The Dauntseian 2015

Transcription

The Dauntseian 2015

Dauntsey’s School
The Dauntseian 2015
Number 198
The Dauntseian 2015
Number 198
Editor Ben Sandell
Sub Editors Jim Bruges, Matthew Fisher, Lorna Frankel, Betty Lorimer,
Thomas Padfield, Cicely Spence, Henry Gray
With thanks to the School Photographer, Graham House
Contents
Editorial1
Head Master’s Address
Prize Winners 2015
3
10
Common Room News
Staff List19
Salvete26
Valete36
House News 55
Events & Societies
64
Adventure Education
72
Travel80
Creative Writing
91
Music94
Drama106
Sports
Rugby112
Hockey132
Netball162
Cricket173
Tennis183
Football196
Athletics203
Minor Sports205
Leavers’ Photo
212
Editorial
Advent 2015
This year’s magazine comes at an exciting time for the School.
Inside, readers will find much of what is familiar: sports reports,
reflections on staff arriving and leaving, and testament to the huge
variety of achievements made by pupils this year. So often these
achievements can be overlooked by the relentless pace of a school
term; yet here, I hope, readers will take pause and reflect on the
many successes of all those associated with the school.
The house structure is at the heart of any boarding school, and this
year we have introduced a magazine section for each senior house
– both day and boarding – to showcase house news. What is more,
I commend to you the various reports on societies, trips and varied
opportunities on offer to our pupils. You will know that there has
been much change at Dauntsey’s in the past twelve months – not
least in terms of new buildings and facilities – some of which are
reported on in these pages.
My best wishes to you and your families this Christmas.
Ben Sandell
Editor & Head of History
1
Josie Goddard
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The Dauntseian 2015
Head Master’s Address
Speech Day – Saturday, 4th July 2015
Prize Giving rewards outstanding pupils, who have
striven hard for excellence and set standards for others
to aspire to, which is just as it should be.
Mark
Lascelles
Chairman, Claire Perry MP, Ladies and Gentlemen
Thank you very much, Chairman, for your kind words
and for your support, time and wisdom this year. It really
is a pleasure working with you and the Governing Body.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome Claire to our
Prize Giving. I must say that I was delighted that you
returned to your seat, in that last extraordinary election,
not because I want to make any political statement,
but simply because our Speech Day invitations would
have looked a little silly otherwise. Not many schools
greet politicians warmly, but you will be fine as long as
you give out the prizes quickly and keep away from any
educational reforms.
I also hope that you escape the fate of a previous speaker
who, while shaking the hand of a rather over confident
leaver, asked politely ‘And what will you be doing next?’
The reply was flattering, if rather unexpected: ‘Well, I was
planning on going to the Summer Ball with my parents,
but what do you have in mind?’
As I stand here, surrounded by flora and fauna in
temperatures akin to the Amazon Basin, with the
summer holidays ahead and an extraordinarily
successful year behind, I should be happy and perhaps
even a little smug. But I have to confess to Speech Day
being my least favourite day of the year. And that is not
just because I have this speech to deliver.
And yet, in a horrible insight into the way that my mind
works, although I am happy for the winners, I can’t stop
thinking about those that didn’t win. And this is not
because I only collected one prize from fifteen Speech
Day Prize Giving attempts (1982, can’t remember what
I won it for, but the book was ‘Three Men in a Boat’ by
Jerome K. Jerome).
And it is not because I am some politically correct,
wishy-washy liberal who thinks that everyone should
win something. But it is because there are lots of you
who could have won and who didn’t: the unlucky
and the overlooked. Many of you will have fantastic
and unusual gifts; many will have shown remarkable
resilience over the last few years and you will all be
brilliant friends who have brought laughter and joy to
those around you on the dreariest of days. And these
things matter in a community such as this one and I am
just sorry that we cannot recognise all of you.
And then I think about our brilliant leavers and I feel
worse still. You have given the school so much over the
last few years, we have loved having you here, yet when
we return in September you will have moved on.
In many ways the passage through the school of this
year’s Upper Sixth could be compared to the challenge
that parents face on the arrival of their first child.
The initial euphoria and excitement wore off pretty
quickly, as they arrived full of energy and enthusiasm,
but created a certain amount of mischief in the Lower
School and in the Manor in particular.
Mrs Corke affectionately described them as the worst
year group the school had ever had – and so I am rather
surprised to see her here today. They upset the monks
at Glastonbury Abbey and were banned from going
around the school in groups larger than four – and this
was in the Second Form.
Speech Day & Prizewinners
3
Onwards and upwards through the school they went,
stopping briefly in Provence, of all places, for some
liquid refreshment, and there have been other hostelries
along the way. There have been some gritty and
awkward moments, some ups and downs, some lessons
learned, and yet here we are finally and, as you look
around you today, you cannot fail to be impressed with
these young men and women.
This unique year group, with five sets of twins,
has enjoyed some spectacular highs, including at
Twickenham and in the West End, and their laughter
and sense of fun have always been evident. What a
journey it has been: the staff may be a little wearier, a
little greyer, and they may look a little older, but it has
been worth every moment.
You have always ‘fronted up’, to use that rugby term,
and have been unfailingly honest. At a dinner earlier
this term, I asked the prefects if they had any regrets
from their time at Dauntsey’s. After a long pause, a very
long pause – and it would be unfair to tell you who I
asked – the answer came back, ‘It is really hard to say, but
probably Provence. We were a bit naughty there.’
And then I asked someone else the same question –
again I will not identify them, but they are one half of
twins. The same question and yet this time the answer
came back quick as a flash, ‘Sir, that is really easy, getting
caught in Provence.’
After this afternoon and the Summer Ball your days
at school will be over. There will be no more school
reports; no more ‘could have done betters’; or ‘should
have worked harders’; I am pleased, though, that you
all avoided the worst two reports that I have ever read,
happily not about Dauntsey’s pupils:
‘The last five years have been so awful that I would
not breed from this young lady’, and ‘He has made no
contribution, done no work and made no friends. My
suggestion is that he seeks out a job as a priest in charge of
the local crematorium.’
least because I know that coming from a household
with a wife and three daughters, this may well be the
only fifteen minutes or so of the year that I will not be
interrupted.
But I would like to thank this year’s Upper Sixth for all
that they have done over the last few years. A supremely
talented year group, they have enhanced the school’s
reputation in so many areas and have made the school
a great place to be.
And so as I move on to the School’s achievements this
year, I would like you all to join me in thanking this year’s
wonderful Upper Sixth.
It is always difficult to pick out highlights of a year, and
inevitably some events and activities will not get a
mention, for which I apologise.
Last year, finished on a high with ‘Mamma Mia’; this year
the inspirational Rikki Jackson and his team took us off
in a different direction. The Summer Festival has been
a huge success and included plays, dance, concerts,
recitals, master classes, exhibitions, sport and a number
of talks too. Over half the school have been involved; it
has been a special week and it has been a joy to see the
talent in our midst given the opportunity to perform.
Matthew Bourne’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ was the centrepiece,
an all-boys dance show, and it provided those involved
with the opportunity to work alongside a professional
choreographer; the final production was stunning.
Earlier in the year ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ was a dark,
moving and challenging Christmas musical. ‘Jam’, ‘Be my
Baby’, ‘As you like it’, ‘Daisy Pulls it Off’ and ‘Loot’ were all
performed to a very high standard and there were some
strong A Level and GCSE Coursework performances too.
One of the most extraordinary productions came in the
form of ‘Stamp’, a brilliant and innovative take on the
London show. Two of these shows were directed solely
by Upper Sixth pupils.
Moving on is exciting, though and perhaps a little scary.
Have you achieved all that you wanted to? Have you
met your parents’ hopes and dreams? Will August bring
unbridled joy and the key to the door to your future?
Dance continues to go from strength to strength,
supporting our major shows and inspiring and
stretching so many. The Dance Show was a great
success once again, our Cheerleading team continue to
excel, and bring home an interesting variety of trophies,
and the dance clubs are full and vibrant.
It isn’t, of course, a time to be sad; it is a time to
celebrate - I am beginning to feel better already - not
As always, our talented casts were superbly supported
by our technical crews, who have provided excellence
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at every single event. Their commitment, expertise and
devotion to their work is remarkable and we are very
lucky to have them.
The footballers won six matches in a row and toured
Feyenoord, and the basketball team were brilliant and
won every game.
Music has also enjoyed a vintage year and not simply
through supporting the major shows. The Autumn
and Spring Concerts were real highlights: the former
included Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’, the latter 300 musicians
presenting Gilbert and Sullivan, and there were two
concertos brilliantly played by the top performers in the
Barron Prize.
The boys’ and girls’ tennis team have been very strong
all the way through the school and therefore it was no
surprise when the teams enjoyed success this year. The
athletes have won almost every meet and after a slow
start the cricketers are finishing the season strongly.
The Gilliat and Barron Prizes were fiercely contested
with a supreme standard of musicianship; the Dance
Band continue to win admirers and friends wherever
they go and there have been numerous recitals,
including special Chamber and Leavers’ Recitals; the
SSA Choir sang beautifully in St Mary’s Church, Devizes,
in preparation for their tour to Durham and Ripon
Cathedrals in October; and the choir sang Evensong in
Salisbury Cathedral. The Lower School Music Festival
was great fun, we had two marvellous Carol Services,
Ronnie Scott’s and Rockfest too.
And what of the creative arts? It is easy to overlook
what is going on in our Art and Design Buildings. The
answer is sustained excellence. Both areas are buzzing
with energy and ambition and this year our pupils have
been successful with applications to Central St Martin’s,
Goldsmith’s and Ravensbourne. The extraordinary
creative talent in the school is being nurtured superbly
and the Art Exhibition is special and well worth a look.
On the sports fields, a remarkable 1st XV rugby team
benefitted from their pre-season tour to Australia
and recorded the first unbeaten regular season in the
school’s history: played fifteen, won fifteen is a record
that won’t be bettered. In the end, they reached the
quarter-finals of the NatWest Cup before losing to the
eventual winners, and our strength in depth was
shown by the fact that the 2nd and 3rd XVs won
seventeen of their nineteen matches. The Senior
Girls’ hockey and Netball teams performed well, after
their tour to Barbados, and proved to be committed
and talented and a good mix of young and more
experienced players.
Boys’ hockey was strong again, and although they did
not enjoy much luck in the regular season, six wins
out of six in Malaysia provided some consolation.
International selection beckoned for our rifle shooters
and in riding, where we are competing well and more
often. It was harder for our swimmers, with no pool
for the first term of the year, but they too have
enjoyed success. Finally, our Devizes to Westminster
paddlers showed tremendous guts and courage in
taking on and completing this gruelling challenge, the
‘Canoeist’s Everest.’
All of the above represent fine achievements and it
is great to achieve the best results, to come first or
to win – and I like winning more than anyone. But
what I continue to enjoy and be proud of more than
anything else is the way that Dauntsey’s pupils conduct
themselves on and off the field. Matches are always hard
fought, with no quarter given, but the highest standards
of sportsmanship are demanded and met, without any
of the arrogance or swagger that is so prevalent in some
Public Schools.
At Wimbledon, on the wall of the Players’ Entrance, are
written the words of Rudyard Kipling from the poem ‘If’:
‘If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those
two impostors just the same’. This is how Dauntseians
approach their sport, which is just as it should be.
The Adventure offering at school has been greatly
enhanced. Of course, it promotes team work and
leadership, but more than anything I hope that it gives
pupils the opportunity to try things that they never
thought themselves capable of, to realise that it is OK to
fail and that the pursuit of perfection is not necessary.
The physical challenges are still there through
Moonrakers, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme,
the Brecons Challenge or in Romania at Nightingale’s
Orphanage, but developing skills for life is the challenge.
The Fifth Form Post GCSE courses have been a great
success once again and the Jolie Brise remains as
popular as ever.
5
But what of the school itself? Open Mornings have seen
record numbers attending and at a time when so many
other schools are struggling, we have grown to over
800. Our £8 million building programme is nearly two
thirds of the way through, with the sports infill project
completed, the pavilion due for completion in late
September and the Maths/Geography building set for
demolition on Monday.
This investment was much needed and I am extremely
grateful to the Governors for their support. We, as a
school, are also grateful to the Mercers’ Company for
their continuing patronage and for their generous
donation towards the latest project. These new
developments will enhance the school and will give us
a little more style and polish. But it will not be a case
of style over substance. For you can build the most
incredible school or facilities, but they will be of no use
at all if you do not have the right people and the
right culture.
As George Eliot wrote at the end of Middlemarch ‘that things are not so ill with you and me as they might
have been, is half owing to the number of people who lived
faithfully a hidden life...’ Hidden, that is, away from the
headlines, in classrooms, in the library, in studies and in
our houses. And so I turn to the Common Room and
thank them for all that they do to make this school such
an invigorating and rewarding place to work. They really
do provide inspiration; they provide encouragement,
support and genuine expertise in their areas.
It is at this point that I would to thank and say farewell to
those who, like the Upper Sixth, are leaving us today.
Back in 1978, a young Mathematician, by the name of
Mark Neve was appointed by Bill Parish, who wrote ‘I
have appointed a young chap called Neve, fresh from
Bath University, above all because he was engaging
and enthusiastic. He will be just the kind of person
that Dauntsey’s wants’. Teaching Maths at Dauntsey’s
wasn’t Mark Neve’s first job - that was at the age of 16
when he was an ice cream seller, with his own van,
driving round to the tune of ‘If you go into the woods
today’ - but teaching is what he has done ever since.
His contribution to the school over the last 37 years has
been remarkable: Housemaster of The Manor, a member
of the Senior Management Team and Director of Studies
for 20 years, and, above all else, a brilliant teacher.
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The Dauntseian 2015
Old and current Dauntseians regard him as quite simply
the best teacher in the business and that is the ultimate
accolade for anyone passionate about education. A
superb ambassador for the school at home and abroad,
particularly in The Park Lane Hotel in Hong Kong, Mark
loves the school and will do anything for it, whether
through his beloved table tennis, teaching maths,
obsessing about his finances in the Complementary
Curriculum, providing extra tuition or speaking at
Open Mornings and Presentation evenings. And a very
personal ‘thank you’ too. It has been a privilege working
with this great man: wise, incisive, enthusiastic, full of fun
and hugely supportive. He brightens up every day and is
one of the reasons that I love my job.
Mr Hardman started out here in 1986 and has also made
an extraordinary contribution to the school. He enjoyed
a very successful 15 year tenure as Housemaster of
Mercers’ and then agreed to come back to run Hemens
just two years ago. He is one of the key figures in the
history of the Jolie Brise and is a fully qualified skipper.
The Brecons Challenge, now in its nineteenth year, was
his idea and he has coached and refereed rugby for
40 years, latterly in charge of our Colts A team. He also
introduced A Level PE to the school and has run the
department brilliantly, inspiring hard workers and the
not so dedicated, while taking advantage of his inside
knowledge as a Senior Examiner. Mr Hardman is an
outstanding school master and we have been lucky to
have him.
Linzi Lloyd-Jukes joined Dauntsey’s in 1992. She
was originally a tutor in King-Reynolds and then
Housemistress of Forbes, where she soon decided she
would far rather teach Lower school pupils than be in
charge of them! She has been a superb Head of English
since 2002 where she has looked after her colleagues,
overseen a great deal of change, battled with exam
boards for years, and has tried to instil a passion for
reading. While Linzi will always be admired for her
academic capabilities and her intellect - and quite rightly
so - what has also stood out has been her compassion
and dedication. She has set and demanded the highest
standards and yet has also allowed hundreds of pupils to
grow in confidence through her encouragement.
Liz Scott has been an integral member of the Biology
and Chemistry departments since 2001 and tutored
in Forbes for a number of years. She set up the link
with Nightingale’s Orphanage in Romania and ran the
first five trips. She is an excellent teacher and her calm
professionalism and genuine care for her pupils, stands
out. She has always been willing to devote significant
periods of time one-to-one mentoring. Happily for us,
although Liz is retiring, she will be here a little longer,
as she will be providing provide maternity cover for Mrs
Slade for two terms.
has provided top level Chemistry, real academic rigour
and intellectual clout. He has also provided the highest
level of support and care, as a tutor in Farmer over the
last nine years, and before that in Mercers’. Mr Parker
heads off to Magdalen College School, Oxford to teach
Chemistry and coach rowing. They are very lucky to
get him, not just because he is a gifted teacher but also
because he is an exceptional school master.
Neil Cameron has enjoyed a remarkably successful
career and is an old fashioned school master in the
best sense of the term. In the classroom one minute,
on the rugby and cricket fields the next, he has taught
and coached passionately throughout his time here.
In the Chemistry department, while everyone will
miss his dulcet tones echoing down the corridors, it
is his excellence as a Chemist, his exacting standards,
expert knowledge and expertise where practicals are
concerned, that will be really missed.
Pete Thomas’ previous career as a policeman prepared
him perfectly for his twelve years here, almost all of
which has been spent as a Housemaster, firstly in
Hemens and for the last six years in Mercers’. Mr Thomas
has often resembled a sniffer dog in the hours before
school and house parties, searching out alcohol in order
to keep pupils safe, and has an unrivalled success rate
where this is concerned.
Annie James retires from the Physics department
after ten years here. An extremely conscientious and
dedicated teacher, Annie will be missed by pupils and
colleagues alike. Away from the classroom, Annie has
been the driving force behind our fund-raising for
charity and has helped to raise nearly £100,000 in the
last four years.
To Mark Neve, Steve Hardman, Linzi Lloyd-Jukes, Liz
Scott, Neil Cameron, and Annie James, who together
have given the School over 120 years of service,
thank you and good luck in retirement. And many
congratulations on escaping with your pension, before
the politicians take it away from all of us. I suspect that I
will be working until I am at least 95.
Matt Dyson joined Dauntsey’s in September 2000, fresh
from the Graphic Design industry. His expert knowledge
and problem solving ability at A level are second to
none and results at this level and at GCSE have been
spectacularly good. Matt has also tutored in both Scott
and Farmer houses, has been a key member of the
Moonrakers team and has taken part in the Devizes to
Westminster Canoe race. We wish him well as he moves
on to lecture at Strode College.
Tim Parker joined Dauntsey’s from King’s, Canterbury
in 2002 as Head of Chemistry. He was excellent in
this role, is an outstanding teacher and has achieved
fantastic results with pupils of all levels of ability. Tim
As a Housemaster, he has set the highest of standards
and his compassion for his pupils has always stood
out: nothing has ever been too much trouble and the
kindness and love that he has had for those under his
watchful eye is striking. The importance of old fashioned
values, good manners and a sense that you must always
treat others as you would like to be treated yourself are
perhaps the hallmarks of Pete’s time in charge.
Pete will be missed in the Geography department too,
where he is the only person still using an overhead
projector, and on the rugby and football fields. We
congratulate Pete on his appointment as Second Master
at Reading Blue Coat School and wish him well.
Liv Corbett joined the Manor in Sept 2013, fresh from
one of the ‘Big Five’ city law firms, in order to tutor in the
Manor, run tennis and take a lead role in our outdoor
education. Liv is a superb History teacher and moves on
to Sevenoaks School, having completed her PGCE.
Amy Bowring also joined us in 2013. An outstanding
sportswoman and coach, a very good Biology teacher
and a great tutor in Jeanne, she is an excellent role
model. We wish her well as she leaves to take on the
role of Housemistress at Badminton School.
And the revolving door is not quite finished yet – we
also say goodbye to Suzanne McEvoy who taught
Business Studies and Economics here for 6 years; to
Chris Thompson, who came back after retiring in 2013
to provide cover in the Music department for two terms
7
and who has been quite brilliant; Maria Bellostos, our
gifted and hugely popular Spanish Language Assistant
who has been with us for two years; and to Sam Knights
and Sophy Smith who have worked in the PE and
Sports departments and helped with Moonrakers and
Outreach too. Sophy goes on to St Margaret’s, Calne and
Sam to Beechen Cliff.
Lastly, we say thank you, but happily not good-bye, to
a member of staff who has given outstanding service
to House life. Tim Butterworth is totally unflappable,
a fabulous listener and a friend to all. He has created
a strong family atmosphere at the Manor and a home
away from home. It is an environment where the
children can thrive and understand that they should
take advantage of the opportunities that they have. A
keen sportsman, Tim brought his talents and love of
the outdoors and introduced popular events like the
Manor marathon and the Cornwall trip. Tim moves on to
Farmer, as a tutor, and the Manor will certainly miss Tim,
Gay and their boys.
Thank you all for everything you have all done, and
good luck.
So, having paid tribute to this year’s achievements and
the contributions of the staff, particularly regarding
those who are sadly leaving us, it is time to move back
to the present.
It has been an outstanding school year and there
are exciting times ahead, with record numbers and
new developments continuing apace. There will be
some disruption next year, as a new classroom block
is established in the heart of the school, but after
another ten months or so the school and its site will be
transformed.
All our exam classes have worked hard this term and I
hope that August will bring good news for all. James
O’Hanlon continues to work wonders in our Universities
and Careers Department and this year sent off 151
applications: seven pupils are heading for Oxford and
Cambridge, nine to medical and veterinary schools
and on average applicants received four offers out
of five. Parents and friends of the school continue to
give generously of their own time and the Careers
Workshops, networking evenings and specialist advice
offered have proved invaluable in steering young
Dauntseians towards intelligent careers choices.
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The Dauntseian 2015
And so back to the Upper Sixth and today’s leavers.
Can it really be two, five or even seven years since
you started out? Not only have you achieved an
extraordinary amount in your time here – and you have
– but the world has changed so much too.
In Susan Cain’s book ‘Quiet’, the author charts the
seismic cultural shift that occurred over the 20th
Century: particularly the triumph of personality over
character. In the 19th century, the ideal social archetype
was introverted: serious, cerebral, honourable.
Nowadays, what seems to matter is not what you are,
but the image you project. Every life is a performance.
Society is rigged in favour of the showmen, the
charlatans and the overconfident.
And, as this is the very antithesis of a Dauntsey’s
education, it may well be tough out there. I hope
though that your time here has equipped you with the
tools to cope with the challenges that you will face. I
hope that it has given you the confidence to be yourself,
and resilience, courage, kindness and humility.
And, given that you may well never listen to me again,
I thought that I ought to give you a few tips, based
on what I have observed over the last three years,
as you strike out from here and seek to make a good
impression at university and in the world of work
beyond. You may spot a few themes:
• Do turn up to appointments on time, something most
of you have studiously avoided in your time here
• Girls, wear a skirt not a belt – it is always good to leave
something to the imagination
• Boys – pull your trousers up and keep your underwear
covered
• One earring per ear is always enough, and there is no
need for anything in the tongue or face
• You may regret a tattoo, wherever or how small they are
• Shoes – a very important choice, don’t under estimate
• Don’t pre-load before a party
• Remember to ring home and keep in touch
• A monthly allowance needs to last the whole month
• And finally and more seriously, don’t hide behind
social media and do remember to smile often and
at anyone
More importantly though, I would like to thank parents
of the class of 2015. As you look at your son or daughter
this afternoon, I hope that you feel that your investment
of care, love and emotional energy has been worthwhile
- and the financial element bearable too. It may reassure
you to know that it is actually more expensive to send
people to prison than it is to private school and at least
you have been dealing with teachers rather than parole
and prison officers. Seriously though, thank you for your
investment and for your trust.
And I would like to draw to a close with the words of Sir
Winston Churchill, ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to continue that counts.’
Or the words of another great man, Mark Neve:
‘Be an optimist, not a pessimist, and always look at the
bright side of life’.
For our Upper Sixth leavers, I hope August brings good
news, and the future every success and happiness. For
those leaving in other years, let me wish you all the best
in your next educational endeavours and please keep
in touch.
To everyone else here today, have a wonderful summer
and I look forward to seeing you back in September.
Gennadii Gorbun
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Prize Winners 2015
First Form
Second Form
The Gordon Saunders Memorial Trust Prize
for General Excellence
Tabitha Spindler
Hannah Barnes
Academic Prizes
Academic Prizes
Sasha Broadhead
Freya Chapman
Florence Evenden
Madeleine George
Emma Kellar
Thomas Gilbert
Phoebe Lishman
Georgina Henwood
Nadim Searight
Jack Jazrawy-Brown
Hannah Weeden
Prizes for Effort
Prizes for Effort
Abigail Baker
Philippa Abel
Eleanor Barker
Emily Bagnall
Niamh Clark
Isabella Grasso
Sophie Hollis
Maya House
Hermione Owen
Antonia Jones
Poppy Waterworth
Felicity Wilks
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The Dauntseian 2015
Third Form
A Prize for Effort and
The Lower School Prize for Progress and
Effort in Art
Elliot Yates
Armand Conde-Sequeira-Rosen
Academic Prizes
Tolland Bennett
A Prize for Effort and
The Hugo Halkes Memorial Cup
Robert Bourne
Hannah Walker
Chloe Darlington
George Lishman
Lara Maton
An Academic Prize and
The Lower School Prize for Drama
Alexander Curry
The Lower School Prize for Art
Chinda Smith
The Lower School Prize for Music
Catriona Edington
The Lower School Prize for Dance
The Lower School Music Competition Prize
Jason Yip
Alice Fanshawe
The Lower School Prize for Boys’ Games
Archie Ayling
Prizes for Effort
Zoe Cranstone
The Lower School Prize for Girls’ Games
Hannah Giraudeau
Georgia Pickford
Susannah Kellar
Wilfred Richardson
Madeleine Wilks
The Val Pettinger Memorial Prize
James Blake
Agnes Williams
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Fourth Form
Fifth Form
Academic Prizes
Rini Banerjee
James Bruges
Academic Prizes
Kofi Cox
Anna Gilbert
Joshua Hampson
William Allen
Meirian Evans
Thomas McGrath
Isobel McKellar
Elvira Parr
Alice Walton-Knight
Charlie Hinton
Polly Maton
Madeleine Steggall
The Middle School Prize for Dance
Jessica Tempest
Atlanta Hatch
Natasha Whitrow
Prizes for Effort
Samantha Arnold
Alexander Balls
Quentin Choi
Annabel Crichard
Lucy Downer
Rebecca Herrett
Hermione Jewitt
Benjamin Pugh-Cook
Yan Ki Yau
The Middle School Prize for Drama
Thomas Goddard
An Academic Prize,
The Middle School Prize for Music and
The Middle School Music Competition Prize
Miranda Bardsley
Prizes for Effort
Gennadii Gorbun
Arabella Harvey
Arabella Le Coyte
Emma Lovell
Rosie Martin-Barton
Sophie Muir
Amelia Sampson
Ella Ward
James Western
The Middle School Prize for Girls’ Games
Daria Galkina
The William Jones Cup for Middle School Boys’
Games
Oliver Jackson
12
The Dauntseian 2015
Lower Sixth Form
Upper Sixth Form
Academic Prizes
A Prize for German
Rebecca Allen
Annabel Badman
Ceri Beasant
Tiffany Cheung
The Upper School Prize for Drama
Rosie Coles
Phoebe Borwell
Jemima Jackson
Millie Jones
A Prize for Art
Molly Lewis
Bess Chan
Desislava Mezinova
Samuel New
The Salters’ Prize for Chemistry
Rebecca Newman
Sharon Chan
Lloyd Ollerhead
Francesca Portante d’Alessandro
Olivia Welch
Henry Williams
The Barron Prize
Emily Neve
The Barron Prize and
The Anna Roberts Prize for Outstanding Musical
Performance
Matthew Fisher
A Prize for Economics and
A Prize for Mathematics
Amy Chu
A Prize for Geography
Megan Cleeves
An Old Dauntseians’ Association Prize and
A Prize for Religious Studies
Archie Combe
A Prize for Classics
Rupert Cunnington
The Library Prize
Samuel Jackson
An Old Dauntseians’ Association Prize
Rowan Duckworth
The Rooke Poole Prize
Torran Green
A Prize for English
William Young
Katie Everett
The John Abnett Award for Endeavour
A Prize for Music and
The Georgina Bagnall Memorial Prize
Alexander Sheppy
Sarah Hannaford
The Work Experience Prize
Lorna Frankel
13
Upper Sixth Form (continued)
A Prize for Physics
A Prize for Physical Education
Edward Henderson
Joshua Rice
A Prize for Theatre Studies
Elizabeth Hollingshead
An Old Dauntseians’ Association Prize,
The Marsden-Jones Memorial Prize for Biology,
The Upper School Prize for Music
The Landsdowne Prize for Sound Citizenship
Julie Scholefield
James Hollis
A Prize for Further Mathematics
the Frankel Cup for Public Speaking
Jonathan Scott
Hannah Lawrence
The James Robertson Prize for Biology
Jamie Short
An Old Dauntseians’ Association Prize,
The King-Reynolds Prize for Drama
and Theatre Studies,
The Bobby Nelson Prize for Sporting
Achievement and
The Pierre Weston Shield
Montgomery Lovering
The Stanton Prize for History
Henry Mangham
The Gosling Prize for Design Technology
Tom Middleton
A Prize for Music Technology
Oliver Sibson
The Haine and Smith Prize for Contribution
to Religion, Philosophy and Ethics
Edward Sweett
A Prize for Spanish
Sophie Thomas
A Prize for French
Leon Vvedenskii
A Prize for Religious Studies
A Prize for Psychology
Tom Parker
Isabel Watts
The Sarah Toogood Cup
The Upper School Prize for Dance
Jemima Pitceathly
Robyn Weir
The Nairne Cup
The Bishop Pike Memorial Prize
Guy Rawson-Smith
Mark Winckley
14
The Dauntseian 2015
A Prize for Chemistry and
The Physics Investigation Prize
Henry McBride
Michelle Wing
Theodore Nellis
The Beryl Gilliat Prize for Singing
Daisy Woodruffe
The Mercers’ School Memorial Prize (Merrett
Bequest)
Diana Yarosh
A Prize for Business Studies and
The Head Master’s Prize for the Head Boy
Daniel Parr
Robert Prance
Emily Robinson
Matilda Sheehan
Lucy Stevenson
Alexander Sykes
Luke Webb
Thomas Wheatley
Thomas White
Andrew Duckworth
Second Form
The Spence Memorial Trust Prize for Academic
and Sporting Excellence and
The Head Master’s Prize for the Head Girl
Holly Baker
Henrietta Lowth
Wilfred Fitzgibbon
Hannah Bradley
Isaac Bull
Amber Fletcher
Prize Nominations
Lower School Prize Nomination Certificates have been
presented by the Head Master to:
Algernon Fooks
Guy Harmer
Susannah Leese
Joshua Mallinson
George Moulding
Max Orton
First Form
Oscar Palmer
Josie Banovic
Elisabeth Peak
Ana Candau-Rodriguez
Thomas Peak
Lucas Cranstone
Kiera Riordan
Alasdair Edington
Jessica Romer-Lee
Arthur Fitzgibbon
Hugo Spindler
Ava Hall
Lucy Talbot
Ella Harris
Erica Tang
Lily Mallinson
Amelia Wand
15
Prize Nominations (continued)
Third Form
Elizaveta Bolotova
Shang Yi Ma
Anson Chak
Oliver MacMullen
Vincent Chan
Thomas Mayne
Anna-Sophia Enislidis
Michelle Miu
Georg Enislidis
Elson Mo
Esme Evans
Thomas Morgan
Katie Griffiths
Sadie Mutton
Luke Hatch
Samuel Nield
Hortense Heijmans Bulder
Harry Poole
Louisa Hill
Sophia Stratford
Martha Holden
Daniel Tait
Jasmin Hosier
Camilla Walton-Knight
Harvey James-Park
Ellen Weir
Andy Lam
Finlay Wilson
Christie Lau
Joseph Woodward
Antigone Lovering
Imogen Davies
16
The Dauntseian 2015
Josie Goddard
17
Common Room News
Introduction
Births:
2014-15 has been a year of both continuity and change
within the school community, with some longstanding and cherished figures retiring or moving on.
Of particular note is Mark Neve, latterly our Director of
Studies, who retires after 37 years’ service (although he
will return to teach Mathematics part time).
Anne Cole and husband Nick welcomed Zachary John
Cole on 16th March 2014 weighing 9 pounds and 5 oz
– a little brother for Zoe.
We also bid fond farewells to Liz Scott in Biology who
is retiring but will be back in September to cover a
maternity leave, Pete Thomas, HM of Mercers’ House
– who moves to Reading Blue Coat school as Second
Master and Steve Hardman, HM of Hemens (and
formerly of Mercers’) who retires this summer.
In addition, we say goodbye to Neil Cameron of
Chemistry, long-serving Head of English, Linzi LloydJukes, Matt Dyson from Design Technology, Liv Corbett
of History, Tim Parker, former Head of Chemistry, Annie
James of Physics, Amy Bowring of Chemistry and
Suzanne McEvoy of Business and Economics.
In further news, we thank Maria Bellostas, our Spanish
Assistant, who is returning to Spain, Sophy Smith, our PE
Graduate Assistant Teacher, Ben Gudgeon, Director of
Music and his predecessor (and successor since January),
Chris Thompson together with Peter Cox who has been
covering in the Mathematics department this term.
Details of staff new to the school follow in our ‘salvete’
staff interviews section.
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The Dauntseian 2015
Sarah Mallett gave birth to James Daniel Mallett on 8
March 2015 at 2.06pm weighing in at 7 pounds and 8 oz.
Academic & Pastoral Staff
Senior Management
Head Master
Director of Studies
M J Lascelles BA, Dunelm
M A C Neve BSc, Bath
Second Master
Head of Lower School
M C B McFarland BA, Nottingham
E S Conidaris BSc, Open
Deputy Head
Bursar
J F E Upton BSc, London
Air Commodore S P J Lilley MA, RAF (Retd)
Academic Staff
Department heads in bold
Adventure Education
Design Technology
S T Moore BEng, Imperial College, APIOL
M R Dyson BEd, Greenwich
L K Egan BA, Loughborough
Art
P C Guille BEng, Southampton
C L Hunter BA, Leeds
A Pickford BA, Wales
H J Pearson BA, Bristol
M Ryan BA, West of England
V A Rose BA, Bath
S J Rountree BA, Dundee
Drama & Dance
N C Spear BA, Falmouth
F J Bardsley BA, Dunelm
E B Chambers BA, Bath
Careers
K Glynn BA, Surrey
J F O’Hanlon BSc, Wales
R M Jackson BA, Warwick
C A Watson BA, Oxford Brookes
Economics & Business Studies
Classics
A E Cole BSc, Cardiff
M A Cooper MA, Oxon
A J Lewis BBS, Palmerston North
K E Morris MA, Cantab, ACA
S McEvoy MA, Glasgow
A Y Webb MA, Cantab
A Poole BA, West of England
S R Tabor BSc, Kingston, BA, Open
Common Room News
19
English
Information Technology
F J Bardsley BA, Dunelm
D A Fulling BSc, Cardiff
A J F Brown BA, Warwick
G R Parry BSc, London
E C Gardiner BA, Dunelm
M Ryan BA, West of England
J M Hubbard BA, Cardiff
W P J Whyte BA, Bath
C L Hunter BA, Leeds
L Lloyd-Jukes BA, York
Learning Development
F J Muir BA, MA, London
W T W Jackson T Cert, Dip RSA, SpLD, AMBDA
S S Wells MA, Cantab, PhD, York
J Leeming BA, Surrey, SpLD, PGCSpEd
K E B Zarrett BA, Cardiff, MA, Exeter
E J O’Hanlon PG Cert Prof, St. Ed, BA, Wales
P I Sidey BA, PGCE, Leeds, MA, London, Dip SpLD, AMBDA
EAL
C W W Wilson BA, Exeter, Dip SpLD
W A Barker MA, Cantab
P M Morrison B Ed, Bristol, CTEFLIS, Bath
Mathematics
A D Oliver BEd, Leicester
S E Barley BSc Durham, MSc Bath
D A Whitchurch BA, Swansea, TESOL, ESOL
P T C Cox Cert Ed, Nottingham
D S Innes BSc, Bath
Geography
S M Mallett BSc, London
K S Clark BSc, Manchester
R S McCammon BSc, Edinburgh
E M A Lascelles BSc, Loughborough
P J Minter BA, Brandeis, USA
A J Palmer BSc, London, FCIEA
P A Mobbs BSc, Bath, MSc LSE
L Scrace BA(PE), HDE, Stellenbosch
M A C Neve BSc, Bath
A J Sheffield BSc, Leeds
T J Price MA, DPhil, Oxon
P J Thomas BSc, Dunelm
C L Waddell BSc, Bath
N Yates BSc, MSc, London
G S Ward BSc, Reading
History
T W Butterworth BA, Southampton
Modern Languages
French
O Corbett BA, Dunelm
P J Harrison BA, Birmingham
E M Crozier BA, Lancaster
J P Plews BA, Sheffield
M C B McFarland BA, Nottingham
S Walton-Knight BA, Birmingham
B H Sandell BA, Exeter
J A Spencer MA, Bristol
German
C W W Wilson BA, Exeter, Dip SpLD
S Cooke BA, London
V A H Wilks BA, Exeter
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The Dauntseian 2015
Spanish
Physical Education
S Cooke BA, London
J R Ayling ECB Level 3
A L Evans BA, Portsmouth
K A Bradley BSc, Canterbury Christ Church
D C Hills BA, Bristol
M D Collison BSc, Bath
A L Jackson BA, Nottingham
M J Olsen BA, Cardiff - Director of Sport
Music
B D Gudgeon BA, Bristol, MA, Washington State,
FRSA, AmusTCL
A-Level PE
D E Irving BMus, London, MA, Bristol
S J Hardman BEd, Loughborough
C W Sims
M D Collison BSc, Bath
C B Thompson GMus, Huddersfield
C J Totney BA, Dunelm, ARCO DipChD
Peripatetic Staff
PSE
S Cooke BA, London
O Corbett BA, Durham
J E Barwood BMus
L K Egan BA, Loughborough
S Cipolla GRNCM, PPRNCM
M J Olsen BA, Cardiff
T Fosker LTCL, LLCM
P Henley GBSMhons, ABSM
A J Sheffield BSc, Leeds
D E Irving Bristol University
R Jardine BA, MTC, ALCM
C C Wilkinson RGN
M J Lomas BA, Dunelm, PhD, LRSM, PGCE
D C Loveridge BMus (Hons), MA
S P Nicholls
Psychology
S Minns BA, FVCM TD, LVCM
J D Holmes BSc, Sheffield
S P Nicholls
K H Pratt BA, Surrey
C M N Notley LRAM, ARCM, LTCL
L Scrace BA, HDE, Stellenbosch
M J Payne BA, LRAM, LTCL
J E Richards (formerly Morton) BA
Religious Studies
E Saddington BMus, London
E S Conidaris BSc, Open
W Sims BA
S B M Gifford MA, Exeter, BD, Wales
P Skelton BA, LRAM
The Rev’d D R Johnson BSc, Birmingham, MA, Oxon
C Springate BMus, Cardiff
A D Stockley LGSM
Sailing
M Taylor GRNCM
T R Marris DTP, YMIE, Master Unlimited
C J Totney BA, Dunelm, ARCO DipChD
A Seager DTP, YMO
K Vaughan GGSM
E F Woods
Common Room News
21
Science
A J Crossley BSc, Newcastle
Biology
A E Bowring BSc, Cardiff
C R Brakes BSc, Plymouth, MSc, Swansea, PhD, Leicester
S J Hardman BEd, Loughborough
Administration
& Assistants
Registrar
J H Sagers BA, York
V R Muir BSc, Canterbury (NZ), BSc, Open
Examinations Officer
E Scott BSc, London
E Dawe
E H Slade BSc, Bristol
J F E Upton BSc, London
Chemistry
Head Master’s Secretary
D E Caiger
A E Bowring BSc, Cardiff
Language Assistants
N D Cameron BSc, Aberdeen
M Bellostas (Spanish) Universitat Autonoma de
Barcelona
J F O’Hanlon BSc, Wales
E Leman (French) BA, Université Paris Ouest Nanterre la
Défense (France)
T J Parker MA, Oxon, MRSC
K Tittel (German) BA, University of Osnabrück, Germany
A M Lees MA, Cantab, BA, BSc, Open
R J Squire BSc, Loughborough
GAT Students
Physics
D A Fulling BSc, Cardiff
S E Knights (PE) BSc, Cardiff
D R D Darwall MEng, Cardiff
K M D La Broy (PE) BSc, Leeds
A E James BSc, York
S Smith (PE) BSc, Middlesex
R V Lewis BSc, PhD, Wales, FRAS
C Swinbank BSc, Exeter, MIinstP
P K Wheatley MA, Cantab
D Zammit BSc, Kent, MSc, Brighton
Nursing Sisters
L Barnes RGN
G Bush-Alsop RGN
E Fleming RGN
M Maidment RGN
L Rawlings RGN
J Roberts RGN
C C Wilkinson RGN - Senior Sanatorium Sister
School Counsellors
C Coupe BEd, Leeds, MBACP (Accred)
A K Jarrett Dip Counselling
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The Dauntseian 2015
Housemasters/mistresses
Evans
Farmer
N Yates
Hemens
S E Barley
C Yates
A J Lewis
W P J Whyte
R J Squire
A J Palmer (Assistant)
C L Waddell
Fitzmaurice
J A Spencer
Forbes
E C Gardiner
Hemens
S J Hardman
S Smith
P K Wheatley (Assistant)
K E B Zarrett
V A H Wilks
Jeanne
A E Bowring
Jeanne
A L Jackson
King-Reynolds
E M Crozier
K H Pratt
Lambert
K S Clark
L Scrace
Manor
T W Butterworth
E H Slade
A E Sampson (Assistant)
A Y Webb
King-Reynolds
A Poole
Mercers
P J Thomas
Rendell
M J Olsen
P J Harrison
Scott
G S Ward
C L Hunter
Lambert
A J F Brown
R S McCammon
House Tutors
Evans
Farmer
H J Pearson
K Glynn
O Corbett
C L Yates
D A Fulling
S B M Gifford
Mercers
A J Crossley
J L Leeming
S E Knights
P A Mobbs
A J Sheffield
Rendell
E C Chambers
B H Sandell
L K Egan
J R Ayling
J M Hubbard
R V Lewis
P J Minter
N C Spear
Forbes
G I Butterworth
S J Rountree
T J Parker
Fitzmaurice
Manor
Scott
F J Bardsley
S S Wells
A L Evans
S Cooke
J D Holmes
M A Cooper
D S Innes
C J Totney
S K Walton-Knight
Common Room News
23
Governors
Clerk to the Governors
Nominated by West Lavington Parish Council
P M A Nokes Esq MA, MPhil
Prof. L M Harwood MA, BSc, PhD, C Sci, C Chem, FRSC
M J H Liversidge Esq BA, FSA, FRSA
Nominated by The Mercers’ Company
R G Handover Esq CBE, DL (Chairman)
Mrs P L P Floyer-Acland BSc, BA
R M Bernard Esq CBE
Mrs L F Walsh Waring BA (Vice-Chairman)
Brigadier P P Rawlins MBE
F W Scarborough Esq
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns GCB, KCVO, CBE
N W Smith Esq
Dr R E L Quarrell BA, MA, D Phil
P J Lough Esq MA
The Venerable A P Jeans BTh, MA
D W Goodhew Esq MA
N J S Fisk Esq BA, ACA
N B Elliott Esq QC
Mrs V P Nield BSc, MBA
Mrs S E S Gamble BA
A S Macpherson Esq, BA, ACA
C H de N Lucas Esq FRICS, FAAV
Patrick Cunnington
24
The Dauntseian 2015
Harriet Sagers
Common Room News
25
Salvete
Kerri
Bradley
Dan
Darwall
What is your role in the school?
I am the Deputy Director of Sport.
What is your role at Dauntsey’s?
I’m a Physics Teacher.
What was your first job?
I was a Netball Coach.
What is the best thing about your subject?
It’s real.
What hobbies do you have?
I enjoy playing netball, going to the gym, reading and
listening to music.
What is your favourite hobby?
Sailing.
What’s your favourite book?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
What is your favourite book?
*long pause and much deliberation* Tamata and the
Alliance by Bernard Moitessier.
Which other subject would you most like to teach?
Psychology.
Do you speak any languages?
No, but I wish I could read French.
If you could be any other member of staff for a
day, who would it be?
Mrs Jackson.
How would you describe your time so far at
Dauntsey’s?
Fantastic!
Describe your model student.
Someone who has lots of brightly coloured stationery
and keeps their paper crease free!
What is your favourite place to be?
On my boat.
What’s your favourite thing about your subject?
I love everything!
What kind of music do you enjoy?
Anything pumped that gets me smiling and motivated.
I do love a good love song too!
Did you get into any scrapes during your time as a
student at Dauntsey’s?
No, I was far too boring!
Did you sail on the Jolie Brise?
Yes, a lot! I had my stag party on the Jolie Brise, in fact.
Where is your favourite place?
Canterbury, where I grew up.
If you could have anyone else’s job at Dauntsey’s,
whose would it be?
Sam Moore’s (Head of Adventure).
Do you have any pets? If not, would you like to?
I don’t have any pet but I would love a sausage dog!
What music do you enjoy?
Classical, I play the violin.
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The Dauntseian 2015
Bonnie
Gordon
What is your role at Dauntseys?
I am a teacher of biology and a tutor in Lambert. I also
help with hockey.
What is the best aspect of your subject?
It is relevant to everyone and everything.
What other jobs have you done?
My first job was a tractor driver on my parents’ farm. But
before Dauntsey’s I worked in two schools and was a
pensions advisor.
Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell.
If you could be any other member of staff for the
day who would you be and why?
Definitely not the headmaster. Probably a music teacher
because I really enjoy playing the piano.
What were your favourite subjects at school?
All the sciences, most obviously biology.
What struck you first about Dauntseys?
I’m a parent so I knew the school before teaching here,
but what really struck me was how friendly everyone was.
Favourite film?
Any James Bond film, or for a girly option, Room with
a View.
Peter
Guille
How long have you been a teacher?
Not very long, this is my first teaching job.
What was your first impression of Dauntsey’s?
Very impressed, it seemed like a very nice rural location
with a very friendly atmosphere.
What was your favourite subject at school?
Design and Technology.
What music do you like?
All sorts of music really, The Beatles are probably my
favourite.
Did you always want to be a teacher?
No but it’s always been at the back of my mind.
Before this I was a self employed designer and maker
of furniture.
Do you speak any other languages?
French, badly.
A labourer on a building site.
What’s your favourite possession?
My sailing dinghy.
Do you have any pets?
Yes, a dog called Finn who is a crazy Collie/Spaniel cross.
Favourite place in the world?
The Maldives.
Describe yourself in one word:
Enthusiastic!
Common Room News
27
Gareth
Harris
What is your role here at Dauntsey’s?
I am the Director of Music.
What did you do before coming here?
I was the Head of the Performance Faculty (which
included Music, Drama, Dance, PE and also Art and
Photography in later years) at Hayesfield School in Bath
for twenty years.
What are your first impressions of Dauntsey’s?
This is the most amazing school! I have had such a
wonderful time in the first few weeks; the students are
fantastic and the staff are also wonderful - pupils here
are so lucky to be here, almost anything is possible!
Probably the Head (or at least shadowing him for a day,
it seems a bit egotistical to want to be the Head) to see
how that bit of the school works - it is a very different
job from being a normal member of staff; you are
ultimately responsible for everything that happens.
Fly-fishing and ballroom dancing, two things I would
like to see done more often nowadays. And also cycling.
If you were to identify with a historical figure who
you think is similar to you, who would it be?
Hector Berlioz [19th century French composer]. He
initiated a lot of change in the musical world and had a
deeply ingrained passion for making and creating music
in different ways.
Yes, I have a cat called Maurice, as in Ravel or Terry
Pratchett’s The Amazing Maurice and his Educated
Rodents. He’s mad but he’s lovely; a cat with attitude - he
runs the household!
Where is your favourite place in the world?
There are a few, but probably my most favourite is the
Vendée region in western France, a place I have been to
very often and love visiting.
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The Dauntseian 2015
Adam
Hurst
What is your role at Dauntseys?
Manor housemaster, English teacher and U14A rugby
coach.
My wife’s so good at it. I love how I can read a book with
people younger than myself and they can help me to
look at it in a completely different way.
I worked in a summer camp whilst on my gap year. My
first proper job was as a gap teacher at a prep school.
What was the worst trouble you got into at
school?
Quite a lot, that’s probably why I’m so good at catching
people. Probably just never handing work in and the
occasional post cricket recreational activity.
My wife will hate me for this, but Lord of the Rings.
day who would you be and why?
My wife, because I’d like to know what it’s like to be an
English scholar.
English and History.
What do you enjoy most about being a
housemaster?
I love the special relationship you can build, you’re there
for the highs and the lows and hopefully I can make a
meaningful difference to some children’s lives.
Jo
Hurst
James
Johns
Teacher of English and a Manor tutor.
I’m a physics teacher and a tutor in Scott.
I worked for a very dull financial news publication but
left after a year.
What do you enjoy most about your subject?
I enjoy it when students realise they are already
interested in physics and when they are curious about
the world around them. That curiosity they have about
their environment actually is physics. Making connections
as well, when you teach something that seems abstract
then you relate it to their own experiences and you see
the ‘penny drop’ – that is a great feeling.
school?
Hmm, I can’t think really, I was very good. Well, once I
made my teacher cry, I thought I was being smart but I
really wasn’t.
The Brothers Karamazov.
day who would you be?
The new sports centre manager because I’d just use the
swimming pool, gym and equipment all day.
What do you enjoy most about being a teacher?
Ha ha marking ... no, everyday is always so different and
presents different challenges.
What struck you first about Dauntsey’s?
It has a very unpretentious atmosphere.
I don’t really have a favourite place, I tend to be more
attached to people rather than places. My favourite
person would probably have to be my daughter.
Messy.
Which historical figure do you relate to the most?
Jane Austen, because I’m so witty!
How would you describe your time at Dauntsey’s
so far?
Busy; it’s been a whirlwind, but fun. All my classes so far
seem great!
What’s your favourite film?
Back to the Future is definitely my favourite film.
Thinking about it my first job was actually a paper round
at 10 years old. Packing bow ties as a summer job after
my first year at university was certainly my worst job.
Did you know anything about Dauntsey’s before
you came to work here?
Not a lot, I worked at Warminster School before working
here so you learn quite a lot about rival schools as a
member of staff. I drove past it every day on my way
to work thinking it would be convenient to reach from
where I live. I knew it was quite successful and I was
aware of where it was in league tables. But I didn’t know
a huge amount about the school, No.
What’s your favourite hobby?
I spend a lot of time Scuba Diving.
Is there a historical figure you identify with?
Richard Feynman is a real hero of mine and the real
passion that he had for teaching is something that I
aspire to.
Common Room News
29
Mark
Kinder
Lucie
McNichol
What’s your role in the school?
I teach Chemistry, coach hockey and tutor in Mercers.
I am a Geography and Sports teacher
What was your previous job?
I taught Chemistry and was head of Hockey at
Charterhouse in Surrey
Geography is all about the world surrounding us so is
relevant to everyone and sport is something which gets
me out of doors.
My first ever job was doing a paper round.
I play hockey socially, play football and tinker around
with my car.
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was
Shot by the Taliban
And your favourite movie?
Probably City of God.
A range including bands like Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan
and some vaguely more modern bands like Oasis, Blur,
The Manic Street Preachers.
The Headmaster, just to see what it’s like to be at the
top. It’d be interesting to know what it’s like to have all
that responsibility.
If you could teach any other subject in the school,
what would that be?
I suppose I’ve always quite liked maths as well as the
sciences.
I think it’s really cool to be able to manipulate materials;
to get things to react together and turn into other
things. I think it’s really good to understand how things
like that work.
Where’s your favourite place?
Anywhere by the seaside.
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The Dauntseian 2015
I was a professional events rider for nine years.
school?
I pushed a boy in the pond on the quad for being
irritating, resulting in a Saturday night detention.
All sports but especially swimming and Geography, of
course.
What do you enjoy most about being a teacher?
It’s a very rewarding job to help children learn.
Three dogs, and three horses; a miniature Shetland, a
retired eventer and a mare in foal.
Anywhere sunny, I love the Maldives and Africa,
especially Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Honest.
What would you say are your two greatest
weaknesses?
Anything sweet! And being up for anything (once!).
How different is Dauntsey’s to your old school?
What’s changed and what’s the same?
I actually attended Dauntsey’s as a pupil for seven years.
The buildings have changed completely but some of
the staff who taught me are still here. I loved it here as a
pupil and am loving it (so far) as a member of staff.
Sam
Openshaw
Why did you start teaching?
I have a background in lab research, but I realised that
I would probably spend my entire career studying one
protein, so I tried teaching and loved it.
I was a chalet host during my gap year.
Why do you like your subject?
It’s interesting because it’s something that allows us to
understand humans better and to make a real difference
to people.
If you were going to teach a different subject,
which would it be and why?
I’ve always really enjoyed history. It was probably my
favourite A-level. It, like biology, allows us to understand
people better.
What is your favourite thing about Dauntsey’s?
So far, all the people I’ve met. Everyone I’ve talked to has
been really helpful and friendly.
Jordi
Pallares
I am the Spanish Assistant.
How long have you been a teacher?
Two days! I’ve never worked as a teacher before,
however during university I was a tutor and helped
other students with their studies.
I thought that I’d be joining a school, but instead I’ve
joined a community here. It’s great.
Spanish and languages. I also really enjoyed, and still do
enjoy, reading and writing.
Folk pop music mostly. I also like rock and Spanish hip
hop - not American hip hop that’s all about guns and
girls, Spanish pop is about real life and I love that. The
sound track of Amelie is my favourite, and I really like
Red Hot Chili Peppers and Passenger. Manel are from
Barcelona; they are the best, as good as Passenger.
My first job ever was working as an instructor in a
summer camp when I was 16. We took kids to the
mountains and did things like sports and music.
What drew you to teaching?
I initially wanted to go into journalism when I left
university, but it wasn’t for me. I then wanted to be a
language teacher because I love reading and writing.
Do you have a hidden talent?
I published a book last year; it’s called The Weakest Animal
(but in Spanish). It is a collection of 19 short stories.
Common Room News
31
Dr Alison
Sharp
Victoria
Stewart-Rose
What is your role at Dauntsey’s school?
Biology Teacher.
What is your role here at Dauntsey’s?
Teacher of Mathematics and Third Form Tutor in Rendell.
How have you been finding your time at
Dauntsey’s school so far?
Brilliant. The school is really good and very friendly.
What did you do before coming here?
I have had a number of roles before coming here.
My previous job was as second-in-department and
Cross Phase Leader of Mathematics at a school in
Chippenham. I have also worked in tax in the private
wealth sector, tutored maths classes for first and second
year degree mathematicians at the University of Bath
and worked in research.
My last big job was building a school in Malaysia for
Marlborough College and also working part time at
Marlborough College in Wiltshire.
And what was your first job?
My first ever job was in an 11 to 16 comprehensive in
Huddersfield where they taught me far more than I ever
taught them.
My favourite book tends to vary. Every time I read a new
book I think ‘Oh, this is my favourite book’.
Do you have any hobbies?
Yes, I’m a triathlete and do Olympic triathlons. I used to
run the army cadet force. I also teach Pilates and am a
keen horse rider.
The Headmaster, because I’d love to be in a position to
see how the whole school ran.
What’s surprising about you that nobody would
guess?
I was the first Female CCF Commandant. I was Major
Sharp for a while at Marlborough College.
Could you describe your model student?
My model student has a good sense of humour. S/he’s
attentive but challenges. They would also be broad
minded and open to other fields of thought.
Did you ever get into trouble when you were at
school?
No, I was really boring at school. I wanted to be a vet so I
worked really hard.
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The Dauntseian 2015
What are your first impressions of Dauntsey’s?
My first impressions of Dauntsey’s have been very
positive. The school community has been very
welcoming, with both staff and students remaining
exceptionally patient with me while I learn all their
names! I have some wonderful classes and I’ve enjoyed
meeting the slightly crazy Rifle Club members!
There are many reasons I enjoy maths. I like that it
allows me to simplify and solve real world problems;
that is so crucial to the sciences and that it is a skill
based subject which builds on existing knowledge.
I’m not sure yet! Whoever has the best job perks? Maybe
Dr Openshaw - so that I could play with the axolotls in
Biology!
I enjoy reading crime/horror; playing my electone; visiting
museums; drawing and walking my dog (a chorkie called
Bing). I also really enjoy a good horror movie!
If you were to compare yourself to a historical
figure, who would it be?
Impossible – I am nothing if not unique!
Where is your favourite place in the world?
I don’t have a favourite place because it is the people
around you which give a place value.
Samantha
Tabor
I teach Economics and Business Studies.
What do you enjoy most about your subject?
The fact that it’s current affairs and it’s happening all
around us.
Ever? My first job ever was stacking freezers in Iceland
frozen foods in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent.
What’s your favourite film?
A Beautiful Mind.
Gosh, that’s difficult. That’s really difficult. My favourite
book is probably Pride and Prejudice.
What is your favourite musical genre?
I would say that’s got to be heavy metal! Don’t look so
surprised! Sort of AC/DC, a bit of Maiden (Iron Maiden
for the uninitiated), a bit of Black Sabbath. That’s my
genre; when I was younger than you that sort of thing
was in the charts.
How would you describe your experience at
Dauntsey’s so far?
So far it’s been very pleasant: I like the fact there’s tea
and biscuits often. Everyone’s friendly and kind. Yeah,
it’s good.
Which historical figure do you most associate with?
Anne Boleyn, because I think she gets a really bad press
because she is seen as a sort of manipulative woman,
but I think that she did what she had to do to survive.
I think most women in history had to do things that
aren’t necessarily laudable to survive.
Will
Thomas
I’m a GAT – graduate assistant teacher, so I help with all
the sports teams and PE lessons.
What did you study at university?
Sports therapy.
Well, I came here as a student, but it’s a really nice
school and I like all the construction that has happened,
it’s really improving the sports side of things.
Probably History or Geography.
Were you taught by any of the teachers that are
still here?
Mr Spencer, Dr Wells, Mr Wheatley, Mr Palmer, Mr Yates
– a lot of them!
I’m not very picky… I like George Ezra and Hozier at the
moment.
Do you speak any other languages?
No, I used to be quite good at German, but I haven’t
spoken it for about six years so I’ve pretty much lost it.
I’ve worked in pubs and cafés, student jobs.
What’s your favourite possession?
My car – a Volkswagen Golf.
I have two black Labradors.
Describe your ideal student?
My ideal student is somebody who is proactive, isn’t
afraid to make mistakes and does what they’re told.
If you could teach any other subject at school
what would it be?
That’s easy: Politics.
Common Room News
33
Chris
Tonkiss
What’s your role in the school?
Graduate assistant teacher of sports and a Mercers’
fourth form tutor
I was a pot washer in an Italian restaurant when I was
thirteen.
I was a graduate teaching assistant at Monkton Combe
Senior School in Bath.
Do you have any hobbies?
I like to go on walks with family, friends and my girlfriend,
but my biggest hobby is touch rugby. I play for South
West England and had England trials not long ago.
That would be between Penguin Stockplay by Harry
Thompson or the Hundred Year Old Man by a Swedish
author whose name evades me…
What’s your favourite movie?
The standout movie for me is a film called Man on Fire
featuring Denzil Washington. It’s a bit gruesome but an
absolutely wicked film.
Anything and everything from classical to rock, but if I
had to pick anything it’d be indie music. None of that
screaming, head banging, maniac music
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Charlie Chaplin. He was a larger than life character and
just made people’s day to day lives more enjoyable.
Mr Sheffield, because the man’s a machine! I’d love to be
as fit as he is and he’s just an all round nice guy.
Describe your model student
Hard working and determined. I like them to be a little
bit cheeky and have a bit of character, but to know
where the line is.
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The Dauntseian 2015
Jon
Tyler
What is your position at Dauntsey’s?
I am the Deputy Head (Academic), which means looking
after the academic life of the school and reporting back
to the Head Master. I also teach History.
My first job was working in a little corner shop; I started
working there at the age of 13. I got paid £1.50 an hour
and I worked from 6 o’clock in the morning because the
owner couldn’t be bothered to get up at that time and
sort out the newspapers. I did it before school and it
wasn’t fun.
There are a few that come to mind. I generally don’t like
fiction books, but I think 1984 is brilliant, so that’s my
intellectual response. There’s also a book called The Dice
Man which is about a guy who lives his life by rolling a
dice to decide what to do: he thinks ‘how should I react
in this situation’, comes up with 6 options, rolls the dice
and then acts accordingly. It sounds rubbish, but it’s
actually a really good book.
I like History because History is all the most interesting
things that have happened and that’s why we study it.
I also like the fact that it’s there is no defined right or
wrong answer or particular methods to follow: it’s about
coming up with your own judgements and backing
those up, so all students can have their own opinion
and it can be valid.
As Deputy Head (Academic), could you describe
your model student?
Somebody who gives a good effort, behaves, and
arrives to lessons on time. Someone who looks smart,
works hard, and does Dauntsey’s proud.
How would you describe your time at Dauntsey’s
so far?
It’s been really good: it’s a great school. The pupils and
staff have been very welcoming!
What was the most trouble you got into while you
were at school?
I don’t know, there are a few of them to choose from…
Possibly the time we were playing football and a teacher
started sprinting past me with the ball and I couldn’t
keep up. I was really embarrassed because I was football
captain at the time and he was just a teacher so I did
what any self-respecting person would do in that
situation and jumped on his back and rugby tackled
him. He wasn’t happy!
Will you be getting involved in the football
coaching here then?
I don’t know, maybe. I have coached football for the last
few years at my last school but I don’t know whether I’ll
be too busy here, so we’ll see.
I like football a lot: I support Arsenal. I like watching
Mixed Martial Arts but I don’t do it myself, and I enjoy
reading.
day who would it be?
I think the Manor is an amazing setting; it would be cool
to run that for a day.
What is your favourite historical period?
20th century History is my favourite: Stalinist Russia is
always quite fun, although not for the people inside!
What music do you enjoy listening to?
I spent a gap year in Canada, and as I was a poor student
back in the day I didn’t have a radio or anything, and
there were only two TV channels that had music. One
was French rock, which was not my favourite, and the
other one was country music. As a result I got really into
country music, so that’s my favourite.
If you were to retire right now where would you go?
I loved my gap year in Canada. I thought that was a
great country and I really enjoyed my time there. I also
spent a month teaching in Singapore and I thought that
was a brilliant country too. I’ve got lots of great things to
say about Singapore, except for the weather – I found it
very stifling. They’d be options, but otherwise good old
Basingstoke where I grew up is close to my heart.
Favourite TV show?
The Shield: you probably won’t have heard of it, but it’s
amazing! That and 24.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Under protest, possibly Oliver Cromwell. He’s often
seen as very strict and harsh - he banned Christmas, for
instance - and I’m often seen as quite harsh and strict. I
haven’t been here long enough to know if people here
find me strict or not. But you know, Oliver Cromwell
was trying to do the right thing. I like to think I try to do
what’s best.
What other subject would you teach other than
History?
