On Thursday 27th January, after several days of stressful exams, we fled to London, where we went to the National Gallery of Art.  The National Gallery is home to many fantastic oil paintings, all of which were painted by now-dead artists.

First of all, we had a guided tour of two paintings, one of which was The Sunflowers by Van Gogh.  We discovered why the painting was yellow, and how it was actually a circle of life, with the blossoming and dying flowers.

After this, we were allowed to have a wander around the gallery with paper and pencils. Quite a few people produced marvelous sketches of well-known paintings. The paintings were most impressive, as you would expect from such a brilliant gallery, and it was a great day out.

The only downside was that we did not have enough time to fully view the 2,300 paintings that are at the gallery!

Claudia Kelley

We enjoyed seeing the latest art installation to occupy the Fourth Plinth,  at Trafalgar Square,  the ship in bottle is the work of British Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare,  it was lovely as we walked past it  on our way to the National Gallery.

On 29th January an audience comprising of the Threes, Fours and Fives along with some parents, relatives and staff were treated to an entertaining morning of drama and speeches.
The Fives kicked off with an amusing performance of Roahl Dahl’s version of Jack and Beanstalk.
This was follwed by twelve children who had volunteered  to represent their Houses in the public speaking competition. Giving a two minute speech each on the subject of ‘My Hero’.
Poppy Clarke representing Drake spoke first, giving  a very personal and touching speech about a special friend of hers.. She was followed by Charles Moody Stuart who delivered a very informative speech about, Sir Winston Churchill. Scott House then took to the floor and Juliette Carmichael told us about the qualities that she felt a hero should have and how those men who have risked life and limb out in war zones should be recognised as such. She then informed us that her personal hero was her father who she admired for his bravery as a soldier.  Ludo Milne then spoke and he had researched his subject well and poured out many facts about Theodore Roosevelt that convinced the audience as to why he was a man that should be well respected.
Next it was Raleigh and Ella George delivered a very calm and measured speech, teasing her audience about who her hero might be as she described all the different qualities her hero had, and then right at the end she revealed that in fact her hero was her mum. Charlie Line  spoke to us about Tim Berners Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web a hero because the modern world now relies so heavily on the Web for day to day life.
Bader boy Max Sutton chose a hero who was dear to all those members of his House as he spoke about Douglas Bader, revealing much about Bader’s life, his exploits and his courage and his extreme heroism in the second world war. Ele Kennedy followed with a very personal and moving speech about her grandfather, showing him to be one of life’s great characters with amazing and varied qualities .
Callum Owen represented Hunt house as he spoke about Lieutenant Melville, who was, it turned out a distant relative of his and a hero of the Zulu wars.  Lucas Allison then delivered the second speech of the day about Churchill, giving us a fresh slant on this great man’s life as he explained the difficulties that he had over- come in his early years.
Lastly we heard from Grenfell House and Raphael Richardson gave a graphic opening to his speech as he described the horrible conditions in which slaves used to be kept before his hero, William Wilberforce had acted to stop these dreadful atrocities. The morning’s proceedings were then rounded off by Teddy Maloney who spoke to us about Sir Edmund Hilary and Teddy made it very clear as to what a courageous and dedicated man he was.
The standard of everyone’s speeches had been very high this year and Mrs Foster and Mrs Jenkins had a very difficult task choosing the best House overall, but finally the result came in that the winning team was Raleigh with Ella George and Charlie Line.  The children were all praised for their efforts and received certificates for having taken part.

The Spring term Scholars’ Evening meetings started off with a visit from the Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex, Mrs Susan Pyper, coming to give us a talk on what exactly she does. She showed us a power point on the history of the Lord Lieutenants: how they started in the era of the Tudors, how they were only men at the start (until 1951), and what she has to do on a weekly basis and, trust me, when I write she must have a lot of help organising everything as there is so much that happens.
Mrs Pyper described how she was very closely linked in with the military and how she awards all the soldiers who have come back from Afghanistan with a medal for serving, and sometimes for bravery. She also explained how she is head of the cadets in West Sussex and how occasionally they accompany members of the royal family when they visit.
Overall her visit was a real insight into the workings of the Queen and her closest helpers and what they have done and still do to help run our   country.

On Tuesday 25^th January our eleven potential drama scholars accompanied by Mrs Jenkins went to ‘The Space’ at Steyning Grammar school to watch the Oxfordshire Theatre Company’s new version of ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ written by Neil Duffield. Set ‘end-on’ with only three players, original songs and some puppetry, this was a challenging and intriguing theatrical experience for our young scholars, particularly in terms of analysing innovative characterisation and the flexible use of a small space.

