Quad The
Summer Term 2014
LANCING COLLEGE REVIEW
A Note from the Head Master
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his Summer edition of The Quad arrives in your letter box with warm greetings from Lancing. The following pages record the highlights of another busy term during which the main focus for many has been on final preparations for important public examinations. We wish our examination candidates at every level the very best of success and in particular for Upper Sixth Formers the necessary grades to fulfil the conditional offers from their chosen universities. A very warm welcome to all pupils who will join the College in September and to their parents, many of whom visited in the final week of term to begin the induction process. To our leaving pupils and staff we extend our very grateful thanks for everything you have contributed to the life of the College during your time here and our very best wishes for the future. Please stay in touch! And finally a farewell from me. It has been a huge privilege to be Head Master here for the last eight years. I move on to my new post in St Albans with many good memories and in the knowledge that I am handing over a happy and successful school which will continue to go from strength to strength under Dominic Oliver’s leadership. My very grateful thanks go to all – pupils, colleagues, parents, OLs and friends – who have made this job such a pleasure and whose support has been invaluable. Floreat Lancing!
Jonathan Gillespie
Lancing College Lancing, West Sussex BN15 0RW Tel: 01273 452213 Fax: 01273 464720 email: info@lancing.org.uk
www.lancingcollege.co.uk 2
Beginning on a High Note...
The term got off to a soaring start for the choir when they sang Evensong in Westminster Abbey on 24 April. The Abbey was completely full, with a congregation which included parents and OLs (straight after their Over 60s Lunch) as well as a large number of visiting members of the public. His Excellency the High Commissioner for Tanzania was also in attendance.
Refurbishment Project Update
Following the successful refurbishment of Manor House during the Lent Term, the project continues apace in Second’s House. Work in the Common Room has already been completed, and in honour of the House’s long-serving former matron Barbara, it has been renamed ‘The Godfrey Room’. Work is now also underway in Teme House. The final three days of the Lent Term saw the Independent Schools Inspectorate visit to judge our boarding provision against the National Minimum Standards. The school was found to be fully compliant, and while the final report did not include qualitative comments, the College’s pastoral strengths were clearly evident.
Staff News
The end of the Advent Term saw the retirement of College Archivist Mrs Anne Drewery. We are very pleased to welcome her successor, Mrs Lesley Edwards (pictured). At half term, Director of IT, Mr Neil Allen, left the College to take up a similar post at Shrewsbury School. We wish him well in his future endeavours. At the end of the Summer Term, we bid farewell to Second Master, Mr Jeremy McCullough who leaves us to take up his first Headship at Colston’s School, Bristol; to Registrar and Director of Marketing, Mrs Beverly Hipkin, who is departing to accompany her husband on an international posting; to Mrs Michelle Martindale, who retires after nearly 36 years’ service to Lancing; and to Mr Chris Metcalf, who is retiring after his 38th year here. We congratulate Mr Matthew Wilkes on his recent marriage to Dr Amy Shaw, and also on his successful appointment as Head of Biology at Dean Close School, Cheltenham from September 2014. Our congratulations to Mr Tim Meierdirk and Ms Natalie Daly on the birth of their son Cody on 29 May.
Easter Trips
Adventurous Training Ellie Liddle writes: “Over the first week of the Easter break, nine cadets and three NCOs headed to North Wales for the Snowdonia Adventurous Training Camp. The weather was good for most of the week, and everyone got stuck in and had a go at all of the activities - climbing, mountain biking and high ropes - even Miss Gent who conquered the ‘Leap of Faith’. We were particularly lucky to reach the top of Snowdon thanks to the good weather. Congratulations go to Gatsby Fitzgerald who was teachers’ cadet of the week, and Ed Habershon who was NCOs’ cadet of the week.”
Cricket Tour
Another highly successful cricket tour to South Africa featured matches against Hermanus, the All Rounder and the Complete Cricketer Academies, and the United Cricket Club. The boys developed significantly both on and off the pitch, winning three out of the five matches. They also enjoyed the opportunities to learn more about the culture of South Africa, with visits to Table Mountain, the Newlands Cricket Ground and the Aquila Private Game Reserve.
Tennis Tour
Nine Lancing pupils set off for sunny Croatia on the last day of the Lent Term, for Lancing’s first ever tennis tour. Based at the newly developed Umag Tennis Academy, the hotel was at the centre of a major sports complex which hosts world-class teams in Netball, Football, Volleyball, Basketball and Handball, as well as Tennis. The students played daily for five hours and participated in two tournaments against local school pupils; their skills improved markedly during the trip, aided by the time spent on court, the expertise of the coaches, and the whole setting’s serious attitude to sport.
Technogym
State-of-the-art gym equipment has been installed in the newly refurbished stone squash court. This development has been funded from unrestricted donations to the Lancing Foundation. As well as a selection of free weights, there are two dual adjustable pulley machines, squat racks and a number of cutting edge cardio machines which are linked to the College wifi network and can monitor and record personalised workout programmes. We are very proud to be the only independent school to have this Technogym bluetooth technology and it is brand new to this country. Every piece of cardio equipment can now be linked to iPad and Android platforms, making tracking of training extremely easy. This will have a huge impact on the capacity for all College pupils to prepare fully for their sport.
College Colours
Congratulations to Emma Brown, Freddie Cooper, John de Winton, Tim Griffin, Nancy Holt, Rida Jawad, George Wirgman, Alex Yelland and Penny Yip, who have been awarded College Colours for 2014. This award is intended to acknowledge those who have not been recognised by existing awards, appointments or high-profile opportunities. In awarding College Colours, recognition is given to those Upper Sixth Formers who have made a widespread and otherwise largely unsung contribution to the life of the College.
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Young Writers
To mark the end of the very successful first year of Theatre Royal Brighton Young Writers, in association with New Writing South, The End of the Beginning was a series of mini plays inspired by, and presented in, different locations around the theatre. Staged during the Brighton Fringe Festival, each piece was performed by established actors. The Young Writers course provided an excellent experience for the Lancing pupils who were involved, with opportunities to work with professionals from a range of theatrical fields. Three of the nine plays chosen to be presented were written by Lancing Sixth Formers Tara Slade and Sam McIllhagga, and OL George Linfield.
