Bulletin - Ashdown House

Transcription

Ashdown House
The Bulletin
2013
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The Bulletin 2013
CONTENTS
Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Salvete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Valete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Goodbyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Out & About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
In & Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Design & Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Out & About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Far & Away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Drama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Far & Away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Lists and Appointments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
baines 01707 876555 printed on environmentally friendly paper A58013
The Magazine for Ashdown House School
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Welcome
Introduction
I do hope you will enjoy reading the
2013 Bulletin and a huge thank you
to Richard Fitt for all his hard work in
putting this edition together. As ever I
am amazed at just how much we pack in
to the academic year. I have always felt
strongly that preparatory education is all
about the breadth of the curriculum, it
being so important that each child can
find something about which to become
passionate and hopefully at which to
excel. At Ashdown there are so many
opportunities for children to have a go,
be it on the games field, in the theatre,
Art or DT rooms or in the music block.
The boarding community which is at the
very heart of the school enables us to
create a family atmosphere and those little
pockets of free time that may seem trivial,
encourages the girls and boys to think
and act independently. The tireless work
of the boarding staff, who seem to work
seven days a week, demonstrates how
they see their role as a vocation not merely
a job. The number of day children joining
us for breakfast and forgetting that they
have a home to go to at the end of the
day bears testament to the fun to be had
in those periods of free time. I know how
frustrating it can be for day parents when,
at the end of the day, a search party has to
be sent out to track their children down
and it is great to see that the vast majority
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The Bulletin 2013
are set to join us ‘full time’ as they progress
up the school.
Academically we have had much success as
can be seen on our scholarship board, but
a school should not be measured on this
alone. The dedication of the teaching staff
and the variety of methods and resources
they use enables each child to realise his
or her potential. Many children need some
extra support at some time and, within
Ashdown’s warm and friendly atmosphere,
they gain the confidence to ask if something
needs explaining and risk mistakes – that
most important of learning tools.
I have, during the year, visited many public
schools to which we send our girls and
boys and I am always touched by the
warmth of our OAs’ welcome and the
affection they hold for Ashdown House.
A steady stream of requests for OAs to
return to their old school to visit or indeed
start out on their teaching profession
really does warm the heart. I do think
the OA network is a particularly strong
one and one I would love to encourage
to participate more in the school’s life. I
throw the gauntlet to any OAs who would
like to be liaison person for his or her year
group to contact us.
Working in a school really does make one
aware of the passing seasons – as I write
we are playing football, rugby and netball
but by the time you read this the blossom
will be out, the cricket squares mown and
the next batch of leavers will be just about
to sit Common Entrance. Highlights of
the year continue to be many and varied
but, if asked to highlight two, I would
choose Choral Day and Sports Day both
of which demonstrate the wonderful way
in which all our families (parents, teachers,
grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and
friends) are part of the community. With the
continued cooperation, friendship and trust
between both elements of a child’s life, they
cannot fail but to succeed.
I have discovered that a Headmaster’s
role is more easily defined than that of
a boarding head’s wife and I would like
to pay tribute to Annie whose steadfast
support and hard work behind the scenes
keeps the show on the road.
Haydon Moore
SALVETE
Salvete
The following pupils joined the school this year.
Hugo Alonso, Xander Angelini-Hurll, Lucas Ayton, Simon Barbour, Fedor Belyakov, Jayden Brooks Hurst, Alexandra Burgoyne,
Gonzalo Calcada, Anna Cayley, Amalia de Guzman, Daniel Duarte, Cristina Fontan, Charlie Gibbs, Arseniy Goryagin, Alice
Halblander-Smyth, George Halblander-Smyth, Chloe Hynes, David Li, Patricia Lint, June Lu, Juan Marin, Luke Massey, Vlad
Novick, Juan Ohlsson, Loren Pepper, Carmen Prieto Visiedo, Eugenia Prieto Visiedo, Javier Prieto Visiedo, Hitomi Sato, Joshua
Schreiber, Mehrshad Shahabi, Flora Shen, Alexander Sheridan, Marvel Solomons, Viktor Surkov, Tair Udovenchuk, Max
Vaninskiy, Jack Wells, Phoebe Wells, Barney Whitmore.
And the following staff.
Mr Tom Bennett, Mr John Boddington, My Josh Duarte, Mr Richard Fitt.
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Valete
Hugo Alonso
I arrived at Ashdown in the 1s from Spain and could barely speak any English, but everyone
helped me though they didn’t know me very well. I always enjoyed sport - especially football
and cricket and ended up in the 1st team for both of them. It would be a shame not to say a
great “thank you” to all the teachers who helped me all the way through. My favourite moment
was when I scored my first goal from halfway line with my left foot against St Christopher’s. I
am also very happy to have been welcomed to the Eles and was very happy when we won the
French Day, in which I participated by ‘Crossing the English Channel; and we were very unlucky
not to have won the Sports Day – we came second just after the Kangs. Overall, I enjoyed
Ashdown and will make my best effort to stay in touch with my friends.
Napat Athakravisunthorn
I started Ashdown House in the 4s’ Summer Term and joined Mr Mitchell’s form. I was quite scared
because I didn’t know how to speak English very well then, but it didn’t take too long to get better.
I didn’t know how to play cricket or rugby when I arrived but enjoyed playing both games once
I knew how! I went to France for one whole term, which I enjoyed a lot. I was very nervous about
Common Entrance but we had fun afterwards and I was pleased to pass to Millfield.
Luke Berry
I came to Ashdown in the 5s and I was in Mr Moore’s class. I boarded straight away along
with Dom and Charlie. We had a great time on Mr Gibbon’s landing, even though I was a bit
homesick at first. My favourite year at Ashdown has been the 1s. I played in the 1st XI football
and cricket teams. I am proud to say I won my colours for both. I was also Captain of Tennis.
I was never much of an actor, although I did enjoy getting involved in the performances. I
especially liked going on trips at Ashdown and my favourites were the Lake District trip in the
4s and the Leavers’ trip, even though I had a broken wrist! I have loved being at Ashdown and I
will miss it enormously but am looking forward to starting at Harrow.
Philip Birdwood
I joined Ashdown in the 5s and began to fit in immediately due to the kind atmosphere and staff. I
thoroughly enjoyed the sport at Ashdown and in my final year I was in 1st team for football, and 1st
team for rugby and played a few games for both the 1st and 2nd XI in cricket, my highlight being
hitting the winning runs for the 1st XI in a tight match against Vinehall. I thank all the staff who
helped me strive academically and physically and to all the who helped me pass C.E. to Stowe.
James Bradley
I started Ashdown in the 3s and my sister helped me settle in as we lived in Hong Kong. I
quickly adapted to the Ashdown lifestyle and made many friends which made me less
homesick. In the first year I contributed to many different sports and enjoyed playing in the
Colts. In the 2s I went to Sauveterre which boosted my confidence in French and I made many
friends from other schools in the Cothill Trust. I was grateful to be a Prefect in the 1s and with
the help of the teachers I passed C.E to Uppingham. I will miss Ashdown throughout my life and
hopefully keep in touch with some friends.
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VALETE
William Brockman
I joined Ashdown in the 4s and I boarded straight away. I have made many friends and have
had the chance to try many new things. I played the trumpet and reached Grade 4. I have
played for the 1st team in every major sport this year. I ended up getting my football, athletics
and cross country colours. I played quite a big part in the leavers’ play and passed CE to get
into Eton. Ashdown has been a great school and has given me the confidence to try new
things and has made me a better person. The teachers have been enthusiastic and have
helped me along the way. Ashdown has set me up to go to Eton.
Grace Chattey
I came to Ashdown in the 4s, and ever since I have loved it, even though I was very nervous! All my
teachers and friends were so encouraging and I made friends for life! I loved being in the plays and all
the sport matches. The leavers’ programme has been amazing and I have enjoyed all the activities. I had
a go at a Drama scholarship to Bradfield and even though I didn’t get it, I am looking forward to starting
there next term.
Alex Coglin
Upon arriving at Ashdown in the 2s, I was immediately ‘shipped off ’ to Sauveterre. I first
got my taste of Ashdown life when I was told off by Mr Mason, on the first day, for putting
a pound that I had found into an airport computer! For an entire term at Ashdown, they
pretended to teach us French while we pretended to learn it though, whether we liked it
or not, we all came out rather fluent! When I returned to Ashdown I thought that it would
never meet up to the standards of Sauveterre but I was wrong. After being introduced to
Mr de Moraville (and the caterpillar that was balanced on his forehead), Mr Hogue (and his
bad jokes) and the rest of the staff (each with individual personalities), I realised that, unlike
other teachers that I have had, these were genuine people: people that I could learn from,
who could pick me up, who could care for me, who could tell me off and forgive me. All of
these things they did, so, all in all, I think that there is nothing more suited and apt to say
than thank you. (Alex leaves us to go to Westminster)
Jay Darling
I came to Ashdown when I was in the 2s. My first memory of Ashdown was when we went to
Tulley’s Farm. I was bad at football but I enjoyed it. During my time at Ashdown, I enjoyed cricket
the most. My most lasting memory of Ashdown was when we went to the Paralympics. I have
enjoyed my time at Ashdown, I will miss it when I am at Eton.
Felix Deere
If, in an interview, I was asked where my favourite place in the world was, I would tell them it
would be at Ashdown. There are not many places in the world where you can play sport everyday
with incredible grounds and facilities. I have never enjoyed drama so much and I have the
highest respect for all my teachers who have helped me progress through the years. My favourite
moment was acting as a tree in the 1s’ play; I had almost cracked my vocal chords by the end
because I had screamed so much! Thanks to all at Ashdown for some of the best times of my life.
A small tip for future 1s - make the most of your last term ’cause you will regret at the end that
you didn’t do more! (Felix is too modest to tell of his successes in being awarded Academic &
Music Scholarships to Uppingham as well as their Thring Scholarship)
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Valete
Alexandra Dial
I came in the 2s from a school in Paris and Sasha was my ‘buddy’; she was very kind to me and
made me feel very welcome. I remember exactly where I met Bota – she was a very jolly girl
and I immediately liked her. I thoroughly enjoyed Sauveterre and I met some lovely people. I
found this school marvellous and I have never liked a school more than Ashdown out of the six
schools I have been to – and I look forward to my seventh, King’s Canterbury.
Annabel Edwards
I started at Ashdown in Mrs Costin’s class - it was a class of five girls which certainly made our
lessons very fun because they mainly consisted of just chatting! I can remember my first day clearly,
as soon as I saw my mum the first thing I said to her was ‘Mummy - I have to board!’. The boarding at
Ashdown is such fun and really brings the year together as you are with them all the time. Everyone
says Ashdown is just one big happy family and it sound very cheesy, but it is true - all the teachers
are so caring and such good fun to be around and if you are a bit down in the dumps you can
always talk to someone. I am looking forward to going to King’s, though leaving Ashdown is going
to be very hard but, there’s no need to worry as I will come back one day!
Aiko Eliot
I joined the school in the 5s when I was 7 years old and got into the Ashdown routine very
quickly; I enjoyed Ashdown so much that I started boarding in my second term. As I moved on
through the years I became acquainted with most of what Ashdown had to offer. Swimming
was one of my weak points as was piano, but by the end of the 1s I made it to the 1st Netball
team, 1st Hockey team, 1st Rounders team and the U13 Tennis team. I also passed my grade
5 singing and music theory exams. Drama and Art were also my main interests at Ashdown
and I entered various art competitions such as Haileybury and the David Shepherd Global
Challenge. I was very honoured to be appointed prefect at the beginning of the 1s and to
receive my Hockey, Netball, Rounders, Art and Drama colours. I have also been lucky to be
awarded an Academic Exhibition to Benenden and I cannot thank the teachers enough for
helping me through my time at Ashdown.
Cameron Galloway
I joined my sister at Ashdown in the 3s and was thrown into the normal circulation of the school.
With the help of my teachers I excelled in sport; I was given many opportunities that I had not
previously had at my school in Cayman. In my second year I headed off to France to Sauveterre
where, as well as meeting some boys from Cothill, I was immersed in the French language and
culture. In my final year I was awarded the position of Head Boy. With the help of my teachers and
friends I passed C.E to Bryanston. I will miss Ashdown and never forget all the memories that I have.
Claudia Grace
I came to Ashdown in the 5s and I settled in straight away and I immediately made lots of friends! I
have loved every second of my time at Ashdown and I have done so many fun things. All the staff
and pupils are so nice and I have made friends for life. I have really enjoyed being in plays and sports
matches. The best part of my time at Ashdown has been my last year in the 1s and the Leavers’
programme was amazing! I have had such a great time at Ashdown and have so many memories
that I will never forget. I was awarded a Drama Scholarship to Benenden and look forward to
joining my sister there.
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VALETE
Lucy Hunt
I came to Ashdown in the Autumn Term and joined the 2s. I was greeted by Annabel and Grace and
thought straight away that my next two years here would be interesting and exciting. I was greatly
interested in the Art department and with the help of the teachers scored joint second in the David
Shepherd competition and had my work exhibited in the Natural History Museum. That was one of
my greatest moments at Ashdown. Ashdown became the reason that my greatest interest was the
Drama department; the drama here really helped me get to the stage I am now and I have grown
because of it. Ashdown has been the greatest experience, especially when we went to Sauveterre
which helped my confidence in French, and I have had times that I will never forget and made friends
for life. I will miss Ashdown but am looking forward to moving on to Benenden.
Charaspat Kraikrish
I arrived at Ashdown in the beginning of the 4s feeling very nervous, but everyone was
very friendly to me and helped me through my first few weeks. I managed to get into
the 2nd rounders and netball teams even though I wasn’t very good at sports, and I
play piano and have been working my way through grade 3. I also have a great interest
in Art and DT and spent most of my time in the Art or DT Rooms when I was free from
academic work. I was also very pleased to hear that I passed CE to Benenden with
admirable grades. I was especially pleased to find out that I received a joint highest
mark for English, even though it wasn’t my first language. I would like to thank every
member of staff who helped me throughout the school and made my time at Ashdown
very enjoyable for me.
Patricia Lint
I came to Ashdown at the beginning of the 1s, joining 1RS. I was rather scared, as I hardly knew any
English, and I was inexperienced in boarding, far away from home. The first term was very hard,
as I wasn’t very sure about myself and didn’t know what I was able to do. Later on, in lessons, I
started to do Art, and absolutely loved it. I got my Art Colours in the Lent Term. I wasn’t the best at
Drama, so in the first term’s 1s’ play, ‘Frank.N.Stein’, I had a small part. Then, in the Mock Trial, I had
a French part! Literally ALL my lines were in French, except one sentence in English: ‘I veel kill you!’
In the Summer Term, in the 1s’ Musical, I had a better part than in my first term, as I was the main
character’s sister. Mr de Moraville helped me to realise how fantastic Drama can be. I had already
done four years of piano before coming to Ashdown, but then stopped as soon as I came. Then, I
realised how fantastic music here was, and started playing piano again in the Summer Term. I was
pretty unlucky in sport as all of the sports that we did for games were unknown in my country,
Spain. Although very confused, I got to go to the Regional Netball Tournament with the 1st Team,
but in hockey and rounders I was a complete failure… I thoroughly enjoyed Athletics, as I had
already done it before and really liked it, but not as much as after I came to England. I would like
to give a massive thank you to all the teachers who helped me pass my Common Entrance and
taught me so well, and also a big thank you to Mrs Duarte, who helped me so much when I was
sad, and also when I wasn’t, to the gappies for being like a family to me, and to all my friends in the
Ashdown Community, who made my year incredible!
Daragh Massey
My time at Ashdown seems brief but I have actually been here since the 3s. During this time
I have collected many fond memories and I have had many proud moments. My proudest
sporting moment was in the Colts Bs rugby (I’m not the greatest sportsman) when I scored with
an unbelievably terrible drop kick! My time on stage was short and sweet as I was frequently
killed off in the first scene. I have had many good times and would like to thank all of the people
who made Ashdown such a special place (cliché)! I will enjoy the next five years at Sevenoaks.
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Valete
Juan Marin
I came to Ashdown in the 1s and this has been my favourite school year, from the first
moment to the last one. My favourite moment at Ashdown was going paintballing as a
leavers’ activity. Sport wasn’t my strongest thing, but I was in the 2nd XI for football, the 2nd
XV for rugby and the 3rd XI for cricket. In drama I was a narrator in the Autumn Term play,
‘Frank. N. Stein’, in the Mock Trial I was the foreman of the jury and in the leavers’ musical I was
a French soldier called Jerome. I would like to thank all the members of staff for being so kind
and so helpful.
Alexandra Mathison
I came to Ashdown in 2008 in the 5s and went straight into boarding. Here I am now five years later in my
last year and about to become an OA. During my time at Ashdown I have experienced lots of different
things and visited lots of different places. I went to France for a term to Sauveterre which was probably
one of the best things I’ve done at Ashdown. I have also made so many good friends who I will miss dearly.
Here at Ashdown I also found out what I enjoy most and I ended up falling in love with the sport here. I
attempted a sports scholarship and sadly didn’t get it, but I never gave up and continued my pursuit of
being at the top. When I reached the 1s I was made captain of some of the girls’ sports. I also enjoy music
and have taken many music exams, and I also became head chorister in the 1s. I was very happy with my
CE result and am now going on to Marlborough to follow in my siblings’ footsteps. These last few weeks
have been the best, starting with the Leavers’ trip to going paintballing and getting shot - not so fun! But it
is now time to move on, so thank you so much to all the staff for making Ashdown awesome!
Charlie Naylor
I joined the 5s in 2008 and made friends quickly. My housemaster was for the first three years was
Mr Gibbon. The next two years were well spent with Mr de Moraville where we had good times. I
enjoyed the trip to the Lake District which was extremely good fun and also the Leavers’ trip which
was great. I remember, before I came to Ashdown, I was not the best at sport, but over the years I
have gradually got better and better and I finally made itto the 1st XI for football! Thank you to all
the teachers for helping me pass CE to Shrewsbury. The five years I have been at Ashdown have all
been extremely good fun and a lovely pleasure. The last memory I have of Ashdown House was
the view of the house and all the staff who helped me.
Sasha Nikolaeva
As soon as I stepped into the front hall, I remember seeing two men who seemed giants at the time,
as I was only 9 and up to their waists. They were Mr Moore and Mr Floyd who both found me rather
strange because every time I was asked a question I replied in a typical Russian accent – “WHAT?”. I’m
very happy because I ended up going in the Hippos - my parents said it was no surprise! We never
actually succeeded in winning Sports Day, although we did always win the swimming galas and
useless things such as holding one’s breath for the longest time and talking without changing the
subject for a minute. I’m glad to have completed the tradition of the Head Girl being in the Hippos
and want to thank all my teachers for helping me to pass to Wycombe Abbey. As happy as I am to
finally move on, I will miss my friends and teachers a lot.
Adeoluwa Pearse
I came to Ashdown in the 3s and, coming from a school that could have fitted on the Patch
alone I was fascinated by how big this school was! The music room was fascinating to me
and Mr Fitt and Mrs Andrews helped me to excel. Although I wasn’t the best sportsman,
I managed to make into the 1st XV rugby team in 2013. My best memory of Ashdown
is either Choral Day or the high ropes platform in Dorset when I got the better of Miss
Randle! Sauveterre was a good experience too. I tried for music and academic scholarships
and, although I wasn’t successful, I am looking forward to going to Harrow. I thank all the
teachers who helped me get into Harrow.
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The Bulletin 2013
VALETE
Dominic Prest
I arrived at Ashdown in the 5s and I boarded from the start. It was a hard change but exciting. I started
playing the guitar, and in the last couple of years, I’ve played in a few concerts. I found drama quite hard
but I enjoyed my part in the 3s’ play. Throughout my time at Ashdown the best part of the day for me
was the sport. I enjoyed competing in matches and having sport every day. I really enjoyed my term in
Sauveterre - this was a brilliant part of my Ashdown career. The final year of Ashdown has been such fun,
especially the Leavers’ programme which has been outstanding. Thanks for all the staff which helped
me pass my CE to Sherborne with a sports scholarship.
James Ross
I arrived at Ashdown House in the Summer Term in the 3s. Having arrived in a shy manner, I
made friends very quickly. My first play was ‘Twelfth Night’ a play written by Shakespeare. In the
second term I went to Sauveterre, which has been one of the best trips. I thank Mr Schreiber for
being my form teacher for five terms in a row and for supporting me when I am low. I also have
to thank Mr de Moraville for being my landing master for five terms and for making my life up in
dorms a very fun time. I [we] also thank him for organising the leavers’ trip. I will miss my friends
at Ashdown but am looking forward to starting at Eastbourne College.
Botakoz Rustem
I came to Ashdown from my home in Kazakhstan when I was in the 4s and as I didn’t know any
English at all it was quite nerve-racking! I don’t think many people liked me when I first arrived,
but as time passed by I learned more English and I found more friends. Coming to Ashdown
and studying here completely changed my life, in a good way! Studying abroad gave me an
opportunity to experience so many different and fascinating things such as learning different
types of languages, sports and meeting lots of new people. I am really looking forward to going to
Heathfield but I will never forget my time at Ashdown and will miss everyone!