Karen Simpson’s direction drew us into Alice’s story within a story with a charmingly epic and at times improvisational and creative style which welcomed plenty of audience interaction and self-referential comedy. Much of the style of this production ties in nicely with next term’s exploration of Brecht in drama lessons and we look forward to the drama scholars leading the way with these studies.

We wish all eleven potential drama scholars all the very best with their forthcoming assessments, auditions and interviews which commence on February 3^rd.

Now showing in the library, the 3′s at Windlesham have brought the Roman Empire back to life by putting on a sensational exhibition about Roman houses.   Having researched the Roman town house – or ‘domus’ to give its Latin name – some children produced detailed, three dimensional, scale models to show how Roman houses would have looked.  Using a variety of materials some of the houses look extraordinarily life-like and comfortable enough to live in.   They would certainly have carried a hefty price tag two thousand or so years ago.   Complete with swimming pools (Piscinae), under floor central heating and colonnaded gardens (Peristylia), the houses look better built than many modern houses on the market today.

Laurence Dubeck the 3′s Latin teacher commented:

‘I was thrilled with their work.  It was so nice to be able to give so many Headmaster’s commendations for their amazing efforts.’

Other children preferred to adopt a more modern approach and have developed power point presentations showing exactly how the Romans would have lived.  A range of fantastic slide shows should ensure that our knowledge of the Romans’ lifestyle increases by leaps and bounds.

A special vote of thanks to the 3′s for giving us such a great opportunity to develop our knowledge and for producing learning resources which we can share with other year groups and build on the work we are doing in Year seven and Year eight.

(James Glasse/Head of  Classics)

BEDALES

They received no crosses all week!

During January and February our Community Liaison Officer, PC Keeley, has been invited to talk to the children on various issues.  The older children will receive a talk on Internet Safety whilst the 3′s talk will focus on the dangers of Drug Abuse and Criminal Law.  The 5′s and Transition will receive an informative session on Criminal Damage and Respect for Property.

The Twos enjoyed a memorable visit to Hampton Court on Friday 21st January.  Originally built by Cardinal Wolsey in 1514 the palace was appropriated by Henry VIII in 1525 and many original Tudor features still survive today.  The children were given a special private tour of the Great Hall, the last great medieval hall ever built for the Monarchy, and also Henry’s private rooms and the Chapel Royal.  We also learnt about ‘The Sport of Kings’, the various pastimes and games that Henry himself would have enjoyed at Hampton Court such as Jousting and Bowls and were even able to touch and play with artefacts which were used in these activities by Henry himself.  Other highlights included a tour of the kitchens and a lesson in starting a Tudor kitchen fire, as well as practice at turning the great spits used to roast the meat.  A wonderful day for all.

1^st XV Rugby – Monday 17^th January

Windlesham -      17 (12)

TRIES:             Martin x2, Clancy

CONS:   Martin 1/3

St Andrews -      17 (0)

The much anticipated County Cup quarter-final came sooner than expected on Monday, seeing Windlesham pitted against St Andrew’s Eastbourne in a re-match of the thriller before Christmas that saw the black and whites narrowly beaten.

Though it seems barely possible, this match was more intense, more closely fought and more physical than the first encounter, with both sets of players showing the most unbelievable commitment for the full 50 minutes and a finale that had to be seen to be believed – and even then provided plenty of confusion.

From the off, the whole Windlesham squad clearly meant business, forwards carrying with tenacity and precision, backs presenting a united front and making every tackle.  Indeed the first half saw this talented Windlesham squad reach their full potential for the first time this season.  The first try was a consummate team effort with cohesive forward play, tight support and quick thinking seeing Finn Clancy crash over under the posts for his first try of the season to leave the visitors stunned.  By contrast the second try saw Windlesham put width on the ball, swift accurate passing putting Henry Martin through a gap to again score under the posts.  Crucially this second conversion was missed, though with a 12-0 lead Windlesham could reflect on a half to be proud of and one that saw St Andrew’s rarely threaten.

The pedigree of the cup holders from Eastbourne dictated that a second half response would be on the cards and it duly came.  For the opening 15 minutes the Windlesham defence continued to look impenetrable, while with ball in hand the black and whites continued to play some good rugby.  To their credit, the visitors refused to accept defeat, and with tired legs leading to tired minds, Windlesham organisation and discipline began to wane for the first time in the match.  St Andrew’s capitalised with two tries in five minutes, both converted impressively under pressure to turn the game on its head.