CCF Biennial Inspection
The Biennial Inspection of Lancing College’s CCF took place on 30 April. The inspecting officer was Lieutenant Colonel Peter Bates OBE OL, and he was accompanied by Major Patricia MacFarlane and Squadron Leader David Quick from the Army and RAF cadet teams. The inspection began with drill and turnout in the Upper Quad. The cadets looked splendid and the weather was on our side. During the afternoon, the inspecting officers, along with Major Gillespie, Major East and top cadet WO2 Georgie Carpenter, observed the cadets performing various activities, including fieldcraft, first aid testing, life saving, command tasks, weapon training and testing, and an exciting and noisy section attack. Lieutenant Colonel Bates rounded off proceedings with a closing address to the cadets. The Brigade Commander signed off the final report commenting that “Lancing College CCF is an exemplar CCF.”
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ABRSM and LAMDA Exam Results
Congratulations to Samuel Banfield (G4 Piano), James Chan (G8 Flute) and Jamie Elliott (G7 Trombone) who achieved Distinctions in the Lent Term Associated Board of the Royal School of Music examinations, and to Andrew Chick (G7 Trombone), Matthew Gurtler (G8 Oboe) and Nicholas Williams (G3 Organ), who achieved Merits. The LAMDA classes continue to go from strength to strength, with an increasing number of pupils becoming involved. The Lent Term saw positive exam results for Patrick Mandal, Olivia Nathan, Aiden Edgar, George Greenacre, Sophie Cleeve, Liberty Macfie, Amanda Bailey, Jacob Bishop, Gus Webb, Emma Brown, Nancy Holt, Klio Kosuth, Nicole Miners, Lottie Williams and Lottie Atkinson. A special mention goes to Elise Kearsey, Ella Rusbridger, Olivia Longhurst, Kishore Thiagarajan, Thomas Wilkinson, Archie Deme and Philip Hartfield, who all achieved Distinctions in their respective categories.
Staff vs Leavers Netball
During the final week of the Lent Term, the Upper Sixth leavers challenged the staff to a game of Netball. Despite the girls’ valiant efforts, the staff team took an early lead. Fego Emaviwe’s attempts to take out the opposition resulted in Mr Mole almost being stretchered off and Mr Wilkes’s retaliation with the ‘total wipe-out’ of poor Catie Frean. With thanks to the umpiring skills of Alice Tyerman and Georgia Watson, order was restored. The afternoon was enjoyed by both teams, particularly the staff, who won by 36 points to 17.
Dance by Design 2014
We were delighted to welcome local dance teacher and professional choreographer Nicola Miles to adjudicate the fourth annual dance showcase Dance by Design. All of the numbers were of a high standard and featured original and exciting choreography. The evening was compèred by Louisa Reddin, who also performed three songs including a duet with Charlie Bennett. As well as providing an evening of entertainment for a packed theatre, there was a competitive element with prizes for Best Choreography for Groups (won by Nancy Holt), Best Choreography for Duets and Solos (won by Nicole Miners) and Best Individual Performer (won by Ayane Semba).
Prize winners Nicole Miners, Nancy Holt and Ayane Semba collect their trophies from Nicola Miles
The Appliance of Science
In early March, eleven Sixth Form Chemists took part in the annual International Chemistry Olympiad, now in its 47th year. Pupils sat a two and a half hour paper in which they answered questions ranging from the synthesis of the active ingredient in spot cream to how Bombardier beetles defend themselves with a hot chemical spray. Our pupils really enjoyed tackling these challenging questions and pitting their wits against nearly 6000 of the best chemistry students in the country. Ron Lam, Richard Clarke and Ayane Semba achieved the Gold award, with Joe ZazzaroFrancis and Richard O’Neal achieving the Silver award. Only the top 7% of entrants to this year’s competition earned either Gold or Silver award. Well done to the other six pupils who were awarded either a Bronze or Participation award.
Bravo!
In March, Matthew Gurtler (pictured) entered a competition run by Oxford University’s French Faculty, which invited candidates to re-write the end of the French film L’Auberge Espagnole. Matthew’s entry was awarded a special commendation in the Years 12-13 category, with what was described as ‘a very strong entry in a very competitive field, demonstrating a real imaginative engagement with French cinema’. The judges went on to say that they very much enjoyed reading his entry and were particularly impressed by the fluent, believable and engaging dialogue, use of humour, and versatile range of expression.
Award winners Richard O’Neal, Richard Clarke, Ron Lam and Ayane Semba
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Fundraising Olivers
Young Enterprise
This year Lancing entered two companies into the Young Enterprise competition, Evoke and Dolce Gifto. The year’s trading saw them attend two trade fairs and engage in a great deal of marketing around school. Both companies attended the Area Finals, where they gave two very solid presentations to a room of over 100 guests, including the Mayor of Worthing, and answered all the judges questions with confidence. At the end of the evening, confectionery company Evoke received three awards: Best Trade Stand; Best Company Report; and Best TV Advert. In addition, Evoke’s IT Director Cleo Au received a highly commended award in the Young Achiever category.
Cleo Au receives his award
Events for Prep Schools This term’s events for feeder prep schools included the hugely popular Science Challenge and Rounders, Cricket and Tennis Tournaments. In May, 42 pupils from Dorset House, Westbourne House, Sompting Abbotts, Tavistock and Summerhill and Lancing Prep Worthing took part in the Chorister Day (pictured). At the beginning of June, 20 pupils from Lancing Prep Hove and Lancing Prep Worthing participated in a German taster day. The event was organised and run by Mr Sergei Drozdov, Head of Modern Foreign Languages, with the help of Dr Mark Palmer and Mr Alex Pickering from the Goethe Institut in London. It aimed to give pupils a small insight into Germany and German as a language, with interactive activities including a taster lesson, a pop video, quizzes, games and singing.
