knew playing away to Harrow would be a tough fixture and
they had two or three players of real quality in midfield who
proved elusive. After a long game, we finished up with a 4-0
loss. Following the Harrow fixture, there was a spell of very poor
weather, meaning that we couldn’t get onto the pitches for a few
weeks. However, thanks to the fantastic new 3G pitch, we could
get some games on. We won all three games we played on the
3G, and it was nice to have the chance to play passing football
on a great surface in the winter months. Perhaps this helped our
resultant winning streak, where we were victorious in all six of
our last games. Standout performances came from Will Davey
and Alex Brown. Unfortunately, Matt Walker broke his wrist in
a very physical battle against Glyn during this period after falling
on his arm during a tackle.
I look forward to another good season next year with a few players
breaking into senior teams, particularly after our impressive end
to the season. I would like to thank last season’s coach, Murray
Jones and particularly Mr. Bolton for a very enjoyable two years of
football, sticking with us through some very frustrating times…
We think he enjoyed working with us really!
Harrow were the only B team that we lost to in a tight 4-2
match. The two A teams we lost to were Alleyn’s and Latymer.
Alleyn’s was our most disappointing performance and the result
was a 6-0 defeat. It was only the second game of the season and
we had not then gelled as a team. We also lost to an extremely
strong Latymer side, but despite a final score of 4-2, it was
arguably our best performance of the season. At one stage we
led 2-1 with two goals from Conor Schmidt, brilliantly assisted
by Gian Hobbs. They ran away with it at the end but it was a
fantastic performance.
Each player played his part in an excellent campaign. Charlie
Etheridge was consistent in goal. Our main centre-back pairing
was James Munns and Alfie Davies, who came up from the C
team. Harry Vegting also played at centre-back and defensive
midfield, and was prolific from deep. James Barr played centreback but mainly impressed at full-back along with Will Potter
and the no-nonsense Jack Sice. Rohan Bhatia sometimes played
full-back or on the wing.
Mr Bowles had a variety of midfielders to choose from, especially
out wide. Conor Schmidt and Ned McGarrity usually played
in the middle and four wingers were in contention to start.
Chris Cecil sometimes came down from the As to play. Gian
Hobbs held down the right wing position with excellent pace and
precision. James Rhodes, Harry Robinson and Taran Takhar
fought for the other positions. James and Taran often played
central midfield or up front but it was hard to choose between
them. They were all quick and tricky to handle. Finally, Jack
Wilson spearheaded the attack with pace up top.
Overall, the U15B season was a success – another enjoyable
campaign.
George Gregory (Captain)
Conor Schmidt
2013-2014
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U15C Football
U15D Football
This was an excellent year for the U15C team with a final tally of
nine wins, a draw and two losses in a season that saw the only defeats
taking place in the first and last games of the season. The season
began with a 2-1 defeat at Ardingly but included the best individual
strike of the year with Joe Dawson’s superb long-range effort getting
us back into the match at 1-1.
U14A Football
A hard-fought victory away at Eton set the tone for the rest of the
season and saw Joe Reed score the first of his 12 goals – a superb haul!
Unfortunate to gain only a 0-0 draw at Charterhouse, the team then
went on a superb winning run. The next eight consecutive games
were won as the team played an increasingly fluid passing game that
culminated in a glorious 5-0 demolition of St John’s Leatherhead –
the highlight of the season – as the boys got to play on Pitch 2 on
a gloriously sunny morning. Joe Reed scored a superb second half
hat-trick with Zac Lewis finishing off two outstanding team moves.
In goal Todd Ryan performed well throughout the season giving us
plenty of confidence and some superb shot-stopping, including an
extraordinary reaction save in the Halliford game. In front of him
James Sweeney was a determined and skilful centre-back who led
the team by his example. His partnership with Oscar McKittrick
at the back provided an excellent foundation, ably supported by
regular full-backs Andrew Condron and Ollie George. Alex Evans
was also an assured and skilful presence at either left-back or leftmidfield, and Alex Marsland increasingly challenged for a starting
place in the full-back berth.
In midfield Gus Channer and Joe Dawson produced some strong
performances whilst Alex Osmond – our own Messi – produced
some wonderful moments of skill and developed into a crucial
member of the team. On the wings Zac Lewis and Jake Tallis were
tireless in their running, and Rohan Bhatia added real bite when
he came in from the B team, playing a crucial role in the Eton
victory. Angus Hill was a key squad player who always made an
impact in either midfield or at the back, whilst Theo GranströmLivesey was hampered by injury but showed his quality when
given the opportunity. In attack Joe Reed played with real skill and
demonstrated a touch and eye for goal beyond this level, whilst
Ollie Milton worked unstintingly and took his chances well. Matt
Rofe had some wonderful moments, particularly in the second half
against Latymer on the 3G, whilst Max Jensen provided an excellent
alternative up front on occasions.
It was a pleasure to work with such a talented and hard-working
group of players.
RDW
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2013-2014
At the start of the season the overarching theme was ‘development’
and there were undoubtedly several teams within the School that
finished the 2013/14 season with an improved statistical record.
However, we can never learn anything about commitment and
perseverance from stats and it is doubtful whether any other
team has given their coach as many opportunities to feel proud
as this current squad did this year. The boys showed character in
abundance, whatever the result, and their skills and performances
matured hugely as the season went on, although some scorelines
wouldn’t necessarily suggest that! A group of players that had
initially seemed to lack belief in their competitiveness against
physically much stronger (and bigger!) opposition, ended the
season with greater tactical appreciation and positional awareness,
giving them a chance to outplay any team.
There were plenty of memorable moments but very strong victories
against Charterhouse and Harrow School were particularly
pleasing. Some particularly eye-catching and classy football was
played in a pulsating 6-0 win against Brentwood, previously
our bête-noire. Defeats to Eton, Bradfield and Wilson’s School
taught the team valuable lessons and highlighted some aspects to
improve upon. However, the collective 1-1 battle against a strong
and determined Glyn team allowed the boys to end the season
on a high.
Central to the team’s success was captain Rian Larkin, who lead
the team very responsibly and weighed in with an impressive
tally of 11 goals, including a few winning headers in tight cup
matches. He built a new partnership with fellow centre-back
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Lewis Chaplin, who made an immediate impact in his first
year at Hampton, thanks to his natural presence, good humour
and ruthlessness from the penalty spot. Both were partnered
at various times by Jack Munro, whose selfless dedication and
commitment to the team saw him filling a variety of different
positions – including a few appearances in goal! It was also
pleasing to see Logan Cullen grow into a bigger presence on
the pitch. The full-back positions were mostly filled by Tom
Flintham on the left and Tom Borret on the right, with both
deserving commendation for their superb attitude and wholehearted commitment in training. New arrivals to the teams
undoubtedly provided more depth to the squad and strengthened
the team overall this year, with Will Davis and Lewis Chaplin
achieving ISFA National U15 recognition. For Hampton, Will
was the lynchpin of the side, setting the tempo for so much of
what the team did well during the season – he is an outstanding
talent and will flourish in future years. Ben Madelin added a
willingness to contribute to the team’s attacking movements on
the left-hand side, sharing responsibility with Harry Bathurst,
who tormented defenders with his natural athleticism and ability
to cross the ball. It was the U14s’ good fortune that we had such
competition for the places in midfield. Whilst George Cory
quickly established himself as an U14A team player, Gabriel
Lewis’ performance against Ibstock Place gave an excellent taste
of what an effective and dangerous player he can be; George
Johnston-Purvis displayed his singular ability for clever runs
and neat link-up play before succumbing to injury in February.
Jack Newton also played in almost every position on the field
and was especially effective when using his devastating pace on
the right-hand side. Goals were shared throughout the team, but
Calogero Scanella built on his progress of last season to become
the team’s leading goalscorer by combining energetic physicality
and an often-exemplary work ethic. A final mention should go
to Jake Finnan in the defensive midfield position, arguably the
team’s most influential player, continually switching the play
with intelligence and showing admirable vision.
Having started this report trumpeting the ideals of progress and
player development, it feels a touch hypocritical to now move
on to the team’s winning successes in two cup competitions.
However, victory is often the by-product of playing well as a
team and the squad progressed as far as the semi-finals of the
Surrey Cup and – for the first time in the School’s history – to the
quarter-finals of the English Schools’ FA Cup. This suggests that
some of their best football was played in their twelve midweek
fixtures.
Hampton’s path to round eight of the ESFA Cup was thrilling
to say the least, with an extra-time win over Harris Academy
and last-gasp victories against Bishop Challoner and Howard of
Effingham. The most exciting match of the season, however, had
to be at home to Devonport High School. Held on the 3G pitch,
it proved to be a game to remember with all the ingredients for
a classic cup tie: extraordinary intensity helped by a supportive
touchline crowd, a disallowed goal, a missed penalty and
shots against the woodwork. It took until the second half for
Ben Madelin, turning in one of his game-changing left-sided
performances, to score first. His clean strike from the edge of the
box into the top right-hand corner was answered by Devonport
equalising minutes before the whistle went, taking the match into
extra time and ultimately to penalties. Four of Hampton’s penalty
takers dispatched their strikes with nerveless authority and keeper
Logan Cullen executed a composed save, leaving George Cory
with the chance to seal victory. The final score was 6-5, much to
our delight. The impressive individual class of the tournament
favourites and eventual finalists, Northampton School for Boys,
overwhelmed the team in a 4-0 defeat in the round of the last
eight and so the focus shifted to the Surrey Cup.
A string of comfortable wins against Hollifield, Wilson’s and
Woking High earlier in the season set up a Surrey Cup semi-final
tie against Howard of Effingham School in late April. The team
had won a very tight game against them in November, so this
rematch was not to be taken lightly. The 2-1 end result was one
of the closest defeats of the year, with Players’ Player of the Year
Jack Newton hitting the post (and scoring an off-side goal), as the
team fell agonisingly short of a deserved equaliser.
Nevertheless, it had been a marvellously exciting run in each of the
competitions and grateful thanks must go to the stalwart band of
parental supporters who followed our progress so enthusiastically.
Above all, the most pleasing aspect of the entire season for me
was the strength of character shown by the boys after a defeat,
as the next game would undoubtedly be won, and nor shall we
forget having finally overcome any doubts when it came down to
the dramatic denouement from 12 yards!
AS
U14B Football
We had a great season overall, beating every B team we played
against and even some A teams too. Our top goal scorer was
Joel Banerjee, followed by James Allen and Alex Dewar. Some
vital stops were made by our keepers Sam Millward and Owen
Thomas, and a solid centre-back partnership of Nick Grant and
Sam Ernest was excellently supported by full-backs Fabio Rossi,
Noah Chong, Ed Wills and Freddie John, despite the latter’s
serious injury sustained in the first game of his debut season here
at Hampton. We had four great midfielders controlling games
in Jasper Hamilton-Hunt, Tarun Bath, Ollie Phillips and Joel
Banerjee, and looked dangerous throughout the season thanks
to pacey and creative wing play from Jamie Spillard and Alex
Dewar. Up top, Gabriel Heaney and James Allen provided a
constant goal threat, and Joey Ball also impressed as he adapted
to a new position as striker. We had an amazing season with some
impressive victories, all topped off with a 9-0 win in our final
match.
Jasper Hamilton-Hunt
2013-2014
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U14C Football
Orenstein started the year with full-backs Max Cooper and Joe
Young-Hughes in support. The team negotiated the first rounds of
the ISFA Cup and Surrey Cup with ease, with George Maxwell
scoring five versus Ardingly Prep whilst Lucas Boyle helped himself
to a hat-trick in the same game. Shaun-Chris Joash then secured an
impressive brace versus Teddington to win the next game. A pleasing
win from behind versus Glyn followed, with winger Noah Hanley
scoring two vital goals.
Some fine football was played by the 14Cs this season with many
players making an impression. Victories of 6-2, 10-0, 10-1 and 9-2 –
against Alleyn’s, St Bede’s, Chigwell and Halliford respectively –saw
players like Ollie Ross, Patrick Ardill and Jaydon Softly scoring
some excellent goals. Schools like Eton and Charterhouse asked a
few more questions and the boys duly lost by a fair margin. Strength
of character prevailed, however, and the team battled through some
very evenly pegged games – the 3-2 victory over St John’s Leatherhead
being one of the season’s highlights. In addition to the aforementioned
strikers, various boys stood out over the year. Henry Nolan proved
to be very comfortable on the ball out on the left wing, whilst Max
George, Nick Dummett and Robert Mays performed well at the
back. Midfield anchor, season captain and Manager’s Player of the
Year Will Stoner played consistently inventive football, as did the
talented young winger Ben Ho. An admirable season then, with each
boy in the squad showing much progression.
AF
U13A Football
‘Bouncebackability’ was a term coined in a post-match interview
by one of football’s great orators in Iain Dowie, in response to his
Crystal Palace team showing great resilience to come from behind to
beat Wimbledon 3-1, and I can’t think of a better word to describe
the season of the U13A footballers this year.
Early season form was solid if not spectacular, as new faces in Jamie
Warren and Lucas Boyle joined the squad – the former taking the
gloves after only realising a late talent part way through his first
year at the School and the latter after having a fine pre-season tour
to Barcelona. A new centre-back pairing of Zak Wort and Eitan
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Then came the most disappointing, but defining moment of the
season: the ISFA Cup second round match versus Aldenham. A
cup classic in any neutral fan’s eyes; heartbreaking in the eyes of
this author. Looking comfortable at 3-1 at half time, the team was
confident going into the second half. However, Aldenham came
back out fighting and within ten minutes they had been brought
back level. An epic battle ensued and with seconds left Aldenham
were winning 7-6. Talismanic left-winger and Captain Louis
Rhodes rounded his full-back and smashed home the equalizer with
the final kick of normal time. Sadly, another goal in extra time from
Aldenham condemned the team to a cup exit.
It is after games like this that players probably learn more about
themselves than they do winning games by sizeable margins. They
were asked to dust themselves down, pick themselves up and think
about what they wanted for the remainder of the season. The Surrey
Cup was still all to play for and with a team as talented as this, a run
to the final was well within their grasp.
The response was emphatic. With the exception of one game against
Chigwell – in which Alex Carey shone but the team was defeated
– the U13A team went on to win every other game in the season.
Before the turn of the year the boys put the ISFA Cup defeat behind
them, dispatching Wilson’s in the second round of the Surrey Cup
with midfielder Harry Short scoring an excellent goal.
The turn of the year brought a whole host of changes to the team.
Unfortunately, Zak decided to play rugby and we were able to call on
Omri Nolan to replace him to do what he does best: defend. Lucas
Boyle moved to centre-back to shore things up and Eitan Orenstein
moved into the holding role to take advantage of his excellent
stamina. Hal Busfield moved to play as the central striker to provide
goals and good link-up play, and Harry Short moved out wide
right to take advantage of his crossing ability. The early signs were
encouraging in the 3rd round match versus George Abbot. Despite
heavy rain, a sloped pitch and strong winds the team played good
football and were eventual 4-1 winners. A formidable Wimbledon
College team was up next in a tough match on the 3G, but some
good football on the break and a 3-1 win set up a semi-final against
Glenthorne. With similar conditions to the George Abbot match it
was always going to be a difficult game. An early goal was cancelled
out to make it 1-1 at half time and physical opposition made it
clear a battle lay ahead. Team spirit and determination grew in the
second half and despite a few uncomfortable and nervy moments
Hal secured a goal in the final moments to finish the game with a
4-2 victory.
The team had made the final and deservedly so, but the toughest
opposition lay ahead in the form of Whitgift. With the memories
of the difficult cup exit to Aldenham in the back of their minds,
the boys set about their work in training with great determination
and application in the run up to the final. Unfortunately, injury had
ruled out Joe Young-Hughes towards the end of the season: Luke
Darlison stepped up and made the left-back slot his own, deservedly
starting in the final.
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The game – held on the Fulham Academy training pitches at LSE
Sports Ground – began in frantic fashion, with George Maxwell
slamming home a free-kick from outside the box and Whitgift
equalizing shortly after. Goals from Shaun-Chris Joash and Harry
Short followed but Whitgift were relentless and with the seconds
counting down they led 4-3. A hopeful ball was punted forward
and after bobbling around the box Shaun-Chris volleyed home to
take the game to extra time. Both teams had chances to win it here
and if hadn’t been for Jamie Warren keeping Hampton in the game,
the outcome could have been very different. The game stayed even
and the dreaded shootout was upon us. Despite us missing the first
penalty Whitgift missed two and the responsibility of hitting the
winning penalty fell on the shoulders of captain fantastic Louis
Rhodes, sporting rather a large bruise on his cheek from an earlier
collision. It is always nice to win a cup – no one denies that –
but the most pleasing thing was what the team had learnt from
their previous experiences over the last year. There were times when
they were down and out in the final, yet they stuck together and
fought together as a team to gain what they ultimately deserved
through sheer grit and determination. Nothing makes a coach
prouder than seeing a team show strength of character and support
of each other in order to reach their collective goal, and this team
had bags of it. They learnt from their mistakes and showed great
bouncebackability from some low points in the season to savour a
moment very few footballers get to achieve at any level: winning
a cup final.
Louis Rhodes – not content with the captain’s armband and scoring
cup-winning penalties – swept the end of season awards with Top
Goal Scorer and Players’ Player awards and also the Junior Football
Trophy at Lower School Evening. The outstanding George Maxwell
deservedly took the Manger’s Player of the season, and Lucas Boyle
was the Most Improved player: we could have done with two of him,
one at either end of the pitch! This was an extremely pleasing season
that had its ups and downs, but it could not have ended in a more
dramatic fashion. Thank you for making it such an exciting year
and I look forward to seeing how you progress as you go through
the School.
MJW
U13B Football
The U13Bs can reflect with satisfaction on a highly successful season.
Eighteen matches brought thirteen wins and only three defeats,
and a 100% win record against other B teams is an achievement to
celebrate. A quick glance at the goals tally – 77 scored and only 28
conceded – bears testament to a host of high-scoring, entertaining
encounters, in which the boys’ attacking, free-flowing football was a
pleasure to watch. Victories over Glyn, Brentwood and Latymer As
were particularly impressive.
Ollie Roach was a commanding presence in goal during the
early season, pulling off some stunning saves and marshalling his
defence well. He later proved to be equally adept as a centre-back or
marauding right-back, as well as a clinical free kick specialist. When
Ollie moved out of goal, Joe Wigoder stepped up from the C team,
keeping three clean sheets and impressing with his shot-stopping.
Daniel Lipscombe became the rock around which the defence was
built – a composed and classy centre-back, and more than a match
for opposition strike forces. In this, he was ably supported by Fred
Spence, whose aerial dominance was a major asset, and by Woo Suk
Yang, who joined the team from the Cs after Christmas, and who
slotted into the role very comfortably. Bill Downey was a tireless,
high-octane right-back with an eye for goal, and the left-back slot
was filled by Alex Persson and Dylan Evans-Hutchison. Dylan’s
silky dribbling skills allowed him to play as a left winger with equal
effect, whilst Alex’s positional sense and tenacity were instrumental
to the strong defensive record, and led to the deserved award of the
Manager’s Player of the Year title.
Captain Ben Lawson was the fulcrum around which the team
operated. He was a relentless tackler, passer and harrier of hapless
opposition players, and he demonstrated the stamina and the
positional discipline to make a great success of the holding midfield
role. Further forward, William Wickstead, Joel Feller and Phin
Purton added guile and trickery; blessed with nice feet and an eye
for a pass, they created multiple goals throughout the season. Lucas
Norfolk and Tim Sweeney shared the lone central striker position;
both possessed explosive power and pace in abundance, and were
clinical in front of goal, and it was no surprise to see both score
heavily throughout the year. Tim finished the season as top scorer
with 18 goals, pipping Lucas to the Golden Boot award by a single
goal. Lucas was, however, voted the Players’ Player of the Year,
an accolade he shared with George Purnell, who wrought havoc
from the left flank, and who weighed in with 12 goals of his own,
including a memorable hat-trick against Glyn. George Pepper was
just as impressive on the right wing, and, when injuries required him
to move into a more central position, Sylvester Simon proved to be
just as much of a handful for opposition defences.
All that remains to be said is to thank the boys for all their efforts
over the course of the season. They have been an absolute pleasure
to coach, and I hope they lose neither the exuberance they bring
to training and matches, nor their desire to play a beautiful brand
of football. I wish them the best of luck for their U14 season and
beyond.
JRP
U13C Football
The 2013-14 campaign was a thoroughly enjoyable and successful
one for the U13Cs, starting with a convincing 7-2 victory over
Newland House. This was a sign of things to come for the boys, who
had a prolific season in front of goal, recording many resounding
victories. Eleven fixtures were played, with seven won, two drawn
and two lost. The boys managed to score 53 goals in those games
and conceded just 16.
2013-2014
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There were some outstanding defensive contributions throughout
the season, starting with the ever-reliable Joe Wigoder in goal. His
consistency earned him a well-deserved call-up to the B team, with
Jamie Chapman putting in some equally impressive performances.
At the heart of the defence were Shahin Rezvani and Fred Spence,
along with the versatile Rohan Hobbs. Rohan enjoyed a fantastic
season, earning himself the Manager’s Player of the Year Award. Fullbacks Arun Bhasin, Noah Raphael and Sam Newton always made
themselves available going forward and provided the team with both
excellent defensive and attacking options.
The midfield was anchored by Christian Chan and Henry Lamb,
both having fantastic seasons and breaking up a lot of play with their
tackling capabilities. One of the stand-out players of the season was
TJ Bayfield, who was unanimously named as Players’ Player of the
Season – a well-deserved accolade. His selflessness provided many
assists as well as getting on the score sheet himself a number of times.
He was well assisted by the tenacious Sylvester Simon, and also by
Jacob Povah. Sylvester’s work rate was second to none, as he never
gave up and seemed able to run all day without any problem.
The attack was spearheaded by the leading goal scorer Charlie
Finch, who – like all good strikers – was always in the right place
at the right time. His goals were varied, with some short-range and
other long-range efforts, showing an all-round finishing quality. He
was joined up front by David Suk, who put in dogged, determined
performances, but didn’t always get the reward he deserved.
Congratulations to all the boys that took part this season. I’d like to
thank them for all their hard work and effort.
MS
U12A Football
The gods of football are a capricious bunch. One day, they are smiling
in your direction and the team plays like Brazil, Barcelona and Real
Madrid all rolled into one. The next, the gods more resemble the
vengeful Lord of the Old Testament, and you find yourself three
nil down after five minutes. However, to attribute the success of the
U12A football team to the mere whim of deities would be doing
them a disservice. They are a talented group of players who have
trained hard all year and have been willing to learn and develop as
footballers.
Ably skippered by Joe Helm, the team won 19 out of 24 matches,
scoring 110 goals and conceding a mere 35. With such skilful players
as Louis Instrall, Stathis Kalathias and Joe Etheridge setting
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the standard, the boys played an exciting and attacking brand of
football. James Hunter-Young proved spectacular, scoring 26 goals
from midfield, whilst striker Lucas Copplestone netted 21. Not to
be outdone, Louis Instrall scored 17 (in 15 appearances), as did the
ever-dangerous Denil Manuel.
Football is not solely based on attacking play and the U12As would
not have reached the last 16 of the English Schools’ FA Cup (out
of 700 starting teams) without a decent defence. Freddy Short
and Ollie Nixon kept goal with courage and skill, whilst Tim Bird
showed both defensive and attacking qualities as left-back. However,
it was Matt Tobin and Tom Hudson who demonstrated that the art
of defending is still alive and well. Rarely do you see such composure
in defenders at such a young age.
The embarrassment of footballing riches in the First Year does not
end there. Hugo Raggett made the holding midfield position his
own and Tomas Dwyer and Torin Umrigar showed great skill and
versatility throughout the season.
With players like Findlay Duncan, James Hodgkinson, Alex Page
and Tom Randall looking to force their way into the squad from the
B team, it looks like the footballing gods will be smiling at Hampton
for a few years to come.
WDP
U12B Football
The U12Bs enjoyed a long and successful season, culminating in the
U12B ESFA Final at Reading’s Madejski Stadium on the 21st May.
This was the first time that a Hampton team has reached an English
Schools’ FA Cup Final and the boys performed commendably, losing
2-1 to Liverpool’s St Francis Xavier’s College.
The season started nine months before this with a comprehensive
14-3 victory over Alleyn’s on a very small pitch. It was quickly
apparent that there were many talented players in the As, Bs and Cs,
and it took some time to find the best positions, combinations and
levels for all those participating. Gradually, however, the U12B team
took on a settled shape. The goalkeeper’s jersey alternated between
Ollie Nixon and Freddy Short (who also briefly distinguished
himself up front) – both reliable shot-stoppers whose positional sense
and marshalling of the defence improved as the season progressed. A
settled defence developed in the weeks before Christmas, with Finlay
Hamilton-Hunt partnering James Hodgkinson and Matt Cecil as
part of a reliable and tenacious back three. As the season progressed,
Seb Bokonjic dropped to centre-back having scored a number of
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goals from a more advanced position. His strong tackling, aerial
strength and good positional sense made him an asset at the back.
U12C Football
Further forward the team was also taking shape. The fleet-footed
and mercurial Robert Sapsford came up from the B team and had a
successful time playing from the left – his finest moment being the
winner in the last minute of injury time that took the team to the
ESFA final. On the right, or in a more central role, the talented Tom
Randall showed quick feet and excellent composure on the ball,
calmly picking out teammates with a neat pass or else finding the net
himself. Alex Page tormented opposition left-backs with his pace
on the ball and his robust athleticism, often tracking back to make
important tackles. Equally, Findlay Duncan became a stalwart in a
number of midfield positions, contributing towards the team’s goal
tally and playing some fine passes.
In the latter half of the season Ollie Heyes and Hamish MacCormick
came up from the Cs to bolster the midfield. Ollie Heyes had a
firm shot and a good eye for a pass, and Hamish distinguished
himself with his harrying, interceptions and relentless running. His
performance on the right of midfield in the ESFA final was perhaps
the most impressive of them all – although Hugo was fully deserving
of the Man of the Match PS4!
Up front, the goal-scoring burden was shared between Joe John and
Cameron Fraser, who chipped in with 17 and 13 goals respectively.
Joe’s rangy pace meant that he was able to escape from the last man
on many occasions, often scoring from one-on-one opportunities
against the opposition keeper. Joe’s goal at the Madejski was well
taken, and his long-range strike against Latymer A team sublime.
Similarly, Cameron had an excellent instinctive shot and was a
reliable finisher of chances. Both players improved their hold-up
play as the season progressed and grew into the lone striker role.
This year’s First Year was a particularly strong group of footballers,
and several players passed through the B team on their way up to
the As. Torin Umrigar’s early season promise in central midfield
was rewarded by a contract at right-back with the As, and Hugo
Raggett and Matthew Tobin were also quickly hoovered up by Mr
Partridge. Tim Bird was a handful when loaned out to the B team,
sometimes filling in at left-back, but also scoring a memorable hattrick as striker against Halliford As.
Right from the start of the season there was a huge spark of
confidence in the team, having won our first fixture against
Sutton Grammar 11-0. Over the season, we won 9 games, lost 3
and drew 2 (our best was 13-0 against Harrodian). It took quite
a while for the squad to settle down, as there were many boys
in our year group and lots of players were given an opportunity
in the early games. Once the team took shape, however, we all
developed as footballers; credit to all the players, and to our
coach, Dr. Hills, who brightened up training and team talks
with his unique brand of humour. Every player improved in
their specific position, whether it was the defenders working on
tackling and marking, or the strikers sharpening their shooting.
Special mentions go to Will Greenstreet, who was our great
keeper, saving many shots that we thought were definite goals.
Joel Booth and Faisal Jumaily (Capt) formed something of a
brick wall in central defence and were aided by Seb Khan and
Paul Broughton as full backs. Sam Spence and Alex Riley played
a very important part in the central midfield, attacking and
defending with great athleticism. Ollie Wykes, Luke Jeffries and
James Barnes, our rotational wingers, were superb at whipping
great balls into the box and all scored some memorable longrange efforts. Last but not least, Isaac McGarrity, who was the
top goal-scorer, frequently made the opposition’s jaws drop with
his sheer inventiveness and creativity in front of goal. We are all
looking forward to further success next season, not least because
our coach will be moving up with us.
Faisal Jumaily
U12D Football
It remains to say that it was a pleasure to work with such a group of
committed and talented players. They performed superbly throughout
the season, often playing up a level against A teams, and were without
exception polite, enthusiastic and willing to work for each other.
Many thanks should also go to Mr Murphy, who was instrumental in
organising the team’s cup fixtures and providing tactical advice. I wish
the boys all the best in their footballing careers at Hampton.
PDT
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1st VII Rugby
After our highly successful XV-a-side season and a long cup run there was little time for
us to get our sevens strategy nailed before the tournaments began. First up was our home
tournament, and – with a very naturally talented sevens side – we were keen to win the
tournament for the first time. However, following narrow defeats to strong sides such as
Brighton College we ended up losing a tight game against John Fisher in the Plate final.
This was followed by a slow start to the sevens season – despite winning the Plate at the
Norton Rose Reigate Charity Sevens and reaching the semi-final at the Middlesex U18
Invitation Sevens – but we slowly gained confidence in tournaments leading up to the Surrey
Sevens. Here a tough group led us to an intense game against Whitgift in the Plate final,
where we narrowly lost 15-22. Fortunately, we peaked at the right time and laid down
our best performances in the HSBC Rosslyn Park National Sevens, comfortably winning
our group in the Open and going through to the second day where we defeated Coleg Sir
Gar, 19-7, in the second round play-off to enter the Cup competition quarter-finals. In the
quarter-final pool we were narrowly lost out to the eventual runners-up, John Fisher, 19-14,
but beat St. Joseph’s College, Ipswich, 29-7, in our final game, equalling last year’s feat –
which was the furthest a Hampton side has ever progressed in the competition.
Standout players throughout the Sevens season were Dan Barley, Rory Chatterton and
Alfie Battle, who all scored multiple long distance tries, and Paul van der Merwe, for his
immaculate work rate.
Jacob Goss
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1st XV Rugby
It was always going to be difficult to live up to the reputation of the
previous year’s Hampton 1st XV success, and with a vast majority
of the previous Daily Mail semi-finalist side having left the School,
all the players knew we had a tough task ahead of us. However,
although people were initially sceptical about the forthcoming
season, the team – led by Akira Takenaka – reached the Natwest
Cup quarter-final. We won 22 matches and lost just 5, cementing in
people’s minds the quality of Hampton Rugby.
A very successful tour to South Africa helped to set the foundations
for the season. Here we won three games and lost narrowly to the
unbeaten Hermanus High School 10-12. Notable performances on
tour go to Paul van der Merwe for his heroic commitment, setting
the example for the new players, Harry Hall for his threatening
running lines, and Sam Curran, whose power generated many hard
yards throughout the season. Following a tough pre-season we won
the next five games against St John’s Leatherhead, RGS Guildford,
Eltham College, St Albans school and RGS High Wycombe, in
which Roman Malin-Hiscock continued to impress, scoring an
incredible try under the floodlights at Esher RFC against Eltham
College.
If anyone had any doubts about the class of our side these were
settled by early November following an away win against a quality
Wellington College team. A pin-point throw to the back of the
line-out from Alex Griffith-Jones allowed Roman Malin-Hiscock
to power over in similar fashion to his try against Eltham. Jim
Philipson then scored one of the best tries of the season. From a
scrum under our own posts, Harry Hall made a break on the right
of the pitch, side-stepping five players to release Alfie Battle on the
wing, who took the ball up to the opponent’s 22. Akira Takenaka
then kicked the ball cross-field to bounce for Jim Philipson to secure
a hard-fought win.
Next up was a fixture against rivals Dulwich college. Having not
beaten the defending Daily Mail Cup winners for three years, the
determination to win was immense. Dan Hewitt and George
Fulton put in huge hits as normal, as waves of Dulwich forwards
tried to break our defence. Despite an excellent long distance try
from Matt Lundberg – and having to play the game without the
injured Akira Takenaka – we suffered a bitter defeat 26-34. The
performance was hard to fault – it’s always tough to give everything
in an important match and not come off with a win.
Akira Takenaka gave a true captain’s performance all season, showing
technical brilliance in his passing and with the boot, but – more
importantly – with his perfect decision-making and leadership on
and off the field. I have no doubt Akira has a rich rugby playing
career ahead of him. He has already signed a professional rugby
contract with Japanese side Mitsubishi Dynaboars, and without
Akira I strongly doubt this season would have been quite the success
it has been.