At 12-14 down, having given everything and with the memory of similar late close losses still fresh in the memory, came a make or break point in this 1^st XV’s season.  With five minutes still on the clock it was decision time; accept another close defeat and write it off as a valiant effort, or show the poise, passion and sheers bloody mindedness of champions.  To a man the players took the second option, roaring back from the kick-off to send St Andrew’s reeling, turn over ball ensuring an attacking platform.  Exactly as in the previous encounter, a last ditch Martin run saw him elude a handful of pursuers as he skirted with the right side-line.  But on this occasion the indomitable spirit of this squad shone through in a heroic final stretch to the line.  Try given!

However, there was still room for a final twist.  With ball in hand and a chance to see out the final seconds, a touch of naivety saw Windlesham look to spread the ball wide in their own territory.  Under pressure from the visiting defence, Windlesham infringed and St Andrew’s elected to kick the penalty.  At 17-17 the final whistle was blown and with some confusion, both sets of players left the field having given everything in one of the best games of prep school rugby you are ever likely to see, but unsure of the final result.

It wasn’t long however before confirmation came through from the tournament organisers that Windlesham’ s superior try count had secured a famous victory taking them through to the semi-finals.  It was definitely one of those games where neither side deserved to lose and there was genuine sympathy for all at St Andrew’s.  But based on a scintillating first half, and having edged possession, territory and try scoring chances, it was impossible not to say that the best team on the day had gone through.  Well done to all the squad on a phenomenal effort.

Men-of-the-Match: Henry Druce & Will Heagerty

1^st XV Rugby – Saturday 15^th January

Windlesham -      38 (31)

TRIES:             Martin x4, de Klee x2

CONS:   Martin 4/6

St Bede’s -      5 (0)

Windlesham 1^st XV shrugged off December’s agonising loss to Cumnor and the long Christmas break to hit the ground running and see off a powerful St Bede’s team with a clinical first half display.

Despite being seriously outsized, the Windlesham pack started with tenacity, intent and consistent force.  This was backed up by some incisive running and excellent decision making in the backs.  A half time score of 31-0 was the least the hosts deserved and showed off the new strip to its fullest effect.  Tries came courtesy of captain Martin and scrum-half de Klee.

The second half was a harder fought affair as St Bede’s started to use their extra size to its full advantage and Windlesham legs started to flag.  Even so, solid defence helped to keep the visitors from Eastbourne at bay and see Windlesham through to what was ultimately a comfortable victory.  A terrific start to the New Year and the first goal achieved in a week of big matches.

Men-of-the-Match: Henry Martin & Charlie Moir

1^st XV Rugby – Wednesday 19^th January

Windlesham -      29 (19)

TRIES:             Martin x3, de Klee, Morris

CONS:   Moir 2/4, Martin 0/1

Brighton College -      5 (0)

A huge week for Windlesham rugby was finished off with a resounding victory against Brighton College Junior School, gaining a measure of revenge for last years tough loss in what was probably the performance of the season to date.

From the first whistle, Windlesham played there most complete brand of rugby, inter-changing forwards and backs, playing through the phases with patience and poise, providing continuity of possession and varying both the tempo and point of attack impressively.  A Brighton side with plenty of size and speed rarely threatened in a first half that saw Windlesham lead 19-0 through two Martin tries and one for Morris – Moir kicking two out of three conversions.

As expected, Brighton came out strong in the second half; finally able to break the Windlesham defensive stranglehold to score a try that put them very much back in the game.  In keeping with the standard set over all three matches during this huge week of rugby, the Windlesham response was absolute.  In one of the best individual passages of play in a season full of highlights, McLay dummied and broke free on the half-way line, breaking tackles and handing off all the way to within a metre of the try line.  Finally hauled down, close support from de Klee saw him finish off the number 10’s hard work with a dive over the line, simultaneously extinguishing any hope the College had of getting back into the game.

A final try for the captain saw him gain his eighth hatrick of the season and sealed another famous victory against strong opposition in the performance of the year so far.

Men-of-the-Match: Marcus Miller, Charlie Goldstone, Dongsung Kim, Hamish McLay

Squad:        Jolly Reid, Henry Druce, Dongsung Kim, Charlie Goldstone, Finn Clancy,

Will Heagerty, James Blomfield, Anthony Morris, Henry de Klee, Hamish McLay,

Ralph Outhwaite, Marcus Miller, Mark Smirnov, Henry Martin, Charlie Moir, James de Winton, Max Anderson.

NEXT MATCH:       Sat 22^nd January vs. Dorset House & Worth (home)

MD