Probably Maths. I’m not convinced that it would be
more interesting than History but the fact that there
is a definite answer is nice. You don’t have as much
ambiguity as History. You can mark an essay and think
it is brilliant and then the examiner can mark it and
think it is rubbish and vice versa, whereas at least in
Maths you can reach an answer and be assured you are
doing something right. You get less frustration with
exam results thinking ‘they’ve done brilliantly but they
shouldn’t have’ or ‘they’ve done badly but they should
have done well’.
Common Room News
35
Valete
María
Bellostas
Amy
Bowring
María arrived at Dauntsey’s in September 2013, straight
from a small town north of Barcelona, and fresh from
her degree in journalism. She very quickly proved herself
to be not just an outstanding language assistant, but
also a wonderfully calm member of the Languages
Department, bringing an air of wonderful serenity
with her.
Amy has specifically asked me to keep this short and to
the point, and to not under any circumstance, make a
fuss about her impending departure from Dauntsey’s.
However, I am not sure I can promise to deliver on all of
those fronts, for in my opinion, there are some people
that you should make a fuss of, and without doubt Amy
fits that category perfectly.
During her time at Dauntsey’s María prepared over 150
students for their IGCSE, AS and A2 oral exams, getting
to know each student individually, understanding their
strengths and weaknesses, and helping each one to
achieve their potential. Her serenity also enabled her
to provide invaluable support in calming students
before exams, for which many students, and staff, were
incredibly grateful.
A spot-on Welsh Daffodil, she studied Physiology in
Cardiff before qualifying as a teacher. Amy, Amy B,
Ames, Bowers or Bow Wow as she has affectionately
been known to many of us, started life at Dauntsey’s in
September 2013, and has made a fantastic contribution
during her time with us. A favourite amongst staff and
pupils alike, her achievements have been notable since
returning to her West Country roots, having previously
taught in inner city London. Thankfully, the respite of the
‘Shire and proximity to her childhood stomping ground
of Bristol was too good to resist.
During her time here María threw herself into life at
Dauntsey’s and embraced all the school had to offer;
she helped 3rd formers cross rivers at Moonrakers, she
did weekly duties at the Manor, she attended almost
every play and concert performed, she helped with
the International Society trips, and, leaving her most
adventurous trip until last, even accompanied the
post-GCSE 5th form trip to the Jurassic Coast where she
joined in with abseiling, coasteering and kayaking – all
carried out with her normal air of calm composure!
Having stayed with us for two years we finally lost María
not back to Spain but to Switzerland, where she is in the
process of job-hunting, so that she can join her Swiss
boyfriend. We will miss María greatly and her calming
influence on our frenetic office.
ALE
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The Dauntseian 2015
With not only charisma but also sporting genes oozing
through her blood, having been Captain of Hockey and
Netball, as well as Head Girl at Clifton College in 2005, we
soon made the most of her knowledge and expertise
on the sports field. Here, Amy coached the U14A hockey
team to one of their most successful seasons ever,
worked similar miracles with the U14A netball team, has
been Head of Girls’ Athletics in another excellent season
and assisted with the development of the 1st XI Hockey
Girls to great effect. Plus she is a pretty handy tennis
player and has been a key part of the Moonrakers jigsaw.
In addition, she has been a popular tutor in Jeanne, and
has managed to squeeze in a fair amount of science
teaching too, with interactive lessons and stomach
churning dissections amongst her favourites.
It might be coming apparent that even though Amy
does love her Science, she is in fact a wannabe PE and
Games specialist hiding behind this façade. An adopted
sister, if you like, she has definitely been, and will always
be, an honorary member of the Games Department.
She qualifies hands down for this status due her fine
collection of Nike trainers in various colours, and love of
the HBO series, Game of Thrones.
Her favourite moment at Dauntsey’s was most certainly
last summer’s extremely memorable hockey and netball
tour of Barbados, where she excelled in her role and
was loved by the tour party and the citizens in equal
measure. Remaining calm in the face of some pretty
relaxed Barbadian organisational issues with our ground
agent Rikki, she led the charge to ‘eat local’ with the
staple diet of “chicken, an’ rice an’ bean an’ ting” a regular
feature. As ever, Amy was great company and only felt
mildly out of her comfort zone when one of the most
local cuisines, fried banana was served in the hotel at
breakfast. For those of you that don’t know, Amy has a
quite unusual, but genuine dislike, no... fear, of bananas,
which has given many of us great amusement at her
expense. The various bananas in her pigeon-hole and
surreptitiously placed banana on her shoulder gags
have been played out many a time, much to her distress.
Other highlights have included working alongside the
gentle giant Jonny Ayling in outdoor cooking and fire
building at the Manor on Friday afternoons, apart from
having to suffer the alluring and lingering smell of wood
smoke for the next day or so!
Amy has been a very valued member of not only the
aforementioned departments, but equally amongst the
wider school community, and I am sure I speak for us
all when I say she will be greatly missed. I also have no
doubt that she will certainly miss the Dauntsey’s family,
and she will have very fond memories of her time at the
School. We wish Amy the very best of luck and good
fortune as she embarks on the next stage of her career
as a Housemistress at Badminton School in Bristol; a very
notable accomplishment given her tender years. An
ambitious lady of genuine integrity and sensitivity, I have
no doubt that her infectious personality and honest
outlook will see her succeed in all walks of life. A heart of
gold, Amy is a true friend, and we are very grateful that
she has benefitted so many aspects of Dauntsey’s life
during the last two years.
MDC
Neil
Cameron
For the last eight years, entering the Chemistry
Department office at Dauntsey’s has felt like stepping
into a long-running joke about ‘an Englishman, a
Scotsman and a Welshman.’ The ‘Scotsman’ in question,
the bearded, broad and banterous Neil Cameron, has
ensured that the office has been a pleasure to work in: a
place of humour, warmth, support and debate.
Neil Cameron arrived at Dauntsey’s to teach chemistry in
September 2007, having taught at Ipswich School since
1983, where he had clocked up a remarkable fourteen
years as a boarding housemaster and then ran a day
house for a further four, in addition to being master in
charge of Rugby for some 13 years.
From 2008 to 2012 his tutees in Hemens benefitted from
this deep experience of pastoral matters. Quoting Eleni
Conidaris, his Head of House during this period, ‘Neil
was a supportive and caring tutor and dealt firmly but
fairly with issues, responding sensitively to the make-up
and diversity of the interests of his tutees. He monitored
their performance very well and he would consistently
find time to speak with them on a one-on-one basis to
encourage them and to help them with their problems.
Neil’s warm personality and motivational skills aided him
in guiding his tutees into successfully achieving their
goals. He took a keen interest in the welfare of the House
as a whole. An exceptionally capable and committed
person, he is compassionate and understanding,
always trying to find methods to encourage even the
less motivated and organised pupils to approach their
academic studies sensibly and to fulfil their potential.’
Neil is a master of the practical chemistry demonstration.
Entering his laboratory, one is likely to encounter such
delights as the crack of silane spontaneously combusting
in air, or a flask of golden snowflakes. During his first
degree at Aberdeen University, he was fortunate to
be involved in the first ever undergraduate preparation
of noble gas compounds and he is the only person I
have met who has seen and handled crystals of xenon
tetrafluoride; those who remember that xenon is
Common Room News
37
supposed to be totally inert will be impressed by this.
His sense of chemical theatre was demonstrated in the
use of the ‘whoosh bottle’, a scorching jet of burning
propanol vapour, particularly spectacular when heard
and seen in the dark. He developed this idea into a form
of artillery, in which the projectile was a plastic drinks
bottle exothermically rocketed from a metre-long
cardboard tube. In one impessive demonstration of this,
Neil emulated the Duke of Wellington attempting to
blast a breech through the ramparts of Badajoz, while
I had to be the ‘forlorn hope’, and attempt to catch
his gas-propelled wonder-weapon in the dark: I failed.
Redox reaction sausages and short-lived jelly babies in
molten chlorate (bursting into violet incandescence and
copious fumes of burnt sugar) are two other examples of
his entertaining approach in the laboratory.
As Tim Parker, his former Head of Department, puts
it: ‘Neil is the most enthusiastic of chemists; he likes
nothing better than to seize upon a pet reaction and
develop it into something that can be demonstrated or
carried out as a class practical. Neil is a first-class teacher
and consequently his classes have always enjoyed
excellent exam results. He has the knack of explaining
clearly exactly those points that students typically find
most difficult. His communication of the excitement of
chemistry clearly has its effect – the take up of A-level
and university chemistry from his sets has always been
remarkably high. Out of class he has always been ready
to give up his time to help those students needing
a bit of support too. As a colleague, Neil’s sense of
humour has brought much fun, humour and a welcome
perspective on life to the chemistry office. He is a great
expert on the best ways to put chemistry across and
has a deep knowledge of the subject – it’s a good thing,
perhaps, that examiners have not heard some of his
views on the infelicities and errors in their papers! He is
passionate about his subject and education in general –
a great teacher, in short.’
One of the pleasures of working with Neil was his
enthusiasm to share teaching approaches and ways of
tackling chemical concepts. This came across in office
discussions, where we could all benefit from an exchange
of ideas, practical, theoretical and problem-solving; his
keenness both to learn and teach has never left him.
Like many Scotsmen, Neil speaks and writes English
better than the English. His gentle Aberdonian lilt
was a source of pleasure in itself: one student took
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The Dauntseian 2015
some delight in asking Neil questions concerning the
chemistry of iron or its compounds, apparently for sheer
appreciation of Neil’s rolled ‘r’ in the word ‘iron’. He was
not averse to throwing the odd bit of Doric dialect into
conversation, futret (ferret) and thochtie (a small amount)
being two useful examples. He has a remarkable
memory for language and an erudite approach beyond
the confines of the natural sciences. Snippets of Latin
and French, verses of poetry and Shakespearean phrases
would often provide relief from assessment objectives
on dull October afternoons. Neil also introduced me to
a range of music that I was unaware of, and as a guitarist
he was a performer himself, going back to the folk
scene of the 1960s. He is an appreciator of the cryptic
crossword clue; a guru from whom the faithful sought
enlightenment in the mystical world of the Speyside
single malt; a follower of archaeology - the list goes on.
Neil once told me that when his first headmaster offered
him a post where he could combine his interests in
chemistry, rugby and cricket he realised that he had hit
upon the right career for him. A rugby aficionado, he
greatly enjoyed his involvement with the Colts Rugby,
and particularly working with Steve Hardman, who Neil
feels is a ‘really superb coach’. Neil wears his heart on
his sleeve; if he isn’t happy he will tell you so. This was
certainly true when on the touchline, where he was
known to give freely fulsome advice on the finer points of
a referee’s decisions. One of his favourite memories was
of Steve and himself reciting Marriot Edgar’s ‘Albert and
the Lion’ to an incredulous group of Colts rugby players.
Until 2013 Neil also ran the cricket 3rd XI. He brought a
wealth of experience and knowledge of the game to
the role. He was often to be found braving the wind
(and even the rain) on Mercers’ field, although he never
quite mastered the intricacies of the padlock on the
equipment shed!
One of Neil’s great relaxations is fishing, which he was
able to find an outlet for when he ran a Fly Fishing Club
at Ipswich, and helped Matt Dyson with the club at
Dauntsey’s. Hopefully, he will be able to spend many
happy hours engaged in this pursuit in the sunny climes
of the Isle of North Uist. After a long and distinguished
career he deserves every pleasure that retirement may
bring. We shall miss him greatly at Dauntsey’s, and we
fondly wish Neil and Pat all the very best for the future.
AML
Olivia
Corbett
Peter
Cox
Corrrrbeeeeeee! It was a sound commonly to be heard
around the Manor over the last two years. Usually it
heralded the arrival of Liv Corbett, tutor extraordinaire,
and much loved figure in the house. Often it was
accompanied by squeals of delight, many hugs and,
occasionally hot chocolate. Particularly popular amongst
the 1st and 2nd form girls whom she tutored, and also
affectionately known as Corbs, Corbisiero, Corberello, Liv
will be much missed.
Liv arrived at Dauntsey’s in September 2013, fresh from
a career in a top London law firm. Looking for a change
of career, she found her way to Wiltshire, initially as a
Graduate Assistant teacher working as Outdoor Ed.
Co-ordinator, head of Girls’ Tennis, and fortunately for us,
tutor at the Manor. She immediately showed immense
empathy, a willingness to put the children first, and great
dedication and commitment. She is a first rate tutor,
always willing to go the extra mile, and great member of
the Manor team.
If there is one other memory which she will surely take
away from her two years with us, it will be grey miserable
and wet afternoons on the towpath, driving minibuses,
whilst supporting and generally enthusing the Devizes
to Westminster teams. All those who took part in the
race over recent years will be in her debt.
In Liv’s second year with us, she taught History, whilst
training for her PGCE. Much loved by her pupils in the
classroom, and thoughtful and creative in her lesson
planning, she passed her qualification with distinction.
We are delighted that she has gained a super job
teaching History at Sevenoaks School. Although
Dauntsey’s will miss her, we wish her the very best of
luck in what will undoubtedly be a successful career. I
suspect she will now be Miss Corbett; but to us, she will
always be Corrrrbeeeeeee!
TWB
Peter Cox joined the maths team for the period
February to May to cover Sarah Mallett’s maternity
leave. Peter is a very experienced teacher, having once
taught our Head Master at Shrewsbury, and we have
benefitted enormously from his wisdom and well
thought-out approach. We have particularly appreciated
his willingness to go the extra mile, taking on tasks
himself and using his insight and initiative to help the
department through the peak period of examination
preparation. Peter has ensured that transitions for pupils
between teachers have been seamless and his sense of
humour and positive disposition will be greatly missed.
We wish him all the very best for the future.
PAM
Matt
Dyson
Matt joined Dauntsey’s in the autumn of 2000 as teacher
of Design and Technology. He has taught across all year
groups and has played a significant role in raising the
profile of both the GCSE and A level courses. Having
spent the first part of his teaching career at Bishop
Wordsworth School in Salisbury Matt developed a very
solid foundation in high quality teaching. It became
quite clear very early on during his time with us that he
had a real empathy with all ages and ability of student.
He demonstrated admirable patience with students that
struggled, tutoring them one to one outside of lessons,
always with a view to them producing the very best he
believed they were capable of.
Common Room News
39
Throughout his time at Dauntsey’s his lessons have been
both engaging and challenging for the students. The
lower school students have enjoyed his well prepared
lessons, and GCSE and A Level students have trusted
his guidance implicitly, many being inspired to study A
level Product Design and later going on to study design
related subjects at university. Matt’s previous experience
of working in the graphic design industry has been
influential in how his students have developed their own
work and both the attention to detail and his design
flair have always been a pleasure to observe and work
alongside. Matt’s technical knowledge is exceptional and
he has always been keen to embrace new technologies
and expose his students to them. Most recently he has
made good use of 3-D printing and historically he has
always been the first to push the boundaries of what
new technologies can offer him in his teaching, and the
students in their project work.
Matt’s contribution to extracurricular activities over the
past 15 years has been quite varied and beyond the
many subject specific support lessons he has given
students in his own time, he has been a long-standing
and valued member of the Moonraker’s team. He has
also tutored in Scott house in the lower school and
Farmer House in the upper school. He has run the fly
fishing club for many years and been involved with
upper school football, including being a member of
support staff on the tour to Holland in 2012. Matt also
used to be a regular participant in the staff versus pupil
football game although in his last appearance he was
one of many members of staff that limped off injured in
the early stages of the match.
Perhaps one of Matt’s most memorable achievements
while at Dauntsey’s will be his competing in the Devizes
to Westminster canoe race with Khan Brewer as his
partner. In typical DT teacher fashion, Matt and Khan
pimped their ride by adding upgraded luxury seating
in the form of modified classroom chairs, and it is
rumoured they also included a minibar to make the
gruelling event seemingly more enjoyable.
Matt also enjoyed being a prankster and on many
occasions he managed to convince colleagues they had
either won a national teaching award, had to read in the
carol service in front of a thousand people, or even that
they had set up their own hair dressing business which
is why they were now receiving calls on their mobile
phone asking for a cut and rinse.
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The Dauntseian 2015
These fond memories typify not only Matt’s sense
of humour but also his commitment to do things
thoroughly. He has been popular with the students and
his consummate professionalism in the classroom has
been a lesson to us all. He really is an outstanding school
teacher and although he may be stepping outside the
profession for now, he will always be remembered at
Dauntsey’s for his teaching excellence. He has been an
absolute pleasure to work alongside and we will all miss
him massively. We wish him the very best of luck as he
ventures out into the world of Product Design.
AP
Ben
Gudgeon
Ben Gudgeon left us at Christmas 2014 to take up the
post of Head of Enrichment at Sherborne School. He
had been with us just three short years, but his time at
Dauntsey’s was rich in achievement and performance.
Ben arrived at Dauntsey’s in the autumn of 2011 to take
on the leadership of an already thriving department. His
brief, to lead it onwards and upwards, was no mean task:
predecessors had left large shoes to fill and an excellent
reputation to burnish and enhance.
The task was addressed with relish and energy, hymn
practice providing an excellent example. With a strong
choir there can be a tendency for the school to leave
the singing to them, but Ben would have none of it.
The whole school were required to warm up with a
rousing rendition of ‘I’m from Moscow, I’m from Moscow
town la la la’ etc. set to a rising melody, with specific
groups of students required to stand and deliver before
sitting down only to be replaced by another seemingly
randomly selected group. This approach brought a new
energy to the proceedings, and at the close the school
headed off to lessons awake, excited and enthused.
Music is a flagship department: the standard of
performance is very high and therefore very hard to
maintain. However, Ben’s first drama collaboration was
the musical Miss Saigon, which was to become the
second Dauntsey’s show to be taken to London. (Our
production of Les Miserables had been taken to the
Prince of Wales theatre ten years previously). After a
full run at school, Miss Saigon filled the Prince Edward
theatre and was truly memorable for both musical and
dramatic performance. Major productions of Cats, Spring
Awakening, Into the Woods and Mama Mia were to follow
in quick succession, each one hugely successful, even if
not examples of (as some might say) ‘real’ music.
But there was to be plenty of that as well. The Spring
Concert of 2012 featured the first performance of the
SSA choir, a group of female student voices selected by
audition and invitation. Over the following years they
were to sing a great deal of Chilcott music, with only
the very best performances ever reaching the ears of an
audience. Ben’s manner was always firm. His students
found him good to work with; it is reported that he
could be jokey but always strict to the point of being
scary: only the highest standard was acceptable. A great
many hard, ambitious works were practised therefore,
but only the outstanding performances were given.
Under his leadership, the choir undertook their first tours
since 2005. The SSA choir travelled to and performed at
Llandaff and St David’s cathedrals in Wales in October
2012. This venture was so successful that in the following
academic year the full choir gave a series of concerts
in Barcelona during the February half term. They sang
in La Sagrada Familia and in the Cathedral where they
led Evensong. On several occasions while walking
from lodgings to and from concert venues there were
spontaneous outbursts of Locus Iste, much appreciated
by the many locals who heard them.
As a consequence of this continuous pursuit of
excellence there was a succession of wonderful concerts,
organised along a traditional format with acknowledged
student leadership of ensembles and orchestras. The
big concerts included a terrific rendition of Fauré’s
Requiem in the autumn of 2012, which brought the
choirs together with the Choral Society engendering a
tremendous sense of community. There was a wonderful
Opera Gala Concert in the Summer of 2013, Rutter’s
Magnificat in the autumn of the same year and an
immensely powerful Carmina Burana in the summer.
Each of these concerts was truly magnificent in its own
way, and each time the audience anticipation of a great
evening was increased. How could the standard of
performance get any better?
The last of Ben’s concerts was the performance of
Vivaldi’s Gloria in the autumn of 2014, which as a
swansong was fitting, exemplary and truly memorable.
Once again the choirs sang with the Choral Society and
the great Dauntsey’s family made great music together.
When not leading or conducting, Ben could be found
playing the tuba, the clarinet or the piano and anyone
lucky enough to see the Bardsley production of Figaro
will remember his virtuoso performance on Harpsichord
accompanying Matthew Taylor (violin) and Dawn
Thompson (cello).
He leaves a department in great shape to face his next
challenge, a managerial role no longer directly involved
with music. Perhaps he will find a little more time to
be with his growing family. We will miss him and many,
many students will be forever grateful to him. We wish
him well.
WTWJ
Steve
Hardman
Steve arrived in September 1986 from St Bees School
in Cumbria and during his time at Dauntsey’s he has,
in the Head Master’s words, made an extraordinary
contribution to the School.
Steve has lived and breathed Dauntsey’s for the last 29
years of his life. Appointed, initially, as Director of Sport,
he has tackled a wide range of roles over the years, and
raised his family in the heart of the School during a very
successful 15 year tenure as Housemaster of Mercers. His
daughter, Sarah, was just 3 weeks old when Steve first
became a boarding tutor and she was 18 when Steve
finally stepped down from running Mercers. Not that
this was to be the end of house-mastering for Steve.
Not long after leaving Mercers, when the Head Master
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41
needed an experienced and reliable colleague to take
over Hemens, Steve was the man for the job. He has run
Hemens House in his quietly efficient manner for the
last two years, ably assisted by Peter Wheatley, his trusty
side-kick from his days as Housemaster of Mercers. Steve
has relished the challenge of once more looking after a
House; winning the Strong Cup twice in two years is a
mark of his success.
Steve has made a significant contribution to the pastoral
care of generations of Dauntsey’s pupils. He has to
admit that early on he served a single term in rival
boarding house, Fitzmaurice, before becoming Assistant
Housemaster in Mercers under Mike Ritchley, taking over
from Mike on his retirement from the post. All of those
who have ever run a boarding house will know just how
demanding a job it is and Peter Wheatley is full of praise
for Steve’s skills as a housemaster and the fact that he
was around 24-7 for the benefit of the boys. This would
not have been possible without the unstinting support
Steve had from his wife, Helen. He and she were a
dynamic duo during their time as Mercers Housemaster
and mistress. They even dressed as Batman and Robin for
one House party where, unusually for Steve, he found his
admonishing of two pupils who were the worse for wear
was not having the desired effect. Then he realised that
it is difficult to take even the most respected member of
staff seriously when they are wearing their underpants
outside their trousers.
Hardman by name and hard man by nature, Steve’s
straight talking and no nonsense approach may not
always have been appreciated by some of his charges
but his firmness was always accompanied by fairness
and Steve was totally dedicated to helping every boy
achieve his full potential. Steve introduced a wide
variety of initiatives to improve the running of the
House, many planned to prevent trouble thereby
avoiding having to deal with its consequences. He also
set up the first House website and, if the pupils were
asked to vote, Mercers bacon butty charity week would
definitely be a contender for Mr Hardman’s best idea.
As well as running sport and teaching Biology, both
of which he did extremely well, Steve was full of
suggestions to make use of his wide range of skills and
as Director of Sport, Steve ran the 1st XV rugby until
Marcus Olsen took over in 2000. Since then Steve has
run the Colts A team. Steve is a rugby expert and the
pupils have greatly valued his rugby experience and
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The Dauntseian 2015
has excellent refereeing skills; he is one of the leading
referees for the Somerset Refereeing Society.
Steve taught Biology throughout his time at the
School. Bill Corke, Head of Biology for much of Steve’s
time, remembers Steve as a ‘rock solid presence in the
classroom’ and ‘a talented and enthusiastic teacher
with a genuine interest in Biology’. Steve’s mix of good
humour, good discipline and good teaching were used
to great effect in his lessons as were his considerable IT
skills, making his lessons some of the most interesting
and up to date in the Science department.
The idea to introduce A Level PE was obvious to Steve.
A detailed knowledge of anatomy, physiology and
biomechanics combined with physical skills meant that
this subject was ideal for Steve to teach and popular
with many pupils. Steve ran the department with flair
inspiring hard workers and the not so dedicated while
making use of his inside knowledge as Senior Examiner.
As part of the A Level PE course Mountain Walking was
selected by pupils as one of their physical activities.
Steve, assisted by Peter Wheatley, ran trips to the
Chartist Cave to teach navigation, the central Brecons or
Black Mountain for hill skills and camp craft, followed by
an assessment expedition in the Lake District.
Steve is a very competent mountain walker; he has been
part of a mountain rescue team. Meeting Peter, newly
arrived at Dauntsey’s, Steve invited him for a few days
walking in the Lake District and a firm friendship based
on a love of remote places, great views and a good
pub meal at the end of a hard day quickly developed.
It was while out walking together that Steve came
up with the original idea for the Brecon’s Challenge, a
mountain triathlon run on a Sunday towards the end
of the summer term. He supervised his 19th challenge
this year on 28th June. There would have been a round
20 challenges but Foot and Mouth caused one year
to be cancelled. Peter, once again, has been alongside
Steve helping with every one of the 19 challenges and
ensuring, with Steve, that the event is run to the highest
professional standards and adequate skills and safety
training have taken place before the pupils embark on
the challenges.
Any tribute to Steve would be incomplete without
mentioning Jolie Brise. Steve, an excellent sailor and a
qualified skipper, is one of the key figures in the history
of JB. In his first year at Dauntsey’s he spent no fewer
than 55 nights on JB and ran courses to train both
staff and pupils in all aspects of seamanship. In those
days JB was staffed by teachers and maintained by
a combination of teachers and pupils with the fundraising required done within the School. To Steve’s
total surprise and great delight during Speech Day
one year the then Head Master, Christopher Evans,
announced that Steve was to take over from Bill Parish
as commodore of JB. Steve continued in this role until,
as a regulations tightened, the School employed a full
time professional skipper.
JB and sailing have been, and continue to be, a huge
part of Steve’s life. Steve ran dinghy sailing as part of the
Third Form Moonrakers programme and he also took
groups to Southampton for the Sixth Form summer
term games sailing option. He and Helen spend many
weeks a year at Aberdovey sailing and helping with
regattas and retirement is going to allow Steve more
time to enjoy this pleasure. Another pursuit Steve
will have more time is for skiing. He is a keen skier
and for many years he ran the hugely popular annual
Upper School trip, although tricking all the pupils into
getting up an hour earlier than normal due to ‘issues
with the hotel catering’ did not go down well on 1st
April one Easter ski trip. As well as sailing and skiing,
Steve and Helen maintain an immaculate garden and
enjoy cooking and entertaining. They both also enjoy
mountain walking especially in the Lake District. Helen
is reducing her working hours so that they can do more
together and Steve wants to continue developing his
skills in woodturning and photography. He’s also always
said that he is tempted to publish a book describing
the many extraordinary events and personalities he has
coped with as a housemaster but he fears he would be
sued if he did.
Steve is an outstanding school master who has
contributed an enormous amount to the development
and success of Dauntsey’s. He fully deserves and, no
doubt, will very much enjoy his new life of leisure.
JFEU
Annie
James
Annie James joined the Physics Department at
Dauntsey’s School in September 2005. As a former
Head of Physics, she brought a wealth of experience
and expertise into the departmental team and her
friendly and approachable style meant that she was
able to strike up an immediate rapport with both her
pupils and colleagues alike.
Annie is an excellent physics teacher, she is incredibly
well organised and takes considerable care in the
preparation of her lessons and imaginative resources.
As a result, her pupils were treated to thoughtful and
innovative lessons with clear explanations that enabled
them to feel secure in their subject knowledge and
understanding. She taught from First Form all the way
through to the Upper Sixth and A2 classes and she has
been responsible for some outstanding examination
results at GCSE, AS and A Level.
As a friend and colleague within the department, it
has been a pleasure to work with Annie. Friendly and
supportive, she has been a real team player, always on
hand to share and bounce ideas around, offer advice
and great support to us all and suggest new ways of
tackling a topic or carrying out a traditional experiment.
Outside of the department, Annie took on the
considerable and important role of running the
School Charity for many years, having to oversee and
administer a huge variety of events, all helping to raise
several tens of thousands of pounds each year.
As a very competent and active golfer at her local
club, where she is ladies’ captain, she relished the
opportunity to be in charge of the sport in the school,
enthusing many students with her love of the game.
She was also involved for a number of years with the
Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, where she could
combine her love of the outdoors and caravanning, with
helping to supervise numerous student expeditions.
Annie has a passion for arts and crafts and she ran a
popular club in the school called ‘potions’. Her artistic
Common Room News
43
talent led to the creation of all sorts of wonderful
products, like greeting cards, note book covers, knitted
and needlework items and clothes. You name it, Annie
could make it, and more often than not, it would be
with a hint or a whole lot of purple!
She will be truly missed by all of us in the department,
by her pupils and the wider school community, and
we extend our fondest and very best wishes to Annie
and her husband, Richard, for a happy and enjoyable
retirement.
RVL
Samuel
Knights
Samuel Edward Lesley Knights joined Dauntsey’s in
September last year as a Graduate Assistant Teacher of
PE and Games. Born in Ealing Hospital in the summer of
‘93, and a lifelong Fulham fan, he is most definitely a selfproclaimed west London ‘wide-boy’, even though all of
his time in education has been spent at private schools!
An esteemed academic, fresh from his university days
at Cardiff UWIC; he recently graduated with a sports
coaching degree, though it amazes us all how he got
any qualifications at all. Sam soon made a positive
impression with his charm, energetic approach, cheeky
smile, and bewitching boy band good looks - as well as
his total commitment to school life as a team player.
During his time at Dauntsey’s, the pupils have always
responded readily to Sam’s relaxed but firm manner,
fully respectful of the knowledge and quality that he has
shown in coaching the U13A and 3rd XV Rugby teams,
the U13B netball team, the U13B and 3rd XI cricket teams
(all with varying levels of success) but also his masses of
drive and enthusiasm. He has also videoed rugby and
hockey matches on freezing cold winter afternoons,
and has run numerous other extra-curricular clubs. In
addition, Sam has been a residential tutor in Mercers’ and
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The Dauntseian 2015
taken lead roles in the Sports Outreach programme, plus
he went on the Lower School ski trip, where he allegedly
spent more time singing karaoke – badly, than actually
skiing, and the second form Geography trip to the Living
Rainforest in Newbury, where he most definitely was not
late for the bus and did not keep all the pupils waiting.
Furthermore, he has also enjoyed time on Jolie Brise and
the Gower Peninsula with Mercers’, surfing and gorge
walking, in addition to tackling numerous activities
in Moonrakers, the worst of which was reportedly his
shameless karaoke singing - again! Needless to say, Sam
has tried to cram in as much as possible during his short
stint with us.
For Sam, some notable highlights have included;
refereeing during a memorable victory over Prior Park,
whilst his Dad watched powerless on the side lines as
the opposition coach; requesting over 100 glossy menus
from reprographics for the rugby dinner when he only
required 10; resembling a pack horse as he attempted
to carry ever increasing numbers of shirt bags from the
Sports Hall to the Pavilion; and travelling to Colston’s
with our 3rds for the first game of the cricket season and
realising that their 3rds were in fact actually here… but
living by Spenny’s mantra of KBO (or Keep Buffering On).
Some important lessons Sam has learnt whilst he has
been at Dauntsey’s; it’s never too early to open the
sweetie jar; that the advice of ‘don’t think, just do’ really
works; the School wins if the 1st team wins; if possible,
brie should be consumed with every meal; that making
lists is a must as writing things on your hand doesn’t
always necessarily ensure you remember to do them;
that one pair of trainers to last the whole year is never
enough; that his very own unique combination of short
shorts and calf-high white socks is unquestionably not
a good look; that the school flapjacks are most certainly
the best in the world; that yet another shirt audit is just
part of the job; and that if you get the opportunity to
work in a school such as ours, the only way to get the
most from the experience is to approach everything
with wide eyes, a big smile and a ‘can do’ attitude – and
that is something that Sam has undoubtedly achieved.
Sam leaves us to embark on the pursuit of his first
love, rugby; he really is a rugby fanatic. Having been a
childhood Leicester fan, he switched his allegiance when
he moved to Bath five years ago, and the next phase
of his progression as a coach awaits. For, in September,
Sam will be employed by Beechen Cliff School but
will work closely with their U18 Bath Rugby Academy
players, overseeing their progression. Whether he ends
up coaching rugby or teaching PE, I am confident Sam
will be a wonderful asset to any school or club, in the
classroom and on the sports field. Sam has been a
valued member of the PE and Games departments, and
the wider school community. Eager to get it right, I have
no doubt that his gregarious personality and genuine
approach will see him succeed in the future.
Thank you Sammy, and well done.
MDC
Linzi
Lloyd-Jukes
Linzi Lloyd-Jukes joined Dauntsey’s English Department
as a young teacher in 1992. From the beginning, it was
clear that she would belong at the heart of the school;
her academic rigour always was woven with empathy
and the greatest enthusiasm for individuality, qualities
which remain at the core of the school’s ethos. She
expected the very highest standards from her students
and taught these with respect. She expected pupils
without question to give of their best and to achieve
their best, and in return for her confidence in them, they
did, year after year.
To set foot in Linzi’s classroom was to enter a realm
where literature reigned. The prevalent attitude was
that the world was captured in the pages of fiction and
was there for the taking: to be interrogated, explored
and enjoyed with gusto. And not only could the books
provide the reader with information about their place
and time and a jolly good story, they could open the
workings of the human soul and furthermore in the very
method of their writing, enable the student through
analysis to reach levels of understanding that would
frequently surprise both themselves and their teacher,
moments which continued to thrill Linzi right until the
end of her teaching career.
Dauntsey’s is fortunate to have retained Linzi for the
entirety of this career. She was originally a tutor in KingReynolds and then briefly housemistress of Forbes, but
when in 2002 the position of Head of English became
available, she was the clear choice for succession and
devoted a dozen years to the role. Under her leadership,
the English department flourished. As she appreciated
her students’ individuality, she also did that of her team,
therefore allowing a creative and exciting department
to thrive. Her eloquence and love of the wider arts
encouraged students to see literature in context and
to appreciate the joy of the spoken as well as written
word in its many incarnations. Linzi’s insistence on the
learning and performing of poetry and recognition
of the importance of confidence in public speaking,
equipped many a grateful student with valuable skills
for their working and social lives.
When Linzi Lloyd-Jukes spoke on the occasion of her
retirement, characteristically she did not dwell on her
own many successes, but rather on memories of more
than twenty years of extraordinary students. She did
not speak of what she had taught them, but rather of
what they had taught her. Linzi will be remembered
by the school as an incredible educator: inspiring,
empowering, passionate, dedicated, caring, modest…
we wish her a long and happy retirement in her
beautiful garden – sure to thrive as vibrantly as our
students did under her charge.
CLH
Mark
Neve
10 30am, late January, 1995. Six half-hour meet-thestaff interviews were about to start for the short-listed
candidates for the vacant post of Second Master, and
my first engagement was a whistle-stop tour of the
School with Mark Neve. He was immediately likeable
and reassuring, he radiated enthusiasm for every aspect
Common Room News
45
of school life and was clearly a natural teacher with
an enviable rapport with all he came across. As we
paced down the corridors at some speed, somnolent
pupils slouching wearily whilst awaiting the next
lesson suddenly came alive: they were clearly pleased,
even excited, to see him. He was fun and engaging,
open and honest, and stimulating company. By 11am
I definitely wanted this job: here was someone who
would be inspirational to work alongside. Had my initial
meetings with staff been in a different order, I fear I may
well have withdrawn by lunchtime. On parting Mark
whispered a valuable tip: ‘Lady Benson (a governor)
is very keen on GNVQs; you are bound to be quizzed on
these at tomorrow’s interview. Beware!’ At the end of
the day’s programme I toured the outer reaches of
Wiltshire trying to research what a GNVQ actually was (I
had never heard of one); by midnight I was an expert. I
was not asked one question on the topic. I should have
learnt my lesson then for in the ensuing seventeen
years I often followed Mark Neve’s tips whether they
were on dead certs in the 4 30 at Haydock Park, shares
in oil companies about to make a killing or investing
in new West End plays which would eventually bring
our fortune. Like the GNVQ, none bore fruit. But we
remained the best of friends.
‘I have three things to say. Shall I start with the good
news or the bad news?’, was Mark’s frequent opener at
management meetings, but even Mark could deliver
the worst news with a sense of optimism. ‘Mr X has just
spent the entire term teaching the wrong book for A
level’, was followed by: ‘But there is a positive here.’ Every
cloud seemed to have a silver lining, and it was this
positivism that underpinned all he did. Indeed it was
Mark’s ever-optimistic approach combined with his
appetite for good news that made one’s heart lift when
he popped his head round the study door to see if I
had five minutes. Not all colleagues had this ability!
Mark’s vast range of skills have contributed much to
the success of the School over the years but above all
he was (and is) a great teacher. His lessons were always
fast moving, full of fun, enjoyable and he had the
knack of making the most complicated mathematical
theorem seem obvious and simply a logical progression.
Pupils were always relieved (and proud) to have him
as their teacher as they knew that success would be
almost guaranteed and it was: Mark’s results all too
often outperformed those of more able sets. Public
examination results may be downloaded by the
school the day before their official publication. Mark
impatiently insisted that we did this at 6am - I was less
than keen - even though they could not be published
for another twenty-four hours. By 6.05am he had the
statistics on how his own sets had performed. He was
rarely disappointed; his pupils, he knew, would be
ecstatic. And they were.
When approached by a school in Sri Lanka to supply
a teacher to provide hands-on training in situ, Mark
was an obvious choice. He was an instant success
in Colombo and his lecture on ‘What makes a good
lesson?’ should have been uploaded on to YouTube to
support teachers worldwide. When the BBC cameras
came to Dauntsey’s for a week to film an episode of
Trading Places, it was not surprising that not only did
they choose Mark’s lesson as one of the centrepieces
of the twenty-five minute programme, but also used
excerpts from it as a trailer in the week before its
screening. Mark shone in the classroom as was obvious
to all who came across him; he helped many pupils
conquer their fear of mathematics as well as giving
some a lifelong enjoyment of the subject. For that,
generations of Dauntseians continue to be grateful
to him.
But teaching was only one aspect of Mark’s role at
Dauntsey’s. It was a golden time for boarders when
Mark was Housemaster of The Manor and never was
the house so full, crammed with 105 pupils in his final
year. As Director of Studies he led on all curriculum
matters, devised the timetable, appraised the academic
departments, advised on sixth form choices, was a
major figure in recruitment at all levels and his natural
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The Dauntseian 2015
approachability ensured that he was the first port of
call for those in difficulty. It was a job that required
diplomacy, tact and strong leadership as well as the
ability to call a spade a spade. I doubt whether any
school in the country had a better Director of Studies
- and I have seen a few since retiring, which makes me
even more sure.
One of Mark’s lesser-known contributions to school
sport - he was a tiptop tennis & squash coach in his
younger days - was table tennis; indeed one might call
it an obsession and especially if one was accompanying
him in Hong Kong. Down dark alleys, into unmarked
buildings, racing up flights of stairs and navigating a
maze of corridors until one found the purveyor of the
latest surfaces for table tennis bats - the ‘rubbers’ - along
with the correct adhesive. It was a science all of its own.
Never engage Mark on this topic unless one wants a
lecture on short pimples, long pimples and spin ratings.
Mark even arranged specialist personal coaching
travelling deep into the New Territories to play with HK
pros; he usually returned exhausted claiming that a stiff
Tom Collins was the only remedy.
‘His future looks bright’, was a frequent conclusion in
Mark’s subject reports, and so what of Mark’s future in
retirement? At university he was as enterprising as ever:
he worked as an ice cream vendor (complete with van
and jingle), an itinerant fishmonger and a mathematics
tutor (he married his tutee’s sister). No doubt he will
immerse himself in an equally eclectic range of activities
in the coming years, but should he return to assist with
fund raising activities on behalf of the Foundation,
Reader beware: in his previous incumbency, no one
ever left a meeting with him without handing over
a substantial contribution. But whatever the future
holds, one thing will remain certain: he has been an
outstanding teacher, one of the very best, and his all
round contribution has been pivotal to the success
Dauntsey’s has enjoyed over recent years. He will be
much missed, and I know that the entire Dauntsey’s
community will want to join with me in sending Mark
our very best wishes for a fulfilling and rewarding and
well-deserved retirement. His future will continue to be
bright, of that there can be no doubt.
SBR
Mark Neve – Valedictory Speech
Mark Neve was appointed long ago, in 1978, to teach
mathematics – a time when many serving Dauntsey’s
teachers were not even born! It is probably true to say
that not only was he the youngest member of the staff;
but he also looked it and seemed it. In fact one of his
pupils at the time, Mark Edwards, vividly remembers that
he was known as ‘Naïve Neve’. On one occasion, while
he was watching a 1st XI cricket match against the MCC
along with some 6th formers, one of the MCC players,
in order to make polite conversation, asked him which
university he was applying for.
Despite these early impressions, he was never treated
with anything but respect – for the simple reason that
his enthusiasm for everything shone through all that he
did. Away from the classroom his enthusiastic approach
was infectious – a fact that is recalled by OD Guin Batten,
later an Olympic Rowing Silver medallist, in her comment
‘My Squash sessions with Mr Neve (notice the respect still
shown by someone now in her forties) were great fun and
made me understand that practice makes perfect, a very
useful lesson for my Olympic rowing career’.
His encouragement even extended beyond his
specialities. One former pupil remembers being
complimented on her singing. However, it has to be
said that another member of the Maths Department has
questioned the idea of Music and Maths going together
with the comment ‘I have stood next to Mark in services
and hymn practices for 20 years and he is an exception to
this rule’!
All things considered, above all, there has been his
teaching. Enthusiasm may be one thing but clarity and
understanding are necessary as well. It was his natural
Common Room News
47
sympathy and concern for the individual that mattered.
OD Freya Waiste explains it well:
‘It is so sad to hear of Mr Neve retiring; what an asset to the
school that I know will be thoroughly missed. My favourite
teacher by far but the most significant moment was when
he gave me a massive box of ‘Thornton’s Best’ chocolates
after finding out I got a very surprising A for my maths GCSE
when I was expected to get a B. He was so proud and I have
never forgotten it. It was one of the defining moments of my
whole education and one of the first moments I believed
I was good enough. It is particularly relevant as recently I
found out I will be graduating with a first and I owe it to Mr
Neve and his honest belief and strength as a teacher’.
In Mark’s treasury of talents the jewel in the crown is
his ability to get on with his pupils. His warmth and
friendliness and his energy and enthusiasm combine to
produce the happiest and most positive of atmospheres
in all his classes. He talks to pupils and with pupils,
but never apparently at pupils, and instinctively he
manages to get things across in a way which his charges
understand. His examination successes are proof of
the pudding, but if any more proof were needed the
statistics regarding the number of his fifth form pupils
who choose to continue with Maths in the sixth form
and beyond would be very revealing also. His rare
combination of liveliness, energy, love of his subject
and the ability to persuade everyone how easy it all is
make him a very remarkable and very successful teacher
and this has certainly been echoed by many other
former ODs:
One writes: ‘Sad about Mr Neve, the school will be losing a
wonderful teacher! Mark Neve was and still is my favourite
teacher. He gave me the confidence I needed to go on and
flourish at university. He’s a true legend and I wish him all
the best in the future’.
Another adds, ‘Mark Neve was one of the best teachers
I had in my entire school life. I had never thought I was
any good at Maths, but he made me believe in myself. He
helped me to achieve more than I thought possible. As
Head of the Manor, he was a reassuring presence in my
first year away from home. I hope that he knows what an
amazing job he did in his years at Dauntsey’s’.
A third reveals: ‘When I forget my password, and I am
prompted by the question, ‘Who was your favourite
teacher?’ The answer is simple ‘Mr Neve’.
Mark has been here so long, that in some cases, he has
taught two generations of Dauntseians: ‘Mark taught
me Further Maths A level, my sister throughout her time,
and also my daughter to A level. I was already a pupil at
Dauntsey’s when ‘Mr Neve’ joined, fresh out of qualification
- a super keen, rather hyperactive teacher with an extremely
high word count per minute when speaking... I still have a
pupil at the school, and 37 years later Mark still looks the
same - I want whatever he’s using!”
It is not surprising that in the fullness of time he was
appointed as Housemaster at the Manor where, along
with his wife Rose, he created the happy kind of
atmosphere that was needed. When that was done,
he undertook the daunting task of organising the
school timetable; and when he had done that he put
his energies to the School Appeal before finally being
appointed Director of Studies. His 37 years at the
school have been matched by only two past teachers
and every one of those 37 have shown us the same
refreshing, dedicated, Mark.
Of course he has always had his own individual quirks
and special interests. Who else that you know could
be a supporter of both Devizes FC and Swindon Town
FC or borrow hair gel to improve his appearance
or instigate the Staff Early Retirement Fund, or be
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The Dauntseian 2015
a Coronation Street addict? Who else could be so
enthusiastic about a timetable – Mark would say ‘Tim
(Price) and I are very pleased with the way the timetable is
coming together, it is very good indeed and I am sure that
you will be very pleased!’
Mark’s favourite phrase in meetings ‘I have a large
number of things to report, and I am rather sorry to say,
that they are all rather gloomy’. Mark is notorious in the
School Office for his love of a semi colon. He becomes
most animated when talking about table tennis. He is
currently chair of the Devizes League and Secretary of
the Wiltshire Association. He is passionate about
getting children playing and encouraging table tennis
in the school.
loyalty and love for the school speaks volumes and,
unlike others who have sailed off into the sunset, you
have chosen to continue to contribute to the school
community when you will be returning in September
to cover maternity leave in the Maths Department and
take up the reins in the Foundation Office.
As one HM put it ‘Over the years the pupils you have
taught have been so grateful for all your efforts and
encouragement and would not have wanted anyone else
to teach them. Your commitment, energy and consistent
cheerfulness have ensured that the School has been both
successful and a happy and safe place to work. Without
you Dauntsey’s would have been a very different place.’
ESC
He goes to Hong Kong every year not to fill the school
with academic talent or keep the HM out of trouble, but
to scout the Chinese table tennis talent and have some
secret high level coaching! He was really excited when
Paul Drinkhall and his future wife Joanna Parker came to
school to give a demonstration.
Mark has a brilliant working relationship with Debbie,
Lynne and Jacqui who refer to him as Uncle Bryn since
they feel that his mannerisms are so similar to Rob
Brydon’s character portrayed in BBC TV’s Gavin and
Stacey. In fact they bought him an inflatable Zimmer
frame for his 60th birthday and are looking forward to
him taking over as office manager for them.
Mark just lightens a day either by his ‘Mr Bean’ like actions
or reports that school policies are always ‘gripped’– Mark
is so enthusiastic, kind and considerate. He always
thanks people when offers of help come in. Nothing is
too much trouble for Mark. The extra help that he gives
pupils and the additional sessions, often lasting up to
three hours each, are amazing and so well received.
Mark is totally and utterly committed to the school.
But many ask what might Mark do in his retirement? His
CV when first applying for the job at Dauntsey’s listed
many hidden talents - ice cream salesman, landscape
gardener, South West Gas Board meter reader – as well
as being a dog walker.
Dauntsey’s has been fortunate through the years to
have some legendary teachers – Jim Hodges, Guy KingReynolds, and Bill Parish to mention just a few (there
are many). But Mark is definitely up there with them.
One way or another you have had quite an impact on
this school and will leave a considerable gap to fill. Your
Tim
Parker
Tim Parker joined Dauntsey’s in 2002, after working
at The King’s School, Canterbury for eleven years,
and then completing a year’s study for an MSc in
Computing at Imperial College, London. He has been an
absolute delight to work with. He is fun, erudite, knows
his subject backwards, is always prepared to learn
something new and is a manager possessing oodles of
both ‘soft and hard’ skills. He is also modest, loyal to his
colleagues and incredibly committed to his pupils.
His stewardship of the Chemistry Department, from
2002 until 2011, was superb. Firstly, he worked incredibly
hard. As a result, he was always way ahead of the game
in his preparation. In his years as Head of Department,
each academic year was set up in advance, so that all
the resources one needed were there throughout the
year. Apparatus, chemicals, notes for all year-groups,
revision lists, books, tests, schemes of work, results
spreadsheets, worksheets, etc., etc., the lot: you didn’t
have to ask because it had been sorted before you even
thought to ask.
Common Room News
49
Moreover, he put in a vast amount of effort (with PKW)
to get the development of the new Science Block right,
and he was always prepared to listen to other people’s
suggestions. As a result we got what we wanted and it
works well. In fact, one of Tim’s biggest strengths is that
he will listen to others and respect their opinions. He
always encourages creativity in those around him, and
is great at seeing the diverse strengths (or otherwise!) of
his colleagues. He shows keenness to share new ideas
and to adopt new viewpoints, and tempers this with
an intellectual rigour and incisiveness that ensures that
one is treading on firm ground. This meant that the
department had a feeling of progression, cooperation
and feeling valued. Support for new staff could not
have been more thorough. His IT-savvy background
meant that he contributed fully to the IT committee
and guided us through new technologies with aplomb.
And, of course, his commitment to the Dauntsey’s staff
community saw him play a full role in the Common
Room Committee, for which we all thank him.
As a classroom teacher he was always on-the-ball,
inspirational, conscientious and prepared to engage his
students. He was patient, well-prepared and professional.
Tim has also been supportive to his colleagues at every
juncture, especially when life throws the odd brickbat.
His inherent politeness will see him enquiring after one’s
nearest and dearest, but he goes further than that: he
cares about those around him and it shows. To say that
it has been a pleasure to work with Tim is an example of
English understatement: we really could not have asked
for a better manager, colleague or friend.
In Neil Cameron’s words, ‘from my point of view, Tim
was simply, by the length of a street(!), the best Head
of Department I have ever worked with. Always willing
to go the extra mile, producing superb work sheets,
question sheets, revision sheets, and always prepared
to listen to moans, queries and suggestions. He was,
and is, always sympathetic and solicitous. To quote from
Chaucer, Tim is ‘a verray, parfit, gentil knight’!’ James
O’Hanlon also adds: ‘Tim is a very able chemist with a
genuine flair for teaching. He has a vast knowledge of
the subject and retains the genuine curiosity of a true
scientist. His lessons were immaculately prepared, and
delivered with enthusiasm and purpose. He stretched
the strongest and empathised with those who are less
gifted in the subject. Tim is a great practical chemist
and encouraged his pupils to get involved with the
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The Dauntseian 2015
subject and not just be spectators. His efficient and
valued contact with parents was peerless; his records
were kept meticulously and informed well-balanced
and useful reports.’
Working in Mercers, from 2002 until 2006, Steve Hardman
relates: ‘Tim was an outstanding tutor, always prepared
to go the extra mile for his tutees. He was hugely
respected by his charges for his knowledge, empathy
and good sense. He was the most loyal colleague one
could wish for, flexible, hard working, talented and ever
helpful. I did feel that I was very careless in losing him
from a boarding tutorship to Farmer.’
On joining Farmer, James O’Hanlon concurred: ‘He was
without doubt the most dedicated tutor I have worked
with in my nineteen years at the school. He went way,
way beyond what was expected and had a rare insight
into the mood of his tutees, knowing just the right time
to intervene and offer support and advice. He
genuinely knew and understood their strengths and
weaknesses, and encouraged them to fulfil their
potential, making sure he had seen them in that
concert, score that try, let in that goal. He was well liked
by the boys, who respected his authority and valued
his thoughtful and genuine approach. His assistance in
running Farmer was faultless, be it at House events, on
trips, meetings with parents or the day-to-day operation
of managing the eighty-plus teenagers who inhabited
the common rooms.’
Will Whyte continues the theme by describing his role
as a Farmer House tutor: ‘It is hard to express just how
much we will miss Tim. He has always provided the boys
with the highest level of pastoral care and it has been an
absolute pleasure to work and learn from such a talented
and wonderful tutor. He is one of the most conscientious
and hardworking people at Dauntsey’s and we have
been so lucky to have him in the house. Tim has always
put a huge amount of time and effort in to his tutoring.
The level of support and guidance he provides the boys
is truly exceptional and exceeds all expectations. He
has always had an incredible awareness and perception
of the mood in the house and a real knack of reading
individuals and situations- he is as close to a ‘human
barometer’ as you can get. I have always admired and
valued how well he knows the boys and the huge
wealth of experience he has brought to the role. Tim
cares a huge amount about boys and their progress.
He has been such a reliable and enjoyable individual to
work with. I have witnessed how much he is valued and
admired amongst the pupils and staff here.’
Tim worked with Bill Corke in the running of the rowing
option, and in Bill’s words: ‘Tim was always a great
support. He had a wealth of experience in competitive
rowing and put this to good use, even though we
were only offering a recreational activity. His mildmannered approach and his kindness contributed in
a big way to the success of Dauntsey’s rowing at the
Bradford on Avon Rowing Club. I am sure he would
have liked rowing to have been a more prominent
sport at Dauntsey’s, but was nevertheless enthusiastic
in his approach to all that he did for the students. Tim
maintained this positive attitude despite the fact that
we were almost always dealing with novices, and he no
doubt took pleasure from the fact that some Dauntsey’s
rowers went on to enjoy the sport at university.’
In addition, for several years Tim assisted with the
running of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award activities at
Dauntsey’s. He accompanied expeditions to locations
sometimes remote, and whether sunny, wet or cold, the
students appreciated his encouragement and the fact
that he gave up many weekends to help.
Tim has a genuine passion for the discipline of
chemistry. It was always a pleasure to bounce ideas
about how to teach a concept or to share ideas
for new experiments. Indeed, he has a knack for
catalysing the development of novel approaches in his
colleagues. However, Tim also has wide interests, and
when we weren’t discussing whether anybody had
yet found Schrödinger’s cat (whether dead or alive),
office conversations would be delightfully varied. His
enthusiasm for history and music and a passion for
Patrick O’Brian’s novels always made for an interesting
aside. Over the thirteen years that Tim was at Dauntsey’s
there have been some magic moments. One such
memorable occasion was in the Staff Review in 2004:
the Chemistry Department were doing a take-off of
Monty Python’s ‘Four Yorkshiremen’ sketch, which had
transmogrified into ‘The Four Dauntseymen’, trying
to outdo each other in tales of hardship endured in a
fictitious past. We won’t forget the pure zaniness of
Tim’s delivery of the line ‘Oooh, luxury: we used to DREAM
of drownin’ in a river... There were a hundred an’ sixty of us
living in a small wastepaper basket in Fitzmaurice House
common room. And we ‘ad to thank our Housemaster for it.’
Happy days.
We would all wish that the future holds many ‘happy
days’ for Tim in his new job at Magdalen College School,
Oxford. Hopefully he will have a little more time for
restful pursuits, for contemplation of quantum cats
and for exploring his rowing interest on the Cherwell.
There is no doubt that pupils and staff will miss him
at Dauntsey’s, and we all fondly acknowledge that
Oxfordshire’s gain is very much Wiltshire’s loss.
JFOH
Liz
Scott
Liz joined Dauntsey’s in January 2001 having taught in
both independent and state schools in London, run her
own department and worked in further education for
ten years.
Liz was a very part-time member of staff to begin
with, teaching just 11 periods a week of Biology and
Chemistry but, as is often the case at Dauntsey’s,
her part-time role developed and by 2004 Liz was a
full-time member of staff teaching half a timetable
each of Biology and Chemistry, before becoming a
full-time biologist in 2008. Bill Corke was Liz’s Head of
Department for many years and he was ‘delighted to
have Liz as a member of the Biology teaching staff’.
Bill was hugely appreciative of Liz’s ‘aura of kindness,
gentleness and calm’ as well as her ‘competence as
a biologist and the time and effort she put into her
teaching and the innovative teaching strategies she
developed’. Bill knows that much of the achievement in
biology in terms of both examination success and overall
enjoyment of the subject can be attributed to Liz.
Liz also served under two Heads of Chemistry. Both
Andrew Lees and Tim Parker have happy memories
of Liz being part of the ‘Chemistry crowd’. Both speak
highly of Liz’s ‘skill, patience, competence and creativity’
as a Chemistry teacher. Tim recalls that faced with a
Common Room News
51
bunch of ‘crusty old men’ Liz brought much enthusiasm
and youth to the department and, much to the
astonishment of all, a mirror was procured, plants made
an appearance and, most importantly, morale-building
cake was provided. Liz’s positive approach rubbed off
on her fellow chemists as well as the pupils and Tim,
to this day, blames himself for losing Liz to the Biology
department. He’s sure his big mistake was asking her to
teach three Third Form classes in one year.
Liz’s sense of humour fitted in well in the Chemistry
department. Andrew recalls enjoying snatches of Goon
Show dialogue between Paul Barnard and Liz. His
enduring memory, however, was when Liz thought it
would be a good idea if Captain Chemo were to deliver
some certificates to her First Form. This the caped
superhero duly did to Liz’s enraptured cries of ‘Ooh look,
Form One, it’s Captain Chemo, my hero’.
As well as being an extremely effective teacher, Liz
was also an excellent tutor in Forbes. She was very
supportive of Liz Gardiner when she took over the role
of housemistress. Her calm, cheerful and common sense
approach meant Liz was a natural as a tutor and a safe
and effective pair of hands to guide her Lower School
tutees.
Liz tutored in Forbes for five years and she also made
a significant contribution to the School’s Gifted and
Talented programme for 5 years by co-ordinating the
Young Applicants in Schools and Colleges Scheme
between 2008 and 2013. This allowed pupils to
undertake Open University Courses in subjects that they
had an interest in or might be thinking of studying at
university and it provided them with an opportunity to
get a taste for true independent learning. The courses
studied were many and varied, from photography
and robotics to Shakespeare and Creative Writing as
well as Forensic Science, Plate Tetonics, The Weather,
Psychology and Human Genetics. Over the five years
of the scheme nearly 150 Dauntsey’s pupils completed
courses with 40 pupils gaining certificates of completion
in the last year.
Liz has been fully involved in the life of the School
during her time at Dauntsey’s. She gained her PADI
diving certificate with the sub aqua club, ran a variety
of extracurricular science clubs and a jewellery club and
helped with our charity fund raising. Most significantly,
assisted by Jeremy Hutchinson and Lynette Egan, she
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The Dauntseian 2015
set up the Nightingales link with the orphanage for HIV
positive children in Cernavoda, Romania. She ran the
first five trips to Nightingales, starting with eight Sixth
Formers and ending with twenty.
Liz was definitely the driving force behind this initiative.
She had visited an orphanage in the west of the country
and helped to build a community centre during one
Easter holiday. Lizzie McGeogh (OD) heard of this and
asked Liz to help her arrange a similar trip for her and
her friends and this led to Liz and Lynette making the
first recce at Easter to the Cernavoda orphanage having
been put in touch with one of those running it, Ben
Wells, by Jo Wells (OD). Lynette recalls freezing weather
and very basic conditions on that fact finding trip but
was enormously impressed by Liz’s optimism and drive
never failing to find a solution to a problem.
The first trip took place a few months later in the
summer with four members of staff and a handful of
Upper Sixth. The incredible heat created exhausting
conditions but Liz’s kindness and patience kept
everyone going and made it a fantastic experience
for all. The work done with the children at Cernavoda
has a significant impact on all those involved and is an
extremely important part of the charitable contribution
that Dauntsey’s pupils can make. Liz made the first
trip work under very difficult circumstances and
without her this very important link with this Romanian
community would never have got started or carried on
as successfully as it has.
In retirement, Liz is sure to continue to make very
good use of her time and considerable talents, and is
unlikely to be idle. She will continue working for the OU
for many years to come; she’s taught on their Science
Courses for 17 years so far, but she also has plans for
a road trip round Europe and walking the West Coast
path, jewellery and silver smithing courses, tackling the
garden and becoming a dog owner.
Happily although Liz is retiring, she will be at Dauntsey’s
a little longer as a colleague in the Biology department
as she will be providing maternity cover for Emma
Slade for two terms. This allows me to continue to
enjoy sharing a Sixth Form class with Liz before finally
thanking her for all she has contributed over the last
fifteen years and wishing her a very happy retirement.
JFEU
reflected in his selfless leadership of these two houses.
He always puts time with pupils and tutors ahead of
more pressing matters and as a consequence, you are
always made to feel that he takes an individual and
personal interest in your life and success.
Sophy
Smith
Sophy Smith was with us for one academic year as a
tutor in Jeanne House and a GAT in the PE department.
In the Autumn term she took responsibility for the U15B
hockey team. She also coached throughout the lower
school and ran the Lower School Girls’ Hockey Club.
In the Spring term, Sophy played a pivotal role in the
development of netball at Dauntsey’s helping out at all
sessions and taking sole responsibility for the U14B team.
Although they had a bumpy start to the season, with
her fun sessions and motivation she soon turned things
around and the girls were soon experiencing some wins.
Sophy was heavily involved in the school outreach
programme. She was fantastic in this capacity: much
loved by the primary school children, with a good
sense of humour whilst relaxed and patient with the
less sporty individuals. We also saw Sophy’s pastoral
strengths as a tutor in Jeanne House. She had a positive,
authoritative yet friendly and approachable relationship
with the girls. Her natural common sense, down to earth
approach along with a genuine interest in the pupils in
her care meant that she was very highly regarded by
staff, pupils and parents alike and will be much missed.
KAB
Pete
Thomas
Pete has spent twelve years at Dauntsey’s, almost all
of which as a Housemaster, first of Hemens and then
the past six years leading Mercers’ House. It is hard to
imagine a more giving individual and this has been
Pete’s generous nature has meant that whilst most
would recognise that there are only a certain number of
hours in the day, Pete will never let pass an opportunity
to lend a hand and help out where he can. As a result,
he has run the Devizes to Westminster Team, which
led to him paddling the 125 mile race himself, on two
occasions. He has run the U16B rugby team for eleven
seasons, with many a victory won through greater team
fitness rather than skill. This is largely due to his games
sessions almost always including a significant fitness
element to them. He has also coached the football
2nd team in recent years, where he has put his own
knowledge of the game and considerable playing skills
to effective use, during the domestic season and on
several international tours. Prior to this, he also helped
coach the school athletics team.
Away from the sports field he has contributed to the
Geography department through his knowledge and
expertise as a teacher but also through the running
of the annual Provence trip for the fourth form. The
Christian union has also benefitted from his spiritual
guidance, doughnuts and in latter years, musical
contribution. These are further examples of his desire to
give of himself, for the benefit of others.
Remarkably, a shortage of time is never an issue for Pete,
as he will always prioritise people, conversations and
discussion ahead of all other issues. This willingness to
lend an ear and act as a confidant will, I hope, be what
he is remembered for most.
Pete’s generosity of spirit is also reflected in his family
life. With Emily and their four young boys and the
recent addition of an energetic Labrador called Arthur,
the boarding house which they have all been such
an important part of, will not just be losing 10% of its
population, but an unquantifiable amount of care and
love. All those that have had the pleasure to work with,
be taught by or meet Pete and his family, will also feel
this sense of loss on their departure. Good luck for the
future and we wish you every success as Second Master
of Reading Blue Coat School.
TWB
Common Room News
53
Angel Zhou
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The Dauntseian 2015
Senior School House News
Evans
History of House:
• Five members of the choir
Name: named after Christopher Evans who was Head
Master at time of foundation.
• Six failed driving tests
Date of Foundation:
• Eight medals for shooting (thanks Diana!)
September 1995
• Nine passed driving tests
Current HM and years in post:
Mr Nigel Yates and Mrs Caron Yates from the start.
