Lent 2009 - Dulwich College

Issue 693
Lent 2009
The
ALLeynIAn
The magazine of Dulwich College
A moving story
This term has seen the completion of phase one of the
development at the heart of the campus and has involved a
great deal of activity as staff and boys move into their new
quarters.
The changing room complex was the first area in use and
the boys are thoroughly enjoying the ultra modern facilities.
Members of the economics department were the next to
move in with careers following close behind. The Alleyn
Club Careers Library is a feature of the new Careers Suite
and will prove an invaluable tool for boys looking into
options for the future.
Upper School boys have also moved into their Common
Room and are taking advantage of the brand new café,
named Ned’s Place after our Founder who was
affectionately called ‘sweete Nedde’.
The whole building will be known as the Lord George
Building in honour of Edward George OA, Chairman of
the Board of Governors and, prior to that, Governor of
the Bank of England. Lady George declared the building
officially open on 17 March 2009.
2
While this first stage of the development was being
completed, we were delighted to hear that a British
foundation which wishes to remain anonymous has given
£½m to the Development Campaign and, in addition, has
Moving the careers department
pledged to match all donations made after 1 January
2009. The College is extremely grateful to the foundation
for its generosity.
As was reported in last term’s Alleynian, phase two of the
development (the expansion of the Music School) has been
put on hold until the new science extension has been built.
The aim now is to raise funds for the science extension.
Now that the value of all donations is being doubled, this
should be an easier task.
The new building
Front cover created by Oliver Monk (HRY)
As the Lord George Building grew out of the ruins of the
old swimming pool, so did my anticipation of being able to
use this dedicated Sixth Form Centre. Much was promised
for Upper School boys; much has been delivered.
atmosphere more akin to their burgeoning need for greater
independence, whilst providing them with excellent
resources with which they can achieve their full potential.
As a result it has exceeded my anticipation.
Indeed, when passing through the narrow passageway
leading from the outside campus into the
courtyard, it feels as though you are leaving a
frenzied world and entering an oasis of calm.
There is an air of maturity and responsibility
about the building which sums up perfectly the
very essence of life in the Upper School. This
becomes apparent from the quiet conversations
taking place at ‘Ned’s Place’ (the brand new café)
and from individuals carrying out research into
their future in the Careers Centre.
The new building represents a reward for boys
reaching the Upper School which had not been
available before. Previous cadres of boys have
never had a focal point such as that provided by
the new building. In the Lord George Building
boys have an exclusive space which gives them an
Jamie Lawlor H61
Working in the new Common Room
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Boys’ achievements
Oliver Munns (H62) has commended in this year’s
Canning House Essay Competition – a national
competition which required entrants to write in Spanish on
‘The Latin American I most admire’.
William Godsiff (HRS), has once again been accepted for
the National Wind Ensemble. John Hewitt-Jones (HRW)
won the ‘Gordon Turner Memorial Competition’ at the
Royal College of Music on Saturday 7 February, a
competition open to all Year 11 and 12 instrumentalists.
He played Vaughan Williams’ Romance and Bridge ‘Allegro
Appassionato’. Marcus Hui (S6C) has been awarded the
LRSM Piano Performance Diploma, an exceptional
achievement considering that the examination is
normally taken by students in the 2nd or 3rd year of
study at a Music Conservatoire or University. Marcus, a
pupil of Timothy Barratt, Head of Keyboard, is a current
holder of the Mudge Award for Music. Toby Medland
(9D) has retained his place in the National Children’s
Orchestra, so is now playing violin in the ‘Main’ orchestra.
David Young (9C) and Robert Miller (8W) have
both successfully auditioned for a place in the Barbican
Young Orchestra
Samuel Franklin (10C) was selected by the English Chess
Federation to take part in the La Cappelle Grand
International Open chess tournament in France at the
beginning of March, where he competed against players
from five other countries. The tournament was won by a
young Russian Grandmaster but Samuel scored a
respectable 4.5/9 overall.
The fencing team continue to be successful: in the Under
14 section of the British Youth Championships, Jahmal
Barnes (9J) took 5th, Ned Tidmarsh (8C) 6th and
Tommy Curran Jones (8C) 8th. Jahmal went on to come
Alex Schymyck and Sam Collier win University College Dublin Law
Society’s Schools Mace Competition.
See Page 21 for more Debating news
5th in the Under 16 section of the Surrey Youth
Championships with Adam Foster (10C) coming 6th.
Lewis Lloyd (10B) and Samuel Woods (11H) finished
2nd and 3rd respectively in the London Schools
Intermediate Cross Country Championship. Both boys will
now go forward to represent London in the National
Championships.
On Monday 9 March the J15 quads raced at the National
Junior Sculling Head, one of only two national events held
each year. The A quad of Teddy Previte (10L), Charlie
Burkitt (10B), Tim Emkes (10M), Thomas Kirk (10B) and
Hamish Hughes (10D) came an impressive third out of 31
despite racing 2km further than everyone else by accident!
Ski Champions - again
Two teams from Dulwich travelled to Hasliberg in
Switzerland during the weekend of 24/ 25 January to
take part in the British Schools’ Skiing Championships.
After spending two days of intensive training with their
racing coaches, the boys were ready for action. Despite
various mishaps along the way, including a hospital dash
and a lost ski, the Dulwich skiers held their nerve and
both teams successfully negotiated the tricky and tight
slalom course.
The final results were impressive: George Dawkins won
the silver medal in the unregistered individual skier category, Dulwich 2 won the silver medal in the unregistered
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team category (losing narrowly to a much older Millfield
team) while Dulwich 1 retained the title they achieved
last year, winning gold in the Under 16 category.
3
Staff news
Nick Mair has been appointed Chairman of the
Independent Schools Modern Foreign Languages
Association, a body which represents around 170 HMC,
GSA and GDST schools throughout the country.
Dr Nick Black has been elected to the Council of the
Navy Records Society (est. 1893).
His book, the British Naval Staff in
the First World War has just been
published by Boydell and Brewer.
Ian Brinton’s Contemporary Poetry
since 1990 has been published by
Cambridge University Press. He
has also recently given a lecture on
Dante at Wellington College.
4
Jon Smith, Head of Security, left the College at the end of
December and we were also sorry to say farewell Keith
Rowland who worked at the College for almost nine years
first as Changing Rooms porter and then in the North
Block. Keith was well known to Old Alleynians, current
boys and staff alike and could always be relied upon to
help out with a cheery quip! We wish him all the best for
the future. He will be missed.
Several new staff have recently joined the College: Victoria
Joseph was appointed Human Resources Manager with
Carla Tempest as Assistant; Sonia Delshadian is the
Enterprise Co-ordinator, taking over from Fiona Stevens;
Kim Fisher is the new Facilities Manager with Derrick
Copeland as her Deputy. Lorraine Bland has joined the
catering department to run Ned’s Place. We also have two
new GAP year students in the Junior School: Katie Ryan
and Ryan Young. Welcome to all.
Finally - on 14
January the Master
made a presentation
to Mr Colin
Simkins to
congratulate him
on his 35 years of
loyal service in the
Maintenance
Department.
Robert Weaver will give a lecture
entitled ‘Bringing the past alive:
treasures of the Fellows’ Library at Ian Brinton’s book
Dulwich College’ on 14 May at 5 pm
at the Society of Antiquaries, Burlington House, Picadilly
W1. All welcome.
Dr Floella Benjamin, Governor and former parent, has
been appointed Deputy Lieutenant for Greater London
Several members of staff have had new additions to the
family: Alastair Henderson and Sam Howard have both
had sons and Rhys Kemp a daughter. Congratulations to
all these growing families.
Colin Simkins admires his specially
engraved tankard
helping the Bone Cancer Research Trust
In mid January, after months of fundraising,
two brave members of staff jumped from
12,000 ft in a tandem skydive to raise money
for a small but very worthy charity - The
Bone Cancer Research Trust. Tayo Davy OA,
master i/c sport at DUCKS, and Calvin
Haggis, Deputy Manager of the Dulwich
College Sports
Club, raised
almost
£15,000 for
the jump and
Tayo has raised
a further
£3,000 with a
sponsored
swim at
Tayo, Rose and Calvin
DUCKS. The fundraising
has a personal touch: Rose
Allocca, formerly at DUCKS
and younger sister of Felix in
6Q, has been a bone cancer
sufferer for a year. The
BCRT researches better long
term outcomes for children
with this particular cancer.
David Fisher, head of
fundraising at the Trust, gave
an Assembly to the Middle
School to explain the Trust’s
work and to thank the
College personally for all
their fundraising efforts over
the past year.
www.dulwich.org.uk
Cheikh Zekraoui
Cheikh Zekraoui joined the
Economics and Business Studies
Department in 2000 and
immediately broke all records for
the longest commute in Dulwich
history, returning to the West End
of Glasgow every weekend to be
with his wife. The newly-weds
would again be separated on a
Saturday afternoon as Cheikh
donned the green and white
stripes of his beloved Celtic and
headed to the ground, a lonely
figure of tolerance and
moderation in a sea of
sectarianism at the ‘old firm clash’.
department’s trips to New York,
Stockholm and Brussels.