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In March, Oliver Poole ran two half marathons in Eastbourne and Paddock Wood in support of Open Arms Malawi, raising a total of £2584. This will have a significant impact on the lives of the children cared for by the charity. As Ollie says: “The work Open Arms does is incredible: providing care, shelter, security and love to Malawi’s orphaned and abandoned children since 1995, in a country that has 1,000,000 orphans. The dedicated kindness and care the orphanage gives to so many young people inspired me to train hard and run to raise money; Open Arms thoroughly deserves to benefit from these funds.” Oliver Hancock had the great idea of inviting friends to his ‘pop-up restaurant’. With huge support from his parents and family he hosted a Thanksgiving Dinner (which included some traditional Malawian dishes) for 28 people and raised a surprising total of £980. Oli explains: “The apparent success of the first event gave us the confidence to do another. The second dinner in April took the form of a Tuscan Feast. We had 34 guests and I was quite overwhelmed to raise £1080.” Many congratulations to both Olivers who are taking part in the Malawi expedition this summer and will have the opportunity to see firsthand how the money they have raised will make a difference.
Light Music
This year’s Evening of Light Music got off to a thunderous start with the Percussion Ensemble’s opening number ChaboKuku. For the Upper Sixth performers, this concert marks the culmination of their musical careers at Lancing, and they did not disappoint. It was an evening of contrasts: toetapping numbers by the Swing Band shared the programme with acoustic guitar and voice, a rousing Concert Band, and saxophone and trombone quartets. A glorious finale (with audience participation) showcased the Symphony Orchestra playing Radetzky March, op.228. Gabriel’s Oboe and Thunderbird’s March.
Confirmation Service
A special Confirmation Service for pupils and staff took place in the Chapel on Sunday 11 May. The group is pictured here in the Chapel cloister with the Right Reverend Mark Sowerby, Bishop of Horsham, who officiated.
Scholars in London
Cerys Jones writes: “On 16 May, the Third Form academic award holders travelled to London to visit the British Library and the British Museum. We saw the King’s Collection of 65,000 volumes at the British Library and the oldest surviving English document. In the music section we saw the first ever piece of written music, and lyrics drafted by the Beatles. We also looked at the Magna Carta and original manuscripts by Jane Austen. At the British Museum we were given a list of 10 displays to find, including the Oxus Treasure and the Rosetta Stone. It was a very interesting and beneficial day for all involved.”
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Lancing on the Small Screen
The College featured on television twice in May - on Channel 4’s Britain’s Most Extreme Weather and Quest TV’s Salvage Hunters. Presenter Alex Beresford (inset below) was filmed in the Sanderson Room for the former and Jeremy Tomlinson was seen haggling with architectural antiques dealer Drew Pritchard over an old school bench and a Victorian library table in the latter!
Art Exhibition
For the second year running, Lancing’s A Level Art coursework exhibition, in the Megarry Room foyer, was one of the venues on the Steyning Art Trail. The complete exhibition of GCSE and A Level work has been on display in the Art School since May. Parents and invited guests enjoyed the Private View on the evening before Founder’s Day.
Issey McMinn as Titania and Earl Cave as Bottom
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Mr Matt Wilkes’ final hurrah for the Drama Department was this year’s Junior Play: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This stylish production, with a cast of over 30 Third and Fourth Formers, featured 1960s Flower Power-themed costumes and adaptations of Beatles songs.
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Founder’s Day
A mixed bag of weather this year led to a number of the usual Founder’s Day events being reorganised; however, never let it be said that Lancing will let a little precipitation ruin an occasion! We were pleased to welcome back two OLs: The Very Revd Jonathan Meyrick, the Bishop of Lynn, to preach in Chapel and Sir Christopher Meyer KCMG, to speak at the Prizegiving Ceremony. The rain lashed down during the speeches but the sun, when it appeared, was very hot, and a welcome sight for those who had set up their picnics in the Quads. This being Jonathan Gillespie’s final Founder’s Day, there were a few surprises in store, including a poignant moment when a bagpiper appeared, to pipe him out of the marquee. Music of a different kind delighted everyone during lunch and in spite of the cancellation of some of the outdoor events there was still plenty to do and see during the afternoon. The Founder’s Day play, relocated from its usual venue of the Open Air Theatre, went down a storm (no pun intended) in the cosier setting of the Theatre; Alan Ayckbourn’s one-act plays, Gosforth’s Fête and Between Mouthfuls, provided laughs a-plenty and, at the plays’ first sitting, a high-kicking cameo by the Head Master aptly rounded off the entertainment!
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Half Term in Belgium
A group of intrepid Third Form French, Physics and History students met before dawn on the last Friday of the summer half term to board a coach for Belgium. The first item on the itinerary was to visit First World War cemeteries, memorials and battlefields. As always the vast array of graves at Tyne Cot, and the seemingly interminable lists of fallen there and on the Menin Gate, gave pause to even the most exuberant teenager. This year, 100 years after the outbreak of the First World War, students knew about those from Lancing College whose sacrifice is remembered at the sites we visited. We left flowers by their memorials and gravestones in Tyne Cot, Sanctuary Wood and the Menin Gate. After watching the Last Post ceremony on Friday evening, the group travelled to the Euro Space Centre in Libin for astronaut training. Much fun was had building, customising and launching real rockets; students and staff alike tried a range of stomach-churning simulators, such as the multi-axis chair (pictured top right), to help stay in top physical shape. Happily, appetites were restored by day three – the final day’s activity was a visit to a chocolate factory.
Champion Athletes
A squad of 35 pupils attended the District Athletics Championships in Worthing at the end of May. With some early success in the 100m heats the squad pushed on to the best set of individual results seen in recent years. Luke Haddow won the Long Jump with 5.20m, and the boys’ relay team blitzed the field. In the Intermediate events, a team consisting solely of Fourth Formers came out with four winners: Jasmine Taylor-Hutton (100m); Reuben Hoyte (1500m); Lily Margaroli (Triple Jump); and the girls’ relay team. A record 14 Lancing students were selected for the County Championships, from which Lancing brought home four medals, including two golds. Reuben Hoyte cruised to victory in the 3000m, earning a place in the South East England squad. Leo Li won the Junior Boys’ Triple Jump with an incredible 11.69m, which was one of the longest jumps in the country this year for his age group. Following a number of weather delays, the Inter-House Athletics Championships saw some record-breaking track events from Luke Haddow, Leo Li and Daniel Clifford. Two Houses dominated the Junior and Senior events, with Gibbs’ winning the boys’ trophies, and Sankey’s taking the girls’.