Although Hampton sides have reached the last 16 and beyond of the
Daily Mail Cup for the last four seasons, we were yet again blessed
with a horrendous draw in the newly named NatWest Cup, facing
local rivals KCS Wimbledon in Round 4 after a comfortable away
win against Wimbledon College in the previous round. With old
boys and over 100 pupils out watching it was hard not to put in a
superb performance. Jim Philipson took the opening try, followed
by a side-stepping 50m effort from 2nd row Jacob Goss, and a final
swerving run from Dan Barley finished the game 27-14. The reward for our performance was an away tie against another big
local rugby rival, St. Benedict’s. The game was played in front of their
entire school and was extremely tight. After a flurry of clear-cut tryscoring opportunities we took the lead with a counter-attack off an
interception on the blind side of a defensive scrum on our 5 metre
line. Alfie Battle intercepted a pass from the St. Benedict’s number
8 and ran the length of the field to score a converted try under the
posts mid-way through the first half. A brave and committed St.
Benedict’s side fought back and just before half time managed to
score a clever converted try from a driven line-out inside our 22
metre area on the right. Despite a lot of Hampton pressure, we
could not find the finishing score and the tie ended 7-7. However,
as we were the away team, we proceeded to the next round to face
Whitgift, away.
The NatWest Cup last 32 game against Whitgift will remain in the
players’ memories as one of our best games in a Hampton shirt. We
went in at half time 6-0 down, away from home, with Whitgift’s
England stars running flat-out into Roman Malin-Hiscock and
George Tunnacliffe, who showed no signs of giving in. Two
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penalties from Rory Chatterton – who had slotted penalties for fun
all season – followed by a battering ram of a classic Hampton driving
maul allowed Paul van der Merwe to put us into the last 16 where we
defeated a good Campion side at home, 11-0.
Despite the progress in the NatWest Cup, we continued our
form on the usual Saturday fixture programme. Wins against
Brighton College at home, as well as Portsmouth Grammar, away,
and St. Benedict’s, away, all followed. However, perhaps the most
entertaining game for the neutral was the 19-19 draw at home to
John Fisher on the 3G. In glorious January sunshine we managed to
stretch out to a 19-0 lead just before half time playing some of the
best expansive rugby all season. A spirited and talented John Fisher
1st XV gradually worked their way back into the game to secure a
well-earned draw.
2nd XV Rugby
The Spring Term was a frustrating period with all but one game being
cancelled due to terrible weather conditions. However, arguably the
most satisfying victory came in this period against old rivals St.
Benedict’s. After quickly going 12-0 down, the side showed great
fighting spirit, scoring three tries without reply. A special mention
Jacob Goss
must go to Jake Goodwill who scored a crucial try in his first game
back from a serious shoulder injury.
The 2nd XV had a mixed season, with some extremely strong
performances and others far weaker. After a record-breaking tour to
South Africa where John Slater and Michael Passey’s Development
XV, like the Lions in 1974, became the first Hampton touring side
to win all four matches on tour, we were unable to replicate such
success at home in the early stages of the Autumn Term, winning
just four matches and drawing one. Amongst those four victories
was a special night at Rosslyn Park RFC against Trinity, a game that
Mr Slater rightfully described as our best performance all season. In
true 2nd XV fashion, the boys were able to spread the ball and tear the
opposition defence apart, with winger Laurence ‘the unit’ Dunn
scoring an impressive double in a 38-12 victory. Special mentions
must also go to Mike Walton and Ruaridh Macleod who both
proved that they could be class players when they could be bothered.
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The fifteen-a-side season finished early after a brutal Natwest Cup
quarter-final versus RGS High Wycombe. Playing in horizontal rain
and winds of 30 miles per hour plus, as well as gusts of 70 miles per hour
in the first half, we found ourselves 6-0 down, but we were confident the
weather conditions would help us to a try in the second half. However,
not even the power of props Demitri Moros, Joe Burdis and second
row Ben Garstka was enough to punch through the RGS midfield, and
the try never came. This ended our promising cup run, but the leaving
Upper 6th members can be proud of their success at 1st XV level, with a
semi-final and quarter-final in consecutive seasons. All of the Upper 6th
players have demonstrated commendable commitment throughout the
season – coupled with the tactical genius of Mr Higgins, they deserve
every bit of success that they have had.
2013-2014
Despite not having the most successful XVs season, the 2nd XV
enjoyed the best VIIs season in their history. The boys managed the
impressive feat of winning the plate in a first team VIIs tournament
hosted by Ibstock Place School. Even more noteworthy, we won the
Worth VIIs B team tournament. Tom Berry and Ben Wallace both
put in inspired performances all day, helping the side beat the likes
of Brighton College and Christ’s Hospital first team in some fierce
and competitive encounters. It was the perfect way for the Upper
Sixth lads to bid farewell to Hampton rugby.
It was a hugely enjoyable year of rugby, playing in a squad with such
great character and resilience. Hampton School should be proud
of this year’s 2nd XV, with all players involved giving their all for
the cause. A special thank you must go to the one and only John
Slater for sharing his unique rugby ideology with us and organising
so many matches and tournaments. Without him this season would
not have been so memorable. The Player of the Season was Ben
Wallace.
Hugo Green
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3rd XV Rugby
The management of 3rd XV school rugby can be characterised by
uncertainty: uncertainty over the relative strength of the opposition
compared with previous years; uncertainty over the number of
players who will make it to training (and occasionally to matches);
uncertainty over how many of your star players are going to be
poached by the 2nd and 1st XV coaches. This year saw unprecedented
mobility between senior squads, with at least one player representing
the School for all 4 senior XVs.
We suffered early defeats this year to St John’s and Campion,
before our first sniff of success against RGS Guildford. Strong
opposition in the next three games helped us to develop character,
with a particularly fine display in defeat against Wellington; this
set us up to enjoy a string of victories in the second half of the
Autumn Term. Our momentum was partially checked by a solid
Brighton College team just before Christmas; a tight victory in
early January away to John Fisher saw us brush this behind us.
Sadly, our training regime fell victim to the mud of winter, our
next fixture (against Tiffin) was indefinitely postponed, and so
we entered our penultimate match against Harrodian 1st XV with
less than perfect preparation. In wet and windy conditions, on
a very soft pitch, we fought hard for a 10-15 defeat. Our final
match of the season, a month later, saw us benefitting from better
conditions with a well-fought win over another 1st XV, this time
from Ibstock; we may also have benefitted from a couple of guest
appearances from those who were not selected for the senior VIIs
squads...
Over 40 players ran out this year in the 3rd XV shirt, so my apologies
for not mentioning everyone; however, I must give my thanks to
Oscar Rees as captain, Jack Goldspink as Player of the Season and
top point-scorer and Shiv for just being Shiv. At this level, I measure
my success as a coach not by wins or losses, but by how many players
come out of the season having enjoyed and improved their rugby –
thank you all for enjoying and improving yourselves so much.
MDH
4th XV Rugby
South Africa Tour Report
Last summer 45 boys and 5 members of staff ventured to one of
the strongest rugby-playing nations in the world: South Africa. For
many of the boys it was their first time experiencing playing against
a southern hemisphere side – which, if you have had the privilege
to, is not always the most enjoyable – but will hopefully remain with
them for the rest of their lives. Not only did we experience thrills and
excitement on the pitch, but once-in-a-lifetime activities like shark
diving and safari made this trip unforgettable.
After twelve hours and half a dozen films later, the boys emerged
half asleep from the plane which flew them across the world to Cape
Town, the beautiful capital city of South Africa. We were shipped to
Newlands Stadium, home to Western Province and one of the largest
stadiums in the country. We were lucky enough to be welcomed into
the Sport Science Institute which is located adjacent to the ground.
This is where professional teams such as Western Province and the
South Africa National team train, as well as where high performance
athletes from numerous other sports come to train and rehab.
While we were at Newlands, the touring party met up with Little
Angels Charity, where we handed over money that we had raised in
the lead up to the tour. Here, boys also exchanged gifts with some of
the children within the charity, ranging from old rugby boots, shirts
and toys to shoes and even toothpaste! It was very rewarding to meet
and talk to the children we were helping out, being able to witness
first-hand the excitement that our gifts had created.
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The following day, we were fortunate enough to visit Robben Island,
where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for 27 years. We were
astonished at the terrible conditions that he had to suffer and were
moved at the many different stories that our tour guide retold. There
was a sense of tranquillity and respect amongst the group for all
who had suffered on the island, none more so than for our very own
guide who was held on the island for 15 years.
However we soon turned our attentions to our first match against
D.F. Malan, who, the locals warned us, were renowned for their size
and physicality. The development side was eager to start the tour
with a win and some outstanding performances from some of the
youngest touring members Zack Santos and Will Attfield ensured
a 38-0 victory. Having witnessed the success of the Development
XV, the relatively inexperienced 1st XV were keen to emulate their
success. What followed was a comfortable 43-5 victory, thanks to
our very own South African born Paul van der Merwe, who was
phenomenal throughout. That evening, tour members were to stay
with boys from D.F. Malan School, which was a very daunting task.
Although very nervous to begin with, the next morning there were
endless stories about each family. Boys were very complimentary
about the warm welcome that was given to them by their hosting
families – a testament to the bond that lies within rugby.
With the promise of a ‘rest’ day, the tour party was excited to visit
the iconic Table Mountain, but little did we know what was in store.
Due to bad weather, the cable car was out of action, so we had the
arduous task of walking up as well as down the prominent landmark
overlooking the city of Cape Town. According to Wikipedia: ‘The
view from the top of Table Mountain has been described as one of
the most epic views in Africa’ – but we can only take their word for it
as it was too foggy to see. On our ascent, boys and teachers could be
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heard saying ‘it’ll probably clear up’ or ‘maybe we will be above the
cloud’, but no. All we could see was 10 metres above and behind us.
It was more of a character building exercise than a fun activity, which
we all thought was unjust – especially as it was our ‘rest’ day! After
two hours up, 45 grumpy boys reached the peak; at least we had
accomplished that (we later found out that the peak was a further
20 minutes higher, but we were unable to go that far as the weather
was too dangerous). The one highlight that came from the hike, was
witnessing the distress and pain on Mr Higgins and Mr Slater’s faces
as they reached the top. It was evident that they didn’t know what
they had got themselves in for. The rest of the day saw us enduring
a light training session as well as witnessing a local university game
at Stellenbosch.
Our next fixture was against a local township side, Cloetesville High
School. Although they were predominantly a football school, they
were happy to welcome us and showed true hospitality. Both sides
ran out comfortable winners 74-0 and 54-0, but the spirit in which
the games were played was amazing. They showed true grit and
determination throughout, and had a smile on their face from the
first whistle to the last. It was also the first time that anyone had
participated in a rugby match that had to be put on pause – because
of the rain! Once the full-time whistle had blown, boys from both
sides came together to splash and slide in the ever-growing puddles,
much to the amusement of the bystanders.
The following day was a chance to do some traditional tourist
activities, with a full day tour of the Peninsular including visits
to Boulders Bay Penguin Colony. This included some of the boys
showing off their haggling skills at the local market where we flocked
to buy gifts for family and friends. The scenery here, as the South
Atlantic meets both the Southern and Indian Oceans, is breathtaking
and we had great weather for the walk to the Cape Point lighthouse
and the squad photo at the Cape of Good Hope sign. The tour
party also managed to avoid having any of their lunch stolen by the
baboons that patrol the Cape looking for an unattended sandwich
or stray pizza box. These animals mean business when it comes to
stealing food. We then had a short tour around an ostrich farm
near Cape Point before driving back along the western side of the
peninsula with the stunning vistas, enormous surf of Scarborough
Beach and Misty Cliffs.
The following morning, we left Cape Town for the last time, as
we went on a tour of Langa, one of Cape Town’s oldest and largest
informal settlements. This was a very sobering experience for the
whole party, as we came face to face with open sewers and houses
made of scrap metal and cardboard – a contrast to our own lives.
We got a taste of their resilience and love of life as we were treated
to an authentic African banquet at the home of Mama Sheila,
accompanied by a fantastic percussion group from the local area –
who taught some of the boys a tune and allowed us to try their
instruments. The food was delicious and the portions huge and
everyone slept contentedly as we left and headed along the False
Bay coast in the direction of Somerset West to Somerset College-our
next opponents.
Somerset College is a very proud rugby-playing school and the
welcome we received was immense. Before both the 1st XV and
Development games the pitch was lined with enthusiastic fans. They
were very keen to get a result over us and presented two very tough
games for us. The Development team battled to a 36-8 victory, with
tries from Attfield (2), Goss, Abadie, Littler and Morgan, proving the
strength of our side. The 1st XV game was more fiercely contested,
finishing 20-12 to Hampton. The only thing separating the two
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sides was an outstanding team try from our own 5 metre scrum,
leading to a length of the pitch storm by the Hampton backline.
The highlight of the tour for many was our trip to Gansbaai as we
had the chance to get up close and personal with Great White sharks.
A boat packed with excited boys, travelled 25 minutes to reach
‘shark alley’, where boys would enter the cage in groups of 8 for 1015 minute periods. Cries of ‘down’ from our instructors allowed us
to go underwater to witness these beasts just inches away from our
faces. The experience was both petrifying and exhilarating in equal
measure. From the boat above, you could just about hear the muffled
screams often associated with women in horror films, only to see eight
supposedly manly rugby players emerging sheepishly from the cage.
Needless to say, no-one was willing to own up to the screaming! Our last and final match awaited us the following morning against the
much fancied Hermanus High School. They were unbeaten this season
and were the most dominant school in the Cape Town area, with a
South African U18 player in their team; they could not be taken for
granted. The two games that followed were incredible spectacles for all
rugby fans. The Development XV played extremely well and defended
heroically to win 19-18 whilst the 1st XV were similarly committed
and very unlucky to lose 10-12. The Hermanus and Hampton styles
of rugby were very similar and this made for two exceptionally even
games where the result was in doubt right up to the final whistle. The
setting for the games – the sea on one side and the pitch ringed by
mountains on the other – was stunning and a good crowd watched
both games. The energetic singing of the Hermanus High School
students also made for a superb atmosphere. The Development XV
were 7-13 down at half time but two well-worked tries in the second
half just about got us over the line. The 1st XV had the majority of
possession in their game but Hermanus’ backs were lethal in open
play and a couple of wayward kicks and midfield turnovers ultimately
proved the difference. Hampton 1sts had opportunities to steal a score
at the end of the game but a few passes didn’t go to hand and, again,
Hermanus’ last-ditch tackling was superb. However we took a lot from
such a well-rounded performance before the season had even started.
The last instalment of the tour was a trip to Inverdoorn Game
Reserve in Little Karoo amongst some breathtaking scenery, with
mountains scattered across the horizon. It was the perfect way to
relax at the end of an intense tour. Our sunset game drive allowed
us to get a taste of Africa’s diverse range of animals. We witnessed
cheetahs running at full pace, lions and giraffes – things that people
can only dream of when coming to Africa. Our last full day started
at 6 with an early morning game drive. Before the sun was out we
set out in the freezing cold, tracking giraffes on foot and exploring
the very outskirts of the reserve, before heading back to camp and
posing/stroking a wild cheetah.
The whole tour was an incredible experience, even though we had
just scraped the surface of this magnificent country, full of dramatic
sweeping contrasts. One of the most valuable things to come out
of touring was the camaraderie that evolved, not just with the local
rugby community but within our own camp. Boys in different years,
who did not know each other before, left the tour as firm friends,
setting the squad in good stead for the forthcoming season. It was a
pleasure to journey with this group, and I hope that future tours can
aspire to emulate the bond that we have created.
(To watch a short video of our trip visit: http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=K5L09K4oit8)
Akira Takenaka
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U16A Rugby
into the lead. However, our elation was cut short with an Oratory
try at the death.
Following a fantastic U15 season, there were high hopes for the U16
season. However, call-ups to the 1st XV for Roman Malin-Hiscock,
Zack Santos, William Attfield, Alex Bidwell, Luca Cericola and
Sebastian Cummings left the squad in a seemingly under strength
position. Despite this, the team performed above and beyond
expectation, with players such as Ben Harrison, Ben Seddon and
Matt Wheeler stepping up to the mark and laying firm foundations
for the season ahead.
After two challenging games, the team picked up momentum with
solid victories against Eltham College (66-5), St. Albans (50-12)
and Orleans (47-3). Throughout the season, the combination of the
excellent game management of Ben Harrison and Luca Cericola at
9 and 10, along with the physical presence of Zack Santos partnered
with the sharp running lines of William Attfield in the centres, left
defences in tatters.
Next came a tough fixture, in the form of RGS High Wycombe,
a very physical side with an equally impressive tactical game.
Although Hampton were believed to be the underdogs, a few brave
performances secured the victory. In particular, Alex Bidwell and
Fraser Deans were immovable forces at the breakdown, and Matt
Wheeler’s sheer commitment in everything that he did enabled
quick and clean ball for the backs to utilise, securing a 28-10 win.
With our confidence high, we moved on to pick up comfortable
victories over Ravens Wood and Campion. Then our next challenge
came with the schoolboy rugby titans: Wellington. We knew that it
would be a strong scrum and a solid lineout that would allow us to
compete. Our forwards did not fail to achieve these goals with the
unit of Henry Depel, Rhys Stratton and Steven Das scrummaging
admirably. Also, Archie Dupree and Tim Girling typified Hampton’s
ethos with unrelenting hunger and desire to win. Valiant tackling
in the midfield kept the Wellington ball-carriers at bay, with some
outstanding and brutal hits from centre Zack Santos.
With a safe 22-0 victory over St. Benedict’s we secured our spot
in the final of the Middlesex Cup, against London Oratory. The
fixture, played at Allianz Park, the home ground of Premiership
side Saracens, was one that held the utmost importance for all us.
Having never previously beaten London Oratory we were eager to
prove a point. Much of the time, the forwards are the unsung heroes,
and this was particularly relevant in this fixture. A special mention
must go to Ryan Henshall, whose performance in the lineout was
superb. Alex Bidwell also showed off his class with some excellent
ball carrying. The game was close throughout, with good attacking
play from both sides, and we had all but secured a victory after an
inspired chip and chase solo try from Luca Cericola that edged us
Honourable mentions during the season must go to Ben Seddon
for his accurate and consistent goal kicking and to Greiogair Hogg,
Joel Hartikainen and Alex Anderson for proving themselves as
valuable A team players and performing excellently, showing their
talent and determination.
We had to put the utter devastation of the loss behind us, and get
geared up for the sevens season, which was rapidly approaching. First
was the Surrey Sevens, and with a relatively new squad we started
tentatively. With a slight lack in understanding of the game we were
knocked out of the main competition by some truly outstanding
sides. However, we persevered, and managed to win the Plate with
a good win over Dulwich in the final. William Ainslie on the
wing never failed to be a threat with his pace and strength, and the
intelligence and potency of Mike Woollatt proved devastating in
the knockout stages.
We again proved our worth in the Rosslyn Park Sevens, with
some fantastic performances. Despite our early departure from the
tournament there were good signs, and we showed the potential we
held. Special mentions must go to William Verdan, who performed
well a year above himself with impressive strength, and to Joel
Sandilands, who surprised everyone with his lethal stepping ability
and intelligence during the sevens season.
Finally, we took part in the All England Sevens tournament. Teams
from all over the country came down, and it was by far the most
challenging tournament we would take part in. Together as a squad we
performed outstandingly, beating tough opponents, such as Millfield
and Whitgift, who showed real physical prowess. Following that, we
also drew to a talented and dangerous Warwick squad, whom we
held to a draw because of our superb defence. In particular, William
Attfield played fantastically, cutting through even the best of defences
with ease. Unfortunately, we were bested by the truly immense Bishop
Heber School in the final, but not without us making them work for
the victory first. Despite the loss in the final, we were proud to have
reached the final of such a demanding tournament.
Overall, the season was wholly successful, winning all but three of our
games in the XVs season, and performing beyond expectation in the
VIIs season. All bodes well for the next season, where the immense
talent and depth in our year will contribute to an incredible 1st XV
squad. Finally, we would like to thank Mr Kothakota for being an
outstanding coach who pushed us to our limits to ensure that we
reached our potentials throughout the season. His dedication to our
squad paved the way for our success in the season, and we hope that
whatever squad he takes over next appreciates his hard work.
Luca Cericola and Zack Santos U16B Rugby
With a very strong and committed squad, this year’s U16B team
looked like a potentially formidable outfit. The team started fast in
the opening game of the season, with a resounding victory away at
St. John’s School Leatherhead. Some fantastic long distance tries in
that match meant St. John’s conceded 47 points and only managed
to score seven.
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The second match contained an especially personal challenge for us,
as it was against RGS Guildford, who were now under the instruction
of our previous coach, Mr. Wiggins. It was thus extremely pleasing
for us to score 36 points and to concede zero in return.
Our final game of the season was to secure the huge achievement of a
100% win ratio. Due to this, John Fisher never really stood a chance.
It was clear from the kick-off that we were absolutely determined to
win. The contest contained some dodgy kicking from certain forwards,
an opposition player being sent off and a 32 points to nil victory for
Hampton. This meant that the celebrations could commence.
A great deal of praise must go to captain Rory Cariss, who led
superbly throughout the whole season and who never took a
backwards step either in the loose or in the set piece. Thanks are also
due to Mr. Studt whose exceptional coaching methods drove us to
achieve this fantastic unbeaten season.
Josh Nagle
After this match, we continued to improve and gain momentum
with each game, backing up the solid RGS Guildford performance
with a 56 point victory over Saint Albans. Again we did not concede
any points, which is testament to the ferocious tackling from both
the forwards and backs alike. Next up was what was to be one of our
toughest games of the season, away at RGS High Wycombe. It was a
testing encounter against a team that were ‘no mugs’ and following
a fierce contest, we ran out as eventual winners by 15 points to 7.
U15A Rugby
The U15A team enjoyed a pretty successful season on the whole,
culminating in an excellent victory at the John Fisher 7s Tournament
– only the 2nd time in 30 years that Hampton have won this
tournament.
Our next match was against the traditionally strong rugby school,
Wellington College. There seemed to be an extra determination to
win from the team, which was evident in the pre-game ‘five minutes
of smash’. The backline really proved themselves in this match,
with Mike Woollatt a constant threat at scrum-half and pace out
wide from the likes of Sam Howard-Sneyd, Dan Kirrane and
Fred Thomason. In the end the 46-0 victory was well deserved and
extended our winning run to five. There was also a superb running
display from full-back Greiogair Hogg who repeatedly crossed the
gain line.
With confidence now flowing, we journeyed to Campion. This
was a great team performance and the forward pack dominated the
set piece. Second row Ben Phillips was imperious in the lineout
and Joe Andrews got the team going forward with typical pacey
runs. There was also strength in the back row, as Harrison CullenShaw did the unseen work that keeps the team going forward and
both Will Davis and Charlie Talbutt put in typical tough-tackling
performances.
The impressive winning streak continued, with two victories against
Dulwich and a very rough and testing Trinity school. Fly-half and
player of the season Jamie O’Neill must be mentioned for his
calmness and creative play in those two games, and centres Joe
Bertram and Conor Larkin terrorized defenders with their carrying
ability and distribution.
The away match against Brighton College was undoubtedly our
biggest test of the season. Without the powerful influence of Woolatt,
the collected Joel Hartikainen or free-scoring Hogg we knew it
would be a challenge. As expected, it was a ferocious encounter that
pushed the team to its maximum. It took an enormous effort to get
the victory and owed much to shared man of the match performances
from the ever-physical Greg Moore and the illusive Joel Sandilands.
Mention must also go to Harry Konda, Alex Blanc, Matt Harding,
Conrad Chatterton, Jack Hughes and Jamie Emeny who put in
committed performances, as they did throughout the season.
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This success demonstrated how far the team had come from late
September’s drubbing at RGS High Wycombe, where a brittle
backbone was ruthlessly exposed. This would be the last time in the
season where I questioned their commitment and their spirit. We
would go on to lose only three more games over the course of the
year against Whitgift in the cup and twice against Wellington – all
by very narrow margins. The tenacity of the team at the breakdown
and in the tackle was magnificent.
The team had more than spirit. The forwards – led magnificently
by Tom Duggan – hunted as a pack. Many opposition tight fives
were bigger than our combination of Shennan, Gray, Gilbert,
Robinson, Hand and Nash but not many shunted them backwards.
The back row combination of Sarmiento, Lack, Stamp, Brown and
Collingridge ran hard and rucked hard. Thurley developed into an
excellent and abrasive scrum-half, Grundy is as good a stand-off as
I’ve seen at this level and the centre pairing of Rehan and Verdan
was a classic Belle et la Bête combination. Vyvyan provided plenty of
daring dash from full-back and Sealy and Meaklim plenty of natural
pace out wide.
It was a pleasure to coach the team and I wish them every success as
they head off into senior rugby.
MJP
sport
U15B Rugby
statistics, this season in fact saw both individuals and the team as a
whole develop significantly in skill, commitment and team spirit.
This season has overall been very positive for the U15B squad, with
many successful results throughout the year. I would like to thank
Beñat San Sebastian for coaching us very well and helping us to
reach the best of our abilities on the pitch. Although the season
was cut short prematurely – due to poor weather conditions in the
Spring Term – we were still able to play regularly for two terms and
enjoyed all of the matches on offer to us.
The highlight would have to have been the 10-game winning streak
that stretched right through the Autumn Term. This included
impressive wins over High Wycombe (36-10), St Albans (47-12)
and Campion (51-25). We also reached the semi-final of the County
Plate Competition by beating Vyners School (67-0), only to be
beaten 29-17 against a very physical Grey Court side.
Throughout the year there were many star performances in both
the backs and the forwards. Captain Angus Shennan boldly led us
for the majority of the year before his high standards led to him
becoming a permanent player in the A team. There should also be
great recognition for Koh Noguchi, Rex Price and Sam Nash,
who consistently provided stability among the forwards and whose
commitment was second to none. In the backs, Jamie Lashley
became a handful for opposition defences along with Bradley
Denison at centre, Hugh Dickens at full-back and Max Chan on
the wing, whose speed was a deadly weapon against almost every
team. Another mention should go to Aaron Goss who joined rugby
at the beginning of the year and by the end was starting centre. He
produced a brilliant display against Brighton College, where we
narrowly lost 27-24.
It is evident that last year was very successful for the team: not only
did we achieve good results on the pitch, but I believe we improved
drastically due to the hard work and dedication put in by all of the
coaches and players involved. I hope we can continue growing as
a group and show more of the quality that we demonstrated last
year in future years to come. It was a hugely enjoyable season for
everyone and we can’t wait for the new one to get under way.
Thomas Martin
U14A Rugby
If one purely reflected on the statistics of the U14A season, it would
be hard to look past the fact that the team only managed three
victories during the XV-a-side season. However, looking beyond the
The season didn’t get off to a great start, with a few players who
had featured in the U13A team picking up severe injuries before a
single minute of the first game had been played. As the games got
under way during the Autumn Term, the team showed that they
had the potential to play some very good rugby at times. James
Vyvyan starred in our first win of the season against Ravens Wood
School and we had notably positive losing performances against
Wellington College, RGS High Wycombe and Brighton College.
However, despite putting together a few good performances, the
team struggled to perform consistently against several of the very
strong opposition teams that we faced, resulting in the team only
managing the solitary win during the term.
When the boys came back after a well-deserved Christmas break, it
was evident that they were determined to turn their season around.
With the introduction of the few boys who had picked up injuries
earlier in the year, and a couple of boys (Billy Cockburn and Henry
Ryan) promoted from the Bs, the boys got off to a great start, playing
some excellent running rugby on the 3G pitch to beat Portsmouth
Grammar School. The following week, the team’s progress was
momentarily checked when we came against a very strong team from
John Fisher. Unfortunately, the bad weather in February resulted in
the following three games being cancelled, which left a feeling in the
team that there was some slightly unfinished business.
After half term, the sevens season started in earnest. Despite the
sevens squad changing week by week due to availability issues, the
squad successfully navigated themselves out of the group stages in
tournaments at John Fisher, Barnet and Reigate. One particular
highlight was an excellent victory against RGS High Wycombe at
the Reigate Grammar Sevens; having lost to them earlier in the year
at XVs, the boys were hugely encouraged. This game also saw the
emergence of two new exciting wingers, Alex Eshaghian (new to
rugby) and Luka Pinger (formerly a prop). The most successful
tournament of all was at the Surrey Cup Sevens tournament. Having
finished third in our group, the boys went on to beat several strong
teams on their way to winning the final of the Plate Tournament.
The final game of the season saw the team turn its focus back to
XVs. The game was against Rutlish, a team that had put more than
50 points on many of the boys playing when they were playing for
the U13s. This game was the performance that the boys, myself
and many of the parents had been waiting for all season. The boys
showed excellent skill, grit and determination for the full 50 minutes
and ran out victors by 20-15. This game showed a glimpse of the
turnaround that the squad of boys managed to achieve.
It would be very easy to mention lots of players who were
influential in the season, but I will just mention a few standout
2013-2014
103
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players. Charlie Bowe’s commitment and leadership as Captain
was unwavering; Shane Barry demonstrated time and time again
his ability to make teams look silly as he stepped his way through
a defence; and James Vyvyan, despite several injuries impacting his
season, showed his versatility and natural rugby playing ability in
every game that he played.
I would like to personally thank all the boys for persevering
throughout the ups and downs of the season and the boys’ parents
for their unwavering support throughout the year. I have no doubt
that the boys will go on to have a very successful season next year.
WQ
U14B Rugby
This was a season in which several players learned some hard lessons
and learned them well. Early season defeats against RGS Guildford
and RGS High Wycombe demonstrated the truism that if you do
not show 100% commitment in a game of rugby, you get soundly
beaten. As the Autumn Term progressed it became a given that
we would ‘turn up’ for every match. Players never walked off the
field without having given their all. This attitude was epitomised
by standout forwards Billy Cockburn and Henry Ryan, who were
both rewarded with a call up to the U14A squad. The next priority
was to develop individual skills, positional expertise, game awareness
and teamwork so that we could compete against the top teams. And
compete we did.
The pinnacle of the season came when we faced very strong sides from
Dulwich, Trinity and Brighton College in consecutive fixtures at the
end of the Autumn Term. We took the lead against Dulwich and were
within striking distance until the last 5 minutes. We came back from
10-0 at half time to secure a spirited 10-10 draw against Trinity, and
nearly clinched the game late on against Brighton as the momentum
turned our way in a highly competitive match. Two defeats and a draw
in those three fixtures did not reflect the huge effort put in by the boys.
They did leave for Christmas knowing that they could now compete
with the best teams in the country. Unfortunately, the terrible weather
in January meant we could not build on the momentum generated in
November and December, but this group of players should take a lot
of positive energy into their U15 rugby season.
Victories against Eltham College, Ravenswood, Campion and
Ibstock were earned with strong forward play and improving back
line handling at speed. Reme Edetanlen top scored with 9 tries,
while Cole Campbell became increasingly reliable as a goal kicker
– crucially kicking all three conversions against Campion in a 2119 victory. Honourable mentions go to Finn Battle (3 tries), Tyler
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2013-2014
Henshaw (2 tries), Will Miller (2 tries), Luka Piniger (2 tries), and
the whole squad who did the hard work setting up those tries. Luke
Wilson and Stan Humphry shared captaincy of the side and always
led from the front.
I would like to offer my personal thanks to the players’ parents who
supported the team unfailingly throughout the season. It made a real
difference.
TFR
U13A Rugby
Returning for a second year at Hampton we felt fresh and ready
for a new season; perhaps not ready enough, however, for our first
opposition, Colet Court, who had had the benefit of a tour to
Edinburgh a few weeks prior. They proved too strong, Hampton
losing 31-7. We were determined to win the next, and win we
did, putting a comfortable score on RGS Guilford 19-5. Conrad
O’Driscoll, put in a commendable performance. Our victory raised
our morale, only to see it crushed 59-31 in the next match against
St Albans. Regardless of our defeat, Jamie Dunbar scoring an
outstanding try, stretching the defence from the half way line with
a tidy finish.
A loss to Eltham College, 14-33, was disappointing but James
Thompson finished off a brilliant team try. The next match against
RGS High Wycombe displayed spectacular and fast-flowing rugby –
but from the opposition, as we were defeated 64-7. The home match
against Ravens Wood was a new fixture for Hampton, and although
the 1st XV secured a victory, the U13s could not.
The next match against Halliford demonstrated our desire for a
victory, but this was not achieved. We succumbed to a defeat by
the small margin of one point, giving them a run for their money.
Billy Franklin was all around the park, and matched up to a county
number 8 that was twice the size of any other player on the field.
We then played an uplifting National Cup match against Kennet
School. After a few stern words thrown around the huddle we won
the match by the wide margin of 36-0. Fergus McWilliams was a
hugely inspirational player in this match, and was key to the victory.