Helena St John
I started at Ashdown in the 5s in 2007. I really enjoyed sport at Ashdown, especially netball,
rounders and athletics. I made friends very quickly as soon as I arrived. We went to Sauveterre
in France in the 2s which was an amazing experience and I really improved my French there!
All the teachers helped me to pass C.E into my next school, Benenden, even though I wasn’t
that good in a few subjects. I will really miss all my friends I made at Ashdown and all the
teachers who taught me so much.
Camilla Wilkins
I came to Ashdown shortly after my eighth birthday in the 5s Autumn Term. As the youngest
boarder I lit the Advent candle that term. There have been so many things and people who have
helped me along the way and have made my time at Ashdown very enjoyable. I have also been
very lucky to have been in all the girls’ teams and the swimming and athletics team. I have shared
lots of triumphs with my teams, but notably our unbeaten season in rounders in the 3s, and the
Leavers’ Parents v Daughters’ match. This year I have enjoyed my position as Captain of Swimming
and it has been a privilege to lead this sport. Music has been an important part of Ashdown and in
the 4s I started playing the clarinet. I have been in the orchestra and when I was younger I enjoyed
singing in the Concert Choir. I also tried for a DT scholarship to Benenden but sadly did not get it.
I am very grateful to Mrs Duarte and the other houseparents for looking after me and for making
boarding at Ashdown so happy. Lastly, I would like to thank all the teachers over the last five years
for their patience, help and kindness. They have worked hard and I am really happy to be able to
start at Benenden next September. Good Luck to all the 1s of 2013 and thank you Ashdown.
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Valete
Ollie Wills
I arrived at Ashdown in the 4s’Summer Term. My first form teacher was Mr Mitchell. That
term I went to the Lake District which was great fun. There, I enjoyed spending a lot of time
with my friends and getting to know them better. In the 3s I started of in Mr Stanton’s form
then went to Mr de Moraville’s form. In the 2s I was with Mr Schreiber and the same in the
1s. Also, in the 2s we went to Sauveterre which was a great experience and, even though
all of us spoke ‘franglais’ for the first few weeks, it helped us a lot with our French. In the
1s my favourite trip was to Dorset - I enjoyed being pushed out of my comfort zone and
experiencing new things. I want to thank all my teachers and the staff for helping me get
into Cranleigh.
Alexander Young
My first day at Ashdown is the most vivid. We were the only Twins at the time and I remember
everybody pestering me. I settled in very quickly with the help of Mr and Mrs Gibbon who at the time
ran our landing. Little did I know that Mr Gibbon would help me pass my maths Common Entrance
in three years time! I started boarding from my first day as my parents lived in Dubai. The school trips
at Ashdown are exceptional and I enjoyed all of them and learnt a lot. We went to Holland in the 5s
and the Lake District in the 4s. It was the trip to the Lake District where I met the most interesting
man who made one of the biggest impacts of my life - it was none other than Mr.Branfoot! I
enjoyed Drama and in the 1s I played as a witness in the Mock Trial. I have always enjoyed Art and
D.T and have won lots of prizes for different projects. My greatest achievement was my wooden
backgammon board which I spent a lot of time on. In the 1s I was given the responsibility as Head
Librarian in the Autumn Term and this year has gone very quickly. I would like to thank all of my
teachers for helping me pass my Common Entrance to King’s and wish them all the luck in the world.
I would like to also thank Mr Gilsenan for inspiring me through out my time at Ashdown. I will miss all
of my friends a lot and hope they settle in quickly to their new schools in September.
Frances Young
I started in the 5s in the Summer Term. I boarded straight away and enjoyed it massively,
I made so many friends and they have been amazing thoughout my life at Ashdown and
I will really miss them! Ashdown has been an amazing experience and I am so happy that
I chose to come to the school! You can do so much at Ashdown that other schools do not
offer, especially the ones where I live in Dubai! The sport here is truly incredible and we are so
lucky we have amazing teachers that help you though it. I would have not passed to King’s
if it wasn’t for the amazing, friendly, caring teachers here at Ashdown! Mr Moore always says
Ashdown is one big family but it is so true! Sauveterre was an amazing experience also and
it really changed me into a more independent girl. One last thing for the pupils at Ashdown;
give everything at Ashdown a go because you just might like it - even paintballing!
Ai Yokoyama
My five years at Ashdown have been packed with so many moments that I could not choose my
favourite moment if I was asked. The school has changed considerably but its principles and the
behaviour of the pupils have not changed in the slightest. I hope that when I come back to Ashdown
in a couple of years’ time all will still be the same. I love all the exciting things that the school has
offered me. I will particularly miss Chapel because I have had very many odd incidents in there, such
as in the 5s when a guest preacher washed my feet! Also in the 1s I had to pretend to be Jesus in the
biblical story of ‘The Calming of the Storm’. Ashdown has certainly prepared me well for my future
and has given me a head start and a taste of the English boarding society. I am, and will be, so upset
that our very close bonds have to be pulled apart, but I will always remember Ashdown and hope to
keep in touch with everyone from King’s. I promise to come back to dig up our time capsule!
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The Bulletin 2013
STAFF VALETE
GOODBYES
Chris Rowell
Once upon a time, some 37 years ago, the DT
room was the kitchen, one of the stores was
the washing up area and, as Big Chris arrived,
we splashed out on an electric potato peeler.
It cost £80. The oven was a huge range
which Chris would open in the morning and
stoke with Anthracite, or something else
unsustainable, covering Tony's Eggs Mornay
in a Vesuvius type layer of red dust! We also
bought a dishwasher....perhaps that was £80;
we had to splash out. Lorraine and Freda
looked after him in the pantry for elevenses
and he really needed those biscuits. I can
picture him now at his place at the table,
except on his day off, Wednesday, when he'd
walk and bus into town.
He began by living in a room in the Big
Bungalow but, in time, along came the
mobile home which was never quite
man enough for him but he made it
home while moving into the new kitchen
and dining room, collecting black sacks
from all corners of the campus and
turning the incinerator, constructed
with old bed springs, into a furnace to
put Nebuchadnezzar to shame. It was
incredibly efficient and Big Chris fed it as
if it was ravenous monster.
He was always kind and protective to
Emma Briscoe and tolerant to tiresome
children who grew to respect him. He
always remembers and recognizes
old pupils and misses the contact - if
not the dishwashing - as he bestrides
Paignton like a Colossus who was a
legend in his red boiler suit and boots.
Rowena Williams
Mrs Caroline Kemsley
Caroline joined the Staff in 1991to give
literacy and maths support to children on
a small group or one to one basis. In those
early days she conducted her lessons
from any empty classroom or corner
that she could find but, after some years
and the addition of two more staff in the
department, Caroline embarked on her
plans to have her own classrooms. So it
was that in 2007, with the fantastic help of
generous donations from parents, the Log
Cabin was built and the Learning Support
Department had a permanent home.
Caroline’s vision of a cosy refuge from the
hustle and bustle of the school day where
pupils can consolidate their learning is
functioning well today. Thanks to her
sensitive and patient approach, scores of
children have developed self-confidence
about their abilities and left Ashdown
House prepared to deal with the demands
of their senior school.
Caroline’s talents were varied and over
the years she involved herself in all sorts
of activities - dance classes, sewing clubs,
make-up artist for the plays and generous
advice on all things horticultural in the
staff room. Caroline liked to mark the
changing seasons from donning the
most delicate white fur hat and gloves
and decking the Log Cabin with pretty
tinsel and fairy lights in the winter to the
displaying of glorious bulbs bursting
forth in springtime with Caroline clad
in happy colours (preferably pink!) and
cheering everyone up. The one constant
throughout the year cycle was …her
pink trolley. Caroline would usually arrive
early in the morning, open the boot of
her car and out came the trolley, full to
the brim with books, worksheets, laptops,
spreadsheets, diaries etc., that would
be needed for the day (not to mention
the odd pack of biscuits or sweets to
comfort, encourage or reward her pupils.
Please keep this to yourselves, it is a wellguarded secret!).
has probably been promoted to the
status of wheelbarrow extraordinaire
and is currently trundling its happy way
between Caroline’s herbaceous borders
and her giant greenhouse. Happy
retirement, Caroline!
Lou Watson & Catherine O'Neill
After 22 years of dedicated service to
Ashdown, Caroline decided to swap
her patent heels for wellies (probably
pink ones!) and spend time in her
beloved garden. We miss the pink
trolley and to this day, we do not know
what has happened to it but think it
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Goodbyes
Mike Hogue
Mike came to us in 1992 for a brief spell
and, having caught the Ashdown bug,
left 20 years and one term later. I still
remember my first meeting with him
when I was asked to test his ability to teach
French. There he was, a quiet, self-effacing
and kind young man, the sort of person
you knew would set a good example to the
children and give his all to the school. His
French was pretty good too! His reputation
as a rugby player and cricketer preceded
him and the headmaster, Clive Williams,
knew he was not going to regret this latest
addition to the staff.
Surely, a man does not get a better
tribute than when, one year on from
his leaving this school, people still talk
about him, quote him, and wonder what
his reaction would have been had he
still been with us. Not a single day goes
by without one of us, young and not as
young, mentioning Mike Hogue. As far as
Ashdown legends go, he is right up there
with the best.
Mike was involved in all aspects of school
life, from the classroom to the games
field, the dormitories to the changingrooms, the stationery cupboard to the
Games department which he headed with
competent efficiency and kind leadership.
In the days of the Château du Livet, Mike
proved to be a huge asset and for a while
was in charge of the operations there.
This gave him not only the opportunity
to share his passion for World War II with
visits to the Normandy beaches and
various museums but also indulge in his
deep love of France.
Everything he did was done with military
precision and rigorous attention to
detail. Mike never gave less than his
best, whatever the task and did so with
professionalism, dedication and modesty.
Even his Christmas Show sketches were
rehearsed to perfection and while we all
knew what was going to happen, who
was going to get splashed, what the final
-usually groan inducing- pun would be,
we would religiously go with the flow and
simply enjoy it all and applaude him.
Mike’s love for Ashdown was undeniable
and at its most obvious when sadly, he
said goodbye to us. He keeps in touch
regularly. He has not left us, not really. He
has gone back to his native New Zealand
to complete his teaching qualifications
and spend time with his family but we
all know that deep in his heart, he is still
at Ashdown House. Whatever the future
holds for him either in New-Zealand
or in this country (who knows?), our
best wishes go with him along with our
gratitude and affection.
Catherine O’Neill
Jeremy Branfoot
Every prep school needs a mad scientist
and Jezza filled that role with aplomb!
Jeremy started at Ashdown in the Autumn
of 2007 as a member of the Maths
department but I suspect it wasn’t until
Jeremy took over as Head of Science that
he found his strongest and most fulfilling
role. Jeremy has a real passion for science,
nature and in particular Geology. Out of
school hours he could often be found on
a windswept beach hunting for fossils.
As a Schoolmaster, Jeremy embraced all
aspects of life at Ashdown. Nothing was
ever too much effort for him whether
it be in the classroom or coaching the
mighty 3rds cricket team, writing poetry
for the children to recite in the recitation
competition or dancing at the school
disco shortly after his hip operation
(should there be some sort of joke about
hip-h/op?).
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The Bulletin 2013
One thing remains certain when
considering the gap that Jezza has left:
when he was around, there was never a
dull moment! I am grateful for my time
spent with him because in a world where
people are so cautious and terrified of
causing any sort of offence, Jez would say
whatever he felt needed to be said and
then wander off whistling a happy tune.
This made for a genuinely interesting
person to be around. We wish him all the
best as he starts his new life in Dubaionly Jez could go off and work in a desert
when he doesn’t like the heat!
Charlie Stanton
GOODBYES
Bina Solomons
After a few weeks of joint teaching with her
replacement to ensure a smooth handover,
Bina left Ashdown House for sunnier climes
at the end of the autumn term.
During her two years as head of science,
Bina brought an energy and infectious
enthusiasm that quickly passed onto her
colleagues and pupils alike. Her lessons
proved popular, in particular the creative
practical sessions – who knew you could
make DNA models from red liquorice
and gummy bears or study the difference
between plant and animal cells using jelly
and boiled sweets, delicious!
Although she only taught the 1s and 2s
children, she ran clubs and activities for the
juniors including forensic science club. During
the summer term she was also to be found on
the tennis courts encouraging and coaching,
as well as organizing teams and matches.
Bina is missed both within the science
department and the staff room. We all
wish her well and every success in her
new post in Qatar.
Lisa Joice
John Boddington
John joined us at Ashdown as the new
Head of Sport and History, He, his wife
Nic and their two children Emma and
Tom (and Crunchie the golden retriever)
soon became part of the busy Ashdown
community.
John was a respected teacher and his
lessons were clearly enjoyed by his pupils,
often to be found dressed up as kings or
the like delivering speeches from on top
of their desks!
A genuine all-rounder, John brought
enthusiasm to all codes at Ashdown and
his own expertise and appreciation of
good coaching inspired us all.
He leaves us to take up the role of Head
of Boarding at Westhill Park School in
Hampshire. He will be sorely missed and
we wish him and his family all the best in
the future.
Dave Gibbon
Sarah Goff (Sister Holt)
After 5 years of
dedicated care, and after
becoming Mrs Goff, it
was time for Sister Holt
to hang up her nurse’s
uniform. During the
years Sarah provided
full devoted attention
to the children and
staff at times of need.
Her enthusiasm and
infectious smile always
turned a frown the right
way round and stopped
many tears from falling.
Sarah always had a
sympathetic ear for the
children who liked being in her company. When working
on the junior girls landing, Sarah provided a motherly
attitude which was a great asset to the girls, along with
plenty of smiles and laughter.
Sarah will be hugely missed at Ashdown, but we wish her
all the very best with Matt as Mrs Goff for the future.
Charlotte Britton & Bella Duarte
Madeleine Renié
In January the
French Department
said “Bienvenue!”
to a new member:
Mademoiselle Renié.
She joined us from
la capitale (Versailles
pour être précis)
and it was with a lot
of enjoyment and
enthusiasm that she
spent two terms with
us. It was a pleasure
for Madame O’ to
have an all French
department. Oh joie! Madeleine brought her kindness and
beaming smile into the classroom as well as on the landings
helping with evening duties. She has been very helpful in
class with the native French pupils and with the leavers and
this was reflected in the quality of their results.
It was with a lot of sadness and emotion that we said
“Au revoir” to her at the end of the year. We now wish her
“Bonne chance” as she goes back to Paris to carry on with
her studies at university.
Steven Rivoal
15
Gappers
Gappers
Leanne Corliss
Tessa Myburgh
The minute Leanne stepped out of the car
into Ashdown; we knew she was going
to put her own aspect onto the role of a
gapper. Her floaty skirts, her long curly
hair to her bright red Doc Martins always
made a talking point in the laundry.
Leanne threw herself into being a gapper
tremendously; she mixed well with all
staff and children providing plenty of
laughs, and the odd cuddle. She even
became a dog for the school play. Leanne
will be sorely missed, but we wish her all
the very best at University back in New
Zealand.
As our first South African gapper, she
threw herself into the Ashdown spirit
mixing with the children and staff alike.
The junior girls soon fell in love with
Tessa’s hugs, and kind words of wisdom
that she solemnly provided at any given
time. Tessa was a true hockey player,
and showed the senior’s the tricks she
had learnt within her school time that
were then used in winning games. Her
contagious smile will be missed by the
children, but we wish her all the best for
her time at University and the future.
Charlotte Britton & Bella Duarte
The Floyd Family
Dominic, Maria, Freddy and Tabitha
arrived at Ashdown in September 2009
from Polwhele House in Cornwall.
Dominic and Maria had run the boarding
at Cothill, before which Dominic had
taught at Westminster Under School.
Teaching was very much in his blood,
his father having been Headmaster
at Farleigh House whilst his brother is
Headmaster of Finton House in London.
Dom and Maria quickly set about the
task of tidying Ashdown up; the rather
garish paint (chosen by a previous bursar)
that adorned various areas was replaced
with softer, pastel colours which made
the school feel more like a home. Paint
parties were held where the artistic
talents of the staff were severely tested,
but we all felt that it was great fun and
important to give the school a new lease
of life. Various bean bags, cushions, new
mattresses, sofas and bedding completed
the upgrade and brought us kicking and
screaming into the 21st Century! Along
with the running of the school, Dominic
and Mara were responsible for creating
the new website. Maria, an artist of
considerable talent, was responsible for
the wonderfully appealing Quentin Blake
type caricatures - ‘Brand Ashdown’ was
firmly launched.
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The Bulletin 2013
In 2011 The Floyds were blessed with
Kitty’s arrival. Tabitha was thrilled was to
have a baby sister to look after; Freddy
took a bit of persuading as he had
hoped for a football playing brother, but
was soon smitten! Kitty had the most
endearing smile which ensured the
tolerance of the Senior Management
Team as she stole their biscuits during
meetings!Dominic had a clear vision of
what boarding prep school life should
be like. He hated apathy as his marathon
cycle ride from Sauveterre to Ashdown
demonstrated. Scalectrix tracks, model
railway and Airfix modelling were
introduced and weekend duties didn’t
escape his attention. He urged staff to
think outside the box and bring their
own talents to the table. A wide variety of
activities were introduced at weekends
from visits to events in London to
traditional prep schools such as building
dams in the stream, camp making or cops
‘n’ robbers on the Forest. Dom was driven
by a desire for children to give always of
their best and to make the most of every
moment of their time at prep school.
Carpe Diem was very much his mantra.
He was always ready to give things a go,
whether it was learning the piano and
giving ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ his own
stamp at a school concert or corpsing
during the Mr Mason films!
Dom loved spending time with his family
during the holidays, going for walks
along the beach and travelling to Italy.
The family moved to Hazlegrove to take
over the boarding there where we wish
them much happiness and success. Annie
and I particularly thank them for their
friendship and ongoing support.
Haydon Moore
Lives Remembered - Obituaries
Douglas Ramsay
27 February 1989 – 26 December 2012
We were so very sorry to hear of the death
of Douglas Ramsay out in Cambodia at
the age of 23.
Douglas was the second of the five
Ramsays who featured so strongly in
Ashdown life from 1997 to 2009. We
remember him as lively and determined,
very much his own man, full of character
and humour. He was not always an easy,
biddable child, but he had five happy
and productive years with us. He was
academically able, clever enough to try
for an Eton scholarship, and a capable
sportsman, captain of a strong 2nd XV
rugby team. He also had considerable
stage presence: he made a terrific Bill
Sikes in the 2002 production of ‘Oliver!’.
There was a well attended memorial
service at St James’, Piccadilly in February.
Our thoughts are with his family.
Daniel Stephenson
Succeeding generations were called to
parliament intermittently until the Barony
of Dunboyne was created by patent in
1541. The title passed to John’s branch of
the family when the 22nd Lord Dunboyne,
who had been Bishop of Cork, died in
1800 without a male heir.
Lord Dunboyne
John Fitzwalter Butler was born on July
31 1951, the son of Patrick Butler, 28th
Lord Dunboyne, and Anne Marie Mallet,
daughter of the British Ambassador in
Rome. His father was a circuit judge,
while his grandfather had been a captain
in the Royal Navy. Their Anglo-Irish
family was descended from the 1st Lord
of Dunboyne, who received a writ of
summons to the Irish parliament in 1324.
John Dunboyne attended Ashdown
House – where he was captain of the
Dowagers football team, created by the
headmaster for boys with no inclination
towards competitive sport – and
Winchester. A spirited disregard for
authority meant that his departure after
A-levels was the occasion for some relief
on all sides, and he took advantage of his
new-found freedom, heading to Kenya for
three months. There he fell in love with
African lore and wildlife, showing the
same attitude towards hyenas and pi dogs
as he did to the rest of life’s opponents,
whom he met with a stentorian voice and
unassailable self-belief.
On his return he won a place at Trinity
College, Cambridge, graduating with an
MA in Geography and Natural Sciences.
Following the example of his father,
whose passion for genealogy had led
him to found the Butler Society in 1967,
Dunboyne served on the committee
of the Irish Peers Association, and was
himself a vice-president of the Butler
Society. In 1997 he established the
society’s website, latterly overseeing the
digitalisation of the family tree, which was
completed in the week before his death.
Lord Dunboyne married, in 1975, Diana
Caroline Williams. He is survived by her,
his two daughters and a son, Richard
Pierce Theobald Butler, born in 1983, who
succeeds to the peerage.
From the Times, 21st September 2013
17
Paralympics
Paralympics
After Olympic fever had gripped the
nation over the summer holidays, it was
with great excitement that, on the first
Saturday of the year, the whole school
headed up to London to watch the final
day of competition in the Paralympics.