Cheikh was at his most animated on the
touchline shouting encouragement and
advice to his cherished 3rd XI. Brought
up in the school of hard knocks of the
Scottish Premier League, he allowed his
team to take no prisoners. Their record of
victories was outstanding! On the pitch
he proved to be a demon, his colleagues
donning heavy duty shin pads when they
drew the short straw and ended up on the
opposing team.
The gentler and more contemplative
aspects of Cheikh’s personality included
In the department, Cheikh’s
his Islamic faith and his admiration for
Master’s degree in monetary
democratic international institutions such
economics proved a perfect foil
as UNESCO. His experience of civil war
Mr Zekraoui meets some eminent figures on an
for Doug Kuehn’s Keynesian
at home in Algeria gave him a passion for
passion. Two economists met and Economics trip to New York
reason, pluralism and order. A talented
three opinions emerged.
linguist, fluent in Arabic, Berber, French
and English, Cheikh has produced many fluent French
In the classroom, however, Cheikh’s first love was Business speakers in his Year 9 classes, albeit with strong Algerian
Studies and here he had great success in leading some of
accents. As he leaves Dulwich, we wish Cheikh, his wife
the most unwilling students to water and encouraging them Nawel and their two young boys Azedine and Yassine a
to drink. His work as an examiner enabled him to highlight happy and prosperous life wherever they choose to settle.
the best route to his fellow markers’ hearts and keep the
grades rolling in. Cheikh was instrumental in organising the
Mr Phil Storey
A new school in China
Happiness Village School in
Sichuan is being built with
the help of money collected
through fundraising here in
London and in Dulwich
College Shanghai after the
disastrous earthquake last
May.
The brand new school will
be opened formally on
1 April and the generosity of
pupils, parents and staff
from Dulwich College (both
in London and Shanghai)
will be acknowledged on
plaques at the entrance.
www.dulwich.org.uk
5
Drama
The College at War
Ivan Owen Belgrave Shirley, born 1895, was a
pupil at the College from 1911 to 1914. He
went on to be a Lieutenant in the British West
Indian Regiment during World War 1. The
picture featuring him and others (see left) in
the Dulwich cricket 1st XI was used to
introduce the production of Oh! What a
Lovely War at the end of last term. Taken in
1913, it emphasised how young the soldiers
were before so many of them marched to
their deaths. IOB Shirley himself survived
and went on to send his sons, Dominick,
Michael and Simon to the College.
6
The link continued first through the nephews
of Dominick, Michael and Simon, Adam and
Allan Campbell, both of whom were here in
the 70s, and later through their niece Siobhan
who came to see the production.
War was the theme of last term’s theatrical productions. In addition to Oh! What a Lovely War, members of the Lower
School performed Private Peaceful to great acclaim (reviewed in last term’s issue).
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Drama
7
Some Dulwich boys took their acting skills outside the College when they
joined pupils at James Allen’s Girls’ School in a superb production of The
Matchgirls
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Sport
hockey
This has been a good season for a
number of the teams. Hockey
continues to thrive in the Junior
School with numbers at the
development sessions as large as
ever. The highlight was the U11
team qualifying for the national
finals of the IAPS hockey
tournament.
In the Lower School, the U12s had a good win over St
George’s and the U13s have qualified for the finals of the
Surrey U13 County Championships.
In the Middle School, the teams are settling down after
boys have opted for either football or hockey and, whilst
8
results are mixed for both the U14 and U15
teams, their play is showing good potential
for the future. The numbers of boys
involved in the sport places hockey in a very
healthy position. We have been able to
support the fullest fixture list in many years
for the 3rd XI, and a large number of boys
have played for the College.
The 2nd XI has found matches tough as
they are a young side made up predominantly of Remove
and Year 11 students. They often play sixth form teams
and have competed well. Their highlights have been wins
over St George’s and KCS Wimbledon.
For the 1st XI, this has been the best season for a number
of years and, at the time of writing, they are still unbeaten.
They too achieved fine victories over St George’s and KCS.
Once again, much of this success can be attributed to the
Barcelona training camp at New Year where the senior side
came third and were the highest placed English school in
the competition.
We end by wishing those boys attending trials for county
and other teams in the near future every success.
Mr Dan Kent
Master i/c hockey
Basketball
This has been another successful
term for Dulwich College
basketball with good progress
evident at all age groups as we head
for the end of the season. This is
the first year Dulwich has entered
the League at U14 level and,
although they have gone down to
many defeats, the margins have
narrowed and the level of skill
shown has increased dramatically.
At U15 level we enjoyed an
extremely satisfying victory over St
Paul’s although we lost, after a
superb battle, away at City of
London. Our U16 team enjoyed
two excellent victories over Royal
Russell School and a losing, but highly
competitive, match against City of London.
Our U19s have also had a successful second
part of the season. Two victories against
Royal Russell School is a nice way to go into
our U19 LISBA Cup Semi final. A victory
over KCS Wimbledon in this would see us
line up in a final against either Latymer
Upper School or Alleyn’s (who defeated us
in last year’s final).
We enjoyed the first ever Senior Boarding
Houses match between Ivyholme and Blew
House, narrowly won by Ivyholme 68-63.
Mr Matthew Burdekin
Master i/c basketball
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Sport
Football
For some, the season started in 15˚C with
blue skies and the sea lapping the beach: we
were in Marbella, Spain, with the 1st XI and
U15 squads. This provided an excellent
opportunity to work in comfortable
surroundings, and proved to be time well
spent, with each side playing two matches
during a five-day training camp.
The U15s clearly had the Rensburg Cup (National
Independent Schools Cup) at the forefront of their minds
as the season started. They had been competing in this
competition since September and reached the semi-final
stage. Unfortunately we lost a tight match to Eton College
(3-1). However, this achievement should not be
overlooked, to be in the top four Football schools in the
country is an outstanding effort and something the boys
and staff should be proud of.
During the season two boys have been selected to represent
ISFA (Independent Schools Football Association). Daniel
Sargent and Bradley Goldberg both performed well for the
ISFA South side and progressed to the full National team. In a
recent match Bradley scored two goals in a 3-0 victory over
Hertfordshire. This is a particularly good
achievement as he is an U15 playing in the
ISFA U16 side. Jasper McAuliffe should also
be congratulated on being selected for the
London ISFA U13 squad.
The 1st XI has had an outstanding start to
the season. To date they have won six out of
six matches, with Billy Barron and David
Mifsud scoring regularly and all other members of the
team performing to a high standard. We await our
opponents for the semi-final of the Trinity Cup and also
look forward to hosting Corinthian Casuals and the Konan
School, Japan, later in the term.
The weather has been disruptive but we are now playing on
firm pitches in spring like conditions. The Lower School
sides are performing well in their South London Leagues
and all teams continue to represent the College with
determination and pride. Fingers crossed for more success
over the next month.
Mr Nick Brown
Master i/c football
Rowing
second round. Unfortunately illness meant that Tom was
unable to take part but James Jarratt performed well against
a strong field. At Burway Head, Tom Weekes and Tom
McCallum eased to win the J18 doubles, while the J15
coxed quad of Tim Emkes, Tom Kirk, Charlie Burkitt,
Hamish Hughes and Teddy Previte also won their division,
with the second fastest time of the whole event. Another
convincing victory was also recorded by James Jarratt and
Tom Mountain in the J16 doubles.
The winter months and the unpredictable English weather
always try to dampen spirits among the rowing community.
One person however decided to swap the sun and heat of
Australia for the cold and rain of Putney and, just before
Christmas, we were glad to welcome Mr Peter Hardcastle, a
three-time Olympian to join the coaching staff at the Boat
Club. The season is gathering momentum as we build
towards the Schools’ Head in March and the Head of the
River later that month.
At the Great Britain trials in late November James Jarratt
and Tom Mountain finished in sixth and seventh places
respectively leading to an invitation to participate in the
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However at the Hampton Small Boats Head, the pairing
finished fifth in a field of 24, with much stronger
competition, and also finished a strong second in the pair
later that day, while the J15 coxed quad once again finished
first. In the corresponding event for larger boats in January,
the J14s showed their enthusiasm by boating four coxed
quads as well as an octuple. Just as impressively, the J13s
also finished fourth as they look to gain more experience.
The J15 quad once again were a class act, meaning that they
are unbeaten throughout this season. Hopefully success
will breed success, and long may it continue!
Alexander Saunders
Captain of boats
9
Contributions
Rock Alive 2009
On Saturday 31
January the
Edward Alleyn
Theatre shook with
the sound of Rock
Alive 2009, a
charity concert full
of rock music in
aid of the
Buwembe School,
Uganda.
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A few months ago,
we came up with
the idea of doing a
rock concert for
charity, with Miss
Thomas and our
guitar teacher,
Thaddeus. We soon began to make progress with the
organisation: we borrowed the amps free through a man
who builds custom amplifiers for Bon Jovi, amongst
others, and we arranged the loan of the Theatre from the
College. We were nearly ready for the night.
Five bands were to play: The Midnight Suns from the
London Oratory School; Oberon, the house band
featuring our two sound engineers, Thaddeus and Si, as
well as Oscar from Year 11; The Konquistadors, featuring
Michael Higgs and Patrick Murphy; Rochana, a sixth
former from JAGS, sang one of her own solo pieces in
addition to singing
with Cabin Pressure
featuring Henry,
Saagar, Sam and
former Dulwich
boy, Will Ellis (who
left in the Lower
School). The finale
‘Jumping Jack Flash’
was played by Cabin
Pressure with
Thaddeus and Si on
vocals.