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Open Farm Sunday
Lancing College Farm opened its gates as part of LEAF’s nationwide Open Farm Sunday initiative on 8 June. An estimated 600 visitors enjoyed seeing the College’s sheep, donkeys, llamas, pigs, poultry and small animals. Manor House matron Charley Lowe quizzed the younger children to identify the fruit and vegetables in her expanding market garden, and a number of local country craft stalls sold produce, including honey from the beehives on the Lancing College estate. The fantastic weather was perfect for those who brought a picnic, and a BBQ of the College’s own pork produce was a complete sell-out.
Spectroscopy Experience
Johnson Lee writes: “Eleven Lower Sixth Form Chemists travelled to the University of Sussex in June, for a Schools’ Experience Day. After a short briefing on general points of safety, the Lancing students were split into two groups and introduced to a Chemistry teaching laboratory to attempt a geometrical isomerisation reaction, using a catalyst of either iodine or bromine. After a brief exploration of the university campus during lunch, we returned to learn about various methods of organic spectroscopic analysis, and also to visit the departments of infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which we will encounter in our A2 studies next year. It was an inspiring day and a great insight into Chemistry beyond A-Level.”
Sporting Stars
Congratulations to Jemima Spurr and Tommy Blanden, who have been selected for South of England Regional Hockey Squad training during the summer. Laird Shepherd won the Pyecombe Junior Open Golf during half term, and also played in a six man Sussex team in the south east region qualifier at Copthorne. This all goes in his favour as he aims to secure a scholarship in America. Laird also fared well in the Irish Boys Championship and, as The Quad goes to press, from a field of over 150 he was in second place with only 18 holes to go. Matt Bonini finished in an impressive third place in the Mens’ Epée, representing the College in the Royal Stennick Cup Fencing Competition recently.
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German Exchange
It was that time of year again! Fifteen excited German students from our partner school Gymnasium Leopoldinum in Detmold, North Rhein-Westphalia, accompanied by their teachers Nadine Szczempanski and Ralf Cygan, were warmly welcomed by their Lancing exchange partners on 4 June. Coming from a day grammar school, Lancing seemed like a place straight out of the Harry Potter books and the students were fascinated by the uniqueness of the school. The Sussex highlights of Brighton, with the guided tour of the Royal Pavilion and a sunny pebble beach, as well as a day trip to Arundel with its magnificent castle and Swanbourne Lake, were enjoyed by everyone. ‘Sunny’ Worthing on a not so sun-drenched morning was worth another trip, where our guests admired Victorian costumes during a visit to the local museum, enjoyed a stroll on the pier and had a good browse in the souvenir shops. Lessons did not present a huge linguistic challenge and were enjoyed and understood by all. Completion of homework was a part of the full Lancing experience in the evenings, rewarded by a movie-and-popcorn social on Saturday night. Friendships made at Lancing were re-kindled at the end of June, when 15 of our pupils visited the ‘Leo’ in Detmold for the second part of the exchange.
CCF Overnighter
The Fourth Form CCF cadets were very fortunate to have a mild and calm evening for their first fieldcraft overnighter in the Ashdown Forest in June. There were lessons in ‘cooking in the field’, and with bashers set up, the enthusiastic cadets prepared for a deliberate ambush. It was an exciting and sucessful exercise during which everyone had the opportunity to use blank rounds.
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Guest Speaker
We were delighted to welcome Amanda Spielman, Chair of Ofqual, as the guest speaker at the Annual Conference for Science Teachers in South East England, which was hosted by the College in June. Changes to education policy elicit politically-charged debate and strong opinions. Amanda Spielman gave the science teachers at the conference a rare and valuable opportunity to hear about the planned changes, first-hand. She is pictured here with Head of Science, Dr Giles Preston.
Kumite success
Kumite is a form of freestyle fighting and one of the three main sections of karate training; literally translated it means ‘grappling hands’. In May, Lancing had a very successful afternoon at a Kumite competition held at Roedean School, where all three of our combatants won medals. Valerie Yu was the first to take the tatami mat in the Beginners Girls’ class, in which she won a Gold medal, and as a result was put up to the higher Intermediate division where she finished second, bringing home a Silver medal as well. In the Intermediate Boys’ class against Charterhouse, Peter McKenna won the Gold medal and Matt Bonini was placed second, taking the Silver.
Design and Technology
It has been a busy end to the year for the Design and Technology Department. To assist students in the Lower Sixth with their upcoming decisions about university course selection they have made two eyeopening visits. The first, on 12 June, took them to the OXO Tower in London to view Brunel University’s end of year exhibition show for their industrial, product and graphical design students. This trip concluded with their annual visit to the Design Museum to see the Designs of the Year Show 2014 with highlights such as the Volkswagen XL1 ‘super efficient vehicle’ and the innovative C4L (chair for life), a child’s wheelchair that can grow with the child’s ever changing needs. On the penultimate day of term they headed to the Goodwood Festival of Speed where they saw the unveiling of Nissan’s concept car for 2020 and the latest one-megawatt Koenigsegg ‘megacar’ with an almost mythical ‘One:1’ ratio of hp to curb weight. However, the festival was not the highlight of the trip, as the final part of the day saw the group reconvene at the motor circuit to hear representatives from the Royal College of Art discuss the value of design responsibility within the automotive sphere, with the lead presentation coming from world class vehicle designer Professor Peter Stevens. Lord March’s personal and inspiring address to a small classroom of students was a fitting culmination to an awe-inspiring day.
Sports Dinner 2014
Congratulations to all the prize winners from the 11th Annual Sports Dinner. All Sixth Form pupils who have contributed to sports teams during the year are eligible to be nominated for prizes. The most prestigious awards of the evening are the Taylor Salver for the most outstanding sportswoman of the year, and the Tony Miller Cup for the most outstanding sportsman of the year. This year these went to Jasmine Yeung and Nick Ballamy (pictured).
Messing about on the River
The annual River Relay took place in ideal conditions on Tuesday 17 June, with a full tide, kind winds and glorious summer sunshine. In a departure from previous years, the 2014 event kicked off with a separate race between the girls’ Houses, in which the Manor girls stormed home in a well-constructed raft, closely followed by Sankey’s. The equipment was then redistributed and the boys’ race started, complete with a mixed staff team. Teme House took an early lead, but eventually Gibbs’ House surged to the front, with two strong sailing legs. The staff team eased into a commendable second place, with School House coming third.