With Dom Prest and Miss Hiron leading
the way in their patriotic outfits, we
walked through the Olympic park and
up to our seats on the upper level of
the stadium. It was a sell out and the
atmosphere was electric as we watched
the athletes competing in various track
and field events, and as we were sitting
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The Bulletin 2013
directly behind the medal podium it was
amazing to be able to see the emotions
of the competitors as they collected their
hard fought gold medals. The children
were on excellent form, and it was
not long before, among others, James
Ross had started a Mexican wave that
managed to complete 3 laps around the
80,000 seater stadium! The cameraman
knew a good thing when he saw it and
soon the light blue of Ashdown was on
the big screen!
“It was amazing- especially seeing the
remote control cars returning the javelins!”
George Halblander-Smyth
“Even though we didn't know the
athletes, it was still a wonderful day!”
Cordelia Moore
“It was astonishing to see the speed of the
wheelchair races!”
Sam Allen
OUT & ABOUT
19
Figuratively Speaking/Geography Field Trip
Figuratively Speaking
The Maths department are HUGE fans of Douglas Buchanan's puzzling challenges and
so we were delighted to take part in his new event, Figuratively Speaking, a competition
to test verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills. Four pairs of Ashdown's brightest minds
made the trip to the stunning surrounds of Christ's Hospital to face a series of logic
problems and after two hours of scribbling, Freddie Smith and Dominic Yorke (3PM)
emerged victorious! This was a fabulous achievement given the number of schools
that entered. The other three teams, consisting of Xander Angelini-Hurll, Emily Bland,
Lucy Hargrave, Charles Harrison, Elizabeth McCarthy and Phoebe
Wells also performed extremely well. It was a splendid day out and
another superb puzzle challenge to stretch our most able children. VR
This year’s scholars are an impressive bunch! On the 19th April, Ashdown’s top mathematicians
competed in regional heats of the UKMT Team Maths Challenge, a national competition for
pupils in Year 8 and 9. As the youngest team, Alex Coglin, Felix Deere, Aiko Eliot and Adeoluwa
Pearse performed superbly in each of the tasks. They were placed 4th after two rounds, having
scored 117/120 marks, and 8th overall. A fantastic achievement!
VR
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The Bulletin 2013
OUT & ABOUT
1s’ Geography Field Trip
We travelled to The Old Malthouse in Dorset, which was to
be our base as we explored the coastline and conducted our
investigation for our Geography Common Entrance Project. We
were well accommodated by Neil and Tracy Brooks (and their
team) and the food was delicious.
After settling in for our first night, we decided (rather
spontaneously) to have a dip in the sea. The children braved
the chilly night air and thoroughly enjoyed a refreshing swim.
The next few days were jam-packed with walks to Dancing
Ledge, a visit to Lulworth Cove and a picnic at Durdle Door –
after a most scenic walk along the coast. Although we were
learning about tourism, coastal landscapes and settlements
along the way, we did however need to knuckle down to
collecting data for our project.
Our investigation was based in the historic gap settlement of
Corfe – nestled in the shade of the breath-taking Corfe Castle.
The children conducted questionnaires and used this data to
complete their projects once back at Ashdown.
Our last day saw us walk along Studland Bay and the children
were treated to local knowledge of the sea horses and the
infamous Old Harry – we enjoyed the walk despite the wind
and driving rain. The children were great company and
thoroughly enjoyed their time in Dorset.
RS
21
Christs Hospital/The Natural History Museum
4s History Outing to Christs Hospital
The 4s spent an enjoyable day at Christ’s Hospital learning
about the history both of the school and the country.
As well as completing lots of challenges, there was also
ample opportunity for dressing up in period costumes!
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The Bulletin 2013
OUT & ABOUT
3s’ Geography Trip to
The Natural History Museum
Dodos and Dinosaurs and all things extinct were the name of
the game as we travelled up to the world famous Natural History
Museum. We had signed up to visit the Extinction Exhibition
but found ourselves spending the entire day soaking up the
wonderful animals and displays on offer.
The children’s eyes were opened to animals that are on the verge
of extinction and for many it was a sobering thought. They are,
after all, the future generation that need to take responsibility
for looking after our planet. The Dinosaurs never fail to amuse,
entertain and scare and the Blue Whale suspended above our
heads was met by lots of ooh-ing and aah-ing!
The Seed Capsule was fascinating and the children certainly left
the Museum far more informed and knowledgeable and they
had fun…Charles Darwin would have be proud of the children!
RS
23
Sauveterre
Le Chateau de Sauveterre
Le Chateau de Sauveterre a été une
experience fantastique. Il est situé dans
le sud-ouest de la France, tout près de
Toulouse, dans la région de Midi-Pyrénées.
Nous avons fait beaucoup de sport et il
y a beaucoup de choses à faire. Le jeudi,
par exemple, nous faisons une course qui
s’appelle…”La Course”! Il s’agit d’un crosscountry dans les environs de Sauveterre.
Au Chateau, la nourriture est vraiment
délicieuse et nous mangeons du pain frais
tous les jours.
Le mercredi, c’est la journée des
excursions et nous avons visité les
Pyrénées, la ville d’Auch, le marché de
Samatan, Toulouse et Pau ( la ville de
Madame O’!).
Vive Sauveterre!
Mollie Beale
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The Bulletin 2013
OUT & ABOUT
25
ART
Art
It was another busy year for the art
department. Pupils had great fun in
lessons and in clubs and produced work in
many different media including: pottery,
photography, film-making, animation,
watercolour, paint, drawing media and mixed
media. They continued to excel in all areas of
art and design, gaining recognition for their
talent locally and internationally through
exhibitions and competitions.
2s Weekend Art Exhibition
We held an exhibition of paintings inspired by French artists
for the 2s weekend and all the 2s pupils contributed to this.
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The Bulletin 2013
ART
27
ART
Art
Art lesson art
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The Bulletin 2013
ART
29
ART
Art Scholars
Potential Art
Scholars Group
Georgina O’Brien, Chloe Yorke and Alexander
Kushnarev continued to produce excellent work for
their scholarship tests.
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The Bulletin 2013
ART
31
Photography Competition/Art Clubs
Photography Competition
The art department ran a photography competition over the Christmas holidays . Viktor Surkov
was the overall winner and chose the topic of poverty .
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The Bulletin 2013
ART
Clubs and
Activities
Numerous art clubs were offered and
pupils were able to develop their skills in
photography, animation, film, abstract
landscape painting and watercolour
painting this year.
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ART
David Shepherd Competition/Haileybury Festival
David Shepherd Global
Challenge Art Competition
20 pupils entered the David Shepherd Global Challenge Art
Competition. There were around 1,500 entries and 300 were
chosen for the exhibition. To be chosen amongst the 300 was
quite an achievement.
The following children were awarded prizes.
Aiko Eliot- Joint 3rd prize- 13 Year Olds
Esme Heath- Joint 2nd Prize- 9 Year Olds
Lucy Hunt- Joint 2nd Prize- 12 Year Olds
Frederick Smith- Joint 2nd Prize- 10 Year Olds
In addition the following children’s artwork was chosen to be
exhibited at the Natural History Museum
Jay Darling
Georgina O’Brien
Scarlett Fox
Botakoz Rustem
William Harris
Flora Shen
Chloe Hynes
Camilla Wilkins
Seoyeon Jeong
Ai Yokoyama
Alexander Kushnarev
Chloe Yorke
Annabel Naylor
Pupils attended the prize giving ceremony at the Natural History
Museum. It was very exciting to see all our art work on exhibition
there and to have our photos taken with the wildlife artist David
Shepherd. We also had a look around the museum and proudly
watched our prize winners receive their awards.
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The Bulletin 2013
ART
Haileybury Festival of Art
This year, for the first time, we entered the Haileybury
Festival of Art Competition. The Ashdown House winners
were as follows:
Years 5-6: Winner: Scarlett Fox
Runner up: Cordelia Moore
Years 7-8: Winner: Aiko Eliot
Runner up: Seoyeon Jeong
Scarlett Fox was also awarded Years 5-6 Overall winner.
Art Awards
Art colours were awarded to
the following seniors for their
excellence in and commitment to
art: Sasha Nikolaeva, Patricia Lint,
Aiko Eliot, Lucy Hunt, Bota Rustem,
Ai Yokoyama, Jay Darling, Seoyeon
Jeong, Alexander Kushnarev, Chloe
Yorke and Georgina O’Brien.
Art prizes were awarded to: Esme
Heath, Scarlett Fox, Annabel
Naylor, Flora Shen, Aiko Eliot, Jay
Darling, Alexander Kushnarev and
Ai Yokoyama.
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IN & AROUND
Animals at Ashdown/Bonfire Night
Animals at Ashdown
Ashdown is
home to so
many furry
and feathered
friends who
provide us
all with great
pleasure (and
some hard
work!). Children
can be seen
carrying
chickens under
their arms, and
occasionally transporting them on their heads; mini ponies are led all
over the grounds, with the occasional escapee; the rabbit keeps Mr
Riches and Mrs Clarke on their toes (they were the ones to catch him
after his longest escape) and dogs of all shapes and sizes abound.
What a wonderful way to grow up in the English countryside!
JK
Our Ponies
Tinkerbell is a Falabella. She
is five years old and stands at
just over 6 hands high. She is
a really cheeky character who
needs to know who is boss!
Only the strong and bossy
Ashdownians dare to walk this
naughty pony but she loves
them all dearly, especially
the ones who accidentally
let her go and she is free to
charge about the playing fields
bucking. OOPS!
Named after the Argentinean
family that developed the
breed in the mid-19th century, the Falabella is a rather unique
little animal. It is one of the smallest breeds of horse in the
world and is considered a rare breed as only a few thousand
individuals exist worldwide.
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The Bulletin 2013
The Falabella, despite its size,
is not considered a pony, but
rather a miniature horse.
Our pony Archie is a Shetland
pony. He is about 9hh and is 25
years old. He is very calm and
kind. Most Ashdown children
love cuddling and grooming old
Arch. He is a popular favourite!
The Shetland pony is the smallest
of the British native breeds.
It comes from the island of
Shetland which is situated north
of Scotland.
Shetland ponies were first used for pulling carts, carrying peat,
coal and other items, and ploughing farmland. Shetland pony
breeding over thousands of years ensured that they developed
into tough little horses, able to carry very heavy loads. They were
a popular choice as pit ponies as they were small but strong.
IN & AROUND
Bonfire Night
“Remember, remember the Bonfire!”
That’s how the jingle goes at Ashdown
anyway. On Saturday evening, the
children were treated to the annual
bonfire and fireworks display. Mr Ollie
Riches, an expert in bonfires (he is one
of the main organisers of the nationallyrenowned Lewes bonfire), never fails to
deliver. The bonfire was big, bright and
roaring!
The children are given glow-in-thedark sticks and then dash out into the
cold and dark evening across the grass
towards the far corner of the patch. It is
there where the fun really begins. The
fire is lit and the children ooh and aah
at the enormous (and scary) flames. We
sang songs and then raced back up to the
school for the fireworks display.
After the display, the children went to
the dining hall for hot chocolate and
doughnuts. This marked the end of the
outside entertainment and the beginning
of the games and activities prepared
by the 1s in the barn. A truly enjoyable
evening was had by all.
Standing on the steps outside the Latrobe
building, we were treated to stunning
fireworks. The weather was perfect and
we could see fireworks all around the sky
– even from the neighbouring villages.
RS
BONFIRE NIGHT GAMES
Following a fantastic bonfire and firework
display, the pupils headed to the barn for
fun and games galore!
The 1s entertained the rest of the
children and staff by organising a variety
of crazy games to test their physical and
mental skills.
These games included:
‘Shoot the Teacher’ by Pat
Athakravisunthorn and Juan Marin
‘Face Splash’ by Ali Mathison, Aiko Eliot
and Sasha Nikoleava
‘Hook the Duck’ by Lucy Hunt and
Charas Krairikish
‘Gladiator’ by Philip Birdwood and
James Ross
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Book Week/Recitation Competition/Silent Disco
Children’s
Book Week
There were no teachers at Ashdown at the start
of Children’s Book Week. Instead, one of the
Three Little Pigs, The BFG, Pippi Longstocking,
The Hungry Caterpillar and a host of other
characters took charge which went surprisingly
well!
The ‘Who’s Who?’ competition was well
supported as each child attempted to guess
the ‘real’ identity of these fictional imposters.
The rest of the week involved word puzzles,
searches and scrambles, ‘My Naughty Little
Sister’ readings and ‘Tin Tin’ activities and
readings from some special original copies!
Thank you so much to the lovely Library Ladies
for all their enthusiasm and hard work.
JK
The Recitation Competition
This year we witnessed a particularly
vintage edition of the Recitation
Competition. The standard across the years
was high and it took some very tough
decisions to identify the winners. It was
great to see such a great variety of pieces
being performed. We had poetry from First
World War as well as famous speeches and
even a monologue from a film.
Lucas Ayton triumphed in the 5s, Mila
Novick came out top in the 4s and Izzy
Sayer won the 3s section. However
the show was stolen by the winning
1s performance. In its own right, Felix
Deere’s performance of ‘Matilda’ by Hilaire
Belloc was spectacular, but that was
before one of the greatest coincidences
anyone could possibly have imagined.
On Wednesday mornings, at 10.45, the
school fire alarm system is tested and the
alarms ring for five seconds or so. This
Wednesday morning, at about 10.43,
Felix started his poem. As the clock struck
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The Bulletin 2013
10.45, Felix’s recital reached the point
where Matilda screams ‘Fire, fire!’ At this
moment the alarms went off. Most in
the audience assumed this had been
planned- surely sound effects can’t be
used in a Recitation Competition? In fact
nothing had been planned at all. It was
one of the most extraordinary moments
ever to occur in the Ashdown theatre.
Well done to all those who took part
in this years competition. It was a very
dramatic way to begin half term!
GdeM
IN & AROUND
Silent Disco
The quandary was a tricky one.
Generations of Ashdown children have
revelled in the end of term disco, set
in the atmospheric East Wing Hall. Yet,
for staff supervising, it has always been
boiling hot and eardrum bruising-ly loud.
What to do?
This Christmas we finally found the
answer to our prayers: a Silent Disco. To
those who hadn’t experienced one before
it seemed an odd concept. Everyone
fitted with their own wireless headset that
enabled them to control their volume
and also gave them a choice of song. The
children were initially sceptical, but it
didn’t take them long to convert.
For whatever reason, having the
headsets frees those wearing them of
their inhibitions. The singing was loud,
very loud, but with no
accompanying music. To those without
headsets on it looked very odd indeed.
The staff that came to merely supervise
were won over. It didn’t take long before
Mr Mason was leading a dance routine
and Mr Hogue had his tie around his
head whilst air guitaring! Ashdown
House’s first silent disco was evening few
will forget in a hurry.
GdeM
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Boarding
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The Bulletin 2013
IN & AROUND
Boarding
41
Chess/Burns’ Night
Ashdown House Chess Report
Chess is thriving at Ashdown House, where
Junior children have a timetabled lesson
every week with esteemed chess coach,
Jonathan Tuck, while the Seniors have the
opportunity to continue with Mr Tuck’s
Chess Club every Tuesday lunchtime.
Some have the opportunity and dedication
to play in school teams and county
tournaments, whilst many enjoy it as a
relaxing pastime in the Library.
At County level, Ashdown House
was particularly well-represented
this year with 3 Sussex County
team players competing in
the EPSCA (English Primary
Schools Chess Association)
Championships:
Freddie Smith and the U11
Sussex team won the National
Final after a magnificent victory
in Nottingham in May.
Lucy Hargrave and the U11
Sussex Girls came 3rd in the
National Girls’ final in London
in April after a nail-biting
tournament with only one
point and a tie-break separating
the top three teams.
Roland Bourne and a very young U9
Sussex team came 7th in their National
Final in High Wycombe in early May,
which was remarkable considering some
of the players were only just 7 years old!
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The Bulletin 2013
In the Sussex Inter-Schools’ competitions,
Ashdown fielded several teams in the U11
Primary Cup (Freddie Smith (Captain), Roland
Bourne, Lucy Hargrave and Callum Hynes),
in the U14 Butler Cup (a very young team
comprising Freddie (Captain), Roland and
Lucy plus Ali Mathison, former Butler Cup
victor, who graciously came out of retirement
to play!) and in the prestigious Cottesmore
Chess Congress (Freddie Smith (Captain),
Roland Bourne and Lucy Hargrave).
Although we didn’t bring
home any school silverware
this year, all team players are
to be congratulated on sterling
performances against some strong
opposition, including several
England players. The experience
gained over the year competing at
this level will stand them in good
stead for next season.
We look forward to seeing many
more of our Juniors joining the
teams next year, hungry for victory!
Claire Smith
IN & AROUND
Burns’ Night
To the song of the bagpipes, a plump haggis was paraded into
the Dining Room. The address was recited and with a flick of
the knife, its skin was slashed and its aromatic juices spilled
onto the silver platter. Served with neeps and tatties, the
haggis was enjoyed, or at least tasted, by all.
In 2013, Ashdown’s annual Burn’s Night celebration was
extended to include the whole school. A delicious meal was
shared, followed by Scottish dancing for the 1s. Heel toe, heel
toe…there has been no other year group so enthusiastic
about reeling. Mr de Moraville dressed up for the occasion
in a traditional Scottish outfit?! Worryingly, he was rather
convincing.
Burns’ Night is a highlight of the Lent term and this year was
no exception.
VR
43
Chinese New Year/Ashdown in the Snow
Chinese
New Year
2013 brought in the Year of the Snake.
The junior girls entered into full spirit
designing their own serpent-like
creatures for Miss Britton’s ever changing
display boards. On the evening of Chinese
New Year, Miss Britton pulled out all the
stops, serving up noodles, rice, prawn
crackers, spring rolls and other traditional
Chinese foods donated by the mothers of
Mimi and Antonia.
Once all the eating had taken place,
Mr Bennett and Miss Hannah eating
most of the noodles, Flora told us a
little bit about the history behind the
celebrations. We then all listened in awe
whilst she sang the Chinese National
Anthem, ending with the salute to her
leader. After that, Mimi kindly gave all
the girls a red envelope, containing a
chocolate coin inside. This was a sign of
good luck and prosperity from China and
is given to all the children who celebrate
Chinese New Year.
CB
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The Bulletin 2013
IN & AROUND
Ashdown
in the Snow
We love Ashdown in the winter, especially when it snows.
Icicles hang from the rooftops and snowflakes fall on your nose.
Naughty children plot snowy plans,
To have snowball fights with their bare hands.
Excellent day, three cheers, hooray!
Ready for bed ... nothing else to say.
by Phoebe Wells 3PM
45
Grim Challenge/Hunt Visit/French Day
Grim Challenge
The Grim Challenge was introduced a few years ago as an
alternative to cross-country. This year’s event comprised
pulling a tyre 100m, then running through the jungle, hurdling
bales of hay and finally, leopard-crawling under cargo nets.
We performed particularly well in the Junior sections and less
convincing in the Senior sections.
The children had a lot of fun and were soaked in mud by the end
of the race. The Grim Challenge
was a grueling challenge that
was thoroughly enjoyed by all
and one that certainly lived up
to its name.
RS
Hunt Visit
What fun...and the sun shone for a very
welcome change! With Eloise's dad being
the current Master of the Old Surrey and
Burstow (O,S & B) hunt, we had our very own
private viewing of the hounds, huntsman
and horses. Hounds and children were all
over each other but all too soon the bell
ending break clashed with the bugle calling
the hounds to set off for the chase!
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The Bulletin 2013
IN & AROUND
French Day
When planning an event for the 2nd
July, one might be forgiven to expect
le grand soleil to be at the rendezvous. Not so. The day started grey, dull,
overcast. A cold wind was sweeping
round the bloc bleu, past the chapel
and across the ha-ha. Mon Dieu, things
were not looking good. And then at
about 11am, …BLEU! BLANC! ROUGE,
an explosion of tricolore bunting,
balloons and rosettes literally smothered
Ashdown House from the dining-room
to the swimming-pool and the windswept ha-ha. Thanks to Charlie Naylor,
the Tricolore was flapping away at the
top of the mast. We were set for a fun
day.
included a three-legged race, a cycling
relay with much moustache, onion and
béret swapping, and finally the Traversée
de La Manche in the pool for our keen
swimmers and their excited fans.
Although the Ellies won the day the
four patrols were winners too with their
enthusiasm, the way they embraced the
spirit of the French Day and more than
made up for the grey skies and cold
wind. Who needs sunshine après tout?
Vive Ashdown!
CO’N
We enjoyed a most delicious déjeuner
thanks to George Duarte and his team
(who needs Raymond Blanc??) followed
by Le Grand Quiz in the theatre. No
time for a continental siesta and our
four patrols marched down to the patch
to take part in the main competitions
of the day: The Concours de Boules
was fiercely fought followed by a very
unorthodox Tour de France which
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French Soirée/Activities
2s’ French soirée… Pupil Reports
The evening started with us dressing up as a plate, or a spoon, a
fork, a knife or a tea-cup and looking absolutely ridiculous! That was
before we started singing about talking candlesticks, It was great
fun though and a great start to our wonderful French evening!