• Seven School Prefects
• Ten prizes on Speech day
• Eleven places in Russell Group universities
• Twelve winning trophies
Head of House:
• Thirteen failed romances
Julie Scholefield
• Fourteen B grades at A level
In 2014-15 the youngest and thus self-evidently the
liveliest house in the school said goodbye to nineteen
fantastic young women who will remember:
• One Head Girl
• Two places at the Central School
• Three places in Drama School
• Fifteen D of E medals
• Sixteen great school parties
• Seventeen Club (say no more)
• Eighteen A* grades at A level
• Nineteen A grades at A level
We will miss them in whatever garb they choose to wear!
• Four Sports Captains
Evans House Upper Sixth -Spring 2015
Evans House Upper Sixth - Summer 2015
House News
55
Farmer
History of House:
Farmer House is named after Samuel William Farmer
(1847-1926), a local landowner, conservationist,
philanthropist and major benefactor of the School. He
was on the first board of governors after the relocation
of the School in 1895, and appears next to Joseph
Chamberlain in a commemorative photograph taken
on the day the new school was opened. On his death
on 9th July 1926 a substantial bequest established
the Samuel William Farmer Trust, which continues to
support the work of the school to this day. The house is
currently situated in the former Farmer Biology Block –
built in 1929 and funded almost entirely by the Samuel
William Farmer Trust. The Trust has contributed to a
number of other developments including the Farmer
Hall and the Science Block.
Date of Foundation:
1934
Mr W P J Whyte (2013-Present), 2 years.
Ollie Barnes and Alex Sheppy completed the gruelling
DW Canoe Race and Lloyd Ollerhead and Ivan Downer
were both awarded gold awards in the Cambridge
Chemistry Challenge.
The House held numerous Sixth Form Curry Nights
and trips for the 4th and 5th Form to Nando’s and the
cinema. The years finished with a memorable House
Dinner, which gave us the opportunity to say farewell to
the U6th leavers and Mr Parker after 13 years of service
at Dauntsey’s. He joined Farmer in 2006 and has been
an exceptional tutor and we thank him for all he has
done for the House.
The house team comprised of Dom Booth (Head of
House), William Blakeney (Deputy Head of House), Harry
Mangham (Sport Captain), George Paxford (Charity Rep)
Sam Tomlin and Chris Coleman (Social Secretaries).
All the leavers have contributed to the house hugely
over the last four years and we wish them well as the
move on next year. I would also like to thank all the
tutors and Mr Whyte for all they have done for us and
for making Farmer such an enjoyable and friendly place.
Head of House:
Dom Booth
Dominic Booth
Famous alumni:
Richard Sandbrook (Environmentalist and founding
member of Friends of the Earth).
Farmer has had an extremely successful year. After a
slow start in the Strong Cup, Jim Bruges and James
Skipper performed exceptionally well securing first
place in the Middle School Speaking Competition.
Barney Spooner, Robbie Andrews, Nick Garreffa and
Charlie Badman played superbly to win the Middle
School Tennis. We finished the year with first place in
the Inter House Mountain Biking thanks to our team
of Harry Allen, Euan Falconer-Cunningham and Henry
Cameron. Despite a respectable finish to the year,
we had too much ground to make up to make a real
attempt at securing the cup.
Archie Combe performed in his 7th successive Rock Fest
and ran for the Green Party alongside Jim Bruges (UKIP)
in the Dauntsey’s Mock Elections.
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The Dauntseian 2015
Leavers List:
Harry Allen, William Blakeney, Dominic Booth, Tim
Bradley, Henry Cameron, Chris Coleman, Archie Combe,
Rupert Cunnington, Ben Douglas-Almond, Elliot Garreffa,
Harry Mangham, Robbie Mitchell, George Paxford, Zak
Sheinman, Edward Tomlin, Sam Tomlin, Rory Walker.
Fitzmaurice
Head of House:
Charles Hall
Deputy Head of House:
Benjamin Arnold
Games Captain:
Guy Rawson-Smith
Social Secretary:
Tom Parker
J A Spencer, since 2011.
Tutors:
S S Wells, J R Ayling, N C Spear, R V Lewis
Head of House:
Charles Hall
Socially, there have been many house trips; the House
Talent Show, House BBQs, and the House Party were
fantastic highlights as always.
The new boys coming into the Fourth Form settled
easily, and clearly received much from the induction
programme in the previous summer. The spirit in
House has remained positive and upbeat. The boys’
wholehearted involvement, and placing, in the Strong
Cup speaks volumes. Fitzmaurice boys certainly took
up the challenge of working hard for charity this year:
for Harvest Collection for the Filling Station, Fitzmaurice
collected 563 tins of food (215 tins collected by the
House in 2012; 500 in 2014), which was a source of much
pleasure for the lads. They genuinely are keen to help
support the charities promoted by the School Padre
each year for Harvest Festival. For the School Charity,
Fitzmaurice raised £358.80 with a textile recycling –
our best total to date.
Guy Rawson-Smith
Deputy Head of House:
Benjamin Arnold
Games Captain:
Guy Rawson-Smith
Social Secretary:
Tom Parker
House News
57
Hemens
History of House:
Arthur Hemens (1903-1993) was the Chairman of
Governors at Dauntsey’s from 1965 until 1982. An
Alderman of the Worshipful Company of Feltmakers, his
involvement with the School spanned four Head Masters
– as a pupil, an OD and then a governor. Amongst his
many generous and often anonymous benefactions to
the School was the Memorial Hall organ.
Date of Foundation:
1968
Mr Steve Hardman, 2nd Year in post.
Head of House:
Will Britton
Another eventful year for the Hemens boys culminating
in the winning of the Strong Cup. Other highlights have
to include the annual Bowling and Pizza Evening – with
particular thanks to Cameron G-W for his amazing
contribution as Pizza maestro. The 4th and 5th Form
enjoyed a Wheatley Wide Game and several trips to
One Spice with the 6th Form have also featured in the
calendar. We have all benefitted from the re-configuring
of the building and the large 6th Form Common Room
now gives us a big enough space for the whole House
to meet in the mornings.
Will Britton
Leavers List:
Alexander Britton, William Britton, James Devoto, Gus
Dunnett, Zach Dunnett, Cameron Garbutt-Wichall,
Edward Giles, Max Gray, Edward Jinks, Adam Lassiter, Tom
Middleton, Ben Phillipson, Vivek Prabakaran, Harry Read,
Edward Sweett, Ross Tatham, Daniel Watt, Mark Winckley,
Joshua Wray-Roberts, Edward Young.
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The Dauntseian 2015
Jeanne
History of House:
The House was named after the Headmaster’s wife
at the time the house was opened - Mrs Jeanne
King-Reynolds.
Date of Foundation:
1977
Mrs Ann Jackson, 12 years.
Head of House:
Grace Jones
Jeanne has had a very successful year in terms of house
competitions. We have done exceptionally well in
sport, winning the house swimming and house netball.
Mima Pitceathly has been a great sports captain and
has helped lead us to victory in the Lane Cup. The
year began with a zoo-themed Jeanne party, which
ran very smoothly thanks to Sophie Thomas and Faye
Hargreaves’s organisational skills. At Christmas, we
enjoyed drinks in the common room before going to
the Peppermill in Devizes for a meal, with games such
as guess the Jeanne girl in the Photocopier, which made
the evening very memorable and fun.
Congratulations must go to Charlie Paton, Rebecca
Newman, Molly Lewis and Katie O’Kelly for completing
the Devizes to Westminster Race and also to India Cook
for completing the Brecons Challenge. Andrea Chan and
Constance Hung represented the county in Junior Table
Tennis and Constance represented the county in the
U21 category too. Daria Galkina and Cherry Ip came first
in the doubles in the U17 county squad for Badminton.
Congratulations also to Francesca McClean who was
awarded a Choral Clerkship for the second year in a row.
All in all, it has been a great year for all those in Jeanne
and I’d like to thank everyone for making my year
as house captain very memorable, especially to Mia
Georgiou.
Grace Jones
Leavers List:
Sharon Chan, Natalie Chui, Amy Chu, India Cook, Mia
Georgiou, Gosia Holowinska, Carmen Hong, Amy
Huang, Grace Jones, Daria Khotuleva, Margaret Lau, Ellie
Moulding, Jemima Pitceathly, Clara Richmond, Hester
Stembridge, Florence Tabeart, Sophie Thomas, Ellen
Yang, Kelly Yim, Tilly Whitehouse.
House News
59
King Reynolds
History of House:
King-Reynolds is named after Mr Guy King-Reynolds,
the Headmaster who first introduced girls to Dauntsey’s
in 1971. However, the House itself did not come into
being until 1992, when ‘Dauntsey House’, the senior
girls’ day house, was split into King-Reynolds and
Lambert Houses.
Date of Foundation:
1992
Emma Crozier (since 2005)
Head of House:
Lauren Sturges
It’s been another great year to be part of King-Reynolds
House, with both strong sporting and social events
throughout the year. The House made a strong attempt
to win The Lane Cup, with us taking the lead in the
Autumn Term, winning the Cross-Country Relay and
Hockey for both age groups, with thanks to this year’s
Sports Captain, Izzy Pitceathly. The girls didn’t stop
there, however, and continued to produce another
impressive High Tea in honour of the school charity,
and have proven to be a House full of strong bakers,
musicians and waitresses!
To kick off the year socially, the Sixth Form got to know
each other at a successful evening in Pizza Express,
followed by a trip to see Jimmy Carr in Salisbury.
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The Dauntseian 2015
A very brave selection of House staff took a group of
the 6th Form girls to see the comedian, and the group
gained themselves several shout-outs and laughs
from Jimmy Carr himself, namely due to a series of
texts from Phoebe Borwell! Mrs Crozier and her team
continued to make King-Reynolds an excellent House
by organising events such as ‘The Theory of Everything’,
‘Dirty Dancing’ and going Ice Skating, which was greatly
appreciated by all. The whole-house event of this year
was the King-Reynolds Murder Mystery Night, where the
girls worked together in groups to listen to interviews,
review evidence and solve the mystery. The year was
ended by many celebrations, including the U6th leaving
dinner, and the House wishes luck to all U6th Leavers in
their futures and to everyone in their exam results.
The House team consisted of Lauren Sturges (Head of
House), Sarah Hannaford (Deputy Head of House), Izzy
Pitceathly (Sports Captain), Phoebe Borwell (Charity Rep)
and Ellie Young (Social Rep). Thank you for all of your
effort in making it a good year for King-Reynolds, and
we thank all of the tutors for maintaining the friendly
and supportive atmosphere within King-Reynolds.
Lauren Sturges
Leavers List:
Phoebe Borwell, Amy Brinkman, Louisa Cemm,
Angharad Davies, Hannah Frame, Sarah Hannaford, Faye
Hargreaves, Ali Hutchin, Laura Innes, Charlotte Minter,
Maddie Perrins, Izzy Pitceathly, Sophie Schneider, Lauren
Sturges, Aisling Watton, Issie Watts, Ellie Young.
Lambert
History of House:
Lambert was named after Agnes Lambert, wife of
William Dauntsey.
Date of Foundation:
1992 (with King-Reynolds)
Mrs Kirsty Clark, 4 years.
Head of House:
Alongside some great achievements, Lambert has a
strong house spirit and sense of community. This year,
there were house trips including one to Bath Christmas
Market and much enjoyed pizza and movie nights.
The main house event of the year was a great house
dinner with the theme ‘Classic films’ - it was a great
opportunity to get out the nice dresses and have a
great time together! There is always a feeling of support
and family within the house and this year’s leavers will
be missed.
Amy Barber
Amy Barber
The Lambert girls have achieved success across the
board this year. Hannah Lawrence won the Frankel
Cup for Public Speaking for the second year in a row.
Emily Neve came joint first in the Barron Prize for her
wonderful performance on the saxophone, and Miranda
Bardsley won the Middle School Music Competition on
the violin. Megan Taylor achieved the remarkable feat
of completing her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award while
still at school, and Millie Prichard completed the paddle
from Devizes to Westminster - and was apparently the
most cheerful person in the school team doing so!
Leavers List:
Lucy Armitstead, Amy Barber, Phoebe Barnes, Megan
Cleeves, Lydia Davies, Katie Everett, Lian Foroudi, Isobel
Hale, Hannah Lawrence, Jemma Plastow, Hetty Sagers,
Libby Seed, Isadora Sinha, Eleanor Skipper, Annabelle
Stoate, Lauren Taylor, Megan Taylor, Brontë VivianCrowder, Robyn Weir.
House News
61
Mercers’
History of House:
Peter Thomas (from September 2009).
The Thomas family weakened to pressure and are now
the proud owners of ‘Arthur’, a dog who moves from
bin to bin with great stealth. Greyhound racing, cinema,
McDonalds, rugby matches, post-exam celebrations
following the pre-exam preparations... ever studious,
Mercers in the summer term feels rather like Queens’
College, Cambridge. Along with 20 U6th leavers, The
Thomas family depart for Reading in July, but with a
seamless shuffle, the Sheffields take up the reins.
Head of House:
What a joy to be a part of Mercers!
Built with donations from the Mercers’ Company, one of
London’s oldest liveries (founded in 1304).
Date of Foundation:
October 1991
Monty Lovering
Famous alumni:
Mohammed Nasheed (’84-86) Former President of the
Maldives.
A strong year in Mercers’ House, with the hopeful goal
of the Strong Cup still within our grasp. There is enough
talent for it, certainly and, whilst we are happy to talk
the talk, we back it up with impressive boot work, too.
Prowess was proven on the football pitch in the interhouse competition and George Costard won his first
Cap for England Under 16 rugby against Wales in April,
a day before Josh Rice played for Bath United at The Rec.
Earlier in the year, Mercers’ hosted our ‘Festival’ themed
party and we then turned our attention to the House
soirée, an evening of top(ish) quality entertainment.
House carols were loud and sometimes tuneful,
and Ollie Sibson acted as Santa’s bad, but brilliant
representative, dishing out the presents.
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The Dauntseian 2015
Monty Lovering
Leavers List:
Torin Bain, Greg Bell, Arnold Chan, Jonathan Chee,
Andrew Duckworth, Rowan Duckworth, James Hollis,
Hinson Iu, Tae Kyeom Kim, Jack Levy, Monty Lovering,
Joshua Rice, Max Romer-Lee, Oliver Sibson, Willie Tam,
Farrell Tatam, Doug Tilley, Artem Turetskiy, Tom Verdon,
Marcus Yau.
Imogen Davies
Laura Weir
House News
63
Mercers’ Lectures
Lecture programme
2014-15
Autumn Term 2014
Thursday 11 September
Richard Chartres Bishop of London
Tuesday 16 September
Nick Hardwick HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
Thursday 25 September
John Redwood Politician
Monday 29 September
Michèle Roberts Author & poet (Marlborough LitFest event)
Wednesday 1 October
Keith Williams CEO British Airways
Thursday 9 October
Baroness Morris Politician
Friday 17 October
Baroness Williams Politician
Thursday 6 November
Jonathan Dimbleby Broadcaster
Spring Term 2015
Monday 12 January
David Nussbaum CEO World Wildlife Fund
Tuesday 20 January
Benedict Allen Explorer
Thursday 26 February
General Lord Richards Former Chief of the Defence Staff
Thursday 5 March
Jonathan Aitken Former politician
Thursday 12 March
Douglas Flint Chairman of HS
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The Dauntseian 2015
What follows is but a taste of the exciting and varied
programme of visiting high-profile speakers organised by
Master in Charge, Mr James Spencer, during the academic
year 2014-15. As ever, we are in his debt for attracting such
varied and engaging visitors – the programme has become
a well-established part of our enrichment provision.
In the Autumn Term, we heard from Richard Chartres,
The Bishop of London who spoke on the relevance of
God in the 21st Century and how religion affects our
way of life. Nick Hardwick, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
followed with his insights into the life of a prisoner and
the challenges faced by the Prison Service. In addition,
John Redwood MP delivered his lecture entitled, Are we
British, English or European?
At a time when the United Kingdom faces highly
complex political and economic challenges the
Mercers’ lectures provide Dauntsey’s pupils with a great
opportunity to listen – and contribute – to insights from
some of our leading business and political leaders.
A selection of more in-depth student reviews follows.
Shirley
Williams
On the 17th November we were honoured to receive
the esteemed Baroness Shirley Williams, who joined
a group of Sixth Formers for dinner and discussion at
the Headmaster’s House before giving a lecture on
‘Violence in the 20th Century’.
Over dinner and during the drinks beforehand, the
Baroness was keen to learn about the students’ interests
and take any questions we had for her. We had very
interesting discussions about nuclear power and other
energy resources, in particular fracking, as well as
methods we could use to make transport more efficient;
both energy and cost-wise. It was also nice to be able to
get to know our guest through non-formal discussion,
learning a bit about her own life and also that of her
highly regarded mother, Vera Brittain.
Since the Sixth Form pupils
had so many questions
to ask the Baroness, she
decided to shorten her
original lecture in order
to increase the question
time afterwards. She gave
us a sweeping insight into the wars of the 20th century
and the effects these had on the people living in the
period as well as on modern day life. She also linked
the prominent composers of each era to the conflicts
of the time. A series of questions followed on the topic
of violence, many of which Shirley claimed she was
challenged by, but all of which she answered with much
ease and clarity. Finally the questions were opened up
to general topics, and the Baroness told the audience a
bit about her mother’s admirable life and also shared her
opinions on Westminster and today’s political climate.
Julie Scholefield (Upper Sixth)
Keith
Williams
On Wednesday 1st October, the CEO of British Airways,
Keith Williams, came to Dauntsey’s to give a lecture with
the intriguing title; ‘Keeping on Course’.
A group of Sixth Form students, either with the desire to
learn a little more about a prospective career, or purely
with an interest in his field of work, were lucky enough
to meet with him before the lecture for a period of
discussion and questions, followed by a meal at the
Headmaster’s House.
In front of a sizable audience of about 150, Keith Williams
delivered a fantastically interesting and, at times, inspiring
lecture. As well as giving the audience a true insight
into the life of a business executive, he also fascinated
everyone with stories of his rise to the position, from
working alongside Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple,
to welcoming Her Majesty the Queen on-board a long
haul flight. Perhaps the most intriguing recollection he
shared was when just a few weeks ago he encountered
the problem of the emergence of a 20 foot hole in the
first third of the runway at Heathrow airport!
I think many would be in agreement when I say that
he was a fantastic speaker, addressing and engaging
the audience throughout; by the end of the lecture,
everyone was so captivated by his subject that the
question and answer session went on for a great deal
longer than the actual talk and had there been more
time available, I’m sure it would have continued late into
the night!
A truly inspirational talk from a gentleman with a wide
variety of life experience and a personality reflecting
confidence and superior leadership, but also
someone whom it was a real honour to have as a visitor
to our school.
Robbie Mitchell (Upper Sixth, Farmer)
Events & Societies
65
Jonathan
Dimbleby
Benedict
Allen
Thursday 6th November saw the arrival of the last
Mercers’ Lecture of 2014 with the highly esteemed
Jonathan Dimbleby coming to talk.
Benedict Allen, who describes himself as a ‘cat who’s
used up six of his nine lives’, is one of the world’s leading
adventurer-explorers.
Following an enjoyable discussion and dinner at the
Headmaster’s House with those of the Sixth Form
lucky enough to join Jonathan before the lecture, Mr
Dimbleby delivered his talk, entitled: ‘World War Two in
the Desert.’
Benedict kindly visited Dauntsey’s on 20th January
2015 to give a lecture on his unimaginably unique
experiences. One of the highlights from the evening,
was hearing about the characters of each members
of his dog-team that kept him alive during his one
thousand kilometre trek through the Russian Far East, in
an attempt to cross the Bering Strait.
Jonathan Dimbleby engaged the largest audience of
the lecture series this year as those present joined Mr
Dimbleby in following the often forgotten events that
unfolded in the battle of El Alamein. With wit, a wealth
of knowledge and an ability to bring the subject to life,
Jonathan provided a both fascinating and insightful
account of World War Two that gripped and entertained
the audience from the start. Interwoven with familiar
Churchill quotations and driven by knowledge only
attainable through his evident passion for history, it
proved to be a most memorable lecture that I’m sure
those who attended will not forget.
During questions, the audience showed an enthusiasm
to further discuss the war in the desert as well as to find
out more about Jonathan’s career and personal views
which Mr Dimbleby was more than happy to explore.
‘To what do you attribute your success?’ one member
of the audience asked, to which Mr Dimbleby humbly
replied: ‘Curiosity’.
There was also the opportunity to have a signed copy
of Jonathan`s book: ‘Destiny in the Desert: The road to
El Alamein’, after the lecture.
Thanks must go to Mr Dimbleby for such an enjoyable
evening and Mr Spencer for organising this fantastic
event.
Will Blakeney
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The Dauntseian 2015
Benedict’s lecture was
extremely inspiring
and, I think I can speak
for the majority of the
audience when I say,
it made our lives in
Wiltshire seem far from
adventurous.
Hetty Sagers (Upper Sixth)
Lord
Richards
On Thursday 26th February 2015 Dauntsey’s was
delighted to welcome Lord Richards, former Chief of the
Defence Staff, for some lively debate and the second
Mercers’ Lecture of the term.
The evening started with a fascinating group discussion
which covered a wide range of topics including politics
in general, the army, Afghanistan and Iraq. General
Lord Richards was very open and spoke in a fluent
and understandable manner which allowed everyone
present to engage in the discussion.
After some further debate about statesmen we moved
over to the Headmaster’s House for drinks and supper.
Charlie Hebdo was the main topic of conversation this
time in what turned out to be quite a heated debate.
However, the highlight of the dinner was JAS engaging
in a quiz game pitted against General Lord Richards.
Richards just came out on top!
The Mercers’ lecture involved General Lord Richards
outlining his three major operations. He also explained
how he became Chief of the Defence Staff and what
the role involves. It was an insightful lecture that very
much matched the relaxed, down-to-earth tone of the
previous two hours. A comprehensive Q&A session
followed the lecture, touching on a broad range of
subjects including Sierra Leone and the role of women
on the frontline.
I found that General Lord Richards company was
thoroughly enjoyable, and he made the entire
evening engaging and informative whilst maintaining
a surprisingly causal relationship with the audience
and students. That was the most prominent thing for
me: how down to earth and congenial he was. It was
certainly one the best lectures I have been to.
Cameron Welsh (Lower Sixth)
On the 26th February, Dauntsey’s was fortunate to host
General Lord Richards, former Chief of the Defence Staff.
After briefly delineating his rise through the army ranks,
General Lord Richards answered our questions in a prelecture discussion group on topics such as whether
the UK had truly fulfilled its purpose in Afghanistan or
was simply leaving to meet popular will, whilst asking
students their thoughts too, in order to create an
atmosphere of lively debate. Having had a colourful
career, and encountering frequently colourful politicians,
General Lord Richards indulged to us his opinions on
the Establishment, comparing ‘politicians’ to ‘statesmen’,
under the ‘Chatham House Rule’ - all of which made for
an intelligent and entertaining discussion.
Over drinks and supper at the Headmaster’s house,
intense discussion continued as we, in the wake of the
Charlie Hebdo massacre, questioned where to draw the
line between freedom of speech and security. A lighter
highlight of the evening was JAS and General Richards
quizzing each other on historical dates. Towards the end
of the meal students rushed to pose their questions to
Lord Richards; capable, as he was, of talking articulately
and vividly on military matters, current affairs, politics,
and history, one such question being, ‘what can you
foresee for the UN in fulfilling its peace-keeping role?’
General Lord Richards then spoke to a wider audience
on the role of the Chief of the Defence Staff, which
included an impressive recounting of his major
operations in Ireland during the Troubles, East Timor,
Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. His highly informative
lecture was peppered with humorous anecdotes
and a casual, approachable attitude, culminating in a
greatly engaging lecture. A comprehensive question
and answer session followed. The topics involved were
equally as diverse as those of the previous hour. One
interesting question was ‘should women be allowed
to serve on the front line? Here, General Richards made
the case that the sense of chivalry felt by many male
soldiers, and the impulsion to protect women first,
could be a point of difficulty.
General Lord Richards created and encouraged
interesting discussion and at all points in his visit and
gave some wonderful insights into conflicts both past
and ongoing, the army, and politics. He was found to be
a stimulating and knowledgeable speaker, but perhaps
above all, a very entertaining and likeable man. On
behalf of all who attended, I would sincerely like to thank
General Lord Richards for such an enjoyable evening.
Ceri Beasant
Jonathan
Aitken
‘Power, Prison and Learning from Failure’
Jonathan’s career has spanned the worlds of books,
newspapers, television, business, politics, Parliament,
prison, theology, charitable service, prison reform and
offender rehabilitation.
Following a discussion with Sixth Forms pupils around
Margaret Thatcher’s premiership, Jonathan spoke
about how he came to terms with being the first
Events & Societies
67
MP ever to be imprisoned, describing his trial and
explaining how a high profile member of society can
be accepted in to prison life. He was honest, humorous
and humble and revealed that he found relief through
prayer, which consequently has helped him reform his
post prison life.
Robbie Mitchell (Upper Sixth)
Douglas
Flint
On the 12th of March, a large audience of over 150,
both Dauntseians and the public alike, were treated to
a riveting and quite fascinating lecture by one of the
world’s most powerful bankers; the chairman of HSBC,
Douglas Flint.
With Mr Flint having been subject of much criticism
in the media at the time, it was no wonder so many
people attended to share their thoughts with, in many
cases, the chairman of their bank. After what was a very
thought-provoking lecture entitled ‘The Future of
Banking’, which raised many questions as to where the
banking system will be 20 years down the line and the
influence technology will have on its progress, Mr Flint
faced a series of questions from the audience, to which
he responded in a very satisfactory and professional
manner.
Overall, it was a fitting conclusion to this academic year’s
series of Mercers’ Lectures, which has seen so many
familiar household names visit the School. As a student
in my final year at Dauntsey’s, I have thoroughly enjoyed
listening to and leaning about the numerous talented
speakers whom we are so lucky to have come to our
School. I would like to issue a formal thanks on behalf of
everyone who has attended a Mercers’ Lecture this year
to JAS, for his unrelenting commitment to organising
such an incredible range of speakers.
Robbie Mitchell (Upper Sixth)
Grace Payne-Kumar
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The Dauntseian 2015
Dauntsey’s Listening Service
Since the start of this academic year the School
Listening Service has become more recognised across
the School. Posters increasing awareness of the service
have been put in school houses, inside toilets and in
the Medical Centre. This year the service introduced a
listeners’ tea/ picnic, which was held every fortnight to
discuss any problems that week and improvements for
the service.
One major project this year was raising funds to help
support St. Francis Primary, Salisbury, where three deaf
students attend school. We held a bake sale and raised
a huge amount which has been presented to the
school, in order to further support the students there.
This was presented to a member of staff from St. Francis
during our annual listening dinner, where we also had
an inspiring speech made by the Rev Johnson on the
work we do.
The School’s Listening Service was set up as an avenue
for students in both the Upper and Lower School, to
enable pupils to be able to talk to and confide in other
students of similar age groups. It was initially set up due
to student initiative, but is now being run by CC, assisted
by LKE who is in charge of the Lower School service.
Before joining the Listening Service one has to apply
and go through a four week training programme, after
which an interview is held. A listener can easily be
identified by their badge, which most pupils refer to
as their ‘little man’, pinned onto their jumper or jacket.
Listeners have a duty rota which is drawn up at the
beginning of the school year. Listeners on duty can be
spotted at the Lower School Centre, and are ready to
chat to anyone who needs to talk.
We also initiated a mentoring programme, where the
listeners, in collaboration with school prefects, mentored
a number of the younger year pupils, teaching them
simple listening skills and the importance of talking
through issues with your peers. During a Lower School
Chapel Service, a group of Upper School listeners spoke
to the congregation about the Listening Service and
the importance of listening to each other, as well as
the benefits of joining the service. The assembly was
a success as we had many Lower School pupils come
forward and join the service.
It has been a pleasure being part of such an amazing
and inspiring body of the school, and we thank CC and
LKE greatly for navigating such an exciting project!
Mosopefoluwa Bolajoko Adeuala
Secretary of the Listening Service
Events & Societies
69
New Buildings at Dauntsey’s
During the past academic year, and into the next, the
school has been a veritable building site. Here follows a
round-up of recent building works activities.
Last year we were just about to embark on a £8.5
million redevelopment of Dauntsey’s that would cover
a period of three years, and at the end of the first year
I am pleased to report that Phase 1, the Sport Infill
Project, is now finished, occupied and fully functioning.
Phase 1 was an enabling project that would permit
the School to rebuild the Maths and Geography Block
by providing temporary classrooms fitted out with
the latest touch screen technology, it also provided 4
new changing rooms, an updated fitness suite, plus an
excellent viewing gallery.
In November 2014 we started Phase 2 of the Dauntsey’s
Development which will create a much needed Pavilion
equipped with 8 changing rooms, a triple aspect open
plan seating area that will give spectators a wonderful
view of the sports fields. A new sports/grounds
maintenance storage facilities on Mercers’ Field is also
being constructed. It is anticipated that both facilities
will be ready for the start of the second half of the
Autumn Term 2015.
Phase 3 is the construction of the new Teaching Block,
on the site of the old Maths and Geography building,
and will provide 14 classrooms equipped with the latest
technology, a sixth form study area and large circulation
spaces. Following completion, during the Summer Term
2016, work will then commence on ‘greening up’ the
Memorial Hall Quad and refurbishing the music stairs.
The whole project should be complete by September
2016 in time for the new academic year.
All the new developments are substantially improving
the facilities across the Dauntsey’s campus and allowing
all current and future pupils the opportunity to
experience education at the cutting edge.
Nick Barnes
Assistant Bursar
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The Dauntseian 2015
Sophie Schneider
Events & Societies
71
Adventure Education
Adventure at Dauntsey’s 2014-15
This academic year is the first time that adventure
at Dauntsey’s has come under the single banner of
Adventure Education and the role of Head of Adventure
Education has existed to manage the department.
The goal of the Adventure Education department is to
ensure that:
• a wide range of truly adventurous programmes and
experiences are available to pupils
• these experiences are run safely
• the experiences available to the pupils have a strong
educational underpinning and as much development
as possible is achieved through them
First Form Introduction to Adventure
In early October, all of the First Form departed for
an overnight stay followed by an action-packed day
at Brenscombe Outdoor Centre, near Corfe Castle in
Dorset.
On arrival, after a hearty meal, activities began with
a fun, night orienteering exercise before everyone
headed to bed. The next day, the pupils enjoyed
archery, pioneering, air-rifle shooting and team-building
activities, including a challenging high and low ropes
course as well as an exercise which involved using very
large poles and rope to construct a flag-pole.
With so many team-building activities, this trip really
helped everyone to get to know each other in a
relaxed, fun and challenging environment. All pupils
returned buoyant with new friends and a real sense of
achievement.
Winter Mountaineering
During the spring half term, seven Lower Sixth pupils
travelled to Glencoe on the West Coast of Scotland for
eight days of winter mountaineering.
Staying in self catering accommodation and equipped
with ice axes and crampons, they learned the
fundamentals of movement on snow and ice, winter
travel techniques and how to manage themselves in
one of the harshest environments on the planet.
A windy week and days out on Ben Nevis and Anoch
Mor saw wind speeds of 60mph forcing temperatures
down to -16°C. They all coped well and in addition to
the more technical skills learnt much about organisation
and resilience, not to mention cookery!
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme continued to
operate within the School, with around eighty signing
up for the Bronze award and thirty for the Gold award.
In addition to their Volunteering, Physical and Skill
sections, there were at total of nine expeditions. Our
Bronze group completed two practices around Wiltshire
before they headed off to the Cotswolds for their
qualifying journey.
Many of the Gold group undertook practices in the
Brecon Beacons before attempting an ambitious route
in very wet weather through so of the highest areas of
Snowdonia. A final group of six pupils embraced the
wetness and completed three journeys along the South
Coast in sea kayaks, the last of which featured strong
winds and a heavy swell.
Overall, 39 pupils and ODs gained their Awards this year,
10 at Gold, three at Silver and 26 at Bronze.
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Post GCSE
Nine different courses were run for the Fifth Form after
their GCSEs this year. The theme running through them
all was skills that they can use in their future and more
than a hundred pupils took part.
The Jolie Brise was used as transport when 24 pupils
went down to the Solent and spent a week learning to
cook, jump start cars, navigate public transport, wire
a plug and many other skills. A group also went to the
Jurassic Coast and explored this amazing world heritage
site by kayak, rock climbing, coasteering and even spent
a night sleeping in a cave.
Twelve pupils took their Pool Lifeguard qualification
and another eleven qualified as Rescue and Emergency
first aiders.
At the Manor there were courses in both Leadership
and Sewing whilst further afield twelve pupils spent the
week learning to cook in a professional kitchen.
Some creative types scripted, cast, filmed and edited a
film over the course of the week and finally four pupils
spent five days learning to fly light aircraft, and eventually
piloted themselves to the Isle of Wight for lunch!
Adventure Education
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House Camping
Pupils from both Manor and Scott had the opportunity
to camp out in the Manor Woods this year. On each
weekend, the first order of business was to construct
their home for the night out of tarpaulins and branches,
all held together with as much string as possible.
Once their shelters were up and their beds made, they
gathered around the campfire in the encroaching
darkness and had dinner.
Second Form Kayaking
Eight pupils from the Second Form had to opportunity
to learn to kayak as their games option in the summer
term. Travelling to Devizes Wharf each week they learnt
to manage, launch and paddle their own boats on
the canal. As well as moving around on the water, the
discovered how to rescue themselves and each other,
played numerous games of tag and went on a couple of
longer journeys.
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After dinner, under the spectacular sight of the Milky
Way above, they were divided into two tribes. Each tribe
was challenged to get pieces of sacred cloth through
the woodland to their tribe’s totem, while a group of
‘outcasts’ hunted them and tried to steal the relics. For
nearly two hours the cries of those caught, along with
yells of success punctuated the quiet night.
After warming themselves around the campfire with
marshmallows and hot chocolate they crawled into their
makeshift beds and talked long into the night, before
finally drifting off to sleep.
An early start the next morning saw breakfast served
in the woods. The challenges facing the group today
were an orienteering course peppered with puzzles and
an adventure trek, a lap of the Manor grounds taking in
slalom around trees, crossing rivers on ropes, blindfold
trails and the School’s own giant redwood grove.
Devizes to Westminster
their first practice race early in February and a fifty mile
Thames training weekend in March.
Mixed weather over the Easter weekend brought
a number of challenges but all seven school crews
finished along with two pairs of pupils who competed
with Devizes Canoe Club. Our highest placed crew
came 11th overall, a very creditable achievement for a
first time crew.
The Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race continues to
be as popular as ever with 51 pupils initially applying
for places this year, with 34 taking part in trials to finally
form seven crews of two.
STM
This 125 mile race sees the crews taking four days to
make the journey from Devizes to central London, first
along the Kennet and Avon Canal, then the Thames
from Reading before an early morning sprint to the
London Eye on the flowing tide.
The early Easter meant that there were not many weeks
available for training and it was a challenging regime for
the crews from the start. An often frozen canal and sleet
and snow added to the challenge of learning to paddle
these tricky craft smoothly and fast. As well as training
three times a week in the spring term, they competed in
Adventure Education
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Jolie Brise
2014-2015 proved to be another great year for Jolie Brise and Dauntsey’s students.
Over the winter Jolie Brise underwent her usual thorough
re-fit, being re-launched in March in pristine condition.
During the Easter holidays we undertook the Dauntsey’s
School cruise, which shot across the Channel to France
and the Channel Islands, before competing in the St
George’s Day Regatta with Parents and Old Dauntseians.
This was a lot of fun, racing round the cans at Yarmouth
on the Isle of Wight, Jolie Brise winning the event overall.
Now in its fifth year, the only time Jolie Brise has not
won was in 2011 when she couldn’t take part! After
this we carried out various charters in the Solent area,
including a superb day out with the DSPA, followed by
a trip to St Mawes to compete in the Pilot Cutter World
Championships! Next came the start of the Dauntsey’s
half term cruise, which rushed back to the Solent to take
part in the Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival, in which the
students competed in a demonstration race against the
massive 38 metre Fife ketch Mariquita. Although beaten
on the water, Jolie Brise won on handicap.
Towards the end of June the Sailing Club ran another
very successful five day Life Skills Course for twenty-four
of our students following their GCSE exams, covering
many subjects, including everything from paddle
boarding to how to cook a lasagne, and wiring a plug to
self-defence.
Early July saw the start of the main summer cruise
programme, which was competing in Sail Training
International’s Tall Ships Races from Belfast to Alesund in
Northern Norway, to Kristiansand in Southern Norway,
to Aalborg in Denmark then leaving Tall Ships for a time
to come over to the East Coast of England before taking
part in the massive Sail Amsterdam Festival, followed by
a cruise back to Hamble via France and Belgium.
The first race leg encountered some very mixed weather.
One exceptional storm caused Jolie Brise and her crew
to take shelter in the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides
for 24 hours. This proved to be a very good call as some
vessels continued racing through the storm, but not
really making any mileage towards Aalborg. When Jolie
Brise came out of hiding we managed to catch nearly
all the boats who had continued to race and she ended
up second overall in the entire fleet of over 100 vessels.
At the end of the racing the students spent a few days
cruising through some of the Norwegian Islands before
going into Alesund for the prize-giving.
The second cruise was a Cruise-in-Company, a non-race
leg, from Kristiansand to Aalborg, which is always much
more of a social event than the race legs. The Dauntsey’s
students got to meet trainees from all sorts of different
boats and lots and lots of different nationalities. This
led us into the third cruise which was the second race
leg in Tall Ships. The race from Kristiansand to Aalborg
sailed in very light conditions, completely contrasting
with the first race leg. Jolie Brise and her young trainees
again performed well in difficult conditions, being well
placed in the fleet. This meant that at the prize-giving in
Aalborg Jolie Brise’s combined positions made her the
overall winner, on corrected time, of Tall Ships 2015 and
the crew being awarded the magnificent Florence Cup,
now currently sitting in Reception.
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The last two cruises of the summer sailed into the
amazing festival that is Sail Amsterdam, with the
spectacular Parade of Sail in through thirty kilometres
of the North Sea Canal. After spending three days in
Amsterdam we changed crew and the new crew got to
sail back out with the same Parade. We then sailed back
to the Solent via Bruges and various other ports.
Since the start of term we have run a very successful Art
Trip with the Art Department, and are currently taking the
whole of the Fourth Form out sailing before heading off
on two cruises to France and the Channel Islands at half
term. We also competed in the ASTO Small Tall Ships race
with eleven of our Lower Sixth Form students. Sadly the
race took part in very very light airs, turning it into a bit of
a lottery, but the students still gained a very respectable
second in class and third overall.
All in all another really great year for Jolie Brise and the
Sailing Club. Over 200 students have sailed on the boat
this year, 9,000 miles sailed and 30 different ports visited.
Toby Marris
Head of Sailing
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Flying School
.
The Flying School has, over the past year, continued to
thrive. Two of the initial pupils have now successfully
completed the five compulsory Air Law examinations
and at least 25 hours of flying to achieve their NonRestricted Pilot’s Licence. Congratulations go to Jade
Tang and Diana Yarosh on this fantastic achievement.
Dominic Booth also flew solo during the summer but
did not quite manage to complete the number of hours
required before leaving for university this autumn. He
intends to ‘top up’ his flying during university holidays
to achieve his Non-Restricted Pilot’s License.
Flying continues for other pupils, Denise Chiu, Charlie
Hinton, Matthew Talbot with Matthew impressing the
instructors with his faultless take offs and landings!
Charlie Hinton has done particularly well flying solo for
the first time on his 16th birthday – the earliest possible
age you are legally allowed to fly solo. Charlie said:
“On the 9th September 2015 (my 16th birthday) I flew solo
for the first time. To begin with I was a little apprehensive
as the instructor left the plane and I was left alone to taxi
to the runway. After climbing into the sky, I thought, well I
have to come down now! The nerves quickly subsided and I
was filled with excitement. Thinking that I was alone and in
control of an aircraft was an overwhelming feeling. By the
time I was ready to land, I was prepared and felt confident.
After touching down and taxing back to the stand, I felt
really proud of myself and thought… wow, what am
amazing thing to do. It was truly an incredible experience.”
New recruit to the Flying School, Ivan Downer has made
an excellent start with the practical flying at Clench
Common run by G.S. Aviation.
All pupils continue this term to work hard in applying
themselves to understanding aviation law in the
fortnightly evening ‘Ground School’ sessions hosted at
Dauntsey’s School.
MR
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Bess Chan
Adventure Education
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Travel
Upper Sixth German trip to Berlin November 2014
On 21st November 2014 the Upper Sixth German class
travelled to Berlin for the weekend to learn more about
East Germany in the 1980s. We stayed in the ‘Ostel’
which was furnished in the style of East Germany,
making the trip very authentic. Over the weekend we
visited many interesting places. On the first day we had
breakfast in the restaurant at the top of the Berlin TV
Tower. We got an amazing bird’s eye view of Berlin and
we could really see a contrast between the modern
West Berlin and the more old-fashioned East Berlin.
We also visited the famous Brandenburg Gate, which
was formerly part of the boundary between East and
West Berlin, and the site of Hitler’s bunker (which is now
covered by a car park). Our visit to the East Side Gallery
was also incredible. The East Side Gallery is a part of the
Berlin Wall which is still standing and has been covered
in paintings and drawings by people at the time. Some
of the pictures have become quite famous and it was
amazing to see them in person.
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However, the highlight of the trip has to be our visit
to the Stasi prison of Hohenschönhausen. The prison
remains much as it was during the years of the Stasi.
We saw the tiny, uncomfortable rooms, one of the
interrogation rooms, which were set up specifically
to make the prisoners feel isolated, and also one of
the delivery vans used to arrest people. It was a very
poignant visit and we could really begin to understand
the horrible reality of not conforming to the limited life
in East Germany.
Overall, the trip was really thought-provoking and
interesting and we managed to expand our knowledge
on life within East Germany, which also helped us with
our study of the film ‘Goodbye Lenin!’. We would like to
thank SC and VAHW for this amazing trip.
Katie Everett
Upper Sixth History trip to Paris February 2015
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Upper School Lindau trip March 2015
In March, Upper School German students visited Lindau
on Lake Constance in Bavaria. Mornings were spent
improving our German in intensive German language
lessons at the Dialoge Sprachinstitut and afternoons
were spent on excursions including a day walking in
the Alps, a town tour followed by a trip to the ice
cream parlour, a cycle ride to nearby Bregenz in Austria,
a day out in Konstanz across the lake and the final
afternoon was spent in the Swiss city of Zürich. One
evening we went to an authentic German cuisine
restaurant before watching ‘Insurgent’ in German in the
cinema – without subtitles! Overall it was an excellent
trip and everybody’s confidence in speaking and writing
German greatly improved.
Becky Allen
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Sixth Form Art and Classics
trip to Rome March 2015
In March 2015, a group of Sixth Form artists and
classicists travelled to Rome, so that they might learn
more about the pieces and places they were studying.
The trip got off to a bumpy start, with two unfortunate
souls (who shall of course remain nameless) misplacing
their passports at Heathrow. Fortunately, the offending
characters managed to locate their documents in time
to catch the flight to Italy.
Once in Rome, the learning began straight away,
with the classics teachers eager to educate everyone
about the history of the city, while the eagle-eyed
artists explained the features of the architecture.
More was learned with each passing minute, and the
students greatly benefitted from the presence of such
knowledgeable staff members.
Walking boots were non-optional for this trip; the city
of Rome was deemed “too exciting” to be seen from a
bus, and so the party members took to the streets on
foot, in search of the first few cathedrals to be visited,
such as the Lateran Basilica. All were left awestruck by
the stunning detail of the buildings - even those who
weren’t studying art!
The next couple of days were mostly art-centred, with
visits to art museums including the Galleria Borghese,
containing famous works by artists such as Bernini,
and once again all were astonished by the stonework,
particularly by the David. The Galleria Nazionale d’Arte
Moderna was also visited, and although many of the
more classics-based students were more than a little
confused by the pieces; it was nonetheless an exciting
part of the day.
Towards the end of the trip, things took a turn towards
the classics department. Visits were organised to
such great monuments as the Colosseum and Trajan’s
column. Not only were these structures majestic
and magnificent, but also held an aura of historical
significance that was difficult to ignore.
Most spectacular of all, however, was the visit to the
Vatican City. With every surface adorned with breathtaking artwork and sculptures, the city was unbelievably
beautiful. The Sistine Chapel was singularly jaw-dropping,
and NCS commented on how he wished photographs
were allowed, not only for the powerful paintings, but
also so he could record the reactions of the students
gawping at the ceiling in unison. Although spending
a very long time marvelling at the labyrinthine Vatican
museum meant we did not have much time left to visit
St Peter’s Basilica, we were nevertheless able to get in
near the end of the day and spent sufficient time inside to
appreciate the full majesty of this architectural wonder.
Aside from the walking and the tourism, the group also
relaxed a little too, visiting a local venue with a live band
(who were surprisingly good). The highlight of that
evening was definitely Sam Jackson having a drum-off
with the band’s drummer, and the band seemed to
enjoy having a younger, more enthusiastic audience,
largely in the form of the Lower Sixth girls!
Overall, it was a fantastically successful trip, with much
learned, and many memories made. Described as the
“best weekend of [his] life” by one attendee, the outing
will not be forgotten by any of the students or teachers
for many years to come.
Dominic Bernard & Lloyd Ollerhead
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Lower School trip to the Rhineland March 2015
Arriving at school at 3:45am in the morning, we all waited
in the dark car park while the water bottles were found.
Parents stood by, waiting to go back to bed no doubt.
Soon we all boarded the bus and promptly drifted off.
When I, for one, woke up we were nearing Dover,
where we were to board our ferry. You may think that
this was half the journey done, but there were in fact
very many hours left to travel across Europe. After we
had boarded the behemoth of a ship, the white cliffs
slowly drifted below the horizon and the illustrious port
of Calais appeared. We left the ferry quite quickly, as
we had managed to secure a place near the front, and
continued our long, long drive.
On our way we passed through France, Belgium and
several hours of Germany before arriving at the little
village of Kamp Bornhofen, where we were staying.
Our hotel was named the Hotel Wagner (pronounced
Vagner, as had been pointed out by our German
teachers many times), and it turned out to be positively
labyrinthine. It took us a while to find our rooms, and
when we did we very nearly lost them again as we were
called to supper.
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On our first night of staying at the hotel, we were given
delicious potato soup with bread as a starter. Next came
an excellent dish of chicken smothered in lovely smooth
gravy. We finished off with some excellent ice cream.
We then retired to our rooms and went to sleep. In the
morning everyone almost overslept. There is a time
difference of one hour in Germany, and most people
seemed pretty true to the time change. However, we
all managed to troop down to breakfast, which was a
continental buffet. We also made our lunches, which
we had to restrain ourselves from eating before midday.
Then we climbed on the bus and drove to an amazing
little town called Trier.
Trier is an amazingly preserved Roman town, with
a fascinating amount of buildings still surviving. A
surprising amount of castles and ancient towns survive
in Germany, more by luck than anything else. Most
families keep hold of their fortresses and mansions for
years, and preserve everything.
In Trier there are many ancient Roman buildings. As we
arrived, the first thing we saw was a huge, fire blackened
gate called Porta Nigra, or the Black Gate. Towering
above street level, it did in fact lack a tower, which had
been knocked down for the stone in the medieval
period. However, a hermit had moved in, and no-one
was allowed to knock it down, so eventually it became
a church. But the church burned down... so only the
blackened gate remained.
Then we went on a tour of the town, and looked at
the most notable ancient buildings. Among these was
the antique throne room of the Emperor Constantine,
which had remarkably been preserved and restored to
its former glory. Strangely, it had been converted into a
protestant church, but the aura of Roman majesty still
prevailed. The ceiling was 40 metres above the ground,
and the dais on which the throne would have sat was
still raised above the congregation. Attached to the
throne room was a moderately recent bishop’s palace,
designed in the style of King Louis XVI. Its gardens
were very extensive, and nearby we visited the Roman
amphitheatre, also excellently preserved. There were
even cells which wild animals would have been kept in!
Then we returned for a dinner. This night we had a sort
of meat patty, which was excellent, and tomato soup.
In the morning, we boarded a ferry, and sailed down
the river Rhine to a large mountain. After stopping in
a lovely garden for half an hour and eating lunch, we
proceeded to Rudesheim, a large, touristy town with
lots and lots of souvenir shops. We walked through the
narrow streets for a few minutes before arriving at a
large cable car station. Two at a time we boarded the
small, yet sturdy cable cars, and ascended a vineyardcarpeted mountain. As we slid into dense forest, we
reached another station, where the cable car swung
round and started to travel back down the mountain.
At the bottom again, the cable car didn’t stop, and
jumping out was quite a manoeuvre!
valley a few miles away. But as we rounded the corner,
we saw a towering fortress built into the mountain side.
We went inside after walking down a steep, long hill,
and entered the treasury. Treasure glittered on every
wall, and ancient weapons filled the available space. The
preservation of these artefacts was amazing, and there
were even a few intact suits of armour standing proudly
against the wall. Unfortunately though, when we left to
get to our tour there was a long queue, which no-one
seemed to stay in, so there was a general crush to reach
the inner sanctum of the castle. Finally, we arrived at
our tour, and travelled through the many rooms of the
castle, not least a banqueting hall. We heard about the
ingenious ways in which the castle was run, and even
saw a 1000 year old meat chopping block! As we left, it
started to rain, so we had a long wet tramp up the hill to
get back to our coach. Finally, everyone got on the bus,
and we started back down the mountain. It continued
to rain as we arrived at our next stop, wine tasting! Then,
luckily, it stopped raining, because we were early and
had to wait for something like ten minutes before we
were admitted to the wine cellar.
We walked around Rudesheim for the rest of the day,
buying things and sampling street food. By the end of
the day our feet were aching, and the waiting bus was
a welcome sight as we approached along the bank of
the river. It was a long drive back though, and it was late
when we arrived back. However, we set out along the
road again after fish and chips and ordered our own ice
cream in German. Afterwards, we were even more tired,
and went to sleep promptly.
The next day was our last full day in Germany. We got
on the bus again and drove to a seemly unremarkable
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85
We sat down at a long table and watched expectantly
as the winemaker produced a bottle of medium dry
white wine. He poured everyone out a shot glass of the
stuff, and we all had a drink. We drank two shots of wine
and one shot of grape juice, which is used to make the
wine. Next door, we saw the towering vineyards high
on the sides of the valley. Apparently they were some of
the steepest in the world.
After our wine tasting, we set off again to get our final
attraction, the biggest indoor waterpark in Germany.
We got off quickly and walked through a turnstile which
said ‘Welcome’ as we walked through it. After a long
trek through some convoluted changing rooms which
seemed to be designed to keep swimmers out of the
pool, we finally made our way to the park. First, we saw
a huge wave pool, in which the majority of swimmers
had congregated. Further on was a splash pool, with an
immense yellow slide leading into it. There was even an
outside pool, but it was freezing, as the rain had topped
it up a little, and a flume.
After a couple of hours, we returned to the changing
rooms, eventually found our clothes, and exited the
turnstile. It said ‘Goodbye’. Then, we got back on the
coach, and sped back to the hotel. For our last dinner,
we had a barbeque buffet, with sausages, ribs and
pasta. Then we went across the street to another ice
cream store. We walked down the river’s edge and
found a little beach. After a few minutes skipping stones,
we made our way back to the hotel. We packed up, as
we had to leave early next morning, and went to bed.
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In the morning, we got up at around seven. We had a
quick breakfast, and loaded the bags onto the coach.
Soon, we set off. The drive seemed shorter going back,
so soon we arrived at the Eurotunnel. After a very long
wait in traffic, we joined the single file line to enter the
Eurostar train. Each carriage could only fit in one coach,
or several cars, so we had a carriage all to ourselves.
Surprisingly quickly, we arrived back, and managed to
leave the English end of the tunnel without too much
trouble. However, the drive back to school seemed very
long, so by the time we got back everyone was glad to
see the back of the coach.
Special thanks to SKWK, VAHW, CJT, Mrs CJT & Andy (our
bus driver)
Jack Jazrawy-Brown, Tom Lampard-Vail
& Guy Harmer
Paris half-marathon March 2015
On Friday 6th March, 25 Dauntsey students departed to
France to take part in the Semi-Marathon de Paris. The
group of students, having undergone time-trials and
vigorous training (admittedly some more than others),
were excited to conquer the 21.1km run – which would
take them through the streets of Paris. Despite the
predicted times ranging from just under 80 minutes to
around 2hours 20, everyone was preparing themselves
for what would be their most difficult challenge yet,
both physically and mentally.
Once the students set foot on French ground, after
travelling on the Eurostar, the realisation of what they
were about to endure began to sink in. However, after
exploring the beautiful Bercy Village and looking around
the Parisian shops, thoughts quickly changed to what
was for dinner! After enjoying a delicious, carbohydrate
fuelled meal everyone was in high spirits and looked
forward to travelling around Paris the next day.
The next day was an early start, to ensure that we
collected our shirt numbers and free goodies at the
pre-race fair. It was here where the realisation of the
Semi-Marathon really began as they were told they
would be amongst 40,000 runners and were given a
map of the route. After the chaos of the various stalls,
competition draws and free energy drinks and food,
the group went on a quick training run around the
local park to get a feel for the next day and warm up
their legs! The students then took advantage of the rest
of the day in Paris by visiting the Arc de Triomphe to
absorb the incredible 360° view, with some basking in
the glorious sunshine by the Eiffel Tower as others took
a stroll down the Champs-Élysées. After several hours of
exploring Paris, they all regrouped for the ‘last supper’
and enjoyed some encouraging words from EMC
wishing everyone luck for the race. After the packed
day of sightseeing, an early night was much needed in
preparation for the big day.
from Robbie Mitchell who completed the race in an
extremely impressive time of 1 hour 26 minutes and
Jemima Pitceathly who achieved an incredible time
of 1 hour 43. Several of the students ran the race for
charities, with Daisy Woodruffe and Lydia Davies raising
over £400 for Nightingales Children’s Project and Libby
Hollingshead raising over £600 for Cancer Research.
On completing the race, the Dauntsey’s runners were
rewarded with well-deserved medals and memories
which would last a lifetime - especially Ellie Moulding
who had to be carried off to hospital after suffering
extreme shin-splints!
Well done to all the runners, as well as to my father,
Stephen, who also managed to cross the line in a very
respectable time. A massive thank-you to the teachers
for the fantastic trip and their entire organisation and
planning – well done everyone!
Hannah Frame
Participants: Hannah Frame, Jemima Pitceathly, William
Allman, Jemma Plastow, Izzy Pitceathly, Sophie Thomas,
Elizabeth Hollingshead, Elizabeth Seed, Daisy Woodruffe,
Sian Harries, Maddie Perrins, Lydia Davies, Ellie Young, Clara
Richmond, India Cook, Henry Cameron, Zak Sheinman,
Joshua Wray-Roberts, Jack Levy, Robbie Mitchell, Angharad
Davies, Laura Innes, Tamzin Howard, Annabel Badman, Ellie
Moulding and EMC.
The group all nervously met on race day, but these
nerves quickly subsided as the atmosphere was unlike
anything they had ever seen. Runners at every level
and ability were joining in with the warm-up teams,
music was blasting and the sun was shining, meaning
it was hard not to feel excited! The exhausting 13.1
miles flew by for some, with outstanding performances
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Fourth & Fifth Form Toulouse trip March 2015
In the first week of the Easter holidays, eleven of us
from the 4th and 5th forms embarked on the school
trip to Toulouse. We stayed in groups with French
host families, and the first evening (Sunday) was spent
getting to know them. From Monday to Friday, we spent
the morning at intensive French lessons at a language
school called Langue Onze. We spent the afternoons
exploring Toulouse, firstly on our own and afterwards
with the help of French tour guides. On the Saturday,
we visited the medieval city of Carcassonne and the
excursion was greatly enjoyed by all. Throughout the
week, we further embraced the French culture through
the cuisine; needless to say, we all ate lots of crêpes!
Many thanks to PJH and ALE for chaperoning the trip,
and to our host families for accommodating us and
making us feel at home.
Rini Banerjee
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The Dauntseian 2015
Nightingale’s in Romania July 2015
Nightingale’s in Romania is a diverse and astonishing
charity that is involved in all aspects of the community
in Cernavoda, south-east Romania. Cernavoda is a town
with large areas of poverty; unsurprisingly, this has led
to major social issues such as human trafficking and
prostitution. More widely, Romania has had a grim
recent history. 1960’s decrees aimed at growing the
country’s population led to child abandonment and
the overpopulation of orphanages, where HIV quickly
spread. In Cernavoda, Dauntsey’s has traditionally
been most involved in Nightingale’s Children’s Project,
running an activity week for local children at the
Community Centre. Ben and Luiza Wells, who run the
charity on a day-to-day basis, also manage the ‘Home
of Happiness’ (this houses HIV and AIDs affected young
people who had previously been residing in the town’s
state-run orphanage and is staffed by local people);
they run a trafficking intervention project, consisting of
after-school craft and discussion sessions for the girls at
risk, and football teams for the boys. Since the inception
of the programme, girls’ football teams have also been
formed, while many young men have been involved in
‘Team Force’, building for Nightingale’s.
On the 10th July, 22 pupils and 7 members of staff
travelled to Cernavoda. As a trip that is highly prestigious
throughout the school – and very competitive to get
onto – the tiredness and heat of the first day, completely
spent travelling, was overcome by our excitement.
Having arrived at Nightingale’s Community Centre we
met Ben and Luiza and their two young children before
exhaustedly getting to bed. The next day was spent
acquainting ourselves with the Romanian translators, a
talented group of local teenagers, with whom we would
develop great friendships, and planning for the activity
week ahead.
We ran six activity days at Nightingale’s, each of which
saw a huge influx of children of all ages. Every day had
a different theme – circus, British, health, celebrations,
sport and birthday – around which our activities,
which involved sport, dance, food, craft and games,
were based. We had daily periods of ‘free play’ with
the children before and after these structured sessions,
during which time we got to know them best. The day
began and ended with our quickly popular ‘Wake and
Shake’. It was lovely to see that many of the children
remembered last year’s routine, and were eager to teach
it to us. It marked the impact this week makes each
year. Whilst we ran the activity sessions, Jake Richardson
and MR were hugely involved in the building-work,
developing a decked area that will later become used as
a community space. With several of our students joining
in, it was encouraging to see the changing attitudes of
Team Force towards women when it comes to practical
work, viewing them as friends and equals.
Midweek we had a day out to Constanta. A morning
at the beach was followed by a visit to a nearby
orphanage. Here we ran some activity sessions, as
well as teaching the children our ‘Wake and Shake’. We
all found it very interesting to see how orphanages
operate in modern Romania, and were relieved to
find that they had nurtured at this orphanage a family
environment, the antithesis to the horror stories of
the ‘90s orphanages we had heard so much about,
and indeed had been endured by some of the young
people we had met from the Home of Happiness.
Our evenings in Cernavoda were never dull, and there
was plenty to do outside of planning the next day’s
activities. On one night we were treated to a Mexican
fajita buffet, which had been made over hours by the
young girls in the Girls-at-Risk programme. On another
evening we headed to the local football pitches and,
having divided into a boys’ team and a girls’ team, took
on the locals. Although we sang English football songs,
we all enjoyed attending an event that engaged so
much of the local community, as many of the children
we had met went with their families. With some
generous refereeing from Ben, Dauntsey’s girls won
the tournament. Another highlight was the final day,
where we had a party (a belated birthday celebration
for Cam) and served the children with popcorn, sweets
and the like. Team Force’s completion of the decked
area meant it could be used as a stage, and this function
was debuted by the girls from the programme: they
had made dresses in their afternoon session and
demonstrated these in a catwalk show, DJ’ed by Baba.
This was followed by the Dauntsey’s boys showcasing
their dance routine, which they had practised all week,
refusing to give any previews. It was hugely entertaining
and enjoyed by everyone. The event overshadowed, in
part, the sadness of leaving.
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Perhaps the most striking thing about the trip was
how similar these children are to our own brothers,
sisters, cousins and friends. Many had unimaginable
backgrounds and difficult family lives (we heard stories
of endemic human trafficking, absent-parents, and
prostitution, and witnessed shanty areas of poverty), yet
at Nightingale’s we saw happy, playful and kind children.
Mainly they wanted to play football, demonstrate
their skipping, or just be hugged. This made it all
the more tragic to know that some of these children
would be drawn into human trafficking or be trafficked
themselves later in life, and many more stuck in poverty.
The importance of the wide-reaching work of Ben and
Luiza was inescapable.
On behalf of all of us who went to Cernavoda, I would
like to thank and laud Ben, Luiza, all the staff involved
with Nightingale’s, and the staff from Dauntsey’s who
made this trip possible and enjoyable. It was a truly
unique ten days, and we all hope that our links with
Nightingale’s will continue to grow.
Becky Allen
Izzy Pitceathly
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The Dauntseian 2015
Creative Writing
A selection of 3rd Form short stories based on the theme ‘The Box’
Lawrence
Bett-Hewitt
Inching closer, my sweaty palms clench my damp
pyjamas. The thumping increases; thick blood funnels
through my stretched, tense veins. Outside there is
a roar of dense oak trees swaying; their shadows are
dancing on the dark, polished oak panelling inside the
room. My vision starts to fade; my heavy head thumps
with pain. Thump it goes again. I feel the thick blood
gushing through me as it leaves pains in my feet.
Stuttering, I pick up several jagged splinters from my
wet, cold feet. The shards of wood slip their way deeper
into my skin, leaving dark red blood dripping onto the
creaking timbers on the floor.
Closer. I am for some twisted reason attracted to this
box. Closer, closer inching forward each time, getting
closer and closer. Suddenly, the room blurs; my eyes
grow grey and fade in colour. I start to bend my knees
and descend down to the small wooden box. Thump,
I am on my knees, my head dripping with sweat which
drops onto the beautifully crafted case. My sweaty
hands hover over the box. Abruptly, my vision vanishes;
my body is thrown back onto the hard wood! Black. I
awake. Silence. I lift my aching head and confusion hits
me. Why am I on the floor? Looking over my chest I see
the box again. This time I lean up and snap the lock free
and lift up the lid to the box. What is this all about? It’s
just my fluffy, soft toys glaring back at me.
Louisa Hill
Thump…Thump…
It won’t stop; the noise is getting louder. I try to shut
it out, but I can’t escape it. Ben would know what to
do. I miss him so much; the guilt never stops. He gave
me courage to do things I never thought I would, but
he’s not here anymore, so I must face this myself. I can’t
take it any longer. I would move the strange object in
the middle of the room but it’s impossible; I can’t ever
separate it from the floor. It’s a huge ancient square
wooden cube. Nobody knows what it is. It’s been here
since we moved in last week.
Thump…Thump…Thump…
My stomach flips; my heart rate quickens as if I am
sprinting for my life, yet I am only sitting down. I try
to calm myself. Then, suddenly, I hear a faint voice. It’s
calling my name. It only takes me a second to recognise
the voice. It’s Ben! I leap towards the box, oblivious to
how I was feeling moments before I heard the voice.
The lid swings open and he is there. We just stare at
each other, speechless. Beneath him is a flight of stairs
sinking down into darkness.