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Howzat!
Cricket at Lancing is riding high! Mason Crane (pictured, right) has recently played for the Hampshire 2nd XI; he has been selected for the full 1st XI squad twice (for the county championship matches against Worcester and Essex) and we are certain that it won’t be too long before he makes his debut. As 1st XI captain, Mason has had another outstanding season: he finished as leading wicket taker (45) and with best figures of 8 for 43 against Worth. On the penultimate Friday of term, the 1st XI travelled to Hurst to face Bede’s in the Langdale Cup final. Reaching this stage for the first time in four years, the team came very close to winning, falling only 18 runs shy of the 180 run target. Top scorer was Matthew Clarke with 75. On 24 June, we welcomed the MCC to play our 1st XI, and also Peter Robinson and a small group of OLs who attended to watch the match. Peter was pleased to meet Larry Moir, a promising young cricketer and the first recipient of the Peter Robinson Cricket Scholarship. Larry will join the College from Windlesham House in September and is currently their all time leading wicket-taker.
The Last Notes of Summer
With the term drawing to a close and the senior musicians preparing to leave the school, the Summer Concert gives the Third and Fourth Form performers the opportunity to take centre stage. The Sinfonia, directed by Mr Neil Cox, opened the evening with Handel’s Minuet I & II from the Music for the Royal Fireworks. We were then treated to pianists, string, brass and woodwind players and also a rock band. The concert came to a close with the chamber musicians playing an original composition by Dr Ian Morgan-Williams which set Edward Thomas’s poem The Clouds That Are So Light to music, and a charming performance of Pachelbel’s Kanon in D. With such promise among the younger members of the school we look forward to hearing more from them over the coming years. In the final week of term, the now traditional outdoor Rock Concert took place on the Music School lawn, in glorious evening sunshine. The usual Lancing contrasts were all present; the audience was entertained with everything from raucous rock to subtle acoustic ballads, via The Infernal Tiger Squadron - possibly the only bagpipe and guitar combo that Lancing has ever seen!
Outreach Stumpery
A stumpery is a garden feature made from parts of dead trees such as rooted stumps, large pieces of bark or logs. Popular with the Victorians, they provide a habitat for several types of wildlife. This term, the Wednesday afternoon Outreach group has been creating a Lancing Stumpery with their buddies from Hillside School for children with learning difficulties.
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Fourth Form Trips
During the last week of term, some of the Fourth Form language students departed on European trips. The French speakers stayed with familes in La Rochelle and enjoyed a treasure hunt around the harbour town, visits to the Aquarium, the Île-d’Aix and a boat tour around Fort Boyard. The Spanish-speaking group flew to Barcelona where they spent four days taking in the fabulous architecture and sampling the local cuisine. They are pictured here in front of the Sagrada Família Basílica. The Fourth Form who remained at Lancing had a varied programme with a day on the philosophy and practicalities of writing about journeys on foot, two days of scientific investigations and a morning of ecological activity in the Ladywell Valley.
La Rochelle
Barcelona
Anyone for Tennis?
Ten mixed pairs played in the Junior Manor Cup on 7 June, with another eight eager boys who were unlucky in their quest to find a female partner pairing up to join in the fun! It was a close competition but congratulations go to Elspeth Aylett and Guy Bryman who took first place, with Johnny Sullivan and Amelia Taylor coming second and Jemima Spurr and Joe Bainbridge third. The ‘Best Pair’ award went to Adam Al Qaq and Arya Ghassemi for their impressive form and games won. There was a great display of sportsmanship throughout the afternoon and, despite bloodshed and almost a few lost teeth, everyone had a great time! The 2014 Senior Manor Cup took place on the penultimate afternoon of term and was the most successful on record, with a turnout of 21 pairs. Once the group stages were over the pressure was on to secure the finalists. It came down to Harry Newson and Samantha Brooks, Emma Brown and Eddie Worsdell, and Louis Shaw and Lauren Gardner to rally it out for first place, the latter pair (pictured) winning the day. The ‘best non-team pair’ went to Jocelyn Hunter and George Spedding, and a special mention should also go to the raw talent of Louis Glasser, who has missed his calling in the 1st VI tennis team! If an award should go to the best dressed couple, then Florence Margaroli and Peter Berkley should claim this accolade with their matching onesies and flat caps!
Third Form Challenge The last week of term saw the Third Form trying to avoid heat stroke, sun burn and dehydration as they completed the Lancing Challenge. A new venue for the campsite and longer, more technical walks saw the level of difficulty go up a notch from previous years. As a year group they certainly rose to the challenge. Well done all!
And so farewell... Jonathan Gillespie has been Lancing’s 18th Head Master for the last eight years. As he prepares to hand on the baton we would like to thank him for his unstinting commitment to our College community. We wish him well as he takes up his new role as Headmaster of St Albans School and we hope that he and Caroline find every happiness in life after Lancing.
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A Note from the Head Master
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s we close the doors on another school year I am delighted to be able to report that Lancing Prep Hove is once more celebrating success in so many areas. I should start by heralding our Year 8 pupils who once again have managed a 100% pass rate to their chosen senior schools, either via Common Entrance or the Common Academic Scholarship. Moreover, for the third year in succession, over 50% of the pupils leaving LPH will be doing so with a scholarship or an award, illustrating our wide-ranging achievements. Further down the school we are going through a period of gradual expansion and next term will see two form entry in all but three year groups. This was made physically possible by the creation of the new Nursery, which was officially opened at a blessing ceremony earlier this term. Whilst increasing the number of classes we are also able to decrease class sizes, with our aim being classes of about 15 throughout the school by 2017. Expansion, of course, comes from the school’s success, which in turn comes from the happy family atmosphere that has been created here. There have been many notable events this term, but I would highlight the two major drama productions; Goldilocks performed by Years 3 and 4 and Holes performed by Years 6, 7 and 8. It takes a lot of commitment from staff and pupils to stage shows of this quality and I congratulate all involved. I wish all those departing for pastures new the best of luck, and I hope that you go with some very happy memories of your time in Hove.