Violet Mackintosh
The 2s’ week-end was a memorable occasion for both children
and parents when we enjoyed fine cuisine. We enjoyed a menu
of paté and bread, followed by Boeuf Bourguignon with new
potatoes and haricots verts.
Simeon Lee
Ensuite on a tous chanté “la Vie en Rose”, oui, les parents aussi!
Pour le dessert il y avait du fromage et des tartes aux pommes
ou au citron. Délicieux!
Toby Moon
After dinner the 2s sang “BOUM!” and woke up all the parents
from their delicious dinner. Liz, Anna et Cristina played a Gavotte
on their violin. Then we sang “les bananes” . Monsieur Bennett
and the girls sang “les moulins de mon Coeur”. We all sang “Vive
le français” which Madame O’ adapted from a Coldplay song. To
finish, we sang “Sous les ponts de Paris” before we went to invite
our parents or a teacher for a dance.
Jack O’Hara
A special mention goes to Andrew Taylor who was the perfect
gentleman and bravely asked Madame O’ for a dance (less
embarrassing than dancing with his Dad!).
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The Bulletin 2013
IN & AROUND
Ballet
Sailing
49
In the Class Room
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The Bulletin 2013
ENGLISH
ENGLISH
The Ashdown Poetry Festival
For the second year in a row, Ashdown English classes presented a highly entertaining half hour of choral
verse . Each class had learnt a poem together and recited it in front of the entire school . The standard was
high; there were a huge variety of poems presented from Dahl to Kipling . Each child impressed with line
learning and delivery .
1ON – ‘The Naming of Cats’ by T.S. Eliot
3DG – ‘The Law of the Jungle’ by Rudyard Kipling
1JB – ‘The Juggler Poem’ by Matheson Bailey
3TB – ‘Father William’ by Lewis Carroll
1RS – ‘Puddle Power’ by Jo Kay
4VR – ‘Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf’ by Roald Dahl
2JK – ‘The Lion Tamer’ by Graeme King
5HM – ‘Sonnet 18’ by William Shakespeare
2DM – ‘The Highwayman’ by Alfred Noyes
5CC – ‘Words’ by Ben Anderson
3PM – ‘Gran Can You Rap?’ by Jack Ousman
Jo Kay
A Night in the Underground
By Cameron Galloway 1ON
I heard the sirens start to wail their haunting song. I was
caught in the open with nowhere to go. A man in a bright
orange uniform started shouting and pointing in the direction
of the tube. It was at least 200 metres away so I ran, I ran like
my life depended on it. About half way there I started to hear
a gentle hum of an engine. As I got closer the hum got louder
until it was a bellowing noise in my ears. Soon the only thing
in my mind was that little hole, that safe haven to save me
from this nightmare.
Then a bomb dropped.
As the heat hit my back I felt as if I was hanging over a fire like
a pig being slow roasted. I fell, somersaulting as I did, feeling
as if I was falling forever until I slammed into the wall with
tremendous force. I heard something snap. As I drifted into
consciousness I saw I was two metres away from the entrance.
With all the strength I could muster, I dragged my limp body
towards the entrance. As I made it to the entrance I saw stairs
suddenly, with out any warning, my body collapsed and I fell.
When I landed I felt cold hands drag me deeper and deeper
inside. Then I lapsed into unconsciousness.
When I woke up I was in a dark, musty room, my arm was
bandaged up and every time I moved a shot of pain seeped
through my body. I heard the silent thuds and the loud cracks
as the bombs exploded overhead. As my eyes adjusted to the
dim light, I could see many bodies around me, all silent, and
none that I recognized. The room I was in was high roofed and
had graffiti all over the walls, the floor was matted with dirt
and rubbish and the stench of urine was prominent in the air.
I tried to get up but my arm sent a wave of pain around my
body. Slowly and carefully I got up and made my way around
the tube looking to hopefully see some one I recognized, I
didn’t.
Suddenly a bomb dropped overhead and the whole area
shook. I dropped to the floor from the shock, petrified about
what was happening, what horrors would be in store when we
arrived at the surface?
It had been six hours since I arrived; I was frightened. What
had happened up at the surface? Soon I couldn’t face this dark
pit any longer, so in a fit of rage, I marched in the direction of
what I thought was the entrance, carefully stepping over the
sleeping bodies and the stacks of food and valuables.
Suddenly the ground underneath me disappeared and I fell
into a dark pit. Then I looked to my left and saw the light that I
thought was the exit come hurtling towards me.
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Design & Technology
Design & Technology
Every year I am amazed when I look back at all the fantastic things that have been created by so many talented pupils with such
great imagination and enthusiasm. It has been a pleasure to help the Ashdown pupils develop their ideas and skills and to lead
them in a variety of fun projects, both in and out of lesson time.
Pictured here is an overview of work from the DT department during 2012-13.
SH
Annabel Naylor
Nastia Nikolaeva
Elizabeth McCarthy
Will Butcher
Georgie O’Brien
Ollie Wills
Violet Mackintosh
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The Bulletin 2013
DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY
Camilla Wilkins
Chloe Yorke
Cordelia Moore
Aiko Elliot
Simon Barbour
Emma Horiguchi
Liz Jeong
Daniel Duarte
Estella Montagu
Nick Berry
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The 3s Boat Race/Go Kart Trials
THE 3s BOAT RACE:
July 2013 was fast approaching and the
DT department was busy preparing for
the ‘Big Boat Race’. This was due to take
place in a series of heats along the width
of the swimming pool.
The 3s had worked hard with
enthusiasm all term in order to
produce motor powered, model
boats. These included some
extremely impressive vessels,
such as yachts, catamarans,
speedboats and a variety of
novelty boats. As the tension
grew, the quarterfinals began.
The winners from each form then
raced each other. Many boats
suddenly became submarines
and finally sank, while some
boats whizzed along… in circles,
soon to be rescued by Oliver de
Havas and Arthur Lindsay. Those
that did travel straight(ish) had a
fair chance of success!
Next, the semi-finals involved the
winners from each year against
each other. The excitement grew
as these six teams were now racing
in the nail-biting grand finals.
The crowds were cheering and
the boats set off on the whistle.
The winner was the first boat to
independently reach the opposite
end of the pool. Despite a few boat
casualties, the children thoroughly
enjoyed the competition and produced
some effective and creative models.
In third place was Ben Chavasse. Second
was Misha Verozub and finally, first
prize went to Marcus Prest.
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DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY
THE GO-KART TRIALS:
Once again, the 1’s were set a great
Design Technology challenge in the
Spring and Summer terms to design and
construct a working Go-Kart.
They organised themselves into small
groups to firstly make a strong, wooden
frame, then add some wheels and a
steering system. Most of the vehicles were
completed in time for the ‘Go-Kart Trials’
held at break time on Tuesday July 2nd.
There were an excellent variety of design
ideas, including:
- A canoe-style kart by Alexander Young
and Oliver Wills.
- The Tractor by Dominic Prest, Luke Berry
and James Bradley.
- A life-sized, papier maché Rhino by
Annabel Edwards and Grace Chattey.
The whole school gathered by the hay
barn to watch the Go-Karts go! Kitted
out in protective gear, the excited teams
lined up at the start. One by one, they set
off. Some sped along and some casually
cruised towards the finish line while one
or two wobbled and encountered natural
obstacles or had technical faults. The
speed bumps merely added amusement
as many karts bumped over these. Each
kart was encouraged along by great
applause and cheering.
There were many prizes awarded for three
different categories which were:
Teamwork, Decoration and Construction
and overall performance.
Well done to them and well done to all
of the 1’s for their fantastic efforts and
enthusiasm throughout this challenging
project.
55
Car Races/Harry Potter
Car Races
The 3s spent their DT lessons in September building model cars, and the pupils produced some original and
effective styles using Styrofoam and wood with electronic motor circuits fixed to the underside . The car styles varied greatly from the colourful and
traditional to the more creative and novelty designs such
as an F1 design, a mobile wok, a UFO and an Uglybug.
The races began with the semi-finals to see whose car could
reach the furthest. The excited finalists included: Estella
Montagu, Felix Fleming, Charles Harrison, Annabel Naylor,
Marcus Prest, Dominic Yorke, Ben Chavasse, Freddie Smith, Eliza
Gethin and Hugh Collins.
We saw two cars reach the greatest distance in our car race
history. These impressive racers belonged to Felix Fleming and
Marcus Prest.
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Unfortunately, the final had to be postponed many times due
treacherous driving conditions. There was a clear window on
Tuesday breaktime, on 2nd October which saw the finalists
compete for the win. Marcus reached the furthest yet again so
successfully claimed the 1st prize, followed by Charles in 2nd and
Estella in 3rd.
A huge congratulations to these winners and all of the other 3s
for their enthusiasm and excellent efforts.
OUT & ABOUT
Harry Potter
Our trip to Harry Potter land was truly
stunning. We were wowed by the
amazing sets, beautiful artwork, mindboggling costumes and so, so much
more. It was the second time that I had
ventured there, but both times I found
it fabulous!
Most of us had read the ‘Harry Potter’
novels by JK Rowling and loved them,
so we knew the plot and couldn’t wait
to see the stories brought to life before
our eyes.
Firstly, the group sprinted towards the
building out of eagerness but were swiftly
prevented from running any further by
Mr. Mason/Snape. Once the reprimand
was over we sensibly walked into the
famous Walker Bros Studios and came
across the hand prints of the three main
characters, Emma Watson (Hermione
Grainger), Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)
and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley).
Once we had compared our hands we
cantered through the automatic doors
and then it dawned upon us that we
were in one of the most amazing places
in the history of film making.
Our eyes were on stalks most of the day.
What a fabulous experience. We loved it.
By Elizabeth McCarthy
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Bodiam Castle/Pooh Bridge
Bodiam Castle
Opportunities to celebrate the
rich history of Kent and Sussex
are rare and so it was with much
excitement that Mr Mason, Mr
Schreiber and I bundled the junior
boarders into the minibuses for an
outing to Bodiam. Scrambling over
the 14th-century moated castle,
the children explored every nook
and cranny. With its ruined interior,
Bodiam Castle gives a glimpse
of medieval splendour. Our visit
coincided with that of some
majestic birds of prey and so we
also enjoyed the opportunity
to stand next to varieties of eagle
and hawk. After ice-creams and a
walk around the lake, we returned
to Ashdown with full appreciation
of our beautiful county. VR 58
The Bulletin 2013
OUT & ABOUT
Pooh Bridge
AA Milne and Winnie the Pooh would be so proud of Alice
Halblander-Smyth and Charles Harrison, the winner and runnerup of Ashdown’s Pooh Sticks Championship 2013!
On arrival, sticks were chosen with great care; big ones, small
ones, light ones, tall ones, were all clutched in hands and
marched to the bridge.
Miss Kay read the chapter in which Winnie the Pooh invents the
game and then the children and teachers had a go.
It was lovely to be outdoors enjoying the work of such a literary
great who is so close to our hearts here in Hartfield!
JK
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Storyfest/Wellington Science Day
Storyfest
On Saturday 18th May 5CC went into Hartfield and joined the “Storyfest” community.
We met Sue Monroe, the author of the Moon Hare adventures and a children’s
television presenter. She told us about her books and how she came to write them
and read some extracts to us. We then looked around the Big Top, saw Korky Paul, the
author of Winnie the Witch and had a delicious ice cream. We were able to make some
windmills and peg dolls before heading back to school for lunch.
CC
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OUT & ABOUT
Wellington Science Day
4VR travelled to Wellington school for an
extravaganza of chemistry experiments. We were
able to get front row seats (safety specs included)
for a succession of eye opening and ear popping
demonstrations. Balloons filled with hydrogen
exploded, echoing through the theatre. Liquid
nitrogen was put to spectacular use as eggs were
cooked in freezing temperatures and a banana
was tuned into a hammer. The role of chemistry
in magic was on display with the classic iodine
clock experiment, and things got messy when the
scientists made elephants toothpaste. The show
climaxed with cotton wool fireballs and an indoor
fireworks display, as the secrets of pyrotechnics
were revealed to the children. This was a brilliant
and inspiring trip for the children, showcasing
some truly dramatic uses of chemistry and science
in the world around us.
The science show at Wellington College was awesome! There was a
balloon with hydrogen in it and a balloon with air in it. The explosion
when we burned the air balloon made a big bang but the hydrogen
balloon made a massive bang! The scientist also put a banana in freezing
nitrogen and he banged a nail into some wood with it it. He also made a
firework and he made it blue and green, spitting out sparks by putting in
zinc gunpowder. A couple of times, there was a little accidental mistake
with fire but he put it the fire out with sand.
Freddy Floyd and Morten Tilley
At Wellington College, we went into a huge theatre and saw an exploding
balloon, freezing banana, home-made fireworks and lots of other exciting
things. We sat in the front row so we had to wear safety glasses. We saw
a scientist lighting cotton and it exploded amazingly. We saw something
called the ‘bringer of light’. We saw a magic trick where the scientist put
something in a bottle and he told everyone to think about the colour
black and suddenly, when everyone thought of black, it turned black!
Emma Horiguchi and Mimi Allen
JT
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Canterbury Cathedral/The Old Malthouse
4s trip to
Canterbury Cathedral
The 4s enjoyed a trip to Canterbury
Cathedral as part of their Religious Studies
Curriculum and providing a background
to Medieval Realms which they will study
as part of their Common Entrance History.
As one might expect, St Augustine and
Thomas Becket featured on our agenda,
but the main focus of the trip was to learn
about Christian architecture and the life in
a working monastery.
They cathedral team treated us to various
workshops, ranging from stained glass
windows and illuminated writing to brassrubbing and then there was a costume
trail, with 4VR dressed as monks and
archbishops, visiting the various key sites
in this former Benedictine monastery.
The trip was huge fun and I am sure that
the children will agree that the cathedral
staff were excellent in bringing it all to life.
PM
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The Bulletin 2013
FAR & AWAY
4s’ Trip to The Old Malthouse
The 4s spent a delightful week at the Old Malthouse in Dorset.
They went rock climbing, abseiling, stone carving, a blindfolded
night walk and on a low ropes course. They visited the Tank
Museum, Swanage lifeboat station and Monkey World, rode on
a steam train, had a sandcastle competition, went swimming
at Dancing Ledge and did a lot of walking. They also learnt
about all sorts of plant life including coal fungus and sheep
sorrel. Throughout the week they were brilliant company and a
pleasure to take.
TB
63
La Chaumiere/Ski Trip
5s’ Trip to La
Chaumiere
The 5s spent a week in France, enjoying
the sunshine, the culture, snails and pate
and historical sites. The 5s went in two
separate groups, first 5CC and then 5HM.
We left at 4am and boarded the plane,
bright eyed and bushy-tailed.
As we entered the aeroplane, the Captain
invited the children into the cockpit and
some even got to wear the Captain’s hat!
France was nothing short of amazing.
The children were expected to speak
and French and once their French had
improved, they were let loose on the
general public – we visited a local market
and the children had to buy food for their
next meal.
Trips to the local Fire Station, Lombez
Cathedral, and the village Dance Studio
were highlights and real treats. Another
special trip was to a 12th Century Abbey.
We attended a Sunday Mass. The service
was in French and the hymns in Latin!
Although we didn’t understand much
about what was being said, we all had a
wonderful time. The afternoon was spent
in the church grounds, playing games
and enjoying a picnic.
The weather didn’t quite live up to
expectations (and the norm) but
the children still braved the outdoor
swimming pool every day. There were lots
of shivering bodies but they enjoyed it
nonetheless.
We returned to England, exhausted
but full of stories and experiences of a
memorable time in the South of France.
RS
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FAR & AWAY
Ski Trip
After a very successful trip to Austria in 2012, Ashdown’s keenest skiers returned to the delightful alpine hamlet of St Christoph for
this year’s adventure and we were not disappointed. Whether whizzing down winding red runs, snuggling in sheepskin rugs with
mugs of hot chocolate or dancing the night away to cheesy 70s’ tunes, we were kept busy from dawn until dusk. Despite having
bruised bottoms, the beginner’s group remained in great spirits whilst the more advanced sportsmen amongst our fifty-eight
strong group enjoyed off-piste skiing throughout the Arlberg region. Evenings were spent relaxing with friends around the hotel or
enjoying the après-ski atmosphere in St Anton with pizza and souvenir shopping. A fabulous time was had by all. Thank you to Mr
Mason and Mr de Moraville for their support throughout the week and in the planning stages.
VR
65
Music
I was in the very fortunate position of taking the reins of a very
busy and successful department when I joined Ashdown in
September. Music is central to the ethos of the school with the
vast majority of children being involved in one way or another,
and it was certainly a baptism of fire with a busy first term!
My wife Helleanor gave birth to our first child Arthur on October
6th, the weekend before the Chapel choir performed alongside
the Cothill choir in St Luke's Church, Chelsea on October 11th
in a concert to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee. I am greatly
indebted to Tom Bennett for his work with the choir and his
leadership on the day as I was absent (learning about the joy of
nappies and 4am feeds) and also to the choir themselves who
learnt the challenging repertoire and were, by all accounts, an
absolute credit to the school.
In November we marked Remembrance Sunday with a special
chapel service. Adeoluwa Pearse, Felix Deere, Daragh Massey
and Ali Mathison performed an arrangement of Nimrod at
the start and for the anthem the chapel choir sang an original
version of For The Fallen written by Tom Bennett with a great
solo from Xander Angelini-Hurll. The school then walked out to
the flag pole to listen to Will Brockman play a flawless Last Post
and Reveille from the balcony.
The Christmas period is always a busy one with the Advent
service, carols at Ashdown Park and the carol service all falling
in the final 2 weeks of term. We also squeezed in the Christmas
Concert with performances from the brass group, the chamber
group and the orchestra as well as some festive numbers and
solos. The carol service at Holy Trinity Church in Forest Row was
a fitting way to finish the term and the highlight was a beautiful
rendition of Darke's In The Bleak Midwinter.
The Lent term brings around another Ashdown tradition- Choral
Day. This rather unique event was an absolute joy from the
moment we decided to sing Vivaldi's Gloria. The whole school
learnt to sing the Gloria itself, the 3s learnt Domine Fili and the
choir, joined by around 50 parents and staff sang the rest of
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M
it. Martin Sonneveld, our violin teacher, arranged an excellent
string section and Galina Mendes, Helen Pye and John Playford
(also music teachers at Ashdown) completed the orchestra. Solos
were sung by Tom Bennett (bass), Aimee de Havas (soprano),
Adeoluwa Pearse (alto) and Annie Grenville and Brenda Waite
(soprano duet).
This was immediately preceded by the Spring Concert. The
orchestra opened with the Indiana Jones theme tune, Felix Deere
played some Gershwin on his French Horn, Adeoluwa showed
his versatility with jazz on the flute followed by some fast and
delicate Couperin on the piano, Eliza Gethin premiered her own
composition and many others also performed fantastically. Aiko
Eliot, Estella Montagu, Emily Bland and Momoko Eliot all sang
beautiful solos before the brass band closed the concert with a
rousing rendition of the Wallace and Gromit theme tune.
In the Summer the main event was the concert at the end
of term. This was the final concert for a lot of very talented
musicians, and what a night it was! The orchestra played The
Great Escape, we had performances from the oboe quartet,
the brass band, the chamber group, the chapel choir and Mr
Paton's fancy dress and fully choreographed wind band playing
Greased Lightning! Almost all the Ones performed solos, from
the basic piano skills of Charlie Naylor to the crisp oboe playing
of Ai Yokoyama, and the rock band got the crowd going with a
great version of Little Lion Man. For me though, the highlight of
the whole evening was a memorable performance of the 2nd
movement of Mozart's piano concerto number 21 by Adeoluwa
Pearse, with the orchestral parts played by Flora Shen, Felix
Deere, Ali Mathison (complete with broken finger), Daragh
Massey, Liz Jeong, Luke Massey and Christina Fontan.
A special mention must go to Adeoluwa. He is a larger than life
character and is one of the most natural musicians I have ever
had the pleasure of teaching. His main instruments are the piano
and the violin, but over the course of the year he also taught
himself the trombone and the flute as well as the bassoon- all
MUSIC
MUSIC
of them to a decent standard - and he was in
every ensemble and choir going! He composes
his own music and loves teaching and helping
his friends and younger children. Unbelievably
he was not awarded a music scholarship to
Winchester, but has gone on to Harrow where
he will be able to develop his talent even further
and I look forward to welcoming him back to
perform at some point in the future!
As can be seen, there is always a lot going on!
In the 5 school plays there were both group
and solo songs aplenty, all performed with a
characteristic enjoyment and confidence by
children in all years, and other informal concerts
throughout the year gave children the chance to perform for
their friends. There is a lot of enthusiasm and ability lower
down the school and I look forward to seeing how they
develop next year.
RF
67
St Lukes Concert/Choral Day
St Luke's Concert
On 11th October the Chapel Choir gave
a joint concert with the choir of Cothill
House and 18 professional singers in St
Luke's Church, Chelsea. It was billed as a
celebration of music for Coronations. Quite
a celebration it was too. The programme
consisted of music written for Coronations
across the ages from William Byrd to a
piece written for the Diamond Jubilee.