I look into his eyes, tears streaming down my cheeks
uncontrollably. ‘Ben, I am so sorry,’ I mutter in a shaking
voice, unable to control my pitch. My words linger in the
room until I ask, ‘How come you are here?’ He just laughs
and says, ‘Well aren’t you going to give your mate a hug
then?’ I reach out to wrap my arms around him, but then
a cold shudder goes through my spine but no one grips
me. I start to slip. I can’t see Ben any more. Panic takes
over. I’m falling down the stairs into darkness.
Sam Nield
My rigid hand ran over the cold, marble stone corners
of the box, which was hidden in darkness. I brought
my fingers along the frozen and dead edges until
I had felt and explored each outline around it. I could
then tell, with my scattered and fearful mind, that the
shape of the box was rectangular and about the size
of a shoe box. Thump. It came like a pulse of energy,
travelling through my quivering hand, up my arm, and
through the rest of my trembling body. I continued
my exploration of the faces of the stone surfaces.
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91
The engravings upon the pulsing box felt like a Venetian
sculptor had cut into the marble faces. As I reached to
the lid of the box, I felt the carved surface change from
marble to dark, varnished wood. Suddenly, a shaft of
moonlight came through the dark clouds to reveal the
box. It was white with sculpted patterns upon it and the
wooden lid was shown. It had a small metal knob on
top, which I then pulled to open it.
Inside was what looked like a blue jewel connected
to lots of metallic pistons and cogs. As the pistons
compressed, the cogs turned and the jewel like ball
flashed. With every flash there was a thump. Thump.
Thump. As it pulsed, the little ball changed colour to
red. With each colour change it grew in size and the
thumping became louder and more powerful. Soon it
changed colour again and the process repeated and
kept repeating until it was constantly changing colour
and was huge. The power blew me back to the wall; my
body began to spasm uncontrollably. My limbs, muscles
and bones started growing in different directions. I was
mutated, deformed. The box contained growing nuclear
energy. It was radioactive.
Octavia Pye
With Christmas just hours away, I wonder if I’ll survive to
celebrate it. Anxiety and dread clutters my mind. I want
to know what’s in the box.
Thump, thump…
A million negative feelings cascade through my mind.
My pulse is rapid, my heart pounding. The box is colossal.
I could easily place myself in there twice. As I draw closer
my head whirls with bloodcurdling scenarios. I know
something bad is bound to happen and yet I can’t
resist opening it. Curiosity consumes my fear, forcing
me to rip the magenta ribbon for the wrapping. Now
the only thing stopping me from opening the box is
the coal coloured wrapping paper, dark and forbidding.
The box is tormenting me, daring me, urging me to
tear it open, but at the same time my instincts warn
me not to. Before I manage to grip the paper another
‘thump’ emanates from the cardboard. I dive under my
sheets- is something awful going to happen? The wait is
excruciating. Suddenly, a groan emanates from the box,
increasing my anxiety and unease.
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The Dauntseian 2015
As I rip the paper from the box I feel as if I am removing
the skin from a monster; as soon as my task is complete
he will tear my skin off as I did him. The thought sends
a shiver down my fragile spine. Cautiously, I peer into
the dark space. A pattern of red, white and black dances
before my exhausted eyes. I struggle to comprehend
what is happening …
“Oh, I was supposed to be a Christmas surprise,” My
Grandpa, dressed as Santa, said wearily. “What took you
so long to open the box?”
Elliot Yates
The box, shrouded in shadows, burned a deep jet
black. The outlines of the box were discreet; it blended
into the abyss. I stumbled, my hands quaking; tears
scorched my cheeks. Small, concealed in the shadows,
the box drew me closer to it. A leathery cover, shadows
creeping from it into the veins of the wall. Razor edged,
like a knife, it cut through the light; only darkness was
left. By now the obsidian black tentacles had filled half
the room; a box big enough to encase a ring. Brilliant,
ornate, gold patterns encased the box like poisonous
vines. THUMP THUMP. I wiped the sweat from my
steaming face. Cold shivers ran down my spine. I
stepped closer…
My hand was dragged to the box. I undid the latch
and flipped back the harsh lid. AGH! The burning black
cut through the dim light. A crimson, bloodlike pillow
cushioned a chip of night black diamond: an evil,
beautiful mineral. My heart kept a rapid pulse. THUMP
THUMP. My head throbbed, my veins pulsated. Splinters
from the oak floor of the old house were pushed deeper
in to my feet, leaving a trail of thick blood behind.
I toyed with the diamond in my hand; it burned slightly,
but my curiosity told me to. Something was wrong; the
deep black seeped under my skin. It ran through my
arteries and blood stream. My veins, were highlighted
by a thick, black trail under my skin. I screamed in terror.
My whole body started to become black; my shadow
disappeared .I screamed for my mum, “MUM!”. But the
black had consumed me. My parents tumbled through
the door...
No-one, just a black jewel spinning on the floor, and a
shadow of a little boy crying.
Joe Woodward
As my fingers brushed against the tiny box, I could feel
the softness of the black velvet. From the dim light I
could make out the edges and see how similar it was
to an engagement ring case. Although I could fit it in
the palm of my hand and it seemed miniscule, I could
sense the power and unnaturalness inside. It left me
with a strange sensation of unease and no matter how
hard I tried I couldn’t stop shaking nor fidgeting. My
arms and legs were covered in goose bumps despite
the room being a warm temperature. I could feel my
hairs stand on end as I ran my fingers along the edges
of the box. My brain said leave it alone but my hand
had a will of its own. My bitten-to-death fingernails dug
into the crevice as my lower jaw trembled with fear. I
pushed it up slowly and caught a glimpse of crimson
silk inside before it snapped shut tearing part of my nail
as I pulled my hand away. I clenched my teeth and the
pain became bearable, so I turned back towards the
box. I tried to pull it up from the ground but it wouldn’t
move no matter how hard I tried. “THUMP, THUMP,
THUMP.” My entire body shook and I realised that the
thumping was coming from inside the box. My hand
started shaking again and sweat poured down from my
face; my hair was drenched. My hand moved to the box
to rip open the top and release whatever monstrosity
was inside.
In the dim light it was hard to see what was inside but
as my eyes adjusted I could make out the outline of a
golden ring amongst a sea of red silk. Nothing abnormal
about this I thought, but then I peered closer and saw a
glowing white emerald where you would expect a small
diamond to be. The white emerald contained a mass of
swirling shadows darting around and banging on the
edges of the gem. It was clear to me they were trying
to get out but I had no intention of letting them. The
emerald seemed to radiate energy and eerie light and
I felt myself drawn to it. As my finger brushed against
the ring my body shook and went into a spasm. I cried
out in pain as my legs gave way and I yanked my hand
back from the box. The ring seemed glued to my finger
though and slipped around my thumb. I tried to yank it
off but it wouldn’t budge and it burnt when touched.
I watched horror struck as the veins in my hands rose
to the surface and broke through the skin, spraying my
glossy blood all over the walls. I felt my back stretch and
contort and watched awestruck in my shadow which
now displayed seven long, sharp scales shooting out
at awkward angles from my spinal column. The rest of
my body was covered in a storm of swirling shadows
but I could make out the faint glow of orange coming
from what I think were my eyes, but were now ten
centimetres wider. At that moment my air supply was
cut off and it only took me ten seconds to faint and
crash down to the floor.
I woke in the morning, my body perfectly normal and
the ring back in its box with the shadows back inside
the emerald which had turned blood red. My blood
splattered the wall and much of the floor but I couldn’t
find an injury on me. “Ben, get up. It’s time for school,”
my mum said. “Coming, mum!” I shouted back. I walked
over to my cupboard to get my school jumper but my
hand passed through the door. Jumping back with
shock, I stared at my hand. I heard her running up the
stairs and walk towards my bedroom. She opened
the door and stared at the blood stained walls. She
scanned the room but seemed to look through me, not
at me. She checked the room again and I heard a high
pitched scream as she looked under the bed. “What is
it mum?” I knelt beside her and looked and saw what
it was. A mutated body lay on the ground with seven
spikes from his back and a charred black body but still
glowing orange eyes. I realised now why she took no
notice of me: I was dead! My mum jumped away from
the bed sharply and was walking towards the door
when suddenly there was a “THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.”
She turned around and took a few long strides to the
small box in the corner. “NO, MUM!” I shouted despite
knowing it was pointless. She reached down to grab it
but it was too heavy. Kneeling down she put her hand
on the top and flicked the box open revealing a golden
ring with a glowing white emerald on top…
Creative writing
93
Music
Music at Dauntsey’s 2014-15
Music, in all its many forms, permeates every aspect
of life within the Dauntsey’s School community. It
might be learning to play a musical instrument, and
coping with the enormous demands contained therein
of discipline, perseverance and the development of
highly refined skills and sensitivity; or maybe playing
or singing with others in ensemble - large or small uniting individuals to yield a very special and significant
highpoint of human endeavour and achievement; or
simply listening, and being moved by the unique form
of (musical) communication, perhaps in a Chapel Service,
or the exhilarating finale from a dramatic Christmas
Production, or the pure delicacy of sound in a Chamber
Recital, or the energising stimulant of Rock Music.
Whatever form the music takes, it can all be experienced
at Dauntsey’s School and we are culturally enriched as
a result.
There follows a selection of brief reports from some of
this year’s musical highlights.
CBT
Examinations
121 Associated Board and Music Theatre Exams were
taken during the course of the academic year, resulting
in 28 Distinctions and 32 Merits. Also, Daisy Woodruffe
gained a Music Theatre Diploma, and Julie Scholefield
attained a DipLCM on Clarinet.
CJT
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The Dauntseian 2015
Dauntsey’s Jazz
Evening
18th October 2014
In October 2014 one of the School’s most in demand
events returned to the Memorial Hall. It was a great
atmosphere thanks to the full house of audience
members and the hall looked stunning due to
decorating from Mr Whyte and his sixth form team
and also Mr Herring and his lighting team. The evening
was kick-started with a dynamic Will Allman drum
solo before the Dance Band entered the stage for
the starting number: ‘The Chicken’. Paddy Hill and
Phoebe Borwell presented, taking the audience
through the running order as the music and drinks
flowed! Interspersed between the Dance Band’s
well known favourites, a handful of Dauntsey’s finest
singers performed both solo numbers accompanied
by Mr Gudgeon on the piano, and also big band
songs with the Dance Band. Daisy Woodruffe and
Zach Dunnett started off with a sweet and beautiful
duet of ‘Something Stupid’ followed by a Daisy
Woodruffe solo performance of ‘Over the Rainbow’.
Momo Adewale dazzled the audience with a sultry
performance of ‘Fever’, after which Libby Hollingshead
performed a contrasting and moving display of ‘At
Seventeen’. George Green really rose the atmosphere
of the room with his fun and vibrant performance of
‘Minnie the Moocher’ and the audience lapped up
their opportunity to get involved in some call and
response in this number. Angus Whitney with Archie
Combe on the piano and Sophie Schneider both sang
Jamie Cullum classics ‘These are the Days’ and ‘What a
Difference a Day Made’ before Nik Mukherjee finished
off the vocal numbers with his rendition of ‘Ain’t that A
Kick in the Head’. Oli Sibson and Flo Tabeart executed
polished solos in dance band numbers ‘Love for Sale’
and ‘Switch in Time’.
The Dance Band finished off the set with a lively
rendition of ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams featuring
solos from all of the Upper Sixth who left this year. On
a musical high, the audience looked forward to some
delicious food served by the 17 Club and everyone
settled down ready to hear the main act of the evening,
Ian Shaw. A comedian as a well as a highly acclaimed
jazz singer, Ian brought class and comedy to Dauntsey’s
as he entertained the audience until the close of the
evening. It was a wonderful evening enjoyed by all. A
massive thank you to Mr Sims and his sound team, as
always Miss Jardine for her incredible direction of the
Dance Band, Mr Whyte and the 17 club, Lloyd Childs
and his catering team, and finally our presenters Phoebe
and Paddy. As a leaver this year, myself and the other
Dance Band members who have now performed in four
Ronnie Scott’s events will miss the evening greatly, and
I hope it continues to remain one of the most popular
events of the Dauntsey’s calendar.
jazz playing. Nik Mukherjee and Momo Adewale
joined the Dance Band for two very assured vocal
performances of ‘Ain’t That a Kick in the Head’ and
‘Fever’. Interspersed between the big band numbers
were intimate solo performances from several very
talented sixth form vocalists. Daisy Woodruffe, Zach
Dunnett, Libby Hollingshead, George Green, Angus
Whitney (accompanied by Archie Combe on piano)
and Sophie Schneider entertained the audience with
a wide variety of songs, ranging from Lloyd-Webber’s
classic ‘Over the Rainbow’ to an electric rendition of
‘Minnie the Moocher’ which included very enthusastic
audience participation! The Dance Band finished off this
half of the evening with a lively performance of Pharrell
Williams’ ‘Happy’, featuring improvisations from all of the
Upper Sixth.
The audience were then invited by our charismatic
hosts, Phoebe Borwell and Paddy Hill, to enjoy a
delicious meal served by the catering staff and the 17
club waiters. Before long the main act for the night,
Ian Shaw and his very talented band, treated us to a
magnificent performance. The well-known singer/
comedian entertained us both with his jokes and with
his incredible musicianship, ensuring that the evening
was one to remember.
Special thanks must go to those who put in so much
hard work to make the evening a resounding success;
particularly Miss Jardine, Mrs Davey, Mr Sims, Mr Herring,
Mr Childs, and Mr Whyte.
Will Sims and Emily Neve
Julie Scholefield
On October 18th 2014, Dauntsey’s hosted the annual
Jazz Evening (formerly Ronnie Scott’s). The Memorial
Hall was filled with 400 parents, pupils and staff for what
was a musical and social highlight of the school year.
The evening was kicked off by the school Dance Band,
who tackled a more ambitious set than ever before,
including ‘The Chicken’ and ‘Latin Injection’, as well as
classics such as ‘Smooth’. Impressive instrumental solos
were performed by Will Allman, James Matthews, Oli
Sibson, Flo Tabeart and Julie Scholefield, displaying
wide versatility of both improvised and written
Music
95
The Lower School
Music Festival
21st October 2014
The Lower School Music Festival took place during the
Autumn Term with around 300 pupils from 1st to 3rd
form performing to a packed and enthusiastic audience
of parents and staff in the Memorial Hall. Mr Gudgeon
arranged the festival which opened with the Lower
Chamber Choir’s ‘Paradise’. An impressive performance
of ‘Summer’ from Alice Fanshawe, Emily Bagnall’s version
of ‘Naughty’ and Antonia Jones singing a lively
‘I Want To Sing In Opera’ all followed. The 2nd form
band Vinyl excelled with their performance of ‘American
Idiot’ and the ‘Movie Medley’ from the Junior Concert
Band went down enormously well. The individual
recitals were spaced between each House’s choice of
song that they had been practising throughout the
term. The finale featured the Lower School joining
together to display their talent in a scintillating show of
the ‘Rhythm of Life’ which rose the roof and drew the
evening to an enjoyable and energetic close.
the Queen of Sheba’, then the first half was rounded
off by a sensitive and moving performance of ‘Spiegel
im Spiegel’ by Matthew Fisher on piano and Libby
Hollingshead on cello, supported by a slideshow of
artistic and poetic reflections on the piece.
In the second half, the Symphony Orchestra performed
Grieg’s ‘Peer Gynt Suite’, then the Saxophone Octet’s
rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen went down
a storm with the audience. The Concert concluded with
the combined forces of the Symphony Orchestra and
Senior Choir performing the Vivaldi ‘Gloria’, with solos
from Momo Adewale, Francesca McClean, Izzy McKellar,
Isi Tucker and Daisy Woodruffe.
The evening was a great success and helped to raise
money for the School Charity. Well done to all those
who took part on some fantastic and memorable
performances.
Lorna Frankel
Natasha Parks-Tunstall & George Lishman
Autumn Concert
13th November 2014
On Thursday, 13th November, over 150 pupils put on the
Autumn Concert, an evening which showcased many of
the school’s varied and talented ensembles, performing
a wide range of repertoire.
The evening was kicked off with great exuberance by
the Dance Band, playing Jaco Pastorius’ ‘The Chicken’,
followed by the debut performance of the Dauntsey’s
Gospel Choir. This energy was matched by the Senior
Concert Band’s performance, particularly the medley of
songs from West Side Story. The SSA choir performed 3
songs, including a lovely solo from Milly Sampson; and
Florence Tabeart, Miranda Bardsley, Nat Arnold, Lorna
Frankel and Lottie Sims played ‘Quintet for Horn and
Strings’ by Mozart. The Clarinet Octet played ‘Arrival of
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The Dauntseian 2015
The Gilliat Prize
for Singing
20th November 2014
The competition, founded in the memory and honour
of Beryl Gilliat, (by her husband, the film director Sydney
Gilliat) is for vocalists in the Fourth Form and above and
thought by many to be a highlight of the year’s music.
This year, the finalists’ event was fought between six
of our top vocalists on Thursday 20th November 2014.
We were very pleased to welcome Ms Bethan Dudley
Fryar to adjudicate the final competition; she herself
commented on the difficulty of her task in singling out
a winner, as the music was so varied and the standard
uniformly high.
After much deliberation, our judge decided that Daisy
Woodruffe’s performance of ‘Glitter’ and ‘Be Gay’, from
Leonard Bernstein’s musical Candide, was the outright
winner. The piece contains a huge vocal range and
demands extraordinary technique and interpretation.
Daisy’s performance thrilled the audience and her
display of technical command impressed all.
Evensong in
Salisbury Cathedral
7th January 2015
On Wednesday, 7th January the Senior Choir travelled to
Salisbury Cathedral to sing Choral Evensong. Evensong
is sung daily, normally by the choristers of the Cathedral,
however, during their holidays, choirs from across the
country and abroad are invited to sing the Services. It
was a privilege and a great experience for us to sing in
such an historic building where choristers have been
singing services for more than 750 years.
Before the service we rehearsed in the area called the
quire, which gave us the chance to get used to the
amazing acoustics in this incredible building. Unusually
for our choir, we sang facing one another on either side
of the quire, known as Cantoris and Decani. The service
followed the traditional order dating back to 1662,
consisting of the responses, the psalm of the day, two
canticles and an anthem.
The six finalists were:
• Mosopefoluwa Adewale
• Archie Combe
• Meirian Evans
• Isobel McKellar
• Katie O’Kelley
• Daisy Woodruffe
BDG
Carol Services
At the end of the Autumn Term, 2015, two Carol Services
took place, for the second time in history. As well as
helping more parents attend this special event, this
format enabled more pupils and staff to get the very
special experience of reading. A number of carols were
performed by the choirs, such as the ‘Sussex Carol’, the
‘Coventry Carol’ and ‘This Joy’, with solos from Daisy
Woodruffe, Harry Gooch, Izzy McKellar and Ben Harding,
among others, to give BDG a fitting farewell in his final
Dauntsey’s performance. Indeed, the whole occasion
had a higher emotional impact than in previous years,
with two excellent sermons by the Revd. DRJ really
reminding the congregation of why they were gathered
in the Memorial Hall.
The responses alternate between the priest and the
choir and, in the psalm, both sides of the choir alternate
between verses. The first line of the psalm is sung by a
soloist - in our case, Isi Tucker. The two canticles were
sung to George Dyson’s grand Victorian-style setting
in D major, a firm favourite among Cathedral regulars.
Evensong ends with an anthem, which for us was Peter
Cornelius’ setting of ‘The Three Kings’, in which Sam
Jackson sang a fabulous baritone solo.
Salisbury Cathedral is also known for its grand organ
and, as well as being lucky enough to be accompanied
by it, we were also privileged to have one of the
Cathedral Organists, John Challenger, playing for us.
We would also like to thank the Music Department
for arranging this great experience and especially CJT
for conducting us. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed
ourselves, and I know that we all look forward to future
opportunities to sing in fantastic venues like Salisbury
Cathedral.
Ben Harding
Sam Jackson
Music
97
Rockfest
2nd March 2015
After the success of last year’s show we kept the new
Monday timing but this year added another exciting
feature in the form of an online voting system which
allowed the pupils in the audience to pick the winners
in five different categories.
Lower School Music
Competition
12th February 2015
The Final of the Lower School Musicians’ Competition
brought the first half of term to a stirring conclusion on
the evening of Thursday, 12th February. All four houses
had presented their own concerts in the two weeks
before the event, with a total of almost 60 performances
being heard in a wide variety of genres.
The 22 who made it through to the final all performed
exceptionally well, leaving our visiting adjudicator, Mrs
Sarah Loveridge, with some very tough decisions to
make. In the end, four pupils were highly commended:
Anson Chak for his performance of a Chopin Nocturne
on the piano, Lewis Jackson for playing and singing the
Vance Joy song ‘Riptide’, Antonia Jones for a sparkling
rendition of ‘I Feel Pretty’ from Bernstein’s ‘West Side
Story’, and Christie Lau for her performance of the
opening movement from a Leonardo Vinci Sonata on
the alto saxophone. The winner’s cup went to Alice
Fanshawe for a highly expressive performance of the
first movement of Xavier Lefèvre’s Clarinet Sonata.
Congratulations to all the finalists for an evening of very
high quality music-making, and thanks to all the staff
and music captains for their help and enthusiasm in
organising the house concerts which led us to such an
enjoyable final this year.
CJT
98
The Dauntseian 2015
The Memorial Hall was again filled to capacity with
pupils, staff and parents. Ten different acts took to two
different stages and produced a wide range of popular
music, from the esoteric folk influenced music of Monk’s
Habit to the funky punk of Hertz Gübleu through metal,
pop and rock.
By swapping between two stages the music kept
flowing and set up times were minimal.
A special mention and thank you is due to James
Matthews, Nik Mukherjee, Will Allman, Joe Foggett and
Ollie Sibson who not only all had to perform themselves
but helped build the complex sound setup on Sunday
morning and helped all the other performers get ready
on each stage. Cicely Spence produced the poster,
advertised the event around school and with Joe
Foggett did a great job of presenting each band. The
light show, provided by Mr Herring and his youngest
tech crew, was also excellent.
CWS
Results from the Online Vote:
298 pupils and staff cast 1490 votes across 5 categories
Best Dressed Performers
1. Hertz Gübbleu – Nik Mukherjee, Ollie Sibson, Will
Allman, James Matthews, James Hollis
2. Bucket of Water – Ollie Sibson, Joshua Rice, Mark
Winckley, James Hollis
3. February Tide - Miranda Bardsley, Grace Payne –
Kumar, George Matthews
Best Guitar Solo
1. Apparition – Angus Whitney, George Dolman, Ollie
Graham, George Matthews, Will Sims
2. Hertz Gübbleu – Nik Mukherjee, Ollie Sibson, Will
Allman, James Matthews, James Hollis
3. Vinyl – Toby Chick, Ollie Critchard, Ethan Jeffries
Although never an easy task, Mr Alford was also required
to announce a winner of the event. After careful
consideration, he declared this to be Miranda Bardsley,
who performed the first movement of Bruch’s Violin
Concerto and Ravel’s ‘Pièce en forme de Habanera’, and
Anna Gilbert was awarded Highly Commended for her
exhilarating saxophone playing.
CBT
Best Solo or Duet Performance
1. Lewis Jackson
2. Archie Combe
3. Monks Habit – Cicely Spence and Emily Neve
The Barron Prize
Best Band
10th March 2015
1. Apparition - Angus Whitney, George Dolman, Ollie
Graham, George Matthews, Will Sims
2. February Tide - Miranda Bardsley, Grace Payne –
Kumar, George Matthews
3. Vinyl - Toby Chick, Ollie Critchard, Ethan Jeffries
Best Overall Performance
1. Apparition
2. Lewis Jackson
3. February Tide
Middle School Music
Competition
4th March 2015
On Wednesday evening, 4th March 2015, the seven
finalists for the Middle School Music Competition each
performed their programme of two contrasting pieces.
All the soloists gave assured performances, displaying
technical control and musical understanding, and the
audience were treated to a most delightful concert.
The distinguished local musician, Mr Martin Alford,
adjudicated the event and gave each performer a
brief critique on their playing, highlighting individual
achievements and offering suggestions of how they
might further refine their performances.
The music performed during the Final Concert of
this year’s Barron Prize (6th Form Instrumental Music
Competition) included several key works from the
Classical Music Repertoire, such as Weber’s ‘Grand Duo
Concertant’, Saint-Saëns’ ‘Morceau de Concert’ and
Neruda’s ‘Trumpet Concerto’ as well as works by Bach,
Schubert and Arrieu. That all eight Finalists were able to
approach and understand these pieces, and perform
them with technical assurance and musical integrity, is
a powerful testament to the serious commitment and
advanced achievement of the School’s Senior Musicians.
The Adjudicator, Mr Jonathan Vaughan, Vice-Principal
and Director of Music at The Guildhall School of
Music and Drama, was hugely impressed by all the
performances, particularly the mature interpretation of
such demanding music.
Two performers, Julie Scholefield and Stanley Chau,
were awarded Highly Commended and the Joint
Winners were Emily Neve, performing Boutry’s
‘Divertimento’ and Fauré’s ‘Elergy on Saxophone’, and
Matthew Fisher, who played Brahms’ ‘Intermezzo in A
op.118 no.2’ and ‘Polichinelle’ by Rachmaninoff.
CBT
Music
99
Spring Concert 19th March 2015
For those ‘in the know’ the Spring Concert arranged
for Thursday 19th March promised to be something
really special and the atmosphere in the Memorial
Hall at 7.30pm was filled with anticipatory enthusiasm.
Just nine days previously the final of the Barron Prize
had been won jointly by Emily Neve (saxophone) and
Matthew Fisher (piano). This evening’s concert was to
include a piece from Matthew, but was to be hosted by
Emily and Barron Prize 2014 winner Stanley Chau - so
if these two weren’t actually playing what towering
standard of performance could we expect?
We were not to be disappointed. The Dance Band
provided a wonderful lively opening with Average
White Band’s ‘Pick up the Pieces’ led by Julie Scholefield,
another Barron finalist. The quieter and more melodic
Yardbird suite followed and the set included solos from
Charlie Stace (trumpet), Chris Coleman (saxophone),
Eliot Johnson (guitar) and of course Julie Scholefield
(saxophone). The Senior Concert Band followed
100 The Dauntseian 2015
with Sweeney’s arrangement of Badelt’s ‘Pirates of
the Caribbean’, an exciting piece requiring huge
concentration, coordination and technical excellence
between the various orchestral sections. The Senior
Concert Band then switched into accompaniment
mode for the Lower Chamber Choir who presented a
medley from ‘Les Miserables’ by Schonberg, arranged
for the Band by our own Dominic Irving. This set
featured solos by Matilda Heyden, Georgina Henwood,
Emily Bagnall, Louisa King, Georg Enislidis, Antonia
Jones, Lucy Talbot, Camilla Walton-Knight, Oliver Ring,
Hannah Walker and Caitlin Clark. This was really special
and not marred over much by the unreliability of the
radio microphones during the solos. Next up was the
SSA Choir, one of BDG’s initiatives seamlessly picked
up by CBT. Their offering was accompanied by a single
piano and the traditional ‘Raggle Taggle Gypsies’,
arranged by Woodgate was enormous fun. The slightly
heavier, more serious Elgar composition, ‘The Snow’
came next. The sheer joy with which this choir (led
by Jenna Morshead) performed was greeted with a
tumultuous reception, if the Dauntsey’s clapometer is
any judge.
One of the really special things about the Dauntsey’s
Concerts is the way in which performances contain
contributions from multiple age ranges. Now it was
the turn of the Junior Concert Band lead by Catriona
Edington and Susannah Kellar to entertain us with
Abba’s ‘Money, Money, Money’ followed by Osterlings
‘Bandology’. They were conducted by our own CWS
and again we were treated to two contrasting items
performed by youngsters having fun but doing it
professionally.
The next performance came from a group much missed
in recent years making a very welcome return to the
concert stage. Robyn Weir led the Percussion Ensemble
in Neil’s ‘Crossfire’. Again, the applause the Ensemble
earned indicated that others, too, were pleased they
had been returned to the performance programme.
At this stage I detected a change in the atmosphere, as
if we’d had a great time so far, were thoroughly warmed
up and now we were ready for the ‘star turns’. There
was an excited buzz of anticipation as the Symphony
Orchestra, led by Amy Chu prepared to support Julie
Scholefield’s extensive Clarinet Solo in the Finale of
Weber’s ‘Clarinet Concerto No 1’. We had all read the
short introductory explanation in the programme,
intended to give us a sense of what to expect, but
Julie’s performance was stunning. We all seemed to
hold our breaths, not wanting it to end. Unforgettable.
As the applause died down, eventually, Emily jumped
to the microphone to introduce Matthew Fisher:
recalling the classic meeting between Andre Previn
and Eric Morecombe, she assured us that Matthew’s
performance of the First Movement of Grieg’s Piano
Concerto would contain “all the right notes, absolutely
in the right order”. I cannot say that she was right,
because I just don’t know. What I can say is that this was
simply one of the best solo performances I have ever
heard. I watched Matthew’s fingers blur over the keys
playing the Rachmaninov which won him the Barron
Prize the previous week. That was just amazing, but
the Grieg was something else again. A simply sublime
performance rewarded with two curtain calls.
As we reassembled after the interval, the audience
clearly felt that this evening was truly special. Perhaps
this was not just another excellent Dauntsey’s
Concert, but a milestone? We were therefore ready
for something exceptional and eager to hear the joint
Choral Society, Senior Chamber Choir and Symphony
Orchestra performing Gilbert and Sullivan‘s ‘Trial by
Jury’. This is essentially a piece of musical comedy,
featuring full chorus support for seven soloists, and
as a School Production was a collaboration between
pupils, staff and the Choral Society Membership. This
was yet another example of all-age performance which
is so valuable, great fun, but hardly easy. Of the seven
soloists, two are staff members and professional singers,
the other five, pupils at the school. As this is opera it
combines singing, acting and also comedic skills, which
is not easy at all!
From the opening notes it was clear that this part of the
programme was to be a highlight; an excellent closing
set piece to a wonderful concert. It had that special
quality impossible to fake, to communicate the great
joy of the performers in what they are doing. For the
pupils, to sing alongside professionals is sure to bring
out their very best. For teachers, students and Society
members to work together in this way engenders
and nurtures a community feeling that so embodies
and enriches what Dauntsey’s School is all about. All
rose to this hugely significant occasion. Archie Combe
was utterly convincing as the Learned Judge and
Joanna Richards superb as the plaintiff, Angelina. The
defendant, Sebastiano Cipolla was magnificent and Ben
Harding outstanding as Counsel for the Plaintiff. Sam
Jackson, as the Usher was just wonderful: will we forget
the gradually louder and louder calls for ‘Silence in
Court’? George Green and Ed Henderson were excellent
Foremen of the Jury and the Bridesmaids (Isobel
McKellar, Jasmine Morris, Jenna Morshead, Isi Tucker and
Daisy Woodruffe) were by turns suitably flirtatious.
In conclusion, do I need to point out how strong Music
at Dauntsey’s continues to be? This was an absolutely
superb Concert from beginning to end. There was
something for everyone, an enormously high standard
was achieved and maintained, and a great time
was had by all. We were treated to truly memorable
performances from some quite outstanding musicians,
drawn from a truly generational spread of age groups, in
a joyous celebration of music.
WTWJ
Music 101
Recital of
Chamber Music
Leavers’ Recital
22nd April 2015
Friday 15th May 2015 was the day we celebrated this
year’s U6 Musicians, as they presented their Leavers’
Recital. As usual those present were all highly moved
by the calibre of musicianship, the carefully chosen
repertoire, and the unmistakable sense of pride, evinced
by all the musicians, for the musical achievements and
milestones, attained collectively and individually, during
their time at Dauntsey’s School.
15th May 2015
A delightful and entertaining Concert of Chamber
Music was performed by eight different groups of
pupils from both the Lower and Upper School. There
was a very wide range of pieces to suit all tastes from
well known classical string performances, through
lively arrangements of jazz standards to a powerful
percussion ensemble.
In an introduction to the concert, it was suggested
that chamber music was like fine dining and more for
the pleasure of the players, with ‘an audience being
not strictly necessary’. This may be the case but, along
with the rest of the audience, I was very glad to be
invited to attend and enjoy the obvious pleasure of the
performers in creating this type of music.
With no conductor to set time or musical balance of a
piece, chamber musicians have to use a combination of
body language, careful listening and experience of each
other to produce a coherent performance. Each of the
groups who performed on this occasion clearly found
this a very satisfying and enjoyable challenge. The end
result left the audience wishing for more.
DRDD
Perhaps the underlying feeling in the hearts of many in
attendance was poignantly captured in the lyrics, sung
by Julie Scholefield, to Regina Spektors song, ‘The Call’,
written for ‘The Chronicles of Narnia Film’: “Pick a star
on the horizon and follow the light. You’ll/I’ll come back
when it’s over, no need to say goodbye!”
CBT
Music and BBQ
at the Manor
19th May 2015
In mid-May, and just before the main season of exams,
Lower School Musicians presented a delightful earlyevening recital at The Manor. This featured the usual
panoply of musical styles including songs from the
shows, self-accompanied songs (on guitar and piano),
examination pieces, jazz favourites and a stirring
rendition of ‘Amazing Grace’ played on bagpipes. The
planned BBQ was unfortunately rained-off, but all
participants and audience were treated instead to a
scrumptious (and warming) fork supper.
CBT
Summer Festival
29th June – 2nd July 2015
“If music be the food of love” then we certainly had
“excess of it” during the Summer Festival in the last
week of term. In summary: four Bands gave us ‘Rock in
the Big Tent’, whilst four Chamber Ensembles created
a ‘Palm Court Tea Room’; The Dance Band took to
the stage with ‘Summer Jazz’; three Choirs presented
a ‘Showcase of Classics’; Jo Richards and Matthew
Taylor led Vocal and String Masterclasses; nine groups
performed ‘Unplugged’; Dominic Irving tantalised the
audience in his virtuosic Piano Recital and 29 ‘Buskers’
entertained, with acts including Singer-Guitarists, a
Skiffle Band, Edith Piaf, Ukuleles, Djembe Band, Jugglers,
Bagpipes, Magic, Martial Arts, Unicyclist, Dancers,
Diabolo Spinning and Piano Accordions. After four days
of feasting The Festival concluded with an emotionally
charged sequence of ‘Songs from the Shows’. And then
finally, The Chamber Choir met one last time on the
morning of Speech Day, to lead the congregational
singing and perform two anthems in The Leavers’ Service.
It certainly was, A Musical Year.
CBT
Music 103
Lower Chamber
Choir
For the first time this year, the Lower Chamber Choir
extended to the 3rd Form, allowing room for more
variety and power. This year’s highlights were the
performances in the Lower School Music Festival, the
Carol Services and the trip to Wembley for the ‘Voice in
a Million’ charity concert. For the first time in the choir’s
history we sang a piece of music in three parts at the
carol services, in the shape of Bob Chilcott’s ‘This Joy’.
The year’s most amazing song and favourite hit was the
Coldplay song ‘Paradise’. We performed this both at the
Lower School Music Festival and on New Pupils’ Day,
with backing vocals, soloists and a live band.
On 11th March we went to Wembley Arena for a second
time to participate in the VIAM event. After a tiring two
hour bus journey, we were soon rehearsing 15 songs
all afternoon before a coach load of parents joined us
for the evening performance. It was an amazing show
with an extraordinary array of young singing talent,
and all to raise awareness of adoption. The experience
reached the limits of our imagination and emotions,
dancing to the beat and shouting out from the bottom
of our lungs. It was one of the most liberating feelings I
can ever remember, and I am sad that I probably won’t
have this opportunity again. After a lengthy delay
on the motorway because of road works, we finally
reached Dauntsey’s well past midnight, being tired and
completely exhausted.
Mr Irving’s fantastic Concert Band arrangement of a Les
Misérables medley provided the accompaniment for
another fantastic performance in the Spring Concert,
which featured a number of able soloists. Our final
performance of the year was at the Summer Festival,
when we had one final chance to repeat a selection of
the year’s highlights.
Georg Enislidis
SSA Choir
2014 saw the SSA choir go into its fourth year, and
continue to go from strength to strength. After touring
in Barcelona and being fortunate enough to be allowed
to sing in the Sagrada Familia and Barcelona Cathedral,
the 19 members continued to rehearse previous concert
material, as well as tackling new and different pieces.
The first performance of these pieces was given at the
Spring Concert, where the SSA also joined forces with
the Senior Choir to sing ‘Trial by Jury’.
In the Summer Term, the SSA combined with St
John’s Church Choir to deliver a fundraising concert in
Devizes to help to fund the SSA tour to Durham and
Ripon cathedrals, the St John’s tour, and renovations
to St Mary’s Church. To round off a year of wonderful
concerts, the SSA delivered their Music for a Summer’s
Evening concert, an event which we have performed
every year in different churches across Wiltshire.
This year we performed at Upper Chute, presenting
an evening of our favourite repertoire, as well as
performances from pupil soloists. Overall, the past year
has presented the SSA choir with so many amazing
opportunities, and we are looking forward to seeing
what the fifth year of the choir will hold.
SSA choir members 2014-2015: Miranda Bardsley, Jaz
Boote, Merian Evans, Lorna Frankel, Atlanta Hatch, Emma
Lovell, Tiggy Lovering, Francesca McClean, Izzy McKellar,
Jaz Morris, Jenna Morshead, Sadie Mutton, Hermione
Owen, Natasha Parks-Tunstall, Elvira Parr, Charlotte
Pender, Milly Sampson, Hattie Sibson, Isi Tucker.
Jenna Morshead
Yasemin Botterill
Kristina Osipova
Music 105
Drama
Isi Tucker reviews this year’s shows
Be My Baby
Jam
Following the journey of a driver stuck in a traffic jam,
the play charted the different characters, both in cars
and on other modes of transport, including the hated
learner driver, culminating in a hilarious performance
from all members of the cast. Will Harding’s Driver
was the sole voice of reason amongst a collection of
eclectic characters, such as Miranda Bardsley’s Woman
on a Bike, and Tom Goddard as the Satnav. The play
also showcased the talents of some of the younger
members of the drama department, many of whom
were starring in their first studio play.
Blending fast paced dialogue with comedic physicality,
the cast spent most of the play on chairs with wheels,
using these to move rapidly about the space and
convey the chaos of the road. Fantastic direction from
Matthew Herring led to a play that was both hilarious
and relatable for everyone in the audience, not just
the drivers!
The 1950s was a time when young unmarried pregnant
women were sent away to have their child before
being forced to give it up for adoption. Their names
were barred from appearing on the birth certificate,
and they were not allowed to see their child again. This
set the stage for an incredibly moving play directed
by FJB, featuring an extremely talented cast of six. FJB’s
thoughtful direction ensured that play’s more tender
moments were highlighted and allowed the cast to
show off their formidable talents. Josie Goddard gave
a stellar performance as the protagonist Mary, sent to
the mother-baby home by her mother, played by Ella
Major, whilst Flossie Campbell managed to convey
Norma’s agony at losing her child with maturity well
beyond her age. Phoebe Borwell’s cynical portrayal
of Queenie provided moments of both humour and
intensity, whilst Clara Richmond excelled as the Matron
of the home, acting as a mother figure for all the girls.
Special mention must go to Hattie Sibson, the youngest
member of the cast. Although there were moments
of humour, the play’s climax left the whole audience
moved. Congratulations to the cast and crew on an
amazing performance.
Jesus Christ Superstar
The rock opera by Andrew Lloyd-Webber tells the
story of the final week of Christ’s life on Earth. However,
in RMJ’s version, this story takes place in a policedominated state, where riots and protests are routine.
The play was also set in the round, which allowed for an
interesting and original setting of the biblical tale. With
the cast in hoodies and not a toga in sight, a strong
cast of around 50 gave an intense performance over
the course of five nights. The musical’s exciting start,
with protesters filling the stage and fights breaking out
within touching distance of the audience, set the bar for
the excellent performances to come.
Nik Mukherjee led the cast in the starring role,
giving voice to Christ’s anguish and anger. Angus
Whitney excelled in his role as Judas Iscariot, with a
superb vocal performance that did not fail to amaze
audiences night after night. Julie Scholefield gave a
much gentler performance as the calming influence
of Mary Magdalene, giving a touching rendition of
one of the musical’s most famous songs, ‘I Don’t Know
How To Love Him’. The three leads were supported
by an energetic cast, including Will Sims and Annabel
Mastin-Lee as the leaders of the priests. The musical’s
eponymous number was brought to life in a flurry of
wings – literally, with all the dancers wearing large white
wings as the play came to its climax. No one in the
audience could fail to be impressed by the finale, where
the intensity reached fever pitch, with the chorus clad
in black with masks and creating a sinister backdrop of
sound, featuring screams and clashing notes. The final
moments were the most moving, as the stage was
cleared, leaving just the apostles and a cloud of petals
falling from the ceiling to cover the crucified Christ.
RMJ managed to modernize the classic bible tale in
a way that was exciting and engaging for both the
audience and the cast – congratulations to all involved.
Drama 107
Loot
The hilarious dark comedy, ‘Loot’, superbly directed by
EBC in her first Dauntsey’s play, never failed to delight
its audiences. It followed the story of two hapless bank
robbers, Hal and Denis who, attempting to hide the
stolen money in Hal’s mother’s coffin, are forced to hide
the body whilst evading the police. The small yet hugely
talented cast included Archie Coombe as the innocent
and unaware Mr McLeavy, Rosie Coles as the devious
Nurse McMahon, Angus Whitney and Adam Daly as the
criminal duo, and Isi Tucker as the meddling detective,
Truscott. Audiences particularly enjoyed Sam Pritchard’s
performance as the incompetent police officer. Despite
having very few lines he was thoroughly entertaining
and could often be seen at the side of the stage eating
donuts or picking his nose! The dark farce combined
physical comedy with witty satire as innuendoes and
joke abounded. The chemistry between the actors
allowed for the dialogue to flow seamlessly, and the
audience were left in stitches as the cast interacted,
bouncing off one another to create moments of sheer
hilarity. There was not a moment in the play that did not
give the actors a chance to show off their formidable
comedic talents, from the more physical comedy of
Angus Whitney and Adam Daly, to the sarcasm of
Isi Tucker’s Truscott. It was an energetic and exciting
performance - comedy gold!
As You Like It
Towards the end of the Spring Term, the Memorial Hall
stage was transformed into the Forest of Arden, as one
of Shakespeare’s most memorable plays was brought
to life. A highly talented cast, led by Phoebe Borwell,
delivered the lines flawlessly in a funny and thoughtful
performance. Directed by FJB, the play also featured
original music by Dominic Irving, which was performed
with a live band.
Phoebe Borwell shone in her role as the feisty Rosalind,
whilst Dom Bernard played the chivalrous hero Orlando.
The cast was able to show off their comedic talents,
resulting in scenes filled with hilarity such as those
between Nick Welch’s Touchstone and Hatty Russell’s
Audrey. In a show full of memorable moments, Libby
Hollingshead’s performance of the famous speech ‘All
the world’s a stage’ particularly stood out. The original
songs were met with much enthusiasm, and no one in
the audience could fail to enjoy this funny and welldirected play. Well done to the whole cast and crew.
Lord of the Flies
Dauntsey’s was lucky enough to be granted the
opportunity to perform Matthew Bourne’s production
of Lord of the Flies, where William Golding’s classic tale
is reimagined as a dance, set in an abandoned theatre.
The show, featuring an all boy cast of 30 and not a single
line of dialogue, was chosen to headline Dauntsey’s first
summer festival, and performed to sell-out audiences
night after night.
The remarkable performance was filled was intensity
and energy, with the boys bringing a deep sense of
malice to the show. Jamie Russell and Monty Lovering
were mesmerizing in their roles as Ralph and Jack
respectively, whilst Joe Foggett brought moments of
tenderness to the story in his role as Piggy. The cast
ranged in age from 11 to 18, and left audiences stunned
with their energetic performances.
The routines, featuring the infamous marching
sequence and the dramatic pig hunt, were expertly
choreographed and executed with precision. By the
end of the show audiences were left stunned at the
talent showed on stage.
Congratulations to everyone involved in the show,
which will surely go down as one of Dauntsey’s most
memorable performances.
Drama 109
Ophelia Thinks
Harder
‘Ophelia Thinks Harder’ was performed during the
summer festival. The play is a feminist take on
Shakespeare’s Hamlet and combines some of the original
Shakespearian text with contemporary language. Ella
Major played Ophelia, the play’s protagonist, portraying
her as a gutsy, intelligent, yet innocent young woman
trying to find her place in a patriarchal society. Comedy is
used to satirise the treatment of women. One particularly
memorable speech was given by Libby Hollingshead as
the Queen, in which she explains in great detail her
relationship with her husband. Archie Combe played the
thoroughly detestable and egotistic Hamlet. Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern turned out to be women. They were
played by the hilarious comedy duo of Josie Goddard
and Annabel Badman. Annabelle Mastin-Lee also gave
a memorable performance as the oppressed and
disturbed nurse. It was an entertaining play, which
caused audiences to question how women are portrayed
in literature and how they are treated in the world today.
Josie Goddard
Drama 111
Rugby
Rugby overview 2014-15
This has been an exceptional season for Dauntsey’s
Rugby. A total of 123 matches have been played, with
83 being won and 40 being lost. The senior sides have
produced some excellent results and set the standard
for all aspiring senior players in the future.
The 1st XV had a superb season that started with a tour
to Australia in the summer. The tour saw us winning
three out of four matches and we were well prepared
for the start of the season. By Christmas the 1st XV
had played 15 matches, winning all 15, scoring 654
points and conceding just 84. This included good wins
against Canford and Bishop Wordsworth’s School. Other
convincing wins worth a mention are a 74-11 win over
King Edward’s, Southampton, 66-0 against King’s Bruton,
45-0 against Lord Wandsworth College and 57-0 against
Reading Blue Coat School. In the last week of term a 5410 victory against St Peter’s, Gloucester in the NatWest
Cup, meant we would be playing in the last 16 in the
Spring Term.
Finally I would like to wish SJH all the very best in his
retirement. SJH has been a significant part of Dauntsey’s
rugby over the years and his commitment and
dedication has benefitted many young rugby players.
SJH was pivotal in my appointment 15 years ago and I
would personally like to thank him for all his support.
MJO
Head of Rugby
In January in front of a very large crowd the 1st XV
beat an excellent Sherborne School side by 13 points
to 11 to progress to the National quarter-finals. This
victory saw the 1st XV named as the Rugby World
Magazine National Team of the Month. The quarter-final
was lost to Bromsgrove School, who went on to be
crowned National champions. This year group has been
exceptional through their school career and this season
was a reward for all their hard work. There was also huge
strength in depth with the 2nd XV winning 11 of their 12
matches and the 3rd XV winning 6 from 7.
Throughout the rest of the school over half the matches
were won and the future of Dauntsey’s rugby continues
to look very bright indeed. More pupils than ever
represented the School and we continue to seek more
matches for all. It has been a real pleasure being Head
of Rugby again this year and I would like to thank all the
staff for their work and commitment over the year and
to the parents for their support.
George Costard was selected for the England Under 16
rugby squad in 2015 and was presented with England shirt
by Marcus Olsen, Head of Rugby, at a ceremony in Bristol.
The England Under 16 side beat Wales and George was
awarded his England Cap.
1st XV Rugby
Played: 15
Won: 15
Lost: 0
Drawn: 0
Following a very successful and equally enjoyable tour
of Australia, the first fifteen returned to school with
ambition and the confidence to play some attacking
and positive rugby.
Following an impressive pre-season away win against
QEH Bristol, the 1st XV steadily dispatched Churcher’s
College and soon after, KES Bath. Following close
victories against Churcher’s and KES, Dauntsey’s faced
Canford at home. The away team scored late in the
game, but it was not enough to seal the victory, as
Dauntsey’s won by three points. Following numerous
defeats to Canford in previous years; this result can
be held as one of the greatest achievements that the
1st XV have accomplished in their time at the school.
With confidence levels sky-high, KES Southampton
were beaten by a staggering 74 points to 11. Big wins
followed against Downside, King’s Bruton, Beechen Cliff
and Corsham respectively. The pick of these victories
would have to be the 66-0 win over King’s Bruton
at home. For the first time in the season, the backs
and forwards combined to produce numerous tries
involving the whole team. It was at this point that the
team started to hit their straps.
After returning from half term, a hard fought victory at
Prior Park (17-0) set the team up well for the tougher
games in the second half of the season. Having lost
to Dauntsey’s last year, Bishop’s arrived in search of
revenge. Following a strong start by Bishop’s, the
Dauntsey’s defense stood strong and denied the visitors
from even scoring a try. Dauntsey’s tries from both the
forwards and the backs gradually wore Bishop’s down;
resulting in a home (24-6) victory. In combination
with the Canford victory earlier in the season; the
victory over Bishop’s made a clear statement that this
Dauntsey’s team were capable of dispatching any
opposition that they were matched with. Following
victories of 40 points or more against Bournemouth
and Lord Wandsworth, the regular season ended with
a convincing home victory over Reading Blue Coat
(57-0). During the regular school season, the 1st XV did
not concede a single try and progressed, undefeated,
deeper into the NatWest Cup.
Spor t 113
The NatWest Cup draw saw Dauntsey’s face St. Peter’s,
Gloucester at home on the 10th December. Following
an early try from Dauntsey’s, the home team looked
in control. In spite of a breach of the Dauntsey’s try
line, the visitors lost by 54 points to 10 and Dauntsey’s
progressed to the last round of the south-west division
against strong rivals, Sherborne.
In one of the most tense and physical games of the
season, coming down to the final kick of the match,
Dauntsey’s narrowly defeated Sherborne 13 points to
11 and moved forward to the last 8 of the NatWest Cup.
This in itself was an enormous achievement and one
that the whole group and everyone involved with the
team should be very proud of.
The following match, away against Bromsgrove,
started well for Dauntsey’s as they held the lead at
half time. However, as the game began to open up
and Dauntsey’s produced errors, Bromsgrove began
to take control. The final score, 41-11 to Bromsgrove,
was a reflection of poor Dauntsey’s play; something
rarely seen throughout the season. Bromsgrove would
go on to end the Dulwich College reign as three-time
champions of the competition.
The effort and commitment of all involved in both
playing for and coaching this squad throughout the
season has been second to none. I would like to thank
MJO, WPJW and TDM for their hard work on the training
pitch and behind the scenes throughout this season
and over the years. Furthermore, the coaching staff
of the 2nd XV and 3rd XV should be commended for
providing the 1st XV with such excellent players.
I would like to thank all of the players for their hard work
and for making this season an overriding success and a
brilliant way for many of the squad to end their rugby
careers at Dauntsey’s. You should all be very proud of
what we have achieved this year as a group. I wish next
year’s team the very best of luck with their campaign.
Will Britton
Squad: James Hill, Alex Britton, Sam Starks, Andrew
Duckworth, Josh Rice, Ed Young, Max Romer-Lee, Charlie
Hall, Guy Rawson-Smith, Chris Coleman, George Costard,
Harry Read, Sam Tomlin, Will Britton, Miles Davies, Ed
Tomlin, Alex Cronin, Tom Parker.
2nd XV Rugby
Played: 12
Won: 11
Lost: 1
Drawn: 0
This season the black and white warriors of Mr Lewis’
2nd XV made spectacular things happen. We scored 536
points in 12 matches which equates to the impressive
statistic of a point every minute and a half. This team
was not made up of just a few key individuals. We had
strength in depth and evidence of this is the fact that
in total twenty five different players scored during
our twelve match season. Not only was the team
ruthless going forward, defending we were equally
impressive. In a third of the matches that we played in
the opposition were unable to score a single point. The
highlight of these 8 clean sheets must have been the
grudge match against our local rivals, Bishop’s, where a
45-0 result didn’t even flatter us.
This eventful campaign was launched in Bristol. We
flattened QEH 32-7, a result that gave us the momentum
to destroy Churchers’ College 70-0 the following week
and then KES Bath the week after that 29-0. Maybe
these routs left us overconfident, as one week later we
stepped out to face Canford at home and ended up
with the only recalcitrant result of the year - a 29-15 loss,
despite getting back into the game during a second
half that we actually won. A return leg at the end of the
season would have been interesting and I’m convinced
that we could have beaten them.
However, we bounced back with the annihilation of
KES Southampton 73-0 followed by a 49-3 victory over
Sexy’s Bruton 1st XV the following week. We built on
these inspiring results with a 58-0 victory at home to
Downside, which saw our favourite dumbbell Tarek
score his second hat trick of the season. Superiority over
Claysmore’s 1st team and Beechen Cliff ensured margins
of victory of 36-7 and 34-0 respectively, bringing us
through to half term with style.
After the break we came back without having lost focus
and in the 210 minutes of rugby that were played after
half term not a single point was scored against us,
which is an incredible achievement in itself. A 50-0
result away against Prior Park was followed by two 45-0
outcomes against Bishop’s and then Lord Wandsworth
College. The promised finale of the season never
materialised as Reading Blue Coat unfortunately pulled
out at the last minute.
Although we could not replicate last year’s unbeaten
season this shouldn’t reduce the significance of the
achievements listed above. This impressive season was
orchestrated by the towering presence of AJL whose
tactical brilliance gave us the edge over most teams.
Also thanks must go to DAF whose wit and enthusiasm
in training sessions helped prepare us well.
Ed Sweett
Squad: William Allman, Alex Archer, Torin Bain, Charlie
Dale, George Dolman, Rowan Duckworth, Zach
Dunnett, Tarek Elmanharawy, Monty Lovering, Harry
Mangham, Nik Mukherjee, Tom Middleton, Sam New,
Oliver Shad, Jamie Short, Oliver Sibson, Joshua Stace,
Edward Sweett, Doug Tilley, George Webster, Angus
Whitney, Henry Williams.
3rd XV Rugby
Played: 7
Won: 6
Lost: 1
Drawn: 0
With the 3rd XV having gone unbeaten for the last two
seasons expectations were high. In the first match we
travelled away on a baking hot September afternoon
to Monkton Combe. The first twenty minutes proved
a tight encounter between two sides still settling into
new patterns. However, approaching half-time, constant
pressure deep in Monkton territory resulted in brilliant
tries for prop, Hollis and scrum-half, Blakeney. At halftime fresh legs were brought on in several positions.
After this Dauntseys never stopped turning the screw,
running in a further four tries in the second half
including a scorcher from winger Bell from our own half.
Some heroic defence late on meant that Monkton were
unable to reply and the game ended 36-0. We then
only had a week to prepare for our next game against
Canford at home. Having won narrowly last season
we knew this was going to be a tough fixture. The
opposition caught us off-guard early on with some swift
running rugby and the score remained at 7-0 for the
rest of the first half. Inspired by a spirited team talk from
JFOH during the break, we rallied in the second half and
began to show our class, running in five excellent tries
to beat a stunned Canford side 33-7.
Sexey’s School, were dispatched 52-0 in a game in
which several new squad members played and really
put their hands up for selection; Hooke and Nelson
really impressed with tireless performances. Next we
faced a Sherborne side not accustomed to losing. Solid
play from the forwards allowed the backs to really go to
town on the Sherborne defence, running in 7 tries in the
first half including spectacular efforts from G. Dunnett,
Graham and Arnold. Unfortunately the game had to be
abandoned shortly after half time with the score at 37-0.
Our next fixture was against the extremely strong rugby
school: Kingswood. As we lined up on that Bath field on
a crisp November afternoon, the U6th in the team knew
the massive challenge that lay ahead having battled
to victory last season. Tries for Kingswood put us at a
disadvantage very early on, but what followed will long
live in the memories of all present. It was one of the most
complete displays of solidarity and courage that I have
ever witnessed. The whole team ignited with passion,
fighting for each other and for the victory. But alas it was
not quite enough and despite such great pressure on the
Kingswood line late on, the match finished Kingswood
26 – Dauntsey’s 21. The whole squad performed
incredibly, really displaying what the 3rd XV is all about.
Our final game was against familiar opponents in
the form of Monkton. We presented a slightly more
inexperienced squad side for this game consisting of
several Lower Sixth players. Cheered on by a huge
crowd gathered by the side of Pitch One, the team
played in true 3rd XV fashion, lead brilliantly from the
front by scrum-half, Harri Lowen. Trailing 17-10 at the
break, some of the Upper Sixth stepped onto the pitch
for one last time, including Hollis, Arnold, Henderson
and Western. Two quick ‘tap and go’ penalties from
Henderson and another great effort from Hollis sealed
the deal for another great victory for the team 27-17.
Spor t 115
And so ended yet another fantastic season for the
mighty 3rd XV. We were unfortunate to not be able to
extend the unbeaten run of the team; however I am
sure that team will continue to enjoy success next year
and in the future also. It has been an incredible honour
to captain the side this season and my thanks to all
those who played in games and trained during the
week. The commitment shown throughout the season
was outstanding. Many thanks to SK for training us and
helping us to become such a fit and skilful side. Above
all, a huge thank you to JFOH who puts in so much time
and effort coaching the side and encouraging us to be
the best we can be. Good luck in future seasons.
Ed Henderson
Squad: Ben Arnold, Greg Bell, Will Blakeney, Tim Bradley,
Yoann Chan, Alastair Coupe, Adam Daly, James Devoto,
Gus Dunnett, Ollie Graham, Torran Green, Michael
Hammond, Edward Henderson, Fergus Hooke, James
Hollis, Hinson Iu, Harri Lowen, Nick Maharaj, Maxim
Matveev, Robbie Mitchell, , Freddie Nelson, Callum
Pitceathly, Dan Prodger, Alex Sheppy. Tom Verdon,
Matthew Webb, Daniel Watt, Will Western, Will Young.
Colts A Rugby
Played: 12
Won: 7
Lost: 5
Drawn: 0
Dauntsey’s Colts A team started the season strongly
with comfortable wins over QEH and Churcher’s
College. Churcher’s was a hard match but their sturdy
defence was picked apart by an inch-perfect grubber
kick by Noah Cannon which fell straight into Tom
Sheinman’ s hands, winning us the match 17-7. KES Bath
proved a much stiffer opponent and despite two team
tries from us and a valiant home crowd raring us on,
we suffered our first loss of the season. One brings two,
as the saying goes, and unfortunately for us this was
the case, Canford ruined us 46-0 despite an optimistic
opening twenty minutes where it was still scoreless.
We soon moved on though and returned to winning
form as KES Southampton were the victims of our
revenge, 22 points were inflicted on them with Oliver
Jackson winning as many turnovers as the points on
the scoreboard. Taking a long trip to Downside proved
worthwhile as the forwards led us to a romping victory
with 47 points scored and more importantly big
Fergus O’Keefe provided the decisive opening try. With
confidence in abundance, Clayesmore were swept aside
by 72 points with Ioan Gwynne-Davies, Noah Cannon
and Tom Mutton all getting three tries each despite
Tom Mutton getting moved from flanker to fullback by
SJH ‘to see if he would actually pass the ball’. Beechen
Cliff were next - a match that saw rowdy outside centres
coming together and blistering breaks from each sets
of wingers resulted in a tense last 10 minutes. However,
their handling proved too much for our defence and
they clinched the win by 9 points. We then travelled to
Prior Park where the first half saw many mistakes from
the whole team but a rousing half time team talk from
interim coach JRA and the return of James Gardiner saw
the halfbacks martial their team to a 31-19 victory.
Next came Bishop Wordsworth’s School - our bitterest
rivals. In the end, Bishop’s deserved their 29-10 victory
but the moment of the match came from scrum-half
Ioan Gwynne-Davies who managed to cruise through
six of their forwards without even a finger being laid on
him - it was a moment of pure genius. The next week
saw a lazy performance from most people, apart from
full-back Simon Winchcombe who managed to save us
some pride, and as a result we lost to Lord Wandsworth
17-12. Our last match was against Reading Blue Coat and
we ran home comfortable winners 29-0 with George
MacMullen wreaking havoc when in open ground and
Arthur Mui sending Blue Coat defenders flying with
his outrageous dummies. Player of the season went to
Simon Winchcombe.
Ed Jenkins
Squad: Tom Mutton, George Hood, Chris Prinsloo,
Gennadii Gorbun, Will Allen, Oliver Jackson, James
Gardiner, Fergus O’Keeffe, Arthur Mui, Ryan Yip, Simon
Winchcombe, Tom McGrath, Ed Jenkins, Tom Sheinman,
Ed Scott, Noah Cannon, Ioan Gwynne-Davies.
Colts B Rugby
Played: 8
Won: 5
Lost: 3
Drawn: 0
If any season was one ‘of two halves’, it was this one.
Opening the term with a very promising victory
against QEH, we then moved on to Churcher’s College
and received a sound thrashing! Next on to Canford,
reputedly an extremely strong side. They were! Again,
we were soundly beaten, but for a 10 minute period in
the second half, something wonderful happened and
we played hard, running rugby, deservedly putting two
tries away and, although not game changing, it had a
catalytic effect on our season and we didn’t look back.
Wonderfully captained by Jacob Frame, whose
leadership and determination grew with every game,
this season’s Mighty Bs were blessed not just with
talent aplenty, but an attitude to training that I have
only witnessed in Rocky movies. When Ivan Drago
reluctantly acknowledged of Rocky ‘He is like iron’,
he might well have been describing any one of the
formidable forwards, so tough that the only tears they
have ever shed have been due to the pride felt in
donning a Mighty Bs jersey!
Barraclough, Jackson and Conidaris were superb in the
front row, with Leese and WOB increasingly influential
throughout the season in both defence and attack.
Arnold, Chapman, Chester and Jewson proved to be
ruthless warriors in the back row, later supported by the
impressive Jefferies, who always talked a good game,
then showed he could actually play too!
The backs were a rich seam of tries, particularly thanks
to the almost telepathic fluency of play between Baker
and Barker, who began to run the games, but were
always generous in distribution down the line to the
lightning legs of Chau or Wallis, or indeed any number
of the prettier members of the squad. Outstanding at
full back was King, whose defence and counter-attack
were inspirational.
Game of the season? Without doubt, away to Bishop’s. In
a tough, physical contest, the passion and commitment
shown by every player was total and, when lesser
men would have capitulated and saluted their worthy
opponents, the B’s band of brothers sharpened their
entrenching tools and dug deeper than this coach had
ever seen. The victory confirming final whistle was met
with jubilation and tremendous pride.
Both in training and matches, the Mighty Bs were
a delight, with talent and warmth that fostered a
super spirit and increasing expectancy as the weeks
progressed. Thank you so much for such a happy and
successful season, Gentlemen. Remember to always
play ‘with your hearts in the oven and your heads in
the fridge’!
PJT
Squad: Nathaniel Arnold, Harry Baker, Will Barker,
Charles Barraclough, Henry Chapman, Adrian Chau,
Christopher Chester, Devan Conidaris, Jacob Frame,
James Hall, Kincaid Ingram, Adam Jackson, Josh Jeffries,
Thomas Jewson, Tristan King, George Matthews, William
O’Brien, Andy Wallis.
Spor t 117
U15 A Rugby
Played: 15
Won: 10
Lost: 5
Drawn: 0
The U15A started the season in a good manner, as we
outplayed QEH and won the game solidly. This was the
first game of our season, however our forwards were
dominant, as well as stronger, which helped lead to
the win, 24-7. The following week we played against
Churcher’s College. The score outlined a fair reflection
of the game, as we should have played better than we
did and made silly errors, but a couple of well executed
backs moves secured some valuable points for us to
end the match 29-19.