The night was a
huge success, the
Theatre was full of
people and tickets
were completely
sold out. Those who hoped to buy on the door were
turned away and missed out on an incredible night! We
decided to sell wristbands to help raise money, selling
some in the Commissariat and the rest on the night of
the concert. Overall, we raised a huge £1842! This was
way above what we had expected so we were incredibly
happy with our achievements and glad all the hard work
paid off!
Henry Monksfield, Saagar Naresh,
Robert Newcombe and SamPayne
(all pictured here in action on stage)
Winner of the Middle School house Poetry Competition
The Importance of Elsewhere
Alex Schymyck 10B
A monotonous voice drones on
Gradually smaller and smaller.
Sunshine through the window
Hypnotises
My empty mind.
Away I fly to far-off fields
Clipped and rolled to perfection.
Three lonely stumps
Anticipate my arrival.
Standing expectantly.
The smack of leather on willow
Resounds sharply.
Alas the teacher
Slams abandoned books.
Elsewhere my salvation.
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Contributions
hRS at the cinema
When Señor Nash said that he was looking into taking the
entire Form to the cinema to see the new Che film, many of
us were somewhat sceptical. A few weeks later though,
with all the details finalised, we opted out of our Friday
afternoon double Spanish lesson and left with Señor Nash
and Señorita Etherington for the bus journey to the Ritzy
Cinema in Brixton with an appetite for Spanish culture and
a feeling of excitement and anticipation. Once we had
stocked up on popcorn and fizzy drinks, we took our places
inside the screening room and prepared for a few hours of
epic cinema.
The film itself was an action-packed experience, filled with
much cultural learning and after such a marvellous
production, we were all yearning to see the sequel, Che: Part
Two. The title role of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara was played by
the fabulous Benicio Del Toro who captured our attention
from the beginning with numerous scenes of Oscarwinning quality. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this film is
a masterpiece of cinematography with each prop and
setting perfected to the tiniest detail whether it be in the
depths of the South American rainforest or in the Cuban
city during the battle of Santa Clara. The visual feast of
screenplay complements the magnificent plot which of
course is based on the real life events of Che Guevara.
The whole form thoroughly enjoyed this excursion and,
despite having to concentrate extremely hard (the entire
film was subtitled into English), we all grasped what was
going on and were certainly enriched in our
comprehension of the harsh South American lifestyle.
I think it is safe to say that it is only a matter of time before
there are clamours for our return trip to the Ritzy to see
Che: Part Two and I am sure Señor Nash and Señorita
Etherington will be happy to oblige. Thank you to the
Spanish Department for organising this trip; we all
appreciated the experience!
Ben Rose HRS
Year 9 Hispanists watched a Chilean film called Machuca. It is set just after Salvador Allende came to power in 1970 and shows what happened
when a group of boys from the slums were placed in a private school run by a Communist priest. College boys were asked to put themselves in the
shoes of the film’s protagonist (Pedro Machuca) and write an imaginary diary entry based on his first day at his new school. Here is Ben Beardsley’s:
I was standing outside a pair of vast iron gates with a number of other
boys. They were all like me. Through the gates, I could see a large,
empty courtyard surrounded by towering grey buildings with dark
windows. We waited in absolute silence, staring wide-eyed at the place
that was to become our school. Our fear was so intense that none of
us noticed when a tall and portly man walked up to us and opened the
gate. I was looking at the many faces that were peering at us
inquisitively from the windows when I heard a creak and saw the gates
opening. I turned to see the man glaring at me, his eyes hidden by the
shadow from his bushy, white eyebrows. He was frowning menacingly.
“Hello, boys.” His voice was kind and welcoming, contradicting his
brow. “I am your headmaster, Father McEnroe. Come on. Follow me. I
will take you to your classes.”
Cautiously, we obeyed as he turned and headed through the
courtyard towards one of the many dark corridors. I stayed close to
him as if for protection but I still felt extremely apprehensive and I
wondered how my background would affect my experience here. I
followed Father McEnroe along the corridors, turning left and right
and left again, until we came to a flight of stairs. We walked up the
steps and entered a classroom directly to the left at the top of the
stairs.
As I crossed the threshold into the room, I was hit with the sight of
a grey-walled room, crammed with desks, and flooded with a sea of
blue uniform. About thirty white faces emerged from thirty shirts,
every one staring back at me fiercely. As the last boy entered the room,
we began forming a neat line, pressing our backs up tightly to the
blackboard to try to get away from the crowd of strangers before us.
I inspected their uniform and then looked down at myself pitifully;
dirty, grey jumper, creased trousers, and scuffed, unbranded trainers.
Suddenly, the classroom door flung open and a short man entered the
room, struggling under the weight of a number of desks and chairs.
He passed me, panting, and made his way to the far corner of the
room, growling at boys to make room for him. I watched him drop the
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desks and chairs onto the floor and push them about so that they fitted
into the tidy rows, which lined the room. He returned to leave and, as
he passed me again, I heard him muttering to himself.
Father McEnroe called me forward. Nervously, I obeyed, stepping
forward into a position of exposure.
“What is your name, my boy?” he asked me in that same gentle
voice.
“Pedro Machuca,” I mumbled in reply.
“Excuse me.”
I stared fixedly at my feet.
“Excuse me, my boy,” he repeated. Was he mocking me?
“Pedro Machuca!” I shouted and heard the class erupt with
laughter.
He put a hand on my shoulder and tried to look into my eyes. I did
not want to look into his but my head automatically turned up and I
saw his kind face and the warmth in his eyes. I suddenly felt a strong
affection for him. He smiled at me.
“Speak up, my boy. Make yourself heard.”
He motioned me towards a seat behind a red-haired boy and I went
to take it immediately. I sat down with a scrape of the chair and gazed
at Father McEnroe as he allocated seats to the other boys. I wondered
if I would get as much kindness from any of these rich boys, sitting
around me, some still staring in my direction. I tried to ignore them
and continued to gaze at Father McEnroe but I could not help
thinking what my life would be like at school. Would I ever be able to
make a friend? Would I be bullied or would I be left alone? How would
the teachers treat me? I turned to look out of the window to my left
and saw the blue sky and the white clouds. I knew I would have to
survive, whether it would be for my mother, or Father McEnroe, or
just myself, but I could not stop myself from being afraid and I was
right now. I just hoped that, in a few days, I might not be afraid
anymore. I was not confident, however, that would be the case …
Ben Beardsley 9M
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Contributions
Remove boys were asked to write a critique of a Spanish film of their choice - in Spanish.
These were the best three entries:
Imaginando Ar gentina
El Lobo
..es para el lobo.’
‘Puede utilizar todas sus balas, excepto ésta…
en la calle con la canción ‘highway
endo
corri
bre
hom
El lobo comienza con un
principio perfecto porque la música
star’ de Deep Purple y pensaba que es el
la película. La historia de un hombre que
concuerda muy bien con el ambiente de
traiciona a sus amigos.
hombre que tiene que infiltrar el grupo
El lobo se basa en una historia real de un
ía secreta. Tiene lugar durante los años
terrorista ETA y da información a la polic
co, Txema es trabajador de
Fran
de
setenta, durante el fin de la dictadura
su conexión con dos terroristas. La
por
tado
arres
o,
construcción en el País Vasc
cto para infiltrar a ETA y ser un topo. Le
policía secreta cree que es el candidato perfe
dentro de poco su condición financiero
ofrecen un acuerdo pero no le interesa pero
llega
es ahora El Lobo y después de dos anos
empeora y acepta la misión. Su nombre
del
ués
desp
argo
emb
Sin
.
de confianza
a la parte superior en ETA y es miembro
Blanco, el ejército pierde la paciencia e
ero
Carr
e,
dent
presi
del
nato
asesi
éxito y el
vivos,
bros que pueden en Madrid, muertos o
inválida la policía para atrapar los miem
ía. Le
polic
la
de
y
ETA
de
ar
io para escap
e incluye el lobo. El lobo tiene usar su ingen
El
on.
Nels
o
yend
inclu
bros
miem
ta
de trein
da los nombres y las direcciones de más
pero
r
mata
e
anie Doutey), quien le quier
lobo confiesa lo que ha hecho a Amaia (Mél
el lobo está solo y mientras las policías y
ra
Aho
ama.
le
que
no lo hace porque piensa
cirugía plástica para cambiar su imagen
los generales reciben medallas, Txema tiene
blanco número uno. Si no fuera por el
el
a
porque ETA aún está funcional y es ahor
a después de operación ‘lobo’ y
debería ser más enérgica y fuerte que estab
12 lobo, ETA
familia, su vida normal para una vida
lo triste es que Txema tenía que dejar a su
peligrosa y no recibe agradecimiento.
r para ETA y aún hoy en día todos los
La operación de El Lobo fue devastado
se usa excepto para el lobo.
miembros de ETA tienen una bala que no
embre dos mil cuatro y en Reino
El lobo estrenó en España el cinco de novi
o diecinueve minutos. El papel del
cient
dura
y
Unido el dieciséis de junio dos mil seis
s en
Nelson que era uno de las mejores nota
Lobo es Eduardo Noriega y el papel de
es
ién
tamb
y
és
franc
es
que
tois
el Cour
ETA es Patrick Bruel. El cineasta es Migu
n para el Lobo fue escrito porAntonio
guió
el
pero
nista
guio
y
actor
r,
ucto
prod
Onetti.
ones incluso el mejor actor (Eduardo
La película fue postulada a diez nominaci
res efectos especiales y mejor
mejo
los
Noriega) y ganó dos premios Goya para
ue es una película muy admirable y es una
montaje. Mi opinión es mixta porque aunq
que es un poco confuso y difícil de
historia verdadera y a veces yo pensaba
as
n era fantástico con muchos giros y vuelt
entenderlo que pasaba. Creía que el guió
está
ca
músi
y verosímil. La elección de
en el argumento y la actuación era muy bien
iones populares como ‘highway star’ o
canc
con
y
sario
nece
muy bien; serio cuando
‘cos I love you’.
pensaba que era una película muy
Como consecuencia de todas las positivas,
buena y la recomendaría a un amigo.