The concert was scheduled early in the
term and, as a result, the choir had not
had a huge amount of time to rehearse.
However, this did not phase them at all
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as they launched into some challenging
repertoire with gusto. In the weeks
preceding the concert Cothill visited
Ashdown and vice-versa for rehearsals.
The rehearsals sounded wonderful
and this only served to heighten the
excitement leading up to the big day.
The day itself arrived rather wet and cold.
After a lengthy rehearsal, the children’s
first exposure to the professional singers
standing behind them, the choir went
off to have a pre-concert pizza. Of course
at that moment the heavens opened
and the choir soon became reminiscent
of drowned rats. However, this did not
dampen their spirits and they got stuck
into the concert with relish, and slightly
damp hair.
The overall result was astounding and will
live long in the memory, particularly 'The
Call of Wisdom’ by Will Todd which really
showcased the purity and beauty of the
children's voices. A fantastic occasion and
fitting for a Jubilee! The Queen would
have been proud.
TB
MUSIC
Choral Day
69
Amaal and the Magic Lamp/Frank. N. Stein
Amaal and the Magic Lamp
When November was beginning
to disappear and December was
approaching all too quickly with the
excitement of Christmas looming, the 5s
performed a magical play based on the
opera, ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ by
Giancarlo Menotti.
Amahl, a shepherd boy, tries to tell his
mother about what he has seen outside... an
enormous star with a long tail! His mother,
used to his story telling grows angry.
She is even angrier when Amahl answers a
knock at the door and reports that there are
three kings waiting outside, but it is true!
The kings enter and tell Amahl and his
mother that they have come to find a
special king and they display the rich gifts
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they have brought him. Lives are changed
forever after this visit from the three wise
men, when they take Amahl with them
onwards on their journey to Bethlehem.
The 5s were a delight to watch on stage.
Each and everyone one of them performed
with ease and confidence. The script was
humorous but delivered the true meaning
of Christmas. The songs were sung with
enthusiasm, thank you Mr. Fitt, the set and
props were amazing, thank you Mrs Fox
and Miss Hiron and the costumes were just
right, thank you Mrs Schreiber.
The biggest thank you goes to the children
in 5HM and 5CC who were just fabulous.
CC
THE PLAYS
Frank. N. Stein
The Hotel Transylvania was in trouble.
The guests were being taken down to the
cellar and turned into monsters. Only one
man can save the day!
Anyone who has read Mary Shelley’s
gothic masterpiece should be fuming that
Dr Frankenstein has gone down in history
as the green creature with the dubious
haircut and bolt coming out of his neck.
The 1s of 2012 tried their hardest to set
the record straight. From the moment
Hugo, covered in green paint, danced
along to Daragh’s rendition of ‘The
Monster Mash’ it must have been patently
obvious that this play was to be taken
seriously at your peril. The various hotel
staff, including Ali Mathison as the plucky
maid, Aiko as the chef with a dubious
Scottish accent and Ai as the nauseating
receptionist, sent a cry out for help and
luckily it was answered.
Here to free the hotel from the tyrannical
reign of its odious owners (the terrifying
Grace Chattey and hen pecked William
Brockman) were the Stein family. Father
Frank (Alex Coglin), his doting wife (Lucy
Hunt) and sweet, angelic, skipping little
children (Claudia Grace and Ollie Wills)
came at once to the aid of the hotel. It
was their job to save the current guests
including a couple of hard to please and
harder of hearing old ladies (Frances
Young and Helena St John) and an
arguing couple (Philip Birdwood and
Camilla Wilkins). This is also the only
play that I have ever been involved in
where someone delivering a cameo ‘tree’
performance (Felix Deere) almost stole
the show.
This was a tremendously fun play to
produce. Anytime you can combine
smoke machines, glow paint and a
raucous cast you know you are on to
a winner. This play also featured the
Ashdown Rock Band (Dom Prest, Pat
Athakravisunthorn and Philip Birdwood)
who along with Richard Fitt accompanied
the singing of Hotel California, Black Heart
and Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now.
Frank. N. Stein was great fun from start to
finish and I hope these 1s are as proud of
their two performances as I am.
GdeM
71
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
This is now the third consecutive year the 3s have produced
a Shakespeare production. It was the first performance we
intended to have outside. Sadly the weather forecasts made
this too great a gamble to take and our decision to move
indoors was vindicated- had we been doing ‘The Tempest’ it
may have worked!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream was the perfect Shakespeare
play for this particular cast. There are so many powerful
performers in this year group that you need plenty of
interesting parts to go round. It also meant that the vast
majority of boys were in tights- not a prospect they relished!
The four main protagonists were given a challenge- which of
them could be the soppiest when ‘in love’. It was impossible
to pick a winner. Emily (Hermia), Momoko (Helena), Dominic
(Lysander) and Xander (Demetrius) were all outstanding and
their exaggerated ‘falling in love’ was hilarious. In the fairy
kingdom there was a powerful performance from Scarlett
(Titania) as she was tricked into falling in love with Bottom
(Felix Fleming). The combination of Vadim
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and Marcus (Oberon and Puck) skipping around in fairy
costumes, creating mischief was a sight to see.
Every member of the cast, from the actors to the fairies and
the Royalty to the rogue Shakespeare characters interrupting,
played their part in two performances that allowed children
to appreciate Shakespeare’s story telling, whilst having fun on
stage at the same time.
GdeM
THE PLAYS
73
The Mock Trial
The Mock Trial
Sunday, 17th March 2013
This year’s Mock Trial concerned the murder of the headmaster
at a small Hertfordshire prep school. The hot-tempered deputy
head (Jay Darling) was the man in the dock, but it soon became
apparent that there were several other suspects....
Felix Deere gave a memorable performance as the irascible,
wine-quaffing judge. Alexandra Dial, as the excitable French
mistress, more than anyone inhabited the character she
played. Sasha Nikolaeva, as the mischievous interpreter, had
The Crown versus Bluett
The Court
Mr Justice Deere
Counsel for the Prosecution
Counsel for the Defence
Clerk of The Court
Usher
Shorthand Writer
Crown Solicitor
Her Clerk
Defendant’s Solicitor
Her Clerk
Warder
The Defendant, Peter Bluett
The Jury
Pippa Middleton
Sir Bradley Wiggins
Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood’s
‘Grandmother’
Three Blind Mice
Tarzan, Lord of The Apes
The Wicked Witch of The West
Napoleon Bonaparte
The Mona Lisa
Winnie The Pooh
Piglet
Felix Deere
Aiko Eliot
Ai Yokoyama
Charaspat Krairiksh
James Bradley
Bradley Ellison
Nurshahar Izbassar
Georgie O’Brien
Seoyeon Jeong
Juan Ohlsson
Fred Cox
Jay Darling
William Barker
Andrew Taylor
Cristina Fontan
Pat Athakravisunthorn
Nick Berry
Anna Cayley
Alex Kushnarev
Sam Allen
Violet Mackintosh
Juan Marin
Chloe Yorke
Toby Moon
Jack Lisser
the most difficult role – it was written for a fluent French
speaker – and carried it off with considerable panache. And
the two barristers (Aiko Eliot and Ai Yokoyama) held the whole
production together with great expertise. But it was a real
team effort by the 1s, supported as ever by the 2s, and I could
just as easily have singled out any number of others. Irritating
children, incompetent teachers, bossy matrons, bereaved
widows, implausibly stupid policemen – all were played with
considerable brio and, when needed, excellent comic timing.
The verdict was ‘not guilty’.
The Witnesses
Joel Farrar
Audrey Witherspoon
Marjorie Whitehead
Beryl Gooch
Angela Younghusband
Rex Laidlaw
Mark Mallett
Colonel Wagstaffe
Jason Lindsay
Genevieve Lafayette
Carol Ann Carmichael
Patricia Price
Susannah Green
Gavin Saunders
Alastair Tutton
Interpreter
Veronique Champigny
Dilys Peploe
Nicola Thorne
Eduardo Aston
PC Burke
PC Knott
PC Watt
PC O’Gorman
PC Dear
Det Sgt Rothermere
Dr Laing
Chief Inspector Knabber of The Yard
Costumes
Make Up
Props
Technical Stuff/
Court Choreographer
Written & Directed by Mr Stephenson
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Alexander Young
Grace Chattey
Camilla Wilkins
Annabel Edwards
Lucy Hunt
Lex Wills
Luke Berry
Alex Coglin
Helena St John
Alexandra Dial
Ollie Wills
Alexandra Mathison
Claudia Grace
Charlie Naylor
Josh Schreiber
Sasha Nikolaeva
Patricia Lint
Frances Young
Bota Rustem
Hugo Alonso
James Ross
Cameron Galloway
Adeoluwa Pearse
Dominic Prest
Philip Birdwood
Will Brockman
Alex Jones
Daragh Massey
Mrs Schreiber
Mrs Duarte,
Miss Randle,
Miss Jayme,
Miss Jenna, Miss Hannah
Miss Hiron, Mrs Fox
Mr de Moraville
THE PLAYS
75
Operation Pied Piper/Goodnight Mister Tom/War and Peace
4s’ Play – Operation Pied Piper
Air raid sirens deafened the audience as
the 4s evacuated London for a quaint
Yorkshire village in their World War 2 play,
Operation Pied Piper. With short trousers,
wool blazers and flat caps they certainly
looked the part.
missing, suspicion lay with the two ‘city
children’. Poppy and Eric did everything
in their power to convince the village
otherwise and eventually, the malicious
milkman, Mr. Davies (Mila Novick) was
apprehended.
Poppy and Eric Barnes (Antonia Elrick and
George Halblander-Smyth) were excited
during the train journey to Clamsthwaite.
Through the steamy windows of the
carriage, they peered out at cows and
fields and yet more cows. On arrival, they
were whisked away by the rather officious
Mrs. Cropper, the local Billeting Officer
(Cordelia Moore) and deposited with
the elderly Miss Nicholson (Mimi Allen).
When a precious jewelled ring went
BRAVO to the 4s for a fantastic
performance. The cast of only nine
children did superbly well; many even
doubled-up on parts. Thank you to Mr. de
Moraville for another engaging script and
to Mr. Fitt for teaching the children two
wonderful war-time songs. 4VR were an
absolute pleasure to work with and I look
forward to their future endeavors on the
stage.
VR
Goodnight Mister Tom
Having performed superbly in Operation
Pied Piper, the 4s (now thoroughly expert
in World War 2 drama) were delighted to
take a trip to watch a new adaptation of
Goodnight Mister Tom.
VR
Mister Tom was a kind old man. He
reminded me of my character, Miss
Nicholson. I would love to act on the stage
like the children in Goodnight Mister Tom.
Mimi Allen
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It was very clever how the actors used
a puppet to play Sammy the dog. Its
movements looked so real.
Arthur Lindsay
The play brought out all of my emotions.
I laughed at Zach and his brightly
coloured jumper but I found parts of the
play upsetting too. In one scene, Willie
was locked in the cupboard under the
stairs and he was there for such a long
time that his baby sister died. That was
heart-wrenching and it made me realise
how difficult life was during the war.
Antonia Elrick
Miss Randle and Miss Britton nearly cried
in the play. They didn’t think we noticed!
Mila Novick
THE PLAYS
War and Peace- The Musical
People are often left dismayed by film adaptations of their
favourite books. If War and Peace is your favourite book
then all I can do is apologise! This production bore some
resemblance to Tolstoy’s 1,440 page epic, but a detailed
depiction this certainly was not. Due to time constraints and
the need not to be overcome with misery, a few tweaks were
made to the plot!
Tolstoy may not have been best pleased to see his plot
changed to this extent but goodness knows what he
would have made of Bon Jovi, Westlife and Bonnie Tyler
accompanying it! The music was a good mix of fun, cheesy
and rousing. Richard Fitt, along with his band mates
(Headmaster, Charlie Butcher and Dominic Prest) created a
terrific atmosphere.
It still revolved around the Rostov family and the children
of Natalya and Ilya (Lucy Hunt and Alexander Young). Their
daughter Natasha (Grace Chattey) had become entangled
with an untrustworthy rogue (Alex Coglin). This meant
trouble and inhibited her chances with the noble Andrew
(Felix Deere). Whilst this was going on, the Rostov’s were
desperately trying to convince their son Nicholas (William
Brockman) to marry into some money to fill the family
coffers. Unfortunately for them he had fallen for the
penniless Sonya (Aiko Eliot). Then you had the charismatic
Pierre (Cameron Galloway) and the miserable Mary (Ali
Mathison). Would they ever become an item? The
fates of all these noble characters were
brilliantly manipulated by the wicked
and evil puppet mistress Helene (Claudia
Grace).
The 1s of 2013 were an exceptionally talented year group.
They needed to be sent off in style and I truly believe the
two performances they gave were indeed a fitting tribute to
them and their gifts.
GdeM
77
Eastbourne
1s’ Walk to Eastbourne
We decided that part of the Leavers’
Programme should include a BIG walk.
We could have walked around the
Ashdown Forest – which is in its own
right stunning – but we opted for the
South Downs. More specifically, we opted
for the Seven Sisters. The children set off
from the Newhaven Visitors’ Centre and
after a leisurely stroll along the ox-bow
lake, realised that the walk was to include
hills! The sun shone for us and the wind
was at our backs. The ground was firm
underfoot and the smell of the sea
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exhilarating. We could not have planned
a better day.
We walked to Beachy Head and ventured
down onto the pebble beach. After
skimming stones and burying Alexandra
Mathison under stones, we tucked in to
our lunch although it was only 11:30am.
Mr Moore got rather competitive in the
competition to have the most “skims”
but paid the price the next day, when
we found that removing his robe after
Chapel was a painful affair! A little more
practise next year, Mr Headmaster!
After lunch we tackled Beachy Head and
then headed down into Eastbourne. After
soaking our feet in the sea, we walked
to Eastbourne College, where we were
invited to tea on the boundary of the
1st XI cricket field. The children enjoyed
a delicious assortment of nibbles whilst
watching a cricket match – awfully
civilised after a day’s walking along
the Downs. The children were superb
company and they all appeared to enjoy
the walk, despite the many up hills!
RS
FAR & AWAY
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Leavers’ Trip 2013
Leavers’ Trip 2013
With Common Entrance firmly in the rear view mirror, the
triumphant Leavers of 2013 set off on their last jaunt as members
of the Ashdown family.
Monday
We bundled into our minibuses – shocked at how much more
the girls deemed necessary to pack- and set on our way down
to Dorset. We arrived in time for lunch and a quick unpacking
session. One group then ventured off orienteering whilst the
others took on a ropes course. The bold adventurers met with
different results. Some managed to journey around Dorset with
great ease; others found it a little trickier. Annabel and Alex
managed to get particularly lost and needed rescuing!
At the ropes course there were also mixed results. Some children
were fearless and bold, others were more cautious and some
members of staff were simply petrified. I’m not sure what
the children enjoyed more, climbing to the top of enormous
wooden structures or witnessing their teachers almost being
reduced to tears at the thought of taking part.
On our return to The Old Malthouse we had an excellent supper
before setting out for the beach. Despite a warm, sunny evening,
the Swanage sea was a little colder than some of us expected.
We returned to base, had a quick court case to rectify any
wrongs and went to bed contented.
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Tuesday
After an excellent breakfast we set out for a morning of activities.
Both groups were down at Dancing Ledge – one group rock
climbing and the other coast steering. The rock climbers
challenged themselves and scaled the cliffs. The coast steering
group had marvellous, rough conditions to deal with and
showed real bravery – chucking themselves off towering rocks
into the turbulent sea.
After a busy morning we had a restorative lunch before the
afternoon activities. The group who had not taken on the
terrifying ropes course had their chance that afternoon. The
others headed off to try some sea kayaking. Paddling the kayaks
required teamwork, which wasn’t always forthcoming! One
poor soul paddled her little heart out to get to shore- not aware
that her ‘friend’ behind her had had her feet up for the last 10
minutes. At the finish the entire group was exhausted. Luckily
Bota ‘The Doctor’ Rustem was on hand to help anyone out.
On our return to the Malthouse we had some play rehearsing
and another quick court case to right the days wrongs before we
settled down with some popcorn in front of a film.
FAR & AWAY
Wednesday
Wednesday dawned
and it was the hottest
day of the week. One
group set off for some
rock climbing whilst
the others hit the town
for some retail therapy.
Grace and Annabel
decided that crabbing was the order of the day
but met with disappointment- it only took them 20 minutes
to realise that their line was in fact dangling meters from the
water. No matter a crab was caught- by Daragh in a bucket!
That evening we had our celebration fancy dress BBQ. The theme
was Disney and the costumes went from the good, to the bad,
to the downright terrifying. We had boys dressed as fairies and
girls dressed as various other animals. Alex took the honours
for best costume with his inspired crocodile outfit. With each
Leaver having submitted a baby photo, the next contest was to
work out who was who. Much hilarity ensued as identities were
confused. Court was then in session again and Hugo put on a
particularly fine display– singing the Macarena dressed as Snow
White! A game of rounders in costumes then took place before
we sloped off to bed exhausted.
That afternoon the groups switched activities. Whilst one
group tried their hands at coast steering, the others took
Swanage by storm. Camilla, sentenced by the court for her
swimming performance the day before, amazed on-lookers
with her shower cap on her head. An incredibly intense game
of mini golf then broke out- with Captain of Golf Ollie being
soundly beaten by an inspired round from Claudia.
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Chartwell House
Thursday
Thursday was probably the most testing day of the trip weather
wise. A thick drizzle met us as we woke and made life tricky for
our activities. One group took on raft building to start with,
whilst the others mountain biked to meet us for lunch. The
mountain biking was tough given the conditions but each and
every one made it- even Miss Hannah who fell off of her bike into
a ditch! The rafting was a success and both vessels made it on to
the lake without depositing their crew in the water.
After a packed lunch we switched activities. The rafting was less
of a success in the afternoon with Charlie and Pat finding the
water! The mountain biking was very pleasant and we managed
to navigate through the tough conditions before cycling in
sunlight. Annabel found life a little tougher than most – crashing
her bike no fewer than seven times.That evening we headed
back to Swanage for another session on the beach. An ice cream,
in the sunshine on the beach seemed like a pretty perfect way to
end the day. For their last
night in Dorset the Leavers
camped out – meaning
much fun was had but also
some grouchy moods the
following morning.
Friday
Friday morning arrived and we sadly had to pack up our
belongings and depart. Not before a last bit of kayaking and
some postcard shopping in Swanage. It had been the most
entertaining week imaginable and we were all a little sad to be
heading off.
This group of Leavers were incredibly good fun, great company
and wonderful ambassadors for Ashdown on this trip. I hope it
gave them memories to cherish for years.
GdeM
1s’ Visit to Chartwell House
Part of the Leavers’ Programme was a trip to Sir Winston
Churchill’s home, Chartwell. Not a single child had visited
his home and many had not even heard of this iconic and
much-visited gem tucked away within half an hour of us. I am
pleased (and very relieved) to report though that they did at
least know who Winston Churchill was!
Churchill’s country home is surrounded by the most beautiful
grounds – stunning meadows, an outdoor swimming
pool, ponds and rolling grassy banks. The children enjoyed
exploring the gardens and looking for the black swans – which
we found.
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The Bulletin 2013
After enjoying a walk through the house, the children visited
the Art Studio and then we finished the day by picnicking on
the lawn. The children asked plenty of questions in the house
and learnt a fair amount about the life and works of one of the
greatest men to walk on British soil.
The day was a roaring success and will no doubt become a
regular feature in the Leavers’ Programme in years to come.
RS
SPORT
1st XI Football
Played 12
Won 7
Drew 0
Lost 5
Goals for 31 Goals against 22
Squad
D. Prest (captain); C. Galloway (GK); A.
Coglin; C. Naylor; F. Deere; L. Wills; H.
Alonso; W. Brockman; L. Berry; J. Bradley; P.
Birdwood; J. Ohlsson; O. Wills
This was the most successful 1st XI season
for many years. Despite being without the
2s who were enjoying football in southern
France, the team gelled very quickly
to form a tight unit. Indeed the same
starting line-up started each game, with
only injury forcing the odd change. Sadly,
James Bradley’s season was cut short with
a long term injury, just as he was hitting
a bit of form with a hat-trick against St
Aubyn’s. He would surely have been a
contender for the golden boot!
This said, goals came from elsewhere, with
Prest (4), Berry (10), Alonso (3), Ohlsson
(2) and Brockman (4) amongst the scorers.
We played some of the most attacking
football I have seen in recent years and
notable wins came against Ardingly (3-1),
Windlesham (3-1), and Lingfield Notre
Dame (6-0). Ironically, some of our best
passing football was in matches which
we narrowly lost, with the St Chrisopher’s
game being the pick of the bunch.
Defensively, we became stronger as the
season progressed and clearly having
the luxury of the same back five enabled
them to benefit from playing with each
other week in week out. Felix Deere was
certainly the most improved player in the
team at centre back and by the end of the
season he was intercepting confidently as
well as distributing the ball from the back.