In our next match we were away to Bishop Wordsworth’s
School in our first match of the Nat West Cup- and
this proved to be difficult for us, as it was the first time
we had been properly tested. Unfortunately half way
through the match, Rahul Patel took a nasty blow to
the shoulder, which left him out for 7 weeks. However
Charlie Stace and his pack battled hard, but we couldn’t
convert some of our counter attacks into tries. The game
was lost 31-12.The next game was against Canford,
the toughest opposition of the season. Henry Hill was
outstanding in this game, scoring a couple of tries
himself. The end result was 34-17 to Canford. However,
the next game we played against was away to KES Bath
and we picked ourselves up from the cup match away in
Salisbury. Tries were scored all round, from Zander Balls,
Will Thomas, Xavi Kemper, Dan Hammond and Henry
Hill. We won the game 62-22. Our next match saw us
against KES Southampton, a tough fixture. However, the
boys played well together and there was good support
play, as well as counter rucking. After the loss last year,
we won this game 34-27 as we fought hard until the end.
At this stage we had reached Half Term and it was a
well deserved break for everyone. In our first match of
the Nat West Vase, we needed to win this game to stay
in the tournament. We played hard and were stronger
than the opposition in every aspect, a fair reflection of
54-0 was the end result. Our next match was away to
Clayesmore, who were a much tougher side. Following
on from the game last year we played like a team and
looked after the ball. The result was 17-0. The next
Saturday, we were again away to Prior Park, another
strong side. But we were in form and playing well,
however a couple of counter attacks from Prior let them
back into the game. The result was 26-12. The following
Thursday, was another cup match. The conditions were
poor and the ball was dropped a lot, but we kept our
cool and a try from Dan Hammond in the middle stages
meant we were on top and we maintained that for a
solid win, 26-17.
The next Thursday was a match against Beechen Cliff,
in our next round of the Nat West Vase, after beating
Sheldon. We didn’t perform as well as we wanted and
were chasing the game throughout the match, as we
conceded early points. We took some points back, but
we were asking too much of ourselves and couldn’t come
through, losing 19-7. Our next match was against Lord
Wandsworth, a team who we beat with ease last year.
This year, the game was much closer, but an early lead
from us meant we lost our heads a bit. Wandsworth were
back in the game at half time, but another converted
try was scored by our forwards. We defended well at the
end and didn’t allow them to get under our posts. We
won the game 14-8. Finally, our last match of the season
was against Reading Blue Coat, a team we lost to last
year. This year we performed better and were physically
stronger. A well timed backs move put us ahead by
half time, with Zoltan Yasin scoring in the corner. We
defended well in the second half, but we should have
scored more points than we did. Well done to the squad
on a great season. Thank you to WPJW, MJO and DF.
Rahul Patel
Squad: Zander Balls, Ben Harding, Charlie Stace, Robbie
Andrews, Tom Vernon, Hugh Jacobs, Henry Hill, Dan
Hammond, Chester Barnes, Will Thomas, Rahul Patel,
Ed Long, Xavi Kemper, Zoltan Yasin, Joe Stratford,
Conor O’Kelly.
the usual first choice wingers, although Jeffrey Lam did
feature too. In both cases the size of Henry and Lucas
belied their speed and illusiveness, as several of our
opponents found to their cost. Jeffrey made occasional
appearances in the line-out where his jumping proved
more than a match for most! Quentin Choi and Harry
Sandford-Hill played in the centre. Quentin used his
pace to good effect when given the opportunity, while
Harry tackled everything that moved. In fact I have
seldom seen so reliable a tackler at this level playing in
that position where, of course, solid defence is crucial.
Ben Pugh-Cook was outstanding at full back. I don’t
think he dropped a ball all season and opposition
foolish enough to keep kicking to him soon found him
running back at them with interest!
U15 B Rugby
Played: 9
Won: 6
Lost: 3
Drawn: 0
In some respects this season was a little disappointing
because, while we were well beaten at Canford, the
defeats to Bishop Wordsworth’s School and Lord
Wandsworth College were relatively narrow and might
have been victories on another day or with a slightly
better rub of the green. On the other hand, all of our
other matches resulted in comfortable victories, often
rather convincing too.
It is somewhat invidious to pick out individuals in what
was very much a squad (21 players) effort, but Chris
Bryer-Ash, Theo Dunnett and Ryan Cooper rotated well
at prop and were certainly responsible for much of our
success at set scrums. Dan Harris, hooking, won a lot
of ball against the head and his straight and accurate
throwing at the line-out was also an asset. Charles Baker
and Joe Prodger were a frequent pairing in the second
row, the former using his height in the line-out and
the latter making several searching and penetrative
runs. David Watson, Jack Rigby, Kwun Chan, Archie
Cole and Harry Markes often rotated in the back row.
Of these, Kwun Chan was probably the most potent in
attack but, of course, the ball has to be won first, and
David Watson, to name but one of the remaining three,
certainly did his fair share of tackling and securing of
decent ball in fifty-fifty situations. Joe Fortune and
Harry Markes were the usual half back pairing and had
developed a good understanding by about half way
into the season. Both distributed the ball well and it was
an asset to have a scum and fly half who could both kick
long and intelligently. Henry Cox and Lucas Reay were
I know this squad will continue to enjoy their rugby
and be keen, at the very least, to avenge those two
narrow defeats. I would like to extend my thanks to DAF
and to SK for their excellent advice and training sessions
on a Tuesday, and to Mr Long for refereeing our home
matches.
JPP
Squad: Chris Bryer-Ash, Dan Harris, Theo Dunnett, Joe
Prodger, Ryan Cooper, David Watson, Jack Rigby, Kwun
Chan, Joe Fortune, Harry Burke, Henry Cox, Quentin
Choi, Harry Sandford-Hill, Lucas Reay, Ben Pugh-Cook,
Archie Cole, Charles Baker, Jeffrey Lam, Harry Markes,
Theo Meili and Charlie Badman.
U14 A Rugby
Played: 12
Won: 7
Lost: 5
Drawn: 0
The U14A’s had a tough start to the season losing their
opening two games against Churcher’s College and
KES Bath. After a couple of weeks of intensive training
the team registered the first win of the season in a very
solid performance against KES Southampton (22-5). The
improvements the team were making during training
came to fruition in their next three fixtures, registering
wins against Downside (54-14), Clayesmore (29-5) and
Prior Park College (22-5). Unfortunately the team were
unable to overcome a strong Bishop Wordsworth’s
side, but bounced back the following week to win 26-7
Spor t 119
against a spirited Lord Wandsworth side. The ferocious
defence and clinical game-management made this
one of the best performances of the season. Despite
losing their final game against Reading Blue Coat, the
team had a great deal of which to be proud during the
course of the season and should be delighted with the
progress they have made.
Morgan Douglas had a great season at fly-half and
was well supported by Alex Costard and Archie Ayling
in the centres. George Lishman captained the side
extremely well as flanker and it was great to see Sam
Ferguson, Oliver Sweet and Tom Wild have such a
successful season in the front row. Robert McNamara
and Joe Barnes-Taylor worked tirelessly in the second
row, supported by Bertie Nelson and Tom Swanton
who completed a very dynamic and effective pack
of forwards. Lewis Jackson’s direction and game
management from scrum half helped the team to
control a number of tightly contested games. The
wings comprising of Toby Thornton, Jason Yip and Tom
Morgan always proved a threat out wide. They were
ably supported by James Hallam at full-back who was
extremely strong under the high ball and who offered
good pace on the counter attack.
WPJW
Squad: Archie Ayling, Joseph Barnes-Taylor, Alex
Costard, Morgan Douglas, Sam Ferguson, Oscar
Gompels, James Hallam, Lewis Jackson, George
Lishman, Lewis Maclean, Robert McNamara, Thomas
Morgan, Bertie Nelson, Tom Swanton, Oliver Sweet,
Toby Thornton, Tom Wild, Jason Yip.
U14 B Rugby
Played: 9
Won: 4
Lost: 5
Drawn: 0
The U14Bs started the season with two big losses
to Churcher’s College and King Edward’s Bath; the
results were somewhat expected due to new players
joining the school, pupils playing out of position, lack
of training and a new coach. The boys didn’t lose
confidence though, and after some extra training
sessions they were able to get two good wins against
King Edward’s, Southampton and Sexey’s, Bruton. The
two wins were admittedly against under strength sides
so it was to be a truer test when the team travelled to
Clayesmore School before half term.
The team were confident after their two previous wins,
but Clayesmore provided a more physical challenge
which after ten minutes the team met. The outstanding
tackling of Jamie Blake and Hector Gunnerud started to
infect the rest of the team, leading to fifteen players all
tackling their hearts out and determined not to let the
Clayesmore forwards through in the corner. After what
seemed like an eternity, Dauntsey’s turned over the ball
and cleared their lines. That match proved to be the
peak of the season, leading to another hard fought win,
but with more scoring against Prior Park after half term.
Unfortunately due to injury, we lost some key players
to the under 14As, followed by injuries amongst the
remaining players. This led to a loss of momentum and
the team found itself bereft of key leaders, such as Sam
Nield and Oscar Aspey, resulting in the team losing
the last three games of the season against Bishop’s
Wordsworth, Lord Wandsworth and (disappointingly)
against Reading Blue Coat.
Although the under 14Bs lost more games than they
won, their spirits rarely dipped during the course of the
season, in both games and training. Weaknesses such
as poor tackling and lack of aggression were improved
over the season and the backs were able to provide
some exciting, running rugby.
DL
Squad: Oscar Aspey, Tolly Bennett, Jamie Blake, Ben
Boutal, Ed Crossfield, Alex Curry, Carraig Green, Hector
Gunnerud, George Holmes, Rodrigo Iturbe Perez de
Villaamil, Harvey James-Park, Ollie MacMullen, Harry
Del Mar, Olly Middleton, Alfie Miles-Hobbs, Felix Nagel,
Sam Nield, Harry Poole, Danny Tait, Finley Wetton, Joe
Woodward, Elliot Yates.
and thus managed to clinch our first victories of the
season.
The boys entered the third game of the season, away to
King Edward’s, Southampton, brewing with confidence
after picking up their first victories of the season. A poor
first half saw us give the opposition a three try lead and
although we managed to close the gap with two tries of
own, our defence continued to leak and we eventually
lost by five tries to two.
The fifth game of the season came against Sexey’s,
Bruton. Although not the strongest of opponents
the boys nevertheless still produced a very pleasing
performance to record their third victory of the season and more impressively their first clean sheet.
Our final game before half term came against Magdalen
College, a prep school on tour from Oxford. Magdalen
were a very well drilled side and with the score
deadlocked at 10-10 it could have gone either way,
however the boys dug deep and managed to score the
winning try before holding off a final onslaught from
the determined opposition.
The first game back after half term came against Prior
Park. In another superb performance the boys picked up
their fifth and final win of the season in emphatic style,
beating their opponents 40-12.
U13 A Rugby
Played: 12
Won: 5
Lost: 7
Drawn: 0
The Under 13 A Team had a competitive season beating
some very tough opponents and losing some very close
encounters.
We began the season with two physical games against
Churcher’s College and King Edward’s, Bath respectively.
By the final whistle in both games we had come off
second best but the team showed a lot of potential
looking forward.
Our next two fixtures were both against experienced
prep school sides in the form of West Hill Park and All
Hallows. In both games the opposition started strong
scoring the opening tries, however we responded well
The final three games of the season followed similar
scripts. We faced challenging oppositions in the form
of Monkton Prep, Lord Wandsworth and finally Reading
Blue Coat. In all three matches we dominated the
game for periods but mistakes meant we often failed
to convert chances and lapses in concentration meant
we conceded some soft tries. Nevertheless the team
played some fantastic rugby and it was very pleasing to
see them put into practice all the different skills we had
worked on in training.
Overall the Under 13 As had a very good season.
Congratulations to all those involved.
SEK
Squad: Jesse Allinson-James, Jack Butler, Toby Chick,
Josh Duckworth, Wilf Fitzgibbon, Ollie Frost, Olly
Gompels, Guy Harmer, Jordan Hills, Marcus Howard,
Benedict Kinder, Matthew Large, George Lindh, Kit
Major, Josh Mallinson, Calum Marshall, Oscar Palmer,
George Sherwood, Hugo Spindler, James Sykes.
Spor t 121
disappointing end to the half term, but the way in
which the squad was developing and the manner in
which they were playing was pleasing nonetheless.
After half term four matches were played. A strong 27
– 5 against Prior Park College began our run of matches
but unfortunately our momentum was checked with
two point and five point losses to Monkton Prep
and Lord Wandsworth College respectively. In our
final match, we travelled away to play an extremely
strong Reading Blue Coach side. Despite all our work
throughout the year, the boys were unable to prevent
a heavy loss. That said, their attitude was outstanding
again as they continued give 100% throughout the
game. The reward for all their effort was a well worked
try in the dying moments of the match.
U12 A Rugby
Played: 10
Won: 4
Lost: 6
Drawn: 0
Managing the U12 rugby is always a difficult task. With
the volume of new boys joining the school, it is never
easy to put together a squad quickly and to get them
to play any cohesive rugby. Fortunately this year, that
job was made easier by the attitude of the boys as well
as the level of ability they showed. All of the boys were
eager to learn and develop, and whenever they were
on the field, whether it was for training or a match, they
gave 100% effort.
After only a week in which to train and prepare, our first
match against Churcher’s College was a difficult one.
They had a number of strong runners and good ball
players and our lack of defensive organisation allowed
them to run riot. Fortunately we had the chance to
correct our mistakes the following week against KES
Bath. Having been fragile in defence the previous week,
our boys knew they needed to improve significantly
and improve they did. Our defence was outstanding
and we refused to let them cross our line. The 5 – 0
score line away from home was a pleasing reward for a
supreme defensive performance.
Having addressed our defensive issues we then began
to look at our attacking play. By adding a small amount
of structure to our play and with clear communication
from both our scrum half and fly half we began to play
some good rugby and a 43 – 5 win over All Hallows
showed how far we developed in a short period of time.
A couple of very narrow loses to King Edward VI
Southampton and Sandroyd Prep School was a
It was an extremely enjoyable season and a pleasure
to work with such a motivated and talented group of
boys. My thanks also to CJT for his help and support
throughout the term. It is difficult to identify individual
players within the squad for outstanding performance
as all of the boys played superbly throughout the year;
however special mention must go to Henry Barker,
Arthur Fitzgibbon, Edward Morgan, Daniel Parr, James
Pickford, Henry Smith and Hugo White for combining
with U13 players to make a Junior 1st XV when playing
prep school sides.
DAF
Squad: Matthew Bark-Churchill, Henry Barker, Archie
Butler, Ciaran Costin, Ben Eccles, Alasdair Edington,
Arthur Fitzgibbon, Tom Galloway, Robert Herrett, Josh
Kelly, Brendan Marchment, Edward Morgan, Will Morris,
Daniel Parr, James Pickford, Henry Smith, Xander Sykes,
William Tabor, Hugo White
Dauntsey’s Australia Rugby Tour Diary
Monday 21st July to Friday 8th August 2015
Day 1
Day 3
The tour party met at 12.30pm in glorious sunshine at
Dauntsey’s School. Passports were collected and bags
packed on the bus. A squad photograph was taken and
the boys attempted to sing ‘Jerusalem’ on the pavilion
steps (very out of tune). An uneventful journey was
followed by a very efficient check-in at Terminal 3. The
‘Wig of Stupidity’ passed quickly from Alex Cronin for
almost forgetting his bag to Alex Britton for breaking
a tour bag. We are all now sat in the departure lounge
waiting to board the flight to Hong Kong. We hope to
give you an update from Hong Kong airport.
After a midnight check in at the Sorrento Beach Resort
and a good night’s sleep, the squad woke for a team
breakfast at 9.00am. At 10.00am we met Steve who
is our driver for our stay in Perth and boarded the
coach to Admiral Park for our first training session.
The pitches were in excellent condition and we had a
good 3 hour training session. The focus of the session
was on communication and team patterns, as well as
some good focus on lineout and backs plays. The boys
trained well and worked hard. Mr Whyte delivered lunch
and we sat in the Australian sun and enjoyed the break
before boarding the bus and returning to the Beach
Resort. A quick change was followed by a walk along
the beach to Sorrento Quay where we spent a couple of
hours at the Western Australia Aquarium. Afterwards the
boys were given a few hours to relax, some went for a
walk around the harbour, while others went for a swim
or chilled out at the resort. This evening we are going
for a team meal at ‘White Salt’ to enjoy some local fish or
pasta. The squad is in good spirits and we look forward
to another good day tomorrow.
Day 2
Arrived safely in Hong Kong and time has moved on 7
hours, we have an hour wait before we board our 7 hour
flight to Perth. Time is currently 2:00pm local time. The
flight from Heathrow was quiet with many of the boys
getting some sleep. Our next report will be from Perth
on Wednesday where we have a busy day of training
ahead. In the afternoon we also plan to visit the Western
Australia Aquarium.
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Day 4
We boarded our coach today in glorious sunshine
and headed towards ‘Patterson’s Stadium’, home of
the West Coast Eagles AFL team. The stadium was
previously called the ‘Subiaco Oval’ and is used by
both the Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers. A new
stadium is currently being built and in a few years
it will be used by both franchises and possibly the
Western Force Rugby Union side, whose recent
player ‘The Honey Badger’ has just gone to play in
Japan. This new stadium will continue to increase the
support of both AFL and Rugby Union in Western
Australia. The boys were given an informative talk in
a corporate box and were lucky enough to watch the
Eagles train in preparation for their match tomorrow
against Richmond. The West Coast Eagles have won
the premiership three times and the boys were able to
hold the cup they last won in 2006. After a bit of retail
therapy in the club shop it was back to training and an
hour and a half session on defence before lunch. After
lunch we finished with a team run led by Saturday’s
captain, Josh Rice. The boys are currently in the sea or
the jaccuzzi and tonight we are taking them out for
an all-you-can-eat seafood meal. We will be returning
for a team meeting in the conference room at 9.00pm
before bed.
Players’ Blog ‘The tour so far’ - We arrived in Australia after
a long journey at about 11.00pm. The training sessions
so far have been really good and the training ground
although more worn than our school pitches is very flat.
The players seem well prepared for the match against
Hale School on Saturday. The squad enjoyed the visit
to the aquarium and seeing the variety of tropical fish
and the sharks. Today it was a really cool experience
watching elite professional players training as the West
Coast Eagles preparing for their match on Friday night.
Day 5
As we packed up the coach and said goodbye to the
Sorrento Beach Resort, the squad was in excellent
mood as they looked forward to a busy day ahead. We
drove south down the coast to Fremantle with plenty
of information about Western Australia from our guide
Steve. The first stop was the historic Fremantle Prison.
The prison was built by convicts for convicts when
Fremantle was developed and the prison only closed
in 1991. Our enthusiastic guide Brett took us around
the prison, showing us how the prisoners lived and the
conditions they had to endure. It was a very educational
visit and one that I would highly recommend to any
visitors to Western Australia. After the prison the boys
had some free time to explore Fremantle Market, with
many returning to the bus with boomerangs and
kangaroo biltong, amongst other things. We then took
a drive up to the beautiful King’s Park and spent time at
the War Memorial reflecting and enjoying some fresh
air. At 3:00pm we drove to Hale School to meet our
first hosts, the boys were met and have gone for the
evening. I know already that some will be lucky enough
to be taken to the West Coast Eagles match this evening
and I am sure they will all be well fed and looked after
tonight. We look forward to our first match at 10:15am
tomorrow. Hale School are the WA rugby champions
and the strongest rugby school in the area, it will be a
really tough test, which is just what we need to start the
season. Hale School is a beautiful school and it was used
by the England Rugby team as their training venue in
the build up to the rugby World Cup in 2003.
Enjoyed following your progress so far boys! Good luck
in your first match vs Hale.
Day 6 - Match Day
The tour party met at Hale School at 9:00am to prepare
for a 10:15am kick off. The facilities were excellent and
a large changing room gave the boys plenty of space
and time to get themselves ready. It was clear that
the squad were focused and looking forward to the
first match of the tour. Hale School has 1450 boys in
the school with around 200 boys in each year, they
regularly tour themselves and they looked a skilful
and organised team. The warm up was excellent
and despite the strong wind the pitch was in good
condition for the start of the game. The first half was
played in windy conditions with us slightly edging the
territory, but at half time the teams were locked at 0-0.
Although we had a few showers in the first half it was
nothing compared to the sideways rain and hail that
started to drive down in the second half. Both teams
were trying hard to play rugby in tough conditions and
Hale’s fly-half and full-back always looked dangerous,
both of these boys are involved with the Western Force.
With 5 minutes to go a clever kick into the corner by
Sam Tomlin was followed by some strong carrying
from Harry Read and Sam Starks, before Man of the
Match Tom Parker scored in the corner. The final result:
Dauntsey’s School 5 – Hale School 0. After the match
there were speeches and presentations from both
captains and coaches. A huge performance today
from the boys showing all the character that I want to
see from this group. The rest of the day will be spent
with the host families while myself, Mr Whyte and Mr
Meatyard try to dry out all of our kit and equipment. A
great first match!
Day 7
A weary tour squad met at 10:00am with many aching
from the game the day before. The good news
yesterday was that we did not pick up any injuries
and with three matches in the next ten days that is a
huge relief. We boarded the bus and travelled to the
Caversham Wildlife Park where we were given a tour.
The boys had the opportunity to meet kangaroos,
koalas, snakes and the star of the show - the wombat!
We then headed to ‘Supa Golf’ where the boys had
the opportunity to test their skills on the large course
or on a mini golf course. After lunch we travelled to a
chocolate company before returning to Hale School to
be collected by the families. It was an enjoyable and
relaxing day and tomorrow we are up early to fly to the
east coast. It has been a wonderful stay in Perth and
I am very grateful to Hale School for looking after our
boys so well.
Day 8
The tour party met at 8:30am and we said goodbye
to our hosts Hale School and made our way to Perth
Airport. Steve was on good form and the boys thanked
him for all his support during our stay in Perth, as he
wished us good luck for the rest of the trip. We are
currently sat in the airport lounge awaiting our 12:20pm
flight to Sydney. On arrival we will be checking in to the
Menzies Hotel and heading to Darling Harbour for a bite
to eat. All good !
A quick update to say we have arrived safely in Sydney
and have just enjoyed a lovely meal in a nice restaurant
Spor t 125
in Darling Harbour. Tomorrow we see the Opera House,
take a ferry to Manly and meet our new hosts at William
Clarke College.
Day 9
The day started with an excellent breakfast at the
Menzies and the boys then congregated in the foyer
to make the walk down to Circular Quay. Plenty of
photographs were taken at the Opera House and
in front of the Harbour Bridge before the tour party
boarded the 11:00am ferry to Manly. After lunch the
squad played some touch rugby on the beach and
enjoyed some rest and relaxation before their second
match on Wednesday. We then travelled one hour by
coach up to William Clarke College in Kellyville where
we met our next hosts. The School seemed very
friendly indeed and I am sure that the boys will have an
enjoyable time in Sydney.
Day 10 - Match Day
The tour party met at 8:30am at William Clarke College
for what turned out to be a really special and enjoyable
day. We trained for one and a half hours with many
of the younger players getting ready to make their
first team debuts. The atmosphere within the squad
was first class and it was great to see so many of the
senior players supporting the younger boys as we got
ourselves organised for the match. We then went to
the Kellyville Plaza for a light lunch before returning to
William Clarke to prepare for the match.
Playing in our white shirts in front of a good crowd,
which included the parents of the Brittons, the Tomlins,
the Youngs as well as family members of the Gardiners
and the Duckworths we started the match playing into
the wind. After some good possession Alex Britton
scored in the corner to give us a 5-0 lead. A second try
from Alex Cronin who found a gap in the corner and a
good individual try from Guy Rawson-Smith gave us a
15-0 half time lead. Playing with the wind in the second
half it was good to see Hamish Janes score twice and
Tom Mutton cross the line on debut. A second try from
Alex Britton saw the game being won 41-0. Final result:
Dauntsey’s School 41 – William Clarke College 0. After
the match there were presentations before the boys
departed.
A special part of the day was seeing our parents in
Australia supporting and enjoying the tour. I must also
mention the hospitality that was offered by Ben Carr at
William Clarke. Ben is creating a wonderful rugby culture
at William Clarke College and his young side today
must be praised for the way they played. One of my my
most enjoyable times of the tour so far was spent after
the game with our parents and Ben’s lovely family. A
wonderful day for all involved!
Day 11
It was a beautiful sunny day in Sydney as we met at
William Clarke College, many of the boys weary from
the match the day before. A 45-minute coach trip saw
us arrive at the Olympic Park. After a breath of fresh air
we took the boys to the Olympic Pool where they had
a relaxing recovery swim. It was great to see the pool
facilities open to the public and the whole centre
being so well used. After the pool it was to the ANZ
Stadium for a tour around the facilities. The boys
thoroughly enjoyed every minute, especially the
opportunity to visit the changing rooms and the tunnel
onto the pitch. We then had lunch before spending 45
minutes in a retail outlet centre. It was a nice relaxing
day which is just what the boys needed before a long
travel day tomorrow and the third match of the tour.
Many of the boys are doing activities with their hosts
tonight, including visiting Bondi Beach, watching
AFL training and some are watching a rugby match.
Tomorrow we head to Port Macquarie for leg three of
the tour.
Day 12 - Match Day
As we said goodbye to Sydney we thanked William
Clarke College for a great few days and started on our
5-hour drive north to Port Macquarie. The sun was
shining and the temperature 25 degrees, which is not
bad for mid-winter. Most of the tour party caught up on
some sleep while others enjoyed the stunning scenery.
There was a feeling of calmness and contemplation
amongst the group, but that was all to change by
the evening. We arrived in Port in plenty of time and
stretched our legs on the beach before arriving at
MacKillop Senior College at 3:30pm. The boys met their
new hosts and went home, before we met again at Port
Macquarie Pirates Rugby Club at 6:30pm. Unfortunately
the floodlights on the main pitch were not working, so
the match was to be played on the training pitch.
There was junior rugby taking place on all four training
pitches when we arrived and many of these boys and
their parents were to stay on to be part of a sizeable
crowd to watch our match. It was clear from the outset
that this match was going to be a physical and bruising
encounter. Many of their boys were hardened rugby
league players and our boys were going to need to
stand up to a really physical test. We started brilliantly
with some great team play seeing Max Romer-Lee
make a scintillating break to put Ed Tomlin in to make
it 5-0. Five minutes later we lost Andrew Duckworth
who was taken by Mr Whyte to hospital. The outcome
at the end of the night was that Andrew has his wrist
in a temporary cast and it will need to be x-rayed again
when the swelling has gone down. A big shame for
Andrew as he has had an outstanding tour. The rest of
the half was just as intense and we held a narrow lead
at half time. Shortly into the second half and it was Mr
Meatyards turn to join Mr Whyte at the hospital, this
time with James Hill who had taken a knock to the
head. James was released last night after they had done
some observation. The great news is that both James
and Andrew’s host families are doctors/nurses. We
spoke with Mrs Duckworth & Mrs Hill and re-assured
them both boys are fine. Our boys continued to play
well and George Costard crept over for a try before an
outstanding individual try from Sam Tomlin secured
the match. Port Macquarie never gave up and scored a
well-deserved try in the last ten minutes. Final Result:
Dauntsey’s School 17 – Combined Catholic Colleges 5.
Spor t 127
As in the match on Wednesday all of the squad got
on the pitch and after the match we were nursing a
lot of battered boys (20 ice packs used). I am always
very proud of our teams at Dauntsey’s, but last night
our boys showed that they are young men who are
willing to stand up to any physical encounter. They put
their bodies on the line for each other and showed real
character, it was exceptional. The presentations took
place in the clubhouse and Alex Britton was awarded
‘Man of the Match’. I would like to thank both the Pirates
Rugby Club for hosting us and the nurse on the sideline
who helped to look after our boys. Saturday is a day of
rest and relaxation on the beaches of Port Macquarie.
We will meet on Sunday morning for a light training
session and re-assess the fitness of the squad.
I apologise for the delay in this blog and photos, but the
internet connection in this hotel can only be described
as dismal at best.
We went for lunch with Allison O’Brien and her new
family, Allison was one of the very first Gap Students at
Dauntsey’s and her father Jim is the reason we are now
in Port Macquarie. Jim is the Co-ordinating Principal of
the Combined Catholic Colleges and has sorted out
our tour in Port Macquarie. Jim is retiring at the end of
the year after 29 years as a principal. In the afternoon
we were invited to watch the Pirates play against the
Vikings. After last night we adopted the Pirates as our
team and it was disappointing to see them lose 31-30 in
a tight game. It was great to see many of our boys at the
ground with their hosts enjoying a Saturday afternoon
at the rugby. We have just spent a lovely evening with
the O’Brien family and the staff from the Combined
Catholic Colleges at Zebu Bar & Grill, from where I am
writing this blog.
Tomorrow we meet the boys at 10:30am to start our
training in preparation for our last game on Tuesday.
Day 13
Day 14
Today has been a quiet day. The tour management was
missing the players and spent the morning washing
the kit and trying to put yesterday’s photos online
with the slowest internet connection in the world.
Today the squad met at MacKillop Senior College
for a light training session. Andrew Duckworth and
James Hill were both on good form and watched the
session; a few other boys were carrying minor knocks
but everyone managed to train. The boys trained well
as we played a number of non-contact games and
concentrated on some individual skill work. Will Britton
and Andrew Duckworth wrote a blog while James
Gardiner videoed some of the session. This afternoon
the boys are up to allsorts including whale watching
and go-karting. The tour management have just
returned from a lunch hosted by Jim & Mary O’Brien.
Joining us at the lunch were the parents of Isacc &
Sam Priddis and Kate Agnew, previous Gap Students
at Dauntsey’s. It was a wonderful afternoon and it
reminded me of how important these links are. All
the families send their very best to everyone back at
Dauntsey’s. I would like to thank you for your support
about the woeful internet speed and I know this has
been of much amusement to both Mr Jackson and
Mr Collison; their comments have been duly noted!
Tomorrow we start the long journey to Toowoomba for
the final few days of the tour.
Players’ Blog - Sitting on the bank beside the training
pitch of MacKillop Senior College offers the view of
the team stretching after a great physical test two
nights previous. Many of the boys picked up knocks
and injuries from our last match, including Andrew
who sits next to me, arm in a sling. The rain slowly spits
down upon us as the team break up into their units to
practise individual skills.
Two weeks into tour and the boys have greatly
enjoyed their time in Australia. Highlights include
impressing locals with the fact that our school is
older than modern day Australia itself. The tour of
the Sydney Opera House and ferry to Manly gave us
the opportunity to savour what beautiful views this
country has to offer. The boys have enjoyed socialising
with their hosts and immersing themselves in the
Australian way of life. Yesterday the team enjoyed a
well-deserved break. Many visited the famous beaches
of Port Macquarie, enjoying the squeaky sand and
looks of horror from their hosts as they braved the
‘freezing’ conditions. Spirits within the squad are high
as we look forward to our final test on Tuesday against
Downlands College in Toowoomba. As I write this,
Tarek has successfully sidestepped Mr Whyte before
offering the cheekiest of passes out the backdoor.
This begs the question, is it time for Mr Whyte to hang
up the boots?
Day 15
Today has been a long and uneventful day. We set off
from Port Macquarie at 8:30am and apart from stopping
for lunch we spent the day on the bus travelling to
Toowoomba. We arrived at Downlands College and look
forward to our final tour match tomorrow. Downlands is
a traditional rugby school with an excellent reputation.
The school grounds looked stunning as we arrived and
it is exactly the sort of challenge that we need for our
final match. Although the squad are tired and battered
I know they will give it a real go tomorrow. For now
everyone has safely gone off with their final set of hosts.
Day 16 - Match Day
I apologise for the lack of updates, but the school
website has been down, which has not been very
helpful. Many thanks to all those who continue to follow
us on twitter.
Day 16 started a Downlands College with a training
session on their 1st XV pitch. Having played all the
squad in the last two games it was clear that this was
going to be a tough match and we picked a strong
side. The training session went well and we were able
to get on a scrummage machine for the first time. After
training we headed in to Toowoomba for lunch. Back at
the School the match kicked off at 3:15pm in front of the
two large stands and a noisy home support. We played
really well in the first fifteen minutes and dominated
possession against a big side. A late tackle from their
big Number 8 on Harry Read was followed by a reckless
tackle on Hamish Janes. Unfortunately it meant that Mr
Whyte was heading back to the hospital and Hamish
had sustained our second broken wrist in two games.
Spor t 129
our final tour dinner. The boys feasted on three courses
and reflected on the last three weeks. We then returned
to the Hotel for some final speeches and presentations.
James Gardiner was thanked for videoing the tour and
presented with a shirt and a tie. The ‘Young Player of
the Tour’ went to Hamish Janes with Tom Parker being
named ‘Player of the Tour’, both boys being awarded
shirts and ties. Finally Rowan Duckworth stood up and
thanked the staff before presenting Mr Meatyard with a
leaving gift. It was a relaxing and enjoyable last day.
Day 18
It was a 5:00am start as we headed to Brisbane Airport
for our 9:00am flight. Although the boys are tired they
are all on great form. It is now 6:35pm in Hong Kong
and we have a 6-hour wait before our final flight to
Heathrow at midnight tonight. I will write a final report
when we arrive back on Friday, but at this point I would
like to say what a pleasure it has been travelling with
these 26 boys over the past 3 weeks and Mr Whyte and
Mr Meatyard have not been too bad either.
Hamish has had a great tour and it was a huge shame
for him and for the team. We should have scored three
times in the first half and one key lesson from this match
is we must take our chances. We found ourselves 7-0
down and just before half time the big number 8 carried
3 of our players across the line to secure a 14-0 half time
lead. In the second half we battled hard and scored two
excellent tries through Harry Read & Max Romer-Lee,
but we conceded another three. It was a really strong
performance against a side that was bigger than us,
they had two very strong running centres and some big
boys in the pack who made the difference. Final Result:
Dauntsey’s School 14 – Downlands College 31. As in all
sport you always learn more in defeat than in victory
and this tour has tested all of the squad; they have stood
up to all of those tests and I have to say they conducted
themselves exceptionally on the field. After the match
we had our final presentations with Tom Parker once
again being awarded ‘Man of the Match’.
Day 17
We said goodbye to Toowoomba at 9:00am and made
the 2-hour trip back to the Gold Coast. We arrived
at lunchtime and the boys were given the day off
to enjoy ‘Surfers’ Paradise’. Many of the squad went
bodyboarding or just spent some time on the beach,
while others did some last minute shopping. In the
evening the tour squad went to the ‘Hard Rock Cafe’ for
Day 19
The final flight went smoothly and we arrived back
at Heathrow at 6:30am. A few of the boys left us at
the airport and a few more at Solstice Services. A final
rendition of Jerusalem and the rest of the tour party
arrived back at School at 9:30am. It was great to see the
parents waiting for us and I would like to thank them
for all their kind words about the tour and this blog.
Yesterday afternoon I also received some good news
that Andrew Duckworth has not broken his wrist. A
further x-ray shows he has significant bruising but no
break; this is great news for him and means he will be fit
to play in September. A reminder to all players that preseason training takes place on Monday 1st September
and Tuesday 2nd September from 10:00am - 4:00pm.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the
parents and the staff for supporting us through the tour.
I would also like to thank all the wonderful people we
met in Australia for their hospitality and support. Finally
I would like to thank all the players for making this trip
so enjoyable and easy to run; I am very much looking
forward to working with them in September. Have a
restful and enjoyable last few weeks of the summer!
Diary and Blog entries written by MJO, James
Gardiner, Will Britton & Andrew Duckworth
Spor t 131
Boys’ Hockey
Boys’ Hockey overview 2014-15
The 2015 Dauntsey’s Boys’ Hockey season has seen
success in the Senior School and U12 age group
especially, whilst the Intermediate School Teams have
been subjected to a steep learning curve. From a total
of 101 official school fixtures, 36 have been won, 12
have been drawn, and 53 have been lost. Therefore,
48% of these competitive matches have either been
won or drawn.
This represents an overall improvement on the 42%
achieved in 2014, which is pleasing given that it does not
get any tougher nationally, let alone within our region,
than playing the likes of Millfield, Dean Close, Kingswood
and Canford. As well as fielding 14 competitive teams
(1sts, 2nds, 3rds, 16A, 15A, B & C, 14A, B & C, 13A & B 12A
& B) we have also continued with our popular ‘internal’
school matches at U12, U13 and U14 level. These matches
have offered those players not playing regular team
hockey the chance to play on Astroturf, against other
boys in their year, in an official match, with a match tea
afterwards. These have been a great success and well
received by staff, pupils and parents alike.
Dauntsey’s teams, throughout the School, have again
scored a significant number of goals this season. Indeed,
a total of 184 goals have been scored. A committed,
skilful and talented 1st XI, captained superbly by Gus
Dunnett has played very well, without a great amount
of luck. The team finished runners up in the Dauntsey’s
Invitational Tournament at the start of term having won
it in 2013 and 2014, and also registered memorable
victories over Sherborne, Kingswood and KES Bath. The
1st XI also had a decent run in the U18 National Schools’
Cup – reaching the last 32 of the Plate.
The season culminated in an outstanding tour of
Malaysia, where the team found their true form,
wrapping up a sequence of six straight victories. The
2nd XI has also been successful, winning half of their
matches, including a fantastic 5-4 win over Millfield. In
addition, the 3rds and 16As won or drew 80% of their
matches, whilst the mighty U12s won 11 and drew two
of their 15 matches as an age group, scoring 45 times.
Here, the U12Bs produced a perfect seven wins out of
seven, conceding only three goals throughout.
It has been an enjoyable season, with much promise
for 2016.
MDC
Head of Hockey
Boys’ 1st XI Hockey
Played: 11
Won: 4
Lost: 7
Drawn: 0
Despite losing many of our players from the 1st XI’s
previous season, we started very strongly with many
new players keenly embracing the opportunity
to perform, as part of what soon became a highly
competitive and skilful side.
On a physically demanding weekend, we had a pleasing
2-0 win against a highly competent Sherborne side. Euan
Reid performed very well at right and left half-back and
proved to be a useful defensive outlet throughout the
season. Jamie Short scored the first goal of the game
which was quickly finished up with a second by Gus
Dunnett. The following day at the Dauntsey’s Invitational
Tournament the team recorded a victory over Prior Park
and a draw vs. Kingswood. Overall in the tournament we
came a highly respectable second place.
We also competed in the U18 Schools’ National Cup,
which provided us with an opportunity to test ourselves
against sides that are not normally part of our fixture
list. After a first round walkover against Queen’s College
Taunton, the second round was tough with an away
draw at Prior Park College. The team played well against
a strong side, however after a poor start the home
advantage for Prior proved too much for us as we lost
4-1. We then went on to win comfortably against Wells
Cathedral with Paddy Gompels scoring a great goal.
After this our run in the tournament came to an end
in the last 32 of the Plate with us suffering a late 2-1
defeat away at Magdalen College School, Oxford. The
nature of this defeat was unjust as we were the better
team and controlled the game for large periods. We
just didn’t take our chances. This was a repeating factor
throughout the season.
During the season we struggled against the opposition
in highly competitive matches that just didn’t go our
way. One such match was that against Clifton College,
where the whole team played well and we controlled
the game with an early lead from Jonny Bishop.
However, we let the game slip away as we lost, 4-2.
Spor t 133
However, on the positive side, we recorded a pleasing
2-1 victory over KES Bath. Here we got an early lead with
Player of the Season Guy Rawson-Smith scoring from
his signature short corner deflection. Our penultimate
match was against Kingswood. We all knew it was going
to be a demanding match that could go either way,
but we looked past this and focused on the victory
we had set out to claim. Yet again, we started the first
half poorly but with the whole team digging deep, we
managed to come away with a 3-2 victory and left the
vocal Kingswood side feeling rather unsettled. Harry
Mangham had one of his many outstanding games, and
Players’ Player of the Season Zach Dunnett’s good work
rate throughout the campaign was not only evident
vs. Kingswood, but was also very useful for the team,
both defensively and offensively. Paddy Gompels and
Hamish Janes were also ruthless in defence, playing a
key role when keeping the opposition out of our half. In
the following game we came up against a very strong
Canford side and we lost 4-0, despite a fine work rate
throughout.
This year the 1st XI travelled to Malaysia to on tour.
This tour was a fantastic opportunity for all the boys
to experience the Malaysian style of play. In Malaysia
we were a different team with all six matches being
won. Particular mentioned to Max Romer-Lee, who
scored 9 goals on tour including two hat-tricks, to Guy
Rawson-Smith who scored the last goal of the season to
secure our 1-0 win, and to Will Barker who had his well
deserved first goal at 1st XI level. Special thanks to WPJW
who assisted MDC brilliantly on preparing this once in a
life time opportunity. The squad learnt a great deal and
benefitted hugely from MDC’s vision to take us to such a
fantastic country.
Overall, it was a highly enjoyable season for the 1st
XI; with one of the toughest fixture lists around, the
whole team should be proud of their achievements
and improvements throughout the season. I would
like to thank MDC for all his coaching and support
throughout the season, without such dedication and
effort, we would have been unable to experience such
an entertaining season. Thank you and well done also to
Will Barker, Simon Winchcombe, Fergus Hooke, Maxim
Matveev, Noah Cannon and Doug Tilley for their part
in our successful tour of Malaysia. It has been a great
opportunity for me to Captain Hockey at Dauntsey’s this
year, which will always be a highlight and honour for me.
I wish everyone the best of luck with their future seasons.
Gus Dunnett
Squad: Harry Mangham, Guy Rawson-Smith, Paddy
Gompels, Will Langton, Jamie Short, Tom Parker, Matt
Webb, Hamish Janes, Max Romer-Lee, Zach Dunnett,
Gus Dunnett, Euan Reid, Kincaid Ingram, Jonny Bishop.
Boys’ 2nd XI Hockey
Played: 8
Won: 4
Lost: 4
Drawn: 0
Another strong season overall for the 2nd XI which
unfortunately tailed off after a formidable start.
Victories over Sherborne and Millfield in the opening
two matches highlighted the strong technical skill,
determination and character of the side.
Further wins followed with Clifton being a highlight;
however the energy waned towards the end and the
team finished with a balanced win/loss ratio. Ollie
Sibson led the side well showing great energy and
charisma throughout and this spurred the side on in
both training and matches. Ed Tomlin was the stand
out player but others such as Fergus Hooke and Adam
Whitrow showed great potential and should be looking
to push for a 1st team place next year. Well done to all of
you on another very enjoyable season.
OLS
Squad: Miles Davies, Doug Tilley, Ben Arnold, Ollie
Sibson, George Dolman, Alex Archer, Robbie Mitchell,
Ed Tomlin, Sam New, Monty Lovering, Ollie Graham,
Adam Whitrow, Fergus Hooke, Elliot Garreffa, Ed Young.
Boys’ 3rd XI Hockey
Played: 6
Won: 3
Lost: 1
Drawn: 2
The 2014-15 season saw a lot of new faces joining the
team, as well as a few old ones returning. With a side
made up entirely of sixth formers, it looked, on paper, to
be one of the strongest 3rd XI teams for the past couple
of years. This was soon confirmed after the first match
against Sherborne in which the boys, despite only having
trained once together, displayed good individual skill and
a drive to win the game, which they did – 3-1. What was
to follow for the rest of the season, was the pre-match
team talk from LS of… “Gentlemen, going into this match
we remain unbeaten. Let’s keep it that way.”
Over the three months of hockey played everyone
improved, not only on their personal skill-set, but also at
being a great team player. Due to LS’ relentless exercises,
drills and team building activities, we all had fun and by
the end of the season all of us knew that irrelevant of
whether we won, drew or lost, as a team we would have
enjoyed playing the game. We were very fit, after all!
We were unbeaten right up to the last match where we
faced an also unbeaten Canford. Unfortunately that was
our only defeat.
All in all we had seven goal scorers this season with
Cameron Welsh top scorer. I hope that the L6th that
were part of the team this season continue to get better
next year and try to beat this year’s results record. We
all enjoyed our time playing for LS greatly and we were
privileged to be a part of her 3rd XI this year.
Dom Booth
This has been one of the most enjoyable seasons for me this
year and I would like to thank the boys for making it fun,
but also training hard and getting the results. I have really
enjoyed their company and it has been a privilege working
with such motivated, focused young men. I wish them all
the very best for the future. Thank you all for being such
‘nice guys’.
LS
Squad: Dominic Booth, Maxim Matveev, Cameron
Welsh, Angus Whitney, George Webster, Jonny Scott,
Jack Levy, Alistair Coupe, Oliver Shad, Alex Cronin, Harri
Lowen, Adam Daly, Ed Henderson, Torin Bain.
Boys’ U16 A Hockey
Played: 8
Won: 4
Lost: 2
Drawn: 2
After losing three players to the 1st team, we felt a little
stretched as we lost to a well-drilled Sherborne squad in
the first week of term. Their superior skills and pace out
wide saw us slump to a 5-0 defeat.
We turned it around with an awe inspiring 5-2 win over
Milfield the following week with Adrian Chau and Miles
Appleby both scoring two superb goals from close
range and Noah Cannon a making a powerful strike from
the top of the ‘D’. Against a team with missing players,
we proved to be the stronger side and from the start we
showed real team spirit to overcome a really good side.
A disappointing draw to a physical KES Bath 3rd team
followed. As tempers ran high, they snuck in two early
goals, and we were left playing catch up until James
Long scored two impressive goals to draw a game we
really should have won.
However, we bounced back with a remarkable 8-0
victory over Clifton College. Nat Arnold claimed his
first two goals of the season and Elliot Lassiter, out of
position, scored after a cheeky dummy around the
keeper. Unfortunately, news of our emphatic victories
had reached local giants Marlborough College, and our
much anticipated midweek clash had to be cancelled!
Our impressive form didn’t stop there, as we took apart
a decent Prior Park side. Noah Cannon scored six to seal
Prior Park’s fate and Will Barker also ended up on the
score sheet for the first time in the season. Our passing
game and slick short corner routine were simply too
much for them.
Spor t 135
The following week saw our first challenge for months
as we battled hard against a strong Dean Close
side. However, we were superb in defence and our
determination saw us win 1-0 with a remarkable shot
from our captain Oliver Jackson being scrambled into
the back of the net by Myles Appleby.
Due to various reasons we had our 1st team players
back for a tough fixture against Kingswood. Despite
dominating the game, we weren’t as clinical in front of
goal as we had been earlier on in the season and we
ended up with a draw in a game we really should have
won.
We finished our season with a difficult away fixture at
Canford. We came up against a strong, skilful team and
despite remaining goal-less at half time, they came back
after the break with all guns blazing and we eventually
lost 2-0. However, credit must be given to Chris Chester
in defence and Tom Mutton in goal, who kept us in the
game with some athletic goalkeeping.
Special mentions must be given to Harry Baker for his
inspiring link up play, and George Matthews, who kept
impressing throughout the season.
Thanks to ESC for coaching us and to Oliver Jackson for
captaining the side.
ESC, Noah Cannon & Thomas Mutton
Squad: Myles Appleby, Nathaniel Arnold, Harry Baker,
William Barker, Noah Cannon, Adrian Chau, Christopher
Chester, Oliver Jackson, Elliot Lassiter, James Long,
George Matthews, Tom McGrath, Thomas Mutton,
Edward Scott, Simon Winchcombe.
Played: 9
Won: 3
Lost: 6
Drawn: 0
This was a difficult season for the boys. There were
only a couple of matches, against Marlborough and
Kingswood, where they were totally outclassed, and
they showed tremendous fight against some strong
opponents, but, as the goals record shows, they were
generally on the wrong end of things.
Archie Cole was the goal keeper throughout the season.
He had very good reactions, and made some superb
hard saves, but also occasionally let in a soft one. His
defence were Robbie Andrews, Charlie Stace, Zander
Balls and Joe Stratford. This was the section of the team
that was constantly under pressure, and they showed
a lot of improvement through the season. Robbie and
Zander showed a lot of skill pushing forward, and Joe
had a reliable tackle and hit on the reverse side, which
is especially useful for a left back. Charlie always worked
and tackled hard at centre back.
The midfield featured Dan Hammond, Rahul Patel (who
was my captain for the term), and Will Thomas, plus
Ed Long. They had a lot of talent between them, and
Rahul and Will were the most individually skilful players
in the squad. They were good driving forward, but did
not always get back deep enough to help the defence
when they were under pressure.
The forwards featured Joe Fortune, Ed Long, Kwun
Lum Chan, Harry Burke and Archie Osmond. They
often fed off crumbs, and did well to make the most
of the ball that they received. Archie ended up as the
top scorer with three goals, with Joe and Ed adding
a brace each. Henry Hill joined the team for the last
couple of matches, and added two goals himself in this
cameo appearance. Kwun Lum was fast and aggressive
down the right wing, and Joe also showed a lot of
commitment, diving for the ball and generally getting
stuck in.
The first three matches, against Sherborne, Millfield and
Marlborough were very tough going. All three sides
were very strong and we struggled to get going at all.
We then had a win against Clifton and what was my
performance of the season for the team with a win over
a good Prior Park team. Hugh Jacobs stood in as left
back for Joe Stratford, and he did a really good job to
contain a strong right winger. Our team work won us
this match against a team with better individual skills
than us.
We fought very hard to only lose to a classy Dean
Close side 0-3, but were then totally outclassed by a
superb Kingswood team – they were a team who were
unbeaten in any sport in any match that they had ever
played, and it showed! We then beat a weak Hampshire
Collegiate team, before going down against Canford
in their final match. We really did make Canford work
for their victory, and it was a match that showed the
progress that the boys made this season.
Overall, they did work hard, developed a good team
spirit, and their hockey matured over the season, with a
significant improvement in their team work.
PKW
Squad: Archie Cole, Robbie Andrews, Charlie Stace,
Zander Balls, Joe Stratford, Dan Hammond, Rahul Patel,
Will Thomas, Archie Osmond, Ed Long, Kwun Lum Chan,
Joe Fortune, Harry Burke, Henry Hill, plus “one-offs” from
Ben Pugh-Cook, Henry Cox &Hugh Jacobs.
Boys’ U15 B Hockey
Played: 8
Won: 2
Lost: 4
Drawn: 2
The U15B squad this year was a joy to work with. The
boys were always receptive and keen to learn and the
level of talent available for an U15B side was pleasing.
We were unlucky with results in some of our matches
and a goal difference of -1 for the season shows that we
were competitive in all of our matches.
We started slowly with a lacklustre performance
against Sherborne losing 3 - 0. Our first half
performance was particularly poor and the fact that
we had only managed one training session before
the game showed. Our second half performance was
encouraging, however, and had we not spurned a
number of chances in front of goal, the score line could
have looked much different.
to win 5 - 1 against Millfield. The energy from midfield
with Xavi Kemper and Henry Cox working tirelessly
combined with the skill and pace of our forwards
in Henry Hill and Ben Pugh-Cook meant that the
opposition were unable to live with us. We took that
momentum into our next match against a strong
Marlborough College side. The boys battled hard in a
tough encounter and a 4 - 4 draw was a fair result. Harry
Markes was a rock in defence, clearing up a number of
counter attacks from a pacey Marlborough attack.
We put in another strong performance against Clifton
College running out 6 - 0 winners. Lucas Reay showed
his ability, scoring two, making it an impressive four
goals in two games; with Hill, Pugh-Cook and Charlie
Badman on the score sheet as well. In our last match
before half term, we travelled away to play Prior Park
and were unlucky to lose 4 - 2. Although we played
well, and kept the ball well, we were unable to turn our
possession into pressure in the ‘D’ and a few loose balls
at the back cost us.
After half term, we had three tough fixtures in Dean
Close, Kingswood and Canford. In a high class contest,
we drew 2 - 2 with Dean Close, with Pugh-Cook again
on the score sheet and Kemper finishing off a good
team goal. Theo Dunnett was particularly impressive,
showing an impressive range of passing.
Unfortunately we lost our last two matches 3 - 1 and
4 - 0 respectively. Despite the disappointing end to the
year, the boys should be proud of their performances
as they acquitted themselves well against some tough
opposition. Special mention must go to Hugh Jacobs
who captained the side throughout the year and was
consistently outstanding both with his attitude to
matches and training as well as his performances on
the field.
DAF
Squad: Charlie Badman, Chester Barnes, Theo Dunnett,
Henry Green, Ben Harding, Daniel Harris, Henry Hill,
Hugh Jacobs, Harry Markes, Conor O’Kelly, Xavi Kemper,
Sam Prichard, Joe Prodger, Benajmin Pugh-Cook, Lucas
Reay, Jack Rigby, Harry Sandford-Hill, David Watson.
Having had a chance to train and identify some of our
errors from our first match, the team played fantastically
Spor t 137
Squad: Jack Rigby, Quentin Choi, Henry Green, Tom
Vernon, Ben Harding, Kofi Cox, Nick Garreffa, James
Skipper, David Watson, Josh Hampson, Sam Prichard,
Eliot Johnson, Chris Bryer-Ash, Sam Abel.
Played: 9
Boys’ U15 C Hockey
Played: 1
Won: 0
Lost: 0
Drawn: 1
Match Day: 28th February 2015.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, the Under 15 C’s hockey
team faced Dean Close in their first, and only fixture
of the season. With Ben Harding as captain leading
the team, we started the match with great energy and
enthusiasm in front of the Headmaster’s house for all to
see. Throughout the first half, the Under 15 C’s held well
against the opposition, packing the midfield area and
barely allowing Dean Close into our half. Tom Vernon
terrorised their defences down the left wing while Nick
Garreffa kept our defence solid as sweeper. However,
even with a few lucky breaks, striker Sam Prichard was
unlucky in front of goal as we ended the first half at 0-0.
The second half began with just as much determination
to score as when we started. Eliot Johnson, Chris BryerAsh, and David Watson came on in a continuous attempt
to break through their defences. Dean Close came
incredibly close to scoring, but a fine save from Jack
Rigby resulted in the shot hitting the post. Despite both
sides’ best efforts to obtain a goal, neither team came
out successful. Unfortunately for Dauntsey’s, who were
the better team for most of the game, the game ended
with a stalemate of 0-0. Nevertheless, the Under 15 C’s
hockey team accomplished a landmark achievement by
going through an entire season (consisting of one game)
unbeaten. Well done to all players.
Josh Hampson & Quentin Choi
Won: 1
Lost: 7
Drawn: 1
This was not an easy season, as can be seen from the
results. Although the boys trained hard, and never
gave up in the matches, there is no doubt that the
standard of the opposition sides was incredibly strong.
In addition, the fact that we struggled to score goals
meant that the defence was constantly under pressure
and therefore the likelihood of conceding goals was
greatly increased. Dean Close (L 0-8) were an extremely
strong side, but so were Millfield (L 0-9), Sherborne (L
1-7) and Marlborough (L 1-6); and we were extremely
appreciative that Canford agreed to play their U14B team
in the final match of the season. This proved to be an
excellent, and well-matched, game which we won 2-0.
The other particular highlights included scoring
a fantastic opening goal in the game against
Marlborough and an incredibly spirited, and hard
fought, 0-0 draw away at Prior Park College, in which
the boys demonstrated real determination and a true
fighting spirit. If this can be maintained over the next
few years, it will serve them well, since they improved
dramatically, both as a team and individually, as the term
went on; and if they can continue to show the same
commitment and application they will undoubtedly
surprise several sides at Under 15 and Under 16
level. They should certainly look forward with more
confidence than might be suggested just looking at
the results.
MCBM
Squad: Oscar Aspey, Archie Ayling, Jamie Blake,
Oscar Gompels, Lewis Jackson, George Lishman,
Ollie MacMullen, Robert McNamara, Ollie Middleton,
Alfie Miles-Hobbs, Bertie Nelson, Tom Swanton, Toby
Thornton
Played: 8
Won: 1
Lost: 7
Drawn: 0
Without a doubt the 2014 proved to be a challenging
season for the U14Bs with only a solitary win to
celebrate. However, this does not tell the full picture
with very tight matches against Marlborough, Prior
Park and Canford which could have gone the other
way. Arguably, the U14B’s key issue was their inability
to put the ball in the back of the net: only 6 goals were
scored.
great bunch who were a pleasure to coach. A number
players within this team are names to watch for the
future: of that I am certain.
KSC
Squad: Graeme Smith, Adam McCormick, Lewis
Maclean, Lawrence Bett-Hewitt, Harry Poole, Alex
Costard, Tolly Bennett, Tom Wild, Thomas Morgan,
Morgan Douglas, Pablo Ventos Baena, Ed Crossfield,
Spencer Toon, Hector Gunnerud
The top goal scorers were Lewis Maclean and Hector
Gunnerud on two goals apiece. Maclean started the
season as centre back, switching to centre forward
midway through the fixtures: one wonders what the
goal difference might have been if this move had
been made earlier? Captain Tom Wild led by example
throughout, both in attitude and ability on the field.
He worked tirelessly as the sweeper of the team timing
tackles and successfully shepherding the opposition out
of the defensive 25 yard line.
In every game Alex Costard’s work rate was phenomenal
– linking up with the forward line on the offensive and
supporting the back line when the need arose. Our
match against Dean Close proved to be a very tough
and, despite some excellent saves by Graeme Smith
and decisive tackling by the back line of Tom Morgan,
Harry Poole and Lawrence Bett-Hewitt, they outclassed
us, slotting in 6 goals with ease. The following week
the team responded with grit and determination
and were rewarded with their first win of the season
against Kingswood: this was a match to savour. Morgan
Douglas was instrumental in improving the dynamic
pace of the team where his ability to power up the wing
and successfully chase down all ‘lost’ balls made the
difference: his energy was contagious.
In the final game of the season, it was nip and tuck as to
which team would claim victory. In this game teamwork
was at the forefront with innumerable connecting
passes made, possession held and stunning drives up
the wings. Alas it was not to be and Canford triumphed
in the final 10 minutes of the game with a shot from the
top of the ‘D’.
The U14B were a hard working, motivated squad who
unfortunately did not always get their ‘just desserts’. A
Played: 9
Won: 1
Lost: 7
Drawn: 1
It was an enjoyable season for the U13A team, with a
mixture of results. The season began with a series of
7-a-side games, turning towards the full sized 11-a-side
game in the latter part of the term. The team battled
hard against some more experienced, fast and skilful
teams, but also developed the level of play against more
similar opponents.
Heavy defeats were suffered at the hands of Prior
Park, the touring side from Northwood Prep, and
Kingswood, but heads never dropped and the players
committed themselves well. The team had a good win
against Devizes Hockey Club, and we had two tight
games against Hampshire Collegiate, one of which was
narrowly lost 4-3, and the other, perhaps the highlight of
the season, was an exciting 0-0 draw.
Spor t 139
Finally there were a couple of narrow defeats against
Clayesmore and KES Bath. In these close games, we did
struggle to convert possession in midfield into goal
chances, lacking speed and class in the final third of the
pitch.
Hugo Spindler and Olly Gompels played at the heart
of defence, and both battled hard and developed their
understanding of the game. Ollie Frost was the most
promising player in midfield, with useful support from
Kit Major, Jesse Allinson-James, George Lindh and Archie
MacKinnon. Wilfred Fitzgibbon and Jordan Hills both
came into the side to add strength and speed. The
most improved player was Guy Harmer in goal, who
made some terrific saves and kept us in the game on
numerous occasions. Charlie Purves, Josh Duckworth
and Marcus Howard battled hard up front.
Well done to all players for a season of hockey played
in positive style. Next year, the target should be to
continue to develop understanding of the game, decision
making, speed of play and, especially, scoring goals!
TWB
Squad: Guy Harmer, Isaac Bull, Olly Gompels, Hugo
Spindler, Wilfred Fitzgibbon, Jordan Hills, Ollie Frost,
Kit Major, Jesse Allinson-James, George Lindh, Archie
MacKinnon, Charlie Purves, Josh Duckworth, Marcus
Howard.
Played: 6
Won: 1
Lost: 4
Drawn: 1
A large number of boys represented the U13B’s in
competitive fixtures and their hockey has developed as
a result. However, we struggled to score enough goals
and so close games often went against us. Despite
dominating our opening fixture against Prior Park Prep
we were repeatedly foiled by their impressive keeper
and so a winnable game finished 1-1. Another tight
game followed against Clayesmore Prep and with Wilf
Fitzgibbon pulling the strings in midfield we continued
to create plenty of chances. Josh Duckworth worked
tirelessly, constantly causing the opposition problems
but their keeper again proved the difference as we
lost 1-0.
A lull in the fixture schedule gave us plenty of time to
work on basic skills and positional play, which we put
into good use against Prior Park College. In a dominant
first half we opened up a 4-0 lead including two welltaken goals from George Moulding, a precise first-time
shot from Marcus Howard and a lovely short corner
move finished expertly by Hamish Gardner. Jordan Hills
was simply magnificent in the centre as we outclassed
our opponents. However, we conceded on the stroke of
half time and then tired in the second period, allowing
Prior to force their way back into the game. Thankfully
another Marcus Howard goal helped us hold out for a
5-4 victory.
Our finest performance came in our toughest fixture
against a strong, goal-happy Kingswood side. We
were immediately put on the back foot but we rose
to the occasion, playing with fantastic motivation and
team spirit. Calum Marshall and Tommy Gilbert both
excelled in defence, playing with confidence, skill and
awareness. Despite conceding twice in the first half
we were determined to get back into the game. Jake
Steel led by example, working tirelessly in both defence
and attack, and we gained our reward through a
wonderfully crafted counterattack. Starting in our own
‘D’ we poured forward before shifting the ball out wide
to Olly Cons on the right. He raced towards the corner
flag before clipping the ball to Benedict Kinder in the ‘D’,
who unselfishly laid the ball off for George Sherwood
to calmly slot into the bottom left corner. Although we
were unable to force the equaliser, ultimately losing 2-1,
the boys should be proud of how they fought back to
win the second half against impressive opposition. If
they can repeat this performance on a consistent basis
next season then I am confident that results will go their
way more frequently.
SEB
Squad: Isaac Bull, Jack Butler, Olly Cons, Josh
Duckworth, Algie Fooks, Wilf Fitzgibbon, Ben Gardiner,
Hamish Gardner, Tommy Gilbert, Jordan Hills, Marcus
Howard, Benedict Kinder, Tom Lampard Vail, Matthew
Large, Calum Marshall, George Moulding, George
Sherwood, Jake Steele, James Sykes.
The team continued their fine form after half term in
games against Prior Park College and in a return fixture
vs Hampshire Collegiate. Henry Barker scored five goals
in two games, including a hat-trick against Hampshire
Collegiate in a dominant 3-0 win. Robert Herrett added
two to his season’s goal tally and Brendan Marchment
score his first of the season in a 5-1 win over Prior Park
College. Our next three fixture saw the team transfer from
7-a-side games to 11-a-side. They played well against
Monkton Prep drawing 1-1. Unfortunately the team lost
their last two games against KES Bath and Kingwood,
but showed a great deal of heart against these two
strong and experienced teams. The future looks bright
for this group of players and it was extremely pleasing to
see the strength and depth of them as a year group.