Alan Laurent
Lancing College Prep at Hove The Droveway, Hove, East Sussex BN3 6LU Tel: 01273 503452 Fax: 01273 503457 email: hove@lancing.org.uk
www.lancingcollege.co.uk 16
We Shall Never Forget
Year 4 visited Newhaven Fort on the 70th anniversary of D-Day where the pupils were privileged to be asked to join in with the commemorative service. To an audience of local dignitaries and WWII veterans, the class sang You Are My Sunshine and The White Cliffs of Dover to the beautiful accompaniment of Lydia (Year 8) on the trombone. It was a very moving service and everyone present was given some time to reflect on the significance of the day. The children were then able to explore the Fort and learn more about the Blitz and life on the Home Front. It was a ‘simply topping’ day, made all the better by the respect that the children showed for the solemn event in the morning and their enthusiasm for learning and playing together in the afternoon.
Year 6 visits Belgium
On Monday 9 June, Year 6 visited Belgium to complete their study of the First World War. After a 5.00am start, the pupils arrived in Ypres - where it was an intense 36°C - to visit the Menin Gate memorial. During the term, pupils had researched past pupils from the school who had given their lives during the conflict. Year 6 were able to search the memorial to over 50,000 soldiers in order to find the names. At the Passchendaele Museum, the children were able to explore the dug outs and trenches that had been recreated. Finally, Year 6 visited the Tyne Cot cemetery, where over 11,000 Allied soldiers are buried. Matthew said that he found the experience “surprising” as all the facts and figures he had learnt about this year became a reality.
A Note from the Head Master
O
ur play this term was Alice in Wonderland which serves to remind us of the wonderland we experience everyday. Prep school life is full of magic moments generated by creative and energetic staff and enthusiastic and eager children. Coming back to Wonderland, after a few years out, has brought this entire experience home again. The Summer Term is of course most wonderful when the weather is kind and the field is full of children playing freely or in matches of cricket or rounders. It is a term when examinations loom large, not least for those in Year 8. Here we have had great success with pupils gaining Academic, Sports, and Ken Shearwood Scholarships to the College, a Music Exhibition to Brighton and entrance to Brighton, Sion and Hurstpierpoint. It is also a time full of sports days and trips to explore the environment and to exhibit on the Worthing Art Trail. Eileen and I have been very privileged to have been given the care of this school during its first months of transition into Lancing Prep Worthing. Working back at Lancing has made us aware of how much we owe to the place as a family and so we have expressed that by presenting the school with a banner. Something every Woodard School should have. I cannot express strongly enough how delighted we are that Heather Beeby will be leading this school from now on. She is a lady of great experience and dedication who fully understands the Woodard ethos. She inherits a marvellous staff and tremendous children who make this place the wonderland that all children everywhere deserve.
Roger Marsh
Lancing College Prep at Worthing
Roger and Eileen’s banner
Heather Beeby
Alice in Wonderland
The children have been busy rehearsing Alice the Musical, taken from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, which has been a great success. Freya and Jasmine shared the lead role of Alice and switched over seamlessly. Eden was very comical as the White Rabbit. Everyone sang and performed beautifully and fully deserved their standing ovation from the audience. Mrs Thomas writes: “We have had much fun preparing for this production and the children have worked really hard to learn their words. Congratulations and thanks to them all.”
For the Birds...
It was a lovely clear day when our Reception class visited the Wetlands Centre in Arundel. An action packed time was had pond dipping, making bird food fat balls, and using our sense of smell to make perfume. The children learnt about what lives in a pond and how birds find food. After a picnic lunch, the children had a great time learning about different kinds of ducks and even fed the ducks with grain.
Broadwater Road, Worthing West Sussex BN14 8HU Tel: 01903 201123 Fax: 01903 821777 email: worthing@lancing.org.uk
www.lancingcollege.co.uk
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A Note from the Development Director
I
write this edition of The Quad having just watched a match on Lancing’s wonderful grass courts. The College is at its best on a fine summer’s day although we should never take its splendour, beauty and architecture for granted. Lancing is as it is today thanks to a group of people with a dedicated determination to build a school that would set values and standards for future generations. Our benefactors would be delighted to see their work continuing in the current transformation of the boarding houses (see page 2) as well as all the news in the following pages showing Lancing and its OLs as a flourishing force in 2014. For a more detailed look at what the Lancing Foundation has achieved recently, please see the College website. The Annual Report gives me the opportunity to expand on our recent successes in the Development Office and to show the commitment of those who have been responsible for helping us achieve so much in the last year. One of the highlights has undoubtedly been the funding of £260,000 towards bursaries for over 100 pupils. With your kindness we are able to give life changing opportunities to the next cohort of pupils. Philanthropy at Lancing really does matter as it highlights the essential need for all of us to care about each other and above all to pass this tradition on to the next generation. My fondest regards, as always.
Michael Wheeler, Geoff Picket, Nick Moll and Tim Monckton
Over 60s Lunch
The photos of the Over 60s Lunch always speak for themselves and give a real flavour of the occasion and the camaraderie amongst this generation of OLs. It was, of course, another sell-out; the guest speaker was Lancing’s most illustrious lyricist: Sir Tim Rice, Second’s 1958-1962. Tim spoke movingly about the longevity of friendships made at Lancing and remembered fondly those who are no longer with us. He talked candidly about the experience of producing his latest musical, From Here to Eternity, in the West End and joked about the fact that both he and Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber had not seduced the audiences this time around. The new venue at the Royal Thames Yacht Club proved to be hugely popular and we will be returning there in April 2015 when Jo Rice, Second’s 1960-1964, and younger brother of Sir Tim will be the guest speaker. We look forward to seeing the usual suspects and many more at our September lunch, at The Athenaeum for the first time, to celebrate Robin Reeve’s fourscore years.