Prest and Alonso commanded most
games from midfield. Their attacking flair
as well as their physicality was often too
much for our opponents and gave us the
platform from which to play our passing
game.
I think the highlight for all was winning
the Brambletye tournament. Silverware in
football is hard to come by (as any Arsenal
fan will tell you!) but we looked the
strongest team right from the start and 6
goals from Berry and a penalty shoot out
along the way gave us a deserved victory
which will live long in the memory.
This was a most enjoyable season and
huge thanks and congratulations must
go to the squad. We trained hard and had
a lot of fun and I would like to thank the
whole team for what they have achieved.
PM
83
Football
2nd XI Football
"We must win like winners, play like
winners, behave like winners and lose
like winners" - this was our team motto.
We may not have been the quickest,
fittest or most skillful of teams on the
circuit, but we were determined to try
hard, improve and be sportsmen in every
sense of the word. And this is exactly
what we did.
The boys were diligent and hard
working at practices and were superb
ambassadors for the school on match
days. The team was ably captained by
James. James scored in every single
match played - skillful and a clean striker
of the ball, he led by example and should
be very proud of his season. Daragh,
Philip and Jay added to the goals tally
and all improved as the season went
on - the latter two went on to play a few
games for the 1st XI - congratulations.
Juan, Adeoluwa and Alex were gutsy
in defence and never gave up even
when faced with the unenviable task of
defending quick attackers that were goal
hungry. All three boys were very brave
and inspiring to watch - commitment
out of the top drawer.
Pat filled the goal. He is big, kicks the ball
hard and far, and is not afraid to meet
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The Bulletin 2013
a striker head on! Pat is a formidable
sight and improved tremendously as the
season progressed.
We won more than half our games
played and drew two. All in all, we
had a successful season and one that
I thoroughly enjoyed. The boys were
wonderful company and I shall never
forget the practice when the boys looked
tired and were only too happy to leave
the football behind and go for a walk!
True gentlemen and sportsmen...
RS
SPORT
Colts A Football
Played 13
Won 7
Drew 3
Lost 3
This was the season that so nearly was. A team with bags
of potential and ability who swept most opposition aside.
From the earliest of games sessions it was clear that this
was a team that was unusually gifted. Having received a trio
of new boys to fill the midfield, hopes were high for a very
successful season.
This team was a truly talented one and they deserved the
winning season that they achieved. To only lose three
games out of thirteen is a truly impressive effort and was
down to a lot of hard work and talent. It is difficult to
pick out highlights of a term so littered with successes.
However, it is hard not to single out the comprehensive 4-1
victory against Brambletye, which showed all facets of the
boys game at their best; from goalkeeper to goal scorers the
boys worked as one.
Other notable performances included a 5-1 victory over
St Christopher’s and two 3-0 victories over Cumnor and
Woodcote House. All these matches in differing conditions
epitomized the flowing style of football that the boys wanted
to play. They often won through controlling possession and
being unflustered at all times.
The only real disappointment of the season was coming third
in the Brambletye 6-a-side tournament, in which the Colts
A were definitely the form team. The reaction of the boys
showed what it meant to them, some were inconsolable
when they lost on penalties in the semi-final.
Josh Burvill – It was staggering to see the improvement in
Josh’s goalkeeping as the season progressed. I will never
forget his diving save at Woodcote House to punch away a
shot that seemed destined for the top corner.
Marcus Prest – Unflappable and reliable, Marcus led from
the front throughout the season. He was not a shouty
demonstrative captain, instead he led by example. A
complete footballer.
Felix Fleming – Felix began the season as a rather industrial
defender playing route-one football but he and Marcus
built a solid partnership and by the end of the season were
thinking and controlling matches from defence.
Javier Prieto Visiedo – Mercurial is probably the best word to
describe Javier. He worked hard up and down the right wing
and produced some of the loveliest touches. Never selfish, he
was a constant provider.
Juan Ohlsson – Playing in the central midfield role Juan
managed to bag eighteen goals in the season, which rather
speaks for itself. He always gave one hundred percent and
had a real eye for goal.
Xander Angelini-Hurll – The blessing of a left-footed player
within a team is not to be undervalued. Xander is also
blessed with a good turn of
speed and was a dangerous
presence on the left wing at
all times.
Dom Yorke – To score
seventeen goals in a season
and not win the golden
boot any player would
feel justified in thinking
themselves hard done by,
however, this speaks only of
the quality of the team he
was in. Dom was a constantly
dangerous presence.
The Colts A were tenacious
and dedicated and an
absolute pleasure to coach.
They could have converted
some of the draws into
wins but their record is still
exceptional.
TB
85
Football
Colts B Football
Played 13,
Won 3,
Drew 5,
Lost 5
Squad: Hugh Collins (captain), Freddy
Floyd, Will Harris, Charles Harrison, Arthur
Lindsay, Vadim Novick, Freddie Smith,
Morten Tilley, Misha Verozub.
The Colts B team had a very enjoyable
season and did well to be unbeaten in
eight of the 13 matches. The team played
some very good football at times and
were arguably unlucky not to have won
more than three games.
We started with two very even and well
contested matches, which both ended in
draws: 1-1 with Great Walstead and 2-2
with Dorset House. Next up was a new
fixture with Sutton Valence. This was a
very good match and we were a little
unlucky to lose 2-1. The fourth match was
a cracking encounter. We led an unbeaten
Brambletye team 5-1 at half-time after
a brilliant first half in which Tilley stole
the limelight with a superb hat-trick and
Smith scored twice. However Brambletye
mounted a terrific comeback in the
second half and the game ended in a 5-5
draw.
There followed two losses to Windlesham
House and Ardingly before we finally won
our first match on October 6th. We played
very well to beat St Aubyn’s 7-0, with Tilley
and Floyd both scoring twice. In the next
match we played poorly to find ourselves
3-0 down at St Christopher’s, but we got
our act together in the second half and
pulled it back to 4-4 with Smith again
scoring twice. In the last game before half
term we were genuinely outplayed by
St Ronan’s to the tune of 6-2, with Tilley
scoring twice.
Smith led the goal-scoring with 10 apiece,
Harris scored 5, Floyd 4 and Verozub and
Lindsay one each.
After half term we did well to beat
Cumnor House C 3-2 and Woodcote
House by the same score-line. Both these
matches were well contested and we
had to work hard to secure the wins, but
to the boys’ credit they fought strongly
to the end. In the return fixture at
Brambletye we didn’t convert a number
of half chances, gifted our hosts some
soft goals and went down 5-1. Our
season ended with a really good match
against Hilden Grange, a
hard-fought 0-0 draw.
A hugely enjoyable season! The boys had
a lot of fun with their football and played
in a very sporting manner.
Lindsay and occasionally
Verozub did very well
in goal, with both boys
proving to be capable
shot-stoppers. Harrison,
Collins and Novick worked
very hard and improved
immensely in defence.
Harris, Floyd, Smith,
Verozub and Collins all
appeared in midfield and
did well, improving as
a unit throughout the
term. Tilley was a lively
striker with an eye for
goal, who was perhaps
a little unlucky not to
play for Colts A more
regularly. Tilley and
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The Bulletin 2013
MH
SPORT
Colts C Football
The Colts C football team this year were a
committed group of boys, and although
we started fairly quietly the momentum
gathered as the season progressed.
We did suffer some heavy defeats in
September as we struggled to find our
best formation, but eventually we settled
on a solid defensive set up with George
Halblander-Smyth, Alexander Sheridan
and Callum Hynes in front of goal keeper
Misha Verozub. Jolly Koska, Vadim Novick
and Ben Chavasse completed the line
up, and the highlight
of the season came
when we beat St
Christopher’s 10-0!
An astonishing result
after 5 consecutive
losses, but it showed
the team that
anything is possible
if you keep on trying!
Well done boys!
RF
Under 9 Football
Won 5, Drew 1, Lost 5
The boys made very encouraging
progress this season, exemplified by the
difference in our performances from the
first game against Dorset House, where
we were given a bit of a roasting, to
our win against Brambletye in the final
game of the season. All of the boys were
involved in all the fixtures played, and this
helped build team spirit and a pattern of
play. They worked hard in training and
reaped the benefits, both with individual
skills and positional play.
Theo played the majority of the season
in goal, and did a super job. He showed
great bravery at times and made some
excellent saves. In one training session
penalty shootout he saved 7 out of 10
shots, an epic performance against some
very powerful shots! Roland was the
heartbeat of the team. His stamina and
power drove the team on and at times
he dominated matches; his tackling was
ferocious, winning balls he had no right to
win. He also has a piledriver of a shot and
his 35 yarder at Handcross Park will live
long in the memory. Ollie de Havas played
beautifully up front. He dribbled
mazily, causing defenders all sorts of
problems, and his clinical finishing
enabled him to net 15 goals during
the season. Will Butcher passed
the ball thoughtfully and skilfully
and read the game very well. Josh
Schreiber made huge strides in the
season, notably with his positional
play and he had an increasing impact
on games as the season progressed.
Arseniy had a fantastic season –
playing at the back his pace and
strength ensured that no strikers
were able to get the better of him.
Henry played some excellent football
at times during the season, moving
into space intelligently and shooting
powerfully. He also did a fantastic job
in goal in the tournament. Lucas made
huge strides during the season. His
positional play improved and he made
some crucial tackles. Well done to all the
boys!
JBo
87
Rugby
Rugby
1st XV Rugby
In many ancient cultures of the world, there exist
rites of passage and initiation for young boys
becoming young men. In order to be recognised
and accepted as an adult, they need to perform
certain tasks. These challenges may test physical
or mental strength – although they may vary,
they all share a common element – that of
challenging the individual. Rugby is the modern
day equivalent. Rugby forces a boy to look
himself in the mirror and find out exactly what
lurks in the depths of his character.
The success of a team is rightly or wrongly
measured by the number of victories in a season.
Using this as our measurement, we had a woeful
season. And that is the end of that. However, if the success of the
season is based on the progress that individual players have made,
then we enjoyed much success.
Dom was an outstanding captain and player and received a Sports
Scholarship to Sherborne – he is very talented sportsman and has
the potential to go very far in this game. Cameron, Sam and Ollie
were superb in the backline and scored the lion’s share of the tries
and saved many points being scored against us with some brave
tackling.
Andrew, Jack and Jayden were the pick of the forwards. They
performed very well considering that they are only in the 2s, and
they are all exciting prospects for next season.
The highlight of our season was winning our 7-a-side tournament.
We braved the elements, the mud and the cold to win all of our
games. Alex Coglin scored a hat-trick and more of tries and was
the Outstanding Player of the Tournament.
Congratulations boys on a most enjoyable season. I thoroughly
enjoyed your company and was thrilled to see that so many of
you rose to the challenge and showed real courage and bravery –
modern day little Vikings!
The following boys
represented the 1st XV
in the season: Adeoluwa
Pearse, Philip Birdwood,
Jayden Brooks Hurst, Toby
Moon, Andrew Taylor, Jack
O’ Hara, William Brockman,
Felix Deere, Sam Allen,
Cameron Galloway, Dom
Prest, Ollie Wills, Alex
Coglin, Simon Barbour,
Pat Athakravisunthorn,
Lex Wills, Daragh Massey.
RS
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The Bulletin 2013
SPORT
2nd XV Rugby
Rugby is the ultimate team sport, and despite how
the season looks on paper (played 6, lost 6) it was an
enjoyable term and lots of boys were able to improve
their individual skills and understanding of the game.
We had a squad consisting of some seasoned pros and
some first timers and after some initial practice we
were ready for our first match, a tough season-opener
against Holmewood House. Our pack looked strong
with a front row of Juan Marin and James Ross either
side of hooker Alex Jones, and Shivaan Mohinani
and William Barker in the second row, but they were
shoved off every ball by the powerful opposition. Our
backs could run and pass but never got the chance
as Holmewood dominated possession, and by the
time the final whistle went it was 50-0. In fact, we
didn’t score a point in the first half of term - each
game we got closer and closer to scoring that elusive
first try - but in mid February it finally came against
Sunningdale! It was scored by Mehrshad Shahabi
on debut, and it gave the team hope. Hugo Alonso
showed his class as he scored in the same match with a great run, and, among others, Daragh Massey and Federico Giesler
started making more telling tackles and creating more efficient rucks. Our trio of Jacks - Lisser, O’Hara and Wells - all got stuck
in, and our back line of, in various combinations, Alexander Young, Jay Darling, Fred Cox, Bradley Ellison, Charlie Naylor, Marvel
Solomons and Gonzalo Calcada all grew in confidence as they got to spend more time with the ball. For the last game of the season
we gave a good display of ourselves despite losing 36-19 to Copthorne, and I’m proud of all of them for never giving up!
RF
Annual Charity Touch Rugby
Tournament
We hosted the 3rd Annual Charity Touch
Rugby Tournament this year. We thought
it fitting to nominate a charity in honour of
the late Peter Allen. Peter loved his sport
and always enjoyed this tournament. We
also decided to award a trophy in Peter’s
honour for the most spirited player of the
tournament. Caroline Lisser was the winner
and proud recipient of the Trophy. She
certainly would have made Peter smile
after she managed to compose herself after
tumbling head-over heels in the first few
minutes of the day to score a winning try.
We had close on 40 players and we raised
just over £200 for Youth at Risk. Much fun
was had on the field and in the school
Library for “match tea”. I would like to take
this opportunity to thank everyone that
supported this Charity and hope to see even
more on the field next year. And remember,
mums are most welcome too!
RS
89
Rugby
Colts A Rugby
This was a hugely enjoyable team to
coach. From the outset it was obvious we
had a lot of talent in our ranks. Many of
these boys had had a taste of Colts rugby
as 4s last year and that experience served
us well. Added to that returning core were
some exciting new additions.
Our season started in December with a
convincing defeat of Cottesmore. Then
our after Christmas campaign began
with an outing to the always strong
Holmewood House. It is so important
to test yourselves against the best
opposition and we gave Holmewood all
they could handle. We lost 12-0, but came
away from battle with our pride very
much intact.
Sadly a theme of this rugby season was
the weather. Our next three matches
were lost to frost, snow and water
logging. When we finally returned to
action we beat Vinehall in a convincing
performance, won our return fixture
with Cottesmore and then defeated St
Christopher’s by 35-7.
Our winning streak was halted as we
lost a close encounter to Dorset House.
That was one of those games that on
another day could have turned out very
differently. Our best performance of the
season came in our next fixture as we
beat Sunningdale at home in fabulous
display. We followed that good showing
with a win over Lingfield Notre Dame.
Next was an away trip to Woodcote
House.
Sunningdale had beaten Woodcote just
the week before, so form dictated we
should win with something to spare.
It certainly didn’t turn out that way. A
tremendous battle of a match saw us
trailing with no time on the clock. From
a last gasp scrum, Marcus Prest surged
through the opposition
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The Bulletin 2013
defence and would not be denied. There
was obviously great delight at winning
but this was simply just a wonderful game
of rugby. Unfortunately that is where our
season ended. The March snowstorms
wiped out our marquee fixtures against
Cumnor and Brambletye. Our final record
read: Played 9 Won 7 Lost 2. A terrific
season.
This team was a lovely blend of forward
power and hard work contrasting the
lethal finishing backline. Up front no side
we met could deal with the scrimmaging
power of
Vadim Novick
(Captain) and
Josh Burvill.
Felix Fleming’s
improvement
at hooker was
monumental
and he was a
lethal presence
in the loose.
Misha Verozub
and Arthur
Lindsay packed
down behind our
monster front
row and linked
brilliantly
with the back
division. Arthur
was a tackle
machine from
the word
go. At half
back you
combined the
monotonous
Dominic
Yorke and
the classy
Marcus Prest.
Dominic is just the right mix of feisty,
pesky and combative. He’s not the biggest
boy but he plays as if he is. Marcus was
defensively incredible and showed an
excellent passing game.
In the centres Hugh Collins and Freddie
Smith ran hard and straight. Hugh’s
performance in a losing cause at
Dorset House earned him the respect
of everyone there that day. Freddie
was unstoppable on the charge and is
an exciting prospect. In the back three
we had some Spanish flair from
SPORT
Javier Prieto Visiedo and Juan Ohlsson.
Javier picked up the game quickly and
combined speed with nifty footwork.
Juan was a revelation. He scored a
hatful of tries, including all five against
St Christophers. The opposition coach
labelled us a ‘one man team’ after the
game- I pointed out our ‘one man’ had
only been playing rugby for two weeks.
Xander Angelini-Hurll used his speed to
good effect when given space and his
tackling became much more assured as
the season progressed. Charles Harrison
developed a penchant for tackling early
on in the season and became one of our
most valuable players. Morten Tilley made
a couple of appearances but his season
was slightly curtailed by illness.
This was one of those teams I will always
remember fondly. We played exciting,
attacking rugby. We were gracious in
defeat as well as victory. I hope these boys
look back on what they have achieved
with great pride.
GdeM
U9 Rugby
Played 5 Won 1 Lost 4
The U9’s rugby season was rather blighted
by cold weather and the ‘long snow’ and
as a result they didn’t have a great many
matches to play. They found the going
tough when they did play as they were
rather fewer in number than some of their
opponents. It was a challenge for them
when they came up against schools who
had double or triple the number of boys
to choose from.
The improvement they showed from
the beginning of the season, especially
those who hadn’t played
rugby was marked. By
the end of the season
they were beginning to
acquit themselves rather
better. Their victory
against Sunningdale was
the obvious highlight and
was a moment that all the
boys could savour from a
difficult season.
TB
91
Cricket
Cricket
1st XI Cricket
Expectations are funny things.
It’s fair to say that as coaches we
did not know what to expect
from this group of boys at the
start of our season. By the end
of the campaign this talented
team of young men had blown
any pre-season expectations a
million miles out of the water.
It was an inauspicious start. Our
first game was played in arctic
conditions at Lingfield Notre
Dame. Fielding first, a good spell
from Luke Berry and William
Brockman limited our opposition
to 82 all out. Small run chases
can be tough, as this one proved.
After a flurry of early wickets, Berry produced a fine 43 not out to
see us home by four wickets.
Our first home fixture of term was against Christ’s Hospital.
Another fine bowling display again saw us facing a low target. This
we achieved with great ease as Captain Dominic Prest scored 60
not out.
An away trip to Vinehall was the setting for one of our most
dramatic matches of the season. Prest’s penchant for bowling first
again saw us bowl well and limit Vinehall to 78 all out. Berry and
Brockman were again impressive. On a lightening fast outfield this
really should have been a straightforward chase but early wickets
held us back. Galloway and Brockman shared a fifty stand and at
69-2 we looked home. At 76-9 things were not quite so straight
forward. No fingernails remained at this stage. Cometh the hour,
cometh Philip Birdwood who smashed a full toss through the leg
side to seal the win.
A home match against St Ronan’s preceded the first short
weekend and it was another decent home performance. Batting
first, Prest and Galloway paved the way for a big total. Prest
looked in particularly fine touch and passed fifty with ease before
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The Bulletin 2013
picking out the only fielder on the leg side boundary with a
hundred seemingly at his mercy. Our total of 157 looked enough
until St Ronan’s unleashed their big hitter on our attack. Just as it
appeared the game was getting away from us, William Brockman
took a splendid high catch in the deep to remove their danger
man. Some tight death bowling wrapped up our fourth victory
out of four.
The long drive to Wellesley House takes a lot out of any team and
we were particularly poor in the field on arrival. Wellesley posted a
mammoth 197-4 and just as we were about to start our reply – the
heavens came to our rescue and the game was a wash out.
We met with our first defeat of the season down at St Andrew’s.
Prest was ill and so Deere captained the side and did so well.
However some tight bowling from St Andrew’s and some
tentative batting saw us make only 94 from our 25 overs. It looked
like we might have enough as we reduced our hosts to 80-7, but
in the end dropped chances ended our hopes and we lost by 3
wickets. Oliver Wills produced a wonderful display of disciplined
seam bowling to give us any hope at all.
SPORT
That Saturday we travelled
to Windlesham and again
bowled first. For the first
half of their innings we were
magnificent and removed
some very dangerous players. However, on a small outfield, their
big hitters took us on and made hay towards the end of the innings.
Chasing 165 for victory we were in trouble early as wickets tumbled.
It took a remarkable innings from Luke Berry- 74 not out- to keep us
from defeat. He, ably supported by Felix Deere, produced a knock
of such maturity that it was a pleasure to witness. We escaped from
Windlesham with a draw.
Then followed two of the most remarkable performances I have seen
from an Ashdown side. We played Holmewood House at home on a
bright Wednesday and were under pressure in the early stages. With
Holmewood 97-0 and with plenty of overs to spare we were in real
trouble. However Sam Allen and Felix Deere, with help from some
staggering outfielding from Juan Ohlsson, bowled us back into the
contest. Their spells ripped apart the Holmewood top order and
all of a sudden we were chasing 155 to win rather than 180+. From
the first over Prest looked at ease and he proceeded to brutalise the
Holmewood bowling attack. He hit 84 not out and led us to a stunning
9 wicket victory.