WPJW
Squad: Arthur Fitzgibbon, Henry Barker, Archie Butler,
Ciaran Costin, Luc Cranstone, Robert Herrett, Brendan
Marchment, Will Morris, Toby Salisbury, Luke Webb,
Daniel Parr, Tomos Lowe, Ben Eccles.
Played: 7
Played: 8
Won: 4
Lost: 2
Drawn: 2
The U12A’s started the season with a 7-a-side fixture
away at Prior Park Prep. Two goals from Ciaran Costin
and one from Henry Barker saw our first game finish
3-3. The score line reflected the very even and attackminded play from both sides. Our next fixture saw us
host Clayesmore Prep. Dauntsey’s controlled the vast
majority of play and goals from Henry Barker, Ciaran
Costin, Robert Herrett and Toby Salisbury secured very
pleasing 4-2 win. Special mention should go to Arthur
Fitzgibbon who played extremely well in goal. Arthur
maintained this impressive form keeping a clean sheet
against Hampshire Collegiate the following week. A goal
from Robert Herrett and a brilliant hat-trick from Toby
Salisbury secured an excellent 4-0 win.
Won: 7
Lost: 0
Drawn: 0
This was an outstanding season for an outstanding
squad of players. The first form boys at Dauntsey’s are
a noticeably strong sporting year group in 2014/15,
and this was highlighted by the perfect set of results
recorded by the U12B’s.
Our first match at Prior Park Prep gave an indication of
things to come when we recorded a resounding 6-0
victory, with James Pickford showing his individual talents
in a brilliant hat trick. Our good form continued in a
tighter match against Clayesmore Prep, where, after a
slow start, Matthew Bark-Churchill, Xander Sykes and
Hugo White secured a 3-0 victory. We then travelled to
Hampshire Collegiate, putting five goals past them with
Bear Paris and Josh Kelly amongst the scorers, leading to a
real belief that we had become a match for anyone. A
further victory against Prior Park produced another solid
win, and left us with three remaining matches that the
players were determined to maintain their unbeaten
run in.
Spor t 141
The first, against Monkton Prep, was won at a canter
with Henry Smith and Will Tabor getting on the score
sheet, but it was Oliver Ring who set up the victory
with another assured performance in goal. The next
match, against a notoriously strong hockey school in
Kingswood, was perhaps the defining moment of our
season. The character and desire to win from the players
gave me enormous pride as we snatched an unlikely 1-0
win with our supreme goal predator, Ed Morgan, calmly
slotting home to ensure our unbeaten season stayed on
track.
And so it came to the final match against KES Bath,
where a positive result would leave the team as the
most successful at Dauntsey’s this season with a 100%
record. After a nervous warm up and some of the
players feeling the pressure that their unbeaten run had
created, the team settled in to an expansive 11 a-side
passing game and rattled in four goals in their best
performance of the season.
It was the most enjoyable season of hockey that I’ve
experienced at school and was aided by the superb
support of both the parents and other spectators.
This was a special group of boys and I look forward to
watching their sporting progress at Dauntsey’s through
the coming years. Many congratulations and many
thanks to you all.
JRA
Squad: Oliver Ring, Will Tabor, Daniel Basnett, Hugo
White, Tom Galloway, Nadim Searight, James Pickford,
Henry Smith, Alasdair Edington, Xander Sykes, Josh Kelly,
Ed Morgan, Bear Paris.
Dauntsey’s Hockey Tour to Malaysia
Saturday 21 March – Wednesday 1 April 2015
Orang-utan Island and Laketown Eco Park, some breath
taking scenery, the roof top infinity pool at Ipoh, several
temples and a seemingly endless number of monkeys much to the boys’ entertainment!
Tour Blog
Malaysia is a beautiful and diverse country with many
highlights and hockey is a very popular sport for
both girls and boys. Touring is one of life’s greatest
experiences and we will experience many things,
travelling thousands of miles and meeting different
people and cultures, tasting exotic foods, playing
against different teams, seeing weird and wonderful
sites and broadening our horizons.
At the beginning of the Easter break 17 boys and two
members of staff enjoyed a very successful 12-day
hockey tour of Malaysia, starting in Kuala Lumpur and
finishing in Penang with a two day visit to the city of
Ipoh in between.
In 35 degree heat and humidity levels consistently
around the 90% mark, acclimatisation was rapid as we
began with four nights and two games in Kuala Lumpur.
With hydration always going to be a massive issue, we
worked out that in total the tour party consumed 500
litres of water on match days alone, whilst the playing
contingent survived the tropical conditions with three
minute rotations on and off the pitch and lots of sun
cream. The boys adjusted to the high individual skill
level and pace of the Malaysians quickly and found
their scoring touch with two wins and 11 goals in the
first two matches against club sides. We followed this
up with two more victories further up the west coast in
Ipoh against Anderson School (widely regarded as one
of, if not the best hockey school in Malaysia) and STAR
School courtesy of another 9 goal haul. We finished the
trip with four days adjacent to the beach in Penang,
with another win in our penultimate game, whilst a
thoroughly deserved victory in the last encounter
completed an outstanding and unprecedented six wins
out of six.
Highlights off the pitch included excursions to see the
famous limestone formations at Batu Caves, a visit to
Day 1 & 2 - Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd March
Following a prompt departure from School, we checked
in at LHR without any problems... until Zach Dunnett’s
passport was refused... causing some obvious concern
amongst the group! We last saw Zach heading out of
LHR to the British Embassy, hopeful that he would get
the Monday night flight out to KL having acquired a
new passport after the weekend.
Meanwhile, in flight, the rest of us enjoyed some high
quality pad Thai, red Thai chicken curry and some
excellent in flight service and movies, courtesy of
Singapore Airlines.
Day 3 - Monday 23rd March
Sunday ended well when Zach Dunnett rejoined the
tour party late in the day, after his superhuman effort to
update his passport was successful.
An early start (including several of the boys struggling
to wake up to alarms on time!) meant a quick breakfast
on Monday morning, before we jumped on our tour
bus for the short journey to the Kuala Lumpur Hockey
stadium for a training session.
We arrived in blistering heat and high humidity to find
a schools’ U15 tournament taking place on the pitch
during our ‘slot’! However, Zubir worked his magic and
they delayed the start of the tournament to allow us to
train for an hour. That was certainly enough time, with
Spor t 143
water being consumed in copious amounts and kit
resembling wet washing within minutes! In a goldfish
bowl environment with all Malaysian eyes watching, the
boys worked hard, whilst the time on the pitch afforded
us the useful opportunity to try to acclimatise to the
very different playing conditions of Malaysia.
Day 4 - Tuesday 24th March
The day started with a leisurely and very tasty breakfast,
before we set off for the famous limestone formation
Batu Caves, which are 130 million years old. Within the
impressive caves there are several temples which date
back to the 1920s and a seemingly endless number of
Macaque monkeys - much to the boys’ entertainment!
The 272 steps were climbed and the inevitable onset
of sweating ensued, as our acclimatisation to the
humidity of Malaysia continues. Several photo and
video opportunities were taken, including that of some
amorous Macaques, before we jumped back on the fun
bus.
Day 5- Wednesday 25th March
We had breakfast at Renaissance and then made our
way to our training venue for our final training session
on tour. The weather was noticeably warmer and more
humid than the last two days, but with regular water
breaks and constant reminders from Mr Collison to stay
hydrated, the boys were energetic and on top form.
We then headed back to the hotel for a quick change
and travelled to Sunway Lagoon. The Lagoon consisted
of a scream park, water park, wildlife park and adventure
park. Most of the boys headed straight for the Vuvuzela,
the ‘World’s Largest’ water slide. An air raid siren signalled
the start of the wave machine in the main lagoon.
Dauntsey’s 1st XI congregated en masse to work out
the best ways to survive the buffeting from the massive
waves. Suffice to say, sitting on each other’s shoulders
was not the most effective, although was definitely the
most fun. Euan Reid was hoisted aloft and the boys
managed to launch him over the top of one wave,
much to the enjoyment of the local lifeguard.
Day 6 - Thursday 26th March
We woke up and loaded our bags on to the coach after
checking out of our Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. The 3 hour
drive took us through some breath taking scenery as we
made our way to Ipoh.
Our bus arrived shortly after midday at the newly built
Weil Hotel. The hotel is only 3 months old and the
rooms are very luxurious and well designed. Much to
the boys’ delight, there is also a roof top infinity pool
which they soon jumped into! The adjacent shopping
mall provided more shopping opportunities (mainly
for trainers) as well as an array of eating outlets, before
some rest in rooms before the next game. We arrived
at the Sultan Azlan Shah stadium in searing heat and
humidity for our 5.30pm match. Unfortunately, we were
informed that we were unable to play on the main
stadium pitch, due to ‘maintenance’... although in truth
there were no workmen to be seen anywhere!
Day 7 - Friday 27th March
A gratefully accepted lie in and late breakfast ensured a
leisurely start to the day. A wide range of food options
set us all up well for the day ahead, and following a
money exchange and laundry run, the boys were given
free time to explore the adjacent shopping mall, relax
by the pool, sunbathe on the rooftop deck or do some
revision!
After lunch we set off on the short journey to the
Sultan Azlan Shah stadium. Though we were again
disappointed not to be playing on the main pitch (as the
construction company preparing for the tournament
next week had taken ownership of all stadium matters)
we were able to watch the excellent training session
of the national side from Myanmar - preparing for the
South East Asian Games in June. Their coach, a former
1992 Hockey Olympian for India, did offer us a game, but
we respectfully declined given that our opposition were
also expecting a game.
Day 8 - Saturday 28th March
The tour party left Ipoh feeling extremely upbeat after
securing two wins against Anderson and Star, two
very talented school sides. Our journey to Penang was
broken up by a visit to Orang Utan Island. The island is
home to 20 Orang Utan’s of various ages. The main aim
of the project is to protect, rehabilitate and return these
beautiful creatures back to the wild. This is not possible
for all of the islands inhabitants and the boys got to
meet Adam, a 12 year old male, who was the first animal
born on the island.
Day 9 - Sunday 29th March
We headed to Penang Hill this morning to travel up the
funicular railway - a 5km track. There was a Lions Club
running event in the morning involving hundreds of
runners of all ages and sizes, who were competing in
the annual Penang Hill climb run - up the hill!
The boys had the opportunity to see some temples and
stretch their legs whilst taking in some breathtaking
views from the summit. A quick stop at the mall for
lunch and post match snacks followed, before an hour
or so in the hotel resting up before our fifth match in
Malaysia.
Day 10 - Monday 30th March
After another leisurely breakfast, we boarded
Augustine’s fun bus and headed off to the Kek Lok Si
Temple, with it’s white and gold Pagoda built in 1929
combining a Chinese base, Thai middle and a Burmese
crown. We climbed the 193 steps to the summit to enjoy
glorious views over Penang. It is a Chinese Buddhist
Temple, dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy. Souvenir
purchases and several photos later, we headed back to
the hotel via the mall and lunch before resting up prior
to our last match of an incredibly enjoyable tour.
Days 11 & 12 - Tuesday 31st March
& Wednesday 1st April
The final day in Penang provided opportunities for a
lazy breakfast, last minute sunbathing, jet-skiing, spa
treatments and more shopping in a massive mall on the
way to the airport.
We said our goodbyes and gave our thanks to our
resident driver, Augustine and our man on the ground,
Zubir, before flying from Penang to LHR, via Singapore.
Having touched down safely in the UK, complete with
all our allocated luggage, the squad said their goodbyes
and departed directly from the airport or from School.
It has been an absolute pleasure to take such a friendly,
motivated, mature and talented group away on our first
tour to Malaysia. It has seen unrivalled success with six
wins out of six, 26 goals scored and only 15 conceded
and is testament to the outstanding work ethic and
quality evident from such a fine group of boys. So
many highlights, so many laughs, so many incredible
moments, so many goals, so much water consumed, so
many miles run on the pitch, so much energy.
We all found Malaysia and its people to be incredibly
humble, welcoming and helpful and culturally I
know that everyone has learnt a great deal. People
were interested in our success and the boys behaved
impeccably, representing themselves, their families and
the School superbly.
Memorable doesn’t even come close. WHAT. A. TOUR.
MDC & WPJW
Match Results
Match 1: IMAL Team 4 - 5 Dauntsey’s
Match 2: Kuala Lumpur HC 4 - 6 Dauntsey’s
Match 3: Anderson Sports School 1 - 3 Dauntsey’s
Match 4: S.T.A.R 2 - 6 Dauntsey’s
Match 5: Mutiara Impian School 4 - 5 Dauntsey’s
Match 6: Penang Free School 0 - 1 Dauntsey’s
Spor t 145
Girls’ Hockey
Girls’ Hockey overview 2014-15
At the top end of the School, for the 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd
XI and 4th XI, the 2014 Dauntsey’s Girls’ Hockey season
was one of the most successful on record, in accordance
with performances over the past two seasons. Indeed,
the four senior sides averaged 67% win or draw from
their 51 matches. Furthermore, the overall win/draw
percentage for all teams was 56% (just one percent
lower than that of 2013 and 2012). From a total of 142
school fixtures, 60 were won, 20 drawn, and 62 lost.
Moreover, the mighty U12As won 70% of their games,
scoring 37 times, whilst the U14As won 60% of their
games, including a fine seven match winning streak.
Pitceathly, won 6 and drew three of their 16 domestic
matches, finding the net on 38 occasions. Highlights
included memorable wins over Bradfield College
and Pangbourne. The 2nds completed a great midseason run of seven straight victories and 10 out of 12
following a slow start, which included fine wins over
Bradfield College, Prior Park College, Churcher’s College,
Kingswood and Marlborough. The 4ths scored 27
times in their five wins, including the scalps of Canford,
Marlborough and Prior Park College. Also, The U12 age
group won or drew 14 of their 19 games, notching 53
goals in the process.
Overall, we again scored a significant number of goals
this season, with a total of 269 successful finishes.
Taking inspiration from the previous year’s success, it
was a very enjoyable and rewarding season. There was
great improvement as the term progressed, and I am
hopeful that we can produce more of the same in 2015.
There have been some strong performances from
teams throughout the school, in a tough fixture list.
Following an impressive unbeaten five match tour of
Barbados, the 1st XI, captained effectively by Jemima
MDC
Head of Hockey
Girls’ 1st XI Hockey
Played: 16
Won: 6
Lost: 7
Drawn: 3
The season began with a girls’ hockey and netball
tour to Barbados in July. There we played five 7-a-side
matches against various clubs from all around Barbados.
Despite the heat, we had a very successful campaign
winning four and drawing one of our matches. The
victories featured 6 goals from Izzy Pitceathly and Cathy
Tinker was named player of the tour for the 1st Team.
Back home in September, our first match was played
against some familiar faces in the form of the Old
Dauntseians, which we won 3-1, featuring a goal each
for debut first team players Emily Tucker and India
Cook. Having lost several first team players from last
year, the team consisted of several other debutants Julie Scholefield, Louie Carter, Shona O’Dwyer, Rosie
Coles and Josie Goddard. Our next three matches of
the season saw convincing wins against Hampshire
Collegiate and Devizes Hockey Club 6-0 and 2-0
respectively, as well as a tightly contested draw against
Bryanston; these matches saw some new faces on the
score sheet with one each for Shona O’Dwyer and Julie
Scholefield. Away against Canford, the girls faced tough
opposition and struggled to convert opportunities
leading to an unfortunate defeat. We picked ourselves
up to put on a spirited contest against Bradfield College,
with notable performances from Imogen West and India
Cook, and an excellent overall team display showcasing
what was some of the best play of the season. Following
this 4-1 victory, we struggled against the clinical Prior
Park, although Henny Lowth still managed to redeem
the deficit slightly by an exquisite finish into the bottom
corner. Our next victory saw the defeat of Pangbourne
College 5-0, who couldn’t hold back the force of the
strong attacking play from Emily Tucker, Izzy Pitceathly
and Josie Goddard.
In midseason, we travelled away to Bristol to compete
in the U18 West Finals. We drew a very competitive
group including Dean Close and Millfield, and we put
100% into all four of our matches. We were unlucky to
come away short against Dean Close, but we put up
an impressive performance against Millfield despite
Spor t 147
corner. We ended the season with an exhausted and
emotional match against King Edward VI, Southampton.
Despite some tough matches this season, our training
sessions were always enjoyable and productive thanks
to the fantastic coaching from MDC. Those of us who
are leaving will fondly remember Oldies v Youngies,
base line junkies and the hitting game, to name just a
few of our memorable moments from this season.
Jemima Pitceathly
Squad: Rosie Coles, Catherine Tinker, Louisa Carter,
Julie Scholefield, Clara Richmond, Shona O’Dwyer,
Imogen West, Libby Seed, Jemima Pitceathly, Josie
Goddard, Henny Lowth, Izzy Pitceathly, India Cook,
Emily Tucker.
Girls’ 2nd XI Hockey
Played: 15
losing 2-0. Louie Carter held strong against an attacking
Millfield line consisting of several national players,
whilst Rosie Coles made an impressive save in goal
against their drag flicker. We finished the day with a well
deserved draw against Sherborne, seeing our left back
Cathy Tinker record her first goal of the season.
The second half of the season saw some tough matches
against several of the strongest hockey playing schools
in the area. We were unlucky against Kingswood and
Wellington with two strikes that hit the crossbar in
the opening minutes of the game, which would have
resulted in a different score line. Clara Richmond and
Julie Scholefield were effective in defence, and Shona
O’Dwyer put out her usual stand out performance,
assisting in all areas of the pitch. We got back to our
winning ways against Godolphin to pull away early
in the game with many names on the score sheet,
including the first of the season from Libby Seed, who
also proved effective in setting up several more from
the midfield. The end score line measured up as an
impressive 9-0. Our penultimate game was against
Bristol Grammar School, who were carried by a very
strong goal keeper who was successful in stopping our
well worked attacking formations, but couldn’t prevent
Imogen West scoring a perfectly aimed strike off a short
Won: 10
Lost: 5
Drawn: 0
The 2nd XI had an outstanding season. Winning
ten matches over the course of a term is a great
achievement given the tough fixture list and frequency
of matches. The team really excelled under the
leadership of Megan Cleeves who added great energy
and charisma throughout. The defence was well
organised and always strong in the tackle, with Anna
Brown and Sophie Thomas both having brilliant final
seasons. Lauren in goal was superb and the midfield
worked tirelessly every game. Daria Galkina, Megan
Cleeves and Millie Jones won nearly every 50:50 ball
and always contributed with goals too. Upfront Brontë,
Aurora, Rosie and Jemima worked hard and scored
when they needed to. Our usual two nil wins really
summed up another great season. Well done to all on
an enjoyable season.
OLS
Squad: Lauren Sturges, Becky Newman, Sophie
Thomas, Josie Duff, Anna Brown, Imo Bartlett, Daria
Galkina, Megan Cleeves, Millie Jones, Aurora Paris,
Brontë Vivian-Crowther, Rosie Fanshawe, Jemima
Jackson.
Girls’ 3rd XI Hockey
Girls’ 4th XI Hockey
Played: 11
Played: 11
Won: 5
Lost: 5
Drawn: 1
This season, the 3rd XI was the strongest team
technically that I have played with over the last three
years. One of the best parts of being in this team was
the enthusiasm and commitment that each player
brought to the game.
Our defensive play, with new additions of Arabella
Le Coyte and Moira Conner, remained structured
throughout, making it difficult for the opposition to
attack. Our keeper, Arabella Harvey, was consistently
strong in goal, managing to save a number of aerial
shots as well as hard hits from the edge of the circle.
Izzy Jaggs performed outstandingly, providing a
strong link between the forwards and the defence.
Unfortunately, we only managed to win 50% of our
games. However, our goal scorers, Kristin Romer-Lee
(6), Izzy Jaggs (4), Tilly Whitehouse (2), Emily Diamond
(2), Isobel Hale (1), Monty Fillingham (1) all performed
well. Especially well done to Kristin Romer- Lee for being
the highest goal scorer this season. Well done girls, for
ensuring that we secured a respectable goal average by
the end of the season.
Everyone really enjoyed the season which is down to
the “assertive” and enthusiastic leadership of LS. It has
been an honour to play with everyone in the team. We
will miss you next year.
Sarah Hannaford & Phoebe Borwell
I was pleased with this team. They worked hard and
supported one another on the pitch. I wish all the leavers
well for the future and hope they continue playing hockey
for as long as they can.
LS
Squad: Arabella Harvey, Sarah Hannaford, Phoebe
Borwell, Sophie Muir, Monty Fillingham, Moira Connor,
Arabella Le Coyte, Izzy Jaggs, Isobel Hale, Lydia Davies,
Kristin Romer-Lee, Emily Diamond, Ellen Hickin, Tilly
Whitehouse.
Won: 5
Lost: 5
Drawn: 1
Another excellent season for the Mighty 4ths! The
campaign opened well with two hard-fought matches
against traditionally strong opposition – a solid draw
against Bryanston was followed by a confidenceboosting win against Canford and a nerve-wracking but
well-deserved draw against Bryanston. A pleasing win
against Prior Park was followed by two rather one-sided
fixtures: a first against Pangbourne College and another
against Marlborough 5ths. Close matches ended the
season against Kingswood, Wellington College and
Bristol Grammar, the only loss being the fog-bound
away fixture at Wellington.
Excellent team spirit and determination was again much
in evidence and this year’s squad featured a number of
the players from the previous season, playing in their
last year for the school. Top goal scorer with 7 goals
was Tamzin Howard, who really mastered the art of Left
Wing and attacked the goal with relentless precision.
Closely behind was Esme Kirkpatrick with five wellworked goals and Holly Sampson and Helen Jackson
with three apiece. The remaining goals were scored
by Emily Hourahane, Lydia Davies, Milly Sampson, Ellie
Young, Izzy Hale and Kristin Romer-Lee.
This was complemented by strong midfield play by
Holly Sampson and Hannah Lawrence and determined
defence from Lauren Taylor and Jess Tam. Mention
should also be made of Katy Sandford-Hill’s heroic and
very effective efforts in goal, saving a great number
this year. My thanks in particular go to Jess Tam for
organising the team so effectively off the pitch and to
Emily Hourahane for her tireless motivation of the team
on the pitch.
SBMG
Squad: Katy Sandford- Hill, Milly Sampson, Jessica Tam,
Hannah Lawrence, Lauren Taylor, Megan Woodruffe,
Emily Hourahane, Holly Sampson, Ellie Young, Helen
Jackson, Tamzin Howard, Lauren Hampson, Georgia
Woodward.
Spor t 149
Girls’ U15 A Hockey
welcome Luna to the team, and she was a really strong
addition with her aggressive tackling.
Played: 15
The season finished with a match on a Sunday against
a touring side from Nijmegen Hockey Club, which was
Luna’s home club from Holland. We welcomed back our
two 1st XI exiles for this game, and we dominated the
match with our fitness and team work, winning 4-0.
Won: 6
Lost: 8
Drawn: 1
This was a squad who improved drastically as the
season progressed. They had lost two of their strongest
players to the 1st XI, and it took the girls a while to learn
how to cope as a team. Four of their first five matches
were away, and this also didn’t help them to settle
early on, as these were often long trips. During these
first five matches, they conceded 19 goals and only
scored two.
The season turned with a couple of good home
matches against Godolphin and Prior Park, both of
which were won 3-0, and the team never looked back
after this. The remainder of the season saw us scoring 21
goals and only conceding 10.
Anna Gilbert was our goal keeper throughout the
season – she was very safe and made some excellent
saves under pressure. The defence featured Olivia
Keppel, Georgia Carpenter, Emma M-P and Dulcie
Spindler. They were a solid unit and worked well as a
team covering for each other. Georgia was outstanding,
and it was also good to see how Dulcie’s confidence
grew as the season went by. Corinna Clark played early
on, but then had to drop out with a long term injury – a
shame as she had a lot of potential.
The midfield was the real strength of the team, with
Charlotte H-W, Chloe Vautier and Mimi Shepherd, along
with Liddy Payne. Chloe was captain, and she became
the team’s linchpin. She suddenly discovered the ability
to drive forward at the heart of the opposition’s defence,
and she finished as our top goal scorer. Charlotte was
quick and skilful, and could also contribute to the
attack. Mimi and Liddy both tackled well, and were very
determined at both ends of the pitch.
In the forward line, Polly Maton on the right wing
surprised many an opponent with her skill and speed.
She had the pace to run round the outside of the
defence, and then the skill to get a good cross in from
the right wing. She also contributed several goals with
her movement onto the right post. Harriet Steptoe
and Luna Van Crevel were the other regular forwards,
backed up by Ella Boutal, who was a skilful winger.
All the strikers scored, and all had the speed and skill
to frighten an opposition’s defence. It was good to
Overall, this was a very enjoyable season. It was good to
see the confidence of the team increase so strongly as
the season went by, and I am sure that many of these
girls will make a significant contribution to the senior
Hockey squads next season.
PKW
Squad: Anna Gilbert, Olivia Keppel, Georgia Carpenter,
Corinna Clark, Dulcie Spindler, Emma MatsumotoProuten, Mimi Shepherd, Liddy Payne, Chloe Vautier
(capt), Charlotte Hamilton-White, Luna Van Crevel,
Harriet Steptoe, Polly Maton, Ella Boutal. Guest
appearances from Emily Tucker and Imogen West.
Girls’ U15 B Hockey
Played: 11
Won: 4
Lost: 6
Drawn: 1
I was very excited to take on the U15B hockey team;
all the girls were keen and raring to go as soon as the
season started. The girls were well established with each
other as they played together last season, so this was a
good basis for the team. Our first few games conceded
in 10 goals against to our one goal for, with Sophie
Jephson making her scoring debut for the season.
However, despite the defeats the enthusiasm from the
team never faulted. We were also so grateful for our
large following of supporters to each fixture home or
away; the support was fantastic and really spurned the
girls on.
Our third match saw our first win with Sophie again
on the score sheet and a second goal from Hannah
Gibson to secure the win. Tash Whitrow showed great
strength in the centre, playing a blinder in the match
with her almighty hits. Grace James-Park showed her
outstanding goal keeping, which we continued to
witness throughout the season. Our defence was tight
and the girls seemed more confident up front.
We sadly had some absences for our next fixture against
Bradfield College, the team was slightly upset with
some changes and even though we kept the majority of
possession we were struggling to get our shots on goal,
we were sad to lose by just one goal. Never deflated, the
team came back with vengeance; we were back on form
and on top with a great game against Prior Park where
Anni Crichard secured a win with a lovely goal. This was
the start of a winning streak. Our next match we were
sad to lose Imogen Cockwell to injury but in spite of
this we gained Hen Howard from the U15C’s who lifted
the mood in the team with her sparky personality and
humour. We decided to shake things up in the team
and bring Georgiana Gray from defence and make her
in to a forward; this proved to be the best decision we
could have made, goals from Georgiana along with the
team captain Madeleine Brooks secured our second
win in a row. The girls didn’t stop there and pulled an
outstanding performance out the bag with a five nil win
against Churcher’s College. With Georgiana securing
two of the goals, she later became top goal scorer of
the season despite only playing forward for the second
half of it.
Our next match against Wellington College was a
difficult one and the girls fought to the end only losing
by two goals despite putting in a great performance,
with goals from Georgiana and Hannah. We saw one
more loss and ended the season with a great game
against KES Southampton resulting in a draw.
A pleasurable and, at times, extremely wet season
with a fantastic show of spirit, team work and laughter
throughout from the 15Bs, who played some of their
best performances in the rain, it was a pleasure to be
your coach.
SS
Squad: Samantha Arnold, Madeleine Brooks, Elsa Chick,
Imogen Cockwell, Annabel Crichard, Holly Davies,
Hannah Gibson, Georgiana Gray, Henrietta Howard,
Grace James-Park, Sophie Jephson, Megan Macduff ,
Olivia Welsh, Natasha Whitrow.
Spor t 151
Played: 15
Won: 8
Lost: 6
Drawn: 1
The U14A team have played with determination and
enthusiasm this season, developing into a strong and
committed side capable of winning tough matches.
The season ended with eight wins, six losses and one
draw and saw an impressive seven game winning streak
mid season.
The Third Form year group is always difficult to select
from with the arrival of new talent into the school,
however the team quickly gelled together to adjust
to the higher intensity expected at U14 level and the
11-a-side format. Training evidenced some serious
potential in the year group and forced all players to raise
their game. The team however was not quite settled
enough prior to a tough first fixture against Bryanston,
which ended in a 5-0 loss. This was a difficult result to
deal with, given the energy and enthusiasm the team
had brought to the competition, leaving the girls a
little deflated. They responded, however, fantastically
in training and went on to beat Hampshire Collegiate
School 3-0, rectifying their disappointment in losing the
first match.
Tougher competition lay ahead in the form of Canford.
The girls fought gallantly on the pitch proving that
player for player they could match the skill and effort
levels of their opposition. Finally losing 3-0, the score
line was most definitely flattering to Canford and it was
a pleasure to see the girls play with a real belief and
confidence in their ability.
In the seven consecutive wins that followed the Canford
loss, the team demonstrated some impressive hockey,
with creativity out of defence, fluid passing in midfield
and ruthlessness in front of goal. Highlights included
a 6-2 thrashing of Monkton Combe, a 4-1 composed
effort against a strong Bradfield College team and a
determined scrap against Prior Park to win 2-1. Terrible
weather conditions affected the game against St Mary’s
Calne which ended in a 1-1 draw.
The final four games of the season were much more
challenging and really pushed the team’s defensive lines
to play with composure when faced with continuous
pressure from the opposition. The approach in training
was refocused and the girls responded well, becoming
sharper in front of the defensive goal, but also working
on their distribution skills to provide outlets from the
back line and link passes in midfield.
Two narrow losses, KES Southampton (2-3) and
Marlborough College (1-2), could easily have gone either
way and showed just how far the girls had come since
the 5-0 loss in their opening game. They demonstrated
huge progress throughout the season, and despite not
winning the final games, the fixtures were full of flowing
passes, strong tackles and solid decision making.
They should be very proud of their efforts as they
have pushed themselves harder, both physically and
mentally, to raise their game and play more cohesively
as a team. Well done to all the girls for making the
season so enjoyable and rewarding.
AEB
Squad: Lauren Dallinson, Georgia Pickford, Sophia
Stratford, Chinda Smith, Imogen Dawe-Lane, Jemima
Frost, Alice Fanshawe, Zoe Cranstone, Antigone
Lovering, Natasha Parks-Tunstall, Lara Maton, Louisa Hill,
Agnes Williams.
Played: 10
Won: 3
Lost: 5
Drawn: 2
The U14B girls’ positive attitude and willingness to apply
maximum effort throughout was an overriding feature
of their season. Team spirit was always in evidence: en
route to the venue, on the pitch and in the post match
analyses.
The initial match of the season saw the team travel to
Bryanston on a sunny Saturday afternoon. The girls gave
a sterling performance coping admirably with being
trialled in new positions and the move up to a full size
pitch, and though they lost 2-0, it hinted at the team’s
potential. Chloë Darlington made an immediate impact
in goal with some stellar saves (a theme which was
to continue throughout the season). This match was
followed by a tough fixture against Canford. Despite
some excellent defensive work by Maddy Wilks, Cat
Long, Grace Drew and Camilla Walton-Knight, Canford
were too strong and scored four goals against us. The
team soaked up the pressure but rarely got the ball out
of the defensive 25: the hoped for breakaway goal did
not materialise. A close-fought match against Bradfield
College did not give the team their longed for first win
of the season. Catriona Edington, Chinda Smith and
Sophie Ryall gelled producing some superb midfield
work; pleasingly Catriona’s efforts were rewarded with a
compensatory goal in the second half.
Our nearby competitors in Bath, Prior Park and
KES, proved fertile grounds for the team with a win
over each. Our captain, Cat Long, led by example –
energetically tacking and harrying the opposition as
well as making some excellent game-making passes.
Chinda Smith and Hannah Walker’s fantastic reading of
the game ensured that their names were on the score
sheet. A new fixture against Pangbourne produced
quite a flat performance with the opposition insistent
on only playing 15 minutes a half. This was to our
disadvantage as the team did not have sufficient time
to blow away the lethargy generated by the long coach
drive: a 0-0 draw was the result (plus a leg injury for
Catriona and a drama with Sophie!). The final three
games of the season were against tough opposition:
Wellington, Marlborough and Bristol Grammar School
which we lost 0-3, drew 0-0 and lost 0-3 respectively,
though our sweeper Grace Drew never made life easy
for the oppositions’ forwards as she thwarted their
attempts on goal in the ‘D’. This was a disappointing
final run in to the season which did not reflect the
improvements made either individually or collectively.
Progress in the individual skill level of each player is
irrefutable (they can all hit/slap now) and their ability
to read and anticipate the unfolding situations within a
game is hugely improved.
I look forward to following this group of players as
they progress up the school and I thank them for their
friendly, focussed yet fun approach to their hockey both
in training and in matches.
KSC
Squad: Chloe Darlington, Maddy Wilks, Cat Long,
Esme Evans, Grace Drew, Catriona Edington, Sophie
Ryalls, Camilla Walton Knight, Hannah Walker, Susie
McKellar, Octavia Pye, Lauren Place, Hannah Giraudeau.
Played: 11
Won: 3
Lost: 6
Drawn: 2
The U13A squad was formed by an energetic and hard
working group of girls who maintained their enthusiasm
and team spirit throughout some tough games.
During the season the girls were confronted by both
11 and 7 a side games which required a flexible squad
that changed from week to week. The girls adapted
well to each new challenge and all players showed
improvement by the end of the season. Special mention
has to go to the defending pairing of Francesca Whinnett
and Freya Chapman who began to work solidly as a pair
and proved a valuable asset to the team each week.
The season started with some closely fought matches
against Prior Park Prep and Hampshire Collegiate School.
In both matches we able to score some excellent goals
by both Hannah Bradley and India Eastlake who both
would appear again on the score sheet later on in the
season.
Spor t 153
After some hard work and commitment from the girls
they we able to gain a hard fought win of 2-0 against
St. Mary’s Calne. The team remained strong from Jess
Nixon in goals to Alexandra Clark up front which lead to
both Jessie Romer-Lee and Ellie Barker scoring two well
deserved goals.
After getting a taste of success the team clearly wanted
more and demonstrated this with a fantastic win of 4-0
against Godolphin. Hannah Bradley received player of
the match after scoring two meticulous goals including
one which required some skillful aerial control. India
Eastlake and Alexandra Clark also appeared on the score
sheet during this game and showed that they too are
players to be watched in the future.
The following two games showed the determination
of the girls with a 2-2 draw against Prior Park Prep and
a narrow loss against KES Bath. The whole team fought
hard through out both games and proved that they were
playing for each other. This determination continued
through out the rest of the season accumulating another
7 goals in total in the final four matches. Three of which
were scored by Ellie Barker, with the aid of Amelia Place,
India Eastlake, Alexandra Clark and Hannah Bradley
forming a strong attacking force.
All players showed great effort within each game but
Ellie Barker, India Eastlake and Francesca Whinnett all
received colours for continuous determination and
commitment through out the season. It was a delight
to get to know the girls involved in the U13A squad and
I was immensely proud of them as they grew as players
and as a team. I wish them all the best for the U14 year
in 2015.
SJR
Squad: Eleanor Barker, Hannah Bradley, Freya Chapman,
India Eastlake, Amelia Place, Jessie Romer-Lee, Francesca
Whinnett, India Eastlake, Alexandra Clark, Maddie
George, Sophie Hollis, Elizabeth Peak, Jess Nixon.
Played: 7
Played: 10
Won: 1
Lost: 4
Drawn: 2
The season began with a trip to Prior Park Prep. Our
attacking intent was rewarded with a well-taken goal
from Elisabeth Peak but Prior exploited our lack of
structure to leave us trailing 2-1 at half time. However,
a few positional changes helped us come roaring back
in the second half, with Sophie Hollis and Francesca
Whinnett dominating in defence and providing a
platform from which we could build our attacks.
Elisabeth Peak equalised with a fantastic low strike
to grab her second of the game and Maddie George
completed a well-earned comeback win by slotting the
ball past the keeper.
Although that result proved to be our sole victory
we improved both individually and as a team
during the season. Unfortunately, some good team
performances went unrewarded as we struggled to
take our opportunities and maintain a high standard
throughout the game. Against KES Bath, we put in an
outstanding performance in a thriller that could easily
have finished 4-4. We dominated the first half, playing
with width and creating a number of glorious chances
that unfortunately all slipped by. The second half was
a different story as KES attacked relentlessly but we
countered that with one of the strongest defensive
displays I’ve seen at this level. Alice Came worked
tirelessly in midfield as she pressed the opposition into
mistakes, and with both Annie Hourahane and Sophie
Hollis playing inspirational hockey in defence we held
out for a deserved goalless draw.
Throughout the season the girls worked hard in
training to develop their ability on the ball as well as
their positional discipline and awareness. They were
unlucky not to gain greater reward in matches but their
considerable improvement over the season should help
them become more successful next year.
SEB
Squad: Amber Fletcher, Rachel King, Hannah Barnes,
Alice Came, Maddie George, Sophie Hollis, Annie
Hourahane, Beth McNamara, Hermione Owen, Elisabeth
Peak, Lucy Talbot, Jenna Tatham, Grace Welsh.
Won: 7
Lost: 1
Drawn: 2
The season started with a fantastic trials day with all
45 new first formers full of energy and enthusiasm.
The team started to take shape and it quickly became
evident that there was a lot depth and talent amongst
the girls and competition for places in the team were
fiercely contested throughout the season.
Our first match was against Hampshire Collegiate
School and the girls were competitive from the start.
With very little to do in the defence it was the attack
who had most of the game and Holly Gaiger, Immy
Ayling and Maya House started the season’s scoring
with a final whistle score of 4-1. Our next match was
away to Monkton Prep and with similar determination
the girls soon set about getting the ball into the net
with Immy Ayling, Bea Williams, Holly Gaiger and Maya
House all scoring. Up until this point the defence had
not been put under very much pressure but Kingswood
were quick off the mark and soon the girls were on the
back foot. However, they fought back and the score line
was evened up by half time. Lara Vautier, Ella Harris and
Pippy Abel held firm in the defence with Rachel Millar
on top form but their attack squeezed one past and
the final score of 3-2 was the only loss of the season.
However, undeterred, the team went from strength
to strength and carried on to gain victories against
Godolphin, Churcher’s, Thornegrove but the highlight
of the season proved to be the duel at Bristol Grammar
School. The ball went from end to end in a real nail-biter
of a match, with every single player giving their all. The
final whistle blew on a well-earned 3-3 draw and a fair
result for both teams.
In short, a fabulous season. The U12s ended up
statistically the best team in the school for the season
and top scorer Maya House deserves a special mention,
too. Her composure and tenacity on the pitch were a
credit to her. The whole team has great potential for the
future; many of the girls have been selected for county
training over the summer and the future looks very
bright indeed, so keep an eye out for these girls as they
move up through the school. Thank you to the whole
team for such a positive attitude, unfailing energy and
enthusiasm and of course lots of fun, too.
SC
Spor t 155
Squad: Imogen Ayling, Pippy Abel, Lara Vautier, Beatrice
Williams, Rachel Millar, Holly Gaiger, Sasha Broadhead,
Tabby Spindler, Ella Harris, Ava Hall, Hannah Weedon.
Played: 9
Won: 3
Lost: 2
Drawn: 4
The season started with very promising trials and it was
clear that places were going to be hard to come by in a
talented year group of lots of girls. However, a ‘B’ Team
started to emerge and take shape and they proved
themselves to be a spirited bunch, working hard and
determined to do their best for Dauntsey’s.
Our first match against Hampshire Collegiate School
resulted in a 0-0 draw as the girls failed to score
despite several near-misses. However, they soon got the
hang of getting the ball into the goal and a 5-0 victory
against Monkton Prep proved this with a hat trick from
Maddy Reay.
A solid 1-1 draw against St. Mary’s was a fair result in
a very close match followed by a convincing 4-2 win
over All Hallows. The team were then up against some
tough opposition and despite a few losses they were in
characteristic good humour as we had our final match
of the season against KES Southampton. This is always a
well-fought battle with both sides very closely matched
and this year proved to be similar. With the scores level
at 0-0 at half time the girls had to work extra hard in
the final minutes to secure a victory. Top goal scorer of
the season, Maddy Reay, sealed the victory in the dying
minutes of the match to finish a great season a real high.
Well done to everyone who played and thank you for
your enthusiasm, energy and determination.
KB
Squad: Maddy Reay, Fizzy Wilks, Lexi Aspey, Caitlin
Clark, Josie Banovic, Sophia Hill, Bronte Lorimer , Phoebe
Lishman, Freya Wharton, Merlo Jewell, Ellouise Muller,
Florence Evenden.
Barbados Girls’ Hockey and Netball Tour
Monday 7th July – Friday 18th July 2015
demonstrontrated their endurance and skill in such
conditions. The B team match started slowly and the
the heat and pace of the game was hard to deal with.
The second half of the game they found their pace and
played some excellent netball, and scored more goals
and reduced the number scored by the opposition.
Netball vs. Newbury Ballers
Dauntsey’s A 14 - 17 Newbury
Dauntsey’s B 8 - 28 Newbury
Day 1 - Monday 7th July
After a long but comfortable flight over, we have arrived
safely to the blazing sun and beautiful white beaches
of Barbados. The afternoon has been spent testing the
hotel pool and adjusting to the 30 degree heat. Early
bed time tonight ready for our first full day on the island
tomorrow!
Day 2 - Tuesday 8th July
After a peaceful night’s sleep and a breakfast of eggs
and bacon we had a briefing from our local guru Rikki
on all Barbados has to offer. We then headed to the
University of West Indies for hockey and netball training
in scorching conditions with plenty of water and sun
cream to hand! Post training we returned to the hotel
and strolled down the gap via the supermarket for
much needed replenishment. Some time out in the
sun followed before a few hours of relaxation around
the pool and on Dover beach. Platters of chicken, fish,
salad and veg at ‘Jus Grillin’ were demolished, before our
driver Roger returned some weary heads back for an
early night. Game day tomorrow!
Day 3 - Wednesday 9th July
Pancakes, bread and hash brown breakfast... carbo
loading! Resident driver Sunshine took us to the aptly
named Salisbury Recreation Ground for the match
against Newbury. The ‘A’ team controlled the court
for quarters one to three but then the heat of the day
took its toll and the two U16 Barbados National players
Following a few photos with the Barbados Captain,
Latanya, we returned to the hotel for a quick lunch,
before jumping back on the fun bus to UWI. Our first
exposure to Bajan timing then materialised as the
Avengers belatedly rocked up! A sluggish first half as the
heat took hold, saw us drawing 2-2. However, a much
improved passing display in the second period allowed
us to run out comfortable winners, including a hat-trick
from Izzy Pitceathly. The B team then played ‘Beauty’ in
a change from the schedule. An even first half saw the
lively Millie Jones equalise on the stroke of half time. A
well taken goal midway through the half then led to an
undeserved narrow 2-1 loss.
Hockey vs. Avengers
Dauntsey’s A 5 - 2 Avengers
Dauntsey’s B 1 - 2 Beauty
An amazing night out at Harbour Lights capped another
sunny day in the Caribbean, with plenty of good food,
dancing, fire eaters and flaming limbo! Awesome.
Day 4 - Thursday 10th July
With a 4am storm blowing through the resort, we
awoke to an overcast but humid day. Another decent
breakfast set us up for a very successful day of sport.
First up at the netball stadium were matches versus
Summer Camp Select - a combination of players
partaking in a development programme throughout
the holidays, including some junior internationals. In
a low scoring match which saw good approach play
but wayward shooting from both sides, our A team ran
out winners by a single goal having been comfortable
throughout. The B team then played a different side,
Spor t 157
and showed excellent composure to out score our
opponents in each quarter, to record a fine win.
Netball vs. Summer Camp Select
Dauntsey’s A 8 - 7 Summer Camp Select
Dauntsey’s B 23 - 13 Summer Camp Select
After a change of kit, a short rest and plenty of singing
on the bus, we then headed off to UWI for our second
round of hockey matches. Both hockey and netball
squads made changes today, and the Bs played first
against the All Stars. We were well worth our 2-0 half
time lead through goals from India and Kirsty, but
tired a little towards the end as the All Stars threw on a
few more players worthy of the name! The As sought
revenge and set off at a great pace. Again, a 2-0 lead at
the break through Lottie and Daria was well deserved,
before a fight back saw the opposition, featuring a
senior international player, draw level. We continued to
attack with more goals from Lottie and two well taken
finishes from Izzy P as we battled the heat and tiring
legs to secure another pleasing victory.
Hockey vs. All Stars Junior Program
Dauntsey’s A 5 - 3 All Stars
Dauntsey’s B 2 - 3 All Stars
A fine feast of burgers, chicken, fries and ice cream
coupled with plenty more fine renditions of their
favourite songs finished a successful day in a lovely
tone. Island Safari and a well earned rest day beckons
tomorrow.
Day 5 - Friday 11th July
Three Island Safari jeeps turned up nice and early as we
embarked on our journey through 11 of the 12 parishes
on the wonderfully diverse island of Barbados. As we
travelled up the east coast, seeing various historical
sights, beaches and off road terrain, our tour guides
provided a vast number of interesting facts and figures
for our educational benefit! Stops for refreshment
and photo opportunities were gladly taken, whilst the
change in arid and barren landscape as we neared the
Atlantic Ocean versus the comparison with that of the
Caribbean Sea, was incredibly apparent for an island
only 166 sq. miles in size. A fantastic lunch of flying fish,
BBQ chicken, macaroni pie, beef stew, rice, pulses, beans
and salad followed at a plush country club before we
began the drive back to the south west coast past the
indulgent residences of Rihanna and Simon Cowell,
at Barbados’ ‘Vegas’, Sandy Lane. Other highlights
included Julie acquiring ‘Barry’ the sea egg... whose
removal from the beach was not totally legal, much to
everyone’s amusement! For this she rightly earned the
hat of shame. Fortunately, the resident Go-to-Girl, Lottie
C, came to the rescue with a plastic bag of salt water
to transport Barry back to the his natural environment
thanks to a quick seaside stop!
Some time relaxing by the pool, on the beach or
catching up on sleep was enjoyed by all, prior to
heading out to the most popular local event of the
week, Oistins outdoor fish fry. In the hustle and bustle
of a buzzing atmosphere, aside from good fish and
salads, there were numerous stalls, dance stages, street
performers and Bajan locals to see.
Historically and culturally, as good as it gets in Barbados.
Another very enjoyable day.
Day 6 - Saturday 12th July
On another hot day, we headed off to the Netball
stadium for our toughest test so far, against the
Barbados U16 National Training Squad. This group
sees a collection of 30 players involved in the national
selection programme, from whom they chose two sides
to play against us. The As played some excellent netball
in defence and midcourt, staying in touch throughout
the match. A comeback in the last quarter was not quite
enough, however, as we lost 16-13. The Bs also played
well against a younger but highly skilled side, keen to
get noticed, who seemingly had springs in their feet! We
did score when we got into the circle, but struggled to
keep possession enough, going down 26-7.
Netball vs. U16 Training Squad
Dauntsey’s A 13 - 16 U16 Training Squad
Dauntsey’s B 7 - 26 U16 Training Squad
After some sustenance and plenty of fluids back at
the hotel, we then set off for UWI for hockey versus
Foundation School. In energy sapping heat, we did not
quite match the intensity of previous performances.
However, the As took the lead through a well worked
team goal but could not force a decisive second despite
numerous chances. Foundation equalised and the
game finished 1-1. The Bs started slowly and conceded
early on. However, a much improved display in the
second half saw us fight back in true Dauntsey’s fashion,
and but for some good goalkeeping, we would have
secured a result. Encouraging signs though, in a narrow
2-1 loss.
Hockey vs. Foundation
Dauntsey’s A 1 - 1 Foundation
Dauntsey’s B 1 - 2 Foundation
A BBQ under the stars and a full moon at the hotel set
the scene for a relaxed evening and a much requested
early night for all!
Day 7 - Sunday 13th July
17th Birthday Girl Julie was greeted by numerous
renditions of Happy Birthday this morning, before
Sunshine collected us from the hotel for the short trip
up the east coast to the parish of St. James. Sion Hill
were the opponents - a new community based side,
who have to briefly halt matches when cars use the
court as a roundabout! The Bs were up first and played
very consistently and effectively to lead 11-9 at half
time. They then accelerated in the second half with
some excellent shooting from Julie and Emily earning a
handsome victory. The As were subjected to a physical
encounter against some strong and athletic girls! They
maintained their composure and again produced fine
court play, to steadily increase their lead throughout
each quarter, which meant a comfortable victory was
the result.
Netball vs. Sion Hill
Dauntsey’s A 14 - 7 Sion Hill
Dauntsey’s B 28 - 13 Sion Hill
Back to the hotel and a quick lunch and shower before
our penultimate trip to UWI to play our toughest hockey
opponents so far - students from the elite hockey
programme at UWI. The Bs again played first, and
passed the ball with assurance, as well as working hard
in the heat for each other. One moment of individual
brilliance meant a 1-0 deficit at half time. We threw
everything forward in search of an equaliser, with
Megan dominant and Josie D cleaning up at the back.
However, we couldn’t convert when it mattered. The
As played much more effectively as a team with high
pass completion, and fine running off the ball to create
space. Lottie opened the scoring, before a UWI equaliser
led to a competitive second period, after Rosie had
expertly saved a penalty flick. We fell behind but never
gave up, with team Pitceathly each scoring as we nicked
a last minute winner to grab an impressive win.
Hockey vs. UWI Select
Dauntsey’s A 3 - 2 UWI Select
Dauntsey’s B 0 - 1 UWI Select
Cake number 1 was consumed on the terrace at the
hotel - a necessary sugar hit before the karaoke! Ocean
15 was the venue, and after more platters of chicken
and fish, the girls took centre stage as they reeled off
versions of Eminem, Kelly Clarkson, Shaggy, Spice Girls,
and of course Mamma Mia! Cake number 2 provided an
interlude, before more singing and rapping from Megan
‘give me any song’ Cleeves... amazing!
Day 8 - Monday 14th July
After a much needed lie-in and late breakfast of
pancakes, sausages, fried banana and toast, we headed
off in the Sunshine bus to the Boatyard Beach Party
Spor t 159
signed Barbados flag, before her team embark on the
Commonwealth Games next week.
Netball vs. St. Barnabas
Dauntsey’s A 10 - 6 St. Barnabas
Dauntsey’s B 12 - 6 St. Barnabas
to get our tan on! The girls feasted themselves on the
floating trampoline, the iceberg slide, jetty jump and
rope swing... aside from sunbathing, burying themselves
in the sand, and chilling to Bob Marley! Standard lunch
of “chicken, an’ rice, an’ bean, an’ ting”... with ‘french fry’
was enjoyed, before the majority embarked on tandem
jet ski rides and volleyball, as well as more water jump
and iceberg slide action!
A full day of R ‘n’ R and plenty of after sun followed,
before ordering in to the hotel various pizzas and
“chicken, an’ rice, an bean, an’ ting”! Love it.
Day 9 - Tuesday 15th July
Four from Four!
The elusive and magical feat of securing four wins
out of four in a day was achieved in the final round
of netball and hockey fixtures. First up, in flash floods
more akin to the Somerset Levels than Barbados, we
travelled to the netball stadium for matches against St.
Barnabas. Flooded courts meant the Bajans refused to
play... they don’t do rain! So an enforced time delay of
75 minutes (during which the girls chatted to the locals
and taught them various dances, handclap games and
songs) meant we played both matches side by side.
Complete with shower caps on, St. Barnabas reluctantly
stepped on to the court, whilst we had been warming
up for some time! Both sides adapted on steadily
drying courts, managing to score when it mattered
thanks to good approach play and defensive action.
The As won 10-6, whilst the Bs ran out 12-6 victors.
Thereafter followed an incredible rendition of the
Haka, led expertly by Izzy P, by our very own All Blacks!
Letonia (Barbados Netball Captain) presented us with a
Lunch at the hotel, a change of clothes and some
jewellery shopping was the preamble to the
final hockey encounter of the tour at UWI, versus
Combermere School. On a wet pitch, which again suited
us, the Bs attacked form the start and created lots of
chances. A 2-1 half time lead was consolidated after the
break as a 5-2 win was richly deserved. India grabbed a
hat trick, including appropriate celebration, whilst Millie
and Emily also netted. The As had a slow start but then
fired into life with an amazing 10 minute spell which
saw 5 unanswered goals. We won the match 6-4, with
the customary Lottie Colquhoun hat trick taking her
final 1st team individual tally at Dauntsey’s to 44 goals
in 37 games... quite exceptional. Daria, Mima and a rare
strike from Julie weighed in with the other goals in a
very good display.
Hockey vs. Combermere
Dauntsey’s A 6 - 4 Combermere
Dauntsey’s B 5 - 2 Combermere
Singing, singing and more singing followed, before a
swim in the sea and dinner at Luigi’s Italian (owned by
David!)
A very fitting end to the sporting aspect of the tour...
our Netball teams winning 6 out of 10, with our Hockey
teams winning 5 and drawing 1 of their 10 games.
Everyone played a huge part in this success, and should
be very proud of their efforts.
Tiami catamaran awaits tomorrow... hopefully the sun
will have his hat on!
Day 10 - Wednesday 16th July
A traditional Bajan breakfast of water melon, pancakes,
syrup, fish cakes and diced frankfurters.... yummy?!
- set us up for the final excursion of the tour on the
Tiami catamaran. Tiami stands for ‘This Is A Moving
Investment’ and has four catamarans measuring 72
feet in length, and each worth approximately £550,000.
‘Excellence Too’ was our vessel as we set off up the
west coast in sideways rain! Before we even set sail,
Meg and a couple of the girls claimed their prime time
sun spot on the trampoline netting area. Unfortunately,
and for reasons known only to her, Meg somehow
then dropped her iPhone through the netting and
into the clear Caribbean Sea for evermore. Oops... sorry
Mum! The girls made the most of the free sodas (with
Millie heading the queue as always) as we were fed
and watered throughout our five hour journey. Two
snorkelling stops, including one swimming with sea
turtles was a unforgettable experience, whilst banana
bread, fish, macaroni pie, chicken ‘an rice ‘an bean ‘an
ting was as ever, on the menu. Plenty of swimming and
sunbathing opportunities were afforded, whilst a party
style atmosphere was created by the excellent on board
playlist and the girls’ singing as loud as ever. More cake
and fruit followed, before we docked back at the marina
and took the opportunity to buy various souvenirs.
Josie G then left her water bottle in the shop, having
mistaken a chopping board for a tennis biff bat... classic.
Afternoon by the pool in overcast conditions before the
ladies donned their gladrags in preparation for the end
of tour dinner at Brown Sugar. A lovely setting, coupled
with a tropical storm and good food set the tone. It was
indeed, a fitting celebration of the last two weeks in the
sun of wonderful Barbados. A series of thank you’s and
several awards were distributed and plenty of laughs,
reminiscing and fun was the order of the evening.
Tour Awards
Top Joker: Megan ‘give me any song’ Cleeves
Top Tourist: Millie Jones
Tour Captain: Mima Pitceathly
Netball Team A
Most Improved Player: Izzy Pitceathly
Player of the Tour: India Cook
Day 11 - Thursday 17th July
A late breakfast and lazy final morning by the pool and
on the beach enabled all to soak up the last of the sun,
to prevent fading tans on the plane home! With rooms
cleared and keys handed in, the final opportunities for
souvenir shopping and Tyson’s fine cuisine at the hotel
beckoned, as well as memorable photos and reminiscing
about what has been a quite simply brilliant tour.
We boarded the coach with Elvis at the wheel (complete
with the usual back catalogue of various pop classics)
before checking in at Grantley Adams International
Airport, alongside the entire Barbados Commonwealth
Games Team. Virgin flight VS30 would be our home for
the overnight journey.
Day 12 - Friday 18th July
Having said a fond farewell to the wonderful island
of Barbados and its hugely friendly, laid back and
welcoming people and atmosphere, we awoke a little
bleary eyed having dined out on various inflight movies,
and on-board games. With all in good spirits, and all
bags accounted for, Mike met us promptly and we
made good time returning to Dauntsey’s with a 9.35am
arrival. The tour party said some emotional goodbyes
as we all went our separate ways for the remainder
of the summer. Suffice to say, however, the holidays
could not have got off to a better start, having spent
two weeks in the company of some fantastic people,
with some unforgettable memories. The pupils were a
credit to the School, their parents and themselves, and
Barbados 2014 certainly was an entertaining, successful
and excellent experience for all concerned. From my
perspective, an absolute pleasure.
MDC
Netball Team B
Most Improved Player: Emily ‘shine bright like a’ Diamond
Player of the Tour: Daria Galkina
Hockey Team A
Most Improved Player: Julie Scholefield
Player of the Tour: Cathy Tinker
Hockey Team B
Most Improved Player: Josie Duff
Player of the Tour: Josie Goddard
Spor t 161
Netball
We started our season with a match against Bradfield
whom we hadn’t beaten for several years. The girls took to
the court buzzing; the game was a real rollercoaster but
having gone into the final quarter down by two goals,
the girls always believed they could win and won 32-30.
We continued our success with wins over Monkton
Combe, St Mary’s Calne, Prior Park and Downe House
before our run of success was halted by a tough Royal
High School Bath side. The girls agreed that it was an
excellent test for them and rather than let it dampen
their spirits they came back wanting more and working
hard, leading to an emphatic 52-19 win over BGS. As the
season came to a close, it was their love for the game
that led to an arranged fixture against Marlborough and
here it was completely evident how far their netball had
come, as they only narrowly lost in the last 2 minutes
of the game! It was great to end the season with a win
against Downside and celebrating our success at the
netball dinner.
1st VII Netball
Played: 12
Won: 8
Lost: 4
Drawn: 0
Having only started Dauntsey’s in January, it was my first
challenge coaching the 1st VII netball girls and what a
fantastic team they were! It was clear from the start of
the season that this team were hardworking, resilient,
determined, focused, mentally strong and infectious
with enthusiasm and that they would enhance the
reputation of the sport at Dauntsey’s as a whole. Having
played a total of twelve matches and only losing four
really does demonstrate the strength and level of progress
the girls made over the course of the season. I spent all
week looking forward to our matches and training; the
girls were absolutely outstanding on all levels.
We were able to spend the first weekend building the
team dynamics and the 1st team also took a session with
the 1st form girls; their love for netball certainly rippled
down to the U12’s and the session proved a real success.
This has been an incredible season. Special mention
must go to Henny Lowth (Captain) and Mima Pitceathly
(Vice-Captain) who were role models throughout.
Henny was a formidable presence on court and without
her communication and hard work in defence, we
would not have achieved half the number of turnovers.
Having moved Mima into a shooting role, I would like
to highlight her hard work and determination - she was
absolutely outstanding at GA and looked a complete
natural.
I would like to thank all the players for making this
season extremely enjoyable – the best season I have
ever had coaching a school team. I would like to wish
the leavers the best of luck and look forward to rebuilding the team next year.
KAB
Squad: Anna Brown, Megan Cleeves, India Cook, Lydia
Davies, Isabel Jaggs, Henny Lowth, Jemima Pitceathly,
Izzy Pitceathly, Shona O’Dwyer, Megan Taylor.
2nd VII Netball
Played: 12
Won: 9
Lost: 3
Drawn: 0
The 2nd team have had a great season, not just with
their results, but in the way they have played their
matches together with the versatility and teamwork
ethos they have exhibited.
The girls have all worked hard on their individual
fitness and their netball skills and this has shown in
every match. There have been some memorable
team performances this season. The one goal victory
against Bradfield College, made possible because of the
defensive interception made by Montana, in the last few
seconds of the game, denied the opposition a shooting
opportunity. The whole squad performance against
King Edward’s Southampton, in some very windy
conditions, to come from behind at half term to not
only win the game but to restrict KES to only scoring
one goal in the second half impressed us all. In addition,
the victories over Royal High School Bath and Bristol
Grammar School meant we were the only unbeaten
team leading into March.
The girls had a new found confidence and this showed
every time they took to the court. Special mention
should go to Julie Scholefield who took on the team
captain role and was a great support to the girls and
I. I should also single out Clara Richmond and Sarah
Hannaford who have been instrumental in the squad in
their last season at the school.
Thank you girls for making this season so special in
many ways.
TW
Squad: Julie Scholefield, Clara Richmond, Josie Duff,
Rebecca Newman, Rosie Coles, Cathy Tinker. Sarah
Hannaford, Daria Galkina, Montana Fillingham.
Spor t 163
3rd VII Netball
Played: 11
Won: 7
Lost: 2
Drawn: 2
The 3rd team had a great start to the season, winning our
first match against Hampshire Collegiate. This was sadly
not followed up when we played Bradfield the following
week, a fixture in which we lost 24-17, despite some
excellent work in the centre court from ‘Diggy’ Harvey.
However, this initial set back wasn’t a problem as we
went onto to win four matches in a row. Millie Jones
played excellently against Monkton Combe, with
her constant energy helping us grab a victory. Emily
Diamond and Sophie Maclean’s shooting was incredibly
precise every week, but special mention must go to
them both in our match against Bristol Grammar School,
which we won in the third quarter, finishing 25-10.
Our defence has worked effortlessly throughout the
season and despite some tough games, they have been
consistent and have been a vital part of our team.
Ella South has been an excellent GK, with Kirsty
Robertson finding her feet at GD and WD. Holly
Sampson had some excellent interceptions against
KES Southampton, helping us secure a 30-14 win. Grace
Keppel has been a super GD, always maintaining team
spirit.
Our final match against Kingswood was close but we
were pleased to win it 19-18, despite having initially
thought we’d lost. Sophie Thomas was outstanding on
court, helping to give us our victory. Although it was a
tough match, we never lost morale and our high spirits
and good teamwork enabled us to finish our season on
a high. My thanks go to ECG for being a great coach and
also to everyone on the thirds who made the season
fun and memorable!
Grace Jones
Squad: Emily Diamond, Arabella Harvey, Grace Jones,
Millie Jones, Grace Keppel, Sophie Maclean, Kirsty
Robertson, Holly Sampson, Ella South, Sophie Thomas.
4th VII Netball
What made the defeat a little easier was knowing that
all had kept their faith until the very end.
Played: 7
Our final week’s fixtures saw a well-bonded team, with
the addition of Phoebe Vernon as goal shooter. St
Mary’s, Calne proved to be a not insubstantial challenge
with some strong players and well-drilled tactics on
court. Nonetheless all girls showed real determination to
secure a 16-6 victory, with sharp shooting from Phoebe
Vernon and Hattie Bennett and strong attacking play
from Jess fellows and Lucy Wand.
Won: 5
Lost: 2
Drawn: 0
It has been a very impressive season from a cohesive
and determined Senior IV squad. With the majority of
the squad being fifth form players who were new to
senior netball, there was much opportunity for the
players to establish a new reputation for the IV team and
indeed all rose to the challenge with great enthusiasm
and vigour.