We were now up against Campion, whom we had beaten last year.
This time around we did not have the same outcome. Campion had
some big lads and produced a 17-7 victory. Thomas Mcloughlin
and Harry Wright both executed colossal hits in that match and
throughout the season. We then faced Dulwich College and were
most definitely beaten by the better team, losing 64-5. Another
defeat followed against a strong Trinity side, but the tables could
have been turned if Hampton were up to their strength. Guy Leman
sport
started the match for Hampton and stood out amongst the boys,
demonstrating his skill and pure understanding for the game and
Joe Wheeler executed some excellent kicks and hits during the
match, saving Hampton from conceding more tries.
these were lost against RGS Newcastle and Forest School, meaning
that we were unable to proceed further in the competition. It was
disappointing to be knocked out so early, but the experience was
something positive to take back from the tournament.
In the final match of the autumn term we encountered St George’s,
losing 14-17. This was a particularly disappointing match as it
was one of our most solid performances; a strong Hampton pack
dominated a heavy St George’s one. Mentions must go to Miles
Powell and Alan Blackman-Rodgers; both were hugely physical in
tight contact and very effective at the breakdown.
The Rosslyn Park Sevens concluded our season of ups and downs
and I hope the team felt that the year stretched their rugby ability
and improved their rugby skills. The season would have not been
nearly as enjoyable if it was not for the dedicated staff that turned
up to Monday games. Thanks go to Mr Higgins and Mr MobbSmith for taking some sessions with the team: I’m sure every player
thought it a privilege to train with them. Mr Vyvyan deserves great
thanks, turning up to lunchtime training and taking the team to a
few tournaments. Finally, I speak on behalf of the whole team when
I say that Mr Gray has been outstanding all year round. Although
some games were lost, he still managed to make us see the positives
from each game. He also developed some unexperienced players to a
level of decent ability. Mr Gray’s coaching and encouragement made
for a season of enjoyable rugby.
The rugby season carried on into the New Year with Hampton
hoping for a better set of results. Our determination was rewarded
by not losing a single XVs match in 2014 and only conceding three
tries. The first match of the year was against Shrewsbury House.
There was a new addition to the team, Zak Wort, coming from a
football background. Zak played a good game, earning his shirt for
the As. He produced some excellent tries along with the rest of the
boys, the final score being 33-0. Newland House was our second
game of 2014 and produced another fantastic result from the boys,
the final score being 50-0. Felix Simmons performed heroically: his
work ethic at the breakdown stopped Newland House securing the
ball. Hampton then played Haileybury for our last away match of
the season. We marched onto the pitch wanting to add more wins
under our belt, and so we did. It was an outstanding game from the
lads, resulting in a 51-0 victory.
Our penultimate match against Ibstock Place was the most
anticipated of the season, and whilst I could mention any player, the
standout man for this match – and one of the players of the season –
was Luke Philipson. Luke ran some good lines, and executed some
strong hits. We ran out 24-7 winners. In our final game of XVs we
faced Rutlish School, and after a shaky opening half the tries began
to flow in the second. James Lancaster was hat-trick hero in the
game and the final score was 57-12. It was great way to finish off the
season and it was good to see the team smiling after a match.
Sam Waterkeyn (Captain)
U13B Rugby
The U13Bs endured a challenging fixture list, and their final tally
of four wins and nine losses fails to do justice to a team that has
made vast improvements throughout the year. The team made an
excellent start with strong performances against Colet Court and
RGS Guildford, but were sadly unable to convert these feats into
victories. However, the boys responded well to these setbacks and
went on to record two consecutive wins, including a thoroughly
entertaining 46-7 victory against St Albans School.
After some success at XV-a-side we were hoping for the same result in
our sevens. After a few intense training sessions with Mr Higgins, Mr
Mobb-Smith and Mr Vyvyan, the final cut was made and we entered
our first tournament: The Newland House Sevens. Hampton’s first
two matches resulted in two solid victories, 27-0 over The Mall
School and a 28-0 triumph over Newland House B. The last match
of the group was against King’s House School: a strong performance,
although it resulted in a 10-7 defeat to Hampton. We then went on
to win the 3rd and 4th place play-off against Newland House A, 10-0.
Our second tournament was the Surrey Sevens, and this produced
a series of mixed results. We lost our first game to Hinchley Wood
School but then went on to win the next two matches of the pool,
beating Rutlish once more and Bishop Thomas Grant School. This
secured us a place in the quarters of the Plate. We faced Trinity School
yet again, and the 33-0 victory was our best sevens performance.
Our semi-final was against Christ’s Hospital. Despite playing well
in our last few matches the opposition proved too strong, resulting
in a 27-7 loss.
The Rosslyn Park Sevens was our last sevens tournament and our last
time playing U13 rugby for Hampton. We were in a pool of unheardof teams as the tournament stretched over England and Wales. The first
match was against Olchfa School, a Welsh side. We let ourselves down
in this match due to a lousy start and a few missed tackles. Recovering
from our first match we aimed to win the next two. Unfortunately
The mid-season saw the boys matched against some very strong B
team opposition, and despite their hard work in training they often
found themselves out of their depth. I was immensely proud of the
boys’ commitment during these testing times and the way in which
they conducted themselves during the games. They demonstrated all
the qualities one would hope that rugby instils in its players. Several weather-related postponements in the second term came just
as the boys hit a run of form and prevented them from improving
their season statistics. Two commanding performances against
Newland House and Haileybury were just rewards for the season’s
hard work and are hopefully a sign of things to come. The team has
been a pleasure to manage: enthusiastic and hard-working, and I am
certain that they will enjoy many more successes in the future.
PDA
2013-2014
105
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U12A Rugby
with Aiden Walsh, Sam Southall and Paddy Wheeler particularly
shining.
It has been an outstanding season for our team, winning key games
and showing how proper rugby should be played. We were lucky
to have within our ranks such an array of talent: from the power of
Paul Wilkinson to the accuracy and consistency of Louis Goodwin.
These, plus many other players, thrived under the coaching of Mr
Davieson and Mr Higgins.
Overall, we finished the season with a record of 11 won, 1 drawn
and 2 lost.
We also had an amazing sevens season, playing in many tournaments
and winning the Ibstock Place Sevens where Hampton did not
concede a single try!
I am very proud of all of the boys: it has been an honour to captain
them this season. I would like to thank Mr Davieson for coaching
our team, along with many other coaches who have helped us along
the way, such as Mr Higgins and Mr Gray.
Tommy Nagle
U12B Rugby
We started the season with a narrow loss to Eltham College, facilitated
mainly because the team was getting to know each other. In a tight
encounter, Louis Goodwin scored an outstanding try in the dying
minutes of the game to set up a tense final few minutes. Ben Cowley
and Paul Wilkinson were leading the team from the front, and I’m
sure that if we were to play them now, the result would be very
different! This initial set-back only motivated us further to raise our
game. The following weekend, we fought our way to an impressive
victory over RGS High Wycombe, with an early try breaking their
spirit and spurring us on. The final result was an exhausting 15-10
victory. From this point onwards, the team really started to gather
momentum, winning many tough and challenging games. We beat
Ravenswood, Campion and a tough match against the well-prepared
Halliford, all in succession. Halliford was an especially hard game –
not only was it a local rivalry, but many boys were playing against
friends from their Sunday clubs.
Throughout the RGS Guildford tournament the team was driven
on by William Howting, Daniel Finlay and Alex Riches, who all
played exceptionally well, motivating the team and making critical
tackles. In the semi-final, Patrick Silcox scored a last-minute try
to secure our place in the final, finishing off a move created by the
dependable Ollie Aust and the pace of Thomas Settle on the wing.
Unfortunately, we lost in the final to a very strong Glyn side (but
got our revenge at the Surrey Sevens later in the season when we
thrashed Glyn in our group game!).
Only two weeks later, Hampton was entered into the Middlesex
County Festival, where we displayed some impressive rugby.
However, once again, we lost in a final, this time to London Oratory.
Despite this loss, the team never lost their confidence and we began a
successful run, winning many crucial games, including those against
a very physical Trinity side and St George’s College, where, owing to
injuries, we finished with only 11 players!
We secured an impressive away win against John Fisher, with Alex
Riches, Nick Richards and Jack Berg playing some top-class rugby.
This victory provided Mr Davieson with only his third victory over
John Fisher in 22 years. In the last three games of our season, we
had a points difference of 167 scored to only 5 conceded! These
matches were against Tiffin, Rutlish and Ibstock Place. This huge
points difference was obtained with all of the boys playing well, but
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2013-2014
The U12 rugby squad impressed early in pre-season training and Mr
Davieson and I were excited about the prospects for both the A and
B teams. After the first match of the season against Colet Court was
cancelled, the U12B season started with a real bang. We won our
first two matches 37-0 (RGS Guildford) and 30-0 (Eltham College).
It was very pleasing to deny the oppositions a score. Standout
performances came from Sam Southall and Ollie Aust who both
soon moved up to the A team.
Our third match, against St. Albans, was cancelled. On the 5th
October we lost 21-0 to High Wycombe, although it was a closer
contest than the scoreline suggests. We were 14-0 down in a hotly
contested encounter between two very able teams, until the last
minute when, after five minutes of Hampton sustained pressure
in High Wycombe’s 22, we lost the ball and the opposition winger
ran the length of the field for a score under the posts. Bouncing
back from the defeat against High Wycombe took a monumental
effort, but the boys delivered with a close-fought 15-14 victory over
Ravens Wood on the 12th October. Max Goldin and James Smith
demonstrated what key players they would be throughout the season
both in attack and defence.
On the 18th October we were back in action against Claremont
Fan Court U12A team. It was another pleasing game as we fired
on all cylinders in defence and attack, winning 15-0. Our ferocious
tackling was typified by Archer Chilcott, who grew into a matchwinning centre as the season progressed. On the 9th November we
lost 12-10 to Halliford. It was agonisingly close, and the boys were
minutes away from a fantastic victory over a very tough and skilled
opposition side. However, Halliford scored in the last five minutes.
sport
Dominic Nunn played very well on the wing, Matt Wilson was
outstanding at hooker and Henry Sheen again proved himself
extremely effective at scrum-half. Theo Johnson was starting to
show his immense strength and ability to carry the ball in open play.
Against Dulwich and Trinity we let in four tries in a short period of
time, before spending the majority of the matches on level footing
with two very strong teams. Against Dulwich we lost 42-14 and in
the Trinity game we came so close to pulling it back before losing 3431. Lucas Gibbard and Rylan Gavino put in great performances on
the wings.
In the Middlesex 13-a-side tournament our U12B side was pitted
against A teams in a difficult group. The highlights were our win
over Grey Court and a narrow loss to Latymer, 7-5. All the other
coaches were very complimentary about the way our U12Bs played
and we finished fourth in the group, which meant we went through
to the knock-out stages. Here we lost to Gunnersbury.
On the 7th December the U12Bs achieved both the performance
and the result that they deserved against St George’s. Preventing
St George’s from crossing the line was a huge bonus and credit was
due to the boys for their efforts in defence. Hampton emerged
worthy winners, 36-0. Fresh from the Christmas break we then
faced John Fisher on 18th January. The team played some very good
rugby against a powerful B team and were right in the game at half
time with the score locked at 0-0. Both teams scored after half time,
and with the game poised at 5-5, it was anyone’s for the taking.
Unfortunately, John Fisher broke the deadlock and the final score in
this pulsating match was 5-12.
Our match against St Benedict’s on 25th January was cancelled, as was
our final scheduled game against Whitgift School on 8th February.
This meant our match against Tiffin on the 31st January was our final
game of the season. I could not have asked for more from the team.
It was great to have a full strength side after a run of injuries and the
boys relished their rugby. A 30-0 scoreline was a very satisfying way
to end the season.
Thanks to all the boys involved throughout the season. Well done to
captain George Price, who never failed to give his all. I very much
enjoyed coaching this talented and willing U12B side and I am very
proud of the way the boys conducted themselves and of the rugby
that they played. Mr Davieson, Mr Higgins and I were all impressed
by this promising year group and I wish them all the best for their
rugby in years to come. Well done boys!
GJR
Hampton School Rugby – Playing Statistics By Team
Team
P
W
D
L
PF
PA
PD
1st
29
22
2
5
617
263
354
2nd
16
10
1
5
407
230
177
3rd
13
6
0
7
224
260
-36
4th
6
4
1
1
131
83
48
U16A
16
13
0
3
505
119
386
U16B
10
10
0
0
367
31
336
U15A
17
13
0
4
598
185
413
U15B
13
8
0
5
479
245
234
U14A
14
3
0
11
139
482
-343
U14B
12
4
1
7
193
268
-75
U13A
20
8
0
12
419
449
-30
U13B
13
4
0
9
172
409
-237
U12A
15
11
1
3
387
139
248
U12B
12
7
0
5
260
147
113
206
123
6
77
4898
3310
1588
Totals:
2013-2014
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1st VIII
It has been a year to remember for the 1st
VIII. Our targets of medalling at Schools’
Head and National Schools’ Regatta and
reaching the semi-finals of Henley were
made to seem less achievable by the worst
flooding in living memory. Anything we lost
to those cruel, dark months, however, we
made up for over the rest of the year with
perseverance, self-belief and key athletes.
In a winter season defined by the Wednesday
afternoon trinity of a 7k run, two 5k ergos
and a weights circuit, one might have
been forgiven for questioning what rowing
actually was. Fortunately we were able
to get some good water work done on
training camp in the perpetually flat and
misty Temple-sur-Lot, France. Moreover,
the flooding did enable us to take trips to
further exotic climes such as the Head of
the York and Bruges races, both of which we
won. A few boys also experienced the joys
of Boston in winter (Boston, Lincolnshire,
depressingly) for various GB trials.
As Schools’ Head approached we were
confident of being able to put in a
performance. Setting off first in the 6.8
kilometre race, our lack of water time
was perhaps reflected in a disappointing
seventh place finish overall. Dissatisfied,
we turned our eyes to the regatta season
well aware that many had written us off as
contenders for summer. Safe to say we were
not short of motivation to prove ourselves.
By now it was time for the Seville training
camp, where we were faced with some
brutal sessions in the searing heat. Seat
racing heralded no changes to the crew that
had raced at Schools’ Head, so it was clear
that we would have to find our speed from
somewhere else. Luckily, we had loads of
nice new kit, which seemed to work as on
our penultimate day of camp we managed
to row two sub six minute 2ks, merely hours
apart. During the following weeks, Pratt
made way for Rhodes, and it was hoped that
the crew could increase its mid-race pace
enough by National Schools to hold its own
against the top crews.
The 25th of May seemed to rush up to meet
us after that, and we performed in the time
trial, winning both that and our semi-final,
despite the best efforts of a stubborn goose.
In the final it took a monumental push to
row through St. Edward’s to finish in bronze
medal position behind Abingdon and Eton,
disproving those who predicted that we
wouldn’t even make the final. Paddling over
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2013-2014
to the medal pontoon, Wyborn curiously
got something in both of his eyes at exactly
the same time.
The next day, Fearn, Nugent, Zahn and
Crossley added to the celebrations by
winning another bronze medal in the
Championship Coxless Fours, while
Collier, Mackworth, Wyborn, Rhodes and
Kerr put in a strong display in the coxed
category, narrowly missing out on the final.
Following the highs of NSR, it was back
to business again as we began preparing
to compete for the most important
competition of all: Henley’s famed Princess
Elizabeth Challenge Cup. Further seat
trialling brought J16 Clausen into the
number 7 seat, while Rhodes’ absence
afforded Chesterton a deserved seat.
Confident the boat was moving the fastest
it had all year, we moved into our Henley
accommodation a week prior to the regatta
in order to familiarise ourselves with
the course. Our first race was relatively
comfortable: a 1.5 length victory over
Shiplake. We faced a sterner test on
Thursday against Shrewsbury, only taking
the lead in the last few hundred meters. Our
most exciting race by far came on Friday,
however, as we faced Brunswick School,
USA – on Independence Day no less. We
started well but the Americans managed to
draw away to almost a length. Approaching
the enclosures, our reputation as ‘sprint
finish kings’ (Regatta Radio) came good,
as Fearn whipped the rate up to 44spm
and we mounted a heroic charge for the
line inspired by Collier’s demonic coxing,
regaining the lead with only 5 strokes to
go – much to the British crowd’s delight.
The next day in a rematch of last year’s
semi-final we were again unable to cope
with St Edward’s pace, and we ended our
domestic racing season extremely proud of
our achievements.
The season continued for four boys as
they travelled to Nottingham for the soulsearching week that is GB Final Trials.
Zahn gained representation for England at
the Home Countries Regatta, while Fearn,
Nugent and Crossley were selected for GB
to race at the Coupe de la Jeunesse to race in
the pair, coxless four and eight respectively.
Mr Double also went on to coach the eight
at the Junior World Championships in
Hamburg. A debt of thanks must go to him
from all of those who rowed in the VIII this
year for encouraging us to believe in our
abilities and for all his hours of coaching,
and we wish this year’s crew the best of luck.
Rob Fearn and Robin Kerr
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2nd VIII
As always, we began the School year with the long months of
gruelling winter training looming before us – a necessary evil, in
preparation for Schools’ Head. As the race approached and the
VIIIs had been selected, all of us were itching to have some race
practice. Unsurprisingly, we were hit by poor weather conditions,
resulting in many races, including our own Hampton Head, being
cancelled. Fortunately, Schools’ Head itself was postponed, meaning
we had time to search for some rowable water. We turned our eyes
to Belgium, where, for the first time, Hampton competed in the
Brugge boat race, involving a slightly unusual side-by-side head race.
Despite being drawn against our own 1st VIII, we could feel our boat
picking up speed, and we grew in confidence heading into Schools’
Head.
After completing the 4.25 mile race we came off the water confident
that we had performed well; our J14 cox Jonny Fryer had coped
very well with the tough course, with Oli Reece verbally helping
to clear the way. We came in third place behind Latymer and Eton
– not the win that we wanted, but certainly a result that we could
build on into the Regatta season.
After a successful Seville training camp, our VIII remained
unchanged, and it was time for our first regatta of the year, BASHER.
A timing error in the processional meant we were placed in the
outside lane, and were therefore most vulnerable to the strong crosswind, meaning that we could not overhaul the Eton and Abingdon
crews in the final. Determined to show what we could do we then
went into Wallingford regatta. We were drawn against Abingdon in
our semi-final, and despite leading at the 1000m mark, they pipped
us to the line – but we were both through to the final. This time we
were the last crew through the half-way point, but we dug in, rowing
through both Abingdon and Latymer, before finishing behind Eton
and the Emanuel 1st VIII.
In a last minute switch in which Rhodes moved up into the 1st VIII,
we went up to Nottingham ready for the National Schools’ Regatta,
with our crew comprising Hollands, Chesterton, Coxon, Evans,
Reece, Pratt, Day, Allden, and cox Fryer. We were drawn in the
same semi as Abingdon, with the two crews pulling clear of the rest
of the field. Abingdon beat us across the line but we were feeling
strong and were confident as we went into the final. Unfortunately,
as we waited on the water, the weather turned from being warm and
sunny to torrential rain and we struggled to keep warm. When the
race finally started we struggled to stay with the pack and despite a
strong finish we were unable to break into the top three, finishing in
an agonising fourth place.
As we tried to put the disappointment of Nat. Schools’ behind us,
we turned our attention to the Henley qualifiers, and with it, a new
batch of seat races as the J16s were given the chance to row their way
into the top boats. Rhodes and Day were not available for the trials,
and Chesterton moved into the 1st VIII meaning that there were
two empty seats to be filled. Despite this, four J16s (Owens, Smith,
Long, and Waterkeyn – our new cox) forced their way in to our
VIII, with one J16 (Clausen) being selected for the 1st VIII, meaning
Wyborn moved into the 2nd VIII; just in time for our last regatta of
the year: Marlow. It was clear that the boat had gained in strength
with the new additions, and our weekly dose of fried slice, and we
went into the race with a point to prove. After the processional
we had been placed in a final with Latymer, and, looking for our
revenge, we stormed out of the blocks until we were a length up on
the rest of the field. Latymer pushed us in the second 1000m, but
we fought them off to win our final, posting the fastest 2nd VIII time
of the day.
After this successful race at Marlow, it was time for the Henley
qualifiers on the famous Henley Royal Regatta course. The odds
were not in our favour, with over 50 crews vying for 14 places, and
unfortunately, the competition was too strong, with Eton being the
only school crew to qualify.
Although there were some disappointments, it has been a fantastic
year of rowing, with special thanks to our coach John Moon. The
majority of the VIII will still be rowing for Hampton next year, and
we will be looking to continue Hampton’s incredible rowing record.
Ben Evans
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3rd VIII
to flooding, the crew came out victorious and managed to defend
their Schools’ Head title, beating Eton by 16 seconds.
You could be forgiven for thinking that the 3rd VIII is something
of an irrelevance. Although it is true to say that the most talented
oarsmen the School has to offer find themselves in the higher
boats, the 3rd VIII still manages to repeatedly perform to a very
high standard. Indeed, as a very wise Mr Barnett once told me:
‘you can always rely on Hampton to provide a good 3rd VIII.’ This
in mind, one can’t help but notice that over the recent years – last
year being no exception – the 3rd VIII is one of the most successful
senior Hampton boats. Arguably even the most successful.
The 2014 3rd VIII was formed properly in the run up to Schools’
Head in March. After many races of trialling, coach Sean Boret
decided on a crew consisting of: Jack Marcus, Henry George,
Lyndon Kindred-Robinson, James Seddon, Ross Jones,
Felix Barry, Tom Downey and Jack Kitching, coxed by crew
heavyweight Liam Rhodes. Despite the lack of water time due
Hampton Senior Squad
After the great success of the whole senior squad last year, the
challenge of maintaining the winning ways of Hampton as a Boat
Club was rather a daunting one. The season’s campaign started with
a long winter of training – the worst part of rowing but necessary
to achieve good results in summer. The squad really came together
through these long months with all sessions on the water taking
place in mixed boats. This created plenty of competition within the
squad as no one wants to be in the slowest boat!
The Boat Club ventured over the Channel for our first training
camp of the year in rainy Temple-sur-Lot in Bordeaux. Flat water
and plenty of it meant that the squad racked up some serious
mileage, and off the water activities such as basketball ensured
the integration of the J16 boys into the squad as a whole. Hands
blistered and legs tired we returned from Temple much stronger
than we had left. However, we returned to far from ideal river
conditions due to the widespread flooding along our stretch of
river. This led to an all-time low in the popularity of the coaches
as training turned into a land-based nightmare with multiple ergos
and long distance runs every week. The second half of the winter
term was punctuated with the odd race where in general Hampton
showed promising speed. Nonetheless, the lack of water time did
put us at a disadvantage to other schools who continued with
uninterrupted training.
After the well-deserved Christmas break the job of selecting crews for
the Schools’ Head of the River Race began with the aim of selecting
1st, 2nd and 3rd VIIIs as well as two J16 VIIIs. Two longer trips for
races were undertaken in the search for safe water to row on and the
continuing selection process, with five VIIIs travelling to Belgium
for Head of the Brugges boat race and also York Head. Both of these
events were won by the 1st VIII. Soon enough Schools’ Head was
just a week away and all VIIIs were selected and ready to go; slightly
apprehensive due to our limited water time, but raring to race.
Unfortunately, as a whole squad Hampton did not achieve the
desired results. Nevertheless, congratulations must go to the 3rd
VIII coached by Sean Boret and the J16 2nd VIII coached by Nick
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The summer season brought about the much-awaited Seville
training camp. This, for the 3rd VIII, consisted of a solid schedule
of seemingly never-ending seat racing, all in the hope of selecting a
successful National Schools boat. After various spells of racing with
Harrison Lee in the boat it was eventually decided that the same
crew that raced Schools’ Head would race National Schools. After
a well-fought race, the crew came away with what seemed like a
disappointing silver, losing out to the Eton crew they had beaten
earlier in the season. Although it was not gold, the race highlighted
the high standards and ambition of the crew and is only something
to build on in the coming year. Our training partners, the 4th VIII,
also raced well to pick up the bronze medals. We hope to see many
more successes in 2015.
Jack Marcus
Woods who won their respective events over stiff competition. It
felt like mere days after Schools’ Head that we were jetting off
to Seville for another training camp to prepare for the shorter
summer, racing over 2 kilometres, and select crews for the next
big event: National Schools’ Regatta. Everyone enjoyed our week
in the sun but it could hardly be called a holiday, with plenty of
miles rowed and weights lifted. The camp was especially beneficial
as each crew gained confidence from the 2km time trial that took
place on the final day of the camp.
Perhaps the toughest part of the season was now upon us, as training
for National Schools had to be scheduled around exams for three
different year groups in some crews, including GCSEs, AS Levels
and A Levels. In general, all exams went well and the weekend of
National Schools was upon us, with Hampton ranks bolstered by
a freshly formed 4th VIII who were hungry to medal in the 3rd VIII
category – and succeeded. The weekend was a great success for the
squad as whole, with a medal haul of three golds, two silvers and
four bronze medals. Congratulations to the crews that picked up
gold medals: J15 2nd VIII, J16 2nd VIII and the J16 IV.
With National Schools completed all eyes turned towards Henley
Royal Regatta, the highlight of the rowing season. With the 1st
VIII prequalified for the event, selection then began for three
VIIIs who would attempt to qualify for the Temple Challenge
Cup, a university level event with many senior crews. With the
J16s included it looked as if Hampton had a good chance of
qualification, but unfortunately the field was too strong and
this year it was only the 1st VIII who raced the regatta. The 1st
VIII performed admirably at Henley, reaching the semi-final and
repeating the race of last year in losing to a fast St Edward’s crew.
Of course, none of the above achievements would have been
possible without the huge commitment that the Hampton coaching
team puts in and our thanks and immense gratitude goes to all the
coaches involved and Director of Rowing Colin Greenaway. I wish
the Boat Club another successful season and look forward to yet
another exciting year of Hampton Rowing.
Will Crossley
Captain of Boats 2013-14
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J16 Rowing
The past year has undoubtedly been a successful one for the Hampton
J16 rowing squad who have outdone themselves, achieving their own
aims as well as those of the coaches. We all progressed in our fitness
and technique, standing us in good stead for the two years ahead.
The year started as a bit of a shock to the system as the training
was a big step up from what we were used to. Training nine times a
week meant that even the arithmetically challenged among us could
work out that we would be training twice a day on more than one
occasion throughout the week. We began the season honing our
small boat skills, getting back into the swing of things. The only
problem was that, for some, trees just came out of nowhere. A 6k
sculling trial tested our steering and boat shifting abilities in which
many excelled. These first few weeks were lighter training than later
in the year but just as valuable.
We set off to the tranquil waters of Temple Sur Lot in the south of
France for our first senior training camp in the October half term
break. This was an excellent opportunity to improve and reinforce
our technique whilst also building our stamina in preparation for
the head season. The training camp was also a great opportunity
to practice our linguistic abilities with the locals whilst stocking up
on jars of Nutella: excellent training food. Temple Sur Lot was our
first experience of the joys of telemetry – close computer analysis of
our stroke –which proved very interesting. The naming and shaming
on poor technique was accompanied with praise for the huge watts
pulled by George (Big Watts) Nelson. Despite the great fun we had
we also gained valuable experience and the dreaded 20 minute test
was done by all, giving the coaches greater insight into our abilities
and allowing them to begin crew selection. We returned home tired,
hungry and with sore hands but with a better idea of how to improve
as rowers and athletes.
Though flooding ruined the majority of head season we turned up
the land training to compensate. However, we did manage to fit in
a few races. Kingston Head was relatively successful, with the whole
squad competing in coxed and coxless fours, one of which won its
category. Our small boats theme continued with Hampton Small
Boats Head where we competed in doubles, pairs or singles. Racing
on our stretch of river steering should not have been a problem,
but the excitement of racing must have got to us and the steering
by Hampton boats was, to put it mildly, sub-par. On the brighter
side, the pair of Rob Smith and Jens Clausen did well to win their
category without crashing once.
To escape the floods, which cancelled most events, we cast our eye
further afield to find a race. We were given the choice of racing
the Head of the Trent in the delightful Nottingham or to travel
to Belgium to take part in Bruges Head where we would be given
free food and a chance to see an amazing historical city. The result
was almost unanimous – almost. One of our number decided that
the lure of Nottingham was far greater than that of going abroad
and the promise of free food! Bruges Boat Club was extremely
accommodating and the meal they put on for us was excellent. The
race itself revealed some compelling truths about the A and B crews.
It was obvious that there was an issue when the B boat beat the A
boat by a whole fifteen seconds, much to their delight. This led to
the crews being rebranded as the bigger crew and the smaller crew.
The pinnacle of the head season came in the form of a gruelling
seven kilometre time trial that is the Schools’ Head of River, which
had been postponed until the river was rowable. This gave us the
opportunity to train on the tideway over half term: some much
needed water time. As usual we boated from St Paul’s Boathouse
on the day and both crews were fortunate enough to have finished
their race before an ungodly hailstorm hit, making the rest of the
day freezing cold and miserable. As the hail cleared the results were
posted. The nature of these results prompted the pessimistic Mr
Woods to spout some rather choice words of disbelief. We discovered
that in J16 2nd VIII category we had won by a convincing thirty two
seconds, breaking the record by nineteen and placing 8th out of all
J16 VIIIs. The J16 1st VIII placed 6th, showing great improvement
on Bruges.
Schools’ Head had heralded the end of the head season and the
beginning of the regatta season: ‘the proper racing season’. The
transition from long endurance time trials to short, sharp side-byside racing was assisted by our second training camp in sunny Seville
where hats and sunglasses were a necessity. After nine hours of
travelling we were subjected to a horrific 2k ergo test before the main
body of training could commence. The objective of this training
camp was to produce the best regatta-racing J16 1st and 2nd VIIIs
with the focus on the National Schools’ Regatta. Crew selection
was achieved primarily in the first two days which consisted of seat
racing – a form of torture justified by the coaches as an effective
selection technique. Fortunately this series of races resulted in the
formation of two solid crews. The remainder of the camp saw these
crews develop under the guidance of their respective coaches ending
in some endurance weights sessions and a day of 2k racing between
all senior boats in an attempt to simulate racing at the National
Schools. In down time we were taken around the city of Seville
during Semana Santa, a Spanish Easter festival, to see the sights,
enjoy the culture and eat ice cream. This was all interspersed with
mandatory revision sessions in preparation for our GCSEs. A few of
the more foolish J16s had coursework deadlines to meet on top of
all their other revision and may have had to spend a little more time
on their work.
Between Seville and National Schools there were plenty of regattas
including an invitational BASHER regatta at Eton Dorney,
Wallingford Regatta and Bedford Regatta, where (once Radley had
turned up) we won many tankards. These races gave us valuable
experience which we simply did not have in the head season.
Finally, the day had come to travel to Nottingham to race at the
National Schools’ Regatta, after a squad dinner at fine Italian diner
we drove up to Nottingham the night before racing. On Saturday the
J16 2nd VIII defend the title and yet again claimed the Eton Viking
trophy – arguably the finest-looking of all the NSR trophies. The J16
1st VIII looked impressive in the heats and were the second quickest
qualifier into the final. However, just as the crews lined up for the
start a howler of a wind blew across the lake causing a strong cross
wind: this scuppered the chances of a medal and in the end we had
to settle for a very well-earned fourth place in the J16 Championship
VIIIs category. On the Sunday two coxless fours raced in similar
conditions; fortunately the lane draw had now been corrected. One
four missed out on a final but the other four, comprising Charlie
Sandford, Jens (Big Man) Clausen, Lewis Owens and Tom Long,
went on to win the category, which helped to alleviate some of the
disappointment from the previous day.
After the GCSEs were over we had the opportunity to seat race for
Henley Royal Regatta. The finalised eights included numerous J16s
in the senior 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th VIIs which were to try and qualify
for Henley Royal Regatta. Most notable of these transfers was Jens,
who won his seat in the 1st VIII and with his crew progressed to the
Saturday of Henley. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th VIIIs all took on the Henley
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qualifiers but unfortunately none made it through into the Temple
Challenge Cup, an event for University students.
The final event of the year for our J16 Squad came in the shape of
the GB v France match qualifiers. Our squad took one coxless (the
same one that won Nat. Schools) and two coxed fours to attempt
to qualify. The coxless four won their time trial despite a crab and
would be headed to France. Neither coxed four was selected as the
GB coxed four but could race off to make up part of the GB VIII.