If that wasn’t enough, after our game with Sunningdale was washed
out, we went to Cumnor on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Unusually
for Cumnor, we played a limited overs match. We put them into bat.
Luke Berry and Dominic Prest were on fire and soon we had Cumnor
20-6. They recovered to 88 all out. Prest dispatched their bowling all
over Sussex and we recorded our second 9 wicket victory in a week.
Sadly, the day after Common Entrance, we lost Luke Berry with a broken
arm for the rest season. His contribution to this team was enormous.
His opening spells were fast and consistent and his memorable match
saving/winning innings at Lingfield and Windlesham are testament to
what a fine prep school cricketer Luke has become.
After half term and the Leavers’ trip we moved on to play the
unbeaten Cottesmore. We batted first and struggled to find any
momentum. We scratched our way to about 80-7 at tea. We made
the decision, as the over rate had been slow, to bat on after tea. Juan
Ohlsson, in his own eccentric style, blasted a few more quick runs
which saw us declare on 110-9. Then came the best spell of bowling
we saw all year. Felix Deere, opening with his leg spin in place of
the injured Berry, tempted and taunted the opposition. He bowled
through the entire innings and finished with 7-21. However, it looked
like the hosts might cling on for a draw, until Prest brought himself
back on and clean bowled their last batsman with 7 balls left to spare.
Our attention then changed to 6 a-side cricket and our annual
tournament. Since the tournaments inception, Ashdown has been
somewhat star-crossed. Of the six tournaments, we have reached
the final on five occasions, but had never won the trophy. The final
looked like a pipe dream as we dropped group games to Brighton
College and Handcross Park. We bounced back well and chased
down a huge total in our semi final. Facing the previously unbeaten
Handcross in the final, we bowled well and restricted them to a
gettable target. Despite at one stage looking beaten the brothers
Prest batted beautifully in tandem and we overhauled their total
with a delivery to spare. It was a fantastic achievement. Particular
mention should go to Marcus Prest and Felix Fleming, playing
in the tournament as 3s, to Juan Ohlsson, who kept wicket for
the first time, and to Dominic Prest who took home player of the
tournament honours.
Our season finished with a bit of a damp squib as we were
comfortably beaten at home by Brambletye. That was a collective
bad day at the office but the way the boys played their cricket even
in the face of a heavy defeat was testament to them.
We finished with a tremendous record of: Played 12 Won 8 Drew
2 Lost 2. Dominic Prest captained extremely well and individually
produced one of the most phenomenal statistical seasons Ashdown
has seen for a long while.
This was a bizarre season. This was an unexpected season. This was
a successful season. It was certainly a season that, for any of those
involved in it, will never be forgotten.
GdeM
2nd XI Cricket
Played 11, Drew 3, Lost 8
Squad – D.Massey, S.Lee, P.Birdwood,
J.O’Hara, J.Bradley, J.Darling, N.
Athakravisunthorn, A.Taylor, S.Mohinani,
C.Naylor, G. Calcada, F.Giesler, J. Brooks
Hurst, A.Jones
It is fair to say that from a statistical point of
view this was not been the most successful
season in Ashdown history!
However, this in no way tells the story
of the season. The effort put in by the
players and the progress they made was
superb. They were a great group to work
with, committed, keen to learn and very
supportive of each other.
Captaining a cricket team is a difficult job
and Daragh captained the side very well.
His field placings and bowling changes
improved as the season developed. He also
batted sensibly, occupying the crease and
building some important partnerships.
Jay and James opened the bowling
beautifully, putting opposition batsmen
under pressure and being unlucky not to
take more wickets at the top of the innings;
had we caught all our catches they would
have had some fantastic bowling figures.
Andrew, Shivaan and Pat bowled some
super spells, while Charlie’s leg spin came
on really well, foxing a number of batsmen
during the course of the season. Philip
played some important innings, hitting the
ball hard and putting opposition bowlers
under pressure. Simeon batted very well
during the season, laying a good platform
and then accelerating as his innings
progressed. Jack and Gonzalo ’s batting
and bowling showed great improvement
(extraordinarily so in Gonzalo’s case as it
was the first cricket he has ever played!)
and they fielded superbly, resulting in their
playing for the 1st XI towards the latter
end of the season. Federico and Jayden
scored heavily in the 3rd XI, earning them
promotion to the 2nd XI, where they both
played some very encouraging innings.
Jayden hit probably the shot of the season,
a 60 yard flat 6 against the fastest bowler
we had faced all season! Alex’s leg spin is
promising, especially as it is relatively new
to him, so this bodes well for next season.
There were some excellent games of
cricket, the pick of which was probably
against Sunningdale. With 26 needed off
the last 3 overs with 4 wickets remaining,
all 3 results were possible, in the end we
couldn’t quite get there ending up 5 runs
short with 3 wickets remaining.
Well done to all the players for their efforts
this term, they have been a pleasure to
take. If there is one final tip, keep working
on the catching, ‘catches win matches’ is a
cliche, but a very true one!
JBo
93
Cricket
3rd XI Cricket
Played: 8 Won: 3 Lost: 5
At the beginning of the season I did not
hold out much hope of winning any
games as we has nobody who could
bowl a straight ball and only a couple
who could swing the bat. However,
James quickly emerged as a useful
bowler and over the course of the season
almost everyone improved their batting
enormously. We only lost our opening
matches because we gave away so many
runs in extras, and in almost all our games
we outscored our opponents with the bat.
Alexander grew nicely into the captaincy,
James, Federico, Jonesey and Simon all
did well with the bat along with Coggers,
who was retired on 53 for the highest
score of the season in setting up our
victory against Cumnor (he also had
the distinction of playing a couple of
late season games for the 1st XI).
Adeoluwa and William both made
huge contributions behind the
stumps and as all-rounders, Kush
improved his bowling immensely,
and both Bradley and Merhshad
showed potential.
What a vast improvement over
the term, especially with your
batting – well done!
Squad: Alexander Young
(captain), James Ross, Adeoluwa
Pearse, Alex Coglin, Juan Marin,
Alex Kushnarev, Simon Barbour,
William Barker, Ferderico
Giesler, Alex Jones, Mehrshad Shahibi,
Nick Berry, Bradley Ellison, Max Vaninski,
Marvel Solomons, Barney Whitmore
JB
Colts A Cricket
We were blessed with some fantastic
weather this summer, especially in the first
half of term and it was great to see such
enthusiasm for cricket being displayed by
pretty much all the boys in the 3s and 4s. I
was fortunate to have such a strong squad
to pick players from, and I chose Marcus
Prest as captain of team for the first match
against Lingfield. As season openers it
was perfect- we scored 120 in 25 overs
with both Felix Fleming and Morten Tilley
retiring when they reached 25 and then
bowled them out for next to nothing!
Confidence was high, and we continued
to win on home soil for the next couple of
games. However, when we did travel we
did not fare as well. We lost at St Ronan’s
after a poor fielding display, and it was
not looking good at Wellesley House after
they scored a monstrous 150 against our
travel-tired team, but the weather closed
in when we were about 30-3 and saved
our blushes. This was the pattern of the
season- we remained unbeaten at home
all term but eventually our away form did
start to improve!
The best performers in the team were
Marcus, Felix and Morten who impressed
regularly with both bat and ball. Marcus
fell tragically short of a maiden 50 when
he was caught on the boundary for 46 at
St Ronan’s but averaged over 20, and his
bowling was far quicker that anything else
we saw during the season and he picked
up over 20 wickets. Felix enjoys hitting
boundaries and averaged over 50 for the
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The Bulletin 2013
season including a couple of half
centuries against Windlesham
and St Christopher’s, and his
bowling was always accurate
and hard to get away. Morten
batted with great maturity
and played beautifully on
both sides of the wickets and
also scored a 50 against St
Christopher’s, and he has a
fantastic bowling action that is
only to improve as he grows.
The majority of the opening was done by
Hugh Collins and Arthur Lindsay, never
an easy task but they both had a couple
of long solid innings. Dominic Yorke and
Xander Angelini-Hurll were useful allrounders and both played crucial innings
when the team found itself in a tough
spot. Charles Harrison was a great team
man, always talking and motivating in the
field and helpful contributions were made
with the bat or the ball by Freddie Smith,
William Harris, Ben Chavasse, Vadim
Novick and Misha Verozub.
There were plenty of stunning catches
and brilliant fielding throughout the
season, and the player who probably
improved the most was Josh Burvill
behind the stumps. He started the
season looking like a football goalie
but slowly honed his technique and by
the end of June he was standing up to
the slower bowlers and taking leg side
catches and stumpings! His batting was
surprisingly gentle considering the tree
trunk he was wielding, but he did finally
manage to find the elusive boundary in
the end- well done Josh!
Overall, the team played 13 games,
they won 8, drew 1, lost 3 and had 1
abandoned. A strong season for a very
able team and I expect great things as
they move on to the senior teams.
RF
SPORT
Colts B Cricket
In his book ‘Down Under’ Bill Bryson
writes a compelling description of how
an American views cricket. It begins thus
“I don't wish to denigrate a sport that is
enjoyed by millions, some of them awake
and facing the right way, but it is an odd
game.” This is a view the large majority of
the Colts B, very few of whom had ever
come across cricket let alone played it,
might have agreed with – cricket is odd, if
not downright bizarre.
However, this did not stop them from
having a go. In fact they more than had a
go, they acquitted themselves admirably
for a group of novices. The vast majority
of their matches coming in the first half
of the season when they were still getting
to grips with the basics did not seem to
effect them at all.
They began by playing pairs cricket in
their first two matches against Vinehall
and Lingfield. Pairs cricket is a fickle friend
with runs being deducted for wickets lost
and so it proved for the Colts B as they
lost their opening two matches. Despite
these losses, the boys were beginning
to find their feet. Misha Verozub and Will
Harris showing their experience and class
with some excellent batting. However,
it was Viktor Surkov, Tair Udovenchuk
and Javier Prieto Visiedo who proved the
surprise packages with some mercurial
bowling spells.
St Ronan’s was the team’s first taste of
‘normal’ cricket and it proved to be their
first victory. Misha Verozub was the star
with the bat smashing 75 of a total of
90. Vadim Novick then followed this up
with some excellent bowling to record
the Colts B’s first victory. This set the ball
rolling as they then caught their way to
a victory against St Andrew’s – never
has catches win matches been more
appropriate.
The team then enjoyed a well-earned
mid-season break before their final game
against Brambletye. Sadly, they weren’t
to end the season on a high as they lost
quite tamely.
At the beginning of the season only three
players had wielded a cricket bat in anger.
However, judging by the standard of
cricket the team played you would not
have known that. I commend them one
and all.
TB
Under 9 Cricket
I was always told that in sport, one is
only as good as one's last game. In that
case, we were an amazing team. We
won our last game of the season and we
played brilliantly. We batted sensibly,
called loudly, slid the bat in the crease
and hit shots that resembled pukka
cricket shots.
In the field, we walked in with the
bowler, we held the catches and we
stood behind the wicket to receive the
ball. We have made such remarkable
progress. Every single player in the last
game, was able to bowl a delivery and
hit a ball. Cricket is such a technical
game that requires tremendous
amounts of discipline, and our boys met
the challenge head on.
The boys have been very responsive
throughout the season
and the progress is plain to see. We
also behaved very well at matches
and unlike many of our opposition,
I didn't have to call the boys from
out of the bushes and trees and
ask them to stop fooling around
on the boundary. They played like
real little gentlemen on and off of
the field and received countless
compliments from visitors and I
would like to wish them all the
best for next season. Regular
players were: Josh, Ollie, Roland,
Henry, Theo, Charlie, William,
Daniel, Arseniy, Fedor, Victor and
Vlad. Congratulations on a most
enjoyable season.
RS
95
Hockey
Hockey
1st Hockey
P6
W2
L3
D1
The first Hockey side made considerable
progress over the duration of the season
and when you consider it was made up
exclusively of year eights they more than
held their own in most of the matches.
Cumnor and Holmewood were simply
too good but great wins over Handcross
Park and St Aubyn’s as well as a thrilling
draw with Hurstpierpoint balanced thing
out nicely. They reached the semi finals
of the plate section of the Holmewood
House Tournament losing narrowly to St
Andrew’s.
Ai Yokoyama made a number of good
saves in goal and her positioning based
on the direction a shot was coming from
improved noticeably.
Aiko Eliot and Camilla Wilkins defended
courageously and improved with every
match. Their positional play and decision
making became more ‘natural’ and we
had a good defensive shape by the end of
the season.
Alexandra Mathison used her strength
and stick work to good effect and was
an excellent distributor throughout the
season.
Grace Chattey set a fine captain’s example
and always gave of her best playing in
the tricky left mid field position. Her
determination and encouragement
for the team helped give us a lift when
needed.
Sasha Nikolaeva was superb and our most
dangerous attacker. Her pace and vision
on the right was the focal point of our
attack.
Claudia, Grace and Bota Rustem played
at various stages and proved to be good
utility players used in defence and the
mid field.
I would like to thank all the parents who
gave us such fantastic support in the sun,
rain and snow during the season.
DG
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The Bulletin 2013
SPORT
U 11A Hockey
P5
L5
A tremendous amount was learnt this season by the U11
squad. A number of players experienced playing in two or
three positions and their understanding of the game and rules
improved considerably. The shape or pattern of the team’s play
developed nicely and we looked a far more cohesive unit in the
second half of the season.
A number of girls contributed to the team and each one gave of
their best when given the opportunity to play.
Momoko Eliot made good strides as a defender and her body
position when making a tackle was superb. She has the vision
and passing skills to develop into a fine mid-fielder.
Scarlett Fox made an impression as a defender, mid-fielder and
forward! Her speed and determination meant she was always
part of the action and her strength on the ball improved nicely.
Nastia Nikolaeva quickly picked up the basics of hockey and
has the makings of a very good hockey player. Her tenacity and
determination were evident in every game she played.
Annabel Naylor was magnificent in defence and in the mid-field.
A ‘never say die’ attitude drove her throughout every match. She
played a vital part in helping establish a clear structure to our
game.
Emily Bland is a very well balanced player with good control
and stick work. She played in the mid-field and up front with
a constant smile on her face! Izzy Sayer made tremendous
progress in defence. The timing of her tackling improved and the
strength of her pass often surprised the opposition.
Eliza Gethin did well as a defender. Her basics are sound and she
just needs to develop a little more confidence in matches. Lucy
Hargrave was a key defender. She read the game well and her
timing when making a tackle was always spot on. She helped us
keep our shape at the back.
Hermione Harrison played on the right and has the makings of
a good wing. She carries the ball well and her vision improved
considerably. Elizabeth McCarthy played in almost every position
at some stage. She excelled in all of them.
I think she is probably best suited as an attacking mid-fielder
as her ball carrying skills and defensive qualities are a perfect
combination for that position.
So it has been a season of steady improvement and I look
forward to the continued development of this group of players
next season.
DG
U10/U11B Hockey
P5 W0 D0 L5
Mimi Allen, Antonia Elrick, Emma
Horiguchi, Cordelia Moore and Mila
Novick (U10)
Momoko Eliot, Eliza Gethin, Lucy
Hargrave, Hermione Harrison, Hitomi
Sato, Izzy Sayer, Flora Shen, Phoebe
Wells (U11B)
Luckily, Ashdown girls are bred with
spirit, determination and a sense of
humour. They are competitive but they
understand that it’s participation that
counts. They enjoy a sense of victory
but they are gracious in defeat. They
are teammates and the best of friends.
They have fun. So despite this year’s
somewhat disastrous score sheet,
these girls had
a tremendous term of exhausting,
exasperating and exhilarating hockey.
A highlight of the season came at
Holmewood House, when Ashdown
took the lead in the first minute of play.
Ashdown started strongly. Pushing back
to Antonia, Mila was able to run up the
pitch to receive the ball on the edge of
the ‘D’. One step, two steps, three steps,
four steps, some fancy footwork, a little
hesitation … and eventually a shot! One
goal to Ashdown - the first of the U10
hockey season.
It was a delight to work with this group.
For Mimi, Emma, Hitomi, Flora and
Phoebe, this was their first hockey
season. They worked
tirelessly to learn the basic skills,
positions and tactics within a short
period of time. Ashdown’s girls are a
wonderfully diverse bunch, brought
together from across the globe to a new
world of shin pads, gum guards and jolly
hockey sticks. It may not have been a
successful season for Ashdown in the
eyes of our local rivals but it was HUGELY
successful as these girls had a fantastic
few weeks and they are already eagerly
anticipating the next hockey term.
VR
97
Netball
Netball
1st VII Netball
2nd VII Netball
Squad
Squad
Helena St John (GS), Alexandra Mathison (GA & Cpt), Grace
Chattey (WA), Aiko Eliot (C), Botakoz Rustem (WD), Sasha
Nikolaeva (GD), Camilla Wilkins (GK)
Lucy Hunt (GS), Frances Young ( GA), Annabel Edwards (GD),
Ai Yokoyama (GK), Claudia Grace (C), Charaspat Krairiksh (WA),
Alexandra Dial (WD), Patricia Lint (WD)
Matches
Matches
Won 4, Lost 11
Won 7, Lost 5
Goals for 231, Goals against 262
Goals For 159, Goals against 124
Tournaments
These girls all trained very hard and the improvements were
marked. They lost their first match of the season by a large
margin and their next two by decreasing margins as they
learned their craft. The first win came in the fourth match and
their joy was a sight to behold. They then suffered their largest
defeat of the season to a very slick team from Holmewood
House. They followed this with a resounding victory over St
Andrew’s and a fantastically fought match which they took by
one goal over Lingfield Notre Dame. In the Spring term they
improved their performance against Holmewood and followed
this with a run of four wins to complete a fantastic season. What
more could a coach hope for!
Cumnor Versatility
4th out of 8
Won 5, Lost 3
A really good day where many of the team ‘came of age’ in their
netball!
Hurst
PMc
3rd place
Won section by winning all their games, lost in the semi final to
Hurst after extra time and then golden goal 4-5. Won 3rd /4th
playoff 6-3
Goals for 50, Goal against 23.
An extremely good outing for our girls who were exceptionally
unlucky not to make the final!
U12 Netball
Squad
Nurshahar Izbassar (GS), Chloe Yorke (GA), Cristina Fontan and
Claudia Grace (WA), Mollie Beale (C), Anna Cayley and Violet
mackintosh (WD), Georgie O’Brien (GD), Liz Jeong and Tori
Burgoyne (GK)
Cranleigh
Won 2, Lost 4. The girls played as well as could be expected in
biting northerly winds causing sub zero temperatures!
Matches
Won 4 Lost 0
Regionals
Won 2, Lost 5. The top 3 teams in our section came 1st, 2nd, and
3rd in the region which showed that we had by far the most
difficult section of the day.
This year’s 1st team have worked extremely hard on their netball
skills. All have improved immensely during the season and they
were led fantastically well by their captain, Ali Mathison. Helena
shot like an angel, Grace and Aiko fed the circle with bullet-like
precision and Bota, Sasha and Camilla defended with the ferocity
of lionesses guarding their cubs. Girls you have been a delight to
coach and I wish you all the best in your future netball careers!
PMc
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The Bulletin 2013
SPORT
IAPS South East Regional Champions
In horrendous weather conditions the U12s gave the
performance of their lives! They won every section match with
consummate ease beating Brambletye, Dulwich Prep, Vinehall,
Westbourne House, Cranleigh, Hazelwood and Cumnor. The semi
was also won convincingly against Danes Hill.
In the final the girls were in command from the first whistle,
whilst the supporters merely had to battle with their brollies
and their nerves! The final score against Westbourne House was
5-3 an amazing achievement for a very small but enormously
talented group of girls!
Georgie (Captain Fantastic) marks her opponent so closely that
interceptions come thick and fast!
Mollie controls the centre court with her supreme presence;
jumping high to intercept passes and sending the ball back into
Ashdown hands!
Chloe defends back into the centre whilst also making dynamic
runs into the shooting circle to convert the goals.
Claudia and Cristina now play with incredible determination
and pace.
Violet and Anna neat, tidy and steady have added a touch of
'Grrr' to their defense getting to the ball before any opponent.
Nurshahar has achieved deadly accuracy with her shooting
ensuring she closes out each received ball.
Liz now makes crucial interceptions, defending the circle like a
wall.
This game can only be played at its very best if all are
contributing. Total team effort was given in every match
and training session. One can only wonder what would have
happened if the National finals had been played!!!
PMc
99
Netball
U11A Netball
Played 20 Won. 18. Lost 2
Squad : Carmen Prieto Visiedo, Elizabeth
McCarthy, Lucy Hargrave, Emily Bland,
Annabel Naylor, Nastia Nikolaeva, Scarlett
Fox, Hermione Harrison, Eugenia Prieto
Visiedo.
The U11A Netball team had a very
enjoyable season and the results speak
for themselves. On many occasions this
team were so much stronger than their
opposition that changes had to be made
for a closer contest. They had great
success at the Hurst Tournament and
just missed out in the final by one goal.