Will Godsiff HRS
Dirigido por Christopher Hampton el direc
tor y guionista ganador
de un Oscar. Mientras recibía su premio
Hampton dijo que “en cada
generación, hay una película que cuenta
la verdad” y esta película es
una revelación. El largometraje, protagoni
zado por Antonio
Banderas en el papel principal, acompaña
do por Emma Thompson,
María Canals, Rubén Blades y Leticia Dole
rá fue,
predominantemente, seductor. Es tan impo
rtante como muchos
documentales porque destaca todos los
problemas en Argentina en
los años setenta. El director estaba busc
ando un público de edad
mediana, y a mi parecer es un filme no reco
mendado a menores de
trece años.
Imaginando Argentina cuenta la historia
de Carlos Rueda,
escritor, que vive en Buenos Aires en el
año 1976 bajo la dictadura.
Carlos y su mujer Cecilia viven con su hija
en una ciudad obsesionada
por las constantes desapariciones. En la
película Cecilia es también
escritora, y sus artículos preguntan sobr
e por estas desapariciones.
Han atraído la atención de agentes del gobi
erno de Videla. Un día,
cuando Carlos llega a casa, Cecilia ha sido
secuestrada por la policía y
llevada a una de las famosas cárceles secre
tas del país. Carlos y su hija
Teresa tienen que encontrar a Cecilia, y
durante la terrible experiencia
de encontrar a Cecilia, a Carlos se da cuen
ta de que se puede mirar
hacia el futuro. “era como si estuviera mira
ndo… como si estuviera
recordando… el futuro”. La película cons
iste en varias visiones del
futuro, cuando Carlos puede ver a su espo
sa. Durante el filme intenta
a ayudar a otras víctimas desaparecidas,
pero una noche la policía
secuestra a su hija. Carlos es consternado
cuando el gobierno fusila a
Teresa. A causa de esto Carlos intenta atrae
r la atención del gobierno
pero el plano fracasa cuando él llega al teatr
o y su amigo Silvio ha
sido secuestrado. Al fin de la película Ceci
lia se escapa de la cárcel. Y
en el año 1978 ellos volvieron a unirse.
La película dura a eso de una hora y med
io y fue rodada en año
2003. Creo que es un filme emocionante
con un reparto muy
talentoso. Los efectos especiales son incre
íbles y la única crítica es
que el argumento es confuso en partes.
Pero Antonio Banderas actúa
el rol principal es magnífico y daría la pelíc
ula una evaluación de 5
estrellas de oros. Finalmente, en el filme
Carlos tiene un regalo y en
los ojos del gobierno es muy controvertido
– “no está bien Carlos.
Aunque sea verdad no está bien, y no veo
cómo puede ser verdad. Tu
sólo creías en lo racional” – y para mi esta
declaración tipifica el
sistema bajo Videla.
Oscar Vallance SRA
’Or de Cannes;
s en la Palma D
ne
do
lar
ga
s
do
que ganó
a de las películas
esenta el
ar. Volver era un
óv
od
lm
A
nélope Cruz repr
o
Pe
dr
o.
Pe
eg
or
fu
ct
re
un
di
l
en
su madre
e, después del
lícula española de
de la ‘muerte’ de
a, mató a su padr
s
ul
ué
Pa
sp
,
Volver es una pe
de
do
un
ho
n.
im
uc
ió
ja de Ra
sufrido m
y el mejor gu
su marido. La hi
a mujer, que ha
La mejor actriz
s de sus padres y
la historia de un
a
rte
rr
ue
na
m
to
las
en
la hermana de
n
m
co
El argu
, que atiene
de su tía abuela,
da
l
ra
un
ne
im
n
fu
Ra
el
a,
ra
ist
pa
agon
sita a resolver co
rra natal
papel de la prot
o soy tu padre’.
asuntos que nece
a vuelven a su tie
‘n
ul
e
ne
ol
Pa
tie
y
nd
e
da
cié
qu
di
un
ce
e,
di
im
ra, y le
su marido, Ra
abuso de su padr
e va
por Carmen Mau
nder el cuerpo de
película parece qu
adre, interpretada
m
su
Después de esco
de
a
m
o Almodóvar. La
ay
as
dr
or
nt
Pe
fa
ad
de
la
oc
jo
ev
tra
ba
es
en
tra
n
encu
localizació
es típico del
La
y
.
e
or
nt
ed
na
Raimunda, Sole,
ov
io
es
nm
pr
muy co
muy im
da, y la encontré
ula. El guión es
Raimunda.
e les
papel de Raimun
encanta esta pelíc
el
e
m
en
,
bi
da
uy
du
m
a
bre todo a los qu
ce
un
Sin ning
lope Cruz ha
do español y so
né
an
Pe
di
s.
tu
es
ño
n
ni
tá
de
es
será
s que
a ser una historia
nante, estudiante
SRB
cter.
un guión apasio
Korede Komolafe
r
rá
ca
cia
re
io
ap
op
pr
en
ed
su
pu
e
tiene
qu
s
lo
a
a
ul
ta pelíc
lícula.
Recomiendo es
la pena ver esa pe
spaña. Merece
E
de
ra
ltu
cu
la
interesa
Volver
www.dulwich.org.uk
trips
Contributions
Is there a place for faith in secular society?
A critical analysis of Against all Gods by AC Grayling
A religion is a series of beliefs and customs, often
organised as prayer, ritual, and religious law, which are
themselves structured around an assertion that an infallible
and supernatural being exists. Religion also encompasses
both the individual and collective practices by orchestrating
rituals which stem from shared conviction. Grayling begins
Against All Gods by defining those who follow a religion as
individuals with ‘a commitment to belief contrary to
evidence and reason’ and that ‘to believe something by
faith is ignoble, irresponsible and ignorant’. Far from
benefiting mankind, the presence of religion has brought
bloodshed and chaos over the centuries. Even to this day,
men continue to fight to ensure the primacy of their
particular religion over another.
Grayling calls for the end of all religious influence on
society and that all humans have ‘a right to be free of
proselytisation’, as we are all human individuals ‘who merit
respect first and foremost as human individuals’. However,
if we were all to be free of proselytisation then politicians
would no longer be able to put forward their arguments
and policies to gain election, and authors such as Grayling
would no longer be able to publish polemics such as
Against All Gods. Furthermore, Grayling believes that
religions have only maintained their influence in society by
being allowed to indoctrinate the young at, for instance,
faith schools. He says, ‘if they [religions] do not proselytise
intellectually defenceless three-year-olds their grip will
eventually loosen.’ However, if children are not brought up
to be religious believers, they will be brought up as atheists;
is this not the proselytisation of intellectually defenceless
young people as well?
For those whose ethics are not based on religion, Grayling
suggests that humanism is properly the basis of their
behaviour, as it is based upon humanity’s ‘best efforts to
understand its own nature and circumstances’. Although
humanism rejects approbation to supernatural beliefs in
elucidating problems concerning human affairs, not all of
these beliefs are discarded for some strains are compatible
with humanism. According to Grayling, different peoples
would be less likely to engage in violent conflict if
humanism rather than religious belief determined their
actions and attitudes. On the other hand, religions such as
Islam already stress the fundamental precepts of
humanism, as all human lives, not just Muslim ones, are
sacred; ‘If anyone slew a person unjustly, it would be as if
he slew the whole of mankind and if anyone saved a life, it
would be as if he saved the life of the whole of mankind.’
(Qur’an – Chapter 5, Verse 32)
Views of the College inside and out, submitted by Christian Bronstein, H6S
www.dulwich.org.uk
Faheed Ahmed SRB
13
Banksider
Monday 12 January
External AS and A2 examinations begin
Friday 30 January
Old Alleynian Cambridge dinner
Friday 13 February
Year 11 boys arrange a Classical Music
Concert which raised over £1000 for the
Wings of Hope charity
Sunday 1 February
Choral Evensong
Saturday 14 February
Half term begins
Monday 2 February
No school – snow!
Thursday 26 February
Roman Day in the Junior School
Tuesday 3 February
No school – snow again!