One of the coxed fours – consisting of Rob Smith, Tom Farrand,
Oscar Pring and Dom Jackson – was amongst four crews, all of
which were within one second of each other. This gave rise to another
four-way race which Hampton led for 1300 metres but was rowed
through in the closing 200 by Sir William Borlase. For some, this
was the end of the year, but the coxless four still had one more race.
After a week of training down at the boathouse with Mr Cook, the
GB France four began the thirteen hour journey to Nantes, France.
J15 1st VIII
A year of rowing for the J15 1st VIII can be summarised in a few
words: painful, time-consuming, but above all else, immensely
fulfilling. People always ask ‘why do you row?’ and sometimes it’s
difficult to answer but I have never felt more joy or camaraderie than
in that boat with my ‘character’ crew.
The first big race of the season took place after a winter of flooding,
unfortunately restricting our water time. This wasn’t just any race,
however; this was Schools’ Head of the River – a gruelling 7km
time trial held on the Tideway stretch of the River Thames. A crew
of Alex Hickmott, Theo Dias, Henri Rigby, Ben Arnold, Will
Liefting Moore, Jamie Blackburn, Marc O’Malley, Carl Sacklen
and Kristian Tombs (cox) lined up to take on this exhausting race.
During the race, we lost our cox box which hindered our progress
but Kristian managed to make his voice heard and we rowed on.
After coming close to overhauling a fast Shrewsbury crew in front,
we just missed out on a vital overlap around Hammersmith Bridge
and this meant that we dropped back in the second part of the race,
eventually finishing in a respectable fourth position. We were slightly
disappointed with this but it helped us in the long run, giving us the
drive to work harder and be better.
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Here they stayed for three days to train and then raced the French.
The race consisted of a 1350 metre stretch of river (distance only
confirmed on the morning of the race!) over which our crew would
race a French counterpart. Despite the short nature of the race, it
still contained the excitement expected of other, longer, races. With
the French in possession of a blistering start, they led to 400 metres
where the Hampton four began to move and then overtake at 800
metres to shouts of ‘Bow Ball!’ The Hampton four maintained their
lead to win by one and a quarter lengths. The GB France experience
ended with a chance to meet the French opposition and trade kit in
the evening. The following day they returned home to much needed
rest and a long holiday.
This drew our year as J16s to a close. We are very thankful to our
coaches who helped us achieve the best we could and guided us
through a busy year.
Tom Farrand and Tom Long
Over the Easter break, we went to Hazewinkel in Belgium for a
training camp and enjoyed a chilly, but immensely useful week of
training. We were all fighting for our positions in the boat and after
a seemingly never-ending period of seat racing, Rory Gilligan made
his well-earned seat in the boat and Jake Ruse came back from an
injury that had stopped him from competing earlier in the year.
After an enjoyable afternoon off in the historic city of Antwerp and
the annihilation of the staff team in the annual football match, it was
back home and time to get focused on the regatta season.
With shorter races of 2km, regatta racing soon began to hot up,
and after finishing third behind some strong crews from Winchester
and Eton at Wallingford Regatta we knew that we had a tough
task on our hands. One week before National Schools’ Regatta, we
journeyed north to race in Nottingham City Regatta in the senior
novice category. This race was ‘oar-some!’ In the semi-final we had
only managed to scrape through in third place but we had done
enough to be in the final. Starting in an unfavoured outside lane, our
coach Mr Neville had promised to buy us all a McDonalds if we won
but we never thought it would happen! We lined up ready to race
and when we were released, we managed to hold the other university
and senior boats off to 250m, then 500m, then 750m and before
we knew it we were beginning to push away from the other crews.
It felt amazing and this is why rowing feels so good – you can see
the people you are beating! Kristian made a well-timed ‘McDonalds’
sport
call, to which we all responded! In the end, we crossed the line in
victory by three lengths and it was undoubtedly our best race of the
season so far.
Finally, National Schools’ Regatta was upon us and we journeyed
back up to Nottingham where we stayed the night in preparation for
the most important race of the year. In the semi-finals, we pushed
Winchester hard and comfortably qualified for the final in second
place. Eton had won their semi-final and all three crews were flying in
potentially record breaking conditions. The wind changed direction
in the afternoon which put paid to any ideas of a record and then it
was time for the final. It was an incredibly close fight. Eton held the
edge but we were pushing Winchester hard and at 1000m there was
nothing in it. As the race wore on, Eton and Winchester started to
creep away and, despite our best efforts, we weren’t able to respond.
We were definitely disappointed with third but after some time for
reflection, a bronze medal was an excellent achievement.
Overall, the year can be classified as a success and we know that, with
another committed year of training, we can beat our opposition. We
would like to thank our coaches for a fantastic year – Mr Neville,
Miss Condon, Mr Healy, Mr Barnett and Mr Cook.
Henri Rigby/JN
Soon after, it was the beginning of the regatta season, bringing the
excitement of side-by-side racing. In the week-long training camp
in Hazewinkel, a series of gruelling seat races determined the final
crew for the Nationals. From then on we trained non-stop with our
coach, Miss Condon, with work ranging from starts to longer pieces.
Things were looking promising when two weeks prior to the
Nationals we won a tankard at Bedford Regatta – despite being run
into a bank by a St Edward’s crew – but main rivals Eton didn’t
attend.
On the day of the Nationals we were lucky to get relatively good
weather on a course that is known for poor conditions – as J14s,
our race had been cancelled due to high winds and white water. This
time we got off to a good start, rowing the second fastest time in the
processional, which ensured we got the best lane for our semi-final.
We recorded the best time as we won our semi, but now we had to
face Eton, who had won the time trials.
Eton got off the line quickly, and we were in third after the first
500m. Slowly, we caught up but Eton still held an agonising 0.5
second lead at 1500m. We made an enormous effort in the last
500m, powering past Eton to win by the narrowest of margins: 0.21
seconds over 2 kilometres. We were all thrilled as we rowed over to
be awarded our gold medals, the ultimate reward after a long season
of hard work. Our thanks go to our coaches – Mr Neville, Miss
Condon, Mr Healy, Mr Barnett and Mr Cook.
J15 2nd VIII
Danny De Rozairo
On May 24th 2014, 6:47.87 after the start, our bow crossed the
line to make us the fastest J15 2nd VIII in the country and National
Schools’ Regatta gold medal winners. The previous September, when
we returned from holidays, we were put into mixed crews. We spent
a lot of the Head season trying out in various combinations, until
we eventually settled into fixed crews in the lead up to Schools’ Head
of the River.
In the 2nd VIII we battled through cold, gusty wind and driving rain
to finish a great second place, just behind the St Paul’s 2nd VIII, for
whom the course was their home stretch.
J15 3rd VIII
From my experience in the 3rd VIII this year I found it to be a very
enjoyable and relaxed atmosphere. From the start of the year we, like
most sportsmen, experienced a clear divide between A/B contenders
and B/C contenders. One of the annoying things about the 3rd VIII
at this age is there is no category for us at any of the national events
which meant we have to compete with other 2nd VIIIs. This led to
many races where we came off feeling a little disappointed but it
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also meant that we felt closer as a crew – and when our Head of
The River time was compared to other 3rd VIIIs we were thrilled to
see that we were the second fastest crew in the country and only 11
seconds behind. Before we had started the race, Mr Barnett had gone
through all the necessary precautions in case we started drowning,
which we all laughed at. However, during the race we faced all four
seasons and we were delighted to come away with such a positive
result!
Soon after was the Hazewinkel training camp. This was a spectacular
trip for all of us and saw us develop as a crew, coming a long way
in only a week. This led to a few successful races where we beat
some 2nd VIIIs and morale was very high. In the run up to National
Schools’ Regatta we went through a phase of having several coaches.
This meant that each one would pick up on something else, so we
developed quite quickly. We won our first race at Bedford Town
Regatta. This was a momentous occasion as the winner of any
category gets a ‘pot’. Most of us took the same lift home and we
weren’t quiet for a second! We were in high spirits as we left for
Nottingham and we had a good warm up paddle the day before.
After a tough 2km race against the clock, we had missed out on the
semis by one spot. We were all gutted by falling short by so little.
However, the best of our season was still to come as we won both of
our races at BASHER regatta. In the last of the two we started off
slower than our Abingdon opponents but finished ahead of them by
barely half a boat. Our season may not have been as perfect as we
would have liked but we had a great time doing it and we will all
remember this year very fondly.
Phil Lindqvist
J14 Rowing
At Christmas the boys, coaches and some Upper Sixth rowers went
paintballing, dredging through mud and leaves armed with small
guns. The Staff and Upper Sixth team came out guns blazing and
ended up winning the first eight games. These eight games were full
of incident but perhaps most memorable was a prize-winning shot
making contact with Owain Bates in one of the more sensitive areas.
Even though it was a very one-sided day, Jonny Fryer was given a
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prize for the best shot of the day when he managed to move behind
enemy lines without being spotted and shoot three unsuspecting
staff members from behind at rather close range. The day was a
fantastic way for us to bond as a squad, learning that Call Of Duty
does not guarantee that you are good at paintballing.
Also at Christmas were the coveted Christmas Pudding Races with
LEH and KGS. There were two noteworthy occurrences on the day.
One was a quad containing rowers from all three schools capsizing
into the river Thames, much to the amusement of the spectators
that lined the bank. The capsized rowers had a much less pleasant
experience, as the River Thames in December can only be described
as freezing. Most people turned up in Santa hats but Jonny Fryer
stole the show, sporting a fairy costume with a wand to boot.
During a difficult winter with minimal rowing on the river the J14
squad moved to Dorney Lake. This would be the location for our
first competitive race – The Oarsport Junior Sculling Head – so any
practice here was useful. When Friday 14th March came around we
were apprehensively excited about the prospect of racing amongst a
field of fifty other boats. The weather turned out to be exceptional
for racing and the sun shone as the crews raced up and down the
lake. We came off the water with the realisation that all the hard
training is well worth it when you race. The results showed the
squad winning all of their events and coming 5th in the medal table.
This was a great achievement with 27 boys winning gold in our first
competitive race.
Next up was training camp, when 27 of the J14 squad travelled to
Wimbleball Lake in Somerset. The first night took a little bit of time
to get used to, especially when we realised that the coaches would
refuse to hand over the wifi password and that the mobile service
was non-existent. This was not made better when we discovered that
there was a major shortage of sockets to plug in our chargers. The
next morning, the training started and we went out in a variety of
boats to explore our training facility for the next four days. This
sense of exploration was quickly taken away after we realised that we
actually had to do some hard work. The three sessions throughout
the day left us all very tired but the hard work paid off in regatta
season.
The trip was ended with a series of six-way races between a variety
of boats ranging from doubles to eights. This was a very enjoyable
sport
session and it was a great way to end the week. It was made less
enjoyable for one crew by Piero Ladhur, who somehow managed to
zig-zag across a straight line course, causing his crew to row nearly
double that of all the other ones.
In conclusion the J14s had a great year that we can use as a platform
in later years. On behalf of all the J14s I would like to thank Mr
Cook, Mr Arnold, Mrs Deakin, Miss Field and Simon Jackman for
a great year.
After training camp the regatta season was quickly upon us. Our first
race was a slightly longer journey up to Birmingham, where we raced
in a round-robin event with lots of side-by-side races throughout
the day. We came away with a win in the A eight and A quad and a
second and third place in both B eights and B quads.
Charlie Marcus
Bedford Regatta was the next race, with a large number of us
racing from the squad. The event was an extremely long day filled
with a lot of close racing and we were rewarded with three crews
reaching finals. Our A quad was leading with 200m to go but a
mistake caused us to lose by half a length in our final. The B quad
final was an all-Hampton affair with a very close race right down to
the line. The biggest margin of the day was the C eight final with
the Hampton crew winning by a comfortable margin. The results
in this regatta meant that 14 of us returned home with a shiny
tankard in our bags.
Thames Ditton Regatta – with Hampton Court Palace in the
background – was our last race before National Schools’ Regatta.
Once again we had some very close racing, but unfortunately did
not take any wins on this occasion.
Finally, at the end of the first half of the Summer Term, National
Schools’ Regatta was upon us. The C and B eight, competing in the
same event, both qualified in the top 18, taking them into the semifinals. The C eight unfortunately had an incident in their semi-final
and did not reach the final. The B eight was in a very competitive
semi-final and unfortunately came third, seven seconds faster than
the other two semi-finals. The A eight had a slightly later qualifying
time and had a good row, coming third overall, moving into the
semi-finals.
The semi-final race had a close start with three crews level at the
halfway marker. The Hampton crew then pushed on to ensure that
they secured a place in the final, winning by a length. The final was
just before 7pm and the weather had turned out perfectly. After
a shaky start we found ourselves at the back of the field, but we
showed great strength and level heads, pushing through the field
and getting ourselves into second place. Despite this, we did not
quite manage to close the gap, and ended up losing by no more
than two metres over a 1km course. The A eight would look back
on this race with fond memories, although it would not have hurt
to show this on our faces as we collected our medals.
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1st XI Cricket
Following the challenging yet encouraging tour to India in December 2013, a new look 1st
XI was looking forward to getting off to a fast start to the short yet packed cricket season.
The team played some excellent cricket during the season and in so doing displayed, on the
one hand, the understanding of the importance of the little details of the game necessary
to succeed at a high level of the game and, on the other hand, sportsmanship and an
appreciation of the spirit in which the game should be played.
The season started down in Sussex against Worth for a start-of-season friendly game. Not
even the cold weather dampened our enthusiasm as we strolled out onto the pitch for the
first time of the summer. Hampton batted first and after losing an early wicket, Guy Harper
and Richard Bennett built a strong partnership. Harper was out for 28 before Bennett
and Rob Gardiner went on to make 42 and 50 respectively. Some big hitting from the
occasionally elegant Rob Bentley down the order saw the total reach a respectable 237/8
off our 45 overs. Ben Dowse and Ethan Ijaz opened the bowling impressively but without
luck. The key moment came when 4th year debutant Chris Searle removed their opener and
with him went their realistic chances of victory. Searle ended with excellent figures of 9-029-3 and was supported by two wickets from Harry Mayes and one from Bentley. Worth
eventually ended on 138/6 off their 45 overs. A comfortable win and a good start.
Our second game of the season came against the MCC who had brought a strong team after
their 10-wicket loss in the previous year. They batted first and a fine spell of bowling from
Ijaz and some good fielding restricted them to 208/8. On a good wicket we were confident
of chasing them down. Unfortunately they were able to utilise the swinging conditions and
our top five were removed cheaply. However not even the seven slips could prevent Gardiner
and Bentley batting out for the inevitable rain which came in the 27th over, causing an
abandonment.
Our first league game was against RGS Guildford. After winning the toss, Harper and Toby
Godfray built a good stand for the second wicket. Godfray fell for 39 and Harper looked
set for a hundred when he was caught on 83 looking to push on the scoring rate. Cameos
from Gardiner and Barley pushed the total to 201/7 off 45 overs. Their chase never really got
going after Searle and Gardiner removed the openers. The wickets were shared evenly among
out potent and disciplined bowling attack as we bowled out RGS for 170.
On the following day, we played the group stage of the national T20. This is arguably the
best day on the cricket calendar as you play three matches in a day to see who will top the
group and progress. It was staged at Dulwich College and the first opponents were Eltham
College. A true classic ensued. Hampton batted first and reached a below par 122 off 20
overs on a small ground, with runs from Gardiner. We knew we would have to bowl well. It
all ended up with Eltham needing seven off the last over. A brilliant over from Bentley gave
Hampton a one-run win. A resounding win over John Fisher followed and it all went down
to the game against Dulwich: another strong team and another nail-biter. Dulwich made
139/9 in their 20 overs. We felt that this was a very gettable total on a good wicket. We got
off to a great start with a flowing opening stand between Godfray and Harper putting us
ahead of the rate and in firm control. However, they were both removed in quick succession
and we still needed 40 to win. We continued losing wickets until it came to the last ball of
the match where we needed two to win and one to tie (and win due to fewer wickets lost).
Jamie Williams missed the ball but a scrambled single led to an exuberant pitch invasion as
the light faded and we advanced to the next round.
We then played Reed’s who of late have always been strong opposition. Their much-vaunted
top order contains some very fine players but the quick men Morley and Searle bowled with
hostility and removed the openers before Bentley took over, finishing with figures of 7-5-8-4
as Reed’s were bowled out for 80. A composed 40 from Godfray saw us over the line for a
convincing 8 wicket win. The quality of the opposition and the manner of the victory made
this probably the high watermark of the season.
Old rivals Tiffin were next on the agenda. We have won most recent matches but they
always have a few good players and are not to be underestimated. Hampton bowled first
and George Tunnacliffe took an impressive four wickets, bowling off-spin for the first time
in a 1st XI game. Tiffin were bowled out for 151 which we felt was a chaseable target. After
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an early wicket, Jamie Williams and Harper batted superbly as the
clouds gathered overhead. When the game was abandoned due to
rain we were 70-1, giving us a narrow win on Duckworth-Lewis.
The next game saw us travel to the idyllic Christ’s Hospital School.
A first 5-wicket haul of the season delivered by Tunnacliffe was the
catalyst as we dismissed the opposition for 109. Harper and Godfray
shared a century stand and not even two late wickets took the gloss
off a convincing performance.
It was then time for the next round of the national T20, against
Whitgift, who had their Surrey professional, Dominic Sibley, in
their ranks. Sibley had hit the national sports headlines at the end
of the previous season for scoring a double hundred on his first-class
debut at the age of 17, breaking all manner of world records. We got
off to a decent start batting first but a rain delay seemed to stop our
momentum and we collapsed quite badly to post 109/9 off the 20
overs, which felt about 50 short of a challenging total. Sibley opened
the batting after taking four wickets in our innings and batted
throughout the innings as Whitgift cruised to a nine-wicket win.
The scheduled game against Whitgift the next day was called off due
to rain so our next game was after half-term against St Paul’s. We
batted first and a good fifty from Harper anchored the innings as we
reached 209/9 off our 50 overs. On the whole we bowled well and
we seemed to have the game all but won but a good partnership from
the St Paul’s low order brought them back into the game. Both runs
and wicket flowed in a tense final few overs. Eventually, St Paul’s were
left needing two off the last ball and managed to blaze it through the
covers to win something of a classic. On reflection, we didn’t do a
huge amount wrong with the ball and probably should have batted
with greater purpose towards the latter part of our innings.
We were looking to bounce back against Dr Challoner’s. Harper
continued his solid form with a well-made 40 backed up by Godfray
with a solid 30. Good performances from 4th Year Adam Lee and
then Bentley down the order led to a respectable 158 off 35 overs.
4th Year George Gregory did most of the damage with an excellent
four wickets on debut. Jamie Morley finished the game off and took
three wickets as we bowled the opposition out for 126, which was
a fine effort.
St George’s always provides an excellent setting and most
importantly on these occasions a good spread at lunch. Angry
clouds brewed overhead but play began on time. Harper looked
very elegant on a good batting pitch. A well-compiled 50 from
the skipper as well as a fine 38 from Bennett saw us reach a
strong position. Unfortunately, Guy was out slightly softly and
the batting never got going after that, as once again we were
unable to capitalise on a solid start. Devotees of the tragicomic
would have enjoyed Ethan Ijaz’s dismissal – stumped as he stood
nonchalantly out of his ground. It was the final wicket of the
innings and we only reached 180 all out with vital overs to spare.
We bowled well initially and following three wickets from Mayes,
St George’s were in real trouble at 120-6. Unfortunately, once
again we couldn’t get the job done and another outstanding lower
order partnership gave them victory by four wickets in the final
over. It was almost bizarrely reminiscent of the St Paul’s game
the week before and rather encapsulated the season: following a
good start and runs from Harper, the middle order – all of whom
are very good players – contrived ways of getting out cheaply,
preventing us from scoring runs. This meant that even if the
bowlers bowled well and took early wickets – which invariably
they did – the opposition was always still in the game chasing
modest totals.
Eton. Not the place to visit after a recent run of poor form
and missing a few key players due to public examinations. We
got off to a difficult start and were 91-5 at lunch. Despite this,
Devon Campbell, maverick wicket keeper and century-maker in
Mumbai, finally cashed in on his immense talent. A well-made
66 was cut short by a silly run out. The tail wagged to good effect
as we reached 177-9 off 50. It was certainly tough work for the
seamers on a flat wicket meaning that spin was the chosen modus
operandi. Eton had some high-class players and not even the offspin of Bentley could contain them as they knocked off the runs
with relative ease. Once again, it was with the bat and not the ball
that was to blame for this defeat.
Our next adversary was Portsmouth Grammar School and we
were determined to get back to winning ways. It was a beautiful
afternoon and one which leg-spinner Mayes used to his advantage.
A fine five-wicket haul ripped through the middle-order after a
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well-bowled bouncer from Morley had removed their opening
batsman. A fine performance all round allowed us to bowl them
out for 143. An early wobble gave rise to a few nerves but a very
fine unbeaten 75 from captain Harper anchored the innings and
gave us a comfortable 7 wicket win.
Then came the crucial Old Hamptonians game. Certainly not a
game for the faint-hearted. Despite the opposition turning up in
dribs and drabs in varying degrees of freshness they were a talented
outfit. We batted first and struggled as they applied the pressure
primarily through the express pace of school counsellor Samways.
Despite this, 40s from Barley and Gardiner set up a slightly under
par 176. When they came out to bat, an early wicket from Morley
put us in with a chance. Mayes took three wickets but that was as
good as it got for us as the OH won by six wickets.
The final league game of the season came against King’s College
School, Wimbledon. After a heart-breaking defeat the year before
we were determined to win. KCS batted first and in general we
were pleased with our bowling performance. Morley and Ijaz
bowled very well up front and we applied pressure throughout
with the spin of Mayes and Bentley. Bentley then took the catch
of the season, running in 40 yards from long on and taking a onehanded catch a centimetre from the ground. We restricted them to
140. The rain drifted in at lunch turning the pitch into something
of a minefield. Despite this, Harper kept his cool as once again
wickets tumbled all around him. When he departed, however, the
innings capitulated and we were bowled out 10 short of our target.
The same old story, really, and the most disappointing loss of the
season against local rivals.
This left just two games left to play. The first of these came against
Scotch College from Australia. They were an extremely impressive
outfit. Batting first they reached a competitive total thanks on the
whole to a fine hundred from their number 4. Unfortunately, our
batting once again wasn’t quite up to the mark and we fell short
of the target.
The final game against Elizabeth College Guernsey was one
to remember. Captain Harper had played very consistently
throughout the season without making that century he richly
deserved. So when he reached the landmark in the last over of
our innings the team rose in unison to salute a fine batsman. His
unbeaten 102 was a stand-alone innings as we only made 170. Our
bowlers again bowled well with 4th Year Searle leading the attack
superbly once again. Some big hitting from their lower order just
got them across the line. A tough end to a most enjoyable season.
Thanks go especially to the outgoing Upper Sixth formers – Guy
Harper, Devon Campbell, Rob Gardiner, George Tunnacliffe,
Richard Bennett and our scorer Alex Griffith-Jones – for their
outstanding service to School cricket throughout their time here.
Our captain, Guy Harper, was exemplary throughout the season.
He scored 617 runs in 15 innings, including one hundred, finishing
with a batting average of 51.41
Finally a word must go out to our coaches, Mr Banerjee, Mr Peel
and Chris Harrison. Without their expert guidance, their time and
dedication, none of this could have happened. We were very lucky
to have such experts who placed an emphasis on doing well and
winning but also on having a good time and enjoying ourselves.
Thank you all, and best of luck for next season.
Harry Mayes
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India Tour Report
India is seen as one of the most beautiful and interesting places that
someone could wish to visit; on top of this it offers some hugely
challenging cricket which is completely different from anything that
could be experienced in the British Isles. This meant that sixteen
Hampton School cricketers and three coaches assembled at Heathrow
Airport during the Christmas holidays with great anticipation.
We arrived in Mumbai at 6am after a four hour delay at Heathrow,
which was not an ideal start. Despite this we managed to get a few
hours’ sleep at the hotel and then were ready for our city tour of
Mumbai. Mumbai is a truly incredible place, with around 20 million
people living in a place one third the size of London. We saw many
of the landmarks in Mumbai. The most notable of these was the
gateway of India which was built to commemorate King George
V’s visit in 1911. It was a slightly surreal experience with lots of
people coming up to us taking photos of us or trying to sell things.
At one point Jamie Williams was forced to hold a baby while the
parents took photos of it. We continued our tour and saw many of
the Victorian buildings which are still used to this day as hospitals,
universities, railways etc. For most of us it wasn’t the landmarks we
saw that were the most interesting but simply the differences in
culture and the stark contrast between rich and poor. That afternoon
we saw the world’s largest house, but Mumbai also has the world’s
largest slum. The enduring message we took from this was of the
warmth and friendliness of the Indian people, which remained a
constant theme throughout the tour.
Having recovered from the previous day’s travelling we went down
to breakfast early and then made the long journey to our first net
session on tour. We arrived to see hundreds of Indians playing
cricket, which is quite an incredible sight. We set up by the two nets
on wickets very different to ones we find at home. The temperature
was already up at 30 at 9.30am but we were all ready to get started.
Afterwards we made our trip to the Mumbai’s Test ground Wankhede
stadium. We watched a first-class game and saw some phenomenal
batting. We then went to a local bat-maker who makes bats for
Tendulkar. This led to Mayes buying a bat for 8000 rupees with a
dubious slogan carved onto both edges. We made it back to the hotel
and after another excellent meal we settled in to watch the football.
The following day saw us compete in our first match. The ground was
away from the city and close to the Mumbai slum but the stage was
ready for our first game against Harsit Dubey Academy. Captain
Harper nicked off in the first over, but Bennett and Williams batted
well despite an early drop. We got off to a very encouraging start
with the youngest tourist, Williams, scoring 65 in his first senior
game. We were eventually bowled out for 178 for 9 in 40 overs.
David Williams got the first wicket in reply with an exceptional
piece of bowling against a strong batsman fresh from a triple ton for
Mumbai Under-16s. Dowse ran in and performed very well for his
three wickets, all caught in the ring. Off-spinner Bentley struggled
despite assistance from the pitch, and our opponents appeared to be
at ease – with the only difficulty being retrieving the ball as it raced
to the boundary. They knocked off the runs in 35 overs but there
were many positives to take from the game.
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Our second match was against Birla Academy at the Gymkhana
ground, which was just by the gorgeous Marine drive. After winning
the toss we decided to field, and whilst our opening bowler Morley
was not quite at his best, he was rewarded with two wickets. Bentley
again struggled in these favourable spinning conditions and must have
considered himself very fortunate to pick up two wickets. Carlton
came on and used his variations superbly, taking two wickets. Morley
then steamed in for the final over and must have been disappointed
to go for two runs, allowing them to get to a competitive 170. We felt
this was a gettable total and as Mayes and Bennett went out to bat the
mood was one of supreme confidence in the newly promoted opening
batsmen. However, despite good batting from Campbell we lost some
quick wickets and fell 60 runs short of our target.
The following day we got on the bus and made our way to a local
Akanksha school for under-privileged children. This was truly eyeopening but in many ways an uplifting experience as the teachers
were doing a great job. Getting the chance to work with the children
from the Akanksha school was humbling because it is such an
inspirational centre of education. In the afternoon, we left and made
our way to do a spot of shopping in the local area. We bought a few
Mumbai Indians shirts and made it back safely via tuk-tuk despite
many close shaves.
Our next game was against former Indian test player Dilip
Vangsarker’s Academy at ELF Oval ground. The ground looked
superb with an excellent background and location. After a light
warm up we were ready to to field. Dowse again bowled well, and
at this point we seemed to be doing well. Mayes and Carlton also
bowled well, managing to take one very important wicket and also
having lots of dropped catches off their bowling. All of this led to the
opponent getting up to a respectable 260 off 35. Mayes and Harper
then went out to bat and the ball was hooping around in the air and
off the pitch. This left us at 10 for three when Campbell came out to
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bat. The conditions now became easier as they brought on their parttime bowlers, and Williams and Campbell capitalised with an array
of stroke-play. Campbell passed his fifty and demonstrated why he
is one of the best English junior players of spin, playing an excellent
innings and reaching 111 not out. Despite this, the game had been
lost a long time before and we fell 70 runs short.
After the game we were off to other side of the country – Chennai.
The signs from Chennai were looking good as we arrived at the
Metropolitan Hotel, a slight step up from the Emerald. The steam
room and the swimming pool were sensational and after lunch we
were ready for a Chennai city tour. Having taken in the Museum, we
hopped on the bus and made our way to Fort St. George. We then
made our way to St Thomas Basilica, which was a truly spectacular
building – the excitement was palpable as we went to see the remains
of one of JC’s apostles. A lively team meeting that night was followed
by Madagascar 3.
At our next match, VB Chandrasakhar Academy, the spinners were
glad to see some proper boundaries. After losing the toss Harper
and Bennett went in to bat. Bennett got out LBW to a dead straight
ball and Harper continued batting, picking up the average as he
reached double figures. As Campbell got in he built his partnership
well with Harper. They batted superbly and looked set to go big.
Unfortunately, Harper seemed more worried about his average
(which is fair enough considering his previous poor scores) and he
knocked singles around when sixes were necessary. Campbell played
every shot in the book as fatigue set in and Harper got bowled for
70 playing across the line. Finally, Campbell got out for 60 as he
simply didn’t have the energy to continue. All this led to us reaching
a respectable 199 off 40 overs.
When we came out to bowl we were hopeful that they would not
be able to knock off the runs that quickly. David Williams opened
sport
the bowling and confused the batsmen with an array of variations.
When Dowse and Williams were withdrawn the Indian duo joined
the attack. Bentley then made the bold decision of putting himself
on to bowl, which immediately backfired as the batsmen milked him
easily. It was then time for Mayes to take his first wicket. It was
frankly incredible that he hadn’t picked one up early considering the
quality of his bowling in previous games. The first two deliveries put
the new batsman under serious pressure and the third got him with
a beauty. We were able to keep our opponents under pressure with
accurate death bowling from Dowse and Williams and some truly
inspirational fielding, leading to a Hampton victory as they came up
10 short. The game was set up by the good batting of Harper and
Campbell and the excellent bowling performances.
After this we were once again very lucky to be given the chance to
play on another first-class ground – The Nest. When we left the hotel
we heard stories that the ground had hosted New Zealand and was
a first-class ground. We batted first and posted the very competitive
total of 130-8 in 40 overs, thanks mainly to the audacious and
powerful batting of Bennett and Campbell. When the opposition
went out to bat, hopes were high that we might be able to get back
to the hotel early. Hampton started well as Williams steamed in and
consistently beat the bat. Hampton School’s premier finger-spinner
then came on to bowl and Carlton bowled effectively to pick up
two vital wickets. Dowse replaced Bentley and had a dropped catch
off his bowling from David Williams. Consequently, the opponent
knocked off the runs with seven overs to go.
Next day we arrived at The Nest for our final 40-overs game feeling
confident as we knew the conditions better. After some high catching
we were sent out to bat. Bidwell and Bennett opened up. Many were
surprised with Bennett’s selection, as fast scoring had proved to be a
challenge for the young batsman from Teddington. Bidwell looked
composed as he went out to the middle and looked set to anchor
the innings. After a naughty shot back over the bowler’s head for six
Bidwell again crunched one into the covers and was out in the second
over. Bennett continued plodding along as the wickets fell at the other
end. Campbell then came out to bat to join Bennett. After a late flurry
from Campbell, who finished on 40*, we reached 98 in 20 overs.
When we went out to field we again felt that we might be back to the
hotel early in time for some serious water-polo. Bentley bowled one
over up top as he wanted to get an over out the way when the batsmen
were getting in. Then it was time for Mayes to bowl, whose control of
line and length led to a much-deserved three wickets. At this point,
Carlton got a wicket and then Bentley took four wickets by cleaning
up the tail. Hampton won the game by 20 runs, capping a great team
effort with an excellent bowling and fielding display. This was a good
end to a great tour and an experience we will never forget.
We had gained valuable experience playing against spin bowling of
the highest calibre, something which would put us in good stead for
the upcoming season. The standard of the opposition, the nature of
the wickets and the climate all ensured that it was a very challenging
tour which helped to develop us as players immeasurably. In addition,
we were all extremely privileged to be given the opportunity to visit
such a beautiful, interesting and hugely welcoming country such as
India. The boys formed genuine friendships and gained a lot from
listening to them speak about their country. Finally, on behalf of
all the tourists I would like to thank Mr Banerjee, Mr Peel and Mr
Parrish who all gave excellent cricketing advice and made the tour an
extremely enjoyable experience.