Another huge achievement was at the
regional IAPS Tournament. They came
13th out of 64 schools and narrowly
missed out on qualification for the
National finals. I really enjoyed coaching
this talented bunch of girls this season
and look forward to them fulfilling their
potential.
JU
U10/U11B Netball
P15 W6 L8 D1
Squad: Mimi Allen, Antonia Elrick, Eliza
Gethin, Emma Horiguchi, Momoko Eliot,
Estella Montagu, Cordelia Moore, Mila
Novick, Hitomi Sato, Izzy Sayer, Flora
Shen, Phoebe Wells
This year’s U10/U11B netball season
got off to a slow start as the girls
struggled to make any impact on the
courts of Kent and Sussex. After six
consecutive losses, confidence was
painfully low. Cries of ‘I hate netball’
could be heard echoing through the
changing rooms. The problem? Too
many centre court players and no
confident shooters. Luckily, Ashdown
girls do not give up that easily and on
one chilly afternoon at the beginning
of December, they sneaked a 5-3 win
against Holmewood House. This win
came after weeks of shooting practice
(morning, noon and night) and with
it, the fortunes of twelve disheartened
little girls turned and they went on to
have a very successful Lent term. The
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The Bulletin 2013
most notable victory came against
St Andrew’s. In this match, the girls
played with energy and enthusiasm,
despite freezing temperatures on the
court. From the first whistle, Ashdown
stood out as the stronger team and we
retained possession throughout most
of the match. We marked tightly in all
thirds, which made it difficult for St
Andrew’s to find free players, and so we
won the ball by interception or penalty.
Despite using too many passes to send
the ball down court, it got there in the
end. In the shooting circle, Emma’s neat
passing, feisty snatching of the ball and
nifty footwork were an asset. She was
ably supported by Eliza, who learned to
shoot beautifully from anywhere in the
circle, and Antonia also stepped into the
shooting circle in the final ten minutes.
The final result was 8-0 to Ashdown.
It was a pleasure to coach this lovely
group of girls and the season's statistics
show what excellent progress was made
over the two terms.
VR
SPORT
Under 9s Netball
This netball season was the first for
many of the girls and so for the first few
weeks we started from the beginning
and worked on the basic netball
skills and spent many game sessions
practicing throwing and catching. Since
the under 9s are such a small age group,
their practices were combined with the
under 10s and this proved to be very
beneficial for the under 9s as they learnt
a lot from the older girls. Our practices
during the daily games sessions were
always filled with fun and excitement
and there was never a dull moment on
the court.
Many of the under 9s matches were
social matches as most of the girls had
never played netball competitively
before. Despite the cold temperatures,
the team was always enthusiastic
to play and always had a positive
attitude right until the very end.
During the matches the girls often
had great team communication and
they always managed to find a free
space on the court. As a team, they
have come a long way and have
all shown great improvement. I
thoroughly enjoyed coaching the
U9s and it was great watching the
team go from strength to strength.
Good luck for your next season girls.
Miss Jenna
101
Rounders
Rounders
1st Team Rounders
Squad: Sasha Nikolaeva (Bowler), Georgie O’Brien (Back stop),
Aiko Eliot (1st Post), Alexandra Mathison (Cpt and 2nd Post),
Chloe Yorke (3rd Post), Helena St John and Claudia Grace (4th
Post), Grace Chattey (1st Deep), Bota Rustem (2nd Deep), Camilla
Wilkins (3rd Deep)
Matches
Won 9, Lost 0
Good Ball games
Won 0 Lost 1
Batting
Rounders for : 333
Rounders against: 149
Georgie 57
Alexandra 33 ½
Chloe 33
St Bedes Tournament
3rd Place
Sasha 32
Grace 29
Camilla 28 ½
Bota 19 ½
Aiko 17 ½
Claudia 12 ½
Helena 9
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The Bulletin 2013
In typical Ashdown fashion these girls were incredible fielders
led from the front by their captain Alexandra. They were almost
always deadly accurate, had safe hands, and great reaction
speed. The top batsman this year, in a closely fought contest
until the 2nd placed player broke her hand, was Georgie O’Brien.
Overall a fantastic season played with great courage and
enormous skill.
The girls, in their American outfits, also beat the mothers, in
their super hero costumes, in a closely fought match to end the
season!
You have been a pleasure to coach for so many years girls – you
will be missed!
PMc
SPORT
2nd IX Rounders
U11A Rounders
Played 13, Won 5 Lost 8
Played 14. Won. 12. Lost. 2.
I have really enjoyed the rounders
season. Frances, Lucy, Ai, Charas,
Annabel, Ali, Anna, Victoria, Cristina,
Liz, Nurshahar, Violet and Mollie all
played for the 2nd team this year
and they really bonded as a team.
They showed great sportsmanship graceful in triumph and defeat - and
although it wasn’t the best season
for the 2nd XI they never gave up.
Persistence and determination are
two things that the girls in this team
are full of and I am very proud of
them all.
Team: Elizabeth McCarthy, Bowler. Annabel Naylor, Backstop. Hermione Harrison,
1st Post. Emily Bland, 2nd Post. Nastia Nikolaeva 3rd Post. Carmen Prieto Visiedo
4th Post. Eugenia Prieto Visiedo 1st Deep. Loren Pepper 2nd Deep. Scarlett Fox and
Hitomi Sato 3rd Deep.
Miss Jayme
An excellent 2013 rounders season for the under 11A team. To play 14 matches and
only lose two is an impressive statistic. Also the team played extremely well at the
IAPS tournament, comfortably winning all their group matches and narrowly losing
the semi final.
The standout player this season was Elizabeth who scored a magnificent 64
rounders, made 20 catches, 8 stumpings and bowled extremely well. Carmen also
had an excellent season. She scored 40 rounders and made 21 catches. Loren was
our third best hitter with 25 rounders. Hermione stumped 45 players at first post
and Emily stumped 29. Annabel was our brave and very accurate backstop. This
bunch of girls made a brilliant team and they all seemed to thoroughly enjoy their
rounders. Well done on a very successful season.
JU
Played 8, Won 4 Lost 4
Throughout the Summer term, the Under 9/10s have proven to be a very determined and dedicated team. At the beginning of
the season the team was quite inexperienced due to some of the girls having never played rounders competitively, but each girl
soon found their strength and used it to the best of their ability. Our practices during the daily games sessions were always filled
with fun and excitement, with the girls being eager to learn. At the start, Chloe, Alice and Eloise struggled with their batting,
but with their sheer determination and constant practice their batting skills improved immensely very rarely missing the ball.
The under 10 girls were never scared to take a risk, particularly Jemima who often scored rounders in the last few minutes of the
match. The girls also had great team communication and continuously encouraged one another, whether the score was in their
favour or not. Mila, Antonia and Lily were a great example of this, often demonstrating how communication can play a vital role
in the outcome of the match. Fielding was the team’s strength, with impressive catches coming from Esme, as well as Emma and
Lexi always being ready for the next ball. No matter the result, the girls always managed to have the loudest cheer at the end of
the match, being very gracious winners or losers. We have thoroughly enjoyed coaching the under 9/10s team, and we wish you
all the very best for the next season.
Miss Hannah and Miss Jenna
103
Athletics/Golf
Athletics
The pupils at Ashdown have enjoyed
another successful athletics season.
Despite a rather wet start to the season,
the children were able to have fun
competing and above all trying to break
their own personal bests.
Furthermore the following qualified
for the National championships at the
Alexander Stadium in Birmingham:
Naturally, the focal point of the season
was the Regionals at the K2 stadium in
Crawley, with the Sussex group being one
of the most competitive regions in the
country. Ashdown entered a team of 24
athletes in 31 events, winning 5 Golds, 5
silvers and 3 Bronzes.
Juan Ohlsson - U12 100m
William Brockman - U14 1500m
Vadim Novick - U12 Shot
Eugenia Prieto - U12 Long Jump
Scarlett Fox – U12 70m Hurdles
Elizabeth McCarthy – U12 Shot
Georgie O’Brien – U13 Javelin - Silver
Xander Angelini-Hurll, Juan Ohlsson,
Marcus Prest and Dominic Yorke - U12
Boys’ 4x 100m Relay
Scarlett Fox, Elizabeth McCarthy, Eugenia
Prieto and Phoebe Wells – U12 Girls’ 4x
100m Relay
Huge congratulations must go to all the
above, but captain William Brockman
stole the show winning a much deserved
national silver medal with a new school
record of 4.45.86s. This was, in fact, the
second time he broke the record this
season, so he is certainly a name to look
out for in the future.
Other school records were also broken
this season by the following:
U12 Triple Jump
Eugenia Prieto Visiedo– 8.96m
U12 Shot Put
Elizabeth McCarthy – 6.76m
U13 Long Jump
Georgie O’Brien - 4.51m (equalled existing
record)
U13 Triple Jump
Georgie O’Brien – 9.41m
Congratulations to all and the future of
Ashdown athletics certainly looks bright
for the forthcoming season!
PM
104
The Bulletin 2013
SPORT
Golf
This year the golf team played in a
couple of matches, although the wet
conditions during the Autumn term
meant the annual fixture against the
ladies from Royal Ashdown Forest Golf
Club was cancelled, but the match against
Brambletye went ahead at Effingham
Park. Our team consisted of Dom Prest,
Ollie Wills, Juan Ohlsohn, James Bradley,
Lex Wills and Pat Athakravisunthorn, and
on a beautiful Sunday afternoon they
played brilliantly. The match ended up
being halved with both teams having a
chance to win in it the fading daylight!
A repeat of this fixture was played in the
summer term and it was Ashdown that
took the spoils with a resounding victory.
RF
105
Tennis/Swimming/Sports Day
Tennis
In the Summer term both the boys and
the girls teams had a few matches, mainly
against Cumnor and Brambletye. The
matches were always keenly contested
and generally the honours were shared
between the teams. The girls also travelled
to Windlesham where they played on grass
courts – tough to start with but as they got
used to the bounce they settled in and the
highlight was top pair Ali Mathison and
Grace Chattey claiming a famous victory
by 6 games to 3 Towards the end of term
we also played some mixed matches that
were great fun and saw Ashdown triumph.
RS
Swimming
v Handcross A 147, Ashdown A 124,
Ashdown B 68, Handcross B 62. IAPS Swimming Regionals at
Hurstpierpoint College
Ashdown swimmers broke 23 personal
bests out a possible 36.
The children represented Ashdown in the
IAPS Regional swimming. They all covered
themselves with glory! Everyone gave
their all as they battled against the clock.
v Brambletye A 146, Ashdown A 132,
Brambletye B 75, Ashdown B 65
There were 38 individual races and in
these 26 children beat their personal
bests and 2 equalled them.
Tonbridge Prep Schools' Swimming Gala
This was a really super event run by
Tonbridge School. Ten Ashdown children
were fortunate enough to attend as one
team competing with nine other prep
schools.
106
The Bulletin 2013
The final event of the swimming calendar
is the keenly contested inter patrol gala.
This year 72 children out of a possible 80
beat their personal best times!
Hippos 130
Eles 118
Kangs 106
Rhinos 88
SPORT
Sports Day
Once again the elements allowed the Ashdown community enjoyed a fine day of
athletics and merriment. The Kangs were victorious but there were super individual
performances from Eugenia Prieto in the Triple Jump and Will Brockman in the 1500m.
Lots of personal bests were broken and the gentle air of competition encouraged all
athletes to give that little bit extra be it in the javelin or the hugely popular tg-o-war.
Elsewhere entertainment was provided by the 1s’ stalls, overseen by Miss Hiron, and the
return of the water-slide was greeted with long queues of willing ‘sliders’! Doc Evans
kept us all on our toes over the loud speaker and gently nudged people in the direction
of their events. A thrilling senior High Jump between Dom Prest and Will Brockman
delayed the relays, but it came as no surprise that the Kangs were victorious having led
the scoreboard for most of the afternoon. A huge thank you must go to Judge Richard
Hayward, a former Ashdown governor, for his wise words of encouragement. Also
thanks must go to Melanie St John (mother of William, Celia Lily and Helena) who, as
the longest standing Ashdown mother, awarded the prizes to the best athletes in each
year group. Sports Day is Ashdown at its best, where everyone comes together to join
in a truly memorable day.
PM
107
SATIPS Prep Schools Ski Race/Form Lists
SATIPS Prep Schools Ski Race
The inaugural Ashdown House ski
team was delighted to compete in this
year’s SATIPS Prep Schools ski race at
The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead. The boys raced a stubby slalom of
approximately twelve gates and each
boy had two timed runs. The U11 team
of Juan Ohlsson, Vadim Novick, Marcus
Prest and Misha Verozub were placed
13th out of 17 teams. The U14 team
of Sam Allen, William Barker, Federico
Giesler and Jack Lisser (captain) were
placed 11th out of 15 teams. A special
mention must go to Misha who came
18th out of 68 racers in his age group
and 35th out of 128 overall. Ski racing
is an exciting addition to Ashdown’s
sporting programme. VR
108
The Bulletin 2013
THE SCHOOL
Form List - Summer 2013
1O’N
1JBo
1RSc
William Brockman
Luke Berry
Hugo Alonso
Alex Coglin
James Bradley
Napat Athakravisunthorn
Jay Darling
Grace Chattey
Philip Birdwood
Felix Deere
Alexandra Dial
Patricia Lint
Aiko Eliot
Annabel Edwards
Juan Marin
Cameron Galloway
Claudia Grace
Charlie Naylor
Daragh Massey
Lucy Hunt
James Ross
Alexandra Mathison
Charas Krairiksh
Botakoz Rustem
Sasha Nikolaeva
Dominic Prest
Camilla Wilkins
Adeoluwa Pearse
Helena St John
Oliver Wills
Ai Yokoyama
Alexander Young
Frances Young
2JK
2DM
3PM
3DG
Simon Barbour
Sam Allen
Xander Angelini-Hurll
Hugh Collins
Nick Berry
William Barker
Emily Bland
Momoko Eliot
Bradley Ellison
Mollie Beale
Scarlett Fox
Felix Fleming
Seoyeon Jeong
Jayden Brooks Hurst
Charles Harrison
Lucy Hargrave
Alexander Kushnarev
Victoria Burgoyne
Hermione Harrison
William Harris
Simeon Lee
Gonzalo Calcada
Elizabeth McCarthy
Luke Massey
Jack Lisser
Anna Cayley
Anastasia Nikolaeva
Vadim Novick
Violet Mackintosh
Cristina Fontan
Javier Prieto Visiedo
Loren Massey
Shivaan Mohinani
Federico Giesler
Freddie Smith
Marcus Prest
Toby Moon
Nurshahar Izbassar
Phoebe Wells
Carmen Prieto Visiedo
Georgina O’Brien
Alexander Jones
Dominic Yorke
Eugenia Prieto Visiedo
Jack O’Hara
Juan Ohlsson
Tair Udovenchuk
Mikhail Verozub
Jack Wells
Mehrshad Shahabi
Barney Whitmore
Marvel Solomons
Chloe Yorke
Andrew Taylor
Max Vaninskiy
3TB
4VR
5HM
5CC
Josh Burvill
Mimi Allen
Fedor Belyakov
Lucas Ayton
Ben Chavasse
Antonia Elrick
Jemima Bland
Theo Barker
Eliza Gethin
George Halblander-Smyth
Roland Bourne
Oliver de Havas
June Yue Lu
Emma Horiguchi
Alexandra Burgoyne
Alice Halblander Smyth
Estella Montagu
Callum Hynes
William Butcher
Chloe Hynes
Annabel Naylor
David Li
Amalia de Guzman
Henry Miller
Hitomi Sato
Arthur Lindsay
Daniel Duarte
Vlad Novick
Flora Shen
Cordelia Moore
Charlie Gibbs
Eloise van Praagh
Alexander Sheridan
Mila Novick
Arseniy Goryagin
Viktor Surkov
Morten Tilley
Esme Heath
Lily Moore
Josh Schreiber
109
Staff List/Appointments
Staff List
HEADMASTER
Haydon J S Moore, B Th. (Oxon), PGCE
TEACHING STAFF
Tom Bennett, BA (Oxon)
John Boddington, BA (Hons), PGCE (Head of History)
Jeremy Branfoot, BSc (Hons), MA Ed
Mrs Lucy Cooper, BA (Hons), PGCE, QTS
Mrs Chris Clarke, BEd (Hons), Dip RSA(SPLD)
George de Moraville (Senior Boys Houseparent)
Richard Fitt, BA (Hons), PGCE (Director of Music)
Mrs Suzanne Fox, BA (Hons), MA, QTS (Head of Art)
David Gibbon, HDE
Mrs Caroline Hawkins, BA (Hons), PGCE, QTS
Miss Suzy Hiron, BA (Hons), PGCE (Head of DT)
Mike Hogue, BA (Hons), B Com (Head of Sport)
Miss Jo Kay, BA, MA Ed, PGCE (Head of English)
Mrs Caroline Kemsley, Cert. Ed, RSA, Dip (SPLD)
(Head of Learning Support)
Mrs Phillipa McCarthy, BEd (Head of Girls Games)
Mrs Annie Moore, BEd (Oxon)
Mrs Catherine O’Neill, MA, Dip. Ed (Head of French)
Mrs Victoria Randle, MA, PGCE (Head of Maths)
Regan Schreiber, BA (Hons), PGCE (Head of Geography,
Head of Boarding)
Miss Bina Solomon, BSc (Hons), MSc, PGCE (Head of Science)
Daniel Stephenson, BA (Oxon) (Head of Classics)
Dr James Tosh, BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD (Head of Science)
Mrs Jennie Upton
Mrs Lyndsey Watson, AIL Cert, TEFL Cert.
PERIPATETIC TEACHERS
Mrs Jane Cochran (Fitness)
Miss Sophie Huntley (Ballet)
Tim Cowley (Golf)
Mrs Julie Rigg (Swimming)
Jonathan Tuck (Chess)
SCHOOL SECRETARY
Mrs Sue Cooper
BURSARIAL ASSISTANT
Mrs Suzie Breakell
110
The Bulletin 2013
GAP STUDENTS
Leanne Corliss
Josh Duarte
Tessa Myburgh
NURSING SISTERS
Miss Sarah Holt, B.Nurs
MATRONS/HOUSEPARENTS
Miss Charlotte Britton
Mrs Bella Duarte
Mrs Gail Schreiber
CATERING STAFF
George Duarte
Mrs Clare Davies
Mrs Sylva de Jesus
Patrick Elridge
Mrs Carmella Inserra
Giovanni Inserra
Mrs Beverly Young
HOUSEKEEPING STAFF
Mrs Julia Leonard (Housekeeping Supervisor)
Mrs Elaine Douglas
Miss Sarah Hall
Chris Rowell
Miss Florbella Pinto
GROUNDS/MAINTENTANCE STAFF
Paul Coughlin
Paolo Amaro
Oli Riches (Head Groundsman)
Ben Samels
MUSIC STAFF
Felix Buser (’Cello)
Mrs Jo Cutter (Flute)
Ms Elizabeth Dandridge (Piano)
Mrs Annie Grenville (Singing)
Jez Nunn (Drums)
Mrs Angela Ogle (Piano)
Phil Paton (Clarinet & Saxophone)
John Playford (Brass)
Mrs Helen Pye (Oboe)
Martin Sonneveld (Violin)
Mike Tillotson (Guitar)
THE SCHOOL
Appointments
Head Boy:
Cameron Galloway
Captain of Football:
Dominic Prest
Head Girl:
Sasha Nikolaeva
Captain of Netball:
Alexandra Mathison
Prefects:
James Bradley
Felix Deere
Annabel Edwards
Aiko Eliot
Lucy Hunt
Helena St John
Frances Young
Captain of Hockey:
Grace Chattey
Captains of Swimming:
Camilla Wilkins
Captain of Golf:
Oliver Wills
Captain of Rugby:
Dominic Prest
Captain of Cricket:
Dominic Prest
Captain of Rounders:
Alexandra Mathison
Captain of Athletics:
William Brockman
Captain of Tennis:
Luke Berry
Captain of Music:
Adeoluwa Pearse
Head Chorister:
Alexandra Mathison
Head Librarian:
Alexander Young
Keeper of the School Flag:
Charlie Naylor
Heads of Patrols:
William Brockman (Rhinos)
Alexander Coglin (Hippos)
Ai Yokoyama (Eles)
Alexandra Mathison (Kangs)
Keeper of the Grandfather Clock: Jay Darling
Scholarships
Aiko Eliot
Benenden (Exhibition)
Claudia Grace
Benenden (Drama)
Dominic Prest
Sherborne (Sport)
Felix Deere
Uppingham (Academic, Music and Thring)
111
Ashdown House School
Forest Row
East Sussex, RH18 5JY
Tel: +44(0)1342 822574
Fax: +44(0)1342 824380
Email: secretary@ashdownhouse.com
Website: www.ashdownhouse.co.uk

Bulletin - Ashdown House

Transcription

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