Friday 27 February
Applying to University talk for Remove
boys
Wednesday 14 January
Start of term
Mock GCSE examinations begin
1st XI hockey play Old Alleynians
First match of the football season
Tuesday 20 January
Year 5 visit to Thames Barrier
Thursday 22 January
Year 6 visit to Imperial War Museum
Sunday 25 January
Choral Eucharist followed by
Choir Lunch
14
Monday 26 January
First Year 7 visit to Hindu Temple in
Neasden
Ivyholme dinner to celebrate
Chinese New Year
Tuesday 27 January
Year 9 boys studying Mandarin visit
Chinatown to see the New Year
celebrations
Thursday 5 February
Intermediate Maths Challenge
Saturday 28 February
Course and Careers Convention
Monday 9 February
Millie’s Cookies Sale
To raise money for the
Wings of Hope charity
Year 7 visit Southwark Citizenship
Scheme
Thursday 12 February
House Music Competition
Adjudicator Mr Philip Brooke
www.dulwich.org.uk
Banksider
Banksider
Sunday 1 March
Choral Evensong
Saturday 7 March
Friends of Dulwich College
Caledonian Ball
Sunday 8 March
Choral Matins
Wednesday 11 March
A celebration of DUCKS over the past
ten years in honour of Mrs Mary Able,
wife of the Master
Thursday 12 March
Barbershop Concert featuring
The Alleynian Blues
First night Year 5 and 6 play Joseph
Tuesday 10 March
Temporary science laboratories erected
Boat Club Dinner
Tuesday 17 March
Opening of the Lord George Building
Wednesday 18 March
Music Exhibition opened in Wodehouse
Library by Phil Manzanera OA of
Roxy Music
Sunday 22 March
Dulwich Chorus sings The Dream of
Gerontius at All Saints Church
Friday 27 March
Term ends
15
Dulwich helpline
Dulwich Helpline, founded in 1993, is a small local charity
providing friendly volunteer support for over 300 isolated
older people living in Dulwich and neighbouring areas.
Through their team of excellent volunteers, including
many Dulwich College boys, they offer practical help with
accompanied shopping, gardening, odd jobs, and
transport. There are three Dulwich Helpline fundraising
events coming up:
On Saturday 28 March local celebrity, Jo Brand, will be a
special guest at a fundraising concert in the Michael Croft
Theatre at Alleyn’s School, Townley Road, London SE22.
The New Foxtrot Serenaders, a vintage dance band who
recreate the timeless melodies of the 1920s, 30s and 40s,
will be performing. Tickets cost £15 (concessions - £12)
and are available on 020 8299 2623.
www.dulwich.org.uk
On Saturday 25 April the James Allen Community
Orchestra will be performing an evening of Tchaikovsky
in the Holst Hall, James Allen’s Girls’ School, East
Dulwich Grove, SE22. The evening’s programme will
include Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor, and tickets
priced at £7 (£5 concessions) will be available on the
door. Concert starts at 7.30pm
On Sunday 7 June there will be a Garden Safari – the
chance to explore six wonderful private gardens around
Dulwich Village, including those attached to two beautiful
Huf houses! Programmes available on the day from 4
Woodyard Lane, (off Dulwich Village), London SE21.
Adults £5, Children (under 16) – free.
Trips
Saili
Granada Trip
2009
All those studying Spanish in the
Remove and a few from the Sixth Form,
accompanied by six teachers, set off on
Thursday 12 February for the
Andalusian city of Granada.
Congratulations to Faheem Ahmed on
this his first plane journey!
16
After a meandering coach journey from
Malaga airport through the foothills (with
views of the magnificent mountain range of
the Sierra Nevada), we arrived in the town
of Granada and left the coaches at the
Palacio de Congresos. Having met our
hosts, we ventured back to their homes to
be treated to our first taste of Granadino
cooking. In the afternoon we explored the
city that would be our home for the next
few days.
Our first full day was christened by a good
few hours of Spanish lessons which we
took in our stride and set us up for the days
ahead with some introductory chats (in Spanish) with our
teachers. That afternoon we visited the Albaicín, one of two
world heritage sites in Granada. It was a fine way to start the
cultural side of the trip. Through the winding streets we went
with a local tour guide and were rewarded for our walking by
the spectacular views awaiting us at the top of the hills. That
evening we were treated to a local tapas meal which, judging
by the clean plates, everyone seemed to enjoy.
At the weekend we went west by coach to the further
inland city of Córdoba, chiefly to visit the pillar forest of
the Mezquita (a former mosque which was converted to a
cathedral following the Reconquista). Camera batteries
were worn down severely due to the incredible architecture:
taking pictures was irresistible. For many, our day in
Córdoba was the most memorable of the trip.
First thing on Monday it was back to lessons where we all
enjoyed regaling our weekend tales to the Spanish language
teachers who seemed eager to hear the gossip! After lunch
and a quick siesta we were taken to the amazing Alhambra,
the palace for which Granada is renowned. The
information about the ‘red fortress’ was impressive, and
this tremendous tourist attraction has many breathtaking
displays of Islamic architecture.
After lessons on Tuesday and Wednesday
we welcomed the free afternoons either to
browse through the city buying souvenirs
or to watch (and play) some quality
Spanish football. Tuesday’s Spanish
culture intake did not turn out quite as
planned when, after being told we were
going watch a traditionally Spanish film, most members of
our party opted for the Spanish dubbed version of the new
release Beverly Hills Chihuahua which was perhaps not as
Hispanic as some others aspects of the trip.
Wednesday had a much more authentically Spanish air. As
it was our last night, the teachers took us to a Flamenco
show in the hills of Sacromonte, famous for its vast gypsy
population. This was, in my opinion, the highlight of the
trip, not only because of the spectacular performances of
the dancers but also because several Dulwich College
representatives took to the stage to demonstrate the South
London method of Flamenco. Most notable were Mr Mair
and Miss Etherington who were naturals in the art. They
were accompanied by numerous boys, some of whom
(particularly Leo Baker and John Hall) gave a few of the
performers some healthy competition!
Sad to leave Granada, our spirits were lifted on the plane by
the pilot’s announcement that he and all the flight crew
wished Mr Tanna a happy 16th birthday! On behalf of all, I
would like to say a massive thank you to all the staff who
helped out in Granada especially Miss Etherington who
organised the trip. Gracias!
Ben Rose HRS
www.dulwich.org.uk
Trips
Under 11 A rugby tour to Oxford
The fifth annual Under 11 rugby tour took place during the
Michaelmas half term and all involved agreed that it was a
huge success. Over the three days the boys played in two
matches, had a tour of Oxford, went ten-pin bowling and
still managed to find time for a celebration dinner at
Frankie and Benny’s.
Our first day was to have involved meeting our first
opponents, Moulsford Prep School, and taking part in a
training session with them. Sadly, poor weather prevented
this happening but they were kind enough to offer us their
new sports hall for some indoor football. That evening we
went to watch the Oxford University Rugby team play in a
match against Worcester Warriors. The boys enjoyed
watching such a good game close up and had plenty to
think about as they settled in at the Travelodge.
Inspired by the standard of rugby seen the night before,
the team played extremely well in their first fixture of the
tour. Good work by the forwards and some slick passing in
the backs saw us retain possession for long periods of the
game. Only our finishing let us down, as we missed several
opportunities and eventually only won 14-7.
Our second fixture was more of a challenge as we faced our
toughest opposition of the season so far. The Chesham
Prep School boys were well drilled and talented, with two
county stars in their back line who dominated the game and
scored several tries. Despite some heroic defence from Alec
Bannister, we struggled to cope with waves of attack and
then found it difficult to keep the ball once we had it. Not
our finest hour, but we learned a great deal in defeat.
Both schools showed us superb hospitality and we were all
extremely grateful for just how friendly and welcoming
they were – it is what makes touring with a school team so
enjoyable.
When not playing or watching rugby, we squeezed in a
variety of enjoyable activities: sightseeing on an open top
bus tour of Oxford, a walk round the city centre, a visit to
Trinity College with its famous grounds and chapel. On our
last evening, we went ten-pin bowling and out for a
celebration dinner.
Throughout the tour we ate at a variety of high class
establishments including Frankie and Benny’s, Burger King,
Little Chef and Morrisons! The boys all enjoyed their food.
There were no complaints and no one went hungry – quite an
achievement for 10- and 11-year old boys!
The tour was a huge success and the
boys were regularly complimented on
their behaviour and attitude. Thank you
to all who made it possible and well
done to those took part: Felix Allocca,
Alec Bannister, Elliot Bettridge,
Thomas Boutelle, Aaron Boyer, Freddie
Chatfield, Findlay Cumming, Michael
Deery, Gabriel Gleaves, Alexander Mair,
Timo Makower, Amir Nasir, Edward
Norris, Leo Pashov and Matthew Stone.
Mr Tom Quilter
This report was inadvertently omitted from last
term’s issue. Editorial apologies to the boys
concerned – better late than never!
www.dulwich.org.uk
17
Trips and Outings
Upper School trip to Berlin
18
Over the February half term a group of 15 Upper School
students of German visited Berlin in order to develop their
knowledge and understanding of the German language, and
experience the city and its atmosphere.
The first day was a relaxing start to the visit, as many of us
were determined not to miss the England-Wales rugby match.
We watched the game near our hostel in the east of the city,
along with some energetic and entertaining spectators native
to either side of the River Severn. We then set off to sample
some typically German cuisine and familiarised ourselves with
the local area (in and around Alexanderplatz and the
Nikoleiviertel).
The next day unquestionably had a more German feel to it.