The squad needn’t have been nervous about their first
game of the season against Bradfield College. Playing
on home turf soon instilled confidence in the girls and
the team found its stride by the end of the first half,
leading 9-2. The opposition were hard-pressed in their
goal circle with Katie Sandford-Hill showing real tenacity
in defence, later leading to her being voted the star
player and first in possession of the pink ball. Meanwhile
Jemima Jackson and Sophie Muir worked hard in the
attacking circle with some sharp shooting to secure a
comfortable 18-5 victory, a fantastic first win.
Our second match was away to Clayesmore School
and all were relieved that the match was not cancelled
altogether as a result of severe weather. The match went
ahead indoors and despite being down 1-3 at quarter
time, the team made position changes that enabled
Lucy Wand and Milly Sampson some fluid passages of
play in the centre third. Emma Lovell proved herself to
be a strong and dynamic-moving goal keeper and we
won rather triumphantly with 14-5 in the end!
The next fixture at Downe House became as much a
feat of weather endurance in bitterly cold conditions.
We dominated the match throughout, communicating
extremely well and making the most of the space on
court. With Jess Fellows as captain, the girls did not
allow complacency or the weather to take over and
maintained an impressive drive to score right until the
end. With a heavy final win of 31-7, all were glad to
board the warm bus at the end of the match.
Bristol Grammar School would be our next opposition
and a hard-fought match was played on home
ground. Despite fantastic turnover of the ball from Tilly
Whitehouse and Georgia Woodward and being up
12-10 at half time, Bristol Grammar School put us under
enormous pressure and the final whistle blew at 17-18.
It has been a pleasure working with these focused and
passionate players. A real sense of camaraderie has
prevailed throughout, reaching its greatest heights
towards the end of the season and it is clear that the
girls will have much more to give next year too. The
squad have proved the ‘IV’ label to be insignificant in
the face of their significant talent and I look forward to
seeing their progress in the future.
HJP
Squad: Jess Fellows, Katie Sandford-Hill, Lucy Wand,
Hattie Bennett, Jemima Jackson, Emma Lovell,
Sophie Muir, Georgia Woodward, Milly Sampson, Tilly
Whitehouse, Phoebe Vernon.
U15 A Netball
Played: 10
Won: 5
Lost: 5
Drawn: 0
The U15A team were an absolute pleasure to teach all
season. Having joined in January, I was very excited to
start my first term with netball and had heard various
rumours that the U15A team were a pretty talented
side and that they were! This season the team were
asked to focus on increasing the intensity of their play,
particularly in training sessions and to develop a great
sense of teamwork, understanding that there was
no ‘I’ in ‘team’ and that everyone had a role to play
in achieving success. Towards the end of the season,
there was an evident change in their determination,
particularly in tougher games and a real team unity
which is a credit to the squad.
The team kick started their season with an 11-2 win
over Hampshire Collegiate. It was important to make
Spor t 165
a positive start and try to implement the basic skills
on court. They won with their naturally athletic ability
demonstrating that they were able to pass the ball well
and move the ball through the court with fluidity.
The next few fixtures the team unfortunately suffered a few
tough losses against Bradfield College and Clayesmore.
The girls, naturally competitive, felt a little deflated
however we able to recognise the importance of turning
over the ball, maximising centre passes and more
importantly scoring our goals when we opportunity to
do so. It was our shooting that we then focused on for
the forthcoming weeks and it was great to see Emily
Tucker attending morning shooting sessions at 7.15am!
As a committed approach to training was maintained
the girls won three matches on the bounce against
Downe House, Royal High School Bath and Bristol
Grammar School (BGS). Polly Maton made her debut in
the Royal High School game; she settled in nicely to the
team and was supported well by Charlotte, Chloe and
Olivia in defence. The girls, at the end of this point, had
really started to show resilience when score lines were
level; having played three quarters with goals end to
end against BGS; it was great to see a shift in our favour
and the girls pull away with slick passing, particularly
first time balls and our spot on shooting just really
showed what the team were capable of when all skills
were nicely put together.
Despite losing the last two fixtures, it was here that
I really started to see the girls mature and play well
as a team. The team as a whole is incredibly versatile
showing that they were able to play in a number of
positions without affecting the momentum of the
game. All players deserve a special mention, particularly
Emma M-P who came in very late to the team having
worked hard to come up to the A’s. She worked tirelessly
to fit in with the team.
A great team to coach in many ways; driven,
determined, tireless in training and matches this was
a group who didn’t let their heads get down and
supported one another. I look forward to seeing all the
players progress into the senior teams next year.
KAB
Squad: Madeleine Brooks, Georgia Carpenter, Charlotte
Hamilton-White, Olivia Keppel, Megan MacDuff, Emma
Matsumoto-Prouten, Polly Maton, Jemima Shepherd,
Harriet Steptoe, Emily Tucker, Chloe Vautier.
U15 B Netball
Played: 8
Won: 5
Lost: 2
Drawn: 1
As an U14B side last year, the team were virtually
unbeaten and so they came into this season feeling
confident about the coming fixtures. They certainly
started very positively by winning against Hampshire
Collegiate; Anna Scott and Georgiana Gray showed that
they are a formidable force in the circle. They narrowly
lost to Bradfield College but Sophie Jephson stood out
as a strong centre, a position she shared effectively with
Dulcie Spindler all season.
As the girls travelled to Clayesmore in sleet and snow,
we were concerned about the playing conditions but
in the end all of the teams played shorter matches in
the sports hall and gained a victory (8 – 6) with Polly
Maton awarded player of the match. Polly played a few
matches for the A’s and Emma Matsumoto-Prouten
moved up to the A team deservedly after half term.
The pairing of Polly with Anna Gilbert in defence was
quite impenetrable in some matches as they both have
a fantastic reach and react to the ball quickly. I had to
play some of the girls out of position against Downe
House, to limit the score line (51-3). Natasha Whitrow
scored a particularly amazing shot from the edge of the
circle. Holly Davies was very versatile in defence and
stood in to play goal defence but her preferred position
was wing defence, which she shared with Elsa Chick.
The most nail-biting game was the penultimate game
of the season against St Mary’s, Calne. Our shooters
kept their nerve and managed to come back from
behind to draw (19 – 19), with Mimi Shepherd and
Elsa Chick proving to be a commanding presence in
the centre court as wing attack and wing defence
respectively. The season culminated with a win against
Kingswood (17-16) in very cold conditions. They are a
fantastic group of girls who have a wonderful rapport
with each other. Their netball skills and fitness has
certainly improved this season and most importantly
they have enjoyed playing with each other. I would like
to thank KAB for the early morning individual sessions
she has taken with the shooters and the new drills she
has taught the girls.
CS
Squad: Elsa Chick, Holly Davies, Anna Gilbert, Georgiana
Gray, Sophie Jephson, Polly Maton, Anna Scott, Dulcie
Spindler, Natasha Whitrow, Mima Shepperd.
U14 A Netball
Played: 9
Won: 5
Lost: 4
Drawn: 0
Having worked with the 3rd form for the hockey season,
it was very exciting to see what they could do on the
netball court given the talent they have. And they did not
disappoint! The season’s record finished with a superb
five wins, four losses, 199 goals for and 141 against.
The season opened with a 13-7 win against Hampshire
Collegiate, drawing on natural ability and agility to move
the ball through the court. It also showed clear areas to
develop throughout the season, notably the use of turn
over ball and player movement off the ball to create
space. Training demanded a committed approach that
required individual fitness and ball skills to step up to
the challenge of faster, more competitive netball.
Spor t 167
Bradfield College provided tougher opposition
and exposed some areas of weakness in the team’s
performance. Losing 24-11 galvanised the squad in
training to work on more fluid passing, driving forward
to receive the ball and tighter marking. A second defeat
against Monkton Combe further motivated the girls to
focus on key skills in practice sessions, training at a high
tempo and working on feeding the circle to complete the
‘final pass’ that was missing in the previous two games.
Although the defeats were initially demoralising the girls
responded brilliantly and went on to win the following
two games against Downe House and St Mary’s, Calne.
With a renewed enthusiasm and belief the team took on
a tall and athletic Bristol Grammar School team, which
resulted in the most competitive fixture of the season.
With a narrow loss of just 27-23 the girls had made the
step up we had been waiting for, working cohesively as a
team, showing huge progress from the beginning of the
season. The girls fought hard to stay in control following
an excellent first quarter but the opposition proved too
strong, winning the game in the final quarter.
Two consecutive wins followed against KES
Southampton and Downside demonstrating much
better control in possession of the ball allowing our
shooters to manipulate space in the circle to give them
the best possible chance of scoring. Accurate shooting
and sensible decision making in the centre third proved
success was achievable and very much enjoyed.
The final match of the season proved to be a feisty,
competitive affair, ending in a very narrow 27-25
loss against Kingswood at home. Whilst the defence
managed to spoil the relentless attack from an
experienced side, our shooters performed well given
the pressure they were under. It was a shame not to
finish on a win, but the huge amount of progress that
had been made was clear to everyone and the girls
should be very proud of such a successful season.
The U14A team were a delight to coach this season,
working tirelessly in training and with determination
in matches, all with good sense of fun and
competitiveness. It has been a pleasure to work with this
group of girls across two different terms and sports.
AEB
Squad: Sophia Stratford, Octavia Pye, Esme Evans,
Antigone Lovering, Alice Fanshawe, Natasha ParksTunstall, Louisa Hill, Jemima Frost, Chinda Smith,
Georgia Pickford.
U14 B Netball
Played: 9
Won: 3
Lost: 6
Drawn: 0
I was away for the girls’ first match against Hampshire
Collegiate but it was recorded that they put in a very
good effort with everyone giving 100%, and this
mentality became apparent throughout our season.
Esme Evans played extremely well in defence and we
were sad to then lose her to the first team, although
this was a great boost for her. We welcomed Chloe
Darlington and were extremely pleased to have her.
Chloe’s confidence improved massively over the season
and she became a much stronger and versatile player
as a result.
With a final squad of 15 I continued to play around with
the team for our next few fixtures. We suffered a huge
loss by 34 goals in our next match, however the girls
were in high spirits the whole game and never once
put their heads down; they continued to give it their all
and enjoy the game. Regardless of result our defence of
Chloe Darlington and Jasmin Hosier was outstanding
and they worked as such a lovely pair, rarely getting
penalised in the circle, both with a lovely reach and
strong jump.
Molly Weedon made her debut for our sixth game of
the season and played really well. Another one of the
girls’ finer performances, they gelled as a team and
played well with a very closely matched opposition.
Our last win of the season was a great one with a 29
goal difference, the opposition were extremely weak
but for the girls’ confidence this was more than needed;
they finally got to give someone else a good thrashing.
All in all this was a pleasurable season and a fantastic
show of spirit, team work and warmth throughout from
the 14Bs and their dedicated, weekly, family supporters.
SS
Squad: Agnes Williams, Zoe Cranstone, Lara Maton,
Katie Griffiths, Hannah Walker, Imogen Dawe-Lane,
Chloe Darlington, Molly Weeden, Jasmin Hosier, Kat
Long, Kitty Kirby, Tensie Heijmans-Bulder, Camilla
Walton-Knight, Oli Ehlis Roger.
The third game of the season was against Monkton and
the girls got their first win; as a team they didn’t have
one of their best games and were lucky to win against
a very aggressive side who failed to shoot well. The
game was completely won down to Lara Maton, Jasmin
and Chloe.
We were finally finding a good combination with in
the squad for the team. Our next game was lost by
one goal, though this was by far the best performance
the girls had shown, it was a very disappointing
loss considering we were leading all the way up
until the last quarter. But it was so lovely to see the
determination and some nice netball; a proud moment
for their coach.
We finally had the dream team but were unfortunate
to lose Katie Griffiths to a broken finger done during
training, absolutely devastating for myself and the team.
After that, the girls lost a bit of confidence for our next
game and seemed to panic, however it gave us a strong
basis for some key things to work on during training.
Spor t 169
I had a thoroughly enjoyable season with a fun and
challenging group who should go on to produce
excellent netball over the next few years.
A special mention must go to Eleanor Barker, India
Eastlake and Annie Hourahane who all received colours
for their outstanding contributions this season.
TP
Squad: Eleanor Barker, Hannah Bradley, Freya Chapman,
Alexander Clark, India Eastlake, Annie Hourahane, Beth
McNamara, Hermione Owen, Amelia Place.
U13 B Netball
Played: 8
U13 A Netball
Played: 8
Won: 2
Lost: 6
Drawn: 0
It took a while, as usual, to work through a large number
of enthusiastic girls before I was able to select the final
squad for this age group. Their energy and exuberance
for the game was commendable, and training sessions
were a challenge but also very enjoyable. A lot of time
was spent on honing basic drills before moving onto
tactical play.
Unfortunately a sickness bug lasting a few weeks in the
middle of the season meant that the girls were unable
to train or play matches together consistently. Match
play ended up in the middle of the court despite plenty
of training focusing on using the width of the court,
but without a steady squad to work with some players
were always behind the training. Towards the end of the
season the girls produced some lovely attacking play
and with the shooters on form the goals were going
in. Unfortunately not always enough goals to credit the
girls with a win which, if training was anything to go by,
they did deserve.
Won: 2
Lost: 5
Drawn: 1
The Under 13 B’s first fixture of the season was against
Royal High School, Bath. The match was a closely fought
encounter with both teams understandably looking out
of practice. The game was tied two a piece until the final
quarter when Royal High managed to break the deadlock and finished eventual winners by three goals to two.
With a good training session under our belt we entered
the second fixture, a mid week game against Chafyn
Grove, full of confidence. Chafyn proved to be a very
well-drilled side and although we lost by 14 goals to three
there was a visible improvement in the performance.
Three days later we played Down House School.
Following two good performances but neither of
the results going in our favour, the girls were extra
determined to pick up their first win of the season.
Despite freezing conditions, the girls put in a super
performance to win the match by 12 goals to five.
The following Saturday we played our final game before
half term away at Bristol Grammar, on another freezing
cold winter’s afternoon. Having had a rather disruptive
week due to illness and injuries there were a number
of late changes made to the squad. Bristol Grammar
moved the ball extremely quickly and were deadly in
the final third, converting the majority of their chances.
Despite the girls giving it their all, we eventually lost by
27 goals to 7.
The girls returned from their half term break revitalised
and full of energy. This renewed enthusiasm really
showed in our first game back against Salisbury
Cathedral School. The girls produced a brilliant
performance with excellent movement and quick
passing. The game was closely fought and eventually
ended in a draw with both teams scoring 7 goals.
Next we came up against a very strong KES
Southampton side who caught us napping early on and
scored 5 quick-fire goals, however the girls composed
themselves and began to work their way back into the
game by playing some fantastic netball. Despite losing
15–6, this was our best performance of the season so far.
After a very positive performance the previous week,
the girls were raring to go when we got off the bus at
Prior Park Prep for our penultimate fixture of the season.
Every member of the squad played excellently and we
came out eventual winners by 15 goals to 7.
Despite losing our final game of the season against a
very strong Kingswood side the Under 13 B’s had a very
pleasing season and were an absolute pleasure to coach.
Congratulations must go to Holly Baker and Elizabeth
Peak who both received colours. Additionally, a special
mention must go to Jessie Romer-Lee who also received
colours, was voted player of the match on most occasions
and was given the award for most improved lower school
netball player at the end of term sports assembly.
SK
Squad: Abigail Baker, Holly Baker, Maddie George,
Jessica Nixon, Emily O’Brien, Elizabeth Peak, Jessie
Romer-Lee, Erica Tang, Grace Welsh, Francessca
Whinnett, Lottie Wilson.
U12 A Netball
Played: 8
Won: 4
Lost: 3
Drawn: 1
Following an unbeaten hockey season, the U12s had
gained a reputation as a very capable year group and
they certainly did not disappoint when they hit the
courts running in January. Their energy, enthusiasm
and passion for the game was evident from the outset
and once again there was fearsome competition for a
coveted place in the A team. Gradually the squad was
whittled down to ten and we headed for the Manor
and our first match against Bath Royal High. The girls
attacked from the first whistle and were soon holding a
good lead. The defence held firm despite a late comeback surge from the opposition we were comfortable
victors 15-5 with Imogen Ayling voted player of the
match and first signature on the pink ball!
With some added skills practice under our belts our
second match was away to Downe House on a freezing
afternoon, complete with sleet! However, the girls were
undeterred and despite a slow start to the scoring we
were leading at half time. With several position changes
while players were tried out in different combinations we
held on to a steady lead and again secured a final score
of 8-1. Lara Vautier and Pippy Abel were now emerging as
the star defenders with Imogen Ayling showing promise
in the attacking circle with some sharp shooting.
Bristol Grammar School were out to settle old scores
after a very tight hockey fixture the previous term. We
started well but their attackers were just too strong and
despite some great defensive work from Pippy Abel, Bea
Williams, Phoebe Lishman and Lara Vautier we found
ourselves trailing at half time. The team were never a
team to lose faith and give up, working hard to turn
the ball over and gain possession. The strength of their
team and the early lead was, however, just too much
and the final whistle blew at 6-13.
Our next fixture was St Mary’s Calne, always a good
match and it proved once again to be hard-fought.
The ball went from end to end in a tight contest from
start to finish. However, it was Holly Gaiger and Imogen
Ayling in the circle who secured the victory for us 7-5.
Our toughest opposition faced us at KES Southampton
and a very strong first quarter put the girls under
enormous pressure. With true grit and determination
Spor t 171
the girls did not lose heart but fought hard up to half
time to keep the ball out of their circle. With super midcourt work the girls managed to draw the final quarter
1-1 despite a heavy final loss 19-3.
Lavington School were our next match and the team
were keen to get back to winning ways. The team were
strong and determined from the outset and worked
hard to feed the ball into the circle and get some goals
securing a 13-7 victory.
A fabulous season from a very talented and determined
squad. It was a real pleasure working with such
enthusiastic and passionate young players and I am sure
we will be seeing lots of future successes from this year
group in the years to come. A great start to a promising
future – well done all of you!
SC
Squad: Imogen Ayling, Holly Gaiger, Maya House,
Sophia Hill, Hannah Weeden, Bea Williams, Phoebe
Lishman, Lara Vautier, Pippy Abel, Tabby Spindler.
U12 B Netball
Played: 8
Won: 3
Lost: 4
Drawn: 1
It was a great pleasure to work with the U12B netball
team this year. They played with enthusiasm and
determination throughout every single match. There
was a super win against The Royal High, Bath to begin
the season and from that point we had a mixture of
success and disappointment but the girls never lost
their good humour.
Out of the 8 games played, three were won, one was
drawn and three were lost. Defence was consistently
strong with Lucy Mayne, Bronte Lorimer and Larissa
King working tirelessly to prevent the ball going
through the net for the opposition.
As the season wore on, stars began to emerge in the
mid-court. Ella Harris played gracefully and effectively
– she was a key member of the team throughout
the season and was player of the match on several
occasions. Merlo Jewell was a lively and committed
centre and she made up for any lack of height with
plenty of bounce and energy. Arabella Mansfield, Freya
Wharton, Rachel Millar, Flo Evenden and Catherine
Baker approached each match in a determined fashion
and were full of enthusiasm to be part of the squad.
Fizzy Wilks, Sasha Broadhead and Ava Hall were all
reliable shooters who coped with the pressure at crucial
moments to score some fine goals.
The girls listened hard in training sessions and were
keen to incorporate the skills practised into match
situations. They were an efficient squad who were
obviously proud to represent Dauntsey’s and did so
faultlessly. I would like to thank each member of the
squad for their spirit and good humour and I look
forward to seeing their progress next season.
SKWK
Squad: Larissa King, Lucy Mayne, Ella Harris, Arabella
Mansfield, Merlo Jewell, Rachel Millar, Catherine Baker,
Flo Evenden, Bronte Lorimer, Freya Wharton, Ava Hall,
Sasha Broadhead, Fizzy Wilks.
Cricket
Cricket overview 2014-15
The 2015 season was a successful one in many ways.
Very nearly half of the 94 matches played were won,
with pretty good weather ensuring that most teams
only had one cancellation.
The U14As reached their county cup final and several
players showed genuine promise for the future. The U13
teams both showed improvement whilst the successes
of the U12 XIs offer great encouragement for the future.
The 1st XI had a long, busy season that started before
term and ended afterwards. Rowan Duckworth proved
to be an excellent Captain of Cricket, demonstrating
leadership qualities and taking initiatives at every
opportunity. The 2nd and 3rd XIs were very successful,
revealing a real depth of talent in the senior part of the
School.
My thanks go to all the coaches who gave so willingly
of their time and expertise, the grounds staff who
produced excellent pitches and the catering staff for
keeping us well fed and watered.
The U15As had a tough season, with their best two
players routinely in the 1st XI, but many improved
significantly from the greater responsibility they had to
take. They did well to reach the T20 county cup semifinal, losing to the eventual winners.
Archie Ayling - Wiltshire U14 and U15
Representative Honours
Rahul Patel, Will Thomas - Wiltshire U15
Josh Kelly - Wiltshire U12
AJP
Head of Cricket
Spor t 173
1st XI and AJP’s XI
1st XI Cricket
Played: 22
Won: 11
Lost: 9
Drawn: 0
After a winter of one-on-ones and team net sessions in
the sports hall, the season got off to the best possible
start with pre-season training at the Ageas Bowl. During
our two day stay at the home of Hampshire cricket we
were able to enjoy their amazing indoor facilities, the
Hampshire Health Club and Spa and the prestigious
Nursery Ground. With the bulk of the successful 2014
team returning expectations were high.
Pre-season was followed by a warm up 12 a-side match
against Clayesmore. Batting first we failed to capitalise
on starts from many of our top order batsmen. We
posted a competitive 235 from our 40 overs. However,
some uncharacteristic loose bowling and some very
good aggressive batting from our visitors saw us lose
the game. This defeat was very disappointing but put
us in good stead for the rest of the season and kept our
feet on the ground.
The first competitive game saw a confident
performance against an arguably better side in the
form of Colston’s. Tight bowling from all restricted
Colston’s to 151. Openers Andrew Duckworth (59*) and
Rahul Patel (41*) hit an unbeaten 109 partnership from
just 15 overs before the rain came in. This meant that
we won easily on run rate. This result set us up for a
good early season run with wins over Shiplake College
in the T20 Cup (including a 53* from 23 balls from
Max Romer-Lee), Beechen Cliff (including a powerful
61 from Guy Rawson-Smith), a 10 wicket victory over
Prior Park and a 9 wicket victory over KES Bath; all in
the PS League. This period saw Andrew Duckworth
ending the half term with an average of 75 to show
for his consistency. However, we were knocked out of
the T20 Cup by Bradfield College; a defeat in which we
struggled to deal with their attack of spin bowlers on
a slow wicket. A tight match with Winchester College
also ended in defeat after a 9th wicket stand stopped
us from bowling them out cheaply and putting the
game to bed.
After half term our form dipped. This could be put
down to absences for exams or not getting the rub of
the green, but we were not the side we wanted to be.
However, with the end of term being packed full of
cricket we put this period of three defeats behind us
and looked forward to the last two weeks of term full of
cricket - determined to show how good a side we could
be.
A match against the XL Club really put our season
back on track. Again we started the match with our
backs against the wall with it looking like we would
be bowled out cheaply by an experienced attack.
At this moment the boys put up their hands with 96
from Charlie Dale and contributions from other lower
middle order batsmen. Posting a competitive 243, any
result was possible. However, facing an ex-international
batsman we again had our backs against the wall. Again
we fought back with Guy Rawson-Smith leading the
bowling charge taking four wickets. Despite drawing
this game, it was a key turning point in the season.
With our form on the up we faced a league decider
against the self confessed best Kingswood side in
years. A tight performance in the field saw them post
a touchable 192. Our chase was well constructed with
the upper order batting well. Looking to press on we
lost two wickets in two balls with Guy Rawson-Smith
being run out after a straight drive and Rahul Patel out
the next ball sweeping on 41. This left us with a lot of
work and the lower order tried hard but came up 15
runs short of victory. We bounced back the very next
day to beat a strong OD’s side. Chasing 189 with relative
comfort, again against an arguably better bowling
attack than the one we had faced the day before. We
then went on to beat the MCC for the second year
running with Max Romer-Lee hitting an impressive
123* from only 86 balls. We then finished off the league
with a 9 wicket victory against Wycliffe. This meant we
finished the PS League season in second place.
I have ever been a part of saw them all out for 104. We
chased it down in the 18th over with Tom Parker hitting
his second six of the match to conclude our season on a
very high note.
Both Andrew Duckworth and Rahul Patel hit over 500
runs in the season. Our bowling attack was very potent
with Charlie Dale leading the way with his incredible
economy of less than three runs per over as well as
30 wickets. Rowan Duckworth, Andrew Duckworth
and Guy Rawson-Smith all took over 20 wickets. Harry
Mangham also bowled well in the difficult art of leg
spin. Hopefully the team will be remembered for our
aggressive brand of cricket.
I would like to thank all the boys, AJP, JRA and the
grounds staff for making our enjoyable season possible.
Rowan Duckworth
Captain of Cricket
Squad: Rowan Duckworth, Andrew Duckworth, Guy
Rawson-Smith, Harry Mangham, Charlie Dale, Jamie
Short, Tom Parker, Will Barker, Matt Webb, Oliver Jackson,
Harry Baker, Johnny Bishop, Will Thomas, Rahul Patel,
Archie Ayling, Cameron Garbutt-Wichall, Tom Parker,
Noah Cannon.
After term finished we hosted a cricket festival. First
we faced First Class Cricket Academy. This ended
in a 10 wicket victory. The next day we faced a very
strong Repton side. We failed to make good starts pay
and posted 203 which they chased down easily on a
good pitch. On the last day we had a knockout 20/20
competition. We beat West Buckland with ease as Will
Thomas scored his maiden 50. This set up a re-match
against Repton. One of the best bowling performances
Spor t 175
2nd XI Cricket
Played: 7
Won: 5
Lost: 2
Drawn: 0
This was an extremely successful season where we
were consistently able to field one of the strongest
2nd XIs in recent years, and certainly by some measure.
Most of our wins were very emphatic, although we did
seem to have trouble against schools starting with a
C, as our only defeats were against Clifton College and
Canford. Perhaps it’s a good job we don’t play Cranleigh.
When I say that the team was strengthened rather than
weakened by a rotation involving some 17 players (not
all of whom will be mentioned here), that should give
an indication of the strength in depth.
We won our opening game against Colston’s by 8 wickets.
Fergus Hooke’s three wickets helped to restrict them
to 129 and an opening partnership of 50 between Matt
Webb (76*) and Harry Baker (38) saw us through with
eight overs to spare. Against Winchester College Tristan
King took three wickets but all bowled economically to
keep them down to 118 off their full 30 overs. In reply
Harry Baker scored 43 and Sam New 61 as we went
on to win by five wickets. The match also featured a
sensational catch by Tristan King at third man. Prior Park
put up a much better fight than in recent years, posting
146 for 7. Unfortunately for them our openers were on
top form again with Matt Webb (49) and Harry Baker
(68*) ensuring a comfortable four wicket victory.
Despite losing to Clifton College we were competitive
(lost by 10 wickets last season) with Will Barker taking 3
for 19. In the end we lost by 33 runs, but it might have
been worse but for a last wicket stand of 30 featuring 28
from Fergus Hooke. Monkton Combe were lamentable,
however. The game was managed superbly by Skipper
Cameron Garbutt-Wichall, who gave no fewer than 8 of
our players a bowl, all but one taking a wicket or two
as Monkton were restricted to 52 all out. I am pleased
to report that no wickets were lost in a crushing victory
which included 41* from Noah Cannon. After losing at
Canford, the final game of the season was at home to
Kingswood, often a rather spicy affair. However, three
wickets from Fergus Hooke and four from Skipper
Cameron G-W reduced Kingswood to a dismal 66 all
out. Apart from meaning we would almost certainly
win, this had the added advantage of subduing, to a
small degree at least, any chances of on-field ‘sledging’.
That said, there were a few hilarious (not) anatomical
references and non-stop droning of “No single to you
there, buddy” as some clown in a reversed baseball cap
fielded a forward defensive about to stop of its own
accord. So it was particularly satisfying to beat them by
9 wickets in 16 overs, with 37* from Matt Webb.
There are many not mentioned so far who made
enormous contributions: Monty Lovering, in his final
year, was as reliable as ever behind the stumps, but also
took one incredibly spectacular catch down the leg side
as well as several more routine catches. Tom Parker, also
leaving us, was a formidably economic and aggressive
bowler whose fielding was a real asset too. He also
put up a good fight with a feisty 29 at Canford, as did
Johnny Bishop who made the same score. Matt Nixon
took a wicket here and there and is an improver. Kincaid
Ingram looks a bright prospect and was able to occupy
the crease safely when required to do so. However, I
would like to give a special thank you to Cameron ‘Skip’
Garbutt-Wichall who was an outstanding captain: apart
from his wealth of knowledge which he brought to the
game on the pitch, off it he was of invaluable assistance
to me contacting players and making sure everyone
required was available to play, no mean feat during
study leave. I would also like to record my gratitude to
Messrs Palmer and Ayling for allowing me to select such
talented players from their squad and advising me on
how to make best use of them.
JPP
Squad: Cameron Garbutt-Wichall, Monty Lovering,
Nikhil Mukherjee, Tom Parker, John Bishop, Fergus
Hooke, Sam New, Matt Nixon, Josh Stace, Matt Webb,
Harry Baker, Will Barker, Noah Cannon, Kincaid Ingram,
Tristan King, Arthur Mui and Devan Conidaris.
3rd XI Cricket
U15 A Cricket
Played: 7
Played: 10
Won: 4
Lost: 3
Drawn: 0
The 3rd XI had a very successful and enjoyable season,
with a bigger fixture list than usual. A good sized squad
worked hard in training and all players were selected for
at least one of the games.
We started with a 10-wicket win against Colston’s, with
Arthur Mui reaping the benefit of his dedicated work in
the nets in scoring 31*. This was followed by a narrow
defeat against Kingswood in a T20 game, despite
Vivek Prabakaran bowling well and taking 3-13. Nick
Mukherjee took 5-5 to put us in a good position against
Winchester, but a batting collapse say us lose by just 2
runs. A comfortable win was gained against Monkton
Combe with Arthur (46) this time being well supported
by Harri Lowen’s 40. We also defeated King’s, Taunton
by 77 runs in a new fixture, with Will Western and Alex
Cronin both taking 3 wickets. Will Western also took
3-2 in a significant victory against Clifton which set us
up well for the final game. Sadly we suffered a 4 wicket
defeat against a strong Canford team, although both
Cameron Welsh (37) and Alastair Coupe (31) batted with
composure and no little skill.
It was pleasing to see several players improve during
their season, and some gain deserved promotion to
the 2nd XI. They were also a pleasure to be with and
they approached each game with exactly the right
combination of commitment and sportsmanship.
Won: 2
Lost: 8
Drawn: 0
This was a tough season for the U15As, with Rahul Patel
and Will Thomas being regularly selected for the 1st XI,
it meant that resources were stretched. It did, however,
give other players an opportunity to take more
responsibility and some of them did so impressively.
We started with a very heavy defeat to Colston’s, but
bounced back to score a rare win against Beechen Cliff,
with Zander Balls leading the way with 63; our only score
of 50+ in the block fixtures. Other defeats followed one
after another, but the team never lost heart and always
gave of their best. Chester Barnes deserves special
mention for his fantastic commitment with both bat and
ball. Henry Cox developed as a potential 1st XI slow left
arm spinner whilst Archie Osmond, Ben Pugh-Cook and
Joe Stratford all showed improvement during the term
and worked hard in the nets.
With Will and Rahul able to play in the T20 cup matches,
we reached the semi-final, but lost to a very strong
Bishop’s team.
OLS
Squad: Archie Osmond, Ben Pugh-Cook, Joe Stratford,
Chester Barnes, Zander Balls, Harry Burke, Joe Prodger,
Henry Cox, Archie Cole, Charlie Badman, Robbie Andrews,
Ed Long.
For cup matches: Will Thomas, Rahul Patel, Archie Ayling.
SEK/JAS
Squad: Nick Mukherjee, Will Western, Alex Cronin,
Arthur Mui, Cameron Welsh, Alastair Coupe, Harri Lowen,
Ed Jenkins, Oscar Boaler, Tom Mutton, Will Allen, James
Hill, Josh Jeffries, Tris King, Tom McGrath, Matt Nixon,
Callum Pitceathly, Vivek Prabakaran, Chris Prinsloo, Kristin
Romer-Lee, Ed Scott, Josh Stace, Tom Sheinman.
Spor t 177
Prior Park the following week, putting in an impressive
performance. Having addressed the fielding issues
from the previous match, Dauntsey’s held their catches,
putting Prior under pressure and getting them all out
for 40. Dauntsey’s then eased to victory for a loss of
five wickets.
U15 B Cricket
Played: 6
Won: 3
Lost: 3
Drawn: 0
The U15B cricket season got off to a good start with a
convincing victory over Colston’s. Accurate bowling
from Lucas Reay with four wickets for 9 runs as well as
Charlie Stace and Daniel Harris, combined with some
impressive ‘keeping from Ben Harding saw Colston’s
all out for 82. The Dauntsey’s batsmen were aggressive
from the outset which resulted in a number of wickets
falling quickly. Joe Fortune batted well for 24
however and Kwun Lum Chan hit a number of powerful
sixes to finish the innings with Dauntsey’s winning by
four wickets.
The second match of the season was a thriller against
Winchester College. Batting first, Dauntsey’s made a
pleasing total of 125 all out. The Winchester College
innings was a tight affair with the opposition scoring
slowly throughout but for the loss of few wickets.
Wickets in hand allowed Winchester to accelerate
towards the end of the innings. Some impressive
bowling and some quick wickets stalled their progress,
however Winchester finally reached their target with
only three balls remaining, leaving Dauntsey’s rueing
their sloppy fielding. Dauntsey’s then travelled away to
The next fixture of the season saw Dauntsey’s travel
away to Clifton College. In difficult, windy conditions,
we struggled with both bat and ball. Daniel Hammond
scored an impressive 30, hitting some powerful, straight
shots with Dauntsey’s making a total of 93. Josh Evans
was the pick of the bowlers, finding a consistent line and
length and taking three wickets. Unfortunately, however,
the wind meant that the other Dauntsey’s bowlers didn’t
find the same consistency, giving away too many extras
and Clifton eased to their total for a loss of 7 wickets.
Dauntsey’s then played at home to Monkton Combe.
Bowling in the first innings we increased our consistency
of line and length – this meant that although the
Monkton batsmen played well and scored quickly, we
bowled them all out for 106. Monkton Combe bowled
with pace and accuracy, with Dauntsey’s losing a
number of early wickets. Daniel Hammond, Charlie Stace
and Joe Prodger all showed maturity under pressure,
blocking the good balls and attacking the bad balls.
Dan scored an important 19 runs early in the innings,
with Joe and Charlie scoring 18 not out and 25 not out
respectively, winning the match for Dauntsey’s.
In our final match of the season, we encountered an
extremely strong Canford side. Batting in the first
innings, two of Canford’s batsmen made 50’s and
although the bowlers did all they could, Canford
finished with a huge total of 202 – 2 in 25 overs.
Knowing that they needed to score quickly, the
Dauntsey’s batsmen were aggressive from the outset.
Joe Fortune again did well, scoring 18 runs against
some quality bowling. Unfortunately, at times, we took
some unnecessary risks in an attempt to keep up with
the run rate. As a result, after a promising start, a flurry
of wickets meant that Dauntsey’s were all out for 39, a
disappointing end to the season.
DAF
Squad: Kwun Lum Chan, Josh Evans, Archie Flack, Joe
Fortune, Daniel Hammond, Ben Harding, Daniel Harris,
Xavi Kemper, Conor O’Kelly, Sam Prichard, Joe Prodger,
Lucas Reay, Harry Sandford-Hill, Charlie Stace.
U14 A Cricket
Played: 10
Won: 5
Lost: 5
Squad: Archie Ayling, Tom Swanton, Ned Holland,
George Lishman, Lewis Jackson, Sam Nield, Tom Wild,
Ollie Sweett, Felix Nagel, Lewis Maclean, Sam Ferguson,
Alfie Miles-Hobbs.
Drawn: 0
It was a positive and successful season for the U14 A
side. In the end five matches were won, and five lost.
Admittedly some of the victories were against weak
opposition in the cup; but then some of the defeats
were against particularly strong and bigger schools.
Overall, it was an enjoyable season and one in which
the team learnt and improved a greatly. Top wins were
secured against Colston’s, Monkton and Kingswood;
and we produced decent performances, albeit in defeat,
against Clifton, KES and Prior Park. The side made it to the
Wiltshire Cup Final, but lost to a strong Marlborough XI.
The key player was Archie Ayling who strikes the ball
sweetly and has great power. In full flow he was hard
to stop, often scoring at well over a run a ball, although
technical improvements over the winter will make his
defence stronger. Tom Swanton was the most consistent
batsman, often giving us a very strong platform at the
top of the order. His aim for the future will be to develop
a broader range of shots which will allow him to go
through the gears as his innings develops. Lewis Jackson.
George Lishman and latterly, Ned Holland formed the
core of the middle order, each scoring important runs.
Swanton also led the bowling attack with his steady
medium pace away swing, with Ayling, Holland and
Lishman all taking wickets with some medium fast
bowling. Alfie Miles-Hobbs also bowled some good
spells of leg-spin, but will need to bowl a bit flatter
and a bit more accurately if he is to trouble the better
players. Working on a consistent line and length at this
level is going to be crucial for all the bowlers, as well as
developing more swing, seam and spin.
Finally, Ollie Sweett, Sam Nield, Felix Nagel, Lewis
Maclean, Sam Ferguson and Tom Wild all showed
promise with bat or ball. A focus on developing a
repeatable action, and/or a secure batting technique
will bring further rewards. In the field, the team was
decent, and Archie led the side well, with some good
field placings, but dropped catches did cost us at times,
and learning to work as a team when the opposition
are strong will also be a key area to work on next year.
Experience and interest will bring greater understanding
– and enjoyment – of the game.
U14 B Cricket
Played: 6
Won: 0
Lost: 6
Drawn: 0
The zero in the wins column does not do justice to
some spirited performances and a couple of close
finishes. The team bowled and fielded with enthusiasm;
the catching was good and they managed to put
opposition batsmen under a greater degree of pressure
than the results would suggest. They tried hard with
the bat, but, particularly in the early matches against
Winchester and Colston’s, were too often undone by
technical limitations. Two matches, against Clifton and
Sexey’s, were dominated by opposition players who
would normally have been playing ‘A’ team cricket, and
we were just on the wrong end of close finishes against
Kingswood and Prior Park. Particularly noteworthy
contributions came from Tom Morgan, who led the way
with both bat and ball and persevered admirably with
his captaincy, Alex Costard, who fielded very well and
made real strides as a batsman, and Adam McCormick,
who showed promise as a leg-spinner and was busy
and energetic with the bat. Hector Gunnerud picked
up useful wickets and Lawrence Bett-Hewett was a
courageous and adhesive opener, whilst Tom Wild hit
some lusty blows at the top of the order and Graeme
Smith worked hard behind the stumps. All players,
however, deserve credit for a good team effort.
CWWW
Squad: Thomas Morgan, Morgan Douglas, Harvey
James-Park, Alex Costard, Lawrence Bett-Hewett, Adam
McCormick, Olly Middleton, Spencer Toon, Hector
Gunnerud, Graeme Smith, Jamie Blake, Joseph BarnesTaylor, Finlay Wilson, Lewis Maclean, Ollie MacMullen,
Tom Wild, Sebastian Tyler.
TWB
Spor t 179
U13 A Cricket
Played: 7
Won: 2
Lost: 5
Drawn: 0
The U13As had a challenging season with some excellent
performances from both individuals and as a team.
With a large squad of sixteen players this season, there
was constant competition for places in each match.
The squad has trained incredibly hard this year and
came together under the strong captaincy of both Jake
Steele and Joshua Mallinson. Both captains displayed
their talent with Mallinson finishing with a total of seven
wickets and the seasons highest score of 52, whilst Steele
ended the season with a solid 44 against Kingswood.
As all good captains know, they need a strong and
talented team behind them to succeed and with a
bowling line up which included Spindler, Howard and
Kinder the U13As were able to take 46 wickets during
this season. Ten of these wickets were taken by Kinder,
seven by Spindler and six by Howard.
This season started with some hard fought matches
against Colston’s and Prior Park Prep where
unfortunately not even a batting partnership of 70
between Sherwood and Mallinson could pull off the
win. The team however showed some brilliant fielding
athleticism, particularly from Frost and Spindler and
took a vital wicket in the form of a direct hit run-out.
KES Bath provided us with a closely fought battle
with Spindler performing strongly with 31 runs when
opening. The team was restricted to 84 with extremely
tight fielding from the opposition and required
Dauntsey’s to respond with their own disciplined
fielding attack. Unfortunately not even a bowling
performance of three wickets for 11 runs from Mallinson
could hold KES Bath back from achieving the required
run rate in the second to last over.
This close loss ignited a determination within the squad
and a newly inspired team appeared to play against
Prior Park. Although we only reached a total of 88, our
bowling attack remained tight and only conceded 8
extras during the match. This provided the team with a
narrow and well-deserved win by four runs.
On the back of that win, the U13As went into their final
match with a skip in their stride against Kingswood.
Dauntsey’s allowed Kingswood to bat first and didn’t
disappoint with their bowling as they restricted the
score to 111. For the first time in the season, Dauntsey’s
got all 10 wickets with special mention to Howard with
five wickets for 11 runs and Moulding with another two.
Kingswood put up a valiant fight to defend their total
but with Steele batting well at the crease and the rest
of the team providing support, we were able to grasp a
second win with four overs to spare. The winning four
were scored by Gilbert through a well-placed pull shot.
It has been a pleasure to coach this squad and to see
them develop and succeed through the season. As a
coach I could not have been prouder of the attitude
and team spirit displayed in the final few matches. The
team played with focus, pride and skill and eventually
achieved some well-deserved wins. I look forward to
seeing them progress next season and I wish them all
the best for the future years.
SJR
Squad: Hugo Spindler, Jake Steele, Josh Mallinson,
George Sherwood, Thomas Gilbert, Benedict Kinder,
Marcus Howard, George Moulding, Calum Marshal,
Wilfred Fitzgibbon, Oliver Frost, Josh Duckworth, Charlie
Purves, Kit Major, Jack Butler, Guy Harmer.
U13 B Cricket
Played: 3
Won: 3
Lost: 3
Drawn: 0
The season did not start well and we were comfortably
beaten by a more experienced Colston’s team. After a
gap of two weeks, during which time boys worked hard
in the nets, we then faced KES who are usually a tough
challenge at junior level. We performed extremely well
as a team, with most boys playing their part in a 29 run
win. This was followed by defeat against Monkton Prep,
but a win against Sandroyd Prep, as we showed signs of
inconsistency in our form. After a 4 wicket win against
Prior Park we ended with a narrow defeat against
Kingswood.
There were no individual performances of particular
note during the season, but lots of boys contributed
with a few runs and/or wickets at different time which
was a testament to the depth of talent in the squad.
SEK
Squad: Josh Duckworth, Tom Lampard-Vail, Isaac
Bull, Ollie Cons, Matt Large, Jack Butler, Algie Fooks,
Ethan Jeffries, George Lindh, Archie Mackinnon, Wilf
Fitzgibbon, Guy Harmer, Kit Major, Hamish Gardner.
Our next fixture saw us travel to Sandroyd Prep. Josh
Kelly (52 retired), Henry Barker (50 retired), and Josh
Mew (28) contributed to one of the innings of the
season, with the team reaching 191-3 off 25 overs.
Sandroyd kept themselves in the game with some
strong hitting from their middle order. Nadim Searight
took 3 for 8 as we eventually reduced Sandroyd 134-8
off 25 overs.
Unfortunately our next game against Beechen Cliff
was cancelled last minute by our opponents. Our final
fixture of the season saw us play host to Kingswood
at the Manor. Our bowling attack of Mew, Barker,
Gordon, Morris, Searight, Tabor and Morgan managed
to keep Kingswood to 136-7 off 25 overs. In reply Josh
Kelly scored yet another unbeaten 50 (retired), ably
supported by Henry Barker’s 31 and Ciaran Costin’s 28.
Dauntsey’s knocked off the runs in 21 overs reaching
137-5 and topping off a fantastic season for the team.
The future looks bright for this group of players.
U12 A Cricket
Played: 5
Won: 4
Lost: 1
Drawn: 0
The U12A’s started their season with an impressive
win against Colston’s. Batting first, Dauntsey’s posted
148 from their 20 overs. With a decent total on the
scoreboard, we were able to ring the changes in our
bowling attack with Hugo White and William Morris
opening the bowling. Nadim Searight, Dan Gordon,
Ben Eccles and Edward Morgan all bowled well. Henry
Barker took 3 for 8 and Josh Mew took three for 12 and
were backed up by a pleasing performance in the field,
limiting Colston’s to 128-8.
Despite the bright start to the season, the U12A’s lost
their next game against a strong KES Bath side after
underperforming with the bat. We only managed to
post 87 in our 20 overs after becoming bogged down
by a very competent bowling attack. Henry Barker
top scored with 27 and despite a valiant fielding and
bowling display, KES knocked off our total in 17 overs.
The team bounced back in their next fixture away at
Monkton Combe Prep. The hosts posted a very modest
79 off their 20 overs, with Brendan Marchment taking 3
for 10. Josh Kelly scored an impressive 30 not out, ably
supported by Luke Webb and Henry Barker. Dauntsey’s
chased down the target in 13.3 overs.
WPJW
Squad: Joshua Kelly, Luke Webb, Henry Barker, Brendan
Marchment, Ciaran Costin, Joshua Mew, William Tabor,
Daniel Gordon, Edward Morgan, Nadim Searight, Hugo
White, Ben Eccles.
U12 B Cricket
Played: 5
Won: 4
Lost: 1
Drawn: 0
The U12B cricket side got off to a winning start with a
home fixture against Colston’s. Brendan Marchment
scored an impressive 30 runs with some classy strokes,
helping Dauntsey’s to their total of 118 – 3. William Tabor
was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets and two
maidens in his three overs as Colston’s were all out for 58.
Our next fixture against KES, Bath resulted in another
pleasing victory. Bowling first, Dauntsey’s kept their
opponents to only 40 runs. Arthur Fitzgibbon, Robert
Herrett, Theo Nellis and Ollie Ring all bowled well
but Henry Smith was outstanding with three wickets
for only 6 runs. Strong batting again from Brendan
Marchment, supported by Luc Cranstone led Dauntsey’s
to a comfortable victory.
Spor t 181
In a tight encounter, the U12B side travelled away to
play Monkton Combe Prep. Batting first, Ben Eccles
played some fantastic strokes down the ground and
was ably supported by Daniel Parr, Archie Butler and
Tom Galloway. Once the top order had lost their wickets,
however, the innings stalled slightly, reaching a total of
78. Arthur Fitzgibbon and Robert Herrett opened the
bowling and immediately put the opposition under
pressure, bowling a tight line and taking some early
wickets. Edward Morgan came into the attack and kept
the pressure on with his pace and bounce. Unfortunately,
a number of fielding errors allowed Monkton Combe to
get some easy runs and they finally managed to reach
their target in the last over of the match.
The following week was another thrilling match, this
time against Sandroyd Prep. Dauntsey’s were on form
with the bat, setting an impressive total of 139 for only
7 wickets. In the second innings, Robert Herrett found
a consistent line and length, making life difficult for the
batsmen and taking three wickets in the process. Our
other bowlers followed suit, keeping Sandroyd’s scoring
opportunities to a minimum which helped us to a 23
run victory as Sandroyd were only able to make 116 - 9
in the overs available.
In the final match of the season, Dauntsey’s played
Kingswood. Batting first, Ben Eccles batted well again for
27, supported by Toby Salisbury and Robert Herrett with
Dauntsey’s making a pleasing total of 111. Kingswood
had a number of dangerous batsmen and the second
innings was a tight affair. Strong bowling from Tomos
Lowen as well as Fitzgibbon, Ring and Eccles put the
batsmen under pressure and although they scored
quickly, the wickets kept falling. Dauntsey’s eventually
took the final wicket for 90 runs, which was a pleasing
end to a strong first season of cricket at Dauntsey’s
The attitude from all of the players was fantastic
throughout the season and I thank them for their effort.
Their enthusiasm in both training sessions and matches
as well as their eagerness to learn and develop made
them a pleasure to work with.
DAF
Squad: Archie Butler, Luc Cranstone, Ben Eccles, Tom
Galloway, Robert Herrett, Tomos Lowen, Brendan
Marchment, Edward Morgan, Theo Nellis, Daniel Parr,
Ollie Ring, Toby Salisbury, Henry Smith, William Tabor.
Boys’ Tennis
Boys’ Tennis
overview 2014-15
During the summer term Dauntsey’s Boys’ Tennis teams
played 39 fixtures, winning 20 and losing 19.
On the back of an enjoyable and productive pre-season
tennis camp in Devon, the 1st & 2nd teams enjoyed
very successful seasons, despite facing a tougher fixture
list than last season. Coach Nick Caton undoubtedly
contributed to the impressive results.
Over the season as a whole I would like to thank our
Captain of Boys’ Tennis, Ed Tomlin for his mature and
reliable support.
Finally a huge thank you and farewell to David Low,
who retires after 24 years of coaching boys’ tennis at
Dauntsey’s.
AJL
Head of Boys’ Tennis
Team Colours
U12
–
U13
–
U15
–
3rd V1
–
U14
–
2nd V1 Gus Dunnett, Zach Dunnett, Ed Shepherd,
Eugene Wong, Mason Wong & Adam Whitrow
Full Colours
Will Allman, Will Blakeney, Ed Giles, Ed Tomlin & Sam
Tomlin (all re-awards)
Distinguished Commendation Awards
David Chiu, Robbie Mitchell, Archie Combe & Mark
Winckley
Most Improved Players
Lower School
Daniel Parr
Middle School
Harry Markes
Senior School
Ed Shepherd
1st VI
Played: 8
Won: 6
Lost: 2
Drawn: 0
The 1st team was untroubled early on, with
comprehensive victories over Warminster School, KES
Bath and Downside. Then came fixtures against some
very strong tennis schools. 6 – 3 losses to both Bradfield
College and to Millfield actually reflected considerable
credit on our players (particularly as Millfield chose
to play some of their academy players). Further, it
toughened up their match play and in doing so surely
assisted the team in securing their two greatest results
of the season – an 8 – 1 victory away at Bryanston and
an even more impressive 9 – 3 victory in the final fixture,
away to Marlborough College.
The team boasted huge experience, with five of the
players completing their third season in the 1st team
– a statistic that is unlikely to be bettered in the future
years. Captain Ed Tomlin and Ed Giles led the way, with
some impressive play as 1st pair. But it was the strength
in depth of the team that was its key, coming from
the 2nd pairing of Sam Tomlin & Will Blakeney and 3rd
pairing of Will Allman with David Chiu (initially) and then
Alex Archer.
Spor t 183
2nd VI
Played: 8
Won: 7
Lost: 1
Drawn: 0
The 2nd team actually surpassed the record of the
1st team, losing only to Marlborough College, when
playing exactly the same schools. The team’s victories
over Bradfield & Millfield were both hugely impressive
performances. The settled pairings of Ed Shepherd &
Adam Whitrow, Eugene Wong & Mason Wong and Gus
& Zach Dunnett backed up their shot making with great
tenacity during matches. Those players returning next
year will surely secure 1st team places.
Performances and results lower down the school were
less impressive, it would be fair to say, but boys in all
these teams played with determination and positivity.
U15 VI
3rd VI
Played: 3
Won: 1
Played: 8
Lost: 2
Drawn: 0
The 3rd team with just three fixtures, nevertheless gave
opportunities for several U6th to play for the school for
the last time – Leon Vvedenskiy, Archie Combe, Robbie
Mitchell, Mark Winckley & Jack Levy. It also gave some
younger players a further taste of senior competitive
match play – Joseph Brooks, Euan Reid, Chris Chester
and Felix Wong – which will hopefully motivate them to
compete for higher team places next season.
Won: 1
Lost: 7
Drawn: 0
The U15 team had a tough fixture list. In the end they
were able to win only 1 of their 8 fixtures – however the
spirit within the squad stayed positive throughout – a
tribute to their coach Will May-Miller.
The squad was led by Nick Garreffa, supported by Chris
Bryer-Ash, Theo Dunnett, Sasha Alexeev, Harry Markes,
Jeffrey Lam & Patrick Wu. Whilst there is some promise
within the group, a generally more focused work ethic
will be needed on court if these players are to break into
the senior teams in the coming seasons.
U14 VI
Played: 4
Won: 2
Lost: 2
Drawn: 0
The U14 team won two out of the four fixtures they
played. In doing so they revealed a group of boys with
some solid core tennis skills, despite their inexperience
in match play. Clearly this shortcoming can only
improve over time. Their attitude was invariably positive
and for those boys who make a commitment to their
tennis, opportunities in senior school teams lie in wait.
Prominent in the squad this season were Harry Poole, Ed
Crossfield, Oscar Aspey, Luke Hatch and Jason Yip.
U13 VI
Played: 4
Won: 3
U12 VI
Lost: 1
Drawn: 0
The U13 team was the most successful of the younger
teams, winning three of their four fixtures. There is some
decent talent within the squad and over time, with
accumulated match play experience and a commitment
to tennis, the like of Ben Kinder, Charlie Purves, Ollie
Cons, Jordan Hills, Guy Harmer and others can flourish
within the sport.
Played: 4
Won: 0
Lost: 4
Drawn: 0
The U12 team was unfortunately matched up against
some of the strongest tennis schools in the county
within the local league competition, and were unable
to win any of their four fixtures. Despite being pitted
against vastly more experienced players, the likes of
Henry Smith, Oliver Ring, Daniel Basnett, Daniel Parr
and James Pickford played with a positive, determined
attitude. Their more experienced team mates could
learn from their example.
Spor t 185
Girls’ Tennis
third pairs. However, our second pair of Henny Lowth
and Ella South were too much for even the Bradfield
first pair and, managing to clinch some crucial points,
took the victory against them 6-5. For our next fixture
we were missing two players due to Athletics but Tseki
Wangdi and Jemima Jackson stepped up to play as
our third pair. Both pairs of myself and Rosie Coles,
and Becky Kaufmann and Ella South played tactical
tennis to overcome a strong Prior first pair 6-4 and 6-5
respectively. The afternoon showcased some excellent
doubles play from all to the home crowds, in particular
some exquisite serving from Rosie Coles.
1st VI
Played: 10
Won: 8
Lost: 2
Drawn: 0
In order to kick-start the tennis season for this year the
senior girls travelled to the Manor House Hotel in Devon
for three days of pre-season training. It was a great way
to blow away the cobwebs, hit lots of balls and look at
some pairings, as well as playing some mixed games
with the senior boys. By the time we had our first match
the girls were well prepared and ready for a great season
having already settled into some strong partnerships.
The season started strongly with a 9-0 win against
KES Bath, with Becky Kaufmann and Mima Pitceathly
dropping only one game in the process. Following
this easy victory we faced much tougher opposition
with consecutive matches against St Mary’s Calne
and Kingswood. St Mary’s had a fairly young side, but
consisted of some strong players. Despite spirited efforts
from all three of our pairs, we narrowly lost 5 sets to 4. In
our next match against Kingswood we suffered a greater
deficit, losing 7-2, but the match was enjoyed by all and
the scoreline didn’t reflect the closeness of the matches.
The girls soon got back to winning ways with a
convincing 7-2 victory over Bradfield. The opposition
first pair was very strong, consisting of a player on the
European Junior Circuit, and defeated our first and
After half term we expected to struggle slightly with
teams due to exams and Study Leave as we usually do
at this time of year. However due to the commitment
of the girls the training sessions continued on and the
matches were all well attended. Against Godolphin on
the 6th June we achieved a whitewash victory winning
all nine sets between us and only conceding a handful
of games along the way.
For our last two matches of the season, we faced two of
the toughest oppositions on our fixture list: Wellington
College and Bryanston. The first of these two contests
saw the girls challenge an unbeaten Wellington first
team side. Despite the opposition having a home field
advantage, we all played courageously and cleverly
prevented our opposition from playing the game
the way they wanted to. By slowing down the game,
putting the volleys away convincingly and pulling out
some sharp aces and winners all three pairs provided
excellent entertainment for spectators in the close
fought matches. Rosie Coles and myself managed
to come back from 5-3 down to win 7-5 against the
second pair, and after beating the first pair 6-4 we
finished the afternoon ecstatic with three out of three
victories. The pressure lay on Mima Pitceathly and
Becky Kaufmann to push the final set into our favour,
as we lay at 4-4 going into the last match. They didn’t
disappoint and remained calm and cool in a tiebreak
to win 7-6 and obtain us a well-earned but narrow
victory 5-4 overall.
Our last match on the 27th June was against Bryanston
at home. The girls were determined to come out with
a victory after such a successful season, and for Henny,
myself and Mima (despite her absence for this match)
it was the final fixture that we would play representing
Dauntsey’s after a combined 19 years competing
together. We were therefore extremely happy to win a
competitive fixture 6-3 to Bryanston with two narrow
losses for our first and second pairs against a very
strong opposition first pair. Special mention to Rosie
Coles who, in our partnership, has conceded only 4 sets
this season.
It has been an amazing season of tennis with more
enthusiasm and dedication than I can remember
from three years of first team tennis. Most of this has
to be down to KAB who has already made such a
difference promoting girls’ sport at Dauntsey’s, and of
course Mrs Keen whose laughter, encouragement and
great coaching skills will be missed immensely and
remembered fondly by myself and my fellow Upper
Sixth leavers for years to come. Well done to all the
senior girls who have trained hard and played hard this
year to obtain some excellent results.
Julie Scholefield
Squad: Rosie Coles, Rebecca Kaufmann, Henny Lowth,
Mima Pitceathly, Julie Scholefield, Ella South.
2nd VI
Played: 9
Won: 7
Lost: 2
Drawn: 0
The 2nd Girls Tennis Team have had a successful
season this year, with memorable highlights including
convincing wins over King Edward’s School Bath and
Warminster College, which were both won 9-0.
Despite various exam commitments and pairing
changes as a result of athletics fixtures taking
precedence, the team pulled through to win 7 of our
9 fixtures which is a testament to the strength of this
Spor t 187
group and the ability of the girls to play in various
partnerships. Tough matches against Kingswood and
Wellington College both resulted in losses of 3-6,
despite gritty play from Thea Hurley-Bennett and
Tseki Wangdi in slippery conditions; however, against
Downside, the pairing of Charlotte Hamilton-White and
Emily Tucker, currently in the 4th form, helped the team
to a convincing 7-2 victory by winning all three of their
sets. Similarly, against Prior Park, another 7-2 win, Olga
Shadrina and Sarah Hannaford won all three of their
sets to secure the match. Against Bradfield College, we
were able to bring about a hard fought 6-3 victory by
converting consistent play into game-winning points;
Daria Galkina’s net play was particularly notable in
hitting outright winners; it was a shame not to have
Daria throughout the whole season due to injury, as she
is a formidable tennis player.
Against Godolphin, it was strong serving from all
players that ensured a quick victory, allowing the match
to be completed without being interrupted by the
oncoming rain. The final match of the season against
Bryanston, whilst resulting in a defeat, showed promise
for the coming years, as the majority of its players were
younger additions to the squad who hope to break
into the team next season. Special mention must go to
Jemima Jackson and Thea Hurley-Bennett who, whilst
often being moved up to the 1st team, won 7 out of
their 9 sets when playing for the 2nd team.
Well done to all players on a strong season, and many
thanks to coaches Mrs Keen and KAB, and various
parents for their support throughout.
Anna Brown
Squad: Anna Brown, Thea Hurley-Bennett, Sarah
Hannaford, Jemima Jackson, Olga Shadrina, Tseki Wangdi.
Seniors also having represented the 2nd VI:
Emily Diamond, Rosie Fanshawe, Daria Galkina, Arabella
Harvey, Tamzin Howard, Kirsty Robertson, Michelle Wing.
3rd VI
Played: 7
Won: 5
Lost: 2
Drawn: 0
The season started successfully for the 3rd VI, winning
our first 3 matches of the term against good opposition.
Our skill and hard work was demonstrated when playing
against Warminster School where the majority of sets
were won 6-2, meaning we won the fixture 9-0, the best
result out of all of the Dauntsey’s teams playing.
Later this season, when facing Bradfield and Kingswood,
despite our best efforts we were challenged by our
toughest opponents. Nevertheless Tamzin Howard and
Michelle Wing had their own individual success winning
2 out of their 3 matches. After these unfortunate losses
we kept a positive mentality, training with determination
to develop our teamwork and overcome our weaknesses
on court, in order to allow us to be the strongest team
we could be when facing further opposition.
This was shown in our next match of the term against
Downside which we confidently won 9-0, with all of our
pairs winning 6-2 against Downside’s first pair. In this
match Arabella Harvey and Rosie Fanshawe showed a
great deal of consistency. Following this success we went
into our next match well prepared. Our fixture against
Prior Park came as a challenge as we were faced with
playing American doubles against one of their 3rd pair
players, an unusual test for all of our pairs. Proving our
resilience we overcame this trial and worked very hard
to win the fixture 5-4.
Overall we had a great season and formed friendships as
well as improving our tennis skills as we began to work
better as a team, bringing out the best in each other
both in training and matches.
A large number of players were able to represent the
3rd VI which shows the depth of the senior sides. Kirsty
Robertson represented the squad a total of six times
and also represented the 2nd VI which is a testament to
her hard work and enthusiasm.
Thank you to KAB and Mrs Keen for their excellent
training within our games sessions and for their support
at matches.
Squad: Alex Beteeva, Emily Diamond, Rosie Fanshawe,
Atlanta Hatch, Arabella Harvey, Tamzin Howard, Sophie
Muir, Elvira Parr, Kirsty Robertson, Amelia Sampson,
Michelle Wing, Georgia Woodward.
4th VI
Played: 2
Won: 0
Lost: 1
Drawn: 1
Although the 4ths only played two matches this term,
many of our team members have shown exceptional
skill and determination throughout the term,
representing both the 3rd and the 2nd teams in other
matches.
In our first match of the term against St. Mary’s Calne,
we narrowly lost 5-4 with Tamzin Howard and Michelle
Wing winning two of their three games but there
were some gritty points won with Michelle feisty at
the net with her winning volleys. Milly Sampson and
Emma Lovell narrowly missed out on winning their
second game, losing 5-6 but displayed some excellent
teamwork particularly in some tight rallies, whilst Emily
Diamond and Georgia Woodward showed admirable
determination against three very strong pairs. We
continued to improve our play during training and
throughout the term were able to represent other teams
in more matches giving us valuable match play.
In our second match we drew 3-3 against Kingswood
in a very close fought contest. Cathy Tinker and
Shona O’Dwyer (who first picked up a tennis racket
this season!) won all three of their games in their
debut match and this was all due to their impeccable
teamwork and persistence. Throughout this term, the
4th team have become more confident in their tennis
playing and despite not managing to win a match,
everyone remained determined and enjoyed a great
season of tennis.
Milly Sampson
Squad: Emily Diamond, Tamzin Howard, Emma Lovell,
Shona O’Dwyer, Amelia Sampson, Cathy Tinker, Carmen
Wing, Michelle Wing, Georgia Woodward.