Christopher Campling
Nigel Wheeler
Simon Beckley
Peter Kemp
Catherine Reeve
Development Office Lancing College, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 0RW Catherine Reeve Development Director Tel: +44 (0) 1273 465786 email: clr@lancing.org.uk Sarah Swales Fundraising Manager Tel: +44 (0) 1273 465708 email: sjs@lancing.org.uk
Anna Norman Events & Database Administrator Tel: +44 (0) 1273 465709 email: anorman@lancing.org.uk
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Guy de Jonquières, Tim Rice and Nicholas Hopkins
Charles Anson and Bruce Hawkins
John Hall and Max de Trense
Jonathan Gillespie, David Debere and Rick Brown
Anthony Walker, Roger Flint and Mark Handford
Jeremy Tomlinson and Tim Monckton
Richard Naylor, Andrew Baker and Brian Woodbridge
Peter Spall and Michael Fenton
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Evelyn Waugh Lecture
Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chair of Arts Council England and President of the Royal Television Society, was the guest speaker at the Evelyn Waugh Lecture at Lancing College on 1 May 2014. His entertaining and informative talk delighted the audience of pupils, parents, staff and invited guests and led to a lively question and answer session. Next year’s guest speaker will be Charles Moore, distinguished journalist and former editor of the Daily Telegraph, the Sunday Telegraph and The Spectator. The lecture takes place on Thursday 23 April.
Angus Ross and Lady Susan Conway
Barnabas Hurst-Bannister and Dickie Dutton
Harry Brünjes, Sir Peter Bazalgette, Jo Rice and Jonathan Gillespie
Sue Green, Julian Green and Harry Brünjes
Marjorie Smalley and Roger Dean
Nigel Ventham
Associations’ Dinner
The drinks reception for the Associations’ Dinner was held on a balmy May evening in the Chapel cloisters this year. This occasion serves as an opportunity to say a huge thank you to all of our volunteer groups who work so hard on behalf of the College. We were delighted to be able to entertain over 50 guests from the St Nicolas Association, the two Prep School Associations, the Lancing Association, the Lancing Club and the Friends of Lancing Chapel.
Guests gathered in the Memorial Cloister
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Sarah Owen and Anthony Phillips
Jeffrey Quill
John Sample
Stanley Vincent
Jefferson Wedgwood
Robert Woodward
OL Battle of Britain Pilots honoured
On Saturday 14 June at the annual 1848 Legacy Society lunch Lancing honoured five of its OLs, all of whom became Battle of Britain pilots. We were delighted to have some of the pilots’ families joining us for this special occasion; in particular, Sarah Quill, daughter of Jeffrey Quill, Gibbs’ 1926–1931, who test piloted every mark of Spitfire, as well as Peter Vincent, Gibbs’ 1946-1951, son of Air Vice Marshal Stanley Vincent, Gibbs’ 1913-1915. Peter told us at the lunch that his father had the unusual accolade of flying in both world wars. Following a service of commemoration in the Chapel, ‘Spirit of Kent’, a restored 1944 Spitfire IX based at Biggin Hill gave a thrilling aerial display for members of the College and the assembled crowd. The patron of the 1848 Legacy Society, Ken Shearwood DSC, was one of our distinguished guests and is delighted that Society members have now pledged £3.25m in legacies to the school. A memorial plaque, presented to the College by the Battle of Britain Historical Society, was unveiled by Mrs Susan Pyper, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of West Sussex and a former Lancing parent. There will be a more detailed report about the whole event in the 2015 edition of the Lancing Club magazine.
Mrs Susan Pyper and the Head Master
Flight Lieutenant Andy Wright
Relatives of Jeffrey Quill
John Pulfer
Relatives of Stanley Vincent
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Ken Shearwood
James Nightingall
After leaving Lancing, James Nightingall, Teme 2003-2008, took a gap year and qualified as a ski instructor in Switzerland. James also worked with the Development Office on Lancing’s first telephone campaign: “I had the pleasure of speaking to many OLs and I was inspired by those who had set up their own businesses.” After his gap year James went on to complete a degree in Real Estate at the Royal Agricultural University. During his time there he was President of the Entrepreneurs Society, hosting a number of charity functions, including an event with Levi Roots. James started his property search network concept at university whilst completing his dissertation on the buying agency industry. Since then he has successfully founded James & James (www.jandjlondon.com), a property search network matching clients with the UK’s leading buying agents. “We help clients find and select the right buying agent for their property search.” James explains there are over a 1,000 buying agents across the UK, varying in expertise and coverage. “An estate agent acts for the seller to achieve the highest selling price but buying agents act on behalf of the buyer. Buying agents find properties, carry out due diligence and negotiate the lowest possible price. Certain buying agents also have access to properties that never see an estate agent’s window. Our buying agents bought 55% of properties over £1m off-market last year. They are sold privately, mainly for privacy and the only people who get access to them are those who hire the right buying agent.” James & James helps clients from all over the world. Recently James has been awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship from the University of Cambridge. He is looking forward to launching a new concierge company and is on a mission to make relocation stress-free!
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Ken Shearwood DSC (left), now 92, has written a number of books during his long life and two have been republished in second editions and are available from Amazon. Hardly a Scholar, with a foreword by Ted Maidment, is Ken’s autobiography about his schooldays at Shrewsbury, his time on destroyers and landing craft in the Second World War, an inshore fishing spell off Cornwall, admission to Oxford and a life-long career at Lancing. Ken takes the reader seamlessly between his roles as Master, Housemaster, Registrar, President of the Common Room and finally as a Governor, and all the while serving under six Head Masters; OLs will relish the ride. The second edition of Pegasus: The Famous Oxford and Cambridge Soccer Side of the Nineteen Fifties features additional photographs and an afterword by David Miller. Ken writes about his time playing for Pegasus, a team which won the FA Amateur Cup in 1951 and 1953 before capacity crowds of 100,000 at Wembley. Ken discusses in his own inimitable style the day-to-day reality of soccer management, team selection and training.
John van Maurik
John van Maurik, Seconds 1961-1966, wrote four books on the subject of leadership and business strategy during his career as a Management Consultant specialising in management development. The books are: Discovering the Leader in You (McGraw Hill), The Portable Leader (McGraw Hill), The Effective Strategist (Gower) and Writers on Leadership (Penguin Books). The Effective Strategist has been translated into Spanish, Russian and Thai while The Portable Leader was nominated for the business book of the year. More recently, John has published two novels, both thrillers which are available on Amazon and which draw on his experiences gained during his extensive travels on business which have taken him to 25 different countries during his career. The Judas Testimony features the Southern States of the USA, where John was based when seconded to the Center for Creative Leadership by the UK management centre he was working for at the time. The Malthus Solution draws on his experiences gained from many business trips to India, Malaysia and again, the USA. Although semi-retired, John still runs some training programmes in the UK and overseas as well as doing some pro-bono work.