Mr Read and Mr Jepson gave us an informative and interesting
walking tour around the Museum Island before we visited the
GDR Museum and the Berliner Dom. We were given free
slots within these walks, which enabled us to focus on areas in
which we were specifically interested. The contrast between
East and West Berlin was striking. There are reminders of the
Communist era in the East, whilst the West has altogether
different features, and architecturally is far more like the rest of
Western Europe. Berlin is graced with some of Europe’s
finest architectural treasures and we were impressed by the
sheer size and precision of their construction, especially the
Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of Berlin, and the Marienkirche,
a remarkable Gothic building that was founded in the 13th
century. Other monuments of particular note that we visited
were the Holocaust Memorial and the Olympic Stadium.
Our evening activities included a visit to a German cinema.
The film we watched was interesting to say the least, and
despite mixed views on it within the group, the language was
relatively easy to understand. However, we must confess to
occasionally referring to the English subtitles. The other
nights were spent ice-skating and bowling.
Our German skills were significantly improved by our
weekday morning lessons. The group was split into Remove
and Sixth Form, with both teachers refusing to speak a word
of English in the lessons. Although challenging at times, it was
this discipline in particular that helped our speaking and the
lessons were enjoyable (despite the early starts!). A particular
highlight was watching a film in German, which was followed
by a chance encounter with one of the leading actors on the
streets of Berlin on our final night.
All things considered, the trip proved to be a tremendously
rewarding experience. Jokes were shared, a genuine sense of
camaraderie was built, and most importantly, we all enjoyed
ourselves. I would like to extend the group’s thanks to Mr
Read and Mr Jepson, without whom the trip could never have
taken place.
Nadan Hadzic
HRG
www.dulwich.org.uk
Trips and Outings
Barcelona hockey Training Camp 2009
The third annual Dulwich College Hockey Camp took place
in early January, with three teams travelling to San Cugat in
Barcelona. The 1st and 2nd XI squads were entered into
the second annual GOES Hockey Cup, and there were also
matches arranged for the team of U14/U15 boys. As well
as these matches, intensive training sessions took place,
leaving just enough time for some well deserved sightseeing.
On a hockey front, the 1st XI achieved third place in the
main competition by winning a three way play-off with the
two other English teams: KCS Wimbledon and Mill Hill.
The squad also picked up the ‘Fair Play’ award for the
competition, which was a shock but well received. The 2nd
XI, who also played some good hockey, were placed fifth
and everyone was pleased with the improvements made
which have continued into the full season.
The younger team, made up of U14 and U15 players, came
up against very good Spanish opponents in their two
matches, one of which resulted in a draw, the other a loss.
The hockey played was of a high standard, and was well
appreciated by the older boys on the
trip, as well as the teachers.
Trips were made to see a football
match at the Noucamp between
Barcelona and Mallorca, and a tour
of Barcelona which included a visit
to the Barcelona 1992 Olympic
Village, and a visit inside the still
incomplete Gaudi Cathedral, ‘La
Sagrada Familia’. For the older
group this tour was given by a lovely
lady called Piquita who stole the
teachers’ hearts. As in the past two
years, the tour coincided with Kings’
Night festival, allowing Mr
Callender to practise his sweet
throwing.
The most significant aspect of a
pre-season training camp is to gain
momentum for the season ahead.
The results in Barcelona were
perhaps not as good as we had
hoped, but the positive effect the
trip has had on our results back in
England is very noticeable.
Physicists from the Remove visited CERN in Switzerland during the
February half term
www.dulwich.org.uk
Great thanks must be given to
Messrs Dan Kent, Justin King,
Sameer Tanna, Matthew Burdekin
and Peter Callender for arranging
such a notable trip, and to GOES
travel for looking after us so well
and arranging for Sam Sloman to go
to hospital after heading a hockey
ball.
Arthur Mitchell
Captain of hockey
19
Music
house Music Competition
The annual House Music competition was held in the Great
Hall on Thursday 12 February and was adjudicated by
Philip Brooke, Director of Music at DCPS.
20
The evening began with a lively rendition of Hey Jude by
Spenser, described as ‘great fun’, particularly once the choir
had ‘got into the harmony’. This was followed by Marlowe’s
Two Little Boys which had an uplifting military feel to it and
made good use of dynamics. Chiquita Banana by Grenville
(featuring inflated versions of said item) communicated a
good body of sound to the audience whilst the Lerner and
Lowe Medley from Jonson was enjoyable, effective and
accomplished. Raleigh chose the iconic Always Look on the
Bright Side of Life and gave the audience a good blend
between the upper and the broken voices with a beautifully
finished solo. Sidney’s Happy Together was an unaccompanied
performance and the boys did well keeping in tune and in
key. The harmonies were very effective. Howard’s Oh, Lady
Be Good also provided a good blend of upper and broken
voices and the choir coped well with the tempo changes.
Drake’s finale, with two songs from Gilbert and Sullivan,
was well done and most enjoyable.
ensemble and blend of instruments. Raleigh chose
L’Homme Armé and Vuelvo al Sar; both pieces worked well
and there was a clever contrast of style as well as superb
string and keyboard playing. Sidney worked hard to
communicate and this paid off in some very effective and
stylish playing. They chose Overture to the Gordian Knot ad
Rossini’s Quartet No 5 in D Minor. Howard’s Everybody Wants
to be a Cat was carried off well and their performance of
Wonderful World was, quite simply, superb. Drake ended the
evening with a lovely blend of two flutes with the continuo
well held beneath. Their choice was Bach’s Trio Sonata in G
Major. Grenville won the instrumental part of the evening
with Jonson second and Sidney third. This gave Grenville
top marks over all and the Alan Morgan Cup was duly
presented to Thomas Pinsker, representing Grenville.
A thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Mrs Jane Allen
Jonson won in the choral section with Grenville and Sidney
sharing second place.
The instrumental half of the evening also started with
Spenser, playing Bach’s Trio Sonata in C Minor – good
intonation and real ensemble playing. Marlowe’s In the Mood
was played confidently and well, whilst Grenville’s The Last
Chord showed both superb control and good
communication between the players. It was the sort of
performance one would be happy to see on any concert
platform. Jonson’s Wind Quartet conveyed well the different
character of the Allegro and the Rondo and provided a good
Instrumentalists from Grenville
Opera Society trip to Puccini’s La Bohème
On 24 February a party of boys and staff took their seats in
the gods at the London Coliseum for a performance of the
tragic Puccini love story La Bohème, sung in Amanda
Holden’s rather clumsy translation, and in a new
production for English National Opera by Jonathan Miller.
Miller’s production updated the setting to the 1930s, using
an impressive and effective set to bring the Parisian winter
to life. Unfortunately the costumes were for the most part a
little drab, and the great beauty of Musetta, and ‘loveliness’
of Mimi were at times difficult to imagine but then, in
opera, everything is possible.
Puccini’s music is endlessly tuneful and beautifully
orchestrated. The wonderful singing throughout by all the
leading characters left this particular critic streaming with
tears.
Thanks to Mark Emson for organising this thoroughly
enjoyable evening.
Mrs Caroline Medland
The Opera Society will be visiting Peter Grimes at the ENO
on Monday 11 May. Details from Mr Emson.
www.dulwich.org.uk
Union
Secretary’s Report
This academic year the Union has seen some amazing
activity. Existing societies have been kept very much alive,
many dormant societies have been reborn, and new
societies created with such vigour it has been tough
keeping on top of them all.
with Badminton Club running four times weekly,
Basketball Club seeming to appear every lunchtime, and
Handball Society attracting crowds of enthusiasts. Indeed,
the Badminton team has so far failed to lose a match,
beating schools which class themselves as
‘Badminton Colleges’ with decisive
victories. There is also a mounting tension
in the Medical Centre about the
forthcoming Hindu-Muslim football
match.
Academic societies enjoy ongoing
success. The Literary Society has already
run two trips to the theatre, and the
Politics Society has held some very
popular quizzes. The rejuvenation of
the Chemistry and Law Societies is very
Several new recreational societies have
flourished. Urban Music Society and
welcome, and the Physics Society is
Mrs Collier would like to thank George Gentleman’s Society never fail to draw a
once again entering the safe-cracking
for
the superb job he has done as Union crowd, while the Mah Jong Society
competition. The Islamic Society has
Secretary
over the last year.
(pictured) maintains its long found
been wonderfully run by Faheem
popularity. The Diplomacy Society has
Ahmed, and has had seminars on Islam
been revived by some enterprising members of Year 9, and
and - Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism. Faheem has also
Poker Society has again emerged from the shadows. With
been managing the Medical and Dental Society, which has
already seen superb lectures on pathology, the working life of numerous quizzes run by the Biology Society, a variety of
film societies, a new Heavy Metal Society, and old
a doctor and ‘low-tech’ medicine. The History Society has
been running every Friday for history and tweed lovers alike. favourites Japanese Anime and Chinese Tea Club, there
Additionally, the Model United Nations is due to compete in truly is something for everyone.
George Couch
Cambridge in the near future, and Debating Society
Union Secretary
members have recently returned victorious from Dublin.
Sports societies have been even more active than usual,
Debating Society
The Debating Society has gone from strength to strength this
year, starting with both teams progressing to the second
round of Cambridge Union’s Schools’ Debating Competition.
The team of Joe Bates and Freddie Peakman (both in the
Remove) found further success when they advanced to
Finals’ Day of Cambridge which was held at the end of
February, with Joe placing a highly respectable 29th and
Freddie an equally impressive 35th out of 88 of the UK’s top
debaters (with all but one other debater in the top 30 in the
Sixth Form). These two have also progressed from the
regional round of the Oxford Union Schools’ Debating
Competition, held at the College in late January, and will be
competing at Finals’ Day in Oxford on Saturday 14th March.