Harry Mayes
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2nd XI Cricket
The 2nd XI had an outstanding season. Despite the loss of key
players to the 1st XI throughout the season everyone who played
for the 2nd XI applied their skills to every game to the best of their
ability. With both our strong batting and bowling attacks we were
able to win all our matches despite one.
led the line with his sub-continental left arm spin picking up three
wickets and crucially only concealing 10 runs in 8 overs. On this
occasion we were on the wrong side of a close result, losing the
game by one wicket.
Our final game in a weather-restricted season was against St
George’s. Once again our strong bowling attack proved too strong
for the opposition, especially Shiv Sethi, who picked up four
wickets whilst conceding very few runs. This final game, won by a
margin of 6 wickets, marked a very enjoyable season.
I would like to thank Mr Parrish and all the players who have
represented the 2nd XI this year for their positive attitude towards
each game. Clearly this resulted in the successful season and we all
look forward to next season.
Toby Fuller
3rd XI Cricket
With George Tunnacliffe deservedly being dropped as captain
Toby Fuller was a suitable replacement for the season ahead! Our
first match was against one of our toughest opponents, Dulwich.
Kavi Bhasin got us off to a steady start and was making light work
of their opening bowlers, but unfortunately was over ambitious
in taking a quick single and was run out after a great debut
performance. This bright start gave confidence to batters coming
to the crease. Jack Osmond, Oscar Mayhew and Alex Bidwell all
contributed with 20s and we set an imposing total. Our bowling
attack was exceptionally strong that day with the pick of the
bowlers Kyle Shah and David Williams both tearing into their
batting order as we won comfortably by 5 wickets.
Following on from our winning start, we faced a formidable Reed’s
side. The opening pair of Dan Barley and George Tunnacliffe got
us off to an excellent start but in usual Hampton style we suffered
a middle order collapse. With the opposition suspecting they had
entered the tail end, out walked Jake Goodwill and scored some
crucial runs to give us a defendable total. The opening bowlers
of Jake Goodwill and Ben Dowse bowled a very tight spell but
wickets were hard to come by. Captain Fuller thought up an
inspired change in the bowling line up and it worked an absolute
treat. Rory Chatterton came on and picked up 5 wickets, leading
to a decisive victory by 26 runs.
Our most impressive performance was against Christ’s Hospital
where we decided to bat and posted 256 from 40 overs. Reuben
Sanger and Henry Weir, two fine young batsmen, tore apart
their bowling attack and scored 84* and 54 respectively in the
best partnership of the season. With the dismissal of Sanger,
Rory Chatterton walked out into the middle. His presence clearly
intimidated the bowlers as they started bowling half volleys which
were dispatched into all areas of the ground. He ended up with a
very impressive 54* from 19 balls – supposedly the fastest 50 in the
history of Hampton cricket.
Next up was St Paul’s: a team we usually have tight games against.
This was to be no exception. Rather disappointingly our batting
collapsed and we only managed to get 90 on the board. This
required an exceptional bowling approach and Raghav Shaunak
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Our season started with an awakening defeat against Dulwich.
Despite some fine bowling, Dulwich managed to score 209, with one
batsman scoring almost half their runs. Our run chase was indebted
to Dhruva Preston who scored what would turn out to be our first
and last 50 of the summer. A victory against Reed’s followed, with
Reed’s never quite able to reach our target of 132. They were all out
for 103 with 3 wickets apiece for Henry Weir and Luke Gilman
(Luke with particularly impressive figures of 3-3 from 2 overs). A
very comprehensive victory against Tiffin followed, Tiffin all out for
30. Gilman again took 3 wickets, but there was a wicket for almost
all our bowlers. After a break due to the weather and opposition pulling out, our
next match was an extremely close loss to St Paul’s. Having scored
178, largely due to Joe Haddad’s 40 at more than a-run-a-ball, we
were unable to defend the target, with St Paul’s winning off the first
ball of the final over. Henry Long took two late wickets to give us
hope of a victory, but it was not to be. We finished the season as we
started, with another relatively convincing loss against Eton. 118
all out was unlikely to be enough against such a tough opposition,
thanks mainly due to James Ingram (28) and Guillaume Thewlis
(20). Max Lancaster took two wickets but Eton were just too strong.
It was not the best way to end a much-shortened season due to the
British summer, but I think everyone involved can be proud of how
they played. Thanks to Mr Williams for giving up his time and for
finding players late on a Friday night after the 2nds inevitably pinched
some of our players.
Ben Hopkins
U15A Cricket
Having lost one of our best bowlers, Chris Searle, to the 1st XI early
in the season, there were doubts over how effective our bowling
attack would be. However, our bowlers took it in their stride and
showed no sign of missing any players. We opened the season with
a game against RGS Guildford where we got put into the field and
managed to limit them to 138 off 37 overs. We chased the score
sport
down with a few nerves, finishing it off in the final over, but it was a
good win to start off the season with.
We then faced Dulwich who are a good cricketing side. Again
we fielded first and bowled and fielded very well, with Suchin
Sampathkumar the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for just
8 runs off 5 overs. We bowled them out for 74 and went to have a
bat. It was a lot nervier than it should have been, losing three wickets
in quick succession, but mainly thanks to our bowlers we managed
to get over the line intact.
as they were in the semi-finals of a national tournament. However,
their running between the wickets was comedic and we picked up
three wickets, getting them all out for 178. As usual, we didn’t make
the chase very easy for ourselves, collapsing a bit toward the end.
However, we still managed to win the game.
All in all it was a very successful season. We had a few players in
and around the 1st XI, which bodes well for years to come. Max
Starling took the most wickets with 14; Luke Minshull and Will
Christophers were close second with 10 each. Ollie George was the
top run-scorer and looked a very classy batsmen; Max Starling was
second, followed by Todd Ryan.
I would like to take this moment to thank Mr Turner for everything
he has done this season. His hard work has been amazingly helpful
and has made us a better team all round. Everything he did was
thoroughly appreciated by all of us.
George Gregory
U15B Cricket
Next up was Reed’s. We opted to bat this time and although we had
plenty of starts, no one really went on to get a big score, so we were
left with a below par score of 134. We went out to field and took
three quick wickets; they then had a long partnership, but thanks to
tight fielding and bowling we managed to restrict them.
We had a long trip over to Christ’s Hospital where we batted first.
We managed to post a very respectable 186 with both Ollie George
and Todd Ryan getting half centuries. With the FA Cup Final on
their batting was very rushed. However, we couldn’t take advantage
of this, having to bowl out all the overs. We did restrict them to 156
off 30 overs.
After a decent victory we couldn’t be better set up to face St Paul’s, to
whom we lost twice last year after some controversial antics. We were
very up for some revenge. We were put in to bat and it was clear to
see why, as we posted a score of just 97 all out. Our opening bowlers
got us off to a very good start, taking a few quick wickets and we
fielded very tightly, not one of their players getting over 20 runs.
They looked to be about to bat out for a draw but thanks to Max
Vyvyan – with figures of three overs, one run and three wickets – we
managed to skittle them for just 68.
We would need to play even better than that if we were to give Eton
a game. We had Chris Searle back in the side so morale was high. We
got off to a good start but unfortunately we couldn’t go on to post
a high enough score for the wicket we were on. Eton chased it with
relative ease. We were most certainly beaten by the better side: they
were very strong in every discipline.
We moved on, putting the recent defeat behind us, to St. George’s.
We batted very well and declared on 181 to give us some time to
bowl them out. It went down to the last over with us needing two
wickets to win… Unfortunately we couldn’t get them. However, it
was one of the more enjoyable games to play in as it was so close,
providing a nice bit of drama at the end.
Our last game of the season was against PGS, another team who
had defeated us the year before. It was going to be a tough game
The season started late, with two early cancellations due to
weather. Our eventual first match against Dulwich was an easy
victory. This was followed by another easy victory against Reed’s,
where a steady 80 partnership between Witt and Vyvyan laid the
foundations for Etheridge to hit to a strike rate of 233 in the final
overs. Alex Brown was happy to fill in as wicket keeper (performing
very well) when Matt Walker was unable to play due to an injury.
Following another cancellation against Tiffin we played Christ’s
Hospital. This was an expected easy win, bowling out weak opposition
for just 46, with every bowler bowling two overs. A reversal of the
batting order led to a slight collapse before Jacob Turley reached the
target with a paddle sweep for four.
St Paul’s were restricted to a low target mainly due to highly
economical bowling from Ackery, who took two wickets for one
run off seven overs. This score was then easily chased down due to
another quickfire 40 from Matchett.
We knew Eton would be the biggest match of the season and were
very disappointed with a demoralising defeat. Lower order heroics
were not enough to push us into triple figures. Highly economical
bowling from Sweeney and Sampathkumar was not enough to stop
the inevitable, with a beatable Eton side ending victorious by seven
wickets.
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We got our vengeance a short while later, when a predominantly
U15B side beat Eton’s 4th XI comfortably. This was due to excellent
bowling from Turley and Sweeney, followed by a 116 second wicket
partnership between Witt and Goss – with scores of 47 and 71*
respectively – to chase down 150.
arrived at the crease. He then set about destroying the St Paul’s
bowling attack, charging down the wicket to make 91 runs and
allowing us to post a respectable target.
The highlight of the season was PGS, where Goss finally found
some end of season form with 133 from 75 balls. This was helped
by a quality 40 from an ill Matt Walker. 254 was always going to
be easy to defend in 30 overs, but was helped by an excellent fivewicket haul from Leigh-Pollit and some interesting spin bowling
from throughout the team.
Aarun Samra was a consistent spinner throughout the season,
taking many wickets despite not bowling in many matches.
Likewise, Zac Goodwill was highly consistent with his batting and
was a key member of the bowling attack. Overall we can look back
with pleasure on the season, with only one loss against Eton. This
success was mainly due to excellent coaching from Mr Clarke, and
his detailed post-match analysis.
Aaron Goss (Captain)
U15C Cricket
On the bowling side, we were very lucky to have found Patrick
Ardill, a new off-spinner who could bowl with nice flight and a
consistent full length. Peter Kulanayagam had an impressive year
consolidating his role as opening swing bowler, whilst his batting
improved considerably. This was a year where we struggled to beat
the top cricketing schools but I’m sure the hard work we put in
during this season will allow us to be more competitive in our U15
season.
Cole Campbell
This year the Under 15Cs had a mixed season with some very
comfortable wins over the likes of Christ’s Hospital tempered
by some large losses to strong teams such as Eton. The team was
strongly captained by James Osborne and he often led by example
with some great catches. Alex Brown made two successive fifties
in the final two matches of the season, whilst Matt Rofe and Tom
Clegg consistently took wickets when opening the bowling. James
Barr was solid behind the stumps, and his six-filled innings in the
final match helped us to victory. Meanwhile, Mason WorsfoldGregg bowled and batted well when coming down from the Bs.
Overall it was a very successful and enjoyable season.
Andrew Condron
U14B Cricket
The 2014 U14B season started slowly, with a fairly heavy defeat at
Dulwich in the first match being followed by several matches that
were cancelled due to bad weather. However, once we were able
to both practise and play regularly, the performances improved
noticeably and the remaining games saw four victories (against
Christ’s Hospital, St Paul’s, St George’s and PGS) and only one
further loss (against Eton). The highlight was the match against a
good St Paul’s team, when Migara Kumarasinghe’s superb 91 not
out helped Hampton chase down a big total.
U14A Cricket
The U14 season was a very successful one with many impressive
victories. The highlight was winning the U14s Gubby Allen
trophy, beating Latymer in the final with Joel Banerjee getting
102 not out and Cole Campbell getting 79 not out. We also had
a good run in the Middlesex Cup, progressing to the semi-finals
before losing out to a very strong Harrow team.
However, the team’s biggest achievement was showing the mental
strength to win matches we were very close to losing. This was due
to two excellent innings by Jack Munro against St George’s and
Cameron Rose vs PGS, both batting with lower order batsmen.
There were some exceptional individual performances, especially
Logan Cullen’s innings vs St Paul’s. We had lost two early,
important wickets due to a slow and damp wicket when Logan
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The captaincy was shared between Rhodri Evans and Gabriel
Heaney. The high number of all-rounders meant the batting order
sport
was deep and could be easily swapped around, while the team was
never short of bowling options. The fielding improved noticeably
too, with direct hits for run-outs in the last few games a welcome
and unexpected sight! The team was a delight to coach: they showed an excellent approach
and a largish squad (as there was regular movement between A and
C teams) all made a positive contribution. It was very pleasing to
see the way the standard of play improved and I am sure they can
develop further in the years ahead. Squad: R. Evans, G. Heaney, C. Rose, H. Bathurst, A. Jeyakumar,
H. Altman, J. Softly, S. Anderson, F. Battle, S. Millward, M.
Murphy, M. Kumarasinghe, A. Khan, A Lloyd-Seed, J. Logue,
J. Spillard.
JOM
5-22 against Portsmouth Grammar was a match-winning effort and
the bowling performance of the season.
With willow in hand we were irresistible at times. A weak Christ’s
Hospital attack was put to the sword by Jamie Warren and Joe
Wheeler – both registering unbeaten centuries. Jamie carried that
form through the rest of the season playing several captain’s innings
at crucial times, averaging 59.33 in the process. With a depleted side
taking the field against Elizabeth College Guernsey, Jamie scored 99
not out, guiding us to a total we went on to defend for victory. If
only the umpire had seen the inside edge on a leg bye it would have
been another hundred – either way, it was a superb match-winning
knock to be proud of. Similar praise is due to Conrad O’Driscoll
who scored 49 not out in his first ever innings for the A team, which
helped guide the team to victory against St George’s.
U14C Cricket
The boys should be pleased with their achievements this summer
and resolve to improve again as an U14 side, maintaining the very
high standards they are capable of in the field.
I would like to say a particular thank you to Jamie for his excellent
captaincy and his outstanding efforts fielding – he set an example for
others to follow. I would also like to thank the boys’ parents for their
support throughout the season.
TFR
U13A Cricket
Ultimately, this has been a successful season for a very talented crop
of players. At the time of writing we have completed 9 fixtures,
winning 5 and losing 4, with one match still to play against Trinity.
A mixture of rain abandonments and a lack of clinical cricket left us
with only one victory in the first half term. Winning is a habit forged
with high standards in the field and good running between the
wickets, combined with positive batting and attacking bowling. We
improved in all of these areas as the season progressed and developed
the pleasing habit of winning.
U13B Cricket
This was a season in which the collective effort improved as we went
along, but there were some standout performances throughout.
Max Cooper and Arun Bhasin developed impressively as new-ball
bowlers, both combining good pace with accuracy and swing to
threaten opposition top order players. Keep pitching it up lads! They
were ably support by Tim Sweeney bowling tight lines and picking
up useful wickets. Elliot Harmer finished as leading wicket-taker
with 14 victims succumbing to his well-flighted off-spin. Elliot’s
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Football purports to be the beautiful game but I would argue
that cricket would win any sporting beauty contest hands down.
The U13Bs certainly played in an elegant manner which, whilst
not always successful, was at least pleasing on the eye. Excellently
skippered by Jacob Povah, the U13Bs often fielded and bowled
very well; Conrad O’Driscoll, Will Turner, Prem Sodhi,
George Pepper and Alex Carey all performed so well that they
represented the U13As at times throughout the season.
In the U13B team, James Horner, Hugh Nugent and Chris
Cannon proved a very effective bowling attack, taking many
wickets. All-rounder James Lancaster also showed his usefulness
with the ball taking a five-wicket haul, including a hat-trick,
against St George’s College. It was also pleasing to see the
development of bowlers such as Charlie Finch, Joe Wigoder and
Joel Feller who gained confidence in their abilities throughout
the season.
The batting was ably led by Roshan Hehar and Jamie Dunbar
who both demonstrated maturity at the crease. Fergus
McWilliams and James Dowden showed why they had been
promoted from the C team with some superb contributions with
both bat and ball.
It was a pity that so many matches were lost to rain as it was a pleasure
to watch them play. They behaved very well and their prospects are
very good.
I thank all the players for their hard work, inspired play and
good company. Particular thanks go to Rahul for his tremendous
captaincy. He just needs to learn to use his spinners more!
ST
U12B Cricket
Overall, we were cheated by the weather this season, with four
matches called off and one abandoned, meaning the fixtures
where we were lucky enough to get a game were even more
important than they already were! Of those five played, we
won three and lost two, a decent record against a few very
good sides.
It has been a delight to coach these boys and I wish them well in
their future cricket endeavours.
WDP
U12A Cricket
What a precocious young team this is!
Keen to get off to a winning start, we went into our eagerlyawaited first cricket match of the season after a long winter of
cricket nets. While this meant we certainly weren’t rusty, we fell
just 14 short of the impressive Dulwich side in a hotly-contested
match. Alex Riley, Archie Chilcott and Cameron Bhasin made
up our bowling attack, and spinners Ollie Nixon, Agastya Jha
and Henry Sheen came on to great effect. Joe Trevor stepped
in behind the stumps, doing a fine job. Also called into our side
last-minute, Charlie Key made a huge impact in the field, as did
Himanish Joshi.
Winter nets were very successful and from them a very powerful
twelve players emerged. The team has everything: pace, several
capable spinners and wicket-taking medium pace; a top-class wicketkeeper; high-class top order batsmen and good batting a long way
down. Additionally (and unusually for U12s), catches stuck and
opposition batsmen were regularly run out. This team likes to win
and knows how to do it. So, all the ingredients are there. I just hope
that all the players work hard with Chris throughout the winter to
strengthen weaknesses so that they can approach the match against
Trinity next year with confidence. This was the only real match for
them this year and had all the makings of a great game until the rain
intervened.
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Whilst disappointed by the result, we went into our second match
with high hopes. We were rewarded with a resounding ninewicket victory over a strong Dr Challoner’s team, with strong
batting and keeping from Jack Berg, a strong opening stand by
me and Archie Chilcott, and classy bowling by Gurmehar Sumra
and Paddy Wheeler ensuring the result went our way.
The wind was in our sails, and it certainly showed against Christ’s
Hospital, winning by an amazing 169 runs. Highlights of an
outstanding match include Jack Berg and I both retiring after
scoring in the 50s (with Archie Chilcott scoring an impressive
25), and some unstoppable bowling by Alex Riches – taking four
wickets off two overs. Henry Sheen again deserves a mention,
bowling consistently well to get Christ’s Hospital all out for 11
runs.
sport
We were brought down to earth in the
next match, however, beaten narrowly
by St. George’s despite great bowling
from George Price, Cameron Bhasin,
and the ever-dependable Alex Riley, with
Cameron also batting extremely well at
number four. Although Tom Hudson and
George Price went big with their shots, it
wasn’t quite enough as we were beaten by
two wickets.
While there were more than a few
grumbles about arriving at school at 7
a.m. for our last match of a convincing
season – our journey to Portsmouth –
the journey proved to be worth it as we
emerged victors by five wickets, Cosmo
Liefting-Moore grabbing the headlines
with a debut 21 to wrap up the victory.
Excellent bowling from Tom Hudson,
Henry Sheen and Ollie Heyes got us to
that point, again supported at the other
end by Jack Berg, a pivotal figure this
season behind the stumps.
It has been a great season, albeit slightly
damp, and I would like to thank Mr Sims
for coaching us brilliantly and giving up
his Saturday mornings to come to watch
us play, Chris Harrison for his winter nets,
and finally all the parents who came along
to cheer us, rain or shine.
win was against Dulwich College, where
we won by 56 runs. The C team had some
very solid batsmen in Tom Hudson,
Joe Trevor and Paul Wilkinson. Our
bowlers were equally dependable: these
were Himanish Joshi, Seb Khan, Nick
Richards and Luke Jefferies, who got our
only maiden over.
Ethan Scott
Joe Helm
U12C Cricket
Last season the U12C cricket team played
a number of matches and won all of them
but one, which was called off. Our greatest
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Senior Tennis
A little like Manchester United’s golden era of Beckham, Scholes, Giggs and the Neville
brothers, Hampton Senior tennis is finally saying goodbye to a number of outstanding
players who have offered tremendous service to the School throughout their time here.
Oli Coates as Captain of Tennis has always been a pleasure to watch on court; powerful,
stylish and never to be accused of lacking confidence when sporting his fancy footwear and
occasional bling. Similarly, Andy Ioakimides has often inspired watchers with his unique
combination of consistency, cerebral mastery of tactics and outrageous touches. Many
teams would be content to have Sundar van Staa as a number one player, so as a number
3 in the year group, we have been hugely fortunate to have yet another highly talented,
determined and athletic player in the team. Without actually having the numbers to hand,
he undoubtedly has one of the highest win-loss ratios of players that have been through
the School. And when mentioning stats, this piece wouldn’t be complete without a word
about Matt Roberts, who possibly knows more about Roger Federer than even the great
player does about himself. If Matt doesn’t become a significant sports journalist in the
future, I will be very surprised. And his tennis isn’t half bad either, with an emphasis on
his being a ‘doubles specialist’ to add a further dimension to the team. Unorthodox doesn’t
quite convey the often extraordinary nature of shots that Tom Bolshaw has produced over
the years, most notably a mid-court drive forehand volley – we still can’t work out how it
(sometimes) goes in, surely defying the laws of physics? And finally Michael Shennan, a
late entrant to the squad in his Sixth Form years but nevertheless a useful addition to our
strength in depth, making some notable appearances this summer.
As a season, 2014 will perhaps go down as a ‘so nearly’ one. The team of Andy, Sundar,
Harry Robins (L6th) and Matt Roberts did very well to reach the National Finals of the
winter Senior Students competition at Bolton for the 2nd year in succession, but didn’t
quite have the firepower to emulate our 2013 Championship success. In the ISL event,
we were narrowly pipped by our arch nemesis Reed’s in the 1st round, finishing a highly
respectable 6th out of 16 teams overall. Greater success was to be had in the Surrey League,
where we were chuffed to get one over on Reed’s in the semi-finals, only to be narrowly
beaten by a superb St George’s College team, 5-4 in the final.
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In the National Schools Championship we had the most successful
run in recent years, beating Windsor Boys, Cheam B and St
George’s College (after a nail-biting match tie-break) before
succumbing to a young UCS team in the regional finals. There
were some absolutely incredible moments during these matches
of sublime mastery from all of the team, perhaps most notably
in a number of crucial doubles wins which Messrs Grundmann,
Phillips and myself would like to take some credit for, having
continually emphasised the value of good doubles play.
In the St George’s pairs event, Andy Ioakimides and Sundar van
Staa reached the semi-finals before losing to an excellent Eton
College pair, whilst Nick Nugent and Taras Kovalevsky went one
better, finishing losing finalists to (an inevitably) strong Reed’s pair
for the 2nd year in succession.
And so to the final event of the school tennis calendar; the
Independent Schools Tennis Association tournament at Eton
College. The team of Nick, Oli, Sundar and Taras played some
quality tennis in the first three rounds to set up (yet another!)
meeting with Reed’s in the quarter final of the Youll Cup. Needing
to be absolutely on their game if they were to triumph over their
scholarship players, they didn’t quite turn it on when it was
required – although perhaps we should take some pride in the
fact that Reed’s put out as strong a team as they did in order to
guarantee the win.
So, farewell to a vintage crop of Hampton tennis talent, for
indeed, all things must pass. I’m aware that compared to previous
years I have hardly mentioned Nick Nugent’s continued tennis
exploits, and we are indeed fortunate to have him for one more
year of service. I hope he will not mind ceding the limelight on
this particular occasion! The Senior squad overall have been an
absolute pleasure to watch, coach and manage, but they have also
been unfailingly committed, competitive and successful, playing
the game as it should be – to win, but not at all costs. We wish
them well both on and off court in the next stage of their lives.
U14 Tennis
The U14s have had a successful year, which was fittingly capped
by an appearance at the Surrey Finals. Some tough matches
throughout the Summer Term at Trinity, KGS and St Paul’s all
yielded excellent results for Hampton. A very strong KCS team
halted Hampton’s progress at the Surrey Finals but making it
to the competition by winning each preceding match was an
impressive enough feat. James Hughes and Ben Court have been
playing some fine tennis as the top two seeds, whilst Ollie Ross,
Ben Harries, Bruno Dimitroff, Ben Ho, Jack Grady and Sam
Reynolds have all admirably represented the School. The squad
has shown fantastic commitment and will doubtless continue to
succeed higher up the School.
AF
U13 Tennis
The U13 Hampton Tennis team has produced some fine displays
this year with convincing wins over Lanesborough Prep and
Rokeby before reaching the semi-final of the Surrey League,
eventually falling to St George’s College in a hard-fought match.
The team, consisting of Joss Connell, Fraser Barclay, Gustav
Durlind and Luke Darlison, spearheaded a strong showing
in the AEGON competition, with convincing victories against
Teddington School and Orleans Park before eventually losing to a
very strong UCS side 10-2: Luke Darlison claimed the only rubber
after Fraser Barclay narrowly missed out 6-4 in a closely-fought set.
All members of the team have shown a high level of commitment
during the season, attending weekly practices regularly throughout
the year, and should be proud of their efforts.
DP
U15 Tennis
This season’s squad was a pleasure to coach and a delight to watch.
The season began with winter squads; attendance was excellent,
enabling impressive progression, especially in doubles play. The
standard was always going to be high as there is oodles of talent in this
year group and increasingly impressive attitudes. Unsurprisingly,
the Summer Term began with aplomb, with impressive victories
over Orleans Park, Teddington School and UCS taking them
through to the knock-out stages of the AEGON competition. As I
write, they have just secured victory over John Hampden School,
taking them through to the final stages of this competition. It is
impossible (and unnecessary) to single out particular players; they
have all played with enthusiasm, dignity and fairness, and deserve
to be proud of their conduct and performances on court. This was a
most enjoyable season and there can be little doubt this promising
group of players will make outstanding contributions to the Senior
squad next year – I look forward to seeing them achieving the
success they deserve in the years to come.
U12 Tennis
The team of Alex Page, Hamish MacCormick, Tim Bird, Ollie
Heyes and Tom Randall were one of the strongest Hampton have
had for a number of years. They were very unlucky to miss out on
reaching the Surrey Schools finals – but will be stronger for the
experience.
The team had good wins over Kingston Grammar as well as
Lanesborough and Rokeby prep schools.
There is also considerable strength in depth – as it was pleasing to
see a strong turnout for the squad sessions on Friday lunchtime.
BSB
VMS
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Athletics
John Fisher – Wed 7 May
Achilles Relays – Wed 30 April
With many Hampton athletes at the younger end of their age
group, this was always going to be a preparation event for the season
ahead and for following Achilles competitions. It was great to see
Hampton field an Intermediate hurdling quartet at the Achilles,
something we hope to continue in the future. Pride of place went
to Hampton’s middle distance teams, with the Senior, Inter and
Junior quartets all setting new School records for the 4x800m. The
Inter sprint quartets narrowly missed their finals and can be proud
of some solid changeovers and performances. After a disappointing
disqualification in the 4x100m relay, the Senior sprint team bounced
back in the 4x200m to push Millfield all the way to an Achilles relays
meeting record, Hampton taking silver in yet another School sprint
relay record.
Radley Medley Relays – Tue 6 May
First up, a great performance from a rejuvenated Junior 4x100m
team. They put together a decent enough set of changeovers to take
bronze in 50.2secs (still plenty of room for improvement for the
remainder of the season). Our Senior sprint quartet again struggled
to demonstrate their fluid baton passing of last season, which brought
so much success. However, the Seniors finished the meet with a
nail-biting medley relay against St Paul’s. Alfie Battle and Harry
Littler ran effortlessly, putting us in contention after the 200m legs.
Jamie Campbell then held off St Paul’s for almost the entirety of his
lap, before Jamie Finnigan and the St Paul’s athlete played cat and
mouse in a tactical 800m battle. The St Paul’s athlete managed to
sit behind Jamie and kick for the line, nudging Hampton into the
silver medal spot.
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Almost 80 athletes from 1st to 4th year travelled to Purley for the
John Fisher meet. Alex Meaklim’s first triple jump of the season
(12.50m) put his name on all of Hampton’s junior triple jump
records! Many 1st Year athletes showed great promise, finishing in
the top places in their respective events. Sam Southall won the
1500m in a fantastic time of 5.17mins, whilst Tommy Nagle
also won the discus event. Relays finished the meet, with much
work still to be done in this area during the season. Some great
performances (and races) nonetheless. Hampton finished in the
top two in every relay, with less than half a second between the
winners and runners-up of each race!
Hampton Relays
On Friday 9th and Mon 12th May, Hampton trialed a friendly relays
fixture during First and Second Year games against Grey Court.
These fixtures were enjoyed by the boys and were an excellent
opportunity to practise relays, with Hampton fielding over 10 relay
teams in each event.
English Schools’ Track and Field Cup 1st Round – Thu 15 May,
Lee Valley
Hampton travelled to Lee Valley, hopeful of some good performances
to advance them to the next round. Jamie Chapman started
proceedings with yet another solid performance in the hurdles,
followed by a 10 metre triple jump. Sam Collingridge continued to
amaze, with an almost unbelievable shot put of 15.11m! It was only
a 4kg shot Sam… Zak Wort, who has had a great season so far on
the track, ran an excellent time of 2.18min in the junior 800m and
challenged Eitan Orenstein during the bus ride home to a School
record-breaking 1500m race at Sevenoaks on Saturday.
sport
Sevenoaks – Sat 17 May
The Sevenoaks meet was a day of nice surprises for Hampton
Athletics, with a number of athletes starting to realise their actual
potential: Joonas Hartikainen was asked to do a set of hurdles
for the first time, and what a set of hurdles it was! Joonas clocked
12.7secs for the 80m hurdles. In the absence of Eitan Orenstein,
Zak Wort was true to his word about breaking records; setting a
fantastic pace in his 1500m race, lapping in around 69secs a lap. Zak
finished the race in 4.37min. Will we see Zak run a sub four-minute
mile in the future?
Middlesex Athletics Championships – Tue 10 June
Saracens’ Allianz Park was the setting for the County Championships,
hopefully inspiring our athletes to success. 19 athletes were selected
for the Richmond team: a good number, considering GCSE exams
affected availability of the Fifth Year. Patrick Rowe and Joonas
Hartikainen particularly impressed in the 300m and 80m hurdles,
making their respective finals. This was a fantastic achievement,
considering both athletes were new to these events! Zak Wort and
Gabriel Lewis demonstrated great determination in trying to set
new PBs in the junior 800m, whilst Zaki Rehman and Jamie
Lashley were unlucky to miss out in a finals spot in some hotly
contested Inter boys sprint races. Alex Meaklim was to find that
Middlesex appears to have an abundance of triple jumpers, with the
two athletes who beat him on the day surely having a good chance
of medaling at the National Championships. Another fantastic
Middlesex Championships for Sam Collingridge, whose 2nd round
put of 14.21m broke another Hampton School record, winning
the event and securing him a Middlesex team place at the English
Schools’ Championships. Well done again Sam!
English Schools’ Track and Field Cup Regional Finals – Mon 16
June, K2 Arena.
The Inter team finished in second place and the Juniors fourth at
the regional finals in Crawley. Bradley Denison and Jack Wilson
(12.2secs) and Max Chan and Zaki Rehman (24.4), finished in
exactly the same times in the 100m and 200m respectively! No
mean feat and solid point-scoring for the team. Michael Walsh
demonstrated the athlete he can become with powerful performances
in the Junior boys 300m and shot put. Zak Wort continued in his
determined fashion, running 2.20min in the Junior 800m, whilst
Gabriel Lewis had a fantastic run in the Inter event with a season’s
best 2.13min. Shaun-Chris Joash returned to winning ways with
solid performances in the 100m and the discus events.
Trinity Cup – Wed 18 June, Guildford Spectrum
Again some good individual performances at the Trinity Cup.
George Tsisis put together his best set of hurdles of the season,
whilst Gabriel Lewis matched his personal best of 2.13min in
the 800m. Michael Walsh and Shaun-Chris Joash again put in
excellent performances in the sprints and throws.
Richmond Schools’ Championships – Tue 24 June, Kingsmeadow
An excellent morning session saw Zak Wort (2.14.42min, Y8 800m)
and Sam Collingridge (13.41m Y10/11 shot) win their respective
events with Championship records. This was backed up by some
excellent performances: Tom Borret narrowly missed 1500m gold
in a tactical Y9 kick to the finish. Alex Meaklim and Sam Brown
took gold in the Y10/11 triple jump and javelin, whilst Gabriel
Lewis (Y9 800m), Patrick Rowe (Y9 300m), Eitan Orenstein (Y8
1500m) and Oli Woodall (Y8 javelin) also won gold medals. The
First Year performed extremely well in the field, with Torin Umrigar
(triple jump), Max Goldin (shot put) and Tommy Nagle (discus)
all taking the gold medal. The afternoon breathed a sigh of relief to
see all Hampton relay teams get the baton around this year! Lots of
safe changeovers eased the tension, with all four teams finishing in
the medal places.