The last issue’s archive photo has proved very tricky! We haven’t had sufficient responses to identify the majority of the group. Do get in touch if you can help.
All that Jazz
Old School Ties
A small group of staff had the privilege to see James Tormé, Teme 1987-1992, perform an intimate Sunday lunchtime jazz set at Ronnie Scott’s in March. James is following in the footsteps of his famous father Mel, who also performed at this prestigious London venue. He was both surprised and delighted to learn that his former Housemaster John Wilks, and his wife Kate were in the audience. Jeremy Tomlinson (pictured right with John, Kate and James) remembers casting James as Sky Masterson in the College production of Guys and Dolls, and took along a show programme from the archives. James, who is now based in Los Angeles, has recently released his first album, Love For Sale, and is playing at a number of UK venues throughout the summer.
Major and Mrs Henry Gibbs visited Lancing for the first time in June. Major Gibbs is the grandson of one of Lancing’s greatest benefactors, Henry Martin Gibbs, who funded - amongst many other things - Great School and Gibbs’ House itself.
The Long Run
Congratulations to Adam Davey, School 2006-2011, who ran from Winchester to Paris with a team of university friends to raise money for Cancer Research UK. The five 21 year olds are all studying at Winchester University and chose to support this particular charity as they have all known people affected by the disease. The team raised over £5000 and posted on their Facebook page: “Six months of planning, two weeks of running, 200 miles covered and here we are!” Adam is appropriately studying Sports Management.
Oliver Soden
Oliver Soden, Teme 2003-2008, graduated from Clare College, Cambridge with a prize-winning double first in English. He is a writer and broadcaster on music and the arts. Oliver’s work has appeared in publications as diverse as Gramophone, The Art Newspaper, the BBC Proms Guide, and in peer-reviewed academic books and journals such as Tempo (Cambridge University Press) and the Edinburgh Companion to Music and Literature. He recently edited a new edition of RSC director John Barton’s epic cycle of Greek tragedies, Tantalus. He has broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and lectured at the Royal College of Music, the Wigmore Hall, London University, and the Royal Opera House. He is currently the music researcher for the long-running BBC Radio 3 programme Private Passions, and worked on the BBC’s Britten Centenary tributes and on BBC4 films by the award-winning documentary film-maker John Bridcut. Oliver’s writing concentrates particularly on the life and works of twentieth-century British composer Michael Tippett. His projects on Tippett currently include chapters in two multi-authored books, as well as reviews and articles. Oliver has contributed programme notes for almost all the recent major performances of Tippett’s work, most recently for the 2013 BBC Proms,
Cambridge Footlights comes to Lancing
Photo: Rebecca Pitt
the Royal Opera House, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Wigmore Hall’s ‘Tippett Retrospective’, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Centre. He has twice been a guest at the Proms Plus Intro events held at the Royal College of Music and broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and is a talking head in a recent film about Tippett. He has also worked as a voice-actor, contributing readings for lectures and discussions, voice-overs for documentaries on BBC Radios 3 and 4, and both fiction and non-fiction audiobooks.
We are delighted to welcome Ben Pope, Teme 2006-2011, Head of School, back to Lancing on 30 September. Ben (below, centre) is the current President of the Cambridge Footlights and is bringing the sketch comedy show, Real Feelings, to Lancing’s Theatre after its run at the Edinburgh Festival and a US tour. As well as the evening’s revue, Ben and his fellow performers will be running an afternoon workshop for the College’s keen thespians. In 2013 the College was pleased to participate in Shoreham Wordfest, the local literary festival, and we are offering the Footlights show as our contribution to this year’s events. Tickets are priced at £10 and will be available through the Shoreham Wordfest box office.
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Remembering Olivia Chase...
Six OLs, Juliet Browning, Maddi Cameron, Kat Ellinger, Sophie Palmer, Catherine Price and Alex Maxwell-Scott successfully completed the CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) charity walk from London to Brighton in May in memory of their friend Olivia Chase, Field’s 2001-2004. 2,500 people took part in the walk but only 900 made it to the finishing line. CRY is a charity dedicated to screening for the condition which led to Olivia’s untimely death on 25 May 2004. The group of OLs walked the 100 kilometres continuously, only breaking for food and drink at 20 mile intervals, although Alex jogged much of the last section! They arrived in Brighton on Sunday 25 May, the tenth anniversary of Olivia’s death and were greeted by the Chase family and assorted friends and supporters. They have raised over £6,800 for the charity, including almost £900 from the Founder’s Day collection. It was an incredible achievement of endurance and determination to celebrate the life of a wonderful friend. Maddi said: “We realised Olivia was behind us right from the start as we came across a small field of poppies - her favourite flower. We found poppies so many times along the route it was like she was with us all the way, pushing us to just keep going.” The walk took place three weeks before the wedding of Olivia’s sister, Georgina Chase, Field’s 2000-2005, to which Maddi (pictured with Georgina, right) and her fellow fundraisers were invited.
Maddi and Georgina
Images from the College Archive Can you identify any of the Gibbs’ House pupils, with Housemaster Professor Sheppard Frere CBE FSA FBA, in this photo from around 1950? Please get in touch with Anna Norman in the Development Office, on anorman@lancing.org.uk
Event
Forthcoming Events for OLs and Parents 2014/15
St Nicolas Association Hog Roast for new and current Lancing families Over 60s Autumn Lunch: Guest Speaker - Robin Reeve Lancing Club Annual Dinner: Guest Speaker - Henry Blofeld The Head Master’s Lecture: Steuart Bedford OL Lancing Club Carol Service and Christmas Party Evelyn Waugh Lecture: Guest Speaker - Charles Moore Over 60s Spring Lunch: Guest Speaker - Jo Rice OL Associations’ Dinner
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Venue
Lancing College The Athenaeum, London Strangers’ Bar, House of Commons, London Lancing College Chelsea Old Church, London Lancing College Royal Thames Yacht Club, London Lancing College
Date 7 September 24 September 31 October 18 November 15 December 23 April 29 April 13 May