Our younger debaters have had a similarly successful year,
with the team of Alex Schymyck and Sam Collier advancing
to the second round of Cambridge and to Finals’ Day for the
second year running of the International Competition for
Young Debaters which will be held later this spring. Sam and
Alex scored highest and second highest, respectively, on the
speakers’ tab for the day and came first in the teams’ tab during the ICYD regional round held at Oxford in February.
Also scoring highly was Angus Tayler who came ninth on the
www.dulwich.org.uk
speakers’ tab out of a field of 128. Aidan Patrick enjoyed his
first ever competition at ICYD, paired with Angus, and the
two came 19th on the teams’ tab, with Dulwich ‘C’, comprised of Year 8 boys, Louis Collier and Will Cook, coming
22nd out of the 64 teams present.
Two teams of debaters travelled to Dublin over half term to
compete in University College Dublin Law Society’s Schools
Mace Invitational. Held over two days, both teams broke to
the final round, with the team of Joe Bates and Alex Coupe
breaking second and Alex Schymyck and Sam Collier only
narrowly taking the fourth spot. In the closely contested
debate, strong debating and lucky happenstance led to Alex
and Sam reversing their fortunes and taking first place, winning the Thomas F O’Higgins debating shield.
There are three debating competitions left in the calendar –
Oxford Finals’ Day for Joe and Freddie, ICYD Finals’ Day
for Alex and Sam and a weekend of debating at Durham
Schools’ Competition in the end of March – and three more
opportunities for further debating victories.
Ms Melissa Scramm
Head of Debating
21
Design and Technology – Lamps for GCSe projects
22
www.dulwich.org.uk
Sponsored stay at the Sultan’s School Oman
Our first impression of the school was of a peaceful
organisation with ordered palms and shrubs and polished
marbled entrance. We worked out our timetables: Alex
concentrated on assisting with mathematics and English,
whilst Gareth opted to help with art and drama as well as
English. The following day, the school’s courtyards flooded
with students in dish-dashas. They were surprised to find
us in their classes but responded enthusiastically to the help
we offered – often using the questions they were being
taught to find out more about us. In our free time, we sat in
the library and traded help in reading English for the same
in Arabic. Many were surprised that we were learning
Arabic, but we found that having the slightest bit of Arabic
tinted with our strange accents (apparently Egyptian) and
peculiar vocabulary made for a very interested and warm
welcome.
Having found our level, we dropped into Arabic and
Islamic history classes for eight year old students as and
when we liked. The assistant librarian was very welcoming,
taking us through the collection of Arabic children’s books.
The evenings were spent socialising with pupils and
teaching staff. We learnt some useful vocabulary on the
football pitch and were invited to participate in various
activities including scuba diving, canoeing, hiking, sailing,
fitness and table tennis.
The Omanis are an intensely proud people and there was
something of tribe pride about the cheers that rang out for
the Dolphin, Hawk, Oryx and Scorpion teams during the
Sports Day. There seemed no question about participation,
where young, eager athletes stumbled and grasped batons
prematurely – a situation ominously mirrored by the trip to
the naval base where enthusiastic eighth graders grabbed
excitedly for live depth charges! The Omani attachment to
the sea and their fond memories of a naval empire is
similar to that of the British.
On the kayaking camp, we paddled around the crags and
coves near Yiti and As-Sifa and tried our hand at navigation
and fishing - enthusiastically, if not very successfully.
Gareth had a brush with submarine wildlife when a
thresher shark passed under the nose of his kayak when
scouting for a place to snorkel! After our trip, which
included a kilometre race to the finish, our shoulders ached
and our legs were as stiff and salted as hams.
We also trekked for three days and two nights through
Wadi Bani Auf – a stunning series of canyons and pools,
worthy of National Geographic coverage. Sheer,
crumbling cliff walls sink into gravelly flats dotted with
coppery pink pools improbably alive with tadpoles. After a
few hours walking through the desiccated landscape, we
would lay eyes on a date plantation and would dip grazed
toes into cool, green water. Due to a heavy storm earlier in
www.dulwich.org.uk
the year, the pools were unusually full and we were able to
jump into them from ledges.
Night sank quickly in the wadis and we scattered to forage
for firewood while the pupils cooked the meat, squatted
around the half dozen camp fires. The boys, soon satiated,
brought out the goatskin drums and their songs rang out
through the wadis as they must have done for centuries.
Our favourite destinations were the coasts around Al
Sewadi and Tiwi. Having bargained with a group of
fishermen, we were ferried over and spent some nights on
the islands off Al Sewadi, an undeveloped village west of
Muscat with an enormous population of goats. The nights
were silent and star-studded. It was an amazing experience
to camp and subsist from the beach and the sea using an
improvised fishing float and crab lines.
The irrepressible machine of development is about to
engulf these spots of astounding beauty, but they will be
safeguarded to an extent. Dives off the Damaaniyat
Islands will be limited in number and access to certain
turtle beaches will be prohibited. We dived here as a green
turtle swam by over the reefs sheltering spiny lobsters,
spanish dancers, sea horses, lionfish, phenomenally large
23
groupers, rays and alarming numbers and varieties of
moray eels. We gulped an hour’s worth of air in 45 minutes
in excitement!
Heading further east along the Sultan Qaboos Highway, we
visited Barka and Sur and their forts. The mud and stone
walls of Barka Fort crumble under your fingers and insects
and rodents have made their homes there. Conversely, Sur
Fort is a well maintained tourist attraction with ample
explanation and a helpful curator.
We would like to express our appreciation to all who helped
us with this trip, especially those at the Sultan’s School, the
Anglo-Omani Society and its patron, His Majesty Sultan
Qaboos ibn Said.
Alex Walsh and Gareth Rhys
For a number of years the Anglo-Omani Society has sponsored
students, who have studied Arabic at school, to go to Oman for a
period of three months to further their studies in the language and
gain experience in an Arab country. The Sultan’s School in Muscat
(www.sultansschool.org) has hosted the students and this has proved
most successful and beneficial to both students and also the school.
For more details, ask in the Modern Languages Office or email
[email protected]
Gareth Rhys left the College in 2007. It has just been
announced that Francois Baudouin (H6C) has been offered
a place on the scheme for 2010.
Friends of Dulwich College
Is this the best kept secret in Dulwich?
Even in these days of credit crunch sales, some of the
best bargains in London are to be found on our very
own doorstep, The Nearly New Shop run by the
Friends of Dulwich College. In and amongst the necessary, but to my mind boring, items of school uniform
are many sports clothes, equipment and accessories, all
at knockdown prices. I have come away with a great
number of bargains but, unlike the scrum at many
sales, the shop is quiet and I have plenty of time to
think about what I want to buy. The dates and times
24
when the shop is open can be found on the College
website or in the Calendar, although I would prefer that
you don’t come along, leaving all the more for me to
choose from.
Daniel Waugh 9L
PS If you don’t know where the Nearly New Shop is
located it is behind the Commissariat.
The nearly new Shop
Not for the fainthearted
The Nearly New Shop is a fundraising enterprise for the
Friends of Dulwich College. Its aim is to provide a way to
recycle Dulwich College school uniform at reasonable
prices. The shop is run entirely by volunteers and incurs
minimal costs. The money the shop earns by selling what
is donated is used to support the boys in a wide range of
activities: from helping to cut the cost of trips to providing
equipment and other resources. During 2007-8 the Nearly
New Shop contributed over £5,000 to the Friends of
Dulwich College. All old College uniform and sports kit
can be sold, as long as it is clean and wearable. You can
‘donate’ your uniform to the Nearly New Shop, in which
case 100% of the sale price goes to the Friends ,or ‘sell’ it
through the Nearly New Shop, in which case 50% goes to
you and 50% to the Friends. For full details of how to
recycle your old uniform and for opening times, please see
the website:
The new College year began with a marathon session for
the members of the Friends of Dulwich College
Committee in November 2008.
shop.dulwich.org.uk
nearly new Shop
Summer Opening Times
Saturday 25 April
Tuesday 5 May
Thursday 14 May
Tuesday 2 June
Saturday 13 June
Thursday 18 June
Saturday 27 June
10.00 - 12.00
15.30 - 16.30
8.15 - 9.30
15.30 - 16.30
10.00 - 12.00
8.15 - 9.30
2.00 - 4.00
Aside from the routine business of signing Committee
papers for new bank mandates and co-opting new
members, we also dealt with the small matter of 15 grant
requests. Fierce debate over two hours managed to result
in the most equitable split between requests, each of which
we would have liked to support in full.
Not surprisingly foreign trips were in competition with
each other as the Dulwich boys spread their net
internationally. A visit to CERN vied with visits to Spain
for languages and Berlin for history. Italy and France will
also receive the full Dulwich experience this year,
supported by FDC.
Closer to home by a long way was the Junior School
garden which had seen a fall from its glory days and was in
need of a ‘Ground Force’ makeover. A judicious mix of
finance and some prompting from the Master got the
Dulwich maintenance team on the job and a revitalised
garden under way.