Kirsty Robertson
Spor t 189
matches. Whilst the team lost 5-4, it was the toughest
fixture to date and useful to reflect on areas of play that
needed a little more attention.
In the following two matches, we took on Downside
and Prior, only conceding one set across both fixtures,
despite changing pairings. Against Downside, it was
great to see the other players relishing the challenge
of A team standard. This completed a very successful
first half of term, with Chloe Vautier’s tennis in particular
improving at this point in the season.
After half-term, we were straight back on court to play
an AEGON fixture against a strong St. Mary’s Calne side.
Without Harriet Steptoe at the helm, all players rose to
the challenge and a special mention goes to Charlotte
Hamilton-White who performed superbly to win her
singles 6-3. Despite losses in the singles for Emily and
Imogen, when they partnered up, they were fantastic
against a very assertive pair. Having been down, they
pulled back and stormed away with a stunning win.
With the scores even after the both singles and doubles,
it was set to be a gripping tie-breaker. Imogen and
Charlotte were elected to take part and held their nerve
winning 11-9 with an incredible performance.
U15 A VI
Played: 9
Won: 7
Lost: 2
Drawn: 0
The U15A VI opened up the season at home against
KES Bath, winning convincingly 7-0. The newly formed
first pair of Harriet Steptoe and Imogen West made a
strong start, not dropping a single game over their two
respective matches.
With a little bit of time before the next match, the team
tried out a number of different pairings. Emily Tucker
and Anna Troshina were selected as new partners and
played impressively in their next match. They performed
outstandingly against a very strong Kingswood side to
win all three of their sets as third pair, leading the team
to victory (5-4). This was a particularly tough fixture on
the Kingswood courts, with the wind certainly affecting
the play.
Having won two matches in a row, all players put up
a good fight in a mid-week fixture against Bradfield,
narrowly losing 4-5. The key focus for this particular
match was to put away a clean winning volley and
it was pleasing to see all players attempt this in their
One of the greatest highlights of the season was the
team’s 8-1 win against Wellington. The strong mentality
of the team played a huge part in this success. The
team played some tactical tennis and with excellent
partnership formed, and it was great to see such strong
performance across the board. Emily and Charlotte
showed incredible team work, with great rallies from the
back and excellent intercepting volleys.
The penultimate match of the season was an Aegon
match against Marlborough College, and despite us
narrowly losing our singles, Harriet and Imogen came
back to win their doubles convincingly. The team have
come a long way during this season and have shown
mental strength, resilience in rallies and great teamwork
as a whole. This, combined with some quality
performances towards the end of the season, should set
them up well for the senior teams.
Harriet Steptoe & Imogen West
Squad: Charlotte Hamilton-White, Harriet Steptoe,
Emily Tucker, Anna Troshina, Chloe Vautier, Imogen West.
U15 B VI
Played: 9
Won: 7
Lost: 2
Drawn: 0
The U15B team have had an excellent season this year,
playing 10 fixtures and only dropping a single block
fixture which is a testament to the hard work this team
has put in all season.
We had a strong start to the season with an 8-1 win
against KES Bath. Dauntsey’s played well winning three
of the nine games 6-0 with pleasing performances from
all against a decent KES Bath side. The first pair of Lucy
Downer and Anna Gilbert only conceded two games
across their three sets played and so too did the third
pair of Georgia Carpenter and Madeleine Brooks.
In our next match we stepped up to play against
Warminster A’s in our first AEGON fixture of the season.
The team seemed confident with convincing wins both
in the singles and doubles giving us a strong win overall.
though all 3 pairs suffered losses against a very strong
Wellington third pair but everyone played to a high
standard to win the fixture 6-3.
Our last match of the season was an AEGON fixture
against St Augustine’s with strong performances from all
players particularly Stephanie Lau and Imogen Cockwell
in their doubles match which they won a comfortable
6-1. Dauntsey’s won the fixture overall 10-2.
The U15B’s have had an excellent season which is
encouraging as we look forward to next season.
Natasha Whitrow & Lucy Downer
Squad: Madeline Brooks, Georgia Carpenter, Corinna
Clark, Imogen Cockwell, Lucy Downer, Anna Gilbert,
Stephanie Lau, Natasha Whitrow.
Our next fixtures against Kingswood and Bradfield were
very close with Dauntsey’s just stealing the win with
five games to four in both. Against Kingswood, Imogen
Cockwell and Georgia Carpenter coped well with the
pressure to win the deciding game 6-4. In our mid-week
fixture against Bradfield it seemed again a challenging
match but everyone rose to the occasion with Natasha
Whitrow and Lucy Downer winning all their games 6-1.
This was a particularly pleasing win with a very well
deserved cheer at the end.
Next we travelled away to play Downside again winning
the fixture 5-4 with pleasing performances from Anna
Gilbert and Corinna Clark who won all their games with
a 6-0 win against Downside’s first pair. Well done also to
Elsa Chick and Grace James-Park who stepped up from
the C team and played well.
The team had an excellent performance against
Prior Park winning 8 out of the 9 matches against a
competent side.
Our next match proved to be the toughest of the
season against a very strong St Mary’s Calne side
resulting in a 9-0 loss. Despite the result we all played
well with good perseverance throughout.
Away at Godolphin we bounced back from our previous
defeat to win 8-1 with only a few games dropped by
all pairs. Against Wellington College we played well
U14 A VI
Played: 7
Won: 3
Lost: 4
Drawn: 0
The U14As got the tennis season off to a great start.
Although KES Bath had a very strong first pair, all three
of our newly formed pairs played well, beating KES
Bath’s second pair 6-0. Having had very little time to test
different pairings for their first match, the week’s wait
anticipating the oncoming Kingswood match was the
perfect opportunity to make some changes.
As expected, the Kingswood side was very strong.
However, with the Dauntsey’s girls playing well at home,
Kingswood only managed to win 6 games out of 9. Liza
Bolotova and Liza Shevchenko played well in second
Spor t 191
pair beating their equivalent pair 6-2. Jemima Frost and
Louisa Hill also played very consistent tennis, beating
their opposition 6-1.
Having won one and lost one match the girls were off
to Downside to try and record another victory. Despite
the hard playing conditions all three of the Dauntsey’s
pairs played well, not dropping a single set. With the
final match before half-term approaching, the team was
looking to record another win. However, with absence
of the team’s captain Georgia Pickford, the pairings took
a different form. The team travelled away to Prior Park
not knowing that they would return with a convincing
6-3 win. The first pair of Liza Shevchenko and Alice
Fanshawe played well, winning all three of their matches.
The second pair of Liza Bolotova and Jemima Frost also
played well throughout, but eventually lost narrowly 5-6.
This was a great end to a successful half of term.
The next match was a tough mid-week fixture against St
Mary’s Calne, two days after returning to school
after half-term. Whilst the team lost 3-6 it was
undoubtedly the toughest match to date with all players
playing to the highest standard. Georgia Pickford and
Liza Shevchenko played well together winning two
out of their three matches and only conceding 10 out of
28 games.
The final two fixtures of the term were mid-week
AEGON matches against Godolphin and South Wilts
Grammar. Away at Godolphin, the Dauntsey’s girls
came up against some strong opposition. Despite not
winning any matches, both pairs played well and were
unfortunate with the outcome.
The final game was at home against South Wilts
Grammar. With the absence of Liza Shevchenko, Annie
Bray rose to the challenge. Although she lost her singles
game 1-6, when playing doubles with Alice Fanshawe
(who narrowly lost her game 6-7) in second pair she had
more luck and they beat their equivalent pair 7-5. The
first pair, Georgia Pickford and Liza Bolotova, played at a
very high standard, but didn’t get the result they hoped
for when playing together: they lost 3-6, and when
playing in the singles court both came up against very
tough opposition.
Overall, although more matches were lost than won, the
players have kept fighting for every game and showed
great resilience throughout the term, improving and
developing over the season, and they should be very
proud of what they have achieved in such a short time.
Alice Fanshawe & Georgia Pickford
Squad: Liza Bolotova, Alice Fanshawe, Jemima Frost,
Louisa Hill, Lara Maton, Liza Shevchenko, Georgia
Pickford, Hannah Walker.
U14 B VI
Played: 7
Won: 4
Lost: 3
Drawn: 0
The U14B tennis team had a good season winning four
matches of the seven played. They started off their
season with an 8-1 win against KES Bath. With little time
to practice and form pairs, this match was about gaining
match play and trying out combinations. The first pair
of Lauren Dallison and Hannah Giraudeau got off to a
good start with a win against their second pair. Although
both a little nervous and hesitant with their serves and
at the net, as time progressed both of these skills really
developed, winning them points and games. Anna Bray
and Tiggy Lovering relished their matches on the middle
hard court and it was great to see Anna really enjoying
herself having been selected for the B team. Ellen and
Kitty played third pair and worked well together.
The next fixture against Warminster’s A side was
a particularly pleasing one. Although all our pairs
lost to their first pair who were a strong partnership
throughout, we were able to win the fixture 6-3. Whilst
the first and second played remained the same, Hannah
Walker and Chinda Smith came into play as third pair
and it was great to see this partnership developing as
the match play progressed.
The next match was certainly the team’s strongest
opposition of the term with Kingswood winning the
fixture 8-1. Special mention must go to Lara Maton and
Hannah Giraudeau as first pair who won 6-4 against
Kingswood’s first pair, allowing us to take away a game.
Following such a defeat, it was great to see the spirits of
the girls lifted when they beat Downside 9-0. What was
also most impressive was that our first and second pairs,
Lauren, Hannah, Anna and Tiggy, didn’t drop a single
game, earning them a tennis award.
The team then went on to win 8-1 win over Prior with
Olivia Ehlis-Rogers making debut playing alongside
Chinda Smith at first pair. It was great to see their
emphatic celebration beating their respective pair.
Other matches included a very tough 8-1 loss against
St Mary’s Calne and a 7-2 loss against Bryanston; whilst
both were hard losses to swallow, the girls remained
resilient and kept their spirits high in what were very
tough matches. They were able to take away useful
points which have in turn improved their game and
diversity of play.
KAB
Squad: Anna Bray, Lauren Dallison, Oliva Ehlis-Rogers,
Hannah Giraudeau, Kitty Kirby, Tiggy Lovering, Chinda
Smith, Hannah Walker, Ellen Weir.
U13 A VI
Played: 4
Won: 2
Lost: 2
Drawn: 0
The U13A VI enjoyed a great term of tennis and, despite
a slow start, finished the season with some excellent
results. In the early matches the final results often did
not reflect the closeness of the games, which were long
and often at deuce, particularly our first fixture. This was
a hard fought match against KES Bath where, although
first pair India Eastlake and Alexandra Clark managed
to win their three sets, the team eventually lost a close
5-4. Amelia Place and Beth McNamara played well at
second pair and so did third pair of Ellie Barker and Freya
Chapman and whilst it was great to be at home for our
first game, the wind certainly didn’t help our serves.
The next match was against a strong Kingswood team,
with the first and second pairs only managing to grab
the points off the opposing third pair resulting in a
7-2 defeat. This week, Ellie and Amelia set up a new
partnership and Elisabeth Peak and Maddie George
were promoted to the A team for their promising results
and hard work in training.
As the season progressed, the results improved and it
was better news against Godolphin with a secure 6-3
victory. All pairs played well and settled into their stride.
Goldophin’s first pair managed to win all their three
games but the team as a whole didn’t have the depth
that we had so we were able to win the other six games.
Elisabeth and Maddie only dropped a single game
against their second pair which shows how far their
game has come on since the start of the season. Ellie
and Amelia won their matches 6-3, 6-3 serving well and
attacking the net.
The final match against Prior Park, resulted in a convincing
victory for the first 2 pairs, with the girls only dropping a
handful of games across all sets, ending the season with
a well-deserved 4-0 win. Both pairs acheived great results
with a 6-1 and 6-2 wins. It is a shame that term had to end
so soon, and we wish the best of luck to Alexandra Clark
who is moving on. We wish her all the Luck.
The U13A team also played in two AEGON matches,
both hard fought, against St Mary’s Calne and South
Wilts Grammar. The girls ultimately lost to strong sides
although the games were tight and it was frustrating
that they did not come out on top.
India Eastlake & Alexandra Clark
Squad: Eleanor Barker, Freya Chapman, Alexandra Clark,
India Eastlake, Madeleine George, Beth McNamara,
Elisabeth Peak, Amelia Place.
Spor t 193
The final match against Goldolphin was a great game
to finish on winning 7-2. Other players here came in to
represent the team which was nice and showed great
depth in the team. The best pair of the day was Grace
Osmond and Grace Welsh - it was great to see them really
enjoying their matches and celebrating in true style.
U13 B VI
Played: 4
Won: 4
Lost: 0
Drawn: 0
This season the U13B team have had total success with
4 out of 4 wins. The team started off their successful
season with a tight 5-4 win over KES Bath. The third pair
partnership of Madeleine George and Elisabeth Peak
were the most successful, winning all three of their
matches, and they were the only pair to beat the KES first
pair. Their win gave us 3 valuable games which proved
crucial, as the only games both the first and second
pairs were able to win were against KES’ third pair. Milly
Wand and Sophie Hollis were keen to impress at first
pair and so too was Poppy Waterworth and Niamh Clark
at second pair: both newly formed pairs enjoyed the
opportunity to practice set plays and work at the net.
The second match was an excellent result for us. We
were one of only a few teams who were able to record
wins against Kingswood and ours was a confident 7-1
win. Freya Chapman and Annie Hourahane played
exceptionally well at first pair winning all three of their
matches and Grace Welsh made her debut playing
alongside Milly Wand; Grace showing lots of promise
and enthusiasm.
We continued our winning run against St Mary’s Calne.
Their first pair proved too strong for any of our pairs
however we showed greater depth and were able
to win the remaining six games. In this game Poppy
Waterworth and Niamh Clark were excellent, with great
length on their strokes and super teamwork at the net.
Poppy has really shown remarkable improvements in
her game.
We have played strongly throughout the term, and
learnt to work extremely well with our consistent
partners and positioning; that said, it has been useful
mixing players and developing our versatility. Our play
has improved over the term and this has resulted in us
having good rallies in both in training and in matches.
We have learnt new skills, particularly attacking the shot,
intercepting the shot and being successful at the net
and we have applied these to our match play earning
us impressive points. Everyone has made excellent
progress and our hard work has paid off.
Freya Chapman & Annie Hourahane
Squad: Freya Chapman, Niamh Clark, Madeleine
George, Annie Hourahane, Sophie Hollis, Beth
McNamara, Grace Osmond, Elisabeth Peak, Milly Wand,
Poppy Waterworth, Grace Welsh.
U12 A VI
Played: 4
Won: 2
Lost: 2
Drawn: 0
The Dauntsey’s U12A team have had a good season
with strong wins and great teamwork. Aside from our
2 AEGON games, of which we won 1, we won 2 of out
of the 4 matches played, which is very pleasing given
some strong opposition.
As a newly formed team, it was great to get the season
underway with a match. Our very first match was away
from home against Warminster School. The match went
very well with all of our pairs winning their matches.
Our first pair Maya House and Lara Vautier showed
great determination: having been 4-0 down in their last
match against Warminster’s first pair, they came back
to win 6-4. Special mention must also go to Hannah
Weeden who stepped into the team not having played
very much tennis and worked very hard with Sophia Hill.
Pippy Abel and Ava Hall also performed well.
Our second match was against a strong Kingswood
side and it was clear that the opposition had definitely
had a lot more practise with their partners. However,
the U12A side put out a very good performance with
improvements being made in each match. Ava Hall’s
serving for the third pair was exceptional, showing great
accuracy despite the bright sun.
St Mary’s Calne were also a very powerful opposition,
with all of our players losing their matches in their first
AEGON fixture. It was great to experience a little bit of
singles play and face tough opposition, allowing the
team to focus on areas to work on.
Godolphin were a solid side with Dauntsey’s only
winning 3 out of 9 matches. However, matches against
Prior Park were very good, with our first and second pair
comfortably winning all of their games. Sophia Hill and
Hannah Weeden, showed great communication and
effort as second pair.
Our last match against St Augustine’s Trowbridge was
another AEGON fixture. Lara Vautier played very well
but unfortunately lost 6-5 against the second pair, while
Sophia Hill won comfortably 6-1 against the fourth
pair. In our last doubles match, both pairs showed how
much they had improved from the start of the season
by taking a great victory.
We’d like to thank KAB and Mrs Keen for organising all of
our matches and improving our play.
Maya House & Lara Vautier
Squad: Pippy Abel, Ava Hall, Sophia Hill, Maya House,
Lara Vautier, Hannah Weeden.
The team started off with a 5-4 win against Kingswood.
Everyone played well, with the first pairing of Phoebe
Lishman and Josie Banovic winning all three sets
while the second pairing, Bronte Lorimer and Florence
Evenden, and the third pair, Ella Harris and Emily Bagnall,
only losing two of their matches. This was a particularly
good win for us, given that very few teams were able to
win against Kingswood.
Against St Mary’s Calne, which was our second match,
the opposition were strong and the team unfortunately
lost 7-2. Tegan Yates and Sasha Broadhead made their
debuts at this fixture - both players showed promise
and improved in training. Despite the games going very
much in the oppositions favour, we all kept our spirits
high and had fun.
The third and final fixture against Godolphin saw a series
of hard fought matches but the team won convincingly
with a 6-3 score line. Sasha Broadhead re-enforced her
mid-season selection with a fine performance, winning
all her three games in the first pair alongside Phoebe
Lishman. The season was brought to an end with a fun
tournament against KES Bath. Although suffering defeat,
the entire team had an enjoyable sporting afternoon.
Overall, it has been an exciting and entertaining first
season of tennis at Dauntsey’s and our thanks go to KAB
and Mrs Keen for all the training that has led to the team
winning two out of their three matches played.
Phoebe Lishman & Josie Banovic
Squad: Emily Bagnall, Josie Banovic, Sasha Broadhead,
Florence Evenden, Ella Harris, Phoebe Lishman, Bronte
Lorimer, Tegan Yates.
U12 B VI
Played: 3
Won: 2
Lost: 1
Drawn: 0
The tennis season for the U12Bs has been very
successful with some excellent play on show. We had
a few weeks to practice before we had our first match,
which proved useful as it gave us time to practice in
pairs, learn to score and get used to the Dauntsey’s wind
when serving.
Spor t 195
Football
Football overview 2014-15
another new record in a season, as the team laid claim
as one of the best sides that the school has produced,
their fitness enabling them to play a high tempo,
committed, pressing and passing game. Team spirit
remained outstanding throughout the season, but two
further defeats and a draw in their last three matches,
meant that ultimately their achievements of the first
half couldn’t be replicated in the second half of term.
Individually, Ed Sweett set a new record, scoring 12
goals in a season, including two hat-tricks, and Charlie
Hall’s eight goals took him to a total of 18 for the 1st XI
to set a new all-time top scorer record; their partnership
of 20 goals also yielded a new record.
In the top flight of English football, only two teams have
completed a league campaign unbeaten, resulting in
both earning the nickname “The Invincibles”; Preston
North End in 1888-9 (in the league’s inaugural season)
and, more recently, Arsenal in 2003-4. It is a challenge
that I lay at the feet of Dauntsey’s 1st XI at the start
of every season in January. In fact, I challenge them
first to win every match, but the scale of the feat had
meant that no team in ten years had managed to make
it to half term unbeaten. That is until now. In a quite
exceptional first half of the term, the Dauntsey’s 1st
XI of 2015 played an all conquering brand of football
and they too were invincible, winning all five matches,
scoring 21 goals and conceding just four. The nature
of their fourth win, 4-2 away at Marlborough College,
arguably ranks as the school’s best ever, it was a
dominating performance, which they followed two
days later by thrashing Bristol Grammar School 6-1 at
home. It was these two matches that showcased the
team’s ability to counter-attack with skill and pace; truly
magnificent and a joy to watch!
The run continued and a 2-1 home win over Sherborne
School in the first match after half term meant their
100% start set a new record, racking up six wins in
a row, before the streak was ended with a 3-2 away
defeat at Downside School. A seventh win followed for
Orchestrating all this success was their captain, Greg
Bell, a superb leader of the team and a fine defender
and reader of the game. His contribution was fantastic,
both through his action on the pitch and his neverending running commentary of encouragement and
instructions to his team-mates, who accorded him the
well-deserved accolade and coveted ‘Player’s Player of
the Season’. As always, many thanks to all the boys who
played football for the school in 2015 and my best wishes
go to the leavers. A huge thank you to Greg and his vicecaptain Charlie Hall for the high standards that they set
in leading the team, proving to be great ambassadors for
school football both on and off the pitch.
At the start of the Easter holidays, 22 boys benefitted
from an enjoyable tour to the Netherlands. They were
well looked after by Feyenoord Rotterdam and received
a programme of superb coaching from the club.
Three competitive matches were played against local
sides, and although they were lost, the boys acquitted
themselves very well indeed.
It has been a super last two years for Dauntsey’s
football and it will be a stern challenge to continue
this success. With some of the current 1st XI squad still
at the school, boys from the 2nd XI will be eager to
step up and join them. Indeed, the 2nd XI had another
entertaining season, with some high scoring matches
and they secured three wins, including a new record for
a Dauntsey’s side, a 14-1 goal fest against Sexey’s School,
with Ed Jenkins claiming an individual record by netting
six of them and earning a call up to the 1st XI squad.
My thanks go to SEK, PCG and PJT for all their hard
work and input in helping to run school football with
me this season, and many thanks again to PJT and SEK,
along with DAF, and Graham Davis, Gordon Ashworth
and Tony Wallis for their refereeing of 1st XI, 2nd XI and
U16 matches. I am most grateful to JPP and PJT for their
support and company in helping to run the football
tour to Feyenoord Rotterdam.
A great deal of gratitude goes to PJT for all the dedication
and wonderful enthusiasm that he has brought to school
football over the years and I thank him for all his support
and friendship. On behalf of the boys and myself, I wish
him all the very best in his new school.
Andy Ealey from Swindon Town FC’s Football in the
Community Trust visited us each week to help coach
the 1st XI. From all the boys and football staff, thanks go
to Steve Challis and his team for providing the excellent
playing surfaces on Mercers’ Field.
RVL
1st XI
Played: 11
Won: 7
Lost: 1
Drawn: 3
After a highly competitive week of selection trials, it
was a strong and confident 1st XI squad that travelled
to Clayesmore for our opening Saturday fixture. After a
scrappy first 15 minutes, Mikey Hammond settled the
nerves, as he clinically dispatched a loose ball to make it
1-0. A goal apiece for Ed Sweett and Charlie Hall quickly
followed and we were in cruise control. However, a
mixture of complacency and an unlucky bobble let the
home side back in to the match, as first, Charlie Dale and
Rowan Duckworth did their very own Gary Neville and
Paul Robinson double act, and then Clayesmore’s centre
forward waltzed through for a second. At 3-2 it was
suddenly game on and we were relieved to be awarded
a penalty. Up stepped Charlie Hall to strike it softly for
penalty miss number one, but he quickly made amends
to slot in our fourth on the stroke of half time.
After the interval, we controlled the match. Two Ed
Sweett strikes, to complete his hat-trick and cap a fine
performance on debut, made it 6-2, before he was felled
in the box. Up stepped Dan Watt and with a massive run
up, he rattled the post with penalty miss number two.
There was still time for Charlie Hall to complete his hattrick with a fine swivel and volley into the bottom corner
and the game finished 7-2 for a well-deserved victory.
Oskar Boaler impressed in the second half on his debut,
but it was another debutant, Matt Rees, who gave a
confident and complete display at right back, winning
virtually every challenge and starting off numerous
attacks in a man-of-the-match performance.
The following Thursday against Beechen Cliff, we knew
that it was important to start the match in positive
fashion, and we moved the ball fluently and pressed the
opposition high up the pitch. After receiving a pass with
his back to goal, Ed Sweett turned sharply in the box
and thumped the ball into the top right hand corner to
make it 1-0. We continued to play some flowing football
and the impressive Charlie Dale came close to doubling
our lead, but his clean strike cleared the crossbar. In the
second half, the blistering pace and skill of Oskar Boaler
and Matt Rees were causing the opposition all sorts of
problems down the right flank and they combined to
release Charlie Hall through on goal, but he was crudely
brought down in the box. Up stepped Dan Watt with
confidence, eager to make up for hitting the post from
the spot last week, only to whip the ball wide for our
penalty miss number three of the season! In a nervy
finale, we might have paid the penalty, but thankfully we
held firm. Sam Tomlin earned man-of-the-match with
two stunning goal-saving tackles in the box, ensuring
that Sweett’s fine finish proved the difference in what
was, in the end, a tense but well deserved victory.
Spor t 197
top to coolly chip in for 3-1. With ten minutes to go, Ed
Jenkins just on as a sub, then started and finished the
move of the match, as we carved through for 4-1. In
the final minute, a hand ball in the box, gave our hosts
a second spot kick, and despite Rowan Duckworth
making an impressive penalty save, the ball ended up in
our net from the follow up, as we recorded a thoroughly
deserved and outstanding 4-2 victory.
One week later, we travelled to Bruton to play Sexey’s
School for the first time and on a difficult pitch that
sloped in three directions, we dominated the majority
of the first half with Dan Watt pulling the strings from
midfield. The chances began to flow, but we shot wide
or too close to the keeper and it was 0-0 at half time.
After the interval, Sexey’s put us under pressure, but our
defence held firm. With twenty minutes left, Ed Sweett
finally settled the nerves as he met a corner with a firm
header placed just out of reach of their keeper. Ten
minutes later, Watt drilled in another corner to the near
post, where it was met by Charlie Hall with a graceful
glancing header into the roof of the net. Player maker,
Watt, could certainly lay claim to man-of-the match,
but arguably it was his foil Charlie Dale with a superb
display in defensive midfield that earned the plaudits.
In the end, a comfortable 3-0 win was secured, as in
the closing minutes we strung together a beautiful
sequence of passes, resulting in Ed Sweett drilling home
his second goal of the game and his sixth of the season.
In recent years, away at Marlborough College has been
about as tough as it gets and we hadn’t beaten our
rivals in more than a decade, but we raced out of the
blocks and Tim Bradley smashed home from inside
the box to make it 1-0. Midway through the first half,
Dan Watt hit a pile driver of a free kick, which was
spilled by their keeper and Charlie Hall pounced to
double our lead with a brave header. We weathered
a spell of pressure after the interval and having done
so, Greg Bell was judged to have conceded a penalty,
attempting to win the ball at full stretch. The spot kick
was clinically dispatched to make the score a tense 2-1.
However, we responded immediately, as another Watt
free kick shook the crossbar from thirty yards out and
then man-of-match Hall, latched onto a ball over the
Two days later, with our confidence high, we hosted
Bristol Grammar School on Mercers’ Field, and quickly
went two up with goals from Tim Bradley and Ed
Sweett. However, we conceded on the stroke of half
time and the match was in the balance at 2-1. However,
Ed Jenkins on as a sub fifteen minutes into the second
half made an immediate impact, first converting a cross
with a header at the near post and then curling into
the bottom corner. We finished the game with some
outstanding football with Sweett slotting home twice
more to complete his second hat-trick of the season for
an impressive 6-1 victory.
The first Thursday after half term, we hosted
Sherborne School, who always provide very tough
opposition. Once again, we started on the front foot
and a determined Charlie Hall gave us the lead from
a rebound after his initial shot was saved. We were
looking comfortable on the ball and in control, but a
lapse in concentration and communication in our box
led to the visitors levelling the score. In the second half
we upped the pressure and eventually Ed Sweett put
us back in front with a fine shot inside the box that
curled away from their keeper into the corner of the
net. Towards the end, Sherborne pressed hard but our
defence held firm to see out a hard fought 2-1 victory in
what was a fine team performance.
Forty-eight hours on, we travelled to Downside, and we
struggled to find our groove at the beginning of the
match and our hosts opened the scoring. We pressed to
get back in the game, but were hit by a double sucker
punch before the interval and found ourselves 3-0
down with a mountain to climb and having to chase the
game for the first time all season. The situation asked
serious questions of our determination and ability as
a team to get back into a match and sure enough we
raised our performance. First, from a Dan Watt corner,
Charlie Hall thumped a header into the top corner. Then
Ed Sweett scrambled home a second and, suddenly,
Downside were on the back foot. We laid siege to their
goal, but despite our efforts, we couldn’t find a third and
our first loss of the season ended our record breaking six
match winning streak.
Back on home soil, the following Thursday against
King Edward’s School, Bath, we were determined to
bounce back and in an opening half of few chances, we
took the lead from a looping Tim Bradley header just
before the interval. We controlled the second half and
another header, this time from Ed Sweett, doubled our
advantage in a comfortable 2-0 victory, which gave us
a record seventh win in a season, beating the previous
best of six (2006 and 2014).
The following week, next up, at home on the
Wednesday, was Bishop Wordsworth’s School and the
long awaited return of this tough fixture. We raced out
of the blocks and the first chance was ours as Charlie
Hall rose to meet an Oskar Boaler centre, whipped in
to the near post, but unfortunately he headed wide.
Bishops started to impose themselves and later in the
half, after a fine run by one of their midfielders into our
box, the ball was knocked across the face of our goal
and slotted into the net. After the break we struggled
to break down our well organised visitors and after a
scramble from a corner, a composed finish saw Bishops
double their lead, as we lost the match 2-0, to the
strongest team that we had faced all season.
Three days later, we hosted Canford School, with centre
forward Charlie Hall proving to be a real threat before
a blow to the nose led to him leaving the field early in
the half. However, we readjusted and two Dan Watt
free-kicks forced two fine saves. In the second half and
somewhat against the run of play, Canford’s captain
gave them the lead, as he met a corner with a well
placed glancing header. From this point, we pushed
hard to get back into the match but failed to convert
any chances and it finished a painful and undeserved
1-0 loss, as we suffered two home defeats in a week.
Determined to level matters, we had the majority of
the play in the second half and just as it looked as
though we were going to end the season with a third
consecutive defeat, we equalised in added on time as
Dan Watt curled a corner directly into the back of the
net. It was a spectacular end to a fantastic season.
KB
Afterword
Looking back, the defeats against Downside and
Canford could have gone either way; it was only Bishop
Wordsworth’s that were a better side than Dauntsey’s
this year. Beating Beechen Cliff, Marlborough, Bristol
Grammar, Sherborne and KES Bath all in the same year
was unprecedented and it is that statistic that
arguably makes the team of 2015, the finest and most
complete that the school has produced; and a hard act
to follow.
RVL
Squad: Gregor Bell, Oskar Boaler, Timothy Bradley,
Joseph Brooks, Charles Dale, Andrew Duckworth,
Rowan Duckworth, Edward Giles, Charles Hall, Michael
Hammond, Edward Jenkins, Matthew Rees, Edward
Sweett, Samuel Tomlin, Daniel Watt, William Western.
Our eleven and final fixture of the season saw us take
on Winchester College’s U17 development squad in a
fourth consecutive home game. In an evenly contested
first half, we had the most clear cut opportunities,
hitting the woodwork twice, but unable to find the back
of the net and it was goalless at the interval. However,
within seconds of the restart, we conceded an unlucky
goal, as an Andrew Duckworth clearance cannoned
off a striker’s leg to wrong foot Rowan Duckworth.
Spor t 199
2nd XI
Played: 9
Won: 3
Lost: 0
Drawn: 6
It is so often true that when ‘things’ are tackled with
great effort, passion and determination, the outcome
is generally what you hope it would be. Without these
ingredients, success becomes more elusive. This was
true of the 2015 season for the richly talented 2nd XI;
purple patches peppered with perfection, glaringly
contrasted with faltering, fairly feeble football that
ended in a dreadful drubbing or two. This season,
there were some knocks. Six defeats and 20 something
goals against, but also three quality victories, in which
goals were drilled home so swiftly we could have been
enjoying a DIY master class.
Captaining the side this season was Max Gray, who
worked hard throughout, notched a few goals of his
own and yet was as committed in defence as he was
in attack. He was one of just a handful of U6th in the
squad, complemented by Cameron between the posts,
a shot-stopper extraordinaire with kicks almost as
large as his vocal projection; James playing strongly in
defence or, when he got his way, further up field; Chris,
always strong and committed in the defence and Will,
whose match play came on hugely during the season,
culminating in an excellent tour.
Talent abounds in the Lower 6th and 5th forms too, with
plenty of match time had by Joe A and Joe B, both of
whom played with skill and strength, boding very well
for next season. Will and George also cemented places
with regular displays of quality. Sharing the goal keeping
was Arthur (Amazing Reactions That Had Us Roaring),
defended gallantly by the likes of Alex (increasingly
brave and confident as the weeks progressed), James
‘do your laces up’ Hall and Andy Wallis (outstanding
solidity). George Hood can certainly play a bit, and
Josh was a real asset to the defence or midfield. Swift
and skilful were Ioan and Ed, who created calamity
for keepers on several occasions and were two of the
hardest working players we had. Ryan on the right
side regularly demonstrated the skills of a pro, with
fancy footwork that contrasted with James Hill’s more
direct, but equally effective method of dispossessing
opposition. Tom and Patrick showed pace and deftness
of touch in equal measure. ‘Most outrageous tackle’ of
the season (against!) has to go to Tristan, who proved
himself too hard to halt against Downside, so was then
stopped by a tackle that even on the rugby pitch would
have been awarded a penalty!
It was an enjoyable season, but with plenty of potential
for more enjoyable results in the next. Well done and
thank you, Gentlemen.
PJT
Squad: William Blakeney, Cameron Garbutt-Wichall,
Max Gray, James Matthews, Joseph Ayris, James Hill,
William Palmer, Callum Pitceathly, George Smith,
Alexander Clark, Patrick Cunnington, Ioan GwynneDavies, James Hall, George Hood, Joshua Jefferies,
Edward Jenkins, Tristan King, Arthur Mui, Thomas
Sheinman, Andrew Wallis, Ryan Yip.
Senior Boys’ Football Tour 2015
Friday 20th March – Tuesday 24th March
Overview
At the start of the Easter holidays, 22 boys were
accompanied by RVL, PJT and JPP on a most enjoyable
Football Tour to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The tour
was organised through the company inspiresport. It was
a real pleasure to take the boys on tour, their behaviour
on and off the pitch was excellent, impressing all those
that they met and representing Dauntsey’s with pride.
We stayed in the Hotel Maritime, located in the centre
of the city on the waterfront of the Nieuwe Maas and
opposite the famous ‘Erasmus Bridge’. The professional
coaching that the boys received at Feyenoord was
superb and it was a real treat for them that all their
sessions were led by club legend and former Dutch
international and captain, Ben Wijnstekers.
The tour squad, a mix of this year’s 1st XI and 2nd XI
teams, played three matches against club sides. All the
boys played in the first game on Friday evening against
IFC Ambacht U18 and although we had the better of
the first half and were level 1-1 at the interval following
a fine strike from Charlie Hall, our hosts scored three
in the second half. On Sunday morning against DWO
Zoetermeer U18 in a match predominately for the 2nd
team players, the boys missed a plethora of chances to
find the back of the net and conceded twice.
The final match of the tour on Monday evening saw
the 1st team take on RKSV Leonidas U19, whose senior
side play in the Topklasse, the 3rd tier of Dutch football!
The boys were simply outstanding and played some
fantastic football over the 90 minutes. Just one down
at the interval, it was arguably the best half of football
ever played by a Dauntsey’s side. The final score was 6-2,
as the boys tired especially towards the end, but at 4-2
with five minutes left, following goals from Charlie Hall
and Ed Giles, the boys were still very much in a thrilling
match!
Further highlights included a guided tour of the De Kuip
Stadium on Saturday morning, before going to watch
the Eredivisie fixture there on Sunday afternoon against
league leaders (and later crowned league champions)
PSV Eindhoven. In what was a fantastic atmosphere,
two stunning volleys from Feyenoord’s striker Anass
Achahbar saw our hosts record a superb 2-1 victory.
Feyenoord are recognised as the Netherlands’ most
passionately supported club and we left the stadium
without any doubt about that!
Overall, the tour was a superb footballing experience
and on the way home, Player of the Tour was awarded
to Oskar Boaler and overall Player of the Season was
awarded to Matt Rees.
RVL
Tour match reports
Upon our arrival in the energetic city of Rotterdam
on Friday 20th March and after 10 hours of travel, we
headed out for our first game of the tour, against a local
club side, ICF Ambacht U18. Under flood lights, it started
an even match, with our opponents opening the scoring
from the penalty spot. However we levelled before
half time, with Charlie Hall pouncing on a defensive
error and hitting home our first goal on tour. After the
interval, however, we struggled to establish ourselves in
the opposition half, and despite some super saves from
Arthur Mui and a great defensive performance from
James Hall, we conceded three to make the final score
a 4-1 loss. It was fair to say we were up and running and
looking forward to the following days.
On Saturday we trained at the Feyenoord Academy
in Varkenoord, only a short walk from the stadium, in
preparation for our next match on Sunday morning,
against DWO Zoetermeer U18. We started this match
well, but failed to convert numerous chances and so the
game remained goalless for the majority of the first half,
until we fell a goal behind as the interval approached. In
the second half we missed further chances to get back in
the game, before conceding another to put us 2-0 down.
At no point, however, did we look like the losing team; in
fact, we had dominated the match as we continued to
create chances but failed to turn them into goals.
On Monday, we completed another training session
in the morning and afternoon, before our final and
toughest match on Monday evening against RKSV
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Leonidas U19, the youth team to a semi-professional
side playing in the 3rd tier of Dutch football. Aware of
the calibre of players we were up against each individual
gave their all for the team. Mikey Hammond came close
to putting us in front in the first half, Dan Watt tested
their keeper twice from well-placed free kicks, Charlie
Hall put in a shift up front, Charlie Dale fought for every
ball in the midfield, Oskar Boaler made his presence
known on the right wing and our defence held firm.
However, the first slip at the back let their striker in on a
one-on-one, and he finished in clinical fashion, and we
found ourselves 1-0 down at the break.
In the second half, Leonidas notched up the pressure
and began to pepper our goal. Cameron Garbutt-Wichall
made some important saves and Will Western also
had a say in preventing our opponents from adding to
their score with a superb header off the line. However,
mid-way through the second half, we conceded twice
in quick succession. Our response came first through
Charlie Hall as he charged down a pass-back, before
pushing the ball round the keeper and into the net.
Our hosts then made it 4-1, before we responded for a
second time. From a free kick on the edge of the box,
Ed Giles, coolly placed the ball into the far, bottom left
corner, and we were back in the game at 4-2, and we
sensed an opportunity. We had fire in our bellies, but
the eight hours of training and two games over the last
three days in our legs. With five minutes remaining we
continued to give 110% but Leonidas sealed their victory
as they put two more past us before the final whistle.
The 6-2 score line was the biggest defeat that I had
experienced in two seasons of Dauntsey’s football,
however the game was the best we have ever played as
a team and the atmosphere was outstanding. Indeed,
it reflected the atmosphere throughout the whole tour
and our unity as a touring squad and it was a wonderful
way to end the season.
Gregor Bell
Athletics
Athletics overview
2014-15
It has been another successful athletics season with
the Senior Girls team going unbeaten, led brilliantly
by Jemima Pitceathly and Henny Lowth. The Senior
Boys finished runners-up in the Lutra Shield and apart
from that they also went unbeaten. The team was
led by Joshua Rice and Doug Tilley. It was rewarding
once again to see our athletes able to beat schools
such as Marlborough College, Canford, Bryanston and
Sherborne. The attitude of all the athletes has been
superb and I would like to thank AEB for running the
girls’ teams and we wish her well at her new school,
Badminton School.
Dauntsey’s had 20 athletes selected for the Kennet
Area Team, who went onto compete in the County
Championships in Salisbury. Sophia Hill, Alex Costard,
Georgia Pickford, Polly Maton and Imogen Davies were
all crowned County Champions.
Polly Maton continues to strive for a place in Rio in 2016
and she was once again selected to compete in the
World Championships.
The future remains bright with many excellent athletes
coming through the school. The support of the coaches
and parents and the attitude of the athletes continues
to make overseeing the sport a real pleasure.
MJO
Head of Athletics
Boys’ Athletics
The boys’ athletics teams had a very successful
season. We started away at Marlborough College
competing against Marlborough, Abingdon,
Magdalen College and Cooper’s. It was a strong team
performance and we won the fixture convincingly.
Oliver Shad and Doug Tilley were both excellent on
the track picking up good points. Doug ran a superb
15.7 seconds in the 110 metre hurdle race.
In the field Torran Green won the high jump and
Doug won the long jump. Next it was on to the Yeovil
Arena to compete in the Lutra Shield. 7 schools were
competing and we performed brilliantly to pick up
the runners up shield behind Millfield School. We
beat Taunton, Blundells, Wellington, Sherborne and
Bryanston. Charlie Hall and Doug Tilley picked up
good points in the sprints with Henry Hill, Dan Watt
and Will Harding running well in the middle distance
races. It was good to see a number of youngsters
step up from the Intermediate team and perform
well, athletes such as Elliott Lassiter and Daniel
Hammond.
The next Saturday saw us win a fixture at Bryanston
School against Bryanston, Canford, Sherborne,
Downside and Clayesmore. The final Saturday of the
season saw both the Senior Boys and Intermediate
Minor Spor ts 203
Boys teams winning their fixtures on the grass
track at Canford. This time it was against Canford,
Bryanston, Portsmouth Grammar, Kingswood,
Clayesmore, Downside and Milton Abbey. Mention
must go to athletes such as Zak Sheinman, Hugh
Jacobs and Sam Starks who all added a great
contribution to the senior team. The future looks
bright with a number of young athletes coming
through such as Alex Costard, Oskar Deakin, James
Hallam, Dan Hammond and Toby Thornton.
It has been a really successful season and I would like
to thank Doug Tilley for his support as Vice Captain
and MJO for leading the team through the season.
Joshua Rice
was excellent in the field to win all her events. The
intermediate girls backed up the seniors success
finishing a respectable third place in a tightly
contested fixture. There were notable performances
from Imogen Dawe-Lane who won her string in both
the hurdles and 300 metres.
The next event saw us travel away to Bryanston for
the always enjoyable Bryanston Relays. The girls all
proved their versatility competing in a huge variety
of distances from sprinting to the 7 minute Drei
Lauf. 100 metre relay team sealed victory after a
closely contested fixture seeing us narrowly beat
Sherborne Girls.
In the middle of the season, the intermediate girls
took part in a pentathlon event which included
800 m, long jump, hurdles, shot put and high jump
leading to some pleasing results. The promising
athlete India Eastlake finished fourth in her age
group, Lara Maton finished fifth in her age group and
superstar Polly Maton came second in her age group.
We then travelled to Bryanston again for the next
fixture which saw the senior team continue their
success. The girls won the fixture by a clear 44 points
with some fantastic performances from Hester
Stembridge in the 1500 metres who won her string,
Momo Adawele who threw well in the shot put to
win her string with ease and Daria Galkina who threw
a massive 25.60 metres to win the A string event.
Girls’ Athletics
With just a few games sessions to practice, the
season started with a competitive fixture away
at Marlborough College. The senior girls won
the fixture with ease by a clear 20 points beating
schools such as Marlborough, Magdalen College,
Cooper’s Company and Coborn and St Mary’s Calne.
All the girls performed extremely well and the
afternoon was highly enjoyable. There were notable
performances from both Polly Maton and Henny
Lowth in the 200 m with them both winning the A
and B string respectively. Emily Neve ran superbly in
the 800m to win her age group and Imogen Davies
The short season concluded with both the senior and
inter girls travelling away to Canford. Team spirit was
high leading to the senior girls winning the event
by a massive 69 points and the inter girls doing well
to finishing the day as runners up. Becky Newman
hurdled well to win her race. The intermediate girls
also had some fantastic performances with Chloe
Vautier jumping well to come second in the triple
jump. We beat schools such as Kingswood, Bryanston
and Canford so spirits were very high.
Outside of the school fixtures, several athletes
travelled back to Marlborough to compete in the
Kennet trials in order to move on to compete in the
county championships.
Overall, thank you to all the athletes for competing
this term in what has been a very successful season.
Jemima Pitceathly
Minor Sports
Badminton
Badminton this year has again shown itself to be a
force within the minor sports of the school. The sixth
form games session has been well attended with the
standard of play very high and strongly competitive.
The Thursday Badminton Club has maintained
a high level of attendance and has proved an
excellent ground for practice for pupils preparing
for competitions. Friendly matches with a number
of schools increased the opportunities to face new
opponents, with Dauntsey’s having a particularly
strong showing in matches with Devizes School and
Kingswood School, Bath.
Mid Wilts Restricted Badminton Tournament
For the sixth year running Dauntsey’s hosted the
Annual Mid Wilts Restricted Tournament on the
weekend of the 31 January - 1st February.
The U19 boy’s competition was particularly strong,
Mason Wong did very well to achieve 3rd place in the
boy’s singles.
Well done to all who played.
Yhelex Inter District Badminton Tournament
In March, Cherry Ip and Daria Galkina were chosen
as part of the team to represent Mid Wilts in the
Yhelex Inter District Badminton Tournament,
hosted at the Christie Miller Centre in Melksham.
Having been runners up in 2014 and winners in
2013 the team were keen to regain their crown.
The competition was fierce but the Mid Wilts Team
showed determination with both Cherry and Daria
performing to a high standard in both singles and
doubles matches. Their excellent play ensured the
Mid Wilts Team won the competition overall, a
fantastic achievement.
MR
Over 120 individuals from clubs and schools across
Wiltshire and Somerset played in matches on
Saturday afternoon and Sunday. The standard of
play was exceptionally high and our 11 competitors
showed commitment and determination throughout
the event.
Competition success
Matthew Talbot and Ryan Cooper secured a semi
final place in the boys U15 doubles, losing marginally
in a hard fought match.
Daria Galkina played consistently well, achieving
2nd place in both the U17’s girl’s singles, and mixed
doubles. Playing with Cherry Ip, Daria and Cherry
secured 2nd place in the girls U17 doubles.
Additionally, Cherry playing alongside a member of
the Wiltshire squad, achieved 3rd place in the mixed
doubles.
Minor Spor ts 205
Basketball
Played: 8
Won: 8
Lost: 0
Drawn: 0
With the majority of last year’s 1st team players
leaving in the summer, a few significant adjustments
had to be made to build up a new team that was full
of agility and shooting prowess but lacking in height
and physicality. With the addition of the exciting new
players of Marcus Yau and Billy Chen, and with our
new assistant coach Mr Lock, we were determined to
build on the successes of the previous two seasons.
The season began with an away fixture against one of
our most competitive schools. We had experienced
an exciting draw 61-61 two seasons ago with Wycliffe
and expected a similar tough clash. It proved to
be a lot easier than we expected, however, and
was the first opportunity for our team to work and
understand each other in a real game situation. We
found ourselves 32 points ahead by the end of fourth
quarter, defeating Wycliffe comprehensively to start
the season off. As the season progressed matches
were played against Marlborough College, Wells
Cathedral, Canford and Devizes Wizards Men’s Team.
The scores were similar in most of these matches
with Dauntsey’s gaining in strength through each
match, often winning by 30 or more points.
The unbeaten run of last years 1st team was cut short
by Bradfield in the last match of the season, and we
were yet to face our toughest challenge as Bradfield
was again our last fixture of this season. NBA Hall of
Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once said, ‘Your mind is
what makes everything else work.’ We didn’t go into
this match focusing on the aim to be unbeaten, just
to play our best, and to enjoy our last match of what
has been a tremendous journey with the arrival of
new members to the team. From the outset, Bradfield
were able to exploit our defence and push us to our
limit. Although Bradfield had a significant height
advantage over our team, we were able to keep our
high tempo and enter the second half of the match
with a three point lead. With our muscles fatigued,
a few of our players in foul trouble and the clock
showing 1 minute 42 seconds remaining we had
a five point lead. AP has always said, ‘defence wins
games’, and at this point, we knew all we had to play
defence as hard as we could, and run the time down.
Bradfield had possession, and we knew anything
could happen. However, despite five three-point
shots being scored in the last minutes of the game, it
tipped in our favour and Dauntsey’s won with a 71-66
thriller. We had ended the season with an unbeaten
record, our unspoken target.
Special mentions go to this season’s most valuable
player, Victor Cheng, and most improved players
Lincoln Yeung and Yoann Chan. I would like to thank
the staff and our regular student supporters who
came and watched our home matches. It really
helped to boost our confidence, and we hope you
have enjoyed them. I would also like to thank all of
our players, who have given their best in training and
have played with all their heart on the court. Thank
you also to Mr Lock, for being our game official, and
his constant effort striving to improve our fitness
level. Last but not least, I would like to thank our
coach AP, who has been inspirational during the
course of the season. His subtle tips given during
time outs often led to noticeable impacts on our
performances. Thank you for trusting me in the
captain’s role, we all enjoyed having you as our coach.
NBA icon Michael Jordan once said, ‘it doesn’t matter
if you win as long as you give everything in your
heart’. This is what Dauntsey’s Basketball is all about.
Mason Wong
Squad: Mosope Adewale, Billy Chen, Victory Cheng,
Jefferey Lam, Nik Mukherjee, Felix Wong, Mark Winckley,
Marcus Yau, Lincoln Yeung, Enoch Yuen.
Cheerleading
Dauntsey’s Dynamites had yet another fruitful year.
Needless to say, our squad put in 120% of effort,
dedicating countless Wednesday prep sessions to
achieve wonderful results. Training was twice as
hard and twice as tough, while stunts soared to new
heights... literally.
In February, Dauntsey’s Dynamites entered the
Legacy Southern Regional competition, which
was held at Crystal Palace. We gave a confident
performance and were amazed when we received
our score sheet back to hear that we had received
zero deductions. For the first time in Dauntsey’s
history our Cheerleading squad was awarded first
place, automatically going through to the National
Championships in June! We were all amazed by the
result and excited by the prospect of qualifying for
Nationals.
Back at school, KG pushed the squad harder than
ever in training. In the next few months we also
developed a Junior Squad who trained together
while the seniors studied for important exams.
We became increasingly nervous as nationals
approached, knowing that we would be up against
some very stiff competition.
Our dance teams were also lucky enough to join us
on this trip, after entering video submissions. Overall
we were taking over 60 pupils to the Copper Box in
the Olympic Park and had the largest representation
out of all of the schools participating.
Dauntsey’s came away with excellent results. The
Junior Team gave an impressive effort for their first
competition, but due to a few falls were awarded
10th place. The Hip Hop team were awarded 2nd
place and the Jazz Team were awarded 1st place and
became National Champions! The biggest success of
the day were the Senior Level 1 Cheerleading Squad
who were awarded 2nd place out of 8 teams. It was a
fantastic day and we were thrilled to bring a stash of
trophies back to school with us!
KG
Cross Country
Dauntsey’s Cross-Country runners enjoyed another
good season, with strong participation across all year
groups. Over 40 runners competed in the Kennet
Trials, with 20 going on to represent their district
in the County Schools Championships in January,
once again held at Grittleton House School. There
were some excellent performances, most notably
from Robbie Mitchell (9th Senior Boys), Emily Neve
(6th Senior Girls), Elliot Lassiter (8th Inter Boys) and
James Pickford (3rd Minor Boys). James and Emily
subsequently ran for their County in the South-West
Schools Championships, James finishing 52nd and
Emily 17th, improving her County position to second
in the process. Competing in such a strong field was
a great experience for them both and we are proud
of their achievements.
Dauntsey’s Running Club continued to put in
a strong showing in local road races over the
course of the year, with many of our Upper School
pupils enjoying the Swindon 10K in November
and Longleat 10K in February. Both proved useful
preparation for the biggest challenge of our running
year: the Paris Half Marathon in March. A team of
28 runners – 25 students and three staff - lined up
alongside over 35,000 others for the most incredible
experience running through the streets of Paris.
Special mention to Robbie Mitchell, who finished 1st
in the Junior Male category, finishing in a very fast 1
hour 26 minutes. Running on International Women’s
Day, our 19 girls also outdid themselves. Jemima
Pitceathly, Izzy Pitceathly and Maddie Perrins all
finished in the top 10 of the Junior Female category
Minor Spor ts 207
and recorded the three fastest girls’ times recorded
in the five years we have been competing in Paris.
Meanwhile, Libby Hollingshead raised over £650
for Cancer Research, whilst Daisy Woodruffe and
Lydia Davies similarly raised hundreds of pounds for
Nightingales in Romania.
EMC
Squad: Catriona Edington, Maddie George, Poppy
Waterworth, Eleanor Barker, Maddy Wilks, Olivia Ehlis
Roger, Hannah Walker, India Eastlake, Chloe Darlington,
Abigail Baker, Hannah Bradley, Amelia Place, Beatrice
Williams, Sasha Broadhead, Florence Evenden, Merlo
Jewell, Sophia Hill, Maya House, Daisy Marsh, Harriet
Steptoe, Hannah Gibson, Chloe Vautier, Charlotte
Pender, Ella Ward, Alice Walton-Knight, Grace PayneKumar, Oscar Palmer, Oscar Deakin, George Lindh, Olli
Crichard, Ollie Frost, George Lishman, Eliot Johnson,
Elliot Lassiter, Henry Cox, James Pickford, Alasdair
Edington, Henry Barker, Ciaran Costin, Will Tabor, Oliver
Ring, Joshua Kelly, Emily Neve, Robbie Mitchell.
Dance
This year’s dance show centred on an ‘D.A.F.T.A’s’
(Dauntsey’s Annual Film and Television Awards)
theme, with every First and Second Form class
performing a dance based on a different film in the
first half, followed by a talented display from our
Dance Clubs in Act Two.
The First and Second Form pupils chose their own
film and displayed real creativity in the staging
of each piece; costume, props, lighting and
scenery were all vibrant and professional. Having
practised the dances in class for just over a term,
all pieces were very polished and really showed
off widespread talent from the youngest years of
the school. The show started off with 2D’s Alice
in Wonderland performance, followed by the
popular Grease! performance by 1A. The audience
were taken on a whirlwind tour of the best film
has to offer, witnessing Avatar, Matilda and Pirates
of the Caribbean to name a few. There were
fantastic performances from all the classes, but 2A’s
Ghostbusters performance and the way they used
UV ghosts was my favourite. The pupils must all be
commended for their commitment and energy on
stage, entertaining well over 700 spectators over the
two nights.
In Act Two it was the turn of our diverse dance clubs
to take to the stage. As usual there were the familiar
faces of our most talented dancers, many of whom
performed in as many as six of the performances.
It was also pleasing to see so many new dancers,
embracing the wonderful opportunity of the wide
range of dance on offer at school from KG. I enjoyed
and was impressed by the junior contemporary
routine choreographed by Rebecca Newman.
Our widely acclaimed cheerleading team was
first up, who have been highly placed in national
competitions. The ‘Dynamites’ produced an exciting
performance, impressing the audience with
dangerous lifts and throws, with some incredible
tumbling from some of its newest members. The
next dance was to ‘Show me how you Burlesque’,
featuring those who chose dance as a games option,
many of whom also performed in ‘Problem’ later on in
the show. The use of the LED gloves in the Burlesque
number was amazing and must have taken a lot
of rehearsing. A beautiful performance to ‘To Build
a Home’ by the very best of our contemporary
dancers provided a stark contrast to the upbeat
musical theatre that followed from both the Lower
School and Upper School groups. The younger
pupils danced to ‘I’m a Believer’ from the West End
musical ‘Shrek’ which was full of fun and cheek,
whilst the older girls showed off their quirky style in
‘Time Warp’. Our two street dance squads finished
the show; JSD (junior street dance) featured many
of the performers from the first act, and Undaunted
provided a dramatic and exciting end to a wonderful
dance show. The best number in the show for me
was by ‘Dauntless’ the newly formed elite Jazz group
who performed an incredible routine based on the
Hunger Games film. The piece featured Atlanta Hatch
in the role of Catniss, but I was completely blown
away by the talent and flexibility of all twelve of the
dancers.
Thanks to KG for all of her hard work this year
involving dance, which is thriving like never before
at Dauntsey’s. Special mention must also go to
CWS, EBC and Mr Herring for lighting, sound and
costumes/props, as well as all the parents for
supporting the pupils and getting costumes together
for this year’s show.
Julie Schofield
Equestrian
On one of Stonar School’s picturesque meadows
early in May, amongst serried ranks of chrome
encrusted horse lorries and gleaming 4x4’s whose
combined equestri-bling likely exceeded the worth
of a number of small countries, four small trailers
holding the mounts of the Dauntsey equestrian
team, would have been seen rocking and bumping
pluckily over the turf.
Competing against over three hundred other riders
drawn from 57 schools across the South of the
country in the 2014 Independent Schools’ One Day
Event, Georgia Carpenter, Megan MacDuff, Lauren
Dallison and Amber Fletcher wore Dauntsey black,
white and red on Saturday, while Lucy Downer, Oscar
Palmer, Amelia Place and Beth McNamara would
carry the mantle on Sunday.
Dressage, the first event, and the only section
subjectively judged, proved to be the greatest
challenge for the teams, where points are scored
for accuracy and control in a series of manoeuvres
designed to show the rider’s skill at close control.
Each of the Dauntsey’s competitors put in solid
performances.
Next was the Show Jumping where a tight, twisting
combination of jumps caught out many of the other
teams, whilst Dauntsey’s scored three clear rounds on
Saturday from Megan, Lauren and Amber. The team
on Sunday had a clear round from Oscar.
In the cross country phase the riders really showed
their mettle and excelled with, gutsy, fast-paced
Minor Spor ts 209
performances across challenging terrain, earning
praise from the commentary team and spectators,
with all four riders jumping clear. On Sunday, two
clear rounds were achieved by Lucy and Amelia;
sadly Oscar, though going strongly had to retire
when his pony went lame four from home: a great
disappointment.
On Saturday, Amber Fletcher gained a 6th position,
Lauren Dallison 11th, Megan MacDuff 19th and the
team was 8th overall out of 36 teams, just a couple of
points off the prizes.
Dauntsey’s was placed well ahead of both of the St
Mary’s teams, both Stonar teams, Royal High, Millfield
and Bryanston to name but a few. On Sunday Amelia
Place was 20th.
All in all a great weekend for all the riders, who did
Dauntsey’s proud.
Adrian Dallison
Swimming
This year Dauntsey’s swimmers have competed in 11
school galas and two national relay events. We have
had inter-school fixtures home and away against
Godolphin, Kingswood, St Mary’s, Calne, Monkton
Combe Prep and Beechen Cliff and the inter-house
events have been hotly contested in good spirit.
In the ESSA National relay championships we
competed against all schools in the South West
division. The competition faced was strong but
Dauntsey’s swimmers rose to the challenge and there
were some impressive individual swims.
The highlight for the senior swimmers was the chance
to compete again in the 2012 Olympic Pool at Queen
Elizabeth Park in the Bath and Otter Cups. The teams
performed well and the Boys quartet of Dan Watt,
Mason Wong, Chris Prinsloo and Simon Winchcombe
reached the final of the 4x100m Freestyle event.
We have had some close encounters in our interschool fixtures, but Dauntsey’s swimmers have fought
hard to win five matches overall. The girls have had
particularly impressive inter-school results with the
combined U16 and U15 teams being unbeaten.
We have some talented swimmers at Dauntsey’s and
are generating a strong team across the age groups
with considerable depth, particularly in the girls’ teams.
Thank you to all those who have represented the
school during the year and a special thank you to Dan
Watt and Hester Stembridge for their able captaincy
of the team. I look forward to another exciting year
where we can see the team develop further.
RJS
Alexandra Beteeva
Minor Spor ts 211
Leavers 2015 213
120. Oliver Sibson
121. Harry Read
122. Jack Levy
123. Hinson Iu
124. George Paxford
125. Tom Middleton
126. Ed Henderson
127. Jeffery Yeung
128. Nikhil Mukherjee
129. Rupert Cunnington
130. Jonny Scott
131. Artem Turetskiy
132. Doug Tilley
133. Ed Sweet
134. Enoch Yuen
135. Elliot Garreffa
136. Ben Arnold
137. Tom Parker
138. Chris Coleman
139. TK Kim
140. Arnold Chan
93. Louisa Cemm
94. Ellie Young
95. Willie Tam
96. Alex Britton
97. Stanley Chau
98. Robbie Mitchell
99. Harry Allen
100. Zak Sheinman
101. Ed Giles
102. Harry Mangham
103. James Matthews
104. Marcus Yau
105. Rowan Duckworth
106. Jamie Short
107. Charlie Hall
108. Greg Bell
109. Tim Bradley
110. Libby Hollingshead
111. Sophie Schneider
112. Aisling Watton
65. Lacus Xu
66. Anna Brown
67. Laura Innes
68. Jonathan Chee
69. Ross Tatham
70. Max Gray
71. Will Western
72. Dom Booth
73. Will Allman
74. Vivek Prabakaran
75. Tom Verdon
76. Zach Dunnett
77. Guy Rawson-Smith
78. Sam Tomlin
79. Torin Bain
80. Mark Winckley
81. James Hollis
82. Gus Dunnett
83. Monty Lovering
84. Ed Tomlin
37. Tamzin Howard
38. Angel Zhou
39. Angharad Davies
40. Katie Everett
41. Sharon Chan
42. Amy Chu
43. Bronte Vivian-Crowder
44. Ellie Moulding
45. Bess Chan
46. Sophie Thomas
47. Annabel Badman
48. Isadora Sinha
49. Lucy Armitstead
50. Isobel Hale
51. Will Britton
52. Charlie Dale
53. Farrell Tatam
54. Josh Rice
55. Max Romer-Lee
56. Dave Chu
10. Julie Scholefield
11. Ed Young
12. Henny Lowth
13. Andrew Duckworth
14. Hannah Lawrence
15. Amy Barber
16. Emily Hourahane
17. Sarah Hannaford
18. Charlotte Minter
19. Libby Seed
20. Ella Major
21. Ellen Yang
22. Gosia Holowinska
23. Ali Hutchin
24. Isabel Watts
25. Amy Huang
26. Kelly Yim
27. Daisy Woodruffe
28. Phoebe Barnes
Amy Brinkman
9.
119. Leon Vvdenskii
92. Megan Cleeves
64. Faye Hargreaves
36. Clara Richmond
Lauren Sturges
91. Sian Harries
63. Mima Pitceathly
8.
118. Cameron Garbutt-Wichall
90. Momo Adewale
62. Maggie Lau
35. Natalie Chui
Jemma Plastow
34. Carmen Hong
Annabelle Stoate
7.
117. Dan Watt
6.
116. Will Blakeney
89. Daria Khotuleva
61. Grace Jones
33. Kristina Osipova
Hannah Frame
5.
115. Adam Lassiter
88. Harri Lowen
60. Phoebe Borwell
32. Louie Carter
Izzy Pitceathly
87. Megan Taylor
59. Hetty Sagers
4.
114. Archie Combe
86. India Cook
58. Madeleine Perrins
31. Robyn Weir
Mia Georgiou
3.
30. Lian Foroudi
Eleanor Skipper
2.
113. Lauren Taylor
85. Lydia Davies
57. Diana Yarosh
Hester Stembridge
1.
29. Michelle Wing
Dauntsey’s Leavers 2015
Georgia Wheatley

The Dauntseian 2015

Transcription

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