Congratulations to Jamie Finnigan (Senior 1500m), Sam
Collingridge (Inter shot put) and Alex Meaklim (Inter triple jump),
who at the time of writing have all been selected to compete for
Middlesex at the English Schools’ Track and Field Championships
in July.
Finally, I would like to thank all of the athletes for their hard work
and dedication in what was an extremely difficult term for the
Summer sports. We managed to field strong teams this year at every
event we competed in – a credit to you all.
PDB
2013-2014
131
sport
Cross Country
The senior team competed inter alia in the RGS Guildford Inter
Schools, the King’s Cup and the RGS Guildford Haskell Trophy
Relays, where Jamie Finnegan ran the third fastest time of the day.
The School teams convincingly retained the overall Richmond
Schools’ Cross Country Championships. Four Hamptonians
helped Richmond finish third in the London Youth Games
Cross Country Championships with Zak Wort finishing second
in the U13 race. The U17 team won the Hampton-St Paul’s
Paarlauf. Twelve boys represented Richmond in the Middlesex
Cross Country Championships. Sam Southall finished sixth
in the U13 competition; Zak Wort (U15) came third while
Alex Hickmott (U17) came seventh. Both were selected for
the All-England Schools’ Championships. Jamie Finnegan won
the U19 competition in which Chris Zahn came seventh, and
Rob Evesen, Harry Winter and Jonny Oldfield were tenth,
eleventh and twelfth respectively. They too were selected for the
All England Championships in what has been Hampton’s best
performance ever.
DRC
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2013-2014
sport
Golf
After another good year for Hampton
golfers, we hope that the new golf bays next
to the bike shed will allow us to introduce
the game to even more students over the
coming years. Thanks to generous funding
from the HSPA, two new bays were installed
over the summer and are already being used
by some of our lower school students.
In competitions, we hosted the Richmond
Schools Golf Championship at Fulwell
Golf Club for the third year and although
missing out on the Junior trophy, we
retained the Intermediate and Overall
titles, the former being won with a fantastic
round by Conor Larkin of 44 Stableford
points.
17 holes, considering the Wellington team included a seventeen year old who’d recently made
the cut at a European Tour event. A very honourable defeat.
The annual Old Hamptonians Golf Day was, once again, a resounding success with teams
representing the boys, the Old Boys and a disparate band of teachers playing the course at
Fulwell in early July. The Current Boys failed to sparkle and the Old Boys happily won back the
trophy, whilst Mr Bolton came in victorious in the staff competition. Finally, many thanks to
Andy Ioakimedes and Craig Mathias, both of whom played many times for the School over
the years, and good luck to them as they head off on gap years and university.
AWK
In the ISGA Scratch Trophy we were well
beaten by Wellington in the first round, at
The Berkshire, before getting past Reed’s
in the Plate competition. Then, on a lovely
day in April and amidst a beautifully
picturesque course, we failed to really turn
up and succumbed a little easily to Reading
Blue Coats.
After defeating Cranleigh and Westminster,
we met Wellington again in the 3rd Round
of the HMC Foursomes. And on a cold, wet
and miserable afternoon at the end of March,
we were again beaten. However, our team did
well to ensure that every match played at least
Badminton
Lunchtime Badminton Clubs proved very popular this year,
particularly with First Years, a band of whom also turned up
faithfully at the after-School coaching sessions, making great
progress as a result. Inter form competitions for First and Third
Years attracted great interest and were keenly contested. The
U14 and U16 teams won the Richmond Schools’ Badminton
Championships for their respective age groups; from this they
progressed to the Regional round of the National Championships
where the U14s impressed as runners-up and the U16s finished
fourth. The boys displayed an exemplary attitude throughout. The
U14 team was captained by William Stoner, a player of excellent
stroke production and one who competed with intelligence and
determination. Christian Chan impressed with his movement
around the court and match play; Nick Stoner proved a fine
tactical doubles player and Ollie Phillips displayed some good
strokes. The U16 team was captained by Avish Vijayraghavan,
an able tactician in both singles and doubles play. The strength of
Jake Tallis’ and Aaron Jones’ play lay in their powerful smashes
and Adrian Leung, ever prepared to take advice, played with
intelligence and doggedness. Matches were also played against
Isleworth and Syon School for Boys. Next year will see a greater
number of fixtures and a Sixth Form League, catering for the
increasing interest in Badminton at Hampton. Thanks go to
our external coach, Guy Wildman, for his enthusiasm and close
attention to each and every player.
KEM
2013-2014
133
sport
Basketball
As the second year of Hampton’s
involvement in LISBA comes to an end,
we can look back on how much the team
developed over the course of a season with
a great deal of pride. The appointment of
external coach Fernando Aguilla was of great
benefit to the squad and instilled a sense of
camaraderie and passion for the game that
translated directly into matches. His time
with us was all too short, but we wish him
incredibly well in his new job.
Early in the season, the triangular play of
point guard Liam Lee and forwards Kyle
Shah and Ross Dineen showed they were
keen to cement their positions in the team
by scoring highly against Esher College
and KCS Wimbledon. Esher turned out to
be too strong during the second half and
proved why they are a dominant force in
the area in our pre-season friendly, while
we were distraught to find KCS winning
the season opener with two converted free
throws in the closing seconds of a match
that had been neck-and-neck from the
start.
Matches against UCS and St George’s
Weybridge gave Robbie Robinson an
opportunity to really showcase his blistering
speed, which he has combined with strong
jump-shots and drives this season to punish
opposition, utilising newcomer Will Seth
to clean up rebounds and finish effectively
from close range.
As the middle of the season approached,
City of London showed why they are a
national contender in two convincing
defeats, but during which Luke Harries
and Sean Horan proved their true value
as strong, powerful centres. At this point
in the season Orion Krawitt really began
developing his play to show an outstanding
ability to read the game and make clever,
penetrating runs off the ball, contributing
vital points in the second half of the season.
George Kounoupias (Captain) and Tim
Lawn as shooting guards provided able
support throughout the season to Lee and
Robinson, handling the ball with strength,
defending with heart and applying
clinical accuracy to 3-point shooting to
give another angle to our offensive play.
Kounoupias deserves special mention as
Volleyball
Volleyball continues to be a fast-growing sport in schools in the
Richmond Borough, so it came as no surprise that coach David
Rijvers described this year’s tournaments as showcasing the best
volleyball performances he had seen in years. The Hampton boys
performed fantastically well, showing their strength of character and
determination to improve. They played with great sportsmanship
and enthusiasm and represented the School in exemplary fashion.
Amongst the junior players, James Thompson and Fabio Rossi
captained their teams very responsibly and continue to be the
stalwarts of their respective year group teams. The most improved
player this year is Julian Cassens, who was selected to represent the
Borough in the London Youth Games and helped the U14A team
– supported by Joonas Hartikainen and Theo Saville – to finish as
runners-up in the Richmond Schools competition and in 3rd place at
the JuVo for Schools tournament at Grey Court in June.
The Third Year and Fourth Year inter-form volleyball competitions
were held in January and April. Some very decent volleyball was
played, demonstrating the all-round strength and depth of sporting
prowess in the two Year Groups. A particularly nail-biting final
ended in 3J lifting the trophy.
Hampton’s U15 team continued their unbeaten record, winning
all six of their matches to claim the Borough title for the third
consecutive year. The experienced Joel Hartikainen then
captained a mixed team of the talented Third and Fifth Year boys
to represent the School at the National Independent Schools’
134
2013-2014
a captain who has given nothing short of
100% in every single game and training
session he has been involved in throughout
his three years of Hampton basketball. He
has been a consistent asset to the team and
will be missed. Throughout the season,
Joel Hartikainen, Toby Fuller and Ira Lee
have had their game time limited by other
sporting commitments and injury, but have
been invaluable when available.
Looking to next season, Hampton will
be entering the Surrey Schools Basketball
League in an attempt to increase the number
of fixtures available whilst reducing travelling
time. This may well see competition against
colleges with much larger students bodies to
draw on, but I am confident that this year’s
Lower Sixth will step up to the task in hand.
Supporting them, they can look forward to
the collective talents of Rhys Jones, Matt
Hopkins and Sam Cashmore coming up
from the 5th Year with James Reid-Thomas,
Peter Martin-Collar and Laurenco
Anunciacao in the 4th Year all eager to be
tested at senior level.
WKP
Beach Volleyball Tournament in Brighton. For the first time since
entering the competition Hampton progressed through the group
stage with remarkable skill and tactical expertise against much
older opposition. I am sure that defeat in a very competitive semifinal against Lancing College taught the team a valuable lesson to
only come back stronger next year.
Thanks to the new Sports Hall floor, the Staff vs Senior Boys game
has never proven to be a more popular lunchtime pastime than
this year. At this point I would like to thank in particular Andrew
Ioakimidis, Robert Robinson and Sundar Van Staa for their
weekly contribution.
AS
THE OLD
HAMPTONIANS’
CHRONICLE
CONTENTS
Association/Club & Society Officers .......................................................... 136
The Chairman’s Message .................................................................................. 137
The President’s Message ................................................................................... 137
From the Editor ....................................................................................................... 138
Calendar of Events for 2015 ............................................................................ 139
Report following OH Dinner 2013 .............................................................. 140
News of Old Hamptonians .............................................................................. 141
‘A Life in the Day of’ Mark Samways (2001-2006) .............................. 148
Q&A Interview with Alan Westaway (1981-1987) ............................. 149
Cricket Club .............................................................................................................. 151
Football Club ............................................................................................................ 156
Rugby Club ................................................................................................................ 158
Golf Society ............................................................................................................... 159
Amateur Dramatic Society .............................................................................. 160
Fly tying ....................................................................................................................... 162
Bridge Club ............................................................................................................... 162
Obituaries ................................................................................................................... 163
In Memoriam ........................................................................................................... 164
2013-2014
135
the old hamptonians’ chronicle
Association/Club & Society Officers
The Old Hamptonians’ Association
Correspondence
Old Hamptonians’ Pavilion and Sports Ground,
Dean Road, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 1AQ
0208 979 2784
OHA Office, Hampton School, Hanworth Road, Hampton,
Middlesex, TW12 3HD
Association Officers:
Honorary President
Kevin Knibbs, The Headmaster
Bridge Club
Geoff Wickes (65-72)
07917 621 503, [email protected]
2nd XI Captain: Tom Hunter (99-04)
07894 705 535 , [email protected]
Chairman
Richard S. Brown (00-05)
Flat 2 Grayswood Point, Norley Vale, Roehampton, SW15 4BT
Vice Chairman
Position unfilled
Editor of the Old Hamptonians’ Chronicle
Denis J S. Fuller (54-61)
Inglenook, 11b Kings Ride, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 4HU
01276 22454, [email protected]
Secretary/ Membership Secretary
Alan W. Hunter (58-65)
Calypso, Temple Gdns, Staines, TW18 3NQ
3rd XI Captain: Patrick Davison (94-01)
07595 872 826 , [email protected]
Dramatic Society
Hon. Secretary: Bernard Wigginton (56-64)
18 Cranmer Road, Hampton, Middlesex TW12 1DW
Treasurer: Andy Smith
26 Cambridge Road, Hampton, Middlesex TW12 2JL
Football Club
Club Captain: Chris Heritage (01-06)
1st XI Captain: Rob Campain (99-06)
2nd XI Captain: George Chilton (03-08)
Treasurer
Lee A J. Gallant (83-88)
3rd XI Captain: Ian Wilson
Minutes Secretary
James Comber (93-00)
78 Highdown, Worcester Park, Surrey, KT4 7JB 07814 039 441, [email protected]
Golf Society
Secretary: Gary Hide (68-73)
105 Burtons Road, Hampton Hill, Middlesex, TW12 1DL
OHSGL Representative
Robert A. Glyn-Jones (79-84)
1 Ormond Drive, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 1TP
Annual Dinner Secretary
John R. Carpenter (55-63)
[email protected]
124 Hanworth Road, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 3EY
General Committee Members
John Orr (Staff 1976-Present)
[email protected]
HSPA
Peter Parkin
1 Runnymede Close, Twickenham, TW2 7BT
OH Lodge
Secretary: Neal R Evans
62 Tambrook Way, Forest Park, Bracknell RG12 0GB
01344 444 996
Treasurer: Stuart Murray
Gresham House, 1 The Crescent, Bramley RG26 5BU
01256 881 773
John S. Perry (64-71)
[email protected]
Rugby Club
Secretary: Pete Dendy
Martin Sands (60-67)
Brian Littlejohn (55-61)
Ben Wheeldon (91-98)
11b Esher Avenue, Walton on Thames, Surrey, KT12 2SZ
Ben A. Wiseman (91-98)
07930 393 475
Treasurer: Lee Gallant (83-88)
Recruitment: Mark A. Fox (82-89)
154 Colne Road, Twickenham, Middlesex TW2 6QS
[email protected]
Fly Fishing
Lee Gallant (83-88)
[email protected]
Michael F. Savage (43-49)
101 Park Road, Hampton Hill, TW12 1HU
The Old Hamptonians’ Association Club and Society Officers
Cricket Club
1st XI Captain: Richard Brown (00-05)
Flat 2 Grayswood Point, Norley Vale, Roehampton, SW15 4BT
Honorary Vice Presidents
Barry R. Martin (96-13)
Graham G. Able (88-96)
Jack D. Wells (39-46)
136
Assistant Editor of Old Hamptonians’ Chronicle
Rose Brown
17 Enmore Gardens, East Sheen, London, SW14 8RF
[email protected]
2013-2014
The Chairman’s Message
President’s Message
Welcome to this superb edition
of the Old Hamptonians’
Chronicle. The variety of articles
and photos is much due to the
dedication of Denis Fuller,
Editor, and Rose Brown (my
Mum!), Editorial Assistant.
I am grateful for the
opportunity to contribute a
few lines of introduction to
this latest edition of the Old
Hamptonians’ Chronicle at
the end of my first full year as
Headmaster of our wonderful
School. Generous and humbling
support has been offered to me
by all constituencies within the
School community since I succeeded Barry Martin last summer, but
I must extend particular thanks to the many OHs who have taken
the trouble to offer their encouragement. How characteristic such
kindness is of former and indeed current Hamptonians.
I must pay tribute to our friend
Subhash ‘Subi’ Kamath who
sadly passed away in early 2014. Subi was ever the clubman, fulfilling
more roles than one can imagine in forty-two years as an OH. Arnie
Glyn-Jones’ obituary records his true contribution to OH life. He is
truly missed.
I took over the role as Chairman having aided Denis Fuller’s good
work in 2013. In 2014 we have added members to our Association
Committee which is beginning to bear fruit and develop
relationships across the School’s vast network of experience. John
Orr (Staff), Andrew Curtis (OH Lodge) and the HSPA – led by
Peter Parkin and Robert Dollery – have all added value to our
committee and we hope these relationships will increase the profile
of the OHA to pupils, parents and staff into the many years to
come.
The 1st XI Football team’s achievement to win the Amateur
Football Combination Premier League is unrivalled in their
history. The efforts of Richard Sexton and Rob Campain have seen
many Old Boys ply their trade in the 1st - 3rd XI in 2013/14. The
Cricket Club continues to compete with three XIs in the Surrey
Championship and the Brian Gray Memorial 6s continues to show
the talent developed by Messrs Cook, Wesson, Turner, Peel, Parrish
and Banerjee. The Rugby Club look forward to regeneration on
September 20th, competing in a new merit table league under the
stewardship of Pete Dendy and Mark Fox.
Our Amateur Dramatic Society achieved great success with ‘Follow Me’
at the Elmbridge Festival and they were selected as semi-finalists at the
All England Theatre Festival. Young actors from Hampton would be a
great addition to this experienced group. The Bridge Club continue to
play on Tuesday evenings at the OH Pavilion and are very welcoming
of new players into their ‘friendly competitive’ environment!
Our Pavilion and Bar are significant assets to our association and
should be utilised more. We welcome groups to host parties,
functions and ‘get-togethers’ at any time of the year. You could not
ask for a better view out onto the green green grass of the OH and
the School fields.
The value of the Old Hamptonians’ Association and Pavilion is
undeniable. My own personal experiences on the cricket and football
fields, in the bar, behind the bar and more recently the committee
room have given me some of my best life experiences. You won’t
know what you’re missing until you call, email, text, Facebook,
Tweet, Whatsapp or even do it the old-fashioned way and come and
introduce yourself. Old Hamptonians are alive and well, playing,
acting, socialising or even teaching you!
It remains very pleasing to see the Chronicle in its rightful place
within the wider body of the annual The Lion magazine, as this
emphasises the importance placed at Hampton upon strong links
between the School and alumni of all ages throughout the world. I
hope that looking through The Lion will enable our former pupils
to enjoy the School’s continuing successes and to take pride in the
many and various achievements of the boys who have followed in
their footsteps. I also recommend that you visit the School website
for updates on the latest Hampton news during the upcoming year
and the more technologically-minded OHs might also find the
increasingly popular @HamptonSchool Twitter feed of interest! It is always a particular pleasure to welcome Old Hamptonians
back to visit their School and I encourage you to contact me if you
would like to come and see us at any time, whether individually
or as part of a group. We are easily able to organise tours and our
admirable Keeper of the Archives, Dr Leary, will often be able to find
interesting and illuminating records of the past glories (or otherwise!)
of returning old boys. We take great pleasure in highlighting the
accomplishments of OHs on the aforementioned website and any
such news will be enthusiastically received – this year, for example,
we have been able to celebrate Professor Colin Jones’ (OH 19591966) award of a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for
services to Historical Research and Higher Education, to congratulate
Barney Gilbert (OH 2004-2009) on securing a prestigious Kennedy
Scholarship at Harvard, and to highlight Patrick Aryee’s (OH 19972004) breakthrough as a BBC wildlife presenter with his compelling
series Super Senses: The Secret Power of Animals. We have also enjoyed
receiving further news of Zafar Ansari’s (OH 2005-2010) and Toby
Roland-Jones’ (OH 2001-2006) exploits with Surrey CCC and
Middlesex CCC respectively, learning of Alex Lundberg’s (OH
2006-2013) success with the victorious England squad in the U20
Rugby Junior World Championship and hearing of Karl Hudspith’s
(OH 1999-2006) fourth appearance in a Dark Blue Boat Race crew.
One of Hampton’s many conspicuous strengths is the warmth of
the relationship that exists between the School and the OHA and
its associated clubs. We are keen to maintain and enhance these
connections wherever possible and are always delighted to learn of
OHs who might be willing to provide careers or university advice
to current pupils – please get in touch if you would like to offer
something in this important area.
I call upon all pupils, parents and teachers to read on and enjoy this
year’s OH Chronicle.
Thank you for your support for the School and I hope to meet as
many of you as possible in person over the coming years.
Richard Brown (2000-2005)
Kevin Knibbs – Headmaster
2013-2014
137
From the Editor
When, after a short stint as chairman of OHA, I offered to assume
the vacant role of Editor, I did wonder what Messrs Falconer, Yarrow
and Colihole would have thought of Fuller being appointed to a role
which involved literary competence and responsibility – I was never
what they would consider to be an outstanding student of English. On a summer’s day in August I was taken, by my daughter, on a
boat ride from Thames Ditton to Shepperton – one might call it
a trip down a rather wet memory lane. I pointed out to my family
the site of the original ‘house with seats in it where children shall
be taught’ (Robert Hammond) – i.e. Hampton Church, and the
grassy bank at the Western end of Desborough Island where I sat to
revise Wordsworth – I’d hoped that the environment might be more
conducive to study. Seven years is a short period in one’s lifetime,
yet, more than fifty years after I left Hampton, I recall much of
my time there as if it were yesterday. The three English masters to
whom I refer were decent men who strove to do their very best for
uncooperative and not particularly academic boys like me. I know
such men, and, now, women, are teaching at Hampton today, and
I’m sure that the vast majority of students, including the not-sosuccessful ones, will, throughout their lives, say, as I do, ‘Hampton
was a good school to have attended’.
By now I’ve probably committed several ‘Howlers’ in my English
usage – or should I say ‘use of English’? In my time at Hampton
there was a ‘Howlers’ section in the School magazine, a yellow
publication which was produced at the end of each term. The
perpetrators of the ‘Howlers’ were not named, but, if you were
like me, you’d make sure that your mates knew if you had been
‘published’. Today it might have been described as ‘cool’. The
aforementioned Robert Hammond founded Hampton in 1556,
an event which we celebrated in 1956 with a service at St Paul’s
Cathedral. Charles Cleall, OH, wrote a ‘Te Deum’ for the occasion,
which the entire school rehearsed to such extremes that we renamed
it the ‘Te-dious’. In an English examination we were asked to write
an essay, describing our thoughts about the composition, and my
resultant ‘Howler’ was ‘the Te-deum is a good piece of music as it
gives us all plenty of time to rest while the choir sings’.
Fifty years ago there were not so many universities, and comparatively
few boys of my academic standard had aspirations to even try to
gain a place. My sporting abilities were pretty much at the level of
my academic prowess, but what I lacked in skill was compensated
by my enthusiasm for certain sports and thus, aged eighteen, I
was privileged to be able to walk across the playing fields and join
the OHA cricket and rugby sections.
It is satisfying therefore to be able to ‘put something’ back into OHA.
I assumed the role of OHA chairman on the strict understanding
that I had a young, enthusiastic vice-chairman – and who could
have been better than Richard Brown? Rich obviously recognised
that whilst I might be enthusiastic, I would need support; thus he
‘volunteered’ his extremely able, industrious and creative Mother,
Rose de Boer, who has taken to the role of Editorial Assistant, like a
duck to the Thames. Stating that ‘I could not have done it without
Rose’ is absolutely true. But for Rose I don’t think we’d have an OH
Chronicle this year!
From 2004-2012 the OH Chronicle was edited and produced by
Peter Goddard who worked with his counterpart at the School to
ensure that the work and activities of OHA were made public for
those who wanted to be aware. Peter beavered away quietly and
efficiently, until he died quite suddenly in May 2012. It is sometimes
138
2013-2014
said that a person’s work is not appreciated until they have gone – a
statement that is definitely applicable to Peter.
Finally I must thank Paul Thomas, OH and now a master at
Hampton, who is responsible for the production of the School
magazine in its entirety (OH Chronicle excepted), for his guidance,
assistance, and tolerance over the past weeks. I sincerely hope that he
does not resign his post after this experience!
Richard, Rose and I want the OH Chronicle to be read by even more
Hamptonians and their families. We want more Hamptonians to
contribute in the future. Of course we want more Hamptonians to
be part of what the OHA does. At school I was not a great fan of the
School song, which is no longer sung (sang?) at the School but can
be heard at OHA dinners and elsewhere. However as one gets older,
some of the words of that song ring true – so if you’re not familiar
with it, the words and music easily be found: see what you think.
Denis Fuller (1954-1961)
Telephone: 01276 22454
Email: [email protected]
https://twitter.com/fullerdenis
https://www.facebook.com/denis.fuller.184
Editor Denis Fuller pictured at Camberley RFC with Fran and Alex
Matthews, members of the highly successful England women’s rugby
squad. Rugby has changed much since OHARFC used to drive out to
Camberley in a convoy of old bangers before the M3 was constructed!
Editorial Assistant comments:
Thank you, Denis, for your very
entertaining and interesting
‘From the Editor’.
When Richard asked me to
help with editing the Old
Hamptonians’ Chronicle, I
looked over my shoulder to see
who he was talking to! What
skills did I have to take on this
task as a retired GP? Richard simply replied ‘You’ll be alright’. His
instruction was that this year’s OHC has to be ‘bigger and better’.
With some trepidation I set off on what has turned into a magical
mystery tour! I met with Denis and soon realised that we would make
a good team. He knows everybody and everything Hamptonian,
unlike me. I can be quite organised administratively, dare I say,
unlike Denis! It did not take me long to join Denis and Richard
in their passion for anything ‘Old Hamptonian’ and for aiming to
produce a better OHC this year. We hope that we have succeeded.
I have enjoyed meeting, whether by email or in person, so many
of you. All of you have been so kind and tolerant of me, especially
when, near to deadline time, I have been chasing you for copy and
photos. I know in one email I apologised for sounding like a ‘right
royal Regimental Sergeant Major’!
Apart from communicating with you, I have learned new IT
things. I am not a technophobe but am only average at new
IT programmes so it is a plus that I have now discovered the
wonders of Dropbox and found an app on my phone (thanks
to Paul Thomas) to record and transcribe the interview with
OH Alan Westaway, which you will find in our Special Features
Section.
been a lot of fun and we have got along together so well, trying to
learn how to be Editors.
I did look up the Hampton School song (it is on the School website)
and can understand Denis’s comments about it. The words are
rather dry and stilted (though I don’t know what the tune is like).
Nevertheless, I will end with a fitting line of the chorus: ‘Hampton,
the School forever’…………
Thank you all for letting me in as an outsider (unless being the
mother of an OH counts!).
Enjoy reading on and please give us your feedback and suggestions!
Like Denis, I would like to thank Paul Thomas for his support and
forbearance, Maria Jafrato for her staggeringly speedy responses to
emails and Richard for his immense input. Working with Denis has
Rose de Boer (Brown)
[email protected]
Mob: 07941 310 195
Old Hamptonians’ Calendar Events for 2014/2015
OH
Section or
Sport
Event
Date
OHA
AGM
Saturday 6 December 2014 @
10.30am OLD HAMPTONIANS’ PAVILION
& SPORTS GROUND, DEAN ROAD,
HAMPTON, MIDDLESEX TW12 1AQ
OHA
Old Boys’ Dinner
October 2015
Cricket
Brian Gray Memorial 6’s
Sunday 30 August 2015
Cricket
Cricket Awards Dinner
October 2015
Football
Walter Bailey Football Matches
Saturday 21 March 2015 (TBC)
Football
Football Awards Dinner
May 2015
Rugby
Cronk Cunis Under 21’s Rugby
Tournament
Monday 31 August 2015
Golf
Fulwell Golf Tournament – OHGC v.
School
Early July 2015 (subject to exam timetable)
2013-2014
139
OHA DINNER 2013
The focal point of the OHA calendar, the
annual OHA Dinner, was held at the School
on the 12th October last year. For many
Old Hamptonians this dinner has become
a ‘must attend’ occasion as they use it as an
event that enables them to meet up with
old school friends and contemporaries in
surroundings that are familiar to them in
many ways. How familiar these surroundings
are is dependent on how recently they visited
the School. Last year Old Hamptonians
who came to the Dinner were able to take
advantage of a short tour of the School to
see it and its growing number of academic,
pastoral and sporting facilities. Many people
who took part in this tour for the first time
commented on how many changes had been
made and on the many additional ‘state
of the art’ facilities that the School now
accommodated. It really was an ‘eye opener’!
Each year we try to encourage past alumni,
who have achieved ‘greatness’ since leaving
the School, to join us at the Dinner as
our special guest and after-dinner speaker.
2013 was no exception to this and we were
pleased to welcome a Hamptonian of the
late ‘50s and early ‘60s – Jim McCarty,
who is a founding member and now leader
of the world famous Blues and Rock band
The Yardbirds. Jim recalled many of the past
masters and pupils of Hampton Grammar
School who had influenced him in his
formative years and in his chosen career.
Of course, like many Hamptonians of this
time, the changing musical culture and the
proximity of the Eel Pie Island were very
influential in Jim’s life! He was particularly
impressed by the many changes that have
taken place at the old Hampton Grammar
School that he attended 50/60 years ago.
He certainly saw how much the canteen
where he used to have his ‘school dinners’
has changed!
It really was a pleasure to have Jim as
our principal guest and to welcome him
to the first OHA Dinner hosted by the
new Headmaster, Kevin Knibbs. Now
we look forward to welcoming a more
recent ‘headlining’ Old Hamptonian as
our principal guest and speaker at the
2014 OHA Dinner, Dr Nick Barratt, the
CEO of Sticks Research Agency and major
contributor to the BBC series ‘Who Do You
Think You Are’.
John Carpenter
140
Group of Old Hamptonians enjoying the OHA dinner and in the background some OHs of the
future who, on the night, were helping to make the evening go well.
Another group of OHs enjoying the occasion. In the distance is the Chairman, Guest Speaker,
and guests from Tiffinians and Kingstonians. Sadly out of camera shot is our new president,
one Kevin Knibbs!
Important message from The Chairman
John Carpenter is standing down from his role as Dinner Secretary and the OHA would like
two Old Hamptonians to be involved in the organising in 2015. We would like to increase
the numbers in attendance and create further means of contact with recent Old Boys. I’d like
to take this opportunity to thank John for his valuable contributions to The Dinner.
Please contact Chairman Rich Brown at [email protected]
2013-2014
Charlie O’Brien (2009-2013)
bats his way to an Award at MCC
Schoolboy Achievement Day
Lord’s Test Match England vs Sri Lanka
Day 3
On Saturday 14th June 2014 I went to Lord’s for a day at the Test
match to celebrate the achievements of the 2013 school season.
Tickets to Day 3 between England and Sri Lanka had been
awarded to schoolboy cricketers in recognition of either a fivewicket haul or a hundred scored against the MCC.
Having scored 102* in a ten-wicket victory over the MCC last
summer, myself and two guests (my two brothers) were invited
to the home of cricket. We were sat in the East Clock Tower
stand with a brilliant view of the action and treated to breakfast,
lunch and tea in the Thomas Lord Suite. Before the end of
the afternoon session we visited the famous long room in the
pavilion to watch the England team and Sri Lankan batsmen
return from the field.
During the interval we were presented on the pitch with plaques
from Mike Gatting, who told me that an old team mate of his
was also an Old Hamptonian! It was an amazing experience to
walk out onto the grass at Lord’s and credit to the MCC for
organising a fantastic day and supporting school cricket. To
cap the day off we were fortunate enough to witness Kumar
Sangakarra’s maiden test century at Lord’s as he finally got his
name on the Honours board.
The score board to prove it!
Charlie O’Brien (2009-2013)
Jack O’Mahoney (2004-2011) helps
Exeter College towards a historic victory
in the Oxford University football cup final
The match took place at the famous Iffley Road Stadium, where Sir
Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile in 1954. Exeter last won
the Oxford ‘Cuppers’ trophy in 1974, but with this taste of success
they are determined not to leave it so long until the next time!
Annabel O’Mahoney, Jack’s mother reports:
Jack is the first team goalkeeper for Exeter College and made a strong
contribution towards the successful cup run, where a series of clean
sheets saw Exeter reach the final without conceding a single goal.
Competing for the coveted Oxford ‘Cuppers’ trophy – a trophy
originating from 1881, thus making it even older than the FA Cup
(the original FA Cup having been famously stolen in 1895) – Exeter
did not have an easy route to the final, having being drawn against
St Edmund Hall, the unbeaten OUAFC premier league champions,
as well as the current cup holders, Worcester College.
Despite going 1-0 down to a first half goal from their cup final
opponents, St Catherine’s, Exeter equalized about half way through
the second half, and snatched the winner with just minutes left on
the clock, to the delight of their large crowd of supporters.
The winning team with Jack O’Mahoney (goalkeeper) back row,
6th from left
2013-2014
141
Karl Hudspith (1999-2006) rows
to another win with Oxford for his
fourth and final University Boat Race
Karl left Hampton School seven years ago and is now studying
for a PhD in Clinical Neurosciences at Oxford University.
For the past four years Karl has achieved what many rowers can only
dream of – selection for the most famous rowing event in the world,
the annual Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
Karl says the key to rowing success is sheer hard work and
determination:
‘My message to any young Hamptonian rower is to take control of
your own training and performance, and to push yourself. The greatest
people in any field of human endeavour – sport or otherwise – are
those who are driven, hard-working, creative, and who refuse to give
in until they succeed, regardless of how many setbacks they suffer along
the way’. Karl has enjoyed an enviable run with his Oxford crew, winning three
of the past four races. He was President of the Oxford University
Boat Club (OUBC) in 2012 when a protestor jumped into the River
Thames sabotaging the race.
‘The past four years of my life at Oxford and in the OUBC have been
really incredible. It’s been very hard work and I’ve experienced an awful
lot and feel like it has changed and matured me as a person. I’m sure I
will miss being part of the team, but I also feel like I have had my fill
of the Boat Race, and I am ready to go on and meet new challenges. It
is my ambition to firstly complete my PhD at Oxford in October, then
hopefully to make the GB rowing team with the aim of competing at
the Rio Olympics in 2016. After that I would like to pursue a career in
science and possibly work abroad.’
Karl started rowing when he joined the Third Year at Hampton
School and says he owes a great deal to the School:
‘My time at Hampton gave me years of experience of high level
competition and close racing which gives me confidence even today.