On the eve of penning this piece we are to consider
another wide range of grant requests and do all we can to
support the boys in their activities. We are delighted to
have the opportunity. We know they make the best of their
chances and enhance the Dulwich name wherever they go.
Mr Jonathan Haslam
Chairman
www.dulwich.org.uk
Friends of Dulwich College
‘Deck the halls’
The first ‘Deck the Halls’ Christmas Fair proved to be a
great success; reports of the wonderful range and quality of
stalls, the fabulous musical entertainment, delicious
catering stands and the unique visit of a real reindeer plus a
magical Santa’s workshop, reached many miles around
Dulwich. The event also raised several thousand pounds
for Friends’ funds, which was shared with our chosen
charity in 2008 – Atholl House.
To hire a stall, please contact [email protected]
or call Sally on 07973 483123 for an application form. We
also welcome any offers of help, raffle prize donations and
of course suggestions to help with the overall planning.
This year the Fair looks to be even bigger and better. We
will have use of the Great Hall which will not only allow
space for extra stalls but will also ease congestion in the
Cloisters which proved to be our main problem last year.
As well as the Food and Gift Halls, there will be more
catering, including a café area run by the Junior School, a
repeat visit from Rudolph’s friends, and entertainment for
all the family. Put the date in your diary now!
Sunday 29 November 2009 11am – 4pm.
25
Caledonian Ball - Saturday 7 March 2009
The Golden Caledonian certainly
lived up to its title: the walls glittered
with gold shimmer curtains, the
Christison Hall was bathed in golden
light and the tables were covered
with gold damask and sparkling
candles. We had a most enjoyable
evening, kicking off with a glass or
two of bubbly as the guests
arrived. We then sat down to a
splendid dinner complete with the
www.dulwich.org.uk
traditional haggis (Robbie Burns
would have been delighted by the
spirited and dramatic Ode to the Haggis
delivered by Piper Malcolm). We
then danced the night away - Stripping
the Willow, cavorting to The Dashing
White Sergeant and delighting in the
thankfully easy Gay Gordons. Some of
the dances were absolutely baffling
owing to the battle between the
acoustics and Sarah the caller, but
this only added to the fun of the
evening. The event went as
smoothly as a silk kilt and that is a
tribute to the Social Committee
whose organisational skills are
second to none. Our thanks go to
them all – as well as the caterers, the
band and the many College staff
who helped - for a fabulous evening.
And thanks also to Rory Murray for
the pictures.
The Alleyn Club
The Alleyn Club
In Shackleton’s footsteps
Just before Christmas, my wife and I visited
the Antarctic. After a brief stop in Port
Stanley (where we visited the grave of James
Epps MC OA), we sailed for South Georgia,
two days away. We arrived in Grytviken,
where Shackleton’s grave is located, and
everyone from the ship went on shore to pay
their respects to Sir Ernest. It was quite a
moment when we all raised a glass of
champagne to such a famous OA! The
Alleyn Club had given me a picture of the
James Caird so, after taking one or two photos
of me holding the picture at the grave (see
right), we went to the museum in Grytviken.
The museum has a very good display about
Shackleton and the Endurance expedition and after talking
with the young Scottish curator I made the decision to donate
the James Caird picture to the museum. As we walked round
26
the exhibits we noticed a plaque donated
by the OAs of Buenos Aires (see below left).
We also went to the church where
Shackleton’s funeral service was held.
There was an interesting plaque from the
James Caird Society in the church.
We left South Georgia after a two day visit
and headed across the Southern Ocean,
retracing the route Shackleton had sailed
from Elephant Island. Shackleton took 16
days, we did it in three! We arrived at
Elephant Island but were unable to land
because the seas were too rough.
Elephant Island is an incredibly bleak
place and how Shackleton’s men survived there for over 100
days, is quite amazing. Even with the rough seas and winds
we were able to launch Zodiacs so that we could go close in
to the shore. Towering mountains with glaciers ending in the
sea dominate the scenery. There is virtually no flat land to live
on and anyone attempting to live on Elephant Island is totally
exposed to the elements.
We finally sailed for the Antarctic Peninsular, with our first
port of call, Paulet Island. This was where Shackleton
attempted to go after the Endurance sank, as he knew that a
previous expedition had left provisions there. In the event he
never managed to reach Paulet Island and ended up on
Elephant Island instead. Paulet was the last place with a
Shackleton connection we visited.
Tim Franey (55-64)
The Shackleton epic expedition Reception - 24 April 2009
On 24 April 1916 Ernest Shackleton OA and five companions embarked on the James Caird, crossing 800 miles of
storm-tossed Southern Ocean from Elephant Island to South Georgia. There they climbed the unknown
mountainous interior of the island and eventually rescued Shackleton’s men from Elephant Island.
As reported in last term’s Alleynian an expedition is being planned to repeat that legendary journey using only the
technology, food and clothing Shackleton’s team would have used, sailing in a replica James Caird.
The Shackleton Epic Expedition, which is in tribute to the leadership of Ernest Shackleton, will be officially
launched at a reception in the Great Hall on the date of the anniversary, starting at 7.00pm. There will be a lecture by
the expedition leader, Tim Jarvis, an environmental scientist and veteran of 16 expeditions.
Tickets for this event are available for £25 from Anna Thomsen, 54 Bendemeer Road, Putney, London SW15 1JU.
Please make cheques and/or donations payable to: The Shackleton Epic Expedition. Email: [email protected]
www.dulwich.org.uk
The Alleyn Club
neWS FROM OLD ALLeynIAnS
■ Robert Bayliss (44-48) is a
leading member of the
Executive Guild of
Toastmasters and Towncriers
and was voted Toastmaster of
the Year 2007
■ Andrew Blackman (88-95)
has written his first novel On
the Holloway Road which has
already won the Luke Bitmead
Writers’ Bursary and been
shortlisted for the Dundee
International Book Prize
■ Brian Gibbons (48-56) is
Professor of English
Literature at the University of
Munster. He is a founding
General Editor of The New
Cambridge Shakespeare and his
book Shakespeare and Multiplicity
was reprinted in 2007
■ Martin Hatfull (68-75) is
now HM Ambassador in
Jakarta
■ Tim Hitchens (72-79) is
back in Dulwich for at least
three years after his time at the
British Embassy in Paris. As
Director of European Political
Affairs he negotiates ‘for the
Queen’ in Gibraltar, Cyprus
and Turkey, to name a few
■ Asif Khan (88-98) has been
featured in the prestigious
architectural magazine World of
Interiors and described as
possibly ‘the next big thing in
British design’
■ Brian McHenry CBE (6269), formerly General Counsel
to the Office of Fair Trading,
was ordained a deacon by the
Bishop of Woolwich in
September 2008. He is now a
curate at St Paul’s Deptford.
■ Alexander Misick (98-06)
featured in Total Wipeout! on
BBC1. He coped well with the
Hurtle Turtles but sadly the
Big Balls were a bit too much
■ Colin Niven OBE (52-60)
who was the first Master of
Dulwich College Shanghai has
played a key role in the setting
up of a ‘clone Sherborne
School’ in Qatar
■ Guy Lester (72-80) has been
appointed Director General
Equipment in the Ministry of
Defence, London.
■ Andrew Ritchie (71-78)
has been appointed a QC
■ Graham Ward CBE
(63-70)has been elected a
Vice Chair of the Board of the
World Energy Council and
Chair of its Finance
Committee
■ David Wright (49-58) has
received the Royal
Geographical Society’s 2008
Ness Award for ‘popularising
geography among young
people’. He was editor of
Philip’s Children’s Atlas and
recently wrote an article for
the Cambridge University
Geography Department on
‘what geographers do after
they graduate’
In memory of ‘TK’
Mick Imlah OA
As was mentioned in the
previous edition of The
Alleynian, Thayalan ‘TK’
Kajendranathan sadly
passed away last summer.
TK spent five years at the
College before leaving in
2007, and had just
completed his first year at
LSE. A group of his friends
are trying to organise a
memorial for him on the College grounds, hopefully in the
form of a fountain, with the intention of it being unveiled
on Founder’s Day this year, Saturday 27 June 2009. This
will not be cheap but will provide a fitting tribute for an
exceptional student and missed friend to many. As such,
any donations would be greatly appreciated. A bank
account has been set up to collect funding for this project,
and anyone who would like to contribute can do so either
through bank transfer or by cheque. Cheques addressed to
‘TK Memorial Fund’ can be sent to 87 Sherwood Avenue,
Streatham Vale, London SW16 5EL. Alternatively, if you
wish to make a donation via bank transfer please contact
Darragh Riordan at [email protected] for
account details.
W B Yeats declared:
Some burn damp faggots, others may consume
The entire combustible world in one small room
As though dried straw, and if we turn about
The bare chimney is gone black out
Because the work had finished in that flare...
What made us dream that he could comb grey hair?
www.dulwich.org.uk
Mick Imlah, hailed as one
of the most brilliant poets
of his generation, a literary
journalist and editor, has
died at the age of 52,
shortly after winning the
prestigious Forward Prize
for Poetry, as reported in
last term’s Alleynian.
Obituaries appeared in
several national
newspapers and can also
be found via the College
website.
27
Dulwich College in the snow
by Ms Maggie Jarman
Dulwich Common
London SE21 7LD
+44 (0) 20 8693 3601
DULWICH COLLEGE
Designed and printed by Cantate 020 7622 3401
Monday 2 February 2009