My 2006 1st VIII crew have an annual reunion each year and we usually
meet up at Henley in the summer as well. Even though it’s now been over
seven years since we left school (scary!), when we meet up it still feels as if
we’ve never been apart. I wear my old Hampton games socks in big races
for a bit of extra luck.’
A debut novel – ‘Cadwallan’ by David
Branford (1973-1980)
Cadwallan, my first novel, happened more by accident than design. After
leaving Hampton in 1980 I spent the next seven years studying at Oxford,
four years reading Classics at Queen’s, followed by three years of theological
training which led up to my ordination in the Church of England. I married
in 1992 and two years later entered the Catholic Church. I was subsequently
ordained as one of the first married Catholic Priests in the country.
After a period in teaching and working as a parish priest near Blackpool, I now
live near Lancaster, with my wife and four children, where I work as a prison
chaplain. My novel had its roots in a car journey back from Pembrokeshire to
Lancashire in which, together with the rest of my family, I begun to put together
a story which connected the rugged beach at Ceibwr with the atmospheric
ruined abbey at St Dogmaels.
The result (a year later) was Cadwallan, a World War II espionage novel. Those
who read carefully will find that I have taken the opportunity to honour my debt
to Hampton School. At present, it is only available as an e-book on Amazon (for
£1.00) but it has received a number of favourable 5* reviews and I am currently
trying to respond to readers’ requests for a sequel.
I am not aware of any OH activity in the North West but would be delighted to
learn of any Old Hamptonians living locally – [email protected]
142
2013-2014
Barney Gilbert (2004-2009, School
Captain) awarded a Kennedy
Scholarship to Harvard University
for Academic Year 2014/15
closely with some of the chief policymakers behind Obamacare,
Barney will also be attending Michael Porter’s world-leading Value
Based Health Care Delivery programme. Additionally, he hopes to
expand a business which provides funding for early-stage healthcare
start-ups.
Barney is currently in his final year at Green Templeton College,
Oxford, where he has been studying Medicine.
It won’t all be hard work and study for Barney, however: he intends
to assist on the campaign trail for the Massachusetts gubernatorial
elections and try his hand at baseball.
The Kennedy Scholarships are highly sought after and exist to ‘offer
exceptional students unique opportunities to broaden their intellectual
and personal horizons’.
Barney is keen to make contact with any Old Hamptonians who are
currently living or/and working in Boston and can be contacted via
email: [email protected]
Along with hundreds of other hopeful contenders, Barney had to
complete a written application and attend a series of interviews in
London.
He says it was wonderful to hear in June that his application had
been successful:
‘I was absolutely delighted. This is not something one expects to win, but it
is without doubt the opportunity of a lifetime. It is a fantastic opportunity
to indulge my interests in health policy and innovation, and to learn from
world leaders in these fields. In the future, I hope to be a doctor working
at the interface between clinical practice and policy; this is where I feel
the need for doctors is greatest and is an area that excites me hugely.’
Barney joins an impressive list of Kennedy Scholars including: MPs
Ed Balls and David Miliband and the former Governor of the Bank
of England, Mervyn King.
The Scholarship will allow him to study Health Policy and
Entrepreneurship as a ‘Special Student’ at Harvard. Besides working
Congratulations to Julius Haswell
(School leaver in 2013) who has been
awarded a Choral Scholarship to
King’s College Cambridge
Julius’s father Jonathan Haswell has written to the School on 19
March 2014:
‘Julius Haswell has been awarded a choral scholarship to King’s
College, Cambridge. He will be going up in October to read German
and Italian and to sing in the choir.
In his gap year Julius has been singing with the famous Thomanerchor
in Leipzig where J S Bach was the choirmaster in the early 18th
Century.
Julius himself has said: “I don’t think I could have done this without
going to Hampton. The music teaching fires your interest, and there
are so many good musicians at Hampton that it just makes you
better and better.”
Thank you, and congratulations, to Hampton School.’
On Monday he went to Cambridge for his audition, and he had an
email this morning from Stephen Cleobury, the Director of Music,
giving him the good news.
Julius had no formal choir training prior to arriving at Hampton,
and then only asked to join a local church choir at the age of thirteen.
His progress to this point has been overseen by the staff at Hampton,
his teachers at the Royal College of Music Junior department, and
the choir at Kingston Parish Church.
We would like to thank the teaching staff at Hampton, especially
the music staff, who gave unmitigated encouragement to Julius
throughout his time at the School.
Julius in Leipzig
2013-2014
143
Nick Liam Joyce (2001-2005)
returns to music and is now known
as Nick Liam
Proud father of three OH sons
reports their successes!
I joined Hampton in 2001 and left in 2005 after studying Music at
A Level. I was close to studying music at University, but I decided
to study Spanish instead. In a weird way, I think choosing to study
something else allowed me to keep music as a separate passion on the
side. I started putting demos together during my time at University,
but it was only a year ago that I decided to put myself out there as
a solo artist.
‘As a father of three sons who were all educated at Hampton School,
I think the following information might be of interest to their
contemporaries.
Mr A E Ennos wrote to Hampton School as follows:
Richard A Ennos (1966-1973), a winner of the Fitzwygram Prize,
has been made a Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at
Edinburgh University. He specialises in plant genetics, principally
of trees and fungi.
Roland Ennos (1973-1981) has been appointed a Professor in the
Biology Department of the University of Hull. He recently moved
from Manchester University. He specialises in Biomechanics
and Statistical Methods for Biologists. He is the author of seven
books.
Nicholas J Ennos (1973-1979) is a qualified solicitor. As a result of
independent literary research he has recently had published a book
Jane Austen – A New Revelation. (This provides strong evidence that
the famous novels were not written by Jane herself, but by a far
better educated and well connected lady who had reason to remain
anonymous). Your English Department may well be interested in
this. Internet Reference: http://janeausten-anewrevelation.com
These items will clearly show the value of a Hampton School
education.’
I moved to London and formed a band to play with me. I’ve got
a great drummer, bass player and guitarist now, who are all good
friends and have played in other projects together.
So far, I’ve been focused on getting a ‘sound’ together and recording
my songs. Today I uploaded my first studio track with the band.
The song is called ‘This Is Our Cloud’ and you can listen to it here:
www.soundcloud.com/NickLiam
I actually jotted down some ideas for this song back in 2008. I was
sitting on a plane flying from Barcelona to London and I had my
laptop with me. I programmed the initial ideas for the song on the
flight, which was not easy in a tight plane seat!
Like many of my songs, ‘This Is Our Cloud’ has changed and
developed over time and sounds very different to the initial recording.
This year I was lucky to connect with a top record producer called
Chris Potter who works at Metropolis Studios in Chiswick. Chris
Potter produced the well-known song ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ by
The Verve. It’s been great working with Chris and I’m hoping I can
work on more of my songs with him later this year.
The next step is to play live shows and build further momentum in
the project. I’ve played on my own live, but I’m looking forward to
performing with my band. I think my music can translate a lot more
emotion with drums, bass and guitar supporting me on vocals and
piano. As many people know, the music industry is an opaque one,
but my plan is to simply stay focused on writing songs and building
energy with my band.
Nick Liam, 24th July 2014
144
2013-2014
News from retired dentist Peter
Gerrard (1939-1946)
After leaving Hampton School in July 1946 I started my dental
surgery studies at Guy’s Hospital the following October. After
qualification I did a House Surgeon’s job at UCL, followed by an
Assistant’s post for a year after which I set up private practice in
Kensington. I moved out with my family to work in Borneo in
1964 and stayed for eleven very adventurous years. We came back
to England and I joined a group practice in the Newmarket area in
1975. I retired in 1994. I am married with three children and five
grand-children and live in Sketchworth, Newmarket.
I was one of a group of four – Stephen Dale, Tom Mittler, Malcolm
Sheppard and myself – who attended their A Level Biology classes at
the Lady Eleanor Holles School.
I have recently been in contact with Stephen Dale who lives in the
Perth area of Western Australia where he was in country medical
practice until he retired in 1990, after which time he ran a Salvation
Army Hospital in Zimbabwe for six years. He is now living back in
Perth.
I did read, a while back, that Malcolm Sheppard had died in USA but
had not realised that his death was caused by a motoring accident.
I have not been able to trace Tom Mittler, although Derek Rippengal
(1939-1946) tells me that he was for a time at Cambridge.
Colin Jones (1959-1966) made a CBE
Professor Colin Jones is recognised for his services to historical
research.
Professor Jones currently works for Queen Mary University of
London in the School of History and specialises in the history of
medicine and eighteenth-century France, particularly the French
Revolution, and caricatures.
He has previously taught at Newcastle, Exeter, Warwick and ParisVIII universities, with research positions at Princeton, the Collège
de France and Columbia University’s Paris campus.
He has published widely and is the author or editor of around
20 books.
He was appointed a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British
Empire) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
The first episode, which was broadcast on
BBC Two on Tuesday 19th August 2014,
explores the extraordinary sense of sight in
the animal world, through the spectrum of
light human eyes can see – and beyond to
a world they can’t. Helen and Patrick reveal
how caribou – wild reindeer of Alaska – use
ultraviolet light to avoid their predators;
they discover how their ability to see in slow motion allows
dragonflies to make a kill in the blink of a human eye, and how a
snake can see in the pitch black without using its eyes.
Alex Lundberg (2006-2013) celebrates
latest England win in Under 20s
Rugby World Cup 2014
OH Alex Lundberg was part of the victorious U20 team that
won the 2014 World Cup. England retained their World Junior
Championship crown as they survived a thrilling fight-back from
2012 champions South Africa in Auckland.
The hard-fought victory that ended 21-20 extends England’s hold
on the trophy, which they won last year in France.
Alexander, a member of London Wasps Academy, is making
increasing Prop appearances for the England side. He said the win
topped off a great tournament: ‘The whole World Cup experience was
amazing: I am so proud to have represented my country at this level and
to have been part of the winning team. I am hugely grateful to everyone
who has coached me over the years, both at Hampton and Wasps, all of
whom have helped me enormously.’
Old Hamptonian stars on TV
OH Patrick Aryee (1997-2004) presents BBC Two’s new wildlife
programme: Super Senses: The Secret Power of Animals.
Biologist, Patrick Aryee, a former pupil at Hampton School, teams
up with physicist, Helen Czerski to present a new series called Super
Senses: The Secret Power of Animals which explores the extraordinary
world of animal senses.
Each episode will focus on a central theme: sight, sound and
scent. Taking science out of the lab, Helen and Patrick travel five
continents, getting up close to some amazing creatures. They
conduct an array of demonstrations and experiments out in the
wild that reveal the amazing ‘super senses’ of the animal world.
Patrick says: ‘There were so many moments of disbelief throughout
our filming: turning a camper van into a giant speaker; walking
alongside a six-tonne African Elephant; being mesmerised by the
unsuspecting Golden Mole and defying gravity with the power
of sound. The way animals sense their environment is, more
often than not, beyond our human perception, but I feel we’ve
managed to capture a glimmer of this beautiful and alien world.’
2013-2014
145
Zafar Ansari (2005-2010) is guest of honour at the
2014 Senior Sports Dinner at Hampton School
He is a humble, calm and assured young man whose integrity shines
through and I am sure that his words were an inspiration to today’s
Hamptonians.’
Zafar left Hampton in 2010 with an illustrious cricket career well
under way.
The former School Captain, who helped Hampton secure a batch
of victories, was spotted by Surrey County Cricket Club as a young
boy and was offered a professional contract as soon as he left school.
After leaving Hampton, Zafar continued his studies at Trinity
College, Cambridge and played for the University’s cricket team as
well as playing for Surrey. 2014 saw his first full-time season with
Surrey CCC.
Editor’s comment re. Zafar and Visually Impaired Cricket:
‘We all play one game’, as Zafar found out when he visited Surrey’s
Visually Impaired squad for training. I imagine being blindfolded
and taking part in drills and a match was quite an experience. The
Surrey VI County Cricket Club was instigated by Gary Dunford,
Chairman of Frimley CC, who has galvanised the local area into
being the home of Visually Impaired Cricket. Frimley CC is in the
Surrey County Council division which I serve as a county councillor
and I’m proud to be able to help them in a small way.
He was invited back to Hampton as guest of honour at the annual
Sports Dinner and spoke to an audience of 90 staff members and
old and current boys about some of the most significant sporting
moments in his life.
He recalled his school days and the excitement of several Hampton
games and described his current cricketing career and the pleasure
of playing with some of the leading sportsmen in the world. Zafar
also spoke about playing recently with a team of visually impaired
cricketers. His message to the Hampton audience was never
to take anything for granted in life. He also encouraged today’s
Hamptonians to value team work, commitment and determination.
Head of Sport, Carlos Mills, said it was a privilege to welcome Zafar
back: ‘Zafar is an outstanding sportsman both on and off the field.
146
2013-2014
During the test match demo they did this year
An OH Freemason, Geoffrey
Bourne-Taylor (1952-1957)
reflects………..
Fifty years ago I decided to become a Freemason, probably for all
the wrong reasons; but in the belief that it would be ‘a good thing’,
I resolved to make some enquiries. Coincidentally, I found myself
at the Hamptonian Summer Fete (that wonderful annual event that
seemed to attract the entire population of Middlesex and Surrey,
feeding on those Hampton egg sandwiches for which some of us will
remember each having to bring to school a hard boiled (please…)
egg. Imagine my delight to find, amongst the stalls on the field that
day, one flying the banner, ‘Old Hamptonian Lodge’!
Those were perhaps, more enlightened days, when there was none
of the nonsense that is now pedalled about that much maligned
fraternity: it was an obvious way to pick up a few recruits for what
was then an exclusively Old Boys-only Lodge. So, about a year or
so later I found myself a member of the Old Hamptonian Lodge
no. 5730; Basil Tanner, the then Master of the Lodge, proposed me
and, on the day that I was initiated, Tom Adams, later to become
long serving Chairman of the School Governors, became a ‘joining
member’ (he was already a member of a military lodge). I discovered
that Bossy Mason, the former Headmaster, had been the first initiate
into the Lodge when it was founded in 1938 and that amongst its
current membership, or those attending its meetings regularly, could
be found many of those with whom I had attended Hampton,
as well as a surprising number of staff; my memory produces Vic
Mackenzie, Ernie Badman, Jasper Parry and I think, Joe Bradford;
for many years Bill Yarrow was organist (in 1967, he had been in the
organ loft at the Albert Hall for the investiture of the Duke of Kent
as Grand Master – our ‘top dog’).
The Lodge met four times a year (still does) at the delightful Arts
and Crafts Masonic Centre which lies, untouched by time or
development, in the centre of Staines. The Lodge has a rare second
edition (1613) King James Bible presented by Bernard Garside,
Senior History Master at the School, who was also a mason, and
at each meeting there is even a toast to Samuel Hemming, a former
Headmaster, who happened to be a rather famous Freemason in the
early eighteen hundreds.
I have to say that joining the masons was one of the most influential
things in my life. The ethos of the fraternity is good citizenship, charity
and honesty and its hopes in this direction are played out within the
ancient ritual (virtually unspoiled over the 300 years or so). In my first
career in the police I met a good number of masons (nothing like the
monstrous exaggerations you read about in the press!): maybe fifty or
so throughout Scotland Yard, where I worked for most of my 25 years.
Arriving on a Colonial Police secondment in the Cayman Islands in
the early eighties, simply everybody seemed to be one. As personal
protection officer to Willie Whitelaw, I was tickled to find he was one,
too! Then, upon retirement, and appointment to the bursarship of St
Edmund Hall, Oxford, I found myself again amongst friends: upon
joining the Apollo University Lodge (Oxford University’s lodge), I
discovered that a former Vice Principal, the Chaplain and a number
of fellows, as well as many old members, had also been masons since
their tender years in statu pupillari.
Apollo is rather significant in masonic circles since, amongst the
four thousand or so who have joined since its founding in 1818,
have been numbered most of the nobility (very popular in the 19th
century as a Gentleman Commoners’ club!), as well as Oscar Wilde
and Cecil Rhodes; even today, the Apollo claims many household
names amongst its current four hundred or so members. Similarly,
the Isaac Newton, Cambridge’s equivalent, had been Bill Yarrow’s
mother lodge. Today there are over two hundred lodges associated
with schools and universities.
Sad to say, the OH Lodge began to fall upon hard times with
declining numbers, despite opening membership to ‘sons and
friends of Hampton School’; so Apollo became my masonic
‘home’. For a number of years I served as a trustee of the Royal
Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, the UK’s largest education
charity.
So why do I tell you all this? Well, I am happy to report that
those two delightful life experiences have, remarkably, come
together. One of the recent undergraduate members of Apollo
(who ‘coincidentally’ is an alumnus of my old College, Teddy
Hall) is an Old Boy of the School, and has recently been installed
as the Worshipful Master of Old Hamptonian Lodge. Through his
efforts, the Lodge has enlarged its membership considerably, and a
comforting group of Old Boys is now awaiting imminent initiation
into the Lodge during his tenure of office. This is the Lodge’s 75th
year, and it currently hopes to become part of the wider fraternity’s
new Universities Scheme. Freemasonry is beginning to attract a
new generation of young men and I can’t begin to say how exciting
it is to see my Mother Lodge as part of it.
Freemasonry is one of those cornerstones in English life that has
changed little over the years; in times when the points, from which
one was accustomed to take one’s bearings in life, have become
less dependable, it is English Freemasonry that still stands solidly
espousing its ideals of friendship, good citizenship, charity and
honesty (Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, they call it). Contrary
to what you might read, Freemasonry is not a secret society and we
don’t worship the Devil! Its ethos of disinterested friendship is an
amazing introduction to the world, while it quietly gets on with
many good works. From my own experience I know that most
hospices are in receipt of generous grants; many millions each
year are dispersed, for example, to children in educational need
or maybe to cathedral scholarships; a goodly number of medical
research fellowships is supported and never a major disaster occurs
when ready cash from the masons is not amongst the aid that is
despatched direct to the point of need within days.
In my schooldays, there was the ‘Old Hamptonian Lodge History
Prize’, which was later awarded for social service. This generous
prize is still presented annually and I am delighted to report that
a recipients’ board is about to be installed at the School. We are
hoping more young men, upon leaving Hampton, will consider
joining us: it’s the only place you can hear the School Song sung
these days! (Actually, the School Song is sung at OH Dinners; the
most memorable recent occasion being 2012, when we were led by Jim
McCarthy of the Yardbirds! – Ed.)
Geoffrey Bourne-Taylor (1952-1957)
Thank you so much Geoffrey for this interesting article. It certainly
demonstrates your passion for Freemasonry and its benefits to mankind
and we look forward to seeing OH Lodge membership continue to grow.
Your passion has given me an idea for future OHCs to have a regular
article – ‘a hundred lines’ in which an OH writes about a passion in
their life since leaving school. Ed.
2013-2014
147
‘A LIFE IN THE DAY OF’
– Mark Samways (2001-2006)
I had the idea that it would be interesting to ask an OH to write ‘A Life
in the Day of ’ article as a way of reflecting their life around the routine
of a day. I was delighted that when I approached Mark, he immediately
said ‘yes’! Thank you Mark for being brave enough to ‘step up to the
mark’ and being the first, as the intention is to include this feature in
future OHCs. Please enjoy reading it! – Ed. Assistant
From pupil, to Old Hamptonian, to member of staff; it certainly
has been a journey. After leaving Hampton is 2006, I gained a
Psychology degree from Loughborough University, and then a
Master’s in Addiction Psychology and Counselling from London
South Bank University. From there I worked as a substance misuse
worker, predominantly working with youth offenders, but also
working within schools delivering both addiction counselling and
drug education. When the job at Hampton came up I knew I had to apply for it as
I had enjoyed five great years at the School and knew it would
be a fantastic position. Not only does working at one of the top
independent boys’ schools in the country look great on your CV, but
I also knew from personal experience that I would flourish working
at Hampton. Stepping into the Headmaster’s office for part of the
interviewing process was as scary as ever; however, it was fantastic to
catch up with him. In the seven years since leaving the School the place had changed
so much and it has continued to better itself year on year. The
facilities rival any school in the country and the boys are privileged
to be able to use them on a daily basis. help. At the School we have three counsellors all working various
hours, but there is a counsellor present every day. Sometimes all
three of us are there! By being a part of the School we greatly reduce
the stereotype, and counselling is seen in its rightful light. We are
ultimately there in times of people’s need. We don’t just provide individual counselling sessions: we also
give talks to both pupils and parents on topics such as stress,
anger, bereavement, and transitional skills, to name a few. We also
help out with various sports teams and play an active role in the
School’s day-to-day life. This again helps reduce the aforementioned
stereotype, as well as recruitment for the Old Boys’ cricket team! Our day generally finishes around half-past four, when we prepare
for another busy day and make sure we have everything ready. It
does take a bit of time after leaving to switch off, but I generally
use the drive home as a time to process what has happened during
the day, and then once I’m home, I’m off work, and I relax. It’s
imperative when working as a counsellor that you are as mentally
well and as fit as possible, otherwise you may not be helping your
client as best as you possibly can. With this in mind I like to keep
my weekdays pretty quiet and get plenty of sleep, and do most of my
socialising at the weekend.
I have worked in many schools, offering various levels of pastoral
care, but I am proud to say that I have never seen anything like the
levels which are offered at Hampton. It is both a privilege and a joy
to be a part of it. Mark Samways (2001-2006) – August 2014
I remember on my first day finding it really strange walking into
the staff room. It seems so ridiculous, but I had never been in there
before, and I was surprised at the size of it! There are still many
members of staff at the School who taught me but I’m pleased that
the transition from pupil to colleague has been seamless. A typical day in Counselling HQ starts at 8am as we try and see
boys in First to Fifth Year before school, during break, lunch, or
after school so that they do not miss any of their lessons. It also helps
with confidentiality if the boys see us in their free time. Lunchtime
is by far our busiest time with us seeing two boys during this time
without fail. We then see boys in the 6th Form or members of staff
during their free periods.
The transition from public sector to private sector, and from youth
offenders to Hampton boys, was also a bit of a shock too. It is
very pleasant coming into work and not being sworn at: well, not
every day at least! However many of the issues that the boys have
to face are very similar: anxiety, depression, bullying, sexuality and
family issues; there really are a wide, diverse range of subjects that
get discussed in the counselling room. It is always the choice of the
pupil, or indeed staff member, to come and seek counselling. It
has never, and will never be, forced on anyone. Some people come
for a single session and others have many: it truly is tailored to the
individual. One of the things that I love about Hampton is that counselling
is seen as part of the School. Counselling often carries a derisory
stereotype – especially amongst guys – that you are weak if you seek
148
2013-2014
Mark Samways (on the right) with a friend at the Melbourne Cricket
Ground (MCG) for the legendary ‘Boxing Day Test Match’
Q&A interview with
OH Alan Westaway
(1981-1987)
– Actor and Writer
Denis (Ed.) and Rose (Ed. Assistant) hatched
the idea to include a Q&A type interview in
OHC this year and for our first one we were
delighted when Alan Westaway accepted our
invitation to meet at Hampton School.
Before we started the interview we had a
general chat, especially relating to Denis
knowing Alan’s mother as he was at
Kenyngton Manor Primary School with her
when she was Head Girl!
Ben Richards was there too and went on
to Hampton School like Alan. Ben was a
very good cricketer and now lives in New
York where Alan met up with him, whilst
over there, performing in a play. Denis told
us that Ben comes to Lord’s every year and
meets a couple of other OHs.
Alan told us how he came to be at Hampton
School, as the family were living in Western
Australia where his Dad was seconded as a
scientist for British Petroleum.
‘I took my 11+ exam out there and my
parents decided they wanted to return to
England and send me to Hampton School
because it was academically good but also
because of its reputation for sports. My Dad
was a keen sportsman. He played cricket for
Hampshire 2nd XI and he also signed for
Swindon Town as a footballer but decided
against sport as a profession, to work as a
research scientist. So that’s where I get my
interest in sport from, though I was never
as good as he was. I was on the fringes of
the Middlesex County squad. However I
did captain the 1st XI Cricket at Hampton
School. So that’s the story of how I got to
Hampton School’.
So on with the interview!
What is a favourite memory of your time
at Hampton School?
I have a lot of fond memories of friends,
laughter and ‘mucking about’ but I
think I really enjoyed the school plays; I
already loved acting then. I remember a
production of Camino Real, directed by
Mike Franzkowiak, which was tremendous.
It was one of the few times we would see
the girls from LEH as the plays were a joint
venture, so that was an added bonus. Also
Julius Caesar, directed by Mr Jones, was a
lot of fun.
My first 50 for the 1st XI cricket team is
quite a good memory as well!
Do you feel that your experience at
Hampton School has been valuable to you
as you moved on in life?
Yes I do. I think what I really got from
Hampton was a sense of inquisitiveness and
an enjoyment of learning. I’ve always been
interested in things and I think that’s a lot
down to the School. It’s also a lot down to
my Dad as well but definitely Hampton too.
In the area of work that I am in you have to
get very interested in different subjects and
find out as much as you possibly can about
the role that you are playing and latterly,
now that I’m writing, researching subjects
that I’m writing about.
It also gave me a great grounding in sport.
I’m not playing cricket these days – I once
played at The Oval and on the Nursery
Ground at Lord’s – but I still love watching
it and I still play a bit of football. Yes, I’ve
enjoyed sport all my life, and think that
started at Hampton.
In five words how would you describe
your personality?
I hate this question because I always feel
that positive things are for someone else
to say and I don’t feel comfortable saying
them myself. However, I’m happy to tell
you the negative things! I can be a little bit
impatient; a bit short tempered, though I’m
getting better. I can be quite late, as I was
today, but I’m much better than I used to be
in terms of punctuality.
Who or what has been your biggest
inspiration?
Perhaps controversially I am going to talk
about a tutor, Martin Nestor, at Drama
School at Manchester Polytechnic, brilliant
though Mike Franzkowiak, Crispin Pickles
and Mr Jones were at school, all of whom
gave me confidence and insight.
I was at Manchester University doing
Psychology but dropped out after a year as
I realised the only thing I wanted to do was
be an actor. I started Drama School in 1989.
Steve Coogan had gone there just before me
and I always think that his great creation ‘Alan
Partridge’ was a lot down to Martin Nestor.
Martin was ‘a crumpled Yorkshireman’
and he would ask things like ‘what does he
eat for breakfast, your character; what are
his kids called; would he wear string back
leather driving gloves – he would, wouldn’t
he Alan?’(Ed. – Alan made this come to life
with a wonderful northern accent!) When
you think about Alan Partridge, his kids
were called Denise and Fernando and he did
wear string back leather driving gloves! It
was always very exciting and interesting that
he would go into that kind of detail about a
character.
Martin was also very honest. I remember
him telling another kid in my class ‘that
was awful that: it was irritating; your whole
performance was irritating. I’m sorry to say
it. It’s because you’re desperate for us to love
you and the more desperate you are for us to
love you, the more we can’t stand you. I’m
sorry to say that but I have to be honest. But
listen, you don’t have to listen to me. What
am I without my leather jacket and roll-ups?
I’m nothing’.
Martin was brilliantly honest but also selfeffacing. He was inspiring to all of us. I
remember sometimes in the canteen he used
to say to me and another student ‘do you
want to come and do some Hamlet in the
acting studio? Have you got any Hamlet
speeches?’ We’d say ‘yeah, yeah we’ve got
soliloquys’ and we’d go and work with him
on them in the lunch hour. He was just
fantastic!
What was the worst mistake in your
career?
I just don’t think you can think like that
as an actor. I do know actors who say ‘if
only’ but you can’t think like that. I have no
regrets. Leaving ‘The Bill’ as I did after two
and half years could have been viewed as a
mistake to walk away from a regular, wellpaid, high profile job. I chose to do this as
I was only about 28 years old and felt I had
learnt everything that I could from ‘The Bill’
and was keen to get out and experience new
things, like theatre, and didn’t want to spend
my whole career in a thrice-weekly drama as,
good as it was, it was limiting.
Yet at the time I remember going into the
office to say that I wanted to leave, and
thinking ‘what am I doing, I’ve never earned
this kind of money before, this is crazy’.
At first I quite liked the ‘fame’, signing
autographs and people recognising you. In
those days there were only five channels on
TV and we used to get between 7 million
in the summer and 11-12 million viewers in
the winter. It’s all transitory though and a
year or so after I’d left that had stopped. As I
said I have no regrets.
2013-2014
149
What was your best career move?
I think getting involved in writing, though I
keep acting as well. I am currently working
as part of a writing team on a project for a
big new 10 part television drama series for
UK and USA, which is very, very exciting.
When are you or were you happiest?
treasured possession. When I was in The
Bill I bought a 70s Alfa Romeo sports car
– a bit beaten up and old but beautiful,
beautiful – an Alfa Romeo 1600GT. I loved
having that car but when I left The Bill I
had to sell it – the upkeep on those things
is so expensive, they rust easily. I still drive
an Alfa Romeo now, a modern one, so I’ve
never lost the love of the Alfa.
It’s quite hard to beat a holiday I had recently.
I went to Antigua with my (actress) wife and
2 year old daughter and just being on the
beach with them was bliss. We stayed near
Dickinson Bay opposite Viv Richards’s place,
though I never saw him. I was saying to my
brother and brother-in-law how we must all
go out there to watch some cricket – I grew
up on that great West Indies team. Sir Viv
was one of my childhood heroes. Wonderful!
What is your pet hate?
What is your favourite book?
What would you choose for your ‘last
supper’?
I’m going to go for a book called Carter
Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold. It’s a
fantastic story with great characters and I
was blown away by it. It’s a historical thriller
about a magician called Charles Carter and
his involvement in a mystery involving the
invention of television. It’s just a great story.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
I’d say going to a favourite South London
Picture House on my own in the afternoon,
when there’s hardly anybody else there and
watching a movie with a coffee and a piece
of cake. It’s my favourite cinema and not far
from my home. Heaven!
If you could be invisible for a day what
would you do?
Initially I took it seriously and wondered
what I could get away with politically to
make a difference if I was invisible. Then
I thought, no, I’m not going to go there.
Next I wondered what teachers were still
there from when I was there and I thought
of Mr Steve Timbs. So I decided I’d like to
sneak into one of his Rugby training sessions
and trip him up. Just because he was always
quite a fearsome character and I didn’t play
Rugby, you see. Or Mr John Cook, Head
of History, if he’s still coaching Football. He
coached me and I could sneak in and trip
him up at a Football training session. So
Steve Timbs or John Cook, one or the other,
to trip them up!
What is your most treasured possession?
I’m not really that much of a materialist but
what I’m going to go for is a ‘posthumous’
150
I hate petty-mindedness, small-mindedness.
Life’s too short. I think that and traffic. I
have a real problem with traffic jams. I was
in a car stuck in traffic with a friend who
was driving and I had to get out of the car
and walk along the hard shoulder and got
back in the car only when the traffic started
moving again.
Peking duck in a pancake with plum sauce
and for dessert a Chocolate Fondant –
warm chocolate sponge and soft gooey
chocolate in the middle.
is very exciting. I’ve written a couple of
feature films, one of which was developed
with Working Title Films and the other has
a high profile director and actor attached,
so that’s something else I’m excited about.
My ambition is focused more on the
writing and directing now – I have directed
a couple of short films and a comedy pilot
for the production company Baby Cow
– though I never, never want to give up
acting altogether.
Ed. Team: We would like to thank Alan for
a very enjoyable hour together recording the
Q&A interview at Hampton School. Alan
entered into the spirit we had intended of being
both serious and fun in equal measure, in
parts reflecting on his experience at Hampton
School and the legacy of that, as well as telling
us more about his life and career through the
Q&A questions. Throughout Alan was open
and honest and certainly put us at ease, this
being the first time we had attempted an
interview of this type! Hopefully this will be
the first of many to appear in future OHCs
and we have Alan to thank for that too.
How would you advise a Hamptonian
who wanted to follow your career path?
I would say to anyone who wants to go into
the industry I am in, whether as an actor or
a writer, you have to be prepared for huge
‘ups’ and ‘downs’. You have to be willing to
live without stability and that gets harder
and harder – like now we have one child
and another on the way it becomes much
more difficult. I think a lot of people find
it hard even without children, when you’re
not sure where the next job is coming from
and you go from earning a lot of money and
then to nothing. It’s a very odd profession.
So you’ve got to love it, absolutely love
it and it’s got to be what you want to do
unreservedly as you have to cope with
enormous ups and downs and a lack of
stability. The up side is you get to see a lot
of the world: you meet many, extraordinary
and fantastic people. It’s a wonderful life
but it’s not always easy.
Alan at home in school uniform in 1986
What personal ambitions do you still
have?
I suppose the great thing about what I do
is that I’m constantly learning and there’s
always more but I am very, very excited
about this TV series I’m writing at the
moment. The idea of writing at least two
episodes of this first series with the team
and then to develop several more series
2013-2014
In the TV series ‘The Borgias’
1st XI OH Cricket Report
The Cricket Club finished the season having handed debuts to
school boys Freddie Carlton (2009-14), Harry Mayes (Lower 6th),
Toby Fuller (Lower 6th), Toby Godfray (5th Year), James Osborne
(4th Year), Adam Lee (4th Year) and Devon Campbell (2009-2014)
all of whom acquitted themselves superbly in the games they played
demonstrating a true future, which can only become stronger with
the addition of more of their recent contemporaries.
We began the season celebrating our great friend Subhash Kamath
with the aptly named ‘Su-BASH’ at Dean Road with all players
getting a run out in a T20 double chance format. Captains Brown
(2000-05), Hunter (1999-04) and Davison (1994-01) worked
hard to recruit and set up some indoor 6s at the Sports Hall which
was very well received.
The 1st XI’s season can only be described as inconsistent:
challenging and almost toppling the best teams and then taking
defeat from the jaws of victory against some of the weaker ones.
Mark Samways (2001-06) took to number four like a duck to
water with an opening 61 against Churt – weather curtailed
chances of victory.
Disappointment against Churt was tempered by career best
statistics for Richard Brown (8-39) and debutant Harry Mayes
(2010-Present) bowling leg spin with control and claiming their
prized batsman. A real talent. However, two wins followed, Ed
Martin (1993-99) showing age (only 33!) is no barrier with a
swashbuckling 88* in a fifth wicket partnership with young Adam
Lee (2012-present) who scored a mature 41 in securing victory
against Alleyn and Honor Oak.
The season culminated with the Brian Gray Memorial 6s, won by
Twickenham CC (yet again!). You will find Phil Singleton’s full
report of the big day below.
We look forward to welcoming all players, whether current or past
pupils, parents and teachers to a club that can offer all players any
level of cricket they desire.
Richard Brown (2000-2005) Captain 1st XI
Having taken league leaders Old Emanuel to the wire (nine
wickets down) we then failed to bowl out Cobham Avorians which
halted the desired promotion push. Toby Godfray’s (2012-present)
61 against Hampton Wick Royal demonstrated his ability to be
patient and accelerate an innings: very Gary Balance-esque. A draw
again prevented us retaining maximum points.
A superb performance in front of 2000 spectators at Oxted and
Limpsfield (Beer Festival) set up by Mark Samways (71) and
Nabeel Akhtar (60) was defended against their first class West
Indian overseas by Simon Morris (1996-01) and Rich Brown
(2000-05) and the home side could not reach their target.
1st XI OHCC v. The School 2014
2013-2014
151
Brian Gray Memorial Cricket 6s
on Sunday 24 August 2014
As the players assembled on the morning of the annual Brian Gray
Memorial Sixes, a crisp sun was in the sky and the smell of bacon
butties lingered in the air. The day promised so much, and boy did
it deliver!
The familiar faces of The Ducks, Anders VI and reigning champions
Twickenham CC were joined by newcomers NPL CC and Hampton
Hill CC, whose flamboyant style of cricket was bettered only by
the sombreros and ponchos sported by the whole team! Throw in
three strong teams from OH plus a School Leavers’ side captained
by Hampton alumni Michael O’Brien and the action was soon underway; enough for a two pitch tournament!
A number of close games were played out during the group stages
with boundaries and wickets a plenty. Following several shouts of
‘BUZZEERRRSS!’ echoing around Dean Road, it soon became
clear that running between the wickets and therefore also fielding
were key to sixes success. This leads us to the undoubted highlight
of the day, where OH’s very own Nick Evans poached an outrageous
catch, fielding on the straight boundary. Very impressive indeed.
As so often happens, the striking up of the BBQ coincided with
disappearance of the sun. However, this did not dull the atmosphere
with Pints, Pimms and Prosecco all flowing as freely as the runs on
the pitch and soon we had two semi-finals on our hands.
Twickenham got the better of Hampton Hill in the first semi, then a
dramatic super over was required to separate OH1s and NPL in the
second. OH came out on top after great (or super!) over was bowled
by 1s skipper and tournament organiser Rich Brown sending his side
into the final.
Here, Twickenham proved too good for OH1s and they were able
to defend their crown once again. With the destructive batting and
tight bowling shown throughout the tournament, a deserved victory
was theirs by 10 runs.
After taking a moment to reflect and remember absent friends, the
raffle prizes, wooden spoons and trophies were all handed out drawing an excellent day to a close. The atmosphere at the club was fantastic all day and thanks must go out to all of the players and volunteers who made it possible.
By the end of the day, the only smell lingering in the air was that of
success and a superbly run tournament!
Roll on next year!
Phil Singleton
152
2013-2014
2nd XI OH Cricket Report
It is fair to say the 2nd XI’s season began in a manner far from ideal.
Home to Kempton, only 5 players were present at Dean Road when
the first ball was bowled and the team consisted of just 8 when the
inevitable defeat was concluded. However, rather than being a sign
of things to come, this match proved to be a complete anomaly as
the 2nd XI embarked on the most successful season in years.
The second game of the season saw a crushing defeat of Godalming
with Ed Martin (1994-1999) hitting a fluent 68, before he returned
to the 1st XI for the rest of the season. Several victories followed
as the team’s strength with the ball became apparent. A number
of opposing sides were skittled out for low scores with the likes of
Simon Blair, Neil Lizieri (1996-2001), Tom Hunter (1999-2004)
and the returning James Scowen (19585-1992) all contributing.
With the bat, Sunny Kamboj, new to the club in 2014, started the
season well, whilst long-standing wicket keeper and opener, Guy
Baker (1997-2002), came into form, hitting successive 50s at Dean
Road. Neil Lizieri had his best season with the bat for some years,
ending with three 50s, whilst Tom Hunter hit two.
It soon became apparent that the 2nd XI were mounting a promotion
challenge as we rose to second in the table. A number of close games
came and went: a win by 3 runs, a win by 2 wickets, and another
win by 9 runs. The final of these saw a thrilling finish at HQ, with
the opposition collapsing, when requiring just 49 with 7 wickets left,
with Tom Hunter taking 6-26.
The 2014 season also saw the arrival of several new players. As well as
Sunny Kamboj, Ali Robinson, Jacob Doherty, Rob Unterhalter, Syed
Ali and Simon Arscott all made their debuts for the club; a fantastic
boost for us as we continue our drive to increase membership.
Unfortunately, a couple of losses to our promotion rivals and an
unlucky winning draw at Kempton took us out of the promotion
spots. Nevertheless, the team kept going and the run in included an
outstanding bowling performance in the penultimate game from Ali
Robinson, who took 7-14 in 9.3 overs.
All in all, it was a season with many positives. It was great to see so
many new players fit in, both on and off the pitch, and for us to be
involved in so many exciting matches. I’d like to thank Neil Lizieri
and Ed Crowe for their support during the season too. A third place
finish was the least we deserved and it gives us a platform to push on
from in 2015, when, once again, all new playing members will be
welcomed with open arms!
Thank you to all who played.
Tom Hunter (1999-2004) Captain 2nd XI
OH 2nd XI Cricket Team at the end of the season
Back row L-R: Jacob Doherty, Ali Robinson, Ed Crowe, James Scowen (’85-’92), Guy Baker (’97-’02), Jimmy Sudbury (’83-‘89),
Front row L-R: Phil Singleton, Dan Anders, Tom Hunter (’99-‘04), Simon Blair, Lahiru Perera
2013-2014
153
OH 3rd XI Cricket Report 2014
After a frustrating 2013, interrupted as it was by the weather and
availability issues, 2014 was an important year for the 3rd XI.
Team captain Davison (94-01), ably assisted by lieutenants Evans
(96-01), Ormerod (94-01) and Woolley (94-01), had set out to
ensure that the 3rd XI could end the season undefeated and, more
importantly, with a strengthened squad.
The 3rd XI has been running now for several years and has built up
a solid contacts book which allows for a number of well-matched
fixtures to be lined up well in advance of the beginning of the
season. 2014 saw the return of the old foe, Down Under Dragons,
as well as visits from the Kingston Methodists, Old Rutlishians,
Kingstonian and the Corridors CC.
Following a poor showing in a pre-season friendly, the 3rd XI hit
their straps running with a comfortable 8 wicket win over Old
Rutlishians in which Rossiter took 3 cheap wickets and Evans
(45*) and Philpotts (31) opened together and almost knocked off
the required target of 93 without requiring the assistance of any of
their team mates. A satisfying victory, though both openers were
chided by the skipper after using 82 and 74 balls respectively to
accumulate their runs.
Down Under Dragons went 3-2 up in the series against the 3rd XI
after a 94 run victory. Evans took his batting average to a cool 100
after an impressive 55 (in a total of 118) saw him bat with every
member of the team.
A strong all round performance from Ormerod (63 off 41 balls
and two catches behind the stumps) against the Corridors CC
powered the 3rd XI to a 27 run victory, with Davison snaffling 3
for 21.
The famed batting frailties returned against the Kingston
Methodists as the 3rd XI were hustled out for 74 chasing 196. A
strong showing from Woolley (39) who, had he received support,
might have forced a closer result.
The 3rd XI bounced back with the return of Taylor (94-01) and
Khan and won against Twickenham following a strong batting
showing from Evans (75) and Khan (60) backed up by some tight
bowling from Davison, Osbourne and Sivarajah.
With one game to play, 2014 can be considered a success and the
team is already looking forward to next season with the hope that
it can move from strength to strength.
Pat Davison (1994-2001) Captain 3rd XI
OH 3rd XI Cricket Team
Back row (l-r): Romilly Taylor (94-01); Sufyan Khan; Jamie Ormerod (wk) (94-01); Nick Evans (96-01); Giles Woolley (94-01); Mike Rossiter.
Front row (l-r): Vinod Kumar; Henry Philpotts; Patrick Davison (capt) (94-01); Stephen Lewis (96-01); James Osbourne (5th Year)
154
2013-2014
OHCC Cricket Tour 2014
After a three year exile, OHCC made a (triumphant) return to
touring in 2014. The usual venue of Cheltenham was cast aside in
favour of two days in the traditional cricketing town of Brighton.
The stats for the OHCC touring party don’t make particularly pretty
reading as we played and lost two. However this does little to tell
the full story. Matches were indeed lost to Steyning and Portslade,
but both games were played in a tremendous spirit where the social
side of the game definitely came to the fore. Personally, I have not
played cricket before where there is an enforced stint in a paddling
pool after being dismissed, but arguably the game is the worse for it.
Away from the cricket pitch a great club spirit was shown with the
more experienced members of the touring party ‘looking after’ the
newest and organising ‘awards’ after both games.
Our thanks must go to the two hosting teams and to all those
involved in organising such a tremendous tour. After having such
an enjoyable time I hope this will once again become a firm fixture
in the OHCC calendar and I would highly recommend it to all club
members.
Guy Baker – August 2014
OHCC Cricket Tour participants:
Back row (left to right): Tom Hunter, Simon Teal, Simon Blair, Paul
Carson, Neil Lizieri, Rob Unterhalter
Middle row: Larry Pererra, Dan Anders, Anoop Jaijee, Ed Martin
Front row: Simon Morris, Richard Brown, Guy Baker
2013-2014
155
OH 1st XI Football report 2014
Richard Sexton has great news as
OHs win Premier Division OHs have waited an eternity to taste success at the highest
level, but when it eventually arrived it was emphatic, clinical,
and richly deserved. Whilst Hampton may have been there
or thereabouts for several years now, never in the history of
the club have they bagged the Premier Division Title. This in
itself is no mean feat – the Amateur Football Combination
pyramid comprising some 300+ teams spread across 28 leagues
throughout Greater London.
Having set the proverbial wheels in motion by picking up the
LOBS Cup the previous season, this was a young, exciting side
that promised much, and ultimately delivered in spades. Indeed,
success was borne out of attacking, free-flowing football, which in
itself produced a bucket-load of goals (the 1st XI notched almost
100 goals in all competitions, including 58 in the league).
Managed by the unlikely duo of Rob Campain* and Richard
Sexton*, a tight-knit 16-17 man squad showed solidity and
consistent availability that has been lacking in years gone by.
Personnel-wise, James Holdsworth and Ed Holdsworth* (collective
age of 74) provided the experience, finally reaping the rewards of
their commitment and dedication to the club over the past quarter
of a century. Adam Calvert* and Mike Rossiter were the only others
pushing 30. Beyond this, a youthful clique – its roots at Durham
University, but nowadays bleeding gold and black – provided the
nucleus of the squad. Chris Heritage*, Will Doyle and Cosimo
Codacci were rampant going forwards, the latter collecting a
deserved Golden Boot/Player of the Season award at the club’s
gala dinner in May at Dean Road. The brothers Ashby (Craig &
Grant) formed the ‘spine’ of the team, both earning call-ups to
the League Representative side in the process. Elsewhere, Tommy
‘Horse’ Larcombe led the line up top, whilst Greg Benson, Jonny
Meldram*, Alex Kennewell*, Pat Odling* and a host of others all
had important parts to play.
The final day epitomised Hampton’s campaign. Travelling to
league leaders (and reigning champions) Old Minchendenians, the
Lions knew that nothing less than a win would suffice. In front of
a bullish, partisan home crowd, the performance could scarcely
have been more emphatic. OH ignored the nastiness/bad blood,
dismantling their opposition with clinical effect to run out 5-0
winners. A fitting culmination to a satisfying season which, barring
a couple of underwhelming exits from cup competitions postChristmas, could scarcely have gone better.
With collective thanks to Rob Campain, Jimmy Comber, James
Gibson, Tom Lloyd, and all others who made it possible. With the
majority of the squad still in place for 14/15, expectations could –
and should – be high.
*denotes Old Hamptonian
http://www.amateurfootballcombination.com/results-fixtures/
match-centre/premier-division/
Richard Sexton
156
2013-2014
The day we won the league!
BACK ROW (l-r): Tom Larcombe*, Adam Calvert*, Mike Rossiter, Rob
Campain*, Chris Heritage*, Grant Ashby, Ed Holdsworth*, Craig Ashby
FRONT ROW (l-r): Richard Sexton*, Pat Odling*, Cosimo CodacciPisanelli, Greg Benson, James Holdsworth, Will Doyle
OH 2nd XI Football report 2014
‘Short on luck and goals but never
spirit’
The first game of the 2nd XI’s season promised so much. New
captain Sam Rider’s (2000-05) team racked up an (albeit lowscoring) cricket score knocking out AFA Intermediate Cup
holders Old Salesians 6-1 away.
The towering centre-back pairing of Paul Lemon and Matt Bell
combined for the latter’s flicked headed opener. Harvey Brown,
Laurence Brown (unrelated), Rider and Tim Maddin scored with
aplomb, while impossible goal line clearances from Jonny Brown
and jaw dropping point-blank saves from new stopper Mark
Collet kept the Lions out of reach.
It looked like the team – which had put in a solid mid-table
showing the previous campaign under the long serving and
suffering Andy White – was going to be a force to be reckoned
with. It was not to be. Instead the Lions proceeded to be dogged
by severe striker and goalkeeper shortages, implausible bad luck
and flagging morale.
This was no less epitomised by the confounding 3-2 defeat to
Sinjuns Grammarians in April in the midst of a relegation runin. With top scorer (9) Rider sidelined due to ruptured knee
ligaments (having been wrong footed by a rotund centre-back
– serves him right) the tenacious George Chilton led out an XI
including firebrand Phil Caughter and the mercurial talent of
Dan Linacre (most assists, 5).
Leading 2-1 with ten minutes remaining, all three proceeded to
be sent off in unison for dissent, profanity and handling on the
line, in that order. Sinjuns scored the resulting penalty and then
the winner with the last kick of the match. The inquest continues.
Despite their unrelenting misfortune the 2nd XI never threw in
the towel, always pulling together to field a strong squad, with
great support from Rob Campain and Tommy Larcombe of the
1st XI and a special mention for James ‘The Chairman’ Gibson
(most appearances, 20) and Jimmy Comber for somehow
keeping goal for both the 2nd and 3rd XI for the majority of the
season.
A memorable highlight came when the Lions stunned and
outplayed table toppers Economicals II, racing into a two-goal
lead with a left-footed Bobby Charlton-esque screamer from
OH 3rd XI Football Report 2014
Expectations for the season were high following last season’s successful
second place finish. A reshuffling of the league constitution meant
we found ourselves in 2 South: on paper a division below where we
were last season. As it turned out this was probably something of
a blessing. We enjoyed an encouraging start with a couple of good
wins in the opening few fixtures thanks to some marauding runs
from Jamie Slater*, some sharp finishing from Graham Taylor* and
some robust defending by Messrs Peachy and Gower.
We then went through a spell of playing well but not quite managing
to translate that into positive results. This spell was not aided after
the Christmas break with the wettest period in recent history, where
rubber rings would have been more useful than football, which
resulted in only a couple of fixtures being able to be fulfilled.
Larcombe. Yet, as has been the fashion, a late equaliser cost the
team what would have been a deserved three points.
Ultimately the Lions went down fighting. For the 2014-15
season Chilton takes the armband and with a squad boasting
the midfield duo of Pat Odling and Alex Kennewell and a
reinvigorated White, the Lions are well armed for a promotion
tilt. There is one saving grace. RBS also went down, so the 2nd
XI won’t have to wait long to exact some therapeutic revenge.
Sam Rider (2000-2005)
Although results weren’t as we would have liked, the commitment
and spirit within the squad was first class, emphasised when we
were able to field two almost entirely different sides for our double
header on the penultimate weekend of the season. Congratulations
to Graham Taylor* whose performances earn him the player of the
season award and big thanks to Carlos for running the side over the
last two seasons and to Ian Wilson who will be assuming the role of
skipper. Bring on 2014/15!
Squad
James Comber*, Richard Brown*, Kanap Patel*, James Baulk*,
Carlos Mills, Paul Gower, Scott Peachy, Nick Newman, Andrew
Gibbons, Chris McNab, Nick Lowe, Andrew Slattery, Paul Schaffer*,
Graham Taylor*, Ian Wilson, Matt Sims*, Fred Chaveneau, Jamie
Slater*, Dec Ryan*, Marc Williams, Dave Holt
James Comber
Calling footballers of all abilities
The Old Hamptonians’ Football Club (OHAFC) is on the lookout for new recruits. With three
teams playing in the Amateur Football Combination (AFC) leagues, we have room for any
and all interested. Led by 1st XI captain Rob Campain, the club trains once a week and plays
its home games on the pitches at the back of the School fields.
Whilst OHAFC is an open club, we have always remained keen to maintain the traditionally
high number of old Hampton boys. This loyalty to the black and gold is suitably illustrated
by the fact that more than half of the current 1st XI – reigning champions of the AFC Premier
Division – attended the School at some point. With such a fantastic balance between high
quality football and squad spirit, anyone would be hard pressed to find a more suitable
football club, at any stage of life.
If you think you might be interested, we would love to hear from you, whether you fancy
playing for one week or the whole season. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with:
Chris Heritage: 07970 383 929 – [email protected]
Rob Campain: 07825 348 684 – [email protected]
2013-2014
157
OH Rugby
‘The Winning Squad’ followed by the list of names below (which are not matched for order in the photo)
Laurence Brown (Captain Under 21’s XV), Sam Hawthorne, Alex Ayoade, Adam Ssozcha, George Tunacliffe, Harry Blaiklock, Jobie Burke, Nick
Catto, Martie Chalwa, Charlie Coltart, Mattias Cruz Kano, Sam Evans, George Fulton, Sam Hewitt, Ludi Hopkinson, Tom Keith, Tom MacGuire, Adam Scaffardi, Alex Taverner, Alex Wood and Simon Woilatt.
The Under 21s win the Cronk
Cunis Tournament
played for the School and the Old Boys. It was only fitting that Brian
was there to see this success after all his hard work over the years in
recruiting and organizing the teams.
Hampton’s Under 21s XV, captained by Laurence Brown, won the
Tournament on Bank Holiday Monday 26 August 2014 beating
Skinner’s School 14-3 in the Final at a very wet Richmond Athletic
Ground. Hampton beat Worth School 15-0, Eastbourne College
7-0, Tonbridge School 7-0 and St Paul’s School 15-10 on their
way to the final. Their scrum, line-out and defence were dominant
throughout.
The players and their parents, who endured some terrible weather
throughout the day, were all delighted with the win!
It would be great to see the core of this side playing at the Old Boys
after they finish University (as has happened at St Benedict’s with
great success).
This is only the 2nd time that Hampton’s Under 21s have won this
Tournament, which the Old Boys have supported for the last 14
years. Key to this has been Brian Jones, whose three sons have all
158
2013-2014
Captain Laurence Brown receives the trophy from Peter Baines RFU JVP
Rugby is back at the Old Boys
As with all Rugby Clubs we do need to
After a gap of three years, Old Hamptonians have entered a team
into the Middlesex Merit Table as part of a plan to encourage players
to carry on playing after they leave Hampton and University. We
want to build the Rugby at the Old Boys to reflect the strength of
the School’s Rugby Teams.
The Merit Table should be a good starting point for this as it will
offer a competitive level of Rugby without too much travelling as it
is based in and around West London. In addition, we will continue to support the U21s in the Cronk
Cunis Tournament, a Students Christmas ‘Reunion’ game and 7s
at Easter.
Old Hamptonians’ Golfing
Society (OHGS) Report 2014
recruit and all former pupils of Hampton
School and their friends are welcome! Please contact Peter Dendy or Mark Fox if
you are interested in playing.
Peter Dendy: [email protected] 07831134412
Mark Fox: 07980616925
A superb effort by all our team led us to victory over The School.
This fixture is now well established again and it is an excellent link
for Old Boys to have contact with the boys and the teaching staff.
Once again 2014 has been a successful season for the Golfing Society.
Being a fully inclusive Society, in addition to ex-pupils and their
parents, we welcome new members from current or former teachers
and from all other sections within the Association. If you would like
to join our email group and receive more information then please
email: [email protected]
As well as beating The School this year (see full report), we had
success against our old rivals – Old Tiffinian’s at Burhill GC in
March, retaining the Ford Cup. This was followed in April with an
excellent value day at Sutton Green GC.
In May we returned to the ever popular Bramley GC with an
excellent turnout. We aimed to retain the Surrey Schools Old Boys
Trophy which we won in 2013, but fell short on the day. However,
some excellent performances were witnessed and a most enjoyable
evening ensued. As well as the match against the School we also took
part in the annual Triangular Trophy at Betchworth Park GC against
Old Surbitonians and Old Kingstonians. This is also the occasion for
the Across the River Cup against Old Kingstonians. Unfortunately
we came out losers on both fronts, but an enjoyable day was had by
those attending.
All in all, it was a thoroughly good day, overseen admirably by
our Captain, Paul Smith. Congratulations to Nobby Clarke and
Mark Shubrook for their fine 38 points each and joint first in the
individual prize. The total score was the best 7 cards from each team.
So onto the full results:
The School 215 points
OHGS239 points
The winners being OHGS, who will hold the L W Stokes Challenge
Cup for this year.
OHGS 1st Overall
And equal
Nobby Clarke (12)
Mark Scubrook (11)
38pts
38pts
School 1st Overall
Alex Bloom (12) 38pts
2ndLuke Smith (5)34pts
Nearest Pin on hole 9
Longest Drive
Jim Smallwood
Lawrence Courtney
We now look forward to our first autumn meeting at Maidenhead
GC on the 10 Sept 2014 and then a Texas Scramble competition
hosted by O Kingstonians at Hoebridge GC in late October.
Gary Hide (1968-1973)
Fulwell Golf Tournament won by OHGS
Report – OHGS v. Hampton School Match, Fulwell Golf Club
Thursday 3 July 14
We experienced the best and hottest day of the year at Fulwell this
year with each team having a complement of 10 players. The course
was in good condition, and proved good for us to score on.
Fulwell Golf Tournament – the Cup is won by OHGS!
Left Luke Smith Captain for the School
Centre Paul Smith Captain for OHGS
Right Aiden Kershaw, Master at the School responsible for golf and
our link.
NB: Paul and Luke are not related.
2013-2014
159
Amateur Dramatic Society
(OHADS) Report for 2013 & 2014
Bernard Wigginton gives news of successful
productions and awards, despite lack of resources
Hubbard Trophy for Andy Smith in the challenging role of the
executioner Albert Pierrepoint, as well as a nomination for Collette
Bryant as Ruth Ellis. Indeed the play was selected to go forward to
the Eastern semi-final of the All-England Theatre Festival in May,
where it was finally ‘pipped at the post’ by a group from Wanstead.
Both actors have also been nominated in the Richmond Drama
Awards for 2014.
The Society has met with mixed fortunes during the last two years,
with two highly successful productions in 2013 followed by a much
quieter season this year.
Our first production of 2013 – rather ironically this was the female
version of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple – was an artistic triumph,
being voted best play by the Richmond upon Thames drama judges,
as well as receiving the award for best actress, a tribute to the skills
of our director Sally Halsey, who is also currently directing The
Graduate for production in October of this year.
Our second offering of 2013 was the more zany and slightly risqué
comedy Dead Funny – about a group of friends celebrating dead
comedians – which produced mixed reactions but was generally
much enjoyed by the audience. However, regrettably, numbers were
down, and with the high cost of hiring Hampton Hill Playhouse for
the production we sustained a considerable financial loss.
As a result we have had to draw in our horns and have put on only
one production in the first half of 2014, a double bill in the studio
theatre of the Playhouse, comprising Alan Ayckbourn’s A Lady of
Letters and Follow Me, a powerful and thought-provoking play
(which had premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe) about the execution
of Ruth Ellis.
The second play was also performed in the Elmbridge Drama
Festival, where it was rewarded with the best actor’s Edward G
As mentioned above, we are currently rehearsing The Graduate, a
highly entertaining light comedy based on the popular film: this has
a strong cast and director, and I hope we are not overtly optimistic
in predicting a box office success. (We have included the flyer for The
Graduate – 7th-11th October 2014, even though by the time OHC is in
print it will already have had its run, in order to showcase the work done
by OHADS in putting on these splendid productions – Ed. Assistant)
We should like to extend a warm welcome to the Headmaster Kevin
Knibbs, who has agreed to be our President and whom we had the
pleasure of meeting, together with his colleagues in the Drama
Department: we were pleased to have this opportunity to re-establish
our relations with the School.
Once again we are grateful for the continued use of the OHA
Pavilion – an essential facility on which we remain dependent for
the majority of our rehearsals.
Bernard Wigginton (1956-1964)
‘Dead Funny’ – OH Steve Taylor is on the left
‘The Odd Couple’
160
In addition we have enjoyed a number of play readings at the
Pavilion, and also a quiz evening which, although rather sparsely
attended, was another very pleasant occasion.
2013-2014
2013-2014
161
Fly tying classes at the Old Hamptonians’ Pavilion
For the past three years we have run small friendly evening classes
at the Old Hamptonians’ Pavilion with instruction from Chris
Reeves.
Chris is a qualified instructor and member of the Game Angling
Instructors Association, and is a well known local instructor with
many years of experience.
We welcome tiers of all levels to join us at the classes which will
start again on Wednesday evenings, in Mid-September 2014. The
classes run from 7.30pm for two hours and all tools and materials
can be provided
Anyone interested in starting or refreshing their fly tying skills
can contact Chris on 01932 341043
or by email to [email protected]
OH Bridge Club Report 2014
We are small in numbers and would appreciate new members from
among parents, teachers and school.
The club meets each Tuesday in the Old Boys’ Pavilion at 7.30pm,
usually playing until 10.00pm.
There is a friendly atmosphere – we take on all-comers, no matter
what their standard of play. We also train new players, so anyone can
join in – from novices to professionals.
A team is entered into the Thames Valley Bridge League each year
(the club is currently playing in Division 3 out of 4 divisions).
For more information, please contact Geoff Wickes (captain) on
07917 621503, or Andy Wickes on 07973 849294.
162
2013-2014
Old Boys and Guests enjoying an evening of friendly Bridge.
From left to right: Geoff Wickes (1965-72), Vic Rice-Smith (1944-50),
Eileen Birch and Eric Payne
OBITUARIES
Noël Hargood 1943-2013
OH 1954-1961
Noël Hargood, who died last December, was a talented organic
chemist who travelled the world in the employ of an American
timber company before his early retirement due to ill health.
Subhashchandra Kamath
1953-2014
OH 1965-1972
He was my contemporary at HGS second year from 1955 – we
both lived at Ashford and cycled to school together. Noël’s father
Norman, the stills photographer at Shepperton Studios, had given
him a splendid W F Holdsworth bicycle with Campagnolo gears and
Noel would kindly slow down so I could keep up on my Hudson
with 3 speed Sturmey-Archer.
Subhash passed away on 5th January 2014 and was cremated on
20th January 2014 at the South West Middlesex Crematorium in
Hounslow. It was a very fitting occasion for someone who had been
involved in Hampton School for most of his life. Subhash’s family
were pleased to see so many people at the crematorium and many of
them wearing the gold, silver and black of the Hamptonians’ blazer.
As an ambassador for the Old Hamptonians he made many contacts
outside of the club, many of whom were present at his wake.
Left – ‘Noel in 4th Centenary School Photo 1957’
Right – ‘Noel – roundabout 10 years ago’
Noël, who was a direct descendant of Admiral Sir William Hargood,
who commanded HMS Belleisle at Trafalgar, was a keen member of
the School Choir and sang with them at St Paul’s during the School’s
fourth Centenary service.
After 6th Form studies at Hampton, under the auspices of Dr
Medinger, Noël undertook a sandwich course at Brunel university,
sponsored by The Metal Box Company. One of his first jobs was
with Paripan, a paint company, where he introduced innovations to
the benefit of his employers as well as concocting a brew to run his
side valve Morris Minor. He eventually joined the timber company
and told me he might be digging his garden on a Saturday afternoon
in Old Windsor when he would be summoned to a meeting first
thing Monday in Seattle.
From an early age Subhash played rugby, cricket and bridge for the
Old Boys. He also sat on all these sections’ committees including
the main Old Hamptonians’ Association Committee. His proudest
moment came in 1994 when the Old Hamptonians 1st XV rugby
team got to the final of the Pilkington Shield, the national junior
cup, which was played at Twickenham Stadium. Subhash was the
club captain and although he wasn’t playing he was as responsible as
all the players for getting the club to the final.
Subhash loved most sports but his joy didn’t come from playing the
sport; rather, from seeing so many people he had recruited turn out
for the Old Hamptonians. He would regularly watch the School
rugby matches in the morning and recruit players for the afternoon
Old Boys’ matches. If a rugby team was a couple of players short, he
would find players from somewhere and if he could not, he would
play in any position if it meant that everyone else got a game. He
played cricket for many years and when he decided he could no
longer play, he would umpire.
Noël and his wife Frances, whom he met through ballroom dancing,
had two daughters and a son and lived at Old Windsor.
In modern life it is quite easy to take things for granted and often
people are not aware of what goes on behind the scenes. Subhash
was the treasurer of several sections at the Old Hamptonians. He
administered one of the Middlesex RFU leagues. He ran an online
Bridge league every morning at 5:00 am. He often opened and
closed the Clubhouse. He represented the Old Hamptonians at the
Association of Representatives of Old Pupils’ Societies. He sat on the
Old Boys’ General Committee and could be found at the Pavilion in
Dean Road most weekends. He will be missed by many people who
knew him and many people who did not.
John Smith
Andrew Glyn-Jones (1979-1984)
Noël, who rose to a prominent position in the Masons, was always
generous with good advice and support. We lost contact when I left
Hampton but Denis Fuller put us back in touch relatively recently,
since when we exchanged emails almost daily. I shall miss his
camaraderie.
2013-2014
163
I N M E MOR IA M
M.A. Beal (1946-51)
P.E. Buckmaster (2003-08)
M.L. Collyer (1940-45)
M.J. Denley (1943-49)
N. Hargood
P.A. Hodges (1939-44)
S.S. Kamath (1965-72)
J.F. Lorton (1945-50)
D.N. Maynard (1941-46)
D.C. Peters (1941-46)
G. Potts (1940-45)
R.M. Sinclair (former teacher 1956-89)
164
2013-2014
Whitton
Feltham
Bourne End
Guildford
Slough
Heckington
Hampton Hill
Bexhill-on-Sea
Sunningdale
Camberley
Staines
West Horsley
1 May 2014
April 2014
8 January 2014
31 December 2013
26 December 2013
19 December 2013
5 January 2014
2 June 2013
2 March 2014
3 June 2013
1 December 2013
May 2014

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